Make a Good Squad Better, Mr. Wenger

Aaron Ramsey and Kieran Gibbs are good.
(Photo courtesy Ronnie Macdonald)

Sports are funny. They’re much like a relationship with an actual human. You create a bond with them, learn about them and depending who they are, you develop a variety of feelings for them. These feelings range from true happiness to utter frustration. I have a relationship with Arsenal — all 13 members of it. Right now I’m not sure what sort of feeling is going through me, which I guess in turn makes me frustrated.

In a tie that was supposed to be a rather difficult test, especially with traveling to Istanbul first to face Fenerbahçe was always going to be a rocky challenge. Except, in the end, it wasn’t. Sure the first half seemed testy at times, but when it ended 3-0 and our cannon-clad hearts could beat surer after a terrible start to the season, things were looking up. Arsene Wenger stated that our "transfer window started now," immediately rousing up a new set of rumors that all seemed to be deflated in a mere weeks time.

Arsenal followed a relatively easy 3-1 win over Fulham over the weekend with last night’s 2-0 sweep away of the Turkish side. In the end it was an impressive performance from a team that’s had an imaginable amount of pressure on it.

With no signings yet coming in since Wenger’s declaration a strong starting 11 was again put out and as luck would have it, not all came back. Lukas Podolski was stretchered off near the start of the second half with what seemingly was a hamstring injury. While Yaya Sanogo and Ryo Miyaichi got a rare taste of first team soccer, the Turks seemed to change their strategy around the 75th minute to treating Jack Wilshere like a medieval serf. While shockingly no opposing player was sent off for their lashings, Aaron Ramsey subbed himself off, leaving his squad down to 10 men with just minutes remaining.

Match Preview: Fenerbahçe vs. Arsenal (0-3 agg.), Emirates Stadium, UEFA Champions League, August 27, 2013

Arsenal looks for its first home win of the season.
(Photo courtesy Jeremy Couture)

Having heaped derision on Fenerbahçe ahead of the first leg of Arsenal's Champions League qualifier in Istanbul last week -- a decision I made largely in order to avoid having to think too hard about the terrible, aorta-straining implications of a bad result -- it's probably time for a slightly more sensible look at the Turkish club and its prospects for overturning a three-goal deficit at the Emirates in the second leg on Tuesday.

Those prospects are, to put it bluntly, not great, based on the first leg's evidence. Fenerbahçe didn't look able to keep up with Arsenal, getting eaten alive in midfield by Jack Wilshere and consensus man of the match Aaron Ramsey. Grievously wounding Laurent Koscielny proved an unprofitable strategy. Despite the isolated chance or two after the game would have been beyond doubt (for other clubs), the Gunners were firmly in control for most of the match, and the scoreline seemed appropriate for the performance.

Still, as a lazy writer, I can't help but be mildly superstitious heading into today's game. Down three away goals, massive underdogs, and with the prospect of a failed appeal over the match-fixing allegations threatening to bounce them from the group stage even if they were to overcome Arsenal? If it happened in a movie, you'd walk out. Just too unlikely. But such is the stuff of which sporting legend is made.

Week in Review Vol. 2: Stop Comparing Everything to the U.S., NBC

This year's Premier League has plenty of history.
(Photo courtesy Toby Jagmohan)

In general, these first few weeks of NBC's English Premier League coverage have gone over well.

The match production and commentating are superb. The talking heads throughout the network seem generally excited about discussing the EPL, and the ability to watch matches at home without breaking the law is, obviously, an improvement.

Inevitably, the move isn't without its hiccups. For the most part, I've enjoyed the programming. The hosts are informative and engaging, but there's one crutch the writers and others rely on far too much -- Please stop comparing everything to American sports.

There are, of course, many similarities between the Premier League and American leagues. The desire to point out these commonalities makes sense, but they shouldn't be the only retort of these men and women hired to talk about the game.

Match Preview: Fulham vs. Arsenal, Craven Cottage, English Premier League, August 24, 2013

Feel any better? I know I do. The difference between the emotions following Saturday’s match and Wednesday’s is unbelievable. It’s not as great as the feeling that we’ll feel when Arsenal wins its next trophy, but it did feel pretty damn good. It was relieving.

This man will always terrify us.
(Photo courtesy Nick Sarebi)

There’s something about getting a result that puts the mind at ease. Perhaps, it’s the whole “you’re only as good as your last game” thing. If we go by that, Arsenal is quite good. I know that there are still a lot of off the pitch complaints and things that need to be resolved within the squad right now including that dreaded “t-word.” Sometimes, it’s nice to stop worrying and to just watch football. Football cures all worries.

After the win in Istanbul, Arsenal is back in England for a short trip to West London and Craven Cottage. While Craven Cottage is one of the smaller grounds in the Premier League and Fulham are a relatively modest club, the Cottagers have consistently given Arsenal trouble over the last couple of seasons. Despite Wednesday’s stellar performance, there is nothing to suggest that this match should be anything but challenging.

Weekly Arsenal Thing: Arsenal Secure Titles with Massive Flamini Signing

Reports are pouring in from credible sources that Arsene Wenger is on the cusp of securing erstwhile former-Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini and, by extension, the 2013-14 Premier League title, Champions League Cup, Capital One and FA Cups, and -- fuck it, why not? -- World Cup 2014.

He has returned.
(Photo courtesy Nick Wadge)

"It has been requiring a lot of the mental toughness for me to keep this signing a secret since May, euuuhh, but I know that, euuuhh ... this will I think silence the critics in the media who have been wanting me to fail," said the be-grinned Wenger, hardly able to contain an excitement sure to be shared by Gooners the world over.

Meanwhile, sources at Old Trafford have confirmed that David Moyes is "inconsolable"  after learning his new club lost out on the 29-year-old midfielder who spent the entire 2011-12 season on the disabled list at AC Milan.

"I am already bested," admitted a sullen and "visibly humbled" José Mourinho in an interview with A Bola. "I wish now only to return to Portugal, to fish the waters of my father, and to live simply for whatever time is left to me."

The Deadline is Coming

In the HBO television series "Game of Thrones" (based on the series of books entitled "A Song of Ice and Fire") the audience is introduced to the Starks, a proud, historic family that lives in the north of Westeros. The family patriarch is Ned Stark, a highly principled man who believes in honor and duty, and is unwilling to compromise those values for pragmatic gains.

Even with Wednesday's win, Arsene Wenger must buy.
(Photo courtesy Wonker)

This ethos serves him well for most of his life, until he is thrust into a brand new situation in a different world, a world that renders his honor moot and laughs at the principles that he holds so dear. Despite standing tall in the face of these dark forces, he eventually is laid low, a victim of the very philosophy that made him one of the most respected men in all the land.

Arsene Wenger has been in the "Ned Stark in King's Landing" phase of his career for several years now and like Ned, he seems to be fighting a losing battle. Wenger is one of the most respected managers in the history of Arsenal and of the modern English Premier League. Upon arriving at Arsenal in 1996 he transformed the Gunners into a new breed of squad, doing everything from introducing dietary guidelines to bringing in foreign talent if he felt it benefited the team. 

With Arsenal he won four FA Cups and three league titles, including 2003-2004 when "The Invincibles" became the first in 115 years to go undefeated over the course of a season. He is a legend both at the club and in the league, and he was the perfect manager to guide Arsenal into the current era of football. The problem is that like Ned Stark, he hasn't adjusted to the changes that have been made since.

Daily Links: The Just Win Baby Edition

You will not see this for at least 12 weeks.
(Photo courtesy Ronnie Macdonald)

Good morning folks. I know that this isn’t exactly the most peaceful time to be a supporter of the Arsenal, but I hope you’re all excited for the Champions League first leg against Fenerbahçe. If you aren’t, I suggest you check out Jon Gold’s match preview. If you are, please read it as well. We’ll have a Whining Wednesday post by Andrew Klema on how Wenger needs to change his mind set up later.

Not to get anyone's hopes up, but today’s opponent does have a match fixing appeal court date next week, which could see the Turkish side booted from the Champions League if Arsenal doesn’t do it themselves. (Guardian)

Yesterday, we learned that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would be out “for a while.” We learned that that meant 12 weeks from Ox last night. (Twitter)

Juventus says that Paul Pogba is not for sale. Add him to the banner.  (Telegraph)