Gunning for Glory: My Arsenal Story

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AndrewACM22

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Gunning for Glory: My Arsenal Story



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Hello all.

I would first off like to introduce myself. My name is Andrew, I am from Canada, and I have been playing Football Manager since FM 2009. I have contemplated writing a story for the past year, specifically with my AC Milan (my favourite team) save from FM 2011, but I never got around to it. But after buying FM 2012, I have decided to finally put pen to paper (not really...) and take up the manager role at Arsenal FC and I am hoping you will join me in my journey to leading the London club back to greatness!

I will be trying to use a variety of forms in my writing (my own personal thoughts, interviews, online articles, and hopefully some others) and will also be hoping to get some reader comments along the way, as I find the story is always more entertaining when the readers have a say. Hoping you guys can critique and criticize what you like and what you don’t like, and help me with player positions, roles, transfers and the other difficulties of being a football manager.

First off, a quick look at the nations I have selected...

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And now onto the fun bit!

July 5, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: Arsene Wenger Steps Down from Managerial Role at Arsenal

Arsenal’s first manager from outside of the British Isles has reportedly stepped down from his managerial position at Arsenal FC. Wenger brought Arsenal much success in the late 90s and early 00s, but has failed to bring a trophy to the club since the FA Cup triumph in the 2004-05 season.

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In a brief press conference today, Wenger made it clear that he enjoyed managing the side and hoped he would be remembered for the great seasons and not for the lack of trophies that many of the fans continue to be disappointed with. “Football is not what is was when I first came to England in ‘96. I have tried to adapt to compete with the likes of United, Chelsea and City, but I just cannot accept this style of management.” Le Professeur continued to explain that the consistency Arsenal has shown under his tenure and the style in which his teams have always played can be appreciated by the fans.

Wenger will always be remembered for his team’s incredible run in 2003-04 season going undefeated (26-12-0), his expansive football and his incredible dealings in the transfer market through buying young players, developing them into stars, and selling them for incredible profits.

Arsenal will make an announcement later in the day on a new appointment for the vacant managerial position at the club.
 
July 5, 2011
12:00 P.M
Press Conference


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Peter Hill-Wood: Welcome everyone. As chairman of the board here at Arsenal Football Club, I would first like to state my thanks to former manager Arsene Wenger. Arsene has brought much success and support to our club, and on behalf of all Arsenal fans, our sincerest thanks and well wishes to him and his future endeavors.
And now, without further adieu, I would like to introduce our 20th​ manager at the club, Andrew!

(Applause as Hill-Wood and Andrew shake hands)

Hill-Wood: We will now open the floor for a few questions.

Journalist: You sit here as the new manager at Arsenal. Is this your dream job?

Andrew: I am absolutely delighted to be named the new manager here at Arsenal, and I’m really looking forward to getting started on the job.

Journalist: Do you feel replacing such a successful manager like Arsene Wenger puts greater pressure on you to succeed?

Andrew: I would like to congratulate Arsene on all of his successes over the years at this club. Arsene is one of the reasons I pursued management, and he is truly one of my idols. Do I feel pressure? I feel that most of us do our best under stressful and pressure-filled situations, and I hope to do the same.

Journalist: You arrive with the summer transfer window open, can we expect any signings?

Andrew: Along with my backroom staff and others, we are always keeping tabs on the latest rumours and stories that always seem to appear around this time. If there are players who are available and interested in joining our team, then we will pursue the signing. I am always looking for young talent that will help the club in the future as well as players that can step into the squad immediately and help with our success at the present time, and assist them as they bloom into an even stronger player.

Journalist: Will we continue to see attractive and expansive football under your management?

Andrew: Absolutely. This club has the players to succeed with this strategy, and as long as we remain responsible at the back, which is another priority of mine, we will do our best to entertain on the pitch.

Hill-Wood: Last one, our new man has to head off and do a little prep work for the upcoming season.

Journalist: We all know Arsenal hasn’t won a trophy since the FA Cup in 2005. How much of a priority is it to succeed this year as many have already become extremely impatient with the empty trophy cabinets?

Andrew: This team is surrounded with quality. We have quality players on and off the pitch, spectacular facilities, a strong group of staff members, and of course the greatest fans in the world. The combination of all these factors will hopefully lead to success on the field, and I will be giving my all to bring home some silverware this season.

Hill-Wood: We will now have a quick opportunity for some photos and thank you to everyone for coming out this afternoon.
 
As i'm doing an arsenal story and running low on ideas, i'll follow yours for some :p
 
July 5, 2011

Thoughts from the Manager

An absolutely incredible day, being confirmed as the new manager of Arsenal FC is a dream come true. The interview was something very different for me, but I’ll just have to get used to the media wanting to know EVERYTHING about the club. I now have to begin focusing on the upcoming season. Most notably, Mr. Hill-Wood has reminded me that this will mark the 125 year anniversary of the club, thus making this season of even greater importance.

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I have asked Assistant manager Pat Rice to give me a hand with analyzing the squad and its depth. Pat has been at the club since 1984 and has been the club’s Assistant Manager since Wenger arrived in 1996. Here is a quick look at the Team Report:

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The squad has 4 keepers who are battling for the starting and backup role. Wojciech Szczesny is my choice for the job between the sticks and will have to struggle quite heavily to not open as our keeper come the start of the season. Lukasz Fabianski will likely find himself on the bench as our “backup”. Almunia has had ample time to prove himself as the clubs top tendy, but has been far too inconsistent for my liking and I will be looking to find him another club along with Vito Mannone.

Bacary Sagna will be one of our most important players this season, but we lack depth at right back as I am hoping to keep Koscielny playing in the middle. I will also be looking to acquire another left back to provide cover for Andre Santos as Gibbs is a fairly injury prone player and I would prefer a LB with some stronger attributes defensively. The team is strong in the middle and I am hoping new signing Mertesacker will be able to transition well, but he will miss most of the preseason due to injury. In the meantime, Kos and Djourou will both have a chance to partner Vermaelen in the heart of our defence.

In the center of the midfield we have ample talent in Song, Arteta, Diaby, Benayoun, Ramsey and Wilshire. Jack will be out 6 – 8 months, so there is the possibility that another midfielder will need to be signed. Our wingers are pacey, and Walcott and Gervinho will get the chance to start in these positions, and I will be hoping to get something out of the struggling Arshavin who I know Wenger (and many of the supporters) lost faith in last campaign.

Lastly, Rice shows me the depth we have up front, and no surprise to see captain and our most skilled player Robin van Persie there. Hoping Robin can stay fit for the greater portion of the season and can lead the lines for Arsenal. Chamakh will also have a chance to play, and though he struggled in his Premier League debut season, I really think I can get the most out of this player and may push RvP to the wing if both players find good form.
I tell Rice that I think that the squad can challenge for the title with a few signings, and he agrees. I log on to my new email and inform the board about my thoughts on the squad, what I believe is needed, and that I insist the team can compete with the best the Premier League has to offer. The board also feel that as it is the 125th​ anniversary year, I will have some extra transfer money to play around with to hopefully bring success in this all important season.

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And a quick look at our preseason fixtures which will begin in 2 days against the Arsenal Reserves.

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Hope everyone enjoys the read so far, feel free to let me know what you think. I know I haven't gotten to any signings or games yet, but they will be here shortly.

Also, any transfer suggestions to fill the voids I mentioned above? Thanks everyone!
 
Yeah man, you could look into signing Itumaleng Khune and maybe Jádson/Douglas Costa/Willian/Alex Texeira
 
Fantastic start man , i'm an avid Arsenal fan and will follow. Bookmarked :)
 
The Icelander said:
Yeah man, you could look into signing Itumaleng Khune and maybe Jádson/Douglas Costa/Willian/Alex Texeira
Click to expand...

Thanks for the ideas, will look into it. Big fan of the attacking talent at Shakhtar.

dmlambert said:
Looks interesting, will definately follow :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the follow man!

Seano said:
Fantastic start man , i'm an avid Arsenal fan and will follow. Bookmarked :)
Click to expand...

Thanks a ton! Don't really support a particular team in the Premier League, but I am always rooting for Arsenal to beat the likes of United, City, Chelsea and the others for the title. Unfortunately, they have drawn AC Milan (my team) in the Champions League...
 
July 7 – July 22

Preseason

Thoughts From the Manager

Though many do not care much for tactics, one of my passions since I was young was analyzing formations. One of the great things about football is that not a single team in the world plays in an identical fashion. Though many teams line up in a 4-4-2 on a team sheet, on the field each team and individual player has a unique role for his squad. These distinctive tweaks to each players position and role in a game can either make the manager look like a genius when he gets the tactics right, or look like an absolute fool when the game doesn’t go to plan.

Here are a look at the three formations I plan to use this coming season:

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I will most likely be using the 4-5-1 tactic regularly. This formation offers great coverage defensively with the holding midfielder, and allows the three attacking players to create chances and focus solely on this aspect of the game.

The 4-2-3-1 formation will likely be used when facing weaker sides, allowing another player to move into an attacking position more frequently and allowing Arteta, Ramsey or Wilshire a chance to have a free role and create plays.

The 4-3-3 formation will be used minimally as long as van Persie and Chamakh are not playing together. If both players do well, I may employ them both in attack with van Persie slightly off center but very much in an attacking role.

And now to give these formations a shot in game.

Our first two games of the preseason saw us come up against our Reserves and followed that with a trip to the United States to take on the MLS team Colorado Rapids. These games were expected to be fairly straight forward, and they were in convincing 7 – 0 and 2 – 0 score lines.

A week trip to South Korea saw us take on Ulsan, Busan and Sangju. It was great to visit Korea and to see firsthand how many football and Arsenal fans there were in the country. Again, these three teams were ones the squad should be beating, and I decided to give the first team 45 – 60 minutes and the reserves the final portions of the preseason games. A particular highlight from the trip was a Robin van Persie solo run off the opening kickoff in the game against Busan, scoring just 18 seconds into the match. Park Chu-Young was also able to get on the score sheet in the final game against Sangju in which he played the full 90 minutes, and the hometown fans were delighted to see a countryman hero score.

On the our return to Europe, I began to focus on looking for talent to sign, and I sat down with some of the scouts and staff to narrow the search down to a select few. Included on the shortlist of positions we would look into purchasing were a right back, left back, central midfielder and a winger. Several bids were made, and contract talks had begun.

Will hopefully have one more post with the conclusion of preseason, transfers and be ready for the beginning of the season. Happy New Year to everyone and more posts to come in 2012!
 
July 22 – July 31

Preseason

Thoughts From the Manager

Some great news to wake up to the morning of July 22, 2011 as Toulouse FC left back Cheik M’Bengue had accepted our contract offer and will join us immediately after a $7 million dollar offer. This was a successful first signing of the season to help sure up our defence. His defensive qualities are much stronger than those of Andre Santos, and the plan will be to have him play against stronger attacking teams.

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Later in the day, we travelled to Germany to take on Hoffenheim in our first real test of the season. A Robin van Persie brace in the first half and a strong performance from the reserves in the second half saw us come away with the 2-0 victory.

More transfers were confirmed on the 24th​ as three players joined our team. Yaya Sanogo, the 18 year old French striker signed for $3.5 million and is one to look for in the future. A strong all-round player and will hopefully develop into a world class striker. Also joining is defensive midfielder Steven N’Zonzi from Blackburn for around $8.5 million. Many of the fan forums were littered with mixed reviews of the signing, but I am very pleased with the player’s quality. Song and N’Zonzi will provide steel in midfield and at only 22 years of age, another signing who will only get better. And lastly, winger Scott Sinclair was signed for $8.5 million. Possessing great pace and technical ability, Sinclair will challenge the teams current wingers for games this season.

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Young Italian poacher Alberto Paloschi also agreed to terms 3 days later. At just $5.25 million, I think this is a steal for us for such a promising 21 year old. The squad has some depth at the forward spot, so a possible loan move may be on the horizon for the youngster.

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Many of the youth players got a run out in our next preseason game against the Swansea U18 squad (I have absolutely no clue why this match was selected, but nonetheless...) and we came away with a 3-0 win. Our final two games of the preseason were set to be our real tests to prepare us for the upcoming kickoff of the EPL season in two weeks time. Brazilian side Flamengo travelled to the Emirates to take on our first team squad. A strong 90 minutes from the boys in which we had 63% of the ball, but could not beat the opposing keeper as the game finished 0-0. Two days later we travelled to Lazio in our final tune up game. Another good performance helped us to grab a 2-0 victory. Robin van Persie scoring a goal off the far post from outside the 18 yard box and the game was confirmed when Koscielny headed home off a Sinclair corner.

This game concluded our preseason schedule and here is a quick overview of our results. Only a single goal was conceded throughout, and hopefully the strong defensive play will continue when the season gets underway August 14 against Newcastle.

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As the focus turns to the English Premier League season about to kick off, there is one more target we have in mind. A $21 million offer has been sent for this defensive player, it will strengthen our already powerful defence and will more than likely conclude our spending.
 
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August 7

Preseason

TRANSFER UPDATE: Gregory van der Wiel Joins Arsenal

Reports surfaced early this morning that Dutch right back Gregory van der Wiel has agreed to terms with English club Arsenal in a deal worth approximately $21 million.

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A product of the world famous Ajax youth system, van der Wiel had become a first team player for the Dutch club at the age of just 23 years of age. An important cog in the wheel of the Dutch national team, van der Wiel was a part of Holland’s run to the finals of the 2010 World Cup where they eventually fell to Spain. Winner of the “Young Player of the Year in the Netherlands” in 2010, van der Wiel had sparked the interest of many clubs across Europe.

The player was unavailable for comment, but his agent Melvin Yahia made a quick statement to the media. “Gregory is absolutely delighted to join Arsenal, and is very much looking forward to the step up in competition in England.”

A key feature in the deal was said to be current vice-captain and former teammate Thomas Vermaelen. The Belgian international also played at Ajax and made the move to London, and reportedly made the trip to the Netherlands to convince van der Wiel of the move.

Gregory van der Wiel will add to the depth at right back and will form a spectacular partnership with the likes of fellow wing backs Bacary Sagna, Andre Santos and new signing Cheik M’Bengue.


Thoughts From the Manager

Absolutelydelighted with the signing of van der Wiel, adding further depth at the wing back positions. I may have a quick word with him and Sagna about looking into the possibility of training one of them at left back as I would prefer either of them to Andre Santos, especially when a strong back line is required.

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This will likely conclude our ventures in the transfer market for first team players, but there is still some money to spend if a youth player is made available for the right price.

A quick look at our upcoming fixtures:

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August 13
1:00 PM
Pregame Press Conference
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Andrew: Good afternoon everyone, I’ll be taking some quick questions so fire away.

Journalist: The singing of van der Wiel was an expensive one, do you have any worries about him not being able to adapt to the English game and the possibility of him being a flop?

Andrew: I have the utmost confidence in Gregory’s ability to cope with these changes. Finding a new place to live, learning a new language and adapting to a new game are difficulties all signings have to deal with. But I believe we have the personnel at the club to help him get through these obstacles and allow Gregory to focus on the on field challenges. Gregory has played for a great club in Ajax, as well as playing in the final of a World Cup, so I don’t think he will feel at all out of place playing for a club like ours.

Journalist: How excited are you about making your managerial debut tomorrow with the kick off of the season against Newcastle?

Andrew: I am extremely excited and ready to get the season underway. We had a strong preseason and the players are raring to go and put on a good display tomorrow.

Journalist: Do you have your starting 11 set, or will you continue to experiment in the first few weeks?

Andrew: The preseason games have given me a good look at many of the players, but there is still much time to tinker with the lineup and give everyone a chance to prove themselves still.

Journalist: Alright last question. Who do you think is going to win the Premier League this season and any chance of divulging your starting 11 for tomorrow’s game?

Andrew: We haven’t even played a competitive game and you want me to pick a winner? I’m not going to make any predictions but I truly believe we can make a run at the title. And to your second question, you’ll just have to wait until tomorrow like everyone else. Thanks everyone.
 
August 14

English Premier League: Matchday 1

Arsenal 4 – 0 Newcastle: Debut Delight as Arsenal Start the Season with an Impressive Performance

Arsenal kicked off their campaign this afternoon with a convincing 4-0 victory over a Newcastle side which struggled throughout the match. Robin van Persie and new signing Gervinho both scored a double, and Russian winger Arshavin put in a strong performance under new manager Andrew assisting on three of Arsenal`s goals. Arsenal`s home opener was filled with debutants, as no fewer than six players making their debut for the Gunners, along with new manager Andrew.

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Arshavin got the best of Newcastle throughout the match racking up 3 assists.
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Arsenal kicked off, and held possession for no more than a single minute before Andrey Arshavin played a streaking Robin van Persie in on the left and the captain made no mistake to open the scoring. Veteran center back Fabricio Coloccini was made a late attempt to put van Persie offside, but was too slow and this signaled the start of a fantastic performance for the fans at the Emirates.

Wingers Arshavin and Gervinho were switching positions throughout the first 10 minutes, and the two combined well on 12 minutes to score Arsenal’s second goal of the game. After some slick passing in the center of midfield, Arshavin played Gervinho and the debutant made no mistake from 8 yards out scoring on the short side past a helpless Tim Krul.

Arsenal continued to dominate in midfield, and after Tiote brought Arshavin down just outside the 18 yard box, Robin van Persie picked up his second goal of the match with a strong freekick to Krul’s side of the net.
Steven N’Zonzi came on for a tired Mikel Arteta to start the second half, but was forced off after just one minute on the field after picking up a knock from a Tiote tackle. Less than five minutes later, things went from bad to worse for Newcastle as Arsenal hit on the break with spectacular pace and passing. Arshavin’s third assist of the night saw the Russian play the Ivorian in the middle in achres of space and Gervinho made no mistake one on one with the keeper.

Arsenal continued to dominate the game and held possession for the remainder of the match creating further chances but Tim Krul kept the ball out of the net for the final 40 minutes.

A dominant performance from the Gunners to kick off the season against a Newcastle team that looked out of sorts in all areas of the game. The attacking trident of van Persie, Arshavin and Gervinho looked particularly impressive, and were virtually unplayable for the Newcastle defenders. Impressive debuts for the aforementioned Gervinho, as well as Mikel Arteta, Andre Santos and substitutes Scott Sinclair and Per Mertesacker helped the new manager to his first victory at Arsenal FC.

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Starting Lineups

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Match Overview
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August 17
Champions League: Best Placed Playoff

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ARSENAL 2 – 2 DYNAMO KYIV
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Drawn against Ukrainian side Kyiv, Arsenal were hoping to secure a lead at home but an impressive performance from the away side will mean the Gunners still have work to do in the return leg.

Arsenal conceded just 11 minutes in from a off a good corner from the left hand side. Kyiv continued to press Arsenal’s shaky defence, but a quick counter attack saw Chamakh lay the ball off to Gervinho who side footed the ball into the far corner to level the game.

Just before the 50 minute mark, icon Andriy Shevchenko was called for holding defender Thomas Vermaelen off an Arsenal corner. With captain and designated penalty taker Robin van Persie on the bench, Chamakh stepped up but was saved brilliantly by the keeper who dove to his left to deny the Moroccan.

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Marouane Chamakh's penalty miss could come back to haunt the Gunners
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Cheik M`Bengue was making his Arsenal debut, and struggled to contain opponents all night, and was solely responsible for Kyiv going in front as he was skinned by Fernando Meneses who then finished well in the bottom corner. Changes needed to be made immediately and captain Robin van Persie was brought on for the final half hour. With 10 minutes remaining, van Persie saved Arsenal embarrassment by scoring off the far post from an acute angle after a broken play.

The game finished at 2-2 and Kyiv will head home pleased with the result. Striker Marouane Chamakh was dreadful in front of goal and missed what may be a crucial penalty. Arsenal will travel to Ukraine in one weeks time knowing they must get a result to qualify for the Champions League Group Stage.

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August 20
English Premier League: Matchday 2

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CHELSEA 1 – 0 ARSENAL

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Arsenal`s first London Derby of the new season was a disappointing result against title rivals Chelsea as Drogba`s strike proved to be the winner.

Arsenal started the game very slowly, and Chelsea dominated the match for the first 30 minutes. Didier Drogba beat the Arsenal back line and used his strength to fend off Vermaelen giving the Blues a deserving 1-0 lead.

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Chelsea celebrate the only goal of the game through Didier Drogba

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The only second half chance for Arsenal fell to van Persie, but Petr Cech pushed the shot away and preserved the clean sheet and the three points for Chelsea. Arsenal’s poor display in the first 45 minutes meant Chelsea could sit back in the second frame and hit Arsenal on the counter attack.

August 23
Champions League: Best Place Qualifier

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DYNAMO KYIV 1 – 2 ARSENAL
Arsenal win 4-3 on aggregate
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The Gunners traveled to Ukraine needing to secure a win to qualify for the group stage and came away 2-1 victors and 4-3 over the two legged tie.

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Robin van Persie helped Arsenal on their way with the opening goal of the game
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Scott Sinclair got the start on the wing, and Bacary Sagna played on the left side of defence with van der Wiel occupying the right side.

The game started off with both sides trading chances and possession of the ball was split evenly. Needing to negate the two away goals by Kyiv, Robin van Persie made the starting 11 and delivered 38 minutes into the match after a lovely cross by Sagna. van Persie beat his man and tapped the ball past the on rushing keeper.

Striker Andriy Shevchenko quickly answered by nodding home from a set piece, a weakness teams have began to exploit, even with the tall Per Mertesacker and Thomas Vermaelen in the side.

Fortunately for the Gunners some magic from Gervinho just two minutes after the game was leveled lead to a tap in from 6 yards for Scott Sinclair, his first goal for the Londoners.

Arsenal held on to the lead and have now qualified for the Champions League Group Stages after a nervy two legs.

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August 28
English Premier League: Matchday 3

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ARSENAL 3 – 1 TOTTENHAM

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A magnificent display from Robin van Persie negated fellow Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart’s penalty to win the North London Derby.

A surprise selection from Harry Redknapp as $7.5 million signing Landon Donovan made his debut as a lone striker for Spurs while Jermain Defoe settled for a spot on the bench.

Manager Andrew had made it clear during his media interview that the game against Tottenham was one Arsenal must win in order to demonstrate the teams intentions. Robin van Persie looked like a man possessed in the early goings, creating 3 chances for himself inside the first 8 minutes, the later of which was converted past keeper Gomes. Arsenal pressed the opposition, and key players Bale and Modric had quiet first halves.

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Robin van Persie's magnificant hat trick won the North London Derby

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An hour into the game, Laurent Koscielny was judged by referee Jon Moss to bring van der Vaart down inside the penalty area, a dubious decision. Van der Vaart converted the spot kick to level the game at 1-1 with Spurs only real chance of the game up to that point.

The Gunners continued to combine well to create chances, and when Gervinho laid the ball off for his captain at the top of the box, van Persie made no mistake firing hard and low into the far corner, giving Arsenal a lead with just 10 minutes to go.

Alex Song showed his creative side in the 86th​ minute playing a pass to van Persie from the halfway line and the hat trick was completed with a calm finish from 12 yards out. Van Persie celebrated by running over to the fans where he was greeted with a hero’s welcome.


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A quick August overview on my next post with some stats and transfer updates for Arsenal and from around the world.

If anyone wants to post some tips on defending set pieces, it would be appreciated as we are really struggling in that department. Thanks.
​
 
August 31
Thoughts From the Manager

What an incredible start to my Arsenal career, experiencing all the emotions of being a football manager. The disappointment of losing to Chelsea was cancelled out by the delights of winning my first competitive game in charge at Arsenal, defeating rivals Tottenham and the thrills of European nights in the Champions League!

Overview

Though it’s just the early stages of the campaign, we have started off the season well. Robin van Persie has helped the squad out with his tremendous start, grabbing 5 goals in just his first 3 games.

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English Premier League Table
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English Premier League Statistics
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Transfers

It was a fairly busy month for the team in the transfer market. I am pleased with the players that have arrived and I believe that they can make an immediate impact. Manuel Almunia was our only permanent departure, and many of the youngsters have been sent out on loan to gain some first team experience elsewhere.

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ARRIVALS - Arsenal Transfers
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DEPARTURES - Arsenal Transfers
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Worldwide Transfers
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No surprise to see Manchester City spending, bringing in Danny and Darijo Srna to add further depth to their already strong roster.
Champions League Draw

I had watched many Champions League draws at home from my couch on the television, but to actually attend the draw was an unbelievable experience. I did my best to hide my nerves when talking to the media and fellow attendees, but the butterflies in my stomach continued throughout the draw.

We were seeded in Pot 1, and the only two teams I wanted to avoid were two Italian teams, AC Milan (Pot 2) and Napoli (Pot 4). Milan were champions of the Serie A last season, and their attacking talent and experience is something we would like to avoid. Napoli are a team that play their best when counter attacking, and as a possession team, their tactical approach may be one that causes us problems.

As the draw came and went, I was delighted to avoid Milan and Naploi, with Group D including ourselves as well as Shakhtar, FC Kobenhavn and Otelul. I look at the group and believe we are strong favourites to advance to the knockout stages, with our only real competition being Shakhtar. Other teams were not so fortunate, as Groups A, E and F look particularly tough.

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Champions League Group Stage Draw
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September will hopefully being greater success with a handful of Premier League games, Champions League ties and our first Carling Cup match of the season.

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Just wondering if people are still reading this? No comments in a while, just hoping people are still interested and maybe some recommendations from you guys to help me out?

Thanks!
 
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