It has come to the crunch season in my Arsenal career, it is time to win the league, I have spent nearly £200 million pound and won a League Cup and a FA cup during my two season here. I now will have to take the league from Liverpool if I am to keep any respect from anyone. But I am confident this season that my side has what it takes to win the league. Silva, Meirda are both on form and Bendtner will be coming into the season at the age of 26, a good age for a striker hopefully he will be reaching the height of his talents and taking a golden boot.
In terms of my Arsenal spending I didn’t spend to much money in the coming season, four players were signed on free transfers, Felipe Caicedo came in from Paris, he looks like a good backup for all the players I have got, Samaras after the season he had last year has dropped down the pecking order and at the moment transfer listed but no one is paying any interest in the Greek. Next is the former Inter man Mario Batolelli who has been spending most of his professional career now at Lazio, he is yet to reach his full potential, but looks a decent player and hopefully I can turn the Italian into the next great target man in the side, he is worth a punt coming in on a bosman. The only problem now is that my side is bursting with strikers, it is hard to keep them happy especially when the majority of them will put the ball in the back of the net making my job harder. The final two contract rebels were both Brazilians Diego Souza resolute midfielder looks a fantastic backup for Denilison and Meira as Banga has become out of favour now at the club, he hasn’t been putting in the performances to warrant any time in the team. Next was a man that I have been trying to get my hands on since he became unsettled at Chelsea, right back Dani Alves is just an amazing player. At 31 he isn’t getting any younger but I would still give my right arm to have him in my squad. Not the player he was when he made he £35 million move to Chelsea but can I complain? The only player I spent any real money on was Freddy Adu the Football Manager legend arrived from Benfica for £9 million to support Silva on that left hand side. I also added a few players to my youth side to keep the talent up and hopefully bring through the next generation to Arsenal.
The reason that Adu was drafted in as well was because Liverpool came in with a good deal for Downing, offering £16 million for the English winger. It was hard to know whether to let the player leave after 7 years at the club, but the man who has 100 caps for England was hitting 30 and before his value fell in the next couple of years I thought I would get rid of the player. Antonino Barragan also departed the club and traveled to Pompey for £13m, the defender had been sick of having to compete with both Onuoha and Sagna for a first team place and decided he would look to play football elsewhere. Djourou, Delpierre and Alou Diarra all had their contracts end at the close of the season and also decided to look for first team football elsewhere, the latter both ending up in Scotland.
The first game of the season looked like it was going to typify what went wrong last season at an away trip to the Riverside, were Boro took the lead early, a strike from Darren Bent making the fans think that this season was going to be the same poor away performances again. But 7 minutes later Trejo put Arsenal back into the game, but before the half time whistle was blown Daniel Sturridge put Middlesbrough back in front. Stern words were spoken at half time and The Gunners came out firing. Trejo grabbed another two goals to claim a hatrick and secure a first away win of the season. The next game was at home against Manchester United, in a game that produced 23 shots from my Arsenal side but only 5 of them found the target and most predictably the United goalkeeper was able to keep them out and ending the game a frustrating 0-0 draw. But high scoring games followed scoring 13 goals in three games to Aston Villa, Everton and Southampton and a win against Chelsea kept us level on points with Liverpool, the only defeat came to Manchester City who were able to get 3 goals at the Emirates.
So when the Liverpool fixture was scheduled it was going to be an important game and something that could separate the two teams for the season. Playing at home and the scoring for fun mentality that we have developed athe the club, I was confident of a win. But with only 5 minutes in Liverpool took the lead coutesty of Cristian Portilla, Downing who returned to the Emirates for the first time since his departure put a free kick into the box, Angulo picked the ball up and put it in the path of Portilla who hit it low past Craig Gordon. But Walcott a player that during my time at Liverpool caused me so many problems, was the first to equalise, picking up a stray ball cleared from a corner fired it from outside the box into the top corner. Aguero put Liverpool back into the lead, but a reply by Bendtner who scored two goals, the highlight being a ball won by careless play from the defenders which Saviet picked up and counter attacked the goal putting Nicklas through and again another ball fired from outside the box sent the fans in rapture and Arsenal infront for the first time. But Liverpool weren’t going to go down easily and substitute Aquino, just one of the youngsters I had brought into the side put the ball in the back of the net with 10 minutes to go which showed how this season there is very little between the two clubs.
The first half of the season was something I could only have dreamed of 5 points clear of Liverpool and an away form the catalyst to the top of the league. Through Janurary the board still had £35 million in the bank but yet not a single penny was spent through the half way point. Not from a lack of trying, but the two players I wanted at the side, Javi Martinez and Domenico Criscito both playing for Juventus and both so important that they weren’t allowed to leave at any price leaving me short at the back and a title to win, the aging Barzagli and Toure were both going to have to stay fit and perform well if we wanted to fulfil our goal.
But the dream couldn’t last and with Liverpool in form as usual Torres and Aguero were scoring for fun and a few games slipped against mid table teams Manchester City, Reading and rivals Spurs allowed Liverpool to catch up, breathing down my neck and of course with the two strikers up front their goal difference was something I was unable to compete on giving Liverpool an extra point and putting them top of the league and as we both entered the second fixture of the of the season at New Anfield with something to prove, the winner could decide the Premiership. The result is something that pains me to talk about, after going 2-0 down in the first 10 minutes it was a nightmare start a change of tactics was quickly sought and a fight back away from home looked good, a goal from Meirda who struck a loose ball from outside of the box to get the first goal before Bendtner equalised to send the fans wild. But that fight back was enough to throw Liverpool into action Torres completed a hatrick and Thiago and Babel continued the slaughter to secure the game 6-2 humilating defeat. It was a defeat that definitely made all the difference in the league, but not for Liverpool. The defeat infact fired the Gunners into action and following that game Blackpool came to The Emirates and suffered from the backlash, a 7-0 win took the clubs morale shooting up with four games to go.
The league still looked good, all I need was for Liverpool to drop 4 points in games against Wolves, Newcastle, Everton and Chelsea the latter three looked good to at least push for a draw against Liverpool. I was to play Pompey, Sunderland, Derby and the already relegated Charlton on the last game of the season. But with a side that had scored 23 goals in just four games, they looked unstoppable. But Newcastle definitely were my guardian angels, themselves fighting for a top 4 place and in front of the St James’ crowd Newcastle are capable of anything, Damien Le Tallec, brother of former Liverpool player Anthony Le Tallec put two goals away against Liverpool in a 3-2 victory the first 3 points dropped by the reds putting us back on equal terms for the league. I took Arsenal to Portsmouth knowing only a win would do against a side that had dogged me with problems through the years especially at Fratton Park. It was a close game, even when I looked to be running away with the game going 2-0 up, Portsmouth were able to get themselves back, late goals from Walcott and Saviet seemed to concreate a 4-2 victory, but still Pompey fought, but it wasn’t enough Goncalves scored the last goal to make it 4-3 and that is how it stayed as my blood pressure exploded in the game. I felt now I was on the straight and narrow two home games and an away game to finish the season against a relegated side Liverpool continued a strange turn in form and local rivals Everton completed a second defeat putting Arsenal on the top of the league and fans singing in the street. When it came to the final game of the season alot of pressure was off and a draw against Charlton would have been enough whatever Liverpool did. Two goals either side of the half from in form players of the season Silva and Walcott sealed the league as Chelsea with new manager Del Neri, were able to take a draw at Anfield a late goal from Sanchez made the league win much sweeter as a 5 point gap developed between us and Liverpool. Consider that with the 18 points clear of Manchester United in 3rd it just showed how competitve of a run Liverpool gave in the league against everyone else and how they have dominated for so long.
In the League Cup competition it was an early exit to Everton a late goal in the game to force extra time, Everton really should have ended the game before then having plenty of chances to put the ball into the back of the net, Yukubu decided to put the game to bed early in the first half of extra time. Defending the FA cup I put out sides early, Burnley from League One and affiliated side Crystal Palace went out in the 4th round to set up a tie with Newcastle. The Geordies were on form and Damien Le Tallec voted one of the best signings of the season sunk my Arsenal side with two goals. The Champions League though on the other hand was much better unbeaten in the group stages beating both Valencia and Monaco and finished top of the group, setting up a tough tie against Lyon. In France it was a high scoring game, it was only a late fight back that saved the tie losing 4-3 meant that I had the away goals but still plenty of work to do at the Emirates. With one eye of the league I rotated the side a little, but what a performance they gave scoring 4 goals ourselves this time without reply to send us into the next round. Playing AC Milan back to back in the next round meant that I could concentrate fully on the European competition for at least a week while Milan sandwiched a Derby between the two games giving us the advantage. In Milan, Saviet stepped up to the big stage to prove that he was a worthwhile player for the side scoring 2 goals to take a lead back home to London, where Fans player of the season Theo Walcott scored in two minutes, the only goal of the game and Liverpool waiting for us in the semi finals. Liverpool scored an away goal early, Saviet leaving it really late to score an equaliser but Anfield proved tough place to play and a flurry of goals in the first 20 minutes was dominated by Liverpool and the 2-1 loss put them in the final where they lifted the cup beating Real Madrid.
So with the success of winning another league title I have done what I came to London to do, turning a underperforming side to the top of the table and what fun it has been too. But now I am looking for a new challenge and hope that a top job becomes available in Spain or Italy, I rather fancy taking underperfomers Juventus, but with all the top clubs renewing managers contracts it doesn’t look likely. Being the first manager to win the Premiership with two different English sides I hope to be the first manager to win the league in the 3 major countries in Europe.
Season Best Eleven
