Arsenal Out For Redemption AgainstF.C. Porto in Champions League

Who says football can’t teach you stuff?

For instance, once today’s Arsenal-Porto match in Group G is done, we’ll know if the Gunners come equipped with an on-off switch. You know those devices: teams flick them to the “off” position against lesser opponents. They play down to the level of their competition, and usually lose in embarrassing fashion in front of their home fans, only to come back three days later, flick the switch to “on”, and pull off an important win in international competition.

It’s kinda like hitting the Staples Easy Button.

Apparently, that’s what Arsenal has planned for today agianst the Portuguese champions. Don’t believe this? Just ask Kolo Toure. The Gunners fullback says he was scared to play against Hull, the newly promoted team that came into the Emirates on Saturday and pulled out a 2-1 win from under the feet of Arsene Wenger’s men. Toure also says that sometimes people–not the players of course–play out games before the whistle blows. Since reading between the lines should be a requirement for all of us, here’s an unsolicited interpretation of Toure’s statement: Arsenal figured it had the game in the bag, figured it could just roll the ball out and beat Hull, and essentially fell on its face in doing so.

The question today is whether Wenger can locate that elusive “on” switch and get his boys going again in the right direction.

Wenger has already publicly bashed his club, promising changes to his lineup and hinting that Robbie Van Persie, for example, might not have a place in the Gunners’ starting eleven today. Wenger, who said he was physically sick following the Hull defeat, has already pulled back from that notion, mere hours before kickoff. Instead, he’s challenged his players to prove their class and establish themselves as contenders to win the Champions League.

“We had a disappointing result against Hull, but I have been sitting on the bench long enough to know that if we’d played that match 100 times we’d lose it once,” Wenger said.

Fair enough, but even Wenger at his most optimistic has to realize that Porto is no pushover. And even Wenger at his best can’t guarantee that his players will ramp up their play on command.

A perennial threat in the Champions League, Porto has won twice and has two draws in the Portuguese Liga. With eight points, Porto is one point out of the lead in Portugal; it trails Sporting and Nacional. Ironically, Porto travels to Lisbon on Sunday for a clash against Sporting, which hosts Basel tomorrow in Group C. Porto beat up on bottom feeders Pacos Ferreira over the weekend; apparently Porto has no problems locating its “on” switch.

We’ll see if Arsenal can do the same today.

“We learned from the [Hull] game that in fact you need the Champions League focus in every single match. If we are guilty of something it’s maybe not getting our focus to the right level to take our chances,” Wenger said. “I believe we should not make too much of the result. We lost the game but we have enough strength within the club and within the team to deal with that.”

This post originally appeared at Champions League Talk.

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Spending the Arsene Wenger WayPound-for-Pound Nonsense

Arsene Wenger is so tight with Arsenal's cash, you'd think he was spending out of his pocket to acquire players, purchase light bulbs and wash kits.

Of course I'm being sarcastic here, he's handed a budget from the board and spends accordingly. None of us knows what that budget is, or what Wenger's orders are on how to manage it. Therefore, his frugality leaves him open to too much speculation and criticism from Gunner fans.

Publicly, Wenger deplores the raging spending sprees clubs are currently enjoying. He says they're fiscally irresponsible, welcomes UEFA's investigation of clubs' ledger sheets and says those non-tightwads should be given the boot from competition until their balance sheet, well, balances.

Is his thinking out of line?

Tough call. Part of me thinks that clubs are independent for-profit entities that should use whatever strategy at their disposal to win games, championships and notoriety. If they want to spend themselves red, then have at it, but don't ever come looking for bailouts.

On the other hand, clubs are not like enterprises that operate within an industry. Companies are not bound to an over-arching structure such as a Premier League. Pro sports is one case where the sum of the whole is greater than its individual parts. Teams have to exist within the Premier League and contribute to its overall health by putting the best product on the field; if one leg fails then all suffer.

Where I part company with Wenger and UEFA president Michel Platini is when they say it is cheating to rack up insurmountable debt. United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are deep in debt for a variety of reasons. Yet things are unlikely to change so long as lending instutions farm out the money, the clubs make the payments and the product on the field remains stellar.

Once United hits relegation because it can no longer afford the Ronaldos and Berbatovs of the world, then perhaps the tune will change. It's already happened to a lesser degree in Spain to Celta Vigo and Portugal with Boavista. Valencia is in financial peril as well in Spain.

"I think teams who have deficit should be kicked out of Europe. The only way to go is that there is a control over all of Europe, and I think it will go that way whether you like it or not. UEFA will bring in a control of the management of every individual club and every individual club will be controlled."

Again, I part ways here with Wenger's socialistic view. Just look at MLS' single-entity situation; is that what he wants? One structure where the federation owns and manages all the clubs and transactions? Teams are strangled and cannot drastically improve their situations. Development is encouraged, but still falters. Interest--and money--is subsequently lost hand over foot.

I think Wenger and Arsenal's board need to steer their own ship, and let those who are destined to fail to do so. So be it. If fiscal respnsibility is Arsenal's choice, then so be it. Sign marginal players, keep the ledger balanced and appease shareholders and lenders with profits and on-time payments. What Wenger wants is for UEFA to legislate the approach to management he has chosen, and create a level playing field, one in which Arsenal could thrive. This club hasn't won a trophy since 2004 and a major European cup since 1994. Maybe he wants some outside help to return Arsenal to the top? Maybe the debt service on Emirates is the real chokepoint here. Maybe Wenger should not be so disingenuous when he says he wants clubs in debt kicked out of Europe. If that were the case, he'd be mighty lonely--and oh yeah, on the outside looking in too.

Pain in the Arsene: First Flamini, Now Hleb

The hits keep on coming for Arsenal; first Mathieu Flamini latches on with AC Milan and now it appears Alexander Hleb is headed for Inter Milan. The Times of London reports he has leaked word to teammates that he's gone, agreeing to a four-year deal, same term as Flamini's in the same city. Nice they can keep each other company. The rub is that Hleb has two years left on his Arsenal deal and manager Arsene Wenger is ready to grieve to FIFA.

Arsenal's firm stance on contract extensions is prohibitive. The club offers only one-year extensions to footballers closing in on the big 3-0. Flamini said thanks, but no thanks to the shackles the London club places on its players and stands to make 50,000 pounds a week at his new club--and he's only 24. Hleb is 27, and sees the writing on the wall.

The cynic says well, "what have they won with these guys anyway, let them go." The optimist counters "what have they won with these guys anyway, here's a chance to get new blood." Problem is, what strain of new blood would want to play at Arsenal under those constraints? And if Arsenal abolishes those constraints now to accommodate new players, why not keep Flamini--and Hleb for that matter--one of its brightest stars. And what of Cesc? He'll be a ripe ol' 24 before you know it. Will Arsenal squeeze Fabregas too?

This has been a most discouraging season for Arsenal. The club was in front, it looked, to stay in the Premiership. And its style, flair and dominant results in the Champions League looked like it was destined for a precious double. All of that quickly vanished as Arsenal's form diminished. The team couldn't close out quality opponents, Wenger started playing with his starting eleven, sacrificed the FA Cup and league cup, and in the end will end up with zero silverware.

With Flamini and Hleb gone, Arsenal has suddenly become the team to watch this summer once the transfers begin. Wenger has huge holes to fill, and a less-than-inviting pay structure to offer topnotch players. Will Arsenal shift its business model to accommodate the on-field product? Or is the debt incurred with the redevelopment of Highbury and the construction of the Emirates Stadium too demanding?

To quote the unforgettable Hyman Roth:

"This is the business we have chosen."

Champions League Draw: Arsenal-Liverpool Overload

Any major tournament draw is always met with the same levels of excitement and cynicism. Today, for instance, we have the quarterfinal and semifinal pairings for the Champions League, and with four English teams, there were bound to be eye-openers.

The spotlight pairing clearly is Arsenal-Liverpool, but shockingly, Manchester United and Roma were paired. ManU and Roma were in the same group, and this has to be disappointing to both sides and their respective fans; surely they're tired of each other. This matchup is worthy of a final; both teams are in top form and it will be interesting to see who survives this one and what the winner has left going forward.

The other two matchups feature Barcelona meeting Schalke and Chelsea taking on Fenerbahce. It would seem the two glamour sides here got the better of this deal. Barca won't have Leo Messi when it takes on the upstarts from Germany who handled Portuguese leaders Porto. Chelsea, meanwhile, are real sleepers in the Premiership, in spite of the pressure on their coach Avram Grant.

Back to Arsenal-Liverpool for a second, not only does the guarantee one English side in the semis, but it sets up three matches between these two teams in a week's span: April 2, 5 and 8. WOW. Rafa and Arsene will certainly earn their money that week, not only strategy wise, but in human capital. Who sits, who plays and how often? These are three high-pressure matches and this could be advantage Liverpool. Arsenal would likely need the Premiership match much more than Liverpool, which could take advantage of its fourth- or fifth-place standing and sit some players for the domestic match and focus on Europe.

Cynical view: UEFA's out to get Arsene here (just kidding).

The semifinals, meanwhile, shake out this way:

Arsenal-Liverpool winner vs. Chelsea-Fenerbahce winner
ManU-Roma winner vs. Barca-Schalke winner

Spare us another Liverpool-Chelsea semi, but if that's the price to pay for a titanic ManU-Liverpool final, then so be it.

Oh You Beauty has more on the draw.
101 Great Goals has a brief reaction too.
Abeloa didn't get his wish; read Anfield Talk.
Champions League Talk has some early predictions.

Can Arsenal Recover In Time Beat Milan and Advance?

Priorities and ironies: that's the landscape decorating today's AC Milan-Arsenal Champions League match. San Siro in Milan is the literal setting, but figuratively it's a fascinating match.

Arsenal comes in leading the Premier League by one point, while Milan is fifth in Serie A, 18 points behind Inter Milan. Milan spent the first half of the season unable to win at home, and was quickly reduced to an afterthought in Serie A, despite its standing as reigning European champions. Arsenal, on the other hand, could not have begun this season any better, quickly overtaking Liverpool for the Premier lead, and as recently as early February, led the league by more than five points.

Yet today, should Arsenal advance, it would be a monumental achievement. The Gunners haven't won since Feb. 11, and since, have been upended by Man. U. in the FA Cup (4-0) and lost Eduard, one of its bright young stars, to a horrific leg injury. It could not score in the first leg of this round-of-16 tie with Milan and needs an away goal against the defense-happy Rossoneri.

This game is a shining example of what competitions clubs prioritize, and how that strategy can backfire.

Arsenal put out a less-than-stellar side against Man. U. in its FA Cup match and was smashed. The thinking was that the Gunners were resting players for the first leg against Milan a few days after the FA Cup match. Manager Arsene Wenger messed up his team's momentum and continuity, and Arsenal has not recovered since. He could not have anticipated the emotional impact of the Eduardo injury--not to mention the hole his absence leaves in the Arsenal lineup. Arsenal is reeling, and in what was thought to have been a potential treble season, Arsenal could be left without silverware by the time May 15 rolls around.

Milan on the other hand, conceded Serie A with a wink and a nod and inwardly said it would focus on a repeat championship in Europe. Milan's style and experience are built for this kind of tournament, and it shows in Milan's results. Milan breezed through its group, nicked only by Celtic and a 1-1 draw at Benfica. In the interim, it also won the World Club Championship and a down-time trip to Asia to win the world title.

It will be ironic later tonight if Arsenal is excused from the Champions League. But ultimately, if that's the case, it will have been a matter of priorities.

BLOG ROUNDUP:

Gunner Blog has the right perspective: It's a chance for Arsenal to make history.
Reuters' soccer blog looks at the priorities issue.
101 Great Goals has a look at the English papers putting the heat on Cesc Fabregas.
Arsenal FC Blog says, surprise!, that no second-leg match lives up to Milan-Arsenal.
Soccer By Ives previews today's matches.
Arsenal List has a short preview.

Arsenal Loses; But is Gunners' Ship Sinking?

The inevitable happened: Arsenal lost. Liverpool too. There are no more unbeatens in the Premiership and the Gunners' lead is down to one.

'Boro handed Arsenal its first setback this weekend, 2-1. Arsenal is in the midst of a four-game swing away from the Emirates and is headed for a crucial top-of-the-table clash with Chelsea, sans Drogba unfortunately. Arsenal too is shorthanded. Flamini, Hleb, and Fabregas are hurt and it's unknown how many will be back for Chelsea on Sunday.

Gunner Blog runs down the excuses in short order for you, even insinuating that Toure was tired three minutes in against 'Boro and that led him to concede a penalty and the first goal of the game. At least Arsenal fans aren't panicking, nor should they. It's one loss and Arsenal is still top of table. United is coming on strong, but for now, all is well.

Arsenal Pies, however, is stirring things up. He wants Jens Lehman in goal Wednesday in the Champions League and ultimately reinstated as No. 1. He recalls Lehman's lament of early this season when he said Manuel Almunia had never won a big match for Arsenal. With Chelsea looming on Sunday, does Arsene Wenger have a choice to make here? Does Lehman deserve a chance at least Wednesday?

Doubtful. Arsenal has been the team to beat this season in the Premiership and Wenger won't panic in the midst of a tough stretch, where again, Arsenal has lost ONLY one game. Reactionary managers who take their advice from fans soon find themselves sitting with the fans.