BAM! You know what that sound was? The emphatic closing of the transfer window. And pfffffffffffft–that was the sound of Arsenal fans everywhere sighing.

There was much hope surrounding this window that Wenger would attempt to strengthen the squad, and after a January that saw us pick up zero Premier League points you’d think our backroom staff would be working double shifts trying to bring in some talent.

All that did happen was the signing of 19 year-old German attacking midfielder Thomas Eisfelder, whose seemingly only Youtube video is up on the AFCB Facebook wall if you want to have a look.

My lack of enthusiasm surrounding this transfer has nothing to do with the kid, hopefully he turns out to be a quality investment and maybe he’ll feature this year, only time will tell. Yet the dampened mood is back because we didn’t make an impact signing. Whatever you think of him now do you remember how awesome it felt when we signed Arshavin?

Willkommen! Arsenal new boy, Thomas Eisfeld.

There are silver linings to every cloud and I don’t think there’s too much cause for concern. This season started awfully–our worst start for 50 years–but after Wenger’s transfer rampage on the final day of the last window, we regrouped, strengthened in areas that needed it and went on a solid run that saw us enter the top 4. That run and form only came to an end after the injury curse struck again, which in turn is responsible for our recent run of bad form and tired, overworked legs.

I’m going to refrain form using the words “like” and “new signing” but important players are coming back. Sagna and Arteta made their playing returns in the game against Villa and news came out today that Gibbs had a successful training session.

Add to that the imminent return of Andy’s favourite forehead Gervinho and Chamakh from the African Cup of Nations, and all of a sudden our squad doesn’t look so threadbare, so all is not bleak. (Yes I do realise I put Chamkh in that list of hopefuls but I’m praying some warm weather did him good and he comes back rejuvenated.)

So, our actual business for the window looks like this:

INS: Thierry Henry (loan from New York Red Bulls), Thomas Eisfeld (£600,000 from Borussia Dortmund).

OUTS: Emmanuel Frimpong (loan to Wolves), Vito Mannone (loan to Hull), Luke Freeman (undisclosed to Stevenage), Sead Hajrovic (loan to Barnet), Sanchez Watt (loan to Crawley), Rhys Murphy (loan to Preston), Daniel Boateng (loan to Swindon), Ryo Miyaichi (loan to Bolton).

All the best to Luke Freeman with his future career who came to Arsenal with much promise but now leaves for Stevenage. Other than Frimpong who’s fast becoming a fan favourite wherever he goes, my pick of the bunch from our loaned-out players is Ryo Miyaichi. The much hyped Japanese kid needs some playing time and he won’t get it this season with the amount of experienced wide players we’ve got and the buzz surrounding the Ox. Hopefully a spell at Bolton will be as beneficial to him as it was for Wilshere who did the same loan deal, and will see him come back primed for the rigors of the Premier League.

Other than that there’s a big rumour doing the rounds that Arshavin is wanted by Russian outift Anzhi Makhachkala. The Russian transfer window goes on for another couple of weeks so we’ll hear more about that later on.

On a personal note I’m glad the window’s over and we can get back to concentrating on the football again. We’re away to Bolton tomorrow and after everyone around us in the league picked up points in tonight’s fixtures we need to make sure we do the same tomorrow.

How was your transfer window experience? Let me know by leaving a comment.  художник на икони

The first month and a half of the season perhaps couldn’t have gone any worse for Arsenal, as they won only two of their first seven Premier League matches and suffered defeats at the hands of Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham.

However, the last month and half perhaps couldn’t have gone any better for the Gunners, as they’re on a five-match win streak in the Premier League and with Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, have sewn up top spot in their Champions League group.

Can they keep the hot streak going into the new year? Momentum and confidence are certainly on their side, but it won’t be an easy ride.

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Arsenal in the Premier League

By virtue of their five wins on the trot, Arsenal are back in the thick of the race for a place in the top four. And if their fine form continues and a few results elsewhere go their way, they could find themselves back in the title race at the start of the new year.

There’s a good chance that it will indeed continue, as the Gunners’ slate for the next several weeks is a favorable one.

That being said, there are a few tests that will help determine just how good of a position Arsenal are heading into the second half of the season. First, Arsenal go to Manchester for a Sunday showdown with Premier League leaders City on 18th December, with the match kicking off at 4:10 pm BST.

Roberto Mancini’s side is currently 12 points ahead of seventh-placed Arsenal, but before the Gunners come to town, City have to deal with a couple of tough away ties against Liverpool and Chelsea.

If Arsenal can make it through December with their hopes and ambitions still very much intact, they must ensure that they don’t trip at the first hurdle that 2012 offers up, a tricky away tie against Fulham on 2 January, with kickoff at 5:30 pm BST.

The Cottagers have been poor in the Premier League thus far, perhaps due to the added workload of Europa League football, but there’ve been some unpleasant visits to Craven Cottage for the Gunners in recent seasons, so even if Arsenal do come away with the three points, it likely won’t be a stroll.

Arsenal in the Champions League

With their win over Dortmund, Arsenal not only clinched a place in the round of 16, they also clinched top spot in Group E. It’s worth noting that they’re the only English team who will go into the final group matchday breathing easy, as Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea all positioned precariously.

Still, the Gunners’ group finale on 6 December, an away match against Olympiakos that kicks off at 7:45 pm BST, won’t be taken lightly, even if they have no round of 16-related worries to deal with.

There’s no doubt that Arsene Wenger would like to see his side finish the group stage unbeaten and on a high, and Marseille and Borussia Dortmund, who face off in Dortmund on matchday six, would no doubt like to see Arsenal put their best foot forward in Greece. Marseille surprisingly lost at home against Olympiakos on Wednesday, which leaves both second place and the Europa League consolation prize up for grabs heading into the final round of matches.

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I know, I know. It has been a long time since I last posted.

But I assure you, I have a good excuse. I really do.

It’s not that the team has been playing so badly that I have given up on them.

It’s not that I’m feeling disconnected with the realisation that this season the league title is nothing more than a pipe dream.

This isn't going to end well...

It’s not that Bacary Sagna’s broken ankle provided the stark realisation that we have been left with a defensive unit about as cohesive as , sending me into a spiraling depression that culminated with a two-week hospitalisation in a mental health unit.

No, siree.

It’s simply the fact that I’ve moved house.

Not just down the road either, but all the way back from Berlin in Germany to Brisbane in Australia.

After 15 months abroad traveling and enjoying the delights of watching football at a reasonable hour,  I’m back to 2am visits to the Pig ‘n’ Whistle to watch my beloved Arsenal.

It’s been a long couple of weeks of packing, shopping, painting walls, cleaning, drinking beers, saying goodbye and settling back in.

Unavoidably and understandably, the Arsenal FC Blog has suffered as a result.

But I’m back now and that means we can talk football again.

I’ve also got a few interesting little things to talk in the near future. A new shirt design and some other things that I’m very excited about.

Yay! And hello to you all again!

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Follow me on Twitter @andrewjweber.

Just thought I’d open a post for you guys to share news, discuss rumours and get chatting about Transfer Deadline day.

Per Mertesacker, Park Chu-young and André Santos have already been confirmed. Who’s next?

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It is with great regret that I bring you the news that former Arsenal Football Club director, Danny Fiszman, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 66 after a long battle with cancer.

Danny’s legacy at the club is monumental: he was the driving force behind our move from Highbury to Emirates Stadium.

Danny Fiszman passed away on Wednesday

A well-respected and forward-thinking man who has been on the board since 1992, Danny’s outstanding work for the club has been recognised by the renaming of the South Bridge, near the iconic ‘ARSENAL’ letters at Emirates Stadium, to The Danny Fiszman Bridge. As a side note the North Bridge, which joins the stadium to Drayton Park, has also been renamed to recognise the work of Fiszman’s colleague Ken Friar.

Those who have been following the Arsenal takeover situation carefully will know that Fiszman’s deteriorating physical condition was the major reason behind Stan Kroenke’s acquisition of the former director’s stake in the club. With seven games still to play in the season it was hardly the ideal time for a boardroom change, but some things in life cannot be predicted and key decisions had to be made.

Following Danny’s passing Arséne Wenger had the following to say about his contribution to the club:

“I will remember Danny as a forward-thinker, a man who was very brave and who did fight until the last minute and was always a very influential person at every board meeting. He was one of the very intelligent men behind this Club and the development of this Club. He was very instrumental in all of [the stadium move] and in all the practical work, all the negotiation work, the relocation of all the businesses, the planning permission. There was a team, Ken Friar and Danny Fiszman, who did all of that. It is very fair to say the Club wouldn’t be where it is today without Danny Fiszman.”

So today we remember the wonderful work of a man who truly loved the Arsenal Football Club.

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One: Robin van Persie and Abou Diaby had an altercation in the changing room at half time of the game against Blackpool as a result of the Frenchman’s needless first-half booking for kicking the ball away.

Two: Jack Wilshere said that Jens Lehmann was so vocal and passionate on Sunday that it was like having an assistant manager on the pitch.

Three: Johan Djourou is back in full training and Wojciech Szczesny is set to return against Liverpool this weekend.

That is all.

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Plenty of people have asked me what I think about the news that Stan Kroenke has taken full ownership of the Arsenal Football Club.

The truth is that me commenting on the finances of the club would be something akin to asking Lada Gaga what she thinks about the conflict in Libya. She’d probably have a thing or two to say of course, and some of it might have some merit, but at the end of the day you’re not going to get any definitive answers.

Kroenke has now taken over control at Arsenal

My personal opinion on the matter is that I don’t really have an opinion. I’m as worried as everyone that Kroenke has the power to turn Arsenal into his own little playground, but his track record with previous sporting teams in the US suggests he’s not the type of person who will do that.

The good news is that we’re not in the situation where we are borrowing money from the bank to prop our club: Kroenke’s money is for real and we’re not going to be put in horrible, debt-laden situation similar to Manchester United or Liverpool. We’ve managed our stadium debt well and if anything, a takeover should be something that can push the club even further towards the European elite.

Many people seem to believe that a change at the very top will bring a change at first-team level. That more finances will be made available and finally Arsene Wenger will have the money he requires to get rid of the deadweight in the squad and bring in the type of players necessary for us to compete at the top level (there is obviously sarcasm attached to this comment: there is very little dead weight in our squad we are already competing at the top level). I don’t think this is true and I think our youth policy will remain largely intact. Wenger is not now suddenly going to have millions and millions to spend: there might be some changes in this area moving forward but I suspect they will be less spectacular than people expect.

Anyway, that’s all I’m going to say on the matter for now. As I mentioned earlier, I’m no expert and everything I say should be read with caution. They are my opinions, they’re not built on much and they should not be held against me if they turn out to be wrong. Remember the Lada Gaga analogy I made?

As for the specific details on the takeover, you’re far better off following Arseblog’s detailed account of the situation. I’ve included the important bits below:

“It is a hugely significant day in the history of Arsenal Football Club. Stan Kroenke has agreed to purchase the shares of Danny Fiszman and Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith for £11,750 per share, bringing his overall share holding to 62.89%. In accordance with stock market rules he will offer £11,750 for the remaining shares, but that doesn’t mean those shareholders have to sell.”

“It’s a marked change in the way the club is owned, however. Down the years, and particularly in recent times, plurality of ownership has been the Arsenal way and now we have Kroenke with his 62.89% and Red and White holdings with their 27%, plus a smattering of smaller shareholders.”

“It will be interesting to see how Usmanov reacts. Any chance of him owning the club is now well and truly buried and at £11,750 per share he stands to make a profit on his investment despite the fact he hoovered up shares at relatively high prices over the last few years. I don’t think there’s any hope whatsoever of Usmanov, or a representative, being invited to sit on the board. There’s certainly no love lost between the two camps and to me it’s inconceivable that any working relationship can be forged. Also, any suggestion of a return for David Dein is entirely wide of the mark for much the same reason.”

R&W are under no compulsion to sell, and could easily hold on to their stake, but there’s little they can do with it. They can’t influence things, their famous ‘blocking stake’ is no more, so ultimately they have to make a decision sooner or later about what to do with their shareholding. If Usmanov did sell to Kroenke it would take him very close to the 90% mark at which point he could make compulsory purchases of all the remain shares and take the club into private ownership.”

“We have to hope that Kroenke’s association with the current board, the fact that he’s been part of the inner-sanctum, knows how the club works and everything else, mean that he’s a man who will respect what Arsenal Football Club is all about. It may also provide a bit of impetus to change some of the things that are wrong, address some of the issues we have, but obviously we won’t see any of that in the very short term. What is for certain is that it’s going to be a very interesting summer for more than the usual reasons.”

It might seem churlish to say but at this point in the season, with so much still to play for, I would hate it if the situation off the pitch impacted on the performances on it. So on this undoubtedly very important day in the history of the club, let’s keep the Arsenal FC Blog focused on the bit that the Arsenal FC Blog likes to focus on: the eleven men in red and white running around on the pitch.

Cheers.

For today though, let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

Today is the 10th anniversary of the death of Arsenal legend David “Rocky” Rocastle.

I feel too young to comment on Rocky and the impact of his career personally, so instead I’ve included three of the best tribute posts below:

• Oh Rocky, Rocky (Goonerholic)
• Rocky Remembered (Arseblog)
• David Rocastle remembered: 10 years on (The Guardian)

I’ve also found this lovely little tribute video:

There will be a tribute to Rocky at the Emirates at the game against Blackburn on Saturday. I’m looking forward to it.

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It was great to see Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey running the show for England and Wales on the weekend.

Jack Wilshere & Aaron Ramsey

Hopefully a sign of things to come for the Arsenal.

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The last few weeks have been difficult for Arsenal.

First the Carling Cup was thrown away in extraordinary circumstances.

Then a terrible refereeing decision at the Nou Camp ended hopes of pulling off a Champions League upset against the best team in the world.

Finally, Manchester United, our major title rivals, put out a severely-understrength team in our FA Cup quarter-final clash, but still managed to knock us out of the competition in an utterly frustrating and familiar manner.

Jens is back

Yet as we prepare for the final sprint in what has been an eventful and emotional season, the reality is that the trophy that we crave the most, the Premier League title, remains there for the taking.

Just three points separates us from Manchester United at the top of the table and with a game in hand, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s side still to play as at Emirates Stadium, the ball is in our court.

With no other competitions to tire and distract us, despite a poor run of results and bad luck, including a veritable waterfall of injury problems, our chances of becoming the champions remain as strong at this stage of the season as they have been since we won the Premier League in 2004.

It was thought that one of the biggest hurdles we would have to overcome would be the strain of injuries to key players. But the sudden clearing of our football calendar means that this is not the case.

It is true that Johan Djourou and Wojciech Szczesny are more than likely to miss the rest of the season — hence the return of 41-year-old Jens Lehmann to provide some emergency goalkeeping cover — but the story is decidedly better for the rest of our injured players.

After tomorrow’s clash with West Brom there is a rather convenient two-week international break that will allow the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song and Theo Walcott the opportunity to get fit and prepare themselves for the run-in.

Indeed, given that we only have to play two games in a week just once before the end of the season, there is nothing stopping us from playing our best available team for every one of our last ten league games. The usual requirement of rotating to keep the squad fresh becomes irrelevant: if our players can’t give their all once a week for the rest of the season with the league title up for grabs then it’s safe to conclude they never will.

All this means that given the disappointments of recent weeks there is much to be optimistic about. We are right in there with a chance, perhaps even taking on the status of favourites given our ability to focus completely on the league, and that is an exciting proposition.

Despite this there is a growing sense that this group of players appears incapable of taking the final, most difficult step of actually winning something.

While the Carling Cup final defeat was freakish and the Champions League exit was more than understandable given the quality of the opposition and the performance of the referee, there was no excuse for the loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup.

They had an inferior team on the pitch, a tricky Champions League tie against Marseille to play three days later and were there to be beaten. But despite most of the possession and a multitude of good opportunities, once again at Old Trafford, we couldn’t get the job done. And they did.

It was the manner of the United defeat that gives me the feeling that despite our good position in the league, despite our ability to focus completely on one competition, we will probably fail to take that final step again.

As such, I go into the final ten games of the season with a hell of a lot of hope but very little expectation: a psychological state fine-tuned over the past six seasons to soften the blow of failure and maximise the joy of success.

How about you?

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