Blue Moon Rising

In many ways Man City is a great success but with their wage power and desire to have a plethora of world class players in each position they are pooling too much talent and detracting from the good of the league. Understandably, in the eyes of the City board, who cares about the league as long as they are sitting pretty at the top of it, but for the average fan there is a genuine fear. Does this plan risk creating too great a gap between the big clubs and the rest of the league? An extreme example would be La Liga or the SPL in which each year there are only 2 teams viably competing for the title. If you are a world-class player playing in Spain the likelihood is you will be playing for Madrid or Barca – a high-class player in the SPL…the Old Firm. Luckily for the Barclays Premiership there is a far greater number of long established great clubs and with managers like Hodgson at West Brom and Pulis at Stoke the lower clubs are able, on occasion, to challenge the big guns.

The problem I am trying to get at is that, quite simply, City are hogging all the talent, and it must be because of the wages. A desire for Champions League football and a desire to win silverware – these dreams can come from more clubs than just Man City, so why go to a club where you can never be guaranteed a place in the squad, let alone the starting XI?  To my mind the best example of this is in the form of Nigel de Jong. What is he doing? De jong is a top class international holding midfield player. In the City set up he competes with Barry, Hargreaves and Toure for 1 – 2 if he is lucky – positions in the starting XI. With such strong attacking minded midfielders and strikers overflowing into midfield to make room, invariably de Jong is benched and it begs the question, why is he happy with this? Why is Nasri happy to warm the bench for Silva? Why is Dzeko happy to be left on the bench for Aguero?  This situation is not only farcical but also detrimental in many ways. The amount of top-class strikers available forces other players to give way to accommodate them, often in the wide positions, at the expense of English talent like Adam Johnson, whose career can only be being stilted through its lack of first team football.

At any other Premiership club these players would be stars – immediately launched to hero status – captaining the teams, having thousands of supporters worship them as their talisman. To be part of a squad that plays in the Champions League would be an incredible experience but surely as a player the key to your career is to actually play football? The only conclusion that can seemingly be made is that the draw of money tops all other concerns. The sad thing, however, is that in writing this piece the more I think about it the more I cannot blame them. Football is a short career and as the game gets faster, with more emphasis on pace, the expiry date on players is getting earlier and earlier – excluding the bionic Giggs and Scholes of course – and with limited options for a retired footballer outside of coaching and punditry one will surely want to earn as much money as possible in the time available. The entire City team 2011-12 cannot present MOTD together in 10 years time, neither can they all become the next manager of Wrexham, there just isn’t enough opportunity for retired footballers and this, I feel, definitely plays a part in their striving for more money at the cost of playing time. Maybe I’m over thinking it? Maybe they’re just greedy, who knows? I prefer to wear my rose tinted glasses on this one.

The problem of Man City's wages is, however, not only affecting other clubs abilities to get players in the first place but also in getting them back once City are done with them. The only assumption can be that Man City have ascended the football ladder even quicker than the Big Wigs anticipated, because before they can even get players like Adebayor up and running he has already been usurped and sidelined as a bit part player. In this there can be seen some level of revenge I suppose because £175k a week is the value of Adebayor's contract and with such an obscene amount of money being offered no club is able to loan the player without significant help. Tottenham have taken up some of the slack but essentially Man City are now left to pay £100k a week for a player to go out and score goals for a major rival, it seems all a bit ridiculous to me.

I understand that financial fair play will be put in place in an attempt to block this devolution into selfishness but with the Etihad Stadium naming rights saga already making a mockery of that, who knows what can be done? One must hope that it doesn’t spread but with Russian club Anzhi now getting in on the act who knows? The hope I have is that the effect of this money upon players’ characters will awaken owners to their failings - as is already seemingly visible in Tevez’s refusal to play. My hope is that the other big clubs in England can hold onto them with money spent wisely, youth fostered effectively and successful management. The Premiership can remain as competitive as before and show that hopefully money cant buy you everything – though following a 6-1 demolition of last years champions at Old Trafford am I living in a dream world? 

Electronic Playlist

ALICIA KEYS – UNTHINKABLE (LENZMAN REMIX)

AZARI & III – HUNGRY FOR THE POWER (JAMIE JONES RIDGE STREET REMIX)

BAX – MOSCA

BEYONCE – COUNTDOWN (JACK BEATS REMIX)

BURIAL – SHELL OF LIGHT (SHLOMO REMIX)

DEADBOY  - WISH YOU WERE HERE

DIPLO & DOUSTER – ON!

DUB PHIZIX & SKEPTICAL – MARKA

FATBOY SLIM – RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW (TRUMPDISCO REMIX)

JACQUES GREENE – ANOTHER GIRL

MUTATED FORMS – WASTEGASH

PHOTEK – 101 (BODDIKA’S DRUM MACHINE REMIX)

SKREAM – PHAT HEAD

TOM STEPHAN – TURN THAT SHIT UP (DIPLO REMIX)

I've got this tune on repeat every time I host pre-drinks at my flat... 

Not heard of Jacques Greene before, but really rating this...

My style

With the likes of Primark and River Island bringing the newest trends to the High Street within a shorter space of time every day, at knock off prices and not to mention knock off quality, it is necessary now more than ever, to try and stay just that half beat ahead. Not only that, there is also a risk in getting too comfortable because you never know who will be wearing the same outfit within the month. Think about it…the looks that have gone from the frontier to the mainstream within the past year or two; high cut leather boots (laces undone), allsaints tshirts, drops crotch trousers…once extremely cool, but now the reserve of the cast of Geordie Shore. Or the denim shirt and chinos? Now the staple of every man in a clubs wardrobe! A few years ago it was unthinkable to consider most men out on the town wearing much else other than jeans and an Abercrombie t-shirt, or a best a checked shirt, but now trends are hitting the High Street at an ever-increasing pace. Granted the man wearing the oversized vintage denim shirt, buttoned up, paired with skinny ankle length chinos will outshine an ill fitting denim shirt from Burton together with a pair of baggy chinos with cuffed ankles, but still, standing at a bar together the color combination is inescapable and is undoubtedly something that is becoming more and more frustrating for the fashion conscious.

So here are a few insights to my opinions on current style.

Jeans – I prefer skinny but not in the spray on style favoured by the likes of Frankie Cocozza, instead any slightly tapered version of straight legged. These are to be worn above the bum; having discovered that wearing your trousers below your bum orginated in prison to show sexual availability that is from now on a no-no. Jeans always look better with a belt (excluding those with big plaques for buckles). Others things to avoid in my opinion are garishly colored jeans simple dark blue or black – at a push dark purple. An extreme pet hate of mine if cuffed jeans, which I think look terrible – even worse when coupled with an elasticated waist, although this may be comfortable it makes for a terrible fit.

Shirts – Today i think it is better to go one size up than one size down with a shirt, you do not want to have the buttons pulling across your chest. Buttons all done up? I am undecided on that one but if not then one undone - maximum two – men who still wear their shirts half done up in a vain attempt to show muscles should be banned from any respectable establishment. If you are really that muscly it will show through a nicely fitting shirt without you bursting out of it! Shirts are a good excuse for pattern or brightening an outfit but be careful not to stray into James May territory. A look I’m enjoying at the moment is button down collars with a pin between with no tie I don’t know where it sprung from but it looks cool and I hope it stays around a while before it is adopted by the mainstream.

T-shirts – Again I feel these are now better to be over sized with a low-ish (emphasis on the ish) neck line either in a V or scoop. The reason behind this is that extremely tight t shirts with plunging neck lines are now the uniform of those partaking in steroids, fake tan and wetlook gel. The cut of a t-shirt is important, and i favour those with wide set shoulders and longish sleeves, without which one is at risk of the short sleeves pointing out to the sides. T-shirts are another excuse for color, move away from white t shirts with big black prints on the front and maybe try block colors or patterns.

Aside from these general points a few specific looks that I’m liking at the moment are:

Double breasted blazers as part of a suit or dinner suit.

Bow ties or medium classic sized neck ties. Skinny ties are old-hat as are over sized ties with big collars and bulging Windsor knots. Classic is best.

Thick soled canvass shoes (Vans) are about the only thing I don’t find wholly objectionable about Frankie Cocozza.

Flat peaked caps. Change from block color stretch fit to retro snap back with bright colors and motifs.

A Polo necked jumper. If you can pull off a polo neck with a pair of jeans and leather shoes then you’re a real man.

really cool website I like at the moment, although very hip-hop orientated, is:

http://www.karmaloop.com/

or for smarter things if your really looking to break the bank then i suggest you visit:

http://www.oki-ni.com/

Hip-Hop Playlist

BIG SEAN – DANCE

BIG SEAN - LAST

CHILDISH GAMBINO – BONFIRE

CHILDISH GAMBINO – FREEKS AND GEEKS

DRAKE – HEADLINES

DRAKE – THE MOTTO

GAME – MARTIANS VS ALIENS

LIL WAYNE – 6 FOOT 7 FOOT

LIL WAYNE – MIRROR

MAC MILLER – BEST DAY EVER

MAC MILLER – DONALD TRUMP

MAC MILLER – FRICK PARK MARKET

ODD FUTURE – ORANGE JUICE

T.I – STRIP

WIZ KHALIFA – FLY SOLO

WIZ KHALIFA – YOUNG WILD AND FREE

XV - AWESOME

Childish Gambino has just arrived in the UK and I think is set to take the world by storm. He is an incredibly talented individual and whilst also being an actor he has already won awards for his role as a writer on Alec Baldwin's hit comedy 30 Rock, an exploit he carried out whilst still studying at University...

This is a re-work of a song by Gucci Mane and whilst the backing track is stolen Tyler and Odd Future's new lyrics bring a whole new depth to the song that was previously missing...

Real Life Crisis

A common malaise afflicting those entering into what is generally referred to as ‘middle-age’ is often termed a ‘mid-life crisis’, a description of the sense of loss at being forced to leave behind all that which is termed youthful and instead embrace the standardized existence of maturity and responsibility. At 21 and on the verge of leaving the protective bubble of fulltime education, I am beginning to feel that this evolution in fact necessitates itself far earlier. If not a 'real-life crisis' then it is most definitely a crisis of ‘real life’.

I will always remember my dad's assertion that my school days would be the happiest days of my life but I equally remember my rejection of this; instead wishing everyday, to be that little bit closer to being my own man, with no restrictions upon the paths I chose. The problem I find now however is that in the face of this life without restriction I am floundering. Having been blessed with the existence of a ‘Jack of all Trades Master of F*** all’ I thrived in a school and University environment that encourages you to engage in all different areas of life: Sport, Academia, Drama and Music but with the term ‘profession’ looming ever closer in the distance social convention determines that I abandon all but one in real life and afford all others the feckless position of 'hobby'. The constraints experienced in real life, rather than the protective bubble of the education system, most importantly that of being forced into earning a wage for survival, means that I must now choose a specific direction on which to embark, and quite simply I haven’t got a clue what I want that to be.

All through school and even now into University it seemed that a career was a distant specter of true adult hood that until now could be palmed off as something I could easily choose at a later date; that distance has now closed and I am stood on the precipice of what could, and should, be the most important decision of my life to date.  My lack of career direction is not through lack of want, those pushed by an excellence in Sport or Music are now seemingly blessed in having inadvertently achieved a life’s direction, I on the other hand through my previous label as a 'Jack of all Trades' have none. I have been lucky enough to study at an incredible University in a subject I love, but yes you guessed it, it was a non-vocational subject, which within the next 6 months I will be a Master of. On speaking to others they seem to react in jealous indignation that with that degree the world was my oyster, any direction, outside of extreme numeracy, was mine for the taking, but sadly in my case this has been a weakness rather than strength.

In a time where every man, woman and their dog leaves full time education with a degree of some form and not only that, enters into a landscape scarred by what will surely become a double-dip recession, the need to differentiate oneself from the competition is paramount and the clearest way by which to do this is through work experience or placements. The problem thereby of floundering directionless in the vast opportunity that stands before me is that I have avoided these tools of differentiation. At no point was I able to select a choice for a placement, because what use was work experience in advertising to become a journalist, or a placement with a publishing firm to become a member of the civil service? Whilst these would have illustrated a desire to work would they have been anymore useful in illustrating this than what I chose to do instead, simply getting a job that I have held down in term time and in holidays? Equally, does the fact I was able to work hard for a catering firm or for an events company really afford me any advantage when it comes to specifying a particular career, sadly I fear not.

And it is from this that my feeling of crisis has emerged, a plummeting of confidence in my prospects has befallen me, someone who in the confines of school and University, truly felt the world was at his feet. The professional or ‘real life’ world has no real desire for a man who is pretty good at most things, unless you are the best in your specific field it seems you are destined for mediocrity. Who knows, maybe this entire passage of self pity and helplessness is hyperbolic in itself, and I truly hope it is, but with every second bringing the inevitable decision of career choice closer and closer I cannot help but hear my dad in the back of my mind, have the happiest days of my life really gone?

Real Life Crisis: A Response

I never anticipated this passage to be in two parts when I initially started writing but the deeper I got into it the more I realized how dark, hopeless and depressing it made everything seem. As a result I feel this imbalance needs to be rectified (perhaps further evidence of my confusion and mixed feelings surrounding the whole experience!) and if not rectified then at least considered from a different standpoint. The reason for my negativity may well just be fear, fear of the unknown, and fear of stepping out of the protective bubble of full time education. To be critical of myself, maybe all this fear and self-loathing is just a symptom of wanting to stay young forever, never wanting to fully take responsibility for my own life. Even as I am writing now I am constantly evaluating and re-evaluating what the future holds for me whether it’s a time of opportunity or whether it’s an empty promise.

To be positive though, is to give credence to the idea that yes adulthood is when you are truly free, true in childhood you are ostensibly ‘free’ from the responsibility of earning a living but that isn’t freedom really, freedom is the ability to have your future and destiny in your own hands, to make real life changing decisions beyond that of telling your mum what you want for dinner. Adulthood brings with it what to me seems like the true meaning of life because before technology came along and made surviving all too easy then that was essentially the meaning of life – life. Every other species is technically a subsistence species they eat to survive and they sleep. All the trappings of modern life are essentially superfluous, apart from the one thing that cannot be changed, and that is starting a family; it is that element of real adult life that acts as the shining light, which to me makes all other worries pale into insignificance.

I am lucky enough to have a fantastic family life, it is large, tight knit and sociable and it is this that I cannot wait to provide for my child, what else is there to do? Of course one can make lots of money and drive fast cars but how many children of the rich and famous are spoiled, having been involved in a family set up that often leads to self destruction. Obviously all statements need to come with moderation but basically what I am trying to get across is that, unconventionally for this day and age, it is not the desire for money and self betterment that lures me towards adulthood but a sense of family, maybe its something I’ve inherited from my own, but that is what I care about and it is that which I fell will be enough to drag me out of the morose torpor I found myself in in my previous passage.

Bro, Shut up.

It seems that the new hit music genre of Dubstep cannot avoid some kind of rift amongst its growing audience. Dubstep, simply put, is my favorite genre of music and in most forms I love it. I love the emotion it portrays to me; it really is the deepest music available, one that can really make you think. Illustrative of this is that I am currently listening to it whilst writing this! I am, however, to many people a newcomer and as a result am incredibly tentative to make any assertions over the genres history and origins. I first came into contact with Dubstep before I even knew what it was when I purchased the track ‘Ghost Hardware’ off of iTunes as its ‘Single of the Week’ before Burial released his second album ‘Unture’; I immediately fell in love.  So I suppose in recent context of Dubstep’s meteoric rise I am not a new ‘jump-on-the-bandwagon’ fan but at the same time I am the first to admit I was no where to be seen at the age of 12 when Dubstep was morphing out of the UK Garage scene in Croydon.

In my time, however, endless change has taken place. I started with Burial and took a route into the stripped back and dark nature of Dubstep and it was here I really came to love this genre. Having left school and ventured into the club scene of University it coincided with the rise of Jakwob and the infamous wobble. This to me was perfect timing, it upped the tempo, brought a happiness and euphoria to the genre. Who wants to turn up to a pre-drinks at your friend’s house, everyone excited about a night out, to then put on a Burial track? It just doesn’t fit, Dubstep needed a lighthearted half-brother and that is exactly what the wobble gave it. The wobble whilst opening doors was maybe seen as the door too far, a wobble became synonymous with Dubstep for a time and that crushed me. I often found myself trawling through YouTube clicking on various remixes to find some musical genius had simply taken an accapella and placed a generic wobble underneath, that was no way in keeping with the rest of the song, it was a mess. The wobble made everyone think that they could be a music producer; quite simply the majority of them failed and I am glad to see that the wobble has since entered into decline.

This is not to say that I am not a fan of Dubstep’s evolution. I think those who wish to simply crowd round a turntable gently nodding their head to a deep two-step are missing the point. That may be their choice in taste of music but to become a purist is also to become an elitist and I hate that. Who are they to say what is good music and what is not? Music is about taste. I will forever be a fan of Skream, I ‘like’ a fantastic page on Facebook at the moment entitled ‘don’t talk about Dubstep if you haven’t heard of the Midnight Request Line’ and that is essentially it, although forgiven for not being at Dubstep’s conception, to be a true fan you really do need to know about its birth. And its birth did essentially, in my opinion, if not from that song, spring from that time and that producer.

Skream, however, has not been content to rest on his laurels and the pioneer has admirably been one to push the frontier of the music genre; his justification for which was what convinced me of the necessity of musical evolution. I saw Magnetic Man at Benicassim as their track ‘I Need Air’ was being released, it was incredible yet I struggled to see how it came to fit under the term Dubstep…but that’s just, it didn’t. It wasn’t until Skream released his newest single 'Anticipate' that I understood. Anticipate was written in anticipation of the birth of his son, a time of excitement and euphoria, so if that was his inspiration for writing a song why on earth would it be dark? Why would it be stripped back? The emotions Skream must have been feeling would have been light, bright and complex and that’s what he needed to portray and it’s because of that that I simply cannot comprehend those who say he has lost it. It annoys me that Skream has seemingly felt the need to react to it, in many ways I just wish he had risen above it but I understand how hard that would have been. As a result of this we have seen a recent release of songs in which he has essentially been trying to defend his position at the top, trying to prove he hasn’t ‘lost it’, something he never had to do.

That is the problem I have with these diehards, they have identified so strongly with such a narrow expanse of the genre they are missing out and not only that, they are impinging on other people's enjoyment and own personal connection to the music. Music to me is about emotions and to only like a certain part of Dubstep is like assigning yourself one emotion for the rest of your life, its non-sensical. And so in that I feel a freedom needs to be given to the genre to allow for growth.

On the other hand, the emergence of Dubstep’s steroid enhanced brother ‘Bro-step’ has come to be a gripe of mine. Considering what I have just written many may consider this hypocrisy but I will now try to explain how it isn’t. Bro-step is an evolution; as much as I spoke about the wobble earlier this new messy style of Dubstep has become fashionable but has also led to a massive split in the community. Dubstep has taken on a party atmosphere a desire to go wild and crazy, which is the antithesis to what many people feel it should be about. Although it has opened the genre to massive publicity and enabled DJs to sell out arena tours, how many of those going to these concerts have any idea of those who created the music. How many people who follow Skrillex on twitter own a Coki EP? Probably not many. Now this isn’t my problem at all, music is about taste and if that’s what people want to listen to then that’s their choice, I have no time for those who lambast Skrillex as talentless; anyone who is able to inspire such a huge following and have such great success cannot be criticized in the way he is. As a result I think its brilliant that Skream has leant his support to Skrillex as a sign of unity amongst producers. I’m sure it’s the support Skream himself would have loved as he pushed the boundaries with the more dancey releases of Magnetic Man, which have seen him come into criticism.

It is not, however, any of this which annoys me, people are free to enjoy whatever music they like, that is the beauty of music and whilst I would never buy a Skrillex album that doesn’t mean I have a problem with Skrillex the person, that is madness. The problem I have is that the Bro-step, which Skrillex embodies, is so pumped up on steroids it has crossed the Atlantic and gained worldwide recognition all the while under the guise of Dubstep. Whilst Bro-step is a form of Dubstep’s evolution I hate the idea of that being the only sound that people in America, and across the world, associate with the term Dubstep.

Dubstep is a creation of the English music scene, something we should be proud of, something that once again shows the talent we have and in that sense I feel it should be protected. If Americans are going to embrace a genre Britain created I want them to do it properly, so to speak. If all they want at these concerts is Bro-step then they should call themselves Bro-step fans. If the crowd can only go wild at full-tilt robotic noises then so be it, but if they lose interest at a slowed down and subtler alteration then they are Bro-step fans not Dubstep fans and that is the problem I have. I hate that the loud mouth Bro-step machine is essentially stealing the genre on a global scale, yes it is a relation but it should not be what people associate with the term Dubstep exclusively. 

Let me know what you think. How can there be a greater differentiation so that people appreciate that these sounds are not synonymous with Dubstep and merely an evolution of a music form that has so much more to offer?

Heres the Link to that Facebook Page I enjoy so much! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dont-Talk-About-Dubstep-If-You-Dont-Know-The-Midnight-Request-Line/110402925709709

RIP

Today a friend of mine died. His name was Paddy Gearns and he was an amazing guy. I had the pleasure of getting to know Paddy at Edinburgh University where we were both students and I - like I’m sure everyone else who met him - was blown away by the way he carried himself. He oozed confidence but was in no way arrogant, he had that enviable knack of being the center of attention but still ensuring everyone else present felt involved and valued. You couldn’t meet Paddy in the street without him greeting you with a big smile, firm handshake and a genuine interest in how you were doing. He seemed impervious to worry and had a fantastic outlook on life, not only that, he seemed driven to success and had the world at his feet. That a life like this can be cut short so early is chilling, he leaves behind a vast group of friends and well wishers who are all the poorer for the loss. The suddenness of it all clearly shaking each and everyone and it has been amazing to see the reactions, ones full of sadness but also of pride and happiness that they had met him. He was a great guy and I will miss him very much.

The reaction is, however, double edged and whilst it is a happier thing to celebrate his life  - and it is something that will doubtlessly be done by all that knew him – it is also necessary to mourn his death. I am unsure whether this feeling is the same for everyone but this is the first friend or person my age that I know who has died. The immortality of youth has come crashing down around me and the phrase 'too young to die' – previously the reserve of Hollywood –is now entirely applicable.  2 points of view can be adopted from this it seems to me; that of a morbid realization that no one is exempt, that life is fragile and fleeting, or should it encourage us to embrace every moment with an increased vigour?

To think that someone whose life held so much ahead of them was unable to fully realise this how then can I justify sitting on the sofa watching everything just drift by? So although this event is extremely sad Paddy’s life must be celebrated not just nominally but entirely. Take life by the horns because nothing is guaranteed, everything is fleeting, every moment that goes by offers opportunity and you’d be a fool to watch it pass.


For those of you who did know Paddy there is a great group on Facebook to share memories.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Memory-of-Patrick-Gearns/296839330361754

Facebook

Facebook and I have a love hate relationship. I am aware of its vices yet I still find myself on there at least once a day. With a negative eye I see Facebook as a tool of vanity to illustrate how interesting your life is to your peers. To see your friends doing things together makes you jealous, you feel left out, and often it leads to a desire to do something to prove to them (maybe more so to yourself) that you are socially active. But then what of those who don’t use Facebook, or those who have only a few friends and a couple of pictures? Surely anyone could construct an exciting Facebook page by adding hundreds of people who they have met in passing? So what of those who don’t give their time to Facebook, are they simply out there leading too interesting lives to be able to share it? That’s what I hope and I would love in that position myself!

Having left school Facebook has been an amazing way of keeping in touch, but for those who end up posting links to people they know they will be seeing later that day or those who even take pictures of each other explicitly to put on Facebook, it can surely be seen as becoming a tool for showing off and ego boosting?

Given the choice of having the time to update my status and putting up pictures or being swept from one adventure to another, with no time to brag….I know which I would prefer. 

Time for Arsene to go?

I think Arsene Wenger has lost the plot and I’m devastated. Wenger has been such an incredible addition to the Premier League over the past 15 years but this gradual downturn in Arsenal’s fortunes seems to have reached rock bottom after the 8-2 drubbing at the hands of Man United.

Whether it was his rivalry with Sir Alex, his ridiculous pitch side antics or his ability to create beautiful football and a team of ‘Invincibles’ there are many reasons to place Arsene in the Pantheon of Premier League greats; but without silverware in the past 6 campaigns the evidence seems all too strong that he has finally lost his way.

An ethos of creating new talent into a beautiful team has not come to fruition, with every youngster that has progressed to stardom quickly sold at an exceptional price.  One must wonder what goes on behind the scenes, who is lining their pockets, where do the millions go? Are they truly still reeling from the decision to leave the magical Highbury for the soulless Emirates? This is surely the only diagnosis as a desperate lack of funds gained from the sale players is being pumped back into the squad.

After a disastrous opening to the season losing not only games but also their 2 talismans of Fabregas and Nasri they also seem to have lost their direction. The reason I say this is because their team still boasts great talents in the form RVP, Ramsey, Arshavin and Wilshere, but how many of these players now regularly perform to the levels we expect? RVP now stands invincible as the in form striker of the Premiership, everything he touches turns to gold…but without him, i fear it may be a different story?

Youth is not the answer – the time for this ethos, I feel, has run out – wholesale change is needed to win for the only other option it seems is to lose that Big Club status. Without that label they have no pulling power for big names and even less power in holding onto the youth they pour so much time, effort and funding into cultivating. The current Arsenal philosophy is seemingly that it’s not worth winning if you don’t win pretty, what a wonderful philosophy to have if you are winning, but that is no longer the case. In my opinion Arsenal need to start winning at any cost whether it be financial or philosophical and to me that cannot be achieved with Wenger still at the helm.

Look at Liverpool, European champions under Benitez, at the top of the game, yet following that they entered into a decline. The decision was taken to remove Benitez, and following an unfortunate hiccup with Roy Hodgson, stand with a ‘new’ manager in Daglish, significant investment in the squad and are now looking set to launch themselves back into the top 4 – and it seems all too obvious to suggest that it would be at the expense of Arsenal – unless they react.

Will Arsene ever live this down?