Who wants Ancelotti @ Arsenal now?

I'm going to stick my neck out when it comes to the Champions League. I reckon Arsenal have got more chance of eliminating AC Milan than Carlo Ancelotti has got of becoming Arsene Wenger's successor.

Of course, Ancelotti has been talked about as one of the few available bosses who would be capable of stepping into Wenger's shoes, should Le Boss ever part company with Arsenal. Seems unlikely, yes, but I've heard a surprising number of Arsenal fans say they would like Ancelotti at the helm.

I wonder how many will change their minds, if they read Ancelotti's damning verdict on Arsenal's chances of progression: 'I think Milan are superior to Arsenal. Massimiliano Allegri has great champions, and Arsenal don't have anyone like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, [Alexandre] Pato or Robinho.'

While it may be true that Arsenal lack players similar in attributes to the trio mentioned above, how can Ancelotti overlook Robin van Persie? The Dutchman is in the form of his life right now and seems the most likely match winner. If Robin's fit and firing, Arsenal will beat Milan, it's as simple as that.

It's all very well being an honest pundit, but when you start slagging off clubs that might employ you one day, you're making a monumental error. Ancelotti might be a good coach and a nice guy but he'll never get a job at Arsenal now.

Arsenal's scouting blind spot?

It's a bit disturbing that Arsene Wenger didn't realise Joe Hart was a Manchester City player, when the keeper was on loan at Birmingham in 2009-2010. I wasn't a huge fan of Hart, as I'd seen him make quite a few mistakes prior to Shay Given's arrival at City in January 2009. At the time, I wanted Arsenal to sign Given. If only, eh?

Back to Arsene though and his comment on the official website: “I remember when Hart played at Birmingham, I asked about him and they told me he is at Man City,” he said.

Makes you wonder if Wenger looks at other English clubs at all, when scouting. Everyone knew Hart was on loan at Brum and wasn't their player, how could Wenger not know?

Owlson Wenger!

You know I've never been a huge fan of the management team but I've never been one to call for their heads. But I have to say Rice gets up my nose...well last night anyway before recording the Gooner Podcast. Steve Ashford said 'don't you think Arsene Wenger is looking increasingly like an owl' and that was it! My Chinese takeaway got sucked up my nose and I was coughing spitting and sneezing sweet and sour all over the place! So yes, rice gets up my nose...I cheated earlier by capitalising it but call that poetic license if you like! I have a sneaking suspicion some rice is still lodged up there and dislodging it could prove to be as difficult as ousting the staple food's namesake. Pat is a legend but I still feel Arsene could do with some younger blood alongside him and a different voice. Someone not scared to speak his mind. You get the feeling everyone except Andrey Arshavin is frightened of Le Boss and look what's happened to him. He's a bit like Britain in EU now...a pariah in not-so-splendid isolation! Fortunately it's harder for him to do that to fans as we pay their wages, not the other way around! And meanwhile, steve is right about wenger. He looks more and more like professor snaffle from bagpuss each passing day but is he getting any wiser? Hmm

I have to add I'm not sure Steve comment is that funny to most people. But I'm surrounded by people speaking foreign languages at the Emirates. I suppose the people around you might always call the boss Owlson Wenger! So you might be used to that gag!

Now it reminds me of when I got a carrot stuck up my nose. Somebody cracked a joke while I was eating it and big chunk rocketed up my nasal tubes. I blew my nose violently and some came out. My nose still felt blocked but I soon forgot about it. The next afternoon I played football and challenged an opponent in the air. For once I actually headed the ball and next thing I knew something soft feel into my mouth from behind. I spat out a big chunk of carrot. So never forget heading can be healthy in certain circumstances.

No statues yet for this Arsenal team, but 1-0 still feels so good!

How fitting! 1-0 to the Arsenal on a day when the club was celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Like on most big occasions (i.e. cup finals and semi finals), those involved for Arsenal struggled to rise above the mediocre.

Even Robin van Persie proved to be fallible until the moment he lashed in Alex Song's high ball. It was a moment of supreme skill. It meant 3 points and a smile on Arsenal fans' faces.

It looked like it would be a day of frustration until then. The ref, Howard Webb, was as a welcome as a rattlesnake in a lucky dip according to one fan. He seemed determined to punish Arsenal for the innocuous as much as possible, judging by the early yellow card issued to Mikel Arteta. The official website called it 'cynical', so perhaps it was justified, although it didn't look it from the Clock End.

As well as having to contend with the refereeing decisions of an alleged Manchester United supporter, Everton were looking like a tough nut to crack. The Toffees pulled everyone back to thwart Arsenal's attacks. Theo Walcott and Gervinho were getting crowded out by 2 or more defenders doubling up or tripling up on them and if the Arsenal wingers could get a cross into the box, they'd be 7 Everton defenders waiting to clear. The only out and out attacker waiting for crosses was RVP. Sometimes Rambo plus either Alex Song or Arteta would also risk a nosebleed and make it into the box. In short, this Arsenal side didn't look destined to score.

But score they did thanks to van Persie's ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat. A bit like the tearful guy immortalised outside as a statue: Thierry Henry.

So now we're tipping Robin to be the next immortal at Arsenal and if he stays fit and at the club, then few will bet against it.

An honourable mention goes to Arteta, who played well against his old club. I've always thought as Everton as a good club to do business with as, although Francis Jeffers wasn't a success, Alan Ball certainly was! So I was casting a rueful eye around the Toffees team, hoping for more recruits from Merseyside.

Obviously we've been heavily linked with Phil Jagielka, and true to form he put in a more than decent shift against us. He was overshadowed, however, by his central defensive partner John Heitinga. It's a shame Arsene Wenger is saying he won't buy another centre back as the Holland international would be an excellent acquisition judging by this performance.

One fan joked that Arsenal should sign Everton striker Louis Saha to play in our back 4. He said Saha made us look safe in defence!

Marouane Fellaini is another Everton player I'd like us to sign. But he wouldn't be cheap. He cost £15m when he arrived at Goodison Park, so we'd be looking at least £20m now. 'Stop the Afro,' I kept saying to myself when the ball came near him. At one corner, Thomas Vermaelen marked him at the near post and on the next one it was Per Mertesacke nrar the outside of the box.

Arsenal's defence didn't look that organised. It seemed more haphazard than anything. Like Bank tube station according to some French tourists I happened to overhear. Hopefully Wenger will get our defence running better than the UK's railway services but there seems to be a long way to go with Johan Djourou and Vermaelen playing out of position and more prone to mistakes than usual. Still not a bad shift by the backline and a shut out as well, so handshakes all round! Pats on the back but no statues for the current first team just yet!

The good old ship Arsenal has got an Angha!

Martin Angha could be thrown into the spotlight against Everton, we hear, as a replacement for the injured Santos. Can't see it myself. Johan Djourou, Per Mertesacke, Koscielny, Thomas Vermaelen: that's my back-four.

The other strange thing is Angha is a right back or centre back. I remember he came on as a sub against Stevenage and everyone was saying how similar he looks to Marouane Chamakh. He only had about 15 minutes or so to show what he could do, so I couldn't really form a judgement on him.

But Arsene Wenger is not going to throw a 17-year-old into the fray unless he has no option. Angha wasn't even registered for the Champions League and it's a bit disturbing to hear the management forgot that and got as far as the airport for the Olypiacos away trip before realising their mistake. Are they going senile?

Good news @ Arsenal

There was 'good' news ahead of the Olympiacos (or is it Olympia-Kos) dead rubber...not that it did us any good...mmm...3-1 defeat!

The 'good' news is Rosicky is going nowhere. Rosicky 'is' at Arsenal says boss Arsene Wenger. But will Rosicky be at Arsenal come January? I'd say maybe not!

Meanwhile, could transfer-listed ex-Gooner Nicolas Anelka be back? Wenger gave that notion a bum steer, saying Nic's heading abroad. Can't see it myself. Think Nic would rather be paid in pounds than euros so don't be surprised if he arrives as a stop-gap subtitute for Robin van Persie.

Finally, make sure you arrive early on Saturday for the club's 125th anniversary. As Steve Stammers (my favourite ex-Evening Standard journalist) writes: 'raise a glass of mineral water to David Danskin', who helped set up Arsenal FC on 1st December 1886 at the Royal Oak pub, Woolwich. Cheers David! It would be good to see your namesake David Dein back at the club one day!

Arsenal put on a 5-star show at home & away simultaneously!

Before today's mauling of Wigan, I wrote the following:

'Why won't we underestimate Wigan? 1) we're poor away, generally 2) especially in the North West, Blackburn & Old Trafford come to mind, 3) we need to get back on track after dropping points v Fulham, and 4) no worrying team news: no surprise to hear Diaby is out, Sagna and CJ being out is also no problem as JD and Kos are doing good jobs filling in there. The 'sick' in the middle of Rosicky's name says it all. Not needed.
We should be too strong for Wigan especially as the team will be keen to bounce back after the Man City cup exit. It will be tight though. A win by a single-goal margin.

'Andrey Arshavin will be languishing on the bench again. His punishment will go on. He questioned the policy of Our Glorious Leader and now must pay with splinters in his meerkat arse.'

So there I was expecting to be on the edge of my seat while could comfortably keep both cheeks on the bench all game. How wrong could I be?

Yes, there was some nerve-wracking moments early on, but once Arteta's speculative effort and Vermaelen's header found the net it was curtains for Wigan. The customary van Persie and a rare Gervinho goal (what a confidence booster!) were the icing on the cake...and it gets icy up there!

That's why I watched the 'live' beam back at the Emirates. What a great atmosphere it was, seeing all the action on the big screen at the best stadium in the world. I even got to meet Gunnersaurus! Mate, it doesn't get much better than that!

Sagna did a Q and A with the fans and it went down a treat. Yeah, he arrived late, but he made up for it by treating the fans with the respect they deserve. Well done Bacari.

A great deal all round. I just wish the club could do this more often and I heard a lot of fans saying the same thing. For once there was nothing to complain about...except I thought Arshavin deserved more than 10 minutes. However, you mustn't grumble when you're winning, must you?

No signal, just racism

Not going to trust the ESPN signal anymore in the A&E, (not accident & emergency, no no, that could have come later). It was the Adam & Eve pub, 77a Wells St, Fitzrovia, near Oxford Street. It might be a lucky place for me to watch Arsenal but finding out at 5.15pm that they couldn't get a signal was unlucky. Luckily I thought of a pub near Shaftesbury Avenue called The Golden Lion, 51 Dean St, soho and headed there. Yes, they had the big game on, not the West Ham one they were showing at the Adam. So that was the good news.

The bad news was there was a loud obnoxious 'tough' drunk shouting his mouth like a Martin Johnson-look-a-like with Tourettes syndrome. 'Slob' he kept shouting. You should I was thinking!

He was cheering on Fulham and then was singing 'Spurs are on their way to...' Guess what? It wasn't Wembley. It was an anti-Semitic song. So there you have it. Racism is alive and well in football. And like the pub landlord may have thought, the football authorities may struggle to stamp it out.

If only something or someone could have stamped this guy out as when I went to the toilet he stared aimlessly ahead and shouted 'pussy'. I felt his alcohol-fuelled breath on my cheek, although he was at least a yard away. Before that one of his two sidekicks has said 'Sasha Bob' very loudly in my direction as I walked past.

Now a couple of minutes later as I returned from the toilet, Mr Tourettes shouted the same name as I walked past although he didn't look at me. 'Sasha Bob' is that me?' I asked. He didnt reply. He stared ahead presumably at the TV screen he was shouting at. Maybe Sasha Bob is Bobby Zamora. Maybe 'pussy' was directed at one of the players.

With the score at 0-0 still I elected to leave. Not point chancing to luck in a pub with 3 bullies who would have to pass me on the way out as I was seated by the exit. I just had visions of another verbal exchange leading to something more and decided it wasn't worth the risk. I'd catch up on the game on Arsenal Player. You lose the 'live' buzz that way, but if this is buzzing I don't want any of it.

Because of the bullies I missed two Vermaelen goals, one at the wrong end, but not a classic game, luckily. The motto is no more watching games in pubs!

Gary Speed RIP - Man City game in perspective

Can't think of another headline for the Man City game. Well, I can. But none are appropriate, bearing in mind the shocking passing of a very popular ex-player.

The players wore armbands. Black. The sporting world remained shocked after the news at the weekend. Gary Speed RIP. A man with seemingly so much going for him takes his own life. Although he didn't play for my team, he was much-admired for the way he conducted himself on and off the field. A sad loss to the game.

The result that followed was significantly less shocking. I predicted Arsenal would lose but in truth, I thought the better side lost. City had more possession for much of the game, but Arsenal had Oxlade-Chamberlain. Old Oxo is not afraid to try his luck from range and one left foot effort seemed bound for the top corner until the keeper somehow palmed it away.
Overall, a very impressive performance from the lads. Even Fabianski flapped less than usual and perhaps had only one obvious panic attack during the game, so that was impressive by his standards.

Miquel continues to look classy, despite playing out of position at left back, while Coquelin and Frimpong look like enforcers of the future. Oxo wins all the plaudits, of course for he has the 'Oh X' factor.

Not sure why Benayoun gets in the team ahead of Arshavin though. Benny's a good squad player but not better than AA. Maybe Arsene Wenger should simply drive Arshavin to Heathrow and book him in a hotel, as this insistence on benching him or withdrawing him from games early can only result in his departure.