Chelsea In Need For Another Striker

For me Chelsea were a shoe in for winning the title this season but with Man City's never ending options of fire power and Liverpool's dangerous duo of Suarez and Sturridge the title could be at Ethiad or Anfield this season. Mourinho had targets in Cavini and Rooney last summer but with Cavani opted to join the new and exciting revolution at PSG and Rooney opting to stay at Old Trafford the special one didn't get targets he wanted.

Chelsea's striker problems could be sorted out if they bring back Roman Lukaku to the firing line with his explosive exploits at West Brom last season's and his 12 goals for Everton this season. Lukaku is capable of scoring goals and giving the leagues best defences a handful as the striker has pace, can hold up the ball and and can be clinical on his day something Chelsea have been missing since the Drogba days. But with a reported alleged bust up between Mourinho and Lukaku at the beginning of the season. I highly doubt will be seeing the towering Belgium at Stamford Bridge again. Once again if Mourinho decides to overlook the former Anderlecht man  his reputation as a coach for ruining yet another up and coming star will be enhanced with the special one.

Torres, Ba and Eto have scored 15 goals between them which is a poor return for the Chelsea forward line, Eto may have been scoring of late, but he's not the same Eto that was a thorn in the side for defences in Europe many seasons ago. Torres has not justified his 50 million pound price tag and as for Demba Ba he's clearly not in Mourinho's plans and could be a certain departure this summer. Mourinho has claimed that the blues will be looking for a world class striker this summer which I feel they will get if they look to seal the signing of long term target Diego Costa who has been getting rave reviews for his displays for Athletico Madrid. Chelsea are a strong team with a great defence and flowing midfield but if they don't sort out their striking problem they will not be force to be reckoned when they had likes of Didier Drogba.    

Au Revoir Wenger

Wenger says he might leave come the end of the season if Arsenal fail to win the F.A Cup. But the Frenchmen's reign ended mentally when he started to sell Arsenal's top players in Viera and Henry, failing to bring in trophy ware and experienced quality players that should've made Arsenal one of the top forces in world and club football. Not the joke team of English football on Twitter. (I must admit as an Arsenal fan those jokes are hilarious.)

I'm not one of those fans who have a short term memory like pioneer journalist Piers Morgan and forget what he's done for Arsenal and English football. But this is not the same Arsenal side that  beat the Inter's and Madrid's of this world in their own back yard, not the same Arsenal side that won the league unbeaten in 2004 and defiantly not the same Arsenal side that dominated English football in the early 2000's and late 90's. Wenger has brought in way too many average players like Sanagoo. I'm sorry you don't play a kid whose been injured for two years and play him against great defenders like Cahill and Terry and expect to win, and wonder why your team's lost 6-0. He's shown faith in players who are not even fit enough to touch my Bible let alone play in the Arsenal shirt. You ask Tony Adam's Lee Dixon and Patrick Viera what's it's like to play for Arsenal and the desire to win trophies at the North London club they will tell you. Wenger has brought the club up and run it down. He may have made the club financially stable, but at the end of the day football is about winning and winning trophies it's not about getting into Europe and having millions in club's account.

Wenger has punched above his weight in the last 9 years with average players who couldn't even last at Sunday league level, poor excuses and lack of passion. He may have won us trophies years back when I was kid and there were no smart phones but your past will always be as good as nothing if you have nothing to show for it in the present. I've been calling for his head for years and I defiantly for one won't be shedding tears for a "has been" but celebrating like it was New Years.   
   

Cambell Just A Bitter Sol

How do you describe Sol Campbell? Reliable, strong, great defender of this footballing era but bitter is not an attribute that you would associate with the former England defender. But his outbursts in his autobiography were of  a man who is still lingering and moving pathetic over a England captaincy he didn't/never deserved.

The former defender who holds 73 caps to his name who on his day was a exceptional defender when ever he played whether it be at Tottenham, Arsenal, Portsmouth and even England. Was never going to be a captain's choice when he was played for the 3 lions. So his conspiracy's about him not getting the captaincy over a long period of time because he "is black" is just ludicrous. Campbell is forgetting or even us are forgetting that he was playing in the era where there were great leaders in the England camp such as Alan Shearer, Tony Adams, David Beckham, John Terry and even Gary Neville. It had nothing to do with race. It was just that there were players who were more experienced and more suitable to the role than he was. Maybe he's still hurting that he never got it or he's just trying to sell some books either way this is not the same Sol Campbell I grew up idolizing as a kid, the same Campbell that made me want and love to play in the position of center back.   

I feel Campbell is just another black person that is playing the race card, which I feel black people have been doing that for years and will never stop doing in this society. He's forgetting that Paul Ince, Rio Ferdinand and himself on a few occasions were made captain so race was never an issue. I was reading his interview in The Independent last Wednesday there was two key points that the writer echoes and argues my case that he was bitter. A. Campbell wasn't bitter against his father who was never there for him and went out getting smashed in the pub on his birthdays but never resented him and B. Through out Campbell's career there always controversy including the time he let his Arsenal team mates down when he left in the middle of the West Ham game in Highbury in 2006. Tell me why should the FA appoint a player as captain if he's gonna walk out on his team at half time and his public life was out there? Cambell has opened a can of worms for no reason and should ask him self if he had the right mentality or persona to be England captain.   

Arsenal's FA Cup To Win Or Lose?

Wigan did Arsenal a big favor in beating super hot, Man City, now the Gunners have a big chance of winning silverware in over 9 years. Let's be honest if Arsenal were facing City's in Wembley there would be no chance in hell for Wengers men. But their out so now Arsenal need seize the moment and bring a trophy to the Emirates. As a Gooner I believe that this is our BEST chance of bringing a trophy to our dusty trophy cabinet as there's no more big teams in the competition. No disrespect to Hull, Sheffield United or even Arsenal's semi-final opponents Wigan, this is our trophy to claim as I and many can agree with me that, on Arsenal's day we would easily smash any of these 3 teams.

The Gunners have progressed well this season our form in the beginning of the season has been good after the Aston Villa defeat and the arrival of Ozil has galvanized the team and got the players focused & hungry something that we haven't seen from an Arsenal team in a long time. Not since the days of the Adam's, Viera and Henry era. This is our trophy to win as we can beat Wigan and beat Sheffield United/Hull in the final. This Arsenal side would be too strong for these teams and with Ramsey and Wilshire who should be back from injury by then we could see Arsenal's first piece of silverware since 2005.

Then again as I put in the headline questioning that it could be theirs to lose, there is doubt that's creeping in to my mind and many people's that Arsenal will not seize their chance and fall at the final hurdle just like they did against a relageted Birmingham in 2011 and many times in the past couple of seasons. Wigan may be in the Championship but their on a formidable run in FA Cup these past two seasons as they've beat City twice should give the Gunners some food for thought as their run in this competition is no fluke. So I doubt Uwe Rosler's men are comping to Wembley just to "enjoy the occasion" like many Championship teams do when they get to the semi's or a final of a cup competition. So the question in my mind is, can Arsenal be mentally prepared and win this season's FA Cup or will it be another golden opportunity that will pass them by like the 2011 Carling Cup final?    

Hodgson Headache

Hodgson's main worry will not be if he can bring the World Cup trophy to England after 47 years since their last World Cup triumph. But picking the final 23 that boards that plane to Brazil. Fans look optimistic and see it as a great blessing as England go in to summer tournament for maybe the first time since probably 2006 where theres a lot of options, but this blessing can turn into a curse if he chooses to leave out key experience players in this World Cup.

The biggest headache of  Hodgson is which left back will he take and who will he be calling to say they haven't made the last 23 come May. Rumor has it that Cole may get the chop, as the former Arsenal man who has been dropped to  the pecking orders at Stamford Bridge, with Mourinho no longer seeing him in his plans, will not go to Brazil as Hodgson's ready to make Lieghton Baines his first choice left back and the imposing Luke Shaw as back up, as the Southampton full back has been showing consistent displays in last two seasons. My take on this is that Luke Shaw is young his time will come sooner rather than later, and that Hodgson should take Cole. Cole has been one of a few England players who have shown constant consistent displays in a 3 lions shirt. His experience, athleticism and consistency can be key to the England squad this summer and Cole still has energy and passion as shown against Denmark the other night that he still plays with everything he's got and can still put in a shift.

Hodgson earlier said last week that he is looking to drop established, experienced players. Players such as Milner, Lampard, Cole, Defoe and Carrick are looking to receive the ax and make way for the next generation of the up and coming talent that has been coming through this season. Hodgson needs to choose wisely on who he's going to axe, I believe Lampard is 50/50 that he will be going to Brazil as he's not playing regularly for Chelsea and starting to become yesterday's man, and with Jordan Henderson and Adam Llanna who can play in his role and are in the forms of their lives can easily take his place. But then again like I said England are going to need all the Experience they can get as I said with Cole and Lampard is the guy who can rally the 3 lions and in the last 20 minutes of a game, Lampard can come of the bench and be an impact player. Carrick who's been poor along with his Manchester United midfield compatriots who have been dire this season. Will not go to Brazil whitch could spell the end of his England career. Jermain Defoe who has been a live wire when ever he's played for England has shot himself in the foot and thrown his international career out the window by going to play in a 3rd rate league such as the MLS, where it's no where near the quality level of elite club and international level. So Hodgson will be looking at other forwards. Milner another player whose  been reported to be sacrificed would be the surprise axe of this whole saga as Hodgson has rated the Manchester City utility player since he took over his reign (why he has I will never know) over two years ago could make way for emerging talents, such as Sterling or Barkley who are looking to be dangerous players who have been destroying defenses this season on their respective wings, and who have a goal threat in them unlike Milner. 

This interesting and pulsating episode will continue like an epic series of Dragon Ball Z till Hodgson makes his final decision in May when he will announce the final 23. People, pundits and analysis have constantly asked who are going to be future England stars? Well this season probably has answered most of their question with great and exciting talents such as Sterling, Henderson, Shaw, Rodriguez, Townsend and Sturridge which has given Hodgson the best headache that most ex England manger must be envying right now and wish they had in their time as England boss.