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Hello,
This is the first time I have played as Arsenal, usually I am Aston Villa or I go for a lower league team. But I have decided to try and win the premiership with a big team, and I didn't want to be man utd or liverpool and with the spending power of chelsea they seemed to easy. Regular updates to follow. Here's how the pre-season got on
Pre-Season:
All managers know that the pre-season is an important time of the year. It's where you play around with tactics, it's where you see who's got the quaility to be in the first team. It's a chance to get a few new faces into the squad and it's a time to give yourself and your players a huge morale booster by winning a few games. All pre-season matches were away ones and there was also a tour of China. Here's the results and the scorers. Names inside [ ] is the scorer(s) for opponent
Leverkusen 0 - 4 Arsenal : Eboue, Henry (2), Baptisa
Queens Park 0 - 11 Arsenal : Ljunberg (2), Henry (3), Baptista, Walcott (3), Rosicky, Adebayor
St.Mirren 1 - 5 Arsenal : [Carson], Silva, Henry (4) (Baptista Sent off)
Dunfermline Ath 0 - 4 Arsenal : Henry (2), Baptista, Fonte
Henry injured in match two weeks out of action
Sochaux 1 - 3 Arsenal : [De Souza], Van Persie (2), Rosicky
Tour of China:
Beijing 1 - 2 Arsenal : [Yongzhi], Toure, Baptista
Hleb injured - out for a week
Guandong Pro 0 - 3 Arsenal : Hoyte, Rosicky, Van der Berg
Henry and Hleb back from injury both return to sub bench
Tiajin 1 - 7 Arsenal : [Wei], Silva (2), Van Persie (2), Baptista, Henry, Gallas
Dalian 1 - 3 Arsenal : [Yongyi] Persie, Baptista, Hoyte
Eboue injured for two weeks
Loans Out-
All the players below I have no plans for and it's best if they gain some expierence elsewhere as well as decrease my wage bill
Flamini - Chievo
Mannone - Brentford
Garry - Yeovil
Aliadiere - Nantes
O Cearuill - Lierse
Alexandre Song - Lierse
Transfers In-
Julio Baptista - 13m Real Madrid (I wanted to make him a full-time Arsenal player after his great performances)
Notes on Pre-season:
9 wins out of 9 friendlies and with plenty of goals too shows the team has promise. A lot of players have showed promise, Rui Fonte who is only 15 and Vincent Van De Berg who is 17 will be defiantly groomed into future players if possible. Picking a starting 11 will be hard especially in the midfield
Arsenal are given title odds of 16-1. Chelsea and Man Utd joint faves at 6-4
Inter and Madrid chasing Hleb, I have declined offers for 10m and 12m he is important part of my team
Aresenal draw Djurgardens in Euro Champs Cup Third Qualifying Phase
My desired starting 11 for season, this is based on who did well in pre-season
4-4-2 :
GK - Lehmann,
DR - Eboue, DC - Hoyte, DC - Toure, DL - Gallas
MR - Hleb, MC - Silva, MC - Fabregas, ML - Ljunberg
FC - Henry, FC - Baptista
The substitues will variey from match to match to give all players a chance but Walcott, Rosicky, Van Persie, Rui Fonte and Van De Berg will feature throughout the season. Gallas and Clichy are injured but upon return I'll keep an eye on the reserves to see if they can force their way into the team
That's the end of the pre-season. Next match is quailfer for champions cup and the start of the proper season
In my opinion you concentrate too much on pre season, i dont even play my friendlys and if i do catch a score you can guarantee you generally won against mediocre opposition 4 or 5-0 good luck with Baptista i think signing him after a good pre season was brave but have a good one mate.
3rd Rnd Qual Euro Champs Cup First Leg -
Djurgarden 0 - 4 Arsenal : Baptista (2), Henry (2)
A great away win all but guarantees us a place in the next round. Hleb injured for two weeks in match
League:
Watford 0 - 2 Arsenal : Van Persie, Rosicky (pen)
Baptista is suspended, Hleb and Walcott with minor injuries miss out in a poor match that Aresnal managed to win. 13 mins into the second half and Van Persie opens the scoring and a Rosicky penalty 11 minutes from time seals the win
3rd Rnd Qual Euro Champs Cup Second Leg -
Arsenal 2 - 0 Djurgarden : Ljunberg, Henry
Baptista returns to starting lineup but is injured so Van Persie replaces him during the match, both Hleb (starts) and Walcott (sub) return from injury to be part of the squad. Ljunberg scores 74 minutes into the match to open the scoring and 7 minutes from time Henry wraps up the match. Arsenal progress 6-0 over the two legs.
Baptista will be out for 4 weeks due to the injury in the match
League:
Liverpool 1 - 0 Arsenal : [Hyypia]
Hyypia scores the only goal of the match8 minutes in to give Liverpool the win, Fabregas injured just before half time, Rosicky on to replace him. Hleb is given his marching orders 14 minutes from the end of the match
Fabregas will be out of action for two weeks. There was the option of treating the injury with injections but it was left instead to the physio
League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Charlton : Van Persie
Fabregas and Baptista out through injury, Hleb is suspended. A Van Persie (49 mins) goal seals the win for Arsenal who dominated throughout
Transfers In:
Rui Fonte - 170k Sporting CP (The 15 year old is signed with the hope he will be at the club for years and become a household name)
August Notes:
Arsenal draw PSV, Sporting CP and Osasuna in the Champions Cup Group stage
Arsenal are 7th in the league at the end of the month after two wins from three
Chelsea win the community shield with a 2-0 win over Liverpool. Goals from new signing Adriano (£31.5m) and Lampard secure the win
September 2006:
League:
Arsenal 3 - 0 Wigan : Henry, Van Persie, Walcott
Henry on 5 mins and Van Persie on 42 mins give Arsenal a 2-0 lead at half time. The second half is quite but substitute Walcott scores late into injury time to seal the victory
ECC Group Stage Matchday One:
Arsenal 3 - 0 Osasuna : Henry (3)
Adebayor and Lauren who's returning from injury are called up from the reserves for this match. A Henry (66,70,71) hat-trick in 5 minutes gives Arsenal the win
League:
Arsenal 3 - 1 Blackburn : Ljunberg, Silva, Lauren (Pen) , [Pedersen]
Baptista returns from injury to take his place on the sub bench. Lauren starts at right back. A ljunberg goal on 21 mins gives Arsenal a 1-0 lead at half time. Pedersen levels the match on 68 mins. Silva makes it 2-1 on 76 mins with a 25 yard strike and a Lauren penalty (86 mins) wraps up the match for Arsenal
League:
Man City 2 - 0 Arsenal :[Corradi, Hoyte OG]
A Corradi goal 11 mins and a Hoyte own goal 79 mins means Arsenal stumble to a 2-0 defeat in a match they should have won
ECC Group Stage Matchday Two:
PSV 0 - 2 Arsenal : Henry, Baptista
Baptista gets his first start in a while he replaces Van Persie in the starting lineup. Henry (33 mins) opens the scoring and Arsenal lead 1-0 at half time. Baptista scores 16 minutes from time to make it 2-0 to Arsenal to make it two wins out of two in Group F of the EEC
League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Fulham : Walcott
The match looks to be heading for a draw when substitute Walcott scores 12 minutes from time to win the match
Fabregas is injured in the match and will be out for two weeks, Lauren also injured during match he too will be out for two weeks
September Notes:
Barcelona, Milan and Real Madrid are given odds of 15-2 to win the European Champions Cup. Meanwhile Arsenal are given odds of 14-1
Arsenal will travel to the riverside stadium to take on Middlesbrough in the League Cup 3rd round in October
Van Den Berg continues to impress for the reserves and the u-18's a call up might come soon
I win the manager of the month for September
October 2006:
League:
Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Arsenal : [Yakuba, Downing] , Henry (Ljunberg sent off)
Fabregas and Lauren both back from injury for this match. A Yakuba goal early on (2 mins) opens the scoring. Henry (28 mins) levels the score and it's 1-1 at half time. Ljunberg is sent off (68 mins) for a bad tackle and Downing wins the match for Boro on 74 mins
ECC Group Stage Matchday Three:
Arsenal 2 - 2 Sporting CP : Silva, Van Persie [Eduardo, Djalo]
Baptista is suspended for the match, Fonte, Van Den Berg and Adenbayor called up to the first team for this match. The match is 0-0 at half time with Arsenal dominating the first 45 minutes. Eduardo (56 mins) gives Sporting a shock lead but goals from Silva (78) and Van Persie (88) put Arsenal in front but a late goal from Djalo (90 mins) earns Sporting a point
Henry and Silva reach yellow card limit
League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Aston Villa : Van Persie
Ljunberg is suspended for this match. A Van Persie goal (63 mins) is the only goal that separates the teams in a somewhat dull encounter
League Cup 3rd Round:
Middlesbrough 2 - 3 Arsenal : [Euell, Yakubu] Baptista (2), Walcott
Arsenal field a weakened team to give some youngsters and reserve plays a chance, Fonte, Walcott, Van Den Berg, Denilson all start. Baptista who has been on the bench recently due to Van Persie helps his chances of a return to the starting 11 with two goals (21 and 49 mins) Euell (36 mins) scores in between to make the match 1-1 at half time. Walcott scores on 54 mins to make it 3-1 and a Yakubu goal (66 mins) makes for an interesting second half, but Arsenal withstand the pressure to advance
League:
West Ham 1 - 0 Arsenal : [Reo Coker]
A Reo-Coker goal on 69 mins is the only game in a match that Arsenal never really got into. It’s matches like this that the team really need to be winning
October Notes:
Some young players like Walcott are showing promise with a good month in October
Van Persie has battled his way into the starting 11 leaving Baptista on the bench
Arsenal have drawn an away match against Sheffield Utd in the 4th Round of the league cup
Arsenal are 4th in the league at the end of October, 3 points off the leaders Chelsea
ECC Group Stage Matchday Four:
Sporting CP 0 - 2 Arsenal : Fabregas, Adenbayor
Henry and Silva miss out through suspension. Fabregas scores a header (45 mins) and Arsenal lead 1-0 at half time. Sporting push for an equaliser in the second half but substitute Adenbayor who was only on the pitch 5 minutes seals the win with a header (77 mins) to leave Arsenal in a great position in Group F
Ljunberg reaches yellow card limit in match
Toure is injured for two months in the match
League:
Arsenal 0 - 1 Portsmouth : [Andy Cole] (Senderos and Fabregas sent off)
An Andy Cole penalty on 12 mins gives Portsmouth a shock win. Senderos and Fabregas both got sent off during the match and were later fined 1 weeks wages each.
Rui Fonte suffers an injury in training and he will be out of action for two months. A shame for him as he was set to play in the upcoming league cup match, also out of the upcoming league cup match is Vincent Van Den Berg, he'll be out for four weeks
Nacer Barazite has earned himself a call up from the U-18's for the match. He's scoring and performing well for the Arsenal Youths
League Cup 4th Round:
Sheff Utd 0 - 2 Arsenal (AET) : Baptista, Silva
The reserves and a few youngsters get their chance to shine. Arsenal dominate but the match is 0-0 at half time. At the end of 90 minutes it's still 0-0 and the match goes into extra time. The match looks like it's heading to penalties but two substitutes brought on at half time in extra time wrap up the win for Arsenal. Goals from Baptista (115 mins) and Silva (118 mins)
Adebayor is injured in training and will miss three weeks of action and Senderos is banned for five matches following his red card against Portsmouth. Eboue is injured for a week following a bad fall in training, Hleb is injured representing his country and will be out for 5 days, Henry also injured during an international match and he will miss 6 days
League:
Arsenal 4 - 1 Bolton : Baptista (3) Van Persie, [Anelka]
Toure, Djourou, Henry and Adebayor missing due to injuries, Senderos and Fabregas suspended. Diaby is called up from the reserves to take his place on the bench. Nacer Barazite and Rhys Murphy are called up from the U18's to take their place on the bench due to injuries and suspenion. A weakened Arsenal side win easily. Baptista opens the scoring 4 minutes in but Anelka levels the score on 10 minutes. Baptista gets his and Arsenal's second on 41 mins and Arsenal lead 2-1 at the break. On 52 mins Baptista gets his hat trick and Van Persie finishes off the scoring on 67 mins
EEC Group Stage Matchday Five:
Osasuna 1 - 1 Arsenal : [Delporte] , Lauren
Henry is back from injury but isn't match fit so he takes his place on the bench. Fabregas is available an put straight back into midfield, Senderos is on the bench. Ljunberg is suspended for the match. A Lauren penalty on 19 mins gives Arsenal the lead, Delporte levels the match for Osasuna on 39 mins. 1-1 at half time. Hleb has picked up a knock so Walcott comes on for the second half. The second half is all Arsenal but they can't find the winning goal, the match stays at 1-1 and Arsenal have qualified for the next round on top of the group with one game left.
Henry is injured after coming on as a sub and he will be out for a week. Giving Baptista and Van Persie a chance to shine
Adebayor has returned from his injury
League:
Tottenham 1 - 1 Arsenal : [Defoe], Van Persie
Senderos still has 4 matches of his suspension left so he misses out as does Henry due to injury. Van Persie gives Arsenal a 1-0 lead on 41 mins and Arsenal lead at half time. Defoe levels the match for Tottenham on 65 mins, Arsenal pile on the pressue especially in the last 15 minutes but the match finished 1-1
League:
Arsenal 3 - 3 Man Utd : Eboue, Baptista, Van Persie , [Scholes (2), Carrick]
Henry is back from injury and takes his place on the subs bench, Senderos is still unavailable. Scholes gives Man Utd the lead on 15 mins with a great strike, Eboue levels things on 36 mins with a rare goal for Arsenal, Baptista (38 mins) gives Arsenal the lead two minutes later and the score remains 2-1 at half time. Van Persie gives Arsenal a 3-1 lead on 56 minutes but Scholes pulls one back for Man Utd on 59 minutes and then a Carrick free kick on 73 minutes draws the teams level. The match is hard fought for the last few minutes but it ends a draw
November Notes:
Arsenal will travel to West Ham for the quater final of the League Cup in December
Van Persie and Baptista are both doing well, choosing Henry's strike partner for each match is difficult. Both could be the starting strikers depending on how things turn out
Arsenal are 7th in the league at the end of the month, 9 points behind the leaders Chelsea who are their next opponents
December 2006:
League:
Chelsea 4 - 2 Arsenal : [Lampard (2), Shevchenko, Cole] , Henry, Fabregas
In a match that Arsenal must win, Van Persie and Baptista are the starting stikers even though Henry is available. The match starts off horribly for Arsenal with Lampard opening the scoring on 6 minutes, he scores a second on 29 mins. With the score 2-0 things look bad for Arsenal. Henry is brought on for Van Persie to see if he can change thing around. Henry repays the favour with a goal on 52 mins and a great comeback looks on when Fabregas levels the match on 69 minutes. But just when you thought Arsenal had did enough for a draw goals from Shevchenko 77 and Ashley Cole 85 seal the win for Chelsea. Arsenal are now 13 points behind the league leaders
EEC Group Stage Matchday Six:
Arsenal 3 - 2 PSV : Salcido (OG), Adebayor, Walcott, [Kone (2)]
With Arsenal already qualified for the next round opportunites are handed out to a few younger players as well as reserve team players. Walcott and Adenbayor are up front, while in the midfield Diaby, Denilson, Van Den Berg are called up and Mitchell Murphy a U18's player makes his debut on the wing. A Salcido own goal on 12 minutes gives Arsenal the lead. Adebayor makes it 2-0 on 15 minutes with a great shot. Arsenal go into the half time break 3-0 up thanks to a Walcott goal on 26 minutes. The second half is a quieter affair but Kone gets a goal back for PSV on 71 minutes and in the dying seconds he gets a second goal. Overall a great performance from the less used players
Arsenal top Group F with 14 points, following 4 wins and two draws. Sporting CP also qualify from the group on 11 points
League:
Arsenal 3 - 0 Reading : Fabregas, Silva, Henry
Henry joins Baptista up front, Van Persie is on the bench. Baptista is sent off 6 minutes into the match following a bad tackle. Fabregas gives Arsenal the lead on 34 mins and Arsenal lead 1-0 at half time. Silva gives Arsenal a 2-0 lead on 54 minutes and Henry finishes off Reading with a goal on 81 minutes
League:
Everton 1 - 1 Arsenal : [Van Der Meyde], Henry
Arsenal dominated the first half and they went into the break 1-0 up thanks to a Henry goal on 34 minutes. The second half was all Arsenal again and they had a few chances to finish the game off but Van Der Meyde scored (75 mins) to draw the match level and despite a few near misses Arsenal could only come away with a point from a match they should have won by three or four goals
League:
Newcastle 0 - 2 Arsenal : Van Persie, Henry
Baptista is suspended for this match. Van Persie opens the scoring for Arsenal on 16 mins and in what is a close first half Arsenal manage to make it to the break with the 1-0 lead intact. Henry makes it 2-0 to Arsenal with a great strike on 49 mins. The rest of the match is dominated by Arsenal but they can't score again
Van Persie is injured in the match and he will be out of action for 4 weeks
League Cup Quater Final:
West Ham 0 - 1 Arsenal : [George McCartney Sent Off] , Walcott (Rosicky sent off)
Arsenals second string have done well to get this far. Rosicky who is getting a rare start gets sent off 11 minutes into the match. Walcott gives Arsenal the lead on 36 mins and the score is 1-0 to Arsenal at half time. The second half sees West Ham throwing everything they got at Arsenal but Lehmann manages to stop everything that comes his way. George McCartney is sent off for West Ham in the 79 minute and Arsenal hold out for the win and progress to the semi finals
League:
Arsenal 2 - 1 Sheff Utd : Henry (2), [Akinbiyi]
Rosicky is suspended for this match and Van Persie is out injured. Henry scores a great goal on 14 mins to give Arsenal a 1-0 lead. Henry scores his second of the game on 34 mins. Henry's double sees Arsenal lead 2-0 at half time. Akinbiy gets one back for Sheff Utd on 72 minutes. Arsenal press for a third goal but it doesn't come and the match ends 2-1
Halfway through the season and Arsenal are in 4th place, behind league leaders Chelsea by 13 points
League:
Arsenal 3 - 1 Watford : Fabregas, Henry, Baptista, [Young]
Rosicky is back from suspension and takes his place on the Arsenal bench. Fabregas opens the scoring on 13 mins to give Arsenal the lead, Silva makes it 2-0 on 23 minutes. Ashley Young pulls one back for Watford on 36 mins. The match is 2-1 to Arsenal at half time. Baptista (47 mins) scores early in the second half to give Arsenal a two goal cushion. The match ends 3-1 with Arsenal deservingly winning the match
Fabregas reaches his yellow card limit and will miss one match
Loans Out:
Armand Traore - Luton
Matthew Connolly - Gillingham
Transfers Out:
Justin Hoyte 1.7m - Celtic (goes through on the 1st Jan)
December Notes:
Arsenal will play Notts Forest in the FA Cup 3rd Round in Janruary
Arsenal will play Chievo in the ECC first knockout round in February
Arsenal will play Newcastle in the Semi Finals of the League Cup in January
Arsenal are 3rd in the league at the end of December and still trailing Chelsea by 13 points
January 2007:
League:
Arsenal 1 - 0 Liverpool : Adenbayor, (Baptista sent off)
Rosicky and Fabregas are suspended for the match. Arsenal are third in the league while Pool are second. Baptista is sent off in the 22nd minute of the match. Liverpool dominate the first half but the sides are level at half time. Henry has picked up a knock so Adenbayor is brought on at half time. Liverpool and Arsenal both go close on numerous occasions in the second half but a goal by substitute Adenbayor (82 mins) earns Arsenal a hard earned three points
Walcott picks up an injury in the match and will be out for three weeks, Gallas reaches his yellow card limit and will miss the next match
FA Cup 3rd Round:
Arsenal 6 - 0 Nottingham Forest : Hleb, Henry (2), Silva, Senderos, Adenbayor
Baptista, Rosicky and Gallas are suspended for the match and Walcott misses out due to injury. Diaby is called up from the reserves and Van Den Berg is called up from the U18's for the match, both are on the sub bench. Forest play well in the first 30 minutes of the first half but Hleb scores for Arsenal in the 37 minute to give them a 1-0 lead, Henry adds a goal on the 40th minute and Silva gets one in the 43rd minute. Henry gets his second on the stroke of half time. 4-0 to Arsenal at half time. Senderos makes it 5-0 in the 60th minute and Adenbayor finishes off the scoring in the 67 minute. Arsenal dominated the match and deserved their 6-0 win
Arsenal have a home tie against Derby County in the 4th Round of the FA Cup
League Cup Semi Finals Leg One:
Arsenal 6 - 5 Newcastle: Bramble OG, Eboue, Van Persie (2), Silva, Adenbayor, [Duff, Emre, Martins (2), Simons]
Baptista is suspended and Walcott is injured. Duff opens the scoring on 9 mins, Emre makes it 2-0 to Newcaslte on 16 mins and Martins makes it 3-0 on 19 minutes. The weakened Arsenal team are fading fast. A Bramble own goal on 31 minutes gives Arsenal some hope, Eboue makes it 3-2 on 43 mins but a Martins goal just before the whistle gives Newcastle a 4-2 lead at half time. What a first half. After questioning the team's passion at half time, Van Persie scores quick double with goals on 46 mins and 48 mins to make it 4-4. Silva with a great chip gives Arsenal the lead, it's 5-4 but a Simons pen on 73mins levels the scores it's 5-5. But Arsenal will take a one goal advantage into the second leg thanks to substitute Adenbayor scoring on 76 mins. What a game, Arsenal come from 3-0 in the first 18 minutes to win 6-5
Van Persie who has become unhappy at the club has asked for a transfer request, the request has been rejected. I'll sell him in the summer if he still wants to leave
League:
Wigan 2 - 2 Arsenal: (Ljunberg, Gallas), [Heskey, McCulloch]
Ljunberg (3 mins) scores early on to give Arsenal the lead, Heskey scores on 19 mins to level the match. McCulloch gives Wigan the lead on 37 mins and it stays that way till half time. Gallas scores on 53 mins to make it 2-2 and the match stays that way till the end
Henry is injured during the match and will be out for a week. Van Persie is absent from training ahead of the Charlton match, he has been warned
League:
Charlton 3 - 5 Arsenal : [Hasselbaink(3)], Baptista, Fabregas, Ljunberg, Henry(2)
Hasselbaink scores a free kick 2 mins into the match to give Charlton the lead, he scores a second on 20 mins to shock the Arsenal fans, his hat trick is complete on 29 mins. Arsenal have their work cut out for them now, A Baptista goal on 31 mins gives the team a boost and Fabregas scores on 41 mins to make it 3-2 at half time. Ljunberg scores on 60 minutes and his 50th goal ever for Arsenal makes it 3-3. Henry who is just back from injury is brought on as a sub in the 71st minute and he repays the favour by scoring on 85 mins and 90 mins to seal the win for Arsenal. What a comeback
Eboue and Silva both reach 5 yellow cards and will miss the next match
League:
Blackburn 2 - 1 Arsenal : [Pedersen, Savage], Baptista
Eboue and Silva both miss the match through suspension. Pedersen scores on 8 mins to give Blackburn a 1-0 lead. Baptista levels the scores on 26 mins. Robbie Savage restores Blackburn's lead with a penalty on 42 mins. 2-1 to Blackburn at half time. Despite plenty of shots in the second half, Arsenal can't find the net and the match ends 2-1 to Blackburn
League Cup Semi Finals Leg Two:
Newcastle 3 - 1 Arsenal: [Martins (2), Duff], Adebayor
Following a goal fest in the first leg, Arsenal lead the match 6-5 on aggregate. The Arsenal 'B' team as I have dubbed them have it all to play for. Martins scores on 14 mins to draw the teams level on agrregate and put Newcastle 1-0 up in the match. Adenbayor makes it 1-1 21 mins with a great shot. Duff makes it 2-1 to Newcastle on 31 mins with a great freak kick. Martins scores in the 60 minute to make it 3-1 to Newcastle and to make things worse for Arsenal, Senderos is sent off on 70 mins. The match ends 3-1 and Newcastle advance 8-7 over the two legs
FA Cup 4th Round:
Arsenal 2 - 1 Derby : Henry (2), [Malcolm]
Arsenal dominated the first half and after being brought down in the area, Henry steps up in the 41st minute and slots home a penalty. 1-0 to Arsenal at half time, the second half starts off great for Arsenal with Henry getting his second in the 46th minute. Derby pull one back from the penalty spot when Bob Malcolm scores in the 64th minute. The rest of the match Arsenal dominate and the match ends 2-1. Arsenal advance to face Man Utd in the next round
Loans Out:
Anthony Stokes - Bradford
Ryan Garry - Southend
Phillipe Senderos - Hamburg SV
January Notes:
Arsenal will face Man Utd in the FA Cup 5th round
Arsenal are 4th in the league at the end of Jan, 12 points off the leaders Chelsea
Matt Poom will go to Boavista in the summer on a free when his contract runs out
League:
Fulham 0 - 2 Arsenal : Baptista, Fabregas
Fulham go close to scoring on a few occasions but Baptista gets a goal for Arsenal on 33 mins to make it 1-0 and it stays that way until half time. Fulham press for an equaliser in the second half but Lehmann comes to the rescue on numerous occasions, Queudrue is sent off for Fulham in the 88th minute and a fabulous strike from Fabregas (90 mins) seals the win for Arsenal
Ljunberg is injured during the match and he will miss 3 months of action. It's a huge blow for Arsenal but Rosicky should fit well into the left side of midfield
League:
Arsenal 2 - 0 Middlesbrough : Fabregas, Gallas
Fabregas scores with a header on 10 mins to give Arsenal the lead, Gallas extends the lead on 35 mins and it's 2-0 to Arsenal at half time. The second half is a quiet one but Henry does go close on a few occasions. The match ends 2-0, another fine win for Arsenal
Hleb is injured during the match and he will be out for two weeks
FA Cup 5th Round:
Arsenal 2 - 2 Man Utd : Van Persie, Henry, [Rooney (2)] (Walcott sent off)
A tough match for Arsenal, they'll need to perform well if they want to advance in the cup. The match in the first half is end to end and Rooney hits Arsenal on the counter attack and in the 40th minute he makes it 1-0 to Man Utd. 1-0 to Man Utd at half time. Walcott is sent off in the 49th minute for headbutting Ryan Giggs. Substitue Van Persie levels the scores in the 79th minute but Rooney scores again following a quick counter on 85 mins and it looks like he's done enough for Man Utd to progress but a great free kick from Henry (86 mins) makes it 2-2 and the match ends that way. A replay is now needed
Van Persie reaches 5 yellow cards and he will miss the next domestic game
ECC Cup 1st Knockout Rnd Leg 1:
Chievo 0 - 2 Arsenal : Fabregas, Baptista
Fabregas opens the scoring on 15 mins with a great shot from outside the box, Baptista on 28 mins makes it 2-0 Arsenal. The second half is not as hectic as the first with youngsters Van Den Berg, Barazite and Fonte all getting a run out. The match ends 2-0 a good lead for Arsenal heading into the second leg
Fabregas reaches yellow card limit in match and Henry is injured and will be out for a week
Following his headbutting incident, Walcott will miss 5 matches through suspension
League:
Aston Villa 1 - 0 Arsenal : [Moore] (Baptista sent off)
Van Persie and Walcott are suspended. Henry and Ljunberg are out through injury. The first half is quiet with Villa going close on a few occasions, Baptista is giving his marching orders 41 minutes into the match. 0-0 at half time. Villa dominate the second half and a Luke Moore goal on 81 mins wins the match for Aston Villa
FA Cup 5th Round Replay:
Man Utd 4 - 1 Arsenal : [Ronaldo, Saha, Scholes, Giggs], Van Persie
A horrible start for Arsenal sees them 2-0 down in the opening 11 minutes, goals from Ronaldo (5 mins) and Saha (11 mins) gives Man Utd the lead. Man Utd look to be heading into the half time break two goals ahead but Van Persie scores on 45 mins to make it 2-1 at half time. Scholes (45 mins) makes it 3-1 after the break and Baptista is sent off for the second match in a row on 59 minutes. Giggs makes it 4-1 to Man Utd on 75 mins
February Notes:
Newcastle win the League Cup
Arsenal end February 4th in the league 15 points behind Chelsea
March 2007:
League:
Arsenal 3 - 1 West Ham : Henry, Van Persie, Fonte, [Clichy OG]
Henry makes it 1-0 to Arsenal on 30 mins and Arsenal deservedly lead 1-0 at half time. The second half is all Arsenal and Van Persie makes it 2-0 on 68 mins. 16 year old Rui Fonte who came on as a sub gets his first senior goal on 74 minutes. West Ham get one goal back when Clichy accidentally puts it through his own net on 87 minutes. But Arsenal hold on and win 3-1
Baptista is given 5 match domestic ban following his sending off in the FA Cup
ECC Cup 1st Knockout Rnd Leg 2:
Arsenal 0 - 0 Chievo :
Arsenal dominate in the first half but can't find the net and it's 0-0 at half time. The second half is a dull affair with Henry going close on one occasion but he's denied by the post. The match ends 0-0 but Arsenal progress 2-0 over the two legs
Silva is injured in the match and he will be out for two months
League:
Arsenal 1 - 1 Man City : Fabregas, [Tsiaklis]
Arsenal dominate the first half but Man City going into the break 1-0 up thanks to a goal from debutant Angelos Tsiaklis on 45 mins. Arsenal pile on the pressure in the second half but can only manage a draw thanks to a goal from Fabregas on 85 minutes.
Gallas is injured in the match and will be out for a week, Toure is also injured in the match and will be out for two months
League:
Portsmouth 3 - 3 Arsenal : [Lua Lua, Benjani (2)], Henry (2), Eboue
Lua Lua opens the scoring on 6 mins to give Portsmouth a 1-0 lead. Henry makes it 1-1 with a great strike on 12 minutes. It stays 1-1 until half time. Henry makes it 2-1 to Arsenal on 63 mins, Lauren is sent off for his second yellow card of the match on 64 mins. Benjani levels the scores on the 78th minute, Eboue makes it 3-2 on the 87th minute but Benjani strikes gain on 90 mins to make it 3-3 at full time
League:
Arsenal 2 - 0 Everton : Henry (2)
Due to injuries and suspensions U18's star Rene Steer and reserve player Matthew Connolly are given their debuts in the senior team. A Henry goal on 40 mins gives Arsenal the 1-0 lead going into the half time break. A Henry free kick on 71 mins gives Arsenal a 2-0 lead and Arsenal hold out to win the match.
March Notes:
Arsenal will play Barcelona in the quater final of the ECC Cup
Arsenal are 4th in the league at the end of march, 14 points behind Chelsea
April 2007:
Silva returns from injury, it's a welcome sight no doubt
ECC Quater Final Leg One:
Barcelona 0 - 2 Arsenal : Henry (2)
Reene Steer has a huge night ahead of him, making his european debut. Arsenal start the match flying and Henry scores 3 minutes in to give them the lead. Arsenal continue to press and Henry makes it 2-0 on 37 minutes. Barcelona are dominating on stats but at half time it's 2-0 to Arsenal thanks to Henry. The second half is end to end stuff but no one can find the net so Arsenal take a 2-0 lead into the second leg
Henry picked up a knock in the match and will be out for a week
League:
Bolton 2 - 3 Arsenal : [Pedersen, Davies], Be- Haim OG, Hleb, Van Den Berg
A Ben-Haim own goal on 16 minutes gives Arsenal the lead but a Pedersen strike on 27 mins makes it 1-1. But Hleb puts Arsenal back into the lead just two minutes later with a great goal. Bolton managed to get level just before half time with Davies getting a goal on 45 mins. Both teams battle for the winner in the second half but the match looks like it's going to be a draw when substitute Van Den Berg scores his first senior goal on 81 mins to give Arsenal the three points
League:
Arsenal 0 - 0 Tottenham
The first hall is a somewhat dull one, only one real chance falling to Keane for Tottenham but Lehmann came to the rescue. 0-0 at half time. Arsenal pile on the pressure but due to them lacking real firepower upfront they fail to score and they match ends up a dull 0-0 draw.
ECC Quater Final Leg Two:
Arsenal 1 - 3 Barcelona : Rosicky, [Saviola, Gudjohnsen, Boran]
Arsenal take a two goal lead into this second leg. Anthony Stokes is called up to the bench as he is back from his loan spell out and he impressed while on loan. The match is all Arsenal in the first half and Rosicky makes it 1-0 to Arsenal on 16 mins. Ronaldinho goes close twice but at half time it's 1-0 to Arsenal and it's 3-0 over the two legs. Saviola scores on 71 mins and Gudjohnsen makes it 2-1 to Barca on 74 mins. Boran then slots home on 78 mins to make the match 3-1 to Barcelona. The match finishes that way and Barca go through to the semi's on away goals
Ljunberg is back from injury following two months out with injury
League:
Arsenal 2 - 2 Chelsea : Hleb, Clichy, [Drogba (2)
Arsenal go to league leaders Chelsea to try an narrow the gap in the league to improve their slim chances of winning the title. Hleb gives Arsenal the perfect start with a goal on 5 mins. Clichy makes it 2-0 to Arsenal on 27 mins with his first ever goal for the club and it's 2-0 to Arsenal by half time. Arsenal look set to win the match when substitue Drogba scores twice in injury time (90 + 93) and Chelsea earn themselves a point
League:
Reading 2 - 1 Arsenal : [Convey, Doyle], Henry
Convey gives Reading the perfect start by scoring on 4 mins. Kevin Doyle makes it 2-0 on 28 mins, the match is 2-0 at half time. Henry pulls one back for the gunners on 69 mins and Arsenal go looking for the equaliser but they can't get it and Reading win the match. A vital win for Reading in their attempt to avoid relegation
April Notes:
Arsenal end April 5th in the league, 14 points behind league leaders Chelsea
League:
Arsenal 0 - 0 Newcastle :
The first half is action packed but neither team can find the net and it's 0-0 at half time. The second half see Arsenal pile on the pressure and every player gets a shot in at goal but Given does well and he earns Newcastle a point. Arsenal should have scored one of their many chances.
League:
Man Utd 0 - 1 Arsenal : Henry
An extremely close first half with both teams going close, Henry gives Arsenal the lead on 39 mins with a great strike and it's 1-0 to Arsenal at half time. The second half is action packed but neither side can find the net. Rio Ferdinand is sent off on 77 mins for throwing a headbutt. Arsenal hold out for the win.
League:
Sheff Utd 0 - 1 Arsenal : Sommeil OG
The final game of the season sees Arsenal go to bottom of the league Sheff Utd. With Arsenal in 4th a win here and with results going their way could see them push up into 2nd. The first half is all Arsenal but they can't find the net. The second half sees Arsenal pile on even more presure but the only goal of the game comes from a Sheffield United player, luckily for Arsenal it's an own goal, Sommeil puts it past his own keeper on 69 mins to give Arsenal the win
May Notes:
Arsenal finish 4th in the league. 14 points behind league winners Chelsea
Arsenal U18's win the U18's Group 7 title
Arsenal Reserves finish 4th in the Group 2 Reserves league
I come third in manager of the year
Fabregas comes third in young player of the year
Henry comes second in ECC Golden Boot Awards
I have signed a two year contract with Arsenal.
June 2007:
Loans Out:
Nicklas Bendtner - Celtic
END OF SEASON INFORMATION:
Premier League Winners: Chelsea
Relegated: Reading, Watford, Sheff Utd
Promoted from Championship: Leicester (winners), QPR, West Brom
FA Cup Winners: Chelsea
League Cup Winners: Newcastle
Community Shield: Chelsea
ECC Winners: Chelsea
Euro Cup: CSKA Moscow
Euro Supercup: Barcelona
Thoughts on Seasons:
Overall it was a good first season in charge, maybe one or two too many red cards. All players performed well, some youngsters would should feature in years to come to defiantly
4th place in the league was good but the fact that Chelsea won by so many points is a blow
Reaching ECC Quater Final I am proud of
Reaching Semi's of League Cup was an achievement with me fielding weak teams for all ties
Thoughts of Next Season:
Silverware is a must no doubt, I'll leave the club should i fail to bring in thropies
The squad will need to be improved, Chelsea has such strength in depth that they can suffer injuries and suspensions and still field a decent team
Try and get a few good youngsters in the hope for building for the future
I want to win some more manager of the months awards
A diary of my Second Season in charge of Arsenal will be coming soon. I have to play it first :p
Lehmann will be out for two months, meaning I need to look into getting a replacement keeper
Hleb is also injured and he too will miss out on action for two months
June Notes:
Henry voted fans player of the year
The Board expect us to qualify for Europe this year. I plan to go one better and win the competition this year
Arsenal have fallen from 4th to 6th in the richest list of clubs
July 2007:
Friendly:
Reggina 1 - 6 Arsenal : [Bianchi], Eboue, Walcott, Henry, Diaby, Reyes
A weak Arsenal team take on Reggina. Eboue makes it 1-0 to Arsenal. Walcott makes it 2-0. Bianchi makes it 2-1. Half time. Ljunberg makes it 3-1 to Arsenal, Henry makes it 4-, sub Diaby makes it 5-1, sub Reyes makes it 6-1. Full time
Friendly:
Drogheda - Arsenal : [Risitla] Gallas, Eboue, Henry
Gallas makes it 1-0 to Arsenal, Eboue makes it 2-0, Ristila makes it 2-1, Half time. Henry makes it 3-1. Henry picks up a slight knock he will be out for a week
Arsenal will face Sparta Prague in the qualifying match for the Champions Cup
Chelsea have been chasing him for ages and I finally agreed to sell Fabregas, getting 40 million in the process. He’s a huge loss but with the cash from his transfer a replacement (or two) can easily be bought
Bronckhorst is brought into the squad as a backup player, he’s got good experience at all levels
Tevez is brought into the squad in the hope he can fill the gap left by Fabregas
Boa Morte is brought into the squad to bolster the midfield. He has a lot to do to justify his price tag
Transfers In:
Giovanni van Bronckhorst - Free
Carlos Tevez - 22m - West Ham
Boa Morte - 13m - Fulham
Transfers Out:
Fabregas - 40m - Chelsea
Sebastian Larsson - Free - Man City
Gael Clichy - 5.25m - R. Madrid
Jay Simpson - Released from club
Loans Out:
Senderos - Feyenoord
Lupoli - Catania
Armand Traore - West Brom
July Notes:
Henry comes second in European Footballer of the year. Steven Gerrard is the winner
Arsenal are given odds of 12-1 to win the league this year. Chelsea are 6-4 favourites
August 2007:
ECC Qualifier 3rd Rnd Leg One:
Sparta Prague 2 - 2 Arsenal: [Neumann, Nemec (Svoboda sent off] , Tevez (2)(Silva sent off)
Tevez and Bronckhorst make their debut in the starting 11. Silva lasts 5 minutes on the pitch before getting a red card. Henry is injured in the 24th minute. Reyes comes on to replace him. 0-0 at half time. Tevez scores in the 46th minute to make it 1-0 to Arsenal. Svoboda is sent off in the 64th minute for a bad tackle. Both teams are down to ten men. Neumann levels the game with a goal for Prague in the 67th minute. Tevez scores his second on 73 minutes. But Nemec gets a late goal so the match finishes 2-2
Henry will be out for a week following the injury he picked up. Silva is banned for one match following his red card
League:
Arsenal 3 - 0 Fulham : Baptista, Gallas, Boa Morte, [Zat Knight sent off]
Arsenal open their league campaign against Fulham, Ribery makes his debut, starting on the right wing. Baptista scores 45 seconds into the match to give Arsenal the lead. Arsenal continue pushing but by half time it’s only 1-0. Ljunberg limps off in the 48th minute, Reyes is his replacement. Zat Knight is sent off in the 67th minute for a bad tackle. 76 minutes in and Hleb comes on for Ribery who had a nice debut, and Boa Morte replaces Henry. Gallas makes it 2-0 in the 81st minute with a great header and Boa Morte starts to repay his 13 million price tag with a goal in the 89th minute
Reyes suffered a groin strain against Fulham and will miss three weeks of action. Ljunberg suffered a dead leg and will be out for 5 days
ECC Qualifier 3rd Rnd Leg Two:
Arsenal 3 - 1 Sparta Prague : Henry, Rosicky, Tevez, [Hornak, (Pecka and Skoda sent off)]
It’s 2-2 from the first leg, with Arsenal getting two vital away goals. Silva misses out through suspension and Reyes is injured and Boa Morte is on international duty. Henry gives Arsenal the perfect start with a goal in 3 mins, Rosicky who is only playing due to injuries and suspensions makes it 2-0 on 19 minutes. Pecka is sent of for Prague in the 21st minute for a cynical foul. Hornak pulls one back for Prage in the 39th minute. Ribery is injured and is replaced at half time by Hleb. 2-1 at half time. Tevez scores in the 70th minute to make it 3-1 and put Arsenal well in control of the match. Walcott is brought on for Henry and Adenbayor for Tevez in the 80th minute to give both players a run out. Skoda is sent off in the 84th minute for a second yellow card
Ribery will be out of action for two weeks following the injury he picked up in the match
League:
Portsmouth 1 - 1 Arsenal : [Lua Lua], Henry
Reyes is till out injured. Silva returns from suspension and takes his place in midfield. It’s 0-0 at half time, both teams have had great chances but Portsmouth have had the better of the action. Ribery is taken off as he is in poor condition, Ljunberg is brought on to replace him on the left hand side. Lua Lua opens the scoring on 52 mins for Portsmouth with a cheeky chip. Rosicky is brought on for Silva and Boa Morte for Hleb in the 75th minute. Arsenal are ordered to go all out attack to try and salvage a point. And Arsenal do manage to salvage a point, Henry leaves it late but in the 91st minute, he scores from 20 yards so the match finishes 1-1
Transfers Out:
Jeremie Aliadere - Leicester - 800k plus 20% of next sale
Loans Out:
Van Persie - AC Milan
Kerrea Gilbert - Hull
Jeffrey Imudia - Wycombe
Anthony Stokes - Sheff Wednesday
Carlos Vela - Cagliari
Francisco Merida - Tranmere
Matthew Connolly - Swansea
Marc Randall - Peterborough
Fabrice Muamba - Wolves
Johan Djourou - Porto
Manuel Almunia - Leicester
Alexandre Song - Parma
August Notes:
Henry wins European Striker of the year
I was unwilling to sell Van Persie but he is unhappy so a season long loan is the best option, hopefully he will feature for us again in the future
Tevez getting two on his debut makes me hope I was right to sign him
Man Utd win the community shield beating Chelsea 2-1
Baptista has become a midfield regular for me and he looks to be performing well in the midfield
Arsenal have been drawn in Group E of the ECC along with PSV, Schalke and Dinamo Kiev
CSKA Moscow beat Chelsea in the European Super Cup
Gallas wins player of the month
12 players are sent out on loan in August, to not only gain match experience but to ease the wage budget of the club
September 2007:
ECC Group Stage Matchday One:
Arsenal 3 - 0 Schalke : Henry, Reyes, Ribery, [(Altintop and Asamoah sent off)]
Silva is missing because of suspension, Tevez and Baptista are away on international duty so they miss out too. Henry gives Arsenal the perfect start to their European campaign with a goal 2 minutes into the game. Arsenal pile on the pressure and Reyes gets a goal in the 28th minute to make it 2-0 to Arsenal. It’s 2-0 at half time. Ribery gives Arsenal the perfect start to the second half, getting his first goal for the club on 46 minutes to make it 3-0. Schalke start throwing themselves into the tackles and find themselves down to ten men when Altintop is sent off in the 69th minute for a bad foul. Lauren comes on for Eboue, Boa Morte comes on for Hleb and Walcott comes on for Reyes in the 70th minute to give them all a run out. Arsenal dominate but can’t find the net but Schalke finish the men with nine men when Asamoah is sent off in the 88th minute for a second yellow card. 3-0 to Arsenal it finishes
Ljunberg is injured while on international duty, he will be out of action for around two months
Baptista is also injured while on international duty, he will be out for around two weeks
League:
Arsenal 5 - 2 Middlesbrough : Hleb, Tevez(4), (Ribery sent off), [Viduka (2)]
The first ten minutes of the match sees two goals and a red card. Hleb opens the scoring in 2 minutes with a great shot and Tevez makes it 2-0 in the 4th minute with his first leg goal for the club. Arsenal are cruising but Ribery is sent off in the 10th minute for a bad foul. In the 16th minute Viduka pulls one back for Boro and with Arsenal down to ten men they pile on the pressure, it’s 2-2 when Viduka gets his second in the 42nd minute. 2-2 is the score at half time. Arsenal start the second half flying with Tevez getting his second of the game in the 46th minute and in the 74th minute he seals his hat-trick with a great curling shot. With the match done and dusted Reyes comes on for Henry, Walcott comes on for Hleb and Boa More replaces Rosicky in the 76th minute. But there’s still time for another goal and Tevez gets his fourth of the game in the 90th minute to make the final score 5-2 to Arsenal
Ribery is banned for two matches following his red card
Rosicky is injured in training ahead of the match against Chelsea he will be out for a week. Baptista also suffers a similar injury a few days later he too will be out for a week
League:
Chelsea 3 - 0 Arsenal : [Shevchenko(2), Adriano]
Baptista, Ljunberg and Rosicky are out through injury. Ribery is suspended. Van Den Berg, Diaby and Adenbayor are called up from the reserves for the match, they take their places on the bench. A nightmare start for Arsenal when Shevchenko scores 3 minutes into the match. Arsenal withstand the pressure from Chelsea and it’s 1-0 at half time. The second half is all about Chelsea looking for a second goal but Lehmann keeps Arsenal in the game. In the 73rd minute, Adenbayor is brought on to replace Henry, Diaby comes on for Boa Morte and Walcott is on for Hleb. Arsenal are told to go all out attack, things backfire though when Adriano makes it 2-0 in the 77th minute and Shevchenko gets his second in the 82nd minute. It finishes 3-0 to Chelsea in a match they deserved to win
ECC Group Stage Matchday Two:
PSV 0 - 1 Arsenal : Tevez
Arsenal beat PSV twice in last years Group stage of the ECC. Toure is suspended for the match, Ljunberg and Baptista are still unavailable because of injury. Rui Fonte is called up to the bench from the U18’s for the match . Ribery takes his place on the left wing again with Reyes dropped to the bench. It’s 0-0 at half time but to be fair to PSV they have had more of the chances. The second half see Arsenal getting into the game a little more, Tevez scores in the 67th minute to give Arsenal the lead. In the 76th minute Reyes is brought on to replace Henry, Rosicky is brought on for Boa Morte and Walcott replaces Silva. The match finishes 1-0 but in truth Arsenal are lucky to get the three points
League:
Arsenal - Man City : Tevez(4), Walcott, [Samaras]
Ribery is suspended so Reyes takes his place on the left wing, Baptista is back and is in the centre of the midfield alongside Silva. Tevez’s good form continues with a goal in the 12th minute. Samaras makes it 1-1 in the 29th minute with a great shot. But Tevez gives Arsenal the lead again with his second goal in the 37th minute. 2-1 at half time. Tevez seals his hat-trick in the 48th minute with another great goal and he gets his fourth in the 59th minute. Rosicky replaces Reyes, Walcott is on for Henry and Van Den Berg replaces Hleb in the 76th minute. Walcott adds another for Arsenal in the 90th minute and Arsenal win the match 5-1. Another great performance from Tevez
September Notes:
Arsenal are given odds of 16-1 to win the ECC cup, Chelsea are the favourites on 9-1
All new signings especially Tevez impress in September he scores 9 in three matches in Septembers. His 4 goals against Boro is a new record for the club and he equals his own record against Man City shortly after
Arsenal look to bolster the defence, with Jlloyd Samuel and Aaron Hughes set to arrive from Villa in the January transfer window
Arsenal draw West Ham in the 3rd round of the league cup, the match takes place next month
Dear Diary - My Arsenal Story 
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