What Happened to Arsenal?

     The Premier League is 16 games into their season and a few top teams stand out as early strugglers.  Most notably is Arsenal, usually a top 4 team year round despite not winning any hardware since 2004.  What is to blame for the woes of fans around the Emirates?  Critics can point to a number of things, be it manager Arsene Wenger, the departure of Robin van Persie among other big names over the past several years; either way, North London seems to be in shambles.  The departure of van Persie was a huge blow to the fan base, as Arsenal scrambled to sign Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski, and Olivier Giroud to fill his shoes.  So far, the story of Arsenal's season has been inconsistency.  Giroud came from Montpellier the leading scorer in Ligue 1, and Podolski came in well known for his stellar performances for Germany and FC Koln.  While Giroud and Podolski have teamed up several times for jaw-dropping goals, Giroud has failed to establish himself as his natural scoring self.

Santi Cazorla has been the bright spot for the Gunners this season

So where do these inconsistencies lie?  In my opinion, the offense has the keys in place but lacks creativity. The midfield core of Cazorla, Wilshere, and Arteta is mightily impressive.  Striker and forward movements are sloppy and without pace or direction.

The other remaining question looms at Wenger's doorstep.  How can he and upper management settle for complacency?  Arsenal has become known as a selling club this decade, allowing many of its touted stars to leave for greener pastures.  Along with Wenger's reluctance to spend the money for big name players, Arsenal is in for a downward spiral unless tactics change drastically.  The splash of talent that is available in January is out there, it's only up to the owners to decide whether to cut Wenger and become a powerhouse once again.  Keeping him is a conundrum in and of itself because of his tremendous mind for the game.  His off-field transfer woes are another side to the great coach of many glorious years.

WHAT TO DO:

1. See how Wenger fares in January in the transfer period
2. Bring back Thierry Henry
3. Sign Huntelaar/Cavani/Llorente
4. Drop Wenger in the summer if matters go to Hell
5. Pick up Pep Guardiola

Top 20 Defenders

1. Giorgio Chiellini- nightmare for forwards. holds down the Juventus and Team Italy back lines
2. Mats Hummels- Borussia Dortmund defender known for good foot skills and tackling abilities
3. Dani Alves- great speed, Barcelona's additional attacker as well. another great brazilian
4. Sergio Ramos-how can't you like him? long hair/short hair doesn't matter! he's been at the backlines of Madrid for several years now and is in his prime
5. Vidic- highly touted ManU defender that makes attackers switch feet and positions, creates bad angled shots
6. Thiago Silva- Brazilian international and PSG backliner who comes with a pricey tag. that being said, he's worth every penny
7. Vincent Kompany- Man City's top defender and captain who led City to their first Barclay's championship berth
8. Gerard Pique- Barcelona's best center back, often injured, and he's dating Shakira...he should be number 1 on this list based off that alone
9. Philipp Lahm- he's a stud. quick feet and a powerful strike complement any offense
10. Maicon- City's defender formerly of Inter Milan prestige who has great ability clearing trash from the scoring zone
11. Patrice Evra- like Alves, ManU's extra attacker and captain comes with great skill and vision
12. Ashley Cole- may be 30 now, but he can virtually play any position from his skill alone
13. Thomas Vermaelen- Arsenal's captain and best defender
14. Jan Vertoghen- now a Spur this year, brings his skills to a weak Tottenham backline
15. Daniel Agger- He's simply too good for Liverpool at this time, theres not much else to work with after him
16. David Luiz- another fantastic Brazilian defender, great box ability off of corner kicks with his huge mop of hair
17. Jordi Alba- still young, but Alba comes to an injury depleted Barca backline with great speed and talent. can score too
18. John Terry- hide your wife. Big John Terry comes with much controversy and an aging sense of wit. may be slower now but that doesn't stop him from being a big part in Chelsea's success
19. Gregory van der Wiel- Dutch international who plays like Ashley Cole, virtually same game
20. Pepe- he may be a red card magnet, but plays damn hard when he plays smart

Close misses- Holger Badstuber, Carles Puyol, Fabio Coentrao, Marcelo, Gael Clichy

Top 20 Midfielders

1. Xavi-he completes more passes by himself during a game than some teams do overall; the man is pure class
2. Andres Iniesta-Xavi's complement. Sets up and creates space for Messi & co.
3. Eden Hazard-the 21 year old Belgian sensation has lit up the Ligue 1 and brings his advanced skill set to Stamford Bridge this year
4. Cesc Fabregas-Arsenal, Barcelona, and Spainish stud who can both light up the scoreboard and the assist chart at will
5. Mesut Ozil-the underrated middie whose blinding crosses usually end up on Ronaldo's foot for a secured goal
6. Wesley Sneijder-heavily talented Dutchman on an average Milan team. he makes others around him shine, while showcasing his dead ball abilities
7. Santi Cazorla-new Arsenal signing this year, basically a younger carbon copy of the typical Spanish midfielder
8. David Silva-another Spanish prototype midfielder, lighting up the competition during City's championship run last year
9. Bastian Schweinsteiger-can't say a bad thing about this guy, he's talented and is the straw that keeps together Bayern Munich 
10. Andrea Pirlo- Italian maestro. the coordinator and collected finisher for both Juve and team Italy
11. Arjen Robben-can play both middie and attack, has tremendous speed and has a wicked left-footed shot for a guy lacking a decent hairline
12. Juan Mata-underrated Chelsea swingman who continues the Spanish lineage in the midfield
13. Luka Modric-former Spur now turned Madrid midfielder. heavily talented with great ball control
14. Steven Gerrard-Liverpool FC's most tenured player and captain who remains the reason why fans stay loyal
15. Yaya Toure- quick, great vision and finishing
16. Kaka-this living legend may only be a shadow of his former self at Milan, but boggles this blogger's mind why Jose doesn't utilize him more often 
17. Shinji Kagawa- initially struggling to fit ManU's style, but was a top scoring threat last season for champion Dortmund
18. Xabi Alonso-completes Madrid's midfield with style and grace, also a good defensive dropback
19. Daniele de Rossi- came into the international spotlight with his play in Euro 2012, plays alongside Francesco Totti in Roma's staunch midfield
20. Gareth Bale- damn quick, this Welsh international is a huge fan-favorite for Tottenham

Notable runner-ups: Mikel Arteta. Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Sergi Busquets, Franck Ribery, Javier Pastore

Top 20 Forwards

(Cristiano Ronaldo may be considered a midfielder, however plays more of a winger/attack role)

1. Lionel Messi-proven scorer and leader, trophies and titles show everything
2. Cristiano Ronaldo-he's flashy and efficient. raw talent alone proves his status
3. Radamel Falcao-speed, size, finishing. possibly the complete package
4. Edison Cavani-stone-cold scorer with a natural knack for finding the net
5. Robin van Persie-top scorer in Prem League last year. still finding the net easily with ManU
6. Neymar-like Ronaldo, flashy and wows crowds to their feet with raw ability
7. Aguero-City's most prolific scorer, another Argentinian prodigy like Messi
8. Rooney-King Rooney, the most trusted striker for ManU and England
9. Eto'o-may have left mainstream football, but still the same great scorer of old
10. Ibrahimovic-his record of scoring speaks for itself, natural scorer with great size and strength
11. Lewandowski-Borussia Dortmund's leader and best scoring option
12. David Villa-may be aging, but still is Spain's all time leading scorer for a reason. great skill from range
13. Fernando Torres-definitely lost a step, but still is a dangerous threat since finding form
14. Lukas Podolski-prolific scoring record for Germany, Koln, and brings his talent to a deprived Arsenal
15. Carlos Tevez-hot headed Argentinian reborn since his departure, scoring like ManU days
16. Didier Drogba-left for China, still producing at alarming rates after guiding Chelsea for years
17. Mario Gomez-size and strength of a giant, Munich's leader on the pitch
18. Karim Benzema-Madrid's second best option after CR7 is a clinical finisher in the box
19. Clint Dempsey-best American scoring threat in England, USA's top finisher
20. Pablo Osvaldo-little known to fans, AS Roma's top scorer since taking Totti's position

Notable Runners up: Hulk, Soldado, Llorente, Klose, Huntelaar

Summer Transfer Period Aftermath

Okay, so the summer of 2012 has been not only busy and productive, but very interesting to say the least.  I posted a blog at the beginning of the summer reporting huge name rumors and early deals, but now, its September.  The main transfer window has been closed shut until January.  Let's break this down into losers and winners.


Losers

AC Milan:
This team was basically stripped of its core, losing both Thiago Silva and more importantly Zlatan Ibrahimovic, both to Paris St. Germain.  Other key players like Mark van Bommel, Antonio Cassano, Alessandro Nesta, and Alberto Aquilani.  Who did they receive in return?  Virtually nothing.  The Serie A has lately been noted for being weak in general because of the latest scandal, but other teams like Juventus and Roma both bolstered their respective squads.

Liverpool:
Gone is Charlie Adam and Andy Carroll.  Carroll may be overrated but LFC is now only left with Luis Suarez as the remaining bred striker.  Suarez can be volatile at times regarding his temper, so where does leave Steven Gerrard?  Left yet again to attempt to try and run a beheaded team without any spark.  Pepe Reina is aging and isn't the same anymore.  LFC signed  Fabio Borini and Nuri Sahan on loan, but so far, neither have provided any stroke of genius as the Reds seem to be heading down a rotten spiral again.

Real Madrid:
News broke yesterday of CR7 feeling "sad".  What does this do to the defending La Liga champs?  Not much in the stretch of things, because a Madrid team firing on all cylinders is near impossible to beat.  Only one notable signing was Luka Modric.  Michael Essien, the other signee, will receive only limited sub time.  Madrid doesn't need much, but they have not won a European championship with their current lineup.  The City's, Chelsea's, and PSG's of Europe continue to spend money in high hopes.  Maybe Madrid should've done the same.

Winners

Manchester United:
Where to begin.  Shinji Kagawa was seized from Borussia Dortmund early in the summer, and already is making a playmaker impact in the midfield.  He's crafty, and while he lacks communication skills (Japanese), is quickly learning Sir Alex Ferguson's system.  While losing a down-and-out Dimitar Berbatov to Fulham, ManU decided to strengthen their attack with the biggest steal of the summer, Mr. Robin van Persie.  While Wayne Rooney has recently been injured, RVP showed why "He scores when he wants".  RVP is lighting up the stat sheets, and already has Manchester in a positive uproar.  The newly acquired Nick Powell, a young prospect also has much upside.

PSG:
Paris St. Germain decided to pull a Man City.  They spent like crazy this summer, and it looks like it will pay off in Ligue 1 play.  They pulled Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva from AC Milan, Ezequiel Lavezzi, and Gregory van der Wiel. DAMN.  Ligue 1 is no joke of a league, but the PSG Project looks here to say.  Minus maybe Ibra, who isn't very well known for his loyalty.  But PSG's already strong lineup is nasty.


Everton:
Everton has impressed early, with great form by Fellaini.  Steven Pienaar signed a long-term deal after his loan spell last year, so he's locked in.  Tim Howard is in fantastic form.  The Toffees signed Belgian striker Kevin Mirallas to add some proven spark up front.  Bryan Oviedo may be a little unknown at this time, but put him in the backburner of your mind now.  After selling Jack Rodwell to Man City, Everton collected 24 mil. pounds in return, putting them into the positive revenue side.  Everton took ManU early already, and looked damn good while doing it.  They may finish higher than last year's decent run.

Borderliners

Arsenal:
Oh Arsene Wenger.  You may have lost a ton of fans for allowing van Persie to go, but you did help secure proven strikers in Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud.  Midfielder Santi Cazorla is newly acquired from Malaga, and has already impressed this Gunner fan.  Easily the Spanish midfield prototype, Cazorla is the new Cesc Fabregas in London.  While Arsenal may have looked unimpressive in the first two games, everything clicked in the third.  Cazorla and Podolski scored, and along with a solid goalie and back defensive line, Arsenal may have shaken off early cobwebs and doubt.

Chelsea:
Another big signing came in the form of the talented Eden Hazard.  Chelsea's new playmaker takes alot of pressure off of Frank Lampard.  After seeing the departing of Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres is ready to step into the spotlight, already providing a few goals early.  Brazilian sensation Oscar and another acquision Marko Marin can boost Chelsea's midfield and wing play.  But the question remains, what happens if Torres loses his newfound form? Or is injured? Who steps in the spotlight?  Another striker would have helped.

EURO 2012 Group A

Group A: Poland, Russia, Greece, Czech Republic

The co-host Poles were seeded in arguably in the easiest group to advance through, and has a great chance to do so. Arsenal goalie Wojciech Szczesny is a force in the pipes and has been a stand out all year for Arsenal. The Poles are spearheaded by Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski, a player who absolutely dominated the German Bundesliga all year long.  Russia is definitely a media-favorite to advance from this group, led by talented Arsenal backup striker Andrei Arshavin.  Greece is the dark-horse this year to advance out of this group, a well-known spoiler.  Greece won the Euro competition out of nowhere in 2004.  The Czechs are backed by Chelsea goalie Petr Cech. This team is very slow and plays more like a seasoned veteran, aka very crafty.  They will have to rely on Cech to counter for a poor defense and somehow have to get their counter-attack offense moving in order to score.

Predictions: Russia (Group Winner), Poland (Runner-up)

Summer Transfer Period

The summer transfer period has already begun with a huge splash.  Chelsea continues to make news with the signing of coveted Belgian 21 year old, Eden Hazard, for a fee of 40 million pounds ($61.9 mil.).  Hazard has performed excellently for his former club Lille, and finally agreed to sign with Chelsea over Manchester United & City.  Chelsea's next target is said to be the Brazilian striker Hulk, the star of the FC Porto team in Portugal.  These moves follow the departure of three main players in Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, and Jose Bosingwa.  Arsenal also hopes to be big spenders in this summer period in order to entice Robin van Persie to stay in north London.  They already have procured the likes of German striker Lukas Podolski from German club FC Koln. Van Persie is connected to a few clubs for transfer, most notably Juventus and Manchester City.  Fulham and USMNT striker Clint Dempsey has made known his desire to play for a competitive team in order to experience more European experience.  Dempsey has proven himself worthy of a wealthy contract after this season, tying himself for 4th among the top goalscorers.  The other huge name in transfer rumors is Rafael van der Vaart, of Tottenham.  He is supposedly being offered a substantial contract from German team Schalke 04.  This all being said, soccer fans have alot to look forward to in the coming months following the Euro '12 competition.