Just kidding. But the Gunners must feel good after a 2-0 win today over Liverpool (at Anfield) that became our third clean sheet of the three week season and kept us undefeated with five points from those three games. The promise the club showed in our first two games finally reaped benefits as new boys Podolski and Cazorla both scored. There are many positives to take from the game, though questions still persist regarding the lack of action on the final days of the transfer window (as I wrote about yesterday). Diaby played the best game I've ever seen from him, Cazorla had a lovely assist and goal and continued to create chances, Arteta looked strong defensively and pushing the ball forward. We had a number of strong counterattacks and kept great shape on defense.
Areas of concern for me include the continued weak performance going forward of Jenkinson and Gibbs, who got very few good crosses into the box, Jenkinson's general miscues early (five errant lateral passes I counted in the first half alone -- though he was relatively strong defensively and had a better 2nd half including a nice run and shot), Giroux's inability to hold the ball up or finish and Vermaelen's risky defensive play at times. Let's go to player grades before concluding comments:
Giroux (5): I didn't count in the first half, but in the second Giroux had eight chances to hold the ball up out of the air and was only 1 for 8 (leading to a corner, when a good turn could have gotten him a shot). He also missed a nice chance to score on his left foot in the 40th minute and missed a free header at the end. Needs to improve both finishing and holding the ball up. A goal has to come soon.
Podolski (8.5): Scores a nice goal in 30th minute on lovely weighted pass from Cazorla (of course). Moving forward throughout, pushing back on defense and giving us a backbone up front for the first time in recent memory. Really like this kid and think he will shine this year.
Ox (5.5): Not much from Oxlade-Chamberlain today, though he did chip in on defense a few times and had a couple decent runs. His performance might silence those who think he should have been starting every game last season. Butt I'm sure he'll come good again soon.
Cazorla (9): Another strong game from our best signing of the summer. Set up one goal, scored another and played well throughout. Did give up the ball a few times in dangerous positions, but Liverpool appears to be a team without a clear scorer (Suarez is great, but misses too many opportunities).
Diaby (8): The best game I've ever seen him play. Feathery touch, pushed forward nicely, set up chances and held the ball up when necessary. Could show the pundits that Arsenal doesn't need another midfielder. Let's hope he stays injury free for the season.
Arteta (7.5): A strong game playing deeper, with a number of important interceptions and a professional foul (yellow card) after an errant Jenkinson pass that might have saved a goal. He also pushed the ball forward for a number of our strong counterattacks.
Gibbs (6.5): A good defensive effort for Gibbs, but didn't do much going forward. Really needs to work on his crossing -- and to make sure not to push forward too early, as Liverpool did open up on the left side on several occasions throughout the game.
Vermaelen (7): A strong defensive effort for our captain, but a couple of errors almost cost us. He takes a lot of chances with tackles and should sometimes take a slightly less risky approach, but led the back line to a third straight game before limping off at the end.
Mertesacker (7.5): One of our most surprising early performers this year, with his good positioning and strength making up for his lack of pace. Maybe should have been called for a penalty on Suarez toward the end, but otherwise solid with only one errant pass I saw in the game.
Jekinson (5.5): Good defensive game after early trouble, but needs to improve his passing and push forward with effect (as he did in the 52nd and 60th minutes). I think this was our most glaring need and I just don't understand why we didn't pick up a right back. Also wonder where Coquelin is these days, as I liked him whenever he played last season.
Manone (6): Looks shaky on crosses, doesn't get the ball in his hands enough, but another clean sheet for our third-string keeper. Will be happy to see our #1 back.
Subs
Ramsey (6): Looked decent when he came on, with a nice run in the 91st minute that elicited a yellow. Would like to see him come good for us this season, and this 20 minutes might give him a little confidence.
Santos (-): Came on in 81st for Podolski and had a defensive header on his first touch. Not much from him afterwards, though he was solid I suppose.
Koscielny (-): Very quick run out after Vermaelen seemed hurt. Let's hope nothing serious.
So a solid game from the Gunners that might just get them back on the right foot. Giroux is still struggling for form and he needs a goal to lighten the pressure, but also seems to need some coaching on positioning, which is not surprising given his late start into the top level of the sport. Next up, after the two week International break, is Southhampton, who gave both Manchester clubs scares with 2-1 leads (which they blew both times). They are tough in the air and I thus expect Mertesacker to start alongside Vermaelen. We will need to maintain our defensive shape and discipline and hopefully score early to ramp up our push back toward the top. Looking at our main rivals, Liverpool look in for a long season after some questionable transfer window activity (and lack thereof), Newcastle could only snag a draw against Aston Villa and look unlikely to match their lovely run last season, Tottenham strengthened on the last day of the summer transfer window, but have started less than impressively blowing another game late. So consistency against the midtier and lower tier clubs will go a long way in determining what kind of season we have. We can't drop too many more points to the likes of Sunderland and Stoke if we want to make a real push. Go Gunners!
P.S. The RvP trade hurt on the back of our win, as he scored two late goals (:87 and :92) to win the game 3-2 for Man U against Southhampton. Man U looked rather lethargic until the late stages and were lucky to get three points, much less one, as Southhampton lost their cool at the end and gave the Red Devils too much possession. One has to think if we had kept RvP with Cazorla, Pod and Giroux, we would be 9 points at the top, tied with Chelsea, and Man U might have suffered another defeat or two. Tough to swallow, but one must move on. Let's hope Giroux, who should really have at least three goals for the club already, starts to come good to salve the wound.
Sunday, September 02, 2012
Saturday, September 01, 2012
Report from the GOP Spectacle
The spectacle that is the Republican National Convention has finally ended. Emblematic of the radical turn the party has taken in recent years, it seemed full of lies, empty rhetoric and tautology -- with promises without any specific policies to get us there. Among the highlights (or lowlights, depending on your perspective):
1. Conservatives can rarely be mistaken as the party of "comedians." Their jokes tend to be too straight, stuffy or ideological. But the performance by Clint Eastwood has to be one of the saddest by a star I have ever seen: You Tube. He is clearly losing his mind but it is truly disheartening to see one of the few guys still dealing with the working class in American film compelled to put such a pathetic show on (with racial undertones throughout).
2. Two delegates jumped the shark and allowed the veiled racism at the heart of the convention to spillover as they started throwing peanuts at a Black camerawoman before saying, "This is how we feed animals." (Politic365). This was not as surprising as one might think, given the fact that it was hard to find anyone in the Tampa Convention Center who wasn't white (and, with a few exceptions, old). This might be the best news coming out of this convention -- a time will come when a younger generation takes over this party, and Gen Y is certainly more tolerant than Gen X, the Baby Boomers or the "greatest generation."
3. Paul Ryan seemed to have little problem lying to millions of people on national television, which is a good advertisement for his ability to be an effective Republican politician on the national stage, I suppose, but bodes poorly for the rest of us. His story about his friend who works at a Wisconsin auto plant that is now closed was certainly an effective narrative to encapsulate Obama's biggest weakness. The only problem? If was a complete lie: Politics365. The plant closed before Obama took office. Among the other falsehoods proffered by Ryan: a. Ryan blamed Obama for the U.S. government credit rating downgrade, when the credit agency clearly blamed the Republican Congress. b. Obama has created more debt that any President in history: he has increased debt, but from about $11 to $15 trillion dollars (thus more was done by his predecessor, by far). c. Obama did nothing on Bowles-Simpson: actually Ryan helped sabotage an agreement that the commission was closing in on. d. Claimed Obama funneled $716 billion out of Medicare, which is a complete fabrication and e. Ryan than closed by saying "“The truest measure of any society is how it treats those who cannot defend or care for themselves.” But his plan is one of the harshest ever proposed and would essentially make the poor, sick and elderly suffer substantially more than they do today.
These three examples are three among many that symbolize a party willing to place the future of the country on a plank and march it right off the edge. Their rhetoric always sounds good -- personal responsibility, family values, blind patriotism, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, entrepreneurial spirit, etc. -- but so rarely materializes in a better quality of life of the average citizen. In recent decades their turn to simply supporting the interests of the rich should have cost them both the Presidency and the Congress, but for their ability to bamboozle middle America. One wonders if Ryan and Romney really have the charisma to continue pulling the wool over the eyes of the average American. After this performance, I remain cautiously optimistic that they will fail.
1. Conservatives can rarely be mistaken as the party of "comedians." Their jokes tend to be too straight, stuffy or ideological. But the performance by Clint Eastwood has to be one of the saddest by a star I have ever seen: You Tube. He is clearly losing his mind but it is truly disheartening to see one of the few guys still dealing with the working class in American film compelled to put such a pathetic show on (with racial undertones throughout).
2. Two delegates jumped the shark and allowed the veiled racism at the heart of the convention to spillover as they started throwing peanuts at a Black camerawoman before saying, "This is how we feed animals." (Politic365). This was not as surprising as one might think, given the fact that it was hard to find anyone in the Tampa Convention Center who wasn't white (and, with a few exceptions, old). This might be the best news coming out of this convention -- a time will come when a younger generation takes over this party, and Gen Y is certainly more tolerant than Gen X, the Baby Boomers or the "greatest generation."
3. Paul Ryan seemed to have little problem lying to millions of people on national television, which is a good advertisement for his ability to be an effective Republican politician on the national stage, I suppose, but bodes poorly for the rest of us. His story about his friend who works at a Wisconsin auto plant that is now closed was certainly an effective narrative to encapsulate Obama's biggest weakness. The only problem? If was a complete lie: Politics365. The plant closed before Obama took office. Among the other falsehoods proffered by Ryan: a. Ryan blamed Obama for the U.S. government credit rating downgrade, when the credit agency clearly blamed the Republican Congress. b. Obama has created more debt that any President in history: he has increased debt, but from about $11 to $15 trillion dollars (thus more was done by his predecessor, by far). c. Obama did nothing on Bowles-Simpson: actually Ryan helped sabotage an agreement that the commission was closing in on. d. Claimed Obama funneled $716 billion out of Medicare, which is a complete fabrication and e. Ryan than closed by saying "“The truest measure of any society is how it treats those who cannot defend or care for themselves.” But his plan is one of the harshest ever proposed and would essentially make the poor, sick and elderly suffer substantially more than they do today.
These three examples are three among many that symbolize a party willing to place the future of the country on a plank and march it right off the edge. Their rhetoric always sounds good -- personal responsibility, family values, blind patriotism, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, entrepreneurial spirit, etc. -- but so rarely materializes in a better quality of life of the average citizen. In recent decades their turn to simply supporting the interests of the rich should have cost them both the Presidency and the Congress, but for their ability to bamboozle middle America. One wonders if Ryan and Romney really have the charisma to continue pulling the wool over the eyes of the average American. After this performance, I remain cautiously optimistic that they will fail.
Arsenal Gives Finger to Fans Yet Again
The transfer window has finally shut. We can stop checking every website imaginable, believing the absurd rumors and hoping against hope that Arsenal has changed its ways. Instead a summer that started in promising fashion has ended in disappointment. The loss of Van Persie was expected ever since the infamous July 4th message, but to Manchester United? It's hard to believe Wenger would end his ban on trading with his archrival over one of the best and most important players he's ever had. Then the inexplicable sale of Alex Song, who still had two years left on his contract and didn't seem to want to go. The reason? It appears to be the 15,000 pounds a week that separated the club from Song's wishes (55k vs 70k). But fans, of course, assumed that we would grab some sort of replacement. Wenger all but promised there would be two signings before the window closed. And yet nothing more has come through since the nice swoop for Cazorla, who could very well ease the pain of losing Fabergas a year ago.
As the rumors surrounding the Gunners slowed down over the past few days, fear began to set in that this was going to happen. But it's hard to understand why. Do we have owners whose greed is so great they care little if we ever win silverware again? Has Wenger's ego gotten the better of him and his desire to prove the critics wrong gotten in the way of winning? Or, as appears to be the case, is it a combination of the above two together with a real problem in closing deals. The reality is Arsenal really could have used another striker, particularly now that Bendtner and Park have been offloaded (on loan in both cases), a defensive midfielder and a right back. Sagna might be coming back soon, but is Jenkinson really a worthy backup? My opinion has consistently been no and he did little to allay my concerns last Saturday, with a very average performance (good on defense, but awful going forward). Regarding defensive midfield, it appears Arteta is going to play this role for now with Coquelin or Frimpong as backup. The problem with the latter two is, of course, their lack of experience and the fact that it is unclear if they can really marshall the position the way Song has. I hope the answer is yes, but it will be interesting to see how the defense performs against stronger offensive opponents. And though there has been little talk of it, it appears clear to everyone besides Wenger that we need another striker. Sure he can switch Podolski and Giroux in the position, and maybe even give Walcott his shot (though I'm less than sanguine that he'll shine), but it would be nice to have another player that is a proven scorer (right now I would argue Everton might be stronger up front than us, which is pretty depressing).
In any case, Wenger has decided not to do anything and I'm afraid this could be the beginning of the end of the Wenger era. It's hard to see us winning anything at present, though I hope I'm wrong. Let's see if we can actually put the ball in the back of the net tomorrow ...
As the rumors surrounding the Gunners slowed down over the past few days, fear began to set in that this was going to happen. But it's hard to understand why. Do we have owners whose greed is so great they care little if we ever win silverware again? Has Wenger's ego gotten the better of him and his desire to prove the critics wrong gotten in the way of winning? Or, as appears to be the case, is it a combination of the above two together with a real problem in closing deals. The reality is Arsenal really could have used another striker, particularly now that Bendtner and Park have been offloaded (on loan in both cases), a defensive midfielder and a right back. Sagna might be coming back soon, but is Jenkinson really a worthy backup? My opinion has consistently been no and he did little to allay my concerns last Saturday, with a very average performance (good on defense, but awful going forward). Regarding defensive midfield, it appears Arteta is going to play this role for now with Coquelin or Frimpong as backup. The problem with the latter two is, of course, their lack of experience and the fact that it is unclear if they can really marshall the position the way Song has. I hope the answer is yes, but it will be interesting to see how the defense performs against stronger offensive opponents. And though there has been little talk of it, it appears clear to everyone besides Wenger that we need another striker. Sure he can switch Podolski and Giroux in the position, and maybe even give Walcott his shot (though I'm less than sanguine that he'll shine), but it would be nice to have another player that is a proven scorer (right now I would argue Everton might be stronger up front than us, which is pretty depressing).
In any case, Wenger has decided not to do anything and I'm afraid this could be the beginning of the end of the Wenger era. It's hard to see us winning anything at present, though I hope I'm wrong. Let's see if we can actually put the ball in the back of the net tomorrow ...
Monday, August 27, 2012
Arsenal Yet to Score: 0-0 Stoke
Arsenal has started the season with two nil-nil draws, seemingly both challenging and reinforcing the narratives going into the season. To start, one can't help put think we would have grabbed at least two more points with Van Persie in the lineup for both the Stoke and Sunderland games, and probably be sitting pretty on six points, rather than languishing on 2 (thankful Man U, Tottenham, Liverpool and even City have already dropped points). So the question: who will replace RvP's goals was and is legitimate. On the other hand, fears that the defense was going to be a real problem this year appear to be greatly exaggerated. I would still like to see a right back to replace Jenkinson, until Sagna returns, and maybe a fourth center-half, even as Mertesacker has settled in nicely, but one has to admit that Bould has seemed to improve the shape, discipline and challenging of the back four.
As to the game against Stoke, we dominated on both sides of the pitch after an early flurry of attacks at Brittania, but again failed in putting the ball in the net. Giroux clearly needs a breakthrough to get rolling and will hopefully get one soon. Podolski looked active and strong running forward through the middle, but obviously needs to improve the actual finish to those great runs. Cazorla was great again, but he too needs to ensure his shots at least hit the target. And we need to work on our set pieces. We had corner after corner, but except for the flubs by Diaby and Giroux, had little to show for them. Walcott returned to his old disappearing act when he finally appeared on the pitch after Gervinho had put in a less than impressive performance after shining in the first game. Five takeaways from the game:
1. Arsenal need to work on set pieces: we have Giroux, Diaby and Mertesacker at over 6'2", but have yet to have anything close to a goal, even after 11 corners against Stoke.
2. Someone has to step up and put the ball in the net. One goal might be enough to open up the floodgates, as Arsenal has been dominating possession and creating opportunities, just not scoring on them.
3. Steve Bould's work with the back four is really paying off, as they have looked indomitable in the first two games. We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves yet though, as neither Sunderland or Stoke will be near the top of the league in scoring (though neither will the Gunners if they don't start soon).
4. We need reinforcements at right back. Jenkinson is just not ready to take the mantle and, while he was strong defensively on Sunday, I believe we need someone who can consistently get forward and put in good crosses and that is not the youngster yet. It is yet another example of Wenger not taking care of an obvious need before the season started. And it has played a part in already costing us four points.
5. If no money is spend before the transfer window shuts Friday, I think this should be Wenger's last year. The moves over the past few years have taken Arsenal from a perennial title challenger to the most maligned team by the media in the EPL. And this is not without reason. The Song trade, in particular, seems to make no sense at all -- particularly after he admitted he wanted to stay at Arsenal for life. Rumors had us in for the exciting Sahin, but somehow we lost out on that good piece of business as well. Look around the league and you see why our rivals are improving at our expense. Let's start with Chelsea: they took Mata from us after we balked over a few million pounds more, outbid us for Hazard and, of course, still have the hated Cole plying at fullback. Moving to Manchester United, they just got our best player, who scored a sublime goal in the 3-2 victory Saturday. City has tons of ex-Gunners including obviously Nasri, Clichy and Toure. Even Tottenham has Abebayor as their top striker. Are we to be a selling club for the forseeable future? It's hard to know. But from that list, one could argue we are worse at left back, defensive midfield, attacking midfielder, on the wings, in the hole and at striker than we should be.
That's not good enough, and neither are Arsenal right now. And whether we blame Wenger, the board or both, it is time to change things at the club or risk becoming another Everton, happy with the occasional win over a big opponent and lucky to play in Europe at all. Of course, Everton sit far above us in the table at present, and have picked up a nice new army of talent as they push forward with their first good start in years. We, on the other hand, find ourselves in need of a win at Anfield this weekend, a tough ask after they should have beaten the defending champs.
As to the game against Stoke, we dominated on both sides of the pitch after an early flurry of attacks at Brittania, but again failed in putting the ball in the net. Giroux clearly needs a breakthrough to get rolling and will hopefully get one soon. Podolski looked active and strong running forward through the middle, but obviously needs to improve the actual finish to those great runs. Cazorla was great again, but he too needs to ensure his shots at least hit the target. And we need to work on our set pieces. We had corner after corner, but except for the flubs by Diaby and Giroux, had little to show for them. Walcott returned to his old disappearing act when he finally appeared on the pitch after Gervinho had put in a less than impressive performance after shining in the first game. Five takeaways from the game:
1. Arsenal need to work on set pieces: we have Giroux, Diaby and Mertesacker at over 6'2", but have yet to have anything close to a goal, even after 11 corners against Stoke.
2. Someone has to step up and put the ball in the net. One goal might be enough to open up the floodgates, as Arsenal has been dominating possession and creating opportunities, just not scoring on them.
3. Steve Bould's work with the back four is really paying off, as they have looked indomitable in the first two games. We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves yet though, as neither Sunderland or Stoke will be near the top of the league in scoring (though neither will the Gunners if they don't start soon).
4. We need reinforcements at right back. Jenkinson is just not ready to take the mantle and, while he was strong defensively on Sunday, I believe we need someone who can consistently get forward and put in good crosses and that is not the youngster yet. It is yet another example of Wenger not taking care of an obvious need before the season started. And it has played a part in already costing us four points.
5. If no money is spend before the transfer window shuts Friday, I think this should be Wenger's last year. The moves over the past few years have taken Arsenal from a perennial title challenger to the most maligned team by the media in the EPL. And this is not without reason. The Song trade, in particular, seems to make no sense at all -- particularly after he admitted he wanted to stay at Arsenal for life. Rumors had us in for the exciting Sahin, but somehow we lost out on that good piece of business as well. Look around the league and you see why our rivals are improving at our expense. Let's start with Chelsea: they took Mata from us after we balked over a few million pounds more, outbid us for Hazard and, of course, still have the hated Cole plying at fullback. Moving to Manchester United, they just got our best player, who scored a sublime goal in the 3-2 victory Saturday. City has tons of ex-Gunners including obviously Nasri, Clichy and Toure. Even Tottenham has Abebayor as their top striker. Are we to be a selling club for the forseeable future? It's hard to know. But from that list, one could argue we are worse at left back, defensive midfield, attacking midfielder, on the wings, in the hole and at striker than we should be.
That's not good enough, and neither are Arsenal right now. And whether we blame Wenger, the board or both, it is time to change things at the club or risk becoming another Everton, happy with the occasional win over a big opponent and lucky to play in Europe at all. Of course, Everton sit far above us in the table at present, and have picked up a nice new army of talent as they push forward with their first good start in years. We, on the other hand, find ourselves in need of a win at Anfield this weekend, a tough ask after they should have beaten the defending champs.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Arsenal Blues ... Are We a Feeder Club?
After a rather depressing draw yesterday, Wenger announced that Alex Song was also on his way off -- to Barcelona for 15 million pounds. Unlike RvP, Song had two years left on his contract and supposedly seemed willing to stay for higher wages (he earned 55,000 a week and wanted a raise to 70). The anti-Arsenal pundits were at it immediately, claiming we are indeed a feeder club and that the fall of the house of Wenger is right around the corner. Why more abuse is heaped on this club than any other is not without merit, but certainly hard to swallow at times. One of my favorite British football pundits, Warren Barton, who now lines up for Fox Soccer in LA, is one of the leaders of the bunch, though the list is endless. But do they have a point?
The answer is clearly yes. Since 2006, Arsenal has been selling player after player after taking them from obscurity to world class status. The list is well-worn, but includes Cesc Fabergas (Cazorla could soften this blow if he keeps playing like he did yesterday), Samri Nasri (who looked wonderful today with a goal and assist), Van Persie (after spending more time on the bench than in games, he has one good year and leaves), Song (who Wenger cultivated into one of the top defensive midfielder last year) and a host of others in the recent past (Ashley Cole, Adebayoor, Anelke, etc.). Selling Song, while possibly a good move in the end, sends a bad signal to the fans and players and even Wenger looked depressed in announcing the move. But one does wonder what's in store for Arsenal moving forward. Most of the players who couldn't bring trophies to the Emirates the past seven years are now gone, replaced by others who might lack the same pedigree -- but who might bring the hunger back to the club. We looked set to snap up Sahin on loan from Madrid and I hope do a little more business in the next couple of weeks. But let's look at where we are at and what we can look forward to this year ...
In the back, Vermaelen looked solid again yesterday and Koscielny will be back soon. Mertesacker looked good as well, and should be a good backup this season, after some poor form last year. On the wings, I'm a little less sanguine. Jenkinson is not up to snuff to me, particularly going forward, and I really wish we would bring in quality cover until Sagna returns. On the other side, Gibbs looked bright at times but I still worry about him. Santos impressed at times, but like many Brazilian fullbacks, seems more intent going forward then actually defending. A fullback is a priority to me, and I hope we pick one up. I think we should also unload some of the deadwood on the bench.
In midfield, even with Song's departure, I think we are looking quite good. Cazorla was unbelievable and watch video clips of Sahin and you will see a player who more consistently gets the ball forward than Song ever did. We must remember that he played a key role for us last year playing centre-half on occasion and did assist 11 times. But he often played out of position and is certainly not as good going forward as Cazorla. Add to the mix Arteta, Wilshire (when he returns), Diaby (who showed why he does have the potential to be a key player this year), and Ramsey (who I'm afraid will never actually live up to his potential, but should be pushed toward the bench anyway). We could sign another defensive midfielder, but I'm not sure we need one. And, of course, we have Chamberlain, who might move from the wing to the hole position depending on where Cazorla plays, and provide another creative presence moving forward.
The attack is the major area of concern at present. I do believe Podolski and Giroux will settle and do well this year, but the heavy burden of replacing RvP might weigh on them early in the year. It appeared to yesterday, but there is time to adjust (though not too much). Gervinho looked like a new player yesterday, after a compelling preseason, and I look for him to be an important source of assists -- and hopeful some goals to boot. Walcott was less impressive, except for a few quality runs and a chance that I think Podolski should have pounded in. But maybe he will come good in a more consistent way this year (I hope). I still think another striker would be a smart move, particularly as we now have $39 million pounds we didn't a week ago, but the cheap option, Mirallas, is now gone so Wenger would have to splash the cash -- which seems unlikely. Rumors are Arshavin is in St. Petes and I hope that means we are finally unloading him and I would also like to see Chamakh gone as well.
The reality is we have lost too many players in recent years after cultivating them into top notch players. Too often, those players leave for our rivals. On top of this, we seem to too consistently lose out on top targets. How would last season have gone if we plucked Mata when he was available? We were only a few million pounds off and really could have used his creativity and goal threat. Or Hazard, who seemed likely until right at the end (and the mysterious Park snag that might have helped close the possibility)? In defense, I think Cahill would have been a better signing than Mertesacker and could have really helped our leaky defense. And the list goes on. Wenger's stubborness might be at the heart of the matter, but it is clear that the owners currently seem more intent on cashing in than making us winners. How long will fans put up with it? How long will the players, who seem on a mass exodus out of the club?
To finish on a positive note, I will go back to a point I made at the start. The players who have left have often found glory in their new surroundings (Fabergas and Nasri, most obviously), but why did they underperform at key moments for Arsenal? Has Wenger lost his touch or is there just too much complacency at the club and players who are not innate winners? I think the flush out could bring in a new crop of players that really want to prove the pundits wrong and really compete for trophies. It may be wishful thinking, but one hopes it comes to pass. At present, Arsenal stand on the precipice of a cliff -- by setting the bar too low, failing to reach it would be disastrous. Wenger has always qualified for the Champions League and that might be in real danger this year. If it comes to pass, Europa may beckon and the beleaguered feeling that we truly have reached the end of an era. But if Arsenal outperform this season and actually win silverware (I'd say the league is beyond them already but FA Cup and Carling/Capital One should be priorities), finish in the top four and silence the critics, maybe a rennaissance awaits ...
The answer is clearly yes. Since 2006, Arsenal has been selling player after player after taking them from obscurity to world class status. The list is well-worn, but includes Cesc Fabergas (Cazorla could soften this blow if he keeps playing like he did yesterday), Samri Nasri (who looked wonderful today with a goal and assist), Van Persie (after spending more time on the bench than in games, he has one good year and leaves), Song (who Wenger cultivated into one of the top defensive midfielder last year) and a host of others in the recent past (Ashley Cole, Adebayoor, Anelke, etc.). Selling Song, while possibly a good move in the end, sends a bad signal to the fans and players and even Wenger looked depressed in announcing the move. But one does wonder what's in store for Arsenal moving forward. Most of the players who couldn't bring trophies to the Emirates the past seven years are now gone, replaced by others who might lack the same pedigree -- but who might bring the hunger back to the club. We looked set to snap up Sahin on loan from Madrid and I hope do a little more business in the next couple of weeks. But let's look at where we are at and what we can look forward to this year ...
In the back, Vermaelen looked solid again yesterday and Koscielny will be back soon. Mertesacker looked good as well, and should be a good backup this season, after some poor form last year. On the wings, I'm a little less sanguine. Jenkinson is not up to snuff to me, particularly going forward, and I really wish we would bring in quality cover until Sagna returns. On the other side, Gibbs looked bright at times but I still worry about him. Santos impressed at times, but like many Brazilian fullbacks, seems more intent going forward then actually defending. A fullback is a priority to me, and I hope we pick one up. I think we should also unload some of the deadwood on the bench.
In midfield, even with Song's departure, I think we are looking quite good. Cazorla was unbelievable and watch video clips of Sahin and you will see a player who more consistently gets the ball forward than Song ever did. We must remember that he played a key role for us last year playing centre-half on occasion and did assist 11 times. But he often played out of position and is certainly not as good going forward as Cazorla. Add to the mix Arteta, Wilshire (when he returns), Diaby (who showed why he does have the potential to be a key player this year), and Ramsey (who I'm afraid will never actually live up to his potential, but should be pushed toward the bench anyway). We could sign another defensive midfielder, but I'm not sure we need one. And, of course, we have Chamberlain, who might move from the wing to the hole position depending on where Cazorla plays, and provide another creative presence moving forward.
The attack is the major area of concern at present. I do believe Podolski and Giroux will settle and do well this year, but the heavy burden of replacing RvP might weigh on them early in the year. It appeared to yesterday, but there is time to adjust (though not too much). Gervinho looked like a new player yesterday, after a compelling preseason, and I look for him to be an important source of assists -- and hopeful some goals to boot. Walcott was less impressive, except for a few quality runs and a chance that I think Podolski should have pounded in. But maybe he will come good in a more consistent way this year (I hope). I still think another striker would be a smart move, particularly as we now have $39 million pounds we didn't a week ago, but the cheap option, Mirallas, is now gone so Wenger would have to splash the cash -- which seems unlikely. Rumors are Arshavin is in St. Petes and I hope that means we are finally unloading him and I would also like to see Chamakh gone as well.
The reality is we have lost too many players in recent years after cultivating them into top notch players. Too often, those players leave for our rivals. On top of this, we seem to too consistently lose out on top targets. How would last season have gone if we plucked Mata when he was available? We were only a few million pounds off and really could have used his creativity and goal threat. Or Hazard, who seemed likely until right at the end (and the mysterious Park snag that might have helped close the possibility)? In defense, I think Cahill would have been a better signing than Mertesacker and could have really helped our leaky defense. And the list goes on. Wenger's stubborness might be at the heart of the matter, but it is clear that the owners currently seem more intent on cashing in than making us winners. How long will fans put up with it? How long will the players, who seem on a mass exodus out of the club?
To finish on a positive note, I will go back to a point I made at the start. The players who have left have often found glory in their new surroundings (Fabergas and Nasri, most obviously), but why did they underperform at key moments for Arsenal? Has Wenger lost his touch or is there just too much complacency at the club and players who are not innate winners? I think the flush out could bring in a new crop of players that really want to prove the pundits wrong and really compete for trophies. It may be wishful thinking, but one hopes it comes to pass. At present, Arsenal stand on the precipice of a cliff -- by setting the bar too low, failing to reach it would be disastrous. Wenger has always qualified for the Champions League and that might be in real danger this year. If it comes to pass, Europa may beckon and the beleaguered feeling that we truly have reached the end of an era. But if Arsenal outperform this season and actually win silverware (I'd say the league is beyond them already but FA Cup and Carling/Capital One should be priorities), finish in the top four and silence the critics, maybe a rennaissance awaits ...
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Arsenal .... Disappoint with Some Hope
Well, a 0-0 draw at home against a less than impressive Sunderland is not the result Gooners were hoping for. There were some bright spots but clearly fears that the absence of RvP is going to smart all season. We controlled the game completely after some early sloppy defending (70 percent possession) and created some real opportunities, but lacked the cutting edge that has cost the club over the past few years. And the way Sunderland played the game will certainly provide a blue print for others, including Stoke next week. Sit back, absorb pressure and hope the Gunners don't put it in net. The way to break this up, of course, is to score early, and that will have to be the real push this year from my perspective. To the grades:
Podolski (C): seemed a bit out of sort, out of position on a few occasions and missed two half chances early by getting bullied out when the goal was open. He will need to improve.
Gervinho (A-): we will still have to see if he can finish when given the chance, but he was bright throughout. His game is based on getting around defenders and he did it more often than not today. Missed a little on the end, but set up others for opportunities they didn't take. Certainly promising after the drop in form after ACN last year.
Walcott (B-): Walcott had some good runs and provided a couple of really good opportunities, but sometimes disappeared and was outshone by Gervinho through much of the match. He will have to step up this year or be unseated by others.
Cazorla (A): showed why he excited Arsenal fans so much once the rumors of his capture surfaced. Missed some chances on goal, but created many and only had two errant passes in the first half. Set up Giroux beautifully on the 82nd minute, but the Frenchman pushed the ball terribly wide. I think he will be a revelation this year and the replacement for Fabergas we've needed.
Arteta (B-): not much from Mikel, who seemed to disappear for large stretches of the match. His role has been partially taken by Cazorla, but we need him to get the offense moving forward quickly after defensive stops.
Diaby (B+): nice to see him back on the pitch and contributing. There are always the injury concerns but, if he can stay healthy, could be a key contributor with his ability to keep the ball in tight quarters, good vision and strong shot. He becomes all the more important with Song now gone. I hope we are planning on replacing him -- otherwise further reason to believe Arsenal are more interested in profits then trophies at the moment.
Jenkinson (C): didn't have to do much on defense, but I have never been terribly impressed with the Charleton full back. And that was reinforced today, with him rarely involved and fluffing a lot of crosses wastefully.
Vermaelen (B+): looked back to his old self with several important tackles and a strong game in the middle. As we move on from negative football in the future, a lot will rest on the Belgian's shoulders.
Mertesacker (B+): a good game for the German, even as there was little pressure. I'm constantly worried about his pace on the break, but was solid with some nice positional football (his strength).
Gibbs (B): A strong game after some early trouble, but nothing truly revelatory. If Giroux is in the middle, we will need him to get in good crosses, and one hopes crosses get better in general as the season goes on.
Giroux (C+): while he looked better than Podoloski, he missed an easy opportunity to be early hero in the 82nd minute. Instead we will probably find ourselves two points off the pace right off the boot. I think he will improve, but this was the key with RvP last year -- need to finish our chances.
Arshavin (B+): looked okay coming on, but I hope it's for the last time. The little Russian who sometimes can, just isn't the player we were hoping for and it's time to move him on.
Ramsey (B): Ramsey looked decent, but as has become the pattern, misses on shots, tries blind passes which rarely come off and just isn't doing enough to help the squad. I think he might see his time increasingly sparse if he doesn't impress in the coming weeks.
Arsenal have the potentially to have a decent season and hopefully push for cup glory, which should be a top priority now, but will not challenge for the title unless we see surprisingly performances from a number of the players. We need goals and it is unclear how we will replace the production of RvP. Man U look set to take back the title, though City will certainly still be up there. With Tottenham, Liverpool, Newcastle and maybe some other surprise in the mix, Arsenal cannot blow many points this year if Arsene is to keep his UCL steak intact. Two are now gone and we will have a similar opponent in the scrappy Stoke next weekend. The real concern is all the players that have left in the past few years. Why? What has happened that has pushed loyal Gunners to run toward the door. Has Wenger lost it? Has he lost the competitive fire that made his first eight years sublime? Is our pay structure hurting us as footballers understandably chase the money? We need to win something to stop the rot. I can't help think that the Carling Cup loss has been a key factor decimating this team for the past season and a half. Let's hope we make another signing and get back on track next week.
Podolski (C): seemed a bit out of sort, out of position on a few occasions and missed two half chances early by getting bullied out when the goal was open. He will need to improve.
Gervinho (A-): we will still have to see if he can finish when given the chance, but he was bright throughout. His game is based on getting around defenders and he did it more often than not today. Missed a little on the end, but set up others for opportunities they didn't take. Certainly promising after the drop in form after ACN last year.
Walcott (B-): Walcott had some good runs and provided a couple of really good opportunities, but sometimes disappeared and was outshone by Gervinho through much of the match. He will have to step up this year or be unseated by others.
Cazorla (A): showed why he excited Arsenal fans so much once the rumors of his capture surfaced. Missed some chances on goal, but created many and only had two errant passes in the first half. Set up Giroux beautifully on the 82nd minute, but the Frenchman pushed the ball terribly wide. I think he will be a revelation this year and the replacement for Fabergas we've needed.
Arteta (B-): not much from Mikel, who seemed to disappear for large stretches of the match. His role has been partially taken by Cazorla, but we need him to get the offense moving forward quickly after defensive stops.
Diaby (B+): nice to see him back on the pitch and contributing. There are always the injury concerns but, if he can stay healthy, could be a key contributor with his ability to keep the ball in tight quarters, good vision and strong shot. He becomes all the more important with Song now gone. I hope we are planning on replacing him -- otherwise further reason to believe Arsenal are more interested in profits then trophies at the moment.
Jenkinson (C): didn't have to do much on defense, but I have never been terribly impressed with the Charleton full back. And that was reinforced today, with him rarely involved and fluffing a lot of crosses wastefully.
Vermaelen (B+): looked back to his old self with several important tackles and a strong game in the middle. As we move on from negative football in the future, a lot will rest on the Belgian's shoulders.
Mertesacker (B+): a good game for the German, even as there was little pressure. I'm constantly worried about his pace on the break, but was solid with some nice positional football (his strength).
Gibbs (B): A strong game after some early trouble, but nothing truly revelatory. If Giroux is in the middle, we will need him to get in good crosses, and one hopes crosses get better in general as the season goes on.
Giroux (C+): while he looked better than Podoloski, he missed an easy opportunity to be early hero in the 82nd minute. Instead we will probably find ourselves two points off the pace right off the boot. I think he will improve, but this was the key with RvP last year -- need to finish our chances.
Arshavin (B+): looked okay coming on, but I hope it's for the last time. The little Russian who sometimes can, just isn't the player we were hoping for and it's time to move him on.
Ramsey (B): Ramsey looked decent, but as has become the pattern, misses on shots, tries blind passes which rarely come off and just isn't doing enough to help the squad. I think he might see his time increasingly sparse if he doesn't impress in the coming weeks.
Arsenal have the potentially to have a decent season and hopefully push for cup glory, which should be a top priority now, but will not challenge for the title unless we see surprisingly performances from a number of the players. We need goals and it is unclear how we will replace the production of RvP. Man U look set to take back the title, though City will certainly still be up there. With Tottenham, Liverpool, Newcastle and maybe some other surprise in the mix, Arsenal cannot blow many points this year if Arsene is to keep his UCL steak intact. Two are now gone and we will have a similar opponent in the scrappy Stoke next weekend. The real concern is all the players that have left in the past few years. Why? What has happened that has pushed loyal Gunners to run toward the door. Has Wenger lost it? Has he lost the competitive fire that made his first eight years sublime? Is our pay structure hurting us as footballers understandably chase the money? We need to win something to stop the rot. I can't help think that the Carling Cup loss has been a key factor decimating this team for the past season and a half. Let's hope we make another signing and get back on track next week.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
RIP RVP
Well, the news is official. After months of back and forth and one media report after another turning out false, Robin Van Persie has walked out the Arsenal door for the last time. The destination for those not following the story, is hated rival Manchester United. This means in the past few years we have seen beloved Gunners leave for a host of our closest rivals including Ashley Cole and Nickolas Anelke to Chelsea, Emmanuel Adebajor to Tottenham (through the back door), Patrick Viera (in management), Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy to Man City (after a stop in Inter), Cesc Fabergas and Terry Henry to Barca and now RvP to Manchester United. It is a depressing list and shows how far the team has fallen since the glory of the late 90s and early aughts. But in this case, it was probably good business. Van Persie didn't want to stay and ensured that a transfer would eventually go through by posting the infamous note on his website openly criticizing Wenger and the board. Even as Wenger has now brought in three great new signings, it seems RvP's time was up.
I don't want to spend too long dwelling on Van Persie, who unlike Fabergas, Henry and Viera, I refuse to forgive for leaving. He is like too many athletes these days from Dwight Howard to Lebron James to Nasri who would rather transfer to a de facto all-star team and win then actually earn it like, say, Jordan or Arsenal themselves did. It seems pretty clear that money played a big part here, but one has to make the point that Van Persie played a part in many of our near misses over the past few seasons, from the sitter he missed against AC Milan to the failure to convert against Birmingham in the Carling, to the red card against Barca in the second leg the season before last, to all the finals, semis and quarters of cups he missed through injury. He had one great year and decided to cash in and leave a club that loved him, and that pretty much sums up what I think of him now. Adieu, adieu!
The problem, of course, is replacing him. Arsenal has a great mix of seasoned talent and youth now, but do they have a leader they can trust in the crunch? Without RvP, I am worried the answer might be no. We will have to see how Podolski and Giroux handle the pressure and physicality of the Premiership, how they jell with the other players and whether they can hold up for a season (though the friendly Sunday certainly gives one some hope on the first two counts). I believe Cazorla will be a revelation and that Chamberlain will have an outstanding campaign. I still worry about our defensive line-up, and our holding midfielder, if the other big rumor surrounding Arsenal comes true and Song departs for Barca. But we are still being linked with some interesting names and one hopes we use the 24 million or so pounds we get for "the traitor" (as he will henceforth be known), to do more business. Among the most promising are the creative Turkish midfielder Sahin, striker Llorente and Meirellas (sorry, to lazy to check spelling on this). In any case, more to follow, but I remain cautiously hopeful that we will finish fourth in the EPL, win no trophies and Wenger will again proclaim it a success (just kidding). Go Gunners! F-U Robin!
I don't want to spend too long dwelling on Van Persie, who unlike Fabergas, Henry and Viera, I refuse to forgive for leaving. He is like too many athletes these days from Dwight Howard to Lebron James to Nasri who would rather transfer to a de facto all-star team and win then actually earn it like, say, Jordan or Arsenal themselves did. It seems pretty clear that money played a big part here, but one has to make the point that Van Persie played a part in many of our near misses over the past few seasons, from the sitter he missed against AC Milan to the failure to convert against Birmingham in the Carling, to the red card against Barca in the second leg the season before last, to all the finals, semis and quarters of cups he missed through injury. He had one great year and decided to cash in and leave a club that loved him, and that pretty much sums up what I think of him now. Adieu, adieu!
The problem, of course, is replacing him. Arsenal has a great mix of seasoned talent and youth now, but do they have a leader they can trust in the crunch? Without RvP, I am worried the answer might be no. We will have to see how Podolski and Giroux handle the pressure and physicality of the Premiership, how they jell with the other players and whether they can hold up for a season (though the friendly Sunday certainly gives one some hope on the first two counts). I believe Cazorla will be a revelation and that Chamberlain will have an outstanding campaign. I still worry about our defensive line-up, and our holding midfielder, if the other big rumor surrounding Arsenal comes true and Song departs for Barca. But we are still being linked with some interesting names and one hopes we use the 24 million or so pounds we get for "the traitor" (as he will henceforth be known), to do more business. Among the most promising are the creative Turkish midfielder Sahin, striker Llorente and Meirellas (sorry, to lazy to check spelling on this). In any case, more to follow, but I remain cautiously hopeful that we will finish fourth in the EPL, win no trophies and Wenger will again proclaim it a success (just kidding). Go Gunners! F-U Robin!
Liars, Damn Liars and Romney
Double speak is on a rampage these days, from cheaters calling themselves sex addicts to Romney calling out Obama's campaign as "about division and attack
and hatred" that is "designed to bring a sense of enmity and jealousy
and anger." (CNN) This came a week after Romney coined his own term "Obamabloney" (see below) to attack the President for lying so much. To call the Obama campaign hateful is like Minstrel stars calling blacks racist for picketing outside a show, just as Romney critiquing the President for lying is like an elephant calling a mouse "fatty." One of the more interesting terms used here, besides hatred (which I guarantee will be used by Romney as the election nears), is "jealousy." The reference, of course, is an attempt to argue that the poor and middle class condemning the growing inequality in America is simply envy, and that there is no reason to engage in such debates. It is one way to handle the biggest problem Romney faces -- which is the fact that he himself is emblematic of what Americans are so tired of, the rich and entitled "elitist" Ivy Leaguers whose greed is costing average people jobs and reducing the overall quality of life of Americans.
The campaign is clearly sizing up as one of the most contentious in history, with Romney and his team willing to say just about anything to win. The lies started with the first campaign ad (which famously used a clip of Obama saying: "The McCain campaign say if the election is about the economy, we lose", without the rather contextually important, but inconvenient, first three words) but they have accelerated in recent months. And while attacking your enemy for doing what you're doing is a tried and tested rhetorical strategy, here it almost seems like classic Freudian projection from a man that seems to stand for little but the interests of his below multimillionaires. Now that he has signed up Ryan on the ticket, at least he can't pretend to be a moderate and one could thus argue that like 2000 (though with a very different media narrative), this election is shaping up as one that will affect the country for decades ...
Sunday, August 12, 2012
True Colors ... Shining Through
It is hard to pigeonholing what Mitt Romney actually stands for, as he has far surpassed any "flip-flopping" presidential candidate in recent memory, making Kerry seem like a "decider" in the mold of George Bush (cough, cough). But with the selection of Tea Party darling Paul Ryan (Rep-R), any suppositions that he would move toward the center after winning the GOP nomination has disappeared. Instead it appears the ticket will try to win on charisma (which Romney has little of), good looks (one could say Romney and Ryan certainly have the advantage here) and attacks and lies (which Romney is quite good at). Ryan sells himself as a rebel that is looking to sensibly deal with the debt. But as The New Republic highlighted in an article yesterday, he is a truly radical figure who seeks to rewrite the social contract in ways that benefit the wealthy and hurt everyone else (Six Things to Know About Ryan).
As the article points out, the Ryan plan last year proposed a radical rearticulation of the government that would essentially lead to the biggest redistribution of wealth from the poor and middle class to the rich in history. Ryan's plan would leave the elderly again making decisions between healthcare and luxuries like rent and food, eliminate health insurance for millions of working Americans, cut government services so radically that the CBO estimates say they would be unable to perform basic services like food inspection, education support or road repair and seek to destroy the entitlements that seem more necessary today and in the future than ever (given increased poverty and an aging population of baby boomers). I think all six points made by the article are worth repeating:
1. Ryan believes in cutting Medicare substantially, with a New York Review of Books mentioning that compensation would fall from 68 to 25 percent over time. He wants to change the current program to one with vouchers, with few safeguards to ensure that they keep up with rising prices.
2. Ryan wants to end Medicaid as we know it. Following the script that has seen the GOP try to gut other successful programs for poverty abatement like Head Start, Ryan would call for block grants for Medicaid rather than the current federal to state compensation scheme. This would mean more poor, disabled and elderly without access to healthcare (from 14 to 27 million according the Kaiser Foundation and Urban Institute). To put it bluntly, it really means lowering the life expectancy of the poor.
3. Ryan has brought up the idea of privatizing Social Security yet again. As I have outlined in the past (a few years ago), this is simply a plan to line the pockets of investment banks, Wall Street and investors, as stock prices become unnaturally inflated in the short run. If we want to make SS more solvent, a more pragmatic method would simply be to invest the money collectively in more high yield options. Giving people "control of their own money" simply means many will lose it, and thus have nothing to retire on.
4. Ryan wants to bleed the government of resources to the point they can't carry out routine services. Ryan proposed cutting the interest on the debt to GDP ration down to 4%, whereas it has not been below 8% since WWII (the current figure is 12%). To accomplish this, discretionary spending would be cut in every area and this would mean less oversight, less protection for workers and the poor, less social services and essentially ending the role of government in regulating the market and helping those in need (a sort of the "Awful Society"). One good piece of news is he doesn't want to cut, but actually increase, defense spending (the next cold war is clearly just around the corner).
5. Ryan wants to lead the biggest transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to rich in history. Paul Krugman wrote an interesting article for The New York Review of Books recently, arguing that we could get out of this "depression" now by simply spending government money to create new jobs. Ryan instead wants to keep the Bush tax cuts and expand them. To put this in context, the CBO estimates that the Bush tax cuts will cost $4.2 trillion by 2018, while the Ryan proposal asks for cuts during the same time of about, you guessed it, $4 trillion. Thus we could save ourselves from these draconian measures by simply reinstating the dreaded "death tax" (which, by the way, makes sense in a meritocracy) and upping the top tax rate from 35 percent to, gasp, 39.5 percent --- which is where it was until Clinton. Ryan truly is Robin Hood in reverse!
6. Ryan is truly radical when it comes to abortion rights. He has even argued for prosecuting women who have abortions. It's good that we have male candidates in 2012 who are still stuck in the 1950s.
Ryan is a radical right wing lunatic who cloaks these behind bonhomie and a wonkishness that many find appealing. He talks in common sense language about the need to cut the deficit and long term debt, without showing his real hand -- which is further solidifying corporate and elite power while further undermining the power of government to do anything to stop them. With this pick, we now know what this election is about -- with a man worth at least $190 million running for president to serve his rich brethren in continuing to screw the poor and middle-class for their own greed. Can this reality really fail to escape the public for long?
As the article points out, the Ryan plan last year proposed a radical rearticulation of the government that would essentially lead to the biggest redistribution of wealth from the poor and middle class to the rich in history. Ryan's plan would leave the elderly again making decisions between healthcare and luxuries like rent and food, eliminate health insurance for millions of working Americans, cut government services so radically that the CBO estimates say they would be unable to perform basic services like food inspection, education support or road repair and seek to destroy the entitlements that seem more necessary today and in the future than ever (given increased poverty and an aging population of baby boomers). I think all six points made by the article are worth repeating:
1. Ryan believes in cutting Medicare substantially, with a New York Review of Books mentioning that compensation would fall from 68 to 25 percent over time. He wants to change the current program to one with vouchers, with few safeguards to ensure that they keep up with rising prices.
2. Ryan wants to end Medicaid as we know it. Following the script that has seen the GOP try to gut other successful programs for poverty abatement like Head Start, Ryan would call for block grants for Medicaid rather than the current federal to state compensation scheme. This would mean more poor, disabled and elderly without access to healthcare (from 14 to 27 million according the Kaiser Foundation and Urban Institute). To put it bluntly, it really means lowering the life expectancy of the poor.
3. Ryan has brought up the idea of privatizing Social Security yet again. As I have outlined in the past (a few years ago), this is simply a plan to line the pockets of investment banks, Wall Street and investors, as stock prices become unnaturally inflated in the short run. If we want to make SS more solvent, a more pragmatic method would simply be to invest the money collectively in more high yield options. Giving people "control of their own money" simply means many will lose it, and thus have nothing to retire on.
4. Ryan wants to bleed the government of resources to the point they can't carry out routine services. Ryan proposed cutting the interest on the debt to GDP ration down to 4%, whereas it has not been below 8% since WWII (the current figure is 12%). To accomplish this, discretionary spending would be cut in every area and this would mean less oversight, less protection for workers and the poor, less social services and essentially ending the role of government in regulating the market and helping those in need (a sort of the "Awful Society"). One good piece of news is he doesn't want to cut, but actually increase, defense spending (the next cold war is clearly just around the corner).
5. Ryan wants to lead the biggest transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to rich in history. Paul Krugman wrote an interesting article for The New York Review of Books recently, arguing that we could get out of this "depression" now by simply spending government money to create new jobs. Ryan instead wants to keep the Bush tax cuts and expand them. To put this in context, the CBO estimates that the Bush tax cuts will cost $4.2 trillion by 2018, while the Ryan proposal asks for cuts during the same time of about, you guessed it, $4 trillion. Thus we could save ourselves from these draconian measures by simply reinstating the dreaded "death tax" (which, by the way, makes sense in a meritocracy) and upping the top tax rate from 35 percent to, gasp, 39.5 percent --- which is where it was until Clinton. Ryan truly is Robin Hood in reverse!
6. Ryan is truly radical when it comes to abortion rights. He has even argued for prosecuting women who have abortions. It's good that we have male candidates in 2012 who are still stuck in the 1950s.
Ryan is a radical right wing lunatic who cloaks these behind bonhomie and a wonkishness that many find appealing. He talks in common sense language about the need to cut the deficit and long term debt, without showing his real hand -- which is further solidifying corporate and elite power while further undermining the power of government to do anything to stop them. With this pick, we now know what this election is about -- with a man worth at least $190 million running for president to serve his rich brethren in continuing to screw the poor and middle-class for their own greed. Can this reality really fail to escape the public for long?
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Liar Liar ... Tax Returns on Fire
The general tenor of the election is turning increasingly ugly as Romney and his corporate brethren attempt to win arguing for a return to the failed policies of W, minus any increase in government spending. Obama in a clever turn of phrase argued that the proposed policies are "Romneyhood," as the candidate plans to take money from the poor and give it to the rich. Romney's team response was to coin their own phrase: "Obamabloney." (CNN) And while this too might be clever, it belies the fact that the Romney campaign has told more half-truths and lies than any I can remember in history. The latest is an ad that claims that Obama implemented a reform to welfare laws that will eliminate the work requirement. PolitiFact.com gave the ad its harshest rating: "Pants on Fire." And this can be said of many of the ads Romney and the Republicans have scripted so far, many coming from the veteran attack ads impresario who have us the infamous "Willie Horton" ad in the 1988 election, helping Bush senior to victory over another governor from Massachusetts. The reality is that beyond election finance reform we really need a bipartisan group to oversee political ads, just as the CBO gives independent budget reviews of various bills and platforms. Too many lies are spread to people who would never go to Politifact or any other site to check their accuracy. And this undermines our democracy, further hampering the ability of uninformed Americans to make informed decisions about the future of the country. While we're at it, I think we should set standards for candidates to meet, like providing adequate tax returns to give people a view of their financial position. What can one think but that Romney has something to hide when he refuses to release them?
Sunday, August 05, 2012
Arsenal's Summer
Well, I've been away from the blog for a while. Got busy with school, a novel that's almost finished and a few papers that are currently late but nearing completion. I will be returning to look at what I see as a key presidential election now, but today wanted to touch on Arsenal. Reading U.S. papers the past few years can cause one considerable pain, as reporters and editors have seemed to completely forget that essentially component of their jobs -- fact checking. As we have a presidential candidate who has a very acrimonious relationship to the truth one hopes they remember this key charge in the future. The British press, on the other hand, has never been saddled by any pretext to this inconvenient ally in selling newspapers; with no topic more filled with half-truths, supposition and lies than the football crew.
And so Arsenal has been the subject of one false rumour after another, from the imminent departure of Van Persie to Man City, Man U and Juve to recent revelations that he might stay (which I would love to believe, but am cautious in embracing). We have been linked with every player imaginable and often claims that we have already signed them have turned out completely false. But Arsenal has been active this transfer window and it looks like we might be adding some serious offensive midfield talent to the early signings of Podolski and Giroux. If Cazorla and Sahin do in fact join the club, I believe we do become serious title and cup contenders, even if RVP exits. Call me crazy as so many football pundits will, who seem more enamored with hating and mocking Arsenal and the French Genius than any other club, but this is a team with depth, talent in the middle and up front. Our main problem last year was injuries, a dearth of effective final-third attacking and an awful start to the season after the late departures of Nasri and Fabergas. But if rumors from Spain are to be believed, Cazorla is the real deal and only one level below the Barca greats Iniesta and Xavi. Sahin will add presence in the middle and leaves Arsenal with a number of quality midfielders, with some able to play in the cup competitions rather than simply relying on our youth.
So let's look at the squad. Defensively, our first team looked better for parts of the season, before a late season drop in form from Vermaelen and more porous tendencies, particularly early in games. Sagna will not be available until October and I thus think we should really get a decent right back in who can serve as a solid backup upon his return. Jenkinson is just not ready yet, and I'm not completely convinced he ever will be. I'm also somewhat troubled by left back, with Gibbs generally failing to impress me, though he's become more dangerous moving forward. There is the possibility that Santos will come back from his injury in better form, but he was too easily beat on the left side last season.
Moving to the midfield, we look quite strong -- unless Song leaves, another rumour I hope is false. Unless we are planning to replace his with Capalou Wanayama, I just don't see this as good business. I suppose Arteta could drop back to the defensive position, but I'm not sure he can marshall the way Song does when he's on his game. Some have argued Song should be pushed forward and that is a possibility given some of his sublime passing, but I would like to see his overall completion rate improve, as he did have a tendency to lose the ball on the offensive side more than I would like. I've never seen Sahin play so can't say whether he could take this position as well, but I do like Coquelin a lot and think he might grow into that position if we don't need him to cover so often along the defensive line. Wilshire will return in October and Chamberlain could potentially move into the hole, or play on the right wing. The man who might get lost in the mix is Ramsey, who I personally have lost faith in, and thus see this as a good thing. The reality is that competition for play time will be at a premium and that will be a good thing.
Up front, we also look strong, particularly if recent rumours of a RvP U-turn are to be believed. If he does go, it looks like Giroux will play up the middle and Podolski and Gervinho will share duties on the left wing. On the right we have Walcott and Chamberlain vying for time. If RvP stays, one assumes Giroux will be the backup, or maybe move to the wing occasionally (or vice versa, as RvP could clearly play wide -- though I don't see it happening often). We also have some youngsters that could push for some time on the pitch including Afobe. And the future looks bright with a number of prospects on loan that could find their way starting or in the first team next season. A lot hinges on RvP's decision, on whether Gervinho ups his game again, on how consistent Walcott is and on how Giroux and Podolski adapt to the EPL. But one could see Arsenal being one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the league if anyone besides RvP starts putting the ball in the back of the net with regularity. It's important to recognize that that's exactly what happened at the end of last season, as our captain's production dipped.
Finally, I want to discuss what moves are left to be made this summer to shore up our finances and maybe bring in those final pieces that can help us compete again at the top of the EPL. Obviously we have some players to sell and one hopes we offload Arshavin (who has no place at all at the club anymore), Squillaci (who, for lack of a better word, sucks), Bendtner (who will never be as good as he thinks he is, but might find glory elsewhere), Chamakh (I'm really tired of Gooners who want to give the kid another chance; he had it and it just didn't happen after a nice start) and Djourou (though he did have some better spells last year toward the end). As to needs now that we have four major signings in the bag (one hopes) -- I would look to shore up the defense with a right back (1st need, as Sagna won't be back for a while and Jenkinson just isn't ready to take the reigns from what I've seen), a left back (2nd need, I'm less convinced by Gibbs than most and worry, along with others, that Santos is too easily bullied by the best right backs in the game) and/or maybe a center back (Kosielny and Vermaelen are great (though the lattter has to stop pushing forward so much unless we push Song or Sahin or Arteta further back when he does and/or get a more defensively strong left back) and Mertesacker should be a good backup, but I feel one more powerful force in the middle would do us well). Of course, we won't be getting three defenders and their is hope that Miquel might be ready to make the move up. I hope we do keep RVP for the season, even if he does leave for free next year. Wenger has made a lot of positive moves this summer and one has to wonder ... what has taken you so long? But losing our top player yet again would send the wrong message to the fans, particularly if he heads to City or United. And one more year with RvP leading the line will give Giroux time to acclimate to the EPL and give the 29 year old the rest he really needed last year (as his production did tail off a bit at the end of the season, as I've noted before).
I do believe Arsenal has the potential to surprise a lot of people this year by challenging at the top. But that depends on the new squad linking up well in a very short period, as we are but two weeks away from starting our season against Sunderland. I hope Wenger realizes that we need silverware this season and puts real effort into the FA and/or Carling Cup -- his stubborness on this point has cost us in the past and one mustn't forget he fell out of both while on a decent run of form last year and could have pushed harder with more veterans in the squad. The Sunderland loss was particularly disappointing (FA Cup) though the tough loss to City also showed a young squad that played well but couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. Only time will tell whether more tears will be shed this year (making it eight years running) ... I hope not.
And so Arsenal has been the subject of one false rumour after another, from the imminent departure of Van Persie to Man City, Man U and Juve to recent revelations that he might stay (which I would love to believe, but am cautious in embracing). We have been linked with every player imaginable and often claims that we have already signed them have turned out completely false. But Arsenal has been active this transfer window and it looks like we might be adding some serious offensive midfield talent to the early signings of Podolski and Giroux. If Cazorla and Sahin do in fact join the club, I believe we do become serious title and cup contenders, even if RVP exits. Call me crazy as so many football pundits will, who seem more enamored with hating and mocking Arsenal and the French Genius than any other club, but this is a team with depth, talent in the middle and up front. Our main problem last year was injuries, a dearth of effective final-third attacking and an awful start to the season after the late departures of Nasri and Fabergas. But if rumors from Spain are to be believed, Cazorla is the real deal and only one level below the Barca greats Iniesta and Xavi. Sahin will add presence in the middle and leaves Arsenal with a number of quality midfielders, with some able to play in the cup competitions rather than simply relying on our youth.
So let's look at the squad. Defensively, our first team looked better for parts of the season, before a late season drop in form from Vermaelen and more porous tendencies, particularly early in games. Sagna will not be available until October and I thus think we should really get a decent right back in who can serve as a solid backup upon his return. Jenkinson is just not ready yet, and I'm not completely convinced he ever will be. I'm also somewhat troubled by left back, with Gibbs generally failing to impress me, though he's become more dangerous moving forward. There is the possibility that Santos will come back from his injury in better form, but he was too easily beat on the left side last season.
Moving to the midfield, we look quite strong -- unless Song leaves, another rumour I hope is false. Unless we are planning to replace his with Capalou Wanayama, I just don't see this as good business. I suppose Arteta could drop back to the defensive position, but I'm not sure he can marshall the way Song does when he's on his game. Some have argued Song should be pushed forward and that is a possibility given some of his sublime passing, but I would like to see his overall completion rate improve, as he did have a tendency to lose the ball on the offensive side more than I would like. I've never seen Sahin play so can't say whether he could take this position as well, but I do like Coquelin a lot and think he might grow into that position if we don't need him to cover so often along the defensive line. Wilshire will return in October and Chamberlain could potentially move into the hole, or play on the right wing. The man who might get lost in the mix is Ramsey, who I personally have lost faith in, and thus see this as a good thing. The reality is that competition for play time will be at a premium and that will be a good thing.
Up front, we also look strong, particularly if recent rumours of a RvP U-turn are to be believed. If he does go, it looks like Giroux will play up the middle and Podolski and Gervinho will share duties on the left wing. On the right we have Walcott and Chamberlain vying for time. If RvP stays, one assumes Giroux will be the backup, or maybe move to the wing occasionally (or vice versa, as RvP could clearly play wide -- though I don't see it happening often). We also have some youngsters that could push for some time on the pitch including Afobe. And the future looks bright with a number of prospects on loan that could find their way starting or in the first team next season. A lot hinges on RvP's decision, on whether Gervinho ups his game again, on how consistent Walcott is and on how Giroux and Podolski adapt to the EPL. But one could see Arsenal being one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the league if anyone besides RvP starts putting the ball in the back of the net with regularity. It's important to recognize that that's exactly what happened at the end of last season, as our captain's production dipped.
Finally, I want to discuss what moves are left to be made this summer to shore up our finances and maybe bring in those final pieces that can help us compete again at the top of the EPL. Obviously we have some players to sell and one hopes we offload Arshavin (who has no place at all at the club anymore), Squillaci (who, for lack of a better word, sucks), Bendtner (who will never be as good as he thinks he is, but might find glory elsewhere), Chamakh (I'm really tired of Gooners who want to give the kid another chance; he had it and it just didn't happen after a nice start) and Djourou (though he did have some better spells last year toward the end). As to needs now that we have four major signings in the bag (one hopes) -- I would look to shore up the defense with a right back (1st need, as Sagna won't be back for a while and Jenkinson just isn't ready to take the reigns from what I've seen), a left back (2nd need, I'm less convinced by Gibbs than most and worry, along with others, that Santos is too easily bullied by the best right backs in the game) and/or maybe a center back (Kosielny and Vermaelen are great (though the lattter has to stop pushing forward so much unless we push Song or Sahin or Arteta further back when he does and/or get a more defensively strong left back) and Mertesacker should be a good backup, but I feel one more powerful force in the middle would do us well). Of course, we won't be getting three defenders and their is hope that Miquel might be ready to make the move up. I hope we do keep RVP for the season, even if he does leave for free next year. Wenger has made a lot of positive moves this summer and one has to wonder ... what has taken you so long? But losing our top player yet again would send the wrong message to the fans, particularly if he heads to City or United. And one more year with RvP leading the line will give Giroux time to acclimate to the EPL and give the 29 year old the rest he really needed last year (as his production did tail off a bit at the end of the season, as I've noted before).
I do believe Arsenal has the potential to surprise a lot of people this year by challenging at the top. But that depends on the new squad linking up well in a very short period, as we are but two weeks away from starting our season against Sunderland. I hope Wenger realizes that we need silverware this season and puts real effort into the FA and/or Carling Cup -- his stubborness on this point has cost us in the past and one mustn't forget he fell out of both while on a decent run of form last year and could have pushed harder with more veterans in the squad. The Sunderland loss was particularly disappointing (FA Cup) though the tough loss to City also showed a young squad that played well but couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. Only time will tell whether more tears will be shed this year (making it eight years running) ... I hope not.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
A Wellbutrin a Day Keeps the Doctor Flush
Good news in a recent lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline, which cost them $3 billion: Slate. Apparently it is but a small dent in their profits and the company and pharmaceutical industry will be just fine (the stock was actually up after the settlement). Glaxo, for one, has annual sales of $44 billion and the fine will do little to alter their practice of paying off doctors to market their drugs to patients. And for those who were concerned, Dr. Drew Pinsky will be just fine as well. Yes he looks kind of bad for taking money from the company he is shilling drugs for on television, to the tune of $275,000 for those who are counting. And sure he garnered another $115,000 from Jansen Pharmaceuticals. But rest assured that this doesn't influence the advice he's giving to women and children. And the money the pharma industry is giving to the FDA can't possibly influence their decision on drugs either. So clearly this is just another frivolous lawsuit that will do little to end the kickbacks that help doctors, TV personalities and the FDA make informed decisions on the treatments they should suggest for their patients. Whew, that felt troubling for a second.
Friday, July 06, 2012
The Nightmare Way Before Christmas ... Arsenal Style
As everyone who follows football at all now knows, Robin Van Persie wants out of Arsenal. Not only has he committed to leaving, he felt like taking a measured pot shot at manager Arsene Wenger and the management on his way out the door. Of course, that exit could be in the next few days, or it could be a year from now. What emerges in the wake of his statement (on his personal website) and the Arsenal response is a series of questions about the direction of the club, the reason so many stars are leaving and what those in charge can do to stop the growing belief that Arsenal is merely a very good "feeder club" for the real leaders of Europe: Man City, Man U, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and, maybe, PSG in the future. With the exception of Barcelona and Real Madrid, these are the clubs with endless streams of money to spend on transfer fees and player salaries. At the top of the list are Man City, Chelsea and PSG, seemingly willing to spend any amount of money to improve their teams (and hurt their rivals).
Where does this leave Arsenal, a club that refuses to pay even 20 million pounds for a player? Increasingly in the hinterlands of the sport, looking in on those they once competed with, or beat with regularity like Chelsea and Man City. Arsenal has their own Russian plutocrat knocking on the door with a 30 percent stake in the club and a yearning to join the board and spend the big bucks to bring a trophy to the Emirates for the first time in seven years. But our American owner Stan Kroenke doesn't want him having anything to do with the club and has blocked him at every corner. He has also largely blocked any critique of Wenger and, from the rumors that have been floating around for a year or so now, pushed him to sell Nasri and Fabergas against his wishes. Looking at the slow decline in this squad since the 2005-06 season (when we came a late collapse away from the champions league), we have lost Henry (though he was soon on the decline), Hleb, Viera, Cole, Adebayor, Cliche, Fabergas, Nasri and a host of others. We have been beat to the punch on Hazard (who I think we might have gotten if we didn't piss off his team by stealing Park, who seemed like a complete waste of money), Vertonghen (who I read just signed for Spurs after protracted transfer fee negotiations), Kagawa (if those rumors were true), Mata, etc., etc, etc.
Arsenal just can't seem to compete for the top players in Europe any longer and instead grabs young talent or lesser known players who either live up to their potential and leave or fail to impress in the end. If RvP does leave this summer, it is plausible that Walcott and Vermaelen will follow him out the door. And then we are in big trouble, even though I wouldn't mind seeing Walcott leave if the circumstances were different. The problem is it would make other players even more uncertain of the ambitions of the Gunners. And that is really the question that has emerged in the past few years. But all this has been discussed in great detail. So let's consider the situation from a slightly different angle ...
Most people will say I'm insane for saying this, but RvP was not as great a player after the loss to AC Milan, in which it should be remembered that he missed a clear opportunity in front of the keeper to get that fourth goal and at least push the tie to overtime. Instead another heartbreaker for Gunners and their fans. And the season before, while it was an absurd red, Van Persie helped Barcelona make up the 2-1 deficit and blast past us on the way to Champions League glory. His first yellow was completely unnecessary and put the team on edge before the "whistle heard round the world." And in that same game, Fabergas allowed the first goal right before halftime, as many of us remember. RvP's production fell dramatically after that game and it almost cost us third place. Yes he continued to score goals, and yes we went on a run afterwards, but with goals from the supporting cast more than RvP. And following that drop in form was a very average Euros where he again fell short of expectations. This is not to say that he wouldn't come back refreshed and start back where he left off before the end of season slump, but it is plausible that he is on his way back to human form. RvP's production over the course of his Arsenal career is as follows (Season/Starts/Goals):
Where does this leave Arsenal, a club that refuses to pay even 20 million pounds for a player? Increasingly in the hinterlands of the sport, looking in on those they once competed with, or beat with regularity like Chelsea and Man City. Arsenal has their own Russian plutocrat knocking on the door with a 30 percent stake in the club and a yearning to join the board and spend the big bucks to bring a trophy to the Emirates for the first time in seven years. But our American owner Stan Kroenke doesn't want him having anything to do with the club and has blocked him at every corner. He has also largely blocked any critique of Wenger and, from the rumors that have been floating around for a year or so now, pushed him to sell Nasri and Fabergas against his wishes. Looking at the slow decline in this squad since the 2005-06 season (when we came a late collapse away from the champions league), we have lost Henry (though he was soon on the decline), Hleb, Viera, Cole, Adebayor, Cliche, Fabergas, Nasri and a host of others. We have been beat to the punch on Hazard (who I think we might have gotten if we didn't piss off his team by stealing Park, who seemed like a complete waste of money), Vertonghen (who I read just signed for Spurs after protracted transfer fee negotiations), Kagawa (if those rumors were true), Mata, etc., etc, etc.
Arsenal just can't seem to compete for the top players in Europe any longer and instead grabs young talent or lesser known players who either live up to their potential and leave or fail to impress in the end. If RvP does leave this summer, it is plausible that Walcott and Vermaelen will follow him out the door. And then we are in big trouble, even though I wouldn't mind seeing Walcott leave if the circumstances were different. The problem is it would make other players even more uncertain of the ambitions of the Gunners. And that is really the question that has emerged in the past few years. But all this has been discussed in great detail. So let's consider the situation from a slightly different angle ...
Most people will say I'm insane for saying this, but RvP was not as great a player after the loss to AC Milan, in which it should be remembered that he missed a clear opportunity in front of the keeper to get that fourth goal and at least push the tie to overtime. Instead another heartbreaker for Gunners and their fans. And the season before, while it was an absurd red, Van Persie helped Barcelona make up the 2-1 deficit and blast past us on the way to Champions League glory. His first yellow was completely unnecessary and put the team on edge before the "whistle heard round the world." And in that same game, Fabergas allowed the first goal right before halftime, as many of us remember. RvP's production fell dramatically after that game and it almost cost us third place. Yes he continued to score goals, and yes we went on a run afterwards, but with goals from the supporting cast more than RvP. And following that drop in form was a very average Euros where he again fell short of expectations. This is not to say that he wouldn't come back refreshed and start back where he left off before the end of season slump, but it is plausible that he is on his way back to human form. RvP's production over the course of his Arsenal career is as follows (Season/Starts/Goals):
2004-05 18/10
2005-06 21/11
2006-07 25/13
2007-08 20/9
2008-09 38/20
2009-10 18/10
2010-11 26/22
2011-12 45/37
Total 211/132
Yes they are impressive numbers over the past four seasons, but injuries have severely restricted him over the period. And just when he has a breakout season, he decides to not only leave but essentially spit in Wenger and the clubs face on his way out the door. Now there are two possible reasons for the statement: 1) he is trying to push Arsenal to actually complete more signings and make staying worthwhile (highly unlikely) or 2) he is afraid Arsenal would make him see out the final season of his contract and then leave on free, which might affect his overall valuation (particularly if he is again struck by injuries). While this continues the trend of players ruling over club and managers, as is the new trend in world footfall, at some level, can we blame him? Arsenal has been linked with just about every available player for the past three seasons and yet have very little to show for it besides Arteta and the Ox (and maybe Pod and Giroud, though we'll have to wait and see on these two). Wenger has blown a number of opportunities to sign great players and seems poised to lose out on Vertonghen and M'Villa, both long term targets of the skipper. With the former, it may very well be a case of limited opportunities for first-team football, with the latter a sense that he saw a drop in form last year and didn't acquit himself well at the Euros. But isn't Wenger known for turning players like this around? ... including Van Persie, for that matter.
The problem, besides Wenger's apparent stubborness, and what seems like personal greed on the part of the board, is that great players generally don't want to go to the Emirates. They know that there are "greener" pastures to the North, West, South and even East (PSG, for one). Yes, Arsenal has some talented young stars in the making in Ox, Sczenzny, Frimpong and a few others, but lack the veterans around them. The team seems to have lost faith in the magic of their boss and seven years without a trophy means potentially wasting their talents and ambitions on a club that calls making the Champions League a worthy goal. What is ironic, is the very players that have walked out the door have played a part in our failures over that period, from the Champions League failures, to FA Cup losses to the disastrous Carling Cup final a year and a half ago that seemed to foreshadow the doom to come. If a wake up call has not emerged now for the club, it appears it may never come.
So what should be done? I think we should consider holding RvP to his contract, signing M'Villa or another defensive midfielder, a centre back better than Djourou, a creative midfielder and maybe a winger. The only good news since the Giroud signing is that Sagna should be back by the beginning of the season, making siging a quality right back less important (though I have less faith in Jenkinson than most). On the other side, I like the combination of Santos and Gibbs for now and think Kos and Vermaelen with Mertesacker as the primary backup should be okay (please oh please don't sell Vermaelen to Barca!!!). Looking to the midfield, Wilshire will come back, but probably not until September and I would guess there will be a period of adjustment before he returns to form, if he ever does. Arteta was a key to our second half run and should continue to steer and one hopes Song continues his development and reduces the errors. I am far less sanguine on Ramsey, who I'm afraid may never return to his best form. It would be a pity, obviously facilitated by the schmuck Shawcross, but if he doesn't have a great Olympics I like this idea of putting him out on loan. One hopes Rosicky continues his resurgence in the new year and that Ox gets his chance in the central role. Then we have Pod and Giroud up front with Gervinho, Walcott and Ox vying for wing spots. Now with Van Persie in the middle, this could be a formidable side (with a better defensive midfielder, maybe a better winger and a firmed up back line). But if he goes, the rest of the team will have to step up and I do worry they are not up to the task.
So the next few weeks should tell us a lot. If we sell Van Persie, I believe we need to sign another striker. Rumors abound, but of those I've heard Lewandowski is the most promising. That would be a great signing and reaffirm Arsenal's commitment to winning now. But if he goes without a replacement and I have to see Bendtner, Chamakh or Arshavin on the pitch again, I am really going to start losing faith. If Squillaci ever plays another game for the Gunners, then RvP was right to leave. If no reinforcements come in in the middle and back line, Arsenal really has become a farm team. This is probably the last year that Wenger has to salvage his legacy as the best manager of the club. There is no questioning his record the first decade in charge, but the last seven years have seen a team on the decline. It's not always his fault, but he has certainly played a role -- more than anything with his stubborness to spend money, to give up or at least bench players that aren't performing, to sell players early that are clearly not going to stay and occasionally, to play winning tactics when necessary. Let's hope that someone is listening in the boardroom and finally spend at least the money that's sitting around at present -- supposedly around 50 million pounds. If that includes the RvP fee of 20-25 million, that would be at least 70 milliion. With that we could buy Lew (12 to 15 million) or Higuin (?) or some other top striker, M'Villa (17 million), a central defender to backup our starters ($8 to $10 million), a creator in the middle or on the wing (say $10 to $12 million) and a backup keeper (if rumors are to be believed, $12 for the Lyon 25-year old). That adds up to about $75 million.
Arsenal should spend that money and make themselves contenders next year. Enough talk about the future. Enough talk about players being overpriced (remember we also lost out on Gary Cahill, who after an average start has been decent for Chelsea), about them having bad attitudes (John Terry and Ashley Cole are both assholes) or waiting it out until the last second (we really did have a good shot at Mata and Hazard last summer, I believe). And enough talk about fair play, particularly when money has been taken out of the team for the past several years. Do your job Wenger and Kroenke, or give the reins to someone who will.
P.S. I've read almost every post on the RvP situation and some have been good, some silly and some outright absurd, but this is one of the most level-headed and reasonable: http://www.oohtobeagooner.com/putting-profits-before-trophies-costs-arsenal-another-captain/. I believe he is right in arguing that the stadium played a role in the strategy that emerged between 2006 and 2008, but he is also right in arguing that it is time for the club to start spending again and bring in a balance of young talent and established veterans.Finally, is this interesting piece that essentially makes ambition and money synonymous: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1248749-the-robin-van-persie-saga-why-its-all-about-money. While I don't fully agree -- we have made some disappointing signings and missed out on others that were within our range, I think the author has a point. Money increasingly rules in all sports, like in the rest of our lives.
P.S. I've read almost every post on the RvP situation and some have been good, some silly and some outright absurd, but this is one of the most level-headed and reasonable: http://www.oohtobeagooner.com/putting-profits-before-trophies-costs-arsenal-another-captain/. I believe he is right in arguing that the stadium played a role in the strategy that emerged between 2006 and 2008, but he is also right in arguing that it is time for the club to start spending again and bring in a balance of young talent and established veterans.Finally, is this interesting piece that essentially makes ambition and money synonymous: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1248749-the-robin-van-persie-saga-why-its-all-about-money. While I don't fully agree -- we have made some disappointing signings and missed out on others that were within our range, I think the author has a point. Money increasingly rules in all sports, like in the rest of our lives.
Monday, July 02, 2012
Slightly Under the Radar Films
Today i thought I'd mention six movies I love that aren't necessarily part of the American filmography lexicon. They are not the greatest works ever put on celluloid, but are entertaining and certainly superior to watching the Star Wars, Harry Potter or Bourne series for the seventeenth time.
1. Great Expectations (1998): for reasons I don't fully understand, this modernized reverb of the classic Dickens tale directed by a young Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Children of Men, Solo Con Tu Pareja -- another sleeper that could easily be added to the list (slight but entertaining)), was skewered by most critics. It starred Gwyneth Paltrow, long before she became the most unbearable member of the most unbearable couple in the world today, and Ethan Hawke at the height of his talent, together with an impressive supporting cast that includes Hank Azaria, Robert De Niro and a great performance from Anne Bancroft as the insidious old maid Ms. Dinsmoor. The film is beautifully shot and acted and though it does suffer from stereotyped characters and sometimes tepid plot turns, I think the directing, acting and underlying story still shine through. And it does have the bonus of a stirring nude scene with Paltrow and some, to my eyes, interesting art.
2. Zero Effect (1997): released a year earlier, this directorial debut from Jake Kasdan includes a great turn from one of my favorite "character actors in average mainstream films" Bill Pullman. He plays quirky, brilliant detective Daryl Zero, along with sidekick lawyer/assistant Steve Arlo (played with deadpan brilliance by pre-Schlocky Ben Stiller) and love interest Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens). Zero is employed by rich scion Gregory Starks (in a nice turn by Ryan O'Neil) to find his keys, and the blackmailer who has something on him he won't share with the world's "best detective." The plot then builds around the budding romantic relationship between Zero and Sullivan, attempts to unravel the mysteries around Starks and the odd relationship between Zero and his assistant. The film is funny and clever and though slowly paced at times, a complaint of many critics, it shines as an example of innovative, art house fare with a focus on entertaining over art for art's sake.
3. Ghost Town (2008): while the critics loved this film, I know few people who ever heard of it. And that's a shame because it is a lovely mix of humor and pathos, employing the talents of Ricky Gervais to maximum potential. Here he plays a misanthropic dentist who lives a insular, miserable life that includes treating those around him as near annoyances. He goes in for a relatively standard procedure at the hospital, dies for seven minutes and comes out with the ability to see and hear ghosts, who it turns out are stuck on earth until they can resolve issues with loved ones. The irascible Bertram Pincus is soon charged by a bastard ghost and cheater named Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear) with breaking up the engagement of his ex-wife Gwen (Tea Leoni) to Richard (Billy Campbell, more recently of The Killing). Pincus succeeds but of course falls for Gwen in the process. The film is moving without being too saccharine and is full of laughs, generally of the third-hand schadenfreude type.
4. And Justice for All (1979): a great, well-received film for the late 70s that saw Al Pacino give one of his greatest performances as pragmatic idealist lawyer Arthur Kirkland trying to keep his integrity in the corrupt world that surrounds him. He is drawn into defending his archnemesis Judge Fleming (John Forsythe) after he is charged with a brutal rape and soon learns there is more to the case than he could have imagined. The film nicely blends humor, suspense and a brilliantly rendered critique of the legal system and the ways it can steal our humanity, and those who become trapped within its labyrinthine corridors. The film is also backed by nice supporting work from Jack Warden (as a suicidal judge), Jeffrey Tambor (as a lawyer who loses his mind) and Christine Lahti as the love interest who is idealistic in a completely contrary way to Arthur.
5. Yi Yi (2000): this turn of the century film from Taiwanese master director Edward Yang is an intricately weaved tale of an extended family dealing with the major and minor tragedies of daily life. It again cleverly combines humor, drama and philosophical insights with lovely directing and cinematography employed not for dramatic appeal alone but aesthetic pleasure, without undermining the narrative. While In the Mood for Love (2000) is more beautifully shot from scene to scene, this film entertains from beginning to end with an inspirational and compelling narrative that meanders into interesting nooks and crannies without ever getting lost.
6. Sweet & Lowdown (1999): Woody Allen has had a rather surprising renaissance in the past decade with the success of Melinda Melinda (2004), Match Point (2005), Cassandra's Dream (2007), Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008) and Midnight in Paris (2011). After a rather anemic 1990s, Allen rediscovered his mojo in this sparse vehicle for Sean Penn, as a brilliant but hapless Jazz Guitarist Emmet Ray, the second greatest in the world behind Django Reinhart. Allen perfectly captures the inner-workings of the artistic genius wasting his talent in boozing and womenizing while shunning the love that stands in front of him. It is a lovely bittersweet tale of the price of talent and genius, with some great music and plenty of laughs.
Rather than offering great art films that could bore, here I have tried to highlight movies that you might have missed but that are definitely worth a viewing or two ...
1. Great Expectations (1998): for reasons I don't fully understand, this modernized reverb of the classic Dickens tale directed by a young Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Children of Men, Solo Con Tu Pareja -- another sleeper that could easily be added to the list (slight but entertaining)), was skewered by most critics. It starred Gwyneth Paltrow, long before she became the most unbearable member of the most unbearable couple in the world today, and Ethan Hawke at the height of his talent, together with an impressive supporting cast that includes Hank Azaria, Robert De Niro and a great performance from Anne Bancroft as the insidious old maid Ms. Dinsmoor. The film is beautifully shot and acted and though it does suffer from stereotyped characters and sometimes tepid plot turns, I think the directing, acting and underlying story still shine through. And it does have the bonus of a stirring nude scene with Paltrow and some, to my eyes, interesting art.
2. Zero Effect (1997): released a year earlier, this directorial debut from Jake Kasdan includes a great turn from one of my favorite "character actors in average mainstream films" Bill Pullman. He plays quirky, brilliant detective Daryl Zero, along with sidekick lawyer/assistant Steve Arlo (played with deadpan brilliance by pre-Schlocky Ben Stiller) and love interest Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens). Zero is employed by rich scion Gregory Starks (in a nice turn by Ryan O'Neil) to find his keys, and the blackmailer who has something on him he won't share with the world's "best detective." The plot then builds around the budding romantic relationship between Zero and Sullivan, attempts to unravel the mysteries around Starks and the odd relationship between Zero and his assistant. The film is funny and clever and though slowly paced at times, a complaint of many critics, it shines as an example of innovative, art house fare with a focus on entertaining over art for art's sake.
3. Ghost Town (2008): while the critics loved this film, I know few people who ever heard of it. And that's a shame because it is a lovely mix of humor and pathos, employing the talents of Ricky Gervais to maximum potential. Here he plays a misanthropic dentist who lives a insular, miserable life that includes treating those around him as near annoyances. He goes in for a relatively standard procedure at the hospital, dies for seven minutes and comes out with the ability to see and hear ghosts, who it turns out are stuck on earth until they can resolve issues with loved ones. The irascible Bertram Pincus is soon charged by a bastard ghost and cheater named Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear) with breaking up the engagement of his ex-wife Gwen (Tea Leoni) to Richard (Billy Campbell, more recently of The Killing). Pincus succeeds but of course falls for Gwen in the process. The film is moving without being too saccharine and is full of laughs, generally of the third-hand schadenfreude type.
4. And Justice for All (1979): a great, well-received film for the late 70s that saw Al Pacino give one of his greatest performances as pragmatic idealist lawyer Arthur Kirkland trying to keep his integrity in the corrupt world that surrounds him. He is drawn into defending his archnemesis Judge Fleming (John Forsythe) after he is charged with a brutal rape and soon learns there is more to the case than he could have imagined. The film nicely blends humor, suspense and a brilliantly rendered critique of the legal system and the ways it can steal our humanity, and those who become trapped within its labyrinthine corridors. The film is also backed by nice supporting work from Jack Warden (as a suicidal judge), Jeffrey Tambor (as a lawyer who loses his mind) and Christine Lahti as the love interest who is idealistic in a completely contrary way to Arthur.
5. Yi Yi (2000): this turn of the century film from Taiwanese master director Edward Yang is an intricately weaved tale of an extended family dealing with the major and minor tragedies of daily life. It again cleverly combines humor, drama and philosophical insights with lovely directing and cinematography employed not for dramatic appeal alone but aesthetic pleasure, without undermining the narrative. While In the Mood for Love (2000) is more beautifully shot from scene to scene, this film entertains from beginning to end with an inspirational and compelling narrative that meanders into interesting nooks and crannies without ever getting lost.
6. Sweet & Lowdown (1999): Woody Allen has had a rather surprising renaissance in the past decade with the success of Melinda Melinda (2004), Match Point (2005), Cassandra's Dream (2007), Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008) and Midnight in Paris (2011). After a rather anemic 1990s, Allen rediscovered his mojo in this sparse vehicle for Sean Penn, as a brilliant but hapless Jazz Guitarist Emmet Ray, the second greatest in the world behind Django Reinhart. Allen perfectly captures the inner-workings of the artistic genius wasting his talent in boozing and womenizing while shunning the love that stands in front of him. It is a lovely bittersweet tale of the price of talent and genius, with some great music and plenty of laughs.
Rather than offering great art films that could bore, here I have tried to highlight movies that you might have missed but that are definitely worth a viewing or two ...
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Spain vs. Italy (The Euro Final)
Tomorrow Euro 2012 will end and either Spain will have set a mark for the ages or Italy will have completed an improbable run to the title. It has been a mixed Euro 2012, with some exemplary play and lackluster efforts by some of the continents biggest teams. The Dutch were terrible, Germany could not complete their role in the predicted final and England played better than expected but went out on penalties once again. Ireland was awful, Russia somehow failed to make the knock-out stage and Portugal's momentum seemed to evaporate as Ronaldo decided (or was told) to take the fifth and final penalty. So we have one of the co-favorites in the final and another that many expected little from. And in a bizarre twist of fate, Spain is being called boring and Italy has moved from its defense first approach to play some wonderfully entertaining football, led by the reemergence of Pirlo on the world stage. So who will win?
As a former resident of Spain, I would love them to win the triplet and assert themselves as the best national team in history. Their style of play, flair and cadre of world class talent certainly deserves to stand alone at the top of the sport. But it is fair to say that this tournament has not seen the best of the Iberians. The odd 4-6-0 formation they have employed in most of their games has led to a certain staleness and inability to put in as many goals as many would like to see, except against the inept Irish. They are missing their World Cup and World Class Barca striker David Villa and don't seem to trust Torres, who has been in slightly better form of late but still seems anemic at times. They have often relied on their best-in-the-world keeper to make key saves as their defense rattles but doesn't break (clearly missing the aging star Puyols). And they have lacked the creative flair that had made them the envy, and scourge, of the rest of the world for eight years now.
Italy, on the other hand, is in the midst of a Renaissance. They came into the tournament again suffering through the early stages of another match-fixing, betting scandal. They lost to the lowly Americans this Spring, after a terrible World Cup. They clearly have some young talent but seemed to be relying on old fading stars. And yet they have improved with each game and could have easily beat Germany 4-1 and England 2 or 3 nil, but for the failure of someone not named Mario to score. The team is as tight defensively as ever but have developed a nice possession style centered around Pirlo, who may very well be the player of the tournament. They come into the final on a high and know that, baring 2008, they have a good record against the Spaniards. So who will win?
I think Spain needs to abandon the 4-6-0 in this game and put either Torres, Negredo or Llorante up top (the last being all but impossible to imagine). Negredo was not great against Portugal and I wonder if they will give Torres the nod to find the glory yet again eight years after starting this incredible run of form. The problem with the 4-6, besides lacking a seasoned finisher (though many pretenders to the throne including Iniesta (who often scores on the big stage) and Fabergas), is that Italy will clog the middle and make it difficult for Spain to attack there with their pinpoint passing; as they like to do. But if Torres shows a little of the old magic, as he did for Chelsea a few times toward the end of the season, he can go on his classic runs to break the defense or they can try to attack from the wings. I suppose I wouldn't be surprised to see the less exciting formation again, but I hope not. As for the Italians, they will probably have a few chances and it is a question of putting one or two in the back of the net if this isn't to be another 1-0 Spain victory or nervy shootout for the Euros. Spain will clearly need to keep Pirlo in check and keep Balotelli continuously marked. I think Italy has a real chance but will go with my heart and a 1-0 or 2-1 victory for Spain. If it does go to a shootout we will see two of the best goalkeepers in the world go at it, with plenty of great penalty takers 12 yards away. If we end up there, I take Spain 4-3.
In any case, it will be a stirring conclusion to the tournament and one hopes the battle creates compelling moments to remember rather than a Spain possession-Italy defense snorer. We shall see!
As a former resident of Spain, I would love them to win the triplet and assert themselves as the best national team in history. Their style of play, flair and cadre of world class talent certainly deserves to stand alone at the top of the sport. But it is fair to say that this tournament has not seen the best of the Iberians. The odd 4-6-0 formation they have employed in most of their games has led to a certain staleness and inability to put in as many goals as many would like to see, except against the inept Irish. They are missing their World Cup and World Class Barca striker David Villa and don't seem to trust Torres, who has been in slightly better form of late but still seems anemic at times. They have often relied on their best-in-the-world keeper to make key saves as their defense rattles but doesn't break (clearly missing the aging star Puyols). And they have lacked the creative flair that had made them the envy, and scourge, of the rest of the world for eight years now.
Italy, on the other hand, is in the midst of a Renaissance. They came into the tournament again suffering through the early stages of another match-fixing, betting scandal. They lost to the lowly Americans this Spring, after a terrible World Cup. They clearly have some young talent but seemed to be relying on old fading stars. And yet they have improved with each game and could have easily beat Germany 4-1 and England 2 or 3 nil, but for the failure of someone not named Mario to score. The team is as tight defensively as ever but have developed a nice possession style centered around Pirlo, who may very well be the player of the tournament. They come into the final on a high and know that, baring 2008, they have a good record against the Spaniards. So who will win?
I think Spain needs to abandon the 4-6-0 in this game and put either Torres, Negredo or Llorante up top (the last being all but impossible to imagine). Negredo was not great against Portugal and I wonder if they will give Torres the nod to find the glory yet again eight years after starting this incredible run of form. The problem with the 4-6, besides lacking a seasoned finisher (though many pretenders to the throne including Iniesta (who often scores on the big stage) and Fabergas), is that Italy will clog the middle and make it difficult for Spain to attack there with their pinpoint passing; as they like to do. But if Torres shows a little of the old magic, as he did for Chelsea a few times toward the end of the season, he can go on his classic runs to break the defense or they can try to attack from the wings. I suppose I wouldn't be surprised to see the less exciting formation again, but I hope not. As for the Italians, they will probably have a few chances and it is a question of putting one or two in the back of the net if this isn't to be another 1-0 Spain victory or nervy shootout for the Euros. Spain will clearly need to keep Pirlo in check and keep Balotelli continuously marked. I think Italy has a real chance but will go with my heart and a 1-0 or 2-1 victory for Spain. If it does go to a shootout we will see two of the best goalkeepers in the world go at it, with plenty of great penalty takers 12 yards away. If we end up there, I take Spain 4-3.
In any case, it will be a stirring conclusion to the tournament and one hopes the battle creates compelling moments to remember rather than a Spain possession-Italy defense snorer. We shall see!
Friday, June 29, 2012
The Supreme Court and Healthcare
So in a surprise that wouldn't have been a surprise at all a few months ago, the Supreme Court upheld "Obamacare" and the mandate. The "hero" here appears to be Roberts, who went against his conservative brethren and affirmed the limitations of the court in overturning the will of the people (kind of). So now what will happen with healthcare? Well, according to estimates the now 60 million without insurance will fall to 30 million by 2022. That is great news, but still lives 30 million uninsured. People cannot be denied coverage for preexisting conditions, which is just as important. But the issue of costs continues to be a big stumbling block to actually solving our continuing healthcare crisis. And it will only get worse. The population is aging, youth obesity is on the rise and people are living longer in general. An article in Slate today outlines the deeper problems Obama was unable to fully address in his landmark legislation: Slate.
At the heart of the problem, really, is economics. Too many people in America are paid too little, even as corporate profits hit another record high and productivity increases (aka labor) continue to contribute to the windfall for the few. Costs are not controlled because corporations still yield too much power over policy, even when our lives are on the lines. And too many Americans are unemployed or underemployed. Sure many of the uninsured are young, but they actually help insurance companies if they are insured, as their premiums help offset those more likely to get sick. Poverty leads to sickness and we have the highest poverty rate of any industrialized country (as well as the highest healthcare costs by a country mile). Pharmaceutical companies contribute as well, by charging outrageous prices for new drugs and keeping patents (and blocking generics) well beyond acceptable rates. In the end, socialized medicine is really the only answer, unless we decide the premise of In Time will move from clever metaphor for inequality and exploitation to reality ...
At the heart of the problem, really, is economics. Too many people in America are paid too little, even as corporate profits hit another record high and productivity increases (aka labor) continue to contribute to the windfall for the few. Costs are not controlled because corporations still yield too much power over policy, even when our lives are on the lines. And too many Americans are unemployed or underemployed. Sure many of the uninsured are young, but they actually help insurance companies if they are insured, as their premiums help offset those more likely to get sick. Poverty leads to sickness and we have the highest poverty rate of any industrialized country (as well as the highest healthcare costs by a country mile). Pharmaceutical companies contribute as well, by charging outrageous prices for new drugs and keeping patents (and blocking generics) well beyond acceptable rates. In the end, socialized medicine is really the only answer, unless we decide the premise of In Time will move from clever metaphor for inequality and exploitation to reality ...
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Day of Upsets
While Germans and most of Europe prepared for the predicted final with Spain, Italy had other ideas. In a masterful performance by the Azurri, they scored twice in the first half and held on for a 2-1 victory over the best team in the world not winning anything at the moment (they haven't won a major tournament since the 1996 Euros). The Germans started the game brightly and almost took advantage of two early Buffon errors, but neither ended up in the back up of the net and several important saves from the veteran keeper over the remainder of the game ensured Italy would return to the Euro final for the first time since their 2000 2-1 loss to France. It was a major upset, taking out the pre-tournament co-favorites, who looked flat at times and lacked the finishing touch. Italy has looked stronger as the tournament has gone on after a 1-1 draw against the team they will meet in the final. And while Spain will be favorites to become the first to win three major tournaments in a row, Italy looks set to give them a tough rematch. Balotelli will be remembered with as the hero, but it is the continued resurgence of Pirlo (after a wonderful season leading Juve to an undefeated campaign and Series A title) that was really begin the victory here. The result continues a long-standing trend of Germany being unable to beat Italy on the grand stage, but the young team will certainly compete in Brazil in 2004. On a side note, it certainly puts England's defeat in a new light, given Italy's impressive performance, though it is still fair to say that England looked quite average in the quarters defeat.
The first semi went more to script, as Spain won on penalties after the baffling decision to have Ronaldo kick last (a penalty he never had a chance to take). Ronaldo has choaked on penalties in the past, most recently in this year's Champions League semi, but one wonders what the coach and/or player were thinking. Spain now stands on the precipice of solidifying their standing as the best national side in history, though some will still take the Brazilian side of Pele et al.
In the other even more astounding upset of the day, Nadal lost to a player ranked number 100 in the world, a player who had lost his first qualifying match at Wimbledon the past four years. Lukas Rokol of the Czech Republic pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam history, leaving Nadal shaking his head in disgust and Andy Murray with a much stronger chance to claim a first major (or Federer to possible compete for his last). Nadal lost in five sets to a player who decided to go for every shot, hitting blazing aces, stunning forehand winners and a 99 mph backhand. His fifth set performance, after losing the fourth 6-2 and having to wait with Nadal for the 40 minutes it took to close the new roof on Centre Court, was masterful, making the Spaniard look truly average in the process. He won 6-4 after breaking Nadal in the first service game and making it stick wasn't really that close, as he stormed through one service game after another. For Nadal it is probably just stumbling block on his road to future glory, but it does give Federer hope that his record tally of majors might just stand the test of time.
The first semi went more to script, as Spain won on penalties after the baffling decision to have Ronaldo kick last (a penalty he never had a chance to take). Ronaldo has choaked on penalties in the past, most recently in this year's Champions League semi, but one wonders what the coach and/or player were thinking. Spain now stands on the precipice of solidifying their standing as the best national side in history, though some will still take the Brazilian side of Pele et al.
In the other even more astounding upset of the day, Nadal lost to a player ranked number 100 in the world, a player who had lost his first qualifying match at Wimbledon the past four years. Lukas Rokol of the Czech Republic pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam history, leaving Nadal shaking his head in disgust and Andy Murray with a much stronger chance to claim a first major (or Federer to possible compete for his last). Nadal lost in five sets to a player who decided to go for every shot, hitting blazing aces, stunning forehand winners and a 99 mph backhand. His fifth set performance, after losing the fourth 6-2 and having to wait with Nadal for the 40 minutes it took to close the new roof on Centre Court, was masterful, making the Spaniard look truly average in the process. He won 6-4 after breaking Nadal in the first service game and making it stick wasn't really that close, as he stormed through one service game after another. For Nadal it is probably just stumbling block on his road to future glory, but it does give Federer hope that his record tally of majors might just stand the test of time.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Semis Predictions
So after four quarterfinals, with four expected winners we move onto the semis today and tomorrow. England lost in penalties after a very negative game and terrible passing (what's new?). Spain powered past the Czechs 2-0, Germany recovered from a shock Greece equalizer to stampede their economic Achilles heal and Portugal pulled off a nice victory behind Ronaldo's magic. So are we headed for the expected Spain-Germany final? I think it is likely, even as Portugal might give Spain a match and Italy could hang with Germany for a while. My predictions, Spain 2-1 and Germany 3-1 (hopeful for some scoring, just as likely Spain 1-0 and Germany 2-0). In any case, off to watch the first semi on tape delay.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Euro 2012 Quaterfinal Predictions
After a rousing two weeks of major and minor surprises and a lot of goals, we enter the knock out stage of Euro 2012 today. My predictions for the four matches ...
1. Czech Republic vs. Portugal
While the Czech Republic was impressive in coming back from the opening 4-1 thrashing by Russia, I don't really see them having enough to deal with a surging Portuguese side, particularly with Ronaldo potentially back in top form for the national team (though one game does not a comeback make). The Czechs do have on of the best big game goalkeepers in the world, but with creative midfielder Rosicky only available as a sub, I see Portugal holding firm at the back and running down the wings without mercy. Prediction: Portugal (2-0).
2. Germany vs. Greece
On paper this should be a mauling by the Germans. But, as Russia found out and everyone in Europe in 2004 for that matter, matches are played on the pitch. Greece has only lost twice in the past two years and while they don't play the most beautiful soccer you will ever see, do have a penchant for holding teams scoreless and poaching a goal on the counter. However, they will be without their best striker and are playing a team that is among the best in the world. If Greece scores first, they could very well go through 1-0, but I see Germany taking this match in the end. Prediction: Germany 2-0.
3. Spain vs. France
After looking impressive in their mauling of Ireland, Spain looked quite average in beating Croatia 1-0, and actually looked on the verge of a unthinkable knockout before finishing off the job. So are they vulnerable? Well, France comes in after a relatively average group stage, losing their last match 2-0 to Sweden (who were already eliminated) with a chance to win the group. But when these two teams play, there are always fireworks and France certainly has a chance if they can find a way to be menacing in the mid-field and take their chances. I see a higher scoring affair here, though if France does score first, one couldn't blame them for sitting back. Prediction: Spain 3-1.
4. England vs. Italy
England has gotten so used to failing to live up to expectations that even as they won their group, announcers and soccer pundits there are careful not to take anything for granted. But this looks like a game the Lions could win if they shore up the back and find a way through the Azzuri back line. It will probably be a cagey, defense first game, but I going to go with England, against my better judgement. Prediction: England 2-1.
1. Czech Republic vs. Portugal
While the Czech Republic was impressive in coming back from the opening 4-1 thrashing by Russia, I don't really see them having enough to deal with a surging Portuguese side, particularly with Ronaldo potentially back in top form for the national team (though one game does not a comeback make). The Czechs do have on of the best big game goalkeepers in the world, but with creative midfielder Rosicky only available as a sub, I see Portugal holding firm at the back and running down the wings without mercy. Prediction: Portugal (2-0).
2. Germany vs. Greece
On paper this should be a mauling by the Germans. But, as Russia found out and everyone in Europe in 2004 for that matter, matches are played on the pitch. Greece has only lost twice in the past two years and while they don't play the most beautiful soccer you will ever see, do have a penchant for holding teams scoreless and poaching a goal on the counter. However, they will be without their best striker and are playing a team that is among the best in the world. If Greece scores first, they could very well go through 1-0, but I see Germany taking this match in the end. Prediction: Germany 2-0.
3. Spain vs. France
After looking impressive in their mauling of Ireland, Spain looked quite average in beating Croatia 1-0, and actually looked on the verge of a unthinkable knockout before finishing off the job. So are they vulnerable? Well, France comes in after a relatively average group stage, losing their last match 2-0 to Sweden (who were already eliminated) with a chance to win the group. But when these two teams play, there are always fireworks and France certainly has a chance if they can find a way to be menacing in the mid-field and take their chances. I see a higher scoring affair here, though if France does score first, one couldn't blame them for sitting back. Prediction: Spain 3-1.
4. England vs. Italy
England has gotten so used to failing to live up to expectations that even as they won their group, announcers and soccer pundits there are careful not to take anything for granted. But this looks like a game the Lions could win if they shore up the back and find a way through the Azzuri back line. It will probably be a cagey, defense first game, but I going to go with England, against my better judgement. Prediction: England 2-1.
Obama Gets Some Good News
After weeks of bad news, President Obama has finally heard something positive -- he has a double-digit lead over rival Romney at present (53-40%). While we should not put too much stock in polling before August, when both Gore and Kerry saw their leads diminish on the way to "losing," it is a positive sign. Why? Because voters have turned toward Obama mainly out of concern for Romney (Slatest) even as unemployment and overall economic figures continue to disappoint and the Presidents approval rating falls. The reality is that a barrage of negative campaign ads are coming, but one wonders if Romney's character, Mormonism (1 in 5 voters said they would never vote for a Mormon in a recent poll), position within the one percent and tendency to put his foot in his mouth with measured aplomb will cost him as the election cycle heats up. Money may be on his side, but I have a feeling personality and positionality are not, and a too negative campaign (while effective at the local and state level) might just resonate poorly with a public that wants positive change, not more fear mongering and "same old, same old" rhetoric. Obama should now start making his case for reelection in earnest, reminding voters who has stood as the major stumbling block to his economic policies.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Arsenal and the Euros
So the European Championships are in full swing and there have been some major and minor surprises, often involving players for Arsenal. Walcott helped save England from further international ignominy by contributing to the second and third goal in a stunning 3-2 comeback against Sweden Friday and Ox put in a decent performance in the 1-1 draw with France. Rosicky helped the Czech's rebound from their thrashing by Russia (4-1) in the second match but is now injured and likely to miss their quarterfinal match. Arshavin has played well for a Russian team that looked among the best of the rest until they went a game and a half without scoring and ended up out of the knock out stage. And RvP has clearly underperformed along with early co-favorites Netherlands, though he did score a lovely right-footed goal against Germany in a losing effort (2-1). Ex-Gunner Fabergas also put in a goal that helped secure a tie for Spain in their first match, before thrashing Ireland.
Watching the matches so far, it is clear that Germany and Spain remain the cream of Europe and that Spain has a real shot at accomplishing what has never been done before -- winning three international competitions in a row. Standing in their way is a German team that has shuttled off the ugly style of play that made most of the non-Aryan world hate them (including me). Now they play a nice mixture of strong defense and creative counterattacking and offense. I think the two are likely to meet in the final, but after Greece's win 8 years ago, one never knows. Other teams that have impressed in my estimation are France, who looked great against Ukraine after a sub-par performance against England, Croatia, who has two great finishers and, at times, Italy, who might very well go out. England has been decent as well, but I find it hard to believe they can get past Spain in the knock out stage.
Today two important matches will determine the two that come out of the Group of Death. I favor Germany to beat the Danes and Portugal to complete the disgrace that has been the Netherlands effort this year. They have had chance after chance against first the Danes and then the Germans but only put in one. While they certainly could beat Portugal by two, I wonder if their relatively weak defense this time could be exposed by Nani and Ronaldo (who continues to fail to impress for the national team). In Group D, I like England to beat Ukraine and France to take down a Swedish team that has nothing to play for but pride. The interesting question will be the goal differential, with England having to make one up to avoid Spain. In Group C, Italy still has a chance, and one assumes Spain will be motivated to beat Croatia, though a tie is certainly a possibility.
Watching the matches so far, it is clear that Germany and Spain remain the cream of Europe and that Spain has a real shot at accomplishing what has never been done before -- winning three international competitions in a row. Standing in their way is a German team that has shuttled off the ugly style of play that made most of the non-Aryan world hate them (including me). Now they play a nice mixture of strong defense and creative counterattacking and offense. I think the two are likely to meet in the final, but after Greece's win 8 years ago, one never knows. Other teams that have impressed in my estimation are France, who looked great against Ukraine after a sub-par performance against England, Croatia, who has two great finishers and, at times, Italy, who might very well go out. England has been decent as well, but I find it hard to believe they can get past Spain in the knock out stage.
Today two important matches will determine the two that come out of the Group of Death. I favor Germany to beat the Danes and Portugal to complete the disgrace that has been the Netherlands effort this year. They have had chance after chance against first the Danes and then the Germans but only put in one. While they certainly could beat Portugal by two, I wonder if their relatively weak defense this time could be exposed by Nani and Ronaldo (who continues to fail to impress for the national team). In Group D, I like England to beat Ukraine and France to take down a Swedish team that has nothing to play for but pride. The interesting question will be the goal differential, with England having to make one up to avoid Spain. In Group C, Italy still has a chance, and one assumes Spain will be motivated to beat Croatia, though a tie is certainly a possibility.
Arsenal is thus well-represented at the Euros, though certainly to mixed results. But much exciting news surrounds players that might soon be joining Podolski at the club. These include French striker Oliver Giroud and defensive midfielder Yann M'Villa, together with the exciting young attacking midfielder from Russia Dzagoev. With these additions, a central defender and maybe Kalou (on a free), this could be a team to reckon with next year, even given the improvements Chelsea has already made and Man United and City appear on the verge of. The team will be young and menacing with some more experienced players in the mix. However, the big story continues to be whether RvP will stay or go. Recent news that Arsenal are willing to sell the star for $30 million is not good news, but really could mean a stronger team in the long run. If we have Vermaelen and Koscielny in the middle of the defense (one assume Vermaelen will improve from his late season drop in form by stopping the constant forays forward), along with Mertesacker, Sagna and Gibbs/Santos as our fullbacks, M'Villa policing from the midfield with some combination of Wilshire, Arteta, Song, Ramsey and/or Rosicky farther forward and Podolski, Giroud (an aerial threat up front), Dzagoev and Ox or Walcott splitting time up front, we could be a quality team that stops bleeding goals in the back and stops relying on one player up front. Rumors also surround Walcott's future, and while his late season form certainly quelled some of my concerns, I wouldn't mind seeing him go either. He is an average footballer who we could live without. If he goes, he should probably pick up another winger, but could use Ox in that spot as he grows into his future as the man in the hole. The other good news is we seem on the verge of getting rid of a lot of dead weight. Bendtner, who has had a great Euro, can now be sold for a decent return, Arshavin as well, Squillaci will be history, Djourou might go and hopefully Denilson will be sold.
A squad of that strength could both compete for cups and at least be competitive for a long shot league title (though I see a bright future with Miyachi and others on the ascendancy). If Van Persie stays and we do add another defender or two, we would leap to title contenders in my mind, able to take on even the Manchesters (lest us forget we beat City last year and lost squeakers in the other two and had United in our sights in the rematch before the bizarre Ox substitution). The future is starting to look brighter for the Gunners and one hopes the rumors are rewarded with the two Frenchman and a few other pickups.
Monday, June 04, 2012
Spending Spree to Begin in Earnest
As over $60 million dollars are thrown around to try to keep right-wing darling Scott Walker in the Wisconsin Governor's seat (Daily Caller), news emerges today that a coterie of conservatives are planning on raising $1 billion to unseat Obama and put another CEO president in the hot seat (AmericaBlog). Karl Rove, the Koch Brothers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hope to reach the billion dollar mark in working to give Romney the presidency and Republicans both houses of Congress, thus sealing the fate of the American economy and democracy for the foreseeable future.
And their goal? The usual call for lower taxes for the wealthy and corporations, less government oversight and regulation, steady military spending and the dismantling of the last bastions of the dying Welfare State. While the U.S. and Europe remain mired in an increasingly dire financial crisis that is being felt acutely by both the poor and working class and young college graduates, one wonders if we are on the verge of a fascist renaissance. That seems the only final solution if conservative forces continue to forge victories, cutting taxes and services while only paying lip service to reviving the economy for the other 99%. The plan would be insane if it didn't fit into the revised social darwinist world view of winning at any cost. The very future of the globe hangs in the balance and one wonders if the people can withstand the power of money to skew their perspective. European populations are waking up but it remains to be seen if Americans will follow suit. The clock is certainly ticking though ...
And their goal? The usual call for lower taxes for the wealthy and corporations, less government oversight and regulation, steady military spending and the dismantling of the last bastions of the dying Welfare State. While the U.S. and Europe remain mired in an increasingly dire financial crisis that is being felt acutely by both the poor and working class and young college graduates, one wonders if we are on the verge of a fascist renaissance. That seems the only final solution if conservative forces continue to forge victories, cutting taxes and services while only paying lip service to reviving the economy for the other 99%. The plan would be insane if it didn't fit into the revised social darwinist world view of winning at any cost. The very future of the globe hangs in the balance and one wonders if the people can withstand the power of money to skew their perspective. European populations are waking up but it remains to be seen if Americans will follow suit. The clock is certainly ticking though ...
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