Keane, but not very intelligent

Robbie Keane believes that Spurs' season was "just as good" as Arsenal's.

Dear Robbie,

I hope you're keeping well. I'm glad you're happy with yet another productive season. As usual that productivity doesn't extend past a personal level. Maybe one day you'll get a medal for your efforts.

Arsenal's season was very disappointing by our very high standards but I certainly don't feel as if there are any storm clouds gathering on our horizon. Both Thierry Henry and RVP were injured for prolonged periods of the season - and yet they have 23 goals between them . The transfer window was closed by the time the injuries got the better of Henry. Yes, it's a squad game but it's hard to factor in the possibility of both your main goalscorers being out.

How would Man Utd fare with both Ronaldo and Rooney out?

Chelsea without Drogba and certainly to a lesser extent, Shevchenko?

Or Liverpool without Crouch and Kuyt?

Dare I say it, would your beloved Spurs be facing relegation if Berbatov had missed a chunk of games before Xmas and bowed out again in February, with your good self out of actionfrom late January?

You seem happy with Spurs' season. Indeed, you performed well in the UEFA Cup. However, I would suspect that deep down you realise how important Champion's League football is - in terms of team development and financially. You are way off the pace compared to last season. I'm also not sure if you are guaranteed any form of European football next year. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Robbie signing for his 38th club

A pedantic person would point out that Arsenal are closer to the top two than they were last season. However, I won't deny that we went backwards in many regards, especially Champions League Football. Luckily, we'll have the opportunity to play in it next season and hopefully improve. Will Spurs? No.

So whilst Arsenal have taken a dip in some regards this season, we also have improved in other ways. Our league form has improved since last year, we have beaten Man U twice, Liverpool three times (forgetting the hammering) and taken four points from a team who views every match against us as a Cup Final. We are also no longer out-muscled by the likes of Bolton.

Let us not forget that only 13 years ago, Spurs were splashing out on world cup superstars such as Jurgen Klinsmann. Arsenal and Spurs were approximately the same size at that time.I tend to view my club with a medium to long term perspective and have very high hopes for the next couple of years. Your club appears to still value cup runs above long term development.

I do not understand the compulsion to compare yourself to Arsenal using what must be some some bizarre form of handicap method to justify how we have performed this season. To compare your run in the UEFA cup to competing in the Champion's League, is utter lunacy.

Considering your delight at Spurs cup runs, you must have conveniently forgotten that we beat you in the Carling Cup.

A few cup runs with no end rewards don't cut it with me as a good season. I'll take that Champion's League spot any day!

Kind Regards,
Darzinho

P.S. You have a rather large head.

Pub-Team Substitutions; The Dein Saga III

It was back to the business of football yesterday after a week of boardroom turmoil. Arsenal will be bitterly disappointed to take only a point away from White Hart Lane after allowing Jermaine Jenas to put away a long range strike in injury time.

I only managed to catch the second-half*, and that was in a pub surrounded by Liverpool and Manchester United supporters so if you want to read a decent match report, trek on through to Arseblog.

*Ed. - After getting a sarky comment on this yesterday, I better clarify that I had college that morning!

The only thing I would have to add to the Arseblog match report is my dismay at the pub-team football decision that Wenger made in injury time. I always feel that bringing an extra defender -Senderos- on for a midfielder that late in the game does nothing else but unsettle the defence.

In the good old days, we would have brought on Kanu, or in later years - Bergkamp- to intelligently hold up the ball; or Grimandi to kick lumps out of anybody who looked creative. Yesterday we threw on a centre-half and nobody, including himself, seemed to know where he was playing. A central defensive partnership does not need tinkering with at such a late stage in the game. To me, that was a contributing factor in not getting all three points.

Having said that, there were a lot of positives to be taken from the game, not least Diaby's performance, so if we can keep the boardroom turmoil to an absolute minimum and bring in a few fresh faces, we'll have a good season ahead of us.

Anyhow, back to the turmoil: there's an excellent piece by Amy Lawrence in today's Observer in which she suggests some very interesting replacements for David Dein. I don't want to ruin the surprise, so go and read it!

And finally, there was a interesting article on the Arsenal website about what players, if any, will be departing the club during the close season.

“We have no basic situation where players would be free to transfer,” said Wenger. “That is apart from Jens Lehmann, who of course has his own
destiny in his hands, and Julio Baptista. But apart from that, all the
other players are under contract. The only other one who can move out
is Mathieu Flamini, but that is it. We have only three players where
they have a situation to decide about.”

So where does that leave Jeremie Aliadiere, who wasn't even in yesterday's match day squad? Surely he'll be allowed leave? Or is Arsene only alluding to players who have a say in the matter? Confusing to say the least... unless Aliadiere is getting Dein's job!!!!! CUE: DRAMATIC MUSIC

That's enough for today. I have to shave my back or something...