Contract ramblings, Jack's injury and thoughts on Kallstrom, Ozil and Bendtner

It's an eventful week for an Arsenal supporter.

New juicy deals for Mertesacker and Rosicky have been agreed, and Ramsey and Cazorla could be the next. Sagna and Bendtner are edging closer to the exit door, Wenger's situation remains uncertain, Wilshere has cracked his left foot, and most importantly, one of the most exciting deals of the transfer window could be in action against Everton.

I kid, of course. Signing Kim Kallstrom is hardly a deal that would send shivers even down his own cracked spine. However, I doubt that any Arsenal supporter would positively dread watching him take to the field. Yes, he symbolizes everything wrong with Wenger's transfer policy, but I'll still look forward to what he could possibly offer to the team.

Anyway, here are my takes on the recent flurry of activities:

On Mertesacker's and Rosicky's deals...
I'm delighted. Merty, for one, has signed his last long-term contract with Arsenal, which means that his best years are secure at this club. You'd be a fool if it took you this long to understand that he's been a terrific player this season. Under the influence of Steve Bould, Per has become an expert at reading the game and intercepting dangerous passes.

I hardly need to emphasize his partnership with Laurent Koscielny as well - all I can say is that they've been superb in forming one of the most stable Arsenal backlines since the Invincibles.

However, confidence has made Mertesacker much more than just a competent defender. He's become a leader, a vocal presence and one of Arsenal's nicest guys. Although a player like Bacary Sagna, for instance, has been one of our most consistent and reliable defenders for years altogether, his silent and sombre nature has meant that Gooners have almost taken him for granted. Mertesacker's forceful and vocal nature, however, has meant that he is considered indispensable to the team.

Tomas Rosicky's signing is also a fantastic piece of business. Word has it that he has signed a 2 year contract, which means that he is almost certain to retire at Arsenal. I love the guy, his never-say-die attitude and an obsession to pass the ball forward makes him an important part of the team. He is clearly desperate to make up for lost time. His tendency to press the ball high up and put in astounding workrate game after game is a rare sight from a 33 year old.

He celebrated his new contract in fine fashion too, scoring a good goal against Norway. It goes without saying that if he can replicate this goalscoring trait in the coming three months and stay clear of injuries, he'll be one of our players of the season.

On Ramsey's and Cazorla's rumoured deals...
Arsenal are rightly tying up their key players to new deals with a hope to keep them for the foreseeable future. While Sagna's, Podolski's and Vermaelen's futures remain uncertain, players like Mertesacker, Rosicky, Koscielny, Wilshere, Gibbs, Ozil, Walcott and Chamberlain are set to stay for the next season and the one after it in all likelihood. It's delightful to add Santi and Rambo to that list.

Cazorla is awesome. While I know that he's not had much influence on our team this season due to injury (and Wenger stupidly shunning him out wide), he's just a joy to watch when in the mood. There are only so many players in the world who possess qualities like dribbling, finishing, shot power, pace and two-footedness. In a twist of cruel fate, the only other person I know with these traits is Julian Draxler.

To think that we've tied down our own Ronaldinho for our future plans leaves me salivating.

If that leaves me salivating, the news of Ramsey signing a new contract (IF the reports are accurate) would leave me choking for breath. Even though I was surprised in finding myself to be pretty much the only one unnerved by his rumoured 100K per week, I'm happy with Wenger letting go of his 'socialist' wage structure.

For the first time in a long time, players at Arsenal are not leaving the club due to money issues. The ghosts of Ashley Cole and Samir Nasri are finally disappearing.

I agree that Ramsey has undergone a transformational season. However, I'm still not sure that his superb run is one that has permanently made him a much better footballer. Seeing that he had already signed a long-term deal in December 2013, it's a bit of a financial gamble from Arsene to dish out a much juicier deal to the same player based on 6 months of form. I don't know if Ozil's high wages are forcing Wenger to give others a pay rise or that he's simply fearful of losing his key men, but either way, things are panning out positively. Oh, speaking of Ozil...

OZIL wasn't booed, Joachim Lowe was...
It's shameful to see the media relentlessly piling on Ozil's bad times by suggesting that he was the one being jeered when taken off. Ozil, on the contrary, had assisted Mario Goetze's goal and received an award before the match, why would he be booed by his own supporters then?

In an attempt to clear out another myth, I want to point out that his assist doesn't mean Arsenal are going to see inspired performances from him. Maybe Lowe's indication that Ozil might miss out on the World Cup's squad could instigate him, but I wouldn't put my money on it. Not when he's surrounded by slowcoaches like Giroud and a tactical blockhead for a manager. Still, I'll play the waiting game on this one.

Jack Wilshere won't be sorely missed...
With all due respect to Jack, I feel that his unexpected lengthy layoff won't affect Arsenal that badly. For one, we have Aaron Ramsey who is returning, not to mention Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who can be half-decent in that role. Flamini and Arteta are options as well, not to forget Abou Diaby who might return later in March.

Kim Kallstrom, dare I add, is an option as well. I know that he isn't what fans wanted (me neither), but the fact remains that his return from injury literally makes him a "new signing", and I'm instinctively excited to see how he plays. I know that I'm sounding incredibly far-fetched and optimistic, but should he put in some Flamini-esque shifts and contribute to some silverware, it'd be a fairytale story and Wenger would be held as a messiah.

Bendtner confirms, Sagna to leave as well?
After (would you believe it) a decade at Arsenal, Nicklas Bendtner has declared that he won't be extending his contract (assuming we offered him one). In one of many frank statements, Bendy said:

"I’m not going to stay at Arsenal – first team football is what I’m after. The plan is for me to move on. I’m ready for a new challenge. To keep my spot I need to play regularly."

Honestly? I'm sad to see him go. Not because I think he has a future at Arsenal, or because I consider him as apt backup to Giroud. However, ever since he scored against Cardiff, I've subconsciously extracted him out of my mind's categories of 'deadwoods' and placed him in 'memories'. I know it's a bit weird to miss an egoistical, deluded and annoying footballer, but it's just how I feel. All I can hope is that Wenger (presuming he stays) buys a much better replacement in the summer.

Elsewhere, Bacary Sagna has remained defiantly quiet. I still staunchly believe that his future depends on Arsenal winning a trophy or not, so it's kind of unpredictable to deduce if he's staying or not. While the league is dead, the FA Cup is very much on, and I'm not ruling it out. On the contrary, I'm pinning all of my hopes on it.

Fabianski, Viviano, Bendtner; three departures have been confirmed. If we don't win anything, I believe Sagna, Vermaelen and Podolski will be added to that list. With the prospect of buying 7 players in one window looking very much possible, I don't want Wenger overseeing such a busy transfer window. He fell short of 2 players in the last summer and 2 players the summer before - there's almost a guarantee we'll witness the same dithering and indecision in the next transfer window with him at the helm.

Wenger still hasn't signed a new contract; that gives me hope. However, I'm not going to pin all my hopes on that, because factors like an unpredictable board and a stubborn manager come into play. Instead, I'll put my hopes on something much more tangible - the FA Cup tie against Everton.

There's no denying that winning the FA Cup will save our season. Lose the game tomorrow, and our season finishes just like that. Win it, and we get closer to a trophy and closer to stemming an exodus.

It's time to get serious.

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )

Arsenal 2-0 Marseille: Talk about domination!

Sometimes it's weird how an expected result can yet feel so sensational. That was exactly the case as Arsenal literally walked over Marseille and virtually booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League. The only way that we won't be able to qualify through the group stages is if we get hammered 3-0 at Naples, but I am certain that that isn't going to happen with this Arsenal side.

We got off to a simply phenomenal start when Jack gave us the lead under 30 seconds, through a sweet curling strike. Sagna's ball across the line of the field, though accurate, was pretty easy to execute, and put Wilshere in acres of space down the right flank. He used his space, cut in easily and finished the move off with a casual curl, nestled neatly into the top corner. Brilliant.

Perhaps what was so great about that goal was the easy manner in which he dispatched it, almost like it was a simple square pass. I like Jack, and I do reckon - like a lot of other Gooners - that he is destined to become an Arsenal and England legend. However, I never thought of him as being a goal threat. I always thought of him as a deep lying midfielder, maybe a player who would rack up some assists along the way. I never thought much of his finishing abilities, instead choosing to admire his flair and quick passing. However, after becoming Arsenal's third highest goalscorer this season after getting 2 goals at the Emirates, I may have to rethink some stuff.

Which gets me to his second goal, a simple tap in after some amazing movement. Ramsey found Ozil in the box through a neat ball, Ozil squared it up for Jack who tapped in a much needed killer goal. We were dominating and could've scored many, many more through Ramsey, where the keeper made a really good save, and Ozil, through that missed penalty.

I had said in the match preview that I was against the idea of Ozil starting tonight, and the first half suggested that I was right. A poor touch in a good position and wayward passes all around left me genuinely wondering if his slump would ever end. And then there was that penalty.

Oh, Jesus.

I really don't remember the last time a person looked so disinterested in taking a spot kick. He didn't have the glint in his eyes, there was no proper run-up, and the pace in the ball wasn't half of what was required. Add to that the fact that Mandana was way off his line, and you get a penalty that has no chance of going in.

He was absolutely pathetic in the first half, truth be told, and I was praying for him to make way for Walcott or Santi Cazorla in the second half. However, it was a pleasant surprise to see him bounce back from a horrendous first half to be a genuine threat and get an assist along the way. Maybe the missed penalty was a wake up call, or maybe the manager had a talk with him, but either way, he responded professionally.

Even so, it's time that he starts earning his spot in the team, owing to the fact that we have Arteta, Wilshere and Rosicky who are capable of replacing his shoes. He looked much more like the Mesut Ozil who killed it in the 2010 World Cup against Marseille in the second half, and let's hope that this marks a turning point in his Arsenal career.

Walcott and Santi Cazorla came on for Wilshere and Rosicky, and both of them had great chances to score late in the game. Santi inexplicably hit wide when he had plenty to aim at, and Walcott missed a one-on-one chance against Mandana. However, with us having such remarkable control and a two-goal cushion, those missed chances were quickly forgotten.

It's good that we have gotten rid of our injury problems in the face of a testing December schedule, because it is a time that we really need all of our players to chip in for 3 points. Options like Walcott, Cazorla and Arteta on the bench is a stark improvement over Zelalem, Hayden and Olsson, which was the case earlier this sesaon. With Podolski returning in an estimated 3 weeks in a team that is in rampant form since September, it's safe to say that we should be expecting a highly productive December.     

We now have 12 points in the group, and have yet not qualified in it, due to Dortmund's victory. It is quite incredible, but it was a scenario that I was hoping for. A draw at Naples is all that is needed now to seal the winning spot in the Champions League, and I'm confident that our team will achieve that.

I must say, looking back, I never expected us to have such a high amount of control in this game. We created at least five presentable opportunities, had the ball in midfield, and defended well, bar a few understandable lapses. This, without question, was a complete walkover, a game that was over almost as soon as it started. True, we deserved to win by much more, but who said that paradise has to be perfect?

We got Cardiff City (haha) next on Saturday, a game which I fully expect three points out of. While they did hold Manchester United and defeat Manchester City, I don't expect them to pull off another upset against the Arsenal. I may be wrong, I may not, but that's a topic I need to elaborate further on Saturday.

For now, we can sit back, relax, and watch the Gunners dominate the field time and time again.

-Santi (Follow me on twitter: @ArsenalBlogz )