What should Arsene Wenger's targets be this transfer window and at what price?

Arsenal are currently lying in fifth place in the standings, three points behind Villa for the fourth spot. They are six point behind first place United and have played one more game. This season has been very up-and-down and reinforcement is neccessary to help try to obtain a champions league spot and win the FA cup.

It is clearly obvious that we need a defensive midfielder. Song and Denilson may have potential for the future (which I doubt) but Song is crap and Denilson is too offensively minded and does not have the physical and mental attributes to be a defensive midfielder for Arsenal.

Another problem that has sprung up is the lack of creativity because of injury to our first team players. Rosicky and Eduardo have been out long term because of freak accidents, and recently Theo, and Cesc have been out for a while now. This lack of creativity, especially in our midfield, makes it difficult to break down teams that have 10 behind the ball. It would be good to get another quality player for the sake of competition, as some players on the squad have been complacent in their place. Considering how young some of these players are, this should not be the case.

Note: These are potential targets Arsene should consider, I am not endorsing that he should get every target, but pick one or two.

1. Andrei Arshavin

My favourite picture of him

Possibly the biggest newspaper story around was Arsenal's pursuit for the Zenit St. Petersburg player. The 27 year old player has won a ton of accolades in Russia including the Russian player of the year in 2006, included on the Euro 2008 team of the tournement and was voted the 6th best player in the Balon D'Or voting this year. His has willed his team to the UEFA cup last year, including beating Bayern Munich 3-0 on aggregate.

He is a very good player, with two good feet and strong creativity. He makes intelligent runs and can shoot from distance. He would be a welcome addition to Arsenal. Zenit are willing to sell, but are negotiating hard and have not really adjusted from their inflated 20-25 million asking price.

Fee: 16-18 million pounds (Arsene has had bids of 12 and 15 million pounds)

2. Mate Toth

I personally had no idea of who this guy was, but apparently Arsenal has already signed him. He is a 18 year Humgarian who impressed Wenger on trial. The fee is believed to be around 250000 (typical) He is a defender, but I am assuming that he will be one for the future. I went to look for some highlights, but this guy doesn't even have a youtube video!

Fee: 250,000 pounds

3. Miguel Veloso

Veloso is a 23 year old defensive midfielder who plays for Sporting Lisbon. He is a quality defender and can break up attacks. Veloso is also a very technical player and can fit within Arsenal's style of play. He is an integral part of the midfield at Sporting Lisbon, and as a result, it may be difficult to pry him away.

Fee: 12-14 million pounds

4. Joao Moutinho

A personal favourite of mine, this 23 year old is another midfielder playing for Sporting Lisbon. I watched him play for Portugal during Euro 2008 and he is a player who can play any position on a flat midfielder. He is a creative midfielder who preferred position is just behind the forwards. Everton tried to loan him last summer but Sporting refused is also is considered a very important figure at the club. He got serverely injured during the Euro Tournament, but has managed to come back to full fitness

Fee: 18-20 million pounds

Is Arsene Going to Sell?

People were worried that Arsene might decide to sell during this window. He, in fact, got a bid for a player. The funny bit was Arsene categorically rejected the bid but also said that Eboue is going to get an improved offer. An improved offer for what? What has he possibly done to deserve a better contract?

Bendtner recieved a bid from surprise German leaders Hoffenheim, but rejected it and says he wants to stay at Arsenal.

Conclusions

Interesting times at Arsenal. There is just over a week left in the transfer window and it is as likely for Arsene to get three of these targets as he is to get zero. Hopefully some reinforcements come and we can sustain a challenge for the FA cup, Champions League and Premier League in the second half of the season.

Raptors Sing the Motown Blues

Raptors 76 - 95 Detroit

Maxiell was a force against the Raptors

The Raptors continue to fall into the depths of the Eastern Conference basement with a loss last night against the Pistons. This was their seventh straight loss and the Dino's record now stands at 16-28. The possibility of reaching the playoffs is quickly becoming out of reach and our attention should turn to developing our young players and figuring out what we are going to do in the off season. (hopefully it involves grabbling a wing; whether it comes from the draft or as a free agent signing)

We limped into the Palace of Auburn Hills and the Prince abused us. He must have been thinking he was in a dream considering how favourable the matchups were for him. First Jamario Moon then Jason Kapono, this guy had a field day. He scored 25 points on 11-16 shooting; abusing us everywhere on the court and creating countless opportunities for his teammates.

We started the game very well as usual, running up to a 10-2 lead through the aggressive nature of Bosh. He started the game off with a drive and score; something he does not do often. He was also spreading the offense well and in the right position for offensive rebounds, grabbing three ones in the opening minutes. The offensive rebounds led to easy points for CB4 and he score 8 of the Raptors first 10 points. Detroit called a time out and substitued Maxiell for Johnson. The Raptors still played well and held a 14-6 lead when Jay made a huge mistake by substituting Roko for Parker. Stuckley saw Ukic and abused him into a foul, a offensive turnover and blew by him for a layup. Maxiell was a huge energy spark off the bench, and he managed to throw down four enormous dunks through screen and rolls and in transition. Raptors held though and lead 22-17 at the end of the first.

In the second quarter, the Piston were just smarter than us. Their backup Will Bynum consistently made the right pass either to Rip or Prince off screen. He also had the tools to brake down our perimeter defense and create easy baskets for his teammates (I know, its pretty easy). Tayshaun Prince started to heat up and that was because Kapono was guarding him. He is such an awesome player, if I would wish for a three for the Raptors it would be the Prince. The Pistons clawed back and led by three by halftime outscoring the Raptors 29-21.

The wheels just feel off in the third quarter. The Detroit offense was so efficient, with all of their weapons scoring at ease. The Raptors decided to settle on the jumper and went away from the fundamentals which made them successful early in the first quarter. Rodney Stuckley was using dribble penetration, posting up and passing well. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince was scoring at will through screens and Rasheed and Maxiell were scoring on the inside. There were too many options for the Pistons and the Raptors could not contain them all.

The fourth quarter started and it had already felt like garbage time. Maxiell started off by showing O'Neal how to scoring with a fadeaway (probably Maxiell's first of the season), and McDyess scored on a nice layup and jumper. Rip Hamilton scored five straight points and the game was now out of hand at 87-67.

Best moment of the game was Nathan Jawai entering the game. Aussie Shaq started his career with a walk, must have been watching Kapono too much. He really didn't do anything else for the final three minutes, but at least he played! Will Solomon decided to hog the ball at the end jacking up shots, which was something I would expect to do.

Ukic showed some big problems when he entered the game. He got exposed on defense because he doesn't know the defensive awareness yet and can be forced into easy turnovers for the opponents. He needs some seasoning in the D league, but it would lessen the little depth we have.

Bargnani had an off-shooting night shooting 6-16, by still made the right decisions, he just missed shots he was making during this run. Joey scored 0 points in 22 minutes, he really did not get himself into the game. Parker continued playing the point, and played reasonably well and hopefully this would increase his trade value going into the deadline.

Chicago up next and hopefully the Raptors can stop the bleeding.

Game Day Preview: Raptors against Detroit

Raptors roll into the Auburn Hills to face the Deeeeeeeeeetroit Pistons. The Pistons are having some issues of their own, especially since acquiring Iverson, and are at 23-17. They are well off the pace of 55 wins and have solved the 3 guard problem by placing Rip Hamilton on the bench.

The Raptors have traditionally never matched up well against the Pistons and today is no different. If Bosh is KG's bitch, then Rasheed is Bosh's creepy uncle teddy, he'll just have his way with Bosh. Stuckey should abuse Parker/Solomon/Ukic both with his size and his athleticism. Prince is just an extremely rich man's version of moon, so we are at a disadvantage there and Graham can only dream of keeping up with Iverson.

I don't think we have a chance tonight, but I have been enjoying watching Bargnani play recently and I can see the starting of a system, so maybe just maybe, no ... we're not going to win.

Raptors Republic have a good preview of today's game, and includes cheerleaders, which is always good.

NBA roundtable has an analysis of Rip as the man of the bench. I still can't believe they chose Iverson over Hamilton as Iverson would destroy bench players and Rip is used to playing with this group. Rip has my favourite routine for making free throws, I use it in pickup hoops and it works for me.

The globe and mail has an interesting article about Prince comparing the Pistons and the Raptors, saying both teams have had some difficulty adjusting to a 'big time' new player. He also mentions that he can't believe Smitch was fired and that he was a good coach (which I find funny, seeing how he has played under Carslie, Brown and Saunders).

Obama as a Basketball Player

With Obama's inaugaration into the White House today, I thought it might be a bit interesting to compare his personality and leadership style to current players in the NBA and see if any are similar. I want to also compare the role of the player's team.

Obama recently sat down with SI's Alexander Wolff to discuss the role of basketball in his life . Obama credits basketball as a way he:

"won a reputation as a consensus builder while playing recreational in college and law school. A pickup game with Robinson did nothing less than confirm Obama as a worthy suitor to his wife-to-be. In Chicago, basketball helped him connect with the South Siders he worked with as a community organizer and with the circle of professionals who would help launch his political career."

But basketball was so much deeper for him. Mr. Obama learned much about himself on the basketball court. He discovered the attitude the game carried; you can talk trash, but you better back it up. The president also lived out a 'black man's adolescence' through the game, as it was difficult for him to understand his place as a half black half white male. Basketball was an outlet for him, and he grew an undying passion for the game.

There were some comparison's made in the article of which players Barack Obama could be, such as:

"Kenny Anderson, Dick Barnett, Manu Ginóbili, Lionel Hollins and Delonte West (sans neck tattoos)."

but I think there is a player which match him better; both as the player's personality and with the team's expectation. The first player who I think he would represent is...

Brandon Roy

Brandon Roy has been the main instigator of change in the mindset from the old "Jail Blazers" team. In the article, Wolff mentions "He was a passer despite the fact he could score," and this is a characteristic that Roy embodies, he just makes his teammates better. Roy, like Obama, liked to take over at the end of games, but was humble on the court. Roy is the shining face of the new NBA, a player who stays calm at adversery, but gets pumped at the end of games and stays clutch. The Blazers are a team challenging the NBA's comfortable elite and are planning on staying there.

Coming out of college, people were questioning Roy. Was he strong enough? Is he athletic enough? Will he stay injury free? He overcame those who opposed him and rose to the occasion, and is now widely considered the best player out of the 2006 draft. He was the ROY, and has already played at the all-star weekend in the rookie/sophomore game.

People also questioned if Barack was capable of being president. They asked: does he have enough experience? How will he manage to beat Clinton and the Republican candidate? People were undoubtedly also implicitly thinking, how can this guy think he would be president. He's African American. But Barack stepped over the challenges. He proved that America is a place of equal opportunity and anybody could strive to be whatever they want. He proved that people can believe in government again. He became the face of change in the country through the mantra of 'yes we can'.

Barack backed it up, he's allowed to talk. Besides, in a game of pickup hoops, how could not not choose him first?

Critical Mistakes in Crunch Time

Raptors 84 - 87 Hawks

Bargnani is just bringing it

This game was really lost by the Raptors' habit of making bad basketball decisions late in the game. There has been much debate on who was responsible for this loss, but it really comes down to team personality and attitude. This is not the first time we have lost in the last minutes, and I believe the ability to make crucial decisions at this time is what seperates great teams from mediocre ones.

The Raptors outcomes from their possessions in the last two minutes of the game:

1:46: Roko turnover
1:15: Joey missing 9 foot jumper
0:50: Bosh turnover (bouncing ball off foot)
0:35: Jamario Moon missed three (18 seconds left on clock)
0:02: Kapono missed three (after almost losing ball)

Even with players who are not gifted at creating their own shot, it is still possible to manufacture solid shot opportunities through dribble penetration, swinging the ball, correct spacing and most critically, allowing your best 'under-pressure' shooter taking the shot. The Raptors, in my opinion, should have designed plays for Bargnani to take the shots in the final two minutes. I would have had Bosh in the post (fighting for position to make the entry pass easy), with Bargnani the closest player. This type of two man interaction would have caused some defensive concern for the Hawks as Bargnani is capable of shooting, driving and now able to make a pullup j.

On the other side, Joe Johnson took over for the Hawks in the final two minutes. Driving at will and finishing while drawing contract and making ridiculous shots, he is a very dependable player in crunchtime. The Raptors need a player with his personality to truly take the next step as a team.

The Raptors started the game off well, as usual, by playing inside out, and making their jumpshots. The game was close through the first quarter, with Joey Graham and Andrea Bargnani being very aggressive. We managed to get some easy fast break opporutnies with Joey Graham the outlet from a defensive rebound and making a strong jam. Joey Graham looks very comfortable in the open court and this is when he is able to take advantage of his athletic ability. The Raptors entered the second quarter nursing an one point lead 24-23

The beginning of the second quarter was similar to the first quarter, as both teams were going toe-to-toe and keeping the score close. Roko Ukic was playing well, using his smarts and athleticism to drive past the defenders to make easy scores. This type of dribble penetration has not been visible under Calderon this year and help create easier shot opportunities for the other players. Unfortunately, Roko started making some rookie mistakes throughout the game by overdribbling and giving up crucial turnovers. The Raptors turn up the heat late in the second quarter going on a 10-2 run to end the quarter. This was made by playing great defense and forcing turnovers which lead to easy opportunities in the paint.

The Raptors were ahead 52-43 at the break, with good control of the game and were playing well. However, in this quarter the Raptors defense really let them down. They were giving up dribble penetration far too easily, which gave the Hawks open looks at three, a shot they can make. Josh Smith was driving at Bosh, Joe Johnson was driving by our perimeter players too easily and Bibby was camped out at the three point line, making three after three. It would have been worse if their role player Flip Murray could convert on the shot opportunites he was given. The Raptors held though and carried a two point lead into the fourth quarter.

The Hawks started building on their lead through the good habits they had established in the third quarter. Josh Smith continued to exploit the inside, Joe Johnson could get whatever shot he wanted and made it and Bibby exposed us at the perimeter. We just didn't have the athletes to keep up with this youthful Hawks team. The Hawks pulled into a six point lead before the Raptors pulled it back, but as explained above, we made mistakes down the stretch that gave the game to Atlanta. It was a game we really should have won having lead most of the game, but the Raptors managed to give it up.

Andrea Bargnani has really impressed me during 2009. His three point shot was not falling today, but still managed to be productive by hitting pull up jumpers and abusing their undersized bigs in the post. He is really developing quite nicely and complements Bosh very well. I disagree with those we argue we should trade Bosh and put Bargs at the 4, Bargnani has a much better speed advantage against 5 and can guard the 5 very well. This tandem works well, we just need a sg/sf who we can rely to make the neccessary shots and this team will be well constructed.

Anthony Parker continued at the pg poistion and played very well. Credit to Khandor for calling that, and he right in theory and in actuality he matches very well against the less quick point guards. He had a line of 12 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds and this should boost his trade value. He would be a quality guard coming off the bench for a contending team.

The short-term future is not looking good for the team, with this season basically lost but there are positive signs for the long-term with Bargnani's improvement, Bosh's work ethic and the development of Ukic and Graham. Take heart in the fact that we have some of the pieces needed to be a contending team, the hard part is trying to get the rest of them without giving up what you already have.