Articles by Erik Ian
Erik Ian Larsen: The Arsene Wenger defence conundrum – Three possible solutions
Arsene Wenger has a bit of a conundrum brewing at the club. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a steady feast of centrebacks at the club at one time, and after Wenger purchased …
Arsene Wenger has a bit of a conundrum brewing at the club. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a steady feast of centrebacks at the club at one time, and after Wenger purchased …
Erik Ian Larsen: Three Months Gone, A Look at Arsenal’s Nine Signings
Arsene Wenger’s transfer policy the past six years has been questionable at best. The stalwart manager of AFC sold off most of Arsenal’s best players and replaced them with cheaper, less-talented options. The reasoning behind …
Arsene Wenger’s transfer policy the past six years has been questionable at best. The stalwart manager of AFC sold off most of Arsenal’s best players and replaced them with cheaper, less-talented options. The reasoning behind …
Erik Ian Larsen: I’m not really sure what Wenger is doing anymore
I have to admit, I’m not really sure what Arsene Wenger is doing anymore. The Arsenal team that played against Tottenham last weekend is not even remotely close to competing for a title, let alone …
I have to admit, I’m not really sure what Arsene Wenger is doing anymore. The Arsenal team that played against Tottenham last weekend is not even remotely close to competing for a title, let alone …
Erik Ian Larsen: Gritty, nervy Arsenal aren’t the Arsenal of old
Expectations are a funny thing. I expect my alarm clock to go off at the right time every morning, and so far it hasn’t let me down. I expect my kittens to use the litter …
Expectations are a funny thing. I expect my alarm clock to go off at the right time every morning, and so far it hasn’t let me down. I expect my kittens to use the litter …
Erik Ian Larsen: Arsene, the necromancer, brings Arsenal back from the dead
Every time I’ve ever mentioned improving the squad, and I’ve definitely mentioned it once or twice (crickets), a flock of angry apologists fly to the comments section to claim, “This isn’t Football Manager, you American …
Every time I’ve ever mentioned improving the squad, and I’ve definitely mentioned it once or twice (crickets), a flock of angry apologists fly to the comments section to claim, “This isn’t Football Manager, you American …
Erik Ian Larsen: Threadbare Arsenal desperate for a better tailor
Arsenal is a garment that I’ve worn proudly for all of my life. It has always been a show-stopping garment, one with intrigue and rarity, one with immaculate craftsmanship and handiwork. Arsene Wenger, the great …
Arsenal is a garment that I’ve worn proudly for all of my life. It has always been a show-stopping garment, one with intrigue and rarity, one with immaculate craftsmanship and handiwork. Arsene Wenger, the great …
Erik Ian Larsen: Wenger has earned the chance to prove everyone wrong
This summer felt like a war. It still feels like one, to be honest, with Arsene Wenger battling it out with UEFA over his touchline ban, Gervinho out three matches after being sent off for …
This summer felt like a war. It still feels like one, to be honest, with Arsene Wenger battling it out with UEFA over his touchline ban, Gervinho out three matches after being sent off for …
Erik Ian Larsen: Adios Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal can finally move on
I could wax lyrical about Cesc Fabregas until my fingers fell off. I’d have little nubs and wouldn’t be able to properly high five ever again, but it’d be worth it because of how good …
I could wax lyrical about Cesc Fabregas until my fingers fell off. I’d have little nubs and wouldn’t be able to properly high five ever again, but it’d be worth it because of how good …
Erik Ian Larsen: How to best solve a circling financial crunch?
It’s the summer of money. As fans gnaw at withered fingernails waiting for a break in the transfer market, it’s become more and more apparent, as we now roll toward August and the start of …
It’s the summer of money. As fans gnaw at withered fingernails waiting for a break in the transfer market, it’s become more and more apparent, as we now roll toward August and the start of …
Erik Ian Larsen: Why Arsene Wenger must break his transfer cycle
While Arsenal’s competitors seem to have no problem scooping up world-class talent—Manchester United has already added winger Ashley Young and goalkeeper David de Gea to the squad, and are actively looking for another top-notch player, …
While Arsenal’s competitors seem to have no problem scooping up world-class talent—Manchester United has already added winger Ashley Young and goalkeeper David de Gea to the squad, and are actively looking for another top-notch player, …
Erik Ian Larsen: Why turnover is Arsenal’s best chance for success
There’s a quiet, passive fear within the Arsenal ranks that throwing the club into a state of massive churn would be disruptive to the growth and development of the team. The idea that the ship …
There’s a quiet, passive fear within the Arsenal ranks that throwing the club into a state of massive churn would be disruptive to the growth and development of the team. The idea that the ship …
Erik Ian Larsen: The Transfer post-apocalypse
“A man is worth as much as he thinks he is.”
That’s a little proverb I made up in honor of this transfer season. This summer has been one of the strangest I can recall …
“A man is worth as much as he thinks he is.”That’s a little proverb I made up in honor of this transfer season. This summer has been one of the strangest I can recall …
Erik Ian Larsen: Catching Up
I have to be honest with you, it’s been a bit hard to write about Arsenal FC this offseason. If you read the papers or scour NewsNow every morning hoping for a) news of a …
I have to be honest with you, it’s been a bit hard to write about Arsenal FC this offseason. If you read the papers or scour NewsNow every morning hoping for a) news of a …
Erik Ian Larsen: Xavi
I used to think Barcelona’s Xavi was a bit of a bastard. From his cocky swagger, his vocal pursuit of Arsenal Captain Cesc Fabregas last summer, and that frustrating half-man, half-boy haircut, my impressions …
I used to think Barcelona’s Xavi was a bit of a bastard. From his cocky swagger, his vocal pursuit of Arsenal Captain Cesc Fabregas last summer, and that frustrating half-man, half-boy haircut, my impressions …
Erik Ian Larsen: Wenger and Arsenal are no longer a perfect fit
I’m tired of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. I really am. I know I’m not supposed to ever tire of watching “the beautiful game,” although that certainly isn’t what Arsenal have been playing the last few years, …
I’m tired of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. I really am. I know I’m not supposed to ever tire of watching “the beautiful game,” although that certainly isn’t what Arsenal have been playing the last few years, …
Erik Ian Larsen: Arsenal become 6.5% less awesome
;m starting to wonder if Arsenal actually employs a public relations team. Just hours after beating Manchester United 1-0 and retaining a faint glimmer of title hopes in the Premier League this season, Arsenal announced …
;m starting to wonder if Arsenal actually employs a public relations team. Just hours after beating Manchester United 1-0 and retaining a faint glimmer of title hopes in the Premier League this season, Arsenal announced …
Erik Ian Larsen: Is Stan Kroenke The Right Man for Arsenal?
lly happened. Stan Kroenke, the American billionaire with a horde of sports teams already to his name (the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rapids, etc.), finally pulled the trigger and bought enough shares to make a …
lly happened. Stan Kroenke, the American billionaire with a horde of sports teams already to his name (the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rapids, etc.), finally pulled the trigger and bought enough shares to make a …
Erik Ian Larsen: The US Department of Homeland Security & Arsenal
e. My name’s Erik. I’m a writer, and I happen to have a passion for a sport that isn’t played in our lovely country, the United States of America. I suppose I could move …
e. My name’s Erik. I’m a writer, and I happen to have a passion for a sport that isn’t played in our lovely country, the United States of America. I suppose I could move …
Erik Ian Larsen: Wembley, winning for Arsenal, winning for Wenger
ap. We’re in a cup final. Arsenal, the meek and meager little brother in the eyes of the new cash-waving titans of the Premier League, have made it to Wembley for the Carling Cup …
ap. We’re in a cup final. Arsenal, the meek and meager little brother in the eyes of the new cash-waving titans of the Premier League, have made it to Wembley for the Carling Cup …
Erik Ian Larsen: Forget the offside trap, time for zonal marking
often been accused of beating a dead horse. But I don’t like to think of it that way, it has such a negative connotation (and visual), I think of it more as if I’ve …
often been accused of beating a dead horse. But I don’t like to think of it that way, it has such a negative connotation (and visual), I think of it more as if I’ve …
Erik Ian Larsen: Arsene Wenger’s contract extension
begin this by saying I truly respect and admire Arsene Wenger. He’s the winningest manager in Arsenal history, has kept our club competitive and relevant despite constructing a new stadium, and continues to …
begin this by saying I truly respect and admire Arsene Wenger. He’s the winningest manager in Arsenal history, has kept our club competitive and relevant despite constructing a new stadium, and continues to …
Erik Ian Larsen: Great Expectations, analysing the Spurs defeat
amazing how expectations change throughout the course of a match. When Arsenal prepared to face off with North London rivals Tottenham on Saturday at a blinding 4:45 a.m. over here in the States, I …
amazing how expectations change throughout the course of a match. When Arsenal prepared to face off with North London rivals Tottenham on Saturday at a blinding 4:45 a.m. over here in the States, I …
Erik Ian Larsen: The Toffees, Nicklas Bendtner and the Wenger affair
come right out and say it: I hate international breaks. Not only do they pull my beloved Arsenal apart like a roaring taffy machine and leave me bored and lonely (and craving taffy), but …
come right out and say it: I hate international breaks. Not only do they pull my beloved Arsenal apart like a roaring taffy machine and leave me bored and lonely (and craving taffy), but …
Erik Ian Larsen: Arsenal, the car that needs immediate fixing
Wenger always talks about gears when Arsenal loses. For him, analyzing the side is often an exercise in motor sports, where the team is some sort of finicky vehicle that runs fine 99% of …
Wenger always talks about gears when Arsenal loses. For him, analyzing the side is often an exercise in motor sports, where the team is some sort of finicky vehicle that runs fine 99% of …
Erik Ian Larsen: I love you, Alex Song
you, Alex Song.
I try to stay grounded. I try to keep my wits together and realize that you’re still only 23 years old, still learning the game, still making big mistakes and …
you, Alex Song.I try to stay grounded. I try to keep my wits together and realize that you’re still only 23 years old, still learning the game, still making big mistakes and …
Erik Ian Larsen: Lukasz Fabianski dishes out some humble pie
to admit, I’ve enjoyed the nickname Flappyhandski, bestowed upon our error prone goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski by Arsenal fans tired of the club’s inconsistent goalkeeping. The nickname wasn’t ever really about Fabianski, it was …
to admit, I’ve enjoyed the nickname Flappyhandski, bestowed upon our error prone goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski by Arsenal fans tired of the club’s inconsistent goalkeeping. The nickname wasn’t ever really about Fabianski, it was …
Erik Ian Larsen: Sergio Leone, Spaghetti Westerns and Arsenal-Birmingham
an international film degree from Loyola University Chicago, which accompanies my primary degree in journalism. And while that may not seem relevant to Arsenal at all, trust me, it is. It’s about the …
an international film degree from Loyola University Chicago, which accompanies my primary degree in journalism. And while that may not seem relevant to Arsenal at all, trust me, it is. It’s about the …
Erik Ian Larsen: Five reasons why Arsenal can win the league
absolute. It defines the world around us, sometimes even the unseen world in the case of quantum physics, and is the foundational building block of all known scientific information. That’s right, math. We …
absolute. It defines the world around us, sometimes even the unseen world in the case of quantum physics, and is the foundational building block of all known scientific information. That’s right, math. We …
Erik Ian Larsen: Profits versus Performance, a post-Chelsea reflection
ze we’ve built a marvelously profitable business here at Arsenal FC. I know that the bulk of the accolades for our balanced books and fiscal heroism fall on the shoulders of our manager, Arsene …
ze we’ve built a marvelously profitable business here at Arsenal FC. I know that the bulk of the accolades for our balanced books and fiscal heroism fall on the shoulders of our manager, Arsene …
The Arsenal Q&A #2: Goalkeepers, Rosicky and FIFA rules
time for another Arsenal Q&A! Last month we had a doozy of an opener, like a shot of whisky at six in the morning on St. Patrick’s Day (been there, done that), debating the …
time for another Arsenal Q&A! Last month we had a doozy of an opener, like a shot of whisky at six in the morning on St. Patrick’s Day (been there, done that), debating the …
Erik Ian Larsen: When squad players attack!
3-2 at home against West Brom hurt. It hurt in that spot that can only be consoled by copious consumption of tequila and local micro-brewed beer. But I wasn’t as hurt by the scoreline …
3-2 at home against West Brom hurt. It hurt in that spot that can only be consoled by copious consumption of tequila and local micro-brewed beer. But I wasn’t as hurt by the scoreline …
Erik Ian Larsen: I love when you talk dirty, Arsene
s regular happiness, like nailing a speed run in Super Mario or convincing my wife to watch “Star Wars,” and then there’s beating Spurs happiness. And after the 4-1 thumping we put on Tottenham in …
s regular happiness, like nailing a speed run in Super Mario or convincing my wife to watch “Star Wars,” and then there’s beating Spurs happiness. And after the 4-1 thumping we put on Tottenham in …
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