Arsène Wenger still expects England to "qualify easily" for the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Fabio Capello's side play Algeria in Cape Town this evening needing a win to kickstart their 2010 campaign.

The Three Lions looked comfortable enough when Steve Gerrard gave them the lead after four minutes of their opening game against the United States last Saturday. However Robert Green's error restored parity before half-time and England failed to recover.

"They started strong," Wenger told Arsenal.com. "But the US were good on the ball and England struggled to win it back. Finally they conceded an unlucky goal. Overall they still have enough resources but the US were surprising to me.

"What happened to Green can happen to any goalkeeper. Whether it was anything to do with the ball, it is difficult to assess that.

"But I believe England will qualify easily. I can't imagine that they won't go through. In a World Cup, a draw in the first game is not a bad result."

Arsène Wenger hopes to tie up a defensive signing before the end of the World Cup.

The Arsenal manager is out in South Africa commentating for French television but he is also working on bringing a player to Emirates Stadium. Speaking exclusively to Arsenal.com, the manager admitted a signing was not imminent. However he did expect to bring in a defender before the tournament ends on July 11.

"No, we are not close at the moment," said Wenger. "We are quiet. But there will be something happening before the end of the World Cup - certainly on the defensive side."

Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre has held talks with Abu Dhabi-based club Al Jazira over a lucrative free transfer move believed to be worth around £4m a year.

The deal comes with Arsenal pressing ahead in their pursuit of Lorient defender Laurent Koscielny and maintaining interest in Everton's Phil Jagielka.

Silvestre, 32, has an offer from CSKA Moscow also but has been impressed by plans to upgrade the UAE League, which has already seen Fabio Cannavaro join Al-Ahli, and is keen to hold more talks.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has offered £8.2m for Koscielny and made an inquiry for Jagielka last week, as revealed in Sportsmail.

Koscielny has already told Lorient's board he wants to join Arsenal and yesterday said: 'It's a joy to be courted by Arsenal. I want to join this prestigious club. I told the board and they understood me. Everything has been fast for me. It takes a good bit of luck to not miss the right car.'

I really don’t understand why Arsenal don’t report those scumbags to FIFA, we have the moral high ground and we have the legal ground, they made a bid for a contracted player, we flat out turned them down and told them that no further bids would be welcomed, and since then, they haven’t stopped yacking.

By saying nothing, we make a mockery of our club and are allowing them to continue to unsettle our player, Cesc must think we are after the money by saying nothing, it makes my blood boil.

I bet Ferguson would have something to say if Barca did this to them with Rooney, so far now they have had Puyol, Iniesta, Xabi, Pique and now Messi all having conversations about Cesc definitely wanting to join them. I would also like to know why Platini has said nothing, he had plenty to say when Eduardo went down against Celtic, French muppet.

The longer this goes on, the more I am going off Cesc, and Arsenal have a lot to answer for that, it’s almost like they are wanting us to dislike him, so that when they do take it up the arse from Barca, we won’t care, just like they did with Ade. Very clever, not.

Or is all this just a shitstorm in a tea cup? Should we all believe that Cesc is bigging us up to his Spanish team mate Juan Mata as reports suggest? He is by all accounts going to be better than David Silva, well if thats true, then maybe he could be the sneaky one coming in under the radar that people expect from Wenger.

Having said all that though, our record with young and Spanish, is not that great, Reyes and Merida both wanted to go back, Cesc has always said he wants to go back.

The shame of it all is the one Spanish player we want to go back, will only leave if we kick him out!

Liverpool up first next season, our new kit on display and know doubt we’ll be on ESPN, just like we were last season, I’m already looking forward to it and just hope I’m going to see a new team, the last time I saw Jack Wilshere in an Arsenal shirt for 90 minutes, was at Anfield for the Youth Cup final, so maybe that’s an omen.

Also by then the scousers may be without Gerrard and Torres and with Carrager knackered and Mascerano on extended leave, they should be there for the taking.

Is it August yet?

Have a fun day Grovers, today is Friday, England are playing tonight, so go and fill your car up with BP petrol, get the beers ready and have a great evening.

Арсен Венгер надеется совершить трансфер в защитную линию до завершения Чемпионата Мира.

Тренер "Арсенала" сейчас находится в Южной Африке, комментируя матчи для французского телевидения, но он также работает над тем, чтобы приобрести нового игрока в стан "канониров". Давая интервью Arsenal.com, "Профессор" признался, что приобретения в настоящий момент не предвидится. Однако он ожидает приобрести защитника до того, как турнир закончится 11 июля.

"Нет, сейчас мы не близки", - сказал Венгер."Мы ведём себя тихо. Но что-то точно произойдёт до конца Чемпионата Мира - и связано это с защитной линией".

Также тренер "канониров" в очередной раз сказал, что ожидает прохода Англии в следующий раунд.

"Они сильно начали турнир. Но игроки США были хороши во владении мячом, и Англия не сумела забрать его себе. В конце концов, они пропустили неудачный гол. В целом, у англичан ещё есть достаточно ресурсов, но США меня удивили".

"Что случилось с Грином, может случиться с любым голкипером. Тяжело оценивать, можно было ли сделать что-то с тем мячом".

"Но я верю, Англия легко квалифицируется. Не могу представить их провала. На Чемпионате Мира, ничья в первом матче является неплохим результатом".

Согласно утреннему выпуску Daily Mail, "Арсенал" сделал запрос относительно подписания многообещающего крайнего защитника "Осасуны" Сезара Аспиликуэты.

20-летний игрок на протяжении двух последних сезонов в Ла Лиге является звездой команды и оставляет такое впечатление, что, в начале этого года его сватали в "Барселону".

Аспиликуэта начал свою карьеру на позиции полузащитника до того, как перевоплотился в атакующего фуллбэка. Он невероятно работоспособен и был капитаном сборной Испании для футболистов не старше 19 лет.

Daily Mail сообщает, что "Осасуна" согласится на 12 миллионов фунтов за своего лидера, но, учитывая сильную потребность в деньгах у испанцев, "Арсенал" может подписать Аспиликуэту за меньшую сумму.

I’ve been putting off writing this piece for quite a while now, as work has limited the time I have to write for Untold. However, after reading the piece on Le Grove and actually visiting the blog for the first time, I felt it was time to write about the expectations of our fans and ask what supporting the Arsenal really means to us.

In this piece, I will not try to tell others what to do as supporters as I believe everyone has their right to their own opinion, but I will definitely question certain preconceptions of entitlement that most fans seem to have with regards to their club.

For starters, we should ask ourselves – why do we support Arsenal? What made us truly want to be involved with this club? Was it the influence of family? The style of football that is played? Or is it success?

I believe that we should ask ourselves what really made us supporters, as I’m certain most of us never truly thought about it, despite it being absolutely fundamental. This is a question we have to ask ourselves and find the answer to before we can continue with the next round of questioning. I’m not going to try to offer any broad categories of support, as I believe the experience of being a fan is a very personal one, and you really have to put it in your own words to achieve self-actualization.

What I’ll do though, is briefly share what made me an Arsenal supporter. I’m a late supporter of the club, as I only began watching Arsenal in 2001. I set out watching football to socialize with my friends, and never intended to support a club, but as the years went by, I gradually became a supporter of Arsenal because I enjoyed the stylish football being played that simply wasn’t available anywhere else.

I suppose that was the first level of support, and it’s only been recently that I’ve grown to want the best for the club and admire its principles away from the field. Thus, you could say that I support the club because I enjoy the style of football being played and the decency of the club that I’ve witnessed over the last few years.

As a fan, I’d say I have a stake in the club in terms of passion and commitment, but much less so in terms of actually being a shareholder or a season ticket holder, due to the fact that I live in Singapore.

However, I believe that does not give me less of a stake in the club, as it is an emotional investment – it’s pretty terrible staying up for a Champions League match at 3 in the morning only to see the club get hammered by Barca, so much so that it affects me for the next few days, but I’m still happy to be a supporter of the club.

I don’t feel that it was a waste of time as it’s unrealistic to expect one’s club to win every single game. However, that being said, I do feel for the away fans that paid good money and took the time to go to the Nou Camp to cheer the club on. It’s something I don’t think I’m able to comprehend due to a lack of experience, but on the face of it I have to say I admire them, and if they have any complaints, I’d totally understand.

However, complaining is one thing, but when it reaches the point where it results in calls for the sackings of the board, manager and players, and descends into a cloud of negativity, I really do believe that we have crossed the line. As supporters, we have a choice to either support the club or not support the club, and it’s entirely up to us to choose.

It’s not as though it’s the government and we have no choice but to pay taxes, but it’s simply optional when it comes to supporting the Arsenal. We are not citizens of Arsenal, we are but supporters who willingly invest our time and money to support the club, and let’s be honest, the club is a business and we are its consumers.

While the club may often portray itself as a community, and attempt to draw in fans, it is still a business after all.

As consumers, for example, we don’t buy branded goods simply because our parents have done the same, and we don’t ask to sack the board of Calvin Klein for shoddy, expensive briefs. We have other options and we know that, but we don’t seem to see the parallel in football. If you don’t support Arsenal’s board, manager and players, what exactly are you supporting the club for?

Too often I read comments by Arsenal fans on sites such as Sky Sports or the Sun saying that they support the club but not its current management, and call for change. Quite frankly I find that ridiculous as it means that one supported the club in the past but not now because of change. Change is inevitable, and once it happens you have a choice once more to support the club or not to. I suppose it depends on what we are focused on – what we want, or what is best for the club.

Thus, is it too far-fetched to say that some fans have lost perspective? I believe that when we’re discussing matters of the club, we have to consider all the other fans as well. For some reason, those who continue with their negativity don’t really seem to be supporting the club, but are rather under the illusion that they are doing what is best for the club.

From what I’ve read, they believe that failure to win trophies for 5 years means that the manager is past it and it’s time for revolution. While revolution has indeed had historical precedents in providing progress such as in the case of the French Revolution, it has also brought misery as witnessed by the Russian Revolution. Great changes result in short term turmoil without any certainty of progress, and affect the stability of the club.

Unless those who call for the heads of our present leaders are willing to step up and assume responsibility for the club while guaranteeing that we win all our games, I really do not see the appeal or validity of their words.

True, the team does have its weaknesses and tickets are expensive, but is it really in the interest of the club to abandon its financially prudent approach at the moment when it has consistently remained competitive? Is it best for the club to introduce instability and take a risk by replacing everyone and spending beyond our means?

No, I don’t believe it is, and I can’t seem to find any argument that says it’s in the interest of the club. Therefore, I have to say that it seems more like self-interest of individuals. Individuals who just want their money’s worth, or their team to win at any cost for whatever reason. These are the same people who view the end as the most important rather than the process and claim it’s for the good of the club to keep winning. I struggle to understand that line of argument, as I would rather watch the team stick to its principles and fight for the title while entertaining us fans rather than employ Stoke tactics and win the league.

In the end, football is part of the entertainment industry, and what does it mean to win when you’re not entertained? Can we really be happy if season after season we see defensive football and long ball tactics once again? Wouldn’t that simply be regression to a time when the EPL wasn’t popular at all, and lead the league into a similar fate to Serie A? A

As a consumer I’d seriously reconsider watching the team if that was to happen. For some reason, winning has become the most important thing these days, and anyone who thinks otherwise is seen as a loser. Football may well be a zero-sum game, but do we really need the success of a club to make us winners as opposed to losers?

I believe it would be a sad day when we depend on the club’s success to define ourselves as winners when we can simply be content with other aspects of the game and still be happy in our lives. Of course, we want the team to win, but it’s most definitely not the end of the world when it doesn’t.

Every season is a gamble. No one knows who is going to win the league, the cups, and much less any game. Upsets happen, but they do not make a team a losing one overnight. This season, we have won more games than we have lost, so why isn’t the team still a winner?

I don’t believe it is reasonable to expect a team to win a trophy every year considering all the factors in the game, and that there really isn’t any rational alternative to simply hoping things go our way that year. However, if anyone out there is confident enough to say that he can guarantee success and be a greater manager than Wenger, I’d really like to see him substantiate that claim, but I won’t do it by risking the club. It’s great if the club can help fulfil our own interests as supporters, such as winning trophies, but the reality is that it does what is best and most prudent for the club.

In conclusion, everyone has their right to an opinion when they support a club, but we need to ask ourselves what exactly we are trying to achieve, and whether it’s really for the good of the club, or more specifically, Arsenal.

I personally believe in the work done here in Untold by Tony, Phil and Walter by trying to keep the spirits up, as I believe that fans can be the (pardon the cliché) 12th man. On the other hand, I don’t enjoy reading about others trying to incite discontent and much less organize it, as I don’t see what purpose it serves other than the self-interests of a few that is twisted as being for the good of the club. They may continue doing as they wish, as it’s a free world, but I’d question how productive such things really are, and why they support the club.

Why do you support the Arsenal?

I recently stumbled upon Five Pound Football Club – a fantastic initiative whereby for a fiver anybody can contribute to the purchase of a football club.

In an era of billionaires, leveraged buyouts and regular administrations for lower league sides, the democratic and community-focused ownership model of Five Pound Football Club stands apart from the rest.

Membership for the scheme currently stands at over 250, with the initial target being 500. Such a number would give the scheme sufficient financial muscle to be taken seriously and allow enquiries and negotiations into clubs to start taking place, with the final target of 5000 providing the capital to purchase.

For an Arsenal fan, this sort of initiative should make us think of the current politics surrounding our own club. For the un-initiated, in a nutshell, the situation involves the current board seeking to fend off a hostile takeover from Alisher Usmanov, a Russian billionaire in the Abramovich mould, less wealthy but with a more questionable past.

Also looking to get in on the party is one Stan Kroenke, an American who now holds the current board’s favour. With a significant number of shares outside of the board’s mighty “lockdown” agree with the departure of Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, both Usmanov and Kroenke were looking to snap up these shares in order to take them over the 30% threshold.

So how does this relate to Five Pound Football Club? Well, for one it’s the principle. The founder of Five Pound Football Club wants the club to be run the right way: within reasonable budgets and with lots of community involvement. This means he realises that a club is more than just a business, and as such provisions must be made to ensure the club has a stable financial base; more than can be said for a certain Russian oligarch.

Usmanov, with the full support of ex-Arsenal favourite David Dein, would go the other way, pumping cash into the team and spending unsustainably in order to win trophies. Or at least that’s the plan. There was no mention of what would happen if this cash influx made Arsenal loss-making and then Usmanov lost interest, or if the spending achieved nothing (for further examples of this, see Real Madrid or the net spends of Liverpool FC during the time of Mr Benitez).

This contrasts with Mr Kroenke, who sees Arsenal much like Tony, Walter and I: a club up there for the trophies despite a lengthy injury list, and with a conveyor belt of young talent coming through, as well as nice low wages when considered in relation to the sheer size of the operation that is Arsenal FC.

Kroenke’s takeover and his support for the current sustainable model would no doubt be very similar to a takeover done by Five Pound Football Club, who are actively targeting a club low down on the footballing pyramid where “financial doping” isn’t the norm, allowing a club to be both sustainable and competitive without relying on Wenger-esque transfer market miracles.

As an operation, Five Pound Football Club seems to have all the right ideas. The organiser certainly has his head screwed on right: he’s always involved in discussions with members and champions the idea that the capital the members would be providing would go into something substantial, not picking up the tab of an excessive wage bill. By this, the philosophy is that Five Pound Football Club’s funds would be going into infrastructure, perhaps overhauling the youth setup (to yield dividends in years to come) or improving facilities such as the training complex or stadium, or even funding the purchase of a star player (providing wages could be covered by what the club itself generated, of course!).

The possibilities are limitless, and by targeting a smaller club, such an injection of funds could well by the stimulus a stagnant club needed to move onwards and upwards.

Most people, when they hear of Five Pound Football Club think of Ebbsfleet. There is a big difference: Five Pound Football Club targets a sustainable model, therefore membership costs would be low and constant (unless you decided to chip in with a little extra). Ebbsfleet’s idea bought too big a club and costs were never covered to start with, forcing membership costs upwards and the average Joe out the door.

Every shareholder gets a vote for all major decisions so your voice is heard. That said, there is such a thing as too much democracy, as Ebbsfleet found with gimmicks such as “Pick the team” proving to be an Achilles Heel. Members would elect a board who would act on the day to day running with a manager organising the playing side of things. Shareholders are voted for their board representatives and on broader, owner-related matters. For anybody who’s interest in football goes beyond keeping an eye on results and who is concerned by the issues affecting the game, Five Pound Football Club is one way to go about it.