Wilshere's Defensive Role

Firstly can I just say how great it is that Arsenal have done business early in the transfer window.

For the first time in years Arsenal fans can sit back, relax and discuss the myriad of ways our team will shape up at the start of the season, rather than fretting as to whether the next signing will be an Henry or a Park.

It's nice to be on the other side of the glass for a change as we watch the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool flap limply at each other over the signature of players no body else is too bothered with.

Our own transfer rumours have died down somewhat, in particular our links with Real Madrid's Sami Khedira. This could be another example of Wenger's wileyness, he's got a taste for showmanship after last season's Özil bombshell (who can forget THAT look).

However the biggest indication that the deal to sign Real's central midfielder is unlikely has been the somewhat unexpected admission that Wenger might look to convert Jack Wilshere into a holding midfielder.

This wouldn't be the first time Wenger has transformed a player's career by radically changing their position and somewhat their playing style. Henry, famously, played as a winger before Wenger moved him upfront as did Robin Van Persie.

Going the other way, Kolo Toure started his Arsenal career as a holding midfielder, even playing at right-back for spells before Wenger formed the invincibles partnership with Sol Campbell at centre back.

Now while I personally favour the taller CDM, history shows that some of the best defensive players in the game needn't be particularly impressive in stature. 

Arguably the world cup's stand-out player, Javier Mascherano, stands at a meagre 5 ft 9, whilst Blaise Matuidi and Nigel De Jong 5 ft 9 and 5ft 8 respectively.

Consider also Ballon D'or and world cup winning captain and centre back Fabio Cannavaro who stands 5 ft 10 inches tall, when many argued his height would inhibit his ability to play at the heart of Italy's defense.

The three most important attributes required to play as a holding midfielder are: discipline, stamina and an ability to read the game one step ahead of anyone else on the pitch.

We have been blessed to have Mikel Arteta in the holding role, a player who despite his relative inadequacies truly understands his role in the side. His focus and ability to resist the temptation to push forward ensures that there is generally good cover should the opposition attempt to spring a counterattack.

Similarly Arteta's passing statistics are out of this world. Fair enough he never attempts a hollywood ball, so his assist stats are low, but pass accuracy over an entire season in excess of 90% last season tells you all you need to know about his reliability, playing as the metronome on our halfway line.

In terms of stamina, Jack will need to learn from our other CDM Mathieu Flamini who consistently runs more kilometres during a match than some other players combined. As an example take a look at these stats from after our match against Bayern Munich in the Champions League (ignore the scoreline).

I suppose this is partly due to genetic disposition but is also down to Flamini's desire to cover every blade of grass, leaving everything out on the pitch whenever he plays. That elusive spark of determination is something that Jack already possesses and will serve him well when he needs to find an extra gear.

But most importantly is Jack's ability to read the game in a way that Arteta and Flamini never can or never will. Having played as a number 10 the majority of his career or out-wide, as Wenger so often does with emerging talent, his brain has become honed to thinking that split second quicker.

As Wenger has said in the past, the further up the field you go the less time you have to think. Players operating in and around the opposition's penalty area have under half a second to decide how they will play the ball, they have to visualise their touch and pass before the ball has even left their teammates feet. This degree of quick thinking, if retuned to think like a CDM could enable Wilshere to play like Cannavaro and others who were able to snuff out danger before it developed.

It's an interesting proposition posed by the manager and one that could go some way to addressing an issue The Lovely Reds raised earlier this week in this article. By utilising Wilshere as a CDM and rotating him with the likes of Arteta he will gradually stake a claim as Arsenal's holding midfielder if competition higher up the pitch favours the likes of Özil and Cazorla.

This is not to say that we should settle and make accommodations for a player who might not be suited to playing such a pivotal role, but it could be worth experimenting during pre season. I suppose we'll see what happens in New York this afternoon and during The Emirates Cup in August.

Thanks for reading!

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Ze Germans Aren't Coming

The news has come through this morning that Arsenal's returning heroes and world cup winners Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil are to miss the start of the premier league season.

The trio who featured in Germany's triumphant campaign in Brazil are still on holiday after a long and tiring season, particularly Ozil who played his first full season in the premier league and featured in all of Germany's world cup matches, a season which for the Arsenal playmaker has stretched from August 2013 to July 2014.

The news will not come as a huge surprise but hearing it directly from manager Arsene Wenger is an affirmation that although eligible to play, Arsenal's German players will be rested in order to allow a comprehensive preseason build up.

This is due to a FIFA imposed mandatory four week break for players who feature in the world cup finals, meaning that players involved in the tournament's last game will not return to training until 4 days before the start of the new season on August 16th.

Whilst many Arsenal fans will be disappointed and a little apprehensive at the prospect of going without two of our key players for the season's opener against Crystal Palace, I believe that this is the logical precaution the manager must take to protect our most valuable players from injury.

By Wenger's own admission last season's title was lost due to injury to our key players. At one point Ozil, Ramsey, Walcott and Wilshere were all ineligible to play through injury which ultimately cost us our first title since 2004.

It is, however, very likely that both Mertesacker and Ozil will play in Arsenal's second game of the season against Everton as by then they will have had nearly two weeks to prepare. My only concern is that whilst others will have had a full preseason to get up to match speed and fitness, our German players may take some time to adjust.

I suppose that's the price you pay for having three world cup winners in ya team....get innnnnn!!

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Really the Best League in the World?

Is the Premier League really the best league in the World?

There was a time when this question would have earnt you a clip round the ear, a disparaging sigh or something a little more stern given the wrong company. 'Of course the premier league is the best league in the world you @$^%&!' shouted with bottom of the gut certainty for all to hear.

These days however it's not a given and despite its relative merits has lost considerable ground to leagues from across Europe, particularly in countries such as Spain and Germany who's domestic football is experiencing something of a renaissance.

In and of itself the premier league is still the best as an insular spectacle. Given the ultimatum of being able to watch only one league and one league alone very few would look outside England's offering. But of course this is subjective considering many of our hearts lie tied inextricably to teams represented in the premier league. Ask a Spaniard the same question and they would say La Liga, a German Bundesliga, an Italian and a Frenchman well they'd probably be happy to be included in the argument.

The premier league's strength lies in the depth of quality on offer. It has become something of a cliche now but the fact remains that any team, regardless of league history and position has the capability to cause an upset, there truly are no easy games. The pace at which the premier league is played means that the balance of a game and indeed of an entire season can swing like a maniacal pendulum by the minute. 

Consider the late drama of Manchester City's famous title and how Aguero's goal to win the league came in the last minute of the last game of an entire season. Consider also Liverpool's capitulation this season at Crystal Palace where they lead 3-0 only to draw the game and hand the title to the lesser of two evils in neighbouring Manchester.

There is also greater incentive for teams in mid table to strive for a higher league position as the premier league offers four champions league spots and two Europa league places whilst a more democratic division of television rights than say La Liga truly benefits a 10th place finish over 15th. This ensures that smaller teams keep battling away throughout the season, making it difficult for those higher up.

Similarly the allure of playing in the premier league is such that teams in mid table often sign internationally renowned players. Look at QPR's capture of Brazilian and world cup semi-finalist Julio Cesar, Everton's signing of Barcelona starlet Gerard Deulofeu and Stoke's recent acquisition of striker Bojan.  These sorts of signings don't happen at clubs like Granada or Hoffenheim, meaning that talent percolates down through the league making it more competitive throughout.

However it is undeniable that premier league sides can no longer be considered the 'best' in Europe and one definition of 'the best league' is one that offers the highest standard of football, measured against Europe's other elite leagues.

We need only look as far as the major European competitions to see that this is the case. In last season’s Champions League we saw an all Spain final, Real vs Atletico Madrid, which followed a semi final round including German champions Bayern Munich and a sole representative from the Premier League, Chelsea, who never looked for a moment like progressing. 

In the Europa league, Europe’s second cup, English representatives in the form of Wigan Athletic, Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur didn’t exactly fair too well either. Wigan failed to make it out of the group stage finishing rock bottom, whilst Swansea were knocked out in the round of 32, Tottenham in the round of 16. Not a single premier league side even made it to the quarter finals of Europe’s second most prestigious competition.

Considering that between 2005 and 2012 the premier league has had a representative in the final of a major European competition every year, then the last two seasons indicate a widening of margins between the best sides.

No wonder then that major broadcasting platforms are currently embroiled in a battle over Europe’s domestic leagues. Viewing figures in the UK for Spanish and German football in particular has nearly trebled in the last 2 seasons alone. And although the Premier League is still the most popular league in the world, owing largely to its following in Asia the scales have more than shifted.

This shift has been recognised by the major broadcasters with Sky Sports set to launch a new channel, Sky Sports 5 on the 12th August which will exclusively show European football from La Liga, Eredivise and the Champions League. BT Sport have been doing the same for over a season now showing Ligue 1, La Liga and Bundesliga matches.

This could explain why in the current preseason more than ever top sides from the premier league are heading further and further afield in an attempt to conscript more fans to the cause. New and unchartered frontier's for the premier league franchise offer a wide-eyed, malleable population, like the younger cousin or godchild who through careful and well considered manipulation can grow into a fully-fledged fanatic and call the premier league their own.

It seems as though at least in Continental Europe some of the glitz of the premier league is starting to fade. 

Consider this summer's transfers where the top marquee signings in the name of Kroos, Rodriguez and Suarez have gone to Spanish sides. Arsenal the only side from the premier league with a comparative signing in Chilean and ex-Barcelona striker Alexis Sanchez. There is a definite sense that the premier league is no longer the pinnacle of a player's career, that true international status and professional greatness can only be achieved by donning the claret and blue of Catalonia or the dazzling white of Madrid.

Even League 1, France's premier division is beginning to carve a position out for itself as one of Europe's more exciting leagues. PSG's summer splurge has seen the signing of Brazil and ex-Chelsea defender David Luiz to accompany a whole host of stars like Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovich, whilst rivals Monaco can showcase stars like Falcao, Berbatov and Moutinho.

With the established hegemony of La Liga under threat by last season's winners Atletico Madrid, it is no longer a two-horse race, whilst the eternal battle between Spain's two most successful clubs is more intriguing now than ever. 

I will concede that star signings are only a small part of what makes a league exciting to watch however it is clear to see that when once the world’s best flocked to England and Spain, now the division of talent is more even across Europe. The premier league retains its mantle as the best league only just due to the fact that so little can separate first from fifth place making it a more intriguing league. However I believe that we are at the start of a paradigm shift whereby in a season or two we will be waiting just as anxiously for our late night dose of European football as we do for that Sunday afternoon fix. As sports broadcasters invest more in showing and analysing European games this can only be a good thing for our general knowledge of the sport and it won’t be long before pints are spilled and friends lost over a match between SC Freiburg and Hannover 96.

For more from the world of football follow us: @thelovelyreds

Thanks for reading!

Fazed Out

At the official announcement of Mathieu Debuchy's signing Arsene Wenger spent a good proportion of the afternoon defending Carl Jenkinson's position in the Arsenal squad. It seems as though there is concern, at least from outside the club, that Debuchy's signing and interest in Atletico's Javier Manquillo could mean that another season passes by without any decent first team action for the young Englishman. 

However it's not just Jenkinson that we should be concerned for.

I’m all for the fantastic signings Arsene Wenger has made already this transfer window. Alexis Sanchez and Mathieu Debuchy are exactly the types of players required, experienced, international players who have played at top sides throughout their careers. 

However it was little over a year ago when Arsene Wenger gave a press conference defending his decision to field a young side that featured a large proportion of players from the UK.

At one point our match day squad included Gibbs, Jenkinson, Wilshere, Ramsey, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain. The promise at the time was that Arsenal would provide the England squad with its ‘spine’, inferring that the way these players were progressing and likely to regularly feature in Arsenal’s starting 11 they would become integral cogs in the national side.

Looking at the recent world cup it is painfully apparent that Wenger has been proved wrong in this prediction. Gibbs and Jenkinson weren’t even taken to Brazil, which in Gibbs’ case is a travesty and would have likely prevented the mauling England’s left flank received against Italy. Jenkinson perhaps isn’t quite there yet, but with the arrival of Debuchy and our links with Manquilla it would appear that Wenger doesn’t think the young Englishman is ready either.

Of the two players that did make the trip to South America, Wilshere played a bit part, whilst Oxlade-Chamberlain ... Hardly stalwarts of the England side. Hodgson chose to go with a lethal combination of Liverpool players who have absolutely no experience of choking on the big stage, absolutely none.. and Manchester United players who, with the exception of Wellbeck didn’t seem to want the pressure. Perhaps this was an apology to Liverpool for his time as manager and an early application to the Old Trafford job before Van Gaal’s appointment.

Either way Arsenal’s representation at the World’s biggest sporting event was poor from an English perspective. Thankfully we have a few Germans knocking around to make up the balance.

In my opinion this goes some way to explaining Wenger’s gushing appraisal of Jenkinson at the official announcement of Debuchy’s signing. The manager was full of positivity regarding Jenkinson’s prospects at making the first team, which could be a way of saying ‘someone make us an offer, he’s honestly not that bad’ or could be a way of defending his previous statement made a year ago.

Should Arsenal sign another central midfielder where will this leave Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain? In my opinion the two have already been demoted to the bench with the arrival of Sanchez. As explained in this article Wenger cannot afford to leave either Ozil, Sanchez or Ramsey out of our starting line-up and once Arteta, Cazorla and Giroud are added I cannot see a way to bring in either of our two English stars. 

Podolski has been Wenger’s go to impact sub and is arguably the right man to bring on when we need a goal as he can score from range. Rosicky, too, despite his age proved invaluable last season even sparking interest from German giants Bayern Munich.

In Wenger's preferred 4-3-3 formation the starting midfield is likely to be: Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil with a forward three of Walcott, Sanchez and Giroud. 

In Walcott's absence for what is likely to be the first two months of the season, you would expect Wenger to go with Cazorla on the left flank where he has deployed the Spaniard countless times last season.

Let's hope that Wilshere, the Ox and co. can get used to playing a supporting role this season and that it doesn't come back to bite us when no doubt several clubs will be sniffing around our homegrown stars.

For more Arsenal news follow us: @thelovelyreds

The Launch

This time last week saw the launch of Arsenal’s new kit, the first designed by Puma at the start of what will hopefully be a successful and fondly remembered period in the club’s history.

Already expectation was high with the news that Sanchez has signed for a fee of £32 million whilst Debuchy is almost a done deal at £10 million.

The Lovely Reds was in attendance at the kit launch on London’s famous Carnaby Street at Puma’s flagship London store.

Several hundred fans, press and bloggers had gathered outside the entrance, the shop adorned in striking shades of blue, red and yellow. 

There was a palpable sense of expectation in the air as the digital clock projected onto the shopfront counted down the minutes.

As the clock struck '0' the music cut off, the London night air still only for a second before chants that usually adorn the stands of the Emirates rang out filling the streets.

Suddenly Arsene Wenger appeared as a projection, striding confidently towards the camera with the look of a man unburdened, liberated from the financial shackles that have bound his writing hand.

Cue a short film about pride, nurturing young talent and ‘doing things the Arsenal way’. 


As the video ended amidst chants of 'One Arsene Wenger' another silence fell as the lights were turned up casting Carnaby street in a fierce white light revealing the silhouettes of three players.

The sheet covering the shopfront fell, the expected crowd let off a cheer and in the shop window stood three incredibly life-like players, Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla. The likeliness was impeccable, the mannequins posed in strong, confident positions, chests puffed arms behind the back.

'Ooooh Santi Cazorla, Ooooh Santi Cazorla' the crowd perked up again which proved too much for the players whose charade as models ended with ear-to ear-ear smiles, arms raised in signs of appreciation to those who had waited patiently, some as long as 2 hours to get a first glimpse at the new kits.

Once the players had left, the doors opened and the first members of the public entered to a guard of honour from the Puma staff who were dressed in custom Arsenal shirts for the occasion. The shop was suddenly full of excitable middle-aged fans, giddy like schoolchildren in a toy store. 

Your truly had a photo taken with the FA Cup trophy which was in attendance on the store's far side and met a young freestyler by the name of Daniel Dennehy (danieldennehy.com) who had been keeping the crowds entertained with dazzling feats of skill only moments before.

A quick purchase of a junior shirt for a little cousin later and we were back out into the crisp night air, the first stop en route to the start of the new season.

For more Arsenal content follow us on Twitter @thelovelyreds thanks for reading!

Wenger's Choice

With the official announcement that Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez has joined and the deal to sign Newcastle’s Mathieu Debuchy as good as done this leaves Arsene Wenger with a very interesting and enviable dilemma. 

Debuchy, as well as providing Giroud with competition for best haircut, is an obvious replacement for Bacary Sagna who unfortunately left the club on a free to join title contenders Manchester City. Although his wages have significantly improved by joining the Manchester outfit, his playing prospects will have suffered a major blow considering Pablo Zabaleta was in fine form last season and has had an outstanding World Cup campaign.

Our back four next season will be Mertesacker and Koscielny at centre back, Gibbs at left back and Debuchy on the right. Looking at Debuchy’s statistics in comparison to the man he replaces there is little to separate the two apart from age. Whilst Debuchy has proven more prolific in attack, taking more shots at goal than Sagna last season he is less assured in the air.

With the imminent return of Theo Walcott from injury, Wenger now has a decision to make regarding his attacking line-up. It is unlikely that the central pairing of Arteta/ Flamini and Ramsey will be interrupted barring another big transfer. Should Gazidis’ encouraging teaser turn out to be true and someone of the calibre of Khedira arrives at the club then you would expect Arteta and Flamini to become valuable squad players for cup competitions or when Arsenal are looking to defend a narrow lead in order to close a game out.

Ozil and Sanchez will be first names on the team sheet. Their obvious world class talent and record breaking transfer fees demand it. To placate the fans and the board Wenger will be forced to start his two wizards for large parts of the season. My hope is that he learns from the mistakes of last season, when playing Ozil, Ramsey and Walcott too often arguable cost us the league title, an admission Wenger himself has made. His reliance on key players especially during those tough winter months ensured that we stayed top going into the new year but ultimately cost us in Easter when our squad was severely depleted.

Losing one player at a time is manageable but losing four of our starting line-up in one go cost us dearly.

Ozil has had an extremely long and tiring season and with Germany through to the final he, along with Mertesacker and Podolski are unlikely to have more than 2 weeks rest before joining up with the rest of the squad for pre-season.

Sanchez, too, will be unaccustomed to the intensity of the premier league and having to play throughout the season without a break. Champions league and cup competitions will add further strain to his debut season at Arsenal as will the enormous pressure to perform considering the sizable fanfare made over his signing.

Wenger has to rotate more than he is used to and this will benefit everyone, as players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Serge Gnabry and Sanogo have shown great promise but need more playing time to develop.

This is how I believe our squad should line-up on day one of the Season when Arsenal face Manchester City on the 10th August: 

Goalkeeper: Szczesny

Defence: Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Debuchy

Midfield: Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez, Arteta, Cazorla

Striker: Giroud

There are three possible areas of weakness here. Debuchy is an unknown quantity. He is obviously a talented player, putting in solid performances for club and country over the past, however he is yet to play at the highest level for either. His inclusion in the Arsenal squad could go one of two ways, but I am quietly confident that he will adapt under the tutelage of Wenger and his compatriot Laurent Koscielny who has blossomed into a world class centre back. He will have to learn to be more defensively astute in the way that Sagna was one of the best backs-to-wall defenders around. However this same aspect of his game could make him a more valuable asset than Sagna, as the ex Arsenal player was not exactly known for his ability to take a player on or for his crossing.

Arteta is also something of a weak link. Looking objectively at our squad and leaving emotion aside he is arguably the worst player on the team sheet. His passing stats are impressive as is his shooting ability however employed as a holding midfielder and judged accordingly he doesn’t quite fit the bill. We need to sign someone of monstrous stature combined with an ability to read the game. Arteta meets half of these requirements through no fault of his own, but Ramsey and co. need a minder, someone of Sami Khedira or Lars Bender’s stature (6 ft 2 and 6 ft 1 respectively) to strike fear into the opposition and battle with the likes of Yaya Toure.

Finally Giroud, although a fan favourite for his tireless commitment, is by no means a top striker. He is impressive in the air and adept at holding the ball surrounded by the opposition but as was shown several times last season his comversion of one-on-one chances or his ability to shoot from range is not there. What I am hoping is that Giroud will prove the perfect foil for Sanchez, the former requires defenders to play closer together as he is often tough to handle which will free space for Sanchez and Ramsey to run into, supplied by Ozil and Cazorla.

Players like Walcott, Chamberlain and Jenkinson can be fazed in and out when necessary, to provide rest to players when the result is assured or when an injection of pace and directness is required.

There has been some conjecture over the possible reallocation of players to different positions, making our squad more fluid. Jenkinson could be trained at how to play as a reserve centre back due to his height whilst Oxlade-Chamberlain has already shown promise in central midfield. This along with Sanchez’s versatility means that our squad depth is greater than it first appears, a crucial factor considering that this was our undoing in last season's campaign.

For the first time in nearly a decade Arsenal are in the FA Community Shield, a gala event I remember fondly from the days when Arsenal's inclusion was something of a formality winning in '98, '99, '02 and '04. Although little prestige is given to the trophy itself, it is still the first game of the new season and a way for two of the previous season's best teams to mark their intent for the coming months. Plus Arsene has started the bloodlust for trophies, Community Shield or not I want it and I want it now!

So much to consider in what is already looking to be one of the most intriguing and beguiling seasons for the Arsenal. Stay tuned to The Lovely Reds in the coming weeks as we'll look at Arsenal's pre-season preparation, the build up to that FA Community Shield clash at Wembley, plus any serious transfer news.

The New Gods

While the modern day heros strut their stuff on the world stage in the evolution of ancient amphitheaters and colossal gladiatorial pits, The Lovely Reds has been in Greece, the original land of the gods. This got us thinking, if the great stories of Homer were rewritten today who from the world of football would be cast as Zeus and his fellow deities?

Zeus - the king of the gods, the big daddy, this has to be Pele whose face has been attached to every piece of merchandise going during the tournament. Interviewed by every major news station and shown in the stands whenever he attends a fixture, Pele is the original footballing deity and his fame has forged a path for others to follow in his footsteps.

Hermes - The messenger to the gods, Hermes was known to be light of foot, carried by his winged shoes. Arjen Robben the swift-footed Dutchman set a new record sprint during the tournament's group stages, and has continually left players in his dust on delivering the ball to goal.

Dionysus - the god of wine and festivities. Judging from this article, Andrea Pirlo (who actually owns and runs his own vineyard) knows how to have a good time on the old sauce.

Atlas - 'the man with the weight of the world of the world on his shoulders' could be a number of players, from Leonel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. But of all the great individuals to feature in this world cup, Neymar more than any other player, is carrying the expectations of not just a  nation, but the world squarely on his slight shoulders  scratch that, with Neymar's cracked vertebrae it shows that he's not an immortal, Leo Messi it is can he shake the demon of underperforming for Argentina and bring home the cup?

Poseidon - Lord of the Ocean. For taking an alleged dive Nigeria's goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama for flapping limply at a crossed corner, leaving the ball for France's Paul Pogba to head home and then posing with the goal scorer after the match!

Ares - the god of war. This could be the entire Honduras squad who were intent on reducing every match to a bloodbath in the pursuit of the hallowed clean sheet. Other individuals like the Netherlands' Nigel De Jong are infamous for their bloodlust and penchant for chest high challenges. But in homage to our Greek theme and for 15 years service to one of the hardest working teams out there, Georgos Karagounis would be Ares for his love of a good old midfield scrap and his warrior-like qualities. Special mention to Nigeria's Emmanuel Emenike.

Hades - God of the underworld, his face worn in a evil smile, Hades wears a cloak made from the souls of the damned and sits atop a throne of bones. Luis Suarez. Hated by everyone apart from the Uruguayan press, he is the harbinger of pain and suffering (just ask Chiellini).

Nemesis - Goddess of revenge. There are a few revenge stories from this world cup, the Netherlands demolition of Spain in the group stages, Algeria's heroics against Germany (although they fell just short) A special mention to the Cameroon squad who took revenge on their national footballing federation, who were late on paying the players their appearance bonuses. By playing poorly and leaving the competition early, those players sure showed the beaurocrats who's boss....

Hecate - Goddess of ghosts, Wayne Rooney for being non-existent (yet again).

Nike - Goddess of Victory........