Georgi Stoyanov of Arsenal Bulgaria on packing out pubs in Sofia, passing on 'The Arsenal Way' and why Manchester United rely on one man.
Our supporters club was founded back in June 2004 and, with each year, has grown exponentially. At the moment there are 583 members and we expect to reach the 600 mark before next season. Our other Premier League rivals have far fewer. This is a great pleasure but also a big responsibility and we have always strived to enhance our reputation in a positive manner. We engage in traditional supporter club activities but our main focus is about transferring 'The Arsenal Way' to our members. We take great pride in that.
We have branches in eight cities with attendance in Sofia, our capital, reaching 100 people on occasions. We try to create a stadium-like atmosphere at every gathering and have received acknowledgement by countless new members for this.
"It will be important for the boys to show the same desire as the one that got them through to the FA Cup semi-final."
Sunday’s game against Manchester United will be a real test for both teams. We will have the psychological edge, not only because of the FA Cup victory we registered at Old Trafford, but also the fact Arsenal look to be in an upward spiral since the New Year. The manager has found the right balance and the team’s collective play has been very efficient. Man United look as though their overall style is a bit chaotic. We must acknowledge they have secured their place in the Champions’ League draw, but it is more a product of individual class than team effort, led mostly by the heroics of David de Gea.
We believe it is imperative the team finishes the Premier League season with confidence and the game against Man United will play a big part. We have recently registered some poor results in this fixture and the boys now have the chance to put those days behind them.
A key objective for Arsenal would be to try and contain Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney. We recognise those two players as the main threat. We are hopeful our relatively new midfield force of Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey will be more than capable of providing this.
Aaron Ramsey
Most of all, it will be important for the boys to show the same desire as the one that got them through to the FA Cup semi-final. Pressing them in the same fashion we did before will undoubtedly create opportunities for our in-form duo of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. We look the more balanced team so every Gooner should be expecting a good performance and hopefully one that will all but secure our place in the top three.
Our prediction is 1-0 to the Arsenal.
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