As for the finale itself, there were still a few questions left unanswered which I think from the writers point of view was the right choice. Now people are making their own minds up based on what they think rather than what they saw. This post is basically my theories on some of the open questions or unsolved mysteries from the last 6 years of the show.

The Dharma Inititive and The Island’s Protectors

Wait a minute? We’ve seen plenty of the Dharma Inititive, we know all about them so why do many people want more answers? We it’s quite simple. Everything we know about Dharma just didn’t matter by the end of the show. Jacob and the MiB (aka smokie, the smoke monster, Flocke) were the two most important characters in the islands history. Between them representing light and dark, good and evil etc. But just like anyone else who was brought to the island the DI were all part of a game between Jacob and MiB.
Theory: The island has had many protectors over the last few millenia. We know Jacob was one of them and his mother before him, plus Jack briefly and then Hurley after him and many more i’m sure long after Hurley. The island will always need a protector but it wasn’t until jacob was in charge that the island actually had a real threat. Cue the MiB. Jacob’s brother who killed their mother and because Jacob’s nemesis. Jacob killed him and threw his body into the heart of the island where he became the black smoke monster, able to alter his form into those whose bodies lie on the island, starting with his own. Jacob and MiB couldn’t kill eachother due to a a curse put on them by their mother but Jacob still needed a backup plan. This is where his list of candidates come into it. We know there were hundreds of people over nearly 2000 years who were candidates to take over from Jacob. Jacob had enough to power to bring these candidates to the island and a handful of Dharma members were on his list. It’s speculated that Roger Linus was one of them. It was the MiB who made sure the Dharma inititive were wiped out through the hands of Ben Linus who he manipulated when he was just a boy. The MiB has the power to make dead loved one’s from someones memory appear to them and he did just that with Ben’s mother. Without knowing Ben sided with the MiB believing he was on the side of Jacob. The MiB couldn’t kill the DI himself due to their protection of the sonic fences. When Ben got older he helped kill every member of the DI including his father Roger. Over the years we can assume 99% of jacobs candidates were killed at the hands of the MiB or his manipulation skills. After all only a few were left by the end of series 6.

The Cabin

In series 3 we first witnessed ‘Jacob’s cabin’. This was the the supposed mysterious home of Jacob, the islands leader. We find out at the end of season 5 that Jacob actually lives inside the foot of the statue. This has come up a lot in conversation recently because the writers never explained the deal with it although subtle clues were there. It was Benjamin Linus who first told us this was Jacob’s cabin however he had never actually met or saw Jacob and believed he could only be seen by certain people. We also briefly see that the cabin is infact home to Christian Shepherd (or at least his ghost or image) which we later find out is in fact MiB.
Theory: Ben was again manipulated by MiB in believing this was Jacobs cabin when in fat the MiB was the one who at somepoint was trapped in this cabin. Ben’s hand in helping kill the members of the Dharma inititive was also a well played scheme by the MiB and nothing to do with Jacob or The Others.

Did They All Die in the Crash?

Some people still think the island was purgatory and none of it happened. These are the people who feel robbed by the show but they are so wrong with this theory.
Theory: What we saw was real. yes we saw all our Losties in purgatory at the end but it doesn’t mean they all died at the same time. What about Desmond and Penny? They weren’t on the plane but they were in purgatory. As was Faraday and Charlotte. Christian Shepherd even said that some people died long after Jack did and we know some of them made it from the Island. I believe they went on to live their lives afterwards which we will get into next..

What Happened Next?

We were left guessing on the future of the survivors which I think was a good call. We know Hurley and Ben stayed on the island to protect it. For me I think this is a happy ending for Ben. He loves the island despite not being a candidate he was Hurley’s right hand man and helped to protect the island he loved so dear. Their first task was getting Desmond home which I think they would have used the boat to do. Desmond would have been reunited with Penny, living a happy life with Charles Widmore on his back.
Who knows what reception would have been given to those on the Ajira flight. Kate already had huge publicity as one of the Oceanic 6 so to be found again from another missing flight would bring up a lot of awkward questions. Claire would finally get to raise Aaron, Richard may find it hard to adapt to life but we’ve seen that he has left the island in the past and i’m sure Hurley and Ben and even Ben’s aquaintences would have helped Richard settle. Who knows, with MiB dead he might have came back to visit. Lapidus would just carry on as normal with a few extra friends on his christmas card list, Miles, providing he kept the diamonds he found would live a very fine life indeed. All in all a happy ending for those who survived. And let’s not forget Rose and Bernard…

Goalkeepers – A new goalkeeper is a must. Wenger has hinted that he may not be in the market for one but if that’s the case then you’d do well to find any fan who agrees with him. A host of names have been linked with Arsenal as always. In an ideal world I would love to see Arsenal purchase Joe Hart but it seems very unlikely to happen. I would be happy to see any one of Green, Frey, Lloris or Adler come in as the new number one keeper. I hope Fabianski leaves as he just is not good enough.

Defenders - With Silvestre, Gallas and Campbell likely to go then a new centre back or two is vital. I have a feeling Campbell will stay on for another year which would be nice. Djourou will hopefully be fit and I expect him to compete for a place. Senderos also looks set to leave. Again we have been linked with a host of names. A first choice centre back and a backup centre back could be needed. Someone like Hangerlaand at Fulham would be my number 1 choice. Mexes, David Luiz and even Upson would all be welcomed.

Midfield – A backup defensive midfielder was needed last summer and we didn’t get one. As a result almost every game where our only defensive midfielder, Alex Song, was not playing, Arsenal failed to win. Why Wenger never bought one last summer is beyond me and I honestly don’t expect him to this year. It’s a scary thought having Denilson and Diaby as backup again. They are not good enough. Previous transfer target Melo could be available.

Strikers – It looks like Chamakh is coming in. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a striker leave. Eduardo isn’t as good as he was so he may be allowed to move on. Carlos Vela could really do with a loan move. If Robin Van Persie stays fit next season it would be a huge boost to the side.

Characters do not level up as such as they did in old Final Fantasy games, instead they have crystarium points which are used to buy better stats and abilities, this is similar to the system used in Final Fantasy X. It can be tedious levelling up this way but not as tedious as the weapons upgrades which is a big disappointment in this game. It takes a lot of time and gil to level up the weapons and accessories and it’s something I have not bothered to spend as much time on. Another downside to this game is the lack of mini games. There are 64 extra misisons called Cie’th stone missions but they only require you to beat certain enemies which is no different from what you do all game.

Like all Final Fantasy games this will require a lot of hours to complete but it does suck you in. If you’re a fan of previous Final Fantasy games then you will love this one.

Ramsey will not play football again until Christmas at the earliest. He joins a growing list of Arsenal players out injured, granted there are couple out injured from international duty and training but the majority of injuries are picked up in matches against teams like Stoke who set out from the get go to get stuck into Arsenal. I’m glad these other current injuries are not as horrific as Ramseys but I have never known a team to suffer 3 horror injuries like this at all let alone in just 4 years.

These are quite surprising stats when you consider that we have manchester city and Chelsea who are two of the richest clubs in the world and manchester united, who despite their huge debt, did rake in £80m just a few months ago from the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo. City fans were probably looking forward to a big name or two but their major purchase was the £7m purchase of Adam Johnson from Boro. This last minute purchase proved to be the biggest in the transfer window. A lot of clubs instead decided to go with loans. Clubs can no longer afford to take financial risk in signing players mid season and some clubs could really benefit from not having the wage bill to pay for their fringe players. These two attributes has meant that the market for loaning boomed last month. I cannot remember the loan system being used so much (unless you count Norwich Citys over use of it last year anyway). Big loan movers included mido to West Ham, Nicky Shorey to Fulham and Jack Wilshire to Bolton. We also saw a few noticable free transfers in the form or Sol Campbell to Arsenal and maxi Rodriguez to Liverpool.

The recession, which we are gradually getting out of, might not be solely to blame on the lack of transfer activity this January, after all it’s very difficult to sign players mid season. Just ask Arsene Wenger who claimed he tried to sign David Villa, which had he been successful would have doubled the amount the spent by clubs in the window. I am not a fan of the transfer window and neither are a lot of managers but I feel this trend of using the Janurary transfer window mainly for loans could be a trend, especially in world cup years where first team football is more important to the players than their wages. Phillipe Senderos is a prime example of this with his move to Everton. Clubs will now have to make do with the players they have for the next few months and some may have seen this window as a success and others may rue not being able to sign those extra players their clubs need.

You have two main weapons which are a giant axe and your guitar, which in this world can shoot lightning when played. The game has a very old school feel about it. Running around slicing demons reminds me of the old playstation game, Medieval. The world map is very open and there are plenty of hidden secrets and side missions although the side missions are very repetitive and finding all the hidden secrets is tedious to say the least. This is similar but not as extreme as Oblivion, where the main story is just a small part of the game. I must also mention the music on this game. If you are into classic metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Judas Priest etc. then you wont be disappointed. The music on this game is simply great and fitting for the game.

The multiplayer mode is a mix between the main gameplay and a sort of command and conquer style gameplay. During the story of the single player you play various stage battles where you have a stage and merch booths and from these you can build units and lead them into battles against the enemies stage. This is essentially what the multiplayer is although you are not just limited to being Eddie and building his units.

Verdict: I would recommend this game to anyone who is into classic metal music and just want a casual fun game to play on. Be prepared to be driving about all over the world map, there are a few tedious moments and once you’ve done the story and side missions there isn’t much left apart from trying to find all the hidden secrets and the multiplayer which can get boring after a game or two.

GK – Jens Lehmann
Despite being a little bit crazy, Jens was a very consistent goalkeeper and his first season was the invicibles year. To not be on the losing side in a league game for your first seasons is very impressive indeed.

RB – Bacary Sagna
One of only two current players in my first XI, Sagna was a bit of a shock buy from a fans point of view. We had never heard of him, nor did we think we needed a new right back, but Sagna came in and has barely put a foot wrong since. The best right back to wear the shirt since Lee Dixon in my opinion.

LB – Ashley Cole
Despite hating him, there is no doubt that Cole has been the best left back Arsenal have had over the last 10 years. He is a local lad who came up from the youth ranks and straight into the first team which is a rare thing at the club. It was a shame he turned his back on the club.

CB – Sol Campbell
The best bit of Wenger business in the last 10 years. Sol Campbell arrived from local rivals Spurs on a free transfer and was a solid centre back during his time at the club, just as he was for Spurs. The highlight of his Arsenal career was scoring in the champions league final.

CB – Martin Keown
Keown was reaching the end of his career towards the early noughties but he still had a big part to play for the club. His experience was passed down to a lot of the younger players at the club. His reaction to Ruud Van Nistlerooys penalty miss will always stick in the memory.

RM – Freddie Ljungberg
Freddie was the only player to have red hair! If that’s not a good enough excuse to include him then maybe his impressive record of 48 goals from midfield for the club will. If not there is always his record of being the first player to score in two FA Cup finals in two years.

LM – Robert Pires
He started his Arsenal career slowly but ended up being the best winger at the club since Marc Overmars. Pires really was world class. His crossing was excellent and he could also score crackers from range.

CM – Patrick Vieira
Patrick really is an Arsenal legend. He replaced Tony Adams as captain of the club and he didn’t disappoint with the role. He was a solid player, a natural born leader and he could even score goals too. Any team with him in the middle would prove tough indeed.

CM – Cesc Fabregas
The second player from the current crop in this team. Cesc really is a little magician. He broke into the Arsenal team at just 16 and became the youngest captain under Arsene Wenger. One of the most gifted players in the world at the moment. His vision movement and goal scoring has been superb. The teams works around him and when he plays he offers a new dimension to the play. He is world class, and he is still only 22.

ST – Theirry Henry
Arsenals all time top goalscorer. Henry is easily the best out and out striker Arsenal have ever had. He had pace, vision and his finishing was the best. Before he left for Barcelona Henry had scored 174 goals in just 254 matches.

ST – Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp was the master. Most of the greatest Arsenal goals are credited to him. He really could make something out of nothing and his ball control, vision and finishing was of a different class.