Working With What We Have

First things first my fellow gunners, Don’t Panic. There is no need for some of this in-fighting that I have witnessed on different blogs and message boards between those of us who truly love the sport and are passionate about the Arsenal. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, regardless or not if it questions the wisdom of our fearless leader Mr. Wenger. He has been doing this a long time and our season is just getting started. Remember if you will last season, Chelski and ManUre both got off to rocky starts and finished above us in the table whereas we shot out from the gates untouched and did not falter until the second half of the season. Perhaps we need some perspective on the fact that this is a really long season with plenty of opportunity to right the ship.

That being said, I do not think that I have EVER seen the Gunners play so poorly in my life as they did against Fulham. We should give credit to Hodgeson and his squad, they came out and put pressure on our inexperienced midfield, causing havoc on any and all attempts to play out of the back, and forcing our boys to play the same kind of calamity football that we make other teams play.

The most disturbing thing about Saturday was the passing completion rate, only Nasri’s 81% (53 passes) was of the level that we were used to seeing last year whereas Walcott’s 81% (16 passes) was basically a waste of space on the field. He is still not in form yet this season and I am not sure when and if he is going to be able to cut it at this level day in and day out. I think he adds a great spark off the bench but as a starter he just does not have the muscle.

I must agree with Arsenole about one of his latest posts, Gallas is shit. Why he has the armband I will never know. I wonder what it must be like on the practice pitch everyday. From all of my days of playing football, the captain must be the engine on the team, the one least likely to make mistakes, and the one who inspires greatness. Gallas is none of those things. Toure should have the band but I also feel that Cesc could also carry that weight especially since in his absence the wheels have come off the bus. He should be back soon so… DEEP THOUGHT #1- Cesc is coming back! I know that we should not be so dependent on one player but shit ya’ll, he is Cesc-fucking-Fabregas! This is a player who can change games and get everyone on the pitch involved in a positive way.

Keeping up with the positives, Adebayor can still play and he will get goals when he gets the service. We all know how good he is, we all know how fast he can change a game. So here it comes…DEEP THOUGHT #2- Our target man up front is still of the highest quality! Let Cesc give him a few well placed balls and watch him blow up the back of the net. We can put the off season drama behind us and get behind him despite his greed. Not all of our players can be like Cesc and we must accept that.

Of all of the points I could make to lift the spirits of those who still get goosebumps when Arsenal take the field, this is my favorite… DEEP THOUGHT #3- We got NASRI!

This kid is good. He has almost made me forget about Hleb leaving us (although I almost cried when I heard he was leaving, he is a remarkable player). The way that Nasri cuts and attacks will be such an asset once we get our midfield sorted and I have a really good feeling about the partnership between him and Clichy. One would be hard pressed to find a better left side of the pitch than when those two are firing on all cylinders.

For my final ray of sunshine, DEEP THOUGHT #4- We have two of the best outside defenders in the world. Sagna and Clichy are still stunning players. Their ability to defend, their speed, and their attacking skills are second to none. Again, once the center of the field is fixed we can go back to dominating our opponents.

So the question is what do we do in the meantime?

The problem is our soft gooey center. Denilson is not ready but he did show signs of quality against Twente in the Champions League. Putting Eboue in the center was Arsene’s biggest mistake. With Cesc back on Wednesday, Denilson will do behind him supporting the attacks. Eboue can sit out wide with Nasri on the other side and Walcott can come on in the 70^th min. I would like to see Adebayor up front with Carlos Vela. Let’s see what this kid has got. Van Persie looks terrible and if he gets one more chance for a free kick and blows it, he must turn in his boots and sit the fuck down. In the center of defense, Toure and Silvestre could be good together, so let’s get a good look during Champions League play when we are up on aggregate and playing at home.

-Contributed by fellow Gooner Paul