I thought it was about time I awoke from my blog slumber and made an effort to put my hands on a keyboard, to be honest I felt like doing it last Wednesday after we beat the Marsh Landers, but although it was nice to beat the Spuds, the stopping of the gobbing off and text messages was more akin to scraping something unpleasant off the bottom of my shoe, they are just an unnecessary irritation. Not a reason for celebration.
We have spent five years blooding youngsters in the Mickey Mouse cup and making excuses when we are knocked out, then we field a half decent side to win a game and we act like we have done another double..
Pathetic, That’s double standards the Spuddies are not our rivals anymore, Real Madrid, Juve, Barca etc they are. The Emirates Cup is just as important as the Carling at least we play decent teams in that pre season competition, well except Rangers of course.
To top it off and to prove Arsene right in the way that he used to rest the first team in the MM Cup, on Tuesday we fielded a strong team considering our injury problems culminating in resting key players yesterday who are vital to the team, especially while Cesc is out, so we went on to lose our next Premiership game.
What happened yesterday is so sickening, where does it go so wrong?
The pundits on Talk Sh**e on the radio were talking of Arsenal and Chelsea going through the season unbeaten (again in our case), Almunia was a reformed character, and the Squillaci and Kosceilny are the greatest CB’s since sliced bread (Hovis and Kingsmill the famous double winning pairing), well at least we don’t have to wait for the Chavs to knock us off our pedestal.
Yesterday we just got beat, no humiliated at home by a team whose town has a Building Society more famous than their football club.
It always goes wrong when Diaby plays, does anyone know the players who started in the games we lost last year? I am sure he was on the team sheet for most of them, coincidence.. mmm
It goes wrong when Eboue plays at anything other than right back.
If Cesc plays we can afford to drop the creative players and the better passers of the ball. When he is out we need Rosicky, Wilshere and dare I say it “gulp” Denilson in the starting line up.
Song, Diaby and Eboue don’t work… any one of them in midfield with the others is just bearable but any two and we stifle Arshavin and Nasri of any creative linking up.
We normally wait for Chelsea or the Man U games for Arsene to try out that sort of line up. But yesterday the mighty WBA beat us, and beat us fair and bloody square.
I have only watched the game on a mosaic quality stream and I will try to re-watch the game before I do some player ratings.
I watched some of the game again on Sky before I fell asleep (I knew the world of pop concerts at my age would catch up with me), but I saw exactly what was happening, no creativity only from Nasri, this caused Sagna to be our main attacking option, this is where we need a DM to sit to allow the CH’s to cover the full backs when thay are upfield. But Song was in the WBA penalty area.
Basically we were pulled out of shape.
Almunia. 4 .. Had his worse game in an Arsenal shirt and he saved a penalty. We all know he has to go, Arsene never helped his confidence in the summer and the fans are certainly not helping him now, but we need to back him at least until the transfer window opens in January or it could be season over.
Sagna. 7.. I thought he played well, he was the main attacking force and never got anyone to link with or cover his defensive duties.
Squllaci. 6. The best of the centre halves I think he will partner Tommy when he is back.
Kosceilny.. 5.. He was at fault for the chance that lead to the penalty decision, he has a touch of the Sendersarous about him, he gets too close and can be turned when he charges in.
Clichy. 6.5.. 100% effort cannot always turn a game, he needs to link up better with the midfield.
Song.. 6.. Why he is playing so far up the pitch? I really don’t understand, Arsene needs to have a word and get him back in his best position.
Eboue. 5. He spends the whole game running a diagonal from the half way line to the edge of the “D” not allowing the creative midfielder space or helping Sagna out defensively… back to the bench please.
Diaby 4.5.. No effort, no creativity, lapsidazical performance,
Nasri. 8.. The only player worthy to play in the red and white yesterday, would have got an extra point if we were a winning side.
Chamakh..6.5.. Things weren’t happening on the ground for him and he never got the perfect cross to head a goal.
Arshavin.. 6.5. It is easy to mark him down when we losebecause he looks lazy and uncaring, yet when we win we love his arrogance, hit the post eary on that could have changed the games outcome.
Subs .
Rosicky.. 6.. I am still waiting for the old Thomas to come back to his true form that should make him one of the first choices on the team sheet, he had one of the best shots in the Premiership back in those days, fingers crossed with a bit of confidence after one screams in he will be back.
Wilshere. 7.. We shouldn’t be relying on Jack as much as we do, if Cesc isn’t playing he is our midfield general. I really hope we can keep him happy and his head doesn’t get turned by the bigger wage packet boys.
Vela..4.5. Too lightweight, he always manages to look good for the cameo rolls when is comes on in a winning side, but start him or expect him to change a game .. nil points..
This time last season we went through the same thing, with defeats to the two Manchesters, this year it feels much worse, drawing to Sunderland and losing at home..
Still onwards and upwards, lets hope the Red Sox lose today and damage is limited.