Stand Down Arsene, Stand Down Please!

“I see no chance of your bright new tomorrow, so stand down Arsene”.

That’s how the lyrics of the song goes or something like that anyway.
Today someone called into the radio station I was listening to and said that their was 30% of all Arsenal supporters that attend the games want Arsene out and after Saturdays debacle it is rising. But wouldn’t it be a shame that a man who has guided us from being a just above average club in the Premiership to one of the four richest clubs in the world, building a half billion pound stadium and winning four Premierships and a few other cups along the way gets pushed out.
Just because of the lack of a few minor tweeks to the team: The goalkeeping position being the main one that is frustrating supporters at the moment he is managing to heap a whole tonne of pressure on himself.

If he doesn’t win anything this season I firmly believe the knives will seriously be out, like I said earlier what a pity that would be.
If he went now he would leave the club in as healthy a state as any club without a sugar daddy in the world, you just know what will happen, a manager like Guardiola could come in and he would have virtually an open cheque book, he would have the Royal Bank of Arsenal, plus this and next years profits to buy whoever he wanted and pay some of the highest wages. He could even borrow a few hundred grand and we still would be as rich as the Dippers or Man Scum.
And what a hero he would be after Arsene set it all up for him on a plate.

I know Arsene is a professor of the big bad business world, but surely he can see that a club as big as ours will need to win trophies sooner rather than later, unlike other businesses the goods come in feel good factor ness, over a rio for a season ticket is a lot of dosh and some fans only like to back winners it their escape from everyday life, and unfortunately in this day and age we have encouraged that type of fan in to spend money and if he spends money he has a say.

I suppose you have to give your customers what they want in any business and although we are in the entertainment business unlike other entertainment businesses no-one is entertained if we lose, just angry frustrated and disappointed.

So we have lived on our past glories and got the stadium for nearly six years, we are in a very manageable financial state so the business needs to focus on what we all play, watch and follow football for, to compete and win and not to prove a point like as if you could win the Le Mans 24hr motor race in a diesel car.. You could always try to do it the easy way.

All I ask of Mr Wenger OBE is please don’t just try to win this football race by an inch, lap the competition, that is something you are more than capable of doing.
The anti-Arsene squad are already starting to get their momentum up and you don’t need the grief. Just prove how good you are and they can crawl back under the stone from which they appeared.
But you just know what they will say.. “We have been telling Arsene to do that for years”.

So Arsene, as the old adage goes “Don’t spoil the ship for an ha’peth of tar”.

Arsene’s A*se is Well and Truly Bitten.

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.

From Utter Jubilation To Utter Rubbish. Hang Your Heads In Shame Boys.

How can everything go this wrong in the space of a few days?

A few days ago we were celebrating making mashed potato out of the swamp donkeys in a cup competition on their own patch. Tonight we sit with our head in our hands, knowing that with Chelsea losing we had the perfect opportunity to catch up to them..I’m not bothered about being second at this stage of the season, Chavski have had an easy fixture list so far and as long as we hang in there and don’t get left too far behind, we can give ourselves a good chance to overtake and start to pull away once their hard line up of games starts to kick in. But for some unknown reason we go concede 3 goals at home to a team that haven’t scored away from home all season..

Whats all that about??

I’m not having anyone blaming the fans either. After Wednesdays game everyone was happy and the fans were fully behind the boys. After a good start to the season the fans were also starting to believe and then we go and play like that. The team and the manager have nobody to blame but themselves.

I’m quite frustrated right now. I don’t understand why we didn’t turn up. Were we that arrogant to think that WBA were cannon fodder and we could beat them in first gear?

Why on earth after all the talent we possess in our midfield we chose to play Eboue in there? Especially when players like Jack and Tomas on the bench. I know they played a midweek fixture but so did Eboue and if they are fit enough to be on the bench they are fit enough to start. Take them off after an hour when the games won. Dont start an average right back in the middle. It’s just asking for trouble. Weve seen it too many times.

Absolutely ridiculous. I hope Wenger fines them all, barring Nasri, for that shambolic display. There are no excuses. Barring one man the whole team ought to give up a weeks wages and apologise to the fans on the official website. I know we are a team but if you score two goals and the rest of your team plays like a group of turds then you have every right to escape criticism and be angry with your team mates. 

To add insult to injury we recently announced profits big enough to have orgasms over. Being a money-making machine as well as competing in the top four in modern-day football is nothing to be sniffed at and although I should be happy my club is so rich I find it a complete and utter kick in the bollox that after the figures being thrown around we wasted our summer chasing a 110 year old goal keeper for £2 million..

 Lets just clear this up once and for all.

Im satisfied with Arsene’s outfield improvements. Kos, Squidgy and Chamakh look good additions, but im astounded we are stuck with the same keepers. Almunia’s a good number 2. He’s a good keeper but he’s not consistent enough throughout the season. He’s good for the odd game. Fabianski is useless. He’s nowhere near the standard required to be a top-level GK in the PL and he’s in his mid twenties, how many more mistakes do we have to see?? HE’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. END OF!!

The other two are too young and if Chesser is good as everyone says he is – including himself then i want to see him go out on loan again only this time to a PL club. I want to see if he can do what Hart did and then and only then will we know if he’s Arsenals future no 1..

I fully expected AW to strengthen the GK position and after seeing the profits for the year im confused as to why we couldn’t find anyone better than Almunia for more than £2 million.

Basically Arsenal are rich but there’s no point bragging about it because we never use it and we can score goals from anywhere but we still make the defensive errors that make schoolboys look world-class.

 I sit here and write this in frustration at the team’s performance today so apologies if it appears to be a rant. Maybe I will have calmed down after a few frosty ones and a good nights sleep but to be honest I’m getting sick of these half arsed performances I keep seeing every year against below average teams.  We are becoming known for it now and it always come back to bite us on the backside at the end off the season. One point from Sunderland and WBA is not champion form and it’s the games like these we need to win.

I hate to lose and I know losing is part of the game, but losing without effort really pisses me off.

What Now For Theo??

After spending a few relaxing weeks in the sun, I’m still struggling to get up to date with all things Arsenal. Although it’s still early days, the main two things that have caught my attention are the failure to purchase a new goalkeeper this summer, as well as the recent re-emergence of Theo Walcott..

I’m going to say no more about the GK situation for now..I’m feeling the need for a positive post today so im going to share my thoughts with you over young Mr Walcott..

To be honest I’ve never been impressed with Theo and I’m still yet to be convinced. Over the past few years the lad has failed to live up to any potential.. I find him irritating in that he has so much pace, yet doesn’t know how yet to use it.. Recurring errors in his final ball and his shockingly poor ball control make him look out of his depth in the Arsenal squad.. He’s not a Wengerball player and he struggles to fit the system.

His main problem to me is that he puts his head down and runs anywhere he can. This attribute tends to lead him into a lot of blind alleys and he more often than not ends up giving the ball away cheaply. A player of his pace should be terrorising the defences not giving them the ball back every time he gets it..

After a few seasons of me saying he couldn’t beat an egg and he couldn’t finish his dinner he has stood up to be counted after a difficult and distracting summer for the club as a whole and has left me impressed with the way he has responded. 4 goals already is a fantastic return and if anyone has an issue with the about the club at the minute I don’t think there’s one person out there that would say their issue is Theo. He has been one of the shining lights at the start of this season and credit where credit is due.

To be honest I don’t think anything about Theos game has really changed.. He’s still got more flaws than a tower block but he’s finally found what he’s good at.

Finishing..

Theo has got more selfish and instead of running down the wings he’s started to come inside like Freddie used to and have a run at goal.  He’s not tried the dribbling, passing and the crossing as much and it helps because he’s not that type of player. He’s too fast, there’s no point in running down the wing to try to pick a pass to a team-mate because nobody can keep up with him and there’s no point trying to dribble because he just leaves the ball behind.

He’s not a play maker. He’s not a creator. He’s stopped trying to be the trigger and I think he’s starting to realise he’s the bullet..

Keep doing what you’re doing Theo. Keep coming inside and having pops at goal. Just kick it and chase it and shoot..Keep your game simple and you’ll score goals for fun in this team..Let the others do the tricks and flicks you just head for those sticks..

His pace is too much to deal with and if he can keep that direct selfish streak and stay fit he could win us the league. Theo needs to forget about his team mates. He leaves them in his dust and the only thing that should be on his mind is to shoot.

Sometimes I’m over critical of Theo. I’ve even had a dig at him for writing a children’s book, but listening to his interviews he seems to be a nice polite lad. I’d rather a player who writes books for kids than a player who cheats on his pregnant wife, wouldn’t you?

After whats been a bad summer for English football in general Theo has done the nation and the club proud by doing his talking on the pitch.

Cheers Fabio. Dropping Theo was the best decision you made all summer..

What now for Theo. The PL Golden Boot..

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