Derby 2 Arsenal 6 – Ade In On The Act Again…He Does A Dance To Show It

Before the game I was interested to see how we would line up. With the season done and dusted but for a small miracle, it is a perfect opportunity to see how certain players can improve the side. Wenger has a chance to look at new options and partnerships and tonight he went half way to doing this.

He chose Fabianski in goal which is a good choice. He is thought of highly at the club and with Lehmann on his way out, it seemed natural to chose Lukasz. There is nothing at stake and he has the chance to prove himself in matches. There comes a point where work on the training ground needs to be used on the pitch.

Song continued at centre back as Wenger has a real look at him. He has settled into the position well and is a serious contender for a spot there next season. I feel this will be a regular thing until the end of the season and it is an exciting change for me. Toure has been at right back and has looked comfortable there. He may be used as our second right back should we lose Sagna to injury again.

It is in midfield where I was a little disappointed. We know what Eboue can do from the right side of midfield; basically nothing. He has produced very little this season and I want to see him back as a full back. He looks more natural there but Wenger once again gave him a chance at right midfield, with Theo on the left.

I had an idea of something I wanted to see given a chance. I would have played Traore at left midfield and Theo on the right. Their directness, drive and pace would cause most full backs problems, none more so than Derby’s. Traore has played out wide for the reserves and earned rave reviews. He can deliver a good cross, is good on the ball and has a powerful shot in his locker. He will find it hard to break past Clichy into the side but at left midfield he may have a chance.

Credit where credit’s due, Derby looked up for it and were working very hard. They harried each Arsenal player when he was on the ball and gave our defence some trouble. They never threatened massively but told the men in red that there was a game to be played. Derby then, as they have done so many times this season, shot themselves in the foot.

With Arsenal looking a little subdued, Moore presented Bendtner with the ball and we were suddenly 2 vs 1. Some neat link up play but Bendtner in the clear and he made no mistake. He showed clinical finishing which is something we have missed at times. The goal was also our first shot on target, a very rare thing for an Arsenal match nowadays. (Unless it’s the opposition at the Emirates!)

It was nice to see the players congratulate Bendtner. After his goal against Liverpool no one but Theo went over to him and Arsenal fans hoped this was due to the need for a second goal. Today we put to bed the idea that Nick is isolated from the squad. Either that or it was because Ade was not on the pitch and no one goes against Ade when he is on the pitch!

The defence has looked shaky recently and the top teams exploited it majorly. Every team needs the foundations of a solid base if they want to challenge but we have lacked this. Derby always looked like their pressure might reap the reward of a goal and do it did. The free kick that was whipped in came into a difficult area but no one took responsibility as it ricocheted around the area. The defence failed to clear and then Fabianski went a bit mad. His initial decision to stay at home was spot on but his comical belly flop type dive left the goal open. Lo and behold, the ball went into the net via the part of the goal where his chest was 5 seconds before.

No sooner had Derby got back into the game than they shot themselves in the foot again. Their terrible shape at the back left Van Persie room to waltz in unmarked before rifling his shot into the top corner. We have looked far more dynamic with Robin back in the side and that finish showed what he can do when he finally gets back to his best.

One interesting aspect of the goal was the assist from Kolo Toure. It is the second in two games from him and both have come from quality crosses. He has settled in at right back and looked assured on the ball as he attacks from full back. He may well be used there next season should we lose Sagna to injury again.

Robin had somehow contrived to get himself injured AGAIN. This time it seemed he had got injured celebrating his goal. If that is the case it takes the weak bodied idea to a new level. I think it was probably a precautionary decision to take him off as he lasted until half time without too much stress.

As one player left the pitch injured, another gradually found his feet on his return to the side. Denilson has not played at all recently and at the start looked way off the pace. He got his bearings bit by bit and after half time his passing range and swagger returned. Inevitably a third goal came and he was the source.

A clever and precise pass freed Theo in the Derby area but Walcott still had a lot to do. As he has done a lot more in recent weeks, he kept his cool before squaring to Eboue. As we have come to expect from Eboue. He managed to fluff his lines in front of goal; getting injured in the process to add extra comical value! Adebayor was the man to profit from Eboue’s madness.

Eboue never looks like breaking his duck this season and apart from a few comic moments and the odd neat touch, he was ineffective again tonight. The commentator summed him up perfectly with two comments:

“His positions are good; his final ball is not very good”
“Eboue never looks like he has a goal in him”

At 3-1 surely more goals were on the agenda?

Arsenal wasted many chances before another goal did arrive; surprisingly for Derby and Robert Earnshaw. The worrying thing for Wenger was the parting of the ways at back as Earnshaw broke right through the middle. His finish was assured and left Fabianski no chance. Would Derby mount a comeback at 3-2?

The answer was an emphatic no as Arsenal broke almost from the restart to retake the lead. Theo had looked dangerous all night as he proved to Wenger again why he should have played far more in recent weeks. Where Eboue lacked positivity and end product, Theo had it in abundance for his brilliant goal.

I have been wary of comparing Theo to Henry throughout his Arsenal career but tonight it is hard to do so. His goal was reminiscent of the great man in his time at Arsenal. Cutting in from the wing he drove at his man before curling a shot into the far corner with deadly accuracy. His confidence has grown hugely lately and the run in the side has done him the world of good. Next season the lad must get more games in the side from the start as he can provide us with a pace and drive we lack at times. He stretches teams and invariably picks the right pass.

Adebayor and Bendtner do not get on, that is clear. However, tonight they worked well together and Ade managed to get his second hat trick of the season against Derby. All his goals showed something different. The first was a real poacher’s goal and the second calmness in front of goal. Some brilliant passing football eventually led to Walcott feeding Ade from out wide. A Sliding finish put the icing on the cake of yet another fantastic move.

To add more comical value, Eboue joined Ade in a dance; well I assume that’s what one calls their pendulum movements. If they were mocking Earnshaw as I suspected, they did very well to choreograph it so well so soon after. I rather suspect there has been some rehearsing going on. It does seem Eboue adds a light hearted feel to the squad but he can do this from the bench. His first contribution with success was this little dance.

His second was exactly the same, just a different dance after Ade’s sixth against Derby this season. It was simply too easy for the big man as he jogged clear, rounded the keeper and slotted home. It was well and truly job done and rounded off with a merry jig.

The players have rediscovered their best play now the season is up. It is laying down a marker for next season and tonight we showed a far more clinical side to our play which I hope we can take into next season. Wenger has some options for the side next year and hopefully we can continue in this manner in the rest of the run in, during the summer and into next season.

Derby vs Arsenal – 5-0 again anyone?

You know the season is over when a manager begins to consider resting his players for an upcoming international tournament. That is exactly what Arsene Wenger has started to consider this week as we enter the last 3 games of a trophyless season. I hope we set a marker down for next season with three wins and Derby are up first on Monday night.

It does make sense to send those called up for Euro 2008, to their national managers in as close to top condition as we can get them. National coaches are not prepared to rest their players when they are a little fatigued. They are judged on 5/6 games and there is no room for sentiment. If they feel their best players can play, they will play.

Sending any players half fit to such a competition can cause a knock on effect. The strain that football can put on the body means that injuries can develop simply from a slight lack of fitness. Wenger, therefore, wants to ensure he can send his players off in the summer in the best possible conditions. Any injury caused after this is just a case of bad luck.

The problem Wenger has is that the squad is paper thin as it is. This may well force his hand to give some youngsters a game in the run-in. The benefit with this comes with the desire a young player shows when he gets a chance. Chelsea have basically secured 2nd place today and therefore Wenger does not have to field his strongest side. It would also be understandable if a few players had run out of steam and lost a little bit of fight as the season ends in disappointment, again!

Below is the list of players unavailable to Wenger along with a few players Wenger may well want to rest ahead of the summer or due to tiredness:

Injured: Almunia, Sagna, Diaby, Rosicky, Eduardo
Suspended: Hleb
Rested?: Clichy, Gallas, Fabregas, Adebayor

So, what kind of team does that leave? Well, we know Fabianski will play in the last 3 games. That signals the end of Jens Lehmann’s Arsenal career. It is exciting in a way to usher in the new regime as we say goodbye to Mad Jens. There have been good moments, bad moments and some downright hilarious moments. We wish him well. Whether the squad do or not is another matter!

I, for one, have high hopes for Fabianski. from what I have seen he is a quality shot stopper and a good reader of the game. He may have a weakness when it comes to crosses but I am sure that can be worked on in the next few years. The best way for him to improve is match practice and it will be interesting to see how he does.

Justin Hoyte will probably get a chance at right back and I feel he still has a lot to prove. With the failure if Eboue as a right back, Wenger may consider moving the Ivorian to the back up full back to Bakary Sagna. He looked far better attacking from deep when he came on last weekend and this seems his natural position. Hoyte may be on his way out and has to prove to Wenger he should be no.2 right back.

Wenger may give Armand Traore more game time at left back. Traore has a lot to learn positioning wise and, similar to Fabianski, the best way to learn is through playing games. Clichy has played more League games than any other Arsenal player this season and deserves a rest.

At centre back I have in mind a defensive combination that i would like to see. Wenger went with Gallas and Song against Reading and I think it would be interesting to see how Song plays with Kolo. Toure and Gallas both like to play the same role and Song may well be able to be the man who attacks the first ball. Now is the time to test out some options and this is one we have not yet seen. Once Nordtveit returns from international duty I would like to see him with Toure also.

Moving into midfield and one thing is for sure. Theo Walcott deserves another game. If he does not start this game I will be baffled and pretty angry at Wenger also. His performance against Reading was arguably his best in an Arsenal shirt and he needs time to continue his blistering form. Wenger may ask him to play on the left with the suspension and injury of Hleb and Diaby respectively. Either way, he will cause problems on Monday night.

That means Eboue may start on the right but I would like to see Jack Wilshere get a game. Out of the three games left, the Derby game is the best to blood young players. Wenger watched Wilshere play for the reserves and command the game against West Ham. He set up one goal and made another. Wenger may keep him under wraps for a little longer to avoid pressure. The problem is, he may have the talent to be let loose now and one game to have a look is harmless.

One experiment for Wenger to consider is playing Traore at left midfield with Clichy behind him. Traore has played there for the reserves and if reports are to believed, has looked ok. I rate his attacking play highly; he can cross the ball in well, dribble past players and has a strong shot on him. He would mix up our play out wide and it might be worth a shot to see if it works.

In the centre Gilberto will play his third last game for the club. I highly doubt we will see him here next season, even if Flamini does not stay. His last few performances can not cover up a poor season for the Brazilian. Our midfield has become far tougher with a player like Flamini in it, we do not want to go back to our lightweight ‘invisible wall’.

Alongside him Wenger should give Denilson a game. His eduacation has been hindered by injury but he has shown enough talent to keep patience. Like Fabianski and Traore, he needs games. Fabregas also needs a rest and he is one player we do not want to risk with Euro 2008 coming up. We need him fit for next season and we want to send him away in peak condition in the hope he returns in the same state.

Emmanuel Adebayor is probably the next man to get a rest from the side, giving Nicklas Bendtner a chance to impress. Impress he must after a few lacklustre performances and seemingly little other than aerial ability. With the ovbious tension in the squad, Bendtner may be an unlucky scape goat unless he persuades Wenger quickly that he does not need to get on with the team as long as he produces the goals.

Robin Van Persie is an exception to players like Cesc, Clichy and Adebayor. He has just come back from injury and Wenger wants him back to his best. It will benefit Holland first, but then surely it will help us for next season if he has a strong end to the season and Euro 2008. We saw glimpses of the Van Persie we missed and it was clear to me we are far more dynamic going forward when he is in the side.

The team may shape us thus:

==================Fabianski===================
Hoyte========Toure=========Song=========Traore
Eboue=======Denilson=======Gilberto=======Walcott
===========Bendtner======Van Persie===========

Subs: Lehmann, Senderos, Wilshere, Adebayor, Clichy

There should be no pressure on the players and this game may be a chance to express themselves. We best Derby 5-0 in the reverse fixture and if we can get the passing game going we may see a similar scoreline.
Next season starts with these next few games. We must set our stall out and go out with a bang. It shows teams that, although this season is done and dusted, next year we want success more than ever.

Arsenal 2 Reading 0 – Fluidity Returns but a few games too late

We may have won this game 2-0 but I could not help being disappointed today. At times today we showed how well we can play and this performance came on a day when Man Utd dropped points. The same happened when we drew at home to Liverpool and saw Utd drop points 24 hours later. It showed me that the title was still there to be won without our stupid slip ups.

Today we showed how to beat these sides; the sides we have struggled most against during the crumble from 1st to 3rd place. The football was back to its fluid best but it’s too late now the season is over. There are encouraging things to take from this game but also some interesting thing to note from it.

The first thing that sticks out like a bad smell is a glaring error from Arsene Wenger. Ever since the Birmingham game he has stuck by Emmanuel Eboue over the raring to go Theo Walcott. Theo had gained confidence from his first two league goals but was firmly put back to the bench. Eboue kept his place on the right and looked like a lost puppy. He lacked urgency and ideas.

Today, these were the things Theo Walcott had in abundance. He is finally showing what Wenger knew he could do and he would have given us so much over the last two months. He gave us pace on the break and a constant threat down the right hand side. His pace caused problems all day and he was so unlucky not to get a goal for his work. It is very encouraging for next season to see the way he is currently playing.

On the subject of Eboue, he looked so much more comfortable as a right back. His defending might not be up to scratch but when he attacks from a deep full back position he is dangerous. In games when defending is clearly less of an issue Wenger can use him to give Sagna a rest next season. Whenever he came forward this afternoon he was playing on instinct and used his pace and skill far more. He is a good player to have as a sub as he can change the way we play from the back. Maybe the fact he was benched gave him a kick up the backside.

As I am talking about the right back slot it seems appropriate to start at the back. Credit must go to Jens Lehmann who, even though he cannot keep his mouth shut off the pitch, has been professional in the last two games and produced solid performances. He did what was required today and showed he still is a good keeper. This may have been his last game at the Emirates and he went out on a high. It is a nice way to say goodbye after all the good things. He did give us some laughs, some highs and some lows but we did love him at times!

One thing that was clear to me today was that we still look extrremely vulnerable at the back and it all comes down to the centre back pairing. Wenger gave Song another shot at the back but again the same problem came up. Song, Gallas and Toure are all very similar in the way they play the game. They are all strong in the tackle and prefer to act as the sweeping defender.

They all need a dominating figure alongside them and without one we will always look vulnerable in games. We have no one to compete in the air and make us look stingy at the back. When it came down to playing on the ground we looked okay but whenever it came down to crosses or high balls we struggle. Senderos was supposed to be this man but Wenger may well address this issue very soon.

The ideal scenario is to rotate Toure and Gallas to play alongside a large centre back who can do the dirty work. Toure and Gallas prefer to compete for the second ball but both seem reluctant to compete for the first. That is what we need if we want to build upon a solid base at the back.

The full backs are perfect and we have arguably the best pairing in the League in Sagna and Clichy. We just need our centre back duo to be solid enough that we go into games expecting to concede no goals at all. Toure showed today he can fill in at right back if needed after a very good performance. His assist was top quality and he was always prepared to support Walcott.

In midfield we returned to something like our fluent best. It is a pity it has only happened now. Remember that we have not played at the standard we know we can for most of this calendar year. We got the performances at Liverpool and Man Utd and got nothing from those games. Today the fluency came back and we added something more to those games. We looked far more dangerous in front of goal. This definitely had something to do with how Theo, Cesc and Hleb played.

Very early on Hleb laid down his intent with a pass that took 7 players out of the game. Who was the furthest man forward to try and get on the end of it? Yep, Cesc Fabregas. It has been a ridiculously long time since we saw Cesc really hunting a goal for himself. The interesting thing for me was that the link between Hleb and Cesc has not gone and it could be key next season.

Today Wenger gave Hleb freedom to move from the left hand side and get involved in the game. This is where he is most comfortable as he can link up with Fabregas and try and open the door. They do find it easier to pick the right pass and move into space when Rosicky plays as they all compliment each other. There were times today when I saw opportunities opening up which I knew Rosicky would have seen. The three of them together are amazing to watch.

The other two were not bad either and Cesc in particular was outstanding. It is a pleasure to watch the lad play when he is producing football at the standard of today. He controlled the midfield and was picking quality passes left, right and centre. He tried so hard to get a goal and it was brilliant to see him arriving late into the box as we have missed this recently.

It is not only Jens Lehmann whose time at Arsenal might be up very soon. There is a strong likelihood Gilberto will not be here next season. His season has been very poor and disappointing but hopefully he goes out with a bang. The guy is loved by the whole squad and the fans and these last few games could be one final hoorah.

His goal may have been a tad lucky but all the players seemed so happy for him once it went in. The guy has been a mainstay in this squad for years and he is a likeable chap. The players all ran over once he scored and it seemed like a farewell embrace. Cesc seemed to be saying thank you for the good times alongside him in central midfield. He has been a fantastic player for this club but there comes a time in every player’s career when certain paths need to end.

I do think Wenger will make the decision on Gilberto once Flamini decides his future. Gilberto has played far better during the last two games than at any point in the season. Should Flamini up and leave Wenger may keep Gilberto for one more season as his new defensive midfielder (or Song?) settles in to the first team for good.

Emmanuel Adebayor may have scored his 21st league goal of the season but I still cannot help but de slightly harsh towards him. The way he took the goal today frustrated me. Maybe it is the time of the season but why couldn’t the man finish like that at Anfield or Old Trafford. He was so calm and assured whereas in those games he panicked. Granted, he scored in those games but there are times when strikers should score more than one in a game. One might not be enough in certain games and Ade must become more ruthless next season.

Ade’s link up with the midfield and in particular his partnership with Van Persie really impressed me today. He joined the midfield to the attack how a leading striker should and he gave Van Persie space to work. Robin showed us the difference he makes to our team when he plays and I just hope he stays fit next season.

He has an aura about him that cries “I can score at any minute!” He is still finding his feet after injury but is gradually gaining his sharpness again. There is no doubt we look more dangerous and the way we play with him in the side is far more fluid. He can pick the right pass and also possesses a mighty powerful shot.

One aspect many forget when it comes to Van Persie is the brilliant set pieces we get from him. Some of his efforts today were world class. His free kick across Hahnemann was fantastic and the bend he got on the ball left the ‘keeper shocked as he watched it whistle past him. His corners aren’t bad too and it if nice to see him and Cesc trying some original things from their corners. Today we should have had two headed goals from set plays they worked; if only the headers were of better quality.

I just mentioned attacking set pieces but I want to discuss defending them now. Gone are the days when we left two players up field and tried to counter quickly from corners. It was always brilliant to see an Arsenal side in full flow from an opposition corner but it seems to happen on very rare occasions now. We pull all 10 outfield players back and take too long to push up.

Going on today’s line up we only need:
two on the post (Cesc and Clichy)
at most five men picking up dangerous attackers (Gallas, Toure, Adebayor, Gilberto, Song)
1/2 men picking up key zones i.e near post and close to the ‘keeper (Van Persie/Hleb)

That leaves at least one player (Theo) to stay up field and try and use the cleared ball. Having someone fast up front can change the whole dynamic at a set piece. It gives the attacking side far more to think when they come up for a corner and gives us an outlet to support. Preferably it is best to have two players to hit with the clearance but one will do.

Some coaches believe that having too many players back at a corner can cause problems for the defending side. If there are too many players in the area confusion can arise as to who should deal with what. If they key men are picked up and the posts and key zones are covered, it is fine to leave men up field. Players like Theo and Hleb are not much use from set pieces and would be better suited to staying up field; it gets them out of the way!

There was an instance today where exactly this confusion became a problem. There were two men close to the front post when only one really needed to be there. Bendtner left it and Van Persie was forced to deal with it. Yes, having that extra man bailed him out but there seemed to be so many men in there that no one was prepared to take control.

Another interesting thing I noticed was the barracking Bendtner got for his little mistake. I know it could have been more costly but the telling off he got was a bit OTT. I have seen Ade make a mistake in the same spot but no one ever had a go like a few players did today. It gave a clear indication of how the squad sees Bendtner and I can see his time being up soon.

He did not show much today to encourage Wenger and the fans to stick by him and risk squad tensions. Everything he did lacked conviction and thought with most passes and shots going astray. Right now his aerial ability saves him but he still has a lot of work to do. Another striker is needed.

I also want to thank those fans who went to the game to support the team. No one is hurting more than the team itself and they want to end this season with a bang; we must get behind them. Next season start with the next 3 games and we want to put down a marker for the 2008/09 season.

Arsenal vs Reading – Swansong for two old men?!

With the season over it is always hard to get up for this sort of game.  We are basically competing with ourselves for 3rd place as I do not see Liverpool catching us anymore.  Adebayor said the players owe the fans a strong end to the season and in a way he is right.  The fans have followed the team to Anfield and Old Trafford, seen them play well but ultimately throw it away on both occasions.

In a way though, I feel we owe them our support for the last few games.  Few people, Arsenal fans included, did not think it would be into April before we were ruled out of the title race.  People were predicting we would finish outside the top four; yet this team has proved many people wrong and given us a great ride, possibly a year ahead of schedule.

The killer blow is that we were 5 points clear and that is what is hard to stomach.  The players threw it away and I guess that is why they feel they owe us.  For me we have done brilliantly this season and only faltered due to the lack of squad depth and some bad luck.  Injuries hit us heavily and most teams would struggle with similar problems.  Our lack of squad depth did not help us with this.

Players like Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy and Alex Hleb must be absolutely knackered right now.  They were the players really breaking their necks for the side at Old Trafford and by the end looked demoralised.  They were seemingly running on empty but the desire to keep our title hopes alive pushed them on.  Now that is gone I would not be surprised if they had hit the brick wall.

A rest is probably best for both those players and the club.  We do not want to overwork them unnecessarily before Euro 2008.  They will be tired from this season but hopefully they are close to top condition before then.  If they are not, managers won’t rest them as their necks are on the line for those few weeks.  We do not want any players leaving us tired and returning even more tired, or even injured because of this.

The problem here is that we do not really have the players to rotate.  It sums up the problems we have had perfectly.  Sagna, Hoyte, Flamini, Rosicky and Almunia are out injured, Adebayor and Diaby are suspended.  We have no choice but to playour best players and even then are scraping the barrel.  It highlights the issues that need addressing in the summer.

It is likely Lehmann and Gilberto will get another chance to start; is this their Arsenal swansong?  For Lehmann almost definitely, for Gilberto, I hope so.  Wenger may well stick by him this summer but even if Flamini leaves, I do not see him as part of our team next season.  It would be a nice way to say goodbye to Gilberto and say thank you to him, but his time is up.  Cheers Gil.

If the stories are true and Senderos is mentally shattered then Wenger does not have much choice over his defence.  He will probably go for the defence that looked rocky at Old Trafford.  Hopefully Reading will pose the same threat they have done all season, basically nothing.  Toure and Clichy will look to bomb forward as they have done in the last two games.

In midfield it is time Walcott started.  I am fed up with Eboue and Walcott must be too.  I do not see what more he has to do to deserve a start.  It is not like the man in front of him is performing week in week out.  Eboue must be doing some amazing things in training or Wenger is losing it fast.  Walcott’s pace will worry Reading and his positivity will help to liven the crowd.

On the other side Hleb is likely to start.  Wenger will want a good showing on tomorrow and Hleb can unlock any defence.  Hleb was awesome at the Madejski and hopefully he can do the same thing.  Wenger could put Theo on the left and Eboue out on the right but that should only happen if Hleb needs a rest.  Either way, Theo must start.

In the centre I have mentioned Gilberto will probably start and the only central midfielder left is Fabregas.  Diaby, Denilson, Flamini are all out and Song is at the back.  Cesc deserves a rest and once Diaby returns I would like to see him get a game in the center in his place.  i am interested to see how Diaby does in that role and it is about time he moved in from the left.

Up front Wenger will probably go for Van Persie alongside Bendtner.  The Dane will definitely get a start and I feel he is playing for his future.  He has not impressed in every department and is still a rough diamond and Wenger knows this; the only problem is how he gets on with the rest of the squad.  It clearly is not a good relationship and Adebayor particularly seems to hate him.  If Wenger has to decide Bendtner will be the one to lose out.

Van Persie needs games before Euro 2008 and I am sure Wenger will give him this.  It is also interesting to see how Van Persie and Bendtner work together.  Wenger will look to see if he can use this combination this season, should Bendtner be there that is.  He could go with Walcott up front as I feel he could cause Reading serious problems.  The lack of midfield options will probably give Van Persie more game time.

I would like to see the players set themselves up for next season with a confidence boosting victory tomorrow.  That would involve a few goals and no stupid mistakes at the back.  We need a solid base at the back to succeed next season, and that starts here.

Clearly something’s got to change…My suggested transfer targets.

The season may still have 4 games till it officially finishes, but all Arsenal fans know it is all over for yet another trophyless season.  We all know things have got to change for next season and for me it all begins now.  The inquests have begun already into what went wrong and possible changes.  I have read countless reports, all saying the same sort of thing and decided to create an insidearsenal point of view.  Feel free to debate after reading below.

One thing I want to clear up is the captaincy issue.  Gallas has received a lot of unfair stick in my opinion.  Before the Birmingham game those involved in football had praised him as a brilliant influence on this side.  I was right behind them.  One crazy moment later and they are all jumping on the “Gallas stripped of captaincy bandwagon.  This needs far more thought.

At the start many doubted Wenger’s decision to hand the armband to Gallas ahead of Gilberto.  This decision has proved successful as Gilberto has been a completely different player.  Gallas seemed to be a brilliant leader as he got the lads ready for every game and put his heart and soul into winning.  Granted he did lose his cool against Birmingham and he was wrong to do so; but to blame the collapse on this season on that is absurd.

We all saw Gallas preparing the players ahead of the Chelsea game and I have to say I was mightily impressed.  It took me back to the days of Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira.  We never saw Thierry Henry doing this but it showed the potential Gallas has as captain of the side.  Most of the time Gallas has been spot on with his comments in the press and in the case of Theo Walcott it seems to have worked.  Some things should remain in house however.

Wenger needs to sit down with Gallas and explain that anymore cases of ridiculous behaviour and he will lose the armband.  Until then he has shown enough to merit another chance.  He may not be the most vocal out there when he should be but all captains are different.  I have seen his influence have a positive effect more times than not.  Until he loses the dressing room let’s not overreact.

As for a replacement should he lose the armband, I have read 3 suggestions today.  The obvious two are Kolo Toure, Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor.  For me, Toure is a likeable guy, he will give his all, but is not a captain.  He may try and make things happen during games but he is not the vocal guy.  Fabregas on the other hand is our next captain (if we keep him there).  He is a big game player, is always there encouraging players as he leads by example; not yet though.  As for Adebayor, what a load of tripe.  Strikers rarely make good captains and Ade is too much of a joker who can go missing in games.  This was a knee jerk reaction from the press.

That’s my view on the captaincy.  The press see it as a possible change for next season and was an obvious port of call.  So what next?  We all know we need to be more solid at the back and lack killer instinct and depth.  To me it is obvious that many changes will be determined with Wenger’s transfer activity and player development.  Here I will look at the different departments and specific changes to the squad.  I do feel we need to get the ball rolling now as players’ prices will go up massively after Euro 2008.

Goalkeepers – Current: Almunia, Fabianski, Lehmann
Jens will be off this summer, I do not really see how he can stay after this year’s antics.  That leaves us with two ‘keepers, one young and one the current no.1.  There are still doubts over Almunia’s ability and I would like a ‘keeper to come in a challenge him for the no.1 jersey.   I do not see the point in buying someone to be the third choice between the sticks as I don’t yet trust Fabianski as no.2.

Possible signings in goal
Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moskow) : He may be young also but he is playing at a level way beyond his years.  He is a quality shot stopper who can dominate his area.  He would not be as expensive as certain other goalies but he has the same quality.
Ganluigi Buffon (Juventus) : This deal is a far more unlikely one but still possible.  Juventus have recovered from Serie B to be in 3rd position in Serie A.  The season has 6 games to run but they look likely to claim Champions League football.  The only question is whether Buffon still wants a new challenge.  He said he would get Juve back up and then assess the situation.  He would cost close to 20m and I doubt Wenger wants to spend so much on a keeper.  He trusts Almunia as no.1 and would prefer a rival, not automatic replacement.  I would prefer a better keeper.
Chris Kirkland (Wigan) : When he was at Liverpool everyone knew Kirkland had the potential to be a top keeper; only injuries halted his progress.  This season however, Kirkland has remained injury free and performed at a top class level.  All the top clubs have experienced it, none more so than Arsenal when we visited the JJB.  He is a commanding keeper but also a fantastic shot stopper for his height.  Promise of Champions League football would be too good to turn down.
 

Defence – Current: Sagna, Hoyte, Toure, Gallas, Senderos, Djourou, Clichy, Traore,
I believe Hoyte will be off this summer.  He is way behind Sagna and I do not feel he is good enough to warrant first team football at Arsenal.  He has the ability to get it elsewhere and may well seek that.  Senderos has to go for me.  He just does not suit the English game.  It is far too quick and powerful for him.  Djourou also has a lot to prove and may go out on loan again.  Traore still worries me whenever he plays.  His positioning is appalling but he is a great talent and should stay.

Successful defensive combinations include one dominating defender and one sweeper type defender playing off him.  That is why Toure and Campbell worked so well.  Gallas and Toure both like to do the same role in defence and we have no one who is prepared to attack the ball.  We need to find a new centre back that compliments these two players.  It means we can rotate the three of them and depending on the game we have, select the right pairing but it gives Wenger options he can trust.  A centre back that can cover Clichy would be an added bonus as Traore is not yet ready.

I would also move Eboue back as second choice right back.  If Hoyte leaves it means we do not need to sign anyone in his place.  Until the youth players are ready Eboue can do this job.  When he overlaps his play involves instinct; something he has shown to have.  His crosses have been good when he has little time to think; time is something he has way too much of on the right side of midfield.

Possible signings in defence:
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus) : He can play left back or centre back and is a player I love to watch.  He loves to get tough on the pitch, whether it be on the ground or in the air.  He is brilliant in the air but also has the pace and passing ability to fit into our team.  He has the combination of skills we have missed in a centre back. Cost – £12m-£15m
Philippe Mexès (Roma) : Mexès has been around for a long time but has faded recently.  He has great pace as well as the natural abilities to be a centre back.  He can be pushed off the ball a little too easily but has got stronger this season.  I noticed the difference when he played against Man Utd compared to last year. Cost – £10m
Micah Richards (Man City) : Richards is a player on the wish list of many Arsenal fans.  Mine is not different.  The guy is going to be a star and it is only a matter of time before he moves.  He will never move across Manchester and as he is an Arsenal fan, we have an advantage over Liverpool and Chelsea.  If we wanted him, I am sure he would pick us over the other two.  He has exactly what I called for above and would eventually replace Gallas outright as the first choice centre back alongside Toure.  The only question is the cost but it would be worth every penny.  Cost - £15m+
Ezequiel Garay (Racing) : I have seen all of Europe’s top team linked with this defender and wondered why we have not been thrown in.  Today, for the first time, we were and I thought, yes, he could be the guy.  He is like Mexes in the fact he has the pace to fit into this league but dominates a little more than Mexes does.  Thrown in he takes a brilliant free kick. Cost -£12m

Midfield – Current: Eboue, Hleb, Walcott, Fabregas, Flamini, Gilberto, Denilson, Diaby, Rosicky
It is time Gilberto moved on.  A good performance on Sunday aside, he has been a massive disappointment this season.  Wenger has stuck by him but it is time he let him go.  Flamini may still leave but I hope money issues do not prevent us keeping him.  We would have to spend money to replace him and I would give him close to what he wants.  He has changed our team this season and stopped teams from bullying us out of games.  We must do everything we can.

Unlike Flamini, Hleb is under contract and Wenger will ensure he does not leave this summer.  He has come on massively this season and has the best control of a football in the Premier League.  He has been a major part of the team this season and we must keep players like him.  Hleb can play out on the right/left and behind the main striker.  The problem is that we do not have a natural winger in the side.

Both Hleb and Rosicky are players that like to cut inside and narrow the play.  The problem here is that teams find it easier to defend as we get narrower.  We need a player to get the ball out wide and stretch teams by beating players.  It was hoped Eboue could do this but he has been a failure out there.  He must move back to a right back and at least one winger brought in.  With Theo doing so well on the right recently a player on the left is preferable.  It gives us options other than playing Diaby out of position who can challenge for a place in the midfield with Gilberto gone.

Wenger will look to add a few players from the youth system to the squad but only as Carling Cup players.  If they do well enough in those games Wenger might consider using them in games.  Vela will return from a successful loan spell and be used on a few occasions on the left.  Mark Randall and Kieran Gibbs will also have a chance to show their worth.

Possible signings in midfield:
Hatem Ben Arfa : Of all the players we have been linked with, this player seems most likely to come to the club.  He has been a revelation for Lyon and is closely watched by Arsenal scouts.  He can beat a man, score goals and set up goals from wide positions.  We have never replaced the goals of Ljungberg and Pires but this guy could be the answer.  We should move before Euro 2008 for this guy as his reputation will rise during the tournament.  The French connection at Arsenal may well have an influence. Cost – £15m
Frank Ribery : I know he only signed for Bayern last summer but he is too good for the Bundesliga.  He has been brilliant for them and would fit into our team perfectly.  Thierry Henry knew it when he was at Arsenal but Wenger missed out last season.  He should move again now as the English League is likely to tempt him. Cost – £15m+
David Silva : With everything going at Valencia at the moment it is the best time to try and sign their players.  David Silva has shot onto the scene in the last two seasons and has all the qualities of a brilliant winger.  He knows how to beat a man and scores goals for fun.  He has the technical ability to cope with our type of League and is unfazed by taking a knock or two. Cost – £15m
Robinho : He would be my dream signing and a couple of weeks ago it looked hugely unlikely.  After claims he does not feel settled at a club that is run the way it is, I am far more hopeful.  Arsenal Football Club is a far more settled club than most in Europe and we play the football he loves to play.  He has been the main reason that Madrid are where they are and has won them many a game.  We missed out a few seasons ago but Wenger knows he is a player he can mould into an even better winger. Cost – £15m+

Attack – Current: Adebayor, Van Persie, Bendtner, Walcott, Eduardo (last third of the season)
If Van Persie can stay fit we know he can get 30 goals in a season.  At the start of the season he was on fire and scored 5 goals in 7 games.  He had done the same in previous seasons but in every one has got injured.  The big IF is whether he can play through a whole season without missing a whole chunk.  If he can we have a top striker on our hands.  I do not trust the 4-4-1-1 formation in the League and it is far better suited to Europe but we only have 3 strikers fit at the moment.

Alongside him, Emmanuel Adebayor is a perfect partner.  He wins the ball in the air and is a hassle for any striker on his day.  He will provide space for Van Persie to work and his finishing has improved.  The only problem with Adebayor is whether he is top class.  He has scored some fantastic goals and given us a different option with headed goals but his finishing still worries me at times. 

In the two biggest games of our season, Liverpool and Man Utd away he missed gilt edged chances that could have swung the game our way.  They were overshadowed by the goals he did score but when we look at Adebayor and the chances he has got this season, he really should have more goals.  I cannot imagine someone like Torres missing the chances Ade gets, if he was in our side. 

With Eduardo out for at least 2/3 of next season I would consider getting in another world class striker who will put away the chances we create.  Whenever Eduardo was clean through on goal I knew he would score; when he didn’t I was shocked.  I do not get this feeling with Adebayor; a world class striker has this about him. Walcott will get some games through the middle next season but I believe Wenger will continue to nurture him out wide.  He has not developed as well as Wenger had hoped and this will halt his transformation to a striker for this club.

Wenger also has a decision to make regarding Bendtner’s future.  He is a talent and I would hate to see him leave the club right now.  The only problem is that he does not get on with Adebayor and seemingly his other team mates.  One of them may have to go and Bendtner is not good enough yet to oust Ade from the squad.  Maybe an asset to use in any negotiations? If they can resolve their differences then he should be used in the same, bit-part way, as this season.  He offers us a threat off the bench with his height and aerial ability but is not yet ready to be our 3rd choice striker.

I would like to see a striker come in who deals in goals and will put away the chances we make.  We need a poacher similar to Eduardo but who can add something more when Eddy returns.

Possible signings in attack:
Karim Benzema : This guy is the Shit.  Man Utd found this out recently and Wenger knows it.  He is ahead of Bendtner at the same age and has scored goals for France and Lyon.  He is strong, powerful and pacey as well as having an almighty shot on him.  He would cost a lot but like Richards, money well spent. Cost – £20m+
David Villa : Like Silva, this is the best time to try and sign him.  He has 51 goals in 95 games for Valencia and this season has 11 goals in 20 La Liga starts for a side languishing near the bottom.  In the previous 3 seasons he scored, 35, 35 and 30 goals each season, just in the League.  He deals in goals and in our side would flourish Cost – 20m
Klaas Jan Huntelaar : Huntelaar has been on everyone’s radar for many a season but has yet to make the move.  This has probably benefited him as many have moved from the Dutch League and failed.  Huntelaar could have the same affect on this league as Van Nistelrooy did.  He knows where the dangerous positions are and is always looking for a goal, however it may come. Cost – 13m
Samuel Eto’o : With all the shenanigans going on at Barca at the moment it is unlikely someone like Eto’o, being played out of position, is unhappy.  He would fit right into this league with his pace and classy finishing.  He has the same aura I sense in Eduardo and a cheeky bid might be interesting.  He and Adebayor could form a lethal combo, as could Van Persie who can pick out his runs. Cost – 20m

From these players I would realistically go for Kirkland (8m), Richards (15m), Ben Arfa (15m) and Villa (20m).  Yes that is 58m in total but i think that might be needed to turn us into a title winning side.  We can get some of the money back by selling the following players: Hoyte (5m), Gilberto (5m), Bendtner (8m), Eboue (5m), that’s 23m already.

I doubt Wenger would spend this much but if we got some I would be happy.  He will undoubtedly make a more clever transfer for less money but these players are proven at the top level. 

Changes are needed and it starts in the summer window.  We need some top quality players to come in NOW and improve this side.  We cannot rely on a thread bare squad full of players who are not yet good enough for a title chase.  It is likely Wenger will find cheaper players, but he said that if the player is right, he will spend big.  The players above may be perfect. 

I would like your opinions on changes to the squad and other players you might suggest if you had the opportunity to come fact to face with Mr Wenger.

If Adebayor Is The Answer, Then It Was A Bloody Stupid Question!

Same old Same old I am afraid today.  That is what we got this afternoon.  It happened at Chelsea, at home and away to Liverpool and once again today.  What am I talking about?  Well, we produced a good performance, were arguably the better side but came up short once again.  The same reasons have applied every time.  We cannot keep a clean sheet at the back and are still wasting chances.

Rarely does any team go to Manchester United, take the game to them and have 13 shots on target, nearly double the amount United had.  We may have been slightly down on the possession front but we had the chances to win this game.  Like we were at Anfield we were wasteful in front of goal and no one was more culpable than Emmanuel Adebayor.

He looked lively early on as his early shot was blocked by Ferdinand but then seemed to fade.  His work rate faded and he was easily gotten the better of by Ferdinand from then on.  Then came the worst thing of all; two chances came his way, one in particular was amazing.

Adebayor has been praised this season for his improvement in front of goal and it seems deserved after getting 20+ goals.  Today however, the old Ade returned.  We saw the signs of it when he fluffed a glorious chance on Tuesday night but this was even easier.  After some brilliant approach work by Alex Hleb Ade was put in one on one.  In the pub I was in the fans waited to cheer.  He settled himself, opened up his body and it all seemed perfect, the net was waiting to bulge and then…

He missed.  Bloody typical.  The man who talked all the talk before the game fluffs the best chance of the game.  If Ade really was the striker he has been made out to be, there would be no doubt.  The finish was weak and way too close to Van Der Saar.  When a striker opens up his body like that he has to hit the corners.  Ade’s shot was tame but he ran off with a smile.  Not good enough I am afraid.

The problem is that we have seen Ade change so much this season.  He has blossomed into our main man up front.  He has learnt to play in our team as well as getting goals. The question is whether he can do the same next season also.  Recently he has dropped off and his shots to goals ratio is falling fast.  Today he could have had a hat trick but came away with one; a goal he was lucky to get after getting himself in a muddle.

Do not get me wrong, Ade has been fantastic this season and may have just run out of steam.  The problem I have is when certain players do not give their all and others are clearly busting a gut.  Ade seemed to give up too many balls and too often passed the buck in front of goal.  Is Ade going to do the same as this season and more?  We need him to if Wenger is going to wait on Eduardo and keep the strikers we have now.  That is question no.1 for Wenger this summer.

Before the game I was very surprised with Wenger’s team selection, both in a good and a bad way.  When I saw Lehmann in goal I did not know how to react.  He is a good keeper and performed well today.  The only problem I have with him is his attitude to this club.  He has insulted Wenger and his team-mates in recent days and I am fed up.  When I found out Almunia was injured, not benched, I felt it was an obvious decision made by Wenger.

In my opinion the selection of Alex Song was a bold one but also an astute one.  Wenger clearly does not trust Hoyte against the likes of Ronaldo and knew Toure could do a far better job at right back.  After his errors against Liverpool it as not surprising Phil was not involved.  Song is better on the ball and strong on the ground.  Apart from a few small mishaps he played well I thought.  Well done Wenger in this case.

He cancelled this decision out with the decision to go with Eboue once again.  It is getting beyond a joke now with these two.  Wenger seems to be blind to the fact Eboue is not good enough.  He has his good moments but always cancels these out with far more horrible ones.  I do not know what Theo Walcott has to do to get a start over this guy but he must be pissed off to say the least.

Wenger may have opted for a more defensive right side with Ronaldo likely to play on that side.  The only problem was that we needed to win this game and if we were being brave, Theo was the right selection.  We missed his pace on the counter and his positivity was never in Eboue.  Toure had Ronaldo in his pocket throughout but had nothing working in front of him.  Wenger really must decide whether Eboue really is a winger (he is NOT) and demote him back to a squad player.  He is nowhere near good enough to start for the Arsenal.

As the game begun I was happy, we took the game to United in the same manner as we did Liverpool.  We should have been winning at the interval and had only had 1 real scare after a defensive lapse (sensing the common theme here?).  There was still all to play for and as long as we kept it up the game was there for the taking. 

I was expecting a far more cagey second half and could see us nicking a goal late on.  We had looked threatening but also unconvincing when going forward.  I was as surprised as anyone when we took the lead 3 minutes in.  It summed up Ade’s day that he got himself in a muddle but still bundled it in.  I guess it doesn’t matter how they go in; they all count.

Teams rarely go there and take a 1-0 lead but when they do they fight tooth and nail to hold the lead.  We just threw it away.  At Chelsea we defended appallingly and were punished heavily.  During the first leg of the Champions League tie we let Gerrard walk through and set up a goal.  In the league game against Liverpool we were caught with yet a defensive lapse and then we were caught THREE times at Anfield.  Today was no different, both goals were defensive errors.

That has been a problem all season for us.  The difference between Arsenal and Chelsea or Manchester United is that we do not have a solid base to build on.  Man Utd have Vidic and Ferdinand, Chelsea have Terry and Carvalho.  These two teams can take a lead and defend it to the end.  We can do nothing like this.  I always believe we will concede goals in these games.

The penalty came from an absurd mistake from Gallas.  There was no one around him when he handled it and it was not an accidental handball; his arm came out to stop the ball.  He clearly got no information that he had time to clear or the fact Lehmann could come and collect the ball.  It was ridiculous to give United something so soft to get back into the game.

The problem again was the lack of penetration going forward.  The only time we ever looked like taking the lead again was when a United player tried to give us a goal.  Ferdinand and Brown both nearly deflected the crosses which Clichy, who was always getting forward, put in.  Apart from this all our efforts on goal lacked power and conviction.

The season was summed up by the 2nd goal really. Having taken such an important lead we could not hold it but even then we failed to strangle the momentum back and started to get sloppy.  We started to get the ball away and everything we had done so well up until the equaliser went out of the window.  Up until the 50th minute we had cleared the ball when it needed clearing and played it around when we could.

As the game reached the 70th minute mark the ball came into our box but harmlessly fell to an Arsenal.  All that was needed was a giant boot through the ball, what we got was a crappy clearance straight to Evra who fooled Gilberto into making a stupid foul.  It tainted what was a very good performance from Gilberto actually.  Hargreaves stepped up and delivered an unsavable free kick. 

Was that the season over there and then?  I thought it was.  The problem was simply that I could not see us scoring twice.  That is a problem.  Since the Birmingham game we have failed to score more than 1 goal in a League game.  That is awful when a team is pushing for the title.  The play has gone back to being in front of teams and we lack ideas.  I do feel Rosicky would have made a difference.

He wants things to happen and if they are not he will try and make it happen.  He increases the pace of our play which compliments how Cesc and Hleb play.  The latter two like to slow it down and wait for the killer pass.  Even though they are able to do this, it becomes too static and it needs pace along with creativity.  Rosicky provides this.  The crux of it is whether he can stay fit, another dilemma for Wenger come the summer.

One thing I cannot understand is why Van Persie is not played through the middle.  I know Hleb carved out our best chance but Van Persie can pick a pass, as well as score a goal at any time.  Hleb never looks like he will score and can pick the perfect pass from a wide position, he cuts in anyway.  Van Persie looks a bit lost on the wing and once he moved inside looked far happier and more dangerous.  Playing him on the left restricts him and this is a tactic I think Wenger needs to rethink.  I am beginning to question certain decisions from the boss.  I have stuck through him when others have doubted but there are a few things that worry me.

His substitutions were also questionable.  I know Van Persie has just returned from injury but he can still score at any moment.  He also provides a threat from set pieces.  To take him off for Bendtner when we are 2-1 baffles me.  It was win or bust and this includes keeping your attacking players on, however lacking in match practice they are.  He still knows where the goal is and can have a far better effect on the Arsenal goal tally than Song can at the back.

His second change also was a bit strange.  Unless Toure was injured what was the point in Hoyte coming on.  Toure had been brilliant in my opinion and was a threat going forward with his power and determination.  I hope Wenger did not bring Hoyte on as a small gift to Hoyte.  When the clock is running, substitutions give teams time to take a breather.  Unless it was an attacking change it did not have a beneficial effect at the time.  Strange.

My heart goes out to Cesc Fabregas.  I wondered whether he would have the legs to play another arduous 90 minutes but he showed me that he has commitment and heart aplenty to get through these games.  He worked tirelessly and although his finishing let him down, he was the main architect of everything good we did.  Clichy and him fought like soldiers where others did not.  Next season Cesc needs help if we do not want the same things to happen next season.

So, the season is over in terms of trophies and it’s time to plan for the next.  If Wenger needed a kick up the backside it came when Fergie made some changes.  Our bench consisted of Djourou, Hoyte, Bendtner and Walcott.  Man Utd’s had Tevez and Anderson.  These two players are way ahead of those players on ours and that was the difference.  Wenger needs to spend some cash.  He doesn’t need to spend loads on one player but he needs a few players who have experience and can improve the team and more importantly the squad.  If he costs £2m or £15m, if he can help us Wenger needs to reinforce.

The season still has a few games to run and I encourage you all to back the team during our remaining fixtures.  There is no doubt we have over performed this season and definitely proven those who thought we would finish outside the top 4, wrong.  It is disappointing after being 5 points clear with only 10 games to go but hopefully we learn our lessons, make changes where they are necessary and  challenge next season.

Man Utd vs Arsenal – This Is It, All Or Nothing

As the title said, “this is it, all or nothing”.  I have heard this said when we visited Stamford Bridge but this time it officially is all or nothing.  Lose this game and we end the season trophyless AGAIN, win and the race is wedged open that little bit more.  There would still be a lot to do but there would still be hope, and, more importantly, belief.

Man Utd let us back into the title race when they dropped points at Middlesborough last weekend.  Having dropped two more points at home to Liverpool I saw the title as on its way to Old Trafford or the Kings Road.  When I found out Middlesborough had taken two points off United I felt even more gutted that we had wasted the chance to cut the gap.

We have the chance to redeem that draw on Sunday at Old Trafford but if we don’t get the 3 points it is goodbye to this season and hello to the re-building stage for next season.  Win it and the gap is down to just 3 with 4 games to play.  The key could be the fact United are in two competitions and should we win on Sunday, the focus is solely on one trophy.

I feel as though I am getting way ahead of myself here; we still have to play the game yet.  This game is massive but it is also the most difficult game of our season.  Yes, it is tougher than the visits to the San Siro and Anfield recently.  Why?  It takes on so many different aspects.

1. Having lost at Anfield on Tuesday, confidence has got to be low.  People might say that it is easy to lift yourself when a game like this comes around.  However, after such a devastating blow to our season it would be understandable if the players found it hard to get themselves motivated for this game.

2. After the gruelling match from the other night the players must be absolutely knackered.  Our most important players have been involved throughout most of the season and as we get into this tough part they must be running on empty.  Players like Cesc Fabregas used up every ounce of energy and now they face yet another sapping game of Football.

Just look at how much effort Cesc needed to put in to try and stop Babel as he raced clear at the end.  That was the sign of a man on his last legs.  This coupled with the disappointment of the result will make it extremely tough to get fit and raring to go this Sunday.

3. Manchester United had the luxury of resting Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.  After their draw at ‘Boro they know this is a must win game for them also.  Lose and they have to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to stay in it.  Their two most influential players are fresh for this game and will look to exploit Arsenal’s tiredness.

As fans we know the history and pride involved in these games and hopefully this gives the players that boost to make up for the energy lost.  This is a real derby game.  We might not be close in terms of location but in terms of the last 10-15 years we are as close as any two teams in the world.  Playing away at Old Trafford is a game every player wants to play in.  If they don’t, they should not be at Arsenal.

I hope we show ourselves far better than we did in the FA Cup fourth round.  Although many things can be dismissed from that day, some must be taken note of.  Toure and Gallas were torn apart by Rooney and this must change come Sunday.  I feel Wenger will revert back to these two in the centre and they must deal with him far better this time around.

That day we seemed unable to string three passes together.  United pressured us throughout the game and the ball failed to stick up front.  During the first half at Liverpool we gave a lesson of how to play football in high pressure situations.  We kept the ball easily and moved it at great speed.  Liverpool’s midfield could not get close and until Hyypia’s goal we dominated Liverpool.

If we can start the same way as we did on Tuesday we might have a chance.  Start the way we did in the 4-0 defeat and I can see the same result once again.  The key for any team going to Old Trafford is to frustrate United and keep the ball for as long as possible.  Arsenal are the best at this and the longer we frustrate them, the more likely it is that spaces will open up.

We also lacked any urgency that day.  As i said before, the occasion should hopefully inspire a more committed performance.  Hopefully the players will fight till the end before they give up the season.  The key will be to move the ball quickly and get into the United players whenever they have it.

One key loss to our side is Flamini.  He gives us that urgency in midfield and this was obvious when he limped off on Tuesday.  He gave Liverpool no time on the ball when they had it as well as providing a spring board to attack.  He is able to get forward and his passing has improved greatly.  Once Gilberto was on, we struggled to fight for the ball in midfield.

Gilberto’s job tomorrow will be to prevent the ball getting to: Ronaldo as he moves inside and Rooney/Tevez should they drop deeper.  He used to do the job so well but since he has lost his pace his job has looked far harder for him.  He brings experience in the big games but last time we played United he looked like a fish out of water.

Justin Hoyte was torn apart by Nani during the Cup and this will be in Wenger’s thinking as he picks his back four.  There is no doubt Wenger will want to have Gallas and Toure in the centre after Senderos’ lack of ability against pace.  Man Utd possess this far more than they do height; this means Phil will be far more awkward at the back.  The problem is that Sagna is still out and Toure may be required to play RB.  If Wenger does not trust Hoyte, I would give Eboue a game there, if only to release Toure.

Cesc Fabregas has a massive job on Sunday.  He will need to link defence to attack.  I see Gilberto’s job simply being in his own half; a bit like a 5th defender if you like.  This means Cesc will be required to bring the wide men into play as well as supporting the striker(s).  I hope he is not too tired but these are the games Cesc often shines in, hopefully we see the Cesc we know.

In my opinion it is ridiculous if Theo Walcott does not start this game.  United will be shit scared after his amazing run on Tuesday.  Recently Theo has been the only player with any urgency.  He changed the Bolton game, gave us impetus at home to Liverpool and nearly won us the tie on Tuesday.  Eboue’s performances are beyond a joke now and there is a point where Theo must become a starter rather than the go to man.

Evra also prefers to go forward than defend and can be a threat for them.  If he knows Walcott will be left free to run into the empty space, he may be more wary.  Evra is not the best defender in the world and if Theo can get at him we may get some joy.  He could be used up front but on Sunday I can see him being a bigger threat from out wide.

Wenger has to decide whether to go with two natural strikers or Hleb behind the one.  With Diaby suspended he may be forced to start with Hleb on the left and Van Persie up front.  Van Persie is still coming back to full fitness but he does possess the ability to produce something out of nothing; hugely important in games like these.  With Vidic out United look more vulnerable and playing two up front gives us the best opportunity to exploit it.

Wherever Hleb plays, if we can get him on the ball, he will be a major threat.  He has an eye for a pass and if United become stretched he can pick this pass.  If he is up for this game he could be very important on Sunday.  His dribbling is fantastic and when we need a cool head on the ball, he normally provides it.

One option is to start with a 4-5-1 formation.  Wenger could put Song alongside Gilberto in front of the defence.  This would mean we set up with an offence and a defence, like American football.  We would defend with the 4 defenders and these two.  Then in attack we have Cesc, Hleb and Theo working off Ade.  I can see this as a probable set up but means we must support Ade at all times.

Van Persie can then be used as a supersub but however we play Ade has a massive part to play.  Ferdinand knows he is a handful and is without Vidic to help out.  If Ade can be a nuisance and bring players into play we may well get some joy up front.  We must make sure he does not become isolated and Hleb, Theo, Cesc etc get close to him whenever we attack.

============Almunia============

Hoyte====Toure=====Gallas===Clichy

Walcott==Fabregas==Gilberto===Hleb

=======Adebayor===Van Persie=====

Subs: Lehmann, Senderos, Eboue, Song, Bendtner

OR

============Almunia============

Hoyte====Toure=====Gallas===Clichy

=========Song=====Gilberto=======

Walcott=======Fabregas=======Hleb

=============Adebayor===========

Subs: Lehmann, Senderos, Eboue, Van Persie, Bendtner 

All that is left to say is come on Arsenal!  It really is 3 points or bust, LET’S GO

Liverpool 4 Arsenal 2 (5-3) – Football’s a cruel (controversial) game

When I saw the ball hit the net in the 84th minute I thought we had done it.  I thought that we had gone to Anfield, as we did a few weeks ago in the San Siro, and upset the odds and pulled off an amazing result.  I was still celebrating Theo’s assist of the season when the ref pointed hurriedly to the penalty spot.  In front of the Kop the guy bottled it.

That sort of coming together happens all the time and when you see it from the ref’s angle, all that happens is two bodies come together as they cross.  If anything Babel’s arm is the ones looking to tug his opponent.   In front of the Kop, everyone somehow knew it would be given and lo and behold, penalty kick.  There was never any danger of Gerrard missing that opportunity.

All the hard work we had done outdone by one bad decision.  What makes it even more hard to take is the events from the first leg.  The penalty from last night was 100 times softer than the one denied of Hleb at the Emirates.  Had that been given the whole complexion of the game would have been changed.  We would have gone to Anfield with a one goal advantage and probably made it two once DIaby had scored. 

I do not believe that last night’s game would have changed due to a different result from the first leg.  Liverpool tried to come at us from the start.  That would have happened if they were one down in the tie.  We did not allow them to dominate us and were the best team for 30 minutes.  We took the lead on the night and a two goal advantage would have been too much for Liverpool in my eyes.

But that was not the case and we only had one goal more after Diaby made it 1-0 on the night.  Diaby had impressed me with the start he made and it was nice to see him playing without his sedatives.  He showed calm on the ball in a big situation and his close skill provided us with a springboard to attack many times.  He took his goal well and we were deservedly 1-0 up.

After the hoorah of the goal had stopped and we were all back in our seats I called for one thing.  “Do not throw this away like the first leg”.  I knew that one quick reply from Liverpool would provide them with huge momentum to push on and win the game quickly.  We did not quite give the lead away at the same speed as we did in the first leg, but I wanted us to hold on until half time.

Whereas in the tie at the Emirates we were opened up by some individual brilliance from Gerrard, last night we threw it away with bad defending.  Before the game many Arsenal fans were encouraged by Liverpool’s defending from set pieces but I knew that ours was no better.  Lo and behold it was Arsenal that were punished on the night.  Senderos got in a real mess and followed Hyypia without any idea of where the ball was dropping.  Hyypia might be getting on but he had the know how to fool Phil and plant his header perfectly.  Nights like this cannot afford sloppy mistakes and Senderos again made one at the wrong time.

Once that goal went in it was obvious we were going to have to deal with some pressure from the home side.  I thought that we would get in at half time, re-group, take a breather and come out and take charge in the second half.  The truth of the matter was that Liverpool did not allow us.  They dominated the midfield and we could not link midfield to attack.  In my opinion this changed once Flamini left the field.

When Gilberto was on we lost our go-to man in the midfield.  Fabregas knew he had Flamini as an option and someone who could start the play again.  It seems to me that players do not have confidence in Gilberto and whenever he gets it there are not many runs ahead of him, the options are all provided behind or square.  He does not have the energy of Flamini and we began to see Cesc playing much deeper.  In the first half he was taking up dangerous positions further forward, we lost this once Flamini was taken off.

The second was goal was another instance of bad defending.  I will give Crouch the benefit when I say he chose to attach himself to Gallas rather than Senderos.  He knew that he had the beating of the skipper in the air and Torres would have the beating of Senderos once it was flicked on.  If our defence had communicated well enough, they could have swapped jobs and left Gallas to do the job he had done on Torres all night.  Up until this point he had been awesome and given el Nino nothing.

Most defenders lose in the air to Crouch and here I give no blame to Gallas but once again cannot forgive Senderos for some dodgy defending.  Once the ball dropped to Torres everyone watching knew there was a danger.  An even more scarier sight was the fact that Senderos was backing off him.  Fernando Torres is not a man one wants to give any space to in the area.  As expected he punished us with a clinical finish.  Cue the I love Torres commentary and the Arsenal inquest. 

Maybe Toure should have seen the danger and covered inside.  He could have got closer to Torres once he realised Senderos failed to.  The blame still lies with Phil I am afraid as he made the same mistake as the first goal.  I wanted Senderos to play once I knew Crouch was but I had hoped they would have worked it so that Senderos was challenging the aerial ball.

It highlighted the fact that we are not good enough defensively to compete for honours.  Against Chelsea we were bullied by Drogba and last night Crouch.  Toure and Gallas were excellent but the fact is they lack height and sometimes it does not make sense to play them together.  When we need aerial dominance Wenger goes with Senderos.  The question is whether he is good enough?  He is begin shown up as a man who does not make the grade in my opinion.  Wenger needs a major re-think.  I think Toure can do a job as 2nd right back to Sagna but we need a new centre back to dominate the way Tony Adams did.

It was not quite panic stations at 1-2.  I had said before the game that we would need at least 2 goals to go through and where Wenger has been criticised recently, he responded last night.  Within minutes of the goal he withdrew Eboue and Diaby.  Diaby had been brilliant and Eboue better than normal but still fluffed a great chance to create an opening for Ade.  I still feel he needs to be benched or go.

On came Theo Walcott and a heavily strapped Van Persie.  It really was all or nothing.  I was getting anxious when the boys in white continuously failed to get the ball to Theo on the right.  I wanted him to have a run at Aurelio who is clearly poor going back towards his own goal.  It was only as a corner was cleared that he got his chance to run; and wow did he run.

He pushed firmly down on the accelerator, jinked past 3 players and saw the option to release Hleb down the left.  This option was past up and the opportunity seemed lost at this point.  Maybe he knew if he passed the ball to Hleb the attack would slow down.  Instead he went past 3 more players (6 in total) and an indication of the brilliance of the run came when there were 4 arsenal players waiting alongside him, unmarked.

He had done the first bit and when it called for a cool head, didn’t he deliver.  The obvious ball was one drilled across the goal but he knew Skrtel would read this and cleverly shaped this ball but pulled it back for Ade to slot home.  Cue delirium in the corner of the Anfield Road end and in my friend’s living room. “Theo Walcott I love you” may have been said a few times.  Rightly so the players went to Theo as they knew he had produced what should have been the tie winning assist.

Just as he has done of late, Theo has given the side urgency and a directness we have missed.   He is finally showing what he has promised to do.  He must get some starts now.  he has been used as Wenger’s go-to guy; the guy he has called upon to change a game.  Last night he seemed to have done it more so than ever before.  Then came the referee’s time to take centre stage.

The Arsenal players are at fault a bit here though.  Once the 2nd goal went in there heads must have been partly in the semis.  The problem was that the concentration went as well.  Like in the first leg Liverpool were hurt and hit back straight away.  We were not ready and once Gerrard converted the dubious penalty it was back to square one.  One goal takes us through but a 3rd was beyond us.

It was cruel to see Ryan Babel race away and make it 4-2.  it was not what Arsenal deserved but indicative of the energy we put in when Cesc Fabregas had nothing left in the tank to chase the Dutchman.  Game over but what a bloody effort the players made.  We won in the San Siro and nearly went to Anfield – where so many have failed – and pulled off an amazing result.  it is no consolation but on most other nights we would be in the semis.

The team as a whole was excellent, plaers gave their all last night.  Toure and Gallas were excellent at the back and Hleb and Cesc were pulling the strings in the middle.  If we can produce the same on Sunday we will be able to beat Man Utd and keep our slender title hopes alive.

It was a brilliant advert for English Football on Tuesday night with two sides battling it out for the whole 90 minutes.  The perfection of Arsenal against the will and directness of Liverpool.  It was night of highs and lows to match 1989.  Unfortunately, this time it was the home fans that came away cheering.

Chelsea 2 Arsenal 1 – Title Race Is Over…

After 60 minutes it seemed to be going so well and to plan. I really thought we might have a chance to take Chelsea’s unbeaten record at home away from them. The truth of the matter is that Sagna’s goal over papered over the cracks that are growing larger by the match. The title has gone for us now; we have no chance of beating Manchester United the way we are playing and a trophyless season seems far more likely.

Our game has got to change if we are going to have any chance of beating Liverpool over two legs. Right now this team plays the ball nicely at times but looks lacking in attacking threat. It is graceful but very far from clinical. The defence is looking a shambles and the squad is looking depleted at exactly the wrong time.

The football being produced is all very pleasing on the eye but the fact of the matter is that a substantial amount of chances are not being created. It has been coming ever since November but only now has the grit that got us so many victories dried up. Today I only remember two real chances that we created from open play. Even those were tame shots that Cudicini stopped easily.

Just take a look at the two men leading the attacks today. Drogba was a class above Adebayor this afternoon and vastly overshadowed his counterpart. Drogba was strong, tricky, clever and deadly. Adebayor was weak, lacklustre, frustrating and blunt. Where Drogba got into Toure and Gallas, Adebayor seemed to refuse to put Terry and Carvalho under pressure that would cause real problems.

Adebayor has looked out of sorts recently. Whether it is the braids that brought him his goals or not, he needs to look at himself right now. He has had a brilliant season but the best players keep going and show quality till the very end. In the other game today, Cristiano was largely ineffective but still came up with a crucial goal when it mattered. If Adebayor wants to be considered as world class, performances like the one today are not going to cut it.

The one player everyone wanted back asap was Van Persie but I had my mind on another player’s return. The problem is I do not know when it will be. We are missing Tomas Rosicky so much. His will to make things happen and drive from midfield is lacking right now. He has the creative mind as well and gives that balance. We need him back soon but I am very worried over his injury troubles.

The squad may well need a real shake up this summer. Eboue is not good enough to start for us. He wastes possession far too often and seems to have no brain. First of all what idiot charges a free kick way before the player has started his run up. He was walking a tight rope for 85 minutes and was lucky to stay on the pitch. He got away with a deliberate handball as the ref had the wrong angle. I am not saying he should go as he is a good utility player for us. We do need a proper winger to stretch teams as Hleb is good when he moves inside but at the end we made the game too narrow to open up Chelsea.

I also believe Wenger has made an incorrect decision at a crucial time. While Toure was away Senderos and Gallas formed a partnership that had balance to it. They had an understanding that combined aerial strength with cover on the ground. The lack of pace from Senderos was not such a problem. As soon as Toure came back it all started to go wrong.

Against Boro we were caught flat by a simple ball over the top. This type of long ball was causing us little problem with Senderos there to dominate the aerial ball. With Senderos benched, we have two defenders that are too similar in their game. They both like to take up similar positions and act as the covering defender. They can both play with Senderos as they are a perfect foil to him.

Today was a classic example of why a Toure-Gallas partnership is not as good as it seems on paper. They both have pace, are strong in the tackle and good at getting back at attackers when they are played in. The problem is that neither of them are prepared to attack the ball, get tight to their man and take charge in the defensive area. When Toure and Gallas play together and are up against a quality striker they are often shown up. The striker is able to get the ball down and make things happen.

Berbatov did the same at the Emirates and today Drogba made them look amateur. Toure was looking good on the cover with some good blocks and last ditch tackles. The problem was the fact he had to do this so often. In the first half Drogba played off Gallas and got some joy but Toure was always there. In the second Toure had the job of marking Drogba and here it fell apart. Toure failed to get tight to him and twice allowed him the space to fire Chelsea into the lead.

Senderos may have struggled against Drogba in the past but today could have been the chance to change it. If Wenger had stuck by him against Villa – he had every reason to – and given him the chance to shine alongside Gallas once again he may well have taken it. He could not have done much more wrong than what Toure and Gallas did when trying to mark Drogba. Both the goals lacked someone like Senderos in their build up:

1-1 – The ball comes over and offside or not (more of that later) Drogba bought it down. The problem was Gallas who lost his head as his desire to get the ball in front of Drogba cost him his position between Drogba and the ball. he lacked power and having missed the ball left Drogba the chance to smash the ball past Almunia.

2-1 – With the defence asleep the ball was swung over and once again Gallas was beaten in the air, this time by Anelka. As the ball came towards Drogba, Toure attempted some sort of kung-fu clearance and got himself in a muddle. This was awful defending and showed once again that the defending lacked conviction.

Another thing that was apparent to me today was the importance of Sagna to the side. Along with Flamini I feel he has been a massive influence on this side and the changes made to our game. Not only did he have the desire to get on the end of the corner but we seemed more solid at the back. As soon as he was forced off we did not have the cover he brings. Eboue was always a suspect defender and did not show us any different in his 20 minutes there. The main thing however was the lack of time we got to settle without him there. It can take time to settle with a change like that, Chelsea did not grant us any.

The injury was followed by another mistake from Wenger, well in my eyes anyway. With the game dragging on and the scores at 1-, it was set up perfectly for a counter attacking set up. He had Eboue at right midfield before he was forced to right back. The obvious change was Walcott. He had the pace to attack Cole and break on the counter. Yet Wenger went with Diaby who is not all that comfortable on the left and was not really going to pose much of a threat. He may have shown some neat passing and skill but we needed penetration.

Once Walcott was readied, it was far too late and he rarely got the ball. It took 10 minutes or so to get him on the ball and whenever he made dangerous runs in behind Cole the opportunity to set him free was passed up too often. Then Bendtner came on but we did not see our forward players working together well enough. It summed up our failures in front of goal.

Do not get me wrong. Te build up play was still there at times. In the first half we kept it well and looked relatively threatening on the ball. We lacked the firepower up front which ultimately cost us there. We were poor at the back and Almunia bailed us out a few times. The midfield however did use the ball well and Hleb nearly got Van Persie in with one very cute pass. We were just as entitled to a lead as Chelsea were but once out defence crumbled we were never going to get anything.

As well as being blunt in the final third recently, we have been dealt some bad refereeing calls. Aliadiere was offside for his goal at the Emirates. I do not care if he is considered inactive, 2nd phase bla bla bollocks. He gained an advantage by being ahead of the play. Today however it was far more clear but. Drogba was on his way back from an offside position but never made it back before the ball was played long towards him. He was offside as the ball came to him and the goal should have been ruled out.

That decision came at the worst time and changed the game firmly in Chelsea’s favour. It was their first meaningful shot on target and swung the momentum firmly towards them. As we settled into a new defence the goal rocked us. Had it been ruled out we may have been able to hold out for longer and see it out. How decisions like that can be made baffles me. The linesman are paid to do their job; surely it is not hard to get in line with the back 4 and spot that Drogba was not in line.

The issue of video replays once again comes to the fore. It would not be hard to continue the play until the ball was in the net. After that the Arsenal captain should be able to request a deferral to the fourth official. The ref should also ask to see it again if he is unsure. Therefore the right decision is made and if the play leads to nothing, there is no need to stop play.

All in all it has been a pretty bad day. Liverpool put up a pathetic showing at Old Trafford, something I doubt we will see in Europe. Chelsea knocked us out of the title race as I do not see us winning all 7 remaining games in the League. The Champions League is still a possibility but we must improve in front of goal.

Chelsea 2 Arsenal 1 – Title Race Is Over…

After 60 minutes it seemed to be going so well and to plan. I really thought we might have a chance to take Chelsea’s unbeaten record at home away from them. The truth of the matter is that Sagna’s goal over papered over the cracks that are growing larger by the match. The title has gone for us now; we have no chance of beating Manchester United the way we are playing and a trophyless season seems far more likely.

Our game has got to change if we are going to have any chance of beating Liverpool over two legs. Right now this team plays the ball nicely at times but looks lacking in attacking threat. It is graceful but very far from clinical. The defence is looking a shambles and the squad is looking depleted at exactly the wrong time.

The football being produced is all very pleasing on the eye but the fact of the matter is that a substantial amount of chances are not being created. It has been coming ever since November but only now has the grit that got us so many victories dried up. Today I only remember two real chances that we created from open play. Even those were tame shots that Cudicini stopped easily.

Just take a look at the two men leading the attacks today. Drogba was a class above Adebayor this afternoon and vastly overshadowed his counterpart. Drogba was strong, tricky, clever and deadly. Adebayor was weak, lacklustre, frustrating and blunt. Where Drogba got into Toure and Gallas, Adebayor seemed to refuse to put Terry and Carvalho under pressure that would cause real problems.

Adebayor has looked out of sorts recently. Whether it is the braids that brought him his goals or not, he needs to look at himself right now. He has had a brilliant season but the best players keep going and show quality till the very end. In the other game today, Cristiano was largely ineffective but still came up with a crucial goal when it mattered. If Adebayor wants to be considered as world class, performances like the one today are not going to cut it.

The one player everyone wanted back asap was Van Persie but I had my mind on another player’s return. The problem is I do not know when it will be. We are missing Tomas Rosicky so much. His will to make things happen and drive from midfield is lacking right now. He has the creative mind as well and gives that balance. We need him back soon but I am very worried over his injury troubles.

The squad may well need a real shake up this summer. Eboue is not good enough to start for us. He wastes possession far too often and seems to have no brain. First of all what idiot charges a free kick way before the player has started his run up. He was walking a tight rope for 85 minutes and was lucky to stay on the pitch. He got away with a deliberate handball as the ref had the wrong angle. I am not saying he should go as he is a good utility player for us. We do need a proper winger to stretch teams as Hleb is good when he moves inside but at the end we made the game too narrow to open up Chelsea.

I also believe Wenger has made an incorrect decision at a crucial time. While Toure was away Senderos and Gallas formed a partnership that had balance to it. They had an understanding that combined aerial strength with cover on the ground. The lack of pace from Senderos was not such a problem. As soon as Toure came back it all started to go wrong.

Against Boro we were caught flat by a simple ball over the top. This type of long ball was causing us little problem with Senderos there to dominate the aerial ball. With Senderos benched, we have two defenders that are too similar in their game. They both like to take up similar positions and act as the covering defender. They can both play with Senderos as they are a perfect foil to him.

Today was a classic example of why a Toure-Gallas partnership is not as good as it seems on paper. They both have pace, are strong in the tackle and good at getting back at attackers when they are played in. The problem is that neither of them are prepared to attack the ball, get tight to their man and take charge in the defensive area. When Toure and Gallas play together and are up against a quality striker they are often shown up. The striker is able to get the ball down and make things happen.

Berbatov did the same at the Emirates and today Drogba made them look amateur. Toure was looking good on the cover with some good blocks and last ditch tackles. The problem was the fact he had to do this so often. In the first half Drogba played off Gallas and got some joy but Toure was always there. In the second Toure had the job of marking Drogba and here it fell apart. Toure failed to get tight to him and twice allowed him the space to fire Chelsea into the lead.

Senderos may have struggled against Drogba in the past but today could have been the chance to change it. If Wenger had stuck by him against Villa – he had every reason to – and given him the chance to shine alongside Gallas once again he may well have taken it. He could not have done much more wrong than what Toure and Gallas did when trying to mark Drogba. Both the goals lacked someone like Senderos in their build up:

1-1 – The ball comes over and offside or not (more of that later) Drogba bought it down. The problem was Gallas who lost his head as his desire to get the ball in front of Drogba cost him his position between Drogba and the ball. he lacked power and having missed the ball left Drogba the chance to smash the ball past Almunia.

2-1 – With the defence asleep the ball was swung over and once again Gallas was beaten in the air, this time by Anelka. As the ball came towards Drogba, Toure attempted some sort of kung-fu clearance and got himself in a muddle. This was awful defending and showed once again that the defending lacked conviction.

Another thing that was apparent to me today was the importance of Sagna to the side. Along with Flamini I feel he has been a massive influence on this side and the changes made to our game. Not only did he have the desire to get on the end of the corner but we seemed more solid at the back. As soon as he was forced off we did not have the cover he brings. Eboue was always a suspect defender and did not show us any different in his 20 minutes there. The main thing however was the lack of time we got to settle without him there. It can take time to settle with a change like that, Chelsea did not grant us any.

The injury was followed by another mistake from Wenger, well in my eyes anyway. With the game dragging on and the scores at 1-, it was set up perfectly for a counter attacking set up. He had Eboue at right midfield before he was forced to right back. The obvious change was Walcott. He had the pace to attack Cole and break on the counter. Yet Wenger went with Diaby who is not all that comfortable on the left and was not really going to pose much of a threat. He may have shown some neat passing and skill but we needed penetration.

Once Walcott was readied, it was far too late and he rarely got the ball. It took 10 minutes or so to get him on the ball and whenever he made dangerous runs in behind Cole the opportunity to set him free was passed up too often. Then Bendtner came on but we did not see our forward players working together well enough. It summed up our failures in front of goal.

Do not get me wrong. Te build up play was still there at times. In the first half we kept it well and looked relatively threatening on the ball. We lacked the firepower up front which ultimately cost us there. We were poor at the back and Almunia bailed us out a few times. The midfield however did use the ball well and Hleb nearly got Van Persie in with one very cute pass. We were just as entitled to a lead as Chelsea were but once out defence crumbled we were never going to get anything.

As well as being blunt in the final third recently, we have been dealt some bad refereeing calls. Aliadiere was offside for his goal at the Emirates. I do not care if he is considered inactive, 2nd phase bla bla bollocks. He gained an advantage by being ahead of the play. Today however it was far more clear but. Drogba was on his way back from an offside position but never made it back before the ball was played long towards him. He was offside as the ball came to him and the goal should have been ruled out.

That decision came at the worst time and changed the game firmly in Chelsea’s favour. It was their first meaningful shot on target and swung the momentum firmly towards them. As we settled into a new defence the goal rocked us. Had it been ruled out we may have been able to hold out for longer and see it out. How decisions like that can be made baffles me. The linesman are paid to do their job; surely it is not hard to get in line with the back 4 and spot that Drogba was not in line.

The issue of video replays once again comes to the fore. It would not be hard to continue the play until the ball was in the net. After that the Arsenal captain should be able to request a deferral to the fourth official. The ref should also ask to see it again if he is unsure. Therefore the right decision is made and if the play leads to nothing, there is no need to stop play.

All in all it has been a pretty bad day. Liverpool put up a pathetic showing at Old Trafford, something I doubt we will see in Europe. Chelsea knocked us out of the title race as I do not see us winning all 7 remaining games in the League. The Champions League is still a possibility but we must improve in front of goal.