On A Day Of Upsets Arsenal Escape With A Tight Slap

I have felt joy, grief, pain and other emotions while watching the Arsenal team. But I don’t remember the last time I was so bored while watching our team play!The boredom turned into exasperation as we conceded a stupid goal that could have come in any of the other games we have won in the recent past.

As I wrote in the preview, Alkmaar have decent technical ability but the tempo of their game is very slow. Somehow, they managed to lull our players to sleep by playing at such a slow pace. Some credit should go to Koeman and his players. He had said they had to play well and we had to have an off day. We certainly had a lazy one. He also said that they needed to dominate possession, which, rather surprisingly, they managed. But most of the fault lies with Arsene and the players.

It was a defensive decision to start with Eboue instead of Vela. If we can’t give a brilliant talent a chance in such a game then when can we give him a chance? What is the point of putting out a full strength senior squad when they are going to play in zombie mode!?

I have a theory that our attack suffers whenever we have three or more of Eboue, Diaby, Denilson and Song playing in the same team. Rosicky made a big difference in the last few games and we can see that Arshavin, RvP and Cesc need one more player on the same wavelength to make the game more comfortable and enjoyable for them. I have a feeling Vela could have been that player but right now it’s only speculation.

In spite of the defensive team selection and tired performance we created all the good chances even though Alkmaar had bulk of the possession (57% at the end of the first half). It reminded me of times when we dominate possession but the other team gets the goal. The goal came from a neat combination between the three best players we had on the pitch. Although at the end of the day, none of them can claim to have had a very good game.

We had plenty of other chances to score a second but most of our efforts were half hearted. AZ never looked like troubling us as they were quite poor in the final third. Then again, we are quite poor in the defensive third, especially when it comes to set pieces. The hosts increased the tempo a little in the final 20 minutes but they never looked too keen or likely to force a result. They only sent men forward for set pieces and perhaps Koeman was right in identifying and exploiting our defect!

My multiple mistakes theory applies to this goal as well. It started with Arshavin conceding a daft free kick for an offside. He didn’t have to challenge the defender for the ball. If he hadn’t, AZ would not have been able to throw so many players forward and the seconds would have ticked away. There is no way you can attribute such problems to naivety. What is the point of buying experienced players if they are going to make such bloopers?

Second mistake came from Diaby. He just backed away and allowed Pele to rise above him and win the header. He should have stood his ground and attacked the ball himself. There is no point blaming him alone as most of our players are hopeless in dealing with set pieces. The fault lies with the manager for not addressing the issue that has plagued us for so long. This team is crying out for a top quality coach who can help us work on set pieces.

The third mistake was from the likes of Cesc, Ramsey and Vela. Three AZ players attacked our box for the second ball. But none of our players were there to track them. What is the point of them loitering around just outside the penalty area when we have only a few seconds left to play?

Unfortunately, this was not a one-off performance. We have been playing this way for a long time now. Luck has gone our way and we have managed the results. The question always was, when will this luck run out? How can we be confident that this won’t happen again in a crunch game!?

I think part of the blame has to go on the lack of rotation by Arsene. Fergusson easily changes half the team or more from game to game. But Le Boss refuses to use the full squad that we have. What is the point of saying we have an enormous squad when the same players are going to turn up game after game? They are bound to be tired. I know our injury list is rising again but we still have two or three decent youngsters who should be given a chance.

The games we have played in the recent past were all relatively easy games. Ramsey could have been given a chance in any of those. I have said enough about Vela already. Traore could have been played on the left in some game. Wilshere could have been given a few minutes. But we have been seeing the same players over and over. I guess Denilson is feeling the pain of his hard work from the last season. Soon it might be Song. Why Arsene, please tell us why?

Thankfully, this game is not too important in the context of the title hopes. I am confident we will not have any problems with qualification to the second phase. But we might not be able to secure qualification even after a win in the next game, which could then force us to play our main players on matchday 5 and 6 before the big games against Liverpool and Chelsea.

We cannot say that we will learn from this game as we have made the same mistakes in the past and have not learnt from them. I am just hoping this match will serve as a tight slap and a wake up call. The important phase of the season is yet to begin and we have to be alive and ready for that.

The Koeman Challenge Beckons

Ronald Koeman has hit the headlines by claiming that Arsenal have defects.

It starts with self-belief. We must be at our best and for them to have an off-day. I saw their game against Blackburn and they could have scored 15 times! On the other hand, Blackburn had four excellent chances and scored twice. Arsenal, therefore, have defects. We must take the initiative, dominate possession and take the chances that come our way.

He is a man who knocked us out of the competition a couple of times (02-03 with Ajax and 06-07 with PSV). We have to respect him and what he says has some merit as well. No one can deny the fact that we have some weaknesses. Whether Koeman be able to exploit them with his tactics and the talent at his disposal remains to be seen.

Interestingly, he wants to beat us by dominating possession. I am not sure it is a strategy that can work given his present squad. I saw their game against FC Twente last weekend. They looked like a technically capable team but the tempo of their game was quite slow. In fact, they were completely outplayed by a Steve McClaren team in the first half. I guess most Arsenal fans and followers of the English game will find that amusing.  The second half was more evenly matched but the Eredivisie leaders showed more desire and tenacity at the end to seal the points.

It would be foolish on my part to comment on their abilities after watching just one game. But they are yet to win in the competition this year, have scored only one goal and are off the pace in their domestic competition after losing half of their ten games so far. Such a saga might not inspire confidence in even the AZ supporters. I can’t see them dominating possession and it could just be a bluff on the part of their manager. When Koeman was in charge, PSV knocked us out by relying on a strong defense. But this Arsenal team is stronger in attack and AZ don’t look like that PSV team defensively. Moreover, this is not a knockout fixture.  It should make for an interesting and exciting game for the spectators.

Hamdaoui is their main attacking threat. But Vermaelen probably knows all about the Moroccan international. I guess it would be an advantage to the manager to have a player he can talk to for first hand information about the opposition. But we expect Wenger to be thorough anyway. I have a feeling AZ will try to hit us on the break because if they play an open game like they did on the weekend we might be in for a new scoring record. On the other hand, a win will put us on the brink of qualification and AZ might not have a realistic hope of qualification. So the onus of getting a result will be on the hosts.

Unfortunately, from our point of view, the injuries are stacking up again. We might see a bench full of youngsters and a defender from their fathers’ generation. Hopefully most of the knocks are minor and we will have the full squad back soon.

I would still like to see Mannone continue in goal because he didn’t do too badly against Birmingham but the manager might just sneak Almunia in after the Italian’s mistake for the Bowyer goal. Our first choice keeper is probably getting an idea of how Lehmann must have felt when the Spaniard kept him out of the team.

It also looks like a great opportunity to give Vela some time on the pitch. This is not a must win fixture and such games should be used to give some of the younger players a look in. The injuries to other wide players mean that Wenger’s only other choice might be to play Eboue on the right in the attacking third.

By the same logic Rambo should also get a start. Song has played consistently and tirelessly. He could really use a breather. It might mean that we won’t have a recognized DM on the pitch but even then we should be able to defeat Alkmaar. I am not sure if that would be one change too many and Arsene certainly doesn’t like to tinker with a winning team.

I expect us to start with

Mannone, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Song, Diaby, Cesc, Arshavin, Van Persie, Vela.

Let’s hope Wenger’s boys give a new meaning to the term Dutch treat.

Not Quite The Expected Fireworks But Arsenal Make It A Happy Diwali Nonetheless

Our form has been so up and down in the last couple of seasons that I always start watching these games feeling a little nervous. My initial jitters were just settling when Ridgewell went flying in. It was around the eighth minute and when the screen showed pictures of Walcott writhing in pain my heart skipped a beat. Surely it was not to happen again! Thankfully the agony lasted only a few seconds and Theo was back on.

The nerves were well and truly settled as we produced some of the most sublime football in the first 20 odd minutes. Birmingham had no clue what hit them as our passing and movement was just too quick for them. Fortunately for the blues Cesc and his best mate forgot their shooting boots somewhere. Otherwise the score line might have been embarrassing even before the half hour mark.

Rosicky had a couple of very good chances and he must be disappointed that he didn’t get his name on the score sheet. But the goal, when it came, was a piece of beauty. When the ball normally goes out to Song, I don’t expect to see a defence splitting pass. No disrespect to him but he doesn’t normally try to put a through ball. So it was a pleasant surprise to see him pick out RvP with a fantastic pass. For an instance it looked like Robin would not be able to sort his feet. Then it looked like the angle was acute. But when Van Persie is in such form no angle is too tight. Another goalkeeper might have tried saving it with his foot but I think Hart too was taken aback by the sharpness of this move and the pace on the shot.

The second goal was a result of some great movement and passing from a lot of players. It was a delight to see Rosicky square the ball in a way that gave so many players a chance. What made it better was the fact that we had three players in the box and all in very good positions. The ball found the last man Diaby and his finish was very well taken.

After the second goal we kept the ball for a long time which, as it turns out, was not a good thing as some of our players got bored and went to sleep. On the basis of the ninety minutes I have to say that Cesc, Rosicky and Arshavin had an off day. It’s heartening that we can still win fairly convincingly but the fact remains.

The beauty of our game shares its roots with the strength of our game. It relies on quick movement and positional sense to intercept a pass, to press the opposition and to enable quick passing. But once the players switch off we start to struggle on all fronts. Suddenly the man on the ball doesn’t have enough options. The attack does not look incisive (How many times have you heard Arsene say “we lacked sharpness”.) Ultimately our defence is exposed as we cannot dominate play in the opposition half. Once the visitors realized that we were not really interested in killing the game they started growing in confidence.

As Arsenal fans, by now, we have come to expect the customary gift of a goal. And it duly arrived a few minutes before half time. Many people would be happy to point the finger at Mannone or the Ref for this one and forget all about it. But I urge you to consider the following questions

• How easy was it for Jerome to collect a throw at the edge of our penalty area?
• How easy was it for him to find an unmarked Ferguson at the edge of our box?
• Why wasn’t Mannone stronger or why didn’t he punch the ball away if he had a doubt?
• Diaby and Vermaelen were ball watching when Bowyer moved away from them. Why didn’t either of them take the initiative to move towards him without bothering about where the ball was?

It normally takes a lot of mistakes for a goal to go in, especially if the opposition does not have too many creative players and lethal strikers. The worst thing is that this was not the first time we have made multiple mistakes and certainly not the last. Anyway, I will address our problems in a separate post sometime. This is not a time to dwell on these issues.

As the match entered the last quarter the jitters returned. It’s happened to us so many times that you just can’t stop thinking about the equalizer going in. But as everyone says, Arshavin adds a new dimension to this team. Mannone did well to collect a ball into the box and release El Capitan. Cesc made another long run that reminded me of his goal against Everton. But this time he passed the ball wide on the left to Arshavin. The little Russian ambled in as if he was thinking all the time and looking for an opportunity. The camera angle was perfect and we could see it just as he saw it. The finish was something only Arshavin could have produced. He makes it look so easy and that’s the most difficult part.

So another three points in the bag and as expected Liverpool and Chelsea dropped points. Unfortunately, United managed to sneak a win. But we are still second if we win our game in hand and I am more convinced than ever that as long as our attacking players are fit we are in with a great chance.

Birmingham Bring Back Bad Memories

If it hadn’t happened, I would have never believed that there can be so many bad memories associated with just one game. The Eduardo incident still rankles me a lot. Gallas’ meltdown was unbelievable. The penalty at the last minute meant that even though we tore Birmingham apart that day we came away with just a draw. Our capitulation after that day has shaken the confidence of so many people. The true extent of the damage done can never be calculated.

I think a great performance tomorrow can go a long way in banishing these ghosts. I have a feeling it will do a lot of good to the players’ confidence as well. We drew both games with them that year and they got relegated. That’s the best example of our recent problems i.e. trouble with dispatching the smaller teams. A big win with a clean sheet should also help Gallas personally. I don’t think it would be easy for any individual to just forget such a day.

I would love to know what’s going on in the players’ minds before this game. How many of them are thinking about the past? Can they focus on the game and the future? Does anyone want revenge? What kind of revenge? Would a thumping score line be enough or will the game be more physical? Thankfully Martin Taylor is not likely to feature. It would have been good for Eduardo if he had been fit but unfortunately he is still suffering from some niggling injuries. How would you feel if you were a player?

From a football point of view the Blues don’t seem to have much to offer and most of their games are low scoring affairs. Out of the eight games so far five games have had one goal or less and the other three have been lost by the odd goal in three. None of their players have scored more than a solitary goal in the league so far. On the opposite end of the spectrum we have scored fourteen in three home games and I am confident we have the firepower to continue that scoring streak irrespective of their defensive nature.

Arsene recently spoke about the importance of winning home games. I feel it is even more important that we bring back the fear factor. Smaller teams have started playing with some confidence against us. Worse still, many observers and fans have lost the feeling that we can stroll through these games. I don’t know what the players think but our swagger has been missing, hasn’t it? I know we have to avoid complacency but that does not mean we cannot be supremely confident going into games.

I am not sure what the team is going to be. Walcott had a great game last time around and offers one positive memory from that fateful day. Will he start or will Rosicky keep his place? I have a feeling Wenger will start with Theo. Van Persie, Arshavin, Cesc, Diaby and Song will all probably start.

The defence will be interesting. Gibbs will get a look in as Clichy has suffered a knock. I feel this is the kind of game where Wenger should give Senderos a chance. Most people will argue that our Center Backs are doing just fine and we should not tamper with the rapidly developing partnership. But I feel Senderos will need some games if he has to step in for a big game later on. These are the kind of games where we should be able to risk giving players like him a chance.

I have a feeling Mannone will keep his place in goal. Arsene has left the decision of bringing Almunia back in the balance for a long time now. I am not sure he will bring the Spaniard back unless he is fully confident.

The team could look like this

Mannone, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Cesc, Song, Diaby, Walcott, Van Persie, Arshavin.

With injuries affecting United, Liverpool and Citeh we have a good chance to pick up some points on them. Here’s to another rock in the Emirates Fortress.

Top Four – Performance So Far As Compared To Last Year

I thought it will be interesting to check how our performance compares to last year. There are two aspects to see. One is the start i.e. during the first 7-8 weeks. Second is the corresponding performance in the fixtures that we have played so far.

The following table provides a summary of our performances. The column 2009-10 has results from this season. 2008-09C has results from the corresponding fixtures from last year. So the 1 – 1 result is from our away game to Everton last year. 2008-09 shows the results from the first seven fixtures from last year. These fixtures are mentioned in the rightmost column.

Arsenal - YoY Comparison

As you can see we have improved our performance over last season on both counts. At the start we had two losses and a draw. These were against Fulham, Hull and Sunderland. This year we have lost to the bigger teams from Manchester and converted the loss at Fulham into a win.

We had lost to Citeh last year as well in the corresponding fixture. The score line and the performance this year were certainly an improvement. Saying that when we conceded four goals only highlights how bad we were last year even though we managed fourth place and a couple of semi-finals. So if we improve this year hopefully our end results should also improve.

This year we have also converted an away draw at Goodison into a comprehensive win. We have also notched up good wins over Wigan and Portsmouth whereas last year we only managed 1 – 0 triumphs. We have four points more than what we had in the corresponding fixtures and two more than the start last year.

The only negative aspect so far is that we have doubled our tally of goals conceded. But we have also significantly improved our goals scored. My guess is that Arsene thinks we just have to score more as the defence will anyway leak a few goals. As long as our attacking players are fit I think it’s an approach than can work well for us.

Now let’s see how the other top clubs have fared in a similar comparison

Manchester United - YoY Comparison

United have significantly improved on their start in terms of points. Last season they had two draws and a loss in the first six games. They had played a game less due to their involvement with the UEFA Super Cup (which they lost) and this season there has been one fixture more than what we had last year in the same time frame.

Interestingly, their loss came against Liverpool and a draw against Chelsea. I will be very keen to see if they can improve against the top sides. They have already improved one result against us.

The most important observation is their loss to Burnley. Last season they had a perfect record against the teams from the bottom half of the table. It’s gone already. They have also doubled their goals conceded tally. It will be a much bigger worry for them than it is for us especially with the loss of Ronaldo and Tevez.

For the sake of comparison I have used results against WBA for Burnley and Middlesbrough for Birmingham when looking at last year’s results. The teams that got promoted came up in the order Wolves, Birmingham and Burnley and last season’s table had Newcastle, Middlesbrough and West Brom going down. It’s not a perfect way to compare but it should suffice.

United have lost points against Burnley and Sunderland while gaining points against Arsenal and Spuds. I am not sure they can continue improving against the top clubs with the squad they have. If they lose more points to the smaller clubs we will certainly see a different title winner this year.

Chelsea - YoY Comparison

Chelsea have improved significantly in the corresponding fixtures. They had a draw at home to Hull and Spuds as well as one away to Fulham. All these have been converted to victories. They have also converted the home loss to Liverpool into a victory. The only hiccup has been the loss to Wigan.

But we must remember that they had a great start to the season last year as well. Everyone was going ga-ga over Scolari. But we all know how that ended. Much of their initial success is down to the form of Drogba. An injury to him or just a change of mood for the big Ivorian could result in a change of fortunes for them.

We have been hearing how strong their squad is and how they will win everything for the last three years. It hasn’t happened. I doubt this year will be any different.

Liverpool - YoY Comparison

Liverpool have the worst start amongst the top four. They have already lost more matches than they did in the whole of last year. But they have also converted home draws with Hull and Stoke into impressive wins. I think Benitez has finally decided that he will not focus on defence all the time. It will be interesting to see if they can convert more draws into wins or not. My guess is that Liverpool will win a few more matches but they will lose a few more as well. They are the most likely to go out of the top four.

Looking at these comparisons I am happy with our start. We need to improve and there can be no doubt about that. But I can definitely see Liverpool and United slipping more often. Chelsea are unpredictable but when the manager has communication problems with the team you never know how a long season will unfold. I think in May we may find the top four or even the top six to be a lot closer than last year.

Comparing Strength in Depth of Top Four Squads – Part 2

I had earlier compared the goalkeepers and defenders of the top four clubs. Since then Mannone has shown that he is not out of place in a premier league game. Now let’s have a look how the midfielders and attackers stack up

Midfielders

Midfielders in the Top 4 Squads

I am not a big fan of Denilson or Diaby. But when the competition has the likes of Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, and Lucas can there be any reason to berate our players. I ask myself a simple question – would I be happy if Wenger had spent ₤18 Million on Nani, Carrick or Anderson? The answer is a resounding “No!”

Anyone who still doubts Song has no clue what football is all about. He can hold his own against any similar player in that list including Essien. It does not mean that Song has become the best as there is some room for improvement in his performances. But his present form is enough to get him into the United or Liverpool midfield for sure. Considering his age and the rate at which he has improved I won’t be surprised if he soon becomes another player associated with big money transfer rumors.

Cesc, Rosicky and Nasri are proven world class players. Wilshere, Ramsey and Merida are the most exciting youngsters amongst the whole group. So the question is where is the lack of strength in depth?

Some people complain that we don’t have a back up for Song. But I don’t see a back up for Mascherano either! The point is anyone can miss a few matches due to injuries or international commitments or any other reason. We can’t always look at buying players as a solution to that. Suppose we buy a player to cover for Song in January, and he gets injured at the end of December. Do we also sign a back up for that back up and wrap him in cotton wool till January? The manager has to balance the squad and tactics depending on the availability and that’s the best we can ask for. Sometimes we fail in getting the tactics right but that has nothing to do with SiD so I will discuss that in another article later.

I am not saying that we have the best possible midfield. But we are not talking about utopia either. We are talking of the real world and we seem to have a real midfield that doesn’t look weaker than the others that are higher rated and more respected.

Forwards

Strikers in the Top 4 Squads

If people want to say that squads with Macheda, Welbeck and a misfiring Berbatov or Voronin, El Zhar, N’gog have more strength in depth than Arsenal, you cannot really argue with them. It would be a waste of time and energy. It would also be an insult to our attack.

I don’t think we need any statistics or explanation as to why our attack is easily the best out of the top four. Rooney, Drogba and Torres are fantastic players but we are talking about SiD so just consider an injury to one of them and see how their respective squads weaken.

Final Comment

I can understand why someone would have said we didn’t have strength in depth at the beginning of last season. We didn’t have Arshavin, Eduardo and Rosicky were not fit, Walcott was still raw, Gallas was unconvincing after his collapse in the previous season, and Denilson and Song were unproven players. But to drag the same argument even today tells me that people tend to get stuck on ideas and forget to incorporate the changes that have taken place into their thinking.

I am certainly not saying that we don’t need any new players. We do have something missing from our game. But we did lose in Manchester with our first choice defence and Song in the team. So even if we had a couple of extra players on the bench I can’t see any difference in the result. I think we can do well with a couple of additions. But the point is that so could everyone else. Consequently, writing us off because of a perceived lack of SiD only highlights a lack of perception in the observer.

Anyone can say that XYZ club will not win the league. If anyone says that about all the clubs in the league they would have a guaranteed 95% success rate every year. Point is, we can’t win is the easiest thing to say. And the second easiest thing is to say that we must buy more players.

Chelsea have such a strong squad. But they still didn’t win the EPL or the Champions League. That is enough to prove that even the best of squads can fail. Being champions is not about having twenty five great players in the squad but about getting results even when you have to put out a relatively mediocre side due to injuries or anything else. I think we are learning that.

Another Look at the Arsenal Financial Statements

This article is an extension of the good work done by Arsenal Station. I am making an attempt to look at some aspects in greater detail. Please make sure you have read that article or our results as published here before reading further.

Some major financial dealings have not been captured in the reported numbers as they have occurred after 31^st May. But they have been mentioned in the report separately, these are

• Sales have now completed on 445 apartments with a cumulative revenues of £172 million. Considering the fact that we had revenues of £15 million and £88 million from apartment sales in 2008 and 2009, it is safe to assume that we have generated a further £69 million in the last few months
• The sale of two players who lie on opposite ends of the spectrum of my feelings for ex Arsenal players has reportedly generated £40 million
• The property development debt was at £129.6 million at the end of May 2009. Highbury Square loan formed the bulk of it at £123.6 million and it has been reduced to £47 million in the period between the end of May and the publication of results. Interestingly, this is a reduction of roughly £76.6 million. I am assuming that the £6 million loan for Queensland Road property has not been repaid during this period.
• Since the subsequent apartment sales have generated a sum less than the amount repaid, the key question is whether the repayment includes any part of the aforementioned transfer fees that we have received? At least £7.6 million has been paid in excess of what has been generated. Moreover, if there were construction costs or any other expenses related to the apartments sold it is possible that a significant portion of the transfer fee was used to repay the loan. The club has certainly not been clear on the exact details

Now let’s return to the published results.

Firstly, we must understand that profits and cash are not the same thing. So if we show profits after tax of £35.2 million that does not mean the manager has that amount to spend. In fact it’s hardly related to the cash available to the manager. This can be seen from the increase in cash and bank balance from £93.3 to £99.9 million. Profits are good for shareholders of a football club but not necessarily for the manager. I am not saying that the profits would hurt a manager but they might not have the same impact and practical value for him.

Our total turnover has increased significantly. But that is mainly down to the property business which has its own costs and debts so it doesn’t translate into anything beneficial from the football point of view. Our revenues from the football business have increased but so have the costs. This can be seen from the profit before tax of the football business being pretty much same as the corresponding figure from 2008.

The second important thing to understand is cash and bank balances. If we have close to £100 million in cash it does not mean that we can go ahead and make a bid for Messi. From the total cash £32.3 million belongs to the debt service reserves. In other words, that money is not available to Wenger. So we have roughly £68 million cash available to us. Now we have to consider the following possibilities

• Highbury Square The stadium loan has £245 million outstanding with a 20-22 year period or repayment and a 5.3% rate of interest. We made a payment of £5.3 million this year. But if the loan is to be paid in the specified period, basic arithmetic shows that we will soon be making payments in excess of £10-15 million on that loan
• The property market is uncertain. The sales we have recently completed might tempt us into thinking that the rest will happen soon and we will be rolling in cash. But we need to realize that these are mainly from bulk sales and after long negotiations
• Our income from football business is close to its peak. Some of our commercial contracts are long term in nature and we are generating very close to our capacity in terms of gate revenue. Chances of there being any significant increase in this income are minimal
• Now suppose we have a year without Champions league qualification. This could straight away lead to a loss of around £30 million in revenue for that year
• The increase in income tax rate might force us into further improving the player contracts
• We might have payments due based on landmarks achieved by Walcott, Sagna, Eduardo or any other player

These possibilities mean that we have to be prudent and maintain a high cash balance. Ultimately how much money is available to the manager is something I am not qualified to comment on. I am sure we cannot afford to spend £18 to £30 million on players like Anderson, Carrick, or Berbatov who don’t perform at a level demanded by their price tag. But we can certainly spend on one or two Wengeresque signings if need be.

Considering the above and looking at the likes of Nasri, Eduardo, Ramsey, Vermaelen and Arshavin I think “Arsene Knows” is a serious contender for understatement of the century award.

I will have to look at the some of the recent financial statements of ManYoo to figure out just how they can afford to waste all that money. There are some other aspects of our numbers that can be analyzed in detail as well. But that will take some time. For now I’ll just keep the faith.

Cesc shows he has Arsenal DNA as the thugs are thrashed

Blackburn got trashed alright! No one could have hoped for a better offensive performance. And it’s no surprise that Cesc was right in the middle of everything till he was on the pitch.

I have not seen any other player deny allegations and squash rumors as often and as promptly as our captain. Still the media are persistent. You have to give it to them, they just do not surrender and as long as they keep getting some ammunition from the Catalan ranks we will have to suffer from their incompetence and desperate desire to sell papers.

El Capitan has once again pledged his loyalty to the club. The badge-kissing statement is being turned on its head by some people who are comparing it to the actions of Henry and Adebawhore. So no matter what Fabregas does there will be someone waiting to twist it into a sign that he is leaving. The best thing for him might be to completely ignore all this. But if he does that then some might argue that he always denied transfer speculation and since he has stopped doing that means that Cesc is off to Barca!

I guess the only thing we can do is to focus on the football. Yesterday’s game was another example of the phenomenal firepower we have in our ranks. I got everything from the game that I had expected except for a clean sheet. But as long as all our key players are getting on the score sheet I don’t mind seeing the defenders suffer statistically.

The goals were all of very high quality. I think Vermaelen is a natural footballer and as I have said before, he would be a success in any position he plays. Any striker in the league would have been proud with his finish. It showed a fantastic awareness of striking angles and the corners of the goal. His celebration too was nonchalant as if it was all too easy.

The second goal was somewhat straight forward. A good run from the striker and an inch perfect pass from Cesc. Robinson should have done better but we normally expect RvP to score from that position. The third goal was similar with Arshavin doing the honors. Fabregas finally got on the score sheet. It was a fantastic left footed volley as the ball was almost caressed into the back of the net. Robinson had no chance. Given the number of saves he had made to thwart Cesc it was only fitting that he was beaten by a gem. Walcott and Bendtner got onto the score sheet in contrasting styles. But those are just the kind of goals you want to see from players playing out wide on the right and left. If we can get more of the same from our wide players it will definitely add a new dimension to our attack.

Our defence on the other hand was extremely shaky. We have to accept one thing though, no matter who is in goal and no matter who is in the center of defence we struggle with balls floated into the area. This tells me that Wenger is right when he says that buying is not always the solution. How many players can we buy? Who all do we replace? Sometimes it’s Gallas who is at fault, sometimes Almunia, and now Mannone and Vermaelen who were caught out. We just can’t say that buying is the solution. But the problem is real and we must find a solution. There is no way a title winning squad can have such a shaky defence.

The problem with a shaky defence is that it will leak goals against all teams but the offence might not always be so successful. We just cannot hide our problems behind a 6 goal mask. I am confident that Arsene is working on this issue. But the problem has been around for such a long time now that I don’t know if a solution even exists. The international break gives Le Boss some more time to work on it, let’s hope we will see some improvement in the future games.

Finally, I have to mention that Rosicky deserves a new contract. There was some news about him having spoken to the boss about it but negotiations haven’t started yet. To me, Rosicky is our natural replacement for Cesc. He is the only player apart from Fabregas who can pull the strings and run a match from the start to finish and from box to box. At present he is not back to his best and that is understandable. Still it might not be a very wise thing to wait any further as he will be free to talk to other clubs at the turn of the year. And we all know the expertise some clubs have in affecting players’ minds. But if I know all this then I guess Arsene knows as well.

Blackburn will give us some beating; We should give them a trashing

Well, this is our first meeting with one of the “thug” teams of the league. Blackburn were quite bad when Hughes was the manager and under Allardyce I expect them to be even worse. The horrific tackle from Diouf on Almunia is still fresh in my mind and these games always scare me more than the games against any top team in England or Europe.

From a football point of view David Dunn is their only offering. If we can keep him from getting too many shots away Blackburn should have very little offensive threat. Without Santa Cruz their attack looks even more impotent and Pedersen has started drifting into obscurity. It will be interesting to see what Di Santo has to offer if he gets some game time.

I haven’t seen any Blackburn game this season so I can’t claim to know what they have been up to. But when we look at the team sheet and we look at the manager there isn’t much they can do differently. They have only scored six goals in the league so far, in effect, equaling our efforts on the first day.

We have both won our home games comfortably and Blackburn have lost both their away games. Robinson is our favorite goal keeper. It will be a big disappointment if we fail to secure a comfortable win and a clean sheet. On the other hand it will be a major achievement if we can come through this game without any serious injuries. A combination of the two would be perfect.

Arshavin scored his first Arsenal goal against the same opposition. He will have pleasant memories of that game even though his foot had to be stitched up. A repeat from him and a return to goal scoring form for Bendtner would be ideal. It will be interesting to see if Le Boss chooses to start with Walcott ahead of Bendtner. I would certainly prefer the giant Dane getting a chance to risking Theo against the thugs just as he is returning from injury.

In his recent pre match press conference Allardyce was hoping for respect from Wenger. It’s probably the best he can hope for. The way he justifies the violence by hiding behind the term contact sport is quite shameful. I guess he will only learn if his main player ends up with a broken leg just as the relegation battle hots up.

The squad might not have too many changes. Sagna will most likely come back into the starting line up. It’s difficult to see Diaby going out of the team as Wenger has shown so much faith in him thus far. Song and Cesc will pick themselves as do Arshavin and RvP. The only real question would be about Bendtner or Walcott and it’s likely that the fleet footed Englishman will just be a second half substitute.

I was a little disappointed after the Olympiakos game when Wenger revealed that Edu had played with an injury. I am not sure what kind of a message that sends to Vela. If the young Mexican is not good enough to come on ahead of a half fit Eduardo then what is his role in the squad this season. I do think he has a lot of quality and needs some time on the pitch. This will also ease some burden of performance from his shoulders. Every time I see Vela or Ramsey come on in the final few minutes they seem to try too hard to do something special. I don’t know if this is a result of the hype created by constant media attention or just a personality trait. It could also be my imagination but I think we will only see the best from them when they can relax on the pitch and don’t feel scrutinized.

Here’s to a good trashing…