The Big One: Chelsea Preview

Tomorrow at Stamford Bridge our new captain Cesc Fabregas will face his first Premier League game as captain of Arsenal. What a game to introduce yourself as skipper. He's had a good week, Fabregas, winning his first game against Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday and putting Arsenal in the last 16 of the Champions League, but that was just a tonic for the nerves compared to what awaits us at Chelsea. Our Premier League season will be made or broken tomorrow night.

If we win we'll "only" be seven points behind Chelsea, but a loss will place us thirteen behind. To be honest, I have thought for a couple weeks now that our Premiership title challenge was over, but there is the possibility that a win at Stamford Bridge, combined with an excellent string of results into the new year, could put us right back in it.

Am I really anticipating a title challenge? No. I think we ought now to focus on the things that we still can easily win, the Carling and F.A. Cups for instance, and also focus on the Champions League. All we need to really do in the Premiership is stay in the top four, which, despite the challenges from Aston Villa, and perhaps later Man City, shouldn't be too hard to do.

The bottom line is we need to win silverware this season. And to do that our young side, who live off confidence, will need a big win under their belts; and there's no better place to get it then by beating Chelsea tomorrow. This team seems to raise themselves for big matches like this one, and my only hope is that they do it again tomorrow.

We've only beaten Chelsea once in the last 13 games against them, but that win came last year, which signifies to me that this is as good a time as any to beat them. Add to that the fact that Chelsea's fortress seems to have come down in recent weeks with losses and poor draws at home, and I think we really could get something from this match.

So what will it take to win tomorrow? Well, we'll need to play just as we did against Manchester Utd if we want anything from the game at all, never mind a win. Our side this year just are not as mentally strong as last year, but I think that with Fabregas now leading the ship they may be a bit more cool-headed than the past couple of weeks. Plus the squad is high in confidence right now, and that will probably lead to better football.

A neat passing game combined with some defensive determination, and most of all confidence, will give us the path to victory tomorrow night. We are being written off by everyone, just the same as before the Man Utd game, but we surprised them there, why can't we do it again? We seem to love to be written off, because when we're written off nobody expects anything from us, and then the pressure is relieved. This lets us play our neat football and sweep teams aside. We have no expectancy to win tomorrow, so that means we might just do it.

Fabregas will have to lead the troops like a true inspirational leader and the troops themselves will have to raise their game to the highest possible level in order to win. Our Premier League hopes, whatever they are, are hanging in the balance at Stanford Bridge; but win or lose we will still be the Arsenal, and still well capable of getting a trophy this season, whether in the cups or Champions League. So let's not overplay the importance of this game too much: let's just enjoy it and see what happens.

Fab 4

And So It Begins: 1-0 to the Arsenal

The "new era" at Arsenal, as so many are now calling it, has officially begun, and it started tonight with One-Nil to the Arsenal. Perhaps the famous scoreline is a sign of things to come. Perhaps we're turning over a new leaf and we'll be competing for major honours at the end of the season. But there is one thing I have to say about tonight's win: it was really less than inspiring.

An excellent win to be sure, but we looked unimaginative and flat throughout. It just seems like over the last few weeks we have been too obsessed with keeping the ball in the opponent's final third rather than actually doing anything with it. This was the case again tonight when we continued to get nowhere fast. In the end we were unable to break down the Dynamo Kyiv defense and our goal came off a long ball (although give full credit to our new captain Fabregas as his long free kick forward was absolutely fabulous.)

Of course Dynamo Kyiv deserve some credit as well. Part of the reason we couldn't break them down is because they were so compact and determined to keep us out. And their counterattacks tonight were at times deadly. Luckily though we were able to stop them from scoring (barely: Almunia made a spectacular save to keep the score level right before we took the lead), and Bendtner was cool, calm, and collected as he took Fabregas's ball down and finished crisply.

But if there were a number of negatives, there were also a number of positives from this match. Fabregas, now wearing the captain's armband, returned to his form of old and had an excellent game. You just get the feeling that with the responsibility of being the skipper, Fabregas will put in, if it's possible, even more determined and heartfelt performances. I think this really could be the dawn of a new era. A new Fabregas, a new team spirit, and hopefully at the end of the season, a new piece of silverware for the trophy cabinet.

So an old scoreline, progress into the last 16 of the Champions League, and perhaps the beginning of a dawn for Arsenal. I'm taking the optimist's point of view on this and saying that this is the beginning of a wonderful rest of the season. Certainly if we can use the confidence gained tonight and draw on all of our reserves to get a win against Chelsea on Sunday then we will truly be back in the fight. Until next time,

Fab 4

Fab 4 is Captain at Last!

Yes, it's official. Cesc Fabregas - "Fab 4" - is our new captain. Arsene Wenger revealed in his pre-match press conference today that Fabregas will take over as captain starting with the Champions League fixture against Dynamo Kyiv tomorrow. I'm really, really excited about this appointment and after that dreadful last 9 days this is a welcome source of good news.

I have to say that for a while I have been hesitant to suggest that Fabregas be our new captain. For I believe perfectly legitimate reasons, I have felt that Fabregas was too young to captain and if given the role of skipper too much pressure would be put on his shoulders. I suggested Toure instead of Fabregas because of both Toure's experience, leadership, and long-time service to the club.

But the events of this year have changed my mind. Toure has been very much out of form and has been dropped by Arsene Wenger in favour of Silvestre. He has been only a shadow of his former self, and if he can't play, how can he be an on-pitch leader? Also, Fabregas has been feeling more and more like a captain this season. When the team is down, he picks them up. When we are in desperate need of some sort of inspiration, he provides it. When he scored the equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland last month, it just felt to me like a captain's contribution. Fabregas feels like the new Mr. Arsenal, and at 21 he is following in the path of Tony Adams, the great Arsenal legend.

I have never really disliked William Gallas, that needs to be said. But perhaps Gallas was never really meant to be an Arsenal captain. Arsene Wenger took a risk last year in making Gallas captain; it was a risk designed to temper Gallas and make him more committed to Arsenal. On the first account this plan failed. On the second, I believe it worked. Gallas never seemed to have any inclination of quitting Arsenal, and, as evidenced by his antics in last year's Birmingham game, he took Arsenal's performance, good or bad, to heart and made Arsenal's problems his problems. But as much as he may have been committed to Arsenal, he is not a natural captain; his character doesn't allow it. He's committed, but maybe too much so.

This is wonderful news and it's filled me with excitement. This seems to be the start of a bold recovery plan by Arsene Wenger. Anyone calling for his head needs to shut up and stop calling themselves an Arsenal supporter. Arsene knows. In the last few weeks he's reshuffled the back line to attempt to shore it up, he's taken the armband away from Gallas, and he's given it to probably the new symbol of Arsenal: Cesc Fabregas. Who would've believed me if three years ago I told you that little 18-year-old Cesc Fabregas would be, in November 2008, Arsenal captain. It's a bold and daring move by Arsene Wenger, just like his last captain's choice. Now we'll see if this one turns out for the best.

I don't want to talk about the loss to City at the weekend, and there really isn't too much to say about Dynamo Kyiv tomorrow except this could be the beginning of a revival. We'll see, but I think that Arsene Wenger's recovery plan starts with a win tomorrow, inspired by Cesc Fabregas, followed with a determined, Manchester Utd fixture-like performance against Chelsea at the weekend. We'll see.

After a week in which we lost two matches, our captain, and Theo Walcott until February, at least we have gained something new: a brand new, determined, creative, and committed Arsenal captain in Cesc Fabregas. I can only hope this will inspire both the fan base (let's sing our hearts out for our new captain at the Emirates tomorrow), the club as a whole, and especially the Arsenal team. Good luck lads.
Fab 4: the new Arsenal captain.

Fab 4

Gallas Out? Saturday's Gonna Be Huge!

The latest reports coming out are that Gallas has been stripped of his captaincy and dropped for tomorrow's match against Man City. This could well be true, but before you either start celebrating or lamenting this fact (depending on your opinion of the Frenchman), I would look at the validity of this argument first of all.

The article came out of French Football who also claim that the replacement for Gallas this weekend will be either Almunia or Clichy. This alerted right away to the fact that this might now be true. Although Almunia is second vice-captain (behind Toure), Clichy has never once been mentioned as a possible captain. Also casting doubt on this particular piece of news is the fact that Arsene Wenger surely knows that if Gallas loses the captaincy he's probably out the door in January, and contrary to what some believe this is not a good thing: goodness knows we can't afford to lose any more central defenders as we're desperately short already, and wouldn't Arsene Wenger realise this?

While quite revealing, Gallas's comments were rather unnecessary. What kind of leader announces their group's internal struggles to the public? Certainly not a good one, and I don't really see what Gallas was trying to accomplish by doing so. I can only think that this is just a reflection of Gallas's character. Here's what I mean.

Gallas is someone who can get rather emotional and isn't afraid to "wear his heart on his sleeve" when he gets upset. He speaks his mind and is very open and frank. He tries to be a good and effective leader but isn't naturally cut out for it. He may have a very assertive personality but his tendency to speak what's on his mind makes him less than effective sometimes. This comes out in interviews a lot as well. Gallas will get so fed up with one thing or another that he will say just what he's thinking to the media, not thinking beforehand about the consequences of doing so.

Does this making a horrible person? No, it's just his character, and that cannot be easily changed. Does this make him unqualified to be the Arsenal captain? That is where the debate lies, and if the reports are true, Arsene Wenger may have finally decided that it means he is indeed unqualified. Come February, Gallas may well be off.

But where does that leave us for Saturday? It appears that it is tomorrow that we will find out if French Football was telling the truth. If Gallas is playing however, then he and Silvestre will likely lead the backline with perhaps Song or Djourou slotting in at right back. We have now Walcott and no Fabregas in midfield tomorrow which leads me to believe that we will be highly ineffective. Other than the fact that they are the only two players who this season seem capable of changing a game, Man City are very susceptible to quick wingers this season, as their fullbacks are not equipped to handle them.

We have lost that particular advantage and we'll have to deal with who we've got. With Van Persie I believe returning tomorrow we may play either a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 like the one below:

Almunia
Djourou-Gallas-Silvestre-Clichy
Denilson-Ramsey-Song-V. Persie
Adebayor-Bendtner

Will we win tomorrow? We'll see, but one thing is for sure: it will be a game filled with goals. Neither of the two teams know how to defend and neither can help attacking with all their might. We will be in for one entertaining afternoon. Until then,

Fab 4

The Truth Behind Arsenal...

First of all, unrelated to the topic of today's piece, I wanted to express my displeasure that Theo Walcott was injured. Surely you've all heard it by now, and I think it's a big blow to our chances of winning...uhh...whatever the heck we're still in the hunt for winning. To be honest, that doesn't mean the league, which leaves us with the Champions League. And if we get a draw in the next game at home to Dynamo Kyiv then we're through to the Round of 16 which doesn't start until February. So in hindsight Theo's injury doesn't hurt us in the Champions League or cups, but will do some major damage in the league, and the confidence (or lack thereof) from the weekend matches will spill over into the cup competitions. I hate international friendlies...

But onto the major issue; Gallas has come out to say recently that all is not well in the Arsenal dressing room. These comments were obviously mainly because Gallas was tired of everyone blaming him for Arsenal's failures this season, which I don't think I've ever done myself (Gallas isn't at the root of our problems, not even close). But what he said was the most revealing. Here's a small snippet:

"When, as captain, some players come up to you and talk to you about a player ... complaining about him ... and then during the match you speak to this player and the player in question insults us,
"There comes a time where we can no longer comprehend how this can happen. I am trying to defend myself a bit without giving names. Otherwise I'm taking all the blame. It's very frustrating. I'm 31, the player is six years younger than me.
"There was a problem at half-time at Tottenham.The only thing that I could say at half-time was 'Guys, we resolve these problems after the match, not at half-time.'"

There are currently four players "six years younger" than Gallas (25). They are Robin Van Persie, Emmanuel Eboue, Eduardo and Bacary Sagna. So who is it you ask? Well, obviously it's not Eduardo as he's been injured forever and wouldn't have been around to be a disruption. And I highly doubt it is Sanga, as he seems more like a quiet and good-spirited player.

This leaves Eboue and Van Persie. Eboue could very well be the man, and I'm not going to rule him out, but I tend to think it's Van Persie. He seems to be of the character of someone who could potentially be a big disruption in the dressing room. Remember how quickly he seems to rise to anger sometimes?

The problem if it's Van Persie is that he's a massive player for us. If we were to lose a currently fit Van Persie it would be a big blow, as he is probably the most technically-gifted player at Arsenal right now (although a strong case could be made for Fabregas). If the problem is Eboue I say chuck him right out. He's not terrible, but since moving to midfield it has become obvious he doesn't have that much to offer. He's a good solid backup player, but if he's disrupting the team, he's off in my opinion.

But this reveals what the big problem is behind the team right now. There are obviously problems on the field, but they can be fixed. The problems behind the scenes however are often much harder to correct, and responsibility must now fall squarely on the shoulders of Arsene Wenger to make things right.

I think it's time for some sort of impassioned speech or change of strategy from Arsene Wenger. This may well be the defining moment of our season: there is discord off the pitch and inconsistency on it. The time has come for Arsene Wegner to prove to everyone that he is truly a great manager as we all believe he is and set things right. He has the power, and hopefully the know-how, and he needs to address it right away.

We will see over the next few weeks if Le Boss has sorted everything out, but until we see some more concrete evidence all we can do is hope for the best. I know I am, and I encourage each of you to as well. Till next time,

Fab 4

Is Arsene Crazy?

Just a small thought today that has been on my mind the last few days. Even though I said Sunday that I believed Arsene Wenger realised what the problem was in our team and was taking steps to fix it, a quote of his after the game just baffled me. Here it is:

"Not really [I don't regret not bringing in a player over the summer], we had no player we really wanted and for now we have no regrets.
"You cannot explain the own goal of Gael Clichy by the fact we haven’t got an experienced player in midfield.
"I think we were not, as a team, sharp enough to dictate the pace and be dominant in the fight [against Aston Villa]."

If he's serious about not wanting any particular player then he's either downright lying or he hasn't got a clue. This would rubbish all reports of him trying to sign a central midfielder over the summer and would make all those quoted saying he was liars.

I just wonder if maybe Le Boss has lost his drive after so many years in management. He is so determined to make his goal of winning a trophy with such a young team a reality that I think he may be forgetting that we need to also have a strong traditional team blended in with the young one.

I'm the last person you'll find disagreeing with Arsene Wenger's youth philosophy, I think it's brilliant, and it's become my personal philosophy whenever I build a football side myself in my limited manner. But I also realise that sometimes I need to strengthen a certain position or bring in a bit more experience to make the team work, and Arsene doesn't seem to want to do that.

There are signs (such as signing Silvestre) that Wenger knows some more experience is necessary in the team and he is moving to add some more. But doesn't he also see the need to get a new midfielder? Think about it: with the replacement of Flamini in midfield this January, we will have the same team as last year, except we will have traded an obsessive-dribbling Hleb for a dribbling and shooting Nasri. We'll be better off than last year; all we need is a new defensive midfielder.

I sincerely hope Arsene Wenger hasn't lost the plot, and I refuse to believe he has, but with comments such as those above, I begin to wonder. It's international week so you can expect one or two more opinion articles this week before the Man City game this weekend. So until next time,

Fab 4

Our Premiership Bid is Over: Aston Villa Report

As optimistic as I can be I still don't see how we can win the Premiership title this season. After the terrible loss to Aston Villa yesterday I was left speechless. I was practically in denial that we had loss but it finally hit me that we have now lost two matches at our supposed fortress, the Emirates, already this season. With four losses out of 13 we have the record of a mid-table team or at best a UEFA Cup one.

Unfortunately we must face the fact that we are now out of the race for the Premiership title. Only a miracle, such as a spectacular collapse by every team in front of us, will win us the title this season. I have to admit it has gotten extremely frustrating to see the other three big four clubs win every week while we struggle. We are supposedly challenging for the title and yet we have failed to establish any credentials.

So who is to blame for the 2-0 loss yesterday? I think it's a matter of bad circumstances. I've heard that the players are to blame for not having enough desire and determination to win. I've heard that it's Arsene Wenger's fault for tactically failing us and refusing to buy the players we need. But while both these assessments may or may not be true, I believe our problem is another, entirely different one. I've talked about it before, but I had never seen just how true it was until yesterday.

Look back at both of the teams that have been successful over the last eight years. The 2002 double-winning team and the Invincibles both had a strong defensive midfielder, Viera, who protected the defense and worked hard in midfield. When we reached the Champions League final in 2006 we had an in-form Gilberto to do the job. When Gilberto fell out of form last season Flamini took over and did an outstanding job and we accordingly dominated the Premiership until February.

This season we are lacking this particular quality. Neither Denilson nor Diaby can do the job required because as well-skilled and good-intentioned as both are they simply aren't good enough and don't know how to fill in there. We desperately need a defensive midfielder right now and I'm afraid that by the time January comes around it may be too late to save the season.

The only player available right now is Stephen Appiah, but reports that we were trying to sign him were found to be rubbish. Both Appiah and Arsene Wenger when asked denied it, and I fully believe them. Arsene Wenger is the owner and creator of our style of play. Think what you want but he knows better than anyone else who will fit into the Arsenal system. If he says he's not trying to sign a player then that means the player in question will not work with our style of play. Arsene knows, at least in this case; Appiah would not fit into our Arsenal system and so he was not signed.

But what annoys me to no end is when I read or hear that Arsene Wenger doesn't realise our midfield deficiencies and he is tactically unsound. Look at the evidence to the contrary. We can't see behind the scenes at the club or Arsene Wenger's thoughts, but there are enough glimpses into what's really going on that it is so easy to piece together I'm surprised that not many people have noticed it.

Arsene knows Denilson will not work as a defensive midfielder. As evidence look at the fact that Wenger has now used a 4-5-1 for the last three matches in a row (all at home, I would add, where we are supposedly best). Obviously injuries played a part but what about yesterday when Arsene had two strikers again? He stuck with a 4-5-1 for the defensive stability it brings.

Also, there are multiple sources who said after the summer transfer window that Arsene Wenger tried to sign at least three different top-quality defensive midfielders, including Xabi Alonso on deadline day. But he was rejected in every case. A few months later more evidence was brought to light that supports this fact. Arsene was asked about transfers and he said that it isn't as simple as everyone thinks it is to buy a player. More often than not when a big club wants a player the other club will charge immense prices or refuse to let the player go. This makes it sound like Wenger had experienced this recently, as indeed he did when he failed to sign at least three different midfielders in the summer.

Arsene Wegner also realises our weakness in youth. Two facts back this up: first is the obvious one when Arsene said after the Villa match that we are not consistent enough to win anything right now. Inconsistency comes from youth, and a more hazy piece of evidence came to light a few weeks ago when a player's agent (can't remember the player) denied reports that his player was being targeted by Arsenal by saying that he was informed that Arsenal were right now looking at more experienced options, moving away from youth for the time being. If this is true then it reveals that Arsene Wenger realises that the inconsistency of youth is costing the team right now and he's looking to add more experience to the squad.

So Le Boss realises what's going on and has a plan to fix it. But where does that leave us right now? I'm afraid that we need to accept that our bid for the Premier League title is now over. If not, then it will be by January in our current form. So let's forget the Premiership and focus on the trophies that we still can win. I think the Champio0ns League is very winnable. We are practically already in the knockout stages and all we need is a 0-0 draw at home to Dynamo Kyiv to ensure our place in the last 16. By the time of the knockout stages we will have already (hopefully) bought who we need in January and will be doing well again. Also, we could very well win the Carling Cup this year at current and if both of these challenges fail then we could still go for the F.A. Cup.

If Arsene Wenger, and indeed the rest of us, realise that the Premiership is now out of reach then we can still go on to win some things this year. I hope against hope that this happens and Arsene really does know. Keep the faith, and keep supporting Arsenal through thick and thin. I'll be there along for the ride,

Fab 4

Aston Villa Preview

Tomorrow is our fixture at home against Aston Villa, the last in the series of four straight home matches. I'm hoping we will come away tomorrow with all three points, but I'm not entirely confident. However when you look at the form of the teams, I'm predicting a win tomorrow.

We all know about our form. Last week's win over Man Utd certainly helped the confidence around the club and I have a feeling that that confidence will spill onto the field. Remember that our first team has had a week long break which included watching the reserves beat up Wigan 3-0. Surely that's a morale boost. Add that to the fact that Eduardo returned to training Wednesday and the squad's probably in excellent morale.

Then we have Aston Villa. We all remember what happened in this corresponding fixture last year where the second city club almost beat us after we scored an own goal in the first half. Only a Bentdner equaliser in the last attack of the game saved us from losing that day, and that proved, at least to me, that Aston Villa are now a force to be reckoned with.

But their form has been patchy at best lately and despite the fact that they are currently fifth in the table, their position lies entirely on early-season results. They've lost two in a row in the Premiership and don't look the strongest outfit right now, but as is so often the case, visiting the Emirates will surely revive their form (I hate how it always works that way).

But I just have this feeling heading into tomorrow's match that we will see a match similar to when we beat Bolton or Blackburn. We looked strong right from the offing in those matches and we won them both comfortably, despite the expectations that we would struggle. I should be expecting us to struggle tomorrow but for some reason I'm not. It feels like it's going to be one of those comfortable wins and we will continue to put pressure on Chelsea and Liverpool to not slip up and let us gain points on them. I'm hoping this is true.

So I can't wait for tomorrow. Finally, a 3pm kickoff again (how rare is that with Arsenal?) and a great venue for the match. Let's go out there and look for a win tomorrow afternoon,

Fab 4
(After 2 months of blogging we've finally reached the 50th post with this article. Thanks for your continued support and thanks to our loyal readers who keep coming back!)

What Needs to Change?

Despite the good feeling instilled in all gooners after the wonderful Carling Cup win Tuesday and the win over Man Utd last weekend we have to face the hard facts: something in the Arsenal first team needs to change. Don't get me wrong, I'm the eternal optimist and I still think we can win both the Premier League and the Champions League this season, but to do so a bit of change is needed. Here are my thoughts on just what those changes should be.

Let's work our way forward from the back. First, the goalkeeping situation. Contrary to the perhaps common belief, I don't think there is a situation in goal. I stand by what I said about Almunia a few weeks back when I said he was a fine keeper, well capable of doing the job in goal. Face the facts: every goalkeeper has his bad spells and Almunia just happens to be in one right now. Remember that only a few weeks ago he was a hero, putting in some excellent, perhaps match winning, performances. Now he's had a blip in form, but who's to say he won't get out of it?

And here's the positive side effect of Almunia's head injury against Man Utd (which by the way he is reportedly 70:30 for this weekend): Fabianski has been allowed the chance to shine. To be honest I really don't fancy him in goal merely because of his young young age for a keeper. But with performances like those against Wigan he is seriously giving Almunia a run for his money right now for first-choice keeper. No, we don't have a world-class keeper the likes of Casillas or Buffon, but we haven't for years. Not even Lehmann was considered world-class when he was here, so why are so many so worried about Almunia?

Second, let's look at the defense. Many point to this area as the one we need to strengthen. I would agree with this view, but only halfway. Here's what I mean by that. I agree with everyone that our defense at the moment is dreadful. Gone are the days of 1-0 to the Arsenal; in fact I don't even remember the last time we got a lead early and held it 1-0 to the end of the match, it's been that long. The defense is terrible at defending set pieces, they are afraid to just hoof the ball away (save Silvestre, who seems to have it ingrained within him that he is never to pass it out of defense), and they are conceding far too many goals. It's gotten to the point that we can't even be sure a two-goal advantage will be defended with a minute plus stoppage time remaining.

But unlike so many out there who think that a new centre-back is the answer, I believe, as Arsene Wenger seems to, that the players we have are just fine. Gallas can produce wonderful defensive displays on his night (look at the Man Utd match), Silvestre is a clam experienced head, we have the two best fullbacks in the country, and Toure when in form is an excellent defender. That doesn't even mention the younger players like Djourou or Song who can also put in impressive performances. Just where would we add class to the back line, who, on form are all outstanding individual performers?

The answer is nowhere. I believe the solution to our defensive problem lies within that last sentence: "outstanding individual performers". The problem with our back line is that they have not been properly coached. This lack of coaching has led to all the errors on-field and has led some to believe a new player is required. The facts are that even if a new player were brought in, he alone could not change how the defense plays as a team, only a good leader or an excellent defense coach can do that. And Arsene Wenger is simply not a defensively-minded manager. We need someone like a Martin Keown who will come in and teach the lads how to play defense. They're all wonderful players, and with the right coaching we could have an excellent defense again.

In midfield I believe only one thing needs to be added: a ball-winning central midfielder who will allow Cesc Fabregas to get forward and who will add cover for our back line until it is repaired. If there's one player we sorely miss this season it's Flamini. Gilberto was past his prime and Hleb was replaced with the new Pires, Nasri, but Flamini was never replaced. It is a fact that Arsene Wenger tried and failed at least four of five times over the summer to bring in a new defensive midfielder, so he obviously realises this area needs strengthening. And I wouldn't worry too much about any comments he may make about not necessarily needing to sign anyone in January. An economically smart manager like Wenger knows that if teams don't think Arsenal are desperate for a midfielder but that they merelyh want to sign a player as an extra, then the prices come down. It's a very basic but very intelligent ploy to lower player prices, and I'm sure that Arsene knows there is a problem here.

With a new defensive midfielder we will again have bite in midfield and be able to be more competitive. This leaves us with attack, where I don't believe there is a single problem, and nor do, judging by this site's current poll, any other Arsenal supporters. With Adebayor, Van Persie, Eduardo, Vela, and Bendtner our attacking force is as lethal as ever. All we need now is a strong midfield to support the strikers and give them balls to feed off of and score from.

So there are in effect only two changes that need to be made on order for us to be genuine challengers for honours this season. First we need to sign a good quality central defensive midfielder who will play like Flamini, and second, we need to bring in a top-quality defense coach who will teach this defense how to play.

With these changes I believe we will be serious challengers on all fronts and we may finally get another piece of silverware. This is the fourth season on since we last won anything, and we are all feeling that hunger for titles. But only four teams or less and win a trophy each season, and with the changes I have outlined, I believe we can be one of them.

Fab 4

Good Job Kids: Wigan Report

Just a short entry today as I'm pretty busy, but what a game against Wigan! I said before the match that win or lose I was just going to enjoy the match, and I certainly did. 3-0 against a full-strength Premiership team takes some doing, and is especially outstanding for a youth team like Arsenal put out last night.

We controlled the game right from start to finish and we saw some absolutely lovely performances. Simpson scored two goals and looked sharp, Ramsey and Vela were excellent (Vela's finish was exquisite), Fabianski made the save of his life, and Wilshere put in a wonderful man-of-the-match performance. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant by the whole team.

So, like after the 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield Utd, I left the match feeling full of pride and confidence on our future. With so many great young stars coming through and producing such excellent performances, it's just a joy to watch them in the Carling Cup.

I don't really care who we face in the next round or whether or not we win it. I just want to see another dedicated and determined performance like that against Wigan, and if it happens I'll be content. What a match and what a spectacular young football team Arsene Wenger has assembled.

So a short post today, but I'm writing a piece either tomorrow or Friday about what changes the first team needs to win the title. We all know we need something, and as pleased we undoubtedly all are with the youth team, the first team needs addressing. I'm hoping you'll drop back for a good read in the next few days and I encourage comments on all articles with the now easier-than-ever to use comment box down below. Try it out and I'll see you next time,

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Wigan Preview: An Entirely Different Campaign

Well all of the sudden we are back in the title race and Arsene Wenger is a genius again. That is if you believe the papers who just last week had us down as finishing 7th this season. What a difference a win makes. And now it's time to put our first team's season aside for a day and focus on the youngsters.

The Carling Cup match against Wigan tomorrow night will be a welcome aberration from first team action and it will allow the said players to get a week's rest before facing Aston Villa at home this Saturday.

I always enjoy watching the Carling Cup because we get to see the youth players show off their skill to the rest of the footballing world. Just last round we of course crushed Sheffield Utd 6-0 and I'm hoping for a similar result tomorrow night. Of course it won't happen but isn't it nice to hope?

The thing we have going for us tomorrow night is that we are at home. Despite the blip against Hull our home ground still seems like a fortress, even in the Carling Cup where it might be intimidating for some of the younger players. Instead they seem to revel in the place and as far as I can remember the only bad result we've ever had at the Emirates is a 1-1 draw with the scum last season.

So let's sit back and enjoy tomorrow night. Watching the Carling Cup and our young players is almost like watching a no-pressure friendly. We all know that even though winning the League Cup would be a bit of silverware, not many people actually care about it. It's just a fun diversion while the first team trains for the weekend Premiership clash. And I really enjoy these diversions, as do, as far as I can tell, most other gooners.

Win or lose tomorrow night will be a fun one and we will no doubt continue to see new players burst on to the scene and show us what they're made of. Let's hope for a win and enjoy the show.

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Arsenal 2-1 Man Utd: It's a Miracle!

Surely I'm dreaming. I, and to be honest most other reasonable Arsenal supporters, believed that there was no realistic way we could win today. And yet win we did through a performance that will surely be close to the standard required for our team to win something this season. We were classy and we defended decently (high praise for the current side). A thoroughly deserved win this afternoon.

Early on United were having all of the chances and we really didn't create anything until Samir Nasri's cross was headed over the bar by Bendtner. Another cross by Nasri a few minutes later also went begging as this time Bentdter misjudged the flight of the ball and missed it.

But then we finally went ahead. There was certainly an element of luck about it as Man Utd failed to clear effectively and the ball fell to Nasri who fired off a shot with his left foot which was deflected in by Gary Neville (whose mustache is eerily reminiscent of Hitler's I've noticed...). Anyway, it was enough to send us into the dressing room at half-time 1-0 ahead.

Then right after the break we scored again. Denilson was passed the ball in the final third but got into trouble and dribbled it all the way back into defense before passing it and allowing us to build up again. The ball fell to Fabregas who found Nasri perfectly placed wide open on the edge of the penalty area and the Frenchman fired his shot past Van der Sar with ease. It was at that moment that I was sure that we had found our new Pires, and I'm so happy that it's the case.

But even at 2-0 up I wasn't comfortable as I still had memories of Tottenham 4-4 floating back to me. We held on after waves and waves of United attacks before their new right back Rafael scored in the 89th. The referee then signalled six minutes of stoppage time and I was a nervous wreck. How were we supposed to hang on for six minutes?

But the time passed and before I knew it the referee blew his whistle and the match was over. This was truly a testament to Arsene Wenger I believe. We all know the team should never have won today in current form and with the players available, but somehow we pulled it off. I think it's time to give Arsene some much-deserved credit and give him the congratulations for this win: it was superb.

So what does the win really mean? Well, it didn't gain us any points on Liverpool (as they won later in the day) and it only put us two points ahead of Man Utd having played a game more. So as far as the table the win means very little. But as far as in confidence the win has done us a world of good. The team really needed this win and hopefully this, along with the break this week for the first team during the Carling Cup, will give them the confidence and belief to beat Aston Villa next week as we look to end their current bid for the top four.

Until then I and every other gooner will be basking in the glory of this win. Enjoy it now and hopefully it won't be the last big win this season. We're still in the hunt; never lose faith.

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Arsenal vs Fenerbahce: The Short Story

I don't have much time to post today so I'm just going to briefly look at the fixture today and make you aware of a great new Arsenal cause. First the match.

It's a pretty meaningless match in that we have essentially clinched passage through to the knockout stages already. If we win tonight then we will officially be through with two matches to spare. There are some other scenarios to talk about, but Arsenal.com today does a good job of explaining it so I'll refer you to there for the details.

In order to win tonight we will need to be focused and we will need to put the past behind us. I can only hope that we've learned some lessons from the last two matches but right now I doubt that. The team need to look at tonight as the beginning of the rest of the season. They should go at it with a glass-half-full outlook no matter how hard that is to do, because only through confidence will we win tonight.

I'm predicting a victory (as Fenerbahce have also had a bad run of form lately) but I don't think it will be a classic. Honestly I'll be happy if we just gain some confidence ahead of the important clash this weekend home to Man Utd. That being said the players don't need to overlook this match: if they stay focused and stay on target then we will win with ease tonight.

Now let me mention a cause that Gooner Get Ya has started over the last few days. It's a petition to name the stands of the Emirates. From the blog itself:

"KEEP THE HISTORY GOING!A petition to change the names of the Emirates stands to something meaningful and representative of our rich history - instead of a generic colour!. If you haven't already, have a click on http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/22991.html it takes under a minute to sign and you won't get pestered with emails or abused by spam, you don't even have to register."

So there we are. Please take a moment to sign and support this movement to name the stands. It would make the place feel more like home by injecting a bit of history into the place. Would you rather sit in the "Orange Quadrant" or the "Chapman End"? If the answer is the latter then please sign the petition and help out.

Well, that's it for today. On the day after America voted in the most inexperienced and under-qualified president in it's history at least there is still a glimmer of happiness left: an Arsenal win tonight would ease a lot of uneasy minds right now, including my own. Until next time,

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Our Title Challenge is Just About Over: Stoke Report

After the disastrous loss to Stoke this weekend I was about to say that our title challenge is now over. Those were my thoughts right after the match but after seeing Liverpool lose to the Spuds I've changed my outlook - slightly. As I see it, and I hate to say this so early as November, but our title challenge rests on the fixture against Man Utd this coming weekend. If we lose to the Mancs then we will be just too far behind with too many losses to win the title. Hopefully Arsene Wenger will see this at that time and decide to go for the three other trophies, because after a loss to Man Utd the squad will just be too deflated to compete.

I'm hoping the fixture in midweek in the Champions League will give us enough confidence to face Man Utd but all we can really do is hope. This side seems to live off confidence and when there is a lack of it we go on a streak of three or four bad results in a row, and unfortunately we have bad confidence right now. Conversely however if the team are high in confidence then we tend to go on a tear, winning four or five matches in a row. This is because of the youth in the squad as confidence affecting games is very much an occurrence with young players. Arsene Wenger knows this but this is his dream: to build a young squad and win a trophy by keeping to his principles and keeping faith in his young side. There's nothing we can say or do that will change his mind.

I should mention the Stoke game itself here, despite it being painful to remember. We played just flat. It was one of the worst performances I've ever seen from the team, but this time there was a genuine excuse. The players were just so tired and burned out after the game against Tottenham that they simply didn't have it in them to perform at the Britannia. I don't want to be apologetic for the despicable performance, but there was a reason this time. The match was horrible not just in the performance, but we also lost Van Persie to suspension (what was he thinking?), and possible Adebayor, Sanga, and Walcott all to injuries. Sanga and Adebayor's injuries didn't look too bad but Walcott's did. Remember his surgeries last year on his shoulder? Remember how he explained it had long been a problem area for him and he was finally getting it fixed. Well, I hope I've mistaken the injury for the wrong shoulder, but if it was indeed the same shoulder then this could be a serious problem for Theo. It may require surgery and it may bring back a recurrence of his shoulder problems. Again, I hope I'm overestimating this injury, but I fear I'm not.

That's that then. We need to get a confidence boost in midweek against Fenerbache at home before Man Utd at the weekend in what is surely the make-or-break match of our season. It's disappointing that such a vital fixture has come so early this year but it has and we have to be up to the task. I'm an optimist in case you haven't realised by now, so I'm not going to say it's over yet, but if we lose to Man Utd next week I fear it just may be finally over for us.

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