Saturday, March 19, 2011

Need. To. Win

I was looking at the report I posted for the home game against W.B.A. Needless to say, I, like many fans, was angry after match.

I also said we could forget about the league title if we lost the next game to Chelsea... I really hope I'm wrong!

We'll start with the injuries. Vermaelen's season is over which is disappointing but looking at it, it was very optimistic of me to expect him to slot back into the team for the last few games and dominate everyone. Djourou is out for six weeks so I don't think we'll see his best again this season. Diaby has returned to his normal level of fitness (injured). And then Walcott, Song and Fabregas are out too.

At the time of writing, the team was announced:

Almunia, Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy, Wilshere, Denilson, Nasri, Ramsey, Arshavin, Van Persie

Ramsey!!!!!!!! In all seriousness though, I'd be surprised if he finished the match but I was afraid Rosicky would start in front of him today.

Also before I go into predictions, Arshavin has returned to best in the press as you'll find in the Daily Express (that's where I read it anyway). Sell him, Arsene.

As for the match, I'm nervous. West Brom have players capable of hurting us. They won't lie down and with Hodgson in charge, they'll defend stoutly and look to punish us on the break.

We need big performances from Wilshere, Nasri and Van Persie. It'd be unfair to expect too much from Ramsey and Denilson is lacking in confidence so as long as he doesn't make a major mistake, I'll be happy with him. Arshavin will be Arshavin. He'll either be lazy and give the ball away cheaply or he'll rip the West Brom backline to pieces. The former is the more plausible outcome nowadays.

I think we'll win. I don't think it'll be comfortable with the way things have been going lately but I'll take a 2-1 where the winner goes in off the back of the West Brom 'keeper's head. I don't care about style, just the three points today please.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Mediocrity Must Go

The last time I blogged was the Braga game. After that, I lost interest for a bit.

But I'm back now to report on the end of the season. In layman terms, we're in a big hole. The backline has now been completely ravaged and there's a lot of players who aren't performing. Nasri's good run has come to an abrupt stop and Van Persie doesn't look fit. Add that to the Fabregas and Walcott injuries and we're looking a bit stretched to finding goals at the moment.

But none of those problems would bother me as much if it weren't for the total lack of effort shown by our other players. Denilson has taken three or four steps back in his development. Diaby looks like he's hit the ceiling regarding the improvements he can make as a player (although injuries and suspension have hampered him in recent weeks). Rosicky looks twice Giggs' age; he isn't scoring and he isn't creating so what else can he offer us? And the only words that come to mind when I think of Arshavin is: 'Not fit to wear the shirt.'

All of these need to be sold in the summer. They're not good enough. Rosicky and Arshavin are gone past it. And how much more football do people need to see Denilson and Diaby play before they cop on and realise that they're never going to make it? You might say that they're good as squad players but they don't have the required work ethic to fulfil this role either.

And that's something that is seriously wrong with this side. There is no willingness to hunt down the ball and win it back. Wilshere is the only player that I've seen do it consistently. The rest jog around and 'look busy'.

Look to the Nou Camp game last week. Barcelona didn't pass us off the pitch, they tackled us off of it. They chased and harried Arsenal and won the ball back at a canter. That is something that needs to be embedded in this team. It is crucial to any success in the future. This team will never win anything unless they are all prepared to put a shift in.

However, it's too late to fix those things now. That must all be filed away until the summer. And it isn't all doom and gloom either. We play West Brom away this weekend and then there's an international break. Beat them and we'll end the little slump we've hit and we'll enter the break on a high note. Plus when the team returns, it should have its two most important assets, in Walcott and Fabregas, back. Also Ramsey is back! And he looked good for the time he was on the pitch against United.

The Alex Song injury appears to be a mystery. He won't be back for the game on Saturday and whether he'll return after the interlull is unknown. We need him fit because we are incredibly short in the backs at the moment and there may come a game or two where he'll be playing CB.

Vermaelen is working to be fit for the last six games. And if you look on the Arsenal website there's a few crackers in those in which his services will be much appreciated. But that's ages away yet so don't get your hopes up.

Now time for some special treatment for some players. First of all, Jack Wilshere is our player of the season. Commitment, desire and serious ability. The man has been carrying the torch for the team in the last two weeks and while his efforts bore little fruit, it is still greatly appreciated.

The other man is Bendtner. In my last post, I gave him a rollicking and he's done nothing to lift himself from this rollicked state. He missed a sitter against Barce and now seems destined for a new club. Good riddens. His touch on the ball is as soft as a cinder block and he's fooling himself if he thinks he can become as great as he claims.

If have anymore thoughts, I'll post them during the week sometime but I hope to get in a proper match preview of the West Brom game. Until then.