Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The Post with No Name

Theo Walcott is now, a) one of the club's longest serving players, and b) one of its most important.

How did this happen?

Over the years, Arsenal have made an infuriating habit of losing their best players. But recently, the quality of our reinforcements has plummeted. Arsene Wenger has lost his magic touch in the transfer market. Maybe David Dein offered more of a helping hand than some like to admit. In any case, where once the team could wave goodbye to Overmars and welcome Bobby Pires, and use only half of the Anelka money to bring in Thierry Henry, now we look at the team and see Gervinho, Podolski, Giroud. Gervinho is wretched, while the other two are decent players when we need more than decent players. The pool of world class talent at the club had been shrinking and shrinking; now it seems to have finally disappeared. And so we fret about Theo's contract situation.

THE TEAM have continued to yo-yo between vague suggestions that they may yet salvage the season, and more concrete suggestions that Wenger's reign is nearing an ignominious end.

Bradford away in the League Cup quarter final was yet another low point. As the team sheets were announced it seemed as if Wenger had belatedly decided to make the least important of the available trophies a priority; a touch of pragmatism creeping in perhaps as even the sometimes deluded manager recognises that a piece of silverware may do the players a world of good. Unfortunately, as was proven in the final against Birmingham a couple of seasons ago, playing against teams you're expected to beat brings its own kind of pressure.

Arsenal were awful, Bradford were brilliant, and really deserved to claim their scalp after 90 minutes, only for a late Vermaelen header to force extra time. As chances came and went for the Gunners, the feeling grew that an upset was still on. Penalties, while not, as the stupid cliche would have you believe, a lottery, are unpredictable, and Cazorla was denied from Arsenal's first. Chamakh then hit the post and all seemed lost until Szczesny brought his teammates back into contention with a couple of saves. Vermalen had the chance to force sudden death but he, too, struck a post and the League Two side were through. The journalists sharpened their pencils and Wenger's critics sharpened their knives but Monday night's trip to basement boys Reading provided some respite and, at last, some cohesive attacking play.

Walcott finally got the start he's been asking for as a central striker, and, to be fair, played well, but both he and the team need to realise that they won't play Reading every week. It really was woeful stuff from the home side, allowing Cazorla acres in which to dictate the game and also plunder a hat trick- all poacher's goals from Arsenal's supposed playmaker. But even at four nil, the Gunners managed a serious wobble in which they conceded two goals and stoked memories of that ludicrous game at St. James' Park, before Walcott took Cazorla's reverse pass, ambled inside and slid the ball home with his left foot to dash any nascent hopes of a Reading revival.

Better from Arsenal, but this needs to become the norm over the next few games if they are to turn this season around. But when you look at the calibre of players we're being asked to put our trust in, particularly upfront, you wouldn't bet much.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

With every little thing that

appears to be building inside this particular area, all your perspectives
happen to be fairly refreshing. Nevertheless,
I beg your pardon, but I do not subscribe to your

whole idea, all be it radical none the

less. It appears to everyone that your remarks


are actually not totally rationalized and in fact you are generally yourself not
really entirely certain of the point. In any case I did appreciate reading it.
Here is my website :: http://www.doloresspain.com

Anonymous said...

Terrific post but I was

wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this subject?
I'd be very thankful if you

could elaborate a little bit further. Kudos!
Also visit my webpage - spain weather during christmas

Anonymous said...

I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here.
The sketch is tasteful, your authored

material stylish. nonetheless, you command get bought an shakiness

over that you wish be delivering the following. unwell
unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly

the same nearly very often inside case you shield this increase.
Here is my page :: Gorbelly

Anonymous said...

Can I just say what a aid to seek out somebody who

really knows what theyre speaking about on the internet.
You positively know tips on how to convey an issue to


light and make it important. More individuals need to learn this

and understand this facet of the story. I cant imagine youre no more


well-liked because you undoubtedly have the gift.
Look at my page meanies

Anonymous said...

[URL=http://pharmacypills.atspace.co.uk/dostinex/dostinex-x-gravidez.html]dostinex x gravidez[/URL]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://sustiva-efavirenz.webs.com/]buy Generic Sustiva online
[/url] order Generic Sustiva
buy Efavirenz
order Sustiva 600 mg online

Anonymous said...

http://biaxin-buy.webs.com/ buy biaxin online no prescription
http://sustiva-efavirenz.webs.com/ Stocrin
http://asacol-mesalamine.webs.com/ Rowasa online
http://www.freewebs.com/pentasa-mesalamine/ Rowasa