Bad News and Good News
By Boris Mellor
August 25 2008
I'll start with the bad news first as its best to save the good news, if there is any, for last. This was a poor performance that got the result it deserved. The midfield was overran for two thirds of the match, Arsenal defended like Spurs Schoolboys for the Fulham goal, and didn't have a shot on target until the 84 th minute.
True Fulham had only two shots on target in this dire excuse for a football match. But that extra shot was more than enough to dispense with Arsenal. Neither keeper had very much to do; Almunia was beaten once, as was the Fulham keeper, but fortunately, for him, the post intervened.
Arsenal had eleven shots off target to Fulham's four, but it only emphasized how poorly the Gunners were playing. Robin Van Pants demonstrated a whole series of poor free kicks and corners.
There were so many poor performances it's hard to know where to start, so I shan't bother. So before you go out and top yourself let's take a look at why you shouldn't. Well for a start you if you are dead you won't be able to say I told you so at the end of the season.
Good News?
Well apart from Spurs losing this could be tricky. However there could be some, Wenger was forced to admit that the midfield was useless today. Hopefully that will spur him on to sign the defensive midfielder we so clearly need.
Now that he has more players back he certainly has plenty to work on, and maybe the forthcoming International break (only one more home league game to go) of two weeks could become an advantage. If Rosicky, Fabregas and a new midfielder can be integrated into the team then things can be turned around.
Now the media will say it's all over, the season for Arsenal is over, "a team that loses one game at this stage has no chance of finishing in the top four" (of course they will say nothing about a team that has already lost two at this stage). A team that lost only three games last year still failed to win the league, so it's all pretty grim.
You have to bow to the logic don't you - after all if a team starts off very well and loses 3 games they cannot expect to win the modern Premiership. Except Man U did just that last season, although they started off badly and lost 5 games they still ended up topping the Prem. That's why they don't award the trophy in August.
Yes it was a poor performance, and I realize that a lot of people know for a fact that Wenger is an utter fool, how he has come to take charge of the Arsenal I can't imagine. However it has to be hoped that even a man of such limited mental ability will be able to work this one out. It's the midfield stupid.
If he takes the right steps now, and Rosicky, Fabregas, (forget Diaby he will never be fit 3 games running) and Eduardo all return then his squad might look slightly less than threadbare and prove the doom mongers wrong. If not the merchants of gloom may have their day. If you predict some ones demise year after year, and some of them have done just that, you must eventually get lucky. However they may have to wait quite a bit longer.
badly need someone in midfield ill take barry or alonzo even that inler is welcome because we need it,...but yet the boss comes out and says we could sort that out from within the club going back on his words yet again the only person who could do a slight job is song...diaby doesnt count he cant play a season full stop
we need to give fabs some support big time at this rate he will have too much to do
If Wenger doesnt sign someone then he is taking a risk on both of them.
It would be better to buy now.
This is season is a HUGE season for our club and I can't beleive AW is walking on a thin line like this.
The whole "In Arsene we thrust", "Arsene knows", etc... ain't gonna fly if we fail to win a major throphy this season. Not only that but without silverware, expect our key players to leave us too, even the loyal ones like Cesc, Clichy and Kolo.
Almunia
Sagna Toure Gallas Clichy
Roicky Cesc Song Nasri
Adebayor Van Persie
Subs
Fabianski
Silvestre
Diaby or Djourou
Walcott
Vela
Bendtner
Eduardo
now that is easily more than a match for any team. Sadly for us on Saturday six of that 18 were unavailable and Song was considered too short a time back from the games to start. We do have a very good squad but an injured one. Wenger does need to buy one or two more this week especially with Senderos leaving and our injury prone midfielders but hey one or two good signings and two wins this week and we will all feel alot better about our prospects
Quote:eduardo
.....but hey one or two good signings and two wins this week and we will all feel alot better about our prospects
Not confident of the new signings but when I am down after an Arsenal loss, I watch highlights of the invincible season on youtube and feel better after. Football at its best!
Quote:IF and I know this is a big if all our present squad were fit
it'll never happen so its pointless even thinking about it
Quote:but hey one or two good signings and two wins this week and we will all feel alot better about our prospects
yep we will feel better....but honeslty can u see the 2 signings coming?