Questions

The fallout from last night's defeat to Tottenham had made me want to make observations, or ask questions. Not because I want to be overly critical of Arsenal. Nor do I feel that Arsenal's season is a write off just because we have no silverware. It is mainly because the answers to these observations/questions will provide us with a better team (I feel).

1. Let's start with the Captain - when two teams line up in the tunnel, they stand behind the person who embodies the highest level of skill, strength, commitment, guile, determination, intelligence, desire, spirit, ability (pick as you choose). When the opposition sees Manuel Almunia leading Arsenal, they know they have a good chance to win or draw the game knowing Fabregas isn't there. They see the keeper as a joke and a bloody mystery that he is Deputy Captain.

2. Sol Campbell. If a 35 year old who has done it all and won it all is the only player in an Arsenal shirt showing genuine desire to compete and win, then the other players who refuse to follow his lead or example do not deserve to play. He should get a new contract and be given a coaching role as well so that the essence of what is famous about the Arsenal defence is not lost to some bogus back up players who occasionally play for a French national team in decline. That is no testimony and not reassuring to those who pay their wages.

3. Bacary Sagna. Yesterday he pushed Almunia as the ball fell to Danny Rose. The Spanish waiter punches the ball like he is setting it up for someone else to come and complete the smash. Obviously he is very poor, but to be pushed by your own player at the moment a shot is about to come in is very bad indeed.
For the second goal, Sagna tracked back without once looking across his defensive line. He played everyone onside and made Silvestre look like an idiot. Silvestre does not need help here. Sagna got hauled off because he was not doing his job anywhere near effectively enough. He might have played his last big game for Arsenal.

4. How many players does Wenger really need to buy? When considering this, remember it is a World Cup season and the players who play for any length of time at the World Cup will have an extended holiday, pre season and will not play first team til September. SO we can rule out, Van Persie, Fabregas, Walcott if he goes, Bendtner, Eboue, Djourou, Vela, Song, and then even if they go out first round Gallas (if he stays), Clichy, Sagna, Nasri, Diaby.
This fills me with no enthusiasm and whatever progress Wenger can claim to make this season with a 3rd place or even 2nd oplace finish will be off set by a weak start to 2010/2011 due to a shortage of average,good and very good players.

5. Gael Clichy can do a job but will never score or win us a game. If we sold him for £15 million, we have Kieran Gibbs and Armand Traore without spending anything. This money can be spent on new players rather than offering another new contract to Denilson or Eduardo. That could give us a total of £60 million in player sales and David Villa would send a marker to the rest of Europe. Unfortunately, he would want at least £150k a week, would want Wenger to sign a new contract and a motorised pony made of gold for him to practise wheelies on snow. THe regulations of Arsenal's debt state that 75% of this money HAS to be spent on players. Wenger so far has only rewarded existing players and therefore helped create the apathetic mentality that is so pervasive within the squad.

6. Hubris. Excessive pride, presumption or arrogance (originally toward the gods).Unchecked arrogance. This is the smile of Eboue when he should have shot, the rounded back of Vela when he gets mugged, the rounded mouth of Arshavin after another errant pass, the post-sneeze, Stephen K Amos' ugly father look of Diaby every time someone goes round him, the title of this blog as Wenger gives another press conference, the hollow eyes of Sagna, the smile of Bendtner after more miscontrol. They believe they are too good and will not compromise their ideals in the name of progression or regression. Their trust in Wenger is all that is needed - but what happens when he questions their maturity as he did last night. Knee jerk from Wenger but he will calm down and cuddle them all again soon enough.

7. 4-3-3 works against little clubs. We don't have the players to make it work at crunch time. Walcott cannot cope, Nasri is compensation for Denilson and Diaby who cannot cope, Rosicky cannot cope, Eduardo cannot play. We need wingers and strength - time to switch to 4-4-2 or 5-3-2. Fabregas and Song can handle centre midfield now. Van Persie, Bendtner and Chamakh need crosses. Let's try Nasri and Arshavin and if they don't like it, buy someone who does.

8. Wenger said in last year's AGM that we would win a trophy this season. He will point to the progress made in the league. He will avoid or skirt around the fact that we reached the semi final of the CL last season (someone has to play Barca), we reached the semi of the FA Cup. We have lost the same amount of league games but have converted more draws to wins. So the progress is only against the lesser teams which is a start. But it brings no experience of winning anything to a bunch of green youths who compared to earlier in the season, have forgotten that most of the work needed to win games is done ON the pitch and OFF the ball.

9. Spurs ran through us. Mainly because they didn't give Denilson a ball to intercept (they know he cannot tackle) and they took Diaby on from the front so he could not turn or match the break for pace. It was smart. After the first half power play, Redknapp told them to get at our flanks. It was easy. King and Dawson were excellent and only Kaboul looked like he was off the pace. Did we try to exploit it? No.

10. Is it all doom and gloom? No. But I return to my point about it being a World Cup season. Our team is so conditioned that where the most dull of teams will start the new season full of hope and determination, Wenger will encourage his players to hold back and control their dreams of winning so they do not injure their psyche. We must take it one game at a time and know that without all of the above players at the WC, we need to take our time for find a new rhythm until we play. Well Tony Adams on the 1998 season review tape said something along the lines of 'I don't believe in transition, it is just an excuse'.

Who will really come good? Would the team lose out if Vela, Rosicky, Eduardo, Senderos, Denilson, Merida, Silvestre, Fabianski, Almunia all left. I truly doubt it. The players who we already have would come in would try as them and have very similar stats.

11. It is no admission of failure to sell players who have not achieved the standards we once hoped for them. Vela and Eduardo are no Francis Jeffers and Denilson is so much better than Garde, Grimandi, et al but they don't play well together. Llungberg was poor for Sweden because they could not accommodate him. Wiltord could not play for France without boos. Sagna is better than Lauren. Clichy is better than Sylvinho. But Seaman and Lehmann are like Gods compared to our current keepers. Campbell, Adams, Keown and Toure (2002-4) are considerably better than Gallas and even Vermaelen (though he will probably be great soon enough). Why did we sell Pires?

Fabregas is a great but not better than Vieira in his prime. Van Persie is no Henry in his pomp. How many of the current crop would get into the 2002 or 2004 sides?

Let's pretend that the AGM is the Council Planning/Construction Committee. And let's pretend that Wenger is asking to build the most wonderful eco-house. Let's believe that he has sourced all the best materials and workers. Arsene has presented the council with evidence of his (vast) surplus of funds, and his budget is relatively tiny. He has shown some pretty drawings and everyone approves. He even wins some design accolades for his intentions and working methods and fair trade policy. The staff are all well briefed and paid.

But then rain, illness, cold weather, misunderstanding of building techniques, windows overlooking existing windows, fences encroaching on land which doesn't belong to them, neighbours deciding to burn these beautiful new fences, more neighbours complain about the building not honoring the architecture methods used in the area. Another wealthy neighbour is successful in turning the existing hood into a conservation area and claiming this new eco-house is in violation of this. The council try to appease all parties but suggest to Wenger that he move some of his windows and reign his fences in. Wenger is appalled and appeals to the councils' sense of aesthetic and design. Everyone tells him to fuck off and rebuild or knock it down.

Wenger is left with 3 choices, rebuild the pieces that will emancipate his project, knock the whole thing down and walk away, or walk in to the next planning meeting with Steve Harrison and shit into a paper cup for all that he cares what the council and public think. Fuck us all is one answer - but not the one I am looking for to all my questions and points.