The pressing issue is the hear and now, the short term. Every fan and supporter (including myself) wants trophies, wants results to our fantastic football. We want to compete for mainly the big two trophies and pick up some of the other smaller two along the way

Good afternoon fellow Gooners.

It almost feels as if we are in end of season mode already, there is a glum feeling around the blogs these days, many angry, frustrated voices being heard the loudest as you would expect from fans after two semi finals and no trophies to show for it.

It makes me chuckle inside to hear the ‘Wenger’s youth experiment has failed’ jibes flying around. I ask the question, how can an experiment fail when the scientist has barely put on his lab coat? Why are we failing someone before it is finished? It makes me scratch the big afro that I am sporting today.

I have no issue about the future of this team, his experiment is working fantastically well (let me finish!….) we have scratched the surface on what Wenger is doing. There is a great tier of players coming through below our current squad, whichever manager replaces Wenger in the long term should have a picture of Wenger on his office wall and thanking him every time he starts and finishes work at Arsenal football club.

The pressing issue is the hear and now, the short term. Every fan and supporter (including myself) wants trophies, wants results to our fantastic football. We want to compete for mainly the big two trophies and pick up some of the other smaller two along the way. Are we there yet? No, we are not. It is clear that we are currently short on being the very best. But we are not in Tottenham’s shoes. It is easy to lash out and call our whole squad shit and say they are not good enough but I just cannot agree that a team with so many so called shit players can remain unbeaten for 20 odd league games and reach two semi finals. I don’t believe that Almunia is one day good enough to play for Arsenal after a string of ‘match winning’ saves then not good enough for the club the next.

Why do our injuries never count to some? Why isn’t the fact that our best center back (no arguments since January’s performances) and our first choice left back a good enough reason to look shaky? Take out Vidic and Evra as well as Van Der Sar against Chelsea and do you think they will look water tight? I am not for one moment saying that we do not need more strength in that area, more from a coaching side than actual personnel in my view, although a bigger selection is needed.

We have missed experience players once again and it has cost us. Many say that every club gets injuries and it is something that we have to deal with, and I would say yes, it is. But not every club has first team, match winning players out of their squads for so long during the course of a season. When I find the time, I will write some facts about the top 4 teams injuries (sound like good ol Myles there) if anyone knows any good stats sites or injury records then please point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

If it had been.

Rosicky –> Diaby
Gallas –> Djourou
Clichy –> Gibbs
Eduardo –> Vela
Cesc –> Ramsey
Silvestre –> Silvestre (ahem)

Nothing against the players that I have chosen in the other players place but the fact is those players who were injured for long periods were essential to our plans. Do you think our season would have turned out any differently? Take out key players from Manchester United like Vidic (Gallas), Evra (Clichy), Ronaldo (Rosicky), Eduardo (Tevez) and Rooney just coming back without any match sharpness from a groin injury. Would they have been as good? Of course not, but that is for another article at another time.

It is ok though, our injury problems will no longer matter because our good old friend Usmanov who has the club in his heart is ready to throw us some free money to clear our debts just so we can go out and spend loads in the transfer market. That is so kind of him, and to think that we thought he just wanted to make a profit from the club.

A Spokesman for Red and White Holdings said:

“The key issue is to ensure that the club remain both self-financing and competitive at the very highest levels of European and world football,”

“The debt at the club appears to be an impediment to that and we are ready to help address that if the board asks. Raising ticket prices is not the answer.”

It is just a coincidence that his lot haven’t uttered a word to the press for a while and now we are going through a tricky period, out comes the ‘we will save the day’ speech. Very commendable.

If Usmanov really wants to help he could slot back into central defence and add some organisation to our team defending, if he is unable to meet that requirement then why doesn’t he pursue other money making ventures such as designing headphones that do not tangle up when you put them in your pocket.

I love Robin Van Persie’s call for the squad to stay together, it sounds like a man who is willing to stay and fight to show how good they can be.

“Hopefully we can all stay here and really have a go at it,” said Van Persie.

“I don’t think we should have been in third, or second place this season. But in the end, the table doesn’t lie. Fourth, if you are really honest, is how we played this year, because we lost too many games which we should have won against the so-called smaller teams.”

It has been nice to see Van Persie fit for most of the season this time round, he may have tailed off a little towards the end but for most part he has been great for us. I pretty much echo the sentiments of the Dutchman, the most important thing during our pre season is to make sure that we keep the players who we want to keep.

I do believe that Wenger may sell to generate money for new purchases. He attempted to bring in new faces last summer but that didn’t come off and he will try and do the same again.

Buying players is not as simple as it seems. Wenger cannot flick open his laptop and tick speed, height, leadership, technique, great personality and affordable. It is a little more difficult than that, many variables have to be met but we shall certainly see what happens during the close season.

One player who was close to departing the Gunners was crowd favourite Kolo Toure, he explained the reason why he thought about leaving to Arsenal.com.

Toure said:

When we didn’t start the season well I was scared. You start to think that maybe the Club don’t need you anymore. When it’s like that and you are 28 you have to think about yourself as well. But I came back, I’m playing at the moment and I hope that will carry on. There is still time on my contract and I hope the Club will show me that they need me.

With the defence in possible need of strengthening, it will be interesting to know what Arsene’s thoughts are in regards to Toure and Gallas. They have had their bad times, but lets not forget the good games they have had together as well. That is not to say that they do not need strong competition.

Right, work to do, have a great day Gooners and keep the faith.

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