I am wondering what the plan is for a Chamakh. The 4-3-3 only allows for one center forward and that center forward is Van Persie. After his huge success in that role, Wenger would be crazy to move him to a new position after he has adapted so well to the role

Good Afternoon,

Firstly I would like to somewhat apologise for the rather inconsistent timings of my posts in the last couple of weeks. I usually aim for lunchtime to put something up just to be a little different from most blogs who write in the mornings but I had been so busy of late. You know when you have so much to do that it cannot actually all fit into your head without your head exploding? Well double that and that is my mental state at present.

I will be doing my best to get back on track starting from tomorrow.

Although in terms of writing it has been rather helpful to me but generally I have found this break of Arsenal goodness quite difficult to take. After beating Liverpool last week, I kind of wanted our league campaign to continue. The Champions League as important as it is almost feels like a little distraction to us but I am sure when I hear that theme tune, all will change.

I have a strange feeling about the Porto game. If I was a betting man then I would plump for Arsenal losing the first leg but winning the tie overall. Ok, I wouldn’t plump for it exactly but you know what I mean.

There is not really a great deal going around at time of writing this but I shall cover a few of the topics.

Firstly Arsene Wenger has been praising the performances of Abou Diaby.

Wenger said:

“Diaby for me is the player who is going step-by-step higher and standing really as a strong player,”

“He missed a complete year with his ankle injury [in 2006/07] and since he came back last year he was out a lot but this year in central midfield he has really stepped up and improved tremendously. He has become a very strong player.

“He offers height and a physical presence. It gives us the pair with Alex Song and even when Denilson plays, when Diaby is there we look strong in the challenges and strong in the air as well. When you add Nicklas Bendtner and him, suddenly when you set-up on set pieces, who do we have? We have four or five who really can jump for the headers and it makes a difference.

“He gives us goals as well – a fantastic contribution. It is great and he scores important goals as well.”

Regular readers of Arsenal Vision will know that I have been a long time admirer of Diaby. If I was all into the facebook thing then I would have joined the Diaby fan club.

Diaby has faced his fair share of flack this season because of his inconsistent performances earlier in the campaign but he hadn’t had a run of games together without injury. I think some football fans tend to judge players far too quickly without knowing enough facts. It is easy to say player x is rubbish or not playing very well without finding reasons why.

One of my pet hates is Arsenal players being dismissed out of town when they are nowhere near finished developing as players. I, being the complete hypocrite that I am, I completely dismissed Alex Song as a player. I couldn’t see how a kid who would come onto the pitch and his only contribution was to whack the ball out of play.

According to my views, he couldn’t run, he couldn’t control the ball, he looked awkward and never in a million years could he become a regular Arsenal player. I have never been happier to be proven wrong accept for the time when I thought I was going to die whilst choking and struggling to breathe after swallowing a piece of potato that was clearly to big for my throat.

Going back to Mr Diaby, he has become what he has become because he has had games. I like to think that I can play football myself and when on my game I think I am a reasonable player but once I have not played for a while and I attempt to play again I am a joke. You see a picture in your mind and expect the rest of your body to be able to execute the image in your head and you end up looking like a doughnut because it goes completely wrong. There is no substitute for match experience.

My judgement may have been totally wrong regarding Alex Song but I like to think I was correct with Abou.

Last year in February, I had the following to say about Diaby.

I think the same applies for a vast majority who are in the Arsenal squad. Our scouting system look for players who have all the raw ingredients that is needed to make it big and the players are left to develop and gain match experience. If given a chance then I have no doubt that many could make it at Arsenal.

I am thinking of the likes of Bendtner, Vela, Gibbs and the rest of the fringe younger players. One player that excites me more than most is that of Theo Walcott. A player with some world class tools in his locker, it is just that injuries have kept his locker firmly shut.

He is no Ronaldo or Messi, he will never be. You do not learn natural ability, you just have it, Theo is not a natural talent in the sense but his pace, shooting and finishing will see him become a top top player. Many people will disagree with me and judging on Theo’s recent displays then I can understand why many will be skeptical but I use the Alex Song template and when Theo comes through the other side we will witness one of the most effective players in the Premier League.

A time will come when Theo Walcott would have played 20 games on the spin. slowly getting better after the first 7 or so games then one day he will just click and passes will stop being played behind his teammates, beating players will become instinctive instead of thinking about it and he will score goals. Walcott will find that zone where he knows he is a good player instead of trying to prove that he is. In the mean time I suspect I will receive some more of the ‘another deluded Gooner’ comments until they come good like Diaby, Eboue, Van Persie as a center forward etc and I do not hear from that poster again.

We have probably heard more transfer speculation after the window has closed instead of prior to the closure. Plenty of smoky fire stuff going on regarding Marouane Chamakh. I do not expect the club to announce anything until all t’s are crossed and i’s dotted etc, that is of course if it is true.

I am wondering what the plan is for a Chamakh. The 4-3-3 only allows for one center forward and that center forward is Van Persie. After his huge success in that role, Wenger would be crazy to move him to a new position after he has adapted so well to the role but I do not expect Chamakh to leave Bordeaux, the French champions who are flying high in the Champions League to sit on the Arsenal bench as back up. Without seeing very much of the guy, isn’t he a more mobile version of Bendtner?

I couldn’t tell you but that is my very first raw impressions of the player judging by his frame, ability in the air etc. Obviously Wenger has his ideas and plans but I am just interested to know what they are regarding our strike force.

One thing we do know is, there are certain things that will happen to us as Gooners. Tax, death and injuries. So I am sure we will not have too many players over the course of a season.

Speaking of Marouane, the press are linking us for a move for Everton’s Fellaini. Apparently in the next transfer window we will make our move. Err ok then.

Unless he has a clause in his contract that says if Arsenal bid £2 million then he can make a switch along with the player being prepared to play back up to Alex Song then I would just scrunch that article into a ball and dunk it into the bin across the room.

With all the recent talk about Cesc and Barcelona (again!) it is nice to hear Robin Van Persie talking about his love for the Gunners and that he had turned down the likes of Chelsea and teams abroad before he extended his Arsenal stay.

Oh how we have missed Robin. Had he continued from his high then he could have been up there with Rooney and Drogba in terms of goals and assists. His input alone would surely have put us in a better position than we are at present.

I wonder how Manchester United would have coped without Rooney from November. I just don’t hear that very much from the people who cannot wait to state that Arsenal are not good enough.

Back again tomorrow.

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