Theo is the perfect example of potential, a player who can destroy the opposition when on his game but still has games where he looks way off the mark. Experience will see him produce the good side of his game more often and the bad side less often
I find myself somewhat drunk this afternoon and I haven’t had a touch of alcohol, honest guv. I am drunk from tiredness. Late nights and early starts do not go hand in hand.
Part of my late night was due to re watching the extended highlights on Sky Sports. We actually played much better than I remembered we did. It’s funny how nerves make you think otherwise.
Nicklas did miss a hell of a lot of chances. He could have ended up top of the goal scorers charts if he had converted half of those chances.
I hope he can put that behind him with some goals on Tuesday. Has Bendtner ever scored a brace for us so far? [scratches head] if he hasn’t then that and more should be around the corner. It is no coincidence that he manages to get into so many good positions. The finishing will come and when it does, then we will have a top striker on our hands.
In last night’s Match Thoughts I missed out the wonderful display from Samir Nasri. I had watched the game on a stream plugged into my television and unfortunately for me, it wasn’t the best stream that I have ever had but once I had watched the extended highlights I noticed all the clever foot work, body swerves and driving runs from our feisty Frenchman.
Nasri has been fairly consistent and pretty steady since he joined Arsenal last season. He quite often makes the right decisions and is neat and tidy without being spectacular on a regular basis. He hasn’t won many games single handedly so quite often his work goes unnoticed.
As is often the case, I think we forget that Nasri is still only 22 years of age. This is his second season in English football and he has plenty left in his locker that is bursting to come out. He certainly seems to be a favourite with Arsene, regularly chosen over Rosicky in the wide areas.
You do not get dubbed the new Zidane in France for nothing. He has to start forcing his game on the opposition every week and that is the difference between potential and established.
If we can keep the likes of Nasri (22), Cesc (22) Diaby (23), Song (22) for another two years or so then they will be unequaled in world football.
Currently people drool at the Xavi and Iniesta combination and there is no reason why our players cannot develop to be better than that.
Theo is the perfect example of potential, a player who can destroy the opposition when on his game but still has games where he looks way off the mark. Experience will see him produce the good side of his game more often and the bad side less often.
Speaking of youngsters, Jack Wilshere opened his goal scoring account with Bolton with a nice tidy half volley. I didn’t see much more of him on the highlights but it is great that he is now playing regularly, that along with a few steaks will do him some good. It will be an interesting season next season, perhaps he will have the same type of role that Ramsey started out with this season. A regular substitute, getting 15 minutes to begin with then the occasional start until he can play his way into the team.
Will Cesc be ready for Tuesday?
That is most certainly the question. If he only makes the bench, can a midfield of Song, Diaby and Rosicky/Denilson be good enough to beat Porto?
I think it can, especially if Nasri and Walcott can continue where they left off against Burnley. The Champions League is a massive competition but our league challenge this season has really diluted it for me somewhat.
I want us to win the league so badly that the thought of playing Cesc in midweek if he is not 100% worries me. I am sure by the time Tuesday comes around, I will be feeling different about it.
How good would it be if we won both the league and CL? How could our knockers (giggle) cope with that? How would the likes of Stan Collymore cope with the rest of their snivelling lives?
I don’t really want to drag all this back up again but I thought I’d share some examples of the crap spouted about us in recent years.
Craig Fagan (Hull City player – 19th Dec 09)
“our game plan is to get in their faces. They don’t like it. Arsenal have world-class players and you want to play and test yourself against the best in the Premier League.”
Kevin McDonald (Burnley player 15th Dec 09)
“They’re not going to like it if we’re in their faces. We’ll do that and when we get the ball, show them what we can do. I don’t think any of the Arsenal boys would be wanting to come here on a Wednesday night. It’s always cold and raining playing here. “
Graeme Souness (Then Blackburn manager – 31st Jan 2002)
“They are a top team but they don’t like it up them,”
Kevin Nolan (Then Bolton player – 23rd Sep 2008)
“I have never seen anybody as quick as Theo Walcott in my life,” said Nolan. “I said to Jlloyd Samuel ‘Give him a little kick and see if he comes back at you!’
“At the end of the day, it is a physical sport. We don’t want to be like basketballers. We are in the gym four or five days a week to build ourselves up to try to stand up to challenges like that.
This is from a man who almost broken Everton’s Victor Anichebe leg in one of the worst acts of violence that I have seen on a football pitch. And I also do not think that working in the gym will put you in good stead to be kicked. That is not a challenge you stupid oaf.
That was only from a few seconds of searching, there are so many examples that it would take me all day to list them. The funny thing is, when you write the same thing into Google but swap Arsenal for Manchester United, the only articles that come back are the ones involving our club. So I am certainly not being paranoid here.
What idiot decided that Arsenal do not like playing in the cold or the rain? What utter rubbish. How many times have we beaten these northern teams in the cold and then nothing is said about it.
I have never heard that Bolton don’t like playing in the cold at the Emirates. What is their record at our home?
I think fighting for common sense just leaves me with a sore head from banging it repeatedly against a brick wall, so perhaps I should take a couple of paracetamol and move away from that argument for the time being. Until another one of our more talented players gets hurt by yet another brutish thug I guess.
Anyway, it is Sunday and the kids want me to go on the trampoline, a sight you do not want to see. So have a good Sunday evening all.
Back tomorrow.
EXAMPLE OF AD POSITION
