Like I said in my post match article, I think the team have found a fluidity in their play that has been missing for most of the season. The team was set up to play to van Persie’s strengths, that as well as Song creating the most amount of goals last season meant that we had to start again from scratch, even more so when you consider that Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla had never kicked a ball

Good day people,

I am attempting to pull myself from underneath this rock and bring you some sort of mixed blog filled with a few random thoughts I have swimming around my head.

Firstly, I am sure you’ve all seen this video of some of our football from the weekend

It was only Reading and yes they were poor etc etc but as that rather silly saying goes, you can only beat what is in front of you. It is quite difficult to beat what isn’t in front of you isn’t it?

Anyway while it is easy to write off Reading as the whipping boys, we shouldn’t forget that only a week prior to our game they lost at Old Trafford 1-0 and could have scored themselves. They also narrowly lost to United in the home game not to mention that they snatched a late draw against Chelsea only a short while ago.

I am not bigging Reading up as some major league force but I guess I want to give our team a little more credit, not for the victory but for the performance. We played some wonderful creative football, in fact I’d say the best football that we have seen from us has been home and away against Reading this season (please stay up).

Like I said in my post match article, I think the team have found a fluidity in their play that has been missing for most of the season. The team was set up to play to van Persie’s strengths, that as well as Song creating the most amount of goals last season meant that we had to start again from scratch going forward, even more so when you consider that Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla had never kicked a ball in the English game before.

If I either wasn’t lazy or had more time then I would record some clips of earlier performances such as against Norwich away, Swansea at home Sunderland at home, Bradford away and so many more fixtures this season, speed those clips up and post them on here to show you the difference.

Players looked like they didn’t know what they were going to do before they got the ball and much of our football was slow, predictable and lacked spontaneity.

I knew it would take a while for the players to find that understanding but I have to say, I reached a point where I thought it just wouldn’t happen and I guess time will tell if we can keep this up because we are on a good run of form where we look solid as well as artistic going forward.

Many Gooner folk are obsessed with silverware and I totally get that, hell I’d love silverware but I am definitely more obsessed about watching quick, one touch football. Don’t get me wrong though, I would rather watch a 1-0 ground out victory than a 4-4 entertaining draw but that is only because ultimately I want Arsenal to do the best as they can possibly do. But football isn’t football for me unless it is enjoyable and it is this reason why I felt so low earlier in the season. Going through 90 minutes with one shot on target is not much fun, even if that one shot goes in.

Speaking of entertaining football, how bloody fun is Santi? Ridiculously so. I agree with @Arse2Mouse, I enjoy watching him over that Dutch bloke every single day, especially on a Thursday afternoon. There are players who impact a game more, players like Gareth Bale even that Dutch fella when he isn’t going through a goal drought but I struggle to think of a player who brings so many subtle touches of quality.

He is so good that he is good enough to have been a part of that invincible team. Yes I said it. In place of whom? don’t ask me such things but in my ever so humble very personal opinion, that is my belief. I don’t want to speak too soon here but right now, I hope he stays with us until he retires. Yeah I have spoken too soon but it’s gone now, it’s out there.

I wanted to talk about team dynamics and what is more important, creativity or finishers. A type of Rosicky vs Podolski if you will. I think I will save that for another time.

In the meanwhile, have yourself a great rest of the day.