Emmanuel Eboue was subject to some terrible treatment from very unhappy and vocal Arsenal fans in a 1-0 victory against Wigan which showed the divide amongst the Arsenal faithful for the first time in a long time

I started this season review a couple of days after the actual season finished and I haven’t been able to sit down and finish it until now so apologies for the delay, it almost seems too late for a season review but I was not about to discard it now after writing so much, not that it is of any high standard, it just took a while to get it finished.

To make it a little more readable I have added a conclusion and prediction for the up coming season. So here goes.

In season 2007/2008 I thought we were the best team in the league but unfortunately we fell at the final hurdle, bad decisions, bad luck and injuries were our enemies at the end of the season but we were on the right path. A good summer in the transfer market would do the trick. A good summer does not necessarily mean buying new players, just keeping the squad together would be key, but as we all know it wasn’t to be. Mathieu Flamini who was at the end of his contract used his one great season to get big wages at AC Milan and Alex Hleb wanted a so called quiet life in Barcelona. Emmanuel Adebayor was another player who appeared unsettled from the summer speculation but he eventually signed a new contract and stayed.

So two key first team players had left, another two were on the treatment table. Arsene had to build his squad again, had to go through a mini transition to get his team competitive.

The young and talented Samir Nasri replaced the dribbler Alex Hleb. Arsene always looking towards the future won the race to sign young Welshman Aaron Ramsey against the evil clutches of Manchester United.

Arsene wanted to replace Flamini and it looks as if he had Goklan Inler and Xavi Alonso as his targets but obtaining their signatures proved to be a little too difficult, as Inler decided to stay with Udinese and Liverpool did not manage to prize Gareth Barry away from Aston Villa so Alonso was not free to join his Spanish teammate Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal, at least that was the picture that had been painted to us from the outside.

Denilson had played in central midfield towards the end of the 2007-08 season so Wenger could get a look at him, Theo Walcott also had a run in the team at the end of the season which he took with both hands. Walcott scored goals from the right and the left and looked like he found consistency for the first time.

As much as the departures would hurt us, I thought that adding two more direct players would help our attacking play. Nasri would surely pose more of a goal threat than Hleb and Walcott would be our new Marc Overmars. Denilson might not be the tigerish tackler that Flamini was but hopefully he will grow into the role add more to our attacking play than Flamini did. Flamini was a squad player before that season and took the leap forward so hopefully the young Brazilian would follow suit.

Robin Van Persie was fit again and we all crossed our fingers for him to remain that way, if Adebayor could continue his goals then we will have some great firepower going forward.

August was about starting quickly and getting through the Champions League qualifiers. Dutch side FC Twente, managed by former England boss Steve McClaren were our opponents. A 2-0 away first leg score line which was not as comfortable as the score line suggested gave us a massive chance to get into the Champions League.

Sami Nasri scoring on his debut against West Brom was fantastic, especially given the fact that Hleb was criticised for not getting in those positions. Denilson drove into the box to supply the cross, Flamini and Hleb eat your heart out. We missed a box full of chances to make the score more comfortable but the signs were good.

Then came the brick wall that the Arsenal team didn’t see. The wall of complacency was standing in front of this young team who were believing the hype and forgetting the very basics, expecting to turn up enjoy a little kick around with pals and head home with another three points on the board. It was a poorly marked set piece that undone the players, Gallas was beaten by Hangeland and the team could not recover.

I missed the game as I was stuck in traffic on the way to Dorset for a holiday but I read all the reaction from the sites and blogs and managed to download and watch the game at a later date, but it was the first wave of anger and negativity that had hit the team. It wasn’t to be the last, that’s for sure.

The team needed to bounce back and learn from the mistakes shown at Craven Cottage and they did in some style. I would say that we played our best football of the season at the end of August and beginning of September. 11 goals in 3 games against FC Twente, Newcastle and Blackburn put us back on track. Theo Walcott was starting to show great promise and maturity. Running past opposition players like they didn’t exist and looking like a man instead of the shy boy that had looked a tad lost in past seasons.

Our Champions League run started with a late equaliser in Kiev, William Gallas getting onto a Theo Walcott cross. We were certainly showing more inconsistency than we did the previous year. Arsene chopping and changing the side around so often for various reasons, not all his choice, would have been a big reason for the stop start nature of the teams performances. Tomas Rosicky was penciled in from the start of the season but hadn’t been seen anywhere near the squad. Denilson’s form and role had fluctuated and Samir Nasri was steady on the left.

Bolton were blown away at the Reebok by some fantastic quick passing which would have sent confidence soaring through the roof. So much so that the kids could have been sued for defamation of character from Sheffield United in the Carling cup. That was my first game of the season and it was a wonderful experience. It was the first time that Arsene Wenger’s long term vision had really properly slapped me across the face and boy did it hurt, in a good way of course.

3 back to back league victories since the Fulham horror show and we have just sampled the future, things were great. I was set for a treat, I managed to get my hands on a ticket for Hull City at home who had been smashed by Wigan, it was a question of how many. Unfortunately the Arsenal players were thinking along the same lines. A performance that lacked fight, courage and desire. A wonder strike from Giovanni and a set piece winner gave Hull City their biggest victory in recent times.

Arsenal hadn’t conceded many goals at that stage but what was noticeable was that the goals that were conceded all seemed to be from set pieces. Mainly headers. The first three games that we let in a goal, it came from a set piece. The Gallas and Toure partnership came under scrutiny from all around them. Are they too small? is there any organisation? is Gallas leading the team the right way? These were some of the continued questions from all and sundry

Van Persie and Adebayor combined to take Porto apart at the Emirates 4-0, yet another hot result after a cold show previously. Could the team use the convincing Champions League victory as a spring board to get a run of league wins together, surely they had learnt their lessons. It was not to be, Roy Keane’s Sunderland did not roll out the red carpet and allow Arsenal space to hurt them, they sat back and asked Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal if they had any questions they fancied asking, the truth is not many players put their hands up. It was a slow and lethargic performance until another long range strike flying into the top corner of our net by one of the Sunderland substitutes. Only then did Arsenal step up the gears and start to cause Sunderland any real problems. I cannot think of
many times during the season when I felt so disappointed.

What happened to the desire to get our noses in front, the will to win? It wasn’t there when we needed it to be. The game wasn’t lost, Cesc Fabregas headed in from close range late into the game to earn Arsenal a draw. It was the first time we saw Samir Nasri in the middle of the pitch, he was a second half substitute and looked impressive in the final third.

The yo-yo Arsenal machine continued with the up and down performances, Everton was swept to one side at the Emirates followed by a wonderful away victory against Fenerbache 5-2. Although the back four still looked anything but secure, Almunia had a fine game in goal and Abou Diaby’s return to the starting line up added power and guile. Robin Van Persie was rested to the bench which gave the 4-5-1 a perfect balance, a balance that is not easily achievable in that formation with the Dutchman in the line up.

West Ham were convincingly beaten at Upton Park before my lowest point in the season. If not in terms of importance it was certainly the worst feeling of the season. Tottenham Hotspurs at the Emirates.

David Bentley scored a screamer, yet another long distance goal against us, and the fact that it was that race faced chav made it all the worse but at 4-2 up at home against opposition such as the scum from down the road you would expect a victory. Clichy slipping and the teams reluctance to close down Jermaine Jenas allowed him to curl the ball into the far corner or 4-3. You could sense the fear from the players after that and an equaliser was always close to coming and it did. SHUT MODRIC DOWN! SHUT HIM DOWN! I remember screaming until silence fell over me. Lennon’s tap in after Modric hit the post broke my heart. I was devastated. It was worse than any other league defeat of the 2008/2009 campaign by far.

The teams defending had to change, something was wrong. We didn’t look secure when we were put under pressure. There were cracks in the ceiling, the team were learning on the job, they had to work out what was going on and stop it before the roof fell in, The result left a lingering bad taste in the mouth, that taste was still on the taste buds when we faced Stoke City. Arsene tinkered with the team to counteract the physical power of the Stoke team. Diaby started on the left and Song was drafted in to the middle.

It was yet another awful performance and the defensive nightmares continued. A long Rory Delap throw was headed straight in from Fuller after a tussle with Kolo Toure. Another throw disrupted the defence in the second half and Stoke took full advantage. Gael Clichy pulled one back via a massive deflection late into the second half but it was little too late. Walcott added injury to the insult that was witnessed on the day along with Van Persie having a hot head moment and being dismissed for a rather rash lunge at the Stoke goalkeeper.

A goalless draw in the Champions League to Fenerbache did little to lift the spirits but a clean sheet would have certainly been accepted.

The last team you wish to face when you are going through a sticky period is Manchester United. They were next to take a trip to the Emirates and we were served a treat. A wonderfully open attacking game unfolded in front of our eyes. Manchester United could have scored early but they could not take their opportunities. Samir Nasri got the luck of the draw when his shot was deflected off Gary Neville and into Van Der Sar’s net. The second Nasri goal was a thing of beauty. Manchester United not being able to get near the ball as Arsenal popped the ball around from front to back (something they would have to face again later in the season from another team) resulting in Nasri firing past the keeper from 20 yards. A late consolation was not enough. Stoke City away and then Manchester United at home was pretty much the story in short of our season 2008-2009. Injuries, great performances and abject displays by the very same set of players.

The Carling kids were back in the spotlight but this time against Premier League opposition in Wigan at the Emirates. Beating Sheffield United from the Championship is one thing but outplaying and beating a decent Premier League team who finished in the top half of the league is another story. The likes of Jack Wilshere, Carlos Vela, Jay Simpson, Fran Merida etc really started to make a name for themselves. The match finished Kiddies 3 Wigan 0.

The last time the kids turned over a team older and more experienced we lost to Hull City at the Emirates, this time it was Aston Villa who showed more hunger and fight than we did and a 2-0 victory was the least that they deserved. Inconsistency had come back to bite us on the Arsenal once again.

Aston Villa had been flying in the league, every rub of green went the way of the Villains and they were keeping inconsistent Arsenal out of the top four.

Things were about to get a whole lot worse before they could get better for the club. William Gallas’ very outspoken comments to the media about certain team mates did not go down well with the rest of the squad members and Arsene had a big decision to make. Gallas was stripped of his duty as club captain and our manager without a list of ready made candidates, he gave it to crowd favourite Cesc Fabregas.

Before the captaincy decision, William Gallas was left out of the squad and the team travelled to Manchester City where they inflicted yet more pain on the team and supporters by dismantling a fragile Arsenal by 3-0. The defensive shape of the side was not right and Wenger would have to do something about it.

Captain Cesc’s Arsenal started off on the right foot with a 1-0 victory against Dynamo Kiev, a game known now for Bendtner’s famous pink boots. Chelsea were put to the sword at Stamford Bridge thanks to a Van Persie brace before the Arsenal kiddies were taught a lesson in killing off opposition by losing 2-0 to Burnley. A nigh that Nicklas Bendtner will want to forget as quickly as possible.

Emmanuel Eboue was subject to some terrible treatment from very unhappy and vocal Arsenal fans in a 1-0 victory against Wigan which showed the divide amongst the Arsenal faithful for the first time in a long time.

Once again injuries were a major thorn in the Arsenal ranks. Many players were unable to have a long enough run in the side to build any momentum without being sidelined after a handful of games. Rosicky’s comeback kept getting put back to later dates and Eduardo was getting close to returning for the first time.

Challenging for the league seemed to be out of our grasp, even at that early stage. For the first time that I can remember the fans were started to get disgruntled with our manager, even calls for him to leave were getting louder on the blogs and phone in shows. Arsene Wenger was under the most amount of pressure that he has had to endure during his stay at Arsenal.

December flew by with our only victory coming right at the end. Porto beat an Arsenal team already through in the Champions League and draws Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Aston Villa after leading by two goals. It was the Liverpool game that had the potential to do the most amount of damage. Captain Cesc Fabregas was clattered by friend and Spanish team mate Xavi Alonso in a 50/50 for the ball but Cesc’s knee couldn’t withstand the amount of contact and he was out of action for 4 months.

Arsenal were down to the bare bones missing create players like Cesc, Walcott and Rosicky. It could be a terrible end of season for a fragile looking Arsenal team but we have seen our club fight through to the end when our backs are against the wall and that is what they did. Wenger clearly made tactical changes to address the defensive balance. Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy were not longer playing as wingers. Cesc’s absence meant that Alex Song would come in and partner Denilson to shield the back four.

Tony Adams Portsmouth were beaten late on by a Gallas header followed up with a 3-1 FA Cup home victory against P
lymouth. The defensive improvements were starting to show but the new cautious looking team were not as fluid or creative as previously.

Another late winner undone Bolton at the Emirates two back to back league clean sheets was just what the doctor ordered. Arsenal got revenge on Hull City by beating them 3-1 in their own yard. Robin Van Persie had been by far the best player during the month of January, creating or scoring every goal that went in. His team mates would have to step up for the team to push on but it wasn’t to be. Although the chances didn’t dry up the goals certainly did. Van Persie scored a dramatic late equaliser at Everton on the 28th January and that would be the last league goal for four games. West Ham, Tottenham, Sunderland and Fulham all slammed the door on the team and frustrations were building.

In the middle of all this we did manage to tie up Andrey Arshavin in the January window after the longest and most drawn out transfer saga in our history. He was unfit, not used to English football and getting used to his team mates but you could see during his debut against Sunderland that he was a classy player with real talent. He would be the spark that the team needed while the likes of Cesc and Walcott were waiting to return from injury. In that period Emmanuel Adebayor had to endure yet another injury set back after pulling a hamstring in the goalless north London derby.

The real Arsenal were back against Roma in the Champions League, creating a host of chances and playing some amazing football but just not being able to put the finishing touches on some breathtaking stuff. A Van Persie penalty was enough to see Arsenal take a one goal advantage to the second leg which they would show great character and win on penalties.

Goal king Eduardo made his dramatic comeback in the FA Cup against Burnley and scored two goals before being ruled out with another setback, the story of our season at that stage.

Arshavin scored his first against Blackburn at home in a 4-0 win that saw the goals and confidence flooding back. The team started the season again, the shape was better the attitude had improved and most importantly the self belief was there for all to see. In the next few weeks Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor were slowly added to a more steely team and the improved results continued.

Little 20 year old Denilson had been thrown head first into the deep end to replace the energetic Mathieu Flamini and had grown into his role, racking up tackles and interceptions. He was one of the main reasons why the defence had stopped leaking goals at an alarming rate. Alex Song had looked a completely different player to the one we had seen in recent seasons and that allowed the rest of the team to improve.

The league victories against Newcastle and Manchester City put the side in good stead before they flew over to face Villarreal in the Champions League quarter finals. We were given a dose of our own medicine in the first half by a great passing side but the team grew in the second half and a stunning Adebayor overhead kick earned the Gunners a 1-1 draw and a great chance to put the Spanish to the sword at the Emirates which the team did in great style, 3-0. A semi final with Manchester United loomed.

Everything was going well for the Gunners after a stop start campaign, we were finally finding our feet until the deadly injury curse took over and destroyed our back line. Manuel Almunia, Gael Clichy, William Gallas and Johan Djourou were unavailable for key matches at the so called business end of the season.

We faced a massive semi final in the FA Cup against Chelsea without a vast majority of our first choice back four and without the little magician Andrey Arshavin who ended up watching from the bench due to tactical reasons from Wenger. I understood the need to add strength to the team but not accommodating our inform influential creator was a mistake in my eyes. In the end it was the shaky looking defence that undone the good early work. Theo Walcott grabbed a deflected goal off Ashley Cole which would have been the icing on the cake had we won but Lukasz Fabianski had a day to forget as Drogba and co punished the young keeper.

Arshavin was back in the line up a few days later at Anfield in one of the games of the season. Andrey Arshavin hardly made any contribution to the game apart from four wonderfully taken goals. Our defence continued to look less than convincing allowed Liverpool to also score four including a stoppage time equaliser.

Almunia was back in between the sticks for the semi first leg at Old Trafford and was put to the test, he was equal to almost everything that was thrown at him apart from another poorly defended O’Shea close range goal. A 1-0 defeat was not disastrous to bring back to the Emirates but the start in the second leg certainly was a disaster. A Kieran Gibbs slip and Ronaldo free kick killed the game in the opening minutes and that was our season over with. Ronaldo was devastating and took us apart on the break. We started the home leg so well and knocked them onto the back foot, one mistake them pow! It was like the plug was pulled beneath us and we were waiting for the inevitable spinning down the hole.

Aston Villa’s spectacular collapse along with a very healthy unbeaten record saw Arsenal coast into fourth without any problems but the hunt for a trophy continued. Once again the last part of the season was an unhappy time for Arsenal players, management and supporters, once again it was a case of what might have been.

Our only target, although unrealistic was to try and sneak third place ahead of Chelsea who came to the Emirates next after they were also knocked out in dramatic fashion by eventual winners Barcelona. I have never seen a game where we dominated so clearly yet lost so convincingly. A host of missed chances for our side followed by some truly awful defending resulted in a rather embarrassing head scratching defeat.

The side regrouped and redeemed themselves in the league game against Manchester United at Old Trafford, with the team looking more balanced and the pressure now away from their young shoulders they produced a good display looking better than the home side without really threatening the United goal. Manchester United were happy with the 0-0 draw that saw them lift the Premier League trophy for the third year on the spin and it was a case of what might have been for the team in Yellow.

Stoke City were torn apart in the first half of the final game of the season. A 45 minutes that perhaps gave us a sneaky peak into what might be next season. Arshavin, Cesc, and Van Persie looked dangerous and creative. Alex Song had taken a step back into central defence over the last two games and looked good in that position.

So that was it, inconsistent start, major drop and a slow build up that came crashing back down.

After coming so close in season 2007/2008 I was hoping for that step forward to get our hands back on the Premier League but instead it ended up into a mini transition. A time to create new partnerships and alter our style of play with the new first team starters.

The attitude of the players was wrong on a few occasions and that hurt us almost more than anything else. Our defending was not good enough and that was highlighted by the boss at the end of the season.

But it is not all doom and gloom, far from it. We have many positives to take from the season just gone. Injuries to key players was our short term problems and long term gain. Young players who started the season without many first team games are now used to life in the Premier League and can have a run of games without looking out of place. Alex Song has taken more steps than many expected him to, Denilson has started life as a regular, quite often without any other midfielders from the season before (Rosicky, Hleb and Fabregas). Johan Djourou has come in and proved that he is a very capabl
e center back, composed, good on the ground and good in the air. Kieran Gibbs has taken the step from reserve player to Premier league and England under 21 International. Aaron Ramsey is quickly developing from a kid fresh out of the Championship to a man. Starting games for Wales and becoming a key figure.

This has pumped up our first team squad for 2009/2010 with both quality and quantity. What is exciting is that those players who have already taken a first team step are likely to continue to take strides forward throughout next season.

The obvious positive is the signing of Andrey Arshavin, he has been practically thrown into the deep end and told to swim without having swam for months. He will get the all important pre season training under his belt along with learning and understanding his team mates. He wouldn’t have trained very much with Rosicky and Eduardo so new relationships can develop during that period. Arshavin has the potential to be player of the year so we shall wait and see what the Russian can provide.

The start of last season we were waiting for Eduardo and Tomas Rosicky to get over their injuries and rejoin first team training. This didn’t happen because of set backs. The difference this time is that we no longer have long term injured players. Tomas Rosicky was back in training before the end of the season and Eduardo will be back to fire Arsenal forward.

So although I was disappointed with the season as a whole, some good has come of it, the squad have had to do some growing and they were taught some very harsh lessons that will keep them in good stead for the new season.

Like I have said many times, our season heavily relies on two factors. Keeping our first team players & Injuries.

I firmly believe that we have all the pieces of the puzzle, perhaps Wenger can bring in some shiny reinforced pieces but the overall picture can be put together by Arsene.

Like all Arsene Wenger teams of the past we are very capable of going forward and scoring goals, creating chances and finishing them off but we have been let down further down the pitch. Individually it would be extremely difficult to single out any defensive player we have and point negative fingers at him but as a collective unit we know we have some work to do to get to the very top of English and European football.

In my eyes, it is no longer advantage Manchester United. They have sold their match winner, their inspiration. The one player who can pull out rabbits from the proverbial hat which saw off most of the lower ranked clubs. It is not necessarily a bad thing for their club as they will reinvest in other areas and perhaps try and create a better overall team than to expect the unexpected every game from their winger / striker. Like we had to last season, they may have to take a step back to get forward again. Even if they buy big European talents the squad will still have to get used to playing another way as Nasri, Denilson, Walcott, Silvestre etc had to.

Chelsea like pretty much every season have to shuffle around and accommodate a new manager with new ideas, which usually leads to new personnel. Only really Liverpool may have some stability, even after a much improved season I do not fear them.

Leaving aside new transfers for now as we haven’t had any new faces through the doors yet, we can look forward to three very exciting options. Andrey Arshavin has been finding his feet in the Premier League along with new team mates. He no longer needs a settling in period, he knows he is more than capable of doing very good things for Arsenal. Pre season will be vital for him this time around. He will hopefully (fingers crossed) be joined by Czech midfield star Tomas Rosicky who is now over his operations and problems of the last couple seasons. Obviously their is the risk of new injuries coming up in result of not playing at that level for that length of time which will be a worry. I would rather be positive and hope that he can follow the examples of Gael Clichy who had terrible ankle problems and Robin Van Persie who we know has spent a large part of his Arsenal career on the treatment table before the last season.

Rosicky’s goals and assists are obvious, and will be a massive asset to the team but almost more than that is his ability to keep the ball moving and his work rate. If I was building a team, Tomas Rosicky would be the exact player you would want all through your side, skilful, intelligent but not afraid to run 40 yards to track a runner and put a tackle in.

The Chelsea league match at the Emirates was enough reason to show how much we missed Eduardo Da Silva. Had he started the game and been presented with some of those early chances then I would have no doubt that we would have killed off Chelsea nice and early. Football can be easily translated into maths.

Cesc, Arshavin, Rosicky,Nasri = high percentage of chances created over course of season.

Eduardo = high percentage of chances taken.

You can come up with your own conclusion from that alone. What we haven’t seen as yet is a fit and adjusted Eduardo over a whole campaign, without knowing any facts you can predict good things.

The improvement of a vast majority will put the squad in good stead for the whole season.

Will we win trophies? Who knows, only time will tell. We have some very heavy spenders in our league and Champions League so shouldn’t but are we capable, absolutely.

It is time for the luck to change.