Cesc Promoted to Arsenal Captain.

I'm scared to be honest.

Not because Cesc is 21, not because I think that its too much responsibility for him, not because I think its the wrong choice. I'm scared because I think he will be successful.

Let me explain.

So far this season, we have heard Wenger defending his position on the lack of fresh meat being drafted into the ranks during the closed season; instead, he promoted a few "new" faces from the Academy squad up into the "First Team Squad". Ramsey, Randall and Wiltshere have made one or two appearances there and impressed. But as we are all aware, we have lost a lot of talent over the closed season and not replaced it "like for like". Our midfield and defensive gutlessness has been well publicised. My real concern now is the timing that this decision has come about. I'm frightened that Cesc's appointment will have the expected / desired effect - that being to galvanise an ailing side. To bring the team together, install a "warrior mentality" (if I may borrow a phrase from William "Mad Murdoch" Gallas). Because if this happens too well over the next 5 weeks, it will in all possibility bring Wenger out with the re-assertion of his belief that he did not need to spend in the summer and so he does not need to spend now at the forthcoming winter break.

That would be catastrophic.

We just do not have the size of squad to have those kind of thoughts. I'm not second guessing Wenger, I'm not claiming to be a better manager than him... BUT, Arsenal are (WARNING - unverified facts ahoy) the serially injury-proned team in the Premiership over the past 4 years; and to compound that fact the injuries we continually suffer throughout those seasons have all been key influential playmakers for our style at that part of the season. This
then results in a make-shift team being played, stuttering performances and a lack of confidence.

The Cesc Factor that were are about to experience could backfire on us in a terrible terrible way, so far as to make me think that if major signings are not made during the winter break we will struggle to make the UEFA cup next year.

The team will respond to Cesc's appointment. They will be buoyed. They will turn on the style. But that is no cure for the underlying problems we have with the squad. We do currently lack presence, persona, natural leadership and authority. We do. And when thing start to go well this winter that will be overlooked, then you can bet your arse that the arse will fall out of the team and our results towards the end of the season.

THAT scares me.

Dubaibury.com

Original post & more can be found here

Arsenal 4 - 4 Them Trust me, I really do not want to talk about this. I really don't. So writing this entry is not a smart move, even though technically I would be writing about it rather than talking about it. It's taken me around two days to finally do it so far. Long story short, we handed Them a draw instead of sealing a win for ourselves and taking all 3 points. A lot of reaction following that shower of shite, was about how we should have kept the ball and shut the end of the game down at the end. 4-2 up in 89th minute and then to coin a well thumbed phrase… the arse fell right out of it. Now. For me - a thing I have seen happen over the years, probably starting around 7 years back is that we would ALWAYS try and defend a one nil lead and nearly always to detrimental effect. It became a painfull thing to watch. There is a very good philosophy of always defend a two nil or 3 nil lead. Never a one nil. Why ? Because, while defending / holding on to the ball, you will more often than not spend a great deal of time in the centre of the pitch or in your own half. Should something happen (let's say, towards the end of a match for example…) and the opposition manage to score - then not only have the equalised from a losing position, their tails are now up and are then bouyed up to go and snatch a winner whilst you are arguing amongst yourselves at who was to blame for the goal, mpoments of disarray, disorganisation, confusion… yeah its possible they could just nip a winner in the final moments. So, that’s why I was glad to see that the Arse had finally developed the attitude of not turning off towards the end of a match. Always forward. With the intention of putting the opposition to the sword (not that we have ever executed that skill that well). So, on Wednesday night it was good to see that we smelt blood and constantly pushed forward. Let's be clear about this, the last two goals were not about us committing to much up front. They came from our defensive errors. At that point both Walcott and RVP had been substituted so eased off applying the pressure on Them. A single striker up front, with no feeds. Diaby on for RVP to shure up the midfield where we had been fairly ineffective for large periods of the match. We invited Them to come at us. And they did. For the mathematicians among us, it can be explained thus : Errors + slips x bad marking + (un soupçon of fuckwittedness x a lack of understanding of what the North London Derby is all about) = 2 goals in 5 mins = 4-4 draw = very fucking unhappy campers. Ahead of the Stoke match tomorrow, we hear that (strangely enough) Gallas is injured. Errrrmmmmm. I think Bollocks, is the word I was searching for there. UK newspaper air traffic control reported that there was a spot of turbulance in the Emirates home dressing room after that match and Gallas didn't fasten his seat belt when he was asked very nicely, several times to sit down and shut the fuck up by the otherwise meek and humble stewardess Miss Adebayor. Personally I would suggest that Gallas has stated injury to avoid being publically left out (i.e. dropped). He certainly didn't look like he had a hamstring injury to me as left the pitch mumbling something quite unsavoury in French about someones mother to his other schitzophrenic cranial neighbour "Good Gallas". Some would say that the injury would be a cover story for him being dropped, but considering that Arsene makes a Friday press conference before Saturdays games and does not unveil the team sheet until the morning of the match; this cannot be the case. Even in his most unpleasent of plastic cup bouncing induced moments, I don't see him being cajouled into finger pointing and announcing "Oi, yoo ya fucka's - yoor dropped, yoor dropped an yoor dropped n'all ya faahkin cunts". But then again, 4-4 against Them on our manor does rather smart a bit.