Schalke 2-2 Arsenal - Relieved but Disappointed

I nearly tweeted before the game that I would bite your hand off for a draw, but when the draw was confirmed, it left a pang of disappointment, being 2-0 up means you should be able to see out the game.

At least there were positives, Jack Wilshere makes that midfield a better place, he was buzzing all over the place, he was here, he was there, he was everywhere, Mikel Arteta was his normal reliable, dependable self, the only disappointment was Santi, who looks like a guy who needs a rest as he was caught on his heels for the move that brought Schalke back into the game. He looks tired and Podolski looked tired and Wilshere was out on his feet. But when did the first substitution come in.....81 mins?

That was probably the most worrying trend of the night, 81 mins for a change when it was clear that players were flagging...I know what it told me.


1. Very Thin Squad Depth

&


2. The Squad Depth we do have, the manager is afraid to use it.


Caught in a very dangerous place at the minute because the way players are being used, you can see muscle injuries wrecking our midfield because of overplaying and the managers reluctance to spend on midfield cover now seems a really bad move. Anyway onto the ratings where the match report will play out



Mannone - 6.5 - Adequate night's work from the goalkeeper, no glaringly bad mistakes, wish he wouldn't push the ball out in front.


Sagna - 8 - Thought he was excellent, much praise has to go to Jenkinson this season but when you watch Sagna you realise you're watching one of the best full-backs in Europe.


Mertesacker - 7 - Very good positionally, got a bit of a working over from Huntelaar who squared him up a few too many times for my liking.

Koscielny - 7 - Competent Performance


Vermaelen - 6.5 - Caught very narrow for Farfan's goal and made a tackle which could of ended up as a Montpellier moment but otherwise good.



Arteta - 7.5 - Metronome


Wilshere - 8.5 - My Man of the Match - for a kid who's spent 17 months out, he looks good already, just struggles to go 90 which is understandable

Cazorla - 6.5 - Tired. At fault for first goal.

Podolski - 6.5 - Looks injured, plays slightly better, brilliant cross for Giroud's goal

Walcott - 6.5 - Nice goal but was in-and-out of the game too much for me. 

Giroud - 7 - Ran his heart out and was a brilliant header, looked a bit isolated

Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal - Limp, Lifeless and Lessons Never Learned

I really had to fight the urge not to plaster "This Match Report is Cancelled Due to Lack of Interest, The Players don't seem to care, so why should I?" in big letters across the front page, because it's the same old story lately.

What I find unforgivable was the vibes given out by the team in both halves that anything less than a 8-2 defeat would be progress, at least that was a makeshift team in disarray with a few days left in the transfer window to sort it out. The team looked defeated in body language at kick-off and for a club of Arsenal's ilk it's unforgivable but sadly we've expected this kind of thing these days.

Tactically it wasn't much better either and let's put it out there - Andre Santos is a lovely guy who the players speak very high of - but he's a liability and I really do question the logic and competence of a manager who cannot see the bumsqueaking horror and danger in playing Santos against a team that will adapt to play the team they are playing and use pacy wingers to badly make us suffer, and he might not like it but Vermaelen can play left-back and would restrict the problem. It was easy for Manchester United, Arsenal put out a "Don't Beat Us Too Badly" klaxon out. That should tell you all you need to know.

I'm genuinely worried for the state of the club at the minute, the manager looks like a beaten fighter, punchdrunk and on the ropes from years of not being given the tools to defend and punches coming from nowhere, I don't go into games thinking we'll win easily anymore & even when we're 4 goals up I can't relax.

Am I gearing up for Arsene Wenger's departure from Arsenal? I have been for years and I always saw 2014 as the time for change, he would be seen as the "Gatekeeper" who oversaw the move from Highbury to The Emirates and the shortfall of cash, still managing to get Champions League football against the odds, now I don't even think he'll get that far, he seems demoralized from years with a boardroom who seem to forget its "Arsenal Football Club" - And I do think he deserves better.

Theo-Ry of Evolution

I wrote this for "Pick Our Team" at the start of October, still prevalent now.

The Original link can be found here:

http://pickourteam.com/premierleague/news/05-10-2012/walcotts-theo-ry-of-evolution

Theo Walcott is one of the most divisive Arsenal players I've known since I started supporting the club. You either love him or hate him, it seems.
I can understand the people who love him because he comes across as a well-rounded, well-mannered young lad who only wants to play football and not get involved in shenanigans and brands like some of his team-mates (looking at you Frimpong, although I've just remembered Theo's children's books).
On the pitch, Theo's searing speed is an attribute few have and watching him over the last 18 months I have noticed his attempts to be more savvy in attacking positions, the link-up play he had with Robin Van Persie last season was sensational.
There is always a flipside though and Theo's lack of a killer finish means he's always going to be looked on as a wide player or impact substitute. His negative attributes include being very profligate and a touch that lets him down at key moments, so I can see both sides of the coin. As Theo trundles into the final year of his contract, even I have swung back and forth on whether he should be kept or sold.
I'm actually surprised it's got this far with Arsenal's penchant for flogging players who make it to the final 12 months of a deal (unless you're a golden oldie like Pires or Bergkamp) and talk of Theo wanting 100k a week hasn't gone down well. Is he worth it?
On first look, the answer would be no, but I think he'll click. I can see the player developing both mentally and physically over the last 18 months and think it would be a stupid mistake if he were to be let go and doubly stupid if it was to a Premier League rival. You just know he would come back to haunt us if he was sold to a Chelsea or Liverpool.
Gervinho's "success" in the false nine position should give Theo hope; they both show the same kind of willingness and attitude, he just needs a go. Whether I think he'll get a go is another story. Gnabry has been involved in match days and Oxlade-Chamberlain's starts, added to the contract stand-off, means we might never find out.