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Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
10 Jan	3:00 PM	P	Bolton Wanderers (H)	1	0	Win

One of the great things about writing a blog is that you can make yourself look really clever, by saying something and seeing something happen that immediately makes you like a genius. Or, on the other hand, you say something about someone and it comes back and bites you on the arse. This can happy very quickly too.

I remember writing an article for the Gooner about 3 years ago, suggesting Freddie Ljungberg was well past his best. And most people I spoke to agreed with me, but it didn't stop Freddie putting in a Man of the Match performance the day the issue containing the article went on sale. In fairness though, that game and a couple afterwards really represented the last great roar of our super swede.

Anyway, I suggested yesterday that Nicklas Bendtner should perhaps be plying his trade elsewhere, and bugger me if he doesn't pop up with a late, late winner to sink a rather defensive Bolton. That being said however, it was only his second league goal of the season, his first was against ... that's right, Bolton! You wonder what goes through a manager's head sometimes though. I know it's almost accepted wisdom that any team wanting to take Arsenal on in an open football match at the Grove will get slaughtered, but didn't Hull City show us all that isn't necessarily the case? So when Gary Megson sets up his team to play so defensively, to nick a point and they fall to a late winner, what rational reason can he have to be "disappointed" for his players? Perhaps in his lack of ambition?

Likewise, our man. The gaffer, Le Boss, Le Professeur. Without Francesc Fabregas, without Tomas Rosicky, with Theo Walcott, we have - with the exception of Samir Nasri - one of the most pedestrian midfields an Arsenal fan will have seen over the last twelve years. But still the skill and pace of Carlos Vela is deemed enough only for the bench. Is it any wonder that Ben's words to me on Friday, which went something like "I don't think I'll be missing out on fifty quids worth of entertainment tomorrow" ring so true? In mitigation, it seems like the arrival of Vela might have helped to turn the tide yesterday afternoon. And with Liverpool drawing at Stoke, with Chelsea and United about to go head to head, we will have made ground on two, if not three, of the teams considered to be title challengers. Pesky, lucky, Aston Villa!

Meanwhile, with compelling evidence yesterday afternoon that perhaps a creative player is needed just as much as a midfield enforcer, according to Zenit St. Petersburg, we've had an Arshavin bid rejected. The bid is said to be around £10 million and it is rumoured that Manchester City, though where they would fit this guy in - what with SWP and Robinho - is anyone's guess, are now looking to gazump us. The bastards.

I mentioned the gaffer a couple of paragraphs back, and the veteran of numerous slanging matches with "Mr Ferguson" - wisely, in my opinion - has refrained from getting involved with Rafa Benitez and his hilarious attack on that knight of the realm. "I do not know what it was about". Nice one, Arsène.

I've just seen Tottenham will end the weekend in the bottom three, due to an injury time winner for Wigan.

User Comments

billp79

Posted on 13 Jan, 2009 at 10:34 PM - Reply

the young uns get bounced off the ball too easily...they have to be weened into it...its one thing to receive a ball in open space, quite another to dig it out for yourself.

Kenyan_child

Posted on 13 Jan, 2009 at 05:35 PM - Reply

Arsenal is hailed for having the best youngsters in the world(aside Barca). But this youngsters never shine coz they never get the chance to shine....many might argue that they play in carling cup but how many games is that really.?.? not many...! Only Vela has shined with the limited chances he has been given....N the question in every gooner mind is why isn't VELA staring ahead of Bendner and Ade....yes I said it Ade....don't even get me started with Ade....Back to Vela....He has a scroed a couple of goals with limited chances but whats astounding is the way he scored those goals....He has shown composure, calmness and perfect exsecution like a certain Thiery Henry....n is warming the bench....

gunnerfreek

Posted on 13 Jan, 2009 at 03:27 PM - Reply

Is our midfield really that pedestrian??? in place of fabregas,rosiky and theo we have diaby, denilson and eboue. now they obviosly arnt working out so y not go to the next step - ramsey and wilshire. wenger once said ramsey is direct competition to fabregas then y not play him. wneger also said that it was his idea to play nasri centre. i rememeber during summer some gooners feared nasri wudnt fit in the team as a winger because he played centre for france. our midfield is in direstraits and one man who i think can fix things is ANDREI ARSHAVIN

dw

Posted on 13 Jan, 2009 at 02:21 PM - Reply

for now put carlos vela on the left and bring nasri in side for the absence of fabregas denilson on the right an diaby holding for now

Scott

Posted on 12 Jan, 2009 at 04:11 PM - Reply

Why not play Vela? WTF?????????????? We have no pacy wingers left who will run AT the defense! Oh wait, maybe Eboue is available . . .

Frida

Posted on 12 Jan, 2009 at 04:13 AM - Reply

Carlos Vela is getting eased into the team, hopefully next year he play a more important role.

joshua Brown

Posted on 11 Jan, 2009 at 10:13 PM - Reply

the thing i find funny is that arsenal cant seal a 4-2 win with 2 mins to go .
ahahahahhaha

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