Footprints

So, how has your weekend been? I've been out and about; visited with family and got drunk with friends, so haven't been paying too much attention to any football played over the weekend. Especially with our boys not playing till this evening. I know Steven Gerrard hit another one of his famous back-passes to allow Didier Drogba to score for Chelsea, but I don't think there can be any suggestion of collusion between Gerrard, Liverpool and Chelsea in an attempt to deny Manchester United title 19. Liverpool are not good enough to beat Chelsea, especially without Fernando Torres, so they would never won yesterday regardless.

Back in Arsenal land, as I peruse t'interweb I see things; things like Theo "TJ and the Penalty" Walcott talking up his England chances and Arsène saying it would be a blow for him to miss out on the World Cup, despite Theo's own admission that he's had a disappointing season. I see things like Arsène talking about being interested by Chelsea's out of contract Joe Cole and Blackburn's young defender, Phil Jones, albeit not enough in Jones' case, to make a bid yet. The talk of Joe Cole is, well for me I'd say it was encouraging if it didn't feel like utter pie in the sky. Cole is in his late twenties, has played in the Premier League for a decade and is one of the most creative talents of his English generation, he'd be an ideal signing I think. And okay, we have an abundance of that type of player, but I reckon he'd be an upgrade on the likes of Rosicky or Eboue- albeit without the physicality that Eboue brings to the table. Anyway, I can't see it happening, so probably shouldn't waste time on it.

Speaking of Eboue though, it comes to something when Arsène talks about the Eboue renaissance as a highlight of the season. It makes me feel like we haven't had much to be proud of this season, and- despite the way this season has ultimately petered out, I don't think that's the case. We've had the emergence of Alex Song as a genuine replacement for the likes of Gilberto and Vieira, the way Thomas Vermaelen has left his inimitable footprint on the majority of the Premier League's strikers (and helped Billy G to recover his imperious best), Aaron Ramsey coming to the fore before being so cruelly chopped down, the form of Cesc, the genius in our midst and... and... oh. Okay, maybe the Eboue improvement is a highlight, but he still has his maddening tendency to go past two or three defenders like they aren't there before running into the next one, or playing a silly pass. Just like Abou Diaby, actually. He has improved, it would be churlish not to admit that, but I still think his end product is not up to scratch and, when talking of attacking midfielders, we could do better. Jack Wilshere better.

It's funny that we're about to- bizarre series of results notwithstanding- finish third, with a higher points total than last season and yet, looking across the team it's difficult to pinpoint outstanding improvement within the team- apart from the ones I've alluded to above. It's not rocket science to think that the perception of the team would have been helped by better results against the top sides this season, but nil points from Chelsea and United, 1 from City, 3 from Spurs and and 4 from Villa adding up to 8/30 tell it's own story. And so, when the end of season poll in the Gooner is conducted and we come to consider team performances of the season, we might think only of how the team rallied at Stoke, the "good as it gets" opening day hammering of Everton, the destruction of Porto and, maybe, because of all his style of football represents to us, the October demolition of Sam Allardyce's Blackburn Rovers.

Ah yes, a slightly (slightly?!) disappointing away campaign draws to a close at Ewood Park today and we can be sure Sam will have spent the week telling his players about how we spit on children and little old ladies when we come to town, that we don't relish the battle and that we can give it out but can't take it. He will be looking to rub salt in wounds that have festered untended since the 14th April and the death of our title challenge. He will be looking, above all, to improve on a record- despite the English media's belief that Sam has got Arsène's number- which says that he has only managed a team to victory over Arsenal in three out of twenty two matches. Or something like that. I think, as we hit the month anniversary of our last league victory- how premature those raucous last minute celebrattions seem now!- we will be looking only to win. I don't particularly care how, but it'd be nice to think we can bring about the latest St Totteringham's day since 2006 (well, it won't get much later than that one, will it?) with a bit of a flourish and end the away campaign on a high. Enjoy the game, assuming you're watching it!

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