ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - Arsenal - And Then There Was One....

Posted by David Young on 03/18/2011

Last Saturday's defeat at Man Utd in the FA Cup ended a dismal fortnight which saw Arsenal eliminated from three of the four competitions they were contesting this season. Only one remains.

The performance at Old Trafford brought to the surface all the niggles and flaws of this current squad. Missing a couple of key players, the team still managed to conjure up some sumptuous approach play. However, their cutting edge was nowhere near sharp enough and defensive errors cost them dearly.

Mad Jens is Back!©Getty Images

So, out of the FA Cup we went and that tournament went the way of the Carling Cup and the Champions League. The Gunners now only have the Premier League to play for. But is “only” the right word?

Ask any Arsenal supporter worth their salt what they wanted to win most at the start of the season and the answer should have been the Premier League. No one ever undeservedly wins the Premier League.

You can fluke the Carling Cup, the FA Cup and even the Champions League (as Liverpool proved in 2005) but no one ever flukes the Premier League. There are never any hard luck stories or arguments. The best team over 38 games always wins it. And Arsenal are now presented with a massive chance to do just that.

With ten games to play and their destiny in their own hands, the Gunners have a glorious opportunity to take the title this season. They now have no other distractions. With the exception of the midweek away game at Spurs on Wednesday 20th April they only have one game a week, providing plenty of time to re-group and prepare for the next match.

On the downside, once again, injuries have come at the wrong time. Wojciech Szczesny, Lucasz Fabianski, Johan Djourou and Thomas Vermaelen are all ruled out for the season. Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song and Theo Walcott are still a few weeks away from fitness. Of these, Fabregas would seem to be the key man. He is the one player who has the ability to elevate this squad from being a decent side to being potential title winners.

More positively though, with goalkeepers thin on the ground, it is great news that Jens Lehmann is back to provide some cover to the end of the season. I love Jens. He is mad like goalkeepers should be. He was part of the Invincibles squad. He won the 2005 FA Cup for Arsenal. More specifically, he has the sort of personality that will hopefully rub off on other players in a favourable way (maybe not Manuel Alumunia though!). If the presence of Sol Campbell helped matters towards the end of last season, then Jens in the dressing room will hopefully shake things up for the good this time round.

There can also be few complaints about the remaining fixtures. There are more away games than home matches but it still looks a shade more straight-forward than Man Utd’s run-in. United also have the considerable distraction of an FA Cup semi-final against Man City and a Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea. Arsenal couldn’t have scripted those match-ups better if Arsene Wenger had done the draw himself.

In reality though, what United are doing ought to be irrelevant to Arsenal. To reiterate: their destiny is in their own hands. It is up to the players to put the disappointments of the last few weeks behind them and focus on what can still be achieved.

Tomorrow they face West Brom away. However it can be achieved, they need to win this game. Who cares if it is the scrappiest game of the season or if Arsenal can only find a winning goal from an outrageous deflection or a mad goal-mouth scramble? What will matter is the three points. After that, the Gunners have an international break in which to re-group after a rough few weeks. It will give injured players more time to recover and everyone the opportunity to get their minds right for the closing weeks of the season.

In spite of the recent disappointments, Arsenal still have a massive opportunity to take some honours this season. It is now time for the talking to stop and the results to be delivered.

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Comments

Posted by Uncle Bear on 03/19/2011

Spot on Dave! I told people that it's not bad to have Barce early in the CL. At the end of day, you have to face the best team and lots of luck to win the CL, anything less than winning it all in this competition would be meaningless. An early exit means we can focus on the EPL.

Injuries seem to be a curse to us though, the loss of Djourou is a big one as he was good partnering either Kos or Squi. But when the latter two played together...:-(

Posted by Arsenal Faithful on 03/19/2011

I think David is too positive and trying to console himself. Yes, BPL winner is a showed of strength and endurance. But still, there are the factor of luck too. It may not be the best team that win. Man U is more consistent than any other team this season (so far). But that does not mean they will win the title

As for Arsenal, if they cannot beat a bottom of the league team to win a trophy, how can u said they are the best team to win the league?

I do think it is time for Arsene to leave Arsenal to give Arsenal a fresh start. He is not going to change the way he purchase players and manage the team. So keeping him will only harm the team in the long term. He refusal to listen to others advice is the downfall of the team too.

I hope hope Arsenal can win the BPL and hopefully get some real quality players next season.

Posted by Kartik on 03/19/2011

hahahaha... lemme tell u that I am a United fan. I loved your comment on Liverpool fluking it 2005 CL and premier league or essentially a league competition goes to the most deserving candidate. But if United win it this time, it would also be a fluke.

Posted by damazane on 03/19/2011

hi David. I agree with u when u say winning the premier league is the biggest accomplishment that we the arsenal fans hope for. you are 100% correct. But you have left something out: winning the title without losing to man utd in the process. I don't know why i despise man utd so much. Losing to that team feels my heart with immeasurable pain.Be it in the Carling,FA Cup,or Community Shield. I'd rather we lose the league title to Man City or Chelsea and beat Man U in the process than win it and lose to man u. Losing to that team hurts!!!

Posted by peter moyo on 03/19/2011

I think the time is up for the arsenal boys to mature into men. Mr Wenger has protected these boys for too long and the perfomance on the ground dont show the desire and hunger that Champions exude.For a long time Nasri, Kos and Wilshere have shown a desire to win. Maybe a psychologist can help matters here...all the best in this dificult away game at the Hawthorns

Posted by Paul on 03/19/2011

I said it & prayed dat, we should win d league, now here we are. D truth is we had no business fightg a 1/4final slot wt barca. If barca bt arsenal, so what and who else should have stopped arsenal? A carlg cup & league success would have biutify our season, Now left wit d league we just nd to put d past disapoint ments behind & get focusd. I dsagree wt ur assessment of d available injured players, d quick recovery of song, jourou and walcot is also important as is fabregas and other possibles. Of all teams in d league we have d brightest chance of winning d league. It is possible, go gunners go. You can do it.

Posted by titansgunner12thman on 03/20/2011

I read this article after the WBA game. While I do like the author's enthusiasm and optimistic attitude, I am not so pie in the sky wild over this team.
It's amazing that the weak areas in the squad are really being exploited week after week. And all Wenger can do is try not to make himself look like the idiot he really is for fielding such a sorry team, by making nonsensical excuses. It's sad. If he doesn't see that this team doesn't have what it takes to win then he really is delusional.
We don't need anything other than defense. If we sign another attacker without addressing the defense, I'm gonna explode.

Posted by KRS on 03/20/2011

I'm glad there are someone out there who actually realise that you can't win a league title on fluke.

I myself am a Man United supporter, and for years I have seen in discussion forums how Anything-but-United-supporters always reduce United's league titles to flukes, luck and help from the referees.

May the best team win, David, and should that team be Arsenal, at least I can accept losing out to a team with a healthy football policy (i.e. youth policy and patience with their manager through tougher times) rather than clubs like Chelsea and Man City who believe in instant success through money not generated through football.

Posted by peter on 03/20/2011

i do not care about beautiful play,just win games,wenger has no strategy for teams that pack the bus and ferguson knows how to play wenger.Mr wenger try something new if what you are doing is not working!

Posted by Moses on 03/20/2011

As I am writing this, Arsenal played 2-2 draw with West Brom where they really need the three point. Manchester United won against Bolton. As an adent supporter of Arsenal I don't see Arsenal winning any cup with Arsene Wenger being stingy. He has to buy experience players from the money he got form selling Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Henry Thierry,Pires,Wiltord, and the rest.If Arsenal cannot beat Birmingham in a cup final how can I put my money on them again Barcelona, Chelsea, Man U. Football is now big business, If u dont give you can't take. Thanks

Posted by chris on 03/20/2011

i now know mr wenger has no intention of actually winning anything unless he can do it without spending, which is bad news for gooners fans as they pay so much money to the club they love. what exactly are they doing with all that money anyway, it really does make you wander doesnt it. i feel they are out to to get as much money from the fans as possible and carry on stringing the fans along with stories of a bright future that they have now been promising for god knows how long now. as far as im concerned arsenal dont deserve the supporters they have any more as they obviously dont care about them.

Posted by mister lizzerd on 03/21/2011

Ha! I like they way you say Liverpool fluked there way to win the Champions League, couldn't be more right there!

Invincible (incapable of being overcome or defeated), I almost certain to say that you have had six years of defeat and probably more to come! Can't call yourself invincible for one season, time to let that rest...

Posted by gaaoone on 03/21/2011

Hey whatever man...the only thing that can be done is for the fans to stop attending games. then maybe we can buy a few players and then start winning. Then perhaps you can start writing your articles on time...This article after our loss to ma you its a sham...good to see you dont bother to analyse how we played. Even you you know that are weaknesses are an opne secret...Enjoy being number 3...
Your are article are really nice sometimes...

Posted by Maran on 03/22/2011

Spoke too soon. Just like Arsene when he boasted about Arsenal's chances preceding the shambolic performance of the team. We fans can only dream, while he is the manager, empowered to change things, make things happen. But he chose to be one of us. Those who have witnessed the match against West Brom would have realised how fast we have distanced ourselves from title challenge. Certainly, even if the team won by some "outrageous deflection or a mad goal-mouth scramble", they never looked like title winners on the day. Someone said that even Birmingham would have performed better against Barcelona. In a very similar fashion, Arsenal cannot even match the enthusiasm and movements of West Brom. Where are we now? Faith is a tricky thing. Our faith in Arsenal is unbreakable and we bear the pain. Arsene is just like us. He does that with certain characters. His unbreakable faith in Denilson, Rosicky and Diaby continue to hurt us badly, not to mention Alumunia. Only Arsene can bear with this.

Posted by Maran on 03/22/2011

The multiple flaws in the current team has been exposed and continue to be exposed. What were you thinking Arsene? In your selfish mission to prove the critics wrong, you had single handedly brought calamity to our doorsteps. How far can a team go without a world class goalkeeper? We have already found out. How far you wanted to walk with the shambolic defence that you have created. How far can the team go without a defensive midfielder? How far do you think any soccer team can go without a leader on the pitch? How far can we go without a lethal striker? Your tactics are well documented that even the reserve team members of other teams can verbalise it without missing an alphabet. We have been embarassed and continue to be. Birmingham took the winners medal from the platter that was offered to us. Barcelona showed the gulf in class. Man U had audaciously embarassed by fielding 7 defenders and won the game. West Brom made us look like schoolboys. Can come back to earth?

Posted by Rizal Ismail on 03/23/2011

The statistics shown it all... 72% possession for Barca, 28% to Arsenal. And what a shame that Arsenal did not manage to put a single shot during the 90 minutes time period.
Its not exaggerated, but Barca IS the best team now. It redefine the terms world class team as they are now at a different stratosphere compare to the world class team

Posted by Davec on 03/23/2011

unfortunately the match against West Brom fail again. Arsenal can only force a draw from a side struggling to stay in the premier league. Very disappointing !!
To sum up what I feel about this Arsenal side :-

- No cutting edge in the final 3rd.

- No leadership

- No teeth

- No strategy against different team. Everytime when Arsenal is marked tightly by the opposition, we just fail to deliver. ( This is Wenger's problem )

- We need to find a way to play against team who close down on us very quickly. Sometimes, we need to change our format of play like high ball to the forwards and play three forwards against weaker sides like West Brom. The last quarter of player was much better when we have VP, Bendtner, Arshaven and Chamak all playing together.

- I think Wenger may need a better adviser alongside him instead of Pat Rice, because I think he looks like a lost man at the moment.

Got help Arsenal !!!

Posted by Ratha_Cambodia on 03/24/2011

David, you illustrate the face about our team very well. Personally, I feel our current XI has limited our reliable player whom could made us (fan) believe in them. As I can see recent games, without Song our team cannot keep any clean sheet at all.
We, the fan, are hungry to see the team win something this year. Please fight the last 9games with your Heart. And I cannot afford to see "Error in the Games" like we did with W.Albion.
Go Gunners...!!

Posted by Glenn Irwin on 03/30/2011

Well lets start by saying if we win all our remaining games we should be Premier League Champions. better than another empty trophy season.
Arsene Wenger please spend the money at your beck and call, we need another back to partner Vermaealan, and maybe another keeper.
I think we should have made a bid for Suarez, he was a great pickup for Liverpool, an opportunity lost i think.
Im lost for words, lets give the Loyal supporters something to cheer about !!!!!!!!!

Posted by Samuel on 04/01/2011

I don't think there is anything wrong with the crop of players Arsenal has right now, infact those guys are trying their best. I think the problem is with their coach (Wenger), he is more driven by profits than trophies. I think he has lost focus, forgetting what the game is all about.

Posted by david Japhet on 06/21/2011

hello Iam david from Tanzania in Africa am asenal fan honest I am not happay for ARSENAL for last season but I think for this season we can change just image when cecs sign for barca and david villa sign for arsenal and nasri play as no 8 or 10 + rvp+ gevinho + jack +song how it will be? and I hope when we get samba sign from blackburn and diffence to be like no 4: veermalin 5:samba :no 2: konciliny 3: sagna and also when we get experence goalkeeper no one be like as we will beat any team. we will be charmpion

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