However, I feel the so-called 'crisis' Arsenal are said to be in has been much over-hyped and exaggerated, and in many ways we can look back on the first half of this season as a relative success since the dreadful opening games and results. After all, on the 1st October, after having played six games, we lay 13th in the table sandwiched between Wolves and Sunderland, and we had accumulated just 6 points. I think you will all agree that we have somewhat recovered from this disastrous start.
There have been many extremely positive results for Arsenal fans to look back on with pride in this 'crisis', and, equally importantly, many encouraging performances. Most notably was the 5-3 away defeat of Chelsea, who, conveniently, seem to be our rivals for fourth place this time round. For me though, this was just one of many encouraging results and performances. Three weeks later was a very solid 2-1 victory at Norwich, which showed a glimpse of the grit and spirit an Arsenal team is capable of to grind out those important points.
The problem is, though, that this is not happening enough. The amount of times, not just in this season, but in the last five, that we have given away ridiculous goals, or let what seemed to be comfortable leads slip is beyond belief. This is the difference between a mediocre 4th placed team and Champions. How many times do you see a Man Utd or even a Chelsea give away leads late in the game?
This is what is constantly costing us one or even two places in the League, and this is what worries me the most. A couple of examples that still haunt me, and many of you, i'm sure, are both from last season. First, was the memorable (for the wrong reasons) 4-4 draw at Newcastle. Even the most optimistic Newcastle fan, and the most pessimistic Arsenal fan would not have predicted this, and, when the Arsenal were four up at half time even I recall saying 'This is a great chance to bolster our goal difference'. And then there was the 3-2 defeat at Wigan, where, similarly, we let a 2-0 lead slip to, somehow, lose.
Another rather vital problem that some Arsenal fans, and the man-who-can-do-no-wrong Arsene Wenger need to wake up and realise is that our squad really isn't good enough. What is really needed in the summer is a squad clearout. This would be the chance to get rid of any players that quite frankly, aren't up to it, and the ones that aren't interested. My recommendation would be:
Arshavin- Great at first, and looked like he would turn into an Arsenal legend after the 4 goals he put past liverpool at Anfield. Now, though, everything that he had in that first year at Arsenal seems to have faded, and it seems as though he can barely put a foot right. Get him back to Zenit and off the Arsenal bench, please.
Djourou/Squillaci- Both are, quite frankly, not top four players. Would make perfectly good defenders for a mid-table team, but unless we want to end up there, i'm afraid they've got to go.
Denilson- Lightweight, very average player. He's not young anymore and just not good enough.
Rosicky- Another player who was absolutely brilliant at first, one of our best players when he arrived, but had a major injury crisis. Some players recover from these, notably Aaron Ramsey, but this guy hasn't. He's not a bad substitute, but I reckon he's not going to be too happy seeing out the rest of his career on the bench.
Nicklas Bendtner- It seemed a good move loaning him to Sunderland at the beginning of the season. And I think it was, because the fact that he cannot stand out in a pretty average Sunderland side makes it clear that he's not going to make it as a top Arsenal player.
Marouane Chamakh- Another 'Arshavin'. His first few months at Arsenal were fantastic, he was our regular scorer with Van Persie out injured. As soon as RVP got back in the side though, and Chamakh was his reserve, he has been poor at best. His movement in and around the box is so minimal it's a joke. Doesn't look confident or able enough to score- get rid of him while we can still get a few pounds for him!
Park Chu-Young- This is one signing of Wenger's that I simply do not get. He signed him at 26, when a Striker should be starting to peak. Yet, nearing the end of January he has started just four matches and come off the bench in one (against Man Utd!) When he was signed, Wenger said about him: He will add true quality to our attacking forces and will be a valuable addition to the squad".
Well Arsene, we would really like to see this promised 'true quality' and if it is not there, get him out.
Now on to the more upbeat side of things. The only current top 6 side that we have yet to play away from home is Liverpool. This gives us a big advantage going into the second half of the season. Defeat away from home to the Man City's and the Man Utd's is acceptable. Defeat at home, however, is out of the question. In fact, I feel as though we are more than capable to beat any side in the Premiership at home. And any side out of the top six we should, arguably, be beating away from home. This is not to say that we are going to get all of these results, but our fixture list is definitely much kinder to us.
We are also close to being able to get back some vital players/positions in the team. The fact that we, arguably, were playing our eighth choice left-back, Nico Yennaris, against Manchester United, underlines the desperation for our full backs back. Jack Wilshere, on the other hand, has had a setback in his recovery from a pre-season injury, and I think it could be a while until we see him back in the team, if at all this season.
We are not, by any means, in an ideal situation, but I feel with some luck, and some good, solid defending (a mean feat in itself) we can get into the all-important Champions League places, and who knows, maybe even mount a challenge for either of the cups we are still in.
One can only hope...
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