Arshavin's debut on Saturday suggested we finally have a player on our books who will take the game to the opposition. In the first half, he was the only midfield player who, whenever he gathered the ball, showed the intent to have a go at Sunderland. For too many games this season, and especially of late, our midfield has been packed with players too willing to get rid of the ball and pass on the responsibility of winning matches to someone else.

At times this season, Samir Nasri has shown that he can be effective and influential in games, but too often he has shown an unwillingness to take games by the scruff of the neck. Time and again we see him one on one with defenders, only to roll a tame pass outside of him to a full back. When he is in the final third we quite simply need him to run at defenders and make something happen. For him to keep passing to Clichy or Sagna when he is in dangerous positions just isn't going to cut it.

As for Song and Denilson, I'm at a bit of a loss as to what Wenger sees in them. When some young players come through, the likes of Vieira and Fabregas, you can see their class immediately; they are ready to play from day one. In others, like Van Persie and Walcott, you see glimpses of magic, enough to make you think that when they develop other parts of their game, they'll be great players. And then there are the likes of Song and Denilson. Between the two of them there is absolutely no thrust, urgency or ambition, and they rarely attempt to pass the ball in any direction other than to someone standing five yards to their side.

It's one thing for Wenger to play Denilson because he is one of the few fit central midfielders at the club, but it's quite another for Wenger to sing Denilson's praises in the media. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect Wenger to slag off substandard players, but I don't expect him to describe them as though they are Patrick Vieira, either. If he truly believes Denislon is a decent player, we have big problems. Let's be honest, Denilson has the passing repertoire of Vinny Sideways.

On a positive note, over the next three or four weeks Arshavin will be fully fit, and the likes of Eduardo, Walcott and Adebayor should return, with Cesc and Tomas "I'll-believe-it-when- I-see-it" Rosicky not far behind. This should at least give us a shot at a cup competition. We have a great chance in the FA Cup, let's just hope we can somehow overcome Roma, to give our better players a shot at the quarter-finals of the Champions League.