Paul Skinner
Just after the Tottenham game I sent in a quick message saying that I thought that this would be the last lesson that a good side needed to learn and that we would be top at Christmas. Clearly I was looking through rose tinted spectacles, but was my faith completely misplaced? I wrote a submission after the Wigan away game last season, a game which I unfortunately attended and said some very negative things about Arsene and the then current squad. Again, this season, I was disappointed that Arsene made so many changes against Wigan and we only drew 2-2. I wanted us to ride roughshod over Wigan, score 5 and go top as I predicted, but because what he did didn't quite come off was it really the wrong thing to try to do?
We seem to forget that we are still in the mix and if we were to depose King Arsene, who would we replace him with? Ferguson has drawn 8, Mancini has lost 4, Ancelloti has lost 5, or heaven forbid Redknapp, who has also lost 4.
Wenger is suffering now, because of his initial success and the idea that resulted that he was perfect, AKB. Winning the league is about percentages, the aim to get most of it right over 38 games. Arsene played his percentages against Wigan, the aim was to get 3 points but with as little impact as possible on his first choice eleven, he only got 1 point, but we did come close.
I put a bet on at the start of the season that we would win this league, and often I really do doubt that I will win that bet. But I do believe that game by game the squad, not just the best 11, is getting stronger and that it is still possible.
Last season, many people were complaining that we didn't put strong enough sides out in the Carling Cup, a competition that we were just throwing away. This season Wenger has put out stronger sides, although why he has done this is a matter of contention. However now we have a great chance of going to Wembley and winning a trophy. However, tickets for the semi final - even at the reduced prices - are going out on general sale. So where are all those people who want us to try harder in the Carling Cup? Is it that when they get what they want they don't really care about it?
I really do think, we should start looking at positives from this side and get behind them, they really do have what it takes. Cheer up and have a Happy New Year.
