Joe Fitzpatrick 
I get that same old strange familiar feeling that I've been here more than once before, that I've sat here at my keyboard with the same quizzical expression on my face wondering how on earth Arsenal can keep on making the same tired old mistakes game after game after game.
It feels like a case of déjà vu all over again whilst travelling in a time machine on Groundhog Day to me (and my future self too) and it's far and away from the most pleasant place in the universe to be, let me tell you.
Arsenal were widely expected to fail to grab onto the lifeline that Manchester United had so generously tossed their way after their 0-0 draw at Newcastle and they once again did not fail disappoint their slimy smiling media critics or their nearly man of a manager.
Teddy Sheringham's Cheshire cat style grin at Alan Smith on Sky Sports while discussing Wenger's quotes about being happy to finish second for the next 20 years put a downer on my expectations before a ball was even kicked. Failure has officially now been accepted by Arsene Wenger and his beloved young players were going to live up to their manager's much publicised billing by throwing away first a one goal and then a two goal lead!
While Arsenal were playing some excellent flowing football and were good value for their 5th minute 0-1 lead at White Hart Lane, they soon found out that they would yet again let both a one goal and then a two goal lead, slip from their collective buttery fingered grasp. Was it because that horrible familiar feeling started to creep into the hearts and minds of Arsenal fans and players alike as all of Wenger's quotes on mental strength and fighting spirit came back to haunt us all once again?
How gutting must it be for Arsenal's attacking players that the defensive players cannot ensure that they can hold a lead for more than two minutes? How gutting is it for us as fans that our attacking players are not doing enough to help out our motley crew at the back by closing down and pressing from the front?
Legend has it that the late great Brian Clough used to famously make his players and coaching staff take his beloved dog for a walk to ensure that they harboured no doubts as to just who the boss man was. I get the funny feeling that if he was managing this current Arsenal side he might well just do it for himself, because Arsenal players simply cannot grasp how to hold on to any sort of lead!
Arsenal went on to (Oh God this is difficult to write) go 1-3 up after 40 minutes, only to screw it all up again and concede two goals, again letting a two goal lead slip away! After doing the same thing at the E******s! This makes finishing in second place, let alone winning the title, seem increasingly unlikely.
Our attacking play is no doubt very, very good at times and scoring three at the Lane should normally see a side home and hosed for a nailed on win but sadly, not the Arsenal. Yes - I agree that Tom Huddlestone struck the ball exceptionally well for his wonder strike goal but it's not like he hasn't done it before, now is it? Who is closing him down? Ekotto was allowed way too much room to whip in a dangerous ball to the obvious threat of Crouch - hardly bloody inconspicuous is he – and Fabregas then scuffs the clearance straight to the feet of the oncoming, unmarked Huddlestone, giving away a great but oh so very avoidable goal.
Szczesny correctly got away with a couple of strong challenges on Bale and friends but was obviously really over-excited and pumped up by the atmosphere and needed to calm down as it was crystal clear to me that he was at some stage going to concede a penalty. All I'm saying is that someone should have had a word with him to get him to calm it down a notch or two, that's all.
All throughout the 3-3 draw with Tottenham and our last three draws at home I've been imagining what it would be like to have a young Brian Clough as our manager, if only to amuse myself and dull the pain of disappointment by focusing my mind on the absurd as opposed to this harsh reality. It goes something like this..
“Clichy! Gael! Now, now young man, you're not doing your job! If he gets the f***ing cross in, then, young man you can't be doing your f***ing job now can you?
Sczc..Schni. Aww bugger it, CHESNEY!! Calm down young man, take a deep breath, come on! That's more like it! Keep your wits about you young man! Don't panic! Good lad!
Great potential that lad but a bit on the bloody cocky side, mind you. Needs to sort his kicking out.
Kos! Jurr-oo!! Talk to each other lads!! You're not f***ing both deaf are ya? No? Well bloody well help each other out a bit more then, shout at him! He won't bite you, will you young man?”
What is Arsene Wenger coaching into his players? To literally go to pieces just after we score a goal? To in effect not teach them how to defend a lead?
In Sunday's Liverpool match Szczesny’s poor distribution did indeed cost us dearly in the end, as retaining possession could have won us the game. In the Tottenham game he seemed to be shanking a few of his long kicks and over hitting a few of them as well but I was wondering just who he is aiming for with those kicks? Van Persie? - He is no Andy Carroll and neither is Abou Diaby. Arsenal should be playing it out from the back unless they're going to kick it accurately to either Chamakh or Bendtner and getting bloody bodies into the bloody damn box! What they are doing at the moment is half-hearted and illogical because if they are not going to set up properly and really try to contest the aerial battle then they shouldn't be giving the ball away every five minutes.
If Wenger wants us to play like Barcelona he should notice the fact that Barcelona don't shank the ball into Messi's general direction at all, ever, as they try and keep possession even at goal kicks. And they do it well too, don't they? If Arsene Wenger really wants us to be like Barcelona now or the Dutch team of the 1970's then he should look at the defensive qualities those sides have/had in their lockers as well as the silky smooth passing.
What Arsenal do is silly fouls, positional errors, lack of communication, especially at the back, and giving away possession needlessly way too often without finishing enough moves with a shot on target! Phew! Well, that's most of it anyway! Arsene Wenger should be coaching these mistakes out of his team but after the last few years it seems like he and his coaching staff are ingraining defensive errors into certain players rather than working on them. Wenger will think after the game "if only we scored that chance..." - his stupid comments after the game bear out that theory - whereas someone like Jose Mourinho or Alex Ferguson or Brian Clough might say, "if only you defended more intelligently..."
If Wenger doesn't want to teach these boys how to defend he should get someone else to do it, literally anyone else but him. Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Lee Dixon, Steve Bould, I don't care who it is, we just need someone to sort it out! Wenger is not doing his defensive players any service whatsoever by not correcting their flaws. By not giving Clichy a good bollocking for always either being caught in possession or playing everyone onside Wenger has allowed Clichy to become a worse defender. Has Eboue also gone backwards under Wenger? You could easily make a case for that too in my opinion as he seems to be even more error prone lately and diving more than usual too.
