Pradeep Kachhala
"Carpere Cladem Ex Ore Triumphi”. As it is our 125th anniversary, perhaps we should place those words on our team badge. "Victoria Concordia Crescit" means victory through harmony. However, the new phrase translates into "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory". Saturday at Ewood Park added to the ever-growing list of games that Arsenal football club have thrown away in the last few years. This team has turned it into an art form, so much so that I believe it is etched within their psyche. Even if we are 2-0 or 3-0 up, past nightmares will always come back to haunt us.
There were some very good aspects to our game: we dominated possession, Ramsey and Arteta linked up well in midfield, while Chamakh managed his first goal since Julius Ceaser was in short trousers (or a toga perhaps). At 2-1 up at half-time with an experienced side, I foolishly relaxed and looked forward to a second period where we would continue to rebuild our season. What a fool I was. Blackburn ran through us like the proverbial hot knife through butter. Wenger may well point to the stats, but every time Rovers came forward they looked like scoring. There was an element of bad luck (two own goals, and one goal was offside) but you make your own luck and we cannot cope with sustained pressure. So no lessons learnt yet, and the alarming decline in form of Djourou continues. Perhaps if Kyle Bartley were fit, he might have got a chance by now to bypass the Swiss defender, who looks past his sell by date. Strangely, the loss did not give me the inner feeling of utter dejection; it is almost as if my mind has now learnt to cope with ongoing disappointment. It could be a very long season...
Santos was described as "being off the pace". I think that is polite speak for saying he looks a bit fat and slow. He was also at fault for Yakubu's first goal. It was a clear gamble to start him and he needs to improve quite rapidly. Annoyingly, Traoré, who is now at QPR, apparently had a cracking game. I am beginning to get around to the Editor's view regarding defensive coaching, or what seems the lack of it at our club.
Lots of talk about the need for a defensive coach. This obviously hit a raw nerve. When the official site questioned Wenger on whether he would look to add to his backroom staff, he pointed out that he had been coaching for 32 years; hence he knew best. It smells of stubbornness and a man who was once seen as a progressive coach no longer looking at new ideas and methods. This is worrying, as surely the likes of Dixon, Keown, Adam et al would be able to ease our current defensive malaise? How many will we concede this season? So far in five games, we have conceded 14. I am going for 45 or higher...let me know your number in the comments below. The good news is that Vermaelen is making progress and will be back post the International break. I understand most will take this with a huge pinch of salt, but surely his partnership with Mertesacker will be key in turning around our season?
Tuesday saw the Carling Cup - the competition which began our 16-game decline last season. I had a bad feeling when Shrewsbury scored, and they more than held their own in the first half. However, a win was expected and the real bonus was the performance of Oxlade-Chamberlain. Wenger was correct to point out that he is not Theo the Second. Chamberlain is a genuine midfielder with an end-product and superior technique to Walcott. I expect Chamberlain to challenge the likes of Rosicky and Arshavin and hopefully his emergence will allow Theo to move to a more central position. Let’s not put too much pressure or expectation on Chamberlain just yet, though. He may find it very difficult against Premier League defenders rather than League Two outfits..
Is anyone going to pay the £125 for the signed shirt and certificate by Arsène Wenger to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Arsenal? Sounds like daylight robbery and perhaps something AFC should have given without any extra charge to all its members for putting up with what has happened at the club in the past few months.
Nice to see Gazidis come out and defend Wenger in a series of recent interviews. I don't ever see anyone on the current Arsenal board with the ba**s to sack Wenger. The only way Wenger would go is if the fans turned on him - he has hinted as much in the past. I would not like to see this happen but, even as an AKB, my patience is wearing extremely thin at the moment. It remains to be seen whether the team has simply just fallen too far in the past few years to reclaim past glories, but Wenger deserves time, and definitely until the end of the season.
Finally, Saturday sees Bolton arrive at the Emirates. As a team, they are going through an even worse patch than Arsenal, which is saying something. A streak of wins and clean sheets would be perfect going forward, but as we board this white knuckle ride called AFC, things are never quite a simple as they should be. Next up Olympiakos. Greek sides never travel well, and if we are looking for our first away win of the season what better place to do it than at White Hart Lane....?
