A guest Post by @Wilsheristic that looks at the promise that this team holds.
“This is the Real Arsenal!” This hair-raising statement from the commentator resonated among the fans as we celebrated the showcase of spectacular football during the game against West Ham. Arsenal had showed us all a teaser of the movie we have all been waiting to watch. In those twelve scintillating minutes in the second half, Arsenal unleashed the fury of its wrath. On the press. On the critics. More importantly, on the cynics. Fan ecstasy dominated all around while pessimism crumbled.
The performance against West Ham was exhilarating, but I intend to use it more as a reference point than as a focal point for this post. Arsenal is on the cusp of reaching the light at the end of a tunnel and I do not say this without reason.
Lets first foray into the exhausted topic of player exodus. Arsenal’s colossus, Arsene Wenger, had recently claimed that he had in his hands a near-finished product in 2010 – a team which was on the verge of having the potential to replicate the performances of Arsenal’s best teams and one oozing with class and chemistry. This dream was shattered when the procession started. Regardless of the reason, a lack of loyalty among these exiting players was painful to see. You thought loyalty along the lines of “Other clubs never came into my thoughts once I knew Arsenal wanted to sign me” (Bergkamp) was a thing of the past.
Then came Wenger’s masterstroke: Tying six British players down. Six players from the same nationality contracted to play together for the better part of the next 3 years (at least). The move doesn’t guarantee the fact that all these players are going to end their careers at Arsenal but it does, unquestionably, breed loyalty. The list includes Wilshere, who is destined to be the captain at some point and who will no doubt demand loyalty himself and Jenkinson, who has an Arsenal DNA in the true sense of the word (Take that Fabregas!). Add to this list, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud and Arteta, the last of whom had taken a massive pay cut to join Arsenal. Think about it, all these players are in the first (2nd for Arteta,Per) years of their contracts and if Newcastle and West Ham games are anything to go by, boy, this team has got some potential! Suddenly, you have got newly contracted players who are saying “When I heard the song the fans made for me, I felt I could die for them” or “I don’t kiss the badge and go to another club. I am here to stay.”
Sure, you might argue that our season with these players hasn’t been the most remarkable. To understand that, you have to consider the aspect of team chemistry. Wenger’s teams have always played well given time to gel (The Fabregas-Nasri-JW connect didn’t develop overnight). Giroud’s defence-dwarfing passes to both Poldi and Gibbs gives you a glimpse of a budding partnership. Poldi’s passing to teammates despite being one-on-one with the GK gives you a glimpse of a budding partnership. Santi congratulating Gervinho for scoring a goal in AFCON gives you a glimpse of a budding partnership. So, be patient. Good times are waiting.
Next, our strike force. Lets make a few things clear. We are the fifth most prolific scorers in Europe this season. We average over 2.2 goals a game. We have scored only one less goal than Manchester United after selling our main striker for £23m. And, we are just getting started. Let’s discard the possibility of a new striker for the meanwhile. People have been quite critical of Giroud until now and he showed them who’s Boss at Brighton and WHU. At least for the meantime. The near miss against Chelsea at home earlier in the season derailed his confidence. He rounded Cech to have an open goal but didn’t hit the target. Happens. But this is a guy who has top scored in his previous two leagues – one of them being Ligue 1 (Fun fact: Only one goal from headers). That his confidence is growing with every game and that he absolutely loves Arsenal fans, can catapult him into a lethal weapon. I think people have read or seen enough of Walcott to form a positive impression on their own. The dark horse here is Podolski. The importance of his partnership with Gibbs was highlighted when the latter was injured which coincided with the our lack of chances going forward and our defense starting to leak goals. Once the partnership was restored, the goals magically started to reappear and the defense presented a better picture. Surely not a coincidence? Podolski contributes immensely to our offense (part of that thanks to Gibbs) and has become the ultimate assist machine. Him and lazy? No thanks. There’s also the small matter of Joel Campbell and Gervinho, who is in roaring form in AFCON.
Imagine adding David Villa to this fold. *Goosebumps*
Our defense and midfield have been examined enough for me to jog past them, although, I would like to highlight a few points along the way. Prior to injuries to Diaby and Gibbs, our team resembled a fortress. Unfortunately, their injuries exposed an area we were found lacking in: “top quality” injury backups. With Ramsey moulding into the new Arteta (Wenger: CDM position is made for Ramsey), Jenkinson excelling as Sagna’s understudy, an impressive Coquelin on the horizon, Rosicky providing cover for Jack and Santi and a new DM imminent, Wenger has hit the nail on the head. Santos has drawn abuses from almost every section of our fans so much so that we have all conveniently forgotten how critical his goal against West Brom was last season. True, he has had a succession of poor games but in no way does that imply that he is inept. If Wenger, the man who orchestrated the Invincibles run, trusts him, so will I, blindly.
Finally, finances. A lot of people have spoken about this and I will try to have a piece of the pie too. It is safe to say that a part of the reason we haven’t exactly splashed the cash over the past few years is the stadium debt. However, if recent bids are anything to go by, we are on the way back. A bid for Hazard valued at £32 million in the summer and a mysterious £30 million do give you an impression that we are starting to flex our muscles. Though I am no expert, I wouldn’t be surprised if we are not far away from £45-60 million bids. That we managed to finish in the top four whilst having a heavy constriction of finances and whilst being burdened by debts, speaks volumes about our manager and his players.
If the midfield trio of Wilshere, Cazorla and Arteta doesn’t breed optimism, I honestly have no idea what will.
I hope I have proffered a convincing insight into our bright future because I, as an ardent supporter, believe we are on the rise. Let’s galvanize the rise. Cynicism (read Piers Morgan) will only serve to pile on the pressure. Let’s cheer the players on their road back to glory instead of booing them on their way to the tunnel. I will leave you with one of Arsene Wenger’s quotes which, sadly, emphasizes his own situation.
“The biggest things in life have been achieved by people who we would have judged crazy. And yet if they had not had these crazy ideas the world would have been more stupid.” – Arsene Wenger
Positively Arsenal 
I agree with bradyesque7
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Racist commercial? more like too funny.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/racist-super-bowl-ad-jamaica-volkswagen-commercial_n_2583710.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000038&utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false
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And I forgot to say Wilsheristic – good writing
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Paul-N at 6:09 pm – Apparently it is still cool to be able to afford a Jamaican vacation. At J$100: 1.00 US, it is a hell of a deal plus you should have enough saved to afford a brand new VW. Reminds me of an old Jacan proverb: “What is joke fi yuh is death to me.”
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Nice post Wilsheristic – particularly like, as well, the AW quote right at the foot; he’s clearly trying to tell us something!
Interesting rumours coming out regarding possible signing of the Malaga left back …
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Is mikel back in training?
I’m not worried at all about santos looking after things for 3 or 4 weeks. In fact he needs game time and will surprise a few by how fast he “improves”.
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Agree ZP – Santos is a tremendous player badly in need of playing time. The business with the Hertfordshire constabulary back in the summer has clearly done him or the club few favours. He’ll be back.
Good to see you, btw.
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I’m surprised so little comment about how our 3Gs is performing at ACN. I think he lost a bit of confidence at Arsenal. Interesting to see how he performs when he gets back. He’ll battle to get minutes on the pitch at this rate, aside from our traditional subbing of Lukas bang on 70 ins.
What I would give for holiday, with all my kids (4) in Jamaica. We’ve usually had a small Caribbean community here, since independence, but they’ve drifted way in the last few years, with the crisis.
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sorry meant to put this on hear at 0700 this morning but i forgot ARSENAL signing malaga left back nacho monreal ……..oh and i believe we have another player on the way
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Yes, you too Andrew, and all of us. I was pretty shocked and delighted by seeing PosA up so fast. I’m a dolt when it comes to techie stuff, my most prized possession for many years being my old portable manual typewriter, I’ve scarcely moved on really.
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By the way, what day is music posting day. C’mon, shouldn’t it be Thursday, or Friday. I can’t post the music, technologically challenged, but I liked the stuff being posted.
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There will be none of that music nonsense on here Paul .
My lap top wont load it,So I am being a spoil sport
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Looks like Fridays it is, ZP.
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Buy yourself, and us, a new bigger one George, a great big impossibly fast rocket of a laptop.
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I almost did last night .Then I though “,fuck me I could buy a car for that” And scuttled out of the shop
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George you’ll just have to shovel the coal in faster and get a new elastic band
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Please lets not have made up transfer bollocks here.
On a more serious note, I have a confession to make. My wife loves to take the piss out of me for my childlike love of Arsenal and to that end she gave me a football sticker that came with one of her silly tabloid newspapers. I was actually genuinely excited and peeled off the back and stuck it to the side of my PC. It’s staring at me now. Accusingly. You see the picture is of Mikel Arteta and he hasn’t kicked a ball since the day my wife’s voodoo sticker appeared.
She’d better not have one of Larry is all I can say.
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cant believe nobody challenged me on my assersion that i knew about the lb first what a loverly site this is
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Good to see the standard of posting remains top, top quality!
Interesting comments about the ‘nerve’ factor – I agree with those who think the negativity around the team contributes a lot to that as the players are trying too hard and that is where mistakes come from. If only all our supporters could be consistent in their support of the team, we would get such a massive pay back. Sadly there are too many short-sighted people who are more concerned about being ‘right’ than giving the players the backing they need. The quality is there for those who choose to see it as Wilsheristic so wisely points out in his post today.
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Steww, you crack me up.
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Yeah but his wife’s a worry.
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She might not be for long Andrew ,her picture on twitter leads me to believe he is trying to do her in
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Hey ,look at my new twitter name
Positively Arsenal @Blackburngeorge
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Oh thats interesting, george. Did Stew tamper with the roller skates? Loosen one of the wheels so that it couldn’t stand the centrifugal force at play in a Figure of 8 or the G force in the reverse spinning leg over half pike armlock manouevre? Crafty sod. The sticker means she’s on to him though. Careful, Stew.
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Aye, aye.
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Have you figured out where AW buys his croissants yet, Andrew?
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Malaga?
The Qataris opened a chain of bakeries, sun tan shops, football clubs etc. & then farked orf. So in swooped AW? It’s a possibility.
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I’m in the wrong place. I think George is wondering around the corridors of twitter with a baseball bat. Braver than me. I can’t bear to read it all.
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Did people see my post about Adrian Clark and promoting the blog?
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George is the greatest, next to you. He invited me to break some legs on Twitter but I didn’t have the time. Great man to have on your side.
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Sounds very exciting, George. Excellent work…..brilliant
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Who is Adrian Clark, George?
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Anyway. Andrew, if you do find out where he buys his croissants and you get the chance to speak to him. Could you let him know that I really like his current squad, don’t care if we buy anyone in the transfer window and I would like him to sign up for a few more years.
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Well AW’s been spotted in our local Waitrose. Not by me, alas.
Bloody good wine section, they have.
Bloody good.
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It’s funny you say that Frank but I was in Waitrose at lunchtime just wondering what I might say to him if passed on by.
Maybe I’d get him to recommend his favourite wine?
Anyone else with any messages?
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Adrian Clarke then! Dont be stealing my pedantic niche Frank
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I did see your tweet George. Good to see influential people recognizing the value of positivity at this stage when everyone is throwing their toys out the pram. Early days yet.
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Not the tweet Shotta ,the post here at 3.27
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We have signed 7 players in this window.Just that 6 of them were already at the club.
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Talking about wives and roller skates,when I worked at the papers my death in service fee was rather large,many a morning there would be a roller skate at the top of the stairs, or a ticket just for me on an italian cruise ship or servicing the brakes on the car for me, now I’m self-employed she’s filling me full of multivitamins and hiding my cigarettes, woman heh.
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I shall have to show you Liz’s updated picture. The black eyes have come up a treat and the bruise on her nose has more colours than a Barbados sunset. I didn’t even know you could bruise a nose.
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Funny Mel.
I try spreading a little cheer on ACLF now and again. It’s increasingly becoming an exercise in futility.
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Poor Liz; your very own rainbow matron.
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Looks like Nacho’s on the Arsenal menu – long term deal, too.
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I know Harry,I know…..
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Terrible pun Andrew! Still, I can’t get ‘that’ song out of my head now!
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Nacho! Ok I admit I’d never really heard of him before now (on Arsene’s “radar” for a while, was due to be a summer signing, brought forward due to Gibbs injury…allegedly) but I’m bloody excited nontheless.
Welcome to the Arsenal Nacho.
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Nacho. pfft. He’s to short, to light weight and the wrong shape.
Well that’s what I expect to hear in the next few weeks.
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Sorry Passenal – I thought everyone had gone to bed!
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As one might have predicted, an interesting and unusual transfer by Arsenal. Personally I would have thought LB was covered this season. and perhaps next; likely as not AW has unearthed a gem, Cazorla might have alerted or confirmed as such, the club been quietly negotiating for him, and brought it forward. This doesn’t of course mean Santos is definitely out of the picture, because Wenger has been playing him in a more forward role quite systematically off the bench, and maybe sees his potential in the squad set up, Benayoun style, a bit player in this case left sided. And then again, perhaps he was intended to move on this summer anyway, more likely, being a transitional purchase/player and a long term gap needing to be settled.
I have an odd hunch, look borne out by my own football experience, that left sided and right sided are not symmetrical equivalents, but different animals altogether. The hunch tells me that the left side, in attack and in defence, is approached slightly differently to the right side, and is the key to the lock-picker role in breaking down stubborn parked buses. I don’t think it was an accident that Arshavin was bought and given this role, and later 3Gs, and earlier if I recall correctly Freddie favoured his darting runs from the left. Lukas then too was a strategic and important decision. An enormous amount was spent on Reyes for the same reason, Wenger constantly looking for the magical left sided sparkle. From this perspective, we should probably take more note than usual about the latest Nacho to arrive, Wenger referring to strengthening defensive roles should be noted – that reference will be traced to stats.
So everyone and their auntie on every two-bit blogsite thought striker, DM, and I would have bet (I don’t bet anyway) a right sided attacking midfielder/striker to supplement Theo in that role. I’m intrigued by the next moves. Adrian Lopez.
I cannot prove it, but my gut tells me Wenger is plotting a towering team that will eclipse even the mighty Invincibles, and as an economist who grew up in a bistro, his planning is meticulous, scientific even and his bigger goal quite sumptuous.
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