The Original Emmanuel Featuring Bob, Cesc And Kolo

Just in case Arsene was short of advice, un petit plus came his way as the original Emmanuel flicked his tousled locks in the direction of the sinking broadcaster, Setanta, and offered some wise words. No, not “I’ve come to fix the fridge“, but:

Arsene is extremely intelligent, he is a visionary. I am not saying that he should change his ways, but if he made slight changes and managed to find a compromise between youth and experience, like Manchester and every dominant team in Europe do, he would find the right mix. But it means spending more money.

Insightful stuff and with football management being so simple and easy, it is hard to understand why more former professionals do not take the plunge into the job, instead of choosing the extremely challenging environment of the pundit’s sofa. I have yet to read anything in the papers or see anyone on TV that actually addresses the reasons for the club’s current predicament on the pitch. Everyone just wants the club to follow the Viv Nicholson route and Spend, Spend, Spend without actually coming up with the necessary funding analysis that goes with it. Still, that would mean that people would have to think for themselves, an abhorrance from which many former players would never recover.

There will no doubt be a plethora of stories this summer about who is joining or which Centre Back or Defensive Midfielder Arsene should sign. With United threatening to streak away from everyone in the money race, signing Pavel Progrebynak would not be the worst move, raising the cost of a replica shirt from £40 to £100 with a full name on the back.

Curiously enough, the perceived wisdom of signing players is no longer emerging from within. Robin van Persie believes that retaining the services of the current squad is as important:

The main thing for me is that we stay together. If we lose three or four every year it is hard to get the spirit in. Hopefully we can stay here and have a real go at it

It is a crucial aspect. Last summer was a time of upheavel even though some chose to stay. A repeat of that is not going to be welcome. Perhaps Mr van Persie you would like to be so good as to sign your new contract and help this process along the way?

Kolo Toure meanwhile explained his own traumas from the past twelve months:

I have been here a long time, and when I saw some players leaving the Club last year that was difficult for me. Then when we didn’t start the season well I was scared. You start to think that maybe the Club don’t need you anymore.

When it’s like that and you are 28 you have to think about yourself as well. But I came back, I’m playing at the moment and I hope that will carry on. There is still time on my contract and I hope the Club will show me that they need me.

The insecurities of the profession are rarely spoken of but in drawing attention to his age, I think Toure has provided an insight into the negative aspect of Arsene’s ‘over 30s‘ policy. That Toure’s contract is probably up around the time he hits that age is no coincidence and seeing an ever more youthful set-up around him probably exacerbates those insecurities. Add into that mix the injuries and loss of form that the last African Cup of Nations induced, little wonder that he was not the happiest of bunnies.

However, he is at the peak of his career and it would be a mistake to suggest that he is no longer of any use to the squad. With Gallas being 31 and still susceptible to injury, Toure can always pretty much guarantee himself 20 – 30 games in a season, if not more. He must have been very hurt to have been perceived as the fall guy for the defensive woes at times, especially since Gallas inflicted some of the disharmony through his off-the-field actions. Hopefully, this is all behind Toure and he can continue to perform at the level we all know he is capable of.

Anyway, another yah boo sucks came from Arsene although this looks suspiciously as if it may have been a quote from last week:

We have a team which is 22 years old (on average), why should we look for revolution? That would be stupid and not responsible. I still believe that when you have responsibilities, you have to make decisions and stand up for that. Until now we have not done too badly. I do not think that the team need major investments.

The feisty responses that have come from Wenger suggest that he is running out of patience with the negativity from without. Either that or as he gets older, he becomes more cantankerous, a malaise that afflicts us all. No? Oh, that will just be me then.

Finally an unashamed plug for The Gooner Review which as their website says is, “a FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY film made by GOONERS for GOONERS on the 2008 – 2009 season. The film will highlight all the key talking points of the season and will feature ex-players including Bob Wilson, Gooner celebs and the fans who go every week to support their team“.

’til Tomorrow.

Arsene Gets Twitchy, Helpful Advice & The Usual Guff

You decide what applies to which piece of today’s post.

First up, some initial thoughts from Le Boss about the upcoming Champions League campaign, although they have the suspicious ring of deja vu about them:

It is a massive difference finishing fourth. I don’t see the changes as being good. I felt it was better to go through the third and fourth qualifiers. That was more logical because there was a difference between champions and the vice-champion. It was OK for them, and the others had to qualify.

To me there is no apparent difference other than those teams who would ordinarily have expected to have been eliminated can now make the Champions League itself. Given the recent performances of the team in Europe, they will be top seeds in the qualifying route for the Group phases that they have to tread. Looking at teams who are currently occupying their countries final ECL places, Arsenal looks like they will avoid Lyon, Valencia, Celtic and two of Shaktar Donetsk, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina.

With five places to be gained from this route, the opposition could well be teams that we have comfortably disposed of before. The season does not start any earlier so pre-season is not altered, the first ECL Qualifiers take place after the Premier League has started. I am guessing that Wenger would rather not be travelling to the Ukraine or Russia for a tie but that is the price to be paid for fourth place.

Platini got his way over this but was manoeuvering himself into a good light with the English media in an interview that railed against foreign ownership, wanting to clubs to keep an ‘identity’ whatever that means in this global day and age, policing the ‘debt’ of major clubs through one UEFA sub-committee or another which in truth means ‘jobs for the boys’ rather than enforcing policies that would have prevented Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea entering the Champions League this season, amongst others.

For Arsenal, ownership may well become an issue this summer. Usmanov was interviewed at the weekend, railing against not being informed of Kroenke’s share purchases in recent weeks to the need for Wenger to sign better players. Startling, he is well-informed, telling us that the Manchester United bench for the Champions League was worth £100m whilst Arsenal’s only £30m.

I am sure that it is entirely coincidental that the Vogon decided to speak out just as rumours surface in the USA that Silent Stan is talking to Philip Anschutz about a potential joint venture at Arsenal. According to The Guardian, the pair have done business before with Kroenke buying Colorado Rapids from Anschutz which gives them a severely large wealth, a shared diverse sporting portfolio and Arsenal their very own Gillet and Hicks. Little wonder that the Vogon is trying a charm offensive, his lack of charm being extremely offensive.

Everywhere you look, Arsene’s transfer options are being decided in the back pages with all of the tabloids having their say – perhaps those in Daily Star stories ought to be paid a tad more attention to as they seem to have the ear of Lord Peter. Either that or Star hacks have the incriminating photographs. You take your pick who you want to see Arsene spend the fees that he receives for the inevitable (so we are told) departure of Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas.

’til Tomorrow.

Arsene Has To Lift Arsenal Blues

Arsenal 1 – 4 Chelsea

0 – 1 Alex (28)
0 – 2 Anelka (39)
0 – 3 Toure (49 o.g)
1 – 3 Bendtner (70)
1 – 4 Malouda (86)

A tortured week came to an end, a brutal lesson in the art of finishing delivered as Chelsea inflicted the heaviest home defeat this season. It was to some extent self-inflicted. Before the game, Arsene ventured the opinion that the midweek Champions League defeats would hit the visitors hardest. He was wrong by a country mile. Chelsea were not the best football side at The Emirates during the 2008 / 09 season; they were the most efficient.

Wenger relegated Emmanuel Adebayor to the bench and unlike previous occasions when that had happened, did not promote Nicklas Bendtner to the starting line-up. Instead, he went with a five man midfield, playing Diaby out of position on the left, presumably in the hope that he would provide Kieran Gibbs with some protection against any Chelsea forays down the right.

For the opening twenty-five or so minutes, the club’s heaviest home defeat in a league match for thirty-two years seemed extremely unlikely. Indeed, a heavy defeat for the visitors seemed the only outcome. Chances were created with Walcott chief culprit amongst those who failed to make them count but Song and Diaby also had the opportunity to break the deadlock. The opening goal came as a hammer blow to Arsenal’s confidence, coming from a not unpredictable route.

A free kick from the Chelsea right came into the box and Alex rose almost unchallenged to head home, off the underside of the bar. What little challenge Silvestre put in was not worth the effort as
the man who ended Arsenal’s 2006-07 Champions League hopes with PSV, planted the seeds of doubt in tired minds.

The team rocked a little but picked themselves up to control possession. Alas there was no end product to peg back the arrears before Chelsea doubled their lead. Anelka picked the ball up halfway in the Arsenal half and brushed Nasri aside, the Arsenal midfielder failing to make a challenge. Silvestre came to meet his compatriot but it was too little, too late as he swept home from the edge of the area, continuing his habit of making people wonder if Wenger let him go too soon. He did not, £23m being a good deal for a player who has flirted with consistency around Europe but only found it in the twilight years of his career.

The interval seemed the ideal moment to re-invigorate his charges but no sooner had the half started than the deficit worsened, Kolo Toure turning a cross into his own net. Three down and a vital spark needed to even contemplate a minor miracle. Bendtner did pull one back, introduced as an energetic substitute, may be with a point to prove but Malouda hammered the coffin lid down on this season with a goal four minutes before time.

The performance was poor in front of goal. The absence of someone to hold the ball or provide a target in the area was crucial. In the opening stages, the movement was good, the midfield supporting van Persie in the attack. Yet that did not last the whole of the game and it is a key attribute in making this system work. With a lone striker, others must get into the box to support and pick up any scraps, or at least keep the pressure on. Too often, once the opening Chelsea goal was scored, players were caught on the edge of the box as the ball was in the area. You cannot score from those positions as often.

Whilst the fingers point at whomever is deemed ‘scapegoat of the week’ – perhaps they should be made to drive to work in a Reliant Robin – too much is being read into an essentially meaningless fixture. Arsenal were never going to finish third with three games to go, personal pride was the only thing that would have been at stake. That should be enough to ensure a peak performance but it was the end of a crushing week, those who are on the sidelines still feel disappointed, so do the players, a fact that is forgotten.

Even then some aspects of yesterday’s selections did not help the team. It was set with too much attention to recent events. No Adebayor, no Bendtner. To my mind, van Persie is much more effective in the supporting role and as such the wisdom of the former duo from the start is questionable. Personally, I am not a fan of a midfield that has a central player on the left with three creative players across the rest of the pitch. Nasri does not yet possess the defensive tenacity of a Cesc or even Walcott / Arshavin. Tracking back is an essential part of the midfield battle, something he will learn with experience.

It raises an awkward question about Diaby. Along with Adebayor and Song, he is the current favourite scapegoat to beat. It is curious as to why Wenger plays him continually on the left, his best games in an Arsenal shirt come when he is playing in the middle. Given he was Wenger’s favourite to fill the central role when the vacancy originally arose a couple of years ago, why is he not being used there. Vela is a more effective wide player in attack and Chelsea offered so little down the right yesterday that Diaby as part of a plan to neuter that threat was wasted. Until he gets games in the middle, his lot will not be a happy one, exacerbating opinions of him.

Mind you, had the result been 4 – 1 the other way, it would have been tactical genius, such is the thinness of the margins between success and failure. Instead a mentally tired set of players are being kicked again whilst they are down. There are deficiencies in the squad to be rectified during the summer, something that not even the manager has denied. Reacting with requests for a new back four are simply baseless. There is a requirement for another centre-half to provide cover and challenge Gallas / Toure to prove they deserve their place, to motivate them to rediscover the consistency of their performances but the number of bad games Toure has had since Christmas can be counted on one hand with a couple of digits missing.

I presume Djourou is not fit for there is little sense in Silvestre playing centre half, a position where he lacks the strength to challenge and compete. Toure lacks height but he does not lack heart or physique to compensate.

A genuinely disappointing result at the end of a hard week. The summer comes with the manager looking to strengthen as should always be the case. Having conceded fourteen goals in the last five meetings with the top three in all competitions, Arsene will no doubt be looking forward to the visit to Old Trafford on Saturday, a game which could see them crowned Champions. Perhaps a spot of party-pooping would lift everyone’s spirits a tad.

’til Tomorrow.

Arsenal v Chelsea Premier League Preview

After falling off a bicycle, the best thing to do is to climb back on it or so the received wisdom tells us. That can be applied to this afternoon’s clash with Chelsea. Redemption at failing in a big match is offered in a fixture which Arsenal must win if they are to have any chance of catching the team immediately above them. Even then, there is only an outside chance of finishing third, Chelsea still required to drop three more points, a tough requirement looking at their run-in.

The initial injury news on Friday was not good from the Arsenal perspective. Andrei Arshavin is still suffering from the flu, no doubt in a pig of a mood as a result. Other than that, there appear to be no new injuries nor anyone returning given that Clichy is now out for the remainder of the 2009/10 campaign.

Personally, I would go with the XI that started the match against United. In particular, Gibbs ought to start at left back, ahead of Silvestre or Eboue. Why? He was, by all accounts, distraught over his mistake in the first half on Tuesday night. He has to recover mentally from that. As Cesc pointed out, he is young enough to do so and needs faith from his manager to pull through. It is a risk to include him. Another mistake in a big match could destroy his confidence in the short term but the longer term view needs to be taken.

Away from Gibbs, there is a wider issue for the team. They have not won any of their previous three encounters with the teams directly above them in the Premier League. On reflection, they should have won at Anfield and against Chelsea at Wembley. A good performance this afternoon will go some way to restoring their faith and belief in themselves, something that will have been dented from Tuesday. Cesc believes that this season contains lessons which will be learned:

It has been a difficult season. For a young squad like ours we did quite well. It is tough, but you have to stand up and look for the future. If we keep going and keep the team together, I am sure this team will have a lot to say in the future

Perhaps he could have a quiet word in Mr van Persie’s ear and tell his own Mr20% to inform his Spanish suitors of his desire to stay at the club.

Samir Nasri observed that recovering from the defeat to United would be hard. Wenger offered the view that Chelsea would have been hit harder by their defeat to Barcelona. The truth is a mix of the two. Chelsea has the experience to recover but age could negatively impact. Whatever the case, they will not alter their tactics from the previous encounters. They will be physical in their approach, it is up to Arsenal to stand firm in the face of them.

A match that must be won. A big performance was promised on Tuesday and was punctured before it began. A big performance this afternoon would be most welcome.

Away from the pitch, I suspect that the behaviour of the supporters will come under some scrutiny for two reasons. Firstly, there will be comments about how many head for the exits if the result looks as if it is going to be adverse. Criticism rang true of those who could not support the team to the bitter end on Tuesday. The hacks relished that so let us not give them a repeat performance.

The second is a more disappointing aspect with UEFA apparently looking into a bottle throwing incident in the Champions League. It is unacceptable to behave in this way. There has been enough criticism of the club for over-zealous stewarding as it is; this merely serves to strengthen their position.

Having said that, I am not concerned by the thought of a UEFA sanction. After all, if they will not do anything more than hand out fines of €3k for racism – a more potent problem than a plastic bottle – what are they going to do to the club?

Enjoy the match wherever you are watching it. ’til Tomorrow.

Arsene Fights Back & RvP

It’s the footballing equivalent of a playground fight, except this time Arsene is the kid being picked on:

I believe we have to take the critics on the chin

And this kid is not for being picked on any more:

We live in a world where everyone can have opinions but it is people in a position of responsibility who make decisions. There is a big difference because people who make decisions have responsibilities for the longer-term of the club, for the survival of the club and for the financial resources of the club.

So, Yah Boo Sucks to you all who doubt the policies we follow. In other words, you are entitled to have an opinion but do not presume to tell me how to my job, (a) because it’s my job and (b) you do not have all the facts to hand, merely media presumptions and suppositions upon which to base your opinions. A bloodied nose for the bullies. Not content with that, he applied the boot whilst they were down:

I do not deny United deserved to go through over the two legs but we did not have an opportunity to show how good we are. Afterwards people always take definite conclusions but I believe the distance between the two teams is not as big as people make it today

That is where the opinions come into it. There is no doubt that a gap exists between the two clubs simply because United are in a more than decent position to retain – not just win, retain – the two major trophies for which they compete on an annual basis. Forget the trinkets such as World Club and European Super Cups, there are two very important trophies. They won them last season and there is no argument. Is it as big as we are led to believe?

Well there is a question for the answer can only come in the future. Arguments about how much money was spent last summer are to an extent, futile. The signing of Berbatov is not a universal success, he is more likely to end up compared to Birtles and Veron than Cantona or Law. Did Ferguson spend more wisely? The evidence suggests yes but does not take into account the injuries to key personnel that have been suffered by Arsenal.

Are they the core reason for the fourth place currently occupied in the league? Partially. However, inconsistency in the opening three months of the season was far more damaging when the squad was relatively strong. The crucial aspect of this season is that there has been no one, single, solitary reason for not realistically challenging for the Premier League title, not progressing to Rome or Wembley. The ‘exits’ have been for different reasons or any mix of them, highlighting the difficulties faced by those on the coal face over the course of the season, as opposed to us who sit in our comfy chairs and pontificate.

Wenger had an answer to Emmanuel Petit‘s criticisms:

At the end of the day, it is down to how strongly we believe in ourselves and how good I think the team is

And those in his squad who opined that new players might be needed:

If you ask the players in what position, you will never get their position. Every player wants to play with big names because it is reassuring

In short, leave me alone to get on with job. I will make the decisions about the squad in the summer.

A key matter is Robin van Persie‘s contract:

Why should we not [hold on to our best players]? I am hoping Robin will sign a new deal and I am trying very hard to get him to sign. I want Robin on board. He is a very important player in the squad and on the pitch he is a very efficient player.

And he is not beyond using emotional blackmail:

We want him to stay because we gave him a chance when he was in a very bad position at Feyenoord.

But praise was not far away:

I think he has developed well here and I don’t see a reason for him to go and he loves the Club.

The Dutchman stated recently that he was keen to sign and would probably be doing so in the close season. Whether he has any second thoughts is known only to him and until he offers his views, I am not going to believe media presumptions that he has been adversely affected by Tuesday night’s outcome.

’til Tomorrow.

Theo, More Questions Than Answers

The exit from the Champions League dominates the news coverage of both clubs in this weekend’s Premier League clash at The Emirates. The boorish and simply unacceptable behaviour of the Chelsea players has reflected poorly on their club, summing up the attitude of contempt that they have towards everyone, exposing themselves for all to see. Arsenal has been no angels in this department in the past but the act has been cleaned up in recent seasons. Doubtless that will be used as a stick somewhere along the line to beat the players with, being deemed that they do not care enough and are just too damned nice.

Henry Winter decided that the nice bit was not true, inexcusably condemning those on the pitch on Tuesday for not rallying around Kieran Gibbs. Thankfully, I was not subjected to a mass hallucination and others saw van Persie and Fabregas talking to the youngster. At least the contents of Winter’s pipe were nowhere near as hallucinogenic as that of the writer of an article I had the misfortune to read yesterday. Between puffing away, all of the blame for Arsenal’s woes this season was heaped on Pat Rice. Not sure what Pat had done to offend the writer, perhaps it was more of an attempt to be different in his approach to doom and gloom.

Back to Winter’s article. It was an interesting interpretation of the recent events, perceiving the major problem to have been the centre of the defence. United’s goal at Old Trafford was down to poor positioning and marking by Toure but overall the failure was the inability to bring about the ‘magnificent game’ Arsene demanded in the second leg, primarily thanks to conceding two goals in eleven minutes.

His observation about Walcott may have some merit were it not for the fact that Theo has done well in his position on the right until recent games when his form has dipped. Has he the ‘nous’ to make the move inside right now? I am not sure but given his contract renewal, he has time to learn. It is extremely good news, not least because it stops the summer speculation on one front but also because it is a vote of confidence in his colleagues.

I doubt that Walcott will be a player to ‘lead the line’ in which case he is vying with van Persie, Arshavin, Bendtner and Vela for that spot. Interchangibility of players is something that Wenger demands and is able to get from his forwards. All of the players can play in two – some three – of the attacking positions. Arshavin and van Persie have done the left, right and centre at international level and are capable of scoring. In order to score goals, you need to be fit to play and that is the crucial thing. Adebayor may miss more than he scores – all forwards do – but this season has been disrupteby injury. Further, if he doesn’t get the service, he will not score, nor will anyone else in the central role.

Elsewhere, Gael Clichy is out for the season which is no surprise. Had the Champions League final been reached, I guess he would have played again but with only third place to go for, there is no point in risking a hamstring or groin injury. Cover at left back is abundant with Gibbs, Traore, Eboue, Silvestre and Gallas able to play there. Something may give in the summer but with the latter three primarily occupied with other positions, it looks like a straight tussle between Gibbs and Traore for the back-up slot.

Manuel Almunia spoke on UEFA’s website following the defeat. England’s upcoming Number 1 will have sent Harry the Hypocrite – into apoplexies with his comment:

We will see what happens in the next few months. It is a difficult situation. I have to think about the pros and cons. I would be very proud but I will have to think carefully

More importantly, he was up front about the summer:

The Arsenal team is a good team, a good squad, but fans expect more from us and who knows – maybe we need some changes to the squad in the summer. But the responsibility is with the boss, who understands what the club needs most and which decisions need to be taken

Everyone knows that standing still will not help the current squad. Freshness needs to come in with various international requirements next year – World Cup Qualifiers, ACN – all likely to take their toll at some point. We do not have sufficient cover in all positions to deal with the negative impact that these fixtures will have.

The criticism Wenger has received this season has not been constructive in any way at all. It boils down to one base point – you are too stubborn. No matter how it is dressed up, there is no construction in that argument, it is entirely negative. The truth is that we can all suppose what happened in the summer when players did not arrive as the media led everyone to believe that they would but we do not know.

There is nothing wrong in questioning the whys, whats and wherefores but for the good of everyone and everything surrounding the club, make the criticism constructive.

’til Tomorrow

Ch-ch-changes demanded – will they be forthcoming?

The reaction to the Champions League exit has ranged from the rational to the hysterical to complete and utter sh*t (step forward Howard, amongst others). Calls for Wenger to go are frankly ludicrous beyond belief, especially as they come from people whose knowledge of football could fit onto the back of a postage stamp and still leave room for War and Peace in its original Cryllic language.

Deficiencies in the squad are real and perceived. Looking at the line-up before the match, I did not hear anyone complaining about the personnel involved. Either doubts were cast aside, quelled for the greater good, or Arsenal supporters are the most manic depressive group of people in the land.

After the match Arsene observed that he would have to ‘evaluate‘ where the mistakes were made. The individual errors need to be stood to one side and the composition of the squad reviewed. I am not sure why this is being seized upon as it is a process that happens at the end of each season. For me, the biggest issue he has to address is the level of cover within the squad for injuries. Let us be honest, that aspect has been frankly astounding over the past couple of seasons. Every club expects to lose players for a week or two at some point but Arsenal seem to lose their personnel for far longer.

Some of those injuries such as those suffered by Eduardo, Gallas and Fabregas are not wear and tear; they are the result of a physical battle. The biggest area of concern is those which are muscular strains, etc. It is not an unreasonable question to ask why these are suffered seemingly more at Arsenal than other clubs.

Statistics on the subject will no doubt prove me wrong, perhaps I notice it more with Arsenal because I care (but not as much as Howard, for he has informed us that he is a better Arsenal supporter than any of us – All hail King Howard ) about the club.

The question is what balance to strike. We are told that we need a new spine to the team yet that was not the problem in either the Champions League exit. Tuesday saw a lack of cutting edge with only one key player not in the side. Had Arshavin not been cup-tied, I suspect that van Persie would probably have been on the bench given his recent absence.

The crucial differences between the sides over the two legs was the directness of Manchester United’s attacking play and the extremely well-disciplined manner of the execution of their game plan. Two early goals killed the tie on Tuesday yet experience would not have made any difference to that fifteen minute spell. Gibbs slip could have happened to Clichy. Could have happened to Nigel Winterburn in his prime. Maybe some of that was due to positional sense. Gibbs is receiving plenty of support from the squad and rightly so.

Yet I ask the question, who out of that starting line-up would you replace? Adebayor? Problematically, he did not get any service. When that happens, no striker in the world will score. The Togolese international has not helped himself with last summer. He touched a raw nerve in many through his behaviour and frankly speaking, should not be allowed anywhere near the press without someone minding him.

The penny in his case does not seem to have dropped entirely that sometimes silence is golden. Re-affirmations that he is not going to leave Arsenal still have a hollow ring to them when they come shortly after talk of Milan and their attractions. He will find actions speak louder than words.

As for other replacements, Arsene can call upon such luminaries as Alan Hansen for advice. Nigel Winterburn proffered the sum of £50m on three players as needing to be spent with an additional £20m on salaries over the course of the contracts. Assuming five-year deals, Nutty Nigel has got his sums somewhat wrong for that equates to £25k per week, more or less. Try trebling that for the stars desired. He did rightly ask whether those amounts of money are available. It is not a bad guess to suggest that they are not and never have been.

The desperation in the clamour for new personnel overlooks a key issue. It may be something as simple as tweaking the tactics that brings the success craved for. Wenger’s previous trophies have all arrived with a mix of passing and directness. The latter element has been subdued in retaining possession. Quite possibly, that needs changing?

Essentially, Wenger has a good squad. A very good one. Like those at every Premier League club, it can be improved. More than anything though, he needs more consistency between competitions. The intensity of the Premier League should be transferred to Europe – do not forget, this team has not been beaten in the league since the dreadful performance at Eastlands. Had that level been shown from August, the questions would have been different. It did not happen but the signs are that they can achieve. A little more patience – is that too much to ask?

As for Nicklas Bendner, leave the lad alone. He did not get as drunk as a skunk before the game. He went out after the match to drown his sorrows, had one shandy too many, apologised, end of subject. After all, how many of you went straight to the nearest drop of alcohol when the final whistle blew…

’til Tomorrow.