Tommy Guns For The Midfield

Scanning the newspapers for any update on the injury to Cesc highlights the problems confronting football fans these days. No official word as of yet but still the prognosis by failed medical students across the globe, now gainfully employed as journalists, brings forth a diverse set of opinions, his absence anywhere between three days to a six weeks, all of them requesting a second opinion before asserting that they were right in the first place.

Whatever the case, Thomas Vermaelen believes Fabregas is the complete player:

He’s really smart in his game and in training if you play against him he’s really difficult to defend against because I think he has eyes in the back of his head. He sees everything.He is a good captain too. He has a lot of qualities in football and I think that’s important for a captain. He talks in the dressing room, not too much but just enough

The Belgian was back to his imperious best at the weekend, he and Gallas containing Villa at the back with relative ease. Their partnership has been crucial, giving the spine of the team a solidity that was not consistently apparent when Gallas had others playing alongside him.

Asserting himself regularly on the creme of the English Premier League’s striking talent must surely out him in the running for Player of the Season on this form although as he is not the England captain or the only hope that the country has of World Cup glory, it is unlikely that the Belgian will be considered for such an award outside of the club poll at the end of the campaign.

Arsene has not yet ruled out signing anyone in January, admitting that he is in something of a quandry as to where he would be best strengthening the team:

I have said we will keep our eyes open and if a good opportunity turns up we will do it, but at the moment I haven’t got any (names).

I will have to look maybe as well at midfielders and how big the damage is. If we lose Denilson and Fábregas we will be short there. I don’t know yet.

Were Alex Song not going off, I suspect he would be reticent to invest in the middle third of the pitch. The cover is there for a short term basis but January is a key month. The fixtures are relatively kind to all of the top six. Chelsea have Birmingham and Arsenal visiting Stamford Bridge during the ACN, with a potentially tricky fixture at Turf Moor.

United visit The Emirates and St Andrews which may not yield maximum points. Arsenal play their game in hand next week so consistency is going to be crucial. Each of the top teams has been lax in the application of this attribute but even stumbling sides will be looking at upcoming games believing that they should not drop more than 4 points.

Wenger though received a small but potentially important boost from a competition he would rather was not taking place. The Cameroon FA has not enforced Fifa regulations which require the attendance of their players 14 days before the commencement of a tournament, preferring that Alex Song joins his team-mates on Monday instead, freeing him up to play tomorrow and on Sunday in the FA Cup. The Ivorian officials have not been so lenient in the past nor are they being so this time around with other clubs adversely affected for one game more than Arsenal.

Vermaelen though hit the nail on the head with the midfielders:

Cesc is very important for us but it’s the same with Robin [van Persie] who is also important for us but they’re injured and we have to do it without them. I think we have other good midfielders who can fill that gap.

And with that there should be no argument. ’til Tomorrow.