Fabianski Takes Tentative Steps On The Road To Redemption

Attention returns to domestic football, the Premier League clash with Chelsea on Sunday looming on the horizon. Didier Drogba is being hailed by his teammates as their lucky charm, the record books show he enjoys playing Arsenal, seemingly able to score at will irrespective of the defence which faces him. A little different this time for the Ivorian as he will not have rubbed shoulders with Squillaci or Koscielny, a stern test of how well the pair have settled into English football awaits.

Disconcertingly for Chelsea, Lukasz Fabianski had a good game on Tuesday in Belgrade, seemingly replicating his training ground form into a match scenario, Arsene feeling vindicated (or relieved, depending upon your view of the Pole) that his goalkeeper for the night proved his critics wrong on this occasion. A single match does not make a career – although it can quite easily destroy one – and the moodswings of the media have been startling in the aftermath of the Champions League.

Suddenly, Fabianski is a hero, not far short of a world-beater in their eyes, twenty four hours after being told that he was as much use as a chocolate teapot. Little wonder that he told the official site he takes no notice of his critics. You would have thought that the media would be a little more wary of upsetting a man who learned English by reading The Godfather. A few ideas in dealing with his enemies will no doubt have sprung into his mind in recent months.

Manuel Almunia is apparently not going to be fit a few games, the Conspiracy Theorists – or 5Live listeners as we know them better – wonder if history is repeating itself with the Spaniard being usurped from the starting line-up in much the same way he found himself as Arsenal’s Number One. Jens Lehmann made two errors for soft goals in his last season and despite not doing much wrong otherwise, he was out. Almunia had little reputation before taking over, the parallels between then and now are uncanny.

Fabianski is getting support from his teammates. The manner of abuse from the ‘terraces’ that the Pole receives highlights the unity in the squad, a mentality of standing and falling together, something Wenger has been looking to foster (or fester if you bemoan the lack of beer swilling, chainsmoking good ole ‘English characters’ in the dressing room). Jack Wilshere indicated that the squad are not unaware of the feelings towards those who are the last line of the defence:

It’s been hard for our ‘keepers at the moment and that was a great reponse from him. He made a good save at the end as well. Fair play to him.

Of course, Fabianski is not going to be able to dismiss the errors which have previously occurred, nor is he going to forget them either. Every interview with the player suggests that he is aware of his weaknesses  and strives to correct them. Over time, he may do so and prove to be a good goalkeeper for the club. Szczesny certainly thinks Fabianski is the best at Arsenal at the moment, although an element of modesty may have precluded him from saying that he thought he was top dog.

Like Almunia, Fabianski does not have the luxury of time. He is only going to be remembered for his latest mistake, such has been the level of performance in the first XI. Consistency of performance will put those into the mists of time. He has faced his demons in Europe and conquered them successfully. This Sunday offers him the opportunity to conquer Premier League and FA Cup demons. He has to succeed.

’til Tomorrow.

Arsenal’s Progress In Champions League Continues Unabated

…or Serbs You Right For Doubting

Champions League Matchday 2, Group H
Partizan Belgrade 1 – 3 Arsenal

0 – 1 Arshavin (14)
1 – 1 Cleo (32 pen)
1 – 2 Chamakh (70)
1 – 3 Squillaci (82)

Jovanovic sent off (53)
Arshavin missed pen (54)
Cleo missed pen (83)

Arsenal took another confident stride towards the knockout phases of the Champions League, comfortably easing past Partizan Belgrade. The Serbs had promised a hostile atmosphere but it turned out to be more monotone and monotonous than partisan. Such was Arsenal’s dominance that they could afford another penalty miss, Andrey Arshavin the culprit this time around, the list of takers diminishing as his poorly taken penalty was saved by Stoijkovic’s feet.

Criticism of Lukasz Fabianski eased a little, the test being whether or not he can consistently produce the performance levels he showed last night. A late penalty save from Cleo, the Pole almost Laine down to stop the gently stroked effort. Aside from that he had little to do and when it was required, he produced the necessary saves, maintaining his concentration levels through to the final whistle.

Wenger promised that he would make changes following the home defeat to West Bromwich Albion and they were duly wrung, but not too many. Djourou and Gibbs replaced the rested Koscielny and Clichy, Fabianksi and Denilson the injured Almunia and Diaby whilst Wilshere and Rosicky were restored to the starting line-up. The spluttering electrics gave a hint of the evening ahead, Arsenal not at their fluent best, momentary flickers enough as the power was stored in the generator ahead of the weekend visit to Stamford Bridge.

The opening exchanges were unsurprisingly in Partizan’s favour. Cleo dallied, Squillaci harried and Denilson completed the clearance as the Serbs brought danger to the Arsenal penalty area. Fabianski was given a rude welcome to the match as Djourou’s weak header almost allowed in Boya, the Pole clattered in making a clearance he appeared not to know much about.

It was a sideshow however, the main act stepped up to the stage. Arshavin scuttled into the Partizan area, feeding Jack Wilshere. The youngster took two touches, keeping the ball under close control, not allowing the home defence an opportunity to steal possession, before returning the ball to the Russian who drilled home from ten yards. One-nil to the Arsenal, a familiar refrain.

There should have been more, Arshavin was profligate in front of goal, Stoijkovic saved from he and Rosicky before Arshavin lifted the ball over the former Wigan Athletic goalkeeper, only to see Jovanovic make a timely interception before the ball reached the goalline.

With half-time approaching, the missed opportunities were rued. Denilson needlessly handled Petrov’s cross and Cleo very calmly slotted the spot kick home. It looks good when it works but as the Brazilian-born Serb would find later to his cost, lazy when it does not as he would find to his cost later in the match.

Unsurprisingly, Partizan were bolstered and Arsenal slumbered through to half-time, a state of affairs which continued into the second half. Ten minutes in, Arshavin lofted a pass over the top of the Partizan defence, Chamakh became entangled with Jovanovic and used his experience to finagle a spot kick. The Serbian international received a red card for his fumbles, the Moroccan crumbled to the turf under the least influence. With Nasri on the bench, Arshavin crossed himself from the list of penalty takers, attempting power but finding only the feet of Stoijkovic as he dived to his right.

Numerical supremacy confirmed Arsenal’s ascendency in the match. Wilshere had a good run halted before he could find the power or direction in a shot to restore Arsenal’s lead whilst Arshavin was again denied moments later.

The threatened breakthrough was not long in coming. Rosicky crossed and saw Chamakh rise above his marker to send a header crashing onto the crossbar. Such was the power that the rebound was on the edge of the six yard area before anyone but the Arsenal forward realised, Chamakh crisply heading home. The match’s outcome, if not the scoreline, was sealed.

Ten minutes later, Sebastien Squillaci confirmed Arsenal’s maiden victory on Serbian soil, timing  his jump to meet Samir Nasri’s corner, a deftly angled header from the near post settled matters.

There was still time for the expected mistakes from the Arsenal goalkeeper to happen. Except no-one had told Fabianski this. Within a minute of the restart, Gibbs fouled ruthlessly on the edge of the area and Cleo’s tame effort from the resultant penalty was effortlessly turned aside by the Pole. And as the final whistle beckoned, a resounding stop from Iliev capped an excellent night’s work for the goalkeeper.

The shrill peep signalled the end of a ‘bits and pieces’ win. ‘Bits and pieces’ of the performance were excellent and provide good foundations for the trip to Chelsea. And sometimes, it is the wins carved from a performance which is not at the top of level of expectations do more for confidence than a crushing victory.

’til Tomorrow.

Partizan Preview: A Return To Winning Ways Needed

Against a backdrop of criticism, Arsenal has travelled to Belgrade with Lukasz Fabianski the main target although the tabloids are not letting Wenger off the hook so easily following the weekend’s defeat.

Desperation may have taken hold in the blogosphere but the manager is relatively calm over the loss to West Brom:

It is our first loss this season so it is not a catastrophe

That rather depends upon whom you ask, Arsene. For those with agendas or column inches to sell, it most certainly is a disaster, all the while conveniently forgetting that in the previous nine home games, two goals had been conceded as well as notching up seven clean sheets. Not bad for a team which apparently is filled with useless goalkeepers and defenders who cannot tackle.

Whilst this evening has come quickly and allows the players to shake the disappointment of losing from their system, Arsene might have preferred an extra day to prepare. The squad he has travelled with is remarkably similar to that which took part at the weekend, Diaby and Almunia absentees through injury. Both were criticised at the weekend although the Spaniard has found himself the unlikeliest of champions for his cause, Ian Wright. Despite some errors – with Casillas in goal, very few others have been awarded caps by Spain – it is difficult to disagree with a lot of what he says. I know, I found myself feeling weird writing that. Agreeing with Ian Wright? Yea Gods, it is going to be an odd day indeed.

Fabianksi needs a good match this evening. Not just to silence some of his critics but in case he is needed at the weekend. Going into the Chelsea match with the media and the Arsenal public on his back will intensify the pressure he puts himself under. He knows that his performances last season won him few friends, the mistakes he made were costly in terms of goals conceded and points dropped. Wenger needs the performance to allow his players to concentrate on matters in hand, rather than being mired in a deluge of castigation.

Partizan won’t make things easy. They were unbeaten in their domestic league last season and have continued the run into the current campaign. There is a difference between the standards of any domestic league and the Champions League but remaining undefeated that long breeds confidence. That said, it is a fixture in which Arsenal must look to triumph and indeed has the personnel in the eighteen man squad to do so.

Sebastien Squillaci was dutifully respectful of tonight’s hosts:

It’ll be difficult. Partizan are a good team, very strong technically, and it’s away from home of course, so we have to be ready to battle for the right to play our own game. We know we have to be good to go there and win.

Wenger has promised changes but I suspect there will not be too many of them. Wilshere and Rosicky must surely return to give the team more attacking bite in midfield, probably at the expense of Eboue in midfield, the young England international the natural replacement for Diaby. It seems that Arsene is brave enough to blood youngsters if they are good enough despite what certain Polish goalkeepers might believe.

Defensively, it would be a curious decision to replace Clichy with Gibbs, especially given the initial concern over his injury. He would need to be fully recovered, surely, for a starting place tonight. It is not hard to believe that Sagna will be rested for Eboue though. The French defender did not enjoy the best of afternoon’s against Albion but is there a risk in making too many changes to the team, rather than letting them play themselves back into form?

I would expect a starting line-up tonight of:

Fabianski; Eboue, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy; Song, Wilshere, Rosicky; Nasri, Chamakh, Arshavin

Within that, there is room for change. Squillaci could drop back into the starting line-up to give Koscielny a rest, the younger of the French duo not out of the side save for suspension this season. Equally, Wenger may decide that the axis of Wilshere and Lansbury performed so well that Nasri or Arshavin can be considered expendable for kick-off, substitutes if needed.

Having demolished Braga in the opening fixture, a win tonight brings qualification to win four or six points. Two remaining home games gives a certain comfort in those numbers and allows for genuine rotation for the trips to Ukraine and Portugal. A win tonight with an outstanding performance wipes the memory of the weekend ahead of Chelsea. Incentives all round.

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

Saturday Is In The Past: Learn The Lessons And Move On.

Ahead of tomorrow’s clash Manuel Almunia has been roundly criticised, George Graham the latest to tell him that he simply is not good enough for Arsenal and that the club will not win a title with him in goal. Which no matter what the truth is, does little or nothing to help his confidence. Not that this matters as the Spaniard is to be replaced by Lukasz Fabianski, having picked up elbow-knack in conceding the first half penalty on Saturday. That might partly explain the second goal being gifted to Albion.

Arsene observed that it was obvious after five minutes that the performance was going to be substandard. Presumably he felt that making changes that early on would be too self-defeatist to do so and to an extent you can understand the logic. However, a change at half-time with Wilshere or Rosicky coming on might have influenced the game positively rather than allowing the visitors to storm into a three goal lead before an hour had passed. Still, it water under the bridge and cannot be changed.

Crucially, the squad is aware of the shortcomings in the performance. Andrey Arshavin summed it up on his website:

Firstly, we didn’t play well today. Secondly, it won’t do for us.

There is not much to add to that; his analysis was succinct and to the point. All that matters now is to learn the lessons and move on.

With the trip to Belgrade so close at hand, the chance to rectify matters is upon us. Wenger has promised to make changes, one of which might be at left back with Keiran Gibbs apparently having a test in training, a prelude perhaps to inclusion. Gael Clichy is being roundly criticised for his form in recent games and is having doubts cast over his long-term future by naysayers. His consistency has waivered yet to dismiss him so blithely is barely credible. Indeed, it is incredible. Going forward, he seems to have improved his distribution whilst defensively, I do not see any deterioration in his performance over the last two season. There is a strong argument that he has improved positionally but like all of the players, he needs to eradicate the mistakes which prove costly. Hard as it is to swallow, errors made by the top sides are punished more readily by the ‘lesser’ sides, perhaps evidence that this season is going to be a tougher title to win than previously thought.

A peculiar weekend results wise with plenty of dropped points, Manchester City the big winners. As it stands, we are no worse off than before but no better either. The defeat needs to be removed from the squad’s collective consciousness without forgetting to learn the lessons, complacency the key one. Tomorrow will be a tough test with Partizan probably fancying their chances of getting a result in the home match in this group, a result they need to have any hope of qualifying. Arsenal need the win to go into Sunday’s clash with Chelsea in a positive frame of mind; we need a win to stop the carping.

’til Tomorrow.

Too Many Passengers As Baggies Cruise To Victory At Arsenal

Arsenal 2 – 3 West Bromwich Albion

0 – 1 Odimwingie (50)
0 – 2 Jara (52)
0 – 3 Thomas (73)
1 – 3 Nasri (75)
2 – 3 Nasri (90)

Odimwingie missed pen (37)

Having seen Chelsea lose at Manchester City, Arsenal would have entered this match confident of victory and cutting the gap to the Premier League leaders to a solitary point ahead of their visit to Stamford Bridge next weekend. As it was a lifeless performance maintained the four point deficit, individual errors contributing as much as the collective to a defeat that should never have happened.

Chief scapegoat this morning is Manuel Almunia but to pin this all on the goalkeeper is to allow others to escape criticism. There is no doubt that the Spaniard has given Wenger a headache, one he must have thought was not going to arise given the performances his first choice goalkeeper has put in this season. They have been forgotten as the abuse has fallen on Almunia’s head in a deluge. Culpable for the second, he was not the only miscreant for the third but a major contributor.

Post-match, Arsene was deflated and bemused, mixed in with the palpable anger, a potent cocktail for the players to handle. Rightly so, he told the world that his charges took from the game all that they deserved: “zero points”. As vibrant as the performance had been on Tuesday night, this was limp. Verve, fleet of foot, quick-minded; all words associated with the team on a regular basis. All words which will be missing from any analysis of this fixture.

Wenger took the final fifteen minutes as the ‘positive’ from yesterday; it shows the paucity of options that he has. It seemed watching his post-match press conference that he struggled to withhold criticising his goalkeeper in public, a familiar feeling following the chastisement that Fabianski received for Robbie Keane’s ultimately irrelevant equaliser in midweek.

Wojech Szczesny is being called for, Superman may arrive. Those who demand, and chastise Wenger for not signing, Mark Schwarzer would do well to heed his performances this season for Fulham; the required improvement he is not. Amid this clamour, Vito Mannone must feel like an interloper at the goalkeeping party.

Changes were wrung by the manager from Tuesday, tiredness must have dictated his thinking – This can be the only reason for Wilshere not starting, Denilson usurped by the returning Diaby – with an eye cast eastwards to Belgrade. He, like the players, had this one pencilled in as a home banker. It proved to be anything but that, crushingly so.

If anything, the lessons from the Stadium of Light had not been heeded. That performance was not as flat as this but the personnel lacked the spark. Yet the result could have been different. Barely a quarter of an hour passed, Samir Nasri kept the move alive and proved to be Arsenal’s only bright spark on a thunderously dark afternoon. Eboue’s telling cross found Arshavin at the far post, the woodwork twice denying the Russian.

A hint of the defensive lapses to follow came fifteen minutes later. Odimwingie moved effortlessly in from the wing and unleashed a strike that Almunia turned onto the post. The warning was not heeded for Eboue’s stray pass and Song’s attempted interception found Albion feet willing to capitalise on the mistake. Odimwingie was sent through as Almunia raced to meet the ball, taking the man instead, fortunate that cover had arrived so that a yellow rather than red card was shown.

The perfect opportunity for the visitors was spurned, Brunt’s low penalty was too close to Almunia who got a firm hand to the ball, gathering at the second attempt. Half time came and the feeling was that Wenger would deliver the required words of wisdom to bring about the necessary improvement. Or at the very least, a rocket to provide some life.

Whatever was said was forgotten instantly. Albion were livelier and got their deserved reward within five minutes of the restart. Having two right backs in the side did nothing to improve defensive co-ordination. Not for the first time, Thomas wriggled past Sagna. He sent a low pass into the path of the unmarked Odimwingie, who arrived following a perfectly timed run, to find space six yards out. Shambolic marking, punished.

Matters became depressingly worse within ninety seconds. Arshavin and Song dallied, trying to pass the ball out of defence, Albion quickly seized possession through Jara. Similar meanderings had cost Arsenal at Anfield on the opening day; a repeat performance received the same punishment.

Releasing the ball to Brunt, Jara continued his run. Fed by a backheeled pass, he ran into the area and shot straight at Almunia. A routine save became a nightmare as the Spaniard allowed the ball to glide off his hands into the net. Whilst there may have been power in the shot, it should not have been allowed to enter the net.

Mindful of the penalty incident in the first half and with his team two down, Almunia came to meet Brunt and failed to pressurise, standing upright when he had committed himself to a position which required a blocking dive. He did not make that challenge, Brunt squared for Jerome Thomas to wipe away memories of last season’s red card in the Carling Cup. Three down, seemingly there for Albion to inflict the worst ever home defeat at The Emirates.

As it was, a brief pulse was found in the limp body of this performance. Nasri pulled one back with fifteen minutes to go, reducing the deficit further at the start of injury time, a gung-ho attitude emerged but it was too little, too late. No heroics from the home side and a merited win for the visitors.

Much talk about the visit to Stamford Bridge next weekend. A more pressing issue is Tuesday night; victory is imperative, not for qualification but for confidence. Once that match is out of the way, attention can turn to Stamford Bridge.

’til Tomorrow.

WBA Preview: Let’s Finish A Good Week With A Great Win

The announcement of record profits for the club yesterday completed a decent week, the only cloud being the points dropped at Sunderland. Based on this morning’s exchange rate of £1 = €1.173, Arsenal’s turnover beat Real Madrid’s by €3.5m for the same period. It means that Arsenal is at the moment, the biggest football club in the world, until United and Barcelona post their results at least.

What matters is that of those clubs, Arsenal is the most profitable. In itself, the size of that profit does not matter; the business strategy which underpins the financial results is the key. The club is well run, a belief beyond dispute, and is living well within its current means. Even stripping the profitability of the property development from the results, the bottom line was more than double that of the Spaniards. As Uefa’s regulations begin to tighten, Arsenal is one of the clubs which has the least adjustments to be made.

For that, the Board and manager deserve credit. Wenger noted the inherent hypocrisy of football:

We make a profit because we don’t spend – it’s as simple as that. What is unbelievable is that people reproach me for making a profit but no-one says a word about people who lose money. I manage in a safe way – but it looks like we are in a business where the quality is to lose money.

With the number of clubs operating unsustainable business models, quite rightly Arsenal should be held up as the example. The progress of youngsters in England is a subject of heated debate yet not practically implemented with any success outside of Arsenal. Despite having three of the countries most talented youngsters, Wenger is consistently derided. As he observed yesterday, he is in a no-win situation:

you [the media] reproach me for not buying players but if I buy players Jack Wilshere doesn’t come out into the first team. You cannot have everything and I know that and I’m long enough in the job to have a development policy to educate the players. The most difficult thing is to play them and to stand up for it.

Nobody else in the world [brings through as many young players]. I’ll give you one day the list of those at the top level who have made careers with me and you will see. You will be absolutely astonished.

The production of young players has to be sustained for it to be successful. Nobody can argue that Ferguson was successful in bringing one generation through but few of any note since, certainly none who benefitted the national team. Arsenal appears to be in better shape, the proof of which will be seen in years to come.

On the pitch, West Bromwich arrive seeking their first league victory at Arsenal since 1983. Not many fixtures between the two sides have taken place due Albion’s yo-yo nature, two draws in 1986 and 2004 their best results. Arsenal has hosted this fixture five times in summers past, winning all of them.

For this afternoon’s fixture, the impact of Tuesday’s extra time may yet be costly. Rosicky and Eboue picked up knocks in the drubbing of Tottenham although Abou Diaby may return to the bench following his lay-off. Fabregas and Walcott are both targetting the Chelsea match next weekend whilst Alex Song’s suspension was served on Tuesday.

Defensive changes are limited with Thomas Vermaelen not yet recovered and Keiran Gibbs suffered a bruised foot having bruised the pride of the over-hyped Aaron Lennon. It means that the back four will be as you were from last weekend.

Key this afternoon will be finishing Albion off once a lead has been established. Even going down to ten men, there were enough opportunities to do so at Sunderland, penalty and other misses proved costly in the end. The gap to Chelsea is four points, a win and favourable result at Eastlands this lunchtime can see that halved at least.

The team I would expect this afternoon is:

Almunia; Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy; Denilson, Wilshere, Song; Arshavin, Chamakh, Nasri

The visitors have yet to score away from home, conceding seven goals in their two games. Arsenal has the opportunity to add considerably to that scoreline and finish the week on an even bigger high.

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

Stone Cold Friday: The Different Shades Of Arsenal’s Success

It would be tempting to continue crow about the victory at The Lane. Instead Darius is here to talk sense…Who am I kidding. He’s lifted his boot and planted it firmly on their heads, pushing their faces further into the sand. But he has bigger feet than most of us and has got every other club down there with them…

Undertaking an arduous and challenging journey of growth and development can consume us, making it difficult to even recognise what success looks like any more. Losing that sense of perspective, clouds context and tests the boundaries of disillusionment.

This week in my view has been a very important milestone in football, one that draws a clear marker of Arsenal’s continuing success on and off the field. Some would have you believe that trophies are the only measure of success. By definition, that renders 85 of the 92 professional clubs in England and Wales as failures each season.

Those consumed by this tunnel-visioned approach miss the multi-dimensional nature of football and its impact to communities around the world. Arsenal is often beaten with the “they haven’t won a trophy for 5 seasons” stick, implying a simplistic assumption of failure, a club that supposedly hasn’t been able to build from its historic success of the 2003-04 season.

This week provided a tangible illustration of how such a school of thought is way off the mark. Slowly but surely, it’s clearer to see that the trail that Arsenal has blazed is shaping the approach to the development of football through youth in the top echelons in the country.

For several years now, Arsenal has been roundly criticised for allegedly showing disdain and disrespect to the League Cup by fielding teams that some observers called the “London Colney Kindergarten”. It has taken courage on our part to stick to this strategy and to use the competition to blood younger players.

By his own admission, Wenger ranks this as his lowest priority. It is a competition which if we fielded our strongest team, we would have a chance of winning year in, year out. Many fail to see the merits of going 5 years without a trophy, yet the League Cup is fair game.

In recent times it has gone unnoticed that Premier league teams are now widely using the League Cup to blood young players and to test the strength of their second string sides. Selective amnesia when it comes to Arsenal?

This is a direct legacy of Arsenal’s continued approach of using this competition to support their youth development programme. The key lesson here is directly related to the stability and longevity of football clubs in today’s economy.

The days of living beyond your means are over and clubs are desperate to be in a position their youth systems are a viable strategy to squad development. Some managers were quick to berate Wenger for persisting with the policy of using the League Cup for his young charges. Their envy is driven by the reality that cheque book management is no longer an option.

That Arsenal can make 9 changes to its preferred Premier league squad, as well as not having 7 key players available because of injury, is nothing short of remarkable. It highlights the squad’s strength in depth.

It was bemusing to hear claims from hacks and pundits that Arsene is finally taking the League Cup seriously. Allegedly, he recognises that we cannot go on without a trophy so the League Cup will have to do. Nonsense!

For one, bragging rights were at stake. Wenger and the team knew this. More importantly, the reality that our second string team is that strong is testament to the hard work that has been going on for years. Arsenal hasn’t got here by accident; it’s a tangible illustration of the benefits of the youth development approach. The important thing to appreciate is that this is only the beginning, that there is a production line ready to unleash Wengerball clones fit for purpose for years to come.

Also in this week, Arsenal are set to announce record profits for the last trading year, in conjunction with the repayment of the debts related to the Highbury square development. The mortgage for the stadium is all that remains, and repayments for this are covered by organic income from our activities.

Some have argued that we should use this windfall exclusively to bring in marquee players to the team, but this has never been and will never be Arsène’s style. Saying that, year on year, the resources available for squad development whether internally or by strategic transfers to augment the current team, will continue to grow.

This year alone, regardless of the amount used in transfer fees, the players who have been brought in seem to be adding that bite to the team that was a recognised deficiency. And we didn’t have to break the bank to do that.

Comparing this with the performances of teams this week like Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Everton – and most other EPL teams – it’s clear to see that Arsenal’s youth development programme is paying massive dividends now and also for the future.

Even though it has become fashionable to now use the Carling cup to develop the youth – it’s painful to watch how woefully inadequate the 2nd and 3rd string teams are for most top clubs. Not only do they now face the prospect of having to build their squads by incorporating underprepared youth, they are not going to have the resources of previous years to buy ready-made players off the shelf.

Arsenal by contrast, has an increasingly strong squad built from within the ranks and augmented by external signings. It’s clear for all to see that we will continue to have the necessary financial resources to develop the club in all areas – not just the squad.

The trophies will come, but for now, it’s important to take a step back and recognise the significant milestones that have occurred, all of which illustrate the success that Arsenal has achieved over the years. Whether it’s recognised by the establishment or not, the performances of the top teams in this Carling cup week is a tangible illustration that Arsenal like it has done many times, is leading the way, and others are begrudgingly following.

The future’s bright, the future’s red and white.

’til Tomorrow.