Halfway Point Reached – Can 2011 Deliver?

Many years ago, these isles were submerged in a newly-privatised company’s slogan, “It’s good to talk“. Arsene echoed that view but was referring to his defence in the aftermath of the Wigan match.

The manager observed,

We need to communicate much better. That’s something we need to rectify. Nobody is taking charge on the organisation side, there is no voice when the focus drops a little bit. You don’t feel that anybody takes charge on alertness and we need to communicate much better than that.

The fingers are pointing at the defence but Wenger was being much more general. At set-pieces, organisation falls not just on the defenders, their colleagues further up the pitch know that they have roles to fulfil as well. What was missing in this instance was a voice, a leader, not as The Sun claimed that the team must learn to speak English.

Disappointingly, the key error came from the most experienced defender. An own goal can happen to anyone but it was a lapse in concentration that put him in the wrong position at the time. Only Squillaci will know why this happened. Even then, the key thing is to learn from the mistake. It has occurred, the cost felt and it was not the only cause of failure in not winning, something that is too readily and willingly forgotten.

A lack of leadership has been a common theme for complaint in recent season. There have been strong personalities on the pitch during this time so the squad and Wenger have to put this right; we must maintain belief that they will do so.

Amid all of this, the halfway point of the season has been reached. Arsenal sit third in the table, two points off the summit, a good position to be in. Were a grade issued at this moment in time, 7/10 would be my verdict.

It has been good so far, with the promise of more to be delivered. Only twice in Wenger’s reign have Arsenal failed to gain the same or more points in the second half of the season. From a position of 36 or more points at this stage of the season, Arsenal have never finished lower than third. Only once with a lower total has the title been delivered.

Can the end of the season see Arsenal crowned Champions? They are as inconsistent as those around them. The poor run of results from November is I would say, guardedly, behind us. Guarded because it is two months since Arsenal last went more than two games without a Premier League defeat. Even then, the best run of the season came at the start with a run of three wins and two draws. Confidence appears to be the key. That should have been gained from the win over Chelsea, not just the result but the performance.

With the form shown by Arsenal, Chelsea and to an extent Manchester City, the major surprise of the season is that an undefeated Manchester United are not clear at the top of the table. From this Arsenal can take hope – a good run put together now increases the pressure on them and those around us. But that run has to be put together, something of which we cannot be certain.

There have been several plus points. Firstly, the return of Cesc and van Persie from injury strengthens the starting line-up. Never mind that they are not both in their best form, absences curtail that. This will change and they will find form. Elsewhere, the performances of Wilshere, Nasri and Chamakh have been possibly better than Wenger expected.

Certainly, Wilshere is clearly the best young English player in the Premier League, evidenced by his inclusion in Fabio Capello’s senior international squads. Nasri, despite protestations from across North London and their media puppets to the contrary, has been the Player of the Season thus far.

Theo Walcott’s improved finishing should also be highlighted. Previous campaigns have seen everyone crying out for him to score more; now he is doing so despite missing a month through injury merely serves to show the folly of his omission from England’s disasterous South African misadventure. Luckily he is not tarred by that brush.

Other significant positives have been the markedly improved form of Lukasz Fabianski, capable of the odd mistake still but proof that Wenger’s belief in him was not misplaced. Had Mark Schwarzer arrived in the summer, we would not be so sure. A steady debut from Woijciech Szczesny was a positive from an otherwise disappointing performance at Old Trafford.

Defensively, Johan Djourou has been the best centre back with Laurent Koscielny showing promise, good performances marred by lapses in concentration. He is not the finished article but has been reliable for the most part. Squillaci has provided a steadying influence for both, his experience useful. Both the newcomers would score a 6 for their contributions so far.

Others need to find more consistency. Arshavin on Wednesday gave a typical performance; brilliant and anonymous in equal measure.

2010 is gone; harsh lessons have been handed out and need to be learned from. Key though is that 2011 arrives with a sense of optimism. The team is better placed than at any time since 2007/08 to launch a title challenge with a deeper squad than many, if not all, of their close rivals.  Here’s to a Happy New Year.

’til Tomorrow.

Arsenal Hit By Wigan Sucker Punch

Wigan Athletic 2 – 2 Arsenal

1 – 0 Watson (18 pen)
1 – 1 Arshavin (38)
1 – 2 Bendtner (44)
2 – 2 Squillaci (81 og)

N’Zogbia sent off (77)

As the New Year beckoned, a dawning of a new Arsenal Age was heralded by a well-deserved victory over Chelsea on Monday night. As with all epochs, the transition into Champions stuttered in the immediate aftermath of the first step being taken. Arsene rang eight changes from the first game of this week and witnessed his charges come within ten minutes of gaining three valuable points.

The disappointment comes from the knowledge that those dropped are largely of Arsenal’s own making. Having emphatically crushed the myth of not being able to win big matches, Arsenal were unable to make Wigan truckle, the hosts recovering a point with a spirit which may yet serve them well in their fight against relegation.

For the opening half an hour, Arsenal were indecisive, uncohesive and generally out of sorts. The changes wrought evidence of a side that had not played together. Suspensions and long-term injuries cast their shadow over the starting line-up. Before a quarter of the match had passed, a deficit had to be retrieved.

Eboue in as left back was caught out of position, waiting on the edge of the Wigan area for a pass which never arrived. Having broken up an Arsenal attack, that space was quickly exploited by N’Zogbia who ran toward the Arsenal area, chaperoned by Koscielny. As Squillaci came to provide more pressure, a small opening emerged between the two centre backs, N’Zogbia went through it and theatrically threw himself to the ground.

In the first of his decisions which brought more questions of his aptitude to referee at this level, Lee Probert pointed to the spot. Replays clearly showed no contact with the Wigan player was made but exposed Koscielny’s naivety in flailing a leg in that situation.

Equally, the question must be asked as to why the Arsenal duo did not shepherd him away from the area. The younger of the French pair had positioned himself correctly to do so but between them, they did not apply enough pressure to force N’Zogbia towards the relative safety of the touch- or bye- lines. Whatever the case, Watson’s penalty was perfect, powerful and into a corner which Fabianski could do nothing to stop, despite guessing the direction correctly.

Arsenal’s cohesion sparked from Wilshere replacing the injured Diaby and paid almost immediate dividends. Having previously made two perfectly-timed interventions in his own area, Koscielny almost equalised, Al Habsi failed to hold Rosicky’s strike and with Koscielny poised to draw Arsenal level, Caldwell blocked maintaining his side’s lead.

The game changed through two moments of Arshavin magic. Infuriatingly inconsistent, the mercurial Russian brought Arsenal level with an acrobatic strike following Al Habsi’s save from Bendtner. Before the interval, he turned provider, forcing the Wigan defence onto the back foot, he found Bendtner who bundled his way through before calmly finishing. A not entirely deserved lead at half-time came as a result of a vastly improved end to the half.

For the second period, there was more controlled possession from the visitors, frustrating the hosts and reducing them to sporadic raids. Cleverly had the only real opportunity to bring equality to the proceedings but fired over.

Having scored an own goal in the recent Carling Cup encounter, Alcaraz tried to repeat the feat, heading into the side netting whilst Chamakh headed just wide. With twenty minutes to go, Wilshere chipped the ball into Arshavin’s stride but the Russian could not gain enough leverage to lift the ball over the advancing Al Habsi.

With the pressure deflating, life was breathed into the game once more. McArthur and N’Zogbia broke, exchanging passes before the French international saw his drive parried by Fabianski. Minutes later, the mists which descended over the Wigan player’s eyes matched the colour of the referee’s card, a situation entirely of the official’s making.

Incorrectly penalising Wilshere for a non-existent foul, the youngster and N’Zogbia exchanged words. As play moved up the pitch, the Frenchman butted Wilshere and was correctly dismissed. Yet his team-mates still refused to give up hope. With ten minutes to go, a deep corner was headed back across goal towards the waiting Caldwell; Squillaci intervened to with a header that sent the ball into the net instead of over the bar to safety.

The denouement came with more refereeing inconsistency. Nasri had been a late substitute following the equaliser. His freekick on the edge of the area was batted to safety off a Wigan arm in the same way that Cesc was penalised against Tottenham. This time, the official refused to award a penalty; it is impossible to fathom why. From his position, Probert had a clear view that the ball was diverted by a deliberate movement of the hand yet he chose to ignore that.

In the end though, the dropping of points is the fault of Arsenal, mistakes by officials only serve to distract from defensive failings. The equaliser was an appalling goal to concede. Squillaci was the wrong side of Caldwell in the final moments, a basic error by an experienced player, something which happens to often, not just to the Frenchman.

Even so, the year ends with Arsenal in third, two points off the top having played a game less than Manchester City but one more than United. It is a good position to be in but 2011 needs to see a consistent run put together if the promise is to materialise into reward.

’til Tomorrow.

Wigan Preview: A Test Of Athletic Performance

Arsenal travel to the DW Stadium in the middle of a fixture maelstrom, this the second of seven fixtures in seventeen days. The lunacy of English football is highlighted for all too see yet, depending on how the matches go, nobody will complain with six wins and a draw from this schedule. One win has been achieved and a draw in the first leg of the Carling Cup will suit most. That leaves just the small matter of four Premier League and one FA Cup win to go.

English football has spurned many opportunities to reshape it’s footballing calendar. A quick glance at Arsenal’s matches show that potentially ten fixtures in thirty three days may have taken place by the final whistle against Everton on February 1st.

That total follows the month to date in December where only five were scheduled. FA Cup replays are archaic and must now be dropped. Whilst that week ought to be free – Arsenal must be confident of beating Leeds despite of the Yorkshire clubs good form – it would definitely be so if the ties were resolved on the day, as is the case with the Carling Cup.

For Wenger, tonight’s team is a test of his balancing skills. He rang five changes on Monday and a similar number or more should be expected tonight. Too many changes though and Wenger is facing the possibility of a totally disjointed performance, undoing the good of three precious points so recently gained. A different mindset from the players may be the key to this, treating it in a similar way to a Carling Cup tie might help, playing for a regular place their motivation as well as a victory which will draw them level with both Mancunian teams.

Having been a surprise (and successful) inclusion in the starting line-up against Chelsea, it seems unlikely to me that Johan Djourou will start this evening. Recently Wenger observed that the Swiss international would be gradually returned to first team action following his injury-plagued 2009-10, two games in forty-eight hours would surely be too much.

As with Robin van Persie, nobody can complain about them missing out tonight. Wenger is hidebound in his transfer philosophy, to the frustration of many, but on this occasion such rigidity of beliefs can only be good for the squad in the long-term.

He and van Persie are not the only ones who will surely be missing; Fabregas picked up his fifth booking on the season and stays at home, resting ahead of the visit to St Andrews. Whilst Lukasz Fabianski will remain in goal – after all, he had little or nothing to do on Monday bar picking the ball out of the net – Gael Clichy picked up a couple of nasty little knocks which would benefit from a rest.

Sagna would move to left back with Eboue on the right. Defensively reshuffled but three of the four played together for seventy minutes at Newcastle; hardly the best of friends in those positions but nonetheless, not total strangers.

In midfield, the physical demands of Monday will have been most telling. Alex Song may be fit but a rest this evening would be in order. Similarly Samir Nasri cannot surely continue with this gruelling schedule of fixtures coming up; he too needs to be at least dropped to the bench. In their place would come Denilson and Diaby.

The starting line-up I would pick is:

Fabianski; Eboue, Koscielny, Squillaci, Sagna; Denilson, Diaby, Rosicky; Walcott, Chamakh, Arshavin

Undefeated in their last five home games, anyone who expects Wigan to roll over may be in for a nasty surprise. Since first two games of season when they shipped ten goals, Roberto Martinez’s side have conceded nineteen goals in the subsequent sixteen games. Relatively speaking, they are running things tightly. Alas, they suffer from a paucity of goals, fifteen in the Premier League this season is the worst record in the top flight.

Martinez deserves some credit; despite being engulfed in a relegation battle, his side has held true to their priniciples and refused thus far to submit to the long ball and physical aspects of survival. Whether this will remain over the course of the season is unknown but the win at Wolves last weekend will have boosted their confidence in the same way as Arsenal’s has been.

The only thing that matters this evening is the win. With a team full of changed personnel, consistency of performance will be hard to achieve. A failing Arsenal are constantly accused of having, is an inability to win when playing badly or at a lower level than expected. Tonight would be a good sign of that being cast asunder as the failure to beat ‘big clubs’ was.

Forget revenge for 2009-10; it is irrelevant. This is 2010-11 and the top of the table beckons. Three points means goal difference is all that separates the sides. A big enough win to overcome that hurdle should not be expected.

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

Ready To Be Kings? Arsenal No Longer Pretenders To The Throne.

Arsenal 3 – 1 Chelsea

1 – 0 Song (44)
2 – 0 Fabregas (51)
3 – 0 Walcott (53)
3 – 1 Ivanovic (57)

The stygian skies which had gathered above The Emirates following the defeat at Old Trafford, were lifted with a performance which had long been demanded against title rivals. It was a victory which delivered a tocsin to those who have title pretensions.

Arsene rang the changes from that defeat. Ironically, on a night when Marouane Chamakh was not able to feast upon them, accurate crosses came from right and left flanks. Consistency of that delivery will bring rich rewards for the Moroccan in future matches. Wenger held the mortar as his charges became the pestle, Chelsea ground into dust by superior technique.

The visitors words beforehand were given a hollow ring from kick-off. The folly of their belief that physical superiority would bring the expected rewards was highlighted as Arsenal snapped into tackles, pressurised and harried to regain possession. Such was the diligence of the side’s work, Lukasz Fabianski was barely tested before an unassailable advantage had been forged.

Didier Drogba had been cast as Arsenal’s bête noire prior to kick-off but Johan Djourou was pugnacious in his handling of the Ivorian, restricting him to a shot wide early in the match. The Swiss international’s inclusion – entirely vindicated – was a surprise in the sense that Wenger has previously been cautious in such matches. His strength and aerial ability marked the youngster as an obvious choice in hindsight, his performance enhancing his burgeoning reputation as a first choice centre back of the future (and who is not to say the present?).

Midfield was the battleground where the match was won. Arsenal’s triumverate, enhanced by attackers and defenders, buzzed around Chelsea, forcing errors and firmly putting the visitors on the backfoot. Fabregas, Song and Wilshere tore into challenges, interceptions and were economical with their distribution, rarely wasting a pass.

Arsenal simply refused to be cowed, declined the opportunity to lay low. They stood toe-to-toe with their supposed physical superiors before they out-fought and out-thought them.

The stats after the game were telling; 277 passes in the oppositions half to Chelsea’s 126. It emphasised two things; Arsenal’s dominance and Chelsea’s descendence into a long-ball team, devoid of attacking ideas and ideology. Talk this morning of Ancelotti’s dismissal might be premature but casting a glance at the two benches highlighted the folly and short-termism of a multi-million pound spending spree with Uefa’s new regulations about to bite.

van Persie had Arsenal’s first opportunity, wafting at Song’s pass with Ivanovic’s boot flailing. The Dutchman was to have a tough evening, battered, shoved and tripped at will by the Chelsea defence, Mark Clattenburg reticent to issue cards for serial offenders. When he did, he glaringly got it wrong, Kalou incomprehensibly shown a yellow for a scything challenge on Clichy having tried DIY surgery on Koscielny previously. Who says officials are not swayed by reputations?

As the first half passed, Arsenal exerted more and eventually telling pressure on Chelsea. Cech clutched Nasri’s freekick, Drogba blocked Sagna’s effort, a rare occasion that the Ivorian effectively used his head last night. After Fabregas and van Persie had gone close as well, Cech rolled back the years with an outstanding save from Nasri’s almost perfectly improvised chip.

The deadlock was broken as the interval loomed. Song received the ball and immediately ploughed into the area, exchanging passes with Wilshere. Bundling into space as Fabregas was felled, the Cameroonian lifted the ball into the net with pace past Cech. It was no more than Arsenal deserved and the forewarning of a storm to come, one that would leave Chelsea rolling on the waves of Arsenal attacks. Malouda came close to parity before the whistle blew but the break gave a chance to regroup for the home side, to ensure calmness settled in their heads.

Half-time provided no haven of safety for the visitors. Before ten minutes of the second half had passed, the match was beyond reach. Chelsea were architects of their own despair, failing to heed the lessons of the first half and lax with their play. Arsenal capitalised.

van Persie’s pressure forced Essien into a loose pass, seized upon by Walcott who as Cech advanced, stumbled the ball sideways to Cesc, the Spaniard burying the chance with glee. Minutes later, Walcott prodded the ball away, feeding Fabregas, the return perfectly weighted into the England international’s path, the calmness of finish adding evidence to Walcott’s improvement this season.

Poor defending was not the sole preserve of the visitors. Koscielny allowed Ivanvic to get goal side of him and as Fabianski became stranded by indecision, the ball was looped over him into the net to give Chelsea hope. Whereas before Arsenal would have reeled, this time there was a marked professionalism in the way they broke the game when Chelsea had possession, took the sting from any attacking aspirations that their opponents may have had.

There were more opportunities to make the scoreline emphatic. Nasri should have lofted Cech in a manner similar to Pires at Villa Park to make the margin of victory destructive. Instead, to Arsene’s obvious disappointement, he lifted the ball gently into the goalkeeper’s grasp.

It was a superb performance in a fantastic atmosphere, one that begs the question as to why The Emirates cannot buzz like that more often. Late arrivals and early departees were noticeable by their absence – could it be that there were more supporters in the ground, a message to the club that they have an imbalance towards corporate funds? What price do the players put on such nights? Judging by their tweets, more than money can define.

The next eight days are crucial. With visits to Wigan and Birmingham before Manchester City arrive next Wednesday. It is crucial that last night’s victory is built upon, otherwise the erosion of insecurities will prove ephemeral. It is a demanding schedule but a glance at Arsenal’s players suggests that the squad are more than up to the task.

’til Tomorrow.

Chelsea Preview: Get It Out Of Your Heads

Only once have Arsenal tasted defeat in a home match on this date, sixty three years ago Liverpool emerged victorious by the odd goal in three. Whilst a similar result today will bring forth a slew of complaints, not many will moan if this campaign delivers the title as that 1947/48 season did. Pressure is on Arsenal this evening, not just from the wins by the Mancunians yesterday but also by the words of their captain following the defeat at Old Trafford a fortnight ago.

It seems that the battlefield for this game is being played out in the minds of the Arsenal squad. Chelsea want to ‘crush’ ‘weakened’ Arsenal; Fabregas wants the winning mentality restored if he is over his ‘mental barrier to his injury’; Wenger believes it would be a ‘psychological’ boost to win whilst Eboue claimed that Arsenal are not ‘scared’ of the visitors.

The words are symbolic of the way that the two clubs view this fixture; Chelsea have recent history on their side and are confident of winning. Arsenal have a tide of history against them, whenever titles are talked about the poor form in big three clashes is inevitably mentioned. Tonight is another opportunity to change that.

For quite possibly the first time in living memory, Wenger has almost a complete first team squad to pick from. Realistically, only Vermaelen is missing; on current form it is unlikely that Almunia would displace Fabianski, the Pole having done little wrong in his outings since the Spaniard’s injury woes.

Woijciech Szczesny may have performed admirably at Old Trafford but I cannot see him retaining his place on a permanent basis. For this match, it might have crossed Wenger’s mind that the younger of the two Poles is better on crosses and does not have the ‘baggage’ of previous Chelsea defeats but it would be a slap in the face for Fabianski not to start. Unless his hip injury has played up, of course.

One thing that Arsenal will know is how Chelsea will play tonight. They will sit deep, let Arsenal play in front of their massed ranks of midfield and defence whilst looking to hit on the counter. In the corresponding fixture last season, Arsenal were frustrated by two fortuitous moments for the visitors but also by the absence of a cutting edge themselves. Many crosses were played into the centre with no-one to be on the end of them. For this reason, it would be hard to see a starting line-up without Chamakh or Bendtner leading the line.

Wenger has a quandry though. How to fit his array of attacking talent around them. With an additional week’s rest and training only, Fabregas, van Persie and Diaby are all back in contention. The former pair are further down the road of match fitness than the latter. Having gently eased them into the first team, relatively successfully, Wenger will surely do the same with Diaby.

The Frenchman, like Denilson, divides opinions. He is either useless or an undervalued member of the squad. Previous campaigns have seen him struggle on the left, as fitness and inexperience were worked on. Moving centrally has seen him realise his potential but it has been dogged by inconsistency. Rarely has he put a run of performances together where he has maintained a strong contribution.

Against Chelsea though, his physique counts in his favour; tonight’s visitors will try to impose themselves on Arsenal reputedly less physical midfielders. Whichever trio/quartet/quintet Wenger fields, they will need to ensure that their passing game and defensive positioning ensures that the attacking flair can exploit any gaps which may be created.

My concern over tonight is psychological. Arsenal went to Old Trafford against one of the weakest Manchester United sides for more than a decade but they were inhibited; they failed to impose themselves and get their passing game into gear. Can that be resolved in training? It has to be otherwise we will bear witness to another defeat in these contests. Forget Chelsea’s recent poor run of results; that will not go on forever and they will become more consistent once more.

The underperformance a fortnight ago may bring about a reprieve for some. Whilst Diaby has a strong case for inclusion, I cannot see him usurping Jack Wilshere from the side. The youngster is building an understanding with Song and to bring back Fabregas with Diaby may leave a midfield that whilst knowing each other, is essentially a group of strangers this season.

It might be too unsettling and stop Arsenal winning that battle. It leaves Wenger with one place to fill; either Rosicky or Arshavin could play the wider role but to not include Samir Nasri at this moment in time would be folly of the highest order, and inconceivable.

With that in mind, I would have a line-up for kick-off:

Fabianski; Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy; Fabregas, Song, Wilshere, Nasri; van Persie, Chamakh

As much as I would like Djourou to play, I suspect Wenger will believe that Squillaci’s experience might be key to shackling Drogba. The Ivorian’s record against Arsenal is one of the things that must be dealt with by the defenders physically and mentally.

The time to show strength of character is tonight. The past two months have seen Premier League wobbles; they have been accommodated by the inconsistency of others but that cannot be relied upon forever. The start of a long undefeated run needs to happen now, not even sooner rather than later, for any consistency shown will eke away at others.

Taking chances when they are presented has to happen; who knows what would have happened at Stamford Bridge had Koscielny not missed, a glaring opportunity that got away and one that is still impossible to fathom how he missed.

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

Arsenal On Christmas Day

A merry Christmas to all; if it is not your bag or you are avoiding the festivities for whatever reason, hope your Saturday is fine and dandy. And a happy birthday to Arsenal Football Club, formed on this day in 1886, ArsenThe Royal Oak public house explaining why the club’s fortunes have driven many to drink whilst setting a precedent for a large number of their descendents – a snifter or two has been commonplace in English footballing culture.

For many decades Christmas Day offered no respite for the professional footballer. Indeed, it is a little surprise that Rupe has not tried (and succeeded) in persuading the Premier League to have an offering on this day of the year. It might turn many a stomach but there is no doubt that News Corp would love to be putting Arsenal v Chelsea on the television today, Richard Keys salivating, “You’ve had your turkey but what about this for a stocking filler…“.

Between 1893 and 1956, Arsenal played matches on Christmas Day. In a startling bout of originality, 1893 and 1894 saw the same opponents on Christmas and Boxing Day; Port Vale at the Invicta and Manor Grounds with a visit to Grimsby twenty four hours later. A pattern emerged; Arsenal won both of the home games with defeats suffered on their travels. Port Vale must have complained after their third consecutive defeat in 1895 having conceded thirteen goals in the three fixtures; they never appeared again.

The depth of professional football’s history is shown from the opponents on this day. Defunct clubs such as Burton United and Bradford Park Avenue were played, the former winning the 1902 encounter. Eleven of the clubs who have played Arsenal on this day are current Premier League members, although Blackpool and Newcastle have just joined those ranks.

Much footballing history assumes that fixtures played on Christmas Day were reversed twenty four hours later. That was not always the case. Indeed the practice started for Arsenal in 1911, losing at White Hart Lane (0-5) before winning 3-1 on the 26th. 1922s encounters with Bolton highlight the point; a 1 – 4 reverse in the away game was followed by a 5 – 0 win at Highbury.

On occasion, there was another game on the 27th – 1913 and 1919 – which did not seem to bother the players overly; Arsenal only lost one of those six fixtures to Derby on Christmas Day 1919. Were Premier League players to be asked to partake of that schedule, the whinging and complaining would still be heard the following September.

The period covered by Christmas Day matches was Arsenal’s “Golden Era“. The club’s first seven league titles were delivered in that time, six matches played on this date. Of those, the only defeat suffered was at the hands of Blackpool in 1937, Bloomfield Road witnessing The Tangerines emerging victorious by the odd goal in three. On the other occasions, Manchester City (1930 4-1), Leeds (1933 1-0), Preston (1934 5-3), Liverpool (1947 3-1) and Bolton (1952 6-4) were the presents given to Arsenal fans.

Football on Christmas Day was a tradition that died out half a century ago, the last two fixtures against Monday’s opponents Chelsea. 1954 saw Arsenal win by a single goal at Highbury, two years later honours were even at Stamford Bridge. A repeat of the home result will see everyone’s Arsenal world a lot brighter on Monday.

’til Tomorrow.

Jack’s Special So Is This Madness & Lip Up Nani, You Are Ska’d

Unlike the Premier League, Darius has decided that for the good of the season it is necessary to take a winter break. Or, as you and I might term it, he’s turned into a slacker for a fortnight.

For Arsene, it is a case of back to the future. Having been burned over Theo Walcott two summer’s ago, fears have been raised once more by the FAs insistence that the strongest possible squad will be sent to next summer’s Under-21s European Championship in Denmark.

Having seen first hand the devastation that the bungling of Capello and Pearce can cause, Wenger is rightly defensive about Wilshere’s possible inclusion in that squad,

We have to sit down at the end of the season and see how many games Wilshere has played, before considering that he plays in the Under-21s. But that he is now playing with the first team until June and then playing in the Under-21s, that will not work.

At 18 years of age, you have to be conscious as well, that every time he plays when he goes in the fight he has to put 200 per cent in to win the ball. So, when a guy like him has played 40 games in the season he needs a rest.

It seems unless Capello gets personally involved, Wilshere will go if required. The Football Association are like a teenage son; scolded by mummy Uefa and daddy Fifa (a stupid marriage if ever there was one), they are taking their frustrations out on younger siblings, little brother clubs, sick of the way that the supposedly more junior member of the family gets all of the attention.

Wenger offered a different perspective on the potential problem, suggesting motivation will be a bigger issue, questioning whether or not the player would give his all for the more junior team. Whilst that might be the case if Wilshere were a regular in Capello’s starting line-up, in this instance I not sure it will apply.

Wilshere has been in the squad, dropped to the Under-21s soon afterwards to help with the play-offs for the tournament. At 18, he is an exceptional talent and Wenger is right to be concerned that this is too much, too young.

English football is keen to exploit young talent, reckless with its future, abandoning the present with pre-conceived notions of long balls and ceding possession too cheaply. There is not one inkling that a coordinated plan exists for youth development; if a player is good enough for the senior squad, leave him there and play him. If he is not quite ready for that level, Capello should ignore media beration and allow the player to learn at Under-21 level.

Problematically, this is supposed to be the dawning of a new era for England, although it has been inauspicious with the humiliation of the failed World Cup 2018 bid. Constantly seeking to assert themselves in a confrontational way stokes up the fires, making the situation too hot to handle.

Wenger has risen to the bait but lost badly before. Had his first response been “It’s up to you if you pick him” whilst working diplomatically behind the scenes to resolve the situation, he might have found more immediate success with his pleas. It might have seemed his was sitting there in his office, doing nothing but sometimes a coercive course is the better option.

However, the deaf ears of those in power on previous occasions suggest he might not have his way.

Earlier in the week Nani took one step beyond the bounds of common decency by dismissing Arsenal’s title chances. Chelsea, proclaimed the seer from Praia, are the only ones who will be able to stop the United juggernaut rolling home. Arsene, of course, disputed this. “Oh, Ninny Nani Know-All“, he commented yesterday.

“I personally don’t know who will win the league. I have managed 1,600 games so if Nani knows he must be 1,600 times more intelligent than I am.”

Or 1,600 times more of a gobshite; God alone knows what that makes Patrice Evra though. Personally, I’m not bothered by the views of United’s players; that they are dismissing Arsenal means that they are thinking about them. If they are thinking about Arsenal, it means that they consider them a threat.

Perhaps the Old Trafford hierarchy are aware of their squad limitations and need cod psychology to ensure that they do not end up in the rat race. Over in West One, John Terry thinks Chelsea’s squad is weaker than before, a few too many in the nite klub for some.

Avoiding the need to bust a blood vessel, Wenger was more realistic about Monday’s opponents,

Chelsea have gone through a period where results are a bit less good but that can happen to anyone in this league. We have seen recently that any team, when you think they are on the brink of breaking through, they have a hiccup. Maybe it’s just the quality of the league.

Personally, I am not convinced that the quality of the Premier League has improved, it has been more of an equalisation in quality. Certainly, the removal of footballing Philistines such as Allardyce can do no harm; if only Pulis and McCarthy could be eradicated as well.

Perhaps the best thing for the division has been the fact that promoted teams have come up and for the most part, have tried to play football properly. If WBA and Blackpool survive this season doing so, it might encourage more to follow this route. Equally, that Wigan, despite struggling, have tried to play their way out of trouble offers hope that English club football might have seen the light.

’til Tomorrow.