Written by Mean Lean on Monday, 20 September 2010 12:45

A good afternoon to you,

I am still very much frustrated this afternoon. This is supposed to be just a game, so surely this feeling of frustration isn't supposed to last this long. Well that is the nature of football isn't it?

To be honest, I am not as frustrated about the game as I was at the full time whistle. I didn't actually know who scored the equaliser because as soon as I saw Phil Dowd's arms up pointing towards the half way line, I snatched my jacket and stormed out of the pub in a strop. Walking down Highbury & Islington high street with my hands on my head, effing and blinding to myself. Sinking further and further into myself. You know that cutting feeling that keeps sinking inside your head and you cannot do anything to shake it off.

Anyway, gaining an away point at a tricky place like Sunderland is not exactly a terrible result regardless of how it happened. Judging by some comments Arsenal football club has just blown up and died. We were supposed to win every single game by a 5 goals margin so how dare we draw away from home. Jeez! Those same people seem to have forgotten that Manchester United have drawn from a worse position and have dropped leads in the latter stages twice already this season.

Back to my frustration. The treatment of Arsene Wenger and our club at the moment from almost everyone who has an opinion is grating on me somewhat. The ESPN team were far from my favourite during last season but they really took the biscuit this time round. Jon Champion, Ray Stubbs, Chris Waddle and that bloke with long hair and make up on, Recebba Lowe used every available chance to stick the knife into Wenger and Arsenal. That I am pretty used to, but to lay into Arsenal for reasons that are fabricated is just plain wrong.

From Wenger saying that dangerous tackles should not be allowed in the game to Wenger wants his players protected. I couldn't believe what I was hearing at half time. 'Perhaps the referee needs to protect the Sunderland players as Arsenal have committed more fouls' or words to that effect. We did not lunge into any players knee's or ankles.

There I was swearing at the screen on my tod like a raving lunatic, the people around me must of thought I was crazy. To be honest, for that brief moment I was crazy and for the sake of the ESPN team, I am glad I was not in the studio. Although not being a stupid, sheep following, bring back the good old days, get in their faces and break a few knee caps, ex player I was hardly going to be invited to sit in the great company of Ray Stubbs.

I know, I know. I really shouldn't let this get to me and in fact I should be well used to it by now but hey, I cannot help it. If you can shut it out then you are a better man/woman than myself.

The only way we can ram this back down their throats is to do what we all want and that is to win trophies but even if we do win silverware, they won't publicly stew in their negative anti-Wenger juices, they will do a complete turn around and just eulogise about our football and brush the 'weak under belly, no strength in depth, lack back bone, don't like it up em' comments underneath the utterly filthy British punditry carpet, never to be seen or heard again.

*Exhale*

Ok, hopefully I have released some of that frustration, lets get on with the nicer things in life. Nice things like Laurent Koscielny for one. Who?? Rang the collective noises from the Arsenal support, including myself. Unknown from the French league, plied his trade at lower levels for many years so how can he step up to the rigours of Premier League football.

Take a little look at his performances and that is how. Yes he has made some fumbles so far, but if you think that will not happen to a new player in a new league, playing at a higher level then you need your head checked. He is only 24 years of age and that is very exciting. As you know, I tend to get carried away with things, I don't really see that as a negative to be honest. I would much rather feel the excitement and over positivity, if you want to call it that than to spread a blanket of doom over everything Arsenal just to protect myself from emotional harm if we do not win anything but that is just me. As things stand I am willing to predict a wonderful future for the new boy. He certainly has tougher battles ahead, like our nemesis Didier Drogba and that other chap in Manchester Wayne Rooney but it is most certainly a case of so far so good.

He must have some sort of degree in defending. He must have spent his early teens drinking coffee in the early hours, reading about how to pinch the ball away in the blink of an eye. There is no other explanation as to how 'The Cobra' does it. Someone should have bought Silvestre a copy in his teens, ah well.

His partner the Squiller has also looked very impressive, slotting in without any fuss. Those two were like Rabbit's (was going to say Frogs but that is hardly suitable is it?) jumping up and down on every cross into the box and powering headers away. Silly thing to say perhaps but should Vermaelen just walk back into the team when fit? Ok, perhaps he should. I was pretty much saying the same thing when Rosicky pulled out a quality display against Blackpool with Cesc on the bench then Cesc just Cesc'd it up in his next few games.

What I am getting at is that thing that everyone says we do not have. Strength in depth.

When Johan Djourou finally regains top fitness and sharpness then you have to ask the question. Is there a better set of center backs in the Premier League? I am struggling to look beyond us if I am honest. Biased? Perhaps but maybe truthful.

Denilson has looked pretty sharp this season in the short amount of time he has featured on the pitch. His injuries last season did him no favours at all and he was certainly below his level, this time round he looks in much better shape. I personally think he should have started on the weekend. Yes, I will have words with Wenger as I obviously know better. Denilson has been speaking to Arsenal.com and is in positive mood for the season ahead.

Denilson said:

"For me Arsenal are the best team. If you look at Barcelona we play like them and I can see Arsenal winning something this season. We have the players and we have the touch. Chelsea have very strong players but they are older. And I think that Arsenal are going to win a trophy. This was just one game and we are still in a good position."

You'll find it little surprise to know that I agree with him totally. I certainly think we are more ready than ever before. More ready? Well, you know what I mean. There is no point asking for a normal injury season so let us hope that our squad can cope with the expected injury bomb that will fall over the squad at some point during the season.

I can hear you all from here! I know, I know. I won't jump the gun just yet. But you gotta have hope, right?

Back tomorrow for Spurs preview.

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Comments (1)

• 23-Sep-2010 11:38 | | roop  - the hypocrisy of the press
  

  Hi, I agree with the comments above although am also able to see both sides.
  
  Personally I thought we were awful against Sunderland and, as you expect with Steve Bruce's teams, they pressurised us whenever we had possession far more than most other sides in the Premier League. You have to hand to him the ability to get his players to play without any respect for the p***ing game of the opposition.
  
  I think the fouls we committed were borne out of frustration at not being able to keep the ball, the "rough and tumble" tactics of the northern clubs only affect us due to the their ability to brutalise our players into relinquishing control of the game through not being able to string a plethora of p***es together.
  
  I agree that it is shambolic that Sky and ESPN lay into the soft centre of arsenal and criticised the fouls we committed whilst also acknowledging we play the best football and have had some horrific injuries... Is it not obvious that Arsene would want more protection for his players bearing in mind the recent injuries to Eduardo, Ramsey, Diaby, Walcott, Gibbs, Rosicky and Van Persie (injuries for the latter 2)
  
  Our players, with a couple of exceptions (TR and RVP please stand up) have no weaker constitutions than others in the league (with the exception of Drogba) yet with the reputation of p***ing the ball around fluently comes the riposte of other teams doing everything in their power to stop us.... whilst not always doing so within the rules
  
  Had Song not been harshly sent off I don't think we would have lost that goal at the end however we did, and we didn't play particularly well in the process.
  
  The press will change their tune when we win something but accusing them of being fickle is like accusing Tony Blair of being slightly disingenuous...
  
  

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