Written by Mean Lean on Saturday, 11 December 2010 13:49

After listening to Arsene's press conference and hearing what Cesc has been saying about working hard in training, I get the feeling that he will be unleashed at Old Trafford on Monday evening.

I may be incorrect in saying this but usually when we have an injured player, Wenger rules that player out from playing but when he says he is waiting to make a decision then it often means that the player starts.

Cesc has been saying on Twitter that he is doing his best to make it for Monday. It is not as if we are rushing him back early, he is currently on schedule but my issue would be his match fitness rather than a reoccurrence of his hammy. If he isn't ready then he will not be risked.

I would start the Tomas Rosicky of Aston Villa and keep Cesc on the bench but then again I wouldn't start the Rosicky of Fulham where he was woeful. It is difficult to tell which players will turn up and which players will not.

Having a Cesc on the field who is struggling with the pace of the game is counter productive, but then at the same time a Cesc who is struggling can still play a spinning pass in between Ferdinand and Evra perfectly into the path of Samir Nasri.

That is the difference between normal players and world class players and it will be down to Wenger to decide if there is a risk attached, and if that risk is worth taking.

Like I was saying on Twitter, my main concern is taking our chances more than anything else. I have no doubt that we have the ability and players to open them up in and around their box. It is once we are in that position, do the players make the right choice?, do they have a snapshot or do they take on their man?

That for me is the difference between winning the league or coming third. I will say once again that our defence would be under far less pressure if we made better decisions in the final third. Goals change games, change confidence and ultimately change belief.

Our performance against Fulham was judged as poor by many and in the second half we were not at our best but if we added the finishing touches to our football in the first half an hour of the game then we could have ended the game winning by six and we would have been praised for the same display. That is football.

Hopefully for the upcoming second half of the season we get a sharp Van Persie and Cesc and then a consistent Arshavin in the side then we will be more decisive in the final third.

Some better news on the Wellington saga, not as good as it could be, but better than we originally thought. He may only have to go on loan until the end of the season where we can appeal once again and hopefully being over 18 and having some experience in Europe will make the powers that be change their minds.

Gotta make tracks, back again tomorrow.

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Comments (4)

• 11-Dec-2010 14:58 | | Bala
  

  I think Cesc will be on the bench and I think its better to have him in bench rather than put him on the starting line up

• 12-Dec-2010 00:59 | | richie  - Goal don't change games for us
  

  When we are two up most Gooners start having problems with their piles. Myself included! Why? Well for others 2 ups a good sign, but for us its dangerous. 2 up means our opposition have little to lose so why not have a go at us.
  Why not pressure the defense thats prone to concede? Why not pressure the defense thats prone to schoolboy errors? Well why not?
  
  If our attack was at fault we wouldn't be in the lead, its precisely because we are in the lead i.e. our attack has done its job (even 2 up) that pressure arrives on our defences doorstep. Every armchair manager knows the opposition will come at you if they are behind, obviously they don't want to lose so they look to equalise. They push for it. Thats when someone like Theo can have a field, day hitting on the break. But for that system to work a defense that can be counted on is needed. Concede and the pendulum swings.
  
  A defensive unit that can soak up pressure we don't have, our defense looks constantly vulnerable. I feel like a stuck record. I like Kosh I think he'll come good given the time. I like Squilla he's a level headed expirenced defender. I like Djourou after an injury nightmare he's doing good. I'm looking forward to TV's eventual return. But we haven't got a defensive unit, and we certainly don't defend as a team.
  
  No team that is conceding 1.18 goals per game has ever (as yet) won the EPL for us to do it we'll have to make history. Either that or improve our defense massively.

• 12-Dec-2010 01:19 | | Semyk
  

  Cesc being on d field is a threat bt united knowin hs fitness level,might play smart by gettin him aggravate his harmstring.so he should start 4rm d bench.

• 12-Dec-2010 01:56 | | richie  - If we don't play Kamakazi we can win
  

  I'm confident our attacking play can open up Manu'ers inexpirenced defence and if Rio plays he won't be match fit. But as much as their defense is suspect so is ours. To win we must have the confidence to attack as only we can, and defend as we all too often haven't thus far.
  As long as we don't allow them to out muscle us in the middle, and our creative midfielders play football in the way we like to, we can beat them.

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