Written by Squid Boy on Friday, 26 August 2011 20:38

So...the biggest game in our recent history and we managed to successfully negotiate it. And how good did it feel? How good was it that we could watch Arsene’s post-match interview without dreading lame excuses such as blaming the pitch? How good was it that we could actually watch the highlights later that night as opposed to avoiding it like the plague? How good was it that we could read the newspaper the following morning without fearing seeing a broken cannon or headlines such as “GUNNED DOWN” or “ARSENAL ENTER THE ABYSS”? And that’s not to mention what the reaction amongst the blogosphere would have been like.

How good is it to have a squad full of players who want to be here and fight for the cause?

I’ll tell you how good it feels: FCUKING AWESOME!

For the first time in a long time it feels like there is a chink of light amongst the clouds of doom, that a semblance of happiness echoes around the Club and the fanbase. How long exactly? Since the before the Carling Cup final, and maybe even stretching back a few more weeks to the famous home win over Barcelona. That’s six whole months. Half a year. HALF A FREAKIN’ YEAR.

Apologies for the capslock, but as you can tell I’m just a little happy and a lot relieved after Wednesday night. For those of you who have read my blog recently or followed me on Twitter for a while, you probably know full well how I had been dreading the Champions League qualifier.

It’s not just the negative connotations of missing out on dining at Europe’s top table that would have hurt. But it’s the way we got to that position, the way we dropped like a stone down the league in the spring. To go from having the title in our hands with eight games remaining to Europa League football would have killed us.

But thankfully, we don’t need to worry about it. Crisis averted thanks to a thoroughly professional and positive performance from the lads in the second-leg. I’m not going to go into depth on the game as Mean Lean has already done that, but I do want to make a few points:

• Although on paper a double pivot of Song and Frimpong looked our best bet, it didn’t quite work towards the end of the first-half. So Arsene brought Tomas Rosicky on at the break instead of Frimps, pushed Song back into a pure holding role and we regained control of the ball. In fact it was the best individual performances I had seen a long time from both Song and Rosicky – and massive credit to Le Boss for identifying the problem and solving it

• If our front three maintains its movement and interchanging of positions, it will lead many defences a merry dance this season. I was particularly pleased to see Theo and Gervinho switching flanks. In fact as time passes, I can see Theo line up on the left and Gervinho on the right, as this utilises Theo’s best asset – his cool finishing ability – better than the current starting positions do. Add in RvP “falsing around” and dropping deep and threading the ball through for him, and the boys in red’n’white may well be dynamite.

• The attitude of each and every player was spot-on, from the Jenkinsons and Frimpongs to the v.Persies and Vermaelens. I have long maintained two things: firstly, if our attitude is correct then few teams can live with us; and secondly that you can often tell how an Arsenal game is going to pan out after the first 10 minutes, whether our hearts are really in it or not. Everything was just spot-on.

• Words can’t begin to describe how much I love Wojciech Szczesny. I have long been a fan, and when rumours broke almost exactly twelve-months ago that he wasn’t happy at the lack of playing time and that Man Utd were sniffing around for a long-term replacement for van der Sar, I was terrified that we would go on to lose our potential first-choice keeper for the next 15 years to one of our rivals. Thankfully it has all worked out beautifully for Wojciech here and it is us who will benefit from his presence for the next decade and more.

Not only does overcoming Udinese have the obvious positive of avoiding the ignominy of missing out on the CL group stage for the first time in umpteen years whilst also ensuring that we have more television revenue for our coffers, it means we retain our prestige and the ability to offer top-tier football. There had been whispers that a number of potential transfer deals were subject to us securing qualification – namely Eden Hazard from Lille – and I am fully confident that we will see some quality incomings before the transfer window shuts. I’m not going to predict any names, but I will say that qualifying on Wednesday has ensured we will get the best possible names and that we won’t be rejected on the basis of not being in the CL.

The draw was made yesterday, and naturally it’s not easy for us. It never is. We’ve been handed Marseille, Oympiakos and Borussia Dortmund. No complaints about the first two as that calibre of opponent is par for the course at this stage. But Dortmund were the wild card in Pot 4. And lo and behold, we got them.

In a way, such a consistently difficult group is no bad thing. It (hopefully) ensures no repeat of last season, where we pissed on everyone at home but then took them too lightly in the reverse fixture. This lack of urgency and tempo saw us finish second and end up with Barcelona in the round of 16. A lack of urgency and tempo this time round will see us knocked out altogether. Plus we have no arduous trips to Eastern Europe, which is also a bonus.

But that’s all for the coming weeks and months. Onto more pressing issues and the small matter of the Champions in their own backyard this weekend. Lady Luck and Father Fate would throw up such a clash early in the season, wouldn’t they?

Our case hasn’t been help by a trio of suspensions either, with Gervinho, Song and Frimpong all missing out. And it is the latter two which really hurt us as they are our only two true defensive midfielders.

However, injury news is a little more positive. Whilst Gibbs and, worryingly, Jack remain on the sidelines, it seems that our trio of centre-backs could make it. This would be a big boost as Vermaelen and Koscielny can continue their blossoming partnership while crucially Djourou could step into the midfield void left by the banned Song and Denchman. So our team could well line-up as follows:

Szczesny; Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Jenkinson; Djourou, Rosicky, Ramsey; Arshavin, v.Persie, Walcott.

Not full-strength, but not too shabby either. And you know what? On the basis of Wednesday’s positive result and the mood lifting around the Club, I quite fancy us to surprise Man Utd. Not saying that we’ll pull off a famous victory, but I think our attitude and tempo may catch them off guard.

The safety net of Champions League football is assured. Time to reach for the stars over the next five days, both on and off the pitch.

Squid Boy - http://twitter.com/#!/TheSquidBoyLike

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Comments (16)

• 26-Aug-2011 21:11 | | carlos
  

  Super Piece of writing.!! I agree with everything you said. Come on Boys. Stick it to em sunday.. With a few signings i think we might surprise a few people. In arsene we trust.......

• 26-Aug-2011 21:18 | | jazbo  - Oh no he's not
  

  You must remember Arshavin cannot play a full game, bring him on with a half hour left on the clock and he'll give you everything.
  
  I'd play a midfield of Lansbury Ramsey Rosicky Ryo
  Up front would be Theo and RVP
  
  see it's not so hard to pick a winning team.

• 26-Aug-2011 21:50 | | Jaime  - Wenger's responsible for this doom and gloom scena
  

  Okay, so now that we already of so-called superstar players in Fabregas (btw, he scored a great goal against Porto) and Nasri, let's move on. How come Wenger is playing the waiting game now that the dateline of transfer market coming soon?
  
  Look, we only need at least a 3 players, a defender, a creative midfielder and hopefully a forward. Please, Wenger, there's plenty of other leagues where you can get quality players on good prices. How come no one wants to Ajax's Erikssen??? He's a young, good player. We could raid Ajax and sign Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen or go to Dortmund and sign the next Messi, Goetze and Hummels.
  
  I know, it's not that simple in the transfer market but at least if Arsenal does want to replace the players left, they should get quality not bargain bin players like Lucho Gonzalez.

• 26-Aug-2011 23:19 | | Herbie
  

  Article spot on with analysis of the match, my thoughts entirely. Regards to transfers, think most are overpriced and clubs are taking the pish thinking they are worth so and so millions. I think a player worth a punt is Sturridge, supposidly a boyhood gooner, he can bag goals.

• 26-Aug-2011 23:48 | | Idongesit Udofia  - Bring in these players
  

  By sunday it should be clear about the positions we need reinforcement. We especially need a creative midfielder n one centre half. Anything less than dat is not being ambitious.

• 27-Aug-2011 00:26 | | Danny  - loser
  

  get back reality boys. wenger the loser goty lucky
  
  he needs to be fired quick. just united piss on us on sunday

• 27-Aug-2011 00:28 | | Danny  - cesc
  

  byw, wenger , are you watching cesc score and win his 2nd trophy in a week
  
  what do you do - nothing

• 27-Aug-2011 01:23 | | Man United Killa
  

  Wenger is not going to sign SH*T..he will count on his bunch of young ladies! Another trophyless season awaits us!

• 27-Aug-2011 01:33 | | Man United Killa  - Nice artile but...thumps down!
  

  Another very interesting..but rubbish again as usual.
  How many times do I have to tell you all the optimism in the world will not win us the league.You make it sound all nice and rosy.Do you really think this squad is a trophy winning team?I just hope we don't get embarrassed if we don't strengthen.
  But I have to hand it to you..you have quite an interesting sense of optimism..you almost got me there..try another day..not today..Because from where I stand, with a squad like this the trophy will evade us before we even begin to challenge for it.This team is rubbish.
  Your words were "For those of you who have read my blog recently or followed me on Twitter for a while, you probably know full well how I had been dreading the Champions League qualifier"...something in this statement does not add up:
  1. First of all, we had no business playing in the qualifier.
  2. It's quite shameful to dread a qualifier against Udinese (no respect) but we are supposed to be the Arsenal..a few nerves here and there but 'dreading' says a lot about the status quo of our club..dont you think?

• 27-Aug-2011 01:35 | | Man United Killa
  

  ....against Udinese (No disrespect)

• 27-Aug-2011 02:03 | | AznGooner  - To MUK
  

  Yes, maybe all the optimism in the world won't get us anywhere, but where does pessimism get us? No where near where optimism would get us. Your negativity and many others transcends onto the pitch and then the players doubt themselves. If the people supporting them don't even believe in their ability, how will they start believing they're champion material? The 350 fans in Udinese made ALL the difference, they were loud and their Wojciech Szczesny chants were heard throughout the ground after that save. Maybe you never lived as a gooner pre-Wenger era, and don't know what it's like to go through a dry patch, but let me tell you this, we've been through far worse shit than not being in the champions league, being there is a luxury to any team and we should be thankful our players were proud wearers of the cannon on their chest for the game and gave 110%, securing that place.
  
  What do you mean it's so shameful to dread a game against Udinese? The team with the top goal scorer of the last 2 years in Serie A, a league that has Ibrahimovic, D. Milito, Samuel Eto'o (Past few seasons), Gilardino? The team that was the top goal scorers of the entire league and with just 4 home defeats? What isn't there to respect about Udinese? Since when did our tradition and history give us a divine right to not fear opposition? Have you seen our team lately? Depleted, backs to wall, 5 under-20 starters, but they showed no fear. They played like warriors and I, for one, am incredibly proud of them.
  
  Yes this team is severely weak in areas, but there's no reason not to believe in them, if you only choose to support us when we have an amazing Invincibles squad but can only berate the team, manager and players when we're down on our luck with everything then you, along with every other glory hunting half wit, can fuck right off. Arsenal doesn't need fans like you, you don't need to be supporting a club this rooted with tradition, go support your Man Citys for world class squads then, go support your Man united for a title winning side then, go support your Barcelona for the best side in the world then, but I'll always stick with Arsenal through and through, because I believe in them. And if you still dislike that, then fuck you.

• 27-Aug-2011 05:06 | | Man United Killa  - Rent some decency!
  

  It's funny that an idiot like you think he has the compass all figured out.Keep this in mind...All that you have typed is just garbage.Maybe you are willing to settle for second best.The fact that I wont does not make me any less of a Gunner than you are...and just so you know,I was an friuli cheering the players on- you idiot...And the '350 fans' whoever gave you that figure probably has no clue..just like you.When were you born?And since when have you been an Arsenal fan?And which dry patch have you seen that I havent seen?You have no idea.The fact that we have a bad patch does not make it any more consistent with the direction of football...You can take your lack of ambition and shove it where the sun dont shine...and finally you seem to have gotten your words twisted..arent you saying you will stick with Wenger through and through?-not Arsenal...and oh..thanks but no thanks...you cant fuck me you idiot.punk!

• 27-Aug-2011 07:20 | | red boy
  

  Well said MUK the lack of ambition of some of the fans on this blog is unblieveable.If thats all they want is to never win any thing why dont they nip over to west london and start to support fulham because they just to plod along and win nothing.And to all the wenger lovers thats 2 league wins out of 16 now what other manager would still be in work with a record like that.The ship is sinking fast.

• 27-Aug-2011 12:48 | | feeno
  

  Bunch of young ladies? what the fuck are you smoking??
  
  You are no Arsenal fan, your an attention seeking fool

• 27-Aug-2011 13:02 | | AznGooner  - TO MUK
  

  "Compass all figured out" isn't even a legitimate figure of speech. It might be garbage to someone who only spouts garbage themselves but least I write that with honesty rather than lined with pessimism. I never said for a second I'd settle for second best, I want us to challenge for honours, but if it's to put that last 5 years of financial work in jeoprody than maybe I would want us being consistent at the top until we get chances and take them again like the Carling Cup final.
  
  Oh really, Udinese own stadium officials and TV stations have no clue in comparison to your almighty knowledge of the beautiful game and how many fans travel where? Get off your high horse for one second and think like a logical human being. Or is that a step too far for your single file brain cells?
  
  Way I see it, I don't have to justify my fandom of Arsenal to you, what does it matter when I was born, what does it matter when I started to support, what matters is I love my team and will support them to the very end, yes, I said support the TEAM, that includes the manager, the players and the entire backroom staff. So at what point did I say I supported Wenger and not Arsenal, go on, quote me. I'll even quote myself "I'll always stick with Arsenal through and through, because I believe in them. And if you still dislike that, then fuck you."
  
  And I stand by the last 2 words of that quote too.

• 27-Aug-2011 14:36 | | MeanLean
  

  I didn't get the chance to say so yesterday but great blog. The result on Wednesday has really given the supporters a much needed lift. Clearly some will not be happy no matter what, but hopefully we have turned the corner. Lets finish our transfer business (Park Chu Young is the latest) and let us get back to fighting for trophies again.

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