Written by Mean Lean
on
Friday, 30 September 2011 14:44
Good afternoon Gooners,
It is another sunny day in north London this late September which is all rather strange. This time I have come prepared, I am sporting a T-shirt instead of the thick, long sleeved top that I had on yesterday. Nobody informed me that it would be Caribbean weather so close to October. I wasn't at all impressed whilst melting on a bus during rush hour.
There isn't much in the way of substantial Arsenal news today, most of the focus is on the NLD on the Sunday, a game that is filling me with nerves, but that is nothing new. The north London derby always gives you that little extra emotion, those few extra butterflies in the pit of your stomach. It is the only thing that Tottenham hope to win every year and that just makes it all the worse. It is going to be a tough one but it is great to see us being written off by so many, that should prevent our second biggest nemesis after injuries. Complacency.
I am sure you don't want to hear about fresh starts and new beginnings etc, so I won't venture down that particular road but I do want to take you to a similar location if you don't mind.
There is no need to waste anyone's time with talk of our transfer business or timing, everyone know's how that went and the effect it has had on our start of this season, this for me is the reason why we are currently being viewed as a crisis club, it is why we are at the wrong end of the league and it is why we have had to deal with some rather embarrassing moments this season so far.
However this squad is nowhere as bad as our early season results have made out. The Arsenal laundry room are still trying to iron out long standing creases but there is plenty that is not only good but very good about our squad. The three victories on the bounce have come at a very good time for us, momentum and confidence are vital to a team who are aspiring for success, hopefully those two ingredients are mounting up nicely but I believe that the three victories could be bettered in one swoop of a 90 minutes at White Hart Lane.
I have felt for some time that Arsene Wenger's teams usually gain confidence from performance rather than results, given that our game is based on combinations, confidence and momentum. We would probably get more out of one 5-2 victory than three 1-0 wins.
A victory and good performance at the Lane could be massive, especially considering that we should have Thomas Vermaelen and Abou Diaby back ready for selection quite soon. Even if Vermaelen's return has been put back a couple of weeks. That would mean our squad would be only missing one player, yes a very important player but only one player in Jack Wilshere.
This is assuming that we can get through a) the derby at Spurs and b) the International break without further set backs. Which come to think of it may well be a big ask but the point is that the team are finally starting to gel, starting to string results together and we still have some big players to come back.
I don't need to tell you how important Tommy V is to our side, so I won't but I am really crossing my fingers over the fitness of Abou Diaby. There is an obvious split in the Arsenal supporting world about the influence of the Frenchman in an Arsenal shirt but I tell you what, I am massively in the for camp. We haven't seen Abou Diaby at his best for a good few years now and it is easy to understand why many fans are unhappy that he is part of our squad and has often been unavailable for selection. When he has been fit, he has only managed to last a few games before breaking down again. I believe that it is this reason why so many have their knives out for him.
What Abou Diaby needs is what every player in world football need and that is a run of games without tweaks, without strains and without disgusting ankle attacks. I cannot quite remember if it was his last long run of games together but in our emphatic home victory against Porto he was in the middle of a long run in the team, he had been playing a more withdrawn midfield role alongside Alex Song, probably the early stages of the 4-2-3-1 formation that Jack Wilshere took over from at the start of last season. I was at the Emirates watching the pair of them (Song & Diaby) and they were remarkable as they were for pretty much all of their time together during that run.
With the departure of Fabregas, the midfield has reverted a little bit back to the 4-3-3 in which all three central midfielders have to share out the defensive and offensive work load, plenty of talking on the job, players covering shifts for each other at late notice etc.
If Abou Diaby can get down the motorway without cutting out then that 4-3-3 system suits every aspect of his game. The reason why I have hope after yet another injury is because, this time we are attempting to rectify his injury problems and not just waiting for a calf strain to heal or resting a hamstring. He had an ankle operation at the start of the season and who knows how that will turn out. I can remember as clear as day, the amount of comments and articles that I have read suggesting that we should offload van Persie because of his injury problems. How he is purely a luxury player who had no place in our squad. If blogger's were running Arsenal then Huntelaar would be wearing the number 10 shirt today instead of van Persie who has just notched up his 100th goal for the Gunners.
If we can keep Diaby on the pitch and away from the treatment table then I bet my bottom dollar that I will be saying similar things about Diaby by the end of the season. Once he has games tucked away under his belt, he can score goals from crosses, he can score from distance, turn defence into attack, beats players without trying and wins a high number of duels.
The injured Diaby is no use to Arsenal, I agree. But if his surgery is a success and it solves his long standing issues then Abou Diaby can be a vital cog to this new Arsenal team. Especially with Wilshere out until late this season. I really want to see a trio of Song - Diaby - Arteta.
With the Frenchman expected to return after the International break, I may well get my wish.
I started the article on my train journey saying that there wasn't much in the way of news but it turns out that upon my travels, Manuel Almunia has completed a move to West Ham. God only knows why such a move didn't take place during the summer weeks but hey. I wish him all the best and hope he finds his best form again. It seems fashionable to hate a player from your squad if he under performs, I don't quite get it myself. A fabulous shot stopper for the most part but never quite got the hang of the whole balls in the box thing, well at least consistently.
Stan Kroenke has finally spoken after all this time. The interview with the Telegraph is well worth a butchers.
Arsene has had his press conference but I haven't heard it as yet and do not have the time to tune in yet. I will mention it tomorrow in the blog.
Enjoy your afternoon/morning/evening depending on where you are in the world.
PS - You can catch Omomo14's earlier piece here if you missed it.
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