Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Analysis and Reaction to Arsenal's Derby-Day Defeat

Another promising run of results, another setback.

Arsene Wenger could not have been more correct when he said that with Arsenal’s season was a case of two step forwards and a step back. The elimination of Udinese from the Champions League was followed by the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

A win over Swansea and a gutsy draw against German Champions, Borussia Dortmund was followed by a defensive shocker against Blackburn. After notching up wins against Shrewsbury, Bolton and Olympiacos, it seemed as if the Gunners had finally turned the corner.

But Arsenal’s resurgent form finally came to a crashing halt against the one team, Arsenal fans couldn’t bear to lose, Tottenham Hotspurs. Spurs had gotten off to a start just as bad as Arsenal, suffering two defeats in as many games but a run of three wins out of three had put them two points above the Gunners despite having played a game less.

Arsenal’s inconsistent and unconvincing displays combined with Tottenham playing some good football ensured that for the first time in Arsene Wenger’s rein, the Gunners went in as underdogs. While it’s still early days to say if the balance of power is shifting, there is no denying that Tottenham have a squad that is just as good if not better than the Gunners.

The final result read 2-1 in favor of Arsenal’s biggest rivals and while Tottenham deserved three points, Arsenal can count themselves unlucky to be on the receiving end of their fourth loss of the season.

Some might say I am complaining, but let me state a few facts. The first goal scored by Rafael van Der Vaart never really should have stood. He clearly controls the ball with his hand before shooting past Szczesny and this is another fact that has been conveniently left out in all match reports and post match analysis. The critics, will of course say that Arsenal should have prevented the ball from coming in and while Arsenal could have done better, the foul was made and a freekick should have gone for Arsenal and the goal scrapped. The question of poor defending shouldn’t make a difference as it was a handball and that was that. But then again, we must understand that the view offered to the referee wasn’t a great one and when one takes into consideration that only Mertesacker appealed for the handball, it becomes fairly clear that the view available to the referee wasn’t a good one and the decision is one of those that might go against you on some days and might favor you on others.

The second bit of controversy stems from the resulting celebration in which Van Der Vaart runs into the crowd to celebrate. Normally that is a yellow card offence although there is some debate, whether he actually violates any law during the celebration. Since he was already booked, he should have been sent off which he wasn’t since he never was booked.

I actually support the decision not to yellow card players for offences trivial like this and this where I would like to draw all your attention to Wenger’s reaction. Wenger is always portrayed as a whiner, a man always looking for excuses and yet in this case, when he actually supports the opposition, he gets absolutely no credit, which is a shame.

According to the stereotype made by the media and several critics of Wenger, he always looks for excuses and yet when he could have easily made a larger issue out of it, he chose to remain silent and let the issue die down, which I see as a class act from a manager under immense amount of pressure from all directions, including his own fans.

When an excuse is made by him, people are ever so quick to spring on him and rip him apart and yet when he shows class, he gets no acknowledgment.

But what was evident in the goal that Arsenal conceded was the lack of co-ordination and understanding among the players, something that shouldn’t be surprising. Arsenal had three of their centrebacks out injured with Laurent Koscielny, Thomas Vermaelen and Johan Djourou all on the sidelines. This meant that defensive midfielder, Alex Song was forced to play alongside summer signing, Mertesacker in the heart of Arsenal’s defense. The duo put in a solid shift midweek against Olympiacos and while they did give a good account of themselves against Spurs, the lack of understanding among the four members of the Arsenal backline was there for all to see.

This is something that shouldn’t worry Arsenal fans considering that this is just the first match the particular back four played alongside each other. Song is not a centreback predominantly and this was just his third match in the past two seasons playing in defense. Mertesacker was playing only his sixth game in an Arsenal jersey and only his third alongside Gibbs. No defense can achieve an understanding overnight and it will require time to blossom into a solid defense and the return of Koscielny and Vermaelen will only aid Arsenal’s defense.

I believe that with the likes of Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Koscielny in the central defensive positions, the Gunners can maintain a good defense and with the likes of Johan Djourou and youngster Ignasi Miquel providing valuable depth, Arsenal’s defense has the potential to play consistently.

Arsenal went into halftime with an one goal deficit but with just six minutes of the second half gone, the Gunners found themselves back on level terms. Arsenal’s makeshift centre back, the ever consistent, Alex Song bombarded down the left and crossed into the box for Welsh midfielder and captain, Aaron Ramsey to tap home. The Welsh teenager has endured a tumultuous season so far with some seeing him as being below par this season while I see him as a victim of the formation Wenger is employing. When Wenger did employ the 4-2-3-1 like he did against Bolton, Ramsey did thrive and that formation is the key to Ramsey thriving.

Despite getting on the scoresheet, not many have been too pleased with the Welsh midfielder, but I think he deserves some more time and when played ahead of Arteta and the defensive midfielder he will thrive. Many expect him to make the same impact as last year’s breakout kid, Jack Wilshere but let’s not forget that Wilshere did not have to deal with a career threatening injury and he too grew in stature and in quality only as the season progressed and did not start all that brilliantly.

Another overwhelming positive to take away from the match was the performance of Francis Coquelin. With Alex Song moved to centre back and with Emmanuel Frimpong having played in midweek, Arsenal’s depth was once again there for all to see as Coquelin put in a man of the match performance and was rightfully named Arsenal’s Man of the Match at the end of the match. We have been talking about Frimpong all season with his enthusiastic and energy packed displays but having played three matches, Coquelin has impressed in all three. His feat becomes even more special considering that two of the starts came against Manchester United and Spurs with both being away matches. Against the Red Devils it was after his substitution that Arsenal fell apart completely and at showed his quality at White Hart Lane. The loan spell at Lorient seems to have benefitted him hugely.

The winner scored by Kyle Walker was hugely reminiscent of the goal scored by another youngster at the very same ground. Danny Rose had scored a belter in the 2009-10 season and even in that case there was a slight error on the part of the goalkeeper. Szczesny could have done better and could have stopped it from going in.

But despite that mistake, the Polish keeper once again showed great skill with a string of solid saves including two key saves against Emmanuel Adebayor and Scott Parker. Talking of Parker, the English international is proving to be a solid buy for Spurs with another efficient performance as he ensured that Arsenal’s summer signing, Mikel Arteta who has been fantastic so far along with Ramsey failed to gain a foothold in the midfield battle.

Many have been criticizing Wenger for failing to sign Parker and I see the criticism as pointless. Song is easily as good as Parker and Coquelin and Frimpong are two very able backups who are ready for first team football. But even if Wenger was looking to sign a player in that position, he had his sights set on Yann M’Vila who I see as a great player and a really world class talent and it looks like Arsene will continue his attempt to sign the French player in January.

If there was a huge negative to take away from the match, it was the loss of Bacary Sagna to injury. I actually believed that the French International was nearly indestructible, but sadly I was proved wrong as a fracture has ruled him out for at least three months. With Vermaelen, Wilshere all out injured, the last thing we wanted is for one of our best players to get injured. Sagna is easily one of the best in the world and his injury is just as damaging as the defeat to Spurs.

The injury to Sagna meant that when the Gunners went behind, their task became all the more difficult. Gareth Bale is a talented player and pace is one of his biggest assets and he tormented the young Jenkinson and this added to the threat posed by Spurs on the counter.

The sale of Emmanuel Eboue means that Carl Jenkinson is the only replacement at right back. Djourou too can play in that position, but the Swiss international looks short on confidence and had a poor afternoon against Blackburn Rovers in the right back position.

Jenkinson is talented no doubt and can blossom into a fantastic right back, but that is the future. Right now he is raw talent who had some good moments against Udinese and Liverpool. He had a poor game against Manchester United but he was not aided one bit by the removal of Coquelin as the Gunners pushed to get something out of the match.

The injury to Sagna comes just too soon for Jenkinson and I really fear for the youngster. He can handle himself in a few games but over a three month period he will be exposed. The one advantage is that he has a two week period during the international break to work on his game.

On the whole, while some media reports might indicate that the Gunners were completely overrun by Spurs, Arsenal and Spurs fought out a hard fought battle with the winner showing more ruthlessness in front of goal.

At the end of the day a few basic errors cost us a point or even all three.

With four defeats out of the seven games the club has played, Arsenal have to get at least 15 points out of the 18 available and it is very possible. The squad isn’t half as bad as the media makes it out to be and the manager isn’t a senile fool (yet another creation of the wonderfully impartial media) and the fans at the stadium have been so great that brilliant is a huge understatement.

Following the defeat the clamor for Wenger’s exit has intensified once again and as always I see it as being pointless. Both Stan Kroenke and Ivan Gazidis have pledged their support to Wenger and sacking him mid season is both futile and pointless.

Criticizing him is required no doubt, no person should ever be above criticism but after a point endless criticism does no good. I see so many people analyzing every word he says just so that they can criticize him and even more people who wait to bring him down but never give him the credit he deserves.

We must realize that he is our manager and supporting him is all the fans can do. Support him, back him at least till the end of the season, that’s best for the club.

Yes, the result is disappointing. Yes, we are facing an uphill task to finish in the top four. Yes, these times aren’t easy. But we are Arsenal fans, we will come out of this fighting and our love for the club will always remain a constant.

It’s difficult times but the end is far. 

Arsenal: Robin Van Persie Leads from the Front as Arsenal Gun Down Bolton

What a time to score your 100^th goal!

When his team needed him the most, Arsenal captain and lynchpin, Robin van Persie stepped up to deliver the goods in scintillating form as the Gunners gunned down Bolton Wanderers 3-0 to add some much needed life to their Premier League campaign.

With just a mere four points from five games before the kick off, anything less than a win would be detrimental to Arsenal’s hopes of a top four finish. At the end of the day it was a solid performance from the Gunners as ten men Bolton suffered their fifth defeat of the season.

Defeat to Blackburn last week had meant that the Gunners were under immense pressure and while the attack looked extremely sharp at Ewood Park, it lacked the ruthlessness that win you matches.

For the first half of the game, it was much of the same. The attack looked good, created a few chances, dominated possession but failed to make an impact on the score line. The signs were promising but the Gunners needed a quick goal to settle the nerves and ensure that they wouldn’t be picked apart in the counter attack.

If a quick goal was what was needed then that was exactly what the Gunners got. Arsenal’s newly appointed captain rose to the occasion with a neat finish from a tight angle. Bolton’s attack had struggled to cause much trouble for the Gunners and if things were bad for the Trotters, it was about to get much worse. Wheater’s sending off in the 55^th minute, meant that they would have to chase the game with a man down.

Now, Arsenal have been below par this season but they are still one of the toughest teams to play against when you have just ten men on the field. Arsenal dominated the rest of the game and like Arsene Wenger pointed out in the post match press conference, Bolton never even came close to scoring in the second half.

Arsenal added two more to the score line as Robin van Persie and Alex Song added Arsenal’s second and third.

The statistics at the end of the match just highlighted Arsenal’s dominance. With 63% of possession and with a total of 19 shots compared to Bolton’s paltry two, there was no questioning Arsenal’s domination tonight. A bit more ruthlessness and had it not been for Jaaskelanien’s solid performance, Arsenal could have ran riot.

But this was the kind of performance the Gunners desperately required. Short on confidence and needing a win, a comprehensive win like this will only boost the confidence of the players ahead of a massive week for the Gunners.

It was another very fluent performance from Arsenal’s midfield as Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey showed that life without Fabregas and Nasri won’t be as difficult as it initially seemed. Arteta looks perfectly at home in an Arsenal jersey and those who doubted his caliber after his transfer have been treated to three superb Premier League performances from the ex-Everton captain who continues to show his talent and quality at Arsenal.

After a superb show against Blackburn, he once again put in a solid shift in his second game at the Emirates.

But special mention must go to Aaron Ramsey who played a good second half as he continued to show a positive improvement in his form. His form at the start of the season was indifferent as he drifted in and out of the games against Udinese, Swansea. But in the last few games against Blackburn and today against Bolton he played very well grabbing an assist on both occasions.

He seems to be improving slowly but steadily which is only expected from a player who is making a return from a career threatening injury.

Van Persie might have been the man of the match but Theo Walcott deserves mention too for an action packed performance that could have and should have had a goal. Nevertheless it showed all his critics that while he maybe a tad inconsistent, on his day, it is truly hard to contain the Englishman. His pace and direct running caused lots of problems for the Bolton defense and it was for a foul on him that Wheater picked up his red card. A blistering run down the right provided the cross for van Persie’s second of the night as the game was wrapped up in style by Arsenal.

Van Persie’s second was a personal landmark for the Dutchman as he became the 17^th Arsenal player to ever score 100 goals for the club. It was a feat long overdue for the mercurial striker whose constant injuries have meant that he has rarely been able to play more than 40 games in a season.

But when fit, he is there right among the best in the league as he showed last season when his blistering scoring run made him the best striker of 2011. People often complain that van Persie, while superb against the weaker sides, comes a copper against the top sides.

A closer analysis on his career goals show that he indeed has scored several top goals with his goals against Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all testimony to this.

Another trait of the best players is scoring and delivering when your team needs it the most. That is exactly what he did last season as he was the only beacon of consistency for the Gunners towards the end of the season as the entire team collapsed. His 21 goals in 2011 was top drawer stuff as he established himself as one of the league’s best. When one talks about world class players at Arsenal, one can think about four players: Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Alex Song and Robin van Persie.

Among this there is no doubt that most people would admit that Robin van Persie is truly world class with the rest of the names being debatable.

When Cesc Fabregas departed in the summer, no Arsenal fan had any second thoughts on who the next Arsenal captain should be. Loyal, dedicated and committed to the Arsenal cause, Van Persie has remained steadfast in his loyalty towards the Gunners even when the chips have been down and even when the Gunners were struggling to win trophies.

Such class and commitment from a class act like him endeared him to the Gunners’ faithful who have been unanimous in their steadfast support for the Dutchman, akin to his never ending passion for the Gunners. With just a year and a half remaining on his contract, extending it should be top priority and even Wenger has admitted to that.

The icing on the cake came a minute from time as the ever consistent and superb Alex Song popped up with a bit of magic to score a beautiful goal that once again showed his talent up front. Surely one of the best defensive midfielders in the league, his five goals last season including goals against Chelsea and Manchester City including a winner against West Ham and a goal against Bolton again last season at the Emirates highlighted his success up front as well. The goal today was a beautifully taken goal that would have made even van Persie proud.

Arsenal’s defense who came under intense criticism after a shocker against Blackburn was hardly troubled. It was widely expected that the defense would concede at least a goal against Bolton especially considering the team’s set pieces woes off late. But other than a scary moment in the second minute, the defense dealt comfortably with the little that came its way. Wojciech Szczesny was forced into a save from a Bolton corner in just under two minutes and the Pole who despite conceding 14 in the league has been solid, having hardly put a foot wrong.

But like everything surrounded with Arsenal these days, there was bound to be a negative for the Gunners. Walcott’s late injury makes him a doubt for Arsenal’s mid week Champions League clash and more importantly a doubt for next week’s North London derby at White Hart Lane.

His pace is extremely vital to the team and an injury would mean that Andrei Arshavin would have to start. The diminutive Russian is a good player no doubt, but his performances would be better for the club if he came on as an impact substitute than making him start the match.
  

But we can hope that the injury is a minor one that would allow the Englishman to return quickly.

At the end it was the kind of performance we would love to see more of. Domination in midfield and a very quiet night for the under scrutiny defense which was hardly troubled throughout the 90 minutes.

Confidence is key for the Gunners and the team should look to take it one step at a time as they look to surge towards a top four finish. With Olympiacos in the Champions League and Tottenham next, Arsenal will be hugely benefited from a moral boosting win like this and the smile on Wenger’s face at the end of the match just showed the value and importance of the win to the team and their under-fire manager.

This game once again showed the potential of the current side and consistency will be key and if that is achieved, there is absolutely no reason why the Gunners can’t finish in the top four. 

Arsenal Opinion: 5 Reasons Why Arsene Wenger Should Not Be Sacked Now

Following a humiliating defeat against Blackburn Rovers, the clamor for Arsene Wenger’s sacking has reached fever pitch with several fans starting to grow extremely tense about the club’s future with Arsenal’s future as a top four club remaining in serious jeopardy.

For some time there has been a call for the sacking of the illustrious Frenchman, the man who led Arsenal to three Premier League titles and the only man to win the Premier League going unbeaten the whole season. For the Wenger critics, all this represents a time which Wenger cannot recreate and if Arsenal want to scale great heights, then Wenger has to be sacked.

Let me make one thing very clear: I am a pro-Wenger fan and still keep the hope that this team under Arsene Wenger will win a trophy and silence their critics. But if Wenger does indeed fail to win a trophy or fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League then, his time might at the helm of Arsenal might be drawing to a close, but a complete judgment can be made only at the end of the season.

Ever since the Gunners failed to win the Premier League last season there has been widespread call for the ousting of Wenger. That combined with the sale of Fabregas and Nasri along with Arsenal’s inability to sign any “world class” players mean that the pressure is on Wenger unlike ever before in his tenure.

After Arsenal’s disappointing loss against Blackburn, a defeat that was Déjà vu all over again for Arsenal, the call for Wenger’s removal has further strengthened. This disappointing result coupled with the earlier disaster at Old Trafford (I rather not mention the score) means that the Gunners face a tough task if they are to qualify for Europe’s premier competition next season. Ivan Gazidis recently stressed on the fact that Wenger will not be sacked.

For some that was a huge relief while the others felt that the club was making a huge mistake, one that would prove to be costly come May 2012.

Here are five reasons why the Gunners shouldn’t sack Wenger now and should wait at least for the end of the season before they contemplate the removal of Wenger.

Fan Support

The fan’s attitude towards Wenger has slowly gone cold over the past few months but there is no doubting that even now a lot of Arsenal fans support the Arsenal manager and wish to see him at the club for at least another year.

There is no doubt that even these fans feel the frustration regarding the barren run that has now spanned six seasons. But they believe that Wenger is the right man for the job, continuing to faith in the manager.

But these days the number of fans calling for the removal of Wenger as manager has risen massively especially in the wake of a sixth straight trophyless season and especially the circumstances in which it occurred.

The two groups of fans have created a rift between the supporters. There is no doubting hat both set of fans want the Gunners to succeed both the path to achieving glory varies for the two.

There is no doubt that there has been a lot of uncertainty in the Arsenal fan base. The fans are always an integral part of any club and it is always a huge bonus to have the fans united. Sure, the fans will disagree on small matters like which player to sign but when it comes to major decisive issues like the manager at the helm of Arsenal, it is imperative that the fans are united in backing the manager.

If Wenger indeed is sacked now, the fans will not be totally behind the new manager. Why? Because right now Wenger has his own set of loyal supporters who will always feel he should have been given one more season.

The backing of fans are all the more crucial when you have a new manager coming in. A new manager will have to be provided the best environment possible, a situation in which the fans are a 100% behind him.

If Wenger is sacked, the fans will feel that he never got a chance this season to achieve something with a talented squad and at least silence his critics. But if he does indeed fail this season, then a majority of the fans will indeed start to believe that the reign of the Frenchman is drawing to a close.

In such a situation they will welcome the new manager much more favorably than if Wenger is sacked mid season. The backing of the fans will only work in the favor of the new manager and that is why it is crucial that the new manager is someone the fans will welcome with open arms. It serves no purpose if the new man is a reminder of how Wenger’s illustrious tenure came to halt.

The Difficulty In Replacing Arsene Wenger

Seeing the way the Gunners have struggled off late, people have been quick to say that Arsenal manager can be replaced with ease. There is no doubt that there is no dearth of top quality managers who can bring great tactical flexibility to the team. But is replacing Wenger all that easy?

I would say not at all. The legacy left behind by Wenger is seeping in success and he is one of the most respected figures in the club. Wenger has left a legacy of being the first manager to win the league unbeaten and it also him that ensured the smooth passage of the club when the construction of the Emirates could have been disastrous for the club.

So when the replacement for Wenger is being sought it has to be someone who comes with a lofty reputation himself, a person who will not be daunted by the legacy of Wenger, a person who will be unfazed at the task of filling the boots of Wenger.

If Wenger is indeed sacked now, then the board will have to rush through the appointment of the next manager and in the process will end up signing a manager who is not up to the task leaving the Gunners in further trouble.

People will always say that Wenger himself was an unknown talent when he came to Arsenal and there is no reason why he cannot be replaced by someone like him, someone talented but unheard of.

But is that the path, the club wants to go down? I would say. If such a manager is indeed appointed then he may succumb to the pressure accompanying the role.

Under Wenger the fans have been treated to some sumptuous football with Wenger’s focus always lying in playing the beautiful game. If Arsenal do bring in a manager who focuses on results rather than the style, then the fans may once again be disappointed.

That is why the best time to replace the Frenchman would be in the summer, because it gives the club the ideal time required to pick a suitable successor who can carve out his own legacy at Arsenal and also gives the manager time to draft in his own signings.

Players Have Immense Faith In Him

The fans may hate or love them, but there is no doubting that every Arsenal player including all those to have played under Arsene Wenger remains unanimous in their praise for Wenger. Cesc Fabregas left Arsenal for boyhood club, only this summer and his tribute to Wenger just epitomized the respect he had for the Arsenal manager. Even the likes of Thierry Henry, all still back the Arsenal manager.

Despite the recent hardships, some Arsenal players have reiterated their faith in the Arsenal manager.

There is no doubt that most if not all the Arsenal players still have faith and immense respect for the Arsenal manager. Several of these players owe a lot to Wenger who shaped their careers. The likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Robin van Persie come to mind as Wenger shaped all these players into world class athletes who can tough it out against the best.

If Wenger is indeed sacked, it will be an emotional and painful moment for all of them and sacking him in mid season is just not something the players might be able to handle. He is a legendary man, someone who is like a father figure to these footballers and when he does go, they will all be losing a great manager who has the ability to bring out the best in his players.

Sacking him and replacing him mid season is far too distracting and will only backfire on the club.

Arsene Wenger is an Underrated Manager

This is definitely a controversial one. There is no doubt that a few years back, Arsene Wenger along with Sir Alex Ferguson was the best managers the Premier League had to offer. These days many see Alex Ferguson to be a country mile ahead of Wenger. Right now there is no doubt that Ferguson is the better manager but does that necessarily mean that he is as poor as several critics and media outlets are making him out to be? Definitely not.

Of course Wenger’s critics will point to his transfer market weaknesses and his tactical inflexibility. Wenger is not perfect and has flaws in him but a manager should also be judged on his ability to get the best out of his players and that is what I believe Wenger has done.

Before you call me a Wenger fan boy and delusional, take a step back and hear me out.

For the last few seasons several people have been quick to proclaim that Arsenal will fall out of the top 4 and till now that has never happened as the Gunners have comfortably maintained their status as a Champions League football despite the rise of Manchester City and Tottenham.

Before the start of the season, the same people who criticize the Gunners of not winning the league predict them to fall out of the top four citing reasons such as lack of depth, quality and all the usual stuff. And despite all the predictions of doom and gloom, the Gunners invariably do well till March. But they have never fallen out of the top four.

Several people see Arsenal’s squad has been poor for quite some time now and have been predicting their fall for the last two seasons yet the Gunners have not collapsed like they predicted. By default that obviously means that Arsene Wenger has achieved great results with a good squad.

Any Arsenal fan knows that the results achieved by Wenger recently have left a lot to be deserved. Yes, Wenger is to blame for the club’s defensive frailties.

But spare a thought for the Arsenal manager too. He has never criticized his team and always deflects the blame onto himself. Yes, the critics will say that Wenger is the one who sends out the team but there is only so much he can do. The players in recent times have been left scot free and in the process it is Arsene Wenger who has been treated with real disdain in the press and among fans.

There is no doubt that the players too are letting the manager down but the bigger problem is that not many are taking up the responsibility. Samir Nasri perfectly epitomized this when he left Arsenal for City stating reasons like desire to win. We must remember that Nasri himself was far from great during the business end of the season and he too must take responsibility for the frailties in the team. Instead he chose to abandon the club during its time of need.

There is obviously something going on in the back to which we as fans are not privy to. Many have been vehement in their criticism of Wenger for not signing players but we must remember that even Wenger stated that he would have wanted to finish the business earlier and not so late. Unlike last season and before that, the club actually targeted all the right players. Yann M’Vila, Eden Hazard and Mario Gotze were all subjects of bids by the Gunners and while they ultimately did fail, they did make an attempt to sign some world class players.

Wenger is a quality manager and every player who has worked with him admits that. He still has the quality to correct Arsenal and the least we can do is give him time to rectify the problem at least this season.

Even last season he managed a great series of results and though not many expected the Gunners to actually challenge for the title, the team was Manchester United’s main contenders for large parts of the season and while we all know how it finally went, until March the Gunners were doing better than the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City.

Also there is the factor of spending money in January. Even if the Gunners do manage a string of great results now, such is the quality of Chelsea, City and United that the Gunners might still find themselves behind in the title race. People will state that Wenger rarely spends but whenever the squad has needed it, he has bought in the transfer market. The likes of Andrei Arshavin and more recently, Arteta and Mertesacker all prove that.

People often forget that the Gunners actually built a stadium and were in massive debt. If you look at the first few years of the six year trophy drought, the focus was on finishing in the Champions League and ensuring that the club doesn’t fall badly because the spending power was low especially in comparison to the likes of United and Chelsea. Building a new stadium is never an easy task and the Gunners managed to go through a phase of transition without any real hiccups when we have seen many teams collapse after building a new stadium.

Wenger did superbly with a young, squad despite a restricted spending power and he deserves credit for that.

I still believe that he is a quality manager, better than most of the alternatives, a manager with great respect for his players, and while not many agree, giving him time, is what I think is the prudent course of action.

This Squad is Actually Fairly Good

While the squad hasn’t shown it yet, there is no doubting that this squad has immense potential and can compete for the league when firing on all cylinders.

Arsenal’s flurry of transfers in the last two days of the transfer window, in response to the defeat at Manchester  we will never know but the end result is that the Gunners added five new players in the last two days. The five players who made the move to North London were, Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker, Park Chu Young, Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun.

Out of these players, the most excitement was regarding Arteta and Mertesacker, both due to their quality and the positions they filled.

The summer departures of Fabregas, Clichy, Nasri, Eboue, Bendtner all meant that these transfers were required both to add quality and beef up the numbers.

Out of these players it is Mikel Arteta who has made the most impact with two superb displays against Blackburn Rovers and Swansea, scoring one at Ewood Park and looking like the midfielder the Gunners have been crying out loud for this season. He has shown that he is no Cesc-lite and can blossom into a force for the Gunners.

With the likes of Alex Song, Bacary Sagna, Aaron Ramsey, Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie already in the squad, there is quality at the club, and while the recent results might not have reflected that, this squad has the quality to make a top four finish a possibility.

The reason the Gunners have struggled are mainly because of the injuries that decimated the squad prior to the signings and the lack of cohesion between the new defensive unit as illustrated by Santos playing Yakubu onside for both of the Nigerian’s goals.

This squad has the quality to achieve something significant this season and ever since the Gunners kicked off their “new season” they have managed two wins and a draw and defeat each. Not a great record, to be honest but the Gunners should go one step at a time. Confidence is low in the team and like Wenger said, confidence comes back slowly and Arsenal should look to build their season one step at a time.

If they do indeed manage that, there is no reason why they cannot mount a surge for a top four finish and possibly look to win the FA Cup, Carling Cup or both.

This squad has immense potential and they are still trying to gel with each other. Time will improve this squad and Arsenal fans should look at this team and see the talent and not be carried away by the immense negativism that has surrounded the club.

 Wenger can achieve something this squad and he is known to bring the best out of his players. Arsenal’s win over Shrewsbery in the Carling Cup only highlighted their depth and with Wilshere and Vermaelen coming back, Wenger can do well with this squad.

He has the confidence in his ability and the team has good spirit and the Gunners can push hard for a good season despite a tumultuous start.

Conclusion

This article is surely going to bring contrasting opinions and I would love to hear your take on the future of Arsene Wenger.

A special mention has to be made to how Wenger has been during all this intense speculation. He has remained unfazed and has shown great poise and dignity despite faced with immense pressure.

He has been disrespected severely in the media who have made him look nothing short of a fool.

He has done several great things for the club and we must respect the man, whether we want him as the manager or not. He will go down the history books as one of the greatest Arsenal managers if not the greatest.

I believe in this squad and Wenger and call on all of you to show faith in the squad.