1) Champions League - Well its been a great start. We dont have the easiest group by any means but a draw away in Dortmund and wins at home to Olympiacos and in Marseille put us in prime position for qualification. Big game at the emirates against Marseille next week and a win should all but win us the group, which, as shown by last season, is very helpful. We wont win the Champions League, but a decent run will be a great way to build confidence, an early knockout could ruin our league campaign to qualify again.
2) Injuries - Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna and Jack Wilshere. All these players will return. 'But players get injured all the time' people would say, and yes between now and the time longer term absentees like Jack and Bacary return, more players will get injured. Yet other than the obvious Robin Van Persie, no Arsenal players are more important than these three.
3) New Signing - A new team needs time. New players need to settle in. Maybe time is what we cannot afford to give but slowly our new boys are looking to find their feet. Santos and Mertesacker are looking increasingly more impressive every game and as Arteta gets more and more used to how we play. He will get better and as a result, the team will improve.
4) It's not that bad - On the way home from the Sunderland game I had a look at the league table.We're FOUR points off Liverpool. In a way that shocked me. How could we be four points off a team who are seemingly playing fairly well in the league when the media are making our start sound as awful as possible? Four points can be caught up and we've got 30 games to do that. There are 90 points up for grabs. We can still win the league :)
5) Robin Van Persie - He's carrying us somewhat. When we need him most, he pops up. His brace vs Sunderland was simply spectacular. A fit Robin Van Persie is amongst the best strikers in the world and if he keeps scoring goals like he is then he will carry on winning us points.
6) January - January 2009, we are trailing Aston Villa. Three points off 4th. after 22 games. We bought Andrey Arshavin, our record transfer. We finished 4th, 11 points clear of 5th placed Everton. Im not saying Arsene will buy in January, but if we have to, I have no doubt that Arsene will try.
7) Wojciech Szczesny - What a guy. Fabulously entertaining individual. Hear from twitter that an Islington boxing club event he took to the ring and got the crowd chanting 'Stand up if you hate Tottenham'. One of the funniest guys and one of the world's best goalkeepers. Without doubt. Arsenal needed a solid keeper. Arsenal needed someone who the fans can believe in and rely on. Arsenal didn't need Almunia. Szchezzers gives that to us and more. He has mde some quite unbelievable saves this season. Sunderland, Swansea. He has won us games. He has given us points. Almunia took them away. Szczesny has given us them.
8) Arsene Wenger - People love him. People hate him. Some want him out. Some want him in, but whatever you want no one can argue about the abilities of Arsene Wenger as a manager. Three Premier Leagues and Four FA cups. One unbeaten season. Whatever you think about Arsene, get behind him. The banners, the protests help nothing. Support him, support the team because this is when we need it most. He can lead us out of this. He has taken us to the Champions League for 13 years in a row. That is the goal once again and I wouldnt exaclty bet against it happening. He is a vastly intelligent man and those who critisize him do so often rightly but sometimes go too far. One Arsene Wenger, and Happy 62nd Birthday today as well.
9) The Future - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Aka The Ox. Francis Coquelin. Emmanuel Frimpong. Carl Jenkinson. Ryo Miyaichi. Even the crazily mature international captain Aaron Ramsey is only 20 years old. The future if bright. If even half of these players reach their potential, then Arsenal will have a fabulous team for the future. Despite us not spending heavily on world class players, you cant doubt our ability to find the best youngsters.
10) The Fans - Yes there is bickering. Gooners are more divided now than ever. Yet all of us have one common goal. All of us want our clun to do well. Thats why there should be no booing. No banners. No protest, because as long as Arsenal are here, we must do our best to support the team. The Arsenal away fans are absolutely superb and surely its only media bias that stops them being talked about every other week. It's that kind of spitit that we need. We need to get behind the team and im sure we will. If the players know we believe. Then the players will believe.
Keep the Faith.
Lick my arse
Thanks for reading
Follow me on twitter - @Arse_Licker
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