Well calling that disappointing would be an understatement. I think its very easy to make excuses for a performance like the one we gave yesterday. You could say we looked tired, which we did. Eight of the starting eleven had started two days previously against QPR. Yet this is no excuse as nine Fulham players started their draw to Norwich the same day we played QPR. I think the reaction to this defeat has been awful. We're back once again to the Wenger out crew blasting miserable tones through social sites like twitter, bemoaning how awful our squad is and how we need to sell most of the team. In reality, I think you have to look at this season as individual sections. We started horrendously, and im sure at the peak of that period any gooner would have taken being 5th on January the 2nd, and only two points off 4th. This is the part that should be focussed on, not the individual defeat.
On another day we could have won that game. The referee gave us nothing at all throughout the game. We should've had a pen or two and in my opinion, the red card was an awful decision. Their keeper, unsurprisingly, had a stormer and the double save he made in particular, we shouldve buried. Yet on the whole, we did not deserve the three points. After the red card our defending became desperate, we couldnt hold onto the ball and this time, the substitutions did not help. They had 21 shots. We had 18. We only had 46% possession which, against a team like Fulham, is not good enough.
There seems to be quite a lot of hate towards Theo Walcott after this game. Maybe this is just because of the rumours that he is demanding 85,000 a week in his contract negotiations and his performance did nothing to prove that he is worth anywhere near that. I think Walcott is a good player, a young player, and a player who could become very big at Arsenal. However, he is not worth 85,000 a week, not even close. If he is demanding that, and won't budge, then let him go. This is just rumour however and could easily just be paper talk, dont take that word as gold. Theo can be a very dynamic player, who can terrify defences with his pace. His problem remains his final ball, but a Theo with a final ball and a better finish would be a marvellous player. So give him a chance to develop and maybe we'll see an improvement.
Our Full Back issue was clear once again yesterday. Djourou looked fairly uncomfortable throughout the game and Coquelins inexperience was highlighted in the last goal, although I thought he had a very good game. The main problem is the attacking intent of these, usually central defensive, players. They are decent in defence yet in the Fulham game particularly it meant there were less outlets, eventually ending up in us losing the ball.
Van the man didnt have his best day yesterday. He wasn't given a sniff, mostly due to the service he was given, with most of the crosses that shouldve been going into the box, not passing the first man or ending up in the stands. I think this is an area which needs strengthening in January. Yes, we have Thierry back, welcome home to him by the way, but we need someone in the long term. Chamakh is, put simply, not good enough to give us the impact when he comes on. Ideally, we get someone who can come on and give us an impact, but also someone who can play out wide, which is difficult to find in one player. The most obvious target seems to be Podolski, however now thats looking unlikely this January. I honestly can't see us signing a big name this window and I think we're going to have to rely on the current squad to get us into the Champions League next season. Saying that, we are in need of a boost, hopefully Thierry will provide that but with Wenger, you never know.
Only Arsene Knows.
I went to the game yesterday and, once again, the away fans were superb. Its onwards and upwards from here and we need to get back on track in the Leeds game and then the next league game against Swansea.
Forward.
Thanks for Reading
Lick my Arse.
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