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ความคิดเห็นที่ 49 |
No balls and no trophies
"IT'S unexplainable," lamented Wenger.
"I don't recognise my team."
Well, we do, mate. It's all too familiar.
Dodgy keeper, full-backs beaten down the line,
hesitant central defenders, no bite in midfield
and a lightweight centre-forward.
Not to forget, of course, the usual excuse
from those Gooners who can still be bothered
to use it - injuries.
Re-run most of the last 5 seasons.
Some Arsenal punters will say, yes,
but we beat Blackpool 6-0, Bolton 4-1,
Braga 6-0 and Spurs 4-1.
And last season you beat Everton 6-1,
Celtic 2-0 and 3-1 and Portsmouth 4-1
- and then lost 2-1 at Old Trafford and
4-2 at Eastlands.
And it was off down the slippery slope again.
The season before it was four against FC Twente
and Blackburn, six against Portsmouth... only for
Hull to win 2-1 at The Emirates.
Back came Arsenal with another four against Portsmouth
and five against Fenerbahce.
Then defeats by Stoke, Aston Villa and Manchester City.
Flat-track bullies, it would seem.
But no muscle, no machismo,
no balls when the going gets tough.
No Vieira, no Campbell, no Silva, no Edu. No Untouchables.
No Manchester United or Chelsea killer instinct. No trophies.
And not much spending.
It was almost pre-ordained Arsenal would follow up news
of their pre-tax profit of 56million pounds - and a stupendous
reduction in their debt level from 297mp to 135mp - with
a home defeat by West Brom.
They make all that money and yet they couldn't give Fulham
the 4mp they wanted for Mark Schwarzer.
Sure, he's 37 but it still defies belief.
What makes it worse is that by making his interest
in Schwarzer public and NOT signing him,
Wenger has further undermined Manuel Almunia
and Lukasz Fabianski. No wonder the pair of them
look even more shot to pieces than usual.
Everyone is bored to death with the tale
of Arsenal and their goalkeeping problems.
But for Arsenal fans this boredom has now
turned to frustration and on to anger.
Without a decent keeper, the Arsenal defence
will always be undermined - even more so with
Wenger losing the massive experience of William Gallas
(and with Thomas Vermaelen missing against West Brom).
Instead, we have Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci,
two players with no previous Premier League experience.
It won't have escaped eagle-eyed Gooners how Koscielny
was left for dead by the pace of El-Hadji Diouf in the build-up
to Blackburn's equaliser at Ewood Park earlier on in the season.
Nor how Bacary Sagna was undone - again on the Arsenal right
- by the skill of former Gunner Jerome Thomas that led to
West Brom's opener on Saturday.
And how there were huge gaps on the left as well.
How was this possible ? Because it always is with
an Arsenal side so keen to get forward.
Because it always will be when Alex Song
or Abou Diaby can't control midfield.
And because it always will be when Cesc Fabregas doesn't play.
Then there's Andriy Arshavin, whose form depends on
what side of bed he gets out of.
And is Marouane Chamakh really any more effective
than Nicklas Bendtner ?
Yes, Robin Van Persie has been injured but he always is.
As is young Theo.
And still Wenger goes on in his own stubborn way.
Still dreaming of the young Superteam.
And still it's Groundhog Day.
(STEVEN HOWARD - Chief sports writer the sun today)
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27 ก.ย. 53 17:08:33
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