Wednesday 4 April 2012

Missing links


I know it's a little late in the day to be writing, but there has been hardly any news at all other than some transfer rumors or some Rottenham players bragging their socks off. Honestly, throwing away a 12 point lead and then going behind by 3 points and then coming level again isn't a point of pride, it's a point of shame. Everyone's thinking about how Arsenal is the team under pressure now, what about the time when they went almost two months without a win!? They went from a team talking about being in the title race to a team talking about Champions League qualification chances. You shouldn't be thinking about how much pressure others are in, you should be thinking about your own inabilities.

We have RVP talking about his central striker role and evolving as the target man from being the second striker. For me he is better suited to the main striker role than as the second striker. Yes he does quite well in the link up plays, but for me, his greatest asset is his positioning sense and then the finish. At the start of the season, I though Ramsey might be suited to play just behind RVP, but the depth of squad and a lot of reshuffling meant that he wouldn't be able to adapt to that role.

A lot of people blame him for not playing up to his potential and his inability to create. However, if you look at it, he has been playing all over the midfield and just hasn't found the time to settle in. He has shown great determination to comeback after that horrific injury, when people had written him off as being another Eduardo case. I honestly feel that Arsene should make up his mind about Ramsey's role in the team, and then give him time in that role. He is too good-a-player to be getting a squad player role.

A lot of our problems in recent seasons have evolved through players who have not realised their full potential for the team. Either they have proved the manager wrong in opting for them or the manager has just not found the right tactics for the player. Arshavin is an example of a player who hasn't done his ability any good. But then again, before arriving to Arsenal, he had been used to playing as the second striker, in the hole. Playing on the wings was a bit new to him, but it was something he handled well in his first season.

Actually he played as the striker for sometime, when RVP was injured and we had almost no striking options, but it simply wasn't his place to be. That was a time when another Arsenal youngster wasn't given much opportunities or simply wasn't deemed able enough to appear consistently for the first team, that was Carlos Vela. He has been a loanee at other clubs for most of his Arsenal career. Maybe these players just didn't come to terms with the rigors of the premier league.

When you look at the current team, you don't see too many big name players, but they have adapted quite well as a unit and that's the reason for their recent run of form. I know we have enough reasons to worry after looking at the current situation on the third and fourth spot, given our opponents in the remaining matches. However, we have done quite well, recently, against "bigger" teams. Frankly, I am more worried about so called lower opponents.

The Manc game is absolutely vital in terms of result, and the point(s) we earn in that match. More than the result, it is going to be the manner of the result that will matter most. It absolutely won't work if we play the way we did against QPR. Even Manc have been on a bad run recently and everyone knows how much a win for them in this match will matter in the title race.

We still have five days until the next match. It leaves with enough time to think over the tactics for that game. Arsene has a lot to think about arranging his players, his starting-XI. It's absolutely crucial how he handles his bench. A lot can happen with the right substitutions at the right time. I hope he keeps his plans B, C etc. up his sleeve, just in case they are needed. He has a lot on his plate than worrying about team members smoking their lungs out during night outs, and players who are hardly likely to play in the remaining matches.



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