Still Positive

By Eduardo
August 13 2011

I write this season preview less than 24 hours before we kick off away at Newcastle, amid a day of sustained negative Arsenal stories in the media and a general negative feeling portrayed across Arsenal blog world, at the end of an off season of days and weeks of days just like this one. But don’t expect me to buy into this general feeling of despair, or negativity or anti Arsenal stuff that is everywhere to be seen.

Maybe I’m one of the lucky ones (if I was prone to negativity I would say unfortunate ones) who has experienced real highs and real lows in my life, to know what is really important, what real despair is, what loss really means, what should sicken or disgust people, and its not the state Arsenal is in, and its not what some believe Arsene Wenger has become or done to our club (Oh no! I’ve given those stuck in moaning mode the perfect opening to use their one size fits all retort to anyone not wallowing in negativity – you are an AKB).

 You see Arsenal has never sickened me, its never disgusted me, and at this stage I doubt it ever will evoke those feelings in me, yes its upset me, annoyed me, peed me off,  every time we fail to win, or we throw away a chance to win something, or the club don’t do things the way they should on or off the field, it can feck up my day, but that’s it, but when we win a game it can brighten my day, and special days like Anfield 89  still gives me a thrill all these years later, I only need to hear the Brian Moore commentary of Mickey Thomas’s goal to be right back to the feeling of that very moment, so no I will not do my club down.

 I have been supporting them since the league cup final of 68(for younger Gooners we lost), was totally hooked by the time we lost the 69 league cup final (you see even at a very young age I knew Arsenal was the team for me and you take the heartache with the highs), and Arsenal have given me many more seasons of downs than of highs, but even the lowest of seasons has had its high moments that remind me why it is I love Arsenal so much. So now on with the season preview.

The preseason has not been ideal, in fact it has not been even close to ideal, Clichy is gone, Cesc looks like he is leaving (may already be gone by time this is posted), Nasri seems to be leaving too, little of the deadwood have left yet either, yes I’m delighted by the signings of Gervinho, Jenkinson, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Campbell, but it’s the signings that have not been made yet that concern me.

There is no new central defender signed, no quick, defensive minded midfielder signed, no top quality striker signed, I still expect some if not all of this still to be done by end of the window; but I would be happier if we had all we needed signed sealed and integrated for the start of the season. Yes I know it’s not like buying a loaf of bread at a supermarket, and I won’t get too annoyed about it, but I had hoped Stan Kroenke taking over would have meant a speeding up of our transfer dealings and that all would have been done by now.

From the signings made and those not made it is a little worrying that Wenger may be using a policy of attack is the best form of defence, well this might be good for the neutral to watch but for me defence is the best form of defence and I would like some defensive players signed ASAP and a little tweaking done in our set up so as to aid the defence more.

Despite the transfer market dealings or non dealings, I still believe we can win a trophy or two this coming season, we have shown over the last season that when we play well we can and have beaten the best – Barca, ManU, Chelsea – so the ability is there.

 Sadly the attitude and confidence has not been there often enough and when missing we are as likely to lose to the bottom clubs as we are to beat the top clubs; this is the main thing that needs changing if we are to make the breakthrough. The club needs to get rid of those that don’t want to give 100% for Arsenal; that should be the first step.

 Getting rid of the deadwood should be the second step and buying new players should be the third step and promoting our own youth should be the fourth step.  Some of all of this has been done this preseason, but for me not enough of each has been done. Hopefully by end of the window more of steps one to three will be done, and by end of the season more of step four will have been done.

 And on the topic of step four, despite all the talk of youth, I think Wenger’s biggest fault is that he is too slow to give youth a proper chance, yes he throws in six or seven in a CC game or an away game at Utd in the FAC, but that is not a proper chance, one youth rotated in with ten of the first choice players starting would be a proper chance.

Also AW has to stop his hierarchy order of selecting teams, this picking a senior player out of position over a youth who can actually play that position, or how he picks a senior player no matter what sort of form they are in, as long as they are fit (or half fit if it’s the likes of Cesc or RVP etc); all this has done is lead to sub standard performances, injuries, and youth with dented confidence, none of which helps us in any way.

Despite everything not being ideal, I look forward to this season, as much as I have each and every season since my first season, you see unlike others who seem to need an invincible like squad to be able to allow themselves to look forward to a season, all I need is Arsenal and a season to play and I look forward to it.

 I hope for the best, but I expect nothing more than we will try our best, I look forward to some great play, some magic goals, many hours of enjoyment supporting Arsenal and discussing it on Arsenal Times. Its Arsenal we support so what’s not to look forward to?