The Polish Hammer
Club football returns this weekend after the longest of interlulls. Normally I am chomping at the bit to watch my Arsenal but this week I find myself feeling emotions I never thought possible regarding the finest club in London.
Apprehension. Uncertainty. Dread?
People say we have lost our mystique, our swagger. They may be right. This Arsenal side doesn’t inspire much at the moment, dropping points like it’s going out of fashion and producing displays that can generously be described as inconsistent.
I, for the first time, am genuinely worried about the state of the squad, and the club. Arsenal is not going through a crisis, but these hiccups and results can gather steam, leading to bigger problems. It’s time to stop the rot. The perfect time would have been to make a statement in beating Tottenham to send everyone into the break feeling good about things, but unfortunately that was not to be. So what now?
Everyone has excuses and scapegoats, but the truth of the matter is that the Arsenal squad is still strong, strong enough to contend, skillful enough to impress, and brimming with young talent. Many a youngster has already impressed this term, particularly Coquelin and Oxlade-Chamberlain. I expect to see more contributions from the powerhouses Chuks Aneke and Emmanuel Frimpong, as well as the exciting Ryo Myaichi, but none of these players are ready to carry a team. The future may look bright, but we need continued success in the short term to secure more top talent in the long term. We have ridden the success of decades prior to continue bringing in top players, but the young men these days will soon have been raised in eras where they don’t remember The Invincibles and only know of teams like Manchester United, Chelsea, and soon to be City winning titles. Scary thought.
It is imperative that the club makes their ambition clear to our established stars that Arsenal are here to win, and will do their best to make that happen. We need Sagna, Vermaelen, Walcott, and van Persie to sign new contracts this season, and it should start with Robin. He is the new captain and has voiced his love for the club. I believe Arsenal can succeed without him, but the message it would send if he left would be devastating. Like rats fleeing a sinking ship, the thought of it unbearable. It is up to the club to prove this ambition and give a signal with an impressive signing, maybe even with van Persie’s input as to what we need. When he signs, the rest will follow suit.
Even with all of the discontent, the season is not lost. We will not win the league but anything else is possible. There are 93 points still to play for and our realistic goal is to finish fourth. If we can’t finish ahead of the inconsistent Liverpool and shit Tottenham then Arsenal don’t deserve Champion’s League football. There are cups to win and it’s down to the squad now. This is the moment to turn it around; there are no more excuses. The squad has had six weeks to gel, players have had their chances, and we have players getting fit. The experienced leaders need to instill the determination to win and a refusal to fail back into the dressing room and more importantly, back onto the pitch.
I see leaders, and I see a spine. The spine of this team is so integral to Arsenal’s success and unfortunately this area has been decimated with regularity by injuries. More important than all others is Vermaelen. I still maintain we would have won trophies last year were he fit and the few matches he has played this season demonstrate the effect he has on our defense and composure, not to mention the intensity he brings. The loss of Wilshere is brutal, but even without him our spine can be strong. Our spine runs straight up the middle, beginning with Szczesny, to Vermaelen, and up to van Persie. With this core intact, and one midfielder stepping up, be it Ramsey or Arteta, we have a team that can compete and that I can be proud to say are willing to fight for Arsenal.
It’s going to take time for it all to come together, but we need to put a run together of positive results and the confidence will come back, as well as the much-needed swagger. As worried as I am, I have faith this team can turn it around and restore the pride of Gooners worldwide. With that, I look forward to an early Sunday morning at the pub, and hope for that victory that will make the pints taste better and the sun shine brighter, for there is no better way to start a Sunday than an Arsenal victory before breakfast. Up the Arse!