Club Level takes Gooners to dizzy new heights

DESPITE a reported crowd of 60,000 plus at the Emirates Stadium, there were empty seats in evidence on Saturday, most of which were in the astronomically priced Club Level.

Mind you Club Level costs aren’t even close to the obscenely priced Diamond Class, where 160 high-rollers pay nearly £500 (€745) a match, or £25,000 a season for a pair of seats, with exclusive access to the Michelin-starred grub in the Raymond Blanc Restaurant.

Nevertheless, considering it costs the 7,000 Club Level punters anything from £100 to £175 a game, you’d imagine they’d be taking their sleeping bags.

I was fortunate to be able to check out the Club Level a couple of weeks back when we played Porto. It’s evident where much of the decorating budget disappeared, as the plush Club Level concourses make those of the Upper and Lower tiers look positively sparse.

I know of plenty of staunch Gooners, with sufficiently deep pockets, who’ve plumped for the best view in the house, along with others who weren’t high enough on the waiting list to be guaranteed a seat elsewhere and they’re understandably defensive about all the “prawn circle” piss-taking.

However, never mind the free half-time booze, or the décor, my Club Level treat the other week confirmed that it is not the same as the perfect pitch we used to enjoy at Highbury, but it’s without doubt the best seat in our new house.

For this reason alone, I’m perfectly happy to admit that if money was no object, we’d both be making like a couple of well-dressed shrimp.

Amongst the most common complaints heard to date, is that from where we sit, in the “cheap” seats, it looks dreadful and can hardly encourage the players, as they kick-off the second half with such a conspicuous area of the stadium seemingly half empty, with Club Level punters more interested in cuddling their complimentary pints.

Another bugbear for the genuine Club Level Gooners is that the faces around them change from game to game.

At Highbury there was a sense of being surrounded by the same folk, the members of one’s Arsenal family.

It was a pity to see so many of them unoccupied on Saturday.

I’d have to be on my deathbed to miss a home game and I certainly wouldn’t have missed Theo Walcott’s debut for the world.

Wing play might not be instinctive for the young striker, but considering the tendency of nearly all of our forwards to want to cut in, it’s been Eboué who has provided the only natural width. With the Ivorian full-back now out injured for at least a month, Walcott might be the ideal solution with his turbo-charged pace.

William Gallas is an incredibly versatile player.

It’s amazing how competent he’s been in recent weeks, overlapping down the left flank as a full-back, considering he’s a right-footed centre-back.

Last season it seemed the left-back slot was cursed, with both Cole and Clichy suffering the same ubiquitous metatarsal injury.

After missing almost the entire season, it was marvellous to witness Clichy’s comeback for the last 10 minutes of Saturday’s match.

Gael might still have some way to go, to acquire the consummate defensive nous of his predecessor. However there’s little doubt Clichy is far hungrier than the player who might not live up to the expectations of Blues’ fans, of his “best left-back in the world” tag (if Cashley finds time between counting roubles!).

The only disappointment on Saturday was that I was hoping Hoyte might silence his critics with his rare outing in his natural position at right-back. Sadly his unconvincing efforts on the opposite flank, have seen his confidence taking a battering from Gooner boo-boys.

I pray that during Manny’s month-long absence, we can afford the patience required for Justin to start roaring down the right wing.

Meanwhile young Johan Djourou doesn’t deserve to be dropped after his impressive displays in recent weeks. Also, far be it from me to second-guess our great leader, but I’ve always had this inkling that Kolo Touré could be more effective in midfield.

If I were a Hornets fan I’d have some serious concerns about their prospects of retaining their highly-prized Premiership status.

Ade Boothroyd is one of the brightest young managers around, but there’s still no making a silk purse from a sow’s ear. While Watford grafted, I wonder if there’s sufficient guile to score the goals to stave off the drop.

Clichy’s return might soon afford Wenger the luxury of finally selecting a team, in which his back line are all playing in their best positions. If Willie’s air of serene authority at the heart of our defence enables us to shut out the opposition, we can relax while the firepower of Henry, Van Persie, Rosicky and Walcott run riot.

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