New season, same old story at the Emirates
The majority of us are praying that le Prof’s sleeve still contains two or three aces, to be played before the transfer window closes, which might yet address those deficiencies that were all too evident when last season’s fruitless campaign faltered and which haven’t exactly been helped by the subsequent departures of Hleb and Flamini.
The “party line” from the suits at the club concerning the robust health of Wenger’s war-chest, rings ever more hollow. Strolling to the ground, I passed the building site of the soon to be completed Highbury Square development — a hotch-potch design, which in my humble opinion, has failed miserably to incorporate the grandiose (listed) art-deco facades of the East and West stands of the old stadium, with modern brickwork buildings that have more of a council care home appearance, than a millionaire’s paradise – followed by the umpteen empty blocks of flats, lined along one entire side of Drayton Park, which need to be occupied before they add any income to an alleged £90 million (€113m) return from the old stadium.
I know it’s traditional for clubs to take advantage of the mug like gullibility of their fan base, but we Gooners would require the mental capacity of an amoeba, if we were to believe that in the current precarious economic climate, the club’s ability to cover it’s annual £24m (€30m) mortgage repayment on our luxurious new gaff was not the least bit affected by the downturn in the property market. We’re not that stupid and despite the board’s best efforts to dress the stadium build up as a profitable venture, with absolutely zero impact on the playing field, we all knew that there’d be a price to pay.
It’s obvious that if we’d remained at Highbury, we’d have no chance of competing with the spending power of our opponents, now, or in the future. Whereas as a result of the move, even if we have to tread water for two or three seasons! we can at least rest assured that our time will come.
If West Brom should end up being battered 8-0 by Man United, it will put our single goal victory into some perspective. In the meantime you won’t catch me moaning about three points, with the added bonus of a clean sheet. Yet this only came courtesy of a goal-line clearance and I suspect that our continued inability to put patently weaker opposition to the sword, promises another tense season, with hearts in Gooner mouths, spending far too many matches perched on the edge of our seats.
Sadly I continue to dream in vain of us breaking the bank for a world-class keeper, with the stature and presence that Almunia lacks, who would solve our defensive frailties.
But Saturday’s match was a reminder that in Clichy and Sagna, we’ve two of the best full-backs in the business and with Fabregas fit, on our day, our first XI remains a match for anyone. Moreover assuming Samir Nasri’s immediate impact wasn’t a flash in the pan, Alex Hleb could end up looking like an ineffective show-pony by comparison.
To my mind, Xabi Alonso is an older, more jaded version of Fabregas, with little to prove. Perhaps he’s merely angling for a move because his missus is bored of Merseyside.
We’ve only seen a glimpse of him to date, but hopefully in Coquelin, Wenger has uncovered yet another rough diamond, to be polished into a midfield partner for Fabregas, as a replacement for Flamini in the holding role. The pundits might clamour for Arsène to add experience to his teenage troops, but unlike the sort of established star who’s only motivated by the moola, with a dressing-room disturbing ego to match the size of his wage cheque, Coquelin arrives at the Arsenal from the French 2nd division with everything to prove.
Then again I wouldn’t have complained if Wenger had tried to blend in some more experience with such a youthful team, to ensure there isn’t too much pressure on likes of Aaron Ramsey and Carlos Vela to perform at the highest level, right from the off.
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