Well yesterday was a very disappointing result even if the performance and the chances we created should have seen us win quite easily.
Thierry Henry had one saved and put one wide that had he been 100% fit and match sharp he would have scored. He needs games to find that sharpness though.
Robin van Persie hit the post, Kolo Toure hit the bar with a header and we dominated them in terms of possession and chances but were undone towards the end of the first half when naive defending from Justin Hoyte gave them a penalty which Joey Barton converted. And despite what Thierry Henry thinks it was a stonewall penalty.
Not even the introduction of Theo and Adebayor could save the day and the quite understandable gripes at Urine Rennie are academic really. Yes, Cesc should have a had a free kick in the build up totheir goal and for me Robin van Persie should have had a penalty as well but that’s by the by and you have to expect stuff like that with him in charge.
There will be some criticisms about our reluctance to shoot and this week I think they’re justified to an extent. While there’s not much point trying to shoot through a big crowd of players it can’t hurt now and again and you might even get a lucky Lampard, sorry, deflection. You can’t create the perfect opening every time.
Also I was a bit concerned about our full backs. I’m just not convinced by Justin Hoyte at all and I’d play Matty Flamini at left back until Gael Clichy is fit.
Emmanuel Eboue had an absolute shocker. I’ve expressed reservations about him before and I’m honestly not sure he’s as good as people like to think. He’s brainless in possession, he gets caught upfield far too often and his passing and final ball were embarrassing yesterday. One effort at a 10 yard pass to Robin van Persie missed the Dutchman by 3 or 4 yards and went out for a throw! Pub league stuff it was that bad. Lauren just can’t come back soon enough as far as I’m concerned. It’s also a shame we’ve loaned out Kerrea Gilbert because Eboue needs a proper kick up the arse but we don’t have anyone else to play there. He needs to be spoken too because that was a performance born out of laziness and complaceny and that’s a worrying sign from a player who really has only just broken into first team football.
However, in terms of the result let’s not get too worried. It’s a game we could have won. We weren’t outplayed. They created nothing apart from one header which Jens saved very well so it’s just one of those games you have to write off and hope the team use it to get fitter and to provide motivation for the games ahead.
It’s also a game which really illustrates the need for us to add to the squad and I wonder if Arsene, head in his hands in the last few minutes, thinks the same. The squad needs a boost now. It needs something to spice it up and apart from giving them all a go of eloctrocuting Eboue with a cattle prod at the training ground bringing in one or two quality players is the way to do it.
Now the players go away on international duty. Not ideal. You’d rather they took the pain of the defeat fresh into the next game but what can you do?
A quick look around the Sunday papers shows nothing much going on but the People are reporting that Ashley Cole has told Arsene Wenger he’s prepared to stay at Arsenal this season. A source says he is worried about staying and being hated by the fans. Obviously leaving, getting paid filthy Russian money and being hated by the fans doesn’t bother him at all though.
Have a good Sunday.
