Rob us Van Persie

The ex- Gunner gives United the early lead.  It was bound to happen

Well hardly the 16th birthday present I was looking for. A shambles, disarray, anarchy, mess up ETC! Im looking for the words to describe yesterdays performance but I just simply cannot put my finger on one word. There were moments in the game where we looked like a team struggling to avoid relegation and remain in the top flight. After watching the game I have established a brief understanding as to where we lacked and how our performance went up in smoke.

If you read my previous blog (Playing with the 'Big Boys') you probably would have noticed that I focused mainly on the midfield and how they could determine what the scoreline would look like. I mentioned how Cazorla, Wilshere and Arteta would have to close down United's midfield and support the attack when going forward. I would like to ask this question of you, and it is a very simple one.. Did they do any of this? My assessment of the midfield's performance is that this clearly didn't happen. We stood off United's players, giving them too much time on the ball, therefore letting them play their football. Rooney was able to drop deep and pick up the ball being unchallenged with too much time on the ball. This allowed both him and Carrick to have the freedom to travel forward, spray balls to the wings and over the top and also to put large amounts of pressure on our fragile defence. Where was the heart? Where was the soul ? Where was the drive? Where were the challenges? Surely, being a professional footballer, getting over-paid as it is, you would expect Wenger to instill this mentality into his players like Sir Purple Face Ferguson has done and not to leave us as vulnerable as we are to most team in the Premier League. 

There were times throughout the match where I was willing to make that oh so difficult decision to switch from one of the greatest rivalries in English football to the Curling World Championships on Sky Sports 4. Our performance made me go insane. Staying on the Midfield we lost the ball way to often after spending minutes and minutes trying to win it back. The passing was weak and there was a lack of movement from all 11 that started and ended on the pitch. 

Unsurprisingly, it took us till stoppage time to finally have a shot on target. What makes things substantially worse is that our best spell in the match came when we were with only 10 men. Our forward play was dead. Where will our goals come from? With Van PerseTwat scoring all over the place for United we are left thinking who will step up and get 20 goals a season. With Arteta being effectively marked out of the game, we were unable to start from the back and build up play. Runs were not made and balls were not played to feet. We lacked width from both Podolski and Ramsey. When Walcott was introduced shortly after Half-time, he brought nothing to the game. His finishing is as cool as it gets, but never got the chance to prove it. Rarely didChe use his pace and put the United defence under pressure, along with Giroud. 

Santos' performance wasn't worthy of wearing the Arsenal shirt. If you were to compare our current left back to the rest of the 'Top teams' left backs you would without doubt swap him with the others before you can say Samba Skills. The game had not finished, you had played one of the worst matches I have seen you play and you are losing 1-0. You then go and swap shirts with the player who left your own team to go to our arch enemy. Excuse me Mr Andre Santos - What on earth are you playing at? He struggled throughout the duration of the match and made Valencia's job even easier than expected. Now all we are left to do is hope the Keiran Gibbs makes a fast and speedy recovery. They say footballers aren't the cleverest of people, however you dont have to be gifted to have enough common sense to realise, that at 2-0 down fannying around with the ball at the other side of the pitch isn't going to win you a football match, against any team. "GET MEN FORWARD, WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE" - is what I would be telling my football team if I was Arsene Wenger (not Wagner).

A demoralising performance, with a defeat I can accept considering we were second rate and unprepared. Wether it was down to the team, the management, the board or the individuals something is going wrong. We need change quickly before things get too late. I think that the board need to rethink everything and stop playing in the past. Sign a Striker for 30 million or perhaps a winger that is able to take on a player.

So, Whats the answer? - Well thats what we have paid the manager 45 million pounds over the last 7 years to work out. Maybe its time for another professer to have a go.  

Keep the Faith

Up the Gunners

Arsene Wagner