Arsenal Reserve Team Fall To Stoke...

In the end, Stoke did deserve to win. They continually harassed and never let Arsenal get going.The Potters had crude, yet simple strategy. While you could call Bolton one-dimensional in terms of hoof the ball up and let's see what happens, all Stoke wanted to do was get a throw-in. Sadly, the strategy did pay off in the 2nd minute itself, and Arsenal never really got back into the game.

While defeat in itself is can be accepted, what was worrying was that the next generation of the young Gunners are just not ready.

Few, like Eastmond showed some flashes of skill and tenacity, but are still raw. Traore looked reasonably assured but was much better going forward than defending. Campbell made an acceptable debut, even though the back-line leaked 3 goals. Silvestre is clearly 4th choice, and next season, I suspect won't get a contract renewal.

Up front, Walcott was most disappointing. All he seemed to want was to make runs, but had a very bad game. His passes were astray, control was poor, reading of the game terrible and overall, I was quite happy to see him be substituted. I think by now Walcott would have realised why other people are ahead of him in the pecking order...

Vela was full of tricke, but didn't get the chance to do much, and sadly, never looked like making any sort of penetrating runs, while the Adebayor impersonator named Jay-Emmanuel Thomas clearly can't lead the line yet, and hardly ever troubled the Stoke defence. 

And the middle of defence is a big big hole. I half-expected Vermaelen to be playing CDM as Denilson just doesn't cut it. And if you crowd out Cesc, any mediocre opposition can simply boss it there, cut off supply and choke Arsenal. If Arshavin, Eduardo and Rosicky/Nasri are playing, we have the alternate route for creativity, but withou them, this problem becomes quite acute.

Oh Wenger - we need an alternative tune to the only Song we have ...