Mediocre, Mediocre Arsenal: An Answer to the Gunners' Woes

I was disgusted with the Manchester United, Chelsea game on Saturday. A 3-0 thumping proved that the Red Devils are just a class ahead of the elite four.

Ashley Cole, that traitor, looked weary on the left flank, Rooney proved superior again and Boswinga, despite his far-fetched claims, could not even come close to containing his countryman, Cristiano “el-God-o” Ronaldo. Mind you, he also needs to get rid of that atrocious mono-brow. 

But on a weekend where our rivals prove their sheer superiority, there is a lot more for me to complain about. Rafa needs to quit the cry-baby antics, especially if the Reds cannot beat a humiliating Stoke City side, as like any other Arsenal fan, I’d rather see Liverpool lift the Barclay cup than our arch-rival Red Devils.

We’re also in fifth spot behind Aston Villa. Aston Villa? Are you kidding me? I really cannot believe it!

We are far under par of the pure brilliance of Arsenal glory that we have been spoiling the world with for the past decade. The quick-paced one touches, the sheer precision and accuracy of play, the raw emotion that used to surround the tower at Highbury are sadly all hallowed away.

Where is the puma-like speed of an Ian Wright, the pure genius of a Dennis Bergkemp, the impossible ability of a Thierry Henry, the stoic defensive presence of a Tony Adams, and even the heart of a Patrick Viera?

Sadly, we’ve lost those gems: they’re locked up in our glorious historic safe of the glory years. 

The Premier League does have its own set of starlets. Man United field Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and still have old legends Ferdinand, Giggs, Scholes, and Neville to fill in the ranks. Chelsea have marksman Didier Drogba to go along with Lamps, Terry, Anelka, Cole, Deco, and Ballack. Their bench even costs more than all but five Premier League teams. Sound like the Yankees? Hmm, I’d have to say so.

Even Liverpool did themselves honors by holding onto Steven Gerrard and signing a Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane to play alongside Carragher, Kuyt and Alonso. 

Every player mentioned has a solid international repertoire, playing for country and club. They are considered world class players, house-hold names. So Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea keep adding star talent to their roster, then who did they lose? 

Man United did not let go of any big-named player, despite Ronaldo’s pestering link to Real Madrid. Chelsea let go of Diarra to Arsenal, and Liverpool let Riise move to Italy. All minimal losses compared to their illustrious signings and their already glamorous rosters.    

Ok, now let’s look at Arsenal. We lost Matthieu Flamini and Aliaksandr Hleb to bigger spending clubs. We also lost Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo to long term injury. The only signing we had this season was a Samir Nasri, who despite his talent, has yet to make a mark on the French national team. 

Wait a minute, let’s take a closer look at national teams, and Arsenal player’s progress: Fabregas is a Spanish fringe player, Adebayor (Togo), Eboue and Toure (Ivory Coast) play for African countries that usually don’t make it to the World Cup.  

Van Persie can barely see consistent playing time on a talented Dutch team and Diaby, Bendtner, Sagna, and Almunia hope to even be named on their national rosters. The older players Gallas and Silvestre have surpassed their glory days on the French national team and will soon be replaced by younger talents. 

So in all, Arsenal boast great Premier League players, but not house-hold names that prove themselves come the Euro cup or the World cup.    

But I’m not going to argue with Wenger. He is a pure maestro. He has found talent from all over the world and turned those players into stars that the Real Madrids, Barcelonas and AC Milan’s covet. He has spent less money than the other big names in Europe and has proved very successful. However, as my Grandma always says: Change is good, and as president Obama preaches, change is coming. 

Perhaps it’s time for Wenger to change his tactics, to maybe make a big money signing.  Along with the long term injuries and traded players, we now have to suffer a Fabregas injury. He is our leader on the field, and without him, we lack a strong core. So who is the change? I’m hoping and praying that it comes in the form of a Russian playmaker, Andrei Arshavin.   

The midfield is lacking. We miss the creativity that Rosicky, Hleb and Flamini brought to the pitch. We need more goal scorers as Bendnter tends to miss easy chances and Adebayor refuses to shoot.

The midfield replacements don’t give them much to work with especially now that Fabregas and Walcott are sidelined. Arshavin will help in both categories as he has proven himself at both Zenith St. Petersburg and in Switzerland and Austria at the last European Championships. 

What would make him so useful for the Gunners is his strength and attacking qualities. He is also a very versatile player which allows him to play either on the wing, as an attacking midfielder or at the forward spot.

He could be an anchor in the midfield, as well as an attacking partner for Adebayor. I feel that Wenger will favor the former option, and let him control the midfield while aiding Persie and Adebayor. 

We could use another defender, but Gunner nation will be happy with the lone signing of Arshavin. It will bring in change, it will turn the confidence of the locker room and give the team a change of making a strong push for the cup.

Half the season remains, and that is a lot of time. Eight points seems a lot to cover, but it is possible. A renewed hope, a stregnthened defense and a ruthless Russian playmaker could prove the answer.