No Truer Words Were Ever Spoken

I was bemused when I first saw the headline quote on Arsenal.com quoting Le Boss after the loss to Porto Wednesday night.

As I read more of the club's synopsis of the Manager's post game press conference, I kept going back to the quote, and kept thinking how true it seems, that the team has lost some balls where they cannot afford to.

Yes, it might seem like an immature and crass statement, and I don't want to provide our rivals any more ammunition than they already have for devising chants and jeers, but much of what I see lacking in Wenger's current team I think can be summed up in that one sentence.

We've lost that bit of steel we had at the heart of our defence in the Invincibles. Perhaps Wenger thought the razzle-dazzle of attacking football would be enough to sustain us and bring us trophies, but it clearly hasn't turned out like that.

Clichy and Sagna are the only bright spots when it comes to the defensive aspects of our game, but all too often their team mates let them down, by failing to track back and commit to tackling and defending.

Witness how often Arsenal have been scored against this season because of a defensive lapse in judgement, or the unwillingness of a player to do what is necessary to win the ball or halt an opposing player.

It has happened far too much, and its little surprise that Arsenal are labelled as being soft or lacking in fighting spirit regardless of the opposition.

To end on a positive note, look at our best performances this season, and you'll see a balance between attack and defense, with each player displaying the requisite determination to win the ball in every part of the pitch.

We don't seem to lack the gumption or ability to score some spectacular goals, but I think we need to reclaim our cojones defensively—we've been playing too long without them.