Reality Check

"Thierry Henry Dreamland", the magical place us Gunners spent the last few days, has disappeared, and a huge realty snap woken us all up to witness yet another devastating performance from the team. Deja vu. Another week in a row where we take the lead, get our hopes up, and then bottle it all. Even the most patient Gunners, counting me, were probably fuming when Danny Graham ,returned the lead for Swans seconds after Theo Walcott's equaliser. Will we ask again, for God knows what time, how much longer?


How much longer will we have to look at the same deadwood that is hampering our club for months/years now? How much longer will we see teams from the bottom half of the table being overconfident and attacking us from all directions? How much longer before we maintain some real tactic and formation? How much longer before we see signs of ambition, signs of hunger? We have came to the point where Tottenham are more realistic title condenters than we are, and more than a half season has passed. That isn't purple patch anymore, that is something called ambiton.

Has Arsene Wenger's stubborness become so hard that he won't give up on them even when the club is facing it's worst season since he took charge? In the 08/09 campaign, when the 5th place was under threat by high-flying Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa, at least he surprised us all with the aquisition of Andrei Arshavin. The Russian, who's now, to be honest, just a shadow of the player he was when he came, has kept us in the CL almost alone that season. I'm afraid that the Frenchman won't pull a simillar move this winter. I hope that I'm wrong, but I think he has complete belief that the injured players like Jack Wilshere, Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs, Tomas Vermaelen and co. will give imidiate boost to squad when they return, and eventually stay in the top flight. I believe it won't be enough. What is needed is a massive, state of intent signing who would help us not to become a laughing stock of Premier League, and most of all, to bring back faith to us - fans and of course, the players. The most frustrating thing I've heard is that we're actually keeping our cash reserves in case we don't get into ECL. Is that called ambition? It's like you get a good job in another country, and you don't want to buy a good house and settle in the area cause you're afraid you're soon be getting fired, so instead you live on the street. Instead of spending that money for quality players who would surely fit into the system and return us to the top, we're saving it cause we think we won't get into Champions League. That, my fellow Gunners, is the major sign of not having an ambition.

Henry watching his team crumbling against Swansea

Old man Harry Redknapp bought some good players, actually strenghted the club where it needed to be strenghtened, spent some money and there they are, just 3 points off the first place. Sure, he took a huge financial gamble, cause if they fail to qualify to CL, they could be just another club Harry financially destroyed, but, admit it, you only dream that they drop in form. Judging by any  rational point of view, they will hardly slip drastically, and they are playing us in two weeks. If we show the same balls we did the last few EPL matches we met them, not to mention the same balls we have shown in the last few EPL matches this season, I'm afraid St. Totteringham's day will be delayed for next season. Even that is big 'IF'.

You say Wenger is afraid to buy big signings cause he's afraid of failure? He doesn't buy stars, he makes them? For every Fabregas and Wilshere you have 10 Denilsons, Diabys and Bendtners. With the transfer money and wages he spent on Diaby ( who for 7 years in Arsenal has maybe 2 seasons of actually playing), Denilson, Bendtner, Squillaci, Chamakh, Walcott, etc., he could've got 2-3 players of absolute quality. He's afraid of spending money on a quality player, but he's not afraid to award Denilson a nice, hefty contract for doing literarlly nothing? You see, that's a bit absurd. That is unexplainable and I can't really get along with that. I'm losing patience faster every passing game and a strange decision by Wenger and Arsenal, and sooner rather than later I think many of us will burst. This is reality. We are nowhere near a top, ambitious, hungry club anymore. Robin Van Persie, our joint top scorer, will be the first to leave the club in the summer if nothing is done soon, and he won't be alone.

I know the post today is a little bit pell-mell, but after today's game, my head is full of thoughts and I'm just writing everything that comes to mind. Soon I will post something more useful, but anyway, I know most of you agree with me.

The issues of the present and the shades of the past

Grim faces, disappointment, and a massive outcry was visable at the beggining of the New Year, when the Gunners lost at Craven Cottage with Fulham edging the North London team, even though Arsenal took the lead in the first half. What was particullary easy to notice was the lack of the threat from the wings, which was partially caused by the full-back crisis the team is suffering at the moment. The liability on the flanks was followed by a shaky control of possesion and that further built-up Cottagers confidence as the game passed.

The other problem that the team is facing at the moment is lack of support for Robin Van Persie in terms of goal-scoring. It is obvious that all rely on the Dutchman to save the team when the game goes to latter stages and the outcome is still uncertain, because, let's be honest, our current first team wing forwards aren't exactly topping the scoring charts. Gervinho and Theo Walcott scored 4 goals each, precisley, 8 goals combined, and that's almost 3 times less than Van Persie scored ALONE.

Also, when the captain's body cries out for the deserved and much needed rest, untill end of May he will have Maruane Chamakh and C.Y. Park to fill him in. Chamakh, who played whole 2011. as a passenger, and clearly can't even compete for the first team spot, and Park, who is even lower in the pecking order. It is amazing how quick this club fell from one of the greatest striking forces of all the top clubs, to one of the worst. Arsene Wenger knows that he must sign a proven, classy wing-forward/striker that can be a secondary goal threat behind Van Persie, to loosen the pressure of the no. 10. And so, the cheeky Frenchmen pulled his move.

The annual winter transfer window frustration for every Arsenal fan was somewhat lessened with the announcement of the "king" Thierry Henry signing on a short-term loan. Of course, none of the fans could stay objective with the news that an all-time goalscorer, legend and the major factor in Arsenal's late '90s and early 2000s success is returning to the club. Wenger once again surprised everyone with his questionable moves in the market, but 10 days of the window have passed and we've already seen the impact of our first signing. There wasn't a Gunner out there who didn't jump out of joy after Thierry disposed of Leeds' defense with his still-intact magical first touch, and then reminded us of his glory days with a typical placed finish. If that dreamy night at Ashburton Grove was a sign of things to come, then, Wenger pulled the right move.

Henry will inject the needed experience and as a club legend and a still passionate player with an iconic history will lift the whole team up. Just take a look at Theo's cameo. He was buzzing. I personally think the pacey forward will benefit the most with Henry around. Also, I believe Wenger will observe how will Henry deal with the intensity of the EPL, and if he keeps banging them in, I don't see why he wouldn't extend the loan deal untill the end of the season. If you remember, David Beckham joined AC Milan on similiar circumstances in 2009, and later extended the loan with Italian giants 'till the end of campaign. I see this as the biggest posibility, cause signing a classy wing-forward/striker in his mid 20s (someone like e.g. Podolski) would clearly be a state of intent, but we know Wenger nurtures Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and to a lesser extent Rio Myiaichi as our future driving forces in attack, and wouldn't drop Theo Walcott in which he invested so much time, and Gervinho who he just brought in for a decent ammount of money. The short-term signing of Henry will not "kill" these players, but would rather benefit them massively in French tactitian's eyes.

We can cry or dream for Lukas Podolski,Mario Gotze,Eden Hazard, but we know that's not the Wenger's way of doing things. All that we can do is sit and enjoy watching Henry breaking his own goal-scoring record every week while he's with us. Let's be realistic, I know this is most likely our only signing in the winter period, with maybe a full back coming as a short-term cover. The classy, mid 20s wing/forward striker won't come, but it doesn't necessearly mean we will still heavy rely on RvP for goals. The king is back, Theo will certainly get his form up, and Oxlade will most likely get more and more time on the pitch. Gunner can hope for Henry repeating Monday night's cameo on 22. January, grabbing a last minute winner against Man Utd with a 30-yarder goal, and then extending his loan until the end of the season.

What I'm certain off is that the Arsenal's performance in the 2nd half of the season will tell us much about Wenger's intentions. He still has a little credit with me, and it's time to prove that he still has that drive and hunger in him.

And it's Arsenal, Arsenal FC...