The one that got away comes to visit again - Napoli (h) match preview

How things were meant to be

Gonzalo Higuain plays his second game against Arsenal tomorrow since he was supposed to have signed for us in the early part of the Summer. There is no doubt in my mind that Higuain (or a different World Class striker) is the missing piece in Arsenal's jigsaw at the moment, if only for the extra quality, cover and competition that he would provide in that area of the squad. That Higuain is playing for Napoli is a failure of Arsenal to get business done when they should have. I don't care that Real Madrid might have moved the goalposts late on, because that's business. The fact is that any agreement Arsenal might have thought they had with Madrid is not worth anything unless it's signed, sealed and delivered. I'm certain that Higuain was keen to play for us, and that agreement was in place with him and his people. I hope he doesn't come back to haunt us tomorrow night. We've already drawn 2-2 in pre-season with his new side, but tomorrow it's an altogether more important fixture. I also hope that there's none of the ridiculous pantomime booing of Higuain that was heard from the pre-season football tourists at the Emirates Cup.

Tomas Rosicky is back in the squad tomorrow, just in time to allow him to go off and play for the Czech Republic again in a couple of weeks from now. It's a welcome return of experience to the squad and no little quality. When Rosicky is available he usually seems to play from the start, and if that happens tomorrow it will be either Jack Wilshere or Serge Gnabry that drop to the bench. Ju Young Park also trained with the squad again today, but I'd be amazed if that's any more than a shirt selling exercise (Champions League training is open to the press). Any other changes would, I think, be unlikely.

Following the win in Marseille a couple of weeks ago we now go in to home matches knowing that we can win this group. Napoli and Dortmund are both hanging around at the top of their national leagues, just like Arsenal, but there is nothing for us to fear. As with other years we need to take as many points as possible from our home games. With three points in the bag from our first away game we are already off an running. If any side in the Champions League gets to ten points and still doesn't go through they can consider themselves unlucky. A win tomorrow night and we're more than half way there. If I have a concern it's that Rafael Benitez is the boss at Napoli. His record in European competition is exceptional, including last seasons UEFA Cup win with Chelsea. He has the tactical plans to beat Arsene Wenger's teams, and has done so in the past. In truth I might be happy with a draw tomorrow, but the need to win those home matches might overtake that once we get started. It's another big game, and we can't keep winning them all. Can we?

Gibbs and Szczesny shine in Wales

Outstanding again at Swansea

Two points clear at the top of the Premier League. Who’d have thought it after we were Anthony Taylor’d in the first game against Villa? It is a huge credit to the players (and the Manager and coaches) that Arsenal are in this position. Of course there are 32 games to go before we judge anything but credit is due to all concerned. Something feels right about Arsenal at the moment and I hope it continues for a long time. Arsene Wenger and Aaron Ramsey are a stick on for the monthly Premier League awards for September so let’s hope the curse isn’t about to strike us.

The game at Swansea was a little odd. In the first-half we just weren’t in the game. I felt that it was our back-four against the whole Swansea side. The passing wasn’t in our game and the midfield looked seriously off the pace, leaving Olivier Giroud very isolated up front. It was like that right up until the 46^th minute when Serge Gnabry (who seems to grow in to games) decided it was time for something a bit different. His run past two or three defenders, and a perfectly weighted pass for Giroud, provided a spark of inspiration. Giroud should have scored (finishing is still his weak point) but the players seemed to pick up where they left off when the game re-started.

After half-time we looked a yard quicker. Suddenly our passes were finding their targets and the movement was so much better. The pressure that Swansea had been able to build on Arsenal’s defence was not so in evidence in the second-half and Kieran Gibbs completely dominated the left of the pitch (I fear for us if we come up against a side with the quality to expose Wilshere’s lack of positional sense, however). Again Gnabry ran at his man and got a shot away for our first on target in the match.

It’s becoming a little familiar for sustained possession from Arsenal to result in a goal. The players seem able, at times, to build up a period of pressure that sees the opposition dragged out of position slightly. To then be able to expose those gaps is a mark of the quality we currently seem to be producing. Passing and moving at pace when we go forward is something these players seem to have realised is important. When they do it, as they did for Gnabry’s goal, it is pretty close to unstoppable. Gnabry’s finish was first rate, but so was the build-up, even before Ramsey’s exquisite reverse pass to the young German.

For five minutes after that we tore Swansea to shreds on the break. Ozil should have got a goal for himself but he delayed too long and allowed the goalkeeper to get close to him. When the second goal did come it was another pacy move forward, featuring a magnificent challenge by Jack Wilshere to set up the play. I was just screaming at Giroud for not shooting in to an open goal when Ramsey found the top corner. I never want to see my centre-forward passing in such a situation, but Ramsey is confident at the moment that he made beating his man and shooting in to the top corner look easy.

We sat back a little after that when we might have gone on and scored a goal or two more. With our propensity to concede a goal this is always a dangerous ploy from Arsenal. Wilshere played a ridiculous back-pass that saw Szczesny have to make a good save, and I felt it was a bit of a feature from Jack on the day. He seemed to be trying to do something spectacular, or too clever, far too often which would lead to us losing the ball. The comparisons to Aaron Ramsey’s play this time last year were stark, for me. Maybe when a young player is struggling for form, fitness and confidence, they try to “superstar” their way out of it by attempting to pull off the clever trick instead of just keeping it simple. It will come back for Jack, of course, but with other players getting fit it would do no harm for him to be taken out of the firing line – playing out of position is doing him no good either, just as it didn’t Ramsey.

Swansea’s goal came from the only poor piece of defending form us in the game. Bacary Sagna went to sleep for the first time this season and it cost us a goal. It was a shame because the defence and Szczesny deserved a clean sheet for their display.

Szczesny played his best game for Arsenal yesterday as far as I’m concerned. When he first came on the scene I felt it was a feature of his game that he would come for crosses and catch them. That has been absent for a long time now. Today it very much returned, and it makes such a difference to the side. In injury-time when we were hanging on a bit he came and caught three different balls in to the box. It took all the pressure off. I have no doubt that this time last year we’d have drawn 2-2, but Szczesny took command of his penalty area in a way that we haven’t seen from an Arsenal goalkeeper since Jens Lehmann. Long may it continue.

 

Next up it’s Napoli in the Champions League. Hopefully the players will have had a little rest before that one. Napoli are top of the Serie A so we’re in for a tough night on Tuesday. One or two changes might be in order, but it was reported on Twitter last night that Serge Gnabry has now been added to our Champions League squad having met the qualification criteria for U21 players. I hope that’s right as he is a far better option than Ryo Miyaichi. I hope to do a proper preview of the match on Monday evening.

Get behind the players for God's sake

Nicklas Bendtner of Arsenal Football Club

Nicklas Bendtner will make his return to the pitch this evening in an Arsenal shirt. It seems that opinion is more than a bit mixed with regards the big Dane. From what I can see he is being hung out to dry by many for asserting that he had no wish to play for Arsenal again after being loaned to Sunderland two years ago. As ill-advised as he may have been to say such a thing you have to consider the fact that he was being loaned out because he was behind Van Persie and Chamakh in the Arsenal pecking order, and we were about to sign Park (who also returns to the Arsenal squad tonight) as well.

In the previous season Bendtner had been the main reason for us getting to the League Cup Final, with his superb individual effort against Ipswich not only turning the semi-final our way, but capping a brilliant tournament for him. He was then left out of the side at Wembley in favour of Tomas Rosicky who, at the time, was about as far removed from playing like a top level footballer as it's possible to be. When Nick finally got on the pitch he was out on the left wing. He had spent most of the past couple of years playing on the right wing. Is it any wonder he wasn't keen to make a return to play for Arsenal? He was well known for his high opinion of his own ability, yes, but he was still a very young boy. Didn't we all say stupid things when we were younger? The difference is that the comments of a high profile international footballer are always going to be amplified. When you're someone who has also developed a reputation for fancying himself a bit you really don't stand a chance.

I blame Matthew Le Tissier for a lot of the way Bendtner has been perceived thanks to a rabid media. Bear with me on this. Le Tissier is an incredibly embittered individual who chose to waste his talent behind a beer-gut and a wish to always be a big fish in the smallest of ponds down at The Dell. Don't get me wrong, he was an exceptional footballer but he never had any ambition. He could have gone just about anywhere he wanted in this Country, but he wasn't bothered. Maybe he lacked a bit of bottle. Perhaps that's why Glenn Hoddle didn't want him playing for his England side. In fact successive England bosses chose to overlook Le Tissier, so there must have been something that they didn't fancy about him. For some reason Le Tissier took against Nicklas Bendtner and would go out of his way to have a pop at our boy whenever he could on Soccer Saturday. I remember very well him going in to a long diatribe when Nick wore a pair of pink boots. His main contention was that Bendtner hadn't earned the right to wear coloured boots and "who does he think he is?" was the main thrust of Le Tissier's argument. I can think of worse things than coloured boots. After all, I don't remember him going in to one about John Terry's off field behaviour at a young age - peeing on a bar at the Christmas party anyone? Put together with Bendtner's comments about wanting to prove he could be the best striker in the World, which were deliberately twisted and misrepresented in the press, this created the idea that Bendtner was too big for those pink boots. There is no doubt that Bendtner thought he was better than he really was, but that didn't make him a bad player. Far from it in fact. However, the die was cast with many people and Bendtner was marked out.

Those who have been reading this site for the last three years will know that I was always a big defender of Nicklas Bendtner. His goals to starts ratio at Arsenal is pretty good for a young player, especially when you consider how rarely he played in his real position. He was also just about the only player in the squad for a couple of years that could deliver a cross. Unfortunately he couldn't also be in the middle to finish them off. Bendtner is a beast in the air and, as a man with a winning goal against Tottenham to his name, he should get a far smoother ride from Arsenal fans than he has. I made a point of applauding his name when it was announced on Sunday, amid a mixture of cheers and groans. I even have his name and number printed on one of my old shirts.

I met Nicklas Bendtner a couple of years ago and he seemed to me to be far more grounded than the press would have you believe. At that time he was on loan at Sunderland and was out injured. He seemed quite open to maybe having to return to Arsenal. He did okay, though no better than that, in a poor side up there. He struggled badly with form and injury at Juventus last season. Perhaps those experiences have opened his eyes to what he has suddenly been offered the chance to have with Arsenal. Playing with better players he might yet fulfil his considerable potential. It's certainly make or break for Bendtner and you get the impression from his public statements (albeit given on advice from people close to him, I'm sure) that he's a lad who knows this is it. I gave up on Bendtner over the last couple of years and saw him as a player I didn't want at Arsenal. I thought he'd become a waste of space. Maybe he had. But the fact is that he is now back at Arsenal. He is in the team tonight. He is the only real back up option to Olivier Giroud. At the very least he deserves the benefit of the doubt. More than that, he deserves to be given the proper support of the fans. Okay, he has some ground to make up and some bridges to build, but as long as he's pulling on a shirt with an Arsenal cannon on the front of it he'll get my backing. I hope he gets yours too. He is Nicklas Bendtner and he plays for Arsenal Football Club.

Giroud the man against Stoke, Epic fail from Arsenal's merchandising again

Outstanding against Stoke's massive oafs

I'm disappointed today. Not with the football, obviously, but with the fact that the Stoke fans appear to be a less rabid bunch post-Pulis. Not one of them bit at yesterday's blog post which I was certain would bring at least one out of his hovel to have a go. No matter.

It wasn't Arsenal's best performance so far this season, but if we play like that and win 3-1 every week I will be one happy punter. It's fair to say we created next to nothing against Stoke, but then they didn't either. As a spectacle I suspect the neutral viewers on Sky will have been largely underwhelmed. For those of us in the ground it wasn't exactly inspiring, but we had the first home view of Mesut Ozil to keep us smiling. After about five minutes he controlled a ball out of the air on the end of his foot and drew a gasp from the crowd, such was the quality of his first touch. To be honest he was not really at it in open play yesterday. Sometimes the passing was a little bit off, and I had the distinct feeling that he was keeping it just a little bit too simple. On the one or two occasions he allowed himself to play the little German had us purring. There was one move in the first-half, right in front of the away fans, where he dummied to go past the full-back on the outside, and then did it anyway. It immediately put me in mind of Robert Pires setting up Freddie Ljungberg at Anfield just before Christmas 2001 having just left Gerrard standing. Sadly Ozil's ball across the box was mis-hit, but when he settles in you have to think we're in for a few treats.

The injury to Theo Walcott saw Serge Gnabry make a surprise and impressive first Premier League start. As with Ozil he chose to take it steady, which was probably a combination of nerves and instruction from the Manager. Having said that I was extremely impressed by Gnabry, as I have been I the past. His strength on the ball was a real feature as Stoke's players found that he was a youngster who couldn't be bullied out of possession. His full-back had to be substituted which is most certainly a triumph for a kid on his debut. He got back to support Sagna time and again, which was entirely necessary against a Stoke side whose only discernible tactic was to hit high balls out to Arnautovic on their right hand side (I'm not having it that they are playing more football these days - yes there was more passing, but ultimately it was a game based on high balls and physicality). Huth's foul on Gnabry was typical of the man, the team and the Manager. Gnabry, to his credit, got up and came back for more. I hope to see a lot the young German this season.

The star of Arsenal's show yesterday had to be Olivier Giroud. As ever he was up front on his own. He was up against Huth and Shawcross who were barging, elbowing and kicking him at every opportunity. I dread to think how bruised Giroud must be today. He won every header against Stoke's centre-backs, which must be virtually unheard of. Arsenal didn't get quite enough support around Giroud, especially late on when the players were obviously tired. However, his strength was a joy to behold and I was delighted with him. Yes, his finishing can still improve (he went a bit Lee Chapman when Ozil set him up in the second-half) but not many defenders will relish facing him having watched his start to the season (or since Christmas, to be fair to him). With Nicklas Bendtner back on the bench yesterday (in some not very under stated bright yellow boots) there is a credible back-up option available which might afford Giroud the occasional rest, and that is most welcome.

I have one or two other observations to make from yesterday.  Firstly the referee, Mike Dean, was his usual arrogant self. He let Huth and Shawcross away with plenty. He allowed Charlie Adam to be constantly in his ear while he was on the pitch. He missed all sorts. Yet, in the final minute, he booked Stephen Ireland for nothing more than a trip. Ireland clearly went for the ball, but was fractionally late. Nobody was hurt (or ever likely to be in that sort of tackle) so I can only assume that Dean was booking Ireland simply because of who he is. It summed up Dean and the way he behaves as a referee. He should have been off the panel years ago, but he's still there making it up as he goes along.

The second thing I wanted to point out was Stoke's failure to use Peter Crouch. The Freak has an amazing scoring record against Arsenal, at various Clubs. It was odd enough that he shouldn't start the match, but to then not get sent on at 2-1 or 3-1 down is beyond my understanding. He was sent out to warm up just as Sagna was about to score our third goal, but then Jermaine Pennant came on instead. I'm sure the Stoke fans must have been confused, too. Well, even more confused than their normal state.

Finally I want to talk about the fact that we got three goals, but none from open play. For too long set-pieces have been more luck than judgement at Arsenal. There has been no method, no idea that something has been rehearsed. Frankly, that has made them wasted opportunities. I said a couple of years ago that we had started turning dead-ball situations in to open play, such was the reluctance to put the ball in to the box. I'd like to think that, with the arrival of Ozil, someone has noticed that we now have a player capable of putting the ball exactly where they want to. The delivery to the near post, on two occasions, must have had Steve Bould smiling. Maybe it was a happy coincidence, but I hope we've added another string to our bow - it will make defending against Arsenal even more difficult. It's been a long time since Marwood, Limpar, Davis and Merson were playing inch-perfect set-piece balls, so let's hope Ozil is taking up the mantle.

 

Before the game I went in to the All Arsenal Shop with the intention of getting "Ozil 11" printed on my away shirt. I also intended to join the photo outside The Armoury of the Gooners in their Ozil shirts. As I was about to join the queue I was informed by one of the staff that the Premier League printing for Ozil 11 was unavailable for away shirts, and it was the same situation in The Armoury. This was Ozil's home debut. The away shirt is the new strip for this season. They've had three weeks to ensure they had stock of this, surely knowing that there would be customers aplenty for it at this match. Yet again Arsenal, supposedly an American-run, near billion-pound business, have failed to meet demand for something in their shops. It happens every Christmas with anything remotely popular, which is then never re-stocked despite obvious demand. For something as simple as the shirt printing to be unavailable is just completely unacceptable. Money that would have been spent at the Club by plenty of people yesterday was thrown away because Arsenal continues to employ incompetents in this area of their operation. It's not rocket science, is it?

EXCLUSIVE: Mark Hughes pre-match team talk for Arsenal v Stoke

Genius

Mark Hughes gave his pre-match tactical talk to the Stoke players at their London hotel last night. My spies were able to listen in on the master at work and have furnished me with a transcript of Sparky’s inspirational message:

 

“Right lads, we’ve got the press fooled good and proper. They seem to think that, because I played for Man Utd and Barcelona, my teams like to get the ball on the floor and pass around the opposition. I suppose, compared to Pulis, they aren’t far wrong but, let’s be honest, we prefer being hoof the ball merchants. Every side I’ve managed has realised that I like a good, old fashioned, physical tear up, with the ball spending as little time on the floor as possible. The only thing I want to see on the floor are opposition players! We’re alright for flair because we’ve got you, Jermaine Pennant. Just make sure don’t overdo any of that fancy crap. I know you played a couple of games for this lot so you must have some technical ability, but forget that – this is Stoke, and I’m Mark Hughes. If that Kieran Gibbs comes near you I want you to belt him, got it?

When I was a player I knew how to rough up a defender. There wasn’t a centre-half in England that didn’t feel the point of my right elbow at some time. I want you lot to realise that’s the way forward for this country. Have you got that John Walters? And don’t you dare take a f***ing penalty, neither.

Robbie Savage knew what I was talking about. I remember the FA Cup semi-final in 2005 when I sent him on to do a proper job on that cocky little p***k Fabregas. Robbie went right in on his knee. Nice one. Fair dos they stuffed us 3-0, but we left proper bruises, oh yes. Van Persie needed stitches in his gob after Andy Todd had got to him. Okay he’d just stuck away his second goal at that point, but Toddy made sure he was out of the game after that! That’s what I want to see from you lot in midfield – especially you Charlie Adam. Who knows, one day you could be the new Robbie Savage – it could be your privilege to make tea and biscuits on a Saturday night for Lineker and Shearer. If that’s not incentive then I don’t know what is.

This lot have got this German that they’ve paid money for – Oliz or something, he’s called. I bet he can’t do it on a wet Tuesday in Febuary at our place. Let him think it’s like that tomorrow. Huthy, I want you to let him know what it’s like to be a real German in the Premier League. Put “das boot” in on him and send him through the air like one of them doodlebugs.

Ryan, you know what to do with the other one in midfield – but try not to shatter his leg too badly this time, after all we’re all Welshmen together, aren’t we? Just a small fracture of the tibia ought to do, eh?

As for the rest of you, don’t forget that the way to beat Arsenal is to get in to them. They keep saying it on TV so let’s not let anyone down. The fans don’t want to see this namby pamby passing rubbish. Long ball and boot the opposition, that’s what this country is all about. I should know, I’ve been a success as a Manager.

I want to give you one real instruction to take in to the game boys. If you remember nothing else, just remember this – f***ing kick the soft, southern, foreign c***s!”

 

And a very good morning to all you Stoke fans out there.

 

Results of the unexpected - Arsenal set records in Marseille

Unheard of technique from Theo

I was at work yesterday evening and was intending to avoid the result in order to watch the game "as live" when I got home. The office I was in has Sky News on the TV at all times so hearing the score was an inevitable consequence. I still watched the game when I got home, just minus the jeopardy of worrying about the outcome.

The first-half saw us not finding our customary passing game. Marseille were dangerous down our left, where Wilshere and Ozil clearly don't much fancy playing in the wide area. Kieran Gibbs did brilliantly given the lack of help from in front. Put together with a superb goal line clearance, following a cock-up between Mertesacker and Szczesny, and his assist for Theo's opener (the first good cross Gibbs has put in for ages - amazing what happens when you get the ball in the air and past the first defender) there was only one Man of the Match contender in my view.

In the post match interviews Sky's Nick Collins asked both Aaron Ramsey and Arsene Wenger if the "first goal came at the right time?" I'd like to know what the wrong time is to open the scoring. As crap football cliché's go that must be right up there at the very top of the list. When it did come it was a super strike from Theo Walcott. Arsene was right when he said it was probably the most difficult chance he's had all season. I would never have believed that Theo had the technique to strike an outrageously difficult volley like that. It truly was an outstanding piece of individual skill. Hopefully it provides Theo with the necessary confidence to start putting chances away again.

The second goal had an element of fortune as I think Ramsey's shot would have been easily saved without the deflection. Having said that it was another example of why Arsenal players should have a poke a lot more often. Frank Lampard has proved down the years that a well struck effort, taking a deflection, will often fly past the goalkeeper. With players like Ramsey, Arteta, Cazorla, Ozil, Wilshere, even Vermaelen, we should be seeing more efforts from outside the penalty area. One feature of our play that has frustrated me for years has been the square passing across the penalty area, and a massed defence, when just having a go might create something in itself. If you don't buy a ticket etc...

Marseille's penalty looks like it may have been soft. I was impressed that Ramsey looked angry with himself afterwards. It showed that he wants to be eradicating silly errors, and the way he miscontrolled the ball in the lead up to the spot-kick was the sort of thing he was getting panned for a year ago. I have no problem with players wanting to achieve something approaching perfection in the their game and, more than that, being annoyed when they don't.

So it's now ten away wins in a row. That was completely unthinkable after the Spurs game last season. The win at Bayern Munich was completely crucial. Alan Smith played it down last night on Sky with the idea that Munich didn't really play in that game. I would suggest that Lukasz Fabianski's display on the night would tell you otherwise. Since that defeat at Tottenham our record is:

 

P18 W15 D2 L1 F36 A11

 

That is an outstanding run by any measure. Four of those eighteen games have been in the Champions League, three of those four away from home. Two goals per game shows an upturn in the attacking side of our game and, while the defending could still be better at times, those 11 goals are punctuated by at least five penalties (or rebounds from penalties). It's the sort of run that brings Club Level season ticket holders to matches. It's also the sort of run that will bring the confidence required to challenge, and maybe win trophies. The squad still looks one or two players short, as you can see by the bench last night, and respite for a number of players is a long way off. It's a bridge that will eventually have to be crossed, I'm sure. In the meantime I'm really enjoying it. I haven't felt this good about Arsenal for a good few years now. Looking forward to Sunday already.

Aaron Ramsey - an apology

Showing some real class

Before he had his leg smashed by that boneheaded idiot at Stoke Aaron Ramsey had been getting in to the Arsenal midfield on merit. He had produced some excellent displays and scored one or two goals too. He was rapidly becoming a fans favourite and looked another inspired Wenger signing. All that changed, of course, with his leg hanging off that evening. His return to the side was naturally met with warmth and he capped it with a superb display against Manchester United which included the winning goal. After that it all went a bit wrong.

I think the performance and goal against United probably skewed all our views. He was so good that we probably assumed he'd got over the leg break and was going to pick up from where he had left off. This was clearly stupid of us all. When you stop to think about it you see that none of us can even begin to understand the balance of Ramsey's mind. Every time he went near a big defender he must have been concerned it was going to happen again. How long does it take for your confidence to be restored so much that you can play without necessarily expecting some thug to take you out? How many times do you have to take a decent whack on the damaged leg before realising it's not just going to snap again? The psychological trauma must be unreal. Then there is the physical side. The recovery that allows you to run and kick a ball is long enough. But how about building up the genuine strength in that leg to allow you to play the sort of all action running game that Ramsey plays? I think the fact that, since the start of his run in the side (I would say since the Spurs away game last season), he has been among Arsenal's best players we can assume it takes at least 18 months.

This time last year I think he'd reached the very bottom. Ramsey had struggled badly in the season before as he was used at the front of the midfield, effectively having to replace Cesc Fabregas. He was off the pace, and often far too ponderous on the ball. When he got a chance to score a goal you might as well have not bothered. All of this was in marked contrast with before the injury. Last year he found himself playing wide right, or even at right-back on too many occasions (of which just one would be too many). Not being played in his own position certainly did not help Aaron Ramsey to regain his form. The Manager has to take more than his share of the blame, as well as being given a pat on the back for his persistence with the boy.

I was as guilty as most in criticising Aaron Ramsey over the last year. I had sympathy for him at times because he was being played out of position, but he simply didn't seem good enough for Arsenal anymore. Obviously he was a different player to the one that we'd been watching before Shawcross got to him. It was clear to me that Shawcross had ended the chances Ramsey had of being a player at the very top level. The fact that it was the broken leg that had caused this was neither here nor there, however. Ramsey wasn't good enough and never would be. I would cringe and moan when he'd be brought on, or moved wide, at a time when we would need a goal. He was so slow, and caught in possession so often, that putting him in to the mix was absolutely pointless. The crowd got at him (though he was never booed) and he was on the verge of replacing Eboue in the minds of some (the presence of Gervinho meant that particular slot was already taken).

I have now to apologise to Aaron Ramsey as he is back in the side on merit. He is playing the same level of football (in fact it's probably better) that he was before that evening at Stoke. There is an extra yard of pace in his game. He doesn't hold the ball unnecessarily, and uses it quickly to put us on the attack. He is making his own hard tackles, showing that he might just have got over the doubts in his mind. The goals he is scoring at the moment are exactly what we thought we were going to get from him as a teenager.

It is a matter of fact that we were all far too harsh on Aaron Ramsey. Any Arsenal supporter that says they always knew he was going to be this good is a liar. Even Arsene Wenger appears surprised at the turnaround in Ramsey from this time last year. I am delighted for Ramsey that he is showing such form. We have to hope that he continues to play like this, and get even better. I wonder if Jack Wilshere, having been out for a similar amount of time (and at a similar age) to Ramsey, might benefit from the level of hindsight we're all getting right now. Jack might well be given the time to find his feet again in a way that Aaron wasn't. Let's hope so.