It was last spring that the Gunners season was on the line, when they had do or die matches. This season it comes in November. Manchester United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea are our next opponents in the Premier League. Ironically it comes at just the time when half the team is injured or suspended. Walcott, Sagna, Adebayor, van Persie, Gallas, Eboue, Rosicky, Eduardo are all to some degree damaged goods. We don’t know when they’ll be available and at what level of fitness.

It all seemed so easy in August. A quick glance at the schedule and I thought we had a great chance to break ahead of the pack. Losses to Fulham, Hull and Stoke! Draws with Sunderland and Tottenham. Yes, we’ve screwed up but the team needs to refocus now or else we’ll be in the middle of the table by early December. While Gunner fans are angry and frustrated, they need to support the team at this moment or else it could get a lot worse.

Certain players need to step up their games and show they have the quality to play for Arsenal. Bendtner, in particular, needs to show he deserves the playing time he craves. He’ll probably lead the line for most of November, a perfect opportunity to show what he’s got to offer.

Cesc Fabregas needs to up his game as well. So far this season he hasn’t played his best. We desperately need him to produce. We need Nasri to step up as well. He could be our only genuine wide player for several games and we need the width he can provide.

Song, Diaby and Denilson need to play their best as well. I suspect Wenger will play Song in tough away games and Denilson in the home games. Diaby will probably feature as a fifth midfielder in our away games, similar to the role he played against Fenerbahce.

Wenger should consider playing Djourou in the centre of the defense. Why he didn’t play against Stoke I don’t quite know. Perhaps he should even consider him to play the holding midfielder role (which Djourou has said he’d like to play).  The defense needs to pull itself together for these key games. They also need Almunia to take control of the penalty area and show he’s worthy to play in goal for Arsenal.

Will they succeed? Will they succeed and then blow it against a weaker team in December? I don’t know, but the season stands on the edge of a precipice and they need to come together right now. This is time for Arsene Wenger to earn his salary.

Let’s make no mistakes here, Arsenal are terrible at the moment. The defeat to Stoke City was embarrassing for the fans, the club, the players and indeed the manager. Pressure is growing on Arsene Wenger to be sacked for the debacle, and for the lack of a trophy is over 4 seasons.

There is a famous quote which I think has come into prominence in recent weeks. “When Times Get Tough, People Show Their True Colours.” Times are tough at the moment - although we did go through October unbeaten - and the good passage as not let us down.

The Internet is, despite it’s giant popularity, dominated by teenagers. In fact, both me and Gooner-Chris are teenagers as are the majority of the good people who post comments on the respective websites. All I’ve ever known is Arsenal going from strength to strength.

I feel almost spoilt when I look back at our history and see that the Gunners were once an average team, yet were enjoying so much success in my life time. So the patch were experiencing at the moment is unknown for me, but somehow my love is as strong as ever for MY CLUB. Wenger has called for fans support, and that’s exactly what I’m going to give.

However, because the Internet and life in general is dominated by my fellow teenagers, their support for the side is falling away. Because they don’t understand where we have come from, and what Wenger and his ways have done for the club, we are quick to jump on him. Fans look around at the moment, see the likes of Barcelona sacking Frank Rijkaard after two seasons without a trophy, and take that as an example. Young people are easily influenced and behaviour like this has impacted on our club.

People pick holes at our youth policy, but then laud the kids when they smash Sheffield United to pieces in the Carling Cup. You are either with the club or you are not.

We have come from nowhere and we could return to nowhere quickly, let’s not get ahead of ourselves after a few seasons of success. Wenger balances the books correctly, to make sure we are never in any money trouble. Okay, we don’t go out and spend £30 million on a player, but what use would that player be when the club goes out of business.

Wenger is not bigger than Arsenal FC, but there is not many people around with the knack and intelligence to focus on all aspects of the club. It may surprise you, but unlike your Football Manager games, when the club goes bust, that’s it, game over, no reset button.

I urge all of my fellow Gooners to look back through the history books at what this club was, what it is, and what it can be. Wenger is important to all aspects of that, but he needs your time, and your support. If you won’t do it for him, do it for Arsenal, if you’re a true Gooner, you love the club whoever is in charge.

The big man has returned. Yes, you guessed it, Abou Diaby is back in the Arsenal frame after a injury lay-off which kept the gangly midfielder out for two months.

What do you make of Diaby? He’s played as a left midfielder last season, after being used as a central midfielder and deep-lying forward previously. He fluctuates between an exciting player who’s fantastic on the ball and pushing play forward, and a player who’s anonymous. Before the season started, I thought he would be the player to replace Flamini, and partner Cesc. But now, after watching his attacking performances against Everton and Fenerbahce I feel that his best position is certainly a deep-lying forward.

If I’m not mistaken, and it’s probable that I am, the boss will have to choose 2 among these 3 to face West Ham this weekend: Diaby, Walcott and van Persie. Will he get it right?

I tend to be a supporter of big Abou, firstly, because he’s a typical Wenger player, and secondly because he looks like he has the potential to be a outstanding player. I’d like to see him play a kind of Rivaldo-type role. What do you think though? Is this Diaby’s chance to breakthrough into the starting XI or will unforseen injury circumstances hamper his progess in the Arsenal first team?

Your view counts, on Gooner Talk.

I’m certain that I wasn’t the only Arsenal supporter who felt a little uncomfortable upon hearing the news that Fábregas had been talking to the Spanish press about Arsenal, and in particular Wenger’s youth policy, and left his otherwise ever-present praise for every imaginable thing regarding Arsenal and our precious boss; everything from the way Arsene likes his coffee, to our dressing room’s interior to the cotton content of the Match Kit socks, at home in London.

I have a good friend that happens to be a Barcelona supporter and the poor fellow reviews the torrent of news circulating the web as graciously as an elephant showers so it was rather inevitable that I would be on the receiving end of some stinging stick and critique filled with malicious satisfaction when Fábregas statements became common knowledege. I kept my cool and calmly reminded him that the circumstances of the interview were not revealed (I suspected the quotes were taken completely out of context and that the reporter kept coming with leading questions, eagerly misinterpretating anything Cesc might say) and that a person blessed with more than 2 working brain cells would not read too much into those quotes. And then I bet my life on it. Not that calmly anymore. And, like a well-oiled machine, Fábregas, now safely resting in North London, where his face is as far away from Belgian elbows and other limbs that may flap uncomfortably as possible, once again reassured us Gooners that what has been written isn’t entirely true. Looks like I live to see yet another day as Arsenal supporters worldwide breathe out in a record breaking (in terms of length) sigh of relief. Go check the Official website if you haven’t already. The apology (if that’s what its’ supposed to be thought of as) almost seems too good to be true, almost - dare I say it? - forced, seeing as he hits all the spots that were left sore after his previous statements; Nasri, Walcott and Denilson - players who were all mentioned by him - are now all great players. Which, I guess, is true, but the only reason I see for Cesc being this elaborate is that he didn’t realize how big of an impact his words had back in England.

And that’s good. He is the last of a dying breed in modern football. Not many players stay loyal to their clubs and treat their fans with such respect as he does. Long may this beautiful partnership between him and Arsenal continue.

Because Fábregas importance to the team cannot be overestimated. It cannot be done. He is more than just the heartbeat of our game, because we can actually do without him for the odd game, even against tough opposition - he is also the talisman of our entire generation; our beloved knight in shining armor, the embodiment that gives concrete, physical form to the abstract beauty of Wenger’s philosophy. A blow to the sky of that philosophy by its’ most shining star would perhaps be more than it could withstand.

But is it really all doom and gloom? Is there no one to occupate the potential void Fábregas might some day leave behind besides Denilson? As always Wenger has the answer waiting in the wings.

Aaron Ramsey is, in my opinion, the true heir of Fábregas if he ever decides to depart. I watched him dissect the English U-21 side with a performance that was brilliant in every sense of the word.  Superlatives like that are often thrown around carelessly today, by newspapers and persons, most notably Theo Walcott who probably would even describe Wayne Rooney’s new haircut as ‘brilliant’, so that they inevitably lose a bit of their meaning. But what Ramsey created on Villa Park was brilliance. That cheeky assist and wonderful goal didn’t hurt either. Our little 17 year old looked head and shoulders above everybody else and then the players he was up against had Premier League experience in abundance. Players like Agbonlahor, Milner, Noble and Huddlestone were all given starting positions for England. Although, admittedly, Huddlestone isn’t alot to cheer for. But we nonetheless have another truly gifted gem in our squad, because I cannot see any notable difference between Ramsey’s display against England and what Fábregas could produce at the same age; it looked just like the way I saw Cesc dictate Spain’s midfield for the Under 21’s at the same tender age. Stuart Pearce even admitted that Ramsey forced him to make a pre half time substition in central midfield to neutralize the threat and problems he was causing all by himself.

Now, the reason that we currently possess the best midfielder on the planet (talking about Cesc now) is that he was allowed to play regular first team football in an overall great team from a young age. That does wonders to a hot prospect. When Patrick left for Juventus Fábregas stepped up and grabbed the chance handed to him by Wenger with both hands and he didn’t look back. It’s easily forgiven to be a little one-sided here and say that it was a comfortable walk in the park for him at that age and that he could do, like he does now, exactly whatever he pleases against Premier League opposition, but that’s not completely true. Anyone, even a Sp*rs fan, could see that he was going to be absolutely stunning in a not at all distant future, but he did have a few below-par performances. And that’s why I no longer fear Fábregas increasingly imminent departure; Ramsey is good enough to do what Cesc has done. I don’t think Cesc will leave before his contract runs out - thankfully - in quite a few years from now, but if he does we’ve got it covered. And it isn’t Denilson or Song that I want to see in Cesc’s shoes - it’s that little Welsh wonderkid. Because once he gets some minutes under his belt - minutes that doesn’t mean playing in the Carling Cup - he will become one of the best midfielders in the world. And that’s beyond even a shadow of a doubt. If you have any objections you could just ask Lee Cattermole. He is presumably hospitalized due to severe mental distress and humiliation.

Denilson is, at least among Arsenal fans, a greatly underestimated player that has bags of potential - some of which he is currently fulfilling, something that 2 goals and 3 assists along with an outstanding passing accuracy - granted, not all of the passes are defence splitting - testifies, but somehow it is being overlooked by a majority of our loyal followers. But Ramsey is to be considered in a bracket of players where only a handful have the honor of belonging. Manchester United are rarely after youngsters - at least not to the extent where they can be considered in the same wavelength of Arsenal, but they were after him for a reason. We should all sit down in circles, hold hands and thank the footballing Gods, including Wenger, that the winds of fortune blows in our favour. Defences all over the world will tremble upon merely hearing his name being spoken out loud. Pretty much like Voldemort for Harry Potterish people or Fábregas for the Yids.  I say give Ramsey a decent run out in the team. Perhaps we should wait and not play him now against Everton or away to Fener seeing as too many changes could disrupt the natural harmony of the team now that important mainstays such as Sagna and Gallas are out injured, but as soon as the queue to the treatment table dissipates I think he should be given an honest chance to prove himself. Because, after all, we would all like another Cesc in our team.

As an Arsenal fan with strong links to Rangers when my football interest goes north of the border, I knew all about Daniel Cousin.  The mercurial striker brought Rangers fans much frustration and I had a hunch that Fate would give me a neatly wrapped present.  Unlike some slightly naive sections of Arsenal fans, I was not expecting a walkover when Hull visited the Emirates.  Just like our good old man of steel Kolo Toure, I am more nervous about games against the likes of Hull than games against the rest of the Big Four.

When Arsenal come up against fellow members of the oligopolistic Big Four, Arsenal can perform.  The skill and quality of the opposing team and the knowledge that the Premier League is essentially between you four teams is enough to cause any one of the Big Four to raise it’s game.  When the likes Hull City come to visit, Arsenal are overwhelmingly expected to win.  Now despite claims that the Gunners were not complacent coming from the likes of William Gallas, it is a claim that I fail to believe for one second.  Whether it was realised or not by the team, Arsenal shut down.  The team went into stand-by mode, and as Arsene Wenger correctly stated, “Perhaps subconsciously we thought we would make it. After we went 1-0 up, we were a bit careless in not pushing on to score the second goal.”

It was this subconscious complacency that really killed us off.  While pushing for the elusive second goal, the team seemed to show Shootaphobia and had to take turn after turn before their subsequent shot was smothered by a ubiquitous Hull defence.  Then, came the bolt from the blue.  It was unfortunate that such a loss had to come in such spectacular fashion and Geovanni’s screamer had to come when Arsenal were pushing hard (and coming excruciatingly close) to a second.  The Brazilian’s strike was more than enough to steal any shred of momentum from Arsenal and give Hull more confidence than an egotistical teenager who’s just had his braces removed.  Cue our old friend the corner kick and Gallas’ perplexing nonchalance then game over.  And I do believe a certain wise man’s complaint was justified in the form of Arsenal missing a series of simple chances.

However there are reasons for some post-Hull optimism (demolition of Porto aside).  The reason that an Arsenal fan can use all too often to justify defeats is injuries, but the fact that reason is used very frequently as a semi-excuse is because of its reality.  Our big-money signing (don’t laugh), Samir Nasri, was still out, and the absence of our quasi-defensive midfielder Abou Diaby is beginning to become a lot more evident.

With the return of these players, the squad rotation that Arsenal so sorely need becomes possible.  Denilson, Diaby and Song can rotate the central midfield partnership alongside Cesc Fabregas.  Despite the chances of Gallas being dropped being microscopic, the defender is on his last warning and Johan Djourou must get his chance to usurp the lazy captain’s position, being 6ft 4in also helps his cause.  This squad depth that Arsenal do possess (when players are fit) is enough to maintain a successful system of squad rotation that must be at the forefront of Wenger’s mind following Saturday’s defeat.

The weekend’s humiliating defeat could not have come at a better time.  Although the team currently sits in fourth place on the table we are only two points off the lead and a point ahead of Man U (assuming they win their next Premier League match).  Considering we have lost twice in six games, it’s impressive that we are still in touch.  There is no doubt that we should have gone top at the weekend, but looking at the current pattern of Arsenal’s league games, things can only get better.  After defeat to Fulham, Arsenal upped their game and wracked up three consecutive and convincing wins in the Premier League.  The defeat to Hull is much worse than the Fulham loss and it breached the armoured fortress that was the Emirates, but this could work in the team’s favour.

The reaction to this defeat has to be bigger, better (Exhibit A: Porto match) and last much longer, before we leave another game with nothing to show for it.  As for apocalyptic cries that Arsenal are already out of the titles race, just look at last year’s champions.  Manchester United were beaten 5 times overall last season, only once by a member of the Big Four.  Chelsea, Bolton, West Ham and Man City (twice) all felled the champions yet still they marched on.  Losing to both Fulham and Hull, although infuriatingly frustrating, does not destine Arsenal to Premier League failure.  Losing to Hull is infinitely better than losing to a Big Four club, as it is them, not Hull, who we are competing with for the League title.

Adebayor and Van Persie are also yet to hit full power but have still racked up five goals a piece in the Premier and Champions League.  There is no doubt that the two front-men need to move up a gear and take more of their chances, but it can only bode well that they are still scoring without hitting their top performance plateaus.

However, these reasons shouldn’t be allowed to paper over prominent cracks in the team that still need to be addressed whether the team in winning 4-0 or losing 2-1.  Arsenal can consider themselves lucky that yet another goal this season wasn’t conceded from a corner kick, which Gael Clichy clearing off the line after some statuesque defending, from which Porto really should have taken the lead.  As well as making our defence on corners air-tight the team also has to provide a much more concise threat to the opponents goal when we are gifted corners.  Adebayor’s scruffy header against Porto was the first goal Arsenal have scored this season from a corner.  Overall this season, in the Premier League and Champions League group stage, Arsenal have had a monumental 69 corners, and scored only 1 goal from them.  That is simply not good enough.

The finishing from the team is still poor, regardless of the amount of goals we have been scoring recently and that is of paramount importance.  For me, it’s a matter of when, not if, the finishing efficiency returns and only then will my screaming at the likes of Adebayor and Van Persie cease.

At the end of the day, as the enlightened Emmanuel Adebayor said “losing to Hull is not like a crime.”  The defeat to Hull has provided the team with a much louder wake-up call than Craven Cottage did and with the return of Nasri and hopefully Diaby in the next few weeks, the depth is returning.  After the scintillatingly swift destruction of Porto in the Champions League, transferring that confidence and fluidity to the Premier League is priority No. 1.  I’m not sure about you, but I believe.

Not going to talk about the embarassing display on the pitch. We all know it was sh*t and not good enough.

Aside from the match, I am angry, really angry about the ticketing situation that saw two Hull muppets get seats in the middle of the North Bank upper yesterday.

When Hull scored, they showed themselves and it kicked off. There were only two of them, but they were obviously up for it and determined to bring a bit of Championship support into the Premiership. Obviously a few Gooners stepped in, gave them a slap and then the Stewards got them out the ground. The Stewards did a good job. The Gooners who gave them a slap did a good job. HOWEVER…

WHY WERE THEY THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Ticketing and the HUGE increase in touts outside the ground is getting worse. Half the touts had Millwall tattoos yesterday and obviously couldn’t give a f*ck who they sold to, or are maybe happy to encourage trouble in the ground.

Its a disgrace that neither the club or police are stopping this, resulting in law abiding home supporters getting into fights/trouble in the home support end as trouble makers from opposition fans take advantage of a ticket from a tout.

The person responsible for buying the original ticket (ie, the season ticket holder, or silver member or red member) should be banned. The touts need to be arrested and Arsenal season ticket holders in that area deserve an apology from the club.

If the club wants to charge premium rates for the tickets, they need to give a premium, safe, atmosphere to watch it in. With touts selling to anyone outside the ground the club cannot guarantee this.

Finally, what will happen if either Sp*rs or Manwho trouble makers decide to do the same thing this season?

Article by Robsy - Proud member of The Online Gooner Forum

On last week’s Match of the Day, BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson claimed that if tackles like the one Gael Clichy received at Bolton were banned, the game would be ‘for the jessies’.

The former Liverpool defender’s words will certainly come back to bite him.

First Gael Clichy. Now Man United’s Rodrigo Possebon. Both players were extremely lucky to escape without a broken leg after horrific challenges by Bolton’s Kevin Davies, and Middlesborough’s Emanuel Pogatetz - the latter apologised for his actions and admitted he committed a reckless tackle on the promising young Brazilian. As for Kevin Davies, well, surprise surprise, there was no apology from Wanderers’ renowned fouling frontman.

Lawrenson missed the point entirely - while the physical nature of the game must remain, tackles like the ones stated above are simply not acceptable when they run the very real risk of breaking someone’s leg. Pundits like Lawrenson do not help the matter with their consistent line of ‘Arsenal don’t like it up ‘em’, as if that somehow excuses the sometimes violent challenges that come our way.

My point is, no one wants to see tackles being kicked out of the game, they are the mainstake of our wonderful sport. If you can identify a dangerous tackle then it should be punished by a red card, no one would argue with that. But tackles are starting to get out of control, players walk on the pitch with their main objective to kick the players off the park. Someone needs to tell the likes of Mark Lawrenson that comments like his are no help at all to football, and like I said earlier, his words will definitely, almost certainly, come back to bite him.

Big mistake Lawro, big mistake.

It’s late, I’m hungry and the thought of waking up early tomorrow morning (more like later today) for school, along with all the mandatory responsibilities that goes with it, just won’t go away. And it’s not an appealing thought, by the way. It’s like a little scratch on the roof of your mouth that definitely would heal if you could just resist the temptation of exploring it with your tongue; it’s just there, mocking you, and its’ only purpose is to annoy you. These habits of mine (never sleeping when I should and drinking coffee when I shouldn’t - perhaps they’re somehow related?) will drive me crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s the only time of the day where I can isolate myself from the outside world and escape to my desolate hideout and place of meditation - my room - and get my thinking done. And I like thinking. I tend to think alot about Arsenal, as well as football in general, and sooner rather than later I usually convert my train of thoughts into articles for this very site, so hopefully you like my thinking as much as I do. It’d be more convenient for everyone that way.

Tonight my topic of careful consideration has been moving on and leaving your once haunting ghosts behind you; dispelling old myths that were once thoroughly attached to the club in question, like an umbilical cord to a newborn, through sheer will and actual accomplishment. We’ve seen it happen right before our eyes these last weeks. We witnessed it when Liverpool finally beat Manchester United for the first time since the invention of the wheel. But they’re not the only ones that have sampled the sweet ambrosia of progression and development during the recent weeks. Arsenal have successfully put the myth of being easily intimidated by the northern, more physical sides to bed. Hopefully once and for all, but, considering the current media treatment of Arsenal, I doubt it. But there’s more to it than that. There is another generally accepted “truth” about Arsenal that have been - still only hopefully though - successfully disposed of. We have travelled up north with remarkable regularity with our young, fragile and frail squad and we’ve beaten the ghosts of our past - and doing it in style, despite missing a handful of chances every game - while, at the same time, carrying the weight of our ridiculously long injury list, meaning that our squad isn’t lacking in depth. At least not to the extent that it has been depicted by the, so called, football experts.

Imagine Manchester United, or any other team with a manager that instantly will be declared a genius for not failing after spending big money, having the same impressive goal difference we currently have after the very same fixtures with their equivalents of Rosicky, Nasri, Diaby and Eduardo on the treatment table. No Ronaldo, no Nani, no Carrick and no Tevez. I for one can see the headlines in front of me as soon as I close my eyes and merely think about it: “Admirable team spirit and collective performances will win United the title for a third consecutive year. And boy their manager is mighty smart.” They’d be getting the headlines we’re currently not getting. Now, I know that I exaggerated a bit, I do know that only 5 games have been played so far (and only 4 for United) - but hopefully you get my point.

It hit me like an atomic bomb, and I do mean that in the most positive way imaginable, whatever that might be, when Wenger, on his post-Bolton press conference, reminded the world that “we still have alot of quality at home”, despite playing football that commentators and neutral onlookers described as “awe-inspiring” throughout the remainder of the day - with half our first team squad. The lesser (at least in terms of quality) part of our squad, too. The same chunk of players had even endured an extremely busy playing schedule the recent weeks, involving several difficult physical challenges on the road as well as international duty.

Who would’ve expected someone like Eboue to, in the void of Rosicky, step up in the way that he has done? He’s been one of our most consistent performers this season, and that’s not even debatable. When I look at the lineup and see his name on the right wing I can actually visualize him running past defenders - with the ball, I might add - and doing something useful with it. I might even go a little bit crazy and assume that he will score. No, wait, just kidding. That’d be blasphemy. But Denilson is coming of age and is already putting in PFA Young Player Of The Year-Performances whenever he pleases, Walcott is turning into what we all thought, or at least hoped, that he could be and Almunia has definitely impressed me so far. The squad doesn’t look that bad after all, does it? Arsenal seem to be breaking their old bad habits without breaking a sweat - perhaps I should too. Good night.