Where do Arsenal go from here?

Once again, for the umpteenth year running Arsenal Football Club find themselves facing another trophy less season. The humiliation they suffered last week in the San Siro against AC Milan was repeated at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland on Saturday where they went crashing out of the FA Cup in an all too familiar show of disarray. The distinct lack of quality, aligned with a clear lack or purpose and leadership now means it is seven years since the club last won a trophy. For a club that consider themselves to be one of the top sides in Europe this is simply not good enough.

We all know that they of course lost two of their best three players last summer which would cause any side to enter somewhat of a transitional phase. However, the replacements that the current manager Arsene Wenger brought in before the season began are quite simply not good enough for a team with title aspirations. The season of course couldn’t have started any worse but did improve for a time; however, these recent results will no doubt be the end of their season and there is a distinct possibility that they could collapse again as they have done for the past two seasons.

It is not just the departures that have severely affected the club; the goings on behind the scenes appears to be approaching the farcical stage as reports emerging in recent days suggest serious financial mismanagement. Reports from the club suggest that the wage bill currently stands at £130 million a year which is hampering the club from signing new players because the club simply cannot afford to pay them. Two examples of this are Abou Diaby and Denilson who are both pocketing £60,000 a week; when you consider one is permanently injured and the other one has been sent to Brazil (in an attempt to sell him) this is truly staggering. It has also been revealed that the club employ 71 professionals who are all on the wage bill – 71! Something has gone seriously wrong at the club and a quick fix seems unlikely.

Another interesting and decidedly worrying fact is that the club only earn £14 million from their shirt sponsors. The modern day football world is primarily about making money and for a club of Arsenal’s stature I find this unbelievably incompetent; Liverpool, themselves in turmoil on the pitch, earn £40 million a year – and they don’t even play in the Champions League. How can these things be allowed to happen at a club who pride themselves on their financial prudence?

The problems on the pitch are there for everyone to see. They seriously lack the quality to remain in the top four this season and unless Chelsea and Liverpool’s malaise continues they will not finish in a Champions League place. The distinct lack of defensive quality is now beyond a joke and how they have managed to ignore this when it is clearly something that has hindered them for years must now be put down to ineptitude rather than anything else. The fans barrack Squillaci and others for their individual errors but collectively they stand and together they should all fall. The Belgian Thomas Vermaelen who was regarded as their stand out defender has looked hopeless recently and clearly didn’t deserve his £600,000 loyalty bonus last season (another shocking financial decision as he hardly played).

There is no doubt that Wenger was a fantastic football manager once upon a time but he is managing a sinking ship at the moment and failure against Spurs this weekend should signal the end of his tenure in my opinion. If he cannot galvanise his troops and instil more enthusiasm and effort they surely have to find someone new to develop a new team. However, with the astronomical wage bill and serious lack of quality who would want it?

We have all been lead to believe that Arsenal were going to be the example of how to run a football club off the field and this statement simply has no credibility at the moment. Unless something dramatic happens at the club in the coming months the on field problems could have a lasting effect on the club’s future. Everyone associated at the club called initially for patience but surely that is waring thin now, something has to change, and fast.

Song must be more disciplined

Last night Arsenal celebrated a famous victory in the Stade Velodrome over Marseille but both sides will go away feeling there is considerable room for improvement. The game was lethargic to say the least and it took the introduction of Aaron Ramsay to change it.

The one glaring improvement that must be made on Arsenal’s behalf is the performance of Alex Song. The Cameroonian international is a good player but lacks the discipline to play as a defensive midfielder against the very best sides. In the second half I lost count of the times he was out of position which resulted in Arteta covering as defensive midfielder too many times.

It is a position that has now become an integral part of modern day football. The finest exponent of it in recent times was Claude Makelele and it is now often referred to as the Makelele role. The idea is to be the last line of midfield before you get to the centre backs; they are there as a screen/shield to bolster the defence. It is a role that requires very good positional discipline and concentration as one error can result in serious ramifications. This is the problem with Alex Song.

He is a very good player and I do not want to be over critical but as someone who admires the position and the attributes required it is frustrating so watch. On numerous occasions when Arsenal went forward Song was the furthest player forward besides Van Persie. Whilst the energy and commitment shown is admirable he is forgetting his sole purpose; to protect his defence. The game was very scrappy and attacks were broken up frequently with Marseille counter attacking almost at will. If the French side had more about them this space could have been exploited more efficiently but Arsenal escaped.

It also resulted in Arteta (Arsenal’s most creative player on display last night) having to fill in for his team-mate. This in turn then meant that Arsenal lacked the penetration in the final third to really hurt their opponents. I have continually stated to Arsenal fans for a long time that Song is not good enough to play that role at the highest level and it appears they are finally beginning to take note.

The best example in world football at the moment is Sergio Busquets of Barcelona who is an incredible defensive midfielder. In my opinion the DM should never stray too far from the centre backs and at all times the three of them should form a neat triangle. When Song plays there are triangles but some of them stretch 50 yards which is simply not good enough.

At a time when Arsenal are not at their fluid best they need to ensure they are disciplined and hard to beat. The result last night should increase their confidence but they will not face many easier games this season. If they are too improve Arsene Wenger must ensure Song remains disciplined, he is a good player but must focus on his own job rather than getting involved all over the pitch.

Fabregas saga finally over

After almost three years of negotiations, speculation and transfer gossip the biggest transfer saga in history ended today with Cesc Fabregas finally sealing his move to Barcelona. The fee is understood to be £35 million with further add-ons depending upon the clubs success in La Liga and the Champions League.

It seems that the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reluctantly conceded defeat in attempting to hang onto his captain. The decision was inevitable as the pressure mounted on the French manager to sell. The young Catalan spent eight years at the North London side where he became their best and most influential player. He contributed regularly to the side and was even appointed captain during the 2008/9 season.

Speaking at the press conference this afternoon Fabregas said: “I waited many days, months, years for this moment. I return home after eight years. This will be the challenge of my life.” The joy on his face was clear to see for everyone around and the relief that the saga is finally over was clearly not lost on the player.

Much of the comment appears to focus around how much he will play. Many of the Arsenal fans seem to believe he will not figure much at the Catalan club and will have to settle for warming the bench; this is simply ludicrous. The modern game is built entirely around squad systems and rotating your best players so they are at their optimum for the big games. In the last three seasons at Arsenal he has endured several injuries which has restricted his playing time significantly. Indeed over the last three years the most he has played is 66% in 2009/10.

Over the recent years there have been significant injuries to Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez which has restricted the side. There is serious reason to suggest that if Iniesta had indeed been fit when they faced Inter Milan in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 09/10 they could have overcome the Italians. The emergence this summer of Thiago Alcantara has also added to the confusion but in a side with an abundance of quality there is always scope to add further excellence.

It is likely that Fabregas will indeed be eased in gently by the coach Pep Guardiola but he will certainly play in 40 odd games this season, starting with the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup. With Barcelona likely to be competing on every front this season he will certainly be a welcome addition and having played with many of the current squad for the Barcelona youth side and Spain the transition should be straight forward.

The move today will come as huge blow to Arsenal and indeed the whole of the Premier League. Fabregas has been one of the shining lights in the league for several seasons now and his contribution will be missed by all. The question for Arsenal now is how to replace their talisman and with only two weeks remaining in the transfer window Wenger must act quickly.

Premier League Preview – the battle for 4th place

The battle for the elusive final place in the Champions League will be the most intense it has ever been and is likely to be between Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham. All three sides are only a couple of signings away from being serious title challengers but at this moment in time do not possess enough quality to worry the top three.

Since the return of Kenny Dalglish Liverpool has once again become a force in the Premier League. Their form at the end of last season was that of Champions and if they can start well they could be a force again. The key addition of Luiz Suarez was made in January and it will be intriguing to see how he develops this season; his partnership with Andrew Carroll will be pivotal to the club. They have strengthened in midfield by adding Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson which will certainly provide ammunition for the forwards. The key to Liverpool’s success at the end of last season in my humble opinion was the absence of Steven Gerrard. There is no doubting his importance to the club but the side appeared more balanced in his absence. The addition today of Jose Enrique will also give much needed support to the defence which will be important if they are to qualify for the Champions League again.

The goings on at Arsenal this summer have been rather strange and with the impending departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri it will be difficult for the club to remain amongst the elite. They have strengthened by signing Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but it is surely not enough. There is no doubt that Arsenal still have enough quality to match anyone on their day but losing their two best players is too much at once. If manager Arsene Wenger can bolster the squad before the end of August it could be different but the signs are not good. Last season they set their bench mark against Barcelona but then got nowhere near it as they capitulated yet again at the business end of the season. If they can keep Robin van Persie fit and go some way to replacing Fabregas they could be surprise package but with their start of the season looking so tough it could be a long season for Arsenal fans.

Meanwhile at Spurs the summer has been spent trying to offload players unsuccessfully and retain key players. There are a number of fringe players that they have tried to sell but they have demanded too much money which has effectively ended all interest. Their wage bill has to be lowered due to not being in the Champions League which means they cannot buy until these players go. Although they have been linked with almost every player in Europe there still appears to be no imminent new signings. With Spurs tending to conduct most of their business at the end of the window it could be a busy end to August.

It is almost unprecedented for the competition at the top of the league to be so close and it will be an incredibly interesting season for the clubs mentioned above. It will be very tough to separate Arsenal and Liverpool for 4^th and it is likely to be dependent upon who Arsenal sign in the coming weeks. The whole club needs a lift at the moment and Wenger has to deliver.

Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona??

The transfer saga that dragged on throughout last summer is set to rear its head again in the coming days. Spanish newspaper Marca published an article over the weekend claiming that personal terms have all been agreed but the deal still hinges on whether Arsenal and Barcelona can agree a deal.

The fee Barcelona are willing to pay appears to be around the £35 million mark with a possibility over player exchanges to lower the cash amount. Their valuation appears to be comparable with David Silva who moved from Valencia to Manchester City last summer for £24 million. Silva is a year older than Cesc and struggles to hold down a regular starting place for Spain, which is similar to Fabregas.

However, with some of the astronomical transfer fees that Liverpool in particular have paid in recent months Arsenal’s valuation is considerably higher. They see their captain valued around the £45-50 million mark which would almost certainly price Barca out of a move. The key issue remains whether Fabregas really wants to leave Arsenal.

There is no question that he would like to return to Catalonia in the near future and play for his beloved Barcelona. Questions have been raised about how much he would play but modern day football is all about squads. The physical demands on the top players these days are far greater than at any time in the past. Previous championship winners used to be able to win trophies using 15 players; this is simply not possible these days. When you consider Seydou Keita made 56 appearances for Barca this season this question is put into perspective; although many were as a substitute late on in games.

The player exchange rumour is one that could interest Arsene Wenger. Last night showcased Thiago Alcantara’s ability and he certainly looks like another talented prospect who has graduated through Barca’s academy La Masia. However, losing his captain would be disastrous for Wenger. Since his arrival in 2003 he has been nurtured and developed into being the player he is now. The natural ability he possesses was always there but playing with the likes of Vieira has made him the player he is today.

It would represent a massive blow to Arsenal if Fabregas does decide his future lies in Barcelona. However, with the varying degree of valuations floating around it seems unlikely a deal will be agreed, unless Barcelona pulls out all the stops. If Ibrahimovic signs for AC Milan they will receive €24 million after the fee was agreed last summer. Although they have already made moves to sign Guiseppe Rossi from Villareal there should be just enough money to sign Cesc.

The pressure being applied from the Barcelona players must be difficult to ignore for Fabregas who has stated he would only move to Barca if he indeed leaves Arsenal. It will be an interesting few weeks but I for one hope it is resolved one way or the other quickly. It would be a great shame for the Premier League to lose one of its real genuine talents but on the other side it would be interesting to see him progress at the best club in the world.

Arsenal must strengthen this summer

Here we are again, the end of another season where Arsenal have promised so much and failed yet again to deliver. Last night’s victory for Manchester City means that Arsenal are now looking at 4^th place and having to qualify for the Champions League; Arsenal’s quest for silverware continues.

It is now six years since Arsenal lifted any silverware and Wenger appears to me no closer to finding a winning formula. Their performance against Barcelona at the Emirates was magnificent but they have come nowhere near replicating that since. Yes they play pretty football, yes they have some decent players but the attitude and hunger is simply not there. Most football fans are slightly deluded but the majority of their fans are now as oblivious as Wenger to their flaws.

The goalkeeping position is still highly suspect; the new hope Wojciech Szczesny is three or four years away from being a decent keeper. The attitude and confidence is all well and good but the countless errors he has already made suggest they have another dud on their hands. There were reports recently that Wenger did make bids for Pepe Reina of Liverpool last summer but this problem has been there for years and he still has not dealt with it. At Manchester United Ferguson realised the error of his ways relatively quickly and strengthened after Schmeichel’s departure – why hasn’t Wenger?

The defence remains a key issue. They have missed Vermaelen for the majority of the season and welcoming him back will be a huge relief. However, he is not a proven player at the highest level and looked very suspect at the end of last season after initially impressing. Again, simply look at the record Ferdinand and Vidic have at United; this season they have conceded 0.67 goals a game when they have played together against 1.4 when not.

The emergence of Jack Wilshire and the re-introduction of Aaron Ramsey will be a huge boost next season. Whether Cesc Fabregas stays or not they should have enough going forward but they still need a top class defensive midfielder. The stand in at the moment is Alex Song who spends most of his time walking around the pitch rather than breaking up the opposition attacks. He is a decent player and is liked by the fans but this is the problem; if Arsenal are to improve and win things they need good/excellent players rather than mediocre/decent players which they have at the moment.

Yet again van Persie has missed the majority of the season but has still scored enough in the second half of the season to ensure he remains the number one striker. On his day he is an excellent player but they have to add more depth in this position. Their new addition Chamakh simply isn’t good enough; he is Emile Heskey but a little more skilful. He gives them options against a Blackburn or Stoke but lacks the quality to hurt good teams. Although Theo Walcott has improved this season he still has very little to offer besides pace. His final ball is either ok or awful however his link up play with van Persie recently has been much better.

It is getting tedious and tiresome commenting on Arsenal. It must be incredibly frustrating for everyone associated with the club but the only one who can really change things is Wenger. From what I can gather many of the fans are becoming increasingly disillusioned with his stubbornness and willingness to change his ideology. They have demonstrated in patches that they can compete with the very best but they are too inconsistent. If they can bring in four or five players with experience and quality they will do well next season. If they don’t I imagine I will be writing something very similar next season. Over to you Mr Wenger.

Arsenal’s title hopes all but gone

Justice was done this afternoon at the Emirates stadium where Arsenal conceded a last second penalty to deny them victory over Liverpool. The home side had huffed and puffed but failed to offer anything convincing until Spearing brought down Fabregas in added time.

The converted penalty by Robin van Persie was their first league goal at the Emirates since 23^rd February. It is ironic that as their away form has improved, their home form has fallen to pieces. Currently they lie six points behind Manchester United in the table which is exactly how many points they have dropped at home in the last three games.

Nothing should be taken away from Liverpool though who battled and contested throughout. There was real danger on the break from Dalglish’s team who look full of confidence after their impressive victory over Manchester City last Monday. Their new look striker partnership looks as though it cause defences a lot of problems next season. The impressive Jay Spearing cleaned up everything in central midfield and Lucas, who was highly criticised under Hodgson, was magnificent.

There were too many average performances from the Arsenal side this afternoon. Their captain, Cesc Fabregas had a poor game for someone of his ability. Their central midfield three of Diaby, Fabregas and Wilshire were completely overrun by Liverpool until Wenger put Wilshire at the base of the three. The Frenchman Abou Diaby simply looked terrible; for someone so big and athletic he moves around the pitch too slowly and offers nothing defensively or offensively.

The real let down again was Theo Walcott. Time and again Arsenal fans have said how much better he is this season; I just cannot see it. He was screamed at by van Persie in the first half when he smashed his cross straight at Reina rather than passing to the Dutchman. Being a winger can be tricky on occasions; you are told to put the ball into the area of uncertainty for the defence (between the penalty spot and the six yard box) if there is no obvious ball. Something Walcott has done this season is follow that, but, unfortunately he does it all the time now. I have said before he lacks vision and a basic football brain and unfortunately both of these traits were on display today.

Unless something dramatic happens at Manchester United it is now 6 years since Arsenal won the a trophy, the question is now, what does Stan Kroenke do next??

Arsenal must address things quickly

In the space of two weeks Arsenal have found themselves on the verge of a sixth successive season without a trophy. They are still in with a chance of the Premier League title but after dropping points against relegation threatened West Brom yesterday it now appears unlikely.

It has become a common part of English football in recent years; superlatives are offered left, right and centre about Arsenal until February/March time when everything slips through their grasp. Their performance against Barcelona in the first leg at the Emirates was outstanding, a bench mark if you will that needs to be aspired to every time they set foot on the pitch. However, since then they have lost to Birmingham in the Carling Cup final, limped out against Barcelona in the Camp Nou and have drawn with Sunderland and West Brom in the league. It is not good enough!

Every season we are offered the same excuses and problems by their manager Arsene Wenger and their fans; injuries, bad refereeing and individual errors. There is certainly an argument occasionally for any of these excuses but to hear it continually for 6 years is poor. As an Arsenal fan said to me after defeat at Barcelona ‘We cannot be this unlucky every year, there has to be more to it.’

There is no doubt that the squad is good enough in areas but there is simply a lack of depth in key areas. The injury sustained by Vermaelen was immensely unfortunate but I believe that’s where the sympathy should stop. His deputy this year has been Koscielny who at times has been impressive but makes big mistakes in every game; his record of 10 yellows and 2 reds in 36 games this season is appalling. There is then the issue of their 2 best players – Fabregas and Van Persie.

For me the want away Arsenal captain has not been fully fit all season; every time he is injured Wenger re-introduces him immediately and he struggles. Although he is a young man he has played 3 years of consistent football and looks like a man desperately in need of a break. The Dutch striker boasts a fantastic record in 2011 but has still on played 24 games this season.

If Arsenal are to win things they must purchase players who are more resilient and mentally tougher. There is an inevitability about Manchester United when they play that you feel Arsenal just do not have. They did very well to fight back from two goals down yesterday but still dropped two points in a game they should be winning. The goalkeeping and defensive positions remain in doubt but these issues have been around for years and have not been remedied.

With other Premier League sides likely to spend big this summer the time has come for Wenger to give up on his ideology. The performance against Barcelona indicates that Arsenal can compete with the best but not a consistent basis.

Barcelona vs Arsenal - a review

The second leg of this encounter failed to live up to expectations as controversy took centre stage at the Camp Nou last night. The home side advanced to the quarter final after winning the game 3-1 which gave them a 4-3 aggregate victory over the north London side. However, it was the sending off of Robin van Persie that has got everyone talking after the game.

Arsenal’s approach to the game was clearly to defend for as long as possible and score against the run of play in the 2^nd half. It was a strange move from Wenger who always advocates that his side play attractive, attacking football; there was very little evidence of that last night. They set up to play very narrow and to encourage Barcelona to play down the wings rather than play through them.

The home side were far from their best last night; much of the build-up play was too slow and laboured. It was only when a player skipped passed a tackle or two that you thought they would actually carve through the defence. The technical ability shown by Iniesta for the first goal (after Fabregas’ atrocious back pass) was outstanding; his first three touches took him passed Wilshire and Fabregas before he played a perfect pass to Messi. The Argentine’s finish was exquisite and was a bitter blow to Arsenal who had almost made it to half-time without conceding.

Early in the 2^nd half Nasri managed to win a corner for Arsenal after some impressive work to retain possession from Mascherano. The resulting corner was headed into his own net by Busquets which levelled the game and put Arsenal ahead again in the tie. Three minutes after scoring we saw the controversial sending off; Fabregas had played his best pass of the night to van Persie who controlled the ball instantly but hit his right footed shot wide of the right hand post. Suddenly the referee ran over and branded a yellow card, given that it was his 2^nd of the night a red followed quickly afterwards.

It was a shocking decision. There is no other way to describe it; there was one second between the whistle blowing and van Persie shooting. The game as a spectacle was over, it was now a matter of when Barcelona scored and how many they would get. It must be said that Xavi’s goal (Barcelona’s 2^nd) was fantastic, an example of the Catalans at their best. The penalty taken by Messi ensured that Barcelona would advance at Arsenal’s expense.

Although the sending off changed the game it was difficult to see how Arsenal would have changed their style effectively without leaving more gaps in the defence. Their side is simply not good enough to go to the Camp Nou and defend for 90 minutes. They should also not have played Fabregas; he was far from fit and had his worst game in an Arsenal shirt.

The trophy should now be there for Barcelona to record their 4^th European Cup win this season. They were not at their best last night but it was still enough to see off Arsenal. It is no shame to lose to a side like Barcelona; they are the best team in the world, have the best players in the world and play the best football I have ever seen and probably will ever see. Credit should go to Arsenal for the way they played at the Emirates but they have come up short again.

Barcelona vs Arsenal - a preview

Tomorrow night’s 2^nd leg in the Camp Nou should be one to savour. The game is finely balanced with Arsenal holding a one goal advantage over Barcelona after the 1^st leg at the Emirates three weeks ago. Both sides are struggling with injuries but this should be a game that every football fan is looking forward to.

Arsenal travel to Spain without Alex Song, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott who all played in the first leg. Their manager Arsene Wenger confirmed that their captain Cesc Fabregas should be 90% fit for the game which will come as huge relief. He missed Arsenal’s visit to Catalonia last year and he was sorely missed as they were soundly beaten. It will be a tough ask for the Gunners to win the game but as long as they score and remain within one goal they will progress to the next round.

Meanwhile Barcelona have had somewhat of a defensive crisis as their captain Carlos Puyol has not recovered sufficiently to play tomorrow night. His regular partner Gerard Pique is suspended so they will have to call on Eric Abidal and Sergio Busquets to marshal the back line. This should all mean that Javier Mascherano will play alongside Iniesta and Xavi in the midfield with Messi, Pedro and Villa playing up front.

The game three weeks ago was fantastic; it was an example of how the game can and should be played at the highest level. There were chances at both ends and the only certainty tomorrow night is that there will be plenty of goals. We will definitely not see Arsenal go away from home and park the bus; both teams only know how to play one way.

The tie is balanced similarly to last season for me, the English side probably just edged the first game but Barcelona will not be as wasteful again. It is a real shame that both sides are missing such crucial players as the quality may not be quite as high as it could be. I would expect Barcelona to score three or four times so it will be question of how many Arsenal get in reply. They will have to maintain possession much more efficiently than they did three weeks ago or they will be severely punished. The whole world will be watching tomorrow night, I am sure it will live up to expectations.

Arsenal vs Barcelona - a preview

The game at the Emirates tomorrow night epitomises the term ‘mouth watering’. It will see possibly the greatest club side in history against the most attractive English side around. Last season we were treated to 180 minutes of utterly spell binding football that left everyone who watched open mouthed. There will be no defensive tactics employed – this will simply be a matter of who is the best attacking side.

For me it really is no contest; Barcelona sit at the top of La Liga and are currently the best side in the world. Their side boasts all 3 of the final Ballon d’Or nominees, the best striker in the world and one of the best up and coming coaches in world football. The style of football the Catalans play makes everyone envious and of the many imitations around Arsenal are the closest.

The game at the Emirates last season was the definition of a game of 2 halves. The first half hour was one of the best periods of football in a game I have witnessed in my entire life and the biggest irony of it all was that the much maligned Manuel Almunia kept Arsenal in the game (it could have been ten by half time without him). A rare tactical master stroke from Wenger then saw Arsenal score one and then a 2^nd after the introduction of Walcott; Arsenal could even have won the game at the end which simply did not seem possible after 30 minutes.

This season’s encounter should see Barcelona advance to the quarter finals but Arsenal are such underdogs that I really believe anything is possible. There is always a worry for me when teams are such overwhelming favourites and the team from north London are capable of shocking the entire world. Having said this not one player in the Arsenal squad would get into the Barcelona team although Fabregas and Nasri would certainly come into contention but in reality their counterparts are just better players.

We should see plenty of goals on Wednesday night as neither side would say they are defensively sound. The loss of Puyol for the first leg could prove crucial as Abidal is certainly suspect and Arsenal should look to isolate him at every opportunity. The problem is how you stop Busquets, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro, Xavi and Villa from playing it round you. In truth I just cannot see how Arsenal can win over 2 legs; they may win tomorrow night but I think it will be a question of how many Barcelona score in the Camp Nou.

Fabregas row continues

Whilst the transfer window has been grabbing the headlines the controversy surrounding Cesc Fabregas’ behaviour on Tuesday night has been rolling on. The Everton manager David Moyes accused Cesc of questioning the integrity of the referee at half-time during the game at the Emirates. His manager Arsene Wenger has been quick to defend his captain and also state that there is an unwritten rule that players do not discuss what is said during battle.

Unfortunately for Fabregas he certainly has previous; spitting at players, exchanging words with opposition managers and aggressive behaviour towards referees. Of course this is not what he is synonymous with; he is one of the truly outstanding players in the Premier League and is Arsenal’s talisman. It is often the case in these situations that the sheer will to win results in the player boiling over but it is also brought about by frustration.

It has been a stop start season for Fabregas and in recent weeks he has continually had to make substitute appearances when his colleagues have not delivered against lower league opposition. He is currently producing his best form of the season and with Arsenal still chasing four trophies it is essential he maintains his composure.

We have seen a more ruthless side to Arsenal this year and it has certainly helped this season. Whatever was said on Tuesday night it clearly should not have happened but this saga has dragged on long enough. Quite what Moyes is expecting to happen by letting this role on is beyond me; Everton have enough on their plate as it is without further distraction. It is a real shame that someone so talented should have a nasty streak but he is not the first and will not be the last. Lets just get on with the game.

Arsenal struggle again

For the 2nd time in 5 days Arsene Wenger’s side struggled to break down a Championship side. The victory over Chelsea after Christmas was supposed to usher in a new dawn for Arsenal, a more confident, determined side; although they have only been cup games it is difficult to believe this on recent form. Despite fielding a stronger line-up than that against Leeds they had the same problems; laboured build up play, no cutting edge up front and in some cases a poor attitude (namely Eboue).

Having said that I still expect Arsenal to win convincingly at home, these performances can occur after a busy Christmas schedule as Wenger intimated after the game. Even the best sides struggle to maintain the intensity all of the time and they will find their form again. They do however have a couple of issues that need to be addressed quickly; Arshavin and Fabregas.

Arshavin arrived in January 2009 and looked fantastic; the highlight surely being his 4 goals at Anfield. This season he has looked like a man bereft of confidence and last night he kept looking around and hoping the ground would open up and swallow him whole. He has great feet but is far too predictable at the moment; playing on the left every defender should know he will cut inside onto his right around the box. He is not a one trick pony but his lack of confidence is affecting every aspect of his game.

Fabregas looked a frustrated figure. Wenger gave him the afternoon off on Saturday but he had to come on and salvage a draw against Leeds and last night he just didn’t look fully fit. This writer believes that he has been rushed back too frequently over the last couple of years and desperately needs to get 100% fit in order to get back to the form he is capable of. An 80% fit Cesc is still better than most about but he needs some recuperation time after the busy schedule he has had over the last few years.

The real positive last night for me was seeing Conner Wickham. He looks a real talent and it is surely only a matter of time before one the big clubs come in for him.