Holiday

I arrived back from France, where I’ve been on holiday, to find my new Arsenal (Red) Membership pack waiting for me. Not as nice as previous seasons it must be said, feeling a little bit… cheaper. A cheap plastic lapel pin, and no dvd as in previous seasons, instead an advert for ‘Arsenal Player’ (can’t run it on your PC? Tough, just go away <- real response to me I’m afraid). It feels a bit… well… shoddy.

If that word applies to the membership pack – think how it applies to both the team and to be honest, the club, at the moment.

I didn’t see the Newcastle game because I couldn’t get any internet or English TV at the time. I’ve heard and read plenty about it however, and what I’ve read hasn’t left a particularly pleasant taste in my mouth.

If only

A team without Gervinho and (probably) Song for a few matches now, a team that just about held together but couldn’t score, and a team that lost their tempers too much and too often. The discipline which Arsene instilled into his team in recent seasons all but gone.

Leading into tonights Champions League qualification match against Udinese, Arsenal will be without Fabregas too, as his move to Barcelona has been sealed. I’m not quite sure where Barcelona stole got the money from, nor whether Arsenal will actually receive all of it, but it hardly matters, does it? Cesc wanted to go – in effect, didn’t want to play for Arsenal any more – and that’s that. I don’t wish him ill, but I do hope he regrets leaving.

Another player who doesn’t seem to want to play for Arsenal any more is Nasri, whose move to Manchester United City seems very much still on the cards. He was unhappy with the fans reaction to him on Saturday, quite rightly – and yet, hasn’t he brought that unhappiness upon himself with his behaviour this summer?

After a poor, undisciplined draw against a team that we would (and should) have brushed aside – at least in recent seasons… what is there left for this team?

Upside

Well, the league’s not over yet, you know! Arsenal are still in all the competitions they could possibly be in at this stage of the season, and all is still to play for. There are some good youngsters in the side who will get their chance this season (even if the reasons for that are lack of more experience in the side).

Downside

That’s enough positivity.

We have a team in disarray – a team whose morale and motivation is poor/lacking, and a team whose discipline is suspect. We have a team who are losing key players at a key time in the season, and with no news/prospects of good players coming in to fill the gaps. We have a manager who seems to have lost control of both his team and of his/their relationships with the fans. We have a club who don’t seem to be able to understand or respond adequately to the fans at all.

That’s probably enough negativity without wishing to push anyone into slitting their wrists.

The End

I’m not writing Arsenal off this season, but it’s damn hard to feel any confidence at the moment.

Only four teams won their first match and nobody would have expected two of those to be Bolton and Wolves. This season has all the makings of a topsy-turvy season, and may well see Arsenal finish out of the top 4 for the first time in a very long time. I don’t think that would surprise anyone, least of all most Arsenal fans.

Not for the first time, I’m rather wishing I hadn’t come back off holiday!