First Test

Since our season has fizzled along at a snails pace so far, and has included a right drubbing from one of the two best teams in the Premier League, it’s hard to say where Arsenal currently are in relation to (a) where they were this time last season, and (b) where they are compared to other teams.

It would be easy to answer (a) rubbish, and (b) worse – but all flippancy aside, I don’t think we’ve had an adequate test so far.

The test that was Man Utd was hardly a fair one given the state of our team on the day, and yes, they played poorly and Man Utd played out of their skins, etc, etc. Whatever excuses we want to make, we’ve yet to face a side that I feel will allow us to test the performance and the new players properly.

Tonight, I believe, is that test.

DVB play in a very similar style to Arsenal, attacking, always going forward, open play, etc. In the past when we faced a team who played like us we usually wiped the floor with them (Barcelona aside), but I don’t see that being the same this time round.

Other blogs are covering the squad, the likely team, and predicting the result. I’m going to steer clear of that for now, except to say that I do believe the new boys will feature heavily.

So…

This match tonight isn’t going to be a cakewalk – everyone acknowledges that. Neither should it be a drubbing for Arsenal… we should have too much strength to be simply rolled over.

It’s the should bit that worries me most.

Of undoubted skill, we’re still left wondering which team is going to turn up. Is it going to be a team with renewed confidence after a hard fought win, or is it going to be the frightened bunch, trying to keep it tight because they’re too worried?

What I’d love to see most is a sign of the Arsenal of old. The flowing play, the confidence on the ball. Not panicking, not blind to the opportunities, not failing to find each other, not giving the ball away. I think we’d all like to see that confident Arsenal back.

The question is whether Arsene has managed to forge a ‘team’ with enough cohesion to play as a team, for their team-mates as much as anything else, in the very short time he’s had them together.

Arsene of course will be missing from the touchline (and probably have no phone either), and whatever else we may think, UEFA are indeed a complete bunch of muppets. I worry about Pat Rice though in this situation. I’d rather Boro Primorac on the bench than have Pat worringly looking up at Arsene every 5 minutes – that was just embarrassing.

Anyway, what’s also important is that we fans show solidarity and support (the first sadly lacking for some time now and the second seemingly waning match by match). Call me a pessimist if you must, but I don’t think Arsenal are to be envied their fans at the moment – except perhaps the away faithful.

Cheer your team on tonight, be it in person (congrats if it is), via TV, in the pub at home, or on-line. Enjoy the match and keep the faith.