Yesterday pulled up some interesting outcomes from the two matches played that we give a monkeys about, didn’t it? Firstly you had the United win which, if we all want to be nice and mathematical about it you would probably say was the second best outcome for us behind a draw. United have a tough run in, but it would be better if one of the other teams around us would pick up points and leave the others a bit further adrift, so a Liverpool defeat leaves them six points behind us I think.
With eight games to go that’s a decent advantage for us to have. Sure, it could be halved if we lose to them in our next game over the Easter period, but conversely a win for us will put an even bigger gap between the two teams, so we have to look at that next game at home as an extremely significant one in our season and bid for Champions League football in 2015/16.
Then there’s the Gerrard and Skyrtel ‘incidents’. Gerrard will play no part in the game at The Emirates because of his red card for stamping, where as Skyrtel could also face the same punishment, assuming the FA aren’t like the British media and completely in love with some sort of supposed ‘romance’ associated with the team from the Mersey. If he does pick up a ban, it will weaken Liverpool further for the game against us and whilst some fans prefer to see us beat teams at full strength to prove our ability, I am one of those people who loves every little advantage that life can chuck in my direction. If we have to face a depleted Liverpool side through suspension – hopefully even mentally fragile after a home defeat – then that’s a-ok with me.
The other game that some of the fantasists might have argued would have an impact was the Chelski away trip to Hull. They were rocking at 2-2 and even Remy’s goal had fortune about it, but it would be frivolous of us as Arsenal fans to think that Chelski won’t be champions. There are too few games left for us to catch them and yesterday’s game needed to be a draw at least for us to even come close to getting within a couple of points of them unfortunately. But hey, I’ve made peace with the fact that the worst football team, with the most evil manager, evil captain, evil players and evil fans, will win the Premier League. Life is unfair sometimes and sometimes the bad guys wins. I’ve accepted it.
Anyway, life is more enjoyable when you just focus on Arsenal and right now our form is dictating that life is very enjoyable as we pack our form with good home performances and nervy but ultimately acceptable away victories. I’m still feeling good after the Newcastle win and i’d imagine that will stay with the players too as they head off for yet more international interruptions at the worst possible point in the season. Well, for most of them it would be positive, because for a certain Theo Walcott he’ll be joining up with his teammates wondering when his next club level start will be. Heck, he’s probably also wondering when his next sub appearance will come along, because he looks like he’s started down the dark alley that Arsène pointed Podolski down before he was shipped out in January.
Poldi was one of the highest earners at the club. He was reliant on an exceptional left leg that could drill the ball home like I’ve not seen before at The Emirates. But he only had that in his locker. He didn’t offer much more and the result was that when Arsène found himself an upgrade in terms over overall contribution – Alexis or Welbeck – he edged him towards the exit until the German knew it was his only route through occasional substitute appearances and then eventually not even getting on the pitch. The final nail in the coffin was to not even be included in some Matchday squads.
Does this sound familiar at all? It looks to me as though Theo is being led down that same path. His overall contribution – end product and pace – is being countered by the form of others in the squad (Welbeck and Alexis for pace, Giroud for end product) and the net effect is no game time for Mr Walcott. He wasn’t even given a sniff at Newcastle, a game I’d have thought would have been perfect for him. No doubt he’s asking questions of the manager, but whether he’s getting the answers he wants is another matter entirely, so I think the only way he’s getting a sustained period in the team is through injury to one of the forwards. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen because we’re playing well enough now to know that we need all of our form players fit and playing well between now and the end of May.
We’ll have to wait and see how this pans out, but I suspect many of us already know the answer.
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