Arsenal new team 1 … A very, very ordinary Fulham 1

Yes, things are recovering well after the disastrous first few weeks of the season. We are all rejoicing. But we drew at home against a poor team near the bottom of the table. Of course we Arsenal fans know nothing (!) but … do tell, which of us would have recommended the following ?  

• 3 days before, we had a very tiring match against an excellent B. Dortumund.  Fulham did not.  And yet we fielded nearly the same 11 men yesterday. Of course we looked leggy, it’s not rocket science. What was wrong with using Benayoun … or otherwise why hire him ?  Or Diaby (for say 60 minutes) or Coquelin or anyone ? 
• Would we all go with the same, same, same formation which all teams in the world knows how to combat ?  I would call it 4/3/3 – with two wide players contributing little unless given the ball and then often losing it. Would we never come up with any other tactics, any other system ? 
• Would we go on choosing Arshavin  –  after 18 months of trying ?  Or would we use him where he knows how to play ?  Or would we  ship him out belatedly ?  He was brilliant in Russia before Arsene insisted he played wide left. As Chris Waddell says (plus many others) ..  Arshavin doesn’t look interested. He’s like if you want to pay me £millions a year for playing where I am no good – more fool you ?
• Would we go on sending the team out to be patient, patient, patient ?  It is not the Emirates Stadium which is naturally quiet. It is down to the management dictated intellectual style of play. Somebody tell me … why play the first hour like a half pace practice session and only go for it when we fall behind ?  Why not play high tempo early and coast later ??

It was like many Arsenal home matches against very ordinary teams.  Lots of possession .. not many goal attempts .. and then the oppos can have a go.   Arsene jumps about wringing his hands and dear old Pat Rice sits there saying yes when told to say yes. It was sadly predictable and surely we all hate it.

FENTIGER