Saturday was a tough game. Arsenal were off the pace. Watford were bang up for it. Despite the 3-0 score line, it was a game we could have lost.

In seasons gone past, it is not a game we could have lost, but a game we would have lost. The majority of our side being off on international duty, up against a physical side who towered over us, defended in groups, and ensure our players knew they were there.

Watford certainly had their chances, and it would not have been too unfair had they gone into half time 2-0 up. But we held firm – just, and as they wilted we took advantage.

The pressing game Watford were playing was brilliant, for 60 minutes. They were defending in 4’s, with 2 men putting pressure on the player on the ball, and the other 2 cutting out any chance of a short pass. It forced us to go backwards, or more often then not, to lose the ball. It was excellent defending. But as long as it stayed 0-0, you knew they would die, and they did.

After Sanchez’s goal, Arsenal showed the strength of their bench, brining on Giroud and Oxlade-Chamberlain. My pal turned round to me and said “Giroud is the best plan B in the Premier League” and he is correct. His power causes issues against the best of players, but when he comes on with  minutes to go against centre backs who have spent 65 minutes chasing Theo Walcott, he is near enough unplayable. I think he won every single aerial challenge when he came on.

So 3 points in the bag. 2^nd in the League. 2 points off top. 9 games gone. It is too early to start dreaming the impossible dream, however, it is now the time we need to look at ourselves as genuine title contenders. We are in the race guys.

It is currently looking like a 3 horse race; with Chelsea’s poor form meaning that they are already a long way behind. Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United. 2 points separate them all, and looking at the games between now and the end of November, Arsenal have a chance of going into the winter top of the table:

With Manchester City & Manchester United playing each other next Sunday, Arsenal have a chance at home against Everton on the Saturday to top the league, for 24 hours at least. And that will be a brilliant achievement after the disappointment of the transfer window and opening day defeat to West Ham.

I still struggle to see beyond Manchester City however. After back to back defeats bought them back towards the pack, to go out and score 11 goals in 2 games sends out a message. And when you consider they destroyed Bournemouth 5-1 without Sergio Aguero, David Silva or Vincent Kompany. It shows how strong their squad is. When their replacements (Bony, Otemaendi, De Bruyne) cost over £100m, and their entire starting 11 still costing nearly £250m, it should not be a surprise that they thrash newly promoted Bournemouth.

I guess it shows you get what you pay for, ad Wenger should take note of that.

Imagine Arsenal playing without Sanchez, Ozil & Koscielny. Add in a right back playing t left back. We would struggle. We certainly would not score 5!

Arsenal are contenders, and for that we should be happy, but we are further away from City then the 2 points in the league would suggest.

Keenos

One of the saddest acknowledgments in boxing – is when a boxer is described as the ‘greatest fighter to have never been a world champion’. In many cases, this failure to reach his true potential can come down to a variety of things, such as not being promoted properly, being held back by criminals, being black in the days of segregation, or being on the end of an unfair points decision. It’s not always the boxers fault, and in most cases it’s not down to any lack of desire or ambition.

In boxing terms, Arsenal FC is now just a journeyman, certainly as far as Europe goes. Happy to pick up the money – and there to get beat. That’s the journeyman mentality; there to get beat by those who have a genuine aim to be champions. Arsenal FC: the Journeyman that constantly gets knocked out, but somehow still makes the millions that champions do.

My issue with Arsenal is not the fact that we are by far the biggest club to have never won the European Cup/Champions League. My issue is that this doesn’t bring out the wounded lion in the management, or indeed many of the fans. All those who booed the Olympiacos defeat were not booing because their hopes of us winning the competition had been dashed. They were booing because they expect us to qualify from the group – so that we can then get knocked out in the second round by the first decent team we play. The journeyman tends to beat the ‘Tomato Can’ but then goes on to get beat by a world class fighter.  It seems now that the Arsenal journeyman can’t even beat ‘The Bums’ anymore.

No serious football club has two multi-billionaires as the main shareholders – and then attributes it’s failures on not being able to financially compete. No serious football club leaves tens of millions in the bank, whilst being content with a squad that have been proven failures in Europe. A business will do that, but unless you’re a shareholder, then it’s nothing to celebrate or even take an interest in.

Enough gets said and argued about Arsene Wenger and I won’t add to that, because even with his departure (which probably won’t happen) there is a bigger problem at this club. You only have to look at Stan Kronke’s wig, to know that he likes to make money rather than spend it.

Silent Stan is no wounded lion. Fuck no, far from it; I doubt that ‘Dough Boy’ is even aware that Arsenal have never won the European Cup/Champions League. In fact doubt he’s even aware that we got beat by Olympiacos on Tuesday. This profit junkie has got off way too lightly, whilst the usual ‘F*** Off Wenger’ facebook posts do the rounds after every bad result. If a manager is making bad decisions, on a regular basis, then it’s up to the owner to take action. Nobody is going to voluntary leave a job that pays £8.5 million a year.

The problem is that Stan Kronke does not recognise that there is a problem. Why would he? He’s never been on the end of any meaningful protest aside, from the Black Scarf Movement, who are a small but passionate minority. The fans have to start making it clear to Kronke that Arsenal is about football first and profit second (or how about just screw profit and give the fans a better deal with ticket prices).

For all there is to dislike about Roman Abramovich, the reason Chelsea are successful is because the owners’ ambition matches that of the fans. He goes to all the games, whilst at best – ‘Dough Boy’ will turn up to one match which is usually around the same time of year as the shareholders AMG.

If Wenger does leave, and Stan Kronke stays – which is the most likely scenario in a year or two – then in the coming years, Arsenal will still remain the biggest club to have never won the Champions League.

Matthew

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