Updated 18.15
Is Arsene Wenger’s time up?
It’s the repetitiveness that kills you. It’s the repetitiveness that kills you. It’s the repetitiveness that kills you.
As sure as Everton will endure a mid-season lull and Wigan Athletic will finish the season with a record breaking run of six successive 6-0 victories (or something), Arsenal will look like title winners elect in the early months before dancing themselves all the way to a last ditch fourth-placed finish.
In 2008, it lasted all the way until William Gallas sat down on the pitch at Birmingham and the Gunners never got back up again, but this year all hope has been lost before December.
Against Aston Villa and Swansea, Wenger’s side was appalling. The triumvirate of Cazorla, Podolski and Giroud brings to mind a fairground ‘Whac-A-Mole game – once one sticks his head out and goes on a bit of a run, the other two disappear.
The Theo Walcott contract situation should not have bled into this season and his emergence as a goalscorer of note has done as much to damage Wenger as aid him. Balancing the books is well and good but a bit of carefree spending – especially on the players you already know and trust – is the only route to trophies.
Much like Liverpool, Arsenal are a team perennially one season away from glory. It’s looking increasingly like a new figurehead is the only way to break that cycle.
Chelsea need time
To even have to suggest that Rafael Benitez needs time at Chelsea seems like a ridiculous thing and proof, like it was needed, of both the kneejerk nature of the press and the utter disdain with which Roman Abramovich treats the notion of patience.
Things are bad at Stamford Bridge and they will get worse before they get better. Progression to the Champions League knockout phase is unlikely, worse still the probability of Europa League football for the European Cup holders, but beat Sunderland in the Premier League before a break for the World Club Championship and things will look less odious.
Too much has been written about Fernando Torres and, frankly, who the hell knows what’s going on there?
What is certain is that Benitez performed well in the face of adversity early in his Liverpool career, and he has the character to turn things at Stamford Bridge around before the club’s owner moves on to his next plaything.
Well, that was mad
I’m fairly certain I put the hex on the entertainment at the Madejski on Saturday when I tweeted after 35 minutes: “Just the seven goals so far. Nothing to see here…” or words to that effect.
Never mind the fact that the action stalled in the wake of Robin van Persie’s early winner, it was still a great advertisement for how enticingly mental the Premier League can be.
It’s been well documented since that United have picked up 21 points from losing positions this season and Alex Ferguson clearly does not know his best defensive combination. Jonny Evans plays his best football with a consistent partner, and loses his way when Fergie struggles to solve the Smalling/Ferdinand/Jones debate.
The Northern Irishman has been United’s best defender in the last season and a half, and the imminent return of Nemanja Vidic should settle United’s nerves, as well as the future of spent servant Ferdinand.
As for Reading, they’ll probably go down, and that’s sad when you compare Brian McDermott’s cavalier approach with that of the staid but solid Stoke.
Darron Gibson. “Like a new signing, Jeff.”
Few realised how much Everton missed Darron Gibson until he was gone. The Irish international has been out injured for the majority of the season and, while Everton have mostly thrived in his absence, he was arguably the Toffees’ best player in the draw against Manchester City.
The 25-year-old’s drive and energy means he picks himself for David Moyes’s side, while those who put him down as a mere long range specialist at Manchester United would do well to track down the footage of his Zidane-esque display of keep ball against Messrs Dzeko, Nasri, Barry and Touré.
A word of warning – Irish fans will hope he doesn’t become too good, too soon.
The louder the calls for Trap to mend the bridges that were broken when Gibson opted out of the Kazakhstan game, the more the stubborn Italian is sure to ignore them.
Pilkington stakes another claim
Giovanni Trapattoni and the Ireland backroom team are in the process of enticing Anthony Pilkington to make himself available for a call-up and the Norwich City winger showed some of the goalscoring threat he could bring to the national squad with the winner against Sunderland at Carrow Road this afternoon.
The 24-year-old, who was capped at U21 level back in 2008, cut inside a Black Cats defender before blasting past Simon Mignolet for his second Premier League goal of the season.
Trap has been to watch him and Wes Hoolahan twice in recent months and there is no doubt that Pilkington would be a welcome addition.
Meanwhile, James McClean was recalled the Sunderland starting line-up for the first time in three weeks. It’s been a difficult second season in the Premier League for the former Derry City man and while he looked off-the-boil somewhat again today, there were encouraging signs that he is working hard to regain the form he showed earlier this year.
