Adebayor will be key

Well, to the Riverside we go searching for another three points to keep us to within a sniff of the leaders. It is by far the most important game of the season so far and anything less than three points could inflict terminal damage that will well and truly end our title campaign before Christmas; and that really should not be happening to Arsenal Football Club.

The man to your left will be a matchwinner if there is one to be had, he showed he has composure against Wigan and we really, really need him to be on form against Boro’ who have been a thorn in our side for the past few seasons, ever since we tonked them 7-0 really. Are they still angry at us?!

Creativity will be a big part of the game; Boateng has moved on and he played a blinder against us last season and with him out the way there may be a bit more room for Cesc to operate in the middle of the park alongside Alex Song who has a point to prove.

A big performance here will fill the team with confindence that could fire us through the festive period and potentially close the gap on the frontrunners, we have the skill to do so; Van Persie will be very important, we need some of his set pieces to start nestling in the net because goals like that are key. They can decide titles or Champions League places.

At the time of writing it is still unclear whether Sagna will play or not, Eboue will step in if neccessary with the other defenders being Gallas, Bodybutter and Clichy. Hopefully they can keep the trap shut because another clean sheet could win us this game, an early goal conceded and we will drop points in my opinion, this side does not have the steel and flair it did last season when going in front against Arsenal was pretty much a death sentence!

A lack of height in the Boro’ defence could be expolited by Adebayor but you have to ask yourself; who will be able to deliver those crosses too him?

Denilson – Gets too central when out wide

Cesc – CM

Eboue – Well.. its Eboue.

Diaby could be starting on the left and Denilson on the right; that means one thing, we will be ploughing up the middle of the pitch where Boro’ will load the field and we will be left clueless and confussled with all those young brains out there getting a little overheated. This is what worries me.

Thats why we have to look at Van Persie or Adebayor, maybe even Cesc for a moment of magic, a blistering free kick, a stunning volley or a lovely pass to put Adebayor through on goal to *holds hands together* score.

Arsene Wenger seemed to think we need to gamble to win games like this;

“When you lose more games you can less afford the draw and you are always in the position where you have to gamble with half an hour or 20 minutes to go.

I wish he would suprise everyone and give Wilshere a start on the left, he would scare the living shite out the defender because of his naivety, he will run at them time and time again, whilst also being a strong boy for his age.

He has also said the squad should believe in themselves and not listen to the negative press around,

“If there is a doubt, there is a doubt. Everybody can doubt your ability but what is important is that you believe in your ability and show it on the football pitch.

“I believe that with such a young team, the minimum you can do is to be behind them, be proud of them and help them. To always ask them if they are good enough, personally I don’t think that helps the team. It is the first question that I have been asked since the first of July to the first of May.

“I don’t know why we are always in that negative culture. In every single press conference it is exactly the same. We have not to be affected by the scepticism around the team, we want to show that kind of strength.

“We believe in ourselves.”

Wenger; three years without a trophy usually means questions are asked, a team with five losses after 16 games challenging for the title means questions are asked. Just come out and say we need to do better!

The ‘zee teem is yooung’ excuse does not wash anymore!

On the transfer front, Wenger is being his usual coy self. I think he will but and he is playing a game, he commented,

“I won’t answer that question [about the transfer window],” said Wenger.

“If I say yes and I don’t do it people will ask why I haven’t done it. If I say no and we lose one game people will say I am crazy because I didn’t want to buy. In England every problem is sorted out by buying a player when you lose a football game.

“We have a team where most of the players are 20 or 21. Instead of saying that they have a fantastic future, OK maybe we haven’t had the consistency until now, but we are not disastrous. We have 29 points and are in the position to come back.

“Instead of saying let’s believe in these players, everybody says you have to buy five or six players.

“It is difficult to get any rationality into the analysis that we face at the moment. We are qualified in the Champions League but I am speaking as if we are absolutely nobody.

“If you look in the last 10 years Arsenal have qualified every time but I still have to answer the same question every year.”

Sorry for the long quote. Anyway, if he says he is going to buy prices will go up, clubs will see we are desperate and will knock up their prices from 7 mil to 11 mil. If he stays quiet the other clubs will not have a clue if Wenger wants one of their players.

He had better buy now or i will look a right chump!

Right; thats your lot. A good morning read for your early birds, for you not so early birds, unlucky you may have missed it!

Gooner14 will be blogging next so over and out til Monday i believe, have a great weekend, hope you find lots of un-cunty streams and drink plenty of the amber nectar.

Til next time! – leave me all your thoughts on how you think we will fare!

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