Is Arsene Wenger Really That Tactically Naive?

A man has to earn his bread some way or some how. You have to bring the bacon home if your missus is anything like mine- a magician in the kitchen. So the mundane affair of keeping an 8 to 5 got the best of me this week and the posts dried up here. Sorry folks! For Arsenal though, the excitement never dries up. Being Arsenalii Damu is quite the roller-coaster ride.

Early this week, the glorious news that Rosicky and BFG showed their faith by extending their contracts.Then the heavenly news of Ramsey getting back to fitness, alongside rumors of Rambo tied down with a mega £100,000+ per week contract running the next five years. Late in the week, the bombshell of Wilshere's injury lay off. Six weeks out with a navicular hairline fracture!To that, add the uncertainty surrounding Arsene Wenger's future being it that he is yet to sign on a new deal

What a ride. You've just got to Love Arsenal. Being an Arsenal fan is so much like the perfect relationship where as soon as it gets routine, something always props up to get juices flowing again.Ask any girl and they will tell you just how utterly intoxicating and exciting it is to love a bad boy and wonder not why nice lads finish last.

Facing Everton in just over a couple of hours, it must feel like the girl on Valentines eve. You might end up on the sunny beaches of Malindi or find yourself squeezing your way past potbellied women and psedo-pregnant men in a smokey Nyama Choma and rock bottom prized Tusker joint somewhere in the precincts of Nairobi. Either-way, it is sure to be a ride.

Will Everton repeat their swashbuckling display at the Emirates earlier at the turn towards mid-season? Will Ozil make it a habit of scoring against Everton? With the benefit of hind sight , I find that Everton game as the nadir that turned our season. The point when a team on the average-to-good transition came to our own turf, out passed and out played us, bringing doubt to our own good-to-great transformation fairy tale.


This Everton side reeled us in into the mediocrity that had plagued the league at the time, their late equalizer after such a dominant display punctured our chute. When we look back at the season so far, this draw against Everton and last weeks loss against Stoke stand out as those moments that deferred (If we fail to win the league) or derailed (if we do win the league) our season.

The blue side of Liverpool are likely to face a rotated Arsenal. This does not necessarily mean a weaker Arsenal as most of our blips this season have followed periods when needed utilization of our limited squad   through rotation was ignored in favor of 'not changing a winning side.'

 Besides, save for Manchester United, any team that we have lost to and we didn't think we will lose to, has suffered a hammering on take two. Think Aston Villa and Liverpool. The infamous Allianz arena win in last season's Champions League remains the stand out example in the past 2-3 years.

The reason why I mention this is the paraded notion that Arsene Wenger's inward looking ways: focusing on the team and way of play; is responsible for his perceived lightweight tactical nous. We still remain exposed time and again, but over the stated period, we have become harder to beat as a side. Some credit this to a newly found defensive steel thanks to Steve Bould, some say it the more mature players playing. My little observation was meant to suggest that there could be a little bit more than that.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. So who do we expect to line-up to test this notion that indeed on take two, the Arsene Wenger of  today  can just about out- tactic any manager on the planet? And indeed prove his recent bullish talk where he refers upsets as accidents, calls other managers cowards for failing to state their ambitions  and constantly refers to the Champion- state-of-mind of his current squad?

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Expect to see Arteta-Flamini  given that they have had some rest over the international break. Following the injuries, a youngster, Hayden? Maybe promoted to the bench as our defensive options are thinly stretched. Of course we keep dreaming of Zalalem.

Ring in the changes Arsene. The freshness will do the squad some good. Looking at it, we don't have poor options either. Go for it and then carry the momentum to Bayern. #COYG

A happy International Women's Day. Make her smile won't you?


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