Tear into Partizan as if our lives depended on it.

Thats the attitude our players need tonight. We need to set down a marker tonight. Another performance of lackadaisical football will not be enough.

Arsenal set records this season for the most goals scored in the first three games of the group stage. We need that form back. Noone will fear us if we nick a 1:0 result at home.

If we annihalate them 7:0 however, that might make people stand up and think.

Thats what I want to see tonight, I want Nasri, Wilshire, Song and RvP to rip them apart. I want Chamakh to hit a hattrick and the rest to weigh in too. As fans we deserve a performance after the last two Champions League games.

This should be our line up tonight, I'll leave it to Mr Arsene to make his own modifications as is his wont..

Fabianski
Sagna	Squillaci Koscielny			Clichy
	Song Wilshire
Nasri		Robin Van Persie		Walcott
		Chamakh

That teamsheet should, on paper, destroy Partizan and thats what we need.

WG

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What now ? Away to the Villains!

We're away at Villa park this weekend in a game where pride needs to be regained after two bad defeats. It seems we're doing a lot of pride chasing this season, disappointingly so considering the quality we have on the pitch.

To my mind its not our football thats the problem, its not the skills or the height of the players thats the problem. Its the team mentality. If Wenger can't scream at them and motivate them then they need a leader on the pitch to do it. For too long we've had players who lead by example. Leading by example doesn't make anyone buck their ideas up..it makes them think they've got a crutch to lean on when they aren't playing up to scratch.

A lot is made of our lack of a leader, but I do believe as Wenger says its a collective responsibility to communicate and support and chastise in a constructive manner. We need our players to find their voices. Bendtner has a big gob but doesn't use it to tell players where he wants the ball, if you can't be arsed to run, ask for it to feet!. Walcott is the fastest thing on two feet at the club but doesn't tell people to put it over the top or run into space screaming for it. He should work those channels all the time and kill the left back that he's playing against. But he doesnt. He drops short, plays little one twos and cuts inside.

We've got a team who play combinations, they play them blindfolded so when it doesn't work it really doesn't work and we lose to silly opponents. The maturity isnt there to be brave enough to tell the other players in the team what you want to get the best out of your game.

So what to do away to the Villains? Arshavin and Theo on the wings, Nasri through the middle with Wilshire and Song supporting. We will counter attack them with pace and try and play through them, hoping Chamakh can continue his form up front.

Hoping... thats not going to win us this league. We need to improve, now.

WG.

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Bring on the Citeh!

Confidence is flying high in the Arsenal camp and the stronger characters in the team are demanding more from us when we go to Citeh this weekend.

It is absolutely a must-win game and with that in mind, I think Wenger will attack this game a bit differently than Birmingham and Shakhtar. He knows Citeh are powerful and their ball winners in midfield are aggressive to the point of violence (De Jong anyone?). He needs to take that away from them and the only way to do that is to stop it being a midfield battle. If it becomes a battle I feel we might lose, or if we don't we might lose a few players to injury.

Without knowing really who's fit and who isn't anyone would struggle to guess the line up, but I think it would be something like this;

Fabianski
Eboue	Squillaci Djourou			Clichy
	Song Diaby
Rosicky		Fabregas		Nasri
		Chamakh

That is the way I'd love to see us lining up, with Diaby and Song holding and allowing Rosicky, Fabregas and Nasri to support Chamakh and collect his knock-downs. I know Diaby doesn't like sitting, but we will need his power to protect our back 4. He'll direct the midfield to play one-touch wherever possible, moving the ball faster than we can be tackled, therefore negating the midfield of Citeh whilst maintaining posession and continuing to attack.

Rosicky, Fabregas and Nasri will be essential to the success on sunday. God help them that they don't get injured.

More to follow when I get a bit of team news.

WG

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The transformation of Song - 5:1 to the Arsenal

We played extremely well last night. Better than I ever could have hoped. Shakhtar are not a bad side and they're flying up top in their league. They have quality all across the pitch and last nights result surprised me.

We absolutely bossed it. Song was revelling in the freedom afforded by the efficient, technical performance by Wilshire. Song was a real box to box midfielder last night, a really great performance from an emerging player. Song is growing game to game and his goal and assist(while both fortunate) were well deserved.

Wilshire had a bit of an off night by his standards last night, though thats not to say he wasn't still excellent, overall it was a good performance from him. He had a poor first half where he looked a bit off the pace and easily bullied by Gai and Hubschmann but in the second he fought back and took advantage when they tired.

Something worth paying serious attention to is the fact that 5 different players scored our goals. These were Song, Nasri, Fabregas, Wilshire and Chamakh. We've set a new champions league record by scoring 14 goals in the first 3 games surpassing Real Madrid's 12. I know we've not faced a top top side, but Shakhtar are no mugs as we'll find out in a few weeks time. I don't expect another scoreline like last night. That is for certain. Going forward this season we look better than ever and I think we defended well last night also.

I've said it before but Squillaci has been excellent for us already. I think his communication made Djourou settle well last night and our CB's did well. Fabianski had little to do and what he did, he did well. The goal wasn't his fault, he was unsighted until the last second. In truth I'm glad Dudu scored, he deserved it and the ovation he received. We supported him well and I'm glad he enjoyed it.

Fabregas looked a bit off the pace yesterday, I know he was still brilliant at times, but his mercurial self he was not, proof in the pudding that he needed a run out last night and I'm pleased he's got away without a knock or pull on his hammy's. His combinations with Wilshire were good and Nasri worked extremely well too.

I'm going to write something this afternoon too, no teasers yet but pop back about 5ish.

WG

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A partisan performance, practically robbery!

Tuesday night was good for a few things. Firstly it blew away the cobwebs growing over the players following the inept performance against the Boing Boing Baggies. They needed a result. Confidence should be high leading into this weekends game and that can only be a good thing.

Secondly it gave Fabianski another chance to prove himself and I think he aquitted himself well, faultless for the penalty, his penalty save and the following block from Iliev was class and will give him plenty of confidence. Now Wenger is faced with a dilemma, Almunia or Fabianski. He cannot doubt that Fab is in better form following tuesday, but his past performances against Chelski have left much to be desired. Still, selection headaches are part of the job and I don't intend to second-guess Wenger, many have tried and failed.

Thirdly, we will never see the goals scored against Partisan in the prem, because most of the attacking football followed the same formula, Song > Arshavin/Wilshire who burst forward into space and pass to Wilshire/Arshavin and try and create a goal scoring opportunity for each other. Wilshire and Arshavin have a good understanding already. Arshavin can see that its a player he can trust with the ball, someone who will give it back when he needs it. Another ally amongst those that aren't good enough to play with. Premier league midfielders would get tighter than Partisan and make it tougher to make these combinations.

Arshavin, Wilshire, Fabregas, Ramsey, Rosicky, Nasri are on the same wavelength. Chamakh is getting there, he's already making the right runs, Rosicky's cross to pick him out against Partisan was an awesome, curving, undefendable ball right onto his bonce.

Something worth mentioning, (putting my stat hat on) 9 games in (all comps) and Arshavin has scored 5, Chamakh 4, Nasri 4, Walcott 4, Fabregas 3, Vela 3, and 5 others have a single goal.

Thats 28 goals in 10 games, an average of 2.8 goals per game.

Going forwards, we are better than we have been for a long time. Defensively is a different kettle of fish. Potentially we have a very good defence. Just too many new ingredients being added to the recipe at any one time. Squillaci has done well, Koscielny has done well. We need to consider our centre backs haven't played much together and they're both Premier League newbies. We need Vermaelen back for this weekend or I fear we'll get mugged by Chelski.

Fingers crossed for the Arsenal medical team, for the training this week to proceed without incident and Fabregas and Vermaelen to return this weekend.

Til then gooners

WG

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