If in doubt..

...kick it out. A simple adage, designed to instill a bit of instict in such situations. This is the last time I will say this but it was Koscielny's responsibility to clear the ball if he had already prepared himself to do so.

Safety first.

Birmingham hadn't been causing a threat from throw-ins. Booting it into touch wouldn't have hurt, or at least it seems unlikely.

Of course Sczcesny called, but, as has already happened this season, if the defender is able to clear safely without pressure from an opposition player then he should choose to do so. Koscielny had a clear opportunity to remove the danger and dallied when he heard the call. He should have put his foot through it and put it safe.

I am a big fan of Koscielny and I think this is simply a blip on what has been a great season for him this year. Sczcesny is a good young talent and I think he will be a great keeper. Lets not get carried away, we should have put the game to bed way before the 89th minute.

Onwards to the O's tomorrow night. Team news to follow.

WG

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Marouane Chamakh - form is temporary...

..Class is permanent. There has been much media commentary about his "Tiredness" and indeed the player himself has admitted that his early season exploits have dulled his edge and left him tired.

I really rate Chamakh, I think he's a really good player and he will only get better with us. I hope the physio's are working him really hard to get his stamina and conditioning up to scratch so he is ready for the forthcoming games.

Chamakh played an awful amount of games at the start of the season, what with us and games for Morocco he's played a lot of football. The Premier League is played at a ferocious pace compared to the French leagues and its no surprise he's feeling the strain, especially as his game is largely based on work-rate and movement.

As it stands, I'm yet to be convinced that Bendtner is a better player and whilst Chamakh is a bit off form at the moment, I am expecting a Arshavin-esque comeback. We will need him in the run in and it will be great for him to be part of that.

Come on Chamakh, play this weekend and remind us why you're such an asset to Arsenal.

WG

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A good dose of Geordie Charm

..only it was Arsenal that were doing the charming.

On paper 4:0 is a bit of a drubbing, in reality on the pitch Newcastle were outclassed.

Pre-match players like Peter Lovenkrands were saying that Arsenal are Barca-lite and they knew exactly what to expect and had a game plan to stop us. I don't think Newcastle really thought Wenger was being serious when he said that we were really going to go for the Carling Cup.

What we saw last night was both Walcott and Bendtner returning from Injury in their first proper run out and they showed what we've been missing at times. Bendtner's finishing yesterday was vicious. Theo demonstrated that his composure in the final third is markedly improved and I'm really pleased for the both of them. Where it leaves them in Wengers mind is anyone's guess. Can I see Wenger dropping Chamakh? No, he's been extremely effective and productive for the team. Will Bendtner return to the wing role he started last season? If so what for Walcott? Walcott will never be the target man in a 4-2-3-1 formation, he's too little and easily knocked off the ball.

Can Walcott push out Arshavin from the starting line up? I expect to see a lot more rotation from Wenger as he tries to keep key players fit for the season. Fabregas, Arshavin and Nasri will be wrapped up in cotton wool to ensure they're there at the business end of the season.

Is it crazy to say we've got too many players now?

Where's RVP going to fit in? Rosicky was awesome last night and I think should start at the weekend, but who'll drop out from the Citeh game for him?

Its crazy and I love it. We've got a stunning squad now. This isn't hyperbole, the proof is in the pudding. Last nights result was a good one and proved we have a strong squad.

A few words about Sczcesny last night. 1) He is fricking huge isn't he?! Last time I saw him was playing for Brentford on loan and he looks like he's grown a few inches since then?! Maybe it was just the performance. 2) He's brave, he dived at the feet of the Geordies and didn't flinch when pouncing on the loose ball when he could have got booted in the head. He can do the glory photo saves just as well as the "put your body where it hurts" saves. 3) Not afraid to shout at his defence, when marshalling his defence he was not afraid to open his gob and shout at the players. You can't be a good goalkeeper if you are quiet.

It was a good game for him and I hope he gets another chance in the next round. We should tie him to a chair and drip water on his head until he signs a new contract. In a year or two's time he should be really ripping down the door.

Did anyone else think he looks a bit like Frankenstein's monster? It was a discussion I had last season with a Bees fan.

WG

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How much do we really want the Carling Cup

I know we've been starved for silverware for years. I know that to create a "winning mentality" you need to win. I'm not daft.

Arsene Wenger is able to temper our expectations by selling us the future. A big part of this is showcasing the next big thing coming through the Arsenal ranks in the Carling Cup. Last year and the year previous we've seen such talents as Merida, Wilshire, Ramsey, Gibbs, Traore, Jay Emmanuel Thomas, Jay Simpson, Nacer Barazite, Mark Randall and Henri Lansbury to name but a few.

Allowing the youth to cut their teeth in the Carling Cup is a treble-pebble bonus for Arsene. It rests his top first-teamers and it gives much needed experience to players on the fringe of the first team and match fitness to those in the match-day benchwarmers club.

We've celebrated in the successes of our youth in this competition. We've revelled in their results against premier league opposition. We loved it. "Our kids are better than your first team" is a great chant.

So are we really that desperate to win the Carling Cup that we forget the youth this year? My opinion: Arsene Wenger will sacrifice the Carling Cup to try and succeed elsewhere. Of course he'll try to win the Carling Cup but he'll do it with youth and back it up with first teamers resting on the bench. If it doesn't happen then his targets will naturally revert to what he really wants, the Champions League and the Premier League.

Arsene Wenger isn't daft, he knows a Carling Cup win doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme. His targets are above and I'm with him. I'd rather us have a real shot at the Prem than get half our first teamers injured in a nothing game in the Carling Cup.

WG

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