What we’ve still got left to play for this season 10 March, 2007

Well as I’m sure you’re far too well aware it hasn’t been a great couple of weeks for Arsenal and now we’re got a rare free-weekend to reflect. The only competition we’re left in now is the Premiership and I’m not even going to go into the possibility of us winning that. So it’s set to be the second season in a row without any silverware. However, take a look at Man United, they’ve been in a very similar situation recently and now look where they are.

Many Gooners are saying the season is over for Arsenal, and it probably is. However there are a few things worth hanging around for. We’ve still got the North London Derby and Chelsea’s visit to the Grove to come. Also it would be quite an achievement if we could go our first season at the new stadium unbeaten. It might’ve seemed like we lost on Wednesday night but the unbeaten record is still there. Chelsea are the main threat to stop that record on the last home game of the season.

I’ve become patient with Arsenal since the Champions League exit. I’ve come to terms that I can’t expect Arsenal to win everything, every season. The move to this incredible new stadium was always going to result in a few years of not so good seasons. Wenger prepared for this well, he knew he wouldn’t have much to spend in the transfer windows. Therefore he bought talented youngsters that would come through in these times. Denilson, Fabregas, Van Persie, Diaby and all those sort of players have been brought in at an earlier stage so signings weren’t needed in the future. Some players like Fabregas and Denilson were probably not predicted to blossom so quickly but they’re examples of how well Arsene and his scouts have done. I think it’ll be about another 2 or 3 years before we start getting decent transfer budgets to spend. However the team that’s coming through is mouth-watering.

The good thing about football is there’s always next season and the season after that etc etc. I suppose we should be looking forward to the 07/08 season now but as I say there’s still a lot of exiting things to go through in the remaining two months of this one.

Thierry Henry will have to look forward to August too as he’s been ruled out for the rest of the season. The long rest should do him good. His body is in a bad way and hopefully the 5 month break will give him time to recover. Whether he comes back as the old Thierry we used to know remains to be seen but there’ll be no more Titi for this season.

The same can be said for Robin Van Persie. He might return for the last few weeks of the season but I don’t think Wenger will rush him back. That means we’re without our two best strikers for the rest of the season. Adebayor is quality but as Gilbertosilver points out this will be a time for Baptista and Aliadiere to prove themselves.

More tomorrow, have a good weekend.