Fulham 1-0 Arsenal – 23/08/08 – (Premier League) 24 August, 2008

Oh dear, oh dear.

What an awful display. There’s no getting away from it, we were terrible. It was waiting to happen really. We’d seen it against Twente and West Brom but this was really bad.

There’s not really much you can say about the game to be honest. We did nothing but gave the ball away, defended badly and lacked any creation up front.

We started with almost the team I expected, except Toure did start ahead of Djourou. The early stages of the game were great. It was he first away game of the season and the fans were in full voice in the east stand behind the goal. I was loving it; this is what I had missed.

On the pitch though it was a different story. We were finding it really hard to get going, but that can be forgiven in the opening few minutes; you have to allow time for the players to find their feet. But they never did.

With 20 minutes gone we had a really good chance to open the scoring, against the run of play. Walcott crossed it in, Nasri missed it but it went straight into the path of van Persie. He was in a great position but he lashed it wide.

A minute later we went behind.

Toure was turned as if he weren’t even there by by Zamora. However he did well to go back after him and slid in conceding a corner. He never should’ve been beaten so easily though; Zamora went past him so easily, awful defending by Toure.

From the corner we showed more bad defensive work when we allowed Bullard to swing in a corner right to the feet of Hangeland to put it in from about 3 yards out.

Look at that picture. What the fuck is Denilson doing? He’s got his back to the ball? And Gallas! He’s nowhere near the man he is supposed to be marking, Hangeland who is on the floor just after he’s poked the ball into the net. Almunia is stranded, nothing he can really do about it from that sort of range, he’s expecting his defenders to clear the danger. You might argue that he should’ve come out.

So, we’re 1-0 down to Fulham with 70 minutes to sort it out. No problem, yeah?

We nearly equalised straight away when Sagna crossed it in from the right. Adebayor rose and met it well but his header came off the post. That was the closest we came to scoring all game.

The first half was becoming more and more frustrating and I just wanted half time to come in the end. I’d had enough of watching us do nothing. I was hoping Wenger would get them in at the break and sort them out.

However it was much of the same shit in the second half. There was no urgency, no creation, and no real quality to be honest. In the centre of the park we had Denilson and Eboue and it wasn’t working. Denilson had an awful game, must’ve passed it to more Fulham players than Arsenal players all game, literally. He was so bad he made Eboue seem good but in truth he was another nothing player. Wouldn’t have noticed if he weren’t on the pitch.

As the game went on…well it was exactly the same. In fact Fulham found more confidence and were having a go at getting a second. They seemed more urgent than us anyway.

With 65 minutes gone Wenger finally realised a change needed to be made. Theo Walcott came off for Bendtner and we went 4-3-3. Theo had another poor game. He looks a totally different player from last season, and it’s not just this game, in all three matches this season he’s been no good. Last year he would take people on, run at them, use his pace and show some imagination. That was exactly what was needed yesterday but he showed none of that.

10 minutes later Toure was replaced by Song at the back.

With Bendtner on, we were finally starting to show some urgency. Someone had told them that they had been an embarrassment and that we were losing 1-0 to Fulham with 10 minutes to go. Our full backs were carrying the ball well up the flanks but I just felt every time they crossed it in I knew nothing was going to happen.

I just didn’t feel there was anyone on the pitch who could do anything to score. When the board went up showing 4 minutes of extra time there was a roar from the Arsenal fans. Not me though, I just thought it was just delaying the inevitable, we weren’t going to create anything.

So we lost one nil and that was that.

After the game Wenger admitted we weren’t good enough. Which is a start. Yes the players weren’t good enough. There were a few players that had really bad games, a few which had completely anonymous performances and then two or three who you couldn’t really complain too much about. I’m not going to name names because I think it’s really obvious.

I do want to highlight one person though. The manger. He said we weren’t good enough, which is true but maybe he should take a look in the mirror. Our squad is so incredibly thin and everyone knows it. Why the fuck hasn’t he signed anyone?!

Is he lazy? No I don’t think so. Have we not got any money? Yes, we do have money to spend. Is there no one out there available? No, there are plenty on players who we can buy.

Arsene Wenger has had months and months to sort this out. This year we’ve lost Diarra, Flamini and Gilberto. He’s known for fucking ages that we’ve needed a signing so why hasn’t he done it? Is he just trying to prove a point that you don’t need to buy anyone and you can constantly use youngsters? OK, he’s signed Aaron Ramsey. Yes he’s a promising star but he’s nowhere near the standard needed yet. One for the future.

We need someone for now. Without Cesc Fabregas we are nothing. And who have we got to partner him? Denilson who couldn’t even kick a football right yesterday. Alex Song? Still unproven and developing. Eboue is certainly not an option.

We need to buy. There’s no point in me repeating it over and over again but it’s so blatant. I’m glad this has happened now, rather than a month or so down the line. Arsene Wenger has one week left to sort this out and at least fill that one void.

Frankly, I’m not the biggest fan of Arsene Wenger right now. It’s not just from this game. It’s something that’s been building up for a while now. I have been very patient this summer but it just seems like Wenger has no intentions in the transfer market. One week to change that Arsene. Just do it.

Right, rant over. Sorry about that. Speak to you in the week,