A Change of Tactics

I realise it has been quite some time since I updated this blog and I confess it may be quite some time before I update it again. But I have decided that when I do add blogs they will now be in a more serious vein (see my last post below for an example.) This is not down to the fact that I can no longer extract humour from Arsenal's situation, I can, plenty of it. It's more down to the fact that I want to attempt to flex my writing skills in a more traditional blog format. I may pop the occasional sketch on here if I feel it's of "Super Quality" but mainly this will now be a forum for my actual thoughts and feelings, which is quite scary because I'd previously assumed I didn't have any.

So let the bona fide blogging begin:

You can't go wrong with the Carling Cup. Unless you count last year's final, obviously. But in general these games are a far more relaxing proposition to the higher profile competitions we're involved in, and I personally love them. Not just because it's a chance to see the kids and fringe players but because it's one of the few chances we get to sit back and just enjoy a match. If we lose, then it's a shame but it's not the end of the world it's still a good learning curve for the players and if we win we can pretend that all these youngsters are the future of Arsenal and that the future is bright.

The truth is a little different however. If you look at the players that have made it through the youth ranks at Arsenal very few of them have played a large amount of Carling Cup games before they became first team regulars. Fabregas, Wilshere, Cole all went pretty much straight in at the top. On the other hand the likes of Lupoli and Simpson both impressed often in the Carling Cup and where are they now? I hear Simpson is at Millwall and Lupoli is slopping out the pigs at Godstone Farm in Surrey.

Today we may see Chuks Aneke, who as far as I'm concerned should be a first team player on the strength of his name alone and Emmanuel Frimpong who IS a first team player on the strength of his name alone. We could also see Vermaelen's come back which would be a great boost for the club but with Koscielny's recent form I'm not certain he'll get his first team place back without a fight. Unless he can play right back, or Wenger finally decides that he wants a left back who understands what defending is but I can't see that happening. In truth I've always been against using Vermaelen as a left back unless we're truly desperate, he is far too good a central defender to be wasted out wide but that's a debate for another day and that day is about two months ago.

So back to the Carling Cup. I'm excited about this match in a way that I haven't been for an Arsenal match all season. I think even with our youngsters out that we should win and I have absolutely none of the feelings of dread that has blighted the pre-match build up for every other game this year. It's a feeling I'd like to hold on to but I fear by Saturday I'll be back to the more familiar feelings of impending doom. Until then though it actually feels good to be a Gooner again, let's revel in it.

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