Arsenal Lay Big Stinky Egg At Craven Cottage

If you were an Arsenal fan, today's game at Craven Cottage was a game that could put you off football for life; or make you a devout Buddhist, seeing nothing but suffering all around you; or, you could start to think that Arsene has been living too lucky a life with his coupon-clipping transfer policy, and we are now about to witness the chickens coming home to roost with a long season of bad football.

Not me. No, the glass is half-full. Despite today's horrible, awful imitation of an Arsenal football match, there are only better days ahead. How, I ask you, could we not improve on today's match? No, it's only upward from here on out.

A couple of random thoughts from the day's embarrassing 0-1 loss: Arsenal can't win with Toure and Gallass as the heart of the defense and Gallass proved that with his poor imitation of defending a corner, leaving that massive beanpole of a Fullhamster wide open for the easiest goal of his career.

I know Toure has been ill, but man, he looks like he has gained considerable weight. I know I said we needed big central defenders, but not this way.

Is the Theo Walcott experiment over? Pace is a great commodity but you have to bring something else to the pitch. While watching Theo today, I found myself repeatedly thinking wistfully of his high-octane run up the pitch against Liverpool last season. Sadly, I'm beginning to think that's the last excitement he'll give us...

Denilson. He has left me underwhelmed before, but today he was awful. How bad a central midfielder was he? Well, he led the Fullham team in passes to white jerseys. Seriously. He gave away so many balls today, I thought it was some sort of promotional scheme.

Which leads me to...the midfield duo of Denilson and Eboue. You might as well just play 2 men down. On that note, isn't Eboue a fullback? He certainly isn't a midfielder.

I have never seen an Arsenal midfield so thoroughly outplayed. Fullham made quick work of our mids, with the exception of Samir Nasri. Fabregas and Rosicky can't get back quick enough.

Bright spots: Adebayor played reasonbly well in the absence of anything remotely resembling good service. Nasri looks to be the real deal. Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy were mostly outstanding, as usual. Almunia had nothing to do with the goal. Other than that he seemed reasonably ready for service. The hairdo, it's got to go.

Arsene Wenger has quite the challenge in front of him bringing the club back after this debacle...

More On Today's Win

Footymad has a game day report on the West Bromwich Albion match today.

Top of the Table on the First Day!

Well, it may be early, early days, and the Gunners may indeed have a long wait for silverware ahead, but gosh darn it, I woke up this morning and the Gunners were top of the table after a 1-0 victory over the Baggies. That's a good thing worth celebrating.

The goal winner came from newcomer Samir Nasri (nice duck breakage on the first match, Sammi)
and there were plenty of other chances created. However, the match sounded like a bit of a tale of two halves as the 2nd half Arsenal took their collective foot off the petrol pedal (or plain tired out?) and let the Bagsters control much of the action.

Whatever, it's a first match win.

Yoinks! Arsenal Squeak Past FC Alexander Hamilton

In a game that's sure to press the anxious-buttons on many a worry-wart Gooner, Arsenal were lucky to get past Dutch side FC Twente in the Netherlands. It sounds like the defense - still absent Kolo Toure, to be sure - was the worry that I've been harping on for months. Maybe Gallass and Toure can work miracles, but I'm not going to be surprised if we leak goals this year.

It sounds like Arsene's New Youth Crew was less stellar than last year's gang of youngsters, but it's early yet, and there are plenty of first teamers, like Cesc Fabregas, who weren't in the line-up. Still, I'm guessing we're going to need to score goals by the bucketful to have any hope of winning league. I hope I'm wrong on that point.

Gunners Victorious in Netherlands

Maybe Emanuel Adebayor will start winning the hearts of Gooners again. Against Ajax in the Amerstam Cup, the lanky Togolese started the late 2nd half comeback from a 2-0 deficit, with a header to start the scoring and an insurance goal near the end of time. With the Almonst Great Dane, Nicklas Bendtner, scoring in between, Arsenal emerged 3-2 winners.

Good stuff, but we've got to fix the leaky defense before Wednesday's CL qualifier.

Gunners Gearing Up

Ahead of the upcoming season, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists that the team is focused and prepared to win at least two trophies.

Wenger has maintained he is out to win both the title and the Champions League this season.Having reached the last eight of the European Cup, the Gunners eventually finished only four points behind Premier League champions Manchester United and two from Chelsea, which was certainly a step in the right direction.

However, the last trophy won under Wenger was the FA Cup back in 2005 - and the French coach has made it perfectly clear where priorities lie this time around.

"But it is clear there are two trophies we are focused on - the Premier League and the Champions League.

"After that, the FA Cup, but we will never go seriously for the Carling Cup, again this year we will have the same philosophy on the Carling Cup.

"The Premier League and Champions League are the trophies we will fight for."

Meanwhile, Theo Walcott, supports the boss' notion of silverware for the season.

"If we all believe in ourselves, all believe in our team, I am sure

we can do anything," he told Sky Sports News. "All you have to do is

put your mind to it.

"Considering we haven't got a big squad, I

think it is quite good in a way that everyone can gel together, we know

how we play and it is easier when only a couple of players come in,

they can just settle in."

Gallass Retains The Captaincy

Wenger has retained defender WIlliam Gallass as captain for the upcoming season. I thought Gallass did a good job as captain in the first half of the season, but after the Birmingham debacle, he seemed to fall apart...much like the team. Give him another season to prove himself and if he fails, off goes the armband.

"You know I learnt a lot (last season)," Gallas told Arsenal TV. "You

want to be the best captain and give good advice to your players, but

sometimes you can make mistakes as well.

"This season I know what I'm going to do and I know I am ready to change my way of speaking to the players."

Adebayor To Remain A Gunner

Emanuel Adebayor and Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger say speculation about the lanky, Togolese striker leaving were just hot air. Ade says he is and will remain a Gunner.

This is great news, providing certainty up front. Ade has just been getting better and I think 2008-2009 will be another top season for him. Now, if we can just get a stud central defender...though I think that is not on the Professor's list.