photo by Ronnie Macdonald

• by Fidel Leblanc, writing from Miami, FL

After Arsenal’s 8-2 loss at the hands of Manchester United earlier in the season, many football fans and pundits threw in the towel for the Gunners. It seems that everyone had already written Arsenal off; everyone except Arsene Wenger, that is. You wouldn’t expect the stubborn, bullish Frenchman to do so anyway, but its still commendable that despite being under a crushing amount of pressure from his club’s very own fans, he has soldiered on and he has gotten his players to do so as well.

Arsenal are enjoying a great run of form at the moment, with 8 wins out of their last 9 matches in all competitions and that is no doubt attributed to Arsene Wenger, who is astute when it comes to master-minding unbeaten runs. The prime example is of course the 49 game unbeaten streak, his remarkable crowning achievement. However, over the past few seasons, he has shown that he can steady the ship when it begins to capsize, even if at the end of the season, it sinks completely. Aaron Ramsey sums it up best when he says “the team is finally starting to gel.” The aforementioned wins have not been remarkable, bar the heart-wrenching rollercoaster of a result at Stamford Bridge. However, they have obviously given the Arsenal players confidence, the confidence to learn about their new teammates and get results in an efficient manner.

The defense still looks shaky, and until a new coach is brought in to remedy that issue, it will continue to be suspect. However, with Thomas Vermaelen returning, the much needed stability at the back may finally come. Most would agree that this is the final piece of the jigsaw for Arsenal. No team plays more technically proficient football than Arsenal, although Spurs and City fans would like to pretend that their clubs do so. The problem has always been in the defence, whether it be flailing goalkeepers or center-backs missing key headers. Per Mertesacker was signed to add some much-needed height and experience to the back-line, and along with Vermaelen, could stabilize the Arsenal defence. There is also the question of Laurent Koscielny, who is a brilliant tackler, good in the air, and has the vision of seasoned Libero. Some may see it as a selection head-ache for Arsene Wenger; I’d like to think he sees it as having options.

A season that started so pessimistically is finally starting to garner some optimism within the Arsenal camp, and among the fans. It seems that instead of beginning the season with promise and watching it fade into the late-season, we’re huffing and puffing our way back to the top echelons of the league. This charge to the top is down to the managerial nous of Arsene Wenger and his ability to motivate his players to keep a run of results going. His speech at the Arsenal General Meeting wasn’t just for the concerned fans and frustrated shareholders; it was a rallying cry, a uniting team-talk outside the dressing room for his player. It seems to have worked.

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