That is:

Composure!!

The comment made by the ESPN team after Andrey Arshavin blasted his umpteenth shot on goal against Leeds over the bar was something like:

He needs a bit of Henry’s composure in front of goal.

How true is that statement?

One which it’s clear is applies to a few of our players, not just the little Russian.

Arshavin wasn’t alone in that one particular fixture who was guilty of wasting seriously golden opportunities and each week we fans witness so many more.

Ramsey, Arteta, Walcott, Gervinho and even Robin van Persie miss what some of us would describe as ‘sitters’ and surely it’s all down to lack of composure in front of goal. It’s like the players get a rush of blood to their heads and panic and the most important moment and the ball goes anywhere other than on target.

Henry showed what it is like to be gifted in confidence and not panic in front of goal, his calm deftly placed shot into the far bottom corner of the net with his sixth touch of the ball was soon followed by an Arshavin attempt from a kind of similar position but he carried the ball on, went for the near post and blasted it into the side netting.

As already said though, it’s not just the little Russian, it happens too many of our players, even the older experienced one.

Can composure be taught?

If so, maybe Henry needs to get working on his new team-mates as its clear no-one else is!

Staying with the same fixture and listening to Keown and Savage talk after the game, both highlighted the way our old man moves on the pitch, his movement off the ball and how Chamakh needs to watch and learn from him –as for 68 minutes he was static.

Chamakh won’t benefit in training as he’s gone for a while, neither will Gervinho for the same reason but there are many players who still have a lot to learn and if they can, we will reap the rewards in the months to come.

Arsene Wenger has been talking about the busy schedule some clubs get lumbered with, just to suit the television audience:

I believe the Premier League has to make sure there is a bit more fairness in the schedules.

The Premier League has to decide what is fair and not fair. At the moment, it is television that decides because the contracts are done in a way that is not right for the fairness of the competition.

You cannot have decisive games with one team playing on Friday and then again on Tuesday and another team on Sunday and then Tuesday. That does not work. You can try and convince me that it is right but I can tell you working in football for 30 years, it is not right because it is not fair.

We [the Premier League] do not control our fixtures any more, It is the truth and I cannot say the television is wrong but it is not normal that you can have a direct influence on the schedule through the television.”

Well, I happen to agree with him and have said so before: Highbury House  – it’s just what Old Red Nose was saying too, but just look at our fixtures over the festive period, they were shocking. We played on the 27th and 31st of December and then again on the 2nd of January – no wonder we lost the last one of the three!

Ok, not all were on television but, it’s still a crazy schedule!

Like I said in that article, 3pm on a Saturday afternoon is what football is all about, not being dictated to by the channels who earn mega money by showing the matches!!

Does this hint that Arsene Wenger is about to sign a new number 10? The picture is from afc.com during the players training session yesterday.

Robin, wearing his old number 11.....

I strongly suspect not but does make you wonder eh?

The Daily Mail have reported that 24-year-old left back, Saad Al-Mukhaini, who plays for Omani top-flight side Fanja SC is on a two-day trial with us! He arrives having been recommended by Paul Le Guen who is the coach of Oman.

Oh well, haven’t a clue who he is but he’s got to be better than Wayne Bridge….

Hasn’t he??

On that note, have a good day all…..