Morning Gooners,

Well the miracle has happened, we have hit the top four.

I can tell you that has definitely put a few noses out of joint as according to so many, Arsenal football club were destined to be at the foot of the table at the halfway stage of the season!

Who said that?

Yes even hardened Arsenal supporters had said that after our poor start to the season and whilst I know there is still a long way to go,Β  at least the rumbles have quietened about a change of management for the time being. As we all know though in this fickle world of football, you are only as good as your last game.

Our last game against Everton was pivotal if we were to get in the top four before the halfway stage and to now be thereΒ  is in all honesty a credit to Wenger and the boys.

Pundits, Media, Papers and even ex Players and fans predicted sad times ahead and suggested a change in Manager, some even a change of Manager and owners but did they panic, did they jump ship did they run and hide?

No, they fought together to get us out of the mess we found ourselves in.

Many supporters would be quick to say that the position we were in was for one reason or another, right down to the way the club was being run and maybe they had a point but as far as I know these people are still in the positions they were in and that means they had faith in one another to get through that particular bad spell we were in.

All teams have bad spells and we are no different but nothing has really changed, we are still a club who have not won anything for quite sometime, we are a club that is hovering round the top of the league and in other words, we are still a nearly club.

Nearly won the Champions League nearly won the Carling Cup, nearly won the League.

We nearly brought this player, that player and we nearly got rid of some as well, almost but not quite but can you see what I mean?

Its time for the nearly part of Arsenal to turn positive, buy the player(s) we are after without hesitation and sell another with no trepidation.

The players we have in the squad now understand what is expected of them, those that are awaiting their chance, should by now know that when called on to do their duty, that the moment is then, not in two years time.

If they cannot grasp that chance and perform like their life is at stake, they should be replaced with someone who wants it more. In turn they revert to nearly men, Arsenal is not a charity or benefit office, it’s a thriving business and to stay a jump ahead it needs top personnel. Nobody should expect a meal ticket, if they don’t fit in, if they don’t want to work, move on.

Half of our problems are contracts, we sign players and give them good contracts in order to secure their future with us but its a huge gamble on a youngster. We believe he may have what it takes to make the grade and so the club take that gamble.

When that gamble pays off and he turns out a first teamer, we have a fairly cheap player but for every good one there is probably two or three that don’t make the grade and we are paying wages to a lost cause for the length of the signed contract.

That has a huge drain on the finances and whether this balances out over the seasons I don’t really know, or is this system is better than buying a player in with the experience that is required? I don’t know that either.

What I do know is that many supporters believe we are maybe two or three players short of a winning team and if I speak the truth I don’t know the answer to that either.

I ‘m not sure Wenger knows that either but if he should buy in the January window perhaps we will and then just maybe the nearly men will become Champions.

Do I really believe we can win the league?

With the right signings I am as certain we can, in fact as certain as I am that we won’t win the Carling Cup this season. πŸ˜‰

We need points and we need to win against the leaders, if its done right we can become the Champions.

From seventeenth to fourth in less than half a season isn’t bad is it?

Continue that form and I believe we can still win the League, and in style.

COYG

Written by Steve Palmer

Arsenal gossip:

Chamakh is thinking of leaving according to The Daily Mail:

I am 27 and I need to play. I cannot stay like this forever. I won’t leave in January but I will take an important decision in June.

Heads up: Marouane Chamakh in action against Olympiacos last week

I was surprised by the offers I got last summer but my priority was to stay at Arsenal. A return to France? If so, it will be to Bordeaux.

Personally, I hope he goes in January but unless Wenger is prepared to replace him, I think we are stuck with him for the season…