arsenal ajax

I was lucky enough to get my sopcast going to watch arsenal ajax last night in ajax's prestigious preseason tourney. Ajax is a good team with an unsurprising mix of talented young players on the rise, and a few tested veterans on the tail end of their careers. This seems to be the MO of dutch football for the past few years, or at least what I've noticed.

Wenger didn't hold anything back in this one, this was the real deal. He didn't have Nasri and Diaby, and of course Rosicky won't be back til September (it's been long enough hasn't it?). So he was forced to choose the awful, woeful, shameful, Emmanuel Eboue to play on the right. I don't know if there's enough adjectives that do him justice. He was predictably poor, but by his own low standards, he wasn't that god awful, and he even had a nice cross that led to a goal for once.

The first 30 minutes were fairly even, but Ajax struck twice in a matter of minutes on 2 clinical finishes, (one courtesy of a trademark Eboue giveaway). But because this was a friendly, there wasn't but so much pressure on Arsenal to come back, and that's just what they did, all the way, to 3-2. Adebayor had a hand in all three goals, scoring 2 and setting Bendtner up for the third. If there's any team in the world that is more capable of erasing a two goal deficit than Arsenal, I'd like to see them. Sure their style leaves them open at the back, and it costs them on occasion, but this game was an example of the dividends that such a fluid, attacking style can pay.

Looking ahead to the season, the question still remains of who will play alongside Fabregas in the middle. I would have to imagine it would be a healthy Abu Diaby at this point, with Walcott looking poised to be a regular down the flanks this season with Hleb's departure. What an opportunity for Abu, the red sea that was Arsenal's central midfield when he arrived three years ago has parted, with Flamini, Gilberto both gone, he can move back into his natural position. But maybe Alex Song will push him for that role, if he can prove to be a good defensive mid in covering Fabregas. When Rosicky comes back, assuming everyone stays healthy, there will be quite healthy competition for playing time, something Arsenal rarely seems to have come mid-season.

Every Arsenal fan, every football fan for that matter knows Arsenal's weakness: durability. Sure I like all these kids, Nasri, Denilson, Walcott, and these Wilshire, Ramsay guys seem to be for real too, they wouldn't be in the shirt if they weren't. But Arsenal's demise the last two years has frustrated everyone with the club tremendously because it seems to be through injuries, and personnel issues. That being said, I have to say that I am shocked that Wenger didn't buy at least another experienced defender, I mean does he really want to watch poor old Senderos and Hoyte try and keep up with Tevez and Ronaldo all over again?! I hate to say it, I just don't see this year being any different.

If Van Persie and Rosicky can stay on the field with Fabregas and Adebayor, the goals will come, and we'll beat anyone in the world on our day, but over 38 games, the squad is just too vulnerable. Whether its Gallas' temperament, Adebayor casually drifting offside, or Eboue wasting a golden chance for the thousandth time, literally, Arsenal will have to play every game like its their last to stay with man united. I can almost see Wenger sitting there with his hand on his chin, with that same old irritated face I've grown so accustomed to, but as long as he continues to sit on his cash, I think we're in for another season of frustration. Hope I'm wrong.