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I don't usually plan my blogs. I don't write them regularly. I do this because I don't think we need to always be speaking about Arsenal. My wife would say I talk about Arsenal way more than I should. I'd agree. Apologies to her, there has been so much to talk about. But we are fans. And that's what fans do.

And part of being a fan is believing that on any day your team has a shot. For whatever dumbfounded reason I was convinced that Arsenal could go to Milan and scrap a 1-nil, or a more likely draw. As I saw the line-up I was less convinced of a romp, the Rosicky and Ramsey selection boggled my mind. Throw in a Song and Arteta and I was utterly confused. One could argue that any one of those guys could play both from a holding position and in the hole. Some less consistent then the others, but one could argue. All I could think about is how muddled the center of the pitch could be; visions of runs cut short due to crowding another's space. But, hey, Wenger knows.

The rest as they say is History. Arsenal showed decent control on a freshly laid, new pitch. And let's be clear. The laying of the pitch on Monday before the match today is not a coincidence. It is absolutely brilliant gamesmanship and management. The Laws of the Game allow for manipulation of the pitch. You're allowed to do pretty much anything to it. And they did, and it worked.

Knowing there would be an affect on the Arsenal's passing game, Wenger should have made adjustments. For instance, he started Theo. His usual pick. If you watched the match you can see that the fresh-stuff was mostly on the wings of the pitch. Did Wenger just think Theo could play on a loose surface? Did he even inspect the pitch? From the stands? I mean, really. He can't hold on to the ball at the Emirates, or make a decision-to-finish consistently on a carpet so nice. So, Theo gets the start? I would have started Benayoun or Rosicky. Someone who has solid control and can navigate the new turf. Essentially, you have to adapt to the new turf and you have to select the right player to compensate. Surely the decision is to maintain control of the ball. Our crosses are rubbish anyway so really, no loss.

And then you have poor, young Ramsey. I don't know what is up with the kid but he had another stinker. I admire his effort. Unfocused, he's all over the place. Throw him into that manic midfield and they're all a mess. And then you think about who his outlets are: Robin, surrounded by 2 CBs, and Theo, who if you pass to him you almost always know he will turn it over. Not much of an outlet. I am still completely convinced that Arshavin should be given a shot to create. I am well aware that he is shit on defense. Well, the news is that you don't have to play much defense from Center Attacking Mid. Look at how Cesc played for us from there, some effort at times, but mostly lurking about to receive the ball and create.

Also, speaking of effort, take a look at your Captain. If Robin stopped jogging and instead sprinted to pressure the back four maybe we'd get more turnovers in the midfield or more hoof-ball receptions in our defense. There's a thought. A thought any coach with defenssive prowess would know and teach.

There are so many concerns with this team. And it's all down to Wenger. After the calamitous second goal, the entire team gave up. There wasn't one guy who tried to rally the team. They say 2-nil is the hardest scoreline to hold. And with a two-leg tie the team should know that they're in it. But they looked devastated. I can't help but feel that either they didn't get that it was basically half-time and they play the other half in 3 weeks OR they've given up on Wenger's ability to make a decision to get them back in the tie. Most disappointing is that Wenger didn't make the right selections to start with or changes thereafter, but that Robin didn't make his own changes on-field. That's leadership. Sometimes you gotta go against the Gip, and some may not survive the coup but, hey, that's what you gotta do sometime. Maybe Robin doesn't know. I dunno.

At the end of the day, decisions are killing this team. Wenger's pre-game decisions and late, in-game decisions have been poor. Added to that is generic talent available on the bench. That is a recipe for disaster. And that's where we are. We are hanging on the precipice of a most horrendous crash. I'm not sure if I can continue to watch. I may need to seek out match reports. If I do continue to watch it will be in hopes that one day i'll see Arshavin starting in Ramsey's spot; Theo as a striker; changing formations to fit opposition. But then I'd basically be mad. Doing the same thing and expecting different results is where we are at. Tread lightly.

ArsenaLos