If you pay attention, the players who fans feel are playing well are always the regular starters. Adebayor got his critics when he first came back from injury. Flamini failed to impress the first few games he played. As I said at that time, players need a run of game to get themselves into match sharpness. Both have been playing better and better as more matches they played as starters.

The best example of all is Gael Clichy. When he was the back up of Ashley Cole, playing an odd game here and there, I wasn’t entirely convinced by him. He got pace and skills, but looked having too much of a rough edge comparing to Cole. With a season’s starting role under him Clichy has gradually proved a lot of doubters wrong, and he has to be among one of the most improved players in this Arsenal side.

It’s always difficult for the “In and Out” squad players to impress, let alone making an impact. Not only physical sharpness wise, they will never be able to match the starters who have been playing regularly week in week out. Psychologically, they are under far bigger pressure than the starters as well.

Take van Persie, he had a very poor game against Spurs. But he’s a starter, he did not have to worry about getting dropped because one off game. Had it been Bendtner who started against Spurs and played poorly, on the back of his mind he would have realized that he might not have a chance to redeem himself the next match, as there would be no guarantee he would get to play at all.

So for the “In and Out” squad players like Walcott, Bendtner, Diaby, Senderos, Denilson, Song the likes, every time they get to play it’s like a trial game for them. Under the circumstance, it’s understandable they are less likely to impress. It is not a coincidence that a lot of criticism on this site are aiming towards these set of “In and Out” squad players.

I do believe, should opportunity arise and those “In and Out” players get a run of first team games, they will be able to show their worth. Afterall, like Wenger once said, not every player is able to get into this Arsenal side, even if he’s an England international. The manager and coaches have far more opportunities to access those players in training, obviously they will know the players far better than us. Bottom line is – if those players are good enough for the coaching staffs, they have to be good enough for us.