This is it. Arsenal stand 90 minutes away from getting the keys to the kingdom. Err..more like getting the keys to Stage 1 of the kingdom known as the Champions League.

The good: Arsenal hold a slight advantage with their first leg 2-0 win. Even though 2-0 is not something the team can rest on, it does give some breathing room.

The bad: well…something to do with a corner at Craven Cottage and other lack of positive activities on Saturday. Plus injuries and having the squad’s weight on the lighter side of things.

6 months on…the worm hole still exists

Saturday’s game was exactly 6 months to the day when that awful nightmarish game took place in Birmingham. Maybe in some alternate universe, Eduardo beautifully skipped past the kicking machine and Arsenal went onto win that game (instead of drawing 2-2) and the league title, along with a European trophy. But that universe only exists in theory. In the present, that 2-2 event still stands as a marker which has etched the events that have taken place since then — titles slipped away, captaincy questioned, weakness exposed and the squad disappearing over the summer.

”Form is temporary, class is permanent”

What if the class is missing albeit via injury, absence or is just having a rusty day? Then the form becomes important. Each positive result will only feed into the next and build some sort of momentum to carry the team through.

As it stands, Arsenal need to produce a positive display on Wednesday to erase the awful display from Saturday. Right now, the team’s biggest challenge is within in atleast raising the standard of their game to an efficient standard, let alone reaching the beautiful brand that was produced in past seasons.

As for FC Twente, this game is all they are playing for right now as their Dutch league season only starts on Sat, Aug 30 away to Roda. So Twente have not had to deal with any questions about their league form, their squad depth or even the choice of umbrellas that their manager prefers.

Game time weather indicates a nice rain-free night. The pitch should be in perfect condition as well.

Comments, thoughts and analysis on the game…over to you guys.

I think everyone can agree that Arsene Wenger is one the greatest Arsenal managers ever. He has brought to Arsenal and to the English top flight a revolutionary brand of football that is admired world wide. He has these very untypical fitness and training methods and a very philosophical approach to managing team and the way the game should be played.

Perhaps the highlight of Wenger’s time in charge has been his ability to take little known talent and turn them into champions. The names of Patrick Vieira, Nicolas Anelka, Thierry Henry, and Francesc Fabregas immediately come to mind. These were all good quality players with who’s careers were going nowhere fast. Wenger brought them to Arsenal and has been credited with turning them all into world-class players; household names in the world of football. But does he really deserve all the credit?

I, like Wenger, consider myself a philosophical guy. I have a theory that says that Wenger does not deserve all the credit. In every job you’ve got your big boss; the guy who’s ultimately responsible for everything that happens be it good or bad. In Wenger, we even have a father figure. But then there are workers that take the new guys under their wing and show them the ropes to try and help them be successful in their new job. They work with the newbies a lot closer than the big boss and essentially become mentors. New guys listen to them because they have experiences that the young bucks don’t.

When I look at Patrick Vieira, it’s clear that his mentors helped develop him into what he became. There is no one that’s ever played midfield like Vieira. Every team in the world is looking for someone who can play like Vieira but they won’t find it. What they fail to realize is Vieira’s not normal but a hybrid. Players aren’t born like Vieira, they‘re made. We had the Vieira of AC Milan who under the guidance of Wenger and the close attention and mentorship of Petit, Keown, and Adams, evolved into the phenomenal hybrid Arsenal legend, Vieira. There’s a similar story with Thierry Henry and the mixture of influence received from Bergkamp and Kanu.

So, what’s so different now? Has Wenger suddenly become a poor judge of talent? Has he changed his philosophical approach to how the game should be played? Has Wenger lost the plot? No, no, and no. The biggest difference is that there is no mentorship in the team. Young Aaron Ramsey is getting the scoop from Denilson. Denilson is looking up to Eboue. WTF? Where is the Tony Adams or Dennis Bergkamp figure at? With Arsenal playing with such a young team, is there any way to escape this dilemma?

Disclaimer: Understand that this is just a theory; a bunch of crap that I made up. However, I believe there to be an element of truth to what I’ve said. I’m sure there’s something that I haven’t considered and this is just for conversation sake on this site. Now come with the knives.