Written by George Sezer Saturday, 20 August 2011 16:00

GunnerTalk Blog

When I looked at the team sheet before the game, I thought a draw would be a good result for us today. We had a right back playing on the left, an inexperienced 19 year old playing on the right hand side of the back four who was playing division 1 football only few months ago. We had another teenager who has no top flight experience and only recently came back from a serious knee ligament injury playing in one of the most critical position as a defensive midfielder, next to him we had Ramsey, an obvious talent but we all know that he is still getting over that horrific injury. To top it all, Nasri, who probably won’t be with us come next game completed our midfield.

Our bench looked even more depressing; 4 teenagers, out of sorts Chamakh and Bentdler. Now, how can Arsene Wenger justify not enforcing the squad with GunnerTalk’s Countdown to panic clock showing 11 days 8 hours and 40 minutes? How can he explain that instead of adding some experienced players to the squad we've lost 3 or 4 of our senior players during the summer transfer window? How can he say that it’s very difficult to find better players than what we have looking the team he put out today? Is he telling us that Squilacci and Djourou are better than Cahill or Mata would not improve our squad? Why is he not using the massive amount of funds available to him after the sales of above mentioned players? Why do us Gooners have to go through this shit every summer?

If he needed any convincing that you cannot throw in a young player - no matter how promising he is - at the deep end at this level, it was during the game today. 

Frimpong, our only defensive midfielder got himself booked within 8 minutes of the kick off for a silly off the ball incident and it came back to hound us later in the game. Things took a turn for the worse just a few minutes after that crucial booking as we lost Koscielny to a very serious looking back injury and was replaces by Miquel.

Although Liverpool were having more of the position there were not many clear cut chances in the game. Chesny’s decent save from Carol’s header and Nasri missing the target narrowly after a mazy run were the only main highlights of the well fought first half.

Second half was more of the same; chances were few and far between, draw written all over it until a terrible challenge by Frimpong on Lucas saw the match referee brandishing his second yellow and that turned the game on its head.

It took Liverpool 7 minutes to capitalize against the 10 man Arsenal; Miquel did well to block offside looking Suarez’s attempt but his clearance hit Ramsey and looped in over Chesny in the 77 minutes. Shit happens when things are stacked against you.

We never looked like getting anything out of the game after that and it was not a surprise when they scored their second in the injury time when very tired looking Miquel let Meireles sneak behind him to cross for unmarked Suarez to tap in.

Arsenal failed to score in their openning two games for the first time in 42 years and there were plenty empty seats at the Emirates which is quite worrying.

There were plusses to take out from this game and I’m pushing myself hard to find them. I thought Miquel had a very good game after replacing injured Koscielny despite his involvement with both of their goals. Jenkinson was excellent again and … Vermaelen what a colossus performance from him, so good to see him back to full fitness. Frimpong was very good as well once he got going but for the bookings.

We cannot put the blame on youngsters but on the person for using them in this untimely fashion. Mr Wenger has got a lot of questions to answer and he better answers them well otherwise the GunnerTalk Countdown Clock will be ticking down on his reign.