Truthfully, I don’t have a clue. I really don’t know. I know that we miss Hleb, Flamini and Rosicky. I can see we have weaknesses on set pieces. There are certain things you can point too in specific games as having been weaknesses but overall, I don’t know enough about the realities inside the club to have an opinion.

I have faith in Arsene I believe he will fix things if it is within his power to do so. I have faith in Cesc, I know he is giving his all, I know he is really capable and very intelligent, he will be trying to work better with those around him and he’ll be trying to improve his own game.

There’s been a bit of a “full-moon” effect operating since the loss to Aston Villa people have gone a bit hysterical. I think rumors of the clubs demise have been a bit exaggerated and in time things will calm down.

Myles Palmer is a drama ‘queen’ mj so I wouldn’t put Cesc on ‘suicide watch’ just yet. Still it’s very clear that he is being put in a very difficult position and that mentally and physically it will be taking a toll. I can’t believe Arsene would have let it come to this. I guess he didn’t mean to, I don’t think he would have failed the team knowingly. I guess when certain transfers didn’t come off and he couldn’t get who he wanted, he just hoped they’d be able to find a way to make things work and he hasn’t been able too and of course the whole team suffers. Fab takes a little more heat, ‘the star’ does and at 21, it’s just ugly. Watching angry fans taking out their frustration on guys this young… makes the fans look pretty bad too.

I think Cesc will be alright. I wouldn’t worry. He’s shown he can handle pressure and hes got great talent,,, so he will come through this. It can’t be a lotta fun for him right now but even if he is bowed he won’t be beaten. Never fear.

The question fans should be asking instead of criticizing Cesc and others in our midfield is how did we, Arsenal, a top four team, a big club that is supposedly, whilst not owned by billionaires, on an even financial keel, end up putting this much pressure, expectation and the clubs star player mantle on a player who is 21,,, still developing, still learning his game and who has been overplayed since the age of 17? In terms of what would have been medically recommended Fab has been massively overplayed. I mean he would always want to play, any young bloke between 17 and 21 would, but there is only so many games these fellas are supposed to see and Fab always played a hell of lot more than recommended.

Look at Arsene and what he has said about Wilshere, saying that the youngsters can’t be over-played but that THE EXCEPTION was Fabregas. That he had a mature game. but did he have a mature physiology and psychology to go with the fact his talent was advanced? I mean Cesc was injured at the end of last season, went to the Euros, came back and was injured again. Is his hamstring 100% has his body ever gotten back to 100% this year?

It seems like we have pinned way too much on a player who is 21. Maybe players should be allowed to at least grow up and hit their peak before they are asked to carry a team.

On Saturday, when Arsenal played Aston Villa, the whole crowd sagged after 70 minutes when a Gael Clichy own-goal went in. Agbonlahor scored again ten minutes later and thousands headed for the exits.

But many were still there when Theo Walcott, the choirboy winger, made a solo lap of dishonour, applauding the fans. He is, undeniably, a nice kid.

Many supporters think the season is over. They don’t think this team can win anything. Arsenal have lost four league games already and if they go on playing like this they could lose 10 or 12. So Arsenal are a cup team now. But when did they last win a cup? When they had Patrick Vieira.

Last summer people who had never doubted Wenger before began to be disillusioned. Now they doubt him even more. They don’t see where this team can improve, don’t think it can improve collectively as the season goes on. Results are patchy, the squad lacks size, power. experience. The team is lightweight on the field, and the club is lightweight off the field, lacking executive muscle, still without a CEO

They look at what Arsene Wenger has done, and what he says, and they scratch their heads in disbelief. Some are just turned off completely. They say they can’t listen to his garbage any more because his actions and words say :

1. I don’t need a good goalkeeper
2. I don’t need a big centreback
3. I don’t need another ballwinner like Flamini
4. I don’t need advice from ex -Arsenal players who say that if I bought three 27-year old players I could win everything.
And 5 : The biggest fallacy: I can’t buy experienced players because it will kill the kids.

That is rubbish.

It won’t kill the kids. The only way it could kill the kids is if London Colney is a kindergarten where fit young millionaires burst into tears every time they snap a bootlace. At other clubs, signing older players doesn’t kill the kids. The kids have to compete with other players to get into the team. That’s what it’s all about. Competition makes them stronger. Other clubs use kids AND experienced players. What is Man United’s Danny Welbeck if not a kid? He is a 17-year old striker born in Manchester to Ghanaian parents. If Frazier Campbell was there, Campbell would have come on. But he’s 19 and on loan at Spurs, so Welbeck came on for Ji-Sung Park in 63 minutes.United were beating Stoke 3-0 and he smashed in a shot for 4-0 and he’s there to see Cristiano make it 5-0.

That’s the way to beat Stoke. With big men, with a six foot four centreback to nullify Delap’s long throws, with passion, and with six foot one inch kids coming on to add momentum.

Why play 4-5-1 at home to Aston Villa?

Bendtner has been feeble in the last three games but he should not be played up front on his own, which does him no favours. He’s not fast, so he had a nightmare and was booed off the field when he was substituted. That’s not developing young players. That’s humiliating young players.

Did he play 4-5-1 because RVP is suspended and Eduardo isn’t ready and Ade can’t do 90 minutes yet? Or did he play 4-5-1 because young Denilson isn’t Flamini or Gilberto, so they needed an extra man in midfield?

If you play 4-5-1, you pass the ball sideways a lot and if you play 4-5-1 with a slow striker you pass it sideways for the whole 90 minutes. So they passed it sideways all day long and had 68% possession and lost 2-0.

In 1998, Arsenal passed the ball forward faster and earlier than any team in history but in 2008 they’re playing in front of defences, without much movement into the box, not even the kind of movement than can convert to Walcott’s low crosses. Which are, admittedly, erratic.

Crucially, Fabregas can see a defence-splitting pass but there was nobody to make a run for his passes. Against Villa, their possession brought the ball into wide areas and then they crossed it against three big centrebacks, one of whom was playing at right back. That is suicidal. If you do that, you deserve to lose.

Why put Bendtner against three experienced centrebacks ?

Carlos Cuellar is six foot three, Martin Laursen is six foot two, and Curtis Davies is six foot two.Why not start Adebayor and Bendtner? Why not stick in Jay Simpson, who scored two goals against Wigan. Simpson can make runs down the middle and score like Ian Wright, his hero, like Agbonlahor did for 2-0. If Fraizier Campbell can start for Spurs, why can’t Jay Simpson start for Arsenal? He would have played with passion, made runs for Fabregas, and shaken Villa up a bit.

In sum, Wenger’s selection was unimaginative and gutless, so it was no wonder Arsenal never looked like beating Aston Villa, who have never lost at the Emirates, and never will as long as he continues to pursue failing policies. The biggest surprise of last Saturday wasn’t that Arsenal lost 2-0. It was that they weren’t 3-0 down at half-time.

Playing like this, Arsenal could lose 10 out of 38 games. Playing like this they will lose at Man City on the 22nd and lose at Chelsea on the 30th. That will be six defeats before December has started.

Cesc Fabregas is Arsenal’s best player, their strongest character, their most intelligent leader. He really misses his three best mates, Flamini, Senderos and Hleb, on and off the field. He deserves better players around him. He wanted David Villa and Xabi Alonso. On Saturday he went to tackle Gareth Barry, missed the ball, kicked Barry, and got his fifth yellow card of the season, so he will miss the Manchester City game. Last season, Flamini would have made that tackle. And got the ball.

So Fabregas is suffering now and looks demoralised. It’s a situation that physio Gary Lewin saw coming, I’m sure. He was a key man for the players, a brother figure, a confessor, a keeper of secrets, a counsellor, a psychiatrist, a friend. Gary saw the writing on the wall and wanted out. Arsenal could have paid him a million but Gary couldn’t bear it any more. He knows a thing or two but it’s unlikely that Arsene would ever listen to him – or anybody.

So now the Arsenal team is in decline and their main man is on his knees and it’s painful to watch. He’s toiling, he’s gutted, he’s struggling in a team with mediocre strikers, and he’s being run into the ground, as Patrick Vieira was for two years after Wenger sold Petit. He doesn’t even look like Cesc Fabregas any more.

I really hope that Cesc will be ok and that this doesn’t all take to much of a toll on him and his career.

So you think the biggest issues we face are purely the change in personnel in the midfield and the fact the players haven’t gelled or developed any effective partnerships as yet? Just curious as to what you and Sam think needs addressing?

I mean Cesc is catching a bit of criticism at the moment but for every fan dissing him there is one defending him and given the teams results it’s not surprising… pretty much all the players and the manager in particular are catching some flak.

Cesc was player of the season the last 2 seasons. He’s enjoyed his time and his football at Arsenal for the best part of 5 years. Hes had a few good weeks this season too where he has been praised and the team has won but he’s had a few frustrating weeks and a few bad games. Still, I don’t think there’s been anything to suggest hes been suffering for a couple of years or anything.

I’d give it a bit longer to come right yet Robbie. I am certain that Cesc will.

Well, I totally agree with you and unfortunately, I’m about to suggest something that will be widely criticized and ridiculed by all Arsenal fans….and probably get me “banned” from this site but, I love Arsenal and I love Cesc and well,….I think it’s time that Cesc (and this is with a heavy heart) should leave Arsenal…..now,wait….don’t judge me so quickly…..TA , your rant or posting sounds eerily familiar to another young Spaniard’s life at the club he loved …..where the pressure from the fans,team,ownership etc….was “crushing”…..where “everything” went through him….it became him and 10 other players….not the “team” that he started with….this player in question was “rescued” by leaving the club he loved and cherished to go on an flourish in a new arena….some of you may know of the Spaniard I speak , but, his name is not important….what is important is the fact that although he was “loved” by a huge number of fans and the club PR personnels wet dream (not unlike our Cesc) ….he became the “scapegoat” for all things wrong & all things right with said club…..the preverbal “cross” was too much to bear although this Spaniard did so for several years…he gallantly (for several years) suffered in silence with only his family/girlfriend knowing the truth….so I respectfully suggest our Cesc should gain his freedom by leaving the shackles of Arsenal Football Club behind…..rant over ;D

Oh, and I don’t for a moment believe Arsenal’s title chances are over….so,nenar,nenar,nenar ;D

I think Cesc is just 21 and is burdened too much. I think he played well with Hleb Falmini and Rossicky and now he play with Denilson Nasri Walcott some say Cesc has changed but they are stupid is everything else that changed obvious yes.

Cesc against Villa was no worse than Denilson, Nasri(who must of had a pass completion percentage of about 10) or Diaby, he didnt misplace any more passes than those, he didnt put in any less tackles than those. Cesc was one of the few actually getting forward into dangerous positions, and when he does play a great ball, what does Bendtner do, he completely miscontrols it and f***s up the attack.

Here in lies the problem, Cesc is still very much making ‘those passes’, and he is still very much making ‘those runs into the box’, he is still one of the few in our squad willing to shoot outside the box. Now i’m not saying Cesc has been great this season, but Cesc’s game needs those around him to be able take advantage of what he provides.

I can’t count the amount of times Cesc makes runs into the box, only for no one to pick him out, do you think Frank Lampard would get so many goals for Chelsea if his team mates were as inadequate as ours at picking his runs out. It also doesnt help when you have front men such as Bendtner & Adebayor who seem incapable of controlling the ball, or have the first clue how to react to a great ball, of which Cesc has made plenty this season.

It is no miracle that Cesc is still playing pretty well for Spain, its because he has players around him that arnt clueless and know how to use his passes (hopefully Eduardo comes back soon) and pick his runs (this is where we miss Hleb).

To be honest Cesc seems to be in a no win situation with our fans these days, his pass completition ratio is no worse than any of our other midfielders, yet as soon as he misplaces one pass thats it he has a s**t game as far as our fans our concerned, yet Cesc is the only one that seems capable and the only that actually tries to play attacking risky passes, that force the play, instead of the side pass special which we’ve become accustomed to with Denilson & Nasri.

How many times does Denilson pass the ball to Cesc when he is standing right next to him, despite the fact Cesc is usually marked by two players, therefore making it easier for Denilson to actually try and do something himself, yet he usually decides to play the easy option and put Cesc under pressure. Yet people write Cesc off as having no commitment and having his mind on Barcelona despite pledging his loyalty every f****g time he his asked the question, going out of his way to squash every little f****g rumour, and proclaiming how he wants to be a future Arsenal captain & legend.

Our side is too Cesc orientated, we our overly reliant on him, it just seems like our side has this mentality of let’s pass the ball to Cesc and he can do all the work, which allows sides to completely mark Cesc out of the game, and then our other players don’t have a clue how to create attacks, rendering our play very ineffective. Perhaps if we had other creative options besides Cesc in the team, we wouldn’t be so one dimensional, you see it with the Carling Cup team, they don’t have one main focus for all their attacks they share the responsibility, our first team needs this aswell.

Also I think if we weren’t so one dimensional in attack and had a number of players who combined well like we had last season, it would be much harder to mark us and teams couldn’t just concentrate on nullifying Cesc