There is a theory growing among our Arsenal fan base that Gabriel Jesus should be rested this weekend, preventing him from getting a yellow card which would make him unavailable for the clash at Chelsea.
One of the words Mikel Arteta has used while top of the table, which I like, is humble, essentially reminding everyone not to get carried away and that there is a lot of football to be played till we can start celebrating.
The arrogance of some of my peers astounds me. A young Arsenal team yet to achieve anything, who found the pressure of a race for top 4 too much to handle, who finished a whopping 24 points behind the Champions, are now apparently so good we can start hand picking what Prem fixtures we can afford to be resting our best talent?
Let’s not get carried away after 11 games. We have been good, but not good enough to be taking any opposition lightly. That’s what we would be doing to Nottingham Forest if we did anything else but put out the strongest line up possible to get a crucial three points.
I’m sure if Jesus had his choice, he rather go to Stamford Bridge in form with his mini goal drought over, rather than having not played out of fear he will get a suspension?
The fear for some Gooners is if our main striker can’t start the Derby, the alternative would be Eddie Nketiah!
Which Is a slight contradiction.
You either think Eddie is good enough for this level or you don’t.
If you do, then you shouldn’t have any fear what match he starts in. Yet if we are at a stage where a player needs to miss a match because he’s on 4 yellow cards and you don’t trust his replacement to cover ……. then maybe we shouldn’t be paying that replacement 100,000 pound a week!
Just say that out load!
We are paying 100,000 pound a week for a forward who the thought of starting against a top 6 rival, scares fans to the point they are worried about Jesus’ yellow card count.
I know the same people who defended the 23 year old’s contract extension/salary who want him to start on Sunday, purely so Jesus can be free for Chelsea.
I’d rather be perceived as negative but be brave enough to commit myself to an opinion, than wait for after the fact, when it’s too late.
Just like In January, there were supporters like me screaming that our actions in that transfer window would cost us dearly.
Others, who can’t have a bad word said about the club, were positive for the sake of positivity. Then waited until it was too late to question the idea of slashing the wage bill and giving away our best striker for nothing.
When it was obvious in the summer that there was too much pressure on Martinelli, Jesus and Saka to be our main source of goals and I questioned if Eddie was good enough, I was called every name imaginable.
Even though we never replaced Auba and then lost Laca too.
I remember fan channels demanding we buy two strikers and only because of our great start have we let Edu get away with it.
By that logic, why the fear if Jesus gets booked this weekend?
Where’s your faith in Eddie gone?
He’s no longer a teenager who can hide behind youth. He’s being paid a hell a lot of money to be sitting there like a competition winner, not with the self-belief he belongs on this stage. To be a big club you act like one, and there needs to be a greater expectation on him.
When Bendtner was earning that much, fans wouldn’t leave him alone and he was at least scoring for us.
Eddie’s played over 100 times for us so is no longer a rookie. If you want to defend him and say a lot of those have been off the bench, that’s not a defence. That’s a reflection on what his manager sees on the training pitch.
If he saw someone capable of 15-20 goals a season, he would be playing.
The new deal was Arsenal protecting value on an asset. It’s Arteta’s job to get the best out of the resources he has, and it wouldn’t help the players confidence to know he’s only starting against Forest because he’s not trusted to feature when it really matters.
Or is he comfortable earning a massive wage and judged purely on the cup competitions?
Would you start Jesus on Sunday and risk him getting a yellow card?
Or can we trust Eddie against Chelsea If the worse were to happen?
Dan
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