Why I'm worried

I am seriously worried about Arsenal. Usually I'm full of optimism going into a new season, and usually I think we're going to win the league, or at least something. But at the moment I'm pondering the thought of whether I think we'll finish in the top four or not, nevermind which trophy I think we'll win.

We've got serious problems. We still suffer massively from injuries, which ain't a coincidence. I don't know exactly how but the club are doing something wrong with training methods or nutrition or just simply being over- cautious and ruling players out when they could actually play. Another problem is we can't defend, especially from set- pieces. We're pretty good defensively if the first choice back four are there, but if one of the CB's are out we fall apart, especially when Squillaci comes into the team. Linked to this is the fact that our defending from set pieces is such a clear weakness in our game that teams will feed on it and we will suffer from it all the more, especially against teams who are strong at set pieces like Stoke.

Another problem is how over- reliant on Van Persie we are. If he gets injured, like he may well have done tonight, we would be screwed because Chamakh is one of many players at the club who is just not good enough.

Which leads onto the next problem of how many players we have that aren't good enough: the affore-mentioned Chamakh, Eboue, Traore, Squillaci, Mannone, Djourou, Ramsey and Lansbury, and we don't really know how ready Jenkinson, Miyachi and Frimpong are to be able to step in for the likes of Sagna, Walcott and Song. These players, between them, are going to play are decent part in our season and the centre backs and Traore especially I think will hinder us.

When we get injuries, which we inevitably will these players will come into the team and they simply ain't good enough to be in a team competing for and winning trophies. Therefore we are over-reliant on Vermaelen, Van Persie, Fabregas and Song. (Two of which are injury-prone).

We also still need a left back to replace Clichy, with Gibbs being injury- prone (he's already got a 'muscular problem after tonight's game) and inexperienced, and Traore being nowhere near good enough to play for Arsenal.

Additionally (as if we need any more!) the futures of Fabregas and Nasri look uncertain, and this isn't helped by the bad mood currently around the club and the clear vulnerabilities shown in the Arsenal team during pre- season, which isn't exactly going to encourage Fabregas and Nasri to commit their near futures to the club is it?
And our final big problem is we have a manager who is unwilling to break a sweat in order to sort out these problems. He is too picky and reluctant to sign players and he is too persistant with the affore- metnioned 'not good enough' players. And he's too reluctant to spend money and altar his stupidly stubborn contract policies which have held the club back in the past as well as the present, as I mentioned in my last article about Gallas and Flamini, and now Nasri.

This is why I am worried.