Supporting Arsenal is probably one of the most difficult things I'll do in my existence on this planet. Not as difficult as standing up for yourself in Ferguson, Missouri but pretty darn difficult (who knows, I might take part in a riot one day), but it's tested my ability to pick and stick, to run with the team that I decided to pledge my allegiance to. Such is the way of supporting a team, that thou have no other choice.,

I haven't dispatched my toys all over the room in a raging, expletive ridden tantrum because it's ok. However, for it to be ok, I have to be able to take the mocks, the verbal jabs, the laughter at my expense all in my stride which is pretty easy - it's been this way for 5+ years. I wrote about it a few months back, but the mere fact that Arsenal have continued to stay near the top of the EPL ladder whilst saving their pennies, makes me pretty proud.

Arsenal are at an interesting intersection. The season is over a third of the way through, they are already almost certainties to not contend for the EPL title belt - normal service has resumed. But they can start to get things right, show some signs of life, some balls and finish the season strongly. What do I want to see? I want to see some fresh vibes which is odd given how many young guys have come to wear an Arsenal jersey in the past 5 years. There's been fresh blood, but no fresh ideas, not a whole lot of excitement as everything has ticked over in a predictable nature.

It's obvious that they need to sign a defender or 4, while a defensive midfielder would also go down nicely. But I'm not sure that signing someone who's price will be heavily inflated and is the sort of desperate signing that has unfortunately been a regularity in Arsene Wenger's recent reign, will provide the freshness that I want. Would it be too much to ask of Wenger to try change the game plan a little bit?

Having both Olivier Giroud and Danny Wellbeck healthy will give us a glimpse in to Wenger's mind. Will Wenger play them both with Alexis Sanchez roaming around? Will he relegate either one of them to the bench and play either Giroud or Wellbeck with Sanchez? I don't know how Wenger could make having all 3 of them out there work, but it would be pretty damn fresh.

While Jack Wilshere's injured yet again, meh, Theo Walcott is back up in the mix and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looks great. They, along with Sanchez offer a nimble footed threat out wide that can also slide in to the middle. Just the pace is enough to get me slightly excited, there's no substitute for pace and Arsenal's quick, intricate passing up the guts is only as good as their play out wide. They haven't had a certified, legit, straight up and down no playing around no bullshit threat out wide in yonks, since Walcott left the field with a kind hand gesture. No wonder Arsenal are predictable.

In sport, you're lucky if your team has good years and a few bad years. Arsenal's current situation isn't the end of the world, but it would be damn nice to see some tough, gritty yet classy football played. At the moment they resemble James Harden defensively, they lack any real ruggedness and don't have a plan B. They don't need to flip the script and contend for the title, but from this point on Wenger and his troops need to show signs that they are learning and progressing. Or else what's the point of that flashy new Emirates stadium?

That's where I think a lot of the angst comes from, the lack of progression. It's pretty unrealistic to expect Arsenal to continue to be the top dogs and compete with new money while they try to get their bank in order. But we need to see steps forward, to at the very least compete with the ever-evolving EPL. The Gunners are stagnant, stagnant gunners are easier to be picked off than do the picking.