So Premier League action has returned and we rely on Arsenal to brighten our weekends. The trouble with football is everyone thinks there are quick fixes and in some cases there are, but usually for very minor issues. If only we had minor issues to deal with, instead we have a team that needs intense therapy to aid it's recovery.
I welcomed the international break but I'm not sure Arsene would have. Very few players remained at London Colney and subsequently we can't expect any radical changes to our performances. I didn't think our display was as bad as some outlets let on in the NLD. Instead I saw a side that reacted to a half time team talk, came out fighting, got it's rewards and subsequently retreated back into it's shell. Our confidence couldn't be any more fragile than it is at present and I don't think it's realistic to fix that before the Chelsea game. Yes, two victories domestically against Sunderland and Stoke would help but there is no belief in this current set of players that we can compete in big games. If Chelsea score first, it'll be very difficult to recover mentally. That's not to say we can't score first and install some belief that we can compete. A victory at The Bridge is just what this side needs. It would be a massive shot in the arm for some and you can prepare all you like for a game of football but if you don't have the belief, it all falls down. If we get a result it would set us up well for November. Yes, the dreaded November. However the automated fixture system couldn't have been kinder to us. If it all goes to plan (nothing ever does), we could be looking at a swift climb up the table. Games vs WBA, Norwich, Fulham, Wigan and Everton await us after our trip to Chelsea.
Confidence aside our other main issue is our defence. Some fans say
Wenger inherited one of the best defences football has ever seen and that cannot be argued with but Wenger did create a back five of Lehmann, Lauren, Campbell, Toure and Cole. So the notion that he can't build a defence can be blown out of the water. What can't be overlooked is the panic buying of Mertesacker and Santos. If we still had Almunia in goal who knows what state we'd be in. In our two victories so far Szczęsny has pulled off crucial saves early on, we could easily be in a relegation place without him between the sticks. Wojciech aside the outfield defending is disgusting. The fact we now have to make do without our best defensive asset for 3 months is a hammer blow! I know fans like Jenkinson because he's a Gooner but the lad is nowhere near ready for first team action and you have to question the sale of Eboue. One of which I was open to but he needed adequately replacing. Sadly, this was a theme throughout all of our sales in the summer! Fans are eagerly awaiting the return of Vermaelen and whilst he is our best centre half, I can't help buy feel his reputation has only been enhanced because he's been injured. Vermaelen is over rated in my opinion. He ball watches a lot and last ditch tackling always looks great but good defenders should never rely upon that. That said, Vermaelen and Mertesacker are our partnership going forward and they could well be up against Drogba and co by the end of the month. They might hit it off together but whilst we persist with the highest line of defending possible, only time will tell. Our defending is also hindered by this ridiculous formation. There is always space to exploit and our midfield couldn't be more lightweight. Due to Jack's injury our midfield three is Song, Arteta and Ramsey. Hardly smacks of tough, disciplined and defensive minded players. Although when Song sticks to his task, there are very few better than him. Unfortunately that happens 1 in 10 games. Will this defence ever be cured? I don't think so. These issues have gone on for too long and we find new ways to concede goals.
Overall, we have two key issues that need addressing and one can be rectified but the Chelsea game is huge, personally I'm not expecting much myself but football has a habit of springing surprises and I didn't think we had any chance of a victory the last time we won there!
Friday, 7 October 2011
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Should Wenger Go?
The Wenger Out saying used to be a complete non-entity amongst the Arsenal faithful but now more than ever it's an expanding topic of conversation. The problems are this; we are 15th in the league and have a squad that appears susceptible to a hammering at any point. We have replaced quality with average to good replacements and worst of all we have money to spend to enhance our squad.
Our form is horrendous by our usual high standards and to be quite honest we are lucky to be 15th, this is after 7 games too. 21 points available and 7 taken? If you were witnessing this happen at any other club would you think their manager should be sacked? We have sold some integral players and we have replaced them with lesser players. Nasri's record for us wasn't spectacular but would I have been as open to his sale if I'd known Benayoun was his replacement? Probably not! As for Cesc's sale, I was expecting a big name in to replace him but we got Arteta. Arteta and Benayoun are nowhere near the calibre of player we've let go and that naturally has an impact on our results. I'm not saying they aren't good, they just aren't what we had. If this was happening at another club would you be critical of their policy? I would.
Then we come down to the financial aspect. Don't worry I'm not going all anti-Arsenal etc, I'll leave that to people with hidden agendas. We have money to spend on players and we didn't. The attempts to get Gotze were unrealistic and desperate.Dortmund
So what do we do? I don't know which way to turn but someone is accountable. Is that man Wenger? From the sounds of it, yes it is. Kroenke and Co have said Wenger has complete autonomy at Arsenal. This isn't healthy. So he's the man we should be venting our anger towards right? Not so sure. With that question comes with it what the great man has done for our club. You don't need me to go through what he has done for Arsenal, it's a true legacy. The way I gauge the Wenger debate is you are either with him or you aren't, which is fine but ask yourself this for one moment. What would you do if Wenger did leave? No if's or but's. I'd be gutted but I'd also acknowledge that things are going in the wrong direction and possibly a change is needed. I used to worry that if Wenger left all of our world class players would follow him but now we don't have any players I'm concerned about losing (compared to the invincibles). Then there's the "who is out there to replace Wenger?" For some reason this discussion can only comprehend managers that are currently unemployed. We are a massive football club and with the exception of 3 or 4 clubs we can take any manager we want. Managers would jump at the opportunity to be in charge at The Emirates.
Back to reality, I did blog on Wenger in April and I wanted him to change his philosophy but I knew then that he wouldn't and he hasn't. Our defence is still a shambles, injuries are a constant nightmare, our squad is weaker than it has been at any point in the Wenger era and players aren't living up to their potential. Have you ever watched Premiership Years and you can see a team performing poorly but you know that next month they get the inevitable sacking next month? That's us right now but we have no idea how this is going to pan out. Other team’s supporters love our demise; look at the game last Sunday. Did you see their fans reaction at Full Time? They were happy but not as ecstatic as they have been in the past. It put things into perspective for me.
Where do we go from here? Even our own players are reluctant to commit to the club. How do we get out of this mess? Fans have lost faith at The Emirates (Just look around The Emirates, it speaks volumes). Our away support is immense and in fact I have just booked myself a ticket forChelsea
Is it all on Wenger? Kroenke has been clear in his message and if he sticks to his word Wenger is as safe as houses. Stability is always a good thing but we need to turn this around, now. Arsene Wenger is an Arsenal Legend, that will never be questioned but there will come a time and a place when he does leave. I personally think he’ll never be sacked and it’ll all remain mutual but if there was ever a time to question his future it's now. Can he turn it around because time is running out! I want him to remain successful but now it's more hope than expectation.
Our form is horrendous by our usual high standards and to be quite honest we are lucky to be 15th, this is after 7 games too. 21 points available and 7 taken? If you were witnessing this happen at any other club would you think their manager should be sacked? We have sold some integral players and we have replaced them with lesser players. Nasri's record for us wasn't spectacular but would I have been as open to his sale if I'd known Benayoun was his replacement? Probably not! As for Cesc's sale, I was expecting a big name in to replace him but we got Arteta. Arteta and Benayoun are nowhere near the calibre of player we've let go and that naturally has an impact on our results. I'm not saying they aren't good, they just aren't what we had. If this was happening at another club would you be critical of their policy? I would.
 |
| Vieira's last act as captain was to bring home our last trophy, 6 years ago |
Then we come down to the financial aspect. Don't worry I'm not going all anti-Arsenal etc, I'll leave that to people with hidden agendas. We have money to spend on players and we didn't. The attempts to get Gotze were unrealistic and desperate.
So what do we do? I don't know which way to turn but someone is accountable. Is that man Wenger? From the sounds of it, yes it is. Kroenke and Co have said Wenger has complete autonomy at Arsenal. This isn't healthy. So he's the man we should be venting our anger towards right? Not so sure. With that question comes with it what the great man has done for our club. You don't need me to go through what he has done for Arsenal, it's a true legacy. The way I gauge the Wenger debate is you are either with him or you aren't, which is fine but ask yourself this for one moment. What would you do if Wenger did leave? No if's or but's. I'd be gutted but I'd also acknowledge that things are going in the wrong direction and possibly a change is needed. I used to worry that if Wenger left all of our world class players would follow him but now we don't have any players I'm concerned about losing (compared to the invincibles). Then there's the "who is out there to replace Wenger?" For some reason this discussion can only comprehend managers that are currently unemployed. We are a massive football club and with the exception of 3 or 4 clubs we can take any manager we want. Managers would jump at the opportunity to be in charge at The Emirates.
Back to reality, I did blog on Wenger in April and I wanted him to change his philosophy but I knew then that he wouldn't and he hasn't. Our defence is still a shambles, injuries are a constant nightmare, our squad is weaker than it has been at any point in the Wenger era and players aren't living up to their potential. Have you ever watched Premiership Years and you can see a team performing poorly but you know that next month they get the inevitable sacking next month? That's us right now but we have no idea how this is going to pan out. Other team’s supporters love our demise; look at the game last Sunday. Did you see their fans reaction at Full Time? They were happy but not as ecstatic as they have been in the past. It put things into perspective for me.
Where do we go from here? Even our own players are reluctant to commit to the club. How do we get out of this mess? Fans have lost faith at The Emirates (Just look around The Emirates, it speaks volumes). Our away support is immense and in fact I have just booked myself a ticket for
 |
| A legend that will always remain! |
Is it all on Wenger? Kroenke has been clear in his message and if he sticks to his word Wenger is as safe as houses. Stability is always a good thing but we need to turn this around, now. Arsene Wenger is an Arsenal Legend, that will never be questioned but there will come a time and a place when he does leave. I personally think he’ll never be sacked and it’ll all remain mutual but if there was ever a time to question his future it's now. Can he turn it around because time is running out! I want him to remain successful but now it's more hope than expectation.
Monday, 3 October 2011
The Walcott Factor
At the end of last season I thought the time was right for Theo Walcott to make the transition from winger to striker. Unfortunately for Theo two factors stood in his way. First, we needed to change our formation and the secondly, Arsene Wenger believing he is ready to make the move.
Throughout pre-season Theo occupied the right wing and Wenger never gave him a sniff of playing through the middle. The arrival of Park Chu-Young makes than even more unlikely. Theo has netted a couple of goals already this season but his overall game has been poor and he sums up the poor attitude that demonstrated by this side at present.
We all witnessed Walcott's lambasting of Carl Jenkinson at Old Trafford and he might have had a point but the fact remains he was tearing strips off a youngster on the field of play. There are times and places for things like this and that was certainly not it. Jenkinson was later sent off. Walcott then took to the field against Swansea and displayed an arrogance that you would usually see in the likes of Thierry Henry. Although every TV production didn't show it, Walcott was booked at the beginning of the 2nd half. Theo was tussling with the Swansea Left Back (Taylor?) and he felt like he was being held back, instead of playing to the whistle Theo decided he was going to berate the assistant referee (whilst play was still going on). After it dawned on Theo that nothing was going to be given he launched into a tackle, fouled the full back and was given a deserved yellow. That in a nutshell sums up his attitude at the moment.
The summer saw us lose key personel in Fabregas and Nasri and I believe this has led to Theo believing he is a bit further up the pecking order in terms of status in side, he has been at the club for 5 1/2 years. This is a huge year for Theo, as he will want to make amends for his infamous axing from Englands World Cup squad. The summer could be defining in his career as he will have 12 months to run on his current deal. He doesn't look a player that is out to prove a point and strengthen his game, instead he's written a book ironically about growing up, fast!
Where has the innocent young lad from 5 years ago gone? Remember when he took a camcorder to Germany as he wanted to record every moment of such a brilliant experience?
I have no issue with players writing books but can't they at least achieve something in the game first? When I think of Theo's achievements I think of his hat trick in Zagreb for England (which is the only international game he's ever scored in), his tremendous runs against Liverpool at Anfield , goals against Chelsea in the FA Cup Semi Final and Carling Cup final and a hat trick against Blackpol. Not exactly an erray of outstanding achievements given most of the games didn't even see us win the actual game.
Theo couldn't have made it more obvious that he wants to play through the middle but the fact is that Van Persie occupies that role and Theo is never going to displace him. Wenger transformed Henry from a winger into a striker but the fact was Henry was a striker before his stint on the wing at Juventus. Walcott developed late in football terms and he's more manufactured and he has nowhere near the natural ability of Henry. So Arsene definitely knows best on this front and if I was Walcott I'd be out to prove a point.
Theo needs to influence games much more than he does. Look at the Dortmund game, in the first half Theo touched the ball 12 times, which to put that in context the next lowest was had 27 touches. (Thanks to @orbinho for the stat). Like any player he never likes getting subbed but his lack of consistency makes him an easy target when we have to look at alternative options. His best games for Arsenal do tend to come in Europe though and this season is already testimony to that. Goals at home and crucaially away at Udinese can not be overlooked, nor can despite his lack of touches in Germany, one did lead to an assist for Van Persie's goal.
The best barometer of Theo's lack of progressing has been the fact that many supporters already want Chamberlain in ahead of Walcott. Seems ridiculous but fans are tired of the lack of production on the right wing and AOC has been a sight for sore eyes recently.
That said, I just hope that Theo sticks at it. IF remains injury free and focuses solely on his game instead of writing books etc. Then I realise how difficult those two things are to achieve for him. He does have ability and Wenger is the best manager to guide him through this phase but if he determines that he's not ready then so be it. It'll not be long until he stabs Wenger in the back and seeks to engineer a move. Let's not forget the Bosman ruling now means players are much more likely to leave with 12 months remaining on their contract of which we have Walcott, Van Persie, Arshavin and Song in the situation.
Throughout pre-season Theo occupied the right wing and Wenger never gave him a sniff of playing through the middle. The arrival of Park Chu-Young makes than even more unlikely. Theo has netted a couple of goals already this season but his overall game has been poor and he sums up the poor attitude that demonstrated by this side at present.
We all witnessed Walcott's lambasting of Carl Jenkinson at Old Trafford and he might have had a point but the fact remains he was tearing strips off a youngster on the field of play. There are times and places for things like this and that was certainly not it. Jenkinson was later sent off. Walcott then took to the field against Swansea and displayed an arrogance that you would usually see in the likes of Thierry Henry. Although every TV production didn't show it, Walcott was booked at the beginning of the 2nd half. Theo was tussling with the Swansea Left Back (Taylor?) and he felt like he was being held back, instead of playing to the whistle Theo decided he was going to berate the assistant referee (whilst play was still going on). After it dawned on Theo that nothing was going to be given he launched into a tackle, fouled the full back and was given a deserved yellow. That in a nutshell sums up his attitude at the moment.
Where has the innocent young lad from 5 years ago gone? Remember when he took a camcorder to Germany as he wanted to record every moment of such a brilliant experience?
I have no issue with players writing books but can't they at least achieve something in the game first? When I think of Theo's achievements I think of his hat trick in Zagreb for England (which is the only international game he's ever scored in), his tremendous runs against Liverpool at Anfield , goals against Chelsea in the FA Cup Semi Final and Carling Cup final and a hat trick against Blackpol. Not exactly an erray of outstanding achievements given most of the games didn't even see us win the actual game.
Theo couldn't have made it more obvious that he wants to play through the middle but the fact is that Van Persie occupies that role and Theo is never going to displace him. Wenger transformed Henry from a winger into a striker but the fact was Henry was a striker before his stint on the wing at Juventus. Walcott developed late in football terms and he's more manufactured and he has nowhere near the natural ability of Henry. So Arsene definitely knows best on this front and if I was Walcott I'd be out to prove a point.
Theo needs to influence games much more than he does. Look at the Dortmund game, in the first half Theo touched the ball 12 times, which to put that in context the next lowest was had 27 touches. (Thanks to @orbinho for the stat). Like any player he never likes getting subbed but his lack of consistency makes him an easy target when we have to look at alternative options. His best games for Arsenal do tend to come in Europe though and this season is already testimony to that. Goals at home and crucaially away at Udinese can not be overlooked, nor can despite his lack of touches in Germany, one did lead to an assist for Van Persie's goal.
The best barometer of Theo's lack of progressing has been the fact that many supporters already want Chamberlain in ahead of Walcott. Seems ridiculous but fans are tired of the lack of production on the right wing and AOC has been a sight for sore eyes recently.
That said, I just hope that Theo sticks at it. IF remains injury free and focuses solely on his game instead of writing books etc. Then I realise how difficult those two things are to achieve for him. He does have ability and Wenger is the best manager to guide him through this phase but if he determines that he's not ready then so be it. It'll not be long until he stabs Wenger in the back and seeks to engineer a move. Let's not forget the Bosman ruling now means players are much more likely to leave with 12 months remaining on their contract of which we have Walcott, Van Persie, Arshavin and Song in the situation.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Tactics or Attitude?
Since our defeat at Old Trafford a lot of fingers have been pointed and a lot of frustration have been vented but it's nearly a month since that awful afternoon and I don't think we've made sufficient progress since.
Where do we start?
Attitude
This sides attitude stinks. When we played against Swansea, it was our first game since United and it should have been a statement game for us but no, we tried to play football but the most clear cut chances fell to the welsh side and they should have taken a point had it not been for Gateshead's finest lashing over the bar late on. Where was the desire to win the ball, prove a point and show commitment. Once you add those factors into our style of play you get performances like we witnessed at Stoke when we won 3-1. Proving the doubters wrong but again we failed to provide any confidence and we were just happy at the sight of three invaluable points.
When you dig a but deeper, look at our play at set plays. Wenger side in pre-season we had worked on improving this side of our game. Clearly whatever that was it hasn't worked and arguably it's made things worse. You can read about zonal marking until you are blue in the face but it's all about attacking the ball. If you don't attack it (the ball) you look like a bunch of twats. Song was on the edge of the 6 yard box against Blackburn and at no point was he focused and prepared to deal with a cross. Given they were about to whip a ball in towards him, that just isn't good enough I'm afriad. It subsequently hit his thigh and found its way into the net. Blaming zonal marking is the easy way out, it's been part of the game for years. If everyone does their job you'll succeed. Then we had Koscielny own goal, what a mess he got himself into by just running back to deal with a counter attack. He assumed Szczesny was going gather the cross, hehe wasn't going to have to defend but then that suddenly mass panic. His body position was appalling, it was obvious what was going to happen and he then attacked the ball with wrong foot. Why not put in in row Z with his left foot. This led calls for Arsenal to employ a defensive coach but of course we refuse to deal with such a massive issue.
The Immediate Future
We might be on the verge of a couple of false dawns, Bolton is followed by the North London Derby, which is tricky every season regardless of what Alan Smith might think about who the force in North London is. Then we play Sunderland & Stoke followed by Chelsea. November looks brighter fixture wise but then it's November and we all know what that means.
Europe
Then we move onto the diamond in the rough. Our performance in Germany was first class, we defended well (for the most part) and looked a threat upfront, until we took off all of our attacking three. Only an absolute worldy stopped us taking all 3 points off the German Champions.
That got me thinking, we are massively respected in Europe and Dortmund were playing their first game in Europe's elite competition for eight years. They were scared of us, no idea why. They were making uncharateristic mistakes (Kehl especially), the occasion was getting to the them, they decided not to exploit clear weaknesses such as our left hand side. We are one of the best teams in Europe (based on reputation) and it's something I'm quite prepared to ride out for the duration. The knockouts will prove a different task, unless we get handed the kindest of draws (which never happens).
Support
So Wenger still has a lot of work on his hands but thankfully for him our support has never been so united. We have been a laughing stock of late and the likes of SkySports News tried to jump onboard a poor attendance of 46,000, when you have the likes of Manchester City failing to sell out their first ever Champions League game. I love the togetherness that the supporters feel at the moment. We've been stabbed in the back by players we've adored (that's not directed at Cesc) but our love for the club grows ever stronger.To lose such an influential manager could be devastating to us but it isn't as bad as it would have been say seven or eight years ago. A win in the North London derby would do wonders for the club both on and off the field. Let's see that become a reality next weekend.
Where do we start?
Attitude
This sides attitude stinks. When we played against Swansea, it was our first game since United and it should have been a statement game for us but no, we tried to play football but the most clear cut chances fell to the welsh side and they should have taken a point had it not been for Gateshead's finest lashing over the bar late on. Where was the desire to win the ball, prove a point and show commitment. Once you add those factors into our style of play you get performances like we witnessed at Stoke when we won 3-1. Proving the doubters wrong but again we failed to provide any confidence and we were just happy at the sight of three invaluable points.
When you dig a but deeper, look at our play at set plays. Wenger side in pre-season we had worked on improving this side of our game. Clearly whatever that was it hasn't worked and arguably it's made things worse. You can read about zonal marking until you are blue in the face but it's all about attacking the ball. If you don't attack it (the ball) you look like a bunch of twats. Song was on the edge of the 6 yard box against Blackburn and at no point was he focused and prepared to deal with a cross. Given they were about to whip a ball in towards him, that just isn't good enough I'm afriad. It subsequently hit his thigh and found its way into the net. Blaming zonal marking is the easy way out, it's been part of the game for years. If everyone does their job you'll succeed. Then we had Koscielny own goal, what a mess he got himself into by just running back to deal with a counter attack. He assumed Szczesny was going gather the cross, hehe wasn't going to have to defend but then that suddenly mass panic. His body position was appalling, it was obvious what was going to happen and he then attacked the ball with wrong foot. Why not put in in row Z with his left foot. This led calls for Arsenal to employ a defensive coach but of course we refuse to deal with such a massive issue.
The Immediate Future
We might be on the verge of a couple of false dawns, Bolton is followed by the North London Derby, which is tricky every season regardless of what Alan Smith might think about who the force in North London is. Then we play Sunderland & Stoke followed by Chelsea. November looks brighter fixture wise but then it's November and we all know what that means.
Europe
Then we move onto the diamond in the rough. Our performance in Germany was first class, we defended well (for the most part) and looked a threat upfront, until we took off all of our attacking three. Only an absolute worldy stopped us taking all 3 points off the German Champions.
That got me thinking, we are massively respected in Europe and Dortmund were playing their first game in Europe's elite competition for eight years. They were scared of us, no idea why. They were making uncharateristic mistakes (Kehl especially), the occasion was getting to the them, they decided not to exploit clear weaknesses such as our left hand side. We are one of the best teams in Europe (based on reputation) and it's something I'm quite prepared to ride out for the duration. The knockouts will prove a different task, unless we get handed the kindest of draws (which never happens).
Support
So Wenger still has a lot of work on his hands but thankfully for him our support has never been so united. We have been a laughing stock of late and the likes of SkySports News tried to jump onboard a poor attendance of 46,000, when you have the likes of Manchester City failing to sell out their first ever Champions League game. I love the togetherness that the supporters feel at the moment. We've been stabbed in the back by players we've adored (that's not directed at Cesc) but our love for the club grows ever stronger.To lose such an influential manager could be devastating to us but it isn't as bad as it would have been say seven or eight years ago. A win in the North London derby would do wonders for the club both on and off the field. Let's see that become a reality next weekend.
BREAKING NEWS
Jack Wilshere out for a period of months as he will need surgery on his troublesome ankle injury.
Things just got a whole lot worse!
Oh well, there's always next season!
Monday, 29 August 2011
The Morning After The Night Before
Do you ever get that feeling when you first wake up that you don’t know what day it is or what happened the day before and then suddenly your stomach sinks and you remember everything instantly? It was the best two seconds I’ve experienced since our horror show at Old Trafford yesterday. All I have is questions for the Arsenal Hierarchy and no answers. Who do I aim them at? Is there any point? I’m blatantly just pissing into the wind.
So where do we start with yesterday? Well the line up is a good place.
Wenger went with inexperience at full back, after the loss of Bacary Sagna to illness! Ill Udine
Whilst it was a horrific team display, I thought Djourou was particularly horrendous. That performance is up there with Stepanovs v Dwight Yorke and co. He was so easy to expose. Countless 1-2’s had him like a rabbit in the headlights. Why did he try to shield a ball back to Szczesny, whilst it was bouncing and in our own box? He also got caught ball watching and unable to recover time after time. They just never learn.
If you want to compare that with Thomas Vermaelen v Liverpool, you'll see the difference.
For those that haven't used this great app (FourFourTwo Stats Zone), orange X's and O's are clearances. Purple are failed attamepts and the black triangles are fouls. This doesn't show how many times he was motionless and exposed by United.
In fairness to his centre half partner I didn’t think Koscielny did that bad but neither were dominating and we might as well have had some bollards at the back.
Then we move onto our midfield, the key to this entire formation. Poor debutant Coquelin didn’t have a hope with Ramsey and Rosicky. Rosicky was seen in the warm up trying to pass on some advice ahead of game, which was good to see but as soon as the match kicked off he (Coquelin) was fed to the lions. Neither Rosicky or Ramsey offered much in the way of support and he did quite well considering, especially when you take into account he was substituted when score line was 3-1.
Then we have the non dynamic forward three. I’m not sure whether the departure of Cesc and Nasri has led some players to believe they are more important than the actually think but Walcott stitched his ‘mate’ up at right back and woefully exposed him throughout, which led to an altercation between the pair and Jenkinson told Theo to ‘fuck off’. A lot of fans on twitter made the point it was nice to see passion but you can’t help but feel Theo wouldn’t have done the same to Sagna. Theo, as an experienced team member needs to focus on helping the lad not hindering him. Jenkinson became clumsy and was later sent off. A lot was also made of Van Persie’s poor pen but in truth I don’t think it would have had an impact on the result. We were going to lose yesterday, no matter what. Van Persie has been in sensational form all year but now he is captain he has to stand up and be counted. He does have questions over his big game mentality and yesterday did little in the way of quelling that. He got a goal, yes but it was a token gesture. As for Arshavin, well I’ve always been a fan of his because he creates but it obvious to us all that he is merely a passenger in this side and we can ill afford those at present.
The teams perfromance can be assessed by their influence on the game compliling all of their stats:
The bigger the name the bigger the influence...
Post game Wenger looked for reasons behind the defeat
“You could see that we had not recovered completely from Wednesday night. We were as well weak in some departments and Manchester
Even though we had made 5 changes to the starting line up.
Although Wenger declined to apologise for the performance in his initial SlySports interview, he did so in his press conference.
"The fans were great and I feel sorry for them. They do not want to see their team like that. We can only apologise and come back in our strength and desire in the next game."
Nice to see a bit of honesty for a change and that leads us to the highlight of yesterday. Our support, It must have lasted for about 15-20 minutes if not longer but chants of “We love you Arsenal, we do” rang out loud and clear around Old Trafford. Every one of our supporters in attendance is a credit to Arsenal Football Club. We’ve had to put up with a lot at Old Trafford in the way of gloating from the United faithful but in the face of adversity and a pathetic display, the support was phenomenal.
Moving onto overall support for a moment but off the field we are starting to see cracks in The Emirates project. I found this on Arsenal.com last night:
Swansea City at Home, 3pm kick off and it's a general sale. Astonishing,
Add to that approximately 11000 fans were wiped off the waiting list and the club is certainly heading in the wrong direction. I prefer to think supporters just can’t justify the obscene prices and it’s not a case of people turning their backs on the club. You have to take the rough with the smooth. Supporting Arsenal isn’t about winning trophies, it’s about watching/supporting your side play and should always enjoy that. No matter what.
So where do we go from here? Well Wenger, Gazidis and The Board have three days to work miracles because if they don’t there’ll be even more uproar. The Wenger Out brigade is now a majority and whilst it would be catastrophic for him to leave now, the end of the season might be the end for our legendary manager. A poll on Slysports.com asked if Arsenal would finish in the top 4. 85% voted no. Not surprising given the humping we received yesterday but our season could well be decided by our activity (or lack of) in the next 3 days. If we do promising business I will still believe but I’m not expecting anything to be honest.
Wenger said last night
“I know that in England
When a manager leaves a side you have to go through a poor run of form, lose your best players and have a lot of discontent through the entire club. We are currently in the midst of that and the next 72 hours will determine whether we can turn this around or if we’ll persist with our current policy. If we do persist this love affair between Arsenal and Arsene will come to a tragic end.
Realistically I think we need approx 8 quality additions to the squad, even with 8 players returning. We need 2 centre halfs to replace Squillaci and Djourou. We need quality cover at right back and possibly a left back, as Gibbs is already showing he is not to be relied upon. We desperately need depth in midfield. Frimpong might have resolved the cover needed at DM but we need at least 2 more centre midfielders. We need depth at striker to cover RVP, which looks like its going to Park Chu-Young and another winger. That is too much to do in an entire transfer window and possibly two windows but we all know it won’t happen, no matter how many windows it takes. The sands of time are fast running out and we need to act now. Over to you Arsenal, we all want to believe but someone isn’t telling the full story or we are just being lied time and time again. Prove us wrong for once.
Friday, 26 August 2011
Transfer Anxiety - Same Old Arsenal
Over the last few months it’s fair to say we’ve all been put through the mill a fair bit with the comings and goings at our Football Club. Wednesday night was huge for some many reasons but if the worst case scenario had reared its ugly head it would have severely impacted our ability to bring in new players. We won and now we are days away from the window closing. It is clear we are trying to do business with Bolton and they attempting every trick in the book to drum up interest, which is a good sign but ultimately at this moment in time Gary Cahill is still a Bolton Wanderers player.
Wenger said in his press conference today
"I will try to strengthen the squad in depth because at the moment we are a bit short number-wise but if we get two or three players in we have the quality to challenge."
That is promising but he went on to say
"There is a chance [we could make no signings] because again we are dependent on the desire of the people who have the players to sell the players."
If you wanted to analyse those quotes you might come to the conclusion that we might not sign anyone, so is Wenger saying we won’t be able to challenge? Irrespective of our opinions I’d imagine AW would always believe we were challengers, given his notorious stubborn nature. However, for me the thought of us signing three players is quite positive talk from AW. I want to genuinely believe that this side can contend for major honours, at the moment I can only hope. I want to get carried away with the hysteria that comes with a new attacking signing and seeing the positivity flow through the club once again. We’ve be bogged down with so much negativity over recent months this club needs a facelift. The feel good factor needs to return.
Imagine the headline, Hazard signs for Arsenal. Arsenal.com would go into meltdown. The internet can barely handle the Arsenal rumour mill, my phone certainly can’t. I now have Eden Hazard saved as a search on twitter to see if rumours have any foundation and thus far all I can find is an article by a non-credible website from last night that has been recycled many times today. This is what it has come to, I spend time in my day translating various websites to find legit sources behind stories. However, I know deep down that it probably won’t happen but this is the sort of inspiration we need to galavanise our side. Arsenal want good commercial results, shirts would fly out of the club store; printing would go through the roof. After all you have to speculate to accumulate right? Every man and his dog know Hazard is a play that would help fill the void left by Fabregas and The Million Dollar Man.
I am at a point where I don’t care how much we pay for players. I’m not saying sign average players for 20m like certain sides but the likes of M’Vila, Hazard and Cahill for me can command 60m-80m worth of fees. It no longer matters that we get the best deals possible. I just want them signed, holding our shirt and telling me they’ve supported Arsenal all of their life. We moved to this stadium to compete financially remember.
In less than 5 days this will all be over and I can snap out of this pathetic routine that I have fallen into but Wenger needs to come up trumps otherwise the knives that are already out there will get that much sharper. We got lucky last year when we didn’t replace Almunia but this is multiple positions that need strengthening now and we need to buy. We cannot afford to take a gamble on the current squad but there is a part of me that thinks we won’t get what we want and we’ll have to make do. Let’s hope this isn’t the case.
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
A Striking Dilemma
Van Persie's Arsenal
Much has been said about our defensive issues over the last season and more, but what also concerns me going into this season is our lack our depth at the striker. As our football club prepares for departure of Cesc Fàbregas, much attention will turn to the captain in waiting Robin Van Persie. This is now Van Persie's team without any shadow of a doubt. He is our leader in terms of performance on the pitch (all be it the wrong choice for skipper), he is in the form of his life but when we played Benfica last Saturday, he got clattered and was down requiring treatment. As every gooner collectively sighed cross the globe hoping this wasn't another injury like the one he picked up at Ewood Park last season, it suddenly dawned on me that it wasnt just a another case of 'van Persie ruled out indefinitely', this was now a situation where without the great Dutchman we carry very little threat in reserve.
Competition (or lack of)
Van Persie is without a doubt our leading striker but we all know he isn't exactly reliant... Hopefully he can overcome that this season and beat his best record of 38 starts in a season but if the worst was to happen, we have to look to our squad. Marouane Chamakh would appear to be the next in line and that worries me, immensely. First of all we are going to have to rely on him to get us through the first 90 minutes of our tie v Udinese. Relying on a player who has mustered 11 shots at goal (in the Premier League) since Christmas is nothing short of disgraceful and embarrassing. Of those 11 shots he's managed to get a mighty 2 on target, he's averaging a shot on goal every 215 minutes (via @orbinho). What is all of that about? Given our wealth of wingers and the creativity that Fàbregas brings/brought to our side it makes me wonder if we've put a square peg in a round hole. Chamakh looked a real threat during his time at Bordeaux and he even started his Arsenal career well but the phrase "form is temporary, class is permanent" doesn't look like it applies in the case. There is speculation about his private life affecting his performances but if that is the case it has now gone on for 8 months and that isn't acceptable. He didn't manage a single goal in pre-season, even against a Malaysia XI and the mighty Hangzhou Greentown. He is paid a reported 50k a week and I can't help but feel Bendtner's appetite for starts would be served better by staying at Arsenal, rather than being lower in the pecking order to Chamakh. His touch has been appalling throughout his baron spell and his ability to hide in games is unbelievable. Fans always get on the backs of Arshavin and Bendtner but they always put themselves up there when it comes to creating or scoring goals. Then we have Carlos Vela, who to be fair to him has shown that he is a lot more lively and ruthless in his appearances during pre-season. For a start, he's actually scored, twice! I would say he is ahead of Chamakh in terms of starting but that's more of damming indictment on Chamakh than it is praise for Vela. The Mexican does get into positions where he can hurt sides but are we in a position where a player that we loaned out to West Brom, who couldn't hold down a starting berth with them, suddenly becomes our number 2 striker, I don't think so. I would like us to convivnce Bendtner to stay with us. He may not be the regular starter but considering we can play approx 60 games in a season, when Van Persie has only managed over 30 starts once in his Arsenal career, that's as good as assurance you'll get for minutes on the pitch. It is however unlikely given Bendtner's claim that a transfer is very close to happening that he will ever pull on an Arsenal shirt again (much to the delight of many Arsenal fans).
Wingers
We do also have striking options on the wings but giving the tactics/selection in pre-season I can't see Theo Walcott entertaining any time through the middle. Maybe an injury crisis will break out and Arsène Wenger will have no choice but to put our new age number 14 at the heart of our attack. I think Walcott would make an excellent striker (as I have blogged on at the end of last season), he has all of the qualities we need but it appears another season on the right wing beckons. Maybe once Oxlade-Chamberlain shows he is ready to play week in week out we'll see Theo make the transition from winger to striker. We also have a man for all forward positions in Gervinho but he has accommodated the flanks throughout all of his appearances so far. He certainly has the directness within the box to go for goal and he would definelty score us goals but given his career at Arsenal is in it's infantcy it's unlikely he'll move either. We've also deployed Arshavin as a centre forward in the past but that didn't quite go to plan. Especially when we lost 3-1 to United but he wasn't to be faulted given that fact he competed for crosses against Ferdinand and Vidic. How Arshavin paid for that cracking strike at Anfield.
Buy Buy Buy
We need to sign a striker, it's as simple as that. Van Persie needs competition for his place, the team needs more than one genuine goal source and maybe it buck the ideas of certain alleged forwards. No Plan B has often been a commonly used phase around the The Emirates and we may well start the season without a genuine plan A, if we are to lose Nasri & Fàbregas. Irrespective of those issues we will need to show intent in the transfer market and sign a forward, fans clamour for the signings of Benzema or Rossi. Players like Llorente may become available if we pay the right price. This is a worrying time regarding the direction our club is heading in but we seem to have so many issues that one transfer window may not be enough to sign the players we need. One thing is for certain, if Fàbregas and/or Nasri is to leave by the weekend, the club and the fans need top class players coming through that door or this may well prove to be a long season. After all Wenger said we wouldn't be a big club if we sold them, he can however prove we are a big club by bringing in proven players.
Much has been said about our defensive issues over the last season and more, but what also concerns me going into this season is our lack our depth at the striker. As our football club prepares for departure of Cesc Fàbregas, much attention will turn to the captain in waiting Robin Van Persie. This is now Van Persie's team without any shadow of a doubt. He is our leader in terms of performance on the pitch (all be it the wrong choice for skipper), he is in the form of his life but when we played Benfica last Saturday, he got clattered and was down requiring treatment. As every gooner collectively sighed cross the globe hoping this wasn't another injury like the one he picked up at Ewood Park last season, it suddenly dawned on me that it wasnt just a another case of 'van Persie ruled out indefinitely', this was now a situation where without the great Dutchman we carry very little threat in reserve.
Competition (or lack of)
Van Persie is without a doubt our leading striker but we all know he isn't exactly reliant... Hopefully he can overcome that this season and beat his best record of 38 starts in a season but if the worst was to happen, we have to look to our squad. Marouane Chamakh would appear to be the next in line and that worries me, immensely. First of all we are going to have to rely on him to get us through the first 90 minutes of our tie v Udinese. Relying on a player who has mustered 11 shots at goal (in the Premier League) since Christmas is nothing short of disgraceful and embarrassing. Of those 11 shots he's managed to get a mighty 2 on target, he's averaging a shot on goal every 215 minutes (via @orbinho). What is all of that about? Given our wealth of wingers and the creativity that Fàbregas brings/brought to our side it makes me wonder if we've put a square peg in a round hole. Chamakh looked a real threat during his time at Bordeaux and he even started his Arsenal career well but the phrase "form is temporary, class is permanent" doesn't look like it applies in the case. There is speculation about his private life affecting his performances but if that is the case it has now gone on for 8 months and that isn't acceptable. He didn't manage a single goal in pre-season, even against a Malaysia XI and the mighty Hangzhou Greentown. He is paid a reported 50k a week and I can't help but feel Bendtner's appetite for starts would be served better by staying at Arsenal, rather than being lower in the pecking order to Chamakh. His touch has been appalling throughout his baron spell and his ability to hide in games is unbelievable. Fans always get on the backs of Arshavin and Bendtner but they always put themselves up there when it comes to creating or scoring goals. Then we have Carlos Vela, who to be fair to him has shown that he is a lot more lively and ruthless in his appearances during pre-season. For a start, he's actually scored, twice! I would say he is ahead of Chamakh in terms of starting but that's more of damming indictment on Chamakh than it is praise for Vela. The Mexican does get into positions where he can hurt sides but are we in a position where a player that we loaned out to West Brom, who couldn't hold down a starting berth with them, suddenly becomes our number 2 striker, I don't think so. I would like us to convivnce Bendtner to stay with us. He may not be the regular starter but considering we can play approx 60 games in a season, when Van Persie has only managed over 30 starts once in his Arsenal career, that's as good as assurance you'll get for minutes on the pitch. It is however unlikely given Bendtner's claim that a transfer is very close to happening that he will ever pull on an Arsenal shirt again (much to the delight of many Arsenal fans).
Wingers
We do also have striking options on the wings but giving the tactics/selection in pre-season I can't see Theo Walcott entertaining any time through the middle. Maybe an injury crisis will break out and Arsène Wenger will have no choice but to put our new age number 14 at the heart of our attack. I think Walcott would make an excellent striker (as I have blogged on at the end of last season), he has all of the qualities we need but it appears another season on the right wing beckons. Maybe once Oxlade-Chamberlain shows he is ready to play week in week out we'll see Theo make the transition from winger to striker. We also have a man for all forward positions in Gervinho but he has accommodated the flanks throughout all of his appearances so far. He certainly has the directness within the box to go for goal and he would definelty score us goals but given his career at Arsenal is in it's infantcy it's unlikely he'll move either. We've also deployed Arshavin as a centre forward in the past but that didn't quite go to plan. Especially when we lost 3-1 to United but he wasn't to be faulted given that fact he competed for crosses against Ferdinand and Vidic. How Arshavin paid for that cracking strike at Anfield.
Buy Buy Buy
We need to sign a striker, it's as simple as that. Van Persie needs competition for his place, the team needs more than one genuine goal source and maybe it buck the ideas of certain alleged forwards. No Plan B has often been a commonly used phase around the The Emirates and we may well start the season without a genuine plan A, if we are to lose Nasri & Fàbregas. Irrespective of those issues we will need to show intent in the transfer market and sign a forward, fans clamour for the signings of Benzema or Rossi. Players like Llorente may become available if we pay the right price. This is a worrying time regarding the direction our club is heading in but we seem to have so many issues that one transfer window may not be enough to sign the players we need. One thing is for certain, if Fàbregas and/or Nasri is to leave by the weekend, the club and the fans need top class players coming through that door or this may well prove to be a long season. After all Wenger said we wouldn't be a big club if we sold them, he can however prove we are a big club by bringing in proven players.
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