Compare the Meerkat

March 11, 2010

They say that Russians as a race are as melancholy as much of their music, with a suicide rate among the highest in the world fuelled apparently by self-doubt, depression and copious quantities of Vodka.

To look at our little Russian is often to see that melancholy reflected in his chiseled features and some of his casual passes have suicide written all over them, and yet the title of little Mozart bestowed on him by admiring countryman and fans alike, speaks of a lighter joyous side far from the stereotypical Russian.

So does he care? Are his regular apparently destabilising utterances, so keenly cut and pasted from the Russian papers by our  own sensation seeking hacks true, or does there indeed lurk within the little man a large slice of the national characteristic.

To see him run with and manipulate the ball, with such consummate skill one minute and the next to give it away carelessly, with a shrug of the shoulders and an indifferent expression on that red cheeked face, reminiscent of a teething child, leads one to wonder what exactly motivates this competitive enigma that is Andre Arshavin?

Was Arsène right in his original comments questioning Andrey’s suitability for the premier league? Did he really believe? Had his meticulous homework highlighted the character issues I am now questioning? Indeed was this just a reluctant last minute gamble, a sop to the fans, desperate for a named signing, that has had the added bonus of generating huge shirt sales.

Whatever the reasons, it undoubtedly succeeded short term, providing a degree of cover following our disastrous injury glut, and some memorable performances, his 4 goals against Liverpool and last nights Porto exhibition spring to mind. At the same time it has allowed our equally talented young players to train on and come through.

But can Wenger hold him in tune with the clubs oft stated collective ambition?  Is his Russian heart, already perceived red at birth, able to embrace, serve and love this club in a foreign land, with the passion and loyalty such a love engenders and demands (Witness. TH14). Or is he, as many perceive, more likely, an itinerant mercenary seeking purely monitory rewards for the exquisite talent residing in that compact body and fast feet.

Perhaps this is the reason for his famous fast exit at game end, a reluctance to risk bonding with the faithful who pay homage to his skill, many of whom contribute large chunks of their disposable income to help finance the obscene salaries, demanded by today’s professional footballer. They surely are entitled to more respect in return from the man

Without doubt we need his wonderful talents. But am I alone in wondering exactly what goes on beneath that fair hair and does pulling on the famous shirt with its Cannon Crest excite him, or just remind him of the dark days his nation and forbears have endured through recent history? Thus determining that his family’s well being rather than personal ambition or trophies won, should be the main driving force in his chosen career, wherever that may take him.  Or am I just being unfair.

By Guest Writer dandan

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Don’t you just love being an Arsenal supporter?

March 10, 2010

A barnstorming display from Bendtner, a goal of pure genius from Nasri and an all round controlled performance from the rest of the good guys enabled us to power past Porto and onto the quarter finals.

The tension we were all feeling before this game turned out to be unnecessary as the five goal thriller unfolded in front of our eyes.  Porto were pants but just how poor, we were not to know and neither were the team.

In preparation Sol, wearing the glorious red and white again for the first time in ages, went round to each player like a captain in the trenches preparing his troops with fortifying words readying them for the task ahead. The whistle blew and our boys were up and over, no shirkers here; there was no doubting that Sol’s spirit would hold up, the only question was whether his body could but whenever he looked in doubt he had the heart felt support of every Arsenal supporter willing him on.

The pressure was taken off him and the rest of us when Bendtner put us ahead early on. The Great Dane could not have wanted for a more perfect opportunity, not because it was easy but rather that there was no time to let the doubts of Saturday creep in, instinct to finish was all that was required and he did not disappoint. Nasri played a through ball to Arshavin who sprinted towards goal with purpose, their keeper dived at his feet, the ball popped out and Bendtner was at the right place at the right time yet again to slide in and poke the ball home.

The early goal settled our nerves, real belief started to run throughout the team. Song and Diaby were in the middle performing an old Vieira and Petit number and then there was Arshavin out on the wing who one minute was slaloming through the Porto defence as if they weren’t there and the next he was playing a suicide ball across the midfield just ripe for Porto to run onto and score fortunately as we know that didn’t happen but did he look concerned when it happened? No he didn’t, he just shrugged his shoulders.

There was something different about Arshavin’s mannerisms, something I just couldn’t put my finger on and then, after some thought, it dawned on me: he’s gone French, all that Frenchness in the dressing room has rubbed off on him, the Gallic shrug of the shoulders, the look of how could I possibly be wrong on his face — and the absolute genius in the rest of his play: he tortured Porto.

The Russian deserves all the credit for the second goal he went past three defenders as if they weren’t there before firing a low drive across the box for Bendtner to tap in his second. This goal obviously helped but it didn’t put the tie to bed.

Porto came out in the second half knowing that if they didn’t do something they were out and for ten minutes we had to deal with the nail biting question of what happens if they score, this was all made academic when not long after Nasri scored the best goal that has ever been scored in the short history of the Emirates.  He weaved his way around most of the Porto defence like an unstoppable spinning top before powering the ball past their keeper, he knew how good that goal was and so did we. This goal was the cue to sit back, relax start roasting crumpets on the open fire and enjoy the show and what a show we still had in store.  There was one star fish from Eboue followed by his superbly finished forth in a way that Thierry Henry at his height would have been proud of. And what’s more there was still time for Bendtner to get his hat trick.  What a fantastic night’s entertainment.

Player ratings:

Almunia: a rare clean sheet but a very important one. I still say that him watching the first leg at Porto reassured him more than any other event. 7

Sagna: this man is like a thoroughbred horse he needs resting from time to time to get the best out of him. Tip-top defending and you could see the concentration on his face just before he was about to cross the ball, he has obviously been practising. 8

Campbell: don’t you just love him; any man that revives the “Invincibles Huddle” can do no wrong with me. 7

Vermaelen: this man holds the key to our success, we can cope with an injury to almost any other player except the Belgian. If you think of the alternatives they are scary, he did the job of two players having to make up for Sol’s lack of pace and because of that I make the Vermanator my man of the match. 8.5

Clichy: absolutely brilliant, there is nothing more pleasing than to be proved wrong about a player. I feared he would never return to form after his recent injury, I was wrong: a classy determined display. 8

Diaby: patrolled the middle of the park with skill and authority this man visibly improves week on week. 8

Song: another commanding performance, he is going to be the best in the world in his position when he is twenty six. 8

Nasri: he is starting to come into his own now, and what a great time to do it. The young Zidane they say and I would not try and disagree. 8

Rosicky: a clever choice this by Wenger over the expected Walcott, the Czech keeps the ball better and adds more to the defence, he was part of the plan to contain Porto in the first part of the game before releasing Theo, if we were ahead, or throw on Eduardo if we were behind. 7.5

Bendtner: how many Bendtners does it take to change a light bulb? How many light bulbs have you got. What a way to answer your critics, the hat trick hero deserves all the praise he gets. 8

Arshavin: I wonder who the opposition would have to be for the Russian to deem them worthy enough to give his full attention. He gave the impression that Porto were beneath him and would only turn it on if and when he felt like it, but when he did it was pure genius. 8

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Posted by LB

O’Porto’Unity Knocks ….. I mean that most sincerely folks

March 9, 2010

Big game tonight and a very interesting situation. We all know how our hapless Pole ruined what would have been a comfortable victory, and how we are capable of making a similar mistake at home.

To me this is the crux of the game. I am certain we have “enough in the locker” to score the goals to go through – even without Fabregas. The combination of Diaby and Nasri was very creative at the weekend and with Song replacing our Invisible Brazilian, we will be very strong in midfield.

Upfront we have a wealth of talent. I would start with Arshavin, Bendtner and Walcott. A mixture of pace, guile and stature. Surely Nik cannot go through another 90 minutes spurning chances again?  If I were a betting man I would put a few kroner on AA and NB to score. Plus a brace from Diaby……. I am that confident. Diaby looked very good on Saturday and plays very well just behind the strikers.  Nasri played excellently without Cesc, and looks as though he wants the role as “The Man”

However, it is the  defence that will decide this tie. Should Sol and TV perform as we know they can we should be OK. Almunia has looked slightly less shaky (AW. Please, pretty please, sign a quality GK in summer). Clichy is returning to the form we know he is capable of, Gael retains the ability to make the wrong decision when to venture forward, but has grown incrementally over the past month.  The Right Back position is not so obvious, and it is with considerable surprise that I find myself hesitating about Sagna. – not because of his form, but due to Eboue’s. His combination play with Walcott galvanised  both players. Eboue defended better and Walcott found the space that on other occasions has been occupied by Sagna. Eboue crosses better than Sagna, is a more potent attacking threat but Sagna remains the better defender

My solution is to start with Eboue and  if when we are  ahead after 75 minutes, replace Theo with Sagna , pushing Eboue into midfield.

Tactically, I expect AW to be circumspect at the off, relying once again on our better technique and ball-retention to frustrate Porto. Porto have a poor away record, but as we have seen, quick thinking and fleet footed forwards. We must not forget to defend in the quest for goals ….. they will come. Arsenal are the team with the highest percentage of goals scored in the last 5 minutes, we get stronger through the game – a mixture of conditioning and spirit.

The loss of Fabregas is not just the loss of the best player in World football at the moment, it is also the loss of our Leader, and Cesc has really shown in the last few weeks that his fighting spirit can drive us onwards through adversity. However, the Stoke game exposed other leaders in the team, Sol, Clichy, TV, TR are all men who lead from the front. Should we go out it will not be because of lack of spirit.

Many pundits have expressed doubts about our European potential and fully expect Arsenal to go out tonight. To these chaps  (to a man Northerners with an axe to grind and ex-players who wouldn’t have got a game in our U-18’s , let alone our reserves)  I say, look away tonight, for we shall win comfortably. How do I know? Well, last night I had a vision. – I was lying in verdant fields under a warming sun, when a chap with a brylcreemed head sporting the Arsenal kit of the 1930’s – baggy shorts, proper cotton shirt, striped woollen socks and a hefty pair of boots – sat down next to me. He introduced himself saying in a broad Scottish accent ” I am the late, great Alex James, and I have a message for all Arsenal fans, we shall win 4-1 tonight. We will do it for Aaron Ramsey”

Trouble is , can one trust the words of a dead Scot?

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Posted by Erik the Red

May 1971 – A week in the life of a Veteran Gooner

March 8, 2010

Morning all, todays post is from guest writer dandan. It’s a really good read, we hope you enjoy it.

Monday 3rd May 1971.  Just one day in a 66 year long life. Five children, 10 grandchildren and a couple of wives ago. A working life, a happy life, a fulfilled life, yet in all that life, that day, that Monday 39 years ago stands out clearly, a milestone, a marker to excitement, expectation, pride and above all friendship, togetherness and achievement.

It began early, after working the morning and fidgeting away an hour of the afternoon it was time. I climbed into my car, picked up my mate, one of four of us that travelled to all Arsenal games together. The other two plus my brother were travelling in the Ford escort that was our real communal football vehicle. Our plan was simple we would meet up inside the ground.

We travelled the back doubles avoiding main roads, but it was soon abundantly clear that something was up; mid afternoon and even the side roads were busy. Eventually at about  4 o’ clock we found a road full of parked cars, with a police no parking cone at the end, quickly we parked the car with it’s front against the cone, jumped out, moved the cone to the back of the car and walked off.

White Hart Lane was where all my family’s loyalties lay, only I was the rebel, a gooner among all those spuds. We were on enemy territory, god and what a sight a queue of people 5 or 6 deep all round the ground and into the distance. We knew immediately, absolutely no chance to get in there by normal means. What to do? We headed for the front of the queue, passing thousands of people, hundreds of coppers. A plan was needed this was serious. Finally the main iron gates into the ground were reached, luckily they were still closed, 50 yards beyond them the turnstiles stood mockingly empty, inviting, waiting for the hordes in the endless queue. A line of police stood turning away anyone trying to join the queue.

Right by the main gate stands the White Hart Pub from which the ground gets its name. It was open, we went in and got a couple of half’s (part of the plan –  couldn’t waste money) and then stood outside casually leaning against the pub wall right by the gates, sipping our beers. At 5.30 the gates are unlocked and pulled open inwards. Immediately the people at the front of the queue, who have waited there overnight, rush forward scattering the line of police. We drop our glasses literally, join the rush, and sprint to the turnstiles, pay our money and we are through and in. We must have been two of the first 50 in the ground, as the man says don’t you love it when a plan comes together.

Not only are we in the ground, but also in the enclosure, people were pouring in. We felt desperate for our mates, knowing they had no chance of getting in as they had intended leaving work a bit later.

Then amazingly there they were, pushing through the crowd to join us, I had reckoned they’d be without my brother, a spud, although he knew this ground like the back of his hand.  In those days there was a press gate in one of the side roads, he was a regular there, a few quid in the attendants hand and he and they were through. 52,000 thousand locked out and we had all made it. They had just abandoned the car in a traffic jam, if it got towed, tough. It wasn’t they found it after the match and drove home.

The game was a blur with chances at either end, gradually we got on top, a 0 – 0 draw would be enough to win the league. Then with 3 minutes to go, Geordie Armstrong centered, Ray Kennedy leaped and headed home. Pandemonium, the stadium muted with tension till then, erupted. White Hart became Red and White Hart, every Spud seemed to disappear under a sea of scarves, hats and frantic, cheering, hugging, jumping Gooners.  The Spurs team went berserk kicking all and sundry the intention seeming to be that we would not field a full team in Saturdays cup final to take their ‘double’ record away. The referee saw what was happening and sensibly blew the whistle early. Where and how all the spuds disappeared to has puzzled me over the years, but the stadium from the moment the goal went in belonged to The Arsenal.

We left deliriously happy, found the car. No ticket, moved the cone and moved off listening to the radio singing and laughing. The normal 1hr journey home took 2 hrs but we never really noticed, what a day, what a night and the cup final still to come just 5 days away.

I had intended to end this post right there, with the championship won and the first leg of the 1971 double secured. But the act of writing it down after all these years, set me to thinking just how immense the events surrounding The Arsenal of the double year and that week in particular were in my life. Enlightening me above all to the importance of friendship and loyalty in a changing world.

First some background, as I said earlier I came from a family of Spuds, my earliest football memories are of being taken to WHL by my father (I saw Stanley Mathews play there, for Stoke I think) and the cup finals on TV. In those far off days the Cup Final was the only game live on TV, although before that you could see short highlights of it on Pathe News at Saturday morning cinema.

We then moved from London to Hertfordshire about a mile from what is now Beckingham Palace the home of David and Posh. So a trip into London for a carless family was an expensive undertaking and not taken often. For this reason as we got older the annual BBC Cup Final broadcast became a big event in our house. My 2 mates from school both Gooners would come along together with a gaggle of friends and family of the Spud variety.

Mum would move back and forth recharging cups and glasses and topping up the buffet she had provided, whilst we huddled around the TV. Then came the 1961 final when Dads dreams came true and Spurs did the double and the family partied long into the night. Us three Gooners of course the butt of every joke going. We were 17 at the time, apprentices or trainees, just able to afford to go to the home games at Highbury by train. Later I got a car and all games became available. But always the Cup Final at my parents home for my mates and I was mandatory.

Fast forward to 1971 double year, my parents have moved to Southampton, as Dads progression through the company required him to relocate. Then a week before Christmas the world changed, whilst travelling the dual carriageway that predated the M3 my dad’s car was hit by a lorry that came through the trees that lined the central reservation, he and his passenger died instantly.

I was devastated, my Dad and great mate gone. But my three Arsenal mates took over and made sure that I was accompanied to every Arsenal game that season and as they moved inexorably towards the double the sadness and realisation of the leg pulling and verbal I was missing with Dad grew.

Came that final week in May, Spurs on the Monday a euphoric, poignant day safely negotiated. Now because we had saved our programme vouchers, we also had our cup final tickets. But as the five days past I realised that I could not go to Wembley leaving my Mum alone down in Southampton, I needed to go and watch it with her. I gave my ticket to my mates and told them to give them to a Arsenal fan outside the ground.

They said nothing until Friday, our snooker night, when we met up they dropped the bombshell, they too had given their tickets away, and the faithful Escort all ballooned and ribboned up was parked outside and  bound for Southampton in the morning.

Needless to say it was a marvelous day tinged with sadness of course, Liverpool were overcome. Willow missed one on  the near post, Charlie lay on his back and waited his adulation, GG claimed a goal he never touched, whilst Eddy the real scorer couldn’t give a monkeys at the time, Frank at the final whistle, told the world we had xxxxxxx done it. Whilst we in the smart bungalow in Southampton watched it all on the big new colour Television that Dad had brought for my mum just 6 months previously.

It helped a lovely lady start to come to terms with her loss, but it taught me the meaning of true friends, enriching my life beyond belief and now all these years later as retirees, we still meet and greet and talk about our Arsenal days.

So I owe the Arsenal a great deal. Remarkably just that one word conjures up memories, of triumphs and disasters, but most of all it reminds me, that a common interest cemented four young men into lifetime friends.

Finally, may I say, as a newcomer, that as I read your posts, I sense that same feeling of comradeship, and respect for each other. Great game football, great club the Arsenal.

By dandan

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

How many Bendtners does it take to change a light bulb?

March 7, 2010

Why do it the easy way when you can do it the Arsenal way. This should have been a game in which Vik Akars’ responsibility was not only to organise the kit but to also supply the sun beds. That’s to say Almunia should have spent the afternoon lying back on a sun lounger, in the goal mouth, sipping a cocktail with a little umbrella sticking out. Vermaelen and Silvestre should have been doing no more than chatting around a barbeque on the eighteen yard line. All this going on while the forwards scored an amount of goals so high that it would have made the usual score-line of an Arsenal Ladies drubbing of the opposition seem like a low scoring affair. That’s what we deserved anyway, I reckon, after the high anxiety that we have had to suffer in recent games but oh no, some how we managed to give the absolutely useless Burnley a chance of getting something from the game. What has become clear from yesterday’s game is that if we are going to win something this season we are going to have to suffer for it.

This game should have been put to bed within the first fifteen minutes, chances falling to Fabrégas and, of course, Bendtner! Where do I start? One of those jokes springs to mind: how many Bendtners does it take to change a light bulb, although, with the obvious adjustment, making it: how many great crosses does Theo have to send in before Bendtner puts one away? We shall never know the answer, of course, because Wenger substituted him to spare further blushes.

As Bendtner made his way from the field my anger changed to sympathy, I am not sure if they showed it on telly but there was one very moving moment just after Bendtner had missed his eighth sitter to which in normal circumstances the fans would been at his throat but to my complete admiration they gave him a loud, heart felt rendition of “there is only one Nikki Bendtner.” The Dane was visible humbled by the support that was being shown and clasped his hands together and bowed his head as if to say thank you Japanese style. Irony of ironies was that as soon as he went off we didn’t seem to be half the threat.

Still we got there in the end, three points are three points are three points and with those little gems added to our tally we are nicely poised to spring to the top when the opportunity presents itself.

There is, of course, a new injury concern, there always is: Fabrégas limped off midway through the first half. Just a few moments earlier he had gone over to the bench to explain the problem and asked to be withdrawn; I can only imagine that they said to him: would you mind just popping back for a bit longer and putting us ahead — which he dutifully did. Nasri sent in an exquisite chip landing inch perfect in front of Fabrégas who calmly slotted it through the keeper’s legs and into the back of the net. That was the last kick of his game and he departed to his customary and always justified standing ovation.

Fabrégas’ departure was the cue for the Walcott and Nasri show to begin. Neither has played as well as they did in ages. Nasri was weaving his magic in the middle while Walcott ran rings around Burnley’s left back sending in perfectly weighted cross after cutback after cross and cutback for Bendtner to squander.

It is some distance from Burnley to London which should have given the visitors plenty of time to read the script which clearly stated that we would take three points easily from this game; unfortunately, they didn’t study it thoroughly as they should have because just after half time the cheeky monkeys went and scored and that definitely wasn’t in the script. This gave rise to more anxiety than we deserved, Walcott continued teeing them up for Nik who continued to miss them and then, as if fed up with his fine work being wasted, Theo picked the ball up on the right and rather than send in another cross to be wasted he danced past three Burnley defenders before curling a low left foot drive along the floor and into the corner leaving the goal keeper spread helpless on the floor.

Two one up and the whole ground including Burnley expected the flood gates to open but no matter how many chances were sent over to Nik he just couldn’t give us that all important two goal cushion which as we all know would have been the cue for the party to begin. Instead we had to suffer Burnley coming onto us fuelled by the outrageous notion that they might get something from the game.

Nails being chewed all over the ground I noticed Wenger go up to the Burnley manager and point to something in a book, I can only assume that he was pointing to the script, the one that said that we end up winning by a two goal margin, it had to be that because shortly after Arshavin put us all out of our misery by scoring the third; we finally got our cushion but with only seconds left there wasn’t enough time to stretch out and enjoy Vik Akers’ sun loungers.

Player ratings:

Almunia: no complaints, a tidy game; had to deal with a few long range speculative efforts which he handled well, his distribution was noticeably better. 7

Eboue: not one single bit of play acting; he obviously read Friday’s post and decided to buck his ideas up, a very thoughtful performance today, impressive. 7

Silvestre: he’s not great, we know that but bearing in mind all the injuries we have I still say thank goodness we have him. 5.5

Vermaelen: he is so much part of the furniture that I am starting to struggle to remember what life was like without him. Had to work extra hard to cover for Silvestre’s lack of pace which he did in his usual brilliant way. 8

Clichy: was back to his best last week against Stoke and carried on where he left off. I feel secure having him around again. 7.5

Denilson: got better as the game went on, made himself available at the right time and in the right place. 6

Fabrégas: we can only hope that he is not out for any longer than it takes to buy a Mars bar from the shops and when I think about it even that is too long. The Master. 8

Rosicky: a tidy game, starting to give the impression that he really cares again, less flicks and tricks and more determined passing and shooting. 7

Walcott: by contrast to the dire Wes Brown, Eboue was a superb partner. Confidence led to a level of quality that we haven’t seen in his play, I was going to say ages but I should probably say ever, well done Theo. 8.5

Bendtner: he was so wasteful I just had to laugh in the end. 5

Nasri: man of the match today; this Frenchman is no winger. 9

By London

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Posted by LB

The ‘Ramsey Factor’ will prove too much for Burnley

March 6, 2010

I am reminded of the satanic mills, Bob Lord, and for some reason a young lad with a bicycle climbing up a cobbled street  to the sound of the New World Symphony with a loaf of Hovis underarm. Such are the prejudices of youth!!

Burnley are as Northern as one can get in terms of football culture. The Tyne teams may be geographically further North but not in terms of football mentality. I have no idea why I think this way, perhaps because Burnley were the most successful Northern team of my childhood and it seemed such a bleak place. Whilst Spurs employed Danny Blanchflower and Wolves had Billy Wright (both urbane and media friendly), Burnley had Jimmy Mcilroy – hardly a household name in North London!.

Of course this was Burnley’s golden era and since the early ’60’s success has remained elusive.  Over the following 40 years they suffered a descent to the bottom of the 4th division, narrowly escaping oblivion. Under the managership of Steve Cotterill and subsequently Owen Coyle, Burnley returned to the Premier division in 2009 – just being in the Premiership is huge testament to their progress. Unfortunately for Burnley they have only a few games left at the top table, and in all likelyhood will return to the murky depths of the Championship. Of course, Burnley fans would argue that they are just 2 points from safety, but sadly their away form of 1 point this season will secure their fate.

Currently managed by Brian Laws, Burnley play attractive football. I believe Laws has a decent future as an EPL manager, though taking over from Owen Coyle just 2 months ago was a brave decision on his part. Of their team, Chris Eagles has looked the most creative player –  raised at OT under the tutelage of SAF, he has pace and trickery but little end product. Eagles gave us some problems up at Turf Moor and in Robbie Blake he has a willing central runner. In Brian Jensen they have a Danish keeper to chat with Nik, and a man who is hero worshipped by the fans. You may recall that we squeezed a 1-1 draw away in December and were fortunate to escape with a point. We scored early (perhaps the only time this season) and then went to sleep. Backed by their very vocal fans, Burnley stormed back into the game and soon equalised. They then dominated the second half, hitting the woodwork and could consider themselves unlucky not to take all 3 points.

As to Saturday, we are as usual bereft of a number of first teamers, however, we are all aware of Burnley’s away form (one point in 14 games), the dire state of their defence (conceded at least two goals in every away game), and how potent we can be at THOF. And of course there is the Ramsey Factor which will surely spur our lads onto victory. If we drop a point in this one, I will flambé my favourite hat!

Few will know that David Lloyd George, founder of the Welfare State and Liberal Prime Minister in the 20’s, was a big football fan. It will further surprise you that my father used to stand next to him on the terraces of the Clock End (Lloyd George being a man of the people). And as everyone now knows David Lloyd George was a renowned Gooner…..

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Posted by Erik the Red

Why does Wenger make his job so difficult?

March 5, 2010

At a time when Arsenal seem to be under attack on a weekly basis, it would seem ridiculous to join in with any criticism of our own – so, being obtuse, that’s exactly what two of our bloggers have decided to do on ‘Rant Friday’.

London’s Beef

Wenger doesn’t do himself any favours in his attempt to get referees to give our skilful players more protection. The task is profoundly hindered by his tacit acceptance of Eboue’s amateur dramatics. I am, of course, being generous here; Eboue is cheating, as we all know, when he rolls around on the floor feigning injury.

Bearing in mind just how much of a cheat Didier Drogba is, it would be easy at this juncture to make a sweeping generalisation about the mind set of all Ivory Coast players but then, completely contradicting the assumption, they have someone who I doubt has ever feigned and injury in his life: Kolo Toure is one of the games true gentlemen.

Not knowing the Ivory Coast and leaving myself open to accusations of bigotry I, nevertheless, can’t help but wonder if the country is divided into a culturally French part and a culturally English part. Anyway, the fact remains that while Wenger allows Eboue’s cheating he makes his job much harder which in turn makes the likelihood of a Ramsey type injury to yet another Arsenal player even greater than it needs to be.

Rasputin’s Beef

I agree totally about Eboue’s histrionics. I have seen him on more than one occasion writhing in ‘virtual agony’ when we are a goal down with just a few minutes to go – time wasting for the opposition! My rant for Friday would be on a broader topic.

My issue is with Arsenal’s training staff who have consistently failed to improve (let alone eradicate) basic flaws in some player’s games.

They couldn’t stop Lazybarndoor straying offside. A lot of the time when Henry was offside it was a clever and deliberate ploy; defenders never knew where he would be, he’d even hide off the pitch or behind the GK.

Why can’t our training staff drum into our goalkeepers the importance of communicating loudly and decisively with the defenders? It’s simple, if they fail to do so, get them to stand at opposite ends of the pitch and shout to one another – or don’t they share the same language?

Why on earth, when we had a week to prepare, was there no player who had been instructed to cover the back post when Stoke took a long throw? Why is it we must lose possession more than 50% of the time when we take a throw in because players aren’t showing for the ball.

Why is it a high percentage of our corners don’t get beyond the first defender?

What is the point in bringing Theo back to defend corners? It would be better to get him to stand on the halfway line thereby tying up 2 or even 3 of their players and trying to clear the ball out to him quickly so that he can use that blistering pace and be attacking the opposition goal before they know it.

Can no-one really spend time (an extra hour after training) to improve Sagna’s crossing? I thought one of the things we prided ourselves on was that we develop players – so why can’t we develop Sagna’s offensive game?

Anyone would think I don’t love our club with that long list of moans, but it’s just that I really don’t understand. We are characterised by the intelligence of our manager and the integrity of the club, yet it is just not very clever to accept failings that it should be possible to cure.

The often quoted view of those who love to criticise us is that we think we are above the more grubby aspects of the game, but as Arnold Palmer put it many years ago “The harder I practise, the luckier I get” ….. Success is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. I think a few of our players may need to work a bit harder at some aspects of their game and the training staff should be held more accountable when things don’t improve….. but then what do I know?

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Theo Bashing Starts Today …….. Integrity Costs Nothing

March 4, 2010

Shortly after the game last night the knives were already out for Theo but if Lampard had converted the chance created  by him in the opening five minutes it could have been an entirely different story.

We’ve seen how Theo is a confidence player and as he started the game intelligently the goal could have changed how he performed the rest of the half.  He faded badly but in his defence he wasn’t included in the game as both Brown and Lampard seemed to forget he was there.  England started to tick when Crouch’s first goal went and sadly Theo had already left the field.

It would seem that Capello likes Theo and is prepared to give him chances in the same way as Wenger does.  For Theo to be included in the World Cup squad he needs now to produce some form for us and I’m sure that he’ll get that chance.

In his pre-match interview, Fabio Capello blamed the off-field problems of some of his England stars on the vast wealth they have accumilated as young men. Anyone with an ounce of common sense would realise that paying  a starting wage of £1k a week at 17 rising to anything from £20k to £160k is going to lead to a lack of judgement and a culture of irresponsibility.

The current  scandal involving  Wayne Bridge and John Terry has undermined the England team spirit. Previous embarrassments caused by Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney and the antics of Ashley Cole have revealed these young men to be selfish and self-indulgent. They think they are untouchable and beyond reproach.

Fabio Capello has urged them to concentrate on their football. To consider whether it’s football or scandal that they want to be remembered for. He wants them to recreate a collective spirit and  to focus on the performance of the team and the style in which they play and not on what happens off the pitch.

I hope the current crop of young lions,  including our Theo Walcott (who reportedly earns £60k per week) are  learning  how to behave. But I have to ask the question – where are the advisors? Capello is clearly unimpressed with how these pampered millionaires handle themselves and cites the same problems in all countries where  football is big business. He has asked the players to be careful in their private lives and to remember they are role models for children and for all fans.

At Arsenal, we have a wage ceiling, but our young players also earn obscene amounts of money.  Luckily we don’t have scandalous behaviour apart from the occassional misdemeanor with cars. Is this due to the guidance of  a team behind the scenes or are our players just more sensible? I would like to think that Arsène Wenger makes sure that his charges get the right advice but maybe hes just lucky.

The agents are only after their own slice of the pie but are they not morally obliged to help manage the wealth that these players with a  8-10 year career are likely to accumulate?

Back to the World Cup, I love the way our country goes nuts when England are in an International competition and if Theo finds his way onto the plane to South Africa and into the squad I’ll be very happy for him. He showed last night that he still knows how to be creative, I feel the criticisms of him are unfair – he hasn’t started a game for England for 8 months and he’s only been fit to start for Arsenal a handful of times. There’s still time time for him to fly the flag for Arsenal – Come on Theo prove them all wrong.

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Saint Ryan slain by Satanic Frenchman – and Aarons Road to Recovery

March 3, 2010

Three days on since the events at the Britannia and the debate rages on as to who is the villain and who is the victim. As any Gooner could have predicted, having the experience of Dan Smith and Martin Taylor’s interventions on our players (“Tiny” Taylor’s being especially unequivocal) to draw on, it would take very little time for it to be established by the agenda-driven media hog-pack that the victim was the leg breaker and the villain the manager of the leg breakee.

Chief peddlers of Arsenal hating utter crap being the paragon of virtue Stanley Victor Collymore ably aided and abetted by the likes of Puliss, Lou Macari, Derek McGovern and other sub-species of pond life however this is was not the first thing that occurred to me as soon as I heard of the completion of our grisly hat-trick of leg snaps.

Our young welsh mid-fielder has a long road of rehabilitation in front of him and having been in the position of recovering from major surgery I can empathise with what he will go through in the next six to nine months.

Exactly five years ago I was given what in medical parlance is called a “Cabbage”, a Cardiac Artery Bypass Graft – major surgery of a different quality to that of repairing a double leg break but both instances involve a long period of rehabilitation. In my case it was a solo effort and while Aaron will have a big medical team around him ultimately he will feel equally alone while he works his way back to fitness via hours and hours of rehabilitative exercises and therapies.

Initially major surgery results in a loss of confidence in a number of ways – you may feel too weak to want to exert yourself in any way or to test the part of you that was broken. The doctors can assure that it is acceptable to walk with your repaired leg or, in my case, put weight on you chest, but this loss of confidence meant I would fall asleep on my back for months as I subconsciously felt my chest would cave in.

Everyone will react to post operative trauma differently and perhaps Rambo will have no such fears but the loneliness of training on his own, when he would be with the rest of the squad normally, will be a different challenge that he has to face.

“I am lost to the world

with which I used to waste so much time,

It has heard nothing from me for so long

that it may very well believe that I am dead!

It is of no consequence to me

Whether it thinks me dead;

I cannot deny it,

for I really am dead to the world.

I am dead to the world’s tumult,

And I rest in a quiet realm!”

Based on a text in German by Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866)

I apologise to any students of German poetry but I thought of the above quote when I read comments questioning the wisdom of presenting Eduardo to the crowd at Ashburton Grove as he made his long slow painful recovery to fitness. I was there to see our Crozillian palpably moved by the crowd’s reaction and to my mind that is the type of encouragement that a player needs when he is training alone for long periods. To feel he is still part of the team, the squad and the larger Gooner diaspora is vital and so the same approach is needed for Rambo. When my two sons ran up to my bed in the ward a few days after my chest “cut and shut” it was a lift to the spirits similar to that Aaron will get when he takes his first steps on crutches onto the turf of the Grove.

We can all play some part in getting Aaron’s rehab off to the start it deserves, those of us lucky enough to be going to see the Burnley game can by singing his name out loud and make sure it’s sung every game till he’s back so he knows he’s not been forgotten.

There is the fear that Rambo will never be the same, as Diaby and Eduardo have suffered from a series of niggling injuries un related to the leg breaks but significant enough to hinder their progress. Time will tell just how well these three players of ours recover their abilities, skill and confidence on the pitch.

Sadly, going back to Saturday at the Potteries, we know this could all have been avoided had referee Walton applied the rules regarding dangerous and reckless play, however would we then have got the galvanising effect, admittedly at a potentially unacceptable cost to a teenagers career, on team spirit that resulted?

And that, as they say, is the hell of it.

By Charybdis1966

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Posted by Rasp

Our Way is the Right Way

March 2, 2010

We’ve had 2 days to digest the events of Saturday afternoon. The emotions have calmed and the parties involved have stated their case. Every Tom, Dick and ‘Arry has expressed an opinion. These are simply my conclusions.

The tackle was not malicious if you believe as I do, that Shawcross did not intend to break Ramsey’s leg. He was late, he missed the ball and used excessive force. A combination of over-aggression, lack of ability and poor decision making. The responsibility for the injury lies totally with Shawcross as he chose to enter into a challenge where damage to his opponent was a distinct possibility. In any other walk of life, under current Health and Safety laws, Shawcross could be prosecuted for the act.

A message to the Stan Collymore’s of this world who repeatedly trot out the line that “football is a contact sport”. The rules have changed. Tackles from behind have been outlawed. Two footed tackles are not allowed. Tackles with the studs up are not allowed.

The rules stipulate: – careless tackles are not punished; reckless tackles are a yellow card; excessive force is a red card. Shawcross was correctly given a red card because his ‘tackle’ contravened the rules. Those rules are in place to prevent players from suffering injury.

Football is not a contact sport like boxing. It is a game of skill where a level of physical contact is allowed, but that level should fall below the point where injury occurs. Would the fools who justify breaking the rules of football as a means of combatting more skillful play also advocate shoplifting if someone is short of money? – it’s an equally ridiculous attitude.

Thomas Vermaelen is a tough, physical competitive footballer, I can’t remember a single instance of him jumping in with a two footed, over the ball challenge. In fact I can’t ever remember the likes of Adams, Keown or Bould producing such crude challenges – perfectly timed slide tackles maybe. Defending and tackling are skills which didn’t require the opponent to get injured even in the ‘good old days’ that the Collymore’s of this world refer to.

The post match interviews and subsequent statements by Tony Pulis and Arsène Wenger were pretty much what you’d expect. I don’t think Pulis is a bad manager or a bad man. He sets his sides up to maximise their limited ability by creating a narrow pitch and rehearsing set plays that are hard to defend. He can’t afford to buy players with a high level of skill so he settles for brawn as it means he has a reasonable chance of getting enough points through a more physical approach to keep them in the premiership, but therein lies the problem. Arsène has built this squad on an equally low budget but managed to put the emphasis on skill by virtue of his ability and vision.

Arsène feels a huge sense of responsibility for his players and to see one of ‘his boys’ receive a career threatening injury for the third time in five years was extremely upsetting for him. I’m sure he is disappointed that football in England seems to have gone backwards rather than aspiring to the more sophisticated approach at the highest level on the continent. He must see the extreme irony in the view that some correspondents have expressed actually blaming him for the injury because he has made his players vulnerable by concentrating too much on skill.

Cesc said it all when being presented with the MotM award….

“You could ask yourself, we are not protected enough – I think so. You speak to the referee, ‘play on, play on’, I know it is England, I know it’s a great game, I know we all love this kind of play, but sometimes there is a top you cannot pass and we are sometimes victims”

– actually, a bit of an understatement I’d say!

Cesc has been systematically targeted by opposition ‘hard men’ all season. The horror tackle on Ramsey could just as easily have been against him. He has not been protected by referees and has received cards himself for seemingly innocuous tackles.

This debate must not be allowed to subside. It is a shame that so much focus is being placed on Stoke since it is actually the referees who have the power to avoid such situations by applying the rules fairly and consistently. Some referees seem to subscribe to the theory that it is OK to kick Arsenal players otherwise we have an unfair advantage due to the greater technical ability. The referee’s job is to protect the players. On many ocassions, they have failed to carry out that duty when officiating games involving Arsenal.

The players have learned from the experience of two years ago. They showed a resilience and determination after the injury that they lacked in 2008. That was due in no small part to the immense character and leadership of Campbell and Vermaelen as well as Cesc.

Every supporter would have traded the win for Ramsey escaping injury, but somehow the injustice has created an energy and will to succeed that has made even the most hardened sceptic believe we really can win the league. Justice for the good guys, for football and for a club that places the important values above winning trophies.

With the exception of our London rivals and fans of the other top four clubs, Arsenal is the team most supporters want to see win the league. We’ll win it our way or we’ll just keep trying because our way is what makes Arsenal unique and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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