Thug Shawcross Happy to Keep On Breaking Legs

October 11, 2010

I was staggered to read Ryan Shawcross’s contribution to the discussion about dangerous tackling. In the week in which Bobby Zamora and Hatem ben Arfa both suffered very serious injuries caused by so-called ‘full blooded’ tackles, Shawcross had this to say:

“The likes of Henry and de Jong, I’m sure, didn’t go out to injure another player on purpose. It’s part and parcel of football. They are tough-tackling central midfielders whose games are based on making tackles, winning the ball and then giving it to the ball-players. Sometimes injuries are caused.

“You have just got to accept in these times, with the ball moving so fast and the player moving so fast, you are going to mis-time tackles. That is when injuries can happen.”

Essentially this arrogant buffoon, this poltroonish ignoramus is saying that he has no intention of changing the way he plays.

Despite having watched Aaron Ramsey carried off with his leg snapped in four (tibia – two parts, fibula – two parts), despite putting Francis Jeffers out for three months with ligament damage, despite putting Emmanuel Adebayor out for weeks with a malicious foul that wasn’t even on the field of play, Shawcross sees no reason to do things differently. Which will mean more ligaments damaged and more legs broken in the future.

Don’t you love his use of the impersonal voice?:  “Sometimes injuries are caused.” Caused by whom Ryan? Some mysterious third force? An act of God? The Hoof Fairies?

No, you festering noodledick, they are caused by YOU and the rest of your brave fellows from the British Donkey Society (motto: Not Good, Not Fast, But We Kick Like Mules).

Then there’s the admission that he’s going to carry on hurting people because he’s too slow: “…with the player moving so fast, you are going to mis-time tackles. That is when injuries can happen.” Again he uses the impersonal voice to distance himself from the unfortunate outcome of being too slow: “injuries can happen” – when what he should be saying is: “that is when I, and cloggers like me, are likely to injure someone.”

We all know that the likes of Shawcross think that intimidating the opposition by ‘going in hard’ is a legitimate part of the game.  And spare me the comparisons with Arsene Wenger’s ‘red period’ when we were top of the sendings off league: I don’t recall an Arsenal player snapping someone’s leg in two during that time.

In fact, while the hard men of 10-15 years ago (the likes of Vieira, Keane, Batty) would undoubtedly try to impose themselves on the opposition, it was in a controlled way without risking career-threatening injuries (I know, I know, Keane on Haaland was appalling  but it was a crazy personal vendetta). What seems to have changed is the sheer recklessness with which agricultural midfielders and defenders hurl themselves into challenges.

Being ‘taught a lesson’ by Roy Keane meant you’d be bruised for a week, not sidelined for a year.

The reason for the rise in crazy, career-threatening challenges – a trend I call ‘malicious recklessness’ – appears to be a combination of several factors: the financial stakes involved in Premier League survival for unfashionable clubs, which causes some managers to advocate an ‘anything goes’ policy in games against more skilful opposition; a rise in the technical level of the EPL (thanks largely to the foreign influx) resulting in players who are faster and have better control than previously, making it more difficult for cloggers like Shawcross to compete fairly; the physical condition of today’s players – they are stronger and faster than in previous years, so if they tackle in an uncontrolled manner they are more likely to cause serious harm; a laissez-faire attitude among footballing authorities to the consequences of dangerous play.

Today’s Reckless Ryans and Careless Karls can always say afterwards “I didn’t mean to hurt him” but their recklessness makes the hurting inevitable and they should not be allowed to shirk responsibility for it. If you drive your car at 80mph down a suburban street, you may not intend to kill the little kid who runs out in the road, but try telling that to the judge.

In today’s EPL there are plenty of physical teams who stay within the bounds of legality and common human decency: within the last few weeks Chelsea, West Brom and Sunderland have all played a physical game against Arsenal without resorting to malicious recklessness. Arsene Wenger made no complaints about physicality in any of those games. He is just incredibly consistent about highlighting dangerous play when it occurs.

So what to do?

Well, there is one group of people who, I believe, can really make a difference in the battle to take dangerous rash play out of the game. It’s not the players, it’s not the managers and it’s certainly not the ineffectual stuffed shirts at the FA and FIFA. Tomorrow I’ll explain who they are and what they need to do.

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

Jack Wilshere: The Surprise Star Of Arsenal’s Season

October 10, 2010

Yes, we’re only a few games into the season, and despite thumping Braga and Blackpool at home, it hasn’t being all that impressive. We’re still suspect at the back, and tending to play a pass too many in front of goal. It makes one wonder have any lessons from last season been learnt?! Well, one player who has learnt buckets from last season is our whizzkid Jack Wilshere. Chamakh has been very good, Koscielny better (but far from what we need) than what I thought and Squillaci looks like he could form a nice partnership with Vermaelen when he returns.  So while all these have been relatively nice surprises, the nicest and best for me have come from this young man:

Don’t worry, I can hear ye all from here! “What planet have you been on for the last few seasons? We all knew Jack Wilshere was going to make it, the young lad is a genius, future Liam Brady so he is.”

Yes, I’ve been well aware of Jack for some time now, just like the rest of ye. The wonder goals he has scored for the reserve and youth sides, he always playing one level ahead of his age group, but none of us are as green to not understand that it is a completely different kettle of fish playing in the Premier League and Champions League against some of the best players in the world. The acid test would always be how he would compare against them, and to date he hasn’t looked out of place.

He has already formed a great relationship with Arshavin, and this gives me such confidence on Wilshere’s footballing brain. This 18-year-old kid is already able to link up and read the thoughts of our Russian star in his prime?! If he can do that at 18, what will he be capable of at 23/24? Already he demands the ball, and his colleagues are so confident in his ability they make no qualms of giving it to him. Something Theo could learn from Jack is to have confidence in your own ability – we could perhaps name at least five examples that show Jack playing some wonderful passes that have either created goals or great goalscoring chances – the type of passes we are used to seeing from Cesc. That’s just the passes, there have been some clever flicks too.

However, the best thing about Jack to date has been his maturity, and it is because of this I mention he has learnt buckets from last season. Before he went on loan to Bolton there were a small couple of question marks regarding his temperament. There were suggestions he was getting a bit above himself and lacked some maturity (I can’t say this is 100% true and am not trying to portray Jack as a moany kid, just going on the information coming out at the time).

It personally shocked me to see Wilshere be sent on loan to Bolton last season, but it has to be classed as another stroke of genius by Wenger, or maybe by Liam Brady who may have had input in the decision. Either way, Jack was removed from the cotton wool effect of the Emirates and sent to Bolton were no inch is given. No doubt he was thought how to knuckle down and get work done by Davies and Co. None of us may be fans of Bolton, but for me at least I am grateful for the couple of months of footballing education Jack got from them. Already this season we’ve seen him getting kicked lumps out of, but Jack just dusts himself down and gets on with the game, none of this moaning.

It will be interesting to see how much game time Wilshere will get when Fabregas comes back from injury against Birmingham. Cesc probably won’t be a 100% match fit, so perhaps Cesc to start and Wilshere to replace him on the 60/70min mark, although Wenger may start the two of them in midfield with Song as DM? We’ll see next week, but for now Jack is developing very nicely as a player, one needed by Arsenal, and dare I say it, very much so by England.

Written by Irishgunner

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Posted by criochnaithe

I’m an Arsenal supporter and Windows 7 was my idea

October 9, 2010

As usual, the international break has left a vacuum in the lives of many football supporters. I believe most (myself included) would place club before country and so the major hope is simply that none of our players get injured.

To pass the time, I’d like to offer a few ideas up for discussion.

Here are some suggestions for common sense changes in the game:

1. The FA should be able to review and punish all challenges where injury has occurred whether there has been a red, yellow or no card shown at the time.

2. When a player has to leave the pitch due to a tackle that has led to a free kick, the perpetrator of the tackle must also leave the pitch and should only return at the same time as the injured player or when a substitute comes on. At the moment, the side that is disadvantaged by having a player injured is further penalised by being a player short.

3. The end of extra time should be signalled by a siren/bell through the PA system and not the referees whistle. The 4th official could be empowered to add more extra time if a goal is scored or the game is delayed for any reason.

4. Tactical substitutions should not be allowed in extra time, only for injury.

5. The offside rule relating to players ‘not interfering with play’ is too subjective. If a player is offside and draws a defender out of position allowing a pass to reach another player who scores – he is interfering with play in my opinion. It should be returned to the old system where if any player is offside the whistle is blown.

6. Technology should be introduced, certainly for goal-line decisions and possibly for an on-the-spot review of match changing incidents. The system works in rugby, tennis and cricket. The argument that it disrupts the game doesn’t stand up when you consider the time lost when players surround the referee when they feel an unjust decision has been given.

7. A player who has played for his club but has subsequently been withdrawn from an international squad should not be allowed to play the next game for his club side.

The groundswell of opinion calling for changes in the rules particularly relating to technology and the punishment handed out to offenders is growing. I’d expect that many supporters of Fulham and Newcastle have been recruited to the cause and would like to see more being done to try to prevent potentially career ending challenges.

Arsenal Arsenal has leant its support to the ‘Kick Kicking out of Football’ campaign. I’m not asking for a radical rethink to the way the game is played, but just some common sense measures to deter players from making reckless challenges and for the punishment to fit the crime

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Posted by Rasp

Sick Note Cesc

October 8, 2010

Cesc Fàbregas is one of the best players in the world. But, looking at his appearance and injury stats, I’m beginning to doubt whether we can rely on him to be the heartbeat of our team.

With typical bad timing his latest injury has cleared up just in time for him to go away on international duty with Spain, but luckily this time, they have decided not to risk him.

So far this season Cesc has appeared in five of our 10 competitive fixtures – a ratio of exactly 50%.

Last season he played in 27 EPL games (71%), plus nine games in other competitions. The year before he turned out in the EPL 22 times (58%) and in all competitions 33 times.

Contrast that with his previous few seasons:

2007/8: Total appearances 45, including 32 (84%) in the EPL.

2006/7: Total appearances 54, including 38 (100%) in the EPL (yes, that’s right – every single EPL game, although four were as substitute).

2005/6: Total appearances 50, including 35 (92%) in the EPL.

2004/5: Total appearances 46, including 33 (87%) in the EPL.

It’s a worrying trend, showing our captain apparently becoming more injury prone as the years go by (and as opposition cloggers increasingly identify him as the main threat and kick lumps out of him).

We’re used to Robin van Perise having the label ‘Sick Note’ – but is that tag ready to be passed on to Fàbregas as well?

It’s automatic to think of RvP as a persistent absentee, but in the last two seasons his appearance record is not far behind Cesc’s (in the seasons 2008/9 and 2009/10 Cesc played in 64% of our EPL fixtures, Robin played in 58%. In the same period Cesc’s total appearances in all competitions were 69, Robin’s were 64).

What conclusions can we draw from this?

For me, a very blunt one: if Cesc is not fit to play the vast majority of our competitive fixtures this season (by which I mean at least 80%) then maybe it really is time to cash in and sell him to Barcelona next summer.

We won’t win anything when our two best players are each missing at least a third of the season every single year.

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

Wenger’s Tactics Were Spot On.

October 7, 2010

I make no apologies for continuing the navel gazing that has set in following our defeat at the weekend. It’s the International break and things are slow; so, I will carry on regardless and address the one topic that still doesn’t quite sit well with me and that is the criticism of Wenger for the tactics he employed against Chelsea.

There seems to be two schools of thought; unsurprisingly, as we lost, there are those who think that Wenger needs to completely rethink his approach to how we play Chelsea and when we consider our win to loss ratio over recent years even the most loyal, fully paid up, card carrying Wengerites, such as myself, have to admit that this view may be worthy of a bit more than a cursory glance.

In one corner we have those who think that we should have tried to have kept a clean sheet at all costs for the first hour, I am not sure how they expected to do that but I can only assume that they would have advocated a “Park the Bus” approach. Hmmmm, did we really want to go there and simply try not to lose, should we really have been that craven?

Wenger went there to win and, I was about to prefix what I was going to say next with the words, in my humble opinion, but as I have never had a humble opinion in my life I see no reason to start now, lol, Wenger got the tactics spot on, we used our superior passing ability to move forward and had we taken our chances we would have been two up inside ten minutes.

I don’t see why Wenger is expected to take the blame for Koscielny or Chamakh’s misses, the fact that these opportunities were created surely only goes to prove that Wenger’s tactics were working.

Chelsea make the hollow claim that they were happy to let us have possession secure in the knowledge that we would lose it and they would hit us on the break and score, absolute tosh, yes they scored but it was a lucky goal and it went against the run of play. Our most potent weapon is our ability to move towards a team like Chelsea en masse and play our way around them. It just didn’t quite come off but that still doesn’t say to me that the tactics are wrong, it says that we need be even more precise with our passing.

Fàbregas would have helped as would have Van Persie; someone suggested that if you had put Chamakh next to Drogba before the game you would have been able to tell which was going to win by their body language; well, if Van Persie was there it would not  have been so clear. This is all new to the Moroccan and he looks as though he needs a rest to take stock. Help is on its way: we get Nikki B back after the break and I am guessing that he realises that the bar has been raised and will want to prove that he is capable of being a top dog and talking of top dogs, even the Boy Wonder will return at some point and then there will be fire works.

No, I am not convinced by this call to change tactics, turning the team into a bunch of thugs in the hope that we will be able to beat Chelsea is not the answer, we need to continue doing what we are good at but do it just that little bit better. Keep the faith and enjoy the football.

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Posted by LB

Keep it tight or they’ll kill us

October 6, 2010

Written by SharkeySure

Whilst still marvelling at the eloquence of yesterday’s post by charybdis1966,  I have to disagree with what I think is its central theme, namely that Chelski and Man IOU sit back in the belief that we can’t really hurt them.

The game on Sunday kicked off in a very end to end fashion, with both teams attacking with abandon.  After the opening skirmishes Chelski  retreated a little for a couple of reasons.

1. Diaby’s position.  These days Chelski  pass the ball around in their own half much more than they did a few years ago, and Diaby (ably supported by Song) was harrying Mikel and the Chelsea rear guard into mistakes or longer passes. In attempting to retain possession both Ramires and Essien were drawn deeper and closer to Mikel to offer more support.

2. Chelski were fearful of the early impact that both Arshavin and Nasri were having on the game, and it was also clear that Chamakh was going to give Terry (spit) and Alex  a lot more trouble than they were used to from an Arsenal CF.

From memory, their goal seemed to come slightly against the run of play but nevertheless it was a very good goal, and once they have scored then we all know that its ‘park the bus’ time.  So whilst I acknowledge that Chelski may have ‘invited us into their lair’ as a spider does to a fly, the difference is that I believe that was always our eight legged friend’s original plan, but  Chelski’s was an adaptation to the unexpected circumstances they faced.  I should give them credit for that but I won’t,  instead I’ll simply say ‘well played Mr Arachnid, enjoy your lunch’ !

Man IOU’s case is slightly different to Chelski’s for the simple reason that Chelski do not change their system to play Arsenal, its still their tried and trusted 4-3-3, that either pushes on or sits (/gets pushed?) back.  Red Nose gives up on his 4-4-2 whenever he plays Arsenal and has done for quite a while now.  Fergie goes 4-5-1 with Rooney either up top on his own, or shunted out to the left wing, much to Andy Grays dismay;  and workhorses like Fletcher and Park get their first starts of the season.  His  sole aim to is to crowd the midfield and prevent us from passing his team to death. He really does not expect to outscore us in an open game.

The Prawn Sandwich mob in the stands were aghast when Red Nose first started doing it, as it seemed to go against absolutely everything that the Club and Red Nose stood for.   I believe it was after the flying boot to Beckham’s forehead game, that Fergie ranted and raved like a frothing inarticulate loon and realised that it was better to shut the game down, even at home, than to see his team outplayed as they were on that day.  He does not expect to outscore us in an open game, and resorts to safety in numbers to stifle our brilliant attacking play, well, what else would an Arsenal fan call it !!

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Wenger unbalanced again

October 5, 2010

In seasons gone by, Gooners would look upon a defensive set up by the home team on trips to the bus stop in Fulham or the Theatre of Snores, as a mark of deference to our attacking prowess, but more recently this Gooner sees this as evidence of how easily a pragmatic manager of a (possibly) slightly inferior team can beat a more talented and creative side.

Sunday’s match demonstrated that Ancelotti’s team (even though Ray “Butch” Wilkins was in charge of preparing Chelsea for this game this was very much the way Carlo would have done things) could adopt a cautious and slightly defensive approach to the game. This stemmed more from a confidence that Arsenal would allow gaps to form behind the attacking line which-if possession was conceded-allow the home team to break at pace, due to our tendency to build up attacks slowly, while more and more midfielders/forward players get involved.

While it’s true harking back to the halcyon days of TH14 and the pace he gave us is of little use when our paciest player has only recently started to develop into a goal scorer, there must be an alternative to the tendency by the team to dwell on the ball and persist in attempting to find the ideal pass through a claustrophobic central portion of the final third of the pitch.

Think back to the games at the Theatre of snores and our place last season against the original Manks – again the opposition played with a lone man up front and crowded the midfield, but more importantly they were happy to concede possession in midfield knowing that the tortuous forward progress of Arsenal attacks would not threaten their goal unduly.

Back then it would seem the obvious interpretation to this would be Fergie acknowledging his team couldn’t match our midfield passing, but as I now believe it is more that Fergie didn’t see us as having meaningful or effective possession that would be of material danger to his team’s chances of victory.

So the two teams who have consistently beaten us in recent years have worked out a way to exploit our predictability, however how much of this perceived weakness can be attributed to Wenger’s approach, if any?

While I don’t agree with some who say that Wenger does not place much emphasis on the defensive side of the game I feel there is some truth in Wenger being fallible to the human trait of concentrating on that part of a task that is most interesting to him. It’s this enthusiasm for creative midfielders that are small, nimble and technically gifted that has made the possession game a hallmark of Wenger’s team; however when a strength becomes so overriding it can become a weakness.

So sometimes things are ahead and sometimes they are behind;
Sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes easily;
Sometimes there is strength and sometimes weakness;
Sometimes one is up and sometimes down.
Therefore the sage avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency.
Lao Tzu (c.604 – 531 B.C.)

In my opinion great teams always have a combination of skill and power which allow a flexibility and adaptability to counter differing types of opposition and match conditions.

There is no denying when all parts of the Arsenal passing game combine and/or are allowed to combine by the opposition and/or referees the team is unstoppable however a saying I’m fond of “The bigger the front the bigger the behind” is relevant here.

This means that, for example, the more a person seems to be arrogant and has a lot of “front” the more likely it is they are in reality nervous and lacking in confidence and have the “behind” of self-doubt. With regards to our passing game the more the reliance on that one aspect of our game the more debilitating the effects of not working on our ability to win matches and play the game our way.
The question is firstly has Wenger actually presided over the development of this teams makeup so it is over reliant on a methodical and measured build up to attacks orchestrated by midfielders of a certain type?
If so then why has he done this? I feel perhaps the zeal to create such an identifiable playing style is being given undue importance.

Perhaps a little pragmatism from our no doubt deep-thinking manager would go a long way however having worked in Japan for a number of years in which he gained an appreciation for the oriental way of life and thinking I feel he may figure the solution to the squad balance conundrum out for himself.

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Posted by ChärybdÏß1966

Arsenal In Disgrace

October 4, 2010

This Arsenal team matched the champions in every department except finishing, yet as far as I’m concerned they are still in disgrace.

Why?

Because if they had shown just 50% of yesterday’s commitment, concentration and skill against West Bromwich Albion eight days earlier we would now be only four points behind Chelsea and level with the Middle Eastlanders. Not to mention three points ahead of the knuckle-scrapers from down the road.

Losing away at Stamford Bridge is no shame, particularly with a battling performance like yesterday’s, but what will kill us this year is inconsistency. That and our worrying ability to collapse in games we should win comfortably – a phenomenon that started in the last quarter of last season.

I know some will say that West Brom is history and we should move on, but the single biggest lesson our squad needs to learn is that they have to be up for every single game as if it’s Chelsea away.

So onto yesterday’s match. The first thing to say is that it was an excellent game of football: two good teams going at it, chances at both ends and two outstanding goals (sadly both from the Forces of Darkness).

We were fast out of the traps and had two chances early on – a difficult diving header from Chamakh that led to a corner, then a lame headed effort from Koscielny inside the six yard box with the goal beckoning. He seemed to get his body into the wrong position and ended up connecting with the back of his head, sending the ball over the bar. Frustrating in the extreme. Arsene Wenger even singled it out for mention in his post-match comments, which is a real rarity as the boss hardly ever criticises individual players.

What was pleasing in the early stages was that we were defending from the front and closing down Chelsea whenever they were in possession. Nasri was busy, Song was committed and less profligate in his forward forays than against Partizan, Diaby had remembered to turn on the ‘on’ switch in his brain, Wilshere looked classy, both fullbacks were having good games.

Then there was Arshavin who was, well, Arshavin. Winston Churchill once described Russia as a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma and we might well use that description for our own little Russki. He looks semi-involved and semi-interested most of the time and then springs to life to create goal chances. In the first half he managed to produce two powerful shots that brought two good saves from Helmet in the Chavs’ goal.

Chelsea always looked a threat on the break and although our centre backs just about coped with Drogba’s pace and strength, they never looked assured against him and it was no surprise when he opened the scoring: an audacious near post finish, leaving Fabianski no chance.

Half time 1-0 down, but we came out for the second half with the air of a team that really felt they could get back in the game. Our pass-and-move football was a joy to watch, with Nasri, Wilshere, Diaby and Song at the heart of everything. We were pulling Chelsea all over the place and looked the better team.

I really believed we were going to get the equaliser our pressure deserved but whatever chances we carved out were squandered. Chamakh rose well for a header that went three feet wide when it should have been on target and was probably our clearest scoring opportunity, but there were many occasions when we got into the box in threatening positions only to be foiled by wrong options, mis-control or good defending. Sometimes it was plain bad luck, with ball running kindly for Chelsea on several occasions.

Clichy and Song both tried long distance shots with predictable results. (With Clichy’s goal record he should be under strict orders NEVER to shoot from distance – it just wastes an attacking move).

At the other end we held a high line and played Russian Roulette with our offside trap. Fortunately whenever we pulled the trigger the chamber was as blank as Ashley Cole’s moral conscience.

Song did a good job breaking up Chelsea’s moves and tried his best to out-muscle Drogba, although the Ivorian’s strength meant that sometimes the only option was to foul him. I’m not going to complain about that – we have all been crying out for our midfield and defence to take the pragmatic option more often and that’s what Song was doing.  At least he didn’t pick up another yellow card.

When Alex made it 2-0 with a thunderbolt free kick in the 85th minute you knew there was no way back. Again, Fabianski had no chance and although you could criticise our wall you have to acknowledge the quality of the strike.

We ended up losers, but with a much better performance than we managed against Chelsea either home or away last season. With our missing players back  you would really fancy us to do them at the Grove.

We’re now seven points behind, but at this stage of the season that’s easily capable of being made up. And make no mistake, Chelsea are not as good as their results indicate. They will drop more points as the season goes on and if we can avoid any more performances like the one against West Brom we can keep ourselves right in the race.

Player  Ratings

Fabianksi: one dodgy moment early on, but did very well after that. Could the Pole be beginning to slay his demons? 8

Sagna: good defensively and really contributed to the persistent threat we posed down their left flank. 7

Clichy: got caught out upfield a couple of times, but overall had an excellent game. We were terrorised down our left side against Chelsea last season but this time he kept them quiet. I wish he wouldn’t shoot from outside the box though. 7

Squillaci: named captain presumably because of his age and experience, I thought he did well against a very powerful and potent attack.  Yes, he didn’t always win the tussles but at least he was tussling and he held his position well. 6.5

Koscielny: should have scored very early on, but defensively did OK. The jury is still out but I think he’ll be a top player when he fully settles in to the PL. 6

Wilshere: spread play beautifully, kept his discipline and always moved the ball quickly and well. I would rather see him swap position with Song because he offers more threat in the final third. 7.5

Diaby: by no means my favourite player but he was very good in this game, showing skill and commitment. He also cleared three or four of their corners from the front of our six yard box. How can he be the same man as the one who ambled round the pitch against WBA? 7.5

Song: very good all round performance, breaking up Chelsea’s moves, giving the likes of Drogba and Essien a real physical battle and passing much better than he did against Partizan. 7.5

Arshavin: a lot of things didn’t come off for him (his touch is very on/off at the moment) but he is always a threat and was unlucky not to score with one long range shot. 6

Nasri: becoming Arsenal’s best player this season by a stretch. Involved in everything and always looking to get at the Chelsea defence. His effort and attitude are top notch. 8 – MotM

Chamakh: could have done better with that second half header, but always offered, worked hard to close them down from the front and got into dangerous positions, even if they didn’t come off for him. A couple of penalty shouts, but they would have been generous in the extreme if the ref had given them. 7

Subs:

Rosicky: involved in some good moments. 7

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Carlos Vela weren’t on long enough to merit a rating.

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

Staring down the barrel ……. Are you feeling lucky Punk?

October 3, 2010

Why Oh Why can’t we ever have a fully fit first team when we play Chelsea? I am convinced that had we Cesc, Vermælen, Van Persie and Theo fully fit and firing on all cylinders we would win this fixture, without them there lies some doubt.

I believe that if the 4 missing players could each play 30+ games a season we would win the League. We have a brilliant first 11 (bar the GK!!) but  taking out our best defender, best forwards, and the best midfielder in the world is putting enormous pressure upon our capabilities of challenging Chelsea for the title. It would on any team.

Apart from the blip last weekend and that silly overtime goal at TSOL we have played very well this season. Fantastic, high scoring wins against admittedly moderate opposition should have given us great confidence going to the Bridge, but those two games have left a major doubt over the team, and Chelsea away is not the best place to go when confidence is not 100%.

Then there is the goalkeeping issue. I am guessing that Fabianski will play and I wish him (or Almunia) the very best of good fortune, however  ….. oh, I am so bored with this whole GK scandal. Let’s just use some of the shedloads of profits on a decent keeper in January and be done with it.

So where is the hope that we can get a result? It lies within the blessed feet of Arshavin and Nasri, and the combined strength of sinew and muscle of our defence. We all know the strengths of Chelsea’s attack, they have power and pace and have undone our defence too often for comfort. However, we have a shiny, new pair of CB’s who will be desperate to show they can be the equal of Drogba and Anelka (who in a just world would be wearing an Arsenal shirt).

Even without Cesc (and there remains hope he will play) our midfields cancel each other out. Missing Lampard, Chelsea look bereft of inspiration, relying on the lung bursting energy of Essien and the power of their forwards to create goal scoring opportunities. Whereas we have a wealth of creative players who are learning to stand up to the battle. I would start Wilshere who looks a special player; there are few creative MF’s who have his appetite for the physical side of football.

My main concern is Malouda.  He can win the game single handedly, and it will require vigilance from our midfielders to protect our full backs.  We have to defend as a team and not allow the vast open spaces that led to previous Chelsea goals, Song in particular will have to curb his attacking instincts.

My team (can I keep my 100% record?)

Fab

Sagna Squid Kos Clichy

Denilson Song Nasri JW

Cham  AA

Chelsea’s record of over 100 goals last season was phenomenal and a testament to their attacking resolve. They are a fantastic side and definitely the best PL team since the Invincibles. The work done by Ancelloti has been of the highest calibre – to take a succesful but dull, mechanical team and turn them into entertainers was superb. Let’s hope they are one season wonders!

To go to last season’s Double winners and leave with 3 points is a big ask, but We are The Arsenal and We are the Best ….

COYRRG.

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Posted by Erik the Red

Can we dominate and win at Stamford Bridge?

October 2, 2010

Written by Smith14

In recent years our encounters against Chelsea have tended to be harsh lessons. Aside from the RVP inspired 2-1 comeback against Scolari’s outfit, it’s fair to say we’ve struggled. The time of our yearly examination is nearly upon us. I pride myself on being one of Arsenal’s more optimistic supporters and sincerely believe that we have a visionary in charge of the club and that his plans, which have so tested our collective patience, will come good eventually. Despite all this, I’m still absolutely petrified of 4 o’clock on Sunday.

Arsenal fans, and those neutrals that don’t seem intent on upsetting us, are generally treated to the most attractive Football in the League. When everyone’s fit, which admittedly is as rare as a loose pass from Wilshere, we have a squad which compares pretty well to the elite of the division, the elite of Europe in fact. There is, in my mind, no question that the likes of Cesc, Wilshere, Arshavin, Nasri, RVP and Chamakh could orchestrate the downfall of any side, on their day. The question is why don’t we ever seem to have our day on the biggest occasions?

Our problem is not ability. All summer there were arguments among fans about who we needed to buy but, looking at the squad rationally, Goalkeeper aside, I don’t think there’s great room for improvement. The thing that we lack is not players, its mentality. In recent seasons we’ve taken the lead at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, The Millennium Stadium, Wembley and the Nou Camp and been beaten or drawn on every occasion.

We have had periods of great dominance against the likes of United and Chelsea but occasions on which we’ve turned that dominance into wins are few and far between. Apart from the colossal injury list, which isn’t an excuse but certainly an explanation for a lot of what’s gone wrong in the last few seasons, our poor return comes down to mental toughness. The ability to see a result out or dig in to drag yourself back from a mistake. Add to that games where we’ve squandered periods of superiority, games where we’ve given away the first goal and gone on to be embarrassed.

So, do we have the ability to get a result? We could argue that the age of the squad was to blame and it was a factor for a few years but, by now, they’ve all been together for long enough to have experienced success and failure as a unit. The likes of Clichy, Sagna, Fabregas, Nasri, Rosicky and Arshavin have all felt disappointment in an Arsenal shirt. Wenger was right this summer when he said that age was no longer an excuse. There can rarely have been a team with so much experience at such a young age. The last remaining hurdle for this team seems to be belief in themselves that matches Wengers. The idea that they can truly live up to the talent in the squad and get results we deserve. I’m fed up of arguing that we should have got better results, the time has come to start getting those results.

On Sunday we will be faced with Terry, Essien and Drogba. We will need determination, aggression, skill and concentration in abundance. I personally think we have the Footballing ability to play them off the pitch. We must now prove that we have the self belief to make this count. The fact that Koscielny, Squillaci and Chamakh – all likely starters on Sunday – have yet to face Chelsea in an Arsenal shirt may provide grounds for optimism. They will not so readily recall being put to the sword by Drogba and, if they approach the game with the appropriate professionalism, the centre backs in particular could give us a strong foundation from which to play.

The central defensive partnership must not allow themselves to be lulled into a false sense of security by Drogba. Consistently he will throw himself all over the pitch, whinge and moan and appear to have given up the ghost. All of a sudden, defence suitably relaxed, he surges back and simply blows teams away. If Koscielny and Squillaci needed an induction to the Premier League, this is it. Squillaci comes with the battled hardened features to match a long career. His experience could be vital in this duel. Firstly we must frustrate Drogba, then we must stamp on him whilst he’s down, figuratively speaking of course.

Ultimately the onus falls on Wenger and the players to toughen up and prove my bold claims to be correct. We as fans can do little but support the side. We may not think that each individual is good enough to achieve what we want them to but as long as they are in an Arsenal shirt they should be backed 100%. A team with whole hearted and unified support will perform better than one who transmits its anxieties onto the players.

Let’s hope that on Monday morning we are celebrating a side who are becoming men, rather than licking our wounds. Honestly, I don’t think Win, Lose or Draw, Sunday will be as decisive as Sky will portray it. At the very least though, it will confirm our worst fears or make a bold statement that we are at least up for the fight.

Keep The Faith.

You can read other articles by Smith14 at  http://tbwttihs14.wordpress.com/

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

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