Kroenke and Wenger Out.

March 4, 2016

I have just read that Guardian article that basically says that Swansea exploited the frustration of the crowd and of course there is a picture of the little home made banner that read Kroenke and Wenger out.

wenger out

I don’t believe that the frustration of the crowd played any part of our loss whatsoever and one little banner does not represent the majority at all.

For me it was not frustration that Swansea exploited it was expectation. It is expected that Arsenal should win the league and has been that way for some time, this is the burden that Arsenal have been having trouble with which has lead to them, for example, rushing simple passes, leading to loss of possession which of course levels the playing field against lesser lights such as Swansea. By contrast an unburdened Arsenal starting eleven would always find their man with such passes and nine times out of ten go on to win the game.

Tottenham and Leicester have been able to avoid the burden of expectation for longer than they should have been allowed but look what happened the first time that it really became apparent that Tottenham could go top and push on to win the league, I never thought that I would find a Donald Trump comment apt but here we are — Chokers. (Just in case the use of the name Tottenham attract some of the knuckle draggers I will say it for you — Pots and Kettles)

To a similar extent the same thing happened to Leicester against West Brom. Claudio Ranieri has been doing a fine job of taking the pressure of winning the title off of them but it was creeping in as they started to find that doing the things they have been doing effortlessly all season started to get just a bit more difficult in their mid week clash. Man City have been suffering from the burden of exploitation for even longer than we have and by the looks of their thumping from Liverpool they still are doing so.

bergenUnfortunately, I do not share Rocky’s confidence as to the out come of Saturday’s North London Derby as I feel that Tottenham will be able to play without pressure again where as we will be playing with the equivalent expectation of a 50 kilo army bergen on our backs.

It goes without saying that I hope I am wrong.

COYRRG

Written by LB

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Arsenal Will Win The League

March 3, 2016

There’s a Swansea match report coming up below, but first things first: I really think that in this strangest of all Premier League seasons, Arsenal are going to end up as champions.

If you’re now reaching for your keyboard to trot out some truly original responses like “I want some of what you’re on” or “keep taking the tablets” you can save yourself the bother.

I know that after that pile of poo performance at Old Toilet and the gut-wrenching defeat last night it seems like utter madness to predict an Arsenal title.

We have not played well for what seems like months, some of our best players are so out of form that they would disgrace a kick-about on Hackney Marshes and we carry as much attacking threat as a tortoise.

But in what looks to be the ashes of a season that promised so much I can see a feeble ember burning. It may wither to lifeless black, but if it can be fanned by the wind of hope it could yet turn into a flame that burns all before it.

And it all comes down to one battlefield. One place where the passions, hopes and fears of a season will be distilled into 90+ minutes of football.

The place, of course, is the N17 Lavatory and the time is 12.45pm on Saturday.

Understandably, many of you reading this will feel we are heading to our uppity neighbours to face a humiliating, season-ending defeat. A defeat that will be a double dagger to the heart: killing our chances and enhancing theirs.

But, just for a second, let’s play a mind game: step outside of the pessimism that so understandably shrouds you. Now, imagine that as the whistle blows for full time on Saturday, Arsenal have won. It doesn’t matter how we did it – a thumping 5-0 victory or a 95th minute winner scrambled off Mertesacker’s arse. But just close your eyes and soak up that feeling.

In a stroke we will be level on points with Totteringham and they will have suffered two consecutive defeats. Deep in their hearts they will know that they have been reminded of where they stand in relation to the Mighty Arsenal.

It will be the win that fires life back into our season, that reinvigorates tired and out-of-form players and that pushes us on to the title.

I realise I am writing as much from hope as from expectation, but there is something deep in my bones that says this will be so.

And so to the Swansea game.

In a nutshell we lost through either bad or unlucky finishing (for further information please see metaphysical discussion on the nature of luck in yesterday’s post game comments).

We hit the woodwork three times and, having taken the lead, were pegged back by a goal that started with a Swansea player rugby tackling Mesut Ozil. Nine times out of 10 we get free kick. The potato-faced referee in yesterday’s game chose to look the other way.

We played pretty well in the first half and laboured in the second. Swansea’s second goal, I feel, can be put down to one of those events that comes along with blue moons and flying pigs: a Petr Cech mistake. It was a wicked cross but Cech came for it and missed. Along with our bad finishing, it cost us the game.

Joel Campbell was our best player and scored a fine goal. When he was inexplicably subbed off (I can only assume the manager feels he is not fully match fit) the crowd vented their anger. I would have taken off Alexis (in fact I would have started him on the bench, so out-of-form is he).

There are big questions of confidence about this team and that showed in some of the options taken by individual players today – an unwillingness to shoot at times, a shirking of responsibility, too many hasty or overambitious passes. We were bold when we needed to be conservative and cautious when we needed to be brave.

But these are good players and they are prideful. If we fans are hurting, so are they. They have only one forum in which to redeem themselves and I have a feeling that they will do so.

In the situation in which we find ourselves there is no room for self pity, self doubt or introversion. There is only one acceptable response: attack, attack and attack again.

Not for the first time on this blog I will quote the words of the First World War French general, Marshal Foch. When his troops were having a rough time at the battle of the Marne in 1914 he sent the following dispatch to headquarters: “My centre is giving way. My right is in retreat. Situation excellent. I shall attack.” And he did, and he stopped a major German advance.

Our centre is giving way (come back soon Santi!); our right is in retreat (bloody Theo); our situation is excellent – we shall attack.

Watch out Spuds. We’re coming and we have something to prove. You should be worried. Very worried.

RockyLives

 

 

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Coquelin: World Class?

March 2, 2016

There seems to be an assumption that tonight is an automatic 3 points to the good guys (well, there is here in Copenhagen!). Given our current form this is optimistic.

It feels an age ago but it was only last season that Swansea beat us home and away plus they have not lost in their last 3 visits to the Emirates (W2 D1)

Right, time to get positive …

Mr Wenger is angered by the negative response from the fans to our recent defeats, he believes the team and the fans should show “togetherness and solidarity”. I agree with him and will join his cause.

Unknown-1.jpeg

Swansea  were unlucky not to get a point at WHL. Our old friend, Flapianski is in terrific form and will be looking to show, once again, that his sale was a mistake. However, they have lost their last two games.

The Icelandic chap (can’t be bothered to find out how to spell his name but it must have a sson at the end of it) is very good at free-kicks so we must be wary of conceding within striking distance of our goal. Ayew is pacy, other than that we have little to fear and much too prove.

Midfield is our main concern; any team would suffer having so many injuries in one area of the pitch – Wilshire, Rosicky, Cazorla, Arteta and Oxlade Chamberlain –  all good enough for a regular first team place. Their injuries have put excessive pressure on those who remain and it is having a negative effect.

Ramsey is a shadow of the player he can be, Flamini looks Kerry’d, and then there is Coquelin.

Before his injury Coquelin  was statistically  the best DM in Europe, which once again proves that stats can be used to prove anything. The problem is that Coq is a good player but not good enough to carry a team to the Title (IMO). He needs assistance and he is not getting it. The injuries to the MF’s have resulted in the wingers taking defensive duties – wouldn’t it be great if they could be freed from that task like the Barca front 3?

Making the reasonable assumption that the N15 fools will roll over WHU this becomes a must win game (aren’t they all?).

I would certainly revert to our best front 3 – Sanchez, OG and Welbeck. How they work as a unit is not my concern. They are our three most talented front players.

I expect Swansea to sit deep (PTB) and look to score from set pieces or breakaways. BFG or Paul Easter? BFG for me in every home game. Ramsey could use a rest but he has to find his form if we are to push on to the title. I would like to see El Nino get a start in what will be a clogged midfield.

Can we win? Of course.

Let it be so …

COYRRG

 

 

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

Arsène’s Blurred Vision ….. should have gone to…………

March 1, 2016

I try not to take individual games in isolation and make a judgement. I prefer to put things into the context of a bigger picture, but of course in any given game the individual performances still need to be looked at.

Personally I feel this awry moment, after the weekend, has been reached by issues that go back far further. I have said a lot on here in the past regarding where I feel we are ailing, but there is a thought I have had for a while that I have not voiced in its entirety. As usual it is purely based on speculation and a kind of reading between the lines.

I don’t know exactly when it was but I feel that Arsene, at some point, formulated a plan for a team building and development project that he embarked upon. One that he felt would eventually come to fruition. I think he looked towards playing with a target man up front and then have crafty ball playing midfielders in behind, who would work off the target man and rely on them to score as many, if not more, of our goals as through the striker himself. All this utopia on a plate while also exercising better control and possession in a game.

It is a great ideology that looks good on paper but I feel is proving not to work. Further I feel it has been proving not to be working for some time now, and at our expense in terms of performances and results, but Arsene has soldiered on with it. The mark of some of the great managers is their inherent stubbornness not to bow to external pressure, and to carry on and push on with their vision. AW has proven many of our assertions wrong before. However, I would note that the character trait of having strength in their convictions, that has defined many great managers, can also become their downfall when times have moved on and they don’t move with it.

I feel the way we have been trying to develop recently, (and when I say recent, we are talking 2-3 seasons), doesn’t match up with the current top clubs. Maybe Arsene is seeing something we don’t that just needs more time, but I strongly doubt that and feel that it is different this time. Our current system looks vastly inferior to the high energy, high press teams that usually play with a very fluid and mobile front 3 (striker + 2 wing forwards) with a control player in behind. For me our target man and the crafty midfielders slow our game down far too much, and it lacks quick penetration and counter attacking ability.

If we continue along this route I feel it will be a big failure and could end badly for us and the manager. I think Arsene started this more recent project (post austerity) well with the acquisitions of players like Sanchez and Ozil, but instead of continuing and building a devastating fluid attack around these players, he has since tried to go a different way, and one that in my opinion hampers their talents.

Things can be turned around but it would require a radical overhaul in Arsene Wengers thinking for me. Does his character allow for this? For me he would have to be ruthlessly efficient in analysing the team and how to redirect our development pathway. I have never been one to shout about the spending of gazillions, (although 2 very big and probably very expensive players are likely required), and would first put right what can be improved in house.

That for me would be identifying each players best position and playing them there, and then if we still find we are deficient in any area, go out and recruit. Is Arsene too close to be that ruthless to players he has nurtured and developed? This is sometimes where a new manager makes the difference because they come in with less emotional attachment to the players and can analyse and act in a more objective and detached fashion as to what needs to be done.

None of our key players in Arsene’s system are new. Players like Giroud, Ozil, Sanchez, Ramsey have all been ever present for some time, and as such any system that predominantly uses them should be beyond a mere development phase by now, and should be looking more like the finished article. I still hold out hope that Arsene can switch his thinking and take us forward. It may be a big ask though for Arsene to accept this, but weirdly I don’t feel it is a massive overhaul that is required. I think our whole playing style and performance level can be ratcheted up 3-4 levels with a few tweaks and hard-nosed assessments from within the current squad, and a couple of marquee players being brought in.

It may be that I am barking up the wrong tree, or am just barking 🙂 However, over to you A.A’ers for your judgement either way.

Written by GoonerB

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