What’s Arsène worth? – Debunking an Arsène Wenger Myth.

May 31, 2011

How many times do we read of the size of Mr Wenger’s wage packet? Some have said that our leader benefits from the profitability of the club which they proclaim accounts for his penchant to buy small and his insistence of selling big. Thankfully, this nonsense has been rebutted and rarely raises it’s ugly head, even in the most anti-AW sites.

We know that Mr Wenger is paid £6m a year. A huge wage. Is he deserving of it? Does this affect his performance insomuch as he is guaranteed his wage whether the team performs or not? What is your opinion?

Here is mine. Let us assume that Arsène has been earning an average of  £3m a year throughout his AFC tenure (probably conservative). 13 years adds up to almost £40m. Take away a lump in tax, say 50% = £20m in cash, in the bank. This is without the inevitable increases a man of his financial abilities will promote. Furthermore, a few years as Head Coach in a League winning Monaco team and a couple of years in the highly paid J League  – both of which were tax-free – would mean he was a wealthy man even prior to his AFC calling.

In other words, this is a man with a probable bank balance of in excess of £25m. A rich man, no let me amend that, an enormously rich man.

What would you do if you were 61 years old and had more money than you could ever spend? Would you go through the frustrations of trying to satisfy an insatiable Arsenal fanbase? Would you take the insults aimed at you from the blogs and terraces? Or would you say, “Enough. It is pipe and slippers time”?

My point is that it is totally irrelevant how much AW earns at the moment. It has no impact whatsoever upon his efficiency as Arsenal manager. He does it because he loves AFC and believes he is the best man for the job.

In my opinion, to suggest that Mr Wenger stays at Arsenal for the money is a nonsense, but if you know better …………

 

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

The Last Post

May 22, 2011

So we arrive at the hateful day when the approaching empty oceans of a no-football summer is at hand. Normally, it a day of deep depression but following the events post- Birmingham, there is a sense of relief that the disappointments of the past 3 months have come to an end. Such are the slings and arrows of supporting an Arsenal team in “development.”

My intention was to write a Fulham post littered with literary quotes and clever quips, but quite frankly I can’t be arsed!  Instead you will get the chaotic final episode of Big Raddy’s pre-match ramblings for the 2010/11 season.

It seems a short while ago since the opening day draw against Liverpool when my hopes for the season were established. At that time I would have  asked for :- Us to be in the mix at the end of March, have had a decent Cup run, a couple of famous victories in the CL, and some standout individual performances from the players. All of which has come to pass, and yet, and yet, I feel really disappointed. I can’t decide whether this is because I am an ingrate (my father’s favourite name for me!) or because I lived with too high expectation, either way, BR, like many fans is unhappy.

Today we hope to rejoice in  a possible victory over another set of heathens, in this case a Fulham team managed by the miscreant Mark Hughes. Now it has to said that if Mr Hughes were to be in my close proximity, I would not dare to speak my mind – why? Because he is a venomous, vituperous, violent viper of a man, and he would knock me into  next week. This is a manager created in the image of SAF and Fat Sam; the only manager who elicits antipathy from Mr Wenger (which is surely proof of his awfulness).  I do not like him and with his record I cannot understand how he remains a PL manager, it is once again proof that in football mediocrity can be handsomely rewarded.

His Fulham team reflects his playing philosophy; destruction ahead of creativity, workrate ahead of  skill. They have fought their way to safety based upon a solid defence, a competitive midfield and aggressive  but low scoring attack (only 47 goals so far this season ). Dempsey is their top scorer on 12 followed by Zamora and Hangeland with 4 apiece. On current form (last 8 games) Fulham lie 6th (as opposed to our 10th), and are difficult to beat at Craven Cottage. A Top 10 finish is a definite possibility and with a victory today they could finish as high as 7th, which would represent a fine campaign.

Enough of them, what about us? Would that I could say we have enjoyed a successful campaign, we have had another season of so near, yet so far. The problems which were manifest over the past 3 years resulted once again in our failing – a back-up quality DM, a proper GK, and an organised, secure defence. But there have been plusses, many of them: – beating all the teams around us including both CL Finalists, discovering a Goalkeeper , 2 decent CB’s (JD & Kos) and 2 superb young MF’s, plus sorting out the uncertainty at Board level.

If anything the problems on the terraces are more concerning than those on the pitch. In the 50+ years I have been an Arsenal fan I have never witnessed the kind of antipathy between fellow fans. The Black Scarf movement, anti-Wenger chants and the booing of the team are all evidence of a growing dissatisfaction which can be seen on both blogsites and the terraces. Any support of the manager or the team is seen as senseless and retrogressive by a growing number of fans. To me this is a bewildering progression, I am an Arsenal fan, you are an Arsenal fan, we may have different ideas as to how the team can improve but surely we are a brotherhood. As one who is privy to the AA backroom, I can tell you that there have been hundreds of abusive comments which have been moderated off the site and they come primarily from Arsenal fans who think it fair game to abuse fellow fans. I disagree and disagree strongly.

Right – off the soapbox and onto our team for today. I am hoping for a Nasri return. Losing him and Cesc at the same time massively reduces our creativity. The Ramsey/Wilshere midfield may well be the future but it is not the present, though Chamakh deserves a start following his performance last week.

My team:

Fulham has not been blessed with Heavy Rockers though Brian May and Kelly Jones (Stereophonics) are residents.

Finally, I would like to thank all those who have read a Big Raddy pre-match this season. I hope they have entertained and BR would like to say that anything offensive has been written in jest (as if!). I wish you all a fantastic post and pre-season and look forward to seeing you in the comments. (though BR is now in Italy)

Come on You Rip Roaring Gunners.

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Posted by Erik the Red

Smash the Villains

May 15, 2011

The final home game in what has been an ultimately disappointing season, and a chance to almost cement 3rd place.

It hurt watching the Manchester clubs yesterday. Manchester City won the FA Cup  and congratulations to the knuckle dragging, bog dwelling mingers upon winning the Title.

I can write in two words why we didn’t win the PL in a year when we were surely the best football team – Home Form. Hardly rocket science but nonetheless had we been able to establish Fortress Emirates we would without question have won the title. United have won 6 (yes – 6!) more home games than us and Chelsea 3. Furthermore, MU drew one to our 4. That adds up to 26 more home points than we gained  – yes – 26!! Yet should we win today we will be just 7 points behind them.

There has been much written on AA as to why this is so, much of which AW will have read and considered. In my opinion we have become constrained by our football ethic and opposition managers have an easy tactic to deal with it – defend in depth on the 18 yard line and wait for a set piece to attack. Any team who has attacked us from the opening whistle (apart from WBA) has been beaten.

Today’s opponents have had a far worse season than us. Their fans must be reeling from witnessing a club with such resources (fanbase, players, coaching staff and financial backing) wallowing close to relegation; there is still a chance they could go down if results go against them. A team with the talents of Young, Agbonlahor, Downing, Freidland, Dunne etc are surely too good to be in their current position. And then there is AV’s record signing, the big AFC fan, Darren Bent. Should we have signed him? His goal scoring record is excellent. I can only imagine it was his very high transfer fee which caused AW to demur.

Statistically, we should win. Villa have won just once in 24 visits to AFC, though they  have only lost one of the last 4. However, our home form is so inconsistent and a draw would confirm AV’s premiership status.

Today’s highlights have to be the return of two Arsenal favourites – TV and the great Robert Pires. Vermælen’s absence has been enormously costly as Mr Wenger struggled to establish a consistent CB pairing (thanks to injury and poor form). The Belgian is our best defender; strong, a fine tactician, a potent attacking weapon, and a born fighter – he has been sorely missed. Expecting him to return in top form may be unrealistic but his return is very, very welcome.

This is likely to be Bobby’s final appearance at THOF. He has graced the shirt and will be remembered as one of the finest players to have ever played for Arsenal. The fact that he has bought a flat at Highbury is evidence of his love for the club. Who can forget the adulation he received from the 2002 side when he limped up to raise the trophy. Let us hope he gets a few minutes pitch time in a 4-0 Villa loss!!

There has been rumour of AW selecting a weakened team, but this is surely just rumour. We need these 3 points and the fans deserve to see a decent performance. Cesc, Nasri, Diaby and Koscielny are out.
My team:

However, it would be no surprise to see Bendtner or Chamakh get a start as the team above is seriously lacking in inches.

Villa are blessed with 2 giants of the Heavy Metal world as fans: Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler, both ex- members of the Black Sabbath. Nigel Kennedy and Amy Winehouse are also big fans. Anyone who has been to Villa Park (scene of the awful FAC semi-final when DB10 missed that penalty) knows how charming the area of Aston Villa is.

Please Arsenal, give the fans who spend so much money, time and emotion  attending the Grove a pleasant end to our home season – smash the Villains!!!

COYRRG

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Posted by Erik the Red

Ramsey’s return for a game of football

May 8, 2011

What sort of reception will young Ramsey receive at the Potteries today?  Will it be a” well done lad upon recovering from a dreadful injury?”   What do you expect from the superb fans at Stoke – according to Sky Sports who regularly tell me about the marvelous atmosphere. We know better – they are pond-life, requiring amplification of their offensive chanting in order to create an atmosphere in their half empty stadium.

I think it important to insist that this game is not about Shawcross/Ramsey, it is about Arsenal doing all they can to gain 3 valuable points against a team who have caused problems in the past. Unfortunately, the focus of the media will be all about our young Welshman’s return to the scene of Shawcross’s grievous assault.

Even more than usual the referee is going to be a central figure in creating the tone of today’s game. Halsey is a decent ref, even handed and experienced, plus we tend to do well when he officiates (may I recommend Untold Arsenal’s well researched Ref Watch).  If Stoke start the game as I expect with a flurry of strong, “let them know you are there” tackles which go unpunished, we could be in for a long 90 minutes, however should Halsey , in what is likely to be his final game as a PL ref, stamp his authority upon the perps, we could flourish.

Injuries to our creative players will deny Mr Wenger the chance to play an expansive game though we have talent in such depth that their absence shouldn’t hinder us too much. Could any other team lose 3 International attacking MF’s and still put out such an effective midfield?

You know what to expect from Stoke, and theirs is just the style of play to upset us. Arsenal’s record of goals conceded from set plays is alarming and we must hope for a fit Djourou alongside Koscielny. The strength of Szczesny will be important today , he cannot stay on his line with all the crosses and throw-ins which will arrive into our box. There is rumour about Vermælen making his PL return and should JD be unfit I would welcome his return,however this is tempered by a total lack of competitive football – 90 minutes of reserve team action is no preparation for a team with a playing style like Stoke.

On the ground Kenwyne Jones is a major threat; in a decent team he could flourish (ours?), that said, he is just the type of player Kos likes to defend against. Koscielny has been improving throughout the season and shows excellent tactical awareness, plus he is very good at linking defence and attack.

I think Arshavin will be the key to unlocking Stoke’s defence. The meerkat is so clever and against MU showed an appetite for work we haven’t seen from him  before. More of the same please ,Andrei.

My team:

What I do not want to see is at  70 minutes with a one goal lead AW shoring up the defence. Many on AA have written about the withdrawal of Walcott towards the end of the game and how this affects our ability to counter-attack a team committed to attack. I detest this tactic, it reeks of fear, when one up, go for two, when two up go for three. Did it help at Newcastle, Spurs etc etc to put on another defender?

Stoke have yet to lose at home in 2011 and are in a decent run of form, furthermore they have won 5 0f their last 6 home games against Arsenal; they will not want to get beaten prior to the Cup Final next week, however with this game in mind they may not give it 100% gas. Arsenal have scored the most away goals and have  the best away record in the PL.

This is going to be another tough game but one to which the Song/Ramsey/Wilshire should be suited. Counter-attacking at pace will be the key.

Bruno Brookes and Peter Wyngarde come from Stoke ……… ’nuff said!

COYRRG

Written by BigRaddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Arsenal’s Smaller Squad in 2011/12?

May 4, 2011

We always say we support any player who dons the prestigious Red & White shirt, but is this really true? In all honesty, what were your thoughts when Mr. Wenger took off Theo on Sunday to replace him with Eboue?  Come on – be honest!

I can tell you my reaction, it was dismay. Not purely as a response to AW’s frustrating habit of trying to defend a lead (more of that another time) but because I really thought I had seen the last of Mr. Eboue in an Arsenal shirt. Following his almost unbelievable gifting of two points to Liverpool and single-handedly derailing our PL chances (OK that is an exaggeration!), I firmly believed his AFC career was over. Clearly Mr Wenger disagrees.

This post is not specifically anti-Eboue, who has given sterling service to the club but sadly is out of his depth, rather it is a glance at why Mr Wenger persists with players who are  not good enough to win us the title.

We have players in the squad who are on huge wages and are clearly not value for money. You know who I mean; there are players on loan who will not make the grade, we have a mass of youngsters who will never earn the kind of wages they are being paid on their current Arsenal contracts and we have established stars who are not earning their daily bread.

Last week Arseblog highlighted the difficulties of selling players who earn wages that lesser clubs cannot match, thus we have to wait until their contracts expire and allow them to leave without a transfer fee – how does this help our situation? All Arsenal’s investment in time, coaching and wages goes to another club for nothing.

Yet this situation has been created by Mr Wenger’s Project Youth and his understandable fear that the quality players will move on if not bound by contract. The Flamini fiasco gave him clear evidence of player power when running down a contract.

Our squad is bottom heavy with too few real world class players and too many players with “potential.” Most AFC fans know the stats, we have one of the cheapest squads yet one of the highest paid. This has to change.

How will AW respond? Will he swallow the losses and sell players in the manner of Man City  i.e. we continue to pay a percentage of their wages. It would stick in the craw but at least they would not be available for selection.

So, will my hopes be dashed by seeing Eboue in our Anniversary shirt or will some kind (and blind) Coach sign him in summer? What has become clear is that AW will not win another PL title with players like Eboue and Denilson in the squad. We need some extensive pruning, and there will be many worried (but rich) players in summer.

Written by BigRaddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Proud to wear the Shirt?

May 1, 2011

Another game we need to get 3 points from, however in this case we must be underdogs. Following a very poor run of results (too disappointing to discuss) the team have a choice – either we settle for an underwhelming 3rd place  or we fight to the end, I expect to see some fighting spirit.

Unfortunately, United are in excellent form having strolled through a Champions League semi-final on their way to Wembley, where most right minded people will be hoping for a Barca win. Much has been said about this MU side, mostly to it’s detriment – dull, workmanlike, efficient, lacking flair, not as good as SAF’s previous sides, the worst side to (potentially) win the PL, and above all inexplicably lucky; yet their fans will look at the Silverware and the 2010/11 season with pride. Once again the Purple Conked Glaswegian has shown he is the best manager in World football, who else can make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear?

But, But But  …. the little angel on Big Raddy’s  left shoulder is screaming at me ……. this season has been about us throwing away a title not MU winning one. Alongside the  West London Russians we have contrived to gift United the title, we have consistently thrown away important points, drawing games  we should have won, losing games we should have drawn. I am no statistician but it would be interesting to know how many points we have lost to goals in the last 5 minutes of games – enough to win the title one would imagine.

Before we doff our proverbials to the excellence of SAF’s management of so called “average players,” let us take a closer look at his team. Oh, this is a surprise, it is packed with extremely expensive talent; 3 players who cost over £30m, the most expensive defender in EPL history, a midfield that (taking out Giggs) cost almost as much as our entire team, a forward line with an average cost higher than our most expensive ever signing. And how many of the regular MU players are home grown? Take out the  ancient  Giggs and Scholes and the answer is NONE. This MU team could have a bench that cost as much as our entire squad !! Yet the press cream themselves about how SAF has guided an average team to such heights, a team he has expensively cobbled together – how has this myth been spread? I will tell you – because SAF has the press under his control in the same way that the ref’s and linesmen are too scared (it would be churlish to say corrupt) to give 50/50 decisions against the Red Devil.

I could write a whole post on Nani. Without doubt the most odious player in the  PL.How can any decent football fan pay money to watch this cheat week after week? We have players who are prone to theatrics but this guy who is undoubtedly a fine player takes “simulation” to an art form. The only players in his league are Alves and Busquets at Barca (may I refer back to a fine post by Dandan highlighting the appalling cheating by Barca players midweek). I realise I am old fashioned, but what happened to honesty and integrity? How can SAF allow Nani to perform like this week after week? –  anyone who saw SAF’s playing style would know how he would have reacted to Nani had he been on the pitch against him. And they say a cheat never prospers!!

Hernandez has been a revelation and is just the type of player to cause us problems. The fox in the box who has superb reactions – AW says he was monitoring him, so why not splash a few of our millions on him and sell Vela? Sadly, this guy has the potential to become a United legend.

Our team? Kind of picks itself – we play the best we have. The major disappointment to me of the past 3 weeks is that we have underperformed when having an almost full squad; no injury excuses (apart from TV) and exhaustion cannot be a factor –  today’s opponents have played as many games with a smaller (and worse) squad.

SAF’s usual tactics when playing us is to employ a very physical forcing game and hit us on the break; the game at OT earlier in the season was typical, as was the Cup game when SAF sent out a team with a hugely defensive bias, expect the same today. If Fletcher is fit to play, Cesc and JW can expect a good kicking – the man is the essence of SAF’s  chosen midfield general (Robson, Ince, Butt, Keane, Scholes etc). I like Park, a man who must despair of Nani and Rooney’s cheating abilities, he is a player who would fit well into our squad, an Asian Ray Parlour!

Thanks to our poor run what should have been a title decider has become another interesting game –  a game that SAF can afford to rest Giggs in. Yet today remains one of the highlights of the season. Home to MU has always been a huge game. Some of my all-time favourite  goals have been against MU; a brilliant George Graham scissor kick at the Clock End in a 2-2 draw with Best scoring in front of the North Bank, Alan Sunderland at Wembley, Wiltord at OT, TH14’s goal of the season at Highbury, Freddie’s first goal for AFC, David Platt’s last minute header in a 3-2 thriller at Highbury, PV4’s last kick for the Gunners etc etc. So many great memories – I am sure you can add your own.

What I would like to see from Arsenal today is for AW to get his tactics right and send out a team to match the opposition. Keep Rooney out wide, stop playing such a high defensive line,  allow Nasri to play more central, push RvP onto the shoulder of Vidic – he has the pace to turn him. And above all, the team have to show the fans that they value their shirts, that they are not just professional footballers but that they are immensely proud to be Arsenal players.

Angus Deayton, Eamonn Holmes,  Steve Coogan, Mick Hucknall, Gary Rhodes, Sean Connery, all big MU supporters …………. all live in the South 🙂

COYRRG

BR.

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Posted by Erik the Red

How many Spurs players would get in Arsenal’s First X1?

April 21, 2011
Sorry all, Rasp and I are really busy today, we haven’t been offered a match report but BigRaddy wrote this before he went away so it would be churlish not to use it for discussion today following last night’s thrilling 3-3 at the lane.

We had some fun recently with a post discussing how many Man Utd players would fit into our team playing in the same formation as Mr Wenger employs.

Today I will do the same with Tottenham Hotspur :-

Szczesny v Gomez.

We missed our young Pole during his injury, his influence over the defence in such a short time is profound. He bosses the area in a way we have missed since Mad Jens and Seamo. Gomez is flaky, there is no other word for him. He can be excellent – a fine shot stopper and dominates at set pieces but he is prone to regular lapses of judgement. Given that our lad has so far only made one glaring error (and I blame Koscielny for that), it’s the Pole in Goal.

Sagna v Corluka.

Sagna has returned to the reliability he showed a couple of seasons ago and IMO is the best RB in the country. Corluka is a fine player, has good ball skills, a decent engine and can cover at CB, but he is not as good as Sagna.

Clichy v Assou Ekotto

Gael has his critics but remains an excellent full back. Ekotto has a loyal fanbase amongst Spurs fans and has been very good whenever I have seen him. Clichy is the better attacking player and apart from his weekly lapses in concentration is the better tackler.

Centre Backs

It is hard to establish just who are Spurs first choice CB’s. Woodgate and King are fine defenders, in fact The Master (TH14) has said that King is the best defender he played against. But they are permanently injured. This leaves Gallas, Dawson and Kaboul and for the sake of discussion I will drop Kaboul.

Is Gallas as good as Djourou? In his prime certainly, but one must ask why Mr Wenger chose to sell him to our local rivals; obviously because he believes he has better replacements, and a fit JD is a wonderful CB.

Dawson v Koscielny is not so clearly defined. IMO Dawson is the best English CB, I would have liked to see him in an Arsenal shirt, but Kos has the makings of a great player and an Arsenal legend. In his first season he has made silly mistakes but which player hasn’t? Koscielny gets the shirt because he is  better at passing and driving forward the team.

Midfield.

Again it is difficult to decide upon Spurs first choice midfield. Like us they have a glut of quality players but unlike us they have no set go to 4  players. I will choose Modric, Huddlestone, Van de Vaart and Bale. Probably more attacking than Harry would choose as he often plays 2 DM’s (he has Palacios, Huddlestone, Krancjar, Jenas, Pienaar and Sandro to choose from!)

Song v Huddlestone

Easy choice really. Song is amongst the finest young DM’s in world football. He has improved so rapidly over the past 2 years that we noticeably miss him when he is injured. He has a fantastic first touch, good engine, is a decent tackler and is good aerially. Song’s main fault is that he can get too adventurous and in trying to get back to defend makes rash tackles – he has picked up numerous yellow cards this season without making one really dirty tackle. Huddlestone, according to my Spurs mad nephew, is an integral part of both Spurs and England’s future. He too has made huge strides in his career; capable of playing an accurate and intuitive long pass and assisting defensively, he is one to watch – but he is just not as good as Song, and nor are any of Spurs other DM’s

Fabregas v Modric.

We all know the answer to this! Cesc is a genius; the best creative MF in the PL and a World Cup winner. Modric has had a fantastic season and it would be no exaggeration to say that I am sure Mr Wenger would have liked to sign him; phenomenal energy, a perceptive passer, excellent ball control and a player who knows no fear. But sadly not in Fab’s league.

Wilshere v Van der Vaart.

When playing this parlour game there are inevitably clashes that don’t really gel, and this is one of them. VdV doesn’t play the same game as JW. However, if one had to choose a player for our team I would certainly take the reliability of Wilshere. He turns up every game and gives his all whereas VdV goes missing which I guess is why Real sold him so cheaply.

Nasri v Bale.

Both fine players. Both at the start of their careers. Both up for Player of the Year. They have different skill sets which work very well for their teams. Bale could add what we lack on the left of our attack – pace, but Nasri is a better ball player and can beat a player by looking at him. Nasri scores more goals. Bale is the better defender.  I was going to give the shirt to the least ugly player but they are equal in this area as well. I will take a rain-check ….

Walcott v Lennon

Lennon – ugly, no final ball, phenomenal pace. Theo . good looking, developing tactical awareness, even faster. Capello prefers Theo, so do I.

RvP v Defoe/Crouch/Pav.

Robin is better than all of them. True, Crouch is better in the air. Other than that the Dutchman has it all and would prove it if he could stay fit for a season.

Manager:

Wenger v Redknapp.

Credit where credit is due. Harry has done a wonderful job at Spurs. Taking a team that was threatened with relegation to the Champions League in such a short space of time is a great achievement. Had it not been for economic reasons Redknapp would be England Manager and I am sure that if wants it  he will be after the Euro’s. But check out the Trophy Cabinet. Harry –  1 x FA Cup. Mr Wenger  – 4 x FAC. 3 xPL . French League and Cup, Japanese League and Cup.   Mr Wenger OBE voted World Manager of the Decade.  Mr. Redknapp  – Zip.

So the team looks like this:

Szczesny

Sagna   Djourou  Koscielny  Clichy

Song   Fabregas  Wilshere   Nasri

Walcott  Van Persie

Managed by Mr Arsene Wenger OBE

Why no Bale? Because he is so prone to injury, and he is a throwback.

Why no Spurs players?  Check out the table since 94/5

And this site is called Arsenal Arsenal not Dear Mr. Levy ……

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Posted by Erik the Red

Sing up for the Arsenal – L’pool today

April 17, 2011

It seems an eternity ago that Reina scored an own goal following a Chamakh header in the 90th minute to gain our first point of the season. It was to be a pre-cursor to the season  – Arsenal have all the play, the opposition score a superb goal (without question Ngog best PL goal) and we have a player (Koscielny) sent off by an insane referee.  Liverpool went on to have a dreadful few months and looked in deep trouble until the return of King Kenny.

Much water has flowed since those days. January gave Liverpool an belated Xmas gift when they swapped a misfiring Torres for two fine young attackers. I fear for our CB’s today because Liverpool have once again  formidable attacking options. Carroll has terrorised us before and scored at the Grove this season, Suarez looks a fine player and Kuyt has found his scoring boots. Thankfully they remain shaky at the back and are suffering from a minor injury crisis. No Gerrard is a plus but Meireles has improved enormously and against Man City Liverpool’s midfield totally dominated.

If Liverpool play the same expansive game at the Grove as they played at the weekend, this will be a terrific game. With only Sagna definitely out we have almost a full squad to choose from and AW will be racking his brain to sort out who starts. Should he play Diaby in light of Carrol’s height? Should he play Bendtner to take advantage of Liverpool’s frailties? In my opinion, No, to both 🙂  We must play our game and see how Liverpool cope.

My team:

I expect a tight game, much will depend upon us stifling the supply to the front men. A concentrated Song is essential as Blackpool exploited us through the middle thanks to Diaby’s poor positioning  – he isn’t a DM and it showed. As ever Theo’s pace will be a big threat and more of the long balls from Cesc to RvP would be good – he is sure to score from one of them.

Let us hope for a strong referee to curb the excesses of the mad Carragher  (I used to have a dog that had Mad Carragher’s Disease – it got put down soon after the diagnosis).

Should we win today the League is still on, the confidence gained will boost the side ahead of the trip to the Lane, and renewed belief will build in the Grove. To those who are lucky enough to have tickets, please make some noise and show the team the support they deserve. This game could be tight and nerves may fray, don’t take it out on the players – start singing and then sing some more.

You can will the team to victory.

Remember 26/5/1989.

Today be the 12th man ……

COYRRG

Written by BigRaddy

A message from peaches

My very beautiful number 1 daughter Rachel is running the London Marathon today on behalf of the National Autistic Society. As a family we have a lot to thank the NAS for as my youngest was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, a condition on the Autistic spectrum, when he was just four years old. We spent years battling the education system to get him support and learning how to teach him to be a sociable young man. The information that the NAS was able to pass on to us was invaluable. There is a much better understanding of all Autistic Spectrum disorders now and that is due to the gathering of information by this extremely hardworking worthwhile organisation.

We’ve flagged up a couple of charitable causes in the last few weeks but if you feel you would like to support Rachel and her Marathon Run for the National Autistic Society you can go to her giving page here. The Marathon Run is a pretty mega thing to decide to do and I’m immensely proud of her, even more so because she said it was fine for me to go to football on Sunday. What a girl huh!

Only, last night she hoped I would be at the finish and so I’ve given my ticket to Rasp for the game but hope to catch up with the second half at The Tollington on my way home.

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Posted by Erik the Red

Why has this Arsenal team no Leaders?

April 14, 2011

This post was written prior to Rocky’s excellent post in which he covered similar areas and concerns about the fragility of the team  – think of it as synchronicity.

A refrain we hear over and over again from within and without the Hallowed Halls is that this Arsenal team lack Leaders. We are told that none of the current crop have the ability to push the team forward in times of crisis and as such we need to buy  some “steel.” It has been said that this lack of Leadership is the fundamental reason for our not being top of the table in a year where MU have faltered. How could this happen?

Firstly, it is important to look at the team and see whether this assumption is true. We currently have 5 Captain’s of their International teams. Yes… 5! Almost certainly a record and one that is rarely, if ever mentioned. Rosicky has been Czech Captain for the past 5 years and led them in the Euro Championship. Arshavin has been the Russian Cpt. for over 2 years, Vermælen has been Belgium Cpt since 2009. Both Nasri and Ramsey have been honoured with their national Captaincy this season.

So, 5 National Captain’s and it is highly likely that Cesc will captain Spain at some point in his career, as Wilshere will captain England. Surely, there are leaders amongst them?

Should Fabregas be Club Captain? Does he have the “cojones” to lead the club? In my opinion he is the natural leader of the side, and I would refute the argument that he is not Captain material. Following in the footsteps of two of the finest Captain’s in Arsenal’s history – in Adams and Vieira he has grown up with two fantastic role models – he has seen at first hand how to lead a side, and I believe is growing into the role. It must be recalled that he is still only 23, yet he is the player all the others look to, and for me he does the job well.

Perhaps Leadership on the pitch has nothing to do with Captaincy, perhaps Captaincy is just recognition of the value of the player to the team. In Italy the captain is the oldest player in the team. Often the Captain is chosen purely upon his popularity in the dressing room, but in England the Captain is meant to be the heart and soul of the team and at Arsenal this has to be Cesc.

So how can we not have pitch leaders? Is it as the pundits say, a lack of British grit? Should we sign Joey Barton or Kevin Nolan both of whom have the British never-say-die mentality in spades? OK, not Barton, but how about Scott Parker? Would his attitude have made a difference?

We talk of needing “winners” in the team, and are fed the fable that without experienced winners we cannot move forward as a team (what have Parker or Cahill ever won)? I think we are being misled by the talk of Arsenal lacking “winners”. All our players have grown up in winning teams, through schoolboy to youth and reserve team level they have represented winning teams. Every one of our players is a proven International – surely they know how to win a game or two. Or am I wrong, is winning English Silverware the only way to create a “winning mentality”? And is this winning mentality a requirement for pitch Leadership?

Recently I have read that Wilshere is a natural pitch leader. As far as I can tell what this means is that he gives everything in every game – is this Leadership?  Is it a player shouting at others to keep them focussed in the manner of Roy Keane?  Is it the sight of Cesc clenching his fists and rousing the crowd?  Or comforting a player when they have seriously screwed up?  Or a player running 50 yards to help out the defence in the last 5 minutes?

What is clear is that there is much talk about our lack of it in the current side.

What do you think?

p.s. Yesterday saw the premature passing of Danny Fiszman at the age of 66. If we lacked leadership on the pitch we certainly haven’t off-pitch. Danny took a middle sized football business and accompanied by David Dein established Arsenal as one of the most financially successful football clubs in the world. A North London lad and an Arsenal fan throughout his life Danny made his first fortune in diamond trading, and was then asked by his friend Dein to join him at Arsenal. Alongside Arsene Wenger they created the modern Arsenal, funding the new stadium, the re-development of Highbury and the surrounding areas. Arsenal are acknowledged as the financial model for football clubs throughout the world and this alongside the stadium is his legacy.  That Danny’s final act was to ensure that his beloved Arsenal was in safe  hands is proof of his devotion.

His was a successful life both in business and at leisure. We at AA wish his family long life.

Written by BigRaddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Have we ANY chance of winning at Bloomfield Rd?

April 10, 2011

This will be a positive post, so those of a cup half empty disposition, look away.

Firstly, we are on a long unbeaten run in the PL extending to almost four months. During that time we have conceded just 10 goals. Taking out the madness at St. James, we have conceded 6 in 12 PL games – hardly the stats of a dodgy defence.

Secondly, we have the best away record in the PL, amassing 26 points and losing only twice (MU & Chelsea).

Thirdly, this season we have beaten the PL Champions, the Champions of Spain (who are supposedly the best team of all time), and beaten a CL quarter finalist 5-1 (Shaktar).

We have done this despite a constantly full medical centre and without the services of our strongest CB. Which other team has suffered as we have? Down to our 3rd choice GK, 3rd choice DM, 4th choice CB.

Furthermore, we have a young player who had he continued his early season form would be a shoe-in for PL player of the Year, and we have an almost guaranteed winner of the Young Player of the Year.

Has all this good work been totally destroyed by the past few weeks very average performances? Some would say so, however at season’s start, had anyone offered me the position we are in early April, I would have taken it immediately. What is overlooked is that most Arsenal “fans” were predicting us failing to achieve Top 4 and that Spurs would be top North London club under the “genius of Harry.” In fact, most predicted a 6th place behind Liverpool. Sure the last month has been painful and in retrospect the B’ham CC game was a precursor for a difficult spell, but a true assessment of the season can only be made on May 23rd.

Onto today’s fixture. Everyone likes Blackpool (well, at least the football club!). The manager, the style of football, Charlie Adam, the David & Goliath theme etc etc. Well just for today, I say “Sod them”, we need the 3 points. Let them get the points they need to avoid relegation elsewhere because we are desperate for a confidence boosting win. A flukey 1-0 will do it, as long as it is accompanied by our usual 60+% possession.

Our injuries are as usual a major factor. This would be a good game for Theo to regain form and he awaits a fitness test. Song, Diaby, and Denilson are definitely out and there is a question mark over Sagna. Could Eboue get his final start in an Arsenal shirt (I hope it is final 🙂 )?

Could we repeat our home demolition of Blackpool? I doubt it, Blackpool lost a player early at the Grove and we were in a fine run of form. We can expect B’pool to fight all the way and with the return of their top scorer DJ Campbell will not be easy opposition, we will have to go toe to toe with them and hope Cesc and Nasri can create the chances to win all 3 points.

My team:

I really hope that should we not be winning at half-time, AW makes an early substitution. It worked at WBA, yet he didn’t repeat it with Blackburn which left us with only 10 minutes of all out attack. Chamakh and Bendtner should be on early if we are struggling.

Blackpool is best known as a holiday destination. I have been a few times (conferences!) and left shell-shocked. What is less known is that it is the birthplace of my fave bands at different times in my life. Starting with Graham Nash OBE of The Hollies and later the brilliant C,S & N, onto Maddy Prior of Steelye Span and Roy Harper, followed by Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull, then Robert Smith and The Cure, Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys and more recently Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand. Not too Metally, but for a small town, Blackpool has a fine musical heritage.

I made the fundamental mistake of predicting a win last weekend, I promise never to do so again.

COYRRG

Written by BigRaddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

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