Following the International break, we are back in the full swing of club football with Arsenal playing their third game in a week; what with City on Tues, Wigan on Saturday and Olympiakos the following Tues, we are busy. Long may it remain thus because it means we are in all competitions.
Today brings Martin Jol’s Fulham to the Emirates. Fulham are 16th in the PL, and are on a poor run of form (LLDDDWLLWL ). This is unsurprising because Fulham have been hard hit with injuries and despite the return of the OAP Riise, they will be missing Stephen Kelly, Damien Duff, ex-Gunner Sidwell and Simon Davies. For a squad as small as Fulham’s this is hard to overcome.
Stats:
We have won our last 2 games following action in the CL.
Fulham have yet to win at our place – Pl 25 W22 D3 L0.
Fulham are on a run of 34 away London derbies without a win.
Fulham have yet to score more than one goal at THOF
Fulham have won only 12 away fixtures out of their last 101. We are 4/9 to win with Ladbrokes.
Uncanny
It has been pointed out that we have played the same team twice running which showed in the way the players connect, I fully expect us to play the same team again. Why change when the players have next week to rest? That said, perhaps Ramsey could rest his young bones.
We have been finding a rhythm not seen at THOF for sometime and it is this which is so encouraging. This Arsenal team do not have the swagger of The Henry teams, nor the calculated violence of the Adams years, instead the current Gunners team are becoming more than the sum of it’s parts. It bodes well for the future, and should allow players of the quality of Arshavin, Benayoun, Diaby, the Ox, JW, Sagna etc etc etc to slot seamlessly into the team when required.
My Team:
It would be great if Gervinho got on the scoresheet today. He has been dallying in front of goal which suggests a lack of confidence (wanting to make sure rather than using his instincts). Theo is also due a goal as is Ramsey, but it would be a fool who bet anyone’s house on RvP not scoring this evening.
To continue the series of famous Gooners, we go to the Thirtie’s and as luck would have it I have found a Gooner and a great inventor. Alan Blumlein. This is a top bloke. Inventor of stereo and the Radar. Alan was born in Hampstead in 1903 and at the age of 28 he patented Stereophonic Sound whilst working for EMI. His spare time was spent at Highbury where he was a season ticket holder in the East Stand. Blumein died in 1n an aircrash in 1942 whilst testing his newly patented radar.
Mr Blumlein the morning after celebrating the 1936 FA Cup victory (slightly the worse for wear)
All the form guides point to a home victory but we have learned to our cost that application in all games is essential, losing 3 points to relegation fodder like Blackburn, Spurs and Liverpool is proof that no quarter can be given.
Another game for Arsenal, another win, another two goals, and who scored them? Of course our one man team Robin Van Persie, or at least that’s what the Fleet Street Scribes, Football Pundits and Broadcast Hacks will have you believe. And judging by the Emirates faithfuls reaction of silence then rapturous applause when Robin at first went down nursing a limb and then got back to his feet dusted himself down and walked back to the head of our attack Arsenal fans also subscribe to the theory.
What is it to be a one man team? For me it’s a team that relies on one player for creativity, and that everything goes through. Whilst Robin is playing very well at the moment the ball moves from back to front without him. If I could pick a player in a European club that is more important to his team than Robin is for Arsenal I look North to Salford and see Rooney. A player who as is always pointed out on highlight shows has such a huge bearing on the outcome of United games. Defensive tackles, dropping deep to create from midfield, and finally getting on the end of moves he starts.
Whilst if necessary Robin can do all this (well maybe not the tackling) he has concentrated this year on being in the box and doing the job centre forwards are paid to do….scoring goals. Long have we Gooners bemoaned the lack of a 30 goal a season striker, some seasons 20 would have been nice. Somehow we’ve found ourselves a 40 goal a season player at current rate and now we think others should be contributing.
Look at the 17 goals he has scored so far this campaign (I know 17 goals and we’re not out of November!). Anyway have a think back about the goals….how many have been close range tap ins from good wide play, or on a plate from a good through ball, by my reckoning I’d say 13-14 goals this season have come from the work of others or John Terry being shit. The exceptions are the free kick against Sunderland, the dribble and shot against Bolton and his hattrick goal against Chelsea.
Don’t get me wrong any injury to Robin right now is going to hurt him and us fans but the way the team is playing any centre forward worth a place in a Premier League squad should convert at least half of the chances the skipper has been handed this year (if not more).
I think Vermaelen, Song or Szczesny would be a bigger loss to the team as a whole for the platform they provide for the players in front of them, Robin by default is the focal point of attacks and in the form he is in teammates are looking for him with crosses and passes does that make us a one man team? I don’t think so, if it did the Liverpool with Rush were a one man team, Arsenal with Wright were a one man team, Barca with Messi are a one man team…..I could go on.
Robin is doing what strikers should do and long may it continue but if we miss him for a few games I’ll still back this team to score goals, because I see how many chances they are creating.
Champions League week 5 and ze Germans were the visitors to London town in the form of Borussia Dortmund. Fresh from a fantastic 1-0 win against league rivals Bayern, they came into the game full of confidence and looking for the win that would put them right back in Group F contention. Arsenal, however, were looking for the victory that would see them qualify for the knockout stages.
No real suprises in either line up and the game started as expected. BD were pushing high up the pitch and pressing the home midfield at every opportunity. The Arsenal defence were seeing plenty of the ball but were finding it difficult to get the ball forward, opting for patience as they knocked the ball from side to side.
The pattern of the game then changed due to a couple of BD injuries. First, the fantastically named Bender was caught by a stray boot and had to be stretchered from the field of play, shortly after, the boy wonder Goetze, who many were looking forward to seeing, was subbed with what appeared to be a dead leg. Unfortunate for BD and the game, but I wasn’t really complaining as he looked threatening early on!
Dortmund had looked dangerous but the loss of 2 key players seemed to effect their game and Arsenal were starting to find a little more space. Walcott, in particular, was starting to look lively. First, he had a goal correctly ruled out for offside, and then some neat play saw him latch onto a through ball but fail to round the onrushing keeper. Then came the most incisive action of the first half as Theo dazzled the full back with a beautiful dummy before collecting the return pass and whipping a delightful cross towards RvP, only for the keeper to stick out a paw and diffuse the situation. It was the best move of a tactical first 45 which saw neither keeper troubled. Surely the second half would see more goalmouth action with both teams needing a win?
No more changes at the break and Dortmund started brightly. Some slick passing down the right resulted in a deflected cross which rolled agonisingly across a packed area but fortunately for the Gunners, straight to the BFG who knocked it out for a corner. A scare, but nothing more. This kicked Arsenal into life. Some neat passing down the left eventually fell to the feet of Song, who showed his strength to hold off one tackle before twirling through 2 more tackles with moves that Robbie Savage would have been proud of, before finally floating a beautiful ball to the back post where captain fantastic did brilliantly well to not only generate power, but also head the ball down and beyond a disappointed keeper. 1-0 to the Arsenal.
The game had finally come to life, and with Dortmund looking a little dejected and tired from their earlier hard work, space was starting to open up for the Arsenal midfield. Song and Ramsey were starting to control the game and it was the later who found Gervinho’s perfectly timed run with a defence splitting pass, and suddenly the Ivorian was clean through on goal. He jinked past the keeper with a fantastic sidestep but should really have been more aware of the defenders getting back, one of which nicked the ball away for a corner just as he was about to pass the ball into the net. Gervinho once again showing little urgency in front of goal, something reminiscent of Kanu and something that will need to change if he is to be an Arsenal great.
More chances followed for the home side with Walcott firing wide and substitute Benayoun just unable to find Walcott at the end of another flowing move. Song was everywhere, Vermaelen was dominant at the back and my new favourite Santos was showing more tricks than David Blain as Arsenal took control. Then, with around 10 minutes left, the brilliant home fans were given a treat as Diaby made his way onto the field for his first appearance of the season. Its great to have him back. Seconds later the Gooners were cheering again as a corner routine reminiscent of Bould and co saw RvP all alone 2 yards out. Game over.
For the last 5 minutes, Djourou replaced Koscielny, and it was his mix up with Song that allowed Dortmund in for a consolation goal, Kagawa tapping in from close range. Szscesny was rightly furious that his clean sheet was taken away at the last, but it meant very little as Arsenal finished the night as group winners.
Overall, Arsenal were excellent. They found it difficult in the first half to find space but that was due to great organisation from Dortmund rather than poor Arsenal play. The second half was a different game and with the tempo of the passing increased, the gunners midfield proved too strong for their German counterparts. A great result against a very capable German outfit.
Oh, and Chelsea lost!
Player ratings:
Szscesny-didn’t have a great deal to do. Made a pretty routine stop at the beginning of the second half and kicking was good throughout 7
Koscielny-saw loads of the ball first half but played a couple of sloppy passes. Looked awkward going forward but solid as always in his defensive work 7
Mertersacker-won a lot of headers, as you would expect, and was his usual calm self. Never looked like making a mistake which is good to see 7
Vermaelen-what else can you say about this fella? Outstanding and commanding. Flicked on for RvP second 8
Santos-he’s dangerous, but my god is he fun! All the tricks you would expect from a Brazilian striker and solid one on one. love him 7.5
Song-outstanding display, espescially second half. His skill for the first goal was class. Would have been full marks had he not gifted Dortmund a consolation goal. MOTM 9
Arteta-along with most of the team he struggled to find space first half, but showed his class and experience in the second. Great corner routine. 7
Ramsey-excellent second half when more space was available. Playing well at the moment and appreciated by his team mates 7.5
Walcott-liveliest player in the first half and caused the Germans problems. solid performance. Great cross in first half 7.5
Gervinho-should have scored when clean through. Goes round people for fun but final ball/finish must improve 7
RvP-2 goals, smart performance rather than outstanding. Linked up well and knows where to be in the box. 8
Subs
Benayoun-worked hard as always but showed a bit more of his attacking ability. Great player to have in the squad 7
Djourou-didn’t have much to do and was sold a bit short by Song for the BD goal. Will get slated for the goal but Song should have got rid 6
Diaby-great to have him back. Could be a top player if can get through a season or two without injury 6
Cut and paste the post for the Dortmund away fixture …..
Except, Arsenal were in the midst of our terrible run and some of the players who have now bedded in were still struggling. That is not all, our Centre Backs had yet to be formally introduced and with Aaron out, Benayoun started. The stadium was full of fervent and expectant BD fans. For those who were three sheets to the wind in order to combat the nerves, BD equalised with a wonder goal in the 86th minute. A draw was a very good result given the circumstances.
Arsenal must surely be confident on the back of such a fine run of results, however the same can be said of BD who this weekend went to Munich and beat Bayern – never an easy task and even harder this season as Bayern rediscover their pedigree. BD know that should they lose tonight their CL adventure is all but over, they talk about tonight as a Cup Final. Coming to THOF will give the Germans a huge challenge as they play in front of the best supporters in world football in the best stadium in world football – it could inspire them or petrify them, let us hope for the latter!
Nights like tonight are special – a slight chill, time to have a beer or two in the pub, some banter with mates, the floodlights, a full ground, top opposition; I wish I could be there – instead I will be sharing the experience with other AA’ers who are not so privileged.
60,000 Lucky Ones
A worry must be Koscielny playing at RB. True, he had a good game on Saturday but playing against Pilkington is very different to Kagawa who showed in Dortmund that he is a fine young player. The improvement of our midfield 3 bodes well for the future. Arteta appears to have the football intelligence required to assist his young playmates – Song looks better and Ramsey is improving weekly alongside the Spaniard who is proving to be an inspired signing. Another huge difference is the return of The Verminator, what a monster player this man is. He give us more defensive security, leads the team from the back, improves all the players around him, is superb coming forward and is all round a top, top player.
My Team:
* Raddy’s team selection has been amended following the late news that Gervinho will not be playing due to a personal problem.
Looking at the above team I ooze confidence. Santos is a different proposition to Gibbs (who played in the first leg), especially at home where he will have more opportunity to get forward – not that he needs an invitation ! Diaby is on the bench and we look forward to seeing him contribute during the coming months; if he can stay fit he is a marvellous albeit infuriating talent. Should Walcott play as he did on Saturday I can see him on the scoresheet and we can only hope if AA plays in place of Gervinho, that he will prove as effective as the Ivorian has been lately. If our defence can keep them out, we will win.
A new BR feature for home games will be famous Arsenal fans and we start with Harry Beck. You may not be familiar with the name but you certainly are with his work. Harry created the schematic London Underground map which is a work of true beauty. Harry lived in Finchley Central and was a Gooner through the Chapman years dying (happily) just after we won our first Double.
Harry wearing his favourite Arsenal away shorts. ( out of picture but take my word for it)
Where we have a major advantage is in the experience of our manager. Mr. Wenger will analyse the previous fixture and make adjustments to the way we play. AW stated at his press conference that BD were in form and “developing,” He expects a fine game of attacking football, plenty of thrills and a topsy turvy night. So do I.
As many will know, we are in the middle of Movember. Yup, in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Ireland, chaps are being encouraged to let the above-the-lip stuff grow unchecked for a month.
And this has exactly what to do with the greatest football club in the world (that’s us, in case there’s any misunderstanding)? Well, it made me wonder about who the best moustachioed Arsenal players have been in my years in harness. My criteria are entirely arbitrary, frankly I don’t really understand them myself, but both the quality of the moustache and the quality of the player are somehow taken into account. Full-on beardies are excluded. Here’s my countdown:
10. Chris Whyte: An Islington-born centre-back in the sides of the early to mid 80s. His patchy hair was more noted than his upper lip furniture, but he nonetheless was a proud exponent of the mou. Whyte was an adequate defender but who also enjoyably filled in as striker for a while (easy to enjoy because we were hopelessly rubbish at the time, so playing a centre-back up front was good for a laugh). But he left the club disconsolate when not offered a new contract, and spent two years playing US indoor footy before enjoying a renaissance with West Brom and then Leeds, culminating in being an ever present and playing alongside Cantona, McAllister and Strachan in the title-winning 1992 side.
9. Alan Sunderland: A man who sported the finest example of the white man’s afro, complemented by an unrepentant moustache. Sunderland deserves a higher profile in our history books, he was a potent striker, most famous for scoring the winning goal in 1979′s “five-minute final” against Man U – we were coasting at 2-0 before Gordon McQueen and Sammy McIlroy pulled it back to 2-2 in the closing minutes. Liam Brady then burst forward, released Graham Rix on the left, who floated over a high looping cross that Gary Bailey in the United goal flapped at, only to see Sunderland sweep it home at the back post. A mammoth moment. And it secured the only trophy we picked up between 1971 and 1987.
8. Viv Anderson: Many refuse to acknowledge Anderson on account of his enthusiastic departure for United (he was Ferguson’s first signing), but he was a great recruit from recent European Champs, Nottingham Forest. With Sansom on the left flank, for a while we provided the England team with both their full-backs (Anderson having been the first black player to play for England). I also remember being on the North Bank when a goal from big Viv contributed to a glorious 3-1 win over the mighty Liverpool. Classic Phil Lynott-styke tache
7. Robert Pires: I still love Pires, he was such a fantastically creative player to watch. The insanely good goal against Southampton stands out, but there were so many. And with Henry, Bergkamp and Ljungberg, he was part of possibly the best attacking line Arsenal have ever had. And the ludicrously Gallic Three Musketeers moustache that sometimes adorned his upper lip was the perfect accoutrement to the man.
6. Kevin Richardson: A man with no known nickname, a solid, dependable, no-nonsense, ego-free, moustachioed Geordie. A real pro, George Graham loved him, and Richardson was a member of the side that won at Anfield THAT night in 1989. His tache? Well, it was a tache, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing extravagant, just your regular Joe moustache. He looked like he would’ve been at ease in Edwardian England.
5. Kevin Campbell: Superkev – we loved him, but let’s be honest, for all his bustle and bulk, he wasn’t very good. He was sometimes pretty effective, and I remember fondly the two goals he scored in the stunning six we racked up against Sheffield Wednesday in the last 18 minutes of a 1992 match, the score finishing 7-1 to the good guys. A pretty straight forward tache, looked a bit dodgy in his early years but he grew into it.
4. Ian Allinson: “Ian who?” I hear younger fans ask. Well, Allinson might have had all the charisma of a beige carpet, but he had a glory moment in the epic three-part League Cup semi-final against Spurs in 1987, when in he came on as a sub and scored the equaliser, before Rocky got the winner and we went to Wembley and won the Cup against then-mighty Liverpool. That win proved to be the launch pad for our renaissance and led to our title wins in 1989 and 1991. His terrible tache was in keeping with his Austin Allegro persona.
3. Kenny Sansom: Solid mou from the ever dependable left-back. Was he worth the bizarre swap for Clive Allen, sold twice in one summer? You bet your Gillette Shaving Gel he was. (Oops, apols for the betting reference, not really suitable when talking about Mr S.) Time hasn’t been kind to Sansom (though his porky deterioration is as nothing compared to what’s happened to Dean Holdsworth – has anyone seen the state of him these days? Not good). We’ve been lucky with left-backs down the years, but Sansom ranks right up there.
2. John Jensen: The cult hero’s cult hero, bad tache, bad curly hair, bad player. Yes, I say to you, yes. This is a man who would have been judged to look uncool in 1970s East Germany. He was not burdened with style. When we signed a player who scored in the European Championships Final, we might have thought we could count on the new guy for a few each season. It didn’t work out that way, and the fans (when they had a sense of humour) adopted “We’ll be there when Jensen scores!” as a song. And once he did score, at Loftus Road. We still lost.
1. David Seaman: Surely the only possible winner, top tache, culminating in the fantastic bad-taste combo with Spunky’s ponytail. Oh and the best keeper we’ve ever had. OK, he might have suffered a bit with the aerial stuff (Nayim from the halfway line, Ronaldhino etc), but the £1m we spent on bringing him from QPR was a superb investment. Had to leave his native Yorkshire because he can smile.
So there you have it – my Gooner Tache list. Feel free to dispute it, suggest others I’ve missed etc.
But also think about contributing to the Movember cause: if you know someone doing the business, sponsor them, and if not, you can always donate on http://uk.movember.com/ The charitable causes relate to research and awareness raising in respect of prostate and testicular cancer. Many of us will have experienced cancer affecting family members, and these are indisputably worthy causes.
“You put your whole self in, You put your whole self out, In out, in out, Fill us all with doubt…”
What’s going on with Arsène Wenger?
Is he in? (staying with us until his dotage, when he can emerge from the Emirates elevators like Young Mr Grace and say “you’ve all done very well” to mystified tea ladies and reserve team kit assistants)?
Or is he out, sulking off to Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City like your common or garden Mourinho?
In an interview with a French magazine (L’Equipe) Le Boss stated very clearly that he would be considering his Arsenal future at the end of the current season:
“Will I be there next season? I will be looking at the situation at the end of this season.”
He has not denied the comments or claimed he was misquoted.
So he’s on his way out then?
Well, not necessarily.
After the Norwich game he gave the following quotes to Arsenal.com:
“I wanted just to say that this is the Club of my life. I have a contract that I will honour and the only way I would one day consider [leaving] is if I feel I have not done well enough for the Club. There is no mixed message in there. My commitment and love for this Club is total. The only way I would consider [my future] is if I was not doing well enough for the Club.”
Great! He’s staying with us for life!
Er, not necessarily that, either.
What seems clear is that the best manager Arsenal has ever had has been badly spooked by the failure of the ‘Fabregas Team’ to win any silverware.
In his French magazine article he said:
“For the first time I lost young players who were reaching maturity. I suffered. It’s painful to lose key men you have invested a lot in”.
“What is hard is the feeling something is finishing. For me, we’re now talking short term.”
I suspect that Arsène has had a crisis of faith: both in himself, and in the nature of the modern player.
For five years, like an architect, he constructed a team that he felt would conquer all. Despite the constraints of the stadium move he convinced himself he could produce a squad that would be even better than the Invincibles.
He was wrong. In the end that team let him (and us) down.
It wasn’t all their fault – if Arsène had added two or three experienced professionals to the mix I suspect they would have at least won some cups, but it wasn’t to be.
Then, like a slap in the face, some of his most treasured assets upped sticks and left: Fabregas went to Barcelona ostensibly with Wenger’s blessing, but I believe that AW secretly thought he could persuade him to stay.
Clichy and Na$ri decamped to Abu Dhabi City – the former for a new challenge, the latter for a new Ferrari (every week).
The Na$ri case was a first for Arsène: a player who turned down his arguments about being part of a beautiful team playing the beautiful game in favour of bucket loads of filthy lucre.
For the first time Arsène was faced with losing prized assets when THEY wanted to go, not when HE wanted them to go.
Which brings us to now.
If you deconstruct Arsène’s quotes to L’Equipe and Arsenal.com, some things are clear: he will honour his contract with Arsenal (which means a minimum of two more years). But he will walk if he feels he can’t build success for us again.
Saying that he will be considering his position “at the end of the season” is not the same as saying he is thinking of leaving then. It means that next summer, he will give thought to whether he wants to extend his contract beyond its current bounds.
But by the same token, saying that Arsenal is “the Club of my life” is not the same as saying that “I will be at this Club for life”. Arsenal has undoubtedly been the “Club of my life” for Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, but that does not mean they didn’t play for other teams subsequently.
The well-respected French journalist Philippe Auclair believes there are difficulties between AW and the Arsenal Board. If that’s right, it would further explain why Arsene is prepared to reconsider his position when his contract runs out.
But I have a funny feeling that necessity may be the mother of retention: that we may retain Arsene’s services beyond his current contract because of the love he will develop for the New Arsenal.
For all the sweat, blood, tears and hope he poured into the Fabregas Team, he may well find that the new team that has been forced upon him by circumstances touches his heart in a purer and simpler way.
When you look at how he has turned this 11th Hour Eleven into one of the best form teams in the EPL despite an appalling start, you can only stand back and say that the man is a genius.
He must be loving the intelligence and commitment of players like Arteta, van Persie, Santos, Vermaelen and Koscielny: players who (you feel) have a humility about them that their immediate predecessors lacked.
Frankly I can’t see how he will not come to love them.
I certainly hope so, because if he does decide to leave at the end of his current contract it will be a dark day for our club.
It has been a long time since anyone has trolled onto the Arsenal Arsenal site and appended “In Arsène We Rust” to the end of their ill-thought-out (and usually illiterate) comment.
On other sites, the “Arsène Out” noises are strangely muted.
After five years working with gold, Arsène has started working with iron – and against all the odds, the results are proving more robust and just as beautiful.
When his new creation comes fully to fruition I can’t see him walking away.
Which should mean he’ll extend his contract for five more years.
After two weeks of interlull we could once again enjoy proper meaningful football with a trip to the Fine City of Norwich to take on Paul Lambert’s promoted Canaries.
The only selection problem facing Wenger was whether to field Koscielny, Djourou or Yennaris at right back. In fairness it was a no brainier, Koscielny is one of the first names on the team sheet on current form and out of our relative plethora of centre backs probably most adept at playing right back having had experience there in the lower French leagues.
The team started brightly with Walcott using his pace to scare Tierney and Gervinho causing problems on the left. The skipper was showing why he is the most feared attacker in the Premier League right now with movement and sublime touches that the Norwich defence could not cope with.
One of the early chances fell to van Persie, to the shock of Arsenal fans everywhere he failed to convert it. The team was carving out opportunities and controlling possession so easily that it was only a matter of time before the deadlock would be broken.
The best chance of the opening fifteen minutes came as Gervinho found Walcott arriving in the box he cleverly stopped and curled the ball past Ruddy with his left foot, Martin lunged towards the goal and somehow managed to clear the ball over the cross bar to prevent the opener.
It was Norwich however who took the lead against the run of play, Mertesacker came over all charitable (perhaps a Children in Need Hangover and a confusion of Pudsey with a Canary) and became the Big Friendly German, unnecessarily allowing the ball to bounce when playing it early or just clearing the ball into Row Z would have been the better option. Morrison bundled past the German and slotted the ball under the advancing Szczesny.
Szczesny’s look at Per summed up how we were all feeling about him at that moment.
However this is the new Arsenal, goals given away are just another obstacle to overcome, there was no ten minute spell where we felt we could go more goals down, the team instead set about getting the equaliser.
After another period of more spurned chances we equalised, Gervinho advancing down the wing brought the ball inside and fed van Persie he turned and found Walcott, he pushed it past Tierney, sprinted onto it, looked up and drove the ball towards the centre of the goal and Gervinho. The Ivorian managed an air kick back heel when a simple tap in would have sufficed, thankfully Robin couldn’t miss the opportunity to add to the seasons tally and he had ghosted into the box unmarked to tap in from two yards.
The half played out with more opportunities for Arsenal to take the lead but unfortunately they could not make any of them count.
The second half started well with more fine attacking play. Vermaelen breaking forward and managing to deliver a cross which found Gervinho but he could only head weakly at Ruddy. Soon after Gervinho had another chance to break the deadlock, played in by a beautiful reverse pass from van Persie he rounded the keeper but did not have the composure to pass in to the empty net.
It started to feel like we would not find a deadlock, and some legs were looking heavy from International duties. Then Ramsey disposed Martin and was immediately brought down, Song collected the loose ball and drove forward, Gervinho broke left, and Robin broke right, Song took his time and played in van Persie, it looked like he may have forced him to wide on his right foot, Ruddy came to narrow the angle and but Van Persie calmly lifted it over him with the chocolate leg and the ball nestled in the net.
The rest of the ninety played out with little incident, our new found maturity and responsibility meant that our attacks were limited to three or four players rather than five, six and seven of last season, and the defence rarely looked exposed or troubled.
All in all a job well done, three points were much needed to continue the form we have been showing in the last few weeks and to keep the momentum five Premier League wins on the bounce 15 goals for 6 against.
Undoubtedly there will be more people saying we rely on van Persie too heavily and calling us a one man team after another brace to get us over the final hurdle. Well here’s the thing, thats the laziest punditry I currently hear. Robin van Persie is a centre forward, you expect him to score the bulk of the goals. He does not score all goals by picking the ball up on the half way line and running past everyone, he scores goals by finding good positions and being played in by one of his talented teammates, that nearly every chance he has goes in means the team look to find him with the final ball more often.
Ratings:
Szczesny 8 – Goalkeepers union speaking here but i dislike a keeper getting a 7 just because he didn’t have a lot to do, everything that was asked of him he did well, no chance for Norwich goal, if he had saved it he would have got a 9.
Koscielny 7 – Strong defensively and Norwich did not get a look in on our right flank. However judged as a full back he did not get forward enough to support Walcott.
Mertesacker 6.5 – I know most will expect him to get a lower score because of the mistake that led to the goal, but in all honesty it was the only mistake he made al day, unfortunately he was punished for it. Other than that he swept up and closed down well and looked comfortable.
Vermaelen 8 – Won everything in the air, solid in the tackle and offers an alternative when bringing the ball out of the back line.
Santos 7 – This guy is marmite you either love him or hate him, I think I love him, he is an under-rated tackler and does well going forward. Has a tendency to give me kittens every now and again with a relaxed pass, he just plays the game he knows, pass the ball and trust the receiver.
Arteta 7 – Seemed to suffer really from two weeks off, once up to speed set about providing a useful screen to break up attacks and kept the ball moving in the right direction.
Song 7.5 – Comfortably dealt with all Norwich could chuck at him, filled in at centre back when Vermaelen went wandering forward, and good work to seize on the opportunity to set up the winner.
Ramsey 7 – Worked hard to get in good positions, but wasn’t always found by his teammates. Pounced on the poor touch by Martin to allow Song to break forward for the winner.
Gervinho 7.5 – Getting better all the time, movement good, dribbling good, passing good, finishing must do better, but I’m sure it will come with time.
Walcott 8 – Purple patch time for this young man, finding a way to beat his man every time, and using the ball to good effect. Unlucky not to have scored but a fantastic all round performance.
van Persie 8 – Great movement to be on the end of the first, sublime finish for the second. Good link up play and leadership.
An ice age ago Arsenal played their last game, would I be correct in thinking we beat WBA? And our last away fixture was …. remind me?
Before the Interlull
Very excited to see us back playing Norwich. Lovely town, good beer and pubs, beautiful countryside. They have been doing unexpectedly well under Paul Lambert – may their success continue after this afternoon’s drubbing (we can but hope) when Norwich go Man City in 2 weeks.
What can we expect today? The Arsenal team appear to have returned from their travels in one piece, they have had 5 days to relax and re-focus and they must be hungry to build upon their excellent run of form. We may not be the fluent Arsenal of old and we may have problems which will be exposed by better teams but for the moment this team is developing the handy habit of winning ( last 11 games: W9 D1 L1). Norwich, who were everyone’s bet to go straight back down have done well playing expansive attacking football, 9th spot is a fantastic start for them. It should be a good game.
Stat time. Norwich have scored 38% of their goals from headers, (PL highest). In the last 3 games v Norwich AFC have scored at least 4 times. AFC have lost only one of their last 20 games v Norwich. AFC have conceded the PL’s most goals on the road (17) and have scored in all but one of their last 15 away games. Norwich are the 3rd hardest working team in terms of yards run in the PL.
Injuries. We are down by 3 fullbacks, 2 MF’s and 2 forwards. Norwich have a full squad (BBC)
My team:
Mr Wenger has been hinting that Koscielny will start at RB, he would definitely be my choice. Chamakh is fit again and we have to find a way to get him back scoring, we know he has the talent and with just a bit of luck he could come good; I would like to see him on the hour. If Norwich persist in playing a high line Theo will fill his boots. Thinking about the first scorer? Santos is due a goal, as is Gervinho.
Fine article in The Independent by Lee Dixon talking about his arrival at THOF.
Sadly no inventors from Norwich, perhaps those windy flatlands prohibit such work but plenty of interesting notables. With today’s inditement of Tumbling John Terry, may I bring Mr. Pablo Fanque to your attention. Mr Fanque is mentioned on the Beatles song “For the benefit of Mr. Kite” and is known as the first black circus proprietor. He also sported a fine moustache
Another pioneering black man died today. Basil D’Oliveira was one of my childhood heroes. I dedicate this post to his memory.
The new Arsenal: focus, enthusiasm, togetherness, and a mixture of raw talent and calm experience
The interlull is almost over. Although it has been a boring period – from a footballing point of view – at least we did not have to endure again the spectacle of recent interlulls: in-fighting of fellow Arsenal fans. No, quietly the fans have gained considerable trust in this Arsenal team again and are more united now. And this makes a big difference on how an interlull period is experienced. Football is funny like that.
The reason for this renewed optimism is not only down to a run of good games/results. There is something within this new Arsenal team that makes it easy to indentify with again, to really love again, something that makes us feel good to support and believe in this team again with all our heart. It is like having a new girlfriend: she might be not as stunning as the previous one, and not everybody talks about you anymore, but she is surprisingly pleasant and enthusiastic and you feel you are getting somewhere again – a sense of hope and progress. And we can definitely say Arsenal is getting somewhere again.
So what are the key ingredients of this new Arsenal team? For me, they can be summarised with the word: FEETT. On a personal/work related level I have always felt that people with a lot of FEETT get furthest in work/life, and I believe this also goes for whole teams, or even organisations.
F is for Focus:
There is a new focus in this team, mixed with a healthy dose of humility. For a big part this is due to our awful start to the season. The sweet uses of adversity (Shakespeare) have been on display once again. Arsenal is well below from where it belongs in the league table, and the aim is to simply focus on one game at a time and win as many as possible, so we can climb the table and end in the top-4 at least.
The same goes for the cup competitions. This will sound a bit bizarre, but I have not seen Arsenal being this focussed as it has been this year, for a long time. Nobody believes anymore that we are special – at the moment – based on our recent history of superior, title & cup-winning football: no, for the first time there appears to be a strong realisation among the fans and the players that we need to regain that status through hard work and focussing on winning game after game. Wenger has also recognised this, as he stated recently that we need to be a bit humble and just concentrate on winning the next game (rather than talking about winning the title this year). Combine that with Gazidis’ announcement that not finishing in the top-4 would not be a disaster and you can see Arsenal’s tactics to release the tension a bit, and allow time to build another Wengerball super-team.
The paradox is that by saying we are not focussed on winning the title (at the moment) and not qualifying for the CL is not a disaster, we are far more likely to do well this season. This team is on a mission – it knows what it needs to do.
E is for Energy & Enthusiasm:
We have the right balance now between talent, technique and energy levels, and with the likes of Arteta, Jenkinson, Koz, RvP, Ramsey, Song, Szzesny and Vermaelen in our team we have plenty of stamina. The team works a lot harder now – collectively – and with a considerable amount of enthusiasm as well. Energy and enthusiasm are paramount for success, as it will help us to get over the difficult moments easier and faster (recent second half performances against Udinese, Sunderland, Marseille, and Chelsea especially, spring to mind).
E is for Experience:
For me, this is probably the biggest, and most positive, change from last year. The way the BFG and Santos recovered in the second half, from their disappointing first half performances against Chelsea, was very telling. With Vermaelen, the BFG, Sanya and Santos there is plenty of experience in our defence and the likes of Jenkinson, Szczesny, JD and Gibbs will all benefit from this tremendously as well.
In midfield, we now have the ‘arrived’ Song, Arteta, Rosicky, Arshavin and Benny who are all experienced enough to make a difference and the likes of Jack, Rambo, Frimmpong. Diaby and Coquelin will all benefit from this. Upfront we have the experience of RvP, our captain, Theo, Gervinho and Chamakh – on whom I refuse to give up on, at least for the time being. The likes of Ryo, the Ox and Park can all benefit from playing with our more experienced players, especially the Dutch Master. It is this combination of youth and experience throughout the positions which makes me so hopeful of the (near) future.
T is for Talent:
This Arsenal squad is bursting at it seams with talent in all four areas of the team. Szczesny and Fabianski are both fabulous goalkeepers and Manone is nor far off either. Gibbs and Jenkinson are very promising propests and so is Miquel. The midfield is overdosed with talent, and this is after the departure of Cesc and ‘the other one’. In attack, we have representatives from four continents and I cannot wait to see Joel Campbell play for us. He looks like a great prospect and so does Park, who needs a bit more time to settle in properly.
The final T is for Teamwork or Togetherness:
This new Arsenal Team really is becoming a solid, cohesive group of players who are ready to fight for each other and make things happen. There is a great spine from Szczesny – Vermaelen/Mertesacker/Koscielny – Song/Arteta – Ramsey/Wilshere/ Rosicky – RvP. These players, together with the FB’s and Wingers, and aided by a great reserve bench in most games now, looks more ‘together’ and resilient than ever: a proper team where everybody wants to work for each other and for the club, and with plenty of quality to make the difference when required. As many have pointed out, the recent, collective team celebrations have been a joy to watch and tell us a lot about the levels of togetherness within this new team.
So there is plenty of reason to be optimistic for the future. Clearly, we are not there yet and things could still go against us again, but this team is on a mission and all the basic components are there for a successful season.
It feels right and proper to take some time in the Interlull (arseblog TM) to slag off our rivals. Unbelievably we have to include the N17 bottom feeders this season as they prove themselves to be genuine contenders. How could this be? It is unnatural, a twist of the correct order, an aberration and a perversion of all that is right and proper.
Managed by a man who should be wearing a red striped baggy pair of daks held up by enormous yellow braces and sporting a comedy relief nose, Spurs have become entertainers! Yes, you read that right, Entertainers. Not the usual Chas and Dave or Keystone Cops but proper engaging entertainers …. like a quality Dog act or a Chimp Party. Unnatural but engrossing.
THFC Squad Photo 2011/12
I know – you cannot believe that BR can compliment the miscreants but credit where credit is due. They are playing some lovely football and look to have a team and worse a squad that can compete to season’s end.
True, Spurs have been smacked by MC but have ground out lucky victories over us, the Scousers and most recently Fulham. I watched the Fulham game and was very impressed. Only 4 shots on target scoring 3 goals. 23 shots for Fulham resulting in just the one. This is Top 3 form, perhaps even Top 2.
Just kidding …. we all know they will collapse by New Year .
Arsenal news. ….. erm …….. Jack’s twittering. ….. Tony Adams has resigned as manager of Azerbaijani Gabala citing family reasons …… AW insists all his signings are “top quality” (yawn) ……… Park says he is fit (yawn) ……. Berk Shea (21 yo American) has ended his AFC trial and gone home (asleep).
Today’s query. Who do you think would win in a fist fight at AFC?
Clearly the BFG would have a reach advantage and a good defence but so would Chezzer, I would expect Gervino to bob and weave; TV looks to have a solid chin, and Arshavin has a fine centre of gravity (?). Sagna looks a bit tasty as does Alex Song. Then we have the lightweights, Theo, Ramsey, Rosicky, Bennie – probably decent in an amateur 3 rounder but not for the pro fight.
Last man standing? My money is on Bacary.
p.s headline song by these fine upstanding gentlemen …….
Posted by Erik the Red 
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 