Hopefully the final trip to Blackburn – preview.

September 17, 2011

Let me start by stating the views held below are entirely my own and in no way represent the views of the site.

Anyone who has read my pre-matches over the seasons will know that I am not a huge fan of Blackburn, I will go further and say that for many seasons they have represented all that is reprehensible in football – from top to bottom.

Let’s look at their recent record:

Managers: Graham Souness, Paul Ince, Fat Sam, Mark Hughes, Steve Kean.  Only Dalglish brought some respectability to this awful club and he was sacked (by mutual consent).  The last 3 seasons have seen them reach their nadir – from the non-football of the Walrus through to Kean’s  commitment to the “big man.”

Ownership.: Jack Walker (the first man to buy the PL), the Chicken chaps – the chicanery of the promotion of Kean by the Venky’s, whom it is said had no conception there was relegation in football and the PL was based upon the franchise system as in the NFL!

Players: El Hadj Diouf, Robbie Savage, David Bentley, Craig Bellamy (both players of the season!) –  they are united in their awulness.

If you enjoy utilitarian football allied to workmanlike players who are encouraged to “get in their faces,” then Blackburn is the club for you. The management are at best pragmatic.  There is a reason Blackburn are most peoples favourites for relegation.

Detail of Steve Kean’s tactics

What should we expect from a team based around the physical presence of Yakubu, Samba, Jason Roberts? Tactically, I guess they will be very energetic, pack the midfield, look to stifle our creative players, defend in depth to stop the pace merchants,  hit a number of long balls to the isolated front man and look to score from set pieces. They do have quality, Givet and Samba are two fine players, Dunn has been,  and in Hoilett they have the makings of a top player.

To turn to the men in the white hats, we celebrate the return of the violent miscreants: Song, Gervinho and Jenkison, two of whom I expect to play today. Song was outstanding in Germany and I look forward to a more mature performance from him than the idiocy with Barton.

My team:

Gibbs has played twice in a week and being fragile could use the rest, furthermore I would like to see Santos play – he is supposedly a fine attacking LB and despite Holliet being a right winger, should have plenty of opportunities to get forward. Should Benayoun start ahead of Arshavin? In a game which is likely to get physical – yes.

Today’s referee is Andy Marriner (I think). Let us hope he gets early control and that our team can keep 11 players on the pitch.

Blackburn as everyone knows has 400o holes in it  (Lennon was referring to the appalling state of the local roads). What is less known is that Mitchell and Kenyon who were pioneers in the development of cinematography  lived in Blackburn until 1901.

A tough away  game with Blackburn looking to dig themselves out of a hole (sic) having won just one point so far this season but one that Arsenal have reason to be positive about.

N.B. Don’t forget the 12.45 kick-off!

COYRRG

Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Sit down and shut up ……

September 16, 2011

The game is underway, the action has reached a point of let’s be honest, boredom. The Emirates crowd is hushed awaiting some excitement, it doesn’t come, a player makes a mistake, groans cascade down towards the pitch, a young man stands up and with arms aloft sings “Arsenal, Arsenal Arsenal” at the top of his voice. What is the usual response? Shut up and sit down”. and then a steward will arrive and threaten him with expulsion.

You may say this is a worst case scenario but we have all seen it –  show some passion and unless it is a big, big game (Barca), few will join in. Why have the grounds (not just the Grove) become so sterile?

Primarily, I blame the seats. Anyone who saw the tragic results of overcrowding, poor policing and violence which led to the need for the Taylor report understands the need for better stewarding and control., but in my opinion the decision to turn grounds all-seater has been a two edged sword; Yes, the days of violence and fear on the terraces have disappeared; Yes, the chance of someone urinating on your leg have been reduced and Yes, it is easier to get back to your mates after a half-time pie, but at what cost? Seating dampens  physical, emotional expression.

Football has always been a sport for all ages and in the past as one got older one moved to the East or West Stands, there was seating aplenty but the passionate singing remained on the terraces.

An example from elsewhere. Go to a rock concert, feel the difference in emotion between sitting and standing – and it is not just about dancing.  For the performer it is the same, try sitting and singing on stage – almost impossible. Standing makes the expression of an emotion simpler.

Whilst accepting that something had to be done to prevent the violence on the terraces, the solutions found in the ’80’s should not be rigidly enforced today. Apart from the usual miscreants (Leeds, Cardiff, Millwall etc) football fans do not fight each other. Those that do, do so away from the ground which has nothing to do with football.

If clubs want atmosphere at the grounds then there has to be a standing section behind the goals. With the advent of CCTV and better stewarding, the grounds will remain safe.

A direct result of seating was an increase in the cost of attending a match, which has led to change in the social demographics . No longer can a family man on a less than average income take his children to all the matches. The game has become a wealthier man’s sport. And along with that comes different behavioural patterns, amongst which are  a heightened sense of individualism and a reluctance to enter into “mob” behaviour i.e. rather than joining in the lad standing singing, he is told to “sit down and shut up”.

A few other causes …

1. The Bloody DJ. Where did the idea come from that we need a DJ’s inanities to create an atmosphere? Do I need to hear Status bloody Quo singing Rocking all over the World after a victory to be able to celebrate?

2. Mobile phones. All grounds should be phone free. I am sick of hearing the man sitting next to me discussing work issues/women problems/ what is for dinner during a game. I am also sick of people on the bloody phone looking askant when someone tries to start a chant, as if to say “Can’t you see I am making an important phone call?”

3. The inabilty of friends to sit/stand together.

4. The loss of connection between the players and the fans. Can you remember those halcyon Highbury days when during warm up we sang all the players names and they all responded? What happened?  Today there is absolutely no contact apart from when a sub warms up and he may clap his hands above his head. All clubs should enforce their players to go to all sides of the ground and wave to the fans prior to or/& post the game, especially at away fixtures.

5. Allow alcohol onto the terraces (contentious I know). It is possible at all other sporting events, why not football?. Are football fans to be treated like children because of a few lads who cannot handle their booze?

6. Find a better transport solution. Perhaps then fans would stay to the end of the 90 minutes  – it shames me to see a half empty stadium at the final whistle.

Rant over.

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Arsenal’s Dark Knight

September 15, 2011

A recent blog on the AA website called ‘Project Youth-fact or fiction?’ (great write Illybongani) got me thinking about the direction that Arsenal has been heading in the last 6 trophyless years and also the grief that Arsène Wenger has had to endure. Fans seem to be divided into 2 opinions. Some believe that Arsène has failed with his stubborn attitude and lack of trophies, whilst others think that Arsène’s ability to keep the club competitive whilst overseeing our stadium move, has been nothing short of a miracle. I have to say that I fall into the second group.

Personally, I believe that ‘PY’ was used by Wenger to steer us through the stadium move. Arsène knew that buying young, athletic and technically gifted players would save the club money but also allow the team to play a possesion game that could keep the team competitive. However, i dont think that AW intended ‘PY’ to be as drastic as it was. If players like Gallas, Flamini, Hleb, Henry, Adebayor etc had all decided to carry on at Arsenal, then the side would have had much more experience over the last 5 years than had been at AW’s disposal. These players all left for various reasons, but, for the majority, it was down to contract length and size.

Wenger has been critisized massively by some sections of supporters for his inability to keep hold of certain players over the trophyless years, but lets not forget that it was the BoD who were now holding the purse strings (no matter what they may say) and they were looking to save pennies wherever they could. Unfortunately, this cost Wenger a lot of his experienced players.

I think ‘PY’ started shortly after the Invincible season. Now this will sound daft, but for me, the invincible season was as much a hinderence as it was a huge, huge achievement (are you crazy you fat ginger fool, I hear you type!? let me explain). The club decided it had to move in a new direction to make the most of its growing fanbase, but they took their eye off the ball, literally. Too much focus was moved away from the field and into the boardroom. Wenger was expected to sort out not only the team, but with the loss of his right hand man David Dein, he was also expected to deal with transfers. This multi-tasking led to a lack of focus which has been missing for 6 years now, and resulted in a drop of quality on the field.

People outside of the club always praise our style of play, but anyone who watches the team regularly knows we have lacked tempo and the ability to be direct for years now. We no longer hit teams on the break and take far too long building attacks. This is something that I believe AW has seen, and now that the purse strings have been opened and his eye is back on the team, it is something that he has been able to rectify with the new additions to the squad. Players such as Ryo, Walcott, Oxo and Gervinho add the ability to be quick and direct. The addition of quality defenders like Vermaelen, Mertersacker and Santos will give us the ability to soak up pressure so that we can get back to the counter attacking style of old. The squad has depth again, and the future looks bright.

Wenger has been put upon far too much by the BoD in recent years and it’s now time for the board to repay him. He has held this club on his shoulders for the last 6 years, deflecting criticism away from his young, vulnerable players. He has allowed the board to make him look the villain with their claims that funds have been available all this time (will we ever know the truth?). He has continued to keep the side competitive on the field whilst keeping the bank balance healthy, something that only 3 or 4 managers in the world could have done.

For me, he is our Dark Knight. He is willing to take all the heat, all the booing, all the flak, because in the end, he knows he can handle it. He has been, and still is, the best manager this club has ever had, and I for one, hope that this new look team bring him the success he deserves. Something that the much loved Fabregas never could.

Written by Fatgingergooner

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

A Perisickening End

September 14, 2011

Written by Gooner in Exile

A trip to the German Champions in their mighty fortress was always going to be a difficult game. We went with a team that is still getting to know each other’s first names so the writing was on the wall and every pundit pre match was predicting we would be lucky to escape with a draw.

Dortmund started brightly dominating possession and exploiting our high line and Per’s lack of pace, they were full of running and the little wizard Goetze was at the heart of most things good from them. Through poor finishing and committed defending we managed to keep them at bay and slowly get ourselves in to the match. The best chance during this spell came from a poor touch by Gibbs seized upon by Goetze who played a lovely reverse pass to Lewandowski who rounded Szczesny but Sagna had covered well and cleared off the line.

Arsenal were creating problems for themselves, the ball was sticking in the midfield when pressure needed to be relieved, a number of players (one of the main culprits Gibbs) were pushing the ball backwards and sideways rather than looking forward and Dortmund were swarming in numbers to win back possession in the defensive third. At times I would just like to see us punt the ball out of defence and into the other half of the pitch.

The period was not without its chances for Arsenal though, Gervinho denied by a last second tackle by Hummels whilst waiting for the ball to drop, after switching wings Gevinho released Theo but unfortunately his first touch took the ball too far and towards Hummels, a better first touch and he would have had options to play in Van Persie or play for the penalty with his second touch.

Benayoun looked to set Gervinho away, the ball was cleared straight back to the Israeli who reacted to push another pass to Van Persie who forced the keeper into a save at his near post.

Finally the deadlock was broken, Dortmund were guilty of slowly playing out from the back, Van Persie hassled for the ball and touched it to Theo, Theo seized on the opportunity to push forward and played a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Van Persie who composed himself picked his spot and put us one nil up with two or three minutes of the half remaining.

The second half started in much the same way as the first with Dortmund pressing with and without the ball but Arsenal seemed to withstand the pressure better, the ball was being played longer from midfield to attack and between Theo, Gervinho and Van Persie the ball was staying up the pitch for longer which meant the defence was given a much needed rest to regroup and reorganise.

During this spell we forced a couple of free kicks but unfortunately neither Arteta or Walcott could produce a telling strike.

Dortmund slowly got themselves back on the front foot and were mounting large periods of possession in the Arsenal defensive third. For the most part the team stood firm, Koscielny, Song, and Sagna all getting involved in good blocks or tackles, Mertesacker winning high balls and when the ball did break through the defence Szczesny was there to provide the final barrier.

During this period the two of the new signings, Arteta and Benayoun, provided good work-rate they covered runs made tackles and won free kicks when they could easily have lost possession. Their commitment to the harder parts of the game was good to see from players who some would possibly regard as flair players. Their energy meant that Song could stay more central and provide a screen to the centre backs.

Trying to steady the ship young Frimpong replaced Walcott and Benayoun went out to left midfield, soon after Benayoun was moved on to the right as Gervinho was replaced by Santos and Chamakh came on for the tiring Van Persie.

These changes restricted any forward movement so it was going to be backs to the wall for the last ten minutes or so. The Dortmund pressure was calmly dealt with by our defence and the clean sheet was looking good.

Unfortunately it couldn’t last from a passage of triangle passing between Benayoun, Arteta and Frimpong who had no forward outlet the ball was lost resulting in Song conceding a free kick to stop a breakway. Gibbs rose well to head away the firmly delivered set piece but the ball looped out to Perisic who struck an unstoppable volley into the top right corner. There was simply no legislating for that strike, the harshest critic will say that too many red shirts had got sucked into the area and the Dortmund players on the edge of the box were left unattended.

There was still time for Szczesny to be called into action once more as he spread himself at the feet of Lewandowski to prevent a Dortmund winner.

So a point away from home in the Champions League in the bag and some valuable lessons learned about our strengths and weaknesses.

For me the team still has some gelling to do, hopefully three days training together before the visit to Blackburn will give the players the chance to at least learn each others names and maybe even how each other likes to play, that presently is our weakness.

As for strength, well tonight there seemed to be something that I haven’t seen for a while certainly not in the latter stages of last season, players were taking responsibility, Szczesny was grabbing bodies at corners and telling them where to stand, Benayoun and Arteta were working hard tracking back to win the ball back and put themselves where it hurts. Spurred on by this Van Persie was tracking back deep into his own half. From the ashes I think a team is rising, a slightly different team, one with a different mentality, one prepared to fight, one prepared to do what it takes to win. The future is looking brighter every game.

Ratings:

I don’t normally like ratings but today I thought I would give some as I thought a few players deserved mention that I could not put fit in the report.

Szczesny – 8 Solid start to finish, calm and composed, confident claiming high balls and some important saves.

Gibbs – 6 For me our weakest player tonight, too often turning back inside with nowhere to go when in possession, and dereliction of defensive duties for most of the first half allowing runners to get away too easily

Sagna – 7 Mr Dependable, as ever, solid in the tackle careful with possession, but did not offer as much going forward as he normally does.

Koscielny – 8 Despite some wayward passing in the early stages I thought he stood firm against a very talented Dortmund attack, made many good interceptions and tackles, was strong in the air, took a mighty thump to the head from Sagna and Subotic combined but just gets on with little complaint.

Mertesacker – 6.5 His pace was exposed on occasion when they played around him on the floor, but when they resorted to high balls he came into his own, will suit the bigger teams in the Premier League but we will need Vermaelen and Koscielny when it comes to the trickier attackers of City and the like.

Song – 7.5 Provided the screen as needed (especially in the second half) also retained possession well in both halves, took time to settle in the first half alongside the two new lads.

Arteta – 7 For me he gets a 6 for his first half display and 8 for the second, felt the game passed him by in the first half, but when he started to get hold of the ball and pick the longer passes he provided a good outlet and used it well, second half he put himself on the line in defence and got a nice cut on the head for his trouble.

Benayoun – 7.5 Slightly out performed Arteta, with a better display first half going forward, but most impressed and surprised by his work rate defensively.

Gervinho – 6.5 Too many blind alleys run down, needs to get his head up and use his teammates more, had the chance to lay in Theo when one on one.

Walcott – 6.5 Up until he pushed the assist through he had hardly been in the game, and had been guilty of losing possession too easily. Second half was better but should have used his pace better when he had the opportunity to.

Van Persie – 7.5 The half point is for the goal, otherwise a quiet first half, again much better second half and upped his work rate, I’d prefer him to come off every match on 75 minutes shattered than conserve himself to get through ninety minutes.

Subs, Frimpong, Chamakh and Santos not enough time to rate.

Man of the Match – Koscielny

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

You’ll Never Walk Alone

September 13, 2011

You’ll never Walk Alone has always been my favourite football anthem, it reminds me of the wonderful Liverpool teams of the 60’s/70’s and Bill Shankly and the Kop and black and white TV and my first visit to Anfield. It is THE football anthem. Why am I writing about YNWA?  Well, because it is Borussia Dortmund’s anthem, and I have a feeling that with 80,000 Germans singing and cheering on their young and extremely talented side our boys in Red are going to be feeling very alone. Alone but hopefully not afraid.

Like most fans I was hoping that we would not draw BD in the final group of the CL draw, and  am sure I was not alone in using a 4 letter word when we drew them. Borussia are  a top, top team and despite losing Sahin to Real Madrid (he was voted Bundesliga player of the Year) they have (unlike us) retained their squad, even rebuffing a reported €40m bid from Arsenal the 19.y.o Mario Gotze.

Gotze is just one of the exciting talents in this Dortmund team, but let us focus upon him for a moment. Just 19, already touted as the future of German football and hailed by German Football Association’s technical director Matthias Sammer who called him “one of the best talents that we’ve ever had” –  high praise indeed. Remind you of anyone in our squad?  How we miss our Little Jack.

Barrios, a Paraguayan, plays upfront for BD and last season was top scorer in the Bundesliga in 2010 and scored heavily last season. Kagawa an attacking MF is one of Japans most talked about young talents, at 22 he already has 25 International caps. Subotic is a monster Serbian CB whom Chelsea  (and supposedly AFC) tried to sign in summer,  just 22 and a class player. I could continue but you will just get as depressed and anxious as I am.

BD’s stadium holds 81,000 fans and is the largest in Germany, they have an average attendance of  over 77k a game, the highest in Europe. Interestingly, BD are quoted on the German Stock Exchange – the only publicly owned club in the Bundesliga

Arsenal go into this difficult game missing Wilshere, Ramsey, Rosicky and Diaby in midfield. We have an untried defensive unit and are missing our best defender (apart from Chesney). And yet, we have cause for optimism: We have a terrific frontline, we have a midfield with PL experience  (if not CL), a defence that has a good mix of pace and height, and we are at our best playing away in Europe (OK – that might be an exaggeration)

My team:

World’s No.1.

Sagna Mertesacker  Koscielny  Gibbs

Song  Arteta  Frimpong

Walcott  Van Persie  Gervinho

Tough call on whom to play alongside Song and Arteta in midfield, but Frimpong adds some defensive steel and energy which will hopefully allow Song to get forward and be creative.  The front three have pace aplenty which will be important in what is sure to be an open, attacking game.

Most pundits have written off our chances of getting even a point from tonight. They cite our current lack of form and Dortmund’s undoubted home strengths (their loss this weekend was the first in over a year), but these pundits are always writing us off. We have reason to be confident, Dortmund have only 7 points from 15 this season, they are stuttering upfront and have an ageing defence. Their team has little Champions League experience and winning the Bundesliga is nowhere near the achievement it once was, I firmly believe Arsenal would win it with our current squad.

A win is a tough ask, but why not?

COYRRG

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Whatever Happened to Abou Diaby?

September 12, 2011

Amidst all the fun of making up our fantasy teams for the new look Arsenal, one name has been conspicuous by its absence: Abou Diaby.

It’s understandable in a way: we have lots of shiny new names to play with in our hypothetical formations.

Do Artex and Benny Yoon displace Li’l Jack and Aaron when all are fit? If teams come to park the bus, do we bust out the Park to knock them down? Should we add height by playing Arshavin on Wilshere’s shoulders? And if we did, would they still be shorter than our new GG (Giant German)?

Such fun.

But no-one, as far as I can see, has been jumping up and down and frothing at the mouth about how we have to include Abou Diaby in our up-coming advance on four trophies.

Poor Abou has just disappeared from the Arsenal narrative.

Danny Baker, in his amusing Radio 5 show, would describe it as an example of “Chuck Cunningham Syndrome.”

For readers of a younger disposition, I should explain that this refers to an American 1970s sitcom called Happy Days, whose lead characters were Richie Cunningham and his super-cool friend The Fonz.

The show ran for 11 seasons (which, in US television, means well over 100 episodes).

In the first season Richie had an older brother, Chuck. In episode 10 he went upstairs, saying something like “OK, catch you later guys.” Then he was never seen nor heard from again. No mention. Nothing. Not even a name check in any of the remaining 90-plus episodes. Just written out of the show.

At the moment, Abou is our Chuck Cunningham.

The last mention of him from anyone connected with Arsenal was a comment from Arsene Wenger a month ago, when he revealed that the player had had surgery on his ankle over the summer and would miss the start of the new Premier League season. “Diaby is not back before the end of August or the beginning of September,” he said.

So Abou was last spotted hobbling into the operating theatre saying “OK, catch you later guys,” and has since vanished.

Despite the fact that he is theoretically on his way back from injury, no-one at the club has seen fit to give him even a passing mention when describing the range of options open to us this season.

He has been well and truly Chuck Cunninghamed.

I raise the point because it came up when I was playing my own game of Fantasy Arsenal (no, it bears no relation to Peaches’ version of the game, which involves Cesc Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky and a large tub of whipped cream).

I was just doing the regular “who would I play where” when it popped into my head that our own Disappeared One, Mr Abou Diaby, could have a very positive impact on our season.

He has undoubtedly been one of the most frustrating of Arsene’s crop of young players, but when he’s good he’s very very good. He can pass, tackle, dribble and score; he is big and athletic and, on his day, can provide excellent forward momentum.

Consistency has been his problem, but that is partly due to him never really having had a run of games in any one position – and certainly not in his favoured one of attacking central midfield. Often he has been played wide because more senior players (like Cesc and, er, Denilson) were occupying the central positions.

Obviously his regular injury problems have played a factor too. He has been so unlucky on that front that I now think of him as a sort-of cartoon character. If he’s not walking underneath a plummeting piano he’s falling down an open manhole cover; if he’s not slipping on a banana skin he’s left holding the big round bomb just as the fuse fizzles down to nothing.

His appearance stats of 108 games in five and a half seasons tells its own story (about 20 games a season, including appearances as a substitute, is not good enough, although it’s important to acknowledge the impact of Dan Smith’s horrific leg-breaking tackle on Abou’s record).

So I offer this thought as another sliver of optimism for us Arsenal supporters, following on from the encouragement most of us felt at the late rush of new signings:

If (and I know it’s a big IF) Abou can fully recover from his ankle operation and IF he can put his niggling injury record behind him and IF he can find his best form on a consistent basis, he may just be able to show us all the form that once had many in the France coaching set-up viewing him as being the best of a talented group of young French midfielders (including Na$ri).

We might then be able to look at midfield options that include Arteta, Wilshere, Ramsey, Benayoun, Rosicky, Song, Frimpong and Diaby and feel we truly have the strength in depth to upset some apple carts this season.

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

A R-ight close SHAV IN-creases tension as the Vorm Turns? And Ratings…..

September 11, 2011

Arteta – Bright Start but faded…..

Its September 10th, a New dawn, new beginnings, from the ashes of Project Y’sssh and the dishevelled remains of a team that faced the Old Trafford onslaught, it was  Wengers regrouped band of footballers with a significant number of new recruits, grabbed on the supermarket trolley dash on 31st August, who took to the field, ready to drag Arsenal back to the upper echelons of the premier league………

Per – Slow Steady Start

There was an air of anticipation around the ground, as we all took our seats, Arteta and Mertz were in the Line up and the other new boys all on the bench…..A team selection rightly predicted by many, but from now on perhaps not so easy to predict, so the depth is there…

Little time to get the know the new players as our team returned from around the globe after their international endeavours with goals aplenty scored by our boys…….so they do know where the ball should go………?

Anyway, a bright start to the game saw a Spaniard look composed and assured on the ball, with deft touches and slide passes, he was playing with a smile and a zest about his play.  And the fans had their early voices heard…..

The first chance saw Arteta put Aaron through on goal, but he lost balance and smashed it high and wide. Arsenal continued to press and knock the  ball around. But the next best chance was seized by the Swans…….

A delightful cross in from the right from agustien, as Danny Graham attacked the six yard box (please note this arsenal), got in front of Per and stabbed it to the bottom corner, wrong footed, off balance and his eyes closed, ok that bit was made up, Szczesny somehow got down to his left to produce a stunning save…….

Arsenal kept up the initial pace of the game with the lively Arshavin releasing the ball through the middle to Theo who came from the right, Theo managed to squeeze the ball goal bound under Vorm, as it edged towards the goal, Caulker cleared the ball away…

Arsenal continued to move the ball around, but it lacked real zip and the movement in the final third was poor, as chances were few and far between. Frimpong back from suspension showed heart and the fight for a battle, had a dig from range, but it was dragged wide.

Gradually Swansea became more dangerous as their confidence grew with Dyer and Sinclair causing problems with their pace and directness, arsenal struggled to gel as a team. Another cross flashed across the 6 yard area, Graham nearly getting his head on it, with arsenal defence static Gibbs nearly steering in his own net as the ball came at him.

As we moved close to half time, no player really was standing out for Arsenal, Arshavin was certainly been more involved than of late and couldn’t have been lambasted for his usual laziness, as he chased and harried every ball, soon he got his reward.

Frimpong, passed into Theo with his back to goal, who turned inside to his right and done two men on the edge of the area, but flashed his shot high and wide with his left, a deflection looped the ball up high and as it edged towards the corner, Vorm collected the ball and rolled it out, but it hit the heels of the swan defender Rangel, Arshavin turned and with his left peg, curled a sweet shot into the empty and inviting net……..

Second half started lively with both sides knocking the ball about, but both lacked penetration. Sinclair raced towards goal; he tried to evade Kosceinly who scythed him down, yellow card. Sinclair’s free kick hit the bar and over.

Moments later, Arsenal moved forward down the left, Arshavin played into RVP, who took the ball with two players in close quarters, he shrugged them off and turned to his left and across the goal and unleashed a curler to the far right post which he clipped.

Arshavin came off for Benayoun on 63, which considering it was his best performance for a while was unfortunate.

Arteta, played the ball out wide to Sagna, who moved forward and curled the ball across the goal, just nobody attacking the box, Van Persie just too late……

Frimpong was replaced by Coquelin on 75; quickly he got into the game, he reads the game well, and he worked hard to close down players. On 81 Van Persie was taken off for Chamakh, which was a strange one, but later at the end, RVP limped as he walked on the pitch to applaud the fans, so maybe a precautionary move?.

Chamakh almost had an immediate impact; a long ball from Koscielny was headed back to Ramsey, who fed Gibbs on the left, who crossed perfectly first time, Chamakh rose, good contact but straight at Vorm.

In the last few minutes, Swansea pressed and won some corners and from one of them, the ball broke for Graham, who turned and couldn’t keep his shot down and fired over from 5yards…..

Overall:

So we end with 11 men, no bad ref decisions against us and we get a little bit of luck for a change, so has the Vorm turned?

Well it’s a win, a clean sheet and 3points. Important not to drop points, especially with the pressure at the end of the match, nervous but we didn’t concede a sloppy goal which was a trade mark last season.

Fair play to Swansea, they played well and looked good at times, need to find the scoring touch soon to stay in this league, but we are not prolific!!! My only gripe was way too many players went to ground holding their heads………

Ratings:

Wenger: 7:

Picked a team, most of us picked beforehand but 3 points so cannot mark down too harsh. I would love to know what instructions he sends Theo out with, his play no way as effective as against Udinese. Standard substitutions, didn’t improve the game, as we lost our shape, allowing and inviting pressure.

Szczesny: 8: Just for that save, which truly was world class, Number 1?, commands the box and is more considered with his distribution now.

Sagna: 7: Not spectacular but dependable and solid, Sinclair will cause problems for who ever he faces. Got forward well.

Koscienly: 7: Reads the game well, under rated for me, I’ll say as always, he just lacks aggression for me. Rightly booked

Mertesacker: 6: Steady and slow start, little time to acclimatise to premier league so will mention a couple of good tackles he made.  My big concern was he didn’t attack the ball enough and use his height effectively

Gibbs: 6.5: offensively was probably better with some good crosses, but again he failed at times to attack the ball in defence, one very notably near the end that could hav cost us. Positionally naïve or still learning? Needs to up his game or Santos will be coming early this year……..

Frimpong: 6: Heart and fight, plenty of drive, his effort alone endears him to the crowd, a favourite of mine already. But his passing was poor. Although when he gets it wrong he chases till he gets it back…..Young and will be a stalwart for years…….Tired towards the end, before been subbed.

Ramsey: 7: Heard some comments knocking his performance, thought he did well, looked for the ball and moved us forward. Had an early chance that he blasted wide. Never hid and worked tirelessly. Heard someone say he isn’t good enough for Arsenal, balderdash…….have a word…….

Arteta: 7: Really lively start, probing and laying off deft touches, a Spaniard orchestrating the midfield, he is his own man and he will do well for us. Hacked down several times, showed that he was seen as dangerous by the swans. Dropped off in the 2nd half as our shape went apples and pears……

Arshavin: 8:  A much better performance, worked hard and close down defenders, always looking and probing. Definitely not a lazy boy today…….Took his goal well, it might have been an open net, but most would have missed that from that angle. Went off before 65 as usual….Just gets my MotM for his goal and work rate.

Walcott: 7:   A crowd splitter, he tends to frustrate more than he excites, but just what he instructions does he get? The team doesn’t aid him and he is not suited to balls in tight areas to his feet. I will defend him, but I agree without pace he wouldn’t be as useful, but he has pace so that statement is pointless, he does give us an outlet, he needs to become consistent to realise his full potential. But I would say, he has an Ox breathing down his neck…… I know quite a few will disagree with me but for all his knockers, he did more than Van Persie.

Van Persie: 6: Didn’t get involved enough, if he plays point, he needs to attack the area with more vigour. Great shot in the 2nd half that hit the post. Subbed late on, took a knock? Play him in the hole…….

Subs:

Benayoun: 6: Lively

Coquelin: 6: Tenacious

Chamakh: 6: Had a header, but little time.

Next up:  Dortmund……….Champions league, we need a better shape and more movement in the final 3rd. Defenders need to attack the ball and not let it bounce. With Gervinho and Song back in the team, we will step it up again……..

End Note: Condolences to Brendon Rodgers, Swansea Manager, whose father died on Friday.

Written by Harry

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Posted by Rasp

Mr. Wenger says the season starts here…..

September 10, 2011

The season starts here. The Boss said so?  No, the season started at Newcastle and we have one point out of nine, that’s right, one out of nine. Our worst start since Alex James took a drag from his Woodbine prior to walking onto the Highbury turf (perhaps).

Thankfully much has changed since OT and quite frankly it needed to. Lack of composure, lack of fit players, lack of tactics, lack of intelligence, lack of discipline and lack of creativity all added up to a team in excrement alley wearing open toed sandals. Arsenal’s response has been unprecedented in Wenger’s reign –  just look at the players in box on the right.

The International break reminded us of how good our players really are. Loads of goals, a number of MoM’s, and to a man they performed well. Even Theo!

Hopefully the dent to the confidence arising from the debacle at OT, has all but disappeared, which bodes ill for Swansea. This is Swansea’s first trip to The Emirates, and their first game against AFC since 1983. They play possession football and keep the ball on the ground – they should be the perfect opponents for the new style Gunners. Furthermore, Swansea have yet to score a Premiership goal.

My guess at the team:

This seems to be a conservative selection, however, when the suspensions are over and the new players have received their visas we will see some exciting teams. Our midfield and attack have so many options and I hope to see a return to the superfast football one associated with the Invincibles. The midfield pairing of Frimpong and Ramsey is likely to be the fulcrum of the team in the years to come (should Frimpong continue his development) however, they will be dependent upon Arteta to be not only creative but also authoratative. I am very excited to see our new Spaniard, and believe much of the season’s success will rest upon his slight shoulders. The arrival of our giant German is also very exciting, he is just what we have been asking for since Kolo left and I cannot understand the criticism from some sectors of the fans – if his name was shorter I would have it on the back of my new shirt (you know, the one which has been a Jonah so far this season and which will be binned if we lose today).

I would love to see The Ox come on for Theo at 60 mins and Park get 10 minutes towards the end. More likely will be Benayoun for Arshavin as the Russian tires (is it true he is the most substituted player in the PL?)  I expect the adrenalin of the Welshmen’s first visit to the THOF will wear off at 75 minutes and we will dominate the last quarter, particularly if the speedster  Chamberlain comes off the bench.

At present we hold the PL record for players sent off in consecutive games, can we add to our record and make it 4? Don’t bet against it, the referee is Andre Marriner, whose last visit to THOF was in the infamous 101 minute long game v Liverpool.

Ed “Taffy” Bowen who invented the hugely influential Radar, was born in Swansea. So was Dylan Thomas, who as everyone knows was a lifelong Gooner and had a season ticket in the East Lower.

This is not a game for fancy football, it is a game where the 3 points are essential for the well-being of us supporters, anything less and we face another week of ridicule and shame.

COYRRG

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Gooner Day

September 9, 2011

Written by VCC

Before you read on, VCC wanted to include the following track in the post so please right click Gooner Day  to open in a new window and listen – unless you’re being naughty at work that is 🙂

Its 3 pm Saturday 10th September 2011. We welcome Swansea City to the Emirates for our second home fixture. Is this going to be a Gooner Day?

Well fellow Gooners, is this the trickiest start to a season in our lifetime?

It comes following an away draw against a mid table side, a home defeat against a top 6 side that has been resurrected and a simply humiliating experience away to maybe our biggest enemy.

Has Arsène recruited the necessary armoury to sustain a top four place, enabling our continued Champions League status?

Will Mertesacker/Santos plug the gap in our frail defence?
Will Arteta/Benayoun be creative in our new mid field?
And….will Gervinho/Young provide the firepower we need to assist our top goalscorer?

Many questions yet to be answered. If these players do not hit the ground running and turn our start around to winning ways, will we see the unthought-of resignation of our beloved Arsène Wenger?

The speculation in some Sunday papers is that Mr.Wenger is disillusioned with the Arsenal Board and is/maybe contemplating calling it a day. Can we even contemplate life after Le Prof?

After a frustrating, long and stressful close season, have we acquired the quality/necessary personnel capable to compete with the big boys, still?

I, for one, feel uneasy at the thought of life after “He Who Knows”. If he has been unable to win any silverware for six years, then who could have?

I for one, believe it’s going to be a “GOONER DAY”

COYRRG

Written by VCC.

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Healing the Wounds

September 8, 2011

Football blogs serve one important function and that is to provide an escape valve for supporters to vent their angst – and boy have we had cause of late. Such is the need to let off steam that AA has been flooded with contributors wishing to exorcise their footballing demons. Today we publish the thoughts of 2 new writers who are Arsenal to the core and through their own words have reached the same upbeat conclusion as to our prospects this season.

Part 1 written by Holly

Since September 1st I’ve withdrawn from all on line sources of Arsenal news, I think my brain was about to implode with the frenzied wind up to transfer deadline day, so the break was welcomed. This allowed me to stand back and take stock of where we are at compared to the last home game of last season where those that turned up made their feelings clear that they were not happy with many things Arsenal. This is the bit where I shall embrace controversy; I think we are now a far superior team and squad and feel that not only is a top four slot a realistic shout, but a title tilt is far from beyond us also!

I know know, such positivity, I must be on the happy pills!

Think about it, from our squad last season we have lost really only four players that we could argue were regulars and even out of those four I could find you more gooners than not that were happy to see two of them leave, namely Bendtner and Clichy. So really it’s the loss of Cesc and Na$ri that leaves the ‘gaping hole’ I keep hearing about. I’m fed up hearing we’ve not replaced these departees but not only have we replaced them we’ve improved upon them. Like for like we are never going to replace Cesc, the guy is a one-off, a truly world class player, so rid yourself of any desire to compare like for like, it serves little purpose. Na$ri on the other hand, whilst admittedly possessing the potential to be world class, we only saw glimpses of it and therefore he is very replaceable.

Now let’s take a look at those who’ve joined us, whose primary remit would be to replace and improve upon the creativity of our departed. Let’s presume that Park comes in for Bendtner, and judging by his 4 goals in 2 games in international week I’m reasonably encouraged by this prospect. Then we have Arteta, Gervinho, Benayoun, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (AOC), and to a lesser extent Myaichi. Arteta is as similar a player to Cesc as certainly the premier league has to offer and he has made a big impact in training already with his quality. His guile, quick feet and vision will create many opportunities for our attack and he won’t require any settling in time. Gervinho has started his Arsenal career in fine form, his performance against Udinese suggesting that we have a big game player on our hands.

It may be a little churlish of me to point out that when we needed our big game players during last season’s title run in that Na$ri popped up with a grand total of one goal in fifteen games, images of him clean through at Bolton one on one will haunt me for a long time. Benayoun is another quality addition; I’m much happier with the prospect of him coming off the bench instead of Eboue, for example. Then we come to the player who with a bit of luck could do a Theo and be a surprise inclusion for Capello next summer (yes, I know I’ll get stick for this). If you didn’t see the six minute clip doing the rounds in the last couple of days of his second half cameo for the under 21s then I urge you to go find it and watch. One nil down to four one up thanks to four assists from AOC. Speed, power, control, end product, I could not believe how lucky I felt that I was watching an Arsenal player, this kid has the lot

If Arshavin’s form continues and (the ever improving) Theo picks up a knock then AOC could get his chance and if he does I’ve an inkling he’ll take it. Myaichi is an unknown entity at the moment but he did achieve cult hero status after playing just four months in Holland, so he certainly has something about him. Next week’s Carling Cup match against Shrewsbury may be interesting.

All in all that’s a very strong hand we’re playing with in an attacking/creative sense. Just behind them we’ve a more experienced Jack, the proverbial new signing Aaron Ramsey back after serious injury and more recently a man of the match performance against England at Wembley, and the emergence of the first real competition (Diaby/Denilson, I’m looking at you) to Song, Emmanuel Frimpong. For the record I would have liked us to have secured the signing of M’Vila before the deadline but maybe that deal can be done in 12 months.

Finally we come on to the defence. To Koscielny, Djourou and Squillaci at the end of last season we can add the returning (4-6 weeks they say, and I believe them, ha) Vermaelen and the vastly experienced and huge Mertesacker. Nobody could argue that a starting pair of Vermaelen and Mertesacker isn’t strong, and with good back up in firstly Koscielny and then Djourou I think we’re set fair at last in this position. Clichy left to very little fanfare and Santos comes in, in similar fashion. At the very least he will provide good competition for Gibbs but lest not forget he is a Brazil international and at 28 the right age for our squad. On the other side Jenkinson has shown enough for me to be confident that with the right guidance he will be a very useful squad member at the very least, in the mould perhaps of an O’ Shea up at Old Trafford, and before you laugh just remember that O’ Shea has 5 league titles, 3 league cups, 1 fa cup and a champions league winners medal to his name.

So come on guys, be positive, think big, get behind them, you never know, you may be pleasantly surprised. Latest odds for the title by the way 26/1…………

Part 2 written by Fatgingergooner

Sunday 28th August, Old Trafford, Man Utd 8-2 Arsenal. Now this is a game that will long live in the memories of football fans all over the world, but it is one that this Gooner is ready to move on from…..

I could sit here and write a full analysis of this game from start to finish, talk about whether or not lambs were sent to their slaughter for Arsene’s benefit in the Transfer Window, or whether it was the lack of tactics, confidence or football experience that was to blame for the defeat. There are some that would love to sit and discuss this for hours on end, after all, it is still the hottest topic in football and to many Arsenal fans it is still an open wound that can only be soothed by the counselling that is found on blogs. But for me, its a scar, one that i will have to carry for the rest of my days, but also one that has healed cleanly. There are 2 reasons why i have been able to move on:-

Firstly, no matter how many ways you look at the scoreline and the result, it will only ever read:-

1 game, 0 points, -6 goal difference

You can try and dress it up as a confidence shattering result for a club that was already on the brink (something the press have enjoyed doing over the last 2 weeks), but many of the players that featured in the game will not be taking to the field on a regular basis for the remainder of the season. People like Jenkinson and Coquelin will be used sparingly, Arshavin, Rosicky, Djourou and Koscielny will now play second fiddle to the new signings, and Traore has been removed altogether. In 2 weeks time we will have players coming back from injury and suspension, new signings bedded in and raring to go, and a different looking side from that which was subject to humiliation.

Secondly, I have accepted that this was a lamb that could have been slaughtered in 10 different ways! A crack CSI team couldn’t figure this one out! Was it the boards influence? The players naivety? The coaches downfall? Or was it Professor Wenger in the changing rooms with the football pump!!!???? To be honest, I don’t know, and I don’t think anyone else does either, and that is why we must move on.

We have a relatively easy set of fixtures coming up:-

Swansea (h)
Blackburn (a)
Bolton (h)
Spuds (a)
Sunderland (h)
Stoke (h)

During this period our rivals will be playing each other:-

Man U v Man C
Man U v Chelsea
Liverpool v Man U
Spuds v Liverpool

This is an important period coming up for this club and something that all Gunners should be looking forward to. We can close the 8 point gap and in my opinion get ourselves right back in the title race where this new look side belongs. Some may say that I’m deluded, or some of you may want to look back over the Old Trafford defeat than look to the future. I’m not here to judge, but think about this…..

1 game, 0 points, -6 goal difference…….no more, no less…………

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Posted by Rasp

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