Arsenal drink Sangria in the park

September 16, 2012
Such a perfect day …… well almost! A win by five goals, and we continue the great start to the season, despite having lost two of our most important players in the summer.  The first half was especially impressive, with the cohesive team-play the most significant feature.  Arsenal quite simply dominated Southampton all across the pitch in the first 45 minutes.
The only fly in the ointment came just before the half-time whistle when a rusty Szczesny dropped a high cross, with Daniel Fox capitalising on the error with the first entry in the Arsenal goals against column this season.  But at half-time, the crowd was purring at the level of the first half performance; Southampton might not be the most capable of opposition, especially in the defensive third, but the way in which our team knitted together was very, very impressive.  The second half was decidedly less fluid than the first, with Arsenal defending deeper than they might have liked and possession being given up too easily.  But that said, it was still clear which was the better team.

The defence today was every bit as coordinated as it has been this season, with Mertesacker magnificent in his domination of Rickie Lambert, a player who had bossed the Man United defence a couple of weeks ago.  Vermaelen was the foil to Mertsacker’s intelligent performance.  And on the flanks, Gibbs and Jenkinson were assured, being careful with the ball and careful without it. Gibbs also managed to get two sort-of-assists, having crossed the ball for both the Southampton own goals.

In midfield, what more is there to say about Cazorla and Arteta?  These guys are the business, their ability to organise the side is awesome. Even in the Cesc years, I don’t think it was as good as this, not because Cesc is less talented than our current Spaniards, of course he isn’t, but because this pair work together in such a seamless way.  Today, they were denied the chance to continue working in tandem with our renaissance man, Abou Diaby, and the ambitious Francis Coquelin was given the nod.

The general passing game was excellent, but the thing that stood out for me was the quality of the Arsenal passing in the final third, with Cazorla, Podolski, Gibbs, Chamberlain and Gervinho regularly shredding the Southampton defensive line.

Up front, the team selection was interesting, with Gervinho played through the middle, as he had been in some of the preseason games, and Podolski and Chamberlain on the flanks.  Many have had their doubts about Gervinho, and after a pretty tame first season in red and white, he certainly has something to prove this season.  The goal he scored for the Ivory Coast last week shows that he knows how to score, but the question remained: will he do that for us? Well, he did today, with a pair, and some excellent attacking play that created chance for others.

It was lovely to see Gervinho turn into space on the right and pick up a typically perceptive chipped pass from Arteta, and then attack the box and simply drill the ball past Kelvin Davis at the near post.  And in the second half, he was in the right place to knock in a rebound off the post after substitute Aaron Ramsey had done brilliantly well to hold off a challenge and send the ball across to the far post. Luckily, the Mekon was on hand. One measure of Gervinho’s progress was his clear reluctance to come off when the substitute’s board had his number on it. Does anyone remember Gervinho showing that sort of appetite last season? Long may it last.

Podolski was belligerently energetic, often playing in a very central position, leaving the left-hand flank to Gibbs.  For our first goal, he battled with two Southampton midfielders just outside the centre circle, emerged with the ball at his feet and then slotted it through to Gibbs, whose drilled cross was fumbled by Davis and accidently knocked in by Jos Hooiveld.  Poldi’s goal was a joy to behold: we see fewer free-kick goals than we should, but with Cazorla, Arteta, Vermaelen, Walcott and Poldi, we certainly have options now. And, after Coquelin had been naively clattered just a few yards outside the penalty area, Podolski despatched his free-kick with Germanic efficiency. (Apologies for stereotyping….)

Chamberlain had a good game again today, with a couple of very decent efforts on goal, and he continued to play with a blend of youthful hunger and early maturity. The boy really is special, even in a game where colleagues take the lead.  His fellow ex-Saint, Theo Walcott, got a 15-minute run-out, and notched up a follow-up goal after an at-the-death Vermaelen surge.  For the more sentimental souls, like me, it was nice to see Chamberlain and Walcott make the effort after the final whistle to go and applaud the Southampton fans, whose club of course nurtured them in their earlier years.

There were probably only two negatives from the game today.  The main one was Szczesny.   It wasn’t only his error for the goal conceded, in a game where he wasn’t fiercely tested.  His distribution was as bad as it has ever been, displaying a nervousness that in a stiffer challenge would be a real source of difficulty.  We should cut him some slack, he’s not played much football recently, and his quality remains.  But he can’t afford to become a liability, hopefully his performances will lift soon.

The other negative was a minor one.  Having been dropped to the bench, Olivier Giroud’s chance to notch a goal was limited to his short appearance at the end of the game.  Probably his best chance was messed up by Walcott, who could have slipped an early ball through to Giroud but chose to hold onto the ball too long instead.  Nothing better emerged, and so the wait goes on.  Personally, I’m not worried, Giroud is a quality player, the goals will come.

So, a very satisfying day.  Next up Montpellier and Man City.  Some real tests for us there.

Written by 26may1989

Thanks to chas for providing the following player ratings:

Szczesny – Looked out of sorts and was sloppy for the Saints goal, though he did make a couple of decent saves. His kicking wasn’t up to Don Vito’s standard. Surely practice makes perfect for such elementary things……… 6

Mertesacker – A towering performance full of anticipation and Teutonic class…… 8

Vermaelen – Solid, powerful and a fine example to his teammates. His late surge created Walcott’s goal…… 8

Jenkinson – The Corporal is growing by the game. I can only remember one dodgy crossfield pass. He’s some footballer and is rapidly having his rough edges knocked off…… 8

Gibbs – Excellent from start to finish. The movement of the front three allowed him to join in with the attack on numerous occasions. Sometimes I confuse him with Podolski which shows he’s strengthened from the skinny whippet he was 18 months ago (mind you, it could just be my eyesight)…. 9 (My Man of the Match)

Arteta – The Spanish metronome makes the whole team tick. Majestic yet again…. 9

Oxlade-Chamberlain – The Ox looked a little tired to me but still managed to show real quality and ability on the ball…. 8

Cazorla – Santi has class oozing from every pore of his body. An Arsenal legend in the making. Would be Man of the Match but he’ll have lots of those during the season…. 9

Coquelin – Le Coq was robust, yet skilful. Perhaps the highest compliment to his performance is that Diaby was not missed yesterday.. 8

 

Podolski – Another instant crowd favourite along with Santi. You can see him straining every sinew to help the team. His free-kick was hit with such speed and whip it didn’t need to be right in the corner to beat the keeper. Goodbye Mr Row Z, we don’t need you anymore….. 9

Gervinho – Gerv’s best performance in an Arsenal shirt I can remember. His movement playing centrally, then left, then right had the Saints guessing all afternoon. Perhaps Wenger’s ‘Beat the Bus’ tactic might involve a bit more of the ‘false 9’ tactic…… 9

Subs

Ramsey – 67′ – Rambo helped us keep the ball better when he came on and his skill to create the 5th goal was sublime…. 8

Giroud – 74′ – Everyone willing Olivier to score a goal was great to see. It’ll come. I bet he wished he’d been on from the start yesterday. I wonder how the game would have developed if he had been…. 7

Walcott – 74′ – Theo was bound to make a good impact sub in a game like this. Shame he didn’t get his head up earlier when Giroud was all on his own, but he took his goal very well…. 7

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Observations on Arsenal’s Asian Trip

July 30, 2012

First off, let me say I am most encouraged by the way everyone went for goal. Wenger always says he likes everyone in his team to score, and it seems they are really taking it to heart. Is it just for pre season, or is it really a new attitude?  I hope it continues into the regular season. I sometimes wonder if our guys are a little gun- shy, because we think everything has to go through van Persie. It can be intimidating, especially to the younger players, even to his friend Theo.

I am concerned about the defense, with good reason – from the way we played the last 2 matches, and the goals conceded last season. I have faith in our central defenders, but really hope the wide players can be better than they have shown. I don’t expect any signings in those positions. Coquelin may be used there while Sagna recovers, and if we are nursing a lead in a match, I’d consider moving Koscielny there to bring in another defender. But most of all, we need to help defend as a team, it’s always said by Arsene and other coaches, but our team really is guilty of forgetting this more than most. We work very hard for our goals, and seem to allow the easiest against at times.

On to the positives. Where to begin? Let me start with my favourite subject, Theo Walcott. I felt like I was watching a different player. More aggressive, scoring minded. I’m not used to seeing him drift into the middle and shoot from distance, and it looked good. He even attempted a header ! Maybe it is time to let him have his wish and start slowly converting him to striker. Of course it depends who stays, goes, and comes in. But Theo as third or fourth choice striker can’t be much worse than what we are getting there, and has a great upside potential, as well as making him happy.

Gervinho looked great, like I remember from the beginning of last season, since we know he can do it, I wont assume it’s because of weak Kitchee defense. But although he made a great pass at one point, he should have taken a strong shot instead…. still needs to attack the goal more.

I’m assuming Ryo will go on loan again, but I liked how he helped out alot on defense. great sign from a young player. Owen Coyle may have helped a little there.

The OX looked fantastic- more than just ball skills, he picked out great passes forward, long ones, and showed great touch and vision.

Our boy Jenkinson made a couple big mistakes defensively, but I loved his shots on goal, and he is a gifted crosser.. I think that’s why Arsene plucked him, not just a bargain.

Yennaris looks like a battler, I do like what I have seen from Ignassi Miquel when he has played. I havent seen enough of Bartley, obviously. Santos, I like, but he must be more dedicated to defense. But I like his attacks also. He must remember, he CAN do both. Gibbs, never seems to impress me either way. I hope he can show us soon.

And, I just have a feeling about this Eisfeld. Not because he had a couple goals, it’s a little intangible yet. But we will see.

I’m sure I left some things out.

jnyc

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Will Arsenal Prove van Persie Wrong?

July 28, 2012

At the time you read this, some events may have overtaken it, and I truly hope that is the case. Names in, or names out, either would make me feel good. Like most of you, one of the first things I do each day is check the news about Arsenal. Again, like last summer, this is not a normal transfer season. For me, it’s filled with anxiety, partly because of the betrayal of Van Persie.

But I have to be honest, we can’t blame it all on the RvP situation. To me, we as a club have something to prove, and I don’t mean on the pitch.

When I say we have something to prove, it is to people like van Persie and Na$ri, but also our competitors, media, and football watchers everywhere. You’ve heard the phrases, “big club”, “small club”, etc. Trust me, I am not just talking about spending, I don’t expect us to splash 30 mil on a Hazard or Benzema. It’s about how the club does business in general.

At the close of last season, we were all hopeful of keeping RvP, and watching him end up as an Arsenal great. And I personally was hoping to see a couple moves by the club to strengthen.

I like the early Podolski move. I think he was meant as a more aggressive scoring winger, and RvP back up. After that, I didn’t want to fixate on any specific players, because I see that Arsene is less likely to go for the names thrown around in rumours and the press.

My biggest fear is that RvP was right, and that the team is unwilling, or unable to add some quality to put us over the top. Would we have paid for Giroud if RvP extended with us? I doubt it. But, you see, that’s the point. Giroud is exactly the kind of player a club with ambition would want as another option to mix in or use creatively with RvP. Not inexpensive, but if you are an attacking team, serious about challenging for titles, with an injury prone striker- you should expect an addition like this.

We all envisioned ways of using van Persie with Giroud and Podolski. Let’s face it, it’s less exciting without RvP. On top of that, we don’t know if the club was ever considering us having both.. We will get the answer to this– it WILL BE in the price and destination of RvP, or if he were to stay. I am on record here that keeping him rather than taking a low offer shows everyone that we are not sellers desperate for money, and that the club and Arsene make decisions, not disloyal players.

I worry that we are not closing deals coming in because we are on hold because of RvP’s status. Either we don’t intend to strengthen, or we can’t afford it. That would be bad news for a club of our size. If there is a quality player available, that would improve our line up, or strengthen our depth over the long season, we should be able to do it without selling our biggest players. It appeared we needed to sell Cesc last season before adding Mertesacker, Arteta, and Santos. I considered Gervinho as Nasri’s replacement and profit, so i was satisfied with that.

Just look at our starters at Old Trafford last season. There will always be injuries, of course, but also bans, the annoying African cup of nations, and who knows what else. We already know that we have very important players who will not be ready at the start of this season, like Jack, Sagna, and Rosicky, and he is dealing with an Achilles ! They will all have to be worked in slowly and carefully, for their future health, and the good of the team. I won’t even mention the perennially injured players by name, because I am wishing good luck for them.

For example,Coquelin will be needed at RB at times, so we are not that deep in DM. If we brought in a quality DM, it would free up Arteta to help out in more advanced areas, and get him the rest he needs also. Song would be free to sit out the occasional suspension, ACON, -and again, — I dont want to worry about him refusing to sign an extension this season, he already said no last season, so it would be nice to have someone in place rather than scrambling at the last moment.

Up front, there’s too much to discuss, with Theo, RvP unresolved, and all the rumours going around. Again, let’s keep some pressure off Wilshere and Ramsey. Wilshere- physical pressure, Ramsey- psychological. I’d also like to work the Ox in more than last season, but not depend on him yet.

I know that most clubs have unresolved issues, but I am only concerned about ours. And, our first few fixtures this season are very difficult.

For me, one more good addition would make me very happy, two, and I would be thrilled. I don’t want to speculate, but the names linked to us lately, at AM, and DM, if brought in, would give us incredible depth. They would, in my mind- put us ahead of United and Chelsea.. leaving us fighting for a title with city. As we say, in my humble opinion.

So, the clock is ticking. Will we let our lack of depth, and RvP holding us hostage ruin the beginning of another season, which, in turn leaves us only fighting for fourth again? Or will we show everyone that we as a club, mean business.

Written by jnyc

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Would Arsenal benefit from purchasing M’Vila and Cazorla?

July 25, 2012

Arsenal have always not been big spenders in any transfer window, always opting for purchasing players at the age of 15 and 16 for £400,000, rather than spending £25 – £30 million on proven talent, and hoping they become the next big thing. Fabregas is one of the rare occasions where it has actually worked. When Arsenal has been linked to players who have proved themselves at high levels and play for a smaller teams (which happens a lot), we never seem to win the signature of the player, fas was the case with Hazard, and now seemingly Hulk.

This transfer window may be different. The purchase of Podolski before the window and Giroud early on for a total of around £23 million represents more players than had been expected – but is that a good thing?

We have continuously been linked with M’Vila, for months before the Euros. Arsenal fans have differing opinions of him. We are now being linked with Spanish international Santi Cazorla.

M’Vila is a defensive midfielder, like Song, who was voted our second best player last season. What you may not know, is Arteta, our fourth best player of the season, was a trainee for Barcelona, and they planned for him to replace Josep “Pep” Guardiola, as a centre defensive midfielder. It was only at Everton, that he was made to play in a attacking role. At Arsenal, he has gone back into that defensive role with Song, which I love to see, and then he can attack when he wants, as well as going into defensive when needed. That’s two defensive players. Wilshere is also due to return early next season, who we have missed, who plays as a box to box midfielder, who is started in a defensive midfield position. So M’Vila would be our fourth defensive midfield player, and like the other three, he would expect first team football.

I have seen M’Vila in a few matches and he is an obvious talent, but he is a player with a poor temperament He was fined by the French FA for his strop after being subbed in the Euro’s, and he reminds me of players who think they are better than they actually are, Bendtner for example. Would Wenger be able to control a player with his attitude? I think the mixture between Arteta and Song’s attacking and defending talent is good, and better than if M’Vila was in the mix.

Then we come to Santiago Cazorla, a talented winger, but again, there is the same problem of already having players in that position. Walcott firstly, if we extend his contract. He’s a player who seems to under preform continuously, we see him start and many think ‘if he doesn’t play well we need to sell him’ and then he plays well for a game or two. Frustrating!

We already have the amazingly talented Oxlade-Chamberlain. Fans beg Wenger to start with him, even Rvp was moaning when he was subbed against Man United.

In addition there is Podolski, a goal machine for Germany. We can’t say whether or not he will be any good, I believe he will. Add to those the young and inexperienced Ryo Miyaichi, who impressed when on loan at Bolton, as did Wilshere. I think he will be the next best thing personally, and hopefully he will. Do a mixture of experience and youth there, and again, all of them want first team and Cazorla would as well.

So both of these players will want first team football. One has attitude problem, and both would be trouble if they weren’t played every week.

But again, both have a lot of talent. Would you like one of them or both at Arsenal?

Written by Miles

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Missing Na$ri like a hole in the bench

March 29, 2012

How much is Arsenal missing Na$ri?

The departure of Nasri at the end of August last year was used by many journalists, and plenty of fellow Gooners, as evidence that Arsenal had become a selling-club and was no longer ambitious enough to compete for the top prices. Seven months on, after a rollercoaster ride of a transitional season so far, it is becoming apparent the sale of Nasri was actually very good business for Arsenal after all.

Wenger was desperate to keep hold of Nasri last summer: losing Fabregas and Nasri at the same time, was far from ideal. Nasri had shown glimpses of his potential at Arsenal, but it was clear to most of us he was no replacement for the Spanish Maestro. The vacant role of advanced midfielder – the one who orchestrates our attacks and dictates play – was meant to be filled by Wilshere or Ramsey, with Rosicky and Diaby as suitable back-up. Wilshere suffered a long-term injury, and it is gradually becoming clear that Ramsey would fit better in a deeper role – the one currently occupied by our new Spanish hero: Arteta. Rosicky has recently found his best form again and has played a big part in our resurgence into the top-4 since February. Diaby…same old story, I am afraid.

The few times Nasri had played in this pivotal position at Arsenal, he had been ok, but not more than that. Yes, he had some fantastic games in the first part of the 2010-2011 season, but mostly in a wide position.

Having watched a few Citeh games this season in which Nasri made an appearance, it’s becoming clear to me that he has not made any progress since he left us. It looks like Nasri will remain a player with a few good games per season, who will operate mainly at the periphery of his new club – that is, mainly on the bench. He is simply not good enough to play centrally and is likely to be played on the wing for most of the rest of his career: would he have stayed at Arsenal, it would not have been any different.

Nasri joined a settled team with plenty of top quality in the squad. Mancini has played him centrally and on the wing, but in both areas he has been pretty ineffective. And there are no excuses for him: he is used to play in the PL, he has got the right age to perform at the required level and he has been fit since he joined the Etihad Oil Refinery (courtesy of Rocky Lives).

Despite of all this, he has had a mediocre season so far. In fact, compared to our three wingers at the club: Walcott, Gervinho and the The Ox, he is performing worst of all of them. In the end, that is where he left a vacancy: on the wing, and in order to answer the question of this post, he needs to be compared to our current wingers:

  Games played this season Goals Scored Assists Goals/Assists per game this season Career average per game
Theo 40 9 13 0.55 0.37
Gervinho 31 4 8 0.39 0.4
The Ox 20 4 3 0.35 0.4
Na$ri 36 5 7 0.33 0.29

Nasri was sold for £22m.Gervinho (£10.6m) and the Ox (£12m) were bought in return. Despite the fact that Gervinho and the Ox are playing their first season in the PL, and have had to find their way in an unsettled team that is going through a major transition this year, they are both currently outperforming Na$ri with a better average of goals and assists per game. Theo has had a significantly better season than Nasri as well. Surprisingly, all our wingers have a better career average of goals/assists per game than Nasri too, which to me is further proof that Arsenal did very good business in selling him last summer, rather than let him run out his contract, hold back the development of the Ox and others, and poison the atmosphere at our club. Two players for the price of one, and they are both better!

So, are we missing Na$ri? Like a hole in the bench! Good riddance and good business all round.

TotalArsenal.

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Posted by Rasp

Arsenal’s Biggest Surprise This Season?

March 19, 2012

Fellow arsophiles, I want to pose a simple question:

In a season of ups and downs, false dawns and unexpected revivals, which Arsenal player has turned out to be the biggest surprise package (in a positive way)?

I’m not talking about the likes of Vermaelen and van Persie, of whom we all expected great things. I want you to consider the players – whether already in the squad or newly signed – for whom you had NO high hopes, but who have gone on to confound your pessimism.

The grit that turned into pearls, as it were…

You can register your own choice in the Poll below, but let me offer my own shortlist for the contenders…

Tomas Rosicky

The Little Mozart – or Schnitzel, as I am assured is also his nickname – was high on the list of players most supporters wanted to see shipped out last summer. Unlike Fawlty Manuel and Sideways Den, footballing abilities were not the issue with the little Czech – it was just that he seemed as fragile as a Ming vase. And on the odd occasion when he was not too cracked to get a run out, he usually seemed a peripheral figure: the Ming on the wing. Fast forward to today, and we see a player showing just what he can do when he stays fit and gets a run of games in his preferred position. He’s now one of the first names on the team sheet, which makes a change from having his own engraved name plaque in the treatment room.

Kieran Gibbs

Like TR7, our young English left back has often given the impression of being made of glass and was on first name terms with all the medical staff, their wives and husbands, their cousins and neighbours, even their pets. But since he got back in the side our results have improved and he has begun to show why Arsene Wenger has persevered with him for so long. In recent games he has begun to really look the part.

Francis Coquelin

This cocky French cockerel was not on most fans’ radar at the start of the season and it was generally assumed that Frimpong was ahead of him in the midfield pecking order. But while Frimpong’s inexperience was exposed in some early season games, Coquelin took every opportunity that came his way, whether deputising at fullback or playing in his preferred midfield role. Undoubtedly the season of first team football at Lorient is what put him ahead of his young English rival, but he looks to have the quality to be a first team regular in the future. Sadly both he and Frimpong have been unlucky with injuries.

Theo Walcott

OK, I know this is a bit of a controversial one. But so many people were so down on him in the close season and at the start of this campaign that I feel it’s right to include him. Personally I have never understood the level of abuse he gets. Being a winger means you are always trying to do the pointy-ended bits of the game – beating defenders, putting in crosses, making goal assists, hitting the back of the net. Inevitably, things don’t always come off, but with eight goals and 11 assists his contribution should be recognised. If you doubt his importance, just look at how Robin van Persie values him.

Per Mertesacker

Quickly christened ‘The BFG’, our supersized German centre back was written off by some before he had even kicked a ball for us. He was too slow, not good enough in the air despite his height, he wouldn’t be up to the speed of the English game etc etc. Up until his injury, however, big Per showed us that he is, above all, a footballer of the highest quality. I know many supporters believe Koscielny and Vermaelen are our first choice CB pairing, but I really feel Mertesacker adds a level of composure to our transitional play from defence and is brilliant at reading the game and I would start him alongside either of the other two.

Carl Jenkinson

A young fullback, signed from Charlton Athletic with only a handful of first team games under his belt… what was Arsene thinking of? Well, our Carl is a Gooner through and through and when he has had opportunities to play he has shown great promise. His engine is fantastic and, for my money, he’s the best crosser at the club. He’ll be England’s right back in a few years time.

Andre Santos

A Brazilian we had never heard of, signed from the Turkish league. Surely this was another piece of craziness on our manager’s part. And when he turned up with what looked like 20lbs of hashish in his shorts the doubters were even more skeptical. But Santos quickly won people over with his adventurous style of play (it was his goal that got us back on track away at Chelsea) and his infectious enthusiasm.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Isn’t it funny that many of the same people who were furious when we signed Oxo (“we need proven quality, not another punt on some untried youngster for Chrissake”) were exactly the people booing when Alex was subbed off for Arshavin towards the end of the home game against Manchester United. We knew he was very highly regarded at Southampton, but many thought he would be “one for the future” or “Walcott mark two”. Instead he has already made himself a fan favourite and is another player who has everything it takes to be an Arsenal great.

OK, that’s it.

If you would like to suggest a different candidate please click on the “Other” option below and make your suggestion in the comments.

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

Fight for the Right: Game preview.

February 11, 2012

What a game in store for us this afternoon. As was said earlier this week – a barometer game. A resurgent Sunderland looking to continue their very surprising run against an Arsenal team confident as a result of last week’s big win.

And yet, in my opinion both appear to be skating on thin ice. Sunderland are, let’s be honest, a poor team managed by an average manager. Arsenal are on the verge of greatness but are not there yet, as the results at Swansea and Fulham portray. Yes, we smacked Blackburn but have you ever seen a worse performance from a PL side fighting relegation? Nor have I.

What has Mr- O’Neill brought to Sunderland to transform them? The same as Fat Sam has has brought to West Ham and SAF continues to bring to MU –  an atmosphere of fear and aggression. Hard work, get in their faces, ride your luck, long ball tactics, close down in midfield, compress the play thereby nullifying any creativity in the opposition and best of all, score and then defend like crazy. It works. After a dreadful start Sunderland have beaten Man City, Norwich, Stoke and Swansea.

Sessegnon is their main attacking force, however, it should be pointed out that this season he has scored 9 whereas our top scorer has 28. We know all about Seb Larsson who is one of the players often referred to when discussing the (too) early transfer of young players.

Another conundrum is who is going to start for Arsenal?. With the huge game in Milan on Weds. will Mr.Wenger risk playing his full first X1 or will he rotate? What would you do? Which game would you prioritise?  Do you think he should start with the same team in both games? I think we cannot afford to do anything but play our best starting X1 in every game – Big Raddy played 60+ games almost every season. (back when men were men!)

My Team:

I am torn between Ramsey and Rosicky. Perhaps Tomas should start today given his excellent recent form and that Ramsey will be better suited to the slower game played by AC Milan midweek – I expect him to star out in Italy, just as Fabregas did a few years ago. Everyone wants to see The Ox and I hope Mr. Wenger doesn’t drop him –  which he is almost sure to do when Gervinho returns next week holding his ACN Winners Medal.

An inventor from Sunderland? I bring you Sir William Mills, inventor of the Mills bomb. Those with a historical bent and an interest in World War 1 will know all about the Mills bomb which a type of grenade . 75 million of them were made and used during WW1. Yes – 75million!!. A prolific inventor he also developed a gearing system for ships which was used worldwide, and a telescopic walking stick/seat which remains widely available today (think Toffs/Range Rovers/ National Hunt).

Sir William Mills,  no relation to Mrs.

It will be Siberian conditions Up North which will affect both the pitch and the players. If Arsenal have pretensions to a Top 4 finish they have to get something from this game. I do not believe Sunderland are as good a team as we are but given the January failures there must be caution. Going one up, which a few years ago would be a guaranteed 3 points is a trait we must reproduce. This will be a game won in midfield and our boys will have to fight fire with fire.

Given the animosity between our respective managers, I expect an intense game with yellow cards aplenty.

COYRRG

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Match report – The fantastic story of Theo, The Ox and the Fox in the Box

February 5, 2012

 

How long have we been hoping for a result like this? We said for a long time that somebody will get a hiding from Arsenal sooner or later and today Blackburn – together with a handful of wasted bin bags, filled with nothing but hot air – were taken to the Bin-Bangers.

 Arsene decided to rest the tired Ramsey and also Sagna, who only just returned from a long injury. Blackburn’s Steve Kean did us a massive favour by leaving out the always-impressive-against-us Samba, and Yakubu was still suspended. So, given the weaker line-up by Blackburn, and the fact we were playing at home with a relatively strong line-up, we were of course expected to win. But, haven’t we been here a few times before this season …?

First Half

Arsenal started brightly and got just what the psychiatrist ordered: an early goal. Rosicky found Walcott with a through-pass towards the by-line and Theo kept his composure to pass a fine ball in between the stranded Robinson and the Blackburn Defence, resulting in an easy tap-in for the always alert Robin van Persie: 1-0 to Arsenal in the second minute!

After that, Arsenal dominated without being particularly dangerous in front of the Blackburn goal, although Vermaelen came close once with an effort against the post.

Blackburn tried to keep it tight and were reasonably well-organised in the first part of the first half. Although Arsenal totally dominated in the first half, our lack of thrust and creativity after the early goal, started to subdue the crowd. Out of nothing, Blackburn earned a free-kick in a dangerous position, after Koscielny made a wrong judgement, allowing the ball to bounce after which he had no option but to hold back Anthony Modeste with his arms. It came as no surprise that Blackburn levelled with a superb free-kick by Pedersen. He is one of the best free-kick takers in the PL, and also on this occasion he produced a very fine effort which Szczesny did well to still get a few fingers to, but to no avail: 1-1.

The equaliser tested our patience and resolve. Of course it was against the run of play and therefore undeserved, but that’s how football often goes. Luckily, we did not have to wait long to see whether Arsenal would respond in the right way. A very fine through ball by Song – he assists when he wants, it seems – reached Theo in an identical spot as where he was for the first goal. Also on this occasion Theo kept his composure, as he put in a subtle cross to the once again alert super-Dutchman, who loftily lifts the ball with his ‘inferior’ right foot over the leg of a defender to slot in his second goal: 2-1.

Two minutes later and Arsenal score the goal of the afternoon. It not only was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain first PL game, but his goal, and RvP’ assist, were reminiscent of a DB10/Th14 goal in our recent, glorious past. RvP just showed with his assist what a complete football player he is. After scoring a Poacher’s brace already, this time he finds a Bergkamp-esque through-ball to the Ox, surgically carving open the Blackburn defence in a split-second. AOC takes the ball into the sixteen yard box with a fine first touch, and with an even better second touch gets himself in an excellent scoring position. The adrenalin must be boiling inside his 18 year young body, but he stays calm and scores with the coolness similar to Thierry Henry’s in his very best days: 3-1.

This was the pivotal moment of the game, not just in terms of quality, but also by having created a two-goal lead, Arsenal had settled its, recently so over-tested, nerves. However, Arsenal were then helped further by a reckless lunge of Givet on RvP, after which the former was rightly sent-off. Luckily, very luckily, RvP managed to lift himself off the ground, a fraction of a second before Givet’s two-footed impact. With a 3-1 lead, against 10-men Blackburn all was looking good for the mighty Arsenal.

Second Half

Arsenal meant business from the start of the second half. It clearly was not prepared to sit back on its lead and soon it was rewarded for its attitude. Arteta, who throughout the first half had made football look so easy with his composure and positioning, pounced on the rebound and slotted home a decent shot from just inside the box: 4-1!

These are the sort of goals we have been missing this season and it was just what we needed to keep the momentum going.

In the 54th minute, 3 minutes after the fourth Arsenal goal, we scored another fine goal. Theo Walcott, who played with real verve and focus during the entire game, made a strong run across the Blackburn sixteen-yard box after which he found the Ox in a bit of space. The Ox did not hesitate for a second and took Theo’s pass in one go, shooting past Robinson’s right-hand corner: 5-1.

Then it was Coquelin’s turn to provide an assist, which RvP despatched once again from close range with this right foot: 6-1.

An easier hat-trick he will never get! Coquelin was impressive throughout the game; he plays with a confidence, maturity and physicality which are way beyond his age. On top of that he has a classy style about him, in the way he runs and he passes the ball: another fine prospect! After that, Arsene made a couple of substitutions: Benayoun and TH12 came on for The Ox and super-Song. Very surprisingly RvP stayed on the field!

Understandably, the game lost some of its intensity after the substitutions and the 6-1 score. However, just before the end TH12 scored a somewhat fortuitous seventh goal from another RvP assist, to complete the total rout: 7-1!

Conclusions

This is a very good result for Arsenal and just what we needed. Of course it is just one game and it would be wrong to get carried away. Blackburn was weakened by the omission/non-availability of Samba and Yakubu and the sending-off of Givet was also helpful. However, seven goals from eleven shots on target is a fantastic return, and four ‘non-RvP goals’ in one match is also very encouraging and much-needed at this stage. Results like this build confidence and bring back the feel-good-factor.

The Ox was phenomenal: his goals were classy and taken so maturely for his age, but on top of that he carries such a threat and thrust with him, every time he starts an attacking move. He reminds me a bit of the ‘Portuguese Ronaldo’ and also a bit of Messi. It is early days of course, but the Ox is the sort of player Arsenal has cried out for, ever since the departure of Dennis Bergkamp (not that they are a similar type of football player).

Theo proved that he can recover from one game to the next and I guess we all have to get used to the fact that he will have good days and average days throughout his career (most wingers suffer from the same problem). It will be interesting to see how the Gerv, Theo and The Ox – and eventually Ryo – will compete for the wing-positions. I wish I could incorporate Arshavin, but it feels his time is up at Arsenal.

Song and Arteta had great games and Rosicky made a decent enough contribution too. The BFG, Koz and Vermaelen had relatively easy games and made no mistakes (except for Koz in the first part of the first half).

TV looks like a Bouncer at a Tea-Party in the LB position, and I am sure he wants to be back as CB asap. Szczesny had also little to do but what he did was good (except for one moment in the first half when he decided to come to the edge of his box to clear a high ball which he messed up: it could easily have resulted in an embarrassing outcome for him).

Coquelin was superb and I just cannot believe our luck that we have so many young players coming through and making it into our first-11 at the moment.

But, ultimately this is the story of the Theo, The Ox, and the Fox in the Box:

Theo: 3 top assists, 0 goals.

The Ox: 0 assists, 2 goals.

The Fox in the Box: 2 assists, 3 goals.

Total: 5 assists, and 5 goals. Simply fantastic!

Player ratings:

Szczesny, Koz, TV, BFG: 7. All did their jobs well, but they were not tested much today.

Le Coq: 8. Fantastic game, with a fine assist as well.

Arteta, Rosicky, Song – ARS: 7.5. All did their jobs well today and all brought something extra to the game with either a goal (Arteta) or an indirect assist (Rosicky, Song).

TheO, The Ox, and the Fox in the Box: 9. Together they are my Men of the Match.

TotalArsenal.

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Why crawl when you can walk?

January 30, 2012

Written by fatgingergooner

With 3 defeats in the last 4 games and an unconvincing win against Leeds in the last round of the FA Cup, Arsenal fans were feeling far from optimistic ahead of this 4th round clash against Aston Villa.

Rumour had it that the Gunners injury list was starting to ease, and so it proved with Sagna, Henry and Arteta all named on the bench and also the young Frenchman Coquelin was deputising at right back. It was also good to see the Ox given another start after his fine 65 minutes against Man United last week.

On to the game and Arsenal started the first half reasonably well, stroking the ball around and finding space in the midfield. Within 2 minutes of the kick off, Ramsey had already registered a shot on target, but if truth be told it was more like a pass back as Given collected easily. The same cannot be said of the next shot from distance as Vermaelen received a short free kick from RvP before firing an absolute thunderbolt from all of 35 yards which Given did well to save to his left. Brilliant effort, great save.

Arsenal continued to dominate the ball, but with Fabianski back between the posts, you could feel the tension in the air whenever the ball was near the home sides box. The young Pole did well with his first piece of action though, clearing a free kick away with a commanding punch, but he soon reminded us why he is now second choice. Firstly, he wanted too long to make a simple clearance and was lucky to see his blocked kick go for a throw. Then he rolled a terrible pass into the feet of Song who could only return it to sender, thankfully though, this time, the young keeper managed to clear his lines before the block came in.

At the other end, dogged work from Rosicky saw a pass slid into the feet of Walcott who was away behind the Villa defence. Initially, Theo did well to evade a lunging tackle from Cuellar, but his lack of composure reared it’s ugly head again as he thrashed a shot wide instead of steadying himself and picking out one of his colleagues in the box. A waste.

The first 20 minutes had flown by with Ramsey and Rosicky getting the better of the midfield battle, and it was an excellent Ramsey tackle that created the next opportunity. The young Welshman did brilliantly to rob Clark before showing bravery to nick the ball wide to Theo who had space to run into. This time Walcott did get his head up and fired a great low cross towards RvP but the dutchman just failed to find the telling touch.

Arsenal had let Villa off the hook and nearly paid the ultimate price at the other end as the ball ricocheted in behind the static defence and towards the head of Darren Bent. Fortunately for the home side though, the sight of an onrushing Polish keeper was enough for Bent to pull out of the header.Thank god he wasn’t braver!

The game was definitely starting to open up and the Ox showed a great turn of pace to gallop down the left wing before cutting inside and pulling his shot wide of the near post. Good play by the promising youngster.

Arsenal were knocking on the door but just couldn’t find the killer pass to unlock the away teams defence. Walcott, espescially, was guilty of wasting a couple of good crossing chances as the half wore on. His lack of confidence was showing as he refused to attack the full back and instead fired aimless balls across the box. Not what you expect from an attacking wide player.

Thirty minutes had passed without too much to worry about, but a moments lapse of concentration can be deadly  at this level, and so it proved. Arsenal switched off at a corner and Ramsey was caught 2 against 1 at the edge of the area. Keane had ages to pick out a cross and his dinked effort was perfectly weighted for Dunne to climb highest and nod in at the back stick. 0-1 Arsenal again undone by a set piece.

To the home sides credit they were straight down the other end trying to get an equaliser, but Dunne was on fine form, twice clearing dangerous looking crosses. The home fans were starting to get restless as Arsenal camped in the Villa half in search of an equaliser. First Ramsey showed quick feet before firing straight at Given from a tight angle, and then the Ox hit a rocket from 25 yards which got away from Given but just didn’t bounce for an Arsenal player. Was our luck deserting us again?

On the stroke of half time we got the answer, and it wasn’t a good one! Villa broke from another Arsenal attack and Bent was played in down the right hand channel. His powerful shot was well saved by Fabianski at his near post, but as it is with the Gunners at the moment, the ball fell perfectly back to Bent who slotted in well from a tight angle. 0-2 oh dear.

Half time and the boos rang out around the Emirates. To be fair to the home side, they had made all the running and should not have been 2 behind, but the same old story of poor finishing and defensive mistakes meant that Villa’s 2 shots on goal had resulted in a 2 goal deficit. New manager? New players? New tactics? If you’d have asked at half time I think many would’ve said yes please!

But with football being a game of 2 halves, the Gunners still had 45 minutes to turn their season on its head.

Surprisingly, there were no changes at half time. Even with the boos still ringing in his ears, and with Craig Burley’s bullshit whafting under his nose, Arsene had stayed cool and kept faith in his charges.

Arsenal came out fighting, and it wasn’t long before they carved out an opportunity. This time it was a set piece of their own as Mertersacker rose highest at a corner only to see his header cleared off the line. So close!

Arsenal had started the second half brightly and moments later Walcott was almost on the end of a Ramsey back heel, but a fantastic Petrov tackle thwarted him at the last.

The pressure was really building and a flowing move then saw Ramsey with a shooting opportunity on the edge of the box, but with the ball stuck between his feet, he could only manage a weak right footed strike when he might have been better going with his left.

If fans thought Ramsey was at fault for that finish, then he certainly made up for it 2 minutes later as he burst into the box from a Song pass and just managed to toe the ball away from a lunging Dunne. Stonewall penalty and should’ve been a 2nd yellow for Dunne. How he stayed on I will never know! With the pressure on, RvP stepped up to send Given the wrong way and get Arsenal back in the game. 1-2

The tails were up and Ramsey was starting to control the game. Two minutes after the penalty he slid Walcott in down the line. This time Theo ran straight at the full back before squeezing a shot towards the near post. Given did well to get a hand to it but the ball fell to Hutton who somehow managed to smash the ball straight at Theo and into the back of the net! Barely 10 minutes gone in the second half and 2-2! Could it get any better!?

Unbelievably, Yes!

On the hour mark Koscielny collected the ball in defence and marched past the half way line before exchanging a slick 1-2 with Song. With Bent tugging at his shirt, Kozzer stayed strong and charged into the Villa box before Bent, in typical centre forward style, hacked him down with a badly timed/advised lunge. Another penalty to Arsenal and another goal to Arsenal as RvP sent Given the other way this time to put a resurgent Arsenal into the lead.

It was quite telling the way Robin and his teammates galloped over to Henry to celebrate. Maybe Wenger wasn’t the only person who had given out a bollocking in the changing room!?

The comeback was complete and the stuffing had well and truly been knocked out of Villa. Rosicky was dominating midfield, Ramsey was dominating the match, and Walcott was dominating his demons.

It was a joy to watch the young winger suddenly burst into life as he collected a long ball before driving at his full back and fizzing a shot at Given. Could this be the lift Theo needed?

After a brief penalty scare on 70 minutes, Arsene brought Arteta on for Rosicky to sure up the midfield, and it worked perfectly. The last 20 minutes saw very few chances at either end with a right footed RvP effort and a Clarke header straight at Fabianski the most the teams could muster between them. The highlight of the last 20 came on 88 minutes when Sagna returned to first team action for the first time since breaking his leg 4 months ago. Fantastic news.

It was also good to see the Ox and Theo both given standing ovations as they were replaced by Henry and Sagna respectively.

It was a tough 90 minutes to be an Arsenal fan that ultimately ended in elation as the boys turned into men in the space of 45 minutes. Ramsey showed just how to grab a match by the scruff of the neck, controlling the midfield for large chunks of the game, and especially in the key 15 minutes after half time. He was aided brilliantly by the energetic Rosicky who put in a sparkling performance to show that there’s life in some of the ‘deadwood’ yet!

It was a fantastic result for Arsenal, not because of the scoreline, but because of the way the team came back from 2-0 down. The second half performance was a joy to behold from every single player. People have questioned the manager’s and the player’s desire in the last few weeks, but no-one can say they don’t care, and they proved that in the second half.

At the end of the game I saw a banner about DB that read :
‘why fly, when you can walk on water’

We are nowhere near his high standards yet, but one small step at a time. If the first half was a crawl, then by the end of the second we were definitely up on our feet.

‘why crawl, when you can walk’

Ratings:

Fabianski-couple of shakey moments early on and may get blamed, unfairly, for parrying Bents shot back to him. Was solid in the air though and did little wrong 7

Coquelin-offered little going forward first half and was undone a couple of times by Agbonlahor. Kept everyone onside on build up to 1st goal. This shouldnt detract from his overall game though which was very good 7

Vermaelen-Much better in supporting Ox going forward and unlucky with a great strike early on. Caught out of position for second goal. 7

Koscielny-quiet first half but mainly because he makes defending look so easy. Came to life with run for 3rd goal and solid as a rock. 2nd best PL defender behind Kompany. 8

Mertersacker-great in the air at both ends and nearly scored. Maybe should have been talking to Coquelin in build up for first goal but very solid nonetheless. 7.5

Song-quiet game again but much better than recent games. Good second half and had a hand in winning both penalties. 7

Rosicky-drove forward whenever he could and worked hard. Gave Ramsey the platform to dictate the play. Looking back to something like his best 8

Ramsey-outstanding performance. If you think this kid is on par with Denilson then you are having a laugh! Controlled the game 9 MOTM

Ox-a solid display and showed maturity beyond his years. A natural footballer who looks dangerous whenever he has the ball and so composed for one so young 7.5

Walcott-Jekyl and Hyde. Had a poor first half as he failed on numerous occasions to get at Warnock when one on one. A different player second half and looked like he had his confidence back. Just wish he would attack the byeline more as he is so much more dangerous when he does it. 7.5

RvP-2 good penalties and linked up play with his usual mixture of strength and guile. Difficult day against a tough competitor in Dunne but eventually came out on top. Got ESPN Motm. 8

Arteta-6
Sagna-6
Henry-6

Arsène Wenger-maybe a slight risk starting with Coquelin but the young Frenchman was excellent. Brought Arteta on after 70 minutes to shore up the side and it worked well. Good substitutions, but earned his money in the half time interval. Many managers would’ve panicked and made changes, but Wenger’s faith was repaid by his players and he has to take a lot of credit for the half time turnaround as the players came out pumped up for the second half. 8

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Park Life: AV prematch

January 29, 2012

Remember our last FA Cup game? One of the great moments in the history of the Emirates. An average performance completely dismissed by 5 seconds of theatre. Today I would love to see a 90 minute performance which will raise the despair around the ground following 3 defeats.

We have to accept that we are not going to be Champions this year – yes, even you Peaches. With the loss to MC in the Carling, just the FA Cup and the Champions League remain to make this a winning season and although I am convinced we will get to Munich the FAC is the easier target.

The first 35 mins of the  second half of the MU game was our best since Xmas, the aggression, application and potency was back. We can and have discussed why we lost momentum and without opening the subject again we must hope lessons have been learned.

However, Mr Wenger can be a curmudgeonly chap when his decisions are questioned and it would be no surprise to see Oxlade Chamberlain start from the bench despite his fine performance a week ago.

There is a question mark over how seriously Mr Wenger will take the FA Cup but my hope is that he takes it very seriously; whether Van Persie starts will indicate just how he prioritizes the Cup. With Bolton on Wednesday – only a 3 day break – will he play our star man twice? My guess is No. I think he will play Park and bring on RvP only if needed,

My Team

I would like to see Park, he looked better in his brief cameo on Sunday and at some point he has to sink or swim. Having already scored a beauty in the CC, let’s see him get another or ship him out a.s.a.p. along with Chamakh.

More of the same, please

Hopefully, Arteta is back to fitness which will allow Rosicky to continue and Ramsey to have a break – he needs one. The back 5 pick themselves though I worry for Djourou who if un-injured must be reeling after his humiliation on Sunday; to be subbed at half-time (a rarity for AW) for a lad barely out of Youth football must be a humbling experience for a full International, even if he is playing out of position

A little about Villa. Nice team, no-one I know dislikes them, offensive manager who is struggling in the wake of O’Neill’s (relative) success. They are getting back into form and have a potent, pacy attack.

We will concede so it is imperative our strikers are efficient. As senior attacker (in my team) it is important Theo steps up and takes responsibility. Versus MU he was poor and gave little offensively or defensively – we need more from him and at a time when his contract comes up for negotiation Theo has to give reason for a wage hike. Right now, most fans would recommend a long rest in the sun (preferably a few seasons!).

Today’s Gooner:  This week’s topic of hilarity has rightly been the High Court trial of  Harry “Del Boy” Redknapp. The rabble down the road are very proud of their man and it is a source of pride that one of their own has made it to the High Court rather than the youth offenders prison. But once again our neighbours have been trumped – we have a celebrity Gooner with a far more impressive history of blagging: Mr Ronnie Biggs.  Biggs is a huge Arsenal fan as can be seen from the pic. I cannot say I have any liking for him and certainly no respect for a man with a history of violent crime but he is a Gooner and our tribe encompasses all types.

“‘Arry – ‘ee’s 2 Bob……”

Arsenal need to win today. The schisms which were so damaging prior to the good run have re-opened and the malcontents are getting vocal. I trust the players understand those booing are a tiny minority of the Arsenal fan base, but I doubt they do. We need to get behind the team, to give vocal support when things go wrong, criticism has it’s place but not within the Emirates. This is Our House.

COYRRG

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

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