Oxlade-Chamberlain Out On Loan

January 28, 2013

Let me start by saying that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a very gifted young man who will become a huge player for Arsenal.

And yet… I really think that the best thing for his development would be to be loaned out to another Premiership club for the remainder of this season.

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In his 14 starts and eight substitute appearances this season, AOC has had some great moments and showed no shortage of skill and determination.

But he has also, mostly, looked a bit out of his depth.

In his last two outings (as a starter against Brighton on Saturday and a late substitute against West Ham) his displays were characterised by wrong options taken and little in the way of end result.

Against the Hammers, we were already winning 5-1 when he came on, but he twice took ridiculously ambitious shooting chances when a simple pass would have been much more likely to yield a goal.

Of course there are mitigating circumstances (aside from his age and inexperience): he was playing with unfamiliar line-ups and untested partnerships, as with Jenkinson at the weekend.

However, in the moments when he has had the ball he has seldom seemed to do the right thing and was generally not on the same wavelength as his colleagues.

Many young talents have a “second season dip” and AOC is probably just experiencing one of them right now, before he kicks on next season.

But he is not good enough to command a starting place and, therefore, his opportunities in the first team will remain limited to cameos for the rest of the season unless there is a serious injury to more senior players.

With that in mind, I feel he would learn a lot more by going out on loan to a team where he could expect to play most games – rather like the experience Jack Wilshere had during his loan spell at Bolton.

Jack came back a tougher, wiser player and I would expect Alex to do the same.

If he were to spend the next few months at somewhere like Wigan, Norwich, West Brom or Swansea he would get a lot more than just extra playing minutes. He would start to learn about the responsibilities that come with being a team player (responsibilities he has been neglecting recently in the red and white).

A few bollockings from good pros who don’t have anything like Alex’s talents but are prepared to work as hard as they possibly can for their team mates will do him a power of good.

And experiencing a life that won’t be nearly as cosseted as that afforded to the Arsenal players will also be good for reminding him just how fortunate he is.

He would – like Jack – return to Arsenal a more rounded player and man.

A final advantage will be that he will be out of the firing line of the more volatile element among our supporters – fans who don’t seem happy unless they have a hate figure to shout at.

Alex is possibly only a few iffy performances away from starting to attrach the sort of groans and abuse that have dogged Theo Walcott for years.

All this is not meant to sound like an attack on AOC. As I said at the outset, I am really confident he will turn into a huge talent for Arsenal and England.

But if a loan-out was good enough for Wilshere (and Szczesny and others), why not Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain?

RockyLives

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BRIGHTON 2 ARSENAL 3 – A Star is Born. MATCH THOUGHTS

January 27, 2013

When the draw was made, my first thought was “yikes”. Here is a team with their priorities firmly focused on grabbing one of the play-off places in the Championship. Playing in front of a packed house at their fabulous new ground, The Seagulls will go into the game with little pressure, and can enjoy the possibility of causing an upset.

When I saw the team sheet, my reactions were twofold. Firstly, I wondered whether this eleven had ever played ten minutes as a unit, let alone ninety. Second, I was delighted, and surprised, that both Santi and Jack would be rested.

However, I felt that if we could be solid at the back, and the midfield could find a way to gel, then with the Pod, Ollie and Ox up front, then we’d have enough to score more than them.

Well, what a Cup Tie!

The game lurched this way, then that way. Arsenal, understandably, did not show the continuity and fluency so evident a few days’ earlier. Despite going behind, it was clear the home crowd were going to enjoy the day and lift their team, while Arsenal were never going to be allowed an easy passage into the next round.

I am not going to give a minute by minute, blow by blow, account of the game, but before I dwell on something very dwellable, I will point out some understandable negatives.

Neither flank operated well. It has been very apparent how in recent games, the Podolski/Gibbs axis is really beginning to gel and operate as a well oiled unit, serving both the attack as well as defence down the left. This kind of cohesion simply was not on display yesterday.

Similar problems down the right. The Ox/Jenks teamwork operated ineffectively. I have on other occasions aired my concerns about Alex, and his progress since his debut against Shrewsbury a few seasons ago is something that really bothers me. I have said a few times how I think his final role will be more central, and finding ways of giving him constructive learning pitch time there needs to be addressed, if indeed that is his optimal role

I am not going to dwell on individual incidents that may be blamed for conceding, as I want to do some serious dwelling as I said earlier.

Olivier Giroud. Oh Boy.

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At half time during the W’Ham game I made a borderline genius comment:

I pointed out that Big ‘Ol was far better with the ball to feet that many assume. The second half of that game began with a cleverly worked corner that saw the ball played in low and hard, where it was buried by the on-coming Giroud.

Now, like many on here, I have watched Mallard’s clips of both of his goals over and over again. Sure, the first goal was brilliant. The second however, and I have watched this about thirty times so far, is absolutely sensational. Great and perceptive though the pass from Diaby certainly was, it was slightly over hit for anyone other than a sublimely skillful footballer. Look again (and again). The way Ollie took the pace off it before his superb finish was technically top drawer. This was the goal of the season for me by a country mile.

I am not doing player ratings for two reasons. One is that I can’t be bothered, and the other is that I’d have to mark a few players lower than others, and given that they are not first choice starting XI’ers, I think that would be a little harsh. I will, however, compromise a little. Giroud 10.

It was a tricky away fixture fraught with dangers. There were five goals, we are in the hat for the next round, and in my view a Star has been Born. What’s not to like?

Written by MickyDidIt89

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

We Ain’t Far Away

January 25, 2013

Patience, they say, is a virtue, certainly it is not one exercised by a hard core of Arsenal fans, who it would appear have not noticed the dramatic change of direction  the club has taken in the years since Cesc left.

With Cesc at the centre, in his pomp, the club was a pressing club, in the style of but not quite as effective as Barcelona. Since his exit we have gradually changed our style to one of counter attacking. The emergence of Theo to play at the tip has to some degree lessened the loss of RVP, not that a player of his class could ever not be missed, 30 goals a year is after all the stuff of dreams.

However the induction of the young British core that understands the system along with new players brought in to compliment them has provided possibilities not previously possible when everything had to go via Cesc at some point in the move.

Wednesday nights performance was perhaps the most sustained counter attacking exhibition we have seen this season. Although it has been apparent for some time that this was the way we were moving.

With the addition of a holding midfielder to break up attacks, provide the ball for our talented midfield to find the strikers along with a pacey centre half to handle their runners when we do get stretched our attack would be complete.

Put that together and the days of TH14 and the Iceman would not seem so far away.

Written by dandan

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Posted by dandan

Hammers Hammered – Report & Player Ratings

January 24, 2013

Five fine goals, free-flowing football and freezing fans fully satisfied.

(Whoops. Sorry about the alliteration. That sentence has more Fs than the ladies’ toilets in an Essex nightclub on Saturday night).

He signed da ting!

He signed da ting!

It would be fair to say that many of us were nervous before the game.

Would the Arsenal who dominated Chelsea for the second half at Stamford Bridge turn up? Or the Arsenal that whimpered and wallied its way through the first half of the same game?

Our inconsistency has been consistent this season and we knew that we could not afford to be off our game against a physical, long ball West Ham managed by the Walrus.

Truth to tell, it was the line in BR’s pre-match about the Hammers having put in 56 crosses in their last game that really caused a clenching of the buttocks. Fifty-six crosses? Given our ability to concede a goal roughly to one in every two crosses into our box, we could be on for a 0 – 28 humiliation.

Thankfully it was the good Arsenal that turned up. Podolski and Ramsey were in the starting line-up in place of Diaby (ill) and Coquelin (injured). The back five was unchanged, Ramsey took up the DM position behind Wilshere and Cazorla. Giroud started through the middle with Podolski left and Walcott right.

We looked threatening and up for it right from the off and created several half chances before, inevitably, West Ham took the lead. The goal followed a couple of annoying officiating errors (a clear corner to us given as a goal kick to West Ham, a clear goal kick to us given as a corner to them).

The said corner came in and was headed clear only to fall at the feet of Collison, who slammed it into the net through a crowd of players from just outside the box. It was powerfully struck and Szczesny was probably partially unsighted, but just once I would like to see him save one of those. I had the same feeling about Mata’s goal last week. Difficult to save, but great ‘keepers get some of them.

Anyway, that’s enough carping for one report, because we refused to let our heads drop or feel sorry for ourselves and hit back just a few minutes later. Wilshere set up Podolski with a wonderful little dink of a pass and the German rifled it into the side netting from about 25 yards with all the venom of Big Bertha (the cannon, not the golf club).

pod goal

At half time it was 1-1. But I don’t think any of us were expecting what happened next.

If we had been pretty good in the first half, we started the second like demons. The lightning-fast, quick-passing, rapid-breaking football that Arsene Wenger patented at Arsenal was suddenly back.

The half had barely started when we were ahead. A corner on our left saw a slick move in which Mertesacker, having taken up a near post position, suddenly sprinted (alright, lumbered) back into the middle of the box and Giroud dashed to replace him. The BFG’s movement confused the Irons’ defence and Giroud was able to reach Walcott’s near post corner first, guiding the ball into the net beautifully off the outside of his boot.

girou

Are we working on corners in training? Or was it just good, intuitive play?

Six minutes later it was 3-1. A neat one-two between Podolski and Giroud led to the German squaring the ball to Cazorla in the six yard box. Santi’s cheeky back heel steered the ball into the net and brought joy and relief to the crowd.

Our attacks were coming in waves now. Fast forward a few minutes and Podolski was provider once again. We broke down the left. Podolski held the ball up intelligently to allow Giroud to stay on side, then fired a low cross right across the penalty area for a flying Walcott to drive home.

And our excellent Number 9 completed his hat trick of assists minutes later when another
low cross was steered into the net adroitly by Giroud (a much harder finish than it first looked).

At 5-1 we continued to attack with panache and probably should have added further to our goal tally. But better than that, we were outstanding on the rare occasions when we did NOT have the ball, pressing West Ham all over the park and forcing them into errors. It was a real template for how we should approach every game.

A serious injury to the Hammers’ Daniel Potts (he appeared to be accidentally caught in the face or head by Sagna) caused a 10 minute delay and although we continued to press hard afterwards, the sight of Potts being stretchered off seemed to suck a bit of the energy out of proceedings. Hopefully the lad is alright. He was applauded off the pitch by both sets of fans (Stoke City Orc Scum fans please take note).

In summary: a brilliant performance and win; the gap on the cave dwellers closed to just four points and, surely, a huge lift to everyone involved with the club moving forward.

Many of us have complained that, too often this season, we have been less than the sum of our parts. Last night our players showed how good they can be and they need to carry this attitude, arrogance and self-belief into the rest of the season.

Player Ratings

Szczesney: Good game but I would like to see him stop somebody’s screamer some time soon (I know GiE will immediately post clips of half a dozen breath taking saves he’s already made in this campaign). 7

Sagna: Still not the old Mr Reliable, but had a better game than he has recently. He seems to have lost all confidence in his ability to cross. 7

Mertesacker: Very solid and brought the ball forward well from the back. 7

Vermaelen: Tommy is slowly but steadily getting his game back together and he, too, was good last night. Despite West Ham being a typical Allardyce team more physically suited to basketball than football, they did not cause us too many problems in the air. 7.5

Gibbs: Super game from Kieran. Good at the back and a thorn in the Hammers’ side all night going forward. 8

Ramsey: Fine job in his preferred midfield role. Worked really hard, passed well and did tons of work off the ball. No Hammer enjoyed paying against him last night. 7.5

Santi-Cazorla: A busy bundle of tricks, took his goal stylishly and contributed greatly to the speed and fluidity of our movement. 8

Wilshere: Our new talisman. Drove us forward throughout the game despite, as usual, beng on the end of several fouls. His energy and inspiration is rubbing off on his team mates. 9 (joint MoTM).

Walcott: He signed da ting, now he’s delivering. He was brave and inventive and forced West Ham onto the back foot. Some wrong options on occasion but he never stopped trying. Took his goal well. 8

Podolski: Three assists and a rocket of a goal. When the Pod is up for it like this he must be terrifying to opposition defenders with his size, speed, strength and the sheer power of his shot, which reminds me of Charlie George. 9 (joint MoTM).

Giroud: Took his two goals brilliantly and had a good all round game, even if sometimes his understanding with team mates was a tad off. 7.5

Subs
Koscielny: Deputised well for Vermaelen who was removed as a precaution.
Santos: Nice to see Andre get a run out. He’s not as bad as his last outings would have you believe and it can only be good for the squad to have him back and fit.
Oxlade-Chamberlain: Full of running and tricks. Took shots a couple of times when he should have passed, but at 5-1 up who can blame him?

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

Poll: Will Arsenal Finish In The Top Four?

January 22, 2013

Following our schizophrenic performance against Chelsea there appears to be a growing consensus that we are unlikely to finish in the Champions League positions this year.

We are not as far behind the Spuds as we were this time last year but, on the other hand, can we really expect them to implode as spectacularly again?

(Actually, I can. Form is temporary, class is permanent and Totteringham are the EPL’s resident comedy act).

Trouble is, it’s not just the troglodytes we need to worry about. Everton are even more competitive than usual this year; West Brom are playing nice football and picking up results and – shock horror – even Liverpool have found some form.

All will fancy they have a shot at the much-prized top four finish.

Not that it will be easy for them. I can see the Toffees taking their eye off the ball if the Moyes-to-Chelsea bandwagon gains momentum (their equivalent of the ‘Twitchy for England’ campaign that so amusingly derailed the Spuds last year); West Brom will hopefully suffer a nosebleed before too long and ‘Pool are the other half of the Tiny Totts comedy double act. Not so much Laurel and Hardy as Laughable and Hardly Ever…

But it only needs one of our rivals to really kick on to make our grip on the top four even looser than it already is.

So what do you think? Here are two Polls to test the opinion of, if not Goonerdom, at least the survey sample represented by readers of Arsenal Arsenal.

First, the simple “will we or won’t we”.

Next – and a little less straightforwardly – if we were to miss out on Champions League qualification for next season, what affect would that have on our fortunes:

I realize that not every shade of opinion can be covered by Polls like this last one (if you think that dropping out of the ECL means that Arsene Wenger will become a transvestite pole dancer and the Emirates stadium turned into the world’s biggest Spearmint Rhino I apologise for not giving you scope to vote for your preference).

However, I expect that the results will be interesting and will hopefully prompt some interesting discussion in the comments below.

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

A Game of Two Halves….. Again

January 21, 2013

The same line-up as for the Swansea replay, saw Francis Coquelin keep his place also meaning Jack would be able to play a little further forward and Santi able to drop back into midfield to supplement the three.

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  • Subs  Mannone, Koscielny, Jenkinson, Santos, Frimpong, Ramsey, Arshavin

 

The first half began with Arsenal creating the first decent chance with Giroud set up by Walcott. Unfortunately the big Frenchman dragged his effort wide of the post. This was to be the highlight of the Gunners’ first forty five.

Mata scored on 6 minutes after Martin Atkinson decided to ignore Ramires’ challenge which came crunching down on the top of Coquelin’s foot. Sagna was asleep and allowed Mata the freedom of Stamford Bridge. The midfield was sluggish to say the least and Arsenal seemed to be playing zonal marking in every area of the pitch. There was little closing down except for Francis Coquelin who must have run at least three times as far as Abou Diaby. Diaby did not have the required level of match fitness for three games in a week and, in hindsight perhaps it should have been Ramsey who started.

A succession of Chelsea chances eventually led to their second goal with Ramires again given acres of space in the penalty area by Sagna. Szczesny’s challenge resulted in a penalty and booking. The goalkeeper wasn’t sent off because Ramires was going sideways to the goal with Arsenal cover arriving. Lampard sent the big Pole the wrong way and Arsenal had a mountain to climb.

Chelsea continued to press forward but couldn’t quite find the third goal which would have put them out of sight. The few Arsenal chances were ruined by Theo running behind the line and being flagged offside.

The Arsenal team was out early for the second 45, hopefully with a blast from Wenger and Bould still ringing in their ears. I expected to see Jenkinson on for Sagna who appeared to wish he could still be indoors with the lovely Ludivine.

The change in attitude was immediately obvious. The tempo was treble that of the first, closing down all over the pitch, teammates making themselves available and pressing Chelsea back into their own half. Mertesacker had a limp effort with his left foot straight at Cech after the ball had dropped to him on the penalty spot. Walcott hit a low drive straight at the keeper from a narrower angle and Giroud had a chance from a header from a cross by the excellent Gibbs.

The Arsenal goal came on 58 minutes and was well deserved. A fine interception from Vermaelen was carried forward by Cazorla who delivered a great through ball to Theo, standing in an onside position for a change. Theo took his chance well, opening his body up and giving Cech no chance.

 chavs2

Coquelin was replaced by Ramsey in the aftermath of the goal. The Frenchman had been well worth his starting berth. Arsenal continued to press for the equaliser and started to leave gaps at the back. Ba rounded a walkabout Szczesny on 83 minutes but Vermaelen managed to block his goalbound shot. The final 5 minutes of injury time saw a succession of Arsenal corners, but the finishing touch could not quite be found.

As predicted by BR, it was a game of two very different Arsenal performances, as good in the second half as we were poor in the first. How is it possible for the same eleven players to produce such different performances with only 15 minutes separating them? It has to be a lesson learnt that we have to come out guns blazing not just after the half time cuppa.    

Ratings

Szczesny– Couldn’t do much about either goal. His Almunia-esque rush of blood in the second half was worrying……7

Mertesacker – Made a few good interceptions in the first half. It was the mobility of the Chelsea attack from the flanks that he could do nothing about ……7

Vermaelen – Much better in the second half, pressing the ball and showing some signs of setting a captain’s example ……7

Sagna – Really poor in the first half and his attacking delivery was awful all game. Give Jenkinson a chance….5

Gibbs – Struggled a little against Oscar and Hazard first half. His second half display going forward was excellent. Gibbs is an excellent footballer  …..8

Wilshere – Jack couldn’t influence the game in the first half and seemed content to allow Coquelin to do his spadework. Again, his second 45 was much improved as he took the fight to Chelsea …..7

Coquelin – My MOTM. Never stopped running for his team. A lone plus from the first half and was perhaps starting to tire in the second perhaps causing his injury …….8

Diaby – Lazy and slack in the first half. Better in the second when those around him could make up for his lack of match fitness …..6

Giroud – Didn’t really get much change out of Ivanonvic and Cahill the whole game. A real shame that first effort didn’t go in, it would have given the whole team a lift…..6

Walcott – No idea how to break the offside trap in the first 45. Much better when more direct in the second. Took his goal well…..7

Cazorla – Santi’s passing was off in the first half but he started to buzz in the second as him and Jack took control of the midfield…..7

B.R. – A super pre-match…..10

Subs

Ramsey – Looked lively and added some drive when he came on. Still tends to dwell on the ball when he needs to shift it quickly……7

Arshavin – Andrey didn’t really add much at all unfortunately…..6

Written by chas

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Posted by Rasp

If Arsène goes …… who should replace him?

January 19, 2013

Let’s cut straight to the chase, and leaving aside all the arguments, regarding whether or not Arsène Wenger should be replaced or not, and beg the question, “if he leaves Arsenal, for whatever reason, who should replace him?”

There is a lot of talk about Mourhino being given the heave ho at Real Madrid this summer, and he is looking for a berth in the Premier League, so we are told.

Now I cannot stand the guy on a personal basis, with his cheap shots, stupid and unpleasant mind games and his general sneeringly dismissive manner. BUT – he is a good manager, possessing a very creditable curriculum vitae!

The subordinate question I would have to ask is “can he work his magic without a huge treasure chest to work with in order to buy marquee players, which has always been his signature method?”

I guess only time will tell, but I would be inclined to give him a shot, simply because it would be a win/win for me. If he succeeds, we would all be thrilled potatoes, and clacking our maracas, if he fails it would be only a short-term thing because he does not tend to stick around.

Then there is Sir Alex Ferguson. We all know how desperate he was to join us 20 odd years ago, and was near suicidal when old Dennis Hilly-Wood told him to sod off and stop wasting our time.
No – I am only pulling your string theory!

What about Pulis? OK, OK, but for those keen to get rid of Arsene, perhaps an Orc team might appeal. No?

I won’t let you choose Benitez, so you can forget him. Fact!!

This isn’t easy, because I do not really know anyone whom I can easily recommend, because like most of you, I do not take much notice of other managers, and have no real knowledge of their ability.

OK then, so what about Capello? Ancelotti, Klopp, Hiddink, Rijkaard or Lowe?

My problem is that I know these managers by reputation only, and I am sure many or even all of them are first class managers, in their own right, but haven’t they all made their names, in part, by having big money available to buy top, top quality players? Now where have I heard that phrase previously?

Now I know there are rumours that Arsenal have between £50 million and £70 million available for transfers, but there is a huge caveat here. First, if we do not clinch a 4th place in the Premiership, and therefore we fail to qualify for the Champions League in the new managers initial ‘break in’ season, we will add another possible £35 million shortfall onto the likely £35 million shortfall this season if, as seems likely, we do not qualify this season.

Well as a self funding, break even football club, the transfer treasure chest would be needed to plug the hole in the profit line.

This is becoming a tad tricky for your correspondent.

There is only one thing for it, and that is to throw this open to the glitterati of the AA blogsite, and ask you to help me with your greater knowledge. Who would you want to manage Arsenal, or do you think Arsène Wenger should soldier on, and just heap scorn and ridicule on a decent man and a great manager?

Don’t be shy. Let’s have your views and your reasons to support your selection.

Written by Red Arse

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Posted by Rasp

Arsène Wenger – The grooming of England’s future Super Stars.

January 18, 2013

Much has been written about Arsène Wenger’s penchant for foreign players – French players in particular. Over the years he has been ridiculed for playing teams full of foreigners and for his seeming adversity to English youth. This culminated in a league match against Crystal Palace on 14 February 2005 when Arsenal named a 16-man squad that featured no British players for the first time in the club’s history.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor felt that this was the beginning of a worrying time for English football”. In March 2006, Alan Pardew chimed in with – “Arsenal’s Champions League success was not necessarily a triumph for British football” Arsène disagreed and said that he saw the issue of nationality as irrelevant and stated, “When you represent a club, it’s about values and qualities, not about passports”

Other pundits including Trevor Brooking director of football development at The Football Association defended Arsene, he felt that a lack of English players in “one of England’s most successful clubs” was more of a reflection on England’s limited talent pool rather than on Arsene.

Arsène preferred players that were nimble, adept at passing and those that displayed a high level of technical ability. Using his uncanny knowledge of worldwide players he brought in players like Petit, Vieira, Henry, Pires, Van Bronckhorst, Overmars, Toure, Gilberto, Wiltord, Anelka, Ljungberg, Silvinho, Lauren, and Edu, these players formed winning teams the likes of which had not been seen at Highbury since Herbert Chapman’s teams of the 30’s.

His explanation for not buying British players has always been that few “local” players displayed the attributes that he was looking for and those that did were overpriced in comparison to European players. More recently, with the riches of Chelsea and the Manchester teams Arsene was not able to compete on a level playing field for the British players he admired or for the better foreign players so he was forced to turn his attention to youth players, both foreign and British.

Today, in his youth and under 21sides he has a squad of 30 English and 19 foreign players many of whom already have international experience at various levels.

In Theo Walcott, Carl Jenkinson, Alex Oxlaide Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere he has five full England internationals, these players might well form the core of the English team for years to come. With another 25 English youth players in his care who can say just how many more will make the international team?

Who would have thought that Arsène Wenger might be the man to turn around England’s fortune by developing the nucleus of the English team?

He is a multi faceted man that should not be counted out.

GunnerN5

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

The Old Arsenal Returns

January 17, 2013

When I said to Peaches that I could do the report for this game I thought it would probably be a simple mission. How wrong could I be. As I started watching the game I originally thought that the best way to report it would be to recount the key incidences as they occurred. I soon realised that there were far too many key incidences to recount in chronological order without going into a prolonged report, so I decided to switch to a different mode of report that would look at the game as more of a general synopsis with some specifics when required..

Firstly can I say, that for me, that was a thoroughly entertaining and humdinger of a game that the narrow scoreline and lack of overall goals doesn’t really reflect. Swansea, as we have found out this season, can play great pass and move technical football. How dare they aspire to this, that is our domain! Once again they did, at certain times, exhibit their ability to pass and move through very tight spaces at a very good technical level in what we like to think is our style of play. This time, however, we elevated our performance levels so that we looked, once again, to be the masters of this style of football.

Early on in the game I thought we took hold of midfield with a combination of the power, pace, and possession that Diaby and Wilshere offer us. We had a few chances but didn’t convert. Always a worrying thing for us Gooners, as we have seen that very situation so many times. If I was to be critical of us in the first half it would be to say that while we got into dangerous positions with possession in the last third, that we didn’t look like we had that final cutting edge. It always seemed like the final critical pass missed the key player by ½ yard. Many would put that down to players not being of the required quality. Personally, at this point, I would still put a lot of it down to players still getting to understand each other and instinctively recognise the movements of their team-mates.

Swansea had a couple of dangerous moments in the first half, the most obvious being when our former player Kyle Bartley headed against the cross bar. We got away with it but always in those situations I ask, was it an attacking move that we could have done nothing about, or could it have been avoided? I am not sure, but I will leave that subject open to debate.

In the second half, for me, we moved onto another level. The level that, for me, we need to be adhering to if we are to achieve what we all want. The passing and movement seemed to step up a level and became faster, more aggressive, and with more players moving around for their team-mates. Santi Cazorla started to step up a gear and influence the game and was superb in the second half, and he is a class player that we are lucky to have. Even more than this though was the performance of a young Englishman that stood out a mile.

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I actually don’t really know what to say about Jack Wilshere. On the one side I don’t want to hype him up too much and create unnecessary pressure, but on the other I feel that we potentially have the next best world class midfielder on our hands. For me he was immense tonight and showed his abilities in both the deeper midfield and offensive midfield roles. He seems to have the ability to play both roles equally effectively. I obviously have my own overall opinions on Jack, but where you see his long term role in midfield I would leave up to you AA’ers to debate.

On to the ratings :

Sczcesny 7

Did what he needed to do effectively

Mertesacker 7

A solid game. On occasions you worry about his lack of pace but he reads the game very well.

Vermaelen 7

His on-field commitment, for me, cannot be criticised. He had a good game today and covered when required. He is excellent at the last ditch tackle.

Sagna 7

After a few “dodgy” performances Mr. Reliable seems to be returning to form.

Gibbs 7

I am a fan of Gibbs and feel he is an excellent full-back. Injury permitting I feel we have a quality FB at our disposal here.

Coquelin 7

I like him. He had some good sections in the game but then seemed to disappear at times, but that is maybe to be expected with a younger player. I still feel that we maybe have another very good AW identified and nurtured player on our hands. I would wait longer before I make a full judgement on his ability as an Arsenal 1st team player.

Diaby 6

He is still not fully up to scratch after an injury lay-off but even so there are times when you can see he brings a different quality to the team. Injury aside I am a big fan of his. He had bright spells in this game but seemed to, understandably, fade in his dynamism as the game went on.

Wilshere 9 and MOTM

As said above, I feel we have the real deal on our hands. His performance tonight was immense both in attack and defence.

Cazorla 8

Slightly quiet first half but in the second stepped up a gear and was, alongside Wilshere, one of the main reasons we started to control the attacking intent in the game.

Giroud 6

I like Giroud but it didn’t quite come of for him today. Having said that I wouldn’t let him go and recognise on another day he could have easily had 2 goals. His link up ability, for me, overcomes the times when he is not scoring goals.

Walcott 6

This is the controversial one. If I said I still feel there is a potential quality striker in him then many of you would pan me. You are maybe right, but I want to see Theo have more time in the advanced role before I make my final judgement. I remember that it took Thierry a while to become regularly lethal for us, and he needed an adjustment period to the strikers role before he started to catch fire, at about the same age as Walcott is now. Theo missed chances tonight but I would also argue that he got himself into good goal-scoring positions that most other players wouldn’t have been able to do.

Substitutions:

Ramsey 6 

When he plays in central areas, like today, he still seems a very decent player to me and was quietly effective when he came on. I still feel he has a potential long term future with us but we need more

Written by GoonerB

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Posted by Rasp

Hansen Should Hang His Head

January 15, 2013

Late on in Arsenal’s dispiriting defeat by Manchester City on Sunday, referee Mike Dean sent off Vincent Kompany for a dangerous tackle.

It was a straight red and evened up the on-pitch personnel to10 a side, although far too late in proceedings to offer any real hope to the men in red and white.

Kompany had dived in with both feet off the ground and his studs showing as he went for a fifty-fifty ball. Coming rapidly – but fairly – in the opposite direction was the ever-committed Jack Wilshere.

It was an easy decision for Dean to make – a strait red card any day of the week.

And bear in mind this was Dean, under whom Arsenal have an appalling record and who couldn’t stop himself from doing a little jump for joy when the Spuds scored against us last season.

You suspect that if Dean had felt there was even a sliver of opportunity to avoid sending off the City man he would have grabbed it with both hands. But it was so blatant an offence that he had no option.

(Incidentally, I have no quibble with Dean’s earlier red carding of the hapless “Stan” Laurel Koscielny for clinging onto Edin Dzeko’s waist like a drunk tart in a pub trying to hang on to a want-away lover).

Kompany is a defender for whom I have the greatest respect. He is a world class player and, for a centre back, generally conducts himself fairly.

But on this occasion he lunged in in a dangerous manner. The replays clearly showed both feet off the ground and studs showing. We can consider ourselves fortunate that Wilshere was not badly hurt.

I’m not saying Kompany jumped into the tackle intending to injure. But it was reckless and, as we Arsenal fans know only too well, recklessness in the tackle can leave young men’s shins bent mightily out of shape.

You might wish to protest that the City man got the ball, but that’s not the point, either morally or as far as the laws of the game are concerned. The inherent dangers posed by the two-footed dagger jump have rightly led to its being considered a sending-off offence.

So it was disappointing, if not exactly surprising, to hear talk of an appeal against the red card emanating from Middle Eastlands.

But far more shameful, to my mind, were the comments from Alan Hansen. He said that if Kompany’s red card was upheld, the decision would be tantamount to banning tackles from football.

This is such a specious argument I hardly know where to begin. Quite aside from the clear evidence of the replays and the fact that referees are instructed to send off players for diving in with their studs up, Kompany’s actions were not a “tackle” within the laws of the game. They were an example of serious foul play.

I doubt Hansen will be aware of the connection, but when Arsene Wenger spoke with passion after the Eduardo and Ramsey leg breaks about ridding the game of such dangerous challenges, the response of the ignorant was to say “he wants to ban all tackling.”

Wenger very specifically made clear that he believed tackling was a vital part of football. Jumping into players shins and shattering their bones was not.

Hansen should know better than most that a fair, hard tackle can be made without showing the studs or making a two-footed jump.

As an ex centre half you might expect him to look for ways to defend Kompany – but he could have done so by suggesting the lunge was a split second error of judgement and not an act of malice. He did not need to try to whitewash the whole thing. If the tackle had been against Manchester United – against Wayne Rooney perhaps – I doubt we would have heard these comments from Hansen.

Maybe the Scot is feeling his age in the BBC Sports department and is worried about being nudged out by younger pundits who have played the game more recently. A few column inches and a bit of extra coverage probably wouldn’t go amiss for him right now.

But it’s comments like Hansen’s that continue to foster the myth that reckless play is just committed play; comments that more or less ensure that some other professional will end up lying on the pitch with a shattered limb before too long.

To quote Hansen himself: (insert Scottish accent here) “Shocking Alan. That’s simply shocking.”

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

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