Great Result. Same Questions.

October 4, 2012

ARSENAL 3 OLYMPIAKOS 1

Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Coquelin, Cazorla, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gervinho, Podolski.

Subs: Shea, Santos, Djourou, Arshavin, Ramsey, Walcott, Giroud

Olympiakos: Megyeri, Maniatis, Contreras, Manolas, Paulo Machado, Fuster, Holebas, Siovas, Diakite, Greco, Mitroglou. Subs: Carroll, Modesto, Lykogiannis, Ibagaza, Abdoun, Pantelic, Diogo.

London, England.

It is 19:40 GMT, and the Gentleman representing North London Association Football Side, The Arsenal, took to the pitch amid thunderous applause from their loyal supporters.

Torrential rain greeted the visiting side, Olympiakos of Greece, and their merry band of two thousand or so vocal braves.

At 19:45 precisely, the Referee, Svein Oddvar Moen from Norway , blew the whistle and the game was under way.

Mr Wenger did not opt for the more traditional 2-3-5 formation, rather a more contemporary 4-3-3, and opting for a front three of Gerv, Podolski and The Ox.

The Arsenal defence was looking shaken from the start, with errors from Jenkinson, Vermaelen and Vito, on top of presenting the Greeks with a free kick as early as the 4th minute.

The Arsenal found it hard to move up through the gears, with The Greeks getting men quickly behind the ball in numbers, and clearly hunting in packs to try and nullify the creative threat of Santi Cazorla.

Arsenal were focussing their efforts down the right, with great work from Jenkinson who is building a good working relationship with Chamberlain.

An uneventful attacking start from Arsenal was at last punctuated in the11th minute when Santi curled in a fiercely dipping free kick from wide on the left, which found the finger tips of Megyeri to see it over the bar.

It was clear that the big Greek centre forward Mitroglou was going to trouble the Arsenal defence, whereas Gervinho was struggling against the powerful Greek central defenders.

On 28 minutes Koscielny was lucky not to be red carded for a lunging tackle after a charging forward run, however, Arsenal were to have their luckiest escape in the 35th minute after a wonderful piece of work and a cross from Maniatis down the right, could only watch as Contreras missed a sitter, with our central defenders failing to pick up the runner.

Suddenly, Arsenal were finding some space down the Greek left flank, and in the 42 minute great work from Cazorla and Podolski saw the German cut the ball cut back to Arteta who in turn found Gervinho moving across the area, and with one sharp swing of the boot fired back across goal to Megyeri’s right and into the net. 1-0.

Alas, the half was to end in horribly familiar fashion when what should have been a bread and butter cross to defend from Greco, found its way to an unmarked Mitroglou who managed easily to ghost in between Koscielny and Vermaelen and head home. 1-1.

There will be no prizes for guessing what Messrs Allardyce and Carroll will have in mind for the weekend, but it will involve some height. I hope Herr Mertesacker has plenty of Lemsip.

First half written by MickyDidIt89

Second Half

Despite the below par first half showing, we came out for the second period unchanged.

As fans, the best we could hope for was that Bouldie had spent the interval giving them whatever is the bald man’s equivalent of “the hairdryer” (a severe polishing, perhaps?).

Suitably buffed and shiny, the lads managed to go up a gear from the restart. We looked more adventurous going forward and more combative in the middle of the park.

We also seemed to have decided to start channeling our attacks down our left side perhaps, as Terry and Raddy pointed out in comments, because Olympiakos were without their regular right back and were using a converted midfielder instead.

Gibbs, one of the few really good performers from the first half, started becoming even more influential and this, in turn, brought Podolski more into the game. Santi Cazorla was also spending more time on our left, whereas in the first period he had tended to drift right.

Santi showed his gifts again and again, often holding off two or three of the Greeks’ players while showing exquisite footwork and always finding a red shirt at the end of the move.

The pressure began to tell – and it was a shame when the self same Santi squandered the first real chance of the half. Podolski did one of his trademark lose-the-ball-then-get-it-back-through-sheer-physical-strength moves on the left edge of the Olympiakos box. Gervinho got to the base line and managed to cut the ball back to Cazorla, unmarked inside the penalty area. The Spaniard tried to pass it into the bottom left corner but was a couple of yards wide. For all his skills, he needs to add a touch more composure to his shooting.

Coquelin, who had a less than stellar game on the ball but did lots of good work off it, showed his immaturity when giving away a free kick then standing to argue about it while the Greeks broke upfield. Fortunately their attack fizzled out, but on another occasion we could have been punished.

Shortly afterwards we managed to get back in front, thanks to the GervoPod. Gervinho, yet again, got to the goal line and yet again achieved an excellent cutback for Podolski (it’s strange to think that only a couple of weeks ago Gerv was being slaughtered for his lack of end product). The German shot with his left and the ball went into the net through a crowd of defenders and the ‘keeper’s legs. Although the GK might have done better, it just shows that when you shoot on target, good things can happen.

From this point (the 56th minute) the game started to open up. Olympiakos needed to go for it and we needed to try and punish them on the break without being reckless in defence.

Around about now our captain and centre back Thomas Vermaelen clearly misread the score board. Instead of seeing that we were 2-1 up, he clearly thought we were 1-2 down and started charging forward to try and get the equalizer.

Off he went on a barnstorming run northwards into the heart of the Greeks’ back line.

And he might well have had a goal from an Arteta free kick, which was arcing right onto his bonce in the six yard box, with no defenders on him. Unfortunately Koscielny, who had followed his captain upfield, got there first (and in a less favorable position) and headed over from three yards.

Back at our end Mannone had another shaky moment when he fluffed the ball out for an unnecessary corner, then fumbled a catch in the ensuing play. The Italian does plenty right, but somehow fails to fully convince between the sticks.

On 70, Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is still finding some steep gradients on his learning curve – last night included – was replaced by Walcott. There has been much talk lately about Theo and his performances (or lack of them) when he has come on as a sub, but last night I thought he looked sharp, fast and dangerous in a game that suited his strengths (ie, against a side that needed to attack us, leaving room at the back). Certainly I saw no lack of effort from him.

Indeed he almost set up a scoring chance for our most attacking player – yes, Thomas Vemaelen – with a low cross into the six yard box which the Olympiakos ‘keeper did well to gather.

As play resumed from the goal kick, Vermaelen carried on northwards, and was soon on his way up the Holloway Road heading towards Archway, valiantly taking the battle forward.

In the 80th minute Gervinho was replaced by Giroud and Podolski by Ramsey. Within minutes Giroud was unlucky not to get on the score sheet (how many times have we said that?) when a great run and cross from Walcott led to him trying an audacious flick with the outside of his boot, well taken by the goalkeeper. Whatever is being written and said about OG, touches like that show he is not short of confidence.

By this stage Vermaelen was past Watford and heading up the A1, but, thankfully, the rest of the defense – in particular the outstanding Arteta, Gibbs and Jenkinson – were managing to limit Olympiakos’s chances.

Giroud’s pattern of ‘right place, right time, wrong luck’ continued when he was set up by Cazorla after a clever Ramsey back heel. Giroud blasted a goal-bound shot but it cannoned off a defender’s shoulder and went out for a corner.

GOAL: On 88, Vermaelen has fired the ball into an empty net at Villa Park. He looks surprised that none of his team mates is around to celebrate.

Meanwhile back in N5 a fine third goal gave us a scoreline that slightly flattered on the night, truth to tell. A long pass from deep (I can’t remember who it was from) found the head of Giroud in a central position several yards outside the opposition box. Olivier showed exactly what a strong centre forward can do in these situations, holding off the defender and guiding a perfect header into the path of Aaron Ramsey, who was making a fine run from midfield. With only the goalie to beat, Ramsey’s chipped finish was classy and confident. Well done to the young Welshman. It won’t silence his critics, but it might give them food for thought.

Overall, we did well to turn a sluggish first half into a dominant second half showing. The big pluses were the two young full backs, Cazorla, Arteta, Gervinho and, for me, all three substitutes who did a great job when they came on.

The worries? I’m afraid to say that it’s the centre back pairing that causes most concern. The defending for the Olympiakos goal would earn you a bollocking in any Sunday league side; and Vermaelen’s tendency to commit to attack when we are defending a one goal lead is simply mystifying. I can only think he knew he was having a difficult game and wanted to score to try and make amends. He would be far better off making amends by keeping our back line water tight.

Player Ratings

Mannone: Made one very good save in the first half and was well positioned for several other Olympiakos efforts. But also a couple of howlers. Not entirely convincing. 6

Gibbs: Fine game both defensively and in attack. 8

Jenkinson: Getting better and better. How on earth did Arsene spot the potential in this boy? 7.5

Vermaelen: Some of the committed defending we have come to expect from him, but also gave away another unnecessary free kick in a dangerous area and was absent without leave as we were protecting a one goal lead. 5

Koscielny: Probably at fault for the opposition’s goal. Defended pretty well otherwise, but missed a good chance to score in the six yard box. 6

Arteta: Couple of uncharacteristic misplaced balls in the first half, but again worked so, so hard tidying up and keeping possession. 7

Coquelin: Looked rusty (no surprise) but worked hard closing down Olympiakos and breaking up their moves. 6

Cazorla: Struggled to find space in the first half but stepped up a gear in the second. A vital cog in this team. 7.5

Oxlade-Chamberlain: Looked a little out of his depth and, perhaps, unsure of his position. Not an out-and-out wide player, but not quite sure where to position himself when infield. 5

Podolski: Showed his goalscoring knack in a generally quiet performance. 6.5

Gervinho: Another fine game from the Ivorian. Ran at the Greeks all game long, took his goal well and looked dangerous every time he went forward. He’s turning into a real player. MOTM 8.5

Subs
Walcott: Great effort, skill and endeavour from the sometimes maligned winger. Unlucky not to have had a couple of assists. 7

Giroud: I am really impressed with him and just wish he could get a run of starts. Gives us something extra and gets in great positions. Fine assist for Ramsey. 7

Ramsey: Had some “Ramsey moments” including a couple of silly Hollywood passes that turned out to be more Hollyoaks, but also showed what a threat he can be surging from midfield. Excellent finish for his goal. 7

2nd half written by RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

Should Arsenal beware – or is this an easy 3 point gift?

October 3, 2012

On the face of it tonight should be a stroll. Olimpiakos have never won on English soil. Last season we beat them at the Emirates on a night when 18 y.o. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain became Arsenal’s youngest ever CL scorer, we lost away but due to our unassailable position sent over a team with very little chance.

Of course no Champions League game is easy, all the teams are good quality and Olimpiakos are no exception. they beat Borussia Dortmund at home and Marseilles away last season. Based in Piraeus ,Olimpiakos are Greece’s biggest club with 83,000 members though how they fit into their 32k capacity ground I do not understand. Perhaps TMHT can explain. They have been Greek Champions for 11 out of the last 12 seasons.

The loss of Kevin Mirallis to Everton was a blow, he was top scorer in Greece last year and the Greek Player of the Year.

As you can tell I am corpsing on this one – I wrote about Olimpiakos last season and do not want to repeat myself, so onto the men in red and white (though the Greeks also play in the same colours)

Arsenal need a win to eradicate the negativity of the recent loss to the Southern Oilers. Mr Wenger said in is CL press conference that one away win and three home wins is the target of his team. We have the away win, now the home run starts.

Injury rules out Diaby and there are doubts about Arteta who has ankle problems – he faces a fitness test this morning. I wouldn’t take any risks with such a valuable player, we have adequate cover in what should be a straight forward game. With the prospect of playing a Fat Sam team on the weekend, I would also rest BFG, he will have a tough afternoon on Saturday. Gervinho despite scoring a golazo on Sunday could use a rest.

My team:

Once again, we have a strong bench with Arshavin possibly being the super-sub. I am not sure about whether Ox or Theo should start but Theo did very well last Tuesday and has a decent scoring record in Europe.

Take three points tonight and we are half way towards another qualification. Should Schalke beat Montpelier at home, then a gap of 6 points opens up between ourselves and the two bottom clubs – a very positive situation. I am not taking a win for granted, one needs only to look at the comedy up at Old Trafford and the Etihad last season but in terms of Champions League, this is not a difficult tie.

COYRRG

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Get A Grip Gooners

October 2, 2012

I know it’s normal after a loss for a lot of supporters to go super negative. I’m not immune to that feeling, my weekend was ruined like all of you. Maybe it’s my nature, but I have learned to eventually look at the bright side. I was also cheered slightly to see United lose. Yes, happy for Spurs, because I consider ManU our competition this season, not Tottenham.

The negativity I’m referring to is less of a problem with the regulars on this site, who are pretty fair and reasonable. We all know there are many so – called “supporters” attacking our guys even under better circumstances. There are a few things I would like to point out.

Even though we didn’t have our best performance on Saturday, if you watched the match, you saw that we were in it the whole time. We must give credit to Chelsea for showing up at our place and playing at a high level. It’s not simply a case of us underperforming against a weaker opposition. They worked hard and it showed. But we did throw it away. If not for mistakes on set pieces, we might have deserved a win, or at least a draw. But like Cint Eastwood says in Unforgiven “deserves got nothin to do with it”.

Everyone complaining about Arsene’s CB choices is making me crazy. We have three great center backs. The best first three compared to any team in the league. Our fourth and fifth choices are ok also. Every time we concede a goal, we have to hear the geniuses tell us why the wrong man was left out. Mertesacker has been a rock, but he can and must rest occasionally. I think he started six or seven matches already. For years we have complained about lack of depth and rotation causing fatigue to our starters, and late season weakness, whereas United and City have been fresher at the end. Also, again, I’m a huge Merts fan, even before he joined us.

But I’m not willing to write off Vermaelen and Koscielny as weak players, as some have been doing all of a sudden. Koscielny, is a super active defender, the type that will inevitably cause an own goal more than less dynamic players. MOTM many times last season. Remember his performance two years ago against Messi? How many players can do that? It wasn’t luck, it was skill. For the record, Torres’ goal on Saturday was a great effort showing talent, he deseves the credit. Shouldn’t we be more concerned that Luiz was completely unmarked on that play. And Vermaelen has been having his best season so far in defense, though, his fouls around our box hurt us recently.

I’m sorry guys, I just don’t think it’s right to be complaining that Vermaelen is Captain at this moment. We complained when Cesc and RvP were named Captain as our Marquis players. Even though we knew they probably weren’t the right guys to lead. So, after Fabregas and Nasri left us, and our disastrous start last season, and all the shaken confidence, Tommy V was the first to stand up and extend with us, also citing loyalty after a long injury. He’s a fighter with the right attitude, and he’s shown better discipline by not getting caught forward as much this season. My only worry has been that he would resist rotation as captain, I hope that won’t be a problem. And what will be the answer when Mertesacker eventually makes a mistake, you know people will find a reason he shouldn’t have started, maybe that he needed rest. It’s laughable.

In defense of the defense, Have we still not been scored against in open play? (That including matches vs City, Chelsea and Liverpool) If that’s right, then I don’t think we should be criticizing or looking for player changes, we need to figure out what is wrong organizationally with set pieces. When I defended Szczesny a couple weeks ago, after his mistake against Southhampton ( some were complaining that he got the start over Mannone after that one – – you know who you are ) I pointed out that Chezz has been much better at taking charge on set pieces in the past year. You know, all the pointing and yelling before the ball comes in, maybe that actually makes a real difference, if its the correct pointing and yelling. By the way, to all Chezzers critics, watch the replay of his mistake, you will see him cringe in pain when he comes down on his ankle and drops the ball. He was man enough not to take to twitter to point it out in his own defense.

So, I’m not sure if Mannone is to blame, maybe the Captain should be taking charge, or some other combination of problems, including coaching, but whatever it may be, we need to figure it out as a team. Because over all, our defense has still been excellent, and our midfield also. The front is still a work in progress, but I’m hopeful. It’s very easy to be critical when things go wrong, I know that I do it too, but the last thing I try to do is attack our own guys. We need to stay positive and encourage our team. It’s a long season, and we have some very good players returning soon. Much to look forward to.

Written by johnnie – jnyc

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

What Arsenal Can Learn From Europe’s Ryder Cup Golf Team

October 1, 2012

Apologies to non golf fans, but last night’s finale to the 39th Ryder Cup was simply amazing.

Europe began the final day trailing America by six points to 10 and needing to more than equal the tournament’s record comeback to retain the trophy.

I say “more than” because the previous time a team came back from 6-10 down to win they were on home turf (the Americans winning in Boston in 1999). Europe would need to match that feat on enemy soil, in the face of the home crowd’s notoriously bad sportsmanship. But do it they did and the Cup remains in European hands for at least the next two years.

What has all this got to do with football and the Mighty Arsenal in particular, you are probably asking.

Well, for one thing the biggest hero of the European team was Ian Poulter – a Hertfordshire lad who is such a big Gooner that he has been known to tickle his balls round the fairways of the world wearing an Arsenal shirt on occasion.

Ian was victorious in every one of the four matches he played – including his final singles match yesterday when, despite trailing or being level for most of the game, he sank three consecutive hole-winning putts on the run-in.

It was particularly pleasing to see a large Arsenal flag unfurled among the supporters around the 18th green as our Golfing Gunner clinched his victory. You know that he will have appreciated that touch.

Interestingly, Poulter was not an automatic selection for Europe’s team. Ten of the 12 places on the team are decided by the standings in the European and World golf tours. Ian was not in the top 10 and was chosen as one of the two “captain’s picks.”

Why was he chosen? Because his previous Ryder Cup record was very strong: prior to this year’s event his score sheet was: Played 11, Won 8, Lost 3.

Now it is Played 15, Won 12, Lost 3 – putting him up there with the very best Ryder Cup performers of all time.

Many football fans don’t follow golf. Some even dispute that it should be considered a sport at all, preferring to think of it as a game (there have been interesting points made both for and against in the Arsenal Arsenal comments over the past couple of days).

But a couple of things struck me as the Ryder Cup reached its gripping conclusion.

First, the sheer courage and concentration required to pull off shots in such a fevered environment, knowing that an individual mistake could cost your team the championship.

On the final day, when it came to a battle of the bottle, Europe came out on top and the Americans, for all their over-the-top competitiveness, were found wanting.

Gary Neville (who has transformed from much-loathed Manc whinger to much-admired match analyser almost overnight), writing in the Daily Mail, felt that the difference between Arsenal and Chelsea on Sunday was bottle. He didn’t use that word (he referred to Chelsea’s experience of having won together) but he was right. In a close game Chelsea shaved it because, despite some new arrivals, they have a core of players who know how to win.

Arsenal’s key moments – the shots from Santi Cazorla, the missed effort from Giroud, the header from Podolski, the needless dive-in tackles from Vermaelen – all displayed a lack of judgement and, arguably, a lack of bottle.

The Chavs didn’t do much, but they didn’t make many mistakes. We did.

Lesson number two from the Ryder Cup is the importance of a team – right down to the contributions of less high profile players. The putt that secured victory for Europe was holed by a German golfer called Martin Kaymer. It was his first Ryder Cup and he had only featured once over the three days – in a fourball that he and his partner lost.

But, fired up by the European comeback on the final day, he held his nerve and won his singles match on the last hole with all of Europe and America watching. Likewise, the young Italian Francesco Molinari halved his singles game against Tiger Woods to give Europe an outright victory of 14½ to 13½.

The point is that if you give the fringe players the right encouragement they can become heroes. Sometimes at Arsenal I feel we are too hard on the fringe players. We dampen their ardour rather than inflaming it. Let’s cut them some slack when they have an off day, because next time they might be the difference between success and failure.

Thirdly, the fact that Ian Poulter was put in the team as a “captain’s pick” because of his previous Ryder Cup record shows that you seldom go far wrong by selecting the people who have performed for you before.

It’s a fact that Arsene Wenger may have been reflecting on this weekend after leaving our best defender out of the team for the Chelsea game.

We’ll never know whether Per Mertesacker would have made the difference had he played, but what we do know is that he was in stellar form prior to Saturday’s game and was desperately unlucky to be left out.

Arsene made some comments afterwards to the effect that he picked centre backs whom he felt were best suited to the task at hand (Chelsea’s dangerous attacking movement from Torres, Hazard and Oscar).

But I have long argued that our strongest CB pairing is the BFG plus one of Koscielny and Vermaelen. And I don’t buy the argument that because he’s tall, our Massive Per is best against the hoof-it teams like Stoke City.

To me, his reading of the game, his ability to snuff out moves before they get dangerous and his marshaling of the back line make him ideal against the teams with nippy strikers (as proved at Man City recently). Oh, and he is also exceptional at bringing the ball out of defence and using it well.

Against Chelsea our centre backs played a combined total of 65 passes (36 for TV and 29 for LK). The previous weekend Per alone made 53 passes out of defence – against the reigning Champions (Koscielny made 38, for a combined total of 91). Against Southampton Per’s passes from defence were 55, with a 95% success rate.

In both games Per’s distribution from the back helped us keep control of midfield – which we generally failed to do against Chelsea.

Sadly, the most droppable of our central defenders is the club captain – and I wonder if the manager will have the courage to do what needs to be done in the weeks ahead.

Finally – and most importantly – there is another lesson that our boys could learn from the Ryder Cup team. It’s this: When you are up against a team with a notorious philanderer at their heart, DON’T BLOODY WELL LOSE!

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

Another Title Decider?

September 29, 2012

Chelsea’s Champions League victory in May was a travesty of justice, a victory for anti-football and the luckiest run of games ever witnessed in the annals of football history. I have rarely been so disheartened by the result of a game because it appeared the ends justified  the means. The only positive of the evening was the laugh JT gave the country as the cup was raised.

But, and here is the rub, the shame of winning with such an appalling display of negativity has had a remarkable effect upon the Southern Oilers footballing ambitions; the signing of Hazard , Moses and Oscar indicates a shift from the pragmatic to the artistic;  I hate to say this but I have enjoyed watching them this season. It is early days of course and the cold winter light may alter their footballing ethos but the signs are that Chelsea could once again be called “The Entertainers.” Who would have thought it?

Is it Abramovich or RdM who is directing this change?  Either way it is good for those of us who love attacking imaginative football.

However, before I run away with the idea that Chelsea have turned from bottom feeders into shining lights, it must be recalled who remains their club captain. Can you imagine such a reptilian character keeping the armband at Arsenal after his history of awfulness? Tony Adams went through some difficult times but found redemption, Mr Terry  has neither the will nor the gumption to follow suit. Let us hope for a repeat of last season’s comedy performance.

Then there is the odious fool Cashley. Brilliant footballer and possibly the best left back of the last 10 years but what a plum.

if a picture paints a thousand words…

I must admit to having a grudging admiration for Fat Frank – it must be pointed out that at no time has he publicly supported his “mate”. If anyone has made the most of his talent it is him and FF seems have grown up. Thankfully his star is finally waning because I cannot forget his fist pumping in front of my face at the end of the CL game at Highbury.

Rarely can a player have cost as much to club as Torres. Not the record signing fee but the need to tailor a whole team around him to prove his signing wasn’t an act of folly. One often reads that if he was playing at Arsenal then Torres would become the lethal striker he once was. Poppycock, the man is shadow of his former self. Occasional glimpses of  quality  and a few tap-ins are not the mark of a first class striker. Would you swap him for Giroud? I wouldn’t (at least not yet 🙂 )

So, the Blues have an array of talent only equalled by Barca and ourselves, but where are their weakness?. All over the park! They have yet to really gel as a team, they are dependent upon the midfield to score goals, the defence is aging and if Crazy Luiz (he reminds me of Crazy Ramon in Fistful of Dollars) is as “creative”as usual  there are gaps to exploit. Cech is a shadow of the keeper he was 3 years ago. They have no defensive midfield cover as Mata etc are no help, plus an over-reiance upon ObiOne Mikel will prove costly – he doesn’t have the discipline of Essien (why sell him?).

Enough of them. Let’s talk Arsenal. Early season report:. Very good but could do better. We have seen the potential of this team which allowing for good fortune with injuries, refereeing and the bounce of the ball is good enough to go all the way. If we can continue to build upon the teamwork and hard work we will win today. Why? Because we  are better than Chelsea, who let us not forget should be playing on Thursday nights. Teamwork is the key word. The triangles we have been gob-smacked by in recent weeks is entirely due to hard, hard work and of course, considerable skill.

Mr Wenger’s selection dilemma’s are in central defence and on the wings.  The return of our captain to fitness does not automatically mean a return to the starting eleven. How can you drop Koscielny after his game at the Northern Oilers? The man was superb. Mertesacker has been imperious and hardly put a foot wrong, his awareness has been vital to our defensive improvement, which is why AW bought him. Conversely, Chelsea will not be lumping long balls into the box but will rely on pace and trickery, so perhaps BFG is the man to get a rest.

The Corporal will get the biggest test of his short career. He will rarely come up against the talents of the man he will face today, Hazard is one of Europe’s finest players and regularly switches wings. How Jenkinson copes could be key to the game. Gibbs has really improved defensively and as has been pointed out tends to sit closer to his centre back. This allows for more crosses into our box but denies the runner space to cut inside (hope my poor attempt at tactics is understandable).

In midfield, can Ramsey be dropped after such an impressive outing last Sunday? Should we play 4-4-3 or the 4-4-2 which worked so well? Would you start Asharvin who looks in top form?

On the wings, Theo played midweek which indicates he will not start today, but then so did Giroud. Will they both be on the bench with The Mekon continuing centrally? Will we see O-C start on the right? It is great to have so many alternatives and that is without the return of Wilshire, Sagna and Rosicky!

The bench will be as powerful as we have seen for many seasons, though like Kelsey I worry about the lack of experienced cover between the sticks, Friedel has shown the value of  such a signing – I understand the chap below hasn’t got a club.

 Mr. Arsenal

I would like to see us start fast and attack through the flanks. Some accurate long shots to challenge the visibly impaired Cech (hopefully the midday sun will be in his eyes).  Whatever happens this afternoon we should be in for a feast of football and I am deeply envious of those attending.

COYRRG

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Theo Central And C1 Cup Special.

September 26, 2012

Priorities. Will winning the Capital One Cup remove the monkey of the 7 barren years tag? Well, will it?  You know the answer to that, after all who won it last year?

What this cup has become is a chance for us to see how the less well known Arsenal players are developing and give a run-out to the bench warmers, some of whom will be looking to impress prior to a January move. Who we see this evening is pure guesswork but surely JD will get deserved pitch time. Then there is poor Meerkat – how the mighty fall – just a couple of years ago Arshavin was Captain of Russia, and one of the most in-demand players in Europe, now he is not even part of the Russian squad nor a starter for Arsenal. The proposed sale to his home club of Zenith didn’t materialise and he is sadly in limbo, a lovely man, I hope he finds a club where he can reproduce his mercurial talents. A couple of goals tonight would be a good advert.

Goalkeeper is likely to be Shea, but who knows, it could be Don Vito. We should see the developing talents of Yennaris and hopefully Eisfeld, of whom much is expected.

Miquel is a sure starter and from what we have seen looks a very talented player, I hope we can keep him but with such quality ahead of him will he remain patient?

Now we come to a  big issue. In a BBC interview Theo stated that a condition of his signing a contract was the realisation of his desire to play centrally (at least that is my reading of his statement). My first thoughts were – you must be joking! Firstly, no-one can or will dictate to Mr Wenger, and secondly, when playing centrally Theo has hardly been threatening. It says much that despite a dearth of strikers consecutive England managers play Walcott on the wing, neither Capello nor Hodgson have given him the main striker role and yet, the man himself believes this is his future position. Based upon what? A belief that he is Thierry Henry re-incarnate?

That said, why not give him a try? Perhaps he can become the lethal finisher Theo obviously believes he is, but with Giroud and Chamakh (and now Gervinho) ahead of him it is unlikely he will be given the chance. The trouble is that 20 minute cameo’s will not be enough to persuade Walcott to sign a contract at a club he obviously loves. Time will tell if he has a place at Arsenal.

So who plays upfront tonight? If fit, it has to be Chamakh. The big man needs pitch time in order for Arsenal to persuade some mug club to buy the big schlump, because at the moment even Peaches’ Mum has more chance of a first team start. If he isn’t available Giroud will get more pitch time. Or could we see both Chamakh and Giroud start with Cham on the left and Theo right?

My Team:

Whatever team lines up I expect to see some substitutions. Eastmond has done well in his few cameo appearances, Gnabry has been singled out for praise by AW, Bellerin is making huge strides in the reserves and youth teams and at just 17 looks a future first teamer (if he can dislodge The Corporal).

Another Big Day for Nico Yennaris. A proper Gooner.

As to Coventry, it seems a lifetime ago since the Sky Blues came to Highbury on the opening day of the season and beat us 3-0 (just the 19 years, Raddy).   It has been a sad decline for this once fine club, languishing 23rd in League One and relegated last season. Mark Robins has much to do to improve their plight.

The Emirates is sold out tonight. What a testament to the policy of playing second string and the attendant fun. 60+ thousand. Compare that to the 28k the Northern Oilers got last night for PL opposition or the 32k at the Bridge.

Whether we win the Capital One Cup or not is hardly relevant, what is relevant is that Arsenal fans come out in vast numbers to support AW’s much criticised (by the media) approach to it.

A win for the Arsenal, an outing for the 2nd team and a full house. What is there not to like?

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Arsenal do what Barcelona do……

September 25, 2012

I’d be quite worried right now if I was a Northern Oiler.

Manchester City may be the champions of England, but Sunday’s game left a strong impression that they are going backwards while the mighty Arsenal are moving forwards.

They may have surged to success last year on a tsunami of oil, but now the tide is receding and if they’re not careful they might find themselves stuck in the tar.

In the equivalent fixture on December 18th last year we lost 1-0 to a David Silva goal in a game we started with no recognised fullbacks.

I remember thinking at the time that we might just have nicked a draw with a bit of good luck. But no honest Gooner could have come away from that defeat feeling we were the stronger team.

Subsequently, of course, we earned a well-deserved three points against them at The Emirates – Mikel Arteta lashing home a memorable winner.

But in neither of last season’s match-ups were we as dominant as we were on Sunday:

Arsenal made 638 passes – 88% of them successful

The Citizens’ made 433 passes – 79% success rate

We also had nearly 59% of the possession. Against the champions. On their own turf.

In last year’s away game we clocked up only 467 passes (81% accurate) compared with City’s 416 (77%).

And even in the home win in April we made a lot fewer passes than Sunday – 539 (82% accurate) against City’s 297 (75%).

I find the statistics interesting because I did not think we were being especially “tippy tappy” at the weekend. I thought, in fact, that our attacking was quite direct at times – so it was a surprise to see that we made a hundred more passes than in last season’s home win.

Digging into the figures a bit more, I found that one of the reasons for us seeming more direct while actually passing a lot more may have been the number of times our players took on an opponent.

On the excellent FourFourTwo Stat Zone phone app (from which all these stats have been gleaned) what we used to call “attempted dribbles” are now known as “take ons.”

On Sunday we had 31 “take ons”, compared with 17 in the corresponding game last year and 19 when we beat the Oilers at our place. That’s a huge increase in the number of occasions our players tried to make something happen by beating an opponent.

For me this increase in attempted dribbles, combined with more passes and a greater degree of passing accuracy, could prove to be the secret formula that will finally enable Arsene Wenger to realise his vision of a trophy-winning team playing beautiful football.

Frankly, it’s what Barcelona do. When they are up against a good defence and can’t pass their way through them, they rely on players like Messi, Xavi and Cesc (when he’s not getting splinters) to force a breakthrough by dribbling past one or more opponents.

Nothing plays more havoc with a team’s defensive strategy than an opponent taking on and beating a defender. The beaten player is temporarily out of the game, the defending team’s organisation is in tatters and new spaces open up for the attackers.

If you only do half of the equation – the tippy tappy passing without the dribbles – you can frequently end up frustrated, which was often the case with the Arsenal team built around Cesc. Remember all that sideways passing across the opposition box in game after game?

To make sure that the number of “take ons” against City was not a blip, I checked the figures for our previous four EPL games this season and compared them with our first four games last season after the transfer window closed (I couldn’t see any point in including the games before then, such as the 8-2 at Old Toilet, when we were all over the place).

This season we averaged 26 “take ons” per game in the first four games. Last season it was a fraction over 18.

There is definitely something going on with our approach to the game. It may be partly to do with personnel (Gervinho is certainly playing with bags of confidence and looking to run at defenders all the time) but I suspect it also represents a subtle, but deliberate change of approach by Le Boss.

I’m no tactical expert, but it really feels to me as if we now have a squad capable of controlling the ball like the best of the “Cesc teams”, but with an extra cutting edge from players willing to take on their opponents in the manner of Pires, Henry and Ljungberg (even if they have some way to go to reach those players’ heights).

Incidentally, of our 31 “take ons” at the Etihad, 12 were by Gervinho. The next highest contributors were Ramsey (5), Jenks (4) and Cazorla (3). Podolski, in  a quiet game for him, had zero.

Apologies for the stats overload, but this new approach by Arsenal may be one of the reasons why so many of us feel that this year’s team is more balanced than previous years’.

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

Kos strikes Oil at the Etihad

September 24, 2012

Early news from the Arsenal camp was that the Lion of Flanders had a thorn in his paw and wouldn’t play. Many of the pre-match debates had discussed playing Koscielny in place of the BFG but as it turned out fate had made the decision for us. Ramsey was preferred to either the Ox or Giroud for the 3rd place in the front three. Last season this tactic sometimes left us a little unbalanced. We would see.

With a Mekon and a Klingon lining up against each other, visitors to the Etihad could be forgiven for thinking they’d dropped in on a Science Fiction convention. Would Arsenal reach warp factor 6?

Arsenal began the first half dominating possession. An early Ramsey centre needed a near post run and Santi fired in a long range shot from too far out to trouble Hart. A series of tika taka passes in the City half drew a foul from Kompany who seemed personally affronted that Arsenal were taking the urine on his home ground.

At the other end Corporal Jenkinson easily dealt with a momentary threat from Sinclair and Aguerro managed to force a good save from Don Vito in the Arsenal goal.

On 13’ Arteta played a delightful chipped pass to Gibbs who hurried a first time volleyed pass harmlessly across the goalmouth. Then came, perhaps, Arsenal’s best chance of the first half. A beautiful pass from Ramsey inside Cliché (Niall Quinn trying to outdo David Pleat) to Gervinho but his first touch was as heavy as Na$ri’s wallet.

The Oilers rarely threatened with the BFG and Gibbs particularly impressive. On 18’ an excellent team move resulted in an overhit cross from Gibbs when the area was packed with red shirts begging for a decent ball. Then Jenkinson picked Lescott’s pocket, pulled the ball back to Podolski but the German blazed over with his right foot. Another super attacking move almost resulted in a golden chance for Santi but the man with a dead rat on his head just got back in time to intercept.

In the 37th minute Gervinho hit the side netting and the Gooners at the other end of the ground thought it had gone in for one second, provoking much hilarity from the home fans relieved at something to laugh at having been outclassed at home for the whole of the first half.

A needless corner 5 minutes before half-time then resulted in Don Vito coming and not claiming. Podolski didn’t do enough to stop Lescott from heading in. Mannone made another save from Dzecko immediately after the goal with Arsenal still rattled, disbelieving that with all their first half superiority they were one down. Arsene Wenger shook his head, the curse of Mike Dean seemed to be rearing his ugly head yet again. (to be fair, Dean had a good game and didn’t celebrate when Lescott scored!)

Santi still had time to create another couple of half chances before the break but to no avail. An excellent display from the little Spaniard, Man of the 1st Half by a country mile.

Mankini used his tactical nous at halftime and brought on Rodwell to replace Sinclair who had had to climb out of Jenkinson’s pocket to go for his half-time cuppa. Nullifying Santi was obviously in the Italian’s mind despite his team going in one goal to the good. Citeh’s plan seemed to work immediately the 2nd half began. Either that or the Arsenal squad had been smoking a little something they’d brought back from Montpellier. Arsenal’s build-up became slow and ponderous. Gibbs again put in a poor cross after a delicious Diaby through ball and Jenkinson put the ball too close to the keeper when in a similar position to Tuesday night.

The movement and fluidity of the first half had disappeared. Players on the ball had no options, meaning the ball often worked its way backwards. Gervinho sliced a couple of decent chances well over the bar and his comedy collision with Ramsey seemed to sum up the way the game was progressing for the Gunners.

At the other end Mertesacker made a series of brilliant interceptions when the blue Oilers attempted to catch us on the break. His reading of the game is just sublime.

The substitutions of Diaby and the Pod for Walcott and Giroud then seemed to open up the game. Jenkinson and Walcott fired in dangerous crosses. Mertesacker and Koscielny were called on to make some excellent tackles and interceptions when Citeh broke upfield.

In the 82nd minute a real rasping drive from Santi forced Hart into the best save of the game and resulted in a corner. The ball bounced out from Lescott and Kos drilled the ball high into the net for a glorious equaliser. Cue pandemonium.

A little period of keystone cop defending immediately after the goal saw Mannone make a crucial save before Aguerro put the ball wide. Ramsey made a great run, then the BFG another magnificent interception prompting the Away Boys into a chorus of We’ve Got a Big F*ckin German. The last minute saw another excellent passing move from The Arsenal result in Gervinho again blasting over the bar. It wasn’t our Mekon’s day in front of goal. Garcia pulled down Jenkinson and was rightly booked but we’d already settled for a point.

All in all it was an excellent point for the Gunners, Citeh being unbeaten for over 30 games at home, not many opposition teams even claiming a point in that sequence.

The Away Boys were magnificent as usual keeping a rendition of Money don’t buy History going throughout the game  and they warmly applauded the whole team off the pitch including my Man of the Match, Per Mertesacker.

Ratings:

Mannone – Didn’t get to the ball when coming for the corner but made some decent saves which kept Citeh at bay……7

Mertesacker – Imperious. How could we ever have doubted he could cope with the Citeh attack?……9

Koscielny – Some superb defending and a real humdinger of a goal to give City’s owners the sheikhs……8

Jenkinson – The Corporal controlled Sinclair in the 1st half and had another excellent all-round game….8

Gibbs – Excellent both in defence and joining in the left side attacks…..8

Diaby – A little patchy from the big man, especially just after half time…..7

Arteta – It’s difficult to ever see Mikel having a bad game…….8

Ramsey – Contributed well in the first half and seemed to come to life after he dropped back to replace Diaby……7

Cazorla – Magnificent in the 1st half and his blistering shot led indirectly to Kos’ goal…..8

Podolski – Lukas didn’t fire today but he deserves some slack after recent performances…..7

Gervinho – Not Gerv’s steadiest day in front of goal but worked hard throughout….7

Subs:

Giroud – 71′ – Olivier tried a few flicks and layoffs and caused a nuisance….7

Walcott – 72′ – Some interesting moments in his cameo but looks a little lost…..7

Coquelin – 90′ – Not long enough on the pitch…..7

Written by chas

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Posted by Rasp

#once a gooner always a gooner?

September 22, 2012

I often come across this hashtag on twitter about former Arsenal players. Usually it’s in reply to Cesc or Henry saying something complimentary about Arsenal. Personally I think Cesc should be #oncebarcaalwaysbarca but that’s just me. I’ve always wondered how Arsenal fans make up their minds about which former players deserve our support/love and which deserve our contempt and the ones we could say neutral. Here is a list. Make your own minds up

Dennis Bergkamp

Real name God. Finished his career at Arsenal after signing several 1 year rolling contracts. The most gifted Arsenal player in my limited experience.

My Verdict Always a gooner

Ian Wright

Ian was top scorer for the Arsenal until Thierry took his crown. Since he retired he likes to wind gooners up on talksh*te and says he’s a Millwall fan but I think his heart is in the right place.

My verdict Always a gooner

Tony Adams

“Mr Arsenal” Spent his entire career at Arsenal. Famously said “Remember the name on the front of the shirt and they’ll remember the name on the back”

My verdict Always a gooner

Patrick Vieira

He came from Senegal to play for Arsenal. He was a great player for us but I feel he’s tainted himself working (and tapping up our players) for the northern oilers.

My Verdict Traitor

Cesc Fabregas

Cesc came to us from the Barca academy when he was 16. It was inevitable that he would go back someday. I think his timing was all wrong. Whatever talent he naturally has, Wenger made him the player he is today (and he’s sitting on their bench)

My verdict Traitor

Ashley Hole

He was the best left back in a generation. Was offered 60K PW by Dein but the board objected and would only give him 55K famously making him swerve his car (if only) and go for a secret meeting with Maureen. Still can’t stop talking about us. I get the feeling he’s a bit bitter despite the trophies.

My verdict Traitor

Thierry Henry

Our all-time top scorer and Monarch. Like Cesc, he went to Barca but unlike the Spaniard he’d helped us to win trophies. He got the CL he wanted and dedicated it to Arsenal. Came back last winter and scored the winners against Sunderland and Leeds.

My verdict Always a gooner.

Robin van Persie

He was with us for 7 years, Spent a lot of time injured, had one season without injury and f***ed off. He grew up as an arsenal fan but the “little boy inside him” was screaming Manchester United.

My verdict Scum

There are plenty more but you get the idea:

Eduardo Always a gooner

Eboue Always a gooner

Freddie Always a gooner

Nasri traitor

Gilberto

Flamini

Lansbury

George Graham

Dixon

Seaman

What do you think?

Written by goonermichael

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Where does Szczesny stand?

September 21, 2012

I have to say, I have been astounded by some of the recent criticism of our keeper, and not just on the usual self-hating Arsenal blogs. It’s funny how after a short injury, and one poor showing, fans not only jump on one of our guys, but re-write his past history as well.

It’s important to let you all know, I actually have appreciated Mannone for a while now, and think he might have a real future. Maybe a great number 2 for us, or who knows, possibly more. Alot of people wrote him off last year because of one big error. But in pre-season matches, 3 matches this season, and a few that I watched this summer from a couple seasons ago, He appears pretty solid to me. His record on loan is quite good also.

Back to Szczesny. First off, believe me when I tell you that 80% of the comments I’ve read on the blogs this week forgot that he actually gave us the first clean sheet against Sunderland, giving Mannone credit for three, and complaining (after the fact) that Chezzer got the start against Southhampton. But more importantly, talking about his arrogance and attitude. For me, give me a keeper with arrogance (confidence), taking charge on set pieces. With no sign of fear or doubt in his eyes. You know what I’m talking about. Almunia had that look of doubt, even though he tried to hide it. When I see that look, I lose confidence, as I’m sure the teammates do. I believe oppnents also sense it.

Another thing everyone was talking about was Szcsesny’s distribution. Horrible this past Saturday, the worst I’ve seen from him – yes, but everyone is now saying that it’s been a huge weakness in his game. Why don’t I remember anyone mentioning this last season ? Because, although he could be better at this, he’s actually not been bad, and still very young for this level. Good enough for it not to be brought up by the fans who think of him as the number 1 since he took over. Also, something like distribution is certainly not going to be overlooked by Le Professor, more important to our game than most teams.

And someone wisely pointed out here the other day something I thought about his mistake against Southhampton, allowing the goal. That is – I believe he has had a rib injury, which when you go arms stretched out high, leaves sore ribs very exposed to contact, and might have been part of the reason for the mistake. Even if not, it was just one goal in a match where we could afford it. I don’t want to be negative, but in the Liverpool match, Mannone let a header drop right in front of goal, and we were lucky it didn’t cause a problem, as well as not collecting another one higher.

I think everyone, like me, was so disappointed not to get the clean sheets record, that they simply took it out on our Pole. I’m not saying he’s untouchable as number 1, and I love competition, if only to keep the back-up sharp. But, to me, it would take more bad performance before I lose confidence in him. I couldn’t care less about what happened for the Polish team, or what he tweets. For the record- I was rolling on the floor laughing when he tweeted at Ramsey about his golf outfit.. a hilarious joke between friends, slightly irreverent, maybe just better off the internet. But sense of humour is part of team chemistry. If he starts acting like Alex Song, then I will worry.

Lastly, let’s not forget that he played the final few matches last season with a shoulder injury, and the whole season with a very undisciplined defense. Even though many of us suspected that the talent was there in our defenders. We also went through long stretches with players out of position because of four fullback injuries. And again, while so many of us complained about allowing 49 goals last season, only on minor occasions did we have complaints about the goalkeeping. With a number like that, most fans would be calling for the keepers head, yet most transfer window dreamers were only hoping for a strong backup, to keep Szczesny on his toes.

How quickly public opinion changes.

johnnie (jnyc)

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

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