Do We Play Ryo Miyaichi or the Twitter Flavour of the Month Next Season?

April 4, 2012

Not another kid!

We need Eden Hazard, Yoann Gourcuff, Mario Goetze, some other player playing in the French Ligue 1/Bundesliga who I’ve never really seen play, but a lot of people are talking about him on Twitter so I presume we really need him and am going to get really angry about it when Wenger doesn’t splash out £50million on him in the summer.

Of course, these were more than likely the same people who booed Andrey “established star who cost a few bob” Arshavin off the field when he was replaced by Alex “oh bloody hell another kid who cost us a small fortune” Oxlade-Chamberlain at the Emirates against Manchester United.

Now before you worry, this isn’t another pop from a blog at Arshavin. I am very fond of the Russian and do hope that if he can’t find form at Arsenal, he will somewhere else (in a different league) because he is a joy to watch. No, no, this is about the kids, and one in particular – Ryo Miyaichi.

Arsenal signed Miyaichi in January of 2011, and he immediately went out on loan to Feyenoord until the end of the season. In 12 games, he scored 3 goals and made a big impression there. At the time, a Dutch friend of mine told me that he was still raw but was an exceptional prospect. It was on such evidence that he was granted an “exceptional talent” work visa. Ryo was hyped up by Wenger when he signed for us, and again during last summer, but other than two short appearances in the Carling Cup, we saw nothing of Miyaichi. That was until he went to Bolton on loan.

Now, during the Fat Sam era I wasn’t a fan of Bolton, with their pedantic football and aggressive style. Things didn’t get much better under Gary Megson, but under Owen Coyle, Bolton are a decent side to watch, aren’t into the bully boy tactics, and as shown by Jack Wilshere’s successful time there, a good place for Arsenal to loan out some younger players to get some vital first team experience. Young Jack grew up a lot in his time at the Reebok, he was taken away from the comfy bubble of London Colney and thrust into a more no nonsense set-up at a mid to lower league side where everyone had to pull their weight.

The same has happened to Ryo, and he hasn’t even got the benefit of a few years at our academy like Jack had, which leads me to suspect Wenger may be tempted to give him a try-out in the Arsenal squad sooner rather than later. I’m not going to try and sound clever and pretend to have watched every game he has played for Bolton, but I do read all the reviews and in them, Ryo’s name pops up time and again. Reporters often claim he is Bolton’s most creative player, and often their best. In fact, he was voted the club’s Player of the Month for February by fans. His goal and 2 assists in just 6 games probably helps.

I’ve only caught highlights of Ryo play, but he is willing to take defenders on, and can whip in a fine cross. His reaction to Fabrice Muamba’s illness is also telling when it comes to Wenger’s favourite, his “mental strength.” At the time he was obviously and understandably shocked, this turned to a tear when Muamba’s name was chanted on the first game back at the Reebok, and that in turn turned to sheer determination to do well on the field. It is hard to know how he will re-act to playing in the famous red and white on a big night at the Emirates, but like with the Ox and any other youngster, there is only one way to find out – throw ’em in at the deep in.

I’m not much of a betting woman (lost €30 to Paddy Power during Cheltenham – so if anyone has any tips for the Grand National I’m listening) but if I were to harbour a guess, I can sadly see Arshavin and Benayoun leaving the club in the summer and Miyaichi given his chance to shine. That would give us the options of Miyaichi, Walcott, Gervinho, and Oxlade-Chamberlain out wide, and they all have one thing in common – SPEED!

So do we give Ryo Miyaichi a go next season, or some player we’ve never really seen play or heard of before Twitter told us we needed him?

Written by Irishgunner

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Posted by criochnaithe

If You know Your History Pt.1. Youth Policy?

March 20, 2012

We have talked the Youth Policy completely to death ….. or have we?

To people of my generation the Youth Policy was the only way to establish a top team. Have a look at the FA Youth Cup winning team of 1966: Peter Simpson, Jon Sammels, George Armstrong, Peter Storey, Ray Kennedy, Sammy Nelson, Pat Rice and John Radford were all in the team, and all went on to have fine careers at AFC. – 5 years later they won the Double under Bertie Mee. 8 players made the leap into the first team!

Our 1987 FA Youth Cup winning team was not so fortunate with only Kevin Campbell making a successful jump to fame, though the team did include David Hillier and Steven Morrow who went on to be first team players (in the worst AFC team I have seen).

Of our 1994 winning team only Stephen Hughes made the first team.

The 2000 & 2001 winning team had a little more luck with Alladiere,  Stephen Sidwell, Moris Volz, Jermaine Pennant and Justin Hoyte becoming PL players though none made the grade at THOF.

We won the cup again in 2009. Can this group achieve success? In the team were Frimpong, Bartley, Coquelin, Lansbury and Jack Wilshere. LJW seems assured a bright future at Arsenal but the prospects hang in the balance for the others. The influx of ready made stars severely curtailing their chances.

So what is a successful youth policy? Is it enough that Wilshere has come through the ranks? Should AFC sell him he will attract the kind of fee which makes the youth team economically worthwhile (as did the sale of Cesc). Liam Brady is not only bringing through fine players, he is also creating a handsome income stream.

Arsenal generate a huge amount of money and perhaps, like the rest of the top 6 ,we should rely entirely on mercenaries. Looking at our rivals, how many have home grown players?

MU  Cleverley, Welbeck and … erm (let’s discount the wrinkles)

Chelsea … Josh Mcreachran (and JT)

MC …. Micah Richards

Liverpool … the 32 y.o Gerrard and the 34 y.o Carragher – young players, none.

Spurs …..  none, that’s right – zip!

What does that tell us? Well, one thing is obvious – there is a huge gap in skills between the Youth and the first teams in the PL. Furthermore, clubs are unwilling to take the punt on players developing over time in the PL; we cherry pick our kids from the youth academies all around Europe and still do not let them get a run of games  – unless they come to us from Southampton. Our rivals do not have any interest in developing kids – Chelsea’s lack of kids is a terrible indictment.

Will Financial FairPlay make a difference and force teams to focus upon youth development? It would be great but I have a feeling FFP will be just another money earner for bean counters (sorry to you bean counters!)

Sadly, the days of picking up great players like Charlie George and Pat Rice from the Holloway Road are long gone, the Youth team of ’66 are a distant memory. We should be grateful to Arsène Wenger and Arsenal that they continue to pour money and time into one of Europe’s finest Youth projects.

Let us hope that the 2009 FA Youth Cup Winners take us to another Double in 5 years.

COYRRG

Written by Big Raddy

Great News

Most will have heard by now that Fabrice Muamba is conscious, able to speak and is surrounded by his family. He is still seriously ill but on the long road to recovery. We wish Fabrice and all our friends on AA who are suffering problems at present a speedy return to full health.

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Posted by Erik the Red

Robin’s face says it all

January 23, 2012

Understandably, none of our regular authors were inclined to write a match report following yesterday’s game, so you will all have to suffer the thoughts of someone who will I’m sure, not be expressing the mainstream opinion on this site.

I couldn’t go to the game as I had to work. I followed the live commentary on BBC Sport football, listened to the radio phone in on my way home and watched the lowlights on MotD through the lattice of my fingers clamped to my face.

Due to the horrible language and reactions of many fans on the blogs after the game, I expect there to be a positive response on AA in support of the team and the manager – for that reason I am going to just going to list what I see as the negatives so you can all shoot me down in flames. I have written this very hurriedly so don’t expect wonderful prose or clever puns.

Why did we lose the game? I’ll just list a couple of thoughts……. 

  1. The seeds were sown back in the summer when we seemed in denial that the departure of Cesc and Na$ri was inevitable and yet little apparent attempt was made to bring in a midfield playmaker. Without the last minute signing of Arteta, we would probably be 10 points worse off as he has been our best midfielder and has been sorely missed for the last two games.
  2. Unlike our manager, SAF analyses and targets the weaknesses of his opponents. SAF won the game before it started because we played into his hands in playing Djourou at RB. Yennaris is a proper RB and made an immediate impact when he came on. This is not hindsight as several bloggers commented before the game that playing JD would be a huge mistake – and so it proved.
  3. Having made the mistake of taking Coquelin off in the first game against manu (after which we conceded 5 more goals), AW decided to remove The Ox yesterday to the disbelief of his captain and a large portion of the crowd. The resultant booing was not directed at Arshavin but the decision to make the substitution. Contrary to what has been reported, AOC did not ask to be taken off, AW said in his interview that he thought he was looking tired. In that case a dog tired AOC is still a much greater goal threat than a fully fit Theo. The booing was wrong and did nothing to bolster our little Russian’s confidence, but then he probably shouldn’t have been put in that position.
  4.  The decision to send Frimpong out on loan was ridiculous. He has been Wolves’ best midfielder and should have been on our bench yesterday to shore up the midfield as Alex Song has for whatever reason, failed to stamp his authority as a senior player should. The subs were warming up before AOC provided the assist for the goal. Once we scored, we should have reassessed the substitutions and looked to strengthen the midfield, not put a horribly out of form player out wide right.

I’m sure the PR machine at the club will now decide that we should make every attempt to win the FA Cup as Champion’s league qualification is now out of our hands. It is quite possible that the chavs and totnum will trip up, but can we be confident of putting together a long winning run? – not in my opinion. The return of the injured players will restore us to a very strong side, but I fear it will be too late to claw back this season.

Written by Rasp


Here are kelsey’s thoughts about yesterdays game …………

Both GIE and myself said beforehand that regardless of the result we wanted a performance by the lads. Well for the first half except for about ten minutes we were dire against a United team (who also have injuries) and it was inevitable that we would concede,that it happened seconds before half time was unfortunate but at least we showed a much improved performance in the first 25 minutes of the second half.

The Crowd: They were extremely vocal from the kick off.

As in recent games there were so many missed-placed passes and no real understanding between the players when we attacked.  The counter attack was so slow that United could regather in numbers, but the one time we looked like the team of old we scored, with a quick counter attack.

Tiredness is also a factor, we used to finish games much stronger but now our scoring has deserted us with only 5 goals in 6 home games.

This squad is just not good enough andtotally inconsistent. Many will point out that our first eleven is a match for anyone,which I agree with but only if they work as a team.

Rosicky hasn’t scored a league goal in two years, Walcott not at home for over a year. Is that a lack of ability or are they just not composed enough when it really matters. Ramsey can be excused, he is young, gives his all and his time will come. He is being given too much responsibility and being played too much.

Our biggest loss this season is Wilshere, forget about his age, he is a star footballer. Add in the loss of a motivated Fabregas and even Nasri and that leaves a huge whole in our engine. We are playing with the choke out.

If there was no ANC, Gervinho would have started before the Ox but he was the one shining light.

I won’t have it that the Ox doesn’t track back because neither do Walcott or Arshavin except for the odd occasion.
I don’t care what Wenger says, taking off the Ox was unbelievable and to add insult to injury the totally out of form and ineffectual Arshavin came on and unfortunately we conceded.

We have to face reality. Kroenke will remain silent, Wenger will not buy but I have never seen the crowd in such numbers, turn on a man who has done wonders for our club.  I forsee that enough is enough and he may walk in the Summer.

I  have supported this team for decades but this just isn’t enjoyable anymore. Maybe not all, but a good part of our current problems could have been rectified over the last few seasons.

When you are carrying more than half a team for various reasons such as players being played out of position, a total loss of confidence/form and having to rely on players like Yennaris, Miquel and Jenkinson who still need time and only RVP as the one real goal threat there is a lot to be accounted for.

Written by kelsey

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Posted by Rasp

There is no ‘I’ in Team, but every bit of ‘Persie’ in Leadership

January 14, 2012

Almost a year ago, in the Evening Standard of 20 January 2011, Arsene Wenger was quoted at saying:

We have a shared leadership in our team, but I believe Fabregas is an outstanding leader, especially when you consider he is 23 years old, with personality and character and Van Persie as well….I believe what is important in the way we want to play football is that everyone takes responsibility.

Back then, it was looking okay for Arsenal, as we had everything to fight for and the following six weeks, all the way to March, were the best of the season, cumulating in that emphatic win over Barcelona at home. We all know what came next: three months of weak and unforgivably lack-lustre football in which we almost lost everything. The only reason we finished fourth, so important for the CL, was the fact that the season ended just in time: had it lasted another four games, Arsenal would not have made it, so bloody poor had we become.

Where was the ‘shared leadership’ then, who was taking responsibility and where was the personality and character to see us through all of that?

Wenger has never openly shared the fans’ concerns regarding leadership during the Henry and Fabregas captaincy eras. He always seemed to downplay the importance of having a strong individual leader/captain on the pitch, and to stress the importance of having leadership throughout the team. Well, I think he was both right and wrong with those views on leadership, and looking at the ‘New Arsenal’ of 2011-2012 it looks like Wenger himself came to a similar conclusion over the summer, and subsequently made the necessary changes.

For many seasons, ever since Vieira left, a great number of Gooners have been saying that Arsenal lacked real leadership on the pitch. Many of us were longing for the powerful, outspoken, ‘heart on the sleeve’ leadership during the years of Adams and Vieira. Henry and Fabregas were brilliant at leading by example but most of us felt something was missing: they were not naturally born leaders and as a result were struggling with some vital aspects of leadership we were craving for.

When Arsene announced that Robin van Persie would become our new captain over the summer, not everyone was convinced it was a good idea. The main reason for this appeared to be the fact that he is a striker, and therefore not positioned centrally enough in the team to be able to lead it adequately. TH14 captaincy is generally seen as not a very successful one, and understandably, many fans drew a comparison between his previous captaincy and RvP’s anticipated stint at it.

For me Fabregas, was not an effective leader. I see him as a specialist, somebody who really wants to be part of a team and play an important but TECHNICAL role within it. Often, people who are technically very good at what they do, are promoted into a leadership role without proper consideration whether they are actually suitable for it (within sport as well as in business). The main reasons are: a desire to reward people for their contributions to the team/organisation and a fear of losing a particular player/member of staff if they are not promoted instantly. The consequences can be very dire. Fabregas led by example, but he is naturally quite introvert and combined with an injury-strewn season and his anticipated move to Barcelona, he was not able to lead the team through those horrible last three months. Moreover, there was hardly any shared leadership and taking of responsibility by the rest of the team with the exception of Van Persie, Wilshire, Koscielny Song and Sagna. It was time for a chance.

Robin van Persie: the perfect captain

What a difference a season makes. Robin van Persie has turned out to be the excellent leader we have all been craving for:

  • RvP leads by example: not just with his incredible scoring record, but also with his high energy-levels. He never spares himself, always gives everything and plays with his heart on his sleeve. He will also stand up for his players and let nobody be bullied by the opposition;
  • RvP is blessed with a high level of social-emotional intelligence: he understands what is going on inside other players, and is able to support them accordingly, on and off the pitch;
  • RvP is extrovert: he is not a constant shouter, but he likes to talk to this fellow players and make himself known when things are not going right;
  • RvP is a great communicator: with the crowd/fans – an ambassador for the club. When, for example, he scored the winner against Sunderland with a brilliant free-kick, he took off his shirt which resulted in a yellow card being issued to him, but this was his way of showing the crowd how much Arsenal (winning) meant to him, and the crowd responded to it in equal measures. He interviews well, always smiles and is able to focus on the positives: he always represents the club professionally and with real passion – a true ambassador;
  • RvP is a great communicator: ‘liaison-manager’ between the players and the management. He has got the respect of Wenger and the players and seems to be able to translate messages, up and down, and down and up, effectively;
  • RvP can combine with ease his own ‘specialism’: scoring goals a plenty and creating chances for others, with his responsibility of leading the team;
  • RvP is team player/ team builder: he always wants to celebrate his goals with others in the team and he will always praise, on and off the pitch, contributions made by others.

As the saying goes there is no ‘I’ in team – but there is every bit of ‘PERSIE’ in leadership!

So, there you have it: RvP is the perfect captain. But, there is more! And this is why I am so extra-excited about the near future for our beloved Arsenal.

The ‘New Arsenal’ is brimming with leadership

We now have real ‘shared leadership’ throughout the spine of the team, and for Wenger to have achieved this in such a short period of time, is simply astonishing. From Szczesny to Vermaelen, Mertesaker and Koscielny, to Song and Arteta, to Ramsey and Van Persie, we now have a core in the team who give their all and take responsibility when things go wrong. Mertesacker was like the devil –possessed in his attempts to break down the Wolves wall on Boxing Day, as he was earlier in the season at Blackburn away. Vermaelen’s ‘Terminator-like’, beastly hunger to score an equaliser against Man City is another great example of our players taking responsibility and wanting to make things happen for Arsenal. Szczesny attempts to organise his defence, with his verbal and physical dominance, are so different of what we have seen from Almunia and co, and the joint desire by the defence to fight for clean sheets is also very encouraging. This, as yet, is not always leading to the desired outcomes, but it’s only a matter of time before we will pick the fruits of this shift in mentality.

Arteta, Ramsey and Song, all wear their hearts on the sleeve. The ARS of the team works phenomenally hard and is the engine of it. I feel Arteta and Song are more of the introvert type, who stick to a task well and will never let the team down. Ramsey is probably more likely to become a future leader, but he is focussing on improving his technical performances first, at this stage of his career.

Theo, The Gerv, Jenkinson, Gibbs and Santos are also good team players who work hard and give their all for the team, and there are now plenty of good players on our bench who care for the club and will fight for it. This really is a new Arsenal, with a new mindset, and as Arsene likes to call it, bags full of ‘mental strength’.

Jack Wilshere – the final link

For me, the final, missing leadership-link in the spine of our team is Jack Wilshere. Wilshere is a born leader who just gives that extra-10% to our midfield with his hunger, extrovert leadership skills and unbelievable ability to command the midfield. For me, he instantly turned into a man when we beat Barcelona at home last season: what he showed during that game was simply astonishing. Future Arsenal and England teams will be build around him, and as soon as he returns into our team we will make a big jump forward.

As said in previous posts, this is a transitional year for Arsenal. I believe that all the ingredients are there for a long period of success and dominance in the PL, and possibly in Europe. No team can do without great leadership throughout the team: it is one of the key pillars of sustained success. I have little doubt that the ‘narrow’ spine of Szczesny – Vermaelen – Song – Wilshere – RvP will be the strongest in the country for years to come, and with RvP we have the best leader of them all.

COYRRG!

TotalArsenal

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Posted by Gööner In Exile

Twelve wishes for the ‘New Arsenal’ in 2012

January 5, 2012

If it had not been for such a difficult start to the season, Arsenal would now be fighting for the title.

And, that includes the loss of points against Wolves at home (unfortunate) and Fulham away (well deserved). The last few games have been disappointing, but Arsenal have gathered 29 points in their last 13 games and during the process it was able to pre-qualify for the CL against a very good Udinese, and win their CL-group against strong opposition with style and dominance.

Yet, it appears to be hard for so many fans to see the bigger picture, to let the past go and lower expectations a bit, to see the progress made, to accept that this is a forced-upon transitional year for us, and to be a bit more philosophical and grateful for what has been achieved since the start of October. Now there is a bit of time for the team to take stock and to re-focus again on the rest of the season. Soon, Arsenal will get back to winning ways, because all the ingredients are there, and Wenger is building another team that can go all the way.

So, how can Arsenal make the next step up in the New Year?

Twelve wishes for 2012 (in no particular order):

Full return to fitness of Wilshere: I love our midfield of Arteta, Ramsey and Song (ARS), but Wilshere offers additional skills that we are missing at times.

He is a born leader and fighter and, most importantly, he can pick a pass anytime, anywhere. The others are not bad at this either, in fact they are pretty good, but Jack is the young master. After Fabregas’ and Nasri’s departures, it was very cruel to lose him as well to a long-term injury. His imminent return will add a much needed other dimension to our football.

The return to fitness of our first choice FB’s: These are sorely missed at the moment, and it is just such bad luck that all four of our FB’s obtained long lasting injuries at the same time. As soon as Sagna and Santos are back in our team, Arsenal will become significantly stronger. Arsenal really struggle without proper FB’s and it is one of the main reasons we got so few points out of the festive season games.

The assimilation of the ‘mini-teams’: I have written before about the ‘New Arsenal’ consisting of three mini-teams at the moment: GK + defence, Midfield (ARS) and Attack: The Gerv, RvP and Theo. All three teams have stuck to their tasks well, but it is now time for some fluidity between the lines. I like the midfield to get more involved in supporting the attack by claiming ‘the hole’ area back and scoring more goals in the process. The return of our first choice FB’s will also help us to get more fluidity and diversity in our attacking play, which can only lead to more assists and goals.

More goals per game: our overreliance on RvP scoring the majority of our goals has to be reviewed and mitigated. We have been here before with Thierry Henry during his last few seasons. Arsenal has been a tad unlucky with strikers since the departure of Henry. Eduardo looked so promising for us, but THAT injury meant we never saw the best of him. Adebayor got carried away at a young age and it appeared he did not fit into our team as he clashed with too many fellow players. We got good money for him, and I believe he had to go, but we lost a very decent number two to RvP in the process. Bendtner got almost everybody fooled with his promise that at 24-25 years of age he will be the best in the world, and Chamakh, after such a promising start in 2010, has totally lost his confidence, and it seems almost impossible for him to find a way back now. A real shame.

But goals do not just come from strikers, they need to come for our wingers and midfielders, and defenders, as well. One of my biggest wishes is to see the whole team make a step-up this year, by taking more of the chances that we create. Theo, The Gerv, Ramsey, Arteta, Song, Wilshire, The Ox, and many others as well, all have the potential to become more lethal in front of goal. The Ox has only just joined us, but I hope all the others will improve significantly this year.

Buy a very decent no.2 striker, ideally in January: Campbell and Park are future prospects, but are not available or ready to be the first replacement for RvP in case of injury, suspension or fatigue. Chamakh does not seem to be able to claim this role anymore. TH2012 is a very good short-term option, but it would be great if Arsène can find us another gem of a nr.2 striker as soon as possible.

Keep our phenomenal spine together: our spine of Szczesny – Koz/TV/BFG – Song/Arteta – Wilshere/Ramsey – RvP can compete with any team in the PL and Europe. It is really important that Arsenal get all of these players on long-term contracts. As far as I know, the contracts of Szczesny, Song and RvP need to be renegotiated as soon as possible, so we can have some stability in our team for years to come.

THOF to become a fortress: I still can get so disappointed when I think that the Mancs won the PL last season whilst only winning four games away all season. Our away record was fantastic but our home record was not. It takes a long time for a new stadium to become a proper home, to become a fortress where visiting teams fear to play and three points are almost a given. The club needs to develop a strategy to increase the noise levels: it’s not easy but very necessary.

Finish in the top-four in 2012 and go all the way in the 2012-2013 season: I have every confidence that Arsene will guide this new team into a top-four spot again by the end of the season. We had a bad start, but since then Arsenal has done very well and we are now only one point away from the top-four. With Arsène’s experience and a lot of players returning from injury, and all the big teams having to come to us, I am confident we can do it again. And it would be quite an achievement after our horrible start. I expect us to start the 2012-2013 PL campaign as title contenders from the start.

A good cup run, and maybe win something this season: as we are going through a transitional year, I am not too confident we can win the FA-Cup or the CL-Cup. But, on the day, when most of our key players are fit, we can beat any team, and with a bit of luck we could get far this season.

More youngsters to make the grade now (words copied from GiE’s post on 3 Jan): We have a great Youth-Academy and it’s bearing fruit now with the likes of Wilshere, Frimpong, Bartley, Lansbury, Miquel, Coquelin. I don’t really think we should be investing too much in squad players from now on (these roles can be filled by youngsters) and instead focus on players to improve the first team.

Arsène to sign a new long-term contract: I would like Wenger to be given another three years to develop this new team into something special. Wenger has his mistakes, but he is the best match for the role of manager at Arsenal and we are so luck to have him. My biggest worry is that Real Madrid won’t win anything important again this year under Mourinho and they will try to lure Wenger away from Arsenal.

The return of Dennis Bergkamp, as an Assistant Manager: all is not well at Ajax, and Dennis is witnessing ugly political infighting between many of the greats of this fantastic club. There is quite a chance that the Iceman will end up on the losing side, or will simply decide to quit his role altogether at Ajax. If this were to be the case, Arsene should act and get the now fully qualified Bergkamp back to where he really belongs: the mighty Arse!

Most of the above wishes are realistic and achievable, and I am sure you’ll allow me the indulgent dream of DB’s return to our club!

Keep believing fellow Gooners and a very happy New Year to you all!

Total Arsenal

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Arsène Wenger’s Got a Headache

November 8, 2011

The criticism of Arsène for trying to force square pegs into round holes has frequently been levelled over recent seasons. Bendtner, Eboue and Arshavin in particular have all been deployed in areas that would not be their first choice let alone the Championship Managers among us. The reason for this has generally been a lack of depth in the squad exacerbated by the perennial injury problems that have depleted us so cruelly at vital times.

Now it would appear that Arsène has a headache of a different kind. The summer purchases coupled with the progression of quality players through the youth system has created a problem, a good problem to have but a problem nonetheless. As far as Sagna and Wilshere are concerned the problem is months away but in light of the coming 2 weeks of nail biting over the potential for injuries playing in meaningless internationals, I thought it would be interesting to ponder the alternatives.

Who are our best players in every position?
Well I think the answer at the top and tail of the team is obvious – RvP and Szczesny give Arsenal about the best polar opposites in the league. But elsewhere it is not so simple.

Centreback Partnership
Some supporters had been crying out for a tall physical presence at the back and then along came Per Mertesacker the 6ft 5in answer to our vulnerability from set pieces. Don’t get me wrong, I think the BFG is an excellent addition to the squad and has helped us keep in touch through this early critical period, but I think most would agree that his height is not the main attribute he possesses. No, it’s his positional play, reading of the game, timing of the tackle cool head and experience – but I wouldn’t mind betting that Kozzer has won more headers in the box when playing alongside Mert. The return of Vermaelen has been a huge shot in the arm and has reminded us all that he is a world class defender and our captain of the defence. For me the best CB pairing is TV and Koz but have your say by placing your vote below.



Wingbacks
Now this is where it really does get difficult. Most Arsenal supporters would say that last season Sagna was the best right back in the league. He didn’t start this season so well and looked a yard or two off the pace, but a 90% Sagna is still better than most RBs and it seemed like an early hammer blow to our season when he was ruled out with a fractured leg.

But then there was the introduction of Carl Jenkinson to the first team. He was one of our early summer signings who at 19 was inexperienced to say the least having been on loan at a non league club previously. For me he has been a revelation. Like Jack, he’s an Arsenal supporter. He has amazing energy going forward and uncharacteristically for an Arsenal player, he can cross the ball. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not in the same class defensively as Sagna at this stage, but he is improving every game and has won the hearts of the supporters already. Sagna has to be my first choice RB for the big games, but Jenks is a real find and offers us more offensively so in a couple of years time who knows?


Gibbs or Santos? – now that is a much closer call. Gibbs has been threatening to become the new Cashley for a couple of seasons. His progress has been hampered by a worrying propensity to pick up injuries that hasn’t ever really let us see him have a decent run of games.

Santos is already dividing opinion. He’s all Brazillian, surging forward with gay abandon, super control spiced with clever tricks and finished with a sweet left foot and cool head in front of goal. He loves to go forward, its the gaping holes that he leaves behind that worry many. West Brom were poor on Saturday and Santos never really looked troubled but against stiffer opposition he may be undone. The hope is that he will adjust his game to put slightly more emphasis on the defensive side of his play, but I for one would not wish him to sacrifice his natural attacking game. Santos would be my first choice for LB.

The Midfield
Since The Boy Wonder’s place is not in question I shall consider the midfield to be the ‘5’ in a 4:5:1 formation – but you can call it 4:3:3 if it makes you happy. I have no hesitation on current form in saying that wide midfielders places are not in question, Theo and Gervinho have been excellent and are clearly Arsène’s first choice, but we still have very good options in Arshavin, the Ox and possibly Ryo in time.

The current best centre midfield 3 would appear to be Song, Ramsey and Arteta – but what happens when Jack is fit again?

It would appear that Song’s place in the side is safe so who would give way to accommodate our rising star? I actually think that Arteta has been more influential in the side recently than Song as he quietly gets on with his business and keeps the Wengerball machine running smoothly whereas Song is often noticed when he somehow magically manages to hold off multiple players and still emerge with the ball but I sometimes think he should not be in that position in the first place. Once again we are blessed with midfield options and squad rotation of the midfield 3 would help us stave off the customary end of season fatigue.

Which players would you prefer to see as our centre midfield three?

The Subs
I have made the presumption that everyone would agree that these are the only candidates for first choice in their positions but many would disagree. Is Arshavin more effective than Gervinho on the left? The Ox worth a try in place of Theo? Rosicky more reliable than Ramsey? Benny more attacking than Song? Diaby waiting in the wings to finally realise his potential? Coquelin worth a try for some games? – they may well all have to play their part in a typically long season. With the possible exception of strikers, we can now boast two quality players for every position on the pitch.

One thing is for sure, our new strength in depth makes us better equipped than for many years and the removal of large egos and homesick heroes from the dressing room should mean that rotation and competition for places makes us a stronger and more resilient squad this season.

You can see how opinion is divided in the polls by clicking on ‘View Results’ on the bottom left of each poll box.

Written by Rasp

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Posted by Rasp

Now is the time to make Arshavin Arsenal’s Playmaker

October 13, 2011

‘We cannot allow ourselves to indulge in sadness and melancholy’

Andrey Arshavin, December 2010 (after MU away game)

 

With the departure of Cesc Fabregas and the long-term injury to Jack Wilshere, Arsenal is left with a hole, in more ways than one. It is a cruel double blow to have neither of them available for this pivotal position, especially during this transitional period. Since the start of the new season, the much-changed Arsenal team has looked unfamiliar to us, as if it has lost its identity, its USP, its typical style of football, and the main reason for this is, nobody has been able to make the ‘hole position’ theirs until now. It comes as no surprise that our results in the League have also been well under-par, and now is the time to make some bold moves so we can regain momentum and confidence again, and shake-off this mantle of sadness and melancholy once and for all.

The Playmaker position, just off the striker – the Dutch call it ‘de hangende spits’ (the ‘hanging-off’ striker) was made for Dennis Bergkamp and vice versa, back in the mid-nineties. He epitomised what can be done to a team and its style of football if the right player takes up the no. 10 position. DB10 was always able to find space for himself, so the defence and midfield had an outlet, he was able to hold on the ball and allow the attacking midfielders to move forward, but he was just as capable to set up a quick attack for his fellow striker and wingers – often with an inch-perfect defence-splitting pass that would make you go weak in the knees for joy – or to take on defenders himself and score goals from just outside the penalty area, or inside the box. Dennis had it all: brilliant first touch, superb vision, a winner’s mentality, a professional through and through, and somebody who took pleasure in doing beautiful things with a ball on the pitch. It was this quest for beauty that has made him such a special player and made him immortal to us, and, in a way, he made us all feel a bit immortal along the way.

Cesc Fabregas was a different ‘no. 10’ for us: more of an attacking midfielder than a striker, with a great ability to pass the ball within tight spaces and to boss the midfield area. However, what he had in common with Dennis was the ability to pick a defence splitting pass and to create something out of nothing, for which he also had the vision and touch. He was another great Arsenal player although not in the same category as Dennis, but then who is, or will ever be?

Jack Wilshere is a very promising player for both Arsenal and England. For me, he is our future ‘nr. 10’ as he is similar to Cesc in many ways, with great vision and a superb passer of the ball, very good in tight spaces and with a phenomenal fighting spirit and stamina. He came off age last year during our game against Barcelona, and to do so at such a young age is truly astounding. We are unbelievably lucky to have him, and I am sure he will be another Arsenal great. The only thing missing until now is Jack’s goal scoring ability/record, and until this improves he can compensate it with his vision and passing ability, which should lead to setting up many successful attacks and assists.

So, who is going to fill this position for us until Jack returns?

The candidates are: Aaron Ramsey, Thomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta, Yossi Benayoun, Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin. I cannot see Arsenal change the system to 4-4-2 in the near future, so I am going to base my views on the current 4-2-3-1 system. In the ‘2’, Alex Song is our ‘pure’ DM and there is back-up for him from Emmanuel Frimpong and Francis Coquelin. For me the best partner to Song in the ‘2’ is a typical box-to-box midfielder and either Aaron Ramsey or Mikel Arteta should play in that position. The DM’s partner should be an all-round midfielder who can defend, and go forward, create chances for others and score goals himself. Both Arteta and Ramsey can offer this, and we are lucky to have two such good players to cover this position.

But who should play in the hole: who should be our Playmaker? Ideally, a player for this position should have vision, hold on to the ball really well, a great passer of the ball and ability to score goals with an average of 0.25 goals or higher, per game.

For me, for now, it is neither Ramsey, nor Arteta. For different reasons, I find it too early for them to be given this vital role in the team. I am not convinced that both of them have the vision that is required for this key position and with PL goal-scoring records of 0.16 goals per game (Arteta) and 0.12 (Ramsey), I do not feel they are prolific enough either. However, it is early days and both could claim this position over time.

Rosicky has the vision and the passing ability, but lacks the stamina and consistency to really claim this role. When TR played in this role this season, he gave Arsenal its identity back, but he cannot do this twice a week for us and his goal scoring record is not great either with only 0.13 goals per game. For me, Rosicky should be the second choice for the Playmaker role, and he is a good squad player for Arsenal to have (just think back to his second half performance against Udinese in Italy).

Yossi Benayoun could be a possibility, but as he is on loan at Arsenal I don’t think we should give this position to him on a regular basis. His goal scoring record is the same as Arteta’s (0.16 goals per game), so not bad but also not brilliant. I would like to see more of Yossi in an Arsenal shirt so I can make a proper assessment of his abilities.

This leaves me with two remaining possibilities: Robin van Persie or Andrey Arshavin. Both are options I would like us to try out, just to see whether it works. As a captain, RvP is isolated as our lone striker. If he were to play in the ‘hole position’ with either Chamakh, Park, or even Gervinho or Walcott, in front of him, he could be both a better leader of the team and improve our attacking options. He would not be a typical Playmaker, but fill in the role similar to the way Rooney does at MU. If we were to opt for a 4-4-2 formation, as many of us would prefer, this would work very well.  It would mean a strong decrease in focussing on our passing game and continuous emphasis on breaking quickly – a bit like the Arsenal of the early parts of the last decade. We have the wing-players for it now with Walcott, Gervinho, Ryo and Ox, and with Chamakh and Park we have the typical strikers to make this system work for us. We could add to this strike-force at the next TW and all could be rosy again.

However, as I said earlier, I don’t believe we will adopt a 4-4-2 system in the near future. In the current 4-2-3-1 system, we need a playmaker in the middle of the ‘3’. As we are not talking about a classical playmaker – as in a 4-4-2 formation in which the player next to the DM would be: a role that would fit both Arteta and Ramsey a lot better in my opinion – we need somebody in this role who can hold on to the ball in tight spaces, pass it with ease, find gaps in defences easily, makes good attacking decisions in a flash, and can score goals from just outside the box as well as inside the box.

For me, this player is Andrey Arshavin. Please don’t get me wrong in thinking I am a huge fan of Arshavin: he is not consistent enough, and does not work as hard as is required, but then – as we all know – he is not playing in his best position either. Arshavin has a PL goal scoring record of 0.27 goals per game, which is the same as DB10 had for us. He is great passer of the ball and can split open defences easily. He holds on the ball reasonably well, although this is not one of his strong points. He can score from just outside the box, and I have no doubt he would link up well with RvP.

It is only a matter of time until Arshavin leaves Arsenal, but I think he deserves to be given the ‘hanging-off’’ striker position, just this once: at least until Christmas this year. He is our best option there and it would be cruel not to give him a last opportunity to show us all how really good he is. Why Arsene Wenger has not done this until now is a mystery to me, but hopefully the current lack of alternatives might change his mind.

TotalArsenal.

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Posted by Rasp

Time for a change of fortune. Bolton preview

September 24, 2011

It is highly likely that the media focus on this game will centre upon Gary Cahill. No doubt he is a good player (though he was crap against MU) but the interest has little to do with his playing ability and more to do with the conflict between the clubs off pitch. Should we be surprised that Gartside decided to go public with the transfer negotiation and made a prat of himself? No, because this is a man who brought Fat Sam to Bolton. Perhaps Gartside thought he could entice a higher Spurs bid by highlighting how cheap their North London neighbours are. Unfortunately for Gartside his shenanigans are likely to cost Bolton a few million when Cahill moves for less money in January or for nothing in summer, ….. Good.

On pitch Bolton are a different team to the one we detested under the Walrus. With Owen Coyle at the head they have found a way to play attractive football. Bolton still have two of the dirtiest players in the PL, players who are very different from each other apart from their disciplinary record. Kevin Davies is the pantomine villain, a proper English Centre Forward and the last of his breed – I really like the man, however Bolton also include the repulsive Paul Robinson, all I need to tell you is that he was signed by Gary Megson!  At 32 y.o and definitely slowing his only hope against Theo is to do what he does best – kick two colours out of him.

The news of Wilshere’s surgery is a hard blow but the return of Ramsey and Rosicky is good news as is the knowledge that Sagna has recovered from his knock, he is such an important player in this team.

My team:

 

 

As a sentimentalist I would like to see Oxlade Chamberlain get at least 15 minutes as a reward for his fine performance midweek. We well know that our defence has been porous, in fact by far the worst in the PL which could (in part) be due to our move to zonal marking at set pieces. Thankfully, Bolton have problems upfront, I hope to see us keep a clean sheet.

Two interesting inventors were born in Bolton. John Harwood who invented the self-winding wristwatch, one of which I wear today, and  Robert Whitehead. Whitehead has a special place in history, he invented the self-propelling torpedo but more significantly he was grandfather to the Von Trapps, without whom the hills would not be alive.

Much is being made of the “crisis” at Arsenal; apart from the destruction of the reserves at OT we have suffered from indiscipline and bad luck. Today I will be going down to the crossroads to see if I can make a deal which will change our fortunes. Wish me a successful negotiation.

Relegation 6 pointer – don’t be silly

COYRRG

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Posted by Erik the Red

Wenger Has Made Two Signings That Will Transform Arsenal’s Season

July 28, 2011

While we all wait eagerly to see who else will be added to Arsenal’s squad this summer, it’s worth pointing out that the two most important signings have already been made.

Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere were signed to long term contracts in June and November last year respectively.

Given the near certainty that we will start the new season without either or both of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, it is tempting to feel downhearted.

Losing Cesc, in particular, would be a body blow because he is rightly regarded as one of the top players in the world. For the statisticians among you, I believe he was named as the most effective player in Europe last year.

But even were he to go I just cannot join the ranks of the breast-beaters and hair-wringers, precisely because we have Jack and Aaron waiting in the wings.

Jack has already demonstrated – in just one season of first team football – that he is one of the best players in the EPL.

I was challenged in comments recently to outline what Jack currently contributes to the team (as opposed to what he might contribute in the future).

The more I thought about it, the more obvious it was that his contribution is phenomenal: short passing, medium passing, long passing, defence-splitting through balls, vision, ability to pick out attackers’ runs, non-stop effort, tackling, tenacity, courage, leading by example…

Frightening when you think that he is not the finished article yet. But he is already good enough for the England manager to build the national team around him and he was one of the stand-out players across the whole of the EPL last year.

Aaron’s development, as we all know, was delayed by the thuggishness of Ryan Shawcross, but he made a welcome return to the first team towards the end of the last campaign.

Before his horrific injury he was showing a Gerrard-esque ability to dictate play, pass the ball and make surging runs into the box. He also has a knack for finding the back of the net (something Wilshere has yet to acquire).

Again, he is an outstanding talent who will prove to be one of the best midfielders of his generation.

That Arsenal should be lucky enough to have two such prodigies available to us is a cause for huge optimism. I fully expect them to form a midfield partnership that will be unsurpassed in the English league for years to come.

Incidentally, I rate both of them as already having more talent that Samir Nasri. I love Nasri’s dribbling ability and his finishing, but whenever he has played in the so-called Cesc role he has looked lost and the team has struggled. He does not have the vision or passing range of either Wilshere or Ramsey.

If Cesc stays for one more year I will be delighted. But if not, it will be time for the next generation to step up.

Get ready for the Jack and Aaron show. It’s going to be something really, really special.

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

Why Arsène won’t replace Clichy – The disassembly of the clique

July 8, 2011

Written by Wigan Gooner

Arsène won’t replace Gael Clichy. He believes he has a ready-made replacement in Gibbs. Similar to the transfer of Cashley in 2006, Arsène thinks he has a player-in-waiting.

I like Kieran Gibbs. I like his desire to get forward and his determination. He’s got more obvious drive than Clichy who I always felt was very laid back, so laid back he was horizontal at times and I feel that is where his complacency has stemmed from and why his performances have dropped over the last 3 years.

I’m delighted that we have sold Clichy to be honest, he didn’t want to re-sign for us and every penny we get now is better than nothing in 12 months time. Frankly, I don’t want 12 more months of Clichy’s abject performances.

Don’t mistake my happiness at seeing Clichy leave for anything other than frustration at his poor performances last season. For a quick defender with 8 years of top flight experience he spends a lot of time being tricked and then eventually falling over.

I like the guy, but its time he left. We have 3 different options at the club already in Gibbs, Botelho and Traore and I think Arsène will look at them in pre-season before making a decision on signing a replacement.

One of the big question marks over last season was the mental state of the squad. Over the course of the season we became victims instead of heroes, also-rans instead of winners. After promising so much the team delivered so little and had no excuses for it other than “there was something missing” – a quote from Alex Song.

Too many times last season we saw a little shrug here and a shake of the head there when things were going wrong. Our top-class defenders were making bad mistakes, infuriatingly so at times.

It’s the meek, victim mentality of “it’s not my fault!!” instead of “let’s sort this cr#* out and get back on the front foot against these guys”.  Our defence was too submissive and too quiet when needing help.

In the players at Arsenal I see similar traits between them. The silent strop that does not achieve anything except make the player himself lose focus, an inability to pull their socks up and regain initiative.

I think Arsène has seen the emergence of Jack, of Rambo and of Gibbs and he’s forming a new clique, a British one. A clique with fight and passion. A clique full of guys wanting to prove themselves because on the International Stage they’ve won nothing and they’re judged by the International Football community on their medals and trophies. Using their supposed lack of technical ability to drive them on and prove it’s right to have faith in the British players.

Arsène is right, but is he already a year too late with the likes of Young, Jones, Smalling already at Manchester United, has he missed the drag-curve on the best British talent?

Which begs the question, in a football context “Has Britain Really Got Talent”?

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

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