FIFA, UEFA, FA: time for a change to the Internationals set-up

November 12, 2011

Arsène Wenger in our Official Arsenal Magazine:

“The lack of quality in some [international] games has been wiped out by the national pride of people supporting their countries. But in the longer run, that doesn’t work.

“People want quality, and we saw some games in the last round of internationals – Bulgaria v Wales for example – there were just 1,000 people there. That makes a mockery of international football. So we have to look at that quickly, because it creates a new problem.

“I think it will get worse and worse because we are facing an economic crisis too. That will have direct consequences for the attendances. It’s more and more difficult to sell out games – even in a big country like France. Not one home game there was a sell-out. Not one. That shows you that there’s something happening that is a deeper problem.”

Something has gone wrong.
We should all be drooling at the prospect of Europe’s best national teams competing against each other during yet another Interlull. On Saturday England ‘take on’ Spain at Wembley: the world’s best national team comes to the holy ground of football to play England, and yet nobody is really excited about it. Furthermore, next week Tuesday two of the fiercest European rivals, Germany and Holland, meet for a ‘friendly’. The finalist and semi-finalist of the 2010 World Cup don’t really do friendlies, but even this game is unlikely to put the world on fire.

There is a time and place for international games and it is not in the middle of the National and European club competitions.

Club football and national football are both great to watch, but they do not mix very well. Clubs are far too worried their players will get injured, and quite rightly so – Arsenal has suffered disproportionately from players returning with bad injuries over recent years. As a result, players often get withdrawn before an international game under the pretence of an injury – or players (and their national managers) get told to take it easy, avoid risks and only play for 45 minutes. During friendlies, this usually results in a ludicrous number of substitutions which often totally destroys the flow and tactics of a particular game. It is fair to say, the quality of international qualification games, and friendlies as well, has decreased significantly over recent years.

Too often the difference in quality between the nations within a football qualification group is far too big, leading to dreary, insipid games most of us do not manage to watch till the end. Friendlies are often even worse: the opposition might be stronger, but the aforementioned restrictions put onto players by their clubs, very often lead to lacklustre performances of which the only beneficiaries are those that suffer from severe insomnia.

Arsene is right in saying that this lack of ‘quality’ – his favourite word at the moment, it seems – is creating a problem.

Furthermore, most fans do not like international football during the league-season, regardless of the quality on display. Most of us get deeply enthralled into our clubs’ doings, on and off the pitch, and the international games take us rudely out of our tribal, cosy footie-cocoons.

Yet, the European and World Championships are fantastic tournaments. I especially like the European Championship as everybody who starts in it has a chance, and it so often has a surprise winner (Denmark, Greece spring to mind). The quality of the football on show is often very high too (Greece does not spring to mind this time). The World Cup is a great tournament as well and a fantastic opportunity to see the world best players on display. However, they are both summer tournaments. That is where they belong: in between the club football league seasons.

Proper, full-on footie fans, know the difference between an even and uneven year: the former treats us to great international games in the summer, and the latter leaves us fully exposed to a cruel and seemingly never-ending, free for all, transfer window endurance-course (and Arsenal fans will not want to go through another one of those ever again).

Now, I do not remember much about my maths lessons: let’s just say there were far more alluring distractions during those vital learning years of puberty and beyond. I do remember though that if you add up two negatives it will result in a larger negative outcome, but if you multiply two negatives you actually get a positive outcome. And that is exactly what I am proposing to do with regard to the internationals.

Here is my proposal to the likes of FIFA, UEFA and the FA:

No more national qualification games and no more friendlies during the club league football seasons: all qualification and friendly games should be played in the summers of the uneven years.

What does it mean?

  1. The league seasons will become shorter allowing sufficient time for all international games to be played in May/June. The international games take up four to five weeks of the football season, and by taking these out, the season would normally end between 8-15 April, after which the FA cup final and CL final can be played.
  2. From the beginning of May till 10 June two friendlies and 8-10 qualification games shall be played, leaving four weeks of holiday, after which the players return for pre-season preparations, and the PL and other Leagues shall normally start again around 10 August.
  3. The club/league football season will be played without any interruption of international games, allowing everyone who loves club football to get fully engrossed in it.
  4. The clubs will be far more happy with letting their players go, as if and when they would get injured, there is the rest of the summer to allow for recuperation, which would considerably reduce the impact to the clubs.
  5. The players will be more up for it, now being able to fully concentrate and dedicate themselves to the international games.
  6. The fans will show significantly more interest, as there is nothing else to do, and the high intensity of international games every three to four days in May and June – with qualification for a major tournament at stake – will be a far more attractive formula than the current one (spread out over two seasons).
  7. The FA could save itself a few million pounds as it does not need a full-time manager anymore: maybe, it can even convince Fergie and Arsene to work together in May and June for a small bonus.
  8. Wembley would be unused for a big part of the year, but the FA could offer those with small stadiums to play some of their home games there (and we all know who those are!).

Now, a lose-lose situation (two negatives added up) turn into a win-win situation (two negatives are multiplied with each other): no more international distractions during the club footie seasons, fully dedicated players who want to give it their all for their national teams, and the fans will also be fully focussed to give their full support to England. All in all, I can only see benefits. I am sure the devil is well hidden in the detail, but the British are champions at iterative problem solving, so I am urging the FA to take the lead and get this party started by putting in a proposal to UEFA/FIFA. It is about time the official football bodies make a paradigm-jump in order to rescue the beauty and splendour of the internationals.

Written by TotalArsenal.

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Gun Powder kept Dry as Arsenal graft a win – and Player Ratings.

November 6, 2011

After getting the offer of some tickets late Friday, I went to the Emirates expecting a win, confidence in the team is getting stronger, especially with WBA not quite been the attacking enigma that they were last season when we managed to lose 2-3.

Robin “Assists from the lads were Insane”

Pre-match, Robin “One Man Team” Van Persie received his awards for a spectacular October, which was capped off in devastating fashion at the Bridge as Arsenal swept Chelsea aside. Midweek, Arsenal failed to reach the same heights against a stubborn and well drilled Marseille.

So against WBA, if this recovery was to be fully realised and help us rise up the table then, this confidence of expectation must be met with 3 points, especially ahead of the dreaded international break.

What sort of performance would we get? What team would the boss go with?

Sir Chez was between the sticks and the front six were the regulars, with Santos and Jenks as the full backs, TV was partnered by Kozzer………

“A minute’s silence was impeccably observed by all prior to the kick off in remembrance of those who have laid down their lives in the service of the Country, 90 years since the end of the World War 1”

Arsenal started in a positive mood which matched the atmosphere around the ground, which is good to see.

Ramsey was energetic as usual in the middle, constantly probing and pushing to attack. Song and Arteta were controlling and dominating the middle.

Walcott was keeping wide, holding his position and looking for the ball, looking more confident, Jenkinson was getting forward well. But the link play between the two is poor at best.

Vermaelen and Koscielny were looking imperious, I like BFG and he has helped settle our back line in the absence of the Verminator, but surely with Kozzer and Vermaelen we have the best CB pairing in the Premier League?

We were keeping possession and looking for the killer pass, but it’s the movement in the final 3rd that seems the only thing not clicking. The first real chance came from a free kick as Gervinho is up ended on the edge of the box. The moment is there for the Boy Wonder, but instead, Santos takes aim, looking to get an early present for the fans…………no such luck.

As Arsenal press with a strong dominance of the play, West Brom looked to catch us on the break. The surprising thing for me was that West Brom, were like a Vampire with dentures, just lacking bite, I expected so much more from them, although I think they didn’t get much chance from a dogged Arsenal midfield, which if they did get past they met Kozzer and Vermaelen who gave no quarter.

On 22, Walcott moved slightly more inside with a slide rule pass splitting the WBA defence, Walcott ran at goal and shot at Foster, who didn’t gather the ball as it went under him, but it came back out, to the one and only Boy Wonder, who gratefully slotted in the first goal. 1-0.

The pace picked up and a lot was going through Walcott, but yet again we are not utilising his pace to the right affect.

On 39, a great cross field raking lofted pass to Van Persie at the far post, who pulled it back across, Gervinho was ahead of the ball and missed his chance to turn it in, but ball broke to the edge, to a grateful Thomas Vermaelen, who left footed firmly put I past the keeper across his direction of movement. 2-0……

Going in at half time 2 up with a clean sheet was a good feeling, tight at the back steady play, knowing when to go through the gears. The team looked solid.

WBA started the 2nd half much brighter and intent on getting forward. Arsenal seemed to take 5-10 mins to getting going again.  Best chance since the break saw Gervinho find Ramsey on the left who lashed the ball across the goal but wide.

Then Song had a wicked shot parried away by foster, as Arsenal looked to kill the game off.

A flurry of subs on 72. Ramsey and Gervinho for Rosicky and Benayoun.

On 74, Vermaelen, played a firm pass through the middle to Van Persie, he moved forward and right, played in Rosicky, RVP carried his run on, but the return from Rosicky was just behind RVP, who somehow steadied himself and the ball and returned the ball to Arteta, who slotted the ball home with ease, pinpoint shot. 3-0 game over.

Arteta had another chance and WBA were unlucky when Tchoyi took an eternity to find his composure and that allowed TV to block the shot.

West Brom tried to exert some pressure in the last few minutes but they still really trouble us, as the ole’s rang around the ground.

Ratings:

Wenger 8 :- Got the rotation and line up just about right. Made the substitutions at the right time. Will be happy with the efficiency and the improvement in our play.

Sir Chez 7 :- Wasn’t troubled throughout, got his positioning spot on, good handling and distribution was much better today. Gives the team a platform to build on.

Jenkinson 7.5 :- Great going forward and some quite superb crosses, needs other players to try harder to get on the end of them. Some wayward short passing, his positioning still needs work, wasn’t really tested by any real pressure but he is growing on me. Doesn’t mix well with Theo.

Koscielny 8 :- Gets better and better, he has pace, tackles and defends so well. Nothing got past him. Gets forward as well to add impetus to our attacks…….. Recovery pace is very impressive. His reading of the game is superb.

Vermaelen 8 :- Great to have him back, Steve Claridge you’re a mug, if you think he cant defend. Got forward well, smashed his goal in for our 2nd, did I say its great to have him back. One of his block tackles was perfectly timed, which should have been a shot on target. Protects his keeper like his life depended on it.  His range of passing is fantastic, his pass to Van Persie to set the move for our 3rd was a midfield splitting gem.

Santos 7 :- Effective defensively, got forward and linked up play. Positionally could do better.

Song 7.5 :- Warrior, who gives his all constantly. Broke up play well and has an eye for a pass as he put Van Persie in which helped our 2nd goal come about. Unlucky not to score in 2nd half as foster kept it out.


Arteta, really settled and loving Arsenal

Arteta 8 :- Calm and assured, simply classy, his goal was well timed and expertly taken. He gets my MotM, quietly dictates play and is so effective. Still think there is more to come, cannot wait.

Ramsey 7.5: – Had a good game, probes and drives team forward. His pass for Walcott to get him free for starting the move for the opener was quite simply brilliant. Presses well and breaks play up.

Walcott 7 :- Pacy and energetic, confidence is on the up, his movement needs to improve in final 3rd, he got it right for the opener and was unlucky not to score.  Was a bit quieter in the 2nd half, but always involved on the edge, teams are wary of him and that opens up space.

Van Persie 8 :- Scored one, two assists, great movement. Leads like a true leader. Integral to our success but not a one man team.

Gervinho 7 :- Trickery and pace, with some good movement, wastes a lot of possession, trying to go past when a simple pass is on. Will have better games and will be more influential. Unlucky not to score in 2nd half.

Subs:

Rosicky 7: Little time, but pressed and kept the team moving. Involved in the 3rd goal.
Benayoun 7: Little time, but energetic, is such an asset in this squad.
Arshavin 5: Very Little time, nothing positive.

The performance was more about graft than the craft which has embodied our reputation for the last few years, and it was good to see, there were moments throughout the match that showed we still have much class and players of undoubted ability, but it was an efficient team performance where we just were not in any sort of trouble, took the chances when they come along.

The defence is now settled, the team has a strength and desire, they fight and put some real shifts in now. The calmness comes from Arteta in the middle, who does the simple things so well, keeps the ball and team moving, which is what we are doing now, as our early season flirtation with the bottom half is truly over.

Written by Harry

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

A bridge not so far, as Arsenal’s recovery gains pace and Player ratings…..

October 30, 2011

Since April 10th we have lost 5 and drawn 3 games away from home, a dismal and painful run of games that has seen our defence and confidence take knock after knock.

The abject display in August at Old Trafford saw a very humbling score line result in cries for Wenger to walk now, before we fell apart at the seams was the cry of the naysayer’s. Then at Ewood Park we saw the worst team in the premiership, come from behind and beat us, the wheels were well and truly off………

So yesterday, we tipped up at Chelsea, our recent Nemesis, who seemed to always get a result against us, especially at the Bridge even when we play well. Our actual recent form though had given us a little belief back, with 7 wins out of 8games in all competitions.

The defence has been slowly improving, the team were slowly coming together and at the sharp end, the boy wonder had been on fire, so why couldn’t we get a result……….?

Trust me or do one……..

Well after the first 5mins, there were so many reasons why we couldn’t get a result; I lost count of how many times, Chelsea just seemed to stroll through and around our defence, Chelsea had 3 or 4 gilt edged chances to take the lead, better crosses and they might have been out of sight.

Mixed in between there was some moments for Arsenal, when Ramsey had broke into Chelsea’s area and dragged the ball back, but no one was up with play. Then another clearance by BFG fell to Theo and a one-two with Ramsey, saw Theo away but he failed to get the ball down, another bad at the office loomed……..?

The attacks continue with Sturridge been afforded far too much room, but from been on the back foot, Ramsey intercepted a weak ball in from Lampard, he strode out of the box and lift a chip pass into Arteta, who headed it back to Ramsey, who took it on his chest and then volleyed a delightful ball out wide right to Theo…….who pushed it

passed Cashley and then sprinted round the other side of him and left him in his wake, Cole has more chance of getting Cheryl back than catching Theo……

Theo looked up, stepped forward and delivered a sublime ball across the area, as Ivanovic stretched out but couldn’t get the ball, Gervinho, somehow did a Torres….a woeful miss from 5yds.

Moments later, Santos cut in from the left and laid the ball to Song, who moved it onto Theo, a couple of light touches, a look up and a even more sublime pass arching in over the Chelsea defence, curling to the far post, Van Persie came in, but the ball raised just that little too high and he couldn’t keep it below the crossbar. Two very good chances to take the lead.

The Chelsea fans couldn’t help themselves as they berated our Boy Wonder, for missing the chance, he who laughs last………………..!

Anyway, normal service resumed, we miss, opposition score, how predictable was that, as John “Colour Impaired” Terry, sent a ball out wide to Juan Mata, who turned back on Santos and delivered a ball not to dissimilar to Theo’s, but in came Fatboy just behind 6ft 6” BFG who must have thought he was in a limbo competition, as he got under the cross allowing Fatboy to head pass Sir Chez……..

Arsenal improved slightly, but the game was still ebbing and flowing unpredictably, as players from both sides, made mistakes and gave cheap balls away, but there were no real clear cut chances…….But the worrying thing was that Arsenal’s back door was seeing more action than George Michaels…….

A superb pass from fatboy, put Sturridge away, as he allowed the ball to drop and run forward, he arched his body and for some reason hit the ball with the outside of his foot and away from the goal and Sir Chez, that would have been difficult to come back from……….

The midfield of Arteta, Song and most notably Ramsey were working very hard to sustain a footing in the game. Santos in from the left into Gervinho, who lost the ball, fell back to Santos, who fed Ramsey an inside turn, Gervinho had got up and run into the area, a great pass from the Welsh Wizard found Gervinho, the touch was heavy and the ball ran towards the on coming Cech, but just as you thought Gervinho would clip it into Cech’s body, he slid it to the grateful Robin, who just calmly stroked the ball with his left peg into the empty net……1-1 game on…….36mins.

Moments later Ramires completely sold Santos, into the box and across the area for Sturridge to stab home, but the young forward had strayed offside, tight but a good call by the assistant referee. So nearly we conceded after scoring, frustrating weakness.

On 41, Robin took a free kick just outside the Chelsea area, could he? No it wasn’t to be as we drifted to half time with Robin’s effort curling just over…….

But, hold it, Chelsea get a late corner, Fatboy delivers a ball into the mix, Terry, out muscles the BFG, (is that F for friendly?), and knocks the ball limping into the goal, Arteta had moved from the post, less said. Half time, 2-1 to Chelsea.

We had looked dangerous going forward, but in defence, we had the look of an Essex girl on a night out, carefree and not bothered who got in behind……….

The only player who defensively was sharp was Koscielny, who reputation is growing…..

Second half; more defensive qualities were needed, surely?

Why bother, as we came flying out the traps, first Van Persie and then Ramsey had early opportunities to get us level.

On 49 minutes, Djourou impressed me with his strength and desire to keep the ball; he came inside and got the ball to Song, with a little help from a Lampard tackle. Song, who reversed stepped back across the ball and then picked Chelsea defence apart with a gem of a pass, through to the left where Santos, took the ball in his stride, one touch in front and then drilled it with his left foot across Cech, 2-2…..Get in there….

To celebrate Santos then decided to show the Brazilian Version of the “No dad Samba two step”, maybe he wants to go on Strictly Come Dancing? Who cares, finally we have a left back who knows where the net is…….

Almost immediately, Arsenal tried to let Chelsea back into the game, a looping ball up and over our back line, saw Cashley bear down on the area, an out rushing Szczesny leaped out of his area and sent Cole into a spin, a yellow and a free kick. Should it have been red? Well even our young pole tweeted after the game (not a bright idea) that he wasn’t sure how he stayed on the pitch. For me, it was an either way call, but the referee chose luckily for us only a yellow.

The resultant free kick was sent to the far post by fatboy, but our pole stretched his frame and tipped the ball around the goal, super save.

Arsenal seemed to be getting the upper hand in the middle with Arteta and Song pressing and Ramsey probing.

A long ball out from Szczesny, to Theo, who was bundled over by Cashley. start of a bizarre passage of play. A quick free kick by Robin into Theo, who drove forward, as he did, he stumbled and fell over, but somehow kept his momentum going, in the middle of 4 blue shirts he got up, jinked pass and powered into the area and drilled a shot to Cechs near left post, with some real venom. 3-2 up, to come back twice showed some real bottle and then to get in front, Arsenal were controlling the game now.

Theo, Simply Brilliant……..

A plethora of substitutions on both sides saw Lukaku and Dodgy Barnet on for Chelsea, with Rosicky and Jenkinson replacing Walcott and Djourou respectively. The game got a little scrappy, on 80mins Santos as he came out, gave the ball away, but as he went to atone for his mistake he was clearly blocked by Lukaku, the ball then broke for dodgy barnet and he fed Mata, who managed to unleash a thunderbolt, just before Song despairingly tried to block him, to Szczesny’s right side. 3-3 game truly back on………Subs too early? Should Walcott have stayed on? No time to think…..

Not quite as powerful as Essien’s drive a few seasons ago, but Mata’s just as damaging, as Chelsea seemed now to be in the ascendancy. Were we going to blow it, after all the effort in the 2nd half?

But on 85, an innocuous back pass from Malouda, to Terry, saw John Terry slip, or did he throw himself down in a very defeatist manner?, who cares, I am sure Wayne Bridge had a chuckle, as Robin Van Persie, ran onto the loose ball, as Cech came out he step round him and slotted in his second, what a game………..

John Terry Slipping Over……

+4mins of injury time and Chelsea threw the lot at us, please hold on you could the silent thoughts of every Arsenal fan, with Vermaelen now on, I felt safe, ok maybe still a tad nervous…

Malouda, then Mata kept putting the ball into the area, eventually Jenkinson headed it out, it bounce in front of Rosicky who bravely won the ball from dodgy barnets high foot with his head, Rosicky brought the ball out, moved it onto Arteta, he shifted it across to the left and Van Persie, who drove an unstoppable left foot swerving drive into Cech’s right hand side, 5-3 game over, the fans were in dream land………..

Boy Wonder settles the nerves

What a game, it had it all, finally away from home, the Arsenal boys had grabbed the 3points. Defensively it was a horror show at times, from both sides, but with some tricks from Robin, Theo, Aaron and GMan, saw the Arsenal fans treated to a result we have been deprived of by the feet of Drogba too many times…….

Ratings: (STC: Subject to Comments)

Sir Chez: 7: Still Raw at times, but he has that edge that sets him apart, some good saves, little chance with Mata’s shot, but he’ll be disappointed with the other two.

Djourou: 6: Quite truly dreadful first half as he was dragged around, but he improved in the 2nd half, having a good contribution to the 2nd goal.

BFG: 6.5: Was at fault for both Chelsea’s first half goals, but he did defend better in the 2nd half. Need to be stronger and more aggressive.

Kozzer: 9: Immense, read the game well, blocked, tackled and was everywhere, without him in the first half, I think they would have been out of sight.

Santos: 7: (that is a 5 for 1st half and 8 2nd half), Defending in the first half was comical, but he gained composure and got into the game, his goal was well taken and gave him confidence. The third goal although came from his mistake, he was fouled attempting to block the ball.

Arteta: 8: Thought his stature grew as the game wore on, did the simple things really well, gave little space, pressed and moved the ball quickly, slowly starting to feel at home.

Song: 8: Powerful and energetic, press and close down Chelsea midfield, some of his passing was sublime. Gave some needless balls away in first half, he is though very important to us.

Ramsey: 9: Super Welsh Wizard, truly a special player who gave his all today, his range of passing was fantastic, he has a great engine and never doubts himself.

Walcott: 9: Proved all those doubters wrong, showed he deserves to wear our shirt, capped a great display with a stunning goal, no football brain? Waddle talking Twaddle…

Boy Wonder:9: Captain’s performance, one on one there was only one winner, clinical and deadly from anywhere.

Gervinho: 7.5: Energetic and difficult to handle, makes things happen, missed a very easy chance, but worked his socks off, unselfish in laying off Robin.

Man of the Match: It could have gone to anyone of 4 today and others like Arteta gave a good account as well. 4 players got 9 off me, a truly fantastic team performance and as Robin said share the champagne between the team……If you were to push me to a choice, between the four 9’s, RVP, Koz, Theo and Aaron, I would go for Kozzer, at times he was on his own, but he held firm………..

Subs:

Rosicky and Jenkinson :7: Little time but got upto speed quickly and helped see us to the line.

Vermaelen: Only on for minutes, great to have him back……….Best defender in the Premier League……..

The Manager: 8:

Big decision to leave TV on the bench, nearly bigger one to take Theo off, all came good in the game in the end, Wenger and his team deserved this bit of luck that has so far been missing this season, he has asked for the trust in him to remain, well after today, he has mine fully back, not that I lost faith………….

In summary:

That could of gone either way at times yesterday and we still have a lot of work to do, but we have put ourselves right back in the mix, the team seem together and really up for it, lets really get behind them now and see where this crazy journey goes this season……. God I love being a Gooner, thanks Dad……..

Ps. Sorry if that was a tad long…………try writing that up in less!!

Written by Harry

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Orcs! You shall not pass!

October 24, 2011

Written by oz gunner

How they lined up:

Arsenal (4-4-3)- Szczesny, Djourou, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Andre Santos, Song ©, Arteta, Ramsey, Walcott, Gervinho, Chamakh.

Subs: Fabianski, Frimpong, Rosicky, Benayoun, Arshavin, Park, van Persie.

Stoke (4-5-1): Begovic, Wilkingson, Shawcross ©, Upson, Wilson, Whitehead, Whelan, Delap, Ethrington, Walters, Crouch.

Subs: Sorenson, Huth, Shotton, Diao, Palacios (ex-scum), Jerome, Jones

Pennant failed to come up thankfully as he normally creates problems for us

Pre-Match Thoughts:

RVP needed the rest, so I’m glad to see MC lining up against the orcs (hopefully he can create room for Walcott and Gerv to work in).

Walcott needs to step up. He can’t fall behind the ‘youngster’ tag anymore, it’s time to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Gerv needs to start hitting the target.

I’m glad Crouch and Upson are starting because I feel they are a lot less dangerous than Huth and Jones.

I’d like to see Arshavin come off the bench and deliver another great cameo.

I’d like to see a great defensive display against one of the most dangerous set dead ball teams in the league.

Lastly, no more injuries.

How it happened:

5’         Djourou sends in a poor cross (used up his good one in the CL).

6’         Ramsey picks out a great run by Walcott, however it’s just over hit.

9’         Corner sent in to a free MC…GREAT chance squandered. No pace or direction in the header really should of done better (that’s 2 goals in 31 matches for MC).

11’       Ambitious pot shot by Walters…fizzes wide. Song caught out in position but recovered well. Shot from distance by Arteta pulled wide.

12’       Crowd relatively quiet.

15’       Another great ball by Ramsey. Too hard for Gerv to control.

16’       Still no set piece for Stoke or Delap throw in.

17’       Spoke to soon. Boooooooooooo! BFG sorts out the danger.

19’       Great bit of skill by Theo (he needs to play to his strengths more often we’d all agree). Good cross, just a touch to high. Whitehead puts in a lousy slide on Arteta.

21’       Stoke are sitting deep and tight, it’s hard to get our passing game going.

22’       Arteta’s free kick spills to Gerv who tees up Ramsey who fires in a shot…just wide.

23’       Free kick to Stoke (Arsenal have conceded 5 goals from free kicks this season). Djourou headers clear.

26’       Hard to break down a well drilled Stoke team, conversely they are finding it tough getting forward.

27’       Ramsey chips a beautiful ball over the Stoke defenders, Gerv controls well with his chest and slots the ball under Begovic…GOAL!!! First goal at home for Gerv, Ramsey has been great.

28’       Fouls: Stoke 6, Arsenal 0

30’       Whitehead YELLOW CARD after another shocking slide tackle that just missed Arteta.

31’       Gerv great burst of pace, and a beautiful low cross, unfortunately no-one is there for the tap in.

33’       Stoke are playing very compact. Shawcross has the ball and Boooooo’s rain throughout Emirates and my living room.

34’       Stoke get a free kick after great and fair Kozza header (funny how Crouch rides over people all the time, yet when he’s on the receiving end he gets the foul. Ball sent wide to an unmarked Shawcross who headers the ball to Walters, ball headed to Crouch who taps it into an empty net. GOAL. Well thought out set piece by Stoke, Gerv should have done better.

35’       Wilkinson wrestles MC to the ground (Hulk Hogan-esque). How is that not a penalty? Very unlucky there!

38’       Delap throw #2. Ball ricochet’s around the box -> Corner

39’       Walters stop whinging.

40’       Arsenal have dropped off a little since we scored, half time can’t come soon enough.

43’       Delap throw #3…come on hurry up get on top of it ref! Handled well but out for throw #4 which comes back out to Delap who sends in an abysmal cross (shows just how one dimensional he really is, the rest of his game is poor).

44’       Great defending by Kozza who gets Gerv out of dodge.

46’       Arteta keeps it in well, great cross. MC misses it somehow and goes out via Upson.

47’       Wild shot from distance by Gerv, to no avail.

HALF TIME

Half time mullings:

A great start by Arsenal but we dropped off again after we scored. They are playing tight and defending well but because of it they are not creating much themselves.

MC we really need you to pull your finger out, yes your endeavour is there but as our second choice striker we need more out of you!

Bugger Chelsea away next week. If we play like we need against them last year we will be fine (oh how I miss that game. The full field press was amazing. Kozza will pocket Torres easy).

Gerv and Ramsey have played well.

Alarm set: 7 hours to work…mmm sick day?!

Second Half under way

46’       Poor effort from Walters, hit and hope if anything.

48’       Great ball through to Walcott, deflection, corner. Corner comes in and Kozza attempts a bicycle kick (love this kid).

49’       Cross sent in by Theo…ends up in row Z.

53’       Djourou sets up Theo to get flattened. Definently tell he is a CB playing at RB.

54’       RVP is warming up. How long before we see him? YELLOW CARD Wilkingson for holding Theo.

56’      Sixth corner for Arsenal. Orcs start falling over each other. Walters down after a tangle with Upson. Get up Walters two minutes have been wasted. Stoke appear to be playing for a draw. Stoke reconsider their sub.

59’       Whitehead is up there with Lescott in terms of ugliness.

60’       Song good hit on Crouch. Delap->off  Diao <- on. Well done Delap you have proved further just how pathetic of a footballer you are!

60’       Crowd chanting for RVP, only a matter of time you’d think as MC’s only contribution this half was a header to Crouch.

62’       Good build up play, bad pass by Song, crowd are getting restless. Kozza is playing great again. Unsure if these performances by Walcott can carry on. It’s surely only a matter of time before we see the Ox take his spot in the starting line-up.

65’       Stoke sitting very narrow and tight, Crouch still isolated. RVP is getting ready to come on. The crowd is shouting their love (please sign a new contract RVP… pretty please).

66’       MC->off  RVP<- on. MC was less than inspiring, guilty of wasting two great chances.

67’       Beautiful play by RVP, cross just too high for Kozza. Worlds #1 cheekily takes on Walters. Commentators condemning him saying he is naïve and has often made mistakes this season. Pretty harsh I think!

68’       Shawcross the sook forearms RVP in the head…no free kick given.

70’       Great pass by Song, RVP lays off to…no one.

71’       Theo->off  AA<- on. Hopefully another great cameo is on the cards.

72’       RVP’s cross splits the lot of them. We are controlling the game easily. BFG needs to assert himself better during our set pieces.

73’       Great run from Gerv, crosses into RVP who sneaks it past Begovic GOAL!!! 200th goal at the emirates in our 100th game. RVP’s positional sense is truly world class.

74’       Ethrington + Crouch-> off           Jones + Jerome<- on

76’       Gerv is looking great down the right hand side.

77’       Jones free header, Jerome goes for it but clatters into the World #1 (he’s not impressed by it). Nervous last 15 minutes coming up.

78’       Santos warned- Cool heads needed here. We don’t need to give away stupid free kicks this late into the game, especially not when Jones is on.

79’       Great piece of defending by Arshavin.

82’       Great pass by Arshavin finding Gerv’s run, he cuts back to RVP who taps it in GOAL!!! Begovic poor attempt at a save. 6 goals in 5 matches for RVP against Stoke.

84’       Two great defensive efforts by Santos. Great block by Kozza who was 1-on-1 with Jones.

87’       Arsenal is making a mockery of Stoke at the moment, passing it around like it’s a training drill. Stoke cannot get near the ball.

90’       RVP threads it through to Gerv, Begovic saves from a tight angle.

91’       Gerv-> off  Pong<- on

Arsenal control the rest of the game with great movement and passing. They can walk off the pitch with their heads held high after that one! The second half was all Arsenal.

FULL TIME

Player Ratings:

Worlds #1  6.5.   Had little to do, but was consistent when called into action.

Djourou 6.    Offered little going forward but did the job asked of him well. His extra height was needed against the Orcs.

BFG  6.5.    Consistent, keeps getting better each game.

Kozza  7.5.    Stand out performer in defence and is becoming one of the best defenders in the league at the moment. Love how he goes about his game. One on one he is a star, and controls the air well. Crouch had nothing all game

Santos 6.5.   Like BFG he is getting better as each game passes. Offers more attacking wise but is no mug defensively. Will be a great purchase once he settles in and lifts his cardio.

Song  7   You know what you get from Song, and he played well again today against Stoke. Stuck to his role well and allowed Arteta and Ramsey to go about their business. Hard to think this is the same Song who went out on loan to Charlton all those seasons ago.

Arteta  6.5.    Started every Premier League game for Arsenal this season. Delivered another good performance both offensively and defensively, unfortunately will allows be compared to Cesc.

Ramsey  7.5.    Amazing game from young Ramsey. Cesc-like passes (especially the assist to Gerv), great work rate and dangerous shooting. He is going to be an Arsenal legend no doubt about it. Glad Shawcross has not ruined the great career he will have,

Gerv  8.    Man of the Match for me. Showed Theo how it’s done with great drive and low crosses. When RVP came on he lifted immensely. Great control and finish from Ramsey’s pass, and two good assists. Another Arsene steal considering his price.

MC  5.   Endeavour is there, just not his finishing. As though he’s scared to shoot with his feet. Wasted two great opportunities. Fans are losing patience with him, me included. Hopefully he snaps out of it though, I want him to succeed at Arsenal

Theo 5.    Good in patches. However those patches were few and far between. He NEEDS to deliver more, and his high crosses are a waste especially when playing a team like Stoke. Ox is breathing down his neck.

RvP   8.   Amazing cameo, the fans got what they asked for and he showed just why we love him so much. Two goals thanks to good positioning and passing by Gerv. We need him to stay he is World Class and a great captain.

Arshavin  6.5.    Good little cameo again. This might be how we get the best out of him for the remainder of his time at Arsenal.

Ref  4.    Didn’t get on top of the time wasting, missed a penalty and was pretty much poor all game.

The game was nerve racking for a moment there but we controlled it for the full 90 minutes. This team is getting better and better each game and looks very determined to give their all for the cause. I’m loving it, come on you mighty Gunners. Well played. Next up Chelsea.

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Van Persie? I’d sell him….‏

October 18, 2011

It is often said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, well for me it’s quite the opposite when thinking about our Captain Marvel. I had written him off, I wanted him gone from our club, he was never available, when he was he never scored, he blasted free kicks into Row Z (ok he still has a propensity to do this), complained if the ball wasn’t played exactly where he wanted it, I preferred Adebayor.

Don’t worry I have been to see Father Bergkamp and have said one thousand Hail Henry’s to atone for my sins, and have indulged in a spot of self flagellation for good measure.

I was so wrong. I have fallen in love all over again, and this time it’s for keeps. And here’s why:

Premier League goals per game since 1 January:

van Persie 23 goals 25 games
Rooney 19 goals 25 games
Lampard 13 goals 25 games
Sturridge 12 goals 19 games
Hernandez 12 goals 22 games

In fact in Europe he is bettered only by three men

Ronaldo 30 goals 25 games
Mario Gomez 26 goals 25 games
Messi 24 goals 26 games

These three play for the the top teams in their respective countries and with supply lines that our captain can only dream about.

It is these stats combined with the passion and commitment he shows week in week out that have turned me back to the light.

Now I have some questions for others, given the above can someone explain why I still hear calls for Wenger to buy a proven goalscorer or a predator in the box?

We have all witnessed the teams efforts since the Carling Cup final and bemoan the lack of creativity or penetration from our midfield but Robin has still managed to set the target for other Premier League strikers to be judged by.

Also I hear the common complaint that he should be set free in the hole, again I have to question this, why fix what’s not broken?

If there is one thing that Robin van Persie has proven in the last few months it is that he is a striker. He is perhaps the most complete striker/goalscorer we have had at the club since Ian Wright, he knows where the goal is, he can play back to the goal or facing, he finds space in the 18 yard box that few others can match, he can score with both feet, volleys, power, precision, deft touches and even with his head.

So I am asking for three things, for fans to stop calling for a “proper” striker, for the midfield to start adding a few goals to help him out, and finally for forgiveness for ever doubting the magnificence that is Robin van Persie.

Written by Gooner in Exile

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Walking in a van Persie wonderland

October 17, 2011

Yesterday was Robin van Persie’s day.  Just how important he is to the post-Cesc Arsenal was on display for all to see.  His first goal, just half a minute into the game, saw him receive the ball from Gervinho on the edge of the penalty area, and work the space before getting off a shot that wrong-footed Mignolet in the Sunderland goal.  It was decent but said more about poor defending from our opponents than anything.

His second was as sublime a free-kick as one is likely to see, deftly flighted to the top right-hand corner of the goal.  Van Persie seems to like scoring free kicks against Sunderland in October; his powerhouse shot off the underside of the bar was against the same opponents in 2007.  Seb Larsson’s equaliser yesterday was another superb free-kick, and being sat behind the goal in the North Bank, I have to admit, I felt pretty lucky seeing two perfect efforts, even if one of them was against us.

But probably the most impressive piece of van Perise’s play was a miss: in the middle of the purplest patch of the first half, the first 25 minutes, van Persie took a pass with his right foot, shielding it from the defender, and then took an early chip across to the other side of the goal.  The Belgian keeper was completely beaten and looked to have resigned himself to picking the ball out of the net.  But the trajectory of the ball bent ever so slightly and the ball hit the inside of the post.  Gervinho attempted to sweep up the pieces as the ball went across the face of goal, but it was too much for him.  Van Persie may not have scored but his effort was reminiscent of Cantona at his arrogant, puff-chested best (also against Sunderland, as it happens).  Absolutely superb.

Van Persie aside, there was some good aspects to our performance yesterday.  Carl Jenkinson had his best game for us so far, and showed that he’s learning as quickly as Koscielny did last year.  He’s prone to be a bit head-down when running with the ball, but again and again he attacked Kieran Richardson at left-back and often got his cross in.  And Tomas Rosicky had by some distance his best performance for a long time, justifying his surprise inclusion in the starting XI.  Rosicky worked hard and turned his markers well.  Despite what others might say, Rosicky also delivered a number of good passes, including the one that released Gervinho before the Ivorian laid it onto van Persie for the first goal.

Wojciech Szczesny didn’t have the busiest of games but his point-blank save from Cattermole at the end of the first half was world class – after the energetic and awkward Sessegnon undid our defence and knocked the ball across the goal, everyone in the ground must have assumed it would be Sunderland’s second goal, the ball just needed to be nodded in from a yard.  But Szczesny didn’t give up and launched himself across the goal, and Cattermole’s header just cannoned off the big Pole.  An epic piece of keeping.

Andrey Arshavin has done little to justify his wages since that goal against Barca but his sub’s performance yesterday was the best we’ve seen of him for a long time.  His desire and artistry in the dribble was great to see, and he was unlucky to see his toe-poke shot go wide after he’d slalomed through the Sunderland defence.

But there were negatives.  Sunderland were a weakened side: they don’t have their first choice keeper available, have seen their star striker bizarrely head off to the Gulf on loan, and one of their first choice centre backs is on police bail amid serious criminal allegations.  Sunderland may have spent heavily over the past few years but this is a side we should be beating more comfortably than we did.  We tore them apart in the first 20 minutes, and could easily have been three or four up, and we completely dominated the second half, but we ceded control of the game in the first half and, despite all the second half possession, we often looked laboured in attack.  Sunderland were well organised and hard-working, deploying the typical defensive 4-5-1 used against us at Ashburton Grove, including the rotational fouling tactic, which the weak and inconsistent Howard Webb was unable to deal with.

On individual performances, the one that worried me the most was Mikel Arteta’s.  I like Arteta, he’s intelligent and honest, a real team player.  But he hasn’t shown adequate quality in an Arsenal shirt yet, and yesterday he contributed little of value for us.  And he even gave away the free-kick from which Larsson scored with a needless handball.

Theo Walcott drew the customary slagging from his own fans, something that never fails to wind me up, but he didn’t have a good game, too often taking up poor positions.  That said, he undid the Sunderland defence a couple of times and carried some threat to our opponents.  Not that the haters would acknowledge that.

The defensive side of our game remains a delicate thing.  Most of the time, everything was ok, but in the 15 first-half minutes when Sunderland were on top, too often our opponents had the luxury of time and space on the ball.  We need to be far more focussed and consistent in our defending.

And finally, our crowd: Christ on a bike, where do some of these idiots get off, booing their side at halftime?  And that after a half in which we’d done plenty that was good.  I despair of some of my fellow Arsenal fans.  The volume was increased in the second half, but this impatient, hypercritical nervousness is neither justified nor productive.

We’re edging forward slowly.  We’re back in the top half of the table and within striking distance of Spurs.  But next weekend, we’re hosts to Stoke, who will bring much more of a threat than Sunderland.  Cope with that and we’re definitely on the up.

My rankings for the day:

Szczesny: 8 A world class save and generally very good, bar a couple of wonky kicks. No chance for the goal.

Jenkinson: 7 After looking like damaged goods in his last few outings, CJ showed real promise.

Mertesacker: 6

Koscielny: 6

Gibbs: 5 Didn’t contribute enough going forward.

Song: 6 Some wayward passing but pretty sturdy performance.

Arteta: 4 Disappointing.  Needs to impose himself soon.

Rosicky: 7 A renaissance for Little Mozart?

Walcott: 5

Gervinho: 6 A great opening 20 minutes, not a lot after that.

Van Persie: 9 Oh my god, what a day.  Get that contract sorted now.

Santos: 6

Arshavin: 7

Benayoun: 6 Did ok when he came on, worried the defenders on a couple of occasions.

Written by 26may89

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Pick up the Pieces

October 16, 2011

At last the chance to write about something other than rumour, tittle tattle and economics. And what a game we have today, none of that nerve wrenching, gut mangling, behind the sofa stuff of our last match against the lowlife bottom feeders – today we welcome those fine upstanding men from the frozen wasteland of Sunderland, who will be looking to gift us 3 points in their push for relegation. A day for Arsenal to get back on track and pick up the pieces.

Sunderland are owned by an American, Ellis Short, who has recently become chairman succeeding the excellent Niall Quinn. Will this isolate Steve Bruce and lead to his replacement, or will it have no effect upon the on-pitch affairs? More to the point, do we really give a damn?

There are lots of interesting stats about today’s game, my favourite being that Sunderland have not won at Arsenal since 1983. There have been 3 90th minute goals in our last 6 meetings, and whoever scores first wins – usually us.

No Bendtner today which is a shame. I watched him in Denmark’s excellent victory over the slimy Portugese (any team with Ronaldo , Mereilles and Nani is slimy and deserving of a good beating!). Nik played centrally and was, I can find no other word, poor. He finished off a fine move for his goal but even Clichy could have scored it. Nik’s absence could give Connor Wickham his first PL start, an interesting player as he showed against us last season at Ipswich.

We are just one point and one place ahead of Sunderland …  bizarre. You all know the problems, we have discussed them endlessly, unfortunately no-one has come up with reasonable solutions other than buying better players. Mr. Wenger believes he has the squad to challenge and one can certainly find reasons (not excuses) for our poor start. Injuries to key players and a rash of red cards have hindered our progress.

It will be interesting to see how Mr. Wenger solves the right back problem. Can he rely upon a very inexperienced 19 year old Carl Jenkinson to be an adequate understudy to Sagna? Or does he play Koscielny or Djourou at RB?  Another possibility is Coquelin. If there are to be brickbats (whatever they are) to be thrown at AW, it is selling Eboue without buying an experienced stand-in RB.

Upfront, RvP is in the form of his life, can he continue and get a brace today? Why not?

With Rosicky regaining fitness , will AW continue with Ramsey? Despite his critics I believe Ramsey is a fine player and should get the shirt with TR substituting late in the game

Is there any possibility of Arshavin getting the central attacking midfield role? Not in my opinion, in fact I doubt whether AA will even start.

My team:

 

 

I am hoping we will really attack Sunderland who are likely to play long ball and  look for set piece opportunities, hence the choice of Santos over Gibbs.

The Americans will not appreciate my choice of inventor born in Sunderland. Contrary to popular belief the electric light bulb was invented by Sir Joseph Swan and not by Thomas Edison.  The electric lightbulb was first patented by Swan in 1878 and his house was the first in the world to be lit by light bulbs.  He received a knighthood and the French Legion d’Honneur in honour of his invention. Top bloke, top beard.

BigRaddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

At Last: A Real Captain for Arsenal

September 26, 2011

If there is one image that defines the revival that Arsenal are about to embark on, it’s this one:

There were many positives to take from our dispatching of Bolton Wanderers on Saturday but, for me, this was the one that really counted.

Robin van Persie, mobbed by a herd of Bolton spongiforms, didn’t give an inch. When they mooed in his face he bellowed back at them; when they jostled him he put out his arms as if to say: “Yeah? And what?” He stood his ground. He faced down the bullocks with a show of real bollocks.

If anyone doubted whether Robin was the man to lead this team, that moment should put their mind at ease.

For Alan Hansen to subsequently criticise him on Match of the Day for not ‘leading by example’ and not being captain material tells you a lot more about Hansen than about van Persie. And it also tells you that he probably watched no more of our game than the brief highlights that were shown on MoTD.

Devout Christians sometimes use the question “what would Jesus do?” as a method to guide their actions.

At Arsenal we used to have a Jesus. His name was Cesc Fabregas. And if you ask what Cesc/Jesus would have done in that scenario, I offer the following speculation:

1) The scenario would not have happened in the first place because Cesc/Jesus, seeing a Wanderers player poleaxed in the box, would have put the ball into touch.
2) But if it had happened, and Cesc/Jesus was mobbed by a thousand pounds of Bolton beef, he would have backed off and walked away.

I’m not saying that either course of action by Cesc/Jesus is wrong. But Robin’s actions were those of a warrior. And by heaven, we have needed a warrior of late.

It may mean that Cesc is a nicer and more sporting person, but it also means that Robin is more of a fighter, someone who would rather be the winning guy than the nice guy.

To continue the religious analogy, if Cesc was Jesus, Robin is the Archangel Michael – the field commander of God’s armies in the war against the devil, with the title “Prince of Angels”.

Prince Robin. That will do for me and that is how I will refer to him from now on.

You may think I’m reading too much into one brief incident, but sometimes fortunes in football hinge on such intangibles. We all talk about confidence, desire, mental strength, morale – well, they are influenced by moments like this.

Prince Robin acted the way a Keown or a Vieira would have done. He handled it probably even better than his compatriot Dennis would have (I suspect Dennis might have chinned one of the cow-faces and got himself red carded).

But Prince Robin kept his arms down and spread wide in a gesture that both ridiculed the ox-minded simpletons of Bolton and ensured that the ref could not accuse him of violent conduct (Gervinho and Diaby, please take note).

He refused to be intimidated.

It’s this kind of leadership that is essential to helping us regain our status as one of the top teams in the country, capable of competing in all competitions and making our opponents believe that we are no pushover.

Cesc was a brilliant player – one of the best midfielders I have ever seen. But he was not a captain. Nor was Gallas and nor was Thierry Henry for all his gifts.

Arsene Wenger thinks we Brits place too much emphasis on the role of captain, but he’s wrong. A real leader on the field can make the crucial difference at the margins between success and failure.

And I really believe that Prince Robin is a leader. His public utterances of late have carried the weight and maturity of someone who knows he is in charge. He supports his team mates but is not afraid to remind them about what’s expected of them. He does not try to say everything in the garden is rosy – but he also refuses to accept that it’s all manure.

Quite possibly it is only his appalling luck with injuries that has stopped van Persie from becoming captain much earlier in his Arsenal career.

Having a striker as captain is not necessarily ideal, but there have been some outstanding srtiker-captains in the past (Shearer, Rummenigge, Maradona to name but three). And our No 10 is really showing leadership on and off the field.

This new Arsenal team is beginning to take shape. There is much to improve on and I don’t expect to see our best until the second half of the season. But the pieces are beginning to fall into place.

And no piece is more important than our new captain.

Prince Robin, I’m your man.

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

What a Difference a Day Makes …………………….

September 25, 2011


Arsenal 3-0 Bolton

Written by Jamie

I can remember as a kid being on holiday. After two days of solid rain suddenly the morning gave way to a raft of sunshine. My Grandfather walked down to the steps to the swimming pool with a cool drink and Dinah Washington’s seminal hit “What a Difference a Day Makes” soothing the hot air.

As I was leaving the stadium yesterday the memory flooded my mind. On a sunny September Saturday afternoon Arsenal walked out of the storms and traumas of the last few months and into a fragile but hopeful light.

The first half was nervy, van Persie curled a shot close from outside the area. Gervinho showed all the composure of a thirteen year old boy with his father’s razor when clean through on goal he ran the ball to the keeper’s arms. With the half edging away van Persie had a shot blocked.

Arsenal were nervy but on top although our big pole between the poles was called in to action to make a great save early on.

Le Gaffer earned his money at half time as the team came out confident, eager and energised. They were rewarded almost immediately as referee Mark Battenberg waved play on and Ramsey fed van Persie who found room to fire inside the near post. Piece of cake.

Wheater was then sent off for pulling Walcott back when through on goal.

Van Persie went close with a header, and just wide with another shot.

Walcott then laid one on a plate for van Persie in the six yard box for his hundredth in an Arsenal shirt. My sister remarked that it was a “Smudger goal”. On reflection, I think she was right.

Walcott had a hat-trick of chances and fluffed the lot. However Walcott, Gervinho and van Persie were all dangerous and interchanged brilliantly in the second half, Bolton couldn’t cope.

Walcott suffered an injury in the dying moments as he felt a sharp pain in his knee as he was giving chase to a loose ball on the break.

We still defend too high up the pitch, we still don’t get enough pressure on the ball, we are still too open but we are getting better.

Three points, three goals, a good performance and 100 up for the skipper.

Enjoy Match of the Day, Enjoy the Sunday rags.

What a difference a day makes, hey?

Player ratings

Sir Chesney – 7 Great save, solid.

Sagna – 7 His usual self, made the third goal.

Gibbs – 7 Second good game in a few days, great to have a left back that can actually play in the opponents half for the first time in years.

Mertesacker – 7 Best game yet, calm and assured.

Koscielny – 6 Shaky start but did ok.

Song – 7 You know what you are getting, great goal too.

Arteta – 7 Never gives a bad pass but neither he or Ramsey dominates a game, they need too.

Ramsey – 6 Involved in two goals but actually on the outskirts of the game for long patches.

Walcott – 6 Some good, some bad, some ugly but always dangerous.

Gervinho – 7 Good ball skills and a lovely dribble on the by-line in front of the North Bank, Movement was great.

RvP – 9 Two goals, six meaningful attempts, lead the team. Outstanding.

The subs had about as much impact as a fortnight in Mallorca would have on David Dein’s orange glow. Bugger all.

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

A Perisickening End

September 14, 2011

Written by Gooner in Exile

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ratings:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Man of the Match – Koscielny

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