Theo Walcott …. going …. going …. GONE

October 29, 2012

After a couple of pretty abject team performances recently, most can appreciate the extra zip that Theo brings to our wing/forward play. Against QPR we had a chronic lack of pace down the flanks for most of the game. The result was that we were toothless in the final third and Giroud cut a lone and frustrated figure in the centre of our attack. All that changed the minute Theo came on.

Pace is a natural attribute that can be honed but not taught. Its importance on the pitch is never more evident than when it is missing. Pace can be in the legs, in the feet or in the head. Henry had it in all three, Cesc and DB had it in the head and feet and didn’t need it in the legs. With Theo it’s mainly (but not exclusively) in the legs, but still he is a potent weapon in Arsenal’s armoury and a player who defenders know will hurt them if they allow him the space to run at them. It should not be forgotten that he is also one of the best finishers in the squad.

I confess to having changed my mind about him over the last 12 months. I recognise that he has improved in certain areas and he is an asset to the team. He’s a player I’d like to keep. He’ll never be a great help defensively but he can be a game changer and those types of player are few and far between.

Some on this site will know that I have an annoying habit of being right when it comes to predicting whether a player is leaving or not. This doesn’t make me clever, just heartlessly cynical as in the majority of cases we have desperately wanted the player to stay.

My reasoning is simple and it involves observation of body language, analysing individual performance in relation to team performance and assessing their worth to us as a player compared to their monetary value and our ability to replace them. Add to that the imminent expiry of a player’s contract and everything is brought into sharp focus.

The one thing I have learned is that almost everything the player says during the period of speculation can be dismissed. Similarly a lot of what club representatives say will be misleading; in fact, believing the opposite will more often bring you closer to the truth because this is the way the transfer game is played.

But if you look back, there will be times when amongst all the verbal jousting, the player (and sometimes the club) will indicate their true feelings but it just gets lost in the melee of media speculation.

Brave Sir Robin actually told us all he wasn’t staying when interviewed after the last game of the season …. we just didn’t want to hear him. Fast forward this clip to 2 minutes –  you don’t have to be a genius to read between the lines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=LTz7ooH1HfU

So that brings me back to Theo Walcott, a player who has divided supporters as much as Alex Song – and maybe there is a lesson to be learned from his departure.

Theo has said “I want to play for this club (Arsenal) and hopefully something can happen very soon” – hardly a passionate reassurance to supporters.

Add to this the statement that he wants to play centrally and the inference that this forms part of his conditions to sign a new contract. All of a sudden his words take on a different meaning. Everyone in the business knows you cannot dictate where you will be played to a manager and certainly not to one of the best and most respected in the business. I can only view this as a ploy to justify Theo’s decision should he leave.

My belief that Theo is on his way has been growing steadily and recent events have only reinforced that opinion.

These are the bare facts as I see them (and my selective interpretation of the reports in the media):

  1. If Theo does not sign by January, we will sell him if a deal can be done or worse, he’ll leave on a free in the summer. We know we are prepared to sell a player to a rival; the only criterion is getting the best price possible. He could have gone last summer but it appears that no club tabled a sensible offer – I wonder why?
  2. It seems likely that there are now several interested parties including foreign clubs. This is good news as competition should secure us a transfer fee in excess of £6m.
  3. Theo says it’s not about the money. So did Robin. It is … or at least money is the biggest single factor.
  4. On the pitch, Theo is doing his best to impress. His tally of 4 goals and one assist so far this season is very good considering the minutes he’s spent on the pitch. As it stands, he is on course to outstrip his stats for last season and that level of performance will attract interest from other clubs.
  5. Theo has watched teammates like Clichy, Na$ri and Cesc leave and achieve trophies and greater financial reward elsewhere.
  6. Another factor is that we now have The Ox – the new young face of Arsenal’s and England’s future. He’s already on the front cover of FiFA 13 and is fast replacing Theo as a marketing asset to Arsenal.
  7. The time when Arsène Wenger allowed himself to feel pressured by a ‘star player’ is over. He dealt ruthlessly with Alex Song. That must have sent out a message to players and their agents and who knows, Sagna may be in for a shock.
  8. We are looking at potential replacements and have shown interest in Crystal Palace striker Wilfried Zaha as well as Athletico Madrid’s Adrian Lopez and a several others not being touted on the internet.
  9. When in our PL history did we ever re-sign a young first team player in the last year of his contract? I can’t think of a single instance.

The evidence is mounting and Theo’s departure seems inevitable. As I’ve already stated, I’d like him to stay. Not because he’s probably going, but because I really think he can gel with the new set up and we can now get the best out of him playing alongside the likes of Cazorla and Wilshere.

Is he worth more than £75k a week? Probably not when taking into consideration what fellow first team players currently earn. Could we afford to pay him more than £75k a week? Yes, but we choose not to. The question is academic because it is likely that other interested clubs will offer Theo a higher wage than Arsenal can afford.

From what I heard walking away from The Emirates on Saturday, some supporters would prefer he left. Can successive England managers be wrong in preferring Theo to the likes of Aaron Lennon and Adam Johnson? I think not, it seems Theo may be appreciated more by the supporters of other teams than our own.

Saturday showed that a player with Theo’s abilities is important to create the supply to the likes of Giroud and last season proved that he can form successful partnerships with other players of high quality.

We lose Gervinho for up to 6 weeks to the ACN from January 2013. We have the Ox and Ramsey who can play on the right but they are better suited to other positions.

If Theo leaves, it is important we make every attempt to bring in another striker who scores goals, can cross the ball and can play wide right – a tall order. Such players are not easy to find and probably won’t come cheap. All we can hope is that we identify and sign a player who can fill the void quickly.

Written by Rasp

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Posted by Rasp

Wilshere to start on Saturday and International Report

October 17, 2012

Will he or won’t he? Of course he won’t. There is as much chance of Wilshere starting as there is of Spurs winning the PL in my lifetime (or yours). I do not understand the calls for Jack – too often have we seen the results of bringing a player back too early. My guess is that JW is in Mr Wenger’s face every day desperate to get on the pitch; his career has been in park mode when he should have been establishing himself as the best player of his generation. It remains to be seen what effect his year put will have on his development.

Is Jack the “Real Deal”? This is another question entirely. The press and fans always hype up a player and the level of Jack-hype is ridiculous. There was talk of inclusion into the England squad before he has played for Arsenal !!

Jack may be a Dad but he is still a little boy.

As to the Internationals. Last night saw differing fortunes for our lads. A ying and yang game for Per Mertesacker who played the whole game for Germany, scored a volley and then was central to his side conceding 4 goals. The BBC laid the blame for Sweden’s last at the feet (or head) of Per, but as usual it was lazy journalism.

Mr Giroud came on as sub for Benzema to score a lovely goal. On the pitch for just 10 minutes he was very active and involved. A Ribery cross was deftly guided (with some power) into the far corner of Casillas’s net. A good lesson for the Arsenal wide-men; put in a decent cross and Giroud with score. In my opinion, he could be the best attacking header of the ball we have seen since Alan Smith.

Gervinho had a troubled night in Senegal. From what I saw he had a very good game and played wide left. Senegal played a pressing game and The Swerve  was Ivory Coast’s main outlet. Sadly, the game ended badly after the Senegal fans rioted.

Ramsey’s Wales won and lost. The Ox is benched for tonight’s match in Poland. Podolski was a German sub. Cazorla came on as sub for Spain – some nice touches but not particularly influential. Koscielny gave a way a dreadful penalty which Fabregas missed.

As far as I can find out, no-one was injured though Theo will be out for at least 3 games.

Written very hastily by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Santi Bursts the West Ham Bubble

October 7, 2012

Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Ramsey, Arteta, Gervinho, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud. subs: Martinez, Koscielny, Santos, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Coquelin, Arshavin

News that the BFG would start with Kos dropping to the bench was greeted with good cheer from the Goonerati after Wednesday’s less than convincing CB performance. Would the blogs’ judgement be seen to be more accurate than last week’s cry to drop the BFG? Certainly with Carroll restored to the Hammers line-up a few extra inches might come in handy. The ex-Wales captain Aaron Ramsey was preferred to Coquelin for the Diaby spot and Olivier Giroud started as centre forward with a massive amount of well-wishing supporters willing him his first premier league goal.

A victory would see Arsene Wenger’s 350th 3 points in the Premier League.

Arsenal began the first half dominating possession. Pod had an early sighter in the 1st minute, quickly followed by Giroud nearly squeezing in a shot from the edge of the box, drawing a good save from Jaaskelainen.

Gibbs had an early cross fall short which became a feature of the first half, crosses either too short or too long from both flanks. West Ham barely touched the ball in the first five minutes.

On 6’ a sweeping Arsenal move started by Ramsey on the edge of his own area ended in a Cazorla shot and Arsenal corner. Meanwhile Mertesacker was continuing where he left off against the Light Blue Oilers – like a beacon of calmness. A superb tackle from the Teutonic tower in the Arsenal penalty area snuffed out a promising West Ham attack.

Arsenal lost their way for a few minutes with crosses going astray. On 17’ a Ramsey cross found the one claret and blue shirt surrounded by three yellow shirts. Santi began pulling the strings but the ball in the final third was lacking. A series of corners ensued, with Big Ollie nearly scoring with a bending effort from the edge of the area, blocked by Carroll. Each corner seemed to find Carroll’s head, the stats for his headers won throughout the game must have been huge.

West Ham’s first real attack ended in an expertly taken goal from Diame which left Mannone no chance. Ramsey was undone by a piece of trickery with Jenks outside him, leaving the Frenchman clear. Yet again Arsenal had had all the play but were 1 down – a familiar story.

On 28’ Diame committed a foul worthy of a 2nd yellow (he’d been booked for his goal celebration) but Phil Dowd waved away Arsenal protests led by Vermaelen. Nolan dived soon after and Dowd bought it hook, line and sinker. West Ham’s only tactic seemed the hoof upfield to the big Geordie pony tail. Not a long ball team, my a*se.

A couple of corners saw the Hammers threaten, Carroll heading straight at the keeper and then launching himself at Mannone who received no protection from the ref. At the other end Santi was buzzing like a yellow hornet. A Gibbs cross was flicked on by the BFG and Big Ollie was inches away from that first elusive Prem goal.

The 41st minute saw that longed-for moment finally arrive. A magnificent driven cross from Podolski was met by a lunge at full stretch from Giroud. At last a well-deserved goal was rapturously received by players and fans alike.

The final minute of the first half saw Phil Dowd again buy a dive, this time from Noble and West Ham nearly profited from the resulting hoof into the Arsenal box. Half time arrived after a fine piece of covering work from Jenkinson, who grows in stature game by game.

The second half began and Don Vito did well under pressure from a corner. Gervinho hesitated when clear in the box and Big Ollie just failed to find Rambo on the burst.

By the 50th minute it was all possession football from the Gunners with the claret and blue bus well and truly parked. The masticating walrus looked somewhat relieved that the West Ham ‘academy’ was still in the game.

On 53’, Santi plucked the ball out of the sky, drove forward and was unlucky to see his efforts end in another poor cross from Gibbs. Kieran was substituted soon after with another knock to be replaced by Andre   ‘ he drives how he wants’ Santos. For some reason the phrase ‘not shy of a pie’ (thanks Rhyle) entered my head and immediately made me smile.

Gervinho then gave the ball away and only a fine challenge from our captain stemmed the West Ham break. From the resulting throw-in, Jarvis skied the ball over the bar after yet another Carroll flick on. This was the first time I remember Jarvis being on the pitch. He saw more of the ball on the ground with a relegated Wolves side than he did playing for West Ham today.

The 61st minute saw Arsenal’s second substitution, Walcott for Gervinho. Definitely a good call, our Mekon had not had one of his better days. A tactical substitution on the hour, whatever next?

Andre Santos looked at home immediately, pinging passes backwards and forwards with Cazorla and dispossessing Nolan when West Ham did break. The game was becoming an end to end affair with chances at both ends. A stunning move from the Gunners ended in a rather lame attempt at a back heel pass from Theo but his impact was proving crucial. Carroll should have scored at the other end when Mannone came but was beaten to the ball. No Arsenal defender was in sight.

Santi missed a great chance on 67’ and then combined with the Pod but the resulting effort was blocked. Mertesacker made an excellent tackle on Nolan at the other end and it seemed for a horrible moment that he was injured again. Thankfully he seemed to run it off.

A penalty appeal was waved away before Podolski drew a fumbled save from Jaaskelainen. A series of Arsenal corners built the pressure mounting on the West Ham goal, including a delightful turn and left foot cross from Mr Cazorla.

In the 76th minute the boys in red and white got their just desserts when Theo coolly finished off a perfectly weighted ball from Giroud. Another goal celebration booking followed. Did anyone give a flying f*ck, I don’t think so.

A couple of minutes after the goal Nolan missed a great chance for an equaliser. Arsenal shut up shop? – not a hope in hell. Theo had a good chance to the far post, then the BFG swivelled and turned in the area as if he was auditioning for Strictly Come Dancing, his shot deflected for yet another corner.

The third Arsenal goal was just sublime. On 83’ a little touch inside by Theo and Santi unleashed a bending, dipping drive with the outside of his left foot and the Away Boys went berserk. What a goal!

Koscielny came on for Podolski on 85’ just before Mannone was forced into a great save from Matt Taylor. Santi produced the pass of the game reversing to Giroud but the keeper managed to block the Frenchman’s effort. There was still time for another blocked shot from Cazorla. The Away Boys now confirming our magnificent Man of the Match with a non-stop rendition of ‘Oh, Santi Cazorla’ .

What a fabulous result, three points earned with a skilful and hard-working performance. And what a superb way to enter another absurd international break in this exciting season.

Ratings:

Mannone – Made a few fine saves and stood up to the usual Fat Sam tactics at corners and free-kicks……7

Mertesacker – Solid and a calming influence. Vermaelen seemed twice the player alongside the BFG……8

Vermaelen – Much improved from our captain. Benefitted from playing with an experienced partner…….8

Jenkinson – Excellent again from the Corporal. The commentator’s description of Jenks as ‘rangy’ made me laugh ….8

Gibbs – Another fine performance ended early with a hopefully minor injury. Needs to improve his crossing…..7

Arteta – Tick tock tick tock…….8

Ramsey – Rambo produced a mature performance linking well with Arteta and Cazorla ……8

Cazorla – Magnificent. A real delight to see a player with such a huge smile on his face bring smiles to countless others’ faces…….9

Podolski – Lukas worked extremely hard again and his assist for Giroud’s goal was superb …..8

Giroud – Off the mark with a great effort, Big Ollie troubled the West Ham defence the whole game. He is growing into the Premiership quite nicely, thank you …..8

Gervinho – Not Gerv’s best performance but again worked his socks off in the Arsenal cause….7

Subs:

Santos – 56′ – Settled in immediately and looked completely at home….8

Walcott – 61′ – Brilliant impact sub cameo from Theo. Found space and made crucial contributions…..8

Koscielny – 85′ – Brought on to secure the victory…..7

Written by chas

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Posted by Rasp

A serious win – Arsenal 6 Coventry 1

September 27, 2012

On Sunday, we faced a side called City that played in sky-blue. And last night, it happened again. Except the City from Coventry is very different to the one from Manchester in one key respect: Sheikh Mansour did not decide to take his country’s cash to the Midlands.

Coventry City were once a proud and persistent member of the top division, ranking only behind Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton for their unbroken run at the top. They managed a couple of sixth place finishes and an FA Cup that every Arsenal fan loved seeing them lift, when they beat Spurs 3-2 in 1987. All of that seems a long time ago now. While the coaching staff includes some familiar faces from Coventry’s happier days, like Richard Shaw and Steve Ogrizovic, Coventry provided pretty weak opposition yesterday.

That being the case, it was a little underwhelming to see our team of youngsters and older guys with something to prove fail to get to grips with Coventry in the first half. Santos aside, no-one played badly, but there was little evidence of dominance against an honest but ordinary lower division opponent, which has a league record of W0, D3, L5 this season and lies joint bottom of League One.

The only moment of satisfaction in the first half was seeing Olivier Giroud break his duck. It was clear from his expression that it was a relief for him too. Once again, he had been given precious little service in terms of viable opportunities to score, before Arshavin and Coquelin combined with first-time passes to send the ball through for Giroud to go one-on-one with the Coventry keeper. Giroud took his chance with a deft chip.

Yennaris (surprisingly playing in central midfield), Oxlade-Chamberlain and Coquelin began to assert themselves before the end of the first half. Arshavin (who was finally being played in his proper position, as a number 10) and Walcott were both pretty low-key in the first half, but stepped things up in the second half. Whereas crosses and through balls were generally over-hit or inaccurate in the first half, the ball was knocked around with more confidence and more effect in the second half, with openings being created against a pedestrian defence.

Giroud was given a chance to get a second, when the referee harshly punished Coventry by awarding us a penalty when Arshavin appeared to have run into a defender more than been bundled over. But before Giroud could take the penalty, there was an amusing interlude, when two streakers got onto the pitch. For one horrendous moment, it seemed the first one was going to go traditional and manage to get all his clothes off, but he had to make do with running around the pitch in boxers and socks. Our stewards tried to look nonchalant about it all, you could almost see them say “Really? You want me to run after him? Bloody hell….” But in the end, the intruders were nabbed and Giroud was allowed to take his penalty. Which he promptly missed.

A second goal came not long after, when Oxlade-Chamberlain cut in from the left, exchanged passes with Arshavin and then sent a powerful shot towards the top right-hand corner and it flew past the keeper’s flailing hand. In truth, the keeper should have saved it, but it was powerfully hit, and the ball’s path may have deviated slightly.

The Chelsea match substitutions were made on the 72nd minute, when Giroud, Coquelin and Oxlade-Chamberlain came off for Gnabry, Chamakh and Frimpong, a folk hero who was welcomed back with gusto.

Arshavin had become increasingly influential through the game, and managed to get his first goal for Arsenal in almost a year to make it 3-0. The little Russian quickly controlled a clever chipped cross from Giroud, who had received the ball from Yennaris, and despatched a little half-volley into the goal. Ten minutes later, after Djourou had failed to convert a good chance from a corner, the very tidy Nico Yennaris played a beautifully weighted ball for Walcott to run onto – it was perfect for Theo; the ball in front of him, the centre-backs behind him. The Wannabe Striker had been gagging for a goal, and had been hogging the ball at times when he should have passed the ball. This time, however, in his optimum position, he sent the ball past the keeper and into the far corner. 4-0.

Then Coventry had their moment. Their captain, Carl Baker, had been the only Sky Blue suggesting he had had something to offer creatively, and on 79th minute he sent across an absolutely beautiful cross from the right-hand side. Carl Jenkinson would have been proud of it. It took out the defenders and gave Damian Martinez no chance, with Callum Ball doing the easy bit by converting to give the Coventry fans something to celebrate. If Giroud had been given more service like that since he joined us, I feel sure he would have more than one goal to his name.

A minute later, Serge Gnabry was played in by Arshavin. The young German went for a shot, which hit a defender and went for a corner. Arshavin and Yennaris exchanged passes form the short corner before Arsahvin sent over a pin-point cross, which the always impressive and smooth Ignassi Miquel headed back inside the near post for his first goal for the club. 5-1.

And the best goal of the night was the last one. Theo picked the ball up around the centre circle with a lovely first touch, went past a defender on the outside (yes, he really did), cut back in and across the defender, and once he reached the penalty box, he sent a curling shot inside the far post for 6-1. In truth, he had more time than he would usually get, with the Coventry defenders visibly tiring, but it was a lovely one-man goal nonetheless.

All in all, it was a fun evening. There were good performances from Yennaris, Coquelin, and Miquel; good first team debuts for Martinez, Angha (a centre-back playing at right-back) and Gnabry; a return from injury for Frimpong; good run-outs for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arshavin, Djourou and Walcott; a goal for Giroud; and no injuries before the weekend. Chamakh was anonymous for most of his 20 minutes. The only really bad performance was from Santos, who looked way off the pace, and whose use of the ball was distinctly un-Brazilian. But hopefully, he was blowing away some cobwebs, he can play a lot better.

And next up is an away trip to Brian McDermott’s Reading.

More significantly, there is Saturday’s game against the suddenly creative Chelsea. Last night’s game does not tell us much about how well placed we will be for that game, but it can’t hurt to have just won 6-1.

Here are my ratings for the evening’s performances:

Martinez: 7

Angha: 7

Djourou: 7

Miquel: 8

Santos: 4

Yennaris: 8

Coquelin: 7

Walcott: 7

Arshavin: 8 MOTM

Oxlade-Chamberlain: 8

Giroud: 7

Frimpong: 7

Chamakh: 6

Gnabry: 7

Written by 26may1989

And this match report from LB who was also at the game

Goal Fest at the Emirates

Arsenal cruised past Coventry on an entertaining night to secure our place in the forth round of the League Cup. Fifty eight thousand people turned up for this third round tie, incredible when you think of what a drab fixture this looks at first sight. Of that number, forty five thousand were Arsenal supporters; it was great to see so many fathers having a chance to take their young sons or daughters, more and more a rarity nowadays which is obviously a great shame.

When we whoop the opposition so convincingly I feel comfortable speaking well of the opposition fans and it has to be said that Coventry turned up in numbers, eighteen thousand to be exact. No doubt many a father took his son or daughter regaling stories as they made their way down of the day when they beat Arsenal 3-0 on the opening day of the season all that time ago. It was after all their cup final and they played a huge part in making the atmosphere as good as it was.

The team selection made sense; giving the captaincy to Djourou was inspired, I am sure it is not easy keeping someone as talented as he happy playing the role of forth choice CB. Wenger included three players who needed to prove something: Giroud, Arshavin and Thierry Walcott, these three drove the show forward. The Ox has nothing to prove so does not fit into that category; he just played for fun and was a joy to watch.

The back line was as expected apart from the inclusion of Anger who I am afraid was poor. Santos came to life in the second half leaving only Miguel who was my man of the match. I should explain how I make my choice of MOTM, on Sunday for example The BFG was described as “imperious” (Chas) I agree, but I expect that from him, what I didn’t expect was Ramsey to raise his game as much as he did and because of that I would have given the MOTM to him. Against Coventry Arshavin ran the show he shone above all else, but once again I expect that from him, it was only Coventry after all but Miquel played over and above what I expected, scoring a well placed header to boot.

If I had one little complaint I think Wenger was a bit too cautious playing Coquelin and Yannaris, both defensive minded players, in front of the back line. I would have preferred to see Eisfeld who is more attack minded rather than Yannaris who was average on the night, a description far less glowing than the reports he receives when he plays right back.

Arsenal were in charge from the outset, the only surprise was that it took so long to get off the mark, half chances fell here and there until Coquelin stabbed the ball past the Coventry back line for Giroud to run onto with his left foot; the conditions were so perfect that the rarest of rare orchids would have flowered and unsurprisingly Giroud chipped the goal keeper and a huge black monkey leapt off his back as he turned to celebrate his first goal for Arsenal not long before the break.

Wenger was obviously taking this game seriously by his team selection but I am sure he would have liked a cushion as quick as possible so that he could get key players off ready for Saturday. The opportunity to put some distance came when Arshavin was brought down in the box and the referee correctly awarded us a penalty. The Ox ran to pick up the ball and then protectively went to the spot in hope of taking it himself only to be met by Giroud who pulled rank or something like that and insisted on taking it.
Goal number two looked a certainty but the conditions were not right, orchids did not flower and Giroud missed, the monkey that had flown off was only circling and came flying down to resume his place on the Frenchman’s back. Giroud mopped for the rest of the game.

This minor irritation was quickly put behind us as the Ox showed everyone how to do it, launching an exocet of a shot that flew past the Coventry keeper to make it 2-0. Arshavin scored the third with a sublime take and tap in. This opened the flood gates and even Thierry Walcott scored a brace.

This all bodes well for the next round in which we play Reading on the last day of October

Written by LB

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Us and Them.

September 2, 2012

After two games without conceding a corner, we have the opportunity to play a team who are sure to attack and thank goodness for that. Our stats show that either our defence is the best in world (ever) or that our opposition have been too afraid to offer anything other than estacionar el autobús football – I would love to believe the former.

Today will be a test, a big test. Liverpool have spent plenty of money after a very poor couple of years. The massively over-rated management skills of King Kenny have been dispensed with as John W. Henry attempts to rebuild – it is proving to be an expensive overhaul. The signing of Rodgers will, in my opinion, prove to be inspired, he is a fine manager with a commitment to playing entertaining football – the banishing of Andy Carroll says all about the differing philosophies of Dalglish and Rodgers. I wish him luck and for his team to finish higher than last season, say 6th.

In 2011 Liverpool spent £113m. How many of those signed were successful? Well, Carroll is at WHU with L’pool receiving just 20k a week of his wages, Adam at Stoke, Henderson was offered as bait to sign Dempsey, Aquilani bought for almost €20m was sold to Fiorentina for under €2m and €22m Stewart Downing is playing at full-back. All of which gives further evidence to the genius of Mr Wenger in the transfer market. Henderson, Carroll, Aquilani Downing, Suarez, Johnson and Allen all cost more than our record signings. And how many of them would get into our current team? Perhaps Suarez and even he is doubtful, why? Because he is a diving cheat.

Of course Rodgers signings could turn out to be inspirational but looking at the fragility and lack of depth of their defence added to the lack of clinical finishing upfront indicates a lack of balance. We shall see in April. Sahin could prove to be worth the wages AW would not pay. Rodgers also has the mercurial talents of Joe Cole to work with (on 90k a week!!).

Liverpool were unlucky not to beat Man City last week whilst we struggled with Stoke. Outsiders would say we are in for a drubbing, and let’s be honest, Anfield has not been the happiest of hunting grounds for Mr Wenger. (though it was for a certain George Graham 😀 ) Another week on the training ground to gel our mis-firing but hugely talented squad will be beneficial. We have few injuries, we have strikers who are certain to score very soon, we have a defensive co-ordination not seen for some years (so far!) and will be playing a team who will attack – I rate our chances.

Theo should start, and both Pod and Giroud. We need goals.

My team:

If fully fit , the mobile Koscielny is a better choice than BFG against a small, pacy attack. The rest pick themselves. I would certainly have Arshavin on the bench and give him 30 minutes. He looked lively as an impact sub.

Howard Webb will need a clear head today. Suarez and Stevie Me are two of the PL’s worst cheats. Can there be more detestable (if quality) players in the PL? Throw in the eye-bulging madmen – Skretl, Carragher and Agger and we can see that this afternoon will be highly contested. Thankfully Lucas is out through injury, he is very good and would complement our midfield (sadly, too expensive for AW).

One interesting fact, in the last 7 games between the clubs there have been 7 goals after 90 mins. Last season BSR won it a beautiful volley.

Following on from kelsey’s Stoke non-revelation ….. Stoke have signed a new central defender.

To those lucky enough to attend today, have a wonderful day and remember the spirit of 26 May 1989

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Observations on Arsenal’s Asian Trip

July 30, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m sure I left some things out.

jnyc

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Is This The Time To Sell Walcott?

June 28, 2012

Let me start by saying, Stewart Robson is a man of courage. I’m not just saying that because I agree mostly with his recent comments deriding Theo Walcott. I sometimes disagree with his opinions during matches and on talksport and Arsenal World. I say it because he is employed by Arsenal, and I’m sure they were not pleased with his outspoken opinion against a current player. There are some franchises that would sack a commentator for something like that, but I’m a big believer in free speech, especially if it’s unpopular, or politically incorrect. I’m proud that Arsenal are confident enough to handle criticism, even from within.

As you can see from the title where I’m headed, let me first admit that I do recognize some positives about Theo. I am not one of the many Walcott haters out there. I really appreciate everyone on our club, and Theo is not a bad player by any stretch. I see that he has improved his game in some areas. He’s a better finisher than before, he doesn’t overshoot the goal as much as he used to, and he has improved on his chips also. He’s also developed a nice little relationship with RVP. That part can’t be underestimated.

I don’t know if we’re going to sign another forward or winger, so i will only consider the squad as it is at the moment, but if we do add up front, it may make this even more relevant. When I look at our team, i just don’t see that much potential for improvement in Theo’s overall game. I think he has a definite ceiling on how much better he can get. Despite his improvement, I don’t see him as a future striker, as has been discussed, and he wishes. I don’t know if he can score from a header, or that he will develop great touch. I’m the kind of person who is very afraid to give up on any raw talent that might come back to haunt us, especially in the EPL. What I am fairly confident of with Theo is, that he is not going to turn out to be a GREAT player. That we won’t be lamenting for years that we let him get away.The skills that he lacks are really not the type that are developed at this point in a players career, even though I admit he may still improve in some areas.

He seems from reports, to be seeking a fairly big raise in salary, and I’m not one who always comments on peoples wages, as you know, I think that’s more the club’s business in general. I just think that his salary as is, seems to be in line with his value to us. I also believe he MIGHT never be worth more in a transfer fee than now. I wouldn’t mind if Chelsea’s interest is real. I don’t feel that would make them stronger, or us weaker. I would take Sturridge over Theo on talent and upside in a minute, except that he seems unhappy on the wing, and is not shy to complain about it. ( Another good thing about Theo is the way he conducts himself as a person, I must say. ) I wish Manchester City were interested, more money, and I’d love to have Adam Johnson instead.

I’m not going by Hodgson or Capello’s opinions either. I just feel that playing the amount of minutes that he did for Arsenal, in our setup, we should be getting more production – plain and simple. I agree with alot of what Robson said, he needs to show more effort tracking back, although he’s not alone in that,  and obviously we all know he lacks some ball skills, which are very hard to learn at this point. So many matches, when defended deep, he can’t create an attack, and just disappears.

Now, one big reason for my position, is that I’m betting big that Gervinho is going to really break out for us next season. He has great skills, pace, moves,  scares defenders, and although he needs to work on his finishing, I believe his biggest problem with that is confidence. Podolski will play on the left side probably most of the time. I also would like to see the Ox get a little more playing time in league matches next season, and if our midfielders are healthy, that position will be crowded, so, it would have to be on the wing. Ryo will probably go out on loan again, but his potential is exciting, and again, a much higher upside. None of this includes possible new signings, and honestly, all the names rumoured around interest me more than Walcott for us. I think we could improve ourselves, and make a profit at the same time. Of course, I wouldn’t mind selling him, and using the proceeds to add on to a big fee for a superstar, but I am realistic.

So I write, with no animosity, that it may be time to sell Theo, shake things up a bit this summer. I would wish him all the best, except against us. Because he’s not a bad kid.

I want him to do well, and mostly, I want us to be better.

Written by jnyc

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Roy Has Shown Arsene The Way

June 25, 2012

Watching England’s performances in Euro 2012, and against Italy in particular, got me thinking about the best way of using Theo Walcott.

Seeing the inept James Milner huff and puff to zero effect and lose the ball every time he got it; and watching the useless Ashley Young fail to beat his marker once in the entire game, I started from a position of outright fury.

How could either of those cloggers be selected ahead of the man whose contribution was vital to getting England into the Quarter Finals – our very own Theo Walcott?

I know Theo has his critics, but next time any Arsenal supporter wants to bitch about our flying winger they should bring out the video of England v Italy, June 24th 2012, and watch the performances of Milner and Young.

Any player can have a bad game, but that pair have been clueless throughout the tournament.

Admittedly, they weren’t helped in the last two games by having to play alongside Wayne Rooney, who was as poor as I have ever seen him. In fact, England were worse once Rooney came back from suspension. He played with the energy and touch of a shagged out granny.

Maybe gaining a new head of hair has produced a kind-of reverse Samson effect (the Biblical Samson lost his great strength when his flowing locks were cut off while he slept. I believe GoonerMichael has an alibi).

I started wishing I could speak to Roy Hodgson to say: “Roy, what are you doing? You can see how p*ss poor your wingers are, why haven’t you dropped one and replaced him with Theo?”

But then I imagined what Roy would say in response (once he’d got past “who the bleep are you and what are you doing in my dug-out?”).

I fancied his reply would go like this:

“Look, I’m not stupid. I know that Theo is faster than those clowns, I know he’s more skillful and I know he’s a better finisher. I know he can leave his defender for dead if he gets the right run and I know his ability to provide assists has grown exponentially.

“But here’s the thing.  I want Dumb and Dumber to wear down the opposition first and then, when the defenders’ legs are getting weary and their concentration is beginning to waver, I want Theo to come on and tear them a new one.”

That’s exactly how it panned out against Sweden, with Walcott scoring with an outstanding shot and setting up a goal for Welbeck with a great run to the line and pull back.

And despite my frustration on Theo’s behalf, I can see that there is a point to Hodgson’s approach – and one that Arsene Wenger maybe could learn from.

Many observers have argued that Theo is least effective when facing a defensively set-up team aiming to “not lose” rather than to win. When the bus is parked, there’s very little room for Theo to get round it.

But as space opens up in the later stages of a game, he gets more opportunities.

Next season (assuming he stays – and I sincerely hope he does) I could see Theo featuring primarily as an impact sub. We would start with Podolski and one of Gervinho or Oxlade-Chamberlain in the wide positions, and bring Walcott on with 30 minutes to go.

It shouldn’t be seen as a demotion for Theo – rather a way of maximising his contribution in a very specialist way.

I think he’s as good a wide player as we have in the EPL, and people’s frustration with him reflects the fact that he does a job where he is constantly have to push the envelope – to make goal chances or provide great crosses. Against most EPL opposition you’re never going to be given the freedom to do that at will – you will be thwarted a lot of the time.

But Theo has shown that he can break the shackles on a consistent basis. Using him when the opposition defence is more ragged and disorganised may well be the right way to go.

Mind you, I can’t imagine that being part of Arsène’s pitch to Theo when he tries to get him to extend his contract…

RockyLives

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SuperTheoGoesBallistic

June 16, 2012

With England conceding two goals in quick succession Theo Walcott was finally given a chance to shine on a Major International Tournament stage.

Having been taken to 2006 World Cup and not played, then to feature heavily in 2010 qualification stages and not play, and then to feature again in these championships and again be overlooked when Hodgson’s pragmatic formation took shape it seemed yet again that Theo was destined for being unsuitable for the England team.

To be fair to the England managers I am not overly surprised, they don’t have the quality in the centre of midfield to pick out his runs, and they don’t have players with the ability to move up the field in numbers to support his blistering pace. So how can you use Theo to greatest effect? Well it turns out you just stick him on the pitch and let him sort It out for himself, and most importantly just let him play on his instincts.

England had been poor in possession for the entire game, Stevie Me’s cross to Carroll the high point in an otherwise cumbersome England performance. The lack of ability to keep the ball without going back to the keeper and him hoofing it back to the halfway line and compete for another 50:50.

Theo was brought on to replace the poor Milner, and within minutes had set England level. None of us knew that Theo had that strike in him, as the ball dropped to the edge of the area Theo’s first touch was good, his second moved it to the right of on rushing defenders and his next sent the ball up and over the mass of players in the box and curving this way and that leaving the Swedish keeper totally befuddled. The look on his face suggested he didn’t quite know how he’d managed it.

How did I do that?

Minutes later Theo gained possession around the Swedish area, this is what we know he is capable of, committing defenders and taking the ball to the byline, looking up he saw Wellbeck’s movement and delivering a ball that the latter finished as well as RvP has done all season.

Twice more Theo got himself in positions to exploit the space on Sweden’s right but first Stevie Me and the Andy Carroll ignored the passing option, Arsene would have gone crazy if one of his players had ignored the pass.

There was still time for Theo to put the afterburners on during an England break that saw him overtake Stevie Me to get on the end of a Parker pass, and then deliver a cross for the Ox but Stevie Me wanted to get on the scoresheet and blasted at the keeper.

All in all a good nights work for Theo, but I don’t expect him to feature in a starting line up anytime soon, he showed his defensive weakness on several occasions during his short display, and unfortunately that weakness will not be tolerated in Hodgson’s defensive minded setup. He will continue to be a super sub when necessary though, and then the knives will be out if he can’t produce what he did last night every time he is brought on.

Gooner in Exile

One of our young gooners is taking part in the Race for Life on Sunday 17th June for Cancer Research. If you feel you would like to donate to this hard working charity please visit her giving page here http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/alicemonk Thank you.

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Gunners – Reasons to be cheerful are 3

June 5, 2012

The summer of unrest has descended upon us, bringing in the usual speculations subdued by delays in transfer activities, caused by the Euros and worsened by terribly bad weather. There are not many things worse than getting up on a Saturday morning and realizing that there is no footy and it is raining outside. I check the list of football fixtures regularly, in case I slept for 3 months and missed the beginning of the season. Sadly, I am just deluding myself.

But I’d be damned if I am going to be miserable all day as I remind myself that it was the biggest achievement of the 20th century to discover that we can change the way we feel. I therefore will highlight a few reasons to be cheerful and one to be miserable, the choice is yours.

Reasons to be cheerful are three –

1. We have the best stadium and best training facilities in the country.

Emirates Stadium is the most technologically advanced football stadium in Europe, incorporating state-of-the-art facilities with stunning features from Arsenal’s Highbury past. Since its opening it has won several prestigous awards and it is widely acclaimed the most modern stadium in Europe.

‘The magnificent Emirates Stadium has become a landmark piece of modern architecture dominating the north London skyline. One of the most technologically advanced arenas in world football, Emirates Stadium provides a stage befitting for Arsenal’s ambition to remain one of the world’s greatest clubs.’

I can hear voices complaining that the building of the new stadium ruined our chances of trophies and will cripple us forever. That is not the case. Highbury could not be extended further due to environmental factors (including residents protests), the fact that parts of Highbury were Grade II listed objects and because of the safety directives at footballing grounds resulting from the investigations of the Hillsborough disaster.

To compete at the highest level, the Club had to build a new stadium. Did you know that monies received from premium seating and corporate boxes is nearly as high as the revenue from the entire stadium at Highbury?

Ashburton Grove is ours and that my fellow Gunners nobody can take away from us.

2.  We have the best manager in EPL.

Arsène Wenger epitomises everything that is The Arsenal – class, culture, discipline and hard work. I have no doubt that many will laugh at me for saying that, simply because the team has not won in anything for 7 years. Does ‘not winning’ make him a bad manager? I think not. There are factors out of his control, including luck, poor referring, oil freely flowing from the soil in wrong countries and the unwanted transfer requests of players who want more money.

Wenger has never embarrassed the Club. There were some unfounded rumours about his personal life and a few refusals to shake hands with some dubious characters, but other than that he has been a gentleman through and through. I cannot even begin to imagine Fergie being in charge of the beloved Club. The arrogant, bullish, unpleasant little Scott throwing boots at players, with the hairdryer treatments, and embarrassing his employer by the horse racing dubious dealings. His notorious mind-games and manipulations are unpalatable.

Some of you could comfortably cope with SAF’s shortcomings in return for a few more trophies. Not me.

And who is to say that any other manager would win trophies within Arsenal’s financial constraints? Will any other manager stay and try to do his very best to achieve The Clubs ambitions?

We are often reminded that he failed to sign Ronaldo, Torrez, Mata and many others. No manager can sign all of the players, there are limits. Nasri and Hazard snuffed ManU for City and Chelsea respectively, it happens to other clubs too. Those that Wenger has signed over the years have not been bad, have they? Every manager makes poor signings, look at SAF’s Bebe, Veron and Anderson.

3.  We play the most tantalizing football in EPL.

Again, I have to refer to sir Alex Ferguson and for that I apologise to GM and Chary. However, he is held by many as the best manager in EPL, to which theory I do not subscribe. He has recently issued a message to the season ticket holders (are the numbers falling down already?) stating that ‘There is no club in the world who can create the drama that we created last year’. On your bike Fergie, if you want drama, you come to the Emirates.

I attended a horse racing meeting a few years ago. Bob Wilson was there as a guest of honour; he delivered a short speech promoting his charity Willow. When he was asked about Arsenal’s chances of winning CL that season, he replied ‘We never do things the easy way’. Tell me Mr Wilson!

Nobody would disagree that we play exciting and interesting football. The technical abilities of players are superior to most competitors. And although concentration and motivation can be an issue at times, there is no other team as watchable as Arsenal.

Take away half a billion of pounds from City and 11 penalties from United, and then let’s compare who’s more successful.

4  Ok, I was to write only 3 reasons to be cheerful, but there are so many more!

The new season with all its excitement, joy and pain is about 9 weeks away. New fixtures, the prospect of watching Podolski, Jack will be back, we might even have a new captain! Only joking, Robin is going to stay put.

We, the fans have a role to play as our belief is passed on to the team, so let’s give our best. The trophies will come, they will be ours, do not worry about that. But for crying out loud, do not spoil the fun of being the part of the greatest Club in the world and when the first whistle goes in August and the aura lifts, embrace the feeling that something special may happen. Oh boy, bring it on!!

Written by evonne

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

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