Good afternoon readers,
Well Tuesday has come before I knew, it feels like only yesterday we crumbled at the hands of the yids. I haven't really been focusing on this game much in the past few days mainly because of Saturday's painful unexplainable defeat. It's proving very difficult to get that game out of the system and we it probably won't completely leave until we obtain revenge but for now we have a much bigger job to do in terms of domestic and Champions League games.
It's Braga tonight as you might have guessed and the players cannot afford to dwell on the Spurs game any longer. Let the past be the past, there's nothing we can do about it now as much as it pains me to say. There are 3 crucial points up for grabs tonight and if we take them back to North London it will ease some of the recent pain. We have never won in Portugal but records are there to be broken and this is as good a chance as we're going to get in my opinion. Braga are a side of 11 average players who work extremely hard for one another which pays off. Thats why they are in this competition, hard work and determination so perhaps our players could take a tip or two from them. Hopefully they don't show us what we're missing tonight but we should have too much quality for them in the end. That dosen't mean it's going to be a stroll in the park, it means if we give our all then class will tell unless we are struck my a severe does of hard luck.
The team news isn't as positive as we might have liked. Clichy, Arshavin and Van Persie haven't travelled with the squad. Gael is thought to have picked up a back problem, Arshavin is being rested and Robin is staying in London so he can work on his fitness for three days solid instead of coming all the way out to Portugal and then only playing a handfull of minutes. It's sensible work on Arsene's part to be fair. Chamakh is in the squad but I reckon he will be rested because he has played a lot of football lately and Bendtner can come in and be just as effective. Arsene said he would wait until this morning to see how Cesc is, no word on that yet. Heres how I think we'll line out:
Fabianski
Sagna - Squillaci - Koscielny - Gibbs
Rosicky - Song - Wilshere
Walcott - Bendtner - Nasri
That's a pretty strong looking line-up. Should Cesc not come true I think Rosicky deserves a start, he is one of our hard working players and will be handy in a tricky game like this. I'm also expecting to see Jack, he hasn't played since the Everton game so he should be welcomed back in. Walcott has had to be patient and sit on the bench recently because of Arshavin but he will probably get a chance tonight and like Bendtner he has to take every opportunity he gets to shine.
This is a bigger game than some might think. A defeat and the media will begin to stir all sorts of bullshit claiming we're in a crisis and so on. It is happening to Chelsea at the moment, lose a few games and Ancelotti is supposedly on the brink of leaving. It's a crazy world we live in but lets not give the sly cunts any reason to write such crap. A win would guarantee us qualification, put us in a great position to finish top of the group and go a small way to easing the anger and pain that came with Saturday's defeat. I think I speak for everyone in saying I expect a backlash from the team.
In other news and the Arsenal reserves are also in action today as they take on Wolves. In fact they are playing as I'm writing this blog, Aaron Ramsey put in a good shift and came off at half-time, he's still finding his feet but it is progress. Manuel Almunia has started in goal and has done nothing wrong as of yet as the scoreline is currently 0-0.
Elsewhere Wenger has spoken about this years title race being the most open yet since he took charge. I'm not sure if it will remain that way, it's far too early to tell but nobody has made a real statement yet that they will lead the way. When Chelsea pick up a few injuries their squad suddenly looks depleted. United although unbeaten have drawn far too many games andyou know the story with ourselves.
He also said in his press conference that he thought our centre-backs had a good game on Saturday. Some people will read this and question whether or not he is high but they should really think about it. I know everyone tends to try and pick the bones out of every player's performance when things aren't going right but fans like myself will always look for the positives and so does Arsene. Think about it, was the defence at fault for any of the goals? The first was due to poor covering from the full-backs and Denilson while Kos and the Squid went forward, the second goal was courtesy of a moment of madness from Cesc and the winner came about from poor marking by Van Persie. I'm sick of people yelling critisism at each player without being able to back it up, some fans are just as fickle as the media it's such a shame to see. Denilson was the victim of a barracade of abusive comments on Twitter the other night. In my opinion Denny was one of our better players Saturday. I don't enjoy picking out individual performances after a defeat. We win together so we'll lose together. To be fair there are quite a few of you out there who have never lost faith in this team and it is great to see.
Speaking of Denilson he has welcomed the competition within the squad. Himself and Wilshere have been battling it out recently for that final spot amongst the midfield trio. Both have impressed me lately but they will have incredibly stiff competition for places as the season goes on as Ramsey and Diaby close on returns to action aswell as Rosicky's presence. Hopefully it will bring out the best in every player.
Finally for today it has been confirmed that Henri Lansbury has joined Norwich City on a 28-day emergency loan. Personally I think he is capable of playing at a much higher level but it is only for this month and hopefully he catches Wenger's eye while out there.
Thats about it for today, a great night lies ahead...I hope.
Till next time.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Simply Not Good Enough
Evening all,
As you can imagine I'm not in the most ambitious mood today after the events that unfolded in yesterday's game. In the preview I explained how this game meant so much to everyone associated with Arsenal and that no less than 100% was required from every player. We didn't get that and as the heading reads its just not good enough. I'll give a quick run through the game.
As expected William Gallas was given a hostile reception. I couldn't have cared less to be honest. He came, he have his all and he fucked off, I don't think of him as a massive cunt like Adebayor but at the same time he hasn't exactly earned my utmost respect. You could say the same for Nasri who refused to shake his former team-mates hand. I had to have a little giggle, it was only the second time this had ever happened in the Prem, of course the other time was the Bridge-Terry scenario. I didn't think Samir despised of him so much that he couldn't even look the man in the eye. He must be quite the prick in the dressing room.
The pair clashed early on as Nasri appeared to be set through on goal only for Gallas to cut across and clear the danger and appeat to accidentally strike his fellow Frenchman in the process. We started brightly but I was refusing to get carried away judging by past home games. Then as the clock approached the 10th minute Fabregas played a delightful ball over the top of the Spurs defence to Nasri again, his touch looked too heavy as Gomes came out to collect but the Brazilian somehow lost control of the ball as Nasri rounded him and squeezed home from the tightest of angles. The Emirates erupted, it was the best possible start.
We were looking increasingly dangerous at this stage, it looked at any time as though we could cut through them like a knife through butter. They had no defensive midfielder, this being a big factor in them being over-run in midfield. Everytime Spurs lost possesion in our half we broke and it was only a matter of time before we punished them again. That time came in the 27th minute. A swift counter-attack starting off with Denilson who passed to Cesc who fed Arshavin out wide and he played a lovely ball into Chamakh who somehow flicked the ball past the defender and the helpless Gomes into the back of the net. At this stage it was a case of how many. Tottenham were lackluster, getting outplayed and looked disinterested for long spells.
Being as cautious as I am though I knew this one was far from over. We should all know that by now. We threw away a two goal lead to these scumbags in the space of two minutes in the 08/09 season, we were definately capable of doing it in 45 minutes. Tottenham brought on Defoe for the effortless Lennon at half-time. We knew this guy would provide much more of a threat and can punish you for the smallest of mistakes. It was crucial we kept the focus and didn't let complacency resurface. This wasn't helped by the oles at the end of the first-half. You'd be surprised how a relaxed atmosphere in the stand can pass onto the players just like a nervy one can.
We began okay and Spurs didn't seem to be anymore a threat than they were in the 1st half but I spoke too soon. A long ball from Ekotto was knocked on by Defoe, Van Der Vaart raced onto it and layed the ball to Bale who finished clinically. The Spuds were back in the game and we needed to wake up. It was a disappointing goal to concede to say the least. Everyone was rushing back when they should have been organised. Also Denilson was very tight on Bale until he began to run, then the Brazilian just gave up. There are no excuses for this sort of thing espeically only five minutes into the 2nd half when the legs are fine and fresh. You have got to track your man, it's one of the basic things taught on the training ground.
This injected an edgy atmosphere into the Emirates. You could sense it in the stands and on the pitch. The Spurs players were fully pumped for it now, they knew this was a great opportunity to go and get the equaliser. Luka Modric almost did so with a superb effort just outside the box which skinned the crossbar. The warning signs were there. Soon after Modric fell to the ground after a shoulder from Song. It really was a poor decison from the ref. I can't remember his name but I do recall yelling fat tits at home for some time. He didn't exactly help his reputation amongst Arsenal fans when he then awarded Spurs a penalty. It came about when the supposed free-kick Song gave away resulted in Van Der Vaart blasting it against the wall and Fabregas was adjudged to have handballed it. The decision seemed harsh at first but looking at replays Cesc's hand should never have been that high. It was over his head and he of all people must know you cannot do that. Van Der Vaart then stepped up for the penalty and sent Fabianski the wrong way. It really did put that sick feeling in your stomach.
We now needed a goal and Arsene responded by taking off Chamakh and bringing on Van Persie. We seemed to have awaken from our slumber and began to pile the pressure on the Spurs defence but they stood firm for long spells, Gallas being a standout performer as he intercepted several passes and made key tackles. We thought we had retaken the lead when a free-kick was met by Fabregas' head who knocked it down for Squillaci to score but they were both ruled offside. Tottenham then brought on Crouch for the poor Pavlyuchenko and we responded by bringing on Walcott and Rosicky for Arshavin and Nasri. The frontline had completely changed as we looked for that all important goal.
Fabregas went ever so close when he picked up a misplaced pass, cut inside Kaboul before forcing a fantastic save from Gomes. The man makes his fair share of blunders but he makes up for it with saves like that. Shortly after clever foot-work from Van Persie led to a dinking cross which Koscielny somehow headed over when the goal was gaping. It would prove costly.
Spurs won a free-kick just inside our half when Koscielny brought down Bale and was carded for his troubles. This time it wasn't red surprisingly enough. Van Der Vaart's inswinging free-kick was met on the head by Kaboul and the ball flicked on and passed Fabianski. My heart skipped a beat, I was in utter shock and disbelief. Had we really just thrown away a two goal lead to Spurs? How on earth were we 3-2 down? We had five minutes to respond. We pressed and pressed looking for an opening. Walcott had perhaps the best chance when he was found by Sagna only to flash his shot well over the bar. When the ref's whistle went I was on the verge of vomiting. It was the first time Tottenham had beaten us on our patch since 1993. This game will not be forgotten easily.
As the Emirates emptied I looked at the Spurs corner with anger and disbelief. The only thing going through my head was how? How the fuck did we manage this? I can get over defeats to West Brom and Newcastle but losing to the enemy stays with you forever. A scar had been left in our history and there was outrage wherever you went among Arsenal fans.
Many questions have been raised since then. What did Arsene say at half-time? Does he know how to motivate the players? Has this team got any character? I could go on for hours but there is clearly something wrong with this team. What it is we do not know. I for one don't think it has anything to do with the boss. He has made these players who they are ability wise but you cannot drill it into someones head to stay focused for 90 minutes. You can tell them but at the end of the day its up to them to deliver and our players are not doing it. The worrying thing is that all of these slumps are coming at home. I heard someone make the point yesterday that it is because of the atmosphere. It is well known that we have incredible away fans but at the Grove you'd compare the atmosphere to a funeral home. In the first-half it was buzzing but when we went 2-0 up the fans sat back and decided to cheer oles instead of keeping the players motivated.
I know the fans aren't entirely to blame and the players should be able to self-motivate themselves at this stage but arrogance in teh stands can easily transmit onto the players.
I have the usual player ratings here:
Fabianski: 6 - Faultless for any goals and didn't have much to do besides that.
Sagna: Very impressive, Bale couldn't beat him so he switched to the right flank.
Squillaci: 6 - Did okay but not his best game.
Koscielny: 6 - Was clumsy at times, should have scored too.
Clichy: 5 - Failed to make any real impact, defended okay though.
Song: 7 - Brilliant first-half but faded in the 2nd, cannot afford that.
Denilson: 7 - Like Song, impressive in 1st half but faded.
Fabregas: 7 - My man of the match, everything came through him.
Nasri: 7 - Scored a brilliant goal but was taken off in the 2nd half, looked like he picked up a knock.
Arshavin: 7 - Seems to put in more effort now, set up Chamakh's goal. Needs to do more though if he wants to play the 90 minutes.
Chamakh: 7 - Won every ball in the air and scored a good goal. Needs to be more ruthless in front of goal though.
Subs:
Van Persie: 6 - Created an opportunity for Koscielny with a brilliant cross but still isn't as sharp as he'd like to be.
Walcott: 6 - End product is still disappointing at times. Need him to produce when we're in trouble.
Rosicky: 6 - Tested Gomes but had no time to make impact.
The ratings sum it up really. Everyone began the game flying and working for each other but in the 2nd half we switched off and ultimately it cost us. I'm sick of repeating myself now. I thought the West Brom game was a one off but then we lost to Newcastle, it was then I began getting worried but now there is clearly a massive issue that needs to be addressed or we wre going to find ourselves in a fight for 4th spot instead of top spot. Sort it out lads, the motivation is there, get it into your heads!
Next month we should have Vermaelen, Diaby, Ramsey and Bendtner all back which will provide good competition and hopefully bring the best out of everyone. Luckily for our sake Chelsea also lost, they too seem to be in a spot of bother. They've only scored one goal in the last four games which is a really worrying statistic as far as their concerned. I'm not even thinking about that though because we have issues of our own that need sorting out. It wouldn't surprise me if the boys game out and responded with a win in Portugal midweek and then going on to beat Villa but this time I won't be fooled into enlighting myself with optimism.
Winning the next five home games will reinstall some belief but until then, you have my support boys but not my entire faith.
Till next time Gooners.
As you can imagine I'm not in the most ambitious mood today after the events that unfolded in yesterday's game. In the preview I explained how this game meant so much to everyone associated with Arsenal and that no less than 100% was required from every player. We didn't get that and as the heading reads its just not good enough. I'll give a quick run through the game.
As expected William Gallas was given a hostile reception. I couldn't have cared less to be honest. He came, he have his all and he fucked off, I don't think of him as a massive cunt like Adebayor but at the same time he hasn't exactly earned my utmost respect. You could say the same for Nasri who refused to shake his former team-mates hand. I had to have a little giggle, it was only the second time this had ever happened in the Prem, of course the other time was the Bridge-Terry scenario. I didn't think Samir despised of him so much that he couldn't even look the man in the eye. He must be quite the prick in the dressing room.
The pair clashed early on as Nasri appeared to be set through on goal only for Gallas to cut across and clear the danger and appeat to accidentally strike his fellow Frenchman in the process. We started brightly but I was refusing to get carried away judging by past home games. Then as the clock approached the 10th minute Fabregas played a delightful ball over the top of the Spurs defence to Nasri again, his touch looked too heavy as Gomes came out to collect but the Brazilian somehow lost control of the ball as Nasri rounded him and squeezed home from the tightest of angles. The Emirates erupted, it was the best possible start.
We were looking increasingly dangerous at this stage, it looked at any time as though we could cut through them like a knife through butter. They had no defensive midfielder, this being a big factor in them being over-run in midfield. Everytime Spurs lost possesion in our half we broke and it was only a matter of time before we punished them again. That time came in the 27th minute. A swift counter-attack starting off with Denilson who passed to Cesc who fed Arshavin out wide and he played a lovely ball into Chamakh who somehow flicked the ball past the defender and the helpless Gomes into the back of the net. At this stage it was a case of how many. Tottenham were lackluster, getting outplayed and looked disinterested for long spells.
Being as cautious as I am though I knew this one was far from over. We should all know that by now. We threw away a two goal lead to these scumbags in the space of two minutes in the 08/09 season, we were definately capable of doing it in 45 minutes. Tottenham brought on Defoe for the effortless Lennon at half-time. We knew this guy would provide much more of a threat and can punish you for the smallest of mistakes. It was crucial we kept the focus and didn't let complacency resurface. This wasn't helped by the oles at the end of the first-half. You'd be surprised how a relaxed atmosphere in the stand can pass onto the players just like a nervy one can.
We began okay and Spurs didn't seem to be anymore a threat than they were in the 1st half but I spoke too soon. A long ball from Ekotto was knocked on by Defoe, Van Der Vaart raced onto it and layed the ball to Bale who finished clinically. The Spuds were back in the game and we needed to wake up. It was a disappointing goal to concede to say the least. Everyone was rushing back when they should have been organised. Also Denilson was very tight on Bale until he began to run, then the Brazilian just gave up. There are no excuses for this sort of thing espeically only five minutes into the 2nd half when the legs are fine and fresh. You have got to track your man, it's one of the basic things taught on the training ground.
This injected an edgy atmosphere into the Emirates. You could sense it in the stands and on the pitch. The Spurs players were fully pumped for it now, they knew this was a great opportunity to go and get the equaliser. Luka Modric almost did so with a superb effort just outside the box which skinned the crossbar. The warning signs were there. Soon after Modric fell to the ground after a shoulder from Song. It really was a poor decison from the ref. I can't remember his name but I do recall yelling fat tits at home for some time. He didn't exactly help his reputation amongst Arsenal fans when he then awarded Spurs a penalty. It came about when the supposed free-kick Song gave away resulted in Van Der Vaart blasting it against the wall and Fabregas was adjudged to have handballed it. The decision seemed harsh at first but looking at replays Cesc's hand should never have been that high. It was over his head and he of all people must know you cannot do that. Van Der Vaart then stepped up for the penalty and sent Fabianski the wrong way. It really did put that sick feeling in your stomach.
We now needed a goal and Arsene responded by taking off Chamakh and bringing on Van Persie. We seemed to have awaken from our slumber and began to pile the pressure on the Spurs defence but they stood firm for long spells, Gallas being a standout performer as he intercepted several passes and made key tackles. We thought we had retaken the lead when a free-kick was met by Fabregas' head who knocked it down for Squillaci to score but they were both ruled offside. Tottenham then brought on Crouch for the poor Pavlyuchenko and we responded by bringing on Walcott and Rosicky for Arshavin and Nasri. The frontline had completely changed as we looked for that all important goal.
Fabregas went ever so close when he picked up a misplaced pass, cut inside Kaboul before forcing a fantastic save from Gomes. The man makes his fair share of blunders but he makes up for it with saves like that. Shortly after clever foot-work from Van Persie led to a dinking cross which Koscielny somehow headed over when the goal was gaping. It would prove costly.
Spurs won a free-kick just inside our half when Koscielny brought down Bale and was carded for his troubles. This time it wasn't red surprisingly enough. Van Der Vaart's inswinging free-kick was met on the head by Kaboul and the ball flicked on and passed Fabianski. My heart skipped a beat, I was in utter shock and disbelief. Had we really just thrown away a two goal lead to Spurs? How on earth were we 3-2 down? We had five minutes to respond. We pressed and pressed looking for an opening. Walcott had perhaps the best chance when he was found by Sagna only to flash his shot well over the bar. When the ref's whistle went I was on the verge of vomiting. It was the first time Tottenham had beaten us on our patch since 1993. This game will not be forgotten easily.
As the Emirates emptied I looked at the Spurs corner with anger and disbelief. The only thing going through my head was how? How the fuck did we manage this? I can get over defeats to West Brom and Newcastle but losing to the enemy stays with you forever. A scar had been left in our history and there was outrage wherever you went among Arsenal fans.
Many questions have been raised since then. What did Arsene say at half-time? Does he know how to motivate the players? Has this team got any character? I could go on for hours but there is clearly something wrong with this team. What it is we do not know. I for one don't think it has anything to do with the boss. He has made these players who they are ability wise but you cannot drill it into someones head to stay focused for 90 minutes. You can tell them but at the end of the day its up to them to deliver and our players are not doing it. The worrying thing is that all of these slumps are coming at home. I heard someone make the point yesterday that it is because of the atmosphere. It is well known that we have incredible away fans but at the Grove you'd compare the atmosphere to a funeral home. In the first-half it was buzzing but when we went 2-0 up the fans sat back and decided to cheer oles instead of keeping the players motivated.
I know the fans aren't entirely to blame and the players should be able to self-motivate themselves at this stage but arrogance in teh stands can easily transmit onto the players.
I have the usual player ratings here:
Fabianski: 6 - Faultless for any goals and didn't have much to do besides that.
Sagna: Very impressive, Bale couldn't beat him so he switched to the right flank.
Squillaci: 6 - Did okay but not his best game.
Koscielny: 6 - Was clumsy at times, should have scored too.
Clichy: 5 - Failed to make any real impact, defended okay though.
Song: 7 - Brilliant first-half but faded in the 2nd, cannot afford that.
Denilson: 7 - Like Song, impressive in 1st half but faded.
Fabregas: 7 - My man of the match, everything came through him.
Nasri: 7 - Scored a brilliant goal but was taken off in the 2nd half, looked like he picked up a knock.
Arshavin: 7 - Seems to put in more effort now, set up Chamakh's goal. Needs to do more though if he wants to play the 90 minutes.
Chamakh: 7 - Won every ball in the air and scored a good goal. Needs to be more ruthless in front of goal though.
Subs:
Van Persie: 6 - Created an opportunity for Koscielny with a brilliant cross but still isn't as sharp as he'd like to be.
Walcott: 6 - End product is still disappointing at times. Need him to produce when we're in trouble.
Rosicky: 6 - Tested Gomes but had no time to make impact.
The ratings sum it up really. Everyone began the game flying and working for each other but in the 2nd half we switched off and ultimately it cost us. I'm sick of repeating myself now. I thought the West Brom game was a one off but then we lost to Newcastle, it was then I began getting worried but now there is clearly a massive issue that needs to be addressed or we wre going to find ourselves in a fight for 4th spot instead of top spot. Sort it out lads, the motivation is there, get it into your heads!
Next month we should have Vermaelen, Diaby, Ramsey and Bendtner all back which will provide good competition and hopefully bring the best out of everyone. Luckily for our sake Chelsea also lost, they too seem to be in a spot of bother. They've only scored one goal in the last four games which is a really worrying statistic as far as their concerned. I'm not even thinking about that though because we have issues of our own that need sorting out. It wouldn't surprise me if the boys game out and responded with a win in Portugal midweek and then going on to beat Villa but this time I won't be fooled into enlighting myself with optimism.
Winning the next five home games will reinstall some belief but until then, you have my support boys but not my entire faith.
Till next time Gooners.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tottenham Preview
Good evening readers,
Yes it's that time of the season again, it is indeed the North London Derby at the Grove. I don't think I need explain the importance of this game. This means so much to everyone associated with Arsenal so it's crucial every player comes into this game willing to give their life to contribute to a win. Of course we played them earlier in the Carling Cup in which we hopped them 4-1 after extra time but tomorrows game will be far more competitive. The last time we faced them in the league it didn't end as we would have liked. We went to the Lane missing several first-team players and were beaten by a side far more pumped for the occasion. Lets not dwell on that game too much but use it as an incentive to get some payback tomorrow.
Tottenham haven't won on our soil in the league since 1993, some 17 years and lets hope that record grows with every season. I am relatively confident going into the game. The stats don't lie, Spurs simply have not been good enough against us in recent times and the fact that they have only kept two clean sheets in all competitions this season doesen't exactly help their mental state. Of course it will be interesting to see what sort of reception William Gallas gets tomorrow. Arsene Wenger has called on Arsenal fans to show respect to our former captain but then again he has said the same about other former players returning and lets just say his call fell on deaf ears. Gallas knows he made a very controversial decision moving down the road. Today Harry backed him and said Arsenal fans should be cheering him instead of booing him and asked what Gallas had done wrong. I mean is this man serious? Insane? High on cocaine? Who knows? One things for sure, Gallas is definately not the innocent party here and any critisim that comes his way tomorrow is more than deserved.
Now for the team news. Here is how I'm predicting the two sides will line up beginning with ourselves:
Fabianski
Sagna - Squillaci - Djourou - Clichy
Fabregas - Song - Wilshere
Nasri - Chamakh - Arshavin
There are a few tricky decisions Arsene has to make. Six of the players in that side played for their countries mid-week and that might well be a factor. Sagna played the majority of the game for France while Nasri completed it. Djourou and Arshavin also completed 90 minutes while Cesc and Chamakh were also given run outs. Koscielny is back from his 2-game ban but I can't see him starting ahead of Djourou. The Swiss man has formed a solid partnership with Squillaci, has far more Premier League experience and is better equipped to deal with Crouch. The 45 minutes Fabregas got could be just what he needed, Wenger has spoken of his lack of sharpness over the past few weeks so Wednesday's game can only have been a positive thing for him. Wilshere today passed a fitness test and will be fresh and raring to go. Nasri was fantastic against England, hopefully he can reproduce similar if not more magic tomorrow. Chamakh scored for Morocco all be it with a bit of luck but it was reward for his determination to close down the opposition. He could face competition for the game though with Van Persie getting sharper by the day, the Dutchman played 45 minutes the other day so just maybe he will nick a place in the starting 11. Finally you have Arshavin in there, the man played 94 minutes midweek but I'm still expecting him to start. I reckon Walcott will be more effective off the bench against Assou Ekotto's tired legs, lets wait and see.
Now finally onto Spurs possible team:
Gomes
Hutton - Gallas - Bassong - Ekotto
Jenas - Modric - Palacios - Bale
Van Der Vaart
Crouch
When I look at this team I immediately see weaknesses in that back four. Hutton and Ekotto are average full-backs who can be taken apart by any decent winger. If Arshavin and Nasri are on their game tomorrow I can see them giving these two lads a very hard time and I haven't even mentioned Walcott's speed yet. In the heart of the defence you have the unpredictable Gallas and the vulnerable Bassong. Both are reasonably small for centre-halves so if Chamakh starts we should try and play as many crosses into the box as we can. In midfield you have plenty of quality. Jenas, Modric and Bale are all technically gifted players and each have an eye for goal. Palacios will play the holding role and will no doubt have his work cut out. Crouch might well play up front on his own supported by Van Der Vaart. These two pose a massive threat. We all know what the Dutch star is capable of and Crouch's height will provide a stern test for Squillaci and Djourou but we've kept him quiet in the past so no reason why we can't do it again.
There has been a lot of hype surrounding Gareth Bale in recent weeks and the question before each game seems to be "will he tear this right-back apart?" Tomorrow he comes up against a man very much in form in the shape of Sagna. I think the Frenchman can contain him, he has the speed and physical presence so why not? All about concentration for the whole 90 minutes. I don't even think Bale deserves speical attention, the stats don't speak volumes. Both he and Walcott have scored four goals and created one in the league this season and thats not even half the story. Gareth Bale has played 1170 minutes. Theo Walcott has played 304 minutes (that’s 25% of Bale’s minutes) plus the man has delivered 114 crosses for that one assist. Shove that up your arse all you senseless baboons in the media out there.
If we win tomorrow we got top at least for a few hours. It is a big motivation for the players and might well put extra pressure on Chelsea who face a tough game against Birmingham without Terry, Essien, Lampard etc so who knows?
Aside from tomorrows game Bendtner has made more comments but this time they seem a little more positive. He has admitted he will have to be patience and work his way into starting 11. I understand why he has been frustrated, he practically carried our title challenge for over a month last season, then he gets injured and falls down the pecking order. Still though all you can do is put in the effort in training and shine when given opportunities.
Theres not much else going on at the moment but I doubt anybody really cares with whats instore for us tomorrow. Fingers crossed for a comfortable win and lets send the Spuds home with their tale between their legs. Come on Arsenal!
Till next time.
Yes it's that time of the season again, it is indeed the North London Derby at the Grove. I don't think I need explain the importance of this game. This means so much to everyone associated with Arsenal so it's crucial every player comes into this game willing to give their life to contribute to a win. Of course we played them earlier in the Carling Cup in which we hopped them 4-1 after extra time but tomorrows game will be far more competitive. The last time we faced them in the league it didn't end as we would have liked. We went to the Lane missing several first-team players and were beaten by a side far more pumped for the occasion. Lets not dwell on that game too much but use it as an incentive to get some payback tomorrow.
Tottenham haven't won on our soil in the league since 1993, some 17 years and lets hope that record grows with every season. I am relatively confident going into the game. The stats don't lie, Spurs simply have not been good enough against us in recent times and the fact that they have only kept two clean sheets in all competitions this season doesen't exactly help their mental state. Of course it will be interesting to see what sort of reception William Gallas gets tomorrow. Arsene Wenger has called on Arsenal fans to show respect to our former captain but then again he has said the same about other former players returning and lets just say his call fell on deaf ears. Gallas knows he made a very controversial decision moving down the road. Today Harry backed him and said Arsenal fans should be cheering him instead of booing him and asked what Gallas had done wrong. I mean is this man serious? Insane? High on cocaine? Who knows? One things for sure, Gallas is definately not the innocent party here and any critisim that comes his way tomorrow is more than deserved.
Now for the team news. Here is how I'm predicting the two sides will line up beginning with ourselves:
Fabianski
Sagna - Squillaci - Djourou - Clichy
Fabregas - Song - Wilshere
Nasri - Chamakh - Arshavin
There are a few tricky decisions Arsene has to make. Six of the players in that side played for their countries mid-week and that might well be a factor. Sagna played the majority of the game for France while Nasri completed it. Djourou and Arshavin also completed 90 minutes while Cesc and Chamakh were also given run outs. Koscielny is back from his 2-game ban but I can't see him starting ahead of Djourou. The Swiss man has formed a solid partnership with Squillaci, has far more Premier League experience and is better equipped to deal with Crouch. The 45 minutes Fabregas got could be just what he needed, Wenger has spoken of his lack of sharpness over the past few weeks so Wednesday's game can only have been a positive thing for him. Wilshere today passed a fitness test and will be fresh and raring to go. Nasri was fantastic against England, hopefully he can reproduce similar if not more magic tomorrow. Chamakh scored for Morocco all be it with a bit of luck but it was reward for his determination to close down the opposition. He could face competition for the game though with Van Persie getting sharper by the day, the Dutchman played 45 minutes the other day so just maybe he will nick a place in the starting 11. Finally you have Arshavin in there, the man played 94 minutes midweek but I'm still expecting him to start. I reckon Walcott will be more effective off the bench against Assou Ekotto's tired legs, lets wait and see.
Now finally onto Spurs possible team:
Gomes
Hutton - Gallas - Bassong - Ekotto
Jenas - Modric - Palacios - Bale
Van Der Vaart
Crouch
When I look at this team I immediately see weaknesses in that back four. Hutton and Ekotto are average full-backs who can be taken apart by any decent winger. If Arshavin and Nasri are on their game tomorrow I can see them giving these two lads a very hard time and I haven't even mentioned Walcott's speed yet. In the heart of the defence you have the unpredictable Gallas and the vulnerable Bassong. Both are reasonably small for centre-halves so if Chamakh starts we should try and play as many crosses into the box as we can. In midfield you have plenty of quality. Jenas, Modric and Bale are all technically gifted players and each have an eye for goal. Palacios will play the holding role and will no doubt have his work cut out. Crouch might well play up front on his own supported by Van Der Vaart. These two pose a massive threat. We all know what the Dutch star is capable of and Crouch's height will provide a stern test for Squillaci and Djourou but we've kept him quiet in the past so no reason why we can't do it again.
There has been a lot of hype surrounding Gareth Bale in recent weeks and the question before each game seems to be "will he tear this right-back apart?" Tomorrow he comes up against a man very much in form in the shape of Sagna. I think the Frenchman can contain him, he has the speed and physical presence so why not? All about concentration for the whole 90 minutes. I don't even think Bale deserves speical attention, the stats don't speak volumes. Both he and Walcott have scored four goals and created one in the league this season and thats not even half the story. Gareth Bale has played 1170 minutes. Theo Walcott has played 304 minutes (that’s 25% of Bale’s minutes) plus the man has delivered 114 crosses for that one assist. Shove that up your arse all you senseless baboons in the media out there.
If we win tomorrow we got top at least for a few hours. It is a big motivation for the players and might well put extra pressure on Chelsea who face a tough game against Birmingham without Terry, Essien, Lampard etc so who knows?
Aside from tomorrows game Bendtner has made more comments but this time they seem a little more positive. He has admitted he will have to be patience and work his way into starting 11. I understand why he has been frustrated, he practically carried our title challenge for over a month last season, then he gets injured and falls down the pecking order. Still though all you can do is put in the effort in training and shine when given opportunities.
Theres not much else going on at the moment but I doubt anybody really cares with whats instore for us tomorrow. Fingers crossed for a comfortable win and lets send the Spuds home with their tale between their legs. Come on Arsenal!
Till next time.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Priceless Three Points
A very early good morning to you all,
Well what a fantastic weekend it was wouldn't you agree? Looking ahead to it I felt Chelsea would be the ones waking up Monday morning smiling. United and ourselves had very tricky trips to Villa Park and Goodison while they hosted Sunderland in a game you would really have expected them to win. We wouldn't have been more wrong though. The Mancs kicked things off and were lucky to escape with a draw having been 2-0 down. I was disappointed Villa allowed them to claw their way back into the game but it was still 2 points dropped so it wasn't all that bad. I know City drew and you may be wondering why I never take note of their results but to be honest I don't see them as a threat. Why would we? Bar the Chelsea game they have showed no major signs of beeing title contenders and with the way their playing recently and with Mancini on cocaine or something they will do well to make the top four. That was about as interesting as it got Saturday although Liverpool were shown up for the laughing stock they really are once again, quite funny indeed although at this stage you do feel pity for them and yes I know their fans can be pricks but still. (Giggles)
Anyway I woke up Sunday morning with a terrible hangover and with no clock to be seen I was beginning to worry I'd missed the match but thankfully I soon found out it was only 12pm. I'd a good feeling about today, I didn't have that usual nervous feeling because we have been very good on the road recently. You'd nearly be more worried about the home games nowadays.
The line-up was expected, the big talking point was news that Nicklas Bendtner had been left out of the squad. People were immediately suggesting that he'd been punished for his midweek remarks about not playing as much as he'd like but Wenger soon revealed he had a medical issue. He didn't say what was wrong with him but said he could also be out of Denmark's friendly. It still puzzles me that he didn't say what type of injury, fingers crossed its not the one that was ongoing throughout the summer and beginning of the season.
Anyway back to the action. The game began rather sluggishly with both sides strugglin to keep possesion, it was just a matter of winning the ball and play the game at our tempo which we soon did. We had an early opening as Nasri sprung down the right wing before seeing his eventual shot blocked by Distin. From there Everton broke, Coleman out-ran Fabregas before chipping the ball into the onrushing Cahill who flashed his header over the bar, should have done better and we'd been let off the hook.
It was a decent start from both sides but we looked the better on the ball and were always looking the more likely to carve open an opportunity. It nearly came when Chamakh's lay off was back-heeled by Nasri to the oncoming Wilshere whos shot was blocked. It was a beautiful move which if finished would have been a contender for goal of the season in my opinion.
Our fans were doing all the singing, Goodison Park reminded me of the Emirates which is saying something. We continued to probe forward looking for an opening and it came when Nasri had a left footed shot well saved by Howard but he could only parry it to Arshavin who pulled it back for Sagna, he took a touch and blasted it into the roof of the net. It was quiete a finish for a man that has only scored one competitive goal for us since joining. Our next objective was to hold the lead to half-time and we did so, not without difficulty though as Saha headed against the clueless Fabianski from a corner, we were let off the hook but keepers get that sort of luck when their on form, a year ago it would have bounced off his head and in.
At half-time we brought on Denilson for Wilshere. The boy had been suffering from fatigue I hear and Arsene wanted to rest him because don't forget he's on international duty Wednesday night so it wasn't worth the risk of him picking up an injury to be honest. Everton made a change themselves, Jack Rodwell replacing the red card bound Heitinga.
It was that man Denilson who was involed in the goal shortly after the restart. He broke up the play in midfield, ran forward before laying it off to Cesc who megged the defender to Chamakh who returned the pass before the Spaniard finished well to give us a deserved second goal. We were well on our way to a big win but there was work to be done yet as United will tell you.
Immediately after we nearly gave the home side a lifeline as Squillaci brought down Saha and was also last man back. Thankfully Webb saw that Clichy was covering him and only produced a yellow much to the home fans disgust and our releif. From the resulting free-kick Fabianski collected easily from Baines. Shortly after Cesc was shown a yellow for supposedly fouling Distin. He attempted to block down his clearance and ended up getting stamped on, not sure how thats a yellow Mr. Webb? Cesc was hurt too but thankfully came back on.
We should have wrapped the game up when Nasri danced past Jagielka but his shot was well saved my Howard. Moments later Chamakh fired over from an open goal. "Taxi for Chamakh" as they said on fanzone. Not his finest moment, thats for sure.
As the game wore on Moyes decided to throw on two more strikers in Beckford and Yakubu. The defence had their hands full now. The Toffees piled on the pressure and it took a string of wonderful saves from Fabianski to keep them out. They eventually found a breakthrough when Saha knocked down a cross for Cahill to finish strangely with his foot! I was well and truly on the verge of shiting my pants now. We have a history of letting leads slip late and if it happened yesterday I could guarantee I'd be buying a new television this week. The four minutes of added time didn't help my blood pressure but we hung in there for the 3 points. 3 priceless points. I punched the air in delight for a good 10 minutes.
I mentioned in my preview that if we could play our game and if everyone put in 100% then we would beat them and thats exactly what happened. We've seen these performances before though and then been embarrassed at home by lesser teams so now we will find out if the players are honestly up for it. We definately have what it takes, its just a matter of producing the goods on a weekly basis.
My player ratings are as follows:
Fabianski: 9 - Incredible again, man of the match again, critics proved wrong again. What can I say? Love the man.
Sagna: 8 - Best performance in an Arsenal shirt for a long time, got forward well, defended well and scored a rare goal. Delighted for him.
Squillaci: 8 - Solid as a rock, he's experience is priceless, amazed at how quickly he has adapted to the Premier League.
Djourou: 8 - Just as good as his partner, this man is getting better with each game he plays and we've won 84% of the games he has started. Impressive stat.
Clichy: 7 - Still has a few jittery moments here and there but overall had a good day.
Song: 8 - Commanding & cool performance.
Wilshere: 6 - Taken off at half-time with fatigue, no fault there.
Fabregas: 8 - Finding his way back to his best again, got on the scoresheet too.
Nasri: 8 - Brilliant, this boy has so much talent it gives me goosebumps.
Arshavin: 7 - Nobody can fault his effort today and he assisted Sagna's goal, not a bad day in the office.
Chamakh: 7 - Got involved in all team moves and was good overall but missed an absolute sitter.
Subs:
Denilson: 7 - Came in for Jack and did his job very well, always seems to impress away from home.
Rosicky: 7 - Did exactly what was needed, I really admire his work-rate.
Eboue: 6 - Had no time to do anything.
Later on I decided to watch the Chelsea game. I was probably going to turn it off when they scored but they really struggled to create anything. Sunderland were giving them a real game and ripping their defence apart so I said to myself we could have ourselves a game here. When the Mackems squandered several chances I was just waiting for Chelsea to go down the other end, score and see out the remainder of the game in typical fashion. Then the ball fell to Nedum Onuoha, he ran at the defence, rounded several players before putting the ball past Cech. It was quite a sensational goal and Terry looked on in the stand on the verge of puking hehe.
In the second half the Black Cats didn't sit back and soon enough Gyan found himself one on one with Cecj and he finished as cool as ice. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. Sunderland were dominating the champions in there own backyard. The Blues never looked like getting back into the game, Sunderland just passed the time and late on a hilarious blunder from Cashley allowed Welbeck to tap in and complete a humiliating route. 3-0, yes you read correctly 3-0!
Sorry for the detailed report on a game not involving Arsenal but its not everyday Chelsea are raped on their own turf and the boos at the end were like music to my ears. The good news is they've got Birmingham away next week who will be reasonably confident having gone to Eastlands and earned a 0-0 draw. We've got the North London Derby which I am absolutely buzzing for already.
Right well I think its time to shut my chap for a bit. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend, I certainly did! Till next time Gooners!
Well what a fantastic weekend it was wouldn't you agree? Looking ahead to it I felt Chelsea would be the ones waking up Monday morning smiling. United and ourselves had very tricky trips to Villa Park and Goodison while they hosted Sunderland in a game you would really have expected them to win. We wouldn't have been more wrong though. The Mancs kicked things off and were lucky to escape with a draw having been 2-0 down. I was disappointed Villa allowed them to claw their way back into the game but it was still 2 points dropped so it wasn't all that bad. I know City drew and you may be wondering why I never take note of their results but to be honest I don't see them as a threat. Why would we? Bar the Chelsea game they have showed no major signs of beeing title contenders and with the way their playing recently and with Mancini on cocaine or something they will do well to make the top four. That was about as interesting as it got Saturday although Liverpool were shown up for the laughing stock they really are once again, quite funny indeed although at this stage you do feel pity for them and yes I know their fans can be pricks but still. (Giggles)
Anyway I woke up Sunday morning with a terrible hangover and with no clock to be seen I was beginning to worry I'd missed the match but thankfully I soon found out it was only 12pm. I'd a good feeling about today, I didn't have that usual nervous feeling because we have been very good on the road recently. You'd nearly be more worried about the home games nowadays.
The line-up was expected, the big talking point was news that Nicklas Bendtner had been left out of the squad. People were immediately suggesting that he'd been punished for his midweek remarks about not playing as much as he'd like but Wenger soon revealed he had a medical issue. He didn't say what was wrong with him but said he could also be out of Denmark's friendly. It still puzzles me that he didn't say what type of injury, fingers crossed its not the one that was ongoing throughout the summer and beginning of the season.
Anyway back to the action. The game began rather sluggishly with both sides strugglin to keep possesion, it was just a matter of winning the ball and play the game at our tempo which we soon did. We had an early opening as Nasri sprung down the right wing before seeing his eventual shot blocked by Distin. From there Everton broke, Coleman out-ran Fabregas before chipping the ball into the onrushing Cahill who flashed his header over the bar, should have done better and we'd been let off the hook.
It was a decent start from both sides but we looked the better on the ball and were always looking the more likely to carve open an opportunity. It nearly came when Chamakh's lay off was back-heeled by Nasri to the oncoming Wilshere whos shot was blocked. It was a beautiful move which if finished would have been a contender for goal of the season in my opinion.
Our fans were doing all the singing, Goodison Park reminded me of the Emirates which is saying something. We continued to probe forward looking for an opening and it came when Nasri had a left footed shot well saved by Howard but he could only parry it to Arshavin who pulled it back for Sagna, he took a touch and blasted it into the roof of the net. It was quiete a finish for a man that has only scored one competitive goal for us since joining. Our next objective was to hold the lead to half-time and we did so, not without difficulty though as Saha headed against the clueless Fabianski from a corner, we were let off the hook but keepers get that sort of luck when their on form, a year ago it would have bounced off his head and in.
At half-time we brought on Denilson for Wilshere. The boy had been suffering from fatigue I hear and Arsene wanted to rest him because don't forget he's on international duty Wednesday night so it wasn't worth the risk of him picking up an injury to be honest. Everton made a change themselves, Jack Rodwell replacing the red card bound Heitinga.
It was that man Denilson who was involed in the goal shortly after the restart. He broke up the play in midfield, ran forward before laying it off to Cesc who megged the defender to Chamakh who returned the pass before the Spaniard finished well to give us a deserved second goal. We were well on our way to a big win but there was work to be done yet as United will tell you.
Immediately after we nearly gave the home side a lifeline as Squillaci brought down Saha and was also last man back. Thankfully Webb saw that Clichy was covering him and only produced a yellow much to the home fans disgust and our releif. From the resulting free-kick Fabianski collected easily from Baines. Shortly after Cesc was shown a yellow for supposedly fouling Distin. He attempted to block down his clearance and ended up getting stamped on, not sure how thats a yellow Mr. Webb? Cesc was hurt too but thankfully came back on.
We should have wrapped the game up when Nasri danced past Jagielka but his shot was well saved my Howard. Moments later Chamakh fired over from an open goal. "Taxi for Chamakh" as they said on fanzone. Not his finest moment, thats for sure.
As the game wore on Moyes decided to throw on two more strikers in Beckford and Yakubu. The defence had their hands full now. The Toffees piled on the pressure and it took a string of wonderful saves from Fabianski to keep them out. They eventually found a breakthrough when Saha knocked down a cross for Cahill to finish strangely with his foot! I was well and truly on the verge of shiting my pants now. We have a history of letting leads slip late and if it happened yesterday I could guarantee I'd be buying a new television this week. The four minutes of added time didn't help my blood pressure but we hung in there for the 3 points. 3 priceless points. I punched the air in delight for a good 10 minutes.
I mentioned in my preview that if we could play our game and if everyone put in 100% then we would beat them and thats exactly what happened. We've seen these performances before though and then been embarrassed at home by lesser teams so now we will find out if the players are honestly up for it. We definately have what it takes, its just a matter of producing the goods on a weekly basis.
My player ratings are as follows:
Fabianski: 9 - Incredible again, man of the match again, critics proved wrong again. What can I say? Love the man.
Sagna: 8 - Best performance in an Arsenal shirt for a long time, got forward well, defended well and scored a rare goal. Delighted for him.
Squillaci: 8 - Solid as a rock, he's experience is priceless, amazed at how quickly he has adapted to the Premier League.
Djourou: 8 - Just as good as his partner, this man is getting better with each game he plays and we've won 84% of the games he has started. Impressive stat.
Clichy: 7 - Still has a few jittery moments here and there but overall had a good day.
Song: 8 - Commanding & cool performance.
Wilshere: 6 - Taken off at half-time with fatigue, no fault there.
Fabregas: 8 - Finding his way back to his best again, got on the scoresheet too.
Nasri: 8 - Brilliant, this boy has so much talent it gives me goosebumps.
Arshavin: 7 - Nobody can fault his effort today and he assisted Sagna's goal, not a bad day in the office.
Chamakh: 7 - Got involved in all team moves and was good overall but missed an absolute sitter.
Subs:
Denilson: 7 - Came in for Jack and did his job very well, always seems to impress away from home.
Rosicky: 7 - Did exactly what was needed, I really admire his work-rate.
Eboue: 6 - Had no time to do anything.
Later on I decided to watch the Chelsea game. I was probably going to turn it off when they scored but they really struggled to create anything. Sunderland were giving them a real game and ripping their defence apart so I said to myself we could have ourselves a game here. When the Mackems squandered several chances I was just waiting for Chelsea to go down the other end, score and see out the remainder of the game in typical fashion. Then the ball fell to Nedum Onuoha, he ran at the defence, rounded several players before putting the ball past Cech. It was quite a sensational goal and Terry looked on in the stand on the verge of puking hehe.
In the second half the Black Cats didn't sit back and soon enough Gyan found himself one on one with Cecj and he finished as cool as ice. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. Sunderland were dominating the champions in there own backyard. The Blues never looked like getting back into the game, Sunderland just passed the time and late on a hilarious blunder from Cashley allowed Welbeck to tap in and complete a humiliating route. 3-0, yes you read correctly 3-0!
Sorry for the detailed report on a game not involving Arsenal but its not everyday Chelsea are raped on their own turf and the boos at the end were like music to my ears. The good news is they've got Birmingham away next week who will be reasonably confident having gone to Eastlands and earned a 0-0 draw. We've got the North London Derby which I am absolutely buzzing for already.
Right well I think its time to shut my chap for a bit. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend, I certainly did! Till next time Gooners!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Everton Preview
Evening everyone,
Tomorrow we travel to Goodison Park looking to end a mixed week on a high note. Our record there in recent season has been very good indeed, most notably last season when on the opening day we hammered them 6-1. I wouldn't mind a similar score-line tomorrow but any win will do. Some people will settle for the draw but as Arsene said recently we go into every game looking to win and the attitude will be no different tomorrow.
If we can play our game tomorrow and put in 100% like Wednesday night then I have no doubt in my mind that we will come out on top. At times we may have to put the body on the line and scrap for every ball but so be it. Squillaci and Djourou will more than likely be faced with the task of controlling Yakubu, they may find it tough but they just need to stick to him and get the needed support from Song. Our recent good record should have no bearing on this game. Everton have a good record at home against the top sides so the fans and players will be pumped for this one.
We should welcome Nasri back into the first team and possibly Arshavin with Walcott coming on late on to run at tired legs. Everton will be without Marouane Fellaini which is a good thing to us. He breaks up the play in midfield and is a big presence in from set-pieces so his absence can only be a good thing from our point of view. Heres how I think the teams will line-up beginning with ourselves:
Fabianski
Sagna - Squillaci - Djourou - Clichy
Fabregas - Song - Wilshere
Nasri - Chamakh - Arshavin
As for Everton:
Howard
Neville - Jagielka - Distin - Baines
Coleman - Cahill - Heitinga - Pienaar
Yakubu - Saha
A few selections you might question there. First of all I know Gibbs is back in the squad but I wouldn't throw him into a game of this importance just yet. He won't be as sharp after the injury and in my opinion he has a bit to do before he can overtake Clichy. I know the Frenchman is prone to the odd mistake but his positioning is that bit better at the moment. Then you have the trio of Cesc, Song and Wilshere in midfield, no complaints there surely? Diaby is still out, Rosicky could come on later if we need new ideas and Denilson for me is too defence minded. Again if we're winning perhaps he will come on late in the game. Nasri and Arshavin will operate down the wings if you ask me. Arsene said he would tinker with the team so I reckon Walcott will drop to the bench, he does seem to make the biggest impact off the bench when running at tired legs and that isn't a bad thing to be honest but it means he has room to improve. Chamakh should provide an aerial threat up front. At times we may need to go long if we're struggling to carve them open so it's not a bad option to have. We will also have Bendtner and Van Persie on the bench so plenty of quality at our disposal.
As for Everton, well there are many questions as to what team Moyes will field. It could be the one above or he may opt to play a 4-5-1 formation by dropping Saha, move Neville into midfield and play Hibbert at right-back. Who knows? I don't really care aslong as we play well and get the required three points.
What amazes me is that our injury problems don't seem to be mounting as they usually do but I'm sure they will rise as the season goes on and issues such as fatigue come into play. Speaking of injuries there is still no good news on Thomas Vermaelen. He went for a scan which came back ok but Wenger says there is no explanation behind his pain. It means he won't require surgery but the fact that they can't put a timescale on his injury is rather worrying. There was also a hint that if his situation dosen't improve Arsene may dip into the transfer market in January. Not ideal but we could be forced into spending. Abou Diaby's situation is similar. He has had tests and the results have been encouraging but again their only taking it day by day and won't rush him back and rightly so. Manuel Almunia is set to return to training on Monday and it's going to take one major effort and turn of form to win back his shirt.
Now I've heard stories about Bendtner being unhappy coming out of the Danish press. Well first of all we don't know for sure that this is true, the media abroad can often be as inaccurate as the media in England unfortunately and Arsene himself said he has heard nothing from big Nick. If he is in the slightest way upset then he needs to be patient and take every opportunity he gets. Moaning won't get him anywhere, he needs to take a leaf out of Walcott's book. Hard work and patience has brought on his recent good run of form and has Arshavin take note. Nick has had a decent run of form himself scoring against City and Newcastle since returning from injury. If he performs consistantly when called upon then the boss will take notice and will reward him with more playing time.
Elsewhere I know people have been questioning our disciplinary record and because we have four red cards we're suddenly a "dirty team" too. That is not the case, if you look at the reasons behind the red cards. Bar the Wilshere tackle they have been for nothing. Koscielny's first at Anfield was a dubvious handball, his second was for denying Newcastle a supposed goalscoring opportunity. Song's red was for two yellows, both arguable decisions. So there you have it, disciplinary records don't tell the whole story. Just look at Stoke, they have a good record but everyone still knows their squad contains some of the biggest scumbags in the league. Oh if only the media could read this.
Anyway I'm off out for a bit, fingers crossed for a win tomorrow.
Till then.
Tomorrow we travel to Goodison Park looking to end a mixed week on a high note. Our record there in recent season has been very good indeed, most notably last season when on the opening day we hammered them 6-1. I wouldn't mind a similar score-line tomorrow but any win will do. Some people will settle for the draw but as Arsene said recently we go into every game looking to win and the attitude will be no different tomorrow.
If we can play our game tomorrow and put in 100% like Wednesday night then I have no doubt in my mind that we will come out on top. At times we may have to put the body on the line and scrap for every ball but so be it. Squillaci and Djourou will more than likely be faced with the task of controlling Yakubu, they may find it tough but they just need to stick to him and get the needed support from Song. Our recent good record should have no bearing on this game. Everton have a good record at home against the top sides so the fans and players will be pumped for this one.
We should welcome Nasri back into the first team and possibly Arshavin with Walcott coming on late on to run at tired legs. Everton will be without Marouane Fellaini which is a good thing to us. He breaks up the play in midfield and is a big presence in from set-pieces so his absence can only be a good thing from our point of view. Heres how I think the teams will line-up beginning with ourselves:
Fabianski
Sagna - Squillaci - Djourou - Clichy
Fabregas - Song - Wilshere
Nasri - Chamakh - Arshavin
As for Everton:
Howard
Neville - Jagielka - Distin - Baines
Coleman - Cahill - Heitinga - Pienaar
Yakubu - Saha
A few selections you might question there. First of all I know Gibbs is back in the squad but I wouldn't throw him into a game of this importance just yet. He won't be as sharp after the injury and in my opinion he has a bit to do before he can overtake Clichy. I know the Frenchman is prone to the odd mistake but his positioning is that bit better at the moment. Then you have the trio of Cesc, Song and Wilshere in midfield, no complaints there surely? Diaby is still out, Rosicky could come on later if we need new ideas and Denilson for me is too defence minded. Again if we're winning perhaps he will come on late in the game. Nasri and Arshavin will operate down the wings if you ask me. Arsene said he would tinker with the team so I reckon Walcott will drop to the bench, he does seem to make the biggest impact off the bench when running at tired legs and that isn't a bad thing to be honest but it means he has room to improve. Chamakh should provide an aerial threat up front. At times we may need to go long if we're struggling to carve them open so it's not a bad option to have. We will also have Bendtner and Van Persie on the bench so plenty of quality at our disposal.
As for Everton, well there are many questions as to what team Moyes will field. It could be the one above or he may opt to play a 4-5-1 formation by dropping Saha, move Neville into midfield and play Hibbert at right-back. Who knows? I don't really care aslong as we play well and get the required three points.
What amazes me is that our injury problems don't seem to be mounting as they usually do but I'm sure they will rise as the season goes on and issues such as fatigue come into play. Speaking of injuries there is still no good news on Thomas Vermaelen. He went for a scan which came back ok but Wenger says there is no explanation behind his pain. It means he won't require surgery but the fact that they can't put a timescale on his injury is rather worrying. There was also a hint that if his situation dosen't improve Arsene may dip into the transfer market in January. Not ideal but we could be forced into spending. Abou Diaby's situation is similar. He has had tests and the results have been encouraging but again their only taking it day by day and won't rush him back and rightly so. Manuel Almunia is set to return to training on Monday and it's going to take one major effort and turn of form to win back his shirt.
Now I've heard stories about Bendtner being unhappy coming out of the Danish press. Well first of all we don't know for sure that this is true, the media abroad can often be as inaccurate as the media in England unfortunately and Arsene himself said he has heard nothing from big Nick. If he is in the slightest way upset then he needs to be patient and take every opportunity he gets. Moaning won't get him anywhere, he needs to take a leaf out of Walcott's book. Hard work and patience has brought on his recent good run of form and has Arshavin take note. Nick has had a decent run of form himself scoring against City and Newcastle since returning from injury. If he performs consistantly when called upon then the boss will take notice and will reward him with more playing time.
Elsewhere I know people have been questioning our disciplinary record and because we have four red cards we're suddenly a "dirty team" too. That is not the case, if you look at the reasons behind the red cards. Bar the Wilshere tackle they have been for nothing. Koscielny's first at Anfield was a dubvious handball, his second was for denying Newcastle a supposed goalscoring opportunity. Song's red was for two yellows, both arguable decisions. So there you have it, disciplinary records don't tell the whole story. Just look at Stoke, they have a good record but everyone still knows their squad contains some of the biggest scumbags in the league. Oh if only the media could read this.
Anyway I'm off out for a bit, fingers crossed for a win tomorrow.
Till then.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Vital Win & Szczesny signs new deal
Evening readers!
Well it's been a mixed week to say the least wouldn't you agree? And guess what? It ain't over yet. It began miserably as Newcastle stunned us at the Emirates and it left us heading into Wednesday nights game needing a win. A lot of other bloggers said they would have settled for a draw if every single player gave their all. Not good enough for me, we've thrown away enough points for my liking and to show the characteristics of title contenders, which we haven't done at times, you need to go to places like Wolves and be able to grind out results. There was a nervous feeling amongst the majority of Arsenal fans coming into this game and understandably so because we've not been consistant enough so far.
There weren't too many surprises in the starting eleven. Nasri was rested as expected after the slight knock he picked up at the weekend. He was replaced by the ever reliable Tomas Rosicky. Theo Walcott dropped back to the bench and was replaced by Arshavin, it seems both will battle it out all season long for that position on the wing. Finally Djourou came in for the suspended Koscielny. There was more than enough quality on show to beat Wolves convincingly but we said the same heading into the West Brom and Newcastle games. Effort was required for sure.
Our problem lately has been getting off to good starts. Well we couldn't have asked for a better start for this one as Alex Song's pin point cross was met with Chamakh's head and the Wolves keeper had no chance. 1-0 after 39 seconds, brilliant start. Another thing we have struggled to do recently is kick on from good starts, this time we so nearly did too only for Arshavin's shot to be well saved by the keeper. We looked really up for this one as more attempts from Cesc and Arshavin again told the home side we meant business.
As we tend to do though, we left Wolves back into the game. They got a foothold and nearly equalised when a Kevin Doyle header flicked inches over the bar, you could argue that Fabianski had it covered. As the half came to a close they piled on the pressure but credit to our defence, there wasn't much going through them.
Wolves nearly began the 2nd half as we did the 1st with a goal only for an incredible tackle from Sagna to deny Stephen Hunt a tap in. It was an early sign that we would have to be on our toes for the entire 45 minutes ahead. We should have struck an early blow though as Rosicky intercepted a poor clearance and fed Cesc only for him to uncharacteristaclly blast the ball wide with the goal gaping. Wolves hit back again, Doyle found the target this time but was denied by a superb Fabianski save. The ball was heading for the top corner only for the Pole to tap it over with an out-stretched hand. Ffrom the resulting corner Rosicky was forced to clear a tame effort off the line. We were very much under the cache at this stage.
Even when you have this Arsenal team on the back foot, they are always a threat and we showed that a lot last night. Arshavin again weaving his way down the wing before cutting inside and firing a shot against Hahnemann's left hand post. It should have been 2-0 moments later as Djourou's shot was flicked off the line by Karl Henry. With chances for both sides you felt this game could go either way. I thought it would be a repeat of Sunderland and had the nails eaten off my fingers which remained crossed. A few minutes from the end Cesc was lucky to not have been sent off as he could Stephen Ward with his stoods in the follow through after an attempt to block the ball. He escaped with a yellow. Then Fabianski had to pull off another world class save as Berra blasted the ball through a sea of bodies but the Pole got down on time as he looked to cap off his best night in an Arsenal shirt with a clean sheet and more importantly three points. That was secured when his throw out set up a counter attack, the ball fell to Cesc who set Chamakh away and the big man notched home his second of the game.
It definately wasn't as easy as we might have liked but we have shown that when the effort is put in we are capable of doing great things. The trouble is being consistant with it, you can't play good in one game, slack in another and expect to challenge for the league. It dosen't work like that, you are punished for every mistake you make in this league so consistancy and hard work is the key to survival. My player ratings are as follows:
Fabianski: 9 - Best game to date, he is growing with confidence and its a joy to see.
Sagna: 7 - Solid game, keep it up Bacary!
Squillaci: 7 - Consistant player, I've grown on him.
Djourou: 7 - Improving all the time, still areas he needs to work on though.
Clichy: 7 - Wasn't troubled down the right wing thank God.
Song: 7 - Assisted the first goal, I'm loving his new attack minded game.
Wilshere: 7 - Worked hard, good lad.
Fabregas: 7 - Mixed evening, better than Sunday but still not at his best. Could have been sent off before assisting last goal.
Rosicky: 8 - Worked his arse off up and down the pitch. Definately an example to the younger players.
Arshavin: 8 - Very bright, realises now Walcott is hot on his heels and it seems to bring out the best in him.
Chamakh: 8 - Scored two vital goals, this guy is proving to be some signing. Well done Arsene!
Subs:
Denilson: 6 - Came on to see out the game, booked too.
Bendtner: 6 - No time to make an impact.
Nasri: 6 - Likewise.
Back to the Cesc issue for a moment and yes I have to use the word issue because that is what the fickle media and Alan Hansen decide to make of it. Okay we admit it, he went over the top and both Arsene and Cesc apologised to Mick McCarthy about it and he accepted. Close the case? Nah they'll bitch about that on until next week and you know what the funny thing is? Karl Henry made a tackle on Arshavin that was just as bad, studs up on the shin, potential leg breaker but it dosen't even get a mention amongst the media or Match of the Day. No surprise there anti-Arsenal bastards, it was the same when Robinson took out Diaby. Alan Hansen then basically contradicts himself by saying there was nothing wrong with a two footed Michael Essien challenge in one of the other games yet he makes out Cesc's tackle to be some sort of brutal assault. Give me a break.
Anyway, to some good news now and hot prospect Wojciech Szczesny has signed a new long term deal. His previous contract was due to expire in the summer and the thought of losing him on a free to some other big club was quite scary at the time but thank God its all over and done with now and he can look forward to a bright future with the club. Interestingly enough, Arsene has come out today and challenged Manuel Almunia to win back his number one shirt. His injury has meant he has fallen well down the pecking order leaving some fans thinking he had played his last game for the club but clearly this is not the case. I've a feeling we'll be seeing his face for a while yet.
Also this week Arsene has quashed reports we could loan out Aaron Ramsey so he could regain his sharpness. Instead the boss wants him to work his way back to fitness here which isn't a bad idea really because he will be treated with teh right precaution here whereas at another club they really couldn't give a fuck about him. I'm hoping he will be back as soon as possible and continue where he left off trying to cement a place in midfield.
On the injury front we're not looking too bad. There was the bad news on Monday that Thomas Vermaelen had suffered a set-back in his recovery from an achilles problem and the boss says he can't put a time scale on the injury anymore. Van Persie was on the bench again Wednesday night and is set to play for the Dutch in their upcoming friendly, hopefully he comes out unscathed and the only thing it does is improve his sharpness.
Well I think I've gone through just about everything. We've got Everton on Sunday, hopefully there will be a preview tomorrow fingers crossed. Till then Gooners, thanks for reading.
Well it's been a mixed week to say the least wouldn't you agree? And guess what? It ain't over yet. It began miserably as Newcastle stunned us at the Emirates and it left us heading into Wednesday nights game needing a win. A lot of other bloggers said they would have settled for a draw if every single player gave their all. Not good enough for me, we've thrown away enough points for my liking and to show the characteristics of title contenders, which we haven't done at times, you need to go to places like Wolves and be able to grind out results. There was a nervous feeling amongst the majority of Arsenal fans coming into this game and understandably so because we've not been consistant enough so far.
There weren't too many surprises in the starting eleven. Nasri was rested as expected after the slight knock he picked up at the weekend. He was replaced by the ever reliable Tomas Rosicky. Theo Walcott dropped back to the bench and was replaced by Arshavin, it seems both will battle it out all season long for that position on the wing. Finally Djourou came in for the suspended Koscielny. There was more than enough quality on show to beat Wolves convincingly but we said the same heading into the West Brom and Newcastle games. Effort was required for sure.
Our problem lately has been getting off to good starts. Well we couldn't have asked for a better start for this one as Alex Song's pin point cross was met with Chamakh's head and the Wolves keeper had no chance. 1-0 after 39 seconds, brilliant start. Another thing we have struggled to do recently is kick on from good starts, this time we so nearly did too only for Arshavin's shot to be well saved by the keeper. We looked really up for this one as more attempts from Cesc and Arshavin again told the home side we meant business.
As we tend to do though, we left Wolves back into the game. They got a foothold and nearly equalised when a Kevin Doyle header flicked inches over the bar, you could argue that Fabianski had it covered. As the half came to a close they piled on the pressure but credit to our defence, there wasn't much going through them.
Wolves nearly began the 2nd half as we did the 1st with a goal only for an incredible tackle from Sagna to deny Stephen Hunt a tap in. It was an early sign that we would have to be on our toes for the entire 45 minutes ahead. We should have struck an early blow though as Rosicky intercepted a poor clearance and fed Cesc only for him to uncharacteristaclly blast the ball wide with the goal gaping. Wolves hit back again, Doyle found the target this time but was denied by a superb Fabianski save. The ball was heading for the top corner only for the Pole to tap it over with an out-stretched hand. Ffrom the resulting corner Rosicky was forced to clear a tame effort off the line. We were very much under the cache at this stage.
Even when you have this Arsenal team on the back foot, they are always a threat and we showed that a lot last night. Arshavin again weaving his way down the wing before cutting inside and firing a shot against Hahnemann's left hand post. It should have been 2-0 moments later as Djourou's shot was flicked off the line by Karl Henry. With chances for both sides you felt this game could go either way. I thought it would be a repeat of Sunderland and had the nails eaten off my fingers which remained crossed. A few minutes from the end Cesc was lucky to not have been sent off as he could Stephen Ward with his stoods in the follow through after an attempt to block the ball. He escaped with a yellow. Then Fabianski had to pull off another world class save as Berra blasted the ball through a sea of bodies but the Pole got down on time as he looked to cap off his best night in an Arsenal shirt with a clean sheet and more importantly three points. That was secured when his throw out set up a counter attack, the ball fell to Cesc who set Chamakh away and the big man notched home his second of the game.
It definately wasn't as easy as we might have liked but we have shown that when the effort is put in we are capable of doing great things. The trouble is being consistant with it, you can't play good in one game, slack in another and expect to challenge for the league. It dosen't work like that, you are punished for every mistake you make in this league so consistancy and hard work is the key to survival. My player ratings are as follows:
Fabianski: 9 - Best game to date, he is growing with confidence and its a joy to see.
Sagna: 7 - Solid game, keep it up Bacary!
Squillaci: 7 - Consistant player, I've grown on him.
Djourou: 7 - Improving all the time, still areas he needs to work on though.
Clichy: 7 - Wasn't troubled down the right wing thank God.
Song: 7 - Assisted the first goal, I'm loving his new attack minded game.
Wilshere: 7 - Worked hard, good lad.
Fabregas: 7 - Mixed evening, better than Sunday but still not at his best. Could have been sent off before assisting last goal.
Rosicky: 8 - Worked his arse off up and down the pitch. Definately an example to the younger players.
Arshavin: 8 - Very bright, realises now Walcott is hot on his heels and it seems to bring out the best in him.
Chamakh: 8 - Scored two vital goals, this guy is proving to be some signing. Well done Arsene!
Subs:
Denilson: 6 - Came on to see out the game, booked too.
Bendtner: 6 - No time to make an impact.
Nasri: 6 - Likewise.
Back to the Cesc issue for a moment and yes I have to use the word issue because that is what the fickle media and Alan Hansen decide to make of it. Okay we admit it, he went over the top and both Arsene and Cesc apologised to Mick McCarthy about it and he accepted. Close the case? Nah they'll bitch about that on until next week and you know what the funny thing is? Karl Henry made a tackle on Arshavin that was just as bad, studs up on the shin, potential leg breaker but it dosen't even get a mention amongst the media or Match of the Day. No surprise there anti-Arsenal bastards, it was the same when Robinson took out Diaby. Alan Hansen then basically contradicts himself by saying there was nothing wrong with a two footed Michael Essien challenge in one of the other games yet he makes out Cesc's tackle to be some sort of brutal assault. Give me a break.
Anyway, to some good news now and hot prospect Wojciech Szczesny has signed a new long term deal. His previous contract was due to expire in the summer and the thought of losing him on a free to some other big club was quite scary at the time but thank God its all over and done with now and he can look forward to a bright future with the club. Interestingly enough, Arsene has come out today and challenged Manuel Almunia to win back his number one shirt. His injury has meant he has fallen well down the pecking order leaving some fans thinking he had played his last game for the club but clearly this is not the case. I've a feeling we'll be seeing his face for a while yet.
Also this week Arsene has quashed reports we could loan out Aaron Ramsey so he could regain his sharpness. Instead the boss wants him to work his way back to fitness here which isn't a bad idea really because he will be treated with teh right precaution here whereas at another club they really couldn't give a fuck about him. I'm hoping he will be back as soon as possible and continue where he left off trying to cement a place in midfield.
On the injury front we're not looking too bad. There was the bad news on Monday that Thomas Vermaelen had suffered a set-back in his recovery from an achilles problem and the boss says he can't put a time scale on the injury anymore. Van Persie was on the bench again Wednesday night and is set to play for the Dutch in their upcoming friendly, hopefully he comes out unscathed and the only thing it does is improve his sharpness.
Well I think I've gone through just about everything. We've got Everton on Sunday, hopefully there will be a preview tomorrow fingers crossed. Till then Gooners, thanks for reading.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Damaging Defeat - Lessons not learned
Good morning readers,
I decided not to type up this blog for a few hours after the game so I wouldn't say something I'd sooner regret. I had a good feeling about this weekend all week. United had a tough game against Wolves without Rooney, Berbatov and Nani, Spurs and City had tricky away games while Chelsea took on former giants Liverpool (Notice former hehe). It had all the makings of a great weekend and I was really confident Arsenal would do their part.
It kicked off on a good note as Bolton took apart Spurs in a 4-2 win. Everything seemed to be going according to plan at Old Trafford until Wolves decided to switch off in injury time AGAIN. It was rather sickening, now I know how others feel when we score late goals at the Grove. I remained optimistic though that we would do our job.
This morning I woke up still feeling good about getting the win we needed. I know Newcastle were on a good run coming into the game but we were on a good run domestically ourselves and with all the players making the right noises, a good performance was on the cards.
Last night I revealed the rumour that Van Persie was going to start via my Twitter and Facebook accounts. It took a while for me to even consider that it might be true when I first heard it. Arsene revealed in his press conference on Friday that Robin had just completed his first full training session since August and didn't give the slightest hint he would be in the squad for today. He wasn't even asked by the media and rightly so because it sounded absurd at the time.
That was just about the only shock as far as the team selections went. Walcott started ahead of Arshavin, inevitably in some peoples minds. Jack was welcomed back into midfield alongside Cesc and Song. It was a very strong line-up and the bench was full of quality too, more reasons for me to be optimistic.
The game began as all games do at the Emirates with us having all the possession, moving it around looking for an early opener. We looked bright early on but I wasn't getting too carried away because we have said the same for games we have gone on to struggle in. With just ten minutes gone, a Cesc free-kick was deflected onto Tim Krul's bar and over, nearly the perfect start. The Spaniard had yet another opportunity when Newcastle were carved open but he flashed his shot across goal.
Just before half-time we gained momentum as Nasri superb effort destined for the top right hand corner was brilliantly saved by Krul. This was followed up by Cesc finding space in the box yet again only to fire his shot into the side netting. Then on the stroke of half-time the Emirates was left stunned as an inswinging Barton free-kick was met on the Carroll and his header found its way into the back of the net despite the challenge from Fabianski. I know everyone is pointing the blame at the keeper but to be honest, there wasn't a whole lot he could do. People say he should have stayed on his line, not for me. Seeing as Chamakh decided to give up on tracking him Fab had no option but to come out and go for it, unfortunately the ox beat him to it. If he didn't come out Carroll would have had a free header and if he scored people would say, well why didn't he come off his line. It's a win win situation for the critics to be honest. It was obvious that when Fab made a mistake everyone would eventually jump right on his back again. Let them think what they want, he's our number one for now and I can't see that changing for a long time and rightly so.
At half-time I'll admit it, I feared the worst. Newcastle were looking really solid and we lacked creativity. There was nobody on the pitch who looked like taking the game by the scruff of the neck. Chamakh is a fantastic player and deserves all the praise that has come his way but he is not a goalscorer like RVP. I'm not critisising him, I'm just saying when you really need a goal maybe there are better options, thing is Robin ain't 100%.
We began the 2nd half looking for an early breakthrough and we nearly got one when Walcott crashed his shot against the bar. Moments later neat foot work from Song nearly left Chamakh with a tap in but he was beaten to the cross by Williamson. If we were going to introduce RVP I would have expected it to be in the final ten minutes or there abouts but incredibly he was introduced with 35 minutes to go in place of Chamakh as expected. Shortly after Nasri picked up a knock and was replaced by Arshavin who brought new life into the game to be fair. Still though, the lack of creativity was really beginning to concern me and Wenger too clearly as he brought on Bendtner for Wilshere. Very much desperation stuff at this stage. I was expecting a flurry of chances and constant pressure in the last quarter of the game but I couldn't have been more wrong. It was as though we got more sloppy as the game wore on. Cesc's passing was woeful, the midfield looked tired and couldn't get the ball into the forwards, it was just strange to be honest. It wasn't the Arsenal we know. The final chance fell to Cesc but his diving header was straight at Krul but the action wasn't over as Ksocielny brought down Ranger and because he was the last man back, Dean felt he had no other option than to give him a straight red card. If you ask me or Arsene he did have another option. Was it a clear goalscoring opportunity? It's debatable as he still had a long way to run and Squillaci was sprinting back too, make up your own mind but it means he misses the next three games.
As the final whistle went you couldn't hear the boo's as they were over-roared by the celebrations at the away end. Fair play to Newcastle but what the fuck Arsenal? That final quarter was dier. There was no pressure to win the ball back off Newcastle, instead we waited for them to misplace a pass, no urgency going forward no nothing. The players looked as though they'd been put through a rigorous training session the night before. Arsene has said since the West Brom game we have learned our lesson but clearly we haven't. He can give them as many earfuls as they want but at the end of the day, the players need to get their heads right. These performances are not good enough and its been coming if you ask me. We've scraped past the likes of Birmingham and West Ham at home. I don't want to sound arrogant but we should be beating these sides comfortably.
Fortunately enough we were let off the hook as Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0 at Anfield. It means we remain 5 points behind Chelsea when it could well have been 8 or if you want to squeeze your balls for a second...2! So my good feeling about this weekend is now a distant memory. Hopefully the players went home this evening with sore arses and we won't have to watch such a lacklustre display again. We've got Wolves away next, far from an easy game but a must win considering the fixtures that follow it. Hopefully Vermaelen will be back for the run in, we really have missed his presence even though the others have filled in well.
Now for the player ratings:
Fabianski: 6 - Mistimed jump for the goal but other than that he did everything right.
Sagna: 5 - Not his day.
Squillaci: 7 - Solid performance, I really have taken a liking to this guy.
Koscielny: 6 - Just as good as Squillaci but red card spoiled his day.
Clichy: 6 - Did okay but still looks vulnerable, thankfully Newcastle didn't have a natural winger on.
Song: 7 - Good performance.
Wilshere: 8 - My man of the match, looked the sharpest going forward.
Fabregas: 5 - Very disappointed with Cesc, I know he's having difficulty with his hamstring but I still expect better than that.
Walcott: 7 - Looked sharp but his end product was frustrating at times.
Nasri: 6 - Glimpses of quality but far from enough and was forced off injured.
Chamakh: 5 - Lacked service, nothing came off for him today and was replaced early in the 2nd half.
Subs:
Van Persie: 6 - Looked bright but will need time to get back to his old self.
Arshavin: 7 - Injected life into the game and gave his all, thats all I ask.
Bendtner: No service at all, couldn't possibly do anything.
Well the ratings just about sum it up, good here, poor there. Just not good enough if you want to fight for the title. This inconsistancy issue needs sorting out fast. I think I've said enough for today. Possible Wolves preview in the next few days. Till next time!
I decided not to type up this blog for a few hours after the game so I wouldn't say something I'd sooner regret. I had a good feeling about this weekend all week. United had a tough game against Wolves without Rooney, Berbatov and Nani, Spurs and City had tricky away games while Chelsea took on former giants Liverpool (Notice former hehe). It had all the makings of a great weekend and I was really confident Arsenal would do their part.
It kicked off on a good note as Bolton took apart Spurs in a 4-2 win. Everything seemed to be going according to plan at Old Trafford until Wolves decided to switch off in injury time AGAIN. It was rather sickening, now I know how others feel when we score late goals at the Grove. I remained optimistic though that we would do our job.
This morning I woke up still feeling good about getting the win we needed. I know Newcastle were on a good run coming into the game but we were on a good run domestically ourselves and with all the players making the right noises, a good performance was on the cards.
Last night I revealed the rumour that Van Persie was going to start via my Twitter and Facebook accounts. It took a while for me to even consider that it might be true when I first heard it. Arsene revealed in his press conference on Friday that Robin had just completed his first full training session since August and didn't give the slightest hint he would be in the squad for today. He wasn't even asked by the media and rightly so because it sounded absurd at the time.
That was just about the only shock as far as the team selections went. Walcott started ahead of Arshavin, inevitably in some peoples minds. Jack was welcomed back into midfield alongside Cesc and Song. It was a very strong line-up and the bench was full of quality too, more reasons for me to be optimistic.
The game began as all games do at the Emirates with us having all the possession, moving it around looking for an early opener. We looked bright early on but I wasn't getting too carried away because we have said the same for games we have gone on to struggle in. With just ten minutes gone, a Cesc free-kick was deflected onto Tim Krul's bar and over, nearly the perfect start. The Spaniard had yet another opportunity when Newcastle were carved open but he flashed his shot across goal.
Just before half-time we gained momentum as Nasri superb effort destined for the top right hand corner was brilliantly saved by Krul. This was followed up by Cesc finding space in the box yet again only to fire his shot into the side netting. Then on the stroke of half-time the Emirates was left stunned as an inswinging Barton free-kick was met on the Carroll and his header found its way into the back of the net despite the challenge from Fabianski. I know everyone is pointing the blame at the keeper but to be honest, there wasn't a whole lot he could do. People say he should have stayed on his line, not for me. Seeing as Chamakh decided to give up on tracking him Fab had no option but to come out and go for it, unfortunately the ox beat him to it. If he didn't come out Carroll would have had a free header and if he scored people would say, well why didn't he come off his line. It's a win win situation for the critics to be honest. It was obvious that when Fab made a mistake everyone would eventually jump right on his back again. Let them think what they want, he's our number one for now and I can't see that changing for a long time and rightly so.
At half-time I'll admit it, I feared the worst. Newcastle were looking really solid and we lacked creativity. There was nobody on the pitch who looked like taking the game by the scruff of the neck. Chamakh is a fantastic player and deserves all the praise that has come his way but he is not a goalscorer like RVP. I'm not critisising him, I'm just saying when you really need a goal maybe there are better options, thing is Robin ain't 100%.
We began the 2nd half looking for an early breakthrough and we nearly got one when Walcott crashed his shot against the bar. Moments later neat foot work from Song nearly left Chamakh with a tap in but he was beaten to the cross by Williamson. If we were going to introduce RVP I would have expected it to be in the final ten minutes or there abouts but incredibly he was introduced with 35 minutes to go in place of Chamakh as expected. Shortly after Nasri picked up a knock and was replaced by Arshavin who brought new life into the game to be fair. Still though, the lack of creativity was really beginning to concern me and Wenger too clearly as he brought on Bendtner for Wilshere. Very much desperation stuff at this stage. I was expecting a flurry of chances and constant pressure in the last quarter of the game but I couldn't have been more wrong. It was as though we got more sloppy as the game wore on. Cesc's passing was woeful, the midfield looked tired and couldn't get the ball into the forwards, it was just strange to be honest. It wasn't the Arsenal we know. The final chance fell to Cesc but his diving header was straight at Krul but the action wasn't over as Ksocielny brought down Ranger and because he was the last man back, Dean felt he had no other option than to give him a straight red card. If you ask me or Arsene he did have another option. Was it a clear goalscoring opportunity? It's debatable as he still had a long way to run and Squillaci was sprinting back too, make up your own mind but it means he misses the next three games.
As the final whistle went you couldn't hear the boo's as they were over-roared by the celebrations at the away end. Fair play to Newcastle but what the fuck Arsenal? That final quarter was dier. There was no pressure to win the ball back off Newcastle, instead we waited for them to misplace a pass, no urgency going forward no nothing. The players looked as though they'd been put through a rigorous training session the night before. Arsene has said since the West Brom game we have learned our lesson but clearly we haven't. He can give them as many earfuls as they want but at the end of the day, the players need to get their heads right. These performances are not good enough and its been coming if you ask me. We've scraped past the likes of Birmingham and West Ham at home. I don't want to sound arrogant but we should be beating these sides comfortably.
Fortunately enough we were let off the hook as Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0 at Anfield. It means we remain 5 points behind Chelsea when it could well have been 8 or if you want to squeeze your balls for a second...2! So my good feeling about this weekend is now a distant memory. Hopefully the players went home this evening with sore arses and we won't have to watch such a lacklustre display again. We've got Wolves away next, far from an easy game but a must win considering the fixtures that follow it. Hopefully Vermaelen will be back for the run in, we really have missed his presence even though the others have filled in well.
Now for the player ratings:
Fabianski: 6 - Mistimed jump for the goal but other than that he did everything right.
Sagna: 5 - Not his day.
Squillaci: 7 - Solid performance, I really have taken a liking to this guy.
Koscielny: 6 - Just as good as Squillaci but red card spoiled his day.
Clichy: 6 - Did okay but still looks vulnerable, thankfully Newcastle didn't have a natural winger on.
Song: 7 - Good performance.
Wilshere: 8 - My man of the match, looked the sharpest going forward.
Fabregas: 5 - Very disappointed with Cesc, I know he's having difficulty with his hamstring but I still expect better than that.
Walcott: 7 - Looked sharp but his end product was frustrating at times.
Nasri: 6 - Glimpses of quality but far from enough and was forced off injured.
Chamakh: 5 - Lacked service, nothing came off for him today and was replaced early in the 2nd half.
Subs:
Van Persie: 6 - Looked bright but will need time to get back to his old self.
Arshavin: 7 - Injected life into the game and gave his all, thats all I ask.
Bendtner: No service at all, couldn't possibly do anything.
Well the ratings just about sum it up, good here, poor there. Just not good enough if you want to fight for the title. This inconsistancy issue needs sorting out fast. I think I've said enough for today. Possible Wolves preview in the next few days. Till next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)