Welcome all,
Well its been another week of listening to critics, be it journalists, pundits or our own pessimistic fans. You get used to it after a while but the absurd things some people come up with can really bug me. When I read other blogs and people's opinions on Twitter its frightening to see the amount of people who think Wenger's time may be up as Arsenal boss. I understand the last few years have been difficult but stand back for a moment and have some common sense. Do you know how many clubs who used to be looked upon as major forces would kill to be us now. Leeds United were once a side were once a team that challenged for the Premier League, now you ask any guy what they are in and he wouldn't know. Liverpool have had a sticky patch, the list goes on and I can assure you there are big clubs now who will be a shadow of their present selves in a couple of years.
My point is, we may not have achieved the success we should have recently but I'm still grateful that trophies are expected of us. We could be in a worse state. The financial challenge which came with transferring from Highbury to the Emirates was handled brilliantly and the boss played a big part in that. He could have easily added to the debt and gone out and signed a few players for over £20m but he opted to work with what he had and boy has he done a magnificent job. Obviously he is a man that has his flaws like anyone else but I honestly don't think there is another manager that could have handled this club like Arsene has, in fact I know there isn't anyone out there.
The critisism he gets is out of order. I'm sorry but come on people, does this man who made Arsenal deserve to be insulted just because he sticks to his old methods. Call him stubborn but he, like all of us, wants whats best for this club at the end of the day and I'm sure he'll fill up that trophy cabinet once more. If you think his time is up then fair enough but no need to bitch about it 24-7 and question everything he does. Honestly, who knows better, Arsene Wenger, a man who has three Premier League titles to his name (plus a lot more) or a few fans on Twitter who can only brag about the amount of followers they have? Hmmm its a tough one but the former gets the nod for me.
Anyway, enough about that, he's the boss and all you loyal fans will stick by him till the end. Now this weekend was pretty shitty wouldn't you agree? Its been a while since us Arsenal fans have been able to relax and watch our side cruise to a victory. At the moment we're not even doing things the hard way, we're not doing them at all! The injury to Djourou has obviously unsettled our defence but there is more than enough experience in there to cope. Sagna and Clichy have been in quite a few title races now, Koscielny has been magnificent and is learning every week while Squillaci has played in almost every top league in Europe plus has several France caps to his name. The lack of height amongst those four is a bit concerning though. Our defending from set-pieces has always been dodgy but being forced to play a partnership made up of two guys who are barely six foot could prove rather difficult espeically from set-pieces. And its not like we make up for this lack of height in other areas of the pitch. Apart from Chamakh and Diaby we have a relatively small squad.
This weakness was exposed inside three minutes at the Hawthorns. Stephen Reid stole free from Aaron Ramsey and berried a header past the helpless Almunia. Ramsey should have made up for his poor marking by scoring soon after. Robin Van Persie's header came back off the bar and fell to the Welshmen six hards out but his left footed shot was straight at Carson. It was a typically frustrating Arsenal performance. We were seeing plenty of the ball but it was like there was a lack of urgency. At half-time the boss made a change bringing on Chamakh for Denilson who was terrible to say the least.
Before we even got a chance to settle West Brom almsost went 2-0 up. Chris Brunt latched onto Marek Cech's cross but his shot hit the side netting. Another warning sign for Arsenal. There didn't seem to be much of an improvement compared to the 1st half so Wenger gambled and threw on Bendtner in place of Ramsey. Having Arshavin, Nasri, Chamakh, Bendtner and RVP in the same side, well you might say its a bit suicidal but we were desperate for goals in this particular case.
However, we would suffer one hell of a setback. A seemingly harmless long ball saw Almunia needlessly come rushing out of his goal which somewhat confused the hell out of Squillaci leaving Odemwingie to nick the ball between the two of them and slot home Albion's second. Our title hopes had been dealt a major blow but there was time to repair some of the damage. That we did, Chamakh picked up the ball on the edge of the box, played it in to Arshavin who was just inside the box, he took a touch with his right foot and then smashed the ball past Carson with his left. Definately a contender for goal of the month, a magnificent strike, exactly the type of individual brilliance we needed to claw us back in the game.
Twenty minutes from time we equalised and it was that man again Arshavin who was at the heart of the move. He took on two defender before delivering a looping cross which Bendtner knocked back across goal, the ball got stuck between Meite's feet and RVP forced him into scoring an own goal. The comeback was complete but we still needed the win.
Substitute Marc-Antoine Fortune nearly put the Baggies back in front only for a superb block from Squillaci. We piled the pressure on them for the remainder of the game but there would be no breakthrough and the result would be made even more sickening when United nicked a late goal against Bolton to give them a 1-0 win and send them five points clear of us, although we still have a game in hand. I'm grateful that we came away with a point considering we were 2-0 down but these types of situations have happened too often. We start games sloppily and it takes conceding a goal to wake us up. Its not good enough if you want to win the league. You have to go out there and do everything you can to score straight from the off. If you don't you will be punished, that's the way the Premier League is.
Here are my player ratings:
Almunia: 4 - That error could cost us the league title, I don't want to heap critisism on the man but its the truth.
Sagna: 6 - Good and bad.
Squillaci: 6 - Hugely important tackles towards the end.
Koscielny: 7 - Wholehearted performance.
Clichy: 7 - Got forward well and delivered some great crosses.
Denilson: 5 - Shocking display and taken off at half-time.
Wilshere: 8 - The rating speaks for itself.
Ramsey: 6 - Should have scored in the first half and poor marking for the goal. Will improve with games though.
Nasri: 7 - Ran the show in the second half.
Arshavin: 7 Brilliant goal, really got us going.
Van Persie: 7 - Did really well to force Meite into scoring an og.
Subs:
Chamakh: 7 - Gave us a breath of fresh air and enabled us to try something different.
Bendtner: 6 - Did well for the second goal.
Now there's the international break. Our next league game against Blackburn isn't for another two weeks so some of the players can relax while other go away on international duty to pick up some injuries. (Heh just joking). I've heard Cesc, Theo and Song will spend the two weeks working on their fitness ahead of the game against Blackburn which is great news. Hopefully they will return for that game, it would be a massive boost. Anyway, I think I've written enough for one night plus my eyes are shutting.
Keep the faith Gooners, till next time.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
West Brom Preview & Injuries Mounting
Hello readers!
Well I thought the week was going relatively well until Arsene's press conference Thursday afternoon. We had a week to relax, regroup and refocus. Then we got the weekly dose of terrible news. It was like Wenger had a voodoo doll for every Arsenal fan in the world and he was repeatedly stabbing at it with a pin knife. First he confirmed Johan Djourou would be out for six weeks. It was first feared he would miss the rest of the season but there is a slight chance he may play a small part in the run in. Earlier in the week the Swiss FA claimed his injury wasn't as bad as first feared and that they were hoping he could play a part in their qualifier later this month. It was a bit out of the blue, a man dislocates his shoulder and his national team expect him back in two weeks. Strange gang them Swiss.
The boss went on to say that Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Alex Song would not feature against West Brom this weekend. Three key players that are of huge importance to this team but I think we can manage without them tomorrow. All three are also likely to stay with us during the international break which is positive news in a way. It certainly reduces the risk of them doing further damage plus you all know the story with Arsenal players going away with their countries and coming back crocked. The good news is that I've heard Theo and Cesc should be fit for our next league game against Blackburn. I haven't heard anything on Song's knee injury but it can't be too serious. There are whispers going around that Abou Diaby may be out for the season. I really can't comment on this because I have no knowledge of the situation whatsoever but if I do hear something I shall let you know via my Twitter page.
Don't think I'm finished with the injury news oh no! When asked about Thomas Vermaelen Wenger said:
"For Thomas Vermaelen the season is over. In fairness he has not played since September, I never expected him to be fit before the end of the season. He is not out on the field yet and it is impossible [for him to play] after six months without competition. I am confident he will have a full recovery but for this season we cannot rely on him."
It really is gut-wrenching news. I was really optimistic that the Belgian would return and play a key part in the latter stages of the season but clearly that is not the case. He has had setback after setback since he picked up that achilles injury on international duty (grrrrr) back in August. We know its a delicate area that needs to be treated with 100& caution but we didn't know at the time that we wouldn't see him again for months when it was originally thought that he would be back in action in a few days. It also puts further question marks around Arsene's decision not to sign a centre-back in January. He said he never expected Vermaelen to return so he obviously knew he was taking a huge gamble. I just hope it dosen't come back to bite him. After Djourou's recent injury we now have just two natural centre-backs. Alex Song can play there too but its not an option we want to be forced into. There were also suggestions we could bring back Kyle Bartley from Rangers but last night he was injured in their Europa League game and has been ruled out for a few weeks. We're sitting in a tight rope in this area. Fingers crossed everyone can stay fit.
That is it as far as injuries go. Now we're tasked with the challenge of overcoming West Brom tomorrow in a three o' clock kick off. The Baggies are still unbeaten since Roy Hodgson took over and as I tweeted yesterday, I'll be a very unhappy man if that is still the case tomorrow evening. They're on a good run of form at the moment. Last week they beat Birmingham City 3-1 at St Andrews, yes the same Birmingham that beat us in the cup final. I think we can win comfortably against this lot if everyone shows up. It can't be a case of the likes of Nasri and RVP carrying the team while the others coast through the game (Not everyone, just certain individuals). West Brom will work their socks off tomorrow, I can guarantee you that. They are just as desperate for points as we are because they're right in the middle of a relegation battle. The fact that we haven't won a game in a few weeks makes this game even more important. The players confidence has been shot recently but they need to turn over a new leaf now and remember our form in the league is still very good.
Here is the team I would like to see tomorrow:
Almunia
Sagna - Squillaci - Koscielny - Clichy
Nasri - Denilson - Wilshere - Arshavin
Chamakh - Van Persie
I know I've gone from the usual 4-3-3 formation to 4-4-2. I just think with the players we're missing in midfield it might be no harm to take a different approach. That midfield looks good to me, all those players are very good at keeping possession and are more than capable of creating chances. The worry for me and for a lot of you I'm sure is the Squillaci - Koscielny partnership at the back. We're relying on those two to click now and I think they can do it. They've played many games together earlier on in the season. Here's a list of them:
Bolton - Won 4-1
Braga - Won 6-0
Sunderland - Drew 1-1
West Brom - Lost 3-2
Belgrade - Won 3-1
Chelsea - Lost 2-0
Shakhtar Donestk - Won 5-1
West Ham - Won 1-0
Tottenham - Lost 3-2
Aston Villa - Won 4-2
Fulham - Won 2-1
Man.United - Lost 1-0
Wigan - Drew 2-2
Its an inconsistant record but they both have the ability to do the job required. We've still won big games with them at the back. Its been hyped as a nightmare partnership but it could be a lot worse, last year we had to turn to Silvestre. There are no more excuses now. There are ten league games left, win them all and we're champions. It sounds easy but it really is a monumental task when you look at the fixtures facing us. The good news is that United's ficture list dosen't look too rosy for them either and they also have a couple of injury problems to deal with. Let's take each game as it comes and treat it with the utmost importance. We can win the league but we can also really mess this up. Keep the faith and get behind the players for this big run in. It starts tomorrow. Come on Arsenal!
Till next time.
Well I thought the week was going relatively well until Arsene's press conference Thursday afternoon. We had a week to relax, regroup and refocus. Then we got the weekly dose of terrible news. It was like Wenger had a voodoo doll for every Arsenal fan in the world and he was repeatedly stabbing at it with a pin knife. First he confirmed Johan Djourou would be out for six weeks. It was first feared he would miss the rest of the season but there is a slight chance he may play a small part in the run in. Earlier in the week the Swiss FA claimed his injury wasn't as bad as first feared and that they were hoping he could play a part in their qualifier later this month. It was a bit out of the blue, a man dislocates his shoulder and his national team expect him back in two weeks. Strange gang them Swiss.
The boss went on to say that Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Alex Song would not feature against West Brom this weekend. Three key players that are of huge importance to this team but I think we can manage without them tomorrow. All three are also likely to stay with us during the international break which is positive news in a way. It certainly reduces the risk of them doing further damage plus you all know the story with Arsenal players going away with their countries and coming back crocked. The good news is that I've heard Theo and Cesc should be fit for our next league game against Blackburn. I haven't heard anything on Song's knee injury but it can't be too serious. There are whispers going around that Abou Diaby may be out for the season. I really can't comment on this because I have no knowledge of the situation whatsoever but if I do hear something I shall let you know via my Twitter page.
Don't think I'm finished with the injury news oh no! When asked about Thomas Vermaelen Wenger said:
"For Thomas Vermaelen the season is over. In fairness he has not played since September, I never expected him to be fit before the end of the season. He is not out on the field yet and it is impossible [for him to play] after six months without competition. I am confident he will have a full recovery but for this season we cannot rely on him."
It really is gut-wrenching news. I was really optimistic that the Belgian would return and play a key part in the latter stages of the season but clearly that is not the case. He has had setback after setback since he picked up that achilles injury on international duty (grrrrr) back in August. We know its a delicate area that needs to be treated with 100& caution but we didn't know at the time that we wouldn't see him again for months when it was originally thought that he would be back in action in a few days. It also puts further question marks around Arsene's decision not to sign a centre-back in January. He said he never expected Vermaelen to return so he obviously knew he was taking a huge gamble. I just hope it dosen't come back to bite him. After Djourou's recent injury we now have just two natural centre-backs. Alex Song can play there too but its not an option we want to be forced into. There were also suggestions we could bring back Kyle Bartley from Rangers but last night he was injured in their Europa League game and has been ruled out for a few weeks. We're sitting in a tight rope in this area. Fingers crossed everyone can stay fit.
That is it as far as injuries go. Now we're tasked with the challenge of overcoming West Brom tomorrow in a three o' clock kick off. The Baggies are still unbeaten since Roy Hodgson took over and as I tweeted yesterday, I'll be a very unhappy man if that is still the case tomorrow evening. They're on a good run of form at the moment. Last week they beat Birmingham City 3-1 at St Andrews, yes the same Birmingham that beat us in the cup final. I think we can win comfortably against this lot if everyone shows up. It can't be a case of the likes of Nasri and RVP carrying the team while the others coast through the game (Not everyone, just certain individuals). West Brom will work their socks off tomorrow, I can guarantee you that. They are just as desperate for points as we are because they're right in the middle of a relegation battle. The fact that we haven't won a game in a few weeks makes this game even more important. The players confidence has been shot recently but they need to turn over a new leaf now and remember our form in the league is still very good.
Here is the team I would like to see tomorrow:
Almunia
Sagna - Squillaci - Koscielny - Clichy
Nasri - Denilson - Wilshere - Arshavin
Chamakh - Van Persie
I know I've gone from the usual 4-3-3 formation to 4-4-2. I just think with the players we're missing in midfield it might be no harm to take a different approach. That midfield looks good to me, all those players are very good at keeping possession and are more than capable of creating chances. The worry for me and for a lot of you I'm sure is the Squillaci - Koscielny partnership at the back. We're relying on those two to click now and I think they can do it. They've played many games together earlier on in the season. Here's a list of them:
Bolton - Won 4-1
Braga - Won 6-0
Sunderland - Drew 1-1
West Brom - Lost 3-2
Belgrade - Won 3-1
Chelsea - Lost 2-0
Shakhtar Donestk - Won 5-1
West Ham - Won 1-0
Tottenham - Lost 3-2
Aston Villa - Won 4-2
Fulham - Won 2-1
Man.United - Lost 1-0
Wigan - Drew 2-2
Its an inconsistant record but they both have the ability to do the job required. We've still won big games with them at the back. Its been hyped as a nightmare partnership but it could be a lot worse, last year we had to turn to Silvestre. There are no more excuses now. There are ten league games left, win them all and we're champions. It sounds easy but it really is a monumental task when you look at the fixtures facing us. The good news is that United's ficture list dosen't look too rosy for them either and they also have a couple of injury problems to deal with. Let's take each game as it comes and treat it with the utmost importance. We can win the league but we can also really mess this up. Keep the faith and get behind the players for this big run in. It starts tomorrow. Come on Arsenal!
Till next time.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
No More Slip Ups Please
Welcome back all,
Its not often I post two blogs in one day but I don't feel like doing anything at the moment. When Arsenal lose big games like today it seems like everything in life is pointless. Luckily this spell of depression only lasts a couple of hours so I should be back to my old optimistic self soon enough. Today's game was huge for both sides. Neither had been in good form of late and a trip to Wembley was on the cards. What more of a motivation could you need? There was no real surprise in our starting eleven. Gibbs and Denilson came in for Clichy and Fabregas while Arshavin replaced Rosicky as expected. The United line up gave everyone a bit of a shock. Ferguson opted to go with seven defenders, yes seven! The Da Silva occupied the wings and John O'Shea sat in front of the defence. On paper it wasn't a United side that would give you a few nervous twicthes but the Rooney - Hernandez partnership up front was enough to keep our defence occupied.
The Old Trafford pitch looked as though it would suit us down to the ground. Much better compared to the one we played on back in December where we struggled to get any sort of rhytm going. We started the game well too, plenty of early possession which I'm sure the players found strange considering they were deprived of it on Tuesday night. However, we nearly fell behind when one twin crossed for the other but he headed over the bar, Gibbs the culprit for letting him go unmarked. We remained on top but in typical fashion we soon fell behind. A Hernandez header was brilliantly saved by Almunia but tapped in by the onrushing Fabio. It was a sickening blow. The defence had completely switched off and been punished severley. We could have equalised immediately as Van Persie turned Vidic but saw his shot saved by Van Der Sar. Nasri also came close to getting his name on the score-sheet with a clever snap shot but the Dutchman between the sticks saved again.
At half-time there couldn't have been a whole lot that Wenger said to the team. They were playing very well but just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net, sounds familiar I know. We came out in the second half and continued to dominate the game. We created an opening minutes in as Koscielny found himself in space in the United box, instead of shooting he tried to slip the ball back to Van Persie, Brown cut it out and almost scored an own goal only for Van Der Sar, the ball the rebounded back out to Laurent who forced the keeper into another brilliant save. How it was still 1-0 was beyond me and we would soon pay the price for these misses. United went down the other end, Djourou attempted to cut out a Rafael cross but the ball looped up in the air and Rooney headed it past Almunia. A truly sickening setback and an undeserved one.
The 2-0 score-line in favour of United was simply baffling. We controlled the game, we created far more and we looked more up for it. That's football for you, sometimes you just don't get what you deserve and it can be a huge psycological setback. The man of the match was Van Der Sar, need I say any more? I could go through the chances we had after Rooney's goal but I'd be here for the night, I'll leave you to watch the highlights.
A bad night was made even worse when Djourou was stretchered off with a dislocated shoulder. Since then it has been confirmed that he will miss the remainder of the season which is a huge blow. If I had to pick one defender that I'd want to stay fit between now and May it would definately be that man. He's been outstanding for us. We're now looking at a Squillaci - Koscielny partnership which really worries me. When they play together we concede goals, its a well known fact. However when either plays with Djourou we're okay. It puzzles me to be honest, maybe its the lack of height they share? What I do know is that we need Vermaelen back as soon as possible. I'm told he's progressing well but no definite date has been set for his comeback. I think we can cope for the next three weeks because we take on reasonably average opposition but then we have a hugely important run in and Vermaelen's presence would be fantastic if its possible. I'll keep you up to date on that one.
As for my player ratings on yesterday's game:
Almunia: 8 - Another solid shift for the Spaniard, won't do his confidence any harm.
Sagna: 7 - Got forward well, Fabio didn't cause him many problems.
Djourou: 6 - Okay but his evening ended on a sour note as he was stretchered off.
Koscielny: 7 - Reliable at the back.
Gibbs: 6 - Provided width going forward but unconvincing defensive wise.
Denilson: 7 - His best game in a long time, needs to build on this.
Diaby: 6 - Threatened to do things but lacked creativity.
Wilshere: 8 - Outstanding again, running out of words for this boy.
Nasri: 7 - Gave Evra all sorts of problems.
Arshavin: 7 - Looked dangerous but would have liked to have had a bigger impact on the game.
Van Persie: 7 - Lacked service but gave United problems when he got the ball.
Subs:
Ramsey: 7 - Looked very sharp, promising signs.
Chamakh: 7 - Got himself into some good positions, unlucky not to score.
Rosicky: 6 - Could have score from long range.
Its been another bad day in the office for our players but the hunt for the title is still very much on. We can now focus on this 100%. Of course all of us would still like to be fighting for more than one trophy but its time to move on. Next Saturday we are tasked with a tricky trip to West Brom. They're a side on form and we'll have to work our socks off to come away with the three points. Its good to finally have a week off, the players can clear their heads and regroup. Keep the chins up Gooners, there's still a hell of a lot to play for!
Till next time.
Its not often I post two blogs in one day but I don't feel like doing anything at the moment. When Arsenal lose big games like today it seems like everything in life is pointless. Luckily this spell of depression only lasts a couple of hours so I should be back to my old optimistic self soon enough. Today's game was huge for both sides. Neither had been in good form of late and a trip to Wembley was on the cards. What more of a motivation could you need? There was no real surprise in our starting eleven. Gibbs and Denilson came in for Clichy and Fabregas while Arshavin replaced Rosicky as expected. The United line up gave everyone a bit of a shock. Ferguson opted to go with seven defenders, yes seven! The Da Silva occupied the wings and John O'Shea sat in front of the defence. On paper it wasn't a United side that would give you a few nervous twicthes but the Rooney - Hernandez partnership up front was enough to keep our defence occupied.
The Old Trafford pitch looked as though it would suit us down to the ground. Much better compared to the one we played on back in December where we struggled to get any sort of rhytm going. We started the game well too, plenty of early possession which I'm sure the players found strange considering they were deprived of it on Tuesday night. However, we nearly fell behind when one twin crossed for the other but he headed over the bar, Gibbs the culprit for letting him go unmarked. We remained on top but in typical fashion we soon fell behind. A Hernandez header was brilliantly saved by Almunia but tapped in by the onrushing Fabio. It was a sickening blow. The defence had completely switched off and been punished severley. We could have equalised immediately as Van Persie turned Vidic but saw his shot saved by Van Der Sar. Nasri also came close to getting his name on the score-sheet with a clever snap shot but the Dutchman between the sticks saved again.
At half-time there couldn't have been a whole lot that Wenger said to the team. They were playing very well but just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net, sounds familiar I know. We came out in the second half and continued to dominate the game. We created an opening minutes in as Koscielny found himself in space in the United box, instead of shooting he tried to slip the ball back to Van Persie, Brown cut it out and almost scored an own goal only for Van Der Sar, the ball the rebounded back out to Laurent who forced the keeper into another brilliant save. How it was still 1-0 was beyond me and we would soon pay the price for these misses. United went down the other end, Djourou attempted to cut out a Rafael cross but the ball looped up in the air and Rooney headed it past Almunia. A truly sickening setback and an undeserved one.
The 2-0 score-line in favour of United was simply baffling. We controlled the game, we created far more and we looked more up for it. That's football for you, sometimes you just don't get what you deserve and it can be a huge psycological setback. The man of the match was Van Der Sar, need I say any more? I could go through the chances we had after Rooney's goal but I'd be here for the night, I'll leave you to watch the highlights.
A bad night was made even worse when Djourou was stretchered off with a dislocated shoulder. Since then it has been confirmed that he will miss the remainder of the season which is a huge blow. If I had to pick one defender that I'd want to stay fit between now and May it would definately be that man. He's been outstanding for us. We're now looking at a Squillaci - Koscielny partnership which really worries me. When they play together we concede goals, its a well known fact. However when either plays with Djourou we're okay. It puzzles me to be honest, maybe its the lack of height they share? What I do know is that we need Vermaelen back as soon as possible. I'm told he's progressing well but no definite date has been set for his comeback. I think we can cope for the next three weeks because we take on reasonably average opposition but then we have a hugely important run in and Vermaelen's presence would be fantastic if its possible. I'll keep you up to date on that one.
As for my player ratings on yesterday's game:
Almunia: 8 - Another solid shift for the Spaniard, won't do his confidence any harm.
Sagna: 7 - Got forward well, Fabio didn't cause him many problems.
Djourou: 6 - Okay but his evening ended on a sour note as he was stretchered off.
Koscielny: 7 - Reliable at the back.
Gibbs: 6 - Provided width going forward but unconvincing defensive wise.
Denilson: 7 - His best game in a long time, needs to build on this.
Diaby: 6 - Threatened to do things but lacked creativity.
Wilshere: 8 - Outstanding again, running out of words for this boy.
Nasri: 7 - Gave Evra all sorts of problems.
Arshavin: 7 - Looked dangerous but would have liked to have had a bigger impact on the game.
Van Persie: 7 - Lacked service but gave United problems when he got the ball.
Subs:
Ramsey: 7 - Looked very sharp, promising signs.
Chamakh: 7 - Got himself into some good positions, unlucky not to score.
Rosicky: 6 - Could have score from long range.
Its been another bad day in the office for our players but the hunt for the title is still very much on. We can now focus on this 100%. Of course all of us would still like to be fighting for more than one trophy but its time to move on. Next Saturday we are tasked with a tricky trip to West Brom. They're a side on form and we'll have to work our socks off to come away with the three points. Its good to finally have a week off, the players can clear their heads and regroup. Keep the chins up Gooners, there's still a hell of a lot to play for!
Till next time.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Manchester United Preview - Stop The Rot
Morning everyone,
I don't want to go into too much detail on the Barca game Tuesday night. As we expected they came at us straight from the start and contained them extremely well in my opinion. Yes they were good at creating space but failed to take advantage of it until the last minute of the half. Why were they struggling to take advantage of it? Good organisation on our part. The midfield sat deep and the trio of Cesc, Jack and Diaby did a pretty decent job of protecting pur defence. However, it was the former who would provide the home side with a helping hand. Just as it looked we would see the half out Cesc attempted to play a silly backheel to Wilshere. It was intercepted and picked up by Iniesta, he played through Messi who flicked the ball over Almunia and finished well. It was a sickening blow. Having defeneded so well as a team, you want to at least make Barca work for a goal instead of gifting them one.
At half-time it was clear Wenger would have to alter his tactics. We now needed a goal but also had to be wary of the threat Barca posed at the other end. We got our goal in somewhat bizzare fashion. A Samir Nasri corner was headed into the net by Sergio Busquets. A hilarious own goal and it couldn't happen to a bigger cunt (unless it was Danny Alves). It was a huge boost for the players but nobody could have predicted what was to happen next. Cesc played a ball over the top to the offside Van Persie who (not knowing he was offside) had a shot. This clearly pissed off Massimo Busacca who decided to give Van Persie his second yellow card which meant his night was over. It was the most ridiculous decisions I'd seen in a long time and I'd seen my fair share of rubbish calls. There was one second between the time the whistle was blown and when Robin kicked it. Busacca had made a tring of poor decisions on the night but this was by far the worst and it would be one that changed the game.
Twenty minutes from time Barca regained their lead. A beautiful swiftly flowing move resulted in Xavi finding the back of the net, albeit via the deflection from Sagna. Now it was an uphill task for us to get back in this game. Trying to get forward with no striker to aim at really was difficult, although it was a challenge we shouldn't have had to deal with. We wouldn't even get a chance to respond. Pedro was brought down by Koscielny, clear penalty and no complaints. Surprisingly Busacca got something right. Yet still, we only needed a goal to put ourselves in a winning position. That chance we all craved came moments from full-time. Wilshere's persistance won him possession deep in Barca's half and he played a sublime ball to Bendtner who's first touch was just terrible and Mascherano was able to get back and intervine. That was it, we had a chance to really sicken them but messed it up. You can only help but wonder what would have been the outcome had that chance fallen to RVP who should have been on the pitch. Thanks again Busacca.
That was that. Our players had given it everything and were undone in the end by a combination of silly errors, a refereeing howler and Barca brilliance. Its hard not say you feel unjustified. When your playing the best team in the world you want to be able to give them a game with your best players at your disposal and more importantly 11 vs 11. I know for a fact we would have had a better chance with Walcott, Song an perhaps Vermaelen in the side but that's football.
Here are my player ratings:
Szezesny: 6 - Had to come off early with a finger injury.
Sagna: 6 - Could have done with more help dealing with Villa and Adriano.
Djourou: 7 - The Swiss men had a good game, he's made incredible progress this season.
Koscielny: 7 - Seems to have put the Carling Cup Final behind him. Commanding performance.
Clichy: 7 - Wasn't helped by Nasri as much as he would have liked but had a really good game all the same.
Diaby: 5 - Very quiet, not a natural defensive midfielder either.
Wilshere: 8 - Brilliant performance. This boy is simply breathtaking
Fabregas: 5 - Bad day at the office for Cesc. Hamstring clearly affected his performance and eventually tweaked.
Rosicky: 6 - Worked very hard but offered little going forward.
Nasri: 7 - Kept possession well when we needed him to but the defensive side of his game was poor.
Van Persie: 6 - Quiet night for the Dutchman and was wrongly sent off. Appaling decision, rightly furious.
Subs:
Almunia: 8 - Incredible display considering he came off the bench. Has a big part to play for the next few weeks in Szezesny's absence.
Arshavin: 7 - Got stuck in straight away. His work-rate has improved immensley.
Bendtner: 6 - Should have won it for us in the end.
Now on to today's game. This game has now become huge for us after being knocked out of two competitions in the space of something like thirteen days. A win today would reinstall some much needed confidence into the players. They know what they've got to do but the big question is, can they go out there today and take the game to United? We've only one out of the last ten meetings against them. That is simply not good enough. They're 4-3-3 formation has frustrated us in recent years. The trio of Carrick, Scholes and Fletcher have always done extremely well in marking the likes of Cesc and Nasri out of the game. Of course there will be no Cesc today so I expect Nasri to move back into midfield and possibly see Bendtner on the right of the front trio. Szezesny will be out for up to six weeks so Almunia will be number one until he returns and who knows, if he impresses he might keep his spot in the team. Fair is fair after all. The good news is that Van Persie came through the Barcelona game unscathed and should lead the line today. We'll need a big performance from everyone if we are to win this game. To be honest I'd take a draw and have them back at the Emirates in the replay.
Here's the team I expect to see:
Almunia
Sagna - Djourou - Koscielny - Clichy
Nasri - Diaby - Wilshere
Bendtner - Van Persie - Arshavin
The boss said he'll play his strongest available team so granting nobody picked up any knocks he's not telling us about, then that should be the eleven we'll see today. I don't think certain players should be rested, we've got a week off after this so let that be their break. That back four has been fantastic for us in the past couple of months so its vital Wenger dosen't make any changes in that department. United aren't exactly in goalscoring form and the absence of Nani, Park and Valencia won't help their cause. All the same, they are notorious for scoring poxy goals against us so we'll have to be on our toes for the 90 minutes. Let's make a statement today, we're long due a win at Old Trafford. Come on Arsenal!
Till next time Gooners.
I don't want to go into too much detail on the Barca game Tuesday night. As we expected they came at us straight from the start and contained them extremely well in my opinion. Yes they were good at creating space but failed to take advantage of it until the last minute of the half. Why were they struggling to take advantage of it? Good organisation on our part. The midfield sat deep and the trio of Cesc, Jack and Diaby did a pretty decent job of protecting pur defence. However, it was the former who would provide the home side with a helping hand. Just as it looked we would see the half out Cesc attempted to play a silly backheel to Wilshere. It was intercepted and picked up by Iniesta, he played through Messi who flicked the ball over Almunia and finished well. It was a sickening blow. Having defeneded so well as a team, you want to at least make Barca work for a goal instead of gifting them one.
At half-time it was clear Wenger would have to alter his tactics. We now needed a goal but also had to be wary of the threat Barca posed at the other end. We got our goal in somewhat bizzare fashion. A Samir Nasri corner was headed into the net by Sergio Busquets. A hilarious own goal and it couldn't happen to a bigger cunt (unless it was Danny Alves). It was a huge boost for the players but nobody could have predicted what was to happen next. Cesc played a ball over the top to the offside Van Persie who (not knowing he was offside) had a shot. This clearly pissed off Massimo Busacca who decided to give Van Persie his second yellow card which meant his night was over. It was the most ridiculous decisions I'd seen in a long time and I'd seen my fair share of rubbish calls. There was one second between the time the whistle was blown and when Robin kicked it. Busacca had made a tring of poor decisions on the night but this was by far the worst and it would be one that changed the game.
Twenty minutes from time Barca regained their lead. A beautiful swiftly flowing move resulted in Xavi finding the back of the net, albeit via the deflection from Sagna. Now it was an uphill task for us to get back in this game. Trying to get forward with no striker to aim at really was difficult, although it was a challenge we shouldn't have had to deal with. We wouldn't even get a chance to respond. Pedro was brought down by Koscielny, clear penalty and no complaints. Surprisingly Busacca got something right. Yet still, we only needed a goal to put ourselves in a winning position. That chance we all craved came moments from full-time. Wilshere's persistance won him possession deep in Barca's half and he played a sublime ball to Bendtner who's first touch was just terrible and Mascherano was able to get back and intervine. That was it, we had a chance to really sicken them but messed it up. You can only help but wonder what would have been the outcome had that chance fallen to RVP who should have been on the pitch. Thanks again Busacca.
That was that. Our players had given it everything and were undone in the end by a combination of silly errors, a refereeing howler and Barca brilliance. Its hard not say you feel unjustified. When your playing the best team in the world you want to be able to give them a game with your best players at your disposal and more importantly 11 vs 11. I know for a fact we would have had a better chance with Walcott, Song an perhaps Vermaelen in the side but that's football.
Here are my player ratings:
Szezesny: 6 - Had to come off early with a finger injury.
Sagna: 6 - Could have done with more help dealing with Villa and Adriano.
Djourou: 7 - The Swiss men had a good game, he's made incredible progress this season.
Koscielny: 7 - Seems to have put the Carling Cup Final behind him. Commanding performance.
Clichy: 7 - Wasn't helped by Nasri as much as he would have liked but had a really good game all the same.
Diaby: 5 - Very quiet, not a natural defensive midfielder either.
Wilshere: 8 - Brilliant performance. This boy is simply breathtaking
Fabregas: 5 - Bad day at the office for Cesc. Hamstring clearly affected his performance and eventually tweaked.
Rosicky: 6 - Worked very hard but offered little going forward.
Nasri: 7 - Kept possession well when we needed him to but the defensive side of his game was poor.
Van Persie: 6 - Quiet night for the Dutchman and was wrongly sent off. Appaling decision, rightly furious.
Subs:
Almunia: 8 - Incredible display considering he came off the bench. Has a big part to play for the next few weeks in Szezesny's absence.
Arshavin: 7 - Got stuck in straight away. His work-rate has improved immensley.
Bendtner: 6 - Should have won it for us in the end.
Now on to today's game. This game has now become huge for us after being knocked out of two competitions in the space of something like thirteen days. A win today would reinstall some much needed confidence into the players. They know what they've got to do but the big question is, can they go out there today and take the game to United? We've only one out of the last ten meetings against them. That is simply not good enough. They're 4-3-3 formation has frustrated us in recent years. The trio of Carrick, Scholes and Fletcher have always done extremely well in marking the likes of Cesc and Nasri out of the game. Of course there will be no Cesc today so I expect Nasri to move back into midfield and possibly see Bendtner on the right of the front trio. Szezesny will be out for up to six weeks so Almunia will be number one until he returns and who knows, if he impresses he might keep his spot in the team. Fair is fair after all. The good news is that Van Persie came through the Barcelona game unscathed and should lead the line today. We'll need a big performance from everyone if we are to win this game. To be honest I'd take a draw and have them back at the Emirates in the replay.
Here's the team I expect to see:
Almunia
Sagna - Djourou - Koscielny - Clichy
Nasri - Diaby - Wilshere
Bendtner - Van Persie - Arshavin
The boss said he'll play his strongest available team so granting nobody picked up any knocks he's not telling us about, then that should be the eleven we'll see today. I don't think certain players should be rested, we've got a week off after this so let that be their break. That back four has been fantastic for us in the past couple of months so its vital Wenger dosen't make any changes in that department. United aren't exactly in goalscoring form and the absence of Nani, Park and Valencia won't help their cause. All the same, they are notorious for scoring poxy goals against us so we'll have to be on our toes for the 90 minutes. Let's make a statement today, we're long due a win at Old Trafford. Come on Arsenal!
Till next time Gooners.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Barcelona Preview - We Can Do It
Hello again readers,
Well the time is almost upon us. Its the game that has constantly been playing on the back of all our minds since both names were drawn from the pot. The victory over these big headed tools at the Nou Camp was one of my greatest nights as an Arsenal fan ever. It was a monumental performance from the players but nobody else will remember it if we go on and get knocked out tomorrow night. It is a possibility. Its so hard to be confident going into a game against a side of the calibre of Barca. We have an incredibly strong side this season that when fit can beat anyone in the world if they are up for it. The thing with Barca though is that they can be crap for 89 minutes and then BANG....Messi pops up and steals the show.
On that note, we can't focus all of our attention on this guy. I know people will look back to last season and think that we should man mark him. We don't have to, we can work as a team to keep him quiet. You could tell one or two players to focus solely on Messi but then what about Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Pedro? The list goes on. We just need to do what we did at the Emirates. Let them play their little keep ball sessions in their own half of they want to but when they cross the half way line then press. Press press press! You've just got to. If you give these guys space in your own territory they'll punish you in a split second. We saw that last season, I hope to God we've learned from our mistakes. And the thing is, even if we have learned our lessons it dosen't necessarily mean we have Barca's number. Messi at times is just unplayable. Like Wenger said, you can't bank on him not turning up. Messi always turns up, he's the greatest player to grace the game for quite some time now. Our defence and midfield were brilliant against him at the Emirates last season but then it all went sour in Spain. Again this year at the Emirates we limited him to a handful of opportunities. Again it could be a different story at the Nou Camp. Bigger pitch = more space for players to run in to.
Of course this is also an advantage for us. We have some of the best attacking players in the world at the moment. For me it all comes down to who defends better on the night. The Djourou - Koscielny partnership has been brilliant for us since they were first paired together. Let's hope they can turn in another brilliant shift tomorrow night. The full-backs will also be key. Bacary Sagna has been one of our most consistant performers this season and dosen't get the praise he deserves. Clichy had an average start but has come good lately. These four men will have to be at their very best tomorrow night and will need all the support they can get from those ahead of them.
Now onto the sensational news that Robin Van Persie has been included in the squad. It just came out of nowhere. Wenger didn't even mention his name in the press conference this morning. A few days ago Arsene said he hoped to return against Blackburn on April 2nd I think? Now all of a sudden he's ready in a few days? It really is bizzare and we had a similar situation with Eboue a couple of months ago. I won't complain though, that is for sure. There is no guarantee that the Dutchman will start but his presence on the bench alone will no doubt give the other players a boost. We are so much more dangerous with him on the pitch, I'll be over the moon if I see his name on the team-sheet tomorrow evening.
The bad news is that Alex Song misses out with a knee injury. Its a pity but I think we can manage. I reckon Diaby will come in for him and Wilshere will assist him in trying to protect the defence. Neither will be unfamiliar to the role, they both did it on the opening day of the season at Anfield and did I fine job there I must say and more recently at St James Park up until Diaby got sent off and well we just won't go there. Barca are a whole different package though. From the first second to the last they will just go hunting for goals. They can be ruthless and can make the best of tacticians look very silly indeed, ask Jose Mourinho. Wenger says we may need to change our style which is common sense really going to a daunting place like the Nou Camp. We do possess the players to really hurt them on the break and with Puyol and Pique both absent who knows? We might just have a feast of goals on our hands.
Only God knows whats in store for us tomorrow. From the moment the eyes open tomorrow morning till full-time at the Nou Camp, the andrenaline will be flowing. At least I hope it is, last season watching the final twenty minutes was like watching a pre-season match where it was a case of damaged limitations. I'm confident that not only can we avoid a similar scenario but really take the game to these cunts in their own backyard. Just how sweet would it be for Cesc to score the winner? Anyway, I'll let you go and dare to dream people! This is not impossible, this team has something special, let's hope we see it tomorrow night.
Take care of yourselves and Come on Arsenal!
Well the time is almost upon us. Its the game that has constantly been playing on the back of all our minds since both names were drawn from the pot. The victory over these big headed tools at the Nou Camp was one of my greatest nights as an Arsenal fan ever. It was a monumental performance from the players but nobody else will remember it if we go on and get knocked out tomorrow night. It is a possibility. Its so hard to be confident going into a game against a side of the calibre of Barca. We have an incredibly strong side this season that when fit can beat anyone in the world if they are up for it. The thing with Barca though is that they can be crap for 89 minutes and then BANG....Messi pops up and steals the show.
On that note, we can't focus all of our attention on this guy. I know people will look back to last season and think that we should man mark him. We don't have to, we can work as a team to keep him quiet. You could tell one or two players to focus solely on Messi but then what about Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Pedro? The list goes on. We just need to do what we did at the Emirates. Let them play their little keep ball sessions in their own half of they want to but when they cross the half way line then press. Press press press! You've just got to. If you give these guys space in your own territory they'll punish you in a split second. We saw that last season, I hope to God we've learned from our mistakes. And the thing is, even if we have learned our lessons it dosen't necessarily mean we have Barca's number. Messi at times is just unplayable. Like Wenger said, you can't bank on him not turning up. Messi always turns up, he's the greatest player to grace the game for quite some time now. Our defence and midfield were brilliant against him at the Emirates last season but then it all went sour in Spain. Again this year at the Emirates we limited him to a handful of opportunities. Again it could be a different story at the Nou Camp. Bigger pitch = more space for players to run in to.
Of course this is also an advantage for us. We have some of the best attacking players in the world at the moment. For me it all comes down to who defends better on the night. The Djourou - Koscielny partnership has been brilliant for us since they were first paired together. Let's hope they can turn in another brilliant shift tomorrow night. The full-backs will also be key. Bacary Sagna has been one of our most consistant performers this season and dosen't get the praise he deserves. Clichy had an average start but has come good lately. These four men will have to be at their very best tomorrow night and will need all the support they can get from those ahead of them.
Now onto the sensational news that Robin Van Persie has been included in the squad. It just came out of nowhere. Wenger didn't even mention his name in the press conference this morning. A few days ago Arsene said he hoped to return against Blackburn on April 2nd I think? Now all of a sudden he's ready in a few days? It really is bizzare and we had a similar situation with Eboue a couple of months ago. I won't complain though, that is for sure. There is no guarantee that the Dutchman will start but his presence on the bench alone will no doubt give the other players a boost. We are so much more dangerous with him on the pitch, I'll be over the moon if I see his name on the team-sheet tomorrow evening.
The bad news is that Alex Song misses out with a knee injury. Its a pity but I think we can manage. I reckon Diaby will come in for him and Wilshere will assist him in trying to protect the defence. Neither will be unfamiliar to the role, they both did it on the opening day of the season at Anfield and did I fine job there I must say and more recently at St James Park up until Diaby got sent off and well we just won't go there. Barca are a whole different package though. From the first second to the last they will just go hunting for goals. They can be ruthless and can make the best of tacticians look very silly indeed, ask Jose Mourinho. Wenger says we may need to change our style which is common sense really going to a daunting place like the Nou Camp. We do possess the players to really hurt them on the break and with Puyol and Pique both absent who knows? We might just have a feast of goals on our hands.
Only God knows whats in store for us tomorrow. From the moment the eyes open tomorrow morning till full-time at the Nou Camp, the andrenaline will be flowing. At least I hope it is, last season watching the final twenty minutes was like watching a pre-season match where it was a case of damaged limitations. I'm confident that not only can we avoid a similar scenario but really take the game to these cunts in their own backyard. Just how sweet would it be for Cesc to score the winner? Anyway, I'll let you go and dare to dream people! This is not impossible, this team has something special, let's hope we see it tomorrow night.
Take care of yourselves and Come on Arsenal!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Bad Week But Keep The Chin Up
Welcome all,
Many times have I been tempted to post a blog after the Carling Cup Final but I opted not to incase I critisized this team so bad that it just made me out to be a tool which happens with a lot of other bloggers. People say this past week couldn't have been any worse. Rubbish, it could have been a whole lot worse than what it's been. We could have gone out of the FA Cup if we didn't turn up with the right attitude and we could have easily lost yesterday if it wasn't for a fantastic late save by Szezesny plus Liverpool did us a massive favour by beating United earlier today.
I'm not going to go through every game in detail because I know you don't want me to and who wants to hear me yap on about something that happened a week ago. Losing the final makes us all feel sick to our stomachs so I'm sure you'll all agree with me when I say we should just try and avoid bringing it up if its possible.
We all know how crucial it was to beat Sunderland yesterday. Somewhat unsurpisingly we failed to do so. We've been in this situation in previous seasons. Needing to beat the smaller teams but failing to do so for whatever reason. We've been through it all, lack of attitude, desire, urgency and so on. This team seems to be "learning lessons" every single season. When will they have enough knowledge to actually be able to win a trophy? The excuses are beginning to tire me now.
People who watched yesterday's game will tell you we dominated and deserved to win. Maybe we did but did you see the first half performance? It was flat, we lacked creativity and there was little or no urgency my the majority of our players to go and create chances. Around the 70th minute the players actually found out that there was the possibility that just turning up wouldn't be enough to take all three points (something they should have learned hmmmm about 2 years ago?). After that it was a barrage of attempts on the Sunderland goal. And when I'm critisizing the lack of urgency I'm not saying it goes for all the players. The likes of Samir Nasri and Jack Wilshere were superb yesterday. I can only imagine how hard it can be for them when they're doing everything they can to pave an opening yet the rest are inclined to relax and think the opportunities will come anyway. Sorry it dosen't work like that. There is no longer such thing as just turning up for the three points. Teams are now tactically more aware and have well thought out plans when going to places like the Emirates.
I did mention on my Twitter that I was slightly surprised to see Denilson and Diaby in the same team. Either can play the holding role so what's the point in both when your up against a side that's obviously going to defend for their lives for the duration of the match. You just knew Denilson was going to be sacrificed as time went on. He's a player that is seriously under-performing at the moment. He made a decent start to the season but its all gone downhill from there. I'm not sure if the holding role is for him and I hope the boss gives him the freedom to play next season when Frimpong and Coquelin return. I think it was the 2008/09 season when he got 11 assists? Not bad if you ask me.
We badly missed Van Persie and Fabregas yesterday but I'm just sick of using that excuse. You ask me if I think we would have won with those two and its a definite yes. Absolutely no doubt. We have to learn to cope without them though. Van Persie has a long term injury every season and when the day comes where Cesc says Adios then it will be a real test of this club's inner strenght. I'm not interested in discussing that at the moment though. They're both huge players for this club and the sooner they return the better.
Anyway, here's yesterday's player ratings:
Szezesny: 7 - Didn't have a lot to do but made a world class save late on to deny Welbeck.
Sagna: 7 - Got stuck in and gave everything. Typical Bacary.
Djourou: 7 - Comfortable as ever.
Koscielny: 8 - Last weekend's howler dosen't look to be playing on his mind, fine display.
Clichy: 7 - Got burned once or twice by Sessegnon but offered plenty going forward.
Denilson: 6 - Kept possession well but needs to add more bite to his game.
Diaby: 6 - Too square and struggled to get forward.
Wilshere: 7 - Whole hearted performance.
Nasri: 8 - Deserved to be on the winning side. By far the best player on the pitch, an absolute joy to watch.
Arshavin: 7 - Really gave it his all yesterday, can be proud of his performance.
Bendtner: 6 - Got himself into some good positions in the first half but faded.
Subs:
Chamakh: 7 - Looks to be finding his feet again and should have scored the winner.
Rosicky: 6 - No time to make an impact.
Its frustrating that we've only gained a point on United after the weekend. I was certain we could close the gap to a point with that all important game in hand. There's no time to let the heads drop though. We can still go level on points with them but now its time to put the league on the backburner for a bit. We've got an absolutely huge week coming up. We're away to Barcelona on Tuesday night in a game that's so big I'm getting butterflies as I type this. Then on the Saturday we go to Old Trafford in the quarter final of the FA Cup. This week really is make or break for us. All the odds are stacked against us. The media think we'll get thumped in Spain, lose at Old Trafford and then eventually fall in the league. As fans we need to stick behind the team. We've been in promising positions like this before and made a right duck's arse of it. This is a real test of how far this team has really come. Can we come away from both games with huge smiles on our faces? I believe so but you really can't predict anything with Arsenal. All it takes is another refereeing error or individual mistake for it all to blow up in our faces. Whatever happens we'll be behind the boys all the way.
On the injury front it dosen't make good reading. Fabregas and Song are big doubts for Tuesday's game. Jack Wilshere was initially put into the same category but today told us via his Twitter that he will be ready and raring to go for it. We all know Van Persie won't be back till April the 2nd at least but my main worry is Cesc. This team needs him so badly for Tuesday. He is a leader, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. All the players look up to him and if he's involved I'll be a whole lot more confident that we can finish the job. Song's involvelement is also crucial. We don't have any other natural holding men at the club right now that can protect the defence the way he does. Fingers crossed they will both be there. I think I've spoken enough for one night. I'll be back with a small preview of the Barca game soon.
Till then take care.
Many times have I been tempted to post a blog after the Carling Cup Final but I opted not to incase I critisized this team so bad that it just made me out to be a tool which happens with a lot of other bloggers. People say this past week couldn't have been any worse. Rubbish, it could have been a whole lot worse than what it's been. We could have gone out of the FA Cup if we didn't turn up with the right attitude and we could have easily lost yesterday if it wasn't for a fantastic late save by Szezesny plus Liverpool did us a massive favour by beating United earlier today.
I'm not going to go through every game in detail because I know you don't want me to and who wants to hear me yap on about something that happened a week ago. Losing the final makes us all feel sick to our stomachs so I'm sure you'll all agree with me when I say we should just try and avoid bringing it up if its possible.
We all know how crucial it was to beat Sunderland yesterday. Somewhat unsurpisingly we failed to do so. We've been in this situation in previous seasons. Needing to beat the smaller teams but failing to do so for whatever reason. We've been through it all, lack of attitude, desire, urgency and so on. This team seems to be "learning lessons" every single season. When will they have enough knowledge to actually be able to win a trophy? The excuses are beginning to tire me now.
People who watched yesterday's game will tell you we dominated and deserved to win. Maybe we did but did you see the first half performance? It was flat, we lacked creativity and there was little or no urgency my the majority of our players to go and create chances. Around the 70th minute the players actually found out that there was the possibility that just turning up wouldn't be enough to take all three points (something they should have learned hmmmm about 2 years ago?). After that it was a barrage of attempts on the Sunderland goal. And when I'm critisizing the lack of urgency I'm not saying it goes for all the players. The likes of Samir Nasri and Jack Wilshere were superb yesterday. I can only imagine how hard it can be for them when they're doing everything they can to pave an opening yet the rest are inclined to relax and think the opportunities will come anyway. Sorry it dosen't work like that. There is no longer such thing as just turning up for the three points. Teams are now tactically more aware and have well thought out plans when going to places like the Emirates.
I did mention on my Twitter that I was slightly surprised to see Denilson and Diaby in the same team. Either can play the holding role so what's the point in both when your up against a side that's obviously going to defend for their lives for the duration of the match. You just knew Denilson was going to be sacrificed as time went on. He's a player that is seriously under-performing at the moment. He made a decent start to the season but its all gone downhill from there. I'm not sure if the holding role is for him and I hope the boss gives him the freedom to play next season when Frimpong and Coquelin return. I think it was the 2008/09 season when he got 11 assists? Not bad if you ask me.
We badly missed Van Persie and Fabregas yesterday but I'm just sick of using that excuse. You ask me if I think we would have won with those two and its a definite yes. Absolutely no doubt. We have to learn to cope without them though. Van Persie has a long term injury every season and when the day comes where Cesc says Adios then it will be a real test of this club's inner strenght. I'm not interested in discussing that at the moment though. They're both huge players for this club and the sooner they return the better.
Anyway, here's yesterday's player ratings:
Szezesny: 7 - Didn't have a lot to do but made a world class save late on to deny Welbeck.
Sagna: 7 - Got stuck in and gave everything. Typical Bacary.
Djourou: 7 - Comfortable as ever.
Koscielny: 8 - Last weekend's howler dosen't look to be playing on his mind, fine display.
Clichy: 7 - Got burned once or twice by Sessegnon but offered plenty going forward.
Denilson: 6 - Kept possession well but needs to add more bite to his game.
Diaby: 6 - Too square and struggled to get forward.
Wilshere: 7 - Whole hearted performance.
Nasri: 8 - Deserved to be on the winning side. By far the best player on the pitch, an absolute joy to watch.
Arshavin: 7 - Really gave it his all yesterday, can be proud of his performance.
Bendtner: 6 - Got himself into some good positions in the first half but faded.
Subs:
Chamakh: 7 - Looks to be finding his feet again and should have scored the winner.
Rosicky: 6 - No time to make an impact.
Its frustrating that we've only gained a point on United after the weekend. I was certain we could close the gap to a point with that all important game in hand. There's no time to let the heads drop though. We can still go level on points with them but now its time to put the league on the backburner for a bit. We've got an absolutely huge week coming up. We're away to Barcelona on Tuesday night in a game that's so big I'm getting butterflies as I type this. Then on the Saturday we go to Old Trafford in the quarter final of the FA Cup. This week really is make or break for us. All the odds are stacked against us. The media think we'll get thumped in Spain, lose at Old Trafford and then eventually fall in the league. As fans we need to stick behind the team. We've been in promising positions like this before and made a right duck's arse of it. This is a real test of how far this team has really come. Can we come away from both games with huge smiles on our faces? I believe so but you really can't predict anything with Arsenal. All it takes is another refereeing error or individual mistake for it all to blow up in our faces. Whatever happens we'll be behind the boys all the way.
On the injury front it dosen't make good reading. Fabregas and Song are big doubts for Tuesday's game. Jack Wilshere was initially put into the same category but today told us via his Twitter that he will be ready and raring to go for it. We all know Van Persie won't be back till April the 2nd at least but my main worry is Cesc. This team needs him so badly for Tuesday. He is a leader, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. All the players look up to him and if he's involved I'll be a whole lot more confident that we can finish the job. Song's involvelement is also crucial. We don't have any other natural holding men at the club right now that can protect the defence the way he does. Fingers crossed they will both be there. I think I've spoken enough for one night. I'll be back with a small preview of the Barca game soon.
Till then take care.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Have That Tony Pubis!
Evening,
Last night we picked up what could be a crucial three points in the hunt for the title. We played nowhere near our best but the attitude was spot on and that's all that matters as far as I'm concerned. Stoke came with a plan to frustrate us which was clear from the start. That plan didn't pan out as they would have liked as they were 1-0 down less than ten minutes into the game. Bendtner did brilliantly to win a corner off Huth, Wilshere took it and found Bendtner who dinked it across the face of the goal for Squillaci to head in. A rare Premier League start and goal for the Frenchman.
It had been a flying start from our men. Squillaci's goal came just after Walcott had hit the post. Unfortunately there was bad news to follow. Only fifteen minutes into the game Cesc pulled up with a hamstring injury and was taken off. He wasn't limping but it is still thought to be serious. More on that later. Cesc's departure seemed to take the sting out of our attacking play. We no longer looked dangerous going forward, the play was flat and you just had to be grateful that we went 1-0 up before Cesc went off.
The loss of Cesc seemed to spurn Stoke on a bit and I mean only a bit because they had been pretty rubbish apart from their defence. John Carew took advantage of a loose ball and forced Szezesny into a brilliant save. Despite their mini revival we still looked comfortable at the back, any worries about Squillaci were quickly fading, the goal seemed to do him the world of good. A Samir Nasri free-kick was just about the only other moment that got the crowd slightly excited in a pretty dull half.
Even though the majority of us were fairly satisfied with the 1-0 lead, the lack of chances after Cesc's substitutions was rather worrying. We needed to rekindle that fire that had seen us destroy so many teams. The absence of our captain and Van Persie would not help our cause however. In the second half the Potters seemed intent on getting our faces and not enjoying as much possession as we did in the first half. They even had a rare goalscoring opportunity when Shawcross' header was blocked by the head of Johan Djourou. What a tragedy it would have been had that moron scored.
Robert Huth probably should have drawn the visitors level when he headed over from close range after another long Delap throw in. Infairness it was the first one we failed to clear, Djourou in particular was attacking every ball that came into the box. Theo Walcott perhaps should have eased our nerves when Arshavin superby flicked the ball past Shawcross and pulled it back to Theo but he sliced his effort well wide of goal. It wasn't the most entertaining of night and we were given a further blow when Walcott went down clutching his ankle. He looked in a lot of discomfort and was stretchered off with just over twenty minutes remaining. I'll come back to the latest on him and Cesc.
I expected to see Chamakh replace him but Arsene opted for Denilson instead, clearly taking no risks. Nicklas Bendtner had a chance to kill the game but he headed Jack Wilshere's corner well over the bar. Shortly afterwards he was replaced by Chamakh who is looking to recapture some of the early season form that saw plenty of praise heaped on him. The players kept the ball well for the remainder of the game despite a late scare when Jermaine Pennant when close with a free-kick but it hit the side netting which was about as good as it got for Stoke. We had to work for our three points but you have to give credit to the players for sticking at it for ninety minutes. In recent times we may have lost focus and dropped points under similar circumstances.
The player ratings are as follows:
Szezesny: 8 - Dealt with every throw in brilliantly and made a terrific save from Carew.
Sagna: 7 - As solid as ever and won some key battles in the air.
Squillaci: 8 - Best game for a long time and scored a crucial goal.
Djourou: 7 - Commanding in the air and never looked threatened.
Clichy: 7 - Quiet but solid game.
Song: 7 - Sat in front of the defence and did his job.
Wilshere: 8 - Ran the show once more. Such a good role model for any other young player out there.
Fabregas: 5 - Played only a quarter of the game before going off injured. Looked lively up until then.
Nasri: 7 - At the heart of nearly every attack but failed to create much due to resiliant defending.
Walcott: 6 - Unlucky not to score inside the first minutes. Stretchered off injured in the end unfortunately.
Bendtner: 7 - Worked his socks off and played a key role in the goal. Won corner and then set up Squillaci.
Subs:
Arshavin: 7 - Very lively and flashes of his old brilliance.
Denilson: 6 - Retained possession well.
Chamakh: 6 - Not much time to make an impact but some nice touches.
We've now moved to within a point of United. They have a game in hand which is Wigan at the DW Stadium this weekend in a game you'd think they should win but we also thought they would easily beat Wolves. Wigan are the most unpredictable side in the Premier League in my opinion and they could either frighten the life out of United or roll over and get hammered. We won't get our hopes up that's for sure.
Now as I've been writing this blog I've just learned of the news that Cesc Fabregas will miss Sunday's cup final. I can't explain how big a blow this is on so many levels. First of all for the player himself, he's been waiting for this moment for so long now and for it to be ruined by a stupid hamstring injury just about sums up his and our own luck over the past five or so years. I'm still think he will lift the trophy should we win it but this missing the game itself will be killing him even if he dosen't show it. Now think of the boost this will give the Birmingham City players. They would have been dreading the thought of a full strenght Arsenal team going at them but now that we're missing our most influential player they'll certainly fancy their chances of causing a major upset. Aswell as Cesc we'll be without Theo Walcott. Two massive players have just been taken out of this Arsenal team. Cesc has incredible vision and can split any team apart with his fantastic passing ability while Theo gives us width and can stretch any defence and out run any player. The next question is will they be out for the Barcelona game? The boss says Theo could be out for a few weeks so that obviously throws his involvement into serious doubt while nobody knows the exact extent of Cesc's injury but it is thought to be short-term. If I hear anything else I'll inform you via my Twitter account @ArsenesArmy.
On the bright side Van Persie, Koscielny and Diaby will all return. I doubt Diaby will start but its no harm having him in the squad. Van Persie and Koscielny are two massive players for us as I explained in yesterday's blog. When Van Persie is out we don't score as much, when Koscielny is out we concede a lot more, enough said. Anyway, I'm trying not to let recent injuries to key players dampen my mood going into Sunday's game. No doubt we won't be as confident as we were yesterday but that's football for you, just never know what is around the corner. We've still got a squad full of players more than capable of putting the Blues to the sword. More on the cup final in the coming todays, I think I've said for one day.
Till next time.
Last night we picked up what could be a crucial three points in the hunt for the title. We played nowhere near our best but the attitude was spot on and that's all that matters as far as I'm concerned. Stoke came with a plan to frustrate us which was clear from the start. That plan didn't pan out as they would have liked as they were 1-0 down less than ten minutes into the game. Bendtner did brilliantly to win a corner off Huth, Wilshere took it and found Bendtner who dinked it across the face of the goal for Squillaci to head in. A rare Premier League start and goal for the Frenchman.
It had been a flying start from our men. Squillaci's goal came just after Walcott had hit the post. Unfortunately there was bad news to follow. Only fifteen minutes into the game Cesc pulled up with a hamstring injury and was taken off. He wasn't limping but it is still thought to be serious. More on that later. Cesc's departure seemed to take the sting out of our attacking play. We no longer looked dangerous going forward, the play was flat and you just had to be grateful that we went 1-0 up before Cesc went off.
The loss of Cesc seemed to spurn Stoke on a bit and I mean only a bit because they had been pretty rubbish apart from their defence. John Carew took advantage of a loose ball and forced Szezesny into a brilliant save. Despite their mini revival we still looked comfortable at the back, any worries about Squillaci were quickly fading, the goal seemed to do him the world of good. A Samir Nasri free-kick was just about the only other moment that got the crowd slightly excited in a pretty dull half.
Even though the majority of us were fairly satisfied with the 1-0 lead, the lack of chances after Cesc's substitutions was rather worrying. We needed to rekindle that fire that had seen us destroy so many teams. The absence of our captain and Van Persie would not help our cause however. In the second half the Potters seemed intent on getting our faces and not enjoying as much possession as we did in the first half. They even had a rare goalscoring opportunity when Shawcross' header was blocked by the head of Johan Djourou. What a tragedy it would have been had that moron scored.
Robert Huth probably should have drawn the visitors level when he headed over from close range after another long Delap throw in. Infairness it was the first one we failed to clear, Djourou in particular was attacking every ball that came into the box. Theo Walcott perhaps should have eased our nerves when Arshavin superby flicked the ball past Shawcross and pulled it back to Theo but he sliced his effort well wide of goal. It wasn't the most entertaining of night and we were given a further blow when Walcott went down clutching his ankle. He looked in a lot of discomfort and was stretchered off with just over twenty minutes remaining. I'll come back to the latest on him and Cesc.
I expected to see Chamakh replace him but Arsene opted for Denilson instead, clearly taking no risks. Nicklas Bendtner had a chance to kill the game but he headed Jack Wilshere's corner well over the bar. Shortly afterwards he was replaced by Chamakh who is looking to recapture some of the early season form that saw plenty of praise heaped on him. The players kept the ball well for the remainder of the game despite a late scare when Jermaine Pennant when close with a free-kick but it hit the side netting which was about as good as it got for Stoke. We had to work for our three points but you have to give credit to the players for sticking at it for ninety minutes. In recent times we may have lost focus and dropped points under similar circumstances.
The player ratings are as follows:
Szezesny: 8 - Dealt with every throw in brilliantly and made a terrific save from Carew.
Sagna: 7 - As solid as ever and won some key battles in the air.
Squillaci: 8 - Best game for a long time and scored a crucial goal.
Djourou: 7 - Commanding in the air and never looked threatened.
Clichy: 7 - Quiet but solid game.
Song: 7 - Sat in front of the defence and did his job.
Wilshere: 8 - Ran the show once more. Such a good role model for any other young player out there.
Fabregas: 5 - Played only a quarter of the game before going off injured. Looked lively up until then.
Nasri: 7 - At the heart of nearly every attack but failed to create much due to resiliant defending.
Walcott: 6 - Unlucky not to score inside the first minutes. Stretchered off injured in the end unfortunately.
Bendtner: 7 - Worked his socks off and played a key role in the goal. Won corner and then set up Squillaci.
Subs:
Arshavin: 7 - Very lively and flashes of his old brilliance.
Denilson: 6 - Retained possession well.
Chamakh: 6 - Not much time to make an impact but some nice touches.
We've now moved to within a point of United. They have a game in hand which is Wigan at the DW Stadium this weekend in a game you'd think they should win but we also thought they would easily beat Wolves. Wigan are the most unpredictable side in the Premier League in my opinion and they could either frighten the life out of United or roll over and get hammered. We won't get our hopes up that's for sure.
Now as I've been writing this blog I've just learned of the news that Cesc Fabregas will miss Sunday's cup final. I can't explain how big a blow this is on so many levels. First of all for the player himself, he's been waiting for this moment for so long now and for it to be ruined by a stupid hamstring injury just about sums up his and our own luck over the past five or so years. I'm still think he will lift the trophy should we win it but this missing the game itself will be killing him even if he dosen't show it. Now think of the boost this will give the Birmingham City players. They would have been dreading the thought of a full strenght Arsenal team going at them but now that we're missing our most influential player they'll certainly fancy their chances of causing a major upset. Aswell as Cesc we'll be without Theo Walcott. Two massive players have just been taken out of this Arsenal team. Cesc has incredible vision and can split any team apart with his fantastic passing ability while Theo gives us width and can stretch any defence and out run any player. The next question is will they be out for the Barcelona game? The boss says Theo could be out for a few weeks so that obviously throws his involvement into serious doubt while nobody knows the exact extent of Cesc's injury but it is thought to be short-term. If I hear anything else I'll inform you via my Twitter account @ArsenesArmy.
On the bright side Van Persie, Koscielny and Diaby will all return. I doubt Diaby will start but its no harm having him in the squad. Van Persie and Koscielny are two massive players for us as I explained in yesterday's blog. When Van Persie is out we don't score as much, when Koscielny is out we concede a lot more, enough said. Anyway, I'm trying not to let recent injuries to key players dampen my mood going into Sunday's game. No doubt we won't be as confident as we were yesterday but that's football for you, just never know what is around the corner. We've still got a squad full of players more than capable of putting the Blues to the sword. More on the cup final in the coming todays, I think I've said for one day.
Till next time.
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