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The sweetest Arsenal memories I have are for a large part related to the four fabulous attackers of Dennis, Thierry, Freddie and Robert. What a combination of speed, power, intelligence, character and technical ability they had between them. I am sure not to be the only one who would love something similar to return at the club, and I think we are getting very close to it.

These are the four players who I believe can become near  those four IF they find the magic between them and fulfil their potential.

Alexis = Pires

I reckon Alexis will keep giving his all but with the arrival of Lacazette the pressure is off to have to score in almost each and every game. It may enable him to relax a bit more and become more efficient. It will also make him less dependent on the class and skills of Ozil: three is a crowd, as they say, which for once is a good thing. Pires was such a good player when it came to taking a critical chance and Alexis has the same ability. I actually reckon that Alexis is the slightly better player, although it is hard to compare them given the different areas they play/played in.

Lacazette = Henry

OF course, filling Thierry’s boots is a big big job and I don’t want to put such pressure on Alex. But in terms of type, there are similarities. Both are fast, athletic players and Alex will find that bit of extra body strength needed in the PL. Alex also has the much-needed but oh so rare box-awareness that Henry used to have, and they also share that deadly pounce when the opportunity arises. It is a long way to go but I have not been more excited about a new CF at Arsenal since the departure of Thierry.

Ozil = Bergkamp

My all time favourite Arsenal player has never been replaced and may never be replaced. The combination of directing our attacking play with deadly finishes and mouth-watering assists is very hard to find. There is not a single player who comes near him in the entire PL, although De Bruine at MC has the potential (and so does Iwobi but he has a much longer way to go). Ozil plays in a different era of PL football: there are less gaps and defences have become a lot stronger and cleverer. But Mesut has that ability to find and create space where others see walls and I predict he will score more goals this season.

Ramsey = Ljunberg

We need a grafter on the right who can also score important, quality goals as well as the simple, ugly ones, and I reckon that was Freddie Ljunberg. Who can replace that sort of player? The one that comes to mind is Aaron. I like him through the middle next to Xhaka but maybe he would be even better permanently on the right. I can see him doing a Freddie.

Now to play these four attack-minded players would mean that we would need to firm up in midfield. Elneny and Xhaka would be my combination, or maybe Xhaka and Le Coq or Kolasinac would be the steel and passing quality combo that will protect and set these attackers free….

What do you think, fellow BKers?

By TotalArsenal

We will do a preview for the Bournemouth game at the weekend on Friday. But let’s now have a look at how we could line up against Koln. I have said for a while that I am really looking forward to our very own Spursday nights. We have such a broad squad and there are plenty of players who need meaningful games. These players would not get much of a chance if we were playing CL football, but they will in the UEFA league.

It is also a good opportunity to give our older/more experienced players a chance to play themselves into form, which then gives them an opportunity to give Wenger a selection headache. The likes of Mertesacker, Iwobi, Wilshere, Walcott, Elneny and Chambers are all players who could dislodge a first team regular. Who knows, even Debuchy may revive his fast fading player career through one or more appearances during Spursday night.

Wenger will also want to give a few of his youngsters a chance to shine. The likes of Ainsley Maitland-Miles and Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Chuba Akpom, and maybe even Reiss Nelson, should get opportunities in the UEFA league.

I reckon this could well be our line up v Koln:

I expect us to play these games with a level of seriousness, so we will need to be solid and compact. The BFG can lead the squad, supported by energetic and young CBs on the left and right of him. I have Ainsley and Chambers as the wing backs and Elneny and Wilshere as our central midfield duo, even though I could imagine Wenger playing Coquelin instead of either of them.

Up-front I predict we will go with speed and movement. Iwobi and Theo simply need games and I am looking forward to seeing Akpom play again. Wenger always has the opportunity to throw in the experienced Giroud and give Lacazette an opportunity to gain some more time on the pitch in an Arsenal shirt.

Well that is my predicted/preferred line-up for the game, but how would you like us to line up?

By TotalArsenal

Gunners with Gumption!

Finally, the Transfer Window is shut and Arsenal came out of it pretty well. We kept our best players, added two quality players to the first team squad and sold off the less effective players, including one of the contract rebels. There were a few more players who really should have moved on, but maybe it will be they who will make the difference come the end of the season.

Most importantly, we kept hold of Mesut and Alexis for at least one more season. Just imagine the headlines if Wenger had to let one, let alone  both, go. With making a net profit through the sales of AOC, Gibbs and Gabriel being higher than the cost of Lacazette and Kolasinac (for free but high salary), Wenger will have this season’s estimated £70-100m and next summer’s equal fund available to replace Mesut and Alexis properly. And my money is still on at least one signing a new contract before Christmas.

You may have wanted Arsene to spend a lot more f*cking money, just because the others have done, but if you think about it a bit more you will realise that Wenger and the BoD will be pleased with the way the TW turned out for the club.

We did not play well against Pool and we discussed it to bits. How do we ‘turn the season round’? Many of you wanted us to let loads of our players go and buy new players. Some of you felt that we needed to buy a quality DM or two to save the season.

I think there is far too much focus on the parts of the whole and not enough on what keeps those parts together. We are fixated with replacing parts, whether it is the players or the leader – the part that has an explicit power over the other parts. There is an instant satisfaction from doing this: it allows blame to be allocated and pain/dysfunction to be removed, and new hope to be invested in the new parts.

I reckon we needed a second, better option on the left wing-back position and we also needed another regular goalscorer. We could have done without these additions, but they are very likely to make us stronger. And Kola and Lacazette have already shown that they are good new signings.

What is really important is of course to make the parts work together. Against Pool, we lacked cohesion, we lacked machine-like togetherness and collective focus. They did not have a better set of players than us but outscored us on those intangible factors. For me, it is all about what Pirsig calls ‘Gumption’ in his fabulous book ‘Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance’:

“Gumption is the psychic gasoline that keeps the whole thing going. If you haven’t got it there’s no way the motorcycle can possibly be fixed. But if you have got it and know how to keep it there’s absolutely no way in this whole world that motorcycle can keep from getting fixed. It’s bound to happen. Therefore the thing that must be monitored at all times and preserved before anything else is the gumption.”

Cambridge dictionary gives this definition for gumption:

‘The ability to decide what is the best thing to do in a particular situation, and to do it with energy and determination.’

Rather than focus incessantly on changing players and/or the manager, what we really need to hope for is a return of  gumption. Once we have got it again it will be absolutely priceless for Arsenal. We have still the best record for gumption, held by our very own Invincibles. To go a whole season unbeaten and then win the title was a combination of very good players and a mindset of utter togetherness and being constantly in the zone. Oh those boys had gumption alright!

We have the players and the manager to turn things round again but they need to rediscover their gumption.  How is it done? Well that is of course hard to answer. A lot of talking and then training on the pitch, I reckon. And then it is about going out there and do it together and making changes in attitude and focus where and whenever required. It is also about listening to each other and making sure that each and every players gives their all. It is about leadership on and off the pitch.

In essence, it is about starting a game with the right collective mindset and believe in each other;  it is about playing with the right tempo and hunger, and the right focus. It is about Gunners with Gumption.

We beat the Chavs in the FA Cup final a few months ago because we had all of this in spades. We played with the much recently criticized midfield trio of  Xhaka, Ramsey and Ozil. They were awesome as a mini-unit and fitted perfectly into our 3-4-3 system. The much admired Chelsea defenders were humbled for 90+ minutes. We pressed high and seldom or never let Chelsea out of their own half, and this was only possible because we had the collective and constant ability ‘to decide what is the best thing to do in a particular situation, and to do it with energy and determination’ i.e. gumption.

Let’s hope our players and manager can find back quickly their psychic gasoline. I have no doubt that Wenger and his assistants are working day and night to find the magic potion before the Cherries come to town.

By TotalArsenal

Sorry, Wenger Haters, he’s not going anywhere.   And, if anyone can turn this Arsenal ship around, it must be the manager.

Two losses out of three, no new signings, and everybody (who can) wanting to jump ship.  Can it go any lower?  Hopefully not.  If this is Rock Bottom we can only go upwards.  Or sideways.  Or we can fish around for even lower ground.  Has the ship already sunk or can it be steadied and the shore be reached?

Due to a self-imposed media blackout I watched the two most recent Arsenal matches without commentary.  Stoke away was the usual situation of a tough home crowd, compounded by (perhaps) an even more demanding traveling support (perhaps) influencing the officiating crew into blowing two critical calls.  It could be argued that Arsenal should be sufficiently technically superior to any Stoke side and overcome such issues.  Games are decided by small margins–and sometimes by a bit of luck–but we came out on the wrong side of the margin and failed to make our own luck.  Conclusion, at least among the haters: Arsenal have sunk to the level of Stoke.

A week on and this Arsenal team–at this moment–showed that it is massively inferior to Liverpool.  4-nil is a lopsided scoreline, but it probably flattered Arsenal on the day.  Playing want-away players (Alexis Sanchez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain)–who played as badly as I’ve ever seen either of them play–seemed a misguided move by Wenger.  New signings Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac were rested.  Twenty one year-old Rob Holding was preferred over another want-away, Shkodran Mustafi.  No rhyme, no reason.  Some Gooners have gone so far as to say that Wenger was actually tanking the match in order to create a crisis.  Would such a “plan” spur those (supposedly) above him, CEO Ivan Gazidis and principal shareholder, Stan Kroenke (and his board of directors), into loosening the purse-strings as the transfer window came to a close or would it serve to lower supporters’ expectations so that any decent finish in the league (top half? top six? top four?) would seem adequate?

If losing was supposed to put the crowbar in Kroenke’s wallet, it was an abject failure.  Nobody in at the deadline and only cut-rate deals of (beyond the) fringe players.  Those monies plus forty million pounds for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain might help offset the lost transfer fee we might have gotten for Alexis.  But now we’ve got a problem.  Will Alexis, a selfish player by nature, give his all for the collective or be a toxic element in the dressing room?  Are we weakened by losing the Ox?  Would Thomas Lemar (in place of Alexis) have strengthened the team?  It appears a last ditch huge money offer was made for Lemar but, having it fail, we kept Alexis instead.  Could Lemar have lived up to the pressure of his price tag?  We’ll never know.

So many others were “linked” to the team.  Riyadh Marez?  Jean-Michael Seri?  Raheem Sterling (as part of an Alexis deal), Adrian Rabiot? Who else?  If I ate a sausage (links, we call them here in the States) every time I saw a name thrown out, my love handles would morph into a spare tire (or is it tyre?)…

Speaking of love handles… Where is the love?  And who handles our business? Are Arsenal’s (current) players not deserving of our love?  What about our “handlers,” our management team, who, we must remember, serves at the pleasure of ownership?  Do they not deserve a little love.  Is blame the only game?

Alexis, of course, like Mesut Ozil (and the departed Ox) are in the final year of their contracts.  Is there a chance they might re-sign, even if it’s only a short term “insurance” contract?  A short term deal for two of our key players would give them a pay-rise and protect their (longer term) earnings against the specter (spectre?) of injury.  Is it too late for them and are they just waiting for a life raft to get them out of North London?

So many questions.  Who knows the answers?

The press–including blogs–in endless search of hits–lead supporters around by the nose.  I’ve seen (and heard) so many stories put forth as truths and then twisted to suit the needs (usually to assign blame) of the writer.  Can Gooners distinguish fact from fiction?

Probably not.  That’s why my plan is to try and watch Arsenal as I hope they can observe (and improve) themselves–in a vacuum.  I no longer listen to commentary when I watch the matches.  And the pundits?  Not for me, thank you very much.  I’m sure I’ll still scan the NewsNow headlines to see how the latest “news” and “statements” are being spun into (almost relentlessly negative) click-bait, and, now and again, I may even take a look at some of the better Arsenal writers out there, ones who have been reasonably balanced in the past.  I have to say, however, that the more I read about Arsenal the less time I have for it.  Not only the missives about our club from the so-called neutrals and our “support,” but also stories from elsewhere in the sport.  I know I watch a whole lot less football as a neutral.  Is it because Arsenal will never buy any of the players I might be scouting?  Maybe.

Or maybe it’s because I cannot fathom the direction that the game and the culture surrounding it has gone.  Can an emirate (Qatar with Paris St. Germain; Abu Dhaby with Manchester City) really buy their way to the top?  Why not?  Qatar bought themselves a world cup.  So did Russia (who might have also bought themselves a US presidential election).

When I first landed upon the Arsenal (in 2006, while living at my screen-name) I fell hard for Arsene Wenger’s vision of a team of (mostly) foreign players changing the game in England–for the better, of course–and being able to compete at the highest level domestically and in Europe.  The notion that operating within the financial means of the club and rewarding promising players with higher salaries seemed the right way forward.  Mostly, I believed that the best technical and team oriented football would win out over selfish play and shows of individual passion.  I also thought that the wise people of Islington (and their brethren world-wide) had a measure of understanding this bigger picture, not to mention the patience (and pride) to support their club through thick and thin.  I guess I was wrong on all counts.  And, of course, I didn’t foresee the great turn inwards towards a celebration of selfishness combined with excessive and irrational blame on outside sources (individuals and whole classes of peoples) for all perceived ills.   For me, when I was in London and falling in love with Arsenal, I didn’t feel so much like a foreigner even though (obviously) I was different (and oh so naive).  With the new nationalism I wonder.  (Did I say racism and/or fascism?  If I did, I hope I’ve overstepped.)  Did I underestimate the tribal (anti-intellectual) element of being a football supporter?  Probably.

Like a fool, I still cling to my ideas–despite the “facts” saying I’m so very, very misguided.  As bad as the situation at Arsenal may seem, I’m not quite ready to throw in the towel. I’m guided by my own truths, including the following.

Fact #1 (for me)–Our team is comprised of good to very good to outstanding players, many of whom I’m excited to watch in action.  Alexis could be the best player in the league but also one who could bring down the team.  I fear he’s a player whose natural abilities–including that incredible burst of pace (most recently shown in his running after giveaways at Anfield)–have kept him from developing a real football intelligence and learning how to make his teammates better.  I would have been happy to move him on, but, now that we haven’t, let’s see what he can do.  Ozil, for me, offers more than any other player on the team by way of creating space for others and moving the ball into those areas.  Of course, he needs his teammates to use those spaces and extend or finish the intelligence he puts on the ball.  Lacazette seems one who might be able to use Ozil’s genius the most.  To my eye, he has plenty of goals in him, as do Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott.  Danny Welbeck will happily run his arse off, exchange spaces with teammates and will probably even scuff a few balls into the net.

So many have singled out our midfield as an area where we were desperate for new signings.  We shall see.  I’m happy enough watching Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey who can create plenty of assists and goals.  Others are routinely slated, maybe because they didn’t cost enough.  Francis Coquelin earned a spot in the squad as an organizer and tackler but is more than competent as a fully rounded midfielder while Mohamed Elneny is improving his jack-of-all-trades game at a rate that truly inspires me.  Alex Iwobi, who will have to fill in if Alexis decides to sulk, is a work in progress but the potential seems all there and he knows more about where to play a final ball than the Ox knows about haircuts.  Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere, if they can surmount their injuries and play anywhere near their best, will be nothing but value added.  Reiss Nelson could be the latest youth sensation in our squad.

Youth will also need to serve at the back.  Callum Chambers and Holding will have to learn on the job but have shown enough to suggest they can do it.  At the other end of the age spectrum, we’ll need the experience of cool heads Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny who will likely share the Captain’s armband.  Mustafi, who, in the end we kept, seems a top-notch bridge between the younger and older center backs.  Nacho Monreal, I believe, brings cultured quality no matter where he plays while Sead Kolasinac and Hector Bellerin represent, respectively, power and pace, and, I think, will flourish as our wide up and down men.  Petr Cech was man of the match at Liverpool and rightfully slated his teammates in the aftermath, showing a taste of the leadership needed in the squad.  David Ospina will anchor our (hopefully) long and winding road in the Europa League.

Who have I missed?

Fact #2 (for me)–If anybody can turn this situation around it’s Arsene Wenger.  With many jumping ship–so many supporters and certainly some players–we need a man at the helm who has dedicated his life to our club.  If anybody can steer us to dry land, it will be AW.

He’s done it before.  Speaking frankly, I thought his position became untenable a couple of times last spring–after the first Bayern leg, and again after defeats at West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace.  With the “support” in full revolt, he instead took us within a point of Champions League football and to a(nother) FA Cup triumph, winning matches over two teams who (financially at least) lord over us: Manchester City in the semi-final and Chelsea in the final.  From the depths–and with fans wishing him gone (only a small group wished him actually dead), he got the squad re-grouped to finish as successfully as they could.

Fact #3 (for me)–As noted, in terms of financial strength, we are no better than 4th in the league AND we have an owner who seems to prefer not to speculate excessively in that arena.  If your anger persists over the transfer window and other players look better than ours, you probably enjoy Youtube highlights and fantasy football over the real game, one where routine failure is punctuated by rare successes.  If only results matter, it must be realized that Arsenal have actually overachieved in almost all recent seasons, and perhaps even more in these “drought” years since Roman Abramovic bought Chelsea and Prince Mansour did likewise at Manchester City.  More speculative American owners at Manchester United and Liverpool–along with both teams playing in the CL this season–also puts us at a disadvantage.

Fact #4 (for me)–Unfortunately, that single point which placed us 5th, is a big one, especially for recruiting via the transfer market or holding onto our best players.  Getting back into the CL places is a big ask, but would mean a lot for a final season under Wenger.

Fact #5 (for me)–Even discussing a final season for Wenger also hurts the team.  His willingness to act as lightning rod for criticism and only take on a two year contract extension is another reason our recruiting has been weakened.  Arsenal are no longer the “biggest club in France.”  The best French (and francophone) players now dream of playing for the Qataris (PSG), while Monaco AC is the place to be if you’re a younger player seeking a few years of development.  Given the levels of abuse aimed at Wenger, players cannot possibly expect to enjoy the former positives associated with signing on for him. The excessive pressure for instant results means there’s no longer room for players to develop under Wenger’s tutelage.

Fact #6 (for me)–A new manager–even if he was as perfect as those would-be managers (on the internet) who spout their logical fallacies with such extreme confidence–would have one giant advantage over Wenger: the goodwill of the fans, which might justify results that I’m pretty sure would be worse than Wenger’s.  Of course, my hypothesis–just like those of the manager’s critics–is not testable.  In other words, it’s easy to talk about what a new guy would do (whom he might have bought, for example) and how they would vault us forward from the safety of Fantasyland.  In the real world, a new manager might be our ticket to the top.  Or maybe not.  I guess we’ll see when that time comes.

Fact #7 (for me)–Wenger’s dedication to Arsenal, to being willing to go down with the ship just when so many seem willing to jump, seems a rare and special quality these days.  So many Gooners believe Wenger has ruined his legacy, but this quality plus a career of consistent over-achievement, I think, will only become clearer over time.  If he can do it again–at this hyper-extreme nadir of Gooner misery–it might just be his greatest accomplishment to date.  If he can get his team to shut out the toxic atmosphere surrounding the club and simply play their best football, I believe we’ll get to our proper level and there will be some satisfying Arsenal football on offer.  Will we win the quadruple?  Probably not.  If that’s all that matters, then no football team will satisfy you.

OK, enough said and apologies for the rambling nature of the post.  Those are (some of) my facts.  Yours most likely differ.  Don’t be shy, lay ’em out there.

Go on then…

by 17highburyterrace

So we lost our second game of the season. It was embarrassing. It was painful to watch. It brought back dark memories and reopened psychological wounds. We are of course all suffering from such a humiliating defeat and the pain has to come out. I realize and respect that, and everybody has their own way of dealing with it.

I was convinced we were going to get a result at Pool, but when I saw the line-up I knew it would be a disaster. We have a great squad and we need to pick the players who work together best, as a team. Now, this is of course everybody’s favourite advice to Wenger: play this formation and these players and it will all be okay; sell these players and buy these ones and Bob’s your uncle!

We suffer from delusions of grandeur.

It makes sense in our head and we cannot figure out why Wenger isn’t doing what we can see sooo clearly; and it only takes a loss or two to really start vomiting this out on social media. Doubt and humility, the brother and sister of wise people, are of course locked up in the cellar at this stage. We all believe, KNOW!, that we can manage Arsenal football club better than that ‘geriatric, doddering fool’!

I believe we are collectively overreacting. There is every right to be disappointed with the players and the manager, and they KNOW it of course. They also feel sh*te right now. The underlying problem is the structural lack of support for the manager and the team; they all operate with the knowledge that the sh*te can hit the fan at any moment at Arsenal. Something is broken and the only way to fix this, it seems, however short-lived this is likely to be, is by getting a new manager.

This is not going to happen because a) the board are not short-sighted and b) Wenger has proven time and again that he can get the team going again. It is far from ideal that we lost two games already. However, there are 35 PL games left and we do not have to go back to Pool or Stoke again. Wenger has two weeks to draw up a (new?) plan and to remotivate his players. He also has a few days left to get rid of those who do not belong in an Arsenal shirt and to strengthen the team further.

I am confident he will get this team playing again and the season could bring us plenty of footie joy. But, as Seventeenho has told us so many times, the atmosphere around the club is toxic and only a long winning run can change this. For this, Wenger and the team need to operate in an environment of trust and support. I  reckon this is lost and only a miracle will turn the season into a good one.

I can only ask you to keep supporting the manager and the team; they are not separate from us but part of the whole that is the Arsenal.

By TotalArsenal

But WE NEED TO ADAPT OUR GAME TO LIVERPOOL’S RELENTLESSNESS!

With thanks to the best paper in the country, The Guardian, for the picture.

It is early days but as the saying goes, well begun is half won. A win (barely) and an unlucky loss is the stage set for a battle we cannot afford to lose, as we face one of our expected rivals away from home. For last season, Liverpool sat atop the mini top-six-team table while we sat at the bottom. They beat us home and away and over the season proved adept at raising their game against the top six teams. In our home match, which was the opening match of last season, we lost to them by 3-4 playing with a team missing many of our starters. In the return leg, which took place at the height of our crises of confidence that all but imploded our season, they beat us by 3-1.

Jurgen Klopp, the coach of Liverpool is an exponent of “heavy metal football” in which they use intense pressing all over the field to destabilize the opposition team. Last season they were the hardest working team in the EPL, having covered more ground than any other team. With a new left full back in the impressive Robertson, Milner who is one of the hardest workers in the EPL has moved back into the midfield of their usual 4:3:3 formation. Alongside him is another lung busting performer in Jordan Henderson, while Wijnaldum or Can, both battlers, complete the middle trio. Their forward players would likely be the electrifying Mane, the industrious and gifted Firmino and their new signing, an international team mate of Elneny, Mohamed Salah, dubbed the ‘king of Egypt’.

Liverpool is a tough team to play against. With sky-high spirit from having just qualified for the CL proper with a 6-3 aggregate win over Hoffenheim, we have to be at our best at Anfield. Interestingly, it is Liverpool’s relentlessness, their chief weapon of destruction, that is also their undoing. They have a voracious appetite for attacking football that leaves the defence vulnerable (sounds familiar?). This certainly is a match where there will be goals.

Expect this match to be won and lost in the midfield and that is why I hope we would set out in a 4:3:3 formation. We dare not present a soft centre to Liverpool. In nature, adaptation is the means of survival and football is very much about survival. Many would question the need for a change in formation when the existing is apparently coping well. But this is not change for the sake of change. It is responding intelligently to a different challenge.

By the way, let us evaluate our performance in all competitions since we switched to the 3:4:3. Played 12, won 10, lost 2. That is a brilliant record.  But there is a catch. Two of the matches in our 10 wins (City FA semi final and Leicester EPL 17/18) were matches rescued from losing positions by the grace of our switch mid-game back to the 4:2:3:1, as well as the Leicester EPL 16/17 home match, where the same switch moved us from a draw position to victory. As far as is available to us, the 3:4:3 was losing 2 and drawing 1 out of those our 10 wins. If we then go by the state of things before the mid-match switches, the 3:4:3 overall performance would have been 7 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses which translates to 69 points in a season of 38 games. This stat should bring us back to earth as far as the 3:4:3 formation is concerned, now that it’s assumed robustness has been brought into proper perspective. It has proved not any better than our 4:2:3:1. What this analysis tells us is that allowances should be made for tactical adaptation and against Liverpool I believe we need to adapt.

Using a 4:3:3 for this encounter would be a smart piece of business. For the defensive phase of the game against this Liverpool team that presses so intensely and progresses their play through quick passing and movement, our emphasis for player selection should shift slightly away from the tacklers to the good readers of the game for interceptions and the closing of the passing lanes. Quick movements of the ball and the players by the opposition are difficult to target for the tackle. Also, our ability at beating their press with our own passing should be another important consideration in our selection choices. Elneny who is such a tidy pass and move player thus trumps Coquelin as our third midfielder.

For the same reasons as above, Mertesacker should be preferred to Mustafi as the partner to Koscienly who is back, bang on time in our 2-man central defence.

Liverpool and Arsenal are two sides dedicated to attacking football. That means an open contest. That also should mean that the attacking phase of the game ought to emphasize quick passing, greater verticality and plenty of movement. Lacazette over Giroud should be the tip of the arrow.  Giroud would be missed, though, as Liverpool is especially poor in defending set pieces. With Alexis back on the field we are assured that Ozil will emerge from the tunnel. There would be fireworks come Sunday starting 16: 00 BST.

The line-up I wish to see:

—————Cech—————-

Bells—Per—-Kosh——Kola

—Ramsey–Elneny—Xhaka—

—-Ozil——-Lacaz—–Alexis—-

SUBS : Ospina, Oxlade, Mustafi, Monreal, Coquelin, Welbeck, Giroud (football politics might cause Oxlade chosen ahead of Bellerin).

The time is NOW for Gooners to stand by their team as ever before. Meanwhile, what is your take on how we should set up ad out against Liverpool?

 COYG!!!

By Pony Eye

Most on here know that I am not the biggest fan of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, known by many as the ‘Ox’ – not because he is strong and determined, a beast on the pitch, but because they cannot be bothered to spell his full name (and I am one of them). I am generally a philosophical guy when it comes to liking our young players, but I never liked AOC. Cesc moving to Barcelona hurt but I could understand the need to return home after having been away from such a young age. Nasri moving to Citeh irritated me but at least he was clear on what motivated him in life, and the rest is history (what a waste of talent).

The thing with AOC is that he never did anything for us except scoring that one and only goal against the Chavs that allowed Wenger to finally triumph over the self-adoring dunghead. Wenger has been sooo loyal to him and let good players go to allow him time on the pitch and develop into a quality player. Despite the fact that he is starting to do a bit better in terms of goals and assist for the team, he has still a long way to go. Nine goals in 130 PL appearances is nothing to write home about. In the meantime, he filled his pockets and now he wants to cash in properly.

You can only imagine that he would bite Wenger’s hand off for a new contract, let alone one reported to be around £180k per week. It makes me cry thinking that we let the likes of Gervinho and Campbell go, hard working and far more effective wing-players, to keep the raw, English (here’s a clue and a half) talent of AOC develop at the home of football.

Personally, I would like to see him sold for as much money as possible. This boy, Half-Man, is trouble, has the wrong attitude and should not be wearing the shirt one more minute.

But I feel sorry for Wenger who put so much time and effort, money and believe in the self-centred fool. This is what Arsene said on Arsenal.com:

“I think we invested a lot of time, confidence and money on players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who we bought at a young age. For me, they have a responsibility for the future of this club because Alex will be one of the big English players in the coming years. I personally am highly determined to keep him here at the club and I hope he will commit.”

Wenger is right about one thing: AOC has ‘a responsibility’. That is what you got to do, Ox: commit. Show some bloody loyalty and respect.

It won’t happen, we all know that. It is now a matter of getting as much money as possible for him and hopefully sell him to a club abroad (cause I really don’t want to see him week in week out looking pleased with himself. He is not worth keeping, believe me.

By TotalArsenal

STOKE REVIEW: WE HAVE A SQUAD THAT SHOULD PRODUCE MUCH BETTER.

We have about twelve days left in the transfer window. That means we have less than two weeks window left for constructive criticism aimed at helping us strengthen our team.  Not that we are awful but we can be better, much better.

To the last man, all are unsatisfied at our defending in the two games played so far, this new season. If we don’t put it right, the season could be very poor. The first response is to blame our back-line until it is remembered that defending is a function for the whole team.

Against Stoke, we dominated possession (which could be partly the opponent tactically allowing us to) pinning them back deep into their own half. Our four midfielders (Oxlade, Ramsey, Xhaka, Bellerin) ever keen to join the attack, repeatedly got themselves well inside opposition half all at the same time. Two scenarios developed:  the back-line moved to close the gap between them and the rest of the forward players, leaving themselves susceptible to the ball over the top; in order to avoid balls over the top, the back-line decided to instead sit deeper which then created a huge gap between them and the front players, meaning that whenever the opposition broke they ran directly at our back-line. The latter was more of the situation in the match against Stoke. Whenever they broke that way, Ramsey invariably was way, way upfield, and Xhaka who was usually our deepest midfielder was way, way too slow giving chase and our back-line became like sitting ducks. If we persist in playing this way, then 4-3 is the only kind of score line that can assure us victory. That would mean a terrible season awaiting.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES (MORE OF HIGHLIGHTING THE WEAK POINTS)

CECH: Good. Was not to blame for the goal conceded.

MUSTAFI: Pre-season performance. Hope he would have regained his form fully by the next match. I can’t wait for Koshienly and Per to come back to join him.

MONREAL: The most tactically savvy of our back three against Stoke.  But his size and pace are not made for that role at the centre of the back-line.

KOLASINAC: One can just feel that he is being underutilized playing as a central defender instead of a left wing back. All his energy, his pace and power, his enthusiasm for offensive play have very little outlet for expression in that central defensive role.

Oxlade: He stood up to be counted. Still, he would never attain his full amazing potential until he understands more that bringing his team mates into his game with simple passes all add up to a dazzling performance. It’s a team game after all.

RAMSEY: With the ball, he was our best player on the field. But leaving Xhaka as the last man in the midfield is suicidal for his team. In my opinion, he would do better than Welbeck in the inside forward position. No further effort should be made to make him territorially more disciplined. He is incorrigible there. Further up at the inside forward positions suits his temperament and skill sets better. Trust Ramsey’s engine and love to be involved to push him from that position into midfield defensive duties, which becomes an added armour to his arsenal. The 3-man defence is not license enough for a central midfielder to be abandoning his post so flagrantly.

XHAKA: Not his best day. On second thought, he was handicapped by the fact that he was manning the defensive phase of midfield almost single handedly. Amongst other things, he had less passing options available to him and he is no Carzola at getting out of tight situations. Xhaka in the lone defensive midfield role is a recipe for dangerous turnovers. Also, he seems to have taken Thiery Henry’s comments too much to heart as he kept attempting so many failed overhead passes to Lacazette instead of his usual cross-field passes. Those direct over the top forward final passes are never forced.

BELLERIN: What was he doing in the left wing back role? Bellerin is not an intuitive player, not in the least inventive. He is a player who is very very reluctant to use his left foot. That role robbed him of his greatest assets which are his speed, his endeavour and the use of his right foot. He was no good throughout the 90 minutes, but I never blamed him. I blamed the man who put him there.

OZIL: The through passes seem to have taken a long walk. That’s stretching it back to last season. Stephen Gerrard said that when we turn over the ball, we are one man down. I agree with him. Ramsey and Iwobi are waiting on the wings. Maybe Ozil would return to life when his soul mate returns. Is this the reason why Wenger is holding so tightly to Sanchez?

WELBECK: In all situations he must caress the ball. He should know that there are moments when the ball wants to be bundled in, treated ugly. A goal scorer or goal creator doesn’t work for the perfect chance. He works to achieve even half a chance.  One thing is certain, he is not making it hard for Sanchez to walk back in. And by the way, Ramsey, Iwobi and Nelson are all waiting on the wings.

LACAZETTE: Beautiful goal wrongly ruled off side. A bit too keen to impress by dropping too deep to become more involved. He should not push himself too hard. He should stay around the box, and do what he knows how to do best, so says our Ian Wright. I swear he is better than Lukaku.

GIROUD: I love that flick that was the assist for the disallowed goal. He needs to educate Welbeck and co on the art of chancing it in the box.

WENGER: Please, please Kola at left wing back and never again Bellerin in that role. Also, wouldn’t it be better to deploy in a 4:2:3:1 with a holding midfielder against teams we would dominate as we did against Stoke. The holding man would patrol that gap between the back-line and the forward players. Finally, could you please gladden our hearts with at least one more signing (we know where we need him to make us stronger) while shipping out six more players before the summer window closes. We don’t want to be paying wages to un-registrable players, and more, we don’t want some potentially messy legal tussles.

COMMENT OF THE DAY: Still early days so nothing is broken yet. Not with 77% possession, good chances created and a terrific goal wrongfully disallowed. COYG, we have a good squad that needs just minimal of tinkering. The race is long.

By Pony Eye

A very short preview as I have little time today. We visit the proverbial hole of Stoke tonight and the local cave dwellers will be hoping their Orcs will put their foot in and upset the Southern Softies for ninety minutes.

so let’s hope for a manly response and hurt them where it matters: on the scoresheet. This is the team I predict will start:

Cech

Must – BFG – Nacho

Bel – Xhaka – Elneny – Kola

Ozil – Giroud – lacazette

BFG to provide height and organisation at the back.

Elneny to help keeping us tight in midfield (Rambo to come on later)

Giroud to provide extra height for set pieces (for or against us) and to crack open the central defence

Ozil and Lacazette, supported by the wing backs, to create the opportunities as well as being there to finish them

Attack like an Octopus, defend like an army of giant Ants.

CoyGs!

By TotalArsenal

“There is mountain air in this room. It’s cool and moist and almost fragrant. One deep breath makes me ready for the next one and then the next one and with each deep breath I feel a little readier until I jump out of bed and pull up the shade and let all that sunlight in – brilliant, cool, bright, sharp and clear.”
― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Five reason to be positive about Arsenal’s prospect this season:

1. We are on a good run. Yes it was broken up during the summer but it seems to be continuing. Arsenal had some great results during the latter part of the season with well fought for wins at Stoke and Southampton and of course that awesome FA Cup final win against the league champions, for example. We beat them again albeit on penalties in the Charity Shield match and we beat the Foxes on Friday. Long may it continue.
2. The media have written us off. None of the BBC pundits have us finish in the top three, let alone win the PL. The team will be motivated by this and so will be Wenger. Key, as 17HT has pointed out numerous times, is of course how the fans will deal with a setback. Will they stay behind the team or collect money for silly banners? Our bouncebackability – players, manager, fans – will be tested. I believe we have the players and manager to do this but the media will be on us like a rash time and again. The spine of Cech – Koz/BFG – Xhaka/Rambo – Ozil – Lacazette/Giroud/Alexis is one that has the leadership qualities to make us recover quickly from a setback. The rest is up to the support.
3. Consistency. Wenger kept the team together and has added quality in the previous season’s two vulnerable positions of left back and a quality finisher in attack. Lacazette and Kolasinac are quality AND versatile players who fit straight into the first eleven. Furthermore, the squad is large and full of experienced players who are reaching, or are now in, the best years of their short football career. We looked wobbly in defence but I reckon this is quite normal at the start of the season with a number of key players missing. I expect us to play a lot more compact against Stoke (and going forward) and especially the full backs will be told to support their colleagues in defence much better. As a team we need to make sure we don’t stretch ourselves too much when we are playing the ball out from the back. Teams like to press us early and high when we play like this and it makes us very vulnerable as the defenders or central midfielders often become isolated. I am sure that the reintroduction of BFG and Koz as well as Mustafi will help with this, but key is for the whole team to work as an accordion-unit, moving organically with the flow of the game.
4. No CL football. In order to win the PL it is a big bonus if a team does not need to commit all their key players in knackering and injury-high-risk mid-week Champions League games. The Uefa games, on the other hand, allow us to give vital, quality game experiences to our fringe players and young talents. Wenger can then try out some of these players in PL games if and when he thinks they are ready. This will make a huge difference if you ask me.
5. Our quality midfield: The ROX. We have a deep squad in defence and attack but I am most excited about our midfield. The way Rambo, Ozil and Xhaka eliminated the much praised Chelsea midfield in the FA Cup final was very impressive. I have high hopes that these three players will turn our team into champions. Xhaka deep, Rambo as b2b midfielder and Ozil as the creator are a very strong combination of guile and deadly passing. With Coq and Elneny we have players Wenger can use to adjust the midfield structure if and when required. Wilshere and hopefully Santi will be excellent cover/competition for the ROX. And hopefully Iwobi will progress to the next level this season. And, just to please Johnnie, we may well see Wenger add one more player in midfield before the end of the TW.

So every reason to be cheerful and full of hope for another good and, most importantly, an enjoyable season (don’t focus on the destination, it is the journey that matters).

One Game at a Time (OGAAT) my friends and victory through harmony (support starts with the right attitude).

COYGs!

By TotalArsenal