Category: Uncategorized

Arsenal are through to the next round of the UEFA cup with two games to spare. Well done you youngsters and fringers. Many will point our that we did not play attractive football against RSB and I will not argue with you, but you really are missing the point if you feel that this matters a lot. The second team are of course not going to be an all conquering, free-flowing, beautiful Arsenal football playing machine; for this the components are not compatible enough, and they are still ‘finding each other’.

What we are getting from this is experience for the young talents and match fitness for the experienced fringe players, but I have said this now enough times. You also have to look a bit deeper to see the beauty and positives from a game like this.

Eight observations from Arsenal v Red Star Belgrade:

1. Macey had a very good game with plenty of ‘presence’. Being a good goalkeeper has a lot to do with mental strength, and Macey showed strong concentration levels, fearlessness and the ability to make himself a big, orange octopus when faced with an attacker who only had him to deal with. He saved us acrobatically from a certain goal, even though he needed a big dollop of luck with it (the ball hit the underside of the bar and did then not fall to a RSB player to slot it in). Macey announcing himself like this is reason alone to value last night’s game;
2. Willock shows what a great dynamo and stride he could have in future. Yes there were only glimpses of this during the game and his final ball was still below par, but we were up against a physical, unadventurous team and our attackers lacked mobility and imagination for Willock to be more effective. I like his potential and he was the best young-Gunner on the pitch in my opinion.
3. Elneny played as a/our leader from the back. His positioning was very good and I loved the way he moved the ball forward with good energy and thrust. He was all over the pitch and usually able to intervene before danger could ensue. He played a big part in our clean-sheet on the night – and I for one was very happy to achieve one after three ‘1-0 behinds’ in Arsenal’s previous outings.
4. Jack’s accelerations were a joy to watch; those little bursts forward to free himself up and allow his colleagues to move into space to receive the ball were of special quality. But it all had to come from him and nobody really was at the same wavelength. Nevertheless, he got very close to score the winner and this game will have done him good. I would not  be surprised at all if he were to start against MC on Sunday, but that is for another post.
5. Unfortunately, our two main attackers, OG and TW, were static or not at the game for most of the time. For me they were the only real disappointments, as they left the young midfielders with limited options when coming forward. Of course, it also has to be said that RSB had parked a very physically aggressive bus and the referee allowed them to commit foul after foul, but still, I expected more from our experienced attackers.
6. Maitland-Niles and Nelson had half-decent games and I think they struggled more than a bit with the ‘manliness’ of their opponents. Still, a really good experience for both of them, and there were glimpses of what is to come on a more regular basis.
7. Debuchy played with passion and experience and this was a joy to watch. This man wants to be back in the first team, or indeed play first team football for another team. I thought his positioning and interventions were strong and he also should take pride in having kept a clean sheet.
8. And finally, Holding: I liked his forward runs and confidence on the ball. He was also strong in the air and showed physical strength against very physical opponents. Rob is making good progress this season.

Two more UEFA League games to play in this group and we could see Arsene try out a more attacking style of football for these. Replacing either Walcott or Ollie with Iwobi, if indeed available, so Jack has somebody to play with, could make a big difference. I cannot wait to see them play together again.

By TotalArsenal.

We left it late last time. What will it take tonight in North London?

Olivier Giroud’s audacious overhead kick was the difference in the reverse fixture.  Manager Arsene Wenger makes just one change to the line-up that played in Belgrade as he seeks to secure his team’s place in the next round of the tournament.  Petr Cech finally gets a rest and takes a bench seat while 23 year old Matt Macey starts between the sticks.  That is it.  Otherwise the starters are the same, as is the bench.

Here’s what it looks like:

Macey, Debuchy, Elneny, Holding, Coquelin, Willock, Nelson, Maitland-Niles, Walcott, Wilshere, Giroud.  Subs: Cech, Tutu, Sheaf, Dasilva, Mcguane, Akpom, Nketiah

What do you think?

Your opinion, in fact, is just as good as mine.  I’ll be trying to keep up with the action but I can always use help.

Go on then…

by 17highburyterrace

 

Wenger is loving the UEFA Cup and League Cup games as much as many of us do. On Arsenal.com he said:

“If you look at the number of minutes played by all of these players since the start of the season, many of them are in very competitive shape and that should be an advantage for the rest of the season.”

Bang on, Arsene, and what a fine position to be in! A win tonight and we are through but the boys and men will have to put in a performance to achieve this. We rode our luck against Red Star Belgrade a few times but a fine goal by NaNaNaNaah was enough to bring home all the three points. Let’s hope our eleven will want it badly and put in a performance for the home support.

This is my predicted line-up, with the BFG to captain the team:

Here is another good chance for the youngsters to shine and the likes of Wilshere, Iwobi, Theo and Giroud to show Wenger that they can replace first team players if he wishes to do so.  We all look forward to seeing Super-Jack doing his three-dimensional magic again, and let’s hope Walcott is fully focused. I am also hoping for a good game from Iwobi, who really needs to step it up a bit. Furthermore, Chambers and Holding have an opportunity to get closer to the first team, and who knows, a certain youngster may come on late to score a brace or more…

Come on You Rip Roaring Gunners!

By TotalArsenal

 

Can the Gunners make it 10 consecutive PL home wins in a row?

But there is no time for swanning around: the cannon needs to roar and roar. I am always nervous when we play home games against teams ‘we should beat’ as there have been many games like these when the team did not play with the required intensity and focus and dropped costly points as a result. The Swans took home 10 points from the Emirates during their last six PL games, so the boys are more than warned!

Luckily, the current ‘First Team’ squad has been fully rested and will be eager to play again. Another win at home will make it 10 League victories in a row. There is not much more to say re this game. The first team is likely to be the same as those that played against the sorry Toffees last weekend.

Here it is:

I cannot wait to see ALO ALO in our attack once again. Their collective movement,  creativity, thrust and fire-power is something to behold. Ozil is our ‘new’ Mozart and with a free role from the right, he will mostly be the creator and composer of our attacking play, whilst also adding a threat of finishing off a move. Alexis and Lacazetter offer so much in terms of forward play and Mesut will be looking forward to playing alongside them this afternoon.

The service to these three beasts will come from the linker-upper Rambo and from XhakaKAN from deep midfield. As always in this formation, we need our full back to be on full-throttle both in attack and defence, and I reckon we are almost there. Kola needs to improve a bit in terms of his defensive positioning and Hector needs to put in more good balls as well as take some of the chances he gets presented with. I have no doubt that Nacho and Koz will offer further thrust and passes from deep, but they also need to look after the less mobile, but brilliant organiser, BFG.

All to play for.

COYRRGs!

By TotalArsenal 

Oh the sweet uses of adversity, as Shakespeare once wrote. No CL football means that Wenger can play about two different squads throughout most of the season, and this, my fine fellow Gooners, is great, great news.

We have a lot of good players in the squad and a number of youngsters who could make it into the first team. In previous seasons, these sorts of players would simply not get enough chances to play regularly enough to get to PL/CL quality levels. The experienced fringe players need regular, meaningful games to stay fit, focussed and enthusiastic, and for the young players it is absolutely vital that they can play regularly in competitive games in the red and white shirt.
The combination of midweek games in the UEFA League and League Cup mean that both sets of players now get plenty of opportunities to play meaningful, competitive football. Would we be playing in the CL, this simply would not be the case. Instead, our first team players would have to be played twice a week with all the risks of injuries, fatigue etc. Currently, only Mustafi and Welbeck are not (yet) available (and sadly Santi of course); the rest is fit, rested and keen.
So it is great news that Arsenal play at home against the Spuds-mashing Hammers in the next round of the League Cup. It will be a big battle and another great opportunity for the youngsters to get real-game experience. This will allow them to grow further and test themselves against PL opposition. West Ham will be up for this and the atmosphere in our stadium, the home of football, will be great. The experienced fringe-players will also enjoy playing in this one. And if we were to go through, Arsenal’s ‘second’ team will get a double bill in January – home and away. The more games for them the better!
It also looks like we will survive in the UEFA-Cup, which means more great tests for our youngsters. At the end of the season, Arsene can judge much better who is ready to be added to the first team squad and who should go on loan, sold etc. There is every chance that at least one, if not more, of the youngsters will be ready to join the first team come July next year.
There is an argument that Wenger will be tempted to play (lots of) first team players at some stage in both competitions and this could be detrimental to our PL campaign. I reckon that will not be the case, other than the odd player who needs another game to get fully fit or put into practice a certain tactical adjustment in their play. Wenger may involve more of the first team squad if Arsenal were to get to the quarter or semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, but surely that would be worth it then.
In a nutshell, I can see only advantages in us still playing, and continuing to play, in the League Cup and UEFA Cup: the first team players get plenty of rest, the experienced fringe players get plenty of meaningful practice and game-time, and the youngsters are provided with a proper platform to gain much needed real-game experience and show us what they are capable of. WIN WIN WIN!
By TotalArsenal. 

Arsenal (3-4-3): Cech; Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal; Bellerín, Ramsey, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Özil, Sánchez, Lacazette.
Subs: Macey, Wilshere, Giroud, Walcott, Holding, Iwobi, Coquelin.

Everton (3-5-2): Pickford; Keane, Jagielka, Williams; Kenny, Gueye, Sigurdsson, Vlasic, Baines; Rooney, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs: Robles, Mirallas, Martina, Klaassen, Davies, Lookman, Niasse.

Referee: Craig Pawson.

The line-ups are in and Arsene Wenger goes with what might be his best 11.  Ronald Koeman, perhaps under even more pressure that Wenger (is that possible?…), makes a few changes matches our own three center-back formation while building his attack around Wayne Rooney.

Everton away is always a tough one and last December it’s the one that began the derailment of our season after a long unbeaten run.  This time around–if we can win it–it might be a good re-boot after losing at Watford a week ago from a winning position.  What’s your prediction?  What else have you got to say?

Despite the early start time here in California, I’ll be trying to offer up some descriptions of the match, but, as always, it’s a whole lot more fun if I can lure others into the fray.  I’ll do my best, but we can only be the best if we get you into the discussion.

Go on then…

By 17highburyterrace

With only the oil-doped Mancunians appearing in an unbeatable form right now, Arsenal have a chance to close in on second in the table MU to just four points by beating the sorry Toffees this afternoon. This will not be easy. The unnecessary loss to the Hornets is still soaring the arses of the Gunners, and Wenger has not got the best of records against Koeman. The good thing is they don’t like each other much and Wenger would love to send the Dutchman back home to the Lowlands – and a beating may well mean the end of his Everton adventure (however ridiculous that would be).

It is one of those games that can go horribly wrong for either of the clubs; and we need to make sure we win this at any cost. A win would not only close the gap with the leaders but also allow to regain momentum in the league (and belief). With a number of good and important home games coming up, an away win today would be very, very important. Everton are of course a good side that just has not found the much needed rhythm as yet, and they could use this game, with the home crowd in passionate support and possibly a partisan referee to aid them further (allowing feet to go into our players unpunished and one or two fouls going against us in dangerous spots, for example) as a springboard to their revival.

The psychological factor should therefore not be underestimated: Wenger needs to get the troops in no-mercy fighting spirit. There is not much more to say about this one other than the predicted line-up. Rambo, Alexis and Koz are all fit again and they all need to play.

This is my predicted (and my preferred) Line-Up:

Enjoy the game fellow Gooners. Up the Arsenal!

By TotalArsenal

All statistical analyses have shown that the three center back formation has not improved us defensively, but has instead lowered our offensive numbers. That, however, is not the overriding reason why there is a need to consider reverting to the back four.  A back three demands at least six central defenders in the squad, especially as we are saddled with three matches per week for most of the autumn. What do we have there?

1) A 33 yr old Per Mertesacker whose legs are beginning to tire.
2) The marvelous 32 yr old Laurent Koscielny who is dogged by a chronic achilles problem and currently is out injured.
3) Shkodran Mustafi, a German international, out for a period of about 6 weeks with an injury.
4) Nacho Monreal, a 31 yr old converted full back who is also needed as cover for the wingback position.
5) 22 yr old Calum Chambers who has played only 45 minutes so far this season in all competitions.
6). 22 yr old Rob Holding, full of potential but still fragile in confidence.

That looks a bit of a rickety collection which smacks of a lack of ambition for a team that is expected to compete for honors everywhere. The color of the group dramatically improves if we revert to a back four which demands only two central defenders.

Are there other reasons to employ a four-man back line? I should think so. When Chelsea manager Antonio Conte introduced the 3:4:3 formation last season the Premier League was totally unprepared for it.  It took the league by storm and Chelsea swept past everyone. We made the same switch late in the season and went on a similar rampage. The trend this season seems to indicate that premier league teams have acquired an antidote: stop the wingbacks stretching the field and the attack goes limp, starved of numbers. This is particularly so for a team like Arsenal which propels its offense with quick combination passes featuring multiple movements. With two instead of three central defenders, one more body can be released and fully integrated into attacking areas, with their movements more difficult for the opposition to handle. Poor Alexandre Lacazette, our most expensive acquisition, poorly serviced and hardly ever supported by enough bodies.  He cannot be enjoying our 3:4:2:1 system. He–and the team–need a 4:2:3:1 that allows the swagger in our DNA to express itself.  Against Watford we looked… meh.

Our attack was devoid of creativity, which is exactly why we need a player like Mesut Ozil, whose cross of a fragile personality we all must bear.  He can only thrive when he is loved. The Germans know that and get the best out of him. I wish we could accept him for what he is. His performance started sliding when it was demanded he add goals and show more fight in his game. He now looks broken under those pressures.  Ozil cannot be the lead singer. Get the chorus in voice, however, and watch him thrive.  Jack Wilshere’s comeback program now needs to be sped up to help Ozil shine again. Our attack also needs Alexis, the X-factor man. As long as Ozil and Sanchez are still with us we need them. Every match is vital.

When we square up against the top teams, particularly away from home, we should use plenty of hard workers to disrupt the opponents’ game.  Ozil can then be sat on the bench.  That’s pragmatism.  It worked against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.  Against Watford and other lesser teams, we must always don our toga of possession, creativity and style with the likes of Ozil, Sanchez and Wilshere.  It’s nauseating and demoralizing to lose ugly to the smaller teams.

At Watford, I found it curious when we substituted Lacazette for Giroud given that we were already failing to attack with numbers and finding it difficult to penetrate the opponent’s box, the one place Giroud excels. Instead, I thought our transitioning structure was what needed to be rejigged, either with a different substitute or a change of formation.

A final comment. What an exquisite passer Xhaka is, but, as the saying goes, the strength of a chain is that of its weakest link.  Xhaka has an incredibly slow motor response that will keep causing us dearly.  Is it time for us to cut our loss? Big decisions lie ahead.

COYG!!!

By Pony Eye.

Looks like our aged crew of defenders will anchor things at Watford tonight.

Here are your line-ups… What do you think?

Join us in the comments for the Best. Live. Arsenal. Blog.  BLAB on, BKesquers!

Arsenal (3-4-2-1) Cech; Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal; Bellerin, Elneny, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Iwobi, Welbeck, Lacazette.
Substitutes: Ospina, Holding, Ozil, Coquelin, Wilshere, Giroud, Walcott.

Watford (4-2-3-1) Gomes; Femenia, Mariappa, Britos, Holebas; Doucoure, Kabasele; Pereyra, Cleverley, Richarlison; Gray.
Substitutes: Karnezis, Janmaat, Wague, Capoue, Watson, Deeney, Carrillo.

Referee Neil Swarbrick.

by 17highburyterrace

 

Cannon Balls to chase away the Hornets.

Technically this is an away game but the boys do not need to travel much for this one. And after what seemed an eternal international break, it is just as well the boys do not need to travel far. Players have been returning from their international games in mixed physical and mental states, and at least Mustafi will have to miss out for at least four weeks apparently.

No Mustafi is a big miss for us, as for some reason we play a lot better when he is on the pitch. Having said that, the BFG can do a decent stand-in job, and with a bit of luck Koz will be judged fit to play (he is another doubt at the moment). It is hard to say who is fit (enough) to play tomorrow but it looks like Alexis will not be back in time to make the team – the bench at best, I reckon.

Up-front is where we really have the good news with both Welbeck and Ozil deemed fit again for starts at least. In midfield we have Ramsey and Xhaka who both had tough international games during the break. I reckon they both will want to play and will be fit enough to do so. It may be best to rest Rambo though as his hamstrings may be in the red zone right now.

Watford are of course a team that can spring a surprise and we need to be very focused and ‘intense’ from the start. This will not be an easy one, let there be no doubt about it. Predicted Line-Up:

Come on You Rip Roaring Gunners! Up The Arse!!!

By TotalArsenal