Welbeck and Theo on ‘wings’, Ozil in hole, Giroud central: Preview and Line-up

March 13, 2015March 13, 2015TotalArsenal

Arsenal – West Ham United — Match Preview

Back to Business

How does Arsenal follow up on the tasty 2-1 victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup Quarter-finals at Old Trafford? Will there be a let down after that emotional win–our first in almost a decade up there–or will it serve to galvanize our focus and get players and team fully motivated for what can be accomplished in the competitions ahead?

It’s only March, so the battle for places in the league is still on and anything can happen as maybe that team leading in the standings can attest. For once the sky is NOT falling in North London. On the South side, however, between racist chants and conspiracies that ALL are out to get them, the horizon has dropped a notch. For Chelsea, playing with an extra man and an away goal for an hour was simply not enough. Even when they got their (soft) penalty in extra time, they couldn’t close the deal. The “best” team in England already out of the Champions League has led to many with long faces. Not mine…

Before Gooners get too happy, however, we should note that crashes of this variety happen in our sport all the time. We should also register that they had to feel confident going into the return match with Paris St. Germain after grinding out a 1-nil victory in East London against our next opponent, West Ham United. Were they perhaps overconfident? Who knows? All I know is that Arsenal must avoid a similar complacency. Instead, we must use the confidence gained from winning at Old Trafford but take what was witnessed at Stamford Bridge in midweek to redouble our focus for this next one and use it to our advantage. Yes, Chelsea still have a 9 point lead (and a game in hand) and Manchester City still a 4 point gap over us for the top two places in the league, but now, more than ever, is a time to keep the pressure on.

We really must, because if we look below us in the table, our hold on 3rd place (the final Champions league spot not requiring an August playoff) is by only the narrowest of margins–a single point. The club we just beat sits 4th (and out of all other competitions), local rivals Tottenham sit just one behind them and will have a similarly cleared schedule, while Liverpool, the current form club in the league, is only one more back. Cock up against the Hammers and all the fun this week has provided goes right out the window.

Another reason a lapse cannot be afforded is because of the enormity of the task facing us in the midweek ahead. Somehow Arsenal have to reverse a 3-1 deficit when they travel to Monaco next Tuesday. We can only play the matches one at a time, of course, but a composed performance vs the Hammers–yet one which hones our multiple weapons in attack–would be just what the doctor (not to mention the priests, shamans, poets and philosophers) might order to create a sense of belief that something good might be possible down on the Cote d’Azur.

West Ham cannot, however, be taken too lightly. They are having a fine season under manager Sam Allardyce and have proven themselves a very dangerous team to look past. In particular they are no pushovers against the (so-called) top clubs. They took full points from Manchester City in the Autumn and in more recent weeks have shared points in matches with Southampton, Manchester United and Tottenham. As mentioned above, they pushed Chelsea for ninety plus minutes, only losing by the single goal. Although they may feel very comfortable in 10th position–with no danger of dropping off the first page of the table this weekend being 4 points clear of Newcastle–Big Sam has made his reputation scrapping for every available point.

He’s certainly not everybody’s cup of tea and not a few East End bubble blowers are tiring of Allardyce’s pragmatism, even if it has been a particularly effective technique for exposing the soft underbelly in Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal teams over the years. We saw plenty of floated balls to big targets when we played them at Upton Park in Late December and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some Route One football on Saturday. The Hammers, however, will be without big men Andy Carroll and Carlton Cole for this one, so Allardyce may be forced into a slightly less aerially oriented game even if his approach will likely still rely upon power and speed and using the full width of our pitch. Even that approach will be hampered by not being able to use our own loanee, Carl Jenkinson, at right back. As much as Wenger believes the loan rules are just another way the richer clubs are favoured, Jenks has been having a strong enough season with the Hammers that the manager will happily accept the advantage.

Wenger has no such power over another ex-Gunner, Alex Song, on loan from Barcelona. The acquisition of Song was considered one of the best moves of the Summer and many Gooners, given our weakness at the rear of midfield–and the fact that we were looking up at West Ham in the table–during much of the Autumn, thought Wenger might have done well to have taken the Cameroonian back himself. Song’s form in the new year has been hampered by a knee problem and he didn’t feature in the derby vs Chelsea, but Allardyce was coy on whether he’d be available to play against his old club. Still, just as Wenger made a late decision to use Danny Welbeck against his former club in the match at Man United, Allardyce may try to use similar motivation with Song against us. If he does, will we see the smiling Song who often was a little too friendly with opponents for the tastes of many supporters, or will he play with a chip on his shoulder, knowing a big performance against his former club will be noticed by the many who were dismayed by his quick exit from the club two summers ago?

Like our last league opponent, Queens Park Rangers, West Ham, already eliminated from the FA Cup and having a full 10 days between matches, have just returned from a training camp in Dubai. New tactics and partnerships may be the order of the day, some of which will be forced due to injury. My hunch is that, like QPR, they will have drilled more on defending and will not be easy to break down, even if, in addition to Jenkinson at RB, they will also be missing center back Winston Reid who will not quite be recovered in time for this one. Spanish Keeper Adrian, although perhaps not playing to the level of his countryman David De Gea (who kept the scoreline close up at Man U) is a fine shot stopper and a big reason for the Hammers success this year. Arsenal will have to make quality chances and better shots to beat him.

In attack, with Carroll out as a focal point, Diafra Sakho and Stuart Downing are the biggest concerns. Enner Valencia is a player who is unafraid to run with the ball and brings enough pace and trickery to hurt us. Aaron Cresswell, a free running left back, in addition to Downing, can supply the crosses. Cheik Kouyate, Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble add graft to the craft. Even if they’re without their biggest guys, these players bring a good mix of skill, determination and physicality and should not be discounted. We should be especially aware at set pieces.

That’s what got us in the reverse fixture, after all. In that one, Arsenal, as we’ve done several times this season, scored two first half goals in quick succession (Santi Cazorla, from the spot after winning a penalty, and Danny Welbeck bundling in a rocketed low cross from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain) but then conceded from a corner (eventually scored by Kouyate after an initial header from James Tompkins) to set up a nervous finish.

There will be changes from that one and from the emotional Cup victory at ManU. Wojciech Szczesny, even though his height might be a real weapon if West Ham revert to the lofted balls, will likely return to the bench in favor of David Ospina. Wenger, I think, might compensate by using fullbacks–Calum Chambers and Nacho Monreal–who have done time at center back, rather than pacier options, Hector Bellerin and Kieran Gibbs. Francis Coquelin, our revelation at defensive mid, surely anchors the rearguard, and will play ahead of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, our only fit CBs.

The more difficult choices revolve around what Wenger will do up front and in attacking midfield. This might be a spot for Theo Walcott to finally get a start as his explosive pace might help keep the Hammers honest and worried about committing too many men forward. Does Olivier Giroud come back at Center Forward or does Danny Welbeck get a reward for the great solo effort for the game winner he pounced upon at Old Trafford? Additionally, does Wenger believe he can rest any (or all) of the outstanding threesome at the heart of our team: Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil? Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky have been playing well themselves and it would not be a drop in quality if either of them started. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will certainly miss this one, even if a scan on the injured hamstring which forced him off early in the ManU match suggests he’ll be back soon. Even Mathieu Flamini could feature as he’s been passed fit. Jack Wilshere probably won’t be ready after minor surgery. Here then is my best guess for the starting 11, but I feel far from confident putting it out there.

(Subs: Szczesny, Gibbs, Bellerin, Flamini, Rosicky, Ramsey, Alexis)

Other would-be-managers might see (very) different line-ups. What would be yours? Is this a chance to rotate and rest ahead of the immense challenge we face at Monaco? Should we consider that one a dead rubber and just stay focused on our (delicately poised) position in the league? Will West Ham return from their long layoff and their exercises down in Dubai with determination and drive or does their comfortable spot in the table mean that they’ll not be too worried about trying to take points in another tough London derby? In other words, what say you, the babbling (and barking) boys of the Bergkampesque blogosphere?…

The pressure relief from the win at Manchester United has been nice, but it’s time to get back to it…Gunners and Gooners alike. Go on, then…

By 17highburyterrace

BFG & Nacho return | Ox & Rambo in DM pivot: Predicted Line-Up and Preview

March 4, 2015TotalArsenal

Queens Park Rangers – Arsenal

Stumbling Block or Springboard to Showdown at Old Trafford?

Spring must be in the air because the fixtures are coming thick and fast. Tomorrow night, in a midweek league fixture, Arsenal travel to West London and the intimate confines of Loftus Road to take on Queens Park Rangers.

Have our opponents been watching our struggles or have they been taking the small pockets of nice weather to get a jump on their golf games? That’s right, as Arsenal have strained to find a silver lining to the Champions League thrashing meted out by AS Monaco last Wednesday and a tepid or at least somewhat nervous 2 nil victory over Everton, QPR have done nothing. Instead, they will have to look back to their late loss 10 days ago at relegation rival Hull City to remember what playing football is all about.

They might also, like Arsenal, have one eye on their next match, a make-up game with Capital One Cup losers, er, runners up, Tottenham. With so many former Spurs in the QPR line-up, trying to stick it to travelers from North London might be more tempting if they’re dressed in white.

If Spurs are a cock on a ball, QPR could, right now at least, be seen as a bit of a headless fowl. Despite the big money that owner and Formula One backer, Tony Fernandes, has poured into the club, along with the excitement of bouncing back up to the Premier League from the Championship (through the playoffs, no less), QPR are once again in a big fight to avoid relegation. Only out of the bottom three by virtue of goal differential, they lost the coolest head in the courtroom, their manager, Harry Redknapp, citing the need for knee surgery(?!?). As many injuries as Arsenal have endured, including ones I suspect Arsene Wenger tells his players they’ve suddenly gotten, at least our manager has never used his own injuries as an excuse to jump ship.

Redknapp has been gone a month, and in that time QPR haven’t been miserable, losing by one goal margins vs Southampton and at Hull, but taking all the points at Sunderland. Still, they’ve yet to attract a full-time manager who might believe they will stay up. Caretaker Manager, Chris Ramsey, then, will likely have his work cut out for him to get his group up for these matches. The disappointment of the late loss at Hull may be offset by the 10 days of rest, but he still faces these matches missing several key players.

Amongst those who will not suit up, Leroy Fer is a dynamic midfielder if not quite the spark plug (or lightening rod) Joey Barton represents. Barton is serving the first of a 3 match ban for trying to “manage” a conference with the referee and several Hull players in that most recent match. Does that mean Ramsey will opt for former Spurs Abel Taarabt and Niko Krancjar, or will he believe there could be motivation for Karl Henry and Armand Traore, both of whom played at Arsenal? Up front he’ll surely employ Charlie Austin, the former bricklayer who has been more like a hod-carrier for the Hoops. Not the fastest or most physically imposing center forward, Austin, nonetheless, has a poacher’s instincts and reacts without hesitation to loose balls in the box, scoring 14 goals in 23 league appearances. With a return like that, it’s no surprise that he’s also recently made noise about being another key figure who might not be willing to stay aboard if the club sank back down to the Championship.

With the game in hand, my bet is that Ramsey is more focused on trying to keep both sets of North Londoners out and playing for every precious point he can grab. They are reasonably strong at the back. Former England #1 Rob Green and Rio Ferdinand bring decades of experience to the task and former Spur, Steven Caulker, is not a rookie himself. Arsenal must beware of the center backs (and Austin) at set pieces. Giving away needless corners or fouls in our half should be avoided.

How then will Arsenal set up for this challenge? On such short rest surely there must be changes. Wenger may also want to give players one final look before what could be a season-defining trip to Old Trafford. A win or even a draw in the FA Cup Quarterfinal (setting up a replay back in North London) would set a positive tone for the remainder of the run in. As we need a clear 3 goal win in Monaco to advance in the Champions league and sit 9 points off Chelsea in the league (they also have a game in hand), defending the FA Cup is surely our best shot at silverware. Calling out the starting line-up for this one then becomes extremely tricky.

At the back, off a clean sheet, I think the South American axis of Ospina and Gabriel continues, but perhaps the armband is returned to our Big F**king German, Per Mertesacker; after all, those achilles tendons of Laurent Koscielny must be sore. At the full back positions, it’s hard to drop Bellerin and Gibbs after the clean sheet, but I think it’s also tough on Nacho Monreal who, despite a few early slips on the pitch at Crystal Palace, hasn’t done enough wrong to lose his spot in the first 11. The big question is who comes in for Francis Coquelin after our only truly defensive midfielder suffered a broken nose in the most recent match. Tomas Rosicky and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have played in these positions (and often subbed for one another). Might they get a run out side by side?

Aaron Ramsey has been passed fit and it should be remembered that he went straight into the starting 11 after his last sizable layoff, helping to keep Manchester City scoreless on their home pitch. Coquelin, however, could be fitted for a mask to protect his broken nose. Up front, Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez have started the past 5 matches, while Olivier Giroud started the previous 4. In that one, vs Leicester City, Theo Walcott started and scored. Now however, he seems out of favour with the manager; and Danny Welbeck, rested vs Everton might also get a spot back. Many were impressed by the Ox’s play in the wide right position and would like to see him right back out there. Some will want even deeper rotation and calls for Chuba Akpom will surely be registered.

Options abound, but here is the group I predict.

(Subs: Szczesny, Chambers, Gibbs, Koscielny, Rosicky, Cazorla, Walcott)

It’s really anybody’s guess who will play. In truth, getting the points is what really matters, and another group effort, likely built on a disciplined defensive platform as we showed vs Everton, is what’s needed most.

Can we get it?

Who would you play and why?

Should Wenger prioritize the league matches or do we keep our best players well rested for the match at Old Trafford?

By 17highburyterrace

This is not The Arsenal I have been supporting for 15 years

March 3, 2015TotalArsenal

First I think I have to start with the game against Monaco. It has been a while since I was so furious, and this was when we were still at nil-nil. The performance was lackadaisical, complacent and lazy, and any other term you can think of. Tentative, SLOW passing, no effort to win the ball back when we lost the ball, which is fast becoming an Arsenal trade mark. Even after we concede twice, not much changed until the 89th minute. Honestly the less said about that game, the better.

Then there was the victory against Everton. A game which we won, but were dominated almost throughout. I mean we won yes, but I wasn’t impressed at all. This is not the Arsenal I have been supporting for a decade and a half. We cannot hold on to the ball in midfield to save our lives. Our passing is slow and laboured. That movement we had off the ball that allowed us to play the slick fluid game we were so well known for has vanished into thin air. Watching us try to force passing moves in a congested Everton box just wore my patience thin. Something has to change.

From where I sit, I feel like we need to go back to basics. Simply training harder on passing & more importantly moving. Training our technically gifted players on how, where & when to move in order to receive a pass and open up space for the rest and keeping the rhythm going.

So far it is like when Santi/ Ozil/Sanchez receive the ball, the rest watch him and wait to see what they will conjure up. Result? Dispossessing Arsenal has become like taking candy from a baby.

It is worth noting that another consequence of this is that every time we approach the opposition box, the player on the ball (usually Santi/Ox/Sanchez) is left to try something on their own, which again usually ends up one of three ways; wayward shots or shots directly at the keeper, losing the ball or passing backwards. There is an instance against Everton where I was watching Sanchez & Santi at the edge of the penalty box trying to pick a way into the opposition box and almost screamed. All the players around them were static so passing was slow and tedious, nobody had ideas and the result was just frustrating.

Many argue that teams sit deep and defend against us but those are just excuses IMO. Don’t they do the same against MCFC, CFC, LFC, even the Spuds? Haven’t they been doing that since we won the league unbeaten? So then why is it that because this current squad is struggling against those tactics it all of a sudden has become an issue? If you ask Cesc, Hleb & Rosicky what they had to contend with back in 2007, they will tell you the exact same thing. Defences parking buses in front of them. Somehow though, that never stopped them.

I feel like a broken record saying this but I will say it anyway. With the kind of players we have, this is the last thing I should be talking about.

I am not sure playing Ozil & Santi together is working. Why isn’t TR7 ever on the first team line-up? When he plays, we look more assured in possession. When he comes on we look more dangerous, more purposeful. I am not a coach so I won’t try to tell Wenger how to do his job but we do need to see results. And soon. Otherwise, we’ll just start losing our stars like we did for so long.

We surely can do much better.

COYG!!

By Marcus

Theo in Trouble: Would he make Arsenal’s Best-11?

February 23, 2015February 23, 2015TotalArsenal

My previous post (in which I pointed out our need for improvement) was inspired by performances such as that against Crystal Palace. We were very lucky to leave with three points and in my opinion, given the squad we have, these aren’t words that should be coming out of my mouth – much less against such opposition. Anyway, the important thing is we got the three points and I’m hoping we have taken the lessons from that game.

My post today comes from a very curious place. I have noticed that Welbeck & the Ox have been getting the nod over Theo despite the fact that he is one of our team’s best finishers. Interestingly, when I watched Welbeck play against the Spuds, I thought to myself that Theo is in a very precarious position right now. I didn’t think anything of it at the time but the more I see how our team is playing the more I fear for him.

Apart from Sanchez, I doubt there is a better finisher in our team than Theo. The problem is he offers very little when we are chasing possession. You watch how hard the Ox, Welbz, Alexis (obviously), Santi & even Ozil work to win back possession, and you begin to see Theo in a new light. In truth, he doesn’t work hard enough for the team. When we don’t have possession Theo is more of a ‘lurker’. He lurks around waiting for one of his team mates to win back possession and he sparks into life. Mesut Ozil learned the hard way but is now one of our 4 top performers.

What makes this situation even more ominous is that these days we aren’t the Arsenal who used to dominate games from minute zero to 90. In a game like against Crystal Palace, Theo’s shortcomings would have been laid bare for all to see. On top of that, he would be playing opposite Alexis whose work rate would put him to shame. When we signed Alexis we signed someone who would take our team to a new level. He is simply an inspirational character. That is why some of our players have taken their games up a notch.

To be fair to Theo, he missed a whole year of football. Arsene Wenger said (and rightly so) that the pre-injury Theo was the best he had ever seen and that is why I am still backing him to regain his place in the starting 11. That said he can’t afford to rest on his laurels. When Theo got injured he left a team that was to some extent dependent on him and his goals, but he returned to find a team with stars everywhere on the field. He no longer can waltz into the team like he used to.

I still believe that Theo will get back to his best and reclaim his place. He will find that doing that isn’t as easy as he may have imagined. And who can complain when everyone in the team is making each other better?

COYG!

Thanks Voetbal International for picture

By Marcus

Coquelin’s bite, Giroud’s deadliness, Welbeck improving: Eight Positives from Game.

February 22, 2015February 22, 2015TotalArsenal

Well, that was another game in which we scored easily and just enough goals to claim all three points. This sitting deep and beating opponents on the counter is most definitely our ‘plan B’ this season… it is not for the faint-hearted, though. Just as we did against the Spuds, we were unable/unwilling to push up and release the pressure on our defence, and we almost paid for this again.

For a long time, we looked in control though, and we should take heart from this; and had Alexis converted the fabulous team counter we produced mid-through the second half, it would have been a lot easier for us. Arsene’s subs did not help at all but I was happy he took off both Ozil and Alexis to avoid a late injury to them: we will need them even more on Wednesday.

Why we were unable to release the pressure by pushing The Eagles back again, or by keeping the ball better, or by more effective counter football, is hard to explain. I guess the boys were in doubt whether to defend the lead or to add to it, and Pardew’s men did a good job at pressurising our central midfielders. Since the former Barcodes manager arrived, Palace have won many games and this showed in the confidence with which the Eagles played.

As a team we need to learn from these games so we can improve our plan-B further. Nothing wrong with that, though, as long as we learn fast…

Eight Positives from the game:

Welbeck was far more effective in this game than in his previous ones, with better reading of the game and positioning. He earned the penalty by putting pressure on the CP defence and he made a strong and direct run into the box, anticipating Alexis’ through-ball; and his subsequent attempt on goal had plenty of venom, which forced the keeper to parry the ball into the danger zone.
Giroud scored his fiftieth Arsenal goal and that in just 116 games, giving him a 0.43 goals per game average in a red and white shirt. We know how important his overall role is in the team, but Ollie is now adding regular goals to his game as well, with 10 goals in less than 900 minutes this season.
Coquelin added the necessary bite to the team and he did a great job in shielding the defence on Saturday. He still needs to control his tackles a bit, but at times he was simply sublime, with great reading of the game and effective interceptions, as well as confidently passing the ball out of our half.
Ozil and Alexis helped out our defence really well. This is not Mesut’s natural game but he was often deep to support his full back and the same goes for Mesut, who is great at coming back to regain the ball and move it forward again. I felt we lacked this support almost as soon as they left the field.
Our win today was helped by a large dollop of luck, but I will not be complaining about it! With Manure dropping all three points at the Jacks, the Spuds drawing and the Saints losing, we have made a big leap forward. With Everton home and QPR away as our next games, we have a decent opportunity to hang on to our third place and produce a little gap with some of our main competitors for the CL places.
Santi has taken over from Arteta the role of secure penalty convertor. Mikel was a safe pair of hands for this and it is great that Santi has fully and successfully embraced this important role within the team.
Squad depth: being able to bring on fit and experienced players like Rosicky, Gibbs and Gabriel, with Jack and Theo on the bench as well, is just great. They did not make a big difference on the day, but having a strong bench at this stage of the season is simply fantastic.
Per and Koz defended very well, especially with regards to the continuous high balls into the box. It was really good to see us so demanding in the air for almost the entire game; eliminating the threat of Palace’s strong wing-play to a large extent (the FBs Monreal and Chambers were truly tested and sometimes found wanting).

Now bring on the Principality and give them some old fashioned Wengerball! 🙂

By TotalArsenal.

Paulista first start | Theo, Santi, Ozil, Rosa behind OG: Preview & Predicted Line-up

February 14, 2015TotalArsenal

Arsenal – Middlesbrough FA Cup 5th Round Match Preview

Minimal changes or Roll the Dice?

What Would Constitute a Win?

Paulista could make his first start against Middlesborough

Following on from the last post on this fine blog, I thought I might try my hand at a little Haiku. Here goes my attempt at 17 ‘syllables’:

It’s just a game, right?

Misery is in the eye

Of the beholder

Arsenal host Middlesbrough in the marquee time-slot (Sunday, 16:00) of Round 5 of the FA Cup, as they continue in their attempt to defend the trophy they won a season ago. With so many top clubs already out of the competition a home draw against a club from a lower division seemed a good one. But is it?

By drawing Middlesbrough at home, a team that got there by beating the Premier League Champions, Manchester City–on their own ground–in the previous round, Arsenal are now the hunted scalp. To a neutral this is a mouthwatering cup tie and a classic David vs Goliath affair. To Arsenal supporters it is something altogether different. Can Arsenal actually “win” this sort of tie? What sort of match–in terms of result AND performance–will it take to satisfy our support?

Most certainly the 2-1 league win in midweek vs Leicester City, winners of the Championship a year ago but currently sitting bottom of the Premiership, was not enough. Consensus suggests that we rode our luck in that one and were dominated by the smaller club in the 2nd half. Injuries to key players Alexis Sanchez (already coming off a couple of missed matches) and Aaron Ramsey added to the sense of gloom. The three points were nice, but having lost that same quantity to arch-rivals Tottenham at the weekend, they seemed far from sufficient to restore full confidence.

Middlesbrough have no such issues. They are currently in the exact position Leicester finished a year ago. They’re top of the Championship and have won six matches on the trot and haven’t lost in ten. They say that winning is a habit, so my hunch is that our opponents will come believing they can get one. Simply remaining unbeaten in the calendar year would work a treat as well. A draw would mean a replay up on Teeside and an additional mid-week fixture. While Boro would prefer going straight through to the quarterfinals, a tough midweek trip to the Northeast is the last thing Arsenal need, given that the Champions League elimination matches begin later this month.

Moreover, Middlesbrough have been winning by defending first. In 30 matches this season they have conceded only 20 goals. In these last ten matches, only three. Manager Aitor Kananka, a disciple of Jose Mourinho, has got his players working as a group, looking to defend from the front and counterattack at pace. It worked at the Etihad, so why not at the Emirates? Winning the match, on the scoreboard alone, may be tough enough.

Beyond the pressure to outscore the opponent there is pressure to rotate players. Typically, Arsene Wenger uses the domestic cup matches as a chance to rest a few regulars and give others a chance. No matches until the weekend and the fact that it is our trophy to defend, however, may alter the calculus. Still, as results and performances fail to satisfy, would-be managers suggest things would be better if we only played _____. Others, sharper with their tongues and their keyboards, suggest that certain players who have failed (in their eyes) need to be rested, if not benched entirely (or sold).

It makes sense, of course. After all, something new and something different are what we hope for when gifts are wrapped and sitting under the tree. The festive season is not so far behind us, after all, nor is the season of giving to ourselves–the January transfer window. We’ve got a big Brazilian defender all ready to go and surely he’ll get his debut. If Gabriel Paulista comes in to spell the aching Achilles tendons of Laurent Koscielny and plays in tandem with Per Mertesacker, ahead of our dropped (or merely disciplined?) keeper, Wojciech Szczesny, Arsenal will have one of the tallest central defences in all of football. Not many have seen Gabriel in action so some may have their doubts. Will he be a compliment to the other big men or will it be too much of the same (tall, thin) thing?

If those changes are the obvious ones, how many more can Arsenal afford?

Not too many, I think. It appears that Spaniards Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin have nailed down starting roles as fullbacks, just as Francis Coquelin seems to have done at the defensive midfield position. Will those three go again or will any (or all) of Kieran Gibbs, Calum Chambers or Mathieu Flamini be given the nod? Up front, Olivier Giroud only came on as a sub vs Leicester, so he likely goes straight back in to the first 11 in place of Alexis. Theo Walcott scored in midweek but many were unimpressed by the remainder of his game. Is this then a chance for Danny Welbeck? Some have even suggested that Chuba Akpom might get his first start. And who will fill out the midfield? Mesut Ozil is in fine form, but Santi Cazorla’s seems to be on the wane. Jack Wilshere has been training with the first team for several weeks and should make the bench at least. Could he go straight into Ramsey’s spot or will Tomas Rosicky, who started there on Tuesday, reprise the role?

My point is that calling the starting 11 is anybody’s guess. Here’s mine:

(Predicted subs: Ospina, Chambers, Gibbs, Flamini, Wilshere, Welbeck, Akpom)

That’s only three changes from Tuesday. Personally, I think too many more would be too much. In my opinion, against such an in-form opponent, consistency and predictability are needed. Players knowing each others’ games and preferences can be a precious commodity. With only minimal changes the new players can step in, based on what they’ve observed in their teammates. Needing goals against a team poised on the counter, our ability to balance attack with defending could be the difference maker. Too many changes might compromise that critical element.

What sort of line-up would you expect and/or prefer? Also, what would constitute a “win” for you in this cup tie?

In my opinion, and carrying on from my Haiku, too many Gooners, perhaps spoiled by the memories of past glories, seem in it only for the larger triumphs. Personally, I have faith that further glory lies ahead, but even if it doesn’t there are games to be played and enjoyed. This season has been a struggle, but, with players coming back from long term injury and the emergence of some real quality in the youth ranks (Chambers, Bellerin, Akpom) and some squad players making claims to starting spots (Monreal, Ospina, Coquelin) we seem on the up. Gabriel has yet to be seen in action, but his transfer filled a real hole in the squad. Additionally, we put to bed the notion that Arsenal can only play one way and are always at risk of a drubbing against the bigger clubs. The very well fought win of our own up at Manchester City less than a month ago, where we had only a third of the possession (but all of the goals), we hoped, seemed a real turning point.

To be at the highest level, the level to which a club like Arsenal aspires, means that matches against the smaller clubs are expected to be won–and won in style. Still, they must be played; meaning the result–and the experience–must be risked. Can a journey with uncertainty and risk be enjoyed or can it only produce anxiety which is then laid to rest only until the next one? In other words, have supporters gotten to the point where only the destination can be enjoyed? I would hope the twists and turns, ups and downs, and memories made along the way can be just as satisfying as the moment the trophy is lifted, the confetti flies and the bubbly is uncorked. Maybe the journey itself IS what it’s all about…

That journey continues tomorrow afternoon at 4, in our stadium, against Middlesbrough, in the 5th round of the FA Cup. Go on…

By 17highburyterrace

Happiness in an Arsenal Haiku

February 13, 2015February 14, 2015TotalArsenal

Even when at the Grove

Sight of cold Clock

I long for Ars’nal

This amateurish attempt at a haiku is inspired by a proper haiku from the award winning novel ‘The Narrow road to the deep north’ by Richard Flanagan:

‘Even in Kyoto

When I hear the Cuckoo

I long for Kyoto’

Haikus were introduced to me by fellow blogger Red Arse a few years ago. Redders and I are no champions of brevity but we both admire the art of it, and I cannot think of anything briefer and to the point than a good haiku. A haiku consists of seventeen ‘on’ or syllables (although some syllables count as more than one on), in three phrases of 5-7-5 on. For more info see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku

There is something in the ‘Kyoto’ haiku that struck home with me (pun intended): the importance of the past: the cherishing and sheer longing for it.

If we were to detach Arsenal’s glorious mid-term and long-term past and just look at the here and now, we would be amongst the happiest football team supporters in the world: we won the FA Cup last year and are currently still in the competition; we constantly qualify for the CL and are currently still in it; we are in a good position to finish high in the league; we are financially sound and can now afford to buy one or two top quality players every season and keep our very best ones; we have a great reputation and a loyal, quality manager; we have some of the very best creative footballers on the planet; and we are homed in a sumptuous 60000-seater stadium in the heart of north London with hundreds of thousands – if not millions – supporters worldwide: many boxes of football fan heaven are surely ticked with these attributes?!

Yet there remains a feeling of dissatisfaction among many fellow Gooners, and I reckon this is to do with this longing for our glorious, romantic, mid and long term past. Or maybe, it is not so much to do with the glory and success of our beloved team, but simply a longing back for (a) great period(s) in our lives, which gets projected onto our team. In this respect, the here and now cannot compete with the past, as nothing is stronger than the dreamy, warm pull of nostalgia.

I have no doubt that nobody is feeling this pressure more, both intrinsically and extrinsically, as our always committed manager, Arsene Manager. As a human, he will have similar longings for the glorious, beautiful past; and as our manager he carries a lot of expectations on the shoulder-pats of his apparently un-zip-able coats.

We cannot detach ourselves from this past, and there is nothing wrong with cherishing it; but for our ‘here and now happiness’ we should really try to seize the day so much more, and bless our football socks for the club that we are today, in 2015.

Now let’s put that in a haiku! 🙂

By TotalArsenal.

Chaos without Giroud, Ozil saves us, One problem to fix: Match Analysis

February 11, 2015February 11, 2015TotalArsenal

After the very disappointing defeat in the derby, we were all desperate for a five-star performance against bottom club Leicester City at the home of football.

The combination of a good overall run of games, the 5-0 trashing of the Villains recently and the narrow loss against the Spuds, made us all feel extra positive about last night’s game. So expectations were high, even though we knew that Leicester are not a bad team and have managed to (semi)scalp a few top-four contenders in recent months. They also had nothing to lose and a manager who has the support of the team and yet is under enormous pressure: a combination that makes a team want to fight.

We have to applaud the Foxes for not sitting back and making it a cup-tie sort of game. They never gave up and played some fine football throughout the match.

Many on Bergkampesque know that I am a big believer in the need for Giroud in our current team. He is not the world best Centre Forward, but I cannot think of a better all-round holding striker in the EPL. He is also our attacking pivot around whom we build our play. I have to say I was surprised not to see him on the team sheet. With Sanogo on loan, we do not have a like for like player and it showed.

We basically played six at the back – Ospina, Bellerin, BFG, Koz, Monreal and Le Coq – and five attacking midfielders. There was lots of movement and the ball was passed well at times, but we also lacked understanding and automatism between the players to a large extent. We dominated play in the first half but did not create many clear cut chances without Giroud being there to bounce the ball off; the sumptuous throughball by Ozil to Theo in the box being the highlight of the first half.

But for all the criticism we can sling at the team, we are good at scoring goals at the moment: eight goals in the last three encounters gives an average of 2.67 a game, and this is what is saving us currently. And once again, Ozil delivered the bread and butter stuff, with two fine assists this time round. I really don’t get the criticism on BK and other blogs about our fabulous German maestro. He was bought to add invention, attacking intent, assists and goals and he is delivering big style, yet many focus on his perceived lack of effort. I say perceived as his stats always show he puts in tons of efforts, often not visible on the screen. What is visible to everyone, though, is his goals and assists tally since he has returned, and we should bless our cotton socks he is fully fit again.

So, although our attacking efforts lacked structure and cutting edge, we got away with it by scoring from a corner and on the rebound from a speculative, yet fierce, Ozil long-distance shot. Koz took his chance very calmly and Theo was decisive and lethal when he had his second good chance of the match.

I am not saying we cannot play without Giroud in the centre, but it is obvious to me that every time we do not play him we miss shape and purpose and it will take time for the team to learn to play without him. Do I want us to practice this at this stage of the season? Non merci!

Leicester had actually created the better chances from playing good football and were unlucky to be behind at the break by two goals. They were playing with freedom and enthusiasm and we gave them far too much space, especially on our right hand side (as we did against the Spuds as well).

And this brings me to the biggest issues we are facing currently: general shape of the team and, in particular, our struggle with dominating midfield and controlling the flow between defence and attack. We are lacking connection between our attackers and defenders and this is the biggest challenge for Wenger to resolve.

Many seem to underestimate how difficult this is, as the risk of getting our defence exposed too much is always there. The modern game is all about the battle in midfield and to win it we need a good mix of skills and a great understanding between the players; we also need the attackers to chip in when we need to defend as a team, and our defenders to support the midfield when we need to put pressure on the opposition.

It is great to have more and more players back but there is also a price to pay. It takes time to fit the likes of Theo and Ozil, Ospina and Bellerin and Coquelin into the team. On top of that, Ramsey, who in the b2b role is one of our most important players, has not hit full form as yet. And now it looks like he will be out for a long period once again. Coquelin has been a revelation since he started to play as our deep DM, but also he is not faultless of course.

It is clear to me that Arsene is looking hard to find the balance in midfield and with Ramsey out he will have to face another challenge. Some want more physical power in midfield but I am not convinced this is the main factor. Le Coq has definitely added a lot in this respect. What we are lacking is the ability to hold on to the ball in tight spaces and make darting runs forward. An inform Ramsey is good at this, and a fully fit Wilshere is even better at it. Wilshere also has a strong need to own the midfield and fight for dominance, and his forward link-up play from deep in midfield is very good. But it remains to be seen whether he can play an important role for us this season, as his fitness remains a big issue.

Rosicky and Santi should be good alternatives for the odd game or two, but it looks like they cannot do this for the team on a regular basis. Rosa looks more effective in the hole or in a free role and Santi is struggling with the physical demands of playing so deep most of the time.

If Wenger can fix this particularly area – and how he would wish either Jack or Diaby were fit right now – we will see this team hitting the heights once more; and we are closer to this than many think.

Positives from the game:

Not one…;
Not two….;
But three points, and that three days after an epic battle with the Spuds;

The Spuds dropped three points and let’s see how many points fellow competitors drop tonight.

Sometimes we should just be a bit more happy with the ugly gift horses we get and not complain as much about how we got them. Arsene never promised us a rose garden… and beauty is for the Spring anyway . 😉

By TotalArsenal.

Alexis is back, Ozil in hole, Theo starts? Preview and Line-Up

February 9, 2015February 9, 2015TotalArsenal

Arsenal v Leicester City Preview and Line-Up

The best thing to do after a bitter defeat is of course to play a game as soon as possible and win it: the sweet taste of victory would do us all good. The PL bottom team will be visiting tomorrow and with no new injuries and Alexis back to add the chilli flakes, we are in strong position to give our momentum a well-needed and red hot through-start.

However, we cannot be complacent and a fully focussed and passionate performance is required of all eleven Gunners. Despite being at the bottom of the PL, the Foxes have had a few impressive away results this season: a draw at Liverpool, and wins at Stoke and the Spuds (FA cup); and at home they beat Manure with that memorable 5-3 victory, and they also took two points of us.

They have nothing to lose other than their manager, it seems. And as the above results indicate, they could give us a fight tomorrow and might even get something from the game, IF we are not fully focussed. Whether the players will fight for Nigel Pearson, I don’t know. He seems a feisty character to whom I am sure not all will warm. Fact is they are only four points away from safety and also still in the FA cup, so they certainly have all to play for.

But we need to focus on ourselves. There is little time for Arsene and the team to analyse what went wrong on Saturday, and maybe this is a good thing. Let’s put out a balanced, yet more attacking, team and let the cannon roar.

Predicted Line-Up:

Yep, I am going for our strongest possible team in attack, in terms of assists and goals per game producers/scorers, and yet there is balance. I am sticking with Ramsey as it is key for Arsenal’s remainder of the season that he finds his form. Next to him it could be Flamini or Coquelin, but the younger Frenchie will probably get the nod. In front of those two are my, and I reckon Arsene’s as well, favourite four attackers: Ozil in the middle, Alexis and Theo in the free roles on the wing, and Giroud to be the holding striker and to give structure to our attacks. Santi to get a well-earned rest.

Arsene might rotate a few in defence, which is always hard to predict. But I am going for an unchanged ‘back five’ as Wenger often sends out the same or similar team after we lost a game.

I am expecting a very strong response and a good win: it is up to Arsene and the boys to do us proud again.

COYRRG – Up The Arse!

By TotalArsenal.

Le Coq & BFG Solid, Nacho Fearless, Ozil Scores Again: 8 Positives from Game

February 8, 2015February 9, 2015TotalArsenal

Well that was a disappointing game and outcome. We sat deep and invited pressure, with the aim to beat the Spuds on the counter. Prior to the game I was very much for us sitting deep and playing compact, and I praise Wenger for doing so. And initially it paid off handsomely, as we scored a goal from a sharp and incisive counter – with a lucky deflection off Giroud’s leg, mind you – early on in the game.

Playing so deep and compact and with such little possession of the ball, is still quite alien to us. It is not the Arsenal way and we should not expect us to be brilliant at it straightaway. Yes it worked against the Northern Oilers last month, but it did not work against the Southern Oilers earlier in the season. I am pleased that we are playing deeper in these sorts of games, though. Many of us have wanted this for a long time, and although we lost against the Spuds, and overall deservedly so, it was still the best tactics against them. We will learn our lessons from these encounters and get better at playing deep and compact in order to win games on the counter.

And the one thing we need to analyse is how the team was unable to release the pressure they were under and did not counter more effectively. The easiest thing to do is to say that such and such were not good enough or had a bad day, and that we missed such and such, etc.

There is merit in some of the criticism some of our players got after the game, and yes we missed the likes of Theo, Alexis, Wilshere, Ox, Rosicky and Debuchy yesterday (all not in the starting eleven). But the players on the pitch were all very good and many of them were key in getting three points in Manchester recently.

Our prolonged inability to break through the pressure line of the Spuds needs analysing and then we need to get better at this through hard work in training. We just cannot expect Arsenal to be brilliant straightaway at what is an unnatural way of playing the game for us. The Spuds’ manager outsmarted us in midfield and Wenger was unable to break it in the second half. This can of course happen, and let’s not forget the referee had an absolute shocker, allowing them to foul us without consequences and handing out yellow cards to our players willy-nilly.

Yet we had chances to take the lead again after they had equalised, and football is, whether we like it or not, still a game of chance and luck to some extent. And for the same money the BFG would have earned us a penalty for what was a very silly foul on him. Wenger is also right in stating that both goals against us were bad defensive mistakes.

But the best team won and we have another game in two days; and except for the title, there is everything to play for, with the Northern Oilers just seven points away from us in second place. The boys will learn from this encounter and the next time we apply similar tactics against a strong opponent away, or even at home, we will be better at it.

Eight positives from the game:

Mertesacker lead his defence very well and he read the game perfectly. Sitting deep and playing compact really suits Per and he handled the pressure very well. The Spuds had chances but many were shots from outside the box as the defence was able to keep the Spuds away from getting inside our box. He was not helped by a lack of discipline and protection from our right-sided players – Bellerin and Welbeck – and yet he made a number of vital interceptions and clearances stemming from danger from the Spuds’ left wing.
Coquelin was solid and tenacious, and most importantly in such a heated derby, disciplined and composed. He protected the back-four very well and was able to match the Spuds’ energy levels during most of the game.
Ozil scored another fine goal: three in three now, and that is just the part he needed to add to his game at Arsenal, as he scored just five goals in 26 PL encounters last season. He got outmuscled a few times, but more than once through a foul on him. Mesut suffered a lot from our inability to play the ball out of our defence and therefore was not always very effective on the day.
Monreal was up for this and there was no way through our left back. He was tenacious and aggressive and played a very professional game for 90 minutes.
Our starting tactics for the game were spot on, and for me this is a big positive this season. We showed them too much respect and were unable to release the pressure enough in the second half, so, as per the above, we need to improve further. But our compact and deep sitting approach to these sort of games is a welcome, necessary change.
Ospina handled the pressure well and his focus was strong throughout the game. His early Kane safe was crucial and he was never intimidated during the game. But he is also quite small, and I wonder whether this was the main cause for him parrying the ball back into the danger zone on a number of occasions when dealing with shots from outside the box. He was lucky to get away with this on more than one occasion and I reckon a taller keeper would have been able to tip the ball that led the Spuds’ equaliser over the crossbar. But his composure and energy were brilliant and as such he kept us in the game for a long time (but not without a healthy dollop of luck).
We have only one more hard away game to go this season, as we played at Pool, Everton, Chavs, Northern Oilers, Saints, and now Spuds already. We are in strong position to push on towards the second spot but key is to keep momentum going.
Alexis will be back soon. 😉

So let’s not despair but see it as a big learning opportunity for the boys and Wenger. The biggest enemy of momentum is lack of self belief, and the best way to strengthen our belief is by winning the next game. OGAAT! 🙂

Bring on the Foxes on Tuesday.

COYG!

By TotalArsenal.