Arshavin – Bergkampesque

The sad demise of Arshavin is a transfer lesson for us all

May 30, 2013May 30, 2013TotalArsenal

Arsenal’s number 23 became 32 yesterday. After almost four and a half year at Arsenal, Andrey Arshavin is almost certainly leaving the club in a few days time. I cannot help but feel a bit melancholic about Andrey’s gradual demise: with just seven appearances – mostly, if not all, as a substitute – no goals or assists, it has been an abysmal final season for the diminutive Russian.

The big question is where it went wrong for Andrey and how much he is to blame for it.

When he first joined us in February 2009, he had a great impact on our season: in 15 appearances he managed toproduce 15 goals/assists, which is a fabulous return for the position he played in. In the following two seasons, Andrey roughly managed a 0.5 goal/assist per game return, which is still okay.

However, things went rapidly downhill after that at Arsenal for AA23, with him only managing two goals and four assists in 26 appearances in 2011/12. It looked like Andrey did not care anymore and/or he did not have the required fitness levels anymore to make it in Wenger’s team.

Maybe he suffered as a result of the departures of Cesc and Nasri, or maybe he just did not want to play on the wing anymore. He seemed best suited for the central AM/nr.10 role – a position he preferred to play in as well – and it is hard to tell why Wenger never gave him a proper trial there.

Andrey Arshavin is the sort of player we all loved to do well. When he is good, he is very good: simply a joy to watch. He had that little bit extra at times: the ability to combine a high level of technical competence with incredible composure. No doubt the best example of these attributes is his fantastic finish against Barcelona in the CL: a goal that many of us will never forget.

But what let him down for many Gooners was his lack of work rate and, at times, his apparent indifference. He seldom or never looked like a team player, as he seemed more interested in scoring clever and difficult individual goals than anything else.

Somebody once wrote on a blog, after another insipid performance by the little Russian, that he wondered whether Arshavin had made a bet with one of his friends that he would back-heel the ball five times or more during the match. It made me think whether Arshavin would be capable of showing such disregard towards his profession and fellow football players, and I concluded it could indeed be the case.

Arsene did try to get Arshavin to become a full member of his team, but he clearly totally gave up on him this season.

I reckon the final damage was done during our painful defeat against the Mancs on 22^nd of January – almost three years after Arshavin arrived – when he embarrassed Arsene in front of the home crowd. During this match, as many of you will remember very well, Arsene replaced the Ox with Arshavin, to the dismay of many fans. It all was epitomised with Van Judas’ ‘I have just wetted my pants’ look towards Wenger.

Ox went off and on came Arshavin, and moments later Arshavin makes a half hearted attempt to stop Valencia from bursting through to our box. This is what the BBC match report had to say about this moment: “To the dismay of the Arsenal faithful, who could sense victory, Oxlade-Chamberlain was withdrawn in favour of the rather less popular Andrey Arshavin, and the Russian did nothing to endear himself by failing to halt Valencia’s marauding run into the box, with Welbeck slamming home the loose ball nine minutes from time.”

Soon after that, Arshavin was loaned out to Zenit St. Petersburg, and after he returned to Arsenal for the new season, he simply became and remained a peripheral figure.

We cannot say Arshavin’s career is over, as he could have a couple of good years left in him, but it will not be at Arsenal, that’s a certainty. He spend his very best years of his career at Arsenal and will have nothing to show for it accept a handful of fantastic goals and one-match performances.

Arshavin offers ample proof that signing not just good, or even great, players is enough: they also need to be able to adjust to a new culture, have a winner’s mentality and an intrinsic desire to get the very best out of themselves. In short: to be able to be successful wherever they are.

Arsene got it all wrong with Arshavin – and Reyes as well: the LW spot seems to be cursed – and it might explain to some extent why he appears to be so slow in making his mind up who he wants to join our club, especially if it involves a lot of money.

It is a real shame to see such a talented player not getting the very best out of himself, and fade away like that. I still wish Andrey all the best and hope he will find a club where he can shine occasionally and show us all once again what he can do if and when he is really up for it.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

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How many game-changers do Arsenal have: Wilshere, Cazorla, Arshavin?

March 14, 2013March 15, 2013TotalArsenal

So here we are, nearing the end of another season which has careened from the sublime to the ridiculous. A season where Arsenal has flattered to deceive, and deceive it has for most parts. Sadly, we are only in March, and it will be another season without a trophy.

Frustration has been rife for most part of the season, and a large part of it has been directed towards Wenger, a manager who historically has had loyal support from the fans.

It all boils down to two basic questions at this juncture: How did we get here, and where do we go from here.

Much has been written on the first question, and I will only touch upon it by mentioning two anecdotes which for me are prime examples of Arsenal’s decline.

The first one is that rather infamous tirade Patrick Viera threw at Wenger in the summer of 2001 (http://www.arsenal-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/vieira_fires_major_gunners_salvo_11449/index.shtml), comparing Wenger’s dealings to shopping at Harrod’s. Funnily enough, Patrick wanted to leave because he wanted to win the Champions League, not just any trophy and claimed that the team at the time (including Henry and Wiltord) was not even going to finish fourth. We know how that ended.

But back then, our team comprised of world class players who could walk into any team. We were formidable, and yes, we weren’t perfect; we had our share of bad luck and Achilles heals, but yet we’d fight and win more often than not.

The second anecdote is a recent conversation with a friend. During the early part of the season when we were struggling (heck, we still are) he put to me that Arsenal no longer has world class players in the same vein as a Suarez, RVP, Ronaldo etc. He was referring to players who could change games. My immediate reaction was to deny it, but then he asked me to name our players who could do that for us and that’s where the conversation floundered.

We used to have RVP, and he’s truly world class. But currently, who else can be classified as a game changer? Cazorla? Podolski? Varmaelen? Wilshere? Walcott? How many of these players can you rely to change games? How many of these would fit into a European ‘big’ team? How many of these players have actually changed BIG games for us this season?

At the time, when I was having that conversation with my friend (incidentally a Man U fan, which doesn’t really help)I had picked Cazorla and Poldi. After all both had world class pedigrees and Cazorla was having a good spell. Wilshire was injured at the time. Interestingly my friend suggested Arsharvin, and I had to agree. Unfortunately Arsharvin despite being world class, never quite worked for us.

If I were to have a go again today at the same question, I’d only pick Wilshere. He’s the only big-game changer that we have. He’s the only one who can be relied upon to have a full go in a big game.

The rest? They may be fantastic players with fantastic pedigrees, but they haven’t shown consistency or been big game changers. Poldi, Cazorla and Arteta have popped up to score crucial match winning goals (3 each) for us this season, but there’s still something missing (incidentally, RVP has got 5, while Bale has got 6 winning goals). Cazorla looks brilliant, but quite often struggles to impact games against big opposition. Walcott can be fabulous, but has also struggled in games where you’d think he’d assert himself. In fact the last big performance (in an important match) from him was that 5-2 vs Spurs last season. Verm I adore, but something’s gone wrong. He’s not a bad defender, but he’s having a crisis of confidence for sure.

So… we have moved from a team with world class players who wanted to win the Champions League, to a team of good players who want to win ANY trophy. Perhaps it has to do with some bad buys (Squillaci, Park)… perhaps it has to do with players with potential not returning Wenger’s trust as much as they should (Arsharvin, Poldi, Verm, Cazorla, Walcott, Gervinho, Diaby), perhaps it’s just a transitional season where we are still discovering our best system with the players still trying to gel with each other, or perhaps it’s because Wenger buys all round players and plays them in THE system, rather than in their best positions leading to their potential loss in form (Arsharvin, Ramsey, even Cazorla to a certain extent). Whatever the reason, and I’d say it’s probably a bit of all of the above plus more, we are where we are.

We are no longer a formidable European team with a fortress for a home. We are at best a good mercurial team, a top 6 team.

So where do we go from here?

In the longer term, I think it’s important for us to take stock and count our blessings. We finally have a team that’s likely to stay together for a couple of seasons at least. We have a good solid core group of midfielders, even if we lack in defense and attack. We have Wilshere, arguably one of the best of his generation (touch wood). We have Cazorla, Giroud, Poldi and Walcott, who hopefully will have gotten to know each other better and also improve individually as the new season arrives. We have good support staff in Ramsey, Gibbs and to a certain extent Gervinho. We have potentially good defenders (even if most of them are out of form) and for the first time in two seasons, we have the makings of a squad.

To transform this into a great squad, dead wood would have to be let go, and possibly three new players brought in: a world class striker (Villa perhaps), a world class goal keeper and world class central defender. I would certainly like for us to keep the Verm, he may be struggling, but to me he embodies the Arsenal spirit. I would be sad to see him go.

So we are in relatively good shape if the right additions are made, to be able to launch a campaign in which we can realistically hope for a trophy, if not the premiership.

In the shorter term, we need to keep faith in Wenger and in what he’s doing. He has been unlucky at times and he has made rather odd decisions at other times, but I have complete faith in the fact that he lives for Arsenal and believes in us returning to glory. At the same time, I’d be surprised if a new manager can come in and help us to win titles, while simultaneously retaining our football philosophy. Pep would have been one, but he’s off to Bayern, against whom we had an almost massive night in the second leg. It was a performance of grit, character and solid defense, and it makes me proud to be a supporter of this club. If only we had let in one goal less in the first leg!

Most importantly in the short term, we have to capitalize on Spurs’ dropped points by winning our next game at Swansea, which will not be an easy one, but This 2-0 away win vs. Munich with a side lacking in Wilshere and Poldi should give the team immense confidence, belief and faith that we’ll be able to get through to the EPL top four.

Wilshere is likely to be missing for Swansea as well so the onus will be on the other players to step up their game. I’d really like to see Diaby get back into some solid form, for Walcott and Giroud to score goals, for Cazorla and Poldi to pull strings from midfield and finally for our defense to return to saner footing.

Our club crest says it best, Victory through Harmony, and we need to regain our internal and external harmony, as players and fans both, in order to meet our short term and long terms objectives.

Written by: Umair Naeem.

Umair Naeem is a Karachi-based writer and the author of the novel Drowning Shadows, a spiritual thriller set in Karachi that revolves around man’s inherent desire for control.

He is currently balancing his time working on his second novel all the while rooting for Arsenal to return to glory!

Website: http://Umairn.wordpress.com

Twitter: http://Twitter.com/umairn

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/umairnaeemofficial

Little Mozart is back, Meade in Britain, but too many underperformed tonight.

December 4, 2012December 4, 2012TotalArsenal

Eleven conclusions from the game:

Rosicky’s first half performance was a joy to behold. As was so often the case last season, when TR7 plays our whole team has shape and focus, and plays with real determination. The difference between the first and second half could not have been bigger. It was as if our team had no spine anymore without Rosicky. The only good thing to take from this is that if – and that is a big IF – he can stay fit, our first team is bound to become stronger in the next few weeks.
Vermaelen is good at leading by example but he is best when he is being led by a level-headed co-defender with great organisational skills. Tonight he missed Mertesacker’s defensive leadership. Squillaci; what can I say? Ineffective and rusty, and he should really be moved on. But that will not happen until his contract runs out.
Jernade Meade had a very good debut and well done to the young lad. He was fast and spiky, had generally a good awareness of the game being played around him, and I loved his drive and enthusiasm.
Coquelin had a decent game and was one of the better players. I thought his attacking contributions were a lot better than the execution of his defensive duties. I really don’t see him as an option for DM at the moment, but his through balls and balls over the top in the first half were very good.
The Ox is playing without his horns at the moment. I don’t know what his best position is, but he looked lost and lacking confidence and purpose. What has happened the The Ox who can take on players for fun, makes mazy runs and penetrates the box so easily?
Chamakh worked hard and positioned himself well, especially in the first half. But he was rustier than the Titanic and his touch let him down so many times, I lost count of it. I reckon he will play one more game against Bradford and that will be it.
Arshavin; was he in Athens? To me it looked like he was longing to be left alone on the Tundra of his beloved Mother Russia. Another one who is very likely to simply sit out his contract – as it is almost impossible to move him on.
This was also a big test for Aaron Ramsey, in my view. AR16 is not making the required progress in his career, and tonight he had another game that was full of hard work and determination, but so very little end-product. A real shame, but I reckon Aaron will not become a regular in our first squad any time soon – and he will have to work very hard to stay in the wider squad this season.
Szczesny did not have a bad game, but his distribution put us under unnecessary pressure more than once during the game. Both his decision making and execution with regards to his distribution need to improve significantly, if he wants to make it at Arsenal as our nr1 GK.
Jenkinson had a poor second half: his concentration and positioning were well below par and he did not stay tight enough to his man on more than one occasion. Another one who was missing the organisational leadership skills of Mertesacker tonight.
Gervinho did not have a good second half either; and his decision making, touch and shooting ability let him down far too many times tonight (except for the well spotted, and coolly executed, assist for TR7’s goal). Is it a lack of form, or have I been wrong all along regarding his abilities / value to the team?

We can take from the game the big positives of Rosicky being back with a bang and Meade having a fine debut at LB, but other than that we are left with far too many negatives.

The result, and the fact that we finished second in the group hardly matter, but what does matter is that so many players did not use this opportunity to show us why they should be playing in Arsenal’s first team.

Total Arsenal.

Giroud on fire, statement of intent by Theo and the Russian is back!

September 27, 2012September 27, 2012TotalArsenal

Yesterday evening’s game against Coventry will have strengthened Arsene’s believe he does not need to buy another striker; well, at least not for the time being. With goals from Arshavin, Giroud, The Ox, and Walcott (x2) there was ample proof Arsenal have plenty of attacking options.

Okay, Coventry is currently not the strongest opposition and it was a home game as well, but Arsenal hitting 12 times the net in their last two home games is a good sign of our potential up-front. In the game against Southampton Gervinho scored twice, and Podolski and Walcott scored one each. In previous away games against Liverpool and ManCity, Podolski and Cazorla got important goals; so all of our key attacking players are off the mark, and three attackers have already been on the score sheet three times in all competitions this season (Gervinho, Podolski and Walcott).

Obviously, Giroud will be relieved to have scored his first goal for Arsenal, but the missed penalty will still stick in his throat. Missing a penalty in front of 60,000 supporters, almost all willing you to score, cannot have been good for his confidence. But I reckon Arsene will play him against Chelsea on Saturday, as the fact that Giroud has scored his first goal now – and he also produced another assist yesterday – will weigh more than the missed penalty, in my opinion.

Theo was on fire yesterday and the two goals he scored were a strong statement of intent by him. It is not just the fact that he scored two goals but the way in which he did it that will get Arsene thinking again. Both strikes were more than a little reminiscent of TH14(12) goals from inside the box: they were taken with cool and calculated precision and were preceded by strong, fast, confident runs from well outside the box.

Arsene said last night: “I’m not against it [playing Walcott as a striker], I’m not against it at all but we try and at the moment there is big competition up front, we have a different formula and the team is doing well,”. The ‘different formula’ bit in this quote is probably what I alluded to in my post yesterday: our Plan A is to play with a strong and multi-skilled ‘holding striker’ up-front, and Theo is far less suitable for this.

The almost forgotten man, Arshavin, showed us all once again what he is capable off still, with a goal and two assists – and he also made a big contribution to our first goal. He looked eager to impress and played again with a smile on his face. It will still be hard for him to get back to regular first team play with the current level of competition surroundig him, but he is the kind of impact player Arsenal need on the bench this season.

All in all, a good night for all our not-automatic-first-team-choice-strikers and a strong sign we do not have to worry about whether we will score enough goals this season.

Total Arsenal.