Arteta – Page 2 – Bergkampesque

The Flame is back – Rambo or Arteta – Gnabry to start?

October 25, 2013October 25, 2013TotalArsenal

Very short Crystal Palace v Arsenal pre-match today, as I am knackered.

The Eagles could either put up a proper fight tomorrow and like savages throw everything at us, or they might crumble from the first minute of the game. Hard to tell, but whatever they do Arsenal’s quality should shine through and three points should be taken home tomorrow.

We need to rock on and play with discipline and focus and once the game is won, I hope the boys have mercy with their wounded opponents.

I reckon Arsene will start with a strong as possible side, as he will really want to win this and not leave anything to chance tomorrow. Many of the first teamers can have a rest during mid-week, so every reason to start with our strongest eleven at Selhurst Park. For me, that would include Jack Wilshere, but it looks he might be rested tomorrow to allow his ankle to recover further. If there is no Jack, then I reckon Gnabry will get another game on the right.

And who will play in the double-DM pivot? Flamini is back and should play, and I reckon Arsene will play Ramsey next to the Frenchman in order to give him a boost to his confidence after a rare mistake by the Welshman in last week’s CL encounter with Dortmund. For me, Aaron is a natural B2B and Flamini will allow him to express himself again. It could also be that Arsene will play FlamTeta in the pivot, as that would give him the more solid defensive structure he seems to prefer in away games. We will have to wait and see.

Defence should remain the same, but maybe Fabianski gets a rare start tomorrow….?

Predicted Line-Up:

I just hope we will play with a high tempo from the start and try to win this game as quickly as possible, and not give the opposition a change to get into it. A nice and quiet Selhurst Park is what we want. I am also hoping for a rare clean sheet as we need our defence to start building some momentum now with some big games coming up soon.

OGAAT – UTA – CoYG!

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Giroud to crack Hummels & Subotic, Ramsey to replace MF20, can we tame the Lewan?

October 22, 2013October 22, 2013TotalArsenal

Arsenal vs Dortmund Preview: Time to Show Europe Who We Are

Intro:

We find ourselves now one half a week away from our breathtaking display against Norwich. The team is full of confidence and our goal should obviously be a win. A win against Dortmund will show we are ready to be big winners not just in England, but on a European stage as well. As a bonus, beating Dortmund twice will severely limit their chances of moving on to the next round of the Champions League. Stopping Dortmund from progressing could impress the Dortmund players greatly and perhaps make people like Reus and Lewandowski want moves to Arsenal, possibly even moving it up to January if they are already out of the Champions League.

This fixture last time:

The last time Arsenal faced Dortmund at the Emirates was a game we won to move us on to the knockout stages of the Champions League. All three scorers on the day no longer play for their respective clubs. Van Judas scored a brace for us and Kagawa scored for Dortmund. Hopefully we can repeat that winning performance.

Here is my expected line up for tomorrow:

I expect Ramsey to fill Flamini’s spot as he did during the Norwich game at the weekend. Other than that, we should be keeping a similar line up to keep the strongest team possible.

Key Battles:

Giroud vs Centre Backs: The centre back pairing of Hummels and Subotic is quite the solid wall at the heart of Dortmund’s defense. However, from what I hear this pairing has been having issues lately. Giroud will have to be prepared to take advantage of that and use his strength to hold off the two and do some link up plays on the edge of the box, or he must be willing to get above the two in the air for headers. Giroud is quite slow, but Dortmund’s centre backs aren’t fast either, especially Hummels. Hopefully this will leave Giroud with some space to receive the ball in open space and find another player before he is closed down. I think this is a battle that Giroud can win, if he’s prepared to keep up his usual work ethic.

Centre Backs vs Lewandowski: As important as the battle of striker vs their defenders is, the reverse is just as important. Lewandowski is a very quick and tricky striker to deal with. He will be trying to take advantage of Mertesacker’s lack of pace and his partner Koscielny will have to help out a lot, if Lewandowski is prepared to do a lot of running at our defense. However, the height of our defenders should mostly eliminate the aerial threat of Dortmund. I think this is a battle that will depend on the service Lewandowski gets rather than the quality of the people directly involved.

Arteta vs Mkhitaryan: Directly following the statement about who Lewandowski will get service from, I’ll now mention the depending factor in who will be the winner of the previously mentioned battle. Arteta will have to keep Dortmund’s new playmaker shut down. With Flamini out, Arteta will be our only defensive midfielder and he will have to step up and break up the play like Flamini does. He will have to be willing to put in a lot of tough tackles and not let Mkhitaryan get the ball off his feet. I think Arteta will struggle in this battle, but with some help from Ramsey he will be able to do it.

Casualties of War:

Arsenal: Podolski, Diaby, and Ox will all miss out on this game due to their long term injuries. Walcott is also out after a slight setback following surgery. The only other injury is Flamini, who has a slight concussion and will sit out the game because of a five day rule more than any real concerns.

Dortmund: Kehl, Gundogan, and Pizczeck will all miss the game with long term injuries, with a large group of Dortmund players just recently returning from injury.

Predictions:

I’m predicting another close 2-1 win for the Arsenal. I predict Reus scoring against us first and then an Arsenal comeback that will be talked about in years to come, with Giroud and Özil scoring incredible goals in the second half to turn the game around. I also expect Jack to have a man of the match performance. Hopefully there will be no further injuries to our side and we will win and show all of Europe that we mean business.

Questions:

1. What are your predictions for the game?

2. What is your preferred line up?

3. Will a win here announce our arrival on the European stage?

COYG! Let’s show the rest of Europe why they should fear us!

Thanks for reading! 😀

Written by: Dylan.

OOHzils and AAHrons return to THOF: Wengerball is back!

October 20, 2013TotalArsenal

I have watched some dire Arsenal games in recent years. Norwich and Wigan away, and Blackburn (FA Cup) at home were all pretty poor live-games last season for example, but yesterday I finally saw Arsenal play fantastic football again. The atmosphere in the stadium was good, and in the North Bank it was even better. The banter between North Bank and the East Bank supporters was great – singing to each other for prolonged periods which became louder and louder every time.

On such a mild day as it was, and with the sun coming through just as the game started, the fans singing and with a collective sense of this season possibly being different than previous ones, it felt extra good to be a Gooner yesterday.

As predicted, Arsene started with FlamTeta in the double-DM pivot and no typical wingers. I had Ramsey and Cazorla starting, but it made sense to rest Ramsey and give Jack an opportunity to show everyone once again what a great prospect he is. And boy did he deliver.

Effectively, we played 4-5-1 again. A similar line-up attracted a lot of unfair criticism against WBA, but this time round there appears to be no complaints. And with our wide midfielders contributing with goals, assists and penultimate assists, Wenger will feel justified for sticking with his midfielders for another game.

Norwich were well organised and defended diligently at the start of the game. Arsenal took their time to find the openings as the so familiar ‘Sturm und Drang’ football seems to be a thing of the past. This Arsenal are calculated in their efforts: we try to preserve energy and like to sit back – we even do not mind to relinquish possession of the ball if it will mean the opponent comes forward and out of their defensive positions.

To some extent we play like Red Nose’s MU during periods of the game. We love space and we relish winning back the ball in our own half, as to start our counter-attacks with speed, precision-passing, and cool finishing. Today we scored a couple of goals from getting the ball in our own half and I expect this to become a regular occurrence this season.

This sitting back and absorbing pressure does come at a price, though. At times during games – and yesterday this was the case on each side of the break – we sit too deep and hand over control too much to the opponent. Norwich had their best spell between the 35^th minute and when they scored their goal; and we were a tat lucky with scoring our second one before they scored theirs.

Partly, this was due to the early departure of the Flame: the team initially struggled with regaining its shape and dealing effectively with Norwich’s very effective and physical central midfielders. I thought Wenger and Bould would coach our midfielders during the break on how to regain control, but they continued to struggle during the first twenty minutes or so of the second half.

Norwich lacked the creative and finishing skills to properly hurt us, and with Arsenal brimming with both confidence and super quality talent, it was pretty clear we would come out as winners eventually.

Our first goal, watched from the North Bank so from afar, was pinball football. When an improvised goal through the middle comes off like that, the team deserves all the plaudits it’s getting. We just could not believe what we saw: what a cheeky, brilliant goal. And we all sang: ‘same old Arsenal, taking the piss’. It was wonderful to listen to the collective OOHS and AAHS when the replay was shown on the stadium screens just after the goal was scored. Wengerball is well and truly back!

The delirium from THAT goal did subside though, and even turned into some howls of derision towards the end of the first half, despite OG almost scoring a second after another blitz-attack: the North Bank are a critical lot! But Arsenal sat back too much and allowed Norwich too much space and time on the ball during this period. Szczesny saved us during this phase with a first class stop: not just keeping the ball out of the net, but also pushing it away safely under pressure.

The start of the second half was also for Norwich, but another brilliant break from the back led to the second goal: the one that won us the game as Norwich just did not have more than one goal in them at best. Cazorla found, the brilliant throughout the game, OG in the right-wing position: he looks up and sees Ozil making a run into the box and produces a beautifully weighted cross into the box which finds the head of the German. Ozil cannot believe he scored with his head from a cross from our CF – something Ronaldo would never have done for him – but it is two nil to the Good Guys and we all sing ‘we are walking in an Ozil wonderland’, soon followed by the Beatles inspired Giroud tunes – and rightly so. The Frenchman’s ability to ‘serve’ the team is second to none, and just for that I love the guy.

A collective relieve across the stadium can then be sensed: the party can now truly begin, it seems. But Norwich get a reward for their fine team play and get a goal back. The BFG could have done better clearing the ball but Howson’s first touch is very good, and he hits the ball with venom and precision past Gibbs’ leg, leaving Szczesny, who sees the ball going past the Englishman’s legs late, with absolutely no chance this time.

The introduction of Rosicky for Santi gave the team a much needed renewed purpose and drive, and with Arteta improving significantly the longer the game went on as well, the Ramsey-show could truly begin. Our third goal was another superb one. Ramsey’s touch, control and spatial awareness in the tightest of area were unbelievable; and to see all of this right in front of me was pure ecstasy. We all went mad in the stands and tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. The boy whose leg was snapped in two, who was booed by his own fans and wished all sorts of diseases on the blogs, had scored a Bergkampesque goal of the highest order. Chapeau, chapeau!

It was not over yet, as the team remained hungry for more goals, and the likes of Ozil, Rosicky, Wilshere and Ramsey kept driving forward and combining at will and with great invention and penetration. Ruddy, the Norwich goal keeper, kept doing really well during this period, but he could do absolutely nothing when Ramsey found Ozil with the daftest of touches, as the king of assists was for the second time in one game royally presented with a fine goal scoring opportunity himself. Rosicky had spread the ball from left to right, finding Ramsey at the left post with precision, and catching out the Norwich defence in the process. Beautiful football by beautiful people.

After that there were individual songs for Rosicky, Ramsey, Ozil and Giroud, but the most poignant song was kept till the end: ‘WE are top of the league, WE are top of the league, WE are top of the league, We are top of the league!’

And so we are and long may it continue! 😛

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Reintroduction of Arteta has disrupted the squad

October 7, 2013October 7, 2013TotalArsenal

Now let me begin by saying that I like Arteta and he is a good player. The game against West Brom was a difficult one by all measures. I still think it is a game we could have won had we had taken them as seriously as we did Napoli, especially in the first 15 minutes. We were in complete control but looked like we were toying with them, rather than trying to score, unlike against the Italians. Anyway, credit to the team for winning the point in the end.

We have been playing very well, up until we met with the baggies. So what changed? In my opinion, it is the fact that Wenger has forced Arteta back into the team, without really looking at the balance. Against Napoli, we needed a double pivot to neutralize the threat posed by Hamsik, and it worked perfectly. Against WBA however, forcing Arteta alongside Flamini had a number of negative effects. First of all, it meant that Ramsey and Wilshere were pushed out wide. Wilshere had a shitter of a first half and it is only until he was brought back in the middle that we began to feel his presence.

As for Ramsey, we know he’s played wide before. However it has its downsides. Firstly, on the wing his movement is somewhat limited, and more so when playing in front of Jenkinson. This is because Jenko always bombs forward so Ramsey had to do a lot of covering work which in the end shackled him. Secondly, his influence and energy in the middle of the park which (dare I say) has been one of the main reasons we have dominated games, was sorely missed. You see Arteta is very good at reading the game and calm it down from deep, but lately it seems that’s all he’s good at. Do you know that against WBA he attempted only one forward pass in the opposition’s half, which was intercepted? All he does in pass sideways.

Arteta is no where near as good at dispossessing players as Ramsey and Flamini are. That’s what has made that partnership so good. Flamini will sit in front of the back four and Ramsey will support him when needed but then bomb forward and cause havoc on the other end. Ramsey also presses the ball very high (to great effect) which helps us win possession in very dangerous places. Both Flamini and Ramsey have a tenacity that neutralizes physical opponents. Yesterday you saw how we were bullied in the middle. Let’s not forget Ramsey’s goal threat is neutralized when he’s played out wide. Given his form, had he been played where he’s supposed to, he could and probably would have won us the game.

Second of all, bringing in Arteta gave Flamini the license to roam forward and this gave Sessegnon the space he needed to really terrorize us, which he did. When Ramsey and Flamini play together, they both know that Flamini protects the back and Ramsey moves forward. And because of Ramsey’s incredible engine, it works even when we are under pressure. Arteta just sits deep. This meant that Ozil was largely isolated and was therefore crowded out and neutralized. This made West Brom’s defending very easy. With Wilshere and Ramsey out wide, Mulumbu just needed to take Ozil out and they had a handle on us.

Flamini was the one (of the defensive two) going forward and let’s be honest, he’s no Ramsey. He had a few shots on goal which he hit straight at the keeper. Ramsey would have done much better. Even putting all this logic aside, if there’s a player who this season has earned the right to play where he feels most comfortable, it’s Aaron Ramsey. This game was very similar to the one we played against Marseille, except in that one Ramsey was played through the middle and won us the game.

To conclude, I will reiterate that I have nothing against Arteta. The thing is with the form of our three central midfielders (Flamini, Ramsey and Ozil) it is unfortunate but he is the one to lose his place, at least for now. I feel that we showed great character to salvage a point. That said, this is a game that could have gone either way and that shouldn’t be the case. If West Brom were better goal scorers, we could have lost. There’s a saying that goes ”if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. The team is anything but broke so changing one of its fundamental elements will only disrupt a flow that has been steadily building over the past few weeks.

On the plus side, Spurs were humiliated yesterday. COYG!!!!

Written by: Marcus.

WBA preview: FlamTeta double DM, Ramsey & Rosicky on the wings?

October 5, 2013October 5, 2013TotalArsenal

Tomorrow’s game against the Baggies is another tough one, but we like them tough, we do.

The Hawthorns where no doubt the away support will do us proud again :) — The Hawthorns where no doubt the away support will do us proud again 🙂

It is a blessing in disguise that West Brom deservedly beat the Mancs last weekend; it will make us focus and not underestimate them one iota. I always feel we are most vulnerable after the team received bags of praise for a fine performance, and we are about to play a so called easy opponent. We know now that West Brom, despite our recent League Cup success against them, are not to be taken lightly.

I like West Brom, and I especially like Steve Clarke who has done a fantastic job since taking over from Hodgson. Beating the multi-million pounds earning stars of MU with the starting eleven of Myhill, Jones, Olsson, McAuley, Ridgewell, Yacob, Mulumbu, Amalfitano, Sessegnon, Sinclair and Anichebe, and that at Old Toilet, is a phenomenal achievement.

Clarke knows his football, knows about systems of football and individual coaching, and how to get the very best out of a set of decent to good footballers. I will always have respect for managers like him; those who can work magic with a limited budget, and I predict the 50 year old Scotsman, and former Chav, Clarke to go places in his carefully build up managerial career.

Tomorrow, we can expect a good game of football as I don’t expect WBA to sit back too much. They will want to play football and their and our 4-2-3-1 systems will fight for dominance in midfield. If we can win that battle, our superior fire power up-front should make the difference. Luckily the team had a relatively long break – from Tuesday till Sunday – and everybody should be fit and up for this one.

Another away win will be a new record: nine straight PL away wins in a row. It would also be a strong statement of intent to go into another inter-lull with two points clear at the top of the PL table. Today, After his team’s win against Everton, Pellegrini said they needed to win in order to try and close the gap of five points with Arsenal: how long has it been since we have been referred to as the one to make up ground on…? Long may it continue! 🙂

Can Arsenal do it? Yes we can, but as always, only with hard work and focus, and taking our chances when they arrive.

Predicted line-up:

I reckon Wenger will not change much to the team that just beat Napoli so emphatically. Sagna has, as 17HT likes to call it, a Wengury and so Jenkinson should get a chance to prove himself; unless Kozzer is moved there and Vermaelen takes up the vacated CB position, which is unlikely.

It could be Jack instead of Rosicky, but I reckon SJW will get a break till the smoke is cleared; and it could be Gnabry instead of Ramsey, although AR16 has simply been too good to be left out. Gnabry is likely to come on later in the game, though.

I am also going for FlamTeta in the double DM tomorrow, but it could well be that either the Flame or Zorro get a break and Ramsey AND Gnabry will start – with the former playing in the double DM again.

Really hope we can win and set a new record tomorrow and the boys will do us proud once more.

Come On Your Rip Roaring Gunners!

Written by: TotalArsenal.

The one ingredient Arsenal have and our competitors are missing

September 19, 2013September 19, 2013TotalArsenal

After we lost to the vile Villains, who would have thought Arsenal fans would feel so upbeat just one month later? Don’t worry though; I am not getting carried away, YET.

I know for sure that I am not the only Gooner who was getting worn out by consecutive seasons of transition. At one point, it started to feel we would never come out of transition, as Arsenal appeared to be unable to hold on to its best players season after season.

But this season appears to be different: all key players stayed, even Vermaelen and Sagna! And instead of losing quality players, we have been able to add, but without overdoing it. The latter might be key: too many new (quality) players mean time and effort is required to fit them into our first team, and that would have meant another transitional year. We only have to look at the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and ManCity, and indeed ourselves, in recent years to know that buying loads of players in one go does not lead to instant success.

Looking back at our recent hard-fought wins against Spuds, Sunderland and Olympique Marseille, there is something about this Arsenal team that our competitors are missing; and long may it continue!

Arsenal have resilience and cohesion: we battle as a team and look like we are in February rather than in September, if you know what I mean.

The media have not picked up on this yet, but it will come sooner or later. I expected ManCity to be in transition, and to some extent, Manchester United, but definitely not Chelsea. My wife always tells me not to repeat a good experience by going there, or doing something, again (holiday resorts, restaurants, climb the same mountain etc), and it usually turns out she was right.

Could the same go for the Chavs: is the reunion with the ‘happy one’ destined to fail? I certainly hope so, but let’s not get lulled into a false sense of security, yet. It is too early to say whether Maureen can get his team firing on all cylinders again and a period of adversity might just be the thing he needs to get this team focussed again.

For me, they remain our main competitors for winning the league and the more we can create a gap between us and them now, the better. The Chavs play Fulham at home (derbies are never easy) and then Spuds away, and let’s see how they get through these two games.

In the meantime, we just need to focus on our own games: one game at a time (OGAAT). Although I believe we are ahead of our competition right now in terms of team cohesion and competitiveness on the pitch, I will not get carried away as yet.

There are a few areas that need attention:

We concede goals too often, and too many in total;
We defend too deep, with our midfield often unable/willing to push the opposition back;
The lack of back up for Giroud and our increasing reliance on him.

The first point is just an observation right now; let’s wait and see how our defence/team defending will fare over the next five games. We could really do with a couple of clean sheet to get the ‘back five’ properly settled.

The second point seems more of a theme right now. In recent games Arsenal have been pushed back by the opposition during periods of the game, with our midfielders opting to play close to the defence and not allow any space between the lines. This allowed the opposition to get too close to our box and we have been left exposed at times. We got away with it until now, but I hope that Flamini and Ramsey, Ramsey and Jack, Jack and Flamini, or whichever players are positioned in the double DM pivot, will be able to readdress the balance.

There is a theory (Gerry?) that Arsenal sit back deep on purpose – similar to what Chelsea and Manchester United like/liked to do: absorb pressure, and as soon as the ball is won back, counter attack with speed and direct, incisive passing – and this could well be true. But I reckon, we need to work hard on keeping the opposition ten to fifteen yards further away from the box, as it is likely to cost us against the better teams. It will be interesting to see whether we will be able to push the opposition a bit more away from our box if and when Areta returns to the first team.

We have spoken about our over-dependence on Giroud in previous posts. This is not only about his goal and assist contributions which simply have been fantastic until now; it is also about his ability to be our central hub – our ‘holding’ striker – in attack. Let’s hope he’ll last the whole season somehow and that we get reinforcement in January’s transfer window.

But there are quite a few positives for us Gooners at the moment: Giroud’s and Ramsey’s fine all-round form and ability to find the net; the ease with which both Flamini and Ozil have slotted into the team whilst giving us additional robustness, spirit and creativity; the imminent return of the Verminator and Zorro; and the general focus and battle-readiness of the team.

All of the above will be needed but most importantly we need to take it OGAAT! Arsenal are a team in the groove and the next cup-final is on Sunday.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

OGAAT 🙂

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Mikel and Aaron could be in trouble

July 23, 2013July 23, 2013TotalArsenal

Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey were two of our best players in that unbeaten run at the end of last season. Arsene devised a double pivot system that saw them sit in front of the back four, leading to one of the best defensive records we have had in years. Arteta was the last line of defence in front of the back four, and Ramsey played a box to box role but mostly spent his time alongside Arteta, shielding our defence from attacks.

This system worked wonders defensively, but I must admit our offensive quality suffered.

Thing is, though, Arteta ideally is not a DM despite the fantastic work he’s done there for us. Arteta, at Everton, played as the ‘hole’ player for the better part of a decade and was their star man. His passing, vision and goals made Everton tick. Again, while overall he has performed admirably there, at times he suffered, especially the recently concluded season. This is the main reason Wenger introduced Ramsey alongside him: to give him some much needed support.

As it turned out, this was a match made in heaven, because Arteta’s strong point is reading the game and Rambo’s is tackling, so they seem to compliment each other perfectly.

This is all well and good, but you have to remember one thing, Wilshere was injured. You can play around with the tactics and formations all you want, but the fact remains that a fully fit Jack Wilshere is one of the first names on the team sheet. Not only that, considering what Santi achieved last season, he has made the hole position his. Add that to the fact that Arsene Wenger came out and admitted that our midfield needs a physical DM and has made it a transfer priority this summer, you realize that these two players are in danger of losing out.

Like I said earlier, Santi and Jack are not about to lose their positions in the team or be moved around to accommodate anyone, simply because they are our two best players. What stacks the odds against Arteta and Ramsey even more is the fact that Santi and Jack showed that they can work together to devastating effect. You do not need to look past our 5-1 hiding of West Ham to see what I mean. Considering that Jack is fully fit and so is Santi, we are looking at a situation where Arteta and Ramsey would be fighting for one spot, DM.

Let’s face it; neither is good enough to make the DM position their own. Not if we indeed are building a team to challenge for trophies.

Last season Mikel showed that he can not shoulder the defensive burden alone. Ramsey, on the other hand, does not have the defensive talent to do it alone (despite his energy and his eagerness to tackle; 80% of his tackles ended in him conceding fouls). Neither has the physicality or defensive acumen to dominate the defensive half of our midfield like Vieira did for us, Wanyama did for Celtic, Essien did for Chelsea, Sven does for BVB and so on and so forth.

Wenger has realized this and that is why he’s chasing the likes of Fellaini; and with the bounty we have right now, you wouldn’t bet against us. If reports are to be believed, we triggered Fellaini’s release clause of 23 million pounds and had a 19 million pound bid rejected for Lars Bender. Even if it’s not them we end up signing, we have seen the amount we are willing to shell out for a DM. Do you really think Arsene Wenger is going to spend 20 million on a player who will come and sit on the bench? I don’t think so, and that is why following all logic, it seems that Arteta and Ramsey’s time in the starting 11 is soon coming to an end.

On the bright side, though, they’ve shown what they can do for us and therefore will provide solid cover AND competition for whatever combination is preferred.

Written by: Marcus.

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If Ramsey, Wilshere, Rosicky and Arteta score 20 PL goals Arsenal will win the league

July 18, 2013TotalArsenal

No need to worry about defence or attack, the key area in need of progress lays in midfield!

It is only early days, but those first two friendlies are showing us we might be okay with scoring goals this season. I have argued in a recent post it is quite likely that Giroud, Podolski and Theo will score significantly more goals next season. The first two have now settled in the PL and are entering their very best years, and our young English winger/striker is getting better and more productive every season.

If Cazorla can equal his PL goal scoring tally of last season, then between the four of him, Pod, Giroud and Theo they could score in excess of 60 goals next season (compared to 48 last season). I am going to make a statement by saying we will be fine up-front next season and there is no need to buy a superstar striker.

If we can get a top, top established striker who is PASSIONATE to come and join Arsenal this season then let’s go for him. But I don’t get the feeling Higuain, Rooney or Suarez have Arsenal on top of their wish lists, and if so, I don’t want them; they can sod off.

However, we DO need back up: one or two players who can come off the bench, or start the occasional game, and can hit the ground running. A Michu, Demba Ba or Benteke would do fine for us.

I am also happy with our defence now, although I would welcome a fourth CB as, unfortunately, Miquel does not look ready yet.

The key really lays in midfield. We have fantastic footballers, and if one day they all manage to be fit, we’ll have one of the best midfields in the country.

I have little doubt that Arsene will continue with his double-DM pivot of Arteta and Ramsey. I really want us to buy a ‘beast’/classical DM who can play a bit of footie too, and this might still happen, but it is more likely we will get somebody who can be back up to the Spaniard and Welshman.

With Le Coq out on loan, Diaby out injured and Frimpong’s future uncertain we are light in this area. Wilshere can play in the double-DM pivot, but other than him, Arsenal have no quality defence-minded midfielders available. Unless, of course, Arsene will move Vermaelen or Sagna in midfield if and when required.

But let’s say we will be a bit lucky with injuries next season and even see one of the youngsters step up from time to time; let’s say we will be fine in midfield from a defensive point of view so we can focus on another key requirement for our midfield.

The bigger question is who is going to score goals from midfield next season?

If we take out Arteta’s penalty goals, Wilshere, Ramsey, Rosicky and Arteta scored less than 5 PL goals between them last season! Luckily, Cazorla scored plenty – 12 PL goals in total – but he was often deployed more as an attacker than a midfielder.

We need more goals from our central midfielders and it is hard to tell whether we’ll see progress next season.

Arteta and Rosicky are not getting any younger and the former is deployed too deep to get himself in scoring positions often enough, whilst the latter lacks consistency in terms of finishing chances.

Will we get more goals from Wilshere and Ramsey next season? Well, if they are going to make it at Arsenal, we will need to see goals from both of them more regularly now.

I reckon, if Arteta, Rosicky, Ramsey and Wilshere (and maybe Diaby in the second part of the season, and Eisfeld if given a proper chance now) can score twenty goals between them, Arsenal will win the PL next season.

Our defence and attack will continue and further improve from last season’s performances; I have little doubt about that.

But will our midfield be able to deliver 20 PL goals without us buying one or two experienced, quality mid-twenties midfield players who can hit the ground running and score goals regularly?

That my Gooner friends, is the question I am putting to you tonight! 🙂

Written by Total Arsenal.

Please note, I am considering Ox as an attacker rather than a central midfielder, but this could change next season.

How will Szczesny, Giroud and Arteta respond to Cesar, Higuain and Fellaini?

July 2, 2013July 2, 2013TotalArsenal

I read last night’s article in The Guardian, summarising our transfer window activities until now, with some interest.

Here is the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jul/01/arsenal-lars-bender-bayer-leverkusen

The Guardian seems to have a close relationship with the club’s media department, or certain insiders at the club, as in general, they do well with regards to predicting transfer movements from and to Arsenal. Therefore, it does not come as a big surprise to me that ‘Arsenal.com media watch’ decided to link-up with the article today.

It is basically a positive article, and although there are no direct quotes from anybody in the know at Arsenal, there is good reason for encouragement regarding our transfer activities this summer.

In summary, the article tells us that:

Arsene wants to strengthen his spine with a striker, central midfielder and experienced goalkeeper;
Higuain is set to join for £22k up-front;
The club is close to signing Júlio César for about £1.5m;
Our bid for Lars Bender was rejected as Leverkusen do not want to sell anymore players this summer;
We are interested in Fellaini and Dortmund’s Gündogan, but as the former’s £24m release clause (if sold to a CL club) expires in mid-August, the club appears to be playing a waiting game…;
Mannone has been sold to Sunderland for £2m (and Djourou has been loaned out for another 12 months – this time to Hamburg).

If at the end of the TW we will have signed a DM, a top striker and an experienced GK, and one or more very promising youngsters, I think it would be fair to say that most of us Gooners would be very pleased, providing that none of our key players is sold in the meantime.

But with these new arrivals, there comes the potential downside of disgruntled players.

How will Szczesny respond to the arrival of Cesar? The Brazilian stopper will only want to join us if he is to be our first choice GK, as he will want to ensure he stays fit and active, so he can remain the nation’s nr.1. Will Wojciech fight for his place and be patient enough, or see the writing on the wall and ask for a transfer….. And would that mean Fabianski stays and becomes our nr.2 GK?

How will Giroud respond to the arrival of a top class striker? I think he is a fighter and in some ways it might help him – less pressure to make us forget Van Judas on his own, for example; but will he accept sitting on the bench a lot? After all, he is at an age in which he needs to play a lot, especially if he wants to play for France in Brazil next summer…

How will the arrival of Fellaini, or another quality DM(type player) this summer, affect our current midfielders? What will it mean for the not-getting-any-younger Arteta, and/or our promising youngsters Ramsey and Wilshere?

What do you say, fine fellow Gooners?

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Fellaini – Arteta as DM beast, or Fellaini – Theo/Pod/OG as SS?

June 18, 2013June 19, 2013TotalArsenal

Marouane: a versatile Fella ini? But where should he play?

This article will serve as a continuation with TA’s recent theme of exploring how rumoured transfer targets would fit into our starting eleven.

If you are a frequenter of this blog, it should come as no surprise that the majority of us here are desperate for a proper, beast of a Defensive Midfielder (DM). Not only would this acquisition ensure that our back four are properly shielded, but it would also unleash the creativity further up field. Players like Santi, Jack, Ox and Arteta would become the indirect beneficiaries and be given the freedom to take risks, knowing that they have a capable and dedicated defensive midfielder behind them.

However, the player we have been most strongly linked to recently is Marouane Fellaini of Everton. So, what if we bought him and were not able to acquire a proper, beast of a DM? Would he be a good purchase despite our obvious need for a DM?

For one thing, Fellaini is Premier League proven, coming off a great season in which he netted 11 goals and 5 assists in 31 starts. He is an established, physical player, capable of exerting his “Presence!” on a game, drawing in defenders and forcing the opposition to devise strategies to defend against or take him out of the game. Fellaini is versatile enough to play as a DM, a B2B midfielder and as a Shadow Striker (SS).

While he may not be a dedicated DM, he is assertive in the tackle, efficient in the air and has decent ball control and pace for a man his size. His passing success rate of 79.3% is not outstanding, but good enough to succeed in Arsenal’s system, as one must consider that the majority of his playing time came at CAM, where pass success rate is generally lower than when played further back in the pitch. His 1.3 key passes per game and 5 assists are further proof that he has some ability in setting up goals too.

So, depending on the price, Fellaini could be a good bit of transfer business for Arsenal. It’s difficult to come by PL proven talents, who have as much presence, steel and ability as Fellaini does.

But where would he play?

The first scenario has Fellaini in the DM-pivot with one of Arteta/Ramsey. He’s played here in his earlier Everton days and is a capable defender, with 2.6 tackles per game, 1.2 interceptions per game, 2.1 clears per game and was only dribbled 0.4 times per game. At the-DM pivot, he could form a partnership with Arteta/Ramsey similar to the one Arsenal was successful with in 2011-12 with Arteta and Song. The two players interchange between offense and defense to make our attack less predictable and to provide more options in the offensive end than we saw towards the end of the season.

The second scenario would see Fellaini play as the SS behind one of Theo, Giroud or Podolski. By starting Fellaini up front with Theo, Arsenal would have two more than capable goal scorers and Fellaini’s skills are the perfect contrast to Theo’s. If Fellaini and Giroud are paired together, Arsenal then have two target men to utilize through long balls, crosses and set-pieces. Fellaini and Poldi playing up front together is perhaps the most interesting proposition of the three, mainly because Poldi is our most clinical finisher and is as good at setting others up, as he is scoring them himself. Fellaini and Poldi up front together would mean that we have two capable finishers and two more players capable of setting others up.

Personally, I don’t have a preference as to which formation Arsenal would play in if Fellaini is bought; I would just like to see it happen and go from there! All the scenarios are tantalizing because it represents variety and unpredictability to our line-up – a luxury we were not afforded last season. Fellaini as a DM would give us better protection and attacking from central midfield, and as a SS, he would give us more goals and act as an additional target man (something some fans feel is necessary and missing when OG is not on the pitch).

Which formation would you like to see Arsenal play in if Fellaini is purchased? Would you prefer it if Arsenal bought a dedicated, beast of a DM instead?

Written By: Highbury Harmony