defence – Page 2 – Bergkampesque

Jack and Alexis raise bar, Welbeck impresses, Defence….: Match Review

September 15, 2014September 15, 2014TotalArsenal

Saturday’s game against the Champions was a good opportunity to gage how much progress we had made since last season.

The verdict in a nutshell: our defence – including our sole DM – not solid and composed enough, our midfield now bursting with quality, and our attack/ability to create chances and score goals in the biggest games has also improved significantly.

Unlike last season’s visit by MC, when they were happy to play for a draw, this time round our opponents wanted the three points badly. The Chavs have started the season well as expected and the totally unpredicted loss against Stoke, have put a lot of pressure on the Champions to keep up. The same goes for Arsenal of course, who managed once again to qualify for the CL in August, but had dropped two valuable points in and against Leicester and found themselves four points adrift from the league leaders before this big game.

MC were missing Yaya Toure who was replaced by lost-looking Lampard, and Milner was put on the left to protect the vulnerable ex-Gunner Clichy, mainly by kicking the proverbial out of Debuchy. Fernandinho was also clearly instructed to put his boot in every time Jack or any of the other midfielders threatened to get past him – because that’s when Arsenal are at their most dangerous – and the awesome Silva, very effective Navas, and efficient Aguero were there to produce the attacking football.

Arsenal had opted to start Welbeck (with Sanogo not even on the bench: was he injured?), play four mainly attacking midfielders behind him, and protect the back-four with our best option as DM, the willing but wilting Flamini. It looked at times more like 3-1-5-1, as our ‘LB’ Nacho was almost constantly situated higher up the pitch, functioning as a fifth midfielder.

First half

After a couple of minutes of MC pressure, Arsenal took over with our four midfielders (in our 4-1-4-1) formation dominating play. Jack led the charge with energetic and aggressive play both at the back and the front. Early on he produced a brilliant diagonal ball over the top of the MC defence and the alert Sanchez almost got there to head the ball past the quickly anticipating Hart. Welbeck is lively and constantly moving, never allowing the experienced MC back-four to settle. It is clear that he wants the ball in behind the defensive lines, but our midfielders expect him to play in front of the opposition’s defence ala OG, and a few balls go astray.

Then, unexpectedly, the stuff of dreams – or nightmares – happens. A nonchalant ball back from midfield to his defence by Silva, is quickly anticipated by Danny and he gets a free run at goal with just the keeper to beat. He produces a Bergkampesque lofted ball over the beaten Hart and everybody thinks it is going in, but it hits the woodwork and the keeper can collect. So close, and what a goal it would have been for the newly arrived attacker.

The near miss is a pivotal moment in the first half. MC wake up and appreciate their lucky escape and the crowd and Gunners experience the heavy realisation that this missed opportunity might cost us dearly in this game (similar to Ozil’s missed penalty against Bayern). Our inexperience of beating fellow top teams is still weighing heavily on us, and every time we miss a very good opportunity it sets us back, it seems.

Welbeck does not seem to be too much influenced by the miss though: he continues to be a nuisance to the MC defence and starts to play better when receiving the ball with his back towards goal. The first quarter of the game is for us: good dominance, one big chance, we are enjoying our football; but, it is fair to say, we do not come close enough to the MC goal to produce clear-cut chances.

Monreal offers great drive going forward and partners well with the industrious, and also defensively sound, Alexis. Every time we regain the ball in our own half we break well, with all midfielders playing their part, but especially Alexis and Jack the most driven and composed. MC’s pre-planned answer to this is to foul our midfielders as soon as they can: cynical but effective. Luckily the referee is handing out yellow cards for this and it only seems a matter of time before one of our breaks will lead to a good goal scoring opportunity.

Our style of play needs goals of course, as we are constantly taking risks with playing Nacho so high, leaving space behind him for the attacking three of MC to pounce on us. And that is, unsurprisingly, exactly how they scored their first goal. The ball breaks to midfield and Flamini’s tackle seems to be well-timed and effective, which it needed to be. But Navas, in a Marc Overmars reminiscent way, manages to collect the ball before it goes out, and runs like a hare towards goal. Nacho and Koz hesitate to make a tackle, allowing speedy G to put the ball into the box. Flamini and BFG seem still in control, but the Frenchman allows Aguero to run past him and score a simple goal. A very disappointing moment by all players involved, but especially Flamini who, with his experience and the role he is playing in, should have done a lot better. 4-1-4-1 without a proper, athletic beast of a DM, seems to ask for this sort of punishment…

Getting behind, combined with the strong sense of a missed opportunity earlier on, now make us weary, both on the pitch and in the ground. MC sense this and start playing the better football, disrupting our play with more and more ease. Ozil and Wilshere try to get it all going but we are not using the width with even Nacho not sticking to the by-line, and Debuchy being held back by Milner. It is all too intricate and easy for MC now, and Welbeck is not getting much involved at this stage. The consistent fouling aimed to disrupt constantly our flow of football continues, and we do not create anything worthy of mentioning anymore during the first half.

Second half

We start good: energetic and with purpose and bite. We get the ball into the box now but the well-drilled MC defence holds strong. Ozil gets more involved in the direction of our play but his passes (and shooting), especially over a longer distance, are not sharp enough to trouble the Oilers. The same goes for Sanchez’s final ball who does all the hard work to get near the box, but then just does not deliver the perfect through-ball.

After ten minutes the game seems to balance out, which is not good for us as we are behind. It needed a moment of inspiration, and it pleases me tremendously that it was Super Jackie Wilshere who delivered it: and in some style!

The ball was won in midfield and quick combination play between Jack, Alexis and Rambo, allowed the Welshman to perfectly guide the ball into Jack’s feet in the box. There was still a hell of a lot to do, but a quick shimmy got him past the opposing defender, and with his head held high, looking for the best option at a moment when the adrenaline is pumping like crazy, he is still able to adjust his feet to fool the MC players as if he is passing it with his left foot, to only use his right foot, daftly kicking it high and measured past the beaten Hart.

What a goal: it needed something special to crack the Oilers’ defence and Jack delivered it. Wilshere the new Fabregas? The new Pirlo? Or the new Bergkamp?! He has got it all! hahaha 😉

After three quarters of the game, soon after our equaliser, Dzeko – the ‘Giroud’ of MC – comes on for Aguero: a change which almost undid us towards the end of the game. But Arsenal now take proper control and Welbeck is everywhere again, after a quiet start in the second half. Fernandinho is lucky not to get a second yellow for bowling Welbeck over off the ball, when the Englishman is about to run into the box, or after petulantly kicking the ball away after another foul is committed on the fabulous Alexis.

Then the moment of total ecstasy arrives.

Arsenal apply pressure and a ball into the box is headed away by the fine warrior Kompany, despite being challenged by Welbeck who gives the colossus a friendly nudge in the process (; The ball ends up with Jack, just outside the ‘D’: he has the full play in front of him and instantly sees that Alexis is free. His cushioned header reaches the Chilean Master who volleys the ball high in the air and with deadly precision under the bar, past a fully beaten Hart. What a clinical, top quality finish! Alexis had been working so hard all over the pitch and he really deserved that goal. What a signing!

We had the Oilers rattled and had two choices: sit back and see out the game as best as we can, or attack for the third goal. Both are risky approaches and we all know what happened next.

We had one great opportunity to score the all important third goal – ‘two goal cushion goal’ – when good link up play by Welbeck, and fine combination play between Ozil and Jack let to the latter clipping a masterly ball over the now tired MC defence. Ramsey did well to anticipate it and beat the MC defence, but his finish lacked the control his fellow midfielders had been demonstrating earlier. Three moments of total quality were perhaps too much to ask.

MC were adamant that Jack handled the ball in the box before our attack, but if you look closely, you will see that Jack’s arm was tucked back by a MC player which then sprung it forward towards the ball. Never a handball. 🙂

Then came the near sucker punch. A simple corner, badly defended: a free header for Demichelis, followed by a ‘nearly safe’ by Szczesny, or even Flamini: 2-2. Our ecstasy levels dropped immediately and the emotional roller coaster was almost completed. Giving away the hard fought for lead so soon, just as we did against Leicester before the interlul, was a painful experience for all.

After that, we somehow held on for the draw as the Oilers smelled blood. The woodwork and an excellent low safe by Szczesny, both from goal efforts by Dzeko, saved us. At this stage our defence were pulled all over the place, as Citeh combined with menace and intent – attacking a lot better now that Dzeko had taken over the central attacking position from Aguero and Silva could move closer to our box.

A draw was a fair result in the end. Our midfielders and attackers worked hard to get us in front but our soft underbelly of a defence/DM unfortunately cost us once again. Debuchy’s horrible injury did not help, but I expected more organisation and leadership from our experienced CBs and DM in the latter stages.

There is little time to learn lessons from this truly fantastic, yet educational game, as Dortmund await tomorrow, which will be another top-level encounter for everyone involved.

But the two big positives are that Jack is starting the hit the form many of us knew he is capable of, and Alexis is the sort of all-round attacking player we have all been hoping for. On top of that, Welbeck had an encouraging start to his Arsenal career, and once Ozil and Rambo start to hit proper form we will do some serious damage to our opposition. Let’s hope this starts on Tuesday night.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Inadequate CB-cover? Wenger might disagree!

September 5, 2014September 6, 2014TotalArsenal

A different perspective on Arsenal’s apparent lack of CB-cover!

Many Gooners, including yours truly, have highlighted the risk – or should that be sheer irresponsibility? – of not recruiting additional CB cover in the last transfer window. We can consider ourselves lucky that our CB-duo of Koz-BFG stood strong more or less during the entire 2013-2014 season, as they gained us many a point with their well-organised and expert defending. But it was also good to know we had nobody else than the Verminator warming the bench in case one of the two would get injured; and of course there was also Sagna who suddenly had turned into a half-decent CB.

The latter two have gone and we signed a young, albeit very promising, CB/RB in the name of Chambers. Any decent organisation nowadays holds a risk-register, and the potential of either BFG or Koz getting long-term injured, or god forbid both of them joining Arsenal’s cosy sickbay, is surely somewhere on there.

So is Arsene/the club acting irresponsibly by letting two giants go and not recruiting appropriate, experienced CB cover?

I say yes and no, at about 30/70. The Dutch have a saying: ‘iets doen met de Franse slag’, which means something like ‘doing something the French way’, as in not very thorough or thought-through. Arsene’s approach to managing risk reminds me sometimes of how French cars used to be: looked great, fun driving experience and full of luxury inside, but not the most reliable, if you get me (and I drove a few of them…. but all company cars hahaha 😉 ).

Arsene inherited a solid defence when he first joined us, and by signing Sol Campbell – one of the very best he ever made imo – he ensured the continuation of it for quite a while. But once Sol left – how bizarre was that, hey? – we have not seen the same solidity to our defence we once were so used to.

I want to say last season’s defence came very close, but then I think back about our mega-defeats again and I am not so sure whether that would be fooling myself. We did not buy a DM either and it all remains to be seen whether Wenger has done the right thing. I hope he has but have my doubts about it nonetheless.

But Arsene has a plan, although I cannot state that I know what it exactly looks like.

He is always evolving our style of play, and I reckon he has decided to go with two ‘footballing midfielders’ in the two deep midfield positions and he will not continue with 4-1-4-1 for long. He has many a midfielder to accommodate and will feel he has great options for filling the ‘2’ in his 4-2-1-3 with real quality, and I fully expect him to play Ramsey and Wilshere there more and more from now on, but either of them can be combined with Arteta (the captain after all!), Flamini, Cazorla or Rosicky, etc.

So, although I would have loved to see us getting a proper, footballing DM, who can defend and boss the area in front of the defence like no other, I do understand Wenger’s apparent hesitation to finally get us one. This season we will see whether our soft-underbelly in the heart of our midfield will come to cost us or not.

But what about our defence? Why did he let TV5 go before a replacement was signed; why did he not buy another one before the TW shut? Is he that stupid or irresponsible?

Of course he is not stupid and neither irresponsible. But maybe the classical approach of having at least two quality players for each of the four defensive positions does not work anymore; and Wenger has come up with what could be a very effective alternative: less defenders but with more rotation and, in the process, less dissatisfaction within the team.

Last season, the likes of TV5, Monreal and Jenkinson were largely spectators: managing just 24 PL starts between them, an average of just eight. And although Wenger should probably rotate his players more, this is inevitable as long as there are no major injuries. But football careers are short and players (need to be) hungry and ambitious: they want to play rather than just collect a payslip every week… and we don’t want those sorts of mercenaries at the club anyway… we sell them to the Northern Oilers hahaha.

And come to think of it, with Debuchy, Koz, BFG, Gibbs, Monreal and the brilliantly multi-functional and skilled chameleon that is Calum Chambers, Wenger might just have got the balance right between playing enough football by everyone AND having decent cover for all key areas. Say we play 55 games in all competitions this season: that is 220 games in total for all four positions – if we divide those by the six players mentioned above, we come to a fine average of about 37 games per player.

Of course there is more cover in the team as well, as Flamini can help out and the young and promising talents of Bellerin and Hayden can also be used (and there is Coquelin as well). But the older Frenchman will be used mostly in midfield and the talents will still be patient enough to accept their roles within the team.

I still think Wenger will not rotate a lot as he likes to play with a consistent back-four as much as possible: and who would not?! But suspension and injuries occur regularly during a season and this should ensure the aforementioned balance to remain effective. Debuchy, Koz, BFG and Gibbs are likely to play most of the games, but I bet both Monreal will get stints at LB as well as CB, and Chambers will do the same at RB and CB (and maybe even midfield).

We have enough cover for the full back positions, as in the classical approach of two quality players per position. And as both of the cover players can also play in the centre, Arsene might have found the perfect balance now. I hear you say, but what if both Koz and BFG get injured: we will be fecked! Well, in that case we play Chambers and Flamini or Monreal at the back, with Debuchy and Gibbs or Monreal as the FBs. Even if all first-choice players get injured or suspended, the line up of Bellerin, Chambers, Flamini and Monreal as our back four is not the worst one I can think of by any stretch.

Alternatively, we could keep pressing Wenger to buy us one or two top quality CBs to warm the bench and wait for their chance – as if they are readily available and willing to accept such a role. We only have to look at TV5’s desperation to leave us – one of our most hungry and Arsenal-loyal Gunners, and club captain in the process! – to know this is far less realistic than many of us think.

Will there be no defensive signings in the foreseeable future then? Well, I reckon Nacho is on his last chance (and he has really impressed me this season) and Wenger is watching him closely till January; and in the meantime he is keeping the nr.5 shirt and a suitcase full of cash ready to pounce, if so required.

Wenger might well have out-thought us arm-chair Gooners once more! 😉

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Written by: TotalArsenal.

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2013-14 Arsenal BUMPER Season Re-Cap – Don’t Miss it!

May 24, 2014TotalArsenal

Opportunity Squandered or Progress Made?

With the FA Cup victory almost a week old it seems time to ask these and other questions about the season just completed. Pardon the length of this post and the lack of bullet points to guide those who might not want to read it all. I’m still buzzing from the lifting of the FA Cup even if it was a faith-testing, come-from-behind experience on the day. One for the (positive) memory banks, too…

But that’s just the final match of the season. How do Gooners feel about the season as a whole?

In my opinion this past season presented a real opportunity with managerial changes at Chelsea and both Manchester clubs, as well as a recalibration with our neighbors to the immediate North, who had pushed us in recent years for our Champions League place. (Spurs were losing their best player, but they were also spending the money from his sale even before it was finalized.) As such, nobody could quite be sure WHAT was going to happen. We had to expect that all these teams would be strong but we also hoped that Arsenal would be in the mix.

Of course, with the summer winding down, the press (and management) blaring on about our “money to spend” and only a young player (Sanogo) in on a free transfer, it was all up in the air as the season kicked off. Luckily it was an easy one on a sunny August day. LOL. When that match ended, in a 3-1 home loss to Aston Villa, it appeared even the air was gone. Certainly, any momentum or positivity from our strong finish the year before eroded in an immediate tidal wave of dissatisfaction and doom. The ship was righted somewhat, with convincing wins in the CL qualifiers, and another free signing of a guy we knew had quality (Flamini), and in a gutty home win vs Spurs, practically on the eve of the transfer deadline. The really big move, bringing in Mesut Ozil in a transfer deal more than doubling our previous record came the next day making the first break for internationals more than bearable.

Since then we’ve seen so much. In the Autumn we dominated our (not so difficult) early season league schedule, made it through “the group of death” (with both some stunning and naive performances) in the Champions league and watched a few players, notably Aaron Ramsey, make some marked improvements. Ozil brought a certain level of pace and precision to our game which augured well. Unlike in previous years, we weathered the early storm and found ourselves top of the table as others had much slower starts.

As the “darker days” of Late Autumn and Winter came, we suffered some set-backs, going out meekly in the league cup in our stadium and losing to a very disjointed Manchester United team. We also suffered our first “big loss” to a title rival, a 6-3 defeat at Manchester City which shook confidence. The congested “Festive Period,” saw us regroup with a solid home nil-nil in ugly weather against even uglier (and very cynical) Chelsea team. From there, even though we were winning our matches, we lost key players Theo Walcott to a season ending knee injury (after having already missed a couple of months due to another surgery) and Ramsey to a muscle problem.

Those two injuries would prove crucial, the latter because it was supposed to be short term but went on and on, and the former because he was not replaced in the January transfer window. “Internal” attacking solutions–Poldolski, Sanago and Bendtner, though offering a measure of promise, never truly brought what Theo might have in the biggest matches and most critical moments. At least we never suffered (much feared) injury to our big man up front, even if his off-field antics hit the press at the very worst of times.

For a big player, who relies on power and has far too many head in hands moments, we still wouldn’t have guessed that Olivier Giroud’s worst would come when he was exposed in a very different manner. The underwear shot (a photo tweeted by a woman who was not his wife) proved nothing, argued Ollie, but many would say the same about some of the shots he takes on the pitch. That its release coincided with our first period of brutal fixture congestion (Sanogo started critical FA Cup and Champions League matches) made it far less comical.

Still, we got through against Liverpool (who, earlier at Anfield, had handed us perhaps our worst defeat of the season, a 5-1 loss which featured 4 goals conceded in twenty minutes) and we looked bright early vs Bayern Munich. Ozil’s penalty miss and having to play with 10 men (after Szczesny was lured into fouling the floppiest bald man in the world, Arjen Robben) was a killer. Losing two-nil and knowing that the holders would not make the same mistake two years in a row in the return leg, was another crushing blow.

Additionally, Ozil’s miss created a firestorm of bad press for the record signing. Manager Arsene Wenger attempts to rest him–vs Sunderland, but more critically at Stoke City–backfired, when, in his absence, our offense stuttered and we lost the latter match. Ironically, in the 2nd leg at Bayern we would lose Ozil to a hamstring injury suffered 2 minutes in and likely made worse by soldiering on through the entire first half. Although we had advanced to the FA Cup semis (and then had the great fortune of seeing Wigan defeat Manchester City after we had drawn the winner), our league chances, given all the injuries, seemed tenuous at best. We got past Spurs at White Hart Lane, holding a 1-nil lead (secured by a Rosicky belter) for 90 minutes.

But then, in Wenger’s 1000th match at the club, our title hopes were crushed in a 6-nil defeat to Chelsea. Beyond the horror scoreline and the comedy element (Kieran Gibbs was sent off for Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain’s early handball on the goal line–on a shot going wide!?!), we also lost another player to injury: our best defender, Laurent Koscielny.

The injuries and the psychological devastation of the Chelsea match (on top of the other away losses on big scorelines) led to consecutive home draws against Swansea City and Manchester City. By this time, our squad was a shadow of itself, both in confidence and available, match-fit, personnel. In a final blow, we traveled to Everton, got soundly beaten there and dropped below them and out of the Champions League places.

Many Gooners were calling for the head of Arsene Wenger, who noted (in a French interview) that with all the injuries, his team was “only average.” With Kim Kallstrom as our only January signing, on loan from a Russian club, and having made only a minimal contribution due to fitness issues of his own, there was plenty of hindsight, most of which put the manager squarely in the cross-hairs.

Luckily, at that point, the schedule got easier and this “average” team did enough to win their remaining matches. At first it wasn’t pretty, with the darkest moment coming at Wembley, as we came within 10 minutes of being eliminated by Wigan in the FA Cup semi, before beating them in a penalty shootout. From there, we secured 4th place with relative ease as Everton struggled with a far more difficult schedule. In fact, we ended up 7 points clear of them, the exact number we finished behind eventual league champions, Manchester City, who couldn’t beat Liverpool at Anfield. Unfortunately for them, ‘Pool couldn’t contain Chelsea in their home ground nor hold a 3 nil lead at Crystal Palace, and, in essence, handed the title back to the Sheik and his Citizens. All we could do, however, was win our remaining matches and watch from the sidelines of the mathematically eliminated…

It all culminated in the FA Cup final, a microcosm of both our frailties and our strengths. Playing a goal-keeper (Fabianski) and a defender (Sagna) who were winding their contracts down in order to seek greener pastures, we started in a stupor and fell behind by 2 goals, only avoiding a 3rd, when wisely placed Kieran Gibbs used his head in another manner to clear a looping attempt which had Fabianski well beaten. Fortunately, the smallest player (with the biggest heart?…) Santi Cazorla took the team forward, won a foul and converted the resulting free kick. The comeback was on. Goals by Koscielny (risking injury as he scored it) and Ramsey, the season’s most stunningly improved player (and perhaps its best?), and we (finally) have our trophy. The joy amongst the team, the manager and the Gooners who had all stayed the course was fantastic.

Now what? How do we kick onwards and upwards?

In my opinion, despite the struggles of the season (cheers for actually reading the synopsis for those who did…) we have much we can take from it. There is great potential in the squad up and down the pitch. Moreover, as a team, we have shown a certain level of resolve and focus. The clean sheets and solid results against the lesser teams were the best in England. Obviously, we had huge stumbles, especially in away matches to the other top teams. Still, the “team,” at its core, is as solid as I’ve seen it for years with more upside than down. We did not, again, in my opinion, “over-perform” this season and thus, if the spirit stays intact, we should improve. Of course, our rivals will be trying to do likewise but that’s another matter entirely. While I believe our greatest asset is our work as a unit, it being the close-season with the torture, er, transfer window unofficially open, an examination of the current squad, position by position is in order.

Keeper: Wojciech Szczesny gained another season of experience and showed great focus to compile the incredible statistic of 20 clean sheets in all competitions (22, if you include the two CL qualifiers). Yes, he still makes mistakes with the Red Card + Penalties vs Villa and Bayern standing out. Nonetheless he commands his area well and makes most of the saves you would expect him to make. He may well have benefitted from the consistent push of his countryman, Lukas Fabianski, whose contributions in the FA cup run were nothing short of outstanding, even if he might be somewhat faulted for the leakiness early (and the moment of insanity late on) in the final. While I would love to retain him as a more than capable #2, I don’t begrudge his decision to seek first team football elsewhere. Of course, he will need to be replaced. We should be able to afford an older, very experienced keeper who might be happy to help Szczesney on the finer points of his game while being more than ready to deputize if necessary. Damien Martinez, as our youth team keeper has perhaps shown enough to deserve promotion to the first team as our 3rd choice?

Defence: Obviously, losing Bacary Sagna will be a major blow. What a professional and what a servant to the club. Additionally, he essentially held down two positions. As such, we will need to buy (or promote) at least two players to replace him. Players like him simply cannot be replaced in a like for like fashion. A senior right back seems essential unless we really trust Carl Jenkinson and/or Hector Bellerin. Additionally our style of play will need to change given that Sagna was such an accomplished header of the ball. It could, however, be an opportunity for a pacy player of great stamina, one who can get forward on offense and circle around the tall (but not so mobile) presence of Mertesacker at the defensive end. In many ways, I think, replacing Sagna sucessfully will be one of our greatest challenges but also one of greatest opportunities. Given Wenger’s desire to have as many “footballers” in the squad, the huge hole Sagna will leave could actually be seen as a chance for several players to make their mark.

Central defense is as solid as it’s been in years. The partnership of Mertesacker and Koscielny is the best in the league. The back up of Captain Vermaelen is troublesome, but also reassuring, given that so many of us thought he was the best defender on the team just a couple of years ago. Injury problems have hurt him, but he’s been a model professional. That he can also play left back, where our first options have injury issues of their own, makes him even more valuable. Still, I expect him to be the subject of endless transfer speculation and he might be one leaving the club. A younger, more speculative prospect, especially one who has played a bit as a defensive midfielder, might also be seen as a positive change.

Kieran Gibbs, when he’s not hurt (or being sent off for another player’s handball…) seems firmly established as our first choice left back. He’s got great pace and athletic ability and his defensive positioning and offensive contributions are improving over time. He seems one who, if he could have a full season injury free–and this season was closer in that regard–might really take a major step up in quality. Ignacio “Nacho” Monreal, who is perhaps more comfortable on the ball than Gibbs, is an able back-up. At times, Nacho appears a bit lacking athletically (in comparison to the “sneaky” athleticism Gibbs possesses) but also has some sly moves. I particularly admire his high-angle pull backs when he drives forward, but think he might need to put away his full turns (away from the attacker and the ball) at the defensive end as they (sometimes) leave him trailing his man and badly out of position. If we can retain Vermaelen, who brings real defensive stoutness (but is not as much as a typical touch line runner going forward) this position seems very well covered.

Midfield: This is our obvious strength–an embarrassment of riches to the point of begging the question of how we keep everybody happy. There is also a question about our ability to use our possession game to protect our back line, i.e., is there trouble at the back? Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla, Wilshere, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain (or is he a forward?) Arteta, Flamini, Diaby. Wow, it’s a mouth-watering bunch of names, but it’s also a group which had more than its share of injury troubles. Additionally, the guys we assume would lay back and protect our defensive line are not getting any younger.

Many feel that we need reinforcement at “defensive midfielder” and I would agree. However, I also think that Wenger doesn’t look at it this way and wants his deeper lying mids to bring great skill and composure on the ball, rather than act as the prototypical “beast” many desire. Mikel Arteta’s physical limitations will only become more glaring as age does its inevitable thing. Still, trying to replace or complement him with a more physical presence, if he doesn’t bring similar on-the-ball skills, can be a double edged sword. The initial contributions of Flamini (especially his vocal organization of the players in front of him) seemed very welcome, but the loose tackles hurt us as the season wore on and he never seemed the sort of player who could keep things “ticking over.” Abou Diaby has the height and (as I recall) the ball skills to be a great contributor in this part of the pitch, but even discussing him, given his injury record, seems as thinly naive as his ankles. As such I would expect every deep-lying mid in world football to be linked with a move to Arsenal this Summer, though I would also suspect that this is an area where Wenger might gamble on players staying fit, performing above expectation or (even) slotting in a player who is more nominally a defender.

He could also do likewise by (nominally) moving players back. Wilshere, Ramsey and Oxlade Chamberlain have all taken turns, usually alongside Arteta, in what some observers label a double pivot. Again, I don’t think Wenger views it in this manner, and would prefer a group of 5 midfielders (3 central, 2 who start on the touchlines as wingers) changing position freely and covering spaces for one another. In moments when it works, it positively buzzes. It can, however, lead to periods where we struggle against deeper lying teams and leave ourselves open to trouble on the break (and those freak scorelines against the better teams). Ball retention, i.e., possession and pace of play are everything in Wenger’s approach and a stable group (fewer injuries) seems essential. Overall, however, the players we have, I believe, perhaps with the exception of Arteta and Rosicky, are ALL poised to have more productive seasons. Wilshere, Ozil and Ramsey looked very good but also had injury issues and trouble in the biggest matches. I expect their output (assists and goals) to increase. Santi Cazorla, expected by many to step into the #10 spot and make up for the output of those three, was a disappointment to many, but I see him as a guy whose true genius sparkles in filling the holes (on the pitch rather than the team-sheet). With his range of passes (and shots) he needs teammates occupying defenders because he’s simply too small (and lacks that real burst of acceleration) to get away on his own. I may have too much faith in the little Spaniard, who is also approaching the big 3-0, but I think his output (goals and assists) could go up the most of any of our midfielders.

Attack: obviously, this is an area of worry but also one of some serious promise. Losing Theo Walcott was a massive blow as many expected him to kick on from his previous (and best) season with a 20 goal (or more) contribution. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with maybe a touch less pace (but a lot more touch…) is also an extremely promising player who can be very direct and loves attacking the box. Both guys, if they can just get a bit calmer in their finishing could go from (near) zero to (super) hero. Serge Gnabry also appears to have a real eye for goal and a desire to work on his complete game and is still only 18 (!) We should expect greater contribution from him as well.

This past season, however, Olivier Giroud had to carry the load. He did quite well, especially against the lesser clubs racking up impressive numbers (22 goals) and showing a tireless ability to wear down defenders (in opposition to his annoying time-wasting antics feigning injury on the turf). His younger French counterpart, Yaya Sanogo, also contributed, in a somewhat similar manner, even if he has (still) yet to score his first Arsenal goal. Size matters in English football and those guys are targets at set pieces. Not quite as big (unless you count his smile…), Lucas Poldolski brings so much experience and one of the most powerful left boots in world football but remains a puzzle. When he scores he’s brilliant, but he also looks out of place as a total footballer. He seems to enjoy drifting deeper and helping out with the possession work, but also appears a step slow in that part of the pitch. Closer in, his striker instincts (to shoot or cross) seem positive but not always in-sync with his teammates. Is it a lack of pace or on the ball skills or just too much time playing in a slower paced setting? Regardless, he’s on a massive salary so, unless he makes a (surprise) splash for the Germans in Brazil and attracts some transfer interest, I would expect the enigma to continue next season at Arsenal.

World Cup

So that is my summation of the squad and what I perceive as the potential for the season ahead. Who am I missing? Also, speaking of Brazil: we got a world cup to enjoy. As a neutral I enjoy watching Arsenal players contribute and seeing who can and cannot handle the immense pressure of the situation, even if, in my opinion, the game is slower and (until the final rounds at least) generally at a lower level than the club game. Compared to most of the top English teams we are not sending too many players who will play major minutes but, with our “vast” reserves of money to spend, ANY player who does well at the tournament will surely be linked with a move to our club. In that way, if you have the right attitude, it could be fun to watch.

Arsene Wenger

But, of course, I’ve been accused of having a bad attitude. In truth, I believe that Arsenal supporters are suffering more than a bit of an existential crisis and are overly divided into deeply entrenched camps, which brings me down immensely. Right now, on the back of the FA Cup win–and the ease with which we clinched Champions League football, support has swung back towards Arsene Wenger continuing as manager. Latest reports suggest he will sign a 3 year deal at 8 million pounds per year–essentially the same salary as our highest paid player (Ozil). I believe the manager, while not always correct in every decision, is one of the great stories and maybe the greatest asset the club possesses (and, as such, deserves this new contract). Many, however, disagree, or, at least, have tired of him as the face of the club and desire change. But that’s an entirely different issue and one which we might discuss in more detail as the Summer wears on. Unfortunately, due to his immense presence, our stance on the manager clouds ALL discussions about the club. My hope is that we can trust in him (as we would with ANY manager) while realizing he’s human and appreciating that he has linked his personal legacy to that of the club. It’s probably too much to ask, so, if (god forbid) we actually lose a match (we didn’t, in the league, at least, a decade ago–i.e., he made his own high standards)…it’s “Wenger Out” all over again. It’s a pressure that’s (probably) too hard to bear, and one which, frankly I could live without. Still, the times being what they are (the 24 hour “blame” cycle of the internet…) somebody must do the job. At least Wenger seems willing to bear it, so I salute him.

Your views

OK, enough said. What do you guys think? Are we poised to kick on (and up)? Can we expect improvement from a majority of squad members? Who do you think might REALLY kick on? (As opposed to the more typical, who must we REALLY replace?…) Is the future so bright that we need to wear shades or is it so grim that we need to draw the shades (or curtains) and hide? Many will be focused on the transfer market and all the links that come with our status as a “big club” (with money). Others might lament that we (still) can’t hold onto our best players even if they’re on the older side (Sagna). Where do you come down? Is this a Summer of appreciation and hope or dissatisfaction and despair?…

Written by: 17highburyterrace

Five Reasons for Keeping Bacary Sagna

May 20, 2014TotalArsenal

Signing Sagna the Litmus test? Absolutely!

I don’t know the exact details with regards to the club’s attempts to signing up Sagna to a new contract. I also don’t know whether he is determined to leave or would love to stay if a good offer is made to him. All I know, is that we are a big club and Sagna is a super quality player who still has a lot to offer to Arsenal.

We are supposed to have moved into a new era now: one of financial security and strength and, as a result, more control over player movements. After letting our best bunch of players go in recent years, we finally had a year in which all our remaining talents were kept at the home of football; and a SQ player was even added. So the signs are good, but keeping hold of Sagna will be the first proper test of the BoD’s competence in keeping hold of our very best players in the new era.

Now is the time to realise that not being able to keep hold of Sagna will reinforce the perception that we remain inferior to the other top clubs; or in fact, it would underline that we are no longer a top, but sub-top club.

I am sure that some will adopt a pragmatist approach: if he goes, we will replace him and all will be well again. But for me this would be wrong in more than one way.

Five reasons for keeping Bacary Sagna:

Mr Reliable personifies all that Arsenal should be about: he offers 100% passionate commitment to the cause and is the total professional. Bacary is one of my favourite Arsenal players ever. He brings so much more than being a reliable right back, with his drive up and down the flank, fighting spirit, winning mentality, leadership skills and love for the club. Letting him go would leave a very big gap in our team: what Sagna has to offer is impossible to replace, at least in the short term.
It is now important to build a culture of loyalty at the club; and we all know that loyalty needs to work both ways. If we look after our players, our players are far more likely to look after the club. There will always be mercenaries; in fact, they can be very useful for the club, but we need to show to our up and coming talents that they can have a full career at the club and will be looked after till the end of their careers, if they give their all to us. Bacary is such a player and keeping him would give out a strong signal that Arsenal is a good club to remain loyal to.
Our defence is becoming a strong unit and now is the time to keep it together for a few more seasons. Sagna and Mertesacker are a strong defensive duo on our right side, and the former compensates for one or two weaknesses the latter possesses. On top of that, Sagna can play as the BFG’s replacement as he possesses similar organisational skills as the German. Nobody else can do this and letting Bacary go will leave us with more than one hole in our already thinly covered back four.
Strong signal to this summer’s transfer prospects. Quality players have a choice to go anywhere they like and, other than money, they will be looking at the strength of the current squad and the club’s ability and willingness to keep hold of their best players. Keeping hold of Sagna would send out a strong signal that we are serious about moving the club to the next level.
Ludivine should never wear another club shirt than Arsenal’s. 😉

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Be Kind to Yourself. 😛

Arsenal start games too slowly and need to be more aggressive: debate!

February 17, 2014February 17, 2014TotalArsenal

Remember how we blitzed Napoli almost five months ago? 15 minutes of fantastic, high-tempo and aggressive football and the game was more or less in the bag with two fine goals by Ozil and Giroud.

And what about our recent away match at Villa: two goals in equally as many minutes – in the 34^th and 35^th minute by Wilshere and Giroud – and the game was practically won (although we still made it hard for ourselves in the second half).

But these examples are among the few exceptions to the rule, as Arsenal tend to start slow and seldom score during the first third of our games.

Of all our Premier League goals, only 20% are scored during the first thirty minutes of the games; and between the 30^th and 60^th minutes we score 28%, which is relatively low as well. So, believe it or not, 51% of our PL goals are scored between the 60^th and 90^th+ minutes.

This raises the questions why this is the case, and whether it is good or bad.

Looking at our title rivals this season, it becomes clear Arsenal score more goals in the final third than the other teams by a margin, and we are the least prolific of all the teams in the first and second thirds of the games in the 2013-2014 season (stats from http://www.premierleague.com):

**Team/Period of games when PL goals are scored**	First third	Second third	Final third	Total PL Goals	Total PL Goals Conceded
*Arsenal*	20%	28%	51%	48	26
*Mansour* *City*	27%	39%	34%	68	27
*Chavs*	24%	37%	40%	48	21
*Pool*	38%	38%	25%	66	32

What is also quite interesting to note is that simply scoring a lot of goals is no guarantee for success, as MC and Pool demonstrate: both have scored significantly more than Arsenal and the Chavs and yet they are not in the lead.

This season, Arsenal and the Chavs play a more defensively solid game and both teams score the majority of their goals in the third part of their matches (especially Arsenal). MC and Pool play a more ‘full on attacking’ style of football and score more goals, but also concede more.

Despite Arsenal having conceded almost as many goals as MC – mainly skewed by the losses to Pool and MC – we have managed an impressive 46% of clean, whereas the Northern Oilers only achieved 36% of clean sheets (Chavs 42% and Pool a meagre 27%).

As the above demonstrates once again, there is a fine balance between attacking and defending and non of the current top four clubs have been able to get it right until now, which in my view is the main reason why it is still so tight at the top.

So, just for a bit of fun, here are some questions for a ‘heated debate’ 🙂 :

Why do Arsenal score relatively so few goals early on, and so many late in the game?
Is this good or bad, or does it not matter at all?
Should Arsenal start more aggressive/take more risks in games and try harder to score more goals early on?
What would be the overall effect?
What would you do for the rest of the season, to remain defensively solid and yet score more goals?
How should we play against the ‘top teams’ to get more points in these games?

TotalArsenal.

Liverpool – Arsenal Afterthoughts: DM-pivot needs sorting out!

February 9, 2014February 9, 2014TotalArsenal

Arsene has got his work cut out to make the team bounce back once more.

More than 24 hours after the debacle at Anfield, it is still not easy to come to terms with the devastating implosion of our team in just 1200 seconds.

Regular BKers know that I believe our first team players are not lazy and calculated but committed and passionate about our club. It is natural to want to point towards a lack of attitude by our players for this embarrassing performance, but I reckon this would be self-deceiving. Yesterday, technically and tactically we were not good enough and Arsene Wenger is the main culprit for this.

It would be a lot easier to blame a lack of passion and commitment as the main cause of our defeat, but on the day we were simply not good enough. It will now be key for Wenger and his players to show us this was just a bad day at the office.

In a nutshell, we lost the game through two horribly defended Pool set-pieces and a subsequent inability to turn the game round without leaving the door wide open for the Scousers’ deadly counter-attacks. And deadly they were.

As 17highburyterrace pointed out yesterday, nothing is more frustrating to watch than Mertesacker having to run back towards his own goal chasing the game. We lacked shape, organisation, composure, professionalism and, most of all, any dominance when it still mattered.

The set-pieces were defended badly by the whole of the team, as we looked all over the place (especially the second one), but our CBs should have taken better control of those situations.

It is also fair to say we were not able to match the energy of the Pool players at the start of the game. We knew we had it coming and we should have been prepared better for this.

As others have pointed out already this weekend, and as I have been saying since the start of the season, our weakest area is in the double-DM pivot. Without a fit Flamini we are a different team, especially against the top teams. And going forward we need to improve on Flamini as well if we really want to come close to beating the top teams on a regular basis (and win silverware).

We lost the battle in midfield as we were unable to match Pool’s energy and speed, and I am holding my breath for what is to come in the next few games, as we seem to have structural problems in this crucial area.

I like Arteta, but he is not the man to protect our back-four and lead our team in these kinds of matches. Keen observers will point out he was not fully fit and he did not get much support defensively from Jack (also not fully fit). I would agree with that, but even if Arteta had been fully fit he still would have struggled to protect and lead effectively on the day.

Arsene had a chance to properly strengthen the DM area during January but he chose not to. By all accounts, KK is another attack-minded midfielder rather than a defence-minded one. If this area turns out to be the area where we lose this season’s chances to win silverware, I will be very disappointed in Wenger. Let’s see what he will do next for the games against Manure, Liverpool and Munich.

But it was not just our DMs and CBs who were not good enough on the day; Cazorla, Ozil and Ox also had little or no impact on the game and Giroud was totally isolated. Our midfield only started to play as a bit of a unit in the second half, when it was far too late.

Without a good functioning DM-pivot the defence will not get the right protection and our attack will be left isolated. I cannot stress enough how vital the deeper laying midfield duo is to the overall effectiveness of the team. They are the brakes and gear box of the team.

I am confident that Mertesacker and Koscielny will sort out the defence again, but I have doubts about our ability to protect them and to dominate midfield play during the next few crucial games again. Wenger and Bould have their work cut out here, and let’s hope they will get it right.

TotalArsenal.

Has Lukaku found a way out of Koscielny’s pocket yet?

December 10, 2013TotalArsenal

Match analysis and afterthoughts.

Well that was one of the most exciting games I have watched all season. Credit to Roberto Martinez for building such a potent side. It was end to end stuff practically the whole game. In the end we shared the spoils which was maybe the fairest result anyone has had all campaign. Being an avid Gooner, my focus of course is on the Arsenal side. As such, there are a few observations I would like to make.

First of all, how good are Per, Kos and Szczesny this season? It is because of them that we have the best defense in the league. I mean can someone tell me if Lukaku has found a way out of Koscielny’s pocket? The two have formed a defensive partnership that no one in the EPL can match. At least not at the moment. And what of Szczesny? He makes saves that Oliver Khan would be proud of. The three (along with Sagna) have been nothing short of world class. Which brings me to the left back position. I feel (and have always felt) that Monreal is a better defender than Gibbs.

The few games he has played continue to reinforce my stance. Yesterday, Gibbs had an below average game defensively and he may have cost us 2 points. He did not close down Deulofeu for the goal and considering he was in our penalty box, I find it a bit hard to forgive. Gibbs is good at making interceptions but his positioning at times and his one on one defending leaves something to be desired. Maybe he is jaded from all the games he’s been playing, but either way I feel it’s time Monreal got his chance.

Secondly, there is the midfield conundrum. In a previous post I mentioned that having so many options to choose from can sometimes be negative. In this case it is. I feel that Wenger should find space for Walcott in that side one way or another. Wilshere has been outstanding the last 3 games and Ramsey is one of the best players in the league this season. That said, playing them all takes away not just our width but also our killer instinct. We play so well but once we get to the opposition box there is no one willing to enter the box. Ironically, playing so many creative midfielders has restricted the number of clear cut chances we create because we pass and tease at the edge of the box but it so often ends up breaking down as there is no one willing to makes runs into the box, or shoot.

The omission of Theo has also made our counter attacks toothless. When we win back the ball and we have a chance to counter, the ball lands to Ozil or Santi and you feel like crying because everyone else either isn’t willing to make runs or just isn’t quick enough to make it count. Many people call Theo a one trick pony but when that one trick is being supported by Ozil and Cazorla, it is a devastating trick. Even on Ozil’s debut, that potential partnership showed from the go. The fact is, Walcott will greatly increase our goals. Since his return, we have scored every time he is brought on.

Thirdly, if the Everton game showed us one thing it is that we need a killer striker to really take us to that elite level. I have always said Giroud is a fantastic player but he doesn’t have that ruthlessness that Suarez, Cavani, Falcao, Lewandowski, Aguero and RVP have. There are games (like yesterday’s) where having a striker who takes his chances makes the difference. Yesterday towards the end of the first half we came alive and with a more clinical striker, could have gone into the half 2 nil up effectively ending the contest. Wenger must really make this a priority when entering the market in January.

In conclusion, I feel that the game against Everton was the hardest we’ve played all season. The draw was a very fair result but because I know we can do better, it came as a disappointment to me. More so, because we really needed that 7 point cushion going into the double header against City and Chelsea. Now we have to make sure that we win at least one of those two games which will be no easy feat. That said, we are THE Arsenal and we are more than capable of doing so.

In other news, I am glad Podolski is back and we are almost at full strength and now we can begin to see how good we really are.

Come On You Gunners!!!!!

Written by: Marcus

Plucky, Plucky Arsenal – Szczesny, Koz and Mertesacker win us three points

November 23, 2013November 23, 2013TotalArsenal

I missed the first 25 minutes or so of today’s top;three game the Saints. So apparently, I missed our best period of football; but I don’t mind as I liked what I saw in the 65 remaining minutes of the game.

A clean sheet, a mature performance, scoring the second goal to kill off any remaining threat, and looking in control for most of the game was music to my eyes. How long have we been waiting for this sort of maturity: not playing well in terms of attacking football but just being able to see a game out professionally? That is what champions-to-be need.

I thought as a team we worked well, even though one or two individual performances were not at their usual level. But the real strength of a team is measured by its ability to compensate for any individual blips in form, and today we saw good evidence of just that.

You have to give some credit to Southampton, though. It takes some guts to come to the Emirates and just play their football, and at times they dominated us with very good combination and pressing football. In the end, two avoidable mistakes cost them badly and luckily they had these against us…. The Chavs will face a determined, highly motivated team – of that I have no doubt.

Being totally honest about our performance, I felt our midfield missed some necessary cohesion and fluency in their passing. We have some distance to go in terms of getting the likes of Cazorla, Ozil, Arteta, Ramsey and Wilshere to fully gel with each other. But the good thing is we have a solid defence, and against a team like Southampton we naturally sit back a bit more and keep things solid. At home this is not a bad thing as it makes us less vulnerable to counterattacks. In away games we do this regularly and it’s one of the reasons we have done so well on our travels.

Our back-five performance was very impressive and something special is growing between these players. All have made progress this season, even the wily Sagna. And all five players have both strengths and one or two weaknesses, but somehow they have found a way of maximizing their combined strengths and minimizing the weaknesses.

BFG slowness and lack of ‘turnability’ is compensated for by Sagna and Koz’s speed and last-ditch tackling ability. Koz’s occasional hot-headedness needs the BFG’s organisational and calming skills, etc etc.

But special praise should go to the triangle of Szczesny, Koz and Mertesacker, who were as good as impenetrable today. Arteta did not have one of his best games against the Saints, but neither was he awful. Nevertheless, Koz and Mertesacker coped very well with any threat through the middle, which is considerable as there is a lot of strength in Southampton’s midfield.

The team playing deep really seems to suit Koz and Mertesacker, and if they are in control it really helps Szczesny to stay calm and composed as well. I reckon, other than the hard work of the entire team, that’s what won us the game today. They also worked well together when defending corners and free-kicks which was good to see.

If we are going to win the league we will need a solid defence – a solid back five really – and the boys did us proud today. And I reckon there is still more to come.

It is great to see the team bounce back from the Manure defeat straightaway, and that despite not having had much time together during the latest interlull.

Three more points and a more solid position at the top, and plenty of evidence that this team has backbone and belief. Bring on the Frenchies – OGAAT! 🙂

Written by: TotalArsenal.

What to do with Jenkinson and Sagna?

October 12, 2013October 12, 2013TotalArsenal

Sign him up Arsene! :) — Sign him up Arsene! 🙂

Our Right Back (RB) position is covered by two players: Sagna and Jenkinson, and young Hector Bellerin and Nico Yennaris are being prepared to play there as well at some point in their careers.

I rate Sagna really highly for his defensive ability, his drive and attitude, and his desire to support our attack continuously. However, I find him pretty ineffective once he has reaches the defensive line of the opposition. He tends to cut inside and hold on to the ball so he can give it to one of our midfield players; by doing so, he often takes the speed out of our attack as well as reducing our width.

Jenkinson is a work a progress and one of those players who gets better the more games he plays. He properly impressed me for the first time when we played Bayern away last season (just like Gibbs did in the same game): there is a good RB in Jenkinson but he still has a lot to learn. When he plays next to Mertesacker he usually is significantly better defensively. The BFG is a great mentor for him and the German’s organisational skills are just what Jenkinson needs at this stage of his career.

I find the Finglishman better going forward than Sagna. He is more inclined to make it to the by-line and put in a cross or cut a ball back to somebody positioned just outside or inside the opposition’s box. This way we keep our width as well as our momentum going. It is fair to say, Jenkinson still needs to improve the quality of his final ball, and that will come with time.

However, defensively Sagna truly is our Mr Reliable, and both his experience and incredible passion for the club, go a long way right now. I hope we will sign him up properly and show him the respect he deserves, especially now he has shown to be a pretty brilliant fall back options for Mertesacker as well.

Sagna should become gradually a squad player rather than automatic first choice for each and every game. He could start a certain number of games during next season and beyond, and function as a reliable back up for a number of defensive positions. The question is whether Jenkinson can start pushing Sagna gradually out of the RB position during this season.

I don’t have a definitive answer to this one. As stated above, I believe that our Gunner and Gooner does get gradually better and better the longer he plays. During his first game(s) after a period on the sidelines he can look rusty and unfocussed. As with most young players, he is quite injury prone which does not help him in his quest for claiming the RB position, and it is also not good for the team, as we need as much consistency as possible in our defensive line-up.

With the club appearing to dither over signing Sagna up for years to come, and Jenkinson not ready to fill the RB post as a regular first starter – and possibly not making the grade, as the jury remains out – the question is what to do next in terms of making the team stronger.

I would love us to sign up Sagna for another three years. He deserves it and it would send out a sign to other players that you can complete your football career at Arsenal: loyalty works both ways after all.

I would like us to keep developing Jenkinson further and see whether he can make it. If by the end of the season Sagna has not been signed up and/or Corporal Jenks has not made significant progress, we should expect Arsene to purchase a new, established RB for the 2014-2015 season.

My money is on the latter to happen, but what do you think Fine Fellow Gooners? 😛

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Who was Wenger’s best signing in 2013? The curious case of Flamini

September 29, 2013September 29, 2013TotalArsenal

Kaboom is a new writer and English is not his first language. I have made some changes to make the article flow a bit better, but other than that I left it as it is. BK is an inclusive blog and we like it when bloggers from all over the world share their views and write for us. I would like to ask you to focus purely on the content of Kaboom’s very fine post and respect that English is not his mother tongue.

Many thanks,

TotalArsenal.

The return of the UMF - Ultimate Midfield Force — The return of the UMF – Ultimate Midfield Force

Ramsey. Giroud: the players on fire. Santi. Mikel -lego hair- arteta still to come back. Players that continue their last season’s good form. Per and Kos with new found belief at back. Who can exclude the Öne and Önly, Özil? Arsenal are currently top of the table, most points accumulated and most goals scored team at the moment. And the table never lies!

However, in my humble opinion, the player who brought sparks/life to the spineless team has to be no other but Matthew Flamini.

The self-exiled for 4 years from the greatest club on earth has returned. All is forgiven. The sole survivor of the famous back 5 ( Lehmann, Eboue, Campbell & Toure) that inspired the heroic run that conceded only 1 goal all the way to champions league final ( only lost to 2 dodgy offside goals).

Rumours has it that he was close to be sent on loan to Birmingham but Wenger’s last minutes change of heart meant he stayed at the home of football. Everything else was history. His performance was so good AW had to leave former Brazil captain Gilberto on the bench.

Time and time again we saw endless running, tackling, arriving late at 18 yards box and having a pop at goal. Typical defensive midfielder. Along with Cesc, Hleb and Ro-sick-y, they formed the formidable midfield line-up that almost won the league. Unfortunately the agent got into his head and convinced him that a better future lay away from the great Arsenal. He left us like he left Marseille. That reminds me of what my old man always tells me. Do not pick a girl who left another man for you: one day she will do the same to you. Sadly, it was so true. AW failed to convince him on a new contract for the variance of GBP 5k (sounds familiar huh?), and he left Arsenal for Ac Milan.

It didn’t work out for either parties for past 4,5 years. Arsenal continued to struggle to find a proper DM (Dont.Ever.Mention. Song! He is a joke) and Flamini can’t even get any game time for the team. Due to stubbornness/principle of AW against signing ex-players, time and time the quality of Flamini had been overlooked.

Since then, Henry, Campbell and even Lehmann had returned on temp basis, and perhaps it softened AW’s principle of signing ex-players. Flamini rejoined the club after a successful trial. I read a report somewhere that he chose to park his super car at the visitors car park and walked thru the long corridor to the training area. To most people it may sounds like common courtesy but it has to be a huge huge humble pie (in-your-face) for Flamini. Well, it is really a minor gesture which is not worth mentioning but I have heard of far worse parking ethics of footballers. I believe that shows his willingness to earn the trust again to be part of the team and the will to be successful again.

Compared to the rest or marquee players, Flamini never has the chance to out shine anyone. He cant provides 2,3 assists per games, let alone goals. He can’t nutmeg opponents. He cant string 3,4 barca-likes passes with his teammates. However his roles of tracking players all over field, covering every inches of the pitch, stamping authority, kicking players and doing ugly jobs are second to none.

Jack’s early withdrawal against tot-scum-spur had proven to be a real blessing in disguise. Flamini was everywhere. Tackling, kicking, shouting at defenders, organizing the defence. His performance against Stoke City has to be the best individual defensive work in years! And that’s really what Arsenal were lacking of for the past few seasons Ramsey and Özil might be taking the limelight now, but Flamini is the real unsung hero for the team at the moment.

I guess the real dilemma for AW is how to blend in Flamini with existing rich selection of midfielders. Can AW afford to drop Ramsey? What to do about Arteta returning? Is he going to bench Jack? How about Ro-sick-y, Chambo and Diaby(if he ever gets fit again)?

It’s going to be a long season but so far I am extremely glad to see the return of Flamini. I do hope that he will play a major role in our quest for the first EPL title since forever. For me, he is already the signing of the season.

Written by: Kaboom