formation – Page 15 – Bergkampesque

Review: Arsenal’s Midfield is not working, and team lacked cohesion & leadership.

January 1, 2013January 1, 2013TotalArsenal

It is tough to be a Gooner at times like these. One moment we play heavenly football: Reading and Newcastle United away; only to fall back into mundane, clueless performances the week after.

It was important to win this game tonight, and dropping two points could turn out to be very costly in five months time. We did not deserve the three points against Wigan – a similarly poor performance as today against Southampton – and today we did not deserve more than a point either. In fact, some will argue we were lucky to get a point, given the fact that our goal was a Southampton own goal.

It is hard to put the finger on what our team was missing tonight.

Firstly, I thought our midfield did not play close enough to Southampton’s box most of the game. The problem with 4-3-3 is that our midfield is often stretched vertically rather than playing close together as more of a horizontal unit. Arteta often wants to sit deep, Cazorla needs to support the attackers and Wilshere has to cover the huge space between them: as a result the midfield is often stretched and therefore not cohesive enough. I am not a big fan of this at all.

Usually Wenger gets the midfielders to play closer together and push the oppositions higher up the pitch in the second half of games – after a good team talk at the break, so it seems. But this time, we did not improve as significantly in the second half as we did against Wigan and Newcastle United recently.

As our midfield was not capable of playing closer to our attackers, the latter looked isolated and ineffective. Theo and Pod got very little service, but Ox at least worked hard to create something for the others.

Secondly, and infuriatingly, the team lacked once again the required telepathic relationships; the automatisms of finding each other, and anticipating each other’s moves when passing the ball, were sadly missing today. So many passes went astray tonight with the intended recipient and/or the passer of the ball looking frustrated and misunderstood. At this stage, this should not be happening anymore, and I wonder whether the recent switch from Giroud to Theo up-front has a lot to do with it.

In our 4-3-3 formation, it makes a big difference whether we play Theo or Giroud in the centre of attack, and as a team we seem to be struggling in adjusting to the new ‘main man’. That’s why I reckon we would be better off to change to 4-4-2 now, and play both Giroud and Theo up-front together (and play with a more cohesive midfield behind them).

Thirdly, we lacked leadership tonight. We need somebody to hold this team together and to direct/conduct its style of football, and ensure our focus is never lost throughout the game. I have said it so many times, but TV is not that person. Jack is trying so hard to fill this void, as he has all the potential to become a (future) leader, and he seems to feel that something is not there, but the senior players have to stand up now and show stronger leadership.

Fourthly, some of our key players are struggling with their form at the moment. From one game to another, Pod is either wonderful or invisible; and poor old Sagna is struggling with a huge loss of confidence/form at the moment which might have cost us two points today.

On top of that, we still are not able to cross the ball effectively into the box. Other than Wilshere from set pieces, Arsenal are nowhere near consistent enough with their deliveries into the box, and that really is not good enough. What is the use of playing with wing-backs if they cannot cross the ball into the box properly?

Tonight’s result was disappointing, but I am not totally surprised. We are still a team in transition and more work needs to be done in terms of getting this team to click and be more consistent from one game to the next.

Let’s hope we will see a huge improvement against Swansea this weekend.

Written by: Total Arsenal.

Did Jack give away our future line-up in attack? Could Arsene go 4-4-2?

December 30, 2012December 30, 2012TotalArsenal

A few days ago I watched the Reading – Arsenal game again, and this time I listened with a bit more care to what Theo and Jack had to say when they were interviewed by Sky Sports after the game.

Arsenal had just played some fantastic football, and Theo Walcott had played up-front from the start of the match for the first time. Wilshere had battled in midfield like a true warrior, but the night really belonged to Santi Cazorla, who had scored a hat trick and produced a fine assist for Theo’s goal, our fifth on the night, as well. But I reckon Santi’s English is nowhere near good enough to be interviewed by the monolingual English media, so both Theo and Jack were asked to step forward.

When asked whether we had seen a bit of the old Arsenal again, Jack responded: “We showed the old Arsenal today. Obviously, we have to tighten defensively: we gave a few sloppy goals away. Theo up-front and Chambo on the wing – it was great and we played some of the old stuff, and we need to continue that going forward.”

That seems to be quite a statement of what Jack sees as ‘playing like the old Arsenal’: Theo up-front and the Ox ‘Chambo’ on the right. In the same interview he also said that Theo and Santi had been ‘different class’ on the night.

I wonder whether Jack inadvertently let slip how the team is going to play more regularly from now on, during that interview.

Since then, Arsenal have indeed played with Theo in the middle and the Ox on the right, and it is starting to look like this might well be our ‘Plan-A’ from now on: Pod on the left, Theo in the middle and Ox on the right wing.

But where does this leave Giroud? Does it mean, he will become our ‘Plan-B’ and start most games on the bench, or will Wenger swap attacking systems and formations depending on the opposition?

The latter seems unlikely: it just is not Arsene’s way. He likes to have one all-encompassing system which concurs all, rather than adjust the system of football/formation depending on who we are up against.

But I can also not see Arsene demoting Giroud to his Plan-B, and leave him on the bench in most games.

So this leaves me with Herb’sArmy’s question from this afternoon, could we/ should we move to 4-4-2 (or 4-4-1-1)? I reckon if we were to do a poll the vast majority of fans would really want it.

For me 4-4-1-1 needs a creative genius behind the striker who also can score a lot of goals, which would be either: Cazorla, Rosicky, Wilshere, or Ox. Ox and Wilshere still have to start scoring goals regularly, and Rosicky does also not have the best goal scoring record. So that would leave us with Cazorla as the best candidate at this stage.

But what about 4-4-2, with Giroud and Theo working very close together, and getting service from four multi-disciplined/talented midfielders: Arteta, Wilshere, Ox, and Santi? There is back up from Podolski, Rosicky, Ramsey, Coquelin, Diaby (??), and hopefully Arsene will buy a DM in January as well. It would also mean that Arsenal would need to buy another striker as back up, in case of injury/suspension to either Theo or OG, this January.

Giroud and Theo offer everything a strike force needs to have, and a force it would be. I must say, my mouth is watering all over the key board thinking about 4-4-2 with the personnel we have available, and the possible additions we could see this January.

But what do you think?

Written by: Total Arsenal.

What to do with the versatile Mikel Arteta?

December 27, 2012December 27, 2012TotalArsenal

Without any doubt, Mikel Arteta has been one of the best signing by Arsene in the last few years.

We all expected him to play more forward in midfield and, together with Wilshere, Diaby and Rosicky, help to fill the void left behind by Cesc after his acrimonious departure in the summer of 2011. But the Basque turned out to be a versatile player and alongside Alex Song, he developed gradually into our deeper laying midfielder; our midfield ‘anchor’, and protector of the back-four.

As soon as Arteta got injured, towards the end of last season, the whole team suffered, and so did our results. It had become obvious that Arteta was crucial to our team.

Since Song was sold to Barcelona, Arteta has become our undisputed nr.1 for the DM position; although in our formation of 4-2-1-3, he is often supported by the ‘lynchpin’ midfielder, who needs to possess both defensive and attacking qualities. Arsenal started the season relatively strong, especially from a defensive point of view, and Diaby had a key role to play in all of this. Diaby’s physicality and ability to shield the ball, combined with his forward runs and good passing ability, seemed to be the ideal partner for Arteta.

As soon as Diaby got injured, Arsene Wenger struggled to fill the void left behind by the powerful, yet oh so vulnerable, Frenchman, and it is only since Super Jack Wilshere returned to more or less full fitness, that we are starting to see glimpses again of how Arsenal can and should play.

Having watched Mikel Arteta closely during our game against The Latics, I cannot help but feel that Arsenal are running a considerable risk to play Arteta in the pivotal ‘anchor’ role all the time. A feeling I have had for a quite a while, to be frank; and one that quite a few fellow Gooners seem to share with me.

This is not meant to be as a strong criticism of Mikel Arteta. I love his professionalism, and his reading of the game and positioning are very, very good. Without Arteta in the team, we often lack shape and focus and all other players benefit tremendously from his presence and application of his role.

However, what we missed against Wigan Athletics was physical power; on the ground and in the air. Somebody who can win the ball back with a great tackle or by winning a header; and somebody who can shield the ball really well for a couple of seconds, so fellow midfielders can get themselves in the best positions to receive the ball and start an attack, or just to be able to pass the ball round better.

Jack Wilshere worked his socks of to compensate for this lack of physical competitiveness, but Jack and Mikel are together not strong enough to outmuscle opponents, in my view.

It should be taken into account that Wigan’s strongpoint is their midfield play: they have a well-drilled unit who can both win the ball and keep it with relative ease. They definitely kept it better than Arsenal for large parts of the game. We often were able to win the ball of Wigan, only to give it away again within seconds, as a result of the pressure put on us by The Latics.

For me, our first priority is to get a beast of a DM who can fill our current gap in midfield, so we can boss that area much better going forward.

The beauty of Arteta is his versatility, combined with his experience. I don’t think he is as good a player as Cazorla, Rosicky or Wilshere in any of the other midfield roles, currently available in Arsenal’s formation. But I also don’t believe he is the best player to have in the deepest midfield position.

Arteta can play anywhere, and that’s what makes him a very good player to have in our squad, but I reckon we need to find a better player for the anchor role as soon as possible: somebody with the vision and positioning of Arteta and, on top of that, with the physical requirements of a typical DM.

Coquelin and Frimpong might well develop into such a player, but I don’t think they are ready for it anytime soon.

For me, Arteta is to be kept and used wisely within the squad, but going forward we need to get a top class, classic DM, as soon as possible.

This is, without any doubt, my nr.1 Arsenal wish for the New Year.

Written by: Total Arsenal.

With a special thank you to Oz Gunner for the Arteta ‘ Zorro’ picture! 🙂

Olympiakos preview: last chance saloon for Arshavin and Chamakh – Angha and Meade to start?

December 4, 2012December 4, 2012TotalArsenal

Tonight’s game against Olympiakos, in the boiling and hissing cauldron that is the Karaiskakis Stadium in Athens, is the perfect opportunity for both our up and coming talents and the players who find themselves at the periphery of the team, to show us what they (still) have got to offer to us.

When Arsenal are going through a tough time many fans vent their frustrations by having a go at all those players who appear to earn vast sums of money but seldom play for the first team. Some of those players are likely to get a (last?) chance tonight to show us what they could still mean for the team: Rosicky, Squillaci, Arshavin and Chamakh are all in the squad to face the Athenians tonight.

Arsene has also selected a number of players who have played plenty of first team games already this season, and I guess they will form the solid frame for today’s line up: Szczesny, Vermaelen, Jenkinson, Ramsey and Gervinho.

I am a bit disappointed that we are not going to see the likes of Gnabry, Eisfeld and Yennaris tonight as these are the youngsters who appear to be closest to more regular involvement in our first team squad at the moment. I read somewhere that they are not part of Arsenal’s official CL squad and therefore not eligible unfortunately.

Instead, Arsene has included into his squad the youngsters Angha (defender), Ansah (attacker), Akpom (attacker), Hajrovic (defender), Meade (left midfield/ left back), Monteiro (defender) and Shea (goalkeeper). I have seen a bit of Angha, Shea and Meade but the others are not very familiar to me.

Arsenal Squad for tonight’s game: Szczesny, Vermaelen, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Squillaci, Coquelin, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Gervinho, Chamakh, Angha, Ansah, Hajrovic, Meade, Monteiro, Shea, Akpom.

What is there to say about this game from a tactical perspective? We know the Greek Champions are the dominant team in Greece and although they have already qualified for the UEFA cup, they will be well up for this in front of their passionate home crowd. For every win there is also a hefty CL bonus, which provides another reason to take this game seriously.

I expect Olympiakos once again to pass the ball round a lot, be very well organised and play as a strong unit – allowing us little space and time to settle on the ball: nothing new there.

Who knows how Arsenal are going to line-up tonight, and whether we will be able to out-battle the Greeks? Going on previous experiences, we should not expect too much, but from the available squad we should be able to select a decent enough team to at least have a go.

Predicted line-up:

———————-Szczesny———————-

Jenkinson – Angha – Vermaelen – Meade

—————Ramsey———-Ox—————–

————————Rosicky———————-

Gervinho——–Chamakh———-Arshavin

I don’t care very much whether we win or even whether we finish first or second in our group; what I do care about is that the players go out there and put in their best performance, that they play with pride for the shirt, and some lovely football in the process.

Total Arsenal.

Beckham, Huntelaar and Strootman and the 4-4-2 show can truly begin!

December 3, 2012December 3, 2012TotalArsenal

I usually don’t do transfer gossip stuff on Bergkampesque, as I cannot stand the endless and mostly fictitious nature of it.

However, sometimes a bit of virtual shop-therapy is needed to lighten the weight on our brains, and the gravitational pull on our souls.

As said many times before, I am not a fan of our current 4-3-3 formation, and would prefer it if we played more regularly in a 4-5-1 formation.

Like Arsene, I like midfielders, and the midfield being dominated by us in such a way that our defence has little to do, and we are bossing the opponents in their own half. More than anything, this is what I miss about our current Arsenal: the almost total dominance of midfield in games.

With the right personnel, a 4-5-1 formation can be awesome, and I reckon we should go back to this formation ASAP in order to regain our control over games, and start winning again. Giroud is our ideal target man and there is a plethora of midfielders to choose from.

But, I do like the sound of the growing rumour that Huntelaar is on his way to Arsenal. Firstly, he is a fantastic, classic CF – he reminds me a bit of Alan Shearer – as we have seen recently in our sobering encounters with Schalke 04. If we can add him to Giroud and Podolski as our CF options, then clearly we will have a strike-force to reckon with.

Secondly, he is very ambitious and relatively very fit for his age (he did not play that many 90 minutes games during his time in Spain and Italy), and he would like to outperform van Judas big style! That sort of hunger to perform would be very welcome at Arsenal at the moment.

But, thirdly, and most importantly, rumours linking us with ‘The Hunter’ should mean Arsene is considering changing to a 4-4-2 formation. Giroud and Huntelaar are proper, full-blooded CF’s and it would be a waste of their talents to play them anywhere else, or keep one of them on the bench for too long. Both can play slightly behind the other, and I reckon Giroud would be best at this; but they are both goal scoring machines: awesome weapons, hungry for quality ammunition!

In a 4-4-2 formation, with two very good CF’s, Arsenal need good left and right midfielders, who can get to the by-line, make very smart runs with and without the ball, and are excellent at crossing the ball into the box.

It would be a total understatement if I said that we could improve in this area at the moment. Sagna and Jenkinson, our options in the right back position, are not too bad at crossing the ball into the box, but other than that the service for Giroud and Podolski has been very poor generally.

If we are to get the best out of our promising talents of Gnabry, Ox, Eisfeld, Myachi, Coquelin, etc, we really could do with a(n old) master in midfield wing-play and crossing the ball into the box, and that’s where Beckham could fill a void for one to two seasons at Arsenal.

Beckham at the Emirates

He does not even have to play every week; his presence and guidance to the youngsters would simply be of incredible value. The best way for up and coming talents to improve significantly is by learning from a master and David Beckham would be a very interesting option for us: his crossing ability, combined with his set-piece shooting skills are simply still top-notch. I cannot imagine him being too expensive either, as his added commercial value would compensate for his wage package.

Finally, in a 4-4-2 system it would be good to have another all-round, defensively minded, central midfielder. I am not surprised to hear rumours that Arsenal is one of the teams interested in Kevin Strootman of PSV Eindhoven. He is quickly becoming a fine, multi-skilled midfielder and the thought of him working together with Wilshere in the heart of midfield is simply mouth-watering for me. With Cazorla in the LM position and Beckham in the RM position, our team would mean business.

The likes of Arteta, Rosicky, Podolski, Coquelin, Eisfeld, Myachi, Gnabry, Ox, and one or two others, could be great back-up for various positions in midfield. Podolski, and maybe even Theo, would be perfect back-up options for our two CFs Giroud and Huntelaar.

Well, I have definitely made myself feel better with writing this post, but would these purchases and changes to our formation lighten your mood as well?

Total Arsenal.

Although some bloggers might appear very familiar and informal with each others, please never hesitate to comment if you feel like it: Bergkampesque welcomes any new contributions.

Tricky Gervais: why we need Gervinho to fire Arsenal up

November 27, 2012November 27, 2012TotalArsenal

Gervais Lombe Yao Kouassi, better known as Gervinho is a player who divides opinion amongst the Arsenal faithful. In a way, he has taken over from Theo; who until recently also divided opinion between the fans. I have no doubt that if a poll was held now; the vast majority would want Theo to stay. But the same poll would have had a very different outcome twelve months ago.

Gervinho is a very important player for us.

He possesses a set of skills that are unique at Arsenal – at least at senior level. He can play as a classical winger, an inside-out winger (which makes him suitable to play on either the left or right wing), and also in the central striker position.

This season he started as our central striker against Southampton, Chelsea, Olympiacos and Schalke (away), and his goal scoring record is very impressive: four goals in four games as a CF. Admittedly, his performance in Gelsenkirchen was disappointing, but the bigger picture this season tells us that Gervinho can be very effective if we play him centrally in attack – in a ‘fluent-three’: Pod-Gerv-Ox/Theo.

But I reckon his best position is on the left wing, although he only started there in our first official game of the season against Sunderland. Wenger keeps persevering with Podolski on the left wing and this only seems to work for us if Gibbs is being played in tandem with him. Podolski is the ideal back-up striker for Giroud in my opinion, but he appears to be deemed too good to be left on the bench by Wenger; as a result, he is mostly played next to Giroud on the left.

Gervinho has started in three different positions this season: LW (1), CF (4) and RW (3). Every time he is played on the right it smells of a Wenger compromise in order to be able to play both Podolski and Giroud. Arsene is working hard to get the best out of his new signings Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla, so it is understandable that he has been experimenting with different attacking formations.

As Gervinho has not been as effective on the right wing – his only decent game on the right was against Montpellier away – it looks like Theo, or even The Ox, will be first choice on the right. Giroud is rightly claiming the central spot, and the left wing is Podolski’s currently. As a result, Gervinho might find himself not getting many starts in the near future, and I think that would be a real shame.

Gervinho is one of our best runners with the ball. He is one of the few who has the tricks and speed to take a man on and get into dangerous positions, from which he can pass the ball to a fellow attacker or shoot on goal himself. He also makes himself constantly available for other players and is able to both hold on to the ball and move forward with attacking intent. Podolski does not offer these very important skills and neither does Theo; unless he gets the ball played to him in space.

I really hope, Wenger will start playing him now more regularly on the left wing, with Giroud or Podolski in the middle and Theo on the right. For me, Gervinho has the all important drive, and he makes things happen: he adds another dimension to our 4-3-3 formation, and is fully capable of firing our team up again.

Total Arsenal.

Arsenal desperately need a proper, dedicated right winger

November 25, 2012November 25, 2012TotalArsenal

And if Theo only wants to sign if he is mainly played as a CF; it is time to let him go!

Watching Arsenal play against Aston Villa without a proper winger on either side, made me realise once again how much we need at least one in our current 4-3-3 system. Almost in every game in which Arsenal have fielded a front-three without either Theo or Gervinho, we have struggled to hurt our opponents.

We just look so toothless and one-dimensional when we play Pod on the left wing and Ox or Ramsey on the right wing, and Giroud in the middle.

Pod, Ox and Ramsey are not even proper “inside-out” wingers – who regularly cut inside their full back in order to pass or shoot with their stronger foot – although Ox could still develop into one.

Podolski has been played on the LW for most of the games, and although he scored a decent number of goals and produced some good assists, Arsenal only seem to produce a decent threat from the left wing if and when Gibbs is able to play as our LB. Without Gibbs combining with Pod as our overlapping wing-back, the German carries very little threat on the left wing.

With Ramsey, or even Ox on the right, we also seldom or never witness effective wing-play, and Gervinho is also far less effective on the right than on the left – and this is regardless whether we play Jenkinson or Sagna as our RB. The result is that Arsenal are often far too narrow and predictable by focussing too much on breaking the opposition open through the middle, rather than equally using the flanks in order to carry an additional threat.

Of course, Arsenal have not been helped by our best left (wing) back and right (wing) back being injured for so long. If Arsenal can keep the combos of Gibbs-Pod and Sagna-Theo fit for a while, we should see a step-improved in our ability to use our wings to full effect.

Today I watched Chelsea and ManCity produce an equally boring 0-0 draw as we did against Villa yesterday. Here are two teams who have spent together in the region of £2bn in the last five years or so, in order to desperately ‘win’ some silverware; and play attractive football along the way. Both teams played for most of the game without proper wingers, although Milner at least tried to get to the by-line from the right wing occasionally. As a result the game had very little flow to it, and was hardly watchable. What a waste of money!

Unless a team can reach the levels of midfield dominance, possession, passing, and pressing football of Barcelona, it is going to be very hard to play attractive and deadly football without proper wingers. And very few teams have quality wing-backs like Barcelona have.

Although, Gibbs and Sagna are decent wing-backs, they are not world-class and we simply are not in a position to play without any proper wingers in our team. I would personally play Gervinho instead of Podolski on the left wing, as he is far more effective as a left winger; but I can see why Wenger wants to persevere with the Gibbs-Pod option. The biggest problem with this is Gibbs’ proneness to injury though.

When Theo plays on the right, and he is disciplined enough to stick to dedicated right-wing play, Arsenal carry much more threat. It does not mean he should never be allowed to move towards the middle, though. Theo forms a fine partnership with Sagna, which should allow him to move inside occasionally; and he can also profit from effective wing-play from the left, by presenting himself as an additional striker in the box.

So we need Theo to stay out on the right wing and if he does not want to do that, Arsenal will need to replace him with an orthodox, dedicated, experienced and highly motivated right-winger, in order to get the full use out of our 4-3-3 system.

Total Arsenal.

Match preview: Gibbs at LB, TV on bench, Coquelin start?

November 23, 2012November 23, 2012TotalArsenal

Arsenal vs Aston Villa Pre-match report.

Yippy ay eh, Yippy aye oh, leaving Villa Park, with 3 points in tow!

Intro:

Let’s start off with this ripper from last time they met:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2rlaCPptQU&feature=related

Coming off a solid 2-0 victory midweek, we’re off to Villa Park to take on lowly Aston Villa. I’m pretty confident about this one to be honest as it’s not the same Villa we once dreaded playing!

Players are back from injury giving us a little leg room, whilst Darren Bent will thankfully miss out (one of those players who always seem to bring their best against us, no matter what). With that in mind, some players should be rested for Everton next Wednesday.

Lambert is off the touchline and into the stands, so one less thing to worry about. Let’s get into it shall we!

Missing in Action:

Arsenal: Diaby (thigh) is out for 3/4 weeks if “everything goes well”, according to Arsene. Unfortunately it never does when involving Diaby, so he’s a big question mark as far as I’m concerned! Santos (abdominal strain) is out for 10 days. Theo is still out for Villa but could be back against Everton next Wednesday. Rosicky is back training this Monday…I’m not kidding either, it’s true, he is!!! Gibbs is back and Ox should be right to play.

Aston Villa: Bent (ankle/foot), Dunne (Gilmores Groin), N’Zogbia (Knee), Herd (Knee), Gardner (ACL), Petrov (Acute Leukaemia). Like to wish Petrov all the best in his recovery, he is an inspiration to so many, and by all accounts is a tremendous bloke. Good luck, Petrov, I hope you can put it all behind you soon.

Predicted Line-up:

Arsene has a few selection headaches to face. Firstly Gibbs is back so what happens to Vermaelen? Does he rest him? Kozza shouldn’t be rested because he has regained his form, and neither should Mertesacker because he is our most important defender. I would rest Mertesacker because he needs a rest, but I feel Arsene won’t. Gervinho is back but Podolski and Giroud look to be forming a great understanding. Walcott is out so Ox should play. Santi and Arteta have played far too many games so one should be rested. Arsene has to start utilising the squad he has at his disposal: experienced players need a rest and younger players knocking on the door need game time. I am wary of too many changes in one go as it can upset the apple cart, but I think those coming in (Jenks and Gibbs) slip in pretty seamlessly.

Previous Encounters:

Under Martin O’Neill Villa were a very dangerous team. Like Everton they were always just off the top teams and presented a tough fixture. A lot has changed since, and now they look a shadow of their former self. Lambert is an upgrade from Alex Mcleish but misses this encounter, due to a one match suspension received for ‘improper conduct’ against ManchesterCity. Thankfully for him it’s just a Premier League fixture because if it was a European Cup match, or his last name was Wenger, he’d probably be sitting out another two.

Last time around (24^th March) we barely broke a sweat; winning 3-0 at home with goals from Gibbs, Theo, and a ripper of a free-kick from Arteta. Given made lots of saves (what’s new against us), but the result was never in doubt.

On Jan 29^th, in an FA Cup match, we came back from 0-2 down to win 3-2, thanks to a three goal burst in seven minutes. I still don’t think Villa fans know what hit them.

Form Guide: Arsenal: WWDDL Aston Villa: LLWWD

We are slowly gaining our form and should be still riding the wave of momentum from the Tottenham victory. Aston Villa on the other hand is at an all-time low after being torn apart my ManchesterCity last weekend 5-0. Languishing at 18^th on the ladder; not much is going right for them, but they can still be dangerous, as shown by their narrow 2-3 defeat to Manchester United two weeks ago.

One to Watch:

With Walcott still out, I’m interested to see how Ox will do out on the right hand side again. I think he’ll actually score a goal in this one. How could you not be excited about this bloke? Future world class player without a doubt! I would like to see him have a go as an AM, with that speak and shooting ability he could be a real problem.

It’s hard to say this time around, because the usual suspects who have caused us problems are all out (N’Zogbia, Bent, Dunne); so for Villa it has to be Andreas Weimann. Although he was non-existent against ManchesterCity last week, he did manage to score two goals against Manchester United. Both goals showed good predatory instincts and shooting prowess. Gibbs will have to be cautious out on the left.

Key-Match up:

Gabby Agbonlahor vs Per Mertesacker

I don’t know what happened to Gabby! When he first came onto the scene he looked like he could be an English Henry. He had immense speed, good skills, confidence, and his finishing was not to be scoffed at either. We were linked with him a few times in seasons gone, but his loyalty has been his downfall. If he had joined a better team I have no doubt he would have developed into a great player. For now, he’s just a quick player low on confidence with the occasional good game. After seeing Defoe sneak past Mertesacker last week I have no doubt Lambert will be pushing for Agbonlahor to do the same. However, this isn’t big Per’s first rodeo – he’s despatched quick players regularly in his career; some even craftier than Gabby e.g Suarez and Aguero.

Pre-Match Finger:

This is for you Roman Abramovich for once again proving how much of a w*nker you really are. Roberto Di Matteo didn’t even have enough time to lose flavour in his gum before being thrown out (albeit with a brief case full of money!) as manager of Chelsea. He won them their first ever Champions League trophy (I’m still wondering how) and an FA Cup for Christ sake! That’s now Mourinho, Grant, Scolari, Hiddink, Ancelotti, AVB, and Di Matteo since 2004! He really must have the attention span and patience of a kid!

In saying that, I have just sent off my resume’ to him in an effort to be next in line for the position. I have listed you all as references so play along (something along the lines of “he’d be a great manager, scout, etc”), and I’ll split the money with you! It can’t be that hard…there aren’t many managers left.

Alan Hutton (Villa RB) receives a finger for being a mouthy ex-Tottenham player. In Dec 2011 he was sent off against Arsenal for two late cards. He has just gone out on loan to Nottingham Forest, proving once again going to Tottenham really does turn you to sh*t; just ask Bentley and Pienaar!

Also a polite finger goes to my sister for putting her engagement party on Saturday night. Couldn’t be during the off-season or during an international break, could it? Bloody selfish!!!

Pre-Match pat on the back:

This week it goes to Montpellier manager Rene Girard for saying this after the midweek Champions League match:

“We still have a game to play. And if we can help out our friends Arsenal, we will.”

I thought it was a very nice gesture from the manager and good to see there are a few good ‘uns left in the managerial world! Niceness aside, it is also good to see a manager take Montpellier to success playing good football and without all the oil money. Well played Girard!

Prediction:

Our climb up the ladder will not be halted by Villa: I predict a very comfortable walk in the park with the good guys coming out on top 0-2. We might need to do it tough, but just like our midweek game 3 points is of greatest importance and the rest will come later.

Grow a Mo for Movember!

Written by: Oz Gunner

Arsenal’s biggest priority is to buy an orthodox DM

November 22, 2012November 22, 2012TotalArsenal

Arguments can be held for prioritising on the purchase of a quality left back, another central striker, or a right winger; but I reckon our first and most important new arrival should be a quality, experienced, beast of a defensive midfielder, come this January.

Arteta is a very fine player, and from the moment he arrived from Everton he has fitted into the team extremely well. Many of us had expected Arteta to play in a more advanced role, but he became indispensible in the deepest midfield position: the anchor role.

I have written recently what a shame it was to break up the partnership between Song and Arteta. They both made each other better players, and as a duo they became awesome last season. Their biggest problem was not having a high-quality attacking midfielder in front of them for most, if not all, of last season.

With Santi, and now also Jack, we have two very suitable players for the most advanced midfield role; and would we still have Alex Song playing for Arsenal, we would have far better options to rotate our midfielders regularly.

At the moment, we don’t have that luxury. Rosicky and Diaby have been injured for months now, and Coquelin is not given enough opportunities by the manager; which must mean only one thing: he is not impressing Arsene enough during training sessions and the few opportunities he has been given in the first team this season.

I like Coquelin: he has potential to become an Arsenal first squad regular over time. But I can see why Wenger has not given him more regular starts as yet. He has not quite made a mark for himself; and in this new era for Arsenal, in which the young, up and coming players have to compete hard with the new, more experienced arrivals – a policy which started after the acrimonious departures of Cesc and Nasri two summers ago – you have to take your chance if and when it arises. Gibbs and Jack did it, but Coquelin and Frimpong – for different reasons – have not grabbed their chances (as yet).

As a result of all of the above, thirty years old Arteta has been played in all twelve PL games, and all five CL games. And it is starting to show now. Especially in the middle of the second half of recent games, Mikel has looked a bit jaded, and the shield around our defence has suffered as a consequence.

Some opposition teams have also tried to target him, and he is often left isolated in our current 4-3-3 system; in which our midfield is often stretched vertically, with the lynchpin position – currently held by Jack – having to move between defence and attack almost constantly.

Arteta is incredibly versatile and can play in all three midfield positions. He is a great player to have in our squad, but I reckon we need to get a more traditional defensive midfielder in as soon as possible. Jack is the best player for the lynchpin role – especially now it looks like Diaby’s injury problems are haunting him once again; and Cazorla is our best option for the most advanced attacking midfield position.

If Arsenal can get a heavy-weight, traditional DM in January, Arteta could be used either for cover of any of the midfield roles; for which there will be ample opportunity, or he can keep his first team position – but we know then that we have very good cover available on the bench, if and when needed. It would also cover us for the potentially very costly risk of Arteta obtaining a long-term injury this season.

My personal view is to go with the former. I reckon a strong, traditional DM would protect our defence better and allow Jack to join Santi more regularly in making things happen up-front. Jack is not bad in helping out on the defensive side, but he is no Song; and Diaby is unlikely to come back for a long run of games. Arteta is more than capable in the deeper midfield position but he does need defensive support, which he is not getting enough of currently.

By buying a classic DM, Arsenal would become a more balanced team and Arteta would become very useful in helping with the necessary regular rotation of our midfielders. I would love a new LB and a RW, but more than anything, Arsenal need to buy a super quality DM in January.

Total Arsenal.

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Spurs thrashing huge bonus, but now it’s back to reality!

November 19, 2012November 19, 2012TotalArsenal

With three games in seven days – Montpellier at home, Aston Villa and Everton away – coming up, Arsenal cannot afford to indulge too long in the sweetest of aftertastes from our glorious trashing of the Spuds.

Derbies stand on their own: they are performed outside of time and are hardly affected by recent form or future prospects. They are all about the here and now: you cannot get more carpe diem in football than during a Derby.

We will always enter this sort of games with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. The rewards of a win are so high and the pain of a loss goes bone-deep; and it all lingers on for a long time.

However, Arsenal cannot get carried away with our fine trashing of the Spuds. Without any doubt, it has lifted the spirit of the players and improved the togetherness within the team significantly, but all can be easily undone again with a rubbish performance against Montpellier on Wednesday.

Arsenal are often prone to a collective underperformance in the games that follow a comprehensive and well-lauded win; especially when the next opponent is regarded as ‘inferior’. This is exactly the risk we run against last season’s French champions in two days from now.

Montpellier cannot qualify for the CL anymore and they have only a small chance to qualify for the UEFA league, and they could approach this game in two ways. They could field a weakened team with the aim of ‘damage limitation’, or they could approach the game with a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude – similar to the way they went about in our first encounter.

Montpellier are a good team, who currently simply lack the experience and the associated confidence of playing in the Champions League. A more established CL team would not have allowed us to get away with our disorganised, messy, second half performance against them in September.

When they come to the Emirates, they are likely to play with wings of freedom: expectations are low, the stadium is fantastic, the spot light is on them, and the night is young. I expect Montpellier to go out there and give a very good performance, and Arsenal need to be fully focussed to get all three points from this game. If we take this game for granted, we’ll end up with a blooded nose; just like Schalke did against the French champions.

As per my previous blog, there are still areas of concern that need addressing when we play a better side than Spurs on Wednesday: the solidity and cooperation of our defence, and the protection of our back-four from midfield. I am particularly concerned about Arteta and Wilshere’s ability to shield our defence effectively; especially towards the latter stages of the game.

For different reasons they seem to tire towards the end, and it leaves our defence vulnerable; especially in the area in front of the D. Let’s see how Arsene is going to resolve this. Coquelin offers fresh legs and plenty of ability, but lacks the experience to play in such an important role and in such an important game for us; so I guess it is Arteta and Wilshere to start again in the ‘2’ of our 4-2-1-3 (4-3-3).

I also expect no other changes to our starting eleven against Spuds, as this is simply a must win for Arsenal; and why change a winning team?

But the game on Wednesday is not so much about the technical/tactical qualities of the players on the field – it is all about playing with focus and bags of energy and simply treating it like a must win cup-final, or if you want; a do or die derby.

The team now has to quickly forget about our glorious victory on Saturday, and get back to reality: not winning against Montpellier would have very dire consequences, and instantly turn our well-deserved feelings of euphoria once more into despair and anger.

Total Arsenal.