Giroud – Page 6 – Bergkampesque

The one ingredient Arsenal have and our competitors are missing

September 19, 2013September 19, 2013TotalArsenal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are a few areas that need attention:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by: TotalArsenal.

OGAAT 🙂

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Ozil in the hole, Flamini & Ramsey in pivot, Jack left? Marseille preview

September 17, 2013September 17, 2013TotalArsenal

Droit au But: Olympique Marseille vs. Arsenal pre-match

So we’re back for the 16^th time in a row. We fought hard for it at the end of last season, successfully went through the prequalifying round yet again, and we are finally on the eve of starting our campaign to qualify, in arguably the strongest group, against Olympique de Marseille (OM).

A weak opponent?

And indeed we are up against some tough competition – Borussia Dortmund are top of the Bundesliga with 5 wins out of 5 and Napoli are, similarly, Serie A leaders, with 3 wins out of 3.

OM on the other hand, are currently ranked 4^th in the French national championship table after 5 games; and one could easily argue that the French Ligue 1 is a step down from German, Italian, Spanish leagues, and certainly the EPL. In fact, it was mostly a one-team show last season, with PSG easily cruising through, finishing 12 points ahead of Marseille, and with Lyon trailing a further 4 points behind and being a shadow of their former self.

In addition, their current 4^th place may not say that much about their level. They have had 3 wins against bottom of the table teams – Guinguamp are 15^th, Valenciennes are 18^th, Evian are 11^th (who were in the bottom 5 before their latest win against the 17^th); and OM lost home to Monaco. Finally, OM were dominated in their last game by 19^th ranked Toulouse, and they struggled to secure a draw against the tide at the 87^th minute. Valbuena had this comment after the game: “Arsenal? With what we’ve seen tonight, we are far from there…”.

In fact, post-game articles in French newspapers and sites (unfortunately, I have only seen Marseille in short game summaries – hopefully this will give Gerry the opportunity to provide more insight) have not been very positive about the way Marseille has been playing – even on their wins – apart from a good first half against Monaco. Incidentally, another thing that transpires from game reports is that they have consistently struggled physically in the second half; they conceded all their goals after half time.

So we’re good?

“Droit au But” – Straight to the Goal – is Marseille’s maxim. It also means Straight to the Point, and OM lives by it. They play to attack, and love a good fight and high intensity cup or other challenging games – I am not surprised that their best performance was against Monaco – and their good CL qualifying round last year (finished second of their group with only Dortmund qualified) also testifies of this.

The public in Stade Vélodrome is one of the best in France and they will push hard tomorrow.

They had a good, aggressive transfer market window: they bought Dimitri Payet from Lille, probably the best attacking midfielders in France last season; and Florian Thauvin, a very talented and promising 20 year-old and £13m AM (although he just joined and might start on the bench).

Add to that the always dangerous international AM Valbuena, the fast paced wingman André Ayew, and the finally-coming-back-to-form ex-ex-international CF André-Pierre Gignac, and you realize that they are very capable on the attacking front.

If their defensive stability has been questioned lately, they still have strong athletic material there (N’Koulou, Lucas Mendes, Diawara, Rod Fanni, Imbula…) some of whom will add to the threat on set pieces. They are supported by an excellent goal keeper (Mandanda), only edged in the French national team by Lloris; and then again some value Mandanda more.

Finally, and this is the feeling with some OM supporting friends, I believe that they are seeing this game as a must win as Arsenal is potentially viewed as the weakest team (compared to Napoli and Dortmund): if you think the French press and web are different fro, the UK’s, you’re mistaken… every bloody year is the year Arsene’s team is on the brink of oblivion. Although to be honest, the mood has changed since Prince Igör joined. But I digress.

The point is that they will want those three points and they will give it all they’ve got. It’s not in the club’s genes to go for a draw anyway.

So we’re not good?

OM have the potential, they are a better team on paper than 2 years ago when they qualified just one point behind us in front of Olympiacos and… Dortmund. But, if I ignore my anxious nature for a second…

…Things have been clicking well for us lately while they are struggling physically and technically as a team. Position for position, we systematically have better quality (I will give them a point for the goalkeeper though): we are a better team. We just have to be aware of their attacking capabilities, and be ready to deal with the intensity they will create, but we should aim for those 3 points ourselves.

Any points left behind tomorrow may very well result in a last chance fixture in Napoli, which my cardio and I would like to avoid; and a win would keep the nice momentum we have going, and give us some assurances before the probably more difficult games we have ahead.

Team Composition

Interestingly, OM typically play in a 4-2-3-1, with a double pivot, Ayew doing runs on the right, Payet as a fake left wing combining/swapping with Valbuena the organizer, Gignac at CF, … kind of rings a bell?

Thanks to our injury record (!) I have a chance of getting our lineup right…

So in a few areas, we’re obviously one injury away from some tough choices…

What if OG cannot start, or is injured during the game? Walcott up front, Ryo on the wing? Akpom?
If TR7 is not fit, who would replace any of Rambo, Jack, Özil?
Who would you like to see on the bench (and no, Santi,Ox, Poldi, Arteta and Diaby are not valid answers… for now)?
What is your prediction for the game?

Written by: Alcide

Özil fits Arsenal like a glove, Ramsey roars on, Flamini leads: Match Report

September 14, 2013September 14, 2013TotalArsenal

Match Review: This is what champions are made of.

After two weeks of international football, the Premier League returned today. Fans of many Premier League teams were desperately awaiting the debuts of many of their new signings; especially Arsenal fans, awaiting the debut of deadline day signing Mesut Özil.

And those Arsenal fans would not be disappointed.

Today’s match against Sunderland had ups and downs. In the first half, Arsenal were on fire, but after the break Arsenal’s tempo slowed for a while before we regained our form again at the end.

Arsenal started the day full of confidence and with the away-crowd behind them. Everyone involved was very excited to see the debut of Özil. He would come good in the 11^th minute: our nr.11 controlled a long ball in the air wonderfully, touched it out in front of him, and played a fantastic ball to Giroud in front of goal. He happily fired the ball into the near post and gave Arsenal the lead: it is now four goals in four Premier League games for Giroud, and an assist for Özil on his debut.

After this goal, the whole game changed. The home crowd was essentially silenced and Arsenal began playing some of the most beautiful football they’ve played in a while. Wilshere did a wonderful job of taking on Santi’s position and drifting inside to help out the midfield. His understanding with Ramsey seemed improved, and both Aaron’s and Jack’s excellent understanding with Özil (and vice versa) was mystifying, especially because they have only trained together a very short time and they don’t even speak the same language.

Özil provided multiple chances to Theo with perfectly weighted through balls, but unfortunately Theo still is not in scoring form, however I give credit to Westwood for some fantastic saves.

We went into half time only 1-0 up, but with about 70% possession. Arsenal had dominated the first half, but perhaps this was their undoing at the start of the second half. Three minutes into the second half an overzealous Koscielny made a stupid challenge on Adam Johnson in the box. There was really no need for the tackle as he had no clear shot on goal and was on his weaker foot; however, he slid into him and the ref awarded Sunderland a penalty. Gardner rocketed the penalty into the lower left corner and Szczesney couldn’t do anything about it.

After this penalty the game changed once more. The home crowd roared and Sunderland suddenly stepped up and began dominating the game. Sunderland had numerous chances and really stepped up to the plate. However, this is where Arsenal showed that they are ready to win titles and just how important the signing of Flamini is.

I think that this game is very comparable to the Villa game: an early Giroud goal followed by a fairly soft penalty and then the crowd turns against the mighty Arsenal. In both games the ref was awful (although, the ref at Villa was worse, but let’s not discuss that). Point being, Arsenal were up against it in both games. In the Villa game Arsenal crumbled a little bit after the penalty and ended up losing, however this time Arsenal banded together. They fought through the bad part of the game and kept themselves in it.

Flamini was very critical in this; running about, clapping his hands, generally screaming and putting in tough tackles. The team banded together and fought against a Sunderland side that really wanted to win.

Arsenal finally found a breakthrough in the 67^th minute. Jenkinson picked up the ball on the right flank and saw Aaron raising his hands; he swung in a low cross to the edge of the box, and Rambo venomously volleyed the ball across goal and in. The team’s reaction was fantastic and as I said before, spirit will do a lot for us this season. And getting down to business and pushing through that difficult time was all down to the team’s desire and hunger to win.

However, Sunderland did not just lie down and die. In the 70^th minute Altidore broke down our right flank and all Sagna could do was grab his jersey and pull him back. This was perhaps the most controversial decision of the game and the main reason I’m not too angry with the ref, despite most decisions going Sunderland’s way. As Altidore reached the top of the box the ref blew the whistle. Sagna stopped, but Altidore played on and just managed to sneak the ball in the net after Szczesny slowed it down. The play was called back and Sunderland were given a free kick instead of the goal. Obviously, I’m happy with this and I believe it was the right decision, but I’m curious about what others think.

After this, Sunderland seemed to have the life sucked out of them. Arsenal found their groove once more and in the 76^th minute Ramsey scored his second of the night. He darted in behind their defense and finished the ball right under Westwood.

Substitutions were made with Vermaelen making his return from injury and Nacho coming on for Walcott. Unfortunately, at the end Giroud seemed to twist his knee and Akpom had to come on for him. I don’t have any news on that, but I hope he’s not injured.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/table

The game ended 3-1 to the mighty Arsenal and things are looking up: top of the league at least for tonight! Özil already seems to have gelled with the team, Giroud is on fire, it seems to be Rambo’s year, and the team looks to be a team of winners at last.

For now, I’ll leave you all with a few more questions than usual:

Is this Arsenal team ready to win trophies?
Is this Rambo’s year?
What did you think of Özil’s debut?
Can OG win the golden boot?
How important is Flamini to this team?
Should advantage have been played when Altidore scored?

Thanks for reading! 😀

Written by: Dylan.

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Giroud injured – Who to play: Pod, Bendtner, Sanogo, Akpom or Theo?

September 10, 2013September 10, 2013TotalArsenal

Giroud, Giroud, Giroud is on fire: but what are we going to do if he gets injured?

Among fellow Gooners, the overriding feeling with regards to our current team is that Arsenal are now very strong in midfield, good to very strong at the back, but a bit light in attack.

The big question we are all asking ourselves is what we are going to do if Giroud (knock on your mini-hampton Glic) gets injured.

There will be a new post later this evening, but for the sake of a bit discussion, I would like to ask BK readers to tell us who we should play instead of Giroud and why.

Before you do so, however, I would like to point out that Giroud’s role/contributions in our current team/line up/system of football are as follows:

Giroud’s main role is to be the central attacking hub up-front: he is the pivot to many of our attacking moves and provides his fellow strikers and midfielders with a ‘base’ up-front. For that he needs to be good at playing with his back towards the opposition’s goal, not get outmuscled easily, be able to shield the ball well, have a good first touch and pass the ball accurately. It is fair to say that OG is not the finished article in these areas, but he is constantly making progress;
Although OG will always be judged on his goals, in our current system we should also judge him on his assists, as well as his ability to make space for others and allow them to join our attack. The latter is a lot harder to measure, but is nevertheless key to this role in our current formation/system of football;
As a result, we should look to replace an injured Giroud with a player who can do the same, and not focus entirely on the ability to score goals or produce assists;
Giroud puts himself about across the pitch, is a force in defending set-pieces for us and continuously works hard to put pressure on the opposition defenders and midfielders.

You might believe there are more attributes/aspects Giroud adds to our team, and if so, please share them with us.

But, taking the above into account, and assuming that Arsene will want to continue with our current 4-2-1-3 system as much as possible, who should replace Giroud in case of injury, and why: Akpom, Bendtner, Pod, Sanogo or Theo, or….?

Also, if you would like to make your predictions for the coming season, please go to:

https://bergkampesque.com/2013/09/07/arsenal-to-win-the-treble-manchester-united-to-finish-fifth-benteke-season-top-scorer-southampton-to-win-fa-cup-make-your-predictions-here/

Finally, to support a locally based new band, have a look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i0736Nm5og

Written by: TotalArsenal.

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Szczesny commands, Per & Kos top class, Giroud a cut above, Flamini the grinder: player ratings!

September 1, 2013September 1, 2013TotalArsenal

Togetherness has no price tag! With thanks to The Telegraph for photo — Togetherness has no price tag! With thanks to the Telegraph for photo

So 107 million pounds later we are still better than the spuds…Anyway straight to business, the player ratings.

Szczesny (8.0) – I have to say today he looked like the keeper we want to have between the sticks. Commanded his area expertly, fantastic communication with his defenders and made vital saves that made sure that three points remained at the Emirates. Top performance.

Gibbs (6.0) – By his standards he had an average game. Didn’t have much in him going forward and struggled a bit against Townsend. That said, he won his fair share of duels against him and slowly settled into the game as it wore on, especially with the introduction of Lamela. Finished the game strongly.

Per (7.5) – Powerful display by our BFG. Commanded the skies with his height, read the game well to make vital interceptions and most of all, controlled the game from the back. We now see why he has the armband albeit for now.

Kos (7.5) – As we have come to expect from the French man, top class display. Managed to keep Soldado out of the game and even managed to cover for Gibbs when he bombed forward or lost the ball. At the end, was at the heart of that fantastic Arsenal defence which stifled out the frustrated Spurs.

Jenkinson (6.5) – Was a surprise inclusion but he did put in a shift at right back. Showed good tackling but struggled a bit against the strength of Chadli in the opening stages. Settled as the game wore on.

Wilshere (5.0) – Was taken off before half time because he is ‘ill’ and it showed. Wasn’t his normal energetic self but did manage to carve out some decent chances. Hope he has a quick recovery over the international break.

Ramsey (7.5) – He really is coming of age. Energetic display all round, showing that right now no one is as committed to the cause as he is. Chased down every single ball and was always looking to instigate attacks. He needs to work on his final balls and decision making in the final third but other than that, wonderful performance.

Rosicky (6.5) – Put in a sublime performance, always looking to run at players and play dangerous balls behind the defence. Picked up a yellow card with a stupid challenge on Capoue though.

Cazorla (7.5) – Was his usual majestic self, always looking dangerous when on the ball. It is obvious that his technical ability was a class above everyone else. His movement was a bit subdued though, as a result of being played on the wing. Took two dangerous free kicks with the second one agonizingly close to making it 2-0.

Walcott (7.0) – His pace behind the defender was always a constant threat and this paid off when he swung in a low cross for Giroud to slot home. Would have piled more misery if it wasn’t for the outstanding Hugo Lloris.

Giroud (8.0) – Man of the match for me. Continued his goal scoring exploits making it 3 goals in 4 games with a wonderfully poked finish from Walcott’s cross that fooled everyone. Showed fantastic skill, composure and movement to score the goal. His work rate overall was amazing, despite the fact that we played a conservative game in the second half, making him a secluded figure upfront. Still won his aerial duels and chased down players. Needs to work on his pace on the ball. Sometimes his mind is sharp but his execution lets him down.

Flamini (6.5) – Looked like he lacks match fitness but still put in a decent performance. Made an interception that would have led to a goal chance if Ramsey hadn’t rushed his decision making. Received a yellow card for a crunching tackle on Paulinho.

Monreal (6.0) – Came on for Rosicky and should have put away a chance from a Walcott shot that was spilled towards him by Lloris. Otherwise was solid defensively and helped us see out the game.

Sagna N/A – Came on very late for Walcott. Didn’t have much time to influence the game though he made some important aerial clearances at the end to see out the result.

For me the most eye catching thing about our win was the collective team display. Everybody worked hard for each other tirelessly and gave nothing away.

It is always a good day when the Spurs kneel before our superiority. COYG!!!

Written by: Marcus

Pod delivers, Giroud, Rosicky & Theo show their team-value, Santi and Ramsey class: Fulham Match Report

August 24, 2013August 24, 2013TotalArsenal

We’re only happy when it rains – We’re only happy when it gets complicated! 😉

I was not very confident for our encounter with Jol’s Fulham today. I believed a combination of our fatigue from playing/travelling midweek and Fulham’s good start, as well as an ‘in-your-faces’ approach to the game by them, could prove too much for us. I was hoping for a win but counted on a draw.

My biggest concern were the lack of defensive midfield skills and formational indiscipline, as was so apparent against Villa last weekend. But I did not need to worry, as I had somewhat forgotten that Arsenal play more compact and disciplined in away fixtures compared to our home games, with defence and midfield moving up and down the pitch as a well-drilled double-unit, leaving very little space between the lines. This meant Fulham were given very little chance to penetrate the centre of our midfield and pounce on our potential frailties there.

It also helped that we played with three in midfield, where Fulham tried to play in a more traditional 4-4-1-1 formation; as a result, the Cottagers were often outnumbered, outmanoeuvred and outsmarted by our boys today. It was clear that Arsenal are a team and Fulham are a collection of individual players who still need to get used to each other.

Our team:

First Half

Arsenal started with the right tempo and clearly had the bit between the teeth. After ten minutes, Rosicky produced a fine ball over the Fulham defence to Theo; the Englishman did not hesitate for a moment and shot towards goal from within the box, but Stockdale was equally responsive and made a decent save. Arsenal then put a lot of pressure on Fulham with a number of Walcott corner kicks in quick succession, and it was really good to see that we were a real threat from these set-pieces.

It was also good to see that Szczesny was successful in finding OG on a number of occasions, but unfortunately the Frenchman’s headers did not end up near a fellow Arsenal player in most instances.

We were playing well and dominating early proceedings, but it still needed a bit of fortune to get the ball past the inspired Stockdale. Ramsey tried a shot from well outside the box but OG was in the way, despite him trying to make himself sparse. The Welshman’s drive hit Giroud’s leg, which fortuitously led to the Frenchman assisting himself. He pounced on his gift like a tiger and lifted the ball over the goalie with both style and composure: 1-0 to the good guys!

As can be expected, this early adversity gave Fulham new impetus to have a real go at Arsenal in this game, and we lost a bit of our initial concentration and intensity of play. However, Szczesny was focussed and decisive when he had to be and made two fine, instinctive saves from efforts by Taarabt and Duff in quick succession.

Good link up play by OG then led to a decent shot with the outside of his foot by Santi from outside the box, but it was not hard or precise enough to trouble Stockdale. At this stage, Cazorla was still looking a bit rusty, and he gave away a dangerous free-kick just outside our box. Our wall was poor but somehow we got away with it as Riise’s ball is smothered in the wall, and a relieved Szczesny can make an easy save.

During the second part of the first half, Arsenal start to look a bit tired and Fulham find more and more a way through the centre of our midfield. Luckily, Taarabt is desperate to shoot himself from outside the box on a number of occasions when there were better options for him, and all his efforts are wasted or dealt with by our Pole in goal.

Ramsey picks up an unnecessary yellow card which put him in a precarious position for the rest of the game. Luckily, the team played some fine counter football and especially Theo showed great composure and drive at this stage of the game, although his ball to Gibbs, after a run to the Fulham box all the way from midfield, was the wrong option.

Cazorla also started to find his feet and composure in the latter part of the first half. He was more and more enjoying his free role, and when he found himself not far outside the Fulham box with the ball, he had the vision to place a precise ball into Theo’s path. The Englishman takes an instant shot which is parried by Stockdale, albeit towards the outside of the Fulham box. Podolski is at the right place and the right time – after he started the attack in the first place with his ball to Santi – and shoots the ball high and precise into the Cottagers’ net: 2-0! And the fans sang with all their heart: ‘He scores when he wants’ 🙂

The goal was reminiscent of a Bergkamp goal more than a decade ago:

Second Half

Fulham came out with renewed desire and impetus – Jol is good at pep-talk – hoping to score an early goal in the second half, as to get the crowd behind them and start an onslaught on the tired legs and minds of our Gunners. But it is all quite toothless and Jol’s substitutions also do not have much impact, at least initially.

We start to look quite tired after sixty minutes, but once again our attackers come to the rescue. OG collects a ball brilliantly from defence at the half way line with three fine touches. Once again, Theo is there to collect his pass and drive forward towards the Fulham box. Theo plays the ball to Santi who takes it to the by-line, after which he lays it back to the onrushing Podolski. The German is allowed to take a first touch which enables him to trigger his brilliant left cannon of a foot for a well placed, and yet very hard, shot into the keeper’s left corner: 3-0 to the yellow and blues, and game well and truly over! 😀

The fans go crazy and serenade the likes of OG, Ramsey and Podolski with great passion: you can sense the happiness of the away support all the way into our living rooms. As John Lennon sang: Happiness is a warm Gun(ner). 🙂

Fulham do not give up entirely, and despite some very fine positioning and reading of the game by both BFG and Sagna throughout the game, they get caught out for once by a bit of magic from Berbaflop. The naturally blasé Bulgarian received the ball with his back to the goal near the by-line; he takes a touch, turns and shoots/passes towards goal – all in one, smooth move. BFG is too slow to react and Szczesny is only able to get his hands to it, but he parries it across his goal line, where Bent is very grateful to slot the easiest of chances into the net: 1-3.

Bent, apparently a big Arsenal supporter, has now scored against the mighty Red and White with five different clubs. I wonder how he feels about this unenviable record?! 😕

Fulham tried to push for a second goal after that but Arsenal brought on Jack and Nacho to firm up our midfield and defence. There were even further chances for us to score a fourth goal, but especially Theo lacked the killer-instinct of The Pod to take full advantage of his own hard work as well as the opportunities that came his way.

Conclusions:

The Pod announced himself onto the new season with two goals of the highest quality.
Giroud, Rosicky and Theo worked very hard, and often unselfishly, for the team today, and especially the Englishman showed a different side to his game against Fulham.
Santi grew into the game and together with Ramsey he was real class today: both produced a master class in modern midfield football play and made the likes of Sidwell and the former Spud-Smurf look very ordinary.
When Arsenal play away, we are more compact and disciplined in our defensive duties, and as a result, we appear to be less dependent on having a strong DM in our line-up. However, it remains to be seen whether this is the case against the stronger, and more settled teams.
Sagna impressed once again at CB and it looks like he and the BFG could form a very fine partnership if need be.
The FB’s, Jenks and Gibbs, played with good discipline and were full of energy and enthusiasm throughout the game.
Today’s game was ample evidence that we have a number of attackers who can score and produce assists, which makes it hard for the opposition to eliminate our attacking threats. This could become a real strength again this season.
The team already has good fitness levels, the players find each other relatively easily at this stage of the season, and there is a really good togetherness in the team.
More players are required to add strength in depth.
The team would still benefit from a quality attacker: especially a winger who can also play in the middle, or a nr.10 who can also play on the wing, would be very welcome.

A good game to watch, some pride restored and some real pluses to take from today.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

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Fulham Preview: Podolski’s last time to shine – OG on bench?

August 23, 2013TotalArsenal

Intro:

Here we are again, one week after our disappointing season opener. Tomorrow Arsenal head off to Fulham, in a game that we really should, and have to, win. A victory tomorrow will put us back on track and help shake the “team in crisis” tag the media has been quick to label us with.

This fixture last year:

Last year, away to Fulham, Arsenal scraped out a 1-0 win. Sidwell got an early red card that would later be followed by a late Giroud red card. However, it was Mertesacker who scored the winner on the day: Kos headed the ball across goal from a set piece and Mertesacker ‘tapped it in’ with his head from close range.

Ironically, Mertesacker is our only recognized centre back eligible to play tomorrow. Let’s hope he can repeat last season’s feat and score a winner at Craven Cottage.

Here is my expected line up for tomorrow:

I think Wenger will replace Giroud with Podolski. Perhaps he’s been resting him specifically for this game, as Giroud didn’t have a great game last time we visited the Cottage. Maybe Wenger thinks that Podolski’s speed will help the team break down Fulham’s defense easier than Giroud’s style of play. After all, Riise, Hangeland, Senderos, and Amorebieta are all very slow defenders and the pace and intelligence of Walcott, Santi, Rosicky, and Podolski should be able to open them up.

As for the defensive midfield pairing, we don’t have much choice. Aaron and Jack will have to do, but I honestly don’t dislike this pairing as much as others do. The Fenerbahce game showed us that this pairing can work defensively as long as Aaron and Jack communicate properly, which it appears they are learning to do.

In the defense, I expect Wenger to give Monreal the start ahead of Gibbs because he should be nearly fully fit now, and Santi works better on the left with Monreal than with Gibbs. I also expect Sagna to play LCB and Mertesacker RCB, because Sagna is far more comfortable with his left foot than Mertesacker is.

Key Battles:

Walcott vs Riise: Walcott will either have an easy time or a long day down the right flank. Theo needs to be prepared to use his pace to run past Riise and receive the ball over the top. Theo will easily outpace him, but trying to split the defense on the ground may be difficult. Theo should prepare to do a lot of running in behind the defenders. If he does this, he should find himself with a load of scoring or assisting opportunities.

Mertesacker vs Berbatov: Berbatov is a lethal striker on his day and he will make us pay if we don’t keep a close eye on him. Mertesacker will have to do what he does best and position himself well to stop Berbatov from getting open shots at goal. Neither players involved in this battle are very quick, but both are intelligent players and this battle will be more of a chess game, with positioning being key.

Podolski vs Wenger: Podolski has been a noticeable absentee from both of our games so far this season. He was featured heavily in Arsenal’s training pictures today and I expect Wenger to give him his chance up top again. Poldi needs to take this game with both hands and make it his. He can’t be passive and wait for opportunities to arrive; he needs to step up and try to make opportunities for himself and others around him. If Wenger really is considering letting him leave (whether it be on loan or permanent), this may be Poldi’s last chance to prove he has a spot in this squad and I hope he does. That being said, if Poldi doesn’t start tomorrow’s match I fear the worst. The worst would be him being kept safe from becomming injured ahead of a possible move away from the club.

Casualties of War:

Arsenal: Arteta, Diaby, and Ox will all miss out on this game due to their long term injuries. Vermaelen is back running, but is still a few weeks away from match fitness. Ryo is also likely to miss out, but isn’t far away from being match fit. Nacho is back to match fitness and will be in the squad this week.

Fulham: Richardson, Amorebieta, and Stekelenburg will all miss our match against Fulham. We need to capitalize on Stekelenburg’s injury especially as Fulham is likely to have their second string goalkeeper in net.

Predictions:

I’m hoping for a high scoring game with the Gunners winning 3 or 4 to nil and Jack, Podolski, and Santi opening up their scoring accounts for the season. It will likely be an open game that will be won or lost based on how our team responds to last weekend’s loss. The team needs to be physical (but not overly physical) and not be pushed around. They need to mature and not let Fulham’s physicality run the game like Villa’s did. I predict a tense game with the possibility of a sending off just like last year! Especially if we can frustrate Fulham and get a three or four goal lead.

Here’s a link of last season’s encounter between Fulham and Arsenal at the Cottage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdINlfBSZbc

Questions:

What’s your preferred line up?
Will Podolski win his spot back?
What are your predictions?

COYG! Let’s set Craven Cottage ablaze!

Please note: This is my first match preview and I’d love suggestions for how to improve for next time! 😉

Thanks for reading. 😀

Written by: Dylan.

Match Review: You can’t win a game against the ref

August 17, 2013August 17, 2013TotalArsenal

Here are my thoughts on Arsenal’s season opener against Aston Villa.

In today’s match, Arsenal came up against a group of cheating Villains. 😉 The team started off strong and played well throughout the game, only to be thwarted by the refs.

Within the first six minutes of the game, Arsenal were one nil up. Ox overlapped Rosicky down the left side line and the Czech played the ball down the line. Ox ran along the touch line, cut inside near the side edge of the box, and spotted Giroud. Giroud saw this, made a near post run, and put the ball across goal with his preferred left foot. It was a fantastic overlap by Ox and a fantastic near post run from Giroud, followed by a smart finish.

After this opening goal, Arsenal looked calm and collected. Agbonlahor made a normal run through the middle, got a lucky touch through Koscielny’s legs and found himself through on goal. Szczesny made the right decision to come off his line and go for the ball. He came out, and Agbonlahor touched it past him and dove like an Olympic swimmer over the Pole.

Let’s rewind a bit: even at this relatively early stage of the game the ref had been calling everything Villa’s way. Maybe to the ref it appeared that Szcz took down the Villain, but replays show the dive and exaggeration. This is why FIFA needs to allow reviewing technology, especially for red cards and PKs.

That aside, the ref incorrectly called the penalty. Szcz saved Benteke’s original kick brilliantly and was unlucky when the latter got the rebound and headed it in. An unfair 1-1.

Gibbs would then get unlucky. He and Weimann went up for a header, and Gibbs came out bleeding. The ref, once again incorrect, ignored a head injury when he should’ve stopped the game. Kieran will likely need stitches, but let’s hope he doesn’t have a concussion and can rejoin the team soon. After this injury, we were down to only 4 first team defenders and 0 left backs. This is another example of how thin the squad is, but I will touch on that later. Immediately, Jenkinson came in at right back and Sagna switched to left back.

After this, the refereeing only got worse. Call after call went against us. I was proud to see our players stand up for themselves, especially Jack and Aaron.

Eventually, Gabby would break into our box again. Kos made a smart tackle and hit the ball out of play, clearly getting the ball before the player. However, Gabby once again showed his true Villainous colors and dove like a scuba diver, and the penalty was called out of nothing. I can’t give the ref a break on this one. There was a ref behind the goal, on the sideline and on the field, and none could figure out that it was a good tackle. Even on live TV from a zoomed out camera angle I could tell it was a good tackle, so I don’t understand how none of the referees saw it. Benteke stepped up again and calmly tapped it home, after Kos received a yellow card.

Arsenal had many chances of their own. Rosicky went through twice and was unlucky on both occasions. Theo fought for a ball in the box and managed to hoof the ball across the open net, but it was deflected. Chances came and went, but one thing struck me as odd. The ref only seemed to call fouls for us when we had advantage, almost as if to stop us from building an attack. The game got very dirty, but once again the ref seemed to think Arsenal was at fault. Jack got a yellow for a challenge that wouldn’t have been called if Villa made it, but when Jack was constantly fouled there was nothing called.

In the end, the diving Villain got a run at our defense again. Kos dove forward to slow down the play and completely missed the ball and player. The ball rolled to Benteke, but Mertesacker and Jack had it covered. Strangely though, the play was called back and Kos was shown a second yellow despite clearly not getting any player! The call was incorrect and we can only hope that the card is reviewed and rescinded, otherwise we could be down to 3 first team defenders for our next premier league game. We are in desperate need of another RB, CB and maybe even another very young LB, if neither the CB nor RB is capable of playing LB. Down 2-1, and down to 10 men, all incorrectly. It looked bad, and in the end it was bad.

Arsenal continued to play well, and Aaron slotting in at CB. At this point I would’ve liked to see Podolski come on for Giroud, even if it was just to crush some Villain skulls. Sadly, he wouldn’t come on until it was far too late.

In the end, Arsenal would commit everyone to an offensive corner. Villa broke on our 3 defenders and scored a 1 on 1 goal. I don’t blame anyone of Arsenal at all: we had nothing to lose. If two wrong penalties hadn’t been called and Kos hadn’t been sent off, we wouldn’t have been in that situation.

At the very end, Sagna went up and over a Villa player and landed hard on his neck. It looked bad.

After the final whistle chants of “spend some f***ing money” and “you don’t know what you’re doing” went up in the stadium.

Overall, the team played fantastically and at the least deserved a 1-1 draw. They also played with a great spirit. And I think one of Wenger’s issues is that he doesn’t want to ruin this spirit. But most World Class players will have that spirit and if worse comes to the worst, buy relatively young (25 and under) and put that spirit in them over the years. We need reinforcements. The team we have now is great, but the squad is too thin. Let’s hope Wenger buys at least a DM, CB, and RB in the coming days before our next game. It looks bad now, but the season isn’t over yet.

For now I’ll leave you with some questions:

1. What did you think of the game?

2. How many players do we need before our next game?

3. Will Wenger sign players during this window?

4. Should Wenger get a contract extension if our only signing this window is Yaya Sanogo?

Thanks for reading.

Written by: Dylan.

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Eight early-season Arsenal conclusions and line-up v Urawa Red Diamonds

July 25, 2013July 25, 2013TotalArsenal

Will we see more of Mr Reliable as one of our CBs on Friday?

Whilst the transfer shenanigans continue without any let-off, Arsenal’s current team has actually been playing some very watchable footie. It is fair to say that the opposition has not been much to write home about until now, but nevertheless our football has been good.

It is only early days and things could change a lot over the next four weeks, but based on the first three games of the campaign we can pull a few conclusions:

Wall of RamTeta: it looks very much that Arsene will continue with Arteta and Ramsey in the double-DM pivot. Enough has been written about this in recent posts, so no more on this from me now.
Our AM, whether it is Rosicky or Wilshere, have been very quick in turning the game from defence to attack. They very often opt for the ball over the top, or a diagonal ball to find one of the wingers with a precision pass. Our AMs have been very mobile and driven to move the game forward quickly, and long may it continue.
The team has been pressing the opposition really well given the rustiness at this stage of the campaign and the humid weather in Asia. Ramsey has been leading by example with regards to this but the whole team has been chipping in, and collectively they have been very successful in winning back the ball regularly until now.
Theo, but also Gnabry and to a lesser extent Ryo, are being ‘launched’ constantly from midfield. This is all part of our quick defence to attack turnaround approach, and for the first time in a long while Arsenal are now really utilising the speed of Theo and others. It has led to many very good chances for Theo and I expect to see more of it this season, with our Speedy Gonzales hopefully converting more of his opportunities. Theo has got the speed and the good first touch, and now he needs to improve his lethalness. He will improve further this season, I reckon.
The full backs – one at a time – are once again key in setting up attacks from the wing. Unfortunately, Jenkinson and Gibbs have looked rusty until now, but they are both players who appear to need a number of games in a row before they start to shine.
Giroud has looked very positive and focussed until now, and six goals in three games will help him to build further on this. He will, of course, face tougher opposition this season, but his sharpness up-front is a very welcome sight.
Zelalem has been showing us lots of promise until now. He is very confident, calm and classy on the ball and can pick a through-ball with incredible ease. A great prospect.
Ox and Jack have looked really up for it and, IF they can stay fit for long spells this season, they will be……dare I say it……like two new quality signings.

All in all, plenty of positives and let’s hope the team will continue to progress over the next few weeks.

Predicted Line-up against Urawa Red Diamonds:

I reckon Fab will start in goal, and Jenkinson and Gibbs will get another chance to become more effective both in defence (especially Jenkinson) and up-front. I expect Sagna and Mertesacker to start, although there is a chance that Sagna will play with Miquel. I am expecting Arteta and Ramsey to get a rest and for Arsene to try another double DM combination tomorrow. Ox needs a start and Aneke should get a proper test as well, so I am going for these two tomorrow.

I expect Jack to play in the hole from the start and Myachi and Theo (or Gnabry) on the wing, and Giroud will probably not start this time round, so I am going for the Pod as our striker. The latter needs a good game and I have a feeling Wenger will give him the striker position tomorrow.

Enjoy the game fellow Gooners!

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Zelalem even better, Arteta true captain, light in defense: MR

July 22, 2013TotalArsenal

Here are my thoughts on today’s pre-season friendly against Nagoya Grampus.

In today’s match, Arsenal came up against much tougher competition than we have faced so far this Asia Tour. We had another quick start with another good goal from Giroud, but the Japanese side showed their class and held us for a while after that.

Our first goal was an excellent cross from Rosicky to an unmarked Giroud, who headed it calmly past the near post. I have to say, the unsung hero of this pre-season has been Rosicky. His most memorable moments being his assist to Olsson, his assist for Giroud’s first in the Vietnam game, and this cross today among other things. If he can stay fit all season, he will be big for us. He seems to be someone in the squad who connects well with everyone, and I hope when he decides to retire he will go and get his coaching badges and stay with Arsenal.

It took until the 25^th minute for Arsenal to break through again. Theo picked up the ball and brought it down, slipping it past the defender to Giroud with the outside of his foot. Giroud saw he had no space and as he was slid, tried to lay the ball back for Ryo.

Many people are saying it wasn’t a penalty as Giroud was never really hit by the tackle. They are correct, BUT the penalty was NOT called for a foul. It was called for a handball by the player who slid at Giroud, therefore the call was correct. Arteta stepped up like a real leader and let our young Japanese winger take the penalty in his home country. Ryo stepped up and put a powerful penalty just inside the left post. It was a fantastic penalty and he, the crowd, and the Arsenal players were thrilled for him to score in his home country.

At halftime Arsene made only a few changes. Wilshere came on for Rosicky; Zelalem came on for Mikel; Podolski on for Giroud; and Gnabry came on for Ryo. It was after these changes that Arsenal picked up the pace. Gnabry made a few good runs on and off the ball, and had a couple of chances. Theo also had a few shots and the team looked far better. I will put this down to Zelalem.

Zelalem came on and looked even better than before. His normal composure and desire to do well was there, but coupled with good movement from Walcott and Chuba, he had a few defense splitting balls that left the opposition’s defense standing in awe.

One of these through balls led to our third and final goal. Zelalem picked up the ball, saw Theo, and placed a pass with pace, on the ground, between three or four defender, and Theo took a good touch and chipped the keeper from close range.

A few more changes were made throughout the game with Miquel coming on for Gibbs, Aneke on for Ramsey, and Akpom on for Theo. After Miquel came on for Gibbs we must note that there were no defenders on the bench. Wenger really ought to think about buying a new defender, preferably one that plays centre back, but can play as a right back as well. This would mean we have two full defensive lines, as well as a CB who can play left back and a CB who could play right back. Two defensive injuries and an absence should not leave us with only four first team defenders, especially when one is playing out of position.

Nagoya Grampus’ goal was poor marking by our defenders, but Fabianksi really should’ve had the relatively weak header Kisho Yano put in.

Overall, the team played well today, but we need to test ourselves against an EPL strength team to make sure we’re truly ready for the season.

For now I’ll leave you with a few questions;

What did you think of today’s friendly?
Does Arsene need to bring in a new defender? If so, what position/positions should they play?
Will Rosicky be a key player for us this season?

Thanks for reading. 😀

Written by: Dylan.