During the summer, Arsenal lost their best player, captain, top scorer and talisman to one of their fiercest rivals. Naturally this sent the fans into a frantic panic as for the umpteenth time a leader had jumped ship. Arsene Wenger uncharacteristically delved into the market and secured the signing of the French league’s top scorer, Olivier Giroud. This was met with mixed reactions because on one hand he had finished the season as the league’s top scorer and that is encouraging. On the other hand, this was his break-out season and his quality hadn’t yet been tested on a consistent basis. Players such as Andre-Pierre Gignac, who had one fantastic season and then faded away, came to mind.
He started the season on a frustrating note, missing sitters that ultimately cost us vital points, most memorably against Stoke and Sunderland. The fans were encouraged, however, because of his other contributions on the field. His tireless work rate and his intelligent movement did enough to convince everybody that his goal drought was just a temporary affair, as he was still adapting/in a transitional period.
Sure enough, the goals came. All through the season, Ollie has proved that he is more than capable of scoring goals. The main concern though is that he is too inconsistent to be relied upon. He will go a few games without scoring, and just when Arsene decides to drop him from the starting 11, he makes a mind blowing substitute appearance and obliterates our opponents (refer to his performance against Newcastle).
On one occasion, I argued that he goes missing in big games but his goals against Tottenham, Liverpool and most recently, Bayern put a dent in my argument. So what is Ollie’s real deal? Many Gooners I have interacted with, have this question lingering in their minds. I will have a go at trying to explain the enigma that is Olivier Giroud.
First of all, I would like to carefully examine his strengths and weaknesses. Giroud is a fairly simple character to analyze so this should be a pretty straight forward analysis.
His most profound strength is his height and aerial ability. Few players have the heading ability that Giroud possesses. His ability to control headers, even when the cross put forward is poor, is a marvel. His headed goal against Reading in that famous 7-5 win in the league cup being my best example.
Another feather in Giroud’s cap is his intelligent movement in and around the box. Many of his goals can be credited to his incredible movement and ability to lose his marker. Another strength is his physical strength, which can be credited to his size. This contributes greatly to his hold up play. Giroud has quite the shot on him, and his shooting technique is also impressive. Rarely does he mis-hit a shot when he has a clear sight at goal, whether in or outside the box. Finally, there is Giroud’s ability to pick a deadly pass, even with his back to goal: his assist for Lukas Podolski against Montpellier as ample evidence.
That said, his weaknesses are also rather conspicuous. His lack of pace on the ball being the most detrimental to his game. I cannot even begin to count how many times he loses possession in a match. He is also guilty of making poor passes which is a very frustrating trait. He often attempts complicated flicks that never end well. Finally, another frustrating trait he has, is his reluctance to fight for possession even when he is the one who lost it in the first place. How many times does he lose possession then casually stroll away like he did nothing? annoying to say the least.
Given what we know now, why is Ollie so inconsistent?
The answer to this, in my opinion is quite simple. Arsene does not set up the team to play to his strengths, and even Giroud himself tries to play the sort of football that muzzles his strong points.
Let me start with the team as a whole. Arsenal play an intricate, technical passing game which is all well and good, but as a whole our team are very poor crossers of the ball. So poor in fact that I tend to believe that when our players cross, they don’t have a player they are aiming at; rather, they punt the ball and hope for the best. Even the best crossers in our team are average, or maybe just a little above average at best. What’s even worse is that our poorest crossers (Sagna, Ramsey and Gibbs) are the two who most frequently end up in crossing positions.
You would imagine that given how good Ollie is in the air, Arsene would ensure that everyone is well trained in the art of crossing. Take a quick glance at Bayern: they acquired Mandzukic whose dominant quality is his aerial ability. Immediately, Jupp Heynckes ensured that everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY in that Bayern 11, can deliver a proper cross. As a result, he is currently the 3rd highest scorer in the Bundesliga.
Another failure on Arsene’s part is that he sets up the team in a way that he expects Giroud to play a big part in their build up play, often forcing him to come and collect the ball from deep, and getting him involved in intricate passing. Giroud is no RVP, and just because this worked with him doesn’t mean it will work with Giroud, and so far it hasn’t. It takes someone of RVP’s skill on the ball and mobility to pull off this kind of game, and quite frankly, Ollie isn’t that person.
Ollie’s game is most similar to Dzeko of Mancity. Mancini has set up the team in such a way that all he asks from Dzeko is to get in the box, fight for the ball and score. He has been reaping maximum dividends as a result. Another prime example is Drogba. When he first arrived at Chelsea, Mourinho noticed that his only attributes were his brute strength, ball control, pace and shot. He quickly rearranged the team, playing him as a lone striker and shifted tactics to suit his game. The rest is history.
I also said that Ollie is partly to blame. He is blessed with his fair share of strength and not only does he not use it to bully defenders, he lets players much weaker than him outmuscle him. He lacks the kind of aggression that made Drogba a nightmare to play against. Even when he is on the ball, he will opt to try and dribble or pass his way into space, rather than use his power to shield the ball from his opponents. Something he is not very good at, and as a result, defenders are able to keep him out of the game.
Arsene may believe that he has it in him to eventually play the Arsenal way. That may be so, but the only way he will get this out of him is by building his confidence. The best way to do this is to make him comfortable in the team, by setting them up in a manner that allows him to score goals. Then slowly, the rest will follow. Even for the sake of the team’s efficiency, it would help if Wenger played to his strengths.
Five conclusion from a faith-restoring victory over Bayern.
Violently happy Coz we love you! 🙂
The boys did us proud tonight – I am absolutely delighted with their performance. If this team had been playing together for a while longer and we had just a bit more quality up-front, we would even have nicked it.
Conclusion 1:
Our first priority is to get the defensive side of our football right; then we always have a chance, because we know how to play footie and score goals. The difference in performances of our defence during our home and away game could not have been much bigger. We hardly gave away any space behind our defence and between defence and midfield tonight, and were confident in the air and on the ground. Koscielny was superb and his pace and energy gave Mertesacker a chance to organise the defence, and focus on his own positioning. The full-backs were magnificent, especially Jenkinson did us proud. They had drive and passion, speed and strength, and helped out up-front as well. Their performances give us real hope of what could be in the future. Fabianski did everything right and did not flap once. I also really liked his verbal communication skills and willingness to give his fellow players an ear full when they deserved it.
Achieving a clean sheet against, and at, Bayern is a fantastic achievement by our ‘back-five’.
Conclusion 2:
Arteta and Ramsey did a great job defensively in front of the back-four. Yes, there were a few bad clearances, especially by Arteta at the start of the game, and some of the passes were not sharp enough, but they worked hard and denied Bayern space in the centre of midfield. Unfortunately, it meant that Rosicky remained isolated up-front a lot, but at least Ramsey tried to support him as much as he could; and it is exactly how we managed to create the first goal. Of course this will remain the seemingly eternal dilemma for us: 4-3-3, as in 4-2-1-3 or 4-1-2-3, can either make us too defensive or too attacking, and we need the right balance of players/skill-set to get it exactly right. We switched to 4-1-2-3 in the end, when Cazorla replaced Ramsey by moving towards the middle, and it almost worked out for us.
A big minus point of Arteta was his inability to keep his composure towards the end, leading to him giving away a number of avoidable free-kicks, which allowed Bayern to simply see out the game.
Conclusion 3:
Cazorla’s drive, overview and composure was magnificent tonight. He was at times absolutely faultless and never was in hiding throughout the night. For me, he was the best player on the pitch tonight – Jenkinson and Koz were not far off either, though – and what a player Arsene has signed with him. On the other hand, Rosicky had a rusty night of football; plenty of hunger and willingness, but not much came off and he often lost out in the one-to-ones with the Bayern midfielders. However, he was often left isolated, and he did not play often in our team this season; which caused a number of his passes going astray.
Conclusion 4:
We lacked that bit of extra quality up-front to properly finish off Die Lederhosen tonight. Theo put a few great crosses into the box – one leading to the first goal – but he faded in the second half; and his partnership with Giroud is still not working out properly. Giroud scored the goal and worked his socks off, but (still) lacks composure and physical strength; just that little bit extra that would make him a great rather than a good striker.
Conclusion 5:
The entire team was well organised, very focussed and disciplined, and played with great passion. After a number of negative, and often humiliating results recently, the boys did us more than proud. We probably were too defensive for too long of the game to complete the miracle, but it was the best strategy for us on the night.
As per the start of this blog, if this team had played longer together, and had a bit more quality up-front as well, Arsenal could have completed the turnaround tonight. Alas, it was not to be.
Finally
I reckon this unexpected, and almost heroic away-win will do us a world of good. Our next game is away against Swansea and there is every reason to play the same back-five and same ‘double DMs’ as tonight again. It would be great if Podolski returns to the team against The Jacks and Cazorla can replace Rosicky in the middle. I would start Giroud centrally again, but maybe give the Ox or Gervinho a start on the wing instead of Theo.
Tonight, Arsenal regained tremendous confidence and our reputation in Europe, and at home, has been restored a bit again. A real shame we did not make it through, but we simply left ourselves with too much to do after our disappointing home game against the Germans.
However, as this is a painful and necessary transitional year for Arsenal, it is victories like these that will help us to gradually get back to the very top again. A couple more players of real quality this summer and we should be able to go all the way.
Olivier Giroud has been at Arsenal for seven months now: he has played 39 games (all competitions), scored 14 and produced 10 assists. You could say, not a bad return for a first season in the Premier League. The only problem for the Frenchman is he plays in the position a certain treacherous Dutchman used to occupy, and the former Montpellier striker has, at least until now, not succeeded in making us forget him – not that this is necessarily his responsibility alone.
It is still early days, and I find it quite hard to give an accurate assessment of Giroud’s qualities and likely progression of his football career at Arsenal. His strength are his work-rate, aerial ability, and shooting skills, although the latter is good but not great.
I am yet to be impressed with his hold up play and passing: his first touch could be better, and for a very tall and well-build striker he struggles often to shield the ball from opponents, and win many one-to-ones. On the plus side, Olivier makes good runs and is a good team player, which is reflected in the number of assists he has produced until now.
Of course, we have been blessed at Arsenal with a number of truly fantastic strikers, especially in recent times: Wright, Anelka, Henry, Bergkamp, and Van Judas were all phenomenal. I doubt that we will add Giroud to the list of Arsenal striker-greats anytime soon, although I repeat it is still early days to make that judgement.
Giroud reminds me more of the Adebayor or Bendtner type of striker: very physical and strong in the air, with a good shot; but not with the touch and timing, the elegance and ruthlessness of some of our more illustrious strikers. What sets him apart from the other two strikers, though, is his phenomenal work-rate and continuous team play.
I watched him live at the Emirates against Blackburn and away against Norwich this season, and in both games I was underwhelmed by him. His performances against Bayern and Spuds were also below par as he was unable in both games to add a bit of magic; a bit of quality that would get us back into the game again.
But then I was unimpressed by most of our team in those games, and I also realised how little we played as a strong unit; Arsenal have been anything but a well-oiled machine with purpose and good telepathic relationships between the players in most of our recent games.
It so often looks that Giroud is trying too hard: he is desperate to play really well and make us all love him with his goals and assists, but by doing so he seems to regularly lose his composure and focus in the game.
As this is his first season and Arsenal are going through a big transition as a team, and his work-rate is always fantastic, I feel we need to give him the benefit of the doubt and allow him to rediscover his form again during the remainder of the season.
Come next season, it is very likely that Giroud will find strong competition from a newly signed striker who might become first choice immediately. But if that were the case, I am sure Giroud would fight with all he has got to claim back the central striker role.
And even if he would lose out to this newly signed top-striker, Giroud will still be a fine squad player to have. He could still start a number of games and give the new striker a break now and again; and he could also become our ideal super-sub. Whether he would accept such a role is an entirely other matter!
But there is also still a possibility that he will start to properly flourish in the next couple of months and show us all that he is more than worthy of the top-striker spot.
How do you think Giroud’s Arsenal career will develop over the next few years?
Nacho’s wing-play and crossing: I thought Monreal had a good game today. Every time he comes and supports the attack on the left wing, Nacho makes himself available and exhibits excellent composure. His final ball is also very good, and it looks like he will be an improvement on Gibbs who still needs to develop further with regards to his delivery into the box. His pullback for Cazorla’s second goal was pure class, but there were more examples of good delivery into the box today: a very promising development.
Jenkinson’s composure and general wing-play: I thought Carl did well today. He put a number of sharp balls into the box, especially in the second half. He also played with good drive and hunger, and had some fantastic battles with Agbonlahor. One or two headers could have been better and his link-up play with Arteta was a bit rusty, but that is to be expected after not playing many games in recent months.
Cazorla’s finishing: Once again Theo, and especially Giroud, did not have their shooting boots on, but Cazorla was in fine form today and scored a brace in the process. The diminutive Spaniard was everywhere and seemed to revel in his free role today. He worked very hard; helping out the team as much as possible up-front, in the middle and at the back. It has been a while since we had a midfielder who makes such great runs into the box and Santi positions himself really well. Many a player would have blasted the ball for his second goal, but his composure and technique made sure that this chance was not wasted. In his free role on the wing we might get a new fox in the box, and today Santi has been worth his weight in gold: without him we would not have won today.
Two negatives:
As a unit, our defense still lacked organisation and structure: Once we scored the first goal, Villa were able to build up decent attacks on a number of occasions; and both our midfield and defense were not cohesive and well-disciplined enough to take back control, especially in the first half. The game flowed up and down, and we were wasteful in not scoring the second goal during that phase. However, Villa also had a couple of decent chances; and had they scored, it would not necessarily have been against the run of play. Diaby had started strong in the first 20-30 minutes, but faded away towards the end of the first half, and Arteta was turned over a few times as well. As our two ‘DM’s’, Arteta and Diaby have some way to go, and on days like these, I am still smarting about our loss of Alex Song last summer. I also felt the triangle of Mertesacker, TV and Szczesny looked unorganized, or should I say allover the place, at times. The Villa goal was a well-worked counter-attack by them, although our fullbacks did not cover themselves in glory: Jenkinson’s header should have been aimed better and Nacho should have closed down Weimann’s shot. However, from that distance he should not be able to score and I thought Wojcieh should have done better. Our defense remains an area in need of improvement.
Lack of clinical finishing by Theo and especially Giroud: Football is a team sport, and let me say first of all that both Theo and Giroud worked hard for the team; especially the Frenchman worked his socks off. However, both players lacked composure and clinical finishing skills in the box today, and especially Giroud lacks quality at the moment. It looks like he is trying too hard again, which seems to influence his decision-making and execution quite a bit. I like Giroud for his work-rate, but hard work will not be enough to make it at Arsenal, and the jury remains out about him. Theo made some good runs on the wing and put a few more than decent balls into the box, but him and Giroud do not have a great understanding between them as yet, which is also costing us at the moment.
In conclusion:
A vital win at this stage of the season and well-deserved, I thought.
Although, it should be said that Villa played also well today, and did not just park the bus against us. They soaked up pressure well and were regularly dangerous; especially on the break.
Santi made a real difference today and I am really happy he stepped up when our three midfielders; Arteta, Diaby, and to a lesser extent, Jack, did not have one of their best performances.
Eight days rest now, and time for the team to reflect on the last week and get ready for the all-important derby with the Spuds. We will need to be more solid in our defensive play, and dominate the midfield area better, as well as being more clinical up-front. Not much to do then! 😉
It has been a roller coaster of a season for Arsenal characterized by inconsistency. We began the season on a high note, at some point even being the team with the best defensive statistics in the league. It was all bliss and celebration but before long, the team began to crumble. Losses against Chelsea, Schalke, Swansea and Man United, coupled with consecutive draws against Schalke (again) and Fulham, then Aston villa and Everton, saw Arsenal’s season engage in a downward spiral.
Gervinho, Mertesacker and Vermaelen had lost their early season form, Giroud was still finding his feet in the league, Wilshere and Sagna were fresh from injury, Rosicky and Diaby were still out and Walcott was still in the middle of his contract debacle. This meant that our best players were either injured, adapting, out of from or distracted. We lost ground on the leading pack and ultimately dropped out of the title race. The situation got so bad that at it began to look like we wouldn’t even finish fourth for the first time in a very long time.
Some fans began calling for Arsene Wenger’s head, but he retained his usual obstinate faith in his team and insisted that they would come good. Lately, however, it looks like Arsene may indeed be vindicated for his faith. Three wins and a draw in the last four games shows that the team may be beginning to put together a run that will see us get back in the champions league slots. We are five points adrift third spot, with a much more forgiving fixture list than those above us. We are beginning to display the kind of football that the world has become accustomed to seeing from the boys in red and white.
There are five particular players I would like to credit for this turn around: Wilshere, Walcott, Podolski, Giroud and Gibbs.
Wilshere has become the heartbeat and engine of the team, giving his absolute best even when the team is against the ropes (like in the first half against Chelsea). He defends, runs at players creates space for his team mates, and rips apart opposition defences with his incisive passing, constantly. Everyone is touting him as the next Arsenal and England captain, some even believing that this should be so immediately.
Walcott has become our most potent attacking threat and has become impossible to handle with his pace, first touch, combination play, movement and incredible finishing. He truly has matured.
Podolski continues to be our Mr. reliable with his goals, assists and defensive work on the left hand side of attack.
Giroud has really found his footing and is constantly finding the back of the net. His work rate, combination play, physical presence and predatory finishing have become too much for some to handle, and he still is getting better.
Gibbs (lately) has become our best defender. Both his defensive and attacking displays have really driven Arsenal to the form we all desire. He and Podolski have formed an incredible understanding on the left hand side.
Arsenal have began playing the kind of one touch football that makes me depressed every time there is an international break and I have to wait two weeks to watch them play. It began in that devastating 12 minute spell against West Ham where we absolutely destroyed them, scoring five goals in the process. That form has continued against Brighton, Liverpool and Stoke.
Our defence, however, was absolutely wanting against Brighton and Liverpool. Against Stoke, on the other hand, it was solid (granted we dominated the game in its entirety and Stoke aren’t known for their attacking prowess). I was particularly impressed with our new boy, Monreal’s defensive contribution. He is a remarkably astute defender, plus he has the ball skills of a winger. Not a bad buy, I must say. Mertesacker must also get some praise as he was our best center back. He dealt with crouch the whole game and this was key in keeping a clean sheet.
If you consider that players such as Rosicky and Diaby are fresh from injury, and will get better as games go by, and Gervinho’s displays at the AFCON are carrying the Ivory Coast, you realize that the prospect of finishing third is very real. Whether Arsenal can maintain this form is yet to be seen, but the initial signs are good.
We are out of the title race for sure, but we have a chance to go for the FA cup and with the belief, we could be the surprise the Champions league, like Chelsea did last year.
Arsenal face a tricky Liverpool team looking for redemption after their loss against Oldham at the weekend. Both teams sit outside the Champions League positions so a win is absolutely vital. It would not only catapult either of them up the table, but also fend off one of their rivals at the same time.
Gradually we are building up our momentum again after tight loses to Chelsea and City. However, Arsene’s biggest problem at the moment is sending out his troops ready and raring to go for both halves of football, not just the second. Liverpool will be baying for blood and will be keen to silence the crowd early through their three-pronged quick attack: Suarez, Sturridge, and Sterling (is it just me or do you feel like going up to him after a good game and saying “Sterling job today Raheem”? No? Okay…well how about Wisdom? Do you feel like saying “Andre, you played football today with the Wisdom of a 30yr old”? Moving on swiftly!).
Arsenal are undefeated against Liverpool in 9 of their last 10 matches in all competitions: a very good record against a tough adversary. Let’s get this show on the road and see how we are going to beat them once again.
Missing in Action:
Arsenal: Vermaelen should be fit again after suffering a knock from a Ramsey goal line clearance against West Ham. Arteta (calf) is ready to return, but is it too soon for the Spaniard? Ramsey is likely to continue in the position in which he’s performed so aptly. Coquelin (Hamstring) and Fabianski will also miss out.
Gerv misses this one due to Coupe d’Afrique des Nations duty.
Liverpool: Kelly (knee) and Flanagan miss the trip to the Emirates. Reina could return after Brad Jones’ error against Oldham at the weekend. Glen Johnson (Hamstring) faces a fitness test. Gerard should return to the starting line-up.
Predicted Line-up:
The best available players should line-up for Arsenal in this must win home fixture. Vermaelen will return, along with Gibbs, Wilshere, Santi, Sagna, and Walcott. Arsene faces a tough decision on who to play in the middle of the pitch with Wilshere, Santi, Diaby, Arteta, and Ramsey potentially all available. Diaby ran the show last time these two teams met so I think he will start once again. Santi has been rested but does he return to AM or does he relinquish it to Wilshere once again? Ramsey has performed well in the holding role but does he need a rest so Wilshere can play alongside Diaby in the midfield?
Decisions decisions decisions!! I’ll go with Diaby-Wilshere-Santi for my midfield combination. Another conundrum is which CB pairing to play? Per has been a bit out of sorts recently, but Verm and Kozzer are a bit too similar, not to mention they haven’t had a chance to form a solid partnership as yet. Suarez, Sterling and Sturridge create a problem because of their speed and trickery, for that reason I’m going with the Koz and Verm combination.
Previous Encounters:
Liverpool v Arsenal 0-2
Diaby shone in a relatively straight forward fixture. Games against Liverpool are normally always a battle (they always bring their ‘A’ game against the top teams, especially at Anfield) but this one was different. Great interchanges between new boys Santi and Podolski saw them score a goal each and cruise to victory!
Liverpool v Arsenal 1-2
Some guy scored in injury time to win us the match thanks to a brilliant pass from Song. Plaudits go out to Szczesny for this piece of brilliance (note Suarez’s lovely theatrical dive with a skin clutch to finish):
Form Guide: Arsenal: : WWLWL Liverpool: LWLWW
Arsenal come in to this game on a two-game winning streak. Brighton was a tough foe and a reminder that anything can happen in cup matches, regardless of who you are facing. Thanks to some Giroud magic and a Theo deflection we prevailed; booking a meeting with Blackburn in the next round.
After a 5-0 thrashing of Norwich, Liverpool were embarrassed by Oldham and knocked out of the FA Cup. Sturridge has shown to be a handy pickup scoring 3 in 4, whilst Henderson and Downing are coming in to some good form of their own.
THIS WEEK I’VE DIPPED INTO THE ARSENAL ARCHIVE AND PULLED OUT THIS VIDEO CLIP. MICKY DID IT!!!
One to Watch:
Now at first I wasn’t too sure who this was! Was it Suarez? Or just Joey Barton pulling a face? If it wasn’t for the QPR top it would definitely be a flip of a coin. Jokes and off-field matters aside, Suarez is a very dangerous player. Technically he is excellent and very elusive. 16 goals so far this season prove our CB pairing will need to be on their toes when Suarez runs at them with the ball at his feet.
Gibbs showed just how vital he is to the team at the weekend. Once he came on to the pitch at the 70th minute mark, we looked like a new team. He gives us so much drive down the left and definitely brings the best out of Podolski’s game. I just hope he can keep fit and continue to show everyone why he is England’s next great LB.
Key-Match up:
Giroud vs Martin Škrtel
Giroud is in red hot form at the moment coming off of consecutive braces against Brighton and West Ham. Standing in his way for this game is the uncompromising Slovakian Martin Škrtel. Škrtel plays exactly how he looks…tough and ugly as sin. Both are powerful footballers who should enjoy the physical battle with one another. If Giroud continues his momentum, we will go a long way to winning this encounter. If Škrtel locks down on Giroud with help from Agger we may need to find another avenue to goal. The good thing about Giroud though is his desire to fight on, it may not go his way but he will keep battling until the final whistle. He can just as easily turn provider for either Podolski or Walcott.
Pre-Match Finger:
This week’s finger goes out to all the footballers who dive repeatedly, week after week. Yes we know there are players like Young, Hazard, Bale, Suarez etc who do it often, but it’s spreading like wild fire in today’s game. If a player knows he’s going to lose the ball he hits the deck, if he is outnumbered and has no place to go…he hits the deck, and you catch my drift. I just want to watch a game of MEN giving it their all and battling it out fairly with the better team prevailing on the day. I don’t want to see a player rolling around on the ground, I don’t want to see Jack the lad yellow carded after a brilliant tackle because his opponent is screaming for the physio (when he clearly doesn’t need one), and I don’t want to see players waving around imaginary cards. Quit the lying, cheating, and diving…let’s just bloody get on with it!!!
Pre-Match pat on the back:
I think all the Arsenal supporters who have shown a bit of faith towards our players deserve a pat on the back. The press did their best (along with a few supporters) to slate Giroud before he even got a chance to place his hair gel on the shelf of his new Arsenal locker. It would have been a tough gig for anyone to step in for RVP after the year he had, but from Day 1 Giroud has put his head down and fought hard for the team. Some need to dial back their expectations with regards to some of our players, not everyone can hit the ground running. Even those that do, will go through rough patches in their career. Keep showing the faith to our players and they will do their best by giving everything they’ve got for us. Giroud is definitely playing for the name on the front of the shirt, now let’s all get behind him and remember his name on the back!
‘Ask the opposition’ returns again this week. It is designed to get some friendly banter from our opposition fans and get their insight for the match ahead. This week the answers were kindly provided by Tim from http://live4liverpool.com (twitter handle @timdibs) and Paul from http://www.tomkinstimes.com. Let’s see what they’ve written for us this week:
Do you think a spell down the table is just what Liverpool needed to get back to the top?
Tim: Yes and no. The no is obvious as no club wants to have to effectively start again. I have seen the clubs present state being described as Hicks and Gillett effectively dropping a nuclear bomb at the heart of the club and that we are still dealing with the fallout. The club never needed to get to this stage, had H&G been proper owners and actually backed Rafa then we would be sat here discussing at least one premier league title sat in our cabinet at Anfield, but instead they tried to profit at the clubs expense and wonderfully they failed and got diddlysquat. But since that day in court the club has had to go through what we went through to get where we are today. A failure to back Rafa and bring in the players to take the next step (instead selling our best) saw us tumble out of the champions league places (not helped by the Sheikhs at City) and try and maintain an aging squad on Champions League money. We have bid a sad farewell to Kuyt, Maxi and Bellamy, a not so fond farewell to Cole or Aquilani and a thanks for trying to Sahin which will see wage savings of at least approaching £500k a week. What this has allowed is for a freshening of the squad and an opportunity for some of our really top class youth players to come in. I think we have signed some very good young players and given time they will do well for us, but we need a couple more older heads and time. It took Fergie 4 years to win anything yet some here are calling for a manager’s head after 6 months. Absolutely barmy.
Paul: I don’t think so. To be a top club these days you need to be in the Champions League; you can afford and attract the best players, and build a bigger squad. Getting back into the top 4 has proved incredibly difficult, but having said that, our time should come again, sooner or later.
Who has been Liverpool’s best player so far this season? What is he capable of?
Tim: Without a shadow of a doubt our best and most consistent player this season has been the oft misunderstood Luis Suarez. Whether you love him or loathe him there is no denying his genius. Steven Gerrard has recently stated that he is the best player he has ever played with and behind Messi and Ronaldo the best player in the world, a non-too shabby compliment. Despite not being a natural finisher like a Fowler, the number of chances he creates for himself is incredible. He has that low centre of gravity and the unique ability to stick the ball to his feet and beat players with ease in the tightest of situations. I have lost count of the number of nutmegs he has done. Undoubtedly he will continue to divide opinion and create controversy such is the media obsession with him, but on his day he is unplayable and our biggest threat.
Paul: Luis Suarez, by a mile. He’s a one-man destruction army. He battles, he has bags of skill, he scores goals – he’s the perfect modern striker. Gerrard has picked up lately, and Glen Johnson has been superb this season. It’s also great to see Agger playing almost every minute in the league this season.
Downing, Henderson, Sturridge, how are they travelling?
Tim: I shall start with Sturridge, as this should be the easiest answer! Im not sure he could have asked for a better start as an individual in a red shirt, 3 goals in 4 games even if the team performances have been hit and miss. He has all the tools in his locker, pace, skill, finishing and that arrogance all top strikers have. The best strikers, like your own Henry, channel that arrogance and this is where Daniel has perhaps struggled at City and Chelsea where he wasn’t viewed as top dog. He offers the team something we have lacked, a player playing off the shoulder of the last defender. His goal against United was exactly the type of goal we haven’t been scoring. Brendan has backed his man to the hilt and lavished praise on him and we are seeing just what he can offer. His actions and comments since joining have endeared him to the Kop and we can only wonder how our season would have transpired had we got him in august.
As for Henderson and Downing, their futures looked bleak at the start of Rodgers regime. Downing has really struggled to settle into the team and often been anonymous whereas Henderson was often played out of position and therefore failing to shine. Personally I have always rated Henderson as a top professional with the desire and heart any team would want in a young lad. My assessment on Downing has been reserved as he really should have come in and had a bigger impact. Both will have had long conversations with Rodgers, Downing’s being made public, and both have responded very well indeed. We are currently seeing both shining in the side and that is credit to Rodgers man management. I’m still not convinced Downing has a future with us beyond the summer but am elated that Henderson is being given his chance and is taking it.
Paul: Downing started well last season, then faded away. He started okay this season, then faded away. He’s playing well at the moment, though. Henderson was almost inexplicably sold to Fulham for peanuts in the summer, despite playing very well in central midfield last season – although he spent most of his time on the right. Thankfully he’s won Rodgers over. And Sturridge has been very good in three of his four games so far, and looks a great buy – just a shame we didn’t take up the offer to buy him in the summer.
Brendan Rodgers…how do you think he is travelling at Liverpool?
Tim: I am of the opinion that in order for a club to succeed it needs stability and support from the owners. As a result I didn’t want Kenny Dalglish to go (and the fact it is Kenny Dalglish), despite our form post League Cup being dreadful, I was looking forward to a summer where he could add to the squad to setup his style of play. However this was not to be, and we had to go from ‘year zero’ with Rodgers. Personally speaking I am a big fan. I have been impressed with the way he has carried himself since arriving, impressed with how he has talked and when we get it right I have been very impressed with the way he has set up the team to play. Sensible fans realise that we have essentially had to start a fresh under Rodgers and that it is a bumpy road ahead that will see some tough days (WBA away and Villa at home spring to mind) but for once it is nice to see that the club appears to have a long term plan and are going with it. We are seeing a much younger side and seeing youth get its chance which will bode well for the future. From afar I have admired Wenger for his teams and the youth he puts out and want us to an extent follow this model, I have even written about this previously if you are interested http://live4liverpool.com/2012/11/view-from-the-kop/i-dream-of-arsenal
Paul: Mixed so far. A lot to like about him, and a lot to remain unconvinced about.
What position/player is your weakest link?
Tim: I am not one to highlight individuals as being weak as it goes against my footballing beliefs. I happen to think we have a very talented, albeit small, squad of individuals, the trouble being as with any new, young team is combining that into a team, complementing skill sets. This season we have been quite Jekyll and Hyde, and have struggled against physicality. The likes of Lukaku, Benteke and Bobadilla have really troubled us up top, so I expect Giroud to be an important player for you. Also in the middle of the park if we set up wrong we can lose out, and it was Diaby that did the damage at Anfield earlier in the year. Our approach is all about tempo and pressing (something evidently missing from the Oldham game) and a failure to do so causes problems. We didn’t do this first half against United and let Carrick run the show. If we fail to do so against you Diaby will bully, Cazorla and Wilshere will boss it.
As of today, our weakest link is probably at Left Back, with Jose Enrique out we have no established cover, and by playing Johnson there we are losing a main attacking threat down the right. We have a good crop of youngsters like Wisdom and Robinson but for a game against a team like Arsenal you want your stop players.
Paul: Left-back is weakest position in terms of cover, and lack of an outstanding first choice on top of that – although Enrique had found his form before injury. He’s been either brilliant or dreadful since arriving from Newcastle.
Which arsenal player would you like to have and why?
Tim: Very tough question. I admire a number of Arsenal players and would love to bring them to Anfield. Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Wojciech Szczesny and a fully fit Abou Diaby. The thought of a Cazorla pulling the strings for Sturridge and Suarez is mouth-watering. Before Sturridge signed I would have said Walcott and looking to the future as Reina gets no younger, Szczesny is one of the best in the league, but I will go for Wilshere. I really rate Wilshere, and am a big proponent of British talent, and there are few better than him. He is committed, has vision, skills and could easily be the natural successor to Stevie. He has that ability to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and get something from it, as he did against Swansea in that recent cup replay. He also looks pretty good in a Liverpool goalie top!
Paul: I really rate about half of the Arsenal side, which is probably why you’re not looking as good as in the past, when the whole XI was strong. I really rate Vermaelen, and I’d have taken Walcott had he left you! Podolski scores goals, although I’m not sure he’s a great all-round player. Right now, though, either Cazorla and Wilshere would be my pick.
What is your prediction for the match?
Tim: I hate these sort of questions as always feel I am tempting fate. I will let me head rule my heart and will state that I would be happy with a draw. We are a very Jekyll and Hyde team at the moment and how we start a game can really effect the outcome. No matter the form of Arsenal they are always a difficult team to play anywhere, but especially at the Emirates, and for me this is exactly the kind of game that Arsenal pick up points in. You have a knack of getting results in crucial games and crucial times in the season and this is one of them. If we are to achieve top 4 this season then we need something from this game. If the shoe was on the other foot Arsene would.
Paul: I don’t do score predictions. All I’ll say is that if Liverpool are as open at the back as they have been under Rodgers, Arsenal could get a hatful of goals. But Liverpool could also score a few themselves, with some fine attacking play of our own, given that your defence doesn’t look water-tight either. Therefore, I’ll say 0-0!
Prediction:
I’m under no illusion that this will be an easy game. Liverpool and Arsenal need victory to climb into Champions League consideration, so expect both to give everything. Liverpool is always a tough encounter, therefore the Arsenal team will be fired and ready to battle. Our run should continue and I see a solid 2-0 victory for the good guys. The loss to Oldham will be too soon to get over and their confidence will be at an all-time low. Oh and ref…don’t fall for Suarez’s dives will you. He’s better than that (I like to think), you’re better than that (I’m not sure once again), and both sets of fans deserve a great game of football with a fair result for the better team on the day (us)!
For this week’s psychic prediction I went back on to the free site in search of my pre-match friend, however, she was unavailable. So this week I’ve got a new one…my bubbly African friend Yakman. Here are her responses:
Oz: Will Arsenal beat Liverpool on Wednesday? and by how much?
Yakman: Arsenal will win. 3-0
Oz: Will we make any transfers before the window closes?
Yakman: no
Oz: Will GLIC get over his mirror obsession? Is his playing kiss-chasey with himself dangerous?
Yakman: Haha sometimes the male spirit can be strong and egotistical, my suggestion is to tell him to move away and not be so self-involved. If he is doing that then there is no hope for your friend haha.
Oz: Thank you. I think deep down we all knew there was no hope for him!
What is your prediction?
Which three-pronged attack will prevail?
Will Škrtel stop Giroud in his tracks?
Which Liverpool player would you like in our team?
As our anxiety is growing bigger and bigger, with only three days left till the transfer window shuts again and, as yet, not a single purchase made, I thought it would be good to look at the areas in which Arsenal have made progress over the last few months.
I have said in previous posts that, whether we like it or not, Arsenal are going through a major period of transition again this season. Transitions take time and are hard to speed up; and they come with pain and disappointment as well as occasional joy and promise of what could lay ahead for us. Liverpool and the Chavs are going through a major transition, and the Spuds are always going through one! 😛
As football supporters, we are always inclined to respond to the here and now; heavily influenced by the performance and result of the last (few) game(s). But, it is also important to look at how things are for Arsenal structurally, and there are strong signs now that our team is getting better in terms of scoring goals and midfield dominance. Our one area of major concern is the defensive side of the team, and I will zoom in on this area in a future post.
Here are five Arsenal positives for the remainder of the season:
1. Scoring goals: RedNose has recently hailed his strike-force as the best ever. Well at £24m per year in salaries for van Judas and Shrek alone, he would certainly hope so. Yet, MU have only scored three more goals in all competitions than Arsenal this season: 76 compared to 73 for us. Our four highest scorers: Walcott (17), Giroud (13), Podolski (11) and Cazorla (8) have scored only one goal less than the Mancs top four goal scorers: Van Judas (22), Hernandez (14), Rooney (10) and Cleverley (4). Walcott and Giroud have scored 30 goals and are closing in fast on the ‘super-duo’ of Van Judas and Shrek, who have only scored two goals more. Our attackers are starting to gel now and are likely to become even more productive in the next few months.
2. The Theo Walcott effect: Since Theo was ‘reinstalled’ in the team again – ten games ago against Southampton away – Arsenal have scored 2.5 goals per game. By contrast, every time Van Judas led the line for us during the last two seasons, we never managed to score more than 1.95 goals per game on average, over a sustained period. There has been a positive psychological impact as a result of Walcott becoming a starter again and subsequently signing a new contract, and he has also added a much needed extra dimension to our attacking play. The partnership of Theo and Ollie is a very promising one, as together they have all the attacking attributes you could dream of.
3. Return to fitness of midfielders: the return to full fitness of Rosicky and Diaby has come at the right time. With Arteta picking up an injury, and Jack and Santi needing to be rested more regularly now that the big, crucial games come thick and fast, it is great to have quality and experienced players like Rosicky and Diaby available again. Add to that the progress being made by Coquelin, and a surprisingly good performance by Ramsey in Arteta’s anchorman role, and there is reason to be hopeful that we are finally starting to get full value out of the quality of players we have available for our midfield positions. We still need a beast of a DM, though! 😉
On top of that, JW10 has finally been played in ‘the hole’ position, and what a difference he has made in those games. We now have at least two options in this pivotal role: Jack and Santi, and we all know that Rosicky can give both of them a break as well.
4. The Gibbs-Podolski partnership: this is getting better and better. I have said before, they look like brothers on the pitch: there is a natural understanding between them, and their style of football and running look very similar. Podolski is quickly growing into this season’s king of assists and he has also scored a good number of goals already: eleven in total of which seven in the PL. Gibbs excellent runs and wing-play allow Podolski to move closer to the box, where the German can be most dangerous for us. Podolski has been demonstrating some great crossing skills recently as well, and I am hoping that Gibbs will learn from him fast; as this remains one of Kieran’s main areas of improvement. The longer these two play together the stronger they will become, and I reckon they will play a big part in the remainder of the season for us.
5. Vermaelen is coming good again: The Belgium Rottweiler has found his form again recently and is starting to lead by example once more. I still think the best thing for Wenger to do is hand the armband to either Mertesacker, Arteta, Szczesny or even Jack, and allow Thomas to be himself again and do what he does best: focus on defending and terrorise the opposition.
In Jack, TV5 has found a fellow extrovert leader on the pitch, and I reckon that since Jack’s full return to the first-team, Thomas has started to play a lot better by concentrating on his own game a lot more. We are desperate for at least one of our CB’s to play at their best, and with both Koz and BFG going through a bit of a form-crisis, we need TV5 to keep on going, and improving further.
Clearly, the defence is our biggest worry at the moment, and I am hoping that Wenger and Bould will be getting this area right for us as soon as possible now too. The purchase of a solid, disciplined and experienced DM could also really help in that department. Part of me wants us to buy another, quality CB: somebody in the mould of Sol Campbell. But another part of me remains confident that Koz, TV and BFG can between them sort things out. Let’s hope they do!
A fantastic day to be a Gooner and we were treated to a classic Arsenal display. Lukas Podolski was fantastic and led the way for Arsenal with a beautiful goal and three assists. Interestingly enough, Arsenal have registered at least five goals in each of the last three Premier League games (prior to today’s match vs. West Ham) in which Lukas Podolski has scored in; and today was no different.
Throughout the entire match, Arsenal dominated possession and dictated the flow of the game. It was necessary to come out of the gates strong and Arsenal were up to the task, immediately settling in as West Ham gave us plenty of time and space to knock the ball around. Unfortunately, Arsenal were to concede first after an unnecessary challenge by Gibbs. The subsequent free-kick led to a string of corners that eventually led to Collison scoring for West Ham.
However, Podolski immediately responded with a cracking finish from his left foot to bring Arsenal back into the game. From that point on, we never looked back and came very close to scoring again with some beautiful build-up play. Unfortunately Gibbs’ final pass was a little too far forward and Podolski missed the open net while lunging forward with his right foot. The first half ended with two free kicks, one of which belonged to Cazorla who curled a beautiful shot around the wall, but was met with an even better diving save by Jaaskelainen.
As the second half loomed, the typical questions began to haunt the loyal Arsenal supporters. Would we become complacent after showing good effort in the first 45 minutes? How long would it take for us to settle into the second half? Would this be another game where we dominated possession but had difficulty finishing our chances?
Those fears were quickly quelled as Theo started off the second half with a blazing run down the right flank. Despite no one getting on the end of his cross, Podolski was able to gain possession off a poor clearance by a West Ham defender and sent a nice ball to Gibbs, whose shot was blocked and cleared out for a corner. Off the ensuing Walcott corner, Giroud moved into open space at the near post and met the kick with a beautiful one-time finish into the back of the net. Jaaskelainen stood in the net rather stunned, as he could not believe Giroud was allowed so much space. This goal set off a flurry of action all in Arsenal’s favour; notably, when all three of Arsenal’s summer signings connected on a beautiful Santi ‘back-heel’ goal. Instead of explaining it, here’s the video in case you missed it:
Arsenal scored four goals in a brilliant start to the second half and Podolski found himself assisting three of them with beautiful balls to Walcott, Giroud and the aforementioned Santi goal. Not to go unmentioned was Jack’s magnificent distribution to find Podolski and set him up for those eventual assists.
A big shout out to Ramsey as well, who proved me wrong and played well today as the deepest midfielder. He looked more effective than he has been all season, with his playmaking from a deep position and his determination in defending.
The only unfortunate blemish on an otherwise amazing second half of football was an injury to Daniel Potts, which left him unconscious on the field and required him to receive immediate medical attention. I wish Daniel all the best and hope he has a speedy recovery. Compared to our last game vs. West Ham, it was evident that they were missing Diame’s presence in their midfield: their offense looked flat, they could not retain ball possession, and our midfield was able to boss them around all game.
Before I begin on the player ratings, I’d like to explain how I arrive at the number a player receives. For me, a 7 represents that a player has sufficiently done what has been asked of him and not much more. An 8 signifies that the player has contributed more than the average player, but that either his performance has room for improvement or I’ve seen better games from him lately. A 9 or higher is reserved for outstanding performances and is usually accompanied by tangible statistics on the score sheet. Ignore previous ratings from past articles, as I’ll look to be consistent from here on out in the new rating system.
Player Ratings:
Szczesny (7.0) – Once again, Szczesny gave us the stability we needed in goal and was never really tested. He couldn’t have done anything more on Collison’s goal and dealt with all other potential dangers around the goal well.
Gibbs (7.5) – He played solid at both ends of the pitch, contributing with good challenges and runs down the left flank. He conceded two unnecessary free kicks, one of which eventually led to a goal and I’d also like to see him improve his crossing.
Vermaelen (7.0) – He also played well in the first half and cleared the danger when Collison intercepted an errant Ramsey pass and tried to push West Ham forward. Unfortunately, Ramsey clipped Vermaelen as they both went for a goal line clearance. Hopefully he’ll be ok and he was taken off the field for precautionary reasons. Difficult to rate him any higher, since he only played 45 minutes.
Mertesacker (7.5) – He had a couple errant passes in the first half that took away the momentum we were trying to build early in the game. The BFG eventually settled down and cleared away all WHU approaches through the air in the 2nd half. Solid and defensively reliable, he led the line to leave WHU in an offside position on numerous occasions.
Sagna (7.5) – Sagna defended wonderfully throughout most of the contest, and Ramsey fortunately covered his only lapse in defensive coverage. Aside from that, he linked up well with Theo on the right and was involved in the offense from the right side. He took the bulk of the defending down the right since Theo was often nowhere to be seen in his defensive assignments.
Ramsey (8.0) – While I did not find Ramsey to be outstanding, I was still very impressed with his overall performance today, compared to past appearances. He started off with a questionable challenge on Noble and quite a few errant passes that led to quick West Ham counters. Aside from the early blunders, he filled in admirably at the holding midfield role. He was determined and dependable defensively (goal line clearance when the game was tied 1-1 is noteworthy), sprayed the ball all over the field and made nice simple passes in the final third. The beginning just appeared to be him shaking off rust and he certainly built confidence as the match continued. Hopefully he can build on this performance, and I think he more than justified another start at the holding midfield position for this weekend.
Wilshere (8.0) – Jack was great right from the start, driving our team forward, quickly challenge West Ham players when we lost possession and trying to play dangerous balls in the final third. He made a smart pass to Podolski in the first half that brought us even, and several of his passes in the second half split West Ham’s defense and eventually led to more goals. He also played some beautiful long passes to Theo when he was at full speed, but unfortunately the chances were not converted. The downsides to his game included giving the ball away a few times and occasionally being indecisive on the edge of the opponent’s 18-yard box. Despite playing further back in the midfield, he still had a big influence on the game and perhaps my rating is a bit low, but I’ve come to expect big things from our number 10.
Cazorla (8.0) – Santi gave our offense good shape today and he carried the ball forward more opposed to his typical quick, short passes. He adds good variety to our attack since he’s not afraid to take a shot from distance, yet can also deliver some devastating through balls. His back-heel finish was something to behold, and as stated earlier, he capped off a beautiful build up play between Giroud and Podolski. He’s also very astute defensively and can strip the ball from the opposition because he thoroughly understands the direction they look to move the ball to. However, Santi also fell victim to some errant passes and could have done more with a few opportunities he had at the edge of West Ham’s 18-yard box.
Podolski (9.5) – Prince Podolski started off the game working hard to deny West Ham a free kick; his incredible work rate continued until he was substituted in the 69th minute. His overpowering finish in the 21st minute really gave Arsenal life, as we were down 1-0 after dominating most of the game until then. Podolski got himself into all the right positions today and was the recipient of some beautiful passes from the midfield. He rewarded the midfield’s work by producing equally nice passes to Theo and Giroud (both across the goal for relatively easy goals). Podolski was definitely our best player on the pitch and he even did all the little things right today too – he contributed well defensively, had a surging run in the 1st half, was getting on the end of clearances by the West Ham defenders and was playing smart, yet dangerous passes in the final third. The only minor faults in his game were trying to be too cute with passes in West Ham’s 18-yard box in the first half, and not finishing better on Gibbs’ pass (albeit it was slightly in front of him and on his right foot).
Giroud (9.0) – Every time Giroud steps out on the pitch, we can be confident that he will put in 100% effort and do anything to help his team win. Though his finishing can be questionable and he often rushes his chances, you can never fault him since he’s contributing in some other way. He won countless headers today and knocked the ball to his teammates, held the ball up well, linked up with Podolski on numerous occasions that led to Arsenal completely breaking down West Ham’s defense and he scored two goals. His over the top chip pass to Podolski was fantastic and he’s starting to make those types of passes a regular part of his game.
The only shortcomings in his game today were passing in the 18-yard box a couple times when he should have shot the ball, and not clearing a corner far enough which eventually landed right in front of Collison, which he turned into a goal. Aside from that, he was brilliant and I can certainly see why Bobby P has so much faith in him.
Walcott (7.5) – Despite scoring a goal and adding an assist off a corner kick, I felt Theo was a little wasteful with his chances today. Jack sent Theo in twice on stretch passes where he was on near breakaways at full speed, and he failed to even get a shot on goal. On a couple other occasions, Theo had open opportunities to put away goals in the opponent’s 18-yard box and also failed to convert. If the contest had been tighter this would have been unacceptable, but fortunately we won by a large margin. His defensive contributions left much to be desired and he was often waiting up field for the midfield to send him on breaks.
However, he did track back wonderfully at the end of the second half, going all the way across to the left side of the pitch to cover for Podolski and defend a West Ham counter. Theo also looked more confident with the ball at his feet today and dribbled around Reid and O’Brien several times in the first half. His surging run down the flank got Arsenal into the right frame of mind in the second half and began the onslaught that we were all treated with.
Koscielny (7.0) – Much like Vermaelen, Kos only played 45 minutes and was never really tested. He cleared the ball well when needed and helped the defensive line play West Ham’s forwards offside quite a few times.
Santos and Oxlade-Chamberlain (Incomplete) – Both were decent in their cameo appearances and moved the ball around quite well. Both players lacked the final end product and each could have scored if they had been more composed with their finishing. Still, they did not have enough game time or touches to accurately assess their games.
Overall, it was a fantastic match to witness and Arsenal were by far the better team by a wide margin. The connection between our three new recruits today is very promising, and we started to look like the Arsenal of old; penetrating and breaking down defenses with precise passing and finishing off some fantastic link-up plays in the final third. Ramsey’s work as the holding midfielder gives us more versatility in case of injuries and is perhaps a position that he can grow into (however it remains to be seen how he’d fare at that position against a better side).
We must not fall prey to the continual inconsistency that has plagued us this year and not waste such an outstanding team effort in our next game. For now, we can rest easy knowing we played some beautiful football today and got a much needed three points in style.
I must admit to being in two minds about our game against the Jacks tonight: one of anticipation and one of apprehension. As per yesterday’s post, Arsenal have a number of seemingly structural problems; every time we believe the team has made significant progress, they let us down again with the same problems resurfacing once more.
I am repeating a paragraph in yesterday’s post to sum it all up:
What is more worrying is the lack of form and shape to the team; the inability to organise our defence and get a run of solid defensive team performances; the lack of balance in midfield and inability to totally dominate this area anymore; the unsettledness, and unpredictable level of performances, by our strike-force; and most importantly, the lack of cohesion, leadership and collective fighting spirit throughout the team.
If Arsenal are to beat Swansea tonight, it will have to show a significant improvement in all the above areas, in my view. And that is where my apprehension is coming from: there is a lot that needs sorting and I am not sure we can do it all at the moment.
Swansea have nothing to lose tonight and will play their well-drilled game of absorbing pressure and try to catch us on the break.
It has worked against many teams, notably most recently against the Chavs, and why would they change it?! So, that is the tactics done again: Vermaelen to devour Michu and our team to play at a tempo that will not allow the Jacks to settle; oh and taking our chances when they arrive. Simples! 🙂
Rosicky For Sale?
What is going on with regards to Tomas Rosicky? He had a fantastic first half game against Olympiacos and then he got substituted and we have not seen him on the pitch ever since (if I remember correctly). I cannot get my head around the fact he was not played at all during the busy festive season, as the likes of Wilshere, Cazorla and Podolski could have done with a break.
Tomas is Arsenal through and through, signed a new contract not that long ago, he knows how Wenger wants to play better than anybody else, and he gives us shape and purpose?
So, why has he not played at all? The only answer I can give you is that Arsenal are planning to sell him during this transfer window, and for that they would have to keep him fully fit. Not playing him might also make him more keen for a move, as Tomas is the kind of guy who loves to play football rather than sit on the bench and collect his pay cheques.
Apparently, he has a slight muscular problem and won’t be fit for tonight….
Giroud must play.
Theo alone up-front is a work in progress and Arsenal cannot afford to play the same strike-force again against Swansea: the risk of another disjointed performance in attack is far too high. Swansea will also allow us little space which makes playing a fluid-three – Pod, Theo, Ox – up-front not our best option, in my view. Tonight, we need a strong pivot in attack.
I hope we start with Giroud in the centre and either Theo on the wing, or next to him in a 4-4-2 formation.
If we are to beat Swansea tonight, we need to get behind them as much as possible via our wings; and a lot will be asked from the most likely wing-combos of Sagna and Ox (or Theo) and Gibbs and Pod. Chelsea failed to use the wings enough against the Jacks last week, and they paid for it. On top of that, we need a strong target man, which Giroud clearly is. All other attackers should be able to benefit from Giroud presence in the box and I hope we’ll see goals by him and/or Pod, Ox, Cazorla (and Theo?).
Is this Coquelin’s chance or will it be Diaby again?
Enough has been said about Diaby’s rustiness in the ‘Arteta’ role and whether it is his best position in the first place. There appears to be a continuous reluctance by Wenger to play Coquelin in the Arteta role, and although I have doubts myself about his readiness, I feel Arsene needs to start him tonight. This should be the sort of game in which he can make his mark and we all need to know how ready he is for regular first team football.
For all those of you checking constantly whether we have bought somebody yet, these are not easy times. I used to be like that, but I have learned not to bother with any gossip unless it is confirmed by Arsenal.com or the BBC. The combination of a relatively low position in the league, our current inability to hit some decent form consistently, and the lack of transfer activities, is making us all restless and grumpy.
Firstly, let me state that I am hoping for 1) a beast of a DM, 2) a traditional winger and 3) a back-up, PL-experienced goalkeeper. If nobody arrived by the end of the month, I will be very disappointed. But, it is pretty useless to talk about potential targets, as Arsene is utterly unpredictable and probably does not exactly know what/who he wants himself at the moment; as per his recent comments.
However, with the return to fitness of Diaby and Rosicky, and the rest of our squad all fit and available, and Theo now being played through the middle regularly, we could potentially see a change in formation to 4-4-2, and I reckon we have the players for it.
For the sake of discussions, let me first give a few of my personal views:
Ideally, we need a strong, physical DM, who can play football as well;
Arteta and Jack don’t offer enough in terms of physical strength/ ball winning skills;
Jack does not wear the nr.10 shirt for nothing; he should play higher up the pitch;
Cazorla is a great player, but I would play him on the wing; he does not give our team enough shape and purpose when he plays in the advanced midfield position in our current 4-2-1-3;
Both Jack and Rosicky are our best players in terms of conducting our play i.e. giving shape and purpose to our football: one of them should play in the advanced midfield position;
Podolski is not a winger, but he has formed a good partnership with his twin-brother Gibbs, and if he could get fitter and sharper he could become fantastic in that position for us.
I like the thought of Theo and Giroud play together up-front, but it will take time and it will only work in my view if Arsenal start playing in a 4-4-2 formation.
Given the above, I would absolutely love it – and I know I am not the only one who would welcome this – if we were to change to 4-4-2 from now on. In an ideal world, Arsenal could line up in midfield and attack like this:
Cazorla – Wilshere – New DM/Diaby – Podolski
———————–Theo—Giroud———————–
Giroud could be our attacking pivot, and Theo could have a free role: at times adding support to our wing-play, and other times combining with Giroud to create and score goals, or running on to through-balls from our midfielders. The longer Giroud and Walcott would play together the better their partnership would become.
With Cazorla and Wilshere we have two fantastic midfielders who can help on the defensive side as well as creating chances for others. However, it is important that we add more steel in the centre of defence. A fit Diaby could do it, but we cannot count on him for long: therefore, a new DM should be bought as soon as possible.
I would love to see Cazorla and Podolski on the wings in this 4-4-2 formation: they would both add defensive support as well as a real assist and goal threat. Cazorla could be our new Pires, although not playing on the left but the right, and Podolski could be our new Ljunberg, although also playing on the other side. With Ox, Coquelin, Gervinho, Eisfeld, and Rosicky we also have decent cover for our left midfield and right midfield positions.
Cazorla could be cover for Theo and Podolski could replace Giroud, and I would not be surprised if we were to buy another central striker if we were to change to a 4-4-2 formation. I hear some of you say, Arsene will not go back to 4-4-2, no way! You are probably right, but don’t totally disregard it, as I can not see him putting either Theo or Giroud on the bench for long spells.
But, let’s say, Arsene sticks to his beloved 4-2-1-3 formation: how could it work better for us?
Well, as per my personal views above, I would like to see the following formation in midfield and attack:
——————Arteta/Diaby—New DM/Diaby—————-
————————-Wilshere/Rosicky—————————
Cazorla/Ox——-Giroud/Theo–Pod/Theo/New Winger
I reckon Arsenal would play far better football than we currently do with this combination of players. Jack or Rosicky would give our play purpose and structure; a proper DM would give us steel in midfield; or, if and when Diaby is fit, he could form a fine partnership with Arteta (as per the start of the season).
Arsenal could either play with Theo or Giroud in the middle, depending a bit on the opponent and/or current form. There are also good options for the wing, although it would be great if we were to buy a very good, dedicated winger to give us more variety in this area, in the next few weeks.
All in all, plenty of opportunities to further fine tune the team for Arsene, and it will be interesting to see what will happen in the next few weeks.
Bergkampesque 