Giroud – Page 9 – Bergkampesque

Little Jack the real leader, Theo and Giroud not gelling yet, why no Rosicky?

January 7, 2013TotalArsenal

Having watched the second half again last night, I felt a lot more positive about the whole game than I did when I watched the game for the first time. In the first half, Arsenal tried as hard as in the second half, but the belief was not there and our football looked a bit ‘theoretical’ as a result. We pressed them in numbers and tried to find openings, but the midfield and our attack looked like separate sub-teams.

This all changed in the second half, when we took the game once again to Swansea with plenty of energy, focus and with more invention. Swansea scored their goal against the run of play, and our defence should have done better in avoiding the chance happening in the first place and dealing with it as well.

We did not give up though and kept pushing for the equaliser, driven on by the real leader in this team: little Jackie Wilshere. Our goals came in quick succession by substitute Podolski and the other ‘driver’ yesterday: Kieran Gibbs. Podolski showed his predatory instinct with a fine turn and ferocious shot into the corner of the goal which left Vorm shapeless, and Gibbs’ goal was a Bergkampesque beauty; converting a fine ball over the top by Giroud with venom and precision in the roof of the net.

Before the goals, Arsenal had been close to scoring on several occasions but we lacked quality in our finishing: Giroud, Theo, Cazorla and Podolski all missed decent to great chances.

Why no Rosicky yesterday?

Cazorla is one of our best footballers, and I would always play him as long as he is fit. But Arsene has given him the responsibility to shape our attacks and direct our play, and I feel he is struggling in this department recently. He is no Fabregas that is for sure, and I reckon it is Wilshere who is mainly directing our football at the moment with his drive, overview and passing ability.

I am wondering more and more whether Cazorla should play on the wings, at least for a few games, and give Rosicky a chance to play in his position. I reckon we would get a far better shape to the team and become more inventive and effective as a result. But Arsene did once again not even use him as a substitute, and I am starting to wonder whether Rosicky is in line for being sold during this TW. Given the Czechs’ fitness problems I would not be too sad about that, as long as he is replaced. However, I think we are missing a trick or two at the moment, and Rosicky could really lift this team with his drive and ability.

Theo and Giroud not gelling yet

With Ramsey on the left, and Theo playing a lot closer to Giroud than usual, we did not have proper wingers yesterday. A lot of wing-play came from the wing-backs, and especially Gibbs did really well yesterday (if only he could learn to cross!). It was also good to see Sagna back with confidence and drive and I hope he will improve further against Man City. The cross of the game came from the much maligned Ramsey, who worked hard to get himself a bit of space and time to cross all the way from the corner flag onto Giroud forehead at a perfect height. But Giroud is once again trying too hard to convince his (few) doubters that he really is a good striker, which seems to affect his finishing.

Ollie works so hard for the team and tries to help as much as he can, but it is clear he is one of these players who needs to play regularly to be at his best. Theo also struggled to have a real impact on the game, as Swansea did not allow him, and the rest of the team, a lot of space during most of the game.

It was also clear that Giroud and Walcott have some way to go to become a strong partnership, but I do feel we need to keep playing them together for a while (maybe with Rosicky and Cazorla, or Ox and Pod, on the wings in a 4-4-2).

Second half offers hope of better times to come.

This season we seem to be a second half team. We play a lot better after the break which indicates to me that as a team we are not gelling enough on the pitch, and Wenger and Bould need to do a lot of work at half time to get the players to perform better both tactically and personally. It does seem to work, though, but we need to get the same level of performance for 90 minutes, if we are to beat the Northern and Southern Oilers in our next PL fixtures this month.

The second half performance offers hope of progress in terms of drive and spirit. But our defending needs to improve significantly, and Mertesacker will play a key role in this. He did not have a good game yesterday, but just like Giroud he is one of those players who need to play regularly to be at his best. We need his organisational skills and reading of the game to give us back shape and unity in our defence. Let’s hope he is back to his best again next weekend.

Written by: Total Arsenal.

Swansea preview: Sagna or Jenkinson, Rosicky or Cazorla, Theo or Giroud (or both)?

January 5, 2013TotalArsenal

Regular readers of Bergkampesque will have noticed my glass half full attitude towards Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. I remain confident in Wenger’s ability to turn things round for us this season, and I also believe in the squad of players we have (give or take a couple of necessary new signings). However, it is about time that Arsenal show what they are made of now, after a disappointing performance against Southampton this week; and I expect nothing else but a committed, full-blooded performance for 90+ minutes.

Swansea will be up for this and will be full of confidence after their recent win at Ashburton Grove. Arsenal will have to come out of the blocks with only one thing in mind: to take this game to Swansea with a high tempo and a strong focus on attack. To be fair, as we saw during our last encounter with the Swans, they are happy to sit back and absorb the pressure we will put on them; only to pounce back on the break as much as possible.

It is therefore important that we play a lot more cohesive tomorrow than we have done recently; with lots of ball retention, constant pressure on the Swansea team, and defending, creating and attacking collectively, rather than the disjointed efforts we saw against Wigan and Southampton recently.

Sagna or Jenkinson?

From the moment Sagna’s inexplicable defensive clearance led to us conceding a goal against Southampton, our right back turned into a shadow of his former self for the rest of the game. Until then, he and Ox had been our main attacking option as virtually all attacks came from the right. But his confidence was totally shot and he made mistake after mistake after his bad error that led to the goal.

So what to do tomorrow; play Sagna again or give Jenkinson a game? I reckon it will be dreadful for Sagna’s confidence if he is not played again tomorrow, and Wenger will probably play him for that reason alone. I hope he comes good again, as Sagna always gives his all. With Jenkinson having signed a new contract and Bacary hoping to get a new contract offer soon, it could be that the Frenchman is justifiably worried about his future, which in return might be affecting his confidence at the moment.

Rosicky or Santi?

We continue to struggle with the shape of our team and with that the purpose/directness of our football. I have written about the need for a more all-round DM, who should free up Jack to support the attack more regularly. At the moment Jack needs to help out too much defensively, and Santi is often isolated as a result. I believe Santi is at his best when he can play close to our CF and we need Wilshere to get closer to him in order to make this happen.

Rosicky always gives the team a good shape and real purpose and I wonder whether it is now time to give him a start instead of Cazorla. Cazorla could start on the wing, maybe instead of Ox or Pod. Alternatively, Jack could get a well-earned rest, and Rosicky could play next to Arteta, and with Cazorla in his normal position. But whatever it is, I reckon we need to play Rosicky tomorrow: he can give us the much needed impetus against the Swans.

Theo or Giroud?

Another big selection dilemma for Arsene. My personal view, as per recent posts and comments, is to play them both together in a 4-4-1-1. Giroud can be the pivot for our attacking play, who gets the midfield higher up the pitch with his ball retention skills, and also launches Theo into promising positions. Theo can move around and combine wing-play with centre forward play. However, I would eat my foot if Arsene was to start with both Giroud and Theo up-front and with four in midfield, so a choice has to be made between the Frenchman and the contract hugger.

Given the fact that Swansea play very compact and well-organised at the back, and the need for Theo to have space at his disposal, I reckon will start with Giroud in the middle, and possibly with Theo on the wing for tomorrow’s game.

Predicted Line-Up:

—————Szczesny——————

Sagna – BFG – Vermaelen – Gibbs

———Arteta——-Wilshere———

—————-Rosicky——————-

Theo/Ox——-Giroud———-Santi

At times during the match tomorrow, Santi and Rosicky could move to the wings in midfield and Theo and Giroud could play closer together. Let’s see what happens tomorrow. We need a great performance and a convincing win: it is time to kick-start the season properly now!

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners!

Written by: Total Arsenal.

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

January 1, 2013January 1, 2013TotalArsenal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by: Total Arsenal.

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

December 30, 2012December 30, 2012TotalArsenal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But what do you think?

Written by: Total Arsenal.

Twenty Minutes of Heaven: Theo Stings Like a Bee, Full Backs Asleep, Ox Matures Fast.

December 29, 2012December 30, 2012TotalArsenal

Wow, what a crazy game of football at Ashburton Grove tonight!

It all started so subdued; I had to pinch myself to see whether I was actually awake. NU were allowed to pass the ball around as we did not pressure them anywhere near the required levels to gain control over the game.

Although Newcastle had more possession than us, and were also allowed to have it in our own half regularly during the first 45 minutes, I felt we were well organised at the back and there was only a small chance they would hurt us.

Theo’s anticipation of the Pod’s through-ball was first class, and so were his run and finish, and the ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ felt great: surely we could build further on this performance and punish the Magpies on the break a few more times?

Unfortunately, we managed to give a few unnecessary free-kicks away in the first half and one of them cost us dearly. Sagna seemed sedated today: is he not fully fit or simply missing a yard or two in speed at the moment? I did not think he was at his best against Wigan, but today’s performance is starting to worry me a bit. He gave an uncharacteristic free-kick away in a dangerous position and Demba Ba cleverly aimed for Jack’s head – what was he doing there anyway – to guide the ball past it. Okay there was a lucky deflection, but Jack should never have chickened out.

1-1 was a fair score at the end of the first half, though, and we could only hope for Arsene to wake our boys up properly; in order to regain control over the midfield, start pressing them in their own half, and stop relying purely on launching Theo into space at the first opportunity.

Ox’s goal at the start of the second half was a beauty; and one that had been coming for him for a while. We can all get excited about potential new signings in the next TW, but there is nothing better than witnessing one of our talented youngsters growing into a man right in front of us. Ox is quickly making the RW position his, and regular goals (and assists) are the only thing that is missing in his game at the moment. But today he made a big step forward with a classy, timely and important goal from just outside the box – perhaps the most important of the whole game, as this one gave us the necessary momentum to start playing proper football again in the second half.

However, the Barcodes pounced again on Sagna’s apparent slowness, as Obertan was able to beat him with relative ease to put the ball right across our goal to the far post – Koz did not manage to get his full boot against it, but could only slightly divert it – where Marveaux was left totally unmarked for the easiest of tap-ins.

It should come as no surprise that Wilshere was involved in getting us in front once more, with a determined run and a very good ‘hanging cross’ over Krul, to the far post towards Theo. It created total chaos amongst the NU defenders, and the Pod dealt with it all in the deadliest manner. I have been really impressed with Pod’s hard work rate and omnipresence on the pitch tonight.

But, but, but it all went pear-shaped once again, when Marveaux was able to put in a very clever diagonal ball from outside the box with the outside of his boot into the penalty area – arguably the best assist of the entire game – and Ba was able to beat sleeping beauty Gibbs with total ease.

Although the CB’s were the main culprits for conceding the 2^nd and 3^rd NU goals, it was also clear that we missed Mertesacker’s ability to bring order and structure to our defence.

It started to feel like we would never be able to kill the Magpies off in this game as our defence had simply become too fragile in the second half. But then, somehow, Arsenal found the afterburners and NU did not get another foothold in the remainder of the game.

It is fair to say that the Barcodes will have been tired at that time, having played at Old Toilet only a few days ago, but it was nevertheless impressive how we were able to up the tempo and pressure, and create a great number of opportunities in the last twenty minutes of the game.

Walcott 2^nd goal was almost as good as his first one. His spatial awareness, combined with his decision not to blast the ball as soon as possible, but allow himself a touch in order to take proper aim, were very impressive. It turned out to be the blow from which the Magpies would recover no more.

Theo then became provider for the hungry substitute Giroud; first with a peach of a cross which OG headed in with force, and then with a determined run and ‘pass’ into the box which the Frenchman despatched aggressively with his venomous right foot. It was really nice to see Giroud taking his chances with such determination, and celebrating his goals with great joy.

But the final say was, ever so appropriately, for Theo.

This was his night; his announcement to the home crowd that he should play in the middle and what this could mean for us. From a ‘one-two free-kick’ taken near the corner flag with Jack, Theo slalomed past a few NU players, then somehow evaded a tackle, and got back up on his feet to beat Krul high into the roof of the net with a measured, rising chip. A truly fantastic solo goal.

Theo is all about speed they say; well, today he showed that his arsenal of attacking weapons is pretty well stocked. He will need to do this on a regular basis to win over the seemingly eternal doubters, but today he announced himself properly!

It was a great performance by Theo and a nice gesture to thank the crowd whilst holding the match-ball above his head. Whether you still have doubts about Theo or not – as a winger or a striker – it will be hard to deny that since he has been playing in the central striker position, Arsenal have had two out of three performances in which we looked a bit like our former self again, in which we had that extra dimension, and that so longed for cutting edge and bite; and with the team scoring 13 PL goals in just three games – a third of our PL total this season in 19 games – it would be madness not to continue with him in the middle of our attack – possibly with Giroud – for the time being.

A crazy game, a great result, and lessons need to be learned in defence; but today we witnessed the coming of age of Theo Walcott.

Written by: Total Arsenal.

Newcastle Pre-Match: Giroud should start, but the Dembas need taming!

December 28, 2012December 29, 2012TotalArsenal

Intro:

I’ve always had a soft spot for Newcastle United: they have a great loyal supporter base, are good to watch, and Bergkamp scored the best goal ever against them!

I’d like to start by apologising to Tim Krul for some of the words I said about him last time we met. For those who can’t remember this is what happened:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an3sYGPla3E

Yes, he did start time wasting very early on; yes, I hate when keepers do it, but I just wish he had of belted up Brave Sir Robin after the game. Then again, perhaps I should be more respectful when talking about Robin because according to Fergie he died during the Swansea game (thank you Ashley Williams).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApuRHCNrgEs

(Just for those who missed it or need a good laugh. I did notice his accidental slip and todger grab also)

Anyway, back to the game!

Replacing Chris Hughton, after he had just brought Newcastle back in to the league, was always going to be a tough task, but until recently Alan Pardew had done it with perfection. They started last season like a house on fire: ‘who cares we all thought’, ‘they’ll drop off soon’. Well they did not, they finished 5^th on the table, ahead of Chelsea, which is to be commended. Pardew has a bit of Arsene in him, with his eye for talented bargains; just look who he has signed since he’s joined the club:

Ba, Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Cisse, and Santon: that list is definitely not to be scoffed at.

Newcastle are an organised bunch who like to sit back defensively and hit you on the counter. I know what you’re thinking ‘yak, our least favourite tactic to play against’. It worked well against Man U and Liverpool, not to mention all last season, however, they are missing key personnel who contribute enormously to this tactic.

Missing in Action:

Arsenal: Rosicky returns, Diaby (thigh) is apparently back next week, Santos returns, leaving only Fabianski (ankle) on the long term injury list.

Newcastle: Ben Arfa (hamstring), Cabaye (groin), Gutierrez (leg), Ryan and Steven Taylor. Williamson may not come up for this one. Tiote returns from his one match ban.

An opposition with a bigger injury list than ours…yep it’s true I just pinched myself and their troubles remain. It is a shame, though, because it really has wreaked their season, then again it has done worse to ours in the past.

Predicted Line-up:

Optimistically, I am hoping we do not see Theo start in the middle again. He’s been okay the last two games, but we need better than okay. To me he walks around like Henry, you know; with a bit of a swagger. He doesn’t bust a lung, he doesn’t chase, and most of all he has not earned that right! He tends to time his runs too soon leaving the midfielders with no outlet and he gets muscled off the ball too easily. I’m hoping Giroud slips back in to test the average Williamson (Santi and Ox should try their best to attack him at all costs); just like Bendtner did a couple of seasons back.

The rest of the team picks itself really.

Previous Encounters:

Arsenal 2 – Newcastle 1

Some guy scored for us and then Vermaelen scored a ripper of a goal with seconds remaining on the clock. Some guy got in a tussle afterwards, the noise coming from the fans was immense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk7g9YPxEr8

Newcastle 0 – Arsenal 0

Joey Barton dived and made an arse of himself (what’s new), Gerv got sent off, Song got banned for stupidly stamping on him, but hugged him afterwards anyway. Poor game, and not the start we wanted for the season.

Not going to go into the 4-4 draw.

Form Guide (all competitions): Arsenal: WWLWL Newcastle: LWLLL

Despite our Cup blip, we are coming off our third premier league win on the trot. If we are a serious team with grand aspirations we must continue to perform. Teams around us won’t continually slip up leaving the door ajar for us to climb up the ladder; ‘Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect’, and I feel this is the case for us: let’s make our own future, I don’t give a stuff about other teams, I don’t want to watch other teams praying to Dennis that they slip up! Time to go on a tear, and have another unbeaten run!

Newcastle took the lead at Old Trafford not once, not twice, but three times yet did not leave with a solitary point for all their effort. They put up a prodigious showing, but in true Man United fashion they were out scraped by the final whistle. Despite their valiant showing they sit on a paltry 20 points (5 off relegation zone) and have lost 7 of their last 9 matches. Interesting to note that Newcastle have not won their previous 15 away games.

One to Watch:

Jack the Lad: He recently signed a long term deal with the club and really is a joy to watch. He isn’t afraid to do the dirty things no one else wants to, and cops it from the opposition week in and week out. That’s okay though, not even a kick to the plums could keep him down! If he continues on the right path this bloke is easily going to be a legend in the making. The best thing of all is, I couldn’t care less if he has a stinker, because if he does I can rest easy knowing he still gave 110%. Look for him to take control of the midfield in this one.

I will be keeping a watchful eye on Ba throughout the match. Not only because he is a dangerous forward who could trouble our defence, but because he may be joining Arsenal in the future. He would definitely add to our squad (that I’m sure of), I just hope he has a stinker and doesn’t touch the ball in this fixture!

Key-Match up:

The Demba Senegalese duo:

Demba Ba:

12/13: 11 goals in 18 (1) games (only behind Michu and BSR)

Papiss Demba Cisse

Only scored 3 goals this season thus far but managed to score 13 goals in 13 matches last season for Newcastle.

Both are top notch strikers and capable of brilliance (Cisse’s goal last season against Chelsea was amazing!), but unfortunately for Newcastle they do not really know how to work together. Last season Ba was on fire, he could do no wrong -> He jetted off to the African Cup of Nations -> In came Cisse -> He went on a tear -> Ba came back -> Cisse continued his form, Ba didn’t and went quiet -> Season ends -> Ba kicks in to gear again, Cisse does not -> What can Pardew do? It’s the same sort of position I feel Arsenal would have been in if we brought in Huntelaar. He’s too similar to Giroud, separate they are class players, together…not so much.

Let’s hope these two don’t click against us. If they do, Vermaelen and Mertesacker will have to be on their toes. The loss of Ben Arfa will definitely help quell their influence.

Pre-Match Finger:

The Media! The transfer window hasn’t begun yet but already we are being linked with every striker on the planet. It has gotten to the point where every defender, keeper, striker, winger, attacking and defensive midfielder, and some kids have been linked with us at one time or another. Loose sources, friends of friends, twisted quotes, money hungry players, ‘Arsenals bazillion dollar war-chest’, and of course the Theo Walcott Saga. It really is enough to drive a man bonkers. The sad thing is I’ll still be there every morning and night scouring the Arsenal/transfer news sites sitting and hoping (or swearing at Theo). Damn you media…damn you to hell!

Pre-Match pat on the back:

This week’s pat on the back is a two parter.

Firstly I’d like to thank the tube strike for being responsible for postponing our match against West Ham. Yes it was terrible not having a Boxing Day match to watch but it has been a welcome break for the team, and after the food I consumed on Christmas a bear-like hibernation period was needed. It allowed our first teamers a chance to freshen over a normally busy fixture period. We go in to the match fresh as a daisy (still think we should rotate the squad more often so we are fresher more often) whereas Newcastle come in after a 4-3 slog in the wet against Man United…big benefit!

Secondly (I can’t believe I’m saying this) I’d like to give a pat on the back to the Medical team. It’s been a long, LONG time since we have had such an empty sick bay (not to jinx it of course). I’m not going to get too carried away though because unfortunately the ghost of Diaby haunts the area and I’m sure he will be getting withdrawal symptoms soon enough! Here’s to good health…long may it prosper!

Heck I’m going with one more. Alan Pardew deserves one too; I like how he goes about it!

‘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 Paul from www.nufcblog.org , and Kev from http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk.

1) What are your thoughts on the Demba Ba situation?

Paul: Most of the stuff in the media about it is just wild speculation; hence I don’t pay much attention to it. However, the basic situation is that while Mike Ashley (the owner of Newcastle United) wants top players, he wants them for 50% off like the cheap tat in his Sports Direct shops and that includes their wages too. This is how the whole Demba Ba situation has come about, and why Ba and his advisors cling on to his release clause. His knee problem is the complicating factor for a move however, and if it wasn’t for that he’d probably be long gone by now. Then again, if it wasn’t for his knee problem he almost certainly wouldn’t be at Newcastle United in the first place.

Ba knows that his career may be limited by a few years and he wants to make the most of it financially but there isn’t much chance of that at Newcastle, but although a lot of other clubs will undoubtedly show keen interest in such a good striker, they will cool off when they look at the medical reports and try to insure him etc. This is probably why the situation has dragged on for so long and if he does move for a much higher weekly wage, he would almost certainly have to take some kind of “quid pro quo” which will involve little compensation if he was injured and out of the game for good.

Kev: His agent is after £2m on any transfer, and he is the one pulling the strings.

Great player, superb skills as an individual – but not a team player – and not the brightest button in the box.

2) Who has been Newcastle’s best player so far this season? What is he capable of?

Paul: Hatem Ben Arfa who scored an excellent goal against your lot last time. He’s capable of unlocking teams on his own with his amazing dribbling, the vision of his passing, his excellent long shots and so on. However, he won’t be playing so I’ll also pick Demba Ba for this game. This is because he has been feeding on crumbs this season because of the lack of creativity in the side (from the manager not the players). Despite this he is still one of the highest scorers in the Premier League which is a bit of a miracle, and a tribute to his superb finishing.

Kev: Probably Ba in my opinion. Loads have under-achieved being played out of position because of Pardew’s weird system.

3) What formations and tactics are you most likely to employ in this match?

Paul: That’s a good question with Newcastle at the moment. Alan Pardew had had us playing some awful “route one” football for most of the season so far, the kind of football he’s used to. The tactics were mostly a 4-4-2 where we had no midfield and were soaking up pressure in our own half looking to dispossess the opposition, only to launch huge “hit and hope” balls over a midfield void to the strikers which usually fell back to the opposition anyway. However, there seems to have been some kind of player revolt recently and although there have still been defeats in the last few games, two of these have been against the Manchester giants and performances and style of play have improved markedly for the most part. So now you can probably expect to see a 4-3-3 formation with a far more subtle and patient approach through the midfield. In the unlikely event that we go a couple of goals up though, expect Pardew to revert to type.

Kev: Depends who is available. Tactics change weekly with Pardew.

4) What position/player is your weakness link?

Paul: If I must, then James Perch might be filling in for an injured Willamson at Centre Back. Now don’t get me wrong, the lad’s done very well from humble beginnings, especially in the defensive midfield. However he might be a little vulnerable in the air in the centre of defence, though this might benefit teams like Stoke more than Arsenal.

Kev: Everywhere. Injuries have halted any hope of a regular team/formation.

5) What has happened to Newcastle this season?

Paul: See the rant at question 3! Though there have also been issues like Mike Ashley not investing in the squad for European football, along with injuries and such, I still think that the main factor has been Alan Pardew’s Reading circa 1990 tactics. He is one of those managers like many before him who has a good season then gets found out, like he did at West Ham.

Kev: We have been clueless in so many matches. Players playing out of position, and kids not good enough.
Ba and Cisse don’t work as a team; defence is like the days of Titus Bramble.

6) Which Arsenal player would you love in your team and why?

Paul: Santi Cazorla for similar reasons to Ben Arfa. Both are great visionary playmakers and although I’ll just give the dribbling to Benny (his control is amazing), on the other hand one thing about Cazorla is that even though he’s only about 5′ 6″ he’ll muck in and defend more than Benny when the team are up against it. Both are fantastic, world class players.

Kev: About nine or ten of them – different class to us.

7) What is your match prediction?

Paul: I would say that Arsenal are favourites and will probably win, but as I’ve been so negative in parts above, I’ll be optimistic and say that if we perform as well as we have in patches of recent games then we just might get a draw, so I’ll go for a Desmond 2-2 (though my head says 2-1 or 3-1 to Arsenal).

Kev: 2-0 Arsenal.

Prediction:

Newcastle is a tough team to break down. Their defence is strong and Krul is a very good, up and coming keeper, with something to prove after our last encounter. Nevertheless, they are a shadow of their former selves, injuries have blighted their squad and the Ba/Cisse duo isn’t firing. We will have to fight tooth and nail in this one, but I expect a resurgent and rested Arsenal to run over the top off a flat and soggy Newcastle.

2-0 to the good guys.

Written by: Oz Gunner.

Giroud, Walcott, Podolski, Ba: who’ll lead Arsenal’s attack in 2013?

December 26, 2012TotalArsenal

Will or won’t Theo sign a new contract? And if so, does that mean Giroud will end up on the bench? And what about Podolski: he would also like to play more in the centre, and on top of that the rumours of Arsenal looking for another central striker are getting stronger at the moment.

Of all the rumours, the one regarding Demba Ba joining us from Newcastle seems the most feasible to me. But why are Arsenal still looking for a central striker? Does that mean, Arsene expects Theo to move on in January, or could it be that Arsene is thinking to move to a different system of 4-4-2 or 4-4-1?

To be honest, I have not got a clue.

I like the idea of Giroud up-front, especially in a 4-5-1 system. The Frenchman is great at holding up the ball and allowing the midfield to bounce the ball of him. I also like Giroud in a 4-4-1-1 upfront with either Theo or even Cazorla behind him. Giroud could feed the ball to either of them, but would also benefit from their potential assists.

But then I can also see a problem with Giroud. As a more classical centre forward, and in order to use him to his full potential, the whole attack has to be focussed around him, which will a) make us more predictable and b) make us more dependent on him. It does also mean that we need a good number two in the team, who can take over from Giroud in case of suspension or injury.

At the moment, we do not have an adequate replacement. Chamakh’s days are counted, and I don’t think Podolski has the same skill-set for the pivotal role up-front as Giroud does.

However, we have also played a ‘fluid-three’ up-front in the last few months: most recently with Theo in the middle, and Pod and Ox on the wings, but also with Gervinho in the middle and Pod and Ox on the wings. I really like the unpredictability of playing a non-classic CF upfront with two players on the wings who can also finish really well. Key is though that at least one of the ‘wingers’ is actually a winger who can make things happen. For me that means that in the current squad either Gervinho or the Ox has to play on one of the wings. With Gervinho going to the AOC , and the Ox picking up form recently, I reckon we will see more of Ox on the right wing.

If Arsene is to continue with a fluid-three up-front, is buying another CF the right thing to do; or is it more important to buy a traditional, quality winger who can add the necessary width and guile to our attacking play?

If Demba Ba is indeed joining us in January, it must mean we are going to play in a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 formation, and I cannot say that would not excite me. I can see us play Cazorla and Ox on the mid-wings and Arteta and Wilshere in the middle, with either Giroud and Theo, Theo and Pod, Ba and Theo, Giroud and Pod, Ba and Giroud, or Ba and Podolski up-front. For Demba Ba you could also put another striker with whom we are being linked at the moment.

All the above indicates that it is hard to predict what system we are going to play and who will be our main attackers in 2013. Arsene bought Giroud only this summer, so surely his plans must involve him. But he appears also keen to keep Theo and give him his wish to be played in the middle. Both are different strikers and might, or might not, be able to play together. The only way to play them together is a 4-4-1-1/4-4-2 formation, and if that is what Arsene is aiming for, I can understand why he would want to buy another CF, as he will need cover in such a system.

But what is it going to be? You tell me!

Total Arsenal.

Arsenal 2 – 0 West Brom: eight positives to take from today’s game

December 8, 2012December 8, 2012TotalArsenal

Today’s performance against West Brom was a significant improvement from what we have seen in recent Arsenal games. Lady Luck helped Arsenal on the way with a harsh first penalty being awarded in our favour, but there can be little doubt that the good guys deserved their win today.

It looked like our core players had benefited from not having played mid-week, as they all appeared to be both fitter and more focussed during our game against the Baggies.

The big negative for me today was our inability to take some of the excellent chances which came our way – other than the two well-taken penalties by the impressive Arteta, of course. We also were not able to get the best use out of Giroud, although the Frenchman himself was partly to blame for this.

But, other than those two ‘areas for improvement’, I thought our encounter with the Baggies offered strong signs of Arsenal making progress, and I would like to highlight eight positives from our game today:

MA8: I thought Arteta had one of his best games this season; at least for the first seventy minutes or so. He tired towards the end and made a few mistakes that could have cost us on another day, but before that he was the solid anchor in our team. His positioning was spot on and he also won many one to one battles; he had great drive and timing, and really imposed himself on the game. Mikel also managed to be more direct against West Brom and his passing was often full of attacking intent.
Jack Wilshere took the game by the scruff of the neck today. Not Cazorla or Rosicky turned out to be the conductor of our team today, but Jack, the beanstalk climbing, giant-killer was the one who led the team on the pitch against West Brom. There is still room for improvement for Jack – his final ball needs to improve a bit further and he missed a very good chance today – but his ability to give our team shape and purpose is incredibly important for us at the moment. Jack was simply fantastic today.
Our wingers were disciplined in keeping their shape and stick to their tasks. Ox played a lot better than he did on Tuesday, and hopefully he can build on his performance against the Baggies to regain his best form. Gervinho might have missed a few chances, but his overall play – especially his running with and without the ball – is so important for our team. His ability to take on defenders and get the ball into the box, simply means Arsenal have an added dimension; we are less predictable. If Gervais could just add a bit of sharpness to his game and gain more upper-body strength, he would be far better able to pick the fruits of all his hard work.
Our full backs were great today. Both Sagna and Gibbs really found the perfect balance between solid defending and supporting our attack against WBA, and I really hope the former signs a new contract and the latter can stay fit for a while. In our 4-3-3 system they are immensely important, and we are lucky to have two very good full backs at Arsenal.
Our centre backs, as well as our back-four as a whole, looked more in control and coordinated than I have seen them in a while. How many times did they manage to get the Baggies in an offsite position today? It all resulted in a well-deserved clean sheet.
As a team we pressed so much better than in recent games, and we were also able to win a lot of the one to one battles today, which is an improvement from recent games. WBA were never allowed to get into the game and this was mainly the result of our improved pressing and ability to dominate midfield.
The whole team did not only have a better shape and gelled a lot better; it also showed real passion and fight. Players stood up for themselves and each other today, and it was a joy to behold.
Despite our injuries, we were able to bring on three strong substitutes who were all able to contribute in us seeing the game through till the end. It is good to know that we will have an almost full squad available for the tough – and oh so crucial for gaining momentum – December and January fixtures.

Next up in the PL are away games against Reading and Wigan. There are no easy games in the PL for Arsenal this season, but with a strong squad, and a good possibility that the above mentioned eight positives can be repeated again in fixtures this month, Arsenal should be able to make further progress in the table. However, it will be key to further integrate Giroud into the team and provide him with quality service; and as team we need to score more in the PL by taking our chances better than we do currently.

Still a work in progress and another set-back cannot be ruled out, but we can take plenty of encouragement from today’s strong team performance.

Total Arsenal.

Edgy Wenger sees Wilshere-less Arsenal edge further away from top-four

November 24, 2012November 24, 2012TotalArsenal

It was always going to be difficult to win three games in seven days; and as expected, Arsenal struggled against lowly positioned Aston Villa today.

Five initial conclusions:

Arsenal are still too fragile for squad-rotation.

Arsene rotated three players for the Villa game: Wilshere, Vermaelen and Sagna, and guess what; the team lost its shape again and looked once more like it was put together for the first time. Gibbs did ok, Jenkinson was rusty and had no meaningful report with the Ox, and Rambo could once again not match the quality of his football with his incredible work rate. The Ox, who played his second game in a row, is also not making us forget Theo at the moment, which is starting to worry me a bit.

We might believe Arsene should rotate more, but today we saw why he is so reluctant to make unforced changes to his first eleven. His core, first-eleven team is improving quickly, but as soon as he makes more than the odd change, Arsenal drop their performance significantly.

Giroud’s service to the team is not being reciprocated.

Giroud is more and more developing into the team’s attacking pivot: he is everywhere and reads the game well. He is also getting better at shielding, and holding on to the ball. His lay-offs are also rapidly improving. Unfortunately, the quality of his service is not being reciprocated, and as a team we let him down today. Was there one decent cross in the entire game? I cannot remember any myself. Both ‘wingers’: The Ox and Pod, seldom or never made it to the by-line, and especially the latter had a number of poor first touches. Unfortunately, Gervinho, who came on as a substitute, did not do any better than either of the wingers.

Our midfield struggled badly without Wilshere.

In our 4-3-3 the midfield three are obviously very important, but Arteta, Rambo and Cazorla did not gel at all tonight. Cazorla worked his socks off and was pure class throughout the game; despite some lose ball at the end – clearly caused by fatigue.

At times, I wondered whether Arteta was actually on the pitch; he sat deep and got seldom involved in any of our attacking moves. We really missed Wilshere today, who understands so much better than Ramsey what is required of the lynchpin role. Wilshere is much better capable of holding on to the ball and moving forward with it with real intent.

Jack also has got a quickly improving understanding with Santi, as they seem to be able to think and act on the same wave-length. Sadly, Rambo does not offer this to the team, and it looks more and more now that he is not going to make it at Arsenal – something I say with a heavy heart.

At last, a clean sheet in the PL!

Well there was one silver lining today: our defence did well and kept a clean sheet in the PL – only our second clean sheet since our away win at Liverpool on the 2^nd September. As said earlier, the FB’s did ok defensively but offered little in the final third (especially Jenkinson). I thought the core-triangle of Szczesny-BFG-Koz did really well tonight. Our CB’s read the game brilliantly, and timed their interventions really well. They were also keen to help out in attack, as they realised that something extra was needed. Tonight’s game was once again proof to me that Mert and Koz are our best CB-pair at the moment.

Arsene was edgy throughout the game.

Arsene tried hard to get the team going from the side-lines, as he seemed to sense from early on that his team would struggle to find the quality to beat a struggling opponent. He even used the F-word at one stage, which tells us how disappointed he was in some of his players today. I like it when Arsene gets emotionally involved though. Unfortunately, he was not able to change the game with his substitutions or his side-line coaching tonight, and I expect him to be very disappointed in his team tonight.

Total Arsenal.

Unselfish Giroud too much for his old teammates: Arsenal 2 – 0 Montpellier

November 22, 2012November 22, 2012TotalArsenal

We almost take qualification into the next round of the CL for granted nowadays, but we only have to look at the Southern and Northern Oilers to realise how special it is to be once again in the last sixteen of the most prestigious club tournament in the world.

Montpellier made it hard for us in the first half by pressing constantly and not allowing us to keep the ball for long. I thought they did that really well; but as predicted they were not able to do much harm to us where it mattered most. They now only scored eight goals in their last seven games, and they must feel gutted seeing Giroud doing so well for us at the moment. I do feel for them a bit.

In the second half, Arsenal were better at keeping the ball and getting into areas where we could hurt them. Giroud proved to be the ideal attacking pivot in this game, as he unselfishly provided both Wilshere and Podolski with fine assists.

The first one started with a decent cross by Vermaelen towards Giroud; the Frenchman out-jumped his former teammates and presented Wilshere with the perfect assist. Jack did not believe his luck and calmly stroked the ball past and behind Jourdren. It was great to see the joy on Jack’s face: it had been two years – 10% of his entire life – since he scored last for Arsenal, so no wonder he was so pleased.

But the highlight of the night was the second goal. A strong and determined run by Ox, from the right-hand side towards Montpellier’s box, instigated the goal. Once he moved into the danger area, he passed the ball to Podolski just outside the box. The German quickly passed to Giroud, who also did not hesitate for a second and bounced the ball back to Podolski at the perfect height for his left howitzer. Podolski put all his venom into his volley, and Jourdren had no chance: a beautiful team goal, involving all three attackers.

After that, Montpellier tried to regain control but were never dangerous, and Arsenal could see out the game with relative ease.

A clean sheet and two fine goals; and Arsenal are now qualified for the next round: job truly and well done! With a bit of luck, there are no further injuries and we can start preparing for what will be, without any doubt, another tough, physical battle against Aston Villa in three days time.

I know many fellow Gooners reckon Arsenal have no chance to win the CL this year and they could well be right; but it is tournament in which luck plays a big part.

The clear favourites: Barcelona (Celtic), Real Madrid (Dortmund), and Bayern (Bate Borisov), have all been beaten in Europe already, and there is no reason to believe we cannot beat them too.

Clearly, Arsenal are outsiders, but you never know; maybe Arsene will be holding up the cup with the big ears at Wembley on the 25 May 2013. Stranger things have happened! 🙂

Total Arsenal.