match afterthoughts – Page 3

Chaos without Giroud, Ozil saves us, One problem to fix: Match Analysis

February 11, 2015February 11, 2015TotalArsenal

After the very disappointing defeat in the derby, we were all desperate for a five-star performance against bottom club Leicester City at the home of football.

The combination of a good overall run of games, the 5-0 trashing of the Villains recently and the narrow loss against the Spuds, made us all feel extra positive about last night’s game. So expectations were high, even though we knew that Leicester are not a bad team and have managed to (semi)scalp a few top-four contenders in recent months. They also had nothing to lose and a manager who has the support of the team and yet is under enormous pressure: a combination that makes a team want to fight.

We have to applaud the Foxes for not sitting back and making it a cup-tie sort of game. They never gave up and played some fine football throughout the match.

Many on Bergkampesque know that I am a big believer in the need for Giroud in our current team. He is not the world best Centre Forward, but I cannot think of a better all-round holding striker in the EPL. He is also our attacking pivot around whom we build our play. I have to say I was surprised not to see him on the team sheet. With Sanogo on loan, we do not have a like for like player and it showed.

We basically played six at the back – Ospina, Bellerin, BFG, Koz, Monreal and Le Coq – and five attacking midfielders. There was lots of movement and the ball was passed well at times, but we also lacked understanding and automatism between the players to a large extent. We dominated play in the first half but did not create many clear cut chances without Giroud being there to bounce the ball off; the sumptuous throughball by Ozil to Theo in the box being the highlight of the first half.

But for all the criticism we can sling at the team, we are good at scoring goals at the moment: eight goals in the last three encounters gives an average of 2.67 a game, and this is what is saving us currently. And once again, Ozil delivered the bread and butter stuff, with two fine assists this time round. I really don’t get the criticism on BK and other blogs about our fabulous German maestro. He was bought to add invention, attacking intent, assists and goals and he is delivering big style, yet many focus on his perceived lack of effort. I say perceived as his stats always show he puts in tons of efforts, often not visible on the screen. What is visible to everyone, though, is his goals and assists tally since he has returned, and we should bless our cotton socks he is fully fit again.

So, although our attacking efforts lacked structure and cutting edge, we got away with it by scoring from a corner and on the rebound from a speculative, yet fierce, Ozil long-distance shot. Koz took his chance very calmly and Theo was decisive and lethal when he had his second good chance of the match.

Thanks Voetbal International for picture

I am not saying we cannot play without Giroud in the centre, but it is obvious to me that every time we do not play him we miss shape and purpose and it will take time for the team to learn to play without him. Do I want us to practice this at this stage of the season? Non merci!

Leicester had actually created the better chances from playing good football and were unlucky to be behind at the break by two goals. They were playing with freedom and enthusiasm and we gave them far too much space, especially on our right hand side (as we did against the Spuds as well).

And this brings me to the biggest issues we are facing currently: general shape of the team and, in particular, our struggle with dominating midfield and controlling the flow between defence and attack. We are lacking connection between our attackers and defenders and this is the biggest challenge for Wenger to resolve.

Many seem to underestimate how difficult this is, as the risk of getting our defence exposed too much is always there. The modern game is all about the battle in midfield and to win it we need a good mix of skills and a great understanding between the players; we also need the attackers to chip in when we need to defend as a team, and our defenders to support the midfield when we need to put pressure on the opposition.

It is great to have more and more players back but there is also a price to pay. It takes time to fit the likes of Theo and Ozil, Ospina and Bellerin and Coquelin into the team. On top of that, Ramsey, who in the b2b role is one of our most important players, has not hit full form as yet. And now it looks like he will be out for a long period once again. Coquelin has been a revelation since he started to play as our deep DM, but also he is not faultless of course.

It is clear to me that Arsene is looking hard to find the balance in midfield and with Ramsey out he will have to face another challenge. Some want more physical power in midfield but I am not convinced this is the main factor. Le Coq has definitely added a lot in this respect. What we are lacking is the ability to hold on to the ball in tight spaces and make darting runs forward. An inform Ramsey is good at this, and a fully fit Wilshere is even better at it. Wilshere also has a strong need to own the midfield and fight for dominance, and his forward link-up play from deep in midfield is very good. But it remains to be seen whether he can play an important role for us this season, as his fitness remains a big issue.

Rosicky and Santi should be good alternatives for the odd game or two, but it looks like they cannot do this for the team on a regular basis. Rosa looks more effective in the hole or in a free role and Santi is struggling with the physical demands of playing so deep most of the time.

If Wenger can fix this particularly area – and how he would wish either Jack or Diaby were fit right now – we will see this team hitting the heights once more; and we are closer to this than many think.

Positives from the game:

Not one…;
Not two….;
But three points, and that three days after an epic battle with the Spuds;

The Spuds dropped three points and let’s see how many points fellow competitors drop tonight.

Sometimes we should just be a bit more happy with the ugly gift horses we get and not complain as much about how we got them. Arsene never promised us a rose garden… and beauty is for the Spring anyway . 😉

By TotalArsenal.

Le Coq & BFG Solid, Nacho Fearless, Ozil Scores Again: 8 Positives from Game

February 8, 2015February 9, 2015TotalArsenal

Well that was a disappointing game and outcome. We sat deep and invited pressure, with the aim to beat the Spuds on the counter. Prior to the game I was very much for us sitting deep and playing compact, and I praise Wenger for doing so. And initially it paid off handsomely, as we scored a goal from a sharp and incisive counter – with a lucky deflection off Giroud’s leg, mind you – early on in the game.

Playing so deep and compact and with such little possession of the ball, is still quite alien to us. It is not the Arsenal way and we should not expect us to be brilliant at it straightaway. Yes it worked against the Northern Oilers last month, but it did not work against the Southern Oilers earlier in the season. I am pleased that we are playing deeper in these sorts of games, though. Many of us have wanted this for a long time, and although we lost against the Spuds, and overall deservedly so, it was still the best tactics against them. We will learn our lessons from these encounters and get better at playing deep and compact in order to win games on the counter.

And the one thing we need to analyse is how the team was unable to release the pressure they were under and did not counter more effectively. The easiest thing to do is to say that such and such were not good enough or had a bad day, and that we missed such and such, etc.

There is merit in some of the criticism some of our players got after the game, and yes we missed the likes of Theo, Alexis, Wilshere, Ox, Rosicky and Debuchy yesterday (all not in the starting eleven). But the players on the pitch were all very good and many of them were key in getting three points in Manchester recently.

Our prolonged inability to break through the pressure line of the Spuds needs analysing and then we need to get better at this through hard work in training. We just cannot expect Arsenal to be brilliant straightaway at what is an unnatural way of playing the game for us. The Spuds’ manager outsmarted us in midfield and Wenger was unable to break it in the second half. This can of course happen, and let’s not forget the referee had an absolute shocker, allowing them to foul us without consequences and handing out yellow cards to our players willy-nilly.

Yet we had chances to take the lead again after they had equalised, and football is, whether we like it or not, still a game of chance and luck to some extent. And for the same money the BFG would have earned us a penalty for what was a very silly foul on him. Wenger is also right in stating that both goals against us were bad defensive mistakes.

But the best team won and we have another game in two days; and except for the title, there is everything to play for, with the Northern Oilers just seven points away from us in second place. The boys will learn from this encounter and the next time we apply similar tactics against a strong opponent away, or even at home, we will be better at it.

Eight positives from the game:

Mertesacker lead his defence very well and he read the game perfectly. Sitting deep and playing compact really suits Per and he handled the pressure very well. The Spuds had chances but many were shots from outside the box as the defence was able to keep the Spuds away from getting inside our box. He was not helped by a lack of discipline and protection from our right-sided players – Bellerin and Welbeck – and yet he made a number of vital interceptions and clearances stemming from danger from the Spuds’ left wing.
Coquelin was solid and tenacious, and most importantly in such a heated derby, disciplined and composed. He protected the back-four very well and was able to match the Spuds’ energy levels during most of the game.
Ozil scored another fine goal: three in three now, and that is just the part he needed to add to his game at Arsenal, as he scored just five goals in 26 PL encounters last season. He got outmuscled a few times, but more than once through a foul on him. Mesut suffered a lot from our inability to play the ball out of our defence and therefore was not always very effective on the day.
Monreal was up for this and there was no way through our left back. He was tenacious and aggressive and played a very professional game for 90 minutes.
Our starting tactics for the game were spot on, and for me this is a big positive this season. We showed them too much respect and were unable to release the pressure enough in the second half, so, as per the above, we need to improve further. But our compact and deep sitting approach to these sort of games is a welcome, necessary change.
Ospina handled the pressure well and his focus was strong throughout the game. His early Kane safe was crucial and he was never intimidated during the game. But he is also quite small, and I wonder whether this was the main cause for him parrying the ball back into the danger zone on a number of occasions when dealing with shots from outside the box. He was lucky to get away with this on more than one occasion and I reckon a taller keeper would have been able to tip the ball that led the Spuds’ equaliser over the crossbar. But his composure and energy were brilliant and as such he kept us in the game for a long time (but not without a healthy dollop of luck).
We have only one more hard away game to go this season, as we played at Pool, Everton, Chavs, Northern Oilers, Saints, and now Spuds already. We are in strong position to push on towards the second spot but key is to keep momentum going.
Alexis will be back soon. 😉

So let’s not despair but see it as a big learning opportunity for the boys and Wenger. The biggest enemy of momentum is lack of self belief, and the best way to strengthen our belief is by winning the next game. OGAAT! 🙂

Bring on the Foxes on Tuesday.

COYG!

By TotalArsenal.

Santi & Ozil dazzle, Giroud MOTM, BFG controls, Bellerin matures: 8 positives from game

February 2, 2015February 2, 2015TotalArsenal

Well that was just what the winter-blues doctor ordered: five cracking goals, a clean sheet, two points gained on both Oiler teams and three on the Saints. It was not all super positive as we failed to add a second goal in a dominant first half and allowed Aston Villa a few half-decent chances at the start of the second half. But once the second goal went in the Villains’ resolve was damaged beyond repair and we then powered on emphatically.

Not much time tonight, but here are my eight positives from the game:

I loved the maturity of our play, with us sitting deeper and playing compact and disciplined. We even had slightly less possession than the Villains but were a million times more efficient with the ball throughout the ninety minutes. As Keown just pointed out on MOTD, the triangle between Aaron, Le Coq and Santi worked a treat. Together they gave the defence fantastic protection and linked up really well with our attacking three. They all put in a shift and made the vital difference in midfield on the day.
There is a great spine in the team now: Ospina – Koz/BFG – Coq/Rambo – Giroud: they protect the shape and allow our mobile and creative players to add creativity and attacking flair. A solid, disciplined and cohesive spine is so important to a team and we are looking stronger every week in this respect.
Ospina is keeping Szczesny out of the team at the moment after another calm and controlled performance. His decision making has been as good as faultless, and the Weimann stop was crucial: a case of good anticipation and energetic and decisive intervention even when he was still ‘cold in the game’ until then. His distribution and long distance link-up play with Giroud was very impressive again, and the CBs seem to really trust him. Bigger tests will surely come but this is a fantastic development for him and Arsenal.
Bellerin is another example of a fantastic development and another proof of Shakespeare’s ‘oh the sweet uses of adversity’ line. This guy is taking his (surely unexpected) opportunity with all he has got, and his confidence and concentration are very impressive for such a young talent. The icing on the cake was of course his brilliantly placed goal: what a prospect (and poor Chambers will not be sleeping very well tonight…).
Giroud my MOTM. He was involved in virtually all our attacks, either on the ball or off the ball. He scored the first, produced a peach of an assist for the second, and created the space for Theo to score the third. His link-up play was good again and he battled for the team all over the pitch: a pivotal player in more than one way.
Ozil and Cazorla were close second MOTM. Ozil for his all-round display, sublimely flicked assist for Giroud’s first, both in terms of quick anticipation and execution, and his vitally important goal (our second); and Cazorla for his fine assists and general, unselfish play: his assist for Bellerin was sweet in more ways than one.
The BFG was fantastic in defence today, especially towards the end: read the game brilliantly and produced a fine number of interceptions and clearances. And he almost had a rare assist with a brilliant cross in the box for Akpom. Sit deep, protect the BFG and he will honour his name. Koz and Monreal also had fine games.
We have given the Villains such a big spanking that they will be in total war-mode when the Chavs come and visit. I expect them to get something from the Southern Oilers – This PL season might not be over yet. 😉

These are my big eight positives but I am sure there are more… And will Arsenal still sign someone before the TW closes, and if so: who?

Let’s be having you. 🙂

By TotalArsenal.

Ozil & Theo pure class | Rosicky true Gunner | Szczesny is BACK | BFG missed: Eight positives from game

January 26, 2015TotalArsenal

Thanking Voetbal International for picture. Theo is BACK!

We are through to the next round after a typical FA Cup battle against a first meek, and then resurgent, Brighton & HA.

Our football during the first half was very, very good. Wenger had opted to play Giroud central, with a beautiful variety of midfielders and the king of speed behind and around him. The Seagulls’ pitch looked very large on TV and we really knew how to use the space. Of course the very early goal helped to settle our nerves, as we could strut our stuff with flair and confidence. Rosicky was rampant and Ozil majestic, Rambo was motoring and Theo looked indeed like a brand new, shiny signing.

We played like the Arsenal we know and love and I guess the only thing missing was the all important third goal. In a cup game there is always a chance that the opponent gets an unexpected goal and then hell breaks lose…. and so it did.

A wild clearance by Rosicky puts Chambers in trouble and the young Englishman’s response is not strong enough; O’Grady smells his opportunity and skins Flamini far too easily; his shot is instinctive, hard and well placed: Koz, on the unfamiliar Right CB side, cannot block it and Szczesny has absolutely no chance. 1-2 with forty minutes to go: not good.

Luckily, we score the all important third goal within 10 minutes of O’Grady’s and all seems under control again. But another piece of bad collective defending leads to a good through ball which Baldock chipped impressively over Szczesny, who once again had no chance. A game like this helps us all to see how important the BFG is for this team: his organisation and leadership skills and reading of the game were badly missed today.

2-3 with 15 minutes to go, and, given this weekend’s freak results, this does not feel good. Luckily, Arsene can bring on fresh blood and both Akpom and Alexis succeed in taking the pressure away from our brittle, makeshift looking defence and midfield. We have a few more good chances for a fourth goal, but the game finishes without any further goals.

Arsenal are through and survive the FACUP-apocalypse. Reason for collective happiness? Ahhh not so in spoilt Goonerland..

Eight Positives:

How good is Rosicky? A fine, measured assist for Ozil and a brilliant goal to take us to the fifth round. It is such a bonus to have him in our side and I hope he will stay a few more years at least. He drove us on and made such good use of the fantastic movement of his fellow attackers. What a player.
Ozil looked very good, especially given his lengthy absence. His goal was very well taken, with a great first touch and using both of his feet very well to get the shot away. Is there a slicker looking, more intelligent midfielder in the country? Pure class.
Theo was hungry and healthily selfish, and his goal was sublime: a superb first touch, followed by a quick turn and razor sharp shot into the corner. WOW! He had great energy and thrust and once fully up to speed, he will be unstoppable, especially if he can find a balance between selfishness and VCC.
All three goals were beauties. We have seen Liverpool, Man City and Man United play 90 minutes against lower league opposition and not score a single goal this weekend. We score three and all of them are very well taken goals; and we could have had more. And today our usual goal scorers, Giroud and Alexis, did not even get on the score sheet. Having our goals spread across the team is just brilliant.
Szczesny had a faultless return to the team and played with great concentration. I was particularly pleased to see he had no rush of blood for Brighton’s second goal: rather than diving desperately in front of Baldock, he just made himself as big as he could to put the striker off. It did not pay off but at least he did not cause a penalty and a red card. I am not the biggest fan of Wojciech but he impressed me today.
Akpom is no Giroud and will never be, as they are two different types of centre forwards. But his cameo impressed me. There was plenty of space for him of course, as Brighton & HA were taking more risks at the latter stage of the game, which suited him well. He ran well at defenders and helped to release the pressure on our defence a lot, and I liked his confidence.
Giroud played really well for the team and gave great shape to our attack, especially in the first half. How important has he become? His goals and assists tally per game is very impressive this season, but he is also happy to play for the team and work hard to create space and opportunities for others. Is there a better holding striker in the PL? Top man and vitally important.
Last but not least, is the strength of our squad right now. When we had to dig deep, we brought on Alexis, Akpom and Coquelin, and there were other options like the BFG and Cazorla on the bench. At the business end of the season, it is great to have such strength in depth and let’s hope that Paulista, if indeed his signing for Arsenal goes ahead, can stand in for BFG, as we are desperate for a proper left sided back-up CB in the short term.

An intriguing game with the desired outcome and plenty of positives to take to our next game: bring on the Villians! 🙂

By TotalArsenal.

Santi dances, Rambo and le Coq rock, Giroud head-bangs: eight positives from game

January 19, 2015January 19, 2015TotalArsenal

It was no Wengerball; it was no total football. But it was just the team performance the red and white footie doctor had ordered: solid, determined, energetic, predatory, and victorious. Many of us have argued that in the big games we should play compact in defence, lay deeper and work our socks off, and then beat our title competitors on the break.

And that is exactly what the Gunners did against Citeh today; and had we been a bit more tuned in and clinical up-front, we could have won with more goals.

Of course, the best thing in the world is to beat these opponents with free-flowing, attacking footie, but this might have to wait for a while. Every new palace needs a solid foundation first.

Today’s performance shows that we can play a more solid, defensive game if we have to: and we got the full rewards for it. Had we lost today the gap between us and the Northern Oilers would have been unbridgeable; but in a week’s time it could be just six or five points (when the battle of the Oilers takes place and we play home against the Villains). The Chavs are too far ahead of us, but we can still gun Citeh down; and, given the difficult start of the season, that would still be a good finish to the PL season in some respect.

We ‘scalped’ the Northern Oilers twice now this season and fought hard for a draw at home as well.

Significantly, winning today’s away game has the potential to move us onto a higher platform: the win builds confidence and belief, and with a number of stars returned and returning – did you see that sexy bench today? – we should be able to repeat this performance against the Spuds (in three weeks), the Chavs and the Mancs. Other than one or two good cup runs and a high finish in the PL, learning how to beat our closest rivals would be a great, much needed outcome of the 2014-15 season.

Positives from Man City v Arsenal:

Le Coq stood tall. I had doubts whether Francis would survive in this game, but he had a quietly brilliant game: he was solid, kept it simple and played with great discipline. He showed a great nose for advancing danger and positioned himself really well. His interventions were strong and decisive, and he moved play on well. OzG could be right after all, and no additional DM will be bought anytime soon… What a development!
Cazorla was totally in his element. The free role in our 4-2-1-3 formation today suits him so well. Santi was instrumental in releasing the pressure on our defence with his ability to hold onto the ball in very tight spaces and find a way to play it to a fellow attacker. Furthermore, it was a big penalty to take, and he converted it calmly and professionally; and his free-kick provided the assist for Giroud’s all important second goal. He helped out everywhere and was great support for his fellow midfielders. An inspired, passionate performance, and I feel I owe him an apology but that is for another post. Santi Santi ahahaha 🙂
Ramsey offered a lot of support to our defence and attack today. He was clearly rusty as his final ball and attempts on goal showed us, but he linked up midfield and attack well and helped out Coquelin constantly. I would not have opted for him today, as I believed both Flamini and Rosicky were more suited for this match, but Aaron put in a good shift. There is new life in the Welsh engine room…
We defended as a team: all eleven of ‘us’. I thought Alexis had an off day from an attacking point of view (compared to his high standards) but he put in a good defensive shift (although not faultless). To a large extent, the same goes for Ox, although he had a couple of good moments in attack, notably the excellent run and cross into the box to Giroud. But he also put in a disciplined defensive shift (although not faultless either). The Gunners wanted it more today.
The Full Backs were very keen and kept the City flank penetrations to a minimum. This was crucial as they love to get behind defences from the sides in order to crack them open. Bellerin was very impressive with his positioning and interventions; and Monreal showed great, healthy aggression and energy on the left flank. Both also offered great support going forward, and it was Nacho’s involvement up-front that earned him and us the beautiful gift of a penalty (deserved, but I was still amazed the ref gave it to us so early in the game). The FBs were on fire.
Koz was a beast throughout the game. He hovered up so many balls and his presence and raw energy was enormous. Playing compact and deep suits both Koz and (obviously) the BFG, especially if they get very fine support in front of them by the midfielders. Our CBs were a great mixture of calm interventions/positioning and organisation on the one hand (BFG), and power and aggression on the other hand (Koz). Absolute bliss.
Ospina did not have a lot to do, but he was calm and somehow always ‘present’. He also felt no need to get unnecessarily involved and handled the high balls into the box well. I love the way the away fans shouted his name every time he was kicking the ball out. Nice touch.
Giroud worked hard for the team but, crucially, he took one of his few chances to decide the game for us. It just looked that Alexis was not going to score today, so we needed somebody else to step up. Santi did so from the penalty spot and Ollie from a free-kick at a crucial point in the game. City had looked strong at the start of the second half and we were buckling quite a bit under the pressure, so we needed that second goal desperately, and Giroud delivered right on time. Priceless.

A big compliment should also go to Arsene. He opted to include three relatively young/inexperienced players in his team – Bellerin, Le Coq and Ox – and started with the rusty Ramsey, and it all worked out brilliantly. I did not think this could work, but he proved me wrong. 🙂

There is so much to take from this game and to discuss. What are your positives and negatives from the game? Have we turned a corner now?

By TotalArsenal.

The Coquelin Miracle, Streetwise Alexis, Koz is back: Eight positives from game.

January 11, 2015January 12, 2015TotalArsenal

How easy was that? Easiest win of the season as the Orcs were scared into submission with all that bright light and unattainable football quality at the home of football.

They tried to rough us up for a while but Koz and Alexis put them to the sword with great ease, and that was it: job done. The only thing I regret is that we let the Debuchy injury go unpunished: sometimes I wish we were more streetwise and show the rest of the PL that we will not be messed with.

Eight Positives from the game:

Alexis keeps delivering and was totally unimpressed with anything the Orcs threw at him. He is very streetwise and fantastic at avoiding contact with opponents when it is best to do so, yet he is not scared of any one and made of granite. His assist was simple and effective: just a case of quick thinking and good delivery; his first goal was very clever: he gave the keeper the eye, indicating he would once again opt for the far corner (just before that Begovic had made a fine safe from a similar attempt) and then steering it precisely into the near corner; and then there was the free-kick: a touch of luck but great capitalisation on the Orcs’ nerves. What a Player!
The triangle of the disciplined Coquelin, the wise Rosicky and the creative Santi. It worked very well again (as Gerry and others have already pointed out). Key is Rosicky’s understanding of the role, which is all about finding the balance of defensive support for Coquelin and adding attacking impetus by giving Santi support. Rosa did this very well. Coquelin was composed and strong and excelled in keeping it simple: what is happening all of a sudden….. a mini miracle in my opinion! Santi played with zest and passed the ball round incisively: our Spanish maestro seems to accept/understand that he is better suited in creating chances/key passes for others this season, rather than desperately being at the end of them all the time. With the likes of Alexis, Giroud and now Theo up-front we have very good goal scorers and what they need is silver service, and Santi’s is delivering it very nicely indeed right now.
Koz looked sharp and played well for the whole game. We all know how important he is for this team, not just in his own role but also in terms of getting the best out of the BFG and the LB position. It looks like we are going to miss Debuchy for a while but if we can get Koz involved, fully fit, for the rest of the season then that is a huge plus.
Ospina dealt well with the little threat he had to deal with, but, more importantly, he seemed to fit well with the back-four. They all seemed relaxed and trusting of Ospina and that is a good sign for a goalie that has played so few games for Arsenal. I had a feeling The Colombian would start (as per preview), but it appears that Wenger did not tell Wojciech his decision to not play him till just before the start of the game. I am sure this will be continued and let’s hope Szczesny senior will keep his gob shut.
Bellerin did really well at RB and is progressing on a par with his blistering speed. Ox showed lots of energy and thrust, and is getting closer to meaningful contributions (goals and assists). Nacho played with real bite and lots of healthy aggression. Giroud battled well and played in the service of the team, and he also did well to stand above the Orcs’ attempts to provoke him.
Ozil and Theo are back. Bliss.
We are above the Spuds and gained three points on the Mancs.
Clean Sheet.

So, a good, easy win with plenty of positives to take from. And the perfect preparation for the battle with the Northern Oilers?

What did you make of the game?

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Did Arsene finally sign the next Henry?

January 5, 2015TotalArsenal

And other observations and afterthoughts from an important FA Cup win.

I don’t know about you, but I thought yesterday’s game against Hull was a bizarre one. The Tigers were toothless and sedated, clearly just making up the numbers and focussing merely on their defence. Arsenal played some fabulous football but lacked killer instinct, seemingly unable to finish off our opponents.

Never change a winning team, they say; unless, of course, you don’t believe you can win and feel there are bigger fish to fry. They had made ten changes to the team that beat Everton on New Year’s Day and, although some rotation is necessary around this time of year, this was a clear indication of how Bruce viewed his chances/the importance of making it to the next round.

Yet, Arsenal had looked shattered in their last game against the Saints, and continuous injuries to a large number of key players meant that Hull could and should have had a go. But, I guess if you are only two points above the relegation zone, and think of Wigan, who won the FA Cup just 1.5 years ago but are now second from bottom in the Championship, one can understand Hull’s reluctance to go all out for a win at the Home of Football. Survival in the PL is surely, but to some extent sadly, their one and only objective this season.

We played some good football with the rejuvenated Rosicky making the difference in the beginning. Rosa on the ball in full, elegant flight makes me think of those streamlined skiers doing the down hill slalom. His nickname should be graceful dynamo (JM take note! 🙂 ), and his energy and quality end products were key in the first half. Cazorla was also involved and effective, and behind them ‘last-chance-saloon’ Le Coq offered almost solid protection to our make-shift back-four (Bel-BFG-Cha-Mon). Hull did not pressure him much it has to be said, but he still had a very good performance (except for one or two reckless looking moments, maybe).

Wenger had positioned the hardly tested Campbell and long-term injured Theo on the wings and workaholic Alexis in the centre. There was great fluency up-front and the Hull defence were pulled all over the place. Our Chilean full blooded Cabernet Sauvignon proved to be a very good stand-in for Ollie, as he was able to find a good balance between playing the holding striker role as well as being deadly in the box himself.

However, we were wasteful up-front, and we did not capitalise on all our running and passing the ball round so well early on. Luckily, the BFG, despite having played in all recent games, was strong and fresh enough to out-jump the switched off Hull defence and score a Giroudesque opening goal after twenty minutes.

After that, there were more chances but the rusty Walcott and disappointing (and rusty) Campbell were wasteful when the game should have been put to bed. Our inability to put weakened opposition decisively to the sword – think of our shenanigans against 100% ‘away-games losers’ QPR on Boxing Day – remains a worry.

And I reckon this is what Alexis foresaw from the start and why he was desperate to start the game, even though he had been offered to have a rest. Everyone knows that winning the FA Cup remains our best chance for silverware this season and the red hot chilli pepper does not want to miss out on it. However much Cazorla has improved and Rosicky and Ox offer drive and enthusiasm, without Ollie, Rambo and Pod, and Theo and Joel not having their shooting boots on as yet, we are simply not deadly enough in front of goal.

Sanchez scored a fabulous, dare I say, Henryesque goal to give us all a calm end to the game. And just for this, we should love him.

In summary:

Ospina and the defence did okay but, to be fair, were rarely tested.
Le Coq needs a bit of coaching by the Flam, but might just keep himself in the squad with his recent performances. He adds bite and energy/stamina and finds through-balls easier already than Arteta or Flamini. However, we still need to add an experienced ready-to-roll DM, before anybody starts thinking differently… 🙂
Alexis in the middle could be a long term alternative, especially if we get a Draxler or Reus to play on the left wing (this TW or in the summer). I am starting to believe Admir’s claim that Alexis will turn into the next Henry.
Theo made some good runs, especially in the second half. His first touch and finishing were poor but this surely will improve again. The really good news is that he survived in the game and showed us again what he will bring to the team.
Cazorla and Rosicky played very well together and should be played more often.
Campbell tried very hard and made some good runs – with and without the ball – but his finishing and some of his passing were well below par. I hope he will get more chances to show us what he is capable off.

It was an important win as the FA cup really matters to us. We made it hard for ourselves by not scoring the second goal much earlier in the game, but the job was eventually done by one of the best Wenger signings ever. However much we doubt his ability to push us on to the next level once again, let’s never forget that he can still attract the very best to come to the Home of Football.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Just wait till Ozil, Jack and Rambo are back!! Liverpool – Arsenal Review

December 22, 2014December 22, 2014TotalArsenal

36% possession, three shots on target, two goals…. does that sound like Arsenal? Yesterday, we were outplayed throughout most of the match and yet we came so close to fantastically raid the Scousers for all three points.

A few years ago, after we beat Pool early on in the season, I read on a Liverpool blog something along the line of ‘You have to give it to Arsenal, they come to Anfield and just play their game as they always do’. Yes our style of football and system of play were our hallmarks, and they gave us strength wherever we would go for so many years under Wenger.

Yesterday we saw the reverse. It was Arsenal that adjusted its system of football and tactics, whilst Liverpool bravely stuck to their system and style religiously. I have no doubt that Rodgers has studied Arsene’s approach to football intensely over the years, and he is coming closer and closer to the French (former) master of possession and passing football. Arsene has, post-modernly, moved on again and is trying to get Arsenal to play a new, different style of football. For this he is heavily reliant on having the right players fit and available, it seems. That is the friendly explanation, as there is also cause for concern that Arsene just is not able anymore to get his players to reach the level of performances, and with that the required style and system of football, needed to reach the very top.

I was all for not playing a high line at Anfield and applaud Wenger for doing so. I was also in favour for a double-DM pivot that could push Pool’s midfield back and give the back-four breathing space. I expected Wenger to play Coquelin next to the Flame to accomplish this. He opted for the Ox instead which, in hindsight, was not his best choice. Pool played 3-4-3 and their approach was reminiscent of the way Dortmund played us off the pitch in Germany. They floaded our midfield and we just could not keep the ball long enough to set up an attack. They pressed us hard and ran very well with and off the ball, and their passing was slicker and more accurate.

Pool basically succeeded in separating our attack from the rest of the team, making Welbeck, Giroud and, to some extent Alexis, look like lost desperados. Both Ox and Santi had a big role in preventing this, and especially in the first half they totally underperformed. Santi had a much, much better second half, sitting deeper and helping out the, for his age, phenomenal Flamini.

Flamini had so much weight on his puffed-out chest that he got pushed back all the way into the CBs area more and more. Given these circumstances, the defence did very, very well in keeping Pool mostly away from the box, only giving away half-chances from outside the box, or just inside the box, and always having enough bodies there to prevent them from scoring. Alas, it took till the very last minute of the first half, and a very good piece of skill by Coutinho, to finally beat the then knackered BFG-Debuchy-Flamini ‘triangle of determination’.

Our back six had worked their socks off and it was harsh to see them concede so late in the half, even though Pool deserved it. But these guys care about Arsenal and, fully against the run of play, it was the triangle of determination that showed the Scousers how a good robbery should be done. BFG and Flamini win their headers in the box from a free-kick and the latter directs it into the path of the third musketeer, Debuchy. Amazingly, the Frenchman out-jumps Skrtel and puts in a strong header to which the keeper has no answer.

We started a bit better in the second half, with a bit more support for Flamini. I was hoping Wenger would replace the Ox or the totally ineffective Welbeck with Coquelin, as to give Flamini more support (Ox could have been moved to the wing), but Wenger opted to give new instructions rather than bringing on new players (as usual) and it seemed to work. Then came to long injury-treatment to Skrtel nasty looking head injury. Liverpool kept their possession and pressing footie going in the remainder of the second half, but also remained quite toothless inside our box (oh how they wished bitey was still around 😛 ).

And as we know so well ourselves, if you dominate a good team but don’t score during a prolonged period, then sooner or later you might pay the price. And so Pool did. Gibbs powered forward with the ball, finding (much improved in the second half) Giroud with his back towards the Pool goal. He quickly, and so typically, releases Santi into the box and the Spaniard then produces the sweetest of low diagonal crosses back into the centre of the box; and who is there to ram it home, low and hard…. Nanananananana Geeeeroud.

This is the 64^th minute and we are 1-2 up at Anfield. What to do: attack for a third and complete the robbery in style or sit back and hold on…. The former seems the best option, and for a short while I sensed we could get that all important two-goal cushion. But Pool have tremendous energy and are rightly fuelled by a sense of injustice and a passionate home crowd (and if there is something the Scousers cannot take it is a perceived injustice!). We almost buckle under the pressure and are fully pushed back again. Cazorla plays his best football now: he is able to hold onto the ball and find space to release it to another player, away from the danger zone, regularly. The team succeeds in keeping Pool mostly outside the box and give away only half chances. We fight like lions at the back.

Wenger, eventually and late, brings on Coquelin, but for Giroud and not for the unfit looking Ox, or the still lolloping Welbeck. He will have had his reasons, but I felt we needed OG desperately for defending the set-pieces, where he is such an important force to have.

Because of Skrtel’s nasty injury there is a whopping nine minutes of extra time, and in the 96^th minute it is the blooded Slovak Slayer himself who towers above everybody and powers the ball into the goal. Lallana’s out-swinging corner had surprised all our defenders and nobody picked up Skrtel; but the corner-kick had also fooled Gibbs who thought Lallana had aimed it towards a Liverpool player at the near post, making him move towards that player and vacating his position at Szczesny’s left post…. Had he stayed, he might have saved the three points for us, but that is football.

I was proud of our defence today, even though they messed up for the late equaliser. Flamini was immense and Cazorla and Giroud improved significantly in the second half. Alexis struggled to get into this game, but he was given bad service and support throughout the game; at least he was very effective in helping out our defence.

Rodgers’ system of football was superior on the night and we did not have an adequate answer. I am convinced this was down to us playing too many second choice players on the night and Wenger being left with little choice but to sit back and absorb the Pool pressure.

We needed midfielders who are experienced and confident on the ball in crowded spaces, who can hold on to the ball and make a burst forward if need be, and who can pass accurately. Jack and Ozil are such players, and so is an in-form Rambo. Rosicky can do this too, of course, but he was not even on the bench.

To be fair to Ox and Cazorla, Giroud did not play well in the first half and Welbeck really offered a very poor outlet for the ball, and the Pool tactics very cleverly cut the three attackers off from the rest of the team.

In the end we got a point and were given a good footballing lesson: nothing wrong with that. The team held strong defensively and I liked that a lot. Any defence enduring 27 shots of which ten on target and surviving a game largely played in their own half, should be applauded. Shame for the late equaliser, but let’s look at the bigger picture rather than picking on the one incident…

Plenty of food for thought and I am looking forward to your views, insights, constructive rants and irrational positives. 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8kyl8aoesQ

TotalArsenal.

Wenger and Ramsey Are Teaching Us a Lesson

December 10, 2014December 10, 2014TotalArsenal

Yesterday’s game against the team with five As in its name was very pleasing on the eye. It was obvious that Galatasaray did not care much about the match as they attacked without vigour and defended without much care. There was so much space and time to play the ball round for us, and for once the team had their shooting boots on from the start. Alexis will have been nodding his head sagely from the comfort of his couch, massively encouraged by the quality of the finishing by his fellow team mates.

Happiness is a warm Gunner, bang-bang-shoot-shoot, and both the Pod and the Ram showed the Turks where to put their post stamps from now on with stunning technical shots into the left-hand corner of the goal. The game was over in no time, with Ramsey’s beautifully placed pile driver sealing it once and for all.

There is a balance to be held in our Arsenal team: one of hard workers on the one hand and high technically skilled stars on the other. Flamini, BFG, Giroud, Sanogo, Nacho, Welbeck, Koz and one or two others are the hard workers, and the likes of Ozil, Wilshere, Ox, Diaby, Walcott etc are the truly gifted ones. The latter group will have to put in a shift as well in order to become first teamers in Arsene’s regular eleven, but this is not their natural strength.

Of course, we also need players who have a lot of both, grafters and craftsmen in one if you like; and we all know who they are: Alexis, Gibbs, Debuchy, Chambers (still needs developing though), Arteta and Ramsey. Arteta is getting on a bit now and will need replacing, although he should be retained in the squad for a few years to come.

Getting the balance right is key and for that Wenger would love to have his whole squad available. Hopefully soon, we will have a fully fit (or there about) squad available and then we can truly judge the quality of our team compared to other top teams.

The spine of the team is so important, and in the middle of the spine we need a good DM AND the engine….. the box to box midfielder, the linker between attack and defence.

And for this, Ramsey is very, very important (and so is Wilshere but that is for another post). It looked for a while that he just was not able to get back to his fantastic form of last season, as if the b2b-Beast potion he had swallowed back then had finally ran its course. His passing was heavy and his goal attempts were rubbish, and it just looked like he would continue to struggle for a long time.

Many fellow Gooners felt he should be benched and other players should be given a chance. But, as I have explained on a few occasions, Wenger does not work that way. He knows that Aaron is out of form, but also that he has not lost his qualities or drive.

It was simply a matter of having trust in him and giving him confidence. This is not done by benching a player and showing him the competition is ready to dump him on the bench for good, or worse. Management by fear and sanctions is not Wenger’s style: he is a Y-manager and not an X-manager, using McGregor’s classification of managers. He believes in players being self-motivated and keen to succeed and that they need support and confidence in order to do so. Carrots and strokes rather than sticks and ridicule.

It may have taken a while and cost us a few points, but Arsene’s patience and trust in Aaron is paying dividend now. Three goals and two assists in the last three games are very encouraging: let it be the start of a glorious remainder of the season for both Ramsey and indeed the team as a whole.

If Ramsey is on a role, Arsenal’s motor is purring, and boy was it a joy to listen to it during the first half v Galatasaray.

‘I’ll take 50% efficiency to get 100% loyalty.’ Samuel Goldwyn.

‘The thing I was attracted to as a little girl was Kirk, Bones and Spock, and their utter loyalty. There’s nothing more powerful than that.’ Jolene Blalock.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Arsenal v Saints Match Review: Giroud Is Not Afraid!

December 3, 2014TotalArsenal

Arsenal 1 – 0 Southampton

Now that was a game of football. It might not win many beauty awards, and the neutrals will only have liked the second part of the second half; but, from a tactical point of view, very good football was on display tonight.

Koeman developed his initial playing career under Guus Hiddink’s wings, and his current Southampton team play football like PSV Eindhoven used to do under Hiddink’s reign back then. It is structured around a strong defensive shape and discipline and based around the simple, Maureenesque ‘philosophy’ of keeping a clean sheet and nicking a goal when the chances arrive. Hiddink won the Europa Cup One (now CL) for PSV with exactly that approach a few decades ago.

With Wanyama, who had an almost faultless performance and showed once again how useful he could be for us, and Schneiderlin, Koeman has the best midfield shield in the PL. The beauty about the Frenchman is that he can also play football, and he was duly missed by the Saints tonight. From an attacking point of view, the Saints did not perform well enough to hurt us, even though their Italian CF had more than a decent chance to score early on. The forced omission of Schneiderlin was a big advantage for us, which might have turned the game in our favour (and Cork’s injury helped a lot as well of course).

Our defence was also well organised: with BFG and Koz having a relatively easy, but very focussed and aggressive, game; and the FBs played very good throughout the match too. It is absolutely amazing how Chambers plays at such a consistently high level, and yet, he is still so young; and Nacho also really showed desire and high energy levels for the full 93 minutes.

Our DM-shield worked ok too. Flamini kept it simple – he completed 64 of his 69 passes – and did not get involved in our attacking play a lot. Ramsey had the free role and showed a lot of drive, but his lack of touch, his continuously misplaced passes and his over-eagerness to make a difference is holding him, and therefore the team, back.

Ramsey needs to link defence and attack up, so he has a pivotal role to play. Luckily, both Carzorla and especially Alexis helped him out a lot with coming deep to collect the ball and make things happen from there. But of course, this leaves gaps up-front. We can say the same about Welbeck, who was full of drive and desire, but ultimately not very effective – although this changed a bit when Giroud came on.

Bloggers on this site will know well how much I believe Giroud makes all the difference for our team. In the first 65 minutes our attacks were often chaotic and harmless, with lots of runners with energy, but very little cohesion and penetration. Giroud is our mobile anchor: the pivot in our attack around which we base our attacking initiatives. As soon as he came on the play centred around him: midfielders can play the ball into him and fellow attackers can take better positions and find themselves in more space. He also had no fear and found the weak spots in the Saints defence instantly. This, in my opinion, was vital for our attacks becoming more centred and deadly. It was evident that Giroud made such a difference once again as soon as he came on.

We finally cracked the nearly formidable defence of the Saints late on in the game. It was not a beautiful goal but well deserved in the end, even though we were helped a bit by the injury to the impressive Alderweireld, which meant Southampton had to continue with ten men as all subs had already been used. It was good for Ramsey to produce to cool-headed assist, and let us hope he will take this with him into the next game. It was good for Alexis to get a reward for running his socks off all night. This was not one of his best games by all means, but his work ethic and desire to win are phenomenal and it was sweet for him that he got us once again all the three points. At Barca he was one of many great players; at Arsenal he simply is the star at the moment; and boy does he like it, with already 14 goals in all competitions to his name.

And these are very sweet three points. They pull us up to just three points below the Saints now and keep us in touch with all fellow top teams, except the horrible Chavs.

Next up are Stoke: another heavy battle waits. Bring it on!

Written by: TotalArsenal.