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

August 24, 2013August 24, 2013TotalArsenal

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

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

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

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

Our team:

First Half

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Second Half

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusions:

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

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

Written by: TotalArsenal.

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

August 23, 2013TotalArsenal

Intro:

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

This fixture last year:

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

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

Here is my expected line up for tomorrow:

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

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

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

Key Battles:

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

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

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

Casualties of War:

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

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

Predictions:

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

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

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

Questions:

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

COYG! Let’s set Craven Cottage ablaze!

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

Thanks for reading. 😀

Written by: Dylan.

Who should Arsenal go for if we miss out on Higuain?

July 7, 2013July 7, 2013TotalArsenal

It takes a very philosophical Gooner to not be frustrated by Arsenal’s lack of progress in the Torture Window, so far. Many fellow Gooners got themselves excited by the calibre of players we are being linked with this summer, and I am one of them.

It looks like Arsene wants to add established quality players, who can hit the ground running. We all welcome this but it seems to be a lot harder than expected. Is the club negotiating too hard, or are other aspect throwing a spanner in the works? I don’t know, and the lack of information by the club is frustrating, although to some extent understandable, as they have to protect our negotiation position as well as our transfer targets.

Of course the TW has only been open officially for a week, but it is clear that the club have been working hard to get their transfer targets during the last six weeks. It looks like Arsenal are unwilling to pay the full clause release sum in Fellaini’s contract, and as it is only effective till mid-August, it’s most likely that a deal, if at all, will happen towards the end of the TW. A risky strategy and I would not be surprised if we are to lose out on the Belgian midfield beast (which for me remains the most important position to recruit for this summer).

The lack of progress regarding Higuain might have less to do with money and more to do with pride. Letting the Argentine forward go without an announcement by Real Madrid of their purchase of a star new player, might be holding things back right now. Buying of the super-rich comes with its own dynamics, it seems.

The brain tells me to remain patient and trust the club is doing everything to make the deals happen. But I cannot deny feeling restless and a tad frustrated right now. Part of me wants us to tell RM where to stick Higuain and move on the more realistic and achievable targets.

You see, I feel to some extent that we should stick we the current strike-force, as they are all likely to progress further in the coming season. Theo (14), Pod (11), Santi (12), Giroud (11) scored 48 PL goals between them and except for Santi – who quite frankly has been sublime last season – I reckon all players can improve their goal tally by 33-75%.

Giroud’s second seasons at his previous clubs have seen a dramatic improvement of around 100%; I am not banking on a similar improvement by I reckon he will improve by 50% next season. The Pod has done well on the left wing this season, but I reckon he will be fitter and more adjusted to the PL next season, and a productivity improvement by a third is not inconceivable. And then there is Theo who is getting more prolific every year, and we should see further improvement next season, somewhere between 33-50%.

Therefore, I believe our current four main attackers could reach a total tally of around 62 goals next season, an improvement by 14 goals. If our remaining midfielders (from whom we need more ‘open goals’ next season), defenders and squad players in attack (Gerv, Ox), can at least match their total goal tally of 24 last season, Arsenal could score in the region of 86 goals, which would match the Mancs total of last season. That would surely be enough to become champions (if accompanied by a lean and mean defence next season).

I reckon we need more strength in depth, though, as those four attackers will have to cover three positions in all games we play. Ox should improve further and hopefully will start scoring more regularly, and there might still be a role for Gervinho; but we need a bit more quality/lethalness in the squad.

I am not going to say no to the likes of Higuain, Jovetic or Rooney joining us this summer, far from it; and I hope the club will give everything to bring one or two of them to the home of football. But I hope we’ll draw the line at some point and move on.

As per the above, I would also be happy to see the likes of Michu or Benteke join us. The most important thing is to keep our attackers together and give them a chance to improve further next season, but add some strength in depth that we can rely on.

Arsenal had the third highest goal tally in the PL last season, and that with three players who had their first season in the PL, and one player who was unsettled until January. More is to come, one way or another. So let’s stay patient and hope Gazidis and Wenger do what’s best for the club.

But as always, let us know where you stand on the Higuain situation and who you beleive Arsenal should buy to improve our attack further.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Fellaini – Arteta as DM beast, or Fellaini – Theo/Pod/OG as SS?

June 18, 2013June 19, 2013TotalArsenal

Marouane: a versatile Fella ini? But where should he play?

This article will serve as a continuation with TA’s recent theme of exploring how rumoured transfer targets would fit into our starting eleven.

If you are a frequenter of this blog, it should come as no surprise that the majority of us here are desperate for a proper, beast of a Defensive Midfielder (DM). Not only would this acquisition ensure that our back four are properly shielded, but it would also unleash the creativity further up field. Players like Santi, Jack, Ox and Arteta would become the indirect beneficiaries and be given the freedom to take risks, knowing that they have a capable and dedicated defensive midfielder behind them.

However, the player we have been most strongly linked to recently is Marouane Fellaini of Everton. So, what if we bought him and were not able to acquire a proper, beast of a DM? Would he be a good purchase despite our obvious need for a DM?

For one thing, Fellaini is Premier League proven, coming off a great season in which he netted 11 goals and 5 assists in 31 starts. He is an established, physical player, capable of exerting his “Presence!” on a game, drawing in defenders and forcing the opposition to devise strategies to defend against or take him out of the game. Fellaini is versatile enough to play as a DM, a B2B midfielder and as a Shadow Striker (SS).

While he may not be a dedicated DM, he is assertive in the tackle, efficient in the air and has decent ball control and pace for a man his size. His passing success rate of 79.3% is not outstanding, but good enough to succeed in Arsenal’s system, as one must consider that the majority of his playing time came at CAM, where pass success rate is generally lower than when played further back in the pitch. His 1.3 key passes per game and 5 assists are further proof that he has some ability in setting up goals too.

So, depending on the price, Fellaini could be a good bit of transfer business for Arsenal. It’s difficult to come by PL proven talents, who have as much presence, steel and ability as Fellaini does.

But where would he play?

The first scenario has Fellaini in the DM-pivot with one of Arteta/Ramsey. He’s played here in his earlier Everton days and is a capable defender, with 2.6 tackles per game, 1.2 interceptions per game, 2.1 clears per game and was only dribbled 0.4 times per game. At the-DM pivot, he could form a partnership with Arteta/Ramsey similar to the one Arsenal was successful with in 2011-12 with Arteta and Song. The two players interchange between offense and defense to make our attack less predictable and to provide more options in the offensive end than we saw towards the end of the season.

The second scenario would see Fellaini play as the SS behind one of Theo, Giroud or Podolski. By starting Fellaini up front with Theo, Arsenal would have two more than capable goal scorers and Fellaini’s skills are the perfect contrast to Theo’s. If Fellaini and Giroud are paired together, Arsenal then have two target men to utilize through long balls, crosses and set-pieces. Fellaini and Poldi playing up front together is perhaps the most interesting proposition of the three, mainly because Poldi is our most clinical finisher and is as good at setting others up, as he is scoring them himself. Fellaini and Poldi up front together would mean that we have two capable finishers and two more players capable of setting others up.

Personally, I don’t have a preference as to which formation Arsenal would play in if Fellaini is bought; I would just like to see it happen and go from there! All the scenarios are tantalizing because it represents variety and unpredictability to our line-up – a luxury we were not afforded last season. Fellaini as a DM would give us better protection and attacking from central midfield, and as a SS, he would give us more goals and act as an additional target man (something some fans feel is necessary and missing when OG is not on the pitch).

Which formation would you like to see Arsenal play in if Fellaini is purchased? Would you prefer it if Arsenal bought a dedicated, beast of a DM instead?

Written By: Highbury Harmony

Cazorla, Theo, Pod a class apart – 2-0 against NU could be enough for third!

May 15, 2013May 15, 2013TotalArsenal

Some raw, initial thoughts on tonight’s game.

The Pod was in clinical form tonight with a fine brace!

Well, that was not just a result, but also a game, we needed. Wigan did themselves proud with a committed performance and a strong finish to the first half as well as an energetic start to the second.

As I indicated in the match preview, the Latics’ midfield is very strong, and as they did against MC, they also started to dominate our midfield gradually in the first half. Wigan were determined not to let us have the ball and pass it round, and with their excellent closing down of our midfielders and the ability to pass the ball round well themselves, they forced the likes of Arteta, Rambo and Rosicky into regular mistakes.

We had scored a soft goal from a set-piece, although it should be said that Podolski took the opportunity well. And as against QPR, we pushed on for the second goal, but lacked the ingenuity and focus to get one; and gradually Wigan were able to get themselves back into the game.

I felt the goal was coming for a while, and after giving away a couple of free-kicks in dangerous areas by our (at times defensively struggling) midfielders already, it did not come as a big surprise that Wigan equalised through a fine free-kick by Maloney – although lean Dean the anti-Arsenal machine should never have awarded a free-kick against our Zorro in the first place. Szczesny almost saved it and Koz could have jumped higher, but it was still a very good free-kick and Wigan deserved the equaliser.

Luckily, they tired quickly in the second half and Arsenal were now, for once, super efficient with the chances we created, with fine goals by Theo, the Pod and Rambo, to finish Wigan off. The Pod, Theo, and Cazorla – with three assists, were a class apart tonight; and surely they will start again on Sunday?!

It many ways it was a crazy second half. Wigan came very close to get in front at the start of the half, as Szczesny made a fantastic save to deny Kone. Luckily for us, it did not take long before we took advantage of the enormous space Wigan left open in their half, and the game was decided in our favour in just eight minutes. Eight minutes of blitz-football did the trick and a tired Wigan knew that the war was over.

These are my initial thoughts on the game, but we will analyse it further in the next few days.

Other thoughts that are going through my head right now are:

Will Arteta play against NU or will he be out injured – it did not look good the way he left the pitch….
Should we play the same formation up-front against NU, now that Podolski has found the net twice in the central striker position, and both Theo and Carzorla have been effective on the wing? Or should Arsene reintroduce Giroud now that his suspension is over?
We now have a good chance to finish in the top-four and still a decent one to finish third. For that we need a 2-0 win and Everton to get a draw against Chelsea – and of course a Chavs loss and a win for us would be even more fantastic. I feel quite confident that Everton can get a result at SB, as the Chavs will be knackered and the Toffees will want to give Moyes a committed performance in his last game in charge. But of course, the most important thing is to win against NU so the Spuds have no chance to get ahead of us: that has to be our number one priority.
I feel sorry for Wigan who really have done themselves proud this week, and it seems so wrong that a team that can play such good football goes out, whilst the likes of Stoke and Sunderland are let of the hook. I hope they get back up again next season, but it will not be easy for them.
How come that we are so far behind the Mancs when we have scored more goals than anybody else at home in the PL and conceded less than anybody else away?

Food for thought fine fellow Gooners!

Written by: TotalArsenal – a very happy Gooner tonight! 🙂

Nacho/Cazorla or Gibbs/Pod – Rosicky or Wilshere – Pod or Theo: Wigan preview.

May 13, 2013May 14, 2013TotalArsenal

Ten days without an injection of Gunners footie, whilst having to watch the rest in action, is not easy.

We know the results this weekend did not go our way, but we should not forget that the most important result was achieved a week ago, when the Spuds failed to beat the Chavs, and as a result, our destiny was left in our own hands, or should that be, twenty-two feet and eleven heads.

Wigan have sometimes been brilliant over the last few months: one of the very few shining lights in what has been relatively a dull PL season, especially in 2013. And it all reached an almost unthinkable crescendo last Saturday, when they claimed their first ever serious title in their history, and against all odds. An unbelievable achievement, and one of which the Wigan fans will live for a long time.

Despite Wigan’s considerable gap with those above them, and just two games left to play for them now, the Latics have also still their faith in their own hands. A win against us and then against Villa at home, and they will play PL footie again next season. Benteke moments of madness could yet cost the Villans dearly and see Wigan survive.

Of all the teams who are not entirely safe at the moment, there is no doubt I would prefer Wigan to survive. But faith has it that we need to beat them in order to have the best possible chance of securing CL footie next season, and we cannot afford to indulge ourselves in sentimentality.

We need to win, and ideally with a large margin – five goals would be nice! – in order to have a better chance to finish third (a win against NU and a Chelsea draw against Everton would then see us finish above the Chavs). Before the visiting Latics fans start biting my neck off, let me state that I do not expect us to win with such a margin, and that I am more hoping for, then simply expecting, a win tomorrow.

Both teams like to play football but the Latics like to absorb pressure and pounce on the counter: something they are very good at.

Wigan’s strengths are predominantly in midfield. In the away fixture they made life very hard for us in the middle of the pitch. They kept it narrow and stopped us from passing the ball around; as a result, we often lost the ball and found it hard to get it back again. During that game it became painfully obvious we were missing a beast of a DM to help us contain and regain the ball better in midfield. We won the game after being rewarded a softish penalty – which Arteta put away with great composure – and Wigan wasting a number of good chances which were mainly created through sharp counter-attacking football.

So the script for this game is straightforward: both teams need to win and it will simply be another cup-final tomorrow. Great for the neutral spectator, nerve-racking for Gooners and Latics!

How will we line-up:

I reckon it will be Szczesny, Sagna, BFG and Koz in defence. The only big question is: who will Arsene play at LB: Nacho or Gibbs?

This will depend on how much he wants to attack from the left wing. If he wants to attack a lot from there, I reckon he’ll combine Gibbs and Podolski: our best partnership if both are fully fit. However, if Arsene wants to remain less adventurous, and there is a very good reason for this against Wigan, he is likely to go with Nacho (and Cazorla on the left wing); and I believe that’s what he will do.

In midfield, I believe Arsene will stick with our Welsh-Spanish double DM-pivot and the big question is once again: who will play in the hole? Will it be Rosicky, Cazorla or Wilshere. I am going to choose Rosicky, as his experience, and Jack potentially still not being fully fit/ in form, would make him the safest bet.

In our attack, I am going to go for the usual suspects. I would love to see us play a bit of wing-football again, but I reckon that our most capable players for the wing, Ox and Gervinho, will start on the bench, and that Arsene will go for a ‘fluid-three’ of Cazorla, Podolski and Theo. All three have scored a lot of goals this season, and so it makes sense to have them start against Wigan tomorrow.

Let’s hope Podolski is fully fit, or at least fit enough for this crucial game, and that the team will have been practicing a lot over the last ten days to get the best value out of him in the central position. A lot will depend on it. Let’s also hope Theo will continue to get back to his best and Cazorla’s ambidextrous shooting boots will find the net tomorrow.

Predicted Line-Up:

Arsenal are likely to start with the same eleven as ten days ago against QPR

We all know what this game means and what needs to be done. Nobody can say they are not warned about Wigan’s ability to cause a major upset. Let’s hope the boys are focussed, fully fit, start strong and never look back.

We need a passionate and yet professional performance by our boys: time to play for the shirt and for the future once more. And let’s hope the crowd will reflect that passion with their levels of support tomorrow.

Let’s get the three points and move above the Spuds again: Let’s give them a sniff of the mighty red and white Arse!

CoYRRG!!!!!!

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Pod to replace Giroud, Fluid-Three up-front, or 4-4-2 against MU?

April 25, 2013April 26, 2013TotalArsenal

Let’s talk Arsenal and footie again!

There is a game on Sunday; it cannot be called crucial as all our previous, as well as the remaining, games are of the same importance. It is likely to be a weird game, and the main reason for this is not to do with Van Persie (VP), but us playing a team who have just become PL champions.

I would have preferred the Mancs still needing something from this game. If we beat them on Sunday we will not get much credit for it, and if we don’t, the criticism will be very high. You could say it is a no-win situation, but in the end it is isn’t: it is about three points and moving on to the next match.

The guard of honour has to be done and I hope the fans show class and respect: we would expect the same. If VP turns up at TE, he will no doubt get a hostile reception, but I expect him to stay behind in worldly Manchester for this one.

So how are we going to play against the Mancs?

We’ll do a proper pre-match report on Saturday, but let’s discuss the key formational challenges. Without Giroud up-front, Arsene will have to make adjustments. We don’t have anybody who can play the ‘Giroud’ role. I don’t think Theo, Gervinho or Pod have the stamina and physicality required to play the way OG does.

In my opinion, Arsene will have to change the formation to 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1, or go with a ‘fluid-three’ up-front, just like he did at the start of the season.

I reckon the latter is the most likely scenario. Arsene has the luxury that all his remaining attackers are fit and ready to go, so he can choose three from Gervinho, Theo, Ox, Cazorla and the Pod. The idea is that any of these three can play centrally, left or right at any moment in the game. This will make us unpredictable for our opponents, but our team’s unfamiliarity with this attacking system might lead to some miscommunication, misplaced passes, and unspotted runs. We are also likely to miss the aerial focal point of Giroud’s added height in the box.

However, I reckon the Mancs would much prefer having to deal with Giroud’s height than having to accommodate for the attacking variety that our remaining attackers have in their lockers. Gervinho or Ox have the close control and can work themselves into the box with the ball; Theo adds speed and lethal finishing (a good game for him to find it again!); and both Walcott, Gervinho and the Pod can all be the fox in the box and any given time. On top of that, all of Ox, Pod, Theo and Cazorla can score from outside the edge of the box, and at least on paper this is a good attacking force to choose from.

As always with a 4-2-1-3 formation, the pivotal role is the most advanced midfielder, and Wenger has to make a big choice who this should be: Rosicky, Cazorla or Wilshere. It is too early to say who he will go for, but I am convinced he will not leave out Cazorla; so if he does not play up-front, I reckon he will be ‘in the hole’ on Sunday.

My other train of thought is that Wenger will want to strengthen the midfield against the Mancs; something he often does against a top-four team. I would feel more comfortable with this as well, but then I am a big fan of playing with a solid midfield, with lots of possession and passing options: I reckon this suits our current squad the most. Obviously, it does require our ‘midfield-wingers’ to play a disciplined defensive as well as attacking game, and it could mean that the likes of Gibbs and Coquelin will get a start there, although it is more likely to see a midfield of Cazorla – Ramsey –Arteta – Wilshere, or Cazorla- Wilshere – Arteta – Rosicky. We have plenty of options to play a very strong midfield on Sunday; although, a beast of a DM is still badly missing.

Playing four in midfield would give us the opportunity to play two up-front: either in a 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2. I reckon if Arsenal want to get the best out of two of Pod, Theo, Ox, Gervinho (and Santi), one of these two formations would be our best option.

Now, the big question is which two attackers should be combined against the Mancs. Our highest paid, and also most prolific strikers are Pod and Theo, but could they hit the ground running on Sunday. I am not sure they would. Pod could play behind Theo and maybe it would work, but I reckon such a partnership needs time to develop.

Given Wenger’s recent remarks re the Pod being groomed to play in the middle up-front, I believe that he will start on Sunday, regardless of the formation. That leaves the question who will play behind him, and I reckon it will be Cazorla. These two have played a lot together this season and seem to have quite a natural understanding with each other.

However, I don’t think Arsene will go with either 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1, but with a fluid-three up-front:

Although the formation shows Pod in the middle, all three attackers will interchange regularly.

What do you reckon Arsene will do on Sunday?

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Giroud suspended: Podolski, Gervinho or Walcott to lead the line?

April 22, 2013April 23, 2013TotalArsenal

As you all know, Giroud has a three match ban after being sent off by referee Andre Marriner in the 90th minute of our last match against Fulham, when he caught Manolev with a slide tackle. Giroud has told Arsène Wenger that is was accidental and that he slipped, and our manager has said he can understand why Giroud was shown a red card. Nevertheless, Arsenal have appealed against Giroud’s dismissal.

A statement from Arsenal says “We have lodged an appeal to the Football Association for the wrongful dismissal of Olivier Giroud against Fulham.”

If Arsenal’s appeal is unsuccessful Giroud will remain suspended until May 19th which more or less means that the season is over for him. But if Arsenal’s appeal is successful, Giroud will still be suspended for at least one game.

Giroud has been criticized by lots of Arsenal fans for his missed opportunities this season, so there are plenty of Gooners who will not miss him; but there is no doubt that Giroud will be missed by our team. In our current team Giroud is very important to our attack. His work rate is excellent; he has the desire to do well for himself and the team and is the focal point for our attack.

So now with Giroud suspended for three matches (although if Arsenal are successful in their appeal against Giroud’s dismissal, Giroud would only be suspended for one match), Wenger will have to choose someone else to lead the line for us.

Gervinho has played as our main striker on a number of occasions this season but has been very inconsistent throughout the season, so I doubt he will start any of our upcoming matches- that is unless there are injuries. Gervinho is also much more effective on the wings where he can add the much needed width, which we so often lack.

So Wenger is now left with the dilemma of who should lead the line: Podolski or Walcott.

Podolski and Walcott are very different in terms of what they have to offer when leading the line. Walcott offers his lightening pace, meanwhile Podolski offers his clinical finishing with his powerful and accurate shots from distance, which can trouble any keeper.

Podolski is a clinical finisher who thrives from getting into the correct positions in and around the box, where he can look to get into good goal scoring opportunities and then score capitalise on them. His long shots are also something to be desired. They are accurate and powerful. He will run at defenders and take them on, dragging them out of position which allow his teammates to exploit the spaces left behind by the defenders.

Podolski is also no pushover and is an absolute beast. He will score goals inside or outside the box, on the volley or even by his head. He is by far our most experienced striker with over 100 caps for Germany.

Walcott has superb pace and he is usually the quickest player on the pitch. I cannot think of many players much faster than Walcott. Walcott can use his lightening pace to draw defenders out of position which makes it much easier for our other players to get into good goal scoring opportunities, or Walcott can simply use his pace to knock the ball past defenders and beat defenders to the ball, at will.

He often does the latter when playing on the right wing. When Walcott is playing up front he still uses his incredible pace to very good effect. Walcott will often get in between two defenders of a team who are playing a high line and look to beat
the offside trap. Teams playing against Walcott know this is what he will try to do but it is very hard for them to stop him from him from doing this. Once Walcott has beaten the offside trap no defender can even get back in time to make a challenge on him. This often leaves him with a one on one with the GK of the opposing team where he will look to simply slot the ball low into the corner of the opposition’s net with a cool finish.

However teams can manage to tame Walcott by defending deep in their own halve. Many teams who defend deep will often deploy two banks of four which means that Walcott no longer has pockets of space in front of defenders where he can run into sometimes, making his lightning pace pretty superfluous.

So for me, if the team(s) we are facing in our next fixture(s) are defending with a high line Walcott is the man to lead the line. However, if we are coming up against team(s) who defend very deep in their own halve, Walcott is not very effective so Podolski is the man to lead the line.

For me it is very hard to tell whether Wenger will pick Walcott or Podolski to lead the line. It is said that Wenger is grooming Podolski for this role, and Podolski does have more experience than Walcott playing as the main striker throughout his career, but Walcott has excelled when leading the line for us early this season, when Wenger gave him an opportunity to do so with our manager being very impressed with him. So whether Wenger will choose Podolski or Walcott to play as our main striker, is any man’s guess.

Who do you want now to see lead the line?

Who do you think Wenger will choose to lead the line?

Do you think the team will perform better with Walcott or Podolski up front?

Written by: AFC.

Third time lucky for Jack – Pod or Giroud up-front – Nacho/Santi & Sagna/Theo on wings?

April 19, 2013April 19, 2013TotalArsenal

Our third game in seven days is another cup-final. Win this one and we have our momentum back; lose it and the proverbial will properly hit the fan in Gooner-world.

We have not won at Craven Cottage since December 2010 and without much doubt it will be a difficult game again tomorrow. In one way the game is pretty similar to our recent away games against Swansea and WBA; Fulham are safe and nothing really to fight for other than a best possible position in mid-table. But they were properly beaten by their bitterest local rivals in midweek and will not want to face another humiliation in front of their home crowd. I expect them to come out fully pumped up and we will need to be ready for this tomorrow.

The Cottagers welcome back former Gunner Sidwell and I reckon he will fight some tough battles with Wilshere, Ramsey and Arteta. But other than that, there are some good, sophisticated footballers in this Fulham side, who will want to play football, which should suit us. Emanuelson and Berbatov are quality and Ruiz is finally starting to find his feet in the PL.

I also hope we see Senderos play for Fulham tomorrow. It is really nice that our former man has found his home at Craven Cottage, but let’s hope he does not have a super-day against us.

So, how are we going to line-up on Saturday?

Defence

Same as Tuesday but I reckon Nacho will start so he can form a trusted partnership with Santi on the left. Three games in seven days would probably be too much for Gibbs and unless Wenger is keen to play Podolski on the left, which would then probably mean he would be linked with his English football twin, I cannot see Gibbs start again tomorrow.

Midfield

Little doubt we will be once again anchored in our double-DM pivot by Arteta and Ramsey. These two are forming a solid, but not necessarily very exciting, partnership which is getting better steadily from game to game.

It will be key to keep a clean sheet, or not concede more than one goal tomorrow, if we want to win the game. So, we should expect Ramsey and Arteta to play conservatively and relatively close together with the main aim of forming a solid, movable mini-wall in front of the back-four and providing the four attackers with straightforward supplies of passes.

This leaves us with the attacking four players, one of which will be our most advanced midfielder. It sounds like Rosicky will not play as a result of a ‘touch and go’ hamstring problem. It also looks to me that Arsene does not want to play Cazorla ‘in the hole’, which makes sense to me as he is both too slow for the drive and thrust this position requires in a 4-2-1-3 formation, and he seems to prefer playing very close to the box, where he is also most effective for us. With Arteta and Ramsey needing to hold back a lot, somebody needs to drive the ball forwards to the three attackers and both Rosicky and Wilshere are ideal for this; Ox is also a possibility, but probably one for the future.

So to cut a long story short: I reckon Jack will play in the hole again and prove one or two doubters wrong tomorrow.

Attack

I would like to see Gervinho and Podolski start in this game, but I don’t think they will. I reckon, Arsene will go with Cazorla on the left – well, on paper, as he will move centrally constantly, leaving the wing-play to his fellow countryman; and start Theo again on the right – who will also move towards the middle a lot and leave the wing duties to Sagna for large parts of the game. The risk of this will be a lack of effective wing-play/width and trying too much through the middle; although, as this is not a home game, we should get enough space in the middle to play our intricate passing game.

Giroud only scored one of his eleven PL goals away from home and Podolski is chomping – or is it champing 😛 – at the bits to start a game. But Giroud does so much in terms of giving our attacking game shape, drive and physicality that I cannot see Arsene changing it at this crucial stage of the season. We all might want to try out playing the Pod up-front, but not at the risk of losing valuable points.

The dilemma for Arsenal is that Podolski is better at converting chances, but Giroud is better at co-creating them and being there in the first place. So, it is Giroud up-front again, I reckon.

Predicted – not necessarily preferred! – Line-up:

Come on Arsenal, let’s make it 25 points out of our last 10 PL games and put some real pressure on the Spuds and Chavs who both have some very tough fixtures on Sunday!

CoYG – Give your all for the pride of the shirt!!!

Written by: TotalArsenal.

If you have a few spare minutes, you should also have a look at a very good pre-match report by Wigan Gooner; a good friend of mine, who writes fantastic posts on his own site ‘WiganGooner’:

http://www.wigangooner.co.uk/rosicky-must-start-in-crucial-match-against-fulham/

Arteta has the cool, Ox finds the gap, Pod has the class: Norwich Match Report

April 14, 2013April 14, 2013TotalArsenal

The Pod showed the rest how to be composed before taking a chance yesterday.

Arsene’s zipper has been the perfect analogy for most of Arsenal’s season. Anytime he’s had issues with it on the sidelines, our team has seemingly also struggled on the pitch. Arsenal was rubbish for 90% of today’s match, even going down a goal in the 56^th minute on yet another set piece. It took us until the 78^th minute to show any urgency and from there, our substitutes led the way in bringing Arsenal to a hard fought 3-1 victory.

Before I continue with the match report, I’d like to point out that I’ve reached a point where I sympathize with Arsene when choosing his starting line-up. If he does not rotate, fans blame him for exposing our players to greater risk of injury; and if he does rotate, fans blame him for altering a winning formula and starting players who are clearly off-form. So which is it?

Going back to today’s match, Arsene introduced three new players into the starting line-up: Vermaelen for BFG, with Jack replacing the injured Rosicky, and Gibbs in place of Nacho.

Arsenal’s first half was reminiscent to the first half of the season, highlighted by turnovers, heavy touches, slower than normal build-up play and complacency. We were victims of committing 20+ turnovers in the first half alone, which comes to no surprise when you consider that we went into the 2^nd half at 0-0 stalemate.

Our best opportunity to score in the first half came from a beautiful long ball from Santi who found a streaking Gervinho. Unfortunately, Gervinho played a heavy touch around goalkeeper Mark Bunn and ended up almost going out of bounds before attempting a shot on goal. There were no other significant scoring chances in the first half, as our attack looked disjointed in the final third and lacked real purpose. On a positive note, our defense was reliable and composed in dealing with the few threats Norwich posed going forward.

The second half began exactly as the first half ended – stationary and with players misplacing passes. The game looked like it could end in a stalemate with neither team displaying any urgency or looking like a threat to score. However, in the 56^th minute, Gibbs committed an unnecessary foul and clipped the heel of Kamara near the edge of our own 18-yard box. Yet another set piece did us in, as we failed to mark Michael Turner and he converted a free header from Snodgrass’ kick to give Norwich the 1-0 lead.

Arsene immediately responded by bringing Theo and Podolski into the game but neither player were able to make a difference.

Theo did make a nice run to beat some Norwich defenders as soon as he came on, but the play was ruined by a poor first touch by Podolski. Norwich then began to take the game to Arsenal, moving the ball down field and picking up dangerous free kicks in our own half. Fortunately, they were not able to capitalize on their chances.

In the 78^th minute, Arsenal finally looked like they would level the game, when Giroud calmly chested down a ball to a wide-open Podolski. However, the well-struck shot was deflected by Bunn’s fingertips before rattling off the cross bar. Finally, Arsene had seen enough and made his last available substitution by bringing Ox into the match. Shortly after, Ramsey outworked Snodgrass to give Arsenal a corner, which eventually led to Giroud being pulled down in Norwich’s penalty box.

The assistant referee immediately called for a penalty kick and Arteta calmly slotted away the gift of an opportunity to bring us even. The penalty was a breath of fresh air for Arsenal and they never looked back, dominating the final 10 minutes of the match. Some link-up play between Santi and Ox shortly after, led to a one-two with Podolski, before Ox fed the ball across the goal line for an easy tap-in that Giroud slotted away.

If that was not enough, Arsenal poured it on after Giroud flicked on Fabianski’s goal kick to an offside Theo, who eventually passed it to Podolski for a beautiful finish in the bottom right-hand corner of goal.

On another day, against a better opposition, Arsenal likely would not have gotten away with today’s performance. We were very fortunate to escape with the three points, and relying on a penalty kick for momentum is evidence that Arsenal were lethargic, stationary and lacking creativity and purpose in their attack.

Before I begin on the player ratings, I’d like to explain how I arrive at the score a player receives. For me, a 7 represents that a player has sufficiently done what has been asked of him and not much more. An 8 signifies that the player has contributed more than the average player, but that either his performance has room for improvement or I’ve seen better games from him lately. A 9 or higher is reserved for outstanding performances and is usually accompanied by tangible statistics on the score sheet. Ignore previous ratings from past articles, as I’ll look to be consistent from here on out in the new rating system.

Player Ratings:

Fabianski (7.0) – Fab made a couple outstanding saves after we leveled the game and he did everything we could have asked for from a starting goalie. It was unfortunate that he conceded a goal, since the foul was unnecessary in the first place and the marking let him down.

Gibss (5.0) – Kieran was underwhelming for me today. I expected to see some of his lively runs down the left flank and to show the boss that he deserves to be in the starting line-up. Instead, he committed the foul that eventually led to Norwich’s goal and he completely butchered two crosses where we actually outnumbered Norwich’s defenders in the box. Perhaps it was the lack of meaningful game time and being off-form that led to his poor performance today, but either way, I did not think Gibbs played well.

Vermaelen & Koscielny (7.0) – Aside from the goal we conceded, I thought Verm played a solid game and actually bailed us out of trouble on two occasions with a couple of nice sliding challenges. Kos also had an assertive sliding challenge to disrupt a Norwich counter to win us back possession. They were both invisible for the most part, which is what you want from a defender. However, their slow passing in our half didn’t inspire any urgency in our attack, but neither turned the ball over either.

Sagna (6.0) – Sagna was brilliant defensively, stopping all of Norwich’s attacks, while also trying to contribute offensively with a nice cross to Giroud who unfortunately hit the crossbar after he met it with his head. However, Sagna was at fault for allowing Turner to score, since Turner got away from him on the free kick, giving him the free header.

Arteta (7.5) – Arteta was instrumental in inspiring the squad to fight back after going down 1-0. He was composed all game and played the right balls to our players, while immediately pressuring the Norwich players whenever we lost possession. Considering the circus surrounding the penalty call and the Norwich players getting in his face before he took the spot kick, Arteta ignored it all and calmly slotted the goal that brought us even.

Ramsey (6.5) – In the first half, Ramsey was all over the pitch, joining in the attack and running back to help defend. He seems to have more of a spring in his step lately and is building the confidence to attempt some high risk, high reward moves (heel flicks, over the top passes etc.). However, several of these plays led to turnovers and he committed 4-5 alone this game. I was still quite pleased with him in the first half and his rating would have been slightly higher had he not completely faded in the second half.

Wilshere (4.5) – Was there a more disappointing player on the pitch today? I was thrilled to see Jack back in the starting line-up since he is my favorite player, but I questioned Arsene’s decision to start him after he had just returned from another injury lay-off. As the game progressed, it was clear that AW made a mistake, as Jack was rusty and his body language displayed that he was not mentally prepared for the game. He was not the inspirational leader we saw earlier this season and he gave no shape or purpose to our attack. Instead, he committed 7 turnovers and looked out of place. Hopefully, this game is just a one off and Jack can return to being the footballer we all know he is capable of being.

Gervinho (4.5) – While there may not have been a more disappointing player on the pitch than Jack today, Gervinho was equally as unimpressive. He committed 7 turnovers in the final third and had tunnel vision when entering the opponents’ 18-yard box. It was as if the performances from the past two games had completely eluded him and he was back to being the old Gervinho – no creativity, not taking defenders on, heavy touches and not finding his teammates in obvious scoring positions. Hopefully, he can regain the confidence he showed previous to today’s game and become an effective player for us down the final stretch.

Giroud (7.0) – He was instrumental in winning us the penalty kick, his flick-on to Theo in what eventually became the third goal was brilliant and he ended up tapping in the game winner. It was also impressive to see him calmly chest down the ball right to Poldi in the opposition’s 18-yard box. However, those positive moments were all achieved in the final 10 minutes of the game and do not excuse his performance up until that point. He was more or less invisible before that, aside from his 7-8 turnovers, and much like the rest of the team, was ineffective. I’ve found his decision making to be remarkably slow lately and looking for the spectacular play that he is usually incapable of making by nature, causes him to get stripped of the ball or play a poor ball.

Cazorla (7.0) – Santi was the only player with any creativity in the first half and played two very nice balls to Gervinho, who was unfortunately not able to convert or create a goal on either pass. Still, I was hoping for more from him after how influential he had been in our last couple home games. Instead, he drifted in and out of the game and never truly inspired the squad or made an impact (especially the 2^nd half). The more worrying fact is that Santi and Jack have not been effective when both are inserted into the starting line-up. One player tends to over shadow the other and we lose a significant source of secondary creativity in the process. Hopefully, they can form a productive partnership and eventually take the league by storm, as they are amongst the most talented players in the EPL.

Walcott (6.0), Podolski & Oxlade-Chamberlain (8.0) – Of the three substitutes, it was clear that the latter two had the biggest influence on the match. Upon stepping onto the pitch, Poldi immediately found himself in scoring positions and struck a volley that almost brought us even. His finish in the 91^st minute was an absolute cracker and capped off a magnificent cameo appearance. However, it wasn’t until Ox joined the action in the 79^th minute that our team truly took the game to Norwich and threatened in attack. His combination play with Santi and Poldi was outstanding and his assist on the crucial game winner sealed the three points for us. Theo started off his substitute appearance with lots of energy and registered an assist on Podolski’s goal, but did little else.

At the end of the day, three points is three points and despite Arsenal’s performance for the first 85 minutes of the match, we should all be happy with the final outcome. Going forward, hopefully we will not have to rely on another penalty kick to motivate the squad, since the penalty call could have easily been disregarded on another day. The win effectively put us above that other North London team and into a Champions League spot. Onwards and Upwards! COYG!

What did you think of yesterday’s game?

Written By: Highbury Harmony