Ozil AND Santi, Gabriel debut, Coq sole DM? Preview | Line-up

January 31, 2015TotalArsenal

Arsenal-Aston Villa Match Preview

Paulista could make a surprise start against Villa

Aston Villa at home. Gooners would like to think that this is a guaranteed win, a fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon and a good chance to start the post January, business end of the season after some good work (a defender, finally…) in the transfer window. If the win is in sufficient style and by substantial margin it might be enough–even if the big money player (but still a bargain, of course…this is Arsenal, after all…) doesn’t come in at the deadline.

Gooners, however, might also remember that it’s not always so simple. No matter how much ale has been consumed in the intervening year and a half, August 17, 2013 will always be a day that lives in infamy. Opening day: an early goal from Olivier Giroud, and all looked fun and games. But then collapse and a match that finished 1-3. The margins were tighter than that, of course, and much of the blame might be placed on the (very) bald head of referee Anthony Taylor. Taylor allowed a very rough match (Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered ligament damage on a play that was deemed completely fair) but still called questionable penalties on Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny, the 2nd coming with a yellow card for our defender. Moments later Taylor gave Kos a 2nd yellow, reducing Arsenal to 10 men. The team fought hard despite the disadvantage, but, finally, to dash all hopes, a goal on the counter by Antonio Luna sealed our fate.

The parallels are striking. Somehow Taylor has been assigned the fixture again. The transfer window is still open. We are, however, a season and a half on. Have things changed or will history repeat itself?

I don’t believe it will, but who am I? This is a new match and Arsenal and Aston Villa come into it very differently than they did in that one.

Teams

Arsenal. This match feels very different. Instead of only pre-season matches, Arsenal come into this one on a run of four victories in all competitions. Additionally, important players are coming back from long term injuries and significant transfer business, in the purchase of Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista, has been completed. There is talk that Alexis Sanchez, by far our most important player this season, is suffering from a tight hamstring and will not be risked. My guess is that this is Arsene Wenger talk for “Winter Break.” My other guess is that (irrepressible) Alexis will still get a spot on the bench and a run out if a late goal is needed. More on the starting team below.

Aston Villa. Aston Villa are a proud club, by far the biggest of the Birmingham based outfits. They have suffered from lack of investment from their American owner (does this sound familiar?…) but they are a well run organisation, and their manager Paul Lambert knows how to play the opponent at hand. Their home form in recent seasons has suffered, perhaps because supporters cannot get truly excited by the fact that Villa are (at best) a solid mid-table club and their best players are constantly linked with moves away from the club. They can, however, be a very dangerous group in front of their more hard core, traveling fans. They will play with nothing to lose and will be emboldened by their positive result last time they came to play Arsenal.

Villa have players who can hurt and frustrate. Up front, Christian Benteke has surmounted injury problems and always represents a threat with his size and power. Buzzing around him are Andreas Weimann and Fabian Delph. Charles N’Zogbia is a very talented player and Leandro Bacuna can curl in as mean a free kick as anybody in the league. Scott Sinclair, a former Arsenal trainee, has joined Villa on loan from Manchester City; the extra motivation of finally getting a match (and playing against the club which let him go) might be something Lambert chooses to try.

At the back, diminutive American keeper Brad Guzan plays much bigger than his stature. Former Arsenal defender Phillipe Senderos and Dutchman Ron Vlaar both are injury doubts, but ill-tempered former Spur Alan Hutton and Keiran Clark are big guys who can also help protect the small keeper. Their size plus good organisation in front of the backline–in the form of Colombian Carlos Sanchez and Man United loanee, Tom Cleverly–means they can be dangerous in transition and can frustrate through possession. As we saw last time out, with their final goal, (actually with all of them–the two pens were on Villa breaks) they can punish teams playing on the counter. We cannot give them an easy early goal and we must be extra vigilant to try and avoid corners and set-pieces where strong delivery and (even stronger) Benteke represent their biggest threat.

Still, Villa are not as full of confidence as they could be. They will take heart, at least in terms of their relegation battle (they sit just 2 points above the bottom 3 with 15 matches to play), that they beat Championship leaders Bournemouth in the FA Cup last weekend. Still, it’s been over a month since they’ve won in their own league and they are coming off a stretch of 5 league matches without a goal. Arsenal-away, given the success they’ve had at our stadium and the fact that our defence is far from settled, could be a place where that streak ends, especially if they can lure us forward and spring on the counterattack. Nonetheless, it’s also a match where Lambert may be satisfied with a good performance and a tight result.

Game Plan

By contrast, Arsenal want both result and performance. It’s time to build on the win at Manchester City (which will mean little if full points are not taken here) and work in back-from-injury stalwarts Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott, who both scored in the FA cup win at Brighton. Aaron Ramsey, it should be noted, is also just two weeks back from a lengthy period out. With Alexis injured or at least, “not risked,” and Oxlade-Chamberlain nursing a groin problem, room opens up for all three. Additionally, with Koscielny unable to play a full schedule due to sore Achilles tendons (and Mertesacker rested in our FA Cup victory at Brighton), new signing Gabriel may be handed a debut start. Nacho Monreal, having played very well at Man City, including winning the penalty for the decisive goal, I think, gets his spot back at LB from Kieran Gibbs. Likewise on the right, fellow Spaniard, Hector Bellerin, comes back in at the expense of Calum Chambers. David Ospina, I think, retains his spot in goal on the strength of three consecutive clean sheets.

So, there’s your line-up and there’s your preview. Stepping stone or stumbling block?

We know Villa will see only opportunity on their visit and must be taken seriously. We also know that things feel better for Arsenal. Still, the game must be played and feelings–as we saw the last time we hosted this team–can change quickly. Let’s do it.

By 17highburyterrace

Theo/Ozil represent 0.6 goals & assists per game: Season starts here!

January 30, 2015TotalArsenal

Unless absolutely everything goes our way in the next four months, I reckon this will become a season of which we will ask ourselves what could have been if we had not had so many injuries during the first half of it.

Now that Koz is back and back-up has been brought in (Paulista), Coquelin is 99% close to signing a new contract, Ramsey is getting back to the engine we know him to be and Super Jack is back in training, we are looking strong at the back and in the middle of the park.

Furthermore, and even more excitingly, our attacking options are back to full strength now, with Ozil and Theo fully back and Giroud having totally settled back in again. Our superstar Alexis has been phenomenal and held the fort whilst the others were recuperating. Of course, he had help from the likes of Welbeck and Ox, but they are both work in progress, especially when it comes to the bread and butter stats of goals and assist.

We know that these are all very good players, but the beauty is that Wenger can now choose from his very best attackers, both in terms of producing assists and scoring goals.

These are the assists v games played ratios (data from 2009/2010 season to now, source ‘Whoscored’):

	Total games / Assists	Assists per game ratio
Walcott	162/34	0.21
Ozil	222/90	0.41
Giroud	176/21	0.12
Alexis	205/45	0.22
Carzola	213/43	0.20
Ramsey	161/21	0.13
Welbeck	157/12	0.08
Ox	95/10	0.11
Rosicky	149/13	0.09
Wilshere	130/16	0.12

So, in terms of our strongest team in attack from an assists producing point of view, we would aim to field Walcott, Ozil, Alexis, Santi and Ramsey in our five directly attack-involved positions.

And these are goals v games played ratios (data from 2012/2013 season to now, source ‘Wiki’).

	Total games / goals	Goals per game ratio
Walcott	67/28	0.42
Ozil	103/19	0.18
Giroud	111/46	0.41
Alexis	131/51	0.39
Cazorla	126/25	0.20
Ramsey	102/24	0.24
Welbeck	99/19	0.19
Ox	83/7	0.08
Rosicky	69/8	0.12
Wilshere	84/8	0.10

So, in terms of our strongest team in attack from a goal scoring perspective, we would aim to field: Walcott, Giroud, Alexis, Ramsey and Cazorla.

Surprise, surprise almost the same players who produce the most assists per game also score the most goals per game, with Ozil producing significantly more career assists than Santi, and Santi scoring a tad more goals per game than the German. Between them, these five to six players produce on average 1.17 assist and 1.66 goals per game.

Our current PL goal tally is 39 from 22 games, 1.8 goals per game and that includes the entire squad of course. I predict that we will see a steep improvement in goals per game in the last four months of the season: by possibly a third, meaning an average goals per game ratio of 2.4.

The thing is Ozil, Theo, Alexis, Santi, Giroud and Ramsey are now all fit to play together, and there is every chance that between them they will improve each others contributions, in terms of assists and goals, even further. And the longer they play the more effective they can all become.

You can also see from the stats above that the return of Ozil and Theo is absolutely paramount to the success of the team: together they can contribute 0.62 assists and 0.6 goals per game. It will take a bit of the pressure away from Santi and especially Alexis, and give us far more balance in terms of spreading assists and goals throughout the team.

The stats also show why we should expect (and want) the likes of Ox, Welbeck and Rosicky to provide back up rather than be first choice. Rosicky is of course a very strong option to have on the bench, and both Ox and Welbeck are still young and hopefully will develop strongly in the next season or two. Jack might also struggle to get back into the team as a regular first starter once he is back.

Let’s hope we can see these five to six top assists and goals producers play together very regularly from now on, so the fun can really begin.

By TotalArsenal.

Paulista: More Koz than Mertesacker?

January 28, 2015January 28, 2015TotalArsenal

The new Martin Keown? :P — The new Martin Keown? 😛

Still no official news re the signing of Gabriel Paulista which is a bit worrying given the comment by Arsene on the 25^th January, saying the club was close in completing the deal: ‘”It’s on the line and I think we’ll get over the line tonight and tomorrow”.

But let’s assume Paulista will join the club, and ask ourselves what sort of CB he is and whether he is more of a BFG or Koz type of defender.

A good defensive pairing is of course crucial, and so are the triangular relationships: backwards with the keeper and forwards with the DM(s). Furthermore, the partnerships between the CBs and their nearest FB, as well as the whole line of four, are equally important. A good fit of skills and balance are paramount for a well functioning defence.

In an ideal world, we play one CB with strong organisational and leadership skills and one ‘first soldier’ type of CB. Adams, Campbell and Mertesacker are excellent examples of the former and Martin Keown, Toure, Vermaelen, and of course, Koz were/are all brilliant first soldiers. Two BFGs do not work, but neither do two Kozs…

I am a big fan of the BFG. He is a world cup winner and plays for the best team in the world by focussing hard on his strengths rather than letting his few weaknesses grind him down. This takes a lot of strength as it is so easy to succumb to the critical voices out there and inside your head. And in our society: at school, in families and at work, we love to focus on (improving) weaknesses rather than building strongly on core strengths and talents, and this is so often holding people back left, right and centre. In this respect alone, Per is a hero to me.

Mertesacker also loves playing for us and always gives his all. He reads the game very well and organises his defence excellently. We rely on this heavily, as was demonstrated again against Brighton & HA last weekend, when our defence looked brittle without him. Wenger of course knows about Per’s ‘lesser strengths’ for which he needs to compensate within the team. He will always need a fast, energetic, yet composed, strong in the air, and brilliant tackler of a CB next to him (and good protection on the flank and in front of him). Koz is such a player and together they make a bloody brilliant pair. Without Per Koz often looks out of sorts, lacking composure and control to some extent: together they are awesome.

We have missed Koz this season when he was injured, and let’s hope he will play most of the remaining games this season. He is a very fine first soldier as we saw once again against Citeh, when he played an absolute blinder next to the BFG, who also had a very good game. Monreal has been Koz’s main back up this season and he did okay, with clear room for improvement. I reckon Nacho has potential to become a decent back up, as I agree with Wenger that he reads the game well. But surely, this is a work in progress and we need him as our (back up) left back…

We also need a good back up for the BFG and maybe we could/should even improve further on him in the long term. This is easier said than done, as good CBs with leadership and organisational skills are hard to find, especially if we also want them to be fast, great tacklers and a beast in the air. I reckon Debuchy has quite some of the required skills and Chambers has good potential too; but ideally, we strengthen our squad for this key position this year.

So, what sort of player is Paulista and for which position has Wenger bought him?

Well hard to tell at this stage, and I welcome bloggers to give us their views if they have seen him play a lot in either Spain or Brazil. The ‘Whoscored?’ stats give an interesting picture.

Paulista compared to Mertesacker and Koz on key defence stats:

	Paulista	Mertesacker	Koz
Games Played	25	21	14
Total Minutes	2147	1890	1196
Tackles per Game	1	1.1	1.3
Interceptions per Game	3.9	1.9	3.7
Fouls per Game	0.8	0.2	0.6
Offsides per Game	0.6	0.8	0.6
Clearances per Game	4.2	6.8	4.9
Blocks per Game	0.4	0.8	0.6

These stats are interesting and indicate that Paulista might be closer to Koz than the BFG as type of defender. Gabriel has slightly fewer tackles per game but also slightly more interceptions than Koz, and he has fewer clearances and blocks per game, but this is not significant. There are quite a lot of similarities between the two.

Paulista has double the number of interceptions per game compared to the BFG, but commits more fouls per game – an area in which Per excels – and has significantly less clearances per game – Per is a lot taller than Koz and Paulista (185cm). Another important stat is that this 24 year old Brazilian has remained fit this season, already clocking up 25 games and 2147 minutes of first team football.

Of course, stats are just stats and we need to see Gabriel in action, if indeed his signing is completed and he is granted a work permit. Wenger might also have other plans with him: DM or even LB/RB, who knows?

But from what I can tell, Paulista will be Koz’s first replacement and might be used in other positions as well. I cannot wait to see him in action, and we should be all happy that the club has now strengthened in central defence: Bring on the rest of the season! 🙂

What do you think, fine fellow Gooners?

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.

The one player Arsenal still need

January 21, 2015TotalArsenal

Krystian Bielik has been confirmed as our latest signing and a big welcome to the home of football for him. With only a handful of senior appearances in the Polish league for Legia Warsaw and at just 17 years old, we can safely say this is one for the future.

It remains to be seen whether Arsene will add anybody else before the TW shuts. Of course lots of names are being prostituted on the horny-for-hits sites, but as we know from many previous TWs, 99% is made up and will never materialise.

I am convinced Wenger is looking, but only for a particular position which appears to be CB. There is also a small chance that a great player becomes available for a (relatively) bargain price: somebody that is nearing the end of their contract and who ‘desperately’ wants to play at the best club in the world. Rest assured that Arsene and his negotiators will be looking towards the last day of the TW to strike such a deal. That is when the pressure is really on and clubs who, for whatever reason, have to sell can be pinned down.

We know that Wenger is prone to changing his mind regularly on what and who he needs, and it is fair to say there is plenty happening within the squad currently to justify some caution:

The squad is getting stronger with the returns to full fitness of Ozil, Theo, Ramsey, and Jack back in training now.
A number of youngsters have been taking the bull by the horns and are fighting for more first team starts (Chambers, Bellerin, Coquelin);
A number of senior, wider squad players have been putting in fine, first class performances (Rosicky, Monreal, Santi, Ospina);
There is currently a great team spirit and things are coming together, with a number of strong performances in the bag. This momentum needs to be harnessed and further build upon.

It is of course always nice to spend money on new things, but Wenger will want to make sure that whoever he adds to the team will make us stronger straightaway and fills an actual hole in the squad.

So, taken the above into account, and assuming that Wenger might buy one quality, senior player this TW, I have a few questions for you for discussion:

On a scale of 1-10 how likely is it that Wenger will buy a (super) quality player this time round?
For which position(s) will he buy?
For which position do you want him to buy now and why?
Who is the one player you feel we need to buy before 1^st Feb and why?

Over to you FFGs! 🙂

By TotalArsenal.

Ozil and Cazorla cannot play together…. You is wrong!

January 20, 2015TotalArsenal

4-1-4-1: Wenger’s Total Harmonica Football Formation?

Victory Through Harmonic Harmony.

It is interesting to listen to the TV and keyboard pundits praising Arsenal and Wenger for the disciplined defensive performance against Citeh. They all seem so genuinely relieved we played with a defensive set-up and smashed the Northern Oilers via breaks and set-pieces. It is not the first time we have played with this approach: for example, the games against the Chavs, at home last season as well as at Stanford Bridge this season, were approached exactly in the same way. It is fair to say, it is not the Arsenal way of playing a game, but Wenger has demonstrated once again that a) he does have a Plan-B, and b) he knows how to make tactical changes to get a result from a game.

In general he prefers to play a system of football that is set up to conquer all and does not need much, if any, tactical tweaking for each and every match. This desire will never change as, in the end, he loves free flowing, attacking, total football too much – and don’t we all? It is also the reason he could manage any club in the world, except the Spuds of course. 🙂

On the other hand, the 4-1-4-1 formation seems to offer formational and tactical flexibility during the same game.

Like a harmonica it can squeeze in and out: becoming solid and compact – 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 – when we need to be, as well as very attack-minded and multi-dimensional up-front as per our normal, default system of football: 4-1-2-3/4-2-1-3.

In order to do this successfully, we need: tactical discipline, on-field leadership (especially in midfield) and brilliant, multi-skilled midfielders.

We only have to remind ourselves about the first ten minutes of the second half against Citeh to realise that varying the styles of football and formations within the same game is not easy. We lost our compactness and defensive discipline and spaces opened up everywhere during this phase, and we almost paid for it. Luckily, it was us that scored the all important second goal of the match, and after that it was relatively easy for us to revert back to our original, far more defensive formation. Citeh, without Yaya and Nasri, were unable to give Silva much support in creating gaps and thus opportunities; and we also defended the wings fantastically well.

It was great to see the team having such fantastic discipline for the majority of the game. Coquelin got a lot of praise, and rightly so. Playing compact suits him very well, and the same goes for the defence. Defence orientated players hate space around them, and especially behind them. If there is little to no space around our defence then everybody starts looking so much better, and that includes our DM.

The Chavs’ Cahill, Terry and Matic are no better than Mertesacker, Koz and Arteta/Flamini/Coquelin, but, as a starting principle, they always ensure they play compact and avoid risks at the back. That’s what makes them look good and our lot regularly not so good, often being left over-exposed by their (too) attack focussed colleagues.

What is absolutely paramount for a solid defensive team display is the role of the four midfielders/attackers in front of the DM, and especially the two central midfielders. They need to curb their attacking instincts to a large extent and be able to both support the defenders and build attacks from a crowded, highly pressured back.

Both Ramsey, and especially Cazorla, mastered this very well, and Ox and Alexis also offered superb defensive and ‘get out of jail’ support throughout the game (and so did Rosicky once he came on for a tired Ox). And with Ozil and Jack, we have two more central midfielders who can do this very, very well. Arsenal are blessed with such players which is a great reason to play a ‘harmonic’ 4-1-4-1 system of football.

When we play fellow direct competitors for silverware away, and maybe also at home, we should more often position our team deeper and more compact, in order to give ourselves a good chance to get a result and avoid painful mega-losses (as per last season).

But, with the right players, we can gradually become stronger and stronger at playing a harmonic 4-1-4-1 formation. Key is to have all our players fit and play together regularly. Another prerequisite is a solid and mobile DM, who will also be strong when our team is stretched forward. Arteta suited this part reasonably well, but I have always felt a need to improve in this area to move us to the next level (and so have most fellow Gooners).

Coquelin is looking really good and I hope we can sign him up to a new deal, and we need to sign one more quality DM to provide depth and competition. Key is that we add real leadership in this position; and, in recent games, Coquelin – finally escaped from his chrysalis – showed he might be able to offer this going forward as well.

But the most important and exciting part of all of this is who we will play in the two central midfield positions of the second ‘4’ of 4-1-4-1.

We can pick, in no particular order, from Rosicky, Ozil, Ramsey, Cazorla, Wilshere and one or two youngsters. I can see Ozil and Cazorla play together there, especially in games where we feel we can play more attack-minded and advanced. The likes of Alexis, Theo and Giroud (Ox, Welbeck etc) will be licking their lips at the anticipated service they would get. The idea that Ozil and Cazorla cannot play together is therefore wrong.

I can also see Jack and Aaron play there and rock the place; and we all know how valuable Rosa still is for us. Arsenal are blessed with super quality in these positions and are no doubt the envy of many, if not all, PL clubs with regards to this.

Cazorla, and Ramsey despite his rustiness, showed how well and disciplined they can play in this formation, and it was their ability to squeeze in with the defence and out with the attack that made a huge difference on Sunday (supported by the ‘mid-wings’ of course). Our transition worked really well, given the pressure we were under; and with more practicing, our 4-1-4-1 harmonica could become an all conquering system of football. It will even allow us to play Cazorla and Ozil together – or eventually my favourite combination: Wilshere and Ozil. 😉

Happy, harmonic times could be around the corner. 🙂

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.

4-1-4-1 with starts for Ospina, Coq & Ozil, and Alexis up top: Line-Up & Preview

January 17, 2015TotalArsenal

Arsenal at City – We haven’t forgotten history so it won’t repeat!

The saying is that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. That’s good news in my view as we head north to play City and their millions of million pound minions.

So, last year was a disaster and other prior years not so much better with a 1-1 draw and a 2-0 loss *at home* the year before. But, we are a much different team now then those years. Some would argue worse because of the players, some would argue worse because of the injuries, some would argue worse based on objective metrics of Doom (that’s you CM), and so on.

Few would argue better… That’s my job today.

History won’t repeat because we are better than last year. We will be tighter in defence, and we have the (deliberately provocative) “Next Henry” (NH from here on) in attack. More specifically, we also have the opportunity, and the need, to make a statement. A draw would be good, a win better.

History won’t repeat for other reasons also. Make no doubt about it, even if we are the same or similar to last year, City are not. Aguero coming back, Yaya disappeared into the AFCON dimension that makes top African players somewhat unattractive in the TW when you consider losing them every few years at a critical point in a season. So, they are missing some, at least, of their strike talisman, and a big chunk of engine room. Plenty left in the tank but opportunity presents to create a new history.

So, in a rare show of agreeing with Steve and disagreeing with TA, I think that, to quote some ancient heavy metal, “If we’re gonna die!” we should “Die with our boots on!” That means we should focus more on attack than normal in the line-up, even if we come out playing a touch more back and on the counter.

For that, the lineup for me is only lightly changed:

Ospina

Bellerin – BFG/Koz – Gibb

Coquelin

Ox/TR – Santi – Ozil – TR/Theo

Alexis

The key is my middle diamond of Coq at the back, driven by Santi and Ozil everywhere, with Ozil a more false 9 and Alexis up front. I am opting for speed and aggression both ways on the wings with Gibbs, if fit, and Bellerin, fronted by Theo, if fit, or TR and the Ox. Both TR and the Ox in particular can drive a game and also come back heavily on defence. I don’t think this is a game for Monreal on the wing with an attack minded person in front, as he doesn’t have the speed to recover like Gibbs.

It’s a 4-1-4-1, but could almost, using Ozil how I want, be a 4-1-3-1-1 where the 4-1-3 looks a lot like last week.

The big question mark is around Coquelin! Here, I disagree with TA. Coq has shown his mettle the last few games in positioning maturity. I think Flamini has the experience but not the speed for this game. However, he’s my very early sub if this looks bad. This is Coquelin’s big day: does he stay, or do we invest in 2 DMs this summer? Today is it, make or break. He’s earned the right to make the decision for Arsene. My call, my opinion, my heresy, call it what you will…

And if he gets that third yellow, the next games he is suspended for we might not need as much DM spirit as the teams we will be playing are not City, and we will be coming off the high of changing history in this one!

Finally, speaking of TWs, there is an alternative line-up based on the ever ongoing discussion on the site around needing lots of new people, and getting rid of those we don’t like. So, the following is based on reading NewsNow and is therefore, based on real journalism and reporting, and thus, obviously true.

Here we go, based on the linkages, we could play this out there, because AW will close all these deals and swoop before all our enemies and rivals. By Sunday… 🙂

It’s a bit more defensively focused than above also, so it is guaranteed to earn us a draw:

Cech

BFG – keeping some continuity

Perrin

Hummels

Carvalho

Gundogan

Schneiderlin

Bielik – young but has earned his start based on all the newsprint hyperbole!

Reus – down the center where he really belongs

Cavani

Yes, I know that is 10 players, not 11, but with this line-up we can’t lose. They all play down the centre, or should, and that is where we are weak. Thus, I didn’t go for Winston Reid as he plays wider and won’t be of any help.

We will destroy City with our highly flexible 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 formation!!!! Look out, it’s available for a mere 193M pounds if I did my sums off various articles right!!

I am sure there is not so subtle editorial point in there somewhere on my part. 😛

More to the original point, it seems long ago that we were invincible, and TAs recent call for regular bloggers to profile themselves asked your favourite moments, which in turn reminded me of the tension as that year drew to a close. I think many of us have almost forgotten that feeling and year… Good news again then, as we might be doomed to repeat it someday soon!! 🙂

Perhaps starting at City!

Some questions for the game:

On a scale of 1-10, where 10 is the most stupid, how stupid am I for either of my line-ups?
Can aggressive wings with speed and Ozil’s passing get us through City? Will we need more defence than I have up there?
Flamini or Coquelin? Has Le Coq earned his “shot”?
I am 6’3” and our team is short, should AW hire me for this game?

By JGC

DM hunt is over: And he’s not here to take part…but to take over!

January 16, 2015TotalArsenal

He is the definition of tenacious.

It’s fair to say Coquelin’s career has never really taken off at Arsenal (as shown by his appearance stats below):

Games total:

2014/15 – Arsenal 5 (4 sub)

2013/14 – Freiburg 16 (8 sub)

2012/13 – Arsenal 11 (11 sub)

2011/12 – Arsenal 13 (4 sub)

2010/11 – Lorient 13 (11 sub)

2009/10 – Arsenal 2 (1 sub)

2008/09 – Arsenal (1 sub)

Could Arteta’s injury woes open the doors for Coquelin to get more game time?

He has a robust style that endears him to the supporters, and he loves the nitty-gritty. But why has he never succeeded in the mighty red and white? I could understand if you said he doesn’t fit our style of play or he has a poor range of passing. But in my opinion he ticks both boxes. Coquelin has had some ripping performances in the past too…the Man U game that didn’t exist (perhaps the only positive to come out of that game) and a game against the spuds come both to mind. Arsene likes a bargain so what better deal than a player already on our books?!

Coquelin’s biggest hurdle appears to be our manager’s perception of him…and it appears once his mind is made up there is no going back. Arsene has praised Coquelin recently but they’re the type of quotes that lead you to believe he’ll be on his way out at the end of the season. We’ve heard it from Arsene before “He’ll have a career and hopefully he’ll make it here…which in Arsene talk equates “I don’t want to hold him back so I have allowed him to leave”.

I agree with our manager most of the time but I disagree with him greatly on this one. What does Flamini and Arteta offer the team that Coquelin doesn’t? Experience you say. Yes that may be so. Coquelin has played in a number of different teams and has been in the Arsenal system for some time now (not to mention he still hasn’t hit his prime), so I think he’s got enough experience. What else? Arteta may have better passing skills but does he use them at Arsenal? Even then, Coquelin is no slouch. Flamini may be tough and fight tooth and nail but one could argue the young Frenchman is displaying more of a desire to succeed. Can Arteta play in the full back position if needed (red card or terrible run with injuries)? Flamini can and so can Coquelin. Flamini played as a full back during our terrific Champions League run in 2006. Unfortunately for Flamini he was never born with blistering pace but it appears to be dropping off rapidly.

It just doesn’t make sense that Arsene would splash the cash when he has the right person for the job standing in front of him. When we’ve needed a DM in the past this is who Arsene has turned to:

Gilberto rested -> Flamini (already an Arsenal player) is given a chance
Flamini leaves for Milan -> Denilson (already an Arsenal player) is chosen
..my mum taught me that if I had nothing good to say that I should keep it to myself -> Song (already an Arsenal player) given the go ahead.
Song departs for Barcelona -> Arteta (already an Arsenal player) is selected to play their despite playing as an attacking midfielder for large parts of his career.

Notice a trend there?

So Arsene, forget splashing 25 million on a DM. Spend it on a CB and/or another attacking player. We’ve got the defensive midfielder we need already, plus a couple of younger ones developing in the reserves. I know he’s not the highly fashionable “gorilla DM” that everyone cries out for, but he’s one of our own and he deserves the chance. Don’t agree? Well watch this and then make up your mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9BUENWNwZw

It was written in the stars…

By Oz Gunner

76 scoring opportunities in one season: Arsenal’s master creator is back!

January 13, 2015TotalArsenal

Bang that head that does not bang for Ozil! :) — Bang that head that does not bang for Ozil! 🙂

Two summers ago Arsene Wenger did something we had never seen him do before: he spent record bucks on a world class player, Mesut Ozil. It was greeted with widespread cheer among Arsenal fans even though at the time, it was a signing that defied the deficiencies of the team.

He had a dream debut at Sunderland where he created a goal for Giroud. If Walcott had his scoring boots on that afternoon, it would have been a hat trick of assists for our creative maestro. He went on to have a run of good games but then ran out of steam, and suddenly £42.5m began to look like a lot of money.

He then went on to have an average world cup (by his standards) with one goal and several assists. When he came back he looked jaded, just like all the German players did. Critics went on and on about how Ozil wasn’t worth his price tag. I would like to explore this.

Ozil is one of the best, if not the best, number 10s in the world. Arsene certainly believes so, and if you no longer trust his judgement, as I know many no longer do, then trust Mourinho. The problem is that we Gooners are trying too hard to compare him to Cesc, Oscar, Silva etc etc.

What we are failing to understand is that Mesut Ozil is Mesut Ozil and at his best, he is a contender for player of the year.

Many of his critics argue that he does not put in enough effort and I disagree. Yes, he does not put in enough effort DEFENSIVELY, however when you look at his play in the attacking half, you realize that Ozil is a very hard working player. He pops up everywhere in search of the ball and in a bid to create space for his team mates. He is always on either wing or in the middle trying to look for a decisive pass.

Here is an interesting statistic: Arsenal created a total of 406 goal scoring opportunities last season. Ozil created 76 of them – a massive 18.7%. That means Arsenal were more reliant on Ozil’s creativity than any other Premier League team were on any other player.

Let this sink in a it. 76 scoring opportunities for a player many view as mediocre. I believe that what many saw as a lack of effort on Ozil’s part was really him feeling a bit frustrated. Here is someone who creates chances for fun in a team where nobody, not even the main striker (Giroud) was making any decisive runs into the opposition box.

That statistic proves Ozil did not lose his creative nous, but that the Arsenal team were not able to capitalize on his efforts. This has changed now with Theo back and Alexis in the team. Ozil is primed to step into the fore as he now has proper goal scorers to feed. He already has created for Alexis, Welbeck & Theo individually. Even giroud will be a beneficiary of Ozil’s talent.

What is even more encouraging is that with Santi’s form, he will have to fight for a place in the team. All that is left is for Arsene to bring in a defensive shield (and my first choice is Morgan Schneiderlin), and then we can really see what Ozil is made of. I for one am excited to see him back in the team and cannot wait to see him properly link up with Theo, Alexis & Giroud.

He created 76 scoring chances last season when he was adjusting to the BPL, what do you think will happen when he is back and he is playing alongside ruthless goal scorers?

COYG!!

Written by: Marcus