premier league – Page 17

Arsenal v Stoke Preview & Line-Up: Same 11 as against WBA bar Gibbs?

December 6, 2014TotalArsenal

Stoke City – Arsenal Preview–Make or Break Time up in the Potteries

Stoke away is a match which has become infamous since 2010 when a full blooded tackle from Ryan Shawcross broke Aaron Ramsey’s tibia and fibula. Shawcross (to his credit, I believe) left the field in tears, while Ramsey left it on a stretcher–to boos and derision from Stoke supporters. Subsequently, in an atmosphere of very high emotion, Cesc Fabregas led Arsenal to a 3-1 victory. Unfortunately, the acrimony between partisans was further stoked by pantomime dramas in the press around apologies and misplaced behaviours. The negative tactics (and demeanor) of then manager, Tony Pulis, did nothing to mollify matters, nor did Arsenal’s continued struggles in trips to the Britannia. Pulis is now gone, but another manager, Mark Hughes, who has never been high on the list of most revered men amongst Gooners–or our own manager, Arsene Wenger–is now at the helm. Faces have changed but the animosity most certainly has not.

Shawcross, now Captain of his club, will lead a slightly more elegant bunch onto the pitch tomorrow. Will Hughes keep the mowers off and let it grow for an extra day or two as they used to during the Pulis era? At least the groundskeepers can no longer bring in the touchlines to league minimums to favor the long throws of Rory Delap and try to hinder the better passing clubs. Things may be modernizing at Stoke City, but the always simmering bad blood between the two clubs will not be cured by the simple handshake Shawcross and Ramsey are sure to share in the moments before kickoff.

That Ramsey will have to reprise his 90+ minutes of hard running which, at the very end, yielded the assist which allowed Gooners to breathe again, is down to the injuries in the squad. Long termers Ozil, Debuchy, Wilshere are out and Theo Walcott has not recovered from a groin strain picked up on International duty. Tomas Rosicky also seems to have picked up a thigh injury and Yaya Sanogo might be carrying a hamstring strain from 10 days ago. Both left backs, Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs, are nursing knocks picked up last weekend at West Bromwich Albion and Nacho, it appears, will definitely be withheld. Laurent Koscielny, although still bothered by at least one Achilles tendon, appears to be able to continue in central defense, but faces a late fitness test. His presence along with the solid work of Damien Martinez in goal have been strong factors leading to consecutive clean sheets in the league, and three in all competitions. Even though Wojciech Szczesny has recovered from his collision with Gibbs vs ManU, it seems unlikely that he’ll get the call between the sticks.

Stoke have injury issues of their own. Jonathan Walters has a knee problem and Glenn Whelan and Robert Huth are also doubtful with calf injuries. Stephen Ireland could miss out because of illness while Steve Sidwell, Peter Odemwingie, Victor Moses and Dionatan Teixeira are all sidelined with longer term issues.

At least Hughes and Stoke had an extra day to recover from their midweek match on Tuesday at ManU. They lost that one, 2-1, but it was a very close and hard fought battle which turned on the slimmest of margins. They also played very well vs Liverpool and only lost on a late goal from Glen Johnson. Will they be lacking confidence from the results or taking heart in the strong performances and feeling they are due?

Arsenal, in many respects, are coming from an opposite perspective, having eked out tight wins in their last two. The fight and organization shown has been good but the inability to create more comfortable margins has taken a toll. While the manager would surely love to rotate his players, he’ll instead have to ask his guys to dig deeper, perhaps promising stalwarts like Atlas, er, Alexis Sanchez, a chance to rest in midweek when we have to make the long trip to Istanbul for the final Champions’ League group match. At least Galatasaray will have nothing to play for in that one. We would like to win that match to have a chance at winning the group, but that seems a long-shot, given that group leaders Dortmund are playing (also eliminated) Anderlecht in their home stadium.

Talking recently about his team and “lessons learned,” in reference to the way the team got exposed chasing an equalizer against ManU two weeks ago, Wenger may also be chastened by his experience in this same fixture last season. In that one, our attack, despite ample possession, was unable to make headway against a stubborn Stoke defence. Trying to rest key players, notably Mesut Ozil, backfired when, with only 15 minutes to go, a very soft handball penalty was called on Laurent Koscielny and subsequently converted by Jonathan Walters. Despite the introduction of Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sanogo, the goal served to re-invigorate the Stoke team (and their crowd) and they were able to see out the victory. Trying to push earlier (and take the home support out of the match) then, might be a better tactic.

With that notion in mind, my best guess for the starting 11 would be the group which started at WBA, with the one change at Left Back.

Bench = Szczesny, Bellerin, Ajayi, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Podolski, Campbell (and one of Sanogo or Rosicky depending of fitness)

I could give a list of who I believe Stoke will play, but instead, I will only name the guy they (and their support) will be attempting to influence… The referee, one Anthony Taylor, infamous to Gooners for his work on Opening Day last season vs Aston Villa. Will he seek to make up for that (woeful) performance or continue in his efforts to punish our brand of football? Regardless, despite his Howard Webb hairstyle, he seems like one of the younger sorts, brought up based on a reputation for “letting them play”… Hopefully he can curb that tendency just a bit, remembering the ugliness of the Ramsey injury and its aftermath. Maybe Rambo should show him the scar… Again, taking the crowd out of this one, in the hope that the better side can prevail, seems a worthwhile tactic.

Can we do that and, more pointedly, are we actually the better side?

Under Hughes, Stoke have quietly gathered a good group which includes Stephen N’zonzi (another deep lying midfielder Arsenal might’ve considered given our own troubles in this area) and Barcelona flop, Bojan Krkic. Peter Crouch (no longer an automatic in the first 11) always seems to play his best against Arsenal and another new player, Mame Biram Diouf, took down another big team, Man City, with a solo effort on the counter for Stoke’s best moment of the season.

Stretched as we are (and Wenger admitted to the team “lacking fluency” vs Southhampton), I would say that this will be a (very) tough one. As the manager also suggests, we have to hope the boys can dig deep and get the job done. Given the high expectations of most Gooners, nothing less than taking the full 3 points will suffice. Stoke, of course, also need a result and will be well motivated to get one in front of their home support. They will also have a full week of time off before the next one, so I would expect them to pull out all the stops to leave it all out on the pitch and do everything they can to draw a line under this run of close results (but strong performances) which have gone against them. There must be a million other platitudes to suggest that another very tough battle awaits.

Insert your favorite… Or tell us who you would play (and how you would rotate) and what sort of result you’re expecting… Or anything else… 🙂

Go on you Gunners, Up the Arsenal, etc., etc., etc.

Written by: 17HighburyTerrace

Rest for Alexis, Danny-Ollie-Ox in attack? Arsenal Preview | Line-Up

December 5, 2014December 5, 2014TotalArsenal

I have only been once to the Britannia and luckily we won; but, unfortunately, this is not the main memory I have from that notorious day. My boss back then was not really into football, but he wanted to ‘experience’ a Premiership game. He lived near to the proverbial hole that is Stoke and so I organised tickets for him, his eleven year old son and myself. I warned him in advance that he and his son would encounter some bad language.

The atmosphere in the stadium was pretty aggressive as relationships between the clubs and their managers were far from good. We sang that they were nothing more than ‘just a fecking throwy’ – a reference to Rory Delap’s towel-dried long-distance ball throws which landed like V2s in our penalty area on a constant basis. And they would sing ‘Rory is going to get you; Rory is going to get you’. Of course, this was all a bit of harmless fun, but the footie on the pitch was not.

The whole ‘let’s rough Arsenal up’ got an entire new meaning when Ramsey’s leg got smashed to pieces that day. It was a careless, vicious foul by Shawcross and one that will not be forgotten by me, or indeed many more Gooners who witnessed the assault at the ground or on TV. The fans were incensed and my boss and his son witnessed the sort of language and behaviour by the away fans they had never encountered before – but with good reason. He wanted an experience and he got one – one he will not forget in a hurry.. 🙂

The injury to Aaron rattled the players but leaders Fabregas and Super Sol guided us to victory, and I will never forget how the two pumped their fists in the air in front of the away fans after the game.

I have no doubt that things are a bit more settled between the clubs now. But, a combination of Stoke losing a few games on the trot and the continuous troubled relationship between Hughes (their current manager) and Wenger, as well as Arsenal really needing a win to keep momentum going and settle ourselves in the top-four, have the potential of this becoming a fiery, possibly nasty, encounter. And both Ramsey and Shawcross will be on the pitch once again, of course.

So, for me this is not a game for boys but for men. We need to keep our heads cool and yet fight fire with fire: never let them intimidate us, but match their physicality whilst outplaying them with our superior football skills.

We have our shape back now that Giroud has recovered, which is key for our ability to win this game: stick to our shape and game plan; stay solid and compact at the back and in the middle and attack them with focus and creativity – and take our chances when they come…

We need a strong spine throughout the team, and with Szczesny, BFG-Koz (hopefully)-Flamini-Ramsey and Giroud we will have it. My starting eleven are: Szczesny (Martinez would be okay too but I prefer the experience of Wojciech for this one), Gibbs (hopefully fully fit), BFG, Koz(or Chambers, if unfit), Chambers (or Bellerina), Flamini/Ramsey in the DM pivot, Santi in the hole, Welbeck and Ox on the wings and Giroud upfront. Keep Alexis on the bench for this one, just in case we need him: I would try and rest him for a week as he looks knackered to me (and therefore at injury risk).

Preferred (and more or less predicted team, depending on fitness of players):

This team can do it, and with Alexis and Pod on the bench we have two strong game changers available if needed. May the Injury-Gods be with us! 🙂

COYRRG!

Written by: TotalArsenal.

What to do with the Ox?

December 4, 2014TotalArsenal

Let me start with saying that I like Alex a lot. He stole thousands of Gooners hearts with THAT spirited, this-is-my-moment, CL performance against AC Milan a few years ago. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has not just a posh name; he is one of the elite talents in this country, and indeed in Europe. The Ox is only 21 years old and yet he has played already 84 times for Arsenal (8 goals, 8 assists).

Here is a nice summary of what he has to offer:

Our nr.15 has played 20 games (12 starts) in all competitions this season, and he clocked up about 1100 minutes of football (for comparison, Alexis played 1475 minutes in all competitons). It is fair to say he has been given a proper chance now to proof himself. Yet, despite some spirited, encouraging performances, he only scored twice; and more worryingly for the roles in which he played, he only has a single assist to his name this season.

The Ox has good spells in every game during which he adds a lot of thrust to our attacks. But he also seems to disappear for long periods in each game. We have to remember that he is still only young and needs a good run of games. However, I feel he has partly failed to take the opportunity to really demand a place in our first team this season. And nobody can say Wenger did not give him a chance.

Now that Giroud is back and Theo is also close to full fitness, the Ox might find himself more and more on the bench. Wenger is likely to play Giroud as his holding CF and then pick two ‘wingers’ from Alexis, Theo, Welbeck, Ox (and possibly Gnabry and Pod).

I can see the Ox missing out on many PL/CL starts during the remainder of the season and wonder what would be best for him:

Keep him in the team and use him as a super-sub regularly?
Start him regularly with Wenger rotating his players more proactively and frequently?
Send him out on loan, say to Everton or West Ham, where he would be guaranteed regular first team starts?
Cash in on him in January/Summer?

Ooh, and what do you reckon the Ox’s best position is?

Over to you, fine fellow Gooners: What would you do with the Ox? 🙂

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Arsenal v Saints Match Review: Giroud Is Not Afraid!

December 3, 2014TotalArsenal

Arsenal 1 – 0 Southampton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Ramsey Improving, Giroud and Koz Back: Finally Structure & Purpose

November 30, 2014TotalArsenal

West Brom – Arsenal Afterthoughts.

Saturday’s victory against the Baggies was hard fought and, in many ways, a joy to watch. We looked a lot more organised and better structured and were in control of large parts of the game. It is hard to say what exactly is making a big difference: is it the return of Koz at the back, or our holding striker Giroud up-front, the combo of Flamini and Ramsey, or the nr.10 performances of Cazorla, or is it playing with two wingers now?

Let’s just say we will wait a bit before we pull our conclusions, but I am really glad we have our shape back in the team. We looked a lot more solid and like we are playing football with a plan now. Of course, we rode our luck a bit with the offsite decision early on in the second half, as that could have been a potentially costly goal against us. It is also true that we need to get our three ‘CFs’ up-front to work better together, and we also need to improve the service they get from midfield and the flanks (FBs especially). But if we play solid at the back and in midfield, then the front four (including Cazorla) can really get to know each other a lot better and still score enough goals each game to claim all three points. And at some point a team will get properly spanked with this highly attacking approach.

With the return of Giroud and Koz, and Ramsey slowly hitting a bit of form, we should be able to play the same style of football and team structure for a while. Soon, we will also have Theo and Debuchy back, which should further strengthen our ability to play in the same way time and again.

Key is that Giroud plays in the holding striker role, albeit fluidly, which means he will interchange with both wingers on a regular basis. This will make us unpredictable and yet there is structure to our play, which has been missing for so long. Giroud is the one to hold on to the ball and get either Ramsey or Cazorla involved in the attack, or his ‘CF colleagues’ Welbeck and Alexis. With Theo and Ox we have two very good alternatives for the wings; and Welbeck, Alexis, or Sanogo, can also play in the ‘Giroud’ role. Ollie is my favourite for it and then comes Sanogo, who is a naturally born holding striker imo (even though he still has a lot to learn).

Ramsey is also key. Now that Wilshere is out for a long time, Aaron is the one to be our beast of a box to box midfielder again. He needs to find the balance between helping Flamini (or Arteta when he returns) to keep it tight in front of the back four AND providing the four attacker with key passes and supportive runs into the box. IF Aaron can find his form again, we could have a very good remainder of the season. There were glimpses of him getting there on Saturday.

It is also important that the back five (including goal keeper) now find a defensive rhythm again and become more and more solid. There is potential for this with Koz now back and Debuchy returning soon. Chambers has played himself into the defensive super-sub role, and Nacho (hopefully his injury is a small one) has also developed a broader skill set – although the Spaniard still seems more at home on the left flank. Gibbs staying fit is also very important as this should be his proper breakthrough year. Two clean sheets in a row is something to build further on.

We know we need to strengthen in defence and the DM position but we cannot be thinking about this at the moment. It is now about getting this team to play better and better together and start collecting three points on a regular basis. The games come thick and fast and with a bit of momentum we could be third or even second within no time.

From what I saw against Dortmund on Wednesday and West Brom on Saturday, we might just be turning the corner now. But bigger tests come this Wednesday and then away to Stoke at the weekend. Bring them on – Time to get into sixth gear and trust the system and shape of the team! OGAAT! 🙂

Written by: TotalArsenal.

West Brom v Arsenal: Preview and Line-Up

November 29, 2014TotalArsenal

Mini – Preview
of
West Bromwich v Arsenal

Yes, just one of my converted posts I’m afraid.

So I will be concentrating on our potential on the back of an excellent win in mid week. Confidence and stability is the name of the game. We got some of that back against Dortmund, but now we must repeat it against sterner (?) opposition. The Baggies are at home and they will be all out to get a win. But they too are hampered by injuries, so let me crack on with the preview.

TA put a very probable line up last night I see no reason to disagree:

There are a few areas of concern though:
1. Santi took some heavy knocks on Tuesday?
2. Ox has been great these last few games, but do we want burn out before a game against his old club?
3. Giro only played a few minutes but looked sharp. He may not last there a whole game?

So, starting with Cazorla, with a dearth of creative mid-fielders, he looks likely to start, but it is a risk? My guess is, if he doesn’t start, then Ramsey might move forwards, and Rosicky in the deeper B2B role.

Ox, again, more likely to start with Rosicky as cover?

Giroud should start, no question. Welbeck and YaYa both carrying knocks, it makes sense?

The Bench is probably occupied by those that were around on Tuesday, and not playing today will fill the spots here. However, a couple of changes is in order, I think:
1. Matt Macey – Very capable. No Problem.
2. Hector Bellerin – A natural for the RB spot if any of the back 4 causes a reshuffle. However, also useful to stick on the right side of midfield as a DM/AM, depending on the state of play?
3. Semi Ajayi – Rather than have a reshuffle, which could result in a Calum and Nacho pairing at CB in front of Martinez with a final 10 minute onslaught that would follow? Much better to have a proper CB who adds height and muscle, I think.

OfKos we have Koscielny, but let us not push him into a desperate situation on his first return.

Rosicky is the likely loser of those who don’t play from the start. That said, the situation could change with an eye to another two games by the end of next week?

Podolski is likely to be here even if AW is getting resigned to him leaving in January? A formation-change for him to be a starter, but maybe part of a double change if we are chasing the game?

Campbell could be the other half of that double change, but only if both Danny and Ya Ya are both rested until Wednesday. If only a single change, who will miss out?

Let’s not kid ourselves, unless we play every bit as well as we did on Tuesday, with positive attacking and defending as a unit, then it will be a very shot lived revival.

Keep the faith

Written by: Gerry

Arsenal v MU: Preview and Line-up

November 22, 2014November 22, 2014TotalArsenal

Happiness is a warm Gunner! Come on Danny: Show the flat-faced Dutchie what a beast you are! :) — Happiness is a warm Gunner! Come on Danny: Show the flat-faced Dutchie what a beast you are! 🙂

A late Saturday kick-off against Manchester United at the home of football is always an exciting prospect. Even though both teams are currently in UEFA cup positions on the league table, this game still means a hell of a lot. A win for either team will boost morale and can set off a winning run of games – so desperately needed at the moment.

It is hard to predict this one, as both teams have heavy weapons in attack but dodgy defences. The fear of losing might weigh more than the desire to win, which might lead to a (subconscious) acceptance of a draw. A win for Arsenal would only be a second one in 15 encounters, and nobody should expect it to be easy. The good thing is that we are for once playing at home when these teams meet for the first team in a football season – usually we play them at the theatre of nightmares after an international break or a tough CL match, resulting in us playing below par and leaving all three points in the Manure.

So, here is our chance to make a statement. To say our PL season is not over at all, that we are willing and capable to fight…. And that we can now beat so called Angstgegners. And let there be no doubt about it: Manchester United has had the psychological advantage over us for a long time now.

Wenger will need to show he has fixed the softness in our defence: not easy with the players available, but they are his players so he should show us what he is capable of. Upfront he now has Giroud back, but Theo has had a little setback apparently…. Sigh. Regular readers know I rate Giroud significantly higher as our holding CF than Danny, but I guess the Frenchie will start on the bench for this one. An ideal line up for today would be OG central with Alexis and Danny operating from the wings, and hopefully we will see this at some point (at least).

The biggest worry I have is who we will put between the defence and attack. Jack is a given: we need his skills and personality, and for him this will be a very big game: the sort of game with which he can announce himself onto the big stage (at least for this season). I reckon Arsene will go for experience and solidity, and with both Flamini and Arteta available, it would make sense to play them both in front of the defence. Wenger might opt for Ramsey instead of Flamini or the captain, but Aaron really needs to step up his game if we are to win today.

I expect Jack to play in the hole and to be targeted constantly by the MU players. Everybody knows that Jack on the ball in space means danger and that’s why he gets fouled so much: simple team tactics rather than the popular belief that our genius is often too ponderous on the ball (which he seldom is).

Behind Jack, I am going to go for Arteta and Ramsey. Ramsey, because Wenger believes the Welshman will hit form again and the best impetus for this to happen is giving him plenty of confidence…. Wenger is a Y-manager and not an X-manager after all, for those who know what I am talking about. Arteta is our most composed and organised midfielder for the deeper role, and when in form he can still pull it off. We all know that we need to strengthen in this area, but for today’s match it is Arteta rather than Flamini for me. What Wenger will do re the double pivot remains a question though: will he go for compact…. FlamTeta… will he go for more linkage between defence and attack… RamTeta…or will he go all futuristic……RamShere in the pivot? You tell me!

Louis van Gaal, or the flat-faced Dutchie as some like to call him, will prepare for this well tactically. He will be looking at pouncing on our obvious ‘lesser strengths’: RB, DM cover and CBs, and at eliminating our strengths: Jack and Alexis. But he also has to cover up his weaknesses in defence and will pray his attackers earn their weekly wages back for once. We might see him start with 5-3-2 with the hope that he can steel a goal from us on the counter… or he might go full on attack…. I have not got much of a clue to be honest.

I know some, especially the ‘Gold Fingers movement’ (D-Money, Steve and James Bond 🙂 ), will want us to go full on attack with the aim to simply score more than we concede tonight. But I like us to be as solid as possible and to play this game maturely and effectively. We need patience and self-belief: play tactically strong and disciplined, as only then will we have a realistic chance of taking all three points of the Mancs. Can we do it? Big question, but I think today we will come good.

Preferred Line-Up:

————Szczesny——————

Nacho – BFG – Chambers – Gibbs

———- Arteta—-Jack————–

Ox———Alexis———–Wellbeck

—————-Giroud——————

Predicted Line-up:

Come on You Rip Roaring Gunners – Let the Canon Roar!

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Fine Fellow Gooners: Let’s Be Having Your Predictions!

November 17, 2014TotalArsenal

I just watched the short BBC Stiliyan Petrov video and it was a humbling experience: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30067565

Petrov has been through so much, and yet, his passion for football is a big part of what drives him on. He clearly has a great joie de vivre and sense of humour, and he should inspire us all to accept and appreciate what we have – to be gracious about it.

Reading comments by a number of fine, and not so fine, fellow Gooners on BK and other blogs, I reckon they should take a leaf out of Petrov’s book. Yes our team has been disappointing and Wenger can be criticised for a number of his decisions, but it really is not a big deal. The season is long and there will be many twists and turns, and good football to watch in the process. Yet, it sometimes feels that some believe the world is about to end…

For real football lovers, the calender year can be divided into three sections:

Start of the season till end of last international break period: typified by ‘stop and start’ of the club football season;
Mid November till March: Full on club football without any interruptions, with the conclusion of the CL group stages and a large number of PL games (and start of the FA cup rounds as well);
The remainder of the club football season, once again interrupted by international football, and possibly followed by the Euros or WC for nations.

Finally, the last international break is over and we can now enter the best period of football for us club-football junkies.

I asked in the last post how we can get some excitement back at Arsenal and the responses, although not bad, have not inspired many of us. For some, it is all about going full out on attack and not worrying about our defending any more. They want Flamteta replaced by either the untested and exhausted Chambers (on his little ownie) or the defensively soft and partly out of form duo of RamShere. It could of course work a treat, but I don’t see these as the answers to making us stronger right now.

For me, there is always just the next game to get excited about. Formation and available players play a big part, and so are the instructions and decisions of the manager. But the beauty of the beautiful game is that there are always elements of luck, bad luck and unpredictability that will determine the outcome of the game: the ball is round as the Dutch like to call it. The past is a fact, but the future is uncertain and therefore (yet) exciting.

I reckon this is a good moment to do some predictions. For most of us the glass is currently half-empty rather than full, which should lead to more realistic/balanced predictions.

So hear are my questions:

How many points will we get from all our PL games between now and 2 January 2015 (games to play are: MU (H), West Brom (A), Southampton (H), Stoke (A), Newcastle (H), Liverpool (A), QPR (H), West Ham (A), Southampton (A))?
What will be our position in the PL come the second of January?
What will be Arsenal’s top-three of goal scorers by the second of January (all PL games of this season)?
What will be Arsenal’s top-three of assist producers by the second of January (all PL games of this season)?
We have conceded 13 PL goals (only three teams conceded less this season): How many goals will we have conceded by the second of January (all PL games)?
Who will be in Arsenal’s top-three of official PL Man of the Match awards by second of January (all PL games of the season)?
Just for fun – everybody! is fit: what is your favourite eleven?

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Welbeck is a Winger

November 12, 2014November 12, 2014TotalArsenal

….Well at least for a while to come.

Like many fellow Gooners, I was very excited when we signed Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck back in September. We were desperate for new firepower up-front and Danny seemed the right man for us. He was further in his development than Sanogo and would be able to compete for the CF spot with Giroud, and there was also potential for both Giroud and Welbeck to start in a more traditional 4-4-2 formation.

Welbeck was pushed out at Manure as LvG was looking for more established firepower… Their current combined strike force share between them about an eye-watering million pounds in wages every week, but they have been very net-shy this season – and long may it continue. 😀

The 1.84m tall attacker was very keen to join us. He wanted to play football regularly, in the central role and with a lot of creative players around him, who are able to launch him into space. The arrival at the home of football gave him a spring in his step, resulting in fine and effective performances for England and Arsenal. He scored five goals in twelve PL and CL appearances for Arsenal and he produced two PL assists as well. However, it has been a while since he hit the net as it looks like he is struggling to get himself into scoring positions at the moment, as well as taking the few good chances that come his way.

This seems to coincide with Ozil’s injury, and it did not help either that Jack has been injured in the last few games. A player like Welbeck is highly dependent on creative midfielders who can anticipate and pick out his runs, and we have lacked that to a large extent. Only Alexis, as a fellow striker/winger, has been picking him out regularly and effectively during the last few games.

I watched Danny on a number of occasions and cannot help but feel that he is not ready to be our CF on a regular basis. In fact, I think he would be a lot more effective as a winger.

I am convinced that the injury to OG has cost us badly this season. Not just for his goal contributions, which, let’s face it, is not his strongest attribute, but especially for the shape his gives to the team and the link-play he provides for the rest of the team. For Wenger’s current preferred – but temporarily abandoned – system of 4-1-4-1, OG is very, very important.

I don’t think this role fits Welbeck, even though he is working very hard to be effective in it. Danny is best when we regain the ball in midfield or defence and spring a counter-attack: when there is space to run into and there are midfielders who can pick him out. Manure have always played this sort of football under RedNose and you can see Welbeck has been properly schooled in it.

Danny is a total athlete, and it is great to watch him run with or without the ball at defenders, when there is space and real momentum.

But we do not play that sort of football very often and we face a lot of park the buses teams. We need either another Giroud-type, OR a predator in the box, and, from what I saw of him against Burnley, he is neither, AS YET.

Of course, he will only become 24 this month and Wenger has had very little time to work with him. I am convinced he will be a success at Arsenal, but not so sure whether that will be as our big CF.

In a dream world, we will have all our attackers fully fit and really give opponent teams the creeps. For me, and I reckon Wenger, this means OG in the centre and Alexis and Theo on the wings, with both Ozil and Jack providing the through-balls and central box penetration. Welbeck could be our super-sup up-front, just as Calum Chambers will be at the back (once everybody is fit there, sigh, sigh!).

As you can tell, I am not so keen on Danny being our CF right now. He still has a lot to learn in terms of anticipating crosses and owning space around defenders in the box. Crossers of the ball don’t find him enough, and he does not anticipate their crosses enough either…. And a deadly CF demands the former and is brilliant at the latter. They also often are, instinctively, in the space were rebounds drop. And when he gets a chance he tends to lack the ‘cold-bloodedness’, often not keeping his shots low, thus giving the keeper a chance.

In my view, Danny is not doing well enough to warrant the CF role going forward at the moment.

But as a winger, with a licence to position himself centrally on a regular basis, I can see him do really well. He has the power, speed, hunger and physical strength and endurance for it, and I can see him give Theo a real run for his money. I can see him give Alexis and Theo a break now and again, or allow the Chilean to play more central, if required.

Of course, as long as Giroud is out it will be Welbeck up-front, but once the French Lighthouse is back, I would love to see Danny play on the wings for a while. I think then we will see the very best of him this season.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Be Kind to Yourself

Calum in Torture Chambers | Dreaming of Arsenal’s Best-11

November 10, 2014November 11, 2014TotalArsenal

Yesterday’s defeat against Swansea hurt less than the draw against Anderlecht, even though the former is a lot more costly. Somehow, I am getting used to Gunners-disappointment – I might even be finding some inner-peace around it all.

Yesterday’s team v Swansea (well done 17HT for getting it spot on!):

I thought the team fought hard and with discipline for a long time, and although our play was far from a compliment to the eye, I was still enjoying it. The goal, a well worked counter-attack between Ox, Wellbeck and the deadly Alexis, fell at the right time, as, of course, it was important to score first.

After that, it was a matter of either absorbing pressure and play counter-football or to keep playing on the attack in order to score the all important second goal. Key is to make a choice and stick to it….

This is easier said than done, especially after giving a three nil lead away against Anderlecht. Nerves played a big role and tactical indecision – on the pitch and on the touchline – proved to be very costly. It also does not help that the only defensive player on our bench is a young, promising, but highly inexperienced, FB: Bellerin. It became very quickly squeaky bum time, and it got worse. 😦

Ramsey had been ineffective: eager yes, but without focus and much control, which is so vital in the b2b/CM role (what was it, hey?). About time to dump the tennis shoes as well…. what is next: sheep and cow patterns?

Flamini, our man of the match by a mile, had been protecting the defence with an aggressive yet disciplined performance. For once we looked solid through the middle of our defence. But on the right flank we were vulnerable and there was very little we could do about it: the chink in the armour was gaping and our RB was imprisoned in his very own torture Chambers. Paradoxically, the opposite flank of Swansea was their most vulnerable area, so it made some sense to keep Ox on the right…

But Chambers, who simply has been playing too many games for a 19 year old, does not appear to deal well at the moment with speedy wingers who like to sprint to the by-line in order to cross into the box (I reckon fatigue is playing a big role here). His latest ‘Tormentero’, the impressive Montero, knew he had the better of the young Englishman and skinned him ruthlessly time and again. This is a real worry for our nr.2 RB, but more about this during the week. Ox still has a lot to learn defensively, and it is fair to say Chambers did not get much quality support from him; and the BFG is not going to help him much either when it comes to outrunning attackers.

Swansea’s equaliser was a chapeau-moment. The wall looked wobbly, but Sigurdsson’s free-kick was simply unstoppable. Nothing was lost yet; in fact, I was convinced we would bounce back from this. But Swansea smelled blood and their manager made the right substitution: the chink needed to be cracked open. Montero got the better of Chambers once again and produced a good cross into the box and a big, fresh CF, Gomis, is there to pounce home. It was reminiscent of a Drogba goal: Gomis out-jumped and out-powered the sorry looking Nacho and Ramsey, leaving Szczesny no chance at all.

We made substitutions and had the game lasted another half an hour we might well have drawn or even won it, but we all knew the game was lost.

Afterthoughts

I wrote about our soft underbelly after the Anderlecht game, and we all know we need to reinforce our defence and midfield in the middle with steel, speed, skill and character. So let’s not go over this again. The TW is 50 days away and we have a hell of a lot of games to play between now and then. And there might be no suitable players available come the start of the new year. Having said that, Flamini played well and the triangle of Flam, BFG and Nacho held strong for a very long time, allowing Swansea very little in the process.

Having watched Arsenal against Burnley live last week, I reckon we need to give more weight to the number of first team players we have been missing for a long period now. We looked ordinary for a large part of the game; in fact, I have not seen Arsenal lacking so much class throughout the team for a long, long time.

Welbeck really is nowhere near as effective in our team as Giroud. Chambers has to learn a lot to become as solid as Debuchy. Santi is significatly more limited in his attacking play than Ozil. Ramsey, out of form this season, is nowhere near as effective as Jack or veteran Arteta at the moment. Ox has moments of promise, but is still so raw and technically/tactically undisciplined compared to the ‘previously arrived’ Theo. Nacho works his socks off but is only half as good as tiger Koz.

This does not mean that the ‘stand-ins’ are rubbish: far from it! They are all decent to good players who would play well in a team that had very few injuries to their main core. Arsenal can cope with a couple of first teamers out, maybe even three. But there has been such a drop in overall quality over the last few months; and, in my view, this is down to the sheer numbers of injured first teamers. All teams have a core of first choice players, and if too many are injured, sooner or later this will show in their performances.

No Ozil, No Giroud, No Koz, No Theo, No Debuchy, and No Arteta and Jack for the last few weeks – easily £100-120m transfer value – is an incredible bloodletting for any team, and certainly for Arsenal. Too many stand-ins have been too much – or should it be too little – for the team, especially when we play them about twice a week as well.

To me this is the obvious problem – in combination with our lack of defensive cover, of course. Just imagine we can play the team below week in week out for a while, whilst adding a proper DM and a quality CB in January:

We would do a lot, lot better…no doubt about that!

The PL title is lost, but the season is not. The Chavs are rampaging on, and although I can see weaknesses in their team, we are not going to make up the 12 point gap this season.

We have to hope to see our team get back to full strength, or there about, as soon as possible. Add steel in defence and/or midfield in January, and see where we go from there.

In the meantime, Wenger and Bould have to work hard to get the current squad into a solid, confident unit which will see us through this challenging period. The international break has come at the right time, it seems. For once, no Arsenal football for a couple of weeks feels like a relief.

Written by: TotalArsenal.