premier league – Page 22

Liverpool – Arsenal Afterthoughts: DM-pivot needs sorting out!

February 9, 2014February 9, 2014TotalArsenal

Arsene has got his work cut out to make the team bounce back once more.

More than 24 hours after the debacle at Anfield, it is still not easy to come to terms with the devastating implosion of our team in just 1200 seconds.

Regular BKers know that I believe our first team players are not lazy and calculated but committed and passionate about our club. It is natural to want to point towards a lack of attitude by our players for this embarrassing performance, but I reckon this would be self-deceiving. Yesterday, technically and tactically we were not good enough and Arsene Wenger is the main culprit for this.

It would be a lot easier to blame a lack of passion and commitment as the main cause of our defeat, but on the day we were simply not good enough. It will now be key for Wenger and his players to show us this was just a bad day at the office.

In a nutshell, we lost the game through two horribly defended Pool set-pieces and a subsequent inability to turn the game round without leaving the door wide open for the Scousers’ deadly counter-attacks. And deadly they were.

As 17highburyterrace pointed out yesterday, nothing is more frustrating to watch than Mertesacker having to run back towards his own goal chasing the game. We lacked shape, organisation, composure, professionalism and, most of all, any dominance when it still mattered.

The set-pieces were defended badly by the whole of the team, as we looked all over the place (especially the second one), but our CBs should have taken better control of those situations.

It is also fair to say we were not able to match the energy of the Pool players at the start of the game. We knew we had it coming and we should have been prepared better for this.

As others have pointed out already this weekend, and as I have been saying since the start of the season, our weakest area is in the double-DM pivot. Without a fit Flamini we are a different team, especially against the top teams. And going forward we need to improve on Flamini as well if we really want to come close to beating the top teams on a regular basis (and win silverware).

We lost the battle in midfield as we were unable to match Pool’s energy and speed, and I am holding my breath for what is to come in the next few games, as we seem to have structural problems in this crucial area.

I like Arteta, but he is not the man to protect our back-four and lead our team in these kinds of matches. Keen observers will point out he was not fully fit and he did not get much support defensively from Jack (also not fully fit). I would agree with that, but even if Arteta had been fully fit he still would have struggled to protect and lead effectively on the day.

Arsene had a chance to properly strengthen the DM area during January but he chose not to. By all accounts, KK is another attack-minded midfielder rather than a defence-minded one. If this area turns out to be the area where we lose this season’s chances to win silverware, I will be very disappointed in Wenger. Let’s see what he will do next for the games against Manure, Liverpool and Munich.

But it was not just our DMs and CBs who were not good enough on the day; Cazorla, Ozil and Ox also had little or no impact on the game and Giroud was totally isolated. Our midfield only started to play as a bit of a unit in the second half, when it was far too late.

Without a good functioning DM-pivot the defence will not get the right protection and our attack will be left isolated. I cannot stress enough how vital the deeper laying midfield duo is to the overall effectiveness of the team. They are the brakes and gear box of the team.

I am confident that Mertesacker and Koscielny will sort out the defence again, but I have doubts about our ability to protect them and to dominate midfield play during the next few crucial games again. Wenger and Bould have their work cut out here, and let’s hope they will get it right.

TotalArsenal.

Arsenal vs Liverpool Pre-Match & Predicted Line-Up

February 8, 2014February 8, 2014TotalArsenal

Big big test this one. Really need to pull out a win to stop the moneybag clubs from overtaking us. Liverpool have some key players out but so do we so no excuses, we must be on top of our game.

Our last 12 meetings have seen Liverpool win just one solitary game. Arsenal has won the last two at Anfield.

Predicted line-up:

Arsenal: Theo, Verm and Diaby (knee), Ramsey (thigh), Kim (back…missing and presumed dead due to TW supporter rage), Flamini (suspended). Jack the lad and Arterta face fitness tests and should be in the squad.

Pool: Agger (calf), Lucus and Enrique (knee), Johnson (ankle/groin), and Sakho (hamstring)

Previous Encounters:

– Arsenal vs Pool 2-0

– Arsenal vs Pool 2-2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbCvTSj8p_U

Form Guide:

Arsenal: WDWWW Pool: DWWDW

One to watch:

Definitely has to be Suarez! If you strip away all the ridiculousness you have a top top quality footballer. On his day he is one of the best strikers on the planet. What makes him even more troubling is his PhD in diving (graduated from the same school as Bale and Ronaldo so we know he is good). Kozzer has beaten him before but Suarez is having the best season of his career so far (23 goals in 19 appearances) so he’ll need to be switched on for the entire game.

Who are we going to play in central midfield??? Shit shit shit what do we do??? ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN!!! He was called upon and boy did he deliver. Injury has impacted his season and robbed us of his services but against Palace he came back with a bang. Arsene says it’s where he’s destined to play, I agree; but I also think he can play anywhere he wants. If he’s deployed there again he may not have the same freedom but with what he can deliver it may be worth the roll of the dice.

Pre-Match finger:

The winter transfer window. What a bloody fiasco. It really is the blue balls of football. We fawned all window over Draxler, he was dangled in front of us…but to no avail. Anyway enough has been said on this; lets push on.

Pre-match pat on the back:

This week it goes to Gerv. Glad he’s settled in Italy and has found some form again. All the best for the remainder of his career. Also a pat on the back to our very own BJ, glad everything is coming good for you mate, you’re brave face through it has been an inspiration to us all.

This week I’ve dipped into the Arsenal Archive and pulled out this video clip. It’s Szczesny’s brilliant double save for our 2012 encounter. Jesus did I jump out of my chair after that one.

Prediction:

I’m going with a tough 0-1 victory to the good guys. They are dangerous offensively but we have been a tough defensive unit all season and I don’t see it changing at Anfield. Liverpool will be too weak at the back to stop us (plus Kolo likes to give goals away to the opposition, why wouldn’t he do it for us?!). Our run spanning back to 2007 at their home ground will continue.

What team would you go with?

Score line prediction?

Suarez or Drax + Reus – Which would you prefer?

Written by: Oz Gunner.

Should Arsenal shoot more from outside the box? Debate.

February 6, 2014February 6, 2014TotalArsenal

Two Arsenal players with great shooting ability

Only 11% of all Arsenal Premier League goals are scored from outside the box. Of our direct title competitors, Everton score 30% of all PL goals from outside the box, Chavs 29%, Liverpool 22% and MansourCity 17%. A number of Gooners on Bergkampesque want our players to take more shots at goals from outside the box.

The question to debate today is: is this a good idea?

A few years ago, I read somewhere that Arsene discourages his players to take shots from outside the box and he will confront his players during post-match analysis if they took a shot from outside the box, when, in his opinion, a better option had been available. I am not sure whether this is true, but it does seem that our players have become reluctant to take a shot from outside the box in recent seasons.

Most of us love long distance goals; and the further away from goal the better!

Goals scored from well outside the box often become unforgettable ones. As a teenager, I watched Dutchman Arie Haan score an impossible long distance goal against Italy’s Dino Zoff, during the 1978 World Cup. For me, this goal epitomises the long-distance shot, as, at the time, I just could not believe a goal could be scored from so far out. I will never forget this goal:

Bergkamp and Henry scored regularly from outside the box for us. And of course there was Paul Merson who had a great long distance shot too – see from about third minute onwards for some examples:

I don’t know about you, but it always annoys me when I hear a match reporter say: ‘The problem with Arsenal is they want to walk the ball into the net’. Arsenal want to create the best scoring opportunities and the manager appears to believe that just taking a shot now and again is a waste of possession and inefficient.

Having said that, with players like Arteta, Podolski, Ox, Vermaelen and Cazorla in the team, Arsenal could turn shooting from outside the box into another weapon of attack, if Wenger would let them.

So what do you think fine fellow Gooners? Let’s have a heated debate! 😛

Mrs Merton knew how to hold a 'heated debate' — Mrs Merton knew how to hold a ‘heated debate’

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Ox-to-Ox does it – Why Arsenal don’t want a Chelsea win

February 3, 2014February 3, 2014TotalArsenal

Who needs strikers? Our midfield scores when it wants! :) — Who needs strikers? Our midfield scores when it wants! 🙂

Our game against Crystal Palace was a predictable one:

They parked the bus as expected
We played calm and disciplined in the first half, yet tiring them out in the process
We upped the tempo and intensity in the second half
Subsequently found the gaps and finished them off (with a small wobble between the two goals, though)
They were happy with a small loss
Both went their merry ways: Arsenal TotL and Palace continue their relentless relegation battle.

Mourinho can complain about 19^th century football by West Ham the other day – whatever that means – it is up to the big teams to crack open the panzer-positioning of the less fortunate/visionary teams. Wenger showed again how it should be done: patience, movement, crisp passing and occupying the ‘central tanks’ – CBs and DMs – constantly, so cracks can be found.

I felt we missed Jack a lot in the first half as he is a young master in both finding the cracks with his passing and entering them with his clever runs – with or without the ball – in these sort of games (especially when playing together with Ozil and Santi). For me, he has been our best player in January and hopefully he will be back soon.

During the first 45 minutes we did not get close enough to their box and played a tat too slow. But we did manage to work Palace really hard which will have used up a lot of their energy. Pulis has Palace working in an organised way now, and I was impressed with their discipline in the first half, as in sticking to the tactics and playing aggressively but not unfairly (although, how Jedinak escaped a yellow card for consistent fouling is beyond me).

Ox was finding his way during this half; and I don’t know what Wenger said to him during the break, but he played a lot better during the second one. In a 4-2-3-1 formation, the box to box player is so crucial in adding that extra thrust and dimension to our football, and ‘Ox-to-Ox’ did it brilliantly after the break. The second half was only a couple of minutes old, when Cazorla spotted AOC’s run into the box, whilst Giroud and Ozil occupied the defence. Our young Englishman controlled the ball with Bergkampesque feeling in his foot (as some TV commentators apparently called it), and finished off with composure and class: a brilliant goal.

Then we did what we tend to do a lot: not deal well with pressure higher up the pitch by our opponent, once they apply a change in tactics. I will not go into this too much as it will rekindle Saturday’s debate about my, and many a fellow Gooner, view, that we need to add defensive steel and organisation to our first team, now that Flamini ruled himself out for so many crucial games.

Both Arteta and Ox worked their socks off to readdress the balance, and they were helped well by other midfielders, but we lost our shape quite a bit. It made for an uncomfortable period in the second half in which CP could have even equalised. Szczesny came to the rescue with one of his typical ‘octopus’ saves, and then Ox-to-Ox put the game to bed with another fine team goal, completed by a cool, confident finish.

Giroud was rewarded for a lot of hard, thankless and often unspotted work throughout the match with a fine assist. He moved towards the midfield, away from the ‘D’, to create space and receive the ball with his back to the goal; a measured ball into the Ox’s running feet was enough to create a fine scoring opportunity, which the Englishman took with Henryesque calmness and confidence. What a fine second half attacking performance by our ‘new signing’! 😉

Northern or Southern Oilers to win?

So, we did what we had to do and are back where we belong: top of the league. Whether we stay there or not depends on tonight’s result between the oil-doped silverware buyers of the South and the North. The majority will want a draw in this game, as it will keep us top of the league. Some are even hoping for a Chavs win but this is the last thing we want right now.

Looking at the remainder of the games, the Southern Oilers have the easiest run of all three teams, and therefore the bigger the gap we can create between them and us now, the better. After tonight, of the ‘top teams’, they have Everton, Spuds and us at home and just Liverpool away. We have Liverpool, Spuds, Everton, and Chavs away, and Mansour City and Moyes United at home. Mansour City have Moyes United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton away still to come, which is a similar run in to us.

So a draw would be a good outcome and I would even prefer a home win. It would mean a gap between us and the Chavs of five points rather than four, which might turn out to be crucial in the end. Despite the fantastic attacking football by the Northern Oilers, they are, in my view, more vulnerable during the run in than the Southern ones. So for me, a home win, or a draw, are good outcomes, but an away win would be pretty disastrous.

Anyway, let’s prepare ourselves for Maureen’s 21^st Century football show tonight! 😆

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Preview: Time to Take a Stand

February 2, 2014February 2, 2014TotalArsenal

Intro:

Arsenal will face Palace at home at a perfect time. We are in need of points as we have just dropped to second place and this fixture lines up with ManchesterCity vs Chelsea (the two teams close to us in the table). Ideally, they will draw and both drop points, giving us the task of just picking up the win to take back first spot.

We face a fairly weak Palace side at home. We are unbeaten in our last ten home games, seven of those in the Premier League. Arsenal should theoretically be able to pick up the points and hopefully go back to the top of the league.

This fixture last time:

Last time this fixture was played, we had a very shaky game before Giroud sealed it in the dying minutes (1-0). We didn’t outplay them, and we should be wary of any team managed by Tony Pulis, as we always seem to struggle against them.

Line-up:

I expect Wenger to use this DM injury crisis to give Ox his chance to prove himself in the middle.

Other than that, I see very few changes occurring. Wenger doesn’t like many changes in between games. He’d rather rotate one, maybe two players. So I expect Gibbs and Ox to come in and not much else to change. This is a team that definitely should beat Palace by two or three goals.

Key Battles:

Giroud vs Crystal Palace:

CrystalPalace is managed by Tony Pulis. That means they are a very defensive team and will not concede much. Giroud will have to take on all 11 of Palace’s defenders to put a goal by them.

Ozil vs himself:

Ozil has struggled to replicate some of his incredible Real Madrid performances this season. However, last game he really began looking like his old self. I think he’s finally settling into the league and will soon be at his best. The game against Palace would be an excellent place to start.

Podolski vs Wenger:

Ever since arriving, Wenger seems reluctant to start Poldi and/or play him for a full game. However, he has looked hungrier than ever lately and this would be the game to show Wenger he can take Gnabry or Santi’s spot in the starting line-up.

Casualties of War:

Arsenal:

Ramsey continues to be out with mysterious issues. Walcott is still out for the season with his ACL issue. Wilshere will miss the game with a knock and Flamini is suspended from a fairly boneheaded tackle last game.

Crystal Palace:

Parr is expected to be out with a concussion. Dikgacoi is out with a calf injury. Jerome Thomas is out with a groin injury.

Predictions:

I predict a 3-0 to the Arsenal. A big response to a poor performance in the Villa game. Giroud will get a tap in, Gnabry will finally grab that screamer from range he’s been looking for with his long shots lately, and Ozil will score a very Bergkampesque goal to round off the game.

A Special Q and A!

My mother is a die-hard Gooner who has had passion for the club as long as I have. TA has been asking my mom to write a post for a short time and until now she has respectfully declined, saying she may one day. But for now, I’ve decided another Gooner’s perspective would be refreshing, especially a woman’s perspective.

Q: What did you think of Arsenal’s performance in the January torture window?

A: Lame. Unacceptable for a big club. We knew we had injury problems; targets should’ve been established ahead of time and signed swiftly. We failed to address these issues and that’s wrong.

Q: What is this squad still lacking?

A: I agree with Totes. A beast of a DM and a SQ striker would really fill out the squad. But I love Giroud and don’t want him replaced.

Q: What are your predictions for the Palace game?

A: We certainly should be able to win, but we have to focus from the starting whistle and can’t have a poor first half as we have had of late. The team can’t take this game lightly. Don’t underestimate Palace and we have to make sure to boost our goal differential and make a statement.

Q: What is your predicted top 6 for the end of the season?

A: ManchesterCity, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United in that order. It is a tough call between Everton and Liverpool. Suarez and Sturridge, and the Everton injuries, are what pushes Liverpool above, despite me wanting to see Everton there more.

Q: What is your opinion of Wenger?

A: I love him. I admire him greatly. I do have to question his decisions once and a while especially with substitutions. He seems to wait to long at times and doesn’t do enough to change games. Overall I love him and trust him greatly, but there are times where he is questionable and needs to act faster. Wenger time at the 70th minute is sometimes too late to make game changing tactics adjustments.

Q: Who is your favorite Arsenal player?

A: At this moment in time, it’s just, and this is a weird answer, team spirit. The way all the players have connected and been together has been amazing. Fighting for each other every minute of every game. I’ve never seen such spirit in this team, granted I haven’t watched for more than a few seasons, but still it’s incredible. I absolutely love it. That is what has made the difference this season.

Q: What do you hope for by the end of the season?

A: I would like to keep the same spirit. I’d love a trophy, but we won’t win the league. With all the injuries I’m not sure we will win the FA Cup. It is entirely possible though. Bayern will likely knock us out in the Champion’s League as sad as it is. Ideally I’d love a second place finish and some smart signings in the summer to really strengthen our team.

Questions:

1. What are your predictions for the game?

2. What is your preferred line-up?

3. How do you think Chamakh will be received at the Emirates?

COYG! Let’s capture TOTL once more!

Thanks for reading! 😀

Written by: Dylan.

Time for TV5 to replace Flamini & Who to be our (b)Ox to (b)Ox player?

February 1, 2014February 1, 2014TotalArsenal

Time for our Lion of Flanders to motor us forwards again?

The transfer window closed without any reinforcement in our defence or attack. I said jokingly yesterday that Wenger was after a player starting with a ‘K’, as we were being linked with Klose, Kalou and Kim Kallstrom( KK). We got KK who is supposed to help out in the box to box position; but then he arrived already injured, apparently. If the squib wasn’t already damp enough last night, it became saturated this morning with the announcement that our only signing arrived with a back problem that will keep him out for at least six games.

I don’t know what to say, guys and girls…. So let’s move on.

With Flamini out and Arteta seemingly struggling with getting back to 100% fitness and form, we have to ask ourselves who can strengthen and reinvigorate the so important double DM pivot of our team. Flamini and Arteta looked slightly sluggish and disorganised against Southampton, and although I reckon the DM pivot will not be tested as much tomorrow as it was on Tuesday, we will need to make some changes to get the team motoring again.

We will do a pre-match tomorrow morning, during which we can discuss the best line-up against Crystal Pulis’ park-the-bus formation in more detail.

In this post, I would like to discuss what we can do to replace Flamini’s defensive and leadership qualities. Furthermore, it would be good to discuss who should play in the box to box position, now that Rambo and Wilshere look to be out for a few games at least.

I reckon we are missing a trick with leaving the enthusiastic and powerful Vermaelen on the bench for so many games. If Arteta is fully fit, he should normally play but if and when we need to have more steel in midfield – somebody who is good in the air and can tackle properly – Vermaelen could be our man. He also offers additional thrust and has a venomous long distance shot. On top of that, he offers presence and energy and he is now wise enough to contain himself when needed (I hope!).

The above is linked with the second question: who to play in our box to box role?

I am hoping Rosicky is recovered enough to play tomorrow, and in the foreseeable future, in this position. The combination of Arteta and Rosicky could work a treat, as both are experienced and multi-disciplined midfielders.

It would be good to have a second option, though, in case of fitness/injuries issues for Arteta and/or Rosicky. Should Santi play in the box to box role, next to Arteta? Wenger tried Ox there against Coventry recently, but that was with Jack providing the defensive cover (which is not his core strength, is it?). It did not really work and I reckon that either Cazorla or Ox can only play in the box to box role if they get proper defensive cover.

I have my doubts whether Arteta will be able to do this, especially in the big games coming up. Therefore, I am hoping Wenger is going to try something different here; and for me Vermaelen could be the answer to our midfield puzzle. With the Lion of Flanders protecting the back four, Rosicky, Ox, or Cazorla could play deeper whilst supporting the four in attack regularly. I could also see this being done by Nacho or Sagna, but TV5 is the best option of them all imo.

I would also like to see Ox play properly in the box to box role, although Rosicky will have to be our first option until Jack or Ramsey return.

What do you think fellow Gooners?

With Theo and Rambo out, and no additional striker bought in January, who are going to score our goals?

AB wrote this succinct comment which is directly linked to the above question:

“TA you said it’s our midfield that delivers these [goals] – we don’t need more in the way of strikers. And I agree that’s the model that Wenger has built. But without Walcott and Ramsey, the model looks less sound. Oz and Ros are more creators than scorers, although I have never fully understood why given their technical skills. Gnab and Ox both look like they will score goals, but are yet to really break through on this front, and it’s too early to count on them. Which leaves Santi and Pod, both proven goal scorers. However, neither has hit sustained form this year (partially excused given injuries) and Wenger does not seem minded to play both together. They are going to be really important for us in the next 6 weeks – not least because Giroud is as much a space creator as he is a goal scorer.

This all adds up to goals being harder to come by in the next 15 games than they were earlier in the season. The importance of our defence being water-tight is therefore all the greater.

What do others think – where are the goals going to come from if we are to put 2 or 3 past opposing sides?”

What can I add to this?

I reckon, Wenger will need to start playing Pod more now, and with Santi possibly in the box to box role it could work a treat. We could play Pod – Ozil – Ox/Gnabry behind Giroud and Arteta/Vermaelen-Santi/Rosicky in the ‘DM’-pivot. We would have three regular goals scorers in the team with Pod, Giroud and Cazorla, whilst Ozil, Ox, Rosicky and Gnabry also can contribute. I don’t think it will lead to goal fests but it might be enough to win a lot of games, especially if our defence keeps performing so strongly…. for which we need a good replacement for Flamini…

What do you think fellow Gooners?

Written by: TotalArsenal

Could Draxler be this TW’s Higuain – Will Wenger surprise us again?

January 31, 2014January 31, 2014TotalArsenal

Will Arsene surprise us once again with an Ozil-calibre signing at the last minute?

It is Transfer Window Dreadline Day and things are not looking good. The Draxler deal looks dead and buried and, as far as I can judge, we are not being strongly linked with anybody else as I write this quick post.

All the shenanigans surrounding our attempts to buy Higuain last summer should have taught us that a player is not a Gunner until announced on Arsenal.com. Most of us remained realistic throughout the process, and will not be too disappointed to see a deal for Draxler fall through.

However, the show is not over until the fat lady sings and Arsenal love to leave it to the last day, as the added time/deadline pressure makes for far better negotiation strategies (if indeed the club(s) of the players on our ‘wanted list’ are keen to sell after all…).

Draxler could, after all, still be on his way. Whether we should be super excited about signing a 20 year old at this time of the season, is a completely different matter. Short term, I cannot see him make a significantly bigger impact than say Ox or Gnabry are doing currently; and I am happy to see him come in the summer.

I saw him play a few times during which he showed glimpses of his potential, but I am not yet convinced he will be a great success. We as fans want the club to spend what it takes but we should expect the negotiators to pay what they regard as the right price. I also do not want another Reyes or Arshavin as we need a long term, successful solution for the LW position, which has looked cursed for a long time now.

It might also be the case that we were not really after Draxler at all, and that he has been ‘used as a Higuain’ to get a good deal for Arsene’s main transfer target this January. If so, who will be the ‘Ozil of this TW….? It will be all clear at midnight, as luckily the whole thing comes to an end and we can just focus on our football.

As regular BKers will know, I am keen to get DM support as soon as possible. With Flamini out for four key games, and Arteta struggling to get back to full form and fitness, experienced, ready to rock cover is required urgently. This was my priority nr1 at the start of the Terror Window and it has only become more urgent. It will not be easy, but it is a position Arsene has been trying to fill for for a couple of years, and hopefully he is ready to get our man now.

It sounds like Arsene is now focussing on DM support, but let’s see what will happen next.

Some questions for you to keep the debate going today:

Where do we need to strengthen as our first priority?
Who would you have liked us to sign this TW?
Who do you reckon will join us before COP tonight?
Who will leave/ be loaned?
What do you want the outcome to be from the Northern Oilers v Southern Oilers match on Monday?

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Lack of Attitude? My Arsenal! Southampton afterthoughts

January 29, 2014January 29, 2014TotalArsenal

Southampton – Arsenal: after thoughts.

Thanking 'Voetbal International' for picture. — Thanking ‘Voetbal International’ for picture.

In summary:

For a large part of the first half Arsenal were outplayed. The Saints had great movement and were more energetic, stronger and passed the ball round really well; and we did not have an answer to it – at least not until the end of the first half, when we were gradually getting back into the game. During the second half, we turned it round fantastically well, initially; only to be surprised by our own success and drop our concentration, leading to us conceding so quickly the equaliser, which cost us most probably two points as a result – and the Flame’s red and yellow mist did not help either.

Gaining a point from that game is still not a bad outcome, but we were given a lifeline to get all three and did not take it, which is disappointing. On the balance of the night – and that is all we have to take into account – a draw was a fair result. Now it is all about OGAATing on and the ‘bouncebackability’ of both the players AND the supporters: bring on Crystal Palace!

I saw the game on a tiny screen with interruptions, so cannot do justice to a full match review. From what I could see, it appeared that the FlamTeta wall was too easily breached and did not offer the expected, and much needed, solidity; neither was it able to support our ‘attacking four’ sufficiently. We were hemmed in by the Saints – just like we often hem in our opponents – and they deserve great credit for it: we were out-total-footballed in the first half. Chapeau, Respect and all that!

It would be good to hear your views why this was the case: lack of fitness, lack of communication, or simply superb Saints tactics?

I also thought Southampton threatened our full backs continuously last night and, despite good efforts by Gnabry and Santi to support them, they were made to look exposed a lot.

The first goal was all-round bad defending by the team, and that is all I want to say about it. Our equaliser was an act of power by Sagna and precision finishing by OG. Our second goal was well taken by Santi. Their equaliser was the biggest disappointment of the night. Sagna could have done better, but nobody picking up the run of the very impressive Lallana was the real issue here. If you score two goals away, you should come home with all three points…. no?

Flamini and Arteta should never have allowed this situation to developed, as they should have closed up shop straight after us taking the lead. But euphoria often makes the head go dizzy and that is probably why a team is at its weakest just after taking the lead. So this can happen in a game. What probably cost us dearly, though, was Flamini’s sending off. He should have known better.

Not for a single moment, did I blame the attitude of the players last night; but I was still not surprised to see many fellow Gooners – on BK and other places – doing just that.

To blame the players for a lack of motivation and not turning up for the game is a gross injustice and, quite simply, a lack of understanding of the game and our team in particular.

The first team Arsene put out yesterday are all fighters, hard workers and responsibility takers: each and every one of them.

Supporters continuously act like they are managers on blogs, and I am no exception; although, half of the time we are not aware of this. ‘Blog managers’ can be divided into Theory X and Theory Y managers, as per Douglas McGregor’s famous ‘Theory X and Theory Y’. Theory X blog managers distrust their players and think they are basically lazy and can only be motivated by money. They also love to blame someone – players, manager and Board members – for any failure. As per Wikipedia’s description of the Theory X manager:

‘The Theory X manager tends to believe that everything must end in blaming someone. He or she thinks all prospective employees are only out for themselves. Usually these managers feel the sole purpose of the employee’s interest in the job is money. They will blame the person first in most situations, without questioning whether it may be the system, policy, or lack of training that deserves the blame.’

‘Theory Y blog managers’ tend to believe that players want to do well and give their all for the club, and are not purely motivated by earning a lot of money and their status. As per Wiki:

‘A Theory Y manager believes that, given the right conditions, most people will want to do well at work. They believe that the satisfaction of doing a good job is a strong motivation.’

Over the years, working in various businesses and following Arsenal passionately simultaneously, I have learned that employees AND footballers can be roughly divided into two groups: those with a passionate commitment and those with a calculated commitment. The first group is more driven by intrinsic motivation to do a good job first and for all (and are sucked dry by most companies as they are usually the main drivers for their success), and the latter one is mainly motivated by money and status – sometimes described as mercenaries (they are usually tolerated by companies/clubs because of either their excellent derrière moistening abilities and/or they possess a technical/rare skill set).

In my opinion, Arsenal now have a team – carefully picked by Arsene over the last few years – with only passionately committed players in the core team. Of the eleven starters last night, Szczesny, Sagna, Koz, BFG, Flamini, Nacho, Arteta, Cazorla, Giroud, Ozil…. are all players with a passionate commitment, rather than a calculative one. Whether Gnabry has this as well is too early to say, but first signs are promising.

There are no mercenaries left in our core team: they all work hard and give their all; and they did so again last night. Rather than blame the attitude of a few players, or even the whole team, for us dropping valuable points, I strongly recommend we focus on the technical, tactical and quality aspects of last night’s performance and avoid knee-jerking. That is what Bergkampesque is all about.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

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Ramsey and Monreal to start, FlamTeta to add solidity? Southampton preview

January 27, 2014January 27, 2014TotalArsenal

Tomorrow night sees a return to midweek Premier League fixtures and another test for Arsenal, this time at Southampton. Our form has been very nice. In fact, we haven’t dropped a point in our last 5 league matches (7 wins in all comps) and we’ve only conceded 2 goals along the way. The only caveat would be that these (league) matches have all come against teams in the bottom 11 who are currently separated by a mere 6 points(!) and are ALL candidates for relegation this season. Southampton are in another bracket, a full 7 points ahead of the relegation battlers, and 13 points above the drop zone itself. Already this season they’ve taken points off both Manchester teams and won at Liverpool. They will not be pushovers and to earn full points Arsenal must play at our best.

Starting 11

This period of more winnable league fixtures and FA cup matches has presented an opportunity for the manager to rotate players and allow others to rest, recover from injury and re-integrate into the team. 18 year old Serge Gnabry has performed exceptionally well over this period as has Jack Wilshere. Both, I believe will be rested tomorrow, the latter having picked up a knock in the FA cup match vs Coventry City on Friday. At his pre-match press conference Arsene Wenger suggested that Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Vermaelen (left out of the squad vs Coventry) are all back and available. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, whose last league start was on opening day vs Aston Villa, is still not 100% fit (according to the manager) and might also only merit a bench spot having played 70+ minutes vs Coventry. Being a product of the So’ton youth academy, I’d expect him to receive a warm welcome when he (surely) comes on as a sub. Finally, Kieran Gibbs, who played the entire match on Friday, might also need a breather as it was his first one back from a minor layoff. As such, my guess for the starting line-up is as follows.

It’s also possible that Ramsey might start in one of the “doublé-pivot” spots (alongside Arteta or Flamini) allowing Poldolski to reprise his successful (2 goal) outing from Friday. Given that there seems to be greater acknowledgement that his fitness issues are long term, I suspect, however, that he only gets a bench spot. Another player unmentioned in the press conference was Tomáš Rosický. Hopefully he’s just getting used to his new face (after the nose break vs Aston Villa two weeks ago)…If he’s fit, he’s an excellent bench option but it might be nice to allow him further recovery time if it means a protective mask is not needed when he finally does play.

Scouting the Opponent—Biggest Signings Missing

Southampton, much like the current iteration of Arsenal, are a team built on defense but very capable in attack. As such, I expect a tight match with both teams being cautious about committing too many resources forward. The Saints will be buoyed by the return of starting goal keeper Artur Boruc even if he was at fault for the goal which turned the reverse fixture. Unfortunately they will be missing £8.5 million CB Dejan Lovren. Additionally, £12.5 million DM Victor Wanyama is listed as 50-50 in returning from a long-term leg injury. Regardless of who starts in the defensive half—I would expect ALL of them to be a bit less cavalier with the ball this time around!

http://www.heavy.com/news/2013/11/olivier-giroud-goal-southampton-arthur-boruc/

In attack Southampton’s offense revolves around one of this season’s most improved players, Adam Llalana. Capable of driving the team forward quickly, Llalana’s final ball has also made him plenty capable of notching both goals and assists. He won’t have record signing (£15 million) Danny Osvaldo at his disposal after a practice-pitch fracas has brought his So’ton future into question. Instead, Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriquez will be Llalana’s most likely partners up front. Another previous record signing, Gaston Ramirez, is also missing with an ankle problem. Still, Arsenal will need to be well aware of precocious talents James Ward-Prowse and Luke Shaw who can both move the ball quickly from back to front and wide to central.

As strong and in-form as Arsenal is, this match represents a moment of moderate crisis for Southampton. In addition to the troubles with Osvaldo and the injuries to their other big money players, Chief Executive Nicola Cortese has left the club and many believe manager Mauricio Pochettino could go next. Additionally, while still clear of any relegation troubles, So’ton have been struggling with results. They come into the match with a day less rest than us after beating Yeovil Town (2-nil at home) in the FA Cup but their league form has dropped off. While they were getting points from teams above them earlier in the season, they themselves have dropped points in their most recent league match (2-2 at Sunderland) and wins over West Brom and Cardiff have been balanced by a home defeat to Spurs and a 3-nil at Chelsea.

Last Match Before the Transfer Window Closes

In his press conference AW played down any transfer talk including speculation about contract extensions. Bacary Sagna’s contract situation was raised but the manager, while not saying the matter was settled, suggested that the player was fully committed to the cause. In previous pressers, reports about fees being agreed between FC Schalke 04 and Arsenal for forward/winger Julian Draxler have been met by denials and smiles, which seems more promising than denials and frowns (or tirades). Southampton have their own issues and it appears they might try and offload Osvaldo to West Ham (on loan) while they’ve had to beat back Chelsea’s attempts at tapping up FB Luke Shaw. As soon as the final whistle goes, I would expect pointed questions about the transfer window directed at each manager. This may be a match preview but feel free to discuss all things new and shiny… (As well as parsing each and every word/report/facial expression in regards to transfers and contract extension…)

Predictions?

None for me, but feel free. This is another (and perhaps the sternest) in a great series of nerve testers before the (very) tough series of Liverpool away, ManUnited home league matches, followed quickly by home matches vs Liverpool in the FA Cup and Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16. I’ve pointed out some of the promising features leading into this one, so I’ll predict a full 3 points for the Arsenal. Anything less would have to be seen as a slip-up, but Southampton, their momentary troubles notwithstanding, should not be underestimated. Given their comfort as a defense-first team, the first goal will be critical. Go on you Gunners, Up the Arse, etc., etc., etc….

What do you think?…

Written by: 17highburyterrace

Five Reasons Why Arsenal Will Win The Title

January 21, 2014January 21, 2014TotalArsenal

Dedicated to: Mr. and Mrs. Bond. Though I’ve never met James, I think of him as a friend. I think of all the regulars on this site as friends. Close friends even. Refreshing the Bergkampesque page is like walking into a room of close friends. Almost everyone knows each other, even beyond Arsenal. We all fight sometimes, but so do friends. And in the end we always make up. And most importantly, we all support each other.

JB has gone through an extremely tough time recently. And while I have never met him (though I hope to one day, along with all regulars on this site), I do feel a portion (albeit, probably a relatively small amount compared to JB) of his pain. I want to be here for him, along with everyone else. I can’t write a beautifully deep dedication such like many have done, especially 17HT. But I did want to take time to let JB (and everyone else know) how close I think of all of you are, and how truly important you are in my life. I will end with this as I have no words of my own:

“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm tender hand.” –Henri Nouwen. We all feel your pain JB.

January 19, 2014. That is the date at the time I am writing this. As of this moment, Arsenal have not made any signings in the January transfer window. This has many pundits and fans (of all teams, including Arsenal), saying that we can’t win the title. But worry not, Gooners, I am here to tell you that we can win the title! And this is why:

1. There are 12 days left in the transfer window.

Most signings during the transfer window take place during the last week. This is especially true for Arsenal. Wenger seems to like evaluating players in the last week of the window, based on their performances to date as well as injury, and deciding who should be sold and bought. For example, Nacho Monreal last season. Gibbs suffered a long term injury and Andre Santos’ performances to (that) date had been lacking (to put it nicely). Wenger decided to dip into the market and get a quality player who he could improve and could challenge Gibbs for that left back spot for years to come. So far, Nacho has been even better than expected, improving in leaps and bounds in our very solid squad and he looks like he will continue to improve and serve the club well for years to come.

So far this season, I can’t think of any players who have truly been underperforming. We did excellent in the summer to rid ourselves of our deadweight and the only player in the squad who is currently useless is Diaby. He is a good player on his day, but is really too injury prone for a club like Arsenal. We will likely sell him in the summer (assuming we can keep him fit until then). As for signings, we have a fairly deep squad (which will be discussed in a later ‘reason’). The only signings we really need would be cover for Giroud and maybe a young centre back to cover for us just in case a defender or two get hurt. We could also maybe use cover for Theo, but Gnabry has stepped up so hugely lately, that it really does seem unnecessary. So perhaps a striker could be a nice addition, but if Wenger can’t get one of his main targets, we can afford to wait until the summer because Nicky B is beginning to live up to the potential that many of us expected, and we do have young Yaya Sanogo back later this week if we really are out of options.

2. We are in fantastic form.

We are just off a solid 2-0 win at home to Fulham. So let us take a look at Arsenal’s recent stats.

Our last 5 games:

Wins: 5

Goals Scored: 10

Goals Conceded: 2

AVG Goals For Per Game: 2.00

AVG Goals Against Per Game: 0.40

We are on a five game win streak and a six game unbeaten streak (these five games and the Chelsea draw). We are scoring plenty of goals and have the top defence in the league. This means we have most clean sheets and fewest goals conceded in the PL. Our next three league games are against Southampton (A), Crystal Palace (H), and Liverpool (A). Southampton and Liverpool could be tough games, but we have plenty of time to rest between all of these games. Also we beat both already this season and we are better away than we are at home. All of this together, means we should take maximum points from all of these games.

3. Wenger knows how to do well during the run in.

The past two seasons Arsenal have been outside of the top four heading into the final stretch of the season. And the past two seasons, Arsenal have ended in the top four. Most notably, last season when we were unbeaten for majority of the end of the season, starting with a 2-0 away win at the eventual Champion’s League winners, Bayern Munich. Wenger has experience on his side, both at winning titles and motivating a team for the run in. Arsene just needs to combine these two and lead the team to as many points as possible from now until the end of the season. Last season Manchester United won the title with 89 points. We currently have 51. Based on that we could theoretically lose up to ten points and still get 89 points. However, this league is far more competitive than last season, and I firmly believe we could possibly need up to 95 points to win the title. That means no more than one loss from here on out. It will be difficult, but I firmly believe this team with this manager and this spirit can do it.

4. We have a deep squad.

Most top teams have at least two players in every position they play on the field. I see a lot of people saying we lack squad depth. But let’s look at how deep our squad really is

First Line Up (Not necessarily a first choice line up):

Second Line Up (Not necessarily a second choice line up):

The weakest spots here are right back/centre back and winger (only due to Walcott’s injury). This is not terrible and easily fixable with a purchase or two, which can definitely be put off until the summer. On top of these players we have Viviano, Ryo, Sanogo, and various youngsters. We also can’t forget we have players such as Joel Campbell and Akpom currently out on loan who will be back next season. To sum everything up, Arsenal really does have a strong side despite popular belief; and this window, as well as the summer window, could really complete our squad.

5. We are top of the table.

Simply put, we are already top of the table! We have no climb to make. Technically winning all of our games now, would ensure us the title! 😉 Another positive, we were top at the beginning of the new year. At the end of almost every season (at least in recent history) people look at the table of the end of the season and compare it to the table at the new year, and the champion is almost always top then. This is a huge deal and should not be taken lightly. There isn’t much to this reason. It’s very simple. We’re top of the league. Let’s keep it that way.

Thank for reading! 😀

Written By: Dylan.

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