Ramsey – Page 6 – Bergkampesque

AR16 – An ode to a player who turned groans into cheers

July 20, 2013July 20, 2013TotalArsenal

Each time an article is written about Ramsey, the first few paragraphs ALWAYS touch on his horrifying injury… but I’m not here to tell you what we all already know… I’ll point out why I believe the young Welshman has A LOT to offer to our squad, and that he is, and can continue be, a core player in our squad, not only now but for years to come.

First, let me say that I’m a BIG fan of our young Welshman, and as such I feel compelled to defend him for as long as I can. This is a player whose trajectory was once well ahead of compatriot Gareth Bale (after all, he was appointed captain of Wales), and he looked to be a potential replacement for Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal. After overcoming his brutal mutilation there was no question he would require some time to recover some pace, and whilst his intrinsic quality was still very visible, some of the spark had gone.

As with Eduardo earlier, many feared we might have lost a player for good. We all know of his subsequent loan deals and his not so spectacular return to the Grove… a few good games marred by games where everyone wanted his head, and until the dying embers of last season, his contribution and place on the team had been seriously questioned.

Now to the REAL purpose of writing this post. What Rambo brings to our squad…

I won’t look past what we all witnessed last season, more so, the last few games of the previous campaign. It would be hard to argue that Ramsey’s burst of success seemed to perfectly coincide with the sides’ massive improvement and Wenger’s commitment to really go for Champions League football once again. Ramsey’s commitment to his box-to-box role throughout the latter months of the season was about as valuable as any other player’s contribution to the side. Taking nothing away from him, he did benefit MASSIVELY playing alongside our Lego haired Spaniard… Arteta is a feisty tackler and intelligent with his positioning, while he retains that ability to play reliable passes towards attacking players.

Knowing that he is tasked with shielding our back-4, Arteta rarely ventures forward and as a result, Ramsey greatly benefited from Arteta’s discipline. With Arteta acting as the defensive shield and with astute passing, Ramsey was afforded greater freedom playing more of a box-to-box role, helping out in midfield and storming forward into attack. Ramsey was essentially the player that connected everyone else. With Arteta sitting deep, Santi drifting inside from the left wing, Rozy hustling about in attack, and Theo and either Giroud or iPod providing incision and goal-scoring threat, Ramsey did a bit of everything. He passed, tackled, pressed and he was essentially the ‘glue’ in the team.

To know how good a player really is, it’s only fair to compare him to the very best in the same position…using some reliable stats I stumbled upon, I compare Rambo to some of the best central players in the game (Javi Martinez, Lars Bender and Arturo Vidal) and 2 players currently linked to The Arsenal (Maxime Gonalons and Étienne Capoue):

Pass completion

Aaron Ramsey – 88.6%
Maxime Gonalons – 87.8%
Arturo Vidal – 87.4%
J. Martinez – 87.5%
Étienne Capoue – 80.7%
Lars Bender – 79.8%

Average passes made

Maxime Gonalons – 64.5
Étienne Capoue – 65.2
Arturo Vidal – 54.3
Aaron Ramsey – 52.1
Lars Bender – 45
J. Martinez – 41.2

Key passes

Arturo Vidal – 2
Aaron Ramsey – 1.2
Lars Bender – 1
Étienne Capoue – 0.8
Maxime Gonalons – 0.2
J. Martinez – 0.4

Tackling success

Aaron Ramsey – 91%
J. Martinez – 82%
Lars Bender – 82%
Maxime Gonalons – 80%
Étienne Capoue – 78%
Arturo Vidal – 70%

Interceptions

Maxime Gonalons – 3.1
Étienne Capoue – 2.6
Lars Bender – 2.5
J. Martinez – 2
Arturo Vidal – 1.4
Aaron Ramsey – 1.2

Assists

Arturo Vidal – 7
Lars Bender – 5
J. Martinez – 3
Étienne Capoue – 3
Aaron Ramsey – 2
Maxime Gonalons – 0
Looking at the above stats its clear to see how EXCELLENT Rambo was…yet some still dismiss him as a liability with only what can be regarded as ignorant criticism… take a look at those stats again…HE WAS THAT GOOD!!!!!

One criticism he often gets is that he misplaces a lot of passes but with Arteta doing the ‘safe passing’ he is tasked with playing intricate through balls in the final third, hence the misplaced passes, but in time his passing should improve.

Another thing I behold is his partnership with Jack… I think a real boon for Ramsey at the moment is the return of Jack who naturally creates space and movement around him. Ramsey compliments him very well and I think they are the long term central midfield pivot for Arsenal. There was a time when Ramsey and Wilshere looked almost identical on the pitch and now hopefully those days are returning. I recall how they ran the show during the manure match, where Rambo would go on to win the match for us, and most recently, the West Ham match last season where Rambo sat deep as Jack played the b2b role… I noticed how they took turns to attack and sit deep in turns and it was telepathic stuff… long may it continue!

One man who deserves credit is Arsene for not only sticking by him but being brave enough to play him out wide knowing all too well the impact it would have on his game. Wenger has said players with a future in the centre should experience playing on the wing because they have to play in half the space so they learn to use it better. Playing on the wing has not been a fail, it has done wonders for Ramsey’s career; he’s learned to use space better and quickened up his game, he takes less touches and he doesn’t get caught in possession anymore .

Wenger’s handling of Ramsey must be one of the best piece of man management I’ve ever seen; he kept faith in him and kept him in the team which has been great for Ramsey’s confidence, and playing him on the wing has hugely benefited his game. Credit to Rambo for keeping his head down and playing wherever he’s asked …” At the beginning of the season I was moving all over the pitch, playing left-wing, right-wing, right back. I was asked to do a job in many positions, which I’m happy to do for the team. If the manager wants me to play there, I’m not going to say no.”…If only Theo could take a leaf from Rambo’s book…

As the season drew to an end he began to win back support with grit, hard work and determination. Groans from the stands turned to cheers once again.

His all-action role caught the eye, and he was voted Arsenal’s player of the month for April. All credit to him for not allowing himself to drift away and credit to Arsenal for sticking by him. What delights me is that the boo-boys have silenced and realized that Rambo is as important as any other player in the squad. He may not thread a pass like Cesc did, or dribble like Wilshere does, but he has all the attributes to make a phenomenal link between the defensive side of midfield, and attack. His all-round ability and his all-round playing style lend him to this versatility and his physical style means he can succeed. He no longer lingers on the ball as much anymore either and his new found energy and assertive aggression are there for all to see. If he gives the ball away, he wants to win it back. He never hides. I hope he can keep up this level of improvement and finally put ALL the doubters to bed.

The one area he must improve upon is his goal scoring. He only scored two goals all season – in stoppage time against Olympiakos back in early October and the 4^th goal against Wigan. Though he did enjoy an encouraging season in central midfield, there’s an obvious area to improve upon for next season.

Like Arsene always says, a player really starts to come into his own at 23 so we can be sure to see a much improved player. He has the mentality, the fight and the ability and this Gooner will support him every step of the way.

Written by: Kenyan Gooner.

Special thanks to TA for encouraging me to write this post.

If Ramsey, Wilshere, Rosicky and Arteta score 20 PL goals Arsenal will win the league

July 18, 2013TotalArsenal

No need to worry about defence or attack, the key area in need of progress lays in midfield!

It is only early days, but those first two friendlies are showing us we might be okay with scoring goals this season. I have argued in a recent post it is quite likely that Giroud, Podolski and Theo will score significantly more goals next season. The first two have now settled in the PL and are entering their very best years, and our young English winger/striker is getting better and more productive every season.

If Cazorla can equal his PL goal scoring tally of last season, then between the four of him, Pod, Giroud and Theo they could score in excess of 60 goals next season (compared to 48 last season). I am going to make a statement by saying we will be fine up-front next season and there is no need to buy a superstar striker.

If we can get a top, top established striker who is PASSIONATE to come and join Arsenal this season then let’s go for him. But I don’t get the feeling Higuain, Rooney or Suarez have Arsenal on top of their wish lists, and if so, I don’t want them; they can sod off.

However, we DO need back up: one or two players who can come off the bench, or start the occasional game, and can hit the ground running. A Michu, Demba Ba or Benteke would do fine for us.

I am also happy with our defence now, although I would welcome a fourth CB as, unfortunately, Miquel does not look ready yet.

The key really lays in midfield. We have fantastic footballers, and if one day they all manage to be fit, we’ll have one of the best midfields in the country.

I have little doubt that Arsene will continue with his double-DM pivot of Arteta and Ramsey. I really want us to buy a ‘beast’/classical DM who can play a bit of footie too, and this might still happen, but it is more likely we will get somebody who can be back up to the Spaniard and Welshman.

With Le Coq out on loan, Diaby out injured and Frimpong’s future uncertain we are light in this area. Wilshere can play in the double-DM pivot, but other than him, Arsenal have no quality defence-minded midfielders available. Unless, of course, Arsene will move Vermaelen or Sagna in midfield if and when required.

But let’s say we will be a bit lucky with injuries next season and even see one of the youngsters step up from time to time; let’s say we will be fine in midfield from a defensive point of view so we can focus on another key requirement for our midfield.

The bigger question is who is going to score goals from midfield next season?

If we take out Arteta’s penalty goals, Wilshere, Ramsey, Rosicky and Arteta scored less than 5 PL goals between them last season! Luckily, Cazorla scored plenty – 12 PL goals in total – but he was often deployed more as an attacker than a midfielder.

We need more goals from our central midfielders and it is hard to tell whether we’ll see progress next season.

Arteta and Rosicky are not getting any younger and the former is deployed too deep to get himself in scoring positions often enough, whilst the latter lacks consistency in terms of finishing chances.

Will we get more goals from Wilshere and Ramsey next season? Well, if they are going to make it at Arsenal, we will need to see goals from both of them more regularly now.

I reckon, if Arteta, Rosicky, Ramsey and Wilshere (and maybe Diaby in the second part of the season, and Eisfeld if given a proper chance now) can score twenty goals between them, Arsenal will win the PL next season.

Our defence and attack will continue and further improve from last season’s performances; I have little doubt about that.

But will our midfield be able to deliver 20 PL goals without us buying one or two experienced, quality mid-twenties midfield players who can hit the ground running and score goals regularly?

That my Gooner friends, is the question I am putting to you tonight! 🙂

Written by Total Arsenal.

Please note, I am considering Ox as an attacker rather than a central midfielder, but this could change next season.

Match review: Theo, OG and Pod look sharp, Full Backs rusty, Eisfeld and Akpom impress

July 14, 2013July 14, 2013TotalArsenal

Quick thoughts on a game that was easy on the eye, against a weak but hard working opponent.

Today, Arsenal played a lot better than expected, given the heat and it being the first game of the season. A lot of youngsters were given a chance in this game, although Arsene opted for a solid defence with only Miquel, and Jenkinson to some extent, as non-regulars. He also started with the so familiar double-DM pairing of Ramsey and Arteta which gave the team structure and balance from the start. Fabianski was preferred to Szczesny, but I don’t think we can read much into this (yet). Up-front, Ox played in the hole, with Gnabry and Theo on the wings; and the biggest surprise of the day, Akpom held the line.

Arsenal played with a relatively high tempo from the start and passed the ball round well. As a team, they looked a bit rusty at times, as a number of combinations of passes were not completed and did not lead to a chance in the first half.

It was good to see us using the wings well, and especially Walcott looked sharp. Gnabry looked lively, and reminds me a lot of Ox, but especially in the first half he lacked a bit of patience and composure at times. In the second half he improved, and the assist for the second goal showed what he is capable of when he opts to go to the by-line and produce a fine assist for another attacker, rather than go inside and try to score a wonder goal.

Ox played quite well in midfield, and his interception in our own half and subsequent run with the ball led to the only goal in the first half. Ox remained calm and pulled back the ball to Theo, who took his chance really well from the edge of the box.

Arteta was solid and demanding, and Ramsey was very active and driven and one of the best players of the half. Really nice to see him up for this game and trying to make things happen.

Gibbs and Jenkinson did have little to do as defenders but their forward play was below par in the first half. A number of crosses were inaccurate or weak, and they looked rusty in general, although they did worked hard to support our attackers.

Akpom struggled to assert himself on the game in the first half: he did not make himself available and was not anticipating the game / be at the right place at the right time enough. However, just like Gnabry, he improved significantly in the second half, and he did everything right for the second goal. He is still very young, but is showing real promise.

Arteta, Mertesacker, Fabianski , Koz and Sagna did not have to do much defensively, so I cannot pass much judgement on their performances today. Sagna was very effective going forward, though, and he produced a couple of assists in quick succession.

I was a bit disappointed in our young, Spanish CB today. Miquel made some fine interceptions and produced a very nice long ball, but he was at fault in defence a few times and this could have led to a goal – stronger opposition would have pounced on his mistakes today.

Once the second goal went in, and with Arsenal bringing on Giroud, Podolski, Rosicky and Sagna it became a really easy game for us. Good chances were created and our players took them well. Zelalem and Olsson made good first impressions, and the latter converted Rosicky’s superb cross into the box really well.

It was great to see Giroud sharp from the moment he came onto the pitch; especially his second goal was a fine finish. The same goes for Podolski who took his chance well.

However, the goal of the match for me belongs to Eisfeld, who impressed me once again very much with his composure, reading of the game and effectiveness/directness. He was given great service by Giroud for his goal, but he still had a lot to do. He finished in a ‘Neymar-esque’ style, with a vicious and well-placed shot that left the half-decent Indonesian goalie with no chance whatsoever!

We cannot take much from this game, as our opponents were too weak to give us a proper game, but I liked our energy and appetite, the tempo with which we played and the many chances we created AND converted.

It was also great to see so many fellow Gooners supporting our team many thousands of miles away: they did our club proud! And luckily none of our players got injured.

Bring on the Vietnamese! 🙂

Written by: TotalArsenal.

How will Szczesny, Giroud and Arteta respond to Cesar, Higuain and Fellaini?

July 2, 2013July 2, 2013TotalArsenal

I read last night’s article in The Guardian, summarising our transfer window activities until now, with some interest.

Here is the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jul/01/arsenal-lars-bender-bayer-leverkusen

The Guardian seems to have a close relationship with the club’s media department, or certain insiders at the club, as in general, they do well with regards to predicting transfer movements from and to Arsenal. Therefore, it does not come as a big surprise to me that ‘Arsenal.com media watch’ decided to link-up with the article today.

It is basically a positive article, and although there are no direct quotes from anybody in the know at Arsenal, there is good reason for encouragement regarding our transfer activities this summer.

In summary, the article tells us that:

Arsene wants to strengthen his spine with a striker, central midfielder and experienced goalkeeper;
Higuain is set to join for £22k up-front;
The club is close to signing Júlio César for about £1.5m;
Our bid for Lars Bender was rejected as Leverkusen do not want to sell anymore players this summer;
We are interested in Fellaini and Dortmund’s Gündogan, but as the former’s £24m release clause (if sold to a CL club) expires in mid-August, the club appears to be playing a waiting game…;
Mannone has been sold to Sunderland for £2m (and Djourou has been loaned out for another 12 months – this time to Hamburg).

If at the end of the TW we will have signed a DM, a top striker and an experienced GK, and one or more very promising youngsters, I think it would be fair to say that most of us Gooners would be very pleased, providing that none of our key players is sold in the meantime.

But with these new arrivals, there comes the potential downside of disgruntled players.

How will Szczesny respond to the arrival of Cesar? The Brazilian stopper will only want to join us if he is to be our first choice GK, as he will want to ensure he stays fit and active, so he can remain the nation’s nr.1. Will Wojciech fight for his place and be patient enough, or see the writing on the wall and ask for a transfer….. And would that mean Fabianski stays and becomes our nr.2 GK?

How will Giroud respond to the arrival of a top class striker? I think he is a fighter and in some ways it might help him – less pressure to make us forget Van Judas on his own, for example; but will he accept sitting on the bench a lot? After all, he is at an age in which he needs to play a lot, especially if he wants to play for France in Brazil next summer…

How will the arrival of Fellaini, or another quality DM(type player) this summer, affect our current midfielders? What will it mean for the not-getting-any-younger Arteta, and/or our promising youngsters Ramsey and Wilshere?

What do you say, fine fellow Gooners?

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Theo’s three in three invaluable – TV for Arteta – Ramsey new Parlour?

May 15, 2013May 16, 2013TotalArsenal

Twenty-four hours later and our victory over Wigan still feels very good. After a number of recent ‘one-nil to the Arsenal’ scores it was great to score four goals, and have all three attackers involved in either goals or assists. Arsenal needed this game to give us new momentum, and with that the believe and energy that we can finish the job against The Magpies this weekend.

A lot has been said about the need to introduce a more complete defensive midfielder this summer, but it cannot be denied that the combination of Ramsey and Arteta is working for us right now. At times, these two remind me of MU’s Carrick and Fletcher in previous seasons: solid midfielders with little flair but with a great work-rate and positional awareness. These are not the sort of footballers that will keep you awake at night, but they are like the feet of the swan working their socks off, allowing it to move graciously along. Not that we have been gracious a lot in recent months, but I hope you get the gist…

We all know that Arteta brings this to the party, but the current player of the month, Rambo, might now have found his niche within the team, by occupying the spot next to El Zorro. There is little doubt in my mind that Arsene needs to make changes in midfield over the summer, but he will be very glad that the Rambo-Arteta tandem, among other changes, has made such a difference in the final, and most vital, part of the season.

Ramsey could well become our Parlour of this decade, as he has a similar drive and great motor, and does not mind to do the dirty work at all. Any good team can do with a player in the squad – not necessarily in the first-eleven – who brings such energy and commitment in midfield, and Ramsey fits this role really well. We should also take into account that he is effectively only 21, having missed up to 1.5 years as a result of his horrific leg-break. He will get better, possibly much better in coming seasons, and it is essential now to keep him in the squad.

The injury to Arteta is quite a worry right now. We know from the previous season we can struggle if and when Arteta does not play, so hopefully his injury is not too bad.

But let’s have a look at how Arsenal can replace him. Wilshere does not look fully fit and it is questionable whether he can play an entire game, so a combination of Rambo and him does not look like a good option. We could try Coquelin and Rambo, but the Frenchman did not have many games in the first team, and I for one, would feel uncomfortable bringing him into our crucial game against NU.

As a few others have mentioned on the blog in the last twenty-four hours, Vermaelen would be a very good option to play next to Ramsey. He would bring extra steel – tackling and aerial power – and energy, and I am sure he would be really up for it. Key would be for him to stay calm and time his tackles well, and as he could be a bit rusty, there is some risk of this. I am not entirely sure how good he would be at reading the game in midfield, but I am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt, as his other qualities will be very valuable at least. So Vermaelen-Rambo for me on Sunday.

Finally, I like to say something about Theo. How important has he been for us in the last few games? Scored the only goal against QPR – two points worth – the only goal against MU – one point worth – and scored the all-important second against Wigan last night. Theo with consistency would be as valuable as Ronaldo, but he clearly is not of that calibre; although, he is also still young and will develop further.

His stats this season are fantastic again and what an important (re)signing he has been for us. And when he goes through a difficult patch again, let’s stay behind him and know that sooner or later he will bring home the bacon again.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

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Best away defence invaluable – Theo grows – Ramsey the grinder – Arteta rules

May 5, 2013May 5, 2013TotalArsenal

Sometimes it is best to sleep a night over a game of football. On a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning it is easier to reflect on a game that was hard on the eye and tough for the heart, but THE RESULT still left us with a good after taste. And the latter – just like the better coffees and wines do – is still lingering on this morning.

Three points and a first win at Loftus Road in seven attempts makes the head nod sagely: 1-0 to the Arsenal is all we needed. Some will point out the need to boost our GD, but that is simply wishful thinking at the moment. Our team is running at its last legs and somehow just keeps scraping the barrel for more.

Since Arsene decided to put Arteta and Ramsey together in the double DM-pivot, and swap TV5 for the more organised and composed Koz, we have, as predicted, both become a lot more solid in defence and gradually more and more toothless in attack.

In our 4-2-1-3 formation the box-to-box midfielder holds the key for creating a fine balance between defending and attacking, and only a fit Diaby or Wilshere can truly make this formation tick as per the Wengerball ideology.

With Ramsey we get a hard and disciplined worker and he and Arteta deserve a lot of credit for our recent mean defensive record. Of course, this will not be enough in the long term. Wenger put into place his plan-B to get us back in the CL next season, and for me he is showing once more that he can play Mourinho-like football if he needs to.

But boy is our football hard to watch at the moment, as we dither and probe through the middle all day long, looking like our attackers have never played together before. Pod looked like running around with inflated testicles, Cazorla and Theo totally allergic to sticking to traditional wing-play, and Rosicky was simply not central/domineering enough.

Yet, in the first half we dominated so much that we should have added to Theo’s super-early goal. When in it the box, Theo tends to shoot at goal as soon as he can, without taking another touch, and it paid off for him straightaway. The keeper should probably have done better, but Theo gave him very little time to set himself up properly, and looking into the glaring sun will not have helped Green much either.

Theo was also a wee bit unlucky with another fine, direct attempt on goal in the first half which Green pushed onto the post, and he had another such an attempt saved in the second half. Theo, unlike the Pod yesterday, got himself in good positions in the box and made the keeper work, and his goal made all the difference yesterday. Does this mean he should play centrally more often, though? Aah, let’s discuss! 🙂

Arteta played one of his best games of the season with fantastic positioning, great interceptions and more than adequate distribution, including a fine, and priceless assist for our one and only goal. I loved his physical strength and sheer desire to fight for these crucial three points: he was a true captain for us yesterday. The Basque beast simply ruled the game against the Hoops!

Another big plus point – you must have noticed by now I am mainly looking at the plus points – was our composure and organisation in defence. The triangle of Szczesny – BFG – Koz is quickly developing into something very solid, and that is at least one of the big positives from our current season. Arsenal must ensure we keep them together for next season, and not be tempted to cash in on any of them.

The BFG’s composure and organisational skills are of great value to us, and Koz’ timing, energy but also his positioning and composure, combine really well with the German’s strengths and weaknesses. Add to that a mature and controlled performance of our goal keeper – making good saves (one against Remy was simply excellent) when required – and you can see why we are proving hard to beat at the back at the moment.

In fact, our defensive away record has been very good this season, conceding only 14 goals in 18 PL games: far better than anybody else in the PL. This will probably pan out to be our saviour this season in terms of CL qualification.

Nacho had a tough game against the only player who really cared, Townsend (I wonder what was motivating him hahaha). However, he did get forward and behind the Hoops’ defence once or twice, and that appeared to be the only way to create some danger during large parts of the game. Sagna had a decent game, but once again, he got little support on the wing going forward – often left alone with the ball with nobody anywhere near to set up an attack from the wing.

The negatives in a nutshell (nothing new really): ineffective wingplay for most of the game, attackers and midfielders not linking up properly or finding each other – no collective telepathy – too many players needing too much time (touches) to take their chances, no physical – and limited aerial – presence in the box, and not creative enough.

But our defensive triangle in the centre, our double DM pivot, and an improving Walcott saved the day for us. And there are ten days now to get some much-needed new content into the barrel.

Average player ratings by BK’ers:

Szczesny: 7.7

Nacho: 6.4

Koz: 7.7

BFG: 7.3

Sagna: 6.7

Arteta: 7.7

Ramsey: 6.7

Rosicky: 6.7

Cazorla: 7

Podolski: 5.5

Theo: 7.3

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Special thanks to those who put in their player ratings.

Arteta and Ramsey’s limitations exposed – BFG keeps dream alive – no width = one-dimensional

April 20, 2013TotalArsenal

BFG - The Dream Catcher's goal made the difference today — BFG – The Dream Catcher’s goal made the difference today

Three very valuable points and seven out of nine over the last week. These are the hard facts and the rest is relatively unimportant. It is now all about survival, getting in the top-four, and build further over the summer.

However, our performance today against 10-men Fulham was an absolute pain to watch. Of course, it is our third game in a week and all that bright light makes one a bit tired…… but we made this so hard for ourselves and we looked so much like a team who played together for the first time; something we have witnessed more than a few times this season. It remains a mystery to me!

Arsenal’s extra man advantage meant we could not leave Arteta and Ramsey to sit back a bit and absorb pressure – something we have done regularly in recent away games – but that they needed to play higher up the pitch and keep Fulham locked-in at their own half.

Both the Welshman and the Spaniard have given a lot for us against the Canaries and Toffees, and it was clear that they did not have the same level of energy, composure and discipline as they did in recent games. But regardless of this, it was also once again evident that both players slow our play down and struggle with the creative, attacking side of midfield play; and for me, they were the main reason for our inability to stamp our authority on the game today, once Fulham were reduced to ten men.

I believe both players are very valuable squad players and especially Arteta deserves to be a first team starter again this season, but with Diaby being Diaby and Wilshere and Rosicky currently struggling with having the continuous health and stamina for such demanding positions, we are a bit light in midfield at the moment.

And it showed badly today. With Sidwell out, we should have dominated the midfield and worked gradually and systematically towards scoring our second goal, but we remained shapeless and clueless for large parts of the game.

It also did not help that our wings are not working at the moment. Santi and Theo did not stick to the wing enough to give the necessary width to our game, and they also did not link up with their FB’s enough to give another dimension to our football. It is starting to look like our wings have become a dirty, infested area where no attackers want to be. This will need to change.

Most of our attacking play was focussed centrally, and was rather very laboured, slow and predictable.

We also witnessed again Arsenal’s difficulties with passing round the ball. How often do we see effective triangles between our players? We used to play close together and pass our way towards the box, centrally or via the wing, but now players do the opposite: as soon as a pass is made towards somebody in space, the passer runs away; leaving the recipient with very few passing opportunities behind. This is sooo un-Arsenal like; it is unbelievable!

The lack of passing, combined with some bad first touches throughout most of the team, and the absence of courage to find quick and risky through-balls – especially Arteta and Ramsey seem allergic to taking a bit of risk in their passing – are making us look very mundane at the moment. In a game like this, where we played a team with a man less for eighty minutes, it really showed up.

And I don’t think this will change again this season. Rosicky tried his best to add some quality to our play, and Cazorla always adds something, but as a team we looked laboured; lacking invention, imagination and thrust. Jack made a positive contribution but it was also not enough to regain composure, purpose and control over the game.

Luckily, the BFG had an inspired day both in defence, and especially, up-front, as his header at Fulham’s far post, from Koz’s ‘assist’ made all the difference.

Giroud and Szczesny conspired to give it almost all away in the latter stages of the game: the former by getting himself sent-off, albeit harsh, and the latter by spilling the ball from a safe he made from a free-kick which led to a goal, which luckily but rightfully, was ruled offside.

The performances of both Koz and the BFG were one of the very few positives today as they managed somehow to keep a clean sheet for us today.

We are now in a paradoxical situation where we play well below-par at times but still collect seven out of nine points during a pivotal week for us. It would be foolish to count on our luck continuing for the remainder of the season, and with Giroud out for at least one game – unless his card gets rescinded – Arsene and Steve have their work cut out to somehow get this team to play with purpose, thrust and invention again.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Three Positives and Negatives from an enthralling encounter with Everton

April 16, 2013April 16, 2013TotalArsenal

Jack in 'the hole' was a big surprise but he looked rusty once again, unfortunately! — Jack in ‘the hole’ was a big surprise but he looked rusty once again, unfortunately!

Our game against Everton will need further analysis over the coming days, and I recommend everyone to watch the game again before jumping to big conclusions. From a tactical point of view, there is so much to analyse, and there were also a few Everton players on display who could become interesting transfer targets this summer. Fellaini really impressed, and is he perhaps the beast of a DM we have been asking for? Jagielka performed almost faultless and he could well be the extra CB many of us believe we need to buy this summer…. I was also impressed with Coleman and he could well be a good addition on the right. So, really worth watching the game again and discuss things further over the coming days.

I feel a bit deflated as there were good opportunities in the second half to clinch all three points, but I am also happy we did not concede this time round and got a valuable point. After a good run, we were bound to run out of a bit of luck to win another game, and it is now key to pick things up again against Fulham on Saturday.

Three Negatives

Let’s start with the negatives, or ‘areas in need of improvement’:

The obvious one is Giroud’s lack of end product today. In his defence I say at least he is there and works hard to get in those positions, and he was up against a very well organised and confident central defence today. I like Ollie: he works hard for the team and gives his all. If he had scored a goal today, he would have been our hero, but now many will hang him out to dry. Nothing new there.
Jack, Rambo and Arteta were outmuscled a lot during the first half; with a lot of help by a very lenient referee. Rambo and Arteta bit by bit got more grip on the game but Jack struggled again to boss the midfield. It was a strange decision to select Wilshere again and not play Rosicky or Cazorla in the hole. Jack is really struggling with form and I hope Wenger makes the right selection decision against Fulham on Saturday.
Our passing game and individual technical control of the ball was poor for large parts of the game. Everton’s game plan was to press us everywhere and make it difficult for us to pass the ball round. If and when we had the ball, our players were often fouled by overly aggressive Everton midfielders, with which they got away far too many times. But that does not take away that we allowed them to bully us, and it is in games like these that we can really see how much we need a beast of a DM to counterbalance this. Fellaini, like Ramires did a couple of months ago for Chelsea, made the difference for the Toffees today.

Further negatives were the lack of effective wing play by our ‘wingers’ Theo and Cazorla, and the lack of link-up play between Sagna-Theo and Gibbs-Cazorla

Three Positives

The obvious one is our clean sheet and our defensive performance as a team. Everton might have won many a battle in midfield, especially during the first half, but except for a scary moment or two, our defending was solid and well organised. I was happy but also surprised Arsene left his captain out again, but I reckon he made the right decision. We might all feel a bit down for not winning this game, but at least we did not lose it, and our defensive performance deserves credit.
The pivot between Arteta and Ramsey started to work better the longer the game went on, and especially in the second half the Spaniard and Welshman played very well. They are becoming the motor / driving force of our team and add a lot of spirit and stamina to the team. Long may it continue.
Arsene’s first two subs made a real difference, and we created enough chances to actually win the game. Both Pod and Ox were very lively and full of attacking intent. It was a real shame Ox did not take a shot on goal but decided to pass it to Giroud, as I am sure he would have scored. The directness of Ox and Pod was a really welcome addition to our play and if they, Giroud, and also Cazorla had been more clinical we would have surely won. Ooh, and please don’t ask me to explain the third and final substitution…. 😕

Further positives were the drive and energy of both Sagna, and especially, Gibbs, who both never gave up and fought for the shirt. I also thought Cazorla was excellent, especially in the second half: he drove the team forward and added the much needed quality and inventiveness.

Although most of us, me included, feel more than a bit deflated with not getting all three points, I think we need to realise that after six PL wins out of seven, we need to take this mini-setback on the chin and move onwards to the next game. The team have done very well to get 19 points out of 24 and get themselves back into the top-four, but we are clearly not there yet. Nobody set it was going to be easy: squeaky bum times ahead!

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Rosicky, Ramsey and Gerv: invaluable ‘fringers’ – BFG’s mistake last chance for TV5 – Ideal TH-Che result?

April 9, 2013April 9, 2013TotalArsenal

Fringers Rosicky, Ramsey and Gerv prove to be invaluable

I was only able to watch the match highlights of our game against WBA, but have now read a few match reports as well. We have often debated on BK about the team lacking strength in depth but with key players missing or being ‘rested on the bench’, it is becoming clear our squad is stronger than many of us thought. No Diaby and no wilshere, but Ramsey and Rosicky have been filling their hiatuses more than adequately. No Podolski or Walcott, but Gervinho is both scoring and creating assists at an impressive rate at the moment; and Cazorla is proving to be super valuable – being able to play in various position with apparent ease and effectiveness.

Although our home win against Reading was to be expected, winning away against Bayern, Swansea and now West Brom with key players missing is not a mean feat at all. It is great to see our fringe players pulling their weight at the moment. Rosicky’s experience and never-say-die attitude is driving our team on, which must be a great relieve to the likes of Cazorla and Wilshere who just cannot do it in each and every game. From what I have read, Cazorla had a relatively quiet game, but Ramsey, Rosicky and Gervinho compensated for this with their drive and desire to win.

Ramsey missed a real sitter, but he just keeps going and does a lot of the dirty work for the team. And he also produced the assist for Rosicky’s second goal. Gervinho took the ball into the box on a number of occasions, and, at least at the moment, he has the composure and the skills to create real danger for us where we need to hurt our opponents most.

Gervinho, Rosicky and Ramsey are all not regarded as first-11 players this season, but they are proving to be invaluable for us at the moment, and long may it continue. Have they got enough, though, to make it into our first-11 team on a more permanent basis; and if not, will they be happy to stay at Arsenal for much longer?

Their performances underlined for me that we have plenty of strength in depth in the squad, and that we do not need a great number of new players this summer: a DM, another attacker, and an experienced GK as back up, and we are ready to rock next season (assuming that no key players will be sold this summer). Do fellow Gooners agree?

BFG’s mistake last chance for TV5?

I was disappointed in Per on Saturday: with leading the game 2-0 there was no need for him to take a big risk with a misjudged and clumsy challenge. A player of his experience should know the risk of making such a dangerous interception. Maybe he did not think he would get a red card, but the detrimental impact to our team of conceding a goal was a lot smaller than him being sent off with a straight red card and missing the next match; something he should have been aware of.

Our improved defensive performances in recent games are for a big part due to the leadership vacuum at the back having been filled through leaving (our captain) Vermaelen out and the BFG taking over control, instead. We all know that Mertesacker has some weaknesses, but he is good at reading the game and organising the back. I reckon, he will be missed in the next game, but at least it gives Vermaelen a chance to proof himself again.

As the Belgian is our captain, I reckon he will be responsible again for organising our defence and I am hoping he will come good again. Fingers crossed!

I am convinced that if Vermaelen’s performances in the remaining fixtures this season are not to the expected standard, he will become either a squad player or be sold in the summer. What do you reckon: will Vermaelen be able to fill the organisational void left behind as a result of the BFG’s suspension?

What would be the Ideal Spuds-Chavs result this weekend [please ignore reference to the game being played this weekend: it is a mistake]?

Let’s hope we will win our home game against Norwich. I don’t need to tell you that the single biggest risk we run regarding this game is the team underestimating our opponents. Norwich need the points and played really well at the Emirates last year, and with a nothing to lose attitude, they could cause an upset.

But let’s assume the boys are focussed and give their all and the three points will come our way; what would be the ideal result in the Spuds-Chavs game this weekend? This question is all about whether we think we can finish third or whether we believe fourth is the most realistic final position for us this season.

With only two points between us and the Chavs, I reckon we should aim for third, and therefore hope for, and this sounds truly horrible, so I will whisper it: a Spuds win. It would mean that we get ahead of the Chavs in the table and with our game in hand – compared to the Spuds – we should be able to get ahead of them as well. However, a Chavs win and Arsenal winning their games against Norwich and Everton, would create a healthy four points gap between us and the Spuddies…. This also sounds very attractive, as the Chavs could still be caught at a later stage…. What do you reckon, fellow Gooners?

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Ramsey for DM

April 1, 2013April 1, 2013TotalArsenal

So every morning before heading to work, I go through news websites to check on Arsenal updates as I sip my tea. It’s become an important part of my day and without the comfort of this routine, I know I’d be having an incomplete day.

Every now and then, one piece of news screams out making me shake my head either with disappointment, or nod in happy glee. A few days ago, was one such day… unfortunately the head shaking was in sad disappointment.

Abou Diaby is out for nine months. Yep, the next Patrick Vieira… the man who was going to shore up our defense from midfield better then a sold Song, the man who would allow Arteta the luxury of NOT being the sole starting DM… you get the picture….

Oh yes, the man who feels like a new signing every time he gets fit again, and one more if I may, the man because of whom we chose NOT to buy Diame or any other DM (I’m assuming here, maybe the right deal couldn’t be struck)…

But basically, the man who looked like a million dollars in the first few games of the season and ever since then has been a “what if” is now out again for another 9 months.

I shook my head in utter disbelief… how unfortunate is Diaby. And please, don’t get me wrong… I hope he gets fit again and I hope he resumes his career. It’s never easy for an athlete to lose out because of injuries, and the cruciate ligament injury is a really tough one. And for the record, I would also like to say that I had hopes for Diaby. I thought he might stay fit this time… and he might become the player that he has shown that he can be in patches.

I genuinely believe that a fit Diaby, at his best, really adds value to the team. This very interesting article (http://news.arseblog.com/2013/03/diaby-at-swansea-by-the-numbers/) at Arseblog News is sort of testament to that fact. But now it’s gotten late for Arsene and Arsenal to keep waiting for a hopefully fit again Diaby.

It got me thinking that now we are in a bit of a fix… who now to support or back up Arteta?

My answer is Aaron Ramsey.

Now Rambo has been having a bit of an up and down season. He has been the cause of many a fan’s frustration time and time again, but I’ve always felt that the primary issue has been the fact that he gets played on the right. I distinctly remember when he first came on the scene, he would play CM almost always, and for a large part of last season he looked like a solid box to box midfielder with the capacity to play some lovely balls forward. Unfortunately he ran out of form somewhat but still ended the season with 8 assists (Song got 11 and Walcott got 9, as per Wikipedia).

I’ve generally always felt Ramsey best slot is the DM role in conjunction with Arteta or Wilshere, and so I’ve often been surprised that he ends up playing the utility role. Therefore, I decided to compare a few stats and see if indeed Ramsey is good at the defensive role or not.

First, let’s look at Diaby and Arteta in the first three games of the season, where we drew with Sunderland and Stoke, and beat Liverpool away, all the while keeping clean sheets (seems like a lifetime ago!). I think it’s fair to say those three were solid defensive displays that we’d love to see on a consistent basis.

Aug-12	Diaby vs. Liverpool (away)		Diaby vs. Sunderland (home)		Diaby vs. Stoke (away)
	Total Passes	64	Total Passes	67	Total Passes	65
	Completion %	91%	Completion %	88%	Completion %	72%
	Defensive Passes	47	Defensive Passes	48	Defensive Passes	45
	Completion	83%	Completion	88%	Completion	71%
	All duels won	10/13	All duels won	7/15	All duels won	13/30
	All tackles won	2/4	All tackles won	1/1	All tackles won	3/5
	Clearances	0/0	Clearances	0/0	Clearances	2/4
	Head clearances	0/0	Head clearances	0/0	Head clearances	2/4


Aug-12	Arteta vs. Liverpool (away)		Arteta vs. Sunderland (home)		Arteta vs. Stoke (away)
	Total Passes	92	Total Passes	119	Total Passes	77
	Completion %	95%	Completion %	96%	Completion %	87%
	Defensive Passes	49	Defensive Passes	75	Defensive Passes	48
	Completion	92%	Completion	93%	Completion	85%
	All duels won	6/13	All duels won	6/12	All duels won	10/14
	All tackles won	3/3	All tackles won	2/4	All tackles won	4/6
	Clearances	1/1	Clearances	0/0	Clearances	0/0
	Head clearances	1/1	Head clearances	0/0	Head clearances	0/0

Interesting stats! Diaby, as is evident, is good at getting into the thick of it. He does well when it comes to tackles, and is decent in terms of winning duels.

Versus Stoke, he got into 30 duels, winning 13, which is not shabby at all. However, he lags behind in terms of total passes and the pass completion.

Arteta on the other hand does brilliantly well in terms of total passes and pass completion %, and does fairly well in terms of tackling and overall duels.

Interesting to see also, that he got into 14 duels winning 10 against Stoke.

Now let’s look at Ramsey in the two games I remember him starting as a DM, vs. WHU and vs. Brighton away. Both the games took place in January 2013.

Jan-13	Ramsey vs. WHU		Ramsey vs. Brighton
	Total Passes	123	Total Passes	89
	Completion %	95%	Completion %	93%
	Defensive Passes	75	Defensive Passes	49
	Completion	93%	Completion	92%
	All duels won	6/9	All duels won	8/16
	All tackles won	3/3	All tackles won	5/6
	Clearances	1/1	Clearances	1/2
	Head clearances	1/1	Head clearances	0/0

WHU was a comfortable win, while Brighton away was a tight win for us. Interestingly, Ramsey out-does Diaby in terms of total passes and pass completion %, which to me is not surprising.

What, however, is interesting is that he does very well in terms of duels won and tackles won. In the tough away Brighton game, he wins 5/6 tackles.

It should also be noted that in both these games Arteta was not playing, so the burden of defensive duties was more on Ramsey than on his partner (Rosicky, Santi and Jack on separate occasions).

So my point essentially is that Diaby’s injury may actually be a chance for us to get Ramsey playing in a position in which I think he can do a good job for us, and also get his confidence up. Ideally, I’d love to see Ramsey and Arteta playing together with Jack/Santi up ahead.

I feel Rambo can be massive for us if used properly, and now is the chance to do exactly that.

Would love to know what you guys think on this!

Written by: Umair Naeem

http://umairn.wordpress.com/http://www.facebook.com/UmairNaeemOfficial

http://www.twitter.com/umairn

A couple of side notes:

1 – I have used games that I felt illustrated the defensive prowess of the three players best, and for Ramsey the two games analyzed can serve to highlight the defensive potential that he has.

2 – By no means do I intend to opine that we don’t need to buy a DM now. Rambo can be an option till the summer, but we need to get a solid DM as a starter or a back up once the transfer window opens.

3 – Source for the data is a nifty iPhone app called EPL Live.