Rosicky – Page 4 – Bergkampesque

What’s up with Jack? And why did Rosicky not play yesterday?

April 17, 2013April 17, 2013TotalArsenal

Last night, Jack had plenty of fire in his belly but his legs and mind seem out of sync.

It is so good to see Super Jackie Wilshere back on the pitch again. With his injury record, it is always a worry when he is out of contention for a long while, so to see him in our shirt again is simply great.

But the Jack who returned against Norwich, and had another game against Everton three days later, hardly looks like the giant killer we have become accustomed to, and have been so enthusiastic about, this season.

His motivation is never in doubt and the passion and healthy aggression he adds to the team is of great importance, but something is missing at the moment.

His first touch and passing accuracy have not been great to say the least, and I also did not see much of that characteristic burst forward of Jack, or many of his quality through-balls. He looks like a player who does not believe he is ready for the big battles again, despite trying very hard.

Now it is fair to say that he was targeted by Everton in such a way that he hardly could conduct our game last night: it was a very obvious and just about legitimate tactic by the Toffees; and with little protection from the referee things were not made easier for him either. But still, the Jack we all know, is normally able to deal with this.

Actually, it was a total surprise to see Wilshere included in the line-up last night. Wenger had come out prior to the game and admitted he might have rushed him back too quickly; only to confuse us all by playing him again three days later….. 😕

I am a big fan of Jack and love to see him play, but it does not seem right that he is preferred to the apparently fully fit again Rosicky. Our little Mozart has had a few fine games for us recently and really helped to give us drive, shape and purpose to our football again.

Perhaps, Arsene is keen to build the team around Wilshere once again, with him positioned in the most advanced midfield position; and I for one, am totally in favour of this. But this is not a time to take risks by reintroducing a rusty and seemingly lacking in confidence Wilshere to such a pivotal position and with such little room for error.

We were doing well with Rosicky’s organisational skills and thrust in the centre of midfield, and with his experience he seems our safest bet to help us finish in the top-four again by the end of the season.

How ever much I love Wilshere, I am really hoping Wenger will opt for Rosicky in the hole against Fulham, so we can get our shape, focus and thrust back again. Jack’s time will come again, but now it’s time for Arsene to allow Rosicky to get us back to winning ways.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Rosicky to conduct, Nacho-Santi bulls on left, Sagna-Theo train on right: Everton preview

April 16, 2013April 16, 2013TotalArsenal

Little Mozart to conduct the symphony tonight?!

A rare treat for us nowadays: a meaningful mid-week game!

Having worked in Liverpool for a few years, I have nothing but respect for both Everton and Liverpool. The Liverpudlians know how to enjoy live and seize the day, and they know their football as well. And there is nothing but respect for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger over there, something the Mancs could learn a lesson from.

David Moyes is a fine, loyal manager, who, every few years, is able to put a talented team together with the potential to move into the top-four. It looks like he has done it again this year, and the Toffees come to the Emirates in great form – let’s not mention the embarrassing FA-cup exit though, but then, who are we to talk…?

This will be a tough game for us, as a confident and fully fit Everton will fancy their chances. A home win against the Northern Oilers and away draw against the Spuddies in recent games, Everton have proven they can handle the pressure and get results. The Toffees’ strength seems to come from the wings, and especially, from the centre of midfield, where the hard working Osman, Gibson and Fellaini form an impressive defensive wall as well as a fountain of creativity.

Eveton’s away record is not brilliant, with only four wins out of 15 games, although a glass half full Evertonian will tell you they only lost four away games all season.

So how are we going to combat the tough Toffees?

I reckon, Arsene will fall back to what he knows best and will stick with 4-2-1-3; and he will play his most experienced team.

Defence:

I am pretty sure Szczesny will return to the first team. The coded language from Wenger re Fabianski’s ‘injury’ tells me the Pole will be between the poles again tonight.

The back four is interesting once more: will Arsene drop TV again? I reckon, he will. This is no game for sentimentality and the best CB pair should play: Koz and BFG. On the right, I expect Mr Reliable to play, and on the left, I go for Nacho this time.

Midfield:

Zorro and Rambo to combat with Osman, Gibson and Fellaini in our double-DM pivot, with Rosicky in the hole. Given Arsene’s recent comments, Jack will get a rest and Rosicky is likely to replace him. Alternatively, Cazorla could be played ‘in the hole’, but I reckon the Professor will go with the Czech conductor this time.

Attack:

The above mentioned inclusion of Rosicky, would mean that Arsene has to choose to fill his three attacking positions from: Walcott, Gervinho, the Pod, Giroud, Ox and Cazorla. Will Wenger surprise us all and, after his recent comments re the Pod spearheading our attack any time soon, put the Pod centrally? I don’t think so: not for this game, as it would be too disruptive to our shape and system of football.

I feel Wenger will stick to what he knows and play Ollie centrally, with the Pod on the left and Cazorla on the right; although, I am also tempted to go for Cazorla on the left – forming a fine partnership with Nacho there – and Theo on the right to keep Baines busy….. But that would leave the Pod out, so maybe he will play centrally tonight…. pfffffff. Not easy, my friends, not easy. And then many of us want Arsene to buy at least one more attacker hahaha 🙂

I am going to go with Cazorla – Giroud – Theo up-front, as Arsene’s choices, but I probably get it wrong and won’t achieve an 11/11 once again tonight.

Predicted Line-up:

Anyway, here is hoping for a fantastic game and Arsenal playing at their very best, and collecting three more super-valuable points. Let’s give the Spuds a better, more in perspective, view of the mighty, red and white Arse!

Come on You Rip Roaring Gunners!!!!!!!!!!! Do Us Proud.

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.

Will and should Rosicky be at Arsenal next season?

April 2, 2013April 2, 2013TotalArsenal

Little Mozart needs an orchestra and a podium to perform on more regularly then currently is the case! — Little Mozart needs an orchestra and a podium to perform on more regularly than currently is the case!

Rosicky has been at Arsenal since 2006, and is liked by Arsenal fans for his ability to lead a midfield through his vision and dribbling skills, good ball control, quick one-touch football with clever movement, and always having a trick up his sleeve to beat defenders. These qualities allow Rosicky to orchestrate a midfield, which led to him acquiring the nickname ‘The Little Mozart’, during his time in Germany playing for Borussia Dortmund.

It could be argued that the rejuvenated Rosicky, of the late part of the second halve of last season, led Arsenal to securing 3rd place in the Premier League, and more importantly, qualifying for the Champions League once again. This resulted in Rosicky being offered a new contract, which he later signed.

Despite signing a new contract at the end of last season, Rosicky has not played as much as he would have expected to, as a result of Wenger opting to play other midfielders instead of him.

At the moment, Rosicky’s experience and quality is not being utilised in the best possible way by Wenger, in order to get the best out of our current squad of players.

At the age of 32 years old, Rosicky is not getting any younger and many fans are wondering how much longer Rosicky will stay at Arsenal, and whether Rosicky will leave Arsenal soon, or whether Rosicky will stay at Arsenal; eventually going on to retire at Arsenal. The latter is now looking less likely, with Rosicky getting limited game time and being resorted to making cameo appearances.

People may point out that Rosicky has started a number of games lately, starting with the second leg of our Champion’s League tie with Bayern Munich and Premier League fixtures after that match, but in my opinion Rosicky has only started those matches because of injuries to other players in the squad i.e. Diaby, Podolski, Wilshere and Walcott, who are still unavailable; and most recently, possibly players being left out because of transfer speculation i.e. Podolski (and also Vermaelen, although this has no bearing on whether Rosicky starts matches).

And if Wenger had none of these problems to take into consideration when picking his teams, and had a full squad to choose from, Rosicky would not make the first eleven on a regular basis. This was seen much earlier on in the season with Rosicky hardly starting any matches.

Numerous clubs have shown interest in Rosicky and it was rumoured that in January, Everton made an enquiry regarding the sale of the Czech, but Wenger told Everton that he was not for sale. Rosicky’s former club Borussia Dortmund have also shown interest in Rosicky; wanting to bring him back to Germany.

Rosicky is clearly a wanted man!

For Wenger to tell Everton that Rosicky is not for sale could mean one of three things:

1) Rosicky must still be in Wenger’s future plans. Wenger could see Rosicky as part of the group of experienced players which Wenger needs to accumulate before the start of next season, to add the much needed experience which this current Arsenal team needs in order to succeed and win trophies.

2) Wenger does want to sell Rosicky but just did not want to sell him in January, as he would not have been able to replace him in January. It could be a possibility that the player(s) Wenger wanted to replace Rosicky with in the summer, was/were not available in January.

3) Wenger has already agreed a fee with another club for the sale of Rosicky in the summer, with the Czech and the other club already agreeing on personal terms ahead of his move.

Wenger needs to solve this situation regarding Rosicky by next season. If Wenger does not see him in his future plans, the Frenchman must sell him for the good of Arsenal and little Mozart himself.

There is no point in keeping Rosicky and paying his weekly wage if you are not going to play him (something that has been happening too much with other players at Arsenal in recent years). Rosicky’s wages could be used to pay the wages of a younger attacking midfielder, whom Wenger would play weekly; for example Isco.

Arshavin is a perfect example of a quality, experienced player whose career has been ruined at Arsenal, and his reputation tainted in world football, because he did not leave Arsenal when he should have; and as a result, spent a number of seasons sitting on the bench, losing all of his confidence, and is now generally hated by a lot of Arsenal fans.

The last thing Arsenal fans want to see is Rosicky’s career as a footballer ruined (just like Arshavin’s and Chamakh’s); where we are paying/trying to pay, other clubs to take him on loan, or wasting valuable club money paying his wages to sit on the bench and make the odd random appearance, and with Rosicky coming on the pitch dragging his feet, looking like he is being forced to play against his will and cannot wait to leave Arsenal.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topic.

Written by: AFC.

Bayern preview: Rosicky & Cazorla to run the show / 4-1-2-3 / attack, attack, attack!

March 12, 2013March 12, 2013TotalArsenal

Less than 24 hours to go and I am getting really excited about the up and coming CL fixture against Die Lederhosen. Normally I would be approaching this game with a sense of both anticipation and apprehension, but I feel simply relaxed going into this one. Would we have had a better result in our home game, I would feel a lot more apprehensive and nervous right now; but today, us Gooners can afford to just look forward to the match without the heavy weight of expectation on our weary shoulders.

This is a game in which we have nothing to lose, other than our pride; but then again, there is nothing more important than always doing the shirt proud.

We should not expect to win tomorrow, but nevertheless try to do so by giving it our all. Funnily enough, Bayern will be wary that our team can play with the potentially lethal combination of low expectations and yet full commitment and desire. It will allow Arsenal to express itself once again, and to play to its strength; playing fast, aggressive, attacking football without worrying too much about letting one, or even two goals in.

As Arsenal need to score many goals to go through – we need at least three – Arsene has no other option than to go all out on attack with his team. If we can set up our team to score three; we would also be able to score a fourth in case Bayern would score a goal against us tomorrow – something which is highly likely to happen.

I believe our chances to get through are less than 10% as scoring at least three goals against an in-form Bayern is a very difficult, if not impossible, task. But this The Arsenal and Wenger has managed to surprise everyone before in Europe. He does not have to worry about our defence too much tomorrow evening, and can pick a very attacking formation.

We also know that Arsenal cannot play another way. It goes against Arsene’s nature to set the team up defensively, as in trying to contain the Germans, and we also do not have the players for this. So it will be all out attack and play with pride for the shirt.

It is a blow that Jack and Podolski will not play tomorrow but a big boost that Gibbs is available again. Diaby is 50/50 which does not come as a surprise to anybody. Bayern will be missing Ribery and especially the excellent, and uber-experienced Schweinsteiger in the centre of midfield; and Robben might also not be fully fit.

But let’s not concentrate on them. Let’s focus on how Arsenal can beat the Germans tomorrow. I think we have a decent chance of winning, but it will probably not be enough to go through. These are the key formation and line-up choices that could win us the game tomorrow:

Play an attacking formation which suits us: 4-1-2-3, with one DM and two AM’s. Despite Jack’s absence we still can pick our AM’s from Rosicky, Cazorla, Ox, Diaby(?) and one to two others like Arshavin, Ramsey or even Coquelin;
Attack constantly through the middle and from the left wing: Gibbs and Gervinho come into the team and let’s hope they hit the ground running;
Give Theo a free role on the right: there should be plenty of space on the right wing, especially if and when we can switch the attack from left to right, or middle to right when we are attacking from there initially;
Play with both Vermaelen and Koz as our CBs, as they are our fastest options for our all-out attack approach tomorrow;
Play with a high tempo and constant pressure; closing down the Germans relentlessly, and hopefully take one of our early chances to further boast belief that we can do it;
As the midfielders will run themselves into the ground, we will need to have strong and ready replacement on the bench if needed, which is probably around 65 minutes into the game.

Predicted line-up for tomorrow’s game:

The defence is more or less a given, as I cannot see us play Mertesacker in a game like this and Szczesny has been rested: Mannone – Jenkinson – Koscielny – Vermaelen – Gibbs.

The midfield probably will see the most substitutions during the game; I expect at least two for that area. I reckon we will start with: Arteta as sole DM, and Cazorla and Rosicky as our double AMs. Arteta could be replaced by Ramsey if he gets tired, or Coquelin will get a chance. I expect Cazorla to play the full 90 minutes and Rosicky to be replaced by the Ox or Diaby after 2/3 of the game.

Up-front it will most probably be Gervinho – Giroud – Theo. They will have to help out defensively of course, but their main focus has to be on creating danger in attack and scoring goals. There will not be much on the bench to replace one or two of our attackers, so they will have to give their all for 90 minutes. The Ox could come on late as an extra attacker or to replace one of the wingers. It should just be enough to be a real threat against the Germans.

Predicted line-up/preferred line-up:

Ars v bay final — Giroud will be our link-up striker, helping out midfield if and when he can. Theo and Gervinho will combine wing-play with moving into the centre to support the Frenchman, if and when possible.

I really hope we will approach this game with a very attacking mind-set and game plan/formation.

If we approach the game with anything less, Bayern will smell blood and give us a bloody nose of huge proportions: it could become a real nightmare leading to a demoralising loss.

We have no option but to play to our strength, which is attack, attack, attack and make the best of it, and who knows we might just do it. I don’t expect it, yet I would not be totally surprise if we did it. Remember we are THE Arsenal.

Now bring on Die Lederhosen and let the Canon roar!

Come on You Rip ROARING Gunners – Do us proud!

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Everybody loves Rosický except Arsene Wenger

March 4, 2013TotalArsenal

Well at least it seems that way!

Will we finally see our little Mozart direct play again? — What’s not to love about a fully fit and passionate Little Mozart?!

What has happened to Tomáš Rosický? He has been mostly fit since 1 December last year, but nevertheless has hardly played for us. Despite his reputation of always being injured, the Czech midfield maestro has averaged 35 games in all competitions over the three previous seasons. Yet, this season, he has played in only eight games and in most of them only as a substitute.

I have always believed that Rosicky is well liked by Arsene, and as he signed a new contract about a year ago, there was every reason to believe that the 32 year old Czech would play an important role for us this season.

Tomáš is a player who, when fully fit, will give his all for the shirt. On top of that, he has the ability to conduct our game and make us play like Wenger wants us to. He is our most experienced Gunner and plays with real passion for the club. This season we overplayed the likes of Arteta, Cazorla and Wilshere, and it would have made sense to use Tomáš a lot more during the busy December and January months.

The few times he was used this season, he added another dimension to our play. His first half performance against Olympiacos was simply fantastic and his efforts were rewarded by scoring a fine goal. He did not feature in the second half and the team suffered as a result. He probably was not fit enough to complete the full ninety minutes, but it was a shame to not see him play a bit longer.

He also had a good, ‘full of drive’ game against Blackburn – about the only one who did! – and he added new energy and hunger to our team when he recently came on as a sub against Bayern and Spuds.

We all love the little Mozart when he drives forward and dictates our play: he gives us shape and brings in bags of passion, and we all know he loves the club.

So, why did Wenger not play him more this season?

Well maybe one of our readers will know a bit more about Arsene’s recent relationship with Rosicky. If there are any Czech Gooners out there maybe they could tell us whether there were issues between Arsene and Rosicky as a result of Tomáš playing for the Czech republic during the Euros, whilst possibly not being fully fit. I have a vague memory there were rumors about this, and as our maestro got injured – or maybe made his injury a lot worse – Arsene could have decided to side-line him this season.

Another possible explanation is that Arsene is desperate to get his system of football established within the team again, and consequently prefers to play the same players as much as possible. Our team has been searching desperately for its shape and chemistry between the players, and as Arsene’s preferred players in midfield: Arteta, Cazorla and Wilshere were mostly fit, and he also had Ramsey available in recent months, it could simply be that he did not feel the need to play Rosicky more regularly this season.

And maybe, there is a totally different reason; it all remains a mystery to me.

Once again I invite fellow Gooners to shed their light with us on the reasons for Rosicky’s continuous absence as a starter in our first team this season.

He is fit, more than capable, passionate and experienced; all qualities and characteristics Arsenal have a desperate need for at the moment, and I hope to see a lot more of him during the remainder of the season.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Blackburn preview + predicted line-up: Miguel and Yennaris to start, Diaby and Coquelin our ‘DMs’, and will Rosicky finally feature?

February 15, 2013February 15, 2013TotalArsenal

A lot has been said about needing to focus just on the game in hand, rather than getting distracted by our Champions League first leg game against Bayern on Tuesday; without any doubt the biggest game of our season so far. But this is easier said than done.

Wenger will need to find a fine balance again: on the one hand he needs fresh legs on Tuesday and his strongest squad available, and on the other hand, he needs to put a team out with not only the right set of skills/qualities, but also with the right attitude and winning mentality (Bradford anyone?!).

Getting through to the next round of the FA-cup is of course very important. It would be a significant step forward for this ‘new’ Arsenal team if it could win a major price this year, and the FA-cup remains a good opportunity for us to do just that. But eliminating Bayern Munich in the Champions League would also be a major step forwards….

There is a real risk, however subconscious, of underestimating our encounter with Blackburn Rovers tomorrow. Yes we play at home and Blackburn are not a PL team, but they are on a good run, losing just one game of their last eight league games, and getting themselves back in promotion contention. And they have not got a bad team either.

The Blue and Whites will come with a nothing to lose attitude and try to enjoy themselves; they will also know that we are unlikely to play our strongest side, and even if we did, that our minds will, at least partly, be on Tuesday’s game (nobody wants to get injured for a start…).

I reckon, Wenger will rest once again about six players for Saturday’s FA-cup game; just as he did for our last FA-cup game against Brighton. There are four players he should not risk tomorrow: Wilshere, Vermaelen, Sagna and Theo.

Wilshere, because he is carrying a knock, and we have good replacements for him in Diaby and Rosicky; Vermaelen and Sagna, because we need our best possible options on the full back positions against Bayern, so we can counter the German threat on the wings; and Theo because he will be our special weapon against the Germans (I won’t say more as we will publish a brilliant maiden post by Nik on Monday, which covers, among other topics, the importance of starting Theo against Bayern on Tuesday).

In an ideal world, Arsenal would also not start with Arteta and Cazorla, but I reckon at least one of the two will need to play tomorrow.

My predicted line-up:

Cazorla and Ox are likely not to play more than 60 minutes, so they will be fully fit again on Tuesday.

I reckon the team above will give us a good balance in terms of experience and hunger, but to be fair, it is really hard to predict the line-up for tomorrow’s game: who really knows what Arsene will do?

Does this line-up work for you? And if not, what would you change?

Written by: Total Arsenal.

Rosicky to conduct our play, Ox to start, and Sagna, Pod and Santi rested?

January 26, 2013January 26, 2013TotalArsenal

Today’s fourth-round FA cup game is a potential banana skin the size of Brighton Pier. Arsenal have just enjoyed a good, five-goal win against the Hammers. Often in the past, we followed such praiseworthy, high scoring games up with a lacklustre and over-confident performance in the next match. Let’s hope our boys are focussed and driven from the start this time round!

The Seagulls have absolutely nothing to lose, and their brand new AMEX stadium was built with the sheer hope of one day hosting games like these. The scalp of Newcastle has only just dried out, and the Brighton fans will be hoping to add, an even larger one this afternoon.

The fresh, new Brighton stadium is home to an equally exciting style of football, orchestrated by their up and coming manager: Gus Poyet. I reckon it will be a good game to watch, and no doubt The Seagulls will aim to chase us down from the start, and leave us as little time and space as possible to get into our passing game.

I don’t need to tell you we need to at least match their levels of energy, healthy aggression and chasing down opponents today, if we want to come through this encounter victoriously.

I have not watched the Seagulls much recently, so cannot give you an in-depth analysis of their style of football, and strengths and weaknesses.

Brighton and Hove Albion, to use the full name for once, are currently in seventh position in the Championship, and just four points away from a potential ticket to the Premier League next season. In their last game they played 4-1-3-2, and it will be interesting to see what they will do against us today.

I am looking forward to see what Lopez and Vincente are like up-front, and how their midfield will fair against ours. And I am hoping Kuszczak, the former MU goalkeeper who only managed to get 26 appearances in five years for the Mancs, will not have one of those days in which he successfully proofs he should still be performing in the PL every week; something that often seems to happen against us in these sort of games!

Predicted Line-up against The Seagulls:

Will we finally see little Mozart conducting our play again today?

I reckon their will be some rotation but not much and our bench is likely to be strong as well today. The FA Cup is a great competition and it would be fantastic for this team to win it. Losing today is not an option as the subsequent supporters/media negativity – given our recent painful cup-exit against Bradford – will be pretty much unbearable.

However, a few players need a rest and at best should start on the bench. Especially Sagna and Cazorla could do with a rest. The same goes for Wilshere, but we need some defensive midfield cover next to Ramsey, and Jack seems to be the best partner for him. Diaby appears to be available again, so maybe he will start instead of Wilshere, but my gut-feeling tells me the lanky Frenchman will start on the bench today.

This is a good game for Ox to play in, and I am pretty sure he’ll start on our right wing. Wenger will also like Giroud and Theo to further improve their partnership up-front, and I reckon the latter will start on the left wing this time, instead of the Pod. Don’t be surprised if Arsenal’s line-up looks more like 4-4-2 against Brighton today.

Apparently, Rosicky is available again, and surely, he will get a start today instead of Cazorla. The Spaniard really needs a rest and The Czech is desperate for a start; let’s hope we’ll see at least this rotation materialise against Brighton.

Our boys need to forget about everything and entirely focus on today’s game and give their all. If we do that, we’ll get through, if not we might get punished by The Seagulls. It is as simple as that!

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners!!

Written by: Total Arsenal.

Swansea Preview: Giroud must play, Rosicky For Sale, Coquelin to Start?

January 16, 2013January 16, 2013TotalArsenal

I must admit to being in two minds about our game against the Jacks tonight: one of anticipation and one of apprehension. As per yesterday’s post, Arsenal have a number of seemingly structural problems; every time we believe the team has made significant progress, they let us down again with the same problems resurfacing once more.

I am repeating a paragraph in yesterday’s post to sum it all up:

What is more worrying is the lack of form and shape to the team; the inability to organise our defence and get a run of solid defensive team performances; the lack of balance in midfield and inability to totally dominate this area anymore; the unsettledness, and unpredictable level of performances, by our strike-force; and most importantly, the lack of cohesion, leadership and collective fighting spirit throughout the team.

If Arsenal are to beat Swansea tonight, it will have to show a significant improvement in all the above areas, in my view. And that is where my apprehension is coming from: there is a lot that needs sorting and I am not sure we can do it all at the moment.

Swansea have nothing to lose tonight and will play their well-drilled game of absorbing pressure and try to catch us on the break.

It has worked against many teams, notably most recently against the Chavs, and why would they change it?! So, that is the tactics done again: Vermaelen to devour Michu and our team to play at a tempo that will not allow the Jacks to settle; oh and taking our chances when they arrive. Simples! 🙂

Rosicky For Sale?

What is going on with regards to Tomas Rosicky? He had a fantastic first half game against Olympiacos and then he got substituted and we have not seen him on the pitch ever since (if I remember correctly). I cannot get my head around the fact he was not played at all during the busy festive season, as the likes of Wilshere, Cazorla and Podolski could have done with a break.

Tomas is Arsenal through and through, signed a new contract not that long ago, he knows how Wenger wants to play better than anybody else, and he gives us shape and purpose?

So, why has he not played at all? The only answer I can give you is that Arsenal are planning to sell him during this transfer window, and for that they would have to keep him fully fit. Not playing him might also make him more keen for a move, as Tomas is the kind of guy who loves to play football rather than sit on the bench and collect his pay cheques.

Apparently, he has a slight muscular problem and won’t be fit for tonight….

Giroud must play.

Theo alone up-front is a work in progress and Arsenal cannot afford to play the same strike-force again against Swansea: the risk of another disjointed performance in attack is far too high. Swansea will also allow us little space which makes playing a fluid-three – Pod, Theo, Ox – up-front not our best option, in my view. Tonight, we need a strong pivot in attack.

I hope we start with Giroud in the centre and either Theo on the wing, or next to him in a 4-4-2 formation.

If we are to beat Swansea tonight, we need to get behind them as much as possible via our wings; and a lot will be asked from the most likely wing-combos of Sagna and Ox (or Theo) and Gibbs and Pod. Chelsea failed to use the wings enough against the Jacks last week, and they paid for it. On top of that, we need a strong target man, which Giroud clearly is. All other attackers should be able to benefit from Giroud presence in the box and I hope we’ll see goals by him and/or Pod, Ox, Cazorla (and Theo?).

Is this Coquelin’s chance or will it be Diaby again?

Enough has been said about Diaby’s rustiness in the ‘Arteta’ role and whether it is his best position in the first place. There appears to be a continuous reluctance by Wenger to play Coquelin in the Arteta role, and although I have doubts myself about his readiness, I feel Arsene needs to start him tonight. This should be the sort of game in which he can make his mark and we all need to know how ready he is for regular first team football.

Predicted Line-Up:

————–Szczesny——————–

Sagna——BFG——TV———Gibbs

———-Coquelin—Wilshere———-

—————-Cazorla——————–

Ox————Giroud—————-Pod

Predicted score: 3-1 to the good guys.

Written by: Total Arsenal.

Come on You Gunners!! 🙂

Swansea preview: Sagna or Jenkinson, Rosicky or Cazorla, Theo or Giroud (or both)?

January 5, 2013TotalArsenal

Regular readers of Bergkampesque will have noticed my glass half full attitude towards Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. I remain confident in Wenger’s ability to turn things round for us this season, and I also believe in the squad of players we have (give or take a couple of necessary new signings). However, it is about time that Arsenal show what they are made of now, after a disappointing performance against Southampton this week; and I expect nothing else but a committed, full-blooded performance for 90+ minutes.

Swansea will be up for this and will be full of confidence after their recent win at Ashburton Grove. Arsenal will have to come out of the blocks with only one thing in mind: to take this game to Swansea with a high tempo and a strong focus on attack. To be fair, as we saw during our last encounter with the Swans, they are happy to sit back and absorb the pressure we will put on them; only to pounce back on the break as much as possible.

It is therefore important that we play a lot more cohesive tomorrow than we have done recently; with lots of ball retention, constant pressure on the Swansea team, and defending, creating and attacking collectively, rather than the disjointed efforts we saw against Wigan and Southampton recently.

Sagna or Jenkinson?

From the moment Sagna’s inexplicable defensive clearance led to us conceding a goal against Southampton, our right back turned into a shadow of his former self for the rest of the game. Until then, he and Ox had been our main attacking option as virtually all attacks came from the right. But his confidence was totally shot and he made mistake after mistake after his bad error that led to the goal.

So what to do tomorrow; play Sagna again or give Jenkinson a game? I reckon it will be dreadful for Sagna’s confidence if he is not played again tomorrow, and Wenger will probably play him for that reason alone. I hope he comes good again, as Sagna always gives his all. With Jenkinson having signed a new contract and Bacary hoping to get a new contract offer soon, it could be that the Frenchman is justifiably worried about his future, which in return might be affecting his confidence at the moment.

Rosicky or Santi?

We continue to struggle with the shape of our team and with that the purpose/directness of our football. I have written about the need for a more all-round DM, who should free up Jack to support the attack more regularly. At the moment Jack needs to help out too much defensively, and Santi is often isolated as a result. I believe Santi is at his best when he can play close to our CF and we need Wilshere to get closer to him in order to make this happen.

Rosicky always gives the team a good shape and real purpose and I wonder whether it is now time to give him a start instead of Cazorla. Cazorla could start on the wing, maybe instead of Ox or Pod. Alternatively, Jack could get a well-earned rest, and Rosicky could play next to Arteta, and with Cazorla in his normal position. But whatever it is, I reckon we need to play Rosicky tomorrow: he can give us the much needed impetus against the Swans.

Theo or Giroud?

Another big selection dilemma for Arsene. My personal view, as per recent posts and comments, is to play them both together in a 4-4-1-1. Giroud can be the pivot for our attacking play, who gets the midfield higher up the pitch with his ball retention skills, and also launches Theo into promising positions. Theo can move around and combine wing-play with centre forward play. However, I would eat my foot if Arsene was to start with both Giroud and Theo up-front and with four in midfield, so a choice has to be made between the Frenchman and the contract hugger.

Given the fact that Swansea play very compact and well-organised at the back, and the need for Theo to have space at his disposal, I reckon will start with Giroud in the middle, and possibly with Theo on the wing for tomorrow’s game.

Predicted Line-Up:

—————Szczesny——————

Sagna – BFG – Vermaelen – Gibbs

———Arteta——-Wilshere———

—————-Rosicky——————-

Theo/Ox——-Giroud———-Santi

At times during the match tomorrow, Santi and Rosicky could move to the wings in midfield and Theo and Giroud could play closer together. Let’s see what happens tomorrow. We need a great performance and a convincing win: it is time to kick-start the season properly now!

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners!

Written by: Total Arsenal.