Tag: Theo Walcott

Match Review: You can’t win a game against the ref

TotalArsenal

startingvsvilla

Here are my thoughts on Arsenal’s season opener against Aston Villa.

In today’s match, Arsenal came up against a group of cheating Villains. 😉 The team started off strong and played well throughout the game, only to be thwarted by the refs.

Within the first six minutes of the game, Arsenal were one nil up. Ox overlapped Rosicky down the left side line and the Czech played the ball down the line. Ox ran along the touch line, cut inside near the side edge of the box, and spotted Giroud. Giroud saw this, made a near post run, and put the ball across goal with his preferred left foot. It was a fantastic overlap by Ox and a fantastic near post run from Giroud, followed by a smart finish.

After this opening goal, Arsenal looked calm and collected. Agbonlahor made a normal run through the middle, got a lucky touch through Koscielny’s legs and found himself through on goal. Szczesny made the right decision to come off his line and go for the ball. He came out, and Agbonlahor touched it past him and dove like an Olympic swimmer over the Pole.

Let’s rewind a bit: even at this relatively early stage of the game the ref had been calling everything Villa’s way. Maybe to the ref it appeared that Szcz took down the Villain, but replays show the dive and exaggeration. This is why FIFA needs to allow reviewing technology, especially for red cards and PKs.

That aside, the ref incorrectly called the penalty. Szcz saved Benteke’s original kick brilliantly and was unlucky when the latter got the rebound and headed it in. An unfair 1-1.

Gibbs would then get unlucky. He and Weimann went up for a header, and Gibbs came out bleeding. The ref, once again incorrect, ignored a head injury when he should’ve stopped the game. Kieran will likely need stitches, but let’s hope he doesn’t have a concussion and can rejoin the team soon. After this injury, we were down to only 4 first team defenders and 0 left backs. This is another example of how thin the squad is, but I will touch on that later. Immediately, Jenkinson came in at right back and Sagna switched to left back.

After this, the refereeing only got worse. Call after call went against us. I was proud to see our players stand up for themselves, especially Jack and Aaron.

Eventually, Gabby would break into our box again. Kos made a smart tackle and hit the ball out of play, clearly getting the ball before the player. However, Gabby once again showed his true Villainous colors and dove like a scuba diver, and the penalty was called out of nothing. I can’t give the ref a break on this one. There was a ref behind the goal, on the sideline and on the field, and none could figure out that it was a good tackle. Even on live TV from a zoomed out camera angle I could tell it was a good tackle, so I don’t understand how none of the referees saw it. Benteke stepped up again and calmly tapped it home, after Kos received a yellow card.

Arsenal had many chances of their own. Rosicky went through twice and was unlucky on both occasions. Theo fought for a ball in the box and managed to hoof the ball across the open net, but it was deflected. Chances came and went, but one thing struck me as odd. The ref only seemed to call fouls for us when we had advantage, almost as if to stop us from building an attack. The game got very dirty, but once again the ref seemed to think Arsenal was at fault. Jack got a yellow for a challenge that wouldn’t have been called if Villa made it, but when Jack was constantly fouled there was nothing called.

In the end, the diving Villain got a run at our defense again. Kos dove forward to slow down the play and completely missed the ball and player. The ball rolled to Benteke, but Mertesacker and Jack had it covered. Strangely though, the play was called back and Kos was shown a second yellow despite clearly not getting any player! The call was incorrect and we can only hope that the card is reviewed and rescinded, otherwise we could be down to 3 first team defenders for our next premier league game. We are in desperate need of another RB, CB and maybe even another very young LB, if neither the CB nor RB is capable of playing LB. Down 2-1, and down to 10 men, all incorrectly. It looked bad, and in the end it was bad.

Arsenal continued to play well, and Aaron slotting in at CB. At this point I would’ve liked to see Podolski come on for Giroud, even if it was just to crush some Villain skulls. Sadly, he wouldn’t come on until it was far too late.

In the end, Arsenal would commit everyone to an offensive corner. Villa broke on our 3 defenders and scored a 1 on 1 goal. I don’t blame anyone of Arsenal at all: we had nothing to lose. If two wrong penalties hadn’t been called and Kos hadn’t been sent off, we wouldn’t have been in that situation.

At the very end, Sagna went up and over a Villa player and landed hard on his neck. It looked bad.

After the final whistle chants of “spend some f***ing money” and “you don’t know what you’re doing” went up in the stadium.

Overall, the team played fantastically and at the least deserved a 1-1 draw. They also played with a great spirit. And I think one of Wenger’s issues is that he doesn’t want to ruin this spirit. But most World Class players will have that spirit and if worse comes to the worst, buy relatively young (25 and under) and put that spirit in them over the years. We need reinforcements. The team we have now is great, but the squad is too thin. Let’s hope Wenger buys at least a DM, CB, and RB in the coming days before our next game. It looks bad now, but the season isn’t over yet.

For now I’ll leave you with some questions:

1. What did you think of the game?

2. How many players do we need before our next game?

3. Will Wenger sign players during this window?

4. Should Wenger get a contract extension if our only signing this window is Yaya Sanogo?

Thanks for reading.

Written by: Dylan.

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The Return of the King, DB10’s Testimonial, Beating Barca: 10 Unforgettable Moments at The Emirates

TotalArsenal

Arsenal-v-Barcelona-029[1]

Over the past month and a half, us Gooners have been waiting for the signal of intent which was put out there by Ivan Gazidis. As we all know nothing has happened since then.

I, for one, am sick and tired of the transfer window. I just want the Football to start once again. We are only days away, and rather than the usual doom and gloom over potential transfers, or the lack of perceived activity by our club and how thin our squad is at the moment, I would like to revisit my 10 favourite moments at the Emirates so far.

I invite you all to agree or disagree, and please feel free to share your favourite moments on Bergkampesque.

Here are mine:

Nr.1 – THE KING RETURNS TO THE EMIRATES
Could a better script have been written on that night? The king returns, comes on as a substitute and scores the winning goal. “THIERRY HENRY, THIERRY HENRY, THIERRY HENRY, THIERRY HENRY”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXdcfEnLHos

Nr.2 – ARSENAL VS BARCELONA 2-1
Barcelona, a Team that has swept all other teams aside. Arsenal, a team that had no hope or was not given a chance of winning this game. The script doesn’t always go according to plan. The little Russian produced a stunning goal to seal it for the Gunners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv2mxzmVvdg

Nr.3 – DENNIS BERGKAMP TESTIMONIAL
Who could pass up a chance to see DB10 play once more for the Gunners? Besides, it was only right to give him a farewell worthy of all the hard work and memories which he has provided us all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVt5xZKi8yI

Nr.4 – ARSENAL VS TOTTENHAM 5-2 (Not once but twice)
Nothing more needs to be said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJnLl81-lUs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r72qwUSGVCM

Nr.5 – ARSENAL 3-0 TOTTENHAM 2009, CESC SCORES RIGHT AFTER RESTART
The magic of Cesc and the demolition of our noisy neighbours. Things do not get much better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8EP3bVswok

Nr.6 – ARSENAL 3-1 CHELSEA
Always great to beat Chle$ki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3AZ0tn5s64

Nr.7 – SO CLOSE, ARSENAL 3-0 AC MILAN
It was mission impossible from the start but so close.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzgSq014c84

Nr.8 – ARSENAL 1-0 MANCITY – ARSENAL DOMINATE BUT 1 GOAL SECURES VICTORY
A wonder strike by Zorro gives us the win we deserved
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrdniMPOIhE

Nr.9 – ARSENAL 7-1 BLACKBURN – HENRY SCORES LAST GOAL IN INJURY TIME. OX SCORES A BRACE.
Who doesn’t like a whipping going our way especially after the whipping we received earlier that season against ManUre
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xofgku_arsenal-blackburn-7-1-all-goals_sport#.Uas7sJVjClI

Nr.10 – ARSENAL 7- 3 NEWCASTLE – SIX GOAL SECOND HALF ONSLAUGHT SEES OFF THE BAR CODES, THEO SCORES A HAT TRICK AND PERHAPS GOAL OF THE YEAR.
In my opinion, Theo scores goal of the season by his persistence and skills.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nytjRh7R5AQ

I hope you have all enjoyed a lighter post and look forward to sharing your favourite moments at the emirates.

Written by: alexgunners

 

 

Did we finally see the strong squad Wenger has been on about?

TotalArsenal

startingvsmcity

Here are my thoughts on Arsenal’s final pre-season friendly against Premier League rivals, Manchester City.

In today’s match, Arsenal started slow and ended slow, but really played some great football for the middle 60 minutes of the game.

Our first goal was an early one. ManCity was putting us under huge pressure and it seemed as though we were going to be torn apart, but Arsenal wasn’t going to just lie down and die. Aaron Ramsey took the ball off the foot of a City player, ran at the City midfield, got his head up, and played a through ball right onto Walcott’s foot. The pass was incredible: perfectly weighted, right to Theo’s foot, and it was a pass that took great vision to spot. However, the run dictates the pass; and Walcott’s run was brilliant. Theo was patient (which was important so that he wasn’t offside), waited for Clichy to turn, and as the ball was played he used his speed to make a diagonal run across the face of Clichy, go in on goal, and chip Joe Hart. Great run, great pass, great finish.

Our second goal would again see Ramsey and Walcott combine to embarrass Joe Hart once more. The City midfield was relaxed and Aaron made a run into the space between Manchester’s midfield and defenders. Santi played a straight forward ball to him, and rather than try to be fancy and dribble through the defenders, Aaron played a quick ball back to Theo; Theo one touched it back to him right through two defenders, and Rambo rounded the keeper and placed the ball calmly into the net. Ramsey and Walcott both looked very mature, calm, and unselfish for this goal which was fantastic to see from two players who have been known to dribble too much.

Not long after that, Arsenal would grab a third. City were slowly passing around the ball in our half, one of our defenders made a good tackle, the ball rolled to Santi’s foot, and Santi played a quick ball to Theo. Theo received the ball and quickly turned. He saw he had space and ran with the ball down the touchline. He saw the chance to play a long ball and sliced a humongous cross all the way to the other side of the field, putting so much power on it that he actually fell over. Giroud saw the ball coming, opened up, touched it by the City defender, and chipped Joe Hart: a world class finish for a striker who looks set for a big season.

Giroud would later score a beautiful volley, but it would be called offside. It would’ve been another Walcott assist and it was indeed a beautiful cross from him. However, an interesting part of all of these chances is how quickly we turned defense into offense, something some say we’ve lacked without a true DM. However, Ramsey especially is learning how to do this very well, and bringing in Gustavo would give us another player who is absolutely brilliant at doing just that: something to make note of. 😉

City would pull one back in the 79th minute. A long through ball saw Negredo touch the ball past Koscielny and calmly finish the chance. In fairness, Arsenal had made a large number of changes and most of them were youngsters, but that doesn’t excuse Kos’ relaxed defending on this goal. We’ll give him that one, though, as he had a great game overall. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen when we play them in the league, though.

A final interesting point was that Sebastian Perez made his debut for Arsenal in this friendly, but without officially signing for Arsenal (or at the least, it hasn’t been announced yet). Perez looked very committed to Arsenal already though; even picking up a very professional yellow card to stop a Manchester attack. For those who don’t know, Perez is a 20 year old Columbian defensive midfielder on a week’s trial at Arsenal. He looked fairly impressive with a few smart turns and tackles, but from what I saw he looked more like a box-to-box midfielder than a DM.

However, all I’ve seen of him was this 23 minute debut, and I did hear that he started as a number 10 and slowly moved his way back through the midfield to DM, so that could explain it. I expect he’ll be signed soon, and that’ll be a very nice signing, but for the future.

Speaking of which, Wenger made comments after the game, admitting that our squad is thin. This seemed odd to me, as it would have been the perfect time to gloat about how his squad was “capable of winning the title”. However, it’s good to see Wenger admit this, and it seems as though he is ready to make not just one, but a few signings.

Overall, the team played well on Saturday and hopefully this win will inspire the team and lead to us starting the season strong.

For now, here are some questions:

1.    How did you think our squad looked on Saturday?

2.    How many signings do you think Wenger will make?

3.    Can this squad handle the fixtures that lead up to deadline day without reinforcements?

Thanks for reading. 😀

Written by: Dylan.

Eight early-season Arsenal conclusions and line-up v Urawa Red Diamonds

TotalArsenal
Will we see more of Mr Reliable as one of our CBs on Friday?
Will we see more of Mr Reliable as one of our CBs on Friday?

Whilst the transfer shenanigans continue without any let-off, Arsenal’s current team has actually been playing some very watchable footie. It is fair to say that the opposition has not been much to write home about until now, but nevertheless our football has been good.

It is only early days and things could change a lot over the next four weeks, but based on the first three games of the campaign we can pull a few conclusions:

  1. Wall of RamTeta: it looks very much that Arsene will continue with Arteta and Ramsey in the double-DM pivot. Enough has been written about this in recent posts, so no more on this from me now.
  2. Our AM, whether it is Rosicky or Wilshere, have been very quick in turning the game from defence to attack. They very often opt for the ball over the top, or a diagonal ball to find one of the wingers with a precision pass. Our AMs have been very mobile and driven to move the game forward quickly, and long may it continue.
  3. The team has been pressing the opposition really well given the rustiness at this stage of the campaign and the humid weather in Asia. Ramsey has been leading by example with regards to this but the whole team has been chipping in, and collectively they have been very successful in winning back the ball regularly until now.
  4. Theo, but also Gnabry and to a lesser extent Ryo, are being ‘launched’ constantly from midfield. This is all part of our quick defence to attack turnaround approach, and for the first time in a long while Arsenal are now really utilising the speed of Theo and others. It has led to many very good chances for Theo and I expect to see more of it this season, with our Speedy Gonzales hopefully converting more of his opportunities. Theo has got the speed and the good first touch, and now he needs to improve his lethalness. He will improve further this season, I reckon.
  5. The full backs – one at a time – are once again key in setting up attacks from the wing. Unfortunately, Jenkinson and Gibbs have looked rusty until now, but they are both players who appear to need a number of games in a row before they start to shine.
  6. Giroud has looked very positive and focussed until now, and six goals in three games will help him to build further on this. He will, of course, face tougher opposition this season, but his sharpness up-front is a very welcome sight.
  7. Zelalem has been showing us lots of promise until now. He is very confident, calm and classy on the ball and can pick a through-ball with incredible ease. A great prospect.
  8. Ox and Jack have looked really up for it and, IF they can stay fit for long spells this season, they will be……dare I say it……like two new quality signings.

All in all, plenty of positives and let’s hope the team will continue to progress over the next few weeks.

Predicted Line-up against Urawa Red Diamonds:

Urawa Red Diamonds

I reckon Fab will start in goal, and Jenkinson and Gibbs will get another chance to become more effective both in defence (especially Jenkinson) and up-front. I expect Sagna and Mertesacker to start, although there is a chance that Sagna will play with Miquel. I am expecting Arteta and Ramsey to get a rest and for Arsene to try another double DM combination tomorrow. Ox needs a start and Aneke should get a proper test as well, so I am going for these two tomorrow.

I expect Jack to play in the hole from the start and Myachi and Theo (or Gnabry) on the wing, and Giroud will probably not start this time round, so I am going for the Pod as our striker. The latter needs a good game and I have a feeling Wenger will give him the striker position tomorrow.

Enjoy the game fellow Gooners!

Written by: TotalArsenal.

The one player who will make all the difference this season

TotalArsenal

Midwestern-United-States--015

Arsenal continue to be linked with all sorts of so called super-quality players, who can hit the ground running, and hopefully, add a different dimension to our team.

We definitely could do with a spark, a bit of magic in our team, a big BOING as Glic would have it – especially in midfield: an AM who can conduct our play, score goals and produce plenty of assists.

Others feel what we really need is a super quality striker who can bag 20+ PL goals next season, and/or make other attackers a lot more effective.

Many feel we can only make real progress if Arsenal buy an AM and ST of the highest quality, and this might well happen this summer.

Most of us expect any additional spark to have to come from outside the club but, as every season has its own surprises, could it be that Wenger is getting one player from the current squad ready to do add that extra dimension, the new spark, the talent that will move us forwards to the next level?

And what if he is banking, or should I say gambling,  not on one but two players to do just that?

We might get a back-up CB, PL experienced back-up GK, and hopefully a beast of a DM (with additional football skills) to strengthen the ‘back-seven’: GK, back four and double DM-pivot. This will enable us to remain solid defensively throughout the season. But the spark/extra dimension is likely to come from the (predominantly) attacking four: the AM and three front men – assuming Arsene will continue with our 4-2-1-3 formation. Although, I should add the b2b midfielder will also play a crucial role.

In Pod, Giroud and Cazorla we have players who can do their job really well, and as they are all entering their second season in the PL and are in the very best years of a footballer’s career, more can be expected of them. Maybe, it will be one of them who will bring that bit of extra dimension next season. Cazorla has definitely come a long way in providing it for us last season.

There could be an unexpected semi-spark/dimension from one of the youngsters: Yaya Sanogo, Gnabry, Eisfeld, Ryo, etc. You just never know!

But I am going to go for  at least one, if not two, of the super talents of Theo, Ox and Jack. A fully fit Jack will make a tremendous difference this season; Theo is likely to progress further as a winger/striker and might reach that extra-dimension level; but my hard cash is on the Ox.

There is something about the body language of AOC that makes me think he is ready for the big stage. Our number 15 will become twenty years old two days before the start of the new PL season, and I reckon this will be his breakthrough year. There is something about his posture, his facial expressions, and his general demeanour that makes me think he will be the one this season. It is just a gut-feeling, but my gut is feeling good! 🙂

The Ox: ready to add the extra spark next season?
The Ox: ready to add the extra spark next season?

I am still hoping we add some extra-spark from outside this summer, and I am sure we will, but we might (also) get a lot of fun from a guy we have been developing to start firing from all cylinders on the biggest stage:  I reckon the Ox has sharpened his horns now and is ready to take on the world.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Match Review: Ollie and Akpom impressive, Zelalem does it again, Theo sloppy

TotalArsenal
Gedion Zelalem: Cesc potential?
Gedion Zelalem: Cesc potential?

Here are my thoughts on today’s pre-season friendly against Vietnam.

In today’s match, Arsenal looked a bit sluggish. After a quick start and a Giroud goal, the tempo of the game slowed down for a bit. This is surprising, considering the strong line-up with which Arsene started. However, in the end we picked up the tempo and put seven goals by yet another team.

The first goal involved a smart, chipped through ball from Rosicky to Giroud. Giroud received the ball, was calm, and fired it across goal without even looking. He got a bit lucky, as the goalie got a touch to it and it hit the post, but in the end it was in.

After that goal Arsenal became too comfortable. The midfield looked off the pace and the possession was not good. We didn’t use the wings as much as we should’ve and it stopped us from creating chances. Later in the first half Poldi wiggled his way into the box and tried to lay it off to Giroud, but in the end they weren’t on the same page. Then Poldi again would take a shot similar to Giroud’s first and hit the post, with the rebound from Gnabry being saved by the Vietnamese goalie.

It took until the 43rd minute for Arsenal to regain their tempo again, with Giroud putting a nice curling shot into the upper corner; and then a minute later, a nice run from Ox with a smart through ball at the end, saw Giroud in on goal and he calmly chipped the goalie for his hat trick.

At halftime Arsene changed nearly the whole team. Right away Theo had a nice chance, but his first touch let him down and he had to turn to lay the ball off to the Ox, who instantly curled it into the top corner; so, no complaints on that one. However, Theo’s first touch was untidy throughout the whole game and he ruined countless opportunities. It’s only the beginning of preseason, but if Theo wants to play striker, his touch needs to be well above the level it’s at now.

Akpom would also show his potential in this game. In the 55th minute, Ramsey poked a nice ball through the defence. Chuba timed his run well, stayed onside, calmly turned around a defender, and bent a ball into the far post with his favored right foot.

Only a few minutes later Zelalem did it again. He played a nice 15 yard ball on the ground, through the Vietnamese defense to Ox, who smartly squared the ball for Akpom to tap home his second. However, this goal was all about GZ. He got the ball a few yards outside the box, got his head up, and hit the ball with the perfect pace and power to find Ox’s feet. For a 16 year old, Zelalem is class. If he keeps his head down and works hard, we really might have the next Fabregas on our hands. He should be given a few Capital One Cup games this year for sure.

Finally, good combinations from Eisfeld and Miquel down the left saw Eisfeld play a good ‘negative’ ball to the Spaniard’s feet, and Iggy fired it across goal into the far post’s side netting. It was a poacher’s goal for the left back.

After that seventh goal, Arsenal sat back and Vietnam got a lucky goal. Martinez’s foot work on this goal was not good as he struggled to get off the ground. Wilshere came on and looked fit, even forcing the opposition’s keeper to get a red card for handling the ball outside of his box to stop Jack from scoring.

One final interesting note: two of Arsenal’s four centre backs today were not recognized centre backs! In the first half Sagna played in the middle of the defense and looked very fit (and much sharper than Kos). In the second half Aneke replaced Sagna in the middle. It’s interesting that Aneke has played in the middle two games in a row now. Perhaps Wenger is looking to convert him? Or is there just no room for him in our crowded midfield? Please let me know your views below.

Overall, Arsenal looked tired today. Maybe it was the heat or the constant training or the long nights and early mornings. Or maybe it’s just preseason. Zelalem impressed again (even earning some praise from Jack in a post-match interview), Giroud looks set for a big season, and the future still looks bright.

Here are a few questions for you:

  1. What did you think of Arsenal’s performance today?
  2. Is Wenger looking to convert Aneke to CB, or does he just not fit into Arsene’s plans for our midfield?
  3. Do we need a fourth choice CB or could we use Sagna there when necessary, put Jenks on the right, and have Bellerin as backup on the right?

Thanks for reading. 😀

Written by: Dylan.

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

TotalArsenal
Picture from Arsenal.com.
Picture from Arsenal.com.

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.

Who should Arsenal go for if we miss out on Higuain?

TotalArsenal

pod pic

It takes a very philosophical Gooner to not be frustrated by Arsenal’s lack of progress in the Torture Window, so far. Many fellow Gooners got themselves excited by the calibre of players we are being linked with this summer, and I am one of them.

It looks like Arsene wants to add established quality players, who can hit the ground running. We all welcome this but it seems to be a lot harder than expected. Is the club negotiating too hard, or are other aspect throwing a spanner in the works? I don’t know, and the lack of information by the club is frustrating, although to some extent understandable, as they have to protect our negotiation position as well as our transfer targets.

Of course the TW has only been open officially for a week, but it is clear that the club have been working hard to get their transfer targets during the last six weeks. It looks like Arsenal are unwilling to pay the full clause release sum in Fellaini’s contract, and as it is only effective till mid-August, it’s most likely that a deal, if at all, will happen towards the end of the TW. A risky strategy and I would not be surprised if we are to lose out on the Belgian midfield beast (which for me remains the most important position to recruit for this summer).

The lack of progress regarding Higuain might have less to do with money and more to do with pride. Letting the Argentine forward go without an announcement by Real Madrid of their purchase of a star new player, might be holding things back right now. Buying of the super-rich comes with its own dynamics, it seems.

The brain tells me to remain patient and trust the club is doing everything to make the deals happen. But I cannot deny feeling restless and a tad frustrated right now. Part of me wants us to tell RM where to stick Higuain and move on the more realistic and achievable targets.

You see, I feel to some extent that we should stick we the current strike-force, as they are all likely to progress further in the coming season. Theo (14), Pod (11), Santi (12), Giroud (11) scored 48 PL goals between them and except for Santi – who quite frankly has been sublime last season – I reckon all players can improve their goal tally by 33-75%.

Giroud’s second seasons at his previous clubs have seen a dramatic improvement of around 100%; I am not banking on a similar improvement by I reckon he will improve by 50% next season. The Pod has done well on the left wing this season, but I reckon he will be fitter and more adjusted to the PL next season, and a productivity improvement by a third is not inconceivable. And then there is Theo who is getting more prolific every year, and we should see further improvement next season, somewhere between 33-50%.

Therefore, I believe our current four main attackers could reach a total tally of around 62 goals next season, an improvement by 14 goals. If our remaining midfielders (from whom we need more ‘open goals’ next season), defenders and squad players in attack (Gerv, Ox), can at least match their total goal tally of 24 last season, Arsenal could score in the region of 86 goals, which would match the Mancs total of last season. That would surely be enough to become champions (if accompanied by a lean and mean defence next season).

I reckon we need more strength in depth, though, as those four attackers will have to cover three positions in all games we play. Ox should improve further and hopefully will start scoring more regularly, and there might still be a role for Gervinho; but we need a bit more quality/lethalness in the squad.

I am not going to say no to the likes of Higuain, Jovetic or Rooney joining us this summer, far from it; and I hope the club will give everything to bring one or two of them to the home of football. But I hope we’ll draw the line at some point and move on.

As per the above, I would also be happy to see the likes of Michu or Benteke join us. The most important thing is to keep our attackers together and give them a chance to improve further next season, but add some strength in depth that we can rely on.

Arsenal had the third highest goal tally in the PL last season, and that with three players who had their first season in the PL, and one player who was unsettled until January. More is to come, one way or another. So let’s stay patient and hope Gazidis and Wenger do what’s best for the club.

But as always, let us know where you stand on the Higuain situation and who you beleive Arsenal should buy to improve our attack further.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Payet, El sharaawy, Nani, Jovetic, Cabella or Nani: who is the perfect foil for Higuain (potential​ly) and Theo upfront?

TotalArsenal
Will Jovetic or won't he join Arsenal this summer, and is he the answer for the LW?
Will he or won’t he join Arsenal this summer, and is Jovetic the answer for the LW?

With each passing day, it seems more and more likely that by the time the squad convenes on July 4th and heads off to Asia, Higuain will be among them. Recently BBC reporter David Ornstein via his twitter account confirmed that not only are Arsenal looking at the Argentine, we have made him our top priority. Given his track record, you can take that to the bank.

He seems to have a connection very high up in the Arsenal hierarchy. I remember during the Arteta transfer (which was one of the most dramatic to date) he knew and reported everything that happened, when it happened and how it happened. To refresh your memory, this was a transfer that was sanctioned six hours to the transfer deadline. A bid was made but Arsene changed his mind and called it off. He then changed his mind again and decided to go for him until finally, he signed him. Ornstein also reported the transfers of Santos, Per, Ox, Gervinho, Park, Santi, Poldi and Giroud well before the club confirmed them.

Anyway, given the imminent arrival of Higuain, our attack is looking as potent as it has ever been. Ornstein also reported that on our priority list is a DM and an attacking midfielder. I think he meant a left sided attacker, and the reports linking us to Dimitri Payet of Lille, El sharaawy and Nani confirm this – sort of. This is what I’d like to discuss.

With Theo and Higuain we have a mobile team of goal scorers who can create for each other and support each other, generally forcing opposing defenders to earn their keep to the very last dime. On the left though, we lack a player of the same calibre as the aforementioned two.

We have Gervinho who the less said about him the better. Then we have Poldi who when played on the left has produced mixed performances. His defensive contributions and crossing ability are commendable but he lacks the kind of pace, movement, speed of thought or dribbling skills that make players such as Di Maria such a pain to play against. As a result, for large chunks of the season he has looked lethargic. I believe his best position is at the centre of the park, and his performances in Giroud’s absence seem to have convinced Wenger of this. His two goal performance against Wigan being proof of this. Given an extended run in that position would reinforce my point, however, unfortunately for him (but fortunately for us), it is looking likely that this will be a position that will be fiercely contested for.

Which brings me back to my subject matter. This leaves us with Gervinho and the Ox as the two contenders for the left slot. Obviously, Gervinho is not a player who Arsene can hinge the success of his team on. The Ox to me seems as the perfect solution, but Wenger seems adamant on his plans to develop him into a central midfielder. This means that we do not have a player who could adequately complete this devastating attacking trinity. The ideal player should have pace, should be technically up to par, should have good dribbling ability, should be mobile (and versatile), must be strong in his crossing and most of all should be a goal scorer.

Like mentioned earlier, we’ve been linked with Payet, El sharaawy and Nani. I’d like to add Jovetic, Cabella and Isco to this list.

With Payet we have a player who only bloomed recently and at 26 is entering his prime. He has tremendous pace, crossing and dribbling ability and has a very good shooting technique. He would come cheap but his main con is that being a late bloomer, he has very limited top flight experience and his ability to adapt to the EPL is very much in question (remember that Gervinho was at one point in time ahead of him in the pecking order).

Then we have El sharaawy, who would be perfect. He ticks all the boxes above and is a prolific goal scorer. The only concerns about him though, are his slight build, loyalty to the Milan cause and his price tag. Although with the arrival of Balotelli and the Milan president’s comments that he is not ”unsellable”, a bid of around 30 million would be enough to bring him over to the emirates.

Then we have Isco whose abilities I have discussed at length before. With him, however, we are at a disadvantage because Man City and Real Madrid are both after him. They both have unlimited resources, with City even having the edge, as their coach is Isco’s footballing father figure. It would take enormous effort and funds to land him but he is well and truly worth it.

We have Jovetic, who we’ve been linked with all summer. He is also one who ticks all the boxes above. He is the most versatile and mobile of the lot. He would cost around 25 million, but given the fact he has been vocal about his desire to leave, this amount can be negotiated to between 20-22 million. Not only did he speak fondly about Arsenal, Fiorentina prefer to sell him abroad if he is to leave, so I doubt that the transfer would be a complicated one (if we were to embark on it).

There’s also Cabella, whose club president said that he would cost around 80 million, although this is a hyperbole used to scare off any suitors. Cabella is fast, skilled, extremely enthusiastic and young. My issue with him is that he is a diver. He also is a bit raw, but just a bit. He is not as prolific as we would like but his talent is there for all to see, and we Gooners saw first-hand what he can do when we played Montpellier in the UCL. He is nowhere near the finished article, and I have no idea how much he would cost, but I think he is worth a look.

Finally there is Nani, my least favourite. He has top premier league experience and has won many trophies. My concerns about him are the same that Man Utd have. He is inconsistent and selfish. He is a player who places individual success above that of the team to the point where it affects his game (he has repeatedly said that he wants to beat Ronaldo to the ballon d’or; he also recently said that he is too good for a return to Portugal.) Nani is a player who would rather do it all himself, and quite honestly, that is the opposite of an Arsenal player. If Arsene thinks he can manage and bring out the best in him then I think he should go for him because despite all this he has the talent.

However Arsene decides to go, I hope that whoever he brings in to fill in the final attacking position is of the same ilk as Theo and Higuain. This would make our attack fearsome and with the kind of midfield and defence we have assembled, we would reacquire our status as a European footballing giant.

Written by: Marcus

Fellaini – Arteta as DM beast, or Fellaini – Theo/Pod/OG as SS?

TotalArsenal

Fellaini-Arsenal-Shirt

Marouane: a versatile Fella ini? But where should he play?

This article will serve as a continuation with TA’s recent theme of exploring how rumoured transfer targets would fit into our starting eleven.

If you are a frequenter of this blog, it should come as no surprise that the majority of us here are desperate for a proper, beast of a Defensive Midfielder (DM). Not only would this acquisition ensure that our back four are properly shielded, but it would also unleash the creativity further up field. Players like Santi, Jack, Ox and Arteta would become the indirect beneficiaries and be given the freedom to take risks, knowing that they have a capable and dedicated defensive midfielder behind them.

However, the player we have been most strongly linked to recently is Marouane Fellaini of Everton. So, what if we bought him and were not able to acquire a proper, beast of a DM? Would he be a good purchase despite our obvious need for a DM?

For one thing, Fellaini is Premier League proven, coming off a great season in which he netted 11 goals and 5 assists in 31 starts. He is an established, physical player, capable of exerting his “Presence!” on a game, drawing in defenders and forcing the opposition to devise strategies to defend against or take him out of the game. Fellaini is versatile enough to play as a DM, a B2B midfielder and as a Shadow Striker (SS).

While he may not be a dedicated DM, he is assertive in the tackle, efficient in the air and has decent ball control and pace for a man his size. His passing success rate of 79.3% is not outstanding, but good enough to succeed in Arsenal’s system, as one must consider that the majority of his playing time came at CAM, where pass success rate is generally lower than when played further back in the pitch. His 1.3 key passes per game and 5 assists are further proof that he has some ability in setting up goals too.

So, depending on the price, Fellaini could be a good bit of transfer business for Arsenal. It’s difficult to come by PL proven talents, who have as much presence, steel and ability as Fellaini does.

But where would he play?

Fellaini DM

The first scenario has Fellaini in the DM-pivot with one of Arteta/Ramsey. He’s played here in his earlier Everton days and is a capable defender, with 2.6 tackles per game, 1.2 interceptions per game, 2.1 clears per game and was only dribbled 0.4 times per game. At the-DM pivot, he could form a partnership with Arteta/Ramsey similar to the one Arsenal was successful with in 2011-12 with Arteta and Song. The two players interchange between offense and defense to make our attack less predictable and to provide more options in the offensive end than we saw towards the end of the season.

Fellaini SS

The second scenario would see Fellaini play as the SS behind one of Theo, Giroud or Podolski. By starting Fellaini up front with Theo, Arsenal would have two more than capable goal scorers and Fellaini’s skills are the perfect contrast to Theo’s. If Fellaini and Giroud are paired together, Arsenal then have two target men to utilize through long balls, crosses and set-pieces. Fellaini and Poldi playing up front together is perhaps the most interesting proposition of the three, mainly because Poldi is our most clinical finisher and is as good at setting others up, as he is scoring them himself. Fellaini and Poldi up front together would mean that we have two capable finishers and two more players capable of setting others up.

Personally, I don’t have a preference as to which formation Arsenal would play in if Fellaini is bought; I would just like to see it happen and go from there! All the scenarios are tantalizing because it represents variety and unpredictability to our line-up – a luxury we were not afforded last season. Fellaini as a DM would give us better protection and attacking from central midfield, and as a SS, he would give us more goals and act as an additional target man (something some fans feel is necessary and missing when OG is not on the pitch).

Which formation would you like to see Arsenal play in if Fellaini is purchased? Would you prefer it if Arsenal bought a dedicated, beast of a DM instead?

Written By: Highbury Harmony