Tag: togetherness

Players not giving their all in an Arsenal shirt is unforgiveable, but who is guilty of it?

TotalArsenal

In last week’s ‘Guardian Weekly’ an article was published about youth unemployment across Europe. We all know that young people are disproportionately suffering from the economic downturn that started four years ago, and although all ages have been affected, it is especially disheartening that so many young men and women cannot start their adult lives in decent and secure employment, currently.

The article attracted my attention because it was published with a picture of a fellow Gooner standing in front of a tower block in Dublin. He is 20 years old and has been looking for employment for two years now, and he was wearing this season’s replica of the Arsenal shirt in the picture.

Buying a new Arsenal shirt whilst having little money does not only tell us something about the level of loyalty this Dublin Gooner has towards our beloved Arsenal; it also tell us where he is hoping to get some satisfaction from in life – as in some relief from the depressing thoughts regarding not being able to start an independent live in which he can earn his own living.

I have no doubt there are tens of thousands fellow Gooners out there in the world who are having a rough time right now, and to a large extent pin their hopes and dreams in life on the fortunes of Arsenal . And it is understandable that those fans vent their frustrations if and when Arsenal are losing, as they once again feel let down in life. Arsenal players and managers should always be aware of their wider social responsibilities: it really is not just a game of footie.

Being an Arsenal supporter has not been easy over the last few years. The main reason for this is that Arsenal are always in with a shout of winning something – which raises expectations at the start of every season – yet we are competing with clubs who do not want to adhere to normal capitalist/business principles, and as a result, manage to simply out-buy/out-debt us towards silverware.

Sometimes, it would be much easier to support say Everton, Stoke or Norwich. Expectations are nowhere near as high as with Arsenal supporters, which makes it a lot easier to just enjoy every game and hope for the best.

Recent losses to Norwich City and Schalke 04 have hurt us all, and there was every reason to be disappointed in our players. We saw some improvements against QPR, but  a lot more progress is required if Arsenal are to challenge for silverware this season.

For a start, there has been a lack of cohesion between the players and there was no fluency in our game; and we became risk-averse and utterly predictable. On top of that, a significant number of first team players lacked confidence and let us down technically. It is totally right to be critical of our players about these shortcomings: it was simply not good enough.

However, there was not a player in an Arsenal shirt who deserved criticising for a lack of effort, or could be accused of complacency, during any of our games since the end of the inter-lull. It might at times have looked like that, but in my opinion, it was purely lack of form and confidence that made us look so clueless and ineffective at times.

Mannone, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, and even Santos – despite his poor performances – really cared and gave their all for Arsenal. Ramsey, Arteta and Cazorla bust their gut for us, and Coquelin is made of the same stuff. Podolski, Giroud and Gervinho also worked their socks off for us.

I will always support our players as long as they give their all. If, after a while, it becomes clear a player is not going to make it at Arsenal, he will have to go; but as long as he gives his all in trying to improve and he plays with his heart and soul for the club, I will refrain from slating him.

Slating our players for a lack of attitude and pride in our club is totally uncalled for; instead, we should all stand behind them and will them on to improve their form, confidence and technical performances.  That’s what being a supporter is all about.

Against Norwich and Schalke, our players wanted to play a lot better, but it just did not happen. The current crop of players really care about Arsenal and the supporters though, and I reckon it is this attitude that will see us pick up form and confidence again; and soon Arsenal will fill the hearts of tens of thousands of Gooners with hope and pride once more.

Total Arsenal.

Arsenal’s recovery will start against QPR – Time to get behind the team again!

TotalArsenal

It absolutely amazes me how much ‘structural’ dissatisfaction there is in Gooner-world at the moment. Just like anybody else, I am of course unhappy about the last two results, but for so many fellow Gooners this seems to have triggered a black depression of epidemic proportions.

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The reality is we lost two games in a row, and there is no reason whatsoever to believe this is not just a blip. This is the team that beat Liverpool and WH away, drew against Man City, and had some other fine results lately; playing some lovely football in all of these games. We simply have not become a rubbish team overnight: I am just not having it.

We are 6 points behind the number two in the PL and are second in our CL qualification group. We are suffering from a lack of form and confidence, but we are a big club with the second most experienced PL manager at the helm, and we have been here many times before. We will get over it and grow from strength to strength over the next few months.

Admittedly, the football we played in the last two games has been poor, and I have explained in previous posts what the most probable causes are for this. Once our wings are properly functioning again and either Jack or Diaby motor us on in midfield, this team will by firing on all cylinders again.

I am not jus saying this because I love the club and am by nature a glass half-full kind of person. I just believe in our squad and manager, to get us back out of this again, and go on a winning run.

I reckon the big, structural dissatisfaction stems from the realisation that we are probably, once more, not ready to win something major this season. Expectations are always high, and those encouraging performances against Pool and Citeh, and a few others, made us all start to believe that this new team had fully settled in, and we would win some fine silverware this season. This might still happen, but the chances are not that high at the moment.

We are a team in transition, whether we like it or not, and it will take time before our current team will find consistency in their performances; so needed if we want to win anything. Our team is almost unrecognisable from that of 24 months ago, and it just takes time to make it gel in such a way that all squad members can play at their best in Arsene’s system and philosophy of football.

I totally expect us to get back to winning ways against QPR on Saturday, and I think we will surprise a few people the weekend after next, when we take on the Mancs. Players will return to help us improve in key areas and Wenger and Bould will work hard to improve our current system, the quality of our football, and the levels of confidence and form of the players.

I totally respect that many don’t share the same believe I have in our squad and the abilities of our manager and his assistants, but this Gooners is confident we’ll bounce back in style from now on; starting with QPR tomorrow.

Whatever you feel or think, the team needs us to support them with all we have on Saturday.

Come On You Rip-Roaring Gunners!! 

Total Arsenal.

We Schalke overcome: if you are going through hell, keep going!

TotalArsenal

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Last night, Arsenal were toothless, idealess, dare-less, spark-less, wingless, driverless and leaderless. All the signs are that we have entered a mini-period of crisis and this is the time to unite behind the team; to live the value of Victoria Concordia Crescit.

Yet, I am pretty sure the opposite will happen today on the blogs and at the AGM.

I was very disappointed after we lost to Norwich on Saturday. Like many others, I did not see it coming and that’s when it hurts most. Last night, I was more prepared for a difficult game in which we could lose or draw. We carry injuries in a number of key areas, we lack form, a number of players have been played too much recently, and the normal automatisms are not working at the moment – an occupational hazard that comes with changing almost an entire team in the space of 24 months. And we were up against a very well-drilled, confident, quality team who deserve a lot of credit for the way they beat us last night. Anybody saying that Schalke is just a mediocre team that we should have beaten easily, does not know much about football.

I never thought Arsenal were insipid or lethargic last night. We are suffering badly from a lack of form and confidence: the machine, or system if you want, is not working in a number of places. This is mainly due to the aforementioned injuries (faulty parts) in key areas, currently non-functioning automatism (disconnected wires) and ineffective management decisions and interventions (wrong instructions).

As per recent posts, our wings are not working at all at the moment, and the lynchpin role between Arteta and Cazorla is lacking the quality so needed in our current 4-3-3 (4-2-1-3) system. Santos was not only a defensive liability yesterday, he also had very little to offer in an attacking sense. For the second game running, there was no partnership with Podolski on the left. Podolski is of course not a natural winger and he is heavily reliant on cooperation with both our LB and our creative, attacking midfielder in his current position. He needs the system to work, and it is not working at all on the left hand side at the moment.

As partly anticipated, Ramsey was played on the right and, just like Podolski, he is also not a natural winger. The only experienced natural winger we had, Gervinho, was played as a central striker, whilst we rested two central strikers and put one on the left wing! 😕

I was all for playing Gervinho in the centre in a fluid-three up-front but we needed at least one more proper winger in order to add a bit of variety and speed to our attack. In previous games we have used The Ox, and Theo as a sub, and although Ramsey is a safe pair of hands defensively, he cannot give us the width and threat of those guys. That’s why I hoped – and half expected – we would start with Gnabry on the right.

Coquelin and Arteta did not have a bad game defensively, but both failed miserably in offering some support to the once again isolated Cazorla. In midfield we looked so rusty and clueless and seldom or never dominated this crucial area. I personally dislike our 4-3-3 system as I feel it leaves players isolated in midfield far too often; not knowing who to pass to, whilst being hunted down by the opposition. But that’s for another post.

In a nutshell, we were once again without wings, creative support in the middle, and showed weakness at the back. On top of that, we lack form and confidence, and our system of football is not working with the current available squad.

So what to do?

For me, there are two options: wait till key players return and make the current system work again, or change our system/formation. Gibs & Pod on the left and Sagna & Theo on the right, with Diaby or Wilshere in the lynchpin position really will make a world of difference. As they are all due back soon, it might be worth hanging on to what we have got and know.

Alternatively, Arsene and Steve could decide to change the system altogether from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 or 4-5-1, or any other formation. I am sure we all have ideas about what would work best for Arsenal, and it would be good to hear your ideas now, or afterwards, in response to a post I will issue later this week, or next week.

These are testing times for all of us Gooners and many will demand the departure of Arsene, Gazidis, Kroenke and who knows else. But that is not the solution at this stage of the season.

We need to stick together and trust in the ability of Wenger and Bould to turn this round. Or to quote Winston Churchill: “If you are going through hell, keep going”.

Total Arsenal.

This is The Arsenal and that was UNACCEPTABLE!

TotalArsenal

£50 I paid today for a seat eight rows up from a corner flag at Carrow Road. I had to sit on my hands as I was surrounded by yellow and green Canaries with not a fellow Gooner in sight. £50 is a lot of money for me, and the only thing I want back for it is a spirited performance of the whole team; with a hunger to win, and undiluted pride in wearing our red and white, mighty shirt.

I don’t like losing but I will accept it if the team has given their all. But tonight I did not get much back for my money, and it is simply not good enough.

This was a disjointed and toothless performance. One of the worst away games I have attended in a long time. I knew approximately five minutes after Norwich fortuitous goal – as in, against the run of play – we simply were never going to score in this game.

The contrast with the West Ham away game a fortnight ago could not have been bigger. There was no cohesion, players looked rusty and lacked zest and creativity, and they came across dazed and confused. I don’t think they totally lacked desire as such, but they did lack focus, and that all important ‘over my dead body are we going to lose today’ attitude.

Norwich played well and overall they deserved their win. Yet, I will dare to say that they will not get a much easier home game this season: that’s how rubbish Arsenal were.

The wings were none existent for large parts of the game, and our crosses into the box were not worthy of the Premier League.

Why is it that every time we need to replace a player we seem not able to cope? In all previous games Gibbs and Podolski have enjoyed a fine partnership, making the left wing a real area of threat. Today, Podolski and Santos were in total disharmony with each other, and only if and when Gervinho forced himself onto the left wing did we see a bit of effective wing-play ensue. This just infuriates me. We have got a good squad and should be a lot better at replacing players if and when we have injuries or suspension.

On the right wing we did not fare much better. Again, Gervinho and Jenkinson struggled as a partnership, although as individuals they did not perform too badly. In fact, Jenkinson’s performance was the only bright Arsenal light during the entire game: what a fine player he is becoming.

Diaby’s position is another one were we don’t seem to be able to make a smooth replacement in our formation/ system of football. Ramsey did ok in the ‘lynchpin’ position, but not more than that. As I have written in previous posts, this is a crucial position and we need a real driver in it. Both Arteta and especially Cazorla just did not have the energy to carry the midfield between them this time, and Diaby was dearly missed. Luckily Jack is close to returning to the first team and the sooner the better.

Norwich were very well organised in the centre of defence and whatever we tried we seldom or never found a way through it. As our wings were ineffective as well, we simply struggled to create clear cut changes and I have seldom seen Arsenal look so disjointed, and so ineffective.

I was too far away from our goal when we conceded the goal, but a) why was Tettey allowed to take a shot unhindered b) should Mannone have done better (swerve or not) and c) why was fatso Holt quicker to react than Mertesacker? As long as we keep conceding this sort of goals, and especially in away games, we are not going to win anything this season.

In fact, we rode our luck on a few occasions when several toothless attacks through the middle resulted in quick, and deadly simple, counter attacks with which our defence was more than once not able to cope.

So the whole team let us down tonight and Wenger and Bould have some explaining to do. But more much more important than that: we need to see a response on Wednesday and Saturday that is worthy of our club. This is The Arsenal, and the players need to show that they are worthy of wearing our mighty red and white shirt.

Anything less than a spirited win in the next two games will be simply unacceptable.

Total Arsenal.

Arsenal’s season until now – Five areas of improvement

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Shiny happy Gunners – Mean Defence – The Conductor is back – Goals by many – Quality on the bench.

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I was convinced that with the departure of brave sir Robin and Alex Song, and the arrival of our three major signings: Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla, this season would be another transitional one, and that we should not count on Arsenal winning any silverware this season. However, there are plenty of signs that this might not have to be a trophy-less season, as the new players have settled in a lot quicker than expected, and we have come reasonably well through a difficult fixture list.

All in all, there are five areas of improvement on which we can build our hopes for winning something soon.

1.) Shiny Happy Gunners

Whilst Arsenal made good progress with regards to the levels of togetherness and passion with which we played football last season, the whole team appears to have made further progress this season. Especially Podolski and Cazorla seem to smile all the time and play with great joy and passion. Add to that the likes of Arteta, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Jenkinson, and hopefully soon: Frimpong, Wilshere, Diaby and Rosicky, and many others, and we have now a team full of key players who love to play football, and are really happy to play for Arsenal. It has been a long time since we have been so deprived of mercenaries and long may it continue.

What would we give to play for our club? The answer is: absolutely everything! So, it is always important to see our players play with real passion for the club and give their all: that’s the least we should expect. I love the enthusiasm and shiny, happy faces of this season’s team and it bows well for the future.

2.) Mean Defence

How long have we been craving for a mean defence? Now, we are not there yet, and the last two PL games have been a harsh reality check for Arsenal, but there are still signs that our defence will be more solid this season. Five goals conceded in the first seven PL games is a huge improvement from last season and if we can keep this average up for the rest of the season we will end up with 27/28 goals conceded, which would be a huge improvement compared to last season’s PL tally of 49.

Mertesacker has really settled down in his second season and after his injury. Bould is working hard with especially the defence, and every single defender has come out saying how much they enjoy working with him. We have also been relatively lucky with injuries and there is plenty of quality cover in all positions; with the exception of the goalkeeper position, where we lack experience (although Mannone has not done that badly until now).

3.) The Conductor is back

Fabregas has finally been replaced and Cazorla has been a total revelation. What a great player we have in Santi Cazorla: Wenger has got himself a new conductor and that’s why he has been smiling again in the last few weeks. See also my recent post about our new Spanish maestro: https://bergkampesque.com/2012/10/10/arsenes-best-signing-since-moving-to-the-emirates-could-lead-us-to-the-top-again/

4.) Goals by many

After a difficult start, Arsenal is starting to score a good number of goals now, and they are nicely shared between all our attacking players. We should be really glad we are no longer uber-dependent on brave Sir Robin to score the majority of our goals: five goals by Gervinho, four by Podolski, four by Walcott, two each by Cazorla and Giroud, and a handful of players who scored one goal in all competitions since the start of the season. Let’s hope Giroud and Cazorla will improve further and the rest will keep up their great scoring form, and we will be fine this season. 13 goals in the last four games is a sign that Arsenal is making good progress.

5.) Quality on the bench

Despite a number of injuries to key players in defence and midfield: Szczesny, Sagna, Wilshere, Rosicky, and recently, Diaby, we have still been able to field a good first team, whilst having quality players on the bench. As long as we can bring on the likes of Koscielny, Walcott, Ramsey, Coquelin and Giroud after 60 or 70 minutes into a game, we have a good chance to hold on to a lead, or change games round. I reckon we need to invest in an experienced goalkeeper and a classic DM to further strengthen the team, but that’s it.

The above five improvements have made a real difference compared to last season, and are likely to provide a solid foundation for future, if not imminent, successes.

Keep the faith, fellow Gooners!

Total Arsenal.

Arsenal’s desire and togetherness could make the difference on Sunday

TotalArsenal

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We all know football is a team sport. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and we have seen some great examples last season of how teams with a strong level of togetherness can outperform teams with weaker levels of cohesion and collective purpose, despite the latter teams often having far more expensive/better individual players in their first teams.

It was simply fantastic that the likes of Norwich, Swansea, Everton, Wigan and Newcastle United did so well last season; all based on a fine understanding on how the game is played (football tactics and formations), good (people) management and sensible yet clever player purchases within budget. What the managers of these clubs also understood – and were able to establish – was a real sense of togetherness: a fighting spirit based on giving it your all and working hard for each other.

The age when bully-boy managers can get PL Manager jobs, in which they get big budgets to spend and bluff their way with physical, ‘kick and rush’ football from job to job, appears to be almost over now. Give me Rodgers, Pardew, Martinez etc over Hughes, Sami Allerdici, or McLeish anytime. The Premiership is improving bottom upwards and football/we the fans, will benefit from it for years to come. It won’t be long before the Hughes’ and Allerdici’s of this world will not be able to get a Premier League team anymore.

Arsenal witnessed a period of strong cohesion/togetherness in the second part of the season, and I am convinced this, and not Brave Sir Robin’s incredible goal scoring record, is the main reason we finished on the all important third spot at the end of last season.

Just think back about our incredible fighting spirit to overcome a very stubborn and negative Newcastle United at home; coming from behind to win 2-1 at the last minute. Not to mention our incredible turnaround from being 2-0 down to the Spuds, and the lucky, but ooh so important late win at Anfield. Team spirit played such an important role in all of those turnarounds, and I feel the team has become even more cohesive and passionate about winning for each other, over the summer.

The smiles on the faces and the obvious enjoyment of playing for Arsenal of the newcomers Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla, combined with the unquestionable passion and togetherness of Arteta, TV, Koz, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Sagna, Jenkinson, Szczesny, Gervinho, Ramsey, Wilshere, Frimpong, le Coq and the Ox, etc is a real weapon for us this season, and I don’t think any of the other current top-four teams can match us in this department.

On Sunday, we will take on the mercenaries of Citeh and our, and their, togetherness will be a key factor in determining who will win.

To be fair, they are not all mercenaries: I hold the likes of Kompany, Lescott, the Toure Brothers, Da Silva and Hart in high regard when it comes to given their all for their club on the pitch. But they also have a significant number of players, especially in their midfield and attack, who concentrate more on simple arithmetic exercises regarding how much more they have earned for playing another minute, rather than on fighting for their team.

In the PL simply relying on your talents is not enough: you have to give your all to achieve something, and especially if and when you go behind, a lot of individual and collective fighting spirit is required to still end up winning.

Last season, in terms of technical ability, an inferior Manchester United almost embarrassed ManCity by winning the title, simply because they wanted it more; for a long time, they had more team spirit and desire to win. Somehow Citeh managed to become something that resembled a team again at the end of the season, and with a lot of luck they managed to win the league on goal difference.

This season, ManCity is in my opinion the clear favourite to win the title again. Our strongest, first teams are probably comparable and without any doubt the Citeh bench is stronger than ours, but I think we’ll edge past them on Sunday with our incredible togetherness and passion to play winning, attractive football. 1-2 to the Mighty Arse, and TV to score the winner! 🙂

Total Arsenal.