Tag: Vermaelen

Wenger needs va-va-voom – Vermaelen no leader – Jack is our hope

TotalArsenal

This is The Arsenal and we are not scared of anyone, right?!

Nobody likes losing, but nothing is worse than getting beaten by the Mancs whilst the whole team is oozing a gigantic inferiority complex: a collective lack of belief from the moment the first kick is made. I hate that more than anything else. How many times have we gone to Old Trafford in the last few years with that same resignation; that same anticipation of imminent defeat? Simply unacceptable!

Vermaelen is no leader

I have said it a number of times in recent weeks: Thomas Vermaelen is not a leader. He is a specialist: a bloody brilliant CB who on his day is simply unbeatable. He is, however, not a leader and the added responsibility to captain the team has made him error-prone, insecure and lost at sea at times. In the big games, Thomas has made a number of mistakes which have cost us in more than one sense. He should be oozing calm and organise the team; set the right examples and fill everyone with confidence. He is doing the opposite, and I reckon this will not change anytime soon.

There is an added complication, as others have already pointed out previously: the best CB pairing is probably Mert-Koz. But as TV is our captain, Arsene has left himself with a bit of a CB-selection pickle: he simply has to select Vermaelen even when it would be best to give preference to Koscielny.

Arsene has got to sort this out as soon as possible: there are better options for the captaincy within our team, and he would get back again a specialist warrior in TV.

Arsene needs to re-inject some much needed va-va-voom into the team

Our 4-3-3 formation with Pod-Giroud-Ramsey (as a false winger/fourth midfielder) is totally not working. Arsenal are so toothless at the moment that we would struggle to make a dent in a cream-cake. Why Wenger is persevering with those three up-front only he knows. Podolski has not made an impact on the game since the end of the inter-lull. For me he is the perfect CF for Arsenal, and a lot better than Giroud. Giroud gets no service at the moment, though, and I cannot see this change for the foreseeable future. Arsenal are simply not a team to play a classical CF up-front, and I don’t understand why we bought him to play in a 4-3-3 system without proper wingers.

Now is time for Arsene to inject some va-va-voom; to spice things up a bit. It is of paramount importance to sort out the front-three situation as soon as possible. If it was me, I would start with Ox-Giroud-Theo upfront, or even better: Ox-Pod-Theo. Even Pod-Theo-Ox could work, as they all add speed, attacking menace, unpredictability and some much needed new thrust: some va va bloody voom!

It is time for Arsene to re-inject some belief by taking a bit of risk and trying something new.

Jack is our hope

We have Jack back – although suspended for the next PL game now – and together with Cazorla and Arteta, he can boss the midfield. For me, he was the man of the match against the Mancs, as he was setting an example to many of his colleagues by battling away and now and again putting in a strong tackle. He had attitude and was fighting for his and the club’s honour.

And that’s exactly the spirit we need to get back to The Arsenal we know and are proud of: the one that is feared and admired by our opponents at the same time.

Total Arsenal.

Vermaelen Caught between Bould-dozer and Wenger-Wings

TotalArsenal

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What has happened to our defensive discipline in the last few games? Arsenal started the season so well-organised in defence; conceding just two goals in our first five PL games. But with Vermaelen and Koscielny all over the place against Chelsea, and the Lion of Flanders bombing forward like a total nut-bum whenever he feels like it, it is difficult to say whether Arsenal have made progress or not.

Vermaelen’s kamikazes have been rightly criticised by the majority of the fans. His attacking endeavours against Olympiakos and West Ham – mostly late in the game when we were already ahead, seemed unnecessary and left us vulnerable at the back.

I cannot imagine Steve Bould feeling very comfortable with that, but I have no doubt that TV5 is simply acting on instruction. I guess the theory is to keep attacking in order not to invite pressure on our defence, and by going for a two (or more) goal-lead rather than closing up shop, we have a better chance to finish the game with all three points in the bag.

Bould-dozer has been asked by Wenger to sort out the defence this season, and in order to complete his task successfully, he will surely have doubts about defending a lead with risky attacking football late in the game.

But what is Wenger’s role in all of this? Although Arsene will really want a tight defence – which manager wouldn’t?! – he will also want Arsenal to play attacking, attractive football: to keep its identity. He will also have noticed that except for the goal-fest against Southampton at home, we were simply not scoring enough goals in the fist five games.

Something needed to change, and I reckon Vermaelen finds himself now caught between the Bould-dozer’s need for defensive discipline and Wenger’s desire to play attacking, heavenly football. He is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

In the last two games, we have seen a lot more involvement of our defence in our attacking moves. Gone seems the tight defensive discipline where only one of our four defenders – mostly one of our Full Backs – would go out to support our attack. Gone, seems the conservatism of the CB’s to focus on defending first and for all.

We all got the biggest shock of the season so far, when we conceded two super-soft goals from set-pieces against the Chavs. It just felt that overnight we lost our magic and we were back at the Arsenal defences of ‘recent old’. I reckon a lot had to do with the managers’ decision to keep Mertesacker on the bench. Big Per has made incredible progress in his second season at Arsenal, as his organisational, game-reading and natural leadership skills have all come properly to the fore, and Arsenal appears to be lost without them.

Vermaelen and Koscielny are similar CB’s. They remind me of Gallas, Kolo Toure and Martin Keown: energetic, adrenalin-driven, high levels of stamina, aggressive, strong in the air and on the ground, good tacklers, with good timing and good ability to go forward from a defensive position, if and when there is space for it. Every team needs a CB like this if it wants to be successful.

Mertesacker, on the other hand, reminds me of Sol Campbell, and to a certain extent of Tony Adams:  he is calmer, and has a strong ability to organise his defence and keep discipline. Good in the air and on the ground, but clearly not the quickest turner and not the fastest defender. His reading of the game is so exceptional, though, that he will seldom find himself in a position where his weaknesses are exposed, and can subsequently be exploited by the opposition. Every team also needs a CB like this if it wants to be successful.

I have no doubt that Mertesacker will play a pivotal role this season, and our ability to win something will hinge disproportionately on him staying fit, most if not all of the season.

Mertesacker’s continuous selection will also allow Vermaelen to keep bombing forward, and keep both Bould and Wenger happy at the same time. The German has the ability to organise the defence, including one or two deeper laying midfielders, in such a way that the gaps left behind by the Belgian are appropriately covered.

There is a delicate balance to be struck between defensive discipline and attacking football, and one of the most interesting developments to watch this season, is how Bould and Wenger will work together to achieve it.

Let’s hope we end up with a Bould-dozer kept in the air by Wenger’s heavenly wings!

Total Arsenal.

Is it time to release the Lion of Flanders: TV5 as DM?

TotalArsenal

One of my favourite Johan Cruijff sayings is: every disadvantage has an advantage and every advantage has a disadvantage. Although the loss against the Chavs still hurts, there could be an advatage to that ‘disadvatange’, as we are likely to be extra motivated to get back to winning ways on Satuday.

That ‘keenness’ should translate itself in our figthing spirit – never say die attitude – which will be an absolute prerequisite to overcome the currently confident – nothing to lose tomorrow – Hammers.

I have not seen much of West Ham this season, but the one thing I am certain about is that tomorrow’s meeting will turn into a very physical encounter.

The inclusions of Mertesacker and Giroud seem inevitable, and once again our midfield will hold the key in taking control of the game. With Diaby out, Coquelin still learning the ropes, and Arteta having to play his third game in seven days, I am worried about both our ability to dominate the midfield area and avoid further injuries.

Ooh, how different I would feel if we could start the departed Song on Saturday: this encounter is crying out for him. Alas, Song’s gone, and what’s done is done, and this game will tell us everything we need to know about our strength in depth in the midfield area.

I reckon we need muscle and height in our midfield for this game, and if there ever is a game in which we could/should try out TV5 as a DM then it is this one.

The Lion of Flanders (naming rights belong to LB) has been rightly criticised for his mad-dog, testosterone over-dosed performances recently, although we should take into account that he was most probably instructed to do so by Wenger/Bouldozer.

TV5 has got drive, stamina and all physical and footballing attributes to help boss the midfield against WH. Combined with either, and ideally, Arteta, or Ramsey, we would be able to gun the Hammers down in midfield.

I know it is unlikely that Wenger will go for it tomorrow, but I certainly hope he will. Whatever he does, he will need to make sure that our two deeper laying midfielders are up for the battle. And I will say it again, the key for success lays exactly in that area tomorrow.

Predicted line-up: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Arteta, Coquelin (but I hope TV5), Cazorla, Gervinho, Giroud, Podolski.

COYRRG – we need a win!

Total Arsenal.

Arsenal – Olympiakos: All’s Well that Ends Well! Ten Quick Observations.

TotalArsenal

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One: Arteta and Cazorla are no mercenaries (in case there was any doubt left). They both gave everything tonight, all over pitch, and carried the team forward for large parts of the game. What a couple of awesome players!

Two: Steve Bould, judging by the evidence of tonight, can do a good halftime team talk. We were more organised, worked harder and never let the Greeks back in. His substitutions did also really work out for Arsenal tonight. All three of them made a difference: they were focussed and eager. I was very impressed with the Boulddozer tonight.

Three: Our young FB’s are showing great signs of maturity – just as they did against Chelsea and Man City – and what a difference this is making with last year’s FB situation at the start of the season.

Four: TV’s performance in the first half was poor, but he improved in the second half quite a bit. But why does he keep bombing forward continuously, even when we are in front and don’t need to chase a goal? It must be by instruction of Wenger and Bould, but I don’t like it at all.

Five: As much as I could judge from a dodgy stream, Coquelin did reasonably ok. The Ox had an unfortunate game and I am starting to wonder where he could play best: at the moment, in our 4-2-1-3 system, I can only see him up-front as one of our ‘fluent-three-attackers’, but as a pure winger he seems to be struggling at the moment (offensive as well as defensive). The difference in experience between, on one side Cazorla and Arteta, and on the other side The Ox and Le Coq, was very obvious tonight. Let’s hope the boys can learn quickly.

Six: With five goals in five, Gervinho is firing from all cylinders. He is so important for us at the moment: not just in terms of his goals but his general play as well. He makes himself available constantly and holds on to the ball well most of the time, and creates chances for others on a regular basis. Together with Arteta and Cazorla and the FB’s, he has been carrying the team tonight. I also thought Mannone did the simple things well tonight and I liked his calmness.

Seven: There is no need to despair about our strength in depth, yet. With Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, JW10, Diaby, and Rosicky not involved at all, and Giroud, Theo and Ramsey starting on the bench, we were still able to field a strong team.

Eight: Despite Podolski’s goal, which he took well, he seems to be struggling at the moment to get hold of the game on the left hand side. His cooperation with Cazorla, and especially Gibbs, is good, but there are too many, and long, periods in which he is simply not involved enough in the game.

Nine: I was happy with Theo’s zest and focus when he came on as a substitute. That was much better than the insipid show he presented us with on Saturday. Let’s hope we get complete contract clarity soon.

Ten: The first half was pretty bad, and lessons have to be learnt again. But the second was much, much better – although by no means faultless – and will give us plenty of confidence and gusto to face the Hammers on Saturday.

All in all, not a bad night and a great result – especially when taking into account the result between Schalke and Montpellier tonight.

Keep the faith fellow Gooners!

Total Arsenal.