Milan Preview: Chamberlain to get central role?

14 comments March 6th, 2012

I don’t know if I speak for all Arsenal fans, but I’m rather looking forward to tonight.  A couple of big wins in the league have changed the mood in the camp, and what previously looked like a humiliating dead rubber now feels like an opportunity to face glamorous opposition with, really, nothing to lose.  No one has ever over-turned a four-goal deficit in Europe and the Champions League betting reflects the uphill task Arsenal face.  To all intents and purposes, we’re already out, but any sort of positive result would be catalytic fuel on the fire of our momentum.  And if – IF – we were to score a couple of early goals… well, you just never know.

Possible team to face Milan

A succession of injuries in midfield means we have little option but to be gung-ho about our attacking intent.  We’re without Arteta, Ramsey, Wilshere, Frimpong, Diaby, Benayoun and Coquelin, whilst doubts persist over Tomas Rosicky.  If the Czech is fit, he’s certain to partner Alex Song at the base of our midfield.

Ahead of that, I think Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may be afforded a start in the roaming central role he briefly occupied against Liverpool, with Gervinho and Theo Walcott on the flanks.

Some have suggested the possibility of switching to 4-4-2, but we’re perhaps the only team in the world for whom introducing a second striker (Park or Chamakh) probably makes us a weaker attacking force.

Robin van Persie will, of course, play.  Some fans are already quaking with fear about the possibility of Robin picking up an injury.  I don’t think you can go through a season, or indeed a life, with that sort of attitude.  He might get a knock, but it’s no more likely to happen tonight than in any other game – or arguably even a training session.  And the idea that we have any chance of getting a decent result without him is more fantastical than our hopes of qualification.

As I said though, you never know.  Football can be a strange and miraculous sport, and the likelihood of going out is not a reason not to bother qualifying.  I admire Arsene’s guts here.  He could written it off, and said: “Yeah, we’re out, I’m going to play the Reserves”.  Instead, he is rallying the troops:

 “When you are a top-level competitor, even if statistically we have a 5% chance, what is important is that we believe that we can be in this 5%. That is what is at stake for us. Let’s make sure that we do not miss out because we did not believe in it.”

Well put.  Arsene and Arsenal were deeply hurt by the 4-0 hammering in Milan, and tonight is, in the first place, about restoring some pride.  Any kind of win would undoubtedly be a good thing.  If it’s by the margin of a few goals, and close enough to get us excited about the remote possibility of reigning the Italians in… well, then it’ll have been a very exciting night indeed.

Come On You Gunners.  You never know, this might be our last night in the Champions League for a while.  Let’s enjoy it.

Thoughts on our Milan mauling

58 comments February 17th, 2012

Kevin Prince Boateng opens the scoring in regal fashion

AC MILAN 4 – 0 ARSENAL

Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction

Arsenal have suffered a few significant defeats this season. There was the obvious example of the thrashing at Old Trafford, the collapse at Blackburn, and the capitulation in Greece. In all of those instances, there were mitigating circumstances: teams weakened due to transfer activity, injuries, or rotation. The reason the 4-0 defeat to Milan cuts particularly deep is that this is a game in which Arsenal were bereft of excuses. We had a strong side, a massive incentive, and we were hugely disappointing. Make no mistake about it: on Europe’s biggest stage, this was a humiliation.

When Milan were drawn out of the hat as our second round opponents, I think most Arsenal fans were quietly confident. In recent seasons they’ve gone out of the competition to both North London sides, and there is a general suspicion in England that Serie A is a league on the slide. Milan are perceived as an aging side who struggle to cope with the vibrancy of youth.

What we witnessed instead was one of Europe’s great names idly swatting away a feeble challenger. If ever evidence was required of Arsenal’s regression, on Wednesday night it was there in abundance. Almost exactly a year after beating Barcelona and the Emirates, we were dismantled by a Milan side that who are nowhere near the level of La Liga’s finest.

There were familiar mistakes, particularly in defence. Per Mertesacker’s absence was more crucial than many anticipated. All season long there has been clamour for a Vermaelen and Koscielny partnership at the back, but Milan exposed the problem with that pairing. Both players try to win the ball high up the pitch, meaning that any error leaves a terrifying amount of room in behind. On the night, Vermaelen put in a disastrous display, and Koscielny couldn’t do enough to recover the situation. When the Frenchman departed due to injury and was replaced by Johan Djourou, things went from bad to worse.

The mistakes made on each goal were clear. Wojciech Szczesny’s poor clearance allowed Milan to win the ball back and play in Boateng for the opener, whilst unusually lazy tracking from Bacary Sagna allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to skip the byline and cross for Robinho to nod home the second.

At half-time Thierry Henry was introduced for the anonymous Theo Walcott, and with him came the hope for a miracle. That hope soon evaporated, when a Vermaelen slip left Robinho plenty of time to fire home for the edge of the box. Whilst Zlatan Ibrahimovic clearly played for the penalty that sealed the victory, it was a clumsy challenge from Johan Djourou that made the Swede’s deception all the more easy.

Let’s make no bones about it: the tie is over. I’m not even going to discuss the possibility of 5-0 second leg victory; that game is now just about attempting to recover a modicum of pride.

Milan gave us a lesson. It’s hard to name a single Arsenal player who played ‘well’. Aside from our disastrous ‘defending’, I could not believe that in a game of this magnitude the men charged with being our creative hub were Tomas Rosicky and Aaron Ramsey. Both good men and fine players, but both some years off their peak, albeit in opposite directions.

The FA Cup is now our only chance of silverware – although that is a distant second to our primary aim of qualifying for the Champions League. The gap between us and Milan was vast. Even a single year spent out of Europe’s glamour competition will widen that chasm even further.

Finally, a quick note to say: Thankyou Thierry. The guy risked his legacy to help out the club he loves in their hour of need. And yet, he managed to enhance his legend. Take care, old friend.


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