February 24th, 2012
Andrey Arshavin’s Arsenal career is clearly approaching its end. Â It does not take a genius to see that. Â Look at the diminishing percentage of Premier League starts he has made over the course of his Arsenal career:
08/09 – 100%
09/10 – 83%
10/11 – 68%
11/12 – 42%
As his work-rate and productivity have declined, so have Arsene Wenger’s faith in his mercurial talent. Â His nadir came this week, when he was dropped down to the Reserves for their game with Norwich.
Against the odds, he actually turned in a decent display, combining well with Yossi Benayoun and scoring twice. Â One wondered if Arsene might consider handing him a return to the first team, particularly with Theo Walcott out of form and Aaron Ramsey injured.
Instead, it seems to have prompted interest in his homeland.  Zenit St. Petersburg, his former club, are trying to negotiate a loan deal until the end of the season before tonight’s deadline.  They have lost their playmaker, the Portugese midfielder Danny, to injury, and Arshavin is still viewed as a talismanic figure in the city of his birth.  Arsenal were known to be resistant to any deal, but James Olley of the Evening Standard reports that the offer of a £1m loan fee has forced a breakthrough in talks.
I know Arshavin has been a major disappointment. Â I know that the end of his Arsenal career is inevitable. Â But why let him go now? Â With the number of injuries our squad picks up, it’s almost certain he would have been used between now and May. Â And for all his flaws, he is very occasionally capable of important, match-winning contributions.
For the sake of a few months wages, I cannot see the sense in selling at this point. Â But then, that’s rather in-keeping with most of our transfer business of late.
October 26th, 2011
Park celebrates bending home the winner against Bolton
Arsenal 2 – 1 Bolton
Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
Arsenal went through to the Quarter-Finals of the Carling Cup for the ninth successive season with a 2-1 victory over Bolton. It wasn’t televised anywhere in the world, so the 56,628 or so lucky enough to be in the statdium are, thus far, the sole witnesses to another encouraging victory. If you haven’t seen the game at all, you might have an interest in this audio report I put together in the match’s immediate aftermath.
The team was the expected mix of youth and experience. The headline inclusion was Thomas Vermaelen, though it passed almost without notice that his partner on the night, Sebastien Squillaci, was making his first appearance of the season. Lukasz Fabianski kept goal, with youngsters Ignasi Miquel and Nico Yennaris (a debutant) at full-back. Coquelin and Frimpong patrolled the midfield, with Benayoun, Arshavin and Chamberlain pulling the strings behind Ju-Young Park.
Arshavin had not originally been intended to play, with Tomas Rosicky pencilled for inclusion. However, a slight injury to the Czech midfielder saw the far from slight Arshavin handed his central playmaking role. It would prove to be the game’s crucial factor.
The first half was a relatively quiet affair. Yossi Benayoun flashed one effort over, and on a couple of occasions Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seemed to try and do too much when released on the right. It wasn’t a poor performance from the young winger, but it was his certainly his least eye-catching in an Arsenal shirt. Perhaps he is feeling the pressure of expectation.
The second half started ominously, with former Gunner Fabrice Muamba side-footing in to the roof of the net to give Bolton the lead. It was at this point, however, that Arsenal’s experienced players began to seize control of the game. Arshavin was the key figure. First he picked up the ball on the right, skipped infield, and fired a fizzing shot in off the far post.
Within three minutes, he’d created the winner, scooting inside from the left before playing in Park in the space that had been created. The Korean’s finish was exquisite, opening his body and bending a first-time shot around the goalkeeper and in to the far corner. Thierry Henry would have been proud.
Afterwards, the manager spoke in glowing terms about Park’s performance:
“He had a very, very good game. His movement was exceptional and his finishing is absolutely fantastic.
He is ready to play in league games.”
Park battled well against two experienced Premier League centre-backs in Gary Cahill and Zat Knight, and considering Marouane Chamakh’s terrible form in front of goal, is bound to get his chance sooner or later.
Arshavin, however, was the undoubted man of the match. There were still errors in his game, but in the final third it’s hard to question his efficacy. However, listening to Arsene post-match, we’re unlikely to see him in his favoured position again anytime soon:
“You cannot play with two wingers and two offensive players like that, you are too short in midfield. He is normally a wide player but he wants to grow in a role behind the striker.”
Whether or not that growth takes place at Arsenal or elsewhere remains to be seen.
Thomas Vermaelen departed with a solid 85 minutes behind him and whispers of a calf strain, but the man himself has taken to Twitter to dispel those fears and confirm his availability for Saturday’s game with Chelsea. With so little match practise behind him, I don’t expect him to start, but simply having him around the squad is a positive boost at the moment.
Tonight I fly to Spain for a week of exile from, among other things, the internet. If I happen to stumble in to a WIFI-furnished cafe I will update while I am there – if not, you’ll have to cope without me for a week. Chins up.
October 17th, 2011
Robin van Persie celebrates the winning goal
Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
Arsenal are more reliant on Robin van Persie than ever…
There are two reasons we have relied quite as much on one Robin van Persie. Â The first is that it hasn’t been possible, simply because he hasn’t been fit. Â The second is that it hasn’t been necessary, because we’ve had a more even distribution of talent. Â At the moment, especially with Jack Wilshere and Bacary Sagna injured, he is the sole world class performer in our team. Â He’d grace any team in the world, and finds himself as the talisman of a struggling side. Â Fortunately, he is seizing responsibility with relish, as his match-winning display yesterday demonstrated. Â This Robin is, unlike his comic-book name-same, no ‘boy wonder’: he’s all grown-up. Â And we desperately, desperately need him.
Robin is swiftly becoming too good for this side…
The sad truth is that as Robin’s shooting star is looking lonely in a darkening Arsenal constellation. Â He has less than two years to run on his current deal, and Arsene didn’t exactly sound confident of him signing an extension any time soon:
“The ideal situation is that he extends his contract but if he doesn’t you have to respect that. You know what is important is that he plays like he plays because we are all here to see special football players and he is a special football player.”
In other words: enjoy it while you can. Â As I said above, Van Persie would not look out of place at Real Madrid or Barcelona. Â If he keeps playing like this, he’ll have his pick. Â Perhaps his future will depend on our Champions League status.
Carl Jenkinson has one oustanding quality…
There may be question marks over his defensive positioning, but you can’t argue with the fact that he is quite possibly the finest crosser of the ball at Arsenal Football Club. Â For anyone who has spent years watching our corners hit the first man that won’t be a huge surprise, but yesterday Jenkinson’s delivery of the ball was consistently excellent. Â It was a solid performance from the young lad, and hopefully he’ll grow in confidence and stature as the games go by.
Andrey Arshavin can be a great impact sub…
Yesterday he was introduced for the patchy Gervinho, and made a real impact, drifting infield and showing a willingness to run at defenders and try to make things happen. Â I know I have a reputation as something of an ‘Arshavin apologist’, but when you witness cameos like he produced yesterday it’s easy to see why I can be seduced by his talent before being appalled by his attitude.
Arsene does not trust Park…
Had Van Persie not spared our blushes with that sumptuous free-kick, surely questions would have been asked of his Arsene’s continued unwillingness to make use of his new striker. Â Against both Spurs and Sunderland, Arsene chose to introduce Yossi Benayoun ahead of our number nine. Â Perhaps it comes from an unwillingness to change our shape, but with only two years in which to make his mark at Arsenal, Park will surely be conscious of the early lack of opportunities.
October 14th, 2011
I’m mildly surprised I still remember how to do this. Blogging, it seems, is a bit like riding a bike: painful and disaster-prone at first, but when you return to it after an absence muscle memory takes over and eases you through. I’ve been reading the comments since my last blog – frankly, ages ago – and there is speculation as to whether I’m “dead” or merely “a disgrace”. I’m afraid it’s merely the latter – this blog does not come from beyond the grave. Instead, I’ve been in hibernation whilst the internationals have bored the living daylights out of anyone foolish enough to watch them.
The major Arsenal story of the international break – the one that almost tempted me in to actually writing a blog – was the outstanding form of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. After notching four assists in his previous game for the England U-21s, Chamberlain went as far as to score a hatrick in the game against Iceland. His last competitive match had been his Champions League debut, in which he also scored, after which he was left out of the matchday squad for the North London derby. Arsene Wenger is clearly determined not to rush his development, and says:
“He is ahead of schedule. Overall I think he has to add some ingredients to his game that will be absolutely necessary at the top but he has the basic talent – nobody can dispute that.
I am very happy for bringing him here. But of course now we want from him the commitment and the urgency that is requested in the Premier League.
One second of lacking attention defensively can cost you a game. That has changed in the modern game and that is why he is ahead of schedule. I think in the next few months he can add that to his game.â€
That’s the second or third time Arsene has mentioned the defensive weaknesses in Alex’s game – though how he can say that whilst continually picking Andrey Arshavin in a similar position baffles me. Perhaps he’ll be involved in some way this weekend.
The other good news is that our boys managed to come through the games unscathed. Tomas Rosicky picked up a minor problem, as is his wont, but should be fine for Sunday’s game with Sunderland. An extra days preparation is a real bonus for those players who’ve traveled to far-flung corners of the world, and should enable us to stave off any post-international fatigue.
Abou Diaby and Thomas Vermaelen, you may recall, were supposed to be fit to return after the international break. Predictably, they’re not. Both players are expected to be fit to return in around two weeks, with Diaby pencilled in to make his comeback in the Carling Cup clash with Bolton.
Arsenal have a new absence to contend with – that of Bacary Sagna, who is sidelined for several months with a broken leg. Arsene Wenger has suggested that Carl Jenkinson will fill the void this weekend, but once Vermaelen returns to action I wonder if Laurent Koscielny might be shunted wide, with Mertesacker and the Belgian in the middle. I suppose much will depend on how Jenkinson acquits himself over the next few games.
Jinx-hungry Robin van Persie, meanwhile, says he’s never felt fitter. Oh dear.
As I type this, stories from Arsene’s afternoon press conference are beginning to emerge. They essentially seem to be the same as the ones I’ve written up above, only with slightly different wording. Nevertheless, I’ll update you on those and preview the Sunderland match properly over the weekend. Because Gunnerblog is back. And football is back. Sweet, sweet relief.
September 11th, 2011
Mikel Arteta congratulates Andrey Arshavin
Match Report |Â Highlights |Â Arsene’s reaction
One senses it could all have been rather different. An early goal would have settled Arsenal nerves and shattered Swansea resolved. We should have had one, too: inside the first minute, an eager and energetic Mikel Arteta hassled his man off the ball and played in Aaron Ramsey, who slipped when put through on goal. Had he kept his feet and his composure, Arsenal might have gone on to record a resounding victory.
Doubtless some would still have complained. There has been much whining about how we failed to put a newly-promoted team to the sword, but I think that shows a lack of respect both for Swansea and our current predicament. Yesterday, all we needed was a win. After shifting eight goals in our last game, a clean sheet would have been nice too. We finsihed with both. To complain would be churlish and naive.
Arsenal started with two debutants. Per Mertesacker partnered Laurent Koscielny in front of Wojciech Szczesny, whilst Mikel Arteta formed a midfield trio with Aaron Ramsey and Emmanuel Frimpong. Gibbs and Sagna supported Arshavin and Walcott on the wings, and Robin van Persie led the line. The substitutes bench contained remaining new boys Park, Santos and Benayoun – Alex Chamberlain was unlucky to miss out after showing some fine form for the England U-21s.
Aside from Ramsey’s early chance, there were other opportunities – Arsenal were generally better in the first half than the second, and on-loan Spurs defender Caulker had to produce a brilliant goal-line clearance to deny Theo Walcott after he had been played in by Arshavin.
It was the Russian who got the goal, in bizarre circumstances. Michel Vorm, who had started his career in English football in fine form, collected a loose ball and went to throw it out to his midfielder. Just as he did so, the improbably named Angel Rangel wandered in to his path. The ball bounced off the defender, leaving the retreating Arshavin to pass the ball in to an abandoned goal. The goal was comical in circumstance but brilliant in execution: a left-footed opportunity from such a narrow angle left Andrey with plenty to do.
It was Arshavin’s first goal at the Emirates since the victory over Barcelona – and his best performance in a long-time. Although nominally playing from the left, he drifted inside to combine with Arteta and Van Persie and looked, for the hour he was on the field, our most dangerous attacker. The aftermath of the Barca game saw us embark on a dreadful run that has stretched across the summer – perhaps this strike can book-end that spell and start us off on a good foot once again.
The second half was tense – Swansea struck the bar with a free-kick, whilst RVP thrashed a fight-footed effort against the post. The Welsh side were playing with nothing to lose, whilst Arsenal’s psychological handbrake was firmly on. In the game’s dying moments, Danny Graham ought to have done better with a volley on the turn from six yards out. The full-time whistle was greeted a sigh of relief rather than a roar of approval.
But we got there. We have our first league win of the season, and the smallest of blocks on which to build. There’s a big week ahead with trips to Dortmund and Blackburn. Positive results then could change the complexion of our season for the better. Like Luke Chadwick after a dose of isotretinoin.
This was an unfamiliar-looking Arsenal team – one still learning to appreciate and take advantage of each other’s patterns of play. I thought Mikel Arteta made a seamless transition in to red-and-white, particularly in the first half, when we was certainly the general of an otherwise inexperienced midfield. How he’ll relish returning to the grand stage of the Champions League on Tuesday.
Per Mertesacker was steady if not spectacular. In the first-half Szczesny had to produce a fantastic stop after Graham beat the big German to a cross, but after that he seemed to settle. His distribution was intelligent, and some of his tackling immaculate. He’s not the quickest, but seems to have the positional awareness to prevent that being a problem.
Yossi Benayoun made it a hatrick of debuts with a thirty minute cameo as a replacement for Andrey Arshavin, and I thought he did really well (video highlights). He’s a dynamic, creative player who isn’t afraid to put in a defensive shift too.
There were aspects of our performance which concerned me, certainly. Emmanuel Frimpong showed that whilst he is undoubtedly promising, he has much to learn in when it comes to his use of the ball. Kieran Gibbs, too, looked unconvincing. Perhaps he was bemused by the comically small but effective Nathan Dyer, or suffering from a lack of support from Arshavin, but Swansea certainly had most joy down his flank.
All that said, come the final whistle, we had what we needed. Dortmund will be a far sterner test, but we’ll be far better prepared with a victory under our belts. Bring on the big boys.
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