‘Tis the season to be jolly. And then less so. Arsenal have just completed a festive sandwich of fixtures. On the one side, a wholesome and thoroughly rewarding victory away to Aston Villa. On the other, a rather stale draw at home to Wolves. In the middle, of course, was a big fat Christmas. Hope you had a great one, wherever you are and whatever you might be celebrating.
Alex McCleish is the enemy of football. Anyone who watched our game against them on Wednesday last will surely concur. This man must be stopped: he seems to suck the joy out of any club he takes over. His Villa are a horrendous side – seemingly as dull on the eye as the Birmingham City team he led to relegation last season. On Boxing Day, Sky sought to outdo Scrooge himself by screening just one game: Stoke vs. Aston Villa. It was apocalyptically bad.
Yossi Benayoun deserves more opportunities. His headed winner at Villa Park was a rare example of an Arsenal player coming off the bench and making a genuine different to the game. Supporters are tired of seeing the uninspiring sight of Marouane Chamakh or Andrey Arshavin preparing to take to the field. Benayoun guarantees hard work and, of late, real quality. His display at home to Wolves was another example of what he can offer the side.
Arsenal were denied by Hennessey’s brilliance rather than their own incompetence. A point at home to Wolves is a frustrating result, particularly when the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool have both dropped points in similar circumstances, but on this occasion I think arseblog has it right: we have to offer congratulations to an outstanding performance by the goalkeeper rather than blame ourselves. These freakish results will occasionally occur – it’s only when they become regular that there is genuine cause for concern.
Four points from Villa and Wolves is not a bad return. If we go on to beat QPR and Fulham, which is not an unrealistic target, 10 points from 12 available will look even healthier.
Whisper it quietly, but Spurs don’t look likely to collapse anytime soon. Whilst of course we ought to try and pursue and overhaul them, I’m increasingly of the belief that the real battle for Champions League qualification is between us and Chelsea, and for fourth rather than third place. Spurs look very strong indeed, and I don’t perceive Liverpool to have the strength in depth to mount a sustained challenge – particularly in light of Luis Suarez’s ban.
Thierry Henry could be the best available option to strengthen the squad.
Of course there are better strikers out there than a 34-year old who plies his trade in the MLS, but how many of them are available in January? Very few. It’s not worth investing millions of pounds in a substandard player who will make a limited impact – you could argue we’ve already done that with Chu-Young Park. Bringing in Henry would give us a viable option from the bench as well as providing a lift to everyone at the club. If it happens, however, it’d have to be soon. No point waiting to look at other options until the end of January then letting Henry go back to the states after a fortnight.
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Right. The next game is QPR at home on New Year’s Eve, after which we’ll be able to put a very rocky 2011 to bed.
Every so often an event rolls around that reminds you how lucky you are to be an Arsenal fan. This week, there were three.
It was a week that got off to an inauspicious start as we lost 3-1 to Olympiakos in a game that already feels further away than the 1500 miles we travelled to get there. I wasn’t watching live due to alternative commitments, though from what I can gauge the match was notable for two things: the riveting competition between Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone to decide who could be our most flaptacular back-up goalie, and an injury to Andre Santos which, it has just revealed, will keep him out for three months.
It’s big blow to lose the bulky Brazilian full-back, but as bare as we are in both full-back positions we’re fortunate that we have riches in the centre of defence. We’re now able to field Thomas Vermaelen at full-back, leaving the middle in the hands of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker – two top-class international defenders. Hopefully the likes of Gibbs, Jenkinson, and even Sagna will soon be back to ease the burden on our versatile centre-halves.
As for Santos – well, he’s been outstanding in the early part of his Arsenal career. According to whoscored.com, he’s put in more tackles p/game than any other defender in the Premier League. That said, I’m told we ought to have expected this: it’s a stipulation of his contract that he never plays any games over the Christmas period. He calls it ‘The Santos Clause’ (I’ll get me coat).
The meaningless result in Greece would prove to be the low-point of my footballing week, which suggests the rest of it was pretty darn good. The following evening, around 500 Arsenal fans gathered to celebrate the release of Arseblog’s Arsenal Anthology – So Paddy Got Up. I only arrived late, as the crowds were finally beginning to dissipate, but it remained a tremendous occasion.
I have written a chapter for the book which attempts to depict how the digital world has changed things for Arsenal supporters, and without giving too much away it’s something of a sign of the times that you can put 500 strangers in a room together, with Arsenal as the sole bond between them, and witness such heartwarming results. I met some lovely folk from the Arsenal blogosphere (including Gingers4Limpar, whose recent piece on the use of the ‘Y’ word is essential reading), as well as several readers of this site, and marvelled at Arseblogger’s achievement in not just compiling and editing the book, but bringing together a community so full of support, goodwill and kindness.
The book, I should add, really would make a tremendous Christmas present for anyone with Arsenal in their height. Red and white are, after all, the most Christmassy of colours. You can order your copy here.
As if the cockels of my heart weren’t sufficiently warmed by that evening, by Thursday afternoon they were positively roasted. I was very grateful to be invited by Arsenal to attend the unveiling of three statues commissioned to commemorate the club’s 125th Anniversary. It was something of an open secret that the statue’s would be of Herbert Chapman, Tony Adams, and Thierry Henry. What I didn’t know was that Mr. Henry would be there in person, and that I would be stood just yards from the legendary striker when he broke down upon seeing his statue.
I was stood there alongside the venerable Goonerholic, and I don’t think he’d mind me saying that we too were a little choked by this obvious display of emotion.
Again, there were plenty of friendly and famous faces present. Special mention is due for Bob Wilson, who took the time to chat to fans and sign countless autographs, and Francis from ArsenalFrance, who is not only charming company but spends a lot of his own time helping Francophonic Gooners get to games.
As for the statues – well, for my money, they look magnificent, and are yet another fitting adornment to the stadium. A lot has been said about the ‘Arsenalisation’ of the Emirates, but for me the club deserve enormous credit for the way they have sought to make the ground feel like home. For me, at last, it does.
So by the time Saturday rolled around, everyone was in the mood for a party, and boy did they get it. The club handled the 125th Anniversary celebrations with the class you would expect, and thanks too are due to the BBC for the special attention we were afforded on Match of the Day:
As for the game itself – well, it wasn’t the most exciting, but as Arsene pointed out there was a certain poignancy in the scoreline: 1-0 to the Arsenal. And the goal scored was one that will be remembered well in to our next century.
It is a truly stunning volley from a player we are honoured to be watching this season.
This week ends with a trip to league leaders Man City. A positive result there and it might come close to matching the last seven days.
You can come out. The interlull is over, and between now and Christmas, there’s a veritable flurry of football. Here’s some of what I’ve been thinking about:
…Joel Campbell
As some of you know, I spent a good deal of my summer following the trail as Arsenal pursued Costa Rican striker, Joel Campbell. Whilst a deal was ultimately agreed, Arsenal were forced to send the player on loan to Lorient after his application for a work permit was rejected.
If he continues to rack up international caps he has a chance of qualifying for a permit next summer.
…Thierry’s return
Despite his relative success at Lorient, Campbell will be kicking himself that he’s not in London at the moment. If he were, he’d be able to pick up a few tips from one of the game’s true greats. Arsenal’s record goalscorer, Thierry Henry, is training with the club to keep himself fit in the MLS off-season.
The sight of Thierry in an Arsenal training strip is enough to make me feel all fuzzy inside, like the mouth of person suffering from flu. So, in the hope of giving you the same on this cold Friday morning – the nice feeling, not the flu – here’s a picture:
The blonde man behind Henry is American Brek Shea, who is here not only to keep fit, but also to try and impress Arsene enough to earn a move across the Atlantic. By the looks of things, he’d instantly take Gervinho’s crown as possessor of the worst haircut at the club.
Whilst I don’t think anyone would realistically want Henry to come back and sully his record and reputation, but at times Arsene must be tempted to bring him back to the club on loan. This January will leave us with only the injury-prone van Persie and anonymous Park as striking options. Tempting, isn’t it…
…Gervinho’s assists
Whoever plays up front for Arsenal will be able to rely on a decent supply from Gervinho. In ten starts, the Ivorian has created six goals. It’s an impressive return, and suggests his record as the most productive attacking player in France last season was no fluke. The challenge now is to improve his own finishing and take some of the goalscoring burden off RVP.
…Kieran Gibbs
Yesterday saw Jack Wilshere tweet the following:
It doesn’t take Jonathan Creek to work out that Gibbs must have been going some sort of surgical procedure, and the whispers are that it was for a troublesome hernia. If that is the case, I’d expect him to miss a further month. Still, at least Andre Santos has been working hard on his new fitness regime:
…Norwich
Our next game is away to Norwich tomorrow lunchtime. I’ve been really impressed with both the Canaries and Swansea, who’ve managed to combine decent results with attractive, enterprising football. Any lapse in concentration will doubtless be punished, so we’ll need everyone to refocus immediately after their international exploits.
…the Arsecast
In order to celebrate the return of proper football, I had a chat with Arseblogger for today’s Arsecast. Why not head over to www.arseblog.com and have a listen? On the agenda: Injuries in defence, Koreans in Sunderland, and racism in football. Enjoy.
It should have been a day for celebration. One of Arsenal’s most cherished sons, Thierry Henry, returned home to a rapturous reception. In a neat piece of symmetry, as we looked back at the career of one our all-time greats, a young striker hailing from Dagenham, Benik Afobe, was making his debut. And, with Arsenal leading thanks to a Robin van Persie header, it should have been rounded off by Arsenal lifting their own trophy in their own stadium.
Unfortunately, Henry had other ideas, splitting the defence with a typically precise pass to invoke a move that ended with Kyle Bartley turning in to his own net. Immediately, the atmosphere soured, like coagulated milk. The unpleasant stench of last season enveloped the Emirates, and the full-time whistle of a friendly game was met with booing. Yes, booing.
I can’t condone that at all. The Emirates Cup is a “Cup” only in name – otherwise our previous successes in it would mean we wouldn’t be accused of any kind of trophy drought. It is an exercise in two things: fitness and revenue. The players run around, the club make some money, and Emirates get to plaster their name all over something else. Whilst a positive performance is always a boost, the result, ultimately, doesn’t matter.
I can, however, understand the frustration. The boos were not so much for conceding an equaliser. Nor were they for failing to win another, admittedly pointless, trophy. They were boos born out of what has been yet another painful summer, in a year when Arsenal fans really needed it to go more smoothly. They were boos which were almost as articulate an expression of the concerns around the club as this piece by Amy Lawrence.
There’s still time for the situation to be rectified. There’s still time to find a resolution to the Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri stand-offs and redress the balance caused by any departure. There is time to add an experienced centre-back, or maybe even a left-back. But it is running short. The season is now less than two weeks away. Events at full-time yesterday showed that Arsenal fans are still deeply hurt by the back end of last season. The players are too, and even they are clear about wanting reinforcements. In the next couple of weeks, the manager has a chance to take decisive action, regain everybody’s trust, and make the home crowd feel that little bit better about that 6.5% extra they’ve paid to watch us in the coming months.
It’s important to remember that the game was not without positives. Gervinho continues to impress me with his direct running and movement off the ball. Having a wide player who is prepared to dart through the centre and in to the six yard box will add something to this team.
Robin van Persie looks sharp, whilst having Thomas Vermaelen fit again is a huge boost to the squad. Afobe also made a decent impression on his first-team bow, albeit in unfortunate circumstances, as Jack Wilshere was withdrawn with an injury. It doesn’t seem like a serious one, and if it means he can miss out on international duty with England then that’s probably no bad thing.
It was fantastic to see Thierry looking, in my opinion, happier than he ever did in a Barcelona shirt. Arsene had planned to give him 5 minutes in an Arsenal shirt, but the rules forbade it. That’s no bad thing: I’ve got enough memories of him in red and white to last a lifetime. There’s never been a more electrifying sight than Henry in full flow. We’ll be lucky to see his like again.
Right, that’ll do for now. Something tells me there could be plenty more to say come the end of this week…
Arsenal began their Emirates Cup campaign with a 2-2 draw against Boca Juniors. It was a lively encounter, and you can get a comprehensive match report here, as well as highlights by clicking the image on the right.
Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen and Alex Song were all rested, so Lukasz Fabianski lined up behind a back four of Jenkinson, Koscielny, Djourou and Armand Traore. In midfield Jack Wilshere was partnered by Emmanuel Frimpong, with an an impressive attacking quartet of RVP, Nasri, Arshavin and Gervinho.
The new boy impressed on his first appearance at the Emirates, switching flanks with Arshavin and showing great pace on the counter to dart down the left and cross with his weaker foot for RVP to thrash in the opener. I was again struck by the tenacity of Emmanuel Frimpong, who looks as if he’ll provide a viable alternative to Alex Song, and a significant step forward from Denilson. The concern remains that he has chosen to represent Ghana rather than England, meaning that we’ll lose both our primary defensive midfielders in January for the African Nations Cup.
Both full-backs also did well, and with Arsene Wenger confirming after the game that Emmanuel Eboue is still likely to leave the club, Carl Jenkinson could have a big season ahead of him as understudy to Bacary Sagna. Although we don’t know much about him, we do know he comes from a family of die-hard Gooners, and having that represented out on the pitch can’t be a bad thing.
At half-time Arsene made five changes, introducing Mannone, Squillaci, Ramsey, Vela and Chamakh, then later Eboue. It was Ramsey who made the biggest and most immediate impact. With his first touch, he latched on to a loose ball after some neat footwork from Vela and powered it in to the top corner.
As the game wore on, however, our defensive frailties reared their familiar, hideous head. First Squillaci was caught in possession and Boca slid in Viatri who slammed in to Mannone’s near post. Then, within three minutes, Johan Djourou was turned too easily in the penalty area and Boca had an equaliser thanks to Pablo Mouche.
Disappointing though it was to see Arsenal concede a lead, the XI we had on the pitch at full-time was far from first choice. It was also intriguing to see that from corners we lined up with a new-look zonal marking system. It’ll be interesting to see how that one goes in competitive games.
For Boca, I was hugely impressed by Juan Riquelme. The excellent Orbinho has some great stats comparing his performance to that of Samir Nasri, who started in the central playmaking role for Arsenal. Nasri is a great footballer, with outstanding dribbling skill, but he doesn’t have the same eye for a pass that Cesc has. If, as seems increasingly likely, the captain departs, the creative burden will have to be shared more equally throughout the team.
Inevitably the manager’s post-game press conference focused more on Cesc and Nasri than the match itself. Both players were in attendance yesterday – one on the pitch and one in the stands – and I suspect that the skipper’s early exit had more to do with avoiding journalists than anything more sinister. Arsene’s answers on Cesc were much as they have been – “Cesc loves deeply this club, he loves deepy as well Barcelona” – but his stance on Nasri seems to be shifting somewhat. He said:
“If you ask me if I want to keep him, I say yes. But he needs to be committed to that as well.”
“You ask me if the two go do we need to sign one? Of course because they are two exceptional players. That’s why I personally want to keep the two.”
After weeks of insisting he would not consider losing both, suddenly it seems it’s something he may have reckon with after all. It is distressing that we as a club find ourselves in such a weak position over two players ostensibly under contract.
Nevertheless, let’s try and enjoy the football for now. Today we face New York Red Bulls, who will be very fit as they’re currently mid-season. And, of course, they have in their ranks an old friend. Unconfirmed reports suggest he might even make a cameo for the home team this afternoon. Whether he does or not, be sure to give him a hell of a welcome home.
