Gunnerblog

Arsenal 1 – 1 Newcastle: I need a template for these games.

189 comments November 18th, 2006

And so here we are again. Arseblogger used to have a template he would pull out when the fans proclamed that we were “doooomed”. I’m thinking of getting one for games in which we fall behind then struggle to break down teams at home. Oh, and where lots of people shout “shoooooot”.

The first mistake was probably resting Thierry Henry. The 4-1-4-1 formation is dependent on mobile, technical footballers. Today, with Flamini, Baptista, and Adebayor in for the likes of Ljungberg, Rosicky, and Henry, we were always going to suffer.

Baptista was making his first start, and he looked well off the pace. If he performs like that week-in week-out, we’ll have to send him back to Madrid as faulty goods. About halfway down the BBC’s match report you get an indication of his display today. Perhaps in time he’ll come good.

When Newcastle took the lead, I laughed. There was something horribly inevitable about it. In the 29th minute, a Newcastle counter-attack saw Martins and Dyer up against Clichy and Eboue. However, once Martins had got the better of the Frenchman, Eboue stood off Dyer allowing him to turn and curl the ball into the far corner.

Half-time saw Henry replace the injured van Persie, and Adebayor switch out to the left wing. Eventually, Theo Walcott too was introduced for the plodding Baptista. However, as against Everton, it was a stunning 70th minute set-piece that was required; Henry curling a wonderful strike into the near top-corner.

So, arguably the best player in Europe helped us get out of jail. Again. Arsene said:

“Newcastle played and defended well but We did not score in the first 20 minutes and gave a soft goal away. Then we created lots of opportunities and gave a great performance but we cannot give goals away the way we did. This side has great potential but we are still a bit young in some areas of our game and you could see that today.”

Someone on a forum I’m a member of described this side as “the most frustrating team the world has ever seen”. I can’t see it catching on as a chant, but you’d have to say he’s probably right.

It’s silly to say “we’re out of the title race”. At this stage of the season, there isn’t a title race. You just have to take each game at a time. Especially with this side, where consecutive results seem to bear no correlation whatsoever. All together now:

AND IT’S ARSENAL;
ARSENAL FC!
WE’RE BY FAR THE MOST FRUSTRATING TEAM
THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN!

Newcastle Preview: Time to “Unleash The Beast”?

157 comments November 18th, 2006

With Freddie Ljungberg out due to cheese poisoning and Gilberto on compassionate leave, Julio Baptista could be in line for his first Arsenal start tomorrow.

Although Ljungberg has recovered from his cheese-related incident, Arsene says:

“He has not played one minute at a competitive level for five weeks and he was out this week again. He has not even practiced a lot – that is the only reason for him to not play.”

Whereas regarding Baptista, he has this to say:

“Bapista has been able to work extremely hard in the last four or five weeks. Contrary to Freddie who was a little bit in and out, Baptista was at a consistent practice level and he looks sharp. I don’t know if I will start him or not, but he is in the squad.”

My potential team on the right seems him starting, though he might bring in Adebayor and shift to a 4-4-2, or push Hleb inside with Walcott playing from the flank. So far in his Arsenal career, La Bestia has managed a mere 53 minutes: a start today would certainly go some way towards redressing that tiny figure.

There is some talk of resting Thierry, but I can’t see Arsene doing that. I think he probably talked about it merely to highlight his anger at Domench playing him for a full 90 minutes midweek. Another Frenchman, Mathieu Flamini, will certainly start after his goalscoring heroics against Liverpool last week.

You may have noticed there was a post or two missing this week. That was in protest against the incredibly boring International week.

We’ve drawn a lot of games like today’s this season, and if we’re serious about the title, that needs to stop. Hopefully The Beast will help blow Newcastle all the way back to the North-East.