Archive for August, 2009

Arsenal 4 – 1 Portsmouth: Diaby shines as people look for reasons to complain

1 comment August 25th, 2009

Arsenal 4 – 1 Portsmouth (Diaby 18, 22, Kaboul 37, Gallas 51, Ramsey 69)
Highlights here; Arsene’s reaction here

Apologies for the delay in bringing this report to you.  I’ve been at a weekend wedding in a hotel so posh that when I arrived I thought someone had nicked my bags because they were so swiftly whisked off to my room.

Before heading down to this matrimonial jolly, I attended our comprehensive 4-1 win over Portsmouth.  The gap between the two sides was massive, and whilst we were a little slack at times one felt that whatever Pompey mustered we had the neccessary artillery to hit back.

Arsene made a few changes, with Gibbs and Eboue coming in at full-back for Clichy and Sagna.  Both were effective going forward though occasionally suspect to balls in behind.  In midfield Song was rested, which meant Denilson holding and Abou Diaby coming in alongside Cesc Fabregas.  Diaby was outstanding, netting two goals on his 100th Arsenal appearance.  Whilst the first was a cracking finish, the second was a particularly magnificent break – Diaby headed a Portsmouth free-kick clear, and within fifteen seconds was firing past David James at the other end.

After the game, Arsene was effusive in his praise of the young Frenchman, drawing up parrallels again with Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira:

“Abou is a more offensive player but if he decides to play defensively he is exactly like Vieira. At some stage when Gallas moved out I put Denilson centre back and put Diaby central midfield in a defensive role. And he looks completely similar to Patrick to win the ball back. But he is a guy who has a quick transition from defence to offence, from box to box, that is his fantastic strength, to change quickly. Nobody can go with him when he has that, when we are on the counter-attack. He is fantastic.”

I’m not sure how helpful a comparison it is, but obviously Diaby’s potential is enormous – he’s just never found the consistency required to fulfill it.  It’s interesting to note that this isn’t the first time Arsene has said that “if Diaby decided to play defensively” he could emulate Vieira.  It seems that is what Arsene envisages Diaby becoming, but the player’s natural attacking instincts have hindered that development.  Whilst the manager has spoken before about the futility of trying to make an attacking player defend, surely at some stage it is his responsibility to sit Diaby down and tell him that if the team require him to sit back then he must do his duty.

Perhaps it won’t matter – I think Arsene’s estimation that “this could be Abou’s year” is in large part due to the new formation, which suits Diaby’s roaming style.  With Song or Denilson holding, he is free to rampage up and down the pitch as he pleases.  It’s a good start to the season for Diaby (he made a vital contribution as a sub at Celtic park too) so let’s hope he can maintain it.  One can’t help but fear that an injury is due any minute.

Before half-time we conceded a horrendous goal when our defence got too deep and Manuel Almunia completely misjudged his jump, allowing Younes Kaboul to bundle the ball into the net.

The second half contained some lucky escapes – William Gallas avoided a red card in a situation where you’ve certainly seen them given, and there was some crucial last ditch tackling from the likes of Kieran Gibbs.  Going forward, however, we were still excellent, and after Gallas knocked in his third in three games with his face, Robin van Persie slipped through Aaron Ramsey (who had replaced the injured Cesc Fabregas) to fire in his first Premier League goal.

It’s an excellent result, however poor Portsmouth were.  And yet around the ground there was audible disapproval about the fact that our strikers (Van Persie, Arshavin, Bendtner, and Eduardo, who was starting his first league game since his terrible injury) have scored just one goal between them this season.  Well, frankly, I couldn’t give a damn.  Having averaged four goals over our opening three games, I can’t wait to see what happens when the attack clicks into gear.  Andrey Arshavin is enjoying his new position, and when you add Theo Walcott and Carlos Vela to the mix it’s quite the… well, quite the arsenal.

Tomorrow we face Celtic, and the big news to come out of Arsene’s press conference today will be the prognosis for Cesc’s hamstring injury.  More on that as and when it’s made known.

A chance to capitalise on Pompey uncertainty

1 comment August 22nd, 2009

The first matchday of the home season is upon us, and I’m bouncing up and down like tigger after Pooh gave him a load of honey that was actually chock-full of amphetamine sulphate.

Whilst we’ve already played twice this season, it never feels like a new campaign is underway until we have strolled out on to home turf.  RedAction volunteers spent yesterday leaving scarves on seats, and the Emirates hierarchy have promised that a process of “Arsenalization” of the stadium has begun.  Whilst that’s all fantastic, there are only two things that Arsenalize that corner of North London: the team itself, and the fans.  Fortunately, both of those will be out in force for Portsmouth’s visit today.

Pompey are in a bad way.  The past twelve months has seen them lose Sulley Muntari, Glen Johnson, Jermaine Defoe, Lassana Diarra and Peter Crouch, and they’re now one of the favourites for relegation.  I feel for them, but hope we can take advantage of their instability to continue our own good form.

As I said yesterday, I’d expect us to name the same team as in our opening two games, though the likes of Eboue, Diaby and Eduardo could all be handed starts to provide a bit of freshness.  Arsene confirmed yesterday that Carlos Vela will join Theo Walcott on the sidelines.  Whilst Theo‘s return date is yet to be defined, Arsene believes Vela will miss all of a month.

The back four will remain unchanged, but Arsene must be aware that he won’t be afforded that luxury forever, hence his interest in a defensive player.  He won’t, however, be signing Brede Hangeland.

Right, I’ve got to run now.  There’ll hopefully be updates on twitter before/during/after the game, so hop on over and have a chinwag.

Come On You Gunners!

Same team for the third consecutive game? + Arsene looking for a centre-back

1 comment August 21st, 2009

The news that Theo Walcott will miss the Portsmouth game with a back injury means that, unless Arsene decides to plunge the fit-again Eduardo in to the first team, Arsenal will line up with the same XI in their opening three games.

It’s only a good thing, especially as it’s allowing the players to adapt to our new 4-3-3 formation.  Whilst Arsene is reluctant to committ to it on a permanent basis:

“There are many benefits from it.  I would say it’s not a definite system.  I might go again to 4-4-2 – just at the start of the season I wanted to play high up the pitch and bring the threat to the opponents’ half very early in the game.  We are an attacking team and that formation gives us a chance to suit our character.”

Pleased though I am by the consistency in our line-up, a niggling back injury for Walcott is a bit of a worry.  I think he features heavily in Arsene’s thinking with this new system, with the manager having long insisted that Walcott is not an orthodox right-midfielder, but more an attacker who happens to be deployed on that flank.

In the same interview, Arsene spoke about the impact Thomas Vermaelen has made since arriving from Ajax:

“I believe first of all he’s a player who is intelligent, good in the air, technically good but overall he’s calm and determined and at the back it’s always very difficult to combine aggression and committment and calmness, and he has a good combination of that.  But overall I believe as well he’s a good combination with Gallas, who’s playing very well as well. “

Despite Vermaelen’s form, we’re still very light at the back, and it’s here that Arsene has hinted he might be prepared to strengthen:

“We are looking still, we have an open eye, we are not desperate because we believe if you look at the players who are out, and the squad we have available we have a big squad.  Maybe in the defensive area we could still do… but everybody looks for basically the same areas!”

He’s right there, with Liverpool and Manchester United also reportedly on the lookout for a centre-half.

Finally today, Henri Lansbury has joined Championship side Watford on loan until January.  Henri was incredibly well thought of a couple of years ago, but his progress seems to have stalled somewhat.  How he fares in this spell might decide his Arsenal future.

Celtic 0 – 2 Arsenal: Boys triumph against Bhoys

Add comment August 19th, 2009

Gallas celebrates Arsenal's fortuitous opener

Celtic 0 – 2 Arsenal (Gallas 43, Caldwell og 71)
Highlights here; Arsene’s reaction here

Well, this is all going rather swimmingly, isn’t it?

Whilst a club with fans as hysterical as ours are only ever really one game away from disaster, it feels like it’s a million miles off at the moment.  The opening day thumping of Everton was last night followed by a dispatching of Celtic that, whilst less dramatic, seemed to demonstrate a growing maturity in the side.

The crowd were raucous and the Celtic players were, at times, equally rowdy.  Lacking the required technical ability to take the game to us, they instead sought to contain our passing flow with increasingly cynical fouls.  The quality gap between the two sides was visible throughout: the differing resources above and below the border now mean that spirit and atmosphere are no longer enough to compensate.

We fielded the same XI that came through at Goodison Park with such distinction, and although the performance was less fluid the result is just as valuable.  People will talk about our goals being lucky, but I’m with Goodplaya: one the first one really counts as fortunate – a Cesc free-kick deflecting of William Gallas and bamboozling Artur Boruc.

The second goal would almost certainly have ended up in the net whether Caldwell had intervened or not.  A great turn by the now be-haired sub Diaby allowed Gael Clichy in on the left, and his cut-back would have found RVP just a few yards out had Caldwell not prodded it into his own net.

There were other half-chances, but for the most part we were very comfortable.  I’m a huge fan of our new system, especially when the front three of Arshavin, RVP, and Bendtner work as hard as they did last night to close down the space and apply pressure high up the pitch.  Arsene reveals in this fascinating interview that he has been known to nick tactics from other sides, and this one is plucked right out of Josep Guardiola’s Catalan manual.

Thomas Vermaelen looks like a classy addition to the defence, and Alex Song’s performances in midfield continue to surprise and impress in equal measure.  However, we’re still desperately short of cover in both areas.

We now have one foot firmly in the Champions League, and bar an absolute disaster in the second leg we’ll have the group stage money on top of all the cash we picked up in sales.  Will we spent it?  Probably not on Marouane Chamakh, with Arsene Wenger informing Bordeaux that he has ended his interest in the player (can’t find the link now, but the Bordeaux chairman has confirmed it).

Portsmouth, and the first home game of the season, are now on our immediate horizon.  Another win there and the solid start to the season we all desired will be stronger still.

Note: Aleksandr Hleb moves to Stuttgart – Jens Lehmann announces retirement.  Coincidence?  I think not.  Jens always was a man of impeccable taste.

Celtic Preview: Beware Tony “Baldrick” Mowbray

Add comment August 18th, 2009

Fear not, Celtic fans: manager Tony Mowbray has a cunning plan.  And it’s as cunning as a fox who’s just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University.

“There is a cunning plan in place, but it if doesn’t work, it is there for you guys to beat me over the head with it afterwards.”

Following that admission, Mowbray’s “cunning plan” can only possibly refer to one thing:

A turnip, of course

A turnip, of course.

Arsene Wenger’s plans, cunning or otherwise, have been disrupted by several injuries.  Whilst Abou Diaby does return, Theo Walcott doesn’t, and Bacary Sagna, Denilson, and Cesc Fabregas are all doubts.  Of those it’s clear which is the biggest worry, but I’m sure the manager will do everything he can to get Cesc out there – especially in the light of his performance at the weekend.

The atmosphere will be intimidating but our players ought to have the class to cope.  If you look at the actual personnel in Celtic’s side, it’s the sort of line-up you’d expect us to easily overcome in the Premier League.  As Arsene puts it:

“Scotland is always a very special atmosphere, a special noise in the stands. But we have played everywhere in Europe and we can deal with that. It will be down to us and how well we play. We don’t go into this game with fear. We go with respect for Celtic, but we know it is a very important game for us and we want to come home with a positive result.”

Whilst by “a positive result” I’m sure Arsene means a win, a draw wouldn’t be a bad result either – Celtic famously don’t travel well in European competition so you’d expect us to be able to come through in the home leg.

I’m really excited: it’s a great fixture for any fan of British football.

After a brilliant start on Saturday, tonight’s a great chance to continue that momentum.  Come On You Reds.

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