Archive for September, 2009

Liege 2 – 3 Arsenal: Not Your Standard Game

4 comments September 17th, 2009

Standard Liege 2 – 3 Arsenal (Mangala 2, Jovanovic 4 (pen), Bendtner 47, Vermaelen 77, Eduardo 81)
Highlights here; Arsene’s reaction here

We didn’t play very well last night. We fell behind due to some defensive sloppiness, our midfield were outfought and often outplayed, and our front three looked as toothless as Robin van Persie could have been if Emmanuel Adebayor’s foot-eye coordination was a little better.

And yet we won. Is this how Man United fans feel most weeks?

It’s often said that good teams know how to play badly and win. I don’t like that phrase because the word “know” implies some kind of preconception, like gifting Standard a two-goal head-start was part of one of Arsene’s zanier masterplans. We didn’t “know” what we were doing last night – we stumbled through thanks to a combination of poor refereeing, luck, and a couple of instances where our superior ability shone through the murk of a dreadful display.

Poor Vito Mannone. On only his second start for the club he found himself picking the ball out of the net twice within the opening five minutes. Arsene said after the game that what happened to us in that traumatic opening period “could happen to any team”. I’m not so sure, for reasons I’ll outline now.

The first goal game when a corner was cleared to Eduardo on the edge of the box. Seeing Cesc in space just inside him, he attempted an audacious backheel as the ball dropped out of the sky, only for his fluffed effort to find Standard’s giant centre-back who powered a shot into Mannone’s near post from 22 yards.

After the game, Arsene defended Eduardo’s decision, stating that players have to take risks. Yes, sometimes they do, but not there. Not then. If Eduardo did that in a Jose Mourinho team he’d be publically admonished and dropped from the side. I’m not necessarily advocating that, but I do think sometimes the manager needs to put a greater emphasis on defensive discipline.

Their second goal was the result of a storming run that William Gallas will have felt a little unlucky to have halted with a foul. But a foul it was, and the resulting penalty was tucked away with aplomb. Suddenly we were 2 nil down inside five minutes, and staring down the barrel of a third consecutive defeat.

Liege were as surprised by their success as anyone, and seemed a little overawed by their impressive lead, sinking back deeper and deeper as the half wore on. A goal before half-time gave us hope – Abou Diaby, in arguably his only useful contribution of the game, spinning away from two defenders before playing in Nicklas Bendtner who finished well between the keeper’s legs.

The second half began with Alex Song and Gallas attempting to restore Liege’s two-goal advantage with some comical interplay at the back. Fortunately, a great block from the otherwise awful Gael Clichy prevented yet more defensive disaster.

We weren’t imposing a lot of pressure, and it began to look as if Liege might hold on for a famous victory. Then, with thirteen odd minutes remaining, Cesc Fabregas swung in a free-kick from the left. Alex Song, about to be withdrawn as a substitute, potentially offside, and definitely using his hand, knocked the ball back for Thomas Vermaelen (our best player on the night) to prod home. I waited for the referee to disallow the goal, yet inexplicably he didn’t. A huge slice of luck and suddenly we were level.

From then on there was only going to be one outcome. Vermaelen had a backheeled effort cleared off the line and the Belgian keeper produced a marvellous save to deny Eduardo from close range. No matter – the Croatian attoned for his early error with a kneed effort from another Fabregas set-piece.

In four minutes, Arsenal had conceded two scrappy goals that almost cost them the game. In another four minutes, we’d scored two scrappier goals that had won it. Football is a strange, strange game.

The performance was poor but that will soon be forgotten. A third consecutive defeat would have been a real blow, but the nature of the comeback could now prove to be a vital boost as we return to Premier League action this weekend.

Here’s hoping, however, that on Saturday we don’t deign to give Wigan a two-goal head-start.

Liege Preview: Wenger should have bought an experienced keeper this summer

1 comment September 16th, 2009

On the occasions I’ve seen young Vito Mannone play for Arsenal, he has made me so nervous that the chances of me actually weeing myself have increased tenfold.  With the news that Manuel Almunia has a chest infection meaning that Mannone will make his Champions League debut in Belgium tonight, I’ll be attaching a catheter just before kick-off.

Denilson and Robin van Persie are also out – the former with a back problem and the latter after a ritualistic Togolese decapitation.  Arsene’s comment on Adebayor’s stamp was as witty as it was scathing:

“It looks very bad.  You ask 100 people, 99 will say it’s very bad and the 100th will be Mark Hughes.”

Mark Hughes ought to be ashamed of the way he has discussed the Adebayor situation, including claiming at one stage that the player’s celebration was with “the City fans in that corner” with whom the he shared a “special affinity”.  What utter tosh.

Anyway, back to more important matters, like the Champions League – something Adebayor has foregone this season.  The Liege side we face tonight are no pushover – I remember their games against Liverpool last season with fond memories of how much panic they caused in the scouse ranks.  They’ve got a crunchy midfield, too – watch out for Axel “The Axe” Witsel.

WIth plenty of injuries already littering the squad, our team almost picks itself.  Mannone will be reassured by the presence of Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas, with Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy at full-back.  Clichy and the missing Almunia have started the season with some rocky form, but hopefully tonight will start an upturn in the frenchman’s fortunes.

In midfield, Cesc is likely to be joined by Alex Song and Abou Diaby, though there’s an outside chance of Tomas Rosicky making his first start for the club in over a year-and-a-half.  Ahead of that, Eduardo and Nicklas Bendtner are certainties, with Emmanuel Eboue the most obvious candidate to fill the third attacking spot.

It’s not our strongest line-up – absentees Almunia, Arshavin, Van Persie, Walcott and Nasri are all key players – but after two defeats we need a positive result.  I’ve got the sneakiest of feelings that the unexpected availability of Eduardo might provide crucial.

Good luck Vito and Come On Arsenal!

UPDATE/TIP:

Never write a headline before you write the blog.  Especially if you don’t really plan it and just splurge your thoughts out through the medium of type.

I forgot to talk at all about the fact that Arsene should undoubtedly have brought in some experienced cover ahead of the new season.  He knew that Fabianski had a serious injury, and whilst Mannone and Sczczczczeszcznhny have promise, it’s almost unfair on them to rely on them on the biggest stage – goalkeeper, perhaps more than any other, is a pressure position that requires experience.

Furthermore, could Manuel Almunia’s sluggish start to the season be explained by the fact he has no realistic competition?  One to ponder…

A good news day for Gooners

Add comment September 15th, 2009

After the crushing defeat at Manchester City, suddenly there’s good news cropping up all over the place.

EDUARDO BAN OVERTURNED

Eduardo da Silva’s two-game ban from European competition for “simulation” has been overturned.  From an Arsenal perspective, it’s great news as he’s now available for the games against Liege and Olympiakos, but I think UEFA have done themselves a favour too by avoiding the administrative nightmare that would be attempting to ascertain the veracity of every penalty appeal under their jurisdiction.

Hwoever, were I working for Arsenal’s press office, I’m not sure I would have sanctioned this statement from Eduardo proclaiming his innocence.  Even if there was minimal contact, Eduardo definitely engaged in some simulation to attempt to coerce the award of a penalty.  The appropriate punishment, I suppose, would have been a retrospective yellow card.  I can’t help but feel our success at the appeal is due more to UEFA’s realisation that they’d opened a huge can of worms than a foul by Artur Boruc.

ADEBAYOR CHARGED

Emmanuel Adebayor has been charged by the FA with violent conduct for his stamp on Robin van Persie and improper conduct for his celebration in front of the Arsenal fans.  The former will result in a three game suspension, whilst the latter could add another game or two at a later date.

Adebayor’s punishment, when it arrives, will be absolutely deserved.  It will hit City hard, but then Adebayor is too selfish to have considered that in the moment.

QUOTA INTRODUCED

The Premier League will introduce a quota system from next season which imitates that already in use in the Champions League.

From next season, each club will, at the end of every transfer window, have to name at least eight “home-grown” players in a squad of 25.  To qualify as home grown, a player will have had to be registered for at least three seasons at an English or Welsh club between the ages of 16 and 21.  This squad of 25 can be supplemented by players below the age of 21.

Richard Scudamore says:

“It will encourage youth development and the promotion of young players.  It’s a rule which we think will give clubs an extra incentive to develop players, and to make a better return from their investment in youth.  Make, rather than buy, is our intention.”

He could be reading from a script written by our own Arsene Wenger – especially when the system does not specify that the “home-grown” players need to be British.

The system will also prevent monied clubs from buying up massive squads of experienced internationals, and will thus promote healthy competition.

I think it’s a fantastic ruling, and one that will hopefully encourage clubs to invest in youth in the same manner that we have.

Liege preview tomorrow, but there’s injury news here and it don’t look pretty.

Emmanuel Adebayor: The Evidence

50 comments September 13th, 2009

I had planned to write today about the defensive lapses that caused us to concede four goals yesterday – the final three of which all came down Gael Clichy’s left-hand side.  That debate will have to wait until tomorrow, with the news that the FA are to investigate two incidents involving Emmanuel Adebayor – believed to be the celebration and the alleged stamp on Robin van Persie.

They’d be advised to consider this tackle on Cesc Fabregas too:

Adebayor's high tackle on Cesc Fabregas

It came early in the game and thus was met with leniency by the ref, though it could easily have resulted in a broken ankle for our skipper.

When the incident with Van Persie first occurred the fuzziness of my stream and the lack of a clear replay made it impossible to discern if it was a deliberate stamp or not.  However, tv highlights and clips such as the one below have left me in little doubt.

Adebayor stamp on Van Persie

I now believe Adebayor, probably in part angered by an over-zealous Van Persie tackle, deliberately set out to put his foot through Robin van Persie’s face.  At the very least, he sought to put his studs through Robin’s hand and his face just happened to get in the way.  Either action is reprehensible and, having been missed by the referee, will surely result in a minimum three-game ban.

Van Persie after the stamp

Robin van Persie’s statement on the event is elegant, eloquent, and dripping in the class Adebayor so patently lacks.

Adebayor compounded the stupidity of his actions with an already infamous goal celebration, charging the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of Arsenal fans, in turn sparking disturbances in which a steward was injured.

Arsenal fans react to Adebayor's celebration

I’m not going to say that Arsenal fans are justified in their response, just as I would gladly label any ‘fan’ who sang the Adebayor “elephant” song an idiotic hypocrite.  With that said, Adebayor’s actions are astoundingly stupid.  He is a professional footballer, paid an absurd amount of money a week to perform in the public eye.  Of course the crowd will occasionally give him stick – it is his duty not to rise to it.

I think what’s most disappointing for me is that I so often defended Adebayor against his critics, and yet his celebration yesterday was a raised finger to every Arsenal fan.  His insecurity and paranoia is such that he has forgotten three years of support and made us all his enemy.  Yesterday he turned on the away fans, who gave him far more support than the home crowd did in recent years.

With four goals in four games, City fans must think they’ve landed a real gem.  But let me tell you: it will be you one day.

Thanks to Archie, rdg and Phil for the gifs. I think they need a wider audience. RVP’s statement and the media reaction to Adebayor’s stupidity is what has forced the FA to examine the case. I’d like to think they’d have done so anyway, but one never knows.

More tomorrow.

Man City 4 – 2 Arsenal: Four games, two defeats

1 comment September 12th, 2009

Man City 4 – 2 Arsenal (Almunia (og) 20, Van Persie 62, Bellamy 74, Adebayor 80, Wright-Phillips 84, Rosicky 88)
Match report here; Goals @ 101greatgoals.com

It doesn’t read prettily, does it?

We knew our start to the season would be difficult, and that we’d need to perform at a level beyond national expectation.  For the most part, we’ve done so.  And yet here we sit, with six points dropped barely a few weeks into the season.

There is a major difference from last season though.  Rather than losing to Fulham and Hull, it’s a vibrant Manchester City and the old foe, United.  What is a hangover from last season is a sense that whilst we dominate games for long periods that is often not enough to secure a positive result.

And yet I’m not filled with despair.  Looking at United last week and City today, the main thing I extracted from their celebrations was relief: they knew they had got away with it.  City fans will doubtless point to their goals for column (and with some justification), though the more honest among their contingent will, perhaps in a quieter moment amidst all the hullabaloo about their imagined “title chances”, admit they got the breaks today.

The ref seemed to call most things in their favour, including failing to give a penalty for a Gareth Barry handball and allowing Micah Richards’ opening goal when he appeared to be offside.  And what of the antics of Emmanuel Adebayor?  Since leaving Arsenal, Adebayor has morphed from mild irritant to detestable supervillain.  It’s like he fell in a big vat of c*ntishness which reacted with his inherent peskiness to create a living nightmare.  His partnership with Craig Bellamy is quite the axis of evil.

Adebayor went in over the top on Fabregas, stamped on Robin van Persie’s head (deliberately or otherwise), and celebrated his all too predictable goal by charging the length of the pitch to incite the Arsenal fans with a hugely provocative celebration.  Arsene said it lacked “elegance”.  That’s putting it lightly.

Of course, there were flaws to our game.  Almunia continued his poor start to the season with dodgy footwork on the opening goal, Clichy looked erratic at full-back, and the front three were uninspiring in the absence of Arshavin, Nasri, and Walcott.

By far the most positive thing to come of today was the return of Tomas Rosicky, who bagged a goal and an assist in his half hour on the pitch.

Much needs to be studied in more depth about this game – principally how we managed to concede four goals to a side who didn’t play all that well – and that process will begin in earnest tomorrow.  For now though, my message is clear: Don’t Panic.

This nascent season has a long way to run before City come to the Emirates in April.  Let’s see where we are then.

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