Archive for August 8th, 2010

Alarm bells ring in Warsaw

35 comments August 8th, 2010

Legia Warsaw 5 – 6 Arsenal
(Ariel Cabral 17, Koscielny 33 (og), Jedrzejczyk 36, 75, Chamakh 38, Eboue 52, 60, Gibbs 63, Emmanuel-Thomas 82, Iwanski 90)
Match Report | Highlights

Well, the problem is not scoring goals.  But then we knew that.

I haven’t yet seen an interview with Arsene.  After coming back from 3-0 down to win our final friendly of pre-season, once imagines he was delighted to be given a chance to talk about our “great mental strength” rather than our “shit goalkeeper”.

In fact, our entire defence was a shambles.  Even the more reliable members of the back four, like Vermaelen, seemed to be struggling under the weight of responsibility.  And before anyone says, “it was only a friendly”: we play Liverpool in seven days time.  We need to be ready now.

The goals we conceded were all fairly disastrous.  I can’t go through them all individually – there were simply too many.  Have a look for yourselves:

On his return to his former club, Lukasz Fabianski put in a trademark terrible display.  For Warsaw’s second goal, he charged out to collect a corner, tripping over Thomas Vermaelen’s leg on the way.  Not to be outdone, Laurent Koscielny then sliced the dropping ball in to his own net.  It was absolutely calamitous.

We went 3-0 down, and at that stage I really just wanted us to get hammered.  I wanted Arsene to have to stare a horrific scoreline in the face and admit that our defensive unit is not good enough.  We are crying out for a goalkeeper and a centre-half of quality and experience.  Without them, we will not win a thing this season.  Not only that, but our place in the top four could come under threat.

As it was, we came back strongly, and the six we scored all had their merit.  Marouane Chamakh headed a brave first, before substitute Emmanuel Eboue added an impressive brace.  Eboue replaced the anonymous Walcott at half-time, and was a significant improvement.  My patience with Theo is wearing increasingly thin.

The bionic left-foot of Kieran Gibbs hammered in the fourth, before Jay Emmanuel Thomas crept in behind the back four to fire home.  Samir Nasri’s free-kick ricocheted through the Fabianski impersonator in the Warsaw goal for what would ultimately prove the winner.

Despite racking up the goals, we were still a mess at the back.  There were other problems too – as well as Theo Walcott’s disappearing act, Jack Wilshere and Emmanuel Frimpong were overrun in midfield.  Of the starting XI, only Nasri and Chamakh came out of the game with any real credit.  And barring Andrey Arshavin, who was rested with a groin strain, this could well be the XI that begins at Anfield.  Worrying indeed.

There was some good news yesterday as the trio of Walcott, Gibbs and Wilshere received a call-up to the England squad.  It’s a first senior call-up for Gibbs and Wilshere, so congratulations and good luck to them.  With Anfield and a first Premier League start for Arsenal looming on Saturday, it could be a big week for Jack The Lad.

As he enters the final year of his contract, Arsene Wenger has been talking to Amy Lawrence of The Observer about, among other things, his future:

“I am at the stage where if I extend my contract, it means I will finish my career at club level at Arsenal. If I go for a different challenge – I have been offered many challenges, you know – it has to be now. That’s a decision I have to make. But basically, I have no desire to change from here.”

Personally I think he’ll elect to stay, but it may depend on how this season goes.  I think he might leave it late in to the season before making a decision.

Enjoy your Sunday, folks.


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