From Stoke to Barcelona: The Ugly, The Bad & The Good
9 comments December 17th, 2010
Hello all. If you’ve wondered where I’ve been all week, and haven’t seen my intermittent babbling over on twitter, I’ve been in bed with something I’m calling ‘flu’ but which is probably just a slightly jumped-up cold.
Tomorrow afternoon we face Stoke City with, remarkably, yet another chance to go top of the table. A lot of the focus, unsurprisingly, is on our first encounter with Ryan Shawcross since this (you thought nothing could make that tackle seem more cold-bloodedly cruel – then you heard it with Germanic commentary).
Watching the video will bring back a lot of painful memories. The important thing to remember is that as much as those players were furious – surrounding the referee and appealing to the heavens as much as the officials – they were professional enough to settle down and get the victory for Aaron.
We have to do the same tomorrow – without the leadership of a guy like Sol Campbell. I’m sure some fury will be vented at Shawcross & Co, however much Arsene politely appeals for respect, but let’s not forget that the greatest revenge would be a hammering on the football pitch, rather than from the crowd. Let’s embarrass Shawcross by exposing his limitations as a footballer first and foremost. Putting four or five goals past him will be more painful than a few chants which he can use to build his persecution complex.
By the way, it’s worth remembering that as much as Shawcross undoubtedly deserves a rough ride, Stoke’s Glenn Whelan should be given a warm reception: it was he who stayed with Ramsey throughout the ordeal. A decent bloke and not a bad footballer either.
As you’ll all know by now, the Champions League Draw pitted us against our old friends Barcelona this morning. There was a sense of inevitability about being pitted once again against the team Arsene had already called ‘massive favourites’ to win the competition.
I have to say, if you’re not excited about this rematch then I don’t really know why you’re a football fan. Would you really rather have watched us in two games against Schalke? Elite competitive sport is about having the opportunity to pit yourself against the best in your field, and Barcelona certainly are that. As I’ve said all along: if you want to win the Champions League, you have to beat these teams eventually. If we manage to win (big if, I know), then what’s to stop us going all the way to Wembley? If we don’t, then we’re able to focus on the domestic prizes that will still be up for grabs. In the meantime, we’re guaranteed 180 minutes of showcase football. I can’t wait.
It’ll be something a little different from this weekend, then, when the weather conditions and the opposition are likely to dictate a very different style of game. Nicklas Bendtner may be unavailable due to the impending birth of a baby – if he is still in London, I think he might be included on account of his physical strength. The same goes for Johan Djourou.
A lot of speculation has suggested that Andrey Arshavin could be dropped from the side after a couple of disappointing performances. There’s a lot of debate about the Russian’s contribution: many fans perceive him as lazy, whilst Arsene defends him on the basis of statistics. In a bid to uncover some of those numbers, I spoke to a pleasant lady called Hannah at EA SPORTS’ Player Performance Index.
According to the PPI, Arshavin is the ninth best player in the Premier League this season. From the Arsenal squad, only Marouane Chamakh (3rd) ranks above him. Arshavin has the third highest number of assists in the division (8). The next Arsenal player in the rankings is Cesc Fabregas, who has barely played.
He’s had 25 shots on target to Samir Nasri’s 29, and has completed an identical number of dribbles (25).
You can prove anything with stats, I suppose, but his numbers do suggest he’s having a productive season. My personal opinion is that Arshavin is the kind of player who never plays a safe game. He takes risks and tries things that won’t always come off. When they do, they’re devastating. When they don’t, it’s frustrating. It’s not worth bawling at him to run around like a maniac though. He never will: it’s not his game. He is what he is, and unlike most of our young squad, he isn’t at an age where he’s likely to change.
Anyway. If, by some miracle, you’ve not yet heard enough from me, why not hop over to arseblog and give today’s arsecast a listen?
Snow is descending on London. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. There’s nothing more festive than three points. I can’t wait for tomorrow.
