The understudies failed to state their case…
Arsene made nine changes from the team that faced Manchester City on Wednesday, giving an opportunity to squad members to give him one of those pleasurably painful selection headaches. In short, they didn’t. The only outfield starter who can look back on this performance with pride was Johan Djourou, who continues to look our best central defender – until Thomas Vermaelen returns, of course.
Denilson showed why he’s not a defensive midfielder…
…by giving away the penalty so cheaply. It was interesting to see Cesc Fabregas condemning the silly challenge after the game – hopefully Denilson takes note. Any half-decent holding midfielder needs to have either the awareness not to stick out a leg in the box, or the ability to be certain of making a clean tackle. Denilson, as things stand, has neither. I’m not dismissing his value to the squad, but I’m not yet convinced he should be playing an anchoring role.
Wojciech Szczesny kept us in the game…
Having almost kept out the penalty, he then made an outstanding reaction save to deny Luciano Becchio a headed goal which would have left us 2-0 down and almost certainly out of the cup. His distribution needs work, but there’s no doubting his talent.
Tomas Rosicky has not scored in 24 appearances this season…
That is a quite extraordinary statistic for a player who has started 14 games, many of them in a position just off the striker. It’s fantastic to see Rosicky playing regularly and seemingly free of the hamstring problems that dogged him for two years, but it’s hard to justify using him as the advanced midfielder when he’s so consistently unproductive. Aside from one beautiful pass to release Arshavin early on, he contributed little. He has some fantastic qualities: a superb first-touch, good movement, and an undeniable work ethic. But is that enough to justify the thirty-year old beyond this season? Especially with younger options on the market? We shall see.
Andrey Arshavin needs backing, not booing…
I doubt this will be a popular part of the post, but here we go.
As I have already pointed out, there was barely an outfield player who put in a good performance on Saturday. Despite this, sat in the stands, you would’ve thought the entire thing was Andrey Arshavin’s fault. When a Bendtner pass to him was overhit, it was the Russian’s fault. When he missed a one-on-one in the first half, the wannabe pundit behind me suggested:
“He must’ve got into drugs or hookers or something.”
Fans love a scapegoat. In the past it’s been Eboue, it’s been Bendtner, and it’s been Adebayor. At the moment, it’s Arshavin.
I’m not defending his performances. But neither is he. When you listen to Arshavin talk about his performances, there’s no attempt to avoid responsibility or shift blame. He knows when he’s not playing well.
One of the reasons he is being castigated is for running over to the subs bench when the board instead went up for ’29’, and then later expecting to be withdrawn for Vela. I assume people believe this to be due to a willingness to get off ASAP and collect his pay-cheque.
I have to say, I sincerely doubt that is true of a man who has been a top level professional athlete for more than a decade. He rightfully expects to be substituted: no player has been taken off more in the Premier League this season. And, as I have already made clear, he knows he’s not playing well. This isn’t Adebayor, threatening to leave and then blaming the fans for turning against him. This is a guy who is way, way off his game. And who, despite that, scored and created two vital goals in the game at Wigan just a week or so ago.
Yes, he is a bit lazy. He was lazy at Zenit, lazy for Russia, and lazy when he was playing well at Arsenal. He always has been, always will be. If that is your problem with him, I cannot help you. It was there before this dip in form.
What wasn’t there before was the poor first-touch and bowed head. Arshavin’s game is based on confidence: on instinct and the willingness to try the spectacular and predictable. The poorer his form, the lower his confidence. The lower is confidence, the more erratic his game becomes. Saturday, we can only hope, was he nadir from which recovery begins.
Arsene left Arshavin on the pitch because he knew he might produce the moment of magic that we needed – and he almost did, playing in Walcott with a lovely pass over the top. Had he been substituted, taking in to account he mood in the crowd, I can say with some sadness that he would have been roundly booed.
No other set of fans sees fit to boo their players. Had ours done so, again, I would have felt very disappointed. Arshavin is a great talent, and one we want to be in form. There’s no doubt we’re stronger when he’s on his game. As well as Theo and Nasri are playing at the moment, there will come a time when we can’t rely on them. Discarding Arshavin would be a mistake. Arsene knows that. And the fans should too.
Chamakh is a better footballer than Bendtner…
And deserves the more game time of the two. I was amazed when the Moroccan was withdrawn, leaving the Dane on the pitch. Perhaps Bendtner’s bleating means Arsene feels obliged to give him game-time. But that shouldn’t be allowed disrupt the pecking order: Chamakh has already shown this season that he is arguably our most effective centre-forward.
Cesc made a captain’s contribution…
He came on for Alex Song, and played in a deeper position than usual. This allowed him to increase the team’s tempo, creating the pressure that resulted in the equaliser. And how about that for a cool spot-kick in the 90th minute?
Theo is right to admit his dive…
He claims it’s the one and only time he’s dived in his career, and I doubt he has any intention of doing so again. I for one feel referees are more likely to admire his integrity than punish him retrospectively. As it was, the referee got the decision right and didn’t award a penalty for the alleged ‘dive’, so there was no harm done.
Huddersfield at home is a great draw…
…if, and based on last night it’s a reasonably-sized ‘if’, we can overcome Leeds at Elland Road.
Arsene may have to buy after all…
Apparently Sebastien Squillaci picked up a hamstring problem on Saturday. If it’s serious, he might have to move quickly for some cover at centre-half.
Next up Ipswich…
…who were battered 7-0 at Stamford Bridge this weekend. It’ll be interesting to see what sort of team we field: you’d imagine it to be a similar line-up to last night, with perhaps one or two more senior personnel coming in. Two games from Wembley…
Arsenal have signed Mr. Miyaichi. 18-year old winger Ryo will be joining as soon as he’d done playing in the All Japan High Soccer Tournament. Champions League it ain’t, but by all accounts he’s a very talented lad. Arsene says:
“I am delighted Ryo will be joining us in the New Year.
“He trialled with us in the summer and has raw ability which has attracted many clubs around the world.
“I look forward to helping him fulfil his potential here at Arsenal.â€
He’s also made the point elsewhere that it’s good to have the Asian continent represented at our club, and it’s hard to disagree with that.
For those who enjoy disproportionately hyping talents on the back of a few neatly edited highlights against low-grade opposition, here is the obligatory Youtube clip:
I particularly like that special trick where he makes a forcefield-like white ring appear around himself. Impressive.
Our other confirmed signing, Wellington Silva, will go to Spain on loan. Arsenal will then attempt to win him a work permit in the summer. Havard Nordtveit, meanwhile, has completed his move to Germany.
With the news that Thomas Vermaelen is beginning to run again, the likelihood of us bringing in anyone else is diminishing daily.
Vela on his way
In his press conference today, Arsene confirmed the club have received enquiries from ten different clubs about signing Vela on loan. His suitors are based in England, France, and Spain. Arsene says the main criteria in choosing his destination will be the guarantee of first football. I’d add a second: he has to be playing in England.
It’s hard to see past Bolton as a suitable destination: they play good football, and did a fine job with Jack Wilshere. Owen Coyle is a manager Arsene admires and trusts. Though Carlos might need a bit of convincing about the night-life…
The team to face Leeds…
…will be somewhat akin to our Carling Cup sides this term. Szczesny should replace the other Pole in the goal. Kieran Gibbs has been declared fit, so assuming no calamity befalls him between now and kick-off, should replace Gael Clichy. Emmanuel Eboue, meanwhile, will take over from the suspended and repentant Bacary Sagna. The centre-backs are harder to call, with Squillaci certain to play alongside one of Koscielny or Djourou: probably the former.
In midfield, there will be games for the likes of Denilson and Rosicky, whilst Bendtner, Chamakh and Arshavin will all hope for an opportunity to prove their first-team credentials upfront.
Leeds are a decent side with plenty of attacking gusto: 21 goals away from home already this season tells you they will give us some trouble. However, you’d expect our quality to make the difference eventually – especially at home.
As Jose Mourinho once put it, Manchester City’s tactics last night equivocated to “parking the bus”. The thing is that £200m is an awful lot of money to spend on a bus. Even the pimpiest of pimped-out rides would struggle to reach that pricetag. In fact, you could probably get an alternative that would do the job, much cheaper.
That’s what frustrates about City. If the extent of your ambition is to put ten men behind the ball and hope the opposition don’t get the solitary fortunate ricochet or moment of genius they need to beat you, then you might aswell use any old footballers. I’ve seen sides from one or two divisions below us and do what City did. The difference in the result? The width of the post. City do have good defenders – I’m not denying that – but in this particular game they were downright lucky to escape defeat.
If this Manchester City team were to win the Premier League, it would be a bad thing for English football. Their display last night was the most negative I have ever seen by a top team at the Emirates. Even Mourinho’s Chelsea teams played with exciting wingers who could break at pace.
And what should shame City most of all is that I’ve seen sides with far less attacking resource in the their squad – the likes of West Brom – come to Arsenal, have a go, and win. It would be easier to justify City’s tactics if they were coming to an impenetrable fortress. But let’s be honest, the Emirates is far from that. City have no excuse, other than fear. Their display was plain cowardly.
In many ways, we did ourselves no favours by exacerbating those fears with a blistering opening ten minutes. Once City staggered, punchdrunk, away from that early onslaught, almost disbelieving that they were still level, Mancini’s mind was made up. The handbrake was pulled, and the ignition was switched off.
Our frustration is tinged with regret. Every Arsenal fan knows that we should have beaten City last night. That superb start brought with it a couple of chances that could have forced the opposition to come out and play, opening themselves up and making the game the sort of contest in which we prosper best.
The most notable chance of the 90 minutes came in the first 90 seconds. Samir Nasri swaggered between two defenders and fed Jack Wilshere on the left-hand side of the box. He seemed caught in two minds about whether to shoot or square, and the resulting cross-shot just evaded the sliding efforts of Robin van Persie.
The let-offs continued to come. Van Persie turned and struck the post, then Walcott spun inside the area and fired agonizingly across goal. Before the half was out, Cesc had joined Robin in striking a post with a beautifully placed effort from the edge of the area.
At half-time, City could scarcely believe they were still in the contest. Mancini issued his default instructions (“Never try and score”) and City emerged as a more organised, defiant unit. Kolo Toure played well at his former home, and Joe Hart produced on super save to deny a Van Persie piledriver.
Arsenal tired and grew frustrated. Andrey Arshavin was thrown on for Theo Walcott but made no discernible impact – the same goes for Nicklas Bendtner, who was surprisingly introduced ahead of Marouane Chamakh.
Arsenal’s frustration was manifested most plainly in the silly sending off of Bacary Sagna, who held his forehead against Zabaleta’s in that odd ‘just about to kiss’ way that Premier League footballers are inclined to do. It wasn’t a headbutt, but it wasn’t clever either, and Sagna will now sit out three games as consequence.
On a night when Chelsea and Spurs were also beaten, Manchester United were the big winners. Given City’s tendency for conservatism, I suspect United see Arsenal as their strongest challengers. Winning their game in hand, however, would take them seven points clear: a healthy margin indeed.
Still, there’s a lot of football to be played, and we mustn’t allow City’s negativity to infect our assessment of our own performance. Wilshere and Song were again outstanding, whilst the attacking quartet of Nasri, Fabregas, Van Persie and Walcott were mesmerising in the first half. It’s hard to talk about the goalkeeper and defence, as they were barely called upon.
After four games in ten days, we’ve git a bit of a break from our Premier League campaign now. On Saturday we face Leeds in the FA Cup before going to Ipswich in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final. The squad will be rotated, but results must remain good. In the short-term, momentum is important. In the medium-term, a trophy or too would be lovely.
A final note on last night’s game: defensive displays like City’s will always divide pundits, but when even the miserly Alan Hansen says that we emerged from the game looking like the most credible challenger to United, you know we’ve done something right.
Whatever happens in the title race, I can say with absolute confidence that I am proud of the performances my team put in and the way they try to play the game. What’s more, inevitably I enjoy watching them. They entertain me. Which, at the end of the day, is what this is really about.
Good old Arsenal. Keep doing your thing. When we do get the break we need, it’ll be so worth it.
It’s like climbing one mountain only to discover there’s another one on the other side. Granted, at least you’ve climbed one – you know you’re capable of it. But there’s still a mountain.
Beating Chelsea was heralded as the banishing of a hoodoo and the birth of a newfound self-belief in the side. Tonight we’ll get a far better idea on the permanence of that change. Was it a one-off, inspired by the occasion and augmented by a Chelsea side in a dreadful run of form? Or is this team ready to go out and beat their major rivals on a consistent basis?
There’s a huge challenge ahead. City, unlike Chelsea, are in fine form. They have the meanest defence in the Premier League. Until United’s victory against Stoke last night, Arsenal had the most prolific attack. It’s the old immovable object vs unstoppable force conundrum.
The good news is that there are no immovable objects and cannot be any, as even a minuscule force will cause a slight acceleration on an object of any mass. An immovable object would have to have an inertia that was infinite, and therefore infinite mass. Such an object would collapse under its own gravity and create a singularity and a black hole. And there is nothing I would like more than for City to disappear in to a black hole.
The bad news is that an unstoppable force would require infinite energy, which does not exist in a squad that contains Andrey Arshavin.
Saying that, the Russian may well not be involved. Our line-up should be the same one that started against Birmingham and beat Chelsea. That means Koscielny and Djourou at the back, and Walcott and Nasri wide of Robin van Persie. City will be without their key playmaker, David Silva, as well as Mario Balotelli. The latter’s absence means there could be a place in the squad for Emmanuel Adebayor, who further alienated Arsenal fans this week by scuffling with the still well-regarded Kolo Toure at the City training ground. It’ll be interesting to hear the contrast in their receptions tonight.
Arsenal have won their last two home games. They’re yet to win three in a row this season. Time to put another bogeyman to bed.
Can you feel the gusty breeze of speculation upon your neck? That’s from the freshly opened transfer window.
It’s a time when fans of relegation-threatened clubs pray for a saviour, and title-chasers seek the missing piece in an intricate jigsaw. And it’s a time when Arsenal fans imagine what it might be like to support a team that buys people.
If there is to be any activity at the club, it seems most of it will be outgoing, so let’s take a look at those first.
OUT
Manuel Almunia is likely to be the highest-profile departure. Arsene confirmed last week that there is interest from Spain, and the return of Vito Mannone from an impressive loan spell at Hull suggests he probably has one foot out the window already. Which is, on reflection, a rather precarious position to be in.
Havard Nordtveit is almost gone already, which is something of a surprise considering how high expectations were for the young Norwegian. Back in preseason, a Gunnerblog profile of the defender predicted he’d be a regular part of the first team squad, but the signing of Sebastien Squillaci and Emmanuel Eboue’s deployment at right-back rather than right-wing saw him frozen out. Now, Arsene says that Nordtveit, 20, needs to leave and play regular first-team football. The manager frames it as an altruistic decision, but the main driving force behind the deal has been the player himself, who handed the manager an ultimatum by refusing to sign a new deal until he was guaranteed more playing time. The result: an impending move to Borussia Monchengladbach.
Carlos Vela is another young player who has found first-team opportunities hard to come by – though when presented with opportunities he’s hardly seized them with both hands. The Mexican has made just three starts this season, and now finds himself behind Robin van Persie, Marouane Chamakh, Nicklas Bendtner, Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri, and Andrey Arshavin in the queue for a first-team spot. Arsene has now suggested that a loan spell might be the answer.
Vela has already spent two loan spells in Spain as he waited for a work permit to move to England. There’s no point in him returning to that sort of football and climate. If we want to try and develop him in to a Premier League player, he has to stay in this country. Most sides in the top division would benefit from a finisher of his undoubted talent, and he could learn some essential lessons about top-flight football in this country. If, however, Vela’s loan spell takes him abroad, I’d imagine it’ll be the last we see of him.
Another young South American joins the club this week: Brazilian striker Wellington Silva. After failing to win a work permit, Wellington will have to follow Vela’s path and head abroad on loan, most likely to Spain.
There are a couple of English youngsters in the squad who could benefit from a temporary move: Craig Eastmond could do with learning his trade in the rough and tumble of the Championship, whilst Jay Emmanuel-Thomas could benefit from playing in an attacking Premier League side like Blackpool. We know that JET has remarkable talent, and he’s demonstrated that at Championship level before. Now he is urgently in need of regular games. There isn’t room for both he and Carlos Vela in the same squad. The next six months is an opportunity for them both to audition for the one available spot.
There’s been a bit of chatter about some of the more established squad members, like Bendtner or Denilson, leaving. That’s rubbish. Don’t click it, don’t read it: it won’t happen.
IN
As well as Vito Mannone, a couple of other players will return from loan spells. Aaron Ramseyis back from Nottingham Forest this week, with only one start under his belt. The snow disrupted his loan spell and made it somewhat redundant, but he could be involved in cup-ties against Leeds and Ipswich over the next fortnight. What a reception he’ll get when he steps out on to the Emirates turf. I don’t expect him to play too many games between now and the end of the season – if he can steer clear of injuries and make the odd sub appearance that’d be great, ahead of a full pre-season in preparation for 2011/12.
Henri Lansbury‘s loan spell with Norwich will also be up in mid-January, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s renewed until the end of the season. Lansbury is getting vital experience, and making a few waves at that level. Arsene is insistent the combative midfielder is part of his plans, but there’s no immediate room for him at first-team level.
“What about actual, proper signings?” I hear you cry.
“Oh, erm, yeah. About that…” says I.
“Listen, we’ve come this far. You better have something for us…”
Well, I haven’t got anything concrete. As things stand, we’re not really on the market. But that could change very, very quickly.
A month or so ago, Arsene was insistent that he wouldn’t be buying. That stance, like my gut over Christmas, has softened somewhat. He’s now just being absurdly cryptic:
“I don’t say no and at the moment I say we are not close to signing anybody.â€
Presumably that’s because Arsene is sensible enough to recognise the frailty of his squad in certain areas. With Thomas Vermaelen still a good few weeks from returning, any further casualties at centre-half could force Arsene’s hand.
Equally, an injury to Alex Song would leave him without a recognised defensive midfielder. Arsene is reluctant to buy a player who might stunt the development of the well-regarded Emmanuel Frimpong, but Frimpong is still a few months from returning. If, God forbid, Song were to pick up a knock, Arsene might have to open his wallet concrete-covered steel safe.
–
Will Arsene bring in a player without an unfortunate catalyst? Probably not. But that won’t stop us wishing and hoping and praying and rumouring and clicking.
The Transfer Window is upon us. Enjoy it while it lasts.
