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April 28th, 2009
We’re now just a day away from one of the biggest ties of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal reign – a Champions League semi-final against Manchester United.
With the majority of the team picking itself, today’s blog focuses on the few decisions Arsene does have to make it:
Mikael Silvestre vs Johan Djourou
We’re still waiting for news on whether or not Silvestre will be fit to join the squad for tomorrow’s game. If he is, it leaves Arsene with a conundrum about who will partner Kolo Toure – the experienced Frenchman, or Johan Djourou, who is only just recovered from injury. Djourou made a somewhat shaky forty-five minute appearance against Middlesbrough, but has not been a regular in the side for some time now. Silvestre has more match-practise, but has arguably a weak link in our back-line in recent weeks.Â
For me, whatever happens in Silvestre’s fitness test, Djourou ought to get the nod. When Kolo’s form went off the boil, the lanky Swiss filled in alongside William Gallas with some distinction, particularly in the excellent victory at Stamford Bridge, when he recovered from an own goal to help keep Anelka and others at bay. The key advantage he has over Silvestre is pace – with the threat of Rooney or Ronaldo getting in behind, that could be crucial.
Verdict: Johan Djourou
Mikael Silvestre vs Kieran Gibbs
If Silvestre isn’t my choice to start at centre-back, perhaps he might sneak in at left-back. The argument for it is simple – Djourou and Gibbs would form a fairly naieve left side of the defence, and Silvestre’s experience could help provide some solidity. However, if there is one thing that terrifies me more than the idea of Cristiano Ronaldo rampaging against young Gibbs, it is the idea of Cristiano Ronaldo rampaging against old Silvestre.
Verdict: Kieran Gibbs
Samir Nasri vs Denilson
After being rested at the weekend, I reckon it’s fairly certain that Alex Song will start as one of a pair of holding midfielders in our 4-2-3-1 formation. Until last week this would almost certainly have been Denilson, but of late he has had competition from an unexpected source: Samir Nasri. With the Brazilian struggling at Anfield, Arsene switched Samir Nasri into the holding role, where the Frenchman’s work-rate and passing allowed him to excel. He played ninety minutes in the role on Saturday, and showed an increasing positional familiarity with the position. Denilson, meanwhile, appears to be tiring as the effects of a long season finally take their toll. Much like Cesc playing behind the striker, I don’t see this as a long-term role for Nasri, but he’d be my man for tomorrow night.
Verdict: Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri vs Abou Diaby
Fielding Nasri in defensive midfield frees up a spot on the left-wing, and I think that might be handed to Abou Diaby. The injury to Robin van Persie means that there aren’t many options, to be honest. I think it says a lot about Diaby that I trust Samir Nasri in a defensive position more than him.
Verdict: Abou Diaby
—
So there we have it – I have us lining up with Almunia in goal; Sagna, Toure, Djourou and Gibbs across the back four; Nasri and Song holding; then Walcott, Fabregas and Diaby playing behind Adebayor.
It’s not our strongest XI, but it’s certainly good enough to cause United problems.
More tomorrow.
April 27th, 2009
Arsenal 2 -Â 0 Middlesbrough (Fabregas 26, 67)
Highlights here; Arsene’s reaction here
A routine 2-0 win was to be expected in this game. Coming into it, Arsenal were nineteen games unbeaten and in their best form of the season. Middlesbrough, meanwhile, had absolutely nothing to play for…
What? They’re battling relegation?
Oh.
That’s confused me. I always thought sides battling relegation tended to scrap and fight for survival, rather than just rolling over with their legs in the air sighing, “take me now”. The only possible explanation for Boro’s lifeless performance I can muster is that football’s obsession with ‘MIND GAMES’ has reached such absurd heights that this careless display from Boro was a bizarre attempt at a form of ‘reverse psychology’.
On this evidence, Middlesbrough are instead reversing down the pyramid of English football, starting with relegation to The Championship.
Still, we shouldn’t complain – from the minute we scored our second goal (the sixty-seventh minute, to be precise) the pace of the game slowed to testimonial level. Andrey Arshavin, for example – who had clearly worn himself out with his exploits at Anfield and a terrific first half – simply wondered about the top end of the pitch, occasionally deigning to torment the Boro defence further.
The game also gave Arsene an opportunity to trial the system he chanced upon at Anfield, with Cesc playing behind the front man, and Samir Nasri operating alongside another holding midfielder from deep. I think that in some ways it says most about our options at defensive midfielder that a ‘Number 10’ like Nasri can slot in there and look arguably the best of the bunch. Whether or not he’ll play that role at Old Trafford remains to be seen – personally, I have my doubts. Nevertheless, Arsene is certainly considering it:
“Usually Fabregas plays deeper with Nasri higher. I wanted to test how it would work the other way round. It could be reiterated that we will do it again because it was quite convincing. But that is open; we have 48 hours to study that then make a decision.”
The goals we scored were lovely things to look at, principally because they continued our rediscovery of the lightning counter-attack as a means of expression. The first saw some terrific interplay from Bendtner and Cesc release Arshavin, who tore down the left before cutting back to Fabregas, who thumped in only his second league goal this season. Boro argued that Nicklas Bendtner was blocking the goalkeeper’s view from an offside position, and it was hard to argue with that, but the officials didn’t give it and the goal stood.
Cesc grabbed the second too, latching on to a fantastic pass from Emmanuel Eboue to round Brad Jones and slot home. Boro did muster a couple of threatening moments when Stewart Downing burst into life, but the returning Manuel Almunia was more than equal to anything they had to offer.
Johan Djourou also returned as a half-time sub for Mikael Silvestre, who has picked up a back strain. Whether Silvestre is fit or not, I’d start Djourou at Old Trafford over him without a thought.
We were also able to give Cesc and Theo Walcott a twenty minute rest, whilst simultaneously allowing Emmanuel Adebayor a run-around – though I’m not convinced that “run” is the right word. The game was dead by this point and Adebayor certainly seemed to know it, with a lacksadaisical display that will hopefully bear no resemblance to what we see at Old Trafford.
Big game on Wednesday. Big big big game. I’m buzzing already.
April 26th, 2009
Arsene Wenger is, for my money, the brightest and most erudite manager in the Premier League. Can you think of another football manager who could discuss the economic downturn and its potential effects on football with such articulacy and accuracy?
However, in the football world, a working knowledge of the global economic crisis is worth next-to-nothing alongside The Champions League trophy, and that’s what Arsene will be chasing between now and the end of the season. His focus on the upcoming Champions League tie with Manchester United will go some way towards determining the side he picks to face Middlesbrough today.
Manuel Almunia is likely to make a welcome return to the side to get some match practice ahead of midweek, and the same could well be true of Johan Djourou. The rest of the defence (Sagna, Toure, and Gibbs) probably picks itself. Ahead of that there are many options – the only certainty is that Andrey Arshavin will start (mind you, I said that ahead of the FA Cup semi-final), and I also expect Nicklas Bendtner to play. Emmanuel Adebayor is fit again, but with Robin van Persie definitely out of the midweek game, I’d be very surprised if he were risked.
The incentive tomorrow is simple – with Villa and Everton failing to win yesterday, victory tomorrow would put us within just three points of ensuring our place in a Champions League qualifier. I don’t expect us to have it all our own way, though – ‘Boro are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table, and a point would be invaluable to them.
Finally, a couple of things I never thought I’d see: Alex Song climbing aboard The Showboat (1:15 seconds in), and Arsenal preparing to take the field in a green shirt once again. I don’t know about you, but I can’t see that it’s a wise decision to get players to wear shirts that are green when they will be playing on pitches that are, almost invariably, green.
I’ll hopefully muster a few twitter updates before/during/after the game. After taking part in the Arseblog 5-a-sides yesterday (my team came second) I was absolutely knackered, but my good friend Tom will learn the true meaning of exhaustion when he runs his first marathon today. I’d just like to take this opportunity to wish him the absolute best of luck. I’ve told him I expect him to win.
I expect Arsenal to win against ‘Boro too. Come On You Reds.
April 25th, 2009
At the end of yesterday’s blog post I promised that today I would provide an in-depth ‘Boro preview. I had forgotten, however, that we don’t actually play Middlesbrough until tomorrow. I had also forgotten than I don’t have time for fully-fledged bloggery, as I am scheduled to take part in the annual Arseblog 5-a-side tournament, where my team (the reknowned ‘White Team’) will be attempting to take home the trophy for the third year running. This forgotten fact led to me being out until some 4am last night, which I’m not sure is advisable for athletes engaging in such top level competition.
In news that you’re somewhat more likely to care about, Cesc Fabregas and Phil Brown have both been charged by the FA over ‘spit-gate’ – though Cesc has been charged twice and Brown just the once, which I suppose makes it 2-1 to Hull. If only Hull had picked up a few more results similar to that one, perhaps they wouldn’t be in serious danger of relegation.
Arsene Wenger is “very positive” about the charges, and I’m certain that there is no video evidence to prove that Cesc Fabregas spat at any member of the Hull staff. I’m sure the FA will, however, find the Spaniard guilty of “coming onto the pitch after the final whistle”, though how exactly they’ve deemed that an offence of any sort is beyond me. I like how they’ve specified that it was “after the final whistle”, as if had he just wondered on during the game it’d have been fine.
I’m off to attempt my best Andrey Arshavin impersonation in the 5-a-sides. Wish me luck.
There will be be a Middlesbrough preview tomorrow. And this time it’s the truth.
April 24th, 2009
Morning all. Bit of swift whizz round this morning’s news.
Andrey Arshavin has warned Premier League defences that there is more to come, and it’s perhaps no surprise that the Russian has come in for high praise from Arsene Wenger:
“What is more important than the four goals – of course, there are exceptional goals in there – but what makes me very positive about the future is the fact that he’s a real winner.
When you see the fourth goal it’s the desire of the winner – it’s a good mixture of extreme motivation and relaxation aswell, because when you see his goal from behind, it’s like he flies away with the ball, because he lets his left foot go, you know?
It’s an amazing mixture of motivation and pure technical quality.”
One man who has hit the headlines for less positive reasons is recent days is Lukasz Fabianski, but Arsene is insistent that the goalkeeper is aware of his own failings:
“One characteristic of a top level performer is they rate their own performance well, and Fabianski knew after that he did not play well against Chelsea.”
Indeed, Fabianski himself was been remarkably honest about the Chelsea game and his desire to improve, saying:
“After the weekend, I was really feeling down. I know that it was mostly because of me that we did not qualify for the FA Cup Final.
When you are honest and look with honest eyes on that, you can say it. Every day I had been waking up with the game still in my mind, so it was not easy. When the season is finished, maybe I will clear it out from my mind. It was a big, big chance to win something this season in the FA Cup. I did not help my team like I should have, and I am sorry for that.”
Perhaps Fabianski will go on to become the world class keeper Arsene patently believes he will be, but in the short-term it’s great news that Manuel Almunia has made a full return to training, and could start against Middlesbrough on Sunday. Johan Djourou and Emmanuel Adebayor could also return to the squad, though I’m not sure they’ll be risked from the start. The bad news is that Robin van Persie will miss both the ‘Boro game and the first leg of the United tie, on a night where we’ll also be without Gael Clichy. Tomas Rosicky and William Gallas will not return this season.
I did warm you this’d be a real whistle-stop tour. There’ll be a much juicier ‘Boro preview tomorrow morning. Till then.
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