Posts filed under 'Match Previews'

Chelsea Preview: Dawn of the Theo-cracy

484 comments January 19th, 2013

The saga is over and Theo Walcott has signed a new contract with Arsenal Football Club.

It’s undoubtedly good news for Arsenal.  It stems the flow of talent away from the club, and shows a renewed willingness to flex our financial muscle.

It’s arguably even better news for Theo.  Having steadfastly refused to agree to the club’s initial offer of £75k p/week, he’ll now find himself picking up far more than that.  Depending on which red top you read, the weekly salary wages from between £90k to a mammoth £113k.  Either way, it seems he has escaped the binds of Arsene’s “socialist” pay structure, simultaneously superseding Lukas Podolski as the club’s highest paid player.

I never imagined that Theo Walcott would be the man for whom Arsenal would break their strict wage hierarchy.  Granted, he’s having a statistically outstanding season, but he remains far from perfect.  So many more talented players have sought the kind of sums Walcott was demanding, only to find themselves being shown the door to Barcelona or Manchester.

The truth is that Walcott is the lucky beneficiary of a perfect storm of circumstance.  Arsenal could not afford the PR disaster of losing another one of their perceived stars.  The club is also under more pressure than ever to show ambition in their expenditure.  Every time Walcott produced on the pitch, the likelihood of Arsenal caving to his demands increased significantly.

I’m still a little surprised he’s signed.  It’s rare that a player gets within six months of a Bosman move and is able to resist, and I went on record as saying that I didn’t think Arsenal and Theo would ever come to an agreement.  But Walcott knows that Arsenal is a set-up that suits him, and it’s not clear which (if any) elite clubs would be able to offer him the playing time he gets at the Emirates.

He enjoys playing with the likes of Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Jack Wilshere.  At the risk of sounding jingoistic, I think the British core the club are building is important.  We are building a group of young players who seem eager to stick together and achieve something.  Keeping Walcott benefits the collective.

It’s now very much a case of “over to you, Theo”.  He’s got the money he wanted; now he has to justify it.  If he doesn’t, at least Arsenal can look to recoup a fee, rather than losing a valuable asset for nothing.

It’s “over to you, Arsene” too.  Having tied up the deal that was his priority for January, he now has a couple of weeks remaining to make an impact in the transfer market.  Talk of someone like Cavani is wildly unrealistic, although I still think it’s imperative that Arsenal bring in a striker.  If we select our first choice front three of Podolski, Giroud and Walcott, we would not have a single forward on the bench.  For a club of our size, that is unforgivable.

In a watershed week for Arsenal, I hope tomorrow’s game with Chelsea is a similarly significant landmark in our season.  It proved so last season, with a 5-3 victory restoring faith in a team that had spent the early months of the season on the ropes.  This fixture at Stamford Bridge could also be pivotal: if we could win there, then against West Ham in midweek, we’d find ourselves just two points behind a Chelsea side who had threatened to pull out of sight.  With Spurs facing of against United, this could be a critical week in the race for the Champions League.

If you fancy a flutter on tomorrow’s game, check out my betting preview for Unibet, complete with predicted line-ups and top tips.  You can get 8.5 on Theo to celebrate his new contract with the first goal…

Newcastle Preview, Theo Thoughts & SKREAMER competition

147 comments December 29th, 2012

Arsenal host Newcastle United today in our final match of 2012.  It’s been an up-and-down year – more on that next week – but victory today would enable us to end it with four consecutive Premier League wins.

The team news is worryingly good.  Worrying in that anything unfamiliar is unsettling, but also because a clean bill of health might encourage Arsene to keep his cheque-book closed in January.  The return from illness of Olivier Giroud gives Arsene his major selection headache: whether or not to reintroduce the Frenchman or persist with Theo Walcott in the central striking berth.

Much of Arsene’s press conference focused on Walcott’s hypothesised evolution in to a centre-forward:

“I like the signs that I have seen.  If you look at my statements, I always said that one day he would play through the middle and it grew in his brain.

He is now 23. I decided to play Thierry Henry at 23 through the middle because you have to learn a lot before. The fact that you play in other positions as well helps your technique.  On the wing you need a shorter technique against the line. Once you [then] play in the middle you can go on both sides.

From [the ages of] 19 to 23, Theo has learnt a lot. Now we will sometimes play him on the flanks and sometimes through the middle. I like what I have seen through the middle.”

I have to say I’m not convinced by this switch.  It seems odd that having resisted playing Walcott through the middle for so long, Arsene has suddenly introduced such a radical shift halfway through the season.  It looks, to me at least, like something of a desperate move, with as many as four possible motivating factors.  The first is his lack of options: Arsenal are patently lacking in quality strikers.  The second is a desire to convince Theo to sign a new deal and remain at Arsenal.  The third is to save a bit of money in January by turning Walcott in to a striker instead of bringing one in.  And the last, and arguably most worrying, is that Arsene might have been influenced by the huge consensus among the media that Walcott deserves a chance through the middle.

I don’t foresee it being a long-term solution.  Firstly, because I’m not certain that Walcott is more suited to the central role than one on the wing, but also because I don’t think Theo will be here come next season.  Arsenal still need a forward, and while Arsene insists he is preparing to be ‘busy’ in January, I am concerned he is mainly going to be busy making excuses about ‘super super quality’ and lack of value.

Today, Walcott is guaranteed to start, and my hunch is that despite all the noise from Arsene it’ll be on the wing.  Rotation is important at this time of year, and Giroud should be fairly well rested and raring to go.  Other than that, the team will surely be as we expect, with Podolski on the left flank, Cazorla joining Wilshere and Arteta in midfield, and Vermaelen and Mertesacker flanked by Gibbs and Sagna.  It’s possible that one of the centre-backs will be rested in the next couple of games, but I don’t think Arsene will take that chance today against the dangerous duo of Ba and Cisse – the former of which he has denied an interest in.  Again, a little worrying.

The fact that Arsenal had a rest of Boxing Day while Newcastle suffered a morale and energy-sapping last-minute 4-3 defeat at Old Trafford means we really have no excuses today: we ought to win.If you fancy a flutter on today’s match, then you can check out my predicted team and betting tips over at Unibet.

In other news today, I’ve got a bit of a competition for you lot.  The guys at Warrior Football have given me a pair of their new SKREAMER football boots to give away.

They’re a really lovely bit of kit.  I wore a pair myself in my final Sunday League game of 2012, and whilst the bright colours probably attracted an extra few kicks on the ankle, they feel great on the pitch.  They’re apparently packed full of scientific advances, much like the Predator was all those years ago, so fair play to Warrior for attempting to do something genuinely innovative.  You can read more about them here.

And if you fancy, you can nab yourselves a pair.  I’ll be running a competition – entry is via Twitter only, I’m afraid, so make sure you’re following me @Gunnerblog.  As we all know, a ‘Skreamer’ in football terminology is a rocket shot – a goal from distance that flies past a helpless goalkeeper.  My question is simple:

Which Arsenal player scored the most goals from outside the box last season?

Tweet me and tag your answer with #SKREAMER to go in to the hat.   You’ve got until Monday to enter.

Good luck to you, and good luck to Arsenal today.  Three points required to end 2012 on a relative high.  And three cheers for Pat Rice, who has been awarded a richly-deserved MBE.  Congratulations to him.

WBA Preview: Shift over, Santi

89 comments December 8th, 2012

You hear the phrase ‘must-win’ brandished as an epithet to every other Premier League game.  Today, for Arsenal, it feels appropriate.  Should we fail to beat West Brom, the consequences will be catastrophic.  Not as far as the Premier League table goes: there’s plenty of time for us to catch the Baggies, as well as the other teams chasing Champions League Qualification.  The damage to the trust between fans and manager, however, could be hugely significant.  Last week, the atmosphere shifted from tense to toxic.  I dread to think where it goes from here.

West Brom come with a strong squad.  Their only key player missing is Scott Carson BEN FOSTER (thanks for the copious corrections in the comments), and unfortunately for Gooners everywhere, his place won’t be taken by Martin Fulop.  The man who made the last day of 2011/12 hilarious for all the right reasons now plays for Asteras Tripoli in the Greek Super League, but we’ll never forget him, and shall raise a glass in his honour on every St. Totteringham’s Day.

Arsenal are without both Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott, as well as the expected absentees Bacary Sagna and Laurent Koscielny.  Carl Jenkinson will continue at right back, with Mertesacker and Vermaelen in the middle, but it’s ahead of that where things become more interesting.  We can be fairly certain that Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere will anchor the midfield.  Santi Cazorla has started every Premier League game this season, and on each occasion it has been in the central playmaking role.  I wonder, however, whether the absence of our first-choice wingers and the renewed availability of Tomas Rosicky will see Arsene bring the Czech in to the centre and shift Santi wide.  We shall see, but I don’t think a change in role would do the Spaniard any harm – he may even find himself a bit liberated.  Olivier Giroud is guaranteed to play at centre-forward, and I’d then go for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain over Gervinho on the flank, for the simple reason that The Ox is a better crosser of the ball, and that suits Giroud down to the ground.

Arsenal will take comfort from the fact that West Brom have lost their last two matches, but know that the Baggies have beaten Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton already this season.  Swansea showed that sides no longer come to the Emirates playing with fear; they come to score goals and win.  Arsenal will need to be vastly improved to win this one.  And marks my words, Arenal need to.  It’s a must-win.

Olympiacos Preview: A chance for Arshavin to show what he could offer?

362 comments December 4th, 2012

This is not a game I’m hugely looking forward to…
Arsene talks about picking a side capable of winning.  I have no doubt the team he’ll pick is statistically capable of victory, but he’s made it very clear it’s not his priority, and when a manager does that the players often respond with a lacklustre display.  A few weeks ago he spoke of going to win this game and subsequently the group.  Now, with our league form faltering, he’s taken the opportunity to rest a host of key players ahead of the game with West Brom on Saturday.  It’s a decision I’m in favour of: I’m not sure that winning the group brings with it a sufficient advantage to warrant persisting with a drained first XI.

There are reprieves for neglected members of the squad…
The likes of Arshavin and Chamakh haven’t even made the bench in the last couple of games, and are now set to start.   Even though both are clearly heading to the exit door, you have to think there’s a chance for them to show they have something to offer in the remaining Premier League games before January.  Some players, however, are in purely because of a lack of alternatives.  Somehow, I don’t foresee it being a problem that Sebastien Squillaci is about to become cup-tied in the Champions League.

There are a couple of obvious youngsters missing from that squad…
Thomas Eisfeld and Damian Martinez are closer to the first-team squad than many of the players who will be involved tonight, but due to a quirk of the registration process are not actually available for Champions League selection.  Eisfeld is likely to get a further chance to impress in next week’s Carling Cup tie with Bradford City.  Nevertheless, it’ll good to see youngsters like Jernade Meade get a run-out – I was impressed with the quick left-back’s cameo at Reading.  Keep an eye out too for Chuba Akpom – the 17 year old may not make it off the bench, but is highly thought of among the coaching staff and a nifty goalscorer at youth level.

Get well soon, Peter Hill-Wood…
While I’ll admit the Chairman might’ve made the odd PR gaffe, it’s impossible to question the distinction and commitment with which he has served Arsenal Football Club.  He represents an important connection to the club’s history – a connection that is growing ever thinner – so I hope he recovers fully and is able to return to his post as soon as possible.

Everton Preview: Depressingly, this is definitely a six-pointer

224 comments November 28th, 2012

In the run up to this game, both Arsene Wenger and Wojciech Szczesny have called it a “six pointer”.  You’ll be aware of this football cliche, I’m sure.  It’s quite early in the season for it to appear, but traditionally it refers to matches that will have a crucial impact on league standing come the end of the season.  Conventionally, they refer to relegation scraps or title-winning bouts between a notional ‘big two’.

This, however, is modern football.  The fourth Champions League qualification spot is now revered as such a crucial prize that there are some of these ‘six-pointers’ being played for it.  This too is the modern Arsenal, and it this kind of match (rather than glamourous times against Manchester United or Man City) that will ultimately define our season.  I admire the humility and realism of both Arsene and Wojciech in admitting it, but I can’t help but find that a slightly depressing pill to swallow.

Of late, some have accused me of being a little more negative than usual.  I don’t think I’m being actively negative; I’m just a little sobered by the steady, wearing realisation of our standing in English football.  Every year you hope that we’ll burst above the parapet and contend again for the major titles.  Every year you slowly realise that you’re just in another race for fourth, the trophy without a prize to lift.

Arsene’s come under a lot of flak recently – some justified, some not.  I’m no psychologist, but I can’t help but feel his tetchiness under questioning betrays the fact that he recognises some of the disenchantment among the support is justified.  I wasn’t particularly bowled over by his self-defence either.  Among the things he said was:

“At the end of last season we finished third. Honestly I don’t think there was much more in the team than finishing third. My pride comes from that as well.”

Here’s my issue with that: his job isn’t simply to get the best out of the team he has available.  He’s also in charge of building the team.  Whose fault is it that the team he had assembled could only, at its absolute maximum, achieve third place?

Anyway, putting a more positive spin on things, we’re entirely capable of going and winning at Everton tonight.  That said, they’re a good side with some terrific players, so it’ll be a close game.  The ‘six-pointer’ nature of the match means a win here would eradicate memories of that dreadful 0-0 with Villa, and that’d be no bad thing.

My hunch is that Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna will come back in for Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson, with Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott replacing Ramsey and Chamberlain.  The tired legs of Cazorla, Podolski and Giroud will once again be called upon to inspire us to victory.

Come on Arsenal.  Make me smile!

 

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