Did we boo? Didn't we boo? Are we even allowed to boo Thierry?
I was sitting in the West Upper. At around the 60 minute mark or so, Rosicky knocked a great ball forward to Henry. Thierry not only missed it, but he seemed to be on a completely different wavelength to Tomas. The miscommunication between the two seemed to sum up Thierry's performance so far that day. He'd struggled to get into the game, and occasionally his stylish nonchalance could have been mistaken for indifference. Which, of course, it never is.
Thierry did not have a good game on Saturday. Not just by his standards, but by general premiership standards, and when he failed to latch on to Tomas's ball, a lot of people got up and shouted. A few people around me even accused him of laziness. It was more than a collective groan; it was nearer to a collective venting of frustration at a performance in which we'd been utterly dominant yet unable to turn our possession into goals.
Yet booing it was not. Booing is what happened to Phil Neville every time he got the ball [ just because Jose's gone, doesn't mean we've forgotten.] Booing was what occurred, increasingly, every time Cahill complained over some none existence grievance to the ref. Booing was what occurred every time Tim Howard took 10 minutes to take a goal kick.
Only a journalist looking to sell copy could mistake a moment in which the crowd screamed in frustration for one in which we booed Thierry. So, let's get it clear, we did not boo him.
But do we, theoretically, have the right to boo possibly the greatest player in our history? Maybe. If Thierry went on and didn't bother playing to the best of ability, and, more importantly, didn't care that he was no longer pushing himself, we should probably let him know. But I can't see Thierry acting in that way any time soon. Indeed, I think Thierry would have to score a hat-trick of own goals before I considered booing possibly the best player I've ever seen in any shirt.
So, to everyone going to the Emirates tomorrow, lets get behind the team and, especially, try and show Thierry what rubbish that NOTW hack was spouting.
And finally, Arsenal are not the R.E.M of football. They are the avant-garde free-jazz of football. Beguiling, often mistaken for being overly complex, but, ultimately, free-flowing and beautiful when it comes together. Go buy a few John Coltrane albums [if you haven't got some already] and hopefully you'll see what I mean. Arsenal do not play like a corporate, stadium rock band.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Sloppy goals against defensive teams could destroy Arsenal's title hopes.
Arsenal can cope with one of Henry and Fabregas having a poor game, but when both are afflicted by poor passing and an unsure touch, we find it difficult to play our preferred style of football. In Henry's case, blame cannot be entirely squared in his quarter. In an attempt to overcome the congested central routes into the goal mouth yesterday, too often we took to pumping long balls up to Thierry, or attempting to put crosses into the box. In both cases, Thierry is not enough of a target man to overcome the challenges of players like Yobo and Stubbs, and, with the crosses into the box, too often he was the only player waiting for the ball and easily outnumbered. Fabregas seemed oddly ponderous, and surprisingly unsure of himself. Everton successfully stifled him when he got onto the ball and he struggled to make an impact of the game; especially when his shooting was poor or easily charged down.
The two men who did most to try and overcome the dark blue mass which presented itself everytime Arsenal pushed forward, were Rosicky and Hleb. Hleb did much to carve out openings through skilful dribbling, if his final ball was sometimes poor. He was not aided in his endeavours by an Henry who had oddly poor reactions to the ball when it was played into space before him. Rosicky had a great game, and never stopped running for the ninety minutes. He deserved a goal, but he couldn't seem to beat Howard. It is a worry that he didn't score, because its games like that - when Henry and Fab are off the pace - that he needs to step up.
And so to Robin Van Persie. An abject first half was followed by an extremely pleasing second. On the right hand side he looked much more comfortable and linked up extremely well with Walcott, who played in some form of bizarre wing-back position. RvP's free kick was excellent and his passing was good in the second half. I would even forgive the schoolyard-esque volley he blazed wide towards the end because his choices when on the ball had otherwise been good in the second half.
Yesterday was a day when we needed a player like Baptista or Adebayor to beef up the team and/or to have a more convincing forward man to play the ball towards. We lacked a plan B yesterday, and with the introduction of Walcott, moved to a plan c of playing a, revolutionary, 2-6-1 formation. Indeed, it could almost have been an old fashioned 2-3-5 at times.
A serious cause for concern is continued sloppy defending. Boro, Villa and Everton have all come here and scored with virtually their only chance on goal. It's not good enough and we won't be challenging for anything if we keep on letting in soft goals. I'm not sure who exactly was at fault yesterday - it seemed to be a combination of Jens, Kolo, and Hleb - but Cahill should never have been allowed to get the ball where he did and to stroke it home. I also didn't realise what a wind-up merchant Cahill is: every decision, he'd be back chatting to Mike Riley.
Indeed, whilst whining about the referee is clichéd, Riley did have a poor game. He allowed Howard and the other Everton players to consistently waste time, whilst being incredibly officious at the same time. Every free-kick had to be taken in the exact spot where it was given. He had to have a word with every player after every foul. He stifled the game when it could have flowed, which is always the sign of a poor ref. I would say, we should have had a penalty in the first five minutes, but this was perhaps balanced out by refusing to give Johnson a penalty late on in the match, when he appeared to be knocked off the ball in our box.
So, Everton become the latest team to park the bus at Ashburton, and we're still struggling to find an answer. One thing seems certain though: by conceding these soft early goals we're making the solution even harder to find. The defence needs to get its act together, and we need to get the early goal, if we're serious about a title challenge. Especially when the Chel$ea juggernaut moves relentlessly forward, and Rooney shows signs that he's back to his best.
Sloppy goals against defensive teams could destroy Arsenal's title hopes.
Arsenal can cope with one of Henry and Fabregas having a poor game, but when both are afflicted by poor passing and an unsure touch, we find it difficult to play our preferred style of football. In Henry's case, blame cannot be entirely squared in his quarter. In an attempt to overcome the congested central routes into the goal mouth yesterday, too often we took to pumping long balls up to Thierry, or attempting to put crosses into the box. In both cases, Thierry is not enough of a target man to overcome the challenges of players like Yobo and Stubbs, and, with the crosses into the box, too often he was the only player waiting for the ball and easily outnumbered. Fabregas seemed oddly ponderous, and surprisingly unsure of himself. Everton successfully stifled him when he got onto the ball and he struggled to make an impact of the game; especially when his shooting was poor or easily charged down.
The two men who did most to try and overcome the dark blue mass which presented itself everytime Arsenal pushed forward, were Rosicky and Hleb. Hleb did much to carve out openings through skilful dribbling, if his final ball was sometimes poor. He was not aided in his endeavours by an Henry who had oddly poor reactions to the ball when it was played into space before him. Rosicky had a great game, and never stopped running for the ninety minutes. He deserved a goal, but he couldn't seem to beat Howard. It is a worry that he didn't score, because its games like that - when Henry and Fab are off the pace - that he needs to step up.
And so to Robin Van Persie. An abject first half was followed by an extremely pleasing second. On the right hand side he looked much more comfortable and linked up extremely well with Walcott, who played in some form of bizarre wing-back position. RvP's free kick was excellent and his passing was good in the second half. I would even forgive the schoolyard-esque volley he blazed wide towards the end because his choices when on the ball had otherwise been good in the second half.
Yesterday was a day when we needed a player like Baptista or Adebayor to beef up the team and/or to have a more convincing forward man to play the ball towards. We lacked a plan B yesterday, and with the introduction of Walcott, moved to a plan c of playing a, revolutionary, 2-6-1 formation. Indeed, it could almost have been an old fashioned 2-3-5 at times.
A serious cause for concern is continued sloppy defending. Boro, Villa and Everton have all come here and scored with virtually their only chance on goal. It's not good enough and we won't be challenging for anything if we keep on letting in soft goals. I'm not sure who exactly was at fault yesterday - it seemed to be a combination of Jens, Kolo, and Hleb - but Cahill should never have been allowed to get the ball where he did and to stroke it home. I also didn't realise what a wind-up merchant Cahill is: every decision, he'd be back chatting to Mike Riley.
Indeed, whilst whining about the referee is clichéd, Riley did have a poor game. He allowed Howard and the other Everton players to consistently waste time, whilst being incredibly officious at the same time. Every free-kick had to be taken in the exact spot where it was given. He had to have a word with every player after every foul. He stifled the game when it could have flowed, which is always the sign of a poor ref. I would say, we should have had a penalty in the first five minutes, but this was perhaps balanced out by refusing to give Johnson a penalty late on in the match, when he appeared to be knocked off the ball in our box.
So, Everton become the latest team to park the bus at Ashburton, and we're still struggling to find an answer. One thing seems certain though: by conceding these soft early goals we're making the solution even harder to find. The defence needs to get its act together, and we need to get the early goal, if we're serious about a title challenge. Especially when the Chel$ea juggernaut moves relentlessly forward, and Rooney shows signs that he's back to his best.
Sloppy goals against defensive teams could destroy Arsenal's title hopes.
Arsenal can cope with one of Henry and Fabregas having a poor game, but when both are afflicted by poor passing and an unsure touch, we find it difficult to play our preferred style of football. In Henry's case, blame cannot be entirely squared in his quarter. In an attempt to overcome the congested central routes into the goal mouth yesterday, too often we took to pumping long balls up to Thierry, or attempting to put crosses into the box. In both cases, Thierry is not enough of a target man to overcome the challenges of players like Yobo and Stubbs, and, with the crosses into the box, too often he was the only player waiting for the ball and easily outnumbered. Fabregas seemed oddly ponderous, and surprisingly unsure of himself. Everton successfully stifled him when he got onto the ball and he struggled to make an impact of the game; especially when his shooting was poor or easily charged down.
The two men who did most to try and overcome the dark blue mass which presented itself everytime Arsenal pushed forward, were Rosicky and Hleb. Hleb did much to carve out openings through skilful dribbling, if his final ball was sometimes poor. He was not aided in his endeavours by an Henry who had oddly poor reactions to the ball when it was played into space before him. Rosicky had a great game, and never stopped running for the ninety minutes. He deserved a goal, but he couldn't seem to beat Howard. It is a worry that he didn't score, because its games like that - when Henry and Fab are off the pace - that he needs to step up.
And so to Robin Van Persie. An abject first half was followed by an extremely pleasing second. On the right hand side he looked much more comfortable and linked up extremely well with Walcott, who played in some form of bizarre wing-back position. RvP's free kick was excellent and his passing was good in the second half. I would even forgive the schoolyard-esque volley he blazed wide towards the end because his choices when on the ball had otherwise been good in the second half.
Yesterday was a day when we needed a player like Baptista or Adebayor to beef up the team and/or to have a more convincing forward man to play the ball towards. We lacked a plan B yesterday, and with the introduction of Walcott, moved to a plan c of playing a, revolutionary, 2-6-1 formation. Indeed, it could almost have been an old fashioned 2-3-5 at times.
A serious cause for concern is continued sloppy defending. Boro, Villa and Everton have all come here and scored with virtually their only chance on goal. It's not good enough and we won't be challenging for anything if we keep on letting in soft goals. I'm not sure who exactly was at fault yesterday - it seemed to be a combination of Jens, Kolo, and Hleb - but Cahill should never have been allowed to get the ball where he did and to stroke it home. I also didn't realise what a wind-up merchant Cahill is: every decision, he'd be back chatting to Mike Riley.
Indeed, whilst whining about the referee is clichéd, Riley did have a poor game. He allowed Howard and the other Everton players to consistently waste time, whilst being incredibly officious at the same time. Every free-kick had to be taken in the exact spot where it was given. He had to have a word with every player after every foul. He stifled the game when it could have flowed, which is always the sign of a poor ref. I would say, we should have had a penalty in the first five minutes, but this was perhaps balanced out by refusing to give Johnson a penalty late on in the match, when he appeared to be knocked off the ball in our box.
So, Everton become the latest team to park the bus at Ashburton, and we're still struggling to find an answer. One thing seems certain though: by conceding these soft early goals we're making the solution even harder to find. The defence needs to get its act together, and we need to get the early goal, if we're serious about a title challenge. Especially when the Chel$ea juggernaut moves relentlessly forward, and Rooney shows signs that he's back to his best.
The two men who did most to try and overcome the dark blue mass which presented itself everytime Arsenal pushed forward, were Rosicky and Hleb. Hleb did much to carve out openings through skilful dribbling, if his final ball was sometimes poor. He was not aided in his endeavours by an Henry who had oddly poor reactions to the ball when it was played into space before him. Rosicky had a great game, and never stopped running for the ninety minutes. He deserved a goal, but he couldn't seem to beat Howard. It is a worry that he didn't score, because its games like that - when Henry and Fab are off the pace - that he needs to step up.
And so to Robin Van Persie. An abject first half was followed by an extremely pleasing second. On the right hand side he looked much more comfortable and linked up extremely well with Walcott, who played in some form of bizarre wing-back position. RvP's free kick was excellent and his passing was good in the second half. I would even forgive the schoolyard-esque volley he blazed wide towards the end because his choices when on the ball had otherwise been good in the second half.
Yesterday was a day when we needed a player like Baptista or Adebayor to beef up the team and/or to have a more convincing forward man to play the ball towards. We lacked a plan B yesterday, and with the introduction of Walcott, moved to a plan c of playing a, revolutionary, 2-6-1 formation. Indeed, it could almost have been an old fashioned 2-3-5 at times.
A serious cause for concern is continued sloppy defending. Boro, Villa and Everton have all come here and scored with virtually their only chance on goal. It's not good enough and we won't be challenging for anything if we keep on letting in soft goals. I'm not sure who exactly was at fault yesterday - it seemed to be a combination of Jens, Kolo, and Hleb - but Cahill should never have been allowed to get the ball where he did and to stroke it home. I also didn't realise what a wind-up merchant Cahill is: every decision, he'd be back chatting to Mike Riley.
Indeed, whilst whining about the referee is clichéd, Riley did have a poor game. He allowed Howard and the other Everton players to consistently waste time, whilst being incredibly officious at the same time. Every free-kick had to be taken in the exact spot where it was given. He had to have a word with every player after every foul. He stifled the game when it could have flowed, which is always the sign of a poor ref. I would say, we should have had a penalty in the first five minutes, but this was perhaps balanced out by refusing to give Johnson a penalty late on in the match, when he appeared to be knocked off the ball in our box.
So, Everton become the latest team to park the bus at Ashburton, and we're still struggling to find an answer. One thing seems certain though: by conceding these soft early goals we're making the solution even harder to find. The defence needs to get its act together, and we need to get the early goal, if we're serious about a title challenge. Especially when the Chel$ea juggernaut moves relentlessly forward, and Rooney shows signs that he's back to his best.
Sloppy goals against defensive teams could destroy Arsenal's title hopes.
Arsenal can cope with one of Henry and Fabregas having a poor game, but when both are afflicted by poor passing and an unsure touch, we find it difficult to play our preferred style of football. In Henry's case, blame cannot be entirely squared in his quarter. In an attempt to overcome the congested central routes into the goal mouth yesterday, too often we took to pumping long balls up to Thierry, or attempting to put crosses into the box. In both cases, Thierry is not enough of a target man to overcome the challenges of players like Yobo and Stubbs, and, with the crosses into the box, too often he was the only player waiting for the ball and easily outnumbered. Fabregas seemed oddly ponderous, and surprisingly unsure of himself. Everton successfully stifled him when he got onto the ball and he struggled to make an impact of the game; especially when his shooting was poor or easily charged down.
The two men who did most to try and overcome the dark blue mass which presented itself everytime Arsenal pushed forward, were Rosicky and Hleb. Hleb did much to carve out openings through skilful dribbling, if his final ball was sometimes poor. He was not aided in his endeavours by an Henry who had oddly poor reactions to the ball when it was played into space before him. Rosicky had a great game, and never stopped running for the ninety minutes. He deserved a goal, but he couldn't seem to beat Howard. It is a worry that he didn't score, because its games like that - when Henry and Fab are off the pace - that he needs to step up.
And so to Robin Van Persie. An abject first half was followed by an extremely pleasing second. On the right hand side he looked much more comfortable and linked up extremely well with Walcott, who played in some form of bizarre wing-back position. RvP's free kick was excellent and his passing was good in the second half. I would even forgive the schoolyard-esque volley he blazed wide towards the end because his choices when on the ball had otherwise been good in the second half.
Yesterday was a day when we needed a player like Baptista or Adebayor to beef up the team and/or to have a more convincing forward man to play the ball towards. We lacked a plan B yesterday, and with the introduction of Walcott, moved to a plan c of playing a, revolutionary, 2-6-1 formation. Indeed, it could almost have been an old fashioned 2-3-5 at times.
A serious cause for concern is continued sloppy defending. Boro, Villa and Everton have all come here and scored with virtually their only chance on goal. It's not good enough and we won't be challenging for anything if we keep on letting in soft goals. I'm not sure who exactly was at fault yesterday - it seemed to be a combination of Jens, Kolo, and Hleb - but Cahill should never have been allowed to get the ball where he did and to stroke it home. I also didn't realise what a wind-up merchant Cahill is: every decision, he'd be back chatting to Mike Riley.
Indeed, whilst whining about the referee is clichéd, Riley did have a poor game. He allowed Howard and the other Everton players to consistently waste time, whilst being incredibly officious at the same time. Every free-kick had to be taken in the exact spot where it was given. He had to have a word with every player after every foul. He stifled the game when it could have flowed, which is always the sign of a poor ref. I would say, we should have had a penalty in the first five minutes, but this was perhaps balanced out by refusing to give Johnson a penalty late on in the match, when he appeared to be knocked off the ball in our box.
So, Everton become the latest team to park the bus at Ashburton, and we're still struggling to find an answer. One thing seems certain though: by conceding these soft early goals we're making the solution even harder to find. The defence needs to get its act together, and we need to get the early goal, if we're serious about a title challenge. Especially when the Chel$ea juggernaut moves relentlessly forward, and Rooney shows signs that he's back to his best.
The two men who did most to try and overcome the dark blue mass which presented itself everytime Arsenal pushed forward, were Rosicky and Hleb. Hleb did much to carve out openings through skilful dribbling, if his final ball was sometimes poor. He was not aided in his endeavours by an Henry who had oddly poor reactions to the ball when it was played into space before him. Rosicky had a great game, and never stopped running for the ninety minutes. He deserved a goal, but he couldn't seem to beat Howard. It is a worry that he didn't score, because its games like that - when Henry and Fab are off the pace - that he needs to step up.
And so to Robin Van Persie. An abject first half was followed by an extremely pleasing second. On the right hand side he looked much more comfortable and linked up extremely well with Walcott, who played in some form of bizarre wing-back position. RvP's free kick was excellent and his passing was good in the second half. I would even forgive the schoolyard-esque volley he blazed wide towards the end because his choices when on the ball had otherwise been good in the second half.
Yesterday was a day when we needed a player like Baptista or Adebayor to beef up the team and/or to have a more convincing forward man to play the ball towards. We lacked a plan B yesterday, and with the introduction of Walcott, moved to a plan c of playing a, revolutionary, 2-6-1 formation. Indeed, it could almost have been an old fashioned 2-3-5 at times.
A serious cause for concern is continued sloppy defending. Boro, Villa and Everton have all come here and scored with virtually their only chance on goal. It's not good enough and we won't be challenging for anything if we keep on letting in soft goals. I'm not sure who exactly was at fault yesterday - it seemed to be a combination of Jens, Kolo, and Hleb - but Cahill should never have been allowed to get the ball where he did and to stroke it home. I also didn't realise what a wind-up merchant Cahill is: every decision, he'd be back chatting to Mike Riley.
Indeed, whilst whining about the referee is clichéd, Riley did have a poor game. He allowed Howard and the other Everton players to consistently waste time, whilst being incredibly officious at the same time. Every free-kick had to be taken in the exact spot where it was given. He had to have a word with every player after every foul. He stifled the game when it could have flowed, which is always the sign of a poor ref. I would say, we should have had a penalty in the first five minutes, but this was perhaps balanced out by refusing to give Johnson a penalty late on in the match, when he appeared to be knocked off the ball in our box.
So, Everton become the latest team to park the bus at Ashburton, and we're still struggling to find an answer. One thing seems certain though: by conceding these soft early goals we're making the solution even harder to find. The defence needs to get its act together, and we need to get the early goal, if we're serious about a title challenge. Especially when the Chel$ea juggernaut moves relentlessly forward, and Rooney shows signs that he's back to his best.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Joke about the Queen, Diaby, Adey, and Admin
Why did the Queen not open the Emirates Stadium?
Because we battered the royals on Sunday.
Awful, awful joke I know, but I couldn't resist it. Some of you may have seen me make this joke on EastLower earlier...
In seriousness, does it matter that the Queen didn't open the stadium? She doesn't like football, she's got nothing to do with the club - aside from being titular head of the UK - and she had nothing to do with its planning and realisation. Personally, I thought it might have been nice to have one of the board - such as Danny Fiszman or Edelman - who were the impetus behind the project to open it. Or even, Arsene. He pushed the board to open the stadium; might it not have been a nice way to say thanks? As it is, we had the Duke of Edinburgh, who probably couldn't distinguish between us and other top flight teams. I'm also amazed he didn't get through the occassion without making an un PC/borderline racist remark. Perhaps in future, those who mean something to the club should be its dignitaries?
On a more footballing front, Abou Diaby gave an interview yesterday. Its great that he's going to be back soon, because he should be pushing Gilberto for his place before too long. I think Gilbs is a great player, but, hopefully, Diaby could do his defensive work, and be a bit more adventurous. And accurate with the passing. Its amazing that Dan Smith only got a yellow card for that tackle - which the FA refuse to upgrade for fear of undermining refs - while people are regularly booked for overly emotional celebrations. Common sense, yet again, does not prevail.
Better news comes from the Adebayor injury story. Its not as serious as first feared and he should be back in the squad by the CSKA game. I would also say to any red members who are reading that tickets were available for you a few days ago for this, so snap them up - if you haven't already.
Finally, a little admin. I've added two RSS buttons in the right-hand toolbar to make it easier to add me if you wish. Also, I've tried to install Haloscan comments, which should cut down on spam. I hope. If the site starts running crushingly slowly as a result I'll wipe them off. I'm also considering, one day, switching to word press, because blogger is a bit rubbish. Any advice would be gratefully received.
til later.
Because we battered the royals on Sunday.
Awful, awful joke I know, but I couldn't resist it. Some of you may have seen me make this joke on EastLower earlier...
In seriousness, does it matter that the Queen didn't open the stadium? She doesn't like football, she's got nothing to do with the club - aside from being titular head of the UK - and she had nothing to do with its planning and realisation. Personally, I thought it might have been nice to have one of the board - such as Danny Fiszman or Edelman - who were the impetus behind the project to open it. Or even, Arsene. He pushed the board to open the stadium; might it not have been a nice way to say thanks? As it is, we had the Duke of Edinburgh, who probably couldn't distinguish between us and other top flight teams. I'm also amazed he didn't get through the occassion without making an un PC/borderline racist remark. Perhaps in future, those who mean something to the club should be its dignitaries?
On a more footballing front, Abou Diaby gave an interview yesterday. Its great that he's going to be back soon, because he should be pushing Gilberto for his place before too long. I think Gilbs is a great player, but, hopefully, Diaby could do his defensive work, and be a bit more adventurous. And accurate with the passing. Its amazing that Dan Smith only got a yellow card for that tackle - which the FA refuse to upgrade for fear of undermining refs - while people are regularly booked for overly emotional celebrations. Common sense, yet again, does not prevail.
Better news comes from the Adebayor injury story. Its not as serious as first feared and he should be back in the squad by the CSKA game. I would also say to any red members who are reading that tickets were available for you a few days ago for this, so snap them up - if you haven't already.
Finally, a little admin. I've added two RSS buttons in the right-hand toolbar to make it easier to add me if you wish. Also, I've tried to install Haloscan comments, which should cut down on spam. I hope. If the site starts running crushingly slowly as a result I'll wipe them off. I'm also considering, one day, switching to word press, because blogger is a bit rubbish. Any advice would be gratefully received.
til later.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Aliadiere, Kolo's new deal, Arsenal anthem/chant ideas
Good win in the Carling Cup last night for our extremely young gunners, or 'pistols' as one might call them. Indeed, Almunia was the only player over 23 in the team. I was dissapointed not to be able to watch the game, but it didn't seem to be on anywhere on TV. It was a shame because I was very interested to see which of our young uns seems to be showing the most promise, especially with players such as Connolly playing who I've haven't really seen in action. For a full report from someone who did get there, see Goodplaya. Theo apparently had an indifferent game, yet still popped up with an assist; Adebayor picked up a slightly worrying injury which different reports ascribe to different parts of his body; Aliadiere put two away to see us through.
And thus, the Aliadiere enigma re-emerges. Is he good enough to warrant a long-term first team, or even squad, place? He seems to impress in the short periods where he is given a chance, but then almost invariably slips back into the ether. I think that, at the moment, him, Lupoli and Bendtner are all fighting for the fourth/fifth striker position (as Theo grow into a striker over time). If any of them wants to snatch the position they have to start scoring and taking their opportunities. They all seem to be doing this at the moment, which must be giving Arsene one of those pleasant selection headaches. I can't see all three of them being here next year; perhaps only one will make the grade and I'm not sure who it will be.
Kolo signed a new 'long-term' deal yesterday which is also great news: The Times reported the length of the contract as four years, but I think there's a real chance that Kolo will stay at the club until he retires: he wants to and he clearly has the physical strength to maintain his presence as a top-level defender as he ages. He's also, surely, a contender for captain in the long-term.
Finally, what do people think of this? I'm not too sure, even if I would have to admit that I'm fairly desperate for the club to get some form of anthem. Also, a Tom Jones song would be nice. I think the key with anthems is not to change the words; keep them as they are, and eventually they become somehow mystically linked to the club. How this mystical link begins, however, is quite, er, mystical, and I don't think trying to force a solution is the best idea.
Still, new songs are needed, if only to end the ad nauseum 'stand up if you hate the spuds'/ 'oh ashley cole...' chants. Personally, and I've only heard it a few times recently, I like the 'you are my arsenal...' chant to the tune of 'you are my sunshine'. I would also appeal to any RedAction members to think of chants for Kolo, Hleb and Gilberto. I like the 'Alex hleb, wo-oh, Alex Hleb, wo-oh, he comes from Belarus, he sells cheap fags and booze', although I do worry he may be offended, slightly, by this....
Right, back to work. til later
And thus, the Aliadiere enigma re-emerges. Is he good enough to warrant a long-term first team, or even squad, place? He seems to impress in the short periods where he is given a chance, but then almost invariably slips back into the ether. I think that, at the moment, him, Lupoli and Bendtner are all fighting for the fourth/fifth striker position (as Theo grow into a striker over time). If any of them wants to snatch the position they have to start scoring and taking their opportunities. They all seem to be doing this at the moment, which must be giving Arsene one of those pleasant selection headaches. I can't see all three of them being here next year; perhaps only one will make the grade and I'm not sure who it will be.
Kolo signed a new 'long-term' deal yesterday which is also great news: The Times reported the length of the contract as four years, but I think there's a real chance that Kolo will stay at the club until he retires: he wants to and he clearly has the physical strength to maintain his presence as a top-level defender as he ages. He's also, surely, a contender for captain in the long-term.
Finally, what do people think of this? I'm not too sure, even if I would have to admit that I'm fairly desperate for the club to get some form of anthem. Also, a Tom Jones song would be nice. I think the key with anthems is not to change the words; keep them as they are, and eventually they become somehow mystically linked to the club. How this mystical link begins, however, is quite, er, mystical, and I don't think trying to force a solution is the best idea.
Still, new songs are needed, if only to end the ad nauseum 'stand up if you hate the spuds'/ 'oh ashley cole...' chants. Personally, and I've only heard it a few times recently, I like the 'you are my arsenal...' chant to the tune of 'you are my sunshine'. I would also appeal to any RedAction members to think of chants for Kolo, Hleb and Gilberto. I like the 'Alex hleb, wo-oh, Alex Hleb, wo-oh, he comes from Belarus, he sells cheap fags and booze', although I do worry he may be offended, slightly, by this....
Right, back to work. til later
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Devastating Arsenal show they can win the league this year.
When you score in the first minute of a game it can sometimes destabilise a team, making them unsure whether to press on for further goals or to try and consolidate their advantage. There was never much chance of us sitting back after we took the lead, but the way we played out the rest of the game was little short of magnificent.
Is 4-5-1 our best formation? I'm gradually coming round to the possibility that it is. Arsenal are, essentially, a team of midfielders. Many, if not most, of our forwards and defenders started as midfielders before converting. We are, at least, a team of players who are supremely confident of passing and running with the ball. A 4-5-1 allows us to build on these strengths, and gives Henry even more freedom to roam at the front. Gilberto can play deeper, where he wants to be, and concentrate on breaking up and redistributing the play. Hleb, Rosicky and Fabregas can operate in, what was today, an awesome tandom of inventiveness, feedingThierry and playing quick pass and move football. I also noticed that, because it's becoming clearer that goals can come from our midfield, Thierry is dropping slightly deeper at times, allowing midfielders to run in front of him.
Reading just never seemed in it. They just couldn't contain a Fabregas who was undoubtedly buoyed by his new contract. More than ever, he seemed to pull the strings, as the team continues to mould itself around him as much, or even more, than Henry. Thierry took his first goal wonderfully, stroking the ball into the net rather than thrashing at it. Rosicky deserved a goal: his power, pace and passes have quickly turned him into a vital part of the team. He's as skilful as Pires, if not with the goals yet, but he's a true competitor, and I can't see us losing as many games this year with him in the midfield.
Alex Hleb also had a storming game. Many fans often vent their frustration about him because of his lack of shooting and his often understated role in proceedings. But he rose to these critics with aplomb today. His first goal stemmed from a majestic one-two with Rosicky, leading to a thundering, unstoppable finish. His second could, perhaps should, have followed. His unselfishness laid RvP's goal on a plate, and he, on at least one other opportunity, passed in the second half when he should have had the belief to shoot. A confident Hleb is one of the best midfielders in the premiership; a fact which has been criminally under recognised in his time at Arsenal hitherto.
I really believe that the triumvirate of Fabregas, Hleb and Rosicky will be the key to our title chances this season. If Gilberto is solid behind them, and Thierry dangerous in front, they have the ability to dissect opposing teams and drive us to the title. 442, with Adebayor up front with Henry, could be used as an alternative against teams, such as Moscow on Wednesday, who successfully nullify our 'plan A' of using these three as the fulcrum for the team.
Elsewhere, I though Hoyte did excellently at r-b. The Cygan/Song comparisons are not justifiable, especially now he's on his favoured right side. Jens pulled off a few good saves, and also, amusingly, shook his finger at Hunt ( who seems to be a complete wind-up merchant). Djourou and Toure were also more than solid. At one point, Kolo tackled a Reading player, and chased the ball to the corner flag, in a clearly futile endeavour, to try and retain possesion. It was great to see that level of commitment.
Only two slight reasons for pause. Firstly, Gallas was a little too casual at times. On more than occasion he was dispossesed due to a lack of concentration , which a better team may have punished. He's been utterly superb so far for us this year, so I hope these were blips.
Secondly, Van Persie. Scoring a goal dosen't always mean a good perfomance - especially when its handed to you due to the quick thinking of a colleague. Indeed, Hleb and RvP are almost antithetical players. Hleb creates chances, makes things happen, and is often, and very unfairly, not given credit for his critical role in the team. RvP is a very 'flash' player; almost a luxury. He shoots rather than passes, and scores fantastic goals. He gives us an extra dimension, when so many of our players sometimes do pass the ball around a little too much. Yet, his goals can overshadow some worrying aspects of his play. Early in the first half, when it was only 1-0, he had runners either side of him as we heavily outnumbered the Reading defence in a counter attack. Instead of laying the ball off to a better placed team-mate, he shot weakly, wasting the opportunity. A few minutes later, he passed when he should have taken a shot. Towards the end of the half, he hopelessly sliced the ball when it was threaded through to him. He did not play well today, and he needs to learn how to balance his shooting/passing ratio. That he seems to have a desire to do this, should mean he will become a better player.
So, overall, we played sublime, devastating football in what many of us thought would be a difficult game. In doing so, our little heralded challenge for the title continues to gain pace. A final question to ponder: would 4-5-1 work at Stamford Bridge? The answer to that could decide the league.
Is 4-5-1 our best formation? I'm gradually coming round to the possibility that it is. Arsenal are, essentially, a team of midfielders. Many, if not most, of our forwards and defenders started as midfielders before converting. We are, at least, a team of players who are supremely confident of passing and running with the ball. A 4-5-1 allows us to build on these strengths, and gives Henry even more freedom to roam at the front. Gilberto can play deeper, where he wants to be, and concentrate on breaking up and redistributing the play. Hleb, Rosicky and Fabregas can operate in, what was today, an awesome tandom of inventiveness, feedingThierry and playing quick pass and move football. I also noticed that, because it's becoming clearer that goals can come from our midfield, Thierry is dropping slightly deeper at times, allowing midfielders to run in front of him.
Reading just never seemed in it. They just couldn't contain a Fabregas who was undoubtedly buoyed by his new contract. More than ever, he seemed to pull the strings, as the team continues to mould itself around him as much, or even more, than Henry. Thierry took his first goal wonderfully, stroking the ball into the net rather than thrashing at it. Rosicky deserved a goal: his power, pace and passes have quickly turned him into a vital part of the team. He's as skilful as Pires, if not with the goals yet, but he's a true competitor, and I can't see us losing as many games this year with him in the midfield.
Alex Hleb also had a storming game. Many fans often vent their frustration about him because of his lack of shooting and his often understated role in proceedings. But he rose to these critics with aplomb today. His first goal stemmed from a majestic one-two with Rosicky, leading to a thundering, unstoppable finish. His second could, perhaps should, have followed. His unselfishness laid RvP's goal on a plate, and he, on at least one other opportunity, passed in the second half when he should have had the belief to shoot. A confident Hleb is one of the best midfielders in the premiership; a fact which has been criminally under recognised in his time at Arsenal hitherto.
I really believe that the triumvirate of Fabregas, Hleb and Rosicky will be the key to our title chances this season. If Gilberto is solid behind them, and Thierry dangerous in front, they have the ability to dissect opposing teams and drive us to the title. 442, with Adebayor up front with Henry, could be used as an alternative against teams, such as Moscow on Wednesday, who successfully nullify our 'plan A' of using these three as the fulcrum for the team.
Elsewhere, I though Hoyte did excellently at r-b. The Cygan/Song comparisons are not justifiable, especially now he's on his favoured right side. Jens pulled off a few good saves, and also, amusingly, shook his finger at Hunt ( who seems to be a complete wind-up merchant). Djourou and Toure were also more than solid. At one point, Kolo tackled a Reading player, and chased the ball to the corner flag, in a clearly futile endeavour, to try and retain possesion. It was great to see that level of commitment.
Only two slight reasons for pause. Firstly, Gallas was a little too casual at times. On more than occasion he was dispossesed due to a lack of concentration , which a better team may have punished. He's been utterly superb so far for us this year, so I hope these were blips.
Secondly, Van Persie. Scoring a goal dosen't always mean a good perfomance - especially when its handed to you due to the quick thinking of a colleague. Indeed, Hleb and RvP are almost antithetical players. Hleb creates chances, makes things happen, and is often, and very unfairly, not given credit for his critical role in the team. RvP is a very 'flash' player; almost a luxury. He shoots rather than passes, and scores fantastic goals. He gives us an extra dimension, when so many of our players sometimes do pass the ball around a little too much. Yet, his goals can overshadow some worrying aspects of his play. Early in the first half, when it was only 1-0, he had runners either side of him as we heavily outnumbered the Reading defence in a counter attack. Instead of laying the ball off to a better placed team-mate, he shot weakly, wasting the opportunity. A few minutes later, he passed when he should have taken a shot. Towards the end of the half, he hopelessly sliced the ball when it was threaded through to him. He did not play well today, and he needs to learn how to balance his shooting/passing ratio. That he seems to have a desire to do this, should mean he will become a better player.
So, overall, we played sublime, devastating football in what many of us thought would be a difficult game. In doing so, our little heralded challenge for the title continues to gain pace. A final question to ponder: would 4-5-1 work at Stamford Bridge? The answer to that could decide the league.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Arsecast, Agm, Financial report, Lauren, Fabregas.
Right.
Firstly, if you haven't done so already, go to Arseblog and download the arsecast. There's a very enjoyable discussion between him and Goodplaya, which resembles an informed post-match-in-the-pub discussion. Although it did make me even more annoyed about missing the Moscow game. Some funny stuff on there as well.
The AGM was held this week and, justifiably, there seemed to much back-slapping all round. It rapidly seems to be becoming the case that if the fans had there way Arsene would sit on a throne in his dug-out. He probably deserves one, but being the guy he is, he'd turn it down. The annual report also came out, which I could analyse in depth [er, maybe] but thankfully someone's already done it. With a slightly misleading title, read this ANR article. I think most people - including myself - who clicked on it, probably thought a literal bridge was being built between Highbury and Ashburton. whoops. The key points seem to be: we have a large debt, but its managable, relatively low interest, and not dependent on us selling out every game or getting into the CL every year; the Highbury redevelopment is key to the paying off of initial debts; Paddy's sale was vital to giving us an overall profit, as was the Champions league run. The way you have to look at the debt, if you don't already, is as a massive mortgage. We've built a very expensive new house, but one which will vastly increase our revenues. Our large debt is stable and can be paid back without a hugely negative impact on the club. So, basically, don't worry. Our board isn't as stupid as Leeds's. I would say though, and I know others have said not to read into it but I have, where was Danny Fizman? Its great that the board are saying they won't sell the club to a foreign entrepreneur, but it would have been nice if they were all there to say it.
To get back to more direct footballing matters, it was announced that Lauren won't be returning until the new year. I always found his injury a bit odd: he must have been playing in considerable pain for some time before realising that an op was necessary. I suppose it shows that 'going through the pain barrier' isn't always the best idea. I also wonder if he'll actually get back in the team when he comes back. If the future is Eboue, which I think it is, then Ralphy may get his chances limited when he returns. I think Eboue offers more going forward, but he lacks the steel and defensive abilities of Lauren. However, I think it'd be better to continue train up Eboue than use Lauren; especially as Eboue and Hleb have actually given us a right flank for the first time in about ten years.
Finally I can't go without sharing in the general joy that is Cesc's 5,000 year long new deal. Ok, I exaggerate, its eight years. But, in footballing terms, the two aren't far apart. I don't think it will stop Real and Barca sniffing around him every season, but, especially if the seeds of doubt ever did come into his mind, the contract is a pretty hefty counter-weight to any move. I also think that a major reason in his decision to sign was the promise, if only perhaps tacit, of the team gradually becoming moulded round him as the central point. Thierry should remain the focus for the next two or three years, but gradually Fab will step up. He's good enough to warrant it and he deserves it. We are so lucky to have him and I can't even begin to conceive of how good he'll be when he's about 22 -23. Because, unlike Rooney, he has a manager who will develop and nurture his considerable talent; not just one who, as Rooney put it himself this morning, 'tells him to play how he likes'. Hmm, a possible reason for his dip in form? Just maybe?
Right, that's all. There shall be a post tomorrow, but I haven't decided whether to do a preview or a review of the game. It'll be a tough one and I hope Jens shows the reading boys that it would be unwise to try any shennanigans with him.
Firstly, if you haven't done so already, go to Arseblog and download the arsecast. There's a very enjoyable discussion between him and Goodplaya, which resembles an informed post-match-in-the-pub discussion. Although it did make me even more annoyed about missing the Moscow game. Some funny stuff on there as well.
The AGM was held this week and, justifiably, there seemed to much back-slapping all round. It rapidly seems to be becoming the case that if the fans had there way Arsene would sit on a throne in his dug-out. He probably deserves one, but being the guy he is, he'd turn it down. The annual report also came out, which I could analyse in depth [er, maybe] but thankfully someone's already done it. With a slightly misleading title, read this ANR article. I think most people - including myself - who clicked on it, probably thought a literal bridge was being built between Highbury and Ashburton. whoops. The key points seem to be: we have a large debt, but its managable, relatively low interest, and not dependent on us selling out every game or getting into the CL every year; the Highbury redevelopment is key to the paying off of initial debts; Paddy's sale was vital to giving us an overall profit, as was the Champions league run. The way you have to look at the debt, if you don't already, is as a massive mortgage. We've built a very expensive new house, but one which will vastly increase our revenues. Our large debt is stable and can be paid back without a hugely negative impact on the club. So, basically, don't worry. Our board isn't as stupid as Leeds's. I would say though, and I know others have said not to read into it but I have, where was Danny Fizman? Its great that the board are saying they won't sell the club to a foreign entrepreneur, but it would have been nice if they were all there to say it.
To get back to more direct footballing matters, it was announced that Lauren won't be returning until the new year. I always found his injury a bit odd: he must have been playing in considerable pain for some time before realising that an op was necessary. I suppose it shows that 'going through the pain barrier' isn't always the best idea. I also wonder if he'll actually get back in the team when he comes back. If the future is Eboue, which I think it is, then Ralphy may get his chances limited when he returns. I think Eboue offers more going forward, but he lacks the steel and defensive abilities of Lauren. However, I think it'd be better to continue train up Eboue than use Lauren; especially as Eboue and Hleb have actually given us a right flank for the first time in about ten years.
Finally I can't go without sharing in the general joy that is Cesc's 5,000 year long new deal. Ok, I exaggerate, its eight years. But, in footballing terms, the two aren't far apart. I don't think it will stop Real and Barca sniffing around him every season, but, especially if the seeds of doubt ever did come into his mind, the contract is a pretty hefty counter-weight to any move. I also think that a major reason in his decision to sign was the promise, if only perhaps tacit, of the team gradually becoming moulded round him as the central point. Thierry should remain the focus for the next two or three years, but gradually Fab will step up. He's good enough to warrant it and he deserves it. We are so lucky to have him and I can't even begin to conceive of how good he'll be when he's about 22 -23. Because, unlike Rooney, he has a manager who will develop and nurture his considerable talent; not just one who, as Rooney put it himself this morning, 'tells him to play how he likes'. Hmm, a possible reason for his dip in form? Just maybe?
Right, that's all. There shall be a post tomorrow, but I haven't decided whether to do a preview or a review of the game. It'll be a tough one and I hope Jens shows the reading boys that it would be unwise to try any shennanigans with him.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
It's never nice to lose, but perspective is needed.
I had my doubts about yesterday's match before Kick off: we've never travelled well to Russia or ex-soviet union countries. So, when I saw Moscow had taken a relatively early lead, I feared the worst; justifiably, it would seem.
Due to my new working status [its lunchtime] I couldn't watch the match, which was dissapointing. I wanted to see how Arsenal would do in difficult conditions - the freezing cold, relatively hostile fans, and far, far from home. And from the highlights it was difficult to judge how well we played.
It appears Moscow were extremely effective in stifling Fabregas and Henry, nullifying much of our creative impetus. Gilberto, in the clips I saw, won a few tackles, yet also got caught in possession and gave the ball away a few times needlessly. These mistakes were only rectified by some, frankly, heroic back-tackling by Kolo. I also noted that RvP was preferred in a five man midfield, to a straight 442 with Adebayor. I think Adebayor would have relished a full 90 minutes last night, and his substitution, along with Theo, caused Moscow problems. I noted that RvP tried to take the ball round the keeper in a ridiculous piece of skill rather than square to Kolo. I was livid when I saw that. At best it showed indecision; at worst, the squandering of a golden opportunity due to vanity.
We seemed to pull ourselves back into it in the late second half and, perhaps, were worth a point by the end. Thierry's 'goal' was a goal, and I can see why he's so upset, the most upset I've seen him for a long time. Hopefully, he can use that anger positively in the return leg, instead of just moping about it and getting frustrated.
So, a loss is never palatable, but some defeats are, on balance, more acceptable than others. To go down one-nil in freezing Moscow after pulling out a reasonably battling performance is not the end of the world. Especially as we will beat Moscow and Hamburg at home in our next two CL matches. This should mean we'll have qualified before the tricky away match in Porto - whether as group winners or not, I'm not sure. The only real cause for concern was the effectiveness of Moscow's 3-5-2 formation in stifling our play; again, this is something we should overcome in the game at the Emirates.
I'm also slightly concerned that after yesterday's tough match, we've got another one on Sunday, away to Reading. Its good that we've got more recouperation time, but, I think Reading will take the game to us and I hope we have the strength not to sustain another defeat.
Tonight's games should be fascinating. I wish Peter Cech all the best after his awful, and I would say probably accidental, injury. His absence is a huge loss to the Chel$ea team: no Gallas and no Cech could expose defence frailities of the like we have barely seen under Mourinho, although Chel sea briefly showed how much they struggle without them in their defeat to Middlesborough earlier this season. I think Mourinho may play for a point and try to shield Hilario from too much responsibility [the headlines are already written for that guy]. I also have my suspicions that Bordeaux could cause Liverpool some grief tonight, with Gerrard and, perhaps more importantly, Sissoko both missing.
Gb.
Due to my new working status [its lunchtime] I couldn't watch the match, which was dissapointing. I wanted to see how Arsenal would do in difficult conditions - the freezing cold, relatively hostile fans, and far, far from home. And from the highlights it was difficult to judge how well we played.
It appears Moscow were extremely effective in stifling Fabregas and Henry, nullifying much of our creative impetus. Gilberto, in the clips I saw, won a few tackles, yet also got caught in possession and gave the ball away a few times needlessly. These mistakes were only rectified by some, frankly, heroic back-tackling by Kolo. I also noted that RvP was preferred in a five man midfield, to a straight 442 with Adebayor. I think Adebayor would have relished a full 90 minutes last night, and his substitution, along with Theo, caused Moscow problems. I noted that RvP tried to take the ball round the keeper in a ridiculous piece of skill rather than square to Kolo. I was livid when I saw that. At best it showed indecision; at worst, the squandering of a golden opportunity due to vanity.
We seemed to pull ourselves back into it in the late second half and, perhaps, were worth a point by the end. Thierry's 'goal' was a goal, and I can see why he's so upset, the most upset I've seen him for a long time. Hopefully, he can use that anger positively in the return leg, instead of just moping about it and getting frustrated.
So, a loss is never palatable, but some defeats are, on balance, more acceptable than others. To go down one-nil in freezing Moscow after pulling out a reasonably battling performance is not the end of the world. Especially as we will beat Moscow and Hamburg at home in our next two CL matches. This should mean we'll have qualified before the tricky away match in Porto - whether as group winners or not, I'm not sure. The only real cause for concern was the effectiveness of Moscow's 3-5-2 formation in stifling our play; again, this is something we should overcome in the game at the Emirates.
I'm also slightly concerned that after yesterday's tough match, we've got another one on Sunday, away to Reading. Its good that we've got more recouperation time, but, I think Reading will take the game to us and I hope we have the strength not to sustain another defeat.
Tonight's games should be fascinating. I wish Peter Cech all the best after his awful, and I would say probably accidental, injury. His absence is a huge loss to the Chel$ea team: no Gallas and no Cech could expose defence frailities of the like we have barely seen under Mourinho, although Chel sea briefly showed how much they struggle without them in their defeat to Middlesborough earlier this season. I think Mourinho may play for a point and try to shield Hilario from too much responsibility [the headlines are already written for that guy]. I also have my suspicions that Bordeaux could cause Liverpool some grief tonight, with Gerrard and, perhaps more importantly, Sissoko both missing.
Gb.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Playtime at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene's tenth anniversary celebrations dominated the pre-game build-up yesterday, but the game itself reminded me of the nickname of our former boss George Graham: 'The Stroller'.
Because, for all my fears that our tired legs would perhaps let Watford into this one, Arsenal ended up strolling to victory, almost at a canter, yesterday; Indeed, when people are leaving ten minutes early, you know the team is either doing very well or very badly.
That's not to say Watford didn't have their chances. They had at least 3 clear-cut chances when the score was 0-0 or 1-0 to get themselves back in the game, if only temporarily. Djourou made a superb block to stop one, he was the pick of the back four for me yesterday, but I do worry that there are a few too many lapses in concentration at the back. Still, we're not being punished yet, and I think they will lessen.
Going forward, we were sensational. Rosicky and Fabregas were full of running and ingenuity, while Walcott's presence on the left showed just how far we can improve when we have a genuine threat down that side instead of Freddie. Theo had an excellent debut, even if I did notice that some of the team were a little reticent to give him the ball. He was muscled off the ball once or twice, but he also sent Fabregas through with a sublime pass, cut past about three defenders and narrowly blazed over, and generally used his pace and confidence to make a nuisance of himself. His first goal surely can't be far away. What's more, Theo, in stark contrast to most English top-level players, seems a grounded, humble individual. I hope this stays with him, because it will improve his play.
Adebayor was excellent up front, winning the ball and holding up the play to produce space and opportunities for others. This allowed Henry to basically have an almost free reign up front. Thierry was just too much for the Watford defence to live with, and, if not for a string of fine saves from Ben Foster, the score could have been much higher.
The second half was almost comically one sided, Watford gaining chances through lapses of in our concentration caused by our near total dominance.
Hleb did well, aside from one blind alley-esque run, after he came on, with him and Adebayor almost falling over themselves to score the third. Clichy received a rapturous reception. I like Gael, but he still has it almost all to prove this year if he wants to cement his starting first XI place. I would also say, that Hoyte looked far more comforable at right back, and he should be able to fill in adequately until Eboue or Lauren come back.
So, a good win and the first stress free game for me at the Emirates. We were comfortable, played some good football, and were well worth the victory margin.
After the game, I caught intermittent highlights of the Chel£ea Reading match in a pub. It was one of the craziest games I've seen for a while: the clock stood at 102 minutes by the time full-time was finally called. The Chel$ea players indulged in their usual shirt throwing histironics, which, I must say, is becoming a little tiring. As someone pointed out to me as well, have you ever seen John Terry show that level of commitment for England? And I don't include having a cry at the world cup. Man U also got a good win at Wigan, with Rooney playing rather well.
Indeed, MOTD have already decided that the Premiership is a two horse race between Man U and Chelsea. I'm more than happy for them to under-estimate us, because I think our first year in the Emirates will end with some form of silverware to cap ten years of Arsene in charge.
Because, for all my fears that our tired legs would perhaps let Watford into this one, Arsenal ended up strolling to victory, almost at a canter, yesterday; Indeed, when people are leaving ten minutes early, you know the team is either doing very well or very badly.
That's not to say Watford didn't have their chances. They had at least 3 clear-cut chances when the score was 0-0 or 1-0 to get themselves back in the game, if only temporarily. Djourou made a superb block to stop one, he was the pick of the back four for me yesterday, but I do worry that there are a few too many lapses in concentration at the back. Still, we're not being punished yet, and I think they will lessen.
Going forward, we were sensational. Rosicky and Fabregas were full of running and ingenuity, while Walcott's presence on the left showed just how far we can improve when we have a genuine threat down that side instead of Freddie. Theo had an excellent debut, even if I did notice that some of the team were a little reticent to give him the ball. He was muscled off the ball once or twice, but he also sent Fabregas through with a sublime pass, cut past about three defenders and narrowly blazed over, and generally used his pace and confidence to make a nuisance of himself. His first goal surely can't be far away. What's more, Theo, in stark contrast to most English top-level players, seems a grounded, humble individual. I hope this stays with him, because it will improve his play.
Adebayor was excellent up front, winning the ball and holding up the play to produce space and opportunities for others. This allowed Henry to basically have an almost free reign up front. Thierry was just too much for the Watford defence to live with, and, if not for a string of fine saves from Ben Foster, the score could have been much higher.
The second half was almost comically one sided, Watford gaining chances through lapses of in our concentration caused by our near total dominance.
Hleb did well, aside from one blind alley-esque run, after he came on, with him and Adebayor almost falling over themselves to score the third. Clichy received a rapturous reception. I like Gael, but he still has it almost all to prove this year if he wants to cement his starting first XI place. I would also say, that Hoyte looked far more comforable at right back, and he should be able to fill in adequately until Eboue or Lauren come back.
So, a good win and the first stress free game for me at the Emirates. We were comfortable, played some good football, and were well worth the victory margin.
After the game, I caught intermittent highlights of the Chel£ea Reading match in a pub. It was one of the craziest games I've seen for a while: the clock stood at 102 minutes by the time full-time was finally called. The Chel$ea players indulged in their usual shirt throwing histironics, which, I must say, is becoming a little tiring. As someone pointed out to me as well, have you ever seen John Terry show that level of commitment for England? And I don't include having a cry at the world cup. Man U also got a good win at Wigan, with Rooney playing rather well.
Indeed, MOTD have already decided that the Premiership is a two horse race between Man U and Chelsea. I'm more than happy for them to under-estimate us, because I think our first year in the Emirates will end with some form of silverware to cap ten years of Arsene in charge.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Theo to start? No Eboue, No Baptista, and Watford could be tough.
Just got about 45 minutes before I head off to make a quick post, have some food, and to ponder today's game.
The big news this morning is that Theo is set to start. As far as this one goes, Arsene knows, I think. I'm slightly surprised he's staring him before the new year, but if Arsene thinks he's ready then I'll trust his judgement. The decision is probably heavily predicated on a lot of tired legs after the two internationals many will have played in the last week, and the prospect of our tough trip to Moscow on Wednesday. Theo's two sensational goals may also have helped.
Things have also been complicated by injuries to Eboue and Baptista, both of whom are, reportedly, now out for 4 weeks. Eboue is probably the bigger loss, given his great form at the moment, but Baptista's injury certainly won't have helped his already slow progression towards full fitness. It may not be until January now that we really begin to be seen what he's made of. I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt, because he's going to need probably a season to settle in, but he could really help towards the tail end of this season in our, hopefully, push for trophies. Freddie is also out injured, but I think that's a loss we can more readily cover.
Indeed, it could be a tough game today, and I think I'd like it to be difficult. Walkovers are boring. Watford have been desperately unlucky not to pick up a win so far this season, and I think they'll certainly be a tougher proposition than Sheff Utd. Marlon King, in particular, is a quality player and, even if Watford do go down, I think he's good enough to get a transfer elsewhere in the premiership. Watford's players won't have been playing journey round the world this week, so they'll be fresh and hungry to cause an upset. Some of our boys could be tired and, while I hope not, perhaps a little complacent even. Watford will try and be patient, stifle us, and then hit us as we tire or grow frustrated.
I've also noticed that Arsene is a little reticent to start Rosicky and Hleb together. I think this may be part of Rosicky's integration, but it's denying us our most powerful midfield at the moment.
I'd love to see a midfiled of
l-r
rosicky-fab-gilbs-Hleb
Someone pointed out that if we bought Ribery we could have a five piece of
rosicky-fab-gilbs-hleb-ribery
Now that we be a pretty good midfield... as it is swapping ribery for Walcott's not too bad either.
My predicted team for today
Jens
Gallas-Kolo-Djourou-Hoyte
Theo-Gilbs-Fab-Hleb
RvP-Henry
I think that should be strong enough to deal with the matter at hand, especially with Rosicky and Adebayor as possible re-enforcements. Hopefully Clichy and Big Phil might get a chance to have a run around as well.
See you at the Emirates!
Gb
The big news this morning is that Theo is set to start. As far as this one goes, Arsene knows, I think. I'm slightly surprised he's staring him before the new year, but if Arsene thinks he's ready then I'll trust his judgement. The decision is probably heavily predicated on a lot of tired legs after the two internationals many will have played in the last week, and the prospect of our tough trip to Moscow on Wednesday. Theo's two sensational goals may also have helped.
Things have also been complicated by injuries to Eboue and Baptista, both of whom are, reportedly, now out for 4 weeks. Eboue is probably the bigger loss, given his great form at the moment, but Baptista's injury certainly won't have helped his already slow progression towards full fitness. It may not be until January now that we really begin to be seen what he's made of. I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt, because he's going to need probably a season to settle in, but he could really help towards the tail end of this season in our, hopefully, push for trophies. Freddie is also out injured, but I think that's a loss we can more readily cover.
Indeed, it could be a tough game today, and I think I'd like it to be difficult. Walkovers are boring. Watford have been desperately unlucky not to pick up a win so far this season, and I think they'll certainly be a tougher proposition than Sheff Utd. Marlon King, in particular, is a quality player and, even if Watford do go down, I think he's good enough to get a transfer elsewhere in the premiership. Watford's players won't have been playing journey round the world this week, so they'll be fresh and hungry to cause an upset. Some of our boys could be tired and, while I hope not, perhaps a little complacent even. Watford will try and be patient, stifle us, and then hit us as we tire or grow frustrated.
I've also noticed that Arsene is a little reticent to start Rosicky and Hleb together. I think this may be part of Rosicky's integration, but it's denying us our most powerful midfield at the moment.
I'd love to see a midfiled of
l-r
rosicky-fab-gilbs-Hleb
Someone pointed out that if we bought Ribery we could have a five piece of
rosicky-fab-gilbs-hleb-ribery
Now that we be a pretty good midfield... as it is swapping ribery for Walcott's not too bad either.
My predicted team for today
Jens
Gallas-Kolo-Djourou-Hoyte
Theo-Gilbs-Fab-Hleb
RvP-Henry
I think that should be strong enough to deal with the matter at hand, especially with Rosicky and Adebayor as possible re-enforcements. Hopefully Clichy and Big Phil might get a chance to have a run around as well.
See you at the Emirates!
Gb
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Can England sink any lower?
Probably.
I was struck whilst watching the Wales Cyprus match by something odd. Wales were neatly playing crisp one touch football, using pace to cut open Cyprus's defence, making deft runs off the ball to beat markers and get shots in on goal.
Why was this odd? Because I'd just finished watching the England match. There was nothing of this football in this encounter.
Instead, there was 3 central midfielders all trying to do the same thing and failing. Gary Neville and Ashley Cole playing as hopeless wing backs. Rooney shooting every time he got the ball, instead of looking for the pass or thinking about whether to take another touch, living in a fantasy land where he's still in the school-yard. Crouch being the lamp-post he is, a magnet for all England's futile endeavours, long-balls, and general lack of imagination.
England don't know how, or simply refuse to try, to play technical football. They are the antithesis of Wenger-ball. They get the ball, knock it around for a bit, and then hack it forward, or have a shot. They are either not being couched or they lack the discipline to wait and carve out proper opportunities.
And then the defence. I don't blame Robinson for the second goal. It was a freak occurance. One could criticise him for perhaps leaning too far over before he tried to take the kick, but bobbles like that can't be predicted. Even if he is a Spud, I feel for him, because that is probably just about the worse thing that can happen to an International footballer.
I would actually be more critical about his positioning and goalkeeping for the first goal; he should never have allowed the ball to loop over his head, yet the header should have been prevented. There were six English players, in a line, in the box, and only two Croatians. Without having to jump, one of the Croatians headed it into the net. A farce.
Where can England go from here? My one hope would be that McClaren will go and a manager of international calibre will come in. But that won't happen. Given that Theo looked better for the u21s than any of the England players did tonight [why is Richardson in the senior squad?] maybe he should get the call up. But then McClaren is still trying to pretend he's not Sven. Hence the tactical shambles tonight.
One would hope that England have reached a nadir; but perhaps there is further yet to fall. Maybe England need to fall further so the FA realise the extent of change that is needed to the current set up.
I was struck whilst watching the Wales Cyprus match by something odd. Wales were neatly playing crisp one touch football, using pace to cut open Cyprus's defence, making deft runs off the ball to beat markers and get shots in on goal.
Why was this odd? Because I'd just finished watching the England match. There was nothing of this football in this encounter.
Instead, there was 3 central midfielders all trying to do the same thing and failing. Gary Neville and Ashley Cole playing as hopeless wing backs. Rooney shooting every time he got the ball, instead of looking for the pass or thinking about whether to take another touch, living in a fantasy land where he's still in the school-yard. Crouch being the lamp-post he is, a magnet for all England's futile endeavours, long-balls, and general lack of imagination.
England don't know how, or simply refuse to try, to play technical football. They are the antithesis of Wenger-ball. They get the ball, knock it around for a bit, and then hack it forward, or have a shot. They are either not being couched or they lack the discipline to wait and carve out proper opportunities.
And then the defence. I don't blame Robinson for the second goal. It was a freak occurance. One could criticise him for perhaps leaning too far over before he tried to take the kick, but bobbles like that can't be predicted. Even if he is a Spud, I feel for him, because that is probably just about the worse thing that can happen to an International footballer.
I would actually be more critical about his positioning and goalkeeping for the first goal; he should never have allowed the ball to loop over his head, yet the header should have been prevented. There were six English players, in a line, in the box, and only two Croatians. Without having to jump, one of the Croatians headed it into the net. A farce.
Where can England go from here? My one hope would be that McClaren will go and a manager of international calibre will come in. But that won't happen. Given that Theo looked better for the u21s than any of the England players did tonight [why is Richardson in the senior squad?] maybe he should get the call up. But then McClaren is still trying to pretend he's not Sven. Hence the tactical shambles tonight.
One would hope that England have reached a nadir; but perhaps there is further yet to fall. Maybe England need to fall further so the FA realise the extent of change that is needed to the current set up.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Hopeless, flabby England are almost out of ideas.
Ok. I hold my hands up. Some of my predicitions were a little off. Although not the one - albeit sarcastic - about yesterday's game being boring rubbish.
Macedonia were a far better team than I gave them credit for and were well worth their point; perhaps even more. I was especially impressed with their half-striker Pandev, who seemed to have far more spark and inventiveness about him than poor old Wayne. He's looking like a shadow of his former self at the moment. Suspended by the FA after a friendly, absorbing the blame for England's failure to beat Portugal, and having, almost literally, the weight of 50 million people's expectations on his shoulders finally seems to have got to him. I think he will return to form. But when?
England were poor. Ledley King's more than adequate job at centre-back would surely mean, if not for our celebrity obsessed culture, he'd be pushing Ferdinand for a starting position.
Carrick must go. I've tried to see what others do in him, and I struggle. He is good at receiving the ball up in midfield and picking out passes. That's it. Also, he usually needs time on the ball to do this. He can't tackle, so he's not a holding midfielder. He can't score, so he's not an attacking one. He gets the ball, and, given sufficient time, he might make a half-decent pass. A water-carrier. I still surprise myself every time I say it but, we need Hargreaves. In the short term, Parker must come in for Wednesday's game.
Although one could argue that Lampard's continued presence in the side is bordering on comical. I read Sam Allardyce state today that we should consider picking Phil Neville for centre-mid, given that Gerrard's suspended and Lampard is, well, 'out of sorts' shall we say. It says much about the real strength of English football, that, when our supposedly 'top players' our injured, these are the reserves we have in store. I think Phil has done well at Everton. But please. No.
Indeed that seems to be the story of England in our creative positions at the moment. Owen and Rooney - seemingly a good starting partnership. But with Owen injured and Rooney out of form, who do England have? Defoe, who lost his starting place at Spurs last season; Bent, who has done well for Charlton, but I don't think is really international standard. And Crouch. Want to know how good Crouch really is for an international player. Watch Koller [spelling?] for the Czechs and compare the two. Crouch is still shaky with his head, and needs too many chances for a top level player before he slots one away. Moreover, the Czechs don't just pump long-balls, to Koller. They have the technical skills to mix the play. Do England? The future, may lie with Andy Jonhnson and Dean Ashton, but they are completely untried at the top level.
Then we have Stuart 'I'm not only in the team because I'm mates with McClaren, honest' Downing, who needs a day before he can accurately pass the ball. Even Gerrard, who was for a long time my favourite England player [prior to his odious Walcott comments], seems to have become hopelessly selfish. Its not for nothing that Benitez feels he needs to play two defensive midfielders next to him. SWP was a brief, bright spark, but he needs to get out of Chelsea quick, before his potential is completely destroyed. I say, we bid for him and Ribery next summer and hope to get one of the two.
The conclusion to me is evident. Scratch the surface of the hype and hubris surrounding them, and you have a good, but not great England team; penetrate past the first eleven, and the actually depth of English talent is worrying.
I think England will lose in Croatia on Wednesday. Playing 3-5-2 might get us a draw but England won't be the first to record a qualifying victory out there.
What England don't do is play as a team. I think this has a lot to do with the Galactico-esque pride of a few players in the set up. Football is a team game; that's why Chelsea may not win the league this year. Its also why Scotland beat France yesterday. France played decent football, yet couldn't break the Scots' massed ranks. The scots took their chance and showed that eleven players on the same wave length, decently coached, and with a dash of luck can beat high quality opposition. My main concern was that our boys got through the game Ok- which they did. Even if Thierry is in a bit of a sulk.
Elsewhere, RvP scored again. I stand by my earlier statement that he plays better for the Dutch than us. Tommy Rosicky was in a Czech team that unexpectedly battered the titans of San Marino; Arsenal are preparing to sue Sweden for £20 million after Freddie got injured in their game. Just joking, but its still annoying.
Right, three days in which most of the press will analyse how England will bounce back. I don't think they will. Systemic change is needed to the set-up. And we can't blame Sven any more. Maybe, just maybe, and I'm sorry to burst the Daily Mail's bubble here, a foreign manager wasn' t the entire cause of England's problems...
Macedonia were a far better team than I gave them credit for and were well worth their point; perhaps even more. I was especially impressed with their half-striker Pandev, who seemed to have far more spark and inventiveness about him than poor old Wayne. He's looking like a shadow of his former self at the moment. Suspended by the FA after a friendly, absorbing the blame for England's failure to beat Portugal, and having, almost literally, the weight of 50 million people's expectations on his shoulders finally seems to have got to him. I think he will return to form. But when?
England were poor. Ledley King's more than adequate job at centre-back would surely mean, if not for our celebrity obsessed culture, he'd be pushing Ferdinand for a starting position.
Carrick must go. I've tried to see what others do in him, and I struggle. He is good at receiving the ball up in midfield and picking out passes. That's it. Also, he usually needs time on the ball to do this. He can't tackle, so he's not a holding midfielder. He can't score, so he's not an attacking one. He gets the ball, and, given sufficient time, he might make a half-decent pass. A water-carrier. I still surprise myself every time I say it but, we need Hargreaves. In the short term, Parker must come in for Wednesday's game.
Although one could argue that Lampard's continued presence in the side is bordering on comical. I read Sam Allardyce state today that we should consider picking Phil Neville for centre-mid, given that Gerrard's suspended and Lampard is, well, 'out of sorts' shall we say. It says much about the real strength of English football, that, when our supposedly 'top players' our injured, these are the reserves we have in store. I think Phil has done well at Everton. But please. No.
Indeed that seems to be the story of England in our creative positions at the moment. Owen and Rooney - seemingly a good starting partnership. But with Owen injured and Rooney out of form, who do England have? Defoe, who lost his starting place at Spurs last season; Bent, who has done well for Charlton, but I don't think is really international standard. And Crouch. Want to know how good Crouch really is for an international player. Watch Koller [spelling?] for the Czechs and compare the two. Crouch is still shaky with his head, and needs too many chances for a top level player before he slots one away. Moreover, the Czechs don't just pump long-balls, to Koller. They have the technical skills to mix the play. Do England? The future, may lie with Andy Jonhnson and Dean Ashton, but they are completely untried at the top level.
Then we have Stuart 'I'm not only in the team because I'm mates with McClaren, honest' Downing, who needs a day before he can accurately pass the ball. Even Gerrard, who was for a long time my favourite England player [prior to his odious Walcott comments], seems to have become hopelessly selfish. Its not for nothing that Benitez feels he needs to play two defensive midfielders next to him. SWP was a brief, bright spark, but he needs to get out of Chelsea quick, before his potential is completely destroyed. I say, we bid for him and Ribery next summer and hope to get one of the two.
The conclusion to me is evident. Scratch the surface of the hype and hubris surrounding them, and you have a good, but not great England team; penetrate past the first eleven, and the actually depth of English talent is worrying.
I think England will lose in Croatia on Wednesday. Playing 3-5-2 might get us a draw but England won't be the first to record a qualifying victory out there.
What England don't do is play as a team. I think this has a lot to do with the Galactico-esque pride of a few players in the set up. Football is a team game; that's why Chelsea may not win the league this year. Its also why Scotland beat France yesterday. France played decent football, yet couldn't break the Scots' massed ranks. The scots took their chance and showed that eleven players on the same wave length, decently coached, and with a dash of luck can beat high quality opposition. My main concern was that our boys got through the game Ok- which they did. Even if Thierry is in a bit of a sulk.
Elsewhere, RvP scored again. I stand by my earlier statement that he plays better for the Dutch than us. Tommy Rosicky was in a Czech team that unexpectedly battered the titans of San Marino; Arsenal are preparing to sue Sweden for £20 million after Freddie got injured in their game. Just joking, but its still annoying.
Right, three days in which most of the press will analyse how England will bounce back. I don't think they will. Systemic change is needed to the set-up. And we can't blame Sven any more. Maybe, just maybe, and I'm sorry to burst the Daily Mail's bubble here, a foreign manager wasn' t the entire cause of England's problems...
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Yes please to Ribery; no thanks to Hansen.
The only really significant piece of news I've read in the last few days regarding us, is that we've been given 'first option' on Franck Ribery. I think this may just be speculation stemming from agents, but I'd really like Franck to join the club. He's feisty, a goal-scorer, and a real winger; a long-term replacement for Freddie in my eyes. Whether he'll come or not, and whether we should ascribe any significance to this rumour is still anyone's guess however.
Speaking of Ribery, its Internationals day, and lots of Gooners are in action around Europe. However, I've just watched the Wales Slovakia game where there were none of our boys present. The 5-1 scoreline was a bit harsh on Wales, and largely seemed to stem from Paul Jones inability to catch anything that floated above his head. Gareth Bale played well at lb for Wales and scored a cracking free-kick: it's not hard to see why the 17 year old has been linked with us. I know we have Traore for the long term, but he'd definitely be worth monitoring.
I'm tempted to watch the Scotland France game as England Macedonia is going to be absolute rubbish. Especially due to the BBC's commentary team. Wait for Shearer to say: 'well, Rooney, he's er a good player', or some other wonderfully enlightened piece of commentary such as 'well, England did well to score so many goals.' Expect Wrighty to say, 'no disrespect to Macedonica, or whatever they're called, but we should be beating these teams easy coz we're England'. Please, please Ian, end you're media career before all my fond memories of you are gone. Expect Hansen to say 'well, the Macedonian defending was atrocious' about 49 times. Finally, expect them all to say, 'well, without getting carried away, the fact that England have beaten a series of teams who would be regularly beaten in the Championship, let alone the Premiership, means we all feel England are back on track under McClaren and can win Euro 2008'. A win today proves nothing and England will not win Euro 2008. But the BBC needs to hype the team to keep us watching. Moreover, I'm surprised the England team can all fit on the pitch given the size of their massive egos.
People wonder why England haven't won anything for forty years, and the answer is simple: we have not been good enough to win anything. We've had a couple of good players in the last twenty years - Beckham, Owen, Gascoigne, Rooney - but the first three burnt out after good starts and I have worries about Wayne 'I never dive' Rooney. It finally hit home to me when I watched France in the world cup. They had Henry up front, Zidane floating in the hole, Makelele and Vieira marshalling the midfield, Ribery roaming up the wings, Gallas and Thuram at the back. England don't have that quality, and we shouldn't pretend we do. Stuart Downing and Peter Crouch are starting today. Nuff said. [and if anyone says Crouch has an excellent international record....]
Speaking of Hansen he advised Scotland to 'give Henry a whack' if they wanted to contain him. Now, normally I'm a fan of Hansen; if perhaps only in a slightly ironic way. His continual ranting against all forms of defending - he probably considered this years Italian team 'sloppy' - is a constant source of amusement to me. But this is a disgraceful comment. He tried to dilute its potency by claiming that the 'whack' should be legitimate - but no commentator, especially one who was an ex-pro, should incite violence on another player. Grow up Alan.
Thats all for now. Time to settle down for the game of the century. Or sleep. Or, indeed, both.
Speaking of Ribery, its Internationals day, and lots of Gooners are in action around Europe. However, I've just watched the Wales Slovakia game where there were none of our boys present. The 5-1 scoreline was a bit harsh on Wales, and largely seemed to stem from Paul Jones inability to catch anything that floated above his head. Gareth Bale played well at lb for Wales and scored a cracking free-kick: it's not hard to see why the 17 year old has been linked with us. I know we have Traore for the long term, but he'd definitely be worth monitoring.
I'm tempted to watch the Scotland France game as England Macedonia is going to be absolute rubbish. Especially due to the BBC's commentary team. Wait for Shearer to say: 'well, Rooney, he's er a good player', or some other wonderfully enlightened piece of commentary such as 'well, England did well to score so many goals.' Expect Wrighty to say, 'no disrespect to Macedonica, or whatever they're called, but we should be beating these teams easy coz we're England'. Please, please Ian, end you're media career before all my fond memories of you are gone. Expect Hansen to say 'well, the Macedonian defending was atrocious' about 49 times. Finally, expect them all to say, 'well, without getting carried away, the fact that England have beaten a series of teams who would be regularly beaten in the Championship, let alone the Premiership, means we all feel England are back on track under McClaren and can win Euro 2008'. A win today proves nothing and England will not win Euro 2008. But the BBC needs to hype the team to keep us watching. Moreover, I'm surprised the England team can all fit on the pitch given the size of their massive egos.
People wonder why England haven't won anything for forty years, and the answer is simple: we have not been good enough to win anything. We've had a couple of good players in the last twenty years - Beckham, Owen, Gascoigne, Rooney - but the first three burnt out after good starts and I have worries about Wayne 'I never dive' Rooney. It finally hit home to me when I watched France in the world cup. They had Henry up front, Zidane floating in the hole, Makelele and Vieira marshalling the midfield, Ribery roaming up the wings, Gallas and Thuram at the back. England don't have that quality, and we shouldn't pretend we do. Stuart Downing and Peter Crouch are starting today. Nuff said. [and if anyone says Crouch has an excellent international record....]
Speaking of Hansen he advised Scotland to 'give Henry a whack' if they wanted to contain him. Now, normally I'm a fan of Hansen; if perhaps only in a slightly ironic way. His continual ranting against all forms of defending - he probably considered this years Italian team 'sloppy' - is a constant source of amusement to me. But this is a disgraceful comment. He tried to dilute its potency by claiming that the 'whack' should be legitimate - but no commentator, especially one who was an ex-pro, should incite violence on another player. Grow up Alan.
Thats all for now. Time to settle down for the game of the century. Or sleep. Or, indeed, both.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
International week means boredom, and managing is a 24 hour job.
Little of note floating around at the moment, as the nation holds its breath in preperation for the match on Saturday. I, for one, will remember where I was the day England played Macedonia. Sarcasm aside, the last time Macedonia were successful in international competitions was probably around 330 BBC when Alexander beat Darius's Persians in an away game. Sorry, I've wanted to make that joke since they were drawn in Englands group.
Goonerboy has also entered the world of 9-6 employment [boo!!] so updates could become slightly less frequent. I will endeavour to continue my posts; if only for my continued sanity.
News relating to Arsenal has been rather thin on the ground. A nice little story I saw was that Jens is auctioning a note he had stuffed down his sock in the Argentina Germany game, in which he had attempted to predict the Argentinian penalties. The Times derided this measure as rather pointless, which, considering England's record on penalties is a bit rich. If the cost was not likely to be astronomically high, I would definitely consider a bid. There also seems to be some news floating around at the moment that Jens is on the verge of staying for another year. Yay!, as long as he maintains his form.
Elsewhere, Thierry won Sky's best ever foreign player. Quite rightly too. Cantona was bloody good, but quit before the going got tough. Dennis and Paddy were also in the top ten. I can't really comment further as I didn't see the programme.
Double D, David Dein, has been elected chairman of the G14. Some poetry for you there. This confirms his position as one of the most powerful men in football. No doubt we'll be accused of having too much clout in the game, which might be justified, but the way G14 is going, its good for the club to have him in that position.
Finally, Arsene gave a pretty decent interview to Arsenal.com which, nicely, they put up a transcript for. My favourite part is this:
Goonerboy has also entered the world of 9-6 employment [boo!!] so updates could become slightly less frequent. I will endeavour to continue my posts; if only for my continued sanity.
News relating to Arsenal has been rather thin on the ground. A nice little story I saw was that Jens is auctioning a note he had stuffed down his sock in the Argentina Germany game, in which he had attempted to predict the Argentinian penalties. The Times derided this measure as rather pointless, which, considering England's record on penalties is a bit rich. If the cost was not likely to be astronomically high, I would definitely consider a bid. There also seems to be some news floating around at the moment that Jens is on the verge of staying for another year. Yay!, as long as he maintains his form.
Elsewhere, Thierry won Sky's best ever foreign player. Quite rightly too. Cantona was bloody good, but quit before the going got tough. Dennis and Paddy were also in the top ten. I can't really comment further as I didn't see the programme.
Double D, David Dein, has been elected chairman of the G14. Some poetry for you there. This confirms his position as one of the most powerful men in football. No doubt we'll be accused of having too much clout in the game, which might be justified, but the way G14 is going, its good for the club to have him in that position.
Finally, Arsene gave a pretty decent interview to Arsenal.com which, nicely, they put up a transcript for. My favourite part is this:
Can you describe a typical matchday?
Usually, I get up at 6.30am and go for a run, after that I come back and have breakfast and then prepare the team meeting. At 10.30 we meet with the players, have a walk, a stretch, and then a meeting where we sometimes watch what was good or bad in the last game. At 11 we have lunch, then most of the time we go back to our [hotel] rooms again. At 12.45 we go to the stadium... Afterwards I watch all kinds of matches, through the night until three or four o'clock I watch European football. I go to bed when I am dead tired, for managers it takes time to recover from a game and sometimes you don't sleep at all.
So Arsene works 24 hours a day. Well, on at least some days. That's a pretty decent level of commitment.
He also went on to admit that selling Paddy and Edu simultaneously was probably as mistake, that he missed out on Cech, Makelele and Eto'o, and that making Bobby play the day he broke his leg is the decision he wishs he could reverse the most. I know he's our manager and its easy to say it, but I've really begun to realise how much I admire Arsene recently - not just as a manager, but as a person. Few people in life, let alone football, admit their mistakes.
Finally, do read anti's post on Arsenal, WTF today. 'Twas the highlight of an otherwise day.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
This year is make or break for Van Persie.
A good win yesterday. It was a funny game that we could have equally won 3 or 4-1 if our finsihing had been better, yet also perhaps have lost if Charlton had put away someof their chances, or been awarded a pretty stone-wall penalty.
We seem to be playing really good football again in terms of our passing and movement. Pin-ball football - or Wengerball - seemed to be happily pinging away. Indeed, some nice early passing created an opportunity for Fabregas, which he should have scored with a headed chance set up by Thierry. Instead, he skied his header from close range. It was a poor miss and you could tell he was dissapointed by the way he refused to meet Tel's eyes as he ran off.
Charlton then, against the run of play, took the lead. Hoyte, who continues to be a weak spot in the team, played Hasselbaink onside, allowing him to cross for a completely unmarked Bent. It was a really soft goal to concede and I did worry about our reaction.
Yet we've had to battle back from a goal down a few times already this season - the difference yesterday was that two of our chances actually went in.
Hleb was a constant hub of activity on the right hand side. Unfairly maligned by quite a few supporters for his reluctance to shoot, he is becoming a real creative dynamo. He holds on to the ball and more often than not makes an intelligent pass. I've said it before, but he really reminds me of Dennis sometimes - not in his scoring abilities [yet] but the way he always seems to be thinking when he's on the ball. Something always seems on the verge of happening with him, and very often does.
He was given too much time by the Charlton defence for RvP's first goal. He danced around enough to pull defenders towards him, before floating a perfect ball to RvP. Robin's finish was excellent, and at 1-1 I fancied us to win.
There are not enough superlatives in the dictionary for Robin's second. It was a stupidly good goal, the type you try when you're a kid in the playground and ends up in the road. Arsene got it right when he said it was technically perfect. A perfect goal, perhaps, already,the best of his career.
And after that we should have put the game to bed; but we fluffed our lines instead. Robin missed an easy chance for his hat-trick, while Thierry missed a fabulously easy chance when one on one with the keeper. Persistent tackling by Hleb gave Thierry the ball with only Carson to beat and, unusually for Thierry, he snatched at the opportunity.
So we then had to deal with a lot of Charlton pressure and three golden chances in particular. Jens pulled off a fantastic save low to his left to prevent an otherwise certain goal. At his present rate, he's pulling off on game-winning save a game. Then Willy hand-balled it in the box but a penalty wasn't given. I don't think he was fully fit yesterday but he's so good I want him in the team whenever possible at the moment. He's a real battler who can help us win games just by his presence. Finally Hasselbaink, who moaned all game, headed wide when he should have scored.
The headline might seem odd given his fantastic performance yesterday, but I really believe that this is the case. We've all known, since the Blackburn semi-final, that Robin is capable of scoring unbelievable goals - hence why he has a loyal fan club among many Arsenal fans. On his day he's as dangerous a striker as they come and its good to have a player in the team who's game is so focused on scoring goals. But, the worry remains that he isn't developing his wider game for us. For Holland, he gets to play on the wing, which, despite his desire for goal, he may actually prefer, and he seems to contribute more to the team. Unfortunately, I think he likes the spaces that Thierry occupies. When Robin's scoring, he's fulfilling his worth to the team and squad. Unfortunately, and unlike, say, Adebayor, or even Baptista in the flashes we've seen of him, when Robin isn't scoring, he often might as well not be on the pitch.
I think Arsene will give Robin another year to prove his worth to the squad. If he gets 15+ goals this year and isn't otherwise developing, he may get another year on top of this. But if Robin's game doesn't become more consistent or more productive in terms of his general team play, he may cash in and bank on one of Bendtner or Lupoli making it at Premiership level. Both are currently tearing up the Championship. Especially as I'm still not sure if Thierry likes playing with Robin.
Results elsewhere went for us yesterday, so, if we win our game in hand, we're only two points from the top. And our next home game is against Watford. Three good summer siginings, combined with a few youngsters and foreigners who have now adapted to the Premiership, have turned our squad into one that can genuinely compete for the title. Especially with Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool all looking fallible.
We seem to be playing really good football again in terms of our passing and movement. Pin-ball football - or Wengerball - seemed to be happily pinging away. Indeed, some nice early passing created an opportunity for Fabregas, which he should have scored with a headed chance set up by Thierry. Instead, he skied his header from close range. It was a poor miss and you could tell he was dissapointed by the way he refused to meet Tel's eyes as he ran off.
Charlton then, against the run of play, took the lead. Hoyte, who continues to be a weak spot in the team, played Hasselbaink onside, allowing him to cross for a completely unmarked Bent. It was a really soft goal to concede and I did worry about our reaction.
Yet we've had to battle back from a goal down a few times already this season - the difference yesterday was that two of our chances actually went in.
Hleb was a constant hub of activity on the right hand side. Unfairly maligned by quite a few supporters for his reluctance to shoot, he is becoming a real creative dynamo. He holds on to the ball and more often than not makes an intelligent pass. I've said it before, but he really reminds me of Dennis sometimes - not in his scoring abilities [yet] but the way he always seems to be thinking when he's on the ball. Something always seems on the verge of happening with him, and very often does.
He was given too much time by the Charlton defence for RvP's first goal. He danced around enough to pull defenders towards him, before floating a perfect ball to RvP. Robin's finish was excellent, and at 1-1 I fancied us to win.
There are not enough superlatives in the dictionary for Robin's second. It was a stupidly good goal, the type you try when you're a kid in the playground and ends up in the road. Arsene got it right when he said it was technically perfect. A perfect goal, perhaps, already,the best of his career.
And after that we should have put the game to bed; but we fluffed our lines instead. Robin missed an easy chance for his hat-trick, while Thierry missed a fabulously easy chance when one on one with the keeper. Persistent tackling by Hleb gave Thierry the ball with only Carson to beat and, unusually for Thierry, he snatched at the opportunity.
So we then had to deal with a lot of Charlton pressure and three golden chances in particular. Jens pulled off a fantastic save low to his left to prevent an otherwise certain goal. At his present rate, he's pulling off on game-winning save a game. Then Willy hand-balled it in the box but a penalty wasn't given. I don't think he was fully fit yesterday but he's so good I want him in the team whenever possible at the moment. He's a real battler who can help us win games just by his presence. Finally Hasselbaink, who moaned all game, headed wide when he should have scored.
The headline might seem odd given his fantastic performance yesterday, but I really believe that this is the case. We've all known, since the Blackburn semi-final, that Robin is capable of scoring unbelievable goals - hence why he has a loyal fan club among many Arsenal fans. On his day he's as dangerous a striker as they come and its good to have a player in the team who's game is so focused on scoring goals. But, the worry remains that he isn't developing his wider game for us. For Holland, he gets to play on the wing, which, despite his desire for goal, he may actually prefer, and he seems to contribute more to the team. Unfortunately, I think he likes the spaces that Thierry occupies. When Robin's scoring, he's fulfilling his worth to the team and squad. Unfortunately, and unlike, say, Adebayor, or even Baptista in the flashes we've seen of him, when Robin isn't scoring, he often might as well not be on the pitch.
I think Arsene will give Robin another year to prove his worth to the squad. If he gets 15+ goals this year and isn't otherwise developing, he may get another year on top of this. But if Robin's game doesn't become more consistent or more productive in terms of his general team play, he may cash in and bank on one of Bendtner or Lupoli making it at Premiership level. Both are currently tearing up the Championship. Especially as I'm still not sure if Thierry likes playing with Robin.
Results elsewhere went for us yesterday, so, if we win our game in hand, we're only two points from the top. And our next home game is against Watford. Three good summer siginings, combined with a few youngsters and foreigners who have now adapted to the Premiership, have turned our squad into one that can genuinely compete for the title. Especially with Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool all looking fallible.
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