Arsenal v Bayern Munich; Champion’s League Match Preview
I read this today – “Of all the teams that Arsenal would not like to be playing right now (besides Barcelona) Bayern Munich is it.” Well, that’s it then we shouldn’t watch and hey forget about the match because well, it’s too much of a mountain to climb.
Not convinced? Well, FC Hollywood (as they are called in Germany) has only conceded 7 goals this season, they’ve yet to lose in 2013 going an impressive 5 for 5 in league play, they were “Autumn Champions well before any team had done it, and VFL Wolfsburg’s shot in the 77th minute was their first shot allowed on goal in over 4 hours of play. There’s more of course, but hey at this point we should all give up any semblance of hope or in some cases support for our team (we’ll get there shortly.)
Yet, that same impressive juggernaut does have problems. In Champion’s League play they’ve not travelled well. Their group campaign was an unimpressive 1W 1L 1D with FC BATE drubbing them 3-1. Add in some other travel facts about Bayern, like they’ve only won 2 times in 15 visits to England and as a matter of fact have never won in London.
But before we go into this there are two things I’d like to address. Two things that were making the rounds yesterday that irked me. The first is the blatant overreaction to a supposed Wenger “meltdown” that occurred in yesterday’s pre-match presser. I’ve watched the presser and the overriding thought was – if that was a meltdown – I’d love the English press to listen to me talk (loose term there) to a Tech Support drudge when I can’t get them to actually do something. Now THAT’S a meltdown.
As you listen it’s clear some reporters are in there with an agenda to stir things up. The fan base is frustrated and angry and it’s clear listening to some of the questions that they are hoping to bate Wenger into saying something they could use to incite the fan base even further. Because nothing makes good press like an angry fan base – just ask the scousers. He addressed it clearly on early in the presser when he was asked about a story in the Sun that says he had been offered a two year contract extension. The hope being Wenger might say whether or not he intends to stay beyond 2014 or leave. Either way its column inches and eyeballs on a web site.
The second thing is more directly related to today’s match and it has to do with “plastic supporters” who openly hope for Arsenal – their supposed team – to lose in order to expedite Wenger’s departure. Let’s be perfectly clear on one thing, if they didn’t fire Wenger after losing to Bradford or to Blackburn – completely inferior teams to today’s opponent – they aren’t going to fire him for losing to Bayern. Adding on to that, the board won’t fire him. Say what you will about Wenger but the board still respects him and believes in him. They will let him run out his contract.
But the bigger issue I have is with someone hoping for your team to lose. I can only surmise one thing based off of that – they really aren’t your team. The axiom of sport is true – you can’t pick your parents or the team you support. There are some addendums to that but your team is supposed to be your team – warts and all and if you can’t differentiate between supporting at game time and making fair critiques (that’s a polite way of saying open rants) then there is something not right in your support.
We support Arsenal FC, not Arsene FC or the board or individual players. Doesn’t matter who runs the club or who plays for the club, the two constants in the equation are Arsenal the club and its supporters. Let me be perfectly clear – THINGS. ARE. BAD. There is no sugar coating that. But ask the supporters who supported from ’71 to ’89 and the lean years that were in between. In that time of 18 years there were ONLY two trophies the ’79 FA Cup and ’87 League Cup. No league titles and certainly no Europe to speak of. I don’t see any of them falling off and hoping for their team to lose. They criticized, they bore the frustrations out as best they could of the time but on match day they supported. Because that is what supporters do. We wear the club and our love for it on our fucking sleeves and it does my head in to see anyone openly call for the team to lose.
And if they don’t and somehow this season gets salvaged as best it can – that plastic fan will be right there telling his or her pals that they were right there all along. That makes my stomach turn.\
As for the match as I’ve said it is a daunting task. Arsenal are not the pictures of strength or consistency. They offer a machine-like Bayern, a chance to take them apart. But as discussed in the Podcast there are opportunities for Arsenal – if we take them.
First Bayern are used to playing league opponents who are more than willing to let them have the ball. With as strong as Bayern is – it’s a mistake. Arsenal have no such intentions. At home, they will fancy their chances and look to retain possession. Arsene needs to have his charges press the ball and hope for getting it back at all costs. Bayern don’t play many attacking squads and there is a chance as BATE proved that if you can hit them on the counter – you will get your chances.
Additionally, Giroud is a big man with very little in terms of speed and guile. His game is strength. Playing him centrally plays into Bayern’s defensive strengths as they will be more than ready to handle this. With Dante likely to start in a CB role, it’s imperative that Wenger consider using Theo through the middle with Podolski and Ox on the flanks. Bayern have issues with quick players and it will keep their defensive players honest. Use Theo in the middle to pose a threat that the Germans don’t get too often and use it to get shots on target. Bayern needs to be tested. They’ve been offered very little in the way of resistence in the league. If and I know it’s a big if with this squad, Arsenal set up right and enter the match with the right mentality, they should be able to get something from it.
For the full Bayern preview via YAMACast clip (DAG & James Thorogood) click play.
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Players to watch:
Arsenal: Theo Walcott. Wenger should consider playing him in the middle for this match. It poses the best possible challenge to a Bayern side who don’t normally see a lot of pacy forwards through the middle.
Bayern Munich: Mario Mandžukić. The former Wolfsburg man is in form and he is keeping Mario Gomez on the bench. Which tells you how good he is. If he starts he is going to be problematic for the CBs.
Projected Lineups:
Arsenal: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen; Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla; Podolski, Oxlade-Chamberlains; Walcott
Bayern Munich: Neur; Alaba, Dante, Van Buyten, Lahm; Schweinsteiger, Martinez, Ribery; Kroos; Müller , Mandžukić
Arsenal Injuries and Suspensions:
Monreal (cup-tied), Gibbs (ankle)
Leading Scorers (UCL):
Arsenal: Podolski 3
Bayern Munich: Müller 3, Pizarro 3
Head to Head Tournament Stats:
|
Arsenal |
Bayern |
|
| Goals Scored |
10 |
15 |
| Attempts on Target |
31 |
54 |
| Attempts off Target |
16 |
38 |
| Corners |
27 |
59 |
| Offsides |
20 |
10 |
| Fouls Committed |
85 |
74 |
| Yellow Cards |
15 |
15 |
| Red Cards |
0 |
1 |
Match Official:
Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR)
Assistant referees: Kim Thomas Haglund (NOR), Frank Andås (NOR)
Additional assistant referees: Ken Henry Johnsen (NOR), Dag Vidar Hafsås (NOR)
Fourth official: Sven Erik Midthjell (NOR
Broadcast Information:
US: FoxSoccer Channel 2:45 PM EST
UK: ITV 1 1945 BST
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 1
Bayern: 1
Manager Comments:
Arsène Wenger:
I have the experience to know it’s played over 180 minutes. We must put in our head that we have 180 minutes to qualify – we must not rush our game. It’s important to play to win the competition and at some stage we’ll therefore come up against good teams.
I trust our quality, I trust our spirit and I trust our mental strength– so see you tomorrow!It’s important we play with belief; we’re on a good run overall. The fact is that we’ve lost two of our last 11 league games. Nil-nil at home is a very good result in the Champions League knockout, but we’re an offensive team and we’ll try to go forward and score goals.
We have a way to play that everybody knows – we play with a positive mentality. We have the quality to win and the psychological aspect is more important than anything else. What’s important is to forget what people say and play to our strengths. We are playing for Arsenal Football Club in the last 16 of the Champions League. We have to show we have mental strength.
We’ve been consistently in the last 16 but what we want now is to break through. I think it’s a fantastic opportunity to do that because I believe we have a strong team.
Jupp Heynckes:
I think last season we had a great season but with Bayern if you don’t win a title then it’s not enough. This season we’ve changed in defence and what’s important to me is that every player must learn to defend and attack; every player is a defender and an attacker.
Two years without a trophy at Bayern – we have to do something about that.
The players have that hunger and that motivation for success and that’s very important moving forward. We’ve shown this already in the league, in the cup and in the Champions League – that we have this desire and motivation. The Champions League is special because you play at a higher level so you need even more.Arsenal are very good team, especially going forward, so we have to stand very tight in defence and then work our way forward. They’ve got a lot of tradition and history – they stand for passing football. They’re fifth in the league and they will be a very different opponent for us. You can really see how [Wenger’s] teams play as they have a real style and dynamic. I don’t have a result I wish for as such, but I think that we can win if we play at our very top level.
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“I have regular dreams of Wenger getting fired.” i laughed out loud when i read that.
first, congrats to fc bayern. they threw arsenal a beating. what “top” team gives up three goals at home in a single champions league game in the knock-out round? celtic don’t count as a top team and i guess arsenal doesn’t either. steve hit the nail on the head when calling out how much their players cost compared to arsenal’s. you’ve got to pay top dollar for class.
you guys know i’m no fan of vermaelen. he came in his first season with some hard tackling and a few thunderous goals that had fans excited. i reserved judgement because i knew we were missing something. it was revealed in that barcelona tie when gallas went off injured. that’s when we got to see the real vermaelen. ibra and co. picked on him like a fat kid at the playground. vermaelen’s a spaz, just like kolo toure; no composure. it’s why i didn’t want toure to be captain. arsenal still managed to make a spaz the captain. did anyone notice that all three of bayern’s goals were created from the left side of arsenal’s defense?
the decision to play theo as a center forward against bayern in the champions league is one of the stupidest things wenger has ever done. there is a difference between giving him a run out against relegation fodder, like reading, and having him lead the line in the champions league against a top team in a game you need to win. theo’s played well this season but, at 5’7″ and with no experience at center forward, he’s not going to find much success leading the line against a team like bayern. the physical mismatch is obvious so theo’s got to be experienced enough to know clever ways to win the ball despite his height. problem is theo also lacks the know-how (experience, gulie). he’s not a legitimate center forward so it’s not his fault. as a result, theo lost every single challenge with dante last night. all of them! i would have preferred chamakh leading the arsenal line.
Just read that Wenger did not shake any of the Bayern coaches hands after the game.
The classless git.
The Arsenal America website is pretty desolate and empty these days.
Literally NO comments for several months on the site … wow.
They drove us out so they could have “interesting” articles, etc LOL.
I hope they’re happy with what they’ve got now …
Outclassed, outgunned, outmatched, etc, etc, etc.
As said below, Bayern are a SERIOUS team and as such never had to leave first gear to put us down. And quite frankly they put the Wonga boys down easy. They could have gone for the jugular … but decided not to be hostile guests. Well, not too hostile anyway.
I had the day off … and the TV free … yet I did not bother watching. Turned it on at 30 minutes, so the score and turned it back off.
I have regular dreams of Wenger getting fired. With a mob outside his house demanding his departure. And the French Dictator hurriedly booking a quick Ryannair flight back to his country. (Ryannair because the tw&t is a cheap b*st*rd!)
Anyway, I can’t wait for my dream to come to fruition. Whether this summer, or 2014 or 2015 or 2016. This dictator can’t last forever. I’ll just have to wait. Till then no buying anything from the club, no watching (except I’m really bored) and no emotional investment. I’ll just distract myself with gridiron and college hoops or maybe hockey?? Ah well.
But on the glorious first post Wonga days … HOPE will return. It will be a truly glorious day.
Bayern are a serious team. They put in a professional performance.
The term ‘professional performance’ isn’t one that you associate with Arsenal FC under Wenger, is it.
Bayern have a strategy that keeps them competitive in their league and in the CL despite for most of their existence being resident in a second tier league. Funny that. Like Barcelona they are prepared to spend big on a signing each year or thereabouts. Aside from that they spend amounts not unlike what Wenger would spend… or less. And therein lies one of my major gripes with Wenger, he just doesn’t seem able to buy the really good players that would give his teams a better chance at glory. He talks it up.. how many times have we heard the refrain”if a super super player is available…” but he never makes it happen. And for me, I don’t believe he has any inclination to do so. His ‘bigger’ buys have been largely flops – Jeffers, Reyes and Arshavin come to mind. The evidence suggests he’s not that good at integrating top talent. If he can’t ‘make it’ he doesn’t seem to have the interest.
I watched the game… but find myself only half interested. When the tension of being competitive is absent it makes it all a bit ho hum. Walcott up front – sigh? Sagna being given way too much ball on the left and let’s be honest he rarely does much of interest with it. Why does Cazorla give the ball to him repeatedly, isn’t Cazorla the metronome and playmaker? Ramsey buzzing about doing little. Vermaelen the latest player we get to watch as his career goes down the toilet. Koscielny giving me kittens (heir to the Clichy throne). It’s turgid stuff.
Apparently the 2 billionaires were present. Kroenke doesn’t give a rats arse about Arsenal as a winning force. He simply wants Wenger to maintain the clubs position at the CL trough, thereby covering the debt, and maintaining the rouse of bigness as part of his sporting business empire. Usmanov will be watching brooding, wishing he could restore glory days. They are polar opposites as owners.
There are some good pictures of fans and faces… the atmosphere is getting a bit nasty I feel.
What the hell happened to Vermaelen. What a drop off. Two years ago, he looked like our one defensive hope. Now he looks like the rest of them. Is shite defense contagious?
Okay, so…what do we think happens if we don’t win our 4th place trophy this year? Is that actually enough to finally provoke change?
Vermaelen, to me, is just more of the same. Can you name one defender during the Wenger era that has flourished? Name just one. Even guys who came with huge reputations had them sullied… think Gallas and Campbell. Gallas was my favourite defender when at Chelsea. Campbell was immense and ended up a fragile mess.
Wenger’s football, and I presume his training regime, is not kind on defence. Wenger’s outlook is overwhelmingly offensive. Possession and attack. Defence is secondary and distant even then. Bayern paid 40m on a defensive midfielder for goodness sake. Barcelona the worlds great attacking team plays with defensive midfielders. Arsenal… doesn’t.
I contend that without inheriting the famous defence from George Graham and Dennis Bergkamp the Wenger winning era would not have happened AT ALL. It’s one of those fascinating truths of life – some things are simply down to good fortune. Wenger got his dollop when he signed on in 1996 (fate willed it…).
I think the success he enjoyed on the back of things he did not create (defence) or would not himself procure (Bergkamp) went to his head. Ego told him he could refashion footballs fundamentals. Somehow he convinced himslef that the success that was built on midfield models – with the ilk of Vieira/Petit/Parlour or Vieira/Gilberto/Edu – with serious muscle, energy and presence weren’t necessary. In came the era of the metronomic midgits which still runs today. There is a perfect correlation between our success/failure and this change in Wenger’s footballing philosophy where the last strand of pragmatism was severed. No one has or can explain it. Even fat Sam points it out, and he’s right to.
I’m still not predicting failure to achieve 4th place and a place at the CL though. But let’s assume it happens. Will he go? I’m still in two minds. Kroenke cares only for the money… so he’ll be musing on the question “which route gets him back to the CL trough faster, Wenger or a new manager”? I fear he’ll still favour Wenger. What will Wenger himself think? Well he’s cocooned himself increasingly from reality at London Colney. Will the fall from CL grace be enough to push him ‘over’ internally? Again, I don’t think it’s a clear call. The guy has been successfully ignoring everyone for a very long time. I do think this is the end though in the sense there is no way back. It’s just a matter of when. I don’t believe he’ll get a new contract.
I drew a parallel a while ago to Brian Clough a manager who made Nottingham Forest a shining name for a period. He won 2 CL’s!! After that he did what Wenger has done. Believed in his deity,ignored everyone, and his club eventually withered and died. Success never came back. I too drew the parallel to the end days of George Graham, right up to the end he was saying “I’m as fresh as a daisy” when it was abundantly clear that the well of ideas had run dry. Wenger believes in his deity and his ideas well is run dry. Sobering though to reflect that neither the Forest board nor the Highbury board had the balls to eject them. Clough ran the club in to the ground. Graham was jettisoned in disgrace only after the ‘bung’ affair.
Wow. Great read. (See, Steve? This is the pleasure I get. And look…even Fred posting. Missed you, Fred.) I won’t try to add anything but my co-sign to all of the above.
Speaking of Brian Clough, has anyone seen ‘The Damned United’? While there’s some question as to the veracity of points in the story, it’s a fine footie movie. Michael Sheen is excellent as Clough.
Well. Outclassed once again. Awful team selection forcing us to start with a disfigured formation. Still do not get the mystery behind Podolski’s regular substitutions, completely unlinked to his impact and demands of the game.
Expected a better shot of Giroud. Could have turned around the tie.
i’d continue to hope and dream till we are officially out. But we do make a mockery of ourselves way too often these days.
@DAG – is there a way by which the homepage (i.e. typing http://www.youaremyarsenal.com) automatically redirects to the latest article ?
1/4 of the way out of Europe and there’s not a whole lot of positives to take. Martinez, bought for 40 million Euros (30 mil pounds?) seems about right next to players like Ramsey (5), Arteta (10) or our captain and utility defender, TV5 (5?). I hate to say it but these guys would be (or were in Arteta’s case) stalwarts in mid-table teams. In other words, the gulf in quality, position by position is too much to overcome without a confluence of luck, desire and all that other stuff about belief, mental strength, etc…
We are a mid table team these days, so what’s to be expected?
Time to grovel for respect (maybe get a shot on goal before the night is out)…. I guess, and start thinking about Villa on the weekend. The boos at half time were loud but short, it seemed to me….
Steve, maybe it’s pain meds, but you strike me as all over the place on this thread.
No doubt…. In my best moments I’d like to think of myself as a realist, but with an eye to “enjoying” watching the drama unfold. Painful as it is, the fall of Wenger’s Arsenal is epic drama and the sort you won’t see in the more artificially circumscribed American team sports. (I find Tiger Woods pretty interesting as well….) I won’t root for failure of the team, match to match or over longer time frames, and as I’ve said (in quieter times) the moneyball approach may have some upside somewhere down the pike.
Also, silly as it may seem, I don’t mind “sharing” a little about myself in this forum. We all deal with disappointments (and triumphs) differently and I’m just trying to figure it out. I AM invested (obviously) but I like to try and keep it upbeat, whenever possible. Personally, it seems weird that there are so many folks who seemingly cannot find ANY pleasure in Arsenal (or football) but still feel compelled to come on and kick the dog whenever it’s down. How many different ways can you say, “I told you so”…..
As for tonight’s match….. We were completely outclassed but showed a touch of spirit and fight. The hostility of the environment didn’t help matters. The scoreline seemed just about right…. (The saddest thing was the little interview with Jack at the close of our US broadcast–“We’re not out of it”….) As always it’s about going forward, so, big match on Saturday, unless that (final) fight cannot be engaged because it is just too far beneath one’s standards or expectations.
Overall, having staked out a little space (for writing) here in the comments, I just hope to do my part to keep things civil. (Supporters of) mid-table teams need blogs, too….
“How many different ways can you say, ‘I told you so’…..”
I dunno. Stagg’s the one with the counter. Beyond that, this is why so many regulars rarely make the energy to post anymore. We’ve run out of ways. (Keeping in mind, The reason Mike created this place is because many of us were too ‘realistic’ for Arsenal America. So we have been at it awhile, for sure.)
I wouldn’t bother myself, if it wasn’t for that fact that I genuinely like seeing what my old AA mates have to say on here when they *do* muster the energy. I have fun just pissing about with Mazza, or seeing what kiwi or ck have to say.
And, sure, when I’ve got a couple of hours, even reading your posts. (winky face)
As far as the club itself, it’s not ‘must see’ for me anymore. Hasn’t been for a couple of years. Whereas I used to never miss a match, no matter what time, or what it took out of the rest of my day, any day…now I work in Arsenal when its convenient. Or when I find a match especially compelling (meaning, something about the opposition draws me in). I used to be willing to ‘live’ and ‘die’ with the club. Now I make do. Which seems exactly right for this iteration of AFC, as they’re a ‘make do’ sort of operation.
And, by the way, I would never knock your willingness to be positive. You clearly have the energy and seem to enjoy yourself with YAMA and AFC, so good on ya. My comment was strictly related to *this* thread on which, if I stacked your posts on top of each other, I’m not sure I’d be able to tell where that guy stands.
Beyond that, more power to however the hell you want to live your Gooner life. For realz, yo.
Love this from the pre-match commentary on the Telegraph….
“Time for some doomed match-outcome-predicting? I think so. I shall say it’s going to be a 3-0 victory for Bayern Munich. I’ve gone from “Arsenal are going to get battered” to “Everyone’s saying Arsenal are going to get battered so maybe they’ll draw” then to “everyone’s saying Arsenal will draw because everyone was saying they’re going to get battered, so I think they’re going to get battered”. It’s a scientific but infallible method.”
So, I guess you’re going for the battering…..
Over before it even began….
Ha ha.
Brilliant.
True as well. The pre-match optimism (due to the logic dicating otherwise) had such a tired cliche feel to it. Quite glad it got proven to be so as well when all was said and done.
based on the line-up on saturday, it’s clear to see that wenger rates the champions league over the fa cup.
like carib, i think arsenal can pull off a big result on any given day. i have a sneaky suspicion that today might just be on of those days. clearly, arsenal will miss gibbs’ sword in today’s battle and it’s a shame. while they are having a fantastic season, fc bayern are not unbeatable. can’t wait to get home and watch the recording tonight. hopefully arsenal will do well. we’ll see.
if we finish even with Barern Munich after the first leg, its a MAJOR upset.
I wouldn’t wager on an Arsenal win or draw with someone else’s money.
what scoreline would be embarrassing enough for the AKBers, who are on a shrinking island?
2-0? 3-0? 4-0?
I guess I used the term “hater,” below so It’d be hypocritical to accuse you of trying to over-simplify things and put everybody into the either/or categories…. Still, as always, I think it harms the discussion to frame it thus. (Sorry….) Hopeful types (like maybe me and the DAG) can see the problems but still refuse to root against the team. You’ve (maybe) gone over to the “lose now, to win later” side, but I have to agree with our host here, that I don’t think it’s a very “healthy” way forward. To each his own, of course….
For me there will be no scoreline, however positive or negative, that instantly makes things either better or worse, in a completely convincing way. (Although a repeat of last years’ 4-nil opener–in our stadium–might prove me wrong….) I speak for myself only, of course. For you, maybe, it’s already black and white, done and dusted. For me, I can still see some value in seeing the shades of color and taking things as they come (you know, like in real life). Internet protests notwithstanding, the real frustration (maybe) is that we don’t seem to have a lot of power over the situation…..
Maybe sports SHOULD be black and white and a roller coaster of emotions with each result being an absolute. Maybe (if life is too calm and boring) it helps people feel more “alive” to give it such importance. I dunno. Too much pain for me (as of late) so I could use a bit of a tonic and a scoreline/performance that is just a little hopeful or inspiring…..
Again, sorry…..
there’s no way back for Wenger in my eyes…
he will never change, never compromise, never adjust to the present realities of football… we can’t move forward with his type of thinking…
the board won’t change unless we fail to get Wenger’s Trophy… and it costs
the club CA$H. Nothing else matters to these fools.
sorry. but I want change more than I want to see the club continue on its present course… which is footballing hell in my world…
so, we need to see the club suffer further embarrassment…
I won’t watch today… no interested in watch us get hammered by a far
superior team… and then Wenger will be pissed off at questions asked of him
at the press conference… amazing.
More great work, DAG…..
I just watched the long version of the press conference over on DannyT’s (hater) site and it’s very interesting. If you’ve shut down on Wenger it reads like the last days of the empire. If you have sympathy for the man, it all seems pretty reasonable….
We live from result to result and we won’t actually get one tonight, just a mid-tie scoreline and a performance to deconstruct, along with whatever other twists and turns might ensue. Nonetheless it seems a most pivotal 90 minutes for the rest of the season and for Wenger and this squad going forward. How many times, however, can you say this, and it may just be that this group (and particularly its figurehead) have jumped the shark. See, for example last year’s CL run by Chelsea. Where is RDM these days?….
For me, hope springs eternal, so I’ll go in with your 1-1 scoreline and (hopefully) nobody limping or sent off….