Arsenal v Liverpool; Premier League Match Preview

So, the doctor says I need to just stay pain free for a bit and then listen to my body and work to improve it—flexibility and core strength being the keys. The parallel to short term pain, long term demise and possible ways forward, brings to mind my football team…. (Blog sized post coming, bear with me. if you can…..)

I feel you CK, and you’re dead right about the PR scam the manager laid down during this mid-season window. Personally, I think he makes some valid points about the January window being a chance for the bigger clubs to tweak things. In that regard we should be bossing the Totts and the Evertons and the rest of the clubs at the level to which we’ve sunk. As it is, by only getting the one (emergency) signing in, he’s cutting it razor thin. Is one order of Nacho(s) enough? Depends…..

Headlines today indicate that Gibbs will be out 2 months and the new guy will start vs Stoke. At least we had the ability to do the late deal, while teams like Spurs missed out on their pressing need for a striker. Spurs play at West Brom and it could be a chance to pick up points. Maybe the new guy will counteract the big effort from Wednesday. As the run-in continues we’ll need some luck. If we can avoid humiliation at home in matches like Bayern and United (or in the pesky FA Cup), along with the attendant existential questions from the fan base, we may be able to eke out enough points from here to the barn.

Like I say, the margin is tight AND it leaves nothing for the long-termer, the intelligent football fan, who we (mostly) aspire to be, and to whom Arsene hopes to appeal, hence the need for all the moonlighting (or shining—I like it….) punditry. Are we really supposed to buy into this whole British Core (the New Wave?) propped up by aging Continental (bargain) players? To borrow the greatest of all metaphors: the former group may have its Joshua in Wilshere but I wonder if Arteta, Poldoski, Giroud and Santi can combine to form a Moses figure. That guy, after all, had a direct line to God, a brother with a magic staff AND he parted the freaking Red Sea. I wonder….

I’m banking on the Spanish contingent to lay down some plagues during the run in or at least do a job in the middle of the park. We need Arteta back inmediatamente and we need Santi and Nacho to strike up a partnership even sooner. Santi, for all the glory of his long balls and his close control, does not have great acceleration, which is why he rarely gets off his dangerous shots nor gets deep into the box with ample usuable space. If you were to compare him to the Barca MF maestros he is (far) more Xavi than Iniesta. As such, the sooner he moves back and allows Jack to play further forward, the better. Also, I think he’s used up his diving capital, while the “future of England” has a few Stevie Starfish (Gerrard) penalty shouts left to play. Given the way Arsenal use their FBs as MF outlets I think the two Spaniards in the middle, one on the left (plus Sagna on the right, while we still have him….) might be enough to avoid those turnovers which cause our defense to soil itself…. Other options (Ramsey, Diaby, Le Coq) make me equally nervous. Of course, injury and (much needed) rotation put a bunch of wrinkles into even the best laid (of my) plans…..Like I say, Depends….

I could go on about the need for our forwards to keep firing (and not tiring….) and how maybe Gervinho can come back a winner from Africa this time rather than the exact opposite. What’s the point? It’s all to play for now (as they say) and you’ve at least got to give Arsene credit for choosing to live (or die) by the same creeds (austerity, the collective, etc.) he preaches.

After the Swansea home loss I said that this had to be the manager’s final year. I think plugging in a Pep (or somebody) to the rescue scenario would have been the superior play and would have indicated genuine concern about the future of the club. I also think it would have spurred the current group forward to minimum requirements (or better). As it is, there is no back-up plan and we have to play the hand we’re holding, while hoping that others blink. Come summer it will either be rebuilding (with Bouldy as interim?) or another great escape and a new set of (soon to be broken) promises. You would think it can’t get worse, but that seems like poor planning….

I dunno CK, has Wenger ever bought really big-name established stars? For me he has almost always bought either under the radar players (UTRs) or younglings. Perhaps only Sol Campbell and Marc Overmars meet the criteria of genuine superstar signings during his reign and both came with caveats. Sol was a rare find ‘fee free’ and Marc was a discounted price due to coming back from a major injury with a questionmark over his future/recovery.

Auclair argues that Henry was a big-money signing, but I would argue he was not a ‘superstar’ when we signed him. He was a young player who had bloomed (for Monaco/France) and faded quickly from view at Juventus. Auclair also points to Wiltord, but Sly was never really superstar for me.

The closest we’ve come in modern times is Arshavin, and yet frankly, for most observers he was UTR before Fred and I mentioned him as a possibility worth looking at.

My hypothesis is; “Wenger has never bought a big-name ready-made superstar at market value”.

And the implication is that we are wanting Wenger to move away from a fundamental cornerstone of his M.O. I suggest it won’t happen.

The other observation I would make is that Wenger has changed. The team he crafted under Vieira had some fundamental structural differences to the team that emerged post-Vieira. Vieira’s team had size and power and was explosive. The team that evolved around Fabregas was more akin to Barcelona – mobile, nippy yet slower in pace. The second generation team(s) have never imposed themselves on the EPL.

So, my second hypothesis is that; “Wenger’s thinking on how he wants to shape a team to play the game has changed”.

The implication is that it is futile to look to Wenger to do something that is simply not (or no longer) in his thinking. Big imposing centrebacks or defensive minded central midfielders, or regimented defence drills (Adams, Keown et al), or explosively quick physical strikers, aren’t on his radar.

The more you think about it, the more you have to thank ‘good luck’ that Wenger inherited building blocks that he himself would never have bought or built – Bergkamp and the famous back 5.

So when seen in that light, Nacho Monreal is consistent with his original UTR approach. And why it’s really hard to see Arsenal ever doing what is needed to win anything again.

Loved the quip Vibe on Nacho…

Perhaps ironically given my constant gripping at Wenger I think a deal for Monreal is exactly what Arsenal need. It is a position on the field where we sadly lack cover and competition. I’ve warmed to Gibbs recently as he’s managed to stay on the field and his comfortable ball-playing style reminds one a little of a certain Ashley Cole. And yet… we all know he’s yet to prove he can be fit for 35 EPL games. Santos didn’t work. So on the back of that, buying a below the radar Spaniard, ala Cazorla, a specialist fullback with no pretensions of being a wingback seems a good move. Yes it will result in a certain amount of angst for Wenger, Gibbs and Monreal once both players are fit… but isn’t that life in a big club. Handling that is why managers and players get paid such incredible sums. There’s nothing wrong, and a lot right, in Gibbs and Jenkinson battling for their place for a couple of seasons.

One other thing hit me in the Liverpool game and that was how demise-ic Pepe Reina looked in the Liverpool goal. Shades of David Seaman in his torturous latter years. For those who never saw the George Graham era, you missed something (in fact a lot). One highlight was a regal David Seaman in goal. The best goalkeeper I’ve witnessed ever. But time is a harsh thing on sportsmen, just look at the leaden footed Reina.

So we’re really (panic) signing a back named Nacho? Any bets on how long before Santos tries to eat him?

Once again the touch by Giroud for Walcott’s goal was exquisite – that’s a gem-ic aspect of the centre forward’s game. One senses that the forward line is slowly gelling together. Cold comfort, as we press repeat again. How many times does Wenger reinvent a team during these wilderness years?

Santos is a lazy little sauntering sod. Truely and utterly lazy. The injury to Gibbs is worrying. We could be left with Santos for a while. It’s not just what Santos does or doesn’t do in his own play, it’s the negative flow-on impact as he undermines the fragile confidence in this defence. We don’t need a weak link in defence. What are the options? Use Sagna and Jenkinson – who would you move left? Is there a midfielder that could do a fill-in job, can Coquelin do a Flamini? Santos is comfortable on the ball, but he’s a first rate defensive liability.

One question, why didn’t we bring on any subs late on? I felt Diaby and Rosicky could have added a little more midfield thrust and invention as the game wore on and the legs tired.