EPL Match Day 16: Arsenal v Fulham; Match Preview
Ah Sparky How We Missed Ya.
He’s back. If there is any manager I hate as much as Harry Redknapp it is our beloved Sparky, Mark Hughes. We didn’t get the joy of Mark’s presence in the Manchester City match this year. He was sorely missed. The match lacked that certain how shall you say – je nais se quoi – you know the Mark Hughes “stuck in” touch. But here is with another club – this time Fulham who pay us a visit this week in the Emirates.
I won’t spend too much time on Mark Hughes. I think its pretty well known what a low life scum he is. And I think any doubt that he is a solid manager has been put to rest with this Fulham squad. Why you ask? Well, you need not look any further than the results of this team. He’s more doesn’t know how to manage and like his run with Man City, he has the team drawing more than any thing else. Definitely more than winning – they only have 2 this season.
The visitors form has been abismal this season. They can barely score goals. And they can barely hold on to leads – that they do get. There have been the odd match or two that they have played well but it is rare.
For their part Fulham have been historically bad when visiting Arsenal. In 24 away matches Fulham have managed just 3 draws and 21 losses. Throw into the mix the fact that in their last 25 away matches in the Premier league, and this is a squad that is ripe for picking.
But let’s not get a head of ourselves shall we. Our Arsenal have had their own issues. Our last two home league matches were failures of epic proportions – losing after a 2-0 lead against Spurs and losing 1-0 to Newcastle. So home is not the comfort it was. However, a solid Carling Cup performance at the Emirates may be the start of turning it around on our own pitch.
Since 1977 Arsenal have not lost 3 matches in succession at home. I don’t think this will be the case again today. When looking at the squad for today, I had a hard time deciding who to play. The squad I present is my rationale thinking about it but I have read from Arsene today, that he could very well slot in Robin Van Persie behind Marouane Chamakh. That would make Tomas Rosicky the odd man out.
Frankly, I would love to this for a couple of reasons. Sure, we played Wigan on the weekend, but Robin Van Persie, was ready to play and his passing were sublime almost every time. While the scoring may not be there, his desire and ability were and that can only benefit Chamakh. Additionally, what better way for Van Persie to find his scoring touch to get the ball fed to him by forward who really knows how to hold the ball and bring players in to the attack. Chamakh has been brilliant at this all season and I have always felt that the biggest benefactor of Chamakh’s skill would not only be the club (10 goals in all competitions) but Robin Van Persie.
I will scream for it again but I want to see Johann Djourou start in front of Koscielny. If for any other reason than he has shown in each of the last few matches he has started that he should play. He is gaining in confidence and is not making the one-boneheaded mistake that Koscielny seems to be making. He seems calm in the back and in the Carling Cup worked very well in directing his fellow defenders. Sometimes in watching Koscielny, I get the hazard, scrambling feeling from him. And while I say that for a bit with Djourou in his last games that has been missing – which is obviously a good thing. I doubt Wenger is listening to me which is why I reflect Koscielny getting the start below.
Other than those two decision points, the club should pretty much be identical to the squad that controlled the Villa match. There are still some issues that need to be worked out. I do believe that they are more mental than related to skill or quality. The club need to believe in their ability. It is there. Sure, some of you don’t see it or believe it. But it is. The ability and talent of this squad is there.
I would agree that if Vermaelen winds up being a long-term crock a more mature and solid Central Back is needed. Squallaci is doing yeoman’s work in the back but this is first season in the EPL and there are likely to be times of worry with him. We all know the trials and tribulations of Koscielny and Djourou just doesn’t seem to have favor right now (for whatever unknown Wenger reason there is).
After this match the squad have two very tough but winnable matches. A win on Saturday and we go back atop of the league. And with United’s match being postponed we have a chance to go there for a while. Regardless of that however, we need to get back to winning at home to put this ship right and continue challenging for honours.
How the Match Should Play Out:
I suspect we will see something similar to what happened at Villa last week. I think we are going to be too much early on and Mark Schwarzer will be under too much pressure from an onslaught of chances. It won’t matter who we have sitting behind Chamakh – Rosicky or Van Persie. There is too much attacking power on this squad. The key question is if we take the lead – can we set up shop defencively and protect it?
Players to Watch:
Arsenal: Marouane Chamakh. Say what you will, but I think this is the best signing next to Spurs signing Van Der Faart – except without the injuries. He’s targetted 15-20 goals this season to help the club. At the pace he is going – he could achieve that and more. Not the best all the times with his feet and could do with a little more selfishness but I’ll take the goals he’s giving us.
Fulham: Mark Schwarzer. If anyone thinks it was a coincidence Schwarzer signed a new deal at Fulham 2 days prior to the Arsenal match you are mistaken. It is clear from the signing of Szczesny to a new deal and Fabianski’s improved form that Schwarzer wasn’t going to get a deal at Arsenal in January. So he had to take what was given to him at Arsenal. But it should be an interesting view of player that was so highly thought of in the summer.
Probable Starting XI:
Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal: Almunia (elbow) Vermaelen (achilles) Frimpong (knee) Diaby (ankle) Fabregas (thigh)
Fulham: Dembele (ankle) Halliche (thigh) Senderos (Achilles) Stoor (groin) Zamora (leg)
Last Meeting (EPL):
Arsenal: 4
Fulham: 0
Last 5:
Arsenal: WLWLW
Fulham: DLDLD
Leading Scorers:
Arsenal: Chamakh 10 (7 league) Nasri 9 (6 league) Walcott 7 (5 league) Arshavin 6 (3 League)
Fulham: Dempsey: 6 (5 league) Dembele: 3 (2 league)
Goals For:
Arsenal: 2.4 (home)
Fulham .7 (away)
Goals Against:
Arsenal: 1.3 (home)
Fulham: 1 (away)
Goal Difference:
Arsenal: 15
Fulham: -3
Match Officials:
Referee: Chris Foy
Assistant Referees: Darren Cann & Bob Pollock
Fourth Official: Mark Halsey
Broadcast Information:
US: FSC 10:00AM EST
UK: ?????
Feeds:
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GAMEDAY CHAT: It’s Open!!!!!!
www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 2
Fulham: 0
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And now, for the biggest surprise of the day… drumroll please… Rafa Benitez manages to turn the defending champions of Europe into a team that loses 3-0 to Werder Bremen (who only had 2 pts in 5 matches before that game) when first place in the group is up for grabs. And b/c of that, he has allowed the Totts to get first place in the group, which greatly increases their chances of getting through the Round of 16.
That means Arsenal face one of Barca, Real Mad, Bayern or Schalke in the next round (assuming Shaktar top the group).
Hmmm….Spanish or German….The latter would seem more palatable….but maybe the group who’ve been watching the Bundesliga might know otherwise….
Crying shame that we didn’t at least eke out a draw in one of those last two matches….
Not wanting it to happen…
but if we were to FAIL to qualify for the CL knock-out stage, it wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen.
We could play the B-side, like the Carling Cup… in the Uefa League, play the A-team in the Carling Cup, and completely focus on the LEAGUE.
Of course, it would be a DEATH BLOW to the board, who equate success to making money, so the loss of income from the CL knock-out stage would be a CRISIS to the Arsenal Football Club, Inc, LLC.
might be a blessing in disguise.
Maybe we should hire this guy …
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9239342.stm
Classic ArseSpeak. Cannot help but laugh.
“I believe we have become stronger as a unit defensively because we feel that recently we have been punished a lot. Against Tottenham for example, you cannot say we conceded goals because they created the chances, it was goals we gave away. But, of course, we want to improve our defensive record. That is needed.”
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-defence-strong-enough-to-win-title
It’s best to keep ones expectations realistic. A CL qualifying place and a new emerging star is probably about as much as we should expect from Wenger’s Arsenal in this stage of its metamorphis. We’ll bob on the waters of the EPL, our place at any given time largely determined by the waves of our competitors. If they’re flumping we’ll look better, if they’re in the zone we’ll slip down. The emergence of Nasri as a ‘special talent’ will give Wenger and his followers ammunition to bat away the questions on Fabregas and his inevitable exit.
Unrelated:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5EMJtV6IsQ&feature=player_embedded#
12 year olds’ football game. Quite amazing really. Some solid coaching whoever’s in charge.
Funny story I had to relay –
Jack Wilshere is quite the prankster. Seems Jack hacked into Szczesny’s twitter accounts and typed the following: I’m gay and @jack_wilshere is the best footballer ever” (or someting like that).
If you have twitter and don’t follow Jack or some of the other players – the guys have great senses of humor and will from time to time interact with the fans. Denilson is prone to getting on Web cam – which makes the women go crazy and me go WTF are we doing with him on our team.
Jack couldn’t resist. When someone keeps their password as “FabSucks”, then it is too tempting to break into their account. I have not checked but I have a feeling Almunia’s password is the same as well :)
Liverpool sneaking back up the (compressed) table with an easy win against Villa (even Sanz Torres/Gerrard….)
Announcers saying that Martin Jol is the odds on favorite for the Newcastle job. I don’t get it (the firing)…I guess every newly promoted team expects to beat Arsenal and draw with Chelsea and crush local rivals, etc… But, as always, WTF do I know?….
Cesc Fabregas is a player that draws out my genuine appreciation. Even though I saw early his desire to leave and I feel saddened by it, nevertheless I can maintain a sense of perspective and still accord him the kudos his enormous talent displayed so consistently deserves.
Last season: He went to another level and by using his own suite of skills and talent he influenced and won games in a team that was infuriatingly ‘4th place level’ yet again.
This season: For me the sense of being underwhelmed by Cesc this season is quite predictable. He wanted to go – no amount of ‘being professional’ would paper over that basic motivational incongruence (he’s captain for goodness sake). Where last season he would literally break a leg for the cause – this season he would hold up his hand and ask to be replaced. He went to the WC, so a post-tournament flump is both common and likely. Injury, he had a bad one at the end of last season. Then ‘recovered’ to go to the WC, but never got a break and has since been plagued with injuries. When all these factors are added together one has to wonder what was the best decision. Should we have cashed in last season? I was leaning toward that.
For me, you can only hold reasonable expectations of any individual player. For me Cesc meets those expectations – the various inadequacies in the team are not his fault. Can he buy a world class finisher? Can he coach the midfield to have a defensive balance? Can he buy a world class defensive leader? Can he sell Clichy? Can he buy a suitable goalkeeper? No, all those choices are Wenger’s. So we need to ascribe responsibility appropriately. Ultimately I sense Cesc is feeling much like me, he’s tiring of a failed approach that keeps getting flogged. Hardly surprising that he looks fondly at his hometown mega-club and thinks he’s due a change and a bit of celebration. That’s not unreasonable.
I agree with the parallel drawn to Henry post-invincibles. Healthy teams need balance in many ways. After the breakup of the invincibles we moved to an era where our club is dominated by the resident megastar. First Henry and now Cesc. That’s not healthy. If you want to win you need to have a sense of a rounded game. Our initial success under Wenger saw a team studded with strong performers like Bergkamp, Overmars, a baby Anelka, Vieira, Petit, Adams&co, Seaman. Our next side boasted Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Vieira, Campbell&co, Lehmann. Later sides simply don’t boast a comparable collective strength and so the resident star becomes too central and the team pattern too predictable.
Obviously I would tend to a more “hopeful” outlook and I think the nature of Nasri’s goals and a slight wakening from Arshavin and a couple of deft touches from our “world class striker” (in absencia) RVP in recent matches suggests that there’s certainly a bit more potential for Cesc not to be the sole focus as Henry was in 06-07.
That said, it was a massive backfire to throw Cesc out there with the “up and comers” at Braga, hoping that we might rotate some more this mid-week.
At the moment, the stars that need to line up, for me, are that Djourou and Fabianski keep up their very good work, Squillaci shows the value of the big money (for an old player) that we paid and we see no calamities on the left (and no Eboue on the right)….It’s a lot to ask and I can certainly see why the Club put out the “Shopping for Defenders” sign today with the TV5 and LK6 not available until January announcement….
But back to Cesc….It may not be a demonstration of how we don’t need Cesc (or the even crazier idea that we’re better w/o him….) but the results (not so much the less-than-convincing performances) against Villa, Wigan and Fulham, might be something the Captain would like to get in on….
United at OT is a much bigger ask, but I hope Cesc is ready for that one….
Cesc needs to stop snatching at shots in the big games. That’s one simpistic demand I have of him :) Always pea-rollers or shanked whenenver he lets fly.
He just needs to relax, and he seems quite a tortured soul when injured so I would have him on the bench (although that sometimes enhances chances of a further twinge if he’s called upon).
Sachin, yeah.
Actually, when Wenger officially moved to the 4-3-3 last season, I was hoping it would see the beginning of the Cesc/Nasri combo. But instead he shipped Nasri to the wings – neutralising him.
Our first team should ideally be:
————Chamakh
Arshavin—————–RvP
—–Nasri——–Fab——-
———–Song————-
Nasri and Fab orchestrating possession and movement football. Song SITTING and NOT roaming around.
Arshavin making his purposeful runs. Chamakh doing his thing in the box with RvP eager to cut in and let rip.
As back up, we’d have Rosicky, Walcott and Bendtner for the forwards and Wilshere, Ramsey can then be the subs for Cesc/Nasri.
Cesc/Nasri when in form, can do the whole possession hogging routine when it REALLY counts. Song, if he sits and does his job is no worse than Busquets. All we would have to add will be maybe 10% more pressing intensity from Nasri/Cesc – and you would have similar midfield quality to that of Barca.
With the midfield BALANCED and in form, Arshavin/Chamakh/Van Persie is explosive enough to get us through most games comfortably.
Glad to see that there’s a potential team that would inspire confidence….Of course the defensive names are nowhere to be seen, which may be by design….(winky face)
Nasri has stepped up his game to a level where defenders fear him (much as they somewhat still fear a declining Arshavin). The notion of width is well overused, but it is an element that Nasri brings when he hugs the touchline. Of course, he ALWAYS wants to come inside but the space for Sagna (or a central MF) then becomes far greater and some very nice plays/goals have developed in this manner.
Regarding what I wrote early this morning…Of course, I understand that Cesc would be most effective as an AM. My point is not that he should be a deep lying player, it’s that he has the attributes to start our offense from our own half in ways that others cannot. Not exactly the fulcrum of a counter-attacking team, but more a capable deliverer of killer through or over the top balls (i.e., it’s somewhat ludicrous to suggest that we’re not a significantly better team with a healthy Cesc in the line-up). IMO if everybody was healthy (hahaha) I think we’re looking at a very rotational 4-4-1-1 with RVP tucked in behind Chamakh and Nasri and AA23 on the wings. This leaves Cesc and Song (or Wilshere) as the two central MFs. IMO it’s not enough defense, esp. if Songaldinho is in the house. It’s questionable how much Arsahvin and Nasri can (and should have to) give defensively and while Chamakh and RVP work hard from the front, this approach (at least against the better teams) means that ANY loss of possession in our half or near the center circle will surely put hearts in mouths….
But then again, what’s new about that….And, for better or worse, it is what I see evolving….
Fred, great point about using Cesc/Nasri like Iniesta/Xavi. I believe this will also lessen the burden on Cesc’s shoulders as he will have an immediate partner who could share responsibility. When Cesc plays, he becomes the sole focal point and everything seems to go via him.
When Bergkamp was gone, Henry was the focal point and it seemed everything went to him. If Henry was on form, then Arsenal prevailed but if he was off, then the team struggled. True he demanded a pass always but time and time again, he said he could not do it all on his own and wanted someone else to step up. The players stepped up only after he left.
It seems Nasri and others have stepped out of the shadow when Cesc is injured. It does not have to be that way. Cesc and Nasri can be properly utilized and that way, Arsenal would be a f**ing brilliant team (atleast midfield onwards) and Cesc might forget about Barca because he would then be part of a functional team as opposed to carrying a team on his shoulders. One of the appeals of Barca has to be that Cesc would not be expected to shoulder the burden all on his own, week in week out.
Given the form Nasri is in, Arsene has to make sure he uses this moment to get Nasri and Cesc in tandem as opposed to deciding Nasri will be the next captain of Arsenal and Cesc can go next year with Ramsey in the wings. Then there’s Wilshere further on as well.
There is nothing morally wrong in having a team with more than one superstar :) Arsenal used to have that a long time ago. And who knows if Nasri and Cesc shine together, then Arshavin might decide he needs to up his game all the time lest the spotlight moves away from him.
On another note: Van Persie might be the only superstar who can be injured all the time yet held in high regard because of the wealth of talent he has. The talent is rarely seen but everytime he steps on the field, it seems the heavens smile. He can have a bad touch and it would still be ok because he would be finding his form after yet another injury. But if Cesc misplaces a pass, then he only does it because his heart is at Barca.
Strangeness…
That whole last paragraph, spot on.
Thanks.
Soccer players aspire to greatness yet only few make it to the top pedestal. In this regard, Van Persie is in the most unique position of any footballer in the world. He is hailed as a God yet he does not have to show any of that Godly talent. He just needs to play one nice pass and the commentators gush about “what Van Persie brings to Arsenal”. Everyone will forgive any mistake he makes due to lack of match fitness. The most anyone will criticize him is by saying he is injury prone but that can be put down to bad luck. I think he is probably the only Arsenal player to have gotten a criticism free pass in the last few years as every other Arsenal player has been singled out harshly at one point or another.
Wenger even put him in the same bracket as Messi yet Van Persie has the luxury to never score a goal like Messi. On top of that, Van Persie has played in a World Cup final. Even Messi can’t claim that. So I guess that means Arsenal have the greatest player in the world. Pity about the injuries.
Almunia on his way out?
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Manuel-Almunia-free-to-leave-Arsenal-for-1-5m-and-is-linked-with-Atletico-Madrid-as-Manchester-United-prepare-bid-for-David-de-Gea-article645153.html
About defensive midfield and defensive shield etc. It’s not all about having a holding midfielder designated to protect the backfour, although that is one way of doing it. It’s also possible to provide defensive prowess by having a box to box rampager who presses high up the pitch and protects the defensive by winning balls early and not allowing the other side to gain any passing rythm. Essien does that for Chelsea and Ramsay began doing that before his injury. They both have the physical capabilities to carry that out well and effectively ; limiting the amount of times the space they leave behind gets exposed.
The problem is when you have total idiots like Song, Denilson, Diaby making a complete mess of it – mainly due to not having the athleticism and agility to pull if off – then the space they leave behind does get exposed. Time and time again.
So Arthur, it doesn’t have much to do with Wenger, and everything to do with the current personnel not being up to it, and Wenger being stupid enough not to see it.
How was I wrong about Fabregas? Do you want me to pull up that article from 05 that put on AA? :-)
The task of breaking the play up front is the task of the MIDDLE midfielder – with an AM in front of him and with a DM behind him to mop up.
No matter what we still need a DM who screens.
With our current system we neither have that combative midfielder nor the DM in place. Doubly f&cked!
Leave Fabregas alone. Things that most of us seem to agree on:
-He hasn’t got a run of games going due to injury, a bit of world cup hangover as well.
-He has his head turned by Barca
-He is our best player
-His game SEEMS off (a bit contentious and I’ve hunted down some more stats).
We also all agree that last season was his best so far for the club. What I’ve done is compared averages from last season to those of this.
Stat – Average per performance last season – Average per 90 mins this season*
Touches – 96 – 102
Key Passes – 3.0 – 2.7
Successful Passes in the Oppositions Half – 39 – 45
Total Shots – 2.3 – 2.5
Shots on Target – 1.18 – 1.65
According to some important stats (again, I am aware they don’t tell the full story- more on that later), Fabregas is performing on the pitch. In fact, if anything, he is almost surpassing his performances of last season. That’s not definitive because possibly the key stat, goals, is down. He is still creating chances by the bucket load – in spite of some horrendous finishing on our part, his assists per minute rival that of last season. The goals will come when he gets a run of games (missed penalty against city comes to mind).
That said, it’s hard to argue that his overall mood is different to last season. Some may call it frustration at being here, I think they’re partly right. He knows he is going to leave, but I think the frustration is more to do with him wanting to give it his all and leave on a winning note and finding that he isn’t able to drag this team across the finishing line.
If he gets a run of games, his production will only go up. Of that I am willing to bet everything I own. Whether we match his ambition to win trophies is going to come down to the supporting cast and how much they can chip in. We need fab healthy and raring to go, I look forward to his return!!
*Couldn’t find per game stats, just the total season ones, so I calculated the minutes played (748), which is 8.3 games, rounded that up to 8.5, and calculated from there. Also, stats are for the league games only.
p.s- regarding the handball against tottenham, he did get stick for it and rightly so. Right up there with some of clichy’s brainfarts in terms of stupidity. But thing is, come next game, you will count on Cesc not doing something silly like that again, other players, you just hold your breath and pray. Nani vs Clichy anyone?
>>We need fab healthy and raring to go,
That’s exactly it. He needs to be healthy which I don’t think he has been for this season. I had posted about the similarities with him and Henry in his final season in that it was only learned afterwards that Henry had not played fit since October. So I think Cesc is in a similar not full fit position, except when he is not fully fit, he is thrown on from the start as opposed to being used for a cameo appearance like he did against Villa previously.
Newcastle’s sacking of Houghton is the most ridiculous decision I have heard all season.
He took over from that dolt, Shearer and won them them the Championship. They are now 11th. And they are sacking him because he is not “experienced” ??? Incredible really.
Where do they expect Newcastle to be? In the top 6?
I bet they are going to re-appoint Shearer! :-D
Wait until you here ths….
According to Soccernet, Alan Pardew has emerged as early favorite to take the job…
Alan Pardew!!
Bad clubs remain bad clubs for a reason. Newcastle sacked Chris Houghton. Unbelievable.
They never learned anything from the past lessons.
As for those of you mocking our success against the lower ranked teams I think I should remind you:
Chelsea: Draw to Villa “hard fought” 1-0 win over Fulham, Draw to Everton
United: Draw to Villa, Draw to Fulham and Draw to Everton – in the last two – Everton and Fulham got their draws in the waning minutes of the match.
Chelsea/Man U are the reigning duo and have nothing to prove.
That’s BS. Every team has to prove something each year – year out.
I don’t give passes to teams regardless of who they are and their past. I like to see their results year in and year out.
This year – Chelsea is looking vulnerable all over the place and even with their run of form – almost everyone agrees that this is the worst United squad in recent memory. (and no that is not just me saying it.)
Again, Chelsea/Man U have nothing to prove.
Last October, Barca lost at home to a completely unknown Rubin Kazan and were on the verge of getting knocked out of the CL … they were also crawling in the league … BUT it does not matter, they were the CHAMPS, so they just took their bad patch and came back stronger. They re-took their title and were a dodgy offside call away from getting to the CL final!
Champions have nothing to prove to fans of non-Champs – not till they are knocked out.
This is NOT the first time Man U and Chelsea have struggled in the first half of a season. This is not the first time Arsenal have topped the league at this stage of the season.
It’s a new season, every season, true.
Yet over the last six, only two teams have won. It’s a bit much to dismiss this as a mere coincidence not worthy of consideration.
That Chelsea is ‘vulnerable’ and this is ‘the worst United squad in years’, yet they are both still nestled comfortably near the top, speaks to that.
No shit.
It’s not ‘mocking’, it’s merely observing, in the specific context of Andez suggesting our beating the worst teams in the League w/o Cesc actually proves something about us not needing Cesc.
And of course the best teams in the Prem should be the worst. Parity my a***.
well, I’d like to think of my opinion on Cesc is “observing” as well. But it has surely p*ss off lot of folks here for reason totally beyond me. Not like I have tried to mock anyone here.
well, perhaps I been away for too long.
As I’ve said three times now, it makes no sense to observe a link between our beating three of the worst teams in the League and the idea that it somehow proves we don’t need Cesc.
Just as it makes no sense to observe Cesc not getting pounded more for his undoubtedly stupid handball. Perhaps most of us are putting a couple of dumb mistakes in the context of years of tremendous service. People have had endless patience with the likes of Rosicky and RVP. Some of you are willing to forgive Wenger forever and ever amen.
So, yeah, forgiving a bit of a bad run by Cesc I would observe as appreciation for years of being The Man in Wenger’s Boy’s Town.
Yes I’m Wenger forever and ever.
who bought the man you now love so much at the first place?
Bruce Rioch?
Right. And if he bought some players to play around him maybe we wouldn’t all (including Cesc) still be talking about the far flung notion of Arsenal winning something.
Ah, well. Maybe a Carling Cup on Cesc’s way out the door will make it all worthwhile.
Andez – You can blame that on Chamakh just as much as Fabregas. Fabregas was holding Chamakh’s arm and Chamak was the one that raised it.
Not saying Fabregas didn’t play some part but you can see how tenous using that example is to berate Fabregas. It’s also a relative freak event.
Now, Denilson not tracking runners with any intensity, or Song being too slow to close down space ; they are things worth talking about. Constant and consistent occurences.
Chamakh is responsible for LIFTING Cesc’s arm!
THAT IS F’N HILARIOUS!!!!
It hink what he’s saying, and it appeared this way to me as well is that cesc was trying to pull Chamakh’s arm down. Obviously unsuccessfully. Should have just yelled at him instead.
Cesc didn’t put his arm up, he was trying to PULL Chamakh’s down.
haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
you are having a laugh.
Utterly ridiculous.
Couple things –
1. Arsenal have confirmed that neither Koscielny or Vermaelen will be back until the new year.
2. A story is making the rounds that Manuel Almunia has been told he can go in January if he can find a club that can meet the clubs £1.5 million valuation of the keeper.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=849732&sec=england&cc=3436
Idiots!
The discussions around Cesc, and to a lesser extent, Song getting more forward, are interesting. Put me in the camp with those saying that Cesc is a unique entity who we need healthy AND with those that say he’s been off quite a bit this season.
Cesc can do so much, but the most important thing he does, IMO, is give us the ability to start our offense from our own half of the pitch. With his vision and his range of passes opposing teams fear him even when he’s lying deep. Sorry, but Rosicky, Song, Denilson and Wilshere are fine moving the ball out of our half with a series of passes, but they do not put the fear of God into other teams the way that Cesc does. Given that he has that ability, I feel much better about the others going forward if Cesc is in a more reserved position. Personally, I can only see the rotational Central MF plan (which I think AW is after) working, at the moment at least, when Cesc is on the pitch. Otherwise, it just makes us far too unbalanced and invites the opposition to attack us too easily when we lose possession.
That being said, I think Cesc mostly needs a stretch of good health. The combativeness and being in the ref’s ear are (overall) good things, but we need that sort of presence/leadership as a regular feature of the team, not in dribbles and spurts. Also, given his huge influence, when he’s not at full fitness, esp. if his mobility is limited AND a team parks the bus against us AND his touches don’t come off, it can lead to lots of frustration. The Newcastle game is what I’m thinking of, where we seemed to just run out of ideas….
Unfortuntately, we have no true replacement for the Captain. Rosicky’s mobility and contribution have been much improved, but the nervousness near the box is palpable. Wilshere seems to have a similar issue, but given that he’s so young and so talented, I expect him to surmount it over time. He seems to be rock solid with possession oriented passes in our half which is about the only thing we were ever able to say about Denilson. As such, it is no surprise he’s moved past him in the pecking order. All of which makes it tough for the broken leg boys (Diaby and Ramsey) to come back into the team if they can get/stay healthy. Both of those guys seem better further forward, where we need them less, esp. if Arshavin, Nasri, RVP and Chamakh are available and performing to their potential.
So, for me, we’ve got lots of options in Central MF, but none to supplant the Capitan, esp. if we continue with this (suicidal?) idea that nobody’s primary focus should be shielding the (makeshift) back four. I’m glad we’re still in the mix in the league and the Cups and that other players are stepping up, but I still think Cesc’s health and ability to play to his potential will be key in determining what we accomplish this season.
It’s staggering how short memories have gotten. One stupid handball, and an injured stretch of poor form, and suddenly Arsenal is too good for Cesc? Never mind he’s easily been our best player, while the likes of Rosicky and RVP have been out and injured for the better part of YEARS.
No doubt Fabregas has gotten burned out on being the most talented, most coveted player on a stagnant team committed to NOT winning, but only coming close. There’s only one man responsible for that, and it’s not CF.
I will never been anything but grateful for the time we’ve had Fab 4 in red. And sorry the Manager never saw fit to build a better team around him so that he could have been the winner in London he clearly desired to be.
Agree completely.
Its getting f&cking ridiculous.
@ Steve:
Fabregas is NOT best as a deep lying CM.
His BEST performances were when he had a strong DM behind him.
At the Euros and WC he was more forward than Xavi and Iniesta!
It is criminal to make a gem like him do Song work.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/vermaelen-ruled-out-until-the-new-year
Verma has been “officially” ruled out till New Year.
Seeing is believing. :)
Yeah, geez….one day he’s good to go (for the Chelsea match, at least), the next he’s in a “protective boot”….Frankly, I don’t like the sound of it….
@Fred,
I don’t HATE Cesc. I merely want him to behave like a “pro”.
When Vieira made that last minute U-Turn and decided to stay, the following season people judged him so harshly, saying his heart was no longer with us, and his performance was not as good as before. I found it very unjust. Cos Vieira’s performance in his last season with us was much better than Cesc’s performance this season.
And yet, Cesc should be free of criticism? I tell you what, if anyone else but Cesc who committed a stupid handball when defending a freekick and cost us a penalty in a North London derby, you would have tore him to pieces.
Like I said before, Cesc TALKS a good game, all those ‘winning mentality” stuff.
Now time to put up and back up his grand words with ACTION. I wouldn’t have expected so much from him had he never spoke of the “winning mentality”.
Ha. He just takes after his Manager, Mr. All-Talk-About Winning-Do-Nothing himself.
The idea that you would point the finger at the guy who has been our best player for years, and go so far as to draw a conclusion regarding his absence during our victories over three of the worst teams in the League….well, just, ha. All of a sudden, Arsenal winning something is important to you?
Come on, man. Be patient. The Boss has a plan.
Orwellian double-think alive and well……
It’s all Cesc’s fault.
Genius.
come on, be brave. If you are gonna to tell the truth, the name on a player’s back shouldn’t make any difference.
Dare not to take on the superstar huh?
Bullshit, Fabregas has been our best player for five years straight. Top assist maker in Europe for four of those years.
He has had FOUR injuries and layoffs THIS season already YET he has 5 goals and 8 assists.
He leads the ENTIRE freaking league on number of successfully completed FORWARD passes in the oppossition third.
So keep on with the fallacy of “poor” performance.
PS: You dont want him to talk about winning mentality?? If he didnt, YOU would criticize him for not being a good captain.
He isn’t close to our best player THIS SEASON.
Cesc has been a shell of himself THIS SEASON… probably because he knows its his last here, and he won’t risk long-term injury on a pipe-dream that is us winning the league!
Yes, he’s very very good, when HE’s IN THE MOOD.
And I agree with Andez on the HAND BALL incident too.
I mean, it was probably Clichy’s fault that Cesc gave away the goal with an IDIOTIC handball, but he COST US THE MATCH with that play.
He needs to step his game up… Nasri is showing that he isn’t that essential THIS SEASON.
Agree, Cesc is obviously not at his best regardless of the mindless stats that have been presented ;-)
I also agree with Andez had it been someone like Song instead of Cesc foolishly handling the ball in the penalty area the haters would have crucified him.
Give criticism where it is due.
Good Arseblog today in regards to Song… Apparently it is Wenger’s masterplan to have no defence to fool the opponent. Hmm..
LOL!
Another stat to chew on
Arsenal’s record against the bottom half teams – P 9 W 7 D 1 L 1 Pts 22 PPG 2.44
Arsenal’s record against the top half teams – P 7 W 3 D 1 L 3 Pts 10 PPG 1.43
Team with the best top half record?
ManU – P 7 W 4 D 3 L 0 Pts 15 PPG 2.14
I was a bit worried when Nasri appeared to be limping near the end and the commentator talked about his knee. Have not read anything about it so hoping it’s a non-issue as Arsenal need him for Man utd. As everyone remembers, he once scored both goals to lead Arsenal to a home win over Man Utd in that 6 minute injury time fixture. Nasri and Arshavin can provide that goal scoring touch against Man utd next week during periods of Chamakh’s isolation.
Just need to put away Partizan early. The Monday fixture will feel like waiting until eternity.
Good win. Need to be a bit more clinical in front of goal and to cut out the circus stunts in the back.
Nip, thanx for the Cesc stats and the friendly reminder of Schalke’s win. But before being an anti-Schalke fan, I’m a Dortmund fan and the BvB is sitting mighty pretty at the top of the DFB foodchain. :yes:
Samir has been phenomenal. Not only Arsenal’s best player but if the voting for PFA POTY was done today, we would probably see that Nasri has been the best player in the whole league with Tevez in a close second. Despite missing a month with a knee injury/surgery, he’s still fourth in the league in scoring. That’s very respectable.
It was there to see in the pre-season but after the France/Norway match, I was convinced Samir was a different player. He was very direct; no dick-dancing on the ball or holding the ball too long. He was looking to use his skill to put the ball in the net instead of trying to look pretty. Perhaps a bit of maturity. I’ll take it.
Gotta give props to Fabianski for his contribution. I always gave Lehmann the nod over Almunia because of the German’s ability to makes saves in open play that he wasn’t necessarily supposed to make. That ability ensured Arsenal won games we were supposed to win as well as win a few games we weren’t supposed to win; like our last trophy. Fabianski made a big save on Kamara that ensured Arsenal collected all three points and moved to the top of the table. I thought he’d have a meltdown by now. Hopefully, he keeps me waiting. Well done, Flappy.
Did I forget to mention that both Arshavin and van Persie got another assist?
Dortmund are certainly rocking at the moment.
I have been watching the Bundesliga since last season and haven decided not to pin my colors to one single team. I choose to watch multiple teams/games and it is a lot more fun that way.
And yes, Dortmund are my favorite at the moment. :)
If Cesc is fit, he starts. Bar a fully fit Barcelona and Spain, there isn’t a team in the world who wouldn’t be better with Cesc in the starting 11. On form or not, theres things he can do with the ball that no one else can. AND he has the mentality to step up in these big games more so than his teammates.
A cesc off form is better than most players on form, although good point by Chicago-gooner of Cesc’s effectiveness as a sub. But I think that has more to do with him being a good player all round rather than him being helped by starting on the bench.
Exactly.
One thing I dont understand though is why Wenger NEVER uses both Nasri and Fabregas in the middle. Our very own Iniesta/Xavi!
Such a combination will be DEADLY with regards to our possession football – With Fabregas supplying the killer passes and Nasri making the runs/dribbles.
Ofcourse that would require Song to stay put and stop roaming around like a fool.
God knows! I’m sure he has his reasons, but for the life of me, I can’t figure them out. Would love it if someone asked him in a press conference. But then I’m sure his response would be on the fence along the lines of our high quality players being able to play a variety of positions.
Ramsey/Cesc was looking very promising. With Cesc on his way to Barca and Ramsey unlikely to feature properly till next season I would imagine, unfortunately I don’t think it’s going to happen. Still, Nasri on this form, if he keeps it up and stays for the long run, can form a good possession/passing partnership with either Wilshere or Ramsey.
That’s way down the line though… In the meantime, my hope (or prayer as it may be) is that Van Persie gets fit, which means he starts. I don’t think we’re going to drop Chamakh, which would mean a front 6 of Chamakh, RVP, Cesc, Arshavin, Nasri, Song.. Either in a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2.
Cesc better starts getting his act together, or else comes the end of the season, we would be reading “Barca want Nasri” instead of the annual “Cesc is coming home” headlines.
Without a doubt, Nasri has been Arsenal’s best player so far this season. His brace against Fulham are not only important, but a joy to watch.
P.S: have we lost a match since Cesc’s injury?
We’ve beaten Villa, Wigan and Fulham. What correlation do you see between those wins and Cesc’s injury?
Arsenal average 2.11 points per game this season with Cesc in the starting 11.
Without him, it has been 1.86 points per game.
well done nip, with the stats.
But don’t tell me u actually gone through all the past fixtures and go and calculate the stats huh?
anyway, good job. u surely had told me something I didn’t know.
Not sure if you are being sarcastic or otherwise (sounds like the former but I could be mistaken).
I only have the stats for this and the last season (when it was 2.12 vs 1.67).
If you want more stats, you can go to Danny’s AT site and he has it for the last 3-4 seasons.
Wow, Andez, your hated for Fabregas continues unabated. What a shame.
We put in two close and very unconvincing wins against Villa (16th on the EPL table), Fulham (17th on the EPL table) in the league and Wigan (18th on the EPL table) in the CC …. AND you are using that to blast Fabregas?
Why dont you wait till we beat Man U without Fabregas first?
PS: This season EVERY time you have come out to brag, the team has LOST the very next game, so please stop.
Cesc may be fit for the United game… hands up if you have serious doubts about starting him, even if he were 100% fit. Our current MF of Rosicky, Arshavin, Nasri, Song, and Wilshere seems to be playing very well lately w/o Cesc in there. Cesc’s superb passing and vision are things no other squad members possess (not to the same degree anyways), but those qualities can only be used when he is on form, and just b/c a player is 100% fit (ie, injury is fully healed, no significant lingering effects) does not mean he is in good form. Add to this the fact that when brought on as a substitute (for both Arsenal and Spain) Cesc has often been brilliant, and it really starts to make you think about not starting him.
I’m not saying you have to sit him for sure, just that it is an option, even if he’s match fit. I think it depends on what he shows in training- mentally and physically. Besides the primary ill-effects of Cesc being off-form this season (by which I mean we lack the passing/vision alluded to above), there is a secondary negative effect in that this will only make his sale price next summer be lower than what it would have been last summer.
Eboue furthering his acting skills: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_pkYxX7VQc I’m convinced he can speak Korean.. Heh
Tottenham never fail to entertain:
Yesterday, they named 2 goalies on the bench. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Honestly, what kind of logic is Redknapp cranking out when he puts the second name down. LOL.
Epic!!
i think the commentators said, they had a lot of injuries and literary no other players to select.
Still hilarious though. You’d have thought he’d give a reserve player a shot instead, maybe to come on if they found themselves 3-0 up. I guess, on the other hand, he had his arse covered if the worst happened…
Oh in other news The Mirror is reporting that Vermaelen could be back for the Chelsea match.
And Fabregas is set to return against United
Seeing is believing. :)
Cesc is probably saving himself for his home town club.
Not that we been missing him too much anyway.
Quite right. We’ve looked decidedly not bad for healthy stretches against the 16th, 17th and 18th place teams in the Prem. And I read right here that the League is all about parity this year, so United shouldn’t be much different than Wigan, Villa and Fulham. It’s whole new world. If only there was a December transfer window.
Available in the forums:
MOTD of the Day Full show from yesterday (Free download)
MOTD Arsenal v Fulham
Both available here: https://youaremyarsenal.mystagingwebsite.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=8
Just a couple of things –
1. I don’t see us getting run over in the midfield – with the exception of one match in recent memory – vs Barca. Everyone elese is beating us on the counter. We are playing such a high line that we are hoping for an offsides that when we don’t get it, in most cases we get burned. Sorry Song is not the biggest problem we have. He was more solid in the midfield yesterday than he has been recently but he hasn’t been the problem.
2. The problem in the midfield is inconsisetent passing. Against our normal mode of action, we are simply giving away errant passes resulting in rushes forward.
3. Yesterday, the weak defencive link was Koscielny. When Djourou came on, our defence was solid. Djourou, Sagna and even Clichy were rock solid. Squill was adequate. I am amending my preferred defencive pairing and going with Vermaelen and Djourou.
4. MOTM went three-ways – Nasri for obvious reasons, he is becoming the personification of clutch. RvP looks that at least his touch is back because the deftness of the pass to Nasri that set up the second goal was amazing. Arshavin may not be scoring but he is taking his chances and he is assisting goals like mad. Too bad he can’t last a full 90.
5. Nice to see a match against United really mean something again.
6. Chelsea are in serious trouble. The maleria is probably why Drogba only has 1 goal in his last 6 (or is it 8 games). Anelka hasn’t scored in 5. Malouda goes around the pitch with his shoulders slumped over and both Alex and Terry are shells of their formerselves. They simply could be overrun by solid teams. And I can’t wait for Abramovich to fire Ancelotti – it will solify Chelsea finishing behind us.
Finally, you people need to relax. I’m just saying you would think we lost. And I don’t think we were for a minute going to lose that match. Fulham were always going to let us close to their goal. It just meant capitalizing on the chances which we did.
Perhaps our defense plays a high line, because our DMs (or whatever you want to call them), go running about without staying put and giving proper protection to the defense.
We play a high line because that is simply what Arsene wants. It is a strategy that is commonly used by attacking teams and teams desperate to score a goal during a match. Pushing the DF line further up the pitch means the MF have more scope to join the attack as they are also in a more advanced position. It has nothing to do with the inept DMer that doesn’t actually exist under Arsenes current schema
The aim of a DM is not to prevent your midfield getting run-over. So saying our midfield wasnt run over is neither here nor there.
As Nipuna said, with a non-roaming DM, the defense doesnt play such a high line. It also allows for one defender to go all out on the runner or recipient of long ball knowing there is extra protection in the space he is vacating.
A proper and experienced DM can smell a counter attack several seconds before it happens and adjusts accordingly. So we are getting burned twice just by not having an experienced one but also by having one that does not like defending.
There are no two ways about it … EVERY team NEEDS protection from midfield. Busquets doesnt roam around trying to be Iniesta.
Our defense can break any time. Its hard time that was corrected. And its not always the defenders fault.
Some reports say that Kos will be out for 2-3 weeks due to concussions. I was just wondering who Arsene will play for the ManU game, thinking that perhaps Kos + Djo is the best combo. Squill was really all over the place last night.
Another thing I was wondering – how come a side like Arsenal whose passing is compared to Barca cannot keep hold of the ball when we have a one goal lead to protect? As soon as the pressure is up, we can’t seem to hold and pass the ball to save our lives. :(
Josh, Schalke beat Bayern 2-0. :)
“I do not want to talk about the decisions of the referee or anything else. We have to make sure we are better because this performance was not good enough.” – A shit as Chelsea’s form is lately, I respect their manager. I hope he’s unable to turn things around till after our game though. Or if not, then before the Utd game. But you just get the feeling they’re going to stutter until they come here then Drogba is suddenly going to forget what malaria is. Urgh.
Looking forward to next week.. Expectations not too high, meaningful match. Should be fun…
AHHH!! I missed another Arsenal win! I’ve been so busy with work lately, I’ve missed so many matches this season! It’s really starting to bother me. (Even though I claimed I would voluntarily detach myself emotionally from the team this year as a health measure, actually doing so seems to be much harder.)
Glad to hear we won, and good to see that Nasri is hitting his stride. (Especially ahead of the ManUre match. He seems to enjoy playing them- his 2-goal performance against them 2 years ago was one of the sole bright spots in a very dismal season.)
Neither Arsenal nor Man U have another league match between now and when they play each other, so their respective league positions promise to make the match a trowback to the Wenger-vs-Fergie, Vieira-vs-Keane days. Thank god the game is on ESPN2, so I can record it if unable to watch. I suspect other US viewers will have to do the same, as it kicks off on a weekday afternoon. Again, I will be sure to raise my hopes to the fullest, while attempting to do the reverse with my expectations. Ya just never know with this squad.
Yeah, the Monday afternoon is a big pain in the butt. I can usually handle midweek games because of my scheduling, but Mondays are full throttle thru the day … quite pissed it isnt on a weekend.
That comment about Henry, Genius at work, his name’s Thierry Henry could easily apply to Nasri today. I like the words from the commentator regarding the 2nd goal:
Poetry in motion, Miracle goal
Glad Henry was in the stands to see this. The slalom run by Nasri had shades of the OM days and was a pure delight.
ofcourse, Arsenal showed their negative sides as well — unable to take a huge lead, allowed Fulham to tie it up out of nothing, slack defending at moments. But I think all games with this squad will have those negative moments as well. The problem is such negative moments at places like Old Trafford have cost Arsenal in the past.
But there is the small matter of a CL match before the Man Utd game, which I really wish was not on a monday because that means I will miss seeing that fixture live for the first time in a few years.
Yeah, am really impressed with how he has stepped up this season.
As impressive as the goals were, I am more impressed by the fact they were clutch goals. And he has scored quite a few this season proving he is turning into the type of “champion” clutch player we really need.
The direct opposite of Vela – fancy goals when it really doesnt matter.
The 3 points was massive, but as noted, it was a home match…
against a team we should play off the pitch, and we ALMOST blew 3 points, and they had their chances to even WIN THE GAME.
The defense is shambolic at times… but we don’t know who’s playing CB from week to week… we desperately need Vermaelen back in the mix.
One mention of it, of course, but Clichy played VERY WELL.
Nasri was excellent, Arshavin was very good & in the mood, and offensively we created a good number of chances. We should have FINISHED more of them and had the game put out of reach EARLY,… but thats Arsenal at the moment.
I don’t think Rosicky does much at all, he is afraid to shoot, and when he gets into a position and shoots, he NEVER scores.
He has 1 assist and 0 GOALS so far.
I LOVED it when we got him, but he has been a major dissapointment at the club.
Chelsea looked bad. really bad. again.
We have to build a lead on them… we need a cushion.
But NOBODY is playing consistent football at the moment.
I will say that United have still NOT LOST A SINGLE LEAGUE MATCH.
In this crazy topsy turvy season, thats impressive.
Personally I think we should be up in the league by 3 to 5 points…
losses at home to Newcastle and a 2 goal blown lead to the Totts, is unacceptable.
But take the good… the 3 points… top of the league, and enjoy the weekend with it.
Still don’t miss Cesc that much…
And West Brom and Sunderland.. It STILL hurts when I think of how many more points we would have if we were a bit more defensively disciplined.
And I wish we get Cesc back for Man U… He’s an upgrade to any player we have.
Nasri’s goals today and another recent goal (can’t remember which game) all had a touch of genius about them. Well done Samir.
In Chamakh, Arshavin and Nasri we have 3 players who are all comfortable playing in (as opposed to around) the box.
Is it really possible to win a title with a leaderless defence? I’m not so sure.
I just took a look at the table and I like our position. I realize that United have a game in hand, etc. but at the moment only 20 points separate 1st from last….That must be unprecedented 16 rounds into the season. Nipuna surely knows the answer….
Parity? lack of quality? It would seem reasonably fun and intriguing and ideal for protracted theater (theatre?), be it drama or comedy….
Nasri on fire!
Sad we need absolutely brilliant walk-the-ball-into the net ridiculous goals to beat a team like Fulham at home.
Unconvincing win overall … but we amble on. We are not even coming close to correcting ANY of our problems. Every game we are simply just tossing a 60% Arsenal biased coin and hoping for the result – ANY thing can happen.
Ah well.
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Squillaci is descending into disaster territory. WTF? I thought he was supposed to be the calm, experienced head in there?
Djorou was immense again. Vermaelen/Djorou IF Vermaelen ever recovers.
It’s getting really, really bad now – our lack of ability to have any sort of vice-like grip on proceedings.
This season will be pure comedy. Wenger at his bullshitting best. The “quality”, “spirit”, blah blah blah.
Worst part is we do amble on like this up till Feb/March, topping the league a couple of times, then have our usual collapse … Wenger and his minions will give THESE wins as evidence of the “progress” we have made.
Our defense and CM/DM is weaker than it has ever been in my memory.
Nasri….Wow…And RVP and Arshavin with the key touches to put him in. I still think the latter has lost a lot of pace/and or fitness, but at least he’s adjusting his game accordingly. Unfortunately Chris Foy wasn’t calling any of the numerous fouls that Fulham made on him.
Indeed the linesman might’ve called Fulham’s goal for offsides (very close) and how could they miss the one that Flappy blocked?!? (Flappy did well on the whole, I thought.) Squill needs to do a bit better and not clock Koscielny, but Djourou was very very good in his stead. Sagna was steady as ever and Clichy had about as good a match as I can remember. Song looked far better as a DM (though still clumsy in the tackle) than as an AM….
To follow on a “hot topic” I think we would’ve had at least one more goal in the first half if Cesc had been available. Sicky is doing well, no glaring errors, but his reluctance to shoot hurts us. Jack’s touches in MF are silky, but his forward runs are unconvincing. Makh showed his limitations today, but he worked very hard until the final whistle and that is a precious commodity in a striker.
Closer than it should have been, as is our wont lately, but a good three points against a solid opponent…
I would love to see Sicky back amongst the goals, if he can bring that out of the hat this season, with Nasri on fire, RvP back at his best we will be near unstoppable going forward. But the issue as always is our DFing.
Another unconvincing victory? yep, I agree with Macmac. I think if RvP can get back to his best he is indeed MvP and can be the difference between us winning the title or winning 4th spot or not, depending on what position we find ourselves in.
If we continue, like we did today, not capitalising on our brilliance and then substituting that with the disjointed football we showed throughout the majority of the game we will be playing for the 3rd/4th spot. However if the oppostion i.e Chelsea continue to show an apparently new found inconsistency then we could sneak ourselves the PL trophy as welol as the CC.
My fear is that ManU has risen from their slumber and are about to display their best form this season, if that is the case they could blow the opposition away including us. Although it is in the back of my mind I cannot see them going unbeaten, but since thay have been playing poorly and not lost how likely are they to lose if they are indeed returning to their best?
Anyway regardless Nas has made me a happy Hippie today. Who was it that said that Nasri is not an effective replacement for Alex Hleb ;-)
I think United really could’ve used a match today to get back on track after the West Ham CC match….
Despite what the SWaNs (Sack Wenger Now!s) might tell you, depth in the squad is important and the thumping United’s lesser lights took in mid-week hurts the whole team.
Of course our Monday night match at OT will be huge and will set the tone for the top of the table battle for the next little bit….
In the meantime, however, there is the little problem of staking our CL spot….Personally (and this will freak out the likes of Fred and Stag….) I hope AW shows some faith in the depth of our squad and maybe keeps a few of our first teamers on the bench for the Partizan match, in favor of some of the others that have been playing decently and could use some match time. At least if he does, and the doomers get the hoped-for result (a loss) it will be ALL ON HIM and there will be NO HIDING, etc., etc.
At least it’s an interesting call, and it will certainly be nervy, given the high stakes….
Nice dig there Steve … if we fail to progress from the easiest group its got nothing to do with the manager … the foot soldiers are to blame not the generals making the tactics? Got it! ;-)
Also Wenger critics want Arsenal to lose … and ONLY Wenger Worshippers want Arsenal to win? Got it ;-)
Even hardcore Man U fans dont worship Ferguson this much.
AKBs = Wenger c*ck suckers. :-)
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As for the CL group games, I couldnt care less if we progressed or not (we are not going to win it anyway).
I would take an assurance of winning the Carlings Cup over progression from the group stages of the CL anytime – though am not sure why a club that extorts more in ticket prices than any other in Europe should have to be in such a situation.
Well he wasn’t, emphasis on “wasn’t”.
;)
Not sure I’m following all this….
The levels of sarcasm are getting, perhaps, a bit too deep….(Of course, one poster, oddly silent today, has never used sarcasm in his life….)
It was just odd that Fred and that poster appeared to be agreeing in the CC thread about the need to start our best team, first 11, etc…..
Personally I’d like to keep the debate going but with good clarity….As I’ve said before, I really don’t think anyone is saying that Wenger is right all the time, though some have gone pretty far in the other direction, and taken pleasure in his (our?) frustrations….
For me, the labels (AKBs, SWaNs, HOs, Doomers) are sorta fun to throw around but they don’t really hold any real meaning. I mean, c’mon, we’re all supporters here, I’m pretty sure….
It gets more interesting when we have the motivation and energy to discuss the individual players and managerial decisions more precisely….
I was referring to Arthur’s comment Hleb Stevo.
Only managed to catch the second half. Nasri gets the plaudits as expected.
But a special note out to Djorou. I thought he was immense! Didn’t seem to put a foot wrong. Won every header, including against Hangelaand. Composed on the ball. Cleared when necessary. Positioned himself well. Just had that feeling of assurance (as opposed to some others in our backline).
Well done and I hope he starts getting starts soon.
Djourou was good today as he was the last game or two for us.
However there was one incident when he tried to play Kamara offside and he nearly paid for the error I think Kamara was flagged off side in the end but althoug I though Squilla was to blame at first it was Djourou how should havebeen alert to the Kamara threat.
Squilla was poor today, so Djourou’ performance is even more commendable especially as some people tend to attribute his good performances to such things as the “calming” influnece of more experienced CBs like Vermaelen.
Don’t remember that :S Probably in the 1st half? I dunno. Either way, I’m hoping he starts getting starts. We could use the aerial presence.
Right, just seen MOTD. Missed the incident during the game. He was late… Ah well. Not as perfect as I thought, but still deserving of a start methinks.
ps- I think u asked me once where I get MOTD from, I just DL it from the net… Don’t show it in Aus unfortunately.
Instead of Kosch or Squilla?
What a goal! Like Henry at his best. Nasri even does the Henry “calm down” chest-high double palm wave to celebrate.
Arshavin is getting his drive back. Van P. showing some great touches, if not full steam ahead yet. Fabianski 2.0 should send Almunia on his way.
But otherwise – boy, are we Kings of the Unconvincing Win.
Central defence was a shocker and Theo’s Footballing Brain is now back in the Frankenstein laboratory.
Luckily, the biggest surprise this season is Chelsea’s implosion.
lol on the Theo brain back to the lab comment….
Bringing Theo on suggests that AW thinks we NEED that extra goal, or maybe that it will keep the other team “honest” and pushing fewer players forward….I thought Gibbs as a late sub vs Villa was a much better ploy last week….
Didn’t Theo come on when it was still 1-1? Or am I misremembering?
You could be correct Ozi….
Still, Theo’s runs need to, every once in a while, do something besides give up possession….
Arsenal go top again and this time will stay there through the weekend :) I am not a fan of sub-zero temperatures but at least something good came out of it.
So this means the old Trafford match will be extra charged and would just be like good old times when Man Utd and Arsenal fought (literally) for the top.
Chelsea have had 2 losses and 2 draws since Wilkins was gone, so not sure if his sacking has anything to do with that. But their next league game away to Spurs is a day before Arsenal’s game, so if Chelsea are to win their first game in 5 league matches, they would go top of the league. But that won’t stop Man Utd from still going after Arsenal.
The Man Utd game should really prove to be ultimate litmus test for this team.
Fu*kin brilliant. Great day.
Nasri is immense at the moment.
I should frame this comment a real collector item ;-)
Brilliant indeed. Bet you though t we was going to bottle it though
Not sure if it’s ‘bottling’ anymore, especially with certified clowns like Song in central midfield. We are never convincing in the central area, regardless of being in the lead or not.
As I’ve said for years, Denilson, Song, Diaby. NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
Great day though ;)
Every now and then, we have the kind of match where I save it on the DVR and insist my completely disinterested gf watch the Gunners goals. Today was a such a match.
Fortunately, she doesn’t care enough to ask to see how the opposition scored.
Smart girl – ignorance really is bliss when it comes to Arsenal.
I cannot see any reason why you would label Song a clown, particularly on today’s. He made one or two errant passes but again was our most effective player in brraking up opposition play.
What are they not good enough for exactly?
lack of pace, lack of agility, lack of concentration, lack of nearly everything to provide a solid defensive shield. I would almost include Wilshere in that as well.
No amount of quasi Roy Keane jack of all trades type performances can hide the fact that he’s liability defensively. Even if he stayed in a fixed position in front of the defence I don’t think it would make a difference. Lacks spring off the mark and ironically is more effective defensively when constantly on the move(Of course this means he vacates that area too often and gets caught on the wrong side).
Denilson and Diaby the same, although in slightly different ways.
Can’t believe after all these years of getting overrun in midfield by teams after the first twenty minutes, you still don’t see a problem with our central midfield options. It’s so clear.
I have been openly critical of Mr’s Diaby and Denilson in the past in a respectful way of course because they are still our players. However i believe 90% of the posters on AA wanted to see a replacement bought to fill the massive hole when flamini left. So the issues in CM is not knowledge exclusive to you dear Mazza.
It is evident that neither partnership of these 3 players could replicate the Vieira Petit dynamic which was part of a 442. Neither can anyone of those individuals give us the aggressive energy that made Flamini such a pivotal part of the team in his last season, again this was a part of a 442. Hence Wenger went for a 443 allowing 3men to play in the centre of MF therefore giving them more chance of dominating CM.
Our failings have more to do with the tactics and footballing philosophy of Wenger (that includes loyalty to his players) than the inadequacy of our personnel. Neither Diaby, Denilson or Wilshere are holding players or even defence minded. However since Wenger wants to promote those already in the ranks he chooses to deploy them or give them experience in positions not natural to them.
Song on the a hand is defensively aware and a holding role would suit him somewhat. You makesong lacka acceleration but he is by far the best option we have if Wenger wanted to play him as a proper DM, however he doesn’t. Wenger wants the
I have been openly critical of Mr’s Diaby and Denilson in the past in a respectful way of course because they are still our players. However i believe 90% of the posters on AA wanted to see a replacement bought to fill the massive hole when flamini left. So the issues in CM is not knowledge exclusive to you dear Mazza.
It is evident that neither partnership of these 3 players could replicate the Vieira Petit dynamic which was part of a 442. Neither can anyone of those individuals give us the aggressive energy that made Flamini such a pivotal part of the team in his last season, again this was a part of a 442. Hence Wenger went for a 443 allowing 3men to play in the centre of MF therefore giving them more chance of dominating CM.
Our failings have more to do with the tactics and footballing philosophy of Wenger (that includes loyalty to his players) than the inadequacy of our personnel. Neither Diaby, Denilson or Wilshere are holding players or even defence minded. However since Wenger wants to promote those already in the ranks he chooses to deploy them or give them experience in positions not natural to them.
Song on the a hand is defensively aware and a holding role would suit him somewhat. You makesong lacka acceleration but he is by far the best option we have if Wenger wanted to play him as a proper DM, however he doesn’t. Wenger wants the three CMs to take defensive responsibility each and everyone of them, or so it seems. Equally he expects them all to provide an attacking threat.
Right or wrong that is his philosophy. Song should be assessed as a DM when he is not asked to play as one. As an box to box CM he has being doong a good job and is still our most effective defensively in the MF, give credit where it is due and stop hating.
You were wrong about Fabregas, Nasri and you are wrong about Song.
Arsenal Starting XI: abianski, Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy, Song, Rosicky (c), Nasri, Wilshere, Arshavin, Chamakh
Fulham: Starting XI: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Briggs, Davies, Murphy, Etuhu, Dempsey, Gera, Kamara
Good job…At least on the Arsenal side….Sitting in the GDC…I’ve got a question about the Fantasy league (cancelled match?)
I give up on fantasy! Had a brain-fart and forgot to do my planned Cesc to Nasri transfer :(
Personally I’m glad to move past that last thread and the lunacy about how it’ll all be on the manager (or not) when we lose the Carling Cup….
Fulham have a pack of veterans and if we cannot get into our possession game they have the saavy to make life difficult and to take their chances against us. It’s a shame that Zamora is out as well as their promising youngster, Dembele. As such, I’d expect Fulham to play for a point (nil-nil) much as West Ham and Newcastle did, with set-pieces or turnovers in MF being the opportunities they will look to.
The Schwarzer factor is interesting….One prominent poster on this board signed off (for a while….) when we didn’t pony up the cash (ransom)….I’ve got a feeling it might be tight if Schwarzer makes some killer early blocks, but a runaway if it’s a gaffe or two, which would be far preferable.
As many have noted a comfortable home victory would be very very nice. There’s a nervous and critical dynamic amongst the supporters (see, for example, this site….) that transfers to the team in home matches. It will take lots and lots of good victories and solid performances at the back before we make the Grove a fortress. If we can take a lead and show some composure seeing out the result, rather than over-committing resources forward feeling that we always need more goals, for me, it would be a good harbinger. I’m thinking that Rosicky (wearing the armband) will be key in his own performance and in marshaling the other central MFs. It’s something I’ll be looking for….
Anyhow, 3 points any which way will be fine….Up the Arse!! (as they say….)
i would expect the same starting line-up from last saturday. while i’d like to see van persie get minutes, i think all players need to play atleast once a week. that means rosicky needs to play. he did well last week. maybe rvp can come off the bench.
haven’t seen fulham play at all so can’t talk about them. we’ll see if we can keep haangeland quiet on the set plays and contain dempsey.
who ever voted for qatar to host the world cup in the summer time has clearly never been there in the summer time. that place is hot as hell. you can’t play soccer in that weather. that will change.
3 points is the priority.
I’d like to see Djourou in the starting XI…….we’ll need his height defending on set pieces.
Looking ahead to this month’s fixtures with ManU and Chelsea, there is no better time to give RvP minutes.
I have gotten to the point where there’s no confidence in trying to figure out which AFC team will show up.
Hopefully, the one we all like shows up and drub Senorita Mark Hughes. Why senorita? Cunts are not allowed masculine nomenclature.
We could lose this 1-0 or sweep it 5-0. There’s no way to tell.
Most likely, we will win 3-1, but not wrap it up till late in the second half.
Nervous times. (Thank fuck for the figleaf that is the Carling Cup.)
Normally I say all I am hoping for in a match like this is a clean sheet. But with Arsenal’s ultra-erratic fro this season I’ll take any type of win, be it 1-0, 6-0, or 6-5.