This One Will Be Fun: Arsenal v Hull; Match Preview
Ther will be no spitting in this match
This should be interesting. For a team only up in the EPL for two years there has been enough animosity built between Arsenal and Hull that you are almost certain nowadays to have something flare up. Whether its Hull’s shock 3-1 win against Arsenal last season, Gallas’ controversial winner in the FA Cup, Phlegmgate between Phil and Cesc, or Nasri kicking someone in the ding-ding earlier this season, it seems like these matches are always lively affairs. With a lot at stake for both teams it’s likely to be the case again.
For the tan man’s Hull City squad they’ve only won once in their last 14 tries, a 2-1 win against Man City in February. They are trying to stave off relegation having lost their last three league matches though their last home match was a win. Hull only have four clean sheets this season and have conceded more goals (13) in the last 10 minutes of each match than any other EPL team. As if that weren’t enough, they are suffering from internal frustration as both Jummy Bullard and Nick Barmby (their own Nicky B) had a training session bust up.
Hull will be boosted by the returns of Andy Dawson from an asthma attack and Craig Fagan from a suspension. Stephen Hunt is probable for the Tigers but is suffering froma foot injury that is requiring constant injections. Defender Ian Gardner and Ian Ashbee will be out for Hull as long-term injuries will likely keep them out for the remainder of the season.
For Arsenal, they are riding a wave of four successive league wins. They emphatically destroyed a weaker Porto side in the mid-week Champion’s league side, which was more impressive because it was done without their primary cog, Captain Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas looks to be out again this week, still recovering from his hamstring injury. Not a bad call as the spainaird will be needed for the remaining eight league matches next round of Champion’s League football.
Also likely to miss the match are Tomas Rosicky and Bacary Sagna with niggly injuries. Given the form of Sagna’s replacement Eboue letting the French right back take some rest isn’t a bad thing. Rosicky was a 50-50 decision and won’t be known until the squads are announced. Sol Campbell who was thought to get a rest is set to play as William Gallas is still out with a reoccuring calf injury. Finally, Alex Song will be out serving the second of his two game suspension for 10 yellow cards.
An Arsenal win keeps the pressure on Chelsea and United and continues their impressive run for the title. Chelsea do play earlier and it is possible that should West Ham pull off a miracle Arsenal could pass them up for a solid position in 1st place (for a day at least). A win also pulls the Gunners a head of United who play Fulham on Sunday. Hull though won’t be easy. It’s unknown which Hull side will show up. They play hard some times or completely self-destruct (like their 5-1 thrashing last week to Everton). Either way Hull are well managed and won’t be a push over. So for Arsenal it will be a case of staying home and playing their game. They will need to be paitent with a Hull side that will likely try and play the game tight and physical.
Overall the problem for Hull is that without Fabregas, the side are less reliant on one player to open things up. While Cesc is a maestro on the field the movement of the team without him in my opinon seems more fluid and because they rely on everybody to bring the ball in they are harder to close down. With Arshavin and Nasri showing what they can do to an opponent if given the space, Hull will be hard pressed to find one individual to key on. Additionally, Walcott and Bendtner have slowly been showing their worth. The England international is starting to show that he does have a football brain and is finding that when you take a defender inside from an outside run it will open up space for you to have better chances. Trying to always pressure from outside more than often leads to the prototypical Walcott far and wide shot that skitters across the goal.
Both the great Dane and the Englander have shown that they can rise to the criticism they receive and will need to continue their upward progression. Better they do it with a chip ontheir shoulder.
The Gunners come to KC Stadium looking for their fifth league win in a row (their first time this season). Arsenal have won half of their 14 away matches this season a feat only bettered by Manchester United. Arsenal are back to being the league leading scorers with 69 league goals and 99 in all competitions. In their last three league matches Arsenal have scored four goals in or at the 90th minute making squeaky bum time of about 20 minutes or so preceding that. Finally, while Hull have conceded more goals in the last ten minutes, Arsenal lead the league with scoring in the last ten – 14.
Regardless given the current history and the current form of the two clubs, this is going to be a fun a match.
How the Match Should Play Out:
Arsenal scored their first home goal with in the first 15 minutes of any match this season against Porto. It set an early tone and really put the outcome of the match out of anyone’s mind. Arsenal will need to do this and two goals within 25 minutes will make sure the home side get no sniff of a win. The longer Arsenal let the tigers sit around near them the more confidence the Tan one’s side will get. The play of Nasri, Arshavin and Bendtner should be too much for thier struggling hosts. But look for Walcott and Eboue to be the X factor of the match. The only Arsenal concern is Denilson in the holding role. Against Burnley he was quiet and we can only hope that it stays that way this week.
Players to watch.
Arsenal: Nicklas Bendtner. A Few short days after being criticized by the press and some fans for his missing 5 golden chances against Burnley, the danish forward with the ego the size of an freight train, scored a hat trick against Porto showing that he is capable of putting a bad performance behind him. What Nicky B has been able to show, even when not scoring, is an improved ability to find the space to find the shot. He also shown that when playing with Arshavin in the wing he is more than happy to take the beautfiul shots given to him from the Russian star.
Hull City: Jimmy Bullard. Jimmy is a character and a good one. But he also is Hull’s best threat and before his injury he looked keyed in to carry them forward. He is Hull’s best chance at opening up Arsenal. Plus the mock scolding of his team after playing City to a draw early in the season was CLASSIC!!!
Probable Starting XI:
No sptting at the KC.
Injuries/Suspensions:
Arsenal: Fabregas (hamstring), Gallas (calf), Song (suspended), Djourou (ankle), Van Persie (ankle) Gibbs (foot), Ramsey (leg)
Hull City: Ashbee (knee), Gardner (ankle)
Recent League Form:
Arsenal: WWWWL
Hull City: LLLWD
Match Officials:
Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistant Referees: Patrick Keane & Adam Watts
Fourth Official: Chris Foy
Broadcast TV:
US: FSC 1230 EST (on foxsoccer.tv as well)
UK: ESPN UK 1730 GMT
Online Feeds:
www.atdhe.net
Gameday Chat Will Be Open. www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal – 4
Hull – 1
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[…] While Cesc is a maestro on the field the movement of the team without him in my opinon seems more fluid and because they rely on everybody to bring the ball in they are harder to close down. With Arshavin and Nasri showing what they can do to an opponent if …… and fat Sam (though I did silently wish him a recovery when he got a heart attack ). I will take glee every single time either of them fails and falls flat on his arse. Andez Reply: March 16th, 2010 at 10:56 am …Continue Reading […]
OK, I’ve heard in two different places now that had Inter lost last night, Serie A would’ve lost their 4th CL spot to the Bundesliga. Anyone know if this is true?
Yes, it is something to do with some quotient I can’t remember – performance of the league I think.
It is the same reason (besides perserving the status quo) the big four argued against the playoff for the Champion’s League 4th spot.
If your league isn’t making it to certain levels in the Championship – repeatedly then you are reassesed against other leagues and the other leagues may be given one of your spots.
So in the case of Italy – Inter is the only team from Italy to progress this far – La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundes and EPL have repatedly made it far. No need for reassessment. Italy has not progressed far in any of the most recent years.
Yeah, I knew about the quotients, I just didn’t think that Italy had actually done that much better than Germany over the last 3 or so seasons.
I think the Bundesliga has done better the past few seasons.
Which is why had Inter not progressed another German team would have been in and one of the 4 Italian spots would’ve been out.
Well, unlike what the Arsenal players should be doing, I will speculate as to the CL draw, and what it means for Arsenal (I’m assuming Barca and Bordeaux will go thru today).
WORST: Man U, Inter (SAF and Jose know very well how to dismantle us- not saying we’d lose for sure, but I’d rather avoid them.)
BAD: Barca
GOOD: Lyon, Bayern, Bordeaux (On paper Bayern are the best of these 3, but I think Bordeaux actually play the best.)
BEST: CSKA
Very Best: Man U and Inter are drawn together, we get CSKA, and Barca get one of the remaining teams.
From a purely footballing standpoint… I want to see us get Barcelona, either in the QF or Semi’s…
Henry back to North London, it would be great cinema…
But I don’t think it matters really… we have to beat the best teams at some point, why not knock one out NOW?
We are playing pretty well… so whomever we draw, we’ll have a decent chance.
I don’t actually want to see us travel to Russia!
Give me a French team.
And while I’m at it….
The squeaker at Hull was a big one. Hopefully it represents a nadir for us in terms of available personnel. Getting Song and Cesc back, I think, will be a big boost.
Some interesting talk above about Denilson….
Of the younger players we are counting upon, he has been the most vexing. This season his long shots (opening goal of the season, FK vs Hull at home, Saturday’s poorly punched effort) have been his big contributions. Hopefully they add to his confidence and make him more useful if we need to use him. Balanced against his lightweight moments as a DM, his distressing tendency to be breezed by on counterattacks AND his poor choices and execution with his passing and it’s been a season of regression, especially when compared to the work of his “classmates” Song and Diaby. In his defense, I believe he’s been battling (all season) for match fitness (stress fracture in his back).
I would also agree with Caribkid, that Denilson has a tendency to go to ground as if it were a bodily function, forcing the hand of the referee. While I thought this was effective in the first leg at Porto (for settling the tie down after their gifted goals) it doesn’t work so well in England and it was almost disastrous vs Everton. Against Hull on Saturday it was just pathetic and ineffective and broke down the pressure we should have been creating, especially after they were down to 10 men.
“Manipulating” the referee IS part of the game (for better or worse, witness S. Gerrard and W. Rooney, not to mention D. Drogba…), and a needed antidote against teams willing to put in crippling tackles and otherwise attempting to beat us physically. It must, however, be done wisely with an eye for how (and where on the pitch) the ref is willing to use his whistle. Culturally (IMO) it is a huge part of the game in Mexico and South America, and to a lesser extent in continental Europe. Bringing it to the English game is not so simple and requires wisdom and judiciousness. Cesc is our master at it, and Denilson is NOT the answer if our captain is unavailable.
Cesc goes down to the ground as easily as anyone in the league, but that makes him a “master”…
LOL
yes, I understand.
favorites versus scapegoats!
I really should ignore your comment here…but I’m in a voluminous mood….So I’ll take the bait….
Yes, I believe Cesc is a superior player to Denilson. (Who knows what you actually think as your comments are so laced with sarcasm and LOLs and just plain idiocy…”I’m 100% serious,” etc., that nobody actually knows (nor cares, I would dare say)….
In my opinion, Cesc is a “valuable” player because of his vision, the variety and range of passes he can see AND execute and because he’s become a excellent shooter as of late.
Beyond these skills he has also found ways of taking charge of matches and helping the team get results in critical matches. He has also been very vocal with referees and as such has emerged as a true captain and leader.
At the same time, Cesc has his limitations. Like Denilson, he’s still physically slight and prone to losing physical battles. If he can’t convince the ref in those situations he can lose heart and put extra demands on his teammates who are not up to his standard of playmaking. I was very critical of this during our difficult stretch in February and I still believe that Cesc is not quite there when it comes to taking command of the very biggest games.
What I was trying to say is that Cesc, like Denilson, is one of our players who will go to ground, perhaps a bit easily, in an effort to influence the refereeing. If he doesn’t get a call he gets in the face of the ref and, either way, goes a long way towards exerting HIS influence on the match. Denilson, IMO, does not have the intelligence and perhaps lacks the language skills to have a similar influence. Luckily we have not been badly burned by (what I perceive) as these failings.
Of course, I don’t suspect you’re too interested in the subtleties of my observations here, and I expect a response along the lines of, “Yeah, well if Cesc is so great, then I’m sure we’ll sell him in the summer….”
It’s too bad, really. You seem like a smart guy, a strong writer and a passionate supporter (and a very nice guy…thanks again for the “Untouchables” DVD….) Why you choose to undermine all that with simplistic proclamations….”We’ll win the Profit League, as that’s all that matters,” (for example) is hard to figure out. My guess is that it’s just too emotional and that each result or news story or even a post that goes against your immediate feelings is too much and that you’ve got to come up with protective devices that keep you from “feeling too much.”
IMO, We ALL care about the team and come here to discuss what we’re seeing and feeling. Respect is a two way street….and I’d like to get some (i.e., not get laughed at…”LOL”) and give it in return to people who deserve it. And, believe it or not, it doesn’t have anything to do with whether anybody believes that Arsene knows All (or Nothing) or any of that crap….
Chill HTS. But having said that… I’ve been there and know how you feel. Over all the “online” years of Arsenal I’ve taken a stand and defended every player in the AFC kit unless he acts like a jerk or is disrespectful/ungrateful. At times its been lonely and I used to get wound up by a lot of the same guys who post here. Over time though and maybe that’s why I post less I realised – it is just a message board. It is as Stag says “opinion”. It is just a message board..just that. Not saying you goign overboard or whatever but could kind of relate to it 2-3 yrs back..deja vu if you like ;)
p.s.. Denilson’s been ok apart from that Stoke FA cup game and that dreadful ManU game. Serious. Not flash. But he’s done ok.
You’re right…and chillin’ is always a good idea…
I just like it better when we actually try to read and think about each others’ posts and respond (ideally with respect) to the content….so that’s what I’m pushing for.
It IS all opinion and people can choose who to respond to and whom to ignore….DAG is keeping the board wide-open, and that’s a good thing. I just know that a lot of the voices I used to learn A LOT from have gone silent and I just hope they’re not being drowned out by a bunch of noise….
Again, just my opinion and…off I go to chill…. ;-)
are you advocating Cesc going down too easily to try and influence the refs decisions?
Nope. He’s saying that Cesc isn’t God yet and that he still has to bow down to the laws of physics (sometimes). When a heavier, musclier player shoves him off the ball he will (sometimes) lose it (the ball, not his head… sometimes that too…) And he’s advocating that Denilson, like Cesc, should ensure that afterwards, the ref has no doubts about it being a foul hence reducing the chance of nothing being given next time.
I’m not too sure I agree fully with that though HT. I think it gives of the impression that our players (our best ones esp), are easily winded up which may lead to more fouls. And I just don’t like our players beeing seen as whingers (especially when it is sometimes correct).
But I think a lot of times it is an actual foul on Cesc because he is so good in his awareness of his body vs the opponents in relation to the ball he almost never allws the opponent to put in a proper tackle unless he is physically in the way or he knows that he is going to move the ball away at the last second. It has been improving too which I think is one of the reasons we now see Cesc dribble through the midfield a lot more than in previous seasons.
The problem for Chelsea isn’t just losing, they were outplayed at home. Their million-dollar back-ups weren’t good enough to keep them from crashing out of the CL. However, I don’t think the team will break up. They’re all on contracts with ridiculous salaries and no one else is going to pay them what Chelsea do except for Man City. Many Chelsea players won’t be looking to leave as they’ll have to take pay cuts.
Abramovich screwed up in firing one his best coaches, Avram Grant. Chelsea were dead and buried when he took over but he brought them back to take the title to the final day as well as reaching a cup final. He’s been Chelsea’s best manager since Mourinho left; arguable better than Hiddink.
Ozi and Session are correct….Arsenal need to stay focused on the matches at hand….
As observers/fans, however, we can talk about whatever we like….
Chelsea and Real Madrid (even more) are in deep poop after their CL exits. Some will assert otherwise, but for the biggest European teams the Champions League is everything. Domestic Titles notwithstanding, this (along with winning the CL with Porto) is Mourinho’s biggest moment as a manager.
I really thought Chelsea would do much, much better. The injuries to A. Cole and Essien proved very large, and Drogba, while he terrorizes us, was unable to carry the team and, in their losses, appears to be an undisciplined loose cannon, reflecting very poorly upon his club. Anelka, who absolutely flourished while Drogba was out injured and then away at the ACN, has failed to contribute after being relegated to a supporting role. For me, along with the injuries, this was the single biggest factor in Chelsea’s demise, though the John Terry saga and a defense that is unable to keep fit (Carvalho, Cech and Cole all out) also have hurt them badly. Also, Michael Ballack as the fulcrum of the team? He paled compared to little Wesley Sneijder yesterday, and (my opinion) Cesc is better than both of them….
The pressure is now squarely on Chelsea to turn it around and win the consolation prize of the league title. And I don’t fancy their chances. More likely they’ll drop some crucial “hangover” points and scrape it together just a bit to win the FA Cup. And even that might be difficult….
With several key players just trying to keep it together in order to lock down (their final) World Cup roles (Ballack, Anelka, Deco, Carvalho, the Coles, Lampard, Terry, etc.) I would argue the team will be broken up in a big way following this season. Fortunately, for them, Abramovich has the money to start all over again with a new set of stars, but will he care? And then he needs to find a new manager….
It may not be as bleak as I suggest in West London (i.e., what the hell do I know?) but it might serve to make us appreciate having a board and a manager and players who are all on the same page, working together towards common, if less immediate, goals. For me it is gratifying that we have a “plan” (you know, the “Plan, the Evil Plan”….) in place, so that a single result is not so completely devastating…
Hopefully, our results can fall into place and we can begin basking in the glow of the (longer term) success that we are building.
For our young team (unbelievable comment made in yesterday’s CL match: from both Inter and Chelsea, only one outfield player–Obi Mikel–was less than 25 years old!) the psychology and belief are critical. Our game on Saturday is huge, but so is the CL draw on Friday.
Inter, United and Barca (assuming our former players Alex Hleb and Jens Lehman and their teammates don’t pull off a miracle today at the Camp Nou) are the obvious teams to avoid, though all the teams that make it through will be tricky. (Travelling to Moscow to play on Astroturf is not necessarily a “good draw,” for example….)
We need to keep building team confidence (“belief”) match to match, ideally bringing more players into the fold (fitness and confidence wise) while avoiding further losses on these fronts.
I think the field turf (not astroturf) might suit Arsenal. The surface is always perfect; no bumps or divets. Besides, our boys train on that stuff in the indoor facility anyway so they are familiar with it.
Hmmm…I hadn’t considered that…Plus Andrey back in Russia (vs Zenit’s arch rival) might be, er, interesting….
Who do you fancy in the draw?
Yes, I was thinking the same thing about AA back in Russia.
Chelsea have real obstacles besides their opponents. In addition to the injuries that Andez mentions, the loss last night sent momentum in the wrong direction.
Every team member, besides being emotionally drained, will be concerned about their future at the club, what changes the owner will make for next season. For their season and quality of players (& depth) – many fans (and their owner) will see them as under performing.
At the moment they are 2 points behind United, and tied with us. The last 8 or 9 matches will be tense, and mistakes leading to lost points will add more to the player’s and team anxiety.
Arsenal need to stay focused on our match at hand.
less games and less travel with no CL, is a positive effect on their league title run.
Aren’t you the one always talking up the momentum that is derived from winning when we’re talking about Arsenal?
absolutely NOT!
NO.
I NEVER talk up momentum gained… I was 100% against that theory of wanting to win MEANINGLESS games in the CL or Carling Cup… at the cost of resting our better players.
Please Stag, not everything other teams did was good. That Chelsea, Man U the likes CANNOT BE WRONG. That everything arsenal and wenger done was wrong. stop kissing Chelsea’s asses for pete’s sake.
Mopped the floor with us twice? How much this Chelsea side cost? How much this Arsenal side cost? You ought to be proud of how little an Arsenal side cost in compare to Chelsea now are still head to head, toe to toe with them in the title race. Not feeling ashamed of your bloody OWN TEAM you claimed you support, just because we got beaten by a $$$ team twice.
Andez, STOP THE INSANITY.
How much did the ARSNEAL side cost compared to HULL, BOLTON, BURNLEY?
Arsenal are a RICH team in England… so STOP CRYING POOR MOUTH.
Its bullshit.
You don’t have to like it, but Chelsea fecking KILLED US on the pitch TWICE.
We are NOT this little team that over-acheives every year…
We are a RICH team, that doesn’t want to spend its money in a crazy fashion.
No shame on my part… but I know what I saw when Chelsea kicked our ass TWICE.
You can be blind to it, but it doesn’t change it.
When we lost the first game against Chelsea this season, I expressed how unimpressed I was with them. While they certainly are a fabulous assembly of players, I don’t see them as a great team. I don’t think they’ll win the league this year either. In recent weeks, even Alex Ferguson has expressed more of a concern of Arsenal being title challengers than he has of Chelsea. We’ll see how it works out.
The biggest problem for Chelsea right now, is the same problem Arsenal have had over the past few seasons; injuries. It’s hard enough to win when you’ve got everyone fit. But to be without the likes of Cech, Bosingwa, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, and Michael Essien? Wow, that’s a lot of world-class players unavailable. Chelsea are the deepest team in the world and even they’re struggling with injuries. Makes me appreciate what Arsenal have accomplished even more; silverware or not.
You don’t have to be impressed, they lead the league, and mopped the floor with us twice!
I am glad we don’t have to play them in the CL, thats for sure.
Chelsea lead the league, if they win their game in hand. But I know what you mean.
I’d fancy our chances of playing a Chelsea team with so many injuries. That way, they could see what we’ve been through. However, I don’t want to play them in the CL either.
Interesting to see league leaders CHELSEA out
of the Champions League… with all their concentration
on winning the league, is this a blessing in disguise?
The same can be said for REAL MADRID… out of the CL,
but in first place in La Liga… they too can focus on
their league, and it might be a blessing in disguise.
I think both Chelsea and Real would think it was a successful
season if they win the league… only time will tell if fewer matches,
and less travel (no European trips)… have a positive effect on
the domestic race for each.
Blessing in disguise? Hell to the no. With all the money they’ve spent? No way. Do you think the two most expensively assembled teams in the world would consider it a blessing to fail even reaching the CL quater-finals? Even CSKA Moscow made it for crying out loud. People are pissed.
yes, obviously people are pissed, thus the word DISGUISE!!!!!!!!
So if they lost in the QF or Semi’s, that would be OK?
If you said to both teams pre-season, YOU WILL WIN YOUR LEAGUE, but not the CL…
I think both would take that as being somewhat of a successful season, since neither has won the league in a few years plus.
It doesn’t matter where you are with 10 games left, it matters when the season is OVER.
Their league season is NOT over, and they are both in first… without any distraction or travel out of their countries.
Not a bad spot to be in.
I see your point Stag, but for Chelsea’s owner & Ancelotti the goal that has eluded Chelsea and their priority was the CL crown.
I’m not discounting the importance of the Premier League trophy.
Chelsea key players are another year past prime, and after dumping in $600 mil, the owner should be disappointed with last night’s result.
It looks like Terry’s missed penalty in the final 2 years ago will haunt Terry, & the Chelseas supporters forever.
For Chelsea or Real Madrid, they would be disappointed being ousted at this stage of the CL. I think they would consider it more a success to lose in the semi’s. I believe Chelsea would gladly swap places with third placed Arsenal to still be in the CL and Real Madrid would swap places with Barca. Like you said, there are points available in the league but once you’re out of the CL, you’re out.
Certainly, they would celebrate winning a domestic campaign if they can manage to finish first but everyone knows the Champions League is the ultimate goal.
I don’t think either team would consider travelling (MAYBE) outside the country once a month until the end of the season to play a CL match a distraction. If they did, it would be viewed as much a distraction as your lady interrupting your sleep because she wants to get laid. Many would call that a very welcome distraction.
So when Arsenal went out of the FA Cup, that was a GOOD THING, less fixtures… less stress on the team,
but for Chelsea or Real, going out of any competition is a slap in the face?!
I understand what you are trying to say, but I don’t agree…
I think winning the league is THE MOST IMPORTANT goal of ANY team.
You don’t go into the CL every year with it as the priority… its often a crap-shoot.
Your domestic league is the most important thing.
They could both win the league, and neither have in more than a few years.
All would be forgotten about the CL with that.
Who said Arsenal going out of the FA Cup was a good thing?
I, too, believe winning the league is the most important task but considering how much Chelsea have spent on players and the fact they brought in Ancelotti exclusively to win the CL, they will surely be disappointed going out this early.
Ok, I’m jumping in on this whole League vs. CL thing, as it regards Chelsea and Real Madird.
Chelsea first.
You have to remember that before the past decade, Chelsea were a mid-sized club at best; they had won the league only once, and that was in the 50’s. Hell they were in the 2nd division for most of the ’80s. Therefore I think most of their genuine SUPPORTERS (and I’m not including the johnny-come-lately’s here) would be ecstatic if they won the league. The CL would be nice, but the league is just as good for them, especially considering they last won it 4 years ago, which in today’s sports world is a “long” time for a club like them.
Abramovich on the other hand wants that CL badly. He is most likely PISSED about last night, and is livid that his infusion of cash has once again failed to yield the Big-Eared Cup, and that he has to wait yet another year to have another go.
Anceloti is experienced and intelligent. He knows his team were not the best last night, and were beaten fair and square, but he also knows there’s a lot of luck in winning the CL, and that not winning means anything but a bad season. If they win the league, he’ll consider it a success. Ditto for the players.
Now Madrid.
The most greedy, glory-chasing, impatient fanbase on the planet. Unlike Chelsea’s fans they are FUCKING PISSED that they lost, and at such an early round. It’s illogical, irrational, stupid, to get so worked up about it, since a lot of luck is involved, but that means nothing to them. They crave success. This is a team that’s won it NINE times remember. Their greedy, impatient fans don’t like to wait.
Same goes for the President, who wasted (yes, wasted- not wisely spent) that assload of money.
The players and coaches may be more level-headed however.
Random football news:
Arshavin involved in minor car accident:
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_6030851,00.html
Ian Dowie leads a rather long “short list” at Hull:
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_6030586,00.html
Pompey set for points deduction on Wednesday, amidst talks of takeover:
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_6030683,00.html
Then there were 2.
That game was awful in terms of the referees job.
And if Europe is the bar by which Chelsea manager’s are judged what does this say about Carlo’s job?
I also don’t think I can remember Chelsea becoming this unhinged. Surely it is going to do something to their psyche.
I have noticed that Eoropean refs will tolerate a tremendous amount of shirt pulling and tussling in the box but will not put up with hard fouls. At least they are consistent.
I wish Chelsea’s immediate fixtures were ‘harder’. I think with what they have they have they could just as easily turn this around to work for them.
Villa home is their next tough one and the Villains are going to be completely knackered by then. Hopefully they keep their momentum and spirits up and get something out of the game.
Also, whilst I am talking about other teams so much, I hope the players are doing the opposite and focussing purely on THEIR next game and winning that. The top 2 dropping points does us no good if we can’t take advantage of it and that would be well demoralizing.
Eto’o scores and now Drogba off with a red card… Mourinho has got his revenge.
I think the 433 is making a comeback. Not that it ever went away entirely- but 442 (whether flat MF or diamond) was incredibly dominant for so long. But now a lot of top teams seam to be doing well w/ 433. Chelsea and Inter are both using it now, we are doing well with it, Man U won 3 titles with it, Barca won 6 trophies with it, and I think I’ve sean Real and ACM use it as well.
And Ancelotti is copying Wenger, a la playing CM’s out wide. Obi Mikel is in the middle, Ballack and Lampard out wide.
how’d that work out for him?
Ancelotti and Chelsea got just what Wenger and Arsenal have in the last 5 years!
;)
Ballack and Lampard, while being descent players, are far from dynamic enough to play out wide. Absolutely retarded decision. In a game you need to win, why on earth would you play CM’s out wide when you’ve got wide players fit and available? He may as well have put John Terry out there.
Ballack and Lampard are “decent” players?
or does “descent” mean some sort of formation?
Lampard is a GREAT player, decent doesn’t describe him, so I am assuming you are talking about something else…
Admittedly, I was rooting for Pool yesterday.
They have a chance to be major spoilers in the title race. In addition to providing Arsenal with 3 glorious wins this season , they play ManU this week end. Their victory, even if over relegated to be Portsmouth, furnishes them some much needed confidence going to OT.
I believe in early May Pool host Chelsea.
Our last 8 matches are going to be nail bitters. As much as all of us would be ecstatic to see Arsenal win out, we need plenty of luck: key players staying healthy, regain our scoring rhythm, play under control, and avoid mental break down ‘goals’ (as in the 1st leg v. Porto).
I hope Portsmouth aren’t docked any points, and I root for them to win a handful of games to end the season, and create a miracle surival finish.
They have some of the best support in England.
Agree about their support and is one of the teams I have been supporting them even before they got all this bad press. Especially that one fan who’s happily banging away on his drums with no shirt no matter what the weather. Hats off mate!
So DAG, is Bendter going to develop into our BIG ASS STRIKER?
I’m holding judgement on Nicky B. I want to see him continue this form on a sustained run. So far so good but he has shown that he can also miss the worse sitters in the world.
But I am kind of thinking what an attack that has –
Bendtner, Chamakh and RvP would be like.
Credit where it is due, some of Pool’s footy today was sublime. I know it was only against Portsmouth but I really enjoyed watching it, particularly the passing and moving orchestrated by Aquilani. More than anything I think, I hope it sets them in better stead to take something off Utd. Don’t overly care much about who finishes 4th although I am enjoying the ride from this neutral perspective.
They definitely have a chance to take points from United…
and then we need United to take points from Chelsea on April 3rd!
If that happens… it is there for the taking!
stag133 Reply:
March 15th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
I find no joy in managers being sacked, especially when its a team fighting for its proverbial EPL life every year.
It is not an easy job to stay up, when you don’t have the resources and ability to keep top talent… like the big 6 or 7.
[Reply]
Come on man, it’s Phil “look-how-cool-i-look-with-the-headset-and-tan” Brown we are talking about!
He’s more a bloody show man than a manager.
His statement ‘I hope he (Fabregas) is proud of himself (accusing Cesc for spitting at Horton)” itself would earn me no sympathy doesn’t matter he goes on to get sacked 10 times more in his career.
Guess he ain’t gonna sing Karaoke anymore in the KC stadium.
yes, he’s had his moments being an ass, no doubt, but many managers do…
the job of a lower tier team in the EPL is often thank-less…
it sure isn’t an easy situation, thats for sure.
There’s no excusing some of Phil Brown’s antics. “He didn’t shake my hand but I’m not going to carry on whining about it because I’m not a baby and there’s video evidence to prove that he did.”
It’s at least as despicable as defending a dive by a player (like Eboue who you hate oh so much).
Manager’s jobs are hard. No doubt. And I would take no pleasure in seeing any of them fail/suffer from fan expectation, board pressure etc. Including the likes of Rafa Benitez and Tony Pulis even.
Only Brown (hahahahaha!!!) and fat Sam (though I did silently wish him a recovery when he got a heart attack). I will take glee every single time either of them fails and falls flat on his arse.
And job is difficult with a lower tier side goes without saying. But that’s what many top managers today who had been through themselves at the past.
Wenger did not start straight at a top club right away.
Bottom line is – if you are good enough, you will work your way up. Not “talk’ your way up.
And I also don’t buy the theory that managing a small club with little spending power have to go for a “in your face if we can’t beat you we can kick you out of the game” approach.
Sure, by doing that, you may be able to keep your team alive in the Premiership. But this management style of you is never going to go places.
Steve Bruce once complained the Big 4 clubs never gave England managers a chance (to manage them).
But why should they really? Take Tony Pullis, if he could get his Stoke City side to kick and throw their way to Europe, does it prove his ability as a good manager who’s able to manage a top 4 side?
Will Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool ever hire someone like that?
For an English manager, if he ever wants to manage a to side, he gotta prove his ability to managing a smaller side yet still be able get his team “playing football” and get result. Only then you will be able to give the big clubs confidence to give you a shot.
Just look at how Wenger got to manage a club like Arsenal. AS Monaco were hardly France’s biggest side back then. But some how AW managed to get his team playing good football and surpise surpise, acutally getting result as well without going down to the “in your face” route.
Andez, the lower teams have NO OPTION but to fight their way for survival… it is really simple.
You can not come to play against ManU, Arsenal, Chelsea, etc… if you are Hull or Burnley or any of the teams without the SKILL players to play “nice football”…
It is suicide.
Their best chance is to play most players behind the ball, play physical, and try to score on a set-piece of some sort.
I know you’d love to see everyone play a wide open style, no hard fouls, no yellow cards… but if that happened, there would scores of 9-0 weekly for the “rich and pretty” teams.
But there is a difference between playing a hard nose defensive style without kicking the crap out of other teams. Has nothing to do with EVERY team playing a wide open style.
you play however you think you can best survive…
NOBODY should tell you HOW TO PLAY.
At the end of the day, it is up to the manager and club to come up with the best strategy to survive in the Premiership.
That is a far different world than it is for Arsenal, United, Chelsea, etc…
where WINNING is what you are trying to acheive.
If you come up with a plan to have a SALARY CAP, so the lower teams can actually compete with the top 5 or 6, then you can bitch about “style of play”…
When the top 5 or 6 are spending MULTIPLE TIMES the amount the lower tier teams are able to, then I’d probably think it was best to kick, push, hack and rough up the “pretty star players”… and make sure my pitch wasn’t a sheet of glass for them to skate all over my squad.
Liverpool is another example. The difference between Liverpool competing for the BPL last year and fighting for fourth place this year is the difference between Xabi Alonso and Lucas. Technically, Lucas isn’t that bad. However the tactical difference between he and Xabi Alonso is night and day.
It’s not a position for young players and it’s not a glamorous position. Song this season, along with Chelsea’s Mikel Obi and a young Makelele at Real Madrid are exceptions to the young rule. Who would consider Mikel Obi a superstar at Chelsea? How many Makelele shirts did you see during the Galactico era? Real Madrid certainly didn’t see Makelele as a superstar and we all know how that worked out. It’s about who can do the job, tactically.
While it’s certainly true that many players get favorable treatment from the fans, it’s the respect and appreciation from your colleagues and manager that remains of the highest importance. Sure, it’s nice to have the fans sing your name but it’s the manager who plans tactics to win games. Based on training, he will know what players can properly implement his tactics and gives the team the best chance to win. That’s how teams are selected. This choice isn’t always obvious.
Take Gilberto for example. Many didn’t really appreciate his contribution until he was out injured. This opinion is near and dear to me because I was just learning the position when he came to Arsenal. While what Gilberto did was far from Sportscenter high light stuff, it was certainly pertinent in how Arsenal played football. Simply put, Gilberto’s presence allowed Vieira to go out and be the aggressive Vieira we all know and love.
Denilson is another example. It was plain to see that Song was the bigger, stronger, and more athletic option to a demanding position in a physical league; the obvious choice. However, the position also requires you to be, tactically, very astute. In my opinion, this is where Song suffered. He would have one good game followed by three progressively worse games. Denilson was steady and tactically sharper than Song. That’s why he played more than Song did last year. However, Song’s improved and Denilson seems to have regressed; that’s why Song’s playing this year. It’s all about who can execute the tactics properly.
there was nobody banging the defend GILBERTO drum louder than me, as he was THE SCAPEGOAT for at least 1/2 a season, before he hurt his back…
once he went out, we saw quickly what the invisible wall did…
100% spot on.
I’m so f8cking glad Phil Brown has lost his job.
And to top it all, the last team to beat them and handed him a killer blow – Arsenal.
I find no joy in managers being sacked, especially when its a team fighting for its proverbial EPL life every year.
It is not an easy job to stay up, when you don’t have the resources and ability to keep top talent… like the big 6 or 7.
It’s true that a lot of players get more leeway than others. The reason is that these players consistently grab the team and drag them to the finishing line. They have earned a bit more slack.
Not to bash on Deni. Credit where it is due, we probably would not have won without him and I wasn’t critical of him losing the ball by getting fouled (although a bit of work at the gym wouldn’t go unnoticed).
My only point here is that the players that more slack is given to have earned it. Or I think so anyway. After all, how do you build that kind of special affection from the fans. Vermaelen didn’t just come into Arsenal as a fan favourite.. He’s done his bit and then some over and over again. If he gave away a stupid penalty next game he’d get called on it but nowhere near as bad as the bashing Almunia would receive if he conceded a stupid penalty.
Vermaelen could score in his own net, and at this point, it would be called “strategy”…
You have those that get bashed no matter what, and those that get fan-love, no matter what.
There are scapegoats every year.
Not saying you’re wrong. Just trying to bring out the psychology behind it. You think Vermaelen could have scored an OG in his first game and not gotten slated? He has earned a bit more slack than the so-called ‘scapegoats’
Ozi, I don’t mean in his first game, obviously.
EARNED?
Again, people have favorites, for whatever reason.
earning “slack” is in the eyes of the beholder.
Yes earned. Yes fans will have favourites but you think it’s coincidence that pretty much all fans would place players like Cesc and Vermaelen as a ‘favourite’. They have earned it through their play and commitment, it isn’t that the fans have some kind of vote on who’s to be the fan-favourite and who’s going to be public enemy. This stuff is reflected in players’ play and commitment.
which is OPINION.
And majority opinions like that are EARNED
no, they aren’t in every case…
people wanted Gilberto gone… and they didn’t even know what he did for the team…
Scorers tend to be fan favorites…
Majority opinions mean feck all…
The MANAGERS OPINION is all that matters in regard to players.
Alright maybe not in every case, but I’d say most players perceptions by the majority of fans are influenced by their on-pitch perfomrances. Do you think we, as fans, are off in our opinions on someone like Vermaelen? Do you think we may have all been hallucinating when Denilson didn’t bust his gut to track back Rooney and Sidibe just a few games back?
Denilson probably won us our last game and fair play to him for that. He played a very important role in the reverse fixture with that free kick as well. And the fans have, bar a few, acknowledged that. Like I said I wasn’t even critical of him getting fouled off the ball. He needs to work hard and keep those performances up though and that hard work will see the majority “opinion” turn!
Phil Brown just got sacked as Hull Manager. LOLLLL. After a defeat at the hands of Arsenal. There’s VERY few managers that would invoke this kind of glee in me when getting fired. Sam Allardyce… I can’t think of anone else really. Good on him!!!
Just got up and saw this….Very funny. “Gardening Leave”….
You would think that coming within moments of getting a result when down to 10 men against Arsenal would be considered a pretty solid piece of work….but I guess not.
The bottom of the league is full of teams that don’t belong, but only three will go down. At this point it looks like it’ll be Pompey, Hull and Burnley….
the bottom of the table is so wide open that Hull or Burnley could win 2 or 3 games in the next 5, and be up to 12th or 13th!
And the race for 4th is absolutely ANYBODYS to take right now, as nobody can run a handful of positive results together.
It will be an interesting run in… all over the league.
Regarding Denilson:
He gave a performance that exceeded my expectations. Yes, he was knocked to the ground too many times,
but most of those were uncalled fouls. Others on our team who found themselves on their backs: Arshavin,
Diaby, Bendtner, Clichy, Sagna, Eboue, and Nasri.
Denilson won tackles, went after headers and was successful, and made steals more than compensating for the times he was mugged off the ball.
He is never going to be the physical type like Sol or Song. Great teams have a balance in style. Review his stats for this season…….he has executed when the team needed it.
Sol has been a great signing and Bendtner has produced since his return from injury; I’m not sure a new striker would have adjusted to the league and team chemistry so quickly (just speculation).
Its so exciting to see these question marks of the last few years start to perform.
Re: Denilson
Did we watch the same game. Others went to ground when they were tackled, he went to ground when bumped. HUGE DIFFERENCE.
Yup, he made a few decent plays which any player on an EPL team should be more than able to do. However, he was out of the game for long periods of time and offered very little creativity, if any at all.
@carib,
obviously we were watching a different game then.
I turn off the volume when I watch FSC – so maybe I’m missing audio input that would influence.
I agree that Denilson has contributed to more than a few wins this season, and he did not have a bad match against Hull at all.
Cesc gets knocked to the ground pretty damned frequently himself… and Eboue goes down more than a tumbling gymnast…
Sol has been fantastic, without him, and Gallas hurt, we’d have been in big trouble sustaining the run we’ve had…
Cesc gets knocked to the ground pretty damned frequently himself
————–
Exactly stag. sometimes i think ppl tend to criticise players based on the name and # on the back of their kit, rather than actual performance.
had not because of Denilson’s long range attempt, our league campaign probably would have finished following the Hull match, and yet he still didn’t get a break from critics. Now u wonder had that shot was struck by Fabregas, the world would have been hailing how he stepped up and took responsibility when it matters most.
of course they would, if Cesc took the shot, it would have been a WONDER SHOT, that was so fierce the keeper couldn’t do anything with it!
Stag – agree 100% about the Sol signing. Can you imagine being forced to play Sylvestre at CB?
Sol has not only given us a physical presence but all of our players respect his leadership.
IMO – I don’t think Gallas will resign; I’m hoping Sol’s play has convinced Arsene we need a powerful / experienced CB to partner with Vermaelen.
I think he knows that IMO. He probably also knows Gallas, Silvestre and probably Sol will be out next year, Djourou will be in an out having a Dudu year.. so he will buy someone next year to partner TV5. If Sol continues to show this form then I’m happy for him to sign on another year as backup..happily.
p.s.. If Gallas plays at Stoke or Hull we do not win. IMHO.
I’d also like to see Sol back, if he is able to maintain his fitness.
I had hoped to see more from Sylvestre.
Djourou should have May, June, July to regain his fitness, strength, and touch b4 our pre-season training.
Djorou is as yet unproven. We cannot go into next season with him as first choice!!! If Gallas isn’t here than we need another CB. Although all that said, if Wenger asked me whether to choose between keeper and CB it’s a no-brainer
If Wenger wants to go with Djourou instead of Gallas, then he has seen enough of the two to know what is the correct choice, no?
I am sure he can save money on Gallas’ big salary, and we don’t want to keep a young player like Djourou down forever.
Maybe he can get Sol to stay on as a back-up just in case.
There are numerous reasons in play at the Arsenal, not just play on the
field… long-term costs and benefits, what Arsene wants, and finances.
and… keeper? I don’t think Arsene sees anything wrong with Almunia either… obviously he knows what Almunia is all about, and sees him as a long-term figure in the team.
It is all about what Arsene sees and wants, there is no use stressing about it really.
Ozi – see my original comment.
“I’m hoping Sol’s play has convinced Arsene we need a powerful / experienced CB to partner with Vermaelen.” I don’t see Djourou as experienced, SO I’D PREFER TO ADD A CB to our roster & allow to leave:
Sylvestre and Gallas. Sol is another issue.
Djourou’s playing experience (I believe) has been that of holding midfielder. So I can see Djourou being used as utility player: as CB and DM back up.
Right you are AS. Let’s hope.
Djorou I have only ever seen play at CB although I do recall his comments about how he sees himself as a DM. I like the idea of using him as a utility man where needed. Would give us some much needed cover for DM if he can step up..
Stag, like HT, I think you have gone a bit too far in the other extreme. Djorou is a good player I’m sure but a young one, playing in a position requiring a lot of experience, and coming back from a long injury that would disrupt anyone. He’ll probably spend all of next season with little niggles. A squad player backup is about as heavy a role as I’d like to see him in really.
But you are right in that Arsene probably knows more than us…
Watched the City Sunderland game yesterday. It was good to see Vieira play after a long time. Made a positive difference to their game and I hope he gets more starts. Had a couple of really good through balls, helped create a couple of half chances, was generally solid all round. And if you haven’t seen it, find a video of Adam Johnson’s equalizer. Fantastic goal. Definitely worth watching.
Great match & Johnson’s goal was a shocker for Bruce.
Agree, for anyone to catch the replay, Sunderland took it to City. The tackles were flying everywhere.
No, stag. I haven’t been to the Emirates but I’m sure it’s nice. Most fans go out and get a few beers before the matches.
You have this really bad thing about changing words around. I’ve never declared Eboue or Diaby star players. The only thing I said was they bring something to the team that no one else does. My talk about Eboue’s finishing was merely speculative as he clearly has a psychological problem in the final third.
My comments aren’t meant to be that serious. You’ve seemed really hyper-sensitive lately. You feeling alright? It’s a good time to be an Arsenal fan.
I feel just fine, thank you for asking!
The Emirates and football in general in the EPL is NOT the same as it used to be for a fan experience… from even 10 years ago.
Drunkeness, swearing at players, standing up during the match… this stuff is NOT really allowed to go on any more.
Especially at the Emirates, which is a big corporate stadium… clean, efficient, very well patrolled for lewd behavior.
I know you didn’t say Eboue or Diaby are star players, I am saying that I don’t even think they have the potential to be “stars”…
its a good time to be an Arsenal fan, and Arsenal player, an Arsenal board member… indeed.
Can you guys believe how good Wayne Rooney is? The boy is incredible, possibly the best in the world. Depending on how well England do at the World Cup, he may get that award from FIFA.
Beckham rupture his Achilles tendon. That’s probably his career.
Higuain did his thing again. I really would have liked to see that guy in an Arsenal shirt. Pavlyuchenko too. I knew it was just a matter of time before he started doing his thing. Hopefully, when we play Spurs, he’ll have a bad day.
Barcelona just made the third placed team in La Liga look like a bunch of amateurs.
Anyone see any Bundesliga or Ligue 1 this weekend? I’m caught up on homework and am bored.
That Barca game was on ESPN2 so I had it on in the background today. People talk about the EPL lacking parity, La Liga is beginning to look like Scotland.
Also, Leo Messi is phenomenal. He made a hat trick against Valencia look easy. It was nice to see Henry have a positive impact on the game in the 2nd half too.
Stag, I didn’t say the Barcelona game was a bad one. However, if you compare the first twenty minutes to the last seventy, when was the better football played? I think many will agree when there were 22 players on the pitch. Anyway, that was only an example as I was talking about the referee.
Also, no one’s ever called Eboue world class. However, if he had a descent finish, how far from world class do you think he would be? Some are just beginning to appreciate how much of a difference he’s capable of making. There’s not supposed to be a finality to any of this; it’s all merely open-ended discussion.
if he had a decent finish?
that’s a pretty big need…
if Bendtner had a decent finish, he’d be … Adebayor?!
LOL
If Bendtner was able to make 1 of 3 chances he could easily score 25+ every year.
Did you see how far and fast Eboue ran to finish the fast break and get into position for AA’s pass? Very few people on our team have the athleticism to do that.
like I said, he’s played well for 4 or 5 matches in a row… I hope it continues, as we need everybody.
But I am more confident he’ll flop in the box trying to get a penalty, or get sent off for an idiotic red, like he has done previously.
In all fairness, I’ve never been a big Eboue fan. He’s always had the talent but seemed sort of immature (stupid cards, flopping, histrionics. Maybe he has finally grown up a bit. Seems that way this year.
Eboue was having a good season last season before he picked up that injury. After six weeks out, guess what his first game back was; the Wigan game where he was booed. Players need time after an injury to get back to their best. However, many fans don’t understand that; especially when they’re drunk.
I’ll admit Eboue’s a bit dramatic but who’s ever doubted his talent? When fans were calling for Hleb to be dropped for Eboue, I mentioned that Eboue had the talent but lacked the aptitude to create as well as Hleb did. It’s different when you’re a RB and the onus isn’t on you to create. Anything a RB creates is a bonus because so little is expected. Sure enough, Wenger bought Sagna, moved Hleb in field, and Eboue got his chance at midfield. Prophetically enough, he struggled whereas Hleb began to shine and fans screaming for change began to realize how little they actually know. With experience, Eboue has developed the aptitude at midfield to match his talent.
The idea of Eboue or Diaby ever being sold was beyond understanding to me. They’re simply too talented. Who else can dribble by someone from a deep position with trickery, pace, power, or all three and without falling down? Why would you sell them? They are a breath of fresh air in what would be a stagnant and very predictable attack; just like the first Porto match when neither of them played. I was in the GDC screaming for Eboue to come on. Likewise in the CL game against Man United last year. We needed someone who could do what they can.
now the fans are drunk?
have you been to the Emirates?
there aren’t too many people drunk at the Emirates!
you can’t afford enough beer to get drunk, and it is a family friendly atmosphere.
Eboue and Diaby are not star players, or close to becoming stars.
They are squad players at best right now, and I simply don’t see star potential in either.
ManU and Chelsea’s big wins have helped their GD. We need to make up in case points are tied.
I still can’t believe that we have conceded more goals than Spurs. Has that ever happened under Arsene?
CK is right about Eboue’s penetration – something I wish Theo develops. Eboue has all the physical tools
to add another dimension to our attacks. I believe the final touches will start to come.
I really hated to see him subbed, he’s making good contributions in every match.
I hate to see him start!
LUCK, LUCK, LUCK, IS IT NEEDED.
Every decent Coach of every major sports team will tell you there are a number of components required to win a competitive championship:
1. Deep squad
2. Relatively injury free season (affects continuity)
3. Leadership in the dressing room and on the pitch
4. depending on the sport, at least 2 players who are difference makers
5. Team camaraderie
6. Team Balance
and
7. LUCK in many areas, including scheduling, bounce of the ball, Refereeing decisions, injuries to both your team and opponents, timing of playing your major opponents (whether they are on a upswing or downswing) and in outdoor sports, the weather.
Coaches won’t say it due to modesty, but the 8th element is coaching. Coaches who get their tactics right against the top teams, who knows how to motivate, who knows how to instill pride and work ethics and who knows how to get the right balance of personnel. Say what you want, but Sir Alec and Manu have been the best team for the past 3 years and have deserved their trophies. Even this season, when at one point they had 12 of their first team out to injuries they have still managed to hang on and are challenging for the title.
When all components click over an entire season it creates the perfect storm and in most cases, the most deserving team wins. However, LUCK sometimes is the greatest deciding factor, especially when top teams are very close in talent levels.
Arguably, this current Arsenal team does not have the best starting eleven talent even if all players are available. Our weakness at GK and the lack of a true winger definitely puts us behind Chel$ki and Manure and probably Liverpool. Our proven depth of quality in the squad also puts us behind Chel$ki and Manure, and probably City and the Spuds.
To win any title this year would be amazing given the circumstances.
#8 – belief in the coach
Remember the stats I had rolled out some time back of the win % of players who have started 10+ games for Arsenal? RvP was top of the list then.
Guess who is on top now? Eboue! Only 1 loss and 1 draw in 12 games.
And we win the next time, even he will be over taken. By?
Bendy!! who has 8 wins and 1 loss from 9 starts so far.
Eboue has been our best “penetrative” player this season bar none. Whether he starts or comes on as a sub he is able to somehow beat players and get into the box at ease and forces opposing wingers and FB’s to play more defense.
His crossing has improved tremendously and if he ever figures out the final pass combined with shooting touch he could be a true world class player.
I’ve always like his physical abilities but was somewhat turned of by his on the field antics in the past. Although many fans (me not included) slated him for his performances last year, we forget he had a sterling season at RB pre Sagna and post Lauren.
don’t really agree that he has been the best “anything” this year or ever!
He’s been better in some recent matches… but he’s far from world class.
just my opinion.
It’s all about opinion Stag.
I never said he was world class now, but had the ptential if he refines 2 other areas of his game.
Even with his current limitations he is still making more valuable team contributions than Walcott, Ramsay, rosicky, Eduardo and Denilson.
I would rather have Walcott, Ramsey Rosicky or Eduardo on my team, every day of the week.
I don’t agree that he contributes more than ANY of the 5 above mentioned.
He has in the last 4 or 5 matches.
Prior to that, he does more flopping on the pitch than anything.
United cuise past Fulham in the second half. Would be nice if bloody Rooney tweaked his hamstring. But anyway.. Never really saw this as a game where I could be too hopeful that Utd would drop pints. Fulham have been woeful travellers this season.
Just surfing the net and came across this link about Jimmy Bullard: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/blogs/football-banter/Jimmy-Bullard-s-Top-10-funniest-moments-article237015.html
From this and all I’ve read about him in the past, he is a top bloke. And the number 2 video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC2Ady-WfMA Pure GOLD. Had me in stitches and I still burst out every single time I see it. I really hope Hull get relegated and have to sell Bullard back to a premiership team. I think he deserves it. His tracking of our tunners during our game was impressive (and frustrating). I think we may well have created a few more chances if not for him.
I only caught the first ten minutes of the game (because I was out singlehandedly winning the war, motherfuckers). Only joking, but I did have to go to work. However, I did see the goals. Gotta love late drama. It’s good for the soul ;-)
Missed Arshavin’s shanks but if it was anything like several he missed last week, then I understand. Everyone needs to go back to basics from time to time. Shooting practice this week may be on the agenda; probably from Denilson. Deni’s hit some really descent shots from distance this year. Some have been dynamite strikes leaving the keeper with no chance while others have been deflected and went in or, like last night, followed up by teammates. Regardless, if they’re on target and lead to goals, I’ll take them however I can get them. Shooting practice, AA. Get it on target.
Gotta theory on that “not sending off the last man” bit. I think officials really understand that despite it being a rule, a sending off is not always warranted; especially if the other team is awarded a penalty. A sending off because of a poor rule can influence the game in a negative way. So many talk about common sense refereeing and maybe they feel a caution and a penalty award is a sensible option to this screwed-up rule. That allows you to still have a proper game off football.
We all remember how Lehmann was sent off in the Barcelona game. That rule completely screwed up what should have been a cracking game. It was debated for weeks how the referee, using common sense, should have allowed the goal to stand and, at worse, cautioned Lehmann. I’m obviously biased but, being objective, I agree with that stance. The fans still could have had a cracking game of football to watch (11 vs 11). Instead, we watched twenty minutes of good football followed by 70 minutes of defense versus attack.
I actually think the Final against Barca was a good game.
I’d take the sending off of Lehmann, and no PK… we LED the match, and had chances to score even with 10 men.
If our “keeper” made a few saves in that game (who was that keeper!!)
we’d have won the damned game!
I was quite pissed with Arsh last night. That guy has been rambling all season about how we are not strong enough to win the title. Now that we are in shouting range, isn’t it time a “star” like steps up his game? The chances he missed yesterday, boy, I’ve never seen him so bad. He better improve by the next game.
Games like last night are seriously not good for our health. :(
Nip, he SCORED, and missed 2 good chances.
Bendtner missed at least 5 chances against Burnley!
Him saying we are not strong enough to win, has nothing to do with him not hitting the net.
It has happened to numerous players in our team…
Are you one of those that want the players to never give their opinion?
they are human, they have insight into the team…
without players saying anything, the league wouldn’t be as popular!
Arsh does a lot more on the pitch than score goals.
Your new avatar of defending every player and Arsene makes for good reading.
A good player does his talking on the pitch. I have no problems him expressing his opinions about anything. But I do have a problem if he misses three chances to win a game that is finely balanced at 1-1.
Bendy also missed, but guess what, he was criticized a lot more than Arsh. Also that was a game we were winning 2-1.
Makes a lot of difference, I would think.
I never trash players for the most part.
I believe they do their best, and its the managers decision as to putting together the team.
The players play the best they can… we lack talent in key positions.
There are a lot of good and great players that talk OFF the pitch.
Bendy deserves more criticism than Arshavin, as Bendtner is the BIGGEST mouth we have.
He thinks he walks on water.
also wanna talk a bit about the referee.
funny thing is I think Phil Brown did have a point when saying Sol should get sent off.
First, it was OFFSIDE. So the penalty should never be allowed at the first place.
But if the ref didn’t think that Hull player was offside, and gave a penalty to them. By the rule of the book, Sol should be sent off as he’s the last man.
Of course, this was not the first incident we saw referees awarded a penalty and merely booked the “last man” who committed the foul.
what did that actually tell you? To me, it just showed the referees themselves WEREN’T SURE about their decision, on whether it’s a penalty. so they made up their own rule. That’s how pathetic the whole system being.
soccernet posted a poll a few days ago on whether there should be TV technology in football. over 70% people voted yes. the rest 20+% probably are Man U fans.
You mean Man U “fans”.
FIFA not wanting to use TV technology is stupid…
But not wanting to use GOAL LINE technology, is just beyond understanding.
It works in Ice Hockey, Tennis, etc.
The same day they said NO to goal line technology, Birmingham were screwed on a goal against Portsmouth, with the ball CLEARLY over the line.
GOALS are crucial.
We’ve all seen it happen, and it directly effects the outcome of games.
Stubborn? Stupid? Archaic? what reason is there NOT to put a chip in the ball, or to put a laser along the goal line?
There is no answer that is acceptable to getting the call correct.
yes macmac made a good point there. Some may say stats means nothing. But you bet if Man U or Chelsea hold that record for scoring more late goals this season ppl would be hailing their FIGHTING SPIRIT.
dont get me wrong, I always believe the factor of LUCK in football. Like our 1-2 defeat to Man U at Old Trafford when we played one of our best games under AW against them, that was sheer bad luck to us IMO.
but first thing first, you gotta not giving up, keep on trying before you get your lucky break.
anyway, I will take the 3 points and don’t really care whether it’s luck or character than earned us the points.
besides, seeing your team scoring a crucial late late goal is…. one major reason I love this game! of course, blowing away Porton 5-0 was nice, but nothing beat the thrill of seeing a winner deep into injury time!
again, I agree…
some people take the term, “lucky” as a slight to the team…
its NOT.
you have to be lucky along the way to win the league.
you need a lucky bounce, a call or two to go your way, and some lucky fuzzy dice in your car!
As mentioned earlier, we were lucky, but also “unlucky”!!! Horrible officiating affected the tone of the game and Hull has now resorted to Blackburn and Bolton tactics, *** FOUL THE F***er AT EVERY CHANCE”.
We were definitely flat and scraped through this one by a whisker. Unfortunately, we started the game with only 10 players (can’t count Denilson as a whole person) so things evened up when that C**t got sent off. OK, maybe I am exaggerating, Denilson should at least count for a 1/2 person. I have never seen someone spend so much time on the ground during a football game. He brings the term “going to the ground” a whole new meaning.
Arshavin has been officially inflicted with Bendtneritis but grudgingly, I must admit, Clichy played extremely well and avoided any calamities. When Walcott came on I was praying for Denilson to be subbed. Thank God my wishes were not granted. That magnificent shot (pardon my sarcasm) which Myerhill butchered to gift us the game was worth the price of admission alone and has now forced Arsene to make Denilson first choice over Song once again.
Time to have a few more drinks.
It was not an enjoyable game to watch: Pitch, Refereeing, constant fouling, pedestrian flow, etc., but darn, we walked away with 3 points and I will take that any day.
Arsene Wenger says some bad things when we lose (“They’re a long ball team,” “It wasn’t a display of football,” etc.) and he can be a bit blind to calls that come our way….but THE craziest thing I’ve ever heard him talk about are “Brazilian Ankles”….
I think everyone cursed when first Eboue then Nasri came off and Denilson stayed on. In the end, it was Denilson’s dipping shot, STRAIGHT at the keeper that made the difference. (In fact, the shot was so directly at Myhill and from such distance that maybe he had TOO long to think about it.)
Brazilian Ankles? Leaving Denilson on? 3 points to the Arsenal…Perhaps Wenger Knows Best…. ;-)
In greater seriousness…this was always going to be difficult, with Cesc and Song missing. Credit to Hull for continuing to push the ball forward after going down to 10 men. With Arshavin perfecting the curving shot into row Z our most mature (and usually dangerous) attacker was taking himself out of the match and leaving it to the youngsters. We didn’t create many chances but they created none, and as the game wore on they retreated further into a defensive shell, until the telling crack…. It wasn’t vintage Arsenal but it ends up being enough. (Our first goal, however, was nicely set-up….)
Certainly Sol’s roughest outing thus far, getting suckered into a bad spot where the guy with the strange name could dive successfully….(Phil Brown, of course, says it should’ve been a red card….) And then later injuring the Hull player (who should’ve jumped out of the challenge)… Luckily, Sol really isn’t that type of player….
It was, however, the sort of three points that winning teams get….
Denilson has a very good long range shot.
He doesn’t take shot often, but when he does, it’s often from far out, and often ON target.
You gotta be ON target when you hit it from long range to hope for a lucky break. Had him sky it, we wouldn’t be talking about the 3 points today. Just look at how Jimmy Bullard’s long shots gone.
come on Carib, you think Denilson wanted to go to ground? He was “pushed” all over the place. I bet he would want to build like Diaby, being so tall and powerful as well. But that’s something he can’t control. Hardly his false isn’t it?
I agree Andez, it is rare that a shorter player can be physically dominant, and Denilson is not that player…
Arshavin is like a little fire hydrant, and he can’t be moved…
but, you can’t blame Denilson for being short… Cesc gets pushed to the ground regularly as well, and Theo…
They are young, and will mature physically, and add some weight/muscle.
If not for Denilson’s shot on goal, (and we have a few that can NOT hit the net very often)… we don’t get 3 points.
Yall can bitch about him all you want, but Arsene Wenger thinks he can play for the club, and he has definitely contributed to more than one or two wins this season.
You need almost every player in the squad contributing at some point.
I’m sure he doesn’t want to go to ground Andez, but somehow we don’t see Arshavin, Rosicky, Fab, Nasri, Ramsay spending time gazing at the banners in that manner and they are all part of the “wee” brigade.
The point is that he is not strong enough to function effectively in the EPL. BTW he is 5′ 11″. His predecessors for Brazil, leonardo and Dunga were much shorter but much stronger.
Talking about leaving it late. The game was painful watching at times, due to the awful refeering and the constant escaping of Mendy, Fagan, etc without even a yellow card in the first half, Arsenal’s poor play and Arshavin’s missed chances despite his nicely taken opener. And to add the two valid cases for a penalty shout that Arsenal had denied while the offside followed by a throw to the floor attempt by JVH resulting in a fake penalty for Hull. Also, the nonsensical yellow that Bendtner got when clearly Boateng was the aggressor.
But hey, 3 points are in the bag. And as mentioned by Andez, two Arsenal players escaped without serious injuries. This was never going to be a pretty game to watch and as usual, Arsenal made life difficult for themselves as well. Atleast, Arsenal were creating chances so there was still a tiny bit of hope that they would Nick a winner (pun intended :).
Did Arsenal have a single shot on target in the second half until Clichy’s 90th minute effort? Nipuna would know because he was keeping a count in GDC, but then again, a count of zero is easier to maintain.
Cesc has to come back soon and stay fit until end of the season. And Arsenal can’t lose any more players to injuries.
Sachin, I can’t seem to remember any shot on target in the 2nd half until that shot from Denilson.
The irony is that unless someone shoots, we will never get a rebound, even if the keeping is worse than Mooney.
I wish our players shot more often from outside the area. Our intricate play coupled with defending in numbers demands it.
Another down-to-the-wire nerve-shredder. Luckily I put a pint of Kahlua in my morning coffee. “Hi my name is Macmac123 and raging Arse-aholic…” Why? Because we are the Prem’s LAST-GASP MASTERS .
“Nicklas Bendtner’s late goal in last night’s 2-1 win at Hull was the seventh time Arsenal have scored in stoppage time in the Premier League this season, and the fifth time they have done it in the past four games in all competitions.
“Arsenal have scored 15 goals in the last 10 minutes this season, more than any other Premier League side.”
I thought the penalty was a tad soft, not to mention offside. But focusing on our shortcomings, it looks like Arshavin has caught Bendtner’s miss-the-sitter virus.
Theo is now steadily delivering quality crosses. He’s the perfect sub when chasing a win. But some of that old ice-cool Eduardo finishing.
Looking forward to us giving West Ham a royal thumping.
Once again, Bendtner grabs a tap-in. It turns out our fox in the box is the size of a fucking polar bear!
a lot more difficult than it should have been, with
numerous players missing good chances… it would be
nice if they at least could put a few shots on net…
when we did… Denilson’s shot… the goalie gifted us the match…
the shot was right at him, he got both hands to it, punched it right
to Bendtner, who shot it back at him, and he missed that too.
today was “THE GREAT ESCAPE”… you need to be lucky sometimes,
and we were lucky to win… though that is partially based on
really poor officiating all match long.
I hope some folks saw the pitch, and you realize it is COMMON that
the pitch not be perfect … a) because its WINTER, and b) because there are a handful of teams that share the pitch with Rugby sides.
take the 3 points, be happy, and move on to the next match…
Give the players some credit for sticking with it to the end, Jesus Christ. If you’re going to base your analysis entirely on luck, then I have to say the keeper’s play at the end is MORE THAN BALANCED OUT by the bad luck that led to their goal. Their only goal shouldn’t have been. Therefore, I say we had more bad luck then good. If you win a match in which you have more bad luck then good, the discrepancy is made up by… talent? Mental strength? I don’t know, but it is something that the team contributes, not something that just falls in their lap or is given to them.
football is not good for our health.
That was not fun. Nerve-racking maybe.
Wonderful ugly win!
Another confidence builder.
Even though we struggled to put the ball in the net, but we created chances with a patchwork line up –
AT A TOUGH VENUE.
Who hoo!!!
denilson and sagna were lucky. both of them could have joined Ramsey, Eduardo to the leg break club.
the ref was a joke. yet he’s better than his “assistant” (lineman), cos he’s blind. period.
I could find a 1000 choice words to describe the refereeing, but my son does read this blog.
lol!
Does he post?
No, he is one of the silent majority.
The extra lines on Hull’s pitch looks like an old North American football/soccer field. I guess an ugly team deserves an appropriate field.
they share the pitch with a rugby side. i suspect they even trained together. that explains their style.
We HAVE to come away with a win today. Chelsea are cruising 2-1 against W. Ham. ManUre are firing on all cylinders.
Once another gap opens up in points, that will be it for us because neither Chelsea or ManUre are not going to have a helpful wobble in the home stretch; not unless some vital cog like Rooney or Terry gets a demoralizing broken leg.
That said, one of them has to drop two points when they meet. And they will hopefully get really stretched with the CL draw and their tougher fixture list. We have to stay in the hunt and pray.
Unless Denilson and/or Almunia conspire to hand this one to Hull, I see no reason Arsenal can’t come away with a win.
Still sitting in the GDC hoping for some chat… :-(
I would like to share people’s confidence and clearly we are superior in our general quality…but I agree with Ozi that each match is like a cup-tie, and when you go to hostile environs it’s much tougher.
Between the propensity of Hull to bend the rules (cheat) and the pressure that creates (on our players AND the ref) AND the fact that we’ll be putting out a pack of very young players, well, it’s difficult, IMO. Hopefully, Almunia and Sol (or Sylvestre) anchor our rear with confidence and Andrey does like-wise at the front. (Beyond him the average age of our MF and attack is 22!) It’s a difficult match, and the stakes are such that a victory helps propel us that much more…Go on you Reds!
In other news….West Ham equalize at the Bridge through a Scott Parker blast…And the East London supporters are in fine voice…
BTW, nice youtube clip on DannyT’s blog.. Check it out for a laugh.
Good Stuff, Ozi…I wonder if Hull fans love their (much maligned) manager the way (some) Arsenal supporters love theirs….
Good point about Hull’s attackers above…It might be a fairly wide open game.
Chelsea are up a goal after 15 mins after West Ham miss and early sitter….
3-1 to the Arsenal!
Another fine preview, DAG…
I’m up early, watching a little Spurs-Blackburn (the pitch looks pretty good…) and I guess I’ll sit in the GDC and see if anyone cares to join me.
Hull will be well up for this match as their home form justifies their hopes for a result. Boaz Myhill has had some remarkable games in goal for them and we’ll need to take our chances.
My worries would be at the back. Without Song we are simply not as solid bossing the MF and if Sylvestre plays then TV5 shifts to the right. Eboue adds offensive verve (and humor), but Sagna is so rock solid defensively that he is never rested in away matches if he is fit. We’ll need to withstand the inevitable periods of Hull believing they can score and not encourage them by appearing frail or, worse yet, conceding. Bullard, is a fairly decent playmaker and a threat from set pieces. Hopefully we can minimize their threat and not resort to more desperate defending.
I continue to find it amazing that injuries seem to be motivating us. Ramsey’s horror brought about a renewed determination in the squad and Cesc being out seems to have unleashed the positive “selfish” qualities in Nasri’s game. Walcott, Bendtner and Arshavin are all frightening players for any defense to face, but I think the key is Diaby. If he can look forward, move into space with the ball and interact strongly with the front line, while still being able to track back decisively and pick a nice standing tackle or two, he has the potential to be a dominating force and free up our attack. The injuries leave the squad exceptionally thin and our bench options if we’re chasing a result (Eduardo, Vela, who else?) are not particularly inspiring. Scoring early and often would be much preferred, as would avoiding any further injuries.
We’ll also need a solid job from Andre Marriner (referee) as Hull specialize in the niggle and the dive. If the match goes to form, at some point Hull will try to provoke physical retaliation from our players. We can’t count on the referee protecting us as we were in the CL in mid-week, but Marriner’s performance and our own discipline will be key.
I love this feeling of every game as a cup game. Especially with our lack of intention in the cups lately. It’s a great thing to look forward to. Expecting a cracking and tough game. Hull are no pushovers at home as the likes of Chelsea have found out but I feel we should have enough for them provided we can keep it together at the back. But that last comment is about as cliche as it can get for this Arsenal side so it’s not saying much.
Another free-flowing victory/ backs to wall 3 point scrape.. whatever the case you just get the feeling that any kind of win is going to just snowball the momentum we’ve been gathering. I’m not going to be so brave as to predict a score. It would be a wild guess.
DaG – Another solid write up.
Hull will give us a fight for 90 minutes. Arsenal cannot afford a let down (be over confident) from our impressive win over Porto.
For Hull:
Bullard concerns me the most. Despite his age and recent injuries, he is an intelligent, skillful, and a scrappy player. In the league, I put him near the top for converting free kicks.
For Arsenal:
This is a game, where we need to score first and continue to apply defensive pressure until the final whistle.
Denilson needs to surprise all of us by putting in a yeoman’s performance (for Song); ditto for Theo, Bendtner, and Diaby.
If we have everyone contributing to our flow, we should win comfortably………but I’ve been saying this for the past 45 matches. There have been ‘few’ easy wins.
Spot on about Bullard and their free kicks. They got some very physical forwards to get on the end of these as well in the likes of Altidore and Venegoor of Hesselink or however that’s spelt. Hunt (the c*nt) combines quite well with Bullard as well.
Nasri’s reaction to the undoubted home jeers will play a role in his game and by extension on ours. I hope he comes out on top and I do think with the confidence he is on he is well strong enough to come out on top.
Typo on my squad sheet –
Silvestre will not start – Campbell will.
Thank you Jesus! I was scared when I first saw that.
Great interview with Arsene:
1. Admits he is a bad loser but says if you aren’t a bad loser you don’t go a long way
2. Says he has had to tell Nicky B that he isn’t as good as he thinks but he does have to give the lad some leeway.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6019090,00.html