Fulham 2-1 Arsenal: Wingers Amiss
I don’t begrudge Fulham their victory – they pressed and pressed, and somewhere around the names of Zamora and Ruiz and Dembele, I expected moments where their hype would be justified.
Where did it go wrong for Arsenal? The scoring threat of the wings was our primary problem. If you asked who of our players had the best opportunities to score, Gervinho would have to put his hand up, and I’m afraid his poor form in front of goal is beginning to cost us. I am a Gervinho fan – I believe his directness and willingness to take players on is so refreshing after the fiddler on the floor that was Nasri.
I agree with several commentators who think that Gervinho with goals will be some force, but until that happens, we’re relying on him to find Van Persie with a pass, and that simply didn’t happen against Fulham, probably due to Van Persie’s being marked out of the game. Stewart Robson’s continually harrassment of Theo was downright unprofessional, but he’s not exactly banging quality shots on target.
If Gervinho and Theo are not going to contribute to our goal threat, that requires us to be scoring from Pires-style runs onto cut-backs, from long-range drives, or from headers. Today we scored from a header, while I’m not sure that drives were the option with such a crowded defence. I do wish we’d see more late runs from midfielders, but that apart, our wingers need to get onto the act, Nani-style.
Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal – Stuff Nobody Mentioned
Certainly the glory of Arsenal’s away win over Chelsea has been documented, but I want to take the opportunity to point out a few smaller plots that developed during the course of the game.
1. Gervinho submits
Watching the replays of Van Persie’s first goal stimulated a flashback. Gervinho charging at goal, Van Persie hands out begging for the sideways pass, Gervinho shooting, missing, Van Persie glaring. Same scenario: Gervinho charging, Van Persie hands out, Gervinho lays off, Van Persie scores. Lesson learnt.
2. Gelling
For the first time since the start of the season, I felt like I was watching a midfield that was beginning to gel. It became pretty clear how the roles were being assigned. Song hovered around in the murky deep, coming forward occasionally to pick up and redistribute the ball. Ramsey drifted between the midfield and the second striker position, using his mobility and close ball control and looking for players ready to receive the ball in dangerous positions, as well as keeping an eye open for a possible shooting chance. Arteta buzzed around and linked everything together, putting in a challenge when the chance cropped up.
3. Get high
I’ve been aware since the Invincibles that we operate best against high defensive lines. Culprit in chief back in those days was Fulham, exposed repeatedly to 4-1 thrashings, with Pires and Vieira playing our attack in with ranging through balls. Same again against Chelsea. Pienaar’s Ajax set the correct pattern against Arsenal, and deviating from it is a no-no.
4. Not a once-off fluke
The Arsenal steamtrain has been gaining momentum, and this result was not out of the blue. We certainly played better than we have been doing, but 7 wins in 8 makes winning the 9th game more likely. What was different though was the quality of our finishing. Honestly, we didn’t create a glut of chances, but we did grab them.
5. Attack > defence?
Santos made a great run, took his chance and buried our 2nd equaliser. If a fullback puts in great tackles, scores none and concedes none, you’d say he’s had a great day. But if he concedes an awful penalty, and then scores one at the other end, you can’t then say he’s had a bad day, as he’s done no different to what he did before. It’s simple mathematics. I don’t know where we get this idea that a clean sheet is superior – a 4-4 is one hundred percent the same result as a 0-0. In fact it’s superior, because if goal difference doesn’t settle a tie, then goals scored does, and besides, I’d much rather watch a 4-4.
6. Gervinho the fluctuater
I remember journalist Auclair’s comments that Gervinho will delight and frustrate in equal measure, and he certainly had that number. While it’s true that he misses some good chances, he also creates some. Overall that’s superior to someone who creates nothing – if you squander 10 glorious chances and create 1 that wins the game, you become a thousand times better than a player who creates nothing and leaves the team with a 0-0 draw. Anybody who creates a winning goal has monstrous value, regardless of what they’ve missed in-between.
7. Mertesacker the deceptive
A quick point on Per – remember that tall people don’t look like they’re running fast. SWP can run 100 steps and Per can cover the same distance in 10, at almost the same speed! Mertesacker put in a lot of blocks and headers during the game, and when a mistake is made, the idiots with one memory slot quickly forget everything else or actively ignore it. Apart from using his height in the air, the one thing I’ve seen Per doing a number of times his using his long legs to reach out for balls – that’s mobility.
The despair of our poor start has finally been laid to rest with this Chelsea result, and I personally feel like our season is just starting. Of course we’re well behind the pace of the two frontrunners, but it does finally feel like we have a team that somewhere, somehow has the resources to get something on the day. Potential is probably sufficient, but what will really define us, as ever, is consistency.
Before I go, did anyone else think it funny how Van Persie and Walcott both ran off the wrong way while celebrating, then … oops, where are the supporters … then turned around and run the other way!
Accumulating Points by a Sum of Parts
Citeh’s approach has been what many supporters cry for: a collection of superstars. When the rumours are travelling in off-season with regards to player purchases, nearly all fans are basing their excitement level on a player’s portfolio. And herein lies a huge truth that goes missing on nearly everyone.
A player’s portfolio, in other words, what they have achieved up to now, is based on circumstance and environment. Consider a player like Flamini. An unknown quantity signed by Wenger, slotted in at left back where there was a need and where his hard work earned applause. A new season, a new position, a new player. Flamini partnered Cesc in midfield and the heavens opened – the team became genuine title challengers. Flamini earned his national callup based on his excellent work at the Arsenal, but then took up the many-times-made mistake of believing the pastures were greener elsewhere. His career took the knock and his France place has been rare ever since.
The reality is simple – Flamini’s portfolio was composed from operating in a specific role, at a specific club and working together with specific players. As such, you would be perplexed to find that you sign a player like that for a new team and then find you don’t get the same result.
This leads us to an important issue: the talent of the squad versus the talent of the manager. While City have accumulated a set of stars to make the moon blush, I continue to have this nagging doubt about the quality of Mancini as a manager. After a draw and loss in the opening Champions League game, you’d believe that City were simply inexperienced. But that falls flat on several fronts. For a start, the average experience at this level is quite high, with players like Nasri and Yaya doing consistently well previously. Additionally, if talent is all that’s required, how could City be short of it? If experience really is the issue, would you argue that City are too young? Of course not.
My conclusion is this: don’t judge the Arsenal team as a collection of talent. Rather judge the team as an assembly of parts. If you’ve written off the team because you believe that Arteta is a lite version of Modric, Lampard, Yaya or Carrick, you’ve again ignored the combinations. Wenger has consistently built teams that work together as a sum of parts, and if this team is to find success this season, it will be as a result of creating the combinations rather than as the collection of individual skill attributes.
As such, it’s been most unfortunate that our defence continues to accrue injuries – if a successful defence is built on combinations that understand each other, you can see in our goals conceded tally how much we’ve lost in the way of stability.
Spurs have consistently spent money on players and rarely achieved what we have, and we go into that game with the same basic problem – that Tottenham can boast all the players they like, but how long since their collective effort superceded us over a season?
Blackburn Defeat: A Second Once-Off?
Probably like you, I sat miserably towards the end of the Blackburn match and had a conversation with Arsene Wenger. “You said the United result was a once-off?”
The euphoria around holding the Dortmund attack at bay on Tuesday was probably a little over-eager – we realise that now, but I suspect it will once again be a danger to swing violently to either extreme in taking a stance. Clearly the defence hasn’t quite turned the corner, but let’s break it down. We’ll ignore the attack today, because they played the part, and three goals away should be enough on nearly any occasion.
For me the biggest headline was Sagna’s constant struggle with the tremendous Hoilett. We’re looking at the league’s best right back getting skinned over and over, and at this point you have to hold your hands up and pass a compliment to Blackburn. You can argue that Wenger should have bought quality, but in Sagna we have just that. You can argue about training, but when you have the league’s best right-back and first choice for a major footballing nation, you know have individual quality. I’m not convinced that Hoilett’s impact was down to organisation failings, certainly regarding his war through our right. The kid had some game today, and if that form continues, Blackburn fans will have to resign themselves to losing another talent to a top club.
As for the keeper, we know by now that his qualities are good, that he has command of his area for the most part and that nearly all indications remain that he’ll be a top player, a real find. Whether he remains organisationally in charge of his defence could be a cause for concern, but you might have a hard time imagining a quiet Chezzer, not having a word or two with his teammates.
At left back, I’ll give Santos a bit of grace. I’d be interested to know if Gibbs was omitted due to injury concerns, due to form concerns or due to ability concerns. Another story, another day. Santos had a fairly average day, winning some, losing some – much too early to make a call. Should he have played? I don’t see why not – Blackburn are not exactly the league champions.
The rest is up for serious debate. Koscienly had possibly his worst day in an Arsenal shirt, shortly after being marked out for special praise. Mertesacker was brought in specifically for these kinds of games, and I took in how the commentators pointed out what seemed a glaring error. Why was Mertesacker not set for the Samba-marking role on set pieces? I understand there is a zonal marking change, but then have Mertesacker mark Samba’s area.
There is small relief we can take from the game. I was interested to see Wenger’s post-match comments, and rather than jump on the offside decision, he clearly held his hands up and pointed to the faults. I was interested regarding Pat Rice’s comments about not having Wenger in his ear complaining about the players’ mistakes. That’s a finger up to all those who don’t believe Wenger sees his players’ errors. Today Wenger said that what he saw was unacceptable and not suited to the level. I believe his aversion from stubborness is a positive, and I’m interested to see what comes of it.
I am going to maintain my previous position. I believe the team is still looking to gel, and I believe things will improve. On the attacking front, I was pleased today with some of the interplay beginning to develop, and there were some really awesome moves created by superb passes. Gervinho confirmed what we had been told: that he will delight and frustrate in equal measure. The fact that there are moments of delight are an improvement for us, especially with Chamakh’s recent dismal form.
I’m interested to see what comes of Robin’s rebuke for the pass that never happened. Personally I believe that Gervinho made the right decision in trying to shoot, and anyone who has accused the team of overplaying will have to agree with that sentiment. The trouble is that so much can get lost in that one extra pass – it can be underhit, overhit, intercepted, and when it reaches the player, he first has to gauge the pass, position himself and then either trap or shoot. Certainly the outcome didn’t work in this case, so I guess we have to say that passing the ball might have been a better alternative. As for Robin, that was the growling captain moment – will it work? Will it inspire players like Gervinho, bury them or cause unrest? Let’s see.
Things will get better, no doubt in my mind. But I would be surprised if the improvement is of title-winning proportions. Unlikely. Top 4? Game on.
The Season is Over
Following on from the Swansea game, I had the customary browse through the headlines, seeing if I could find some sense in the tangle of tabloid wish-wash. It was scarce.
I had only just recently deliberated through the United thrashing of Bolton, noting how poorly the 5-0 scoreline reflected the game. Bolton managed 20 shots at goal against United’s 13. It is true that Bolton’s efforts were generally from distance and largely straight at the keeper, but you’d agree having seen those statistics again that Bolton were hard done by.
Not so with the commentators at the time. This far into the season, the quantity of hype, hyperbole and sheer manufacture is of soap opera levels. De Gea launched a long ball forward, which couldn’t quite be reached by the forward, although United managed to haggle for a corner. After the corner eventually found a United player and the ball was buried in the net, the commentator duly attributed the goal to De Gea and commented on how he had passed his examination with flying colours. Each exaggeration built on the next, and as the proverbial frog stew goes, the end result was so distant from the point of departure, but one small lie at a time, sufficient to fool the ignoramus.
If you genuinely believed the columnists had an astute grasp of the game, you might as well go and cash your winnings right away. The title race is certainly a two-horse race between Unitd and City, with Chelsea taking honourable mention, ahead of a galloping Liverpool or desparately misguided Arsenal.
I fail to see how one game against Swansea has just determined our whole season. Please explain this to me.
We went into the game with 2 new spinal players learning the curve, missing what I believe will be our key creative player in Gervinho, and minus another 2 key spinal players in Wilshere and Vermaelen. Yes, we will always be missing key players, but here’s the difference: new signings do not bed into the Arsenal system after less than a week of training and while recovering from international duty.
Underneath this issue is a very basic concept that needs grasping. The “Arsenal Way” is not a collection of players with similar abilities, but a method of football. If the style is a collection, then all you do is buy a certain style of player, plug them in and let them perform from day one. As such, if players like Pires, Nasri, Henry, Walcott and Song epitomise the Arsenal Way, then why did they need time to settle? Certainly Pires was experienced, so no defense on the age front.
On the contrary, the Arsenal Way is a taught style. Wenger’s systematic training methods are well documented and unique, and he puts players through drills towards achieving a specific style. Whether you believe that style is appropriate for the Premiership is of course another debate entirely, but the fact that there is a very specific system is not in dispute. Of course Wenger buys players who can fit that style, but getting into that style requires a period of adaptation. It certainly requires more than one week of training.
One chief criticism levelled against Arsene and the board this season – a fair criticism – is that the key signings were left so late. Precisely, for the reasons I’ve mentioned. The players need time to learn the Arsenal Way and understand their role in relation to their team mates.
As such, to look at the Swansea victory and draw all kinds of assumptions from the game is really lower league. I hope you didn’t do it – will a smack on the wrist suffice?
Manslaughter United 8 – 2 Arsenal – Forensic analysis
It was like playing a football game with a bug that allowed you guaranteed goals, and then relentlessly exploiting that bug, over and over and over again.
My intention right here is not to review the match but to analyse where this fell flat, so we can chart a way forward. What I’m going to do is break the faults and reasons into sections and quantify where this happened.
1) 9 players out
We lost 3 first choice defenders and a backup in Squillaci. Sagna is a world class right-back who seldom gets injured, and his replacement is a promising but inexperienced Englishman. Vermaelen is one of the best defenders in the league. Gibbs is a promising left back recognised as a future England regular. Honestly, Djourou and Koscielny should be good enough to avoid conceding 8, and Traore has had enough experience now to do likewise. Missing Sagna was certainly a loss, the others not as much.
The real pain was in midfield. We missed four central midfielders in Song, Frimpong, Wilshere and Diaby, all of those capable of playing a defensive role that would have reduced the scoreline. Song and Frimpong’s absence was a result of our indiscipline, while missing the other two was bad luck, particularly Jack, who not only has a limited injury record, but also provides genuine class in the team. Then of course Gervinho’s absence was harsh, given the amount of provocation given by Barton. In all honesty, Arshavin contributed little to the game, and Gervinho’s threat would have given United a lot to think about and possibly helped to pull their players back territorially.
2) Brilliant shooting
How many times have you seen that quality of long-range shooting in one game? Top-corner efforts with our keeper at full stretch. Young was on fire, and not since the days of Henry and Pires have I seen Arsenal match efforts like that. And when last did we score from a freekick – Rooney buried two. The free-kicks were from great positions, resulting from our inability to cope with United’s attacks, so that certainly was our own fault to a degree. Young’s efforts were pure quality and I wouldn’t be too quick to leverage all the blame against the team. Still I’d have an easier time imagining Song recognising the danger and getting across to block it.
3) Defensive chaos
In all the talk of Cahill joining, I’ve wondered if our defensive problems are down to arrangement as much as ability. Nani’s chipped goal was purely down to a positional issue for example, although Wellbeck’s opener perhaps placed a question on Koscielny’s ability. I took note of the comments about putting defenders on the posts for the freekicks – it seems so obvious in hindsight that I wonder how it was not considered? Is there a rule that says you can’t put your entire wall across the goal line?
4) Transfer gap
My assumption was that Arsenal were always playing a late price game on the market, resulting in a gap between selling our stars and replacing them. The club took a gamble with that gap, with the possibility that the team could run into an injury issues during that period. The worst case scenario materialised, and at the time we needed squad depth, there was none. The club obviously has to take blame for a risk management failure.
My honest opinion is that this is a 50-50 result. 50% bad luck that we could have had such an accumulation of missing players in one game, and 50% the fault of Arsene and the board for their transfer failure and for ineffective tactics against a United side that have had our number for a while now.
What I find particularly interesting about the game is that Arsenal had 19 shots at goal, with 13 on target. We went to Old Trafford, scored 2 and missed a penalty, which is commendable. But that is a small part of the picture, obviously.
A last comment: United played a young team, combining in-coming signings and academy grads. No different from Arsenal really – Lansbury and Cleverley for example had both been out on loan together. It looks to me that in most player-to-player match-ups, United have done better with their youth. Watch out for De Gea though – this guy is going to drop points for United. You heard it here.
Theo the Angry
Much of the accumulation of pressure in recent weeks for the Arsenal has been down to the recent spate of cards and on-field scraps. At Newcastle we had the melee, inspired by Barton, but happily joined in by everyone. Udinese was another frothing affair at the end, in part contributed by the opposition’s simple frustration at being well beaten.
There’s a different mood in the air now, an aggression, a frustration, a sense that the world is against the team and that referees are pursuing an agenda like never before. In truth, the world is against the team – apart from a handful of AKB-branded outcasts like myself. Are the media against the team? You betcha. Is the bureaucracy against the team? For sure, witness the Gervinho-Barton incident and conclude justice from that if you will.
The one I’ve been watching is Mr Theo Walcott. We’ve been used to the momma’s boy – sweet smiles, children’s books, model teen. The new Theo? Spitting mad.
The first question: is the fury between team-mates, or is it between the team and the outside world? Perhaps both. There have been rumours of scraps between Wenger and Nasri, and Wenger and Van Persie, and I’m sure the Nasri situation has grated team-mates, as witnessed by Pong’s tweeting over his departure. There are always ill feelings within any football club that we never hear of – I had no idea of Toure’s and Gallas’ stand-off.
The stand-off between the team and the outside world is understandable. Relentless criticism is fairly normal from the media, but the cannibalism from the team’s own “fans” has taken on radioactive levels, fuelled by doomer blogs like Le Grove, Arsenal Truth, Arsenal Action and ANR. If there’s an anger at the depravity shown by family towards the players, you can understand the edge the players have taken on.
But is the new “Theo the Angry” an improvement?
If it means he becomes less shy, charges more readily into potentially game-winning runs, and tackles more clinically and assertively, then yes. If it means turning referees against us through whining, costing us suspensions through rash tackles, and over-bloodying his crosses and shots, then no. The first indication to me is that nothing has changed for him game-wise – we’re still seeing the same fruitless crosses and the same cheetah-esque runs and finishes when given space. I’m mostly happy with what I saw last season, injuries aside, so I’m not complaining if there’s no change.
We’ve seen already that the yellows and reds are going to cost us something equivalent to what we gain in winning risky moments. Where that balance of gain versus loss finishes up is still to be seen, but if the team gains an edge which moves it out of first gear then I’m all for it. But what risk of becoming the next Stoke? Or dare I say it: Millwall? It’s a thought, shake it around and decide what you want to do with it.
Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool: Verdict & Ratings
It was always going to be a difficult game, for a team bereft of confidence taking on a team whose love-in with the media has taken on disturbing proportions. Leading up to the game we were obviously against the ropes, hit with injuries, suspensions and holes left by departing players.
I’m with the majority who say that the fault is Wenger’s for being in a situation where crucial points are on the line and the required signings have not been made. My understanding is that the club are trying to drive a hard bargain on certain deals, waiting for prices to drop. While I comprehend the merit of the approach, assuming it works out, a gamble was being taken and the gamble has now cost us 4 points, and, pending next week’s outcome against Udinese, maybe more.
I was pleasantly surprised by some elements of today’s play. I do believe the defense is looking better by the week, and I’ll explain later how we lost a game, despite the choice of some to immediately blame the defense. Chesney is becoming what we hoped – a bastion of sanity – he seems purposeful, collected, void of panic and smart to the other team’s intentions. Vermaelen and Koz are looking like a terrific pair – despite their height, they battled the skies, and when Carroll departed in the second half, I concluded that we had eradicated him.
How did we lose? We lost in midfield, not in defense. My faith in Ramsey’s abilities are now under test – it appears he goes through a heavy case of fluctuation, one minute the star signing, the next moment the invisible man. In contrast, my interest in Frimpong grew considerably this afternoon. Mightily concerned by his poor passing range and sporadic discipline, the second half saw a boy stepping into shoes bigger than his own and looking like he wanted them. His career will be defined by: discipline. Momentum was swinging our way up to the point of his red card, and the engineering that saw that change came down to his intensity. We say repetitively that he’ll learn from his mistakes, but we don’t know that he will. The question remains to be answered, and it will decide the difference between frustration and awe.
Our failure to command the midfield resulted in our wings being isolated, our lone striker being crowded and our defense under pressure. The defense coped manfully with the admittedly limited challenge Liverpool posed, and even on the first goal it seemed we had cleared the threat. The second was the result of a loss of momentum and I’m not sure it reflected the game.
It appeared that Dalglish had marked Theo as the threat and his runs always seemed to be contained by not two but three markers. Arshavin had marginally more freedom, but his control was short. Van Persie had very, very little to do, and that’s symptomatic of the command we had lost. A last word too for Nasri who had a stereotypical afternoon, really great first half and a pretty quiet second, where we were hoping he be the one to take charge and lead the cavalry on a forward rampage.
Here is my roadmap to recovery: get past Udinese, secure the two midfielders and one defender we need, get past the United game, and then build some stability. I’m not so concerned about the defense – it’s the creative threat, the determination to charge forward and the collective resolve that will fix our problems. Bizarre own goals will happen, but if you score two, then you can afford to concede one and come away with three points. Scoring zero always results in two dropped points, so don’t take Alan Hansen too seriously.
Ratings:
Chesney – 8 – I’m not sure I could find fault if I tried. One standout save against Carroll that Almunia would have missed, and a calming presence on the floor and in the air throughout. We now await those blinding world class saves that will take him to 9 and 10.
Jenkinson – 6.5 – I am pleasantly surprised by him, and his performance today was certainly no worse than Eboue’s. After one stray pass, he showed visible frustration and looked determined to atone. I liked his enthusiasm for a cross, and once he can provide some assists, he’ll certainly be welcomed eargerly into the family.
Vermaelen – 9 – Much was made of Carroll’s threat, but you do wonder who was the taller player? TV’s athleticism and determination also seem to win unexpected balls in front of players. A question for you: how many league points did his absence cost us last year?
Koz – 7 – The fans are warming to him by the week, and his simple, clinical, determined game is the reason. If the problem was a back spasm, perhaps the injury is not so serious. Note that he learnt from his mistake last season by kicking the ball out this time.
Sagna – 6.5 – A hugely underrated player for me, but today his attacking threat was curbed. While his defensive ability is without question, his lack of contribution in the opposition’s half was probably down to the lack of control our midfield held, meaning he was nearly always on defensive alert.
Frimpong – 7 – Quite obviously, his all-action approach incurs considerable risk. It’s decision time for Arsene – if he wants a combative player in this mould, the cards and suspensions will come. If the team want less in the way of cards, we’ll lose some of the high-risk ball winning moments Frimpong provides. It’s a trade-off, and I’m not sure which way to call it. I was pleasantly surprised with the improvement in his passing game today, not to mention his surging runs and willingness to shoot. Very promising.
Ramsey – 6 – A few neat touches were all that he could write to his granny about. My primary concern is that he needs to take ownership of our attack, looking to press forward and create with every touch. In contrast, I often feel his body language is more inclined towards lay-offs and risk-free redistribution.
Nasri – 7 – The first half was a joy, the second was a procession. It summed up his game like it did his previous season. If he put away one of his chances, the love would have been flowing, alas, he was Arsenal – great to watch but short of end product.
Walcott – 5.5 – I was intrigued by a Theo’s recent comments about the teammates being more willing to entrust him with the ball, and today was saw some evidence. There seems to be a disconnect – maybe it’s more symptomatic of the entire team, but Theo’s isolation down the wing can be helped by supportive play from his mates. Some will blame him today, but I felt he was out-marked, and while he didn’t play badly, you’d have to expect more from a player that wants to be regarded as world class.
Arshavin – 6 – I made the mistake of expecting more from Arshavin this season. I do like his willingness towards risk and I get the feeling he has made a decision to have an impact again, but watching him losing the ball and failing to take control of half-chances is the reason we found himself relegated to the bench last season.
Van Persie – 6 – Isolated, but it wasn’t his fault. If the midfield had been in charge, he would have benefited, but it was always two defenders on one attacker. Apart from one good chance on target, he just did not have enough to work with.
Miquel – 6.5 – I enjoyed his energy, and no doubt the contribution to the own goal was unlucky after he had successfully martialled the ball.
Bendtner – 6 – Honestly had little chance to impact the game positively or negatively.
Lansbury – 5.5 – I personally thought he looked lethargic. I wanted him to come on like his career depended on the next five minutes, which it perhaps did, and that’s not what I saw.
Overall, a disppointing loss, one engineered mostly by circumstance, but also by our shyness in the transfer market. Right now, our problem is not defense, and anyone who says that is throwing up what they were fed by someone else. Our problem is in midfield and attack, and all the defensive recovery in the world will not win us the title until Wenger changes tactics or personnel in the forward half.
Arsenal create noise by silence
Like a battle-weary soldier I muster my last strength for another refresh of NewsNow… “Angry Wenger hits out”, “Is Gazidis Next in the Firing Line?”, “Gunners Have a Badly Stocked Armoury”, “Testing Times for Depleted Arsenal”. Hang on, that’s not football talk, that’s war talk! It is truly a battleground. The volleys are flying, the shots are raining goalwards, the enemies abound. Arsenal are at war with insanity and the world is teetering.
Two weeks remain left to run before the transfer window shuts out the light, leaving us trapped inside and bracing for the vampires. We’ve been through this before, but never has the hostility been so intense, not just from the usual agenda-fuelled editors, but more so from the venom of our own soldiers, shooting each other in a sly moment of delusion.
As ever, I remain positive, assuming that within those eternal two weeks the master will find his stroke. You have to doubt that the answer will be as brand-name-inspiring as we hope, but I remain 99% sure it will come. Make that 98%. Why then is there such a screeching disparity between my view and the rest? It’s the silence that’s making the noise.
The Arsenal management are caught between the shout and the stare. No doubt they have said they’re working hard, Gazidis declaring he works his evenings away, but the words have fallen to the ground like Neo’s dodged bullets. Apart from actually sealing the signings and announcing them on dotcom, so many of us would just love an indication that the club does actually have one hundred percent intention to fill the gaps in the team. The fear is that they’ll simply not sign anyone – it’s a genuine fear. And Wenger does nothing to lessen those fears when he uses words like “maybe”.
If the club are in fact in negotiations, what evidence do we have to that effect? What we’re doing now is refreshing NewsNow every 120 seconds and reading tit-bits from what we hope to be credible sources – Daily Mail, Telegraph, Guardian, Tribal Football, Sky Sports. If they’re to be believed, Arsenal are bidding well below market value, stoking the furnace of fury. If the club are indeed negotiating aggressively and efficiently, like the pro-brigade believe, the club remain mute to that effect.
The question is: can they afford to elaborate on their deals? Talk Sport referenced the supposed Chelsea deal for Mata, with the guest illustrating how the publicity surrounding Arsenal’s chase of the player is what alerted Chelsea’s interest, illustrating the club’s desire for silence on their deals. I’m not sure Chelsea are that clueless about the available market, maybe they are, but I do believe there’s an element of truth to the story.
Everton’s chairman earned the club a level of praise this week for coming out with a simple honesty about the club’s ability to secure funds for players. I can guarantee you that the statement earned the club some leeway. I tell you what I would love: for Arsene to come out and hang up another club’s dirty laundry for once. If a club like Bordeaux short-changed us on the Chamakh deal after agreeing a price, I’d love for Wenger to state what actually happened, and why we pulled out of a deal which would have helped Arshavin out of his pig-in-the-middle role.
The honest truth? The haters would still hate. There is a culture in some parts of the world, where when something goes wrong, it is always plainly someone’s fault. When your club don’t win the title, it’s the fault of the manager, or the injuries, or the referees, or the rubbish down the lane, or the media, or the board, or the owners. This all means that 19 clubs are in error. It’s much like poor Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle, holding the great club away from its right to top 4 and the title challenge – you’ll be aware of the aftermath of his sacking.
Arsenal could hang out the dirty laundry and become the tabloid we wish, but in truth, their job is to win the title. It won’t shut everyone up, but it would help.
Arsenal buy yet another French African
Eboue, Adebayor, Diouf, Diop – players that went on to create stellar careers at the highest level, winning awards left, right and centre. Oh wait.
If you’re looking to analyse the “Doomer” movement amongst Arsenal fans, there are a number of buzzwords that recur, nearly all with a degree of merit. Among those are this concept of Wenger chasing French Africans like a blind kleptomaniac bent on filling out his collection. Certainly there was a point in recent years where January time would come spinning around and two-thirds of the team would pack their bags, don their tri-colores (red, yellow and green) and head off to war-torn Congo for exhilirating games against Burundi and Burkina Faso. Okay I exaggerate, more like three-fifths of the team, but let’s not be splitting hairs.
With Gervinho’s recent arrival comes the immediate implication: in January he’s off to Chad, South Sudan or Abidjanistan – okay I made the last one up, before I get credited for the next Ivorian civil war. And with that smart alec comment comes the concerns: Adebayor was nearly killed in an attack, and certainly scarred emotionally, while Drogba and Toure came home infected by malaria. We’re now seeing Alex Song caught in national worries, and who knows if his impending assault charge could amount to something?
My basic suspicion is that disappointed fans need scapegoats. Only one team can win the league, and when you expect to be that team and fall short of the mark, something simply has to be wrong. Along came Myles and identified the problem unequivocally: Thierry Henry and his French Africans!
Now here is how proof by analogy works: you say “Adebayor” and “French African” together, and it becomes proof! It’s science and it’s beautiful. Now I’ll throw that proof in the bin by saying “Vieira, Drogba, Essien, Weah, Eto’o” and “French African” together. Now you can’t prove a rule by one example, but you can certainly disprove a rule by one example.
Here we go then with the reasons why I think French Africans are great signings. Firstly, they’re generally superb athletes – African origins produce the bulk of the world’s best 100m sprinters and when it comes to height and physique, much of the best NBA talent. Secondly, when they’re born in Africa, they understand what they have at a big club in comparison to the poverty of their upbringing and they’re more ready to be loyal than European super stars. Third, being in a strange foreign country out of their home zone makes them more ready to be taught, and for all Wenger’s supposed faults, he gets deserved credit for his training techniques.
Gervinho arrives as a regular for a pretty impressive Ivorian team, and there’s no doubt he’ll be away in January, as signing for Arsenal will only have enhanced his reputation. I remember watching him at the world cup and thinking: if anybody starts a game for the Ivory Coast they must be awesome, so I wonder which big team he plays for? I then watched the French Cup Final last season, eyes fixed to each touch by Sakho and Hazard, but noticing a certain Gervinho hairing down the left touchline and getting behind defences – I was impressed, and I had no knowledge that he would sign for us. Journalist Auclair reckons 10 million pounds is a bargain for him, and if true, what would the British equivalent have cost us? I’ll tell you what: 35 million and a clubbing reputation. You can say it’s too early to tell and the proof will be in the pudding, and I’ll say … exactly.
