Posted by Young'un in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Premiership | 31 January 2012
January was a disappointing month for Arsenal. After heading into the New Year in 4th place, three consecutive league defeats have seen them drop outside the sacred Champions League spots, some way behind Chelsea and, more worryingly, Tottenham.
Progress into the 5th round of the FA Cup has brightened a dreary few weeks but there is no doubt this will go down as another unsuccessful month during a trademark topsy-turvy season, even despite the return of the King himself, Thierry Henry. Consequently, there are few candidates for the standout player award.
Those in with a shout include December’s winner Laurent Koscielny, who, even with the backline as a unit struggling to perform, in no small part due to the number of injuries Arsenal have to their defensive personnel, has turned in consistent performances, and even claimed a rare goal at Craven Cottage. His stock continues to rise amongst fans, most of whom felt the jury was still out on the French centre-half six months ago, and more significantly, the media, who are finally appreciating his sheer brilliance. Arsene Wenger was quoted a few days ago as calling him “one of the top-class central defenders in the Premier League.” I doubt anyone who watches Koscielny on a regular basis would disagree.
Further up the pitch, the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott have blown hot and cold; their inconsistency undoubtedly a by-product of being used far too regularly. On the whole, their performances have been commendable this season but I fear too much expectation and responsibility are being thrust upon them too fast. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is another one who fits into this bracket, although he has been protected far more by the boss; ironically too much so some fans would argue, judging by the boos the manager received when taking off the exciting winger against Manchester United. Despite his limited game time, The Ox’s excellent displays make him a genuine contender.
Not for the first time, nor for the last one would assume, Robin van Persie is once again in the running. His form has often led to the opposition doubling up on him, denying him any space to weave his magic. As a result, he hasn’t been quite as inspirational as he was earlier in the season, but he has still garnered an impressive four goals, equalling fellow Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp’s total of 120 goals in the famous red and white. Quite possibly, the fact that he has won the award twice already is about the only think stopping him from snatching the honour for January as well.
The winner this month is the forgotten man at Arsenal; so ravaged by injury he hasn’t enjoyed a sustained run in the side until 2007. It is perhaps a bizarre choice considering he actually only started two matches, but I feel his impact has been significant enough to merit the award.
In a disappointing month on the whole, Tomas Rosicky has been nothing short of magnificent in the middle of the park. Particularly with Mikel Arteta’s absence through injury, the Gunners were lacking someone to really control and dictate the game by spreading a range of passes from deep. The Czech captain has proven his worth by stepping up to the plate, and delivering world class performances.
As well as his aforementioned distribution, Rosicky also has a real cutting edge in the final third and, even if just two goals in two years suggests otherwise, he is perfectly capable when it comes to shooting. He possesses a deceptive burst of pace and is particularly difficult to stop when he turns away from his marker into space with a trademark bit of trickery. His experience is invaluable and he is just the player you want to bring on when narrowly leading; a cool head to organise the team and see the game out. I doubt it’s coincidence that Rosicky has often been missing when Arsenal have capitulated so frequently, in such ugly fashion.
One aspect of his game I personally love is his tackling. Well, the fact that he’s willing to get stuck in is always pleasing, particularly when these continental types are not supposed to be up for the battle. But it his technique that is so fascinating. So often we see Martin Taylors and Ryan Shawcrosses flying into challenges completely out of control. Unsurprisingly, it all ends in tears and, therefore, Rosicky’s ability in promoting tackling as an art really emphasises the fact that these players are simply thugs. Watch the way he hooks his foot round in order to nick the ball away from his opponent, or simply the fact it is always done with his boot pointing downwards, reducing, if not eliminating the risk of his studs shattering another players’ fibula. In a nutshell, he’s got just about everything needed for a modern day midfielder.
Some would argue awarding Player of the Month to a man who barely featured shows just how bad January has been for Arsenal, but I’d counter that by saying it’s indicative of Rosicky’s quality. His contract expires in the summer. He has certainly proven himself to the club and I for one would be particularly disappointed if we had to go our separate ways, and end a career that has never really been given the chance to take off.
December: Laurent Koscielny
November: Robin van Persie
October: Robin van Persie
September: Mikel Arteta
August: Wojciech Szczesny
Follow me on Twitter for more insightful musings.
Permalink | Comments (0)
| TrackBacks (0)
Posted by Young'un in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Premiership | 1 January 2012
Had you placed a bet on Arsenal being in 4th place going into the new year back in August, after the Old Trafford debacle, you would probably now be indulging in some substantial wealth. The turnaround in the club’s fortunes over recent months has been remarkable; one that Arsene Wenger has put down to incredible spirit within the squad.
The new additions have undoubtedly had a positive effect on the squad. Per Mertesacker is growing with every game, not literally of course, he can’t really get much taller, and is proving to be the calming influence we all craved for. What he lacks in mobility, he makes up for in his reading of the game. Should he continue to improve, there’s no reason why he can’t become one of the best defenders in the country.
Fellow newcomer, and previous Player of the Month winner, Mikel Arteta is another candidate. His performances have been consistent and borderline outstanding. His pass completion rate of 90.3% this season is one of the highest in the Premier League. Should you want to hear me drool over the Spaniard some more, I wrote an article on his influence and growing importance to the side here.
Robin van Persie has continued his remarkable goalscoring habits, even if he narrowly missed out on breaking Alan Shearer’s record for goals in a calendar year, with four strikes in December, including a goal of the season contender against Everton. The cynics among us would argue that the prospect of breaking the record played on his mind a little bit and was detrimental to the team during the frustrating draw with Wolves. Even if that is the case, it’s hard to knock the captain’s contribution; not just in scoring vital goals but in his outstanding link-up play in and around the box.
One relatively recent addition to his arsenal of tricks is the way he shifts his feet to get to the by-line, and then manages to scoop a cross in towards the back post. This is an incredibly difficult skill to execute and one that would be devastating if his teammates got into such positions more often. I could talk about van Persie all day, and seem to have done so far too often. Unlike the previous two months, however, the flying Dutchman does not pick up December’s prestigious award.
That honour belongs to arguably the most improved player in the country: step forward, Laurent Koscielny. His arrival last summer for £8million raised more than just Carlo Ancelotti’s perennially erected eyebrow. His debut campaign was a bit of a bumpy ride, kicking off with a baptism of fire at Anfield on the opening day: being on the receiving end of a red-card offense by Joe Cole before getting sent off himself. More ups and downs were to come; as outstanding performances against Chelsea and Barcelona in particular were intertwined with some sloppy mistakes; not least of which his part in conceding the now infamous goal at Wembley in the Carling Cup Final.
I was of the opinion that both he and Wojciech Szczesny were equally at fault; not one more than the other. Every man and his dog knew that the Polish keeper’s supreme confidence and self-belief would allow him to recover from the mistake but some feared the worst for Koscielny. Coincidentally, it has made him stronger, and with a real learning curve of a first season under his belt, Arsenal fans are now seeing the very best of the French defender, who is slowly getting the recognition his consistent displays have merited for a long time.
In a nutshell, he has all the attributes one needs to succeed as a top-level centre-half: pace, aerial ability (he wins an average of 2.1 aerial duals per game, one of the highest levels in the Premier League), and excellent intelligence in his reading of the game. He also possesses an exquisite passing range, and genuinely one of the cleanest first touches in the league: Koscielny is capable of plucking the ball out of the air with the same authority as the most seasoned of strikers. These attributes often make him the instigator of Arsenal attacks, and he has recently begun to bring the ball out from the back in the same manner as Thomas Vermaelen and, before him, Kolo Toure, to much success.
As some of you may know, I rate each of the players after every match and unsurprisingly, Koscielny has hit the illustrious 8 rating on two occasions during December. He has been consistently brilliant since the opening day of the season; often having to play at full-back to compensate for injuries, and doing so with minimal fuss. For me, he is genuinely one of the finest defenders in Europe. Whether everyone else will soon appreciate this is another question.
November: Robin van Persie
October: Robin van Persie
September: Mikel Arteta
August: Wojciech Szczesny
Follow me on Twitter for more insightful musings.
Permalink | Comments (0)
| TrackBacks (0)
Posted by Young'un in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Arshavin, Premiership, Theo Walcott | 22 December 2011
For those who pay close to attention to what I say and produce about football, you will know that after every game (barring the odd one or two I missed) I rate each member of the Arsenal XI, judging by their performance. As it’s Christmas; a time for giving and all that, I thought I’d do some calculations and create an average score based on my ratings and show you all how it seems the players have done halfway into the season.
Manuel Almunia n/a, Abou Diaby n/a, Bacary Sagna 5.5, Per Mertesacker 6, Thomas Vermaelen 7, Laurent Koscielny 7, Tomas Rosicky 6.5, Mikel Arteta 7, Park Chu-Young 5.5, Robin van Persie 8, Andre Santos 6.5, Wojciech Szczesny 6.5, Theo Walcott 6.5, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 6, Aaron Ramsey 6.5, Alex Song 7, Sebastien Squillaci 6.5, Jack Wilshere n/a, Johan Djourou 6, Lukasz Fabianski 4.5, Andrey Arshavin 5.5, Vito Mannone 4, Carl Jenkinson 6, Emmanuel Frimpong 6, Gervinho 6, Kieran Gibbs 6.5, Marouane Chamakh 6, Yossi Benayoun 7, Francis Coquelin 6, Nico Yennaris 6, Ignasi Miquel 6
Apologies that it’s all a bit squashed, the publishing platform won’t allow tables, sadly, so we’ll have to make do with this!
Despite getting my vote for a player of the month award, and solidarity throughout the season so far, Szczesny’s average rating is a decent if unspectacular 6.5. However this is no reflection on his ability, mainly an indictment of how much Arsenal have improved defensively, which subsequently has resulted in less to do for the Polish keeper. You can only be rated on your involvement and without doubt since the first few games, Szczesny has been far from the busiest player on the pitch.
Bacary Sagna’s low rating is most unlike the consistent full-back. This is simply because I started doing the ratings in September and therefore only caught a couple of his performances before his nasty injury. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if by the time I produce the final averages in May, Sagna’s rating has shot up to a far more respectable figure.
The sound ratings of the likes of Tomas Rosicky, Yossi Benayoun and even the much maligned Sebastien Squillaci shows that there is some depth to Arsenal’s squad; that players can come in and perform when the regulars are unavailable or in need of a breather.
At the other end of the scale, a rating of a mere 5.5 shows that Andrey Arshavin is not performing consistently enough as his competitors for starting berths, Theo Walcott and Gervinho, which fully justifies his role as a bit-part figure at the moment. It will be interesting to see if he can up his game in the second half of the season.
Finally it must be noted that the majority of the new signings have performed admirably; Mikel Arteta has been consistent in the middle of the park, Per Mertesacker is beginning to find his feet, as was Andre Santos before his injury and the youngsters like Carl Jenkinson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have done well when called upon. Park Chu-Young’s rating is perhaps a little disappointing but he hasn’t been given many opportunities and the manager warned that he would need an extended period for adaptation. He’ll be another one to keep an eye on at the business end of the season.
Stand-out performers: van Persie, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Song, Arteta
Disappointments: Park, Djourou, Fabianski, Arshavin
Follow me on Twitter for more insightful musings.
Permalink | Comments (0)
| TrackBacks (0)
Posted by Young'un in Arsenal, Premiership, Theo Walcott | 30 November 2011
Further improvement was on the menu in November, as Arsenal sealed their place in the last 16 of the Champions League and flirted with the possibility of being in the top four. Even if The Gunners remain in 7th place, things are looking far rosier than they did only a couple of months ago.
Robin van Persie’s outrageous form has led to the cynics describing Arsenal as a one-man team; an understandable if inaccurate conclusion considering how much he brings to the table. As the man himself has said, his goal record would not be nearly as impressive were it not for the likes of Gervinho and, in particular, Theo Walcott. The 22-year-old has so often been on the end of criticism; with pundits and sceptical fans alike pointing to his erratic decision making in the final third and lack of a genuine ‘football brain.’
He still flatters to deceive for his country, but Walcott has enjoyed a quietly consistent start to the season. His final ball has improved ten-fold; the delivery from wide is now accurate and penetrative. There is a definite aura of confidence about Walcott this year; even the negative kind in which he has barracked teammates and officials for wrong decisions. Although he must be wary of crossing the line into petulance, this new attitude is indicative of how he is grown; a far cry from the shy teenager who emerged onto the scene in 2006, and I for one welcome this more vocal version.
Elsewhere in the side, Thomas Vermaelen has returned and made telling contributions at both ends, as Gooners have come to expect from the Belgian International. In a nutshell, Arsenal are simply a much better team with Vermaelen in the side, and everyone will be hoping he can enjoy a sustained period of fitness. To his left on the pitch, Andre Santos has come on leaps and bounds after a shaky start and has established himself as first-choice and a genuine upgrade on the departed Gael Clichy. Alex Song is another contender for this month’s award with a serious of colossal performances in the middle of the park, particularly against Borussia Dortmund where he showed exquisite footwork to supply van Persie for a crucial goal. There were obviously many other factors, but it was no coincidence that Song was missing during Arsenal’s fragile period that included the infamous Old Trafford debacle.
Unsurprisingly, however, the skipper is the winner, for the second consecutive month. I am seriously running out of superlatives for Robin van Persie. It’s a struggle to say something that hasn’t already been said a hundred times. He is a truly world class player with an abundance of natural ability. His goalscoring record speaks for itself; unmatched by anybody in the country. Perhaps one aspect that came to light in November was the sheer variety of weapons in his arsenal. We all know how gifted he is with his left-foot, but van Persie has also scored headers and deft chips with his right-foot. His competence on his right side borders on ambidexterity, which can be said of only a handful of players.
As I said earlier, we are not a one-man team, that’s a childish accusation, but there is no denying we are over-reliant on Robin, in that I don’t know where the goals are going to come from should he go missing with Chamakh out of sorts and Gervinho having lost his shooting boots. I guess for now we should just enjoy watching a player at the very top of his game. For all we know, he might not be here this time next year.
October: Robin van Persie
September: Mikel Arteta
August: Wojciech Szczesny
Follow me on Twitter for more insightful musings.
Permalink | Comments (0)
| TrackBacks (0)
Posted by Young'un in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas, Premiership | 31 October 2011
After a sticky start to the campaign, Arsenal have finally found some form and momentum which saw them soar above European heavyweights Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers into the echelons of 7th place, and more importantly, a mere three points off an automatic Champions League spot; not bad for a side languishing just above the relegation zone at the start of the month. The emphatic victory in a Premier League classic at Stamford Bridge confirmed a resurgence that has been threatening to occur for a few weeks now.
Despite stringing together a few victories, for the third month running there are minimal contenders for this award, with consistency being the key amongst the majority of the squad. After flirting with the treatment table at the end of September, Laurent Koscielny made a swift transition back into the side and turned a handful of impressive displays, including a man-of-the-match performance in Marseille.
Aaron Ramsey also made his most significant contribution in France with a last-gasp winner but has gradually become a more influential figure in the Gunners’ starting eleven. A beautiful clipped through ball to set up Gervinho against Stoke, a goal in the disappointing North London derby and an excellent performance against Chelsea have established the Welshman as a worthy contender for this month’s award.
Previous winners Wojciech Szczesny and Mikel Arteta continue to impress without performing any particular heroics as does Andrey Arshavin who has provided moments of inspiration between doing sweet FA elsewhere on the pitch.
But the choice this month was made easy as pie thanks to a certain Dutchman’s continual willingness to pull out his shovel and dig his teammates out of mediocrity. If there was any doubt, Captain Fantastic himself, Mr Robin van Persie wins my highly prestigious vote at a canter.
There were times last season where many members of the Arsenal team essentially threw in the towel and looked to Cesc Fabregas as if to say, “come on then skip, get us out of this hole.” More often than not, he did, and following his departure I admit to being, shall we say sceptical, about our ability to cope when the going gets tough. Much to Gooners’ delight, van Persie has realised that he is our sole world class player and has stepped up to become an absolute talisman; a player we genuinely cannot do without.
Even amidst the darkness of the early days of the season, van Persie’s movement in and around the box provided a little respite for his misfiring teammates. His supreme skill allows him to emerge from the shackles of defenders and provide his next bit of magic; be that a blistering attempt on goal or a Dennis Bergkamp-esque through ball.
If there was ever a moment that epitomised the glaring similarities between the Arsenal skipper and the former Dutch legend, it came against Sunderland when van Persie exquisitely rolled his man before executing an outrageous chip, with only the width of the post denying him a truly wonderful goal.
He hit the back of the net on more than enough occasions. After reaching the 100 goal mark last month, and therefore firmly placing him alongside the likes of Cliff Bastin, Ian Wright and Thierry Henry in the history books, van Persie grabbed another seven goals of paramount importance. A goal inside 30 seconds at home to Sunderland was cancelled out by former gunner, Seb Larsson, but in typical convincing fashion, the flying Dutchman scored a terrific freekick to win the game.
The following week against Stoke, van Persie was rested on the bench, with Arsene Wenger fully aware of the need to wrap his prized asset in cotton wool and keep him fresh for the many challenges that lie ahead. With the game deadlocked and Marouane Chamakh failing to make sufficient impact, the captain was called from the bench to deliver the goods and that’s exactly what he did, with two trademark ‘fox in the box’ instinctive finishes. An incredible hattrick against rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge proved his supreme quality once and for all, and took his 2011 goal tally to a quite ridiculous 28 in 27 games.
Common opinion seems to be that van Persie’s best position is in ‘the hole,’ just behind another striker. Whilst he is perfectly adept in this deeper role, Arsenal would be sacrificing his predatory ability in the box where he scores so many important goals. The manager has addressed this demand from those outside the club and effectively dismissed it as stupidity.
Injury has often hampered his reputation if not completely his contribution: when available he always performs for The Gunners. With a run of more than three consecutive games under his belt, Robin van Persie is finally getting the recognition he deserves, as the best centre forward in the country.
September: Mikel Arteta
August: Wojciech Szczesny
Follow me on Twitter for more insightful musings.
Permalink | Comments (0)
| TrackBacks (0)
Posted by Young'un in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Premiership | 30 September 2011
First off, I must stress how fortunate you are to be reading this; that I have taken time out of my busy schedule, that consists of playing FIFA 12 and that’s about it, to bring you my Player of the Month article for September. As suspected I suppose, we all experienced yet another mixed bag of a month at the Emirates; some horror moments, some pleasing inspiration and a rollercoaster of emotions throughout.
Even if top gear has yet to be found (it’s on Dave, 24/7, Arsene), September was certainly an improvement on the painfully bad opening month of the 11/12 campaign. A nervy win over Swansea was important for a little bit of confidence but it was far from the convincing Arsenal of yesteryear. An embarrassing defensive capitulation at Blackburn overshadowed what was at that point by far the best attacking performance of the season: it did generate three goals lest we forget. Not that I’m excusing the schoolboy errors committed time and again at the back, but there were positives to be taken.
After a rotten first half an hour in the League Cup, The Gunners’ second string came out fighting and the likes of Francis Coquelin made a strong impression, albeit against League Two minnows. A somewhat emphatic win against Bolton at Emirates Stadium provided some respite and a very complete Arsenal performance put smiles on the faces of the Gooner clan.
In Europe, The Gunners have collected more points than the seemingly imperious Manchester clubs put together, which is an achievement in its own right and have looked sound without setting the world alight: an excellent defensive performance, seldom witnessed these days, in Dortmund proved to be of little relevance, after a late wonder-strike courtesy of Ivan Perisic. On home soil, Arsenal started the game against Olympiakos in electrifying fashion; scoring two in twenty minutes, but the same old defensive frailties appeared at, you guessed it, set-pieces. A new zonal marking system has been implemented and somehow we seem to be even worse at defending corners and freekicks than we were last season. Perhaps it needs to be given time? We shall see.
Anyway, onto this month’s contenders: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has had fans on the edge of their seats, even after just two starts, with a couple of well-taken goals and dangerous all-round ability. Whilst Theo Walcott is still a real asset to the side, it has been universally recognised that the Ox is a more complete footballer; stronger, trickier, more consistent in his end product and not as glaringly reliant on pace as his fellow former-Saints trainee. At just 18 years of age, there’s plenty more to come from the promising midfielder.
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s Cameroonian namesake has also impressed this month, save for an own goal at Ewood Park that was either slack or unfortunate, depending on your vantage point. Song’s presence was missed early on due to a three-match suspension for stamping on Joey Barton. I’d give him a medal rather than a ban but the FA know best, don’t they? It was perhaps little coincidence that Song was missing during the mauling in Manchester amongst other disappointing performances. Emmanuel Frimpong’s enthusiasm and tenacity is admirable but he blatantly lacks Song’s positional sense and genuine protection of the fragile back four behind him. That will come with age but we have seen proof, if it were needed, that Frimpong is still some way behind the 24-year-old in the pecking order. Excellent displays in midfield against Borussia Dortmund and Bolton, and an equally adept performance at centre-half against Olympiakos, have made Song a real candidate for this month’s award.
The runner-up this month is Captain Fantastic himself, Robin van Persie. So often in the past, Arsenal’s talismanic striker has missed the start of the campaign through injury so we are making sure to savour every moment he is on the pitch, and every goal he scores, of which there have been aplenty. The Dutchman’s first-half strike in Germany would have secured three crucial Champions League points but for Perisic’s aforementioned equaliser. A virtuoso display against Bolton Wanderers saw van Persie strike twice; the first a demonstration of his power, thumping the ball past a helpless Jussi Jaaskelainen, the second a demonstration of his more subtle technical ability, as he ghosted into the box and deftly flicked out a boot to prod home from close-range. Even when he failed to get on the scoresheet against Swansea and Blackburn, the Arsenal skipper was always threatening with his movement in and around the box. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: following Fabregas’ departure, van Persie is the only truly world class player we have left; one of only a handful in world football capable of creating half a yard for himself from absolutely nothing and producing something majestic. If Arsenal are to have any success this season, you can bet your bottom dollar that van Persie will be at the hub of it.
This month’s winner, however, is one of the many deadline day recruits acquired a month ago. Step forward, Mikel Arteta. The general consensus amongst Gooners following his signing was that he was a very good technical player. No Fabregas of course, but a decent enough Diet Cesc version. It’s not possible for the Spaniard to live up to the lofty heights set by his compatriot, but this month, Arteta has put in complete performances that smack of Fabregas in his prime.
More often than not, the former Everton man has been deployed as one of the two deeper central midfielders, allowing Aaron Ramsey to drive at defences further up the pitch, but the beauty of the system deployed by Arsene Wenger means the three midfielders are interchangeable; equally adept at sitting and holding as they are making an attacking threat in and around the box.
Arteta has performed the art of spraying passes from deep to perfection; very much like another ex-Merseyside-based Spaniard, Xabi Alonso. I consider it no coincidence that since the 29-year-old’s arrival, Arsenal have been more penetrative in the final third and have scored a plethora of goals; 13 in September compared to just five in August. He scored a fine first goal for the club at Ewood Park, placing the ball into the roof of the net after a trademark Gunners move. There is no doubt the midfielder’s presence has contributed to the restoration of the flowing football synonymous with The Arsenal, that was so desperately missing in the opening games.
That’s not to say Arteta just brings a bit more attacking impetus to the team. As I mentioned earlier, he is similar to Fabregas in that his all-round contribution is second to none: nobody works harder for the team. He has put his body on the line on numerous occasions despite only appearing five times for the club; most notably a vital defensive header in Dortmund (he was clattered in the head and seeping blood, always a telling sign of a man’s commitment) and a crucial block on the line against Olympiakos. His bravery in all areas of the pitch is something Arsenal have perhaps been missing; the perception from fans, perhaps not unjustifiably so, is often that the players are more interested in collecting their hefty pay packet than they are willing to hurt themselves for the cause. Evidently, Arteta is motivated by success on the pitch.
He won’t notch up 20 goals and 20 assists like Fabregas did. He won’t create a moment of pure genius time and again in deadlocked matches either, but Mikel Arteta is an excellent player to have on board, who brings vast technical qualities, commitment, leadership, and Premier League experience. I for one am delighted to have him wearing the famous red and white and look forward to more top quality performances from him.
August: Wojciech Szczesny
Follow me on Twitter for more insightful musings.
Permalink | Comments (0)
| TrackBacks (0)
Posted by Young'un in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Cesc Fabregas, Premiership | 16 September 2011
Many gooners would be more than happy to put a pretty disastrous August behind them. I know I am. Following the arrival of five new recruits in the latter stages of the transfer window, there is an air of freshness about the squad and the season; even Arsene Wenger himself labelled last weekend's match against Swansea as the real start to the campaign.
Arsenal are a completely different outfit to the one that was playing Sunderland this time 12 months ago. Players both fundamentally key, and, well the not so key, have been and gone including talismanic skipper Cesc Fabregas, leaving a gaping hole in the side. As a result, the club have had to undergo something of a makeover in order to compensate for the absence of a truly world class player. Plenty of additions have been made, and whilst our transfer dealings have certainly had a detrimental effect in more ways than one, there are plenty of positives. Even if the current crop lack the ridiculous natural talent that was evident in abundance amongst the class of 2010, we now possibly have a more rounded squad, aimed at ironing out our blatant flaws, culminating in the ability to adapt to different conditions.
Gervinho has added direction and width, Mertesacker height and leadership, Park industry, Benayoun Premier League experience and Arteta set-piece expertise. In short, the players that came in were not the result of a media-hyped 'trolley dash' but were instead calculated deals that improve the squad as a whole. Admittedly we now how fewer players who can create something from nothing, but instead have a range of different skills and assets to pick and choose from depending on the opposition.
I expect that to be the case against Blackburn, particularly in midfield, as Arsene Wenger collects the paper bag and ponders whether to select sherbet lemons, jelly babies or cola bottles from the Pick 'n' Mix stand. Or in human form: Yossi Benayoun, Aaron Ramsey or Emmanuel Frimpong (assuming Alex Song and Mikel Arteta are occupying the other two central spots). Three completely different players to consider: Benayoun's guile, Ramsey's box-to-box adventurous style or Frimpong's terrior-like enthusiasm. Considering the opposition, I personally would go for the latter, who's incredible physique will be well utilised against a notoriously physical Rovers side. Away from home, it may be wise to have two holding midfielders to tighten up the defence.
As I say, this flexibility we now have is an asset we shouldn't underestimate. The cultured likes of Benayoun may be better suited to the Champions League, but perhaps not so much at Ewood Park where the game is likely to be cagey. Often in these types of games, our opponents tire late on, and that's when we can call the Israeli from the bench to open them up with incisive passing.
Elsewhere on the pitch, in similar fashion, Andre Santos' physical presence may be ideal for a game like this but the slighter frame of Gibbs is more accustomed to the English game and it may be too much of a risk to throw another newbie into the mix. If he wasn't horribly out of sorts, Marouane Chamakh may have been given a go in order to offer us an alternative outlet in the air, but even if he was in the form of his life, the opportunity cost is the genius of Robin van Persie, who lest we forget has a terrific record against Blackburn. The Moroccan will have to make do with another appearance on the bench.
We will find out just how capable this squad is soon enough but shortcomings look to be being addressed and when push comes to shove in the Spring months, where Arsenal always seem to falter, having a wider range of options may just be the difference between success and another season of dreary disappointment.
Follow me on Twitter for more insightful musings.
Permalink | Comments (0)
| TrackBacks (0)
Posted by Young'un in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger | 1 September 2011
There’s never a dull month at Arsenal Football Club. The attractive style of football synonymous with The Gunners didn’t come to fruition on the pitch in August and instead the players, and Arsene Wenger, seemed to carry extra weight on their shoulders, following a tiresome summer that saw Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri amongst others depart Emirates Stadium and few established arrivals, until the deadline day madness of course. Poor performances and results against Liverpool and Manchester United dampened the mood further and it’s rare to struggle to pick one outstanding individual, particularly with a total of 22 players featuring as injuries, sales and suspensions took their toll on Arsenal’s paper thin squad.
Amongst the limited contenders this month is Theo Walcott who ended the first month of the campaign with a respectable three goals; crucial strikes in the Champions League tie with Udinese and a consolation against Manchester United at Old Trafford. His improving ability to pop up with important goals will be invaluable for the coming season but more consistency is still needed with his final balls into the box, and his finishing which still can be as wretched as it can exceptional.
Thomas Vermaelen also put in some commendable performances, demonstrating just how much Arsenal missed him last season. The fact eight goals were conceded without him at the back is no coincidence and his presence will be vital in the coming months. A reckless tackle ended Emmanuel Frimpong’s impressive league debut against Liverpool, a game in which he won rave reviews for his tenacity. The midfielder is perhaps a little too naïve and inexperienced for the present, but one for the future certainly.
There can only be one winner, however, and the man who gets my vote is the Pole between the sticks, Wojciech Szczesny. The 21-year-old emphatically answered his few critics with a series of excellent displays last month, as he fully established himself as Arsenal’s number one in everything but name. Clean sheets in the club’s two opening games away at Newcastle and at home to Udinese resulted in further praise for the confident keeper; his performance in the latter game was particularly impressive as he ensured the Gunners took their slender advantage to Italy with a series of important saves after the visitors had begun to dominate proceedings at The Emirates.
Another strong display at home to Liverpool was overshadowed by Frimpong’s red card and the subsequent goals conceded; an unfortunate own goal by Ramsey and Suarez’s tap-in; neither of which were Szczesny’s fault in any way, shape or form. But perhaps the defining moment came in Udine for the second leg of the Champions League play-off. With the score at 1-1, the hosts were awarded a soft penalty. The big Pole soared to his right and dramatically tipped Di Natale’s spot-kick over the crossbar in stupendous fashion. Its aesthetic beauty drew much debate amongst fans as to whether they had seen a better penalty save. Szczesny, if he wasn’t already, had become fully accepted by the Gooner community.
The final game of the month saw Manchester United put eight past a hapless Arsenal side. The less said of that the better, but once again, the finger of blame could hardly be pointed at the Polish International who was beaten by Rooney freekicks and Young curlers amongst others. There is only so much a man can do against quality opposition and with the painfully inexperienced Jenkinson and woefully bad Traore in front of him. If anything Szczesny saved Arsenal from the further humiliation of a double-figured scoreline.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call the keeper the only leading light in a disappointing month for the club, and fans will be hoping that Szczesny can replicate his form throughout the season.
Follow me on Twitter for more insightful musings.
Permalink | Comments (2)
| TrackBacks (0)
