Archive for September 2011

Getting better… and luckier

September 28, 2011 Arsenal No comments

I often post about the problems Arsenal have or about their dismal performances but tonight I will restrict my complaints about Arsenal to a quick rampage about Arsenals terrible set piece defending and a few constructive criticisms.

Arsenal, far from their clinical best or even comfort tonight, put in a good performance tonight and importantly made it three wins on the trot which the Arsenal faithful will tell you hasn’t happened for a while. Arsenal weren’t assured in possession and gave the ball away too easily. Arsenal aren’t releasing the ball quick enough on most occasions and when the do it’s to the wrong person. We need to work on out passing triangles, passing at speed and slowing a game down to build a meaningful attack. Getting up the pitch quickly means sod all if nothing comes of it or we don’t even work the keeper. That said I think these are little issues that we can improve on and will fix themselves through hard training or naturally through this new look team gelling completely.

Song was absolutely immense tonight. He was calm and assured in possession. His heading was spot on and he held a line well with the rest if the back four. The fact that he was many people’s MOTM says more about Arsenal’s shakiness at times than his performance but nonetheless his contribution was fantastic. Hopefully we don’t see him at CB for long. He is a class act as a DMF and I’m sure he can teach Frimpong a thing or two. Well done Alex, you played well tonight.

Santos was very impressive tonight, he drifts in field a little bit too much but his defending was sound, his attacking commendable, his goal well taken and his wing play close to excellent. Read more

A touch of class (required?)

September 24, 2011 Arsenal No comments

I want to make a few short points about the game today before I get on with the main element of my post this week.

Firstly I’d like to congratulate Robin Van Persie for scoring 100 goals for Arsenal. He has been a fantastic servant for the club and I, like so many Gooners, sincerely hope that he stays for at Arsenal for a long time yet. Although I admit to being sceptical about this. Not because Arsenal have consistently failed to deliver in the past 6 seasons but because we haven’t kept hold of a club captain for more than 3 seasons since Adams retired and since Vieira left the captaincy seems to have been given to those that Wenger desperately wants to keep so he tries to create a false emotional tie or sense of duty and debt to the club, bar Gallas of course who in my humble opinion was the worst captain Arsenal have ever had and the single most disruptive force of the past few years. There seems to be something about the captains armband at Arsenal that makes the player more desirable to other clubs. But enough of that.

My second point is that I was impressed with Walcott today. Despite some of his horrendous finishing I felt he had a very good game and will hopefully build some form from this if he is not too badly injured. Read more

Total Shambles

September 17, 2011 Arsenal 2 comments

Todays performance at Ewood Park whilst punctuated with some great football was undeniably an utter shambles.

Arsenal have so many problems and a few Elastoplast signings have done nothing to remedy them. Whilst Arteta is a great signing he probably has come a year or two too late to for my liking. Benayoun showed some great movement against Dortmund but he also has joined the club too late.

Arsene Wenger and the board have utterly destroyed any chances this club has of winning trophies this year by their callous and stubborn actions with regards to the clubs transfer policies, management and tactics.

They were far too stubborn over Nasri and should have sold him in June. They let Fabregas’ saga drag on for too long. Regardless of the players feelings they had him contracted for another 4 years so they should have set their price and openly told Cesc and Barca ‘this is the price, pay it by June 30th or call us again at the end of the season in 2012′. If they paid we had a full pre-season to bed in a replacement. If they didn’t then Cesc might have settled back down for a year knowing that Barca didn’t want him as much as they said they did. Read more