Christmas Catch Up

So I hope that you have all had a good Christmas and New Year. The kids have discovered Daddy’s competitive edge on the Wii to the extent that they are now practising hard at Wii Sports. The connection problems suffered whilst we are away seem to have been solved although for how long is anyone’s guess.

It has been a mixed holiday period on the pitch. Before the two matches, Arsene would probably have settled for four points. Looking back, I have little doubt that he will be feeling it should have been six but quite easily could have been one. The visit to Villa Park was a match hard to digest. The hosts quite rightly felt that they should have been over the hill and far away before Denilson robbed Reo-Coker and finished coolly. When Diaby gave a tantalising glimpse of his capabilities for the second, an unlikely win seemed possible.

As it was, sloppy defending caused two points to disappear. Having seen Gallas’ tackle several times, there is little doubt that it was a penalty. It seemed a cheap foul to commit; I cannot shake the feeling that he could have stayed on his feet and perhaps had a better angle for the tackle as Agbonlahor made in from the byeline. The problem is that the comfort of your armchair makes such analysis somewhat easier than the heat of the moment. The equaliser though was a very poor goal to concede. Sloppy marking on Davies gave him a “routine” finish. Not much more can be said that will assuage the disappointment of the result but relief that the woodwork prevented a defeat overrode that feeling. Perhaps luck is turning on the pitch?

Portsmouth was hard work. Stringing five across the midfield has long been believed by visiting managers as a route to getting a point or more at The Emirates. Tony Adams men worked hard and had Crouch been a few inches goalside, they might have taken an unlikely point. However, David James served up reminders of why his nickname was “Calamity” some years ago.

Overall, neither match served any notice that form is on a tangible improvement. However, those who were missing indicate that the resolution from the players that Arsene has demanded is more prevalent. Arsenal, it seems, can win ugly or at least not get beaten easily when key players are missing or off-form.

Peter Hill-Wood Speaks

The transfer window has opened with many column inches devoted to Given, Arteta or Arshavin, as well as a few others. The manager has indicated that there will not be “early arrivals” at the club which suggests it might be a long month indeed. There is little doubt that the squad needs strengthening. The departure of Toure was poo-pooed by Lord Peter yet the speculation about the futures of the Ivorian and that of Gallas continues apace in the back pages. It would be something of a surprise to see either, or certainly both, depart this transfer window. To lose both centre backs would deplete the squad and be too much to expect new players to come in without a negative impact on the team.

On the subject of incoming deals, Hill-Wood has been commenting about the possibility of new signings:

we are not going to rush out and spend fortunes on people who won’t help us achieve anything better than where we are at the moment. Arsene has a lot of young, talented players at the club and I think he will probably give a chance to one or two of them

In itself, there is little new in Hill-Wood’s words. They represent a re-affirmation from the Chairman in the squad. More to the point, they repeat the mantra from last summer, give youth a chance. In terms of a half-term report, they would get something along the lines of a B- / C, sitting three points outside of the top four but double digits behind the leaders. The Champions League is progressing nicely with a decent draw in the second round. Yet it could be a lot better. The killer phrase of ‘the potential is there but needs more application‘ would no doubt be scrawled in the headmaster’s comments.

Where Hill-Wood is not so certain is the spending that is needed to take the team to the next level, especially in light of the long-term absences of Fabregas, Rosicky and Walcott:

One has got to look ahead – in the future there is probably not going to be much more money coming in. We have got money, but I am not sure we are going to spend it. We’ve got to continue to run the business in a sensible way

It is a mixed message being sent, seemingly directly contradicting the opinions of Danny Fiszman that money is available. Yet Hill-Wood in some respects is not doing so. All he is effectively saying is that Arsene can spend but (a) will not pay over the odds – perhaps a shot across certain Russian bows – and (b) deals are being negotiated in the background but Arsene is somewhat particular about those whom he signs so no guarantees. What he is not saying is that there is no money for transfers available.

Plymouth Preview

Plymouth pitch up at The Emirates as the increasingly irrelevant FA Cup takes on media importance. That it has been of welcome distraction to the rest of the football family for months matters not one jot to the back pages – now the Premier League is involved it matters.

Did I say the competition was irrelevant? Well, that might be the case if you are top of the Premier League but to Arsenal in fifth place, it represents the best chance of domestic silverware. The Premier League is not out of reach but with four teams required to drop a lot of points between them, it seems harder to believe that particular trophy will return to The Emirates this season. It can be done but the fates must smile kindly on the club, something they have not done so far this season in any great quantity.

Plymouth pitch up, hoping to avoid a repeat of their last visit to Arsenal in the FA Cup. What side they will face is open to some conjecture. There appears little chance that it will be a Carling Cup team with Hoyte and Simpson off on loan. Yet there is a chance for some experimentation of Arsene’s part. Certainly, there is a chance to give Toure some match time, ensuring he is not totally rusty if called upon in the near future. An outing for any other fledgling defenders seems unlikely unless Gibbs is given a chance on the left to rest Clichy.

In midfield I would not expect many changes either. Perhaps Diaby will be retain his place but some more width through Merida on the left with Nasri on the right might work. Denilson is deserving of a rest having played a considerable percentage of the season yet in Fabregas’ absence he is a pivotal member of the team. With a goal and an assist in the last two games, is it worth the risk of not including him?

Up front, I would expect Vela and Bendtner to take on the striking duties with van Persie and Adebayor on the bench. The crucial thing with the match is to win with minimal effort as two physical Premier League encounters await in the coming weeks with the visit of Bolton and the visit to the KC Stadium. Enjoy the match wherever you are watching it.

Back on Monday with a catch-up on the Plymouth game as tomorrow is Mummy YW’s birthday.

’til Then.