Stoking The Fires Ahead Of The Weekend.

With the clash between Manchester United and Chelsea taking place on Sunday, attention is turning toward the visit of Stoke City. Walking wounded are gradually returning to fitness, although the one everyone wants to be fit – Thomas Vermaelen – is not one of them.

Following on from the United defeat – I’m not revisiting it as everyone has by now studied their navels so much that they know the exact colour and texture of their lint – came a reminder that the silly season is soon to be upon us.

The first trio of departures are announced, Manuel Almunia, Emmanuel Eboue (£5m to AS Roma as he hasn’t signed a new contract) with Gael Clichy going to the Bernabeu in exchange for Karim Benzema. How nice, especially the last one as apparently Real will get the deal done on their terms if Arsene decides Clichy is ‘expendable’. Marvellous. It seems that the media has not learned anything from last summer’s fiasco.

Samir Nasri has continued his spat with William Gallas. Oh, who cares? Still, if he can be that truthful with a former colleague then perhaps he could be equally so with himself and current squad members.

Abou Diaby is apparently in line for a return this weekend, bolstering a midfield that was under-par on Monday night. His fitness record is such that a similarly gentle return as the one given Robin van Persie is surely in order. Anything quicker and he is likely to be in and out of the side with niggles and strains.

I doubt that Diaby will start though. Changes will undoubtedly be made with Johan Djourou likely to come into the centre of defence to combat the long ball game that will be encountered this weekend. Arsenal’s medical team will have a vast array of ibuprofen and paracetamol for the ball at half-time.

Stoke believe that they can win as other teams ‘like them’ have won at The Emirates this season. Well, actually West Brom and Tottenham at least played football. Newcastle, yes, they are no better than Stoke and managed to win. To be honest, if defeat is suffered this weekend it would require a Herculean effort to win the title this season. It would truly be a nadir.

Ryan Shawcross has shown the tender side of his nature, concern over his reception at The Emirates this weekend has led to extra security being put in place to protect the poor, misunderstood lamb from us nasty Arsenal supporters. Having seen a Stoke City supporter repeatedly kick his own head on national television this week – freakishly double-jointed before you ask – I would suggest he has more to fear from those who inhabit the Britannia than anything else.

’til Tomorrow.

Arsenal Need To Go Back To Basics

Samir Nasri kept his chin up following the defeat by Manchester United, aided no doubt by his recent personal award. His comments about the style of play have echoes of media criticism,

We need to put our suits of lights away in the cupboard at times. We have to get down to working hard for the good of the team. I do not see any problem with us not playing in as flamboyant style, as long as the team wins.

Essentially, Nasri wants to be James Brown but is looking at the moment for the team to be more REO Speedwagon. There is little point in having all of the moves if the ‘boring basics’ are not in place. It is reminiscent of the 1997/98 season, immediately after the nadir of the Blackburn home defeat, coincidentally also on December 13th.

In that season, the two immediate games were unconvincing. A win over Leicester was expected with a draw at White Hart Lane completing a miserable end to 1997. What followed was an Arsenal side concentrating on their jobs.

From January 31st 1998 to the title winning game over Everton on 3rd May, only two goals were conceded, six of the fourteen games were wins by a single goal. They were not boring performances, a solidity in defence which allowed the midfield and attack to crush opponents. The scorelines did not reflect the dominance of Arsenal in those games. It is this mentality which needs to become prevalent in the current squad.

That run over a decade ago was as a direct result of home truths being spoken by the players – Wenger was excluded from the team meeting – amongst themselves. A similar scenario would not go amiss right at this moment in time.

Equally, the statistics for passing from the United game were not of the standard one expects. The pitch influenced that but the players are technically proficient and more than capable of adapting. If they are not, something is seriously wrong.

It is apparent that Nasri believes there has been an element of coasting. Whilst he does not say it, I doubt he is excluding himself from that observation. The forwards need to realise that defending starts with them. Pressurising opponents into quick distribution is the fastest way for Arsenal to regain possession.

There is a dip in confidence though. That is manifesting itself in an unwillingness to take the first opportunity to shoot on goal. Whilst there are occasions when a colleague is better placed – making the pass preferable – that is becoming too prevalent, reminiscent of the campaigns of yesteryear and a problem which seemed to be disappearing from Arsenal’s game.

Wenger publicly protects his players and that is good for fostering belief in the manager, enabling him to develop and nuture players. However, harsh words must be said in private. Arsene has hinted that this is the case in the past, observing that he is his own biggest critic. The players need to listen as well.

If Monday night is really the wake-up call that it should be, all will be well and good. With injured players beginning to return, competition for places starts to put pressure on all personnel. It would be no surprise if three or four changes are made for Saturday, for no other reason than to shake the squad up.

The reaction this weekend is crucial. United and Chelsea clash, a win for Arsenal sends them back to the top even if only temporarily. A convincing win suggests that recent slumbers at home have been shaken from the system. A lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. Talking on the pitch is the only way to shake criticism off and that is the only talking necessary.

’til Tomorrow.

Arsenal Fail To Deliver & Get Nothing As A Result

Manchester United 1 – 0 Arsenal

1 – 0 Park (41)

A familiar feeling this morning. Arsenal travelled home from Old Trafford with nothing to show for their efforts, a single goal defeat ending their brief reign at the top. Whilst they were not outclassed, Arsenal cannot really feel aggrieved at losing. Rarely over-run; rarely threatening. It was a performance which never threatened a goal and United will be happy with the points but also with the manner of victory, containing Arsenal with relative ease.

Quite simply, this match was there for the taking and the Arsenal players never rose to the occasion. Not that they were overawed, more that the level of intensity that was expected never materialised. Too many gave comfortable performances, few took the step further.

Before kick-off, Manchester United were expected to swamp midfield with numbers, a successful tactic from recent encounters and they duly delivered. Either by design or default, it led to a higher number of long ‘passes’ towards the centre of the Arsenal defence.

Overall, the formation and tactics were not pretty but for United they were effective. Defensively, the quality of clearances from the visitors was poor. Too many lacked power and direction, sometimes both; too many ended up ceding possession cheaply.

Arsene chose to highlight the quality of the pitch as a factor in the defeat. Nothing more than a diversionary comment from the manager, seeking to deflect attention from his own team’s shortcomings. Technically proficient players such as those in his squad, will be able to overcome any surface conditions.

Wenger credited United for defending well but in truth their back five had little to do. That state of affairs arose because of the poor quality of Arsenal’s attacking play combined with United snuffling out chances (with relative ease, it must be said) and some appalling officiating.

Humourous comments beforehand about Howard Webb’s allegiances have a hollow ring this morning, certain United players will be thankful for the laxity of his standards. How Bacary Sagna’s shirt being shredded was not as the result of dangerous and reckless play, only Webb knows.

The first half was largely forgettable. Wojciech Szczesney dealt with an early Rooney effort comfortably, as he did with an Anderson free kick. The young Pole had an impressive night. Unable to stop Park’s header, he dealt confidently with everything else United threw at him. The only concern was his distribution which perhaps betrayed his nerves, not that his defenders helped him in this aspect by some appalling back passes.

With half an hour passed, United had a penalty appeal turned down, one that was a clearer offence than that apparently committed by Gael Clichy later on. Marouane Chamakh in meeting a cross, allowed the ball to strike his hand, something over which he had more control than the full back. The actual penalty was baffling and yet unsurprising.

Clichy’s arm was supporting his body weight as the ball bounced off it, hardly stopping any United pressure as the cross was not powerful enough to have gone into the Arsenal area. But the pressure of the Stretford End was too much for the Assistant Referee to bear and he signalled the spot kick to be given. Howard Webb did not need much encouragement. Rooney blew his chance spectacularly, his Waddle-sque kick matched only by the bizarre waddle of his run-up.

The game’s only goal came as the interval approached. United pressed and the defence failed to clear the initial danger adequately. Regrouping and attacking once more, Nani delivered a cross which ended in the net through a mixture of luck and good technique. Park shifted his position and body weight to cushion the header and at least direct it goalwards.

Luck entered the equation as it looped over Szczesny and into the net, close to the post. Some believe the young Pole may have done better but even being closer to his goalline would have made a save extremely difficult, such was the ball’s proximity to post as it entered the net.

The second half saw Arsenal begin with more attacking energy. Rosicky’s cross shot went wide whilst Nasri saw his effort saved by van der Sar at the near post. Not a major threat from either but more than Arsenal had managed in the first half.

United were not without menace themselves; Song headed over the Arsenal bar whilst Rooney was once more denied the Arsenal’s young goalkeeper. Arsenal’s best effort though came when Nasri’s shot was parried by van der Sar, Chamakh failed to get any lift on his rebound, allowing Vidic to slide in and prevent an equaliser.

Overall, it was a performance which gave nothing and received the same. Is there a mental block on the players or manager in these encounters? Fabregas, van Persie and Walcott were unable to influence the outcome, the former pair returning from injury and not at their best. Theo at least provided width, something that had failed miserably to happen with an out-of-sorts Arshavin, Rosicky and Nasri. That trio worked well at Villa Park but it was obvious that it was not effective last night. Perhaps Arsene should have taken an earlier grip and switched them positionally to garner more attacking bite?

First place can be recovered this coming weekend with a home win over Stoke and may not be temporary either, United’s bluster about being able to beat both Arsenal and Chelsea may turn out to be just that unless they improve significantly in their next game. As it is, Arsenal must look inwards and define the qualities lacking last night, the solutions necessary if title-winning consistency is to be developed.

’til Tomorrow.

A Good Signpost But Not A Title Decider

Carlo Ancelotti may have been singing “I’m a Lumberjack” having created a log-jam at the top of the Premier League but Roman Abramovich joining in with the chorus is merely him sharpening his axe in the background. Chelsea’s failure to win at White Hart Lane has presented an opportunity for Arsenal to take a small step away from the pack. The small matter of having to win at Old Trafford for the first time since September 2006. Tonight’s result may not be important in isolation but over the course of the season, the points contribute to the total.

December 13th was a pivotal date in Wenger’s first double season, the home defeat to Blackburn the last time a loss was suffered in the League until the title had been won. Victory this evening could be a similar spur; it would be a strong signal to those who doubt Arsenal’s ability to stay in the title race. Yet a draw is a good point as well, a step up from last season. With the inconsistency of the top four evident – some might say it is improving standards elsewhere, I believe Chelsea and United are noticeably weaker this season – a strong stride away from the pack for six to eight games might be enough to create an irretrievable gap, especially with Chelsea being played in the spell before the end of January.

That is, however, to get ahead of ourselves.

As ever, United’s home record is formidable, seven wins and a draw out of eight. Arsenal go there though having the joint best record away from home in the Premier League. Both of these are the reasons why the two are vying for top spot; their respective away and home records are not the stuff of champions at present.

It wouldn’t however be Arsenal if there was not some injury rumpus before a big game. Cesc will be left to the last minute before a decision is made over his fitness although in these cases, I always think Arsene’s decision is already made and the starting XI picked. A pity if the Spaniard does not play as it would be a chance to ram the ludicrous comparison recently made between Anderson and Fabregas, the United player is apparently better based on a half-decent season. But what of Cesc since the age of sixteen, you say. Insignificant apparently. That and no domestic honours for Fabregas. Curious to ignore international honours but presumably it did not fit the scope of the argument. Or the fragile conclusion it came to. Still, we will leave it Samir Nasri to show Anderson what an in-form midfielder really is.

The fly in the ointment for Wenger is an apparent leg injury to Lukasz Fabianski which means Szczesny is being lined up for a Premier League start. Could it be that the younger of the two Poles will take this chance and usurp the elder with a sterling performance? Manuel Almunia presumably is nowhere near fitness otherwise he would be surely considered ahead of Szczesny, based on Wenger’s comments that his non-representing agent should be ignored when talking of a January move away from Arsenal.

Crucial to success is for Arsenal not to be inhibited in their play this evening. The victory in 2006 came as a result of a dominating performance, the midfield took control from the kick-off and three thoroughly deserved points were garnered with a late winner. A performance which is similarly assertive is required, much the same as that as produced at Villa Park, albeit with more defensive concern. Wenger has for the first time this season, a full strength forward line to choose from. van Persie looked sharp in his link-up play against Partizan and would be my choice to play in the ‘hole’ in a 4-4-1-1 this evening, with Marouane Chamakh the sole striker.

It would mean no place in the starting line-up for Andrey Arshavin, a state of affairs which would be of no surprise but perhaps unlikely. The quartet in midfield – presuming Cesc is not fit to start – would be Song, Denilson, Nasri and Wilshere in that event. I expect United to drop Rooney deeper tonight in a similar formation to Arsenal, looking to swamp the visitors in possession with runners supporting Berbatov. The Arsenal defence needs be wary of pushing forward too frequently, leaving the central pairing exposed as has happened in the past.

Tonight’s line-up I suspect will be:

Fabianski; Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy; Nasri, Song, Denilson, Wilshere; van Persie; Chamakh

Belief is key to victory this evening. The shackles of playing at The Emirates will not keep the midfield in chains nor will it hold them back as can be the case. United should not be underestimated, Ferguson warned of Arsenal’s maturity and aggression putting them on the verge of being considered in the same breath as their predecessors. A good chance to prove him right presents itself. Believe and it will be taken.

Enjoy the match wherever you are watching it. ’til Tomorrow.

Back To The Future With Fires Being Stoked

It has been a rewind to the days of yore recently, Monday’s visit to Old Trafford bringing a palingenisis of dimissive vitriol between the two clubs. I say the two clubs but in truth the two managers have a cordial relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson requesting a cessation of the vile chanting against Arsene that has blighted the match.

Gunnerblog disassembled the imagined and ludicrous arguments that the chants emanating from the home support were not as bad as others, a childish defence of inexcusable behaviour shown excellently for what it was.

Patrice Evra deserves a pat on the back though for continuing his one-man crusade at keeping the needle alive, following up his ‘men against boys‘ by deriding Arsenal, dismissing their threat. That he continues to do so suggests several things. Firstly, Arsenal are a threat and he knows it. United are fifteen games undefeated into this season’s Premier League yet third in the table. To have not yet suffered a defeat at this stage and looking at their fixutre list, they would have expected to have been nine or more points clear by now.

Instead United are six points worse off from corresponding fixtures last season (swapping promoted / relegated teams) compared to Arsenal being one point worse off from one game more. If you take out promoted / relegated teams, United are only four points down whereas Arsenal are five up. A signal of the improved performance measured against a decline.

But such things are irrelevant in the league table, merely underlining how much of a worried man Evra is; better to deflect attention away from your own shortcomings by highlighting those of your opponent. Not that his comments are inaccurate, a point that the squad and manager agree with at other stages of the season. The only way to disprove them is to win silverware. Arsene largely ignored them, preferring to highlight the media benefits from them.

Years ago, similar comments were made before the 1989 title decider at Anfield. George Graham taped them to the dressing room wall before the match, seeking inspiration from ill-advised words. Arsene could do worse than follow suit although he thinks that snoods might be the solution as they seem to cure any other Pain In The Neck. What Larks.

Media focus is on Arsenal’s appparent psychological block in clashes with their closest rivals. Cup-ties and an appalling recent run of results against Chelsea has skewed the statistics. Two wins, two draws and three defeats in the last seven Premier League encounters between the two sides merely serve to highlight how close these fixtures are. Cup matches have a different mentality, requiring an alternative approach to matches, the winner takes all outcome is not replicated in the League.

Still, Arsenal will no doubt bouyed by the game being on the 13th of December rather than the 11th, every defeat on this day through the years has seen Arsenal concede four goals. Yikes.

And on that happy note, we’ll end today. ’til Tomorrow.

Stone Cold Friday: Unite & Win. Divide & Fall – The Sequel

“Choose your next wittisism wisely, Mr. Bond, it may be your last.” Here’s Darius’ latest letter to the unconverted. Or unconvinced, I’m never quite sure which is most appropriate.

The name is Bond. Darius Bond…

As the resident analyst and spook working for the ‘Anti-Football’ espionage establishment; I hereby file my annual report having been commissioned to carry out a destructive interference programme on Arsenal. For the uninitiated, the establishment runs a dubious committee set up to oversee the capitulation of Arsenal.

The committee sits late every Friday night guided by the silhouette of a hangman and his noose perched above their heads.

To: The Dubious Black-ops Committee Of The Anti-Football Establishment

Since my last report in December last year, we have continued to make great strides with our Arsenal destruction program. Our biggest interference activity was during the summer as we implemented Operation ‘Broke-back Barca’. We may not have succeeded this time, but we managed to recruit the useful idiots in the Spanish and English media that were desperate for anything sensational.

Our inside sources have confirmed to us that they are ready next summer to continue with the subversion to lure the Arsenal captain back to the homeland. We can also continue to count on the stupidity of some of the ‘Broke-back’ players who are desperate to get in front of any camera given the right sort of nudge.

Our continued campaign to spread poison and conspiracy theories about how the team has a “soft and milky” under-belly and how they lack substance is well on target. As you know, achieving this hasn’t been easy – and we have spent considerable resources over the last 5 years ‘encouraging’ media hacks and pundits to spread the misguided narrative that Arsenal will never cut it.

We have also uncannily recruited more moles to pose as influential Arsenal bloggers to pump home our Anti-Arsenal message from within the ranks. It was paramount that we attacked the very strong ground and foundations that the club has invested in – it was critical that no focus was directed towards the hapless plight of rival clubs in the north of England who are buried in unmanageable debt.

This remains an arduous task, especially when the more level headed voices of reason within the Arsenal community actually get their message across that the club is doing very well under the circumstances. Our strategy has to be that of attacking their fickle, spineless, weak glory hunting fans.

This undoubtedly is a small vocal minority, but combined with our allies in the media and pundit circles, we continue to plough the message of how the team is crap. We have actually succeeded in making everyone believe that Arsenal has the worst defence of the top flight teams. It doesn’t matter that this isn’t factual, the idea is to grab something, and run with it.

Look at their home form for example. The team are actually scared of playing at home, a clear indicator that our strategy is bearing fruit. All the ‘useful idiots’ we’ve planted in the crowd have developed the fine art of moaning and bitching, and they have believed the narrative to the point where they don’t even know how to support any more.

Another area of slow progress in our interference strategy is the continued attack on their goal keeping situation. We were doing well up until they installed a Polish chap as their number one. Truth be told, we’re having difficulty with this one. The Arsenal keeper is actually the most in-form keeper in the Premier league as I write this report, but luckily, their fans are to fickle to even bother looking at the ‘Lazarian-esque’ resurrection that this young man has had in goal.

They have been brainwashed so much in believing that they only have useless keepers, and we have to focus on this angle to keep the masses believing and talking about this, especially with the transfer window coming up in a couple of weeks.

We must continue to encourage this group of fair-weather plastic fans to unleash the customary venomous tirade as they spit fire and brimstone on the internet and airwaves. The voices of reason of the realistic and level minded supporters will soon be drowned out if we maintain the current pace of interference.

The main concern however is the momentum that the team continues to build. So far, we have been successful with our mission for the simple reason that majority of the Arsenal fans focusing on the moaning and complaining have failed to see how far this team has got. Our worst nightmare is that the supporters as a collective actually get behind the team and support them through thick and thin.

We must make them believe that being top of the table is simply a fluke conspired into reality by the weather. We must make them think that being in 4 competitions with a chance of winning each of them by this time of the season shows a team that is desperate of winning anything even the tin cup.

We must spread the message that the tin cup is only for the losers who can’t hack the ‘grown-up’ tournaments, despite the fact that Chelsea and Man United have always fielded their strongest teams to win this competition.

We must insist that the only reason that Arsenal are doing well as compared to other title rivals is that others are going through a ‘blip’ while Arsenal is just not good enough when they show any signs of weakness. Our friends in the media continue to effectively spread the message that they are weak and useless, that there is no place for beautiful football in the game as we want it.

In conclusion, let me remind you all of the cost of letting Arsenal succeed in anything. They’re perhaps one of the world’s best run sporting businesses, and their success is a direct counter argument to how the establishment has been doing things for decades now. They threaten to shame the establishment into accepting that there is an alternative way, and they threaten to impose themselves for decades to come as the dominant force in European football.

We cannot let that happen, and our most effective strategy is continuing with this interference program. We must stop their supporters from uniting behind the team at all costs.

’til Tomorrow.

Arsenal Below Par But Through & That Is All That Matters

Champions League Group H
Arsenal 3 – 1 Partizan Belgrade

1 – 0 van Persie (30 pen)
1 – 1 Cleo (52)
2 – 1 Walcott (73)
3 – 1 Nasri (77)

Progression to a Round of Sixteen meeting with Bayern, Schalke, Real Madrid or Barcelona was ensured with victory at The Emirates. True Champions play badly and win is a media mantra continually thrust into the gullet of Arsenal supporters. Except when it is Arsenal fulfilling that criteria, the squad is not good enough to win a competition. The double standards which are regularly applied, are out in dull force this morning.

It was a painful performance. Painful to watch for the most part, enlivened sporadically by glimpses of the passing game kicking into gear. There was nervousness at times, exacerbated by an unsettled crowd. The Emirates was not entertained. Arguably though, that was not the point. Winning at all costs last night to ensure qualification for the eleventh consecutive season, was surely more important that flamboyant and stylish football?

Victory came at a cost. Bacary Sagna will miss both legs of the next round, deservedly receiving a red card for a professional foul, enhanced by the crumpled heap on the floor despite minimal contact. Meanwhile Keiran Gibbs was withdrawn having twisted his ankle turning on the turf. His luckless run with injury continues.

Partizan offered little in attack and overall what was threatened was comfortably dealt with by the midfield and defence. On the two occasions when they did create a real opportunity, Fabianski stood up to them. With Sagna’s dismissal Fabianski parried , denying Petrovic’s free kick, getting sufficient power into his parry to prevent a follow-up header being made. The goal? Cleo found space on the edge of the area, his shot wickedly deflecting over Fabianski off Squillaci’s leg. Had the defender not intervened, the Pole appeared to have the shot covered.

Very little was created prior to van Persie breaking the deadlock. Chamakh headed over but with Partizan comfortable on the backfoot, Arsenal produced little zip or zest. That changed when Song found van Persie in the area. A wriggle and prod took him away from Jovanic, the defender’s interception catching the Arsenal captain, nowhere near the ball. van Persie struck the ball higher than the goalkeeper’s dive, making a mockery of the cod psychology employed beforehand to divert the Dutchman’s concentration.

As Arsenal made hard work of breaching the Serbian defence, the game entered the final quarter at deadlock. Arshavin had produced little and Theo Walcott replaced him; the England winger provided the breakthrough. Sagna raided down the right, his cross deflected to Walcott, who produced a finish to answer his critics.

Within five minutes, Samir Nasri proved that the best player in England is French not Welsh. Alex Song made a forward foray, finding Nasri in the area. The mercurial talent dragged the ball into space, feinting to return the ball to Song but instead drilling the ball into the net. Qualification assured, Spain or Germany the location of a half-term break for the squad.

It was not a great performance but as I mentioned earlier, winning was all that mattered. In the same way that nothing can be read into Manchester United’s lacklustre performance the night before, this Arsenal outing was no indicator of what is to be expected at Old Trafford. The Champions League rarely exudes the same urgency as it’s domestic comparator. We get used to the intensity of domestic football and when the spectacle is not the same, media insistence on using the Premier League as a benchmark brings everyone down.

Arsenal is not going to win every game in style. Some will be ground out. Last night was the third home win in succession; before that two Premier League games had been lost. The inhibitions of the players are not going to disappear overnight from home games. So long as they keep winning them, does the style really matter?

’til Tomorrow.