Flawed Thinking & Cruyff Praises RvP

The morning before the morning before the night before. Or something like that anyway. The papers are awash with helpful hints about how to beat Barcelona, why Cesc is the Player of the Year, who’s in, who’s out, who they are scared of, why Arsenal won’t win, why they will and where the most aerodynamic toilet rolls can be purchased. Well, if no-one has printed that, they certainly ought to.

Ian’s Wrong

Ian Wright though believes that Arsenal should forget the Champions League and concentrate on domestic glory. Regular readers will know that Ian Wright the pundit is not rated very highly on these pages. For once he has avoided the histrionics which seem to surround his every spoken word.

Wright’s assertion that is wrong is this one,

if they go out this would give them a better chance of winning the League

There is no logic to this. There is absolutely no evidence he can produce which will support such a claim. Equally, there is none to disprove it.

This time he argues that the lack of depth in both Arsenal and United’s squads is such that they will be compromised by injuries and suspensions. The latter is irrelevant since domestic and european suspensions are separate issues. The former, well they are going to be there come what may. Samir Nasri’s hamstring went in an FA Cup tie but who can say whether or not it would have gone in a training session or the next match?

Wright’s arguments are flawed though. The squad’s depth is better than it is given credit for. There will always be one or two injuries floating around in the starting XI but equally, loss of form can be detrimental. He has a point about United but that is their problem, not ours.

However, a defeat can be equally damaging in their minds. They may suffer a lapse in confidence which scuppers a title challenge as a result of elimination from the Champions League. Put simply, there are too many ifs, buts and maybes surrounding this.

Winning all of the trophies that they enter this season is going to be Arsenal’s target; it is the same each season. Targeting one at the expense of others is a dangerous game since you frequently end up with nothing at all.

The aim of winning all four has been stated by the manager and the squad. To do that they have to take one game at a time, something that appears to be happening as there was no let up against Wolves despite being two goals to the good and utterly dominant.

This match is only important in the context of the Champions League; it is not going to make or break the season. A win in the tie might give a confidence boost but that will be shortlived if the tournament is exited in the next round.

Cruyff Turns, Van Persie Scores

Over in Barcelona, the players have been at great pains to point out the improvement at Arsenal this season. Whilst Lionel Messi says that last season the Catalans were scared of Theo Walcott’s pace, Johan Cruyff believes it Robin van Persie who is the bigger threat.

Since returning from injury, the Dutchman has scored the most goals in January / February since the Premier League came into existence – ten in all. van Persie is currently the most in-form striker in the country, scoring a goal every 86.8 minutes in the league. Little wonder that Cruyff was so effusive in his praise.

The Dutch maestro highlighted the problem which faces defenders when van Persie is around,

He is good on his right foot, even better on his left and decent in the air.

If that is not enough, his versatility in finishing makes him hard to displace from the team, as Marouane Chamakh has noted.

Not that the Moroccan is complaining as he is, not to put too fine a point on it, knackered. The adaptation period to English football was immediate for the newcomer, van Persie’s injury forcing Chamakh to play more frequently than he or Wenger probably expected. Seeing the first XI hit their rich vein of form has meant time on the bench which has been welcomed in that he has gained a rest.

More importantly, Chamakh has shown an excellent attitude.No tantrums, no boasting, acceptance that his physical condition and the form of others means that he is not a first choice striker. That is good for the squad but also if the player comes back more determined to stake a claim, it is beneficial to him in the long run. Whether he will be as happy if this situation continues is the acid test but at the moment he deserves his praise.

’til Tomorrow.

Nasri Decision Highlights Squad Improvement

The media coverage of the visit of Barcelona has pushed Saturday’s victory so far into the background that it feels as though it is a pinpoint on a distant horizon. Occupying minds is the return of Samir Nasri – or possible return – on Wednesday night, about four days ahead of schedule for those who took Arsène’s 21 days quite literally.

Wenger observed over the weekend that Nasri is in serious contention for the squad, tests today and tomorrow determining if he will be involved, and if he is, to what extent,

He has tests, one tomorrow and one on Tuesday. I will not take a crazy gamble but physically he has worked very hard; physically he is ready. It is just if there is a risk of a setback or not.

Arsène is more cautious this season with injuries and return schedules. Previously, key players have been rushed back with little room for manoeuvre. It is an indication of the strength in depth in the squad that whilst Nasri’s absence is detrimental, it is not a situation where all and sundry are lying around, thrashing the ground with cries of, “Woe! Woe! And thrice Woe!“.

The improvement in that aspect of the playing staff is highlighted that Arsène was able to, publicly, take a longer term view,

we have the Carling Cup final [soon]… we have so many big games it is important not to be stupid as well.

A different viewpoint from the Chelsea final of a couple of years ago when it was all about rewarding the younger players who had got the club there; now it is about winning the upcoming games. Arsène has been consistent in his approach this season, rewarded with patience over Robin van Persie’s fitness by some outstanding form by the player.

With the upcoming games, Arsène needs that to continue. Everyone seems to be chipping in; Arshavin was berated for a month as his confidence dropped. With his form returning, the absence of Nasri is lessened somewhat.

The all-round consistency of performance has come at the right time. The domestic cup blips have arisen through an unbalanced and disinterested side playing. That has been rectified when a stronger XI has played in replays or second legs.

Premier League form is a better indicator of how the side has been performing, the consistency of selection is key to assessing form. Since losing at Old Trafford, six games have been won and three drawn. That is evidence of the confidence, especially since that run includes matches which have been tricky, if not outright difficult, in recent seasons.

Wenger need not rush Nasri back. This encounter with Barcelona will see Arsenal at full strength, a marked improvement on the last meeting. Fine words are being spoken by the players about their chances; turning up and delivering victory over the two legs is all that matters.

’til Tomorrow.

Right Van Man Keeps Arsenal On Road To Title

Arsenal 2 – 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

1 – 0 van Persie (16)
2 – 0 van Persie (56)

Robin van Persie has grabbed the headlines with a brace of goals but it was a victory masterminded by Jack Wilshere. The youngster delivered a performance that emphasised his unique talent with intelligent movement, sparkling passing and assiduous defence;  a stark contrast to the workmanlike mechanics of his England colleagues.

Arsenal knew that a win was required to maintain the gap of four points to the top. Victory  demolished Wolves, leaving Mick McCarthy ‘aspiring to that level of performance‘ after his side had been ‘murdered‘. The match statistics confirmed his opinion; thirteen Arsenal shots, Wolves managing one off-target in the final minutes.

With the Premier League now on the back-burner for ten days, Arsenal can focus on the visit of Barcelona on Wednesday. The Catalans arrive as the defensive frailties of the final twenty minutes were shown to be an aberration, Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou neutered the Wolves attack entirely.

The opening stages gave every indication of what was to come. From the start, Arsenal passed crisply with van Persie having two ‘warning’ efforts, both flying high and wide. The third attempt resulted in the deadlock being broken. Cesc was given time and space to pick out his cross, van Persie applying an acrobatic finish.

Arsenal threatened to repeat the first half demolition of Newcastle. Djourou looped his header onto the roof of the net whilst Arshavin might feel he should have done better with a placed effort. The worst of the misses would follow soon after.

Wilshere landed a pinpoint pass to the feet of Arshavin, he slalomed pass Zubar, feeding Walcott. The England international saw his shot well-saved by Hennessey, Stearman cleared Cesc’s rebound off the line.

The midfield duo of Wilshere and Fàbregas were destroying Wolves at will, prompting and creating chances for the Arsenal forwards to feed upon. Fàbregas would be denied twice before the referee’s whistle would bring proceedings to a halt for half-time.

The second half would provide no respite for the visitors. Walcott spurned the chance to score for the second week running; Wilshere broke through, the Wolves defence parted in biblical proportions to allow the youngster safe passage, Walcott skewed his effort wide.

Wolves defence was creaking; Stearman almost doubled the lead whilst Arshavin was denied once more by Hennessey. The much deserved second was pure Arsenal, conceived in the fast-thinking heads of the players. Defence was turned into attack as passes pinged down the pitch, Fàbregas releasing Walcott, whose pass found van Persie. A sidestep and firm shot saw the points confirmed as Arsenal’s.

It would have been four but Arshavin was unable to beat Hennessey whilst van Persie spurned a hat-trick opportunity, blazing wide. That it was only a two-goal victory is in small part due to Theo Walcott’s wayward finishing, a return to seasons past rather than the current campaign.

There was a solidity in this performance which answered the detractors and confirmed Arsenal as the only serious title contenders. Victory over Stoke in ten days closes the gap to one point, returning the pressure onto United. Until then there are some minor cup competitions to negotiate…

’til Tomorrow.

 

 

Wolves Preview: Arsenal Look To Escape The Pack

The chance to erase the memory of St James’ Park presents itself this afternoon as Wolves travel to The Emirates, bouyed by their victory over Manchester United seven days ago. Perhaps we should applaud them onto the pitch for turning a wretched twenty minutes into something not so bad after all. On paper at least.

An unusual international week for Arsène with only one injury to report, Tomáš Rosický returning with a groin strain. The Arsenal manager has a luxury this season with all absentees aside from Thomas Vermaelen, fit for duty in the coming week, Cesc and RvP’s mysterious bugs have cured in the past seven days. Miraculously.

With the visit of Barcelona looming ominously large on the horizon, Wenger has been keen to point out that this afternoon is the only match that matters,

[The derby] will not influence us. We are in a period where the home games are vital and we want to be strong until the end of the season at home.

This is crucial. For Arsenal to win the league, they have purely to concentrate on winning their home games. Today’s visitors ought not to produce too stern a test; they have taken four points from thirty six on their travels this season, the reason that they are second from bottom in the table this morning. It might not be a rout, defeats at the rest of the top four have been by a single goal but a win must be secured.

For Wenger, the personal landmark of his 550th game as manager will be of secondary importance. This season has seen the unexpected on the pitch in the Premier League with none of the frontrunners able to capitalise on a small lead at the top. Should someone be able to do so now, that lead might become insurmountable.

Arsenal are best placed to establish that sort of lead. Wenger will be concerned by the collapse at Newcastle but perhaps the international week has done the players good, taking their concentration onto other footballing matters.

The big decision for Wenger today is whether Johan Djourou starts. The Swiss international has been key to the defensive improvement in recent months. Whilst the report suggesting a sixteen month unbeaten run in the Premier League is disingenuous, twenty six matches since a defeat in the league is an indication of the importance that Djourou is assuming in the team. Here is a vindication of Wenger’s policy of scouring the world for the best talent at younger age.

Wolves have not beaten Arsenal since 1979, a year when they won twice at Highbury. That was a different Wolves era and this afternoon ought to see a home win.  Wenger’s XI, despite protestations to the contrary, will have half an eye cast toward midweek but not many surprises:

Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy; Fabregas, Song, Wilshere; Walcott, van Persie, Arshavin

For once we will be hoping that City’s obscene wealth produces a team performance at Old Trafford, a win for the visitors would be nice but not something I am pinning my hopes on; a draw will suffice. Arsenal need to win irrespective and forget midweek until the final whistle.

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

Stone Cold Friday: Dances With Wolves

Like Mongo, he’s only a pawn in the game of life. But anyway, he’s pitched up once more this Friday morning. Here’s Darius

It’s been a funny week. What happened at St. James’ Park was akin to robbery with violence, a state of affairs not helped by a Neanderthal culture which sees nothing wrong with the public mugging that took place.

It shouldn’t matter that in part, we contrived to leave the front door open for the said bandits; any seasoned thief taker wouldn’t have hesitated to collar the match officials for such a travesty.

Like many of you, I’m still suffering withdrawal from that trauma having resorted to the proverbial industrial strength mouthwash to try and clean the bitter taste left in my mouth. Perhaps the international break was a good cooling off period, giving the team enough time to contemplate the sheer magnitude of the task that sits in front of them.

Maybe we’re finally learning the tricks of old with man flu and a dodgy belly giving our two talisman licence to avoid the Wild West that is international football. Lessons are also being learnt elsewhere if we’re to read into the institutional silence that the Arsenal has taken regarding the public airing of their grievances on the pitch.

Tupac Shakur couldn’t have put it better in his 1996 hit “It’s just me against the world baby!”

Somehow, I think that the train wreck last weekend was a watershed moment in the maturity of this team. I think the penny has dropped and they know that it’s naive to expect any favours from anyone; it’s dangerous to try and take on the juggernaut head on; and we’re going to have to do this the hard way.

It doesn’t make it any easier that we have to rise out of the shadows by facing this seasons giant killers. We literally have to dance with the Wolves, who for most part can’t even buy a win against the relegation strugglers who surround them as they prop the league table.

Yet the Wolves have mauled Chelsea, Man United, Man City and Liverpool. And if it wasn’t for Wookash Fabianski’s world class one handed save that turned defence into attack – giving Chamakh an unhindered view of the whites of the Wolves keeper’s eyes within 3 seconds, we would have been another statistic of this giant killing.

With 39 points up for grabs in the Premier League; a trip to Wembley and a chance to remove that blasted “they haven’t won a trophy in 6 years” monkey off our backs; and another lower league land mine in Leyton who are hell bent in stopping us getting to the FA Cup quarter-final – we have no time to feel sorry for ourselves.

And of course, there’s a small matter of Broke Back Barca riding into town for some unfinished business. A trip that wouldn’t be complete without their chief verbal diarrhoea expert Xavi Hernandez already spewing bile about DNA, prodigal sons and I don’t know what else. To his credit though, the punk also admits “But the thing with Cesc is that there is a problem — he is now worth a lot of money”.

If Andy Carroll commands £35 million, I suspect he’s worried that they can’t afford one of the top 5 players in the world whose stock went through the roof with his assist for the World Cup winning goal.

What isn’t in question though is that we need to buckle up, hold on to our hats and face the beast. This right here ladies and gentlemen, is what we subscribed to.

My wife and other close friends tell me that when Arsenal loses a game, or something like the debacle of last weekend happens; I take things too personally. This of course coming from someone who has only recently regained the ability to watch her beloved Chelsea live after their capitulation.

I suspect though, that many of you can testify to the sleepless nights; the tossing and turning; the anguish over what could, should or would have; the cursing of every pundit and hack who bears their ugly mug to pass judgement; or the exile to the bunker and media blackout that follows a loss or freak result like last weekend.

My sense is that for the players and manager, these emotions are amplified 10 fold. In August last year, the Arsenal head chef Rob Fagg spoke vividly in a radio interview of how the players and other staff are affected by any loss and how they adversely react; and he and Ray Parlour passionately and vociferously argued against anyone who suggests that the players don’t care.

What happens from here on requires all of us to surmount incredible odds. We don’t have the luxury of moaning about signings that didn’t happen, or which players we like or don’t like, or succumbing to the misguided truths and convenient lies peddled in the narratives against Arsenal.

It’s us against the world – and a siege mentality is exactly what we need right now. We cannot expect our team to rise to the challenge if we ourselves succumb to the pressure. It’s no time to hide behind the sofa, or hope that fortune will favour the righteous. The bastards – the whole lot of them – are going to make it impossible in this last mile.

I can’t recall how many times it’s been said that the next period is this team’s biggest challenge yet. I would argue that it’s just one of the next challenges that we must overcome. The only way the team have got this far is by navigating all the obstacles that have been put in front of them.

We must continue the belief, and we must continue the vocal support in the stadium and out on the streets and on the web.

Make no mistake, Arsenal’s success is inevitable. It will have monumental implications for the way football is played, financed and managed. It will throw a grenade into a status quo that has cemented the reign of a decaying football establishment.

Let’s all fight the good fight.

‘til Tomorrow.

Jack Delivers, Can Arsenal Commercially?

The internationals are over, injury reports awaited and for once a national team coach is going to be in Arsène’s good books. Jack Wilshere came through his first England start well, neat passing, rarely giving the ball away and tackling well.

His Cheerleader In Chief, James Lawton, continued his campaign for beatifying the youngster but there were those who were underwhelmed, Martin Samuel more impressed by Christian Eriksen than St Jack’s performance in the opening forty-five minutes.

Prior to the match, it was rumoured that Wenger had secured an agreement with Capello to rotate Wilshere and this proved to be the case, the Italian replacing the Arsenal midfielder at half-time. A pleasant change at this level, to see a coach who has his players best interests at heart. A shame the national associations do not waive this week’s matches and let clubs get on with their business.

It all overshadowed Theo Walcott who, prior to kick-off, had claimed it was now up to him to prove indispensable to Capello but in keeping with his international career thus far, it did not materialise. Walcott created the equaliser but was unable to sustain the performance levels for his seventy minutes on the pitch. The question is when Capello will show enough bravery to play Theo centrally; then we might see his abilities at this level.

Elsewhere, Johan Djourou is apparently going to be rested this weekend to allow his recovery to be completed in time for next week’s encounter with Barcelona. Once more this information has emerged from the Swiss team.

It is a peculiar circumstance for news to come solely from the international team as Djourou was one of five who would not be participating this week in the needless matches. So why the lack of information about the player’s progress, especially as it has been the main talking point of the past five days. Still, nothing unusual in Arsenal.com being slow in turning out news.

Money is the God that many worship in professional football. In the Premier League, it is an obsession like no other, a measurement of power and the standing of the Premier League around the world.

And wealthy it certainly is with the publication of the Deloitte Football Money League 2011. Whilst there are no trophies to be won for this title, the table illustrates that the top four are commercially able to exploit their ‘brands’ to a far greater extent than those below.

Arsenal are tied in to deals which suited their needs whilst the stadium was being built. The gap to those above increased as United, Real, Barcelona and Bayern were all able to increase their revenues by more than Arsenal. Indeed, the continental Europe sides improved their commercial revenues by more than Arsenal in all sources, Bayern no doubt helped by the run to the Champions League final.

With money from property deals due to diminish over the coming seasons, the expiry of headline sponsorship deals in 2015 represents a key time for the club. Will they be able to rename the stadium with a new sponsor, more importantly should they be doing so?

The Emirates as stadium names go, could have been a lot worse yet it is not something that gives any sense of identity with the club. Ashburton Grove does. Whilst the club gains commercial edge with selling the naming rights, is it a step too far with no strong need to do so? Precious little connection with the support exists, this could be a way for the club to re-engage in a small way?

’til Tomorrow

England Expects That Jack Will Do His Duty

International week continues to be a pain in the Arsenal with no rational explanation from anyone as to why the governing bodies claimed this particular week as their own. It is a good news day though.

Johan Djourou‘s knee injury is not as bad as was first feared apparently, severe bruising the suffering he has endured and that might be cleared up by the weekend. This is all via the Swiss Football Federation and the player so well done to Arsenal for carrying this information so quickly to the public domain.

Jack Wilshere is the focus of media attention this morning with Samir Nasri getting the ball rolling,

I like Jack as a player, he is never scared.I like his attitude and he reminds me a bit of me when I was younger. He is a great, great, great prospect.

Praise indeed from the man who should be crowned Player of the Year by writers and his peers for his performances this season. Nasri will not win the FWA Award, Harry Redknapp’s manipulation of the weak-minded media will ensure that a hat-trick in the San Siro is enough for Gareth Bale to win the award. The players are a different story, Rio Ferdinand amongst those who have complimented Nasri on his form.

Back to Wilshere. Nasri’s words are expected; they are teammates and Jack has had kind words to say for everyone in the squad. The problem comes when people such as James Lawton go totally OTT, observing that not since Bobby Moore has England ‘unleashed a prodigy like Wilshere’.

Such words will only serve to increase the pressure on the player. Expectations have already been raised and dashed with Theo Walcott, manifesting in a gleeful media at his omission from South Africa. This is the same media who now clamour for his inclusion in any squad.

This pendulum reinforces the perceptions people have. Walcott is still derided following last year’s debacle. Arguably he has not suffered, his club form the most consistent that he has shown since arriving at Arsenal.

However, the weight of expectation is such that Walcott must score a hat-trick in every international otherwise the manager will treat him as a scapegoat, withdrawing him when the long ball tactics that Capello consistently employs, fail.

Wilshere should be protected from such expectations and managerial folly. By mentioning him in the same breath as Moore, Lawton has evoked memories of 1966 which might be good for copy but is not so good for the player. Invariably those who have the nation’s hopes on their shoulders at this level, let the nation down through individual and collective failures.

Capello offered similarly high hopes, observing that Maldini, Baresi and Raul all started their international careers at a young age. The Italian tempered that view though, noting that Wilshere needs to improve every time.

The most telling condemnation of the hype came from Nicklas Bendtner,

Theo can be a lesson for the way you treat Jack. It’s important to take it easy and realise he is a kid…Youngsters are always put under a lot of pressure very early in England but Jack can be a great, great player for his country.

It is easy to work out why. The media increase expectations at every tournament. England fail to live up to them in every tournament.

Jack Wilshere can be the most outstanding talent of his generation. He has the technical ability to be remembered as a footballing great. But this is all potential – can we just enjoy a talented young player maturing in the public eye and do away with all of the hype?

’til Tomorrow.