Since he’s going to be a Gunner…

 

 

North London Derby

I woke up late yesterday morning, and thus had to watch the match via dvr while avoiding the internet and anyone who could spoil the results. When Arsenal went down two, I was worried. Very worried. Worried enough to pause the match and take some more cold meds that had a pleasant sedating effect to perhaps help dull the pain and had the added benefit of fighting congestion. And then we scored.

Cue shouting with glee in a hoarse voice. Then we scored again, and suddenly the match was wide open. Arsenal was doing exactly what fans hope they will every week. We weren’t capitulating to Spurs. Being down didn’t mean we were out, and the play of our guys proved that fact. We saw goals by two players who don’t regularly score, and the celebration was clear on their faces. Both Tomas Rosicky and Bacary Sagna appeared so excited that it’s a miracle they managed to stay grounded flying that high. Theo Walcott had a brace, and of course the captain Robin van Persie had to add his strike to the total as well. Despite starting slowly our offense really stepped up, and did what we’ve known they are capable of. Perhaps now they will believe it as well.

There were a few defensive miscues with our center backs getting split, but that’s likely a result of while Koscielney and Vermaelen not working together for the better part of the season in that position. It will however, be something that must be kept in mind for the matches that follow. It would be easy to guess that those two will be the center of our defense for the rest of the season. Better communication, and frankly time on the pitch together should solve that problem.

Looking forward to Liverpool, we need to be certain that we do not come out complacent. It’s going to be a difficult match that we can hopefully pull three points from. From this point forth we can make significant improvements to our season, and continuing to play like we did during the second half of yesterday’s match is just the beginning.

Champions League returns

Arsenal is on their way to Milan either by now, or shortly to follow. This roundof 16 leg at the San Siro is in no way going to be an easy match for the Gunners. Milan will always be a difficult opponent, more so when on their home field. From what I can tell via the UEFA Champions League website, Flamini is not in the CL squad for Milan. It doesn’t matter much as he hasn’t had a lot of action this season due to persistent injuries. He will likely be available as a free transfer at the end of this season as Milan is unlikely to resign him. The Milan injury list has been a bit of a revolving door, and their striker availability issue is reminiscent of Arsenal’s defensive injury woes. Both squads have had some rough patches this season, especially against rivals, so there is a lot on the line for this Champions League match up.

A few thoughts about the upcoming match
• Robin van Persie is in amazing form. He’s possibly the hottest striker in Europe right now. We have Thierry Henry as a striker possibility. Theo Walcott did well in the previous Champions League matches, so perhaps his European form is better than his league form.
• If Ibrahimovic is on, we’re going to have some problems. I’m not sure that we have a defense that is capable of trying to out muscle him for 90 minutes. As Arsenal fans let’s hope for one of his disappearing matches.
• The Milan defense. Theo should easily be able to out pace any defender he comes up against blazing down the wing. Thiago Silva is easily one of the best center backs in the world, and he is probably the main concern for RvP. Depending upon Nesta’s injuries or lack there of, we should be aware as he and Silva were able to neutralize Barcelona for large portions of the match.
• Arsenal midfield. It’s possible that we are sliding Song into a defender’s role, but with Gibbs healthy there is that option as well. If Ramsey and Arteta continue to pass with accuracy, and perhaps limit the backheels, we should be pretty solid.

Overall, I think that the advantage right now is to Arsenal. Milan have had a shockingly bad run of form against strong competition. The Juventus and Inter (boo hiss) matches highlighted weaknesses in the Milan midfield that if Arsenal can take advantage of using our pace, we could get a break on them quickly. They are slow, and haven’t held possession very well. We’ve done fairly well with counter attacking, and Milan would be a better squad if they had kept Pirlo, but that’s neither here nor there.

The Gunners are in better form. We’ve got a hot striker, a pretty solid defense. Midfielders who don’t give up. And our keeper is clearly reliable. It’s a relief as an Arsenal fan to not be worried about the keeper.

As an aside, I’m hideously jealous of anyone who will be at this match. These are my two teams, and while I wish they would be meeting in the final rather than now, this is still going to be attractive football. My heart lies with Arsenal on this one. Forza Arsenal!

forward toward victory

It looks like our last day with Thierry Henry is going to be the day of the Champions League match against Milan. It’s possible that the Milan squad we will be facing will be weakened via Kevin Prince Boateng and Pato still being out, but that’s not a definite yet. If the state of the Milan midfield remains as it is, Arsenal has a good shot at beating them in the San Siro. Full disclosure here, Milan is the other team that I follow, so this match up is completely the opposite of what I’d want. The Gunner’s chances against the perennially strong Milan look better when the inability to get the ball to a striker comes into play, and the fact that their defense is roughly 300 years old. Wait, that’s just Nesta. Thiago Silva is going to be an interesting match up against RvP, but I’m hoping that our exceptionally in form captain gets the better of the Brazilian.

It’s remarkable how the opportunity for Arsenal to play a lower league club like Middlesbrough can make one tune into a match that they would otherwise have no interest watching. To say nothing of the fact that by the end of the extra time I was a devoted fan due to their near thwarting of Sunderland. As a Gooner, it’s logical to want to play the Championship side, but frankly they played with a lot of heart and held the Premier League side until the final minutes. Neither squad would have been an easy match, and I’m not sure that the path to the FA cup is that much harder for Arsenal for having to go through Sunderland instead.

So, tomorrow. We’re going to be playing Sunderland away. It’s too bad in one way that Bendtner can play against us, as the personalized face mask gives him a bit of a Phantom of the Opera come convenience store robber look. I’d love to hear what the comms would have to say about that. This match, as are most from here on out, is one we need to win. Going to the Stadium of Light has not always been kind to the Gunners, but there’s a gritty determination that our players have been showing in interviews and on the pitch last weekend that I hope shows up tomorrow. We’ve got a huge match on Tuesday and a win tomorrow would be a positive way to head toward Italy.

Right now we’re sitting on 40 points and in sixth place, which puts us 17 points behind City who are in the league, but only 3 points out of fourth. Presuming a giant sinkhole take out both Newcastle and Spurs during their match, we’re in good standing suddenly. A draw is probably the result that would be most beneficial. Chelsea plays Everton, and here’s hoping that Arteta’s old squad with the reinforcement of Donovan can add to the list of things that might make Villas-Boas go grey by the end of the season.

I’m not even going to address the ridiculous RvP to Real Madrid rumor beyond this. Key word is ridiculous.

Working with what we have

At first the lack of signings were annoying. Then they made me angry. After we signed a young German midfielder, things began to look up. And then, we didn’t sign anyone else. Our holes remain, without any new players to try and plug them.

Arsenal has a match against Bolton today, and I worry that this is going to be a bellwether match. This is a must win. We’re having a lot more those sorts of matches this season. Unfortunately, the success of the season is beginning to hinge on match outcomes in a way it hasn’t in the recent past. This is a fight for being in the top four. A fight to stay in the Champions League. There is a growing possibility that neither will occur. This is of course the worst case scenario, but it’s not farfetched. Things could collapse that badly. This is why the lack of signings is so frustrating.

Arsenal is a squad that gets injured. There’s no other way to describe it except perhaps that joints appear to be made of cotton candy while bones are comprised of the most brittle sugar confection a pasty chef could imagine. Like many fans, I wanted to see us bring in some reinforcements. With Jack Wilshere out for the rest of the season, and who knows what sort of real long term prognosis given the potential for set backs, it is astounding that we didn’t try to find an established midfielder who could slot into the rotation. Ramsey, Song, and Arteta all need some respite. Arteta has a history of nagging injuries. Ramsey is playing his first full PL season after rehabbing his broken leg, and Song could have calf injuries again.

We’re significantly lucky that Cameroon didn’t qualify for the African Cup of Nations because without Alex Song where would our midfield or occasionally our back line be? The return of Gervinho will be a positive. He has a remarkable ability to create space with inspired runs that can split defenses. His finishing is going to come, but it’s not always there yet.

On a positive note, the second half against Villa was exceptional. If we continue to play football like that, then we are going to be difficult to defeat. Connecting our passes and a strong back four are components of Arsenal success. We know we can do it, so it’s a matter of implementation.

Come on you Gunners!

The transfer winds crawls toward a close

This transfer window has been maddening as an Arsenal fan. Our squad has a significant problem with injuries, and our third string replacements aren’t going to get us to a top four finish. The reluctance of Wenger to buy this window doesn’t feel strategic, but rather like ignoring reality. The continual assertion that we don’t need to buy rings quite hollow. The big question I have is whether there aren’t funds being made available for purchases? If the club being tightfisted with their own bottom line in mind in a very short term sort of way. Missing out on European football because you won’t sign players on some sort of principle of austerity very well could wind up costing more than sitting out a transfer window.

Strikers
The one man team sniping that has been going around from the beginning of the season is not completely false. It would be better if we had a reliable striker besides Robin van Persie, and the on loan Theirry Henry. My personal preference runs toward Clint Dempsey, and not just because he’s one of the USMNT guys, but because he has a scrappy style that could get us a few more goals. Those goals are not going to otherwise be scored by Arshavin, Chamakh, or Park. It’s time to admit that our current options aren’t in good enough form to reply upon.

Midfield
Arteta, Song, and Ramsey have had a rough season. In many ways they have met and exceeded our expectations. We’re demanding an awful lot of them, without a squad that can allow for rotation in order to rest players. A significant injury to any of them would be a disaster in light of Jack not being available for likely the remainder of the season. There are several midfielders that have been looking for moves, but I think Riccardo Montolivo could be a good choice. He’s a “regista” style player who fits in multiple roles on the field. A deep-lying playmaker would give Arteta more freedom, and that could strengthen our offense. He also can play a more defensive position, which could give some respite to the holding midfielders. He also wants out of Fiorentina. Let’s make that happen.

Defenders
Fullbacks. Perhaps ones with titanium reinforced exoskeletons. It’s time to admit that Kieran Gibbs is easily injured. He’s developing as a fullback with the potential to be really good when healthy. The key here is his fitness and lack of injury. Our defense appears to be particularly prone to injuries and healing setbacks, so an investment in a left back would be a prudent choice. The return of Bacary Sagna is going to be welcomed by the entire Arsenal community. Nico Yennaris had a great showing in the second half of the match with Manchester United, and hopefully with do good things in the future. Jan Vertonghen, currently at Ajax would be a player to keep an eye on as a potential defensive recruit.

Other thoughts
On Diaby. He’s fragile. I don’t hold that against him, but it’s a fact. He’s never been quite the same since that horrific ankle break in 2006. That means it has been six years hoping that he will get through a season without injury. We can’t keep hoping that this year things will finally work. I’m not even saying sell him, but rather don’t consider him a viable replacement long term.

Regarding Arshavin, I understand that he was a record signing. We should sell. If we can get £5 million for him, Arsenal should accept the offer. Over the course of the season, there have been moments of good play, but on the whole he doesn’t fit well in our system. It has been long enough for adjustment to occur, and at this point the lack of progress is apparent.

For all the wrong reasons

For all the wrong reasons.

Thoughts on the potential handshake between Anton Ferdinand and John Terry in light of the investigation into racial abuse.

Match reaction Arsenal 1 – Manchester United 2

This is proving to be a hard time to be a Gooner. My mind has idly wondered how much worse this could have been if Vermaelen had been unfit for play, and if Kos simply didn’t exist. That was a bit too nightmarish to actually consider. Instead I resigned myself to sitting around being twitchy and generally irritated with the state of footy on the Arsenal squad. Losing by one goal is a lot less painful than an 8-2 drubbing, but we should have been able to hold on for a draw even with our third choice defensive set up.

A few things were made abundantly clear during this match that must be considered in the future. Arteta is proving to be invaluable for us in the midfield in terms of holding possession and getting play developed. He has great passing accuracy, and sees to work quite well in concert with RvP. RvP needs better service than he has been getting as of late. Ramsey has to cut it out with the back heels and focus on the simple possession and accurate passing that he is more than capable of providing. Defense is dreadful. Mertesacker is frustrating as he has moments of brilliance and then turns around and screws up something that should be basic in terms of marking his man. We need an actual fullback. The return of Sagna will be quite a relief, but that doesn’t solve our problem on the other side. It really comes down to the fact that we need to spend some money to get some quality signings as the current roster isn’t working well enough.

An idea posed to me a few months ago was “what does the board want?” If they are looking for financial stability and low risk, then maybe they are content with our current status. There is a fundamental difference between being middle of the league in a US sport and a big club not making the Champions League in the EPL. Kroenke has a fair to good NBA team, but the Nuggets aren’t anything special in the world of basketball, so the need to splash the cash isn’t such a motivator. On the other hand we have Arsenal, a club that many live and die by, that has historically been a force to be reckoned with, appearing to be on the downward slide to mediocrity. If the board is happy with just squeaking into Europa under the guise of fiscal responsibility, it would be helpful to let the fans know.

conclusions

1. We have to buy. Defense and strikers need some support.
2. Arshavin must be sold. We should consider selling Djourou as well. Also Squillaci.
3. We have to show a winning mentality, and winning results if we are to keep RvP. I’m increasingly concerned that he’s going to leave us at the end of the season if we don’t show that we’re competitive.
4. The Ox is good. I really like what we’re seeing from him. As he continues to develop, he’s going to shine as a winger.

Long live the King! Arsenal 1 – Leeds 0

I watched Thierry Henry score for Arsenal today. Considering that here in the US it was during business hours, I think I made enough noise in the house to be worth at least two fans. I scared the dog in the process, which means I was loud, right?

Henry is pure goal scoring personified. He understand space, the weight of the pass, and how to curl the ball right past the keeper from an angle that would be the undoing of others. The tv coverage showed people snapping pics with their camera phones as he took the pitch, coming on as a sub for Chamakh. By scoring today, Henry takes the first step toward silencing critics who don’t think he can hack it with the pace of football outside of the US. They are of course, wrong. Henry seems content with being a substitute and using his skills in the ways that he can be of most benefit to the team. The response from both the crowd, and the squad of Henry joining them on the pitch, and then scoring says it all about how Arsenal feels about him. Thierry Henry says quite clearly with his actions what Arsenal means to him. Sprinting down the sideline to embrace Wenger with genuine enthusiasm rather than coldly calculated showmanship is just one of the many examples of how Henry has endeared himself to the Arsenal fan base over the years.

Going into this match, I knew that we should be able to meet Leeds. The first half was tough, and coming back 0-0 for the second half was not where Arsenal presumably wanted to be. Watching Henry score, and the celebration afterwards again reiterated why I’m an Arsenal fan. It’s difficult to find the words as to why the boys in red and white are the club I follow, but since falling into that pit of sporting interests I’ve never looked back. Henry helped make me an Arsenal fan the first time he was here, and as an Arsenal fan I’m excited to see him in the kit once more.

 

other match thoughts

Two sightings of Sebastian Squillaci in the last two matches does have me questioning the theory that he had been replaced with a cardboard cut out in the squad photos. The kids in back were alright. There has been significant growth in both Miquel and Le Coq this season. There was a long period of time were Kos caused me to hyperventilate, but the hodgepodge defense really pulled together and for the most part go things done.

2012 very well could be the year of the Ox. I was frankly amazed by the competency with which Oxlade-Chamberlain was able to cross the ball. This is not meant to be a slight on the Ox, but rather commentary upon our ability to cross or use set pieces to our advantage. That sort of ability to place the cross where it needs to be combined with better positioning by the squad to attempt headers will mean we score goals. I see the Ox linking up really well with Vermaelen on set pieces as well.

Ramsey seems to be struggling with his finishing. I’m hoping that we will see this begin to gel for him in the near future. The power is there, but the ability to put the ball on target isn’t.

Who to buy: transfer window suggestions for the Arsenal

It goes without saying that Arsenal would be wise to spend some money in this transfer window. Doing it earlier rather than waiting until the last minute would be far more financially responsible than trying to pick over what’s left at inflated last minute prices. That said, Mikel Arteta has been a fantastic addition who has become an integral part of solidifying this year’s squad.

I’d be interested to know what the boardroom’s goal is for the club. Are they happy with making the top 4 year after year, or do they want to win? If we want to win then our approach to contracts and wage structure is going to have to be readdressed. Like it or not, when players can go elsewhere and make 2 – 2.5 times weekly what we offer there is only so much loyalty that is available. The general premise being that a player of RvP’s caliber should be making significantly more than Denilson did. It’s time to pay our big names as it is necessary to remain competitive. I don’t think that we should be reckless with who we sign, nor should we feel beholden to the overvaluation of English born players, but it will become increasingly difficult to compete with CFC, LFC, and United if we aren’t in the same range in terms of payday for the stars.

With that in mind here are a few thoughts about purchasing during the January 2012 transfer window.

1. Buy Lukas Podolski

He has a song. We need more firepower to support Robin van Persie. Podolski has the potential to give us a legitimate scoring threat with the ability to cause both Gervinho and Walcott to have to step up their respective games in order to see play time. This would be a win since it could increase our overall scoring potential, but also could allow Arsenal to stop waiting for Walcott and Gervinho* to start scoring. His aggression is something that Arsenal need. For too long we have been accused of being soft. At 5’11″ he isn’t small, and thus can use his physical size to his advantage in the EPL.

2. Buy Riccardo Montolivo.

Last summer I started talking about how he could be a good addition to the squad. Montolivo has fallen out with the powers that be at Fiorentina, and his contract ends this summer when he can leave on a free transfer. Presumably the club wants to get something for him rather than just saying goodbye, but his fee can’t be unreasonable as there is limited time before there would be no fee. I don’t see him remaining available until the summer as a free transfer, so if we want the Italian playmaker, then we should pony up now. He’s going to be a bargain relative to most of the other big name midfielders who are available in terms of price, and could fit well within the Arsenal system due to Montolivo being an excellent passer who can play in either an attacking or defensive midfield position which gives him the flexibility to fit a variety of roles in our line up.

3. For the love of the flying spaghetti monster please buy a defender.

I’m of two minds about the Wayne Bridge idea. On one hand he’s a defender and we need a defender even if on loan. On the other hand he’s Wayne Bridge, and we could probably buy a far less high maintenance defender with lower wages. I’m a bit iffy about his abilities as well. As a stopgap Bridge isn’t a terrible choice, but I think it would be beneficial to look at players that could be a long term solution as well. Basically, if we do sign Bridge on loan we need to actively keep looking.

Taye Taiwo, currently at AC Milan would be a loan worth investigating. I’m not certain that he is the answer, but a player that isn’t going to the African Cup of Nations who has played in Ligue 1 with Marseilles could have the chops to bolster our defensive line.

4. Other players that are worth consideration, some who have been considered for quite awhile.

Yoann Gourcuff (Lyon) comes with the endorsement of Robert Pires. Gourcuff has been struggling a bit this season after being out with a long term injury, but his style of play would slot well with the Arsenal game. Is UCL cup tied.

Esteban Granero (Real Madrid) needs more playing time. He isn’t going to get that in Madrid as there are some truly world class names ahead of his on the roster. Is UCL cup tied.

 

We should seriously give up on Eden Hazard. He isn’t coming to London, and the energy spent on trying to lure him to seriously consider the Gunners can be spent on players that we have a much better shot of actually signing. My guess would be that he ends up at Real Madrid.

*Gervinho is one of my personal favorites who I think we will see great things out of. His ability to create space on the field by making intelligent runs that seem to befuddle our opposition’s defense is an important weapon. Gervinho makes runs that take the pressure off of RvP by spreading the defense out. His speed and ability to anticipate where a ball is going to wind up is dangerous for squads who want to try to shut him down.  His trouble with finishing is frustrating, and has caused me to speculate at times if he has hooves rather than feet, but his game as a whole is a great addition to the squad. I think we are going to see him develop a much better finishing touch as the other components are there in his game.