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My Vision
Written by Mean Lean on Wednesday, 07 September 2011 17:02
Yesterday was a bad day for me. If I was a cartoon character then I would have had steam bursting out from both ears while my face would have turned a very rich shade of red (if that was actually possible)
Arsenal Vision was confiscated from my clutches because erm, it wasn't optimised enough according to my good friend Mr and Mrs hosting service. I had already been thumping my head against the desk at the Vermaelen injury news on top of the Wilshere news.
They say, it is not good to go to bed mad but it couldn't be helped in this instance.
Today has been a new day and I slipped out of bed the correct side today. The gloomy clouds above actually look somewhat artistic and the rain that may follow will be nice for those thirsty plants, flowers and trees.
I watched the England vs Wales game yesterday and was very proud. Not for the country I was born in but for a Welsh captain that ran the midfield. A Welsh captain that has had a major setback in his career due to an oaf. He had looked a little like a kid this season, holding onto the ball for too long or making the wrong decisions. At Old Trafford Aaron Ramsey was one of our better players then he scored for the Welsh last week and now he has put in a wonderful display away from home against a bitter rival.
With the news that Jack Wilshere will be spending a little bit of time away from the pitch, Aaron finding form right now could be just what we need. He can be *wait for it* like a new signing to go with our actual new signings.
Speaking of which I listened to the second part of Mikel Arteta's interview and the more I listen, the more I am impressed. While talk is cheap and the proof is most certainly on the pitch. Arteta seems to have that glint in his eye, that excitement that he now has the chance to test himself at the highest level. He has taken a pay cut to join Arsenal.
He mentioned on a number of occasions that he wants to work hard, give everything he has and fight for the cause. Mikel Arteta is not Andrey Arshavin. He will not lose the ball, stare into the sky while the opposition bring the ball away. He will work to win the ball back, he will put his foot in where it might get hurt. We really need that and haven't had quite enough of that over the last few years.
It was interesting to hear that he has no idea where Arsene wants to play him. He hasn't had the chance to speak to Arsene Wenger just yet. At Everton he has played as an attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder and out wide. A typical Wenger player, a player who has many strings to his bow and I wonder where he will slot in. I imagine he will replace Wilshere's position in the immediate term but I am not sure he has that type of engine. I suppose we do not have long to find out.
It is easy to compare him to Cesc Fabregas and assume a like for like swap but I don't see it like that. Cesc Fabregas is one of the best midfielders in the world and is made to create chances. He was our captain and had been at Arsenal for a long time. There have been many high points with Cesc in the side but let us not brush off the negatives and pretend they did not exist because he was a gifted player.
At 2-0 up against Tottenham last season, the tide turned when the scummers pulled one back. We needed that experienced head to control the game, talk to the other players and remain calm. That didn't happen. At 4-0 up against Newcastle, Cesc Fabregas was on the pitch and his experience did not steady the team. I am not saying that it should be all on the shoulders of the captain but his role is to play a big part in directing the team at certain times.
Mikel Arteta is unlikely to rack up the number of assists and goals that Cesc did but hopefully he will take the lead so the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Alex Song can really learn from and not just by example.
Another reason why Arsenal supporters should be generally excited is the form of Wojciech Szczesny. I didn't see the game last night against the Germans but apparently he was amazing. I did see one breathtaking save from him via a youtube clip. Stretching out that long right arm to deflect a powerful shot over the top. It looks as if he has that glow this season, that developmental glow when a young player takes that next step up.
It is hard to find players where you can say could be the best in the world but with our Shezzer, we could well be looking at one of those in the near future. Confidence, height, ability, desire this lad has it all.
JY Park did it again for South Korea. Four goals in his last two games isn't anything to be sniffed at so it is great to have him probably sitting on the bench, itching to score a goal. Van Persie has returned seemly without injury which is fabulous, especially after his recent four goal outing.
What a way for Chamberlain to introduce himself to the under 21s. Six assists in two games is pretty good going at any level. People are starting to take notice of the lad and I imagine that he will come off the bench for Arsenal and tear many a team a new one in the upcoming months.
The next run of fixtures isn't too bad and we should pick up some points to gain some confidence before Wilshere, Vermaelen and Diaby return to the fold.
We have a collection of experienced players to join our very talented young players and hopefully the blend can start from the off.
So what to make of this squad now? What do we have?
Experience
Vermaelen
Mertesacker
Sagna
Arteta
Rosicky
Arshavin
Benayoun
Van Persie
Park
Santos
Talented Youth
Wilshere
Ramsey
Gibbs
Frimpong
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Miyachi
Afobe
Goals
Van Persie
Walcott
Gervinho
Park
Arshavin
Ramsey
Central Defensive options
Vermaelen
Mertesacker
Koscielny
Djourou
Song
Squillaci
Miguel
Creativity
Wilshere
Ramsey
Arteta
Benayoun
Van Persie
Arshavin
Gervinho
Now I know 99% of readers will already know this but it is nice to have it written down like this. Nice to see it in black and white. There is a hell of a lot of quality in there.
Call me deluded, call me naive, say that I sport red and white specs etc etc but there is enough quality in that squad to finish above all of the competition. The quality of the squad is not the question for me. Yes, I would have loved that one magical number 10 to dance through the opposition with their eyes closed or play a back healed pass through seven players, inch perfect with backspin but we didn't get that. Jack is as near to that as we are likely to find on the open market anyway.
The questions are about balance, about desire, about mentality. We do not know the answers to these questions because this is as new a squad as you are likely to find.
Let us get that compact defensive shape right, press the opposition in the middle of the park, break and score some bloody goals. We have cried out for extra experience to take this team to the next level and now there is plenty of that.
So I am not going to concern myself about will we make the top four, will we be pushed out by Liverpool, who do not impress me one bit. I am thinking about us making up those missed points on those two Manchester clubs. We are 8 points behind but there are 105 juicy points to play for.
It is being made out that Manchester United were an indestructible force last season who have now improved. They have brought in some good players but have lost quality and experience in Scholes and van Der Sar. They are not unbeatable, Barcelona brought them down a peg or two in last season's Champions League. Manchester City have plenty of quality but they also have plenty of ego's to juggle. Like us, there is no guarantee that they will gel throughout the season.
If we end up in a fight for fourth place then so be it, if we end up fighting against relegation then so be it. The worst that can happen is that I would be wrong but right now a fight to be the best is what I want and what I expect.
Fancy writing your own articles for fellow Gooners to read? Click Your Vision section.
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07-Sep-2011 18:52 | | Zangi Asenali - there!Well said, ML! I buy your argument!
On Swansea, is Gervinho available, having served 3: Nc, Lpoil and Man U?
Someone enlighten me
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07-Sep-2011 19:00 | | IndiGoonerVery Well writter ML!
Zangi: gerivino and song are out! last match..
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07-Sep-2011 19:02 | | AkshayTotally Agree, I ve read people say now we can challenge for fourth!!!..It is silly with the team we have got now if they gel well on the pitch there is no reason why the title cannot come back to where it belongs!!
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07-Sep-2011 19:05 | | thundertinygoonerBoundless optimism is nice to see and I try not to knock it but our injury record means we are rarely likely to have our best team on the field ever and I think you have been too idealistic in your praise of the squad.It lacks world-class players-we have 3 at most and one is injured long-term.
The big disgrace at Old Trafford was Wenger's inability to adapt tactics.That team were lambs to the slaughter because of the way they were deployed.Our coaching and tactics are very stale our backroom staff are of dubious quality and the team needs a huge injection of confidence. Thankfully we have winnable fixtures but we are light years away from City and United.
And Gervinho is out for one more game.You don't serve a suspension in the game you are sent off in.
Still now I know where to come for a burst of optimism.
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07-Sep-2011 19:06 | | Zangi Asenali - there!Thanks ML!
Someone misled me that: one misses the match one is red carded + 2 others (= 3 matches ). OUCH!!!
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07-Sep-2011 19:06 | | samI like your optimism, but realistically fourth is the best we can hope for this season with the squad we have.
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07-Sep-2011 19:31 | | MeanLean
The history suggests that Arsenal winning the league is unlikely as we have won the league 13 times since the club was founded. 10 times from 1886 to 1996 (pre Wenger)
So that is a league title roughly every 9 and a half seasons from 1886 to 2011 on average.
But as supporters we have to hope that we can do it, Isn't that part of being a supporter?
I will continue to support the Arsenal like I always have, hope for the best. If you put my life on the line then I'd probably say we won't win it but if there is a chance then I shall stick with the 'we will win the league' mantra.
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07-Sep-2011 19:34 | | Zangi Asenali - well, well!Thanks Thundertinygooner for r** card titbits!
I urge you to have stronger faith. With a bit of your realism of course.
Players have to have belief to perfom and fans /surporters have
to have even stronger belief to stomach some results / performances.
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07-Sep-2011 19:55 | | MarkI absolutely agree with you, Akshay! As long as the majority of our first team players remain fit throughout the season and that they gel together, I don't see why we can't challenge for the title! We could even go for a double or treble!
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07-Sep-2011 20:07 | | NealI think you're quite harsh on Arteta. Apparently only four Premiership players create more chances per 90 minutes; the difference is Everton have no strikers (how is that a difference, I hear the doom-mongers say).
The key to replacing Cesc will be to have a player that can move the play on quickly and counter-attack like we used to. Cesc is a great player, but we lost our rapid breaks on the counter with him in the side. I think Arteta can do this.
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07-Sep-2011 20:11 | | MarkSam, are you pessimistic by nature or just have low expectations in life? If most of our first team players remain injury free, we can challenge for a title!
With our current squad, our attacking prowess may have dropped but I still believe they could score reasonably well. As for our defense, it is so much stronger than the last few seasons. Our problem has always been that we conceded too many goals. As long as we can significantly cut down on the goals conceded, we could win a title. With the new defense line-up, I'm confident we could achieve that.
Another important thing about challenging for a title, it's not just about the technical quality of players, mentality plays an extremely huge part too. We were just so mentally weak last season. With this new team, I believe we would be much stronger mentally and that's going to help a lot in winning games and avoid slipping points unnecessarily especially when we're leading.
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07-Sep-2011 21:58 | | Danish Gooner - Title challenge,are you havin a laugh.Hahaha you are all more deluded the the french con artist.Lets have a poll when we have played Swansea.
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07-Sep-2011 22:13 | | Domhuaille - Back to the futureLadies and gentlemen, there is a simple comparison exercise which can help us refine our likely outcomes this season with the players we have available for Saturday.
1) Imagine the best team we fielded last season, in the run-in with RVP, Clichy, Cesc and Nasri playing but without Vermaelen. that team beat Manure but lost 3 games to lesser opponents.
2) Now add Santos (1 goal in every 5 matches), Miyachi, Frimpong, Arteta and Benayoun, Mertesacker and Park (1 goal in every 4 games) but without Gervinho, Wilshere and Song. Would this team have won more games and likely played better than last year's version?
In my humble opinion we have strengthened in ALL areas this season and despite the loss of Cesc,Nasri and Clichy, have improved our attacking options and effectiveness as well as our speed. we have the most powerful striking-midfielder options since the Invincibles (Park,Walcott, RVP, Miyachi, Gervinho, Arteta, Benayoun, Arshavin, Ramsey, Rosicky, Afobe, and AOC) and an absolutely formidable keeper, a stronger back 4 tan last year and a stronger bench squad as well.
To those who say Arteta and Benayoun are not as good as Cesc and Nasri, I cannot argue, but that is on paper. Last year we got 18 good games out of both, the remainder of the season games were very average indeed. If we can get 25-30 better games out of Arteta and Benayoun (I am absolutely positive we will) then we are way ahead of last year. Had we been able to field a full healthy, powerful team composed of the above players, then does anyone here seriously believe we would have tied 8 games, lost 3 and won 3 in the run-in? It ISN'T a matter of what teams have on paper, if it were Chelsea would win everything hands down. It is what chemistry, motivation, conviction, effort and teamwork the players display on the field so in my view, we can expect a dramatic improvement in our fortunes simply based on the drive, commitment, passion and desire to win our new faces bring, including our youth players fighting for a spot. We are in the best spot we've been in since 2005......finally!
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08-Sep-2011 01:17 | | richieWell said Neal. Arsenal with Cesc on the pitch "played everything through Cesc" I've said many times that now we'll need to adapt (minusCesc) and play in a way that suits the players we now have. I hope that means a return to the fast attacking football style we once played.
I've singled out Arshavin's goal against Barca as a great example of us playing the fast attacking one touch football I'd like to see us return to playing. We have plenty of technically gifted players and theirs pace in the team.
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08-Sep-2011 01:51 | | OPGLast season was our best chance really, the squad is weaker in some ways especially the first team but has more depth.
Cesc is a special player even if he was injured for many periods he still managed great stats he can pick out a pass like no one else and as for Nasri even though he only had half a good season imagine if the squad had the option of Gervinho and Nasri.
That is the sort of quality we need overall in the squad to compete with the top 3, as it is realistically we don't have quite enough of that star quality to give an edge.
Getting Top 4 is vital to the club and will be a tough one as it is, keeping everyone fit is important and will ensure that smooth transition this season.
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08-Sep-2011 05:45 | | KcWhat a load of rubbish......... do you really know anything about football...or have you been smoking some funny stuff???
Park scored 4 goals - against Lebanon & Kuwait........ give me a break this means nothing, these sides are not even up to Conference level !
Mertesacker was bl**dy awful in the only match he was chosen to play in against Poland.
Van Persie scored 4 ....against San MArino, no opposition there!
Szeczsney was the only bright light as he had a good game against the Germans.
Great buys & planning by Arsene Wenger as always, now we have both defensive midfielders missing for the ANC, plus Gervinho. Why do we buy these African players when every 2 years we lose them for a whole month of the season?? He only buys 1 centreback when with Vermaelen injury prone and out yet again he should have bought in either Cahill (my preference) or Jagielka irrespective of the cost. Now we have to suffer the dopy Koscielny or the stupid Djourou....I am not even considering Arsene's other "great" signing from last year - Squillachi, or the immature Ignasi..... but what a wonderful prospect luckily we only have Swansea.
Frimpong is back, great we can all sleep soundly in our beds now then!....this guy is clone of Song....who is one of the worst DM's to grace the EPL. Why we didn;t buy the likes of Scott Parker for a paultry 6m I do not know....wouldn;t be because he was English and would scrap for the ball would it??
Another great signing on loan is Benyoun, who is so fragile a gust of wind knocks him over, injuries apart sure maybe he is just a fill in player.... but for goodness sake doesn't this signing smell a little bit of a panic buy???
Arteta...... well yes I have rated him high in the past, but is he the same player that he was 2-3 years ago before the injuries??? If he is fit and on the top of his game he is a good signing, if he isn't Wenger may well have bought in just another player who will grace the injury table more than he will the player of the month rostrom!
Santos....well sure he's Brazilian, has played for the National side....but he was playing for Fernabache, hardly a top side and how many other top side have been clamouring for his services....well er, let me see I don't remember anyone else trying to sign him, so what does that say???
All in all, does it really give us that nice warm glowing feeling???? no I don't think so just yet...a long way to go before we see the light at the end of a very long tunnel I think!!!
All in all
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08-Sep-2011 10:20 | | MeanLeanIf painting the worst case scenario is how you get your kicks then more power to you. If that is how you enjoy supporting the club then go for it. If I felt like that all the time then I'd probably make myself ill.
I actually really enjoying supporting Arsenal and I feel happiness with watching our team play. I expect that you are different and I wouldn't expect you to change. But from a personal point of view, drinking from a half full cup is so much more satisfying.
That is the great thing about opinion, we all have different ones but respectfully, I would much rather have my own that yours.
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08-Sep-2011 10:22 | | MeanLeanDoes it hurt knowing that whatever you do or say will not make any difference to the fact that I love and enjoy my club?
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08-Sep-2011 10:25 | | pikaHAHAHA..and you know football ? ....with djourou and konscielny you beat chelsea 3-1, barcelona 2-1 and manchester 1-0 ....justa reminder
get lost troll
you can always spot a troll....he says the things a chelsea or a manc would say
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08-Sep-2011 10:31 | | MeanLeanI certainly think we are going to see a shift in our approach to games. Gervinho, Wilshere, Walcott, Santos, AOC, Ryo etc etc are all direct players and without the game flowing through one man, it should make us less predictable. I am excited to see how it pans out
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09-Sep-2011 00:05 | | Clown Catcher - You are the trollNow get back to the board and list the games in which we shamefully lost with both Djourou and Kos playing..Did you forget that part?Oh..you did me thinks..conveniently eh? Djourou will never be that CB Wenger thinks!Never!
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13-Sep-2011 17:41 | | CHGooner - Now that is funnyRight ML, I think we will finish between 6 th and 8th. You think we can challenge for the title so I'll give you positions 1-3. If I'm right do you think Wenger should go? If you 're right he'll stay ( he'll stay wherever we finish we all know that, but humour me) so that seems reasonable to me ML? What do you think?
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