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Do we need to buy in January or will that be a bonus?
My Vision
Written by Mean Lean on Saturday, 05 November 2011 17:25
I really enjoyed that win today, so much so that I thought I would quickly jot down a few thoughts. A type of pre-post match thoughts if you will.
The victory at Chelsea has obviously helped with the confidence levels and that was there for all to see, especially in the second half.
The Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen duo was just as formidable as I remembered they were. Aggressive, pro active and cultured. They were perched high up the field and pushed West Brom into the sea of red and white shirts. West Brom tried to play early balls into the channels and over the heads of our center backs but they were thwarted time and time again. These two have to be our first choice pairing when fit in most games.
Mikel Arteta has played a lot of football of late but he looked anything but tired as he gracefully floated around the pitch, linking up the play, making those around him tick. Always available for the pass, switches the play with ease and his goal was wonderfully taken. Arsene could not have described him any better when he stated that he brings the team technical security.
Carl Jenkinson looks like a player who is now starting to believe in himself, starting to relax and not worry about what 60 thousand people are thinking of him.
But what was better than any individual performance and there were many out there, was the work and fight the team had when not on the ball. This has beaten Arsenal more than most opposition teams in the last few years. This fixture last season is the perfect example. This afternoon, the work from every single player in red and white was just exceptional and it made me very proud.
At one point, at two or three up, West Brom had an attack and the likes of Gervinho, Song, Arteta and many more players were sprinting after the West Brom players, preventing them from having time on the ball. What is even better is that this hard work came against a team that many of the Arsenal players would expect to beat and that puts us in good stead.
If that work rate continues every single week along with the quality of van Persie, Arteta, Song, Ramsey and co then this team will go very far.
The attitude of this team has already surpassed the squad of last season and that is good enough for me.
19 points from 11 games. Level on points with big spending Liverpool and also Tottenham who still have two games in hand. We have some big players still to return to the squad, so perhaps we can throw the crisis tag in the bin once and for all.
Onwards and upwards.
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05-Nov-2011 17:48 | | fatmanYep very correct but i think song needs a brthr as well he is one hell of player we ,cant afrd to ls thru injury
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05-Nov-2011 17:49 | | Valentin - The next 5 game are crucialsThe next 5 games are crucial.
Arsenal needs to take full points against the minnow and potentially a draw against money bag ManCity.
Newcastle's next three games are against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.
Chelsea has 3 hard games out of the next six: Liverpool, Manchester City and Spurs plus Newcastle.
Liverpool's next two game are Chelsea and Manchester City.
We have a good chance to overtake them.
If we could be in the top 3 by Christmas, we have then a good chance to stay there and start looking at a title shot rather than check whether we can make the top 4.
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05-Nov-2011 18:14 | | I centI seriously dnt believe we nid anoda striker,rather i tink we nid a player who can play on d wing and in the midfield and that will be goetze bt i think barring any injuries wenger will nt buy anybody come january(except an exceptional talent becomes available) especialy if the ox or ryo is "ready"as he xpects.
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05-Nov-2011 19:53 | | The Verminator - Fantasy football time againThe loss of Song, Frimpong and Chamakh for the African cup shouldn't represent a big problem as Wilshere, Diaby and Sagna should be back by then.
we now have Park,Chamakh, Ryo and Arshavin, all of whom can play up front as needed but another killer striker like RVP would be the icing on the cake,so to speak.
Great team display today and as our defence strengthens (more shutouts) and our midfield continues to develop, we can just pray that the next International break doesn't deliver any injuries to AFC!!!
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05-Nov-2011 20:08 | | MakmendeCameroon didn't qualify for cup of nation so song will be available come jan!
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05-Nov-2011 20:15 | | Kwadwo - CorrectionSong will not go to the ACN because Cameroun did not qualify.
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05-Nov-2011 20:40 | | Mark WengerLets keep our feet on the ground and continue to work hard. If the Spuds win their 2 games in hand thats 6 points so theres still alot of work to do before we can teven hink about the title.
in Arsne we trust :-
05-Nov-2011 23:04 | | MeanLean
I certainly wouldn't be against any quality additions in January, perhaps a player or two who can lift the creative and goalscoring burden from Ramsey and/or RVP.
Whatever anyone has said or continues to say, there is plenty of quality in this squad and there always has been.
We also have players who we can look forward to breaking through come the second half of the season. Players like Park, Ryo and Chamberlain all have loads of quality that we haven't properly seen yet as they are all still adjusting. That to me is very exciting.
As I said in the article, the most impressive part of today was the shift the team put in against an inferior team, that makes me very happy.
We have seen us fight against the likes of Chelsea before and then stroll around in these types of games but Wenger has shifted some of the complacent players and replaced them with fighters like Arteta who will graft regardless of the opposition.
Long may that continue.
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05-Nov-2011 23:08 | | Aubrey - GoonersHi Gooners awesome to see all of us in good moods after the West Brom game (which I only watched in highlights). Just have a message for all of you, keep the faith, and in Wenger we trust. Forward. Arsenal.
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05-Nov-2011 23:53 | | Lee - Watch!!!Prediction - You Heard It Hear First ....
Arsenal will be the 1st team - and possibly the only team this season - to beat Man City. I can feel it, i can see it, I can smell it!
(now let us all hope Fulham beat the Spuds by 2 goals tmrw and we'll go above them - our worst start in 58 years and we'll still be above them, that will be sweet!)
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06-Nov-2011 00:00 | | MeanLeanLee, you know that smell you can smell?
Well I can smell it also. I have been feeling that way for the last few weeks, especially after the Chelsea game.
I can just see us taking the game to them and being too good. Now would be the right time to play them as I think we could beat anyone in the PL today.
As you say, lets refocus and continue working hard in our next few matches and hopefully continue to pick up victories then we will see where we are at when the City game comes around.
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06-Nov-2011 03:29 | | legionaire - Buying in JanWe rarely buy in Jan and i think we will continue to do so.
if we really do, i hope we go for Goetze, he seems so composed and elegant. But this is unlikely going to happen as Dortmund seems now moving up gear in their domestic competition.
I am sorry but i think Diaby had used up all his entitled medical leave. He should be allowed to go. We cannot wait week in week out for him to repay his wages by playing for us.
Anyway, think he will soon deemed as surplus as Oxley and Ramsey continue to improve.
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06-Nov-2011 04:32 | | Charlie - InternationalThe great thing about the international break is that, Arteta, Song, Jenkinson, will have their much needed break to refresh themselves.
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06-Nov-2011 07:03 | | browni can smell nd also feel arsenal winning big teams but i am terrified,cause i also feel d injuries cming to hunt the gunners again.so the best option 4 wenger is to buy experienced players cme jan.2 prevent dis reoccurance(maybe)
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06-Nov-2011 08:17 | | Big-Ernie - Agree with you !!I was shocked and amazed at the performance yesterday ! we challenged for everything, we got tight to people, we defended, we only had a couple of shakey moments in the whole 90 mins and we were clinical in front of goal
- If I have to balance this and find one SLIGHT negative, (besides the brilliant goal) I thought Arteta could have got himself into the game a bit more, as I felt it passed him by him a bit in the first half especially ....... BUT back 4 were great, Kos continued to play well (although did get away with pushing Thomas in the box and he needs to watch that) but Verm and Jenkinson were outstanding for me today ...... Lets hope they can replicate this with some of the more "bigger" teams (we've done Chelsea, now for the rest !), sign a couple in January and actually turn the season around !! ....... Amazin'
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06-Nov-2011 09:59 | | MeanLeanDiaby has until January at the very worst to prove his fitness. A superb player when fit but that has been a problem for him so far.
I loved what I saw of Mario Gotze against us, I haven't seen much of him before that game apart from highlights but he looks very much an Arsene Wenger, Arsenal creative player. The thing is, if Aaron Ramsey continues to progress the way he is and the return of Jack Wilshere, will there really be space/need for a player like Gotze at that price?
Dortmund would want massive amounts of cash, probably more than £30m. Would we part with that cash with two creative players at the club of his age group? I cannot see it happen.
This January will be very interesting.
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06-Nov-2011 10:12 | | pika(although did get away with pushing Thomas in the box and he needs to watch that)
i understand what youre saying ,, but had the ref given that as penalty then he should have given the one on arteta minutes earlier....
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06-Nov-2011 12:14 | | Johnsomeone correct me if i'm wrong but i don't think Camaroon quilified for the African cup of nations, so Song going won't be an issue.
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06-Nov-2011 18:03 | | AjIf you swap in Swansea for Blackpool, I make it that we are 3 points better off this season than last, for the same fixtures.
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06-Nov-2011 21:55 | | richieFair point Aj! Its something that I many of us had probably overlooked.
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08-Nov-2011 16:07 | | gooner26 - 1st choice cb'skoscielny has really improved recently nd vermaelen is our best cb... but i think mertesacker n vermaelen shud be our preferred 1st choice cbs(kos as primary backup).
mert may lack pace, but his positional sense,tackling nd heading r excellent.he brings calmness,height nd experience to d squad.. koscielny does not.
mert heads away a lot of long aerial balls and setpieces, avoiding potential chances fr d oppos'n.
also mert'skr cn be a threat on offensive setpieces nd i think he just needs a lil bit more time 2 adapt to epl.
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