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Merry Crimble ML and all
Merry Crimble ML and all
My Vision
Written by Mean Lean on Saturday, 24 December 2011 12:47
It has been fairly obvious that Thierry Henry will be staying on loan at Arsenal. According to the likes of Martin Keown, Henry has been fantastic in training. He will fill the stadium, he will add quality to the bench and can play in both van Persie and Gervinho's position. He has been training with the current players so he knows them and they know him. I do not quite understand the view about tarnishing his reputation because he might not be as good as he was when he was last a registered player at the club.
If that is our thinking then shouldn't we sell Robin van Persie now just in case he declines?
Thierry Henry status and record at Arsenal will remain regardless of his contribution this time round. We are under no illusions that we will be signing a different Henry to the one that ripped the Premier League to shreds back in 2003/04.
The same way that Ryan Giggs is not the same Ryan Giggs that could play every three days for Manchester United at a very high level. Henry will be coming back to do a job, probably as a bit part player.
Coming on for the final 20 minutes to either rest tired Dutch legs or to attempt to join Robin in rescuing slipping points. He might be declining physically but his awareness, his first touch and his finishing will not have gone anywhere.
However there is an argument for needing a longer term solution on top of the loan signing of Thierry Henry but I cannot help but think that a choice like that would be linked to the players we already have in our squad. It hasn't really been the Arsenal way to replace players before players in the same position have departed. Much of that could well be down to the new squad rules but equally it could be due to squad harmony or finance. Who knows? I certainly don't.
In yesterday's blog I wanted to talk about Yossi Benayoun but I completely forgot. I do tend to do that a lot. I have loads to say about a subject but I end up veering off track and end up in a completely new location.
Firstly I want to hold my hands up and admit that my early judgement of Yossi was incorrect. I liked him from the bits that I had seen from West Ham and Liverpool but after watching the Shrewsbury match I made the mistake that so many do and that is judging a player too early. I went home writing Yossi off as a player not good enough to contribute to the first team.
A few months later, I now remember why I admired the player from afar at other clubs. Technically, I like what I see, a player who passes and moves, likes to play one-two's and scores goals but what I like more than anything else is his hunger and work rate.
I cannot think of a time when I have seen him standing still when we are not in possession of the ball. Players like that cannot be underestimated. A team with limited ability can be a good side with the right attitude and commitment. With the likes of Bendtner and Nasri in the squad of previous years, that fight hasn't always been consistent in our squad.
I feel for the guy right now because he deserves to have started more games in our strongest side. A player with his ability and experience could work well with Robin van Persie. In fact it has been said that our current team does not keep the ball as well as teams of the past and that is true given our first team starters today but I believe that a team looking like the following would pass and move like the best of them.
Now obviously I know the reason why we have changed our style slightly and that has worked a treat, I wouldn't change our directness in attack but watching this possession side would be nice to see how it would work. Probably back to the eye of the needle stuff that was either exquisite or frustrating I guess.
Anyway, back to Yossi Benayoun, he should play his part in the upcoming games against Wolves and QPR. Arsene doesn't seem to fancy him in the advanced midfield role, in the Carling cup he has played out wide for the most part even when Andrey Arshavin has started so I expect to see him wide again the next time we see him perhaps with Rosicky playing in Ramsey's position. We have plenty of time for that discussion.
With that, I am off to pretend to my kids that I am in some sort of festive mood.
Back tomorrow with some form of greeting.
Enjoy your day.
Fancy writing your own articles for fellow Gooners to read? Click Your Vision section.
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24-Dec-2011 16:07 | | Austine - SigningsI would be happy to see these players in Arsenal shirt comes January: Podolski, Cavani, Gotze, Hazard, Van Der Wiel & Kolo Toure
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24-Dec-2011 17:33 | | Vuja De - Season's GreetingsMerry Xmas Mean Lean, and all Arsenalvision regulars.
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24-Dec-2011 17:34 | | Pascal ZidaneI'm still on the fence re Yossi, love the guy but he maybe the impact player from the bench we need. Nothing more.
I'll give him a run of games and maybe he'll prove me wrong.
By the way, the reason why our possession football has fallen away a little is due to the simple fact: we lost two major playmakers in Cesc and Nasri.
Hate to say it, but Na$ri looks after the ball very well, even tho' he's a money-grabbing, dodgy underwear-wearing, horse-faced ****!
Now I believe we've replaced him with the impressive Gervinho, brilliant.
The guy we haven't replaced yet is Fabregas.
Wenger needs to address this pronto.
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24-Dec-2011 17:58 | | mr hMerry Christmas to you ML and all the Visionists... all the way from Montevideo!!! Monday I'm gonna visit their football museum!!!!!!!!! Feliz Navidad!!!!
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24-Dec-2011 18:45 | | dyyour selection of the team certainly worths a try, personally I don't quite happy with Walcott and Gervinho's performance so far. But knowing Arsene, he's not going to make changes at the moment. Hopefully in Jan when Gervinho isn't available. The new formation in front would look something like this: a spade or diamond
Wilshere
TR7 Yossi
RVP
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25-Dec-2011 01:22 | | TammyI think the line up you have come up with is still ok, but our possession football will be compromised to some extent. The way we are playing these days is more direct and it has caused the opposition some tactical problems.Our game plan is now less predictable and more difficult to deal with compared to our last year team .
Forget Nasri, if we can a more creative attacking mid fielder to replace Cesc we can do very well in the champions league and finish among the top 4 in EPL.
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25-Dec-2011 06:13 | | kevinYa rt. Write a cheque for £150 million to the gaffer and ur wish will be fulfilled.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL YOU GOONERS.
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25-Dec-2011 07:24 | | jnycI agree we need a central attacking midfielder who can finish. Ramsey looks exhausted cause he works so hard. But even before he was tired he couldnt finish well. And still doubts about theos finishing also. Gerv decent at this. Mata would have been perfect, now we need to pay even more for someone. Our back four when healthy will be best in the league. Sagna santos verm and kos. Mert gibbs jenks backups.
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25-Dec-2011 12:13 | | Nura - Even me i will be happy if they become arsenal plaI wll b hapy if thse plyr arivd at arsenal mario gotze, podolski hazard nd pato
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26-Dec-2011 03:52 | | Jamaican Gunner - Dream (Realistic) TransfersIn: That Belgian V named dude. Don't wanna try typing his name and end up swearing
Podolski: RVP aint invincible you know.
Gourcouf?/Hazard/Goetze :- We need a Cesc -esque type, who can
make something out ouf nothing, and
also score from distance.
Out: - Diaby - the sheen is gone, we will never see the best of him
Arshavin - Self Defeated
Squllaci - He's hiding, but Im quite aware, he is still there.
Chamahk - No heart..No fight
Who we should not take back from loan:
Bendnter - Duh !
Deniison
Vela - Sigh, had such good
expectations, but ox and
miyaichi and park has ate
his food.
Who we should not give back from loan: - Benayoun
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26-Dec-2011 11:14 | | richie - Realistic Gooners & SigningsGooners on this blog (for the most part) have wised up and become more realistic. We'll ask for one player from a list not over half a first team.
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28-Dec-2011 09:38 | | Robin - Van Awesomebenayoun was great on the ball yesterday. lacked a bit of pace but overall had a pretty good game. was a shame to see him get replaced by the russian retard who looks ever so lost in an arsenal shirt.wud have loved to see THE OX though. when the thoughts of maybe just maybe how he cud have made an impact against citeh were on everyones mind, wenger bringing on the tried and tested failure in arshavin was a bad move. shud have given the OX a run. weve seen already with gervinho how directness in moving the ball can make a difference when the tippy tappy stuff we try to pull off doesnt work. but arsene know better. hope the points dropped yesterday and against the likes of blackburn and fulham dont haunt us come may.
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28-Dec-2011 13:39 | | richieBenayoun was O.K. first 45 but he faded badly 2nd half. I think both he and Rosicky lacked match fitness which naturally affected their game. I agree to a certain extent that without Theo's speed our play is slowed, but the way Wolves set themselves up (with their back 4 never far from their own area) limited our ability to get behind them, which means Theo's speed wouldn't have counted most of the time.
Faced with two tight banks of four there is really only two answeres. First someone with real close ball control dribbles passed one or two of the opposition, and then has either the coolness to finish clinically themselves, or plays someone else into a can't miss scorring position. Second someone with vision plays the killer through pass and another member of the team read his intentions and runs forward anticipating the pass picks it up a finishes. Apart from scoring from a set piece (not one of our strong points) its the only real way, trying to pass your way through a massed defence in tight little triangles is virtually impossible.
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