Written by Mean Lean on Wednesday, 15 February 2012 11:39

Big game later on this evening. It is a game that I am very much looking forward to without the pre match nerves that usually take over about this time. Maybe my nerves are stuck in traffic right now and will turn up later on. In fact, I am certain that will be the case.

I feel rather confident about this for some reason, perhaps I have the 2008 game still floating around the back of my mind. A game that made me so proud to be a Gooner, we went to Milan absolutely fearless and we made them chase shadows in their own back yard. What a wonderful game that was. I cannot remember many games that made me so proud watching 90 minutes.

I hope we see something like that tonight but both teams are very different to that of 2008. Anyway, this is not the preview, that will be up later on.

I just wanted to play a bit of Arsenal news catch up as I haven't been able to say very much of late. Firstly poor Per Mertesacker looks to be sidelined for sometime and that is very harsh for the big lad. I blame that awful mess that was the Sunderland pitch. Arsenal should complain to the FA about this. Like I said in my Sunderland post match article, it is just unacceptable.

These are Premier League football players not Sunday league players. They should be playing on Premier League level pitches and nothing less. No excuses.

Mertesacker has had a very steady and consistent season regardless of how he has been portrayed by others outside of the club. This is his first season in a new country, playing for a new team with new team mates and he has never hid. The chances are that he will only improve from next season onwards and that is good news.

As unfortunate as it is, I see a silver lining around the corner and it comes in the shape of a defensive trio that could make one of the strongest units in the league. Laurent Koscielny, Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna. A mobile, quick and aggressive trio that could be on show in Italy later on tonight.

With Mertesacker in the side we have had to adjust our game a little, our defensive line has had to drop a little deeper to protect the German's lack of pace. We may well start to squeeze teams a little higher in their half now and hopefully that will see us become stronger offensively.

It is incredible that what I believe is our best defensive combination has yet to play a game together this season. It is difficult to build momentum and a string wins together without a strong foundation behind them, especially without any full backs for so long.

It is fair to say that we should be much stronger defensively next season from the start with erm, a defence together.

The world outside Arsenal seem to be finally catching up to reality.. finally. There is a good article in the Independent about the rise of Laurent Koscielny Well worth a read I'd say.

Our goals against tally and his performances are at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. If it wasn't for Robin van Persie he would be pretty confident of taking home the Arsenal player of the season awards. I have always taken attacking players under my favourite player wing, probably because I have always been an attacking player myself when playing the game so I appreciate them a little more but almost for the first time I really appreciate and enjoy watching a central defender do what he does best.

With a partnership with Vermaelen still at the learning stages, I suspect that my enjoyment will only increase the more those two play together.

While Mertesacker will be missing until next season, it is not the case for Jack Wilshere according to Arsene Wenger. Apparently he could be back in a months time. After his recent set back, I have convinced myself that he will be out for the rest of the season, that way I will avoid any disappointment if he has another set back and if he actually makes it back before the season end then I can weep tears of joy.

I am still waiting to see Arteta fizzing in one of his low sharp passes into Wilshere's feet who takes the sting out of it and jinks past a defender in one movement. I keep seeing that in my head and when it happens I will capture that moment and turn it into a gif and paste it somewhere on the site. It almost feels like a very vivid dream. Wouldn't it be nice if it was the move before the goal in the Champions League final or something. One can dream can't one?

I was looking at the league table the other day and it struck me how Arsenal and Chelsea were in pretty much the exact same position. Same points, equal goal difference, we are above them on goals scored.

Interesting that we started the season so badly with players suspended, new players not yet signed. Then having to adjust when the new players came in and lastly having to find our game with no fit full backs. There certainly hasn't been much consistency for us this season so I look over to West London and wonder, how on earth does a team with resources so high manage to have the same amount of points as us at this stage after all our problems?

How does a team that forked out roughly £70m last January on top of what they already had find themselves in fifth in the table? With the worlds sought after up and coming manager behind them, they started the season as favourites in many a pundits eye. It is quite incredible really.

The obvious comparisons are that both teams are in transition. A different type of transition though. Chelsea's version is a change of philosophy, management, a different way of playing the game. Where as we have new personnel more than anything else, we have had to try and incorporate up to four or five new starters at any one time in certain games. Mertesacker, Santos, Arteta, Gervinho and Chamberlain.

It has taken the players time to play a new way and it has also taken the old players time to shake off the Cesc way. The first part of the transition seems to be over with and hopefully the team can improve from now on. It will be interesting to see which club reaches where they want to get to first. One club has the structure and foundations already in place, the other has the cash.

The legend that is Dennis Bergkamp has a few things to say about Arsenal in the Telegraph I would absolutely love a player like that back at the club as some sort of strikers coach. Our forwards would learn so much from him, as indeed a young Robin van Persie did when the master was still at the club. I'd give it a couple of training sessions before you see Chamakh turning on the edge of the area and chipping the ball into the opposite corner over the keeper. Ok, perhaps a few more than a couple sessions but the idea of Gervinho, Ramsey, Chamberlain, Afobe and eventually Joel Campbell picking up tips about finishing could take this team forward a level. You never know in future.

Anyhoo, I am off for now and as I said earlier, I will be posting the pre Milan article later at some point so be sure to check back.

'till then.

Bonus reading: Your Vision - Starters Vs Subs Vs Sold

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Comments (12)

• 15-Feb-2012 12:02 | | Vuja De  - Better Late Than Never
  

  In terms of Koscielny finally getting some recognition from Fleet Street, the question is, why has it taken them so long to see what the more discerning Arsenal fans saw from Day 1, when Koscielny made his debut against Liverpool at Anfield?

• 15-Feb-2012 12:10 | | Drayton Park Rambo  - Vermaelen-Koscielny
  

  Totally agree. These two are the best CB pairing we have. Only played once together this season vs West Brom at the Emirates. Probably the most professional drubbing we've given anyone at the Emirates this season. These two didn't give them a sniff. Quietly confident about tonight. Genuinely believe on paper we are a better side
  
  2-0 to the gooners
  
  come on!

• 15-Feb-2012 12:13 | | g clarke  - well done
  

  like finding a needle in hay stack to find arsenal blogger who backs the club arsenal will have team of mostly 23 and under of top players next season and 6-8 yrs ahead to win everything

• 15-Feb-2012 12:20 | | MeanLean
  

  I'd even go back to the Emirates cup, he looked classy from then. If he continues his progress then we could soon see one of the best defenders in world football. Still only 26 years old.
  
  @Drayton Park Rambo
  
  I think we have the tempo and energy that they cannot handle if we play them correctly. I hope we go for it tonight.

• 15-Feb-2012 12:24 | | MeanLean
  

  G Clarke, I agree with you. While it is easy to roll around the mud of doom today, it seems pretty clear to me that we have a group of young and very talented individuals at the club.
  
  Jack, Rambo, AOC, Coquelin, Szczesny and so on could all be world class. Keeping them together is the only real task but if they do then I am very confident of the future.

• 15-Feb-2012 12:27 | | pika
  

  hehehe mean lean someone came yestarday and asked were do you see arsenal in 5 -6 years time ....lol ....
  
  just give him the following lineup and if he still sees darkness then call him clueless
  
  ------------shcesny--------
  --jenks--verm--kons--gibbs
  -------------coq/frim--------
  --------ram----------wils----
  --ryo----------------------ox
  --------------theo------------
  
  most of them are already competing against 26 and 27 and 28 and 30 yearolds for highest honours from ages 17 and above....

• 15-Feb-2012 13:46 | | Hal
  

  'It is incredible that what I believe is our best defensive combination has yet to play a game together this season'
  
  
  ...unless the manager doesnt agree with you of course! You, like many many football fans over the years have been fooled by the curse of the footballing centre half (Yes media, Des Walker IS a better than Tony Adams... )
  
  Yes both Vermy and Kos LOOK like better players than Mert, and as pure footballers, they probably are. But a blind man can see that Mert and Vermy is a vastly superior partnership than Kos and Vermy. Its about partnerships and balance. Kos and Vermy , I suspect, will do ok against Milan (except that our genius of a manager will probably leave Vermy at left back) but will be cannon fodder to Prem clubs bombing in high balls looking for late equalisers or winners. Even with his improved second season, Kos is still error prone and, at the end of the day is just too lightweight to play alongside Vermy in the prem. Per, warts and all, is a massive masive loss.

• 15-Feb-2012 14:25 | | Vuja De
  

  @Hal,
  
  I don't have the stats immediately to hand, but I believe that they show that both Koscielny & Vermaelen are far superior to Mertesacker when it comes to winning balls in the air. And that's despite Mertesacker's height.

• 15-Feb-2012 15:54 | | Anonymous
  

  Vuja De
  
  I have no axe to grid with either player - they are all gooners. But Irrespective of the statistics (and I would still be very surprised if what you say is true) Kos just doenst have the physical presence of Per. Yes he is excellent alognside a stronger player, but the centre of defence needs a physical shield. Kos and Vermy are great at recovery, but someone like Per cuts out danger before the need for recovery.
  
  Arsenals problems over the past few years have stemmed from the amount of defenders who,even though they are good players, their best asset is getting themselves out of trouble (Clichy, Gallas, Kolo and now Kos and to a lesser extent Vermy). But alongside such players it is an absolte MUST to have a player who will prevent the trouble from happening in the first place. Per is not a world beater by a long way. But he is the best partner for either Kos or Vermy that we have.

• 15-Feb-2012 16:21 | | Razor
  

  It was pretty clear that koscielny had potential from his first game. I would say that that potential was combined initially with being slightly error prone. He has since made steady improvement and is more and more like the player that all arsenal fans hope he can become. He without doubt has become a top CB in the premiership, probably in the top 6/7 as we speak. I wouldnt by any means call his 10 mill price tag a steal. Vieira at 3.5 is a steal. RVP at 2.75 is a steal. Pires at 6 is a steal. Freddie at 3.5 is a steal. Overmans at 6 was a steal. When Koscielny has become our rock season in season out, and we have won leagues and cups with him as a mainstay then we can call him a steal at 10 mill for a CB. ( and I sincerely hope we can call him a complete steal in the future!!) I think it's important that we keep our feet on the ground of reality and not let our arsenal bias and hope obscure it!!! Up the gooners 2nite!!!

• 15-Feb-2012 18:37 | | Thundertinygooner  - Pressure off
  

  This has something like the vibe of 2006 about it when a very unfenced team turned over Real Madrid an ageing giant in the last 16. If we avoid the Spanish clubs a place in the final is very viable and not many teams played better against Barca than we did last season.
  I am a great fan of Mertesacker,you don't earn well over 70 caps for Germany at his age unless you're very good.I suspect European football would suit him well. But we have a chance tonight of getting at least one away goal and of bringing them back to London on equal terms or better.Keep the faith!
  (re the team for the future shown in the comments I'd put Afobe ahead of Theo and put Gnabry in midfield)

• 16-Feb-2012 09:13 | | Subir Kumar Roy  - Dennis Bergkhamp's observations
  

  Dear ML,
  
  Surely must have gone through the recent interview of Dennis in the Telegraph. Coming from an all time great of Arsenal, it does reinforce the fact that there are problems, problems with the players mentality, attitude and focus on things, monetary and material and feeling of being contented with just qualifying for CL places.
  
  Feel sorry for Arsenal FC

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