Written by Mean Lean
on
Thursday, 13 January 2011 13:37
A truly shocking and dismal night at Portman road has left me feeling somewhat flat this afternoon. A very strange game of football unfolded in the Suffolk rain yesterday evening.
Arsene shocked me with a very strong line up, one that boasted the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere and Andrey Arshavin. It was a line up which you would expect to grab three points at most grounds in the Premier League, let alone against a lowly Championship club who have just come off the back of a 7-0 beating by a Chelsea side in a poor run of form.
I was intrigued to see how the Denilson, Cesc and Wilshere trio would function, three mobile midfielders who should be able to carve apart Ipswich for fun. Our forward line had on paper a much better balance than the one that struggled against Leeds United a few days earlier. I was more than surprised to see Johan Djourou lining up in the heart of our defence again, if anyone was to sit out then I expected it to have been the Swiss international.
We started the game sharply, Bendtner chased down Ipswich players from the first whistle and our midfield interchanged very well, as expected the home side sat back and tried to catch us on the break.
Everything was looking fine until in and around the Ipswich penalty area. Our passing was quicker and sharper than it was on Saturday but we continued to run into a blue wall. All three attacking forwards had absolutely no change from the Ipswich defence. At times it looked as if they have twice as many players as we did, as we passed from side to side awaiting an opening that just did not come.
As the game went on our passing became more and more careless and sloppy. Denilson, Eboue, Arshavin and Cesc all guilty of lacking concentration at various times in the first half. At one stage the possession statistics were ridiculous, over 65% of the ball yet Martin Fullop could have brought along his sleeping back and cup of hot chocolate.
The home team, almost realising that a spanking that may have been expected in some of the players minds, was just not going to happen today. How could it, when their goalkeeper was having probably his easiest game in months. They started to sense that they could get something from this game and started to give their fans something to cheer about. Priskin, the lone forward started to get into his stride. One step over and bending shot, whistled narrowly past the far post.
His acrobatic over head kick flew into the net but was correctly flagged for offside.
The game reminded me of our away performance at Braga, more than our fair share of the ball with zero end product. There would also be the same sting in the tail come the second half.
It was more of the same after the break, I would have expected the team to have stepped it up after half time, show a bit more purpose and enthusiasm. More movement from the forward players, better combinations from our players but it just did not happen.
Against Manchester United and Chelsea this season, our team have dealt extremely well with long balls over the top, we have won our headers and not left our central defenders square on with each other but not last night. Koscielny was our best player overall yet still made mistakes.
One launched ball over the top should have been meat and drink to Koscielny and Djourou but the ball sailed over their heads to the onrushing Priskin who took too long to execute his finish which allowed Djourou the time to recover and make the clearance over his crossbar.
Cesc miscued our best chance of the game, Gibbs' cross cleared Chamakh and off the thigh of our captain and over the bar.
Priskin wouldn't have to wait long before he had the chance to redeem himself. A ball played through the middle encouraged the Hungarian to chase, his first touch set him up nicely for a Torres-esque side foot into the corner of the net.
Nicklas Bendtner and Andrey Arshavin had almost disappeared into a puff of smoke and their contribution to the game was not enough. Arsene Wenger replaced Bendtner for Chamakh and Arshavin for Vela as the game went on but by that point, the game had already taken its path.
One of the only decent exchanges in our forward line saw Cesc slip Walcott in on the right which Fullop was equal to, the same happened on the left with the exact same result.
Ipswich could have scored a second when one long ball set Edwards clean through on the right with no Arsenal player within 10 yards, his side footed finish was saved well by Szczesny.
Not much else happened after that, it was a very poor showing from pretty much every member of the Arsenal team.
As poor as it was I am not overly concerned about this isolated result as we are more than capable of turning it around at the Emirates, my big worry is that the team that swarmed over Chelsea and carved apart Birmingham City have lost their momentum, lost that spark and fluidity in the final third.
The game against West Ham is now vital not only the result but the performance of the team.
Szczesny (7)
Eboue (4.5)
Koscielny (7)
Djourou (6)
Gibbs (6)
Denilson (4.5)
Cesc (4.5)
Wilshere (5.5)
Walcott (5)
Bendtner (4)
Arshavin (4)
Please note that ratings are only my interpretations of the game and that others will have differing opinions
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