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Top article as usual. Keeping my fingers crossed for a result against Udinese and no more injuries! And a couple of new players with a cherry on top.
Reviews
Written by Mean Lean on Monday, 22 August 2011 12:50
One away draw and one home loss isn't the best way to start a league season, especially given the way we fell apart at the end of last campaign. Our former captain is playing in another shirt while other squad members have been moved on also. We are looking very thin and have had to shoulder some of the burden onto younger players such as Carl Jenkinson and Emmanuel Frimpong, both I have to say did not look out of place in the slightest.
Cries for Arsene to spend the money has increased, especially as Laurent Koscielny fell to the floor unchallenged with back problems and had to be replaced by Spanish reserve captain Ignasi Miquel who also put in a very good shift.
While I am a fully paid up member of the need to spend fan club, let us not neglect the fact that we were missing eight players through either suspension or injury.
Suspended
Song
Gervinho
Injury
Wilshere
Djourou
Gibbs
Diaby
Rosicky
Traore
Eight players is three off a full team of players. Four of those players are certain starters (Song, Wilshere, Gibbs and Gervinho) I suspect that most teams would struggle to produce their best football in those circumstances.
That being said, the need for added creativity is looking clearer and clearer with every passing minute we play. Ramsey failed to stamp his authority on the game as Liverpool's midfield started to dominate the game. It is currently a big ask for Ramsey to make the difference in the final third. Apart from Ramsey's wonderful curling pass through to Theo Walcott in one of our games in Asia, I struggle to count more than a handful of successful splitting passes since that game.
Emmanuel Frimpong has quite frightening potential. A fighter, full of commitment and a physical freak of nature. As Arsene said, he needs to curb his enthusiasm. His second yellow card was fully justified. Mistimed and reckless. His first yellow card was laughable. A Liverpool player played a pass and Sagna slid in an attempt to cut the pass out. The ball went out of play and it was not clear if a touch was made by Sagna or not. Frimpong went to take the ball from Henderson and the two squared up. Handbags at the most and Frimpong received a yellow card.
The referee glanced up and rolled that into Frimpong's path. Set him up nicely for red card. Well done referee.
Thomas Vermaelen was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch. I had actually forgotten how good he is until I watched him completely dominate Andy Carroll on the ground and in the air.
This Thomas Vermaelen would have made a huge difference last season in so many ways. Leadership, power, aggression, goals and organisation. It is vitally important that he stays fit for as many games as possible.
Vermaelen was not the only rock in our defence, the man behind him was equally impressive. Wojciech Szczesny looks far more aggressive this season from crosses and dominated his area superbly. Work still needs doing on his kicking but the need for a new keeper looks very much like a distant memory.
Defensively the team shape looked decent, especially considering the long list of missing players on top of the players we expect to be heading into the club. Offensively it was a different story.
We currently look very short on ideas, too many players in the attacking third of the pitch are out of sorts and it shows. Robin Van Persie looks a very lonely figure playing as the Arsenal spearhead. He is not being supported enough consistently by our midfield. When Cesc was in the side he often pushed himself up the pitch, almost creating a 4-4-2 at times. Without Gervinho in the side we didn't have any players close enough to Van Persie to combine with him.
Theo Walcott stuck to the right and often found himself running in straight lines into trouble. I don't know if it was a tactical ploy by Arsene Wenger or if Theo Walcott just didn't make enough diagonal runs. Whatever the reason, it didn't work and his contribution to the game was minimal. Walcott is at his best when he is running behind the opposition defence allowing his team mates to thread passes through. That didn't happen enough.
Andrey Arshavin's inconsistency concerns me. He looks in better shape this season but his hot and cold moments are all to frequent. Much of the pre match focus was on Samir Nasri, his attitude and how he would be received by the fans and I have to say that both the attitude of the player and fans was spot on.
It actually left me feeling a little sad as to what it could have been. Whilst Samir Nasri cannot make a defence splitting pass to save his life, his driving dribbles with the ball at his feet are breathtaking. One run from deep in his own half ended up with a dragged shot just wide, it would have been one of the goals of the season.
Forget about central defenders, or left backs. The priority for Wenger must be to replace the missing creativity from the team. The return of Jack Wilshere will help but missing Cesc is bad enough without the goals, flair and drive of Nasri.
Even with so many missing players, it took an Arsenal red card, an offside and unfortunate bad luck for Liverpool to take the lead. Miquel clearing the ball into the face of Ramsey before looping over Szczesny.
Liverpool were in control after that and the second goal was down to some good football and some tired Arsenal legs.
Work has to be done in the transfer market but probably more importantly we need to get our players off the treatment table and onto the pitch.
Wednesday's match against Udinese is the most important game for many years. A result in Italy and I predict that the corner will turn in our favour. I don't even want to entertain what a defeat will do for our short term future.
Arsenal man of the match: Thomas Vermaelen
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22-Aug-2011 15:07 | | Zangi Asenalibuying early would have negated the effect of some of the injuries. we can nick a draw in Italy, or at worst, a 2-1 or 3-2 loss, all of which ensures we qualify! but arsene has to be highly tactical..... cautious, counter attack.. e.t.c
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22-Aug-2011 15:22 | | ITGI think that Liverpool came not to lose the game which is why they played five across the field. Realistically we contained them well and they really did not look like winning the game until Frimpong was red carded. This allowed them to change their ambition and bring on Suarez against a tiring defence. The result eventually was deserving as we could not create. Ramsay is a natural footballer who needs men to be running off the ball. Walcott and Van Persie failed in this department. He is able to create but when you give poor Andrey Arshaving a gilt edged chance these days he will waste it as he did. We played badly many a time last year against five men midfields as ManU did at Old Trafford where again we failed to create any real chances. Pace and a ball over the top is needed maybe Gervinho might give us some of it on Wednesday - let's hope!
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22-Aug-2011 15:25 | | Romford PeleMost sensible post i've seen all year!
Plethore of players missing and a obvious need of bodies in the squad aside... There were some decent signs in the past 3 games, namely a fighting spirit and a genuine desire to dig in that i haven't seen from an Arsenal team in some time! Miquel dealt brilliantly with the physicality of Carroll and looks a player.
Also on a side note... if 55 million gets you Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson im not suprised Arsene is unwilling to spend big...
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22-Aug-2011 15:45 | | Omomo14
Top Article mate.
Going into the Udinese game we have no choice other than be positive. We would prevail......... I Believe!
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22-Aug-2011 16:04 | | FatsoArsene Wenger has been handed a two-match ban by Uefa after being found guilty of breaching the terms of a previous Champions League sanction. The ban will take effect immediately, with Wenger set to sit in the stands on Wednesday during the second leg of the Gunners' group stage play-off match against the Italian side.
Discipline should start from the top?
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22-Aug-2011 17:32 | | double dapperML - The Verminator was awesome, for Jamie C to bring that up post match undermining his team mates man of the match performance is real proof of his quality despite the fact he is not 'English'. If only he was fit last year I think we would have won something.
Szczzer is already one of the best in the prem and is a lot better then what man u have to offer.
RP - Good point unless you are buying from Arsenal in which case 55mil gets you a cesc and naz.
Fatso - Do you think Wenger has a case against UEFA as they apparently mis-informed him at the start of the match?
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22-Aug-2011 18:14 | | gunnertilldend@ Fatso
Discipline was there my friend, but you cannot work against the double standards of UEFA. According to UEFA when they informed Le Boss of the 'infringement' as regards his ban he immediately stopped. I dont think the club is stupid to actually go against the rules to further deepen the problems. Also IMHO it looks like a 'set-up' by the powers at UEFA, coz terms of the ban were inquired and thus the communication between Wenger and the bench. Whats the chance we appeal at the last minute so that they do not have enough time to reject and thus Wenger takes his rightful place with the players in Udine
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22-Aug-2011 20:47 | | FatsoGunnertildend, UEFA informed him at half time after seeing him on TV/Video. Without the TV/Video there would have been no evidence. Stopped because he got caught?
double dapper, UEFA didn't misinform Wenger. "The Gunners boss believed he had not done anything wrong after the club had told him he could pass messages to assistant Pat Rice via a coach during the first leg at Emirates Stadium. He was then told at half-time that this was not allowed."
It's the club that informed/misinformed Wenger.
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22-Aug-2011 23:46 | | richie - Great return entrance MLSo many of us fully recognize our short comings, and our pressing need to strengthen but far too few see the positives, worse still way too many of our "so called own" refused to see reason and logic when its presented to them. I don't know whats going on in our board room! And I know you don't either, but so many of the bloggers not only claim to know but base their "knowledge" on a whisper and a nod and a wink from a "blind organist without a licence for the minky".
I don't know who the journalist on "thefootballnet" article is or if he's to be trusted? But I do know one thing I can see no reason why Liam Brady would lie, can anyone else offer any logical reason for either LB lying? Or why apart for the reasons given why the transfer market is so sluggish for us?
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23-Aug-2011 17:13 | | JohnThe article was to take the deserved pressure of Arsene and anybody with an ounce of objectivity can see that. Im nearly sure that ML said in recent article that Arsene is involved in all aspects of transfers so this crap that there is big differences in wage structure with the board is utter shite. He is like gadaffi now, fighting to hang on to his dictatorship.
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