Written by Mean Lean on Sunday, 01 January 2012 14:20

We failed to take advantage of those around us slipping up on Tuesday afternoon but we were given a second chance to do just that again against QPR on the last day of 2011, and we took it.

The team have lost fluency and creativity right now, I would imagine that a mixture of fatigue and our missing full backs have been the main causes of this.

Queens Park Rangers had men behind the ball and made it difficult for Arsenal to open them up, Robin van Persie looked sharper than in recent weeks but his had misplaced his phenomenal shooting boots for the most part.

I love his now trademark jinking runs from the right side of the box, it fools defenders almost every single time. Cutting onto his left foot fainting the shot then checking onto his right. It was this move that created our first chance of the game. van Persie's left footed stab across the box was smothered by the keeper.

Most of our chances fell to our skipper but he was not able to convert them, you would have expected him to have buried his right footed half volley that dropped just over his shoulder even if it was on his weaker side.

We looked much stronger when we drove at QPR from the middle but the problem was that there was not many players who did this naturally enough. Johan Djourou made a driving run diagonally from right back and Mikel Arteta also skipped past a few tackles to make the pass. Players like Jack Wilshere and or Abou Diaby would have made a big difference to us yesterday and I think we have missed that drive and ability to beat players from the middle a lot this season, a player like that will have a big impact on the likes of Walcott and Gervinho who will get much more space and service once the opposition push to counter the driving runs.

Aaron Ramsey had a mixed game on his return, he has a fantastic engine but he often slowed down some of our moves by not playing in players quick enough. Theo Walcott was visibly frustrated as he kept trying to make the sprint but then having to check back when Ramsey turned away from his side.

Andrey Arshavin struggled to have a positive impact on the game from the left of the Arsenal attack. His passes sometimes struggled to find their intend targets and he was often absent from the game but his one positive contribution in the second half was absolutely vital and that pretty much sums up his Arsenal career to date.

Shaun Wright-Phillips played a terrible pass straight to the feet of Andrey Arshavin on the left and the Russian played it straight into the stride of van Persie who fired it low into the corner for 1-0.

Thomas Vermaelen had to go off with a calf strain and was replaced by Francis Coquelin. Our full back injury situation has become somewhat ridiculous now. It almost feels like a curse. Anyone who attempts to play that position ends up on the treatment table.

Coquelin did a great job when he came on, stuck to his task very well and I am sure he will become a top quality player but left back is just not his natural position.

Wenger hinted post match that he will look to bring in a left back on loan, which player that is remains to be seen. While the possibility of Wayne Bridge donning the Arsenal shirt fills us with terror defensively, I would probably see our offensive build up play improve and at least we would have an overlapping option as well as some width.

So we end a terrible 2011 in fourth place, above Chelsea and Liverpool. Not many would have foreseen that back in August and early September.

With the transfer window open and important injured players close to returning, it may well be a far more positive 2012.

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Comments (25)

• 01-Jan-2012 15:39 | | richie
  

  It feels so much better being in 4th spot at the half way stage! I know loads of our supporters will consider 2011 a disaster for the club and I know I'm the type who always see's the glass as half full rather than half empty, but I'm inclined to look at the positives. And there are a lot of positives to consider.
  
  I don't believe the team of Cesc, Nasri, Clichy et all would have been capable of dragging us up from the depths into 4th as this team has, so I think we should all get behind the team because I don't know how far we can go? There are now 57 points to play for which to me signals there is still all to play for!
  
  That might not be the fashionable view after all the pundits already have Shiekhing Money City as Champions, but lets not forget the spirit of 89. Nor the first title of my lifetime when we became the come back kings 1 - 3 down first leg against Anderlecht we win 3 - 0 at home (4-3 aggregate and the cup).

• 01-Jan-2012 15:50 | | richie  - P.S. Re-RvP & Records
  

  I'm inclined to think that the record was unconsciously messing with RvP head, he was uncharacteristically snatching at chance after chance. Records have a weight all their own and I'm glad thats done with.

• 01-Jan-2012 16:08 | | Passenal
  

  I think so too Richie - hopefully he will go back to that relaxed player who was scoring with ease. Although he should be on 36 goals if that goal had not been incorrectly ruled offside against the blue mancs. The penalty embargo that seems to be on Arsenal at the moment also hasn't made it easy as he should have had an opportunity to bury a couple of those too! He has mostly had to do it the hard way with goals from open play rather than set pieces.

• 01-Jan-2012 18:46 | | Man United Killer
  

  ML, as you so rightly put it, the team has lost a lot of creativity but I am not sure how much difference the absence of our full backs make.Given our style of play, I think that our main strength is playing through the middle.We are superb on our day- when we play through the middle.
  This is what I think.

• 01-Jan-2012 18:53 | | Man United Killer
  

  By the way, we should have won by 5 goals at least.

• 01-Jan-2012 19:01 | | Vuja De
  

  @Richie & Passenal
  
  I agree that the Shearer goal record was probably playing with RVP's head, because against both Wolves & QPR he had more than enough chances to have not just equalled it, but well and truly overtaken the same. He just seemed to be trying too hard to score, and when that's the case, invariably you don't score.
  
  The loss by City today against Martin "long ball" O'Neil's team was good news for us. Arsene is the kind of guy who does the maths, and that result will give him and the team even greater encouragement to keep believing in themselves and in what they can achieve together this season.
  
  Arsene won't believe that the title is beyond the reach of Arsenal unless and until it becomes mathematically impossible for us to win it. That is far from the case at present, so, as Richie says above, there's still all to play for.

• 01-Jan-2012 19:18 | | Podge
  

  our full backs pushing forward need to be picked up by opposition midfielders which stops them coming inside therefore leaving space in the middle for Arsenal to play through

• 01-Jan-2012 19:29 | | Man United Killer
  

  Podge, I understand.I am just thinking that we do such a fantastic job of attacking via the middle.The point is you make is definitely true.I also think that improved crossing from our full backs will make us a much bigger threat via the flanks than we are now.

• 01-Jan-2012 19:40 | | Savage
  

  Sorting out Gervinho's scoring problems is a proper managerial challenge for Wenger. I really love Gervinho's approach to the game - his direct lines towards the box and his willingness to take on defenders are so refreshing after the nothingness that was Nasri. Now if Wenger can somehow get him scoring, then we could have a monster...

• 02-Jan-2012 02:35 | | richie  - Gerv will come good workin with TDH'll be good
  

  Sava man I think Gerv will come good in the scoring stakes, its simply this is his debute season. There are very few who move from any other league and fit straight in to the Prem, its mainly the speed that takes some time to get used to. Even our all time top scorer Thierry H took over a season to adjust. In other leagues players are given time to take aim, before they shoot in the prem there's no time to breath never mind take aim. It takes a while for the adjustments to take place because coaches would've been saying to the players for years "take your time" "You always have more time than you think". In the prem "Its don't think don't take aim just pull the trigger"

• 02-Jan-2012 02:57 | | richie  - @Vu'De
  

  Exactly we are 9 points behind the leaders with 57 points to play for, I can't listen to all the bullshit that the league has already gone. I'd like people to remember that we matched the champions elect and we would've drawn with them had PvP's goal not been wrongly ruled off side. Likewise I'm not having it that Manu'er are such a fantastic side! They've got problems. Moreover the Tiny Totts have been really lucky and nicked games they really should've lost! I know we ain't got loads of room for errors but a nice little run with us plugging away and who knows?

• 02-Jan-2012 10:51 | | Colesy  - New Year, New Hope
  

  Ah, such a hive of optimism around today - loving your work Richie! So I wondered whether in light of this wave of positivity whether you would be prepared to take up the challenge of predicting your end of season finish for Arsenal?

• 02-Jan-2012 11:21 | | pika
  

  heheh..so because richie is an optimist you want to make him give you his predictions about something which is completely unpredictable and out of his control ? hahahah is that because you want to use his prediction in order to tear in to him in may ? ..god how much you love arsenal ....

• 02-Jan-2012 11:39 | | pika
  

  yo colesy you have a serious pathological fixation with trying to present wenger as a bad manager for arsenal ...bordering on the psychotic i would say. makes me wonder what kind of a fan is fixated at hating his own club and manager. obviously a rival fan. ......havent you got bored of getting caught all the time you pittyful little spud troll ?

• 02-Jan-2012 11:43 | | pika
  

  colesy one last question...do you spit in your palm when youre about to have these master(de)bates ? ahahahha do you also practice while talking in the mirror ? sorry ml but someones got to do it . cant stand these cretins with their myopic points of view.

• 02-Jan-2012 11:48 | | richie  - Where Arsenal are concerned I alway have hope
  

  I haven't noticed a "wave" of positivity I'm always positive. I've not heard of any challenge? Why would I be predicting "your end of season finish for Arsenal" If a Gooner asked the question? Surely the question would be, predicting our end of season finish? Or better still I wonder if anyone thinks we can win the league? To which I'd always answer "Yes"! Until mathermatically impossible. I loved the fact that Jack Boy Wiltshire bet the Spuds we'd finish above them even from the lowly position we found ourselves in back then. I imagine a lot of Spuds ain't sitting so comfortable now squeeky bum time for a lot of Tiny Totts.

• 02-Jan-2012 12:06 | | richie  - lets not mix the neg's up
  

  I must've missed something? Wasn't it my old mate Muk who wanted to debate? All will notice he still didn't answer my questions or ML's which is very strange for someone wishing to debate. Oh yeah I did forget we won and we're up to 4th so its difficult to continue slagging the Boss. I do empathise with you mixing one neg up with another its easily done. anti Wengers are thiner on the ground these days.

• 02-Jan-2012 12:22 | | pika
  

  hehe richie be careful cause these masterdebators want to tie you down to your optimistic claims. how dare you wish arsenal gets up the table and wins the league ?! how dare you indeed? have you lost your mind ? hahaha colesy and MUG come out come out wherever you are .... .... we only won 1-0 thats pathetic isnt it? it reminds you of them years of dross with graham and the 1-0 boring arsenal doesnt it? hang on ...werent you two telling us all how wonderful it was in the past with them boring 1-0 victories? isnt that were you two were basing your arsene bashing in the summer? hehe caught you again!

• 02-Jan-2012 13:43 | | Colesy
  

  Thanks Richie for your bold prediction. Lets see if others are prepared to put their's out in the open. It's not about some sentimental "of course we can finish first" or "until it's mathematically impossible" style comment like Wenger would predictably come out with. It's just a grown up question to gauge the spectrum of opinion out there.

• 02-Jan-2012 14:02 | | pika
  

  pmsl you become more and more hillarious with every comment you make mate. to gauge the spectrum of opinion out there ? ahahahahahhaaa opinions dont win titles you mug.........
  your opinion or even richie;s opinion has no bearing in whether arsenal wins anything or not. youre asking for an estimate, a guess. why? lol....the optimist richie will always think the best for his club unlike a rival pityfull troll like you who will want to tie richie to a statement (which is basically a guess) so that you come back and tell him "i told you so" ...pmsl ....will you rub it in his face and laugh like a spud would ? after allt hats what you want ...to hear the gooners screaming about titles only to laugh at them come may like a rival fan. oooppsss somene has taken colesy to the cleaners ....2012 didnt start well for you my dear colesy....im watching you. hehehe

• 02-Jan-2012 14:12 | | richie
  

  Wenger answers those type's of questions "in a thoroughly grown up manner" Amougst our opponents there will no doubt be a "Specrum" of opinions on how far we can go? Gooners know better than underwright the Arse don't we? Its not sentimental to think we could top the table, we are 9 behind going into the 2nd half of the season, the top teams all have to play each other (if they take points from each other) and we go on a run its very doable. After all unlike many of our rivals we've already had our dip. Some Manc's might be just entering their dip period with a little bit of luck. Even better watching the Spuds lose form.

• 02-Jan-2012 14:19 | | pika
  

  

• 02-Jan-2012 14:50 | | HP  - QPR game thoughts
  

  Very important win! And a great comeback after we dropped two points against wolves.
  
  My thoughts about the game against QPR:
  
  Why did Arshavin start the game? I know he has to get chances, but as I see it this was too much of an important game to give him a place in the starting line up. But he did make that important assist to Van Persie, so it wasn't all bad.
  
  I think it was a badchoice to substitute Walcott as he wasn't that bad besides the awfull miss he had.
  
  And why did Wenger put Rosicky on the wing when he has Chamberlain on the bench. I haven't been able to understand Wenger's choices of substituion in the last couple of games.
  
  Gervinho also lacked quality today. He always struggles when he get's into the box and has to make the good pass or shoot. But he has become better with time and I hope he keeps getting better in the new year.
  
  I also hope we get to see more of Chamberlain in 2012. It's good to not make him play every game, but I think he is too good to be sitting on the bench at every game.
  
  I hope Wenger uses the January transfer window to buy a quality striker and maybe a left back. And please don't let it be Podolski since I don't rate him as a good enough player for Arsenal. I'm one of those people that still hope we could get Benzema, but I know that will probably never happen

• 02-Jan-2012 19:37 | | Colesy
  

  still screaming about titles Pika. shut up! stop your verbal vomit

• 03-Jan-2012 09:10 | | pika
  

  lol youre the one who judges a team (which is still a work in progress) according to titles won mate...not me... :

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