Newcastle 0 – Arsenal 1
I am just happy we pulled this one out as this was just another frustrating game to watch (anyone else really hate Tiote?)… absolute rubbish in the first half. Hard fought: yes. Showing signs of weakness: yes. Fantastic to see Giroud flick one in: absolutely. This match was going to be difficult through and through with a visit to SJP but you never got the feeling that Arsenal wanted more than a tie. Newcastle have being playing well with a number of quality wins in the year already and they really seemed to put forth more effort in this one. I can afford to be disappointed though as this Arsenal team is different than in years past (proven by our run among the top and endless hope of silverware). Now on to the bits and pieces of this match…
First half: frustrating to watch, boring, a bit sloppy in the passing and lack of creative runs. Am I setting a high standard? You bet. This team has played extremely well at times and going out I expect that each week. All things aside though, we did lack some of our seriously creative cogs as Rambo AND Ozil were out of this one (a bit worried when I saw the lineup with no Ozil especially). Did we create the best chances in this half? Absolutely.
However, I got so tired of watching our lads get pushed off the ball I decided to pull some stats.
Jack Wilshere: 5′ 7″
Santi Cazorla: 5′ 5″
Theo Walcott: 5′ 9″
Tomas Rosicky: 5′ 10″
Mathieu Flamini: 5′ 10″
Now, I am not saying you have to be big to be good but you have to have presence on the ball and enough strength to keep others from flat out muscling you off the damn thing we you are in the middle of an attack. Aside from our back line, our big “bruiser” out there is Olivier (also known as our striker). Flamini has been a great workhorse this year and plays a man twice his size. But watching our creative cogs in this game get pushed off the ball by bigger Newcastle lads was frustrating. Jack is a fine player but I have never understood the extreme hype with him. If he isn’t a straight CAM then I am not sure a man his size will always be able to hold up on the ball when we need him to (anyone else getting tired of seeing him shoved off the ball while he is on his knees holding his hands up?). Maybe I lack the English bias with him or something but I could care less where our boys come from so long as they can flat out play and dominate the game from their position. Now, that which I proclaim of Jack could be said of Santi but it is obvious that man plays the CAM role and his dipping and darting creativity is much welcomed (and better than Jack’s play). Thus, when paired together I always get a bit nervous that our attack will break down when facing a more stout opposing midfield…
Second half: not much difference in the second half. We created the best chances and you just had the feeling that if either team was going to score it was going to come via a set piece or some other dipshit move on Scheseznsys’ part (Yes, I know I spelled his name wrong. When you make boneheaded moves like he does then he doesn’t deserve his name spelled correctly). Sure enough, thank the good Lord we won a decent set piece with Giroud doing what he does best by flicking (glancing really) one into the net. Fantastic placement by Theo and even better movement by the OG. Really happy to see him get back into scoring (so is my fantasy starting lineup). After our goal you just knew things would immediately turn conservative as if Arsene were managing that lesser team (or maybe he is just genius as usual and I have no fucking idea what I am talking about-probably true). Which brings me to my next frustration…
Prevent defense: In american football, when the team leading in the fourth doesn’t have the ball, and time is running out, coaches tend to put in prevent defense. For those of you that don’t follow, prevent defense is supposed to prevent the big play (again, supposedly) but generally allows the team with the ball to keep getting first down after first down (which is what most often happens, at least when I watch). This is extremely frustrating in college football where the clock stops after each first down. Now, I am sure there is the possibility that law of averages says this is good but damn if it doesn’t make for a nerve racking ending that usual ends with my team losing because they employed that fucking mentality.
So, when that goal slid in and Gibbs/Walcott came off and Arteta/Jenks came on (also as evidenced by our extremely deep line and 5 wide) I just knew this was our “prevent” defense. Fucking nail bitting. The more frustrating part? There were probably 2 or 3 counter attacks that would have suited Theo perfectly had he still been on. Instead, we had to go through chance after chance of Newcastle almost equalizing (I know that they didn’t but that doesn’t mean it was necessarily the right choice). Against a better team, and our most recent history these past few years, and we all know that some nitwit slides a goal in to equalize. Thankfully, that didn’t happen here and we grabbed our 3 to stay atop the league. I’m not dogging shoring up our D but playing a line that deep when teams that are good throw everything at you is just asking for a mistake to happen. It happens all the time in football and in this case I think we stole one from Newcastle (but hey, all the good teams do in the end right?).
All things aside, I complain but that is because I am not sure what to make of this “run” at the top. Remember, my memory only goes so far back as to enjoy the constant run of top 4 finishes. I am still getting used to this idea that as a supporter of Arsenal the top spot is actually where we belong. Damn if it doesn’t feel great.
Theo Walcott of Arsenal FC (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
See, the ball is HUGE compared to Theo…
Arsenal 0 – Chelsea 0
The one that got away? Not quite sure yet. We knew heading in that this one was going to be frustrating and difficult. Conditions didn’t help. The Ref, or lack there of, didn’t help either. This game had all the feelings of one from last season where we just needed one more break to take 3 points instead of 1. Normally I might be happy with taking something from Blue Balls. But this is The Great One (or whatever the hell he goes by these days) and I just can’t stand him. Hell, even though I fancy myself Real Madrid I dreaded his days there and the arrogance with which he goes about “managing” a team. Just utter crap and aside from watching Tater Tott’s season go down the drain I think this year I would find more satisfaction in watching “Jose can you see” lose a place at a top four finish. Nevertheless, WE lost this game (rather than Chelsea holding us to a point at home).
You could tell that things were going to be difficult as our style, and players, don’t suit the shite weather they were faced with. It is a bit hard difficult to watch “beautiful” football when the conditions and pitch play like a fucking kiddy pool. It didn’t help that we seemed to let our level of play be lowered to the conditions with which we were playing; no excuse though as this game could/should have been won.
Shite passing: This has got to stop. It has been running amuck the last couple games. Overplayed here. Giveaways there. Just not the type of touch we got spoiled with earlier in the year. Is it fatigue? Doubt? Are the players pressing now that there is the added pressure of trying to keep your place at the top rather than fight your way to a CL finish? Maybe there is an argument to be made that these boys have forgotten what it is like to play among the leaders. It has been some time since silverware or a league title. Hell, these lads were barely boys when Arsenal was laying claim to title after title. If there was ever a time to put together a flat out ass kicking to get things back on track then this is it (too bad it could be someone just a little bit easier than another London rival in West Ham). Either way, we have a nice run of games that should see us nabbing buckets of points; tighten it up boys.
Shite finishing: Ugh… our achilles heel up top. I like Giroud but the weight he is carrying is getting heavier and heavier as the season wears on. I like his play, I like his passing, I love his headwork on defense and yet we need more. Aside from one shot rattling the crossbar from them, we had the best opportunities in front of goal to put this away. I saw three clear chances, one great defensive effort and yet that still left me with two that he could have, and probably should have, put into the net. Would an elite striker have done so? I hate to say it, but yes. (And this is with a glorious print of the man hanging in my office as I type this) If ever there was a time to spend, and spend big again, it is now. We need a first tier, elite striker. That is all that is missing from putting our team up on top for good. Hell, look at what that does for teams like the two Mannys and Liverpuke (for fuck sake Suarez is absolutely possessed and I’ll happily take my crow now).
Shite refereeing: I hear there is some statistic that sees us always doing poorly when dipshit is on the field. I don’t want to talk about it but just acknowledge it like everyone else… not a fair reason for our loss but the simple miss on what was an absolute penalty on Theo that could have given us the game was just nuts… fucking nuts… whatever.
Well, we got through a miserable stretch. We are tied atop the leaders. AND we have a very nice schedule setting us up for some big points over the next few weeks. All things aside, I’m looking forward to Boxing day, my drink and a warm fire that should see us putting things right again.
Until then, COYG.
Oh, and Merry Christmas lads.
You get what you pay for.
Oh, this is not the wake up call we want… but we may very well need this for the long term good of the club. Am I happy? Absolutely not. We got what we had coming to us. Everyone could see that we were one injury, one major loss away from making this season VERY hard on ourselves. Well, we may not have one, not two, but three issues to contend with going forward and the first weekend of action isn’t even over. Couple that problem with a big blow in the loss column after we took control early on in the match (and had the lead)… well Arseholes, things may get worse before they get better.
The card count today was ridiculous. The game seemed unnecessarily out of hand as the Ref essentially handed out 10 yellows (the red came on a second yellow to Kols). Arsenal controlled the first part of this game nicely but you have to wonder why we started without Santi to begin with (granted, his presence didn’t help too much in the end once we went down). For our opening goal AOC took the ball and pushed ahead well; it was a nice squeeze into a perfectly placed Giroud foot. Great start. Exactly what we needed to start the season off right this year. And then, like my golf game after the turn, it began to crumble…
Our starting backline is exactly what I (everyone) expected: Sagna, Kols, BFG, and Gibbs. Solid, experience, and so long as no one goes down we should be fine… whoops. Bacary pulls up a bit lame (wonder how that impacted his defense as the game went on) and Gibbs goes out in the 29th. Good thing we have Mon– what’s that? Oh, no. Jenks goes in and he is generally solid but this is no way to start the game. And then there is the bit with AOC coming off for Santi (who should have been starting anyways but maybe not in place of a forward but another MF?)… Man, this just wasn’t going to go our way today. Benteke gets the gift of a blocked PK right back into his head and then the goal… and then Kos gets nailed for the first weak yellow and the second bad call (which may be defensible given the Ref’s position BUT the linesman could clearly see it was a perfectly timed tackle). No, this was not meant to be our day.
It’s hard to explain the feeling toward the team, or management, right now. I don’t want the players to suffer. I don’t want their confidence shaken. Hell, I want to see Wenger rise to the top and take Sir what’s his names place. BUT, We haven’t picked up any depth where we need it and we now have potential knocks on the places where we are incredibly thin (Monreal-out, Sagna-lame, Gibbs-out, Kos-suspended, and TV5 injured). So even if we go out and spend a bunch of money we now need to add 2 players immediately to our backline in addition to adding a DMF (desperately) and possibly another striker. We are going to wear thin fast and everyone could (did) see this coming. Again I ask, what exactly are we try to prove this offseason?
In the words of The West Wing President Bartlet, what’s next? It’s obvious our problems partially stem from an inability to sign players. No, not the ref. Not tactical decisions (at this point we are so thin who the hell else do we start?!). If we continue along this path it wont matter that we haven’t any silverware, we may not have a starting eleven!
I do not hide the fact that I am an ardent Wenger supporter. I think his style of football is beautiful and the players he does bring in mold well to his play. But we need someone to start adding quality players to this roster and Wenger seems incapable of doing so at this point. One only has to look at our hated rivals to see that signing quality players is not impossible and they aren’t even a team that has played Champion’s League football the last 16 years running!!!
No, this is not the position we need to be in for Wednesday or the next few weeks. But, like many other things in life, you get what you pay for. Right now? That would be a big fat nothing…
The Preview…
Well lads, it’s that time of year. Here at AmericanArse we like to put out a preview to the match prior to each league game and discuss the finer points of lineups, etc. Then, we roll with some post game action after the whistle and hopefully another mid-week trounce before we get back to the weekly preview.
It all starts… now.
This weekend sees us playing hosts to Aston Villa before a quick turnaround and facing off with Fenerbahce (AWAY) four days later. Not going to lie, this is exactly the scenario that I was hoping we would avoid this season. Instead, we get to start off with a thin lineup and quick turnaround matches to boot. No bueno.
Abou, not sure I’ll play in a Nike Arsenal kit again, Diaby is out. TV5 is a no go still with his back injury. Nacho Nacho Man is still on the table as well. Even our sure-haired Mikel Arteta is in doubt for the match… Oh, and word on the street is Bacary has a leg knock too. (What? Pay for Williams? naw… no thanks. We don’t have the money.)
SO, what does that leave us with? Well, here is my starting lineup…
Szczesny (yes, it really is spelled that way)
Jenks-Mert-Kols-Gibbs (please no one go down)
Ramsey-Cazorla-Rosicky (yep, I’m starting that conversation again this year)
Walcott-Giroud-Poldi
Good lord, when I write that out I realize just how thin we truly are… Our backline needs HELP asap BUT Jenkinson knows how to put up clean sheets (remember, 2 to start last season) and the BFG/Kols combo will be fine. Not to mention that Gibbs really is the future going forward (no pun intended), Nacho just provides great competition and cover.
Now, the midfield has me more worried. With Arteta a possible out we lose his DMF presence. I think Ramsey can track back and I love his tireless efforts; he’s also shown some good pre-season form. Rosicky just knows what to do in these situations and I start him over Jack only because I want a full season from Jack healthy; not a rush back and re-injure situation… again… Cazorla, IMHO, should be slotted in the MF with us actually having a healthy and strong line up top. In many ways, one could argue that the game will shape into a 4-2-1-2-1 type formation (is that even possible???) with Ramsey/Rosicky needing to provide cover while Cazorla does his thing and Theo/Poldi slashing in from the sides while OG acts like a G out in front of goal.
Our attack could actually be pretty solid this year (yes, even without the signings). Sonago looks legit so long as, you know, he is A-Go. Poldi looked healthy and fit (finally?). AOC doesn’t have the weight he once did on his shoulders and Theo looks primed for a big breakout. So long as Hey Hey Giroud continues his good link up play and shores up his scoring percentages we fans may be in for a bit of a pleasant surprise from our attackers.
Truth is, we are thin BUT we have a solid core combined with stability in our manager AND familiarity across our lines. If anything, that should buy us an extra win or two. However, we have to come out of the gate fast if we want to challenge for the title and hope that we stay healthy enough to nab silverware. We need to score early, hold firm, and move on to the next match without injury (every team’s goal, right?).
As for our opponents, they are a tough match to start with. Benteke is a beast to cover and obviously knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. Hopefully he starts his sophomore slump with a big fat loss and zero goals. Arsenal’s game is fairly simple, but beautiful when it works: press and control while providing quick cover on counters.
We need to send a message and make it loud and clear that signings or no signings this is a team looking to improve on last season’s excellent finish.
Get ready Gooners, the season is about to begin…
As an aside, you all should sign up for the Arsenal Digital Membership (full post-game replays!)…
AmericanArse 