By Aries
It’s a hard choice really having to pick either Chelsea or Manchester United.
Normally I would prefer the team that played the best football to win the title and Arsenal have done that in my opinion. There’s not much to choose between Manchester United and Chelsea in terms of football played. Both have had good and bad games.
But there is a big difference between the two in their financial standing.
Chelsea have bought the titles they won and by extension they will have bought this one if they do go on and win it. Their financial strength is derived from big handouts from their owner and benefactor and not from what they earn through the normal sources of revenue open to football clubs, such as TV money, gate receipts, shirt sales and other marketable products.
Manchester United on the other hand have tended to rely precisely on these incomes which themselves are not inconsiderable but nevertheless football related.
However much it hurts me to choose a team to win the title other than Arsenal then I will vote for Manchester United.
Maybe Arsenal will win it! We still have an outside chance you know…
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Wenger needs to get his and Hillwood’s cheque book out
By 1970’s Gooner
It is true that any team in the world will miss seven fist teamers like Arsenal have missed at various times this season. Robin van Persie, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Song, Arshavin, and Fabregas.
But if their replacements were good enough then their absence would not have been felt so much. And Arsenal have suffered.
When the first teamers were out Wenger had to rely on aged players like Silvestre and Campbell or on young kids like Denilson, Eastmond and Bendtner.
The depth of the squad is simply not good enough and it is indeed a miracle that we have consistently been in the top four in the last five seasons.
I feel however that no major surgery is required in the squad but the major deficiencies have to be seriously addressed in time for next season.
And if Wenger finally gets his and Hilwood's cheque book out we may well be celebrating the title this time next year.
First and foremost Almunia and Fabiansky have to go. They have let us down on many an occasion this season and in important games too. No title winning team can rely on these two inadequate clowns.
And to think that we passed over Van de Sar when he was available as well as Shay Given last season! Wenger should buy a top class goalkeeper there’s no two ways about it.
Next shambles this season was our defensive cover. It was well known in advance that Djourou will not be able to offer cover to the two first choice defenders, Gallas and Vermaelen yet what does Wenger do?
He lets Senderos go out on loan, brings in Campbell and keeps Silvestre. Campbell has been brilliant but could not be used too often due to age and Silvestre …well, as I wrote too often in the past, he is a disaster waiting to happen.
Djourou’s long term fitness should be assessed and if he is ok then we need to bring in another quality central defender.
A central defensive midfielder is also needed because we cannot really expect Denilson to play that role every time Song is out injured, on Africa Nations Cup duty or banned.
And finally if Chamach is indeed coming this summer then we will not need more reinforcements in the forward positions.
All I can say is that Chamakh should have been at the Emirates in January. We may have been closer in the title race than what you may think.
Still, better late than never.
And if Wenger buys the right players this summer then all these barren years would have been well worth enduring.
For they will be seen as the necessary investment in the time needed to bring on the talented youngsters, like Fabregas, Clichy, Song, Diaby, Nasri, Walcott and van Persie to Premier and Champions League domination.
It is true that any team in the world will miss seven fist teamers like Arsenal have missed at various times this season. Robin van Persie, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Song, Arshavin, and Fabregas.
But if their replacements were good enough then their absence would not have been felt so much. And Arsenal have suffered.
When the first teamers were out Wenger had to rely on aged players like Silvestre and Campbell or on young kids like Denilson, Eastmond and Bendtner.
The depth of the squad is simply not good enough and it is indeed a miracle that we have consistently been in the top four in the last five seasons.
I feel however that no major surgery is required in the squad but the major deficiencies have to be seriously addressed in time for next season.
And if Wenger finally gets his and Hilwood's cheque book out we may well be celebrating the title this time next year.
First and foremost Almunia and Fabiansky have to go. They have let us down on many an occasion this season and in important games too. No title winning team can rely on these two inadequate clowns.
And to think that we passed over Van de Sar when he was available as well as Shay Given last season! Wenger should buy a top class goalkeeper there’s no two ways about it.
Next shambles this season was our defensive cover. It was well known in advance that Djourou will not be able to offer cover to the two first choice defenders, Gallas and Vermaelen yet what does Wenger do?
He lets Senderos go out on loan, brings in Campbell and keeps Silvestre. Campbell has been brilliant but could not be used too often due to age and Silvestre …well, as I wrote too often in the past, he is a disaster waiting to happen.
Djourou’s long term fitness should be assessed and if he is ok then we need to bring in another quality central defender.
A central defensive midfielder is also needed because we cannot really expect Denilson to play that role every time Song is out injured, on Africa Nations Cup duty or banned.
And finally if Chamach is indeed coming this summer then we will not need more reinforcements in the forward positions.
All I can say is that Chamakh should have been at the Emirates in January. We may have been closer in the title race than what you may think.
Still, better late than never.
And if Wenger buys the right players this summer then all these barren years would have been well worth enduring.
For they will be seen as the necessary investment in the time needed to bring on the talented youngsters, like Fabregas, Clichy, Song, Diaby, Nasri, Walcott and van Persie to Premier and Champions League domination.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
It’s tactics, not who starts, that will prove important in Barcelona
By 1970’s Gooner
Yes there are a lot of injured and absent players form Arsenal’s potentially most important game of the season.
There is Gallas missing from defence. Campbell is feared to be suffering from a hamstring strain and/or fatigue, Song and Fabregas are missing from central midfield and Arshavin from the offensive players. Van Persie is a long term absentee of course.
As a result most of the debate among Arsenal fans centres on the possible line up in the key positions where players are or could be missing.
Will Campbell play now that Song is out or will Wenger throw Silvestre in? Will Walcott start or will he be used as an impact substitute?
To my mind it’s what formation and tactics Arsene employs not who starts that will prove important in Barcelona.
Barcelona dominated possession for three quarters of the game at the Emirates and if we are to emerge victorious in Barcelona we simply have to stop them playing by denying them possession.
This is the single most important aim that has to be achieved if Arsenal are to have a chance.
And for this to be achieved in an Arsenal way (i.e not kicking the opponents to death as some other premier League opponents do against us) Wenger has to employ tactics that will thwart the opponent’s midfield and deny them the freedom to pass the ball around.
This can be achieved by adopting a more conservative approach especially in the first half because if Barcelona score first then it’s most probably game over.
A more conservative approach implies changing the formation from a 4 3 3 we have come to enjoy in the Premier League to a 4 5 1.
4 5 1 as played by the Arsenal will and should not be a defensive formation where players just stay behind the ball and defend.
4 5 1 will make life very difficult for Xavi to weave his magic and also deny space to their full backs when they try to roam forward as they did at the Emirates.
Two more things also have to happen.
Nasri who will be deployed centrally should not play as far forward as Fabregas did in the first leg. He should instead, when Arsenal are without the ball, drop back into the middle and mark Xavi denying him the space.
Bendtner should also not forget his defensive duties form the front. Indeed Arsenal should mark Barcelona’s defenders tightly when they have the ball and force them to distribute long rather than short (to Xavi for example). Arsenal will then have a much better chance to win the ball back.
Once all these are achieved then Wenger will begin to think about match winning substitutions. It is important not to play all your hands right from the beginning because if something goes wrong then there will not be a lot of room for maneuver left.
Walcott should therefore stay on the bench.
Almunia
Sagna Campbell Vermaelen Clichy
Eboue Nasri Diaby Denilson Rosicky
Bendtner
Subs: Fabianski, Traore, Silvestre, Merida, Eastmond, Eduardo, Walcott (to come on for Sagna, Eboue goes to right back)
Yes there are a lot of injured and absent players form Arsenal’s potentially most important game of the season.
There is Gallas missing from defence. Campbell is feared to be suffering from a hamstring strain and/or fatigue, Song and Fabregas are missing from central midfield and Arshavin from the offensive players. Van Persie is a long term absentee of course.
As a result most of the debate among Arsenal fans centres on the possible line up in the key positions where players are or could be missing.
Will Campbell play now that Song is out or will Wenger throw Silvestre in? Will Walcott start or will he be used as an impact substitute?
To my mind it’s what formation and tactics Arsene employs not who starts that will prove important in Barcelona.
Barcelona dominated possession for three quarters of the game at the Emirates and if we are to emerge victorious in Barcelona we simply have to stop them playing by denying them possession.
This is the single most important aim that has to be achieved if Arsenal are to have a chance.
And for this to be achieved in an Arsenal way (i.e not kicking the opponents to death as some other premier League opponents do against us) Wenger has to employ tactics that will thwart the opponent’s midfield and deny them the freedom to pass the ball around.
This can be achieved by adopting a more conservative approach especially in the first half because if Barcelona score first then it’s most probably game over.
A more conservative approach implies changing the formation from a 4 3 3 we have come to enjoy in the Premier League to a 4 5 1.
4 5 1 as played by the Arsenal will and should not be a defensive formation where players just stay behind the ball and defend.
4 5 1 will make life very difficult for Xavi to weave his magic and also deny space to their full backs when they try to roam forward as they did at the Emirates.
Two more things also have to happen.
Nasri who will be deployed centrally should not play as far forward as Fabregas did in the first leg. He should instead, when Arsenal are without the ball, drop back into the middle and mark Xavi denying him the space.
Bendtner should also not forget his defensive duties form the front. Indeed Arsenal should mark Barcelona’s defenders tightly when they have the ball and force them to distribute long rather than short (to Xavi for example). Arsenal will then have a much better chance to win the ball back.
Once all these are achieved then Wenger will begin to think about match winning substitutions. It is important not to play all your hands right from the beginning because if something goes wrong then there will not be a lot of room for maneuver left.
Walcott should therefore stay on the bench.
Almunia
Sagna Campbell Vermaelen Clichy
Eboue Nasri Diaby Denilson Rosicky
Bendtner
Subs: Fabianski, Traore, Silvestre, Merida, Eastmond, Eduardo, Walcott (to come on for Sagna, Eboue goes to right back)
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