By 1970’s Gooner
When I saw Song ambling on as a substitute in the 85th or so minute with 4-2 up smiling and shaking hands with his team mates it reminded me of the Liverpool players in that historic game in 1989.
They also, with a minute or so to go, were congratulating themselves, prematurely. And then they paid for it of course.
We also paid for it because in all their naivety the Arsenal players thought the game was over. Well it aint over until the fat lady sings…
It was a pathetic defensive performance when with only injury time to go we let in two goals.
First at fault was Fabregas who on two occasions opted not to keep the ball and play the passing game in the last few minutes.
The first was when Sagna was asking him to play the ball from a corner near the corner flag so that they could waste some valuable time.
Fabregas, who had a quiet game throughout, decided to swing the ball in the area giving possession away.
The second and fatal occasion was in the last minute of injury time when in possession of the ball again he decided to play it forward to Adebayor rather than keep possession.
They won it back lifted it forward and…they equalized! In the 94th minute!
Almunia had a terrible game. There I was praising him last week for his safe hands but he was definitely anything but that tonight. Whatever you say when a goalkeeper is beaten from that distance (for their first goal) he is horribly at fault.
And as for their second, well it was a schoolboy error. You cannot spill a shot like that. You just don’t do it.
And lastly Clichy lost concentration again and got caught in two minds. Jenas was then allowed to run through and shoot from outside the box to score their third and give them hope.
I say Clichy lost concentration again because he did it last season too; in the last minute at Birmingham to gift them their equaliser.
I feel like pulling my hair out. There we were last Sunday making up some of the lost ground on the leaders only to throw it away again tonight.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
More injuries reduce Wenger’s options for Everton
By 1970’s Gooner
It’s just as well that Arsene Wenger managed to recruit Silvestre from Manchester United in the last throws of the transfer window.
After allowing young Senderos to go out on loan to AC Milan (with a view to a permanent deal) he was left with Djourou as the only direct replacement for his preferred central defensive pairing of Gallas and Toure.
But lo and behold Gallas, who has been going through a period of self reflection lately, managed to pick up a thigh injury and after missing the France Vs Romania game has now withdrawn from the France squad to face Tunisia in Paris on Tuesday.
This must cast doubts whether he can make the game against Everton next Saturday at the Emirates.
Even if he does manage to shake the injury off account has to be taken of the fact that he has been out of action and training during the last 10 days or so. This would probably render him unfit to start against Everton.
The player that a lot of Arsenal fans would like to see feature in the first team is Johan Djourou.
He has after all the height that some fans and experts have been highlighting as being one of Arsenal’s major defensive weakness; especially from set pieces.
But lo and behold he too manages to get injured. This was during Switzerland’s laboured victory against Latvia on Saturday.
He got hit on the cheekbone suffering concussion and his inclusion in the team to play against Greece next Wednesday in Athens is in doubt.
"I do not think Djourou will be able to play in Greece", said Ottmar Hitzfeld the German in charge of the Swiss national team.
So the only fit central defender left for Arsene Wenger to pick in the case Djourou still remains unavailable will be Silvestre.
He managed to get a full game under his belt last week for the reserves against Stoke and he showed that after being out for so long he still possessed the knack of defending.
But will he be ready to face the tougher test of a Premier League game?
The other worry for next Saturday’s game against Everton is Bacary Sagna who picked up a knee problem during France’s game against Romania.
He spent today, Sunday, in the company of another injury victim, Patrick Vieira undergoing examinations on his right knee.
Sagna has been diagnosed with a tendon problem in the right calf and he also misses the friendly against Tunisia.
Again we would have to wait to see if he makes it against Everton next Saturday. The only possible replacement could be Eboue who would be switched back to his original position. Nasri and Walcott would be the ones to play in wide midfield.
There are no news about Robin Van Persie’s injury but if he also does not make it Bendtner more probably than Vela would partner Adebayor in attack.
So we could end up with a lot of changes for Saturday. Let’s hope they are for the good.
It’s just as well that Arsene Wenger managed to recruit Silvestre from Manchester United in the last throws of the transfer window.
After allowing young Senderos to go out on loan to AC Milan (with a view to a permanent deal) he was left with Djourou as the only direct replacement for his preferred central defensive pairing of Gallas and Toure.
But lo and behold Gallas, who has been going through a period of self reflection lately, managed to pick up a thigh injury and after missing the France Vs Romania game has now withdrawn from the France squad to face Tunisia in Paris on Tuesday.
This must cast doubts whether he can make the game against Everton next Saturday at the Emirates.
Even if he does manage to shake the injury off account has to be taken of the fact that he has been out of action and training during the last 10 days or so. This would probably render him unfit to start against Everton.
The player that a lot of Arsenal fans would like to see feature in the first team is Johan Djourou.
He has after all the height that some fans and experts have been highlighting as being one of Arsenal’s major defensive weakness; especially from set pieces.
But lo and behold he too manages to get injured. This was during Switzerland’s laboured victory against Latvia on Saturday.
He got hit on the cheekbone suffering concussion and his inclusion in the team to play against Greece next Wednesday in Athens is in doubt.
"I do not think Djourou will be able to play in Greece", said Ottmar Hitzfeld the German in charge of the Swiss national team.
So the only fit central defender left for Arsene Wenger to pick in the case Djourou still remains unavailable will be Silvestre.
He managed to get a full game under his belt last week for the reserves against Stoke and he showed that after being out for so long he still possessed the knack of defending.
But will he be ready to face the tougher test of a Premier League game?
The other worry for next Saturday’s game against Everton is Bacary Sagna who picked up a knee problem during France’s game against Romania.
He spent today, Sunday, in the company of another injury victim, Patrick Vieira undergoing examinations on his right knee.
Sagna has been diagnosed with a tendon problem in the right calf and he also misses the friendly against Tunisia.
Again we would have to wait to see if he makes it against Everton next Saturday. The only possible replacement could be Eboue who would be switched back to his original position. Nasri and Walcott would be the ones to play in wide midfield.
There are no news about Robin Van Persie’s injury but if he also does not make it Bendtner more probably than Vela would partner Adebayor in attack.
So we could end up with a lot of changes for Saturday. Let’s hope they are for the good.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Wenger gets the tactics wrong, again
By 1970’s Gooner
I know that a lot of you will not like this nor necessarily agree with it but I have to call it as I see it.
I was, during the Dinamo Kiev game, very frustrated and bewildered with the amount of respect shown for an average in terms of quality opposition and the deployment of Fabregas away from where he is best suited (in the middle of the field dictating play).
The result was the same as against Sunderland today. More importantly the way the game panned out was very similar, with Fabregas wasted in no man’s land between Adebayor and the packed midfield and Arsenal getting a last gasp equaliser to salvage a draw.
For God’s sake Mr Wenger don’t you see that Arsenal’s heart is Fabregas? He is the one that that makes the team tick. He is the one that creates all the positive moves and clever passes that unlock packed defences.
Yet this creative part of Arsenal’s play is left to Denilson and Song to produce. Not that this was the intention, but hell, what do you expect when it is they that will invariably have most of the ball in a game that Arsenal, as everyone knows, will dominate in terms of possession.
The formation of 4 3 3 come 4 5 1 was wrong and the positioning of Fabregas was wrong. What was also wrong was van Persie on the wing as he had to play there because this formation demanded.
But again he is not suited to playing there nor does he hit it off with Clichy. So another Arsenal weapon, Clichy’s forays on the left hand side were not so numerous nor were they as effective.
So in the end after all three of Arsenal’s most effective players were almost rendered non existent we end up scrapping for a draw.
Arsenal are too good a team to play such a formation and show so much respect to such an opposition.
I know that a lot of you will not like this nor necessarily agree with it but I have to call it as I see it.
I was, during the Dinamo Kiev game, very frustrated and bewildered with the amount of respect shown for an average in terms of quality opposition and the deployment of Fabregas away from where he is best suited (in the middle of the field dictating play).
The result was the same as against Sunderland today. More importantly the way the game panned out was very similar, with Fabregas wasted in no man’s land between Adebayor and the packed midfield and Arsenal getting a last gasp equaliser to salvage a draw.
For God’s sake Mr Wenger don’t you see that Arsenal’s heart is Fabregas? He is the one that that makes the team tick. He is the one that creates all the positive moves and clever passes that unlock packed defences.
Yet this creative part of Arsenal’s play is left to Denilson and Song to produce. Not that this was the intention, but hell, what do you expect when it is they that will invariably have most of the ball in a game that Arsenal, as everyone knows, will dominate in terms of possession.
The formation of 4 3 3 come 4 5 1 was wrong and the positioning of Fabregas was wrong. What was also wrong was van Persie on the wing as he had to play there because this formation demanded.
But again he is not suited to playing there nor does he hit it off with Clichy. So another Arsenal weapon, Clichy’s forays on the left hand side were not so numerous nor were they as effective.
So in the end after all three of Arsenal’s most effective players were almost rendered non existent we end up scrapping for a draw.
Arsenal are too good a team to play such a formation and show so much respect to such an opposition.
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