Andrey Arshavin has been talking on his personal web site about the Portsmouth game. He revealed that indeed the Arsenal players relaxed too much after the quick two goals that were scored in the first twenty two minutes.
“We started the meeting well. I think that our two quick goals went a long way in deciding the game. Arsenal’s possession advantage allowed us to enjoy the game ... Perhaps, after the second goal, we relaxed a bit”
Indeed they relaxed so much that even Arsene Wenger felt the need to warn them about being complacent. This he told them in the dressing room at half time.
“Arsene in the locker room told us about this. He reminded us that in the Premier League you can not afford to be relaxed. Because if you prematurely stop to fully concentrate on the game, this will immediately be followed by retaliation by the opponents”
The message obviously registered with the players as they came out in the second half and promptly scored two more goals.
“During the second half, we again scored two goals, thus delivering fun to the fans” Arshavin said.
It seems that complacencey, which has been a constant factor of all Wenger teams in the past, is rearing its ugly head again. This seems to happen against weaker opponents with the Arsenal players easing up as soon as a goal is scored.
Let’s hope that Wenger’s message is taken on board by the players…
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19 comments:
That is poor for the team to be getting complacent so early on in the season. Games like Pompey or so called weaker teams are where we should be trying to tally up the gaols and also make the fans happy. Goal difference counts at the end of the day.
Yeah i hated it when the invincibles got so confident that they played without fear, i hated seeing vieira in the tunnel laughing and joking while the opposition captains looked frightened. These people are human beings. Stop being so miserable.
Arshavin needs to stop talking and start performing. I know a lot of people are giving him a free pass at the moment because of his sterling start last season, and it's all very well him talking about new players but if there was a bit more competition in the team and he found himself warming the bench a bit more, I'm sure we'll hear all about that. As Arsene says, players always want you to buy, but never in their position.
To be fair for around 10 mins after the second goal we could have scored 2 or 3 more, we were all over them. We missed a few easy chances which would have killed the game completely (ala Everton)and at 2 nil the game is never safe.
I dont agree that it was complacency!
After the second goal, Portsmouth might as well have been training cones, we held the ball for long periods with players moving around into space at will, but for anyone who knows football there is this way that if one team is really bad it drags the other team down. The players wanted to score but because the urgency went out the game, the level dropped.
I feel that the goal scored by Portsmouth could have been prevented. Almunia imo was slow to come off his position.
If Arsenal aint careful they could be seriously hurt by other stronger teams who have better attacking players than Pompey.
My take is the defence better cut out the blunders and then we shall see.
arshavin although have no goals yet has been performing not great, but good. You can see his trying hard to help the defence out more and more and still have to get use to the new system where our main strike,rvp, isnt always in the box. Plus he does supply with great passes still.
He also used to shoot outside the box but not anymore, probably the arsenal way wont have any of that. And anonymous at 11:12pm, whats wrong with arshavin wanting 2 quality players in? 2 more in and we can piss the league! And who in the right mind would want to buy in their own position? that's just common sense. It's like being in a job and recommending your boss someone better at your position!
I followed the Russian Magician before his arrival to England.
Ashavin is more a facilitator than a striker.
He’s a little advanced in his thought process in the final third compared to our other attackers.
As the season goes on, they will get better at reading his game and vice versa.
He’s never been a 20 goal a season striker (more like 10 – 15) and it’ll be unfair to label him as such based a 4 goal thriller against Liverpool.
He’s often involved in build up plays or dishing assists; very much a replacement for Hleb (albeit with greater efficiency).
‘Cause of our propensity to grasp at tangible measurments of players (using stats), such talents are often viewed as not delivering when their practicality can be clearly felt when not in the team.
Putting pressure on a striker to score (apparently because it’s their job) may lead to self-ishness when the opposite is required. I'd rather they made the right decisions at the right time.
Why is it so difficult to view this Arsenal TEAM as being “unique”?
There are very few contemporaries to compare to the style/flavour offered by Wenger and his troops.
Welcome to TOTAL football: The art of self-lessness
Arshavin is right about needing depth. Let me get this straight, Arsenal wins 3 straight with Andrey in each line-up, and just becuz he is yet to score, he needs to improve? Get a clue, and a Tele to watch the games on, then come comment. I suppose RVP needs to improve as well? He hasn't scored yet? Arshavin hustles his arse off every game and opens space for others with his brilliant IQ and skill!
Agree on the big mouth.
If Wenger has to buy, it should be in Arshavin's position. I wonder who does he want wenger to replace?
When did a player start advising the professor on who to buy.
I agree. A really BIG MOUTH!
Nasri was and is the replacement for Hleb, not Arshavin.
Hleb, in my view, was not inefficient - as described by one commentator on this blog today - but greatly misunderstood by a number of Arsenal fans.
They seemed to feel that he had no "end product" because he didn't score very often, but that wasn't his game and wasn't what he brought to the team.
Hleb's qualities were about retaining possession of the ball, particularly in tight spaces and in the final third, providing assists, and creating opportunities & space for his team mates to exploit.
It wasn't his fault if some of his colleagues didn't make the most of his passes in the final third, and didn't make the most of the opportunities & space that he created for them by occupying two or three opposition defenders at a time.
I'd have Hleb back in the team anytime.
Arsenal's kids need to realise they won't win nothing by being complacent. You have to focus for 90 minutes against every team you play. If they drop stupid points they can forget winning the league.
@Anonymous (August 24, 2009 11:08 AM)
I didn't say Hleb was inefficient.
Infact, I completely agree with your assessment of his qualities and have argued so in the past.
Contrary to what a lot of fans think, he was a huge asset to the way we applied our football.
I'll never take him back for the way he desserted the team.
I did however say that Arshavin is more efficient.
Nasri was already on the cards before Bacerlona's approach for Hleb (as an understudy to Rosicky) and he's yet to contribute to the degree that Hleb did (contrary to what a lot our supporters think).
I was at the game on Saturday and had a keen eye on arshavins game. His positioning and contributions. He was the one who I thought played very relaxed. He was defensive and did not support the attacking players which I thought was odd. I wasn't surprised when wenger substituted him. I am a big supporter of arshavin. But he wasn't playing his usual game. Hopefully he steps it up against man u. Well done wenger for half time wise words!
Don't worry ,I think the goals will come if we created games like this.
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