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Friday, November 12, 2010

Arsenal’s defence has not got any better. Something else changed

By 1970’s Gooner

I watched Arsenal’s display at Molineux which was another hard fought win but with a clean sheet. It is the third so far this season in 12 games, which is not too bad considering that we gooners have come to expect that we usually need to score more than one goal to be sure of the three points.

Arsene Wenger bought two new centre halves this year and along with Djourou returning to fitness has created enough cover to cater for any injuries, such as Vermaelen’s.

But I ask you, are these new additions any better than when Kolo Toure or Gallas were playing?

I think that they are adequate and will improve as they get to grips with the Premier League but they are not significantly better than what we had in recent seasons.

But what has changed so far however is the goalkeeping situation.

The goalkeeper is the make or break of a good defensive unit in my opinion.

No outfield defender can totally subdue the opposing forwards totally, 100% of the time. There will come a time when the opponents will create two or three goal scoring chances and that is when you need your goalkeeper to come to the rescue.

To save the one on one when their forward has raced though clean on goal.

To make that spectacular save when the shot has got goal written all over it.

To keep you in the game and give the team a chance to go forward and get that winning goal.

And this is what I have seen happening with Fabianski.

He did it against Wolves when they were in the ascendancy during the second half pushing to score the equaliser. He made at least three wonderful saves especially the one in the last minute when he dived to his left and stopped that shot form outside the area.

He did it in another significant win for Arsenal (and another clean sheet) against Manchester City at Eastlands. His save in the first minute from Silva and then again on a one to one situation later on, kept us in the game and the rest is history as they say.

He made the mistake against Newcastle of course and I hope he does not repeat it. He seems to have learnt form it as a similar situation arose against Wolves but on this occasion he fisted it away.

It is of course early to go overboard about Fabianski but I hope he carries on his good performances as he will prove vital in this coming busy November and Xmas period.



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You can't even spell his name.

TrueGooner said...

The article is pointless also as there has been big improvement in the defense. If this was djourou and gallas it would be worse believe me. Kosciencly is a good interceptor and reader of play, while squallachi is an experience and decent defender and works hard.

Anonymous said...

bollocks to the last poster... kocielny is great one match and dire the next, like gallas and kolo were, and squallaci is adequete at best, the only real strong defender we have is vermallen and even he cant play well and carry the defense every game...
If you look at the last few seasons, we still give away far too many oppurtunites for the opposistion to score, only in the wolves match and in the citeh fabianski done the required and kept us in the game like a good keeper should...
Now don't get me wrong i was as harsh on him as anyone when he made the numerous previous blunders, but he looks to be getting better at handling the pressure and looks to have more composure and that was all that was ever in question...
He deserves credit for working hard to turn things around, and long may it continue, because if he can continue with this sort of form, then we won't need to splash out on a goalkeeper and that's good news for everyone

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