Player ratings Vs United

By 1970’s Gooner

Sczesny

Couldn’t do much about the two goals. Saved well when called upon to do so. 8

Djourou

Shouldn’t start again as a full back. And I don’t see him starting as a centre back again either. He should be sold in the summer as part of a general clear out that is badly needed at the club. 2

Vermaelen

Was at fault for United’s first goal. His position was in front of the scorer than behind him. He was disoriented after managing to clear a through ball. Other than this he had a good game. 5

Mertrsacker

Had a decent game but he does lack pace. He was threatened by Wellbeck when he got past him but got back well to clear off the line. He is though very useful when we are defending dead ball situations. We haven’t let as many goals under these situations this season which is a good sign. 6

Koscienly

Our best player on the pitch and I think along with RVP our best player of the season so far. Was influential in our goal by winning the ball in our penalty area and accurately passing it to Rosicky (who then passed it to the Ox) 9

Ramsey

Another indifferent performance from a promising young player. He found it hard to have an  influence the game. His passing was also below par. 4

Song

His worst performance this season. Could not win the ball, tackle or pass accurately. WHY? Improved in the 2^nd half but overall he was disappointing. 4

Rosicky

A good performance from Tomas. He is getting near his top form since his long lay offs due to injuries. He was full of running and energy. Why didn’t he start against Swansea? 7

Walcott

Was quiet. He hardly got beyond his man and really was out of the game. At least he was tracking back most of the time in the first half. In the second he was staying in the more attacking positions. 5

The Ox

What a player he is and what a player he will be! He is at far more advanced stage at this age than Walcott was. He is a far more complete player than Theo. He runs at the defenders, his crosses are far more accurate and he generally plays without any fear. WRONG SUBSTITUTION BY WENGER. 9

RVP

Did not get any real support at the front. He was failing to win or hold the ball when it was getting pumped up to him when we were under pressure in the 1^st half. Missed a sitter but what a goal he produced though. 6

Niko Yennaris

I was impressed by Niko. He did well to come on in such an important game and play against Nani. He was far more effective than Djourou and he put in some decent crosses when we were in the ascendancy. Well done young lad. 7

Arshavin

Go back to Russia. 1

Wenger manages to lose us the game

By 1970’s Gooner

I call it as I see it and Arsene Wenger made one of the most horrendous decisions he will ever make.

We had just equalised after raising our game and peppering the United defence with some strong pressure in the second half. The young Ox had a terrific game. He was the only Arsenal player who was putting a good day’s shift.

He was running the United defence rugged. He was tackling them like our defenders should have been tackling and running at their defenders head on. Most of the rest of the Arsenal players were really awful. Song was nowhere his normal game. Ramsey was nowhere full stop.

Djourou was the weakest link. He should never play in the right back position again. Better to play the young boy Yennaris who actually did pretty well.

It was the moment we gained momentum. We could have gone on and won the game. RVP had just equalised after a wonderful pass from the Ox but what does Mr Wenger do? He takes the young boy off! And to compound the mistake he brings the idiot Arshavin on.

In other words he not only took our most influential player off but he brought on someone who could not defend . Lo and behold Valencia goes past him as though he wasn’t there and we are 2-1 down and out!

If we don’t finish fourth then Arsene Wenger will know why. And he should a take a good look at himself and ask:

Have I got any more to give to this club?

Arsenal need to wield the Ox and change tactics against United

By 1970’s Gooner

I call it as I see it and after Arshavin’s poor performance against Swansea I shudder to contemplate what will happen when Nani begins to terrorise young Miquel on the left hand side of Arsenal’s defence.

                                  

Add to this the likely possibility that Arsenal will be without Arteta and you then face the possibility that we will be suffering in central midfield as well. This is because I fear that Wenger may select Benayoun to fill in. He is however inept to play that role as his performance last week proved.

You can imagine what tactics Fergie will employ on Sunday. He will pack his midfield, probably with 5 players and try and suck the Arsenal players forward. He will then play on the counter attack as they have done in recent games at the Emirates.

With a defence relying on makeshift full backs and leaking goals Fergie will definitely fancy his chances of scoring at least one goal.

That is why Wenger has to drop Arshavin and Benayoun.

Arshavin is awful going forward but more significantly in tracking back. Poor Miquel was left isolated on many occasions in our last game and if this is repeated then expect a very one sided high scoring game. Again…

It’s about time the young Ox is given a start.

He is a far more dangerous player going forward than Arshavin and, unlike him, full of enthusiasm. He has the pace, tenacity and eye for goal. He will certainly terrorise a slow Evra but also discourage him from going forward.

The Ox, as he has shown already, can also track back and defend far more tenaciously than Arshavin ever will.

Benayoun was out of his depth whenever he played so far. He cannot and will not provide the midfield tenacity nor the skill needed to replace Arteta. If he starts then expect that we will be outrun in midfield.

Tomas Rosicky if fit should start. He is much more able to hold his own in such a difficult game and also has the ability to hold the ball and make telling passes.

Due to the obvious weakness in the full back positions and irrespective of who starts the game, Arsenal should play a more tactical game rather than go gung-ho in all out attack by pushing the full backs forward as per normal.

This will make it a much closer contest which will suit us, as the advantage of playing at home and RVP’s potency in front of goal may in the end prove decisive.

Likely 11 against Leeds

By 1970’s Gooner

I believe that Wenger will give much needed rest to certain players and also give the chance to bench warmers and other aspiring first teamers to show what they can do.

In goal Fabianski has to be given playing time so that he can be match fit  in case Szczeszny gets injured or becomes unavailable.

Coquelin has to start in order to get match fit and also get used to the left back position as it looks like he will be the preferred choice until a first team full back gets fit again.

Miquel will start as there are no other viable options. Niko Yennaris is likely to be on the bench.

Squillaci, who produces a clanger every time he plays will be risked by Wenger as he has to protect at least one of his remaining centre backs!

Mertesacker will provide the experience.

Song similarly and also as the team needs a defensive midfielder.

Benayoun, Rosicky and Arshavin need games.

So do Park and Chamakh

Henry is way behind on the fitness stakes and I think he will come on as a sub probably playing behind the forward player.

Fabianski

Coquelin Mertesacker Squillacy Miquel

Benayoun Rosicky Song Arshavin

Park  Chamakh

Walcott can’t be as bad again and Coquelin will be better

By 1970's Gooner

I call it as I see it. And Walcott looked slightly out of touch against QPR. His crosses left a lot to be desired and he rearely got beyond his man.

There was a better balance in the team of course when compared to when Benayoun was deployed on the side in the game against Wolves. But still Theo looked as though he needed a game to get back to his normal self. I think he will manage it tonight where I expect him to put a scintillating performance against Riise and maybe get a goal.

On the other hand Arshavin’s only contribution against QPR was to set up the goal. And if you were to guarantee me that he will be doing this tonight I would gladly include him in the line up. But alas he is a shadow of his former self.

He doesn’t deserve a starting place and if he plays tonight I fear we will be playing with 10 men…

On the other hand Coquelin impressed me when he had to come on for Vermaelen at left back. He was awful against Villa but as it often happens with these young men they only need a handful of games to improve tremendously.

And if he carries on where he finished against Wolves then I think he will have a good game tonight. It looks like Wenger is convinced that he will be able to fill in better than Frimpong (who is off to Wolves) if Song or another central midfielder become unavailable.

I would also like to see Gervinho back as his penetrating runs on the wing are what RVP needs to get a few more goals.

Szsczesny 

Djourou Mertesacker Koscienly Coquelin

Ramsey Song Arteta 

Walcott RVP Gervinho 

Is Henry a viable option or an excuse not to buy?

By 1970’s Gooner

How will Henry fit into this Arsenal team?

I was at the Emirates Cup as a guest of Arsenal Football Club and I had the chance to see Henry play against us. 

I was not impressed.

He played as the front man in a 4 5 1 formation and was not up to it. He was too slow and didn’t have the pace to chase down balls. All he was good at was keeping the ball and making intelligent passes. That was all.

I then thought that may be he was in preseason or coming back from injury. He was that slow. None of those were true, unfortunately.

In my opinion he is not good enough to start games. If he does then he will be slowing the game down and getting caught in possession. There may come a time when Wenger will want to rest RVP or replace him when he gets injured. He will then look to Henry.

I hope I am proved wrong but he will not prove to be a viable option in my opinion.

Can RVP and Henry play together? 

For this to happen then Henry will play at centre forward and RVP on the wing (to replace Gervinho). Alternatively the system will have to change to 4 4 2 or 4 4 1 1 with Henry behind RVP.

Wenger will not change the system that’s for sure. That will disorientate the players who have been training hard in the past seasons to play 4 3 3. It will be pretty stupid to change the system for a month or so to accommodate a player.

And to move RVP to the wing will of course be suicidal as you will then be removing your top hot scorer away from the firing line.

So this option is ruled out. What’s left then?

Wenger’s other option is to bring him on only as a sub. Remember Gervinho will be away for most of January and one would expect that Wenger may start with Arshavin (god help us) or my choice Chamberlain.

So is Henry a viable option for Arsenal or an excuse not to buy? I think it id the latter.

We need to get rid of the dead wood like Chamach and Arshavin (also Almunia, Denilson, Bendtner, Vela etc). Park doesn’t seem to be a Premier League player nor does Benayoun.

And we desperately need to buy a viable alternative to RVP in case he gets injured or wants out (he has not signed a new deal remember). We also need at least one more wide midfield player.

I doubt that Wenger will buy anyone.

Wrong team selection, wrong players’ attitude and a useless bench

By 1970's Gooner

I call it as I see it. And I didn’t like what I saw developing before my eyes during the game against Wolves. Granted they are my second team that I support (due to family connections) but at the end I was left feeling very disappointed with Arsenal’s performance.

Firstly the players’ attitude was completely wrong. I could see it right after we scored. They relaxed, started showboating (especially Song) and played like victory was already granted.

Song had a shocker and was at fault for their equaliser, strolling out of the box like he was on an afternoon walk.

Then there was Wenger’s team selection and substitutions. Wrong. It was wrong to start with Benayoun. When I saw his name in the starting 11 I cringed. He was not up to pace and I think he is not up to Premier League standard. It certainly looked like that during the game. He should have been substituted at half time.

In terms of tactics he was also the wrong type of player to start the game on the right hand side of midfield. His inclusion unbalanced the Arsenal team as there was no outlet on the right wing, nor was there any penetration in the attacking positions from that side. He kept coming infield all the time congesting the space for the other midfielders.

He did however make the pass which led to Gervinho’s goal, but as it proved, scoring a goal was not and never is enough to win you the game. You need 11 top players out there who are committed and on top of their game to achieve success and there were not many on top of their game last night.

The right decision for me was to start with Oxlade Chamberlain. Why not? He would have at least provided the balance we needed and would have put the opposing defender much more under pressure.

Then we come to the substitutions. What substitutions? Arshavin and Chamach are a disgrace. Arshavin is a parody of his former self. He can’t pass the ball nor can he shoot straight. All he did was come inside (rather than take his player on) and pass square. Thanks very much Andrei. Please take a hike back to Zenit St Petersburg.

And Chamach is the best we have to bring on and change the game! Thanks a lot Mr Wenger….

At least Ramsey provided something extra when he came on.

Now expect another very hard game against QPR. They will not roll over and surrender as some of our players may think they should.

 And I half expect that Mr Wenger will unleash Mr Park on us. God help us.

Drop Ramsey and find a new right back Mr Wenger

By 1970’s Gooner

I call it as I see it. And what I saw last night was not good enough. We had two major weaknesses which need to be corrected and soon.

                  

The first was the form of Ramsey. He has been below par recently and needs a rest. Last night he couldn’t provide the passes or the creativity that the team so obviously lacks. The team is crying out loud for someone to take the ball in midfield and drive the team forward. But he couldn’t provide it.

As soon as Rosicky came on the whole style of play changed dramatically. We stopped playing passes sideways or to the opponents and held the ball much better. The result was that we put them under pressure and scored from our 11^th corner of the match.

I would like to see Rosicky given a chance in the creative midfield role in the next games.

The second weakness was the odd decision to play Coquelin as right back. He was awful. He couldn’t keep his position or his man and ended up picking a yellow early on. His predicament was so obvious even his own players stopped passing the ball to him.

The best option should be to play Miquel at left back and Koscienly at right back. Vermaelen should start in central defence.

Arshavin was awful again. He should be sold in January. There are other players who deserve to come on as subs, like Benayoun, who will at least try unlike him who looks disinterested.

Given the tremendous effort the players put in last Sunday against City with the inevitable fatigue coupled with having to carry two youngsters we did pretty well in the end.

Frimpong vs Coquelin and Squillaci vs Miquel. The choice is obvious

By 1970’s Gooner

Now Djourou is out. And Song too. Can Wenger find adequate replacements and still maintain the same level of performance?

The harder to replace of the two is Song in my opinion. He is the heart of the Arsenal team, a box to box midfielder who never stops running. He is also pivotal in the way Arsene Wenger’s teams play.

The team is set up in a very attacking formation with the 4 3 3 sometimes turning into a 4 1 2 3 with additional support in the attack from the two full backs. There is only one defensive midfielder there and Song has been along with RVP our most influential player so far.

His absence will be a big miss and whoever replaces him has a hard task to follow. The choice will be between Frimpong and Coquelin. I would go for the former as he has shown that he has the strength and power to replace Song like for like.

On the other hand Coquelin has played really well when called upon especially in the defeat at Spurs. He has really improved this season and he provides a more creative option in the centre of midfield.

Gibbs is out unfortunately. This leaves Squillaci and Miquel. I would have thought the choice between them was pretty obvious. Miquel played really well against City. He held his position effectively making important tackles. He wasn’t overawed by the occasion.

The alternative is to play Squillaci in central defence and move Vermaelen at left back. I hope that Wenger does not fall for this. I really do. Squillaci played in the defeat at Olympiakos and he was auful. Playing him against Bent’s heading ability or Agbonlahor’s pace would be suicidal.

If we play with the same determination and work rate as against City we should prevail. 

Arsenal very near to achieving great things again

By 1970’s Gooner

What a terrific game that was against Manchester City. We gave as good as we got but in the end it was just short. I say just because if we could have played with our full first team we would not have lost and probably have won that game.

And everyone would have been talking us up as title contenders.

The game was lost because our two full backs were not full backs. Djourou was awful on the right hand side and Walcott kept loosing the ball thus putting him under even more pressure.

Most of City’s attacks came from that flank but they scored their goal from the other side and that was because Wenger moved Koscienly there from centre back. He was way out of position when the through ball to Balotteli went past him and Song, who got back to cover, was too tired to block his shot.

There is another reason why were less effective in this game and it has to do with the full backs again. We lacked the width and the outlet in the attacking positions that our normal full backs usually give us.

Sagna and Santos (or Gibbs) would have given Arsenal a more defensive nous and strength but also ‘balance’. The result of the game would, I am convinced, have been different.

Even with these deficiencies our defensive performance was still very good. We don’t let in silly goals anymore, Szczesny (along with Friedle) is the best keeper in the Premier League, the wide attacking players track back consistently and the whole team defends as a unit when we loose the ball.

This augurs very well for the near future for when Sagna and Gibbs return we will become a very stingy outfit.

And when Wilshere returns then that little bit of creativity and steel that Ramsey is still lacking will make us quite a formidable unit.

Our bench will need to be strengthened too. The two attacking subs were awful. I would have preferred Chamberlain instead of Arshavin. At least he would have been enthusiastic to do something.

We really have to get rid of Arshavin and Chamakh in the January window and get in another centre forward.

And we will be achieving great things again.