Arsenal Battle Bolton Brawlers For Chance To Correct League Table
ByIt seems like it was just the other day that a bunch of thugs
-
masquerading as footballers tried to ambush the Arsenal team.
One of them slammed his knee deep into our captain’s neck, shoved his face and pulled his hair while the poor guy was on the ground. Another tried twice to hack Abou Diaby right in front of the referee, and it was only when Tomas Rosicky decided to take the law into his own hands did the referee act, but only to book Little Mozart. Another one decided to kick Fran Merida even before the unsuspecting Catalan had kicked the ball when he came on as a substitute. Merida now has an ankle injury from that kicking. If these are not acts of violence sanctioned in the name of the sporting spirit of association football, then I don’t know what to call them.
There seems to be widespread acceptance within the establishment of this sort of thuggery as – wait for this – good old fashioned grit and steel, commitment and grafting ability. It’s a well revered attribute of what is seen to make a solid and reliable English Premiership side.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, not turning up for a televised session of ”Stop me any way you can” is not a viable option lest we forfeit 3 points in a walkover to Bolton.
Arsenal’s only saving grace is that Owen Coyle has had a bit more success in convincing his new team that there is indeed another way of playing football. Fat chance in 3 days, but you can only hope. Believe me when I say that there’s a real and present danger that Arsenal players are at risk of injury from causes that are not natural to the game of football. In fact, they are causes that would easily qualify for classification as Actual or Grievous bodily harm in the criminal justice system.
For the simple reason that Bolton don’t want to be hand bagged twice in 4 days, today’s match at the Emirates is a difficult proposition for the Gunners. The fact that Arsenal have more technically superior players all over the pitch can only be a valid argument if Bolton are prepared to play association football, and I’m not convinced there’s any guarantee.
The Gunners must have a strong desire to go top of the table and gain the psychological advantage over their title challengers, if only until Manure play Hull City on Saturday. There is no room for complacency and the expectation by supporters is that the team will do a professional job and bag the 3 points. It’ll be nice to throw in some Wengerball, but like I said, that really depends on whether Bolton are coming to play or whether they’re coming to brawl.
Arsenal have some reprieve on the injury front with Denilson and Theo Walcott back in the squad, in addition to Gaél Clichy who was given a run out on Saturday. This should give the team more confidence and creative nous in the middle of the park, as well as some solidity at left back. It is rare, but pleasing that a relatively strong squad is likely to start.
Tactically, Bolton are going to try and quickly close down Arsenal and get in their faces if you will. Some years ago, this sort of harassment might have worked, but Arsenal have become adept at dealing with this modus operandi.
At the Emirates, it’s almost suicidal to try and play that high energy game against Arsenal. The Gunners are anal about their fitness and all they’ll do is wear the opponent down slowly and patiently before unleashing Wengerball on a bunch of unsuspecting but tired legged fellas who are by then chasing shadows.
And this is even before unleashing the pace of 2 of the fastest wingers in the Premiership in Theo Walcott and Carlos Vela.
The important thing is that Arsenal have a strong squad to start with, and options on the bench to get behind the Bolton defensive line if they decide to park the bus in front of goal.
The crowd will of course be singing ”You’re only here because we paid your fare” – seeing that Ivan Gazidis was nice enough to reimburse the costs of the 300 Bolton fans who made it down south on the 6th of Jan.
My sense is that the starting line-up will be:
Almunia
Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy
Denilson, Diaby, Fabregas
Rosicky, Eduardo, Arshavin.
AT SOME POINT IN THE GAME, Walcott and Vela are most likely going to be unleashed on the tiring Bolton legs for good measure.
Enjoy the game wherever you are.
Tue 13th September 2011; 19:45, Dortmund
Hi Darius,
I have been following you post for a while now, also from ACLF, but this is my first time commenting her. Always insightful and interesting, really appreciate you work.
As you mention, a professional job needs to done today. A win with a margin of two goals would be great. But I’d take any win.
My “physio” room line-up
Fabiansky
Eboue Djourou Cambell Gibbs
Song
Ramsey Nasri
Bendtner Merida
V Persie
A full first team on any other given day. I’m privileged to be a GUNNER.
Simba. Thanks for crossing the rail tracks from the ‘lurkers’ side, to the active participants side. Glad you enjoy the posts.
That physio room team sheet is tantalizing. It’s amazing how some people peddle myths that we don’t have strength and depth in the squad.
Frank on ACLF keeps insisting that this squad is the best one Arsenal has ever had. I guess because over 90% of them were unknown names before they came to Arsenal – most outsiders and anti-Arsenal elements find it hard to accept that they are indeed big name players. I’m told that for this to be recognized, you have to come with an inflated price tag of over £20 mil.
That’s a true eye-opener simba.
Next season this team will be receiving all the praise it deserves, I think that even the must ignorant of pundits will have to stop and take note.
For the bolton game i’d like Gallas and Arsh to be rested as they are complaing of niggles and if you look at the fixtures ahead it would be nice to have them fresh.
Also the under 18′s got beat last night. by Ipswich (a good team) 2 – 0 Connar Wickham (spelling) scored against us, we should by him. Hes going to be good. Just thought i’d add that.
I’ve got to say I’m a bit sad by the loss of our under 18′s. I have been following their progress and would love to see some of them action. I suppose we’ll have to wait for C C next season to get a glimpse.
Yes it was pretty bad wasn’t it. At least the lads know that here they will get plenty of opportunities to brake into the first team.
Our boys go in for another round of ‘Brutish Slugging’ today. I feel a ting of pity for the boys who are going to be at the receiving end of the outragious sluggery without any protection from either the referee or the law. How can members of the English FA and indeed these so called referees sleep at night?
As always, I only ask for a 2 goal margin in favour of our boys.
LRV they’ll be fine, I imagine they’ll be having to get used to it now. It’s an unfortunate side to the game and no excuse for it, especially when it’s your only tactic. I have to say it’s a shame that there seems to be such a fear of this tactic. It is adopted by about half of our oponents. Contrary to popular belief we do have some fellas that can more than stand up for themselves. I don’t think Gallas, Tommy V, TR, Diaby, Cesc if they all play will take it lying down.
BTW, the posts on this blog are syndicated to The Bleacher Report. Find me in the World Football, Soccer, EPL or Arsenal Channels
There’s some hilarious comments from Bolton Fans in response to this article that makes good reading.
“Oh Darius and Tumang, did either of you two watch the game on Sunday? Or did you find it hard to watch what really happened through your red tinted spectacles?
You really shouldn’t write such trash (would have said rubbish, but you American’s may not understand that) unless you are prepared to have some cold facts
pointed out to you.
Arsene Wenger – a manager who really should go to get some new spectacles. You know, those ones that work all over the pitch. Saying you didn’t see an incident
because it was caused by an Arsenal player is not clever, most fans see him for the complete prat that he is.
You have a team that can dish out the dirty tackles, especially by the thug Diaby, and Fabregas is no angel either.
The fact that you can go top tonight just shows how poor the Premier League is this season. I for one hope you get everything that you deserve this season
(make of that comment as you will).
By the way, you Americans should stick to to commenting on sports you know about, Baseball, American Football and Basketball. You obviously know nothing
about Football (translation = Soccer)”.
Then there’s this one:
“Every single Arsenal blog has come out with this tired old pripe since the game on Sunday. You’re only worried because we won’t lie down and die for you
to play your (adnittedly lovely) football.
The only serious assaults in recent seasons in this fixture have come from Arsenal players (remember Diaby breaking Campo’s foot? Diaby trying to break
Steinnsson’s leg? Clichy going over the top on Davies?).
I’ll be there with the away fans tonight and we’ll probably lose.
But we’ll be supporting a team in the English Premier league that’s made up of at least 6 English players. It’s something you boys can only dream of. You
play excellent football, but if your model was followed everywhere, there’s be no game left in this country.
Oh, and you Johnny-come-latelys may not realise but there are no bigger cheats than Arsenal in the history of the English game. You bribed your way into
the first division (fact), yousold out the people of Woolwich by moving your club (fact) and your manager was the first to be found taking bungs.
It’s not only the small clubs that do some nasty stuff, remember.
See you tonight at the cauldron of silence”.
Finally there’s this one:
“Puh-lez! . . . If you won’t play nice, I’m taking my ball home. Beside, you make it sound as though your guys never hard. Do you think they appreciate your
comments . . . ?”
Seriously – what’s with the “you can’t play football properly if you’re foreign” nonsense.
hmmm oh dear. Still there are a few points about our less than rosy history that you do have to let them have. And George Graham was almost as dodgy as Harry Redknapp, ALMOST.
ELS – at least the Arsenal board had the balls to fire Graham.
And Norris was a wheeler dealer who got his back scratched by running the politics of the day. It’s no different to what Gartside recently tried to do by getting Bolton some safety in a 2 tier premier league. The Bolton chairman tabled that proposal because he knew Bolton would survive better in the lower tier with the likes of Celtic and Rangers.
Football is a different sport now, these things are dead and burried, Gartside was in plying make-believe.
I actually didn’t realise you were American Darius, if in fact you are.
sorry that was *infact playing
ELS – I think that Bolton fan just got a bit trigger happy and assumed since the Bleacher report is an American portal, everyone who writes on it is American.
It’s that sweeping ignorance that wipes everyone with the same brush type of thing.
I’m not American for the record.
It’s funny Darius cause I know by following your work you’re not an American.
But that shows how low a Bolton fan can be…insult the race with an assumption that they’re English so they’re the best at knowing football. Wrong.
And it’s hilarious how he tried to label us the bullys….
Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows how Bolton “play”….I think the only reason someone would try to break kevin davies’ leg is because that thug tried it 10 times before.
I despise Bolton and their concept of how to play football, to me they’re chelski with no money and good players.
“Thugs masquerading as footballers…”
That line alone sums up a great deal of what, in my view, has been wrong with English football for many decades.
It’s consistent, however, with a traditional English view of how the game of football should be played, and perhaps says something about the national character of the English, whoever they are these days.
No wonder why ‘Ingerland’ has consistently failed at International level since 1966 and all that.
I think that’s a bit of a sweeping statement there Magneto.
Els – you may be right about the statement being sweeping in nature.
It was a shorthand but clumsily written attempt to convey my feelings about how the emphasis in professional football in England for much of the post second world war period has been less to do with technical ability, skill, flair and vision, and more to do with hard graft, ‘commitment’ and sweating for the cause.
The advent of the premier league in 1992 and the increasingly global nature of the game may have begun to change perceptions about that to some degree, but make no mistake, the traditional English view of how the game should be played is still very much intact, and shared by the footballing establishment.
Hey Darius…thanks for the excellent post.
Hey els…I think we’ll do well today…start where we left off, yeah?
Come on Gunners!