Arsenal Outgun Old King Coyle’s Bolton
ByFirst blood to Arsenal.
When you bring together Arsenal’s brand of scintillating football and Bolton’s brand of unsavoury hoofball, it’s never easy to predict what’s going to cut on the pitch. Well, except for the fact that if it was legally acceptable, teams like Bolton would use baseball bats to try and stop Arsenal’s Wengerball.
Assaulting another human being with a baseball bat is a criminal offence on the street, let alone on a football pitch, so kicking the hell out of Arsenal players and trying to incapacitate the Arsenal captain by slamming a knee deep into his neck and pulling his hair while he’s on the ground will have to suffice.
The FIFA refereeing rule book suggests that if the referee allows such an assault, despite the fact that if it happened on the street, Matthew Taylor would be attending his arraignment at the local magistrates court, then it must be acceptable. Perhaps the only disappointment is that Arsenal fans should know what to expect when they meet a team that substitutes the ability to play football with that all so clichéd alternative of grit and commitment. For that is the industrial language of saying since we can’t play football, we’re going to run around and kick the hell out of you, get up in your faces and up your noses – and well, basically stop you from playing football.
I’m reliably told that Arsenal lacks this sort of grit and determination to their game. They don’t have the strength and power, the height or the conviction to deal with the strong, ugly reprobates that litter all manner of teams in the league. They don’t have the characteristic that is seen as the hallmark of the quintessential English Premier League team. I don’t know about you, but I’d much prefer Wengerball every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Arsenal clearly didn’t get the memo that suggested they should revert to type for the sake of the punditry and hack script. It was the script that promoted the lazy journalism of pigeon-holing this Arsenal side of being one that struggled and bottled it out of the battles in the cold winters of the north west of England.
There was of course the added incentive that was the home coming of Bolton’s King Coyle. His first game back at Bolton as manager, and with a team that Coyle scored against when he was a striker at Bolton in the early 90s. A monumental upset of the romantic type was the sort of stuff that sells papers and brings in the ratings from sensational headlines to keep the advertisers happy.
Arsenal were imperious when they needed to be and professional in doing what was needed to close the game out. It was actually a very enjoyable game of football despite the violence sanctioned by the referee that was unleashed Arsenal’s way. I say enjoyable because Arsenal took to the pressure like water off a ducks back and showed great maturity and determination not to be phased by the spoiling tactics of Bolton.
There are those who are quick to suggest that ”well, if Bolton took their chances yada yada yada….”. Could have, should have, would have! Well, they didn’t and when they shot at goal, they either aimed for row Z or Manuel Almunia did his job.
It’s about time the myth that the only way to deal with Arsenal is to batter them off the park is kicked into the long grass. Frankly speaking, it’s annoying because it means that Arsenal are at greater risk of clocking unnecessary injuries. In a sick way though, it’s also a compliment to know that the only option teams who can’t cope with Arsenal’s Wengerball have is to kick them off the park.
2 nil and a psychological victory over Bolton is not bad to bring back to Ashburton Grove for the return leg on Wednesday night. Zero complacency and focus is paramount for Arsenal to keep the momentum going.
Tue 13th September 2011; 19:45, Dortmund
“I’m reliably told that Arsenal lacks this sort of grit and determination to their game.”
Chuckling…..good one that, Darius.
“There are those who are quick to suggest that well, if Bolton took their chances yada yada yada..”
Bolton didn’t; But will those lapses in defending withstand scrutiny by better teams? Were they consequent to just an off day at work, or part of a persistent problem? Those are my worries.
As the season stands, we’re serious contenders for the title. I hope these loose ends will be tied up sufficiently to enable a right tilt at it.
The one that really annoyed me was the Robinson yellow. To my mind that was a cowardly & cynical attempt to injure Cesc fully deserving a straight red. It is the way his type does the deed then goes away shaking their heads as though they have been wronged.
However, Robinson was on a type-rope after that, should have got a second yellow but then had to play like a pussycat. It worked to our advantage because if he had gone then Rosicky may well have as well (we certainly cannot afford suspensions & you would expect more thought from Tomas). I thought I saw Davies do his trademark on Cesc but they didn’t want to show that again.
Concerned by the their progress down our left flank, where Troare was naive & received too little help. Fortunately our CBs were not drawn out of position & were again excellent, as indeed was the much-maligned Almunia.
Eastmond did really well in a tough atmosphere. He was not going to play more than the hour. He is a good user of the ball & shows real intelligence. From what I have seen it is this ability to see a pass that gives him the advantage over the possibly more robust Coquelin or Frimpong.
When you consider how many we have out, combined with the likes of Rosicky & Eduardo still getting to their optimum best this was an excellent 3 points. What a prick Redknapp Junior is saying Eduardo was a passenger after he had an important part in both goals as well as some very intelligent interplay throughout the game. I resent these c##ts getting paid.
As you say, total concentration required on Wednesday, with a few of our wounded back for that very hard run of games coming up.
Saloner.
I understand the anxiety around closing out the defense. However, I think that there is over emphasis on this point.
I start from the position that it is unreasonable to expect us to go through games without conceding chances to the opposition. That is unfortunately going to happen with the system of play that we’re employing. The same is the case with the Brazilian national team and Barcelona – 2 of the teams I know who play effectively with the system we use.
Playing a high line is a strategy to squeeze the ball and a lot of the success with this system depends on the ability of our ball carriers to retain the ball, and also of our forwards to press early to ‘buy time’ for our main defensive unit to regroup.
As and when we are breeched, then we have to take it that our defense will do a job at it – and yesterday for example, Almunia made 3 very crucial saves that kept the clean sheet. I’d rather look at it that Almunia actually did his job, rather than Taylore missing his chances. It’s the least you can ask from your goalkeeper, and when he does it we need to recognize that he did his job.
The flip side of this arguement is that if our 3 front men didn’t start the pressing up high in the opponents defensive 3rd and if we put away all our chances, then we wouldn’t be under so much pressure in the first place. My point is that defending is a job for the entire team and they did a very professional job yesterday.
Bolton were always going to come at us – doing otherwise was never an option, and it was really good to see Arsenal soak up the pressure, calm things down and then dictate the game. Away from home, we couldn’t ask for more.
Eastmond had a good debut and looked unphased. I really liked his contribution – and was impressed with how he seamlessly dropped into defense when either Gallas or Vermaelen meandered forward. Eduardo also had a very good game with assists for both goals. He’s looking sharper and sharper.
Flint.
For my own sanity, I stopped listening to pre-match punditry and I also turn down the volume during the game so I don’t have to listen to the commentary.
Think of it as taking responsibility for my own health and well-being…LOL!
Don’t forget we had at least 10 possible starters, including 5 midfielders, unavailable, Saloner.
As I said before we need some of those back for the coming games, without losing any more to injury. Yes we could have conceded a couple but by the same token we could have scored a few more. I think there is generally a better focus when playing the better teams.
Anyway I hope you are coming to realise that this team does have quite a bit about it now. Our best & most physical teams struggled at places like Bolton.
‘If they took there chances” Indeed. I hate that school of thought, so what, if we’d took all of ours. It’s as if a team makes a chance against us then they deserve a goal automatically, we should take this as a compliment really.
Darius & Flint:
No question at all, specially given our injury woes, that this team has, so far, coped impressively, and exhibited admirable grit in the process. Consistency, I agree, will come with increasing maturity.
That said, I didn’t, I hope, ever come across as one who wrote this Wenger experiment entirely off. I did, and do, think important work remains in shaping this squad into the finished article, which is the view that informs my discussions with you all.
Coming to our defence, I’m expressing worry and not complaining or being disdainful of their efforts. While not expecting absolute perfection from them, lapses therein worry me the more because of the unsettled nature, owing to injury compulsions, of our attack: We depend the more on the defence to help us weather lean times upfront.
My touchiness on the subject stems from the fact that we have a great chance this season to win something. That victory might be just the trigger to set this team firmly on the path to sustained excellence and dominance, and I’d like the club as a whole to receive that confidence boost.
A note, before I end, about the cynical fouls: This, after all, was Bolton. The referee should have done better. That said, Rosicky was flirting with disaster, and I’m relieved he escaped punishment. We need just about every pair of feet available as things stand.
Excellent as ever, Darius. Don’t be surprised that I voted for you at The Soccer Lens awards @ http://soccerlens.com/awards/2009-soccerlens-awards/
Wow! You guys have left me with absolute nothing to say. Even the questions in the debate have been answered. To think just a few people can cover everything is pleasantly astonishing. I’ll have to wait for some new question to be raised, else I’ll be left with repeating what others have said. Good job guys.