Archive for Match Reports
One Nil To The Arsenal As The Fight Back Begins
Posted by: | CommentsThat’s 1 down and 12 to go. One game at a time and the home stretch doesn’t look as daunting as it did for the last fortnight.
This was a week where everyone was taking pot shots at Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal charges. From Fleet Street hacks to despondent Arsenal ’customers’, from opposing team’s players to the tea lady at Stamford Bridge – criticism of the Arsenal team has been dished out in plenty from all corners.
Wenger observed that it was funny how Arsenal’s qualities are lauded when the team is winning by playing champagne football, yet quickly identified as the team’s Achilles heel when the Gunners hit a difficult patch.
It was never going to be a straight forward game last night. The air of doom and gloom around the Gooner nation, coupled with the collective naval gazing and low spirits that haunted the environs of London Colney, made last night’s task an arduous affair.
If there’s one thing that stood out most, it’s the sheer determination of the Arsenal players to put things right. It was the way they each played for one another and took responsibility for their individual and collective roles.
In the last two defeats, the way Arsenal gave away the counter attacking goals was as painful to the players as it was to supporters. There were already signs during the Chelsea game that some work had gone into the collective team effort, especially in the second half of the game at Stamford Bridge.
There was more evidence yesterday of the teams determination to fight. Liverpool gave a fistful as they sought to take advantage of what was comically described by a certain player as a one dimensional Arsenal style.
One dimensional it wasn’t for Arsenal most definitely mixed it and rightfully gained a result for the spirited effort.
If you believe everything you read, you would have got the impression that there was a runaway train with the title contenders sitting above Arsenal in the league table.
Perhaps what made the victory against Liverpool sweeter was the fact that elsewhere, other teams who recently accused Arsenal of being predictable were themselves employing predictable one dimensional tactics in trying to retrieve a sticky situation at the hands of the Toffees.
The Arsenal players will have drawn encouragement from the fact that their endeavour was also supported by the loss of 3 and 2 points for Chelsea and Manchester United respectively.
The title challenge that seemed to have slipped their grip was tilted back in the Gunner’s direction by a twist of fate that smiled kindly. All Arsenal can do is take a game at a time and ensure that they aim for maximum points.
Man United and Chelsea still have more points to drop and it’s paramount that Arsenal focus on doing what is in their control – and that is fighting tooth and nail for every point they can get in the last 12 games.
The spirit and work rate that the Gunners employed last night will have earned them the belief and confidence needed to approach the next stage of the campaign. The most impressive aspect for me last night was the way the players defended as a team. I would have been happy with a draw simply based on the shift that the team put in – but of course, I’m ecstatic about the win.
A classic example of how this team ethic was supplemented by individual responsibility was shown by William Gallas. The veteran defender literally took no prisoners when a through ball acquainted David N’gog with the whites of Almunia’s eyes.
Gallas appeared from nowhere just as the Liverpool striker was about to pull the trigger and executed the text book definition of a world class tackle. That single incident alone was enough to galvanize players and supporters alike.
It was also heart warming and kind of amusing to note that for a change, very few if any Arsenal fans left the stadium before Howard Webb blew the final whistle. In fairness though, the Arsenal crowd did stand up to be counted, despite a slow start.
All in all, it is a brighter day in the Gooner nation, if only to return to our world famous refrain of ’One nil to the Arsenal’.
Another Drog Day Afternoon For Arsenal Gives Doomers More Fodder
Posted by: | CommentsI’ll confess, I was in two minds about how to approach my reflection of yesterday’s game against Chelsea. I wasn’t actually as disappointed as I was last weekend after the loss to Man United – the reason being that I felt the team in general played much better than we did last week.
The statistic that counts though, is the one on the scoreboard so it’s still hard to swallow the defeat. Even my wife who is an ardent Chelsea fan berated Arsenal for going missing at the far post in the 8th minute gifting Drogba an open net. He was never going to miss from there.
I also thought of talking about the fact that I’d prefer that Andrey Arshavin shuts up and stops talking willy nilly to the media. He should focus on converting the guilt edged chances he has on the pitch for that is what he’s paid to do.
Most of all, I also thought of venting my anger at Manuel Almunia for ball watching as Drogba’s free kick cannoned off the woodwork. His ”Oh my God!” face as he stood there as a spectator for some reason really really pissed me off.
Instead, I caught up with a movie I’ve always wanted to watch since it was released but I hadn’t had the chance. It was The Taking Of Pelham 123.
Great movie except for the stupid girlfriend of one of the hostages (George I think it was) insisting on the webcam that he tells her “I love you”, even though he risked an encounter with the business end of a machine gun. What an idiot of a girlfriend.
It was then that I thought of a Stone Cold Friday post that I wrote in early December 2009 following the first defeat to Chelsea. I think it was during a scene in the movie with a ridiculous traffic jam on a bridge that made me think of a dodgy Stamford bridge.
When I re-read the December post that I called Unite and Win, Divide and Fail, it occurred to me that the post is actually very relevant right here and right now.
I figured my gripe and disappointment isn’t with the team – it’s actually with our doom and gloom merchants. I can live with the teams short-comings so long as they show visible improvement and fight hard when the chips are down.
In my book, the team performed much better than they did against Man United, and I’ll take that for now and I look forward to a more positive result against Liverpool on Wednesday.
As for the doomers, I’d do an injustice to my December post (originally published on ACLF) by not publishing it here in its entirety. Enjoy:
If I were an analyst working for an industrial espionage outfit commissioned to carry out a destructive interference programme on Arsenal, I’d be looking forward to filing my November report with the dubious committee set up to oversee the capitulation of the club. The committee sits late every Friday night guided by the silhouette of a hangman and his noose perched above their heads.
The executive summary of my report would go something like this:
The past fortnight has been a watershed for our Arsenal destruction programme. Contrary to our initial belief that this team will capitulate by mid February, I am pleased to confirm that we are seeing the signs of their demise much faster than we expected.
Our campaign to spread poison and conspiracy theories about how the team can never hack it and why Arsenal receives an extraordinary proportion of injuries during international breaks is well on target. We have received a boost from two unexpected sources.
Firstly, 11 months ago we recruited a sleeper agent in the suburbs of Belgrade. An unlicensed quack masquerading as a miracle healer of sorts, our handlers ensured she had a dodgy tax record to support plausible deniability.
Our Belgrade asset was called to action a few weeks ago. She did an effective job in providing false hope to their talisman and the entire gooner nation. By the time they realised what the deal was, their chap was pretty much confirmed as out cold for the season, a situation that has clearly unsettled them.
The second and the most important catalyst to the destruction of Arsenal are the forces within. We always felt that the work their manager had done over the years stood on very firm ground. Our media allies and pundits have ensured that our anti-Arsenal message continues unabated. We needed their support to sow the seeds of doubt amongst their weak and fickle glory hunting fans; to convince them that they can never win something unless they buy players with inflated price tags.
In the last 2 or 3 weeks, this group of fair-weather plastic fans has unleashed a venomous tirade as they spit fire and brimstone on the internet and airwaves. The voices of reason of the realistic and level minded supporters will soon be drowned out if we maintain the current pace of interference.
Some of these fickle Arsenal fans don’t even realise what they have. The club is one of the best managed elite clubs in world football who are financially solvent and only have a mortgage for their magnificent stadium as debt owed. They don’t realise they have one of the best managers in the world who has the courage and vision to set a path and a future for the club that will stand them in good stead for decades to come. They don’t realise that they have a great talented squad that just needs a tweak or two to click into place.
Impatient for success, our friends in the media have drummed it into their heads that they are weak and useless, that there is no place for beautiful football in the game as we want it. Former Arsenal players in particular have been doing a brilliant job at confusing and annoying with their public utterances of our messages.
With the events of the last two weeks, particularly their losses to Sunderland and Chelsea, there is a danger that they will regroup and get reinforcements. It is not in our interest if they succeed in this and we must continue to run interference for the rest of the campaign if we are to achieve our goal of keeping them divided and bringing them down at the end of the season.
They have a very intelligent manager and intelligent players who have the desire to be champions. The players know that they aren’t there yet; that they have to iron out a few defensive issues and build up their mental strength and character.
Every competent observer we talk to convinces us that this team will only get better as the season goes on. Luckily they are getting their customary dip in form that every team has at this point. Our fear is that they will peak at just about the right time to grab all the honours and I can’t stress enough why we cannot let this happen.
They have a good number of bloggers who unwittingly do our job for us. You should seriously take the time to read the blogs of such negative anti-Arsenalists who call themselves fans and slate their own team left right and centre. Most fans around the world would trade an arm and a leg for their team to play the Arsenal brand of football, but some of these folks are so spoilt they don’t even realise the joy that their football team brings to true footballing fans around the world.
I’m confident that the media and pundits will continue with our strategic anti-Arsenal diatribe as the season goes on. Our hope is that their fans will follow this nonsense instead of getting right behind their team and becoming the 12th man if you will.
One of our worst nightmares is if the Arsenal crowd ever gets behind the team at their stadium in particular. A strong crowd that gives belief to this team up till the 96th minute of any game, in combination with a team this talented and this motivated will be explosive. You can see why we cannot let that happen.
Luckily for us, strategic interference has convinced the fans who attend match days that it’s not worth staying for the whole match. Their lack of belief in the team will hopefully start trickling down to the team itself and the players will realise that they have fake fans who are only interested when they bang 8 goals in without reply.
In conclusion, I must say that if we continue with our path, we will certainly be on our way to making the Arsenal the most lucrative proposition for an enticing hostile takeover. It is not in our interest to let all the ingredients of success come to fruition at this club despite the fact that success is nigh for them.
Our worst fear is that it’s only a matter of time before the team gets the benefits of constant defensive drilling and discipline, and that the supporters get behind their team and push them over the winning line.
We just have to make sure we divide and rule this club because the only obstacle to our intentions is that the team and the fans unite as one to unleash their magic on us.
…And by the way, I watched the whole game with the volume turned down to avoid the commentary or the pre and post match diatribe. It’s liberating, you should try it.
It’s The Bitter Morning After Pill For The Arsenal
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s mornings like this that many Arsenal fans have to decide how to swallow the bitter pill that results from losing your bragging rights. It’s not just the fact that we lost to the old enemy – it’s the ’how’ that makes it a very bitter pill.
It comes in 3 doses:
- 20 mg – for those philosophical supporters who conclude that it was really a bad day at the office but we’ll live
- 80 mg – for those supporters who can’t cope with the humiliation of facing family, friends and colleagues to explain yet again – why this also-rans team have fallen short
- 800 mg – special industrial strength dosage for the anally retentive fickle glory hunting plastic fan who only supports Arsenal when they’re winning and playing champagne football.
Let’s face it – Man United got their tactics spot on. Flood the Arsenal midfield, hunt down their playmakers like a pack of wolves, and hit them on the counter attack.
Other teams have tried this tactic with mixed results. The only difference is that aside from Arsenal, Man United are the only other team in the EPL that can hit you that devastatingly on a counter attack finished with clinical precision.
I guess once in a while, it’s normal that we will experience the pain of the counter attack treatment that we so often devastatingly unleash on unsuspecting teams.
The game was still up for grabs at the break, and it was inevitable that the team that scored the next goal would claim the bragging rights or have a chance of making it even. In truth, Arsenal only have themselves to blame for 2 aspects of the defeat.
Firstly, for gifting United 2 goals. Nani and Park should have never scored the goals they did.
Secondly, for not converting the chances we had. Unfortunately when playing quality teams, you more than likely rue any chances you don’t convert.
There’s not much we could have done about the Rooney goal. At first I was pissed off that when Rooney pinged the ball to Nani and started his 40 yard run towards our goal, we had 4 players goal side and he beat all those 4 players to the ball.
But it would be unfair for me as a lover of total football to take away the quality of the goal from Rooney and attribute that to our naive defending. As much as it pains me to say, Rooney’s goal was ecstatic. I can only imagine how it was for those that watched it in 3D.
Naturally, the mantra of ”Oh Arsenal’s pygmies can’t cope in the EPL anymore” is already being peddled. Frankly speaking, it’s absolute nonsense. The height of Arsenal’s players had little to do with yesterday’s defeat, and only those who are devoid of analytical acumen and want to collect a pay cheque as a band-wagon pundit will resort to that refrain.
Yesterday’s game was lost on tactics –until Walcott and Eboue came on, we never seemed like getting behind. Walcott didn’t even have to do anything magical. He just had to run at them and that would inevitably create panic. It was then that Arsenal started getting behind winning more corners.
I haven’t done the kamikaze thing and tried to drudge through the thousands of negative match reports and analysis about the game. I guess this is one week that the doom and gloom merchants and trolls get to enjoy as they crawl from under their rocks for some air time.
I also haven’t bothered trying to listen to any mainstream sports news just for the sake of managing my health and well-being. Self inflicted pain is not something that tickles my fancy.
In isolation, this can look like a very bad result – especially in the sequence of the ’fixtures of death’. I said before the game against Villa, that 9 out of 12 points in the 4 games was an excellent return.
2 games in, and Arsenal have 1 out of 6 points. There’s still the opportunity to make it 7 out of 12, which is still a bloody good return.
For that to happen though – Arsenal have to be clinical at finishing their chances. We had several clear cut chances yesterday, but it seemed like everyone left their shooting boots at home.
It’s not impossible to beat Chelsea and Liverpool, but in our high risk game, they’re the two teams that will convert any counter attacking chances against us. That’s why it’s important that we put our chances away.
The issue is not about the fact that we don’t have a striker to replace Van Persie. The Dutchman couldn’t have stopped Man United from scoring the goals that they did. ON the other hand, we needed different options to get around the wall of black – and we had the personnel to do it. We just didn’t do it well.
The title challenge is by no means over. All we lost yesterday was the opportunity to overhaul our immediate challengers. The end result is that we don’t get to control our own destiny with our closest rivals.
Our game now has to be focussed on the mathematical poker of ensuring that we win the games we need to win against lower league opposition. Losing against the other big teams doesn’t rule you out of the title race. It just batters your psychological advantage.
Arsenal And Villa Share Spoils As The ‘Verminator’ Is Crocked
Posted by: | Comments1 Down and 3 of the crunch games to go. Last night, I was apprehensive just before kickoff, but my nerves were calmed down by Almunia’s masterful save of Agbonlahor’s shot in the first few minutes.
I just thought to myself “we have a game here, and it’s not going to be an easy one – but we’ll cope”. The reason I knew I was apprehensive was that I’d already started peeling the label off the bottle of Stella Atoir that I was sipping (well, it wasn’t just one bottle by then), and the game hadn’t even started.
I totally expected Villa to play a high intensity counter attack game using their pace on the wings, and they duly obliged. Arsenal had to be patient and absorb the pressure, for this is what the script suggested.
In terms of chances, it would have been a 2-2 draw if the gods were with the players involved, but I suppose a clean sheet is the lesser of 2 evils. Stewart Downing must be wondering whether he did something dodgy in a previous life, for there is no explanation of how he missed his 2 chances.
The rub of the green was shared out evenly as Villa’s blushes were spared by the upright and the crossbar – as well as Arsenal’s inability to capitalize on second phase balls. Arsenal’s blushes were most definitely spared by Downing having a nightmare. It’s the only way to explain the chances he missed.
It was a typical game of Arsenal’s pressure pitted against Villa’s counter attack. Two different styles of play that brought out two different philosophies. Villa chose to absorb Arsenal’s passing play and wait for the counter attacking opportunities down the flanks and channels.
I think the most amusing aspect of the game was how Sol Campbell dealt with Agbonlahor. I must admit, when the veteran defender came on, I did wonder how he would cope with Agbonlahor’s pace.
The answer was clearly ‘in the mind’. Several times, Campbell showed his class by using intelligence over pace, the classic example being the occasions that he masterfully engineered off-side decisions against the Villa front line as an alternative to chasing them down the pitch.
You could almost hear him mutter ”I’ll be damned if you think I’m chasing you down the pitch” as he intelligently read the game and stepped forward to expose the opponent. And they say you can’t play football past 30.
I also was encouraged by the return of Arsenal’s very own B52 striker. Bendtner was always going to be rusty in his first match back, but you could see great signs last night of what Arsenal has been missing as an option up front. I think Bendtner will be dangerous up there, and it was really strange to see Arsenal winning and keeping balls high in the air because of Bendy’s presence.
Nasri was also razor sharp when he came on . I liked that. Someone once described him as a combination between Alex Hleb (ala the dribbling ability) and Robert Pires (ala his eye for goal and clinical finishing).
Recently, there’s also been a lot of debate about Arsenal’s vulnerability on the left flank. Perhaps now folks can have a bit of perspective and realise that Traore didn’t actually do a bad job out there, it’s a hard enough job even for Gael Clichy if he doesn’t have proper protection from Arshavin.
Villa have to be given great credit for playing the clean and committed game that they’re known for, and making the game a ”squeaky bum time” type of game. It was one that was hard to call even at the dying moments. It’s fair to say that a draw was a just result.
Of concern to Arsenal is Thomas Vermaelen’s injury. More tests and X-rays will be done today to determine the extent of the injury. My take is that the rest of the team need to park the thoughts they have about Vermaelen’s injury and focus on the coming games.
It’s a big blow to miss our Verminator, and I think most if not all the Gooner nation are nervously waiting to hear the test results. I think it’s safe to say that Vermaelen will be out for a while – how long, no one knows yet.
William Gallas and Sol Campbell will have to do. If it’s any consolation, they’re both world class defenders and champions. They both know how to win and I’m sure have the leadership skills to marshal Arsenal’s defence.
Wenger has the option of reverting Alex Song to central defence, but in all honesty, such a move will deprive the Arsenal midfield of their Field Marshal. Wenger could of course buy a new defender, but I highly doubt it.
9 out of 12 points in the games against Villa, Manure, Chelsea and Liverpool is what I suggested was a good return. There’s a fight to get at least 8 points more – although 7 or 9 points more are the mathematical possibilities if the Gunners are still going to have a good run.
The key games though, are against Manure and Chelsea. The reason for this is that because they’re Arsenal’s closest rivals, overhauling them will directly turn the advantage the Gunner’s way, rather than hoping that other teams will do it for us.
I personally think the next 2 games are the most important this season. Arsenal have the opportunity to definitively take control of the league table by winning the games.
Chelsea and/or manure will both drop points when they play each other, and also other top 8 teams.
Wenger’s Gamble Stokes Arsenal Out Of The FA Cup
Posted by: | CommentsThe morning after any defeat is a strange one. For many Arsenal supporters, it’s probably the headlines and the recycled TV footage of the said defeat that can make them lose the will to live.
For others, it’s a balance between lying in a dark room with a cold towel over the face or confronting friends and colleagues at work to explain why yet again, Arsenal fell short. Sometimes I’m glad I don’t have to face such an inquisition, but nevertheless, any loss is disappointing for the simple reason that I don’t like losing.
When my Liverpool supporting friend walked into the room and asked me “Have you seen your team playing Stoke?”, my first question was “Has Wenger done a Man United?”.
You see, in March 2008, I was with Dean (my friend) listening on the car radio while driving when Arsenal visited Old Trafford in the 5th round of the FA cup. At that time, the Gunners were top of the league, 5 points clear and with a game in hand.
For some reason, the Arsenal team didn’t get off the bus that day and were dispatched back to London with a 4 nil defeat. Dean’s reaction to that game was that Wenger threw the game to focus on the Premier league and the Champions league.
With a threadbare squad leading up to this weekend, it was therefore anyone’s guess as to who will make an appearance. Most of the headlines of course went to Sol Campbell, who I must say, didn’t have a bad game for someone who’s been in the wilderness for a while.
And so the team was overhauled. Dean joked in exclamation when he pointed out that “Jesus! Arsenal have started the game with 4 English players. This is a miracle. ” I reminded him that it could have been 5 if Little Jack Willy didn’t pull a sicky forcing Cesc to make an appearance.
We had a bet as to how many times the commentators will mention the fact that Arsenal started the game with 4 English players, 2 shy of Stoke’s 6 Englishmen. I said they wouldn’t notice and I won the bet.
Stoke seemed to want this game more than Arsenal did and within 70 seconds, Delap duly obliged with one of his trademark throws. Fabianski was none the wiser as the ball ghosted past him into the net.
The match then took that “they’re going to park the bus” feeling. A scrappy match followed for most part with constant references of Stoke’s giants vs. Arsenal’s pint sized diddy men. Clearly the revised script titled “How to be a lazy observer” was in full use.
The match ticked on at 1-1 with Denilson’s equalizer being referred to constantly as a deflected shot. I actually got pissed off the more this was said. Frank Lampard for example, has perfected the craft of scoring deflected goals yet no one bothers to mention that they’re deflected.
I expected that at some point, Wenger would relieve Theo Walcott off his misery. Theo couldn’t even fart on the pitch without being surrounded by a gang of red and white Stoke shirts. For all intents and purposes, it was like Arsenal were playing with 10 men.
When Wenger decided to unleash all 3 substitutes at the same time, I said to Dean – “this is going to be dodgy”.
The only time I remember Wenger ever employing a triple substitution was in early September 2006. I was actually sat at a bar in a mall in down town Kampala with Dean and some friends.
Middlesbrough were 1 mil up and Wenger brought on Thierry Henry, Alex Hleb and Julio Baptista at the same time. We still ended up drawing 1-1 despite the reinforcements.
Maybe it was déjà vu, but triple substitutions give me the jitters. At one point, Sly nearly ruled himself out of the game and I was convinced Arsenal were going to complete the game with 10 men.
Stoke however applied themselves well, and scored twice from attacks launched after Arsenal sloppily conceded the ball. I guess that’s what you get with a team determined to cause an upset and a heckling Britannia stadium behind them.
The team selection was always going to be a slippery banana skin for Wenger. Damned if he played his strongest team, damned if he didn’t. I was actually pleased that Gallas and Vermaelen had their feet up with a cup of cocoa watching the game from home. The two needed a rest and this game was as good a chance as any to give them a rest.
Doom and gloom merchants as well as media hawks and I-Zombies (the new name for plonkers and pundits aka plundits) will be quick to point out that Arsenal have killed their chances of silverware this season.
Frankly speaking – that’s total nonsense. Arsenal had to make a choice and prioritize and in the grand scheme of things, the FA cup was the sacrifice.
Of course Arsenal want to win, but prioritizing the Champions League and the Premier league has to be the case. The blunt truth is that the FA cup doesn’t bring in big bucks.
It’s still very disappointing to lose a game and I’m sure that the team that played were bitterly disappointed.
Time will tell whether the loss adversely affects the morale of the team ala the drama following the 5th round defeat in 2008.
Stoke were worthy winners on the day and they gave the game a really good cup atmosphere. I must say, their crowd are brilliant and get well behind their team.
It was also very nice to see J Emmanuel Thomas have his full debut for the first team. I like the lad and he has a lot to offer this team. I seriously hope he gets more game time.
And as for the nonsense about Stoke being our new bogey team, there’s a simple answer to that according to Wenger. Arsenal doesn’t struggle against Stoke at the Britannia, Arsenal struggles against any team if they don’t play well, period.
A positive response is needed at Villa Park on Wednesday night when the first team returns for duty.
Arsenal ‘Smash And Grab’ Their Way To Top Of The Pile
Posted by: | CommentsRECIPE FOR A BLOCKBUSTER ENCOUNTER
Instructions:
Assume that Arsenal is made of ‘soft glove wearing foreigners’ (according to Talk Shite radio) who don’t have the steel and spine to play a good old fashioned game of hoofball. Throw a team of ‘hard as nails’ Bolton into the turf and watch and wait as Arsenal bottle it. Cook for 99 minutes.
And there ladies and gentlemen, you have a ’smash and grab’ blockbuster at Ashburton Grove. Bolton followed the script for the best part of the first half and I suspect that even they surprised themselves to the point where they didn’t know what to do with the shock they had just unleashed on the unsuspecting Gunners.
Let’s face it, the Arsenal players didn’t get the memo that suggested the match begun at 7.45 pm. They were still asleep when Bolton pounced 6 minutes into the match.
Gallas, Diaby and Clichy all failed to clear their lines in consecutive attempts. Gary Cahill naturally had enough of the poxy defending and said ”Thank you very much folks, if you don’t want the ball, I’ll have it”.
22 minutes later, Almunia was picking the ball from the back of his net for the second time because of Arsenal’s refusal to wake up. No complaints at all about the penalty award, and frankly speaking, thank you to Bolton for waking up the Arsenal.
The rest of the game was all the more entertaining because of that. It was like watching a movie that you hoped will end up with Arsenal stealing the points and the right to sit at the summit of the Premier League table.
Arsenal didn’t disappoint. For they stole the game in a smash and grab fashion that would have made the best thief takers in the world proud.
Most of the controversy though is about William Gallas’s alleged assault on Mark Davies. I’m really sorry for the young man, honestly – but it was a 50-50 tackle that Gallas had the right to go for.
I don’t think it’s worth justifying that Arsenal was right to continue playing for the simple reason that the referee didn’t stop the game. This ”Arsenal should have shown some sportsmanship and kicked the ball out of play” nonsense is just that – nonsense. We’re on a slippery slope when players make the decision to stop the game when they’re under attack.
Besides, Bolton should have defended better and not let Fabregas waltz through at least 2 tackles before slamming the ball through Jaaskelainen’s legs. There’s no excuse for not playing to the whistle.
As for the challenge itself, we’re going to end up with a situation of pots calling kettles black. A free kick awarded wouldn’t have stopped the Arsenal smash and grab show. Bolton weren’t exactly benevolent at the Reebok on Sunday.
Someone at Bolton should have been arrested for slamming his knee into Fabregas’s neck, shoving his face into the ground and pulling his hair. If that had happened in the Bolton town centre, the chap would have been arraigned at the local magistrates court for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The referee during the Sunday game watched as a player twice hacked Abou Diaby before Tomas Rosicky had to take the law into his own hands, seeing that the referee was a bit relaxed about Bolton’s propensity for violence on the pitch.
Fran Merida’s ankle was violently kicked away from play even before the young Spaniard had touched the ball, and he’s out injured because of that.
That’s why my view is that while I feel a bit sorry for Mark Davies, let’s not all get self righteous about adjusting our game to deal with Bolton’s style (if you can call it that) of play. I think in business they’d call such adjustments innovative.
Bolton’s tactics were interesting and for a while they worked. There’s a rumour going around the premier league that a sure fire way of stopping Arsenal’s play is to disrupt the rhythm of the game.
This is something Bolton did very effectively, but the Gunners were equal to the task of soldiering on and unleashing Wengerball when they got the slightest chance to pass the ball around. The second half was all Arsenal and you did wonder if the memo was finally delivered in the home dressing room at half time.
Captain Fabulous was at it again weaving the play and giving Bolton a very big headache, but Arsenal’s first goal in the dying throws of the first period from Little Mozart was right out of the top draw.
Jaaskelainen was a spectator as he watched the ball helplessly sail past him. Rosicky’s back lift was so short the Bolton Keeper didn’t even have time to move an inch – that’s how much of a peach the rocket was.
After that, there was only going to be one winner. Fabregas, Vermaelen and Arshavin weren’t to be left out of the party. Arsenal literally bum rushed Bolton to the 4th goal and the relentless pressure paid off.
There were a few gems that need to be included in the highlights DVD of the season, including when Arshavin’s sublime shimmy and movement left Robinson tasting the Emirates lawn.
Perhaps the pint sized Russian should have been less selfish and let Walcott finish the move, but who would blame him for wanting to crown that move by hitting the onion bag himself. Arsenal could have had a cricket score if it wasn’t for the heroics of Jaaskelainen and fair play to the Bolton goalie, he truly earned his corn.
Last night’s game told me two things.
Firstly, Arsenal cannot assume they have the divine right to win every game. They will have to work for it and have the mental fortitude to fight through the difficult games.
Secondly, there’s a hunger and fighting spirit in this Arsenal side that is very heart warming and will stand the club in good stead for the remaining 16 games.
In previous seasons, I don’t think Arsenal could have come back from a 2 goal deficit in the way that they did last night.
What is not in dispute is that Arsenal are well into this title race and they’re going to fight for it. The manager was spot on in saying that Arsenal haven’t won anything yet, but they most definitely have won the credibility back.
Arsenal Outgun Old King Coyle’s Bolton
Posted by: | CommentsFirst 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