Sunday 29 April 2012

Stoke vs Arsenal Post match thoughts & Player Ratings


Morning all,

Stoke fans yesterday proved how idiotic people can be. To boo someone for having their leg snapped in two is something I just cannot get my head around. It is embarrassing for everyone involved really. Credit to Ramsey though for having a good game despite the unwarranted abuse. Wenger summed it up nicely in this interview:
“I don’t think you can be especially proud to boo Aaron Ramsey, I don’t see what he has done wrong in his behaviour but that’s an old story where the fans of Stoke stick behind their player. It shouldn’t go as far as booing Aaron Ramsey.”
Aside from that vile behaviour we had an important match with Arsenal in a position where they could really assert their hold on third spot. That was not to be though and whilst it can certainly be seen as two points dropped it is very much a case of one point gained too with Newcastle suffering a huge loss at the hands of Wigan. Two wins and we are guaranteed Champions League football next season.

Arsenal started well and had two great opportunities inside the first ten minutes. The best of which falling to Benayoun who had his tame effort easily saved. So although it could have easily been 2-0 to the visitors, as is usually the case in our matches; Stoke scored out of nothing.

If the opening was exciting the remainder of the match was anything but. We played well and Rosicky in particular looked like he could create an opening but we never really pushed on after the equaliser. We could and probably should have scored but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.

Player Ratings

Wojciech Szczesny - 6.5
Was solid throughout and was able to deal with a host of balls into the box with relative comfort. Arsenal finally have a goalkeeper that they can rely on. Had no chance with the goal.

Thomas Vermaelen – 7
Was out jumped easily for the Stoke opener but then that is not too surprising given the opposition player was about 74 feet tall. Had a solid game and should have won a penalty when his goalward bound shot was saved excellently by an outfield player.

Laurent Koscienly – 7.5
Was solid and rarely threatened. Is establishing himself in the team and it is fair to say he is one of the first names on the team sheet.

Kieran Gibbs – 7.0

Has really come into his own following an injury plagued first half to the season. Was criticised for some lapses in concentration and positional sense but both are improving week by week. A solid but not spectacular performance.

Bacary Sagna – 6.5
Had a mixed game. Great play in general but one moment of sloppiness led to Stokes opener. Gave the ball away unnecessarily which allowed for the opening. Was great defensively for the rest of the match summed up by a terrific goal line clearance.

Aaron Ramsey – 6.5
As touched upon earlier, he reacted well to being vindicated by Stoke fans with a steady and assured performance. Passed well and kept things a bit simpler which helped him get involved in the game.

Alex Song – 6.5

A solid game from the Cameroonian without ever really being outstanding. Was strong on the ball throughout.

Gervinho – 6
A much improved performance but he is yet to reach the heights expected of him. Starting to take players on but has poor end product. Needs a good pre-season.

Yossi Benayoun – 7
A fairly bright start eventually evolved into a more quiet performance. Made some crucial interceptions and pressed brilliantly. A very decent showing.

Tomas Rosicky – 7.5
Our best player on the day. Seemed to be everywhere, seamlessly shifting between gears to put pressure on stoke. He created two glorious chances for Robin Van Persie.

Robin Van Persie – 7

Scored to get us back into the game and played well throughout. Was unlucky not to have had a hat-trick.

So whilst we have dropped two points we still edge closer to third place.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Saturday 28 April 2012

Arsenal vs Stoke Preview: Team News and Injury updates


Morning all,

Another wet and dreary day really sets the tone for the month and is the most miserable of backdrops for a potentially interesting encounter in the land of Orcs.

To say Stoke are one of my least favourite teams would be an understatement; I loathe Stoke to a level on par with our main rivals and that in itself tells a story. They are an anti-Arsenal movement, (or so I have convinced myself) and deserve to be dispatched in a way befitting them. I would love to go into details but I am trying to keep this clean.

It will be a tough encounter and is probably as much a of a “must-win” game as any other we have had over the past few weeks. Chelsea’s win leaves our situation a little more precarious than it should be and I won’t go into detail over their unlikely heroics other then to say; if they win the Champions League it will be an absolute abomination. They are a really poor team and deserve to be where they are in the league. The cup runs somehow taint the picture and I quite frankly do not like it one bit.

Aside from my own neurotic thoughts, we have a serious game of football which needs to be approached with all the vigour with which we approach any big game. We will need to work hard, be strong, committed and certainly be willing to put our life on the line. We need to press high up the pitch and keep the pressure on the Stoke XI to ensure we dictate the game. We will certainly need to be wary of any breaks/punts up the pitch.

Team news is as expected really; Diaby is unlikely to feature yet again. This time illness strikes and really sums up the luck this lad has. Many people laugh, I for one just feel sorry for him. He, and I hate to use the word but, he has unbelievable potential. He could be a world beater.

The rest of the news according to Arsenal.com is; Walcott (hamstring), Arteta (ankle), Mertesacker (ankle), Wilshere (ankle) Frimpong (knee). It sounds as though Mertesacker is in line for a return sooner rather than later but I would imagine his Arsenal season is certainly over. He does have a chance to take part in the Euros as it seems he has returned to training with the squad.

The team I expect to line up would be:

                                                            Szczesny

Sagna                           Koscienly                                 Vermaelen                    Gibbs


                                       Song                                     Ramsey

                                                             Rosicky

Chamberlain                                                                                                     Benayoun

                                                            Van Persie
I expect that either Gervinho or Benyoun will slug it out for a place on the left. Benayoun should be well rested and is on a good run of form. In contrast Gervinho, after a fairly promising start to his Arsenal career has been on a downward slide. He certainly seems to have the, dare I say it, potential to become an important player. He just isn’t clicking at the moment for whatever reason and I guess that is something that needs to be addressed.

Aside from the pre-match news, the other big news from the week is the double award for Van Persie for being the best player in the league. Well that’s not news to me. On that note, I shall leave you.

Here’s to hoping we secure a vital three points.

Come on Arsenal!

GoonerVerse.

Sunday 22 April 2012

Arsenal vs Chelsea Post Match thoughts and Player Ratings

Afternoon all,

With both Arsenal and Chelsea being seen to need a victory in order to keep their league-aim hopes alive, one wouldn’t/shouldn’t be wrong to expect a game of high intensity, players working their socks off and lots of attempts at goal. It was with some surprise then that I stared at my television in disbelief as Chelsea parked the bus from the word go.

This is a club with almost limitless funds and with a squad that took hundreds of millions to assemble yet their only intention was to draw. They obviously have things they consider more important on the horizon but you would still expect a Chelsea side in sixth place with a chance of still making the top four to try and win the match. This was not to be however and what we were all subjected to was in fact an encounter abject of any competitiveness.

We tried to win the game but found it difficult to break down a team who were, if nothing else, a very organised outfit. There were still a number of chances and had we won the game, nobody could claim it wasn’t deserved. We hit the woodwork twice and missed a host of other chances without ever hitting top gear. It is probably pretty hard getting into top gear if the dreaded handbrake is up.

It is with this in mind that the mind boggles at why the match panned out in such a way. Why was a Chelsea side with aspirations of winning the Champions League be content to eek out a draw against one of their London rivals? Why were Arsenal unable to play at the required tempo to win the game? And why oh why do we ever play with the handbrake on?

Despite a fairly average performance I still felt we deserved the full three points and rued the two points dropped. I feared what might come of our quest for third place when Tottenham had the chance to make some real headway and potentially getting back to level pegging. How foolish of me to worry without cause.

Tottenham’s torrid time continued with a disastrous defeat to QPR to extend their poor run of form. They have only won one game in the last six and are 16th in the Premier League form table

So what seemed to be two points lost in actuality became one point gained. Well over Tottenham anyway. Newcastle though, extended their fine form and put Stoke to the sword, meaning they are only three points behind us with a game in hand. This though, changes little. We still have to go out and win every game we play from here on in. Newcastle have been great but looking at their last four games, even the most optimistic of Newcastle fans would have to think they will struggle to win all their remaining fixtures against Wigan (A), Chelsea (A), Man City (H) and Everton (A).

Player Ratings

Wojciech Szczesny - 6.5
Had little to do aside from fairly routine saves. Did rush out unnecessarily which could have been punished. Great organisation of the defence.

Thomas Vermaelen – 7
Vermaelen had a fantastic game. Was defensively solid and drove the team forward from the defence.

Laurent Koscienly – 7.5
Was solid and rarely threatened. Kept a “world class” attack quiet and never strayed from his responsibilities. Made a superb last ditch tackle to prevent Chelsea a great goal scoring chance.

Kieran Gibbs – 7.5
A decent performance which helped stabilise the Arsenal back line. Was very impressed with his commitment and positioning yesterday. Certainly has the ingredients to become a top class left back.

Bacary Sagna – 6.5
Great in the air and defensively very sound yet again. Did not offer as much attacking impetus as he usually does. Recovered well from a fairly poor performance earlier in the week. His legs are certainly beginning to look very heavy though.

Aaron Ramsey – 5.5
After some awful passing and touches early on he eventually grew into the game. He was however caught in possession far too many times and managed to slow the game down almost every time he touched the ball. Some neat passing in the middle and was defensively responsible.

Alex Song – 6.5
A mixed bag. I felt he was sloppy all game with his passing where he attempted too many through balls when playing a simple ball would have been far more beneficial for the team. Was fairly solid defensively and made some good challenges though.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 6
Worked his socks off to try and get the ball and create some magic but was unable to really get any joy out on the wings. Attempted to get himself into the game by coming infield but ended up crowding the centre even more.

Theo Walcott – 5
Quiet and unimaginative. Was stifled throughout the game by the opposing full-back and eventually pulled up injured. His hamstring seemingly was overstretched but he inexplicably attempted to play on only to make it worse. Will be out for the rest of the season.

Tomas Rosicky - 5
A fairly bright start eventually evolved into a quiet and subdued performance. Much like the rest of the team was starved of any real space to create any magic.

Robin Van Persie – 5
Could have scored a few but it seems as though he has lost a little confidence in front of goal at the moment. Still had a fantastic season but just needs to regain some of that mental sharpness.

That’ll do for today. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

GoonerVerse.

Saturday 21 April 2012

Arsenal vs Chelsea Preview: Team and Injury News and Expected Starting XI

Morning all,

After a hugely depressing week in terms of Arsenal, we have potential light at the end of the tunnel. The light that we can see comes in the form of the Chelsea game this afternoon. This however may vanquish and instead turn into eternal darkness, the likes of which have never been seen. We will find ourselves living in the deepest depths of depression where Arsenal fans will inexplicably wish death on their own players (you should be ashamed of yourselves).

Wigan was an atrocious result. It was a real chance to cement our credentials for third and turn today’s game into a walk in the park. Following that defeat though, it has become anything but and is in fact; yet another "must win" game.

The news on the injury front (according to Arsenal.com) is not promising either. We have Arteta confirmed to be out for around 6-8 weeks which of course rules him out from playing any further part this season, Jack Wilshere will definitely be out for the remainder of the season along with Per Mertesacker and Frimpong. We also have Coquelin who will miss out today’s game due to lack of match fitness and Diaby though may feature, is unlikely to start.

If the injuries weren’t enough, then due to the Premier League rules on loaned players not playing against their parent clubs, we are also without Benayoun who has excelled in the big games this season.

That leaves a few dilemmas in the centre of the park as well as out on the left. I would imagine that Gervinho will come in on the left and Ramsey in the centre. In addition, the return of Koscienly from suspension means that we should have our first choice back four. Gibbs is available again from the get go and I would certainly put him in the team. I would have Chamberlain start today but given the past reluctance to play him in the past I am not holding my breath.

The line up I expect is:

                                                            Szczesny

Sagna                          Koscienly                                Vermaelen                   Gibbs


                                       Song                                     Ramsey

                                                             Rosicky

Walcott                                                                                                           Gervinho

                                                            Van Persie

So all in all, a much depleted squad, a must win game against a Chelsea side who have finally decided they can be bothered to play. So what is this light I speak of?

Chelsea were pummelled for 90 minutes at the hands of Barcelona but somehow, against odds, managed to finish 1-0 to the good. This now will play some part in today’s game as Di Matteo will certainly have one eye on the return leg. I would imagine he will field a much changed line up to the one that played midweek.

Regardless of who plays for them or us I believe we have a team more than capable of winning. It will require us to bounce back and play the successful pressing game we have employed in most games recently. Let’s hope we can maintain a level on intensity we couldn’t against Wigan.

Come on you gunners! Let’s bring home third!

GoonerVerse

Monday 16 April 2012

Arsenal vs Wigan Preview: Confirmed Lineup

Evening all,

Another must win game is fast approaching but this game is a must win for far different reasons than the last few we have had. We played Man City and it was a must win game to stay in the top four and consolidate our position. Then came the away game at Wolves which was also a must win as our rivals had dropped points so we could really cement our position. This time we have a chance to extend our lead and almost ensure a top four finish.

We can go into the mathematics and work out exactly how many points we need or how many games we can afford to lose but the most important thing is to win our next game. Cheesy as it is, we should only be looking at our next game and today, that is against Wigan.

The same team that recently stunned the current Champions Manchester United and was robbed against Chelsea; this will be no easy game by any stretch of the imagination. Wigan are a team who like to play football, and play football they do. They out passed and outplayed a Manchester United team that looks destined to win the league yet again. Wigan are an in form team and sit 6th in the form guide according to the last 6 games level on points with Man City and Chelsea on 11 points.

This style of football however will suit us far better than a team such as QPR who will instead opt to have ten players behind the ball at all times and only look to disrupt our play. Instead it will be a game of who will be able to play the better football and score goals, just the way it should be.

With this in mind, I can only see one winner but then again I usually am overly confident when it comes to Arsenal.

The team news according to Arsenal.com, is as expected with both Gervinho (doubt - ankle) and Gibbs (doubt - groin) facing late fitness tests. I expect the former will be deemed fit while the latter will probably not be risked. Still out though, are Coquelin (hamstring), Mertesacker (ankle), Frimpong (knee), and Wilshere (ankle) all of which have been long term absentees. Diaby is back in training but surely will not be risked so soon after returning for what seems like the millionth time this year.

The confirmed team for today is:

                                                                 Szczesny

Sagna                                    Djourou                                  Vermaelen                Santos

                               Arteta                            Song                                                                                                         
                                                                 Rosicky

Walcott                                                                                               Benayoun

                                                              RVP

Again the main area of contention would have to again be the attacking left sided player. Benayoun has slotted in with relative success in the last two games but I just feel that in a home game against a team that are not just going to sit back we would benefit from having the pace and directness of Chamberlain.

Santos is going to continue at left back despite a far less than average performance last time out. He looked defensively suspect throughout and I for one hope he is much improved. It is a shame because he is so likeable and has much finesse when going forward which is delightful to see.

Anyway I look forward to another performance full of hard work, determination, grit and lest not forget; goals.

Come on you Gunners!

GoonerVerse.

Saturday 14 April 2012

Quick News Round Up: Santos, Wilshere return and Team News

Morning all,

Just a quick round up of the various bits and pieces of news floating around at the moment.

Don’t Mess With Santos

In a rather hilarious interview with ESPN Brasil, Santos touched on a couple of subjects including the conduct and behaviour of a foul, horrible player; Mario Balotelli.

“In the first half Balotelli almost broke Song’s leg, then he harshly tackled Sagna. Someone had to be hard on him, put him in his place, someone had to say something to him because he was doing what he wanted, and that’s not how things work.”

It is quite something to have a player come out and say such things and to be honest it is a little endearing. It is this kind of attitude that is seemingly devoid in the team at times and one which all Championship winning sides have to some extent. It even makes me look past his awful performance against Wolves.

Campbell brings out the best in Wenger

In response to comments made by Sol Campbell to the BBC about Wenger having to spend in order to win trophies and lacking the ambition needed, Arsene Wenger had this to say:

"The best way always to give advice is to show by example. Give your own money and we will spend it." 

He also was asked about our transfer policy:

"That has not changed at all. Our policy is to spend the money we have available, if possible, in an intelligent way and a wise way."

Wenger took it in good humour but more importantly used the opportunity to highlight that he does in fact want to spend what money he has available. I think the key here is that he is alluding to the fact he has not had much money and he always looks to spend what he can in an “intelligent and wise way”. While some Arsenal fans might be concerned with these comments, it is no real surprise that we will not break the bank.

Team News

With no football this weekend, the legs have slightly longer to rest so there shouldn’t be any fresh concerns from the Wolves game. In fact we are starting to see some of our players return. Kieran Gibbs is rated as 50:50 for the game so I would imagine he will not be risked but Gervinho seems to have a better chance of playing as he was given an 80% chance by Wenger. In his pre-match conference, he also highlighted that Coquelin and Diaby will be back with the squad this week but will be just short for the Wigan game.

I know to suggest Diaby will be fit may induce fits of laughter amongst the Arsenal faithful but if you look at the qualities he can bring to the team surely we should be urging him to full fitness instead of ridiculing him. We have seen Robin Van Persie and more recently Thomas Rosicky overcome a series of problems which kept them out for large portions of the season in the past so anything is possible.

That leaves us with just three injured players; Frimpong, Mertesacker and of course Wilshere.

Jack Wilshere Update

When assessing Jack Wilshere’s chances to make it for the European Championships, Wenger had this to say:

“We are now in mid April, the Euros start in the middle of June. Jack has not played the whole season and anyone who knows what is required at the top level, in terms of intensity, it’s getting short now. He has not joined the first team. He is still in the gym and running.”

This is a clear indication that Wilshere is unlikely to feature much, if at all this season. It is apparent from his comments that Wenger is exercising extreme caution and one can expect he will be unhappy if he goes to the Euros if he only plays a couple of times.

Well that’ll have to do for today.

Have a great weekend.

GoonerVerse.

Thursday 12 April 2012

Arsene Wenger's Best XI

Morning all,

I have published another post on Footballspeak.com so please support GoonerVerse by checking it out. It will be well worth it and maybe a little controversial. Would appreciate any thoughts and what you would change as well.

"After reading a certain quote from Wenger this morning of “We had a team capable of winning everywhere” my mind began racing. I have, over the past few weeks been looking at the team and the league table constantly wondering how we are going to navigate a route back to the top of the pile. A lot has been asked of Wenger and whether he is unable to see “what is so obvious to everyone else”. I look at the team and think of areas it can be improved but a lot of people wonder whether Wenger has the will or the way to make this team the dominant force it was in the early/mid noughties. A lot of people might question the decisions Le Boss has made but let’s try to dispel the notion that Wenger cannot spot a good defender or that he is unaware of which players are needed. Surely the quote in itself admits a recognition that his current crop are not good enough but I thought I would do something more positive by having a look at some of the players he has played in each position since he has arrived. Here is MY best Arsene Wenger XI:"

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Wolves vs Arsenal Preview: Confirmed starting line up and thoughts

Evening all,

A very much belated preview today as I have had a wonderful day. Was given a present to tour the Emirates and though I was sceptical as I have been there hundreds of times I was pleasantly surprised. It was certainly worth it and I now get to say mine and Robin Van Persie’s bottoms have both rested on the same seat. It was bliss! *Looking away with dreamy eyes*

Anyway on to the important stuff: Wolves vs Arsenal away from home. There are no easy games away from home in the premiership but this is certainly a fixture most around the world will be surprised if we don’t win in dominant fashion.

We had a bit of a banana skin at QPR just over a week ago so we must be wary about the upcoming fixture. There is no room for complacency and you would hope that all the players heed the advice of the man of the moment, Mikel Arteta:

We have some good examples this year when we have dropped points against teams near the bottom. We have to go there with the right mentality and the right approach and sense of pride. When you’re playing away from home there are no easy games in the Premier League.

Couldn’t have said it better myself, Mikel; good stuff.

Team news is starting to filter through and there have been a number of new additions to the casualty list after the Manchester City success. Firstly we have Koscienly ruled out for the next two games due to the yellow card he picked up in that game, the tenth of the season hence the two match ban. We also have Kieran Gibbs added to the list with fatigue of the groin… Interesting. It is a short term problem though which is the same for Gervinho.

The real debate then, who will start on the left as it is likely Djourou and Santos will fill into the defensive positions. I would guess at Benayoun as he played well and worked hard so would deserve to retain his position. It has been reported by Arsenal.com that Ramsey will give Rosicky a rest in the middle of a pitch which is a bit of a surprise given how important Rosicky has become for us these past few weeks and months.

The team reads:

                                                            Szczesny

Sagna                          Djourou                                   Vermaelen                   Santos

                                    Arteta                                      Song

                                                            Ramsey                                                                       Walcott                                                                                   Benayoun
           
                                                              RVP

A strong team none the less and one which deserves our support!

Come on Arsenal!

GoonerVerse

Theo Walcott's Contract, The Spineless FA and a rant

Morning all,

Lots going on in the Goonerverse today ranging from controversies to contract extensions, from transfer targets *cough, cough* to injuries, oh, and the little matter of a Premier League tie later this evening. But fear not gooners, I have got you covered on all accounts but due to the amount of news I will post a separate match preview later this evening.

Let’s start with the ludicrous decision from the FA yesterday not to punish Mario Balotelli for his disgusting challenge on Alex Song. We all know the FA can be contradictory and spineless but for me, by not punishing such a disgusting challenge, all the FA achieves is to encourage potentially dangerous challenges. It is beyond me how they can hide behind this pathetic attempt at an excuse to let the criminal assault go unpunished:
"Retrospective action can only be taken in scenarios where none of the Match Officials saw the players coming together. The normal scenarios in which retrospective action is taken are for 'off the ball' incidents.

Retrospective action was introduced for off the ball incidents where there was no contest for possession and could not be deemed to be re-refereeing an incident.

In agreement with FIFA, this is how 'not seen' incidents are dealt with retrospectively in England. It is a policy that is agreed with all football stakeholders."
Well, what a load of rubbish. Aside from the fact that this has nothing to do with football law according to AnotherArsenalBlog, (who cites the guidance as set out by the FA into disciplinary and retrospective bans), but it also sets a very negative precedent which will only encourages buffoons like Balotelli in the future. This is very similar to the handling of the incident involving Wayne Rooney last year, where he was let off with elbowing an opponent because the referee had seen it. Would the interests of football surely not have been better served if behaviour such as this was not encouraged?

Also Arseblog covers a number of incidents in the French and German league whereby retrospective action has been taken despite the match officials seeing the incident suggesting this is not mandated by FIFA as the FA are insinuating. Well worth a look.

Well it makes no difference to the rest of our season in all honesty but it is certainly an issue which the FA must address before it is too late. Would they have gone back to the incident had Alex Song broken his leg?

Moving on, Goal.com is reporting that the contract negotiations between Theo Walcott and Arsenal have hit a stalemate. Despite apparently being offered £80,000 a week an agreement is not forthcoming as Walcott wants closer to £100,000 a week.

We have to be sceptical when an unnamed source close to Arsenal is mentioned but it would not surprise me to hear that Arsenal are in fact offering less than the player wants. It should come as no surprise to anyone but I would take the figures with a grain of salt.

My take is that this is a player that frustrates many fans but at the same time is a vital component of a team which is becoming more and more direct utilising pace particularly on the right wing. It is clear that Wenger see’s him as part of the squad in the long term and as such should be secured in a long term deal. Nobody around the club wants to see a prolonged transfer saga involving another player this summer that is for sure.

By the same token I do not believe we should just offer him what he wants especially if this report is to be believed. I know he would argue that you can look around the Premiership and see many stars on that sort of wage. I still think his performances have not warranted such a hefty pay increase and what I would do is incentivise the contract based on performances but then that is just me.

Who knows how this will pan out but one would imagine that his future could be linked with that of Robin Van Persie. I can see him staying and extending his contract and I believe he should as we have stuck with him through some pretty average performances throughout his career. He has also had some fantastic performances and I know despite some stick all Arsenal fans genuinely want him to do really well.

If you read my blog you would know that I don’t really talk about transfer speculation unless it is a transfer window or some dreaming on my part. The numerous reports linking us to a wealth of players in the past few weeks has reached the levels of absurdity which are usually reserved for transfer windows. 

I generally perceive such transfer news and headlines to be a lazy attempt at gaining some readership from hopeful fans but in the past few days this has reached new unparalleled heights. We have been linked with Vertonghen for a number of months really so it is no surprise to see his name brandished yet again, but to hear the ridiculous story as told by The Mirror that we are to sell Mertesacker to facilitate it is beyond bizarre. No basis, no real thought just awful speculation based on a "report".

Anyway I know it was mentioned a couple of days ago and I was hoping to ignore it but to have people ask me if there is any truth in it made me go over the edge.

Well that will be all until later this evening where I will have team and injury news for the crucial tie against Wolves.

Until then.

GoonerVerse

Monday 9 April 2012

Arsenal vs Man City Post Match thoughts and Player Ratings

Evening all,

Arsenal 1 – 0 Man City
Arteta 87

Yesterday we all witnessed a scintillating encounter with two intrinsically different sides. On the one hand we have a side intent on buying success with frivolous spending on lavish big name players widely contrasting the home side, whom have a different ideology entirely. Arsenal are a club that has developed somewhat of a reputation to be frugal spenders and very particular in their transfer dealings. There is an emphasis on value for money, opting for cheaper, younger players who they can mould into The Arsenal way.

You would not be surprised to hear that the Man City bench cost far more than the entire starting XI Arsenal fielded yesterday. It was in that light surprising then that the team in Red and White were dominant. One could be forgiven for thinking that the big spending superstar purchases must have surely been playing for The Arsenal. It was not only the manner in which Arsenal played the match but also the manner in which Man City played: completely devoid of any threat, where the “ready made superstars” were largely anonymous throughout from a footballing perspective.

Of course one of these lavish signings made his mark on the tie. The idiocy of Balotelli should not detract from how poor the rest of his team were. The fact that he was allowed to be on the pitch following one of the foulest challenges I have seen is unbelievable given the linesman’s positioning. Let’s just hope justice is done and this incident is looked at by the authorities. You would imagine a retrospective ban will essentially rule the Italian out for most of the season.

Either way, the side show aside, what we witnessed was a great performance from Arsenal but one that was made possible due to strange tactics to try and stifle Arsenal from Mancini’s men. He set his team out to match our midfield which essentially rendered most of the City attack useless. Aguero was playing on his own up front and was completely isolated, Nasri did not produce any moment of any description, good or bad and Balotelli was genuinely average. Their attacking threat was completely nullified through crisp and fast passing with Arteta, Song and Rosicky winning the midfield battle by out working, out passing and out playing their opposition.

To say that the score line could have read 4-0 would be no exaggeration and would in no way have flattered us as we played a solid game from beginning to end. I would say there was a brief moment that we weren’t in complete control but that aside it was an assured performance from an increasingly confident side. Van Persie (twice), Walcott, Vermaelen and Benayoun all had excellent opportunities to score before Arteta’s eventual winner, hitting the woodwork three times in the process. But when the winner came, there was no such luck for the petro-dollar funded outfit. After winning possession, Arteta unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the area to confine Man City to a season without winning silverware.

Even a goal couldn’t spring Man City into life as after the goal the best chance still fell to an Arsenal shirt. Despite a fantastic run and shimmy to create an opening for himself, Aaron Ramsey found his recent finishing form continue in the most spectacular of fashions as he blazed high and wide when hitting the target would have been easier.

All in all though, it was a good performance which highlights one thing for me. This team has a strong foundation and has the potential to be a great team with the right additions. It is a team which has proven to have a mental toughness of late and one that, injuries permitting could have potentially mounted a title challenge.

It would be interesting to see how the season would have panned out had we done all our “panic buying” at the start of the summer instead of when we were 17th in the league. Impossible to predict the difference but I would imagine it would have been far less stressful than the season we have had to endure thus far.

The result yesterday was essential with Tottenham dropping points prior to the match but was made all the more enjoyable given that their implosion continues after suffering another defeat to Norwich City this afternoon. Now we need to compound their misery further by extending our lead over them to 5 points when we play Wolves on Wednesday.

It is fair to say I feel very content at the moment.

Player Ratings

Wojciech Szczesny - 6.5
Had little to do aside from one save from an Aguero header and some sweeping duties. Coped well and aside from one wayward kick was solid.

Thomas Vermaelen – 7
Following on from his poorest performance, Vermaelen had a fantastic game. Was defensively solid and drove the team forward from the defence. Missed a golden opportunity and unluckily prevented a goal bound header from Van Persie.

Laurent Koscienly - 7
Was solid and rarely threatened. Kept a world class attack quiet and never strayed from his responsibilities. Solidifying a rapidly growing reputation as a great centre back.

Kieran Gibbs – 6.5
A decent performance where he was rarely threatened.

Bacary Sagna – 7.5
Continues to impress and highlight his importance to the team. Was a monster in defence and provided a great attacking threat. Is clearly the best right back in the league for my money.

Mikel Arteta – 8
Some neat passing in the middle and was defensively responsible. Provided a link between Song and Rosicky to keep things ticking over throughout the match with faultless distribution. Capped off a great performance with a superb goal to win the match. Deserves all the plaudits.

Alex Song - 7
Another great ball which could have resulted in a goal. Aside from a few wayward passes had a great game in which he helped control the midfield and as a result the match. Forging a great understanding with his midfield partners.

Yossi Benayoun – 6.5
Played well and worked his socks off. Was unable to score when it seemed that it would be harder to miss but looked assured throughout without ever being menacing.

Theo Walcott – 6
Was the quietest of Arsenal’s players but still had a relatively good game. Struggled with his final ball at times but was unlucky not to have a goal to his name. Active throughout the match but was eventually replaced by Chamberlain.

Tomas Rosicky – 7.5
Amazing turn of pace took the game to the opposition. They struggled to deal with his directness and he was very much a contender for man of the match. Some great passing and vision.

Robin Van Persie – 7
Could have scored but was prevented by the offside flag, the post and inexplicably his own team mate.

All the team played well and worked hard for each other. Let’s just hope the Tottenham slip up provides all the motivation to continue in this vein in our next game. I cannot wait!

And with that I shall leave you to enjoy the rest of your evening.

GoonerVerse

Sunday 8 April 2012

Arsenal vs Man City Preview: Team and Injury News


Morning all and a very happy Easter to all my Christian readers,

As I awake filled with nerves and trepidation about the gargantuan match that awaits us, I am least comforted in part by a host of Easter eggs to munch on. Now while they certainly don’t help the nerves, they do help rid my mouth of the taste of lots of alcohol.

As you may have read in the last few days that I believe this is a match we can afford to lose this afternoon, I really, really don’t want to. The truth of the matter is with Tottenham dropping points; we have a chance of re-establishing our hold over third place which is where we all want to finish now. It will be no easy task as we know but to move two points clear at this stage of the season will be hugely important in the race for third/fourth.

Team News

By way of team news today, there is not much news. The injuries remain the same with all of Coquelin (hamstring), Mertesacker (ankle), Frimpong (knee), Wilshere (ankle), out for the fixture today. There seems to be some confusion over the progress of Jack Wilshere’s return to first team football. It was widely speculated that Wilshere was due to play in a Friendly at the start of the week. This clearly didn’t happen and Wenger had this to say at his press conference:
“We try to keep the hope alive for him without taking too many risks. That means we adapt day to day to manage him, to improve his physical state and get him fit as quickly as we can without taking too big a risk, which means when he has pain we stop him. In the next four or five weeks we will know more — and the next three weeks will be decisive.”
So it is clear that we are not likely to see him yet but from his comments I infer he is not far off, it is more a matter of caution and match fitness. The concern may be the summer competitions and whether the England/Great Britain Manager will force a selection as it seems he is medically fit. Let’s hope logic prevails and he is not unnecessarily risked.

Well with the squad available I would imagine that we would stick to a team similar to that which has started the last few games. Despite a nightmare performance from the otherwise reliable Vermaelen, you can be sure he will retain his place to lead the line. The only area of contention would be the left attacking forward position where anybody’s guess is good as mine. Given the match is at home I would expect that it would be Gervinho to get the nod but don’t be surprised if it is Chamberlain as he has had some success against the Manchester Clubs this season, looking particularly impressive  against them.

The team I expect is:

                                                            Szczesny

Sagna                                    Koscienly                              Vermaelen                Gibbs

                                    Arteta                                      Song                                                                                                 
                                                            Rosicky

Walcott                                                                                               Gervinho

                                                              RVP

In order to win this game it will require the work ethic and discipline in roles that we have shown in glimpses this season. It will require Song to not attempt the impossible through ball every time he gets it. Although it is fantastic to see when he pulls it off, I would say the defeat to QPR was largely in part due to Song’s indiscipline as it was Vermaelen’s unfortunate slips.

Other News

In other news there has been an interesting article in the Guardian by former Arsenal player, Sol Campbell. He speaks of the imminent departure of our Wenger’s long standing number 2; Pat Rice. With Pat Rice due to retire following the culmination of the season, many are wondering who our next Assistant Manager will be.
“I rule myself out as a contender for now and instead look to Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, both of whom I know would love to be offered such a role and, who knows, could replace Arsène whenever he does quit as manager and, ideally, takes up a role upstairs.

Sadly, I cannot see this happening. Arsène is a single-minded leader who does not like to have anyone around who could threaten his authority, either by challenging his decisions or by being the person that will eventually take his job. But hopefully he proves me wrong and makes such an appointment.”
Some interesting words from a person who clearly has a better idea than most, into the type of person Arsene Wenger is. He has affirmed a suspicion of many fans that Wenger’s authority is complete at the club and many of the people he has surrounded himself with are yes men. It will certainly be a busy summer, not only in transfers but also perhaps in a backroom staff shake-up. I can’t see either of those two mentioned taking the mantle of Assistant for different reasons. Bergkamp would not travel in a plane which would seriously hamper his chances and well Vieria seems to love his new role at the moment.

So either way, there are more important things for today; come on Arsenal! Let’s hope this holiday weekend is capped off in style.

Come on you Gunners!

GoonerVerse.

Saturday 7 April 2012

Who will win the race for Champions League Football? Part 2

Morning all,

Sorry for the slight delay as I am out in the wilderness where things you take for granted such as Internet are snatched away from you. I have finally managed to upload my piece which I hope you enjoy. Here we are looking at each side individually and a bit more personally compared to the statistic overload from the first piece.

Arsenal:

We should know better than most fans that “easy run-in’s” don’t exist. We have suffered twice when logic would suggest that we could go on and win the league in recent memory. I have predicted on the cautious side and to be honest veering on the edge of a worst case scenario. I would hope that we would be able to beat City and I certainly think, squad permitting, Chelsea will struggle on our patch. Especially as they have qualified for the Champion’s League Semi-Final, with Barcelona awaiting.

They will have to play us sandwiched between two Barcelona ties which would have a tremendous strain on their resources. If they play on a Tuesday night and manage to stay in the game, it will be a huge dilemma for John Terry Di Matteo to see who plays. Again all hypothetical but again highlights the complexity of the run in.

Aside from those two fixtures I feel we have a winnable set of ties. This however will only be possible if we manage to maintain a consistent level of work ethic thus avoiding the odd spate of complacency that invariably gets thrown into the fray of an arsenal challenge.

Tottenham:

On paper, there is no denying that Tottenham have the easiest run-in. But judging from previous years, at this time of the year, it rarely counts for anything. What is crucial is that they will be in series of matches where the opposition is playing for survival. As we have learned in the past few years, that is no easy task.

It could get to the stage where despite Tottenham’s apparent easy run, games against QPR (A), Blackburn (H) and Bolton (A) in succession could just as easily read LLL as WWW. That is not even considering that Aston Villa (A) could be a very difficult fixture as if the bottom 4 continue in the form they are in then Villa could very much be fighting for their survival also.

Chelsea:

As I have already alluded to, Chelsea are going to face some serious fixture congestion and with their squad they will struggle to meet the “predicted” tally I have them down for. Whilst on paper and on their day they could potentially beat all the teams they are to face, there will be certain slip ups, it is just difficult to tell when the old guard decides when they want to play.

They have a number of tough games including Arsenal, Fulham and Liverpool all away. As mentioned in yesterday’s post Chelsea have struggled away from home and have only managed an average 1.44 points a game so far this season. This would suggest that they may struggle in at least 2 of these matches if they continue in their current form. Added to that their piling fixture list they may well be the team to drop out of Champions League football.

Newcastle:

As you have already seen my predictions are worth very little. Newcastle had a fantastic result against a good difficult Swansea team and are hitting a good run of form at a crucial time. Perhaps this is karma biting me in the bottom as I have continually dismissed the chances of Newcastle throughout the season. I still don’t think they will have enough to finish in the top four but you never know.

So in conclusion: Anyone can make it. I honestly think we will do it. I think we must do it and more importantly we have to do it.

Come on Arsenal!

GoonerVerse

Thursday 5 April 2012

Who will win the race for Champions League Football Part 1?

Afternoon all,

As the ceaseless transfer rumours continue regarding a host of names each of which is usually just repackaged as an exclusive or submitted as new news, we at GoonerVerse are going to focus on reality, the harsh reality of Champions League qualification. Despite a recent 7 match winning streak, our chances are just as good or bad, depending on which way you look at it, as the clubs around us.

Today I will boldly and perhaps foolishly try and assess our chances from here on in. I will look at where we are compared to that of our rivals and where we are likely to go from here. Of course this is all hypothetical and my predictions could be as far off as Andy Carroll is from making the team of the year.

Where we stand

POS
CLUB
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
GF
GA
GD
Points
1
Manchester United
31
24
4
3
76
27
49
76
2
Manchester City
31
22
5
4
75
25
50
71
3
Arsenal
31
18
4
9
62
41
21
58
4
Tottenham
31
17
7
7
56
36
20
58
5
Chelsea
31
15
8
8
53
36
17
53
6
Newcastle United
31
15
8
8
46
42
4
53

As you all probably already know, Arsenal sit in third which on the surface would suggest that we should be favourites to finish in the top four. However with 6th placed Newcastle only 5 points behind, there is no room to take anything for granted. In fairness this is something Arsene Wenger has stressed nearly every pre-match and post-match interview since January. It would only take one slip up to put Chelsea or Newcastle in a position to take advantage; especially given we are yet to play Chelsea.

A number of things are striking looking at that table from an Arsenal perspective. We have a team that has won more games than all our rivals; Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle yet we have also lost more as well. All the other teams mentioned have drawn far more games and I suppose one does get that feeling when watching Arsenal. We are either going to win or lose, there seems to be no middle ground.

Also interesting to note is that despite Tottenham apparently being the most adventurous team to grace the planet they have scored some 6 goals less than us in what many consider to be our poorest season. Interesting.

Either way, the bottom line is that, as you can see only one goal separates us from our noisy neighbours and this is something that can change very quickly this weekend when we face Manchester City.

Home and Away Form

One thing that will undoubtedly have a huge influence in the race for the Champions League spots is where the fixtures take place and what the form of each team is home and away. One would assume that most teams are better home than away but that is not always the case. It is also important to look at home and away form, given how some sides are better travellers than others which may prove crucial in the last few weeks.

Home

POS
CLUB
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
GF
GA
GD
P
PPG
1
Arsenal
15
11
2
2
34
12
22
35
2.33
2
Tottenham
16
11
3
2
34
15
19
36
2.25
3
Chelsea
15
9
3
3
31
19
12
30
2.00
4*
Newcastle
16
9
5
2
24
15
9
32
2.00
*4th due to goal difference.

As you can see from the above, Tottenham have the best home form but as Arsenal have played one game less they are slightly more reliant on home games for points with them achieving 2.3 points per home game as opposed to 2.25. Not much in it but clearly both Arsenal and Tottenham have had more success at home than both Chelsea and Newcastle who average 2 points per game each.

What struck me here though was looking at the goals conceded. Arsenal have widely been criticised for their defensive abilities this season but have only conceded 12 goals in 15 games which represents a measly 0.8 goals conceded a game. This is second only to Manchester City in the whole league.

Away

POS
CLUB
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
GF
GA
GD
P
PPG
1
Tottenham
15
6
4
5
22
21
1
22
1.47
2
Chelsea
16
6   
5
5
22
17
5
23
1.44
3
Arsenal
16
7
2
7
28
29
-1
23
1.44
4
Newcastle
15
6     
3
6
22
27
-5
21
1.40

Now here is where it gets interesting, whilst the home games were close there was a clear gap between Arsenal and Tottenham and Chelsea and Newcastle. This time it is only a gap of 0.07 between the best away team Tottenham and the worst of the four, Newcastle. What is clear is that all four teams have been poor away from home this season and have lost about as many games as they have won.

Looking at that then you would say Arsenal and Chelsea have a potentially better chance based on these statistics as they have one more home game, 4 each, than both Tottenham and Newcastle who have 3 each.

Remaining Fixtures

Arsenal
Pred
Spurs
Pred
Chelsea
Pred
Newcastle
Pred
Man City (H)
0
Sunderland (A)
1
Wigan (H)
3
Swansea (A)
1
Wolves (A)
3
Norwich (H)
3
Fulham (A)
1
Bolton (H)
3
Wigan (H)
3
QPR (A)
3
Arsenal (A)
1
Stoke (H)
3
Chelsea (H)
1
Blackburn (H)
3
QPR (H)
3
Wigan (A)
3
Stoke (A)
1
Bolton (A)
3
Newcastle (H)
3
Chelsea (A)
0
Norwich (H)
3
Aston Villa (A)
3
Liverpool (A)
1
Man City (H)
0
West Brom (A)
3
Fulham (H)
3
Blackburn (H)
3
Everton (A)
1
Total
14

19

15

11

This is where it gets very hypothetical and to be honest mostly guesswork. Educated estimates, yes, but guesswork none the less. I have gone for what is the likely result in my opinion taking into consideration who was home and away in each of the matches.

Take my Predictions with a grain of salt. I was seriously considering taking them out as they give no actual bearing on what will happen, they are only meant to highlight, that on paper this is what would most likely happen.

These “predictions” would see the table looking like this:

POS
CLUB
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Points
3
Tottenham
38
23
8
7
77
4
Arsenal
38
22
6
10
72
5
Chelsea
38
19
11
8
68
6
Newcastle United
38
18
10
10
64

Of course that is only as fanciful as all the games of fantasy transfers that everyone is playing right now. There is far more to the story than meets the eye. It is not just who is likely to win on paper, in fact, this far in advance it counts for nothing. There are lots of things that can change and influence the results of the next 7 matches including but not limited to; injuries and suspensions, form, circumstance and of course as we all know anything can happen in a football match.

Part two will look at each team’s run-in, in a more personalised way taking into account some of the above factors, so make sure you tune in tomorrow for some detailed analysis.

In other news though, as I have mentioned in the last few posts, that Jack Wilshere is fast approaching a return to first team action. This was confirmed when Arseblog News declared that Jack Wilshere is set to play in a behind closed doors match against Birmingham reserves this morning/afternoon. Update - it turns out that Wilshere did not take part in the match.

I hope it all goes well as he may well be a contributing factor in deciding the remaining Champions League places. Remember to check back tomorrow for a detailed look into each teams chances looking past just the numbers and the probability of it all.

Until tomorrow,

GoonerVerse.