Stale State of Mind: What should change at Arsenal FC?

Here’s another post from Anders Marshall who thinks that it is in the players minds that Arsenal lose to others, not quality on the pitch.

Stale State of Mind: What should change at Arsenal FC?

                                                                        By Anders Marshall

We’ve seen it time and time again. Arsenal are playing against a team that should be well beaten. They’re tied and it’s nearing the hour mark. Wenger throws on one or two substitutes that make no sense to the fans. The game ends in a draw or loss. Arsenal look predictable and out of ideas. What went wrong? Many factors come to mind. Tactics, mentality, talent. The list goes on and on, but no one knows the definitive answer. Why are the Gunners consistently coming up short in the dying embers of the season?  Here are my top reasons as to why the Gunners are outpaced, outmatched  and left stumbling when it really counts.

Tactics

When is comes to tactics, Wenger has lost his edge, Whether he doesn’t know what he’s doing, or the players don’t, something is clearly wrong here. We’ve all heard it time and time again that Arsenal have no Plan B.  It’s been quite obvious in games like vs. Blackburn and Liverpool. When a team puts 8 men behind the ball we look feeble and lost, especially when Fabregas is off form. We no longer possess that sharp edge that Bergkamp and Henry did. They would drop back, create chances, and finish them well. The formation suited the Invincibles very well and worked throughout the entire season. What we are missing now is that lethality and menace to our play. We don’t have a Drogba, Rooney, Tevez, Ronaldo or Messi to spearhead our attack and make attacking runs on goal. Nasri showed glimpses of this kind of play when he was used in a central midfield role. However now, we really need to change tactics. When Arsenal are in need of a change, it usually comes at the 60^th minute, with the likes of Arshavin, Chamakh and sometimes Bendtner or Ramsey. Notice that none of these players have the reputation for being super attacking, efficient players? Now that’s not all that’s needed to fix our problems, but it would be better if we had someone with flair who isn’t afraid to run at a player and have a shot. We see glimpses of this with players like Arshavin (West Brom) and Wilshere, but there is no consistent attacking threat. I know many people will say that Van Persie is a great forward and doesn’t need any help up front. This is true with a defensively weak team live Blackpool, but not so with the likes of Liverpool or MANU. In both games, Liverpool more so there was a lot of focus on defense, closing down opportunities and counter attacking.  When Arsenal are faced with tight defense, they looked squeezed and lose their creativity. This is where we and some of the best teams in the world differ. We need more attacking options, other than Cesc Fabregas feeding passes and Van Persie sidefooting it home. Look at teams like Bayern Munich. Robben, Ribery, Klose are all constant goal threats. Our front line is talented, no doubt, but comes desperately short on goals at times.

 

Arsene! At least let other fans watch the match

Mentality

Let me paint an all too familiar picture for you. It’s the 70^th minute, Arsenal are tied or are losing to an inferior team who they should have scored against ages ago. The game should be in the bag, it’s not. We’re struggling to create chances, and when they do come, we completely chuff them. The fans become quite and restless, lusting for the goal to put us in front. One last chance. Missed. Fans start filing out, knowing the game is over. Here’s what causes this. People have called the squad little kids, having no leadership or character. I don’t believe this to be true. If you read our blog’s last post, then you know about shub’s comparison of the Emirates to be our very own Shawshank. I find this statement to be 100% correct. I mean, when was the last time you saw the Emirates completely filled with crazy, rowdy, excited fans? I haven’t since the years of the Invincibles. Many times our Achilles heel is the most important thing to other teams, namely ManU and especially legacy teams like Shalke04: Support. I know it seems all too simple and can’t possibly help, but teams can be directly affected by the mood of the crowd. When we’re playing away, we have no one to please, just someone to prove wrong. Our team has proved they have the stones to go out in front of a hostile crowd and crouch their opposition. Away, we are warriors striving for glory. At home, we’re a bunch of nervous kids looking to please their over critical family members. Fans need to step up and create the sorely missed 12^th man. Get behind the team, and we may start seeing more positive play. The second problem is the most common among fans and pundits alike. We have no go to leader like in the days of Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Patrick Vieira. No tough as nails player to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and carry on, getting down to business. When things aren’t going our way, the squad look sorry for themselves, and play just about how they feel. When the going gets tough, we shy away, unable to pull out a scabby result “Manure” has been so famous for. What we need is not a 6 foot 7 beast, nor any more talented players, but a never say die, a tough man who can get things done and grind it out until the game ends. Wenger can call upon players within the squad to step up to the challenge, with Jack Wilshere being somewhat of a steely player. Proper mentality can’t be fixed by throwing money in the pot, rather by proper management and commitment.

 

Inflexibility and Wenger’s Reluctance To Change

 

See Wenger! That's how flexible you should be

In the past few weeks, many unfaithful fans have been calling for the Frenchman’s head. I don’t see a justifiable reason, let alone replacement at the moment. Sure, we’ve folded like a cheap suit when it really counted, but surely just because we haven’t won anything in a while doesn’t mean one the world’s most elite and intelligent managers should be shown the door, especially what he’s done for us with so little. Not many people realize it, but Arsene Wenger is a miracle worker considering the shoestring budget he’s had to make do with over the years. Shoestring budget’s, astronomical expectations, and major squad changes have proved to be too much for our manager. All I can do is applaud him. He formed one of the best squads in the history of football with less money than the cost of Fernando Torres. He built one of London’s most impressive and breathtaking stadiums all while balancing the books and signing world class talent for practically nothing. Here’s his problem. Wenger is the most stubborn people I have ever come across in professional sport. He likes his way, and his only. Nothing else will do. His youth policy is the only policy. Don’t be fooled by all the other staff at the club. Arsene Wenger runs Arsenal, no one else. While it’s great to have a manager who takes such pride in his homegrown approach, he has to know that too much of anything is bad for you in the end. People are calling for big names signings and more experience added to the line up for both depth and competition. I believe right now that we are lacking both. Say Nasri is out injured like he was before the first leg clash with Barcelona. We have the inconsistent Abou Daby, returning Aaron Ramsey who is not completely back to his best, and the always awful Denilson. How is this truly adequate cover? Not only are these players inconsistent, they never have truly showed the quality required to play for one of the best teams in the world, bar Ramsey pre-Shawcross. What we need is a clear out, especially in the midfield. With plenty of youngsters such as Frimpong coming through the ranks, selling the dead wood would free up wage and transfer money. Arsene must know when to cut his losses and call it quits, using his players as an example. Other things like his negative attitude has to be removed from his game, but that is a more personal level and can only be remedied by the boss himself.

All in all, fans, staff and players alike all know that there are changes that need to made next season. With these problems fixed, Arsenal could once again come to glory after six disappointing seasons with nothing to show for.

Emirates is our Own Shawshank

Yesterday I got to watch The Shawshank Redemption for the first time. I was completely blown away by the humanly emotions of the movie. One of the best movies I’ve ever seen and certainly worthy of the no.1 ranking it has got. From the acting,script,screenplay,and everything technical you think about a movie, it’s got all of it. Along with it, it’s emotional. And that’s what this article is.

Thinking about the movie, I was amazed by the strikingly similar conditions of the Shawshank prison and our own Emirates. It’s almost as if our stadium is like a jail for our players. The statistics show that our away form has been excellent but it’s our home form that’s let us down.  On our travels, our players play as if they’ve been freed from the ever-so-frustrated-Emirates crowd. They play like FREE MEN. No fear of losing the ball, no fear of wasting an opportunity and certainly no fear of shooting from distance. Bolton and Tottenham are prime examples of Arsenal taking long shots at the goal.

That's how our Players HOPE to Feel At The Emirates

The Emirates is like a prison. The players get booed when they try to open the opposition’s defence and fail by our own fans. The fans take no responsibility for the team’s result and think they’re at the ground to be entertained. Surely they’ll be entertained but that is not their prime job. The job is to support the team. It is not to get frustrated when things don’t go our way.  It is to make the players feel at home. That’s because when they’ll do that, there’ll be no FEAR. Lets just say the next time a Denilson or a Almunia steps on the pitch and hear thousands of fans singing his name. Almunia would never make a horrendous error and Denilson will do more for Arsenal than a backward or a sideward pass. They won’t become great all of a sudden, but their confidence will boost up. And imagine what’d happen if the whole team is cheered up like this.

Hey! I DO see Light at the End of The Tunnel

Even our manager has become a victim of this. He’s become increasingly frustrated on the touch-line and is feeling the pressure of the fans along with that of media. I’ve always seen Arsene as a calm and composed man who always knew what he was doing. But now he seems a lost man. Only if the Emirates crowd could find the old Arsene back. Maybe some old Wenger chants during the Invincible era will do the trick.

I can only HOPE that such a thing happens as ”hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies”. At this moment in time, we seriously need some hope to reignite our season. The season, to remind you, is far from over. I hope to finish 2nd. Hope that every player gets his confidence back. Hope that Arsene Wenger gets back to the old Arsene we all used to love. I HOPE!!!

A Spot to Fill: Which Players Should Arsene Wenger Buy?

Here’s a guest article from Anders Marshall from Canada. He thinks that we do need some players in the summer but not many as we’ve got one hell of a team. This is his first article so be a little lenient on him. Over to you Anders.

A Spot to Fill: Which Players Should Arsene Wenger Buy?

                                                                    By Anders Marshall

As seasons come and go, many fans of Arsenal FC feel that with a little more money spent on proven talent and less on inexperienced youth, they would be adding more to the trophy cabinet. I’m definitely one of those fans. The problem is that Wenger is stubborn in his signings and doesn’t like to sign older, more expensive players. Despite these limiting factors, here’s a list of the top positions that need filling, and who could occupy them.

Goalkeeper

Absolutely no one. I know the last sentence was a bit misleading, but this point needs to be made. Since Lehmann’s departure, there have been endless cries to sign a goalkeeper, but Arsene Wenger stood firm. He chose to rely on Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski instead. In the short-term, it seemed like a horrendous blunder on AW’s part, but this season we have seen Fabianski flourish into a strong, calm goalkeeper who made very few mistakes. Unfortunately, he’s been lost to injury. Then came along Wojciech Szczesny, a goal keeper quite similar to Lehmann: good reflexes, shot stopping, and mad. He did very well on his debut against Manchester United only conceding once against Park Ji Sung, and has been the reason Arsenal haven’t lost more games. Position filled.

Defence

Similar to the goalkeeping conundrum, Wenger stood firm and didn’t sign anyone in the winter transfer window, despite rampant calls for a new centre back. This was understandable, with four centre backs already in the senior squad, Le Boss felt that he had enough talent at his disposal. With Tomas Vermaelen out for the season with a possible return for next, the back line will be very crowded. Of course there is an odd man out: Sebastien Squillaci. Squillaci has been poor at best for most of his first season at arsenal. He lacks pace and communication when he is paired with Laurent Koscielny. His departure would free up wage funds and add a small amount to the war chest. The most likely and most capable candidate for signing would be Mamadou Sakho. French, tall, young, and fairly cheap. He ticks all the boxes. He has great leadership qualities as well, captaining his side since he was seventeen. If Wenger could secure the Frenchman’s services, then qualms about defence would surely cease.

Midfield

 

This is where Arsenal have been lacking recently, to our surprise. Without Cesc Fabregas in form, the team lacks ideas and pace in the build up. Signing someone like Eden Hazard or promoting Ryo Myaichi next season could work wonders for the front line, as well as selling Abou Diaby, Denilson, and Tomas Rosicky would give us more money for a tough holding midfielder, something Arsenal sorely lack at times when Alex Song is injured. Charlie Adam looks a likely candidate if he is allowed to leave Blackpool next season. He provides goals, strength, stability and calm to the back line and would be a vital asset for years to come at 25 years of age. Another attacking winger would ensure Samir Nasri gets a more central role, because he has proved to be a worthy replacement should El Capitan become injured. Fabregas has been known to be the most creative midfielder in the team, but right now the attack is looking slow and predictable. The most important thing to do is hold on to Nasri and Fabregas, and perhaps open up the pocket-book for Eden Hazard.

Attack

 

This line has always puzzled me. Robin Van Persie is arguably the best left footed striker in the world, but it’s too bad he’s injured for at least half of every season. Yet again, Arsene Wenger signed a fairly unknown player in Marouane Chamakh, but turned him into one of the best strikers in the EPL. While Chamakh was lighting up the stage along with Samir Nasri, RVP and Fabregas were waiting in the ranks to come back to the first team. At first they both seemed rusty. Then came the new year, which saw both players on fire with goals and assists aplenty. With RVP back in form, Chamakh was relegated to the bench. I don’t think a transfer in for a new player is absolutely necessary, provided tactics change for next year. Partner RVP with either Chamakh or Bendtner, giving us more height and heading ability. Position filled.

Conclusion

 

All in all, Arsenal are a great team who really deserve better, but are usually struck with injuries which results in mediocre players getting the start. With these new players added to the line up, Arsenal will have a new-found depth and skill in their squad required to win trophies.

Who should partner Vermaelan?

Thomas Vermaelan is almost back from his long-suffering injury and might even be available for some of our fixtures at the end of the season. At the start of the season, he was accompanied by Laurent Koscielny at the heart of our defence. But now that Djourou is fit and in his prime form, who should accompany the Verminator at the back?

Koscielny has had a superb first season in England. I’m sure many of the renowned defenders playing in Europe would have struggled to cope with the demands of the Premier League. Koscielny also had his ups and downs. Mistake against Blackburn, Bolton and Birmingham(obviously!) along with some others have shown that he needed time to adjust to this league. But the fact remains that he was thrown into the deep end very early in his Arsenal career but still managed to survive it.

He’s become exceptionally stable and so has his performances. He now plays with this authority of a quality centre-back and has learnt from his mistakes quickly. He’s great in the air and assure with his feet.How many of the Arsenal fans would’ve thought at the start of the season that he’d be so very instrumental for us. His vision for a defender is also pretty good. For me, he is a great centre-back who deserves a place along Thomas.

But now arrives Djourou. He’s got power, strength, aerial ability and tackles very well. He is another defender who’s proven the critics and the fans wrong. I for once never thought that he’d make it at Arsenal( I thought the reverse for Kozzer though!!!). But I don’t feel guilty for that. I mean that even if I hate Bentdner, I would surely won’t mind if he scores 25 goals next season(if he stays, of course).

Djourou has given the Arsenal defence the much-needed stability and has been a revelation. He’s also got the best out of Koscielny. Koscielny’s performance take a major dip when Djourou is not there. That’s also something that’s good about Johan. His performances this season also deserve a starting place next season.

So where does that leave Vermaelan. Yeah Vermaelan. How long it’s been since he’s played. It would have felt much longer if it was not for our much improved defence. But DO NOT forget that Vermaelan is better than both of them. Far far better. So it’s no point suggesting a Djourou-Kozzer partnership. One of them has to make way. But that’s where the problem is. WHO?

One thing I know for sure. The partnership that Wenger puts out next season should stay there for as long as they are good. If it’s Djourou, then let it be so for the next 6-7 years. The same goes for Koscielny. Or should Wenger buy Cahill? I don’t think so. He surely wouldn’t fit the bill. I’d rather prefer Vertonghen from Ajax as he also can cover for Song. The thing is, provided the fact that we’ve got 3 great defenders, we only need a backup. But an able backup. That’s what we’ll get in Vertonghen. Also, he won’t get frustrated sitting on the bench as his arrival would mean that Song could also get some rest which he rarely does presently.

If I were to choose, I’d partner Vermaelan with Koscielny. Koscielny has a much bigger scope of improvement than Djourou and also the fact that his performance improves with the player he plays with means that he’s my choice. But it’s very close as Djourou is almost just as good as him but he is injury-prone. Like it or not, he is. That means that with Djourou, we’ll not have the same back-line for a lot of time.

Or perhaps we should play all 3 together???

3-3 Draw Completes The Series Of Unfortunate Events

Where should I start???

I witnessed one of the better games of the season in a match that was probably more enthralling than a Stoke vs Blackburn at the Britannia.Oh wait!

We scored half the total of our last 5 league games in a single game. Yeah, that’s right. 3 goals and you’d think any team of Arsenal’s stature would be cruising throughout the game. But not our own beloved Arsenal. We let a 2 goal lead slip as easily as it is to score against Blackpool.

It was breathtaking, heart-throbbing,pulsating, or whatever you may call it. We took the lead from a 5-minute cool finish from our speedy Walcott.A perfectly timed run combined with a supreme pass from Cesc meant that we were 1-0 up.

On the other hand, Tottenham’s pacy winger was quite easily kept  in Sagna’s French pocket. Even before I stopped jumping around came the equaliser. Whatever you might say, it was a great goal from a great player. Szczesny couldn’t save a near-post shot from van der Vaart and their stadium erupted. Only if Emirates could be so vocal.

But then again, even before a Spuds fan would’ve stopped jumping, we took the lead through Nasri with what was a rare shot from distance. The build-up was good, finished off in supreme style. The match had started in a typical Derby-fashion, but probably better. 3 goals in 12 minutes indicated that we were in for a memorable game. And so it was.

Chances were created throughout the half and we took another one on 40-odd minutes. Theo’s sublime cross met van Persie’s header which was well saved by Gomes. But van Persie was quick to pick up the pieces. 3-1 up just before half-time.

On the other half of the pitch, Szczesny was doing something very brave. After all, he was up against a wild Chimpanzee. Boy how he shot him. He came off his line to clear the ball only to collide with the late arriving Bale. Actually, he had already done something similar just a few minutes ago. But this time, he ripped Bale’s chest and sent him packing. Bale hence had to be substituted at half-time.

Wait a minute!There was time for more action before the break. When we all were waiting for the referee’s whistle, arrived Tom Huddlestone. His thunderous strike meant that our 2-goal cushion was cut to one.

The second half picked up from where the first had ended. Open attacking football throughout the pitch. Diaby was substituted with Wilshere around the 50-minute mark. All was fine until Szczesny conceded a penalty to Aaron Lenon. Van der Vaart safely slotted home the penalty and it was all level at 3-3. Chesney, how good he might be, has never saved a penalty for Arsenal as long as I can remember.  But you would’nt mind much of that considering the fact that the only keeper at Arsenal good at penalties is Almunia.

The game slowed down in the last 20 minutes or so and chances were hard to come by. Van Persie’s goal was disallowed for offside. Apart from that, there were no clear opportunities for us to score. But they were for Tottenham. If it was not for Chesney to make 2-3 world-class saves, we might have lost it in the end. All in all, it was a spectacular derby and one that I’ll remember to remember.

Individual performances were good, team performance was also good. In fact, it was Arsenal’s best game except the Barca game of course in quite some time now. For me MoTM was Bacary Sagna because of the fact that he was against the Player of The Year and never let him do anything significant. This match showed us just how good he is and how underrated his contribution to Arsenal is. Who do you think was the MoTM?