Posts Tagged ‘Gunners’
Arsenal and the great World Cup pundit conundrum
It was interesting to hear the thoughts of the so-called experts following Spain’s World Cup final win over Holland on Sunday.
The Spanish were roundly praised for their dominant brand of possession football and were seen as deserved winners of the tournament. Holland, meanwhile, were heavily criticised for their aggressive style as they sought to unsettle the Spanish midfielders.
But one thing struck me as rather odd.
While Alan Hansen and co on the BBC couldn’t find enough superlatives to throw at Spain and had plenty of bad things to say about the Dutch, I wonder what they will be saying about Arsenal in a month’s time.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has a similar footballing philosophy to the Spanish. He has assembled a group of technically gifted players who seek to play an attractive brand of attacking, possession football.
However, their main weakness in the Premier League has been their apparent “soft centre”. It is commonly assumed the Arsenal players “don’t like it up ‘em” and so are subject to rough treatment from opponents.
This weakness is often cited as the reason why they have failed to win a trophy over the past five years and, with the Premier League betting suggesting they won’t challenge again this season, many pundits believe Wenger should adopt a different style of play.
But why is it ok for teams to rough Arsenal up, yet “thuggery” to try and do the same to Spain? The ‘experts’ were calling for more protection for the Spanish players, but they are not so forthcoming about Arsenal.
I know Spain have proven more successful than the Gunners in recent years, but it hasn’t been through changing their style of play, they will keep passing regardless of the opposition.
Personally, I doubt switching systems would change Arsenal’s online odds anyway.
There seems to be a common thought among TV pundits that everything the Spanish do is perfect - proven by how little was said regarding the frequent instances of play acting, diving and card waving that went on during Sunday’s fractious encounter.
I think we deserve as much consistency from our hypercritical pundits as we expect from our players and referees.
Tags: Aggressive Style, Alan Hansen, Arsenal Players, Attractive Brand, Bbc, Boss Arsene Wenger, Conundrum, Different Style, Dominant Brand, Gifted Players, Gunners, Hansen And Co, Midfielders, Premier League, Rough Treatment, Spanish Players, Superlatives, Switching Systems, Tv Pundits, World Cup
Arsenal’s patient approach should reap rewards - hopefully
There has been a lot of soul searching among Arsenal fans recently as they come to terms with yet another season without a trophy.
The defeat to Barcelona was greeted with disappointment naturally, but also with that mutual respect football fans give to an opponent when you have been fairly beaten. Arsenal fans held their hands up, Messi was just too good. Indeed, Messi is so good his was almost singlehandedly responsible for Argentinean’s World Cup betting odds tumbling after that club victory.
But the defeats that really hurt Arsenal were against Spurs and Wigan, setbacks which killed off any lingering hopes of the title. This has lead to the inevitable enquiry and apportioning of blame.
Many point to the board, others look at key injuries or underperforming players, while more and more look to Arsene Wenger, whose frugal transfer policy and reliance on youth has failed once again.
But I would like to believe Arsenal, despite their trophy drought, are on the right track. They may not have signed too many players for big money in recent years but they have made one massive investment - the stadium. This is an outlay none of their title rivals have had to make, but it was essential if the Gunners were to compete in the long term.
However, a new stadium doesn’t guarantee success. The past two decades are littered with examples of clubs who moved to shiny new stadiums, thought (and bought) ahead of themselves, only to end up at the wrong end of the league, drowning in debt, playing in a half full white elephant.
By building the Stadium Arsenal had to take on debt, and the club are actively looking to pay that off season after season.
This has restricted Wenger in the transfer market yet, despite the lack of silverware, he has still kept Arsenal in the top four and consistently taken them into the latter stages of the Champions League.
It is widely agreed that a revolution isn’t needed at the Emirates, in fact one only or two experienced additions, to add strength and guile to their youthful skill and panache, could be the difference between perennial nearly men and genuine Premier League title challengers.
By keeping the Gunners ticking over while the board have paid off debt Wenger has been cementing solid foundations from which to build on. Foundations which are certainly more solid than the leveraged debts of United and Liverpool, or the reliance on sugar daddies at Chelsea and City, both of whom could face oblivion at the whim of one very rich man.
Once the stadium debt is down to a manageable level it is hoped Wenger will be able to spend a figure more befitting of a club that has annual turnover akin to that of Real Madrid and Manchester United.
In this era of instant success and kneejerk sackings I really hope this patient approach, so at odds with what is happening in the rest of Premier League, meets with the success it deserves.
Tags: Arsenal Fans, Champions League, Drought, Drowning In Debt, Experienc, Football Fans, Guarantee Success, Gunners, Latter Stages, Massive Investment, Mutual Respect, New Stadiums, Outlay, Patient Approach, Setbacks, Silverware, Spurs, Wenger, White Elephant, World Cup Betting Odds
Arsenal v Barcelona preview
What better way for Arsenal to put the agony of Birmingham’s 90th minute blunder goal behind them than a look forward to a massive Champions League tie against Barcelona.
In truth most Gunners fans will have wanted to avoid the Catalan club until at least the semi-finals, but the prospect of the two best footballing sides in the competition going head-to-head is a mouth-watering one. Since the draw has been made there has been nothing but excitable expectation from Gunners fans. The Champions League odds suggest Arsenal will struggle, but they are sure to give it their all.
There are plenty of sub-plots wrapped round this fixture, not least the return of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who will play against his old club for the first time.
The man who won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups in eight years at Arsenal still calls the place home and will no doubt receive a rapturous welcome from the fans. He has already said he will not celebrate should he score on Wednesday and I’m sure the supporters would find it hard to be hostile to their former hero should he find the net.
The two sides also met in the 2006 final, when Sol Campbell’s early goal was cancelled out by two late Barca strikes, with a controversial Jens Lehmann red card somewhere in between. The Arsenal players won’t openly speak of revenge, but it is bound to be on their minds.
The two star players on either side are both Barca Academy graduates. Cesc Fabregas, of course, moved from Cataluna to London at the age of 16 and has flourished at the Emirates. And we all know about the recent exploits of Lionel Messi, who has sent sports writers into a frenzy as they try to come up with new superlatives to describe the Argentinean.
Arsene Wenger has pledged not to man mark Messi, claiming they have too many good players to single out just one, and instead has challenged his players to show what they can do to worry Barca.
No team has averaged more possession of the ball than Arsenal and Barcelona in this year’s Champions League, while The Gunners are the joint top scorers and Barca have the best defence.
One thing is for sure, the game will be easy on the eye.
Key player Arsenal - Alex Song
It may seem strange to pick song given the amount of attacking, creative players on show but with Arsenal seeking to play their way past Barca it is vital Song holds firm in front of his back four - especially if Messi has the ball.
Key man Barcelona – Lionel Messi
Who else? Eight spectacular goals in a week added to the growing belief that Messi is the best player in the world right now. Although the World Cup betting makes him a 16/1 shot to be top scorer at the competition, he will doubtless set the tournament alight with his skill and flair. He the ability to score and create in equal measure, the crowd will rise in expectation every time he picks up the ball. Arsenal will hope he has an off day this time round.
Tags: Agony, Arsenal Players, Arsene Wenger, Blunder, Cataluna, Fa Cups, Fabregas, Gunners, Jens Lehmann, League Tie, League Titles, Lionel Messi, Premier League, Rapturous Welcome, Semi Finals, Sol Campbell, Sports Writers, Star Players, Superlatives, Thierry Henry
Are Arsenal the real deal?
I’m sure most people expected Arsenal to beat Porto in the Champions League - the Portuguese side have an awful record in England after all. However, the manner of the 5-0 victory, achieved without talisman Cesc Fabregas, should force people to sit up and take notice.
Arsenal put in a sparkling performance against the 2004 European Champions, dominating pretty much from start to finish. Nicklas Bendtner will no doubt take most of the headlines with a face-saving hat-trick going some way towards making up for his horror show against Burnley at the weekend.
But credit also has to go to the two chief architects, Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin, whose probing midfield runs were instrumental in the victory and eased the pain of being without captain Fabregas.
The win caps off a satisfying few weeks for Arsene Wenger, whose side are visibly growing in confidence. Following last Saturday’s win over Burnley they will firmly believe they can take advantage of their favourable fixture list and win their first Premier league title since 2004.
After the Porto result what is stopping them going all the way in the Champions League as well?
Wenger himself has admitted he would relish the chance to avenge their heavy league defeats to Chelsea and Manchester United should they be drawn together in the next round.
Personally I feel the Champions League is a step too far. The Gunners have shown already they struggle against the top sides in the Premier league and I feel that when up against a similar side in the Europe they will fall just short. The Champions League football betting certainly suggests this will be the case.
The momentum is definitely with them in the league, however. Their win at Stoke the weekend before last was celebrated with extra vigour, not just because it was in response to Aaron Ramsey’s shocking injury but because it was seen as a rare banana skin in what is a dream of a run-in fixture list.
Local rivals Spurs and fellow fourth place chasers Man City are the only other major hiccups remaining for the Gunners and if the past few games are to go by, they shouldn’t present a problem. If this proves to be the case, then the title could be heading to Arsenal’s new Emirates Stadium for the very first time.
Meanwhile, hat-trick hero Bendtner will be hoping he can hit form in time for the World Cup.
He will be representing Denmark and while the side are unlikely to be many people’s World Cup 2010 tips they could still cause an upset.
Tags: Andrey Arshavin, Banana Skin, Burnley, Cesc Fabregas, Champions League Football, Chasers, Chief Architects, European Champions, First Premier, Fixture List, Going All The Way, Gunners, Hat Trick, Horror Show, Last Saturday, Man City, Midfield, Nasri, Vigour, Wenger
Is Wenger right to gamble on Campbell?
It shows how quiet the January transfer window has been when the free transfer of a 35-year-old is the move that has attracted the most headlines.
But this is no normal transfer. Sol Campbell, the former Spurs, Arsenal, Notts County and England defender, looks set to make a dramatic return to the Gunners five years after leaving.
Campbell will feel like all his Christmases have come at once. It seemed his career had ground to a sudden halt following his disastrous move to Notts County last summer but now he has a chance to return to the top flight.
We may never know the exact promises that were made and broken by the Magpies, but they were enough for Campbell to quit after just one match - a 2-1 away defeat to Morecambe. During that game Campbell looked every inch a seasoned veteran, the footballing brain was still there, but the legs were gone.
Which makes it all the more surprising that Arsene Wenger has made this move. Even during his final few games at Portsmouth Campbell looked to be struggling to cope with the pace of the Premier League.
His decision to drop down three divisions was perhaps a surprise, but the Football League was generally seen as a decent level for him to see out his playing career.
Since having his contract terminated at Meadow Lane he has been training with the Gunners and has obviously done enough to please Wenger. He will, of course, be signed as cover for Thomas Vermaelen, William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre, as well as for his influence on the young players. But what kind of message does that send out to Arsenal’s Premier League title rivals ?
Wenger has said on many occasions he has money to spend if required this month, yet in recent seasons he has bemoaned his lack of funds. Now he has the cash, he seems reluctant to spend it. Financial troubles seem to be hampering transfer plans at Manchester United and Liverpool, while Carlo Ancelotti has stated on several occasions he will not be opening Roman Abramovich’s cheque book this month. So surely now is the time for Wenger to take the initiative in the title race?
Gunners fans will trust Wenger’s judgement, he has rarely let them down before, but surely this will go down as his biggest Premier League gamble to date.
Tags: Carlo Ancelotti, Christmases, Decent Level, Dramatic Return, Financial Troubles, Football League, Gunners, Magpies, Manchester United, Mikael, Portsmouth, Premier League, Rivals, Roman Abramovich, Seasoned Veteran, Sol Campbell, Spurs, Sudden Halt, Top Flight, William Gallas