The news Arsenal fans were dreading came to pass last night when Robin van Persie announced he will not be renewing his contract at the club. With only a year left on his current deal it means he will be on his way on a free transfer next summer. I'm not so sure Arsenal will want to keep him for that year though, and I would be very surprised if they didn't sell him before the transfer window closes.
RVP is the current captain of Arsenal, but his desire to leave must mean the club will strip him of the honour. The captain's armband has become a poisoned chalice, and RVP joins a long list of captain's who have decided to leave. He is the current star player at the club, but Arsenal have lost better players in the past and survived.
Last summer saw the departure of Cesc Fabregas who was captain at the time, and I expect the current captain to go the same way. If RVP wants to see out his contract his commitment to the club cannot be guaranteed no matter what he says to the contrary.
He claims to be an Arsenal fan, but he fails to understand what a true fan really is. A fan supports his club no matter what, and never turns his back on his club. No matter what reason RVP gives for leaving he would want to say if he was a real fan of the club.
RVP claims he disagrees with the club in the way it should move forward, and as a result he has decided not to renew his contract. He also claims that financial terms are not his priority, and he never discussed them with the club. It's all very noble of him, but if he has decided he doesn't agree with the path the club are taking why has he not asked for a transfer.
If financial terms are not important to him surely he would be happy to forgo any large signing on fee he would get with his free transfer next summer. If he was to ask for a transfer he would lose his cut of any transfer fee if the club decide to sell him this summer too. I'm sure the financial concerns are not the most important factor for him, but there is no doubt they are a factor.
In my opinion the best thing Arsenal can do is put him up for sale immediately, and sell him to the highest bidder. The money can be used to bring in players who do want to play for the club, and who will work to make the team a better one. I cannot see any scenario that would allow RVP to remain at the club in the coming season unless he reverses his decision.
Arsenal stuck by RVP in his early career when he had personal problems, and throughout many injury plagued seasons too. He has managed to stay fit for the last 18 months, and he has scored an awful lot of goals in that time too. There is absolutely no guarantee that his injury free spell will last, and he could find himself suffering from some of his old frustrations again.
The best thing for Arsenal to do is to move on as quickly as possible, and appoint a new captain. The captaincy was given to RVP and Cesc as an incentive to keep them at the club, but it didn't work in the end. This time the captaincy has to be given to a player who will act as a leader on the pitch.
I don't buy into the theory that teams can have a team full of captains, and the right player as a captain can have a huge influence on a team. If Arsene Wenger can find somebody to do half the job Tony Adams did in that role he will have found the right man to lead his team.
There are a few candidates for the role with Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Mikael Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Laurent Koscielny all in with a shout. I'm not so sure which of them I would like to see get the armband, but Wenger has to get the call right this time. It cannot be given to a player as an incentive to keep him at the club, and for no other reason.
There is still a long way to go in the transfer window, and a lot of hard work for Wenger and Ivan Gazidis. They have to work as hard as they can to get the right players into the club to improve on the performances of last season. Whether RVP is a part of that or not the club will go on.
In an ideal world RVP would be sold, and Arsenal would use the money to bring the players who would then help them to a Premier League title or the Champions League trophy. It would be so sweet to see his reaction to Arsenal being so successful without him, but it's probably a far fetched dream on my part.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Showing posts with label Robin Van Persie.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robin Van Persie.. Show all posts
Thursday, 5 July 2012
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Strikers, Strikers, Strikers For Arsenal
Arsenal signed their second striker of the summer last week with the capture of Oliver Giroud from Montpellier. He has been added to the earlier signing of Lukasz Podolski from Cologne.
It means Arsenal have a glut of strikers at the moment, but the transfer window is far from closed. There is no doubt the club will be looking to offload at least a couple of the strikers currently on the books. It has to be assumed that both Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela will both be on their way in the next few weeks.
Besides both of those players it's also possible and quite likely that both Marouane Chamakh and Park Ju Young will be on their way also. With all of those departures I don't really see any weakening of the squad, as long as the most important player of all stays.
It's anybody's guess where Robin van Persie will be playing his football next season. He has three options available to him in my opinion, and the decision is his and his alone.
He can sign a new contract with Arsenal which could well see him ending his career in North London. It's the option I would love him to choose, and I'm sure the vast majority of Arsenal fans feel the same way too.
He can decide to see out the last year of his contract at Arsenal, and leave on a free transfer next summer. Whether the club would be happy with that or not is another matter altogether. Surely any fee they could get for him this summer would be better than allowing him to leave on a free transfer next summer.
His final option is to tell the club he has decided to leave, and for him to head off to pastures new. It's not my preferred option, but at least it would give Arsene Wenger time to use the proceeds to find a replacement for him.
The arrival of both Podolski and Giroud will have many thinking RVP's departure is imminent. I'm not so sure though, as Arsenal had no genuine striking alternative to him last season. They desperately needed to sign some quality players who could play with or instead of RVP, and they did just that.
Arsenal's striking options will be far better next season with all three of those players available. If RVP wanted to see that Arsenal are serious in the transfer market this summer he has certainly seen some positive signs already. They have spent roughly €25 million on improving the players who would play with RVP, and hopefully that will convince him to stay.
With the attacking options now addressed the next step is surely for Arsenal strengthen in defensive positions. They let in far too many goals last season for a team hoping to challenge at the right end of the table.
The defensive problems haven't only stemmed from poor defending, as the contribution of the players in front of the defence has been insufficient at times too. The only options available to Wenger in the defensive role besides Alex Song are the inexperienced Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong. If Arsenal are to challenge on all fronts next season they will need adequate cover for Song, and a player to defend with him when the need arises.
On the face of it Arsenal have got some very good defenders, but there is no denying the fact they let in too many goals. Even when the preferred first choice defence played together Arsenal looked far too vulnerable at times. I think the defensive coaching has to improve so the whole of the defence is equal to the sum of it's parts.
Maybe Steve Bould's appointment as assistant to Wenger will make a difference in this department. He was an integral part of the Arsenal team which was so tight at the back under George Graham, but which was also so lacking in entertainment value. Hopefully Bould can help the team to reach the right balance between defence and attack which can help them to make a real challenge to the mega-wealthy clubs which finished above them last season.
There is no doubt that there is a long summer ahead of Arsenal fans, and if the manager can get the balance just right he might be able to put together a squad worthy of his earlier years at the club. When comparisons are made between the current crop and "The Invincibles" it's very difficult to see what players in the current squad would have got a game eight years ago. There are some very bright young prospects, and hopefully this season they can also help the team to reach the levels which haven't been seen on a consistent basis in far too long.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
It means Arsenal have a glut of strikers at the moment, but the transfer window is far from closed. There is no doubt the club will be looking to offload at least a couple of the strikers currently on the books. It has to be assumed that both Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela will both be on their way in the next few weeks.
Besides both of those players it's also possible and quite likely that both Marouane Chamakh and Park Ju Young will be on their way also. With all of those departures I don't really see any weakening of the squad, as long as the most important player of all stays.
It's anybody's guess where Robin van Persie will be playing his football next season. He has three options available to him in my opinion, and the decision is his and his alone.
He can sign a new contract with Arsenal which could well see him ending his career in North London. It's the option I would love him to choose, and I'm sure the vast majority of Arsenal fans feel the same way too.
He can decide to see out the last year of his contract at Arsenal, and leave on a free transfer next summer. Whether the club would be happy with that or not is another matter altogether. Surely any fee they could get for him this summer would be better than allowing him to leave on a free transfer next summer.
His final option is to tell the club he has decided to leave, and for him to head off to pastures new. It's not my preferred option, but at least it would give Arsene Wenger time to use the proceeds to find a replacement for him.
The arrival of both Podolski and Giroud will have many thinking RVP's departure is imminent. I'm not so sure though, as Arsenal had no genuine striking alternative to him last season. They desperately needed to sign some quality players who could play with or instead of RVP, and they did just that.
Arsenal's striking options will be far better next season with all three of those players available. If RVP wanted to see that Arsenal are serious in the transfer market this summer he has certainly seen some positive signs already. They have spent roughly €25 million on improving the players who would play with RVP, and hopefully that will convince him to stay.
With the attacking options now addressed the next step is surely for Arsenal strengthen in defensive positions. They let in far too many goals last season for a team hoping to challenge at the right end of the table.
The defensive problems haven't only stemmed from poor defending, as the contribution of the players in front of the defence has been insufficient at times too. The only options available to Wenger in the defensive role besides Alex Song are the inexperienced Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong. If Arsenal are to challenge on all fronts next season they will need adequate cover for Song, and a player to defend with him when the need arises.
On the face of it Arsenal have got some very good defenders, but there is no denying the fact they let in too many goals. Even when the preferred first choice defence played together Arsenal looked far too vulnerable at times. I think the defensive coaching has to improve so the whole of the defence is equal to the sum of it's parts.
Maybe Steve Bould's appointment as assistant to Wenger will make a difference in this department. He was an integral part of the Arsenal team which was so tight at the back under George Graham, but which was also so lacking in entertainment value. Hopefully Bould can help the team to reach the right balance between defence and attack which can help them to make a real challenge to the mega-wealthy clubs which finished above them last season.
There is no doubt that there is a long summer ahead of Arsenal fans, and if the manager can get the balance just right he might be able to put together a squad worthy of his earlier years at the club. When comparisons are made between the current crop and "The Invincibles" it's very difficult to see what players in the current squad would have got a game eight years ago. There are some very bright young prospects, and hopefully this season they can also help the team to reach the levels which haven't been seen on a consistent basis in far too long.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, 17 June 2012
Arsenal Players Progress Report At Euro 2012
With the second round of group games now complete at Euro 2012 the tournament is well and truly in full swing. So far the football on display has been very good for the most part, and a few Arsenal players have played a role in making the tournament a success. I'll attempt to give my views on which Arsenal players have impressed the most so far.
Group A
Wojciech Szczesny started the tournament as Poland's first choice goalkeeper, but he didn't fare too well in their first game. Greece's equaliser was partly his fault, and he then received a red card in the incident which saw Greece gain a penalty. The chances are Greece would have scored and won if Szczesny hadn't given away the penalty, and his red card may just have saved them a point.
Unfortunately for Szczesny his replacement saved the penalty, and played quite well in the next game when Szczesny was obviously suspended. Szczesny didn't regain the keeper's shirt for Poland's final group game, and their defeat to the Czech Republic saw them exit the competition at the group stages. The tournament could have gone better for Szczesny, but I am still sure he has a very bright future in football for both Arsenal and poland..
Tomas Rosicky had played the attacking midfield role for the Czech Republic in their first two games, and he has continued the form he showed for Arsenal in the second half of last season. He made their goal in their 4-1 defeat to Russia, and he played an important role in their 2-1 win over Greece too.He missed the win over Poland due to injury, but I have no doubt he will play in the quarter finals if he is fit to do so.
Rosicky is one of three Arsenal players wearing the coveted number 10 shirt for his country, and he has performed very well as their creative force in midfield.Their next game will be against the runners-up of group B, and it will be a very tough test for them. A fully fit Rosicky would certainly be a welcome boost for the Czech's in their attempt to progress to the last four.
Andrey Arshavin is still an Arsenal player despite being on loan to Zenit St. Petersburg, and he is also the captain of Russia. He played a huge role in their 4-1 victory over the Czechs in their first game, as the Arshavin of old shone. He took players on and beat them at will, and he created plenty of goalscoring opportunities for his team mates.
A win in Russia's second game against Poland would have seen them qualify for the last eight with a game in hand, and Arshavin was seen as the man who could make that happen. When the going got tough against Poland Arshavin faded from the game, and his inconsistencies were there for all to see yet again. At times he looks like the world class player Arsenal signed a few years ago, but he can also appear lazy and disinterested too.
His defensive duties are very limited for his national team, and he can save all of his energies for attacking. He still has the incredibly annoying habit of losing interest when his passes go astray or his team's attacks break up.Despite putting in a reasonable performance in Russia's final group game Arshavin was unable to prevent their defeat to Greece and their elimination at the group stages.
Unfortunately for Arsenal that means Arshavin won't get another chance to put himself in the shop window for potential new employers. I am almost certain Arsenal will sell him this summer with Zenit being the most likely destination for his talents.
Group B
Arsenal new boy Lukasz Podolski has played in both of Germany's victories so far, as they look destined for a very good tournament. Despite winning their first two games their qualification for the last eight is not certain yet in a very open group. Podolski hasn't scored yet, but he performed a little better in the second game than the first one.
He looks to be a permanent fixture in their starting 11, and hopefully his influence will increase as the Germans progress through the tournament. At the moment it's very hard to see exactly what player Arsenal have signed for next season, but he must have plenty to offer to be a first choice in such a strong team.
Robin van Persie has led the Dutch attack in their two defeats, but they can still make the quarter finals if results go their way. The defeats to Denmark and Germany were severe blows to the hopes of a Dutch team who were seen as one of the pre-tournament favourites. If they are to make the quarter finals they quite simply have to beat Portugal and beat them well.
RVP missed a few chances in those two games, but he managed to get their only goal so far in the 2-1 defeat against Germany. If The Dutch can somehow make it out of the group they will have to play a lot better to progress, and RVP could still be the man to bag their goals.
Another Arsenal player who spent last season out on loan is Nicklas Bendtner, and he has had a good start to the tournament with Denmark. He didn't manage to score in the victory over Holland, but he got both goals in the 3-2 defeat against Portugal. Hopefully they can get the right result against Germany to make it through to the quarter finals, and add a few pounds to Bendther's price tag when Arsenal eventually manage to sell him.
Group D
AlexOxlade-Chamberlain was chosen to play in England's first game against France, and he had a pretty good game. He was left out of the next game, as Roy Hodgson decided to play with two strikers. He did manage to come on for the last few minutes, and there is every possibility he will get another chance before the tournament is over.
Chamberlain is still only 18 years old, and his future looks incredibly bright. His experiences as part of the England squad will hopefully help him to become an even better player for Arsenal. It certainly won't be easy for Arsene Wenger to leave him out of the team quite so often next season after his experiences at Euro 2012.
Theo Walcott only managed a couple of minutes as a substitute in England's first game, but he got a longer run out against Sweden. He came on in the second half with England 2-1 down, and managed to be the impetus they needed to turn the game. He scored the equaliser for them before setting Danny Welbeck up to score England's winning goal.
England now look bound for the last eight, and surely Walcott will get more game time after his display against Sweden. There are other players under-performing in the England team, and I would be very surprised to see Walcott on the bench in their final group game.
There are a few other Arsenal players in the tournament, but at the moment they have all being confined to warming the benches for their countries. Perhaps Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker will get their opportunities before the tournament is over, but they look destined to remain squad players for their countries in my opinion.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Group A
Wojciech Szczesny started the tournament as Poland's first choice goalkeeper, but he didn't fare too well in their first game. Greece's equaliser was partly his fault, and he then received a red card in the incident which saw Greece gain a penalty. The chances are Greece would have scored and won if Szczesny hadn't given away the penalty, and his red card may just have saved them a point.
Unfortunately for Szczesny his replacement saved the penalty, and played quite well in the next game when Szczesny was obviously suspended. Szczesny didn't regain the keeper's shirt for Poland's final group game, and their defeat to the Czech Republic saw them exit the competition at the group stages. The tournament could have gone better for Szczesny, but I am still sure he has a very bright future in football for both Arsenal and poland..
Tomas Rosicky had played the attacking midfield role for the Czech Republic in their first two games, and he has continued the form he showed for Arsenal in the second half of last season. He made their goal in their 4-1 defeat to Russia, and he played an important role in their 2-1 win over Greece too.He missed the win over Poland due to injury, but I have no doubt he will play in the quarter finals if he is fit to do so.
Rosicky is one of three Arsenal players wearing the coveted number 10 shirt for his country, and he has performed very well as their creative force in midfield.Their next game will be against the runners-up of group B, and it will be a very tough test for them. A fully fit Rosicky would certainly be a welcome boost for the Czech's in their attempt to progress to the last four.
Andrey Arshavin is still an Arsenal player despite being on loan to Zenit St. Petersburg, and he is also the captain of Russia. He played a huge role in their 4-1 victory over the Czechs in their first game, as the Arshavin of old shone. He took players on and beat them at will, and he created plenty of goalscoring opportunities for his team mates.
A win in Russia's second game against Poland would have seen them qualify for the last eight with a game in hand, and Arshavin was seen as the man who could make that happen. When the going got tough against Poland Arshavin faded from the game, and his inconsistencies were there for all to see yet again. At times he looks like the world class player Arsenal signed a few years ago, but he can also appear lazy and disinterested too.
His defensive duties are very limited for his national team, and he can save all of his energies for attacking. He still has the incredibly annoying habit of losing interest when his passes go astray or his team's attacks break up.Despite putting in a reasonable performance in Russia's final group game Arshavin was unable to prevent their defeat to Greece and their elimination at the group stages.
Unfortunately for Arsenal that means Arshavin won't get another chance to put himself in the shop window for potential new employers. I am almost certain Arsenal will sell him this summer with Zenit being the most likely destination for his talents.
Group B
Arsenal new boy Lukasz Podolski has played in both of Germany's victories so far, as they look destined for a very good tournament. Despite winning their first two games their qualification for the last eight is not certain yet in a very open group. Podolski hasn't scored yet, but he performed a little better in the second game than the first one.
He looks to be a permanent fixture in their starting 11, and hopefully his influence will increase as the Germans progress through the tournament. At the moment it's very hard to see exactly what player Arsenal have signed for next season, but he must have plenty to offer to be a first choice in such a strong team.
Robin van Persie has led the Dutch attack in their two defeats, but they can still make the quarter finals if results go their way. The defeats to Denmark and Germany were severe blows to the hopes of a Dutch team who were seen as one of the pre-tournament favourites. If they are to make the quarter finals they quite simply have to beat Portugal and beat them well.
RVP missed a few chances in those two games, but he managed to get their only goal so far in the 2-1 defeat against Germany. If The Dutch can somehow make it out of the group they will have to play a lot better to progress, and RVP could still be the man to bag their goals.
Another Arsenal player who spent last season out on loan is Nicklas Bendtner, and he has had a good start to the tournament with Denmark. He didn't manage to score in the victory over Holland, but he got both goals in the 3-2 defeat against Portugal. Hopefully they can get the right result against Germany to make it through to the quarter finals, and add a few pounds to Bendther's price tag when Arsenal eventually manage to sell him.
Group D
AlexOxlade-Chamberlain was chosen to play in England's first game against France, and he had a pretty good game. He was left out of the next game, as Roy Hodgson decided to play with two strikers. He did manage to come on for the last few minutes, and there is every possibility he will get another chance before the tournament is over.
Chamberlain is still only 18 years old, and his future looks incredibly bright. His experiences as part of the England squad will hopefully help him to become an even better player for Arsenal. It certainly won't be easy for Arsene Wenger to leave him out of the team quite so often next season after his experiences at Euro 2012.
Theo Walcott only managed a couple of minutes as a substitute in England's first game, but he got a longer run out against Sweden. He came on in the second half with England 2-1 down, and managed to be the impetus they needed to turn the game. He scored the equaliser for them before setting Danny Welbeck up to score England's winning goal.
England now look bound for the last eight, and surely Walcott will get more game time after his display against Sweden. There are other players under-performing in the England team, and I would be very surprised to see Walcott on the bench in their final group game.
There are a few other Arsenal players in the tournament, but at the moment they have all being confined to warming the benches for their countries. Perhaps Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker will get their opportunities before the tournament is over, but they look destined to remain squad players for their countries in my opinion.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Arsenal's Alternatives If Robin van Persie Leaves
Robin van Persie has had a fantastic 18 months for Arsenal after finally seeming to have overcome an injury ravaged career. There was never any doubt that he had the talent required to be a top class player, but the frequencies of his injuries prevented him from displaying his skills on a permanent basis.
When he was given the Arsenal csptain's armband last summer I feared he would go the way of the previous three holders of that honour. With only two years left on his contract he chose not to sign another one, but he also chose to accept the honour of becoming captain. His contract now has only one year left to run, and still there is no real news on whether he will extend his contract or ply his trade elsewhere.
There were talks between RVP and the club at the end of the season, but both sides have agreed to keep the outcome of those talks a secret. There are a few ways to look at the secrecy, but nobody knows for sure what has been agreed or not.
For my part I think RVP has decided to see if Arsenal can strengthen the squad enough during the summer to make them competitive at the top again. He has a desire to win trophies and he would love to win them with Arsenal, but if the club don't match his ambition he may choose to chase his dreams elsewhere.
If such a scenario were to come about Arsenal would surely have to go out and buy a striker to try to fill RVP's boots. Lukasz Podoldki has already arrived at the club, but Arsenal's striking options were too limited last season and Podolski is needed in addition to RVP. If the worst does happen and RVP packs his bags I've tried to come up with a few alternatives for Arsenal to consider.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is currently playing second fiddle to RVP in the Dutch national team at Euro 2012. He was the top scorer in the German league last season with Schalke, and there is no doubting the fact he has a real eye for goal. He's of a similar age to RVP, but he is a very different style of player in my opinion.
Huntelaar is more of a poacher than RVP, and he wouldn't have the same range of skills on the ball. If the worst was to happen and RVP left Arsenal I think Huntelaar could score quite a few goals in the Premier League as part of an Arsenal team who have no problem making chances for their strikers. Schalke have qualified for next season's Champions League, but surely Huntelaar would still be very tempted to move if Arsenal came calling.
Demba Ba joined Newcastle United last summer after West Ham were relegated from the Premier League despite his excellent goalscoring record for them. He set the Premier League alight with his goalscoring exploits prior to the African Cup of Nations last season, but he struggled to find form when he returned. There is no doubting his ability, or his eye for goal and habit of knowing how to score in the Premier League.
Serious questions have to be asked about his fitness though, as other clubs have declined the opportunity to sign him after seeing the results of his medical tests. Arsenal already have what seems to be the most injury prone squad in the Premier League, and the last thing they need is another injury prone player. Without the injury concerns I think Ba would be a success at Arsenal, but I can't see them taking a risk on a player with major concerns over his future.
Papiss Cisse joined Newcastle United in the January transfer window, and he proceeded to score 13 goals in 14 Premier League games for them. Some of his goals were quite magnificent, and the one he got away to Chelsea is a real contender for goal of the season. He seemed to fit perfectly into the Premier League from the very start, and unlike his club mate and international colleague Ba he had no problems finding his form after the ACN.
Before joining Newcastle Cisse had hardly set the world on fire, but his adjustment to the Premier League was instant and spectacular too. It would be a gamble for Arsenal to sign Cisse if RVP leaves, but if he can reproduce the form of last season it could be a very worthwhile gamble. I can't see Arsenal moving for Cisse if RVP leaves, but then again who knows the innermost thoughts of Arsene Wenger.
Djibril Cisse has had a few clubs in his career, and his goalscoring record has always been quite reasonable. He joined Queens Park Rangers in the January transfer window, and he showed he still has the ability to score goals in the Premier League. He managed six goals in eight appearances for QPR, but he also managed two red cards and suspensions with them.
There is no denying his ability to put the ball in the net, and he just might enjoy the challenge of playing at a higher level towards the end of his career if he was to join Arsenal. Wenger rarely shows any interest in players over 30 years old, but he could possibly make an exception for Cisse if he felt he could do a job for Arsenal. The biggest stumbling block could be the series of injuries he has had in the past with two very serious leg breaks, and I doubt if Arsenal would be prepared to risk their money on another injury prone player.
Edinson Cavani is at the perfect age for a striker to join Arsenal in my opinion, as he is just coming into his prime. He has had an exceptional season for Napoli in Italy, and the current turmoil in Italian football could possibly make it a little easier for other clubs to pry him from their grasp. He most certainly has an eye for goal, and there is no doubting his footballing ability.
The stumbling block for Arsenal could be the possible transfer fee, and the other clubs who appear to be showing an interest in Cavani too. I don't think he would have a problem with the physical element of the game in the Premier League, and he could be a real success in England. Unfortunately I think the transfer fees and wages offered by the clubs backed by oil money simply cannot be matched by Arsenal, and his future lies elsewhere.
I really hope RVP stays at Arsenal and goes on to beat the all time goalscoring record set by Thierry Henry for the club, but if he leaves life will go on for Arsenal and their fans too. They have got used to players leaving and being replaced, and I have no doubt they will get over it if RVP goes the same way too.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
When he was given the Arsenal csptain's armband last summer I feared he would go the way of the previous three holders of that honour. With only two years left on his contract he chose not to sign another one, but he also chose to accept the honour of becoming captain. His contract now has only one year left to run, and still there is no real news on whether he will extend his contract or ply his trade elsewhere.
There were talks between RVP and the club at the end of the season, but both sides have agreed to keep the outcome of those talks a secret. There are a few ways to look at the secrecy, but nobody knows for sure what has been agreed or not.
For my part I think RVP has decided to see if Arsenal can strengthen the squad enough during the summer to make them competitive at the top again. He has a desire to win trophies and he would love to win them with Arsenal, but if the club don't match his ambition he may choose to chase his dreams elsewhere.
If such a scenario were to come about Arsenal would surely have to go out and buy a striker to try to fill RVP's boots. Lukasz Podoldki has already arrived at the club, but Arsenal's striking options were too limited last season and Podolski is needed in addition to RVP. If the worst does happen and RVP packs his bags I've tried to come up with a few alternatives for Arsenal to consider.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is currently playing second fiddle to RVP in the Dutch national team at Euro 2012. He was the top scorer in the German league last season with Schalke, and there is no doubting the fact he has a real eye for goal. He's of a similar age to RVP, but he is a very different style of player in my opinion.
Huntelaar is more of a poacher than RVP, and he wouldn't have the same range of skills on the ball. If the worst was to happen and RVP left Arsenal I think Huntelaar could score quite a few goals in the Premier League as part of an Arsenal team who have no problem making chances for their strikers. Schalke have qualified for next season's Champions League, but surely Huntelaar would still be very tempted to move if Arsenal came calling.
Demba Ba joined Newcastle United last summer after West Ham were relegated from the Premier League despite his excellent goalscoring record for them. He set the Premier League alight with his goalscoring exploits prior to the African Cup of Nations last season, but he struggled to find form when he returned. There is no doubting his ability, or his eye for goal and habit of knowing how to score in the Premier League.
Serious questions have to be asked about his fitness though, as other clubs have declined the opportunity to sign him after seeing the results of his medical tests. Arsenal already have what seems to be the most injury prone squad in the Premier League, and the last thing they need is another injury prone player. Without the injury concerns I think Ba would be a success at Arsenal, but I can't see them taking a risk on a player with major concerns over his future.
Papiss Cisse joined Newcastle United in the January transfer window, and he proceeded to score 13 goals in 14 Premier League games for them. Some of his goals were quite magnificent, and the one he got away to Chelsea is a real contender for goal of the season. He seemed to fit perfectly into the Premier League from the very start, and unlike his club mate and international colleague Ba he had no problems finding his form after the ACN.
Before joining Newcastle Cisse had hardly set the world on fire, but his adjustment to the Premier League was instant and spectacular too. It would be a gamble for Arsenal to sign Cisse if RVP leaves, but if he can reproduce the form of last season it could be a very worthwhile gamble. I can't see Arsenal moving for Cisse if RVP leaves, but then again who knows the innermost thoughts of Arsene Wenger.
Djibril Cisse has had a few clubs in his career, and his goalscoring record has always been quite reasonable. He joined Queens Park Rangers in the January transfer window, and he showed he still has the ability to score goals in the Premier League. He managed six goals in eight appearances for QPR, but he also managed two red cards and suspensions with them.
There is no denying his ability to put the ball in the net, and he just might enjoy the challenge of playing at a higher level towards the end of his career if he was to join Arsenal. Wenger rarely shows any interest in players over 30 years old, but he could possibly make an exception for Cisse if he felt he could do a job for Arsenal. The biggest stumbling block could be the series of injuries he has had in the past with two very serious leg breaks, and I doubt if Arsenal would be prepared to risk their money on another injury prone player.
Edinson Cavani is at the perfect age for a striker to join Arsenal in my opinion, as he is just coming into his prime. He has had an exceptional season for Napoli in Italy, and the current turmoil in Italian football could possibly make it a little easier for other clubs to pry him from their grasp. He most certainly has an eye for goal, and there is no doubting his footballing ability.
The stumbling block for Arsenal could be the possible transfer fee, and the other clubs who appear to be showing an interest in Cavani too. I don't think he would have a problem with the physical element of the game in the Premier League, and he could be a real success in England. Unfortunately I think the transfer fees and wages offered by the clubs backed by oil money simply cannot be matched by Arsenal, and his future lies elsewhere.
I really hope RVP stays at Arsenal and goes on to beat the all time goalscoring record set by Thierry Henry for the club, but if he leaves life will go on for Arsenal and their fans too. They have got used to players leaving and being replaced, and I have no doubt they will get over it if RVP goes the same way too.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Can Arsenal Do Their Transfer Dealings Sooner Rather Than Later?
The start of Euro 2012 is less than a week away now, and still Arsenal have only managed to sign Lukasz Podolski so far. With so many players competing for their countries over the next few weeks the chances are transfers will be few and far between until July. With pre-season training beginning in July it could leave very little time for any new signings to arrive.
Last summer Arsenal left most of their transfer dealings until deadline day, and it greatly affected their start to the season. By the time the new players had bedded in Arsenal had only taken seven points from their first seven games. Of course they rallied after that, and eventually managed to finish third with a few hic-ups along the way.
After the sales of both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri nobody could have predicted Jack Wilshere wouldn't kick a ball in anger all season long. Added to the loss of Wilshere Abu Diaby's injury woes took a turn for the worse, and he never managed to start a game all season long either. It meant Arsenal's midfield duties were not shared out evenly, and the strain showed on some players towards the end of the season.
Arsene Wenger stated last summer that he would not be selling both Cesc and Nasri, as it would not be good for the club. When push came to shove he had no option though, as both players obviously made it clear that they wanted to play elsewhere. It's not a new scenario for Arsenal fans to see their best players touted around supposedly wealthier clubs.
It happened in the past with so many Arsenal players even when Arsenal were at their prime under Wenger, and winning plenty of trophies. It seems that the captain's armband at Arsenal has become a signal that a player is going to leave the club. The current captain is Robin van Persie, and the previous three captain's were all sold while still wearing the armband.
At the moment RVP is considering his options with only one year left on his contract, and he holds all the aces. He can choose to see out his contract and walk away on a free transfer next summer, or insist on leaving this summer. Whatever he decides to do I can't see what the club can do to stop him.
I was a huge fan of Cesc and I felt a real sadness when he left the club, but no matter what players come or go I will always support Arsenal. Withdrawing support is not an option for a real fan in my opinion even if some of the fans are unhappy with how the club is being run. I have no doubt that fans of the majority of other clubs feel exactly the same way at times as well.
The long drawn out summer transfer window can be a very frustrating time for football fans, and Arsenal fans are no exception. In an ideal world the club would go out and get the players they have targeted as soon as the window opens, but that's not how football works. Very few transfers are straight forward any more, and they tend to take a long time to complete.
Any player Arsenal show an interest in is bound to be touted to other clubs with more money to spend by their agent. If Arsenal show an interest in a player the chances are other clubs with a lot more money to spend will consider the players too. The inequality in the transfer market caused by clubs with vast amounts of oil money has made buying players very hard for any club working within a budget.
It means Arsenal have to try to get players well before their prime, or try to pick up players other clubs aren't overly interested in. In recent years Arsenal have spent big money on very promising talent such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott with varying degrees of success. If those players become as good as Arsenal hope they will they will be worth far more than Arsenal can afford to pay.
It's a risk for Arsenal to buy these players, and there are no guarantees of how good they will become. The hope was that Arsenal's youth team would provide a very strong team for years to come, but far too many of the youth players have failed to make the final step to become top class players. The current Arsenal first team squad doesn't contain too many players who have come all the way through the youth ranks at the club.
Even when Arsenal have tried to buy some younger players they have seen those players touted to other clubs and lost out on them. It happened with both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, but the wishes of the players also had an effect on their eventual destinations.
I hope the vast amounts of money spent on the youth set up at Arsenal create a super team for the future, but there are no guarantees. The club have very little choice though, as they simply cannot afford to compete financially with the Manchester Citys and Chelseas of the football world.
There is no doubt Arsenal showed some real promise at times last season, and some additions to the squad right now could help them to become properly competitive again. Sometimes I feel the Arsenal squad would be good enough to compete for the Premier League, but only if all of their key players stay injury free all season long. Realistically that's not going to happen, and Wenger needs to be a little more pesimistic when considering his options for the new season.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Last summer Arsenal left most of their transfer dealings until deadline day, and it greatly affected their start to the season. By the time the new players had bedded in Arsenal had only taken seven points from their first seven games. Of course they rallied after that, and eventually managed to finish third with a few hic-ups along the way.
After the sales of both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri nobody could have predicted Jack Wilshere wouldn't kick a ball in anger all season long. Added to the loss of Wilshere Abu Diaby's injury woes took a turn for the worse, and he never managed to start a game all season long either. It meant Arsenal's midfield duties were not shared out evenly, and the strain showed on some players towards the end of the season.
Arsene Wenger stated last summer that he would not be selling both Cesc and Nasri, as it would not be good for the club. When push came to shove he had no option though, as both players obviously made it clear that they wanted to play elsewhere. It's not a new scenario for Arsenal fans to see their best players touted around supposedly wealthier clubs.
It happened in the past with so many Arsenal players even when Arsenal were at their prime under Wenger, and winning plenty of trophies. It seems that the captain's armband at Arsenal has become a signal that a player is going to leave the club. The current captain is Robin van Persie, and the previous three captain's were all sold while still wearing the armband.
At the moment RVP is considering his options with only one year left on his contract, and he holds all the aces. He can choose to see out his contract and walk away on a free transfer next summer, or insist on leaving this summer. Whatever he decides to do I can't see what the club can do to stop him.
I was a huge fan of Cesc and I felt a real sadness when he left the club, but no matter what players come or go I will always support Arsenal. Withdrawing support is not an option for a real fan in my opinion even if some of the fans are unhappy with how the club is being run. I have no doubt that fans of the majority of other clubs feel exactly the same way at times as well.
The long drawn out summer transfer window can be a very frustrating time for football fans, and Arsenal fans are no exception. In an ideal world the club would go out and get the players they have targeted as soon as the window opens, but that's not how football works. Very few transfers are straight forward any more, and they tend to take a long time to complete.
Any player Arsenal show an interest in is bound to be touted to other clubs with more money to spend by their agent. If Arsenal show an interest in a player the chances are other clubs with a lot more money to spend will consider the players too. The inequality in the transfer market caused by clubs with vast amounts of oil money has made buying players very hard for any club working within a budget.
It means Arsenal have to try to get players well before their prime, or try to pick up players other clubs aren't overly interested in. In recent years Arsenal have spent big money on very promising talent such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott with varying degrees of success. If those players become as good as Arsenal hope they will they will be worth far more than Arsenal can afford to pay.
It's a risk for Arsenal to buy these players, and there are no guarantees of how good they will become. The hope was that Arsenal's youth team would provide a very strong team for years to come, but far too many of the youth players have failed to make the final step to become top class players. The current Arsenal first team squad doesn't contain too many players who have come all the way through the youth ranks at the club.
Even when Arsenal have tried to buy some younger players they have seen those players touted to other clubs and lost out on them. It happened with both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, but the wishes of the players also had an effect on their eventual destinations.
I hope the vast amounts of money spent on the youth set up at Arsenal create a super team for the future, but there are no guarantees. The club have very little choice though, as they simply cannot afford to compete financially with the Manchester Citys and Chelseas of the football world.
There is no doubt Arsenal showed some real promise at times last season, and some additions to the squad right now could help them to become properly competitive again. Sometimes I feel the Arsenal squad would be good enough to compete for the Premier League, but only if all of their key players stay injury free all season long. Realistically that's not going to happen, and Wenger needs to be a little more pesimistic when considering his options for the new season.
Whatever
happens during the current transfer window I can't imagine things could be
quite as chaotic as they were for Arsenal last summer. Ideally the players
needed will be added in the very near future, and space will be found for them
by offloading some of the players who are no longer required. I won't be
holding my breath for such a scenario, but surely I can live in
hope.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Arsenal Awards 2011/12
With the 2011/12 season now well and truly over it's time for me to present my Arsenal awards for the season. It was a real topsy-turvy season for Arsenal for Arsenal, and their third placed Premier League finish was the very most that could have been hoped for in reality. In the dark days of last August I think most Arsenal fans would have been very happy to settle for their eventual league position.
Altogether I have 14 awards to present for various achievements, and they're all from my own perspective of course.
Best Defensive Player:
There are a few contenders for this award with Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna and Laurent Koscielny all having a good chance of winning it. I suppose Sagna's injuries should really count him out, and while Szczesny was good there is still plenty of room for improvement. For me Koscielny was head and shoulders above all the other defenders at the club, as he personified the art of defending at times.
His reading of the game is second to none, and the timing of his tackling is excellent. He should be the first choice central defender in Arsenal's team sheet every week next season with others fighting for the right to play alongside him. To add to his excellent season he also managed to score the goal that ensured Arsenal finished third and qualified for next season's Champions League.
Best Midfield Player:
When both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri were sold Arsenal looked certain to hand their midfield duties over to Jack Wilshere. His season long injury meant that somebody else had to step up to the plate, but there weren't too many contenders for the role. It was hoped Aaron Ramsey would be the man to do the job, or that Tomas Rosicky would regain the form of a few years earlier.
Ramsey had an up and down season, and Rosicky came to the fore after the turn of the year, but it was a deadline day signing who proved to be their midfield inspiration. Mikael Arteta is believed to have taken a pay cut to join Arsenal from Everton only hours before the transfer window closed, and he grabbed the chance to play at a higher level with both hands. His ability to control the tempo of the game for Arsenal was crucial at so many times, and they really struggled when he was injured for the last few games.
A midfield consisting of both Arteta and Jack Wilshere next season could be a really exciting prospect for Arsenal and their fans.
Best Attacking Player:
There can't be any doubt about the winner of this award after Robin van Persie scored 30 Premier League goals for Arsenal. He was the top scorer in the Premier League, and some of the goals he scored were quite incredible.
He has suffered badly with injuries over his Arsenal career, but he has managed to stay injury free for the last 18 months. He has been in incredible goalscoring form in that time, and hopefully he will decide that his future should be spent at Arsenal.
Best Player:
Despite both Koscielny and Arteta playing very well all season long there can only be one choice for this award too. RVP had the season of his career so far, and there is every possibility it could be his last season for Arsenal too. His goals almost single-handedly carried the team at times if the experts are to be believed.
It would be great if he signed a contract to see out his career at Arsenal, and helped the club to achieve the success he wants to achieve himself. Whatever happens Arsenal will go on, and RVP's season will be remembered as probably the best one in his career.
Most Improved Player:
When a player turns 30 he is usually past his best, and Toms Rosicky will be 32 later this year. He has spent the last four ears either injured or unable to find the form of his earlier career. In the second half of this season in particular he managed to rediscover some of the form which tempted Arsenal to spend so much money on him six years ago.
He was able to take control of the midfield in games, and play the role vacated by Cesc Fabregas. When the team needed some forward momentum in the second half of the season he was the player putting in the effort to drive others on. Hopefully his new contract will inspire him to even better things next season.
Best Goal:
I was lucky enough to be in the Emirates when RVP scored what I consider to be Arsenal's best goal of the season. Alex Song floated a ball over the top of the Everton defence with 20 minutes left in the game which marked Arsenal's 125th anniversary. As the ball fell to RVP he unleashed a magnificent volley in to the far corner of the net to leave Tim Howard helpless.
The technique on dis play from RVP for that goal was something most players can only dream of, but he has shown all too often what he is capable of. It was a fitting goal to celebrate three points on such a momentous occasion for the club and the fans too.
Best Tackle:
Laurent Koscielny showed what a fine art tackling can be on many occasions throughout the season, and deserved to be named Arsenal's best defensive player. However, the sheer importance of the tackle by Kieran Gibbs in the final game of the season means he has to win the award. With time almost up Gibbs slid in to put his body on the line, and deny West Brom what looked like a certain equaliser.
That tackle was probably the difference between third and fourth place for Arsenal, and it's value cannot be overestimated. Gibbs may still be young and a little defensively naive at times, but he showed how much he wanted to win the game with a fantastic tackle.
Best Performance:
Arsenal had some very good performances during the season, and it's never easy to pick the best one. The 5-3 win away to Chelsea was a highlight, and so was the 3-0 win at home to AC Milan. The best performance in my opinion though was the 5-2 at home to Spurs.
After 20 minutes Arsenal were 2-0 down despite having played very well. Spurs goals came from a lucky deflection, and a penalty awarded after a Gareth Bale dive.
Arsenal went into the game 10 points behind Spurs, and it looked like that gap would increase to 13 points after the game. Surely it would have meant third place was beyond Arsenal, but that didn't matter in the end. Arsenal came storming back with two goals before half time, and then they added another three in the second half.
Within weeks Spurs had collapsed, and Arsenal had passed them to move into third place. Arsenal may have struggled to hold on to third place, but they just about kept it and Spurs were destined for the Europa League yet again.
Most Memorable Moment:
There were quite a few memorable moments during the season, but one sticks out in my mind more than all of the others. During Arsenal's 5-3 win at Chelsea there was an incident which will live long in my memory.
Arsenal had come back from 2-1 down at half time to lead 3-2 until Juan Mata scored an equaliser for Chelsea with 10 minutes left. Only five minutes later RVP ran on to a back pass which was meant for John Terry, and rounded the keeper to make the score 4-3 to Arsenal. As RVP ran through the sight of Terry falling flat on his face in a hopeless attempt to stop him was the sight which will live long in my memory.
Most Frustrating Player:
When Arsenal signed Gervinho from Lille last summer I couldn't help wishing they had signed Eden Hazard instead. Gervinho had played very well for the French double winners, but Hazard was the real class player in their ranks. Gervinho has looked very good at times during the season for Arsenal, but the lack of end product can be very frustrating.
He is very good at using a burst of pace to beat his opponent, but he seems unable to pick out the killer final pass. When faced with good goal scoring chances he rarely looks composed, and usually grabs at the shot before missing. I'm hoping his second season will offer a lot more because he looks like he has the potential to be a very good player.
Unluckiest Player:
I suppose Bacary Sagna could be considered to be very unlucky to have broken his leg twice during the season. Abu Diaby barely kicked a ball all season long because of his continued run of injuries. The unluckiest player player had to be Jack Wilshere though, as his injuries meant he missed the whole season.
He may have picked up his knock on the Emirates Cup, but the original injury happened on international duty. He had just played almost every game in the previous season for Arsenal, and looked ready to be their midfield leader when Cesc Fabregas left. His progress has been set back by a whole year and he will miss Euro 2012, as well as possibly missing the start of next season.
Player That Should Have Been Used More Often:
When Arsenal signed Akex Oxlade-Chamberlain last summer I didn't think he would be used very much during the season. I assumed he would gradually become a part of the first team squad as Arsene Wenger look to slowly introduce him. As Arsenal's injury problems mounted Chamberlain got a look in sooner than expected when he came on as a sub in the debacle away to Manchester United.
The result was nothing to do with him, but it was a long time before he got another chance in the Premier League. When he did play again he showed glimpses of what Arsenal can expect in the future, and certainly looked like he should have started more than six Premier League games. His performance in midfield at home to AC Milan an excellent one, but he never got the chance to play in that role again.
I thought that Wenger may have been protecting him from the rigours of first team football at his tender age, and possibly hoping to keep him from the eyes of the watching England manager. I think he may not have played too often to make sure he didn't get chosen for England for Euro 2012, but the gamble didn't work. I certainly would like to have seen a lot more of him, and I'm sure I will next season.
Lifetime Achievement:
Pat Rice eventually hung up his tracksuit at the end of the season, as Steve Bould became Wenger's new assistant. Rice joined Arsenal in 1964, and except for a spell at Watford towards the end of his playing career he was an Arsenal man for 48 years. He will be missed by fans and players alike, and it will be very strange to see the Arsenal bench without him on it next season.
Special Mention:
A very special mention has to go to West Brom's goalkeeper in Arsenal's final game. Ben Foster had an excellent season for Albion, but thankfully he picked up a knock before the final game of the season. His replacement was Marton Fullop, and he was in a very generous mood on the day.
Fullop managed to almost throw the ball into his own goal twice during the game, as Arsenal scraped a 3-2 win. If they hadn't won that game they would have finished in fourth place, and been consigned to Thursday night Europa League football.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Altogether I have 14 awards to present for various achievements, and they're all from my own perspective of course.
Best Defensive Player:
There are a few contenders for this award with Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna and Laurent Koscielny all having a good chance of winning it. I suppose Sagna's injuries should really count him out, and while Szczesny was good there is still plenty of room for improvement. For me Koscielny was head and shoulders above all the other defenders at the club, as he personified the art of defending at times.
His reading of the game is second to none, and the timing of his tackling is excellent. He should be the first choice central defender in Arsenal's team sheet every week next season with others fighting for the right to play alongside him. To add to his excellent season he also managed to score the goal that ensured Arsenal finished third and qualified for next season's Champions League.
Best Midfield Player:
When both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri were sold Arsenal looked certain to hand their midfield duties over to Jack Wilshere. His season long injury meant that somebody else had to step up to the plate, but there weren't too many contenders for the role. It was hoped Aaron Ramsey would be the man to do the job, or that Tomas Rosicky would regain the form of a few years earlier.
Ramsey had an up and down season, and Rosicky came to the fore after the turn of the year, but it was a deadline day signing who proved to be their midfield inspiration. Mikael Arteta is believed to have taken a pay cut to join Arsenal from Everton only hours before the transfer window closed, and he grabbed the chance to play at a higher level with both hands. His ability to control the tempo of the game for Arsenal was crucial at so many times, and they really struggled when he was injured for the last few games.
A midfield consisting of both Arteta and Jack Wilshere next season could be a really exciting prospect for Arsenal and their fans.
Best Attacking Player:
There can't be any doubt about the winner of this award after Robin van Persie scored 30 Premier League goals for Arsenal. He was the top scorer in the Premier League, and some of the goals he scored were quite incredible.
He has suffered badly with injuries over his Arsenal career, but he has managed to stay injury free for the last 18 months. He has been in incredible goalscoring form in that time, and hopefully he will decide that his future should be spent at Arsenal.
Best Player:
Despite both Koscielny and Arteta playing very well all season long there can only be one choice for this award too. RVP had the season of his career so far, and there is every possibility it could be his last season for Arsenal too. His goals almost single-handedly carried the team at times if the experts are to be believed.
It would be great if he signed a contract to see out his career at Arsenal, and helped the club to achieve the success he wants to achieve himself. Whatever happens Arsenal will go on, and RVP's season will be remembered as probably the best one in his career.
Most Improved Player:
When a player turns 30 he is usually past his best, and Toms Rosicky will be 32 later this year. He has spent the last four ears either injured or unable to find the form of his earlier career. In the second half of this season in particular he managed to rediscover some of the form which tempted Arsenal to spend so much money on him six years ago.
He was able to take control of the midfield in games, and play the role vacated by Cesc Fabregas. When the team needed some forward momentum in the second half of the season he was the player putting in the effort to drive others on. Hopefully his new contract will inspire him to even better things next season.
Best Goal:
I was lucky enough to be in the Emirates when RVP scored what I consider to be Arsenal's best goal of the season. Alex Song floated a ball over the top of the Everton defence with 20 minutes left in the game which marked Arsenal's 125th anniversary. As the ball fell to RVP he unleashed a magnificent volley in to the far corner of the net to leave Tim Howard helpless.
The technique on dis play from RVP for that goal was something most players can only dream of, but he has shown all too often what he is capable of. It was a fitting goal to celebrate three points on such a momentous occasion for the club and the fans too.
Best Tackle:
Laurent Koscielny showed what a fine art tackling can be on many occasions throughout the season, and deserved to be named Arsenal's best defensive player. However, the sheer importance of the tackle by Kieran Gibbs in the final game of the season means he has to win the award. With time almost up Gibbs slid in to put his body on the line, and deny West Brom what looked like a certain equaliser.
That tackle was probably the difference between third and fourth place for Arsenal, and it's value cannot be overestimated. Gibbs may still be young and a little defensively naive at times, but he showed how much he wanted to win the game with a fantastic tackle.
Best Performance:
Arsenal had some very good performances during the season, and it's never easy to pick the best one. The 5-3 win away to Chelsea was a highlight, and so was the 3-0 win at home to AC Milan. The best performance in my opinion though was the 5-2 at home to Spurs.
After 20 minutes Arsenal were 2-0 down despite having played very well. Spurs goals came from a lucky deflection, and a penalty awarded after a Gareth Bale dive.
Arsenal went into the game 10 points behind Spurs, and it looked like that gap would increase to 13 points after the game. Surely it would have meant third place was beyond Arsenal, but that didn't matter in the end. Arsenal came storming back with two goals before half time, and then they added another three in the second half.
Within weeks Spurs had collapsed, and Arsenal had passed them to move into third place. Arsenal may have struggled to hold on to third place, but they just about kept it and Spurs were destined for the Europa League yet again.
Most Memorable Moment:
There were quite a few memorable moments during the season, but one sticks out in my mind more than all of the others. During Arsenal's 5-3 win at Chelsea there was an incident which will live long in my memory.
Arsenal had come back from 2-1 down at half time to lead 3-2 until Juan Mata scored an equaliser for Chelsea with 10 minutes left. Only five minutes later RVP ran on to a back pass which was meant for John Terry, and rounded the keeper to make the score 4-3 to Arsenal. As RVP ran through the sight of Terry falling flat on his face in a hopeless attempt to stop him was the sight which will live long in my memory.
Most Frustrating Player:
When Arsenal signed Gervinho from Lille last summer I couldn't help wishing they had signed Eden Hazard instead. Gervinho had played very well for the French double winners, but Hazard was the real class player in their ranks. Gervinho has looked very good at times during the season for Arsenal, but the lack of end product can be very frustrating.
He is very good at using a burst of pace to beat his opponent, but he seems unable to pick out the killer final pass. When faced with good goal scoring chances he rarely looks composed, and usually grabs at the shot before missing. I'm hoping his second season will offer a lot more because he looks like he has the potential to be a very good player.
Unluckiest Player:
I suppose Bacary Sagna could be considered to be very unlucky to have broken his leg twice during the season. Abu Diaby barely kicked a ball all season long because of his continued run of injuries. The unluckiest player player had to be Jack Wilshere though, as his injuries meant he missed the whole season.
He may have picked up his knock on the Emirates Cup, but the original injury happened on international duty. He had just played almost every game in the previous season for Arsenal, and looked ready to be their midfield leader when Cesc Fabregas left. His progress has been set back by a whole year and he will miss Euro 2012, as well as possibly missing the start of next season.
Player That Should Have Been Used More Often:
When Arsenal signed Akex Oxlade-Chamberlain last summer I didn't think he would be used very much during the season. I assumed he would gradually become a part of the first team squad as Arsene Wenger look to slowly introduce him. As Arsenal's injury problems mounted Chamberlain got a look in sooner than expected when he came on as a sub in the debacle away to Manchester United.
The result was nothing to do with him, but it was a long time before he got another chance in the Premier League. When he did play again he showed glimpses of what Arsenal can expect in the future, and certainly looked like he should have started more than six Premier League games. His performance in midfield at home to AC Milan an excellent one, but he never got the chance to play in that role again.
I thought that Wenger may have been protecting him from the rigours of first team football at his tender age, and possibly hoping to keep him from the eyes of the watching England manager. I think he may not have played too often to make sure he didn't get chosen for England for Euro 2012, but the gamble didn't work. I certainly would like to have seen a lot more of him, and I'm sure I will next season.
Lifetime Achievement:
Pat Rice eventually hung up his tracksuit at the end of the season, as Steve Bould became Wenger's new assistant. Rice joined Arsenal in 1964, and except for a spell at Watford towards the end of his playing career he was an Arsenal man for 48 years. He will be missed by fans and players alike, and it will be very strange to see the Arsenal bench without him on it next season.
Special Mention:
A very special mention has to go to West Brom's goalkeeper in Arsenal's final game. Ben Foster had an excellent season for Albion, but thankfully he picked up a knock before the final game of the season. His replacement was Marton Fullop, and he was in a very generous mood on the day.
Fullop managed to almost throw the ball into his own goal twice during the game, as Arsenal scraped a 3-2 win. If they hadn't won that game they would have finished in fourth place, and been consigned to Thursday night Europa League football.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Arsenal Season Review Part 2
I started my season review of Arsenal a few days ago, and I went through all the major events up until the end of December 2011. At the turn of the year Arsenal were on 36 points, and they were still in contention for a top four finish. They had also qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, and they had an upcoming FA Cup third round game at home to Leeds United.
Despite beating both Leeds and Aston Villa to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup January was a very bad month for Arsenal in the Premier League. They took the lead away to both Fulham and Swansea, but ended up losing both games. They also lost at home to Manchester United, and their chances of a top four finish were fading rapidly.
Thankfully some of the other teams fighting for that top four finish were having troubles of their own, and Arsenal didn't completely lose touch. They did start to slip very far behind Spurs though, and it looked like they would have a very tough task trying to finish in their usual place ahead of their local rivals.
Things went in reverse in February when Arsenal got their league form back on track, but their cup results were far less impressive. They went out of the FA Cup away to Sunderland only a week after taking all three Premier League points on the same ground. Only a few days before that defeat to Sunderland they were beaten 4-0 away to AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League tie.
The bleak days of January and February were of course brightened up by the temporary return of Thierry Henry on loan from the New York Red Bulls. The three goals he got increased his lead at the top of the all-tike goalscoring records for Arsenal, and it was great to see him in action for Arsenal again. He may not be the player he was a few years ago, but his last minute winner against Sunderland was absolutely priceless.
Those back to back defeats against Milan and Sunderland were followed by a home game against Spurs, and it was a game Arsenal had to win. They went into the game 10 points behind Spurs, and any other result would have been nothing short of a disaster. The game didn't start well for Arsenal, but they managed to come from 2-0 down to win 5-2.
Arsenal's comeback on that day was quite incredible, and it shifted the momentum in the race for Champions League places in their direction. They went on to win their next four Premier League games, and stretch their run to seven wins in a row. Arsenal's fantastic sequence of results coincided with a collapse from Spurs, and suddenly they were third in the table and looking good.
In the middle of that run they played their return leg with Milan, and very nearly managed to overturn the four goal deficit. They led 3-0 at half time, but they ran out of steam as well as fit players on the night. They may have gone out of the competition, but they had managed to regain some of their pride at least.
Things were looking very good for Arsenal when they went to struggling QPR at the very end of March. The other face of Arsenal was on display in that game, and they were beaten 2-1 by a team that just wanted it more. The usual questions about the desire and commitment of the players were being asked again.
Title chasing Manchester City were Arsenal's next opponents, and they were outplayed by an Arsenal team which had found everything they were missing against QPR. A late Mikael Arteta goal gave Arsenal all three points, and a win away to Wolves a few days later looked likely to see them tie up third place with a few games to spare.
With five games to go Arsenal were clear favourites for that third spot, and it was theirs to win or lose. Three of their next four games were at home, and surely Arsenal could get the points they needed in those games to end the season on a high. However, Arsenal fans know that their team rarely do things the easy way, and Arsenal failed to win any of their next four games.
It was no coincidence that the very influential Arteta hobbled off after only eight minutes in the first of those games, and didn't play again for the rest of the season. Robin van Persie's goals were crucial to Arsenal all season long, but the influence of Arteta was another factor in their recovery after their disastrous start to the season. No matter what players Arsenal sign this summer Arteta should be the first choice player in their midfield next season.
In their final home game of the season Arsenal needed a win over Norwich City to stay ahead in the race for third place with Spurs playing away to struggling Aston Villa the next day. The game against Norwich seemed to sum up Arsenal's whole season, as they took an early lead before falling 2-1 behind. They fought back in the second half to go 3-2 up, but in true Arsenal style they allowed Norwich to score a late equaliser.
A win for Spurs away to Villa would have seen Arsenal fall back to fourth place with just one game left to play. Arsenal fans were biting on their fingernails on that Sunday afternoon, but thankfully Villa managed to get a draw and keep Arsenal in pole position with one game to play.
Arsenal's final game was away to West Brom, and a win would have guaranteed them third place, and a spot in the group stages of next season's Champions League. Any other result would have left Arsenal in fourth place, and their hopes resting on Bayern Munich beating Chelsea in the Champions League final. Thankfully Arsenal managed to beat West Brom, and it was Spurs who were demoted to a Europa League place next season when Chelsea beat Bayern last Saturday night.
Of course Arsenal didn't do things the easy way against West Brom when they threw away an early lead before coming from behind to win 3-2. The winning goal came from Laurent Koscielny, but he had a lot of help from the West Brom keeper.
I had felt Arsenal had been unlucky on a few occasions throughout the season with refereeing decisions in particular.Swansea, Spurs and Liverpool all got penalties against Arsenal when their players had clearly dived, and Arsenal didn't get a single penalty at home all season long in the league. However, the performance of Martin Fulop in goal for West Brom in that final game made up for any perceived bad luck during the season.
Arsenal were far from their best in that game, and stumbled over the finishing line with some huge slices of help from Fulop. He handed Arsenal's first and third goals to them on a plate, and he deserves a place in the Arsenal hall of fame.
It meant St. Totteringham's Day arrived yet again, as it has in every single season under Arsene Wenger. That's 16 years in a row that Wenger has led Arsenal to finish above Spurs, and not many of them were as close as this season's finish.
The signs of Arsenal taking their transfer dealings seriously this summer are there already with the arrival of Lukas Podolski. Hopefully he will get to play alongside RVP rather than instead of him, but only time will tell whether RVP chooses to stay or not. I hope he does stay, but I also hope Wenger has other players in mind if the worst does happen and RVP leaves.
Overall a third placed finish was not a bad one for a team which seemed to lurch from one crisis to another at times during the season. I would have liked a better run in the FA Cup, but it wasn't to be and unless the team is considerably strengthened it remains Arsenal's best chance of a trophy for next season.
There are 17 other teams in the Premier League who would gladly have swapped places with Arsenal despite the turmoils of their season. Qualification for next season's Champions League is not everything, but it certainly beats not qualifying when no trophies have been won. There are only four trophies on offer to Arsenal every season, and Arsenal managed to win as many of them as most other teams.
The biggest failure of the season was their inability to genuinely challenge for any of those four trophies. They were never in the running in the Premier League, and all of their cup campaigns finished relatively early. It would be great to see the team right up there with a chance of winning something next season, and that's what the fans really want to see.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Despite beating both Leeds and Aston Villa to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup January was a very bad month for Arsenal in the Premier League. They took the lead away to both Fulham and Swansea, but ended up losing both games. They also lost at home to Manchester United, and their chances of a top four finish were fading rapidly.
Thankfully some of the other teams fighting for that top four finish were having troubles of their own, and Arsenal didn't completely lose touch. They did start to slip very far behind Spurs though, and it looked like they would have a very tough task trying to finish in their usual place ahead of their local rivals.
Things went in reverse in February when Arsenal got their league form back on track, but their cup results were far less impressive. They went out of the FA Cup away to Sunderland only a week after taking all three Premier League points on the same ground. Only a few days before that defeat to Sunderland they were beaten 4-0 away to AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League tie.
The bleak days of January and February were of course brightened up by the temporary return of Thierry Henry on loan from the New York Red Bulls. The three goals he got increased his lead at the top of the all-tike goalscoring records for Arsenal, and it was great to see him in action for Arsenal again. He may not be the player he was a few years ago, but his last minute winner against Sunderland was absolutely priceless.
Those back to back defeats against Milan and Sunderland were followed by a home game against Spurs, and it was a game Arsenal had to win. They went into the game 10 points behind Spurs, and any other result would have been nothing short of a disaster. The game didn't start well for Arsenal, but they managed to come from 2-0 down to win 5-2.
Arsenal's comeback on that day was quite incredible, and it shifted the momentum in the race for Champions League places in their direction. They went on to win their next four Premier League games, and stretch their run to seven wins in a row. Arsenal's fantastic sequence of results coincided with a collapse from Spurs, and suddenly they were third in the table and looking good.
In the middle of that run they played their return leg with Milan, and very nearly managed to overturn the four goal deficit. They led 3-0 at half time, but they ran out of steam as well as fit players on the night. They may have gone out of the competition, but they had managed to regain some of their pride at least.
Things were looking very good for Arsenal when they went to struggling QPR at the very end of March. The other face of Arsenal was on display in that game, and they were beaten 2-1 by a team that just wanted it more. The usual questions about the desire and commitment of the players were being asked again.
Title chasing Manchester City were Arsenal's next opponents, and they were outplayed by an Arsenal team which had found everything they were missing against QPR. A late Mikael Arteta goal gave Arsenal all three points, and a win away to Wolves a few days later looked likely to see them tie up third place with a few games to spare.
With five games to go Arsenal were clear favourites for that third spot, and it was theirs to win or lose. Three of their next four games were at home, and surely Arsenal could get the points they needed in those games to end the season on a high. However, Arsenal fans know that their team rarely do things the easy way, and Arsenal failed to win any of their next four games.
It was no coincidence that the very influential Arteta hobbled off after only eight minutes in the first of those games, and didn't play again for the rest of the season. Robin van Persie's goals were crucial to Arsenal all season long, but the influence of Arteta was another factor in their recovery after their disastrous start to the season. No matter what players Arsenal sign this summer Arteta should be the first choice player in their midfield next season.
In their final home game of the season Arsenal needed a win over Norwich City to stay ahead in the race for third place with Spurs playing away to struggling Aston Villa the next day. The game against Norwich seemed to sum up Arsenal's whole season, as they took an early lead before falling 2-1 behind. They fought back in the second half to go 3-2 up, but in true Arsenal style they allowed Norwich to score a late equaliser.
A win for Spurs away to Villa would have seen Arsenal fall back to fourth place with just one game left to play. Arsenal fans were biting on their fingernails on that Sunday afternoon, but thankfully Villa managed to get a draw and keep Arsenal in pole position with one game to play.
Arsenal's final game was away to West Brom, and a win would have guaranteed them third place, and a spot in the group stages of next season's Champions League. Any other result would have left Arsenal in fourth place, and their hopes resting on Bayern Munich beating Chelsea in the Champions League final. Thankfully Arsenal managed to beat West Brom, and it was Spurs who were demoted to a Europa League place next season when Chelsea beat Bayern last Saturday night.
Of course Arsenal didn't do things the easy way against West Brom when they threw away an early lead before coming from behind to win 3-2. The winning goal came from Laurent Koscielny, but he had a lot of help from the West Brom keeper.
I had felt Arsenal had been unlucky on a few occasions throughout the season with refereeing decisions in particular.Swansea, Spurs and Liverpool all got penalties against Arsenal when their players had clearly dived, and Arsenal didn't get a single penalty at home all season long in the league. However, the performance of Martin Fulop in goal for West Brom in that final game made up for any perceived bad luck during the season.
Arsenal were far from their best in that game, and stumbled over the finishing line with some huge slices of help from Fulop. He handed Arsenal's first and third goals to them on a plate, and he deserves a place in the Arsenal hall of fame.
It meant St. Totteringham's Day arrived yet again, as it has in every single season under Arsene Wenger. That's 16 years in a row that Wenger has led Arsenal to finish above Spurs, and not many of them were as close as this season's finish.
The signs of Arsenal taking their transfer dealings seriously this summer are there already with the arrival of Lukas Podolski. Hopefully he will get to play alongside RVP rather than instead of him, but only time will tell whether RVP chooses to stay or not. I hope he does stay, but I also hope Wenger has other players in mind if the worst does happen and RVP leaves.
Overall a third placed finish was not a bad one for a team which seemed to lurch from one crisis to another at times during the season. I would have liked a better run in the FA Cup, but it wasn't to be and unless the team is considerably strengthened it remains Arsenal's best chance of a trophy for next season.
There are 17 other teams in the Premier League who would gladly have swapped places with Arsenal despite the turmoils of their season. Qualification for next season's Champions League is not everything, but it certainly beats not qualifying when no trophies have been won. There are only four trophies on offer to Arsenal every season, and Arsenal managed to win as many of them as most other teams.
The biggest failure of the season was their inability to genuinely challenge for any of those four trophies. They were never in the running in the Premier League, and all of their cup campaigns finished relatively early. It would be great to see the team right up there with a chance of winning something next season, and that's what the fans really want to see.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Arsenal Season Review Part One
A very difficult and sometimes hard to take season is over for Arsenal and their supporters. Considering how bleak things looked during the summer after the departure of Cesc Fabregas the final Premier League position has to be seen as a positive. At one stage Arsenal found themselves 17th in the league, but gradually they turned things around to finish in a very respectable third spot.
Of course Arsenal didn't exactly do things the easy way, and it's been quite a long time since they did.
There was a huge turnaround in the personell in the first team squad last summer with Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy also being sold. Denilson, Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela were also sent out on loan, as Arsene Wenger made room for some new arrivals. With loads of money to spend the hope was that he would replace the quality of Cesc with players of the highest calibre.
The signs were promising early on when Gervinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Carl Jenkinson arrived, but there were no more significant arrivals until the transfer window was very close to slamming shut. In the last days and hours of the summer transfer window Arsenal brought in Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker, Ju-Young Park, Yossi Benayoun and Mikael Arteta, but none of them commanded a huge fee.
With both Cesc and Nasri gone it looked like the midfield strings would be pulled by Jack Wilshere, but Wenger could not have known he was going to miss the whole season through injury. The other midfielder who very rarely featured because of injury was Abu Diaby, and his constant injury problems must cast some serious doubt on his future at the club and in the game too. Their absences gave chances to other players who might have been expected to have had less opportunities in the first team.
The goalkeeping duties were taken over by Wojciech Szczesny, and he has shown himself to be a real star of the future. It's been a few years since Arsenal have had a goalkeeper who looks capable of playing at the very highest level, but Szczesny has shown enough to suggest he is that man. He's still only 22 years old, but if he continues to progress he could have the Arsenal goalkeeper's shirt for many years to come.
With Thomas Vermaelen available again after missing most of last season through injury there was some hope that the Arsenal defence would be a lot tighter than it had been the previous season. The additions of Mertesacker and Santos also looked to be very promising, and there was real hope of Arsenal having real cover in all four defensive positions.
Of course most of those arrivals were after Arsenal's first three league games of the season, and they only managed one point in those games. Worse still was what happened when they went to Old Trafford to play Manchester United just a few days before that window closed. The horror of that 8-2 defeat to United will be a memory which haunts Arsenal fans for many years to come.
Despite their terrible start to their league campaign Arsenal somehow found the strength within themselves to beat Udinese over two legs to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. They were drawn with the champions of both Germany and Greece, as well as the runners up in the French League. It looked like Arsenal would have a tough task ahead of them, but they qualified for the knockout stages by winning their group with a game still left to play.
Arsenal managed to win four of their six games in September, as the new players seemed to be settling in very well. The only game Arsenal lost in September was away to Blackburn in the league, and it was in true Arsenal style. They were 2-1 up early in the second half when Bacary Sagna went off injured, and Blackburn ended up winning 4-3.
The fact that Arsenal put the ball through their own net twice didn't help, but the defending on display was nothing short of comical. When Arsenal eventually woke up they pounded the Blackburn goal, but they could only pull one goal back despite creating loads of chances. By early October Arsenal had seven points from seven games, and they were already 12 points behind the league leaders.
They had lost four league games which included defeats at home to Liverpool, as well as away to United and Spurs. They had at least progressed past Shrewsbury Town in the Carling Cup, as well as taking four points from their first two Champions League games. There were signs that things weren't all doom and gloom, but Arsenal needed to improve an awful lot in the league.
Arsenal then went on to win their next five league games, as they started to make up ground on the teams above them. The highlight of those five wins was the 5-3 victory away to Chelsea when Arsenal showed all of their attacking strengths and defensive weaknesses in the same game. The sight of John Terry lying flat on his face as Robin van Persie raced past him to score was one of the season's highlights for me.
The only Premier League defeat before the turn of the year after the loss away to Spurs was a 1-0 defeat away to league leaders Manchester City. Despite losing Arsenal played very well, and put up a performance to make their fans proud of their efforts. When the year ended Arsenal had 36 points from 19 league games which meant they had taken 29 points from their previous 12 games.
They were also through to the last 16 of the Champions League, and they faced the mouth-watering prospect of playing against AC Milan. There were some real reasons to be hopeful for Arsenal fans, and the prospect of a possible signing or two in the January transfer window were something to look forward to also. The injury crisis which the club had experienced in recent seasons had reared it's ugly head again, and the squad was looking a little threadbare.
Sagna had suffered a broken leg in the defeat to Spurs, and Santos picked up a bad injury in a meaningless Champions League game away to Olympiacos in Greece. With Kieran Gibbs and Jenkinson also injured Arsenal found themselves trying to cope without any recognised full backs in the team. They seemed to cope throughout December, but the question was would they continue to cope.
Arsenal had exited the Carling Cup at the hands of Manchester City, but they still had the FA Cup to look forward to. The prospect of qualifying for the next season's Champions League was still a very rel one, and there was also the matter of that last 16 tie with AC Milan. After an awful start to the season things were certainly starting to look a lot better at the half way mark.
The outstanding player in the first half of the season was undoubtedly RVP, as his goals were a primary factor in many of Arsenal's victories. He had returned from injury in the second half of the previous season, and scored so many goals in the calander year 2011. For the first time in his Arsenal career he was relatively injury free, and the club were feeling the benefits.
Besides RVP I thought the last minute capture of Arteta had a huge influence on Arsenal's recovery. He may not have been their first choice purchase for midfield, and he certainly wasn't a ready made replacement for Cesc. He brought a stability to the midfield which others had failed to do, and the whole team benefited from his arrival.
I'll go into my thoughts on the second half of the season next time, and then move on to an overall summary.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Of course Arsenal didn't exactly do things the easy way, and it's been quite a long time since they did.
There was a huge turnaround in the personell in the first team squad last summer with Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy also being sold. Denilson, Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela were also sent out on loan, as Arsene Wenger made room for some new arrivals. With loads of money to spend the hope was that he would replace the quality of Cesc with players of the highest calibre.
The signs were promising early on when Gervinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Carl Jenkinson arrived, but there were no more significant arrivals until the transfer window was very close to slamming shut. In the last days and hours of the summer transfer window Arsenal brought in Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker, Ju-Young Park, Yossi Benayoun and Mikael Arteta, but none of them commanded a huge fee.
With both Cesc and Nasri gone it looked like the midfield strings would be pulled by Jack Wilshere, but Wenger could not have known he was going to miss the whole season through injury. The other midfielder who very rarely featured because of injury was Abu Diaby, and his constant injury problems must cast some serious doubt on his future at the club and in the game too. Their absences gave chances to other players who might have been expected to have had less opportunities in the first team.
The goalkeeping duties were taken over by Wojciech Szczesny, and he has shown himself to be a real star of the future. It's been a few years since Arsenal have had a goalkeeper who looks capable of playing at the very highest level, but Szczesny has shown enough to suggest he is that man. He's still only 22 years old, but if he continues to progress he could have the Arsenal goalkeeper's shirt for many years to come.
With Thomas Vermaelen available again after missing most of last season through injury there was some hope that the Arsenal defence would be a lot tighter than it had been the previous season. The additions of Mertesacker and Santos also looked to be very promising, and there was real hope of Arsenal having real cover in all four defensive positions.
Of course most of those arrivals were after Arsenal's first three league games of the season, and they only managed one point in those games. Worse still was what happened when they went to Old Trafford to play Manchester United just a few days before that window closed. The horror of that 8-2 defeat to United will be a memory which haunts Arsenal fans for many years to come.
Despite their terrible start to their league campaign Arsenal somehow found the strength within themselves to beat Udinese over two legs to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. They were drawn with the champions of both Germany and Greece, as well as the runners up in the French League. It looked like Arsenal would have a tough task ahead of them, but they qualified for the knockout stages by winning their group with a game still left to play.
Arsenal managed to win four of their six games in September, as the new players seemed to be settling in very well. The only game Arsenal lost in September was away to Blackburn in the league, and it was in true Arsenal style. They were 2-1 up early in the second half when Bacary Sagna went off injured, and Blackburn ended up winning 4-3.
The fact that Arsenal put the ball through their own net twice didn't help, but the defending on display was nothing short of comical. When Arsenal eventually woke up they pounded the Blackburn goal, but they could only pull one goal back despite creating loads of chances. By early October Arsenal had seven points from seven games, and they were already 12 points behind the league leaders.
They had lost four league games which included defeats at home to Liverpool, as well as away to United and Spurs. They had at least progressed past Shrewsbury Town in the Carling Cup, as well as taking four points from their first two Champions League games. There were signs that things weren't all doom and gloom, but Arsenal needed to improve an awful lot in the league.
Arsenal then went on to win their next five league games, as they started to make up ground on the teams above them. The highlight of those five wins was the 5-3 victory away to Chelsea when Arsenal showed all of their attacking strengths and defensive weaknesses in the same game. The sight of John Terry lying flat on his face as Robin van Persie raced past him to score was one of the season's highlights for me.
The only Premier League defeat before the turn of the year after the loss away to Spurs was a 1-0 defeat away to league leaders Manchester City. Despite losing Arsenal played very well, and put up a performance to make their fans proud of their efforts. When the year ended Arsenal had 36 points from 19 league games which meant they had taken 29 points from their previous 12 games.
They were also through to the last 16 of the Champions League, and they faced the mouth-watering prospect of playing against AC Milan. There were some real reasons to be hopeful for Arsenal fans, and the prospect of a possible signing or two in the January transfer window were something to look forward to also. The injury crisis which the club had experienced in recent seasons had reared it's ugly head again, and the squad was looking a little threadbare.
Sagna had suffered a broken leg in the defeat to Spurs, and Santos picked up a bad injury in a meaningless Champions League game away to Olympiacos in Greece. With Kieran Gibbs and Jenkinson also injured Arsenal found themselves trying to cope without any recognised full backs in the team. They seemed to cope throughout December, but the question was would they continue to cope.
Arsenal had exited the Carling Cup at the hands of Manchester City, but they still had the FA Cup to look forward to. The prospect of qualifying for the next season's Champions League was still a very rel one, and there was also the matter of that last 16 tie with AC Milan. After an awful start to the season things were certainly starting to look a lot better at the half way mark.
The outstanding player in the first half of the season was undoubtedly RVP, as his goals were a primary factor in many of Arsenal's victories. He had returned from injury in the second half of the previous season, and scored so many goals in the calander year 2011. For the first time in his Arsenal career he was relatively injury free, and the club were feeling the benefits.
Besides RVP I thought the last minute capture of Arteta had a huge influence on Arsenal's recovery. He may not have been their first choice purchase for midfield, and he certainly wasn't a ready made replacement for Cesc. He brought a stability to the midfield which others had failed to do, and the whole team benefited from his arrival.
I'll go into my thoughts on the second half of the season next time, and then move on to an overall summary.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Arsenal Beat West Brom 3-2 To Finish Third
Arsenal went into their final Premier League game of the season away to West Brom knowing a win would guarantee them third place. The reward for third place is a spot in the group stages of next season's Champions League, and it was a prize Arsenal dearly wanted. Any slip from Arsenal would more than likely have seen their local rivals Spurs overtake to claim that coveted third place.
Arsene Wenger made three changes from the team which drew 3-3 at home to Norwich last week. Carl Jenkinson was drafted in at right back for the injured Bacary Sagna, but the other two changes were a lot less expected. Andre Santos came in at left back for Kieran Gibbs, and Frances Coquelin replaced Aaron Ramsey in the heart of the midfield.
There was a place on the bench for the returning Theo Walcott who was held in reserve in case of emergency.
The game couldn't have got off to a better start for Arsenal with Yossi Benayoun putting them 1-0 up after less than four minutes. His goal was a simple tap into an empty net after a horrendous error from Albion keeper Marton Fulop. It was a gift which Arsenal were only too happy to accept, and it gave them the early advantage they craved.
Before Arsenal had scored their goal Spurs had already gone ahead of Fulham in their game, and it was vital that Arsenal kept their lead. However, that lead didn't last very long, as West Brom scored twice in the next 10 minutes to leave Arsenal's chances hanging by a thread. They needed to find something from somewhere, and shore up their leaky defence at the same time.
West Brom's first goal came from Shane Long, and there was a lot more than a hint of offside about it. When Long was played through on Wojceich Szczesny in the Arsenal goal he finished very well, but he was at least a yard offside. Only four minutes later Graham Dorrans put Albion ahead after some very poor defending from Arsenal, and Thomas Vermaelen in particular.
There were still 75 minutes to go, but Arsenal needed to get back into the game as son as possible. Just short of the half hour mark Arsenal got their lifeline, and Fulop again had a part to play in it.
Alex Song won the ball 25 yards from goal, and played it to Andre Santos who let fly with a very good left footed shot. Fulop got down to the ball, but he couldn't keep it from going in at the near post. Arsenal had an hour left to save their season.
Walcott replaced Tomas Rosicky at half time, as Arsenal looked to get more bodies forward in search of a winning goal. It didn't take too long for them to regain their early advantage, and yet again that man Fulop had a large hand in the goal.
Arsenal were awarded a corner when it probably should have been a goal kick to West Brom, and they took full advantage of their good fortune. Robin van Persie swung the ball onto the penalty area, but there seemed to be no threat from Arsenal as Fulop came to meet the ball. He could have caught the ball but he chose to punch it, and he got his punch horribly wrong.
The ball headed towards his own goal, and Laurent Koscielny was there to poke it home for Arsenal. They had the lead they wanted, and the Champions League spot was theirs to lose again. There were 30 minutes left, and Arsenal needed to defend as if their lives depended on it.
West Brom had a lot of corners, but real chances were few and far between really. There was one good save from Szczesny, but as the game entered the five added minutes Arsenal were still holding out. There was still enough time for some late drama, and both teams had good chances to score again.
First of all RVP was played through with only the keeper to beat, but his shot was off target and Arsenal missed their chance to seal the game. Within a minute West Brom had the chance they wanted to break Arsenal's hearts, and it took some heroics to stop them scoring.
Billy Jones was played in on the left, and as he drew his foot back to shoot my heart sank more than a little. I was sure he was about to get the goal which I feared had been coming for the last half hour, but Kieran Gibbs slid in to make a magnificent challenge. His timing was absolutely perfect, and the game ended not too long aterwards with Arsenal sitting pretty in third place.
I could pick the bones out of the Arsenal performance, and give some of the players who under performed a hard time. It doesn't really matter now though, as the result was all that was important on the day. With a few huge slices of luck Arsenal got that result, and will now take part in the group stages on next season's Champions League yet again.
The best player on the day for me was Benayoun, but the last ditch challenge from Gibbs was absolutely fantastic too. The players celebrated at the final whistle, as their said their farewells to Pat Rice after 38 years(never mind Watford) at the club.
I have bemoaned the apparent lack of fortune Arsenal have suffered from at times this season, but I cannot deny they were lucky to win. The performance of Fulop was the single biggest factor in their victory, and the injury Ben Foster picked up last week was a real gift to Arsenal.
Spurs will have to wait to see how the Champions League final finishes before they know if they will get to play in the Champions League next season or not. I actually think I want them to qualify, as it would mean Chelsea don't win the Champions League. I still want Arsenal to be the first London club to be champions of Europe.
An Arsenal season has rarely seen so many ups and downs as this one, but a third place finish is no mean achievement. Added to finishing third Arsenal also got to celebrate St. Totteringham's Day yet again, and Arsene Wenger has never seen his Arsenal team finish below them.
When you consider the money Linerpool and Chelsea have spent Arsenal have done very well to leave them trailing in their wake. They are the third best team in the Premier League, and they have funds available to strengthen the squad. Lukasz Podolski has already agreed to join the club, and hopefully some other top quality players will follow.
The biggest signing of the summer will of course be RVP if he can be convinced to extend his contract. He has been the best player in the Premier League this season, and it would be a huge blow if he left. If he does decide to leave the club will continue though, as it always does.
No player is bigger than any club, and Arsenal have recovered from selling better players in the past. I sincerely hope he stays, and Wenger gets to build a title winning team around him. It won;t be an easy task to prise the title from Manchester City, but at their best Arsenal aren't too far away.
Unfortunately when they're not at their best anything can happen, and it did far too often this season. The signs for next season are positive with the addition of Podolski, and the return of Jack Wilshere will be a welcome boost too. Hopefully the transfer dealings will be over and done with long before pre-season begins, and Arsenal can put the mistakes of last summer behind them.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from Sunday's game.
See you tomorrow.
Arsene Wenger made three changes from the team which drew 3-3 at home to Norwich last week. Carl Jenkinson was drafted in at right back for the injured Bacary Sagna, but the other two changes were a lot less expected. Andre Santos came in at left back for Kieran Gibbs, and Frances Coquelin replaced Aaron Ramsey in the heart of the midfield.
There was a place on the bench for the returning Theo Walcott who was held in reserve in case of emergency.
The game couldn't have got off to a better start for Arsenal with Yossi Benayoun putting them 1-0 up after less than four minutes. His goal was a simple tap into an empty net after a horrendous error from Albion keeper Marton Fulop. It was a gift which Arsenal were only too happy to accept, and it gave them the early advantage they craved.
Before Arsenal had scored their goal Spurs had already gone ahead of Fulham in their game, and it was vital that Arsenal kept their lead. However, that lead didn't last very long, as West Brom scored twice in the next 10 minutes to leave Arsenal's chances hanging by a thread. They needed to find something from somewhere, and shore up their leaky defence at the same time.
West Brom's first goal came from Shane Long, and there was a lot more than a hint of offside about it. When Long was played through on Wojceich Szczesny in the Arsenal goal he finished very well, but he was at least a yard offside. Only four minutes later Graham Dorrans put Albion ahead after some very poor defending from Arsenal, and Thomas Vermaelen in particular.
There were still 75 minutes to go, but Arsenal needed to get back into the game as son as possible. Just short of the half hour mark Arsenal got their lifeline, and Fulop again had a part to play in it.
Alex Song won the ball 25 yards from goal, and played it to Andre Santos who let fly with a very good left footed shot. Fulop got down to the ball, but he couldn't keep it from going in at the near post. Arsenal had an hour left to save their season.
Walcott replaced Tomas Rosicky at half time, as Arsenal looked to get more bodies forward in search of a winning goal. It didn't take too long for them to regain their early advantage, and yet again that man Fulop had a large hand in the goal.
Arsenal were awarded a corner when it probably should have been a goal kick to West Brom, and they took full advantage of their good fortune. Robin van Persie swung the ball onto the penalty area, but there seemed to be no threat from Arsenal as Fulop came to meet the ball. He could have caught the ball but he chose to punch it, and he got his punch horribly wrong.
The ball headed towards his own goal, and Laurent Koscielny was there to poke it home for Arsenal. They had the lead they wanted, and the Champions League spot was theirs to lose again. There were 30 minutes left, and Arsenal needed to defend as if their lives depended on it.
West Brom had a lot of corners, but real chances were few and far between really. There was one good save from Szczesny, but as the game entered the five added minutes Arsenal were still holding out. There was still enough time for some late drama, and both teams had good chances to score again.
First of all RVP was played through with only the keeper to beat, but his shot was off target and Arsenal missed their chance to seal the game. Within a minute West Brom had the chance they wanted to break Arsenal's hearts, and it took some heroics to stop them scoring.
Billy Jones was played in on the left, and as he drew his foot back to shoot my heart sank more than a little. I was sure he was about to get the goal which I feared had been coming for the last half hour, but Kieran Gibbs slid in to make a magnificent challenge. His timing was absolutely perfect, and the game ended not too long aterwards with Arsenal sitting pretty in third place.
I could pick the bones out of the Arsenal performance, and give some of the players who under performed a hard time. It doesn't really matter now though, as the result was all that was important on the day. With a few huge slices of luck Arsenal got that result, and will now take part in the group stages on next season's Champions League yet again.
The best player on the day for me was Benayoun, but the last ditch challenge from Gibbs was absolutely fantastic too. The players celebrated at the final whistle, as their said their farewells to Pat Rice after 38 years(never mind Watford) at the club.
I have bemoaned the apparent lack of fortune Arsenal have suffered from at times this season, but I cannot deny they were lucky to win. The performance of Fulop was the single biggest factor in their victory, and the injury Ben Foster picked up last week was a real gift to Arsenal.
Spurs will have to wait to see how the Champions League final finishes before they know if they will get to play in the Champions League next season or not. I actually think I want them to qualify, as it would mean Chelsea don't win the Champions League. I still want Arsenal to be the first London club to be champions of Europe.
An Arsenal season has rarely seen so many ups and downs as this one, but a third place finish is no mean achievement. Added to finishing third Arsenal also got to celebrate St. Totteringham's Day yet again, and Arsene Wenger has never seen his Arsenal team finish below them.
When you consider the money Linerpool and Chelsea have spent Arsenal have done very well to leave them trailing in their wake. They are the third best team in the Premier League, and they have funds available to strengthen the squad. Lukasz Podolski has already agreed to join the club, and hopefully some other top quality players will follow.
The biggest signing of the summer will of course be RVP if he can be convinced to extend his contract. He has been the best player in the Premier League this season, and it would be a huge blow if he left. If he does decide to leave the club will continue though, as it always does.
No player is bigger than any club, and Arsenal have recovered from selling better players in the past. I sincerely hope he stays, and Wenger gets to build a title winning team around him. It won;t be an easy task to prise the title from Manchester City, but at their best Arsenal aren't too far away.
Unfortunately when they're not at their best anything can happen, and it did far too often this season. The signs for next season are positive with the addition of Podolski, and the return of Jack Wilshere will be a welcome boost too. Hopefully the transfer dealings will be over and done with long before pre-season begins, and Arsenal can put the mistakes of last summer behind them.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from Sunday's game.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Arsenal's Premier League Trip To West Brom Previewed
Arsenal's season has come down to one game, and it's make or break for them in that game. Arsenal travel to West Brom this afternoon knowing that a win will guarantee them third place and a spot in the group stages of next season's Champions League. If Arsenal fail to win they could end up finishing fourth or even fifth, and that's not a thought worth bearing.
If Arsenal lose they can possibly finish fifth, but Newcastle would have to win at Everton and of course Spurs would need to avoid defeat against Fulham. The chances are the worst Arsenal can do is finish fourth, and normally that would mean they would play in the final qualifying round for next season's Champions League. However, Chelsea's upcoming appearance in the Champions League final could prove to be a fatal blow for any team that finishes fourth.
If Chelsea win the Champions League they will get the final Champions League place, and the fourth placed team will play in the Europa League. It would be a terrible blow for any team that finishes fourth, and I would hate to see Arsenal sweating on the result of the Champions League final. The other really bad thing about Arsenal finishing fourth would of course be that Spurs would more than likely finish ahead of them.
Since Arsene Wenger took over the reins at Arsenal in 1996 they have finished ahead of Spurs in every single season in the Premier League. It would be a bitter blow for the Arsenal fans to see that fantastic sequence come crashing to an end. Arsenal's players have the fate of the club and their fans' bragging rights in their hands, and they have to rise to the challenge.
They have failed to win of their previous four league games, as they have stumbled towards the finishing line. Last week they turned around a deficit at home to Norwich, and looked likely to take all three points with only five minutes remaining. In true Arsenal style they conceded a late goal, and proceeded to miss some great chances in the dying moments.
West Brom haven't got the best home record in the league this season, and they have been beaten nine times already. They are playing well at the moment, and the players will surely be anxious to give Roy Hodgson a great send off. Hodgson will take over the management of the English team after this game, and he has left the club in much better shape than he found it.
Hodgson has been little more than a year in the hot seat at Albion, and the Arsenal players have a much bigger goodbye to say to one of their own staff. Pat Rice has been an Arsenal man since 1964 with the exception of a few years at the end of his playing career spent at Watford. He has been Wenger's right hand man since Wengerr became Arsenal's manager, and there is a huge fondness for him among the players and fans.
Arsenal's inability can to win any of their last four games can be put down to a host of reasons, but the main one for me is the absence of Mikael Arteta in those games. He has had a very good influence on the team since his arrival, and they have struggled in midfield in recent games while he has been injured. He won't be available today of course, and the players who are chosen need to be at their very best.
Wenger doesn't have too many options in his team selection today, and I expect to see a very similar team to the one which played last week. There will be a change at right back after Bacary Sagna suffered another leg break against Norwich, and I expect Carl Jenkinson to get the nod. Frances Coquelin came on for the injured Sagna last week and played well enough, but Jenkinson is the next in line after Sagna for that position.
A place for Coquelin could possibly be found in midfield, but I doubt it and he will probably be on the bench. The only other change might see Theo Walcott return if he has overcome the hamstring injury he picked up a few weeks ago. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had a good effect on the team when he came off the bench last week, and I suspect he might be held in reserve again in case Arsenal need a real option from the bench.
I'm sure it will be a tense and nervous affair, but it's a game Arsenal can most certainly win if they want it badly enough. Despite some of the players feeling the effects of a long hard season they need to raise their game for the very last time this season to fight for the cause.
It would be ideal if Arsenal could come out and blow West Brom away from the first minute to the last, but that has hardly been their way in recent weeks. They have struggled to control games at best, and Norwich exposed their defence far too often last week. I will be happy with any sort of victory whether it's a first minute or last minute goal that brings it.
I have no doubt that West Brom will create chances, but equally I'm sure Arsenal will too. If Robin van Persie can add to his impressive 30 goal league tally for the season their chances will be greatly improved. He scored twice last week, and he missed a few very good chances as well.
Another two goals for RVP will create a record for any player since the Premier League went to a 38 game format, and it would be great for him to add it to his impressive collection of personal accolades for this season. Arsenal have been called a one man team because of RVP's goalscoring feats this season, and there is no doubt his contribution has been immense.
This could possibly be his last game for Arsenal, and if it is to be so I hope he can end on a high for himself and the club too. Ultimately Arsenal's season will be judged on whether they qualify for the Champions League or not, and this game will decide their fate. It would be fantastic to see that fate complete with a place in next season's competition, and St. Totteringham's Day arriving at the same time too.
I'm predicting a hard fought 2-1 win for Arsenal with RVP getting the goals that are so badly needed. It certainly won't be easy viewing for Arsenal fans, but most of this season has come under that category already. The most important thing is where they finish in the league, and that will finally be decided just before five this afternoon.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
If Arsenal lose they can possibly finish fifth, but Newcastle would have to win at Everton and of course Spurs would need to avoid defeat against Fulham. The chances are the worst Arsenal can do is finish fourth, and normally that would mean they would play in the final qualifying round for next season's Champions League. However, Chelsea's upcoming appearance in the Champions League final could prove to be a fatal blow for any team that finishes fourth.
If Chelsea win the Champions League they will get the final Champions League place, and the fourth placed team will play in the Europa League. It would be a terrible blow for any team that finishes fourth, and I would hate to see Arsenal sweating on the result of the Champions League final. The other really bad thing about Arsenal finishing fourth would of course be that Spurs would more than likely finish ahead of them.
Since Arsene Wenger took over the reins at Arsenal in 1996 they have finished ahead of Spurs in every single season in the Premier League. It would be a bitter blow for the Arsenal fans to see that fantastic sequence come crashing to an end. Arsenal's players have the fate of the club and their fans' bragging rights in their hands, and they have to rise to the challenge.
They have failed to win of their previous four league games, as they have stumbled towards the finishing line. Last week they turned around a deficit at home to Norwich, and looked likely to take all three points with only five minutes remaining. In true Arsenal style they conceded a late goal, and proceeded to miss some great chances in the dying moments.
West Brom haven't got the best home record in the league this season, and they have been beaten nine times already. They are playing well at the moment, and the players will surely be anxious to give Roy Hodgson a great send off. Hodgson will take over the management of the English team after this game, and he has left the club in much better shape than he found it.
Hodgson has been little more than a year in the hot seat at Albion, and the Arsenal players have a much bigger goodbye to say to one of their own staff. Pat Rice has been an Arsenal man since 1964 with the exception of a few years at the end of his playing career spent at Watford. He has been Wenger's right hand man since Wengerr became Arsenal's manager, and there is a huge fondness for him among the players and fans.
Arsenal's inability can to win any of their last four games can be put down to a host of reasons, but the main one for me is the absence of Mikael Arteta in those games. He has had a very good influence on the team since his arrival, and they have struggled in midfield in recent games while he has been injured. He won't be available today of course, and the players who are chosen need to be at their very best.
Wenger doesn't have too many options in his team selection today, and I expect to see a very similar team to the one which played last week. There will be a change at right back after Bacary Sagna suffered another leg break against Norwich, and I expect Carl Jenkinson to get the nod. Frances Coquelin came on for the injured Sagna last week and played well enough, but Jenkinson is the next in line after Sagna for that position.
A place for Coquelin could possibly be found in midfield, but I doubt it and he will probably be on the bench. The only other change might see Theo Walcott return if he has overcome the hamstring injury he picked up a few weeks ago. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had a good effect on the team when he came off the bench last week, and I suspect he might be held in reserve again in case Arsenal need a real option from the bench.
I'm sure it will be a tense and nervous affair, but it's a game Arsenal can most certainly win if they want it badly enough. Despite some of the players feeling the effects of a long hard season they need to raise their game for the very last time this season to fight for the cause.
It would be ideal if Arsenal could come out and blow West Brom away from the first minute to the last, but that has hardly been their way in recent weeks. They have struggled to control games at best, and Norwich exposed their defence far too often last week. I will be happy with any sort of victory whether it's a first minute or last minute goal that brings it.
I have no doubt that West Brom will create chances, but equally I'm sure Arsenal will too. If Robin van Persie can add to his impressive 30 goal league tally for the season their chances will be greatly improved. He scored twice last week, and he missed a few very good chances as well.
Another two goals for RVP will create a record for any player since the Premier League went to a 38 game format, and it would be great for him to add it to his impressive collection of personal accolades for this season. Arsenal have been called a one man team because of RVP's goalscoring feats this season, and there is no doubt his contribution has been immense.
This could possibly be his last game for Arsenal, and if it is to be so I hope he can end on a high for himself and the club too. Ultimately Arsenal's season will be judged on whether they qualify for the Champions League or not, and this game will decide their fate. It would be fantastic to see that fate complete with a place in next season's competition, and St. Totteringham's Day arriving at the same time too.
I'm predicting a hard fought 2-1 win for Arsenal with RVP getting the goals that are so badly needed. It certainly won't be easy viewing for Arsenal fans, but most of this season has come under that category already. The most important thing is where they finish in the league, and that will finally be decided just before five this afternoon.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Arsenal Blow It In Typical Style Against Norwich
Arsenal went into yesterday's game at home to Norwich City with their fate in their own hands. All they had to do was beat Norwich and then beat West Brom next week to finish third in the Premier League. It was a very simple scenario, but Arsenal rarely do things the simple way.
Arsene Wenger picked the same team that drew 1-1 away to Stoke last week, and it was a team with enough ability to get the job done. Unfortunately it would seem that yet again the Arsenal players felt the game was a foregone conclusion. The very same thing happened away to QPR and at home to Wigan when both of those games were lost.
The game couldn't have started better for Arsenal with Yossi Benayoun putting them 1-0 up after little more than a minute. He was found by a Tomas Rosicky pass just outside the box, and he curled home a lovely goal as the defenders backed off. It was the perfect start for Arsenal, but it soon became apparent they wouldn't have things all their own way.
Norwich showed the attitude and desire that the Arsenal players seemed to be missing and dominated the game. Arsenal were unable to shake off their lethargy, and Norwich took advantage with goals from Wes Hoolohan and Grant Holt. The manner in which Arsenal conceded those goals was nothing short of a shambles at best.
Hoolahan got the first of those goals with a first time shot from 10 yards that seemed to go right through Wojciech Szczesny in the Arsenal goal. Szczesny had the type of game yesterday that has seen other Arsenal goalkeepers get a very hard time from the fans. His distribution and kicking was very poor at best, but he wasn't the only Arsenal player who played badly.
The second goal from Holt had a huge slice of fortune about it, as it deflected over Kieran Gibbs and into the net. The fact that Gibbs was the man trying to stop Holt is another matter, as Norwich took Arsenal apart on the break time after time. Too many Arsenal players were simply unwilling to do what was expected of them, or unable to do so.
Holt was a huge problem for the Arsenal defence all day, as his ability to make any long pass stick to him frustrated them. Thomas Vermaelen had another awful game, and if Sebastien Squillaci played like that the fans would have given him a tough time too. The defence weren't helped by a midfield which went missing for the first hour of the game with Alex Song and Aaron Ramsey also having very bad games.
To make matters worse for Arsenal Bacary Sagna went off after just over 30 minutes with his second broken leg of the season. He won't be making the trip to Euro 2012 with France, and it was a sad day for him. With no direct replacement on the bench for Sagna it was left to Francis Coquelin to come on and play at right back.
I'm not sure how Sagna managed to break his leg, as he tried to take down a pass. There were no Norwich players anywhere near him at the time, and I don't know if it actually happened in a previous challenge.
The second half started in the very same manner with Arsenal struggling to find any cohesion, and Norwich looking very dangerous on the break. They could and should have had a penalty, and maybe both Ramsey and Laurent Koscielny could have had their marching orders too. The Arsenal team were going nowhere, and Wenger had to change something.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came on for Ramsey, and Marouane Chamakh came on for Benayoun to try to change things around. Their impact seemed to change the pace of the Arsenal play, and Norwich started to tire a little too. All of a sudden Arsenal looked capable of getting the goals they needed, and the goals did come.
The equaliser was tucked home by Robin van Persie after a good ball over the defence from Song. Song had tried to play killer passes all through the game, and none of them were anywhere near their target until he made that goal. He may have made the goal, but the amount of possession he wasted by trying to play those passes too often was ridiculous.
The momentum was with Arsenal and the pushed forward looking for the all important third goal. With 10 minutes to go it was that man RVP who yet again got the goal after the ball deflected to him 10 yards out. The home fans were ecstatic, and the players only needed to be professional for the last 10 minutes.
It was obvious straight away that Arsenal were going to struggle, as Norwich set about them yet again. It was no surprise at all when the equaliser came for them with five minutes remaining. Steve Morison was played in behind the Arsenal defence, and he finished very well past Szczesny into the far corner.
The chance for Norwich came about after another poor pass from Song in midfield, and it left Arsenal with five minutes to save the game. RVP missed a great chance from six yards out with only the keeper to beat, and Song almost scored with a back-heeled attempt. Arsenal continued to pour forward, as the four added minutes counted down.
With very little time left the chance Arsenal wanted arrived when RVP closed in on a Chamberlain cross at the far post. It looked like he was certain to poke the ball home, but a push in the back from a Norwich defender saw him end up in the back of the net instead of the ball. It was an absolute stone wall penalty, but to be honest it should have been a free out first when a clearly offside Gervinho went for the ball.
At the final whistle the Arsenal players were clearly disappointed, but they had no one to blame other than themselves. The performances of a few of the players were absolutely awful, and some of those players need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror. The overall strength of the squad was shown up when players who have clearly being struggling recently had to be selected.
It looks like third place has been blown by Arsenal with Spurs in particular the most likely to take advantage. A win for them today away to struggling Aston Villa will see them having to win their final game at home to Fulhm to finish third, and there is nothing Arsenal can do about it. Even if Spurs don't win today there is every chance Arsenal will be just as bad against West Brom next week when they have to win again.
When the pressure was on the team far too many players were found wanting. It has to be asked whether there is a mindset at the club that is completely wrong. How can Arsenal fall apart in the run in yet again, as they have done for too many seasons in a row.
Where were the leaders on the pitch yesterday to take control of the team when they took a 3-2 lead with 10 minutes left. Where were the calm heads to settle others around them who were unsure of what to do. I don't think it's any surprise that Arsenal's collapse has coincided with the injury to Mikael Arteta.
He has been a huge influence in the team this season, but his purchase was hardly part of the long term plan for the club. Arsenal only looked to buy him with the summer transfer window a matter of hours away from closing, and it's probably just by chance that he has come to so influential. Maybe the Arsenal players are protected too much by the club, and when the going gets tough they are found wanting.
Arsenal might still finish third in the Premier League, but I doubt it. Even they do it will still not hide the problems the squad has, and they have to be addressed this summer. Besides players of real ability Arsenal need to bring in some players who have real mental strength, and can change the mindset of a team that crumble far too often in my opinion.
I'll be watching the games today in hope more than expectation that results go in Arsenal's favour. No matter what happens today Arsenal can still finish third, but after yesterday's game it's now out of their control. It's a scenario which never should have been allowed to happen, but it's a reality now.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from yesterday's game.
See you tomorrow.
Arsene Wenger picked the same team that drew 1-1 away to Stoke last week, and it was a team with enough ability to get the job done. Unfortunately it would seem that yet again the Arsenal players felt the game was a foregone conclusion. The very same thing happened away to QPR and at home to Wigan when both of those games were lost.
The game couldn't have started better for Arsenal with Yossi Benayoun putting them 1-0 up after little more than a minute. He was found by a Tomas Rosicky pass just outside the box, and he curled home a lovely goal as the defenders backed off. It was the perfect start for Arsenal, but it soon became apparent they wouldn't have things all their own way.
Norwich showed the attitude and desire that the Arsenal players seemed to be missing and dominated the game. Arsenal were unable to shake off their lethargy, and Norwich took advantage with goals from Wes Hoolohan and Grant Holt. The manner in which Arsenal conceded those goals was nothing short of a shambles at best.
Hoolahan got the first of those goals with a first time shot from 10 yards that seemed to go right through Wojciech Szczesny in the Arsenal goal. Szczesny had the type of game yesterday that has seen other Arsenal goalkeepers get a very hard time from the fans. His distribution and kicking was very poor at best, but he wasn't the only Arsenal player who played badly.
The second goal from Holt had a huge slice of fortune about it, as it deflected over Kieran Gibbs and into the net. The fact that Gibbs was the man trying to stop Holt is another matter, as Norwich took Arsenal apart on the break time after time. Too many Arsenal players were simply unwilling to do what was expected of them, or unable to do so.
Holt was a huge problem for the Arsenal defence all day, as his ability to make any long pass stick to him frustrated them. Thomas Vermaelen had another awful game, and if Sebastien Squillaci played like that the fans would have given him a tough time too. The defence weren't helped by a midfield which went missing for the first hour of the game with Alex Song and Aaron Ramsey also having very bad games.
To make matters worse for Arsenal Bacary Sagna went off after just over 30 minutes with his second broken leg of the season. He won't be making the trip to Euro 2012 with France, and it was a sad day for him. With no direct replacement on the bench for Sagna it was left to Francis Coquelin to come on and play at right back.
I'm not sure how Sagna managed to break his leg, as he tried to take down a pass. There were no Norwich players anywhere near him at the time, and I don't know if it actually happened in a previous challenge.
The second half started in the very same manner with Arsenal struggling to find any cohesion, and Norwich looking very dangerous on the break. They could and should have had a penalty, and maybe both Ramsey and Laurent Koscielny could have had their marching orders too. The Arsenal team were going nowhere, and Wenger had to change something.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came on for Ramsey, and Marouane Chamakh came on for Benayoun to try to change things around. Their impact seemed to change the pace of the Arsenal play, and Norwich started to tire a little too. All of a sudden Arsenal looked capable of getting the goals they needed, and the goals did come.
The equaliser was tucked home by Robin van Persie after a good ball over the defence from Song. Song had tried to play killer passes all through the game, and none of them were anywhere near their target until he made that goal. He may have made the goal, but the amount of possession he wasted by trying to play those passes too often was ridiculous.
The momentum was with Arsenal and the pushed forward looking for the all important third goal. With 10 minutes to go it was that man RVP who yet again got the goal after the ball deflected to him 10 yards out. The home fans were ecstatic, and the players only needed to be professional for the last 10 minutes.
It was obvious straight away that Arsenal were going to struggle, as Norwich set about them yet again. It was no surprise at all when the equaliser came for them with five minutes remaining. Steve Morison was played in behind the Arsenal defence, and he finished very well past Szczesny into the far corner.
The chance for Norwich came about after another poor pass from Song in midfield, and it left Arsenal with five minutes to save the game. RVP missed a great chance from six yards out with only the keeper to beat, and Song almost scored with a back-heeled attempt. Arsenal continued to pour forward, as the four added minutes counted down.
With very little time left the chance Arsenal wanted arrived when RVP closed in on a Chamberlain cross at the far post. It looked like he was certain to poke the ball home, but a push in the back from a Norwich defender saw him end up in the back of the net instead of the ball. It was an absolute stone wall penalty, but to be honest it should have been a free out first when a clearly offside Gervinho went for the ball.
At the final whistle the Arsenal players were clearly disappointed, but they had no one to blame other than themselves. The performances of a few of the players were absolutely awful, and some of those players need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror. The overall strength of the squad was shown up when players who have clearly being struggling recently had to be selected.
It looks like third place has been blown by Arsenal with Spurs in particular the most likely to take advantage. A win for them today away to struggling Aston Villa will see them having to win their final game at home to Fulhm to finish third, and there is nothing Arsenal can do about it. Even if Spurs don't win today there is every chance Arsenal will be just as bad against West Brom next week when they have to win again.
When the pressure was on the team far too many players were found wanting. It has to be asked whether there is a mindset at the club that is completely wrong. How can Arsenal fall apart in the run in yet again, as they have done for too many seasons in a row.
Where were the leaders on the pitch yesterday to take control of the team when they took a 3-2 lead with 10 minutes left. Where were the calm heads to settle others around them who were unsure of what to do. I don't think it's any surprise that Arsenal's collapse has coincided with the injury to Mikael Arteta.
He has been a huge influence in the team this season, but his purchase was hardly part of the long term plan for the club. Arsenal only looked to buy him with the summer transfer window a matter of hours away from closing, and it's probably just by chance that he has come to so influential. Maybe the Arsenal players are protected too much by the club, and when the going gets tough they are found wanting.
Arsenal might still finish third in the Premier League, but I doubt it. Even they do it will still not hide the problems the squad has, and they have to be addressed this summer. Besides players of real ability Arsenal need to bring in some players who have real mental strength, and can change the mindset of a team that crumble far too often in my opinion.
I'll be watching the games today in hope more than expectation that results go in Arsenal's favour. No matter what happens today Arsenal can still finish third, but after yesterday's game it's now out of their control. It's a scenario which never should have been allowed to happen, but it's a reality now.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from yesterday's game.
See you tomorrow.
Friday, 4 May 2012
Arsenal's Premier League Game With Norwich City Previewed
There are only two Premier League games left to play for Arsenal this season, and on the face of it they should win them both. Since their disastrous start to the season the very best they could really have hoped for was a third placed finish. That target is still well within their sights with their fate still firmly in their own hands.
Of course in true Arsenal style they haven't made things easy for themselves, as they have stumbled towards the finishing line in recent weeks. Arsenal have only taken two points in their last three league games, and only scored two goals in the process. If they had even managed three more points in those games third place would be a much easier prospect for them now.
It's no coincidence that Mikael Arteta only managed to play for 10 minutes of those games before picking up a season-ending injury against Wigan. His influence on their midfield since his arrival on the August transfer deadline day cannot be overestimated. With Jack Wilshere missing the whole season injured Arteta brought the stability that Arsenal's transformation was built on.
They have struggled to impose themselves on opponents without him, but they must find a way in the next two games. The prize on offer is too good to turn down, and it's up to the players available to make sure Arsenal finish third. It is of course possible that fourth place will be good enough for a Champions League place next season, but it's a risk no team can afford to take.
If the unthinkable happens and Chelsea win the champions League final they will take the place of the team that finish fourth in the Premier League. Chelsea lost to Newcastle on Wednesday night, and that defeat means a top four finish is beyond them barring an incredible sequence of results in their favour. They still have an FA Cup final to play, but the Champions League final against Bayern Munich is their real priority.
Arsenal play their game this week on Saturday, and it gives them the opportunity to put some pressure on both Spurs and Newcastle who are chasing them. If Arsenal can beat Norwich it will leave them four points ahead of both of those teams before they play their games. Spurs play away to an Aston Villa team that probably need a point to ensure Premier League survival, and Newcastle are at home to title chasing Manchester City.
It's Arsenal's final home game of the season, and a chance for the players to give the fans a farewell they deserve. It hasn't been a great season for Arsenal fans, but three points on Saturday would put a smile on their faces as they face the prospect of three months without their favourite team. The summer months are never easy for fans, but at least there's the unending transfer rumours to look forward to.
Despite being far from their best at the moment Arsenal still have a far better team than Norwich. The players need to approach the game with the intensity that a must win game deserves, and attack Norwich as if their lives depend on it. There can be no let up for the entire 90 minutes, as the better the victory the tougher it will be for the chasing teams.
The only way Arsenal can tie up third place is if Spurs lose and Newcastle don't win along with an Arsenal win of course. I can see Newcastle not winning, but I think the most Arsenal can hope for is Villa to manage a point against Spurs. If that is the case Arsenal can make things a lot better by racking up a good scoreline against Norwich.
Norwich won't make it easy for Arsenal, as they have put up a fight against every team they have played this season. They create good goalscoring chances in every game they play, but they also give up an awful lot of chances too. Arsenal need to take advantage of the slack defending Norwich are guilty of far too often, and punish them as often as possible.
Robin van Persie needs to score two goals in his last two games to reach the magical 30 league goal mark for the season, and it would be great if he could do it against Norwich. He has won the player of the season awards from both the players and the football writers, and it would be a perfect way to celebrate his awards. Hopefully he will be around next season to try to retain his awards, and maybe even win a trophy with Arsenal.
I would imagine the Arsenal team will be very similar to the one that drew 1-1 away to Stoke last week. There's a possibility of Andre Santos or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starting, but I think Arsene Wenger will opt for an unchanged side. The experience of players like Tomas Rosicky and Yossi Benayoun could be crucial on the day.
It could be a nervy affair for the players and fans if Arsenal don't score early on, but the team need the full backing of the crowd for every minute of the game. I have confidence in the ability of the players to get the result they need, and to put in the performance required. Now is the time for the players to show they have the same belief in themselves, and do all that is required of them.
It's as simple as giving their all in the final two games of the season, and delivering the results that will achieve Champions League qualification for next season. Arsenal are the only team with their fate in their own hands, and the other teams will be feeling just as much pressure.
I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal with RVP bagging the goals he needs to reach the 30 mark. It would be great if Arsenal could run up an emphatic scoreline, but once they win it doesn't really matter if it's a last minute 1-0 victory. As an Arsenal fan you learn to live with the tension, and it seems like the team don't like to make life too easy for their fans.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Of course in true Arsenal style they haven't made things easy for themselves, as they have stumbled towards the finishing line in recent weeks. Arsenal have only taken two points in their last three league games, and only scored two goals in the process. If they had even managed three more points in those games third place would be a much easier prospect for them now.
It's no coincidence that Mikael Arteta only managed to play for 10 minutes of those games before picking up a season-ending injury against Wigan. His influence on their midfield since his arrival on the August transfer deadline day cannot be overestimated. With Jack Wilshere missing the whole season injured Arteta brought the stability that Arsenal's transformation was built on.
They have struggled to impose themselves on opponents without him, but they must find a way in the next two games. The prize on offer is too good to turn down, and it's up to the players available to make sure Arsenal finish third. It is of course possible that fourth place will be good enough for a Champions League place next season, but it's a risk no team can afford to take.
If the unthinkable happens and Chelsea win the champions League final they will take the place of the team that finish fourth in the Premier League. Chelsea lost to Newcastle on Wednesday night, and that defeat means a top four finish is beyond them barring an incredible sequence of results in their favour. They still have an FA Cup final to play, but the Champions League final against Bayern Munich is their real priority.
Arsenal play their game this week on Saturday, and it gives them the opportunity to put some pressure on both Spurs and Newcastle who are chasing them. If Arsenal can beat Norwich it will leave them four points ahead of both of those teams before they play their games. Spurs play away to an Aston Villa team that probably need a point to ensure Premier League survival, and Newcastle are at home to title chasing Manchester City.
It's Arsenal's final home game of the season, and a chance for the players to give the fans a farewell they deserve. It hasn't been a great season for Arsenal fans, but three points on Saturday would put a smile on their faces as they face the prospect of three months without their favourite team. The summer months are never easy for fans, but at least there's the unending transfer rumours to look forward to.
Despite being far from their best at the moment Arsenal still have a far better team than Norwich. The players need to approach the game with the intensity that a must win game deserves, and attack Norwich as if their lives depend on it. There can be no let up for the entire 90 minutes, as the better the victory the tougher it will be for the chasing teams.
The only way Arsenal can tie up third place is if Spurs lose and Newcastle don't win along with an Arsenal win of course. I can see Newcastle not winning, but I think the most Arsenal can hope for is Villa to manage a point against Spurs. If that is the case Arsenal can make things a lot better by racking up a good scoreline against Norwich.
Norwich won't make it easy for Arsenal, as they have put up a fight against every team they have played this season. They create good goalscoring chances in every game they play, but they also give up an awful lot of chances too. Arsenal need to take advantage of the slack defending Norwich are guilty of far too often, and punish them as often as possible.
Robin van Persie needs to score two goals in his last two games to reach the magical 30 league goal mark for the season, and it would be great if he could do it against Norwich. He has won the player of the season awards from both the players and the football writers, and it would be a perfect way to celebrate his awards. Hopefully he will be around next season to try to retain his awards, and maybe even win a trophy with Arsenal.
I would imagine the Arsenal team will be very similar to the one that drew 1-1 away to Stoke last week. There's a possibility of Andre Santos or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starting, but I think Arsene Wenger will opt for an unchanged side. The experience of players like Tomas Rosicky and Yossi Benayoun could be crucial on the day.
It could be a nervy affair for the players and fans if Arsenal don't score early on, but the team need the full backing of the crowd for every minute of the game. I have confidence in the ability of the players to get the result they need, and to put in the performance required. Now is the time for the players to show they have the same belief in themselves, and do all that is required of them.
It's as simple as giving their all in the final two games of the season, and delivering the results that will achieve Champions League qualification for next season. Arsenal are the only team with their fate in their own hands, and the other teams will be feeling just as much pressure.
I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal with RVP bagging the goals he needs to reach the 30 mark. It would be great if Arsenal could run up an emphatic scoreline, but once they win it doesn't really matter if it's a last minute 1-0 victory. As an Arsenal fan you learn to live with the tension, and it seems like the team don't like to make life too easy for their fans.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
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