Yearly Archives: 2015

Debunking the myth – Arsenal have the best defence in the league

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For a long time now, “a new CB” has been at the top of many Arsenal fans wish list when it comes to transfer. A pal of mine today said we should sign John Stones in January no matter the cost. It got me thinking, how good is our current defence?

And here are the results…

Untitleduntitled1That should give you some food for thought. No team has conceded less than us over the last 2 years, and on Chelsea kept more clean sheets.

The results for me are even more remarkable when you consider that both Jose Mourinho and Luis van Gaal are considered defensive managers.

Of course, the stats can be skewed and are slightly be Chelsea’s awful start to this season. So let us expanded the data to include the 2013/14 season.3

So even when we expand the data, we are only just behind Chelsea on goals conceded. Not bad for a team who’s defence is supposed to be weak. especially when you think 14.5% of the goals conceded were in just 3 games!

Arsenal. The strongest defence in the Premier League. Who would have thought it?

Keenos

Have Arsenal found the new Alan Smith?

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Signed at the age of 25 having scored 39 goals in all competitions over the previous two seasons, a 6′ 3″ striker who was strong in the air, had an eye for goal, but was a tad immobile.

The above description is not about Olivier Giroud but Arsenal legend Alan Smith. Although it could quite easily be about the Frenchman.

I have been thinking for some time that Giroud is the new Alan Smith. Now before all you lads who consider yourself ‘old school’ and think how much better things were back in your day stop reading, hear me out. I am not saying that Giroud is in any way better than Alan Smith, he is not. What I am saying is that he is the new Alan Smith.

Both were signed at 25
Both scored 39 goals in the previous two years for their respective clubs
Both were strong in the air
Both could sniff out a goal in the box
Neither could run very fast

You have two players of very similar talent. Yet one is labelled a legend of the club. The other labelled, unfairly, as a lamppost. A French ponce.

Yes, Alan Smith was First Division (what the Premier League was known before Sky) top scorer (twice) and led the line to two league titles, including THAT one in 1989, and is rightly an legend of the club. But let us compare him fully to Olivier Giroud.

In his first 3 seasons at the club, Alan Smith scored 54 goals in 137 games. Giroud, 58 in 144. Giroud is 1 in 2.48 over the period, Smith 1 in 2.53.

And if you include the latest season, and take it over Smith’s first 5 seasons (the last two he was a target man playing for Ian Wright than the main man), their statistics remain similar. Giroud scores 1 in 2.19 for Arsenal. Smith scored 1 in 2.36.

Their records are near identical. Now of course, there are things to be taken into account· Different era’s. Alan Smith playing often with Paul Merson (or Kevin Campbell, or latterly Ian Wright around him), Giroud playing with Ozil & Sanchez, but these in my mind equal themselves out. And the era’s might be different, but the qualities that both men bring to a side are the same.

With 72 Arsenal goals already to his name, it is likely that Giroud will overtake Smith’s 115 at the end of next season. That would put him 13th on Arsenal’s all time goal scorers list.

I would not be too surprised if Giroud ends up in the top 10. Above the likes of Smith & Dennis Bergkamp. Not bad for a lamppost.

One thing I wondered, if Giroud was English, a working class hero, like Smith, would he be as heavily criticised as he is now?

Giroud does a lot wrong. He looks lazy at times. The hand waving when he pretends to be injured. The good looks. But he is clearly a class act. Not World Class, but neither was Smith.

Many of us would have already read the following infographic over the last week. It makes you think.UntitledIt certainly made me think. We talk about Jamie Vardy being a great rags to riches story. Of a Hollywood film being made of his life. About Ian Wright being a great coming up from non-League to Premier League. Yet Giroud is no different.

The fact is Giroud is a brilliant striker. He is a goal scorer. When we had Thierry Henry, we all moaned that we did not have a big presence in the box. Now we have Olivier Giroud, we moan that we don’t have someone with pace who can beat a man.

Well let me tell you, the perfect striker, someone who is 6′ 3″, great in the air, can beat a man and has searing pace, does not exist. and if he did, his cost would be astronomical. £100mtransfer fee. £300k a week in salary.

Giroud has the ability to become an Arsenal great. He has already lead the line to 2 FA Cup wins, and just needs (alongside the rest of the team) to start adding league titles to his honours roster.

I find it confusing that many people who praise Alan Smith, idolise him even, criticise Giroud.

Now again, get off your high horse, I am not saying Alan Smith is inferior to Giroud, or that Giroud is an Arsenal legend. I am saying that in terms of talent, they are equal. That they provide similar in both attributes and goals to the team.

So maybe it is time to get off Giroud’s back. If Alan Smith was one of your hero’s growing up, think to yourself, is he so different to Giroud?

Maybe it is time to reword a classic song:

“I was down the pub the other night,
My mate said to me I’ve seen the new Alan Smith,
I said to him may I ask who?
He goes by the name of Olivier Giroud!”

If Olivier Giroud go’s on and has a similar Arsenal career to Alan Smith, no one would be able to deny him the praise he would deserve.

Keenos

Man City, Wenger’s Tic Tac’s, Joel Campbell And now you’d better believe us

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Man City

Well what a win that was.

Yes, we did it the hard way, inviting the pressure, conceding the inevitable goal with less than 10 minutes and holding on at the end. But who cares? It is a brilliant victory which keeps us holding onto Leicester’s coat tales going into the festive period.

I have a headache this morning after the beers last night. But it is well worth it!

Wenger’s Tic Tac’s

For a long time, and quite frustratingly, people have always claimed “Wenger doesn’t tactics”. It infuriated me. And was incorrect.

It was a line that was rolled out every time we lost a game. Easy to blame the manager and his tactics.

As this season has shown, teams lose games. Does Luis van Gaal not tactics when losing to Norwich? Does Manuel Pellegrini not tactics when failing to score against Aston Villa? Does Jose Mourinho not tactics in any of the 9 games Chelsea have lost this season?

And then you look at someone like Barcelona. Is Luis Enrique a tactical genius? Winning 5 trophies. Playing Neymar, Messi & Suarez upfront?

Against City, Wenger got his tactics spot on. Allowing City’s defence and midfield to have the ball, he knew that none of the back 7 had the ability to pick out a killed pass. It was only when the ball went into David Silva, Sergio Aguero or Kevin de Bruyne did Arsenal put pressure on.

And to a large extent, it worked. Whilst in the first half City had a lot of position in Arsenal’s half, they did not have a single shot in target.

On the flip side, it was Arsenal’s lack of pressing that caused us to concede a goal, but it was a glorious strike by Yaya Toure.

Wenger got his game plan right. And should be praised for it.

Joel Campbell

I will happily admit when I am wrong.

I felt we missed a trick after the World Cup by not flogging him whilst his stock is high. And this summer, after another average loan spell, we should have just cashed in. He looked like a headless chicken every time I saw him play. Continually running nowhere with his head down.

And how wrong I was. It shows perhaps that Arsene Wenger does just know what he is doing.

He is still very rough round the edges, but he has ability. Skill, pace and a good work rate.

I still do not feel he has the talent to be a regular long term starter for The Arsenal, but as a squad player, he could be key.

The fine run of form he has been in since breaking into the team has forced him ahead of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the reckoning.

I am more than happy to be wrong when something positive is happening at Arsenal. I am honest enough to swallow my pride and admit that I was wrong. Now if only some people were the same with Mesut Ozil.

And now you better believe us

In what has been an unpredictable season so far, you would be stupid to predict that Arsenal will be top by New Years Day. But I am stupid.

Leicester next two games are at Liverpool before hosting Manchester City. Whilst Arsenal travel to Southampton before a home game against Bournemouth. It would not be a surprise if Leicester lost both, with Arsenal winning both. Then again, I am probably setting myself up for a fall and a lot of mocking.

What is for certain is that Arsenal are competing. Over the years it has been what we as fans have been calling for. We do not expect to win the title every year. No one has that divine right. But we do expect to be competing.

2 points off top going into the festive period is certainly competing. It still grates a lot that our lack of transfer movement has probably cost us a few points this season. For every point Petr Cech has won us, you have to wonder how many we have dropped by not having the options and squad depth. But that is over. For now.

With January coming up, we need to get the signings right to help us push on. We are still a defensive midfielder short with Francis Coquelin out – although Flamini has performed well. And with last nights news that Alexis Sanchez is out until mid January, coupled with Danny Welbeck’s extended absence, we still need a striker to ease the burden on Olivier Giroud.

We make the right January signings, and continue the great run of form we have had over the last 14 months, and we will be crowned Champions.