Tag Archives: She Wore

Man Utd 1 The Arsenal 0 – Heads up everyone, We deserved a draw

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Confidence is a funny old thing isn’t it.

There were a lot of Arsenal fans speaking to me yesterday and in the days leading up to the game about how they thought we would win and we finally had the chance to go to Old Trafford and get a result. Don’t get me wrong I love the confidence but we shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves. We have had an amazing start to the season, an amazing week with the wins against Liverpool and Dortmund but if this loss brings us all a little closer to earth I don’t think that’s such a bad thing.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Being a fan that goes to games my opinion always seems to change, if only slightly, after I see the game or highlights back. There is always something else you see, something you wouldn’t have noticed or taking in when at the game. I was at the game yesterday and came away thinking we were poor, we had a go in the second half and should have taken one of our chances to get a point, but ultimately I didn’t think we did enough.

After watching it back on TV I changed my opinion slightly and think we did ok. We had a lot of the ball and restricted them to a few opportunities, it wasn’t the best game but we were not as bad as first thought. The second half was better than the first with chances coming and we moved the ball around better. Although we had possession we struggled to get going in the final third, chances and creativity were lacking, we just wasn’t as fluid as we have been so far. We didn’t drive forward as I would have liked us to. The flu virus that hit the camp meant we lost Per and Rosicky which were 2 big blows. It meant our midfield had Ramsey on the right with Flamini and Mikel holding the line which didn’t help us at all. Ramsey cannot create on the right, he needs to be in the middle and it shows Wenger knows that when he finally switched it later on and put him back in there. Rosicky has been excellent in recent games and we missed him yesterday, he has been doing so well in getting the team forward, the way he gets his head up and drives is a big positive and when he is not playing we miss that. We did so much better when Jack came on, we moved forward and made those chances, he took Ozil’s position in the number 10 role and played it better than the German had. Stories coming out this morning about how Ozil was also hit by the virus are yet to be confirmed but it would explain a lot as I think he was missing a lot of the time. When he was out on the right he got more of the ball and looked better, maybe Jack should have started in front of Ozil if he was ill.

Giroud did well up front working hard for everything, trying to hold it up and bring other players in but when we have no midfielders driving on to join him he is always going to struggle. There were a couple of times when he got the ball and could have looked up to drive on himself but he doesn’t have that pace, he doesn’t have that game in him unlike Suarez for example. He can get the ball anywhere on the pitch get his head up and run forward. We do need another striker and it has to be someone different to Giroud, someone with pace and skill to run at defenders and finish. I think Bendtners time has come to an end, I get the feeling from Wenger that he really doesn’t want to put him on but has no other option. That is his own fault however and should have brought someone in when he had the chance in the summer. Bendtner was ready to go and has released more stupid quotes this week slagging off the club, saying about how he wanted to go, he clearly doesn’t want to be here and we don’t want him here. Get rid ASAP please.

I think the defence look solid and felt comfortable together, they did very well considering the late change and playing against two quality players in Van Persie and Rooney they had to be on top form. We have been accused of not being tight enough at the back recently but you can see the improvement the defence has made. Vermaelen came in and did well alongside Koscielny, Sagna and Gibbs on the widths also impressed and deserve credit.

I don’t think United looked that dangerous at all and we defended against them well especially without Per. That loss was huge for us and the reason we went 0-1 down. Had he been on the pitch there is no way RVP would have got up to that ball to head it in. They didn’t do a lot and it was a pretty even game barring a few instances. We were unlucky and should have taken a draw. We had a few big chances, Sagnas crosses late on were incredibly good and we should have got on the end of one of them, Ozil’s shot which he should have hit across the keeper, Giroud should have pulled the trigger instead of taking another touch and there were a few other occasions, Ozil exchanging passes with Giroud, if only he carried on the run he could have been in.

Overall I’m disappointed as I think we were due a draw but the most important thing is to get our heads up and look to the next game. We have to remember that we were missing Per, Rosicky, Theo, Chamberlain and Jack didn’t even play the first half. This result doesn’t make us a bad side and we will see how we respond next against Southampton at home.

Something I have to mention is how many Manc fans are on the train to and from Euston. It must be embarrassing for United as a club to know that so many fans come up from London on the train for their home games. My train was packed with them and I have seen it before from when we have been up there but it still shocks me every time. There were 2 youngsters at London Bridge who had come from Euston, they obviously live in South London somewhere and travelled the length of the country to watch United. Why they don’t support a London club is beyond me! Tells you everything you need to know about their fans, late comers and glory hunters.

Heads up Gooners, onto the next one
Up The Arsenal!

Matt

manutd

Manchester United no longer have the fear factor

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On Sunday, Arsenal travel to Manchester United looking for their first victory at Old Trafford since 2006. It is the 1st time Arsenal would have played Manchester United since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. It will be the first time Arsenal would have been to Old Trafford since the fear factor of the ground was no more.

I am a cricket fan (despite this, please read on). For a long time in cricket, there was something called the ‘Shane Warne Theory’. The basics of it were that legendary Australian bowler Shane Warne could take wickets by being just Shane Warne. He did not need to bowl great, he did not need to spin it round corners, he could bowl slow and straight and take a wicket, because he was Shane Warne. A slow straight ball could get someone out, and his victim would be adamant that the ball span. Shane Warne had a physiological edge over opponent batsmen.

Batsmen would be beaten before they had faced a ball. They would be beaten before they walked to the crease. They lost their wicket in the dressing room, where they were fearful of facing Shane Warne. Fearful of how far he would spin it. Fearful that he was the greatest bowler of all time and that he would add their scalp to his collection. When they finally got to the crease, they looked forward, the fear was in their eyes. They were like a deer in headlights. And before you know it, Warne had bowled a tame, straight delivery, and the batsman was heading back to the pavilion. He had been beaten, not by the ball, but by the bowler. The fear factory of Shane Warne.

Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson also had this. Like with a cricketer playing the bowler, rather than playing the ball, teams went to Old Trafford and became scared. This was Old Trafford. This was Sir Alex’s Manchester United. Winners of 13 of the last 21 titles. They did not play the 11 players on the pitch, they played the club, the manager, they played Shane Warne.

Teams were beaten before they kicked off at Old Trafford. They were beaten before they got to the changing rooms. They were beaten before they travelled to the game. They were beaten on their own training pitch, when they accepted that Manchester United were so much better than them. Their manager would bash into them to defend, defend, defend, that a point is a good result, that Manchester United were brilliant. How can you beat a side when you know all the players facing you are superior. And superior by miles. They were beaten not by the physical aspect of playing Manchester United at Old Trafford, but the physiological aspect.

Of course Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling & Wes Brown are brilliant defenders, they play for Manchester United. Danny Welbeck, David Bellion, Bebe, top class striker, they must be, they play for Manchester United. Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick, a 41 year old Ryan Giggs, these have to be top central midfielder’s, they play for Manchester United. And with that, you were physiologically beaten.

The amount of times I watched Manchester United play another Premier League side and that side throw the game away. Run scared. Change the way they play, and end up defeated. I have seen sides put in a heroic performances against Arsenal to snatch a draw, or win, to then next week, play with fear. It is as if they were a different side. And defeat followed.

In the 2010/11 season, Manchester United won the league title. The key behind their success was home form. They won 18 out of 19 games. Now this was not a vintage Manchester United team. There were no Ronaldo’s, Giggs (before he became a pensioner), Cantona’s, Keane’s or Beckham’s. No, they had this record with a very average squad. Owen, Anderson, Smalling, Park, Hernandez, Carrick, Nani, Fabio, Rafael, O’Shea, Fletcher, Valencia, Obertan, Macheda, Gibson & Bebe all played a part.

Read those names again, take out the fact they play for Manchester United, and you will realise they are all fairly average. How did they win 18 of 19 games at home? The fear factor.

With Sir Alex Ferguson leaving, the fear factor has left as well. David Moyes is an ordinary manager, and suddenly, teams are not looking at Manchester United like a world class team full of world class players, they are looking at them for what they are, a mid table side with distinctively average players.

Bar Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie, they have no world beaters. An average goal keeper. A defence which will either contain aged, past it players, or young, naive players (Smalling – The English Senderos), full backs which can be got at, a slow, uncreative midfield and little width. The fact is Manchester United are not very good. Yet they are no different from last year, when they were Champions. What has changed? The fear factor have gone. Side are now playing the 11 players on the field, not Manchester United the club.

Of their 5 homes games this season, they have only won 2 of those. A 3-2 victory over Southampton and a 2-0 win over bottom placed Crystal Palace. Not exactly convincing!

The fear factor has certainly gone with Manchester United. And with Arsenal unbeaten away for over 260 days, the psychological aspect of the game could be turning. They should be fearing us now.

Manchester are there for the taking. Play without fear and we win.

Keenos

Five right backs to replace Bacary Sagna

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An unsung hero from the victory over Liverpool was Bacary Sagna. To say Sagna ‘rolled back the years’ would be disrespectful for the Frenchman, who is still just 30.

Sagna’s performance highlighted a couple of things. Firstly we need to get him signed up to a new deal. Secondly, if he does not sign a deal, we need to get in a replacement.

On the first point, he has proved this season that he is still very much our best right back. Whilst at times his crossing is very much to be desired, he is still amongst the best defensive right back in the league. With only perhaps Branislav Ivanovic and Pablo Zabaleta as equals.

Whilst the likes of Kyle Walker, Glen Johnson and our own Carl Jenkinson are better going forward, Sagna does a lot more defensively to be above these kind of players. Add to the fact that Sagna is our 4th choice centre back, Bacary Sagna clearly still has an important part to play in our squad.

Personally, I would offer him a 3 year deal, knowing that for the next 2, at least, he has the ability and legs to be 1st choice centre back, and after that, could go on for many more years as a 4th choice centre back and back up full back.

If, however, Bacary Sagna fails to agree a deal, whether due to us not meeting his demands, or PSG or Monaco coming in with a big money ‘retirement’ offer which we can not compete with, we will have to look at replacements. Whilst I like Carl Jenkinson, both as a player and a person, he is not ready for 1st choice duty over a 38 game campaign.

He has the ability to be Arsenal’s back up full back for his career, mirroring what the likes of Phil Neville and Wes Brown did at Manchester United. However his positional sense and decision making is what is currently holding him back. If Sagna does leave, we will have to look at a new righ back in the summer. what are our options?

Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan)

The extremely talented full back is currently playing out of position for AC Milan. Naturally a right back, found himself playing left back for AC Milan due to the presence of Ignazio Abate. De Sciglio picked up a knee injury in pre-season which left him with a tear to the cartilage in the knee, requiring him to go under the knife. He made his come back last week against Lazio.

Brilliant and graceful in defence, he is far superior to Carl Jenkinson, who is the same age, 21. He also has pace to burn and a quality cross. If he gets clear of his injury, he will become one of the best all round right backs in world football. The big sticking point is whether he will leave AC Milan, who he has been with since 10 years old. A promise of 1st team football, in his favoured position, and a salary which AC Milan will struggle to match could put a move on the cards. If Di Sciglio decides to stay, and becomes 1st choice right back, it could mean that team mate Ignazio Abate comes available.

Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund)

Borussia Dortmund are Arsenal 8 years ago. A Lot of talented players, but unable to pay the wages to keep them at the club. In 2012, the Dortmund wage bill was €80 million, compared to Bayern’s €158 million. As a comparator, Dortmund’s wage bill would be 7th highest in the Premier League, between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa. whilst they have done well over the years competing with Bayern Munich, they are now losing players every summer. Their situation is very similar to Arsenal, who competed with Manchester United in the early 2000’s, but were unable to competed for wages from 2005 onwards, leaving players to leave.

Dortmund have lost, over the last couple of years, Nuri Sahin to Madrid (2011), Shinji Kagawa to Manchester United (2012) and Mario Gotze to Bayern Munich (2013). With Robert Lewandowski already set to leave in 2014, Dortmund are a team who could well of peaked. Previously they have only lost 1 star a season, but like with Arsenal in 2011/12, they will break, and will lose 2 or 3 top players over the course of a transfer window (Arsenal sold Clichy, Nasri & Cesc that year, with Song & RVP leaving the next). For me, next summer could be that year for Dortmund. And that leads me to Lukasz Piszczek.

At 28, and with Arsenal being able to comfortable double his wages, his head would not be too hard to turn. Piszczek is in very similar mould to Sagna. More defensive then attacking, he would be a solid addition to the side. He is perhaps the best defensive right back in Europe right now. He has decent pace and is good going forward, but he would be seen as a like for like replacement for Sagna. The only concern is that he turns 29 in June, and, at just 2 years younger than Sagna, would not be a long term replacement. Would Arsenal invest £15+milllion on a short term replacement? Maybe not. Then again, we need to change our mindset. Get the best player available now, not who has potential. A cheaper option from the Bundesliga could be Atsuto Uchida.

Seamus Coleman (Everton)

If Arsenal want a proven Premier League performer, they could do a lot worse than signing Seamus Coleman from Everton. He might not get the praise and column inches that Leighton Baines gets, but he is a solid, proven performer. He might not be exceptional, he is certainly not a Dani Alves, but he is a very, very good right back.

He reminds me a lot of Gary Neville. An unsung hero. He might not raid down the right like Kyle Walker or Glen Johnsen, but when on the edge of the opponents area, he can put in a cross as good, if not better than those two. Coming into the Premier League at the ripe age of 22, he has gone on to play 90 Premier League games in just over 3 seasons (including an injury in 2011/12). He is certainly a proven performer. Whether he would have the XFactor and is capable of performing on a European stage would be questionable, but if we are looking for a reliable, Premier League proven replacement for Bacary Sagna, he is the one. If Everton are unwilling to sell, a younger option could be Nathaniel Clyne.

Sime Vrsaljko (Genoa)

Sime Vrsaljko is someone who has come onto Arsenal’s radar recently. The 21 year old only signed for Genoa this summer. The Croatian full back has drawn comparisons to Croatian captain and record cap holder, Darijo Srna. I know very little about him, as I am not a footballing hipster who claims to watch Eastern European or Scandinavian football, and with Genoa being one of the unfashionable sides in Italy, they are rarely on the screens. Few can claim to know much about the right back, but according to reports, Arsene Wenger’s scouting team are continually watching him every game. He has previously played on the right win for both Zagreb and Genoa (according to the internet!) so clearly has some ability going forward.

He averages more tackles and interceptions per game for Genoa than Carl Jenkinson  or Bacary Sagna, which should not come as a surprise taking into account both teams fortunes this season. Going forward his statistics are interesting, with him completing 3 times as many crosses as Sagna or Jenkinson. His statistics indicate he is very similar to Gael Clichy in defence, preferring to intercept then tackle, and similar to Leighton Baines in attack, with a similar amount of cross’s attempted and crosses completed per game as the Everton left back. He would be someone we would know little about when signing, however we know Wenger has previously bought players off statistics (such as Sagna) so if he joins, we will know the club have done their homework. Another out of left field who could come in as an unknown quantity would be Ricardo van Rhijn of Ajax.

Sam Byram (Leeds United)

If Arsene Wenger decides Carl Jenkinson does have the talent to at least compete with a fellow right back for a 1st team place, he will end up looking for cheaper options than those above to compete with him. One of these is Sam Byram of Leeds United. The youngster has been heavily linked with Arsenal over the last couple of years, and only his preference of playing 1st team football over reserve football stopped him joining our youth set up.

Reports are all the top sides in the Premier League are keeping an eye on him. Capable of playing right back and right wing, he won Leeds United’s Player of the Year Award, Young Player of the Year Award, Players Player of the Year Award and Supporters Club Player of the Year Award in 2012/13. Powerful running from deep and brilliant delivery has led to comparisons to Gareth Bale. His signing may well raise a few issues. His price tag will be high, for someone who is not as proven as Carl Jenkinson, and a hip injury suffered in the summer is still niggling in the background. If Arsenal wish to have someone to compete with Jenkinson rather than be 1st choice ahead, they might be best off promoting within and giving Hector Berlin, who has been training with the 1st team this season, a chance.

Keenos