It took great courage to summon the mental strength to haul my laptop up and actually get something written. The facts are in front of us, the arguments on both sides heard. Hell, we even saw a little preview of what the season is going to be like. This was an anomaly, you say? Well maybe, but a defeat is a defeat. It might be that we will never be humiliated in that way for a long, long time, but it will definitely surprise me if we got any points at all against the big boys. The one positive is in retrospect. Fans were screaming at the end of last season when things had not quite gone our way – we thought we couldn’t possibly be feeling any worse. Well, that position seems almost enviable now, since at least we had the summer to look forward to. Now we stand on the brink of a disastrous season. No, it does not look pretty.
Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal. Sunday, the 28th of August, ranks in my memory as the worst day in the Wenger era. And as to Manchester United’s performance, it wasn’t even a “gr-eight” one. They had two amazing finishes from Ashley Young, two great free kicks, a penalty, and some stereotypical Arsenal defending to help them achieve that. Arsenal on the other hand, played it safe – they did not want to attack, defend or link up play at all! Aaron Ramsay’s poor form in midfield continued as he was a mere passenger and rarely made a useful pass. Walcott and Arshavin, were, as in previous games, extremely ineffective. Andrei even got himself a yellow in the first half for good measure, and so had to be extremely cautious while tracking back for the rest of the match. Jenkinson at the back looked completely lost and allowed Young to get the better of him quite a few times. Koscielny wasn’t completely fit, and it showed. Djourou looked a shadow of what he was last season. Traore’s positional sense was as sharp as Clichy’s. Robin van Persie was out of it too, coming up with the most terrible penalty I have seen him take to date. That was probably the turning point of the entire match – we just said, “to hell with it” after that miss, and what followed was painfully unbelievable. All through, I kept hoping that I would get up from this nightmare only to see the match hadn’t quite begun yet.
Jenkinson, not surprisingly, ended up being yellow carded twice, and was sent off in the second half. Theo Walcott, that accomplished defender, finally played right back, a role he has been crying out for since he joined us. The younger version of Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played in front of him on the right wing, and as I had mentioned in my preview, did get to make his debut.
What is stupefying about this match was that despite conceding the number of goals we did, Szczesny actually didn’t have a bad game (De Gea, on the other hand, did. That first goal had a charming Almunia air about it), and neither did Coquelin, the young defensive midfielder who, with this debut, was eased into life in the Premier League. Five of those eight goals came after Coquelin was subbed for Lansbury (another League debutant), and even before that, we were just too open. As Zonal Marking (amazing website that offer tactical analysis of selected matches) reports, our back four were pressing extremely high up the pitch trying to play the opposition offside, but that is not a good idea when you’re playing with no pressure on the ball. Even then, we did not press as a unit, and as mentioned earlier, Traore’s positional sense was amazing, and Jenkinson just did not know what to do with Young. So, he took the easy option and let him score. The first goal too showed how shockingly pathetic our defending was, with no one even looking at Welbeck when the return ball came in until it was too late.
The decision to replace Coquelin with Lansbury backfired to say the least, and with the last couple of goals we were past caring. The Nani goal was ridiculous. Another interesting fact is that the United team that started the match was actually a little younger than ours! Their average age was 23.6, while ours was 24.2. So we can chuck that excuse right out the window.
The frailties in our play were on full display. We could not attack, defend, or link play. Our threadbare squad was exposed. It was clear before the match itself that this was going to be a toughie, and to have expected us to get any points would be stupid. The margin just could not have been predicted. The worst case scenario in my head was the 6-2 hammering of Real Madrid by Barcelona back in 2009. Well, I am obviously an optimist.
Looking at our present squad, even barring the injuries and suspensions, one loses some of the positivity that comes with the new season. On the official website, our midfield list reads – Wilshere, Ramsay, Song, Frimpong, Rosicky, Diaby, Arshavin, Eastmond and Lansbury. Three of those are not experienced in the Premier League, and one is injury prone. A look at our defenders is not reason to rejoice either – we have just three recognized full backs in Sagna, Jenkinson and Gibbs. Traore is set to join QPR any time now, and has reportedly passed a medical too. Jenkinson, remember, has player just eight times in League One before joining us. The only position we are well stocked in right now seems to be the wings, and that is the only position we have really strengthened, and that too in customary Wenger style with Gervinho and two other kids.
It looks impossible now that we add both the quality and quantity that is needed for this squad to even finish in the top four. We need a forward, which we are getting in Chu Young Park, but are surely about to sell Bendtner. We need midfielders, which I just don’t see us bringing in with two days to go. We need defenders – both a center back and a left back, and I can see only Cahill coming in there.
It does look bleak. We seem to be crumbling, and Wenger is in real danger of losing his job. This lack of spending is worrying, not just for the squad and fans, but also for the club in general. Arsenal Report, an amazing Twitter page for statistics, makes a telling point: “We've made a £37.5m profit so far this summer in initial fees, it could rise to £50m profit once all the add-ons come rolling in. This means that even if we started the summer with £0 in the war chest (which we didn't), we would have been able to buy two players of Mata's price point without even noticing anything in the books. Something odd is going on behind the scenes in terms of money.” I completely agree. Something sinister is brewing behind the scenes, and we don’t know what.
I just cannot see how we are going to get into that top four without top quality additions, which look extremely unlikely. Liverpool are looking good, and Chelsea have added too – Fernando Torres will click at some point, he has to, and Mata undoubtedly adds some spark in midfield. Manchester United look very fresh, and City – well, it would be amazing if they did NOT challenge for the title!
Everything is wrong inside Arsenal right now. Well, not quite – the club has, in a massive statement of integrity and class, offered to give free tickets to all the fans who traveled to Old Trafford on Sunday. Indeed, they were fantastic, out sang the United faithful, and were behind the team at all times. A big shout to all those amazing fans – you guys make the Arsenal great!
I find it hard to reserve judgment about the season until after Wednesday, since it is clear to me what will happen. Right now, fifth place is my prediction of where we finish come May.
I would love to finish the post on a high note, but there is just nothing that comes close to positivity right now. I do hope for the best, and will continue to support this team I love with all my heart. I do fear for the club though. Tough times lie ahead, and I’m not sure we are prepared enough.
Follow me on Twitter @goonernish
Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal. Sunday, the 28th of August, ranks in my memory as the worst day in the Wenger era. And as to Manchester United’s performance, it wasn’t even a “gr-eight” one. They had two amazing finishes from Ashley Young, two great free kicks, a penalty, and some stereotypical Arsenal defending to help them achieve that. Arsenal on the other hand, played it safe – they did not want to attack, defend or link up play at all! Aaron Ramsay’s poor form in midfield continued as he was a mere passenger and rarely made a useful pass. Walcott and Arshavin, were, as in previous games, extremely ineffective. Andrei even got himself a yellow in the first half for good measure, and so had to be extremely cautious while tracking back for the rest of the match. Jenkinson at the back looked completely lost and allowed Young to get the better of him quite a few times. Koscielny wasn’t completely fit, and it showed. Djourou looked a shadow of what he was last season. Traore’s positional sense was as sharp as Clichy’s. Robin van Persie was out of it too, coming up with the most terrible penalty I have seen him take to date. That was probably the turning point of the entire match – we just said, “to hell with it” after that miss, and what followed was painfully unbelievable. All through, I kept hoping that I would get up from this nightmare only to see the match hadn’t quite begun yet.
Jenkinson, not surprisingly, ended up being yellow carded twice, and was sent off in the second half. Theo Walcott, that accomplished defender, finally played right back, a role he has been crying out for since he joined us. The younger version of Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played in front of him on the right wing, and as I had mentioned in my preview, did get to make his debut.
What is stupefying about this match was that despite conceding the number of goals we did, Szczesny actually didn’t have a bad game (De Gea, on the other hand, did. That first goal had a charming Almunia air about it), and neither did Coquelin, the young defensive midfielder who, with this debut, was eased into life in the Premier League. Five of those eight goals came after Coquelin was subbed for Lansbury (another League debutant), and even before that, we were just too open. As Zonal Marking (amazing website that offer tactical analysis of selected matches) reports, our back four were pressing extremely high up the pitch trying to play the opposition offside, but that is not a good idea when you’re playing with no pressure on the ball. Even then, we did not press as a unit, and as mentioned earlier, Traore’s positional sense was amazing, and Jenkinson just did not know what to do with Young. So, he took the easy option and let him score. The first goal too showed how shockingly pathetic our defending was, with no one even looking at Welbeck when the return ball came in until it was too late.
The decision to replace Coquelin with Lansbury backfired to say the least, and with the last couple of goals we were past caring. The Nani goal was ridiculous. Another interesting fact is that the United team that started the match was actually a little younger than ours! Their average age was 23.6, while ours was 24.2. So we can chuck that excuse right out the window.
The frailties in our play were on full display. We could not attack, defend, or link play. Our threadbare squad was exposed. It was clear before the match itself that this was going to be a toughie, and to have expected us to get any points would be stupid. The margin just could not have been predicted. The worst case scenario in my head was the 6-2 hammering of Real Madrid by Barcelona back in 2009. Well, I am obviously an optimist.
Looking at our present squad, even barring the injuries and suspensions, one loses some of the positivity that comes with the new season. On the official website, our midfield list reads – Wilshere, Ramsay, Song, Frimpong, Rosicky, Diaby, Arshavin, Eastmond and Lansbury. Three of those are not experienced in the Premier League, and one is injury prone. A look at our defenders is not reason to rejoice either – we have just three recognized full backs in Sagna, Jenkinson and Gibbs. Traore is set to join QPR any time now, and has reportedly passed a medical too. Jenkinson, remember, has player just eight times in League One before joining us. The only position we are well stocked in right now seems to be the wings, and that is the only position we have really strengthened, and that too in customary Wenger style with Gervinho and two other kids.
It looks impossible now that we add both the quality and quantity that is needed for this squad to even finish in the top four. We need a forward, which we are getting in Chu Young Park, but are surely about to sell Bendtner. We need midfielders, which I just don’t see us bringing in with two days to go. We need defenders – both a center back and a left back, and I can see only Cahill coming in there.
It does look bleak. We seem to be crumbling, and Wenger is in real danger of losing his job. This lack of spending is worrying, not just for the squad and fans, but also for the club in general. Arsenal Report, an amazing Twitter page for statistics, makes a telling point: “We've made a £37.5m profit so far this summer in initial fees, it could rise to £50m profit once all the add-ons come rolling in. This means that even if we started the summer with £0 in the war chest (which we didn't), we would have been able to buy two players of Mata's price point without even noticing anything in the books. Something odd is going on behind the scenes in terms of money.” I completely agree. Something sinister is brewing behind the scenes, and we don’t know what.
I just cannot see how we are going to get into that top four without top quality additions, which look extremely unlikely. Liverpool are looking good, and Chelsea have added too – Fernando Torres will click at some point, he has to, and Mata undoubtedly adds some spark in midfield. Manchester United look very fresh, and City – well, it would be amazing if they did NOT challenge for the title!
Everything is wrong inside Arsenal right now. Well, not quite – the club has, in a massive statement of integrity and class, offered to give free tickets to all the fans who traveled to Old Trafford on Sunday. Indeed, they were fantastic, out sang the United faithful, and were behind the team at all times. A big shout to all those amazing fans – you guys make the Arsenal great!
I find it hard to reserve judgment about the season until after Wednesday, since it is clear to me what will happen. Right now, fifth place is my prediction of where we finish come May.
I would love to finish the post on a high note, but there is just nothing that comes close to positivity right now. I do hope for the best, and will continue to support this team I love with all my heart. I do fear for the club though. Tough times lie ahead, and I’m not sure we are prepared enough.
Follow me on Twitter @goonernish
Posts
You write amazing nishaad....
ReplyDeletethanks a lot dhimant :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a decent piece but is let down by sloppy fact checking; Lansbury didn't make his league debut yesterday, he came on against Liverpool last week (also, he didn't come on for Coquelin - that was Chamberlain) but I liked the tone and will check the blog out again
ReplyDeletethanks...and you are right about lansbury. i should have checked my facts. and my point regarding coquelin was we essentially replaced a defensive player with an attacking one, and that doesnt always mean we become better at attacking. thanks though, your point is well taken :)
ReplyDelete