One of the best parts of last season, apart from finally winning a trophy, was Arsenal's extended run atop the Premier League. Being in first place for so long did a lot to restore a sense of pride among Gooners all over the world. It served as a reminder that our club could challenge for titles again and erased some of the embarrassment factor that accompanied being an Arsenal fan over the better part of the last nine years.
A few shambolic defeats in the second half of the season brought us crashing back to Earth a good deal, but winning the FA Cup made it feel like a successful campaign and raised hopes for more to come. So far this year, that hasn't been the case at all and Tuesday night's 3-3 draw against Anderlecht further reinforced Arsenal's reputation as a laughingstock.
The come-from-behind draw does little damage to our prospects of advancing out of our Champions League group, despite the fact that a win would have clinched our passage to the knockout stage. Dortmund would also still hold a three point lead on us even if we had won. It would have been a major statement to still be in the running to win our group, though. To capitulate in a match that should have been a dominant win and throw away any chance of winning our group at the same time hurts. As a club, we're resigning to the fact that we are clear-cut second favorites in our group and whether that might be true or not, it's disappointing that we didn't earn the results needed to battle that notion until the end.
As for the match, there is no way that being 3-0 up should result in anything other than a win, no matter who the opposition is. The old cliché can be true about the precariousness of a two goal lead, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal to put us up 3-0 should have iced the game. It should be said that Anderlecht's first goal was obviously offside, though allowed to stand by the referee. After that goal, though, we reacted shockingly poorly, as Anderlecht drove the game from then on. The mental toughness that Arsene Wenger praises so often in games we win late or fight to hold on for was nowhere to be found that night.
As gloomy as that draw left me feeling, there are still positive things happening. Alexis Sanchez continues to play absolutely out of his mind and in the form he's in, it appears as though we really have signed a very special player. Some of our players are returning from being maimed, too, with Theo Walcott back in action, Olivier Giroud close to returning to training and Mesut Özil and Mathieu Debuchy making progress as well. Also, full credit should go to Anderlecht, who we should have lost to in our meeting in Belgium. They played us very tough, even while 3-0 down when it's extremely difficult to push on and much easier to give up.
So not all is lost as we prepare to face Swansea on Sunday. It's just that instead of being able to build on a winning streak in all competitions, our confidence will have taken a hit after throwing away a sure win at home to lesser opposition. It remains to be seen if we respond with a passionate, focused performance or if doubt creeps in. Now into November, the same inconsistency Arsenal has shown since the start of the season remains the same.
November 6, 2014
October 28, 2014
Time to Go Streaking
It's been a long time since I last wrote, but in the month I've been gone not a whole lot has changed. Every Arsenal player of all time suffered injuries... okay, that's an exaggeration but it feels that way for sure. Our form has still been up and down; we've lost some matches we may have have gotten more from and won some matches without performing all that well as a whole. As we enter November, there is some disappointment that we've failed to build on the early season form we enjoyed last year. Injuries have played the biggest part in that, but even with some very key additions we don't look like a team that will be challenging for the league, which we did look like for most last season.
That's not meant to sound too pessimistic, especially since it is still very early in the season. In the league, we've faced several early tests having played Man City, Spurs, Chelsea away and even Everton, despite the fact that they've struggled a lot thus far. Furthermore, we've rebounded somewhat in our Champions league group, though it has to be said that we were extremely lucky to get out of Anderlecht with a win. After falling behind 1-0 in the 71st minute to a goal from former DC United winger Andy Najar (who I'll love forever), scoring twice after the 89th minute to escape with the win made the scoreline misleading. It would've been pretty disastrous had we lost that match, especially since we were so listless through most of the game. In the end, all that really matters is the win and at least we pulled that off.
Last Saturday's win against a reeling Sunderland side wasn't our greatest possible performance, either. It did establish some important positives for us to build on. While both of Alexis' goals came off of hilarious errors by Sunderland, he was aware enough to capitalize on them and his chipped finish for the first one was sexy as hell. We also kept a clean sheet, which isn't all that impressive considering the opposition but for us almost anything is possible so we'll look to build on that, too. With all of the injuries to our defenders and our lack of backup options, we'll gladly take as many shutouts as we can get.
Our upcoming games in the league continue to present us with a chance to get a win streak going, which could boost our confidence and see us hopefully rise up the table a little more. Up next, we face Burnley and it would be very worrying if we don't have our most dominant performance of the year thus far against them. After that, we play Swansea away and then a somewhat revamped Manchester United at the Emirates. Their form has been up and down, similarly to ours, but they are definitely a better side than last year and we failed to beat them even then. Then we play West Brom (A), Southampton (H), Stoke (A), Newcastle (H), Liverpool (A), QPR (H), West Ham (A) and then Southampton (A) again on New Year's Day. So there are some good chances to get a run going, with some pretty tricky games mixed in there as well.
We also have the reverse fixtures for each of our Champions League matchups, so we have a lot to get sorted over the next several weeks. We should be getting Giroud, Debuchy and Özil back, among others, around New Year's. The hope is that by then, our forward combinations start to flourish and we can keep our makeshift backline intact long enough to buy more defenders. These are pretty big hypotheticals, but that's the situation we find ourselves in.
That's not meant to sound too pessimistic, especially since it is still very early in the season. In the league, we've faced several early tests having played Man City, Spurs, Chelsea away and even Everton, despite the fact that they've struggled a lot thus far. Furthermore, we've rebounded somewhat in our Champions league group, though it has to be said that we were extremely lucky to get out of Anderlecht with a win. After falling behind 1-0 in the 71st minute to a goal from former DC United winger Andy Najar (who I'll love forever), scoring twice after the 89th minute to escape with the win made the scoreline misleading. It would've been pretty disastrous had we lost that match, especially since we were so listless through most of the game. In the end, all that really matters is the win and at least we pulled that off.
Last Saturday's win against a reeling Sunderland side wasn't our greatest possible performance, either. It did establish some important positives for us to build on. While both of Alexis' goals came off of hilarious errors by Sunderland, he was aware enough to capitalize on them and his chipped finish for the first one was sexy as hell. We also kept a clean sheet, which isn't all that impressive considering the opposition but for us almost anything is possible so we'll look to build on that, too. With all of the injuries to our defenders and our lack of backup options, we'll gladly take as many shutouts as we can get.
Our upcoming games in the league continue to present us with a chance to get a win streak going, which could boost our confidence and see us hopefully rise up the table a little more. Up next, we face Burnley and it would be very worrying if we don't have our most dominant performance of the year thus far against them. After that, we play Swansea away and then a somewhat revamped Manchester United at the Emirates. Their form has been up and down, similarly to ours, but they are definitely a better side than last year and we failed to beat them even then. Then we play West Brom (A), Southampton (H), Stoke (A), Newcastle (H), Liverpool (A), QPR (H), West Ham (A) and then Southampton (A) again on New Year's Day. So there are some good chances to get a run going, with some pretty tricky games mixed in there as well.
We also have the reverse fixtures for each of our Champions League matchups, so we have a lot to get sorted over the next several weeks. We should be getting Giroud, Debuchy and Özil back, among others, around New Year's. The hope is that by then, our forward combinations start to flourish and we can keep our makeshift backline intact long enough to buy more defenders. These are pretty big hypotheticals, but that's the situation we find ourselves in.
September 30, 2014
On the Brink of a Big Week
A lot has happened since the last time I checked in, including a 3-0 smashing of Aston Villa, an exit from the Capital One Cup at the hands of Southampton and a 1-1 draw in the North London derby that felt more like a loss. As we cross into the month of October, Arsenal still have yet to establish much positive momentum. The positives are there — we're still unbeaten in the league, we have five of our six Champions League group stage fixtures ahead of us and even our exit from the league cup means less fixture congestion for our threadbare squad to have to contend with. At the same time, the flipside to each of these things is evident, too.
We sit nestled in our familiar fourth place spot in the league and though we're undefeated, we haven't found our form with only two wins and four draws. When it comes to the cup exit, many Arsenal bloggers have pointed out that it was a missed opportunity to give some of our youth players and reserves games, especially since some of them may be heavily relied on due to the injuries we've suffered. Our chance to get back on track in Europe comes tomorrow against Galatasaray with the pressure on us after being dominated by Borussia Dortmund. Our next game after that is the rather shit-inducing matchup against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
It has been hard to build momentum with all of the injuries we have encountered. We signed Danny Welbeck and he has looked really good in our team, bagging his first goal against Villa, but then we lost Giroud for 3 months. Our decision not to sign any more defenders immediately cost us even further when Mathieu Debuchy went down with a long-term injury, too. Mesut Özil struggled to find form of his own, then just when he notched a goal and an assist in the span of two minutes, Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere all get injured in the next game.
In terms of our season, it is still early days but Arsenal have yet to look like the team that rattled off 10 straight league wins around this time last season. Of course, those wins came after a dispiriting opening day loss, so things can turn around pretty much at any time. I feel like the pieces are there to do it, with Alexis looking great, Santi Cazorla still a wizard on the ball, Welbeck leading the line well, and so on. It's also worth mentioning that Calum Chambers has been an incredible signing and in each appearance he has made, he has played way beyond his 19 years of age would suggest.
The team will need to respond tomorrow against a very tough Galatasaray team after failing to beat a poor, flat Spurs side that we really should have beat. A draw at home wouldn't be the worst result in the world but after losing our opening match, we really can't afford to drop any more points. Galatasaray did us a favor by drawing their opening match against the supposed underdog of the group, Anderlecht. However, we have yet to see if that is a good omen for us tomorrow or if Anderlecht are being underestimated more than they should be.
As for Sunday's match against Chelsea, it remains to be seen whether we can keep from self-destructing against a top four team on the road again. The hope is that we'll have learned from the mistakes of last year and/or gotten over the psychological hurdles that we face with those teams last year, but then we felt that way last season after it happened against City. And then Liverpool. Then Chelsea. Then, to some extent, Everton. Chelsea also look like the best team in the Premier League this year by a long way, which is very painful to admit because I truly hate them all with a burning rage. It would be fantastic to upstage Mourinho by handing them their first loss, but if we held on for dear life and scraped at least a draw from them, I'd take it in a heartbeat.
The news from today is that Jack will be in the squad tomorrow, though my guess is that he will not start. Also for all Arsenal fans' required daily reading, Arseblog raised a good argument for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to play in central midfield with the injuries we've had there. Ox has looked very good this year, his equalizer against Spurs was as clutch as hell and maybe he can step up in the position in which we have the most depth.
Until next time.
We sit nestled in our familiar fourth place spot in the league and though we're undefeated, we haven't found our form with only two wins and four draws. When it comes to the cup exit, many Arsenal bloggers have pointed out that it was a missed opportunity to give some of our youth players and reserves games, especially since some of them may be heavily relied on due to the injuries we've suffered. Our chance to get back on track in Europe comes tomorrow against Galatasaray with the pressure on us after being dominated by Borussia Dortmund. Our next game after that is the rather shit-inducing matchup against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
It has been hard to build momentum with all of the injuries we have encountered. We signed Danny Welbeck and he has looked really good in our team, bagging his first goal against Villa, but then we lost Giroud for 3 months. Our decision not to sign any more defenders immediately cost us even further when Mathieu Debuchy went down with a long-term injury, too. Mesut Özil struggled to find form of his own, then just when he notched a goal and an assist in the span of two minutes, Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere all get injured in the next game.
In terms of our season, it is still early days but Arsenal have yet to look like the team that rattled off 10 straight league wins around this time last season. Of course, those wins came after a dispiriting opening day loss, so things can turn around pretty much at any time. I feel like the pieces are there to do it, with Alexis looking great, Santi Cazorla still a wizard on the ball, Welbeck leading the line well, and so on. It's also worth mentioning that Calum Chambers has been an incredible signing and in each appearance he has made, he has played way beyond his 19 years of age would suggest.
The team will need to respond tomorrow against a very tough Galatasaray team after failing to beat a poor, flat Spurs side that we really should have beat. A draw at home wouldn't be the worst result in the world but after losing our opening match, we really can't afford to drop any more points. Galatasaray did us a favor by drawing their opening match against the supposed underdog of the group, Anderlecht. However, we have yet to see if that is a good omen for us tomorrow or if Anderlecht are being underestimated more than they should be.
As for Sunday's match against Chelsea, it remains to be seen whether we can keep from self-destructing against a top four team on the road again. The hope is that we'll have learned from the mistakes of last year and/or gotten over the psychological hurdles that we face with those teams last year, but then we felt that way last season after it happened against City. And then Liverpool. Then Chelsea. Then, to some extent, Everton. Chelsea also look like the best team in the Premier League this year by a long way, which is very painful to admit because I truly hate them all with a burning rage. It would be fantastic to upstage Mourinho by handing them their first loss, but if we held on for dear life and scraped at least a draw from them, I'd take it in a heartbeat.
The news from today is that Jack will be in the squad tomorrow, though my guess is that he will not start. Also for all Arsenal fans' required daily reading, Arseblog raised a good argument for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to play in central midfield with the injuries we've had there. Ox has looked very good this year, his equalizer against Spurs was as clutch as hell and maybe he can step up in the position in which we have the most depth.
Until next time.
September 18, 2014
Gunned Down in Dortmund
Arsenal's Champions League group stage couldn't have gotten off to a crappier start as we lost 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund in a game in which the scoreline didn't reflect how thoroughly dominated we were. Dortmund was the superior team from start to finish, while on the other hand Arsenal was sloppy and lethargic. It was an extremely worrying performance on a big stage, but all we can do now is regroup and focus on beating Aston Villa this weekend.
The only two bright spots in defeat were Wojciech Szczesny's play in goal and the full debut of Hector Bellerin. If it weren't for some outstanding saves from Szczesny (as well as some pretty bad misses by Dortmund) we would have been subjected to another five or six-nil loss reminiscent of last season, which is the last thing we need. Szczesny did come way out of goal and get easily rounded by Aubameyang on their second goal, but the defending leading up to that was so bad that it may not have mattered.
Bellerin also stepped in and performed well at right back, considering he's only 19 and it was in a very intimidating European venue. I love everything about the Dortmund fans and the atmosphere they provide is the envy of any club, I just wish we didn't have to keep facing them. It would be great if Bellerin is ready to contribute at right back for us this year, all of the buzz around him has been how good of a prospect he could be. However, between him and fellow teenager Calum Chambers, it's a lot to expect them to consistently produce, especially as defenders. If Bellerin has a season as close to the one that Serge Gnabry had last season, that would be incredible. But with Debuchy out for so long, we may not have to luxury to manage his minutes the same way and it could negatively impact his development, as well as Arsenal's results.
One more silver lining, though, is that Galatasaray and Anderlecht played to a 1-1 draw, so the fact that they both dropped points helps us early on in our group's standing. Still, when a team like Arsenal can't string passes together or simply retain the ball, it's always going to be a struggle for us. It was another lackluster performance by Özil, which gets more worrying with each game that has to be said. But for that matter, the same could be said for Wilshere, Ramsey, and Arteta, among others, and I feel that they'll be able to turn it around. Welbeck's misses in front of goal didn't help matters, either. We knew what his goalscoring record was before we signed him and now he'll have to come into his own, which again I believe he will do. Whenever a striker is new, there is extra pressure on him to score that first goal so once that happens, I think he'll have one less thing to worry about.
Our performance last Saturday against Man City was much better, so hopefully we can get back to playing like we did that day. It's also worth mentioning that this was our first official loss of 2014-15, it was just the way we lost which was inexcusable. Arsene may have to consider whether this formation can work with our players or not. Whatever the case, we have to put this game behind us and make up some ground in the Premier League with a win in our next game.
The only two bright spots in defeat were Wojciech Szczesny's play in goal and the full debut of Hector Bellerin. If it weren't for some outstanding saves from Szczesny (as well as some pretty bad misses by Dortmund) we would have been subjected to another five or six-nil loss reminiscent of last season, which is the last thing we need. Szczesny did come way out of goal and get easily rounded by Aubameyang on their second goal, but the defending leading up to that was so bad that it may not have mattered.
Bellerin also stepped in and performed well at right back, considering he's only 19 and it was in a very intimidating European venue. I love everything about the Dortmund fans and the atmosphere they provide is the envy of any club, I just wish we didn't have to keep facing them. It would be great if Bellerin is ready to contribute at right back for us this year, all of the buzz around him has been how good of a prospect he could be. However, between him and fellow teenager Calum Chambers, it's a lot to expect them to consistently produce, especially as defenders. If Bellerin has a season as close to the one that Serge Gnabry had last season, that would be incredible. But with Debuchy out for so long, we may not have to luxury to manage his minutes the same way and it could negatively impact his development, as well as Arsenal's results.
One more silver lining, though, is that Galatasaray and Anderlecht played to a 1-1 draw, so the fact that they both dropped points helps us early on in our group's standing. Still, when a team like Arsenal can't string passes together or simply retain the ball, it's always going to be a struggle for us. It was another lackluster performance by Özil, which gets more worrying with each game that has to be said. But for that matter, the same could be said for Wilshere, Ramsey, and Arteta, among others, and I feel that they'll be able to turn it around. Welbeck's misses in front of goal didn't help matters, either. We knew what his goalscoring record was before we signed him and now he'll have to come into his own, which again I believe he will do. Whenever a striker is new, there is extra pressure on him to score that first goal so once that happens, I think he'll have one less thing to worry about.
Our performance last Saturday against Man City was much better, so hopefully we can get back to playing like we did that day. It's also worth mentioning that this was our first official loss of 2014-15, it was just the way we lost which was inexcusable. Arsene may have to consider whether this formation can work with our players or not. Whatever the case, we have to put this game behind us and make up some ground in the Premier League with a win in our next game.
September 15, 2014
Arsenal Hold On For Draw as Injuries Mount
Arsenal's game against Man City this past weekend ran across the entire spectrum of all things positive of negative. The goals we scored were amazing, while the goals we let in through sloppy defending were... um, not. The fantastic individual performances were also great, however Mathieu Debuchy went down with a serious injury. On the whole, it was a match that left me with a ton of mixed emotions.
Overall, there was a lot to like. It's not like a draw at home against the reigning champions was a bad result, it's just that tying the game after being ahead always feels like a huge missed opportunity. It's still too early in the season to really count these as two dropped points, but had we held on for the win against a team that is certainly a lock to finish top-four, it would've been massive. In typical Arsenal fashion, we were on the front foot from the beginning of the game, only to concede a goal on the counter attack. It was a little bit unlucky that Flamini's initial tackle sent the ball down line to start City's break, instead of rolling out of bounds, but it was Flamini's failure to track Aguero that allowed him to score. Dominating possession and shots and finding ourselves 1-0 down is nothing new and after that Szczesny made a brilliant one-on-one save that kept us in the game. Had he not, it would've been a totally different matter for us to have to come back from two goals down.
That save ended up paying off massively as Jack Wilshere scored a great equalizing goal midway through the second half. City turned the ball over in midfield, which led to Jack starting a flowing passing move before receiving a final pass from Aaron Ramsey and smartly finishing over Joe Hart. Wilshere was a standout performer on the day and it was a great response to all of the negative criticism he's received over his potential and performance for both club and country.
The other standout player was Arsenal's second goalscorer. Alexis Sanchez was excellent, from his running and pressing all over the field, to his dribbling attacks with the ball. His goal, volleyed in from Wilshere's headed assist, was an extremely skillful finish. The two goals were of such a high quality that it was definitely a shame to let City equalize, again from a totally unmarked player and again from a set piece.
The injury to Debuchy, who is now set to miss two months, is very concerning though. Our decision not to add to the defensive ranks continues to make less and less sense. It's a simple fact that injuries (not even to mention suspensions) have to be accounted for. With Calum Chambers coming in at right back, we have no natural backups at center back. Arseblog discussed the possibility of Hector Bellerin and Issac Hayden seeing first team action and honestly, under these circumstances, we may not have much of a choice.
The truth of the matter is that injuries are increasing across the board and not only at Arsenal. Maybe it has to do with the fact that most of the players at this level are playing virtually all year long. Even our players who didn't represent their countries at the World Cup this summer played their last game on May 17 in the FA Cup Final and had to return for preseason training in early July. Not even two full months off, and the players that did return from Brazil got even less of a break than that. It can't be a coincidence that most of our injured players (Gibbs, Giroud, and now Debuchy) played at the World Cup.
And when you think injuries are uniquely an Arsenal problem, take a look at Borussia Dortmund, tomorrow's Champions League opponent, and their injury list. That's Reus, Sahin, Ji and Kirch, not including Gundogan and Blaszczykowski whom Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp also mentioned as being hampered in an interview with the Evening Standard. That's not to underestimate their quality, nor the intimidating atmosphere of their home fans. It's always a tough test to go to Dortmund and pick up points and tomorrow will be no different.
Overall, there was a lot to like. It's not like a draw at home against the reigning champions was a bad result, it's just that tying the game after being ahead always feels like a huge missed opportunity. It's still too early in the season to really count these as two dropped points, but had we held on for the win against a team that is certainly a lock to finish top-four, it would've been massive. In typical Arsenal fashion, we were on the front foot from the beginning of the game, only to concede a goal on the counter attack. It was a little bit unlucky that Flamini's initial tackle sent the ball down line to start City's break, instead of rolling out of bounds, but it was Flamini's failure to track Aguero that allowed him to score. Dominating possession and shots and finding ourselves 1-0 down is nothing new and after that Szczesny made a brilliant one-on-one save that kept us in the game. Had he not, it would've been a totally different matter for us to have to come back from two goals down.
That save ended up paying off massively as Jack Wilshere scored a great equalizing goal midway through the second half. City turned the ball over in midfield, which led to Jack starting a flowing passing move before receiving a final pass from Aaron Ramsey and smartly finishing over Joe Hart. Wilshere was a standout performer on the day and it was a great response to all of the negative criticism he's received over his potential and performance for both club and country.
The other standout player was Arsenal's second goalscorer. Alexis Sanchez was excellent, from his running and pressing all over the field, to his dribbling attacks with the ball. His goal, volleyed in from Wilshere's headed assist, was an extremely skillful finish. The two goals were of such a high quality that it was definitely a shame to let City equalize, again from a totally unmarked player and again from a set piece.
The injury to Debuchy, who is now set to miss two months, is very concerning though. Our decision not to add to the defensive ranks continues to make less and less sense. It's a simple fact that injuries (not even to mention suspensions) have to be accounted for. With Calum Chambers coming in at right back, we have no natural backups at center back. Arseblog discussed the possibility of Hector Bellerin and Issac Hayden seeing first team action and honestly, under these circumstances, we may not have much of a choice.
The truth of the matter is that injuries are increasing across the board and not only at Arsenal. Maybe it has to do with the fact that most of the players at this level are playing virtually all year long. Even our players who didn't represent their countries at the World Cup this summer played their last game on May 17 in the FA Cup Final and had to return for preseason training in early July. Not even two full months off, and the players that did return from Brazil got even less of a break than that. It can't be a coincidence that most of our injured players (Gibbs, Giroud, and now Debuchy) played at the World Cup.
And when you think injuries are uniquely an Arsenal problem, take a look at Borussia Dortmund, tomorrow's Champions League opponent, and their injury list. That's Reus, Sahin, Ji and Kirch, not including Gundogan and Blaszczykowski whom Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp also mentioned as being hampered in an interview with the Evening Standard. That's not to underestimate their quality, nor the intimidating atmosphere of their home fans. It's always a tough test to go to Dortmund and pick up points and tomorrow will be no different.
September 9, 2014
Video: Welbeck & Wilshere vs. Switzerland
Here's a video courtesy of @TerryAFCx from England's 2-0 win over Switzerland, with the two goals coming from new signing Danny Welbeck.
Danny Welbeck & Jack Wilshere vs Switzerland 08/09/14 from TerryAFCx on Vimeo.
The compilation also shows Jack Wilshere's involvement. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers were unused subs.
While it's hard to draw conclusions from this without seeing the match live, it's a good frame of reference for their performances. At any rate, it's pretty hard to find anyway negative takeaways from two goals from a striker in his first action after signing for Arsenal.
Here's hoping he can carry some of that form over to the Emirates when we face Manchester City this weekend.
Danny Welbeck & Jack Wilshere vs Switzerland 08/09/14 from TerryAFCx on Vimeo.
The compilation also shows Jack Wilshere's involvement. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers were unused subs.
While it's hard to draw conclusions from this without seeing the match live, it's a good frame of reference for their performances. At any rate, it's pretty hard to find anyway negative takeaways from two goals from a striker in his first action after signing for Arsenal.
Here's hoping he can carry some of that form over to the Emirates when we face Manchester City this weekend.
September 3, 2014
Welcome Welbeck, But We Remain Short on Defenders
After a mostly productive summer transfer window, Arsenal signed Danny Welbeck at the 11th hour. The signing is a somewhat strange one for several reasons, mainly due to the fact that Danny Welbeck doesn't play center back. All in all though, I am happy with his signing and our business this summer, all totaled, looks pretty good.
Alexis Sanchez, Mathieu Debuchy, Calum Chambers and David Ospina add up to a pretty impressive haul, now topped off with Welbeck. The only negative takeaway is that we were already short on defenders heading into the summer and that was before we sold Thomas Vermaelen. We also sold Ignasi Miquel to Norwich on deadline day so I just genuinely can't understand how we didn't add another center back.
So far Chambers has looked great there, considering he's only 19 years old. Still, in his first few games with us he's shown glimpses of his inexperience which will make it a risk to really depend on him for long stretches. Really it should be the other way around when talking about a teenage defender making the step up from Southampton to Arsenal — you'd think he'd be showing flashes of his future potential while looking like a raw talent overall. Chambers' signing may quietly be the best piece of business we pulled off this summer, but that doesn't excuse the fact that we need more than three fit natural central defenders.
The decision not to buy another center back may come back to bite us in the ass this season but I guess we'll just have to see how things play out. There have been whispers about youngsters Issac Hayden and right back Hector Bellerin maybe seeing action if needed but that again seems like a huge, unnecessary risk.
On his merits though, I think Welbeck could be a very useful player for us for years to come. His goal-scoring record is spotty at best, but he's still 23 as well and therefore is entering his prime. He adds to Arsenal's growing English core so it doesn't hurt that he's played with Wilshere, Ox and Gibbs before. When I've seen him in action for Man U, he's looked a pretty tricky dribbler, has good pace and is dynamic enough to play as an outright striker for us (which not all of our forwards can say is their best position). He looks good enough on the ball to fit in with our one-touch, flicky attack play and if his movement off the ball can reach Giroud's level, then he'll strengthen us greatly.
Overall, I'm very happy with his addition. Whatever criticisms there are about him, as there are with pretty much any player, he has scored goals in the Premier League before which can't be underestimated. I think that Yaya Sanogo will eventually come good, but we can't afford to wait for him to gain experience during real games in which real things are on the line. Welbeck's addition will take the pressure off of him to produce so he can still learn and grow into the player he can become.
I still think Alexis has a part to play with us as a central striker too, but I like the versatility that adding Welbeck gives us so that we're not really pigeon-holed into any particular lineup. Plus, with Walcott on his way back and when Giroud comes back in January, we'll have legitimate options. Maybe there's still time to buy a center back in January if need be, I just hope it's not too late for our title hopes by that time.
Alexis Sanchez, Mathieu Debuchy, Calum Chambers and David Ospina add up to a pretty impressive haul, now topped off with Welbeck. The only negative takeaway is that we were already short on defenders heading into the summer and that was before we sold Thomas Vermaelen. We also sold Ignasi Miquel to Norwich on deadline day so I just genuinely can't understand how we didn't add another center back.
So far Chambers has looked great there, considering he's only 19 years old. Still, in his first few games with us he's shown glimpses of his inexperience which will make it a risk to really depend on him for long stretches. Really it should be the other way around when talking about a teenage defender making the step up from Southampton to Arsenal — you'd think he'd be showing flashes of his future potential while looking like a raw talent overall. Chambers' signing may quietly be the best piece of business we pulled off this summer, but that doesn't excuse the fact that we need more than three fit natural central defenders.
The decision not to buy another center back may come back to bite us in the ass this season but I guess we'll just have to see how things play out. There have been whispers about youngsters Issac Hayden and right back Hector Bellerin maybe seeing action if needed but that again seems like a huge, unnecessary risk.
On his merits though, I think Welbeck could be a very useful player for us for years to come. His goal-scoring record is spotty at best, but he's still 23 as well and therefore is entering his prime. He adds to Arsenal's growing English core so it doesn't hurt that he's played with Wilshere, Ox and Gibbs before. When I've seen him in action for Man U, he's looked a pretty tricky dribbler, has good pace and is dynamic enough to play as an outright striker for us (which not all of our forwards can say is their best position). He looks good enough on the ball to fit in with our one-touch, flicky attack play and if his movement off the ball can reach Giroud's level, then he'll strengthen us greatly.
Overall, I'm very happy with his addition. Whatever criticisms there are about him, as there are with pretty much any player, he has scored goals in the Premier League before which can't be underestimated. I think that Yaya Sanogo will eventually come good, but we can't afford to wait for him to gain experience during real games in which real things are on the line. Welbeck's addition will take the pressure off of him to produce so he can still learn and grow into the player he can become.
I still think Alexis has a part to play with us as a central striker too, but I like the versatility that adding Welbeck gives us so that we're not really pigeon-holed into any particular lineup. Plus, with Walcott on his way back and when Giroud comes back in January, we'll have legitimate options. Maybe there's still time to buy a center back in January if need be, I just hope it's not too late for our title hopes by that time.
September 1, 2014
Two Dropped Points - Deadline Day 2014
Yesterday, Arsenal quite disappointingly dropped points away at newly-promoted Leicester, only managing a 1-1 draw. Alexis opened the scoring in the first half only for Arsenal to concede the tying goal less than three minutes later. Leicester's Leonardo Ulloa headed his goal in over Laurent Koscielny, who earlier in the game had been down for several minutes after a clash of heads left him requiring stitches. The length of time he was down, combined with the fact that he was knocked directly in the head, would've been a good time to follow proper concussion protocol and sub him off. Instead, Kos had his head patched up and he was sent back on the field.
That decision cost us dearly in two ways. First and foremost, soccer has a real problem with following safety standards regarding player head injuries. For player safety, anyone who may have suffered a concussion needs to be substituted to prevent further damage from a repeat blow to the head and it really doesn't get any simpler than that. Secondly, that the goal was headed in directly over him leaves us wondering whether his timing, positioning or awareness were impaired in that moment. Also maybe being slightly reluctant to stick his head in again just moments after clashing heads on a 50-50 ball, or even whether it was even safe for him to head away a whipped-in cross after likely being concussed, for that matter. Any way you slice it, that was a key moment that cost us the three points, in my opinion.
Arsenal took lots and lots of shots, but many of them were blocked by Leicester's well-organized defense or were just unable to find the target. In the second half, Ulloa missed a chance with a wide open goal that should've sent us to defeat and other than a few counter attacks, Arsenal were unable to find a winning goal.
Yaya Sanogo started up top in place of Giroud, who is now out of action until January. Sanogo is the closest replacement we have for Giroud in terms of size, strength and style of play but yesterday showed exactly why we're going to need an upgrade in that position while we're without Giroud. Sanogo is still just too raw at this point to be an effective player for us. His first touch was off all game long and it looks like he knows what to do when the ball comes to him, it's just that his lanky legs can't quite execute it as of yet. Even his involvement in "setting up" the Alexis goal was really just him bumbling the bouncing ball and it kind of falling off of him into the Chilean's path.
It was also slightly worrying that Mesut Özil hasn't had a strong game since his return to action. At this point, it looks like it has less to do with match fitness and more to do with the fact that nothing he tries is really coming off for him. Many of his passes were intercepted, a lot of dribbles led to nowhere or to him losing the ball altogether and more than once he passed up the opportunity to go for goal himself only for it amount to nothing. In watching him, the quality and the class is still there, again it just comes down to the execution at this point.
At the end of the day, a draw on the road early in the season isn't the end of the world. At least we stay unbeaten and unfortunately, a draw was the fair result on the day.
As I'm writing this, the transfer window is drawing to a close and so does any chance we have to address the remaining holes in our squad (as well as the newly-formed ones). It goes without saying that simply buying available players is not always the best strategy, but it's time for Arsenal to follow up on the good transfer business done early in the window and bring in the required players on deadline day. While that's easier said than done, our depth has already been stretched thin barely weeks into the season. If we're serious about challenging for the Premier League title, we need to fully flesh out the rest of our squad.
That decision cost us dearly in two ways. First and foremost, soccer has a real problem with following safety standards regarding player head injuries. For player safety, anyone who may have suffered a concussion needs to be substituted to prevent further damage from a repeat blow to the head and it really doesn't get any simpler than that. Secondly, that the goal was headed in directly over him leaves us wondering whether his timing, positioning or awareness were impaired in that moment. Also maybe being slightly reluctant to stick his head in again just moments after clashing heads on a 50-50 ball, or even whether it was even safe for him to head away a whipped-in cross after likely being concussed, for that matter. Any way you slice it, that was a key moment that cost us the three points, in my opinion.
Arsenal took lots and lots of shots, but many of them were blocked by Leicester's well-organized defense or were just unable to find the target. In the second half, Ulloa missed a chance with a wide open goal that should've sent us to defeat and other than a few counter attacks, Arsenal were unable to find a winning goal.
Yaya Sanogo started up top in place of Giroud, who is now out of action until January. Sanogo is the closest replacement we have for Giroud in terms of size, strength and style of play but yesterday showed exactly why we're going to need an upgrade in that position while we're without Giroud. Sanogo is still just too raw at this point to be an effective player for us. His first touch was off all game long and it looks like he knows what to do when the ball comes to him, it's just that his lanky legs can't quite execute it as of yet. Even his involvement in "setting up" the Alexis goal was really just him bumbling the bouncing ball and it kind of falling off of him into the Chilean's path.
It was also slightly worrying that Mesut Özil hasn't had a strong game since his return to action. At this point, it looks like it has less to do with match fitness and more to do with the fact that nothing he tries is really coming off for him. Many of his passes were intercepted, a lot of dribbles led to nowhere or to him losing the ball altogether and more than once he passed up the opportunity to go for goal himself only for it amount to nothing. In watching him, the quality and the class is still there, again it just comes down to the execution at this point.
At the end of the day, a draw on the road early in the season isn't the end of the world. At least we stay unbeaten and unfortunately, a draw was the fair result on the day.
As I'm writing this, the transfer window is drawing to a close and so does any chance we have to address the remaining holes in our squad (as well as the newly-formed ones). It goes without saying that simply buying available players is not always the best strategy, but it's time for Arsenal to follow up on the good transfer business done early in the window and bring in the required players on deadline day. While that's easier said than done, our depth has already been stretched thin barely weeks into the season. If we're serious about challenging for the Premier League title, we need to fully flesh out the rest of our squad.
August 25, 2014
Results More Important Than Performances... For Now
This past Saturday, Arsenal battled back to rescue a 2-2 draw at Everton, a fantastic outcome considering we played like shit for most of the game. The bottom line remains the same though; until we find our form and fitness again, all that really matters is that we get as much as we can from every match. It's definitely a cliche to say it felt more like a win the way we stole a draw at the end, but I'm going to go ahead and say it anyway.
It also needs to be mentioned that Everton's second goal was offside. There has been a lot of debate over whether the move that lead to the goal was started by a foul on Per Mertesacker by Romelu Lukaku, but there is no question that Steven Naismith was clearly offside before he scored. That's not to take anything away from Everton's opener though, which was really the result of Mesut Özil's failure to track back. As a whole, Everton took the game to us and were the much better side. But even though we didn't play very well, it was extremely encouraging that we kept pushing for a goal and didn't just feel sorry for ourselves and let the game slip away.
Down 2-0 with less than seven minutes remaining, there didn't look like there was any chance we would score one goal, let alone two. But that's exactly what happened. What more can you say about Welsh Jesus? He just keeps scoring goals for us when it really matters the most. It's really something that we can't take for granted and hopefully other key players will be able to follow his example and step up for us so he won't have to do it every time. Ramsey finished Cazorla's low cross to make it 2-1 and then even when he badly overhit a cross into the box, Nacho Monreal picked it up on the end line and crossed it back in to Olivier Giroud who powerfully headed it past Tim Howard to secure the draw for us.
Up next is the second leg of our Champions League qualifier against Besiktas, which is made all the more nerve-wracking now that Giroud joins Kieran Gibbs and Mikel Arteta on our injury list. Giroud hurt his ankle just minutes after scoring the tying goal and his absence will make it even harder for us to find our form as a team. Besiktas proved last Tuesday that they are no pushovers, plus they can eliminate us from the Champions League with a score draw. Once again, as long as we can find a goal and keep them from scoring on us, we'll be through to the group stages.
It's good to have Mertesacker's experience back in the defense and Özil's creativity, but the third of our German contingent, Lukas Poldolski, is rumored to be on his way (with Juventus and Wolfsburg being the leading destinations). For all of the frustrations with his all-around game, we need his goals now more than ever. Arseblog pointed out on his podcast today that Podolski has always been a weird fit the whole time he has been at Arsenal. He would be subbed off regularly, if he got into the starting lineup, seemingly because he didn't regularly fulfill his defensive responsibilities. Other times, he struggled for fitness after long injury spells. Somehow, he still managed to score 16 goals last year and even if he isn't the most technically skilled, he can kick the fuck out of the ball in a way not many others can. I know how different hindsight makes things too, but £16 million for Mario Balotelli is looking like the bargain of the year right now.
Today marks seven days until the end of the transfer window, so we'll see how things go and hopefully be qualified for the CL group stage as the deadline approaches.
It also needs to be mentioned that Everton's second goal was offside. There has been a lot of debate over whether the move that lead to the goal was started by a foul on Per Mertesacker by Romelu Lukaku, but there is no question that Steven Naismith was clearly offside before he scored. That's not to take anything away from Everton's opener though, which was really the result of Mesut Özil's failure to track back. As a whole, Everton took the game to us and were the much better side. But even though we didn't play very well, it was extremely encouraging that we kept pushing for a goal and didn't just feel sorry for ourselves and let the game slip away.
Down 2-0 with less than seven minutes remaining, there didn't look like there was any chance we would score one goal, let alone two. But that's exactly what happened. What more can you say about Welsh Jesus? He just keeps scoring goals for us when it really matters the most. It's really something that we can't take for granted and hopefully other key players will be able to follow his example and step up for us so he won't have to do it every time. Ramsey finished Cazorla's low cross to make it 2-1 and then even when he badly overhit a cross into the box, Nacho Monreal picked it up on the end line and crossed it back in to Olivier Giroud who powerfully headed it past Tim Howard to secure the draw for us.
Up next is the second leg of our Champions League qualifier against Besiktas, which is made all the more nerve-wracking now that Giroud joins Kieran Gibbs and Mikel Arteta on our injury list. Giroud hurt his ankle just minutes after scoring the tying goal and his absence will make it even harder for us to find our form as a team. Besiktas proved last Tuesday that they are no pushovers, plus they can eliminate us from the Champions League with a score draw. Once again, as long as we can find a goal and keep them from scoring on us, we'll be through to the group stages.
It's good to have Mertesacker's experience back in the defense and Özil's creativity, but the third of our German contingent, Lukas Poldolski, is rumored to be on his way (with Juventus and Wolfsburg being the leading destinations). For all of the frustrations with his all-around game, we need his goals now more than ever. Arseblog pointed out on his podcast today that Podolski has always been a weird fit the whole time he has been at Arsenal. He would be subbed off regularly, if he got into the starting lineup, seemingly because he didn't regularly fulfill his defensive responsibilities. Other times, he struggled for fitness after long injury spells. Somehow, he still managed to score 16 goals last year and even if he isn't the most technically skilled, he can kick the fuck out of the ball in a way not many others can. I know how different hindsight makes things too, but £16 million for Mario Balotelli is looking like the bargain of the year right now.
Today marks seven days until the end of the transfer window, so we'll see how things go and hopefully be qualified for the CL group stage as the deadline approaches.
August 18, 2014
Three Points From Three - Besiktas Preview
So since we last spoke, Arsenal won the Community Shield quite convincingly, then opened the Premiership campaign with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at the Emirates. Tomorrow, we travel to Turkey to face Besiktas in the Champions League qualification round first leg. Busy times all around but so far, so good.
I didn't get to watch the Palace game live, but I did watch it on DVR. Understandably, we looked a little sluggish & disjointed, likely due to the number of members of our squad who participated in the World Cup. That, plus Crystal Palace's blockade-style setup, made for a mostly frustrating match for the Gunners, except for our ability to get two goals just in the nick of time.
After Hangeland's opener from a corner kick for Palace gave them a 1-0 lead, Arsenal returned the favor through Laurent Koscielny in first half stoppage time. Then in the second half, Welsh Jesus scored off a rebound in stoppage time again to steal the three points for us, really. While it was disconcerting to see us concede another set piece goal, it was encouraging that we did what we had to do to get a win in the end, whether we played well or not. Cliche or not, it's more important to get wins at this stage until we work our way into form with each coming match. After Besiktas, it's Everton at Goodison Park, so we have to get better in a real hurry.
I think it's going to take us some time to regain the fluidity in our performances with our German contingent of Ozil, Mertesacker and Podolski yet to return to the lineup. Plus, our new signings are being thrown right into the starting lineup, which isn't a surprise for Alexis and Debuchy, but it still means they are getting used to playing with a whole new squad and a mostly new style of play. Another very encouraging sign is that 19-year old Calum Chambers looks the most settled and composed of the new field players we've signed (Ospina is still recovering from injury as Szczesny's backup in goal).
Even with that, I think we're still a signing or two away from fully fleshing out our squad with the obvious need for another center back and maybe even another body for the midfield. At this stage, we're probably looking at another deadline day deal if that is going to happen, but we will still be acclimating another new player into the system after the games have well and truly gotten going.
So right now, all that really matters are the results. Besiktas features a couple of familiar faces in ex-Chelsea and Newcastle striker Demba Ba, as well as former Arsenal youngster Oguzhan Ozyakup. We already face a bit of a fitness shortage at defense with Kieran Gibbs out for three weeks and Koscielny a doubt to start the match, but what else is new? Last year, we beat Fenerbahce 3-0 in the first leg so while I'm hopeful for more of the same, just to keep a clean sheet and nick a goal or two would set us up well enough for the return leg in London.
That's it for now though, until later.
I didn't get to watch the Palace game live, but I did watch it on DVR. Understandably, we looked a little sluggish & disjointed, likely due to the number of members of our squad who participated in the World Cup. That, plus Crystal Palace's blockade-style setup, made for a mostly frustrating match for the Gunners, except for our ability to get two goals just in the nick of time.
After Hangeland's opener from a corner kick for Palace gave them a 1-0 lead, Arsenal returned the favor through Laurent Koscielny in first half stoppage time. Then in the second half, Welsh Jesus scored off a rebound in stoppage time again to steal the three points for us, really. While it was disconcerting to see us concede another set piece goal, it was encouraging that we did what we had to do to get a win in the end, whether we played well or not. Cliche or not, it's more important to get wins at this stage until we work our way into form with each coming match. After Besiktas, it's Everton at Goodison Park, so we have to get better in a real hurry.
I think it's going to take us some time to regain the fluidity in our performances with our German contingent of Ozil, Mertesacker and Podolski yet to return to the lineup. Plus, our new signings are being thrown right into the starting lineup, which isn't a surprise for Alexis and Debuchy, but it still means they are getting used to playing with a whole new squad and a mostly new style of play. Another very encouraging sign is that 19-year old Calum Chambers looks the most settled and composed of the new field players we've signed (Ospina is still recovering from injury as Szczesny's backup in goal).
Even with that, I think we're still a signing or two away from fully fleshing out our squad with the obvious need for another center back and maybe even another body for the midfield. At this stage, we're probably looking at another deadline day deal if that is going to happen, but we will still be acclimating another new player into the system after the games have well and truly gotten going.
So right now, all that really matters are the results. Besiktas features a couple of familiar faces in ex-Chelsea and Newcastle striker Demba Ba, as well as former Arsenal youngster Oguzhan Ozyakup. We already face a bit of a fitness shortage at defense with Kieran Gibbs out for three weeks and Koscielny a doubt to start the match, but what else is new? Last year, we beat Fenerbahce 3-0 in the first leg so while I'm hopeful for more of the same, just to keep a clean sheet and nick a goal or two would set us up well enough for the return leg in London.
That's it for now though, until later.
August 8, 2014
The One in Which I Actually Start Writing Stuff
Here I go again on my own, blogging down the only road I've ever known... or something. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is welcome to my new blog, written by me, DCJonesy. I've been thinking about starting something like this for a long time but I never quite had the guts to start writing about the club I love.
So, why now?
I guess after supporting the club since 2003 and seeing our very well-documented nine-year trophy drought end, I was inspired carve out a unique niche among Arsenal fans, one that extends beyond watching the matches and wearing their jerseys and stuff. Furthermore, seeing the reactions of fans from all over the world to the FA Cup win reminded me that the scope of this club is global, indeed, and everyone belongs.
This past season was extremely cathartic for so many reasons, but winning the cup capped off a statement that Arsenal was back among the top clubs in the world again after not really being there for several years. Even before we won the cup, there was a noticeable difference among Arsenal fans I encountered this past season. Being top of the table for so much of the season certainly had something to do with it, but more people complimented me for wearing my jersey in the street or at the bar and I just felt a happiness and feeling of pride more than ever before. I'm guessing anyone who made the trip to New York for the Red Bulls match experienced this, but it's such a bizarre feeling to encounter a total stranger and have them feel almost like family if they're wearing Arsenal colors.
The way we're conducting transfer business this summer suggests that our sights are set firmly back to the very top, signing the electrifying Alexis Sanchez and replacing our departed players early in the summer transfer window. Of course, our Premier League and European rivals are strengthening around us, too, but this time it doesn't feel as though the other clubs are running laps around us. Arsenal is setting themselves up to be right in the thick of things, in the league and in Europe. Truthfully, it's where we always belonged. It's just good that we're actually giving it a go this time.
Before I close, it's probably worth mentioning that I have no idea what I'm doing. I'll be making this up as I go along, which is how I do most things, for better or for worse. It will mostly be a challenge not to copy Arseblog word for word, but I'll try. As for how this is going to go, such as whether there will be regular features or not, I haven't a clue. I'll cross those bridges once I come to them. For now, it's all about getting my rambling thoughts collected and posted here, loving and supporting the Arsenal and seeing where this journey takes us from here. I couldn't be more excited for things to get started this season.
So, why now?
I guess after supporting the club since 2003 and seeing our very well-documented nine-year trophy drought end, I was inspired carve out a unique niche among Arsenal fans, one that extends beyond watching the matches and wearing their jerseys and stuff. Furthermore, seeing the reactions of fans from all over the world to the FA Cup win reminded me that the scope of this club is global, indeed, and everyone belongs.
This past season was extremely cathartic for so many reasons, but winning the cup capped off a statement that Arsenal was back among the top clubs in the world again after not really being there for several years. Even before we won the cup, there was a noticeable difference among Arsenal fans I encountered this past season. Being top of the table for so much of the season certainly had something to do with it, but more people complimented me for wearing my jersey in the street or at the bar and I just felt a happiness and feeling of pride more than ever before. I'm guessing anyone who made the trip to New York for the Red Bulls match experienced this, but it's such a bizarre feeling to encounter a total stranger and have them feel almost like family if they're wearing Arsenal colors.
The way we're conducting transfer business this summer suggests that our sights are set firmly back to the very top, signing the electrifying Alexis Sanchez and replacing our departed players early in the summer transfer window. Of course, our Premier League and European rivals are strengthening around us, too, but this time it doesn't feel as though the other clubs are running laps around us. Arsenal is setting themselves up to be right in the thick of things, in the league and in Europe. Truthfully, it's where we always belonged. It's just good that we're actually giving it a go this time.
Before I close, it's probably worth mentioning that I have no idea what I'm doing. I'll be making this up as I go along, which is how I do most things, for better or for worse. It will mostly be a challenge not to copy Arseblog word for word, but I'll try. As for how this is going to go, such as whether there will be regular features or not, I haven't a clue. I'll cross those bridges once I come to them. For now, it's all about getting my rambling thoughts collected and posted here, loving and supporting the Arsenal and seeing where this journey takes us from here. I couldn't be more excited for things to get started this season.
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