Ten days of mixed performances and erratic reactions

 Analysis, Arsenal News  1 Response »
Oct 022012
 

I often find myself without the time to write regularly for this blog, to preview each match and review it afterwards, to analyse on a day-by-day basis and to react in a timely fashion to anything interesting going on. More often than not I find myself, as I do tonight, summing up a longer period of time, rather than an individual moment.

That can have its disadvantages – no-one really wants to read my take on the nuances of a game that happened a week ago, but it does also have the occasional benefit, such as the forcing of analysis over a longer period of time than ninety minutes.

The last ten days have been telling, both on and off the pitch. After the Man City game, an excellent performance in which we matched the champions stride for stride on their own turf, many believed us to be genuine title contenders. Fast forward a week to a home defeat against Chelsea, and the majority view was that we still have the same old problems and will challenge for nothing. But the ability and aptitude of the squad doesn’t change dramatically in seven days, so what gives?

The answer is simple – neither conclusion can be gleaned from a single match. Teams play badly and lose some weeks, yet raise their game on other occasions and pull out impressive victories. Both extremes are felt by every single team in the league, and neither sets the tone for the season or can be used as a barometer for overall success or failure. For the bigger picture, you have to look at a string of games to see whether the great or terrible performance was the oddity.

The defeat to Chelsea was only our first of the season, not that you necessarily would have known that from the reaction. Having already faced Man City, Liverpool, Stoke and Montpellier on our travels, that is actually quite impressive. Our ability to fight and come from behind has already been shown on a few occasions, while certain players, including new signings Podolski and Cazorla, have shone. There is also real evidence that from open play at least, our defensive stability is greatly improved.

On the flip side, our goalkeeping situation is still an issue, with the two incumbents being at fault for at least three goals already this campaign, and we haven’t yet found a way to effectively replace the goals of He Who Must Not Be Named. Giroud is taking the flak, which I think it unfair – if he manages fifteen goals this season then I think he has done his job, and it is also up to the likes of Gervinho, Walcott, Cazorla and Podolski to head towards double figures. Share the burden, and all that.

But overall, I think we’re doing okay. The ten days may only have gleaned one point, but there were the aforementioned excellent and poor performances, which could easily have resulted in a win and a loss, or two draws. Neither went or way. In between, we thumped Coventry in the Carling Capital One Cup. Add those mixed days to a start that has been highly encouraging and I don’t think we should be sounding the alarm just yet.

For me, our main issue is that we need to cut out the stupid goals. The only one we have conceded that didn’t feel daft was actually the consolation Coventry managed last week – every other one has either been the result of a goalkeeping howler or an avoidable free kick. That needs to improve, and that it can be identified so easily will hopefully lead to such improvement.

But in the immortal words of Douglas Adams, Don’t Panic. Losing at home to Chelsea is always painful, and it wasn’t a good performance, but it also doesn’t mean that your eyes were deceiving you on every other occasion this season. It is how we bounce back that counts.

Champions League tomorrow, and Sam Allardyce at the weekend. Time to focus on what is coming.

 Posted by Pete (The Beautiful Groan) at 9:01 pm

Cazorla for Song is the completion of a midfield restructure

 Analysis, Arsenal News  61 Responses »
Sep 012012
 

The transfer window has shut, and as many suspected, we were largely inactive in the final few days, managing only to shift Bendtner and Park out on loan, trimming players from the wage bill who did not feature in our plans for the season ahead. Since then, there has been quite the reaction, with many dismayed at the lack of arrivals, particularly following the departure of Alex Song. I’ll address this in a moment, because I’ve suspected for a while that Song’s replacement is not who you would expect, but first I want to remove a misconception that I’ve seen floating around, repeated by many.

Statistical warping

If you have been on Twitter over the last 24 hours, you may have seen the line ‘three in, thirteen out‘ bandied around. This is, no matter how you look at it, factually incorrect, indicating that we have ten less players than last season. The thirteen not only include players that were never going to make it at Arsenal, but players who were previously out on loan. For example, Bendtner was out last season as well as this – if you count loans in your ‘ins and outs’, then he is actually both. Alternatively, if you don’t, then he is neither. Similarly, Carlos Vela was out on loan last year and has now been sold. And if you are going to count the return of Benayoun to Chelsea, then you also have to include the return of Arshavin.

My point is simply that those 3-13 numbers are nothing more than a statistical lie. The reality is that we have lost two players who had anything to do with our first team squad, both of them key starters (Van Persie and Song), plus the bit-part loanee Benayoun. In return, we have gained three first team starters (Podolski, Giroud, Cazorla) and gained back a bit-part squad member in Arshavin. Whatever way you look at it, whether you include loans or not, we have a first team squad one member bigger than before.

Of course, the quality and the balance is the real question, and I will address that later in the week. Before then, I want to tackle the issue of Alex Song’s departure.

The midfield restructure

For a number of years, Wenger favoured a sole holding midfielder, tasked almost exclusively with shielding the back four and moving the ball forward to the playmakers in front of him. Gilberto is probably the most successful exponent of the role, with his ability to find the key destructive positions perfectly matched with his short passing accuracy, enabling him to locate the deadly talents that made up the forward line of the Invincibles.

When he made the switch to 4-3-3, he remained true to the concept of having a single ‘defensive’ midfielder, with the rest of the three man core being a two-pronged creative hub, sharing the responsibility of getting the wide men into dangerous positions and supporting the central striker on the goalscoring front. It would be fair to say that the new tactical layout has had mixed success, with us demonstrating a particular vulnerability to the counter attack, perhaps not surprising when five players (the front three plus the two creative central midfielders) do not have defensive responsibilities as a high priority.

Sometime in the last 18 months, Wenger decided to change approach. More and more we’ve seen the midfield triangle reversed – instead of one holder and two attacking players, two have sat with one further forward. This has two major effects:

a) It allows the two sitting midfielders to create more. While both still have defensive responsibilities, the sharing of these means that either or both can venture forward and look to add more to the creative side of the game. Alex Song has actually been one of the main beneficiaries here – with Arteta pairing him in the sitting role last season, he was allowed more creative freedom, leading to his impressive assists tally.

b) It adds more pressure to the man at the point of the midfield triangle. While the sitting pair gain support from their partner, the man further forward becomes the hub through which the team play and can become isolated if they aren’t up to it. This was a problem last season, with no-one able to dictate the play as we would want. Many were tried, but no-one really rose to the admittedly difficult task, which lead to the sitting two moving further forward to support their teammate, which in turn led to a big gap between defence and midfield, and to the overexposure of the back four. In my opinion, our defensive issues actually stemmed from a lot further up the field.

All change in the midfield

This season, I think Wenger found his man – the player able to control the match from the front of the triangle, and cope with the pressure and responsibility that comes with that. That man is Santi Cazorla. Many believe him to be Cesc’s replacement, and while I can see the reasoning behind this, I’m not sure it is all that simple. By deploying Cazorla in the key position behind the front three, we can play with two sitting midfielders without lacking in creativity.

In turn, having two sitting midfielders alleviates the need for either of them to be a ‘true’ defensive player. Instead, both have the remit of good positional play, shielding the back four where necessary, but also they need a creative side to their play, most importantly a quick creative ability. What I mean by that is that they need to be able to take the ball from the defence and move it quickly forward, able to feed Cazorla or the wide players with razor-sharp passing. And once you make that the definition of the role, is Song the right man?

I don’t want you to think that I am rewriting history – Alex Song is a very good player and is certainly capable of playing that role. But we have other players equally able to sit with discipline and create at speed – Arteta is the obvious one, but Wilshere is the man I believe the role suits best. Rosicky also turns and moves forward quickly, and it is also Diaby’s best position for as long as he remains fit.

My perfect midfield trio is Arteta and Wilshere sitting behind Cazorla, and I don’t think Song could displace any of them as first choice. I think Wenger has taken a look at the squad, at how many players can play in that pair (where Song would be deployed) and considered that a player who is causing a few problems is not worth keeping when a decent offer comes in.

I don’t actually think Song will be missed – as I said, I think we have plenty of players for the sitting pair positions. My concern is further forward – when Cazorla doesn’t play, we have the same options as last season in the more advanced role – Ramsey, Chamberlain and Arshavin, assuming he sticks around. It is a lot to ask of the former pair to take on the responsibility currently on Cazorla’s shoulders, and I wouldn’t want to push Wilshere into the role just yet either. It is why the pursuit of Sahin made sense – sharing the advanced role with Cazorla would mean we are well covered in all areas.

That, of course, didn’t happen, but I still think we’ve got more numbers in there than people realise. And with Cazorla the new jewel in our crown, our midfield finally has the shape that I believe Wenger has been seeking. Now we just need them to click.

 Posted by Pete (The Beautiful Groan) at 11:07 pm

Premiership preview 12/13 + a few van Persie thoughts

 Analysis, Arsenal News, Transfers  16 Responses »
Aug 172012
 

Our summers are nothing if not dramatic. I’ve been largely ignoring it for the past few weeks – ever since van Persie’s original statement I’ve felt a little jaded by the whole thing, and haven’t had the desire to track it, or write about it, on a daily basis. Kudos to those who manage to blog without a break – goodness knows I needed one.

But now, it has happened. Our captain, our best player, the talisman of our football club, has left. And not just anywhere – to one of our fiercest rivals, certainly the club with which our manager has had the strongest and most long-lasting rivalry. It is a momentous day, and not for the right reasons.

Despite all of that, I feel strangely cold about the whole situation. Since his dreadfully worded plea to get the fans on his side, I, along with many of you, had accepted that is was only a matter of time before he left. With Juventus the only destination that wouldn’t sting, it became about getting the best deal possible. When the Italian club dropped out of the running, it became clear that United were a more realistic prospect than we had guessed at the outset. I don’t know whether that preparation softened the blow, or whether the fee we’ve managed to extract has helped (it certainly seems that we have been compensated for where he is going) but somehow I’m shrugging and looking forward to Saturday.

That isn’t to say that this doesn’t hurt from a football point of view. It does – we’ve lost one of the world’s best players, who has been performing at the peak of his powers for eighteen months. Those who write him off based on his injury record are wrong on two counts – firstly he has been fit enough for long enough to suggest that he will be fine next season, and secondly, he actually isn’t injury prone. Yes, you read that correctly.

Van Persie isn’t injury prone. He has been the victim of a number of poor challenges, which have caused a variety of impact injuries. Crucially, it hasn’t been the same body part each time – he isn’t a Michael Owen, who is only a few games away from twanging what remains of his hamstring. I’d actually compare him to Gael Clichy, who suffered a myriad of bad injuries early in his career, all through sheer dumb luck. Once that luck turned, his availability became constant, and the same is true of the Dutchman. So prepare yourself to see him play plenty of matches next season.

I’m sure many of you are angry right now. But frankly, if your ire isn’t aimed squarely at the player, it is misdirected. All his claims to be ‘always Arsenal’ are laughable – he has merrily gone to a hated rival, something a true Gunner would never do. I can understand his reasons, perhaps you can too. But he isn’t a Gunner.

My advice? Move on. We’ve signed three very exciting players this summer, and I think two more will come in before the end of August, especially if Alex Song does boost the coffers further with a move to Spain. We’ve survived big name departures before. We will again. I know we seem to be saying that a lot (which is an entirely different discussion), but we always survive.

As for van Persie? Could have been a legend, but is no more. Was a good player for us, a good captain too, but ultimately chose to throw loyalty back in the faces of those who showed it to him in spades.

Season preview

Time to move on from all that. We are tantalisingly close to the start of a new season, and despite the events of this week, I am more optimistic than I have been in years. Every year, I make a few predictions at this time, and last year‘s actually turned out to be pretty decent. So here we go again:

League Position – 3rd

I think we’ll finish behind the same two sides again this season – both Manchester clubs. However, there is a big difference – I think we’ll be closer to them, and further ahead of the rest. I’d go as far as to say we’ll be in the title hunt until March at the earliest, but ultimately fall short, perhaps by 7-9 points. I’m going with City to retain, with Spurs (yes, Spurs) finishing fourth. Chelsea are my tip to struggle this time around – I don’t think Di Matteo is the man to lead them over a whole season. Liverpool will take time to adapt to Rodgers.

Arsenal Players to Watch

Vermaelen – it might seem strange to pick one of our best players as one to watch this year, but I really think Vermaelen, complete with armband, will step up in a big way. Outshone by Koscielny last season, I fully expect him to take to leadership like a duck to water, and be one of the very best around.

Ramsey – this time last season, young Ramsey was placed under ridiculous pressure. Only a matter of months after recovering from a career threatening injury, he was asked to do too much in the absence of our missing midfield, and never really recovered. By the end of the season, physical fatigue had added to emotional strain, factors that too few fans accounted for. But his character is strong, he never stops trying and he never hides. Unless less scrutiny, I expect him to resume the giant strides he was making before that Stoke oaf came along.

Cazorla – seriously, just watch the guy, enjoy, and try to work out exactly how we got him on the cheap.

Gervinho – talent isn’t a problem, confidence is. But Gervinho has been showing great signs in pre-season, and is another I expect to raise his level this year.

Concerned about

Wilshere – this time last season I predicted a tricky campaign for Wilshere. Expectations were insanely high, such is the talent of the kid, and his nationality meant the pressure would be intensified. I said at the time that his first dip in form would be greeted with derision from the areas of the press who believed he had been hyped up far enough. This all still stands, but his long term injury almost guarantees that his early form will be patchy. He also doesn’t have the benefit of pre-season, and will return in the Autumn a step or two behind the rest. Keep expectations reasonable.

Diaby – such a talent when fit. Never fit for long enough. I would love nothing more than to see Diaby string 20 games together, to remind us how good he can be as much as anything. But I just don’t think he will – he has practically had to relearn how to walk after the consistent problems caused by that Dan Smith ‘tackle’, and that doesn’t lend itself to staying healthy under pressure.

Other titbits

Can we win a trophy this season? Yes, if luck falls our way. It will be a domestic cup if we get one, and you always need a little bit of luck to capture one of those.

Our defence will be much improved. Vermaelen + Koscielny + Mertesacker + Sagna + Gibbs + Santos + Bould. I like that.

Overall, I’m really quite optimistic. I’m sure many will consider that misguided, but for some reason I just think we’ll surprise people this year. What do you think?

 Posted by Pete (The Beautiful Groan) at 12:36 am

Arsenal in 2011/12 – High and Lows (and predictions revisited)

 Analysis, Arsenal News  1 Response »
Jun 072012
 

Football is nearly upon us once again, and although it isn’t the warm glow of an Arsenal game to look forward to, it is a potentially entertaining European Championships. Starting, of course, will the stellar fixture of Poland v Greece. Mmm, mouthwatering.

In all seriousness, it should be good, and tomorrow I’ll be previewing it, and reintroducing a feature from World Cup 2010 – daily betting tips (which actually went quite well). But before all that, there is still Arsenal ground to cover, and a season to review. An analysis of the squad will come later, this post is all about the highs and lows of a rollercoaster season, plus a look back at how off-target some of my pre-season predictions were. Let’s get straight to it.

Best: Player

Might as well start with the easy one.

Not only our best player, but the best player in the league. Robin van Persie finally had the season that he had been threatening to have for some time – the previous two were prolific but cut short by injury, but this time that season-ender never came, and he ended up top scorer in the league, almost single handedly dragging us into third place after the most inauspicious of starts. His contract situation loomed over the season like a threatening shadow, but that cannot take away from the magnificent way he has performed, as a player and as a captain. Top class.

That isn’t to say we are a one man team – there were others who were superb this season, but it would be a fallacy to look anywhere but at the Dutchman for this award.

Best: Performance

Tricky one, this. The second leg against Milan was one of the most spirited displays of recent years, but it suffers for being ultimately fruitless. The 5-3 victory at Stamford Bridge was spectacular, but Chelsea were defensively so abject that day that it is difficult to know whether it was us being excellent or them being awful. For plain old scorelines, the 7-1 hammering of Blackburn was satisfying too, especially after the awful defeat there early in the season.

But the winner has to the the 5-2 victory in the North London Derby. Two goals down approaching half time, and staring at a potential thirteen point deficit to our fierce rivals, it felt like a tipping point, like the balance of power, so often said to be shifting, was actually headed their way. But a determined fightback followed by a second half carnival put paid to all of that, sent Spurs into a tailspin and proved that North London remains proudly red. Mind the gap indeed.

Best: Moment

John Terry slipping to let van Persie in for a winner at Stamford Bridge? Vermaelen running the full length of the pitch to score late against Newcastle? Van Persie scoring a sublime injury time winner at Anfield, after we had been under the cosh?

All worthy candidates, but yet one sticks out, head and shoulders above the rest. January 9, and the return of Thierry Henry. A fairly dire FA Cup tie was heading to a replay we could very much do without, but with an intelligent run, sublime touch and inch perfect finish Henry wrote himself a new chapter in the history of Arsenal Football Club. Every Arsenal fan watching went completely bonkers, and even cynical fans of other clubs were forced into accepting that this was a magical moment.

Best: Goal

Walcott’s goal against Chelsea sticks in my mind as one of the most underrated goals of the season, his quick feet weaving his way past defenders after he had confused them by getting up off the ground. Arteta’s strike against Man City was pretty special too. But it was inevitable that van Persie would claim this award too – the only question being which goal? His volley at Anfield was sublime, his curling effort against Spurs crucial. But it was the first of his magnificent volleys – against Everton – that stood out. Song’s chipped ball was perfect, and with one lash of his left boot the ball flew into the corner. A wonderful goal.

Most Crucial: Moment

It would be easy to point to the final day of the season and say the win at West Brom was vital. And indeed it was. But I believe there was one more critical still, way back in August, amidst the worst start the club has seen in years. Holding a single goal lead over an impressive Udinese, they threatened time and time again in the second leg, but we held them at bay, leading 2-1 going into the final stages. But when the Italians were awarded a penalty, our place in the Champions League was threatened. Szczesny pulled off a brilliant save, and we qualified for the group stages.

It doesn’t bear thinking what the consequences of defeat could have been. Finances would have been stretched, signings would have been more difficult, and third place almost definitely would have been missed. There was (rightly) doom and gloom around the club in those moments, but that game remains one of the most important of recent years. We came through.

Worst: Performance

There were a few candidates for the best performance of the season, likewise there were some abject ones. The 8-2 at Old Trafford is the obvious one, while the defeats at Milan and Sunderland in the Champions League and FA Cup were immensely disappointing. The late season loss at home to Wigan was a classic in our catalogue of taking opponents lightly.

But one match still sticks in my craw – the 4-3 defeat at Blackburn at the start of the season. Make no mistake about it, Blackburn were appalling in the early days of this campaign, and we handed them victory in one of the most self-destructive displays I’ve ever seen. Awful defending, two own goals, and an embarrassing display against a team who were pretty hopeless themselves.

Worst: Disappointment

The dreadful start to the season? Jack’s injury? The August departures?

For me, it was none of those, but the FA Cup defeat to Sunderland in February. With the league form stuttering, and coming three days after a battering in Milan, the FA Cup was our last realistic shot at silverware. Furthermore, the competition was opening up – Man City had already gone out to their city rivals, who had then lost to Liverpool in the next round. But despite all of that, the performance was flat, and we crashed out. A really poor day.
——-

Overall, it was a season packed with highs and lows, but in the cold light of day, third place wasn’t that bad. The gap between us and those above us is concerning, as is the nature with which we claimed third spot, relying heavily on the inconsistency of our rivals. But in a season that started so poorly, third was a remarkable recovery.

So how did the season stack up against my predictions from August? Time for a bit of a recap. This could be embarrassing…

League Prediction – 3rd (Man United champions)

“We’re better than Liverpool and Spurs, we’re behind United and Chelsea, and City will get distracted by a Champions League run. Third it is.”

Not too bad. We were indeed better than Liverpool and Spurs, and we were behind United. We did also finish third, as I had predicted, but I got the two nouveau riche clubs the wrong way around, believing Chelsea would be challenging for the title while Man City languished behind. The lifting of the Premiership by the latter remains my biggest surprise of the season amongst the top teams.

Cup Prediction – kids in the Carling Cup, and a run in the FA Cup

The domestic cup performances were some of the most disappointing of the season. Out of the Carling Cup early to Man City, we lost weakly to Sunderland to exit the FA Cup (which I really fancied us for this year). The Champions League was better – we got through a tough qualifying round and a tricky group before losing heavily in Milan. Let’s hope for better next season.

Transfer Prediction – Cesc, Nasri, Almunia, Bendtner and Eboue to leave, one central defender and one central midfielder to arrive

Not far off. Four of the five left, albeit one on loan, while Almunia has now followed. Mertesacker and Arteta filled the spots I was expecting, but Santos and Benayoun were bonuses. The less said about Park, the better.

Player of the Season – Thomas Vermaelen

“A fit season could see him establish himself as one of the finest defenders in the league.”

Yes and no. Vermaelen is a crucial member of our team, but while his spirit and his surges forward are terrific, he did have more defensive lapses than would be expected of a defender touted as one of the best around. Ironically, I don’t actually believe his performances were the best of our centre halves this season, which leads neatly to…

Breakthrough of the Season – Laurent Koscielny

“I’m plumping for another defender, a man who impressed me greatly last season, and could really push on this year. He was inconsistent as times in his debut season, but I expect bigger and better things this time around.”

Bingo! I got one right, at least. Koscielny was fantastic this season, his quiet efficiency at centre half bringing calm and stability to our defence when all around was chaotic. Yes, we conceded a lot, but finger cannot and should not be pointed at the Frenchman, who was not only one of our best, but one of the league’s best.

Press Target – Jack Wilshere

“The media love to build someone up and then pull the rug from under their feet, and it feels like they’ve pushed him as high as they are willing to. Expect a media bashing when he has the inevitable dip that all young players have.”

I stick by this one, and will carry it over to next season. Wilshere is still a young man, and will now have the challenge of coming back from a long term injury, never an easy thing, even without being labelled the most exciting young English talent of a generation. He will be up and down when he returns – all young players are – and the press will strike.

Fan Target – Marouane Chamakh

“Chamakh can expect some unhelpful abuse from the unhelpful idiots who think lambasting a player short of confidence is someone conducive to helping your team.”

The form of van Persie prevented the Moroccan being on the field enough to really spark the ire of the fans, so instead their anger was turned on Aaron Ramsey, one of the most baffling fan decisions I’ve known. In recent years we’ve seen many turn on Denilson for his laziness, Bendtner for his arrogance, and Eboue for his theatrics. Those are all reasonable in their own way, as each of those players could be incredibly infuriating.

But we have always claimed that we would never turn on a player who is trying their best, who is putting in the hard yards to make the most of their ability – the Ray Parlour rule, if you like. Yet this season we broke that rule spectacularly by vilifying a man who never hides, never ducks out, but whose youth and recovery from a serious injury meant that his form was patchy.

With every scream of abuse the Welshman received, my heart sank a little more. He simply didn’t deserve it.

And that is it for 2011/12. A season packed with incident, it will not be looked back on with much fondness, save for some memorable moments. Ultimately, we escaped with third, and must now embark on a summer unlike the last.

Tomorrow I’ll be back with a European Championship preview, and will try to squeeze in a squad analysis at some point too. Football returns!

 Posted by Pete (The Beautiful Groan) at 11:45 pm

A week of unwarranted angst

 Analysis, Arsenal News, Matches  17 Responses »
Apr 232012
 

Morning all.

Arsenal fans don’t take a lot of riling. Most football fans are a sensitive bunch, but it seems that our club has more than its fair share of the bipolar. One minute we are a signing or two away from seriously challenging for honours next season, the next we’re doomed to abject mediocrity. And often the difference is the width of the post. Literally (not in a Redknappian sense, but actually literally).

This post is going to require a preface, so here we go – one point from a pair of homes games isn’t a great return, and neither performance could be described as inspiring, or will live long in the memory. But I’m still left with the confused view of a man who seems to have seen a different couple of games from the most vociferous of supporters. The team were accused of things I don’t believe to be accurate, and the wrong players continue to be singled out for unnecessary and frankly pathetic abuse. Let’s start with Wigan.

Wigan

The general consensus from the Wigan game is that we were complacent. Lazy. Felt we just ‘needed to turn up to win’ (or whatever that ridiculous phrase is). It has become accepted fact that we breezed through the game without a care in the world, handing a victory to the opposition without putting up a fight.

That’s not what I saw.

I saw a poor performance. I saw players making the wrong decisions in the final third, players not quite connecting with their efforts on goal as they would like, players who occasionally mislaid crucial passes. And of course, I saw a shabby opening fifteen minutes that ultimately cost us the game.

However, I did see effort. I saw a team desperately looking to break down an impressive Wigan team who defending manfully and skilfully. I saw players making passes that were inches away from being perfect. I saw tracking back, and determination going forward. In essence, I saw what I wanted to see – a team who wanted to win and were willing to put in the hard yards to do so.

Sometimes, you don’t win football matches, and it isn’t always because you were complacent. I feel people are too quick in their efforts to find snap explanations for draws and defeats – it always has to be because we were lazy, or that at least three players were a disgrace to the shirt. You never hear anyone say ‘sometimes, shit happens‘. Look at United yesterday – 3-1 and 4-2 up against an Everton side who have struggled for goals, and they blew it, drawing 4-4 and letting City back into the title race. Were they complacent? Were they cocky? Or was it just one of those days?

Hats off to Wigan, by the way. They were brilliant on the night. We all stayed behind to applaud them off, which felt like a nice touch (well, when I say ‘all’, I mean those that remained – around me I reckon only about one in three seats were still occupied at the final whistle, which I hated). I hope they stay up, I really do.

Chelsea

And so to Saturday lunchtime, and a home game against a Chelsea side who made some changes and parked the bus ahead of their second leg with Barcelona on Tuesday night. Last time we watched Chelsea on a Saturday lunchtime, they played out a bore draw with Spurs, and this was no different. Calling it attritional would be paying it a compliment. Yet we still had the best chances – Van Persie would normally bury at least one of his, hitting the post from Walcott’s free kick and firing straight at Cech later on, while Koscielny was also unlucky to see his header crash back off the crossbar. In a week where the woodwork favoured Chelsea enormously, they could and should have lost to us and Barcelona, but escaped on both occasions. That isn’t to say that we were complacent, poor or lazy, or even that Chelsea defended that well, but sometimes you get matches were the narrow margins go against you.

Consider this. For about three years, Chelsea beat us routinely, both home and away. And what’s more – we got used to it. We went into games hoping for a result, but secretly preparing for the inevitable defeat. Now, they come away from the Emirates delighted with a fortunate point that doesn’t even help them that much, while we look on, disappointed. How times change.

Players

Not only did I feel that some of the reporting of the team performances this week was inaccurate, but I felt the assessment of some of the individual players was off kilter too. I think most of us would accept that Arsenal fans have particular targets when things aren’t going well, and while some of that is borne out of a succession of poor displays or poor attitude (read: Eboue), some of it is less warranted. The usual suspects bore the brunt again this week, none more so than Aaron Ramsey, who I will return to in a moment.

Do you know which players I thought were poor this week? Van Persie had two sub-par games, Song was below par too, Sagna was unusually shaky against Wigan, while Walcott did little in either game. Even the Ox was anonymous. Now, reading that list, I’m pretty sure I can gauge many of your reactions, and they will be angry. How dare I criticise those players, you may ask? Well, here’s the thing – you can say a player has had a poor week without abusing them, without saying they are crap or should be sold. There is a middle ground, which is this – each of the players I have listed, to different degrees, have had excellent moments this season, and I value every single one of them as a crucial part of this Arsenal team. But sometimes, players have poor games, and chances are, they are honest enough about it to admit when they do, and don’t seek to blame less culpable members of the team. So why do we?

Ramsey didn’t set the world alight in either game, but he did ok for me, particularly against Chelsea. We praise Rosicky for his endless running, yet conveniently ignore that Ramsey does the same thing. He is frequently compared to Denilson, which is among the worst links I’ve ever known. Denilson’s problems were two-fold – he didn’t try to create much, preferring the safe options, and he didn’t work hard enough to win the ball back when we lost it. Ramsey cannot be accused of either. He loses the ball precisely because he tries things, and he works his bollocks off trying to regain possession, particularly after his own mistakes. On Saturday, he copped abuse when he lost the ball to a man he never saw, and never got a shout about. Surely we should be criticising the lack of communication from his teammates?

I’m not saying Ramsey is on form. He isn’t. But when a player is off colour, all we ask is that he works hard to get himself back to previous heights, something that Arshavin, Denilson, Chamakh and others have failed to do. So why, when a player shows us the desire we’ve been crying out for, do we vilify him anyway?

When I hear the groans from the stands, when I hear the disgusting abuse some of these guys face from a minority of their own supporters, I find myself fearing what we could lose. We have some precocious talents at the club that have everything they need to have tremendous futures. I just hope they want to have that future with us. Sometimes, I wonder why they would.

 Posted by Pete (The Beautiful Groan) at 9:33 am
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