Arsenal has changed many times over recent years as we've sold on many players each year. But if the was one thing, our style remained the same in quick passing and holding onto the ball for a large period of time with so called 'tippy-tappy' football.
That style has change completely with the players capable of it, with the likes of Fabregas and Nasri gone, it's harder for us to keep a hold of the ball.
Okay we haven't had a full strength team out as of yet, but we can't hold onto the ball for more than 10 passes at best. Maybe this is due to a more direct play of football, but this brings pressure on us as we still aren't that solid at the back.
Mertesacker looks solid and class player who can get his foot in and his positioning is excellent as he seems to intercept the ball more often that not. However he'll only get better with Vermaelen next to him.
I have to mention Song was excellent last night against Olympiacos at the back, he was my man of the match, but wr miss him badly in the middle.
I've also noticed Arteta holds on the ball for too long and this slows down our attacks. It makes us less gung ho, which could benefit us.
Arsenal fans need to get used to the fact that we won't dominate and dictate the flow of the game from now on. So no mote groans when we let a pass go astray, no more moaning or booing.
Yes our clubs gone backwards, but what do you expect.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Showing posts with label Song. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Song. Show all posts
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Saturday, 6 August 2011
A Divorce Between the Fans and the Club
It seems ever since our move from Highbury to the Emirates, us loyal fans have had a slow divide between the board and manager. It seems the move to the Emirates just came before the economic crisis, which effectively made it more difficult for the fans to afford renewing their season tickets or memberships. The club however never decided to reduce the prices of their tickets for the economic downturn, only until VAT tax went down to 15% that they followed suit.
So the club kept on raking in large amounts of profit whilst loyal fans may not have afforded the price of a day out at their beloved team. In the 2008/09 season, people who had paid to see the likes of Denilson, Song (different player back then), Diaby, Bendtner, Eboue week in week out due to injuries and lack of investment, struggling for a win in every game in the winter period, fans started to raise their voices ever so slightly.
The cracks opened, and with cracks they'll always be more likely to get bigger and more noticeable. Back then we were in our 3rd season at the Emirates and we were expected to be settled by then after the year before we came close to winning the title before collapsing at the end (see a pattern?). The team needed investment for the new season and only Arshavin was brought in as a fix it, and that has been the only marquee signing in a while and he managed to help us secure a champions league spot.
The season after promised more yet again but we failed and the same last season. Every year passing by the team has been known to falter at the last hurdle and the opportunity of buying players with experience has arisen many times, yet Wenger is always after super quality.
What is super quality? The likes of Messi and Ronaldo are super quality. What Arsenal need is a just quality experienced players who know how to play their position and get stuck in. In other words a team player who will give their all. The fans know this and can see where we are going wrong with the players we have and ones we need.
This is why the fans moan and groan along with the ever increasing booing and demonstration/protests. It's not because they hate the club, it's because they care and the fans have become distanced with the disillusioned board and manager who aren't acting quick enough on transfers to secure the players we need. Peter Hill Wood isn't exactly helping matters between the relationship of the fans with the board by saying:
"As Arsene said, we are looking to buy some players but we are not going to do our business in public. They are going to have to be bloody patient – as we are."
“It is frustrating for both the fans and Arsene and the board."
Bloody patient? Manchester United have pretty much bought big signings this summer and they won the league last year with a not so great team and now they'll win it with the likes of De Gea and Ashley Young added.
The booing on Sunday just shows nothing has changed since last season apart from Gervinho giving us something to look forward to until he disappears to the African Cup of Nations. The chanting at Fulham away at the final game of last season, "Spend some f****** money!", shows what we haven't done this summer. All with below bar performances in all our pre-season matches this year, it shows no confidence for the season ahead.
Fans will start and most likely have started (like me) to wisely use their money for more useful purposes rather than on a club interested in making money and bringing in through kids. That project youth is now over and proven unsuccessful apart from Wilshere coming through and we should just go out and buy what we need.
Arsenal is just a frustrating club to support at the moment, and I believe we won't even make top 4 this season if we remain like this. Especially if Fabregas is sold, the last of our world class players would have left. The new Stadium has fed into greed from the board and left us fans separated, with us losing our club we used to love so dearly. Now I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a club we love to hate.
So the club kept on raking in large amounts of profit whilst loyal fans may not have afforded the price of a day out at their beloved team. In the 2008/09 season, people who had paid to see the likes of Denilson, Song (different player back then), Diaby, Bendtner, Eboue week in week out due to injuries and lack of investment, struggling for a win in every game in the winter period, fans started to raise their voices ever so slightly.
The cracks opened, and with cracks they'll always be more likely to get bigger and more noticeable. Back then we were in our 3rd season at the Emirates and we were expected to be settled by then after the year before we came close to winning the title before collapsing at the end (see a pattern?). The team needed investment for the new season and only Arshavin was brought in as a fix it, and that has been the only marquee signing in a while and he managed to help us secure a champions league spot.
The season after promised more yet again but we failed and the same last season. Every year passing by the team has been known to falter at the last hurdle and the opportunity of buying players with experience has arisen many times, yet Wenger is always after super quality.
What is super quality? The likes of Messi and Ronaldo are super quality. What Arsenal need is a just quality experienced players who know how to play their position and get stuck in. In other words a team player who will give their all. The fans know this and can see where we are going wrong with the players we have and ones we need.
This is why the fans moan and groan along with the ever increasing booing and demonstration/protests. It's not because they hate the club, it's because they care and the fans have become distanced with the disillusioned board and manager who aren't acting quick enough on transfers to secure the players we need. Peter Hill Wood isn't exactly helping matters between the relationship of the fans with the board by saying:
"As Arsene said, we are looking to buy some players but we are not going to do our business in public. They are going to have to be bloody patient – as we are."
Bloody patient? Manchester United have pretty much bought big signings this summer and they won the league last year with a not so great team and now they'll win it with the likes of De Gea and Ashley Young added.
The booing on Sunday just shows nothing has changed since last season apart from Gervinho giving us something to look forward to until he disappears to the African Cup of Nations. The chanting at Fulham away at the final game of last season, "Spend some f****** money!", shows what we haven't done this summer. All with below bar performances in all our pre-season matches this year, it shows no confidence for the season ahead.
Fans will start and most likely have started (like me) to wisely use their money for more useful purposes rather than on a club interested in making money and bringing in through kids. That project youth is now over and proven unsuccessful apart from Wilshere coming through and we should just go out and buy what we need.
Arsenal is just a frustrating club to support at the moment, and I believe we won't even make top 4 this season if we remain like this. Especially if Fabregas is sold, the last of our world class players would have left. The new Stadium has fed into greed from the board and left us fans separated, with us losing our club we used to love so dearly. Now I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a club we love to hate.
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
PREVIEW: Malaysia XI v Arsenal
First things first, before I get on to any kind of match pre-match build up. Arsenal have finally confirmed the capture of Gervinho, subject to a regulatory process. So we get another striker/winger who has plenty of pace and tricky. If anything this is a boost to the squad as it brings a new exciting face to the changing room. It should also push Theo Walcott to perform at an even greater level. I’m tempted to leave it at that for Gervinho as he hasn’t been fully unveiled yet on Arsenal.com. When the player does sign, I’ll be sure to write about him.
Match Preview
Malaysia XI v Arsenal
Pre-season Friendly
Pre-season Friendly
Bukit Jalil Stadium
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Kick-off: 13:45
So Arsenal have headed out to Malaysia to kick off their pre-season matches. They have been training out in Malaysia in temperatures of 30’C, along with humidity of 80%. That is sure to help make the players even fitter than their previous outings in pre-season in Austria.
The team that has flown out to Malaysia is quite a strong squad, although on a competitive scale this match isn’t important at all. It’s all about fitness first as becoming match fit is vital in order for the squad to maintain an extended good run of form into a long hard season in the Barclays Premier League.
There are a few big names in the squad with the following to choose from:
Goalkeepers:
Wojciech Szczesny, Vito Mannone
Defenders:
Sebastien Squillaci, Johan Djourou, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson , Laurent Koscielny , Armand Traore, Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna
Midfielders:
Samir Nasri, Alex Song, Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky, Denilson, Aaron Ramsey, Emmanuel Frimpong
Forwards:
Forwards:
Robin van Persie, Andrey Arshavin, Theo Walcott, Marouane Chamakh, Ryo Miyaichi, Carlos Vela
What of the opponent, you may be asking? Well it’s a national side we’re playing and it’s going to be a select eleven or squad for Malaysia. They haven’t got many well-known football stars, however the East Asian national teams tend to have a high work ethic and I’m sure that our players will be given the run around.
As it’s our first game the players will be rotated quite a bit and we may see a strong team first half and more squad players in the second. It could also be as mixture of first teamers with squad players. Personally Arsene should try and start with his strongest team possible and even try out Ryo Miyachi, who is a very promising youngster that we all wish can stay with Arsenal for the upcoming season.
So to keep things short, here is the team I would like to see start the match tomorrow:
Arsenal
Szczesny
Sagna Djourou Vermaelen Gibbs
Song Wilshere
Walcott Nasri Miyachi
van Persie
Prediction
Malaysia XI 1-4 Arsenal
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