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Derby Day: Arsenal Underdogs But By No Means Dog Meat

October 1, 2011 — by Rob Kirby

So, up next, the North London derby Sunday at White Hart Lane. The most honorable Arsenal travel down the road to duke it out with Tottenham’s lily-livered lily whites, new and improved with former Gunner Adebayor. Yes, everyone’s favorite Togolese traitorous mercenary who, when he’s not enjoying long walks with sharp spikes over former teammate’s faces and ankles, enjoys long runs to rub salt in the wounds of the away support.

Arsenal bring the Cannon to a cock fight.

And the sad fact is Adebayor will almost certainly score in the match tomorrow. First, he is still an amazingly fast and effective goalscorer when motivated, and vocal ex-supporters baying for his blood by name is nothing if not motivational. He’s in form having scored three goals in three games since arriving on loan from Manchester City. And most importantly, he’s playing against the Arsenal. Even David Bentley scores if it’s against his old club.

And then there is the little matter of the defense: Mertesacker stands alone as the one fit center half, with Alex Song filling in for Vermaelen/Koscielny/Djourou, while Frimpong/Coquelin fill in for him. When they’re not filling in for Wilshere/Diaby, of course. Space requirements prevent any semblance of a detailed list of recent defensive atrocities. Let’s just say it’s been bad. And that dastardly entity Own Goal refuses to stop billowing the back of the Arsenal net outward.

However, despite the fact that Tottenham go into this match with a very dangerous squad and all the talking heads tip them to win, this current Arsenal team can still win big matches, even in its beleaguered and injured state. It’s hard to be supremely confident, certainly. Arsenal on any given day can be great or they can be awful. Even within a given day, they can be both (Blackburn) and frequently are. But when Oxlade-Chamberlain or Walcott get into Speedy Gonzalez mode, or when Gervinho’s not dribbling the ball directly into another player, or when van Persie’s fit and firing, Arsenal are still capable of giant slaying, let alone competing with a fellow team who similarly sees 4th as the highest they can realistically go in the league.

Against Olympiakos, Arsenal finally got their passing game back, thanks to Arteta. Arteta now looks fully bedded into the system and to my mind, his poise and playmaking were excellent. Arsenal still managed to make the Greeks look better than they are, but holding on in an admittedly nervy second half showed some of the grit and tenacity that has often been found lacking in recent sides, even if the team should have killed it off far earlier.

Anyway, I believe Arsenal will win. (Don’t look at me like that.) Would I be shocked if they found some ingenious new way to implode, however? No. I’ve seen too many recent Carling Cup finals, Blackburn own goals and Newcastle 4-4s for that. Oh yeah, and a certain nightmare 4-4 with Tottenham in October 2008, conceding the last gasp final two in seemingly as many minutes, in the 89th minute and injury time.

The Arsenal defense is in tatters, but for all the goalfest against Liverpool, the Tottenham goal difference is at a decidedly “meh” 0, and in the “demolition” of Liverpool, the Merseyside outfit was down to 9 men. Admittedly, an Arsenal supporter walks on shaky ground talking about goal difference, but no one minds using it as a stick to beat Arsenal, so if it’s relevant on the one hand, it’s relevant on the other.

Tottenham have conceded 9 goals in 5 league games (granted, 8 of which came from both Manchesters, rather than just the one…). One can hardly adjudge Tottenham to have a rock-solid defense, especially with Gallas out. Experts deem Arsenal unlikely to leave the pitch with a clean sheet, but then I don’t expect Tottenham do so either. I expect more than a few goals this time around—it’s the derby way. I just hope the bigger number on the scoreboard ends up next to the name of the visitors.

Yes, Tottenham has displayed far more bite and consistency this season, and Van der Vaart, Bale, Modric and Adebayor may very possibly slice Arsenal’s “defense” to shreds. But I hardly think it’s a done deal. Van Persie, Gervinho, and even Walcott and Arshavin are more than capable of doing the same. Walcott and Gervinho face late fitness tests, and are both desperately needed, even if simply as impact subs (Walcott apparently the more likely of the two to pass fit). Benayoun may also re-enter the matrix, having returned to training after his muscular strain.

In an analysis of Szczęsny versus Friedel, there is no comparison. At the moment, Szczęsny could be considered the best ‘keeper in the Premier League. He could also be considered to be single-handedly manning all the defensive duties on the team. Without the incredible saves he’s pulled off in recent matches, Arsenal would have found themselves in even more dire straits. He gets more shot-stopping practice than his opposite numbers perhaps, but if the defense manages to finally pull it together, stand up and be counted—and derby day is when such things happen—the Red and Whites can definitely punish the lot with the cocks on their shirts.

So much rides on this game. A draw or a victory could see Arsenal’s confidence continue to grow, correct the team’s inconsistent take on consistency and secure much-needed points at the expense of rivals for 4th. A loss would strongly suggest the balance of power has indeed shifted in North London, and no one sane wants that to happen. One wishes Vermaelen and Wilshere could start, representing the team at its first-pick best, but going down that road, it would be great to still have Fàbregas and Nasri, and Bergkamp, Pires and Henry in their prime.

The Gunners we have are the Gunners who will or won’t carry it across the line. Here’s to an exciting match. May the Gunners come out victorious on their own merit, not by fluke but by proving their mettle against another very good team.

But if we have to win ugly or win lucky, I’m good with that…

I would expect the Arsenal lineup to look something like the following:

Szczęsny

Sagna – Mertesacker – Song – Gibbs

Arteta – Frimpong – Ramsey

Walcott – van Persie – Arshavin

Subs: (Santos, Benayoun, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosický/Gervinho, Jenkinson, Fabiański)

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Arsenal Squeak Past Swansea; Tough Germans Await

September 13, 2011 — by Rob Kirby

Arsenal travel to Borussia Dortmund to kick off the Champions League group stage tonight. Facing the German champions after a challenging start to the season and a crucial if somewhat underwhelming 1-0 win at the Emirates against Swansea City on Saturday is a tough task, but that’s the scenario. Of principle importance, the team quadrupled its points total in the league. No use wishing what else might have been.

It's always good to have your own giant German. And a pocket Russian.

The positives:

On Saturday, Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta made their first starts at the Emirates and put in solid performances for players who have had close to zero playing time with their teammates. Yossi Benayoun came on as a sub for his first performance in an Arsenal shirt as well. All put in solid shifts and with Ju-Young Park and Andre Santos warming up on the sidelines at various points, the new boys were in full effect.

(Meaningless to the team, but tremendously meaningful to me, it was my first visit to the Emirates, as well. The third row seat, right next to the Arsenal bench, pretty much ruled. More on which later.)

For the goal, Arshavin pounced on a freak goalkeeper error and slotted in a great goal from a tough angle. People will point to Vorm’s mistake, but the mercurial Russian came through before half-time with a great strike, one which proved to be the match winner. Arshavin has always had the talent, and on Saturday he came through when Arsenal needed him. It’s a good a time as any for a return to form, Andrey….

Meanwhile, Arteta showed poise under tough circumstances in his capacity as playmaker. Obviously Swansea does not have the reputation of a big name team, but they put up a fight with not inconsiderable pace. Keep in mind that Arteta was anticipating runs and weighting passes to players he can’t have trained with more than two or three times, as all the forwards had been on international duty since his deadline day signing. Mertesacker’s 6-foot 6 presence seemed massive, Koscielny played well and Szczęsny took total control of his area, with a few clinch saves. He truly seems like the man to keep the first ‘keeper place for years to come. He has all the self-confidence of pseudo-Gunner Bendtner but with the performances to back up the braggadocio. Chamakh came on and played well for the first time since nearly 10 months ago, and Coquelin also acquitted himself well.

As to the negatives, the second half was nervy and the crowd was jumpier than a virgin at a rodeo. (Sadly, I think I just stole that line from a long-ago episode of the Golden Girls. In fact, I know I did.) Like it or not, the Arsenal knows better than almost anyone how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. One never felt the game was locked up, and were it not for Szczęsny’s fantastic save 6 minutes from full time, it could easily have been a draw. Swansea doesn’t have the big name players, but they counterattacked with the quickness on several occasions. With a lesser man than Scszney in goal, they could very well have left the Emirates with a point. I, for one, am incredibly relieved they did not.

Van Persie had a less than stellar game. I had bet £10 on him to score first and £10 to score anytime in the match–it seemed like easy money, like taking candy from a baby–but such was not to be the case. He comported himself like a leader, though. With Walcott also having an off match, he looked isolated and squandered a few chances, but knowing his quality, knowing that he and Arteta will continue to form an understanding and knowing that Gervinho will soon (as in tonight) return in all his forward-bombing speediness augurs well. Frimpong looked tough–he’s a bruiser–but he too often gave away the ball carelessly, erasing all the hard work. The Ghanaian Mr. T will continue to improve, though.

Will Arsenal win tonight, or manage to take a point? Tough to call, as Dortmund are no chumps. A point, to my mind, would be more than acceptable, as Dortmund will very likely earn one of the top two spots and advance to the knockout rounds. Clubs encircled 19-year-old attacking midfielder Mario Götze like a pack of hyenas over the transfer window, but Dortmund was loathe to lose one of the top prospects in world football. The team has some dangerous players. Remember, these are the German champions, with one of the most solid home records and defenses around, having conceded only 8 goals last season. Not to belabor painful recent memories, but Arsenal conceded 8 in one game just over 2 weeks ago. This bears no further repeating, as it’s fully in the mind of the players and supporters. Time to replace it with fresh memories of winning ways.

Interesting factoid, a certain Tomáš Rosický (out with injury) scored two for Dortmund against Arsenal in the home 2-1 match in 2002 when they last met, surely a deciding factor on Wenger’s choice to snap him up in 2006.

Now is about looking forward. Now is about rebuilding and rediscovering the culture of winning and scrapping it out every single game, whether against mammoths or minnows. Ultimately, the Swansea match was about three points, and the points were secured. Arsenal no longer languish at the bottom of the league table. Should it have been 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1, 4-0, 7-0? Sure would have been nice (since I had £1 bets on the first five of those scorelines), but 3 points, even if a bit ugly, is all you can ask, especially in light August’s craptacular start.

If you want a sure win every time, with goals aplenty, support Barcelona (or one of the Manchesters). I am happy that Fabregas has returned to his wily ways and electric displays, but I support the Arsenal, so that is not a choice. And I despise all three of those teams, despite some of the incredible players on the payrolls. Of the 4 teams, only one is actually more than a club. (Hint: not the one that calls itself such as it nickles and dimes clubs into submission, yapping on and on about Barcelona DNA, perceived player grief and avenging the “kidnapping” of one of La Masia’s finest. Then, when they finally get their way, making the player himself pay part of his way, they brag about the great deal they got on said player, say Francesc Fabregas Soler, and how, no doubt about it, he was totally worth the asking price. More, even. They knowingly took money out of Cesc’s pocket. Keep it classy, Barcelona!)

Arsenal need to qualify for the knockout stages on merit. Putting in a solid performance against Dortmund would be a huge step towards that goal and a huge step towards cementing the team as a fully operational Death Star (I mean, “team”), new players fully integrated and folded into the mix. Gervinho and Song will be back. Arteta will make his first Champions League performance since his youth years at PSG and Rangers, and I imagine the 29-year old will work his ass off. It’s always good to have your own German giant when facing off against a team of such, so Mertesacker will provide a huge amount of presence and experience, and perhaps Santos or Park will make their Arsenal debuts. Seeing Mertesacker from close-up was sobering. He is a truly massive player. I have much faith he will become an equally enormous component to set pieces, both in defense and in headers in at the other end of the pitch.

Wenger misses out (nonsense UEFA ban), as do Wilshere, Rosický, Diaby, Ramsey and Vermaelen, but Arsenal have the firepower and the growing defensive solidity to compete. They just need the confidence, the mental focus and just maybe a pinch of luck. At the end of the day, the best team will win. Hopefully, the win over Swansea was the beginning of the much-vaunted turnaround, the “real” beginning to the season. But one game does not a season make. And even a victory against Dortmund will not put all the demons to rest, with a tough away fixture at Blackburn this weekend. As they say, though, you can only play the team in front of you, and though that team is no slouch, neither is Arsenal. Come on you Gunners. May tonight see the Arsenal rise to the occasion and Arteta taste the first of many future Champions League victories with his new team.

Expected starting XI:

Szczęsny

Sagna Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs

Arteta Song Benayoun

Walcott van Persie Gervinho

(Young guns Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Francis Coquelin, Ryo Myaichi and Carl Jenkinson did not travel to Germany this time around, but all the experienced new signings made the 18-man squad.)

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Arsenal’s Word of the Day: Pivotal

August 24, 2011 — by Rob Kirby

Some thoughts from Arsenal observer Rob Kirby ahead of their pivotal Champions League playoff match against Udinese later today:

Apparently, the last chance saloon is in Udine, Italy. I always wondered as to the exact location. Despite the fact that it would have scuppered the Man City deal, if Nasri played today it would have made sense both financially and sporting-wise. Arsenal will lose £20 million minimum (some say £25m) in TV revenue if they fail to qualify for the CL. Assuming the Nasri deal is £25m, that justifies hanging onto Nasri to my mind, since we seem to be incapable of finding anyone to replace him, anyway. Any hopes of attracting someone of Eden Hazard’s calibre hinges on playing in the European top flight. But all this assumes Nasri’s heart would be in it, and that is debatable. If we lose, according to CL rules, he wouldn’t be cup-tied, so no harm in having him on the bench. But at this point it’s water under the bridge, or water that passed beneath the bridge weeks ago.

Arsenal are like lepers currently. Prospective targets keep rejecting offers, right and left. That will change if the Udinese match goes North London’s direction, but it still leaves little or no time for squad reinforcements. Fortunately, all the teens did well against Liverpool, despite the loss. Fans seem to have cottoned to Frimpong’s energy instantly, red card notwithstanding. And though the Ramsey-Ignasi own goal combo was regrettably unlucky, I don’t think anyone would have preferred to see Squillaci in the young Spanish defender’s place. They got thrown in the deep end, but stayed afloat. It’s the senior players who dropped the ball. And there never should have been 3 teenage EPL debuts in such an important game, with a fourth coming on as a sub.

I will always be optimistic about Arsenal and Arsene’s abilities, but it’s getting tougher. Arsenal have now racked up 3 suspensions (almost 4, with Wenger awaiting the UEFA verdict) and until yesterday 6 injuries (Wilshere, Koscielny, Gibbs, Djourou, Rosický, Diaby, Traoré). Djourou, Rosický and Traoré have been deemed fit to travel, but they’ve got to be feeling on the iffy side of fitness. At least Gervinho and Song can play this week and have been rested.

But as demoralizing as it is, if Arsenal win, it could change the trajectory of the entire season. Much hangs in the balance tonight. There aren’t enough fingers to cross.

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Commentary England

Arsenal News Review Reviewed

August 15, 2011 — by Rob Kirby

Nonstop bitching about one’s team evokes the sentiment: If you hate the team so much, don’t watch them. Of course, if you’re from North London and have been a lifetime supporter of Arsenal, for example, you’re not just going to up and change allegiances to Tottenham or Manchester United. But once you’ve griped once, twice, three times, you’re out. Move on and shut the hell up.

But even more annoying are people who do not support the team, yet decide to tee off at every opportunity.

Myles Palmer runs a site called Arsenal News Review. He is a very intelligent writer, clearly knows the ins and outs of the sport and has written professionally about the game for many years. He wrote a book on Arsene Wenger that is always one of featured links on the homepage. He admits openly that he does not support Arsenal. Fair enough. However, he posts near-daily entries pointing out the many atrocities of Wenger and his “failed youth project.” He writes extensively about La Liga teams, often launches into diatribes on Arsenal as the 21st Ligue 1 side and is fixated on the English national team. He constantly beats Wenger with the stick of how the manager refuses to develop English talent, despite all evidence to the contrary.

If you despise Arsenal, why do you run a site called Arsenal News Review?

I wrote Palmer once and posed that question. I also suggested alternative, more accurate names for the site:

More Bitching About Wenger (subtitle: Don’t Forget to Buy the Book!)
Non-Arsenal News Review From a Non-Arsenal Fan

I have read the site for a few years, as a way to gauge the most negative possible sentiment of the team (counting my letter, this is I guess my second gripe—I get one more…). Now, however, I have decided to no longer put myself through the torture. The perspective is not only biased, but deeply flawed.

Palmer bashes Arsenal but religiously praises Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Why not forget about awful Arsenal and blog about one of the other teams?

Oh right, the book.

The site also contains music reviews and big-ups to other cultural phenomena. Because that’s what a site dedicated to Arsenal news review is all about.

But let’s address the issues:

Development of English talent. Wenger gave young Academy player Ashley Cole his early first team break, as he now has Kieran Gibbs in the same position. Wenger last year gave Wilshere, a product of the Academy, a huge opportunity at 18, putting him into the first team as he has done previously with young talents such as Fabregas and others. A teenage Theo Walcott went straight into the first team, as may Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, both of whom Wenger brought in from Southampton at considerable cost. If I’m not mistaken, Southampton still lies squarely on English soil. I will check again. Aaron Ramsey spent his final years schooling years at the Colney grounds and now claims a starting XI spot (but he’s Welsh, totally different kettle of fish). The half-English Carl Jenkinson has mooted the possibility of playing for the English side (currently plays for Finland, his “better” half). And Ghanaian-born Emmanuel Frimpong now plays for England—don’t let the name fool you.

Wenger is French and has connections in France that enable him to spot and secure talent at reasonable non-inflated prices. A few intelligent signings: Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera, Nicolas Anelka, Bacary Sagna, Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pires, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri…the list is too long. The business success of it, quite profitable, and they happened to be quite good on the pitch. Many an astute French African signing, as well.

At present, Sagna, Laurent Koscielny, Abou Diaby and Sebastien Squillaci are Arsenal’s French players on the senior squad (I think we can omit Nasri by now, and Squillaci might well get relegated to the reserves whenever a new defender arrives). Two played at Newcastle. Compare with Chelsea, who also played two on Sunday (Malouda and Anelka). That would make them as French as Arsenal. Chelsea are bucking to overtake Arsenal as the new 21st Ligue 1 side. Not only do they have also have a French 20-year old (Kakuta) and as many African Francophones (Drogba, Kalou, Essien) in the senior squad, they just signed a young Belgian goalkeeper. Mon Dieu!

Chelsea also had one Portuguese starter, two Portuguese on the bench and a Portuguese manager, who recently defected from Porto. They’re the 15th top-flight club of Portugal! Add three regular Brazilian starters (Luiz, Alex, Ramires), and there’s a whole lotta Portufrancophonics going on at Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, back in the UK, Wilshere, Ramsey, Gibbs and Walcott have broken into the current starting XI and as go-to subs. Frimpong came on as a sub on Saturday, likely soon to be joined by Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jenkinson, who both sat on the bench against Newcastle. Other Britishers given first team Premier League and Champions League playing time in the last year? Henri Lansbury, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Craig Eastmond and Thomas Cruise, as well as Mark Randall, Kyle Bartley and Gavin Hoyte in previous years.

By the way, if you don’t like non-Arsenal-bashing posts, don’t read ‘em.

Move along, nothing to see here.

Commentary England

Less Is More For Arsenal (A.K.A. Grasping at Straws)

August 7, 2011 — by Rob Kirby

I am an Arsenal fan. (It sounds like one’s first words at the first address of a self-help meeting.) I check the Web every day to see if finally the drip-drip waterboard torture is finally over and we’ve either signed someone (I quadruple finger-crossed on the Juan Mata deal; I’m still doing so) or resolved anything with regard to Fabregas and/or Nasri. But sometimes, you just have to let go. And on that note, time for something different.

By the standards of soccer allegiances and soccer fandom, I’m a newbie. And American, to boot. In 2006, an NYC friend who supported Arsenal wove a magical tale of a manager who could conjure success on a shoestring budget. He spotted the diamonds in the rough time and time again. He built a team that fought the good fight, sidestepped the slide tackles and nutmegged the thug teams with flowing, attractive play. Perhaps the team did not note-for-note emulate the total football of the 1970s Dutch national teams, but then, who did? Furthermore, we had Henry, the best player in the world, or so the song went. [Editor’s note: he was. Okay, that wasn’t the editor noting, it’s still me. But look at Henry’s goals on YouTube sometime. Cagey, cheeky Frenchman.]

Anyway, it occurred to me moments ago that for the first time in my tenure (obsession) with Arsenal that we now finally have a player who goes by one name. And he’s not even Brazilian. Just a good ol’ boy from the Ivory Coast named Gervais Yao Kouassi. I mean, Gervinho.

OK, caveat number one, we have/had Denilson, but I’m choosing to ignore him. He’s on loan, he’s disappointed greatly as a player, he causes nightmares in soccer dreams…so the assertion stands.

Caveat two, we had Eduardo, and Eduardo ruled until some Cro Magnon from Birmingham mistook Eduardo’s leg and ankle for a brick wall and mistook himself for the brick-busting Kool-Aid Man/ Pitcher. Nothing about it is funny, and it still pains me to have lost Eduardo, but I can’t help myself: “Oh yeah!” (I really do love the Kool Aid Pitcher guy.)

I should have chosen a different metaphor.

But my love for Eduardo’s fox-in-the-box style means that I have wholly blocked out this memory. He scored against us last year with Shakhtar Donetsk? What? Is that even a real team? Who are we talking about again? Ed-what? Crozillian? Doesn’t ring a bell.

Onward and upward. It can’t be denied that sometimes less is more. And please do me the favor of not reading this as some tired rationalization I’ve trotted out through the years re: endowment, or lack thereof. Get your minds out of the gutter and stick with me here: one namers bring success.

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