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Citeh Sent Packing

Restricted as I was to the ATVO offering and a quick look at the highlights later I am hardly in a position to offer a fair appraisal of last night’s performance.

The important thing is that the three points were secured and our free-scoring midfielders, Cesc and Tomas, scored for the seventy-second game in a row. (OK, the first seventy may have been on FIFA 07).

The side even felt sufficiently ashamed about not gifting the opposition their customary opening goal that they opted to compensate them with a soft equaliser. Apparently that led to some discontent in Ashburtons plush seats before Cesc calmed the nerves.

The clinching goal will have done no harm to the confidence of creator Hleb, and scorer Baptista. If they were to repeat that particular act at White Hart Lane on Saturday it would go a long way to securing favourable comment from their detractors.

The worst case finish for the Gunners would require either Everton or Bolton to win their final four games. Both still have to visit Chelsea and Everton also have Manchester United at home, so to my mind we are now one win away from the Champions League next season.

Away from the pitch it was interesting to see the Chairman assure us that Danny Fiszman and Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith have no intention of selling their shares, and our heritage, to the Colorado raider. That puts the spotlight firmly on David Dein. Interesting.

From tomorrow it will be time to build up to this seasons trip to N17. Our friends in the north are desperate for points to claim a return entry to Europe’s equivalent of the Johnstone Paints Trophy. We could do the Arsenal Old Boys (Portsmouth) a power of good by taking the points back down Seven Sisters Road. Can’t wait!

Cesc Stands Accused

I am indebted to Kevin Nolan for his insight into Cesc Fabregas, and I quote, “one thing he needs to sort out is he loses his temper a bit too much. He does it at the wrong time. When he is losing he starts to lose his rag”.

In order to satisfy myself that Nolan speaks from a position of strength I thought I would check out his obviously exemplary disciplinary record. The remainder of this article is dedicated to a wise old professional who is only too keen to share his experiences!

2006/2007 Yellow Cards

v Sheffield United (h); Middlesbrough (a); Reading (a); Chelsea (h); Newcastle United (a); Watford (h); Charlton Athletic (a); Fulham (a).

2006/2007 Red Card

v Blackburn Rovers (a)

2005/2006 Yellow Cards

v Sunderland (h); West Ham United (a); Fulham (h); Marseille (a); Liverpool (h); Manchester United (a); Wigan Athletic (a); Fulham (a); West Bromwich Albion (h); Chelsea (a).

2004/2005 Yellow Cards

v Chelsea (h); Aston Villa (a); Arsenal (FA Cup h); Fulham (h); Blackburn Rovers (a); Arsenal (h); Tottenham Hotspur (h); Liverpool (h).

2003/2004 Yellow Cards

v Southampton (a); Arsenal (a); Leicester City (a); Tranmere Rovers (h); Blackburn Rovers (a); Arsenal (h); Wolverhampton Wanderers (h); Blackburn Rovers (h); Manchester United (a).

2002/2003 Yellow Cards

v Manchester City (a); West Bromwich Albion (h); Tottenham Hotspur (a); Middlesbrough (a); Manchester United (a).

2001/2002 Yellow Cards

v Charlton Athletic (a); Southampton (a); Tottenham Hotspur (FA Cup a); Liverpool (a); Tottenham Hotspur (a); Everton (h).

2000/2001 Yellow Cards

v Huddersfield Town (h); West Bromwich Albion (h); Watford (a).

Just one to go then for his half century of bookings!

Close article and file under Pot, Kettle, and Black.

Bolton Fall To Gunners Midfield

It’s a good Sunday morning, ‘Easy’ according to Lionel Richie. Arsene Wenger will probably have allowed himself a rare lie-in this morning. Given the opportunity to play what he obviously considers his strongest defence and midfield Le Boss will feel vindicated by the scorers.

It was no surprise that before a quarter of an hour had been played that the ghost of enfant terrible had put Bolton ahead. This is one of the new ‘traditions’ that are being developed to give the Grove a more homely feel. We must gift the opposition a goal before overpowering them!

To be fair to them the visitors were clearly of a mind to repay the compliment, and when Hunt dithered over a chest back to his goalkeeper Tomas Rosicky darted in to beat Jaaskeleinen from point blank range.

Goals from Arsenal midfielders are typically ‘London-bus-like’ in arrival. When you have waited for what seems an age, along come two at once. It has to be said that the second yesterday was well worth the wait. Cesc Fabregas has everything, except lots of goals, on his cv. The careful construction and finish was followed by a heartfelt celebration.

There was still time for Diaby to spurn a couple of opportunities to set the seal on the contest, including one where he manhandled ‘the Beast’ out of the way and caused a chuckle or two. Campo found himself sent-off for two poor challenges (Yes Sam he did deserve to go!), and Eboue survived a handball shout that would have grated had it occurred at the other end.

The five point gap that was created by this win could be eight if Manchester City are similarly dismissed on Tuesday. That will lift spirits before the Saturday lunchtime trip to the Lane next week. Whisper it softly, but that could be St. Totteringham’s Day!

Enjoy your day people.

Put Yourself In Sam's Shoes

It must be some time since we went into a home game with a side from outside the other big three with so much at stake, and with so much nervousness about the outcome.

Just for a moment consider you are in Sam Allardyce’s shoes as you prepare for a visit to the Grove that could propel your side into a Champions League place.

Just how badly are Arsenal playing? Actually aside from the debacle at Anfield that followed the international break they haven’t played badly anywhere. Before you look at me with incredulity let me point out there is a subtle difference between playing badly, and not playing well.

The stats he will be looking at will be telling him the Gunners continue to have the lions share of possession and goal attempts every time they take to the park, apart from that one woeful afternoon.

The lack of goals will hearten him, and yet worry him at the same time. He will be concerned that Adebayor, scorer of two goals at the Reebok in Arsenal’s FA Cup triumph in February, is long overdue another goal or two. An all too infrequent strike from midfield is also surely just around the corner.

He may also care to consider further that replay on home turf just a couple of months back. Arsenal were without Henry, Van Persie, and Walcott (an unused sub). Wait, I hear you ask, isn’t that why we can’t score now? Well we won 3-1 that night, and missed two penalties!

We were also missing Eboue, Gallas, and Senderos from the back-line (as well as Lehmann), and tomorrow Sam’s opposite number has probably a full selection at his disposal.

Fabregas and Flamini were also absent from the midfield, and again Wenger could have a full pack to shuffle.

“We don’t have the same fears we used to about playing at Arsenal” says Sam boldly. He has to be strong in front of his players and fans. I would argue the opposite applies. He knows well that Bolton’s occasional successes against the Gunners in recent years have come when they were strictly underdogs.

This time around opinion is divided about the outcome on Saturday after last Saturday’s astonishing defeat to West Ham (29 shots to 2, score 0-1). Arsenal may enjoy silencing the doubters.

As Clint Eastwood may well have said to Sam about now, “Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?”

The Spirit Of '71

It was sad to read in the Guardian of the death of John Ritchie. The striker was part of the Stoke side who played such an important role in Arsenal’s 1971 double campaign.

The obituary covered the memorable FA Cup semi-final when we came from two down to force a replay which took us to Wembley. It missed the other important clash between the two sides that season.

An autumn trip to the Victoria Ground brought a five goal mauling for the champions elect. After that game the squad had a no-holds-barred meeting in the halfway house at Highbury and emerged with the spirit that drove them for the remainder of the season.

There was a touch of todays Bolton about that Stoke side. Experienced players and misfits were combined in an effective unit who punched above their weight.

Although it has come too late in the season I hope Arsene has used the first home defeat to West Ham to get his squad together for a similar meeting. The attitude that was generated in those far off days will be required again when the Trotters come calling on Saturday.

That attitude was all about players understanding their responsibilities and not ‘hiding’ when the going got tough. The team spirit that was generated transformed a very good team into a great one.

The prize at stake now is different, but just as important. Champions League football is so important to the club next season. Victory over Bolton will be a massive step towards achieving that objective, but will require the side to give that little bit more.

Who will step up to provide the goals that have dried up? Who will take the responsibility for dealing with the long balls being launched at Kevin Davies? Who will bust a gut to nullify the prompting and late runs of Gary Speed?

All these things and more will need to be planned before Saturday. It is not solely Wenger’s responsibility. It’s time for the players to stand up and be counted.

Are they good enough? You bet they are! Now is the time for them to prove it to us.

A Point Gained, But Is It Enough?

An early trip to London tomorrow morning means I have to make a rapid assessment of what has been served up before me today. The dish may have been a little uninspired, the result perhaps not what was required, but the sour taste from Saturday was thankfully avoided as Arsenal returned from the north-east with what could prove to be a valuable point.

The loss of Tomas Rosicky through sickness brought an unexpected response, with Arsene Wenger switching Ljungberg to the left hand side, and pushing Abou Diaby in behind Adebayor. I think most of us would have made another change or two.

There was some early hope as Hleb took the first opportunity to shoot, but once again the Gunners build up was laboured and easily read by the Newcastle back line. From the most promising looking move Solano appeared to haul down Ljungberg, but it was the Swede who picked up the yellow card for daring to suggest that referee Howard Webb had not interpreted the challenge correctly.

Jens Lehmann was called upon to make a smart stop down to his right when Emre’s free-kick broke to Onyewu, and Emmanuel Adebayor should have gone closer with a header at the other end.

The second half almost started calamitously for the visitors as Milner’s mis-hit cross struck the bar, but a dire forty-five minutes resulted in yet another in the catalogue of ‘how did Arsenal not score there’ moments as Solano twice denied Gilberto on the line.

I’m less scathing in my apparaisal than on Saturday because we have secured a point at a difficult venue. It has brought an end to the run of three defeats, yet in truth the performance leaves Wenger with many questions to answer.

Can we make the 4-4-1-1 formation produce the wins that are needed. Diaby is a wonderful player but Bergkamp he ain’t. The same goes for Ljungberg. Perhaps if Rosicky is recovered he may be given the opportunity to play in the hole on Saturday?

I don’t want to go on about a player when he is down, but Hleb is in desperate need of a rest. He looked almost relieved when he dragged his battered frame off the park on the hour to be replaced by the equally inept Baptista.

Wenger’s options are clearly limited. He doesn’t possess a fit striker who is in a scoring vein, his midfield options appear to be the inexperienced Denilson, or Flamini who clearly has his mind elsewhere, and only his back four is probably at full strength.

It is going to be a tough end of season, but that is true for the likes of Bolton and Everton as well. We still have our destiny in our own hands. Saturdays home game with Bolton now becomes the biggest game of the season. How times change!

Arsenal Beat Themselves

The morning after the night before has dawned and it wasn’t a nightmare. We really did lose at the Grove for the first time.

If there is anything positive to be drawn from the disaster it is that the inept and soul-less display at Anfield was replaced by what has come to be a typical Arsenal performance these days.

We dominated from start to finish, created enough opportunities to have scored a hatful, yet once again surrendered the opening goal in careless fashion, and this time didn’t convert one of the chances that followed in a second-half played almost entirely at the opposite end of the stadium to where I was sitting.

I have to confess to putting my rose-tinted’s away yesterday. I am tiring of Hleb’s complete loss of anything vaguely resembling form and the poor lad should be taken out of the firing line now. I am tiring of the defensive frailties that render us incapable of keeping clean sheets against even the least ambitious of sides. I am tiring of seeing the slow and deliberate advance up the pitch when not long ago we were used to breaking from defence to scoring opportunity in two or three passes and a matter of seconds.

Last season when we were beaten it was usually by a side that out-muscled and out-worked us. In truth West Ham did neither. They came with limited ambition and the only team that beat Arsenal yesterday was Arsenal. There is now a resounding lack of confidence that has to end soon or Champions League football may be surrendered.

Quite what Arsene can do tomorrow at Newcastle I don’t know. Hleb, I suspect is not the only one who will need a rest and we are down to the bare bones. I suspect the non-starters yesterday may step up, and that means Baptista. Am I alone in thinking that one of the youngsters, perhaps Jay Simpson, would give us more than Julio in his current poor form?

Anyway, hopefully this discontent will last as long as all my other bouts of discontent. In other words when this damn hangover has gone. Back tomorrow hopefully commenting on our fine away win in the north east.

Hammers Preview

Before I get on the train there is just enough time to set out the sort of side I would like to see take the field at the Grove this afternoon.

Arsene Wenger has had the luxury of a full week off for his team to recharge their batteries. I somehow doubt that a week is long enough for some, particularly Fabregas and Hleb who would probably be the first to confess that they have looked jaded in recent weeks.

That still leaves Wenger with the option of perming four from Ljungberg, Gilberto, Diaby, Denilson, and Rosicky in midfield. (It looks very much as though Flamini may have burnt his bridges with his public assertion that he is leaving.)

My personal preference would be to play all five of them behind Adebayor as a lone striker. That would solve the thorny issue of whether to pick Baptista or Aliadiere to partner Ade. I suspect Wenger will persist with the Brazilian, although I would certainly plump for Aliadiere as he would at least give us some threat out wide.

Le Boss has already confirmed that he will give the defence that fared so badly at Anfield an instant opportunity to prove their class again. My one concern here would be Eboue and his temperament. West Ham may have a reputation for playing good football, but they will be as aware as anyone that the Arsenal right-back is a prime target for the wind-up.

Although we have struggled to convert scoring opportunities of late I fancy we will need to change that this afternoon. West Ham arrive desperate for points, and buoyed by recent improved performances. Holic’s pound is on a 3-2 Arsenal win.

Have a great weekend, whatever you are doing.

Takeover Talk Will Run And Run

May I start by wishing you all a very happy and healthy Easter.

There is a strange sense of nervous anticipation in the air this morning. We have known for some time that ITV have wanted to offload their near ten percent stake in the club. We have also witnessed the ‘agreement’ with the Colorado Rapids and come to know of Stan Kroenke as a result.

It is therefore no surprise that the ITV shares and Kroenke have been united. The Guardian suggests that the sixteen percent holding of Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith could be the next target. I think I would be looking at a bigger player at this stage.

Daniel Fiszman owns around a quarter of the club and has been quiet through all of the recent speculation. Keith Edelman said just last week “The directors are committed to the club and love the club”. As pointed out at the time that was clearly less than a denial that something was afoot. The silence of Fiszman has been deafening.

It is still far too early to speculate just how big a chunk of the club may fall into Kroenke’s hands in the short term, if indeed he is launching a bid. We also have no idea at this stage of how Kroenke would fund any bid, and what his plans for the club would be.

One thing is for certain. This story will not go away over the coming months.

If you are going to the West Ham match tomorrow give the boys an extra cheer for me. I will be there also but the old vocal chords are not at their best, much to the delight of my travelling companions.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday.

Gunners Midfielder On The Move?

The comments attributed to Matthieu Flamini in L’Equipe leave no doubt as to where he sees his future. “I’m playing less these days. It’s not easy to take.” He continues, with admirable ambition, “I want to score more goals, make more passes and finally win the Champions League.”

Flamini’s arrival in July 2004 was controversial. In the latter half of 2003-2004 he had claimed a place in the Marseille side, making fourteen appearances and helping them to the UEFA Cup Final. The twenty year old agreed a move to Arsenal, sparking a court case that went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, who ruled in favour of the Gunners.

In North London the industrious Frenchman became known as a utility midfielder, usually standing in for Vieira, Gilberto or Fabregas when one or other of them was absent. He is dogged, industrious, and combative, a perfect replacement for Gilles Grimandi.

His value to the club, however, was emphasised last season when replacing the injured Cole and Clichy at left-back as Arsenal stormed to the Champions League Final. Allegedly at the beginning of this season he restricted his options by declaring a reluctance to play at left-back again.

Although he had just one goal from eighty-one appearances in his first two seasons, Matty has been Arsenal’s second highest scoring midfielder this term with four in thirty-two games. His reward was a first call up for the French national squad.

His decision to take the opportunity to buy out the final year of his contract brings into sharp focus one of the issues facing Arsene Wenger in the summer. There has been media speculation concerning the future of Gilberto Silva, linked with a potential move to Italy.

I can hear the groans already, but stay with me. Not for one moment would I countenance the departure of the Brazilian given not just his ability, but also the experience so lacking elsewwhere in the squad. Sometimes these things are beyond our control. Footballers and their agents act in mysterious ways.

Let me ask this open question. If Gilberto is about to depart North London, how hard would you want Arsene Wenger to fight to keep Flamini? A central trio of Diaby, Fabregas, and Denilson would surely not survive an entire season.

There are mixed messages about how much cash is available for the summer sales, and Wenger’s priorities may lie elsewhere. In that case an improved offer may be enough to keep Flamini in situ for another couple of years while the likes of Randall and Merida mature.

He hasn’t left yet, but if and when he does it will surely be with the warm wishes, if not undying affection, of most Gooners. Good luck, Matty.

So Near, And Yet...

Well, I have to say watching any Arsenal team at the moment should carry a government health warning. It was like groundhog day watching the youth team at Old Trafford last night.

For an hour the youngsters put a stranglehold on the contest. The football was typical Arsenal, switching defence to attack with swift, crisp passing, and Fran Merida was at the heart of it.

Chances came and went, and the only scares at the other end came when crosses or set pieces were defended with uncertainty. That should have come as no surprise. If there are any defenders who can deal with set plays they would surely be in the first team right now.

The second half was still in it’s infancy when Gibbs finally got the goal the young Gunners deserved. The two goal cushion should have been enough, but these are lads, and not surprisingly their workrate slipped.

They were pulled back when Rodgers was harshly adjudged to have handled on the edge of the box. Far more harsh, and mystifying, was the four minutes of extra-time which gave United the chance to level the aggregate.

As the close of the first period of extra-time approached the hard-working Agogo launched one more raid down the right and fed Murphy to restore Arsenal’s advantage. It wasn’t decisive.

In around six months one or two of these lads could be involved in Carling Cup action. Certainly the midfield was impressive until they ran out of puff so Merida, Randall, and Barazite would be the likeliest to make that first step up.

The future looks secure. Time to concentrate on the present for the rest of this week and the visit of West Ham on Saturday. Another groundhog day would not be welcome.

The Brady Bunch On TV

There is a welcome distraction from the Premiership tonight as the latest bunch of Liam Brady’s charges attempt to ‘graduate’ at Old Trafford.

The young Gunners take a slender one goal advantage to Manchester United for the second leg of the FA Youth Cup semi-final. The winners will face Liverpool in the Final.

Kieran Gibbs netted the all important winner three weeks ago in front of a crowd of over 38,000, but more significantly there was much praise that evening for the Gunners defence.

The back four, which is likely to include Carling Cup Finalist Armand Traore, will come under scrutiny, but I am most looking forward to seeing the skills of Fran Merida in the middle of the park.

Subscribers to Arsenal TV Online will be treated to a live stream from Old Trafford. I will be logging in to watch the contest, which kicks off at 7.30pm. Come on lads, give us all a lift.

Un-four-tunate

Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say the better team won. Usually we can look back at lost matches and find the moments when we could and should have swung things in our favour. Those moments cannot be found in yesterdays performance.

From the third minute when Peter Crouch opened his account for the day we were clearly second best in most areas. Like most I was a little surprised about the inclusion of Baptista in a 4-4-2, and this certainly helped swing the tactical battle in favour of Liverpool.

Certainly the defensive frailties that have been exposed so often of late were again apparent, and made more glaring by the lack of a solid midfield protection.

Thankfully these days do not come along too often. Arsene Wenger now has seven days to lift spirits and prepare for a home clash with improving West Ham. The all important fourth place is protected by a five point buffer to Bolton, and we have a game in hand. I would prefer to be looking at third place in seven days time.

'Holic is moving this week.