A few changes were made to freshen up the team. Gibbs came in for Monreal, Gabriel for Koscielny, AOC for Campbell, and Chambers for Flamini, who had a slight ankle problem. Whatever he said to the men, it worked. After a slow start, Arsenal imposed themselves on their newly promoted opponents, and they simply could not keep up. We could have had five goals, but I'm happy for the clean sheet for Cech; it gives him the EPL record. (Is anyone else annoyed that they don't consider top division games prior to the formation of the EPL for records? It's ridiculous.) Ozil got another assist, on a header by Gabriel from his corner, and he scored on this gem of a goal, assisted by Giroud. There were three or four clear-cut chances for more, but we got the three points and that's what counts.
Arseblog liked Chambers in the Coquelin/Flamini role, but I still remain unconvinced. He seems slow to me, both physically and in his decisionmaking. I think he'd be passed and bullied by a better midfield than Bournemouth's. They were pretty bad today. The smaller clubs have trouble with crowded schedules, but then so did we.
We need to pick it up. There's no getting around the fact that we dropped a lot of points in November and December that we should have won. Southampton absolutely dominated us...Southampton! Alexis can't come back fast enough. Ramsey has been a rock, and Theo is coming along. The Ox showed signs of life today. But we're too dependent on one man's incredible skills. 16 assists! Incredible. The bright spot, of course, is that no one else has been winning consistently either. Halfway through, and at 39 points (pending Leicester's game in hand) we're leading the league. I'm not a stats guy, but that has to be a really low total for a first half leader. Hell, Tottenham is in 3rd (pending Man City's game in hand). They couldn't win the league, could they? This year, they might. They have that "team of destiny" mojo, it seems to me. It's up to us to break their hearts, as usual.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Southampton 4 - 0 Arsenal
Who would have predicted this result? The Saints had been losing regularly, and the Gunners had been winning. But today, Southampton completely outplayed Arsenal all game long. The scoreline did not flatter the home team; it could have easily been 6-0. Arsenal never really looked threatening. Ramsey worked hardest, but no one else matched the energy levels shown by the Saints. Players who looked commanding against Man City seemed slow and weak today. Southampton pressed us all over the field, a tactic that should have backfired disastrously as we bypassed them with ease. But it was as though they had a two-man advantage. I'm not able to figure this out, and I really don't want to think about it any more. Our goal differential has gone from best in the league to third or fourth best and we've allowed City to get back to within a point and Spurs to get within four. If this result was not a crazy one-off, there is no chance we're winning the league this year. Alexis will probably be back soon, but Cazorla, Coquelin, and Wilshere are not going to be fit until the end of the season approaches. No way will Stan Kroenke spring for big-time assistance even if Wenger asks for it.
Bournemouth will not be scared of us, that's for sure. No one will.
Bournemouth will not be scared of us, that's for sure. No one will.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
3 - 5 - 2 Again
Our midfielders are taking a beating, and we have excellent defenders on the bench. I really think a 3-5-2 (OK, 3-3-3-1, 3-6-1, whatever) formation should be considered.
Arsenal frequently uses one or the other fullback (or both) for width, so they're far up the field when we lose the ball. The winger is supposed to be alert to this, and of course the covering/holding mids. The advantage of this scheme is that Bellerin can bomb forward more often, knowing Gabriel has the area behind him. Mertesacker is not called on to chase or mark as often. Obviously, the wingbacks still have important defensive duties. The personnel we have are, I think, very well suited to this tactical approach.
The disadvantage is that Aaron Ramsey is being asked to stay home, at least at first. When we're on top, I think he'll have license to get as far forward as he likes, and the wingbacks can pinch in a bit to make it very hard to go through our middle. The Walcott/Alexis/Campbell positions can interchange like they do now. (Ox subs in here.) If Mesut has to be rested, Ramsey will move up and Flam takes his place. Note that we can do this and still have excellent cover at every defensive position.
Arsenal frequently uses one or the other fullback (or both) for width, so they're far up the field when we lose the ball. The winger is supposed to be alert to this, and of course the covering/holding mids. The advantage of this scheme is that Bellerin can bomb forward more often, knowing Gabriel has the area behind him. Mertesacker is not called on to chase or mark as often. Obviously, the wingbacks still have important defensive duties. The personnel we have are, I think, very well suited to this tactical approach.
The disadvantage is that Aaron Ramsey is being asked to stay home, at least at first. When we're on top, I think he'll have license to get as far forward as he likes, and the wingbacks can pinch in a bit to make it very hard to go through our middle. The Walcott/Alexis/Campbell positions can interchange like they do now. (Ox subs in here.) If Mesut has to be rested, Ramsey will move up and Flam takes his place. Note that we can do this and still have excellent cover at every defensive position.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Arsenal 2 - 1 Manchester City
What a good game. It was one of those that could have been 5-3 had both teams taken their best chances, but three excellent shots did find the back of the net, and fortunately two of them beat Joe Hart, and only one beat Petr Cech. It seemed as though both teams were sent out to defend first, but could not restrain themselves from expressing their natural characters. The game became quite open for several stretches, then one or the other side would bunker in for a while.
Ozil added two assists to his otherworldly total. He has 15 in 16 games; the EPL record is 20 (in 38, of course). If he stays healthy, he should smash it. The first was a pass that looked intended for Monreal cutting in from the wing, but Theo intercepted it, took a step inside, and lashed it inside the far post past a flailing Hart in the 33rd minute. After a flurry of action, Arsenal latched onto a loose ball and Ozil fed Giroud peeling around the center back pair, and he spanked it first-time through Hart's legs. Check out the flight of this shot--it was struck very sweetly. What a dream end to a fine half of football.
Arsenal came out flying in the second half and spurned a couple chances to make it 3-0, living dangerously rather than playing a safety first strategy. Frankly, I liked that. When we did bunker in, we seemed to be inviting City on. (On corner kicks, why the heck don't we station Walcott on the center line, and hoist any clearance in his general direction? It's not as though he's likely to contribute to defending a kick into the box, and he'd keep their two fullbacks occupied.) Yaya Toure eventually woke up and placed an absolutely perfect shot past a well-positioned Flamini into the top corner--Cech could only watch. The final stages of the game became rather tense as the points were in jeopardy, but we retained possession for most of extra time and City did not seem likely to score again.
All in all, this was the kind of gritty home performance we needed. Both teams were missing key players, though Aguero was back. City hadn't scored in a while and their away form has been awful, so this was one we had to win if we have pretensions to winning the league. And we did win. Every Gunner played well. Walcott needed that goal; it has to help him down the line. Ramsey is looking desperate to score, and is doing everything but finish his chances. Flamini got high marks for his work rate and positional sense, as well as his lively direction to the other midfielders. He sure likes to point and yell--he's like a young French Bernie Sanders. Joel should have scored two today, but he contributed all game, putting himself about all over the right side of the field. (I know the idea is to have him and Theo cut across the field and shoot with their strong foot, but I still like right-footers on the right and left-footers on the left. Eh.) Giroud was magnificent--he's a beast and a beauty all in one. Ozil--sublime! The defensive line was excellent, all of them, and so was Cech. Great team effort. The subs contributed energy but did not distinguish themselves. Gibbs misplaced some passes, and the Ox just can't find his rhythm.
Wenger's team selection and tactics were better than Pellegrini's; this was his victory as much as anyone's. There's a good feeling around the club now. Alexis is sorely missed, and it looks as though Coquelin and Cazorla will be out even longer, but the guys who can play are doing a very good job. And we are super strong on defense--Gabriel, Gibbs, and Debuchy can't even get on the field except as late defensive substitutes, if then. And those guys would start on most EPL teams.
We're still two back of Leicester, but they're a small team with a crowded schedule facing them, and I like our chances of passing them. City is four back and there's a crowd sitting seven points back, so dropping points is not something we can afford to do much the rest of the way.
Merry Christmas.
Ozil added two assists to his otherworldly total. He has 15 in 16 games; the EPL record is 20 (in 38, of course). If he stays healthy, he should smash it. The first was a pass that looked intended for Monreal cutting in from the wing, but Theo intercepted it, took a step inside, and lashed it inside the far post past a flailing Hart in the 33rd minute. After a flurry of action, Arsenal latched onto a loose ball and Ozil fed Giroud peeling around the center back pair, and he spanked it first-time through Hart's legs. Check out the flight of this shot--it was struck very sweetly. What a dream end to a fine half of football.
Arsenal came out flying in the second half and spurned a couple chances to make it 3-0, living dangerously rather than playing a safety first strategy. Frankly, I liked that. When we did bunker in, we seemed to be inviting City on. (On corner kicks, why the heck don't we station Walcott on the center line, and hoist any clearance in his general direction? It's not as though he's likely to contribute to defending a kick into the box, and he'd keep their two fullbacks occupied.) Yaya Toure eventually woke up and placed an absolutely perfect shot past a well-positioned Flamini into the top corner--Cech could only watch. The final stages of the game became rather tense as the points were in jeopardy, but we retained possession for most of extra time and City did not seem likely to score again.
All in all, this was the kind of gritty home performance we needed. Both teams were missing key players, though Aguero was back. City hadn't scored in a while and their away form has been awful, so this was one we had to win if we have pretensions to winning the league. And we did win. Every Gunner played well. Walcott needed that goal; it has to help him down the line. Ramsey is looking desperate to score, and is doing everything but finish his chances. Flamini got high marks for his work rate and positional sense, as well as his lively direction to the other midfielders. He sure likes to point and yell--he's like a young French Bernie Sanders. Joel should have scored two today, but he contributed all game, putting himself about all over the right side of the field. (I know the idea is to have him and Theo cut across the field and shoot with their strong foot, but I still like right-footers on the right and left-footers on the left. Eh.) Giroud was magnificent--he's a beast and a beauty all in one. Ozil--sublime! The defensive line was excellent, all of them, and so was Cech. Great team effort. The subs contributed energy but did not distinguish themselves. Gibbs misplaced some passes, and the Ox just can't find his rhythm.
Wenger's team selection and tactics were better than Pellegrini's; this was his victory as much as anyone's. There's a good feeling around the club now. Alexis is sorely missed, and it looks as though Coquelin and Cazorla will be out even longer, but the guys who can play are doing a very good job. And we are super strong on defense--Gabriel, Gibbs, and Debuchy can't even get on the field except as late defensive substitutes, if then. And those guys would start on most EPL teams.
We're still two back of Leicester, but they're a small team with a crowded schedule facing them, and I like our chances of passing them. City is four back and there's a crowd sitting seven points back, so dropping points is not something we can afford to do much the rest of the way.
Merry Christmas.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Mourinho, Wenger
What took Chelsea so long? It was obvious that Mourinho had completely lost the dressing room. His players, for the most part, just did not like him. He's shown great tactical skill over the years, and lots of his players loved him, but when things go sour he blames the players. His last post-game interview was disgraceful. He said that he'd made the players good enough to win last year, playing "above their level," but this season they betrayed his efforts by failing to do what he told them. That's unforgiveable. And now he's gone, taking another 8 or 12 million pounds of Roman Abramovich's money with him. I hope he goes to Russia and we never see him again.
It makes one appreciate the boss we have at Arsenal. Have you ever heard him hang a player out to dry? Ospina nearly cost us Champions' League progression. Bendtner was a nonstop arrogant tool. Santos was awful in nearly every way. He's had a lot of cause to call out a player for lack of effort or for screwing up (say, smoking). But he lets his team selection speak for him, refuses to place the blame for a bad result on the players, and focuses on the next game. Yes, he's kicked a water bottle or two, and has earned a touchline ban for complaining about the refereeing. But he's one of the sport's gentlemen and we can all be proud to be represented by him.
It makes one appreciate the boss we have at Arsenal. Have you ever heard him hang a player out to dry? Ospina nearly cost us Champions' League progression. Bendtner was a nonstop arrogant tool. Santos was awful in nearly every way. He's had a lot of cause to call out a player for lack of effort or for screwing up (say, smoking). But he lets his team selection speak for him, refuses to place the blame for a bad result on the players, and focuses on the next game. Yes, he's kicked a water bottle or two, and has earned a touchline ban for complaining about the refereeing. But he's one of the sport's gentlemen and we can all be proud to be represented by him.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Aston Villa 0 - 2 Arsenal -- and the ECL Draw
After a do-or-die midweek performance in Europe, it was inevitable that there would be a letdown in the league this weekend. It happened to all the clubs who played in the Champions' League and Europa League. Fortunately, we had Villa on Sunday, and our "C" game was more than enough to outclass them. I thought we were pretty awful, frankly. However, we were gifted the first goal when Hutton dragged Theo back on his excellent gather-and-run down the left. He wasn't going to score from that angle and he didn't have enough support, so the obvious foul was crazy. Giroud felt no nerves on the PK, sending Guzan the wrong way and slotting it into the empty half of the goal. The second goal looked majestic, but: 1) Ramsey's steal that started it was closer to a foul (though it wasn't a foul) than Arteta's similar lunge that was penalized and resulted in the first West Brom goal a few weeks ago; and 2) that had to be the worst defense on a breakaway I have ever seen. A 4-on-4 was transformed into a 3-on-1 by one easy, slow Walcott pass almost straight up the field. A two goal lead was insurmountable by the inept Villa attack, and their players knew it. Another assist for Mesut--that's 13! Henry has the EPL record with 20, but that's looking shaky. Ozil has the highest assist-per-game ratio in EPL history. It's easy to see why--he's magic.
Hey, how about a January loan of Debuchy to Villa? The three Frenchmen can surely work out this win-win-win deal. Wenger owes Remi Garde for his advice to take the Villa job.
What a wonderful weekend. Spuds and United lose to low-ranking opponents, and Liverpool drops points again. Man City won, but we'll have our shot at them next Monday. Leicester is not going to win the league. They're a great story, and I know they don't have European football to distract or wear them out, but they're one Mahrez hamstring pull or Vardy knee strain away from being Stoke. If they can get through the crowded "festive period" fixture list in good shape, I may reassess that judgment. But they are going to start dropping points.
Barcelona. Hmmm. You know, I don't mind that draw. I was delighted with the Monaco draw last year, and we took them lightly and were punished. We won't take Barca lightly. And we can beat them, too, especially in February after Alexis is back and up to speed. I admit to being worried about Flamini doing enough to break up Barca's play. They will score. We have to score more, and I believe we can. La Liga is almost as competitive this year as the Premier League, so they won't be able to concentrate solely on the ECL. We win 2-1 at the Emirates and lose 2-3 away, and go through on away goals for once. Alexis, Walcott, Ramsey, and Giroud get one goal each. I haven't gotten around to assigning assists, but you can count on at least one being from Ozil.
We'd probably have to play Barca eventually if we progressed, so why not right away? If we lose, we won't have those European games to distract us anymore, and no one will say it was a disgrace to lose to Barcelona (unless it's by six goals). If we win, we should be brimming with confidence and become one of the favorites to take the cup. I don't see a downside.
Hey, how about a January loan of Debuchy to Villa? The three Frenchmen can surely work out this win-win-win deal. Wenger owes Remi Garde for his advice to take the Villa job.
What a wonderful weekend. Spuds and United lose to low-ranking opponents, and Liverpool drops points again. Man City won, but we'll have our shot at them next Monday. Leicester is not going to win the league. They're a great story, and I know they don't have European football to distract or wear them out, but they're one Mahrez hamstring pull or Vardy knee strain away from being Stoke. If they can get through the crowded "festive period" fixture list in good shape, I may reassess that judgment. But they are going to start dropping points.
Barcelona. Hmmm. You know, I don't mind that draw. I was delighted with the Monaco draw last year, and we took them lightly and were punished. We won't take Barca lightly. And we can beat them, too, especially in February after Alexis is back and up to speed. I admit to being worried about Flamini doing enough to break up Barca's play. They will score. We have to score more, and I believe we can. La Liga is almost as competitive this year as the Premier League, so they won't be able to concentrate solely on the ECL. We win 2-1 at the Emirates and lose 2-3 away, and go through on away goals for once. Alexis, Walcott, Ramsey, and Giroud get one goal each. I haven't gotten around to assigning assists, but you can count on at least one being from Ozil.
We'd probably have to play Barca eventually if we progressed, so why not right away? If we lose, we won't have those European games to distract us anymore, and no one will say it was a disgrace to lose to Barcelona (unless it's by six goals). If we win, we should be brimming with confidence and become one of the favorites to take the cup. I don't see a downside.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Olympiakos 0 - 3 Arsenal
My last post included some erroneous predictions. Giroud was the hero, not Ramsey. In my defense, I did get the winning margin correct, there was a PK goal, and Ramsey got an assist. I'm delighted my optimism was warranted. We played very well, especially Giroud, whose ill discipline in Zagreb was the main reason we were in this hole to start with. He redeemed himself totally. Now all that remains is for Alexis to heal, Wilshere and Welbeck to return, and to beat whomever we draw in that first round. I sure hope it's not Real or Barca.
A bonus is having Manchester United play Thursday nights in the Europa League.
Walcott is starting to look like his pre-injury self, which is welcome (though I wish he'd learn to play defense), especially now that Ox seems to be having a crisis of confidence. I'm really impressed with Ramsey these days. Our back four does what they have to, on offense as well as defense. Cech is awesome. Boy was I wrong about passing on him and keeping Szczesny. And Joel Campbell! It took a series of injuries, but he bided his time and when it came he seized it with both hands. I actually think he could be our striker in a pinch. Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember any Debuchy-like whining about not starting from Joel. In his current form, he should start ahead of Walcott and Ox when Alexis comes back. Ozil was carrying a slight injury but still did his job beautifully--what a pro.
Back to the league! We're coping with the injuries, but we sure miss Coquelin. Flamini has done the business, but he hasn't shown the athletic ability or the discipline of the guy he's replacing. Every game is an adventure for every club. The first side to find its groove could run away from the others and not get caught. Please let it be us!
A bonus is having Manchester United play Thursday nights in the Europa League.
Walcott is starting to look like his pre-injury self, which is welcome (though I wish he'd learn to play defense), especially now that Ox seems to be having a crisis of confidence. I'm really impressed with Ramsey these days. Our back four does what they have to, on offense as well as defense. Cech is awesome. Boy was I wrong about passing on him and keeping Szczesny. And Joel Campbell! It took a series of injuries, but he bided his time and when it came he seized it with both hands. I actually think he could be our striker in a pinch. Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember any Debuchy-like whining about not starting from Joel. In his current form, he should start ahead of Walcott and Ox when Alexis comes back. Ozil was carrying a slight injury but still did his job beautifully--what a pro.
Back to the league! We're coping with the injuries, but we sure miss Coquelin. Flamini has done the business, but he hasn't shown the athletic ability or the discipline of the guy he's replacing. Every game is an adventure for every club. The first side to find its groove could run away from the others and not get caught. Please let it be us!
Monday, December 7, 2015
Optimistic About Athens
Given that we've lost the last three times we went to Olympiakos, it would seem that confidence about advancing to the knockout stages of Champions' League is not merited. But I'm strangely optimistic. My predicted man of the match is Ramsey. His combination of power and close control will be required to break down a tough defense in lockdown mode. Given that we'll be pouring forward, Cech will be called upon to make some clutch saves. I'm going to go all out and predict a 4-1 win. Two Ramsey goals from the run of play, Kos scrambles one in off a corner, and a PK. They get one on the counter.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Arsenal 3 - 1 Sunderland
We needed to get all three points today, and we did. Arsenal players found the back of the net four times, three time in the right goal. Giroud's own goal denied Cech his record-tying clean sheet, and Sunderland missed a few golden opportunities to make this the third disastrous outing in a row for the Gunners. But two really fine finishes by Joel Campbell and Giroud put us in front, the last time for good, and a rebound goal from Ramsey at the death removed all doubt. In truth, Arsenal looked increasingly comfortable as the game ground on. Sunderland had won their last two, but this was not going to be their day. Man City lost, and Man U and Tottenham drew, so Arsenal sits in second, two back of Leicester and just a point above the Manchester clubs. Bonus: Chelsea lost to Bournemouth at the Bridge, and Mourinho could be fired any minute now.
Positives:
- No one got injured!
- Campbell played well
- Ramsey is his old self, and it seems as though he'll be scoring again if he keeps getting opportunities. He missed by a foot on his first good opportunity, hit the keeper on his second, and was just a half step ahead of the ball on another. It's coming.
- Flamini did well.
- Ozil got another assist.
- Walcott got a half hour and looked pretty decent.
Negatives:
- AOC was poor.
- We allowed Sunderland too many really good opportunities. Had they finished them, they could have won this game.
I don't see this team (and it will probably be the same lineup) traveling to Greece and potting three goals, but you never know. Giroud will be a handful, and if we can get some penetration from our mids, we could get a penalty to help us. Alexis will be a huge miss. Campbell may help us by cluing Wenger in on some info on the players, and he'll be motivated to show up well in front of the club he played for a couple years back. Here's hoping we get a little luck and the guys are in top form. Europa League is not ideal.
If no one else catches fire, Arsenal still has a shot at the Premiership. I just can't see Leicester keeping this up. We'll get Coquelin and Alexis back early next year, maybe Wilshere and Welbeck too. There's always the transfer window. Realistically, Arteta and Rosicky will be passengers even if they do get healthy. And then there's the Cech factor.
Positives:
- No one got injured!
- Campbell played well
- Ramsey is his old self, and it seems as though he'll be scoring again if he keeps getting opportunities. He missed by a foot on his first good opportunity, hit the keeper on his second, and was just a half step ahead of the ball on another. It's coming.
- Flamini did well.
- Ozil got another assist.
- Walcott got a half hour and looked pretty decent.
Negatives:
- AOC was poor.
- We allowed Sunderland too many really good opportunities. Had they finished them, they could have won this game.
I don't see this team (and it will probably be the same lineup) traveling to Greece and potting three goals, but you never know. Giroud will be a handful, and if we can get some penetration from our mids, we could get a penalty to help us. Alexis will be a huge miss. Campbell may help us by cluing Wenger in on some info on the players, and he'll be motivated to show up well in front of the club he played for a couple years back. Here's hoping we get a little luck and the guys are in top form. Europa League is not ideal.
If no one else catches fire, Arsenal still has a shot at the Premiership. I just can't see Leicester keeping this up. We'll get Coquelin and Alexis back early next year, maybe Wilshere and Welbeck too. There's always the transfer window. Realistically, Arteta and Rosicky will be passengers even if they do get healthy. And then there's the Cech factor.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Norwich 1 - 1 Arsenal
An opportunity to go joint top with Leicester and City went begging, and two more crucial injuries have put Arsenal in a difficult position in their domestic and European campaigns. The game was similar to last week's, in that Arsenal had most of the possession, shots, and shots on target. But in fact, it's Norwich which will rue opportunities missed. They could easily have had four today, counting a PK that Flamini could have been called for. Ruddy had less to do than Cech despite the shot discrepancy. The Gunners looked punchless; crosses seldom came close to the target. Monreal and Bellerin had chances to set up teammates but simply didn't produce. No one had a great game, although Ozil played his part with his very well taken goal from Alexis's wonderful steal and quick pass.
The worst part was the two injuries. Koscielny went down with what looked like a hip flexor tear, and Alexis did his hamstring. Seriously, why would Wenger even play Alexis today? He said he had hamstring problems. Well, when one of your top two scorers has a hamstring problem, you don't play him. I have no idea what Wenger is going to do in Athens now. Stupid.
The refereeing wasn't terrible, but once again, gratuitous thuggery went unpunished. The worst was an entirely intentional shove of Alexis into the camera pit as the touchline. It reminded me of Arnautevic's vicious foul on Debuchy that messed up his shoulder.
Dreadful day, and more will come now that half a dozen starters are out injured.
The worst part was the two injuries. Koscielny went down with what looked like a hip flexor tear, and Alexis did his hamstring. Seriously, why would Wenger even play Alexis today? He said he had hamstring problems. Well, when one of your top two scorers has a hamstring problem, you don't play him. I have no idea what Wenger is going to do in Athens now. Stupid.
The refereeing wasn't terrible, but once again, gratuitous thuggery went unpunished. The worst was an entirely intentional shove of Alexis into the camera pit as the touchline. It reminded me of Arnautevic's vicious foul on Debuchy that messed up his shoulder.
Dreadful day, and more will come now that half a dozen starters are out injured.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Arsenal 3 - 0 Dinamo Zagreb
I'll confess to a few anxious moments after the game remained scoreless through its first quarter, but Arsenal always looked comfortable against a side that played in a spirited manner but knew it was outclassed. The goals were really nice. Ozil scores with his head off a Sanchez pass? Bizarro world was almost a reality when they nearly did it a second time! I loved Monreal's deft interception of a clearance in the box and his quick squaring pass for Alexis's first--he's become one of my faves. And Joel Campbell gets an assist! He could have had more, too, his passing was that good.
So the Gunners go to Athens yet again for a final ECL group game. Usually, it's with first place in the group on the line and they lose. Now, it's win by two (or one if we score four or more!) or trudge grimly across the steppes of Eastern Europe in the Europa League, picking up injuries on frozen tundra against defenses that know they can't beat us without a whole lot of fouling. I'm guardedly optimistic. Let's hope we're healthier.
Speaking of which, the best part of yesterday's romp was seeing Aaron Ramsey galloping about the pitch with intent. Boy do we miss him when he's not in the side.
Is Flamini the solution to Coquelin's injury? I'm not convinced. I'll be the Pro from Dover and solve this one. Here are some options:
1) 3 - 5 - 2. Yes, that's right. Mert in the middle, Kos on the left, Gabriel on the right. Bellerin and Monreal, or perhaps Gibbs, are wingbacks, more mids than fullbacks. Giroud and Alexis up front. Santi and Ozil are central, with the latter more advanced, as now. The spine is stiffened with Flamini or Chambers (though he's a rather unconvincing midfielder). Ramsey and Campbell are the wide midfielders, although with those wingbacks, this is a very fluid setup. Ox and Walcott will replace Campbell when they're fit, with Theo up top if he's in, pushing Alexis wide again. I would love to see how Norwich deals with that!
2) Gibbs. He's fast enough, he can defend one on one, he gets tons of interceptions at full back. Why not?
3) Chambers. I really don't like this, but apparently Wenger does.
4) Koscielny. I really think he can play this position. Who would be better at protecting Mertesacker and Gabriel?
Well, enjoy that turkey. See you Sunday!
So the Gunners go to Athens yet again for a final ECL group game. Usually, it's with first place in the group on the line and they lose. Now, it's win by two (or one if we score four or more!) or trudge grimly across the steppes of Eastern Europe in the Europa League, picking up injuries on frozen tundra against defenses that know they can't beat us without a whole lot of fouling. I'm guardedly optimistic. Let's hope we're healthier.
Speaking of which, the best part of yesterday's romp was seeing Aaron Ramsey galloping about the pitch with intent. Boy do we miss him when he's not in the side.
Is Flamini the solution to Coquelin's injury? I'm not convinced. I'll be the Pro from Dover and solve this one. Here are some options:
1) 3 - 5 - 2. Yes, that's right. Mert in the middle, Kos on the left, Gabriel on the right. Bellerin and Monreal, or perhaps Gibbs, are wingbacks, more mids than fullbacks. Giroud and Alexis up front. Santi and Ozil are central, with the latter more advanced, as now. The spine is stiffened with Flamini or Chambers (though he's a rather unconvincing midfielder). Ramsey and Campbell are the wide midfielders, although with those wingbacks, this is a very fluid setup. Ox and Walcott will replace Campbell when they're fit, with Theo up top if he's in, pushing Alexis wide again. I would love to see how Norwich deals with that!
2) Gibbs. He's fast enough, he can defend one on one, he gets tons of interceptions at full back. Why not?
3) Chambers. I really don't like this, but apparently Wenger does.
4) Koscielny. I really think he can play this position. Who would be better at protecting Mertesacker and Gabriel?
Well, enjoy that turkey. See you Sunday!
Saturday, November 21, 2015
WBA 2-1 Arsenal
Francis Coquelin hurts his knee and Arsenal's title pretensions are exposed. I've seen games in which the dominant team, the more talented team, lost in more inexplicable ways; DC United's defeat of Montreal springs to mind here. But this was pretty awful. Mikel Arteta will have to focus on his coaching career, because he's a liability out there for Arsenal this year. I love the guy, but this was a nightmare outing for him. Unfairly penalized for a perfectly good slide tackle that led to the first goal, he inadvertently netted for the Baggies trying to hustle back to atone for losing his man in the buildup. Then he got hurt and was replaced by Flamini, who actually was an improvement.
Where to start...OK, defense it is. All four starters were fit and played reasonably well, but we saw what happens when even a relatively poor offensive side attacks them without Coquelin in front of them. Compounding his loss, there were some uncharacteristically bad decisionmaking from the likes of Mert and Kos. The wingers all wanted to "help" on defense but the commitment was not there. When West Brom is down a goal, at whatever stage of the proceedings, they should lose, full stop. The ball should not be easily coughed up, and men should be marked. West Brom could have gotten more, too.
But let's place the blame where it really belongs here: missed opportunities. Campbell's stands out, of course, as does Cazorla's comical PK. (Tell the truth: did you expect him to make it? I didn't. It was just that kind of game.) But there were others for sure. Myhill didn't have to do anything an EPL keeper isn't expected to, because those missed opportunities sailed over the crossbar or dribbled into the path of a defender. I was happy Ozil got another assist, but that offensive display was shocking, against a hardworking but not particularly good defense.
What really sticks in my craw is that this game was a throwback to the Arsenal of the Fabregas era: soft and easily bullied. Tony Pulis always sends his guys out to kick Arsenal and dammit if it doesn't work. The referee wasn't calling the game tightly and it didn't hurt them--it hurt us. Even the ridiculous putting off of Cazorla on the PK went unpunished and it worked. This was a disheartening loss that could reverberate through the rest of the season, especially if Coq's injury is serious. The Gunners are better than this result, but you don't get points for that. Contrast this with Man U's earlier gritty performance in assuring three points from their game with Watford. They're just as injury-riddled as we are, but they took care of business against an inferior side. We did not. Wenger has to accept his responsibility for not preparing his side to hold a lead.
Three points punted away, and with it perhaps the season. There are too many good teams in the hunt this year for a soft Arsenal to outrun.
Where to start...OK, defense it is. All four starters were fit and played reasonably well, but we saw what happens when even a relatively poor offensive side attacks them without Coquelin in front of them. Compounding his loss, there were some uncharacteristically bad decisionmaking from the likes of Mert and Kos. The wingers all wanted to "help" on defense but the commitment was not there. When West Brom is down a goal, at whatever stage of the proceedings, they should lose, full stop. The ball should not be easily coughed up, and men should be marked. West Brom could have gotten more, too.
But let's place the blame where it really belongs here: missed opportunities. Campbell's stands out, of course, as does Cazorla's comical PK. (Tell the truth: did you expect him to make it? I didn't. It was just that kind of game.) But there were others for sure. Myhill didn't have to do anything an EPL keeper isn't expected to, because those missed opportunities sailed over the crossbar or dribbled into the path of a defender. I was happy Ozil got another assist, but that offensive display was shocking, against a hardworking but not particularly good defense.
What really sticks in my craw is that this game was a throwback to the Arsenal of the Fabregas era: soft and easily bullied. Tony Pulis always sends his guys out to kick Arsenal and dammit if it doesn't work. The referee wasn't calling the game tightly and it didn't hurt them--it hurt us. Even the ridiculous putting off of Cazorla on the PK went unpunished and it worked. This was a disheartening loss that could reverberate through the rest of the season, especially if Coq's injury is serious. The Gunners are better than this result, but you don't get points for that. Contrast this with Man U's earlier gritty performance in assuring three points from their game with Watford. They're just as injury-riddled as we are, but they took care of business against an inferior side. We did not. Wenger has to accept his responsibility for not preparing his side to hold a lead.
Three points punted away, and with it perhaps the season. There are too many good teams in the hunt this year for a soft Arsenal to outrun.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
L'Equipe's Interview of Arsene Wenger
Le Professeur est le philosophe aussi. Really, you have to read this interview, translated in Arseblog. Is it any wonder his men will do anything he asks? I've long admired his outlook on the game and his obvious respect for his players. Just look what he did for Kolo Toure when he was in trouble for having a banned substance in his body. He volunteered a plausible innocent explanation--though Toure had left for Manchester City some time ago. He still kept in contact and still tried to help him. Former players don't speak ill of him and he doesn't speak ill of them. This interview doesn't go into that, but it sheds light on the workings of one of the finest minds ever to manage a football club, and a truly impressive intellectual who just happens to have devoted his life to football.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
New York Crimson Cows 1 - 0 DC United
What a limp exit from the season. Would we even be in the playoffs without Hamid? Benny is the guy, but the payroll has to increase if DC is ever gonna win trophies again.
The NLD
Fair result, I thought. Tottenham is pretty darned good now. I was happy to see that Campbell and Debuchy weren't the defensive liability I feared (although Campbell should have pressured the ball on that pass that sprung Kane). Their goal was way too easy. I cringed when the replay showed Kos keeping Kane onside and then taking himself out of the play trying vainly to get the call. That was most un-Kos-like. Both teams missed golden opportunities for more goals than they got. The game was wide open and a delight to watch (or would have been had I not been so wrapped up in the result).
Before the start, I told myself I expected a 1-1 result, with the goals coming from Kane and Giroud. If I'd missed the game and you'd told me that Gibbs scored a goal for us, I'd have figured it was a laugher and Gibbs got a breakaway as a defensive replacement. I was very happy for him. He needed this.
I haven't seen the blogs yet, but my impression was that all the players on both sides gave a good account of themselves. If we can play this well carrying all those injuries, we'll be OK this year.
Before the start, I told myself I expected a 1-1 result, with the goals coming from Kane and Giroud. If I'd missed the game and you'd told me that Gibbs scored a goal for us, I'd have figured it was a laugher and Gibbs got a breakaway as a defensive replacement. I was very happy for him. He needed this.
I haven't seen the blogs yet, but my impression was that all the players on both sides gave a good account of themselves. If we can play this well carrying all those injuries, we'll be OK this year.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Shad, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Us?
For several months, it looked as though Shad Forsythe, the American trainer we hired from the German national team, had found the secret to keeping our players fit. We had a preternaturally long period in which injuries were at an acceptable level. Suddenly, that is no longer true. The Arsenal official site lists ten first-teamers out. Some are marginal, like Arteta and Rosicky, but some are vital, like Koscielny, Ramsey, and Walcott. Fortunately, half those guys have a good chance of being back right after the international break. But we won't have them for the NLD, and important players like Welbeck and Wilshere probably can't play until January.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Bayern Munich 5 - 1 Arsenal
I'll look at Arseblog's player ratings a little later and they'll all probably be 4s and 5s, but I don't have a problem with how our guys played today. Munich was just too good. I wish Alexis had passed the ball sooner a few times and our defenders had not tried to play their way out so often, but I can't point to anyone and say he played poorly. The goals were all quality, and Cech made a couple excellent saves. If he's smart, Wenger will emphasize that this game shows how far we can improve, and not let it crush confidence.
Olympiakos won, meaning that we have to hope Bayern beats them, and we have to beat Zagreb at home and Olympiakos by two goals in Athens (the tiebreaker is head to head, and with three away goals, the Greeks are in the driver's seat). Giroud's petulance in Zagreb and Ospina's howler in London may have put us in too deep a hole. I don't even know what happens if we get the parachute into UEFA Cup. Is there another group round? Or just more knockout stages? I don't want to think about it. I suspect Wenger will tank the UEFA competition if that's where we end up, prioritizing the league.
Spuds play Anderlecht at home tomorrow, so they'll have even less rest than we'll get. Kane's already saying how he's confident they'll beat us. Let's show them how far they can improve.
Olympiakos won, meaning that we have to hope Bayern beats them, and we have to beat Zagreb at home and Olympiakos by two goals in Athens (the tiebreaker is head to head, and with three away goals, the Greeks are in the driver's seat). Giroud's petulance in Zagreb and Ospina's howler in London may have put us in too deep a hole. I don't even know what happens if we get the parachute into UEFA Cup. Is there another group round? Or just more knockout stages? I don't want to think about it. I suspect Wenger will tank the UEFA competition if that's where we end up, prioritizing the league.
Spuds play Anderlecht at home tomorrow, so they'll have even less rest than we'll get. Kane's already saying how he's confident they'll beat us. Let's show them how far they can improve.
Monday, November 2, 2015
DC United 0 - 1 New York Energy Drinks
The Red Bulls were simply better than DC on both sides of the ball. Only Bill Hamid's fabulous work in goal kept this one from becoming a rout. DC didn't have a single shot on goal (the first time an MLS playoff home team was that toothless) and completed barely more than half their pass attempts. A draw would have been an unjust result. Now DC has to go to a place they lost badly twice and hope to score at least twice (it isn't going to end 0 - 1 and go to PKs). Thing is, there are players on the team who can make that happen. But I doubt that New York is going to allow that. You never know...a red card, an own goal, a handball in the area could tip this our way. But DC will have to show much more going forward for anything good to happen. Much more.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Swansea 0 - 3 Arsenal
A perfectly dreadful first half was not punished because Cech bailed us out once again. Gomis's inept finishing helped too. Arsenal turned it on in the second half and easily outclassed the Swans for a deserved three points. Some points of interest (to me anyway):
Giroud showed why he's so important for us. His hold-up play was superb. The header was exquisite. I love the way he used Mert's jersey to sling himself around him and get away from his marker! Yes, he missed a golden opportunity on his left foot in the first half, but let's forget about that first half. My heart was in my mouth when he clutched his knee and writhed on the turf for a few minutes. He seemed fine in the second half, and disappointed at being taken out for a defensive replacement.
Fabianski. I have always liked him, but never more than yesterday when he dropped the ball at Koscielny's feet so Kos could sweep it into the vacant goal. Well done, Lukas!
I was convinced that Joel Campbell would never really be an Arsenal player. In fact, I think I wrote that in my last post. But he stepped in and did the job, all over the field. He did not look out of place. On a day when Alexis was not looking much like Alexis, and Bellerin needed a lot of help containing Montero, it took a lot of energy and confidence to contribute the way Campbell did. It was great to see him score near the end. He will need to turn in more performances like that in the coming weeks.
So, we got the result we needed most. We kept pace with City at the top of the table (!) and pulled within four in goal difference. Man U dropped another two points in another dreary 0 - 0 draw. I still don't get Leicester, but until Jamie Vardy cools off I guess they'll be contenders for Europe. West Ham looked more like the West Ham I know and lost to Watford. I can only hope that Tottenham comes back to earth. The NLD looms large now. I'm not expecting much in Munich, but we could get lucky, I guess. A point would be fantastic.
Giroud showed why he's so important for us. His hold-up play was superb. The header was exquisite. I love the way he used Mert's jersey to sling himself around him and get away from his marker! Yes, he missed a golden opportunity on his left foot in the first half, but let's forget about that first half. My heart was in my mouth when he clutched his knee and writhed on the turf for a few minutes. He seemed fine in the second half, and disappointed at being taken out for a defensive replacement.
Fabianski. I have always liked him, but never more than yesterday when he dropped the ball at Koscielny's feet so Kos could sweep it into the vacant goal. Well done, Lukas!
I was convinced that Joel Campbell would never really be an Arsenal player. In fact, I think I wrote that in my last post. But he stepped in and did the job, all over the field. He did not look out of place. On a day when Alexis was not looking much like Alexis, and Bellerin needed a lot of help containing Montero, it took a lot of energy and confidence to contribute the way Campbell did. It was great to see him score near the end. He will need to turn in more performances like that in the coming weeks.
So, we got the result we needed most. We kept pace with City at the top of the table (!) and pulled within four in goal difference. Man U dropped another two points in another dreary 0 - 0 draw. I still don't get Leicester, but until Jamie Vardy cools off I guess they'll be contenders for Europe. West Ham looked more like the West Ham I know and lost to Watford. I can only hope that Tottenham comes back to earth. The NLD looms large now. I'm not expecting much in Munich, but we could get lucky, I guess. A point would be fantastic.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Sheffield Wednesday 3 - 0 Arsenal
" I just want the young guys to give a good showing in Sheffield, and for no one to get hurt. "
That was the last sentence I wrote on this blog. Well, shit. I don't know how serious the injuries are to Chamberlain and Walcott. I hope they were taken out as a precaution. It's certainly strange that both took themselves out within minutes of going on. Had they not trained properly? Weird. We have run out of replacements, and Wenger loaned out the likes of Gnabry who could slot in respectably. This could be very bad.
The other bad thing was how poorly all the substitutes played (with one or two exceptions, below). I figured Kamara and Iwobi would be in over their heads, but I didn't expect veteran first teamers like Chambers, Debuchy, and Flamini to stink up Hillsborough. Cech was fantastic, Mertesacker OK (though open headers that close in are unforgivable), and Giroud got absolutely no service (more on that later) so it's hard to rate him. Gibbs did his job. Bennacer was dreadful when he came on. Campbell may have been the biggest flop of the night. Bielik was the best of our midfielders after he came on.
Sheffield outplayed us by a long way. They easily kept us from doing anything remotely dangerous, took the ball away almost at will, and their attacks and set pieces were clinical. They prepared for this game. I don't know what we did, but it wasn't helpful. I blame Wenger. It's not reasonable to expect that group of B teamers and youngsters (with three starters) to ping the ball around the Arsenal way. He played Giroud; why? I expected a lot of long balls for the Frenchman to knock down for Iwobi and Campbell, but no one even looked for him. They just kept their heads down and dribbled into trouble, or left passes short (Flamini did it a lot). Hardly anyone checked back for the ball, allowing the opponents to nip in and steal it repeatedly. They weren't distracted by defending, because time and again they lost their man. Guys like Debuchy, Flamini, and Chambers know better.
Flamini is simply past it. He must have eaten spinach before the Tottenham game, but he's really not that good anymore and needs to concentrate on his job, which is mostly defensive.
I'm worried that it isn't going to happen for Calum Chambers. I once thought he'd be a mainstay for Arsenal, but he looks lost. He's nowhere near Gabriel's level at CB, and he has been found wanting at right back. He's not fast enough for a defensive midfielder, and he does not pass the ball well. His stupid, blatant takedown of their forward in a dangerous position led to the third goal on the subsequent free kick. (That was a very lovely play, I must say, and if it was a touch offside, I don't care.) He may end up with a team like Villa sooner rather than later. Seriously, he was garbage today.
Debuchy was a very good right back in the EPL and internationally. Maybe the injuries took a toll. I don't think he's going to play his way back into top form. He was torched today. With his current form, and Chambers's, I say bring Carl Jenkinson back next year. Chambers may be a project, but unless Debuchy rounds into form, he has to go.
Joel Campbell is not an Arsenal player. Wenger made a mistake with him and it's time he admitted it. He won't get much money for him now, but sell him, please. I'm sick of watching him in an Arsenal shirt.
Iwobi showed some promise, but he was not ready for this. Bielik actually looked decent, but he came on fresh and by then Sheffield had done all the damage they needed to. Kamara was pretty bad in this game. Bennacer embarrassed himself. And Wenger let them all down. How were these desperate, frightened youngsters supposed to do well when they couldn't get decent passes, when the guys they passed to were hard to find and lost the ball anyway, when the veterans they played with couldn't keep defensive shape and were constantly out of position, and their manager sent them out there with a crap plan (or none at all)? This was a horrible experience for all of them. Wenger would have done far better to play the youth team. I mean it.
In short, this was awful. We learned nothing we can use and we're out of this competition. All the confidence we had was shot. There are more important injuries.
Crap.
That was the last sentence I wrote on this blog. Well, shit. I don't know how serious the injuries are to Chamberlain and Walcott. I hope they were taken out as a precaution. It's certainly strange that both took themselves out within minutes of going on. Had they not trained properly? Weird. We have run out of replacements, and Wenger loaned out the likes of Gnabry who could slot in respectably. This could be very bad.
The other bad thing was how poorly all the substitutes played (with one or two exceptions, below). I figured Kamara and Iwobi would be in over their heads, but I didn't expect veteran first teamers like Chambers, Debuchy, and Flamini to stink up Hillsborough. Cech was fantastic, Mertesacker OK (though open headers that close in are unforgivable), and Giroud got absolutely no service (more on that later) so it's hard to rate him. Gibbs did his job. Bennacer was dreadful when he came on. Campbell may have been the biggest flop of the night. Bielik was the best of our midfielders after he came on.
Sheffield outplayed us by a long way. They easily kept us from doing anything remotely dangerous, took the ball away almost at will, and their attacks and set pieces were clinical. They prepared for this game. I don't know what we did, but it wasn't helpful. I blame Wenger. It's not reasonable to expect that group of B teamers and youngsters (with three starters) to ping the ball around the Arsenal way. He played Giroud; why? I expected a lot of long balls for the Frenchman to knock down for Iwobi and Campbell, but no one even looked for him. They just kept their heads down and dribbled into trouble, or left passes short (Flamini did it a lot). Hardly anyone checked back for the ball, allowing the opponents to nip in and steal it repeatedly. They weren't distracted by defending, because time and again they lost their man. Guys like Debuchy, Flamini, and Chambers know better.
Flamini is simply past it. He must have eaten spinach before the Tottenham game, but he's really not that good anymore and needs to concentrate on his job, which is mostly defensive.
I'm worried that it isn't going to happen for Calum Chambers. I once thought he'd be a mainstay for Arsenal, but he looks lost. He's nowhere near Gabriel's level at CB, and he has been found wanting at right back. He's not fast enough for a defensive midfielder, and he does not pass the ball well. His stupid, blatant takedown of their forward in a dangerous position led to the third goal on the subsequent free kick. (That was a very lovely play, I must say, and if it was a touch offside, I don't care.) He may end up with a team like Villa sooner rather than later. Seriously, he was garbage today.
Debuchy was a very good right back in the EPL and internationally. Maybe the injuries took a toll. I don't think he's going to play his way back into top form. He was torched today. With his current form, and Chambers's, I say bring Carl Jenkinson back next year. Chambers may be a project, but unless Debuchy rounds into form, he has to go.
Joel Campbell is not an Arsenal player. Wenger made a mistake with him and it's time he admitted it. He won't get much money for him now, but sell him, please. I'm sick of watching him in an Arsenal shirt.
Iwobi showed some promise, but he was not ready for this. Bielik actually looked decent, but he came on fresh and by then Sheffield had done all the damage they needed to. Kamara was pretty bad in this game. Bennacer embarrassed himself. And Wenger let them all down. How were these desperate, frightened youngsters supposed to do well when they couldn't get decent passes, when the guys they passed to were hard to find and lost the ball anyway, when the veterans they played with couldn't keep defensive shape and were constantly out of position, and their manager sent them out there with a crap plan (or none at all)? This was a horrible experience for all of them. Wenger would have done far better to play the youth team. I mean it.
In short, this was awful. We learned nothing we can use and we're out of this competition. All the confidence we had was shot. There are more important injuries.
Crap.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Sheffield Wednesday Tuesday
I'd rotate the hell out of the squad. Here's my suggestion:
Ospina
Debuchy Mertesacker Gabriel Gibbs
Flamini Arteta
Walcott Chamberlain Alexis
Giroud
Okay, a bit top-heavy. And I am really afraid of the two CDMs. But this team ought to be enough to beat a good Championship side like Wednesday. I'd sit Alexis out, but he probably would run out there anyway and get red-carded for being the twelfth man. Besides, I don't know who I'd put there in his place.
I want to see Walcott and Giroud out there together, and I want the Ox steaming through the middle picking up the balls Giroud knocks down to him. I think Gibbs and Alexis will be a terrifying combination coming up the left, and I really think Debuchy needs game time.
We'll play Swansea four days later, then Bayern, two games that are in my opinion more significant, so some freshening up will be a good thing. The Liberty has not been all that friendly a place to go, and Bayern will want to cement first place in the group; those will be battles.
Ospina
Debuchy Mertesacker Gabriel Gibbs
Flamini Arteta
Walcott Chamberlain Alexis
Giroud
Okay, a bit top-heavy. And I am really afraid of the two CDMs. But this team ought to be enough to beat a good Championship side like Wednesday. I'd sit Alexis out, but he probably would run out there anyway and get red-carded for being the twelfth man. Besides, I don't know who I'd put there in his place.
I want to see Walcott and Giroud out there together, and I want the Ox steaming through the middle picking up the balls Giroud knocks down to him. I think Gibbs and Alexis will be a terrifying combination coming up the left, and I really think Debuchy needs game time.
We'll play Swansea four days later, then Bayern, two games that are in my opinion more significant, so some freshening up will be a good thing. The Liberty has not been all that friendly a place to go, and Bayern will want to cement first place in the group; those will be battles.
Arsenal 2 -1 Everton
All the goals were scored in the pouring rain in the first half. Ozil's perfect ball to Giroud's head as he sliced his way into the 6 yard box got the touch-on it deserved, past Tim Howard and into the Everton goal, followed a minute and a half later by a great Cazorla free kick well turned in off Koscielny's head. Cech made this stand up, although a nasty deflection wrong-footed him at the end of the first half. Three points!
I hope the team doesn't get complacent. Everton always does poorly at Arsenal, and this one could have gone differently. The Gunners did not dominate, though I think we deserved the win. Oxlade-Chamberlain is going to have to improve his passing. Maybe the weather played a role, maybe fatigue was a factor, but there was some uncharacteristically slack passing from our otherwise stellar fullbacks, and at least twice Alexis put us in trouble by coughing up the ball in dangerous positions. Gabriel was wonderful, and Giroud showed why he's our best forward. If wide left is good enough for Alexis, wide right should be good enough for Walcott.
I hope the team doesn't get complacent. Everton always does poorly at Arsenal, and this one could have gone differently. The Gunners did not dominate, though I think we deserved the win. Oxlade-Chamberlain is going to have to improve his passing. Maybe the weather played a role, maybe fatigue was a factor, but there was some uncharacteristically slack passing from our otherwise stellar fullbacks, and at least twice Alexis put us in trouble by coughing up the ball in dangerous positions. Gabriel was wonderful, and Giroud showed why he's our best forward. If wide left is good enough for Alexis, wide right should be good enough for Walcott.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Arsenal 2 - 0 Bayern Munich
I did not know what to expect from this game, other than that it would be hard-fought. After some open play in the early minutes, it settled into a fast-paced affair but with Bayern having much more of the ball. That pattern continued into the 75th minute, when the breakthrough came. The goalkeepers were sharp and they had to be. Both made impressive saves, none better than Neuer's on a header from Walcott, though a diving Cech's elbow save on Lewandowski's short-range shot was perhaps its equal. Thus it was surprising that a goalkeeping error led to the winning goal. Neuer came out to deal with Cazorla's excellent free kick into the center of the penalty area, but was momentarily frozen by Koscielny's leap towards the ball. As sometimes happens, Koscielny didn't touch it and it also flew past Neuer, and hit the face of Olivier Giroud as he was falling to the ground. It may have brushed his hand on its way towards goal, but this was no handball, and after the ball bounced across the line it was correctly given. Bayern was not done, and there were several anxious moments, the worst featuring Lewandowski again. But at the death, the team that snatched a late goal was Arsenal. Bellerin, who was absolutely fantastic the entire night, nipped in to steal a pass, motored past the last defender, and crossed to a wide open Ozil, who hit the ball towards goal. Neuer clawed it out, but only after it had crossed the line with an inch or two to spare. Two-nil to the Arsenal!
This doesn't mean Arsenal is out of the woods, of course. Yes, winning the rest of our games would virtually assure going through, but we have games in Munich and Athens to negotiate. (Hey, isn't this the third time in recent years that our final group game is against Olympiakos away?) Assuming Bayern wins their games against the other two, Arsenal will still have to beat each of them. A point in Munich could be precious.
Credit where it's due here. First, the referee was astonishingly good. I don't remember a card other than Giroud's for barging into Neuer as he was about to release the ball he'd just collected. (Giroud did not remonstrate with the ref--yay!) The officials let the game flow and it was a great spectacle. The defenses were excellent, despite the wealth of attacking talent out there. It's tough to rate individuals in a game like this; there was enormous pressure put on the ball and both teams misplaced some passes, particularly Arsenal. Bayern completed a higher percentage of their passes, but this was mostly because Arsenal was making a lot of them from deep in their own half and they were as much clearances as passes. Arsenal finished with 30% possession, an unthinkable stat in the EPL.
But Wenger intended exactly that. He wanted to hit Bayern on set pieces and the counter, and this is exactly what happened. It's not often that he out-tactics the other manager, but he did it to van Gaal a couple weeks ago and he did it to Guardiola today. If I'm singling out anyone for special praise--and they were all superb today--t would have to be our fullbacks, who covered a lot of ground and made it very difficult for Bayern to do what they wanted to do. It seemed to me that Ozil and Alexis were given special attention by the German side; neither had any time to dwell on the ball. Consequently, both coughed it up repeatedly, Alexis twice in very dangerous positions. Yet both did their jobs on both sides of the ball.
The one negative from this magnificent victory, and it's a big one, is the hamstring injury to Ramsey. The guy was just getting his confidence back, doing a fabulous job in every game. He'll be out for a while I'm sure, and Chamberlain will get his chances to start. A minor disappointment for me was Walcott's finishing. He should have had at least one today. But a swarming defense, weak shooting, and Manuel "Spiderman" Neuer conspired to keep him off the scoresheet.
This doesn't mean Arsenal is out of the woods, of course. Yes, winning the rest of our games would virtually assure going through, but we have games in Munich and Athens to negotiate. (Hey, isn't this the third time in recent years that our final group game is against Olympiakos away?) Assuming Bayern wins their games against the other two, Arsenal will still have to beat each of them. A point in Munich could be precious.
Credit where it's due here. First, the referee was astonishingly good. I don't remember a card other than Giroud's for barging into Neuer as he was about to release the ball he'd just collected. (Giroud did not remonstrate with the ref--yay!) The officials let the game flow and it was a great spectacle. The defenses were excellent, despite the wealth of attacking talent out there. It's tough to rate individuals in a game like this; there was enormous pressure put on the ball and both teams misplaced some passes, particularly Arsenal. Bayern completed a higher percentage of their passes, but this was mostly because Arsenal was making a lot of them from deep in their own half and they were as much clearances as passes. Arsenal finished with 30% possession, an unthinkable stat in the EPL.
But Wenger intended exactly that. He wanted to hit Bayern on set pieces and the counter, and this is exactly what happened. It's not often that he out-tactics the other manager, but he did it to van Gaal a couple weeks ago and he did it to Guardiola today. If I'm singling out anyone for special praise--and they were all superb today--t would have to be our fullbacks, who covered a lot of ground and made it very difficult for Bayern to do what they wanted to do. It seemed to me that Ozil and Alexis were given special attention by the German side; neither had any time to dwell on the ball. Consequently, both coughed it up repeatedly, Alexis twice in very dangerous positions. Yet both did their jobs on both sides of the ball.
The one negative from this magnificent victory, and it's a big one, is the hamstring injury to Ramsey. The guy was just getting his confidence back, doing a fabulous job in every game. He'll be out for a while I'm sure, and Chamberlain will get his chances to start. A minor disappointment for me was Walcott's finishing. He should have had at least one today. But a swarming defense, weak shooting, and Manuel "Spiderman" Neuer conspired to keep him off the scoresheet.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Watford 0 - 3 Arsenal
I admit I was concerned when we didn't score after an hour. The first half was full of action, but not goals. Watford was very aggressive. Their high pressure resulted in a fair number of turnovers, but Arsenal had the ball in their end for several opportunities too. I was impressed with the intensity of both squads. Arsenal had more talent, and that was obvious; but it did not translate into a lead before the half. The first 15 minutes of the second half looked much like the first 45: Arsenal mostly on top but Watford threatening on occasion. Then came 11 minutes that resembled those 13 glorious minutes at the Emirates two weeks ago, and the three points were assured.
It looked to me as though we simply wore them out. Troy Deeney, their best player on the day, was gasping for breath towards the end. As the Brazilians say, "The ball has no lungs." With Arsenal having most of the possession and sublime ball control, Watford players had to run and reverse directions more often than ours did. The role of conditioning is sometimes overlooked, but in this game it was glaring. Aaron Ramsey was a machine. He runs as much as any EPL player. Near the end of the game, he still looked relatively fresh. He's involved in lots of chances and before today had as many shots as anyone in then league who hadn't scored. It was great to see him do it today. Without Ramsey-like reserves of energy, Watford was unable to keep closing us down and tracking our runs. The last half hour was very different from the 62 minutes that preceded it. Ramsey said in an interview that Watford groundskeeping had not watered the pitch, making it slow. They adjusted very well to that.
Some random observations:
Walcott looked a lot less effective. I think that's partly because Watford's aggressive defense didn't allow Ozil, Ramsey, Cazorla etc. the time and space to launch diagonal balls or long passes over the top at just the right moments. He doesn't hold the ball up and he's hopeless in the air. His link-up play and finishing are much improved, though. I'm still not convinced he's better up front than Giroud or even a healthy Welbeck. We really need a striker.
Koscielny played well, but at times he seemed not to be 100%. I hope his hamstring is healed. There was talk of Gabriel having an operation (Arsenal said he was out of the lineup due to "illness").
Our fullbacks are fantastic. We need to find games for Gibbs and Debuchy, but it's tough to sit Bellerin or Monreal. (Jenkinson scored for West Ham today.)
Our mids and wingers were all very good today. However, Arteta definitely looked rusty--or is it just old?--when he came in. And Oxlade-Chamberlain has lost his way. He dribbles too much (Wilshere syndrome) and never seems confident in his shot. Alexis attempts a lot of dribbles too, but his are more often successful and often end with a good shot or pass.
Boy was I wrong about Cech. He's still got it. I don't see why he can't be given the #1 shirt and be our first string keeper for another two years at least. After his howler against Olympiakos, Ospina knows it's merited.
The Manchester clubs also won easily, making for a tight race so far. Wenger will be desperate to salvage his Champions' League hopes, so he has some difficult choices to make in the coming weeks. He won't want to lose ground to City, who are still the favorites. Not everyone will stay healthy. And there's no satisfactory replacement for what Alexis and Coquelin bring to the team.
And another shout-out to Shad Forsythe, who's keeping Arsenal as fit as I can remember it ever being.
It looked to me as though we simply wore them out. Troy Deeney, their best player on the day, was gasping for breath towards the end. As the Brazilians say, "The ball has no lungs." With Arsenal having most of the possession and sublime ball control, Watford players had to run and reverse directions more often than ours did. The role of conditioning is sometimes overlooked, but in this game it was glaring. Aaron Ramsey was a machine. He runs as much as any EPL player. Near the end of the game, he still looked relatively fresh. He's involved in lots of chances and before today had as many shots as anyone in then league who hadn't scored. It was great to see him do it today. Without Ramsey-like reserves of energy, Watford was unable to keep closing us down and tracking our runs. The last half hour was very different from the 62 minutes that preceded it. Ramsey said in an interview that Watford groundskeeping had not watered the pitch, making it slow. They adjusted very well to that.
Some random observations:
Walcott looked a lot less effective. I think that's partly because Watford's aggressive defense didn't allow Ozil, Ramsey, Cazorla etc. the time and space to launch diagonal balls or long passes over the top at just the right moments. He doesn't hold the ball up and he's hopeless in the air. His link-up play and finishing are much improved, though. I'm still not convinced he's better up front than Giroud or even a healthy Welbeck. We really need a striker.
Koscielny played well, but at times he seemed not to be 100%. I hope his hamstring is healed. There was talk of Gabriel having an operation (Arsenal said he was out of the lineup due to "illness").
Our fullbacks are fantastic. We need to find games for Gibbs and Debuchy, but it's tough to sit Bellerin or Monreal. (Jenkinson scored for West Ham today.)
Our mids and wingers were all very good today. However, Arteta definitely looked rusty--or is it just old?--when he came in. And Oxlade-Chamberlain has lost his way. He dribbles too much (Wilshere syndrome) and never seems confident in his shot. Alexis attempts a lot of dribbles too, but his are more often successful and often end with a good shot or pass.
Boy was I wrong about Cech. He's still got it. I don't see why he can't be given the #1 shirt and be our first string keeper for another two years at least. After his howler against Olympiakos, Ospina knows it's merited.
The Manchester clubs also won easily, making for a tight race so far. Wenger will be desperate to salvage his Champions' League hopes, so he has some difficult choices to make in the coming weeks. He won't want to lose ground to City, who are still the favorites. Not everyone will stay healthy. And there's no satisfactory replacement for what Alexis and Coquelin bring to the team.
And another shout-out to Shad Forsythe, who's keeping Arsenal as fit as I can remember it ever being.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
USA 2 - 3 Mexico
Mexico were worthy winners of the so-called "CONCACAF Cup" but they waited until close to the end of extra time to do it. The teams traded early goals and it looked as though a goalfest was on, but a combination of desperate defense and poor finishing from Mexico was responsible for 80 scoreless minutes from the Americans' equalizer until Mexico's go-ahead goal in ET. The only spell of US dominance followed as they attempted to get back in it, and after they equalized, when they looked for an unlikely winner; but Mexico turned the pressure back on and a magnificent volley from 20 yards and a tough angle won it for them. You can get the commentary anywhere. I'm just going to say a bit about what this game reveals about the USMNT.
First, the good part: Michael Bradley and DeMarcus Beasley. That's about it. Yes, the two US goals were well taken, but Cameron's unmarked header off a Bradley free kick and Wood's one-timer through the GK's legs were too easy. When Bradley wasn't on the ball, the US did not pass crisply. There was plenty of enterprise, but the Mexicans were simply quicker, better, and smarter. Maybe Klinsmann didn't set the team up properly--wide areas were ceded to Mexico all game, and when the US did manage to get the ball it looked as though they had no idea what to do with it. But mostly, it was a quality gap in personnel.
The biggest disappointment was Clint Dempsey. He wasn't getting open, and the few times he did get the ball he seldom found a teammate. If he plays like this in Russia, we're toast. Altidore wasn't much better. Beckerman and Jermaine Jones were poor in possession (especially the former) and a step slow in defense. Zardes looked decent early but the game passed him by and he was the first to be substituted--rather late, in my view. His replacement, Yedlin, got the assist on Wood's goal, but he did not look particularly good tonight. The fullbacks did what they could but were pulled inside too much. While the TV commentators praised our central defenders, I thought they were awful. Cameron and Besler were slow and out of position. Only poor finishing kept Mexico from being out of sight in regulation.
I may be harsh on our two center halves, because Beckerman et al did not track the Mexican mids who charged into the box. While the decision to play Guzan and leave Howard on the bench was inexplicable, I don't think our GK was at fault for any of the goals. Maybe Howard would have stopped one of them, and certainly he would have marshaled the defense better. But Mexico was on top for 90% of this game. They looked better; they were better. They moved the ball around crisply for the most part. Yet the Mexicans really weren't great. We were poor. That was probably our best eleven, and they were lucky to hang around in a game against a team that was not truly world class. On this evidence, I predict an early exit for the US in Russia. Klinsmann better take some youngsters along--some of the guys out there tonight are not going to get better with age.
Anyway, it was a very entertaining game. The outcome was in doubt until the final goal, after which one sensed there was no way back for the US. In truth, Mexico could have scored four in 90 minutes, while the US cashed in on their only good chances. There was only ever going to be one outcome tonight, however long it took the Mexicans to turn their superiority into victory. PKs would have been an injustice.
First, the good part: Michael Bradley and DeMarcus Beasley. That's about it. Yes, the two US goals were well taken, but Cameron's unmarked header off a Bradley free kick and Wood's one-timer through the GK's legs were too easy. When Bradley wasn't on the ball, the US did not pass crisply. There was plenty of enterprise, but the Mexicans were simply quicker, better, and smarter. Maybe Klinsmann didn't set the team up properly--wide areas were ceded to Mexico all game, and when the US did manage to get the ball it looked as though they had no idea what to do with it. But mostly, it was a quality gap in personnel.
The biggest disappointment was Clint Dempsey. He wasn't getting open, and the few times he did get the ball he seldom found a teammate. If he plays like this in Russia, we're toast. Altidore wasn't much better. Beckerman and Jermaine Jones were poor in possession (especially the former) and a step slow in defense. Zardes looked decent early but the game passed him by and he was the first to be substituted--rather late, in my view. His replacement, Yedlin, got the assist on Wood's goal, but he did not look particularly good tonight. The fullbacks did what they could but were pulled inside too much. While the TV commentators praised our central defenders, I thought they were awful. Cameron and Besler were slow and out of position. Only poor finishing kept Mexico from being out of sight in regulation.
I may be harsh on our two center halves, because Beckerman et al did not track the Mexican mids who charged into the box. While the decision to play Guzan and leave Howard on the bench was inexplicable, I don't think our GK was at fault for any of the goals. Maybe Howard would have stopped one of them, and certainly he would have marshaled the defense better. But Mexico was on top for 90% of this game. They looked better; they were better. They moved the ball around crisply for the most part. Yet the Mexicans really weren't great. We were poor. That was probably our best eleven, and they were lucky to hang around in a game against a team that was not truly world class. On this evidence, I predict an early exit for the US in Russia. Klinsmann better take some youngsters along--some of the guys out there tonight are not going to get better with age.
Anyway, it was a very entertaining game. The outcome was in doubt until the final goal, after which one sensed there was no way back for the US. In truth, Mexico could have scored four in 90 minutes, while the US cashed in on their only good chances. There was only ever going to be one outcome tonight, however long it took the Mexicans to turn their superiority into victory. PKs would have been an injustice.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Worth Another Look
I had to watch that first half again today. It was even more impressive on the second viewing. The one touch passes, the hustle tackles, the lightning attacks...United was simply blown away. In his postmatch interview, Wenger confirmed that the strategy was to come out flying, pressing high and committing to attack. He admitted that that level of effort can't be kept up for a whole game, so the idea was to get on top early. You'd have to say that for once, his tactics were spot on.
Van Gaal seems to have thought that United could play Arsenal's style too, and he definitely got that wrong. He played into our hands by trying to be open. Their passing was off and when they did maintain possession it was often labored and unimaginative. They did have a few opportunities, but far fewer than Arsenal, and they were not taken. Some had noted that United's schedule was a bit light to date, and maybe they aren't as good as they thought they were. United will play City in three weeks and that will be a real test, and Everton and Palace are the two games either side of that fixture. Not exactly like playing Bayern Munich twice, but still.
Lots of people criticize Wenger for putting too much faith in his players, but look around the field and you'll see men doing a job no one but Wenger thought them capable of before they got the chance. Walcott is actually turning into a real central striker, much to my surprise. He still isn't going to win balls in the air, but his link-up play is enormously improved, and his runs are excellent. Coquelin has blossomed into one of the league's best holding mids; who saw that coming? And lest we forget, Aaron Ramsey was written off years ago by most Arsenal supporters. Monreal and Koscielny were very smart buys, and Bellerin has become so good that Debuchy can't get on the team. (That must have shocked even Wenger.) I have no doubt that he'll find Callum Chambers' best position too.
Alexis has been a hero from Day 1--what a player!--but Ozil came in for a lot of criticism, much of it unfair, since his arrival. Wenger does not blame players individually; the most he will say is something like "we lost concentration." I used to think he coddled his players too much, but he chooses a squad based on technical ability more than mental toughness and he's handling them appropriately. Manuel Almunia, Szczesny, and now Ospina are never to blame for a loss as Wenger tells it. It's always a team failure. Maybe that approach allows a Squillaci or Santos to kid himself that he's not a liability, but I think team cohesion is improved, and Arsenal will not melt down like Chelsea is now because of managerial tantrums.
Arsene is going through a difficult personal time, which has to make job pressures even harder. I'm happy for him that he's going into the international break on a high note.
Van Gaal seems to have thought that United could play Arsenal's style too, and he definitely got that wrong. He played into our hands by trying to be open. Their passing was off and when they did maintain possession it was often labored and unimaginative. They did have a few opportunities, but far fewer than Arsenal, and they were not taken. Some had noted that United's schedule was a bit light to date, and maybe they aren't as good as they thought they were. United will play City in three weeks and that will be a real test, and Everton and Palace are the two games either side of that fixture. Not exactly like playing Bayern Munich twice, but still.
Lots of people criticize Wenger for putting too much faith in his players, but look around the field and you'll see men doing a job no one but Wenger thought them capable of before they got the chance. Walcott is actually turning into a real central striker, much to my surprise. He still isn't going to win balls in the air, but his link-up play is enormously improved, and his runs are excellent. Coquelin has blossomed into one of the league's best holding mids; who saw that coming? And lest we forget, Aaron Ramsey was written off years ago by most Arsenal supporters. Monreal and Koscielny were very smart buys, and Bellerin has become so good that Debuchy can't get on the team. (That must have shocked even Wenger.) I have no doubt that he'll find Callum Chambers' best position too.
Alexis has been a hero from Day 1--what a player!--but Ozil came in for a lot of criticism, much of it unfair, since his arrival. Wenger does not blame players individually; the most he will say is something like "we lost concentration." I used to think he coddled his players too much, but he chooses a squad based on technical ability more than mental toughness and he's handling them appropriately. Manuel Almunia, Szczesny, and now Ospina are never to blame for a loss as Wenger tells it. It's always a team failure. Maybe that approach allows a Squillaci or Santos to kid himself that he's not a liability, but I think team cohesion is improved, and Arsenal will not melt down like Chelsea is now because of managerial tantrums.
Arsene is going through a difficult personal time, which has to make job pressures even harder. I'm happy for him that he's going into the international break on a high note.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Arsenal 3 - 0 Manchester United
I did not expect this, especially after our error-filled performance at the Emirates just five days ago. I watched the game with a United supporter, and instead of celebrating openly in that glorious opening salvo, I merely gaped in joyous wonder as the Gunners dismantled a team whose manager had just said could beat anybody. Wenger outmanaged van Gaal, sending Arsenal out to press high but defend deep, trusting in his speedier midfield to control the space between the lines if the front four wasn't winning and keeping the ball. United's back line has always been suspect in possession, and never more so than today. That first half hour looked so easy for us. Had Ramsey finished--it looked harder to miss than score--it would have been four goals. Martial missed one gold-plated opportunity, and United had four or so half-chances, but our back line did a good enough job against what looked a tired, off-color United attacking unit. Something is wrong with Wayne Rooney. Maybe he's simply past his expiration date, but it's not working out for him. Mata was not effective either.
Second place on goal difference over United, two points back of City. Had Mike Dean not thrown the Chelsea game, we could be on top now. We need Koscielny back, and it would be great to have Wilshere and Welbeck, but I suppose they're out for a while.
Cech was really good today, saving at least one goal, probably two, with very sharp play. Monreal and Bellerin were awesome; Mertesacker and Gabriel good enough. Coquelin did an excellent job in front of them. Cazorla is getting to be quite efficient in a deeper role. Ozil had a superb game--a goal and an assist. Ramsey was good, I thought, but he is lacking confidence. Walcott played really well, having an assist for Ozil's and the last pass on Alexis's second. And of course, Alexis was fabulous. The United supporter I was watching the game with asked me if Alexis always helped out on defense, and I told him "Every game, all game." He's a guy no one wants to play against.
Okay, it'll still take a miracle to get us into the knockout round of the ECL, but I feel a lot better about the season than I did yesterday.
Second place on goal difference over United, two points back of City. Had Mike Dean not thrown the Chelsea game, we could be on top now. We need Koscielny back, and it would be great to have Wilshere and Welbeck, but I suppose they're out for a while.
Cech was really good today, saving at least one goal, probably two, with very sharp play. Monreal and Bellerin were awesome; Mertesacker and Gabriel good enough. Coquelin did an excellent job in front of them. Cazorla is getting to be quite efficient in a deeper role. Ozil had a superb game--a goal and an assist. Ramsey was good, I thought, but he is lacking confidence. Walcott played really well, having an assist for Ozil's and the last pass on Alexis's second. And of course, Alexis was fabulous. The United supporter I was watching the game with asked me if Alexis always helped out on defense, and I told him "Every game, all game." He's a guy no one wants to play against.
Okay, it'll still take a miracle to get us into the knockout round of the ECL, but I feel a lot better about the season than I did yesterday.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
The Four Noble Truths of Fandom
Our opener with West Ham was a blow. I'd allowed myself to think that the game would be a very easy win, and that our preseason was a true gauge of our progress. The result was depressing, so much so that I knew I needed help. Upon reflection, I realized that the Buddha had provided this help 2500 years ago, in the mistaken notion that it applied to all of life rather than just sports. (Cricket had not been invented yet; in ancient India, philosophical debate was the #1 spectator sport.) My outlook has improved since I meditated on these Four Noble Truths:
Supporting a team is suffering. If your team is a big, successful one, no amount of silverware will satisfy you for long. Joy at winning the league turns to ashes when your team is defeated in the Champions' League or in the FA Cup final (and vice versa). One year without winning something is painful; nine years is agony. If your team is mid-table, the wait for glory seems interminable. If you're in relegation or promotion battles, you will lose them as often as you win. And losing is suffering. Ask a Notts County supporter.
The origin of suffering is caring too damned much. Of course, caring is also the origin of pleasure in your team's successes. But how many teams win something meaningful in a year? It follows that suffering will always come in greater measure. And why do we care? We aren't on the team, nor do we own it. We aren't friends of the players, who in any case aren't really fans themselves (except in rare cases) but temporary employees. In my case, I didn't grow up supporting Arsenal; I was a Baltimore Orioles fanatic. (It took many years of Peter Angelos to cure that, but it happened. I hope Stan Kroenke isn't the same sort of buzzkill.)
Suffering will be made more bearable by caring less. You don't have to go all the way to indifference (if that is even possible) to improve your quality of life. Just take a step back and reflect on why you should allow a 25 year old millionaire's stupid mistake, or another's fantastic goal, to ruin your weekend. "But this puts us eight points behind City!" you say, but so what? The table does not lie. Those who will not accept reality are rightfully called insane. Arsenal has zero points in ECL group play because they have been crap in the ECL, and more than usually so. You did not push the ball into your own goal; that was Falcao's brother-in-law.
There is a path towards alleviating suffering. It consists of the following elements:
Right viewing. Stop watching football (or whatever) after a disappointing loss. It will only make you feel worse. Don't watch the highlights shows.
Right speech. Don't rail at Arsene Wenger or the players. Keep your comments temperate.
Right action. Don't hit anyone or anything. It won't get the three points; it will only cost you to replace the TV remote.
Right mindfulness. Focus on the future, not the past. Hope for the possible. Remember that supporting the team means supporting the team. They don't owe you silverware, and they do want to succeed. They are not trying to ruin your life.
Insert more sage advice here. Do you like football (baseball, etc.)? Then appreciate the football. Yes, it's seemingly imprinted on our DNA to get wrapped up in the success or failure of athletes in their zero-sum struggle with athletes wearing different uniforms. Remember, you are not one of those athletes. (Boy, are you not one of those athletes.) They are supposed to entertain you, not depress you. Make sure they do that or stop watching entirely.
I can honestly say that I am giving the Buddha's advice a shot. I did not watch Champions' League today. I waited until tonight to see the player ratings on Arseblog. I no longer post comments on news stories about Arsenal, win or lose. I hope I can keep this new attitude, especially with United coming to the Emirates.
Supporting a team is suffering. If your team is a big, successful one, no amount of silverware will satisfy you for long. Joy at winning the league turns to ashes when your team is defeated in the Champions' League or in the FA Cup final (and vice versa). One year without winning something is painful; nine years is agony. If your team is mid-table, the wait for glory seems interminable. If you're in relegation or promotion battles, you will lose them as often as you win. And losing is suffering. Ask a Notts County supporter.
The origin of suffering is caring too damned much. Of course, caring is also the origin of pleasure in your team's successes. But how many teams win something meaningful in a year? It follows that suffering will always come in greater measure. And why do we care? We aren't on the team, nor do we own it. We aren't friends of the players, who in any case aren't really fans themselves (except in rare cases) but temporary employees. In my case, I didn't grow up supporting Arsenal; I was a Baltimore Orioles fanatic. (It took many years of Peter Angelos to cure that, but it happened. I hope Stan Kroenke isn't the same sort of buzzkill.)
Suffering will be made more bearable by caring less. You don't have to go all the way to indifference (if that is even possible) to improve your quality of life. Just take a step back and reflect on why you should allow a 25 year old millionaire's stupid mistake, or another's fantastic goal, to ruin your weekend. "But this puts us eight points behind City!" you say, but so what? The table does not lie. Those who will not accept reality are rightfully called insane. Arsenal has zero points in ECL group play because they have been crap in the ECL, and more than usually so. You did not push the ball into your own goal; that was Falcao's brother-in-law.
There is a path towards alleviating suffering. It consists of the following elements:
Right viewing. Stop watching football (or whatever) after a disappointing loss. It will only make you feel worse. Don't watch the highlights shows.
Right speech. Don't rail at Arsene Wenger or the players. Keep your comments temperate.
Right action. Don't hit anyone or anything. It won't get the three points; it will only cost you to replace the TV remote.
Right mindfulness. Focus on the future, not the past. Hope for the possible. Remember that supporting the team means supporting the team. They don't owe you silverware, and they do want to succeed. They are not trying to ruin your life.
Insert more sage advice here. Do you like football (baseball, etc.)? Then appreciate the football. Yes, it's seemingly imprinted on our DNA to get wrapped up in the success or failure of athletes in their zero-sum struggle with athletes wearing different uniforms. Remember, you are not one of those athletes. (Boy, are you not one of those athletes.) They are supposed to entertain you, not depress you. Make sure they do that or stop watching entirely.
I can honestly say that I am giving the Buddha's advice a shot. I did not watch Champions' League today. I waited until tonight to see the player ratings on Arseblog. I no longer post comments on news stories about Arsenal, win or lose. I hope I can keep this new attitude, especially with United coming to the Emirates.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Arsenal 2 - 3 Olympiakos
I certainly picked a bad time to start this blog. After the pathetic hash the Gunners made of today's game against Olympiakos, I have no interest in reliving that 90 minutes. The only question now is whether we'll be in Europa League or out of Europe entirely after the group stage ends. I'm not sure which I want.
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