I suppose the other way to look at it is that we would certainly have killed many teams off quicker than we have done in some of our late shows. Giving the manager the chance to remove any tired legs on 70 minutes instead of going full throttle until 94 minutes
Apologies for the lack of blogging yesterday, it was my 11 year anniversary and having already penciled in El Clasico in the evening I didn’t want to push my luck with a blog as well. To be honest there has not been a great deal to talk about right now, well at least nothing pressing.
Our players have had the chance to put their feet up, rub some deep heat onto sore muscles and allow their bodies to recuperate once again for the first time in a few weeks and that should bode well in our very important game in midweek. Even with our poorer North London neighbours taking part in a very important game this afternoon I still have an uncomfortable feeling about the game coming up. As one Gooner said on Twitter it is probably the fear of losing to a bunch of ****’s (This is a family show and all that) but he is absolutely correct. That is a terrible thought, one that we cannot even contemplate.
Tottenham being Tottenham would probably rather end our chances of winning the league than getting fourth place even though the two are very much interlinked.
It should be an interesting game, a good game of football and probably a high level of intensity. I think we got away with it last season, they were the better team and probably should have beaten us but we managed to hold onto a 0-0 with ten men. Oh how Eboue has stepped up this season.
I have a worry, a concern about the amount of key players missing in our last five very important games. Can our squad win every game without Cesc, Arshavin, Gallas and whoever is the latest collection of players to find their way to the treatment table?
It is going to require 100% and I don’t just mean 100% for the sake of saying it. It will require giving everything to stop the opposition playing, everything to try and kill the game off. We have the ability to do this but I worry about the same old obstacle. Injury.
I enjoyed watching Real Madrid vs Barcelona last night, it was great fun. Not the technical game that some may have anticipated but it was full of commitment, desire and high intensity. It was surprising a very clean game as well even though the game stopped quite a lot. There wasn’t much malice involved, perhaps because ‘they are not that kind of player’
The fight to stop the other team from winning the ball was fantastic by both sides, it reminded me of the Arsenal vs Manchester United games of old. Vieira, Parlour, Ljungberg etc snapping into tackles and not letting the man in possession pick his head up and find a pass.
It has been talked about so much of late and it is almost getting boring now but I cannot help but join in the chorus and say that this Arsenal squad really need to add this to their game, well at least improve that side of the game because the team obviously do work to win it back but just not very consistently.
I have already recently asked the question and would love to hear some feedback from any readers that may visit the site today but given the fact that our injury record is already ridiculous and according to Colin Lewin, we already do the most sprints in the league what would the condition of the players be like now if they continued to press the way they did up at Everton and Celtic way back in August. Would we have any players left in April?
I suppose the other way to look at it is that we would certainly have killed many teams off quicker than we have done in some of our late shows. Giving the manager the chance to remove any tired legs on 70 minutes instead of going full throttle until 94 minutes.
Going back to the game last night, I have to say that Xavi was once again amazing. Over the two legs against us and then last night in their biggest game of their league season Xavi proved to be the most consistent player. While Messi has stolen the headlines, it has been the more experienced Cesc that has kept his side moving from start to finish.
Messi seems to have the knack (pardon the cliche) that you just cannot teach players, the ability to move into the box at the right time and arrive where the ball lands. Xavi made the two goals last night and created the two for Ibrahimovic and Messi’s fourth against us at Camp Nou.
Sol Campbell has had some very interesting words to say to his team mates via the media.
Campbell said:
“Everyone here has to learn and be honest about it, To ask where they want their careers going. Say that this is the level I want to get to and surpass. But you have to be honest with yourself and say ‘I’ve got to work harder, I’ve got to understand the game a bit better and realise it is a big world out there and there are a lot of good players out there at big clubs’.
“This is where you learn. You learn a lot about yourself and where you are going to be. You can’t think you’re okay and you’re not. You’ve got to be a very quick learner. This is the level you have got to be at. You’ve got to look at yourself. This is a different level but you have got to appreciate what they are doing and raise your level.”
It is difficult to know exactly what Campbell is getting at there. Is it the desire to work hard every game or is it the need to improve as players. Either way every single player in the squad cannot rest on their laurels and that includes the seniors such as Arshavin. A player with fantastic talent yet does not show fantastic application. It is difficult for me not to make the comparison with Ronaldinho who was the star man at Barcelona, a player with immense ability yet was sold to the highest bidder because he didn’t fit into the way his coach wanted his team to play. Not offensively of course but in the very important other half of the game that you cannot ignore.
I am not one for having a go at players who wear the shirt that I support but based on this season’s form and more importantly work for the side, I would rather see Tomas Rosicky starting ahead of the Russian until he decides that chasing back and winning the ball is important for the team.
I do not subscribe to this team needing four or five new players, we already have a large chunk of the players at this club, all we need is a better defensive understanding. Replace whatever defender currently at Arsenal with any defender in world football and they will concede goals if the whole team are not defending together.
Have yourself a great Sunday.
Back again tomorrow.
EXAMPLE OF AD POSITION
