Gooner Match Review- NLD

After a narrow defeat to the enemy, the media is awash with brash claims of a 'power shift in North London'- I'll address that urban myth later, but for now I'll cover the main points we can take from the game.

For me, what essentially decided the game was the ability of the respective defences to cope with the pressure they were put under. Both teams had a similar proportion of the play offensively, with Arsenal possibly even having slightly more of the play. However, when Tottenham put Arsenal's defence under pressure, we were simply at sixes and sevens, whilst their defence stoutly stood firm. This seemed to be down to key organisational errors in our backline- a lack of communication, a lack of cohesion in our offside trap- as well as the odd individual slip-up- such as BFG playing Bale onside for the first goal. I don't necessarily disagree with us playing a high line; I believe we are at our best when we condense the space in this way and put pressure on the opposition, but for this tactic to work effectively, certain defensively fundamentals must be executed precisely. Runners must be tracked (Hello Nacho!), the defence must step up as a unit, defenders must react quickly and communication must be clear. The tactic failed because none of these fundamentals seemed to be in place, allowing the likes of Lennon and Bale to exploit our high line with their pace at ease.

In regards to the defence as individuals, I was again disappointed with Thomas Vermaelen. His from really seems to have dipped since he became captain and I have a theory as to why. Before Vermaelen was made captain he usually had another centre-half next to him to keep him in check, and ensure that the brash, cavaliering side of his game was used sparingly. However, as captain, he is now tasked with leading and commanding the defence himself, with no-one to watch over him. In fairness, an experienced centre-half should be able to position themselves without a fellow defender instructing them, but Tommy has always had a tendency to go AWOL, and that tendency now seems to be going largely unchecked with him as captain.

The defence was clearly our main downfall, although I must comment on the fact that I believed we dealt with Bale quite well. Despite the media building him up as the ultimate do or die factor of the derby, he did little apart from score the first goal- albeit an important contribution. But considering that we were on the verge of being brainwashed into thinking that Bale was a demi-god by the pre-match serenading of his abilities, his impact was underwhelming. We dealt well with him in wide areas, double-teaming him and giving him little room to work- although he did find more joy when he moved more centrally.

So about this grand 'power shift'. Well, it simply isn't true that Tottenham are overtaking Arsenal as a force in North London. To say that them finishing above Arsenal for the first time in 20 years means they are a better side is ludicrous, and to suggest that they will maintain that grand feat is even more so. The resources of the two clubs have to be taken into account. Tottenham are probably performing as well as they can hope to with the resources they have available, whilst Arsenal are underperforming hugely, and have £120 million sat in the bank ready to spent as soon as the club eventually decide we want to compete for trophies again. So with a slight change of policy and a more ambitious regime at the helm of the club, Arsenal would ease pat Sp*rs and resume their rightful place as North London's dominant force, So I suggest that they do that open top bus parade soon, because their fun won't last long.

The Wenger Debate...again

Following yet another cup debacle, this time at home to Blackburn in the FA Cup, it is becoming hard for all us blogger types to really pinpoint new reasons as to why Arsenal continue to disappoint in this fashion. I said to myself that the draw was near perfect after it was made- an unspectacular tie, unlikely to draw much media attention; we weren't playing a club many divisions below us, so the media would not be waiting to pounce on the next 'giant killing'; we were at home, requiring a trip up north to Ewood Park and we had put in a good display against Sunderland a week before- the stage was set for us NOT to crash to another, supposedly inferior opponent. But alas, many missed chances, scuffed shots, desperate scurries and agonising minutes later, that was exactly what The Arsenal had gone and done again.

The following morning, the rather pre-meditated Wenger-shaped cyclone of debate swept across the media, and no-one could escape it's vast expanses. What can easily be gleaned from this is that Le Prof is under a lot pressure, as has been the case for the last couple of seasons, if not from employers in the boardroom, certainly from the eager English press, who are beginning to sense the potential end of an era at The Arsenal. And this pressure should exist, there is no question that Arsenal are under performing for a club of their size and stature- a club who promised their fans great success since their move to grand new 60,000-seater stadium, success that has yet to materialise. If some form of pressure is not existent from the boardroom, you have to question the board's desire for sporting success at Arsenal. They may well still deem that Wenger is still the right man to lead Arsenal forward, and may well be right with that assertion, nut if questions are not being asked and changes of some form are not being made, I think all Gooners should be concerned.

In regards to personal opinion on Wenger's predicament, I do think, and partly hope, that the end of his tenure at Arsenal is nigh. Looking at Arsene's body language, downbeat press conferences, broken promises and general struggles over the last two seasons in particular, I believe that it would be best for both him and the club if they were to part ways in the near future. He has been a great servant to Arsenal Football club and quite possibly our most inspirational, innovative and successful manager, who has undoubtedly changed the face of English football, but like all goods things, Arsene's time at Arsenal can't last forever, and at some point, his performance in his role was destined to dip. Arsene could still go on to be hugely successful elsewhere, at Real Madrid or Paris-Saint Germain perhaps, but in regard to Arsenal, I think his time is almost done.

We just need a change. A freshening up, dusting down, and a new lease of life. The board should heed the warning signs and see that Arsene's days are numbered, and see that they would be wise to start preparing for his departure sooner rather than later, as coping with it will not be an easy task. Whoever the new man may be, the board must back him to the hilt and ensure that they are supported by the board in ever sense- through financial backing, support in the press and a helping hand when needed, as I am not sure that this help has been there for Arsene in recent times. As for who Arsene's successor should be, I'll leave that to another day, but I just hope that this board- however much I loathe them- has the guts and the brawn to make the tough decisions, and see that ultimately Arsenal FC is stronger club for them.


 

Piece in The Gooner Fanzine

Proud to have my first piece published in The Gooner Fanzine which was on sale outside the game today (a game I'd rather not discuss...). My piece is titled 'Defining a 'well-run' club' and you can read it, along with many other (probably better) pieces by buying issue 233 using the link below, and support a fantastic Arsenal fanzine. At £2 I doubt you'll find anything that's better value.



http://www.onlinegooner.com/shop/catalog/

Gooner Fan Focus- PSG

From time to time I love to endulge in the wonders of what makes our game so special. Really, its just us- the fans- that set football apart from any other sport in the world. Fan culture is something that interests me greatly, and every so often, I plan to profile a fanbase- looking at their history, traditions and culture. In this post, I'll take a look at the fascinating story of PSG.

A huge club with a lot of history and tradition Paris St Germain enjoy the second largest support in France and their notorious supporters are probably the country’s finest.

 ‘The Kobistes’ France’s most notorious hooligans have a dubious and at some points rather unpleasant history. After naming the stand the ‘KoB’ or ‘Kop of Boulogne’ after Liverpool’s Kop, the fans made the stand into a hub for French football hooliganism. Violence, racism and fascism were rife in the KoB and far-right groups began to dominate the stand. To try and alleviate the issue the club came up with a creative solution, building a rival Kop at the other end of the ground, which became known as ‘The Auteuil’. However, this only made the problem worse as various fan groups soon appeared in the new stand, forming a bitter rivalry with the KoB. One thing that didn’t help the matte was the fact that most of the fans attracted to the new stand were ethnic minority supporters, who were not welcomed warmly by the far-right groups of the KoB.

One of the amazing things about PSG is how these problems carried on until the last few years, with fan groups clashing internally, even leading to the murder of a KoB leader in 2010. However, PSG has managed to tackle its major hooliganism problems and after the media began to shed light on the often shocking behavior of some of the club’s fans, the KoB’s biggest group ‘The Boulogne Boys’ along with The Auteil’s main 2 groups ‘Tigris Mystic’ and ‘Supras Auteil’.

Despite, their shady and dubious history, there is no doubt that PSG fans deserve to be ranked among the most passionate in Europe. Their home support is undoubtedly one of the best on the Continent and their vocal support is second to none. Here is an example of their stunning vocal support in this clip:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxFAK6tKJY8

David Villa- Expensive gamble or Marquee Signing?

Following a typically mundane and uneventful January transfer window with Malaga left-back Nacho Monreal our only addition, there seems to be hope that the summer may be slightly more uplifting.

Throughout January, the out of favour Villa was linked with a move to Arsenal (the move was never completed as Arsene claimed Barcelona were unwilling to sell at the time). This certainly was an exciting prospect for all Gooners, as it would be fair to say that it has been a while since Arsenal have been able to attract such a big name to the club. A ‘big name’ is undoubtedly an apt term to describe Villa- who boasts a staggering honours list including a World Cup, a European Championship, a La Liga title, 3 Copa Del Rey’s (Spanish equivalent of the FA Cup), two Supercopa’s (equivalent of the League Cup), a World Club Championship and a Golden Boot, as well as being Spain’s all-time top goal scorer- compare to Arsenal’s current squad, who boast 2 French Cups, 4 Ligue 1 titles, a Copa Del Rey, a Confederations Cup, a Bundesliga title, an SPL title, a Scottish Cup, a Scottish League Cup, 2 Russian Premier League titles and a UEFA Cup between them. Considering that the majority of these cup are not perceived as major ones, that 6 of the trophies have been won by Sebastien Squillaci and Andrey Arshavin- players barely considered part of Arsenal’s first-team; and that none of the trophies have been won during the players’ time at Arsenal, and you can see why Villa’s résumé is likely to whet the appetite of many Gooners, whose team has largely been starved of so-called ‘stars’. But despite the eager anticipation surrounding his possible move, does Villa, a 31-year-old who played just 14 games last season following a serious leg break, really represent a good move, commanding a price likely to be at least £15 million, coupled with wages that would likely be at least £100,000 per week? A move for Villa certainly has its pros and cons. Let’s start with the positives.

As I pointed out before, with such a prestigious list of honours to his name Villa should carry with the much famed ‘winning mentality’- something arguably lacking from the Arsenal team in recent years. Also, the fact that his name shines with stardom, would give a much-needed lift to everyone connected with the club and create a buzz of positivity in pre-season. His ability is also unquestioned, he has an outstanding scoring record at all of his previous clubs- 40 in 85 appearances at Sporting Gijon, 41 in 92 appearances at Real Zaragoza, 128 in 217 appearances at Valencia and 42 goals in 98 appearances at Barcelona, a career total of 276 goals in 557 games, a strike rate of around 1 in 2- a phenomenal record considering his longevity at the top level of Spanish and International football. So if Villa could re-capture this form, he would certainly bolster Arsenal’s attacking options and their goal-scoring abilities as a team. Villa also offers reasonable versatility, being able to operate either as a central striker, or as on the wide-left of a front three, so Arsene would be able to deploy him in multiple roles across the front line. Furthermore, despite him hardly representing a bargain, at around £15 million- the fee Villa could likely be obtained for- his transfer would not be ludicrously high in today’s world of football, where players with far inferior records command far higher fees.

However, despite the many positives, there would still be an element of risk and uncertainty to Villa’s move. At 31, Villa is not getting any younger and his best days are probably behind him, although he would probably still request a fairly long-term contract of three or four years, possibly looking to see out his playing career with his next club. This could mean that were Villa not to work out, Arsenal could be lumbered with a past-his-best, highly-paid player on the fringes of the team and struggling for fitness (Andrey Arshavin anyone?). And although that is a very gloomy worst case scenario, it remains a possible outcome. Villa would also represent a health risk for Arsenal. Villa suffered a nasty leg break in the semi-finals of the World Club Championship against Al-Sadd of Qatar, which kept him out of action for eight months. Despite seemingly making a good recovery, Villa has yet to re-establish himself in the Barcelona team and get regular playing time. This could be partly down to the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Udinese for over $26 million, but also could be down to the possibility that Villa simply isn’t the player he was before the injury. We Gooners know only too well how a long-term lay-off can affect a player- just take a look at Eduardo. Also, without consistent first-team minutes at Barcelona, it is questionable how David Villa would stand up to the considerable that would be piled upon him a Arsenal, which would likely involve having to play week-in, week-out.

To summarise, the ambition and desire that Arsenal signing David Villa would show would be great, the move would lift spirits at the club and catch the eye of the watchful English press. The move would give us all a short-term boost, but would David Villa be a good acquisition for Arsenal? - That is still up for debate.