Evening Gooners,
Sorry for no midweek post, I've had a lot of wrk recently, and I felt that with so many eulogising over Jack Wilshere's performance on Wednesday night, my voice wasn't necessary.
However there was some rather more unwanted residue from the international break which sprung up very suddenly roughly 15 minutes before yesterday's game at Sunderland, as Laurent Koscielny encountered som calf issues in the warm-up. With both him and Thomas Vermaelen now on the treatment table, it does mke you question why Wenger didn't take the opportunity to strengthen his complement of centre-backs over January, particularly with Djourou on loan and Mertesacker struggling to maintain his excellent form from the first half of the campaign.
Our injury problems could hardly have been helped by Sunderland's approach to game. Last weekend I launched a bit of an online assault on Stoke's approach, but if anything Sunderland were even more agricultural. Lee Cattermole, who is possibly the most talentless, violent and generally subhuman piece of limescale to walk the pitches of the Premier League since Michael Brown, took roughly one minute to pick up a booking having made his mark on Aaron Ramsey. Sunderland struggled in the first half and their main approach consisted of fouling Wilshere, something which seems to have become accepted practice. Jenkinson meanwhile produced a poor challenge of his own to gain a yellow card which could have been a crucial moment in the game. Giroud meanwhile drove wide when he should have found the corner after Walcott had already fired a couple of warning shots. Ramsey's deflected drive brought the very best out of Mignolet, but eventually Arsenal's pressure told, Wilshere combining seamlessly with Walcott, who laid it off for Cazorla to drill home emphatically. Cazorla had endured a slight dip in form over December and January but hopefully as the weather starts to warm up again he can continue the form he showed against Sunderland. Ramsey then had a brilliant chance to double Arsenal's lead before halftime but Mignolet saved well. Ramsey was excellent again yesterday, even when moved to right back, but his finishing left a little to be desired and that hopefully can change, I feel one goal will give him a real confidence boost.
In the 2nd half we were very nearly punished for our wastefulness in the first - Jenkinson lunged in on Colback, and was shown a 2nd yellow for a stupid and clumsy challenge. I'm a big fan of Jenko and I personally think he should start for us but that showed why still need Sagna as an option, and that Jenko has still got a lot to learn about the art of defending. Ramsey slotted in well as a makeshift right-back however (I'm told he played there at school) and with some gritty defending, we managed to see out the game. Szczesny was a brick wall in goal, blocking Fletcher's effort after Mertesacker cleared it straight into the Scot, and then tipping his header dramatically over the bar. He then made another crucial stop, before Titus Bramble somehow shanked wide. Only Titus. Sagna was at the centre of everything too, far more impressive as an improvised centre half than he has been at right-back recently, whilst Nacho Monreal was again quietly effective. Even with ten men we could have sealed it, Walcott striking the post and Giroud making a poor decision at different junctures. However finally we saw out that familiar scoreline - 1-0 to the Arsenal.
Other than those mentioned above, special mentions for individual performances have to go to the two centre midfielders, Wilshere and Arteta, who both helped dominate the first half. Arteta has got back to his best you feel after an indifferent last few months and his injury - he=is ball retention and discipline was crucial today, as he allowed Wilshere to maraud forward as he is so good at doing. Jack did pick up a slight knock which forced him to go off, but the Boss said it was a matter of a few days and that he would be back for Blackburn and Bayern. Let's hope his information is correct, because we need all the drive and tenacity we can get against ze Germans.
Till Wednesday,
Sunday 10 February 2013
Sunday 3 February 2013
We outfought Stoke?!
Afternoon Gooners, and welcome to the first post on Dennis Blogkamp, here's hoping it will be the first of many!
Now straight down to business, and of course the Stoke game yesterday is till fresh in the mind. Whilst it was hardly a convincing win or a particularly fluid performance it was nevertheless reassuring from my point of view. We kept a clean sheet against an admittedly unambitious and toothless Stoke side, we fought them toe-to-toe physically from first whistle to last, and we managed to win ugly having created enough chances to be justified in taking the 3 points. The way our new boy Nacho Monreal, in a tough first game in the Premier League, out-Stoked Walters, leaving him with a bandaged head, was particularly gratifying.
Our rivalry with Stoke is an interesting one, because in the space of about 4 years it has become one of the most heated games in the league. Not because of location or the relative achievement of the two sides, simply because of the two completely polarised footballing ideologies of Wenger and the goblin Pulis. Their style of play is loosely based on the orcs' attack on Minas Tirith in Lord of The Rings. They are basically a team of 10 inbreds led by the goblin in a baseball cap and his massive shin-shattering sidekick Shawcross, with a mediocre winger to take all their conversions. They even bought some American hillbilly to take their line-outs now Delap has fucked off.
They therefore see Arsenal as the anti-Christ, if they even know of the existence of Christianity. And yesterday was evidence of that, as Shawcross decided to try and collect another Arsenal scalp by lunging at Koscielny, a definite red card, but Shawcross was let off the referee with only a yellow. Owen however went against the Stoke norm with a phenomenally girly slap aimed at Arteta, which was also ignored. Nevertheless Arsenal fought well and despite some excellent saves from Begovic Podolski's free-kick which took a deflection off the hillbilly was enough.
Individually it was hard to pick out any outstanding performances, although Arteta was classy on his return from injury, even if Ramsey being dropped was harsh on the Welshman, whilst Theo dealt with Stoke's physicality very well, repeatedly holding off an then roasting the degenerate Wilkinson down the outside. Giroud was a good focal point but he needs to make sure he maintains his selfish streak - there was one particular moment when he opted to knock it down rather than go for goal when free at the back post, and a better decision could have made it a more comfortable victory. Oxlade-Chamberlain meanwhile was wasteful and it seems that his progress has stagnated this season - worrying given that he has had more opportunities to play this campaign. Monreal was solid but on this occasion unadventurous, as expected from a new boy playing his first game in England. Overall, a mostly promising performance and result.
Until Wednesday.
PS you can follow the blog on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Dennis_Blogkamp . If you can, recommend this to your fellow Gooners, I'd like to have as wide a readership as possible. Thanks!
Now straight down to business, and of course the Stoke game yesterday is till fresh in the mind. Whilst it was hardly a convincing win or a particularly fluid performance it was nevertheless reassuring from my point of view. We kept a clean sheet against an admittedly unambitious and toothless Stoke side, we fought them toe-to-toe physically from first whistle to last, and we managed to win ugly having created enough chances to be justified in taking the 3 points. The way our new boy Nacho Monreal, in a tough first game in the Premier League, out-Stoked Walters, leaving him with a bandaged head, was particularly gratifying.
Our rivalry with Stoke is an interesting one, because in the space of about 4 years it has become one of the most heated games in the league. Not because of location or the relative achievement of the two sides, simply because of the two completely polarised footballing ideologies of Wenger and the goblin Pulis. Their style of play is loosely based on the orcs' attack on Minas Tirith in Lord of The Rings. They are basically a team of 10 inbreds led by the goblin in a baseball cap and his massive shin-shattering sidekick Shawcross, with a mediocre winger to take all their conversions. They even bought some American hillbilly to take their line-outs now Delap has fucked off.
They therefore see Arsenal as the anti-Christ, if they even know of the existence of Christianity. And yesterday was evidence of that, as Shawcross decided to try and collect another Arsenal scalp by lunging at Koscielny, a definite red card, but Shawcross was let off the referee with only a yellow. Owen however went against the Stoke norm with a phenomenally girly slap aimed at Arteta, which was also ignored. Nevertheless Arsenal fought well and despite some excellent saves from Begovic Podolski's free-kick which took a deflection off the hillbilly was enough.
Individually it was hard to pick out any outstanding performances, although Arteta was classy on his return from injury, even if Ramsey being dropped was harsh on the Welshman, whilst Theo dealt with Stoke's physicality very well, repeatedly holding off an then roasting the degenerate Wilkinson down the outside. Giroud was a good focal point but he needs to make sure he maintains his selfish streak - there was one particular moment when he opted to knock it down rather than go for goal when free at the back post, and a better decision could have made it a more comfortable victory. Oxlade-Chamberlain meanwhile was wasteful and it seems that his progress has stagnated this season - worrying given that he has had more opportunities to play this campaign. Monreal was solid but on this occasion unadventurous, as expected from a new boy playing his first game in England. Overall, a mostly promising performance and result.
Until Wednesday.
PS you can follow the blog on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Dennis_Blogkamp . If you can, recommend this to your fellow Gooners, I'd like to have as wide a readership as possible. Thanks!
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