Relief At Emirates

Finally, a home victory to savour.

In the end, it could’ve been a bigger margin of victory had it not been for the profligacy of the Arsenal forwards. But it was a must win match, not as much for the league campaign this season but more for the confidence and belief of the players ahead of the next season. It was a performance worth noting the superb control of the game from start to finish.

Wenger finally relented to give Theo Walcott another start in the Premiership albeit against a lesser team in Reading who have been struggling to live up to their over-achievements in their first season back in top flight. After a week of rest, the players looked refreshed and were ready to go. It was a spirited display from the team but the win came too late to change the destination of the league title.

Song again provided the much needed tenacity from a centerback. He put in a solid display and did not make any mistakes. He’s actually quite good in one on ones but needs more improvement in terms of heading. Against the likes of Drogba or Berbatov he might struggle. Pace wise in direct comparison with Gallas, he’s no slouch.

Hleb had another good game with several through passes which found his man and directing the change of pace in the game. There were even more than a few occasions which he tracked back to support Clichy in defense. Goals might not be his fortitude but one can always count on him to create openings for the team. However the match could’ve turned out very sour had the referee caught a glimpse of his face punch on the Reading captain. For all the tackles that he had endured all season, that piece of nastiness is still uncalled for.

There were signs that Van Persie is slowly coming back to his best. There were loud cheers each time he was tackled and managed to shrug off the pain without much fuss. Though there’s many a Gunner fan who winced every time he’s on ground for fear of more injuries. Slotting in just behind Adebayor, he provided the perfect foil to pick up the ball from deep and starting off attacks. Reading’s man-marking tactics meant that when he drops deep, there will be at least one defender who’s out of position. His well taken freekick was wonderful though it managed to stay out of the net. Twice during corners he dragged the ball pass Rosenior for some lovely piece of skill.

For all the industry and creativity that Arsenal showed during this game, it also highlights a flaw in the current squad. They are simply not clinical enough. Had the ratio of goals per chances created been about 1:3 even, Arsenal would surely have matched MU’s goals difference. Wenger must correct this to ensure that the winning margin is higher because even at 2-0, the game could change if the opponent came back or from a sending off.

Time For Others To Shine

With 4 games left to go, it’s time for Wenger to rediscover his team. Arsenal need to win the remaining games to set the tone for next season. But considering the opponents the slightly weaker opponents, it is also a time for Wenger to rediscover his team. A chance to test certain players in new positions or in their original positions. Toure’s transformation from a bit part player to a full fledged center half comes to mind.

Diaby’ returns for league action after being suspended for the read card at Bolton. He was bought for his all round display in the center of midfield. It’s a good oppourtunity for him to show his prowess and provides Wenger with another option should Flamini really decides to leave. His ball control and attacking instincts should serve him well but tackling would be one area which he needs improvement.

Song surely deserves another shot at the center back option or if not could be asked to perform his duties as Flamini/Gilberto’s replacement. It would not be alien surroundings for him as it was in this position which he excelled for Cameroon during the African Nation’s Cup. Tackling would not be an issue for him and there’s already an improvement in his passing and ball control.

Giving Lehman the respect he deserves by slotting him in goal for the last few games would be nice given that he seemed to be dead set to be leaving this summer but Fabianski should be given a shot between the posts. The Polish stopper has been quiet since his arrival but on the few appearances for Arsenal, he looked solid enough and gives ample commands to the defenders in front of him.

It’s time for Adebayor to take a rest and let Bendtner play. The young Danish has shown at international level that he has goals in him and there’s no reason why he can’t score on a permanent basis for Arsenal. He is strong in headers and makes good runs. His first touch is actually pretty good but the lack of playing time reduces that effect. Given a chance, this one will grow into a very good player.

Last but not least, several players from the reserves also can be introduced with next season in mind. The likes of Mark Randall, Nacer Barazite, Rhys Murphy and even the 16-year-old Luke Freeman should get a taste of Premiership football.

That said, the changes should not be at the expense of a league win.

New Season Start Now

So this is it. The preparation for the new season starts now. It doesn’t start in August, it starts now. Remember the last time Arsenal won the Premiership, it started with the thrashing of Southampton in the last league game the previous season. Winning the last 4 remaining league games would be the springboard for next season.

The white flag was finally waved by Arsene Wenger after yesterday’s defeat to Man Utd. In all honesty, it was a game that reflected the kind of season that Arsenal have had in a nutshell. Pretty and incisive for the best part of an hour, but slowly and surely fading away as the contest draws to a close. We were magnificent from August till February but come the turn of March, it went downhill from there.

Jens Lehman drew back the years with some wonderful saves but was probably out of place for the freekick. Almunia no longer looks edgy but he might not be the answer in terms of match winner. Fabianski perhaps? In spite of all the supposedly bad blood between Lehman and Wenger for his time on the bench, I think Jens will have a good European Championship.

Hleb again was instrumental in his role just behind the striker. The freedom that was given to him has removed the restriction on his game and he was allowed to express himself more. Always confident and comfortable on the ball, goals are one area which he needs to improve on. But so long as the assist improves and maintain, scoring should be the least of his concerns.

The selection of Song was another surprise. He had shown enough in the cup runs that he has improves a lot during his time at Arsenal. Starting Cameroon’s games during the recently concluded African Nation’s Cup did no harm to his confidence. He is strong in his tackles and always plays with his head up. Coupled with Djourou and Senderos and Toure, perhaps it time for whiny Gallas to step down or step away.

A striker will always be judged by the number of goals he scores a season. Not by the number of chances he has a season. In the spirit of fairness, Adebayor has done brilliantly in what was effectively his 2^nd full season at Arsenal. 25 goals is no mean return for a striker. Not yet the compete article but he’s on the right path.

The one player whom in my opinion should be a shoe-in for Arsenal’s player of the season would be Gael Clichy. Here is an underrated left-back who never complains and never wants to be in the limelight. Yet the work he has put out this season is unbelievable. The energy he possesses is mind-numbing. Game after game, he kept on bombing forward during the final minutes of every game. It will be an insult if he doesn’t get on a plane to Austria-Switzerland.

This will be the season to ponder upon for Wenger. The quality of his squad was obvious to be seen. Somehow the failure of the campaign could prompt him to reassess his squad and future purchases might be made. Or he could find another gem from his academy of reserves. Vela and Merida seems to fit the bill. Young or old, in Wenger, Arsenal will always trust.

In Defense Of A Swiss

There seemed to be a lot of calls for Philippe Senderos’ head in the aftermath of the Champions League exit. Most are saying that it is Wenger’s persistence with the towering Swiss for Arsenal’s failure this season. Whereas the grumblings mostly lies with that Senderos is not Arsenal quality. Those that bemoan that Senderos should be let go should read this article first.

Please remember that Senderos was part of the central defensive pairing that broke the Champions League record of clean sheet. That is inclusive of matches against Real Madrid (Ronaldo & Zidane) and Juventus (Trezeguet & Nedved). That itself is some kind of a record. Who’s to doubt to when you have shut out the most prolific of strikers in the current era and 3 previous winners of the European’s Best Player.

He was there when Switzerland against all odds manage to secure a creditable 0-0 draw against France in the opening match of FIFA World Cup’06. If my memory serves me right, the Swiss did not concede any goal during their group games. Now that’s an achievement, even more so when you consider that his partners in defense are not Toure or Gallas or Clichy or Sagna or Campbell.

He was even there to stop Kaka and co from scoring in both legs of another Champions League encounter. Not even the Ferdinands or the Vidics have managed to do that, home or away. Credit is given where credit does. Of course, he’s bound go through a bad patch. Everyone remembers how clumsy and error-prone, Ferdinand was when he first joined Man Utd.

Senderos is confidence type of player. He needs his run of games to really show what he is capable of. He is also very easily ruffled when he makes mistakes. Take Drogba for example. The Charity Shield loss cause more harm to the Swiss international than to Arsenal as a club. Harassed by Drogba throughout the match culminating in the Ivorian scoring the winner, Senderos never really recover from that slump till the Champions League run.

Yes, from time to time, he still makes the odd mistakes here or there. But on the overall, potential wise, he can be a much better defender than current incumbent of Toure and Gallas. Let’s not make judgement over a couple of games. If he shall ever be given a chance with 20-30 games a season, then we can judge.

Till that happens, Senderos will always be made the fall guy for Arsenal’s failure.

Gutted (Trilogy Part III)

Gutted, absolutely gutted. Ecstasy to agony in a matter of seconds. This was the ultimate disappointment. That sense of being robbed and at the same time self contributed. Arsenal are out of the Champion’s League after a pulsating contest with Liverpool.

Wenger paraded practically the same first eleven as the first leg with the exception of Van Persie out for Diaby. And what an inspired lineup it was. From the off, Arsenal were on wave and wave of attacks into the Liverpool goal looking to cancel out the away goal advantage that Liverpool held. A brisk interchange between Fabregas and Hleb saw Diaby being presented with a run at goal and he duly slammed the ball into the net. No more fear of the away goal’s rule. Game on.

The moment Flamini went off, the complexion of the game changed. Liverpool were winning the battles in the middle of park and Alonso and Gerrard were dictating the play. It was off an innocuous cross cum shot into the box which Almunia failed to deal with which resulted in a corner. Hyppia managed to evade the marking of Senderos and plants a firm header past a despairing Fabregas who was guarding the post.

For me Gilberto had another good game defensively but was yet again very slow to release the ball when in possession. Diaby who was initially bought as a central midfielder was not given a chance when Flamini went off. He was stuck out on the left side and eventually substituted by Van Persie. He should have been moved to the centre and allow Walcott to come on instead to give some speed and penetration on the wings.

Second half was a real cracker with 4 goals. Torres again paraded his quality by making space for himself inside the box and hits the top corner. The game then turned with Arsenal looking to equalize and haul back into the game. Adebayor had a glorious oppourtunity to level the score but muffed the chance when he directed the ball out. He could’ve shown more composure and controlling the ball before dispatching it in the net. He will be left to rue his missed chance.

From a Liverpool corner, Theo Walcott benefited from Gerrard’s mis-kick and went a rampaging 60 yards run evading first Aurelio, Mascherano and finally Hyppia before calmly cutting the ball back for Adebayor to score. Had Walcott been given the same gilt edge chance as Adebayor earlier, without doubt he would’ve showed more composure and finesse.

This is where the agony comes in. Celebrations have not died down when immediately Babel earned his team a spot kick from a clumsy Toure tackle. Within a minute, Arsenal have gone from a semifinal spot to a losing quarter finalist. Gerrard was never going to miss from 12 yards. Babel provided the icing on the cake for Scousers alike when he outpaced Fabregas to slot the ball past Almunia in the final minutes.

It begs the question that had the Hleb penalty incident in the first leg been given. There was no need for Arsenal to push forward even when going 3-2 down. There would still be an away goal advantage to defend. To say that Arsenal lost because of a wrong official’s decision would be harsh.

How Arsenal missed the masterclass defending of Tony Adams. Wenger would have plenty on his hands to rejuvenate the boys for Sunday’s clash with Man Utd.

Are We There Yet?

Is the team stil in transition? How long does the boys need to grow up? Will Wenger really sleep well thinking that his players are still in a transition period and they are not expected to win anything jut yet? Or will he be thinking that the players have matured and it will be utterly disappointing not to pick up a trophy this season.

Tonight is the final chapter of the trilogy with Liverpool and the result will set the tone for the rest of the season and maybe some of the next. Qualification will give them the push for the remaining matches and hopefully bring about a second wind to Arsenal. Failure to qualify would be a devastating blow for the boys and will affect the team, what with the Premiership still to play for.

Fabregas must not let Mascherano intimidate him. The Argentinian is very good at keeping players under wraps but is also prone to commit fouls doing it. Should Fabregas be able to free himself from the midfield destroyer or even get him sent for for silly challenges, then Arsenal have a chance.

On the opposite side of the scale, Flamini would need to keep tabs on Stevie G. Allowed him the same freedom as the first leg, be prepared to be punish. To nulify Gerrard would mean that Liverpool would have to go for the long balls to Torres which should be easily dealt with by Toure, Senderos and Gallas.

Up front, where Walcott plays will be crucial to the Arsenal cause. Should Liverpool again decide to use Carragher on the right, then that is where Walcott should play. Granted, there will be times when Carragher would win the ball but with his pace, Walcott would definitely stand a chance against the aeging Liverpool ma. If Clichy can support and put even more pressure, the game will be won in that flank.

Right, all that's left right now is for Wenger and Gallas to rally the troops.

3 draws is enough, let's go for a win tonight.

Trilogy Part II

If the European encounter was to be boring, the league tie was much worse. Both sides rang changes around, keeping an eye on the return leg fixture at Anfield. Bar the central defensive pairing, Benitez practically put on a totally different team. As for Wenger, with the Premiership title still up for grabs had to mix his selection with several regulars.

This match was Gilberto's best display in an Arsenal shit this season. But he still looked like shadow of his former self. Fabregas and Flamini pressed but it was obvious that tiredness has caught up with them.

Bendtner looked useful in the lone striker role. The Carling Cup run proves that and this match is further testament to the talent of this Danish lad. Come next season, he would surely be a force to be reckoned with. He fully deserves to score the equalizer, whether he celebrates with his teammates is another matter.

Hoyte has taken a step backwards in the arrival of Bacary Sagna. He's obviously talented enough to be on Wenger's team as the match against Sheff Utd showed but lack of play has put a dent in his confidence.

If Man Utd win at Riverside tomorrow, the fight for the league title may well and truly be over for Arsene and Arsenal. A season that promised so much, starts to look gloomy for Gunner's fan.

Trilogy Part I

This was to be Arsenal's 2nd European encounter against English opponents. After the initial failure against Chelsea, this time it's Liverpool's turn in the match up. It's a test of Wenger's resolve against Liverpool's European pedigree. For every league disappointment, the Reds seems to turn up differently in the continental cup games. This is a big test for the young Gunners.

The match was cagey and was never going to be a spectacle. Both sides mostly traded blows in central midfield. Van Persie had a couple of shooting chances in and outside the box but he's still trying to recapture his pre-injury form. Flamini's range of passing has improved tremendously and was unlucky that Van Persie did not finish his exquisite lob over the defence.

When the goal finally arrived, it was off a good set piece from a corner. The Dutchman's cross was met beautifully by Adebayor who benefited from a very static Liverpool defence. But is did not last long as Gerrard cap a mazy run and cross with a deflected Kuyt goal. Liverpool had their away goal and practically shut up shop from then on.

The clearest chance for Arsenal to claim a victory was when Kuyt tugged Hleb inside the box. It was as clear a foul as any. Ironically the Dutch referee failed to see it that way. The officials should really watch videos of Hleb and realise that he never dives. It's true that the advantage could be with Arsenal's had it not been for the referee but they were also short of ideas and found it difficult to penetrate Liverpool's tight defence.

The scoreline reflects a tough second leg where the Scousers will try and defend their away goal advantage. Arsene Wenger better have something up his sleeves or face another European disappointment of what might have been.