Arsenal 3 – 1 Olympiakos
1 – 0 Gervinho (42)
1 – 1 Mitrologou (45)
2 – 1 Podolski (56)
3 – 1 Ramsey (90)
Arsenal won last night and opened a two-point advantage over their next opponents, Schalke, thanks to the German side’s 2 – 2 draw at home with Montepellier. It was not a fantastic performance, it was distinctly average. You can tell that from Steve Bould‘s post-match assessment,
This is a results industry and we got the result. We ground it out. I don’t think they had too many chances, we limited them to a few and we could have perhaps scored a few more so without being fantastic we’ve had a great result.
I believe “Job done” fits but this morning sees criticism of the performance overshadowing a win which came on the back of the squad’s first defeat of the season. It was crucial to see how they reacted, too often in the past their predecessors have stumbled and stuttered following a key match in which they have lost. Surely it is an improvement to have stumbled and stuttered to victory? No, I have just checked and apparently it is not.
Arsenal were not at their best, no-one denies that. In the early stages, passes were overhit, overplayed and over the touchline. But there was more cohesion in this corner of rainswept north London than is being given credit for, simply that the indecision was more noticeable because it was being looked for. Dividends nearly paid in that sense as Mannone and Vermaelen were not on the same wavelength, surprisingly given the duo have been consistently selected this season, injury aside.
Once the cobwebs were swept away, Arsenal assumed the ascendency with width being key to breaking down a well-organised Greek side. Gibbs and Jenkinson took their opportunity to impress the watching England manager with attacking support and defensive maturity. Gibbs created the opportunity for Arsenal’s first genuine attempt on goal, fouled and the resultant free kick rasped goalward before a fingertip intervention sent it to safety. That proved to be the peak of the initial burst as the wind deflated slowly from the sails as the home side became subdued by the visitors organisation. It allowed the Greeks to become more of a threat – or maybe less neutered would be a better view.
Mitroglou saw his shot saved by Mannone whilst Machado proved that it was easier to score than to miss by incorporating tremendous technique into his miss. But as the Greeks grew in confidence they lost some of their shape and Arsenal were able to exploit on the counter-attack, as the opening goal proved. Gibbs probed once more on the left before Arteta invited the defence beyond the area, tackled but the ball broke to Gervinho who made space and drilled home. Not as sumptuous a finish as Saturday but who cares? Quite how the comparisons with Thierry Henry arose in Bould’s press conference after the match is beyond my humble mind and I am sure that the reports of the Assistant Manager’s response have missed out the gales of laughter before he composed himself. Joy or relief, whatever emotion the bench felt, was shortlived with Mitroglou’s header bringing the visitors level before the interval.
The second period saw Arsenal begin with more purpose, manifesting in Cazorla’s early effort and Podolski’s goal ten minutes after the restart. Gervinho’s evening got better as he provided the cross – at the second attempt – from which Podolski blazed home. It could have been more; it should have been more very quickly. Koscielny had his traditional early season wobble on Saturday and its easy miss counterpart last night, heading over from close range. Walcott and Giroud came on but as was the case on Saturday, the England international offered little invention. For his own career, he needs to resolve his contract quickly. Whilst he is young enough to recover from a lost season, the damage to his reputation is being done with cameos that offer little. He must look at Gervinho’s contribution this season and think that it might have been himself in this vein of form. Declaring one way or the other is the best thing he can do rather than inhabiting some ethereal no-man’s land; not quite a super-sub but nowhere near as sure a starter as he was. Will he ever occupy that certainty of place in the side again?
The scoring finished in the final minute. Aaron Ramsey has as many detractors as Walcott but continues to plug away, improving his performances, maturing and his finish as the match entered the death throes was as exquisite as anything Carlos Vela produced in his time at the club. In the end, the two goal margin of victory was probably a fair reflection of the game but the stuttering nature of the central defensive performance, certainly in the first half, underlines the need for a settled pairing as opposed to the policy of picking the defenders to match with the attackers. Sometimes that will be required but more often than not, form will need to be the dictating factor.
In Arsenal’s case, the question is whether Koscielny and Vermaelen are just reacquainting themselves with each other’s game following the seemingly unending flow of interruptions or if the partnership is formed of players too similar in technique. Certainly Mertesacker has been the form centre back and was only missing through illness last night. Virus is this seasons ligament apparently. Vermaelen is being criticised in some quarters for a lack of concentration and to some extent that is true; a rashness has crept into his game this season or has it always been there and now it is being punished. I am unconvinced by the argument that he is only in the side because his is captain; I don’t buy that. This season there is a more ruthless steak showing through in the manager and the armband has been abused by the Belgian’s predecessors; Wenger has been hurt by the betrayals on a personal level, something that is only natural. With his own antipathy towards the role of the captain – he certainly doesn’t place as much importance on it as supporters do – I don’t think he will think thrice in omitting Vermaelen if his form drops.
As it is, I think that step is some time away. But let’s remember Bould’s words. It’s a results industry and Arsenal have won. Enjoy. Please.
’til Tomorrow.
Toral struck the post
Miami @ 8:06:
The A’s played a fantastic 2nd half of the season, but the Rangers had a 4 game lead with 6 games to play. I am sure the choking noises coming from their players could be heard all the way over to your home in Miami.
TBH I did not follow or play “soccer” as a youth. I became excited about the sport when my son started playing and I coached him. Before fox soccer channel we had no real way to follow any professional “soccer” other then occasional notes in the paper during a world cup year. I started to support Arsenal when my son and I began playing FIFA soccer on the old game cube. Arsenal happened to be the first club that came up in the menu when we selected teams so I always played as Arsenal. I got to know the names of the players and started to follow them on line and when fox soccer channel started broadcasting English football I got totally hooked.
pedantic george aka Blackburngeorge
October 4, 2012 at 6:27 pm
You been hitting the bottle early? Bill clearly thinks coming here just to wind up the community is perfectly acceptable (he said as much) his only beef with Ateeb is he picks the wrong subject while trying to ruin everyone’s day.
Ateeb is an aggressive troll, Bill is a passive-aggressive one.
Bill, growing up in New Zealand I was able to enjoy playing the game. I was a keeper in the equivalent 2nd division with Waterside Karori. It is a long time ago now
http://www.watersidekaroriafc.org.nz/waterside-karori-afc3/
We played in the Newcastle colours but I was and am an Arsenal man.
Hamilton went off the boil some, along with others… sorry to hear about the choke but your lads gave you a chance. I lived in Canada for 3 years (I get around
) and support the Jays, who are far from a play off team. I also support the Boys in the NFL, but again a far from play off team. It all pales in comparison however to my Arsenal.
steww @ 8:36:
I consider “troll” to be offensive and antagonistic and it is certainly not really a politically correct term. I would greatly appreciate it if you could use the proper term and refer to me as a “fence sitter”. Thank you.
Miami:
I was a Cowboys hater growing and still am. There are more of us around here then you might imagine. Not many people like Jerry Jones. Blue Jays are a decent team and I really like to watch Jose Bautista swing the bat.
Ateeb
I’ve answered you within your original comment. Read it to your heart’s content.
Bill, I’m not that surprised about people not liking the Boys there due to JJ. It is not unlike Manchester, where most people actually support City and are none to keen on United.
The Jays could definitely be worse, but in a division with Yanks, TB and O’s we are looking at a long climb back to any play offs.
Miami:
Baseball is my first love because of my father and I was a good shortstop and learned to control a curve ball before any of the other young players had ever seen one so I was a successful pitcher as a youth. My fastball was average at best so when the kids learned to hit a curve my baseball career faded quickly. I will always love baseball the most. TBH Arsenal football comes next for me. I truly hate the Yankees more then any team in all of professional sports.
Arsene sends his regards, Mel.
Actually, he left at half time as per the previous time he joined me.
Ended up a 0-0 draw which the Greek boys were over-joyed with (honestly). They spent most of the game looking to disrupt the play without troubling themselves with playing it themselves. Their specialism was feigning injury. The ref’s was falling for it time after time.
Disappointing.
Ah well, better than enduring Liverpool and Spuds in the Europa League (“Whoooo?”)!
how is bill a troll steww??? see you are so far gone you dont have a clue anymore. slagging off anyone who doesn’t share your blind one way keep yourself on the optimism wagon view.
Jonny – Well done mate! I don’t know how you managed to break one of London’s famous buses but apparently you did.
I don’t know which is funnier. The fact that Ateeb actually believes in the crap he is spouting or the fact that Yogi (of all people!!) actually replied. In depth no less!!
‘Pool v Udinese game has just erupted in goals. Excellent end to end stuff right now. We also had the tackle of the season so far. Downing knocks the ball on and goes to run past the left back, who realising he was beat simply grabs him by the neck and throws him to the ground. Straight yellow but hey, at least he was smiling when he did it.
I think Yogi was very angry earlier this evening. I don’t understand why Ateeb persists with worrying about Arsenal. Clearly, nothing they are doing is any good.
Duke ,we dont need any more fights,
What did you think of Coq and AOC yesterday?
Guys – all the Arsenal ladies who use to post are now gone, even Passenal – Even on a blog of nominally anonymous posters, being disrespectful, boorish and mean spirited will wear out the best of relationship over time. Some are very overt in their misogyny but I am even more dismayed by the covert passive techniques. I suppose the failure to win a tin-cup over the past seven years or the defection/sale of one-time ACLF heroes has not helped. But even the good-guys have let their egos outweigh the need for respect and tolerance in the bad times. Unless we believe that Arsenal will never return to the top. I for one haven’t lost hope.
Well Irish, he drew attention to himself and as I was trawling through the comments I found that he admitted he only posted here to wind people up. That’s his choice and it’s mine to bin him permanently. That rope he got given isn’t swinging empty any more. And I’m not in a bad mood any more either so everyone’s happy
Happy days!!
Excellent news, YW.
The odour is already clearing …
Oh goody gum drops.
Shotta,Can you expand on why you feel the ladies no longer post here?
Its just there seemed to be much more bickering a couple of years ago than there is now.
One of them even took exception to G69 being binned.That hardly cries out that she was upset by rude and boorish behaviour.
Sorry George I didn’t get back earlier. My theory why our few female posters have dissappeared is the increased personalization of differences and the coarse, boorih language (e.g. the c**t word which is derived from the female genitilia). I could be all wet on this though.
Maybe they have gotten tired of the everlasting bickering and inconsistency over the same subject matter. After a while it is no longer fun.
Shotta – Have you noticed how the girls all seemed to disappear right around the time Jonny started posting? Just wanted to point that out.
On a seperate note, Ramsey’s goal was scored as a result of Giroud’s flick on from a direct kickout from Don Vito. Exactly when was the last time we scored such a goal? Maybe Ateeb can tell me. He seems to know everything about The Arsenal.
Well done to the Arsenal Ladies by the way. They thrashed the Barcelona Ladies 7-0 over 2 legs. 3-0 and 4-0 respectively.
I wish they would come back. I miss them.
i think the girls have gone since all the good looking players have started to leave.. vela, fabregas, fabianski, denilson, almunia,
shotta,
come on man how can a woman ever get bored of bickering!!
what do u get when u spell “his” name backwards….Beeta = bitter
Such a bitter chap.
Wonder what “they” injected him with to release his Mr. Hyde.
Anyhoo,
good riddance.
well canned YW.
pls can my first 9:27 post YW..apologies
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/?p=9641
Today’s post