LP – Is It A Record?
Arsenal 2 – 0 Montepellier
1 – 0 Wilshere (49)
2 – 0 Podolski (63)
Arsenal ambled out of the qualifying phase last night with victory over Montepellier that rendered the trip to Piraeus irrelevant beyond a gamble on whether finishing second in the group is any worse than topping it in this year’s competition. As Manchester City mirrored our own early travails and crashed out of Europe before Christmas, Arsenal gained another win to rebuild their brittle confidence. We forget that in Arsène’s first two Champions League campaigns, the group stage proved an insurmountable hurdle. Alas City’s owners will probably afford Mancini the same comfort as di Matteo and the two Bobs will be beside each other in the job centre before The Citizens have the chance to flop once more.
As it is the wins for Arsenal and Schalke have resolved this group and on the basis of last night’s performance, it is hard to see the Germans failing to win in Montepellier. The French champions were utterly ordinary. Well-organised and hard-working but distinctly average. It was not hard to see why they were bottom of the group on arrival in north London; they remained there and gave Arsenal their first home win over a French team in the Champions League along the way.
Looking ahead there seems not much advantage in top or second place. The strength of Barcelona, Dortmund, Shaktar and Bayern is offset by Porto and Malaga in likely top spots with a similar tale for runners-up at the moment. This year there are few surprises in qualifiers, maybe two notable failures, but the competition beyond the group stage has strength in depth for the first time in many seasons.
Arsenal were sluggish in the first half last night, errant in their passing and movement. Everything seemed laboured, forced, as if under orders to finish the job in the opening half of the first forty-five minutes. I can’t think of many Jack Wilshere passes which found their target in that phase of the match; the truth of the matter is that there were probably plenty, it is just that we are not used to such profligacy of possession and thus remember the poor parts, the usual high standards simply seep into the sub-conscious. On the right, there was a troublesome lack of understanding at times between Sagna and Oxlade-Chamberlain, only to be expected with their lack of playing time together this season.
They were not the only ones but despite this, Arsenal controlled the match. Montepellier might have been well-organised but they lacked attacking threat. So did their hosts to a certain extent with Koscielny’s tenth minute header against the crossbar the only effort of note on target in the half. The remaining efforts were few and far between, mainly far – far beyond the woodwork, Podolski and Cazorla the closest to goal.
The half-time tea made the difference. The Oooh from the well-known brand got its La-La when Olivier Giroud contorted to meet Thomas Vermaelen’s cross, nodding the ball into the path of Jack Wilshere’s run for a deft lob into the net. For the youngster, his first goal since returning from injury along with some sense that the goal had been merited for the levels of his recent performances. It was a relief in that the pressure to perform eased. The breakthrough made, there was no need to force the issue so much. It had taken four minutes of the second half.
Cabella gave Szczesny the briefest of reminders that Arsenal were playing before the hour mark but minutes later, Podolski finished what passed of the contest. A one-two with Giroud on the edge of the area brought a thunderous volley from the German, lifting The Emirates netting to its fullest extent with a searing power. Giroud and Cazorla might have increased the margin of victory later on but the Frenchman in particular, was to be denied his due reward.
It wasn’t a vintage performance but like the weekend, it didn’t have to be. A win was all that mattered, ensuring that Arsenal fulfilled their part of the evening’s requirements. Draw, draw, win, win. The tentative steps of an unbeaten run are being taken. A sustained spell of wins – and let’s be honest, only Everton and Olympiakos away look tough fixtures – between now and the end of the year, ought to be achievable. If that ten game run happens, then performances levels will be improved – consistently. Right now, the result counts, letting the manager and staff work with the players they have to resolve shortcomings and enhance qualities.
So Champions League qualification is assured, European adventures continuing into next Spring and on a proper football night. Job done.
’til Tomorrow.
I thought we just had some fans who go on and on and on and on about how the first team should be run in his way
And another set of go on and on and on about how they think the first team should be run in another way
It may be just me but I reckon they are just two sets of people who, while they are no doubt commendably sincere and Arsenal fru’n'fru, should wake up.
No one gives a fuck – other than other enthusiasts in this self contained little world of fantasy
Support the club, don’t support the club, hoot and holler, moan and whinge
I don’t think anyone cares
But that is just me
However if anyone fancies another debate on commercial revenue and sponsorship don’t hold back
I love you
If bobs growing what I think he’s growing out the back(with this one love stuff), then I want some.
I’m an Arsenal fan for fun so I get bored/downcast if I read too much whining, especially as there’s so little to be done about it, even if we assume anyone knows what the hell they’re talking about.
I’ll always go for the upbeat stuff – the past few weeks it’s required more imagination, and I respect that!
And a fine addition to the “Splatter Platter” genre:
The middle ground is anything but easy – to both sides I am more than inadequate. the thing is I do LOVE my football club and I do have values that make me proud of the club I inherited.
My life is more faceted and complicated to say that it is all or nothing for me but I still care very deeply.
I will never stop being curious and questioning and I will remain true to that. I genuinely admire the genuinely committed and I accept I am overtly opinionated and will often be proven to be wrong.
Life is not just football for me and I am resolutely unashamed of that but to accuse me of taking an easy route is SO wrong.
I find it an extraordinary accusation.
Follow nothing blindly, ask questions and be prepared to be wrong whilst holding courage of your own convictions. We are not factions we are individuals with personal intricacies and complexities united by a commonality – how joyous is that?
I won’t sacrifice the easy option of agreeing rather than thinking – belligerent adherence to an ideology is to me the easier route. However all are fine so long as when the cards are played the players accept the outcomes with grace.
I don’t know how this season will turn out but I sing and shout and fret and hope with passion and care. I will not be ashamed of my lily livered worries if we win the league – I’ll hold my hands up and accept that my faith wavered. But then I am not a man of faith but a man of science so in some ways I welcome a hypothesis shattered or confirmed with equal measure.
Horse for courses and no disrespect to the faithful – you are still in so many ways inspiring.
Nana Na Naaaa
Nana Na Naaaa
Girouuu……Girouuuuu
Ah, you and your cute speeches Jonny, must work a bomb on the ladies
Truth is some fans (like Shotta) define themselves in the negative. They are anti-AAA first and foremost before anything else. Too many times we win a huge game and instead of him celebrating the win, the FIRST thing he posts is how its schadenfreude for the doomers/press/establishment etc. I’ve called him up on this more than once, a few of the old timers will remember.
People like that reject this ‘unite the fans’ philosophy because seen to its very end, it robs them of their own existence. They do everything in the power to keep the discord going, they are happiest when fans behave poorly, etc. They always try to link criticism of Arsene or negative press to poor stadium atmosphere, yet we’ve repeatedly seen our fan at their best behavior at the lowest times for the club.
I’m beginning to think that’s why they hate the fence sitters/middle roaders/realists so much. We ruin the picture for them!
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/?p=10043
Still feels weird writing on a Friday but hey, we’ve given it another go this morning.