Kapow! Mikel Packs A Punch
Arsenal prepare for tomorrow’s match in Munich with injuries dominating the pre-match build-up. Jack Wilshere is struggling to be fit and in all likelihood will be joining Lukas Podolski and Bacary Sagna in missing the flight to Bavaria. Of course the latter duo might not be injured, their absences being part of The Wenger Code of not playing when transfer speculation abounds, the German reportedly a target of Juve and Atletico Madrid. The only thing missing from this morning’s papers are the broken cannons; a club in crisis. Maybe that is to follow when the international break arrives on Sunday.
Bayern have their own problems with Schweinsteiger, Ribery and Boateng all missing through either injury or suspension. Arsenal have a tough task and whilst it is easy to see why parallels are being made with last season, these second legs could hardly be more different with the need for at least three goals too big a stride for the squad to make. The chance for heroic failure exists; an early goal will change perspectives but keeping a clean sheet is the real necessity and I am unconvinced Arsenal’s defence will be able to achieve that. Olivier Giroud summed it up with his observation that Arsenal “need to score an early goal but we need to correct our bad defensive behaviour.”
It is an honest assessment which was echoed by Mikel Arteta,
We want to win silverware a lot. That’s why the FA Cup exit was crazy. It was hard to get that out of my head. The way we threw it away, it was unbelievable. Then you see the draw. We just had to win that game and it was a straight line to the final. I shouldn’t be sitting here having not played in an FA Cup quarter-final last weekend. It’s frustrating. To throw it away like that is unacceptable.
Our performances can be good for 89 minutes, then we make a stupid mistake and we’ve lost. Most of the games you can’t criticise the performance or the attitude but we have moments that cost us the game. You can’t keep saying we played well but lost. It’s not good enough
The Spaniard reflects the thoughts of a lot of the supporters, it is a good squad but lacking something. In those words, the suggestion is mental attitude and concentration. This is something of a recurring theme over recent seasons, mistakes are costing the squad dearly. That it is a continuing problem which has never been solved. To still be searching for a solution with a squad that has so many new faces underlines that it is a culture at the club. Maybe a result of the absence of the directness which Gary Neville noted as being prevalent in the United dressing room, the personal accountability for mistakes. Too nice to win?
Arteta seems genuinely baffled by the current predicament,
We can’t be in that position because we have the best basic structure I’ve ever seen at a football club. Great philosophy, good players, we’ve got financial backing to do whatever we want, unbelievable crowds for the stadium. Let’s go for it
Staying in the Champions League is massive. If we don’t get in those spots it makes everything much more difficult. To any team with top players, you have to ask what’s going to happen. There’s only one answer: we want to improve the team.
We sit and hope that Tottenham or Chelsea repeat their chokes of previous seasons but it is hard to reconcile claims of progress and improvement on last season with a team that sits fifth in the Premier League waiting for April to know whether others will fail. Arteta was rght in his assessment that Arsenal have not been completely outplayed beyond a few moments; in fact Bayern are the only team which has looked genuinely in a higher class. Others are through a mix of their own abilities and our failings but the truth is, it doesn’t matter if a team is higher or lower class, this squad has not been able to string together a series of results for long enough. Even when they have won games, confidence has not resulted; that suggests that whilst they may be talented individuals, as a group they have not gelled mentally. Or as Arteta put it,
We want to be better and next season we want to get more points, which means we will have won more games. I think the board know that and, hopefully, this summer we’ll do something about it.
That would mean Stan sanctioning spend in the transfer market. Maybe Arsène ought to tell him that any new signing is a keen Fly Fisherman; Kroenke appears to have no problem in shelling out for a television channel on that basis.
That is some time away yet, two or so months remain of this season and points do mean prizes. Or more prize money, at least.
’til Tomorrow.
anythings possible
tis a game of footy after all
but we need to play a blinder
and bayern to have a stinker
and an anfeild 89 game plan..
it’ll be a good game though and we may well come away with something but 3 goals is too much to ask..
so im not asking for it..
Well lets all just enjoy the game with no expectations.
Charge of the Barca-lite brigade…hold onto your hats…
B
B S
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
I have been on hiatus for a while as The Girlfriend and I were driving across the US but I have watched all of the games in between. The fact that we lost to THEM still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, and will until the next time we beat them. And then there was Blackburn…..Moving on, Bayern…Interesting as they are a very good team but not unbeatable. Hell the Chavs beat them in their own stadium to win the CL. But if there is one thing that pissed me off about all of this, is when AW said he does not change his plans when he meets certain teams/players. He ignores this and simply concentrates on his own team. To me, this is only planning half the battle. Something that very good tacticians have completely destroyed us with over the years. Mourinho is a prime example. I will not include SAF on tis as he has staff to do this for him. Why we do not have the same is beyond me. AW is incapable of recognising where and when to use tactics, it is killing us.
Bayern have a 2 goal cushion, with several first teamers out due to injury and suspension and yet I can guarantee we will start with a 4-3-3 formation. In other words, if we lose control of the midfield, we will have not 2 but 3 players isolated and will stand no chance of scoring against a team that has conceded 10 goals in 25 games at home this year. We (I think) have no JW, so I feel we should play a 4-4-2. with the 4th midfielder being either Podolski or AA. It will never happen but….that would be a tactic that in my opinion would work.
Very frustrated. Love AW but cannot see us winning anything with him at the helm.
I wonder can Rosicky be our saviour again?
The problem is Irish that mentality worked ok in the past when we had players the calibre of the invincibles. This present squad obviously aren’t as good and yet AW still believes we can achieve the same level playing the same way. Frustrating!
We have no full backs and have had plenty of time to practice so I hope we play three at the back tonight and just go for it hell for leather.
—— Koscielny – Mertesacker – Vermaelen ——
– Rosicky — Ramsey — Arteta — Diaby ——
– Theo ———– Giroud ———– Gervinho
Vito
Jenks-Per-Kos-Verm
Rosicky-Arteta-Santi
Theo-Giroud-Gerv
+Fabianski, Gibbs, Coquelin, Rambo, Diaby, Ox, Arshavin.
..one can only dream
Thought you must have been away, Irish.
nice to see you irish and i agree with your points
Forgot about Santi!
It’s not a 2 goal deficit at all, it’s 3. 3 is the bare minimum we need to score. Not happening.
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/?p=10805
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