Nine Jimmy Rimmers – Arsenal and Football

What a dismal performance!  Aside from the goal itself we were way off the pace tonight.  We lacked shape and any style.

I know Shakhtar have a great home record but we didn’t give them much of a game.  They surprised Arsenal with their pace.  Both Clichy and Eboue were beaten many times.  Nasri covered a fair bit for Clichy but you won’t get that from Walcott.  Squillaci and Djourou were not too bad, winning a lot of the straight stuff, but they were continually exposed.

The Arsenal goal was the only highpoint.  A quick one-two between Walcott and Nasri (I think) set Walcott off on a sprint.  He stranded the keeper by taking his shot early and scored.  A good goal.

But after that we were all at sea.  We lost any shape and just weren’t able to deal with the determined way that Shakhtar kept coming.  The first goal came from a freekick given away by Eboue who was never catching Willian.  The freekick was well taken – one one.  I think the last touch came off Eastmond but it was a rapid deflection from the Shaktar player so he shouldn’t really be credited with an own goal.  About the closest he got to the ball all night though!

The second goal was a horror story from the other fullback.  Clichy looked to have the situation under control, then got mugged by Srna who put in a good cross to Eduardo – two-one Shaktar.

After the interval Arsenal showed a bit more commitment but didn’t find any shape or rhythm.  Bendtner didn’t really look fit and might possibly been usefully replaced by Chamakh sooner.

All-in-all a bad day at the office for just about the whole team.  Fabianski might be the only exception.  He made some good saves.  Fortunately we have probably done enough to ensure qualification, or will do in our last two games, but this is a night to forget.

***** If you feel anyone deserves the accolade, you can vote for your Man of the Match here. *****

Shaktar Donetsk were supposed to be our toughest opponents, but Arsenal were cruising tonight.  Shaktar had no ambition at all in the first half.  It took then 40 minutes just to get a corner.

Arsenal had to be patient at first as Shaktar defended in numbers and the first goal was a gift.

Nasri‘s goal was well taken and well deserved for a great performance.  The penalty was a stupid one with the Shaktar defender wrestling Djourou to the ground with his arm round his neck. Cleanly taken penalty by Fabregas.

Chamakh and Wilshire both got well worked goals.  Five in total, breaking Real Madrid‘s record for goals scored in the opening three Champions League matches.

I know we all like Eduardo, but leaving him unmarked is a bit generous!  Still at 5:0 up I suppose it was no real harm done.

Arsenal were comfortable and competent.  No obvious injuries.  Game time for Fabregas and Walcott.  Couple of good saves from Fabianski.  Job done.

***** Vote for your Arsenal Man of the Match here. *****

The Wilshere red card tackle which, take note, nobody at Arsenal has sought to defend, has had the likes of McLeish sounding off in the Sunday papers.  Why oh why oh why does everyone rate Wenger ahead of us they want to know.

McLeish complains that people haven’t forgotten the Taylor tackle on Eduardo.  Pullis points out that foreigner Wenger hasn’t won anything in a while.  Why oh why doesn’t anyone recognize our talent in the same way they want to know.

Well here are two lessons why.  One is about being remembered for the right things, but the first is about being remembered at all.  Both are about class.

So, Wenger hasn’t won anything in years.  That’s true Tony, and Arsenal fans are a little anxious, but he has won stuff and you haven’t.  He has led a team to the closing stages of the Champions League just about every year, including a final.  He was spotted in relative obscurity and plucked out to manage the Arsenal.  You were spotted and plucked out to manage Stoke City.  What’s more, he’s competed with the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd, Barcelona and now Man City with a fraction of their spending.

That’s why people rate him Alex.  That’s why people will still be talking about him, and let’s face it the Taylor tackle, long after they’ve stopped talking about Alex McLeish!

The second lesson is about wanting to be remembered for the right things. Tony Pullis and Alex McLeish do have tough jobs to do.  Yes, absolutely true.  But so do Ian Holloway at Blackpool and Roberto Di Matteo at West Brom.  All four of them have to keep their ‘unfashionable’ clubs in the top flight on small budgets.

But there’s a big difference in the approach that the two pairs of managers take.  Holloway and Di Matteo send out teams to play football.  They try and close the skill gap through athleticism, concentration and good tactics.  It’s football and it’s admirable.

Now it’s early in the season, and Holloway and Di Matteo may yet succumb to the pressures of survival, but it is clear from the way they have started the season how they want to play the game, how they want to be remembered. Plus they make sure that they are not remembered for whining interviews!

Now Tony and Alex may argue that they’ve never had the breaks in their careers, so maybe we can be sympathetic on lesson one, but they have no excuses on lesson two.   The managers of West Brom and Blackpool are in the same boat as Tony and Alex.  The difference is, they’ve got class.