Nine Jimmy Rimmers – Arsenal and Football

Apart from Thierry’s winner against Leeds United, January has been a thoroughly crap month. Let’s hope we can end it with a win against Villa tomorrow. I know the league is our main focus nut when you’re in a losing rut you just need any kind of win.

A big part of our problem has been injuries of course and the news there is good and bad. Arteta, Henry and Coquelin are likely to be available and Sagna could make the bench.

The news that Jack Wilshere has suffered a set-back this week is depressing. He’s said to be gifted and I’m sure he is. It’s frustrating for us as fans, must be so much worse for him.

Of the potential returnees, I think it’s Arteta we’ve missed the most. We’ve definitely lacked composure and possession whilst he’s been out so if just one of them is ready I hope it’s him. If there’s any doubt about Coquelin, I wouldn’t be disappointed to see Yennaris at fullback. He’s looked alright and it’s his position.

Last time we played Villa we won with a late Benayoun header. Since then they’ve added Keane on loan. He may not be quite the player he was, but he’s still a big threat. I think it could be a tough game.

Will Oxlade-Chamberlain get a start? I think he might just, although Arsene Wenger was on bit of a mission to fix Arshavin’s confidence yesterday. But form is the thing and managers earn their corn by being ruthless when required. So it would be good to see AOC, even if he doesn’t have the stamina for ninety minutes yet.

Course, if he can’t do ninety minutes, Arsene Wenger won’t relish repeating THAT substitution! But if Henry is fit he can be spared that option.

Maybe he’ll start them both and leave Theo sitting on the bench pondering where to pitch his contract bid.

Predicting a team line-up is difficult when so many players are on the cusp of match fitness, but how about something like this -

______ Szczesny ______
Yen _ Merte _ Kos _ Verm
_______ Song ________
__ Arteta ___ Ramsey __
Walcott __ RVP ___ AOC

He may not be as fast as before and we will have to see what he’s got in the tank. But in twenty minutes he showed that he still has a level of movement off the ball, composure, skill and commitment that can change a game.

Thierry Henry, did I need to say who, was the inevitable winner of our match poll. He probably would have been so just for stepping onto the pitch, but scoring the winner made it a no contest. It changed the game too of course.

Arsenal dominated possession and created chances. Arshavin worked like never before. Arteta, Ramsey, Chamakh and Chamberlain attacked and attacked. But it was almost as if they were trying too hard. The final ball often faltered rather than found the target. By half-time we must have had about a dozen chances and only tested the Leeds keeper on a couple.

We never looked in danger but the longer it stayed goaless you began to worry about us losing to a sole Leeds strike on goal. To add to the anxiety we suffered another defensive injury. Sprinting down the right to overlap with Chamberlain, Coquelin pulled up and fell to the ground clutching his hamstring. I’m guessing that’s the last we’ll see of him for a few weeks and it adds impetus to the search for some loaned reinforcement at the back.

Some say that playing out of position adds to the risk of injury and you wonder how often Coquelin sprints like that in training. He was replaced by number fifty-something Nico Yennaris, who, apart from nervously conceding a couple of corners, did a good job.

But back to the story which is dominating all sports coverage this morning. When Henry came on he showed the difference between good endeavour and class. He got into dangerous positions, he found space where the others got lost in a crowd of Leeds defenders. For extra encouragement he also ran to block and cover when we didn’t have the ball.

The goal when it came was classic Henry. He drifted wide, pulling a defender with him but still getting a yard of space. Looking along the line of defenders, he timed his move to perfection. Song played the ball through the gap and Henry was there to collect it. As he made his first touch I smiled and thought: I know what he does from there. He opens his body up and with his second touch he strokes the ball across the keeper and into the far corner of the goal. Beautiful.

It was a fairy tale script made real. Good job too, because we were struggling to break through a Leeds defence that worked and concentrated hard throughout. They didn’t many chances because they played so deep. But they were keeping us out despite having little possession.

If Thierry Henry hadn’t been there, either Arshavin, Arteta or Ramsey would have been man of the match for their sheer industry. And you don’t get to say that about Arshavin often. But we would probably be facing an unwelcome replay at Elland Road.

Instead the substitutes Walcott and Henry did the trick. Walcott’s pace and Henry’s experience stretched the Leeds defence just a little bit more than it could take and the gaps and the goal came.

One-nil to the Arsenal and the return of the king instead of frustration.

Arsenal 1:0 Leeds Utd
Thierry Henry!

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Arsenal 1:0 Leeds Utd
Thierry Henry!

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A year ago we played Leeds United in the Third Round of the FA Cup, just as we are today.  We very nearly went out. Arsene Wenger changed half the team and we couldn’t cope with Leeds.  They got a goal and kept us pegged back.  In the end we escaped with a very late penalty and won the replay.

Just like last year we are going to have changes to the team.  Djourou is our with a red card.  Gervinho has departed to join his national team in the African Cup of Nations.  Arsene Wenger has decided that Robin Van Persie must take a break and it’s hard to argue with that.

So that’s three changes.  Then there’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Ahead of the Fulham game, Arsene Wenger said Chamberlsin was very close to a first team start, but he didn’t feature.  Was Arsene Wenger thinking ahead to this game?  Is that four changes?  Then we also have to think about Arteta, who had played just about every game since he joined the club.

So very quickly you can see a case for changing half the team, just like last year.  And as Arsene Wenger says, this is the third most important competition for the club out the three were in.  But we don’t want to lose right?

What that means is no start for Thierry Henry, though I would be surprised to see him on at some stage to get some match time.  I also think that it means Song stays in and Coquelin stays at fullback.  I’ve seen some suggesting that Song could be rested, but I think that would be a change too many.

I reckon there are two big choices.  First is whether to put Squillaci or Miquel in the back four.  I would like to see Miquel.  He is the future, so give him experience.  Second is whether to give all the attacking slots to players with something to prove, or whether to put Arshavin or Benayoun in to add experience.  Whether Arteta needs a rest is something that only Arsene and his team know.

So I hope we won’t see in any more changes than this:

______ Szczesny _______
Kos _ Merte _ Miquel _ Coq
________ Song _________
_ AOC _ Rosicky _ Rambo _
___ Chamakh _ Park _____

But that might still be too many.

Meanwhile, the draw for the next round had already happened and if we sort out Leeds, we are at home to Villa which isn’t the easiest of games but not the hardest either.  Most interesting tie in the draw is Liverpool v Manchester United after the Suarez incident.  Will Evra play. Will he suffer abuse on or off the pitch?

Hopefully this will be a chance for players and fans to step up, but I’m not holding my breath.  I hope Liverpool are going to be proactive about creating the right atmosphere for the game.

The transfer rumour mill spins on, now throwing out entertaining claims that we will pay £100m for Hulk from Porto to replace a departing Van Persie or, alternatively that we will swap RVP for two Real Madrid players.  Well I suppose that’s more exciting than pondering a loan deal for a fullback!

Back later with Arsenal Man of the Match Poll.

I have dozed and slept most the weekend and what have I missed? Not too much really. No great cup upsets to speak of. Bolton should have seen off Macclesfield and QPR should have buried MK Dons. Wigan fans will be slightly irked by losing to Swindon, but they know that fighting relegation is the more important battle. I have woken up for United v City, which is getting interesting.

When I was a kid I was completely transfixed by the FA Cup and would spend the whole of Saturday switching between Frank Bough on Grandstand and Dickie Davies on World of Sport. There were features on carworkers and shopkeepers who would be playing for ‘minnows’ like Bideford or Alvechurch against ‘giants’ like Derby County and Nottingham Forrest. Teams like Hendon would get a draw at St James Park and then get tonked in the replay. Blyth Spartans sounded strangely exotic, but wasn’t.

Now, somehow I’m unmoved. Have I just grown up or has the long diet of European football cast the FA Cup into the shadows? Then again, there was that barney we had up at Old Trafford! The one with the pizza. That got my attention but the competition as a whole doesn’t move me so much now.

The most notable thing to happen in the Third Round so far has been that someone at Anfield shouted racial abuse at a black Oldham player. A man has now been arrested. Presumably his defence will be that he found the club’s guidance on the subject confusing and that, in any event, he only meant the words in a friendly way to calm the lad’s nerves on the big occasion.

Meanwhile, the papers would have us believe that great transfer tussles are going on with Arsenal pouncing or, alternatively, getting snubbed over various players. Matius Suarez is the flavour of the weekend for Arsenal rumours and gives me the chance of two Suarez tags in the same post. Demba Ba also gets some mentions by those who’ve forgotten the stories they wrote last week about Newcastle struggling now the African Cup of Nations is upon us.

My transfer window predictions remain the same, in the following order of likelihood:
1) Henry plus a fullback on loan.
2) Just Henry.
3) Henry, a fullback and a striker.

Anyway, the odds’n'ends are taking over this post so back to the plot. Who will play for Arsenal tomorrow against Leeds United? Will it be the return of the King?

Part of me can’t wait. Part of me dreads the thought of some Leeds United numptie deciding to get fifteen minutes of fame by reminding Thierry just want cup football on a cold January evening is all about! Followed by an announcement that Thierry is out for at least six weeks.

We played Leeds in the FA Cup last year of course, snatching a late draw and then winning the replay 3:1. This was the team for the draw:

Szczesny
Eboue, Djourou, Squillaci, Gibbs
Song, Denilson, Rosicky
Arshavin, Chamakh, Bendtner

Vela, Walcott and Fabregas came on as subs and Cesc saved our embarrassment with a late penalty equalizer. In the replay the starting line-up was beefed up by Sagna, Koscielny and Nasri.

So what about tomorrow. Well we know that Thierry Henry is available and Chamakh. But Van Persie and Gervinho won’t feature.

How will Arsene Wenger perm four from: Coquelin, Squillaci, Mertesacker, Miquel and Koscielny? Is there a start for Yennaris maybe?

Up front, Wenger has talked of Chamakh and maybe Park. Perhaps he will play both with Thierry waiting on the bench.

Before the Fulham game, Arsene Wenger said that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was very close to a start but he didn’t feature at all. Will he be in for the Leeds game?

How about:

______ Szczesny _______
Kos _ Merte _ Miquel _ Coq
________ Song _________
_ AOC _ Rosicky _ Rambo _
___ Chamakh _ Park _____

Or is that a bit risky up front? What do you think?

A good question for us as fans because it goes to the heart of how we criticize players, our expectations of the club we support and what we feel about club ownership and funding.

So, if someone offered you double or treble your wages for the same work, would you turn it down? Really?

Arsene Wenger has been talking to a French radio station about the difficult preparations for this season, making some painful observations:
“half the dressing room wanting to leave”.

Asked about players ambitions, he said:
“No, it’s not that [players have to leave to win titles]. The problem isn’t that. Frankly, if you compare what Manchester City have won in the past and what Arsenal have won, then you don’t go to Manchester City to win titles. Players go to Manchester City because they pay much better than Arsenal.

“They are a force clearly, because they have exceptional financial clout, so it’s not surprising what they’ve done. There’s always a financial logic behind who ends up being successful in any league. If Barcelona or Real Madrid paid three times less than Malaga, players would go to Malaga. That’s always the case. It’s as simple as that. So when a player has the choice between two clubs who have the same ambitions, if he can earn three times as much at one club, he’ll go there. That’s logical.”

Most of us have had a go at Samir Nasri, me included. But probably for doing something that we would do too. Especially if we worked in a business where you had to retire in your late thirties.

For a long time Arsenal competed for one of the top three places. That’s competing on and off the pitch, which are of course interlinked. Then along came Roman Abramovich, whose massive cash injection inflated the cost of competing. But a disastrous period for Liverpool eased the pressure a bit. Then along came new owners, in two waves, for Manchester City, the current owners completely dwarfing the scale of Abramovich’s investment. Up goes the cost of competition again and, realistically, we are fighting for fourth.

That’s a painful come down in our expectations and campaigning for one fourth spot rather than one out of three spots is a tight margin of error.

Ivan Gazidis points out that Arsenal can compete without playing in the Champions League every year. In pure financial modeling terms he may be right, but if we do fall out of the Champions League it’ll bloody well hurt and it will be hard work to get back into it.

Some of the club’s response to all this has been spot on, building the new stadium was the right thing to do and will make a lasting difference to the club’s fortunes. On the other hand, we’ve clearly been behind the other big ‘brand name’ clubs in exploiting potential for commercial income. There are rumours that we are getting back in the game on this one and I hope they’re true.

The pre-season tour of Asia, whilst adding to Arsene Wenger’s stress, is clearly more productive financially than a secluded training camp in Austria.

All these things are long-term though compared with an owner who can rustle up a £200 million pound shirt and stadium deal!

So is the solution to have our own billionaire? Move over Stan, we want to be Alisher’s hobby?

When your dying of embarrassment at Old Trafford or Ewood Park the answer is ‘yes please’. But is it a case of be careful what you wish for?

What happens when Emirs and oligarchs get bored? Do the clubs crash and burn like Leeds United? I don’t know the answer really, I wish I had more faith in UEFA’s Fair Finance strategy. I’m not yet convinced we have the best commercial management available. I am convinced that we’d be in a he’ll of a lot deeper water without Arsene Wenger.

What do you thin

Arsenal Man of the Match against Leeds (19Jan2011)

• Nasri (47%, 8 Votes)
• Sagna (12%, 2 Votes)
• Song (12%, 2 Votes)
• Arshavin (12%, 2 Votes)
• Van Persie (6%, 1 Votes)
• Koscielny (6%, 1 Votes)
• Chamakh (6%, 1 Votes)
• Fabregas (0%, 0 Votes)
• Bendtner (0%, 0 Votes)
• Szczesny (0%, 0 Votes)
• Denilson (0%, 0 Votes)
• Gibbs (0%, 0 Votes)
• Djourou (0%, 0 Votes)
• Clichy (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 17

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A frustrating cup tie early in a transfer window provides plenty of meat for journo’s and bloggers today. Lots of questions are being posed about the Arsenal squad. The favorites seem to be:

Are Eboue and Denilson good enough?

Who is best out of Chamakh and Bendtner?

Where has the Rosicky and Arshavin magic gone?

When is Fabregas going to Barcelona?

The last is just their to mark out the lazy who want to file copy without having to watch any football or think!

My own take on the game was simply that we risked too many team changes at once and ended up having to unmake two of them to stay in the competition. Now we have an extra fixture that will need a fairly strong starting line-up.

Is Eboue good enough? As a stand-in for Sagna who doesn’t whinge about his place in the squad – yes, but if a better option came along you wouldn’t miss him.

Is Denilson good enough? Yes. Obviously behind Song and Wilshere on the pecking order but a good solid midfielder. The clumsy lunge for the penalty was pretty poor but his excellent first-half was more typical.

Who is best out of Chamakh and Bendtner? I think they probably have about the same talent if given the same time on the pitch. Problem is getting that time if we are sticking to 4-3-3. Van Persie is better than both. Truth is that Bendtner should probably move on for the sake of his career.

Where has the Rosicky and Arshavin magic gone? Goodness knows! Whether both of them stay probably depends on the Fabregas question. If Cesc goes and Nasri moves into the middle then one of them probably stays. But if that does happen I think Arsene Wenger needs to search for another left-midfielder. Arshavin just doesn’t deliver often enough.

All in all, I think that we over-rotated and only just got away with it. On the upside, Djourou had another great game. He was initially neck and neck with Cesc in our MotM poll but has a clear lead now.

I understand rotation. With two games a week to be played you can’t expect the same eleven players to start every time.

But I don’t understand why rotation has to mean more than half the team. I would have thought there were two strong arguments against.

First, Arsenal’s strength is a rapid passing game which means players need to understand each other, anticipate where their team-mates are going next and being in good touch. Surely the more changes you make, the more likely it is for this rapid passing game to break down.

Second, we don’t have twenty-two players of same ability. Obviously that’s true of every squad, but equally obviously the more changes you make the weaker you make the team.

So why not three or four changes rather than seven or eight?

I can understand that Arsene Wenger needs to keep players happy with their role in the squad, but the results today and against Wigan are surely too high a price to pay?

***** Man of the Match poll running here. *****