Nine Jimmy Rimmers – Arsenal and Football

There were plenty of positive elements to the game on Saturday – more evidence of players returning to form and players growing in confidence.  The odd negative too – some missed chances and a bit of fortune on a potential penalty.

But the pluses massively outweighed the minuses as we cruised to victory.  One big plus was that the gamble of playing our choice team paid off with no reported injuries ahead of the big game on Wednesday.  I had expected a player to be rested in both defence and midfield but Djourou and Wilshere both started.

Both made a big contribution as well.  Djourou brings calm and decision-making to the back four.  He and Koscielny seem to share an instinctive understanding of what each other are going to do.  So there are fewer gaps left for our opponents to exploit.

Djourou had a bit of luck too.  What looked like a perfectly good tackle in real time enraged the dispossessed Wolves player; and, in slow motion you could see why. Djourou got nothing on the ball.  But the way decisions have been going for us lately, we were due a bit of luck and the referee wasn’t interested.  Anyway, another clean sheet for the Arsenal.

Jack Wilshere looked a player well beyond someone in their first season as a first team regular.  His confidence on the ball, his ability to make himself some space when under pressure, his passing and his running with the ball were all fantastic to watch.

Earlier in the season I wrote ‘is Jack the new Paul Scholes‘ and Capello thinks that he is the new Claude Makelele.  I think he can be better than both and has the potential to dominate the whole box to box area more than either.

Another positive sign was Andrey Arshavin putting in one of his most enthusiastic performances this season.  He’s had a rough time with some distinctly poor performances but on Saturday he showed more signs of his class and commitment.  He’s maybe still slightly hesitant to go for goal himself but he’s definitely on the up again.

When it isn’t working for Robin Van Persie he is a sorry sight, industriously getting nowhere.  When he is fit and on form, the industry looks like athleticism and he’s scoring from first-time volleys with his right foot!  That was a fantastic bit a skill for the first goal and a calm professional finish for the second.

I know that this was only Wolves right, and Wednesday night may be rather sobering, but that was a feel-good performance on Saturday and my Monday morning commute has slipped by in an instant.

Van Persie heads our Man of the Match poll, you can add your vote here.

C’mon Arsenal!

Jack Wilshere is building a big fan base beyond just Arsenal fans.  Plenty of other football supporters and the pundits are singing his praises and if it wasn’t for Rooney throwing his toys out of the pram then Wilshere would be the big football story of the last couple of days.

Is Jack the new Paul Scholes?  He has the same ability to pick out and deliver great passes, creating opportunities for the team that others can’t.  He has the same determination to keep the ball and his team moving towards goal.

Like Scholes he doesn’t have out and out pace, but can produce bursting runs when needed.  He’s got the stamina too.

The downside is that he also tackles like Scholes.  I’m not saying he shouldn’t tackle or should allow himself to get muscled off the ball.  But Paul Scholes has the tendency to throw himself in to horrible late tackles in parts of the pitch or stages of the game that make it pointless and invite a red card.  At the moment Jack looks the same.  Hopefully he’s young enough to learn.

If he doesn’t it could have a bigger impact on his career than it has had for Scholes.  I think that English football will slowly change for the better and reckless tackling will get more red cards.  Jack needs to learn or it will hold him back.

Is Jack the new Paul Scoles?  No, I think he can be even better than that!

I hope he has good genuine mates and good advisers.  I would hate to see him become the new Wayne Rooney!

But right now the future looks pretty good.  His ability to influence the game at both ends of the pitch is fantastic for such a young player and his potential is huge.