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MOTIVATION, COACHING AND NEW SIGNINGS

Posted on 31/01/2012 by goonerdave66 Posted in Uncategorized Leave a comment

One can only wonder what was said at half time on Sunday to transform the form and performance of a team, who were not playing badly but lacked urgency and cutting edge. Some claiming inside knowledge will tell you that Arsene Wenger said very little and allowed his skipper to do the talking. This may well be the case, but if it was then the passion and belief exuding from Robin van Persie had been given to him by only one man, Arsene Wenger. Like Cesc before him, Van Persie and many in this current squad feel they owe everything to Arsene.

‘He is a second father to me, the most important person in my life after my father. He has been very supportive of me and has treated me like a son. I am part of his family.’ (Cesc Fabregas)

‘The manager helped me a lot. He was like a second father.’ (Alex Song)

I sense we are now at a pivotal point with the current squad and I am convinced that the second 45 minutes performance against Villa was for Wenger. There are some senior professionals like Van Persie, Song, Sagna and Vermaelen who undoubtedly owe their status and esteem in world football to the Arsenal boss. This is combined with a group of talented youngsters in Szczesny, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Wilshere, Ramsey, Coquelin and others who know that Wenger has given them the opportunity which they would not have had at other top Premier League teams. The second 45 minutes from Walcott and Ramsey in particular screamed out ‘this is for you boss’.

Many are questioning the future of Wenger and many feel he has taken Arsenal as far as he can. Many are feeling that now is the time for a change before seven years turns into eight and his legend status is tarnished. The other extreme sees those who can see no fault in Wenger and defend him whatever. I sit in between the two camps. Despite my strong backing of the majority of our squad and my conviction that most of the players believe in Wenger, I do see a need for a change and a freshening up within the present set up.

There has been little written about Boro Primorac, and we all know that Pat Ricewas convinced by Wenger to stay on for one more season. Past players have spoken of Primorac, who has been with Wenger since his early managerial days, as a top coach. However, he is also quietly spoken and opts to stay out of the limelight. The closest Primorac came to headlines was when he was caught on camera relaying messages from Wenger to Rice illegally against Udinese. Rice is ready to retire after umpteen years of amazing service as player, captain and coach, so I feel that we should take the opportunity to freshen up the coaching team under Wenger. Insiders suggest that Primorac and Rice have not moved with the times and embraced more modern coaching methods such as video analysis and more specific defensive coaching drills. This may have changed this season but it took events at Blackburn and Old Trafford to prove a catalyst.

One can point to a continual cycle of freshening up as being part of the on-going success at Old Trafford. Even though it has not necessarily been Ferguson’s choice to lose top coaches who have been poached or wanted to try management, it has led to new impetus and new ideas on each occasion. Kidd was replaced by McClaren, who was replaced by Queiroz, who was replaced by Phelan, all during a period where Wenger has always been supported by Rice and Primorac.

Critics have pointed to the weakness of our defence and Wenger’s failure to replace Campbell and Toure, but I don’t buy this at all. In Sagna, Koscielny and Vermaelen we have three of the best individual defenders in the league, so it must point to the team’s organisation and coaching. It is obvious from my Twitter feed that you all share these views on these individuals quality and Kozza is fast becoming a legend.

So where am I going with these musings today? I still believe the current squad are playing for Wenger, but I would like to see the coaching staff changed. If this were to happen then there is no shortage of candidates from Wenger’s own successful era. He has obviously inspired many of his great players to take their coaching badges. People have mentioned Bergkamp frequently and Dutch sources suggest he will be in our set up in the next few years. Tony Adams has not kept it a secret that he would love to be back in north London. Nigel Winterburn is taking the first steps with Gary Smith at Stevenage Borough. Many would love to see Martin Keown back in the fold and I would include myself in that number, but it could be a big first step for Martin. No, for me the answer right now lies within the current set up, and I would love to see Steve Bould step up to the frame as soon as possible. In an ideal world Keown could replace Bould to work with Liam Bradyin the youth set up.

Bould is perfect for so many reasons. He has a superb record with the Under-18′s in recent seasons, which also means that many of the younger members of the squad will have recent memories of a good working relationship with him. He was one of the best centre-backs of his generation and part of the legendary back four that conceded only 13 goals in a whole season in 1991. So if Bould cannot organise our group of individually talented defenders into a unit I am not sure who can. First and foremost of course Bould is one of us and knows what it means to be a Gooner, and I am certain he is feeling the same pain we are feeling as fans not winning. I also see no reason to wait until the end of the season when Rice steps down and would like to see Bould integrated in the first-team coaching set up now. He has been coaching at Arsenal for 11 years now and has all his UEFA coaching licences. Just in case you are not convinced on my views or younger readers may not know Boulder as well as older fans, perhaps you might respect the views of Patrick Vieira. Patrick was asked who should succeed Wenger at Arsenal as recently as the 30th of December and his answer was concise and emphatic.

He told the Metro:

‘Steve Bould has been doing really well.

‘If I had to say a name then it would be him because he deserves it.’

Lastly as the title suggests, I would like to touch on new signings. Regular readers will know I have certain players that I would love for us to sign, such as Dries Mertens or Olivier Giroud, but today I am actually going to go with the Wenger line that players returning from long-term injuries are like new signings. I am smiling as I type this as I imagine Wenger saying this at a press conference, but I do not think I can overstate how important the return of Sagna will be for the home stretch. This being the case, we can hope to feel the same about Wilshere and Gibbs or Santos, but the player I actually see as a type of new player is not a long-term absentee. I would like to single out Tomas Rosicky for huge praise after Sunday’s match. I have been critical of him on occasion this year but on Sunday he turned the clock back to 2007 and I admire his deep self-belief. If Rosicky can continue to perform as he did then he can certainly soften the blow of the delayed return of Jack and allow Wenger to rotate the midfield three.

Until next time.

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CAN WE LEARN FROM THE 1998 DOUBLE WINNING SYSTEM AGAIN?

Posted on 21/01/2012 by goonerdave66 Posted in Uncategorized Leave a comment

It is my firm belief that the failure and near misses of the past six years actually really go back to 2006 when we left Highbury. Not because we left the spiritual home of football, although the smaller pitch did help, but due to the gradual change to a winning formula.

The 1998, 2002 double winning sides and the 2004 ‘Invincibles’ were all made up of 4-4-2 formations and it is only since Arsene Wenger has changed to 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 to accommodate Cesc Fabregas in an advanced midfield role and to a lesser extent, Theo Walcott, Andrey Arshavin, formerly Samir Nasri and now Gervinhoin wide striker roles that our fortunes seem to have changed. Coincidence? I think not.

All three championship winning sides operated with attacking and hardworking wide players, none of whom were traditional wingers and two central midfield players, one slightly more adventurous than the other. However, I feel that 1998 is the team and formation that truly teaches us the most and can give us a pointer for 2011/12 and our current crop of talented underachievers.

There is no need to dwell on the defence at this stage as we all know the strength and dominance of the back five Wenger inherited, but the key is the four first choice midfielders. In the centre we see Emmanuel Petit sitting and Paddy Vieira playing the more advanced role. Of course as they proved not only for Arsenal, but famously in the World Cup final, they were interchangeable and each new when to support the other or cover. On the left we had Marc Overmars and on the right our very own home-grown Ray Parlour. So why are these four players, or in my opinion, the two wide players so crucial and what can we learn? The significance was the total difference in Overmars and Parlour and what their style and flexibility did for the team and crucially the formation and how they interacted with the strikers, Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright and latterly Nicolas Anelka.

In Marc Overmars on the left we had a skilful dribbling speed king with ice in his blood in front of goal and when one on one with the keeper. On the right we had a hard working, tough tackling, committed engine in Ray Parlour, with growing passing ability and confidence under Wenger. So in Overmars we had a far more attacking wide man and on the right the more conservative Parlour either side of two strong central midfielders in a 4-4-2. It was the fundamental differences in the two wide men that provided Wenger with the key to success because whilst Overmars was always likely to over commit and effectively become the 3rd striker, Razor would always naturally tuck in, like the central midfielder, he originally and ultimately was, and seamlessly turn the 4-4-2 into an exciting 4-3-3 when were on the attack. In essence therefore it was the players we had at that time that effortlessly and fluidly changed the formation during the game.

It was not too dissimilar in 2002 and 2004 when either Robert Pires or Freddie Lungberg joined the attacking two the other would moved slightly infield to support Gilberto/Edu and Vieira.

However, since moving to the Emirates Wenger has gradually altered tactics and formation essentially to give the major talent that was ‘Cesc’ the freedom to shine. However Fabregas was and is a special player and perhaps it is time to be honest and come to terms with the fact that we are still playing a system designed for Cesc, without a Cesc equivalent.

So if we did revert to the original 1998 winning formula who would fit into the various roles?

There is no doubt I am sure in anyone’s mind that when fit Jack Wilshere must play. Alongside Jack I would envisageAlex Song or Mikel Arteta, dependent on the opposition. Who will feel the shoes and roles of Overmars and Parlour whose differing talents and attributes made 1998 so rewarding and a joy to behold? I would selectGervinho wide on the left. He is not of the quality of Overmars yet, but has a good work ethic and is prepared to track back to support his full-back and I am certain in time he will regain his confidence any begin to score at the rate he was for Lille last season.

Finally and crucially we need the player to slot in on the right, with the ability to run the flank but also to tuck in a seamlessly join Wilshire and Song/Arteta when Gervinho has joined the strikers as Overmars was given licence to do so effectively. To my mind the very player is none other than Aaron Ramsey. Ramsey undoubtedly has the ability to beat a man and find a telling cross or through ball whilst playing wide right and can easily move in to support the centre when required. I feel he has the talent, energy and discipline to follow Parlour and join him as an Arsenal legend in years to come.

This formation will give us the attacking flair we had in 1998 as well as the structure when defending or without the ball. It also allows us to utilise Ramsey, Arteta/Song and Wilshere in the same team. Ramsey is struggling to cope I believe with the pressure of filling Cesc’s shoes. He has the ability to find the killer through ball or pass but not with the consistency required in the 4-2-3-1 formation designed for Fabregas. In 1997/98 Ray Parlour was a huge success working the right flank and as many will recall he was Man of the Match in the FA Cup Final against Newcastle. We can of course also utilise Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right of the midfield.

his also allows us to finally go back to having the two striker formation up top which brought us success in 1998, 2002 and 2004. In all three title winning years the key to this was the second striker which was the ‘Iceman,’ Dennis Bergkamp. Well there can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Robin van Persie is more than ready for this role and like his countryman in his era, one of the finest footballers on the world stage. So here is the big decision – Would we give the Anelka role from 98 to one Walcott? It is what he wants and what Wenger has always said he will eventually give him. Looking at the natural finish against Swansea you know he has it in him to fulfil what he believes to be his destiny and fill the no.14 shirt as the arrowhead of our attack. Right now, I think I would give him a crack at playing off the last man if we did revert to the winning 4-4-1-1.

Many believe that this formation is dead in the modern day game and it may be that we just use the system in certain games. For those who do feel the modern game has moved on I suggest you would only need to look at the United run in from March to May last season. Ferguson settled on a front 6 that just clicked. It was Carrick and Giggs in the centre, with Nani and Park the two wide players. Nani more attacking and Park tucking in, when Nani was joining the front two of Rooney playing just in behind Hernandez. Sound familiar?

Wenger has proved stubborn in many ways as we know and he seems reluctant to change, but it is just the opposite character trait in Ferguson that has made so annoyingly successful. Ferguson will change systems from game to game dependent on the opposition and the form of his players, something Wenger seems loath to do, even bringing Marouane Chamakh or Nicklas Bendtner on in wide roles rather than alter the shape. The last time we were genuinely close to winning the EPL was in 2008 when we had a 4 man midfield of Fabregas and Flamini, flanked by Hleb and Rosicky, neither of whom were real wingers. Ironically that year it was the horrific injury toEduardo saw Wenger deviate and change from the 2 striker formation permanently and it was the new system that sadly left Eduardo out in the cold on his return. (God what would we give for a fully fit Eduardo now?)The system worked for 10 years and I feel it could work again with our current squad.

The other real advantage it gives Wenger is a true bargaining chip in the transfer market. At present as I have argued previously I see it as very unlikely that a top striker such as a Lukas Podolski would come knowing that they are cover for RVP, but they would certainly come if they heard that Wenger was planning to change back to a two striker attack. What is does give us is options. It might give Walcott his long awaited opportunity. It might see Chamakh return to the form that saw him hit double figures rapidly in the first three months of his Arsenal career. Or it might give Wenger the flexibility to bring in a top quality partner for our skipper, who must run out of steam at some point.

It has to be worth a try surely?

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IS THE REASON FOR THE SHORT-TERM HENRY SOLUTION DOWN TO THIS STARLET?

Posted on 30/12/2011 by goonerdave66 Posted in Uncategorized Leave a comment

So much will be written about the return of Thierry Henry and rightly so, but I would like to look at this amazing story from a new angle.

There are many reasons in my opinion as to whyArsene Wenger may only opt to strengthen the forward line with Henry in this window. The obvious one is that the Henry loan spell will neatly coincide with the absence of Marouane Chamakh andGervinho for the African Cup of Nations. I also believe that whilst many commentators seem to feel Robin van Persie wants to see us sign top stars to convince him of our intent, this is not necessarily practical. My question has always been – why would an established international striker such as Podolski want to come to a team who have for several seasons now, with no sign of change, played with one central striker and two wingers? I am sure Robin is well aware of this dilemma and will understand the position it puts his manager in.

So to my mind the marquee centre forward signing is perhaps unlikely. However, I would like to think that Wenger’s decision on Henry, and the time it is buying him, is not just linked to the absence of his two African attackers. I fervently hope that another consideration is the return to fitness of oneBenik Afobe. After starring on loan for Huddersfield last season, Benik was rewarded by Wenger with a new long-term contract and promotion to the first team squad for 2011/12. Afobe was even withdrawn from the England under-20′s squad in the summer to play for the first-term pre-season, so we must surmise that Wenger had high hopes for Benik for this term. Sadly for Wenger and Afobe a serious groin injury ruled the youngster out in September for a minimum of four months, but I hear he is back in light training now.

I know promoting from within seems unpopular these days with everyone wanting to pay big bucks for the instant hit, but let’s remind ourselves that most experts are predicting that bothDaniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck will go to the Euros after their first full seasons playing for their own team in the Premier League. These guys are playing regularly and keeping the likes of Fernando Torres and Dimitar Berbatov on the bench. Sometimes you just need to throw the youngsters in there and truly find out, as we did with Jack Wilshere only last year, if they are truly good enough. Certainly in the case of Benik Afobe he has absolutely all the credentials.

Benik joined us aged six and has broken scoring records ever since. He played for the Under-16′s side when he was 13 and scored over 120 goals for that team, including an incredible 40 in 33 games in the 2007/08 season.

As a first year scholar under Steve Bould, he scored 11 in 13 in 2008/09 and an impressive 24 in 21 in 2009/10 season. It was at this point that Afobe along with Chuks Aneke were invited to train with Barcelona with a view to signing for the Spanish giants. Now I think we can safely assume that if Barca wants you then you must have something about you. Thankfully Wenger convinced the pair, described by Bould as two of the most talented players he has ever seen, to sign professional terms with the Arsenal.

Afobe’s goal scoring exploits have not been confined to domestic competition, as the youngster was instrumental in the England Under-16 team’s triumph in the 2008 Victory Shield Tournament. The tournament saw Afobe match Michael Owen’s record of 4 goals in the annual tournament, with a sumptuous display of finishing. For the England Under-17′s, who he helped win the European Championship in May 2009, he scored an impressive 11 in 23, only to better this ratio, scoring 4 in 4 for the Under-19′s in 2010.

His impressive form for the Under-18′s saw him break Wilshere’s record and become the youngest every Arsenal player to appear for the reserves. However, Benik only made two substitute appearances for Neil Banfield’s side before being loaned out to League 1 title challengers Huddersfield for the whole of last season. I imagine that a player going straight on loan without any real reserve team experience is virtually unprecedented, but Lee Clark had done his homework and was well rewarded. The Terriers fans took Afobe to their hearts immediately when he scored twice on his debut in a Yorkshire derby win over Rotherham. By the end of the season he had notched 5 in 28, but was played wide for much of the season, covering for an injured Anthony Pilkington. If that name rings a bell it is because Pilkington is now playing Premier League football with Norwich City and being mentioned by some as an outsider for England. This certainly proves that if you are good enough you can step up two divisions and perform on the highest stage, as we have also seen with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Anyway, I have written enough about this incredible talent that is Benik Afobe, and if he is fit and has played some reserve team games by March, I sincerely hope that he and not Marouane Chamakh can step up and play understudy to Robin van Persie. The last player to break all the scoring records through the ranks with us was Andy Cole, so let’s not make the same mistake again.

I will leave you with a suberb Youtube compilation of Benik’s career to date for club and country. I for one do not wish to see a big-name signing cause this lad to consider his future at the club. This lad is not Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who we could afford to lose; this lad is the real deal – fast, two-footed, skilful and great in the air.

Benik Afobe along with Wilshere should be the spine of our team in the future and just perhaps that future is sooner than we think.

Enjoy this video of the next Arsenal superstar.

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A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR NEW SUPER SUB

Posted on 23/12/2011 by goonerdave66 Posted in Uncategorized Leave a comment

It has become very apparent, both from his team-mates tweeting and his managers and captains comments since his 87th minute winning goal against Aston Villa in midweek, that Yossi Benayoun is a very popular figure at Arsenal.

Robin van Persie said that the Israeli has been on fire in training and bursting for his opportunity in the startin line-up, but equally it is obvious from his own respectful quotes that Yossi is patient and understands that he needs to wait on his chances.

Arsene Wenger was certainly fulsome in his praise after the win at Villa Park:

‘He is a very intelligent boy and tonight he did fantastically well when he came on. The changes who came on did very well and stabilised our game I think – Yossi came on and won us three fantastic points.’

I have written in recent weeks that it should be Yossi orAlex Oxlade-Chamberlain, or both, who benefit from Gervinho’s pre-longed absence in January and February, rather than Andrey Arshavin. The Villa cameo for both players reassured me that I was right. Benayoun positively influenced the match from the minute he stepped on the pitch, whilst Arshavin did very little, again.

I feel that both Yossi and Thomas Rosicky are issuing timely reminders to Wenger that they are fit, ready and can lend valuable experience to a team that is tiring in some departments. I feel Aaron Ramsey certainly needs a recharge over Christmas. However, what Yossi adds, over perhaps Rosicky and certainly Arshavin, is boundless energy and an inspiring work ethic. We as fans demand 100% commitment from our players and Benayoun will never be found wanting in this department.

Looking back over the Israeli captain’s career he has been very unfortunate with injury, but in seasons when he has been mostly fit his statistics are hugely impressive.

His first full Premier League season in a struggling West Ham side saw Yossi start 30 matches and appear in 34, netting 5 goals and assisting an impressive 11 times. In his second and third seasons at Liverpool, between 2008 and 2010, he played in 52 matches, starting 40 and contributed 11 goals and 17 assists.

I think one of Yossi’s problems over his career has been his flexibility. What exactly is his best position? As it seems he is comfortable anywhere across the midfield. This attribute may mean he struggles to hold down a starting place for Arsenal this season, but it does make him a fabulous player to have on the bench.

For the past few years there has been a distinct lack of match affecting quality on our bench, but this has changed this season. It was superb for Wenger to be able to call on Benayoun and Rosicky on Wednesday night and both made huge impacts in the latter stages of the match when others were tiring. Fabulous to be able to introduce two international skippers to influence a game, either to hold what we have with their experience or push for more with their knowhow and talent.

Yossi is a huge plus for Wenger, as the Frenchman can bring him on for either wide player, and I for one hope he and AOC will both play when Gervinho is absent. Yossi can also cover in the advanced midfield role for Ramsey if needed.

I am not sure whether Benayoun at 31 will be content in the long-term with a role of super sub, but right here right now he seems content with what he has and is a major plus for his manager going into the business end of the season. I for one am very pleased to have the energy, enthusiasm and flair of Yossi Benayoun desperate to come off the bench and influence our games with goals and assists.

So in short, I do not think we necessarily need to think about Benayoun beyond this season, but I do feel he will have a very influential and growing cameo to play in this one.

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