Carling Cup First Legs *Spoilers* (11/01/2011 - 12/01/2011)

Yep, his movement on the shoulder of their last defender isn't particularly good or regular, he drops into the gap between the defenders and midfielders to try and influence play, just so happened there wasn't a gap between their defence and midfield for 90% of last nights game so he had no joy. Also causes a bit of a problem as there isn't enough of a central attacking threat when Bendtner is messing about in positions you don't want your CF in.

His movement off the defenders is FANTASTIC, any game the team is playing well and passing the ball to him he's constantly moving.

However, I'd describe him as an early runner, he makes a run across the defenders will Cesc is crossing the half way line, he makes those runs very well. THe problem is you need two strikers, or you've got two defenders standing on your striker.

Ipswich CB's worked hard, if Bendtner moved left, both stuck within 2 metres either side of him, he was completely marked out of the game and given no service.

THe best pass of the game for two games has come from Bendtner, he made a small run away from goal, picked up the ball and laid a completely perfect ball behind the defence that Cesc ran on to, I can't comprehend why Cesc wouldn't shoot as he was through on goal, instead he held it up and passed poorly across goal.

It took fully, 50 minutes of the game for Bendtner to start dropping deep looking for the ball, as soon as he dropped deeper people started passing to him, and he didn't waste it much. Arsenal have become a 20 minute team, it goes well for 20 minutes, if they don't get the goal, they all get rubbish. If we're playing badly Cesc stops making the same passes , strikers stop making the same runs, wingers stop making runs, we shut down almost. How many runs double man marked to nowhere should Bendtner have continued to make when no one was giving him the ball.

Chamakh, Bendtner, RVP have had zero service for 5-6 games, no matter who starts. RVP has had a few games were almost every pass has been embarassingly poor, Bendtner with his few touches has played in Cesc with a perfect pass, and Theo with a perfect pass that resulted in a penalty, Chamakh hasn't done anything for 10 games.

Its classic, striker has zero service is completely and utterly isolated and Wenger changes the striker rather than those who have the ball all game long and did smeg all. Cesc was having, for him, one of the worst games of his career, then by being left on we created little more and he missed a complete sitter, when someone is playing THAT badly its better to call it a day and minimise any damage to confidence he'd possibly get.

THe one other great chance of the game, the Cesc sitter, Chamakh made a move to the near post as with Bendtner both CB's were all over him in the box, Chamakh had no chance to do anything but Cesc actually got in the box. Striker drags defender off, someone else hits the space, its not rocket science, its been bog standard attack play for 100 years.

if you play 4-5-1 and the CB's are at all decent and just stick to the strikers shoulders all game, your striker won't be in the game, simple as that.

Bendtner when actually given the ball has created a penalty and a couple great chances, and was it in the champs league he was dropping deep, picking up the ball and playing perfect passes in behind for Theo, who smegged up almost every cross.

4-4-2 Wenger, you're got an entire squad built for over a decade to play 4-4-2, you've got a billion strikers, no wingers, stop playing 4-5-1.
 
He may take it seriously by fielding a strong team but like the Leeds game, he always tells our players to go out there and have fun. No really much of a prep talk, is it? I've been calling for wengers head for sometime now, I somewhat agree with the following post:




Wenger is doing fantastic to keep a bunch of above average players (4 or 5 world class) in the top 4/Champions League, but we need someone to take us a step further. One of the main reasons Wenger is safe for now is because he has had such a massive influence on the way the club is run, A new manager might not have the same principles as Wenger in terms of developing youth (Basically the main part of our club). A striker capable of 25-35 goals per season, another experienced CB and possibly a DM and natural winger (last two are optional) is what we need. Because nowadays we either struggle to score or just conceded stupid and unnecessary goals. A goalkeeper is not a priority. Like DM mentioned, how quality players in our youth team like JET or Afoebe don't get a run in when arshavin and bendter go quiet is beyond me. Another problem is who to bring in if we were to sack Wenger....

That I don't agree with, well parts, Arsenal have a VERY good squad, getting worse by the year.

Vela is an exceptional talent, he's started 4 premier league games, players who go 2-3 months between starts do not get form or play to their best. He's also a striker and I'm not sure he's started a single game in the EPL as a striker, a few cup games he has played up top.

This squad with different starting players, hugely better rotation, IE to keep people in form and to rest players before important periods rather than, just when they are injured, dropping out of form players for a break and getting rid of utter tripe players altogether. They could be doing FAR better than they are now.

IF Vela came on before the 88th minute more often, started 10 games a season, as a striker, and we'd have an inform, top notch finisher with pace, quality, and a bit of vision aswell.

Look at Bendtner/Vela's partnership when they were both in the reserves, playing weekly then played together in the cup, in a 4-4-2, they were immense, that Sheffield game was how Arsenal should play football. Since then Vela's not played in the reserves, he's barely played a game in 3 years, its a complete joke.

This squad is VASTLY UNDERPERFORMING and has been for years. Its like UTd starting Gibson over Anderson, playing Berbatov as a winger every game, and starting Gary Neville every game, except, he doesn't do it because he's not clinically insane. Theo as a winger, no, Sagna after his first 8 months, gone, Hoytes both, should have been gone from the club at 16, Randall the slightest player in the league, gone 5 years ago, Jet, starting games this season, been on the bench and coming on when 3-0 up in the 60th minute to get experience. Wilshire as a DM, are you absolutely kidding me, I mean, really? Vela on the wing, no, Arshavin, Chamakh, potentially great players, at the time exactly not what we needed and still bring nothing extra to the club.

If we'd bought a DM instead of Chamakh, given Vela/Bendtner games, bought a winger instead of Arshavin, shot Denilson and Diaby, bought a right back and a real defender, not upset Gallas and kept him, we'd have a title competitive squad, spending no extra than we have, using mostly players we already have.

For the love of god, fire the damn medical staff and hire someone competant.

Seeing as I'm a stat guy,

Vela has played in some 30 Arsenal games started 4(I stat I read the other day and taking as true), yet he's played in minutes that add up to just over 8 games, in 3 Seasons.

Macheda has played 2 games less, about 200 minutes less total over the same seasons, but he's two years younger and Vela previous to coming to Arsenal played over 60 games in La Liga over 2 seasons, this was a first team starter who was quality, Macheda was a youth player whose not played before.

Loan him out, save cash and give him form, or sell him or play the guy, he's quality, Wengers use of players, forcing changes of position for absolutely no reason, using the worst possible formation given the players.
 
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All this inquest caused by my beloved Ipswich Town Football Club.

I'm loving it!

Just for one night mind...it will be far tougher at the Emirates. But at least we have a chance, albeit a slim one.

I'm just glad we did ourselves justice after the horror show against Chelsea.
 
Really missed Almunia last night.

Strange thing to say but here is the explanation. Arsenal play quite a high line and in recent weeks keep getting done by simple balls over the top. Manuel Almunia is literally the best sweeper-keeper I've ever seen in the Premiership, in terms of coming steaming out off his line to clear out through balls. There is the odd occasion when he gets it wrong, and he looks a bit stupid. But in my eyes that is more than outweighed by the sheer number of times he cuts out opposition throughballs.

Sczezny on the other hand, you could see in both this and previous game, is a little more hesitant. He doesn't know whether to stick or twist, there was that incident with Djourou that Almunia would have dealt with for sure (not saying Djourou covered himself in glory mind). Then again when the guy got a shot in from out wide - keeper started to come and then backed off. Worked out OK in the end but Almunia would have put it in row Z for sure.

Of course Almunia's mystery injuries this season are classic Wenger prior to ditching a player, he did exactly the same with Lehmann. So the solution isn't putting Almunia in the team, it is either training our keepers to be more aggressive or rethinking how far up the pitch our defensive line is setting itself up.
 
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