Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool: Great Game, Bad Result

Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool Match Report 

Hello fellow gooners. I have been away from the blogosphere for some time now, mostly due to a combination of 2 things: work and no internet. The lack of the internet mostly is the problem. I live in a country where a service can just be terminated without any explanation, apology or compensation offered... Anyway, let me finish and post this blog before the internet goes again  and I have to get on with work... argh!!

So, Liverpool came to the grove last night and they were in the groove. Right in the groove baby. I had spent the evening giving my car some love up until 5 minutes before kick-off. So I thought I would take a shower then settle down to watch the game. When I emerged from the shower the scoreline was 1-0 in favour of Liverpool!! I thought we were up the creek for this one.

Arsenal went with the team that hammered Westham a last week. For the most part, I think we looked decent and a bit more balanced going forward with Ramsey playing centrally and deep. The problems however showed when Liverpool counter-attacked. I was really starting to have a quizzy feeling in my gut about this game.

But we soldiered on and we began to dominate the match completely. There were some fantastic passages of play resulting in shots off target by Giroud and Podolski. I thought Theo came to life  midway throught the first half but then he started to fade away towards half time.

And just before half time, Kieran Gibbs pulled something in his left leg that saw him substituted and replaced by Andre Santos. I think this affected our rhythm a bit.

After half time, Arsenal started brighter, closing down the Liverpool players, passing at a faster tempo. Wilshere was doing what he does best and that is run through the Liverpool midfield with the ball before making key passes to team-mates. Cazorla looks to have regained his mojo because he was excellent too with his distribution and trickery in midfield.

However the threat of Liverpool on the counter remained and it proved costly once more. Henderson got the ball on our left, cut inside and easily between Metersacker and Santos, Ramsey tried to clear the ball but the 3 Arsenal players and the goal keeper got in each other's way and the ball bounced off one of them, fell kindly for Henderson to tap into an empty net. 2-0 to Liverpool. Arsenal were doomed. Or were they?

We got a very luck free kick when Jack Wilshere tripped himself and fell. He floated in a ball which Olivier Giroud headed downwards emphatically to beat Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal. Game on. 2 minutes later, some brilliant pressure and interplay saw Giroud lay a pass in the path of Walcott on the right. Walcott absolutely thumped the ball past a helpless and hapless Reina. 2-2. I was by now very confident that we would go on and win the game.

However, Liverpool regrouped defensively and started hitting us on the counter. The game was hanging in the balance. Both teams could have won the game by a margin of 2 or more goals. Thats just how entertaining and open the game was. Thankfully, we didnt concede any more goals.

Afterwards Arsene Wenger was very honest in his post- match interview. Asked if we would make any signings today, he was none- committal. what else is new?

so from being 2-0 down we came back and drew 2-2. that's a very good draw I must say. However, I can't help feeling we wasted another chance to gain 3 points. with a bit more defensive organisation (and a defensive midfielder in the transfer market!! ahem...!!) we could have gotten 3 points last night.

But, a point is a fair result on the performance last night. I thought Liverpool were very good value for their 2 goal lead for an away side.

Today is transfer deadline day. I'm not holding my breath.

COYG!

F5.... F5.... F5... Still No Arsenal Signings

Afrogunner wokeup feeling great this morning! The weather was cool last night, little Afrogooney slept quietly with daddy as she so loves, especially when Mrs. Afrogunner is away on duty. I kept looking at her pretty little face and wondering... 'Holy crap, she is half me and half Mrs. Afrogunner'... The wonders of nature and biology... Then I would browse the channels hoping to find a breaking story about a new Arsenal signing... eventually I lay my head down next to Afrogooney and passed into dreamland.

I woke up at 4:45am, went jogging at 5:15am and was back home at 6am.. eh in time for Sky Sports News... but still no signing for Arsenal. I did the school run, got in the office and I have been F5-ing my keyboard since 8am...

This story on the Arsenal website made me laugh but then it started to irritate me. I sincerely hope he is just playing his cards very close to his chest. According to Arsene Wenger the club is "working hard" to find what they want. Now, I love cars. In fact I want cars, lots of cars. I want a Bugatti Veyron, a Range Rover Sport, an ML63 AMG, an Audi RS6.... But what I need is a double cab bakkie. I realise due to my lifestyle, something in the mould of a Toyota Hilux, VW Amarok or Nissan Navara will suit me just fine. Can I afford to buy a brand new car in this economy and on my current pay? No! So what do I do? well, I can look at the used car market for such a vehicle. Alternatively, I could look at Chinese products such as GWM, Foton etc. Do I really want those brands? No! But can they deliver what I need? Hell yes!

You are, by now wondering what I'm going on about... Well, you see, for me to buy the double cab Toyota Hilux or VW Amarok that I need, I must start saving and planning when to acquire it in the near future. I did not just wake up this morning and realise or decide that I need a double cab.

So when Arsene Wenger says this:

"First of all we want to sort out the injuries we have, and we are trying very hard to close the deal with Walcott. Once we have done that, we will certainly do something else. At the moment I cannot tell you more.

Sort out the injuries we have? really Arsene? How do you 'sort them out'? This is the most stupid thing a manager can say to fans who are hoping to see some fresh faces added to the squad. Our injuries are always the same every year so what the hell is Arsene talking about when he says  he is 'sorting them out'? Why didn't he 'sort them out' for the past 7 years running? 

And trying very hard to close the deal with Walcott? Give me a fucking break! If that boy wanted to stay he would have long signed. Two years ago. Stop wasting time with him. By the time you finish with him and turn to 'something else' the transfer window will be closed.

He goes on to say:

"It has become more difficult [to buy players in January] for one simple reason: we have a good squad. I know we swim against the stream a bit because people don’t believe that. I say we have a very good squad.

First of all Arsene, our squad is not that good, if you need evidence of that, just look at the results we have had so far this season. Take a look at the gap between our team and Manchester United who sit top of the table. That should show you that our squad is not that good.

This bit really rubs salt in the wound:

"But we have some improvements to make and we know exactly where. In January it is difficult to find the players that are really better and can give something special to the squad. The number is right, we have a good balance and we are working very hard to find what we want."

For fuck sake Arsene get a grip man! First You don't buy players in summer because they are difficult to find and you have a very good squad. You play half the season and the results show you that your squad is not as good as you thought when you went into the season but instead of strengthening you stand up and say you have a very good squad and it's difficult to buy good players in January? This is insanity.

Where is the planning? Where is the forward thinking? I am not suggesting that we should start tapping up players, but in football, deals start getting done during the season and come the transfer window they are formalised. Thats how it works. We didn't just up and sign Marouane Chamakh; it's becasue he had an understanding with Arsenal that he wound down his contract at Bordeaux. And that's how transfers are done.

What the hell is the so-called scouting team doing when the season is running? Ins't that the time they should be 'scouting and identifying' potential signings? If Arsenal were really serious about turning this club into a serious title contender, we would be seeing evidence in the manner is which they go about trying to strengthen the club. But instead there is a sense of 'we are ok as long as we finish 4th'.

I really hate this finishing 4th business. Arsene Wenger and the Board must stop setting the bar so low because even our players are picking up on it. They know their manager is aiming for 4th so that's what they aim for too. When they eventually want to seriously win trophies, they will leave our club and go elsewhere. Meanwhile, they are playig for a big club, getting huge pay but aiming for low targets. We can insult Robin Van Pussie all we like but the truth is the truth. Arsenal's ambition is to finish 4th every season, not to win the League and it shows in the conduct of the club, the manager and the players.

Until the Board change their ambitions and apply pressure on the Manager, we shall continue to shit our pants wondering if we shall finish 4th every season and when we do, we shall be content with Champions League football. Forget about the Premier League; Arsenal don't aim to play in the Champions League to win the competition, we want to be in the competition of financial reasons every season. It is the same with the League I suppose. If we can finish 4th every season and continue to bring in match-day and television revenue, then the Board is happy.

This club has stagnated and unless something transforms very soon, we shall disappear into mid-table mediocrity for good as other clubs progress past us. By the time Wenger goes, we shall be worse off than we were when he took over because the game has changed a lot since then.

I would really love Wenger to go out on a high, but it is looking ever more unlikely.

Arsenal 0 - 2 Manchester City: Excuse:- We Only Had 10 Men

I don't know if I'm really sad or disapointed at the result of yesterday's game. But I think I am more relieved than anything else. Relieved because I can live with losing 2 nil at home with 10 men for 80 minutes than losing 2 nil at home with 11 men.

I know it's strange, but I didn't fancy our chances in this game even with 11 men. Yes, we played very well (especially Jack Wilshere!) in the second half, but I think it was because we had now pressure on us at this stage of the game. We know we had lost the game by half time so we could just have a go at City and hope for the best. So indeed, losing Koscielny in the 10th Minute for a rugby tackle in the penalty box gave us an excuse.

A lot of fans think the referee was not fair. I disagree. He applied the letter of the law to the situation; if that had happened at the other end of the pitch, we would have all wanted to see a red card brandished. Even Manchester United fans were of the opinion that Arsenal were mistreated by the referee. Please! The only reason why Manchester United fans would sympathise with Arsenal was simply because they wanted Arsenal to help them open up a 10 point lead at the top of the League Table.

Besides the referee's best efforts to even out the match by red- carding Kompany for a tackle which at most should have been a yellow card, we failed to get on the score sheet. We created enough chances to atleast score two goals but we equally survived several attacks on our goal which could have made the result even worse. In as far as that loss goes, we can only look at ourselves. When it comes to the big games, we choke. We choked in the Champions League Final in 2006, we choked in the Carling Cup final in 2010, we always seem to choke up in the big pressure games these days. Our big players are nowhere to be seen when it matters. Cazorla, Podolski, Walcott for me could and should have done better. That a 20 year old Jack Wilshere was the sole combatant in the team says a lot about the courage and application of the so-called star names.

I maintain that our problems are a combination of poor coaching and lack of quality/squad depth. Arsene Wenger said we lacked authority and did not impose ourselves early on in this game. I wonder if the problem could be team psychology and application? Isn't that the sole preserve of the coaching staff?

It's also telling that Arsene Wenger didn't have a go at the referee for the decision, it is an acknowledgement on this part that the decision was correct from the referee. That we could not regroup and tighten up atleast for the first half is again a problem of coaching and organisation. We gave away 2 easy goals which not only killed our spirit but ended the tie as a contest effectively. That we rushed Abou Diaby back from injury after 3 months out also tells it's own story. Why didn't Ramsey start in midfield? under the circumstances, surely he is a better bet than Diaby?

Now, Arsene says it's difficult to find good quality players in January to strengthen the squad. That's exactly the same thing he says in the summer; that he is looking for super super quality, only to buy an average player - if at all he actually spends money.

Tomas Rosicky and Abou Diaby are good players but with their injury records they would not be getting a sniff at most of the big clubs around Europe. Diaby I would keep as a squad player because he is still relatively young and may just come good one day and play 3- 4 good seasons in his career before he has to either retire or drop to the lower leagues. Rosicky on the other hand....

Andre Arshavin is a waste of squad space. ABG is thankfully away with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. It is very clear that we need signings in midfield and attack. I think that currently we need atleast 5 good players to really kick some life back into this team. We seriously lack a threat in attack and in wide midfield positions. If we do not buy players we shall continue to win in patches but continue to drop into mid-table mediocrity.

There was a time when Arsenal losing was the exception to the rule. these days, winning is the exception and drawing is the norm. Where is our club going? If there is money to spend, why do we not spend it? Isn't there any decent player we can sign from anywhere? Germany? Spain? France? Russia? Belgium? Brazil? Argentina? Egypt? Japan? Uruguay? Portugal....?

I refuse to believe that there are no players out there who we can afford and who can add something to this squad. If our scouting network is failing, then I hereby offer my services.

Come on Arsenal: Spend Some Fucking Money!

Signings? What Signings?

Hello Gooners. I trust you all had a wonderful Festive Season wherein the festivities demand that you;

• Spend all you have, without regard to the fact that come January you will be broke
• Drink a lot of alcoholic drinks regardless of the time of day
• Have sex with a girl you always wanted or the girl who got away (... ahem... it's a time to be kind and ladies become generous this time of year...)
• Have sex with workmates
• Buy useless stuff just because it looked good in the shop window
• Go to church to remind yourself about the history of the story of Jesus' birthday

This particular December was interesting because according to the Mayans, the end of the world was upon us. A lot of people got laid in the name of the end of the world. Now, I could go on to mention the things wish yours truly managed from the above list, but hey, who really wants to know such boring stuff?

I tried to keep up with all things Arsenal during the holidays, but sometimes I suspect when I watch an Arsenal game, we lose! huh! How about that! Then it messes up my day and I become moody and bad tempered. There is always a Mancie nearby, waiting to rub me the wrong way...

We started this year with a draw, after much talk by our manager Arsene Wenger about consistency and sharpness and quality and mental strength (if I had a penny for every time I heard that one- mental strength!). Our last game in the FA Cup against Swansea was 2 points dropped. we were leading with 3 minutes left to play when they equalised. Now we have to replay that match, in between a game against Manchester City and Chelsea. In Fact our next run of fixtures for January are; Manchester City (H); Swansea (H); Chelsea (A); FA Cup (assuming we beat Swansea); Liverpool (H).

Focussing only on the league games, that is a run of 3 very tough games and potential banana skins, if we haven't fallen already. With our team's consistency being as consistent as a bout of diarrhoea, we could get all 9 points or we could get 0 from this run of fixtures in January. My gut tells me we shall get a maximum of 4 points... but then that could just be diarrhoea playing tricks with my gut...

I have long maintained that this squad, given better coaching should be achieving better results. I look at the Manchester United squad and when you compare our squads player for player, except in attack (Robin Van Pussie!) Arsenal have the better players. The problem of consistency is down to coaching and man-management. It is my honest opinion that a better coaching team would get better results from this group. Case in point, look at Everton and David Moyes...

Yes we do lack some cutting edge in some areas of our team. I wrote a piece for makeusdream.com which you can find here in which I said we need 1 Striker, 2 Wingers/Wide Forwards, 1 Defensive Midfielder and 1 Left Back to see this team rise to the upper reaches of the EPL. 

Do I foresee us buying 5 players during this transfer window? no. Do I foresee us making any signings that will improve the squad? I hope so. Arsene Wenger does not seem to have any signings in the pipeline. He seems focussed on making Theo Walcott sign a new deal. Talk of sawing your own leg... Trying to get Theo to sign is just that. If he wanted to stay at the club a deal would have been reached already. A gooner friend of mine recently asked, "Is this all Arsene Wenger is going to do this summer, talk to Walcott?"

I really hope not. Yes Walcott is having a stellar season, as all Arsenal players do before they fuck off (Van Pussie, Flamini, Song, Fabregas, Hleb, Van Bronchorst, TH14, Viera....). What we Arsenal should be doing is looking to flog him off to the highest bidder while we can because honestly I have lost patience with him. I do love Walcott (in a fan-player way you dirty-minded person!) but I still think he is not as good as he thinks nor as good as his recent form suggests. Maybe he will one day join the niche of elite players. That day is still some way off.

And herein lies the problem for Arsenal. Our most potent player (in patches yes) is looking to leave on a Bosman. We do not seem to have any replacements lined up. Surely the club should have seen this coming? What happened to our renowned scouting network? Why can we not seem to find players who can improve this team when we need them?

If we do not make any signings this January, our Chances of winning our perennial 4th Position cup are in serious jeopardy. our inconsistency is not only borne of poor coaching but also lack of quality and rotation in the squad. This problem can only be fixed by ahem! SPENDING SOME F**KN MONEY.

Come on Arsenal, Spend some F**kn Money!