Arsenal 0-0 Marseille: The Inevitable Draw After Big Win

Arsenal: The Strongest 10 Currently?
Match report here.

A game that promised so much for Arsenal delivered little in the end. Three points would have guaranteed us qualification into the knock-stage but in typical Arsenal style, we are going to have to do it late and the hard way, you know the 'Arsenal way'.

Robin Van Persie and rather unfortunately, Laurent Koscielny were rested. The gamble to rest Van Persie didnt pay off, but on the other hand, I'm glad he was rested. The comments made by Deschamps, the Marseille manager before the game about marking and keeping Van Persie quiet made me fear for his safety in the game.

Koscielny has been playing out of his skin in recent games, perhaps knowing that Vermaelen would soon return to claim his position in the team. On current form, I'm not sure whether Mertesacker is better than Koscielny... But I suppose there will be plenty of games in the season for them all to play. These days success is about the squad system, not the first 11.

Vermaelen played to his usual high standard, even though he has been out for a while. Our front man on the day, Park, was disapointing in his performance. I always maintain that the squad players do well when there is no pressure on the team. Had we won and qualified yesterday first, players such as Park can then come in and do a job...

Marseille started very brightly, having a back heel at goal in the first 5 minutes. They looked sharper and full of running. Arsenal gradually started to find their way in the match after 10 minutes. from there on, we created chances that were wasted. A little bit more quality and calmness would have seen us convert them but just could convert. Aaron Ramsey particularly had a chance from a cross which he side-footed wide. Theo and Gervinho for me had average games.

After an hour Van Persie was introduced for the very ineffective Park. Rosicky and Arshavin were also introduced soon after for Ramsey and Gervinho respectively, but we just couldn't produce a moment of pure magic to win the game. Van Persie tried to chip the keeper and on another day, that would have been a goal but not tonight. Arshavin and Rosicky had little influence on the match.

The game ended in a goalless draw. Now, I know this was not the result we wanted, but looking at it in perspective, 4 points off a Marseille team is not something to be sniffed at. We still remain top of the group and in control of our destiny. We didn't concede any goal which is a plus, not only for the group standing, but also for our confidence in games to come. We also haven't suffered any injuries so things are looking up for us. 


With Vermaelen back, we are only two players away ( Wilshere & Sagna) from fielding our very strongest 11. Diaby is soon to return also and when those players do return, all things being equal, suddenly we have a very strong squad. In the past we've always been 5 or six players away from fielding a strong starting 11...Looking at our squad in that perspective, I don't think we are short on quality and experience to compete with anybody. Just a small matter of application...  

After the game Arsene Wenger said:

.....We lacked a little bit the sharpness...

We may not have got the result we wanted after Chelsea, but a draw is a good result. We can only get better. Besides, Chelsea only drew against Genk (know who they are? didn't think so). 

And why would Arsenal want to qualify with two games to go anyway? it's just not the Arsenal way!!

The Arsenal way is to first give the fans and the manager a massive scare, then qualify.

Onwards march the Arsenal!!!

Arsenal v Marseille Preview: Arseblogger Makes My Day

General Song & Arsene Wenger: Plotting Marseille's Downfall

Champions League

Tuesday, 1 November 2011

It is very difficult to come back down from cloud 19 and a half after beating chelsea emphatically on Saturday. But football is a very funny game. You can beat Barcelona and then go on to lose to Birmingham in the Cup final... just saying...

Looking at the team pictures in training, you get the sense that there is a new found team spirit and joy in the squad. After that win against Chelsea, there will be a new found extra belief and togetherness within this group of players. Teams should beware.

At the same time, the feel good factor can very easily evaporate if we go into the Marseille game thinking we have beaten them before the final whistle blows. Arsene himself said that confidence goes away quickly and takes long to return. This is very true and especially for this Arsenal team who have suffered so much over the past few years with self-inflicted, below par performances, its time that they seriously kick on from here.

Didier Deschamps, the Marseille Manager says Robin Van Persie must be stopped. I hope he doesn't mean going to break his leg because thats the only way of stopping him right now. Now, I dont wish any misfortune on our captain, but lets be honest, most managers send their teams out to frustrate and foul the opposition's best attackers. In so doing, injuries tend to happen, some unfortunate but most due to wrecklessness.


Marseille will certainly be more of a threat than when we faced them. I find that, in the Champions League, away teams tend to attack more, perhaps it's due to the away goals rule.. We cannot go into this game and present Marseille with the type of chances that we did against Chelsea, we will be punished. Our midfielders and attackers need to knuckle down and do the dirty work. Defending most start from the strikers.


We should close down their defenders and keep pressure on their goal keeper. We should not allow them time and space in midfield to pick passes and make unchecked runs. And most of all, we should keep the ball. Keep the ball. Keep the ball. There is no way they can hurt us if they don't have the ball. In order to play 'keep ball' our players will need to cover a lot of ground, running, making angles for the pass, interchanging positions and always looking for attacking options.


Our finishing too must improve. I don't expect us to create as many chances as we did against Chelsea. we simply have to put the ball in the back of the net every time we get a chance to score. If we can be efficient with our chance conversion to goals, we will beat Marseille.


Key players for me in this game will be;

1. General Alex Song- He really has to put in a shift defensively. He will also need to be more creative with his passing, if he can spot the runs of Gervinho and Theo, then clip balls over the top early, he can really wreck havoc.
2. Aaron Ramsey- His passing is decent but he can give the ball away too cheaply at times. He will have to take shots from outside the box whenever chances present themselves. He has a fantastic shot on his right foot, which he doesn't use enough.
3. Mikel Arteta- He too can shoot and take free kicks. He must influence our ball possession more. He can really do a Xavi, that (magnificent) Barcelona cunt, in terms of passing.
4. Andre Santos- He really must defend better down that left wing. He has already scored more goals for us in 3 months than Gael Clichy in 8 years. But defending Mr. Santos!!
5. Gervinho- Whereas all attention is on Van Persie right now, Gervinho is the player who can really hurt Marseille because he is very slippery and difficult to mark. He always gets into goal scoring situations and  if he can be clinical with his finishing, he might just start to rake in the goals. Gervinho, for me, is going to be our next Thierry Henry.

In other news, Stan Kroenke was at the training ground to pep the boys up. Have a read. I like what he says. He talks about Fabregas and takes a swipe at Samir Nasri in there somewhere. He says;

Looking back to the summer transfer dealings he said: "I think you know that one of the players who departed had nothing to do with money.  There was a specific personal circumstance that happened. The other you get into an evaluation. That's where being smart and not being smart comes in. You've got one year left on a player's contract. You've got a large sum of money being offered. Can you employ those resources better than you could had you not taken the money, taken a chance on losing the guy for nothing in a year or perhaps overpaying for him now and having less resources later? I don’t know. That's how I would see the evaluation."

I think I really like stan.

And now for the guy who really made my day with his sense of humour, Arseblogger says about Robin Van Persie's contract situation:

And without moving into the realms of what-ifs and speculation, I have been thinking about his contract situation and from an Arsenal point of view I don’t think it could be any easier: give him what he wants. Whatever he wants, give it to him. If he wants £150,000 per week, give it to him. If he wants that money to be paid into a bank in the Cayman Islands using only used dollar bills, then do it.

If he wants Arsenal to sign some other players in January, or next summer, sign them. Wants defensive coach? Give him defensive coach. Frankly, if he wants Ivan Gazidis to wear a dress and sing the best of Gilbert and Sullivan in the style of Sideshow Bob before he presents the contract, then might I respectfully suggest that our CEO start brushing up on his light opera?

Hahahahahahahaahhh!!!! Now that really made my day. Big up to arseblogger.


Lets be professional and win this game. Then we can give squad players a chance in the remaining group games.


Onwards March the Arsenal!!!