Two wins and season back on track

A last gasp win over FC Thun and a stroll against Everton represents a satisfying week for the faithful. With 2 wins on the trot, all outside talk of crisis has been banished. Mind you, I feel this is only temporary relief as any signs of wobble by the team and the media will only be too ready to jump on to the ‘Arsenal in crisis’ bandwagon. However producing results on the pitch is the best way to turn off the negative press. Now we are off to Upton Park for what should be an entertaining London derby.

Having watched both the matches on telly, I was happy with the improvement shown by the team in the Everton match. Since by now most of us have gone through innumerable reports of both the matches, I won’t add to the clutter but just leave some impressions. Against Thun, while we were creating chances by the dozen in the first half, the quality of our play left something to be desired. Passes were misplaced and possession was given away too easily near Thun’s box after lot of hard work. Reyes was a notable culprit in this regard. While the lad’s workrate was fantastic and he was reeling off his usual bag of tricks, he was being outnumbered by Thun’s defenders and lost the ball too often for my liking. As the first half wore on without any rewards for our efforts we obviously became more frustrated. One beneficial consequence of this was that we tried going for goal rather than trying for the perfect pass.

During this period, the Thun goalkeeper had an experience straight out of the Arsenal book of goalkeeping. He appeared to have under control a Reyes shot before inexplicably he allowed the ball to slip beneath him towards goal line. He gained control of the ball however before Ljungberg cannoned into him. I am sure both Lehmann and Almunia would have been proud of the gaffe! I am sure (based on some bizarre but painful CL experience with Lehmann) that if either of our goalies had been involved in a similar situation, we would have ended up conceding. As luck would have it Almunia was to be punished in the second half for straying a bit too far from his goal line to concede Thun’s equalizer. Nelson Ferreira of Thun didn’t look like he was shooting or lobbing the ball but a more alert goalkeeper would have anticipated such a danger. I hate to say it but I don’t see RMF conceding such a goal. God knows how many more silly goals we are going to concede to pay for the gaffer’s refusal to buy a good goalkeeper. Coming to Arsenal goals, both of them were well taken and it was good to see Gilberto plant a precise header into the net and to celebrate with some animation. What can I see about Dennis? His determination to make something out of an aimless long ball by Sol was fascinating and a lesson for our younger strikers. It may have been a foul on the defender as he gained control of the ball but heck, who cares? The adrenalin was surely pumping for me as the ball went into the net.

As to the talking point of the game, it was a tad too harsh on RVP to be sent off in the first half. The referee had a poor game throughout and compensated for this mistake by refusing to send off Thun’s Goncalves for a dangerous challenge on Gilberto in the second half! Having said that, it was a poor percentage decision by RVP to go for a high ball with his foot. Hopefully his decision making will improve because of this dismissal.

The quality of play picked up a couple of notches against Everton thanks mainly to Reyes. Passes were zipping across the slick turf and it was a surprise that we didn’t bang in any goals from open play. However both the set-piece goals were superbly taken and for me the highlight was the way Reyes planted quality balls into the danger area. Not to detract anything from Captain Sol’s efforts. Too often with Henry and Pires taking freekicks and corners we have wasted these opportunities. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for Henry taking freekicks when in a goalscoring position or when he decides to go for goal. But otherwise he is not too hot at putting quality balls into the box. Hope that even after he returns, he allows Reyes or RVP to take such set-pieces. RVP looked a shade under colour, possibly the dismissal against Thun was weighing him down. Still he almost squeezed in a goal from a Reyes throughball in the first half. While it was sad to see Pires had to hobble off under a challenge from one-half of the ugly sisters, it could prove to be a blessing in disguise if he stays injured for a while. I think Hleb deserves to start regularly and the more he plays with Ljungberg, Reyes, RVP and Dennis the better for the team. I do feel that recent comments by Henry and Bergkamp on releasing the ball quickly are valid as far as Hleb (and also Reyes?) is concerned but if he doesn’t start more often, how is he going to jell well with the team and improve his decision making? After all, as long as Henry is out injured, we have to rely on collective effort and there is no harm in trying to figure out the right way of using Hleb. I have nothing against Pires but he looks past his sell-by date and a spell in the stands would do him good. If ManU can shunt Giggs to bench there is no reason why Pires should be guaranteed a starting place. (And I hope he will stop moaning about Neville’s foul on him. He is only opening himself up to ridicule, some national stereotyping and more intimidation in the future.) Hleb has enough CL experience to cope up with the big occasions. Maybe like Sol, Pires will comeback stronger after a layoff.

Anyways after the first half goals, we eased up as Everton shifted to damage control mode. One does feel sorry for David Moyes as his team is paying the price for over-achieving last year. However for a team struggling to score goals, their conservative approach was puzzling. One member of Everton team Gooners won’t be feeling sorry for is Phil Neville. Perhaps he forgot that he no is longer at Old Trafford and continued with the ugly sisters brand of thuggery patented by his old team. So it was satisfying to see Reyes give back as good as he got. As to our players’ efforts, Fabregas was neat and compact in both matches while Ljungberg was his busy self although sometimes the over-reliance on the left flank by the team took him out of the equation. Teenager Song had his senior debut but there was little time to judge him and he looked extremely nervous. Understandable I think, but he looks to be a strong lad and hopefully he will develop quickly to provide us with one more option in the middle.

All in all a good performance and along with the win over Thun puts us in the right frame of mind to visit West Ham. I haven’t seen any of the Hammers’ matches this season but going by reports of their matches and the scores, it looks like Alan Pardew has got them playing an attacking game. What a refreshing thought it is to play a team that hasn’t blindly aped the RMF and plays to score goals. While on the subject, I couldn’t agree more with the gaffer who said teams should balance the task of entertaining with winning matches. We have done it with lot of success over the last four seasons and hopefully will continue to set standards in this manner in seasons to come. At present I can only hope that West Ham comes at us on Saturday thereby opening up the game and more teams follow their example. While it should be a spirited match given the local rivalry, I think we should be able to see off the Hammers if we can produce the compact display that we put out against Everton. And I do hope that Hleb starts on the left with Reyes and RVP up front. Also the gaffer does not choose to rest Fabregas. Dennis though may require a rest if he is going to travel for the Ajax game. So it may be down to the young guns again to pull us through with some help from the back four.

Oh before I forget, my day (or rather night) was made last Wednesday when Tabloid Rooney was sent off against Villarreal. I actually happened to catch that incident live while flicking channels and I almost fell off my couch in sheer disbelief. But it was soon replaced by mirth. The fat boy has proven that he is as much thick-skulled as he is vile-mouthed. Perhaps only those dumb-heads writing in some discussion boards defending Rooney brand of sarcasm can be as daft as the fat boy. And after the Arsenal match got over when news of Vieira’s dismissal against Juventus flashed on the screen, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

What is in store for Arsenal vs FC Thun

As a gooner living in faraway Mumbai (that was Bombay earlier) I couldn't bear it any longer to see every Tom, Dick and Harry starting to predict the end of the road for Arsenal and no one to refute these sentiments to. From now onwards I will unburden myself as often as possible on the team's prospects and the games. And in true Arsenal spirit I expect the current bunch to bounce.

Four games into the season and Arsenal is in an almost inextricable crisis if you believe the media. Paddy is no longer there, Sol is injury prone and Henry will not be available for at least 4 weeks and we are already 9 points behind the Russian Mafia Franchise (RMF). It is not surprising that Gooners everywhere are having an attack of the blues and are moaning about how to navigate this season, which suddenly looks interminable. What is more surprising however is that some of the players are also apparently taken in by the media hype surrounding RMF and doom and gloom scenario painted for Arsenal. Cole's comments about missing Paddy and the other players are a case in point. (Already suspect in my eyes for his open flirting with RMF, he has sunk even further in my books. On the field, his performance is not too inspiring. He seems to be coasting along, in that dreaded comfort zone). Now, the slow recovery of Sol and the injury to Henry are unfortunate. But Paddy has been gone more than a month now and Cole and others have had ample time to come to terms with that loss. Moaning on ad nauseum about that sale is not going to get Arsenal anywhere. Not surprisingly it is the seniors in the team who have kept up this chorus as the youngsters are eager only to grab each and every opportunity that comes their way. Accordingly, even Henry should stop reminiscing about Paddy whenever he teams up with the French team. What impression can it have on guys like Cesc, Senderos, Van Persie and Quincy if your captain keeps pining for the ex-captain? Here I think Arsene has a role to play too. Treating players as grown ups is all well and good but every now and then they probably deserve the good old clout on the ear even if figuratively. ManU players did not moan about Jaap Stam and Beckham when they were sold. Agreed they had enough replacements but even after two seasons without the Premier League trophy, the players have not lost faith in the team, manager or themselves. Which seems to be the case with Cole and co. They have been afflicted by a collective case of yips. While Arsene can't prevent them reading the tabloids or watching TV, he should stamp out this whiff of nostalgia in the team.

Not only is it damaging the team's prospects this year but also because there is no basis for such sepia tinted memories. With Paddy in the team we were no better in the Champions League, for starters. Quarter finals was the best we have achieved and the last ime we were in the quarters, a few seniors including Paddy went missing in the second half against RMF. Paddy was also missing, albeit through injury, on one of our biggest and best nights in the CL when we humbled Inter 5-1 at San Siro in November 2003. The point is Paddy's departure has not lessened Arsenal's chances in CL. (League is another matter altogether and merits a separate discussion) It remains as daunting a prospect as it was last year. But as Liverpool and Porto showed, you need good organisation, a little bit of luck and a big heart to prosper. Feeling sorry for oneself or the team is not a sound basis to compete. Arsene claimed that 'we are not a prisoner of names' after the Middlesborough defeat. It is up to him to drill the same philosophy into the team's collective psyche.

Coming to today's match, it is bemusing to say the least to be playing against a team that seems to be named straight out of Middle Earth. It is not difficult to imagine Thun tracing back their history to the mines of Moria. Flippancy apart, with nothing known about the team, Arsenal would be best advised to focus on their game. I didn't catch the Middlesborough defeat on tv but from match reports and other gooner reports on the net, looks like a familiar case of missed opportunities at the front and some schoolboy errors at the back. Apart from giving a pep talk to the team, Arsene can do everyone a great favour by dropping Cygan. With the defenders already having to adjust to the change from Lehman to Almunia, the sight of Cygan anywhere near Arsenal goal is only guaranteed to cause jitters to both players and the fans. So first change from Saturday's starting eleven would be Cygan out and either Senderos or Campbell in. Not a bad idea to have Senderos since as a Swiss he must be having some idea of Thun's players. In the middle of the park, Fabregas has to come in place of Flamini. Flamini is good if Arsenal are in front and containing the game but to break open the game or to chase the game he is unsuited. Ljungberg for Pires, that is a straight and logical swap. And if I have my way Pires won't even be in the subs bench. He is another senior who has gone missing big time for many games now. May be he needs some time to reflect on his role in the team and his goals. If he is so after an extended contract he has to prove his worth first. Up front I will start with Reyes and Van Persie. In a team crawling with players content to pass and elaborate, Van Persie, a compulsive shooter, is a rare jewel. God knows what more he has to do to command a starting place. I would have Bergkamp on the bench ready to come in the second half if the game needs to be opened up or if Van Persie's temper flares up. With more than 5 subs allowed on the bench, Quincy should also merit a place on the subs list. Along with Flamini, Clichy and Senderos/Campbell in the subs bench this team should be able to put it past Thun with some gas left in the tank. (On the subject of Clichy, Arsene shouldn't hesitate to sub Cole if he continues to coast). A nice 3-0 win would do. And yes it is imperative not to concede goals.