Arsenal News » 2009 » December » 27

Untold predicted Arsenal 2 Villa 1, and we were wrong.  I am really sorry, I apologise unreservedly.  I have let you, faithful reader, down.  And I have done it at a time of peace and goodwill.   It is a terrible lapse.  I can’t imagine how we got it oh so wrong.   It will never happen again.

Of course I know that I could pretend.  I could suggest that, as correspondents have kindly pointed out, you could add the two and the one together and get… 21, but that would be cheating.

And UNTOLD ARSENAL does not cheat.  Oh no.  Not at all.  Not one bit.

It was quite a jolly little game. It was rather entertaining.  It was worth the price of admission.  It was nice to meet Walter Broeckx and his family – great friends to this site.  It was good to see the players running around a lot.  It was nice to hear the volume up so loud.   It was good to see the goals go in.

In fact…

It was fucking amazing.

Not only did we win 3-0 but we had nine shots on target and the other lot had two.

In short, I thought it was an absolutely cracking game, and that it showed that we really are pushing our way to the top.

So it was a bit of a surprise to hear 606 on Radio 5 start with a Doom Monger saying that the first half was awful, terrible, appalling, and a disaster.  He went on to say that we need a new centre back, two new midfielders, and a new big bustling centre forward.

All of these players have to have power, aggression, power, aggression, and oh yes, aggression.  Otherwise not only will we not make the top four this year, or come to that the Europa League, but we will sink without trace.  Lower than the low.  Lower even than Liverpool.

So after Arsenal 3 Villa 0, that’s it.  The end. Kaputttttttt.

Their ratings…

• Manuel Almunia, 2
• Bacary Sagna, 1
• Thomas Vermaelen, 2
• William Gallas, 1
• Armand Traore, 1
• Vassiriki Abou Diaby, 2
• Samir Nasri,2
• Pereira Neves Denilson 1 (Cesc Fabregas,  3)
• Alexandre Song, 2
• Andrey Arshavin, 1
• Da Silva Eduardo 0 (Theo Walcott, 2 )

I didn’t see it like that. Here’s how it looked to me.

In the first half both sides had chances, and couldn’t take them.  Hesky had a bash, Eduardo couldn’t find power, Song blocked Young, so it went on – but we were not second best.  We were shooting more than they did, and we were hitting the target more than they did.  Not an absolute measure of effectiveness, but a decent indicator.

And in the second half it wasn’t all down to Cesc.  We were upping the tempo and power before Cesc came on.  True he did a Denilson with the free kick, and he scored a great second but that also had a little something to do with Theo, his run and his perfect pass.

Even the much hated Almunia pulled off a great save from Agbonlahor before Diaby went for his dance at the end.  And what a dance that was.   This player is something and becoming even more.

My ratings

• Manuel Almunia,9
• Bacary Sagna, 9
• Thomas Vermaelen, 9
• William Gallas, 9
• Armand Traore, 9
• Vassiriki Abou Diaby, 10
• Samir Nasri, 10
• Pereira Neves Denilson 9, (Cesc Fabregas, 10),
• Alexandre Song, 10
• Andrey Arshavin, 9
• Da Silva Eduardo, 9  (Theo Walcott,  10)

So who is right?  The Positivists who see what Wenger has done in building up this team from a group of kids with a handful of big time purchases, or the Doom Mongers who see disaster in a 3-0 beating of the 4th placed team?

Does it matter that we are four points off the top spot with a game in hand?   Should we rip apart the squad that has done this, throw them out and bring in new players?

If we did, what would that say to players about the Arsenal approach?   Only that you might work hard for the club and then be thrown out, even if your efforts have brought us to a position near the very top.

And what would it say about these facts I just picked up from the BBC web site…

• Arsenal have scored more goals (82) and lost fewer matches (five) in the Premier League this year than any other club.

• Arsenal are the division’s leading scorers with 47 goals.

We might buy one more player, true, but wholesale changes at this time?  I don’t think so.

(c) Tony Attwood 2009.

If you didn’t get your copy of MAKING THE ARSENAL for Christmas you can still buy it yourself from Amazon.co.uk    The publishers will be supplying it again, but are taking an Xmas break until Jan 4.  Disgraceful I know, but what can you do?