Saturday, August 25th, 2012 « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. 800,000 visits last month
Arsenal Vs The Premier Leagues Rugby Team
By Miles Rackham
Firstly fellow Arsenal fans, we are not in a crisis. Ok so we drew with Sunderland, but, they are a strong team, and I personally think they have a great manager, and they are going to have some good results this season, so I think that this is a good result for us really. First team to beat City last year, so just remember that.
One player that has been on the tips of every Arsenal fans tongues is Santi Cazorla. One world sums up his début, and that word, is ‘WOW’. He dominated that final third throughout the game, and if you have a look at his stats of that game, you will see that he made seventy seven passes, around only thirteen in our half, and misplaced only six. Impressive statistics for a player on his Premier League début against a tough team to play.
He had three chances that were all unlucky in the sense they didn’t go in. He has been said to play like Pires and Ljungberg, and that he could be a major asset in our campaign to win a trophy for the first time in seven years. If he plays again in the same fashion, not just against Stoke, but every single game he plays in for Arsenal, then we have some bright days ahead.
Podolski played is first competitive game for Arsenal as well against Sunderland. He was said to be the player that we should be watching, although he has started a tad slowly. I am still convinced that he is an extremely talented player, and the reason he started slowly and then was substituted, is because he will still not one hundred per cent fit. That is said to be over now though, so he should be able to play with the same class he did in the Euro’s and previously for Cologne; the class that attracted Arsenal to acquire his services. He is rumoured to be deployed against Stoke on the left, and should be played in a front three with Giroud and either Walcott or Gervinho.
We have lost out in the race to sign Real Madrid Nuri Sahin on loan, although there are rumours that Liverpool have to pay around 10 – 12 million in the loan deal, so it is a good thing we got out of it, in my opinion. We have been told that we are only going to sign ‘special’ players, but more on loan than permanent deals. This is promising signs for Arsenal, maybe not for the Stoke game, although possibly for the Liverpool game.
Stoke’s last game was against Championship Champions Reading. Stoke played the game well, and it was just a last minute penalty for Reading that won them a point against a tough team.
Our last few games against Stoke have been tough ones. Four wins, one draw and one defeat in the last six. We have been troubled by one element in the Stoke game: the long throw. I hate that cursed long throw! They are a tall, bullying team, that have been compared to a Rugby League team. We have conceded over ten goals from their long throw from Delap, with usually Fuller scoring the goal after a mix up in defence. This is something that Bould has been told to deal with. This is the only way I can see a team like Stoke scoring against us, and we have got to cut this out for future games, as Stoke aren’t the only team that pump the ball into the area and try and score a header.
Although, there is one thing that can help Arsenal, and all teams that play against Stoke: New pitch rules regarding the size of the pitch and the length between the advertising boards and the pitch. Stoke have been using the minimum size the pitch is allowed to be, but new UEFA regulations have forced them to increase the size of the pitch. This was why the players throw ins went further on their pitch than other teams’.
This will help Arsenal, as the ball is less likely to go as deep in to the area as they previously they have, and hopefully, it will only reach the centre backs in the area, allowing them to head it out, will allow players like Cazorla to begin a break.
As we haven’t added to our team since our game against Sunderland, so the first team seems to be easier to predict, although where and how they play is still a mystery.
Szczesny
Jenkinson Mertersacker Vermaelen Gibbs
Diaby Arteta
Cazorla
Walcott Giroud Podolski
This may not be the strongest possible team we have, and if we don’t sign anyone, then the only changes subsequently could be Rosicky and Wilshere in the team. I predict, again, that the result will be 3-1, as I can’t see us holding out for a clean sheet, but if we deal with those throw ins, then it will be 3-0, or maybe even 4-0.
If we do win, it will be a great result for us, and a great way to begin September. I hope we do sign players, Tiote from Newcastle and Jesus Navas from Seville would be the best players we are linked with, although I can’t see us signing them on loan.
But there is one other problem: the referee. If you have not read it before, take a look at the Referee Review for Stoke last season. It is truly frightening.
Lets see if we can do it, I really hope we do, come on Arsenal!
—————