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Cannot say I am a happy Gunner at present, nor am I totally unhappy, but suffice to say I could be a lot happier!!
I am not going to dwell on all the aspects of our team that concern me at present as I am sure our own ‘Ultras’ will do it better – Ours not be confused with the club controlling Ultra’s of Italy who are role models for anyone. No I am describing the ‘Ultra’ positive Gunners who sit a dark room, meditating and singing ‘Arsene Wenger’s Magic Hat, 2002 version, so they cannot hear the ‘Ultra negative Gunners aggressively bemoaning our lack of tactics, purchases or any tangible sign of a consistent game plan from the ‘Great One!’
Oh what a joy to be stuck in between our stark and increasingly divided factions, endeavouring to remain calm and rational, which is most certainly not as easy as it was.
Enough of the self pity as I promised not to languish in it and I do actually have a brief but vaguely sensible positive observation I wish to make. It has been on my mind a while and I have written about it one more than, although not this season. I recall on the last time I may have even been forced to admit that it was a certain Mr Stanley Collymore that prompted me to scribe last time.
In every co commentary you will hear Stan saying the same thing and I agree with him every bloody time “Get the ball wide, get beyond the full back and whip it in low and hard and you will score goals!’” For all you lovers of tikka tacka, tippy tappy or Wenger Ball, call it what you will that are appalled, I am sorry but he is quite correct.
He was correct when I wrote a blog demonstrating that most of Giroud’s goals were not from headers but from attacking the near post and getting across the defender or keeper. He is even more correct with Danny Welbeck as our striker.
He scored that way for England in Switzerland:
He scored that way for us against Aston Villa:
He scored that way for England v St Marino
No surprise that in a week where we failed to create much worthwhile trying to play through our Belgian midweek opponents, who frankly would not finish mid table in the EPL, our breakthrough came via this method. Indeed both Arsenal goals came, directly in the case of Gibbs, and indirectly in the case of Podolski from crosses. The second courtesy of the fabulous Alexis just perfectly demonstrating the chaos a powerful low cross in the 6 yard box can result in.
For many Arsenal fans such goals are not deemed worthy of Wenger’s style but for me getting to the bye line and crossing back across the box is essential, at least for variety, if the team is to start winning consistently. It was good enough for Pires and Ljungberg, it saw Walcott provide assist after assist for van Persie and with Sanchez and Walcott it will do the same for Welbeck I have no doubts.
So despite the wonderful Chambers and Gibbs combination on Wednesday let’s leave the full backs deeper in the main and leave the wing play to the wingers. Get back to 4231 and use the frightening pace we have at our disposal. I want to see Walcott flying down the right and whipping it in for Welbeck and Sanchez to attack and I want Alexis flying down the left and whipping it in for Welbeck and Walcott to attack. In fact I don’t actually care who is flying down the wing, it could be Chamberlain or Campbell.
I just want Arsenal to vary the tactics and use the mighty weapons we have at our disposal to scare the hell out of opposition full backs and in turn leave the centre backs facing their own goal for a change. This is so much harder for the teams we face than for them to watch us pass delightfully around the box in front of them where they can see the ball and watch the runners.
So come Wenger unleash your wingers and let them change our season and in case you won’t take my word for it here’s Theo from July when he heard about Sanchez signing:
‘With me and him on the flanks, a lot of teams won’t be looking forward to playing Arsenal this year.’ (Thanks Theo, us published authors tend to agree!!!)
