ARSENAL VS
SUNDERLAND
SATURDAY, 18/08/2012
Life after RvP and Song not off to the best of starts huh? So
we did not win on Saturday, Podolski and Giroud didn’t score and we did not get
off to a flying start like most of us thought we would. Look at the bright side
though…RvP’s ambitions are not looking too good either! This was a winnable
fixture, don’t get me wrong, but it was not the worst outing ever. Like a
certain former rival that happened to lose 3-0 and had a man sent off. Or the
other team somewhere in North London that lost 2-1. Or yet another of our
rivals losing 1-0. Another positive is that it actually wasn’t one of those
drab, uninspiring 0-0 stalemates, we dominated possession, created more
chances, and we were generally on top from the offset (save for a few scares
here and there).
I took some time out to pen a few lessons I picked up from
this…ummm…humbling experience:
I.
PATIENCE PAYS:
This is not a new concept to us, seeing as we have waited for
seven years for silverware anyway. It’s a new season, it’s a new-look Arsenal
and it’s only the first game of the Premier League. We should not have expected
our new “Holy Trinity” (Podolski, Giroud, and Cazorla) to work miracles on
their first outing. And in the same breath we should not be quick to vent our
frustration at them and criticize them for not delivering at the first time of
asking. It’s a marathon not a sprint (pardon the cliché) and our beloved team
will deliver. We just have to keep the faith.
II.
GIROUD MUST START:
Not to question your wisdom and vast years of experience Mr.
Wenger, but using Olivier Giroud off the bench was not one of your brightest
ideas. Giroud, in my humble opinion, is not an impact sub but a starter. I
understand maybe Le Prof wanted to implement a “plan B” by introducing Giroud
and pumping more crosses into the box, but he has the quality to figure
productively in both plans, that is the usual Arsenal way of carving open
defenses with the simplest of through balls, and the “long-ball, Stoke way” of
doing things. His movement and link-up play are exquisite, and he is good in
the air as well. Giroud should therefore start our next game and let Podolski
attack from the left wing. This worked almost to perfection during our
pre-season game against FC Cologne, why not try it again?
III.
TONE DOWN EXPECTATIONS:
So Le Prof deviates slightly from his norm of signing
relatively unknown, young players who “have potential” and he actually goes out
and signs players with PROVEN potential at the “big stage”… Lukas Podolski (100
caps for Germany), Olivier Giroud (top-scorer in French Ligue 1 last season)
and Santi Cazorla (Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 winner with Spain). Add these to the
already immensely talented squad we had and, understandably, expectations are
high at the Emirates. So much so that you could feel the negative energy of
disappointment flowing through the stadium once the final whistle went against
Sunderland. Is this really the environment we want and expect our players to
thrive under for the rest of the season? I mean, the team is already under
enough pressure from the media and us expecting too much too soon from them
just isn’t right. Our beloved team has been known to buckle under pressure, so
let’s try not to add to that shall we?
IV.
GIVE CREDIT WHERE ITS DUE:
From the local joint where I was watching the game (and all
over Twitter I imagine) a lot of vitriol was being sent the way of Diaby and
Gervinho. People claim that Gervinho is too selfish, yet when he takes players
on and beats them they are quick to praise him. How then do you expect him to
beat players if he isn’t a little “selfish” at times? You want him to pass the
ball more, yet when he does pass it you then lambast him for not taking the
ball on himself. It’s a winger’s job to take risks and try to beat defenders
one-on-one (and we all know Gervinho is good at that) so why don’t we let the
man do his job? As for Diaby, the mistake most of us are making is trying to
compare him to Alex Song. The thing is, no two players are alike. Diaby is no
Song, just as Arteta is no Fabregas. Instead of focusing on his shortcomings as
compared to Song then, why not praise him for what he’s good at? Like the way
he can carry the ball forward better as compared to Song? Or the way he gets
forward more often? Or the way he scores more? And besides, criticizing him or
any other member of the team for that matter won’t help anyway.
V. A CHANGE OF FORMATION PERHAPS, MR.
WENGER?
There is something that Jon Champion kept mentioning during
our game, and that was that Santi was playing a little too far behind the game.
I agree. For most periods of the match, Santi was playing too far behind to
properly influence the game from an attacking point of view. As a result,
Podolski was isolated up front and had to drop deep for the ball, or couldn’t
get the ball at all. The fact that Walcott had an off-day didn’t help matters
either. And in any case, lots of people drew comparisons between Cazorla and players
of the same ilk as David Silva and Juan Mata, who play in more advanced roles
for their clubs, so why not use him in the same way?
In order to improve things then, might I suggest a change of
formation? A 4-2-3-1 perhaps? With Diaby and Arteta playing as the defensive
midfield duo, Podolski and Walcott playing on the left and right respectively
and Cazorla playing in the hole behind Giroud? We have used this before last
season so it isn’t anything new, plus it plays to everyone’s strengths as well.
Diaby and Arteta can complement each other both going forward and defending,
and Cazorla can act as a pivot in attack. This means that he will be able to
not only link the defensive duo to Giroud, but to Walcott and Podolski as well.
It also means that Giroud won’t have to drop deep for the ball like Podolski
had to.
I do hope that the team picks up its performances though, and
especially for Giroud whom I think has the most to prove. The earlier he proves
the doubters wrong and calms the fans’ nerves down the better I think.
Till next week then!
