Kevin Whitcher
I think there would be few Arsenal fans that would argue with the idea that what is most important at the moment is results. Performances can wait for a while, as the process of rebuilding from a disastrous run back to the end of February slowly continues. The club’s treatment table is an added handicap, and with Wilshere and Vermaelen unlikely to return any time soon, one shudders to think of the implications of Robin van Persie getting his traditional injury on international duty. One moment summed up Marouane Chamakh yesterday evening. The ball came in from a corner, the two defenders in front of him could not reach it, and rather than head it goalwards, the player was hit on the head with the ball. No reaction, no preparation for the opportunity. Just a player totally lacking in confidence. As a back up option, he is no option. Our Korean number 9 did not set the place alight against League Two Shrewsbury, and although I am not going to write anyone off after one game, my hopes for him are not exactly sky high. Nicklas Bendtner anyone?
Still, there were signs of encouragement if you look for them hard enough. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goal was a thing of wonder. Real composure and an eye for goal. He had a generally quiet game, but if he can make decisive moments count, then he is worth his place in the team. It will be interesting to see what happens when Theo Walcott is fit again. Chamberlain just seems more productive and given as much service as Theo, this observer thinks we would see more end product. It’s good if there is competition for places anyway, and Theo seems to do better as an impact sub in the last 20 minutes, so it may be no bad thing to see him demoted in the pecking order.
The backline actually looked better too. We know Song can play there, and perhaps shows more defensive commitment as a centre half. Mertesacker is a no-nonsense organizer and Andre Santos had a better game last night than at Blackburn. However, it is the players in the rest of the team that need to work harder to avoid some of the chances Olympiacos created last night. In truth, I would not have begrudged them a draw, given the opportunities they created, generally from a lack of closing down by those in front of the backline. Someone ventured to me that for the visitors’ goal and the similar situation from the following corner, Oxlade-Chamberlain wanted to go and deal with the extra man but was following zonal marking instructions. Which presumably means that the system does not allow for a short corner. Who knows? Hopefully someone on the Arsenal staff who can address this before the weekend.
It was weird to see Boro Primorac sitting next to Pat Rice in the Arsenal dug out. His contribution seemed pretty insignificant, just sitting there with his arms folded all match. Maybe he was there to instruct on the substitutions. It was certainly Rice doing all the touchline cajoling. Would it have been any different with Wenger there? Somehow, I doubt it.
Football can often be about fortune, and I think that was the case against Olympiacos. I will never bemoan it, but if you rely on it too much, the law of averages will bite you on the backside. Better to actually get things right so that results are less in doubt. It was a gamble by the manager to start Chamakh and Rosicky instead of Van Persie and Ramsey, but he got away with it. Weakened line-ups away from home in Europe have certainly cost Arsenal in the past. I have no doubt that Wenger had one eye on next Sunday’s derby in his team selection. All well and good if the squad has the depth to manage without two starters. It was however interesting to note that Sebastien Squillaci has a calf muscle strain, meaning three of the four centre backs were out injured. One hopes that this might be an Almunia-style diplomatic injury. I’d be more than happy for Song to continue at centre back until Vermaelen’s return. Then again I am not a Koscielny fan. This would mean Frimpong or Coquelin being given the holding role on a regular basis. Given their youth, far from ideal, but I think the lesser of a few evils.
The derby game this weekend will tell us a lot more about the prospect of recovery. Arsenal have won three home matches that on paper, you would fully expect them to. Now we have – for the first time in living memory – a trip to Spurs in which the Gunners are very much the underdogs. However, the only thing I am certain of is that derby matches are a law unto themselves, and anything can happen. So who knows how we will all be feeling by 6pm on Sunday. At least the team goes there on the back of a mini-run which should boost confidence. And a definite improvement against Olympiacos was the way the team dealt with the last ten minutes. The visitors had one real chance of note, a tame header. But there were less of the normal collywobbles, perhaps the benefit of the experience of the new arrivals. Long may it continue.
The current issue of the Gooner can be bought online here
Kevin Whitcher’s newly updated version of the book co-written with Alex Fynn, ‘Arsènal: The Making of a Modern Superclub’ is available in paperback from publishers Vision Sports for a reduced price of £6.99 including postage if you use the promo code ‘Gooner’ on the page that appears after you click ‘buy now’. Click here to order.
