Graham Perry
Ed’s Note – Graham Perry sends out his views on matters Arsenal to an email list and happy for us to reproduce them for a wider audience. What follows is the text from his email sent out yesterday…
Dear Fellow Gunners
As we look forward to the Norwich match on Sunday I want to explain why following Tuesday’s win against Dynamo Zagreb I have been thinking of Mickey Thomas and Anfield ’89.
It is all to do with two clear goals.
After Liverpool put five or was it six past West Ham we knew we could win the League title if we beat Liverpool by “two clear goals”.
We needed two not one – we could score three and win if we kept them to one – it was all about two clear goals.
Almost the same as confronts us when we play Olympiakos on 9 December – we need to win 2-0.
Yes 3-2 or 4-3 will do and that is the difference with 1989 but let’s just focus on the need to win 2-0.
My point is this – we won at Anfield and Liverpool lost not simply because our goals came at the right time – and more of that later – but because Liverpool were caught in No Man’s Land.
In a phrase – they did not know whether to attack or defend – whether to press forward and score leaving Arsenal to get three goals or whether to defend and hold on to what they had.
Look again at the video of the game – they were off colour – they did not function effectively – not as a unit – and a number of their players finished poorly when offered a chance at goal.
By comparison Arsenal knew what to do – George’s instructions were clear and precise – keep it tight – get to half-time 0-0 and then we will begin to press.
And that is how it happened – the defence did keep it tight – our full backs did not push too far forward – we even had a chance or too – remember Bould’s early header.
We reached half-time 0-0.
We then scored through Alan Smith and even when Thomas missed with 15 minutes to go we knew there would be two or three more chances and then the goal came and the celebrations began.
These kinds of games are for cool heads – think it through – try to stay calm – play your own game and hopefully take the chances when they come.
Let me give you two instances when we lost our heads – the first was the famous 2-6 defeat by Man U in 1991 when Lee Sharpe scored a speedy hat trick.
We were three down and managed to get is back to 2-3 but then we continued to press forward and we weren’t even at half time – United exploited the gaps in our defence and ran out 2-6 winners.
George was angry – it was good to get two goals back but it was irresponsible to go looking for a third when we still in the first half.
Now the match against Monaco at the Emirates last season.
We were two down.
Chamberlain scored and we all went viral – the players did and the crowd did.
And what happened – Monaco scored a third.
It was a two legged match – the momentum was with us at 1-2 – it was with Monaco at 1-3.
We needed to avoid conceding a third goal instead of pressing for the equaliser.
So against Olympiakos the pressure will be on the Greeks – do they go forward and try to get a goal or do they withdraw and try to keep us out?
They have choices – they will listen to their coach but on the pitch their heads may be all over the place.
We by comparison have to know we have 90 minutes to score two goals.
Interesting psychological games.
Our players need to stay calm and we need to stay calm!!
One other point – we have injuries and we have a problem until most of the players return to fitness.
Does Wenger still buy in January?
Does he say to himself – “we have too many injuries I need a larger squad”?
Or does he say we have the right number and any additions will upset team spirit as players find it harder to get a game?
Yes Arteta and Flamini and Rosciky must be near the end of their time with Arsenal so does he replace them with signings or does he say to himself –“we spend millions on our young players we have to give them a chance”?
Reine-Adeleye is the one that has really caught the eye.
The above is all for the future – Sundays game is the next challenge – after the WBA defeat and then the win against Dynamo Zagreb we need to get win at Carrow Road.
No easy games – no automatic shoe-ins – in this league on their day anyone can beat anyone
