Graham Perry
Some interesting comments in response to Robert Exley’s excellent article on Stoke-Arsenal matches. Robert – have you ever thought of doing an MA. It would need more than just matches but you have the information and the enthusiasm. A big thankyou.
John F argues in comment 86773 that Stoke’s change in style gives us more of a chance. I agree. There is less long ball and scything tackles and more football and playing through the team. Less of old boy Jerome and current boy Crouch and more penetration through midfield. Ironic therefore that a Stoke supporter was complaining of WBA roughhouse tactics. What goes around comes around.
Ron in comment 86787 repeats what some others say - that Wenger is a bottler and that somehow our fighting performance at Anfield was all due to Liverpool failings. But is this the same Wenger who recorded all those red cards in the early part of his career at Arsenal. It was THE talking point at the time. More and more red cards. So did Wenger change his philosophy? Did he become a convert to a softer approach? Did he buy academics and not aggressors? Or is there an altogether different explanation to lack of trophies?
Clubs have bogey teams and it is difficult to explain but every Club can produce statistics to show that against on particular club – any club – there are a unique set of statistics. We have it with Stoke. Maybe it is related to that foul by Shawcross. The repressed animosities are still there. The worst thing was that tackle. The second worst thing was Ferguson’s aggressive and public exoneration of Shawcross. It stank. Can you imagine what Ferguson would have said if the tackle was on Scholes or Giggs?
I often wonder what goes through Ramsey’s mind in the final minutes in the dressing room.
Maybe the presence of Elneny in the squad tomorrow will add spice to the pre-match preparation. I cannot resist asking the question but is Mohamed Elneny the new Messiah? – maybe a new definition of irony but all of us will be on our feet if he comes on as a substitute and does to Stoke what Vieira did to Sheffield Wednesday in 1996. What an occasion that was! I bet we all have the clearest of memories. Never has a player stamped his character and skill in a debut like Vieira did that night.
I still see an absence of any critical comment about Cech’s part in Liverpool’s first goal. No one has considered the possibility that he could and should have palmed the shot away to the corner flag instead of into the path of the oncoming forward. Maybe the angle that the ball came at him made what I am suggesting impossible to do but we have to be honest and not lay into our usual standby criticisms of Arsenal and allow Cech – an admittedly wonderful addition to our squad – off scot free. Do we have double standards? Is Cech wrapped in an impenetrable exterior and protected from review and analysis? All players are equal.
I see Wenger is saying that there is no one who could come and do a better job than his present crop of players and he singles out the return of Welbeck. Now if you ask the question who is likely to score you more goals – Lewandowski or Welbeck - we would all say Lewandowski. So why not go out and buy him? Go on Arsene – simply flash the cash, get the player, win the title and the Champions League as well. Is it that simple? Remember Malcolm Allison did that in 1972 when City were motoring towards the League and he signed Rodney Marsh. It destroyed all City’s attacking style and approach and City ended up also-rans. Keegan did the same in his “I would love it” year when he signed Asprilla at Newcastle and blew his title challenge. The players lost their way - they had to play to the strengths of new striker and it did not happen. There have been other instances – Torres to Chelsea and Carroll to Liverpool. Leave well alone. Keep with the options and the return of injured players. Use the emergence of Campbell and the promise of Iwobi to keep a settled squad. Egg on my face if we fail. Joyous celebration if we win.
If we win tomorrow it will be a great result. If we draw, not bad either. If we lose it will be a setback but there is still a long way to go. Is your glass half full or half empty?
* You can follow my tweets @arsenalcircular
