I have not written since before the Barca game. Mainly because I have had too much to do. But also, I tried not to follow my general knee-jerk tendencies, (as I had much to say after the 4-1 defeat, but no way of making sense).
There was a feeling shared among many Arsenal fans after that defeat which suggested a defeatism to bury this season. I declared that I didn't want Arsenal to win the league as they were beaten by the best all season without properly competing. Then again, football is a game based on consistency. The EPL is a 38 game marathon and the CL is a 17 game half-marathon that you are meant to run at the same time. I think Arsenal have done a Paula Radcliffe by having a dump during the race and then pulling a hamstring chasing the pacemakers. Either way, you cannot poo your way to the title, (even though Chelsea try once in a while - sometimes they cannot help but play good football).
What did I think of the Barca return match? Well everything I said and thought has been churned out with thousands of words in all areas of the media since. It is obvious that the way that Barca press in two's and three's is an unbelievable demand on fitness and organisation. But they didn't create this method of playing football (Ajax did), and it is 'cup-football' that a quality team plays against a 'footballing' side. Barca do not play like this every game. They adapt to the opposition's strengths and weaknesses. So against Madrid, they toughed it out. Against Rubin Kazan, they forgot to play their formation and expected to win. They are guilty of a complacency that any good side can experience - but their complacency is limited to once or twice a season. This makes them champions because they work to win rather than winning because other teams threw it away.
Football is odd in that way. With a very good defence, you don't need great attackers to win the league. We saw this under George Graham and also Wenger's first years with 18 year old Anelka and Christopher Wreh. They were not exactly setting the world alight but with the pressing midfield and dominant defence, they knew that few teams would be able to complete more than 50% of their passes and the turnover rate of possession meant that we would get many opportunities to create and score. At worst we would draw and we still had a pretty poor attack.
So why not now? Why don't we have that mentality? Is our midfield weak, or our defence less organised? It is surely the latter. The midfield is creative and a goldmine of goals. But with half the season relying on a 5'5" Russian to hold the ball up, it is such an odd situation that we are even capable of winning the league now. (Not that I believe we will).
The defence and keeper have real issues and this is where our midfield get sloppy. Denilson, Diaby and Walcott play like they have Alves, Puyol, Xavi, Pique and Valdes behind them. Then they look surprised when they see Silvestre, Campbell, (Clichy ahead of them) and generally see each other.
Many of them play like we used to in the playground when we get the ball and shout 'Dalglish' or 'Nicholas' when we took a shot and imagine we were 'them'. Obviously the Arsenal players don't shout 'Zidane' but they bloody well think it. And then they stare at the ball, their boots, the ground, the kit, the crowd, the manager, the quality of air, the thickness of their gloves, the content of their Lucozade bottle when they miss the pass/shot/tackle.
Why? Psychology. Wenger trains them to believe that they are among the elite. They play as the best play. The work rate is good and to stick to their pace. Don't change the game and get desperate. Maintain a work ethic and the skill will out. And that is why we have beaten most of the lesser teams this season. We can await the errant passes and make the gaps with pretty off-ball running. But gimme a fucking break. So what?!?!
Faced by Chelsea, players are overcome by stage fright. They know they are better than Chelsea because Wenger told them so. They don't have to go and earn it because as long as they maintain their pace, the skill will out. Erm, no it won't. You see Chelsea can play and run because they compete for everything. They might lose occasionally, Inter out Chelsea'd them and use skill too - but generally they win or draw the games that matter. Why can't we? Well everyone has read about Arsenal's lack of plan B or Wenger's tactical limitations. I am not sure that any analysis needs to go beyond the defence and keepers. 3 new defenders and a new number 1 would change Arsharvin, Diaby, Walcott, Fabregas and Van Persie's game for the better. They would add new dimensions to their game.
Clichy needs to see how Ashley Cole plays percentages. Why does he not get caught out as often? How come when he slips and falls, the ball goes out of play or gets cleared? Because the defence play a tight unit and work for each other. They clear the ball and it is as good as scoring. Job done well. Our defence concentrates on passing nicely. This is why Toure looked more and more out place at the Arse. He had his natural tendencies stunted. Now he is deluded and crap.
Barca, played us the way they should have done. A high line, tempting us and waiting for Arsenal (of all teams), to show their weakness in their passing and compensation. It worked well. Messi was not that good. No better than Arsharvin was against Liverpool. He just keeps doing it and it is his consistency that makes him the best. Not just his skill and pace. Lucio will take him out and challenge Xavi and Iniesta to win the game. Messi won't have a chance because he has not come up against the best as yet. When he meets someone as big, quick and skilful as Lucio, he will dive, roll and cheat - but not as much as Lucio. Swan fucking Lake.
So will Wenger learn from the Barca game? Will Silvestre play for us again? Will Gallas? Will Denilson and Walcott be dropped and used only from the bench? Will Sagna be sold to Inter so we can pay for someone who can cross? Will we defend from the front in order to lessen the spate of injuries? Will anyone believe Colin Lewin that we suffer more because we sprint too much? Will Arsharvin or Fab leave? Do I care? Not really.
With the advent of Lady Nina's shares going up for sale, and Kronke's reaction seeming to be to place his eggs in his St Louis project, either he will try to buy us out using the debt of his American ventures and run the club like the Glazer and Hick/Gillett method. Or he will opt out, sell up and we will get the criminal. This bodes badly and the money/amounts discussed cannot disguise the fact that bad trouble lies ahead. Gazides is only there because of Kronke. If he reneges on his desire to buy out Arsenal, then is it because he has foreseen a shrinkage of TV money from the OFT ruling on Sky? Has he felt that Wenger has too much power and with him in charge, it is too risky to demand marquee players yet knows that change tempts a destruction of the quite solid foundations? These players play for Wenger, not for the shirt. Maybe Vermaelen and Arshavin could survive AW's departure. But can you imagine the French or Almunia? Good Lord?!?
Against Spurs, we will draw. It is so likely I can almost not watch in comfort. They will raise their game to a new level after Wembley and even without their toughest players and form of Defoe a bit worrying, they will churn it out. They will then lose by 3 to Chelsea and 2 to Man U and come fifth moaning about injuries.
We may well come 2nd but it will still be an odd season. Wenger will see this all like progress. Cesc will attract attention over the close season. Arsharvin will probably move somewhere that pays him more, unless the Tories first act is to abolish the rate of 50% tax on top earners. But then Man City will be the perfect place for his amateur Dostoyevsky website. Moron.
I can say much more but this is probably quite boring. In short, we need to learn to embrace defending like it is fun and realise that it does not detract from pretty football. We need to bully teams more - Chamakh will help with that if he comes. We need to stop surrounding the ref with every foul and instead learn to foul in European manner. (Bayern were so good at this against Man U that I actually found it skilful!). We need to surround the houses of Tony Pulis and Sam Allardyce and burn a cross on their lawns. Ok maybe not, but they need to be kept in check. Pulis will need a loan soon. He will come to us and will do a Bolton with his fucking tail between his legs. Or he will choose not to, let his team suffer, dice with relegation next season, get sacked and when Strachan or whoever takes his place, they will come in for the loan and stop attacking Arsenal. This might be Wenger's politicking behind the scenes. Weirdo.
If we beat Spurs, and they give Chelsea and Man U a game, I will be impressed and excited. But I still don't think we can or should win the league. even though our marathon credentials are good (barring poo), this season. We just are not good enough.
When Bergkamp slotted the ball through for Ljungberg to make it 2-0 against Bolton in 2002 at the Reebok, I knew we would win the league and that we were so good that our previous defeats that season would be forgotten. That just doesn't seem to be the case this season. Why?
I could answer that in the next blog. But I will do it here.
We are seasoned, bitter fans. We are not stupid either. We know that we are a feeder club for the bigger teams who will pay more. Our players get tempted and leave and the ability to win back to back titles is something Wenger doesn't have in him. He cannot recreate the winning mentality when he loses key players and he doesn't seem to realise that we cannot afford to lose key players. But we are Arsenal. We are a glamorous Millwall. We are not Barca or Real and we do not pay like Chelsea. We cannot afford our good players and pay the weak ones too much. We are John Lewis playing against Tesco, Wall Mart and Harvey Nichols.
Kronke can change this, so can Usmanov, but Wenger cannot cope with his project coming to an end and no trophies to show for it. So the pissing contest begins and the side who manages to convince the media of their pissing skills and distance, while distracting media/public perception from the fact that this is piss and it is yucky - they will win the hearts and minds for 6 - 12 months.
Somewhere among this, football gets played and not much changes but trophies are unlikely.
Still, we aren't Liverpool.
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