The March to Marseille

Good morning Gooners.  This is going to be a shorter than normal posting.  It's that time of year again where we begin playing three games a week in an attempt to secure a trophy of some sort.  Today's match kicks off the group stage of the Champions League where we play against fourth-placed Marseille of Ligue 1.

At the time of my last writing, I was wringing my hands at the thought that our one and only true striker was out with a knee injury.  Since then, Wenger has stated that Olivier had a fitness test yesterday to determine whether or not he can start.  I have no official news (as in medical), but Ollie Gee has once again taken to Twitter and suggests he will be in the squad for the match today.

Had a walk this morning in Marseille "vieux port" ☀ Now go for a nap and focus on this evening... 😉👍 X pic.twitter.com/ZUpqKVU35P
— Olivier Giroud (@_OlivierGiroud_) September 18, 2013

Now, Wenger could start him on the bench, allowing Theo to take the central role as a precautionary measure ( doesn't the transfer window seem an eternity away).  But, this is a very tough group we are facing, and securing as many points as possible as soon as possible is incredibly important.  Wenger gets paid the big bucks for making decisions just like these and taking gambles.  Here's hoping whatever risk he decides to take pays off.

Marseille traditionally play a high line, are known to be defensively sound while balancing their attack.  I do not think that they will just sit behind the ball and absorb our pressure.  I'm looking for Mesut to use that high line to pick out little balls over the top to Theo who could use the Champions League as the arena where his goal scoring takes off.  I look for Jack and Rambo to continue their burgeoning partnership with Ozil to create other goal scoring opportunities.  Flamini will help provide cover and we will have Sagna back on the wing with Per and his ever Ent-like calmness securing the back four.  Our squad is terrifying thin (and I know I point this out every post), but it is talented.

In the end, I look for us to get a very important away goal, and keep a clean sheet, but I don't think this is going to be a goal-scoring extravaganza.  Let's get out early, play tight defense, and head back to London with three points in our pockets.  I'll be trying to find a stream and will follow the excellent Arseblog on his live blog.  Have a good one Gooners.  And oh yea ...

COME ON YOU RIP ROARING REDS!

Arsenal Top of the Table but in Deep Doo-doo

A 3-1 score away at the Stadium of Light is hard to come by.  Leaving out the 1-0 win last  February, we have traditionally either drawn or lost there in a somewhat lacklustre style.  Today's match was very different.  It was a game that started with a beautiful team goal, was peppered with controversy, ended with us controlling the game, and left us in alarm at possible additional injuries.

Our starting lineup was anyone's guess aswe were apprised that both Mertesacker and Ozil missed training due to being ill.  Personally, my heart sank at thinking that we would have to wait until mid-week before we got to see Mesut take the pitch as a Gunner.  But, thankfully, he was feeling better and started , mostly due to the fact that Santi was reported out with an ankle injury.  So we had Jack on the wing with Ozil, Rambo, and The Flamster combining in the middle, Sagna at centerback, and the Corporal at right back.

We saw the potential of Ozil's influence early on in the game when he brought down a lovely ball sent forward by Gibbs, and then slid a perfect pass across for Giroud to put into the net without having to break his stride.  From front to back, the play was perfection.

We could have been up 3-0 at halftime if Theo was able to put away his chances provided again by Ozil and then by Giroud.  But although his movement was excellent, his finishing was sub-par, and Theo is still not on the score sheet this season.

Sunderland got back in the game when Koz foolishly slid into a tackle on Adam Johnson.  Johnson was on Koz' right hand side away from goal, and Gibbs was there to help.  Going to ground was unnecessary.  This is Laurent's 2nd penalty for this season.  He's a good defender, but sometimes it seems his brain leaves his body leaving him prone to rash decisions.  Anyway, Sunderland converted the penalty and drew even.

Now for the controversial part.  Altidore almost made it 1-2. When Sagna and he tussled and grappled outside the box, Atkins blew a whistle for a freekick to Sunderland as opposed to playing advantage.  Not hearing the whistle, the American broke free and rolled the ball into the net.  The goal was disallowed and the free kick given (which Sunderland made mince-meat out of).  Usually, Arsenal are on the pointy stick end of Lady Luck, but that call kept us in the game.  

Sunderland continued pressing and knocking at the door, gaining momentum due to their indignation at Atkins's decision.  And if it weren't for Aaron Ramsey, things may have turned out very differently for us.  Ramsey scored two pretty goals.  He got on the end of a terrific cross from the Corporal and volleyed it in for his first goal in the 67th minute, and then got on the end of a Giroud through ball in the 75th minute.  His newly found composure in front of the net has resulted in five goals in all competitions.

The end of the match, however, left me wringing my hands as Giroud fell to the ground holding his knee after merely kicking the ball. Arsene, along with confirming that Santi is out for "three weeks" with his ankle injury, admitted he is worried about Giroud as well:  

"That's my worry today after the game. We are very thin at the moment. [It is] a knee problem. He is the player at the moment that would be very difficult for us [to replace]."

No kidding.

However, Olivier put this up on his Twitter feed not long ago:

My knee is ok don't worry! Thanks for your support! 😉
— Olivier Giroud (@_OlivierGiroud_) September 14, 2013

Now, Giroud strikes me as being an optimistic kind of fellow.  Let's hope his statement is based on medical data and not pure sentiment.

That's all the news for now.  I'll be back to preview our Champions League match against Marseille Wednesday.  Until then, enjoy being at the top Gooners.  Have a good one.
.  

Bring Out the Big Gunz

For some reason, my computer has decided to disallow the umlaut over the "u" in Gunz.  Maybe it's a sign that it's time to get over the umlaut obsession.  It's getting old, worn, and tired.  And I don't care.  I will just have to hunt down another computer and fix the vowels in the title later.

In team news, Theo is a go for Saturday's match after a scare tackle on his ankle in the England versus Ukraine match.  Vermie is back in training and may be on the bench Saturday, and Bendtner is trying to lose some weight and get back in shape.  TR7 was not so lucky after suffering a thigh strain due to having his toe get stuck in the turf during the Czech's loss to Italy.  Tommy's injury actually may aid Wenger in his selection dilemma for tomorrow's match.

Tommy, Mesut, and Santi all enjoy playing in the hole behind the main striker.  Santi can be effective on the left wing.  He drifts in and out of the center of the pitch exchanging spots with another midfielder (like Tommy or even Mesut).  Tommy had the role of a winger often when Cesc was in the team, and he just was not as effective.  After Cesc left, Tommy was more often deployed in his favorite posisiton and excelled there.  His injury allows Wenger to start Mesut behind Giroud, Santi on the left, Jack/Rambo a little deeper, and then it's either Flamini/ Rambo in the holding role.  We now have nice competition for the midfield positions.  Hopefully, this will sharpen everyone's form - especially Jack's.  Poor Jack is not yet fully fit, has been demonized in the media for a sub par performance for England by the same knee-jerk reactionists who set him up as the next England Messiah.  Jack will be fine.  Like Wenger said, he just needs a run of games.

I am really looking forward to this match for obvious Ozil reasons.  Our squad has only had two days of training with him, but the saliva flows nonetheless.  I liked Rambo's tweet:

Good to be back at Arsenal today. Decent morning of training with a certain new player!
— Aaron Ramsey (@aaronramsey) September 12, 2013

I can imagine him winking at me while he tweets that, can't you?  Cute.

Now that the Interlull has been put away in a dark closet (until it reemerges on October 11th), we have a full month of games to assess how our squad is gelling and perhaps gain a glimpse of Wenger's plan for juggling our tiny squad between three different competitions in six weeks. Wow.

Until then, let's enjoy what has traditionally been a tough visit to the Stadium of Light.  I would not bet against the away fans being more loud and supportive than usual.  I hope they sing that song that was going around on Twitter:
           
               "Santi to the left of me, Ozil to the right, here I am stuck in the middle Giroud".

Love it.  Have a good one Gooners.

NOT SO GOOD UPDATE:  According  to the Daily Mail, Jack's stomach bug has made it's way through our squad.  Per and Ozil showed up to training not feeling well and were told to sit out.  Ugh.

Gooners Are Learning to Love the Ümlaut

Ö

Welcome to post-Transfer Window daylight.  After being peppered with rumors, and riding the roller coaster of "will we or won't we" spend a ton of money, it's time to exhale, assess, and gloat. Yep.  I am advocating gloating, bragging, boasting, and overall obnoxiousness.  We deserve it.  We got The Özil.

Now, I could focus on what we did not get.  And I am well aware that we are sending our players on international duty with very little back up on the bench if there are injuries.  But, I'm still grinning ear to ear about the acquisition of the top assist-maker in all of Europe.  Someone even better than Cesc.  Someone who, combined with Mr. Magic Feet, will give such service to Giroud and Theo, that he could become the top assist-maker in the Premier League in his first season.  And the other little tidbit that gets me excited about him is...he doesn't seem to be injury-prone.  He player 50 games for Real Madrid in both the 2010-2011  and the 2012-2013 seasons.  

It seems that the Creative Midfielder position is the the last one that needs reinforcing.  But when a player of Mesut's calibre becomes available, he cannot be passed up.  And, if we look back at the Spuds game over the weekend, if the passes were a bit more precise, maybe Lloris wouldn't have beaten our front men to the ball.  And what other world class players will pass over Arsenal now when they could play with our new signing?  Talent attracts talent.  I would not be surprised to see us sign another quality player (striker?) in the January window, and perhaps Wenger is more wily about transfers than we have given him credit for.  The core of the team are young, talented Brits who love the club.  Now they will be supplemented with the "super-quality" player that will make them look even more talented.  Rumor is that the attitude is awesome in the locker room, and after reading Özil's statement about becoming a Gunner, I think he will be an enhancement there as well.

" I’m really looking forward to it because I have the faith of the coach. I had spoken to him at length on the telephone and he explained his plans and that he has faith in me and that is what I need as a player. "

"At Arsenal, I can feel that there is trust. I'm looking forward to the challenge. I will develop under my new manager and I'm looking forward to [playing in] the Premier League too. Wenger gives me the faith and I can develop further."

I think any of us Gooners would not be surprised to hear that the perception of Wenger is that he places trust in his players and is known for developing them.  At times, his faith has driven us crazy.  But, Özil is a player that has already proven his talent and value, and knows he needs a coach like Wenger.  And this player's not even French or an under-21!

All in all, I am pleased.  We have competition for Szczesny, the Flamster is back (see here for that great tackle on Danny Rose), and we kept...B52.  At least there was some comedy in this window as well.  We head into this interlull with some excitement of things to come, which is a  feeling that has been missing for awhile now.  

*exhale.

Have a good one Gooners.

Arsenal 1 - 0 Daniel Levy and co. plus - Arsene has a surprise?

"Yes!" roared our BFG.  "Yes!"  The club that has spent zero transfer dollars outlasted and outplayed Mr. Levy's 100 million pound squad.  Make no mistake, the new players brought in for Spurs are of some quality, but did not have time to bed in before they went up against our starting XI who are more than acquainted with each other.

Corporal Jenksinson started over Sagna who fell sick the night before, Koz was back alongside Per, and the rest of the squad were the usual suspects.

At the kickoff, I knew our boys were up for the match just by the way Giroud outright sprinted to challenge the passing of Spurs back four.  I know Ollie GEEE is not everyone's cup of tea as a striker, but his work rate both offensively and defensively was a sight to behold.  His lack of pace can be forgiven by his reading of the game demonstrated by the timing of his run to the back post.  And a terrific, technical finish off his outside of his left foot was too much for Lloris.  His improvement so far this season has been fun to watch.

Rambo continued his marshaling of the Arsenal by providing another combative performance. He too battled for every ball and then provided an extra push up the pitch when needed after Jack left due to (thankfully) stomach cramps.

Santi sent in through ball after through ball and Theo ran Danny Rose into the ground.

My only concern during the match was Gibb's performance.  He had several mislaid passes through the match which contributed to our 43% possession rate.  This isn't Kieran's first game back from his head injury so either he 1) just had an off day or 2) perhaps he also caught the stomach bug making its rounds through the squad.  I am hoping for the second.

In the end, and after the agony of five minutes added time, we walked away with a lovely and well deserved three points.  Olivier earned the Man of the Match award with Rambo standing alongside him answering a question about needed transfers with maturity and aplomb.

In the post game press conference, Wenger admitted that he might have a surprise for us as far as transfers goes.  At the time that I am writing this, the Bale Sale is official, and the link to Ozil has resurfaced with Skysports' Guillem Balague's tweet.

Cadena Ser: Madrid and Arsenal have reached a deal for Ozil, 45+5m euros pending agreement with the player who is desperate to leave
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) September 1, 2013

I'd be delighted to sign one that got away. However, considering his published remarks about wanting to stay at Real,  I am confused that Balague referred to Ozil as "desperate to leave".  His public comments have been the very opposite.  I do hope he is desperate.  I am concerned that a forced ousting might negatively affect his attitude at the club.  He would be joining two other German internationals.  Perhaps that could alleviate any possible petulance.  There are other possible links such as DiMaria, Mata, Draxler, and Hernandez.  With the window counting down, who knows what can happen?

Anyway, that's all I have for now.  My weekend has been sent into Happyland by our victory and perforamce over the Spuds.  So, it's well done, well earned, and let's get in some reinforcements.  These boys deserve it.  Have a good one you Gooners.

Arsene admits he's a control freak and Spuds preview

I wanted to open today's post with Amy Lawrence's published interview with Arsene Wenger. Ms. Lawrence is one of my favorite sports writers for numerous reason which include the timing of interviews with Le Prof  - it is usually impeccable.  Today's article is no different. I encourage you to read the whole article of course, but I have pulled out a few snippets for discussion.

In the interview, Wenger freely admits he would not work with a Director of Football citing, not surprisingly, the ideas of control and accountability as his reasons:  

"If a director of football buys the players, when they don't work you are guilty for not using them well. When they work he has bought well," 

He goes on to say "But I think the final decision has to always be with the manager. He is the one who is responsible for the style of the team, and the results. It makes sense that the manager chooses the players who come in."

His logic makes sense in a way.  If a manager's success at a club is measured by how the team performs, and thus the individual players, why wouldn't a manager want to have say over who is bought and sold?  If you look at Chelsea, for example, Roman has eaten nine managers in as many years.  He likes to have a say on the players bought and sold (Fernando Torres his latest and least greatest acquisition), but his presence is the only stable factor at the club.  Here's the issue - is stability that important?  Or does winning trophies trump longevity of managers and the development of their philosophies?  For all the tag teaming of managers that occurs at Chelsea, they have won:   Two League Cups, four FA Cups, three League Titles, one Europa League trophy, and one Champions League trophy since 2004.  The whole question opens a huge can of worms which really comes down to this query:  Is winning enough?  Or is it how a club wins that matters?  I know - my head hurts just thinking about it.

Arsene also discusses the accountability that comes with the control he craves.  And this year, the dragon may come calling if the transfer window closes without significant additions to our talented, thin, injury-prone squad.  There has not been an extension of his contract, whether that be on his end or the club's.  Either way, I think the fact that Arsene's future has not yet been guaranteed, is telling.

So, onto tomorrow's derby.  Our starting XI should be decently strong and a match for the Spudheads.  I know that their Director of Football has brought in seven new players and 

over 93 million pounds, but I'm not too worried.  If this was the squad we were facing next March, perhaps I would not be as confident.  Bedding in seven players takes time.  Soldado has been their only scorer, converting both of their goals due to penalties.  There has not been any scoring from open play.  The one good thing about our small squad, is there has been very little disruption to their bond, their chemistry, that was built last season and this preseason.  I consider this game tomorrow to be well-timed indeed.

Well, that's it.  I'll be back for post-game dissection and some transfer window updating as/if needed.  Have a good one Gooners.

P.S. (For those of you who still hold out hope for Rooney becoming a Gunner, chew on this bit of gossip.)

Plus:  Arsene reiterates his point in this interview with SAF. 

Arsenal Make It #16 - at a Price.

So Arsenal are headed into the group stages of the Champions League for the 16th straight year after defeating Fenerbache 2-0 on the night and 5-0 on aggregate.  Aaron Ramsey again had a barnstormer of a match adding two goals -one with a wonderful outside foot finish- to his flowering development.  Santi  left defenders shaking their heads as his magical feet wove through the midfield and into the box, Superman Sagna was solid again partnering with Mertie, and Giroud was left holding his head in his hands after missing two sitters.  But what a lovely head it is, mais oui?

Unfortunately, Poldolski left the match in the 49th minute via stretcher with a pulled hamstring.  According to Arsene, he is out for the standard three weeks.  On top of that, Rambo pulled his groin and left the pitch in the 90th minute.  So, our already threadbare squad is going into the weekend derby well, even more threadbare.  Which makes these last three or four days of the transfer window even more important.  I'm preaching to the choir I know.  So important in fact that Twitter was alight with the rumor Juan Mata's father/manager was a guest at the Emirates in the director's box.  Would I take Mata?  That's an emphatic yes.  Is Mourinho going to sell to a BPL club?  If he (or Roman) sees us as rivals, then no.  But, perhaps having a barebones  squad at the moment makes us look the underdogs.  And hence, not a rival - which would be, in my estimation, an accurate perception.

Now that we have qualified for the group stages of CL, is it more attractive for players to arrive?  I wondering if it all hinges more on the sale/arrival of Bale to Real Madrid.  The rumored amount of near 90 million Euros enough for a club to push out quality, if not star, material.  Benzema, according to his agent, is unwllinging to leave Real.  DiMaria and Ozil may be different stories.  Ozil apparently stomped off into the tunnel after being substituted in the of last weekend's match, while DiMaria could find himslef displaced when Bale arrives.

Then there is Cabaye. The only positive nugget to the delay of signing him is that it is irritating Pardew.  And we like anything that does that, don't we?

The real truth is, of course, that we do  not know if any of these rumors have a sliver of truth to them.  Not only do journalists get their sources from other papers, but some seem to not want to engage in the common practice of asking questions during a press conference (according to John Cross of the Mirror's tweet).

 

Grrrrr.... Wish some would put as much energy into asking questions as they do tweeting throughout press conference and after. Goodnight.
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) August 27, 2013

But, much as I don't trust what the papers say, I am hanging on every word.  Pure craziness.

And on that note, I am off to perpetuate the madness by scouring the online news.  I am six hours behind the many of you, so perhaps my concern over transfers is for nothing?  Could we have signed players while I was writing?  Time to find out.  Have a good day Gooners.

UPDATE ON TRANSFERS:  Ugh.

I've Decided Not to Panic

I have come to the realization that the last five seasons or so of The Arsenal coming close to winning the league only to implode has left scars.  The mistrust of Wenger's decisions to let youth play without experience has left doubt in the back of my mind.  The crazy travails of the summer and early defeats of the season leave a shadow lurking in the recesses of my subconscious.  So when our squad, who has practically played their hearts out every game and shown team unity that has been lacking in recent seasons, begins to show fatigue, I can feel the onset of dread. When we realize that their is NO backup for Robin VanTastic, when certain players show some inconsistencies, it is easy for me to indulge in that doubt and that darkness.  When signing 34 year-old Thierry Henry in the January transfer window seems to be the only business conducted by Wenger, panic at not claiming the Top Four spot can ensue.  But here's the thing...I have made a conscious decision to stay cool.  I am going to purposefully engage in not giving up hope.  Because not only do I truly love how hard the team is working, I think - for the most part - the league positions are up for grabs.

Arsenal are not the only team that is facing trials.  Arsenal suffers because we have a thin squad and injuries, or players are leaving for a month long tournament on another continent. Other clubs are failing because of similar and dissimilar issues.  There are suspensions and a lack of motivation for many.  Manchester Untied lost tonight to Newcastle 3-0.  Three to zero.  Liverpool lost to Manchester City 3-0.  In the last weeks, mid-table and lower table teams have upset the big boys on a regular basis.  In other words, we will not be the only team to drop points at inopportune moments or to seemingly lesser teams.  And talk about staying cool?  Here's Ferguson's reaction to being shut out by the Magpies:

"The story of the game was they had two fantastic strikes which put them in the driving seat. The second one was a killer for us, it was a marvellous strike.

"But we didn't make enough of our possession of the ball anyway. It was one of those nights."


See?  Calm and cool.  Don't think I enjoy quoting Fergie - but I like his attitude here and want to emulate it.  We have an a little over three weeks before the transfer window closes (mostly likely sans Podolski).  Chamakh has a chance to play regular football for a few weeks and could return to London with the same confidence he displayed in the beginning of last season.  Arshavin, in Gervinho's absence, could get a good run of games and rediscover that magic that gave him four goals against Liverpool in his first season and  the winining goal against Barcelona last year.  And his teammates could get used to his style of thinking and playing again, which can be unpredictable but dazzling. 

I also think that Theo will return to form after recovering the weight loss suffered in his illness and getting some more rest.  The Ox can be slowly blooded now that we have missing, exhausted midfielders and have FA Cup and Champion League games on the horizon.  And don't forget.

Jack Wilshere is coming back.

Nope.  I'm not going to give into the negativism just yet.  It lingers on the periphery just waiting to pounce.  I just see too many good things that coming our way in the near future.  Do we need the teams above and below us to continue assisting us?  Absolutely.  But this season, the upsets are more common than not.  And I think when we play the big teams in our stadium, it will be our turn to upset them.

I just have a feeling.

I guess that's it for today.  Tomorrow I'll try and have some team news, or transfer speculation for you.  Right now I just wanted to share some optimism.  I want to encourage you to try and push back the panic. Stem the tide.  Keep your chin up.  Cheer on the boys.  You know - be a fan.

Have a good one Gooners.

We Just Can't Get Over the Hump

Sisyphus Just Couldn't Win Either

Well that rather sucked didn't it. Coming off the high of winning while those above us lost, Arsenal began the New Year with a loss of its own at Craven Cottage. Arsenal went into the game after having just played Saturday,as did Fulham, hoping to take advantage of the Top Three dropping points. After rising to fourth place on Monday, winning would have put us only six points behind the League Leaders. But, alas it was not to be. Like the sinner Sisyphus from Greek mythology who was condemned to Hades and punished by being made to roll a boulder up a mountain only to have it roll back down again, we seem unable to get past a certain apex. We're missing that final thrust that would catapult us permanently over the edge into the Top Four.

I'm not sure if it's a combination of lower table teams being more competitive or higher level teams being less so. All the top four have had upsets including the supposedly meteoric Manchester City. For us though, I suspect one cannot ignore the lack of offensive prowess the last few weeks. The December 3rd match against Wigan was the last time we won comfortably. That was a stroll in the park. Four different Arsenal players scored that day: Vermalean, Gervinho, Van Persie and Arteta. In that game both Arteta and Theo had assists as did RVP. Theo's form the last three games has been poor. He is wasting chances, missing sitters, and mistiming runs. Add the fact that Arteta looked dead-legged the whole second half and I think some of the explanation comes to light. Some still say Arsenal is a one-man squad. I disagree just by noting that if only two of the key players are not up to par, our game suffers.

Let's not forget we have NO FULLBACKS at the moment. Arsenal employ specialists full backs. Our left and right back positions carry the weight of not only preventing the opponent from crossing and penetrating into their final third, but they are given the task also of providing width and speed to our offense. They play the one-two's with the wings, put crosses into the box, and win corners. For the first time today (not that I always pay attention), Djourou played a one-two with Theo and provided space for Theo to make a run in because Djourou's man went with him. It's all about the movement. And as fantastic as Coco was today (my new nickname for Coquelin as my brother told me I can't call him The Coq anymore), I'd rather see him in the midfield giving Mickey a break. I think it all begs for people coming back from injury, shoring up the gaps in positions, perhaps losing some more dead weight, and keeping the momentum going.

Speaking of filling the gaps, as an endnote, here's the link to an article from the Guardian which quotes Podolski's agent as saying Lukas is not interested in a mid-season move. Mind you, the player himself is not quoted in the article, only his representative. The reasons given, though, are somewhat sound as as Schramm states Podolski does not want to jeopardize his place on Germany's 2012 Euro team by playing second fiddle to an in-form Van Persie. The article also discusses brings to light the fact that Arsenal's supposed 10 million pound offer is not enough because the club's sponsor get a slice of the pie, lessening Podolski's fee and the club's profit. This all could be a scheme to drive up Podolski's price tag, but my hopes are dimmer than before.

Anyway, we do get a whole week off before the FA Cup game on January 9th. Arsene would normally make a massive rotation in the squad for a Cup Match, but after a week's rest, and not another League game for six more days after that, he may play his Starting XI. The FA Cup is a competition we could win, and I don't mind him taking it seriously if our starters have gotten a good rest. After securing only seven points from four games this Holiday Season, progressing in the Cup could provide the impetus we need to get back on track.

That's it for today. I really was hoping for a better result since it's my brother Chris' birthday and all, but that boulder is heavier than it looks. Take care Gooners and talk to you tomorrow

Manchester City Lend a Helping Hand - Fulham Preview

King Henry Returns?

*This photo appeared on the Arsenal official webiste accompnying an article.  Minutes late it was taken down and replaced by a picture of Henry in training gear.  One can hope that Arsenal realized they may have jumped the gun publishing the pic and are still hopeful of the deal with the NY Red Bulls will be finalized.*

Hello there fellow Gooners.  I hope all had a great New Year's Eve and are recovering equally great this New Year's Day.  If for any reason one had a rough go of it today, their spirits were lifted, I'm sure, by the gift gaffed to us by Manchester City.  Having them drop three points today to Sunderland must have been the cure- all for anyone experiencing a hangover.  Arsenal know from experience that Sunderland are very tough at home, but what a lovely cherry to have top the weekend with Chelsea adding the whipped cream of their loss and Spuds providing ice cream from their draw.  All in all, it has been a veritable sundae of soccer.

Tomorrow's game at Fulham can make that sundae even sweeter by us gaining a win and three more points.  We will remain in fourth place due to goal differential with Tottenham *gag*, but we will have moved within six points of the leaders until they play on Tuesday.  Closing the gap may only last a day, but wouldn't it be nice to put some pressure on the sheik?

With only a day's rest in between matches, having fresh legs at available for Craven Cottage will be challenging.  Wenger has to assess, in particular, RVP to mitigate the chances of him becoming injured due to fatigue.  Now that Robin is no longer chasing a goal-scoring record, does he put in Chamakh before he's off to the ACN with Van Persie on the bench just in case?  Or does he start the Captain and hope for an opportunity to take him off after we establish a big enough lead?  These decisions are the big ones that Arsene is paid the big bucks to make.  And I sure am glad I ain't him (sorry - a little Hoosier-speak snuck in there).

Who starts at full back has already been addressed by Wenger who states Miquel will be at the left back position.  I think Wenger will still include Coquelin on the bench in case Djourou strains something at right back.  He came back very quickly from his groin strain perhaps too quickly.  The full back position requires extended times of sprinting.  Bacary Sagna has a body that seems able to absorb that kind of rigourous and arduous movement.  Djourou does not. Even if Johann makes it through the match unscathed, Francis will be a vital backup for our midfielders  should Arteta or even Rambo tire.  I would not be surprised to see Arteta having a rest this match.  He also has a background of injury at Everton that hasn't reared its ugly head yet at Arsenal.  Again I'm glad I don't make those decisions.  I'm sure Arsene is consulting with his staff and the GPS data.

No matter what the makeup of the sqauad is, Fulham will prove to be a tough match.  They drew us at home with the help of a Vermaelan own goal.  The dangerous Bobby Zamora is out injured along with Fulham's starting goalie Mark Schwarzer.  But they still have my favorite US squad member Clint Dempsey starting, and they will be organized in defense with their home crowd behind them. We will have to do what we have attempted to accomplish the last few games.  Take LOTS of chances on goal, and catch Fulham on the break.  Our defense will need to improve on its clean sheet record.  Considering how difficult it can be to beat Fulham at Crrven Cottage, a win -whether hard fought or comfortably gained - will definately set the tone for this New Year.

I guess that's it.  I actually get to watch the game on televison rather than sitting in front of my computer trying to click a link to a working stream whilst I tab-surf between stalled screens, Twitter, and live blogs.  My viewing pleasure will be a piece of cake.  I hope Arsenal beating Fulham will follow suit.  Take care Gooners...COME ON YOU REDS!!!