Monday 21 December 2015

Ozil finally gets his gong!

It's been a long time coming, but Mesut Ozil has finally picked up a Sky man-of-the-match award. I think Theo Walcott was a contender against Man City, but once again the German playmaker oozed true class with two assists.

Then again, Theo's goal was so sublime that he deserved something. Meanwhile, Giroud defied his critics by nutmegging Hart for what proved to be the winner.

The way Yaya Toure was allowed time and space to pick his spot for City's consolation rings alarm bells, but this is an under-strength Arsenal we're talking about. Once the long-term absentees return, perhaps The Gunners can show why the bookies now have them down as favourites to win the Premier League.


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Sunday 13 December 2015

The wizardry of Ozil doesn't get enough credit

Arsene Wenger's post-match comments about the second goal against Aston Villa revealed a lot. He mentioned how Mesut Ozil is a complete player, who gives more than he receives in terms of chances. A staggering 13 assists is testament to the fact.

Despite this, Sky Sports gave the man-of-the-match award to the scorer of the second: Aaron Ramsey. Yes, the Welshman had a good game, but did he eclipse Ozil? No, not in my opinion.

Ozil's passing was exceptional, as was his balance, that was more reminiscent of a ballerina than a footballer. Arsenal fans are finally beginning to see the best of Mesut, but the pundits are lagging behind with their praise.

Against Villa, other much-maligned players came to the fore, with Theo Walcott winning the penalty that Olivier Giroud expertly despatched. Giroud was Thierry Henry's man-of-the-match and I would say he was a better call than Ramsey. Giroud didn't put a foot wrong, although he looked a bit nervous before taking the penalty. The point is the Frenchman took a few deep breaths to focus on what he needed to do and then he made sure he hit the target. The delay around the awarding of the penalty created a sense of injustice at Villa, which made me think Giroud might miss; he was coolness personified.

The sense of injustice was Arsenal's when Walcott was ruled offside just before he netted. It would have made it 3-0, but it didn't stand. It was clearly the wrong decision by the officials.

After the break, Arsenal looked tired after their long-haul exertions in midweek and started to give the ball away in vulnerable positions. To his credit, Mathieu Flamini shielded the back four to good effect. In fact, when Hector Bellerin launched into attack, 'Flames' spent a lot of time filling in at right back. Ramsey did something similar on the opposite flank for Nacho Monreal.

This way of playing gave Arsenal a solidity that has not always been there. I particularly liked the way Laurent Koscielny dovetailed down the left, as when the centre back went wider to intercept, Monreal dropped into the vacant central defensive position. There was a certain fluidity about Arsenal that you only get with a settled team.

Meanwhile, Petr Cech in goal oozed confidence as he equalled David James's record for the most clean sheets in the Premier League.

Arsenal go top of the league for 24 hours and can remain there if Leicester slip up against Chelsea.

As a footnote, I'd like to mention how Henry said that players don't point fingers in the dressing room nowadays. He said he was considered a 'weirdo' for doing it. Personally, I'm not in favour of finger pointing. I believe there is no point dwelling on past mistakes as players usually know what they have done wrong. Coaches should concentrate on the positives and talk about how to improve performances. Singling out players for abuse can never be good inside or outside the dressing room. Confidence is a fragile thing for many players and once lost it can take weeks or months to return.

Only constructive criticism is useful. Most players will not respond well if you shout at them: 'Are you playing, or what?' That's exactly what I heard a famous coach (who I'm reluctant to name) shout at one of his young charges playing for the reserves. That particular player never made it in the game. The youngster should have shouted back: 'Are you coaching, or what?'

To me, abuse is not coaching. It makes for interesting punditry, and this is clearly something Henry excels at, but it's no good for most players. That's why I don't see Henry following in Gary Neville's footsteps to turn from punditry to management.

Not only that, but truly great players rarely make good managers. Johan Cruyff is an exception that comes to mind, as is Glenn Hoddle, but they are relatively few and far between. Top ex-players find it hard to explain what comes so naturally to them and they become frustrated with the lack of ability at their disposal once they hang their boots up. For that reason too, I say Henry should stay a pundit and not be tempted into football management.

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Friday 11 December 2015

Is James Olley having a laugh?

Just to preface what I'm saying, I'm a huge fan of James Olley. I think he's an excellent journalist and I think he's offers a lot of insight and more into what's going on Arsenal, usually.

However, I feel baffled after reading this in The Standard: 'The complicated statistical structure Arsenal have in place for identifying possible targets is predicated upon identifying value and that is hard to find during the season'.

Is that a long-hand way of saying they'll be no business in January for Arsenal?

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Thursday 10 December 2015

Arsene's miracle makers

This Arsenal team is capable achieving great heights and alarmingly low depths. Last night was an example of how well the Gunners can play despite severe injury problems.

Wenger called the 3-0 victory away at Olympiacos 'a fantastic achievement' and I'm inclined to agree. After the event, some people said the Greek side are not that strong, but their home record speaks for itself. Any win there would have been a good result, but to go there under pressure to win by two goals and to get one more than necessary can't be bad!

However, Roy Keane still claims that Giroud is not a top striker, despite hat-trick and the fact that he has scored as many Premier League goals as the much-heralded Harry Kane this season. I know which of the two I'd prefer in my team!

Another player who is not getting the credit he deserves is Flamini. The Frenchman hit the crossbar, which showed that he offers more threat going forward than Coquelin. Now that he's had a run in the team, Flamini is improving. I've always been a big fan of 'Flames' and the only worrying aspect about him is his age. He certainly has made a more positive impact than Arteta this season and he should earn a new contract at this rate.

Joel Campbell is yet another underestimated player. It's hard to see why after he set up Giroud for the second goal in Greece with a sublime bit of skill and a clever incisive pass.

Overall, it is obvious that this team is capable of winning the Premier League, although with Wolfsburg, Real or Atletico Madrid, Barcelona or Zenit next up an early Champions League exit seems likely.

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