Suicide Gunners
ARSENAL 1 MANCHESTER UNITED 3
FROM GOODPLAYA AT THE EMIRATES
I’m writing two and a half hours after the final whistle…
And a couple of post match pints have soothed me and a post match post mortem that was actually more a public inquiry in it’s scope has helped me make sense of it all.
I should say first of all in case there are any United fans reading…
That your side obviously deserved to win and win comfortably. I don’t doubt that for a second.
That initial bit out of the way…
Our defending was so embarrassing it was almost laughable. We had a great chance to beat what I will diplomatically say is not Fergie’s greatest team and we blew it pathetically.
Let’s start at the beginning…
Today’s front six differed from the one battered by Chelsea only with the inclusion of Rosicky in place of Eduardo. If we were small and one dimensional that day, today’s selection was no less so. If there was any way that one of Bendtner, Theo or even Eboue were fit to start, I’d have gone with them. They may not be the best players in the squad but they do at least have a niche – Bendtner height and the other two pace. Without them, we looked very sameish and all United had to worry about was a variation on a theme from Cesc, Nasri, Rosicky and to a lesser extent Arshavin. Contrast us with United, for whom Nani offered something completely different to anything Park, Carrick, Scholes or Fletcher could do. And it worked a treat.
Talking of Nasri and Rosicky…
Their limitations are never as obvious as when they play together. Both are good players to have, even if Nasri could be offering more. But too often it feels like they’re replicating each other, making our wings look one paced and predictable. Go back to 97-98 and though the formation was different, with Overmars one side and Parlour the other, you had the perfect contrast. Pires and Ljungberg were also very different players.
While I’m on the team selection…
It’s also easy to say with hindsight, but I think starting with Denilson ahead of Ramsey was a decision based on fear and hierarchical dogma instead of logic. It gave us two defensive midfielders employed to mark Fletcher, whose appearance as the “hole” player was admittedly unexpected. The thing with Denilson (leaving aside some quite woeful defending that we will come to) is that if you dedicate yourselves to stopping Cesc you’re not really worrying about Denilson consequently getting loads of space in which to do his thing, irrespective of his five goals from outside the box this season. Ramsey may give the ball away more but he does at least contain spark.
The early stages…
Both sides were enjoying some joy. You can argue Arshavin should have passed once or twice when in decent positions but really they’re exactly the kind of chances you can see him scoring. Given what he was being asked to do, he did it very well. United were enjoying a fair bit of success too, with Nani exposing a still rusty Clichy and Song looking both rusty and a little unsure of what he and Denilson should be doing. These games are all about the first goal and I’d say prior to the opener the odds looked around 63-37 that United would get it. So they were on top, but we were hardly out of it.
When the opener came…
It was a horror show. Nani’s skill to escape Clichy and Nasri was breathtaking. But ask yourself what Nasri was doing there, just as you might ask what he was doing for the second Everton goal a couple of weeks ago. He was drawn towards the ball then and today he would have been better placed a couple of yards behind Clichy to mop up if Nani escaped the full-back. Then, for a defensive midfielder, Denilson’s attempt to stop Nani was pathetic. And then when the cross came in Almunia’s feet were too quick to adjust and when he found himself totally exposed he palmed it into his own net rather than at least fisting it up into the air. Yes, it was an unusual ball by Nani, but no, you couldn’t see many other keepers doing it.
Talking of which…
Just about the only time the post match pub conversation went quiet was when the question of which other Premier League team Almunia would get into was raised. Ask yourself that. I should declare at this point I was one of those who thought at the beginning of the season that he’d do. I was wrong.
The second…
Was disgraceful frankly. Poor enough that despite the Everton horror show we are still able to be caught so badly from one of our own attacks. But unforgivable that despite a huge head-start, Denilson jogged back towards our goal and allowed Rooney to walk straight through our defence. Then as it went in we got the token hands in air exasperation. Pathetic. I readily admit United’s third at the Emirates last season was a great breakaway goal. This was frankly nothing of the sort.
So…
It was 2-0 at the break and Arsene’s refusal to introduce a sub until gone the hour mark was akin to the band carrying on playing while the Titanic sunk. It was ridiculous frankly. If you were United, the last thing you’d want would be a change of approach from us, particularly when it would have meant going more direct. The really galling thing was that it felt as if Arsene was refusing to be budged from what he always does and wouldn’t face up to the predicament we were in. Poor from him today I thought if I’m honest.
By the time Walcott did come on…
It was 3-0 thanks to another terribly defended goal. Bad enough how (Denilson I think it was) lost the ball in the first place. Quite what on earth Gael Clichy was doing I don’t know. Why didn’t he close Park? How on earth did he expect Nasri to catch him? I haven’t seen the replays either, but why were we beaten at our near post too?
When Walcott and eventually Bendtner did come on…
Neither was remotely perfect but at least we could suddenly vary our play. We still had the trickery, but now we also had reason to pump one into the box or move it wide. And sure enough we got a goal from a cross that was tossed into the box, not headed out properly and put in by Vermaelen, who was his usual very decent self.
And you know what…
While United were getting chances, we still contrived to miss two or three really good ones in close succession that would have made it 3-2 with ten minutes (five of normal time and five of injury time to go). My point is not that we deserved to draw, but that that shows just how there to be got at United were, which makes it so disheartening to lose the goals like we did.
A poser…
Why if we have two central defenders in very good form, two good full-backs and a usually very good defensive midfielder, have we conceded 28 goals? That we have scored so many and play gung ho football is I think only a partial explanation.
The statistics show…
That no team in the division has a better record than us when 3-0 down at home. By my reckoning we’ve gone on to “win” both the last two United games from that position and have “drawn” the last two against Chelsea (they finished 4-1 and the other stayed 0-0). We should be proud of it.
I’m not being altogether serious by the way.
But it is true…
That we responded to the hammering from Chelsea really well and now we need to do it again. It’s also the case that you judge a team on their season and not on singular results. And if you look at the season, it’s February and we’re not out of the title picture. We’re four behind United and five (potentially eight) behind Chelsea). And if anyone tells you we’re only still in it because of Chelsea and United’s failings, I’d remind you that at the current rate Chelsea will notch up a near Premier League record of 89 points. So that argument’s rubbish.
I still think…
Not losing next weekend is the key thing for us. After it, Chelsea will still have to go to Old Trafford, Anfield, White Hart Lane and Goodison Park. We will have just the trip to White Hart Lane and we’ve also played Villa and Everton twice too.
William Gallas…
Refuses to make eye contact with Manuel Almunia from what I can figure out. It doesn’t reflect greatly on Gallas but it also tells you everything about what the defence think of Almunia. It’s that bad. Almunia himself is a liability. I hate to think of the reaction had that late mis-kick led to a goal. Either way, it’s hard to see him leading us to anything.
The defence…
Clichy is rusty as anything and were Gibbs fit, he’d have a good case to be in the team. Sagna is good but needs to improve his crossing, Vermaelen inspirational and Gallas gives us something.
Song today…
Did alright at times but looked unsure of his role.
Denilson…
You know what one of my mates thinks of a Denilson performance by how long a gap he leaves between the Den and ilson when pronouncing his name. If it’s short it will be: “Denilson actually did alright.” If it’s long it will involve a look to the heavens in between the two syllables. I haven’t spoken to him after today’s game but I suspect it was a long pause.
Cesc…
Struggled. He needed players round him who United would worry about neglecting if they focused on Cesc too much. To that extent, we missed Diaby badly. Cesc looked gutted. He’s desperate to win the title with Arsenal.
Nasri and Rosicky...
Didn’t deliver on the big stage.
Arshavin…
Was excellent.
Concluding thoughts…
A lot of progress has been made this season and while the defeat was emphatic the table is not a horror show. We’ve still got plenty to play for in the league and now is the time to remember how we won at Stamford Bridge last year, albeit a little fortuitously, in the middle of a far worse run than this.
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