I used to jest about my Arsenal red card membership package coming with an opportunity to play at left back. I continue to jest these days, but when I am not jesting I practice in the evening running along the left flanks of parks just in case they actually called upon me to play left back. The situation is that desperate in the Arsenal camp. Arsenal started the game with 8 players unavailable to Wenger due to numerous reasons ranging from injuries and suspension to mum said no and cannot be bothered. As a result the the team out on the field was just patchwork. Sagna playing leftback (not a typo), Jenkinson at rightback, 19 year old Frimpong as def mid and Nasri who is on a one match loan from Man City in the play maker role. Ramsey playing more forward than he is used to, Walcott playing more than he should be allowed to.
Despite this I thought this this inexperienced side put up a good show. Frimpong impressed with his assured passing and good breaking up of play. For a 19 year old he is way too muscular and his body strength allows him to out-muscle the over-sized thugs of EPL. He was very good even when going forward and could have had a better game if he had shown some maturity and not got himself sent off. He can be a good understudy for Song. He seems to be doing everything right to becoming a future Song, including a stupid early yellow and a subsequent red card for a bad tackle. That is two red cards in as many matches for the club. It is as if Arsenal think they are too good to play with 11 players and contrive to get one guy or the other sent off. <clutches at straws>
Vermaelen stood out with his defending. All those liverpool crosses aimed for Carrol's pony tailed scalp were duly dispatched by Vermaelen. Vermalen's position was spot on and it was his excellent defending that made Carrol look like crap more than usual. Vermaelen was the cliched one man army in defence. It is a shame the final scoreline doesn't reflect his performance yesterday. Let us not forget, one injury to Vermaelen and we are looking at Squillaci to fill in for Vermaelen *shudders*. It is like asking Elmer Fudd to depute because Rambo is not available. Jenkinson and Miquel had decent games yesterday. The youngsters showed their lack of experience at some moments but were good overall. They are good backups to have but to expect them to come into the first team and immediately deliver against a seasoned top 4 EPL side is unfair. Szcz was excellent and it gives me renewed confidence in our defence this season.
It is a curious thing that Arsenal's weaknesses have become the polar opposite of what they were last season. Last season we bemoaned our failure to defend set pieces, a lack of a proper goalkeeper and general headlesschickenness when long balls into the area were played. This season we look calm and improved in our set piece defending. Our goalkeeper can actually stop shots for a change. It is our attacking side of things that is as blunt as Pique's intellect. It is so blunt people think it is the chap who sang You're beautiful. It's true.
The Ramsey Nasri pair was a failure. The lack of communication and partnership showed in the way they mistimed their passes and runs. As a midfield pair they lacked the graceful movement, pass move pass routine of the Cesc-Nasri pair midway through last season when Nasri had hit that rich vein of form. These two were clumsy when working together and much better when they tried going forward on their own. The wingers were terrible. Walcott cannot dribble, cannot tackle, cannot put final ball, cannot make timed runs. He had an absolutely horrid game and was what consultants call a zero value add. Arshavin did something, but not enoughthing expected of a winger of his quality. He overpromised and underdelievered yesterday. General failure in wings coupled with a lack of a coordinated midfield meant RVP was denied of any service at all. He looked alone and uninvolved and was an unleveraged resource. When he dropped deep to actually enforce something there was no one up front to be a threat towards goal. I don't know a management term to describe this.
The game looked set for a draw until Frimpong was sent off. Immediately Dalglish drought Suarez and Meireles on and it was certain that it was only a matter of time before we shipped goals. The goals don't bother me. This was a game I thought we would get drubbed my a much bigger margin and it is to the credit of the youngsters who were out there that they made people hope that we could get away with a draw. It is what we are doing with the squad ahead of the season that is a bigger problem. Without Fabregas we look absolutely clueless in attack. And with Nasri set to leave the situation is only going to worsen. We need reinforcements; reinforcements that can come into first team and have the experience to immediately start delivering. Not 19 year old Costa Ricans bought at the dollar shop who have 'potential' and 'future promise'. A centre back, a midfielder and a striker. These are minimum buys if we have any sort of ambition to play in the league this season. Contrary to what Wenger might say, this is bit of a doom and gloom situation.
Ten days. That is what is left for Monsieur Wenger to make changes to the squad and bring in people to replace the ones that have left. I am off to to the park now. That left flank is not going to run itself.
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