1) Koscielny was again the man of the match
2) He scored the deciding goal
3) We won a must win game
4) We didn't play well, but we got a result
The main difference between today's match and last year's is that today we defended much better than an year ago and based on how little Newcastle threatened us in the second half, i feel we deserved to win this game.
When you think about our season, this is the first time in many years when our team has gotten so many scrappy wins. I haven't looked at the statistics but i am sure this season we probably had the most 1-0 wins that we have had in an looong time. Our victories were less flashy and less convincing, but we didn't throw as many games away, as we have done in years past. Does that mean that we are ready to win the Premier League next year? I don't think so. But it shows that we have made some improvements in the toughness area department. We are able to scrap out results when we need to and that is very important for any team that wants to win trophies. So if we make the right additions to this squad, and improve a lot of things (i will mention those later) we might have a shot at winning something next year!
Now, back to the game today. Let's just say that it wasn't the best game to watch. Both teams showed very little creativity going forward and the clear cut chances were far and between throughout the game. We started the first half decent, but Newcastle created the first chances of the game with Cisse missing a great opportunity after Mertesacker was well beaten by Mbiwa. The game continued with both teams trying to impose their will. We had cracks in the defense, especially down the left side where Gibbs were beaten more than once. Going forward, Cazorla missed a good opportunity in the 30th minute after a good pass from Gibbs. Ben Arfa had a dangerous shot over the bar towards the end of the first half.
In the second half we started well and after a mix up and a bad clearance by Harper, Theo had a good chance to score but his shot was blocked by Newcastle's keeper. Podolski was complaining that Walcott didn't pass the ball to him, instead, he should have been attacking the penalty area and maybe would have been able to tap in the rebound from Theo's shot. In the 49th minute Koscielny made his only mistake for the whole game by over pursuing Goufran almost to the middle of the pitch, which opened a huge gap in our back line, luckily Cabaye's through pass was too long and Szczesny collected it. 3 minutes later Koscielny scored a great goal after a free kick and a header by Mertesacker. We really needed this goal because i was sure Tottenham will find a way to score against Sunderland. After the goal, we pulled back a bit but Newcastle weren't able to create many chances. Theo could have finished the game off in the 91st minute, after he made a great run and beat the last defender, only for his shot to hit the side post. That miss coupled with Bale's goal, made the last 5 minutes of our game incredibly uncomfortable for me and all Arsenal supporters. Luckily we defended strongly and came away with a vital win for this team!
In the second half we started well and after a mix up and a bad clearance by Harper, Theo had a good chance to score but his shot was blocked by Newcastle's keeper. Podolski was complaining that Walcott didn't pass the ball to him, instead, he should have been attacking the penalty area and maybe would have been able to tap in the rebound from Theo's shot. In the 49th minute Koscielny made his only mistake for the whole game by over pursuing Goufran almost to the middle of the pitch, which opened a huge gap in our back line, luckily Cabaye's through pass was too long and Szczesny collected it. 3 minutes later Koscielny scored a great goal after a free kick and a header by Mertesacker. We really needed this goal because i was sure Tottenham will find a way to score against Sunderland. After the goal, we pulled back a bit but Newcastle weren't able to create many chances. Theo could have finished the game off in the 91st minute, after he made a great run and beat the last defender, only for his shot to hit the side post. That miss coupled with Bale's goal, made the last 5 minutes of our game incredibly uncomfortable for me and all Arsenal supporters. Luckily we defended strongly and came away with a vital win for this team!
The defense was definitely shaky in the first half. Mertesacker was beaten early in the game and then was out of position on a few occasions. He settled down and played much better in the second half. Sagna was our second best defender after Koscielny. He stopped a lot of attacks on his side and was constantly going forward and even had a few decent crosses!. Gibbs on the other hand had a rough game. More than once he was way out of position and Newcastle's attacks kept going through his side of the pitch. Especially in the first half. He did make some of his trade mark runs forward and created a great opportunity for Cazorla in the 30th minute, but defensively it wasn't one of his best games. Koscielny was the man of the match, hands down! Not only he scored the winning goal, but defensively he was a rock the whole game. Made numerous very important blocks; rarely got caught out of position; he was a constant threat at set pieces!
Our midfield was average today. Cazorla continues being stuck on the left wing, so even though he was very active, he wasn't able to influence the game they way he can. Ramsey had a decent game. Made some good passes, had a few good runs, but also gave away some sloppy balls. Rosicky wasn't as sharp going forward and his game wasn't flowing today, but watching him chase players in the 90th minute and trying to win the ball was an absolute joy. What a complete professional and great competitor! He is older than most of the guys on the team but he realized how important this game was and he wasn't saving any energy for the off season. Check out the video below:
Our midfield was average today. Cazorla continues being stuck on the left wing, so even though he was very active, he wasn't able to influence the game they way he can. Ramsey had a decent game. Made some good passes, had a few good runs, but also gave away some sloppy balls. Rosicky wasn't as sharp going forward and his game wasn't flowing today, but watching him chase players in the 90th minute and trying to win the ball was an absolute joy. What a complete professional and great competitor! He is older than most of the guys on the team but he realized how important this game was and he wasn't saving any energy for the off season. Check out the video below:
Oxlade came in and did a good job. He had some good runs/passes even though at times his final ball was a bit off. But overall he did well. Arteta was a surprise just being on the pitch, maybe they should have let him recover and not play today. Hopefully his injury is not too serious.
Up front Podolski was almost unnoticeable again. I keep repeating that he is not suited to play in the striker's position. He doesn't have the size; he doesn't attack the penalty area well enough to try to get at the end of crosses; a lot of times he goes back way too deep to get the ball. He was average at best in our last game, but just because he scored ,Wenger played him again at the same position. Walcott also wasn't great today, but he was way better than Podolski. He had some very good runs; gave some good crosses; forced two great saves from Harper and with a bit better execution, he would have been on the score sheet.
So today's result was very very important for our team and the Gunner nation! It's sad that we are so excited and happy to be 4th, but the reality is that this season, 4th place was the best we could do and we really had to earn it as well! It's great to snatch Champions League football out of Spurs's hands. It's great for our ability to attract players, that we made it to the Champions League. Now, the most important part for us is to take the next step necessary to start winning trophies. To take that next step, we need a few things to happen:
#1. We need a few good signings over the summer. I would say our main priority should be 1) a right back (in case Sagna leaves); 2) another striker but only from great quality, we don't need some random clowns. If we buy a striker it has to be someone like Mario Gomez from Bayern Munich or Jovetic from Fiorentina.3) We also need a strong defensive midfielder. Arteta has been doing a great job for us in that department, but that is not his natural position and he is not that young to play every single game. Frimpong if he stays healthy might be a good option. Getting 2 or 3 quality signings will ensure we have competition for every spot on the pitch! This way we can be competitive on a few fronts.
#2. If/After we get these signings, Wenger has to MANAGE the team correctly! What i mean by this is that guys like Carl Jenkinson, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Vermaelen; have to get playing time!!! We CAN NOT play the same exact team non stop. That is Wenger's favorite thing to do: if the team is winning, do not change anything. The problem with that is that players get injured and when the subs haven't gotten enough playing time they can't come in and play at the same level immediately. Squad rotation is and has been Wenger's Achilles heel for many years now. I can't stress how important that is.
#3. We can't continue to make players play out of position. Can Cazorla play on the wing? Ofcourse, the guy is good enough to play a fucking goalie if needed. Does that mean we take advantage of his strengths? No. He is most effective playing through the middle. Same thing with Podolski. He is not good enough to play in the striker position and he should not play there. He should be on the left wing.
#4. Do not fucking sell anyone!....except Gervinho, Denilson, Squillaci, Santos and Chamakh :)
I still have doubts about Wenger abilities to adapt to the modern game and the changes he needs to make to his style of management. But i do believe the actions mentioned above are absolutely necessary if we are to take the next step and start competing for something more than 4th place every year! C'mon You Gunners!!!
So today's result was very very important for our team and the Gunner nation! It's sad that we are so excited and happy to be 4th, but the reality is that this season, 4th place was the best we could do and we really had to earn it as well! It's great to snatch Champions League football out of Spurs's hands. It's great for our ability to attract players, that we made it to the Champions League. Now, the most important part for us is to take the next step necessary to start winning trophies. To take that next step, we need a few things to happen:
#1. We need a few good signings over the summer. I would say our main priority should be 1) a right back (in case Sagna leaves); 2) another striker but only from great quality, we don't need some random clowns. If we buy a striker it has to be someone like Mario Gomez from Bayern Munich or Jovetic from Fiorentina.3) We also need a strong defensive midfielder. Arteta has been doing a great job for us in that department, but that is not his natural position and he is not that young to play every single game. Frimpong if he stays healthy might be a good option. Getting 2 or 3 quality signings will ensure we have competition for every spot on the pitch! This way we can be competitive on a few fronts.
#2. If/After we get these signings, Wenger has to MANAGE the team correctly! What i mean by this is that guys like Carl Jenkinson, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Vermaelen; have to get playing time!!! We CAN NOT play the same exact team non stop. That is Wenger's favorite thing to do: if the team is winning, do not change anything. The problem with that is that players get injured and when the subs haven't gotten enough playing time they can't come in and play at the same level immediately. Squad rotation is and has been Wenger's Achilles heel for many years now. I can't stress how important that is.
#3. We can't continue to make players play out of position. Can Cazorla play on the wing? Ofcourse, the guy is good enough to play a fucking goalie if needed. Does that mean we take advantage of his strengths? No. He is most effective playing through the middle. Same thing with Podolski. He is not good enough to play in the striker position and he should not play there. He should be on the left wing.
#4. Do not fucking sell anyone!....except Gervinho, Denilson, Squillaci, Santos and Chamakh :)
I still have doubts about Wenger abilities to adapt to the modern game and the changes he needs to make to his style of management. But i do believe the actions mentioned above are absolutely necessary if we are to take the next step and start competing for something more than 4th place every year! C'mon You Gunners!!!
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