For a split-second the ball was there, and then it was gone. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, perceived big-game choker but undoubted possessor of world-class talent, had tricked his way past Johan Djourou, 25-year-old "youngster" and former Birmingham City loanee. AC Milan were all set to complete their 4-0 Champions League drubbing of Arsenal, and every question mark over the increasingly under-fire Arsene Wenger was soon to be raised.
Other than the most obvious: What was Djourou doing on the pitch in the first place?
Djourou, of course, was not solely to blame for Arsenal's worst defeat in European competition. He was not even on the pitch for Milan's first two goals. Yet he embodies the lowering standard that Wenger has come to accept at Arsenal - and like a stone (Djourou most definitely isn't a rock) hitting water, it is a standard that is rippling through the rest of the squad.
In the context of what happened at the San Siro on Wednesday, Djourou was only on the pitch due to a rash of defensive injuries to Per Mertesacker, Carl Jenkinson and - picked up in the match itself - Laurent Koscielny. But honest Arsenal fans will acknowledge he is one of many who should not be wearing the shirt at all.
Neither, arguably, should the three names mentioned ahead of him.
Djourou is a symbol in this article to represent the many names who are lucky to be playing for one of England's greatest clubs - Carl Jenkinson, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Andre Santos, Theo Walcott, Andrei Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh. An honest head says none of them have consistently shown they are capable of the form expected of past great Arsenal sides.
Wenger, mocked as a nutty-looking professor when he arrived in England, once produced arguably the best footballing side to grace the Premier League - the famous Invincibles. The current crop, by comparison, must be dubbed the Unreliables. His mathematician's mind was once heralded for picking out footballing gems such as Patrick Vieira and Cesc Fabregas at bargain-basement prices, but nowadays most football fans would rather walk to White Hart Lane for Harry Redknapp's street-savvy approach.
The dealings of the past 12 months are evidence enough that Redknapp could currently teach Wenger a thing or two. Scott Parker was so obviously needed at Arsenal that he may as well have been gift-wrapped with a one-way ticket to Holloway Road tube station, yet for a cool £5 million he is currently being hailed as the next England captain whilst in the white of Tottenham. Ryan Nelsen, who did not even cost a penny, is surely another who would walk into the Arsenal line-up.
Wenger, over time, has allowed the standard to drop so low at Arsenal that players who were once derided as liabilities are now championed as their strongest assets. Koscielny is a prime example, a defender capable of solid performances such as the one against Manchester United, but equally prone to a gaffe. The mind only has to rewind to the 3-2 defeat at Swansea in January to recall how he allowed Danny Graham in for the winning goal. When he arrived at Arsenal it was obvious he was not the type of player to stand up and be counted when 1-0 up away at Fulham (another loss for Arsenal), yet Wenger's latest comments on the Frenchman lead one to believe that the Gunners have the next Laurent Blanc.
"[We found him] in France of course, from a smaller team," he said. "You could see that there was something special there. I believe that last year you could already see the potential but he did not have that dominance in the duels that he has found this season. That makes him, I personally believe, one of the top-class central defenders in the Premier League."
Acceptance of mediocrity is the path to exactly that, and it only takes a comparison to the last trophy-winning Arsenal side to prove it. How many of the current XI would have featured in that 2005 FA Cup win against Manchester United?
Is Wojciech Szczesny better than Jens Lehmann? Temperament-wise perhaps. Are Kieran Gibbs or Santos superior to Ashley Cole? Only morally. What about Bacary Sagna - woefully exposed in Italy - compared to Lauren? Or Koscielny in relation to Kolo Toure? All answers, truthfully, are no. Only Vermaelen would step into that back five at the expense of Philippe Senderos.
In midfield, do Alex Song, Aaron Ramsey or Mikel Arteta lace the same boots as Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva or Cesc Fabregas? That question is purely rhetorical.
And are Walcott or Arshavin preferable to Jose Antonio Reyes or Robert Pires? Not on the form of the past six months. Only Robin van Persie qualifies for that 2005 team in the midfield or attacking positions, and even he would only make the bench behind Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry (the final was even won without Henry's services). That totals a grand number of two current players good enough for the side Wenger built seven years ago, with Jack Wilshere a promising up-and-comer.
As a result, the likes of Koscielny, Song and Arteta have become recognised as Arsenal's better players, the bar lowered deep enough for such players to raise their heads slightly above the mediocrity around them.
A mathematical mind Wenger does indeed possess, after all, he boasts a degree in economics, yet when it comes to the simple maths of football his sums do not add up. Summer outgoings: Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy. Replacements: Arteta, Yossi Benayoun and Santos. Three top-drawer players replaced by three players significantly less talent. Replace Heinz Tomato Ketchup with a low-budget alternative and what do you expect?
In Wenger's defence, he had no choice with the players he lost, but according to his board and all noises coming out of Arsenal, he most certainly had the money to replace them. "There have been suggestions that we keep stopping him from buying," chairman Peter Hill-Wood stated earlier in the season. "That is not the case."
Player for player, Arsenal have two or three at most who would challenge for a spot in the Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham XIs (yes, none of them are currently in the Champions League, but it's a hollow point): Van Persie, Wilshere and Vermaelen (the latter is generous). Simple maths says that statistic must change if Arsenal are to stop their slide from the country's best.
The club, the manager and the fans can defend the likes of Koscielny, Song and Djourou as strongly as they want - the loyalty is to be admired. But how often do these players return the favour by fighting for the reputation of the club? And how long, given current circumstances, until Wenger is heard championing the importance of the Europa League - another lowering of the standards?
Source: Ben Blackmore, ESPN Soccernet on 16 Feb 12
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Gunners face brand disloyalty in Korea
Lando's words sum up the feeling in Seoul after recent reports that Arsenal may be visiting the city in the summer for an exhibition match. After all, Park Chu-young, Korea's star striker and captain, may as well have spent the last six months hanging on Arsene Wenger's office wall for all the time he has spent on the pitch and the prospect of him parading around Seoul this summer like a golden bikini clad Princess Leia has not been well-received.
Leia and friends ended Jabba the Hutt's reign suddenly and violently but Wenger's time at Arsenal looked to be on a slow downward spiral before the start of this season, it's just that this campaign has been worse than anyone expected: out of the title race, soon to be out of the Champions League, almost out of stars and perhaps even out of patience with the man behind the success of recent years. With all that in mind, a few games in East Asia among admiring fans and media would be good for bank balances, the brand and the mood of pretty much everyone involved with the club. Or would it?
The possible tour, reported in the UK media earlier in the month, would include Hong Kong, Beijing and Seoul. A visit to South Korea, which would have made perfect sense at the end of August when Park became a Gunner, is now probably ill-advised.
Of course, it is all about the 26 year-old and how Arsenal signed the country's most important player and gave him a grand total of seven minutes playing time in the Premier League in almost six months - 70 seconds a month. It is not that Korean fans demand an automatic starting spot - the reaction to the August signing was one of pleasant surprise - more that they would like to see him play from time to time and not just in the Carling Cup. His almost complete lack of Premier League action has seen media and fans grow increasingly exasperated. Headlines in Korean newspapers echo the questions of fans in London: "Why the hell did Arsenal sign Park?"
For many, the answer has to be for commercial reasons, a common cry when clubs sign players from the east and understandably so. Asian national pride is strong when it comes to their football players heading to the big leagues and it is a feeling that plays a growing role in the marketing and commercial strategies of the big European clubs. It is why the search for the first world-class Indian or Chinese player is never-ending. It is why Arsenal have partnerships with clubs in Vietnam and Thailand. It is why Celtic started a Japanese homepage after the arrival of Shunsuke Nakamura. It is why, soon after signing Ji Dong-won, Sunderland arrived in Seoul to try and find sponsors. It is why Everton shrugged their shoulders in 2002 when Li Weifeng was tagged on to the Li Tie transfer.
Commercial opportunities are nowhere near as automatic and easy as is often made out - most teams benefit little or at all - but they are there if the right club buys the right player at the right time and he plays a part on the pitch. It is no accident that after signing Park Ji-sung, Manchester United have issued over one million club credit cards in the country, have attracted two major Korean sponsors and have also played in Seoul twice to sell-out crowds and massive media attention.
But for Arsenal, paying six million euros in the frenzied final hours of a transfer window does not suggest any long-term strategy to penetrate the Asian market but rather a rushed reaction to a poor season start. That said, there would have been opportunities. Park Chu-young is a huge star in Korea, perhaps the top striker in Asia in the past year or two (well, he was) and the captain of the most successful national team in the world's biggest continent. Park in London could have been something for fans and media to really sink their teeth into. But you can't do much with seven minutes.
Those fans and journalists would have understood if Park had been loaned out in January, accepting that Arsenal felt that he wasn't good enough or right for the team. But for reasons that are unclear, he has stayed at the club and on the bench, and often not even on that.
Annoyance is especially high because as well as the usual national pride, there are other issues at stake. One is the fact that Park's time is limited. At the end of 2013, he is expected back home to start his two-year military service. He has wasted two-thirds of one of the only two seasons he has left before his European career is most likely over.
More importantly is his role in the national team and this has been the biggest issue in Korean football in the past few weeks as a vital 2014 World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on February 29 approaches. The fact that the team's star striker has not played regular club football since last May is a worry - as it would be in England if Wayne Rooney went overseas in the middle of World Cup qualification and never played. The debate over whether Park should start sounds crazy when you remember that he is the captain and has scored eight goals in the last five games for the Taeguk Warriors.
Arsenal have not actively tried yet to use Park to sell their brand to Koreans, though he naturally features prominently on the club's Korean-language website, but going to Seoul to make money, grow the fanbase and expand the brand, which is the reason for such tours, after not playing Park all season, would be a mistake. If reaction was 'cold' , according to the country's leading newspaper, to the prospect of a visit then confirmation would be almost carbonite-like. And that is before the sight of Park being used by promoters to sell tickets and broadcasting rights, which, if the experience of past trips by European teams to Asia is anything to go by, he most certainly would be.
It does not mean that no tickets would be sold but it would mean that any Arsenal visit would be overshadowed by constant questions about Park Chu-young from a largely hostile media and public. Arsenal would show a lot of nerve going to Korea in the summer, it may be best to give Seoul a miss.
Source: John Duerden, ESPN Soccernet on 18 Feb 12
A harrowing night
I should have chosen to expect us to get walloped. That way at least I'd have been less disappointed and wouldn't feel as let down by the team as I did after the match. I'd have been more accepting of the defeat had the Arsenal shown some fight, some application and some determination to get back into the tie. There's no scapegoat to place the blame with, and the result wasn't the sole responsibility of the manager. No-one was good enough and the team got what they deserved.
The big challenge has to be for this result to not affect the team for the rest of the season. Given how certain matches have led to our seasons falling apart in the last few years, I'm struggling to see how the players will pick themselves up from losing 4-0. If they don't, that defeat in Milan will be our last meaningful away trip in Europe for some time. The fans that travelled to Milan and sang throughout the game deserve better. Even at 4-0 down, the only singing that could be heard through the television were the away fans who were high up in the San Siro.
The big challenge has to be for this result to not affect the team for the rest of the season. Given how certain matches have led to our seasons falling apart in the last few years, I'm struggling to see how the players will pick themselves up from losing 4-0. If they don't, that defeat in Milan will be our last meaningful away trip in Europe for some time. The fans that travelled to Milan and sang throughout the game deserve better. Even at 4-0 down, the only singing that could be heard through the television were the away fans who were high up in the San Siro.
It would be easy to look at the four goals and say that we were unlucky for some of them, but that would be ignoring the larger issue that the team were dismal. The first goal came from a poor clearance from Szczesny, and then the midfield and defence were slow to react when Milan had the ball. One of the key things to do in the first leg of a knockout tie is to keep things tight at the back. We were hopelessly open and Milan were able to punish us with a chipped pass over the top for Boateng. The finish was good, but Boateng far too much time and space to attempt the volley. Ibrahimovic was offside for the second goal, but the defence didn’t chase back hard enough to put him under pressure and Robinho shouldn’t have been allowed a free header from the edge of the six yard box.
The third goal was probably the most unfortunate one to concede, with Thomas Vermaelen slipping at the key moment when he was about to close Robinho down, however it had been too easy for Milan to get into that position on the edge of the box. The penalty was a bit harsh as Ibrahimovic seemed to move his leg into Djourou, but had that been at the other end, we’d have been gutted had it not been given.
Realistically, the score-line should have been worse given the chances Milan had and how they eased off in the second half. Milan looked up for it, we didn’t. Even when we were able to control periods of the game and keep the ball, we did nothing with it. Robin van Persie was feeding off scraps and couldn’t get in the game in the first half. He had three half chances in the second, however that was the extent of what we could create for him.
Not even bringing on Thierry Henry at half time could salvage anything for us. It would have been unreasonable to expect Henry to be able to drag the team up by himself. The Henry of old might have been able to pick the ball up a long way from goal and make things happen, but as we saw at Sunderland, the current Henry is primarily a finisher in the penalty area. He was given nothing to finish. It appeared to me that some of the players possibly believed the potential for the Henry fairy tale and were just waiting for him to come off the bench and win the match instead of focussing on winning it themselves. It was a sad way for Thierry Henry to end his Arsenal career.
The way we appeared to be relying on Henry by bringing him on at half time seemed symbolic of the current problems with our squad. We had to go back to a club legend, who is nowhere near the player he was, to try and dig us out of a hole. It highlighted that proper investment in the squad is needed this summer. It was needed last summer and arguably in January. We made some good signings last summer, but also some strange ones considering who left the club. We’re relying on quick fixes to get us moving again as a club. Whether we’re in the Champions League or not, or if Arsene Wenger is the manager, this summer we have to have a proper shake up and be willing to spend money. I’m all for responsible spending and not wasting money on over-priced players, but we have to be realistic and be willing to spend those few extra million pounds that will keep us competitive in modern day football.
However we have more immediate things to worry about before the summer. Any spending we do will be dictated by the forthcoming three months. We have to just focus on the players we have at the moment and how they can come back from the horror show at the San Siro, not in the second leg as we’re all but out of the Champions League, but in the Premier League and the FA Cup. Once again we have injury concerns in defence, with centre backs now going down like our full backs were. We can’t expect to see Per Mertesacker back anytime soon, and Laurent Koscielny worryingly limped off in Milan. We really missed the calming influence of the big German at the back on Wednesday, and Koscielny has been our player of the season behind van Persie. Against Milan, Thomas Vermaelen looked like a man who has been playing at full back recently and John Djourou is nowhere near the form he was showing at this time last year.
A lot of people will point the finger at Arsene Wenger for the result. Yes, when you lose 4-0 you can say the manager should have prepared the players better, and some of the investment in the squad issues could be traced back to the boss. However the whole club need to take responsibility for a result like that, those above Wenger at boardroom level, and those below him in the playing squad. Once the players are on the pitch, it’s up to them to fight for the Arsenal and execute any plans. The team that Wenger fielded on Wednesday were good enough to be competitive in the match, to score, and to remain in contention in the tie. The vast majority of them let their manager, their club and their fans down.
Sunderland on Saturday in the FA Cup is absolutely massive for our season. Effectively going out of two competitions in four days could destroy our team spirit and have a substantial knock-on effect on our top four hopes in the league. This team have responded to bad defeats before, and have to do so again. Although we can’t afford to have another bad defeat that we then need to respond to again. The least we should expect as fans is for the players to give everything for the team and look like they want to win. They didn’t do that on Wednesday. It was immensely disappointing as much as it was saddening to see Arsenal take such a deserved beating.
As he’s leaving, I’ll finish with a Thierry Henry quote that the squad he leaves would do well to remember. “If you play hard and respect the shirt, they remember that.”
Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 16 Feb 12
The third goal was probably the most unfortunate one to concede, with Thomas Vermaelen slipping at the key moment when he was about to close Robinho down, however it had been too easy for Milan to get into that position on the edge of the box. The penalty was a bit harsh as Ibrahimovic seemed to move his leg into Djourou, but had that been at the other end, we’d have been gutted had it not been given.
Realistically, the score-line should have been worse given the chances Milan had and how they eased off in the second half. Milan looked up for it, we didn’t. Even when we were able to control periods of the game and keep the ball, we did nothing with it. Robin van Persie was feeding off scraps and couldn’t get in the game in the first half. He had three half chances in the second, however that was the extent of what we could create for him.
Not even bringing on Thierry Henry at half time could salvage anything for us. It would have been unreasonable to expect Henry to be able to drag the team up by himself. The Henry of old might have been able to pick the ball up a long way from goal and make things happen, but as we saw at Sunderland, the current Henry is primarily a finisher in the penalty area. He was given nothing to finish. It appeared to me that some of the players possibly believed the potential for the Henry fairy tale and were just waiting for him to come off the bench and win the match instead of focussing on winning it themselves. It was a sad way for Thierry Henry to end his Arsenal career.
The way we appeared to be relying on Henry by bringing him on at half time seemed symbolic of the current problems with our squad. We had to go back to a club legend, who is nowhere near the player he was, to try and dig us out of a hole. It highlighted that proper investment in the squad is needed this summer. It was needed last summer and arguably in January. We made some good signings last summer, but also some strange ones considering who left the club. We’re relying on quick fixes to get us moving again as a club. Whether we’re in the Champions League or not, or if Arsene Wenger is the manager, this summer we have to have a proper shake up and be willing to spend money. I’m all for responsible spending and not wasting money on over-priced players, but we have to be realistic and be willing to spend those few extra million pounds that will keep us competitive in modern day football.
However we have more immediate things to worry about before the summer. Any spending we do will be dictated by the forthcoming three months. We have to just focus on the players we have at the moment and how they can come back from the horror show at the San Siro, not in the second leg as we’re all but out of the Champions League, but in the Premier League and the FA Cup. Once again we have injury concerns in defence, with centre backs now going down like our full backs were. We can’t expect to see Per Mertesacker back anytime soon, and Laurent Koscielny worryingly limped off in Milan. We really missed the calming influence of the big German at the back on Wednesday, and Koscielny has been our player of the season behind van Persie. Against Milan, Thomas Vermaelen looked like a man who has been playing at full back recently and John Djourou is nowhere near the form he was showing at this time last year.
A lot of people will point the finger at Arsene Wenger for the result. Yes, when you lose 4-0 you can say the manager should have prepared the players better, and some of the investment in the squad issues could be traced back to the boss. However the whole club need to take responsibility for a result like that, those above Wenger at boardroom level, and those below him in the playing squad. Once the players are on the pitch, it’s up to them to fight for the Arsenal and execute any plans. The team that Wenger fielded on Wednesday were good enough to be competitive in the match, to score, and to remain in contention in the tie. The vast majority of them let their manager, their club and their fans down.
Sunderland on Saturday in the FA Cup is absolutely massive for our season. Effectively going out of two competitions in four days could destroy our team spirit and have a substantial knock-on effect on our top four hopes in the league. This team have responded to bad defeats before, and have to do so again. Although we can’t afford to have another bad defeat that we then need to respond to again. The least we should expect as fans is for the players to give everything for the team and look like they want to win. They didn’t do that on Wednesday. It was immensely disappointing as much as it was saddening to see Arsenal take such a deserved beating.
As he’s leaving, I’ll finish with a Thierry Henry quote that the squad he leaves would do well to remember. “If you play hard and respect the shirt, they remember that.”
Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 16 Feb 12
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Premier League shown in poor light by clubs' Champions League malaise
Arsenal's thrashing by Milan leaves English football potentially facing its worst European Cup performance in 16 years
Perhaps the most damning assessment came from Arrigo Sacchi, the man who created possibly the finest Milan team in history. Sacchi had already used his "Sopra La Panca" column in Wednesday's Gazzetta dello Sport to say this was the worst Arsenal team for a decade but, after seeing them close-up, he wanted to revise his criticisms. "I said 10 years," he told television viewers. "Maybe I was being too generous."
Sacchi, a two-times European Cup winner with the team of Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Baresi et al, had called it exactly right. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he predicted, could be "devastating" against a defence this vulnerable.
"Arsenal cannot match Milan for experience, technical quality and individuality. They are not sharp. They do not move as a unit, their defence is slow and not protected by their midfield."
In the past, he said, Arsène Wenger's teams played a "fast and brilliant way". The current team was "not fluid" and "still searching for a convincing system".
It was difficult to argue with a single word of it after a night that Wenger described as "our worst in Europe ever". Arsenal's manager has never been particularly good at hiding his distress after bad defeats and it was difficult to remember the last time he looked quite so mortified. No side has ever turned around a four-goal deficit to win a Champions League knockout tie. Arsenal have played 222 times in Europe and never lost so comprehensively. Wenger could hardly maintain eye contact. He was grey.
Yet Sacchi's observations extended further than the current malaise at Arsenal. "Look at the Premier League," he said. "They are a long way behind the two Manchester clubs, both of whom are already out of the Champions League. This just underlines the decline of English football."
The more popular view, certainly in the self-congratulatory Premier League, is that it is actually Italian football that has been regressing. Sacchi, however, had a point. This is threatening to be the first season since 1996 when English football has not been able to provide a single quarter-finalist.
Arsenal's chances rank somewhere between minimal and nonexistent and, though Chelsea will hope to do better when they take on Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo on Tuesday, the dislocation between André Villas-Boas and his increasingly mutinous group of players hardly inspires confidence.
This could probably be written off as a one-off, nothing too potentially serious or long-lasting, if Manchester United had not already been eliminated from a group featuring Basel, Benfica and a Romanian team, Otelul Galati, that Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he had never heard of when the draw was made. Manchester City did manage 10 points from a challenging group featuring Napoli and Bayern Munich, which would ordinarily be enough to qualify, but it still represents a failure given the enormous spending under the ownership of the Abu Dhabi United Group.
Whether this constitutes a genuine decline is difficult to say. A decline usually means a number of years, rather than one bad campaign, and it is not so long ago English football was slapping itself on the back for having provided three of the four semi-finalists in three successive seasons, from 2007 to 2009. United have reached the final in three of the past five campaigns and Arsenal, United and Tottenham have all knocked Milan out of the last 16 in the same period.
What happens with Chelsea next week will give a clearer picture but, for now, Arsenal's lamentable efforts and the sight of the Premier League's top two clubs grubbing around in the Europa League does raise the question of whether everything in the self-acclaimed best league in the world is as good as it is cracked up to be.
Arsenal's performance had been shocking and yet also predictable. The Manchester clubs did not even make it out of the group stages and that leaves English football relying upon a Chelsea team whose deterioration, much like Arsenal's, is close to the point of being staggering. Napoli have already eliminated City and, if they do the same to Chelsea, it will represent the least distinguished performance from English clubs since Blackburn Rovers had a go 16 years ago and demonstrated exactly how not to do it – David Batty, Graeme Le Saux and all that.
Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 16 Feb 12
Perhaps the most damning assessment came from Arrigo Sacchi, the man who created possibly the finest Milan team in history. Sacchi had already used his "Sopra La Panca" column in Wednesday's Gazzetta dello Sport to say this was the worst Arsenal team for a decade but, after seeing them close-up, he wanted to revise his criticisms. "I said 10 years," he told television viewers. "Maybe I was being too generous."
Sacchi, a two-times European Cup winner with the team of Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Baresi et al, had called it exactly right. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he predicted, could be "devastating" against a defence this vulnerable.
"Arsenal cannot match Milan for experience, technical quality and individuality. They are not sharp. They do not move as a unit, their defence is slow and not protected by their midfield."
In the past, he said, Arsène Wenger's teams played a "fast and brilliant way". The current team was "not fluid" and "still searching for a convincing system".
It was difficult to argue with a single word of it after a night that Wenger described as "our worst in Europe ever". Arsenal's manager has never been particularly good at hiding his distress after bad defeats and it was difficult to remember the last time he looked quite so mortified. No side has ever turned around a four-goal deficit to win a Champions League knockout tie. Arsenal have played 222 times in Europe and never lost so comprehensively. Wenger could hardly maintain eye contact. He was grey.
Yet Sacchi's observations extended further than the current malaise at Arsenal. "Look at the Premier League," he said. "They are a long way behind the two Manchester clubs, both of whom are already out of the Champions League. This just underlines the decline of English football."
The more popular view, certainly in the self-congratulatory Premier League, is that it is actually Italian football that has been regressing. Sacchi, however, had a point. This is threatening to be the first season since 1996 when English football has not been able to provide a single quarter-finalist.
Arsenal's chances rank somewhere between minimal and nonexistent and, though Chelsea will hope to do better when they take on Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo on Tuesday, the dislocation between André Villas-Boas and his increasingly mutinous group of players hardly inspires confidence.
This could probably be written off as a one-off, nothing too potentially serious or long-lasting, if Manchester United had not already been eliminated from a group featuring Basel, Benfica and a Romanian team, Otelul Galati, that Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he had never heard of when the draw was made. Manchester City did manage 10 points from a challenging group featuring Napoli and Bayern Munich, which would ordinarily be enough to qualify, but it still represents a failure given the enormous spending under the ownership of the Abu Dhabi United Group.
Whether this constitutes a genuine decline is difficult to say. A decline usually means a number of years, rather than one bad campaign, and it is not so long ago English football was slapping itself on the back for having provided three of the four semi-finalists in three successive seasons, from 2007 to 2009. United have reached the final in three of the past five campaigns and Arsenal, United and Tottenham have all knocked Milan out of the last 16 in the same period.
What happens with Chelsea next week will give a clearer picture but, for now, Arsenal's lamentable efforts and the sight of the Premier League's top two clubs grubbing around in the Europa League does raise the question of whether everything in the self-acclaimed best league in the world is as good as it is cracked up to be.
Arsenal's performance had been shocking and yet also predictable. The Manchester clubs did not even make it out of the group stages and that leaves English football relying upon a Chelsea team whose deterioration, much like Arsenal's, is close to the point of being staggering. Napoli have already eliminated City and, if they do the same to Chelsea, it will represent the least distinguished performance from English clubs since Blackburn Rovers had a go 16 years ago and demonstrated exactly how not to do it – David Batty, Graeme Le Saux and all that.
Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 16 Feb 12
Arsène Wenger has allowed Arsenal youngsters too much of a comfort zone
Theo Walcott's and Aaron Ramsey's poor performances in Milan symbolise the failure of Wenger's entire development philosophy
Thierry Henry left the pitch on Wednesday night with his arm around the shoulders of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and in possession of the shirt of the man whose performance for Milan had been as decisive as those the Frenchman used to produce on Arsenal's behalf. In what will almost certainly prove to have been his final appearance in the colours of the north London club, Henry had spent 45 minutes trying desperately to help his team-mates out of the hole in which they found themselves at San Siro. It was sad to see a player of such class unable to avert the catastrophe of the club's worst defeat in 222 European matches.
Sadder still was the sight of the 18-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, thrust into the fray with 25 minutes to go, also striving to rescue a semblance of respectability from a performance of such dismal incompetence that Arsène Wenger's critics will have been sharpening their knives long before the final whistle.
Oxlade-Chamberlain left the stadium clutching the shirt of another prodigy, Alexandre Pato. In his short time on the pitch the £12m forward had proved himself capable of dominating Luca Antonini, Milan's left-back, and produced two excellent crosses, one of which forced Christian Abbiati into a scrambled save. He will be uncomfortably aware, however, that he is part of a team whose performance has fallen far below their own standards. Until a year ago, Wenger's sides won 58% and lost 18% of their 831 matches. Of 56 games over the past 12 months, they have won 47% and lost 30%.
It would be wearying to repeat all the familiar charges levelled against the manager since Arsenal's last trophy was captured in 2005, but there can be little doubt that Oxlade-Chamberlain should have been on from the start against Milan. This was his third appearance in the Champions League, following the home and away matches against Olympiakos earlier in the season, and his first on one of Europe's really big stages. Nothing in his recent displays gave evidence that he would be overawed by San Siro, or anywhere else. He is fast, he is powerful, he has a wonderful technique – thanks no doubt to the tutelage of his father, the fondly remembered former Stoke and England winger Mark Chamberlain – and he seems to do the right thing whenever possession comes his way. Like Jack Wilshere, whose presence has been so sorely missed, he makes his decisions before the ball arrives: a sign of an exceptional football talent.
In one other way he resembles Wilshere while differing from many of the other young men deployed by Wenger in recent seasons: every gesture, every movement betrays a competitive hardness. His physical strength appears to be matched by the mental toughness that prompted him to complain, earlier in the season and after only a handful of months after his transfer from Southampton, about the lack of first-team opportunities. Behind the polite eloquence of his interviews, there is the hint of the very obduracy and abrasiveness that Arsenal need so badly. These are not qualities readily associated with – to name only two of Wednesday's culprits – Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey.
Six years into his career as a first‑team player at Arsenal, Walcott ought by now to have shed the boyishness that so often makes him seem easy prey for experienced defenders. Youthful zest is one thing, ingenuousness is another, and at 22 he should be showing a greater maturity. The same is true of Ramsey, who is a year younger. After an extended recuperation from a double fracture of his right leg, the Welshman has been back in the side long enough for his contribution to be assessed without making allowances, and he is showing little of the inventiveness and dynamism that he brought to the team before his dreadful injury in February 2010.
He, too, betrays clear signs of that fatal boyishness: when he misplaces a pass or scuffs a shot, he dramatises his despair by putting his hands to his head and striking a pose, wasting the seconds in which he should be getting on with trying to rectify his error. An infuriating habit, thrust into even higher relief when the team are performing badly, it is surprising from one whose leadership qualities persuaded the late Gary Speed to make him Wales's youngest ever captain.
It may seem unfair to single out Walcott and Ramsey after a night when virtually the entire team failed to do themselves justice. But by symbolising the dominant thrust of Wenger's player-development philosophy since the end of the era of the Invincibles and the dispersal of such battle-hardened figures as Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and Tony Adams, they embody the failure of an entire project.
Although both are capable of sporadic excellence, one wonders what sort of progress Ramsey, for instance, might have made under Sir Alex Ferguson or David Moyes, both of whom were keen to sign him in 2008. He chose Arsenal after Wenger flew him and his family to Switzerland for talks during which he became convinced that north London offered the right sort of opportunity for his development. Many others, including Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain, have come to similar conclusions. Perhaps, however, an indulgent Wenger has provided too much of a comfort zone for his young prodigies, creating an environment in which they can hone their delicate skills but not their core resilience, and in which naivety is too easily forgiven, with consequences that were laid bare in Wednesday's chastening defeat.
Source: Richard Williams, The Guardian on 16 Feb 12
Thierry Henry left the pitch on Wednesday night with his arm around the shoulders of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and in possession of the shirt of the man whose performance for Milan had been as decisive as those the Frenchman used to produce on Arsenal's behalf. In what will almost certainly prove to have been his final appearance in the colours of the north London club, Henry had spent 45 minutes trying desperately to help his team-mates out of the hole in which they found themselves at San Siro. It was sad to see a player of such class unable to avert the catastrophe of the club's worst defeat in 222 European matches.
Sadder still was the sight of the 18-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, thrust into the fray with 25 minutes to go, also striving to rescue a semblance of respectability from a performance of such dismal incompetence that Arsène Wenger's critics will have been sharpening their knives long before the final whistle.
Oxlade-Chamberlain left the stadium clutching the shirt of another prodigy, Alexandre Pato. In his short time on the pitch the £12m forward had proved himself capable of dominating Luca Antonini, Milan's left-back, and produced two excellent crosses, one of which forced Christian Abbiati into a scrambled save. He will be uncomfortably aware, however, that he is part of a team whose performance has fallen far below their own standards. Until a year ago, Wenger's sides won 58% and lost 18% of their 831 matches. Of 56 games over the past 12 months, they have won 47% and lost 30%.
It would be wearying to repeat all the familiar charges levelled against the manager since Arsenal's last trophy was captured in 2005, but there can be little doubt that Oxlade-Chamberlain should have been on from the start against Milan. This was his third appearance in the Champions League, following the home and away matches against Olympiakos earlier in the season, and his first on one of Europe's really big stages. Nothing in his recent displays gave evidence that he would be overawed by San Siro, or anywhere else. He is fast, he is powerful, he has a wonderful technique – thanks no doubt to the tutelage of his father, the fondly remembered former Stoke and England winger Mark Chamberlain – and he seems to do the right thing whenever possession comes his way. Like Jack Wilshere, whose presence has been so sorely missed, he makes his decisions before the ball arrives: a sign of an exceptional football talent.
In one other way he resembles Wilshere while differing from many of the other young men deployed by Wenger in recent seasons: every gesture, every movement betrays a competitive hardness. His physical strength appears to be matched by the mental toughness that prompted him to complain, earlier in the season and after only a handful of months after his transfer from Southampton, about the lack of first-team opportunities. Behind the polite eloquence of his interviews, there is the hint of the very obduracy and abrasiveness that Arsenal need so badly. These are not qualities readily associated with – to name only two of Wednesday's culprits – Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey.
Six years into his career as a first‑team player at Arsenal, Walcott ought by now to have shed the boyishness that so often makes him seem easy prey for experienced defenders. Youthful zest is one thing, ingenuousness is another, and at 22 he should be showing a greater maturity. The same is true of Ramsey, who is a year younger. After an extended recuperation from a double fracture of his right leg, the Welshman has been back in the side long enough for his contribution to be assessed without making allowances, and he is showing little of the inventiveness and dynamism that he brought to the team before his dreadful injury in February 2010.
He, too, betrays clear signs of that fatal boyishness: when he misplaces a pass or scuffs a shot, he dramatises his despair by putting his hands to his head and striking a pose, wasting the seconds in which he should be getting on with trying to rectify his error. An infuriating habit, thrust into even higher relief when the team are performing badly, it is surprising from one whose leadership qualities persuaded the late Gary Speed to make him Wales's youngest ever captain.
It may seem unfair to single out Walcott and Ramsey after a night when virtually the entire team failed to do themselves justice. But by symbolising the dominant thrust of Wenger's player-development philosophy since the end of the era of the Invincibles and the dispersal of such battle-hardened figures as Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and Tony Adams, they embody the failure of an entire project.
Although both are capable of sporadic excellence, one wonders what sort of progress Ramsey, for instance, might have made under Sir Alex Ferguson or David Moyes, both of whom were keen to sign him in 2008. He chose Arsenal after Wenger flew him and his family to Switzerland for talks during which he became convinced that north London offered the right sort of opportunity for his development. Many others, including Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain, have come to similar conclusions. Perhaps, however, an indulgent Wenger has provided too much of a comfort zone for his young prodigies, creating an environment in which they can hone their delicate skills but not their core resilience, and in which naivety is too easily forgiven, with consequences that were laid bare in Wednesday's chastening defeat.
Source: Richard Williams, The Guardian on 16 Feb 12
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Arsène Wenger slams shocking Arsenal display after Milan 'disaster'
It was difficult to remember him being more scathing of his players. "It was one of those nights you never forget," he said. "It is our worst night in Europe. We were punished and deservedly so. I felt we were never in the game, we were very poor offensively and defensively. It was shocking to see how we were beaten everywhere.
"There was not one moment in the 90 minutes where we were really in the game. What made it worse was that we had to chase the game. It was always the same problem, balls over the top and we were well beaten. It is difficult to analyse. I think it is better not to talk too much …and to analyse with a cooler head and regroup for the next game."
Arsenal visit Sunderland in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday, when Wenger will make changes to his team, but the deeper fear is that this display not only exposed the flaws in the squad but will undermine morale for the battle to finish fourth in the Premier League. It was not difficult to pick holes but the absence of leadership was once again highlighted.
"There was a lack of leadership," wrote the club's former captain, Patrick Vieira, on Twitter. "You cannot only blame Arsène, the players must take some responsibility as well."
Wenger said: "There is a danger [that this will have an effect on the Premier League]. A big disappointment like that has consequences on your belief. We have a lot of work to regroup and not a lot of time to prepare for Saturday's game. We need to show something completely difference on Saturday.
"We will focus on our next games. The result is a disaster, although the season is not finished. We have a big game on Saturday and it's an opportunity to show that we have character and mental strength, and that we can respond after such a shocking defeat."
Wenger was asked whether he felt his players had let him down. "They did not let me down, I think we let our ambitions down as a unit," he said. "You could blame and blame. We have to stick together and win the next game.
"The players were very ambitious in this Champions League. They are the first to be very sad. We felt powerless today to get into the game.
"I cannot say that I got everything perfect when we lost 4-0. I don't believe we made big tactical mistakes. We did not have any other choices. I felt we were weak in some departments. I felt we could have some problems in some departments but I didn't think we would not score."
The condition of the relaid San Siro turf was widely condemned, although Wenger did not seek to use it as an excuse. "It would not be fair to blame the pitch, even if the pitch is a disaster," he said. "Our performance was at the level of the pitch. It was a shocking result and a shocking performance.
"Let's be realistic. We don't play in a dream world. Maybe we have 2% or 5% statistically [to advance].
"We have to show a completely different performance and you never know. But, you have to say, realistically, we are out of the competition."
Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 15 Feb 12
Zlatan Ibrahimovic comes back to haunt Arsenal on a painful night
Arsène Wenger called it his club's worst night in European competition, a 4-0 defeat devised and concluded by a player he might once have signed. Now Zlatan Ibrahimovic came back to haunt the north London club, dismantling Wenger's defence time and again before finishing them off from the penalty spot.
This was a display that underlined the painful truth of the 17 points separating Wenger's team from the Premier League leaders and revealed how much work remains to be done before claims of a revival can be made with any confidence. Against opponents as experienced as Milan they have only an infinitesimal chance of redeeming themselves at the Emirates Stadium in a fortnight and making further progress in this season's Champions League.
It is a virtual certainty, then, that they will be playing in Europe's top competition next season only if they succeed in finishing in the top four of the league. Based on the way they played last night, any assessment of that prospect would have to be deeply pessimistic. The financial consequences would be grave and criticism of Wenger's recent record – muted by signs of recovery in the past couple of weeks – would become more strident.
After inspecting the San Siro pitch, with its strips of recently relaid turf down both flanks, Wenger criticised the surface on the eve of the match. He returned to the subject in the aftermath of defeat, but from a different perspective. "It wouldn't be fair for me to blame the pitch, even if it was disastrous," he said. "Our performance was the same level as the pitch."
Milan's players could be seen replacing divots even during the warm-up but they adapted far more convincingly to the conditions – and one man in particular did so. A dozen years ago Wenger showed an interest in a gawky teenage striker who travelled from Sweden to London to meet the Arsenal manager but was unimpressed by the Frenchman's request to take part in a trial. When Ibrahimovic eventually left Malmo, it was for Ajax. Two years ago he returned to score twice for Barcelona at the Emirates and on Wednesday night, wearing the red and black stripes of Milan, he redoubled the pain despite scoring only once.
Never again will English critics be entitled to cast aspersions on Ibrahimovic's ability to perform on a big occasion. Ineffective as he may have been in November's friendly against Fabio Capello's side at Wembley, on Wednesday night he teased Arsenal to distraction. Had his team-mates capitalised on even half his promptings, the margin of victory would have been doubled.
Arsenal's supporters would have been glimpsing hope in the sight of a team sheet containing a recognisable line-up of defenders but it took only a quarter of an hour for Milan to puncture their optimism. Kevin-Prince Boateng located a fissure between the centre-backs and sent a powerful volley dipping under the crossbar.
Until then Arsenal's rearguard had just about coped with the task of smothering Milan's deliberate approach play, even when their own team-mates played them into danger. Although travelling to Milan still beset by the absence of important players, Wenger was able to field his first-choice back four for the first time in six months. Bacary Sagna, Laurent Koscielny, Thomas Vermaelen and Kieran Gibbs started the opening match of the Premier League campaign, at Newcastle United, and were reassembled for the Champions League play-off tie against Udinese at home on 12 August, keeping clean sheets on both occasions. Until last night that was the sum total of their contribution to the season as a unit but their reunion was not to be a happy one.
They may have been encouraged by the sight of Clarence Seedorf disappearing down the tunnel after only 12 minutes with what appeared to be a muscle strain. Uniquely distinguished as a four-times winner of the European Cup with three different clubs, the 35-year-old began the match in his customary unruffled fashion, easing himself into relevant positions as he established a rhythm for his colleagues. His departure, it seemed, could only be good news. Any such comfort, however, proved illusory. First came Milan's opening goal, followed in the 38th minute by another blow. Ibrahimovic drifted lazily past Sagna down the left and rolled the ball casually with his studs before clipping in a centre from the byline that Robinho headed past Wojciech Szczesny with as much effort as he might have expended on lighting a cigarette.
It was 20 years ago that Vanessa Redgrave, taken by her Italian ex-husband to see Milan beat Gothenburg 4-0 with Marco van Basten scoring all four, likened a big European occasion at San Siro to a first night at La Scala. The stadium had not exactly been rocking as the match began, an attendance of 64,000 leaving large tracts of empty seating in the stalls and upper circle, suggesting either the effects of a 30% unemployment rate among young Italians or a certain blasé attitude among the supporters of a club whose seven victories put them second only to Real Madrid's nine. But the tangible evidence of Milan's superiority over the representatives of English football as defined by the second-half goals for Robinho and Ibrahimovic got the songs going and the flags waving, with the Arsenal contingent reduced to silent contemplation of an uncertain future.
Source: Richard Williams, The Guardian on 15 Feb 12
Five talking points from Milan's 4-0 defeat of Arsenal
It felt like a humiliation for Arsenal
It was almost a year ago to the day that Arsenal beat Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium, a result that Arsène Wenger rates among the finest of his career. This was one of the ugliest and it served as a shuddering check to the momentum that he felt his team had built over the previous four games. This was Arsenal's Mr Hyde side. Defensively abject, they were led a less-than-merry dance by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who also ended his hoodoo of failing to score for Italian clubs in Champions League knockout ties. Milan played very well, as they sought revenge for the last-16 miseries visited upon them in recent years by Premier League clubs, but it was hard to spare Arsenal from stinging criticism. Their passing lacked accuracy and tempo, while there were smears for many reputations. The fight for the right to re-enter next season's Champions League felt a little pointless after this.
Arsenal defensive reunion falls flat
Wenger was finally able to start his strongest back four (although the injured Brazil left-back André Santos may argue with this contention). Only in the season's first two fixtures had the manager been able to pick the quartet and there was cruelty, if not the sense of inevitability, that they lasted only 44 minutes together, Laurent Koscielny's enforced withdrawal with a knee injury creating yet more work for the club's medical staff. Wenger could rage at his defence, before and after Koscielny's withdrawal for the clumsy Johan Djourou; there was a ragged feel to them, a lack of tightness about their marking and positional play. Milan exposed their flimsy attempts to hold a line, with the excellent Ibrahimovic gliding away to create his team's second, and it was uncomfortable to witness the space that Milan repeatedly found in the final third. Thomas Vermaelen, in particular, will not want to remember the tie. He slipped on more than one occasion and was made to pay on Robinho's second goal.
The pitch did not fit the occasion
The state of the San Siro turf is not a new concern. Since the third tier of this imposing arena was added for Italia 90, affecting the light on the turf, re-lays have been the norm. But Arsenal privately wondered why one of them had to come on Monday morning, a little over 48 hours before one of the season's biggest games. Their fear that a Machiavellian hand was at work was reinforced by the fact that only the wings had been returfed, the areas where Arsenal like to attack at pace. Did it influence Wenger's decision to leave Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench? The manager had voiced his grievances on Tuesday night, describing the pitch as "worrying" and "terrible". That Uefa had to pass it as playable after the heavy rollers had departed at 9am on Tuesday told its own story. It was inevitable that the surface would cut up. It was a blot on the spectacle.
Adieu Thierry
Barring a third coming, this was Thierry Henry's farewell to the Arsenal shirt; Wenger was unable to secure the 10-day extension to the loan from the New York Red Bulls and the club legend heads back to the States on Thursday. This was not how Henry wanted to sign off from an encouraging spell, marked by important goals and charisma in the dressing-room. Never mind his limited impact as a half-time substitute here, the result would have cut him to the core. There was to be no fairytale. His Arsenal goals' tally stays at 229. But the question about the cover for Robin van Persie remains. Marouane Chamakh and Park Chu-young, Wenger's back-up centre-forwards, were fit but neither travelled to Milan. Although Gervinho, who is predominantly a winger, should be available for Saturday's FA Cup tie at Sunderland, after the Africa Cup of Nations, an injury to Van Persie does not bear thinking about.
Boateng's not bad for a Spurs reject
Kevin-Prince Boateng was not supposed to feature here. The attacking midfielder had been struggling with a series of muscular injuries which, according to his girlfriend, was a result of them having sex "seven to 10 times a week". It was fair to assume that he was on a promise after this game, following his sensational opening goal, which showcased beautiful technique and embellished a performance that radiated menace. Yes, Tottenham fans, this really is the same Kevin-Prince Boateng who flattered to deceive, to put it mildly, after his £5m transfer to White Hart Lane. The Ghana international featured in one of the game's urban myths during his time in the wilderness at Spurs; he was said to have played some seven-a-side football in Essex with mere civilians. The story goes that he was incredible. Arsenal are now fully acquainted with his threat.
Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 15 Feb 12
Arsenal's defence all at sea in Champions League thumping
A side with this many deficiencies cannot hope to find oxygen in the Champions League. Arsenal did not manage a shot on target until the 66th minute and, by that point, they were three goals down. They were dishevelled to the point Milan should have turned it into an even more harrowing ordeal. Arrigo Sacchi, the former Milan coach, had told Gazzetta dello Sport this was "the worst Arsenal side in 10 years", and Wenger, usually so protective of his team, was unsparing in his condemnation. Arsenal's manager used words such as "shocking" and "disaster". He summed it up as "one of those nights you will never forget".
His team had barely been recognisable from the side that won here so thrillingly in 2008. They lost their nerve as soon as Kevin-Prince Boateng lashed in the opening goal and, by the end, it was difficult to identify a single redeeming feature. Their passing lacked accuracy, they did not close down the ball, their defending was atrocious. Sacchi's assessment felt brutally close to the truth on a night when Milan were superior in every department.
This was the evening when Robinho reminded us why Manchester City once made him the most expensive footballer in Britain, an elusive opponent contributing a goal either side of half-time. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was even more impressive, as though affronted by the accusation that he sometimes vanishes at this stage of the competition. This was a footballer at the point of maximum expression and it was his penalty that made it 4-0 and extinguished any faint hopes of Arsenal turning the tie upside down in the return leg on 6 March. "We don't live in dream world," Wenger said. "We may have a 2% chance, or 5%, but realistically we are out."
It was a terrible way for Thierry Henry, brought on at half-time, to end his loan spell from New York Red Bulls, and it is tempting to wonder whether these are the moments that will prey on Robin van Persie's mind when he comes to deciding his future. A player of Van Persie's ability is entitled to want a team that have realistic aspirations of success. Arsenal are 17 points adrift in the Premier League and maybe even further away in Europe. The restoration work will take years on the evidence of this humiliation.
For the first 10 minutes they knocked the ball around nicely, demonstrating some of the calm that is needed when the volume is cranked up and the curva sud is holding up a banner that reads "7 Coppe Dei Campioni". But the way Arsenal wilted after Boateng's goal revealed a team with fragile self-belief. Rarely has Thomas Vermaelen looked so susceptible, partly to blame for two of the goals. Theo Walcott was so ineffective he was removed at half-time. Van Persie was isolated in attack, frustrated by the lack of support. Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey looked one-paced and, as if things could get any worse, Arsenal also lost Laurent Koscielny to a knee injury in the first half.
Milan had lost their captain, Clarence Seedorf, even earlier but were tremendous from the moment, after 15 minutes, when Antonio Nocerino chipped a ball into the path of Boateng and he struck his volley so sumptuously it felt like a trick of the mind to remember the player who had been so forgettable during his brief spell at Tottenham Hotspur. Boateng was at an angle when it was audacious even to try to beat Wojciech Szczesny. It was not quite Marco van Basten territory, but the force of the shot was similar. It was an extraordinary goal, flying in off the underside of the crossbar. From then onwards, Arsenal simply capitulated.
Even before Robinho headed in the second goal there was the clear sense of a team hanging on. One slip from Vermaelen left Robinho running clear, with Ibrahimovic in support, only to lose his balance and allow Koscielny to make a saving interception. Then Ibrahimovic found space on the left flank and advanced purposefully before rolling the ball under his foot and casually picking out Robinho inside the six-yard area. The Brazilian angled his header into the far corner.
It was another Vermaelen slip that allowed Robinho to turn in the third four minutes into the second half, thumping his shot into the bottom corner after Ibrahimovic's sideways pass had actually been marginally over-hit.
Then the substitute Johan Djourou brought down Ibrahimovic and his penalty completed a night Wenger, visibly suffering, described as "our worst ever in Europe".
Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 15 Feb 12
Wenger's reaction to the AC Milan 4-0 Arsenal match
It was of those nights you never forget. It is our worst night in Europe, we were punished and deservedly so. We were very poor offensively and defensively. We were beaten everywhere. There was not one moment in the 90 minutes we were really in the game. What made it worse is that we had to chase the game. It was always the same problem, balls over the top and we were well beaten.
It is difficult to analyse. I think it is better not to talk too much. We need to analyse with a cooler header and regroup for the next game.
on the focus now...
We will focus on our next games, the season is not finished. We have a big game on Saturday, which is a good opportunity to show we have character and mental strength and that we can respond after such a shocking defeat.
on the reasons for the defeat...
You could blame and blame. We have to stick together and win the next game. The players were very ambitious in this Champions League. They are the first to be very sad. We felt powerless today to get really into the game.
I cannot say I got everything perfect when we lost 4-0 but I don't believe we made big tactical mistakes. We did not have any other choices. I felt we were weak in some departments. I felt we could have some problems in some departments but I did not think we would not score.
on the chances of a knock-on effect...
There is a danger. A big disappointment like that has consequences on your belief. We have a lot of work to regroup and not a lot of time to prepare for Saturday's game. We need to show something completely different on Saturday.
on Arsenal's chances of progression now...
Let's be realistic, we don't play in dream world. Maybe two per cent or five per cent statistically. We have to show a completely different performance and you never know. But, you have to say, realistically, we are out of the competition.
on Koscielny...
It's a knee problem. We'll see [what happens].
Source: Arsenal.com on 15 Feb 12
15 February 2012: AC Milan 4-0 Arsenal, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
Arsène Wenger’s side went down 4-0 at the San Siro on Wednesday evening in the Knockout Round first leg.
This stadium has played host to a couple of incredible victories for Arsenal Football Club. This, however, was the polar opposite.
Milan were the better team on the night and deserved their win - only the margin can be in dispute. Kevin-Prince Boateng’s thunderous effort gave them the lead on the quarter-hour and Robinho added a brace either side of the interval to put the game, if not the tie, to bed.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic added a fourth from a contentious penalty 11 minutes from time. It was a body blow.
Arsenal had their moments and Christian Abbiati made two fine saves from Robin van Persie. However, the visitors could not find that crucial away goal.
This was a sombre night for Wenger’s men and an entirely unfitting finale for Thierry Henry’s brief sojourn.
The Frenchman will be about to start his MLS campaign by the time the second leg comes around.
The self-confessed Arsenal fan will surely be hoping and praying that his old side can pull off something incredible.
Before kick-off, Wenger’s teamsheet had made interesting reading.
After the injury to Per Mertesacker at Sunderland, the manager decided to move Thomas Vermaelen into his more familiar role in central defence. Kieran Gibbs filled the left-back berth vacated by the Belgian. It was the Englishman’s first appearance since October 16.
The only other change from Saturday saw Aaron Ramsey replace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Welshman came into central midfield with Tomas Rosicky moving out to the flank.
Henry was involved for the last time as an Arsenal player. As usual, the Frenchman began on the bench but the past six weeks had proved how hard it was to keep him out of the limelight.
A packed, vibrant San Siro is one of football’s greatest sights. Arsenal had history here – that 5-1 win against Inter in 2003 and the 2-0 victory over tonight’s opponents four years ago.
The latter was a second-leg success that clinched the tie. Having won their group, Arsenal knew they had the luxury of a second leg at Emirates Stadium.
However, this was still a massive night for Wenger’s side. And their 5,000-strong support was bolstered by Jack Wishere, Andre Santos and Carl Jenkinson who travelled out on the morning of the game and would travel back with the team after the game.
In the build-up to this tie, Wenger had called on his side to be “audacious” but he also predicted Milan would attack. As a result, the early stages were remarkably open.
The Italians had the edge. Clarence Seedorf hit the sidenetting, his only contribution before hobbling off in the 12th minute, and Ignazio Abate saw a deflected shot fly just over. Then Seedorf’s replacement, Urby Emanuelson, sidefooted wide on the quarter-hour.
Arsenal had looked promising in the opening seconds when Rosicky hacked an effort wide but it was clear that the hosts had the advantage.
And, in the 16th minute, they had the lead too.
The build-up was simple but the finish was stunning. Emanuelson chipped Boateng into space down the right-hand channel. The midfielder chested the ball down and, from a narrowing angle, crashed home a thunderous shot that flew in off the underside of the bar.
Arsenal had been tentative and Milan had seized the moment.
The hosts immediately started the search for a second. Ibrahimovic found Antonio Nocerino in space on the right and his powerful drive flew just over.
The Swedish striker then chased down Vermaelen and, fortunately for Arsenal, pushed him over in the area just as he appeared to have won the ball.
Laurent Koscielny headed into the hands of Abbiati but the visitors could not sustain pressure.
Milan were pestering Arsenal into giving them possession. In the 35th minute, Vermaelen lost the ball to Robinho on the halfway line and only a perfectly-timed challenge by Koscielny stopped a second.
However, the wait would be painfully short.
Seven minutes from the whistle, Ibrahimovic raced down the left, reached the byline and clipped the ball back for Robinho guide a header into the far post.
A minute or so later, the Brazilian’s sweeping cross to the far post looked destined for the head of the swooping Swede. However, Sagna just did enough to scruffily smuggle the ball away from the striker.
Matters got worse for Arsenal before the break when Koscielny hobbled off. Johan Djourou was the replacement.
On the whistle Milan had two chances to add to their tally - both set up by Ibrahimovic, who had been outstanding so far.
First he held off Djourou deep in his own half and curled a long, low pass into the path of Boateng, who blasted wide.
Then he weighted a through ball for Luca Antonini, who rolled his shot inches past the far post.
It had been a chastening 45 minutes for Wenger’s side but they went into the break knowing an away goal would change the complexion of the tie.
You presume that is why Wenger brought Henry at the break. The Frenchman, a replacement for Walcott, went straight up front with Van Persie tucking in behind and Ramsey moving to the right.
It was a bold move but the formation had no time to settle before Arsenal conceded again.
Four minutes after the restart, Ibrahimovic nudged square pass toward Robinho on the edge of the area. Vermaelen, his marker, slipped over at the crucial moment and Song arrived too late to prevent him firing a third into the corner.
Arsenal now needed an away goal – badly. They started push forward and, on the hour, were nearly picked off on the counter. Emmanuelson and Robinho lead the charge after Abbiati punched out Arteta’s corner. But, when the ball found its way to the unmarked Antononi, the midfielder shanked his shot wide.
However, overall, Arsenal had been a more attacking force since the break. Ramsey headed over from Van Persie’s corner. Then, in the 65th minute, the visitors fashioned their clearest chance of the game.
Song swung in a cross from the right and Henry’s flick looped up for Van Persie to volley. It was destined for the corner but Abbiati managed to tip the ball around the past.
The keeper’s fingers were still stinging when Oxlade-Chamberlain replaced Gibbs shortly afterwards. Arsenal now went 4-4-2 with Song dropping to centre back and Vermaelen moving to the left again.
Fifteen minutes from time, the Belgian's cross was inadvertently headed up for a Van Persie volley by Philippe Mexes. Again the striker could only find Abbiati.
Arsenal were now threatening. But Milan had hardly given up their attacking ambitions. Eleven minutes from time, Ibrahimovic tumbled under a challenge from Djourou and referee Victor Kassai pointed to the spot. The Swedish striker found the net from 12 yards.
The perspective might have changed slightly if Van Persie’s far-post had sneaked home in the dying minutes but, once again, Abbiati batted the ball away.
Szcezsny beat out Emanuelson's fierce shot at the end. That would have been harsh on Arsenal on a night when nothing went right.
Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 15 Feb 12
Arsenal aim to find streetwise edge against Milan in Champions League
San Siro no longer holds the same fear for English sides, but Arsène Wenger's Arsenal team lack the confidence of old
By now, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza no longer feels quite like the bearpit of old. Arsenal have won their past two visits to this famous old stadium.
Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have all silenced the curva sud and curva nord in the past four years and the Milan coach, Massimiliano Allegri, was facing questions here on Tuesday night about whether they were in danger of developing an inferiority complex against English opponents.
That is not to say San Siro, under the lights, with the Champions League anthem blaring, is no longer one of the great football challenges for a side from the Premier League, but this is an unusual time for Milan. They are top of Serie A, yet generating only modest acclaim for their performances and widely seen as falling short when it comes to what it takes to win Europe's premier club competition.
Carlo Ancelotti, twice a winner during his eight-year tenure at Milan, has already said he sees it as beyond them. Arrigo Sacchi, another former manager, has been scathing in his criticisms. Sacchi is 65 and, after one defeat at Lazio, talked of having "doubts that some of the players were not my age".
All of which would be fairly encouraging for Arsenal had they not given the impression this season that it would be an ever greater leap of faith to imagine them standing on the podium in Munich on 19 May. Arsène Wenger's side are currently 17 points off Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
They have conceded more away goals than any other team bar 20th-placed Wigan Athletic and fourth-from-bottom Blackburn Rovers, and it is only a few weeks since the Arsenal crowd subjected Wenger to the most vitriolic abuse of his 15 years at the club. Ancelotti was asked about Arsenal's chances and was polite but dismissive. "I'm not sure they're thinking they can win the Champions League."
Wenger, naturally, disagreed. "If I thought we had no chance I would stay at home. I don't like to waste my time." However, there was an admission that his current team are not as accomplished as the one that played Milan in 2008, when the reigning European champions could not score a goal over two legs against their English opposition.
"We were top of the league and we had a young team that went into that match full of confidence," Wenger reminisced. "Now we are a team building confidence. Football is interesting because you can win everywhere. We have already shown we can win everywhere. I have full confidence in my team to do it."
If so, they may need to rediscover the kind of streetwise edge that has been missing far too often since that last encounter with Milan, arguably Arsenal's last great knockout victory in Europe. The best Champions League teams tend to play with control and concentration and Arsenal displayed all those qualities inside San Siro that evening, winning courtesy of late goals from Cesc Fábregas and Emmanuel Adebayor. Four years on, it is a reflection of the upheaval they have since encountered that only one player from the starting XI, Bacary Sagna, will be in Wenger's lineup this time.
Milan are going through their own period of change and, like Arsenal, it has not always been to the liking of their crowd. A perception has grown that they have sacrificed some of the old panache to play in a more functional manner — epitomised, perhaps, by the presence of the Dutch enforcer Mark van Bommel in midfield. More perspiration, less inspiration. Or as Allegri put it: "You can't always dine on lobster and caviar. Every now and again you have to be satisfied with a ham sandwich."
After being unbeaten at San Siro for 13 months they have lost twice on their own ground in the last few weeks. They are also beset by injury problems, with 13 players missing their victory at Udinese last weekend. It was their first win in four matches and Juventus have closed the gap at the top of Serie A to two points, with a couple of games in hand.
For a club at the top of the league, the mood in Milan seems unexpectedly pessimistic, especially when also taking into account that Arsenal have so many injury concerns of their own that Wenger is considering fielding a deliberately weakened side in the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Sunderland on Saturday.
By then, Thierry Henry will have returned to the New York Red Bulls, the Milan trip ending a loan arrangement that has so far brought him three goals in six appearances. Wenger talked about having tried to extend the loan but being unable to convince the Major League Soccer side to be without their captain any longer when their own season starts in a couple of weeks. Henry has fond memories of San Siro after scoring twice here when Arsenal trounced Internazionale 5-1 in 2003, but it was the 2-0 against Milan five years later that Wenger recalled.
"Are we stronger or not? I will give you the answer after the game." Whatever happens, he will need some remarkable powers of persuasion to convince most observers that the current team, sans Fábregas, William Gallas, Alexander Hleb, Mathieu Flamini, Adebayor and the other heroes of 2008, are a superior bunch.
But having come this far, he could be forgiven for not wanting to believe Ancelotti.
Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 14 Feb 12
By now, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza no longer feels quite like the bearpit of old. Arsenal have won their past two visits to this famous old stadium.
Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have all silenced the curva sud and curva nord in the past four years and the Milan coach, Massimiliano Allegri, was facing questions here on Tuesday night about whether they were in danger of developing an inferiority complex against English opponents.
That is not to say San Siro, under the lights, with the Champions League anthem blaring, is no longer one of the great football challenges for a side from the Premier League, but this is an unusual time for Milan. They are top of Serie A, yet generating only modest acclaim for their performances and widely seen as falling short when it comes to what it takes to win Europe's premier club competition.
Carlo Ancelotti, twice a winner during his eight-year tenure at Milan, has already said he sees it as beyond them. Arrigo Sacchi, another former manager, has been scathing in his criticisms. Sacchi is 65 and, after one defeat at Lazio, talked of having "doubts that some of the players were not my age".
All of which would be fairly encouraging for Arsenal had they not given the impression this season that it would be an ever greater leap of faith to imagine them standing on the podium in Munich on 19 May. Arsène Wenger's side are currently 17 points off Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
They have conceded more away goals than any other team bar 20th-placed Wigan Athletic and fourth-from-bottom Blackburn Rovers, and it is only a few weeks since the Arsenal crowd subjected Wenger to the most vitriolic abuse of his 15 years at the club. Ancelotti was asked about Arsenal's chances and was polite but dismissive. "I'm not sure they're thinking they can win the Champions League."
Wenger, naturally, disagreed. "If I thought we had no chance I would stay at home. I don't like to waste my time." However, there was an admission that his current team are not as accomplished as the one that played Milan in 2008, when the reigning European champions could not score a goal over two legs against their English opposition.
"We were top of the league and we had a young team that went into that match full of confidence," Wenger reminisced. "Now we are a team building confidence. Football is interesting because you can win everywhere. We have already shown we can win everywhere. I have full confidence in my team to do it."
If so, they may need to rediscover the kind of streetwise edge that has been missing far too often since that last encounter with Milan, arguably Arsenal's last great knockout victory in Europe. The best Champions League teams tend to play with control and concentration and Arsenal displayed all those qualities inside San Siro that evening, winning courtesy of late goals from Cesc Fábregas and Emmanuel Adebayor. Four years on, it is a reflection of the upheaval they have since encountered that only one player from the starting XI, Bacary Sagna, will be in Wenger's lineup this time.
Milan are going through their own period of change and, like Arsenal, it has not always been to the liking of their crowd. A perception has grown that they have sacrificed some of the old panache to play in a more functional manner — epitomised, perhaps, by the presence of the Dutch enforcer Mark van Bommel in midfield. More perspiration, less inspiration. Or as Allegri put it: "You can't always dine on lobster and caviar. Every now and again you have to be satisfied with a ham sandwich."
After being unbeaten at San Siro for 13 months they have lost twice on their own ground in the last few weeks. They are also beset by injury problems, with 13 players missing their victory at Udinese last weekend. It was their first win in four matches and Juventus have closed the gap at the top of Serie A to two points, with a couple of games in hand.
For a club at the top of the league, the mood in Milan seems unexpectedly pessimistic, especially when also taking into account that Arsenal have so many injury concerns of their own that Wenger is considering fielding a deliberately weakened side in the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Sunderland on Saturday.
By then, Thierry Henry will have returned to the New York Red Bulls, the Milan trip ending a loan arrangement that has so far brought him three goals in six appearances. Wenger talked about having tried to extend the loan but being unable to convince the Major League Soccer side to be without their captain any longer when their own season starts in a couple of weeks. Henry has fond memories of San Siro after scoring twice here when Arsenal trounced Internazionale 5-1 in 2003, but it was the 2-0 against Milan five years later that Wenger recalled.
"Are we stronger or not? I will give you the answer after the game." Whatever happens, he will need some remarkable powers of persuasion to convince most observers that the current team, sans Fábregas, William Gallas, Alexander Hleb, Mathieu Flamini, Adebayor and the other heroes of 2008, are a superior bunch.
But having come this far, he could be forgiven for not wanting to believe Ancelotti.
Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 14 Feb 12
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Sunderland fans salute Arsenal's storybook goalscorer Thierry Henry
Happily an antidote was delivered on Wearside. Widely accused, thoroughly erroneously, of forcing Steve Bruce out of the manager's office because he is a Geordie, not to mention being overly demanding, Sunderland fans have had a bad press lately.
On Saturday, though, not only Martin O'Neill but Thierry Henry and Arsène Wenger queued up to sing their praises after Henry signed off from a Premier League sabbatical by volleying Arsenal's 90th-minute winner.
The Frenchman, who returns to the New York Red Bulls immediately after Arsenal's Champions League tie in Milan on Wednesday, had begun on the bench but soon found himself the subject of generous serenades from home supporters when he warmed up and, later, replaced the well-shackled Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
"It was an amazing feeling," said Henry who connected with Andrey Arshavin's whipped-in, lobbed cross before finishing adroitly from close range. "It's always been a pleasure to come to Sunderland. I've always found this a very special place to play football and, when I was warming up, the fans near me started clapping.
"The atmosphere was fantastic and, with it being my last Premier League game, to score in the 90th minute was so special, something really magical. Andrey's cross was amazing, all I had to do was get a touch. It was so emotional."
Farewells are rarely more fitting but was it really the 34-year-old's last goodbye? "Sometimes you never know when something is going to end," said Henry. "I guess you can never say never. I never thought I was going to come back and play for Arsenal now. Who knows if I can say that this was definitely the end? We'll see."
O'Neill's instinct is that Wenger's star protege may return. "He doesn't have the same pace as before but he's still a very fine player," said Sunderland's manager, who must hope the Football Association does not elect to review footage of Stéphane Sessègnon's apparent, unpunished, stamp on Mikel Arteta. "You wouldn't be surprised if he comes back."
Henry's expert volleying technique certainly served as a sophisticated airbrush here, smoothing out the blemishes in a generally undistinguished away display in which Bacary Sagna and Alex Song proved Arsenal's best individuals and Wenger's initially bleak mood was exacerbated by the need to scrape technical area mud off his smartly polished shoes.
Having enjoyed a lucky first-half escape when the referee controversially declined to award Sunderland a penalty for Per Mertesacker's handball, Arsenal fell behind after the German defender's stumble allowed the irrepressible James McClean to sweep in a low, angled, left-foot shot.
In attempting to control the ball Arsenal's centre-half tore ankle ligaments but this latest cloud on Wenger's horizon came silver-lined. With virtually his first touch, Mertesacker's replacement, Aaron Ramsey, equalised.
Ceding Arsenal plenty of possession and playing on the break a tiring Sunderland looked poised for a point. Then, with time evaporating and McClean, Craig Gardner and John O'Shea vying for man of the match honours, Wenger withdrew the disappointing Theo Walcott and introduced Arshavin. Four minutes later the Russian centred and, dodging Michael Turner, the day's departing hero did the rest.
"I told the lads that Sunderland have played so well since Martin O'Neill arrived that we should be really happy with the win," said Henry. During his original Arsenal pomp the idea of being relieved at victory on Wearside would have been risible but Wenger's infinitely more fragile class of 2012 is engaged in a fight with Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool to simply finish fourth.
"We've gone through a bit of a crisis, losing a few games," acknowledged Arsenal's manager whose side return to the Stadium of Light for Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie. "Young players' confidence can drop quickly but Thierry helped keep us positive. He's been fantastic off the pitch and, on it, he's given us a big boost now. Let's hope we can continue like this without him."
Man of the match: Craig Gardner (Sunderland)
Source: Louise Taylor, The Guardian on 12 Feb 12
Arsenal and Chelsea may struggle to tame shrewd Serie A teams
The resurgence of Italian clubs in the Champions League has coincided with a blossoming of imaginative coaches
It is peculiar to find that the Serie A sides have an element of surprise in their repertoire. After all, Italian football has often been synonymous with excellence, as well as a little cunning to add a tang to the sophistication. Few expected them to outnumber the English clubs in the last 16 of the Champions League. Indeed this is the first time it has happened in a round of the tournament that replaced the dreary, second group phase for the 2003-04 campaign.
It might be a statistical quirk, but there was nothing freakish about, say, Napoli drawing with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this season and then beating them at the Stadio San Paolo in group stage matches that did much to eliminate Roberto Mancini's side from the tournament. The Serie A club, managed by Walter Mazzarri, were never behind in either game.
Napoli's encounter with Chelsea begins next week and Arsenal, on Wednesday, have first to take on Milan at San Siro. There is encouragement in the fact that the Premier League clubs each topped their group to secure home advantage for the return leg, but the possibility exists that there will be no English participants in the quarter-finals. No one can claim that Chelsea or Arsenal have exercised much authority on the domestic front.
That aspect does at least add to the intrigue of the Champions League and a resurgence by Italian teams is welcome since the Champions League badly needs more diversity in its latter stages. It cannot come as a shock that Serie A has a leading role once more, but the circumstances are radically altered. Although Internazionale, under José Mourinho's management, were champions of Europe as recently as 2010 and retain many of the players involved then, there is less bombast now that owners have to fret more than ever about funding.
The turmoil in the Eurozone will do some harm even to a trading partner such as the United Kingdom that lies outside it, but apprehension is far more marked on the continent.
Financial constraints prevent much of the exuberant spending that once seemed to characterise owners such as Silvio Berlusconi at Milan. If any counterpart exists now it would be Sheikh Mansour and the extraordinary outlay he has authorised for Manchester City, but that was surely being done to make an impact in the period before the forthcoming financial fair play regulations take effect.
If wealth can, in practice, be kept at bay it will be richness of imagination in coaches and managers that is the greatest affluence. Some are well-accustomed to those strictures and it hardly seems to occur to Sir Alex Ferguson that he ought be able to go on a spree at a club of Manchester United's means and global popularity. Parsimony, of course, was not quite so much in favour with the crowd after their side was edged out of the Champions League by Basel.
Even so, we may be entering the era when the richness of a manager's thinking is the true opulence.
Luis Enrique, with his 62 caps for Spain, might have been viewed as a permanent member of the elite, but, in practice, he devoted the best part of three seasons to managing the Barcelona B team. That paved the way for him to take charge of Roma this season.
He may not have conquered Serie A immediately, but his side, in sixth place, are only a point behind Internazionale. Indeed those opponents were recently crushed 4-0 by Roma. There is, too, an emphasis on the evaluation of players, with the winger Rodrigo Taddei converted to full-back. By the same token, someone like Fabio Borini, once on Chelsea's books, has had an increased impact since joining Roma where his goals led to a permanent transfer for some £4m being agreed with Parma last month.
The economics are affecting football, but it at least means that there is little to be taken for granted. Acumen can be sensed anywhere, but Serie A football in particular, once known for an extravagance verging on exhibitionism, now appears to draw more on prudence. In a different form, such shrewdness will make life difficult for Arsenal and Chelsea.
Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 13 Feb 12
It is peculiar to find that the Serie A sides have an element of surprise in their repertoire. After all, Italian football has often been synonymous with excellence, as well as a little cunning to add a tang to the sophistication. Few expected them to outnumber the English clubs in the last 16 of the Champions League. Indeed this is the first time it has happened in a round of the tournament that replaced the dreary, second group phase for the 2003-04 campaign.
It might be a statistical quirk, but there was nothing freakish about, say, Napoli drawing with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this season and then beating them at the Stadio San Paolo in group stage matches that did much to eliminate Roberto Mancini's side from the tournament. The Serie A club, managed by Walter Mazzarri, were never behind in either game.
Napoli's encounter with Chelsea begins next week and Arsenal, on Wednesday, have first to take on Milan at San Siro. There is encouragement in the fact that the Premier League clubs each topped their group to secure home advantage for the return leg, but the possibility exists that there will be no English participants in the quarter-finals. No one can claim that Chelsea or Arsenal have exercised much authority on the domestic front.
That aspect does at least add to the intrigue of the Champions League and a resurgence by Italian teams is welcome since the Champions League badly needs more diversity in its latter stages. It cannot come as a shock that Serie A has a leading role once more, but the circumstances are radically altered. Although Internazionale, under José Mourinho's management, were champions of Europe as recently as 2010 and retain many of the players involved then, there is less bombast now that owners have to fret more than ever about funding.
The turmoil in the Eurozone will do some harm even to a trading partner such as the United Kingdom that lies outside it, but apprehension is far more marked on the continent.
Financial constraints prevent much of the exuberant spending that once seemed to characterise owners such as Silvio Berlusconi at Milan. If any counterpart exists now it would be Sheikh Mansour and the extraordinary outlay he has authorised for Manchester City, but that was surely being done to make an impact in the period before the forthcoming financial fair play regulations take effect.
If wealth can, in practice, be kept at bay it will be richness of imagination in coaches and managers that is the greatest affluence. Some are well-accustomed to those strictures and it hardly seems to occur to Sir Alex Ferguson that he ought be able to go on a spree at a club of Manchester United's means and global popularity. Parsimony, of course, was not quite so much in favour with the crowd after their side was edged out of the Champions League by Basel.
Even so, we may be entering the era when the richness of a manager's thinking is the true opulence.
Luis Enrique, with his 62 caps for Spain, might have been viewed as a permanent member of the elite, but, in practice, he devoted the best part of three seasons to managing the Barcelona B team. That paved the way for him to take charge of Roma this season.
He may not have conquered Serie A immediately, but his side, in sixth place, are only a point behind Internazionale. Indeed those opponents were recently crushed 4-0 by Roma. There is, too, an emphasis on the evaluation of players, with the winger Rodrigo Taddei converted to full-back. By the same token, someone like Fabio Borini, once on Chelsea's books, has had an increased impact since joining Roma where his goals led to a permanent transfer for some £4m being agreed with Parma last month.
The economics are affecting football, but it at least means that there is little to be taken for granted. Acumen can be sensed anywhere, but Serie A football in particular, once known for an extravagance verging on exhibitionism, now appears to draw more on prudence. In a different form, such shrewdness will make life difficult for Arsenal and Chelsea.
Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 13 Feb 12
Monday, February 13, 2012
Who else?
Should we really be surprised that Thierry Henry signed off from the Premier League with a winning goal? He’s done it so many times before, yet his injury winner at Sunderland had that something extra special about it. It wasn’t that it was a wonder goal, it was just a poacher’s goal in the six yard box, but the goal was as important as it was symbolic.
Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 13 Feb 12
Forgetting that it was Henry who scored, the goal itself was vital in our fight for fourth. Just two and a half weeks ago, we were lamenting the state of the team after the 0-0 draw at Bolton. Now we’re in the position we hope to occupy at the end of the season. With other results going our way, a draw would have felt like another missed opportunity. We also had to build on the 7-1 win, and a draw wouldn’t have been good enough. Now, the fact we were ruthless against Blackburn is looking extremely handy, as we’re currently only ahead of Chelsea in the table on goals scored.
Sunderland have been in great form since Martin O’Neill took over, and made themselves extremely hard to break down. It was cold, the pitch was bad, the hosts were organised; the list could go on of reasons as to why the match that was a prime candidate for dropping points. The game also came at the start of a massive week for our season, with AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, and another trip to Sunderland in the FA Cup next Saturday. Suddenly the team are going into those matches off the back of two very different wins, but equally as important ones. The 2-1 win at Sunderland said more about how much we want to finish in the top four than the 7-1 did.
Sunderland have been in great form since Martin O’Neill took over, and made themselves extremely hard to break down. It was cold, the pitch was bad, the hosts were organised; the list could go on of reasons as to why the match that was a prime candidate for dropping points. The game also came at the start of a massive week for our season, with AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, and another trip to Sunderland in the FA Cup next Saturday. Suddenly the team are going into those matches off the back of two very different wins, but equally as important ones. The 2-1 win at Sunderland said more about how much we want to finish in the top four than the 7-1 did.
The way we conceded the goal was disappointing, but ultimately we can’t go throwing any blame around. It was a terrible bit of bad luck for Mertesacker to collapse injured when he did, allowing James McClean to score. It could have been as a result of the pitch, but the way he went down made it look quite serious. I’m a big fan of Mertesacker and think he has been good, even though he is still adapting to the Premier League. Hopefully the injury isn’t as bad as it looked.
We’re fortunate that Kieran Gibbs is returning from injury, so Thomas Vermaelen can slot back into the centre of defence alongside Koscielny. However it means we’re one injury away from potentially looking exposed in defence again. With big games coming up, the players returning from injury have to get back up to speed quickly.
Generally, we kept Sunderland at bay well until their goal. Wojciech Szczesny made a few important saves, showing that some of his slightly shaky moments in recent weeks are behind him. Otherwise, Sunderland didn’t commit too many players forward as they looked content to just watch us pass the ball in front of them. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain couldn’t reach the heights of his recent performances, while Theo Walcott was a bit wasteful in some promising positions. Arsene Wenger’s substitutions have been under the microscope since the Manchester United match, however all three of the players he introduced in the second had a massive impact on the game, and effectively won it for us. Wenger got it spot on.
When Mertesacker was stretchered off, it would have been easy to bring on Gibbs and move Vermaelen into the centre, but Ramsey was introduced instead. Within minutes of coming on, it was clear that he’d benefitted from a break from the team. I think he was on the end of some harsh, and often unfair, criticism during January, so I was really pleased to see him on the score sheet. There was some significant luck involved in his goal, with the ball hitting both posts, but with some of the bad luck he’s had in his young career, no-one can begrudge him a goal like that. It was also good to see someone shoot from the outside the box. With Sunderland sitting deeper and the space to slide a pass being limited, the shot from distance was a good option, and Ramsey’s shot was well hit given the bobbly pitch.
So onto the winning goal. Andrey Arshavin needs to have a good end to the season, he needs to make an impact. If he does what he did at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, his critics will be quiet. It was what makes Arshavin so infuriating. We all know he has a huge amount of talent, he just has to show it more often, and when it really matters. In injury time, he did show it when it really mattered. His cross from the left was perfect, it just needed someone perfect on the end to finish it.
Apart from Robin van Persie, I’m not sure if there is anyone else in world football I’d prefer to have on the end of a cross like that, than Thierry Henry. In all the minutes he’s been on the pitch in this loan spell, frankly, he hasn’t really done much; except for scoring three goals. Even at this stage of his career, that is what sets Henry apart from others. Even though he isn’t physically able to score the type of goals he used to, he is intelligent enough and clever enough to know where to be to score, and then stay calm when in that position. When Arshavin’s cross came in, it was no coincidence that Henry was between the two defenders, and then he opened his body up well and guided the ball in.
Honestly, I didn’t expect anything from this loan spell. Plus, as much as we Arsenal fans didn’t want to admit it, there was always that niggling fear that he might be terrible and score no goals. It wouldn’t have ruined his reputation or status at the club, but there would have been some disappointment and a tinge of sadness from fans. But why should we have doubted him? He is Thierry Henry. He has some much pride in his football, and even more pride when wearing the cannon on his chest, that he wouldn’t have allowed himself to let Arsenal down. He has enhanced his reputation, and his legend status at the club, and in the Premier League as a whole, has been assured. As long as the Premier League exists, people will talk about Thierry Henry, and he is 100% a Gooner.
His goals have been crucial. Leeds United was one of the most magical moments I’ve experienced in a football stadium, and it won us a match that we’d lacked a cutting edge in. The Blackburn goal was a bit scrappy, and was seemingly a bit meaningless, but now we’re level on goal difference with Chelsea, that could be vital by the end of the season. Also, in his last home match, the script writers weren’t going to let him not find the net. However he saved the most important goal for last, with the winner at Sunderland. Or was it his last goal? The San Siro awaits on Wednesday. Thierry has history there. You wouldn’t put it past him writing one last paragraph in his incredible Arsenal love story, the day after Valentines’ Day.
He has put a massive smile on the face of every Arsenal fan. Even if for fleeting moments, it’s occasionally felt like the good old days. From a playing point of view, it’ll be sad to see him go again later in the week. We’ll be back in a vulnerable position in the squad without reliable back up for Robin van Persie. However we need to be positive at the moment. Henry never truly left Arsenal, and he never will. I wouldn’t be surprised if a similar loan deal was done next season. The words don’t really exist to justify what Thierry Henry means to Arsenal fans, what Arsenal means to Thierry and what a legend he is. Thank you Thierry, you’re one of us, but you’re also an Arsenal fan that is one of the greatest players ever to have played in England. Thank you Arsene for signing him in the first place, and then for bringing him back.
We’re fortunate that Kieran Gibbs is returning from injury, so Thomas Vermaelen can slot back into the centre of defence alongside Koscielny. However it means we’re one injury away from potentially looking exposed in defence again. With big games coming up, the players returning from injury have to get back up to speed quickly.
Generally, we kept Sunderland at bay well until their goal. Wojciech Szczesny made a few important saves, showing that some of his slightly shaky moments in recent weeks are behind him. Otherwise, Sunderland didn’t commit too many players forward as they looked content to just watch us pass the ball in front of them. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain couldn’t reach the heights of his recent performances, while Theo Walcott was a bit wasteful in some promising positions. Arsene Wenger’s substitutions have been under the microscope since the Manchester United match, however all three of the players he introduced in the second had a massive impact on the game, and effectively won it for us. Wenger got it spot on.
When Mertesacker was stretchered off, it would have been easy to bring on Gibbs and move Vermaelen into the centre, but Ramsey was introduced instead. Within minutes of coming on, it was clear that he’d benefitted from a break from the team. I think he was on the end of some harsh, and often unfair, criticism during January, so I was really pleased to see him on the score sheet. There was some significant luck involved in his goal, with the ball hitting both posts, but with some of the bad luck he’s had in his young career, no-one can begrudge him a goal like that. It was also good to see someone shoot from the outside the box. With Sunderland sitting deeper and the space to slide a pass being limited, the shot from distance was a good option, and Ramsey’s shot was well hit given the bobbly pitch.
So onto the winning goal. Andrey Arshavin needs to have a good end to the season, he needs to make an impact. If he does what he did at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, his critics will be quiet. It was what makes Arshavin so infuriating. We all know he has a huge amount of talent, he just has to show it more often, and when it really matters. In injury time, he did show it when it really mattered. His cross from the left was perfect, it just needed someone perfect on the end to finish it.
Apart from Robin van Persie, I’m not sure if there is anyone else in world football I’d prefer to have on the end of a cross like that, than Thierry Henry. In all the minutes he’s been on the pitch in this loan spell, frankly, he hasn’t really done much; except for scoring three goals. Even at this stage of his career, that is what sets Henry apart from others. Even though he isn’t physically able to score the type of goals he used to, he is intelligent enough and clever enough to know where to be to score, and then stay calm when in that position. When Arshavin’s cross came in, it was no coincidence that Henry was between the two defenders, and then he opened his body up well and guided the ball in.
Honestly, I didn’t expect anything from this loan spell. Plus, as much as we Arsenal fans didn’t want to admit it, there was always that niggling fear that he might be terrible and score no goals. It wouldn’t have ruined his reputation or status at the club, but there would have been some disappointment and a tinge of sadness from fans. But why should we have doubted him? He is Thierry Henry. He has some much pride in his football, and even more pride when wearing the cannon on his chest, that he wouldn’t have allowed himself to let Arsenal down. He has enhanced his reputation, and his legend status at the club, and in the Premier League as a whole, has been assured. As long as the Premier League exists, people will talk about Thierry Henry, and he is 100% a Gooner.
His goals have been crucial. Leeds United was one of the most magical moments I’ve experienced in a football stadium, and it won us a match that we’d lacked a cutting edge in. The Blackburn goal was a bit scrappy, and was seemingly a bit meaningless, but now we’re level on goal difference with Chelsea, that could be vital by the end of the season. Also, in his last home match, the script writers weren’t going to let him not find the net. However he saved the most important goal for last, with the winner at Sunderland. Or was it his last goal? The San Siro awaits on Wednesday. Thierry has history there. You wouldn’t put it past him writing one last paragraph in his incredible Arsenal love story, the day after Valentines’ Day.
He has put a massive smile on the face of every Arsenal fan. Even if for fleeting moments, it’s occasionally felt like the good old days. From a playing point of view, it’ll be sad to see him go again later in the week. We’ll be back in a vulnerable position in the squad without reliable back up for Robin van Persie. However we need to be positive at the moment. Henry never truly left Arsenal, and he never will. I wouldn’t be surprised if a similar loan deal was done next season. The words don’t really exist to justify what Thierry Henry means to Arsenal fans, what Arsenal means to Thierry and what a legend he is. Thank you Thierry, you’re one of us, but you’re also an Arsenal fan that is one of the greatest players ever to have played in England. Thank you Arsene for signing him in the first place, and then for bringing him back.
Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 13 Feb 12
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Arsenal's Thierry Henry breaks sorry Sunderland hearts at home
All three Arsenal players had begun on the bench, with Henry applauded by Sunderland fans when he initially warmed up and then later replaced Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Little did those home supporters know what the striker, who returns to the New York Red Bulls on Thursday after the end of his loan stint, had in store for them, but even the most one-eyed would surely acknowledge it was some way to sign off from an emotional Premier League sabbatical.
"Thierry finished the story of the legend today," said Wenger, who had thought long and hard before bringing Arsenal's ageing former idol back to north London. "Thierry showed that exceptional talent survives."
Helpfully, Henry's rare gift extricated Arsenal from a tight spot. "It was very difficult," Wenger said. "Sunderland have a lot of spirit now, they were trying to catch us on the break all the time but we were intelligent and patient." His team, minus Henry, will be back on Wearside next Saturday to contest a fifth-round FA Cup tie, with neutrals hoping it will mirror today's second-half excitement rather than the opening period's disappointment.
Maybe Sunderland were simply exhausted after Wednesday's extra-time replay efforts against Middlesbrough and perhaps Arsenal had one eye on Wednesday's Champions League trip to Milan, but the first 45 minutes proved infinitely forgettable. The sight of Theo Walcott miscontrolling a routine pass seemed emblematic of a frustratingly low tempo opening in which Arsenal monopolised possession but rarely penetrated. Sunderland's gameplan was all about double marking Oxlade-Chamberlain before catching Wenger's team on the counterattack. Unfortunately, when they did break, the necessary speed, both physical and mental, was missing.
Granted, Simon Mignolet, Sunderland's goalkeeper, had reason to thank Jack Colback for a splendid block on Tomas Rosicky's goalbound shot but the only real early excitement surrounded a forlorn penalty appeal.
Although a stumbling Per Mertesacker clearly handled, Neil Swarbrick, the referee, dismissed Sunderland's spot-kick claims, suggesting it was accidental. Unfortunately for the heavily jeered Swarbrick, his was a decision shrouded in grey as it looked a clear case of hand to ball. Indeed, Arsenal's lamp post of a centre-half seemed to be somehow attempting to regain his balance by grasping at the airborne ball. "It looked a penalty," said Martin O'Neill. "We didn't deserve to lose."
Things were livening up. Wojciech Szczesny repelled Craig Gardner's fierce volley, Henry replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain and then Sunderland scored. Injuring ankle ligaments as he attempted to control the ball, the unfortunate Mertesacker lost his footing and collapsed, permitting James McClean to accelerate down the left wing before defying an awkward angle to sweep a left-foot shot into the bottom corner.
Little had been seen of Wenger since an early foray into the technical area left the Frenchman scraping mud off his smart black shoes. Now Arsenal's apparently world weary manager sat slumped, arms folded deep in the dugout. Evidently no one had reminded him that, sometimes, clouds really do come silver-lined. With Mertesacker carried off on a stretcher, Ramsey appeared and, with virtually his first touch, he equalised, his shot from the edge of the area flying in off the inside of a post. Henry's denouement beckoned. Sneaking in front of Michael Turner he expertly volleyed Arshavin's looping cross past Mignolet. Suddenly Wenger was back on his feet and in the technical area, his smile dazzling.
Source: Louise Taylor, The Guardian on 11 Feb 12
Henry the hero in Gunners victory
Thierry Henry signed off with a last-ditch winner as Arsenal came from behind to see off Sunderland 2-1.
The Frenchman, playing in the final Barclays Premier League game of his loan spell, volleyed home from Andrey Arshavin's injury-time cross to complete a comeback which had begun when Aaron Ramsey had cancelled out James McClean's 70th-minute opener.
However, the visitors were unhappy with the Irishman, who picked up a loose ball with defender Per Mertesacker writhing on the ground after catching his studs in the turf and fired past keeper Wojciech Szczesny.
It proved a difficult afternoon for the Germany international, who survived first-half appeals for a penalty from the bulk of a crowd of 40,312 in a hard-fought encounter.
Sunderland went into the game defending a five-game unbeaten run and having won nine of the 13 games they had played under manager Martin O'Neill, but knowing they faced one of the toughest tests of that sequence of fixtures.
Arsenal's 7-1 demolition of Blackburn last weekend had not exactly set the alarm bells ringing, but the Black Cats knew they would have to be at their very best to get anything out of the game.
They left the pitch at half-time all square, but firmly believing they should have been in front, not because they dominated the opening 45 minutes, but because they felt they had been done a major injustice.
The Gunners enjoyed the better of the possession, although it was their hosts who created the first real opening when McClean headed Sebastian Larsson's near-post corner over the bar with 11 minutes played.
But with Mikel Arteta anchoring an Arsenal midfield in which Tomas Rosicky ahead of him linked with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott at every opportunity, the visitors were a threat throughout.
However, while they were forced to soak up pressure for much of the first half, the Black Cats rearguard was in no mood to be punctured and 28-goal striker Robin van Persie was kept relatively quiet by his standards with Michael Turner in particular impressive.
The visitors' best chances of the half both fell to England international Walcott, who fired across goal from Van Persie's 23rd-minute pass, and then volleyed harmlessly over on the half-hour from Alex Song's cross.
However, the game erupted into controversy six minutes before the break when O'Neill's men thought they should have been awarded a penalty.
Mertesacker controlled Jack Colback's cross on his chest, but then saw the ball rear up off the turf and hit his arm.
But as the home fans appealed as one, referee Neil Swarbrick waved play on.
The official's stock fell further with the home fans with a minute of the half left to play when he booked Fraizer Campbell for a foul on Van Persie, and he headed for the dressing room at the break to a predictably hostile chorus.
Arsenal controlled the opening stages of the second half too, although again without causing too many problems for the home side.
However, it was Sunderland who went close seven minutes after the restart when, after Craig Gardner's shot from a free-kick move had been blocked, the ball fell to defender John O'Shea, who blazed high over.
But the traffic was largely one way and as Sunderland's efforts to clear their lines grew increasingly desperate, they found themselves retreating deep into their own half.
Sixty-one minutes had elapsed without either keeper having to make a save of any note, but Wojciech Szczesny was called upon twice within as many minutes to deny Gardner as the home side threatened to turn the tide.
First the Pole got down well to turn away the midfielder's left-foot drive, and he then needed to be even more resolute to repel the same player's dipping volley.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger decided enough was enough with 24 minutes left when he replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain with loan signing Henry, but his side fell behind in unfortunate circumstances within four minutes of the Frenchman's arrival.
Mertesacker caught his studs in the turf as he attempted to shepherd a harmless ball back to Szczesny, and as he collapsed to the floor in agony, McClean ran clear to fire past the keeper for his second goal in as many league games.
The Germany international left the field on a stretcher to be replaced by Ramsey, who needed just three minutes to announce his arrival in style.
A loose ball broke to the midfielder 20 yards out and he swivelled to send in a low shot which hit both posts before crossing the line with Mignolet helpless.
But there was more to come as the game entered stoppage time when Henry timed his run to perfection to turn fellow substitute Arshavin's cross past Mignolet.
Source: ESPN Soccernet on 11 Feb 12
The Frenchman, playing in the final Barclays Premier League game of his loan spell, volleyed home from Andrey Arshavin's injury-time cross to complete a comeback which had begun when Aaron Ramsey had cancelled out James McClean's 70th-minute opener.
However, the visitors were unhappy with the Irishman, who picked up a loose ball with defender Per Mertesacker writhing on the ground after catching his studs in the turf and fired past keeper Wojciech Szczesny.
It proved a difficult afternoon for the Germany international, who survived first-half appeals for a penalty from the bulk of a crowd of 40,312 in a hard-fought encounter.
Sunderland went into the game defending a five-game unbeaten run and having won nine of the 13 games they had played under manager Martin O'Neill, but knowing they faced one of the toughest tests of that sequence of fixtures.
Arsenal's 7-1 demolition of Blackburn last weekend had not exactly set the alarm bells ringing, but the Black Cats knew they would have to be at their very best to get anything out of the game.
They left the pitch at half-time all square, but firmly believing they should have been in front, not because they dominated the opening 45 minutes, but because they felt they had been done a major injustice.
The Gunners enjoyed the better of the possession, although it was their hosts who created the first real opening when McClean headed Sebastian Larsson's near-post corner over the bar with 11 minutes played.
But with Mikel Arteta anchoring an Arsenal midfield in which Tomas Rosicky ahead of him linked with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott at every opportunity, the visitors were a threat throughout.
However, while they were forced to soak up pressure for much of the first half, the Black Cats rearguard was in no mood to be punctured and 28-goal striker Robin van Persie was kept relatively quiet by his standards with Michael Turner in particular impressive.
The visitors' best chances of the half both fell to England international Walcott, who fired across goal from Van Persie's 23rd-minute pass, and then volleyed harmlessly over on the half-hour from Alex Song's cross.
However, the game erupted into controversy six minutes before the break when O'Neill's men thought they should have been awarded a penalty.
Mertesacker controlled Jack Colback's cross on his chest, but then saw the ball rear up off the turf and hit his arm.
But as the home fans appealed as one, referee Neil Swarbrick waved play on.
The official's stock fell further with the home fans with a minute of the half left to play when he booked Fraizer Campbell for a foul on Van Persie, and he headed for the dressing room at the break to a predictably hostile chorus.
Arsenal controlled the opening stages of the second half too, although again without causing too many problems for the home side.
However, it was Sunderland who went close seven minutes after the restart when, after Craig Gardner's shot from a free-kick move had been blocked, the ball fell to defender John O'Shea, who blazed high over.
But the traffic was largely one way and as Sunderland's efforts to clear their lines grew increasingly desperate, they found themselves retreating deep into their own half.
Sixty-one minutes had elapsed without either keeper having to make a save of any note, but Wojciech Szczesny was called upon twice within as many minutes to deny Gardner as the home side threatened to turn the tide.
First the Pole got down well to turn away the midfielder's left-foot drive, and he then needed to be even more resolute to repel the same player's dipping volley.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger decided enough was enough with 24 minutes left when he replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain with loan signing Henry, but his side fell behind in unfortunate circumstances within four minutes of the Frenchman's arrival.
Mertesacker caught his studs in the turf as he attempted to shepherd a harmless ball back to Szczesny, and as he collapsed to the floor in agony, McClean ran clear to fire past the keeper for his second goal in as many league games.
The Germany international left the field on a stretcher to be replaced by Ramsey, who needed just three minutes to announce his arrival in style.
A loose ball broke to the midfielder 20 yards out and he swivelled to send in a low shot which hit both posts before crossing the line with Mignolet helpless.
But there was more to come as the game entered stoppage time when Henry timed his run to perfection to turn fellow substitute Arshavin's cross past Mignolet.
Source: ESPN Soccernet on 11 Feb 12
Wenger's reaction to the Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal match
on another happy ending for Thierry…
He finished the story of the legend today in the championship; I hope he will add some in the Champions League on Wednesday now. Certainly he got us the three points in a difficult game where Sunderland were resilient, well organised and tried to catch us on the break every time. You could see that they have a lot of spirit in their side. It was also on a very difficult pitch. We had a lot of the ball but we couldn't create a lot because our passing was good but it was very difficult to get into their defence.
On top of that we were 1-0 down so it was a question of a spirited performance and that is what happened in the end. I felt we were intelligent, patient and resilient.
on unfortunate Sunderland goal...
It was unfortunate. Mertesacker told me that he got a shot in his ankle and couldn't move at all anymore. We are a bit worried about his ankle I must say because he goes home on crutches. He has done some ligament damage, but how big that is we will have to check tomorrow. For sure he is out for Wednesday.
on possibility of stopping play…
I thought about it during the game after they scored but you cannot demand that. You do not know if a guy has gone down through injury or because he slipped. It's just that in the action you cannot demand to stop.
on Henry…
It might haunt me again because then people will say 'why did he not stay?' It just shows you as well that these players never lose it. Exceptional talent survives. You have that with Giggs and Scholes at Manchester United and Thierry here. It is just a luxury to have a player like him on the bench.
on bringing him back again…
We will see next season, but maybe he might want to stop at some stage as well!
on being fourth…
Two weeks ago everybody said it was out of reach for us and today we are in it. So we have to be cautious. But we are happy to be back in this position but it is still very open for everybody around there. You have Newcastle, Chelsea, Liverpool, us and it's down to consistency now.
Source: Arsenal.com on 11 Feb 12
He finished the story of the legend today in the championship; I hope he will add some in the Champions League on Wednesday now. Certainly he got us the three points in a difficult game where Sunderland were resilient, well organised and tried to catch us on the break every time. You could see that they have a lot of spirit in their side. It was also on a very difficult pitch. We had a lot of the ball but we couldn't create a lot because our passing was good but it was very difficult to get into their defence.
On top of that we were 1-0 down so it was a question of a spirited performance and that is what happened in the end. I felt we were intelligent, patient and resilient.
on unfortunate Sunderland goal...
It was unfortunate. Mertesacker told me that he got a shot in his ankle and couldn't move at all anymore. We are a bit worried about his ankle I must say because he goes home on crutches. He has done some ligament damage, but how big that is we will have to check tomorrow. For sure he is out for Wednesday.
on possibility of stopping play…
I thought about it during the game after they scored but you cannot demand that. You do not know if a guy has gone down through injury or because he slipped. It's just that in the action you cannot demand to stop.
on Henry…
It might haunt me again because then people will say 'why did he not stay?' It just shows you as well that these players never lose it. Exceptional talent survives. You have that with Giggs and Scholes at Manchester United and Thierry here. It is just a luxury to have a player like him on the bench.
on bringing him back again…
We will see next season, but maybe he might want to stop at some stage as well!
on being fourth…
Two weeks ago everybody said it was out of reach for us and today we are in it. So we have to be cautious. But we are happy to be back in this position but it is still very open for everybody around there. You have Newcastle, Chelsea, Liverpool, us and it's down to consistency now.
Source: Arsenal.com on 11 Feb 12
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