The Mail Bag
A view from afar
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Being an Irish-based Toffee, Saturday was my first opportunity to see the team first hand this season. Without going over those well penned comments specific to Saturday?s game already added to the site, a couple of observations:
Pre-match warmup
Arsenal's starting 11 gathered as a group in a small area near the corner and spent 10 minutes doing sprints / hops over markers to get warmed up supervised by their assistant manager (I think) while the subs stretched under the eye of Wenger in front of the goal. All very organised.
In the other half, our full squad, including players who were not even listed as subs together with 3 or 4 staff (so 20 plus blue tracksuits I reckon), stood around for 10-15 minutes either kicking balls to each other, jogged over and back the pitch or simply chatted away for a few minutes. Looking down from the stand it gave an ominous sign of the relative organisation of each side for the 90 minutes ahead. A general lack of purpose being the prevailing image.
Confidence
Once we first conceded at the beginning of the second half, there was only ever going to be one winner. Why is it that we NEVER look to be capable of mounting a comeback or indeed defending a draw as soon as we concede a goal? What shaky confidence there was on display on visibly drained from the players about 4.10 on Saturday as Arsenal's first went it. This mindset is not unique to this season and has been apparent since last March or thereabouts.
Substitutions
The need for an extra striker was apparent for 10 minutes at least... can't see why that change was delayed so much. Why, oh why, do we always wait until something happens in a match (in this case two goals) to make a change???
One aside ? contrary to most of the opinions here, I thought Fellaini had a good game particularly so in any aerial challenges he was involved in. He did look tired when he came off but prior to that, I felt he put in a very good stint. I'm hopeful of his influence growing in the side. I was shocked by Arteta who, frankly, was appalling and looks like his heart is no longer in it for us I am afraid. If this is the case, cash him in in January.
Alan Doyle, Posted 20/10/2008 at 11:44:03
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If what you state is true and Arteta has players of "inferior quality" around him, then he should shine in the team. Instead, he goes missing, his so-called class is never in evidence when we are up against it or we are playing quality opponents. He can?t even get the ball past the first man on corners or set pieces these days. This was exactly why Rangers released him. At times he can?t be arsed by the look of it... and on others, he doesn?t look good enough.
I thought the real star was Osman - easily our most effective and industrious midfielder, in my opinion. If only he had a bit more speed and beefiness!
As for Fellaini, well he is no complete flop but he does look that yard short of pace over a short distance. Several times he looked favourite to win a tackle only to arrive second. Whether he lacks sharpness or whether he just is slow over short distances, is yet to be seen.
Credit also to Hibbert, who despite his many faults defended reasonably well. His contribution usually increases in direct proportion to the amount of possession the opposition has and the pressure that we are under.
My final thought is that once again Moyes got outsmarted. By playing only one player up front, Wenger could react at half time by going 3 at the back. We then proceeded to get overrun in our own half and had no outlet. Once Arsenal got the first, the result was inevitable.
However, all in all, I think we have to admit that we were beaten by a better team. Sometimes you can only play as well as the opposition let you.
Usually in the second half those diddy men succumb to the physical demands of the game and are overwhelmed. Our backline then has to cope with wave after wave of mainly unhindered massed attacks. That problem is compounded when our little fellows too buggered to ?present? for short balls leaves our back line with no option but to hoof long balls.
Our greatest need is a mid field enforcer and it doesen?t matter which of the little blokes is sacrificed.
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1 Posted 20/10/2008 at 14:54:52
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Can't agree with you however on Arteta. I think you are well off the mark there. He has players of an inferior quality all around him and all lacking in any sort of confidence ? and he was up against some world class players in the Arsenal midfield.
Also what would be the point in "cashing in" on him as you say? We would end up losing our most creative midfielder and it would probably cost us more than we would get for him to get someone of similar (or more likely lesser) quality. Plus we would likely end up not replacing him at all (a la Carsley) and where would that leave us?
There are players that need to be replaced alright, but come on ? Arteta is not one of them.