Morning all.
I watched Adrian Clarke’s ever-excellent ‘The Breakdown’ via the official site yesterday as he went back over the 0-0 draw with the Mugsmashers. One stat, or fact, stood out: Arsenal gave the ball away 20 times in our own half, with every single starting outfield player guilty at some point during the match.
There was no breakdown (sorry) of when these turnovers happened but I guess most of them were in the first period when Liverpool took advantage and would have scored but for the saves of Petr Cech and some last ditch defending from Francis Coquelin in particular. For a team that’s usually so comfortable on the ball that’s a remarkable statistic.
Individual and collective errors have punctuated and affected the season so far. Both goals against West Ham were avoidable, the second stemming from Oxlade-Chamberlain losing the ball in a dangerous area (and I don’t think his absence from the team is him being punished for that, simply the manager reverting to what worked last season).
The goal at Crystal Palace wasn’t quite the same, but the difference between aggressively closing down the man having a shot and turning your back on him was evident in where the ball ended up – our net. When the pre-season goodwill was built on results that seemed to stem from a group of players that knew each well, and knew their jobs, it’s a sign of how quickly those positives can evaporate once the real stuff gets going.
If there is a plus side to it, it’s that Monday’s incredible carelessness in possession didn’t result in a defeat, and that it should be relatively easy to iron those flaws out of our game. Yes, we want to keep the ball, but sometimes you have to apply common sense to the situation you’re in and get it away from dangerous areas. It’s a fine line though – how often have we applauded Santi Cazorla’s ability to keep it in tight situations? Losing it in the same place would be hugely costly.
It’s interesting though: at the other end we don’t really categorise chances missed in the same way. If a striker spurns a good opportunity to score we talk about a poor effort at goal or a need to be more clinical or efficient, but in the same way a defender’s job is to defend and prevent goals, a striker’s is to get them. Is it a miss or a mistake?
Aaron Ramsey becomes the lightning rod for frustration because he’s selected to play out right, but his hard-working performance against Liverpool saw him the only Arsenal player to properly finish a chance created for him. That it was ruled out via an offside flag was, of course, a huge frustration, but he got himself into a good position and finished well.
On the other hand, Alexis Sanchez should have scored twice. Once in the first half when a perfect Monreal cross saw him head over from close range, and in the second when set up by Giroud, his shot cannoning back off the outside of the post. We all love Alexis though, for his hard-work and determination, and there’s an awareness that his lack of pre-season has left him off the pace a bit in these opening games.
Now, I’m not saying we should grab the pitchforks and have at him, but there’s a willingness to forgive certain players more than others. That’s human nature. A 24 goal debut season and his inspirational style of play means he’s going to be a favourite. He should be, and he’s one of mine, but against Palace he missed a big chance created by Mesut Ozil, and on Monday night he was guilty again. In the post-game discussion he doesn’t get much of a mention, whereas all the talk is about how Ramsey has be moved from the right where he’s so ineffective – but the perfectly good goal he scored becomes conveniently forgotten or ignored in that debate.
Are those Alexis ‘mistakes’ not as impactful on the scoreline/performance than any other? Again, I’m not seeking to apportion blame, it’s just interesting the way discussions tend to follow the weight of opinion, while other factors seem to be glossed over. We don’t know what might have happened following the Ramsey goal had it been allowed, but imagine it had ended 1-0: do we still label the match-winner a problem in the position he’s picked in?
Personally, I’d be inclined to get Oxlade-Chamberlain into this team, but also Aaron Ramsey back into the centre of midfield. I’m not hugely advocating him as the first choice for the right-hand side, I think his instruction to roam and drift centrally makes us far too lop-sided when he come forward, but I think frustrations with other parts of our game are such that the first thing we look at is the player who’s being played ‘out of position’ rather than the other things which might be causing our problems.
Another side issue is how missed chances impact on the players that create them. Olivier Giroud should have an assist to his name for Alexis’s second chance, for example. And would people complain as much about Mesut Ozil if his teammates had done better than score just 22 times from the 231 chances he’s created since joining club (stat via Opta)?
Something to discuss today anyway!
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Meanwhile, the draw for the third round of the Capital One Cup was made and we’ll be facing Sp*rs in a North London derby at White Hart Lane. This happened in 2010 also – that night we won 4-1 with goals from Henri Lansbury, two from Samir Nasri and one from Andrei Arshavin.
I would have preferred an opponent with less historical rivalry, the ability to play youngsters and rest senior players will be somewhat compromised simply because of the stature of the fixture. I expect changes and rotation, of course, but perhaps not as many as we might have seen.
Other than that, if you haven’t had a chance to listen to yesterday’s Arsecast Extra in which James and I discuss the Liverpool game, the need for a new striker and lots more, you can find it below or via this link here:
Right, that’s that. Have a good one, more from me tomorrow.
