Woke Up, it was a Chelsea Morning: Preview

Remember when you were small (or in Chary’s case, smaller)?  Morning break – out came the football, lunch break, – out came the football, after school – out came the football. At weekends, a game Saturday morning and another in the afternoon, often playing until dark in summer.

Young Big Raddy slots one past a concerned Kelsey

What is the relevance of my opening paragraph? Well, it is the complete tosh talked about Chelsea having to play 3 big games in a week. These men are honed athletes who spend their lives doing something they love and are trained non-stop to do so. If I can play 30+ hours a week as a 12 y.o. then they can manage under 5 hours as adults. Am I right or am I right?

Chelsea have one of the biggest squads in World football. They have a World Cup winner and the most expensive player ever in the PL on the bench! They have Essien on the bench, who IMO has been the best DM in the PL since PV4.  But they moan about how the FA have been harsh. If the FA was harsh Meireles would be banned for being so damned ugly and frightening the horses.

It is true Chelsea will be missing some players through injury but who in their right mind would play Luiz ahead of Cahill against Arsenal?  Ivanovic is banned but they have a  €21m replacement in Boswinga (yes, €21m !!). Rumour has it that Drogba is out, and we all know that Drogba loves to play us, but in Torres, Sturridge and Kalou they have some very expensive and talented replacements.

Playing Barca on Tuesday will certainly be on their minds, however, should The Blues fail to win at Camp Nou and this afternoon they are likely to play a regular Thursday night game. So, this is a huge game for them and I expect nothing less than 100% effort and a full first team.

Knocking 5 past them at the Bridge was great and JT’s slip was one of the season’s highlights. However, under Di Matteo they have developed into the Chelsea of Ancelloti. Hard, physical, highly motivated and disciplined; we are unlikely to score 5 today. That Terry continues playing at all with 2 cracked ribs is a testament to the man. I have broken ribs skiing and could hardly breathe, how JT plays football is astonishing. I hope RvP gives the brute a couple of digs early on and then TV clatters him at a set piece. Actually, give Diaby a few minutes – he will sort him out

Our problems start and end with Arteta. His absence is statistically worrying (we have yet to win a PL game without him) but we showed against AC Milan how good we can be  if we really attack from the first whistle.  That said, we have shown a weakness to very fast counter-attack and Chelsea are certainly capable in that area.

My Team:

Will Mr Wenger give an out of form Gervinho another start? I wouldn’t. I would start with O-C and tell him to attack Boswinga and then cut inside. On the other wing we have to hope Theo gives Cashley a tough afternoon. Cole has been the best LB in the PL history and it is a huge regret that he took the 30 pieces of silver.

I have said before that if RvP scores today then we will win. In my opinion, he is the key player. His shooting has been a little off recently but he is The Man, and if we are to take 3rd spot Robin has to keep scoring until season’s end.

Today’s Gooner:  With the Olympics coming up and high hopes for Diving medals, it should not be forgotten that the man in the diving form of his life is a huge Gooner: Ashley Young of the Manchester Diving Team. It is hoped that he and Mr Wayne Rooney will represent GB in the Men’s Synchronised 10m Diving team. Given their past record, a podium position is assured.   Vital game for both teams today.

Arsenal must shrug off the disappointment of Monday and play without fear. If and it is a big If, Chelsea do suffer from fatigue we must punish them in the final 15 mins.

I believe we can beat the South West London Ponces.

COYRRG

Written by Big Raddy

Psst….. wanna buy a football franchise?

Chelsea FC  directors say their club needs more season tickets as the ground isn’t big enough. There is a  suspicion that their Russian Oligarch wants away from financing them and it’s time for them to stand on their own feet as Financial Fair Play looms large. Player’s wages versus gate receipts cannot be justified if they stay where they are. But still their fans bemoan the current tickets prices, whilst demanding the club doesn’t move.

So there you have it, all those happy fans who loved the spend, spend, spend days are now faced with the reality of what being in debt means. Don’t want to pay, don’t want to move, while their creditors circle in case the Russian goes off and takes his money to fight his election as Putin demands. What does the future hold for them and their club?

How different are Arsenal, debt almost eradicated gate receipts enough to cover wages and a profit being returned annually, enough to keep our owners interested?

But still some fans are objecting. They want trophies and for the club to spend some money and bugger the consequences. We want trophies, 6 years we have waited it’s a disgrace, what are these yanks up to, why won’t they spend the money, fire the manager, he has lost the plot. Let’s demonstrate, with some creative thinking, I know we’ll make a banner, a bloody big one, get our message across. We buy the tickets, it’s our club. Without us fans there would be nothing.

Wrong, my friends, oh so wrong.  Arsenal FC, like Chelsea and all the privately owned clubs have the potential to become a Franchise.  Should Chelsea move to Slough, Harlow or Wapping it matters not, they would be welcomed with open arms by local councils for the money they would bring in.

Their fans, not all of whom by any stretch of the imagination live in the borough, would continue to go, maybe some of the ‘I am here to be seen’  show business lovies might find the journeys a mite  too arduous, but they in all probability are only temporary anyway.

Professional sports clubs bring in fans by the thousand and their spending power feeds the coffers of local business and the transport companies that get them there. They provide jobs, as brilliantly broken down in yesterday’s post by GIE. 600 casual staff alone work at the Arsenal on match days and the club pays business rates worth many thousands of pounds.

Take test cricket as an example. There are 7 home test matches next year and 9 counties who with the help of investment from the local councils, have upgraded their grounds in the hope that they will get one.  Lancashire’s MD has expressed the view that those grounds that don’t get one are in danger of going broke. But still the local councils invest, why, because of the revenue a successful bid generates and all will bid every year desperate to succeed and stay in business

So it is with football, and for this reason if you have ownership of a club you are in the driving seat. You have the power to place your toy where you want, forget the football League they haven’t the balls to say boo to a big club let alone tell them what to do. Ask Leyton Orient as they contemplate the hammers moving onto their manor.

Franchises based on the American model could well be on their way here and fans had better wise up or they, like their American cousins could see teams uproot and move lock stock and barrel. Remember it doesn’t only  have to be in this country for the big boys, should a European League comes to fruition, then anywhere is possible.

Written by dandan

Oh Ye of Little Faith: Arsenal 3 Chelsea 1 (and ratings)

Where are they now then, the doubters and doomers, the carpers and cavilers?

There’ll be barely a squeak from them today and what little there is will be drowned out by another sound.

Do you hear it?

That low, grinding rumble?

It’s the sound of tectonic plates shifting; of seismic change in the English Premier League.

An edifice that hitherto had seemed rock-like and immovable is revealed as friable and fragile. Its place is suddenly vulnerable to a hard, new force that has been quietly forming and solidifying.

Or, to mix metaphors, the Roman empire is facing decline and fall, while Arsene Wenger’s belle epoque is about to begin.

Does this sound like hyperbole?

I don’t care. Monday December 27^th will come to be seen as the day the Arsenal reclaimed its rightful place as London’s top club. (Yes, I know our history and record of trophy winning puts us streets ahead of any other club in the capital but, on the field of play, we have indisputably been second best to Chelsea for the best part of five years).

It was only one game, but the symbolism was immense.

Chelsea’s tired old warriors were out-played, out-passed and out-fought, while their younger colleagues looked weak and ineffectual. Arsenal exhibited fire, hunger, energy and skill.

The Chelsea bench had all the depth of a toddlers’ paddling pool.  Arsenal’s bench, by comparison, was the Marianas Trench. Just look at the respective line-ups:

Arsenal: Szczesny, Squillaci, Diaby, Rosicky, Arshavin, Chamakh, Bendtner.

Chelsea: Turnbull (who?), Bosingwa, Van Aanholt (who?), Bruma (who?), Ramires (what a waste of money), McEachren (who?), Kakuta (who?).

The victory was thoroughly deserved and the margin should perhaps have been bigger. But if you look beyond this single result the evidence for a shift in the balance of footballing power in London is even more compelling.

Chelsea have a relatively small stadium and often have trouble filling it. Their billionaire owner (whose roubles are the only reason that they have been able to compete at the top level) has snapped shut the wallet. If the rumours are to be believed, he is now focusing on the 2018 World Cup in Russia and is losing interest in his malfunctioning toy.

To replace ageing players of the calibre of Terry (30), Lampard (32), Drogba (32), and Cole (30) they will need to spend tens and tens of millions, because they certainly don’t have any real quality coming through the ranks.

It’s unlikely that Roman Abramovich will make the money available. And even if he did, who’s to say the new acquisitions would gel with the rest of the team, or that Chelsea would be able to compete with the even bigger billionaires at Man City (and, possibly, at Old Trafford, if the Qatar Royal Family story turns out to have legs)?

Any way you cut it, Chelsea are in for a period of decline. They won’t collapse like a house of cards, they will still win some big games and stay in touch with the championship race this season, but their time is over.

Our time, however, is just beginning. Arsene Wenger has brought together a squad of supremely gifted players at very little cost, nurturing talent from within and balancing the budget while moving us to a new 60,000 seater stadium and keeping us in the Champions League every year. In the future this achievement will come to be more widely appreciated for the astonishing piece of management it is. If you don’t believe me, just look at the fuss made about Old Twitchy and his Posse of Cocks for getting into the Champions League just once, despite having spent tens of millions more than Arsenal on players over the last 10 years.

The ‘Arsene Out’ brigade really needs to take the blinkers off and look at the big picture of what is being built at our club.

Yesterday’s result showed that our young team is finally ready to claim its destiny.

I have rambled on for too long now, so there will be no full match report, just some observations:

• We were fantastic. A true team performance in which we completely outplayed the champions.
• Djourou was immense and limited our nemesis Drogba to scraps and crumbs.
• Chelsea’s goal came from a dead ball situation and, apart from that strike, they rarely threatened (and certainly not from open play). So much for our ‘weak defence’.
• Playing Theo against Cashley was a Wenger masterstroke, nullifying the greedy traitor’s attacking threat.
• The biggest factor that decided the game was our work rate. Every single Arsenal player bust a gut to help his team mates.
• In other words, for a change, we played as well when we did not have the ball as when we did have it. This is the trick Barcelona have mastered.
• We were better without Arshavin. I love the pocket Russki, but Theo’s defensive work (aided by his recovery speed) was a refreshing change and gave extra support to Sagna.
• One man bossed the game from start to finish: Alex Song, take a bow.

After such an outstanding and emphatic win I don’t want to dwell on negatives but, like an impoverished Japanese home owner, I have a couple of small carps:

• Cesc is still blowing hot and cold (he made some careless misplaced passes and was caught in possession a few times) but the ‘hot’ bits were scorching.
• Koscielny could have done better for their goal, failing to get a proper challenge in on Ivanovich.
• Fabianski’s position was poor for the goal – he neither came to claim it nor stayed on his line to save. Instead he came into no man’s land and seemed to try the unusual trick (for a goalie) of making himself small.

But, as I say, these are only small complaints in what was an all-round team performance of great confidence and power.

This should now give us the boost we need to go on a run of great results, starting tomorrow at Wigan.

Come on you Reds!

RockyLives

Player Ratings

Fabianski: Chelsea hardly troubled him, but he might have done better for their goal. 6

Sagna: excellent game from our Mr Reliable. 8

Djourou: at last we have a CB who refused to be intimidated by Drogba. Towering performance by the big Swiss. 8.5

Koscielny: lost Ivanovich for their goal, but apart from that did very well and made some very important tackles and interceptions. 7.5

Clichy: still prone to charge forward when we should be protecting a lead, and was dispossessed too easily a couple of times, but his forward thrust did help keep Chelsea pegged back. 7.5

Fabregas: some outstanding play from the skipper, including the glorious pass for Theo’s goal. His passing is still not back to its very best – but it will soon get there, and what an awesome prospect that will be. 8

Song: what can you say? He was immense, scoring the vital opener (and yet again making me eat my words for saying he should not go forward so much) and breaking up Chelsea’s moves for the entire match. 9 MoTM

Wilshere: made a few mistakes through inexperience, but the fact he held his own in such a big game at the age of just 18 is so, so encouraging. Imagine what he’ll be like at 21!  7.5

Walcott: kept Cashley confined to defensive duties and suckered him beautifully for the second goal. Was always a threat and took his goal well. 8

Nasri: almost scored with a sublime chip and was constantly probing at Chelsea’s right flank. Not as influential as in some recent games, but that was partly because we sent a lot of play down Walcott’s wing. Fluffed a great chance in a one-on-one with Cech. 7.5

van Persie: started very sharply and displayed good movement, but never quite got the game by the scruff of the neck. Tried a couple of ambitious shots that went well over the bar. 7

Subs

Diaby (for Walcott, 73 mins): didn’t really get into the pace of the game, but that’s hardly surprising after such a long lay-off. 6

Chamakh (for van Persie, 76 mins): slotted in to his usual centre forward role without fuss and held the ball up well. 7

Rosicky (for Fabregas, 88 mins): used his experience to help run the clock down, but not on long enough for a rating.

Loan Players.

At the weekend Danny Welbeck scored for Sunderland in the wonderful win at Stamford Bridge, not only did he score but he put in a fine performance that had Chelsea’s 2nd string CB’s running all over the pitch allowing others to attack. Fairplay one may say, good on him and good on Sunderland, but Welbeck is signed to Man Utd.

Sunderland first goal was one of the goals of the season scored by  full back Onouha. Onouha is on loan from Man City.

So Chelsea were undone (in part) by players from direct rivals, how can this be?

At Blackburn in our valiant 2-1 victory earlier in the season, Blackburn’s goalscorer was M. Diouf who gave our defence a torrid time. Diouf is on loan from Man Utd.

Last week we played a Wolves team who had Mancienne in their defence, an excellent young player on loan from Chelsea, and we face the prospect of playing Spurs at the weekend who may play Pletikosa in goal – another loanee.

Last season we loaned out young Jack to Bolton and this season we have gained the benefit of his experiences there. Had he scored in a win over MU we would have been delighted !

With the increasing gap between the wealth and quality of squads of the CL clubs and the lower PL clubs, it is inevitable that those players who have a value to the CL clubs but are not within their 25 player squad will be loaned out ( I realise this is simplistic due to the homegrown rules). Furthermore, we have some fantastic young players who will be too old for the youth/reserve teams and not good enough to replace an established player but need experience to develop. That player will go on loan, and he will go on loan to a club in the lower half of the table.

I assume there is an unwritten agreement that loan players do not play against their registered clubs, but why should that be? It weakens the team playing the loanee and therefore gives an added advantage to the loaning team.

I believe there should be an adjunct to the loan rules that stops clubs loaning to teams within the same division, thereby allowing the loanee to get experience  in a first team and does not advantage the loaning club. It did Chesney no harm

By the way, anyone know who was the last loan player who played in Arsenal’s first team?

We have now published a pre-view of the spud game, press the HOME page to be connected to it

Arsenal celebrate failure on the pitch ……

…but off it, the football world celebrates complete incompetence and negligence.

Following the defeat at Chelsea I decided to give myself a little time to mull things over. A chance to let the hysteria die down. Losing the last game before the international break gives everyone two weeks to dwell on the shortcomings – in our case that we’re still unable to rough it against tough tacklers, that we flatter to deceive against the Mancs and Chelsea, and that Wenger’s refusal to ‘buy big’ means we haven’t won a trophy in five seasons, obviously.

I don’t mind that criticism so much. In fact, I don’t even mind the media ignoring that we took to the field against Chelsea like Christopher Reeve – with our entire spine missing (the loss of Almunia, Vermaelen, Fabregas and van Persie hardly got a mention).

And I can just about handle Mr know-everything-about-management (despite never being a manager) Andy Gray gleaming: “You have to ask how long the Arsenal fans and players will put up with this? How long can Arsene Wenger keep persuading them this is the right way?” – while ignoring what the fans of Liverpool, Everton, Middlesboro, Newcastle, Sunderland (and all those other clubs that have spent more than us over the past five years) are currently putting up with.

I can handle all of that… just.

But what I don’t understand is the media constantly waxing lyrical about Chelsea and all they achieve.

It’s true that Arsenal haven’t won a trophy for five years. And it’s true that, in that time, Chelsea won the Premier League in 2006 and last season; three FA Cups; and a League Cup.

Ignore the League Cup because it doesn’t count. Add in that Chelsea have spent more than £300m over the past five years, failed to win the league for three successive seasons between 2006-09, and still haven’t won the Champions League – and I’d suggest it’s not a great return. But you don’t hear that said in the media.

What you also don’t hear is criticism of, and this is my main point, is how Chelsea have achieved their success – and just how bad it is for football.

Chelsea’s business plan since Abramovic came in has simply been to “achieve world domination” – which doesn’t appear to be happening – and relies solely on the hope that Roman Abramovic won’t walk away.

If he does, Chelsea are dead. Chelsea say the loans given to them by Abramovic have now been turned into shares, and that the club is effectively running as a profit-making business. The truth, however, is very different.

It is true that the loans from the holding company to Chelsea FC plc were fully converted to shares. However, Abramovich’s loan to Chelsea Limited, the holding company which owns Chelsea FC plc, was not. That loan remains owing. In fact, it increased in the previous financial year because Abramovich loaned another £25m for extravagant spending and to cover the dismissal of Luiz Felipe Scolari and his coaching team – all of which produced losses of £47m.

The result is that the accounts of Chelsea Limited (whose name was changed during the year to Fordstam Limited), show the loan to Abramovic still outstanding. The total figure owed? Wait for it… £726m. The good news for Chelsea fans is the loan is interest free. The bad news is that it is repayable if Abramovich gives 18 months’ notice.

So if the Roman gets bored; or fed up that they still can’t win the Champions League; or if they do win the Champions League and then he feels he’s achieved all he can with that toy, what will happen to Chelsea? Do you think the club will attract a buyer willing to pay off a three-quarters-of-a-billion-pound debt to take the helm? Looking at the debacle at Anfield this past couple of weeks, I would say not.

Those activities at Anfield have finally started to persuade fans that winning silver cups in the immediate future is not all football is about. Supporters are taking an interest in the long-term futures of their clubs, and seeing that the Arsenal way – while painful for half a dozen years or so on the pitch – is putting the club in good stead off the pitch for generations to come. Online discussions like this one on BBC this week are now riddled with praise for what has become known as “the Arsenal model”.

I just hope that now the fans are seeing the light, the media might follow. I suspect Andy Gray and co will just continue to focus on the one measure of success they care about – titles and trophies. Don’t get me wrong. I would love Arsenal to have won the silverware Chelsea have since 2005. But not at their price.

I know that in ten years I will still be watching my team from where I watch it now. I wonder if Chelsea fans will be watching some re-formed non-league version of their club because they wanted ten years of success but then Abramovic walked away – and took their history with him?

Written by redandwhiteviews

The author of this article has his own site redandwhiteviews.

Keep it tight or they’ll kill us

Written by SharkeySure

Whilst still marvelling at the eloquence of yesterday’s post by charybdis1966,  I have to disagree with what I think is its central theme, namely that Chelski and Man IOU sit back in the belief that we can’t really hurt them.

The game on Sunday kicked off in a very end to end fashion, with both teams attacking with abandon.  After the opening skirmishes Chelski  retreated a little for a couple of reasons.

1. Diaby’s position.  These days Chelski  pass the ball around in their own half much more than they did a few years ago, and Diaby (ably supported by Song) was harrying Mikel and the Chelsea rear guard into mistakes or longer passes. In attempting to retain possession both Ramires and Essien were drawn deeper and closer to Mikel to offer more support.

2. Chelski were fearful of the early impact that both Arshavin and Nasri were having on the game, and it was also clear that Chamakh was going to give Terry (spit) and Alex  a lot more trouble than they were used to from an Arsenal CF.

From memory, their goal seemed to come slightly against the run of play but nevertheless it was a very good goal, and once they have scored then we all know that its ‘park the bus’ time.  So whilst I acknowledge that Chelski may have ‘invited us into their lair’ as a spider does to a fly, the difference is that I believe that was always our eight legged friend’s original plan, but  Chelski’s was an adaptation to the unexpected circumstances they faced.  I should give them credit for that but I won’t,  instead I’ll simply say ‘well played Mr Arachnid, enjoy your lunch’ !

Man IOU’s case is slightly different to Chelski’s for the simple reason that Chelski do not change their system to play Arsenal, its still their tried and trusted 4-3-3, that either pushes on or sits (/gets pushed?) back.  Red Nose gives up on his 4-4-2 whenever he plays Arsenal and has done for quite a while now.  Fergie goes 4-5-1 with Rooney either up top on his own, or shunted out to the left wing, much to Andy Grays dismay;  and workhorses like Fletcher and Park get their first starts of the season.  His  sole aim to is to crowd the midfield and prevent us from passing his team to death. He really does not expect to outscore us in an open game.

The Prawn Sandwich mob in the stands were aghast when Red Nose first started doing it, as it seemed to go against absolutely everything that the Club and Red Nose stood for.   I believe it was after the flying boot to Beckham’s forehead game, that Fergie ranted and raved like a frothing inarticulate loon and realised that it was better to shut the game down, even at home, than to see his team outplayed as they were on that day.  He does not expect to outscore us in an open game, and resorts to safety in numbers to stifle our brilliant attacking play, well, what else would an Arsenal fan call it !!

Wenger unbalanced again

In seasons gone by, Gooners would look upon a defensive set up by the home team on trips to the bus stop in Fulham or the Theatre of Snores, as a mark of deference to our attacking prowess, but more recently this Gooner sees this as evidence of how easily a pragmatic manager of a (possibly) slightly inferior team can beat a more talented and creative side.

Sunday’s match demonstrated that Ancelotti’s team (even though Ray “Butch” Wilkins was in charge of preparing Chelsea for this game this was very much the way Carlo would have done things) could adopt a cautious and slightly defensive approach to the game. This stemmed more from a confidence that Arsenal would allow gaps to form behind the attacking line which-if possession was conceded-allow the home team to break at pace, due to our tendency to build up attacks slowly, while more and more midfielders/forward players get involved.

While it’s true harking back to the halcyon days of TH14 and the pace he gave us is of little use when our paciest player has only recently started to develop into a goal scorer, there must be an alternative to the tendency by the team to dwell on the ball and persist in attempting to find the ideal pass through a claustrophobic central portion of the final third of the pitch.

Think back to the games at the Theatre of snores and our place last season against the original Manks – again the opposition played with a lone man up front and crowded the midfield, but more importantly they were happy to concede possession in midfield knowing that the tortuous forward progress of Arsenal attacks would not threaten their goal unduly.

Back then it would seem the obvious interpretation to this would be Fergie acknowledging his team couldn’t match our midfield passing, but as I now believe it is more that Fergie didn’t see us as having meaningful or effective possession that would be of material danger to his team’s chances of victory.

So the two teams who have consistently beaten us in recent years have worked out a way to exploit our predictability, however how much of this perceived weakness can be attributed to Wenger’s approach, if any?

While I don’t agree with some who say that Wenger does not place much emphasis on the defensive side of the game I feel there is some truth in Wenger being fallible to the human trait of concentrating on that part of a task that is most interesting to him. It’s this enthusiasm for creative midfielders that are small, nimble and technically gifted that has made the possession game a hallmark of Wenger’s team; however when a strength becomes so overriding it can become a weakness.

So sometimes things are ahead and sometimes they are behind;
Sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes easily;
Sometimes there is strength and sometimes weakness;
Sometimes one is up and sometimes down.
Therefore the sage avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency.
Lao Tzu (c.604 – 531 B.C.)

In my opinion great teams always have a combination of skill and power which allow a flexibility and adaptability to counter differing types of opposition and match conditions.

There is no denying when all parts of the Arsenal passing game combine and/or are allowed to combine by the opposition and/or referees the team is unstoppable however a saying I’m fond of “The bigger the front the bigger the behind” is relevant here.

This means that, for example, the more a person seems to be arrogant and has a lot of “front” the more likely it is they are in reality nervous and lacking in confidence and have the “behind” of self-doubt. With regards to our passing game the more the reliance on that one aspect of our game the more debilitating the effects of not working on our ability to win matches and play the game our way.
The question is firstly has Wenger actually presided over the development of this teams makeup so it is over reliant on a methodical and measured build up to attacks orchestrated by midfielders of a certain type?
If so then why has he done this? I feel perhaps the zeal to create such an identifiable playing style is being given undue importance.

Perhaps a little pragmatism from our no doubt deep-thinking manager would go a long way however having worked in Japan for a number of years in which he gained an appreciation for the oriental way of life and thinking I feel he may figure the solution to the squad balance conundrum out for himself.

Staring down the barrel ……. Are you feeling lucky Punk?

Why Oh Why can’t we ever have a fully fit first team when we play Chelsea? I am convinced that had we Cesc, Vermælen, Van Persie and Theo fully fit and firing on all cylinders we would win this fixture, without them there lies some doubt.

I believe that if the 4 missing players could each play 30+ games a season we would win the League. We have a brilliant first 11 (bar the GK!!) but  taking out our best defender, best forwards, and the best midfielder in the world is putting enormous pressure upon our capabilities of challenging Chelsea for the title. It would on any team.

Apart from the blip last weekend and that silly overtime goal at TSOL we have played very well this season. Fantastic, high scoring wins against admittedly moderate opposition should have given us great confidence going to the Bridge, but those two games have left a major doubt over the team, and Chelsea away is not the best place to go when confidence is not 100%.

Then there is the goalkeeping issue. I am guessing that Fabianski will play and I wish him (or Almunia) the very best of good fortune, however  ….. oh, I am so bored with this whole GK scandal. Let’s just use some of the shedloads of profits on a decent keeper in January and be done with it.

So where is the hope that we can get a result? It lies within the blessed feet of Arshavin and Nasri, and the combined strength of sinew and muscle of our defence. We all know the strengths of Chelsea’s attack, they have power and pace and have undone our defence too often for comfort. However, we have a shiny, new pair of CB’s who will be desperate to show they can be the equal of Drogba and Anelka (who in a just world would be wearing an Arsenal shirt).

Even without Cesc (and there remains hope he will play) our midfields cancel each other out. Missing Lampard, Chelsea look bereft of inspiration, relying on the lung bursting energy of Essien and the power of their forwards to create goal scoring opportunities. Whereas we have a wealth of creative players who are learning to stand up to the battle. I would start Wilshere who looks a special player; there are few creative MF’s who have his appetite for the physical side of football.

My main concern is Malouda.  He can win the game single handedly, and it will require vigilance from our midfielders to protect our full backs.  We have to defend as a team and not allow the vast open spaces that led to previous Chelsea goals, Song in particular will have to curb his attacking instincts.

My team (can I keep my 100% record?)

Fab

Sagna Squid Kos Clichy

Denilson Song Nasri JW

Cham  AA

Chelsea’s record of over 100 goals last season was phenomenal and a testament to their attacking resolve. They are a fantastic side and definitely the best PL team since the Invincibles. The work done by Ancelloti has been of the highest calibre – to take a succesful but dull, mechanical team and turn them into entertainers was superb. Let’s hope they are one season wonders!

To go to last season’s Double winners and leave with 3 points is a big ask, but We are The Arsenal and We are the Best ….

COYRRG.

Can we dominate and win at Stamford Bridge?

Written by Smith14

In recent years our encounters against Chelsea have tended to be harsh lessons. Aside from the RVP inspired 2-1 comeback against Scolari’s outfit, it’s fair to say we’ve struggled. The time of our yearly examination is nearly upon us. I pride myself on being one of Arsenal’s more optimistic supporters and sincerely believe that we have a visionary in charge of the club and that his plans, which have so tested our collective patience, will come good eventually. Despite all this, I’m still absolutely petrified of 4 o’clock on Sunday.

Arsenal fans, and those neutrals that don’t seem intent on upsetting us, are generally treated to the most attractive Football in the League. When everyone’s fit, which admittedly is as rare as a loose pass from Wilshere, we have a squad which compares pretty well to the elite of the division, the elite of Europe in fact. There is, in my mind, no question that the likes of Cesc, Wilshere, Arshavin, Nasri, RVP and Chamakh could orchestrate the downfall of any side, on their day. The question is why don’t we ever seem to have our day on the biggest occasions?

Our problem is not ability. All summer there were arguments among fans about who we needed to buy but, looking at the squad rationally, Goalkeeper aside, I don’t think there’s great room for improvement. The thing that we lack is not players, its mentality. In recent seasons we’ve taken the lead at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, The Millennium Stadium, Wembley and the Nou Camp and been beaten or drawn on every occasion.

We have had periods of great dominance against the likes of United and Chelsea but occasions on which we’ve turned that dominance into wins are few and far between. Apart from the colossal injury list, which isn’t an excuse but certainly an explanation for a lot of what’s gone wrong in the last few seasons, our poor return comes down to mental toughness. The ability to see a result out or dig in to drag yourself back from a mistake. Add to that games where we’ve squandered periods of superiority, games where we’ve given away the first goal and gone on to be embarrassed.

So, do we have the ability to get a result? We could argue that the age of the squad was to blame and it was a factor for a few years but, by now, they’ve all been together for long enough to have experienced success and failure as a unit. The likes of Clichy, Sagna, Fabregas, Nasri, Rosicky and Arshavin have all felt disappointment in an Arsenal shirt. Wenger was right this summer when he said that age was no longer an excuse. There can rarely have been a team with so much experience at such a young age. The last remaining hurdle for this team seems to be belief in themselves that matches Wengers. The idea that they can truly live up to the talent in the squad and get results we deserve. I’m fed up of arguing that we should have got better results, the time has come to start getting those results.

On Sunday we will be faced with Terry, Essien and Drogba. We will need determination, aggression, skill and concentration in abundance. I personally think we have the Footballing ability to play them off the pitch. We must now prove that we have the self belief to make this count. The fact that Koscielny, Squillaci and Chamakh – all likely starters on Sunday – have yet to face Chelsea in an Arsenal shirt may provide grounds for optimism. They will not so readily recall being put to the sword by Drogba and, if they approach the game with the appropriate professionalism, the centre backs in particular could give us a strong foundation from which to play.

The central defensive partnership must not allow themselves to be lulled into a false sense of security by Drogba. Consistently he will throw himself all over the pitch, whinge and moan and appear to have given up the ghost. All of a sudden, defence suitably relaxed, he surges back and simply blows teams away. If Koscielny and Squillaci needed an induction to the Premier League, this is it. Squillaci comes with the battled hardened features to match a long career. His experience could be vital in this duel. Firstly we must frustrate Drogba, then we must stamp on him whilst he’s down, figuratively speaking of course.

Ultimately the onus falls on Wenger and the players to toughen up and prove my bold claims to be correct. We as fans can do little but support the side. We may not think that each individual is good enough to achieve what we want them to but as long as they are in an Arsenal shirt they should be backed 100%. A team with whole hearted and unified support will perform better than one who transmits its anxieties onto the players.

Let’s hope that on Monday morning we are celebrating a side who are becoming men, rather than licking our wounds. Honestly, I don’t think Win, Lose or Draw, Sunday will be as decisive as Sky will portray it. At the very least though, it will confirm our worst fears or make a bold statement that we are at least up for the fight.

Keep The Faith.

You can read other articles by Smith14 at  http://tbwttihs14.wordpress.com/