Arsenal improving slowly

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
17 Apr	7:45 PM	P	Manchester City (H)	3	1	Win

On Saturday, Freddie Ljungberg played up front and did things that the team has not been able to do for 3 months. He made runs – one after the other and got into the box time and time again. Freddie's finishing is not what it used to be and he can hardly beat players but his balls are still as solid.

In the last article, I said Arsenal needed more Freddies with the skill of Rosicky. I also wanted to see two committed players because I believe two committed players can drag the tempo up and bring others along – you cannot press on your own.

Against Bolton, Arsenal played the ball behind the defence to a runner for the first time that I can remember in 2 months. Usually, we had players receiving balls to their feet with their backs to goal and passing to someone else in the same position. Freddie's positive attitude soon had others making runs behind defences and Fabregas doesn't need a second invitation to play a nice pass to a running man.

Our finishing was still poor but crucially, our penetration was better. Sometimes, it looks like we have a million chances but a million average chances can lead to zero goals while two very good chances can create 2 goals – the sort of thing that happens to us to the benefit of the opposition. Penetration and good runs distract defenders so we get better kinds of chances.

When Freddie left the pitch to be replaced by the Beast, Arsenal were crappy and unsure again. As Wenger said, it is very easy to lose confidence and very hard to regain it. It is clear that the team is still in a confidence building mode.

Against Manchester City yesterday, Arsenal started in much the same way. Better runs from Rosicky, Fabregas and Eboué and better presence in the box. Most notably, when Hleb dribbled into the box and lost the ball for the 3rd goal, there were 2 Arsenal players in the box and three outside the box. Baptista was ready to pounce when Hleb lost the ball.

Emmanuel Adebayor is a player I like but I like his persistence and his commitment – I would like to like his football too. Right now, his first touch is not as bad as Julio Baptista's but not it's nothing to celebrate and his vision and decision making are still on the low side.

Arsenal are finding form again by playing harder – they are pressing better, running more and defending in numbers. These have got nothing to do with pretty football but yet without it, they don't have a good platform to exploit their pretty football. Most notably is that certain players like Ljungberg and Tomas Rosicky have stepped up a gear so it makes players like Francesc Fabregas, Gilberto and Hleb more productive.

Abou Diaby is growing in stature also. He pushed Baptista off the ball to have a chance at goal against Bolton and failed. My old coach used to tell me to always let strikers score because it is worth more to the team for a striker to get a goal – any kind of goal.

Then Diaby repeated it by fighting off Fabregas for the ball also in the Manchester City game but this time, he found Eboué whose cross was stabbed home by Rosicky. For those who are parents, there gets to a point where a child keeps insisting "I'll do it myself". It feels like that's what Diaby is doing right now – asserting himself. It's great for Arsenal that Diaby is taking responsibility and growing in confidence.

Lastly, Emmanuel Eboué is a not a good defender. Eboué is our best crosser of the ball and he is one of the very few Arsenal players that can get behind a defence with or without the ball. His first touch is better than Baptista and Abebayor put together and his passing is better that both. But his defending is rubbish. Eboué is costing Arsenal goals and he is making goals for Arsenal too. Eboué is causing all kinds of trouble for Kolo Touré and sometimes seems quite nonchalant in his defensive duties. So what to do with a player that has such gifts and failings? Convert to a winger or improve his defending?

Arsenal are still building their confidence and we saw after Freddie came off on Saturday and Diaby yesterday that we still have the tendency to lose our way and get mesmerised by our own passing without end product. We have defensive frailties – teams need 2 chances to get a goal. We must maintain the running behind defences, the passing to runners, the high pitch defending in numbers etc.

So it's Spurs next. If we beat Spurs by playing the way we are but improve our defending at the same time, then we'll have Chelsea.

User Comments

Aussie Fan

Posted on 20 Apr, 2007 at 02:38 AM - Reply

If you had seen my previous posts, i always have maintained we let Lauren Leave to early and Eboue was not the finished product. Hleb has more defensives ability than Eboue, and commits those niggly fouls when needed for Eboue to get back. Eboue is Far better than Cashley at the same stage of their Careers!! He will definitely go on to become one of the Great Right Backs, but right now, he is Leaving the CD Pairing exposed from his Flank!! And what it causes if most have seen in the past is, It drags the other 3 Defenders in, and it leaves the Back Post Open, for the run and free shot at Goal. It also makes the others defend Deeper, and gives the opposition 2 choices, Because Gilberto is usually on or just a bit behing the 22 yard box!! So what we need is for him to time his Runs and making sure he asseses the right time to do so etc..

G_man

Posted on 19 Apr, 2007 at 09:40 PM - Reply

i think Eboue needs to get stronger and he'll be ok

Chris Upton

Posted on 19 Apr, 2007 at 08:45 PM - Reply

I agree with Jonathan about Eboue. A lot of criticism has been put on our scoring record but the defence has just not been good enough and Eboue is the main culprit. He also has a bad attitude, both re dissent and simulation. He would be better sold or as a wide midfielder. Either way I think a new right back is one of the top priorities for next season (plus a Pires-like goal-scoring midfielder).

Mr Scruff

Posted on 19 Apr, 2007 at 01:21 PM - Reply

You improve his defending. 1 on 1 he isnt bad, his tackling is ok too. Its his positioning and his decision making that are letting him down at the moment. I think these things will develop in time, and with experience. The situation actually reminds me a lot of when Ashley Cole 1st got into the team - great going foward but raw defensively. It took him a couple of seasons but by the time he left he was the best in the country in both directions.

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