Wengerball: Winning Ugly

Have we really just won five out of six games on the trot? Is this all a fluke before the Gunners are brought back down to earth? Why exactly are football partnerships important and could the lack of them be a prime reason in the club’s decline?

Wengerball attempts to chart yet another season in the Arsenal red and white, one that hopefully culminates in much anticipated glory in England’s highest footballing echelon.

A Matter of Numbers

“It was a very difficult summer because half the dressing room wanted to leave.”

Such were the oft repeated comments from Arsenal gaffer Arsène Wenger this week on French radio station RTL, words that had the scribes scrambling for their pens and paper.

They didn’t have to say it, but you could see them furiously calculating the exact size of the Arsenal squad, and how many more players could be itching to leave.

The departures of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gaël Clichy over the summer left the Arsenal squad weakened, but imagine if the exodus had been greater, that could have been a point of no return.

Of course the focus turned to captain extraordinaire Robin van Persie, the reported target of a mega money move from an assortment of noveau rich European clubs.

He’s just sold his house in London! He hasn’t committed to a new contract!

With the team having notched up five wins in the last six games (the one loss to Spurs and Kyle Walker’s wonder goal at White Hart Lane), it would take an effort to sustain the doom and gloom around the Emirates for once.

Not mentioned, naturally, was the fact that van Persie had just bought yet another house in London. Then again, news that the Arsenal captain moving houses would hardly sell papers. Much more convenient to insert a half truth and insist our most on form player could be abandoning the club he claimed he wouldn’t leave just this summer.

The two goals against Sunderland and the look of ecstasy on the Dutchman’s face was all Arsenal fans needed.

“Yes, [it was worth the booking], very much,” van Persie revealed following the match, after drawing a yellow card for celebrating without his shirt. And not many Arsenal fans would begrudge him that.

Promising Signs

Besides the excellent form at both ends of the pitch from van Persie and the colourful Wojciech Szczesny, October has seen a revival of sorts for a few players.

Tomas Rosicky caught the eye in central midfield against Sunderland and Marseille. While the Czech playmaker has shown no signs of the explosive shooting and fancy footwork he displayed when he first joined the club, he seems to have rediscovered his form of old. The last time he turned in such displays was early last season before he faded towards the end, but the veteran midfielder seems to have adapted his style of play after a long injury layoff. His pace seems to have returned, allied by a determination to fight and scrap for every loose ball. It was very much a tigerish display from one of the more experienced members of the Arsenal side, and you could very well see him compete for the two central midfield slots in the first team on a regular basis.

Andrei Arshavin recently admitted that he was not at all satisfied with his form over the last season or so, and it seems Arsenal fans are more or less in agreement with him. The Russian international is very much a confidence player and that is one thing that has been missing since his standout debut season. Being dropped in favour of new recruit Gervinho seems to have lit the fire under him once again, as he showed some good touches when coming on against Sunderland. A delightful shimmy and dribble through three defenders in the penalty box was reminiscent of his past heroics, but alas he contrived to screw the shot wide after getting clear.

Aaron Ramsey too, has come in for some flack after insipid performances in the centre of midfield this season. Despite equalising against Tottenham earlier this month, too many of his passes went straight to an opposition player that day. Coming on against Marseille in the Champions League, the Welsh captain endeared himself to the travelling Arsenal support when scoring a late late winner. There are few other players in the Arsenal team you’d pick over Ramsey to convert a one-on-one chance against the keeper.

A Dearth of Partnerships

Every good team has a slew of partnerships in the first eleven. They can be anywhere on the pitch, two players who have struck up an understanding to the point where they know each other’s moves.

The Arsenal teams of old had plenty, many of them familiar names that were the heart and soul of the club. Just to name a few, and in no particular order: Vieira – Petit, Overmars – Bergkamp, Bergkamp – Henry, Fabregas – Flamini, Adams – Bould, Adams – Keown…

Look at the current Arsenal team though, and you get a little stymied. With the exception of perhaps Walcott – van Persie, there seem to be few working partnerships at the club. You could blame the departures of important players, or the arrival of new ones, or even perhaps the constant line of players hobbling into the treatment room, but the simple fact is as long as Wenger is unable to put out a stable first eleven, the team will continue looking disjointed and fragile.

It is no coincidence that the pretty passing of old has more or less disappeared, the defence is crumbling, and we can launch over 30 crosses into the Marseille box without a single one connecting. It will take time, and that is one commodity the Gunners are running out of.