First off, I don't really feel like blogging about a former Arsenal player. However, Henry is not just any Arsenal player. Admittedly, he's a Legend. Henry scored 226 times in 370 appearances and arguably was a part of the most successful run in Arsenal's history. Invincibles! My God, the good ole days were...well, the good ole days. It really is something to admire. And then he moved on.
Simply put, there are two camps of Gooners tweeting about Henry's return. One camp is so excited and wet about his return that they probably think his two-month loan will put us in 4th place and secure Champions League football. They regard Henry as some sort of savior. They have called him King once again. They are willing to look past his 34-year-old legs. They hope he is the difference. And, of course, this same camp loves to go to work the day after a win and engage in the banter of my-team-is-better-than-yours. They've done so for years. And they hope that Henry's return gives them one last boast.
The other camp, the camp I belong to, doesn't really care if he is at the Club again or not. This camp wants to move Forward and would prefer to see some strikers just signed, like Park. This camp prefers to leave Highbury behind and start a new chapter in Arsenal's history. They prefer to look ahead to brighter days with new faces and continued success. And this camp knows, and is deeply mired by the fact that Henry chose to leave Arsenal, not the other way around. Arsenal offered him top monies to stay until 2010; he signed, he declared his future to Arsenal, and then he fucked off to Barca to win. With Arsenal's money. The first camp choses to forget this fact.
Henry's departure is personal. It's personal because he was the first of two Arsenal players to ruin a birthday of mine. Henry made my day in 2006 by stating he would stay till 2010. And then later that same summer he was at Barcelona. Many cite his injury woes before and then after his departure as some sort of justification for letting him leave to our rivals. The rivals who just beat Arsenal in the Champions League final. Independent of football, who the fuck does that type of shit? What type of man says one thing and does another? Not any sort of man I want anything to do with. Also, many cite his personal/relationship reasons for leaving England and going to Barca. Moreover, Henry's wages were very high and I'm sure the Club was happy to offload his salary; no worries he took ~5mil quid with him as he left. Good business. For him. Again, many look the other way or are new Gooners and don't even know about his theatrics...
At the end of the day, Henry had his time and deserves his recognition. Henry isn't the first footballer to say one thing and do another. But Henry was the first Arsenal player to make so many people happy and then disappoint them with his move to a rival. And, of course, Cesc did the same thing. Instead of citing relationship concerns, he used the homesick excuse. And that one worked, too. The first camp's view on Cesc waxes and wanes. Many chose to believe he left cuz he was truly homesick. Others feel betrayed and have thrown him under the bus. This same camp has forgot about Henry's move to Barca, or again, chose to forget about it.
But this blog is about Henry's return. Two months for him to come in and sit on the bench. Where he belongs. I don't want to see him play a minute if it means we don't get to see 'super quality' signings like Park. They say in football sometimes you have to go back to go forward. Is that what Wenger is trying to do here? Inspire the young guys into rising to a higher level by potentially playing a Club Legend again? And how does skipping Park for Henry help the team? Or help this young player gain confidence after he leaves again.
I really do think Henry will sit on the bench and only play if Robin gets injured or Park completely fails. If either or are crocked then Henry will get a shot. And if he plays I'll support him on the pitch. But the man who said one thing and did another is in the past. And I chose to move Forward.
ArsenaLos
Friday, December 30, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Buy A Right Back
There were so many disappointments in today's Arsenal match that I don't even know where to begin. From start to finish it felt like we were never in the contest. My list of major angst is as follows:
- Song couldn't help himself and got booked within 10 minutes. Song had to play 80 minutes in such a contested match and behave himself. From a defensive stand point he put the Arsenal in an immediate disadvantage. And he could have prevented the booking by just moving his feet, and shepparding the opposition away from goal. I don't think he understands that his man can't score if his back is turned to goal. And there's nothing wrong with having the opposition move negatively, backwards. That's what is called defense.
- When I saw that Djourou was starting at right back I wasn't surprised. Who else do we have? Oh, we have Koscielny. And he's much more agile and quick. But, no, let's play Djourou's lanky ass. That makes complete sense. And then Djourou got injured, and we saw that Miquel isn't quite ready, either. This is life without right and left backs. And I certainly hope Wenger is looking to buy. It's an emergency.
- I got into an argument with two dudes on Twitter about Arteta. These two thought he had a great game whilst I felt he was ineffective and absent throughout. Sure, he connected passes. Negative and lateral passes like Denilson. But that's it. I also felt that he didn't provide enough defensive support for Song. On the goal that we conceded Arteta was way too far up and Song had to run all the way back, actually overlapping Koscielny and then was left to challenge Balotelli. It must have been a 40 yard sprint. As Obama says, 'it's just math'. If Koscielny stays in his position and Arteta stays back as Song goes forward then Balotelli is stopped well before the 18-yard box and danger is averted or at least minimized. So, to me, Arteta didn't help Song enough and Koscielny wandered too much from his right back position.
- Theo. Where was Theo? let me know when you find him.
- Ramsey ran around a lot and I admire his effort. But he ran around like a chicken with his head cut off. There seemed to be a fracture of communication or gameplan between Ramsey, Arteta and Song. Often times out of position and ultimately out of sync. None of them linked up with Robin; therefore, there was no offensive threat starting through the middle and then no diving runs from the wings. It was as stagnant a showing as you can muster.
- Gervinho, with all that forehead, sure doesn't make very good decisions. It looked like Gervinho was shy of contact and uncertain on turns of whether he was going to dribble, pass, or shoot. And in this quagmire of thought he coughed up the ball or passed it away. I can remember one run where he beat Richards handedly and passed to Robin who scuffed a clear opportunity. You'd bet Robin would finish that 9/10 times. This was that one time it didn't happen. If Gervinho's decisions improve he'll be a real consistent threat but for now he's just a threat when he gets it right.
The biggest issue is not having fit, top class right and left backs. I think Wenger needs to buy at least one, but probably two. If he doesn't buy then I think he should promote some actual right and left backs and give them a go. I'd rather have reserve backs then to move a first team player into a position they are unfamiliar with. That seems to only work for Vermaelen. And I wouldn't try that with any other player. I feel that there is less risk of error from those who play in that position regularly. Again, just math, just consistency.
At the end of the day a 1-nil loss isn't the end of the world but it's not ideal. I can safely say we're out of the title race. You have to win matches like this versus jammy cunts to be champions. Wenger needs to seriously consider bringing in some back-up coverage in the left-right back area or promote. Also, play Benayoun/Rosicky over Arshavin and then sell him before window closes. Any money made in January needs to be invested immediately. But we've said that for ages now.
We'll see what happens and hope for some quick injury recoveries.
ArsenaLos
- Song couldn't help himself and got booked within 10 minutes. Song had to play 80 minutes in such a contested match and behave himself. From a defensive stand point he put the Arsenal in an immediate disadvantage. And he could have prevented the booking by just moving his feet, and shepparding the opposition away from goal. I don't think he understands that his man can't score if his back is turned to goal. And there's nothing wrong with having the opposition move negatively, backwards. That's what is called defense.
- When I saw that Djourou was starting at right back I wasn't surprised. Who else do we have? Oh, we have Koscielny. And he's much more agile and quick. But, no, let's play Djourou's lanky ass. That makes complete sense. And then Djourou got injured, and we saw that Miquel isn't quite ready, either. This is life without right and left backs. And I certainly hope Wenger is looking to buy. It's an emergency.
- I got into an argument with two dudes on Twitter about Arteta. These two thought he had a great game whilst I felt he was ineffective and absent throughout. Sure, he connected passes. Negative and lateral passes like Denilson. But that's it. I also felt that he didn't provide enough defensive support for Song. On the goal that we conceded Arteta was way too far up and Song had to run all the way back, actually overlapping Koscielny and then was left to challenge Balotelli. It must have been a 40 yard sprint. As Obama says, 'it's just math'. If Koscielny stays in his position and Arteta stays back as Song goes forward then Balotelli is stopped well before the 18-yard box and danger is averted or at least minimized. So, to me, Arteta didn't help Song enough and Koscielny wandered too much from his right back position.
- Theo. Where was Theo? let me know when you find him.
- Ramsey ran around a lot and I admire his effort. But he ran around like a chicken with his head cut off. There seemed to be a fracture of communication or gameplan between Ramsey, Arteta and Song. Often times out of position and ultimately out of sync. None of them linked up with Robin; therefore, there was no offensive threat starting through the middle and then no diving runs from the wings. It was as stagnant a showing as you can muster.
- Gervinho, with all that forehead, sure doesn't make very good decisions. It looked like Gervinho was shy of contact and uncertain on turns of whether he was going to dribble, pass, or shoot. And in this quagmire of thought he coughed up the ball or passed it away. I can remember one run where he beat Richards handedly and passed to Robin who scuffed a clear opportunity. You'd bet Robin would finish that 9/10 times. This was that one time it didn't happen. If Gervinho's decisions improve he'll be a real consistent threat but for now he's just a threat when he gets it right.
The biggest issue is not having fit, top class right and left backs. I think Wenger needs to buy at least one, but probably two. If he doesn't buy then I think he should promote some actual right and left backs and give them a go. I'd rather have reserve backs then to move a first team player into a position they are unfamiliar with. That seems to only work for Vermaelen. And I wouldn't try that with any other player. I feel that there is less risk of error from those who play in that position regularly. Again, just math, just consistency.
At the end of the day a 1-nil loss isn't the end of the world but it's not ideal. I can safely say we're out of the title race. You have to win matches like this versus jammy cunts to be champions. Wenger needs to seriously consider bringing in some back-up coverage in the left-right back area or promote. Also, play Benayoun/Rosicky over Arshavin and then sell him before window closes. Any money made in January needs to be invested immediately. But we've said that for ages now.
We'll see what happens and hope for some quick injury recoveries.
ArsenaLos
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