Sagna First

By Boris Mellor
April 12 2008

When Sagna went off against Chelsea I remember muttering that it could be our season down the toilet. Against Manchester United it really is the last chance this Arsenal team have of remaining contenders, or alternatively watch three quarters of a season's hard work come to nothing.

 Arsenal, according to some of the media, have been facing crunch matches ever since the season started. However there is no doubt that this match really is the crunch. Super Sunday has arrived, but with far less hype, all the hyperbole has already been done to death.

If Man U win this then they will almost certainly sail on to win the league. Their result against Chelsea would not matter that much. If Arsenal won they would gain a feint chance of winning the title, but the main beneficiaries maybe Chelsea, who could find themselves level with the Champions, with a chance to overtake them at the bridge.

The form book hardly indicates that Arsenal can win, but if football went purely by the form book it would not create the interest it does. Last year Arsenal beat United twice in the league, away without Henry, and at home with Eboue, Toure, Senderos and Clichy as the back four.

That day Senderos, Eboue, and Toure all played with confidence and conviction, now all three look like nervous wrecks. What has changed? Are Arsenal so much worse this season and United so much better? It is hard to know the overall answer, but one point has to be that this season's back four depended on Sagna; and Eboue has moved into midfield. Sagna and Clichy have been the constants of the defence, not the centre backs.

Eboue does have strengths as a midfielder, he has pace and can skin defenders, however he can't shoot, and has one assist to his name all season. He had more assists playing at right back. However I am not anti Eboue, it is Wenger that decided to move him. It seems to me that a decent right back has changed into a midfielder drained of confidence.

This brings us back to Sagna, or rather the continued absence of Sagna, for since his injury the Gunners have been leaking goals more rapidly than ever, and are more incapable of holding a lead than ever.

Since Sagna's departure Wenger has been unable to effectively reorganise his defence with ensuing dire consequences. The worst of which were the events at Anfield.

Now to be fair Toure didn't foul Babel, and Babel was going nowhere, except straight into Gallas. Billy had him covered, an experienced right back would have got out of the way and let Gallas get on with it, but Kolo panicked and allowed Babel to get tangled up with him. In my opinion Babel was looking for a penalty because he knew he was going nowhere, but that is not the point, the point is Kolo panicked.

If Wenger cannot sort out the chaos on the right hand of his defence then the outcome at Old Trafford is unlikely to be favourable. Is it too late to put Eboue back into his natural position? Put Walcott ahead of him, and tell Eboue not to take attacking risks. Overmars never protected his full back, but his sheer pace kept the opposition on their toes.

Can Walcott play 90 minutes, and have an impact in a big game like this? Who can be sure, but it must be worth a try, the chance of winning the league is a remote one, it is just as important to look to next season now, and in doing that it might just have an impact on the present. For the sooner Toure at right back become a thing of the past the better Arsenal' chances in the present will be.

High Scoring Game?

United have scored more first half goals (32) than any other EPL team and  Arsenal the most (41) in the second half. Man Utd have scored the most goals in the Premiership (70) and Arsenal the second most at 63. However United have the meanest defence having conceded only 5 at home, 17 in total to Arsenal's 11 at home  and 27 in total. Arsenal have the poorest defence of the top four, which might not have been the case if Sagna had not been injured.

Eboue to be right back in last chance saloon?

Discussion started by Arsenal Times , 12/04/2008 15:07

Arsenal Times
12/04/2008 15:07

Eboue to be right back in last chance saloon?

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Merlion96
12/04/2008 15:15

I am sure it will work:

Eboue to sit back as RB and hit those accurate crosses once in a rare why.

Walcott cna then fully concentrate in opponent half and gives free rein to hsi attacking isntinct instead of continuous worrying should he trak back or not.

And we need Flamini to cover right flank inc ase EBoue drives too far forward.

But if Eboue drives forward, then Kolo MUST sit back to cover right-flank as well.

it will work as we do remmeebr that Eboue marked RObinho out of the game.

Hoyte flunked his test and has no place in teh squad.
Let Eboue be 2nd choice to Sagna and be an utility palyer likek Cygan as a squad member to cover RB and RM.

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perrygroves
12/04/2008 15:18

Im watching this one with no hope or expectation...still drained from Tuesday.

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Padre Pio
12/04/2008 15:36

Same here perry. I cant get it out of my system.

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Optimistic Gunner
12/04/2008 15:42

I agree pAdre and Merlion.

Eboue should start at RB and stay back there with Walcott starting on the right wing.

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Merlion96
12/04/2008 16:12

Quote:

Padre Pio
Same here perry. I cant get it out of my system.

The only thing that saved my sanity is the anticipation that they WILL COME GOOD IN 2008/09 season.

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HappyGööner
12/04/2008 17:36

Me too, cannot believe how we were robbed and yet we have to swallow it. Even here in the states, football pundits who are staunch anti Arsenal said we were robbed.

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Merlion96
12/04/2008 19:31

We were not robbed.
Just that Wenegr was badly let down by those youngsters fialign to develop in expectation that they will be ready to step into senior team seamlessly by Dec 2007.

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dixon9
13/04/2008 09:28

Is Ferdinand fully fit? He will no doubt start but he could be clearly seen hobbling around during the 2nd half against Roma.

Vidic? He is supposed to be back today, but after a while out he shouldn´t be fully match sharp.

Walcott must start up with RVP - those two could really expose Man Utd´s current achillies heel. Wenger needs to put the accent on daring rather than caution - and given this is "last chance saloon" one would hope he will do.

True, psychologically, Arsenal are down at the moment....but for some reason I´ve a feeling in my bones you will get a result today.



.



"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.

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Padre Pio
13/04/2008 11:01

RvP could hardly run at Anfield, strapped up on both thighs

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Merlion96
13/04/2008 17:43

...how about strapped up between the thighs as well?

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