He cares

By Boris Mellor
January 9 2011

In feudal times crops were rotated, a four field system enabled one field to be left fallow every year so the soil could recover, the other three fields would provide the crop. I can’t help fearing that the locals would have starved under Baron Wenger as he would have left three fields fallow and claimed that the one remaining field  was good enough to feed the village.

So is this B field, sorry B team, really good enough to feed the population, sorry I mean win games that matter.

We first saw a variant of this B team against Spurs in late September, except Nasri, Wilshere and Lansbury played. Djourou partnered Koscielny at the back; so perhaps this was slightly more than a B team, but it wasn’t the A team. Spurs underestimated the strength of the team and put out rather less than their A team. Arsenal walloped them 4-1, it was wonderful. It seemed Wenger had got rotation spot on.

On October 21, away at Newcastle, we saw another variant of team B, again Djourou partnered Koscielny, but this time Nasri didn’t start but Walcott and Bendtner did, result a smashing 4-0 victory that depended on two own goals. A good victory nonetheless, again Wenger had got it right.

It went wrong in Europe –Warning Bell

On November 3 the B team made its debut in Europe at Shakhtar Donetsk, it included Djourou and Squillaci at the back, Wilshere, Rosicky, Nasri, Walcott and Bendtner all started, it could be said this was B team extra strong. It didn’t do any good; an excellent first goal by Walcott was swamped by two goals for the opposition. B team extra strong with added Fabregas was now sent to Braga on 23 November. This time the team lost 2-0 to one of the weakest teams in the CL. Wenger had to put out his strongest team possible for the final group game to ensure winning second place and the prize of playing Barcelona.

Question Mark?

For the first time there was a question mark hanging over Arsenal Lite? True they went onto beat Wigan 2-0 at home in the Carling, but that was their last hurrah, since then they have managed two draws, 2-2 away at Wigan, a team languishing at the bottom of the Premiership, and 1-1 at home in the cup against  a team 22 places below them.

 Has it gone wrong?

Since November the B team conceded 7 goals in four games and scored 4 in reply a goal difference of -3. 

The early outings, as outlined were very successful, but since November the defence has increasingly been a problem, and goal scoring not a lot better.

Against Leeds, yes I know they had lots of chances, but they didn’t look like scoring in open play, and if they hadn’t won a penalty I doubt they would have equalised.

The team seems to lack freshness; Rosicky looks like a dead man on leave, Arshavin (who is now a B team regular) volunteered to come off every time Arsenal put a sub on. Wenger waved him back time and again. Arshavin and Bendtner both had chances to put the game away, both lacked sharpness.

Without Djourou I would have feared even more for the defence, meanwhile Eboue and Gibbs failed to provide any serious attacking threat. The midfield was predictable and slow, and Denilson gave away a cheap penalty. It wasn’t until Fabregas and Walcott came on that the equaliser looked a possibility. What Fab and Theo did, was what the rest lacked, was demonstrate ambition and willpower. They willed a penalty, they made it happen; B team Lite would never have made anything happen.

The lesson must be that B team Lite can’t do it, but B team added ingredient can. Shouldn’t Baron Wenger  take out only one field at a time?

 We were saved from further embarrassment by the subs; if they had been put on earlier Arsenal may have won. However if Arsenal do not play a stronger team at Leeds I fear it could be all over for that competition. But does anyone really care?

Who cares?

Only 12 days ago an absolutely packed stadium bayed for blood against Chelsea, the atmosphere was fantastic. This game was also sold out, but many couldn’t be bothered to turn out. Club level was more than half empty, the boxes were mainly empty, and empty seats were spotted all over the stadium. I had Leeds fans sitting either side of me, and I hear that was the case elsewhere in the stadium.

The crowd were most unenthused by the team sheet, they know duds when they see them, but still expect to be entertained. For the whole of the first half they let the Leeds fans make the running, it wasn’t until about 30 minutes to go that they realised that Arsenal could be put out by lower division opposition. They began to call for Theo, but it was Fabregas they got first.

At last the crowd roused itself, when Theo finally came on they turned up the volume a little bit more, but the greater concern was avoiding embarrassment of early elimination, not the magic of the cup. When the penalty came my nephew could not watch, it felt like the last chance saloon. Fabregas demonstrated that moral courage he has in spades and put away a great penalty. Arsenal might have gone onto to win, but that would have flattered them. Leeds fans, and team, clearly care far more about the cup; Arsenal will have to care a lot more if they are not to join the other teams that have suffered giant killing.