Arsenal
Bould defence, timid attack, pre-season draw at Stoke City
Dont Worry Chumps
By Boris Mellor
August 26 2012
Arsene Wenger’s pre – season preparation continued apace at Stoke City with another useful draw. I must say that when I heard that Mannone was in goal I was more than a bit concerned, only Arsenal could lose two first team goal keepers before the season has even started.This was a good run out for the team and should be a chance for players like Giroud, Podolski and Cazorla to get to know each other and the rigours of English football.
There is no place better than Stoke to learn how tough the Premiership can be. Pre- season, or not, Stoke take no prisoners and Cazorla was offered the traditional welcome of a Potteries souvenir stamp on the foot.
Considering this was only the third game of the pre-season the defence was pretty well drilled, and it was yet another clean sheet, Bould is clearly having a good influence on defensive housekeeping. Of course the defence are used to playing in the same team, and Cazorla is the only new addition to the midfield, he had such a good game I thought he was unlucky not to win Man of Match instead of Arteta.
However upfront the rustiness of preparing for a new season showed, as an almost new front line of Giroud, Podolski and Gervinho played after you Claude with the numerous chances provided by Cazorla.
It would seem that the profligacy of his new team mates upset Arteta as he felt that his team could have won the game. But as he missed most of the pre-season training last year he is probably not used to the slow way Arsenal build up to the season.
Positives
This was men v men, none of the Arsenal players succumbed to the bullying tactics of the Potters, and kept calm whilst doing so. They even had a sly dig at players blindside of ref now and then. That’s what I like to see. Also defending from dead ball situations was well organised.
Negatives
Considering it was only pre-season game it would have been good to see Wenger bring on Oxlade Chamberlain earlier than he did. With only a couple of weeks to go to start of the season proper it is worrying that the defence and midfield could not score, they might need to whilst the new strikers settle in. As Arsenal are no longer a one man band they must share the goals around.
The game lacked the excitement of two teams really fighting for three points and Stoke showed so little ambition they didn’t even manage to win a corner.
Managers Verdict
Wenger was pleased with how well the defence was organised, but felt that a little something was missing in attack as players learnt to get to know each other. Though in Gervinho’s case I suspect it’s where the goal is that he needs to learn.
Whatever is missing they need to find it soon, Wenger did not rule out a little transfer activity before the window closed next week.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:09:02:17:45:53 by Padre Pio.
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We will know at the Liverpool pre season game, which you will remember we lost 2-0 last pre-season
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Problem is the offence looks tepid at best. As well as Santi-Cazorla has adjusted the truth is we don't have one real finisher in this team and if we ever needed af inisher it was this year.
This is the kind of year already where just a bit of goal scoring could be this difference between contending for the title or struggling for a Europa League place if the defence can maintain this form.
Some will say that is crazy but 38 0-0 draws would see us finish with 38 points which is relegation battle form. Obviously we aren't that bad - yet - but its just as obvious that we are a long way with this team as is from challenging to win the League in all honesty no matter how optimistic we want to be right now.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Just how much more does our attack have to improve really, and can our defence defend at this level against those teams?
For many seasons playing Stoke away was among the hardest matches of the season. It is clear they have improved a lot in their defending set pieces.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:08:27:05:41:19 by SA-Gunner.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:Padre Pio
Stoke are a tough fixture, we lost 3 of the last five games there, if we had beaten Sunderland it would have been a good result. One problem is that RvP could score half chances, now the midfield will have to create more clear cut chances
midfield and wide players
I agree with Gary Neville - its the best we have played against Stoke away - we were not out-muscled, they never looked like scoring, our defence was well organised to protect our 3rd choice keeper.
Had we beaten Sunderland, this would have seemed like a good result against Stoke.
The worry remains, as I said before the season began, that our new team takes too long to bed in and with difficult early fixtures (our next 4 are Liverpool away, Southampton at home, Man City away, Chelsea at home - from which we might only get 5 points) we could then be 8-10 points behind Chelsea and the Manchester clubs by the end of September - a very tall order to catch up on.
I think the team looks stronger overall than last season and if Wilshere does come back we will be very strong for the 2nd half of the season - maybe a cup win ?
Yesterday I thought Arteta and Cazorla were easily the best players on the pitch and looked real class.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:Padre Pio
Trouble is Liverpool can score and we cant
Well, Skrtel may be on our side at least!
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
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