Thierry Henry celebrates his incredible return to Arsenal
The week that was - January 2012
January 26, 2012
This has not been a fun month. Despite ending 2011 fourth in the table, Arsenal's losing streak in the Premier League hit three games with the 2-1 loss to Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday. If we take a positive spin on the game it looks like this: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain started and showed some serious promise, including his second half assist. That assist was on another ridiculously impressive goal by Robin van Persie - his 23rd of the season. Laurent Koscielny once again showed that he is a different player from last year. Nico Yennaris played quite well after coming on at right-back at the start of the second half. And the scoreline was 2-1 not 8-2.
But the bulk of the post-match discussion revolved around the substitution of AOC for Arshavin shortly after Van Persie's goal. Fans booed, Van Persie had a funny look on his face and pundits ... pundited. Asked about the change in his post-match presser, Arsène Wenger had a very sensible explanation. He said the reason he pulled Oxlade-Chamberlain was, "He had started fatigue, stretched his calf and he was sick in the week."
So off came AOC and on came Arshavin. And Danny Welbeck scored the go-ahead goal for Man United. The hammer of judgment dropped on the Russia captain, but the manager wouldn't agree. "We lose together and we win together, and now you want me to blame one player?" he said. "I won't do that."
What he did admit was that his team turned off a bit defensively at an inopportune time. "We defended well today overall," he said. "And it's a shame we were caught just at the moment when we were in control of the game." It's not a new thought for him. He spoke earlier in the week how his team needs to improve their defensive stability.
The Boss also touched on the demands he gets from all sides to buy more players, saying , "Spending the money is not the target, to buy good players is the target. We need our players back. People are not conscious that we miss 10 players."
And that cannot be forgotten. Injuries are never an excuse per se, but they certainly qualify as contributors and the injury news page still reads like a pretty good starting XI. But the calls for fresh blood in the squad can and should be tempered once some of the missing players get back into the fold. And that should be soon. Thomas Vermaelen, Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere are all expected to return soon with Bacary Sagna not far behind.
As of right now, there is just under a week left in the transfer window, so you won't have to wait long to see if the Boss is in fact going to bring in any new players. He said he would assess things after Sunday's game, so it remains to be seen whether he will search outside the current set-up for that missing piece.
The manager did, however, clarify his stance on Andrey Arshavin. He has no intention of selling him. As always, stay turned to Arsenal.com for the official word on any movement.
It would seem, however, that the fit players feel like they have what it takes to turn it around now. Wojciech Szczesny spoke after the game saying, "I am confident that we will pick ourselves up, will win games and get our position in the Champions League," said the goalkeeper. "I am not worried, just disappointed obviously." Chamberlain echoed that confidence. "We always look to win, we know the task that lies ahead of us but we have belief within the dressing room. The boss believes, the boys believe and we know we have the quality that it takes."
Now some people get a bit rankled when the talk is about securing a spot in the Champions League rather than winning a title. But for Wenger, there's a reason for that. He says that not making the Champions League would be a disaster. And not because of the money. "But because I want to play with the best," he said. "We want to be in there, in the top four, and to play in the Champions League. Anything else would not be good enough."
But Champions League is for another time. Next up is Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Sunday. With our recent poor league form, hopefully a good cup tie will be the tonic we need to get back on track. We took all three points against Villa in Birmingham in December, so there's no doubt that we are more than capable of advancing. Still, Villa are a tricky side who are also more than capable of scoring a goal or two. Injuries are still a major issue for Arsenal, and we likely won't know who is coming back until at least tomorrow. Hopefully the news will be good and the result even better.
Come on you Gunners!
- Kevin Mooney
January 18, 2012
After a run of three months of good results, Arsenal hit a rough patch. Usually, a game against a newly-promoted club is a promising prospect. It's usually seen as an excellent opportunity to pick up some points and extend a lead or make up ground. But Sunday's game at Swansea never had the feel of an easy three points. The Welsh side has been very tough at home and has been playing some pretty impressive football of late.
And that trend continued. Despite an early goal from Robin van Persie and a second half equalizer by Theo Walcott, Arsenal fell on the road for the second straight league game.
Injuries seem to finally be catching up with us. Arsenal was once again forced to play an all center-back back four - Johan Djourou and Ignasi Miquel played on the flanks - and the midfield was missing an important piece with Mikel Arteta sidelined with a calf injury. Even some of our ‘healthy' players weren't healthy. Per Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky were late decisions to play after being out sick for much of the week.
To be frank, it was an ugly loss. In fairness, Swansea played quite well, but as Arsène Wenger noted after the game, "Our defensive performance was not good enough and that's why we lost the game. I feel we are a bit too nervous. We cannot panic every time they have the ball in the final third of the pitch. We have to show more composure and ambition. I think we panicked a bit too quickly today."
He later told Arsenal Player, "That's now twice - at Swansea and at Fulham - where we have given the game away. At our level that is frustrating and not good enough."
The loss means we are further entrenched in fifth place, four points behind Chelsea. It also means that speculation over January moves is about to hit a crescendo. Prior to the Swansea game, Wenger was very general when talking about acquiring another full-back. He said that he was "exploring potential situations we can take advantage of but there is nothing concrete." However, he did use specifics in regarding questions up front.
First - He will not try to sign Chelsea's Salomon Kalou or Anderlecht's Matias Suarez.
Second - He says he intends to keep Andrey Arshavin at Arsenal, calling him an ‘efficient' player.
Third - Marouane Chamakh - currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations - will not be sold in January.
He also commented on his disdain for the January window. "Everybody becomes nervous [from] November until January," he said. "Then players maybe think, 'if I don't play then I will leave in January'. They are already less committed to the cause, it gives them an opening."
Regardless, even finding the right player to add to your squad in January isn't an easy thing. He pointed out the main issue. "You might take a player who doesn't play at all somewhere, who is not necessarily fit quicker than a player who is injured. Or you take a young, potential player who has not made it somewhere."
It's a quandary that we've seen before. Sure, maybe there are some players available in our price range this month, but are they actually any better than the players we already have?
Simply put, if we try to bring in, say a full-back, by the time that player gets up to speed with Arsenal's system - and the fitness required to play in that system - chances are likely that Bacary Sagna and Kieran Gibbs will be ready to go. And once they come back, suddenly Arsenal's center-back depth is back to normal.
In terms of forwards, it's a similar dilemma. He could conceivably bring in a striker or wing player, but by the time they are ready to play Gervinho and Chamakh will be back from Africa and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may be ready for more action. Further, Thierry Henry has been going through extra training sessions to build his sharpness and fitness.
Lastly, Arsenal could be getting a pretty big booster shot in the midfield shortly as Jack Wilshere looks to be nearing a comeback. The questions before the Boss are numerous.
Are there any players availble that fit in with our style of play and budget? Would a new player offer the necessary quality to actually help in time? Should we count on our injured players returning to form this season?
Discuss.
Looking ahead is the big one: Manchester United at home. We will be looking for revenge after the 8-2 demolition at Old Trafford in August, but we're very much still waiting on some key team news. There have been hints that both Thomas Vermaelen and Arteta will be back, but we shouldn't really expect any official word until the pre-match press conference.
For fans in the USA, this game takes on some added significance with Fox airing the game right before dancing robots, Terry Bradshaw and the NFC Championship Game. In terms of viewership, this game is the motherlode. In terms of importance to Arsenal's season ... I don't think I need to spell it out. Hopefully we can quiet the critics and end the weekend on a very, very high note.
Come on you Gunners!
- Kevin Mooney
January 11, 2012
Thierry Henry is back.
Is there anything else to say really? Less than one week after his loan deal to Arsenal from the New York Red Bulls was sealed, Arsène Wenger named the legendary player as part of the squad that took on Leeds United in the FA Cup on Monday. As virtually everyone expected, he came off the bench as a second-half substitute.
But what no one really expected was this. Ten minutes after replacing Marouane Chamakh, Henry did what he became famous for. He scored a goal in Arsenal colors. And it wasn't just a goal - it was the game-winning goal.
Wenger was understandably full of praise for his countryman. "You could see when he came on he had a presence on the pitch and if we could find him, he would be dangerous," the Boss said in his post-match press conference. "He was sharp physically. He was already a legend here and now has added a bit more to the story."
He added,"[the goal] was a little bit of a dream, because it was a story about football you would tell some young children. Unfortunately it is not often like that in our game, but sometimes it happens."
"Dream" was a word that was used more than once. "I hope someone isn't going to wake me up and tell me it was a dream," Henry told Arsenal Player after the match."That's what I was thinking about - that's why it took me a long time to come out of the dressing room. I don't know if it is because I am old and I am trying to enjoy every moment that I can."
Ever so humble, the striker did offer up one warning to the fans. "I know I scored but that is not going to happen every time I play. I am going to try to bring what I can. Maybe another time it won't be enough but I will always try my best."
Before the goal, before the game he was speaking in similar terms. "I'm not coming back here to be a hero or prove anything," he said. "I'm coming here to help."
And it was clear to Wenger and the players that he meant it, and was ready for the challenge. As Robin van Persie wrote in his captain's notes prior to the Leeds match, "I've seen him in training, and I don't want to put too much pressure on, but I can assure you he is looking really good."
Putting sentiment aside for a moment, Monday's result set up Arsenal for an FA Cup Fourth Round home game against Aston Villa. It also reminded everyone why this loan deal happened: the manager was looking for cover at the striker position while Chamakh and Gervinho are away at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite not brining anyone else in yet, it has actually been a reasonably busy January for Arsenal so far. Goalkeeper Vito Mannone was loaned out to Championship-side Hull City, where he had a good run of form last season. Reserves striker Luke Freeman bid adieu on a permanent basis and moved to League One side Stevenage. And buoyed by recent performances, young midfielder Francis Coquelin signed a new long-term deal with Arsenal. And more moves are on the way.
The Boss said he will soon make a decision about Japanese forward Ryo Miyaichi, who has been linked with a second loan move away from the Club. The teenager is healthy again after sitting out for a couple of months with injury.
And then there is the full-back saga. Coquelin became the sixth ‘full-back' to pick an injury against Leeds, leaving Wenger with even fewer options than before. He still insists that he does not want to buy a long-term answer at the left-back position. "But if I can," he says, "I will get a loan player until the end of the season." As ever, stay tuned to Arsenal.com for the latest - and official - word on transfer news.
Looking ahead, Arsenal travel to Wales on Sunday to take on Swansea. The Swans put up a good fight in September in the home leg and have proven to be a very strong team at home throughout this season. Team news for the away game is very much up in there air, although it looks as though Robin van Persie is rested and ready to go. None of the injured defenders are ready to come back just yet, so expect an interesting mix in the back four. But regardless of who plays, this will prove to be a key game. Points are vital, and with any luck we'll land three of them.
Come on you Gunners!
- Kevin Mooney
January 4, 2012
Last week Arsenal were cringing over a missed opportunity to overtake Chelsea in the table. But despite two dropped points against Wolverhampton, Arsenal finished 2011 with a win over QPR and a spot in the Top Four. But the stay was brief. Just two days later, a fatigued squad lost at Fulham in a gut-wrenching manner, and was again on the outside looking in.
Fixture congestion is always the name of the game around the festive season. For the QPR match, Arsène Wenger made a few changes to rest some players - although a record-seeking Robin van Persie was not one of them. Injuries to all of our full-backs meant that the back four also remained the same as against Wolves - including Johan Djourou and Thomas Vermaelen as full-backs.
And that came at a cost. Vermaelen had to be subbed out shortly after the break with a calf injury. Upon further review it will mean the Belgian will spend two to three weeks on the sidelines and Arsenal are down yet another full-back. But Van Persie's record 35th goal of 2011 - and 17th of the season - was enough for Arsenal to earn three big, big points and move ahead of Chelsea. A remarkable achievement when you consider where we sat in the table in September.
For the manager, the reason his team won was simple, "It's down to not making a mistake at the back," he said. "And we had to be patient to take our chances." Regardless of how the win came about, the most important part was that it was a win. As Laurent Koscielny pointed out after the game, "We know we play at home against Chelsea, Manchester Utd, Manchester City and Tottenham, so we have the cards in our hands. We can go higher in the table [if we win at home]."
Unfortunately, the next game was on the road to Fulham. Just over a month ago, Arsenal needed a late goal from Thomas Vermaelen to rescue a point at home, so this game was never going to be easy. In the first half, we looked strong and full of energy. But although we dominated the half and created a number of scoring chances, we went into the break with just one goal, courtesy of man-of-the-match Koscielny.
But things fell apart in the second half. The team looked worn out, and when Arsenal went down to 10 men following Djourou's second yellow card, Fulham just had too much. Former Gunner Steve Sidwell pulled the Cottagers even six minutes from time, and Bobby Zamora volleyed home the winner in the waning seconds of stoppage time.
Oof.
Fatigue may have been a key factor, but Wenger felt something else contributed strongly to the defeat. "I think it was 100 per cent a penalty on Gervinho from Senderos in the first half," he said in the post-match press conference. "The referee had a massive influence on the game like that." Although he also added, "We are guilty because we still gave two goals away, I felt, in a stupid way and we didn't take our chances."
Wojciech Szczesny provided some insight into what the rest of the team felt about the referee's performance, saying Djourou's second yellow was harsh to say the least and that Gervinho most assuredly should have been awarded a penalty.
So very much a ‘what could have been' kind of game. What if Arsenal had a two-goal lead in the first half? What if Djourou had stayed in the game? And what if Vermaelen hadn't been injured against QPR? It certainly spoiled some potential plans for the Boss. Before the Belgian was injured, Wenger seemed to change his mind on bringing in another full-back in the now-open transfer window. Now he may be leaning toward it again. As he said immediately after Vermaelen came off, "Kieran Gibbs is not too far but it would be stupid for us to drop points because we don't have a left back."
Now, by all accounts Francis Coquelin did a decent job deputizing n the left side. But he may now be needed to focus just on his role in midfield as fellow youngster Emmanuel Frimpong headed to Wolverhampton on loan for the rest of the season. Impossible to argue this one. The Dench-man has shown he has great strength and some solid skills, but what he needs now is playing time and that's something that is going to be hard to come by at Arsenal. Especially after Jack Wilshere returns to fitness.
The rest of the week was focused mainly on two things: Looking back at 2011 and the impending return of a legend.
A quick summary of 2011. Hope turned to sorrow. A short, albeit arduous summer turned into a horrific start. But some new blood brought experience and - once again - hope. There's obviously plenty more to go along with that and you can look back at the year month-by-month, with some memorable quotes, some of the best images, and clips of the top goals of the year.
But it was the news that Thierry Henry looks set to be coming back to Arsenal on loan that made the big headlines. The deal has yet to be set in stone, but with the Red Bulls saying it is just down to paperwork, the manager felt comfortable enough to comment on his former star. "He is 34 years old but he has not lost his class or his brain," he said. "Thierry still has his pace, because he always had exceptional pace. What you lose with age is the capacity to repeat it."
Wenger said he thinks the Frenchman can play anywhere up front for Arsenal. He added that he knew Henry could still cut it in the Premier League the second he stepped onto the training pitch in November. Van Persie, his potential strike partner, agreed. "He is unbelievable, even in training. He had a couple of sessions and - I don't want to put too much pressure on him - but he is looking right up there. He is looking very good. He knows when to drop, he knows when to make a one-two. He knows all these things. I am looking forward to it so much."
On the surface, it looks like a great move for all parties. Arsenal get the striker they need for two months, Henry gets to return to the highest level of football, the Red Bulls won't miss out on his services and will get a player with match fitness back and we as fans get to see a legend in Arsenal colors again.
So when will he join the line-up? That remains to be seen. If that "pending paperwork" can be completed, there's a chance he could line up this weekend. Wenger is hoping Gervino and Marouane Chamakh will be available, but he will have to reach a deal with Ivory Coast and Morocco for that to happen. But the Boss also seems ready to rest some other players, so there could be a great opportunity for Arsenal youngsters to play with one of the legends of the game.
Looking ahead - it's Leeds in the FA Cup. We have some familiarity with the Championship side having taken them on in the FA Cup at the same stage last season. The Yorkshire club gave us a good fight, forcing a replay after a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium. Hopefully we won't have to face the extra games this time around and can win outright on Monday as an extra midweek match is exactly what we do not need at this stage. Keep the fingers crossed, fellow Gooners, for a win, no injuries and some rest for the wounded.
Come on you Gunners!
- Kevin Mooney
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