A test but not the final exam


On our way

By Boris Mellor
August 28 2009

Once again the old cliché is being dusted down and brought out for the Manchester United v Arsenal game this weekend. The wise old sages, in particular an Irish national player who has no connection with Ireland whatsoever, are saying that this is a test for Arsenal's season.

I am not quite sure why Arsenal have to sit so many tests every season, but I am not sure how useful the analogy is. For if Arsenal won the game they would have passed the test, but what would that prove exactly? Last season Arsenal passed this test when they won the first match between these two giants.

 However the result was meaningless, because Arsenal lost to Hull, Fulham, Stoke and Man City in the first half of the season the Gunners were never contenders for the league. Yet Man Utd who did quite poorly against the big four won the league. That's because Utd grind out results week after week against the 16 clubs below the big four. Man U failed several tests, but passed the end of season exam.

Now a defeat could undermine Arsenal's confidence, but a victory is pointless if the team doesn't rouse its self for the lower 16 clubs. Arsenal went to Chelsea, won 2-1 and then a fortnight later drew 1-1 at Middlesboro. That's where Arsenal failed last season, a lack of focus on clubs not in the top four. Arsenal passed several tests, but failed the end of season exam.

Man U are not as strong as they were, and some of their players are ageing and losing their sparkle, nonetheless it will be tough game, and it will be interesting to see how some players react in this big match atmosphere. Will Vermaelen and Gallas control Rooney and Berbatov, will van Persie and Eduardo manage to hit the net? Can Arshavin rise to the occasion and how well will Arsenal cope without their Captain? Plenty of questions to be answered, I can't claim to know the answers, but I don't feel clichés will help explain very much.

It might be a good game, or the two teams may cancel each other out, but I doubt if it will settle the outcome of the season just yet. Rather than making judgements on one test I would prefer a half term report when 10 games have been played. It's far too early to read too much into this game, but that point of view won't sell papers or tickets.smallBanner.gif

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A test but not the final exam
Discussion started by Arsenal Times , 28/08/2009 20:09
Arsenal Times
28/08/2009 20:09
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:08:31:20:01:31 by Padre Pio.

celine dion
28/08/2009 20:16
Does anyone think we'll win the league? I mean tomorrow sums it all up for me. A great start to the season, but a couple of injuries in midfield, two of them known about or at least predictable long before the start of the season, and suddenly were going to Old Trafford with a midfield thats very likely to comprise Song Diaby and Denilson. Oh and maybe Eboue for good measure. These boys have all played really, really well this season, but it still takes the p*ss, that were going to Old Trafford with a midfield like that. So a test of what exactly. Wengers ability to wing it with players that cost precisely er, nothing?

Zainy
28/08/2009 20:17
Good point. And its the problem we have been having for many seasons. We almost always seem to raise our game against the big clubs but seem to not show up for some matches against the smaller clubs.
Im not sure what the solution is because its been apparent for the manager the team and the fans all these years yet it still happens.

Padre Pio
28/08/2009 20:50
even when we win tomorrow I still wouldnt rate our chances of winning league that highly, the squad isnt deep enough.
Even if we lost I still think we will finish in top 4

Bwana Wenger
28/08/2009 21:36
You little sad fu.c.k.e.rs talk as if manure has a midfield of ronaldo, iniesta, alonso and senna. They jus have puppets.

We have arshavin. The fu.c.king dont! We have cohesion. They are in shambles.

Even if we ever met manure with a midfield of anderson, nani, flether and rooney's one eyed hairy mum, some of you fu.c.k.ers would still shake in your tight gaay pants.

who he fcuuk is man yanited?
Losers...

Warning: Supporting Arsenal is not for the faint at heart... It requires hard balls...

celine dion
28/08/2009 21:52
yeah thanks Bwana for calling me and the moderator two people who attend countless Arsenal games through thick and thin 'sad fu.cke.ers in tight gay pants' just for voicing our slight concerns at going to Old Trafford fielding a midfield of 22 year olds playing out of position. Its not the war mate, you dont get shot for being slightly negative. So tone the insults down yes?

Gööfle11
28/08/2009 21:54
celine, I would like to see how fantastic the Man Utd team would be with the same amount of injuried we have had (some of them not entirely predictable). Diaby is the only one of that three who you could class as "not good enough", just like Fletcher, who is much more of a regular for United.

Official 1000th poster in the classic transfer rumors thread of 2014.

eduardo
28/08/2009 22:00
Celine if all our midfield was fit and we play a 3 man midfield would Cesc not be the only one of our injured midfield you could be sure would be in it. Song Cesc Denilson as the 3. Rosicky and Nasri more likely to vie with Nik for right side of the attacking 3. Its only if we are going for a four or five man midfield that things change in selection

celine dion
28/08/2009 22:03
Well Tom, I actually really like Abou Diaby I see some unique skills in him despite his unorthodox style, but the fact is unless Arshavin is moved into the middle then we are going to play a midfield of very similar tacklers/ball players and that I think will cause us problems without a 'destroyer' type passer in the line up who can put the front players in or even score a goal himself. Those players are Cesc Nasri Arshavin or Rosicky or even Ramsey as a poor fifth and for various reasons they wont be in the midfield and I think that is a shame.

Gööfle11
28/08/2009 22:08
How can we move Arshavin into the midfield? And why would we? he is best used on the left, he just needs to start giving a sh*t.

Official 1000th poster in the classic transfer rumors thread of 2014.

celine dion
28/08/2009 22:08
Quote:
eduardo
Celine if all our midfield was fit and we play a 3 man midfield would Cesc not be the only one of our injured midfield you could be sure would be in it. Song Cesc Denilson as the 3. Rosicky and Nasri more likely to vie with Nik for right side of the attacking 3. Its only if we are going for a four or five man midfield that things change in selection

Well yes, I think Nasri will end up in the Cesc role eventually, if Cesc leaves or is injured, and seeing as we could not have predicted that Nasri would break his leg, then its just bad luck I guess. But then you shift attention to our front line, who might have to work the magic themselves this time, and of course the 'no goals' problem comes up. I wonder how Bendnter and RVP will fare against a decent team, with RVP twisting and turning in the middle and Bendnter playing right wing. This, I think, might be our problem.

Gööfle11
28/08/2009 22:11
I wouldn't play one of van Persie or Bendtner to be honest, Eduardo should be in the team.

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celine dion
28/08/2009 22:14
Quote:
Tom14
I wouldn't play one of van Persie or Bendtner to be honest, Eduardo should be in the team.

100% agree. If you came from planet neptune and went to the last two games which I have been at and knew nothing of his injury or his normal position as a striker, you would think he was our best player by a mile. He seems able to play wide as well so that will do me.

Gööfle11
28/08/2009 22:16
Eduardo would be our best right wing option in my opinion. He can link up well, he does work hard, he is left footed, so it would be natural for him to be able to cut in and shoot, and he is not going to shove van Persie out there - where he looks like an absolute idiot.

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Padre Pio
28/08/2009 22:32
Vaginator - you are getting out of order. We have a rule here that is that no poster personally abuses another poster. Could you also get the width right on your graphics.
Nobody here is scared of Man U, but we dont all think we are a shoe in for the title.

Gööfle11
29/08/2009 01:11
The guy is just a moron. Ban him. I hate his guts and hope he dies.

Official 1000th poster in the classic transfer rumors thread of 2014.

Padre Pio
29/08/2009 01:31
Tom,
I can understand where you are coming from but please stick to the rules as well.

Merlion96
29/08/2009 08:49
It is a test as to whether the rough-house tactics employed against Denilson-DIaby-Song will keep 'em quiet.

ANd for the first time, we are facing quality flank attackers like Nani, PArk and Giggs,

And of course, when Scholes committed one of his perennial "mistimed" tackles, wonder how many of our players will be intimidated and injured?

It is actually the "finale xam" after than horrors in CL CUp semi.
Time for those Young Guns to put it right.

Padre Pio
29/08/2009 09:32
Final exam is May Merlion

karteta16
29/08/2009 11:27
As much as i like Eboue it was said many times last season that he won't get a game this season but he has played, so has Diaby and Bendtner (Sm6).

And I wouldn't talk @#$%& about Fletcher he got them to the CL final, what he does have over Diaby is competence.

Theodore roosevelt - In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:08:29:13:49:15 by karsene16.

Bwana Wenger
29/08/2009 12:01
Am with Karsene...

Warning: Supporting Arsenal is not for the faint at heart... It requires hard balls...

AJ The Gunner
29/08/2009 13:13
whatever the out come of this game will be wouldn't mean anything to me cos what matters is where we finish in may. everyone thinks we are doomed and won't make top4 anyway? if we win and fail to beat lesser teams like you pointed out it will mean nothing.

i hate that every time we have a big game someone ends up in the treatment table.

like everyone has pointed out,I still wouldnt rate our chances of winning league that highly simpliy because the squad isnt deep enough and our players are sick notes.

Gööfle11
29/08/2009 13:24
The squad is deeper than Man Utd and Liverpool - our only problem is injuries.

But can you sign a player to cover Nasri when he will be back? Can you replace Fabregas and Walcott knowing they are not going to be injured for a long time?

Yes, we do have injury prone players, but they either need to be sold and replaced, or you put up with them.

We would have some very very unhappy players if all of our injured players returned.

Official 1000th poster in the classic transfer rumors thread of 2014.

AJ The Gunner
29/08/2009 15:18
final exams is in may exactly

Merlion96
30/08/2009 02:05
No, this is our "final exam as title contender; and not that "May "FInal Exam" to show we are a dominating and "title wining" team:

FInal Exam as Title COntender
We passed.
Our Defence is above average.
But question remained on teh temperament of ALmunia.
Is he a "big match" player who give confidence to his defenders; rather be a nervous wreck in initial 20 minutes and utterly unreliable to dominate hsi box?

Our Midfield is superb and still blossoming
No worry there and few kinks:
1 - Denilson needs to buildup more muscles and upper body strenthen
2 - EBoue, SOng and DIaby passing skills need improvement
3 - And yet this is our "B" Midfield without Fabregas, Rosicky, Vela and Walcott.
4 - Ramsey? This boy is quality but still very rawed. He needs more matches and learned calmness, instead of hurrying his passes and simply forgot to control the tempo of the game, the timing of his passes.
Easily cure by playing more games.

Attack
Failed miserably when facing their very first decent team and an above average defend.

Yet again, it is so painful to watch quality thru' balls and crosses intot eh box and there is no predator or presence there.

Yet again, Van Persie proves again that he is not a central froward but a deep-lying striker, deadly coming in from deep.
Not a forward withe ven Gallas' predatory instinct in the box.

If this match does not prove that Wneegr needs a centre forward - even a CHamakh will do - then he is daft and will cause this team silverware this season.

We have predators - Eduardo, Walcott and Vela - but too injury prone and I suspect, Eduardo may need a 3 to 6 months grooving-in period before he regains his match fitness - and confidence - as our No. 1 central striker?

Walcott?
Open verdict as he has yet to appear on the big stage.

Vela?
With hsi "to-ing" and "fro-ing" to Mexico, we better buy Chamakh, which at least gurantee a squad member after international week.

Verdict

Buying a decent central striker - in the mould of CHamakh, Klose or HUnterlaar (sadly not available now) - is a top priority.

@nd priority is to buy experience liek Van Haart - as a cover for Fabregas - when he is avaialble at a decent price.

Ramsey, Merida and Wilshere is simply too rawe and tyoo inepxereinced to play as starter. Perhaps if they continues to develop and blossom, by Decemebr 2009 then they are ready to challenge senior players as "starter".

PKGooner
30/08/2009 03:05
Quote:
Merlion96
Ramsey? This boy is quality but still very rawed. He needs more matches and learned calmness, instead of hurrying his passes and simply forgot to control the tempo of the game, the timing of his passes.


Seemed really nervous as soon as Wenger gave him the nod from the touchline where he was warming up.

Tried too many killer balls.

Very talented though.

karteta16
31/08/2009 09:14
Quote:
karsene16
As much as i like Eboue it was said many times last season that he won't get a game this season but he has played, so has Diaby and Bendtner (Sm6).
And I wouldn't talk @#$%& about Fletcher he got them to the CL final, what he does have over Diaby is competence.

What dumb @#$%& said this before the united game(Sm22)

Theodore roosevelt - In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

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