Villa Get The Breaks
Nov 15th, 2008 by 'holic
When I was young, and that was a long time ago thank you, the family had a pub. Sounds terrific doesn’t it? Anyway, the doorway in the bar was often open, although the worktop was down, and many a time I would try to walk or run through from one side to the other and bang my head on the closed worktop. You would have thought after I had done it once or twice I would have remembered to duck, but no. One of the problems of youth is that you keep making the same mistakes.
Cue the visit of Aston Villa to the Grove with a simple game plan. Two pacy attackers up top, and defend in numbers with the rest. Close down as quickly as possible in the middle of the park and frustrate. It worked for Fulham. It nearly worked for Sunderland. It worked for Stoke, and guess what? It worked for Villa.
Arsenal stuck with the same team and formation that worked so spectacularly against Manchester United. It would be wrong to be smart after the event and critical of that decision. Arsene Wenger went with a side that had shown desire and belief just a week earlier and will be as baffled and annoyed as the rest of us that once again they reverted to the lacklustre and spineless mode that threatens a top-four berth at the season’s end.
The first-half will not remain in the memory long, unless you are Manuel Almunia. Highlight of a trio of fine saves was a penalty save from Ashley Young. The lions share of possession was wasted in the predictable and pedestrian nature of Arsenal’s passing game, and Villa looked more dangerous as they got forward on the break with the pace that the Gunners lacked.
In the second-half that pattern was even more evident. Villa dropped deeper and deeper and that was enough to stop the hosts from getting anything in behind them. With twenty minutes to go the counter-attack was productive. Last week Gael Clichy came close to glancing a cross into his own net but the ball just escaped the far post. This week he didn’t enjoy the same good fortune, and under pressure from Agbonlahor he found his own goal from a cross by Young.
That Arsenal were the masters of their own downfall was beyond doubt. Fortune too favoured Villa when Mike Riley inexplicably missed a foul on late substitute Carlos Vela and Laursen’s hoofed clearance was collected by Agbonlahor, who held off a timid Gallas challenge and fired past Almunia to secure the points.
We have to hold our hands up and say the side that demonstrated the greater commitment took the points. Anybody who watched George Graham’s Arsenal produce similar results, against technically superior opposition twenty years ago will have appreciated, if not enjoyed, the Brummies performance.
Away games against Manchester City and Chelsea have now become must-win games. The daft thing is we may just get the six points on offer from those next two trips, but you just know that before long they will walk head first into that bar again. This is developing into a most frustrating season.
42 Responses to “Villa Get The Breaks”
so true.
I think. as you said, this is what happens with a very young team. You see a lot of ups and downs. Two great performances and then again, a disappointing one after wards.
I’ll have a whiskey to try to wash my sadness away, please.
first come, first served…
we were terrible, and the channel switched of at 0:0, so I only saw the result in the commentaries on sky…
What a joke this article is. We were unlucky not to get the foul before the second goal, but they bossed the game and deserved the win. This just smacks of bitterness.
But the side aint young! Not at the back anyways. WE just have no defensive coaching going on, or if there is, they should be sacked!
We also have an effin ever so light light weight midfield. Denilson couldn’t intimidate a goldfish.
Oh and the big issue; The effin shite attitude! Where’s that come from?
Gallas? Wenger? Who for fucksake? Someone tell me! I demand to know, wah wah wah…..
It cannot be Gallas, as he is about the only winner we have in the team:)
ya ya ya.
how eloquently and accurately put dear sir.
just watching chelsea excrete all over WBA shows all our major flaws up.
we are nowhere near title challengers.
need to get behind the team and make sure we finish 4th.
can i have a yard of vodka please sir.
also this defeat doesn’t really hurt… weird.
Fair play Danny K. As a villa fan this was a great result and we can only hope that your inconsistency is your downfall tyhis season but I doubt it, I think its too early for villa to break the top 4 but we can hope.
There is no excuse this performance was terrible Dennison and Cesc do not compliment each other, we need a midfield player who enjoys defending (DM)this will let Cesc shine,can nobody else see this?
I’m hurting ‘holic.
Midfield was dismal and our strikers were nowhere…
We have so many players learning the game and I think this pattern of results will continue untill Wenger buys some players
Walcott and Bendtner are immature. Bendtner is plain not good enough
Denilson is still learning
Diaby is not consistent
Cesc is off form and he is still getting used to playing without Hleb and Flamini who took lots of responsibilty off him. Without them he is looking rather ordinary
It is in days like these that you need match winners & we dont seem to have any. Lets hope now Wenger will give a chance to the likes of Vela, Ramsey, Wilshere and Randall
awful performance and terrible decisions
Arsenal were bad yeh but erm the ref was insanely Villa or what???
Both goals came as a result of fucking obviuos fouls on Arsenal players (the Vela foul for 2-0 being the disgraceful one) RESPECT YOU? fucking wankers learn how to refereee a game then maybe a bit of of respect shithead cheating cunt RILEY
poor cec . he misses flamini. god help him’. for fuks sake dennilsons been carrying this fake all season
I’ll buy your comments on team selection, holic. Arsene had no right to expect Nasri, Diaby, Cesc and Bendtner to turn last week’s highly credible performances into virtual anonymity this week.
I was very surprised though that changes weren’t made at half time. Everyone in the ground could see the writing writ large. I would have like to have seen Ramsey’s drive, Vela’s spirit and Ade’s competence introduced straight off. Diaby, Nick and Nasri were never going to produce today.
Denilson was our best by a long chalk. Pity his early exuberance resulted in a card that curbed the edge of some of his later work.
So, we’re out of the race to win. Your thoughts have already turned to holding onto a top four spot. I wonder if that should really be the goal? Isn’t it time to start playing the bones of team that can win next year’s championship now? What do I mean?
The players I would pick first today to win NEXT year are:
Goalkeeper
Sagna Djourou Centreback Clichy
Fabregas Ramsey Denilson Nasri
Van Persie
Adebayor
Bench: Vela, Eduardo, Wilshere, Song, Fabianski, Toure, Walcott,
Note the absence of Gallas and Silvestre. (Is Silvestre doing anything that Senderos wasn’t?). These two won’t feature next year. The jury is out for me on Kolo and Almunia. I don’t think Nick Bendtner has the skill-set to be much more than another Peter Crouch, i.e. not a winner at a big club.
If we can buy a couple of world class players in January to make this team stronger, we should. If not, the existing squad should compete as equals around this core who should be played as often as possible in the league to build understanding and cohesion. The eye should be on next season, not top four this.
Use the FA Cup and Champions League as our targets to WIN this season with the “full squad” (Gallas and Co). Let the youngsters flourish in the Carling Cup.
The sad bit is that the boss still doesn’t trust Diaby enough to play in the middle with Cesc in a 4-4-2. Denilson was pretty poor today and lucky to stay on the pitch. He should have been subbed (he did play a little better towards the end).
In all honesty, I don’t subscribe to the big time Charlie thing. This is what happens when you have a young squad and not enough experience. You get inconsistent results. Wenger needs to buy a tough tackling general in the middle of the park who doesn’t mind sitting back. Cesc will feel free to roam forward.
I also, didn’t see this Villa sitting behind the ball. They had 5 men forward pressing us in our half and worked hard to get back and break up play. They played good football and deserved their win.
It is going to be another final game result to snip 4th again this year unless Wenger buys that midfield general.
Also, ffs – play Djourou!!! What does the kid have to do to get a game?
I wish Arsene would stop giving Bentner a start. I think he is playing far to high in pecking order. Ramsey should also have at least came on at HT. A truly awful performance. Beer now required !
I have no problem with people arguing opposing viewpoints here. I will not accept posts that just contain vitriolic abuse. Please remember this.
Thanks all.
‘holic.
Alcohol! Beautiful, memory erasing alchol!
If only I didn’t have an effin hangover from Hell already!
Djourou should’ve been in this defence from the 1st game of the season.
i say chaps what aufull losers u r and such rude words tut tut
Villa didn’t get any breaks. Arsenal NEVER looked like they could win this game.
Come on Lads! you were beaten by the better team today!
Thats the thing Root
If Villa were the better team, then Arsenal are in serious trouble!
Being smart after the event is easy. It was also easy as early as the third minute to see how the game was going; as my next-seat neighbour remarked at the time. I am very annoyed because this was avoidable. Why oh why do we start home games with only one up front. If we had to start with Bendtner we should have paired him with Vela to provide a more potent strike force. Also, has AW forgotten his oft quoted words that Theo`s best position would eventually be playing through the middle? Is he now seen as purely a winger. Considering how utterly toothless in attack we were with Bendtner, anything would have been better. I was amazed to read of AW`s fulsome praise of bendtner`s contribution against the mancs, where he missed chance after chance. Maybe AW thinks he should protect the lad, but at the moment he simply can`t cut it. Robin should, (if I`m not mistaken), be available to partner Ade for the Man City game, but Vela should definately now be first replacement. Dare I also suggest that Ramsey might come in occasionally for Denilson, who is hardly looking a world beater.
I’m tired of Denilson taking the blame for Cesc’s poor performances.
Denilson was one of our better players out there, Cesc was absmal.
Denilson isn’t playing Cesc’s crap passes straight to the opposition.
Denilson isn’t making Cesc dawdle on the ball until he loses possesion.
Denilson isn’t making Cesc take too long to move the ball on, thus allowing the opposition to close him down.
Denilson DI actually play as a DM today, and he did an excellent job.
It’s time people stopped trying to find scape goats to blame to cover for favourites.
Cesc is an exceptional player, but right now he should be dropped, he’s playing terribly, and it has nothing to do with Denilson.
It’s sooo frustrating as to how inconsistent we are to date. Is there enough belief in the side at the moment? We need players who are really proud to wear the red and while jersey to stand up and be counted more than ever.
As much as I hate to think about it, I think we will not will the league this season and I my feeling now is that we just need to focus on achieving a top 3/4 finish. Sorry to sound negative, but to lose against the likes of Fulham, Hull and Villa in first 3 months of the season is galling.
Wenger now needs to cajol the troops in putting a decent run together to ensure that we do lose any further ground.
Up the Arsenal
Mike, you are so right about Denilson. Those criticising him are lazy scapegoat finders. The boy has been our best player the last 5 times he’s played. This team has its problems but the young Brazilian isn’t even close to being one of them.
Fair point Mike. I can understand people if they suggest that he and Cesc have not gelled as a pair, but to be fair Denilson has been more effective than Cesc thus far.
We may need to try someone else alongside Cesc to help him rediscover his effectiveness, but that will be incredibly tough on the little Brazilian.
As I sat home watching the match live I kept waiting for something bad to occur… Now I have been following the Gunners for over 15 yrs giver-take now and I cannot recall that ever happening before, well at least in the AW years, the GG years yup! I really think unless some serious changes are made and I’m not even talking about the Jan. Transfer window but tactics, and playing different players then we will be playing UEFA Cup in the 09/10 season, seriously… It’s seriously hard for me to comprehend that but we have been spoiled for so long now that we just expect CL footie year in and year out, wake up time folks there is new blood on the block and there kicking at our door i.e. Man C. and A. Villa….
Eat, Sleep, Breathe and Drink Arsenal…. this column was always likely to carry a bias edge, however your words will make you look a fool when Arsenal supporters who were not actually at todays game watch the highlights and read other associated press reports.
In truth Villa totally played you off the park today and should have won by a far higher margin, if this is deemed as a simple game plan by a team with greater commitment then fine – if Villa were seen to frustrate Arsenal by closing down in midfield then fine – if Villa remind you of the very unattractive Arsenal team of twenty years ago then apologies but fine again.
We saw today two teams moving in very opposite directions, I suggest you get used to it – if anything to manage your own expectations.
Anthony Daventry
Just as Gooners shouldnt have got over excited about beating ManU, Villa certainly shouldn’t think they are doing anything any time soon, based on a decent win against a lack lustre Arsenal.
I saw Villa play a piss poor Newcastle and get whupped, so lay off the crack and your oie in the sky expectzations for your journeymen from the midlands.
Eejit!
I think your point isnot correct holic, re: your response to Mike; cesc doesnt need to think that flamini is on the pitch to pass the ball properly!
and it isnot that he is covering for defensive errors of denilson so that he couldnt lead the game foreward- just that he is not in his decent form. so it is not fair to slay denilson for that (however diplomatically you try!) we have seen cesc playing alongside poorer partners in the past yet winning the match for us.
new arsenal blog
footballclubarsenal.blogspot.com
I agree completely with Mike re Denilson Cesc debate. For me Cesc has hardly looked with it all season. He has played in fits and starts but that is all. Denilson is no world beater but his performances have been far better than Cesc’s have this term. Cesc is now banned from the game next week, May actually be a blessing in disguise. He needs to go away and sort his head out because for me, he just does not seem focused enough.
A performance as poor as last Saturday’s was good. How have we become so inconsistent all of a sudden? We look so lightweight at times it is unbelievable. Both goals we conceded today were poor defensively. Riley had a shocking game today, possibly the worst so far this season. But that does not excuse both goals. Clichy should have made a far better connection with his header rather burying it in the top corner. We should have had a free kick for a foul on Vela before the second goal but again that does not excuse woeful defending by Gallas. I also believe that Almunia should do better. He is beaten at his near post from some distance.
It seems to me that at times that there is no morale amongst the players. For me today it almost felt like they were just going through the motions. I can not think of a save of note that Friedal had to make. That is the most disappointing thing for me.
For those of us there can someone explain to me why when that Cock Riley stopped play because Davis had broken a nail did we then start with a drop ball on the half way line? Especially when we had the ball 30 yards from goal???? That really did fox me that one. One of many very strange decisions today.
First off the article. Villa had the breaks, what a load of rubbish! We outplayed your lot its that simple, we created the best chances, our passing was more incisive and we defended better. Villa produced a committed all round display. Your boys were poor, but part of that was not allowing your players time on the ball and not allowing your players any space either.
Secondly, Villa are a far superior side to Stoke, Fulham and Hull. While their wins were somewhat fortuitous, we fully deserved our victory today. Ashley Young is a fantastic player, so is Gabby Agbonlahor (as you all saw today). Laursen has proven himself as an exceptional CB here in the prem and internationally. Barry is an England regular and Sidwell is a top class midfielder as Wenger himself predicted he would become. Then we had Curtis Davies, one of the brightest young CB’s in England, who has just recieved an England call up, Luke Young a former England international, Cuellar SPL player of the year, and selected in the UEFA cup dream team last season, as well as the highly experienced Bulgarian international Petrov. THIS VILLA TEAM HAS A LOT OF QUALITY.
As for refereeing decisions going our way that is debatable. Did Laursen foul Vela? What does it matter Agbonlahor made that goal with his pace and strength, Gallas COULDN’T do anything, and what about the finish?
The problem with your team is not talent its consistency. I feel for you guys as I really believe that had you kept hold of the two traitors that left in the summer, you would be genuine tittle contenders. Its hard when your team is having to play without three previously key central midfielders, it takes a lot of adjustment. Wenger is a genius, and if we didn’t have O’Neill, I would kill to make him Villa manager, keep the faith. Having said that I really hope we can beat you to fourth spot.
Oh and Steve T Clichy managed to beat Agbonlahor to the ball, who is the quickest player in the premiership so I don’t think you can blame him for the own goal, in my opinion he did well to stay in front of Agbonlahor, you could blame Toure for backing off Young, but then Ashley is one of the best wingers in the premier league. My point is that Villa forced the defensive errors. Also Gabby’s goal went across Almunia into the far corner, not the near post. The problem you guys had today was the midfield. Your centre backs were exposed far too often because your central midfield couldn’t deal with the runs of Barry and Sidwell breaking from midfield and couldn’t keep up with the Villa midfield’s work rate
First off, let’s just put hands up and accept that Villa were the better team yesterday. They absolutely bossed the first half. I was relieved that we got to half-time on level terms, and was hoping for changes to be made. Arsene didn’t change the personnel, but the shape of the team was different, and we did start to get into the game a lot more. Typically, it was just when I thought we might get away with it that they scored.
Yes, there was a clear foul before their second, but we can’t have any complaints overall. Villa wanted it more. Simple.
It beats me why people blame Denilson too. It’s clear Cesc isn’t his old self. Does he just need a rest, or is his mind elsewhere?…….
Don’t blame Gallas, Clichy or Almunia either. They were not at fault for either goal. And what exactly is Bendtner supposed to do without the ball? Our midfield weren’t able to supply any sort of passes to him. It’s noticeable that Adebayor didn’t get any meaningful possession either.
Forget the title (it never looked likely anyway), we’ve got a real fight to stay in the top four. We’d better change our attitude quick.
Alexei, thanks for dropping by. I wish all the Arsenal supporters who drop by would argue their case as eloquently, (eh Paulie!). A couple of you are not pleased with the title. When I say you got the breaks I don’t mean lucky breaks. It is more an indication of the tactics you employed so successfully on the day.
You can’t deny you hit on the counter-attack from a defensive platform that dropped deeper and deeper as the game progressed. You can do that with those two up front. As I said ‘Villa looked more dangerous as they got forward on the break with the pace that the Gunners lacked’.
I fully accept the better side won on the day, and well done to you. ‘We have to hold our hands up and say the side that demonstrated the greater commitment took the points.’
I would argue though that you were able to boss the game because we were so lacklustre and uninspired, not the other way round. I’ll take your point about Villa having more quality than Fulham and Stoke, that’s undeniable, but I saw Hull win at our place and they were in my opinion every bit as good as Villa yesterday. My point is that none of these sides would beat us if the real Arsenal turned up, which at the moment they are not doing consistently.
Hope that explains my thoughts more clearly. Cheers fella.
Alexei, I don’t think many Gooners would dispute your contention that Villa deserved the win.
That’s not what is being debated here.
We are debating why Arsenal were so poor, and we’re not just talking about Villa’s work rate etc., we’re talking about our own players’ attitudes and form, and the problems we have within the team.
We are being introspective about it, so don’t take that as a snub on Villa’s performance.
We are fans of our club, and we are concerned about what we are seeing, which extends beyond this game.
mike riley has always been an absolutely shocking ref, and he just continued that in this game.
That’s not an excuse, and I don’t think many Gooners are using it as one, just making the comment, just like although we won against ManU, webb was also totally crap.
I’ll have a morning coffee.
Irish, that is. 🙂
Cheers.
I take the point about Denilson playing better than Fab (esp – this season). However, the 1st half, he did not. He was woeful. The 2nd half, he was much much better and on an early yellow.
I think that the poor thing was the Villa only had 4 in midfield and still marched through us with 5.
I really do rate Young and Gabby A. They have a lot of pace and skill and Young can really cross the ball like it should be.
its just horrid after last week, when we was top of the world ma.
we are the arsenal. we will be ok in the end
Alexi. Can hardly blame Toure as he was still on the bench at the time. The space down the right was created due to Sagna laying in a heap in your half. Had Riley exercised the same powers that allowed him to blow his whistle when Davies sneezed and fell over then play would have stopped and started agin with another drop ball on the halfway line. That said, I still feel that Clichy should have done better with the clearance. I am sure he by his high standards will be disappointed.
The better side won on the day. No complaints about that. Just can not understand how we can be so good one week and so poor the next.
In the second half we did sit back and hit on the break, your team forced us to do this. This Villa team always looks to break quickly out of defense. However in the first half, I felt we took the game too you produced several flowing passing moves which threatened your defense. Also we played a 4-5-1 not a 4-4-2. Gabby was a lone striker and Young, Barry, Sidwell, and Milner were breaking quickly out of midfield in support of Gabby and that’s what your midfield had such a hard time dealing with. Tracking the forward runs of our midfield.