Don't Underestimate Burnley, And Who Will Keep Their Place?
Dec 15th, 2009 by 'holic
I can’t believe Christmas is ten days away. Not one card have I written yet, so this had better be a quick look ahead to the trip to Burnley.
For people of my vintage Burnley are a proper football club. They were First Division material when I was growing up which I imagine to be the period that most shapes your view of what constitutes a top-flight team. Unless of course you are barely into your teens and don’t recognise what is the ‘First Division’ today as the Third!
Their Premiership bow has seen them out-perform most peoples expectations at home, although away from Turf Moor they have looked porous. That will not surprise Arsenal fans who recall our two cup contests with them last season. We may have won the FA version comfortably at the Grove, but came a cropper in the Carling Cup to two goals from Kevin McDonald.
Of course there is a consensus that Arsenal should not waste the valuable win at Anfield by letting points slip here. That may just be a trifle disrespectful to a team beaten just once in eight home starts, and who include Manchester United among the five teams they have beaten. They also have that rarest of breeds, a likeable manager. Owen Coyle promises they will trust their footballing instincts against us. I hope so.
You would expect Arsene to rotate given the proximity of the match to fixtures on the previous Sunday and following Saturday. A couple of those decisions are made for him. Denilson and Traore are ruled out by injury, so expect Diaby and Silvestre to slot in. I would be surprised if Walcott made a third start in a week, so a recall for Eduardo is a possibility, although a fit-again Eboue could deputise on the wide right.
The other decision, and the one that may vex Arsene most, is who to play in goal. I don’t go along with some of the stuff that has been written about Almunia since Sunday, but it remains a distinct possibility that he has things other than football on his mind at present. I think we will see him back at his best, but even I would be prepared to give Fabianski a guaranteed handful of games right now to prove his readiness, or otherwise, for regular first-team football.
The ‘holic pound is being put on Abou Diaby to score. I expect him to be appearing behind or alongside Arshavin as attacks build. 5/1, says Paddy Power. Maybe that is a bit skinny, but there aren’t too many value bets when Arsenal meet a team outside of the big four. If you fancy Arsenal to chalk up a second consecutive 2-1 win in the north-west, then 15/2 is widely available and should be easy to find.
The Diving Debate – Credit Where It Is Due
Like many bloggers, no, make that football supporters generally, I am often critical of the regular media coverage of the game, and the team, that I love. I think it is kind of expected now, on both sides of the divide, which is wrong.
Therefore let me acknowledge Patrick Barclay in the Times, and Paul Doyle in the Guardian, for excellent, and most unexpected pieces highlighting the difference in response to the antics of Rooney and Gerrard, as opposed to the ‘careless xenophobia’ (thanks again, Patrick) that greets instances of wrongdoing by anybody born outside a 300 mile radius of Diverpool, I mean Liverpool.
Is it too much to hope that some embarrassed Beeb employee could leave these articles lying around in the production office for Match of the Day? Would the imbeciles employed therein even take in the message? Nope, I don’t suppose so, either.
Cheers, ‘holics.
25 Responses to “Don't Underestimate Burnley, And Who Will Keep Their Place?”
Wow 10 days. Some hurrying is in order. Thanks for he reminder!
Good one ‘Holic. And I do respect Burnley a lot, even the recent version, after the cup run they had last season. Well played to them. They are very much my fav team to go up and I wish them well.
Especially since I have decided to dislike Wolves quite a bit after their decision to play the reserves against Man Utd tonight. Just wrote a long angry post about it in your latest blogpost ‘Holic. Sorry for the rant there, just can’t see the point of the “smaller” teams to wield weakened teams against top clubs. It will only help to keep the top clubs in the top.
Can you recommend me anything tonight? Preferably something classy. I’m willing to go with the reserves/reserva so to speak.
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Just kidding, real thanks for the Burnley presentation though!
In agreement with everything you said but Eddie for Walcott. I think the second half of the Anfield game was an eye-opener for many, the protagonists included. It’s been 3 years so we all forgot how Walcott joined us as the next purebreed striker to be groomed. Like with Thierry Henry at Monaco, Arsene Wenger has raised Walcott on the wing to help him develop his technique (which, like Henry, is not hi strongest point) and vision of the game but in fine from day one his destiny was to be a striker. And in his first stint there at Anfield, his pace alone was enough to unravel the defence organisation. The best defenders would be somewhat nervous to deal with an explosive striker like Walcott. Like Henry and Van Persie, it may take few games for him to click but I’m fairly confident that Arsene Wenger will bank on him to perform even if that’s a year ahead of schedule.
Arsenal analysis has a good … analysis of Walcott’s impact on Sunday’s game here: http://arsenalanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/12/wengers-switch-of-half-time-talk-wasnt.html
All this to say that unless Arsene feels that Eddie is improving, we’re very likely to see Walcott scoring very soon.
Hello Toby. No problem with Wolves for me. They have been walloped by Chelsea and us, and possibly their first choice players would have been celebrating in the smoke at the weekend just a little more than usual after beating the LWC’s.
They won’t stay up on the basis of their results against the big four, all of whom should be able to beat any eleven players they care to put out.
Holic I have to disagree with you, Almunia is done, he is spent. If he gets his confidence back that’s great, but I would not take the risk of him getting it back in these crucial games, let him get it back in the reserves. Burnley are a physical side and they are going to go in there and test him physically for sure. I am sick of him not getting dirty and physical and chasing those balls. Done!
No problem with any of that Matt. I’m merely passing on my thought, having seen Arsene’s selections down the years, that Theo won’t be asked to start three games in a week having missed virtually all of the season to now. I think Le Boss is desperately hoping he will start finding the target, and setting up a few chances, so he can pick him more regularly in the coming weeks. What he won’t want, is Theo to pick up a strain, or wear and tear injury, by doing too much too soon after a long time out.
You can disagree with me stonroy. I have no divine right to be right, and I’m trying not to be ‘preachy’.
I do think though that Manuel matured from the kid with the near post problem three years ago, into as good a keeper as there was in the Premiership last season.
Now his confidence and decision-making looks shot again. That is not a sudden physical decline. That is a man with other things on his mind, in my humble opinion.
‘We can rebuild him’. It was true of the six million dollar man, and it is true of Manuel, I reckon.
Holic I’m not saying he can’t be rebuilt but I want to make two points;
1) Let him rebuild himself on his own time and should not be allowed to play for the first team until he is ready.
2) who would you rather have, Jens in his prime or Manuel in his prime?
No problem with that per se. I just can see reasons galore for going all out. Every season teams like Wolves win points (at least one!) on places like OT, The Bridge, Anfield and even The Grove. That is kind of what makes it a league and not a four team round robin. For me, it’s just to early in the season to not go for the point. It’s too many games left to just think about potential injuries, and if you take injuries out of the equation it surely is a win-win. Get beat, and it was what was expected, win and you strengthen the team even more for the game this weekend. Then of course there is the small matter of the traveling supporters. I’m all up for fielding a “strong enough team to have a decent chance” or even a weakened team when you have nothing left to play for (in a certain competition) and need to save your forces for another. But to just go out with a very very weakened side and just say “have at us” I find distasteful. It’s within their rights (but not by much , according to the rulebook) but I just can’t like it. It’s just… bluuuuuerrgh.
But oh damn, here I am, on an Arsenal-blog (if not THE Arsenal blog) going on about Wolves. Just hoping it ain’t these three points that makes the difference come May.
So, even with the slight difference of opinion (and it’s slight, really, because I’m mostly with you I just like venting my frustrations against other teams instead of my own like any good supporter ;), how about you recommending me something to drink? I’m thinking something Christmasy! Cheers!
stonroy: David in his prime. The other 2 are not in the same league. I always found Lehmann looked much better than he actually played. Many of his errors have been forgotten but he had more blunders than Almunia. But he had a few great saves now and then.
Almunia had a couple of great saves Sunday. Even with his confidence shot he is still doing ok even when he is extremely reluctant to move away from his line.
We saw it with Lehmann, Arsene waits a looong time before discarding a keeper. He waited until Lehmann cost us a goal every other game for over a season before ditching him.
Going back to Arsenal and potential signings, it’s lovely how Cana just this minute got a red (and getting suspended for the second time this season) for Sunderland, and Melo got voted Serie A worst player of the year. Arsene really do know better than the YouTube-brigade (The YouTube brigade is the new CM-brigade is not the new black).
No contest, stonroy, but I don’t think any Premiership club now has a keeper as good as Jens in his prime. Good ‘keepers seem to be in short supply everywhere, and I don’t know why?
I’m on Morgans spiced rum at the moment, Toby. (Only Β£10.29 at Sainsbury if you are bargain hunting). Splash of soda, or ginger, or even cola, and you have a tasty drink.
It’s like getting a good rythm section for you average garage band ‘Holic! Or perhaps the modern attacking game is just better and the balls wobblier.
Chage of topics: agreed from last thread, this season Liverpool not only have Villa to race against (and they look even stronger this season, although they will have injuries too) but Citeh, Spuds and the mighty Birmingham City.
The owners sold their other assets so they now have enough cash to service the debt interests and invest in the team so te club situation is not as dire as it was a few months ago. Still if they’re out of Europe for a year or two, the yanks will feel the holes in their pockets. And good luck retaining Torres, Macherano and co while attracting top-class players…
Toby: great find!
The Le Groan couple and their BBB board have been having fit after fit all summer for Arsenal to buy most of the players on that list. You’d think they’d learn by now but the yare so clueless by their own admission: “Itβs interesting to note that there are a number of players on that list that I would have liked to have seen at the Grove.”
But they are not to be humbled so easily. A few cheap shots at our own players and it’s back to business as usual there.
On the positive side Le Groan is a good way to discover which players we will never buy.
Nostalgia abounds with Burnley back in the top flight after many years in the lower divisions.
My father took me on many a w/end excursion up North in the late 50’s through to the 70’s following the Gunners.
I would be decked out in bobble hat and scarf and carrying my Arsenal rattle.
I was 10 when Burnley won the first division title in 1960.
From memory they had a very good side in those days.
Adam Blacklaw was their keeper,they had 2 very good fullbacks in
Angus and Elder,Cummings and Miller were the central defenders,but it was midfield and attack where they excelled,
The great duo of Mcilroy and Adamson, and 3 great offensive forwards in Ray Pointer,Andy Lochhead and Willie Irvine.
They played some great football in those days,and they also reached the FA cup final in 62 but were beaten i think by the great Spurs side of the 60’s.
We weren’t a very good side in those days,so you had to be a TRUE supporter to be following them all over the country knowing that more often than not you would be faced with a very long train journey home after yet another defeat.
In fact i was looking at an old programme from the 64/65 season that i found during a spring clean,and after 13 games Chelsea were top,followed by Man U,Everton were 3rd and dear old Blackpool were 4th.!!!
We were languishing in 16th place,with Liverpool in 17th and Villa 2nd from bottom.
That was a long time ago,so long that dear old Don Howe was our right back.!!
Those were the days.
I remember that team with some affection, Clive. They had some decent players later in the sixties and early seventies as well. Willie Morgan, Steve Kindon, Dave Thomas, Ralph Coates, Martin Dobson, Brian Flynn. Like I say, a proper club π
Oh, and nearly forgot. Ray Hankin *cough* π
Arsenal legend around the same time as John Hawley. 2 appearances, 0 goals. 2 more than Clive Allen though!
Dear God we had some shite…
What? No puns?
Unbelievable π
Goonerholic. And if I remember correctly, Hankin was sent off in one of those 2 games
Great stuff about Burnley, holic and Clive. And is there any nicer manager in all of English football than Owen Coyle?
The Almunia “problem” is a legitimate worry as he is decidedly off form. He had a good long rest but doesn’t look any sharper since coming back. But there’s nothing we can do about it, we’ll just have to hope he finds his form from the last two seasons. He was never a great keeper and never will be, and I’d love to see us with someone like Given. But at his best Almunia’s a good keeper, his stats put him as the 4th best in the league. I just wish he’d cut out the dramatics when he makes a save. It’s like he tries to make it look harder than it was.
Evening Holic,
Just popping in for a pre match drinky, starting to get a little nervous, Burnley are no mugs at home.
A quick pint of lager with a whiskey chaser to settle the jitters please sir.
Cheers
We are still 3rd in the league. Come on the Gunners. Fuck off the doomers.
Have a drink on me ‘holic π