A fine display of team work and work ethics, more of this please

Posted on by WalterBroeckx

By Walter Broeckx

 

After the first match review  that was more based on the in my opinion fairly unbiased performance of the ref I will now give my thoughts on the game and the players.

 

If some fans were visibly struck by our defeat last Saturday the team surely didn’t look affected that much. In the absence of Arteta we had again Jack, Aaron and Rosicky in the central midfield positions. I said the last days that this wasn’t the best option as they are too attacking minded. Well they proved me wrong most of the game.

 

The first half didn’t have much goal mouth incidents and the scariest thing was the kick in the face from Webo on Koscielny. Now that was a nasty kick and the ref should have given a red card for it. The injury resulting in a serious head wound showed that Webo had been reckless when going for that high ball. By the reaction of Webo you could see he had not intention to kick Koscielny on the head. He surely looked troubled by what he had done. I can understand the ref for only given a yellow in a way and hope for him the UEFA match assessor can do the same. But enough about the ref before some start complaining.

 

I felt we dominated the midfield but on a few occasions I noticed once again Jack and Aaron running too high at times leaving the back 4 without cover. But the good thing was that almost every time Jack and Aaron and also Rosicky sprinted back to help out and by doing this they stopped a possible threat from Fenerbahce early on. Still not 100% disciplined like Arteta but you could see that the team had been told to be more attentive to such situations and to come and help the defenders.

 

Let us go to the defenders. And one person stands out: Bacary Sagna. How many people out there (you know the once that know better) have been saying that he is no good anymore based on his last season with us. But those people never mentioned that Bac has had two broken legs in one year time from which he had to recover. But now him being back to normal and having a complete pre season is a world of difference.

 

You can play him anywhere in the backline and he will just do his damn best. Bac is a silent hero for me. After risking his neck (and you can take this in all meanings) last Saturday for what looked a lost cause at that moment he cam out on the field and played as if nothing happened. Last weekend he had to change to left back and now he changed to a central defender during the first half. And what a great job he did. Arsène, give him a new contract and a pay rise! And shut up you moaners of last season.

 

And what a fine left back Gibbs is turning in. Another one playing with a head wound and he was great. He even scored a goal and he ran up and down his flank for 90 minutes and urging his team mates to not drop the level on a few occasions as I could see it on TV.  With Monreal also ready I do think we have some good left backs out there.

 

Jenkinson and Mertesacker also did more than their job. Jenkinson also ran up and down and apart from losing his calm a bit too much on some occasions you could see how he was working very hard. And almost got a great goal in the last seconds of the game. This Gooner-Gunner will have had a good night I think.

 

Back to midfield. Jack is showing that he is getting back to the 18 year old Jack that we loved so much. I still think he needs a few more weeks to be completely back. But when it comes to fighting for the cause he surely was there. Just as Rosicky was. Leading the light brigade when we were pressing high he used a lot of energy. Well spent energy because the result was that Fenerbahce couldn’t move the ball around to start attacks and had to revert to hastily playing the ball forward and making it easier for the defenders to win the long balls.

 

And then our Welsh Running Man. Not the Vietnam running man. Ramsey was in fine form in preseason and my boy he surely keeps it going. He ran most of all the players on the pitch, pre-assisted (read made the vital opening to Theo) the opening goal and scored himself. So probably someone important will die in the next days and they will blame Ramsey.

 

I have said in more than a dozen articles for years how high I rate Ramsey. And how much I like it when he proves the haters wrong. And will this be the season that he will reach the level Wenger said he could reach? Will this be the season that shows us the real Ramsey? I never forget the words of Cesc when Ramsey was just around. Cesc said that Ramsey was better in his position than Cesc himself was at the same age. Of course Cesc wasn’t hampered by an injury as Ramsey was shortly after that. So another shut up to the Ramsey moaners and haters.

 

Up front we played with Santi – Giroud – Theo. And I don’t know but I had the impression that Theo was not completely fit at the start of the game. He also received a bad kick in the game against Aston Villa and looked hampered in the first half. Or was it just him given that impression to his opponents and then surprise him in the second half. Great assist for the opening goal, good run to open the defence for the second goal and what a control only to be brought down for the third goal. Good contribution from Theo in that second half.

 

Giroud was more invisible in this game I found. But Fenerbahce was trying to surround him and prevent him from doing his lay offs to other players to create openings. But also Giroud did more than enough defensive work in running down space.

 

And Santi. What a pass to Theo for that 3rd goal. I think we can all agree that Santi wasn’t at his best against Villa. Jet lag is something that can harm you a lot. It was visible on Saturday. But yesterday for the first time this new season I saw the old Santi shining through. The Santi who can dribble, run in to space, see space for others and play magnificent balls over the defenders. Still not 100% back but he sure is getting there.

 

And before you forget it we had another player out there. A player who was more a spectator in the first half. Szczesny. But in the second half we needed him a few times and he did a good job preventing what looked like a sure goal in the dying seconds of the game. 0-3 or 1-3 wouldn’t make that much difference but it prevented a nervous few last minutes in the game. That was a very fine save from our keeper.

 

What mostly pleased my yesterday was the way the whole team was willing to work hard and fight for the ball. And that is all I ask of the players: just fight for the shirt. Just fight for the team.

22 August anniversaries; Season starts don’t tell us anything

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58 Replies to “A fine display of team work and work ethics, more of this please”

  1. I hate to say we are so much better away from home players are so much more expressive. We really have to stick together at the ems. I believe we are good enough to win one of the cups this year along as we are drawn away from home .

  3. Its the pressure of the fan , @ the font, you know that Wenger loved Arshavin,and kept on playing him until that united match they boooed him and he was done, no more Arshavin,….. Booooing is bad when aimed at our player and our home fans are the best at it. Man they call us the library, what a shame.
    Still the away fans are the best you can have, no other team hasel got those who can out-sing the bayern fans in their own arena, who can out-sing the barca fans in the 2006 even though we lost, who can still sing we love you arsenal at old trafford 8-2 down, who cab sing there is only one Arsene Wenger after the bradford loss…… They deserve more man they do…

  4. Agreed Yassin…

    I think they need to have 2 away areas at the Emirates, one for the away fans AND our away fans… maybe if they are all together they will be loud…

    Atm I guess they are spread through the stadium and at the Emirates I have often seen people getting up to start a chant only to get told by ppl to shut up and sit down.

  5. We need to regroup as a fan base and come together as a unit become the twelfth man build a fear factor into the ems . The players won on Wednesday for wenger because they also feel the pain when he is criticised by his Own . Look at the results at the ems compared to other top teams results at home and you will see what has been our biggest problem . The media has shoved a giant wedge between us . Do people think the booing against villa will be attractive to top quality players

  6. The font,

    How poetic would it be for a player that usual suspects have been salivating over and harrassing Arsene to buy come out and say: “sorry but I don’t want to play for a team that gets booed by its home fans”?

    One can only hope that these sad souls see the errors of their ways.

  7. @ the font
    Your last sentence, spot on.
    Will if a player see what the fan do when one of our player under perform, then he will think twice before he joins us.

    Best example is Gervinho, i know this man can do magic, he can be unbelievable for us, but instead of giving him enough support, we called him a deadwood.

    We as fans shall share the blame for our club decline ( as some AAAs suggest) just as Wenger and the board should.

  8. Bootoome I can’t wish for that because it would hurt arsenal but I know where your coming from And I think there is a strong possibility that it can happen who knows mata may have made that. Choice after a visit to the ems
    Yassin you sound like a man after my own heart

  9. The media have a lot to answer for and unfortunately the majority lap up the drivel that is aired. Talksport are a prime example encouraging fans to be outraged all the time by shock tactics designed to get as many calls as possible and thus revenue.

  10. Bobby pliers
    Your right about talk sport Adrian downpipe should be sacked for his incessant anti arsenal tripe and the very very average goughie who has as much life experience as Tibetan monk should be downgraded to below average

  11. @The Font
    Gough annoys me even more than the number one radio bully, Durham. The way he sniggers in the background whilst Durham is excreting his anti Arsenal vitriol over the airwaves makes me mad. I do not listen to that disgusting radio station anymore and suggest all Arsenal supporters do the same.
    I have recently complained to The Broadcasting Standards Commission about Durhams programme and urge everyone to do the same. Link below
    http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/bsc/plain/about.htm

  13. I have been a critic of Ramsey without ever airing such criticism and always wondered why Arsene insisted on playing him despite his stumblings. Now I can’t help thinking how much his current accomplishments speak of the incredible insight and belief Arsene has in his players. Ramsey’s return to himself is a story in itself but it is also a story that speaks to the calibre of Wenger as a manager!When the spectacular turns the heads of fans and they become extensions of the sordid media, I hope Ramsey’s story will give them cause to pause and see what’s truly real.

  14. People start booing because they feel let down! they feel taken for granted. check this, Wenger say he couldn’t get any player better than what he has- as strange as it sounds that’s his choice. So if the season goes pear shaped, I think it’s fair for people to show their displeasure after paying so much for tickets! I think it logical you want people’s support? give them a team worth supporting!

  15. I have a question. Don’t you think maybe Wenger shld somethings differently, I mean how can he say he couldn’t find any to improve what he has! he claims the team top quality despite showing on the field suggesting otherwise! now, it’s not the media that made him say things like this, and like all of us he’s accountable for his words and actions(inactions). but on this site they never do that, hold him responsible I mean. they rather blame every other things i.e it’s the fans fault, the media, the ref, the opposition etc.

  16. “Bac is a silent hero for me. After risking his neck (and you can take this in all meanings) last Saturday for what looked a lost cause at that moment he cam out on the field and played as if nothing happened. Last weekend he had to change to left back and now he changed to a central defender during the first half. And what a great job he did. Arsène, give him a new contract and a pay rise! And shut up you moaners of last season.”
    Walter,
    Exactly! Bac rocks!

  17. Sometimes just some common sense and fair play will suffice along with justice and temperance .A common e-mail that comes around often.Its a true story and its very humbling .

    An Indonesian judge by the name of Marzuki was sitting in judgment of an old lady who pleaded guilty of stealing some tapioca from a plantation. In her defense, she pleaded to the judge that she was done the deed because she was poor and her son was sick while her grandchild was hungry. The plantation manager insisted that she be punished as a deterrent to others.

    The judge going through the documents then look up and said to the old lady, “I’m sorry but I cannot make any exception to the law and you must be punished.” The old lady was fined Rp. 1 million (USD 100) and if she could not pay the fine then she will be jailed for 2 and a half years as demanded by the law. She wept as she could not pay the fine.

    The judge then took off his hat and put in Rp. 1 million into the hat and said “In the name of justice, I fined all who are in the court Rp. 50 thousand (USD 5.50) as dwellers of this city and letting a child to starve until her grandmother have to steal to feed her grandchild. The registrar will now collect the fines from all the accused.”

    The court managed to collect Rp 3.5 million (USD 200) whereby once the fine was paid off, the rest was given to the old lady … .including the fine collected from the plantation manager.

  18. @segun if you intend to start booing and being a complete utter twat then why not stay at home and let others who want to support the team go to the stadium? Booing does not accomplish anything but demoralising the players. Thanks to the dumb halfwits AAA we do better away than home as our away fans are the best in the league while a section of home fans are complete utter pricks. I really wish the club starts dealing with these twats as its hurting our club’s image. Eject and ban anyone who sings stupid chants especially SSFM even if its an entire stand. Im sure there is no shortage of Arsenal fans out there who want to be at the stadium to SUPPORT the team….

  19. For some reason people the dumb AAA think that just because they buy tickets to the stadium that entitles them a right to boo and have new signings. Just shows the IQ level of the lot. Buying a ticket entitles you one thing and one thing only and thats seeing a match live in the stadium. Nothing more.

  21. Mick
    Likewise I also do not listen to talk crap radio anymore. thanks for the link come on guys lets do to Durham and gough what they are doing to arsenal /arsene .

  22. And here are the funnies !

    Lovemaking Tips For Seniors

    1. Wear your glasses to make sure your partner is actually in the bed.
    2. Set timer for 3 minutes, in case you doze off in the middle.
    3. Set the mood with lighting.. (Turn them ALL OFF!)
    4. Make sure you put 911 on your speed dial before you begin.
    5. Write partner’s name on your hand in case you can’t remember.
    6. Use extra polygrip so your teeth don’t end up under the bed.
    7. Have Tylenol ready in case you actually complete the act.
    8. Make all the noise you want….the neighbors are deaf, too.
    9. If it works, call everyone you know with the good news!!
    10. Don’t even think about trying it twice. .. .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .

    OLD’ IS WHEN….
    Your sweetie says, ‘Let’s go upstairs and make love,’ and you answer, ‘Pick one; I can’t do both!’
    ‘OLD’ IS WHEN…
    Your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you’re barefoot.
    ‘OLD’ IS WHEN…
    Going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.
    ‘OLD’ IS WHEN….
    You don’t care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don’t have to go along.
    ‘OLD’ IS WHEN…
    You are cautioned to slow down by the doctor instead of by the police .
    ‘OLD’ IS WHEN…
    ‘Getting a little action’ means you don’t need to take a laxative today.
    ‘OLD’ IS WHEN….
    ‘Getting lucky’ means you find your car in the parking lot.
    ‘OLD’ IS WHEN…..
    An ‘all nighter’ means not getting up to use the bathroom.
    ‘OLD’ IS WHEN….
    You’re not sure if these are facts or jokes.
    (I sent this in large type so you can read it.)

  23. Mahdain, if you want fans support you have to give them a team worth supporting. expecting it otherwise is a delusional. in like in every relationship respect shld be reciprocal. read what you suggested again.

  25. @Mahdain do you think you love Arsenal more than those who thinks things shld be done differently?

  26. Segun
    It’s old ground that you talk about .are there players out there who will improve the team yes . Can we afford them. Do they want to come are they available will the team selling sell to us
    Suarez / Liverpool no bale /spurs no these are are just some of the issues you have to overcome to improve the squad . Once bale goes to Madrid the market will go crazy and arsene will be right in the middle of it . We have jack- Rambo- chuba -gnarby- eisefield -sanogo-aneke-zelelam all improving at a rapid rate . We could possibly have 3 world class players in the players I have mentioned. IMHO wenger will add 5 new players from the window keep the faith

  27. @segun umm no i didnt say that. What i am trying to say is if you dont like whats going at the club then choose another way to air your frustration rather than doing it in the stadium with a match going on as that accomplishes nothing whatsoever apart from demoralizing the team. Ask any player and he will you how much encouraging a positive fan reaction is. Players love to be rallied on by the fans when they feel down and not to have their own fans on their throats booing them. I maintain what i said once again, booing your own team accomplishes nothing.

  28. Learning from George C.Patton , quotes from-
    http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_s_patton.html

    We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.

    Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.

    Always do everything you ask of those you command.

    I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.

    No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.

    Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.

    Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable.

    Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.
    If a man does his best, what else is there?

  30. @segun

    Hey, you ignored me,

    Come on here and have a sit..

    Yes, I will be nice.

    Okay I got you, wenger is the problem, and everybody else is deluding..

    Sorry you feel that way, is there anything you like me to do to help?

  31. Mahdain
    Also booing your own team is washing your dirty pants in public. It will drive new support elsewhere
    It will cause anxiety amongst players / fans It could possibly stop quality players from joining
    And it feeds the gutter press . It has to stop

  32. I am surprised, Emirates has one of the best acoustics in the world but these self professed worthy Gooners use it to spread their usual shit.

    I believe this is the they year of our ‘british’ core. I so much liked the first goal because Ramsey, Theo and Gibbs were involved….They are the best of friends.

    And do watch Mr Wengers interview about Ramsey and Koscielny on ARSENAL Player. And what he has to say about support.

  33. When asked by an interviewer about getting a central defender, Arsene Wenger smiled and said he had been able to put a top class defender into that position. Bacary Sagna! What a player!

    Arsene Wenger also did his best to calm people down by saying all the business is done in the last couple of weeks of the transfer window. And giving reasons for his statement. What a pity so many fans don’t actually listen to reasoned argument, even from our manager!

    I really enjoyed your analysis of the match Walter. It proved that it was our quality play that gave us the victory – not the poor play by Fenerbahce as some pundits and journalists have repeatedly said.

    I noticed how eager Gibbs was too. Whenever he was taking a throw in he was gesturing to our players to get up the pitch. It was as if our players wanted to prove that you can kick them and even injure them, but they will get up and carry on battling. But battling with skill, not brute force.

    But that doesn’t excuse the referees from doing their job. As usual, no further mention of Anthony Taylor in the continuing mentions in the media of our defeat to Aston Villa.

    Anyway, great team, great manager! Hopefully getting the fan support they deserve this season.

  34. Oh and in the match programme Arsene Wenger said he had let Gervinho go to another team because he is a confidence player for whom dribbling is a big part of his game and he felt he would flourish somewhere else.

    I hope some fans realise it was the way they treated Gervinho that destroyed his confidence.

  36. WalterBroeckx
    August 23, 2013 at 6:53 am
    conditional love it is
    then…”

    every relationship is realistically conditional. that is you expect something back, and if they think what they are getting is not commensurate to what they put in, people are liable to ask questions! people on this site seems to think this dumb.

  37. Segun,
    You always have to read between the lines with Wenger. The media are always trying to trip him up whilst he has to send out signals to the opposition and potential targets. People only seem to listen to the words where as they would gain a lot more by listening to the way he talks and from his body language.

  38. @segun,

    You love someone/something as they are and not for what you expect them to be. If you expect that the person you love should change and should be what you want them to be….then its not love.

  39. And booing, it’s gone past delusional if you think that’s going to improve matters. It’s not the players fault you don’t like the manager but it’s them you will affect the most causing us to lose games and the booing is not forgotten at the next game, the damage is done and carries on throughout the season.. Do you understand that? If you boo, the loss is your fault!

  43. STORY — THE SCORPION

    An old man saw a scorpion drowning and decided to pull it out from the water. He calmly extended his hand to reach the creature. When he did, the scorpion stung him. With the effect of the pain, the old man let go the creature and it fell back into the water. The man realizing that the scorpion was drowning again, got back and tried to rescue it but then again it stung him. He let go of it again.

    A young boy standing by, approached the old man and said, “Excuse me Sir, you are going to hurt yourself trying to save the evil-vicious creature, why do you insist? Don’t you realize that each time you try to help the scorpion, it stings you?”

    The man replied, “The nature of the scorpion is to sting and mine is to help. My nature will not change in helping the scorpion.

    So the man thought for a while and used a leaf from a nearby tree and pulled the scorpion out from the water and saved it’s life.

    MORAL LESSON:
    Do not change your nature. If someone hurts you, just take precautions. Some pursue happiness while others create it. Let your conscience be your guide in whatever you do.

  44. @Stuart, whilst not condoning booing it’s not the fan’s fault the team lose. What are these players? Brittle cry baby’s? They’re grown men and if they can’t respond positively to a few boos, and it is a few not a majority, then they must have weak characters.

    @Pat, I’m not sure why Wenger has come out with this everything happens in the last two weeks when it comes to signings. We were trying to sign Suarez all summer so it’s not entirely true. And last year we had our best signings sorted by the start of the season. I’d prefer to see us prepared for the season a week before kick off. Anyway if we do get some quality signings things will be ok but leaving things late usually means prices are ramped up.

  45. @The Font do you think Bale or Suarez would still be HERE if they were Arsenal players? it seems, at least to me, we always look to sell at a premium and buy at basement price! and hope you not suggesting we wait for other club go bankrupt before we can afford player, cos it’s not gonna happen, go bankrupt i mean.

  49. Rupert Cook,
    “What are these players?”

    They are humans, like me and you, and boos make you doubt yourself, question what you are doing and lose confidence. What you have done is try and condone booing even though you said you don’t.

  51. @Stuart, no I don’t condone it. But if I was being booed on the field I’d up my game to prove them wrong. That’s how I react to adversary. A few clowns booing wouldn’t phase me, it would spur me on.

    @Shard, I’d be pleased if we got Mata, there’s rumours that Mourinho isn’t enamoured of him. Apparently we’re getting Flamini back. Decent back up but I hope he’s not our only signing, if he were I’d think I’d be laughing so hard I’d cry.

    No, I’m sure we’ll be getting a few quality players in before the window shuts.

  52. When you have been married to somebody for 30 years or more and they start to change after say 20 years i think you’re entitled to ask where is the person i married.

    Wenger and the club have changed and changed for the worse.

  53. I have a feeling that our prospective unbeaten run is what they aim at ending. That’s why the referee was obviously biased. Don’t be surprised if referees become “Arsenal friendly”

  54. Boo, I fully support your two points raised. If we eventually sign Flamini, he should be made to apologize to the fans. If that is done, then case settled. I will show him the love an Arsenal player deserved from the fans. If not, he might score a million goals in a season, I (I don’t know for others) will always see him as an ingrate.

  55. Football is a team game. You attack and defend as a team.
    I refer to the Greek team which won Euro nations cup some years back.Individually the players were not as talented as the top countries players. By God they did the business and were deservedly crowned champs.
    Then you have to have a good defence starting from goal. Since lehman left,Aresen has not adequately replaced him. It’s a combination of promising kids and others nowhere near the quality of the custodians keeping watch for MU/Chelsea/MC and even Spurs.
    The Fulham game could be another hit and run by the cottagers especially if Arsenal go kami kaze on the attack and leave gaps.
    Hopefully the gunners will go direct. I especially liked the way Ramsey ran with the ball to shoot and score. More of this and cut down the incessant passing.

  56. @ Mick @The Font

    A couple of points regarding TalkSport and more specificly that twat Durham.

    As much as 8 or 9 years ago I think it was, I said to a friend of mine that the way TalkSport treated Arsenal was diabolical and whats more would eventualy, if not already had at the time, adversely affect our team. I told him I based this on the fact that if you keep telling someone that black is white, no matter how obvious it is that it is in fact white, eventually they will believe it. Even back then TS did nothing but cririsise EVERYTHING about the club. Even then Durham was deriding our Invisibles season as valueless because there was too many draws. Yep he was a twat back then too and he’s still going.

    I made this 2nd point on this very forum some month or 2 back, and that is, how is it in fact legal to have a daily article unashamadly ridiculeing, critisiseing and insulting just one team. My point being that as much as we all support Arsenal, the football team, Arsenal are in fact a business, as are Manchester United, Chelsea, spurs etc. and whats more we are competeing against each other both for prizes, market share and customer loyalty. If you draw a paralel to say the IPhone/Tablet industries, who are themselves in competition for market share, customer loyalty etc, would Talk Radio be able to run a daily article in which they critised just one company, often, if not always, without reason or proof, but solely based on one mans pathalogical and irational hatred of one inparticular company. Surely if Durhams rantings where aired against any other organisation from any other business than football he would be hauled off air immediatly. He must be contraveneing some kind of broadcasting standards or at least ethics (ethics, my God, if only !!)surely?

    Last time I posted this I suggested that there must be a Gooner out there somewhere more enlightened in this field than me that must know if at least there is something to what I say. Maybe what Durham does is all okay and above board in which case theres nothing can be done. But as I say try doing the same thing on air to say ‘APPLE’ and see how long it lasts!!!

  57. A couple of points:

    ‘Invincibles’ I meant (Very Freudian that !!)

    As for my mate. He insisted it was all just a laugh and should’nt be taken so serious. I begged to differ.

    We are no longer talking as he is now a fully payed up member of the AAA’s and I’m……..well, still besoted by my beloved Arsenal.

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