RSSBurnley 0 Arsenal 2: The squad is big but the first team obvious
If this was his last game, what at unfussy, un Jens like performance to go out on.
7
In a team who struggled on a tough pitch, he never let his concentration wane.
7
The odd miscue but also some vital interceptions too. Will be missed.
7
One excellent flicked headed clearance and the odd decent tackle. But a few nightmare moments in the first half too. Scares me somewhat.
6.5
Has had and will have better games. One nearly disastrous delayed clearance and struggled to get forward as he previously has.
6
Was absolutely fine. But equally left me in no doubt Flamini is deservedly ahead of the Brazilian.
7
Not great. Passing was average at best and Gilberto offered more defensively.
5.5
A few decent first-half moments but it was all too predictable that his influence would wane steadily as the game wore on.
5.5
Like Eboue, far too peripheral. Never got a grip on the game and his dribbling was off for almost the entire game.
5.5
Quiet at times but scored one and set-up another with a very decent through ball and you can’t really ask for more than that.
7.5
Not everything came off, but he worked hard, caused trouble and took the crucial second goal very well.
7.5
Undistinguished.
6
ON bumpy pitches, we are utterly woeful.
Horrific at Sheffield United just over a year ago, we came through this test curtesy of two decent strikers and the fair wind that has guided the Gooner ship thus far this season.
The goals - a classic poach from Eduardo after a sand-wedged Kolo through-ball and a cool Bendtner finish after Eduardo had turned creator - were perfectly timed.
The first arrived just after Karl Lafferty’s header had thumped the bar. And the second not long after Lafferty had seen red for a tackle that was idiotic in the current climate and a little reckless but like so many others of recent weeks, not malicious and far worse when slowed-down on TV.
But the point is the timing of the goals shielded us both early and late on from Burnley’s battering.
Player wise, the strikers did their job in spite of a lack of support from Eboue and Diaby. Meanwhile the defence and midfield looked shaky at times but ultimately held firm.
One thing that struck me was that while much has been made of the strength of our squad, the make-up of the first team is very obvious. Of those who played today, only Eduardo and Bendtner are realistically pushing for a place in the first 11 at the moment. It’s not a criticism - just an observation.
Two other points. Firstly, we will no doubt hear more soon on the absence of Diarra.
Secondly, where are all the pundits who in previous years interpreted a lack of FA Cup 3rd round shocks as cast iron evidence that the gap between football’s haves and have not widened far enough to extinguish the old magic of the cup?
There now follows something new on Goodplaya. For a while now I’ve been considering asking a couple of long-time, fellow Arsenal confidantes/obsessives to contribute little snippets of analysis for the site. They won’t take the form of long, rambling, nonsensical posts - I can do that myself.
Instead, they will (hopefully) be pithy, focused nuggets that will complement the main blog. Sometimes they will zoom in on particular players, other times specific formations. Today’s contribution is a little different - a first hand account from Turf Moor from Asburton Bertie (my comments for Burnley were taken off the TV in case you hadn’t guessed).
The whole idea may prove as inspired as signing Francis Jeffers. If it does, I promise it won’t hang around for anything like as long as that particular little runt. Take it away Ashburton Bertie.
Kolo offered the assist for the opener, expertly timed tackles and interceptions at crucial moments. Eboue did not.
Early on, Burnley’s high defensive line pushed back our full-backs. The lively Elliott exposed Traore’s positional naivety. He slung in the cross at our end that Lafferty cannoned against the bar.
On the other flank, Sagna was struggling uncharacteristically. But the Burnley defence looked flimsy too and Eduardo was typically clinical from Kolo’s exquisitely looped ball.
The wind turbines spun elegantly on the distant Pennines on a cold, crisp Lancashire afternoon. With the weather and the bobbly pitch (which was worse than TV made out), it’s fair to say we struggled.
Cries of ‘you’re just a sh*t town near Blackburn’ were surprisingly well received. ‘En-ger-land, En-ger-land, En-ger-land’, they chanted. ‘You need more foreigners’, came the riposte.
Denilson grafted but was often outmuscled. Gilberto loped unconvincingly and Diaby looked sloppy and lazy rather than languid and assured. Senderos played very well – even if watching him is never relaxing.
Burnley were galvanised by a sense of injustice over the red card and made all the running for fifteen minutes. Then Eduardo, who flitted about menacingly, threaded the ball in for Bendtner. Two classy touches capped a mature display.
We sang ‘jump up, if you’ve got a job. Closet-Gooner sub Ade Akinbiyi was serenaded with ‘you’re just a sh*t Adebayor’.
A professional job well done.”
7 January 2008 at 10:16 am
What we, as Arsenal fans, need to take into account that the first team is basically 20-25 players at most. That is if you only count the players that you would accept week in, week out.
Almunia
Fabianski
Lehmann
Sagna
Hoyte*
Eboue*
Toure
Gallas
Djourou*
Clichy
Hleb
Fabregas
Flamini
Diarra
Denilson*
Rosicky
Diaby*
Van Persie
Adebayor
Eduardo
Bendtner
The whole of the Carling Cup squad cannot expect to be classed as a member of the first team squad. This is because there will be no game in the Premier League, barring a huge injury crisis, that we play that 11.
I really rate Hoyte as a defender so I feel he is a dependable player in the squad and if Sagna was injured I would not feel we were in as much danger as we would be with Traore filling in for Clichy. The reason Traore is not on this list is because he is not yet able to defend at the highest level. I have always said that he should be converted to a winger otherwise he has no chance to replace Clichy because there is a large gap in defensive quality.
Eboue is put in the right back position because he is, as we know, a very good attacking right back and one that could come on as sub to replace Sagna. We all had our expectations raised when Eboue put in a World Class performance against inter Milan in the Emirates Cup (our second piece of silverware this season ;-)!) but he has not lived up to the hype.
At centre back I have put in only Djourou. I really rate Djourou. I love Djourpu, and his big eyebrows. On the other hand, Senderos and Song have not shown me anything yet that gives me faith in them. I think only Song has the possibility of making the first team of the two. (Wenger was going to use Song with Gallas when Toure left but Song has been called up)
Denilson and Diarra were placed in the central midfield position as, what I would call, dependably first team players, because they have the quality to play for Arsenal. Given a run in the team (which would come if there were any injuries) they both could suceed as Arsenal players. I hope we sell Gilberto rather than Diarra.
7 January 2008 at 10:55 am
Goofle you’re talking woofle
7 January 2008 at 10:56 am
true ;-)
7 January 2008 at 11:42 am
To be fair to Traore and Diaby, they have always played better than they did yesterday. Traore has actually been pretty impressive almost every game he’s played before yesterday.
At the end of the day, this was just one game against a very mediocre team, so none of our players can be judged solely on the basis of that performance.
7 January 2008 at 12:30 pm
that why Wenger did not understand.. why them not happy if performance like that…
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To get match-event for Gunners… All the best…Gunners…thanks
7 January 2008 at 1:58 pm
I appreciate everyone has their own view but I think your report is a little harsh on Arsenal.
Burnley had a lot of possession and two clear chances: i)hitting the bar and ii) Traore’s dallying which led to the cut back and shot over.
Other than that they didn’t lay siege to our goal or have countless opportunities. Eduardo should have had a second with that shot past the post and we had other opportunities.
I see a lot of promise in Diaby and if he can put those mazy runs together with consistent accurate passing he’ll be pushing as first choice replacement for when Rosicky or Fabregas are out (in my opinion). Eboue was woeful…delivering a final ball is all he lacks but it is vital in the role he plays and he simply cannot do it!
BBC commentators were getting far too excited about Burnley’s supposed domination in what was a game that we controlled quite neatly after going 1-0 up (in my opinion).
If you want to see a poor performance to lower league opposition watch a re-run of Liverpool away at Luton. If we performed like that I’d be really worried…but we didn’t…nowhere near in fact!
7 January 2008 at 2:16 pm
Danny, what game were you watching, Stop watching porn mate. Its affecting your eye sight. Stop wanking when your alone in the house. Stop it. Knob.
7 January 2008 at 2:57 pm
Diaby has always struck me as lazy. Just does not seem to make any effort.
7 January 2008 at 4:04 pm
Michael, A bit like your hairdresser. Sort him out you look ridiculous dude
8 January 2008 at 3:08 pm
[...] The Gunners took advantage of that matter and doubled their lead in the 75th minute through Bendtner. This time, Eduardo was the contributor when he sent a perfect pass down the middle allowing Bendtner to take the ball around Kiraly and find the net. [...]
13 January 2008 at 12:34 pm
[...] Burnley 0 Arsenal 2: The squad is big but the first team obvious [...]
28 January 2008 at 9:37 am
No one is here for help all want just money money and money.
28 January 2008 at 9:38 am
All for fun and all for money.
3 March 2008 at 7:03 am
jimsotonna…
jimsotonna dropped by…