The Arsenal Society VIII

I don't buy the 'Arsenal had a psychological barrier against winning against the top teams'. It's an easy excuse and ignores the football Arsenal were and are playing. If you look at the old football, Arsenal were toothless against Utd and Chelsea. They wanted to play at a tempo but they didn't know how to cope with the counter attack. The didn't know how to close them down, a la Barcelona. Barcelona are the blue print Arsenal are trying to be. But without closing them down we are too open at the back. Too vulnerable to Rooney or Messi or Drogba to get the ball in an easy place and slot it in. Unlucky, we'd had the possession for so long but didn't do anything, same old Arsenal etc. Arsenal last night were different.

Finally.

They played with a tempo and an aggression previously not heard of from an Arsenal team. Each player put his body on the line. Fighting and harrying and closing down. The number of times Chelsea were dispossessed without doing anything significant with the ball was satisfyingly high. The bitty nature of the first half was fantastic.

I read in the thread someone suggesting Chelsea were poor and it was not Arsenal's positives that won us the football. I call bs. Firstly look at the team. Terry, Lampard and Drogba were all in. They had a two week break. They had time to get mentally focussed and they wanted this, a lot. Their first team were the best team in the league. That quality doesn't go. And after a two week break any psychological problems are turned into fire and a desire for winning. We put a halt to all that. We suppressed and contained them (until Walcott came off). We played like how title contenders are supposed to play.

It may not have been a psychological barrier to overcome to beat the top teams but this win is certainly is a boost.

But now focus has to be retained. The same intensity is required every match. And if we do. My friends, **** it, we can win the title.

That picture of Wenger is scary.

Zizali can eat a dick. 9 goals, 7 assists in 16 appearances (including quite a few subbed). He might be a crap all-round footballer who doesn't have any tricks, but he's got pace and he can finish. That, alone, makes you useful.

I can't see how you can continue to be critical of Walcott, I've been impressed almost every time he plays. His passing is so much better, his finishing is excellent and he's now making clever runs. He made Ashley Cole, supposedly one of, if not the best, left back in the world, look ordinary yesterday. With a run in the team if he avoids injury I think Walcott will be just as key as Nasri is to us. Even when he's not playing well the opposition have a to play a little deeper and are concious of Walcott because they know if they push up they ain't going to be able to catch him, just look at what happened to Barca when he came on at home last season.

First of all, 7 assists? Sort it out.
He is technically the worst player in the whole squad. I said time after time last season, if your going to play him, play him up top where he can latch on to through balls. This is how he succeeded against Chelsea. However, he continues to play a side midfielder who will get tackled 9 out of 10 times, the other 1 time will lead to a misplaced pass.
In the league he has played 10 times, however he has only managed a hat trick against Blackpool that ended 6-0, a goal against Chelsea yesterday and can't remember the other goal. Hardly as impressive as you made out to be. They all count, but if you take away the Blackpool game then it's 2 in 9.
At least he has beat last years tally of 3 and the previous years tally of 2.