Twenty Untouchables in Quality Draw?

Walcott
By Boris Mellor
December 17 2006

Wenger believes that the draw against Pompey was different to the previous draws at the Emirates. This time he felt it was a quality draw. Now obviously he cant be including the 0-0 rout of the Polonium induced game against Moscow.

He must be referring to the league, so he means it was better than draws against Villa and Everton etc. I must say it is very hard to judge how good or bad a draw is. So what are his thoughts exactly? I assume he means that even though two goals down the Gunners scored two and looked capable of scoring more. Of course that didn’t really happen until Adebayor came on. It clearly was a game of two halves (I promised my mate Jim I would put that cliché in) as the Gunners were insipid in the first half. So perhaps he means the second half was what made it such quality.

Now he has a point, after all no team has gone down a goal against Pompey and lived to tell the tale. In seven games they have gone 1-0 up and always won the game. Indeed at 1-0 down I thought we had had it. But of course Arsenal have to go one better, it’s not good enough to come back from 1-0 down, they have to go 2-0 down before making a comeback. No doubt they are bored with 1-1 draws, I know I am.

So like Houdini they put themselves in an impossible position and in less than two minutes (goals on 58 and 60 minutes) free themselves. The movement that created the first was wonderful. The change in tempo was mostly due to Adebayor. From the moment he came on he terrorised the Pompey defence. He had a perfectly good penalty claim rejected, but unfazed a few moments later he calmly slotted Walcott’s cross in to the net. Gilberto got the second and then it was the Alamo again as Pompey held on to 2-2.

A great story as long as you forget the first half, and although the Gunners had some attempts on goal they lacked a real cutting edge as they looked hungover from Wednesday. But that wouldn’t have mattered, things could have been sorted out at half time, but on 45 minutes they gave away another early Xmas present. Whether it was a free kick, or not, is not the issue, there was time to organise the defence. But Djourou was facing the wrong way as the ball landed between him and Toure. In the ensuing muddle Pompey scored. Now this is hardly better quality defending than all the other soft goals the Gunners have conceded at home this season.

The second goal may look less blameworthy, you know the argument, great shot nothing could be done about it. But the reason the shot came off was because the defence failed to clear properly in the first place. Again and again our defence fail to clear the ball properly, and again and again it comes straight back.

So on the balance sheet of the quality draw argument we have the minus of defending crap as ever; on the plus side attacking (second half mainly) more incisive. Verdict jury still out. But let’s not forget it was a remarkable comeback that could have ended in victory. But when you score two goals at home you should win, after all some teams do it with one. Arsene it’s the defence – can’t someone sort it out?

Twenty untouchables?

The result led to questions about Wenger’s rotation policy, of course he has no option but to make changes. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those groaning about Adebayor’s replacement were the same people who moan about him not being good enough every week. But nonethless was Aliadiere and Walcott the right combination with van Persie; or were there two many wide, and possibly lightweight players up front?

There are more questions than answers on Wenger’s rotation methods. But his answer was that he had "twenty untouchables". A rather cryptic, and perhaps funny at the time, dig at the Special One. But what does it mean exactly? I assume it means he will keep on substituting however much people criticise him. Is he implying he has twenty quality players? Or is he really saying I haven’t much choice I cant afford to have untouchable players. Perhaps it is code for no one can take their place for granted?

Whatever he meant it doesn’t take away from the fact that after a hard earned four points against Wigan and Chelsea, drawing with Portsmouth (without disrespect to Pompey), is not proof that this team can really challenge for very much at this stage. Certainly not proof of twenty untouchables. However Wenger believes he has spotted something different in Arsenal’s game in this match. I just hope he is right, it will be great to be wrong. Ten out of 12 points over Xmas will convince me.