Last Year at Marienbad
Clock end
By Boris Mellor
April 8 2007
A bit like the film Last Year at Marienbad Arsenal’s performances can be interpreted in very contrasting ways – beautiful and profound but with no clear motive, or just plain futile.
In a hastily written preview I wrote
“Of course there is a problem with the team, and you are all bored with it, so I won't mention it, but I will just note that Arsenal.com goal of the month was won by Baptista, Diaby second and Gallas third. So to sum up, a toe poke, a deflection and in off the groin. But I won't mind any of them today as its 3 points that are needed.”
But we didn’t get any of these goals, plenty of good approach play but no goal. What will they do for April’s goal of the month, will an own goal qualify? And just as the anti-hero is shot in flagrante every twenty minutes in Last Year at Marienbad, so the Arsenal defence repeatedly concede a sucker goal after dominating a game.
Then the Gunners pile attack on attack, and the shots hit the post, as Aliadiere did, or the bar, as Fabregas did, plus the Hammers goalie played out of his skin, and was probably man of the match. Then Wenger buys him, and it turns out he is crap, well that was the was the case with Richard Wright.
And in this Marienbadian nightmare the Gunners created six good chances in the first twelve minutes alone. Not half chances, but good open chances, and in the last twelve minutes they did it again, but not one player could get the ball on target, or if they did the keeper was waiting.
Some fans call it a disgrace, I am not sure why, the team tried, 27 chances to 5. It was not just the lack of wit and calm in front of goal that was the problem, Green had a great game and was man of the match. The more the failure to score is pointed out the worse it becomes. Adebayor played brilliantly in lots of ways, his shots, and a header or two, just would not go in. But he couldn’t be faulted for effort, neither could Freddy but his scoring touch was missing too.
Arsenal are finding it hard to cope without Henry, RvP and Theo, we can tell them they shouldn’t, but it still doesn’t change the reality. Hleb rarely scored before he came to Arsenal, Baptista did but can’t find his touch in the Premiership. Rosicky is a scorer of quality goals, but the Little Mozart has lost his touch. Fabregas looks burdened by even the thought of scoring, though he did hit the bar, and went close a couple of times.
What can be done? Not a lot, the transfer window has seen to that. Wenger has no one else to bring in, so it’s important that fans don’t get on the back of the team – no point in having a go at someone who lacks confidence – it just demoralizes them further.
Like the film Wenger will have to repeat the experience again and again, but unlike the film he will have to hope that someone, anyone, can break with the preordained plot and actually score. Something the anti-hero in Last Year at Marienbad never managed.
