Great result With Graham Lite
pile it on
By Boris Mellor
September 23 2012
This was a game of three halves, the first half Arsenal dominated but couldn’t score. On forty minutes the second half begun as the iron law that states if you waste all your chances then the other team will score came to fruition. For Arsenal dominated the first half, and had the majority of good chances yet it was City that took the lead. It was Gervinho that wasted the majority of chances.
Second half starts early
Thus, after much sustained Arsenal pressure, Lescott headed past a poorly protected, but flapping, Manone on 40 minutes and the second half began..
This gave Mancini a chance to take Sinclair off at half time, and bolster his midfield. As the Manchester weather reverted to type Wenger came on looking like an emaciated Michelin Man, and no doubt the Michelin gourmet food guide was also in one of the rubber tyres around his body. I have only ever eaten in a Michelin restaurant once, but I digress, needless to say it was very good, and the manager was French. No it wasn’t Wenger’s dad, it was in Hackney, even though the Michelin guide said it was Islington.
It now meant that Arsenal were struggling to get into the final third. In the first half Gervinho reverted to type and wasted some really good chances. Now with City sitting deep Arsenal fans had plenty of reason to rue his erratic shooting. Luckily Mancini has a defensive mind set and City didn’t work quite hard enough for a second goal.
Fortunately the third half was about to begin, on 68 minutes Tevez came on, which filled me with dread. Sure enough City began to attack more and the game became stretched. Wenger then decided Arsenal needed less fire power and brought off Podolski for Giroud, and Diaby was replaced by Walcott. Gervinho was left on so that he could continue his hot scoring streak, or not as the case proved to be.
In spite of the lack of punch up front, with now extra toothless strikers, Arsenal were really putting on the pressure, Cazorla, Jenkinson, and even Gervinho, were all causing havoc, but the team was still scoring blanks. However in all fairness Cazorla had a fantastic shot, which drew out a brilliant save from Hart, what a pity. It would have been goal of the season.
It seemed only justice that on 82 minutes Lescott, who had benefited from an Arsenal defensive error at a corner to score in the first half, failed to clear the ball from a corner and a falling Koscielny rocketed the ball into the net.
The strikers should club together and give him their wages for the week, for he had shown them how it is done. It was a striker’s goal, not a header or lucky glance in.
Graham Lite - Passed the test?
For a few minutes Arsenal continued to look for the winner, as did City, but with 5 minutes to go the Gunners decided to defend what they had, quite right too. A draw away is a good result when it is at City.
It is far too early to say in terms of the overall league championship what this bodes for the future but this was a great result, a draw at the home of the Champions and dominating for much of the game against a team that had won 29, and drawn 2 of its last 31 games at home, after going a goal down, is no mean feat. Mental strength – I would say so - and it’s coming from the back. Apart from Koscielny, and possibly the BFG, the defence (in terms of personnel but not collective impact. Editor: 20:03 23/9/2012) is quite ordinary, but it has a never say die attitude constantly throwing its bodies in front of the ball. And to only concede 2 goals in five games with two error prone keepers is quite an achievement.
It was not always pretty, or even planned, but it was effective. Wenger’s defences were always best whilst the influence of Graham was still in the background, Bould has brought us back Graham lite. All we need now is for Wenger’s half of the orchestra to strike up more Bouldly and hit a few more right sounding notes.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:09:29:20:39:53 by Padre Pio.
Quote:Apart from Koscielny, and possibly the BFG, the defence is quite ordinary
Article was going well until this little tidbit..seems the author (thats you padre) forgot that if not for 2 goalkeeping errors this ordinary defense wouldn't have let in any goals in the EPL this season
[arsenalsigs.blogspot.com]
my point was that the defence is not made up of world class defenders, but has achieved great things in spite of that. So maybe not well explained but hardly undermines the whole trajectory of my argumnent does it?
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:09:23:20:07:00 by Padre Pio.
Quote:Indiangooner
just because city have won 29 n drawn 2 at home doesnt mean this was a great result..... Mancini had setup to play the defensive game at home and we carved them open quite a few times in the first of the 3 halves..... i feel it like 2 points dropped than one point gained...
You say that but Aguero, Dzecko, Silva, Toure (when he goes forward, Sinclair, Tevez and Balotelli are hardly defensive players.
yes we could have had 3 points, but when you are 1 down with only 10 mins to go a draw is a good result. I doub if City are that pleased
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:my point was that the defence is not made up of world class defenders, but has achieved great things in spite of that. So maybe not well explained but hardly undermines the whole trajectory of my argumnent does it?
no it doesn't which is why I said the article was going well except for that minor little part
it was a good read, throughly enjoyed tbh..but I have pi.ss on something!!

thanks
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
They will not fold when they are behind and battle away to win - great collective team-work and strong mentality to battle away.
They owuld have lost this game last season simply lasts eason squad did not have that collective spirit of this squad.
Quote:Jack_is_the_truth
i just understand the need for all the sarcasm and cheap digs at our players, regardless of how well written the article may be. surely they chould be given credit where its due
Surely this is credit due:
Quote:
It is far too early to say in terms of the overall league championship what this bodes for the future but this was a great result, a draw at the home of the Champions and dominating for much of the game against a team that had won 29, and drawn 2 of its last 31 games at home, after going a goal down, is no mean feat. Mental strength โ I would say so - and itโs coming from the back. Apart from Koscielny, and possibly the BFG, the defence (in terms of personnel but not collective impact. Editor: 20:03 23/9/2012) is quite ordinary, but it has a never say die attitude constantly throwing its bodies in front of the ball. And to only concede 2 goals in five games with two error prone keepers is quite an achievement.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:FlavaQuote:Indiangooner
just because city have won 29 n drawn 2 at home doesnt mean this was a great result..... Mancini had setup to play the defensive game at home and we carved them open quite a few times in the first of the 3 halves..... i feel it like 2 points dropped than one point gained...
You say that but Aguero, Dzecko, Silva, Toure (when he goes forward, Sinclair, Tevez and Balotelli are hardly defensive players.
to hv attack minded players on the pitch and to use attack minded tactics are 2 different things... im sure u hv been watching and/or maybe playing much more football than me to understand the difference
@merl, i think our last season's team had even a greater spirit. How do you think they were able to finish third after that start? The difference this time is we haven't had much injuries yet, last season we were constantly on top of the injury table. And this season, the impact of posolski and cazorla has been immense. Mert, jenko, gerv, gibbs, and verm have settled in better. So the difference in a nutshell is we are now more efficient than last season.
We got a very good result, still, i dont think we played to our abilities yesterday, as we made quite alot of individual unforced errors. We couldve dominated them better and won the game.
"A club is a union between players, supporters and directors". - Wenger.
Arsene wenger has done an absolutely masterful job within the constraints he has... Every single year, he has outperformed our spending every single year he has been manager. It is extraordinary. -Gazides.
Quote:Indiangooner
just because city have won 29 n drawn 2 at home doesnt mean this was a great result..... Mancini had setup to play the defensive game at home and we carved them open quite a few times in the first of the 3 halves..... i feel it like 2 points dropped than one point gained...
We dominated them last year and got nothing. This is an improvement.
Can't help think we'd have embarrassed them if we'd kept RVP though.
:-(
and even without RVP we cld hv embarrassed City last nite... most of the chances they created were quite aptly handled by defence and/or GK.... they only looked dangerous when we committed mistakes than out of their brilliance
A lot of people have said on here for years that Wenger needed a defensive coach, it took him 16 years to do it, now we are reaping benefit, were they wrong to raise it?
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:Padre PioQuote:Jack_is_the_truth
i just understand the need for all the sarcasm and cheap digs at our players, regardless of how well written the article may be. surely they chould be given credit where its due
Surely this is credit due:
Quote:
It is far too early to say in terms of the overall league championship what this bodes for the future but this was a great result, a draw at the home of the Champions and dominating for much of the game against a team that had won 29, and drawn 2 of its last 31 games at home, after going a goal down, is no mean feat. Mental strength โ I would say so - and itโs coming from the back. Apart from Koscielny, and possibly the BFG, the defence (in terms of personnel but not collective impact. Editor: 20:03 23/9/2012) is quite ordinary, but it has a never say die attitude constantly throwing its bodies in front of the ball. And to only concede 2 goals in five games with two error prone keepers is quite an achievement.
i dont think so, all i see is you writing about us punching abouve our weight despite dodgy keepers and and ordinary defence
Podolski, aoc, mert, giroud, arteta, santos, szczesny, gervinho are the players wenger has brought in in over a year. They're tall, physical and mentally very strong, and has had a big influence on our character generally. Surely wenger must have been thinking something when he bought these players in this period. But when i see your match report padre, it is either boudly this or boudly that... Meanwhile wenger just said recently that bould does what he's asked to do..
We all know what your opinion is, which is that you don't believe in the team. The least you could do though is write what you saw on the pitch, not what you think couldve happened.
"A club is a union between players, supporters and directors". - Wenger.
Arsene wenger has done an absolutely masterful job within the constraints he has... Every single year, he has outperformed our spending every single year he has been manager. It is extraordinary. -Gazides.
Quote:De Times
Now thats the point padre, moaners like you are so bent on taking credit for whatever good happening to the team. All your match report is about how it wouldve been a disaster for us were it not for so and so. While bould and banfield might have had an influence on our defence, wenger set the pace last season by buying the likes of mertesacker and arteta - two players i give the most credit for our efficient defending. He's the one who replaced two error prone and mentally weak fullbacks in clichy and eboue with jenko and santos.
Podolski, aoc, mert, giroud, arteta, santos, szczesny, gervinho are the players wenger has brought in in over a year. They're tall, physical and mentally very strong, and has had a big influence on our character generally. Surely wenger must have been thinking something when he bought these players in this period. But when i see your match report padre, it is either boudly this or boudly that... Meanwhile wenger just said recently that bould does what he's asked to do..
We all know what your opinion is, which is that you don't believe in the team. The least you could do though is write what you saw on the pitch, not what you think couldve happened.
Podolski and Chamberlain arent very tall, De Times.
teamwork is the key here, if you read what I actually write you might have noticed that I think Arteta is a very good buy indeed, unlike your new found chum Jack who has been slagging him off for over a season.
I think Arteta has made a big difference to Arsenal.If he had got injured tow weeks eralier I doubt if we would have finished third, the fact we eventually did is down to Fulop.
I also have doubts about Gervinho, but Podolski and Cazorla look like inspired buys.
Now De Times lets get one thing straight I am not going to be deterred from giving my viewpoint by your attempts at bullying. You like to label those who disagree with you as a moaner and thus discredit anything of value they might have to say. Now if you want a web site where only your view is valid then I suggest you feck off and set up your own.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
secondly and more importantly you are the vice president of the grumpy moaning crew as is evident by your entertaining article
in the words of Rafa, these things i speak of are FACTS

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:celine dionQuote:De Times
Now thats the point padre, moaners like you are so bent on taking credit for whatever good happening to the team. All your match report is about how it wouldve been a disaster for us were it not for so and so. While bould and banfield might have had an influence on our defence, wenger set the pace last season by buying the likes of mertesacker and arteta - two players i give the most credit for our efficient defending. He's the one who replaced two error prone and mentally weak fullbacks in clichy and eboue with jenko and santos.
Podolski, aoc, mert, giroud, arteta, santos, szczesny, gervinho are the players wenger has brought in in over a year. They're tall, physical and mentally very strong, and has had a big influence on our character generally. Surely wenger must have been thinking something when he bought these players in this period. But when i see your match report padre, it is either boudly this or boudly that... Meanwhile wenger just said recently that bould does what he's asked to do..
We all know what your opinion is, which is that you don't believe in the team. The least you could do though is write what you saw on the pitch, not what you think couldve happened.
Podolski and Chamberlain arent very tall, De Times.
And Santos is wide.
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
