Written by Barry Vinnicombe
Silverware is desperately needed at the Emirates to banish embarrassing mistakes…
Another game, another disappointing result in a competition that should perhaps be at the top of Mr Wenger’s silverware list this season.
Despite the result, the Leeds match proved to be entertaining, with the Championship outfit showing the form that has lead them to the promotion spots this season. They defended doggedly with their backline making a series of important tackles and interceptions to keep themselves in the match. That combined with the sensational performance of Schmeichel junior and poor performances and decisions from a reasonably strong Arsenal side resulted in Arsenal salvaging a draw from a game you would expect them to win comfortably.
The worst Arsenal performer was Arshavin who struggled throughout the match. It didn’t start well for him as Rosicky released him with a Hollywood through ball to put him through on goal, but poor touch let him down and he shot straight at the keeper. This bad start manifested itself throughout the match and he should have been substituted instead of playing the full 90, despite his noticeable yearning for the safe haven of the Arsenal bench.
It was a performance from a player who has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous this season. It was a shame he went missing when Arsenal needed his creativity and single-minded thirst for goals most.
We also saw the incompatibility of Messrs Chamakh and Bendtner once again. Their poor link-up was highlighted against Wigan over the New Year period, but Wenger went with the same combination and I don’t think the two will be accompanying each other on the pitch in the near future. To be fair, Bendtner did go on to play well in this game but Chamakh continued to struggle with another ‘big-man’ taking up his positions and space.
This game worked to highlight Arsenal’s recurring penchant for making costly mistakes at decisive points in the season. The third round of the F.A cup is a chance for the big teams teams to start afresh in a new competition and signify their intent for the competition to other clubs….
…This season’s F.A cup also represents a golden opportunity for Wenger to finally lay his silverware hoodoo to rest.
The F.A cup should be one of Wenger’s priorities this season. It would be refreshing to see him stick with a full-strength squad for the duration of the F.A cup in an attempt to win a trophy that hasn’t been won since 2005
The ‘mentality’ of the Arsenal squad is perhaps the biggest reason for failure over the last five or six years. A trophy winning mentality would go a long way in a squad of once very young players who will soon be entering their prime. It would instil a thirst for silverware at exactly the right time in the players’ development that has been non-existent since the 2005 F.A cup victory.
It seems that Arsenal are at their worst at the important stages of the season, where resolve and mental toughness is paramount. The big mistake in this game was Denilson’s surrender of a cheap penalty not long after half-time. Despite him being deployed as a defensive midfielder, tackling in one-on-one situations has never been his strong point and mass panic probably hit thousands of Arsenal fans as he flapped towards the oncoming Max Gradel who he clumsily tripped.
These characteristic mistakes have been evident all season, cropping up when Arsenal have the chance to push on and consolidate their league position or during big games against the best opponents. We saw similar mistakes against Wigan a couple weeks ago with another soft penalty conceded and Squilacci’s own-goal after he had lost his man and tried to get back on terms with him. This in a game that would have taken the Gunners to the summit with a victory.
The list of mistakes continues…Koscielny’s first minute point-blank miss against Chelsea in October, Fabianski’s calamitous handling versus Newcastle in November, Squillaci and Koscielny’s collision during the build-up to Fulham’s goal. I’m not saying all of these elementary mistakes could have been avoided, but with a more composed mentality, many of these characteristic ‘big mistakes’ could be put to bed.
Perhaps I’m reading into this too much and Arsenal are just downright terrible in defence and to be frank, most of the mistakes I have previously mentioned can be attributed to defensive players and cock-ups! But maybe it’s best to take another viewpoint on these errors and suggest it’s due to the poor mentality of players who need a taste for silverware before they can truly begin to succeed.
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