Nail Biting Blues!
Filed under: Blues News, General Football, Kev's Ramblings, Matches
We have another article from Sporting Intelligence. Originally posted here.
Read below:
Wenger an Easy Rider as Blues take Cup break from Premier League dramas
By Brian Sears 5 March 2010
If we define a nail-biting game as one in which the result could be changed with the last kick of the match, then they’re becoming rarer in the Premier League. Never before this season has the percentage of nail-biters been as low as this campaign.
In the first season of the Premier League, as many as 67.3 per cent of top-flight league games were nail biters, with just one goal at most separating the teams at the final whistle.
That rose to 68.2 per cent in 1993-94 and has settled at pretty much the mid-60s in percentage terms in every season since, with lows of 61.6 per cent in 2005-06 then 61.3 per cent on 2007-08. This season? Just 59 per cent of games have been nail-biters.
Arsenal are the least nail-biting team; just nine of their 28 games (or 32 per cent) would have seen a different result with a last-kick goal. Burnley have seen fewer nail-biters than most clubs (48 per cent), but whereas Arsenal’s games are not nail-biters because they normally win so easily, Burnley’s aren’t nail-biters because they lose so heavily.
That’s why today’s match between Arsenal and Burnley at The Emirates is as unlikely to be a nail-biter as any game we’ve seen so far this season, statistically speaking. Arsene Wenger should be one easy rider this afternoon, watching his men speed past the clarets from Lancashire.
At the other end of the nail-biting spectrum, Birmingham really know how to put their fans through the mill: 24 of their 27 league games this season have been nail-biters, or 89 per cent, a whopping percentage that makes them by far the most nerve-racking side to follow.
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Thankfully their fans get a break from the league nerves this weekend as Birmingham play at Portsmouth in the FA Cup (see ‘Omens’ below). The pair last met in the FA Cup in 1977, and Brum won, 1-0. Personally, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Reading v Aston Villa on Sunday. If Villa win, as they did the last time these sides met in the Cup, then it’s ‘Hurt Locker’ for Best Picture at the Oscars, we say.
Cesc’ Fab but Fragile Arsenal Facing
Here is Dale’s latest article.
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Arsenal’s artistic style of football has striking similarities to Van Gough, a genius at what they do but a product of their own downfall. The gunners are yet to see silverware since 2002 and there’s only so many “end of the seasons” that Wenger can be judged on. As a manager, it is admirable that he has taken the moral stance on financing the team but how longer does he have before the North London faithful start jetting out of the Emirates. There are 2 departments to the Arsenal team that have to be addressed if they have any realistic ambitions of reaching the heights of the “invincibles”.
Goals and Power. Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney. Frequently found in every tabloid readers fantasy football team at the start of the season (to the expense of having a Titus Bramble-esque defence as a large amount of the £50m was gobbled up by the front 3). They cost money but they score goals. The correlation is simple yet too complex for Arsene Wenger “the talent spotter” to digest.
Goals. Wenger prides himself on producing the best young, exciting and talented players to ever grace the premier league and beyond. Snapping up players for a fraction of their worth and selling them on for tens of millions of pounds. His uncanny ability to develop players is unmatched by anyone in the business since Ferguson’s Beckham, Neville, Scholes and Giggs era. However Wenger MUST break the bank and sign a proven world class goal scorer to compete with the superstars strikers of Rooney, Drogba and Torres. Van Persie looked to fill that void until getting injured on international duty during Holland’s friendly against Italy back In November. Wenger should have addressed the problem during the transfer window with Marouane Chamakh the obvious signing. Instead he has chosen to wait for the summer to sign the Moroccan hit man as his contract expires allowing him to join on a free. In doing so he has kissed goodbye to any hopes of winning their first premier league title for 7 years. Two successive defeats against United and Chelsea made sure of this.
Power. Arsenals visit to Stamford Bridge was a demonstration of how power is everything in the toughest league in the world. Down the spine of the Chelsea machine stood Terry, Ballack and Drogba. Three powerful, commanding and authoritative figures up against the tipy-tapy trio of Gallas, Denilson and Nasri. The appropriate and yet tired cliché of boys against men has seldom being demonstrated with as much evidence. Arsenal were not without their own spell of pressure and had enough possession without reward. The difference in the two teams, on the day was the physique and clout in a Chelsea side that simply bullied Arsenal off the park. It seems Wenger has developed a seemingly dismissive approach to a vital element of the English game, disrespecting it almost. As a neural it would give me great pleasure in seeing an Arsenal team as talented and skilful as the current one lifting the evasive premier league title. Yet there are no points earned for style of football and for this reason the best opportunity Arsenal had for the past few seasons is slipping from their grasp.
Until Wenger learns that pretty football is simply not enough to win a title, Arsenal will be part of a cycle that starts with anticipation and promise but ultimately ends with disappointment and failure.
Dale Moon
Style over Substance?
Here is Dale’s latest article.
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The world of football has been blessed with immense talent in recent years, from the days of Zidane’s ingeniousness, Ronaldinho’s trickery and Messi’s balance and grace. Couple this with the likes of Christiano Ronaldo, Torres, Kaka, Gerrard, Iniesta, the list goes on! The La Liga and Premiership has emerged as the two titanic platforms in which the beautiful game has very much lived up to its name. However, a question remains. With all the flamboyant skill, talent and ability in the Spanish and English leagues, are fans starting to prefer style over substance? Arsenal and Barcelona are two prime examples. Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger, the new young maverick and the established wise Frenchman. Both have created, managed and developed teams whose style has been labelled as the purest form of football. Skills, technique, grace and elegance on a football pitch has produced a spectacle which very few can match. Those who have witnessed the Catalan giants in the amphitheatre of Camp Nou will have experienced something magical. Something which only the Gunners at the Emirates stadium can replicate and the rest of us envisage. Passages of play that result in turning to the equally astounded person next to you, usually your dad or mate, and laugh at how good it was.
Equally as impressive are Real Madrid and Manchester United who have won more domestic titles than their exuberant counterparts in Barcelona and Arsenal. Both Madrid and United play magnificent football at times but do not quite reach the fluidity and entertaining spectacle which you can get at Arsenal or Barcelona. That said, they win trophies. 31 of the past 50 La Liga titles has gone to the Galactico’s with Manchester United and Liverpool tied at the top of the domestic winners list in England on 18 each. Therefore in a metropolitan megacity such as London and Barcelona, is it simply sexier to play stylish football at the expense of silverware?
Football in England has become the quickest and most athletic, travelling at a pace which tests the eyesight of the crowd at times! Players 6 foot and taller are not a rare sight in the English Top Flight, testing the physical attributes of all those who dare to participate in the most unforgiving of leagues. Spain however have adopted a more technical style of play with pin point passing, fluid movement and lightening speed all properties of successful teams. The elegance, chic and sophistication of the Spanish League are admired worldwide with more of a Latino South American samba influence. Regardless of the country, winning the biggest domestic trophy is regarded by most as the major achievement. The champion’s league is and always has been a prestigious competition but the continuity and consistency that the domestic league demands pitches it above the European tournament format that the Champions League offers. Therefore, it is surely a question of entertainment over achievement. Does a typical señor crave to see his beloved Barcelona lift the La Liga title with a string of gritty and ugly victorious games or will he sacrifice the domestic silverware to see week after week the classy and majestic performances that are currently in full flow at Barcelona?
However here is where out romance between the pie and paella depart. England’s Premier League is much more physically demanding with hard hitting challenges and powerful athletes competing for possession of the ball. This has shown that having all the technique and skill is not enough to top the table in such an environment. Spain however, is more suited to the more cultivated and artistic player, meaning teams can be entertaining and successful. Barcelona has shown that the style in which they play does not have to be compromised in order to win domestic and European competitions. Arsenal on the other hand will have to re-evaluate their stance on style and substance? Are they content with having the label of the most beautiful footballing team in the country but not winning any silverware? Or will we see a change in Arsene Wenger’s approach to the physical 38 fixtures in the most athletic league in the world in order to see his team lift a domestic trophy for the first time since 2004?
Style over substance, a matter of countries, leagues and the product of a multi million pound entertainment business known as “The Beautiful Game”
Joe Hart, Venger and Wolves – where will it all end?
This was left as a comment by a chap called Nick – he wrote it before today’s game but I thought it deserved to be posted as an article. Enjoy and thanks Nick.
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I lead with Joe Hart, only because he is on loan to us and it’s the loan system I want to have a moan about.
Loaning players out to different leagues, or indeed abroad, to get experience, seems fine to me but I’m not so convinced about same league loans, to say the least.
My main concern is that the clubs with the most dosh, not only stand the best chance of winning anyway but can also manipulate other teams by their influence over their loaned players.
For a start, Joe Hart, will not be allowed to play against Man. City – fair play some may say but can they also stipulate that he can’t play against other teams. Remember Robbie Savage, when we sold him to Blackburn, yes actually sold him, we did not allow him to play against us.
Which brings me onto Wenger and Jack Wilshere. Wenger’s happy to loan him out and Wilshere wanst to stay in the premiership and good for him. Burnley look favourites but Wenger wants assurances that he will play in all games – well at least that was he has said.
Can clubs stipulate who plays for other teams? Maybe Wenger would want to rest Wilshire if, for example, he was playing Wolves two days before Man U. Maybe the likes of Chelsea and MU should loan all their reserve players out to other premiership clubs and really create a stir!
And what about Merlin the Magician, alias Mick Mcarthy? Playing your second team against the top clubs is the beginning of the end for me – and in nay case, what are the rules?
The danger is that we have mini leagues where the top teams put out their reserves aginast the bottom and the bottom teams put out their reserves against the top teams.
The whole league gets devalued like the league cup and soon, the FA cup. It will be interesting to see our line up against Forest and I for one would not complain if we had more than a few changes but I draw the line at the premiership.
I also don’t like the idea of feeder clubs as it’s demeaning to fans.
Anyway, looking on the brifgt side, what a fantastic season so far and all the best for 2010. Credit to Johnson and Dann in particular but Ferguson ensures we play the ball and if Jerome sould ever improve his first/second/third touch, you never know!
Nick
PS Hull had 27 points at this stage last year!
Rudeness, Sportsmanship or Just Passion?
Before I start my article, can I say that I don’t have an axe to grind with either of these managers. These are just some thoughts around things, and not a finger pointing article. (I hope!)
I was struck by the happenings at the League Cup Quarter Final between Man City and Arsenal. Arsene Wenger refused to shake hands with Mark Hughes after the game. On the face of it this at best rude and at worse poor sportsmanship.
Now I only saw the highlights, but it did appear that Sparky was possibly entering Mr Wenger’s technical area, which I can imagine was extremely irritating if you are trying to communicate to your players. The thing is, it hardly counts as an invasion does it? I mean, it’s not as if the opposing manager is going to hear anything new. You can hear what both managers are shouting, from further away than where they normally stand – so what was it?
Well although I have to say I do think Arsene was wrong not to shake hands at the end, that is a common courtesy that should be observed. Someone once said that you should treat the impostors of success and failure exactly the same. In other words, be gracious in victory and defeat.
Fine sentiments, but it must be very difficult to carry out when you are having a season like Arsenal / Arsene Wenger are having. They are probably playing the best football in the league, (again), and yet they are just about out of the running for the Premier League title, and now have been knocked out of the League Cup. (A competition that they would definitely felt they could have won.) Coupled with the fact they are missing key players at a key time.
So I can imagine emotions would have run high, exasperated by the technical box invasion! As a result I actually think that Wenger was wound up about both things, which resulted in him legging it as soon as he could.
Mark Hughes was rightly upset, (I would have been too), he said “You should be a bit more gracious than that because it is unnecessary.” Which I also agree with, however did he have to say anything at all? If it had been me, I probably would have laughed it off, which would have probably reflected more in a negative way, on Mr Wenger.
I can’t help feeling that the whole situation has been blown up more than it needs to be. No one has been injured, there is no controversial incident affecting the result of a game and the right team went through on the night. They’ve been talking about this incident all morning on the radio, rather than the actual game – which was a good one.
So, can we leave it now? Let’s just shake on it…
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