ALEX LISTENING EARS.

Alexander Song reveals that his cousin Rigobert Song had influenced his move to Upton Park. 

"I spoke to him very recently," he said. "He has helped me a lot with my decision to come here.

"He told me it was a good club and the fans were terrific. After I came here I told him he was right about that." 

It seems like Alex is yet to learn his lesson. This same cousin of his gave him that ill advice to sail away from the Emirates when he just concluded the best season of his career. Its unfortunate.

Alex recently captained West Ham to a 2-0 win over QPR.

ARSENAL vs SUNDERLAND - MY REVIEW.

Two goals from Giroud, another goal of the season contender from Roscisky, and a powerful header from Koscielny ensured a bright and beautiful victory for the gunners. Wasn't a nice way to welcome Vito back you would say. Today we were allowed to play and we duly showed what we are capable of when given the opportunity to showcase. So who and who duly delivered and made the difference for us today?

OLIVIER GIROUD : Giroud got two goals and his fifth brace in the Bpl today for us, increasing his tally to 12 goals in the league. Although he played well and got on the score sheet, it was disappointing to see how he got down too easily with the slightest of touch from the opponent. But that is not to rule out his overall contribution on the day. He was hard working as usual and his link up play quite exquisite. Today we also saw how a good competition may be able to make Giroud hit the back of the net more often than usual.

TOMAS ROSCISKY; Ozil got dropped and it was Tomas who played his part. Today we played according to his pace and style. He was in total control of our game. His day wouldn't have been much better as it was him who was at the end of a beautiful crafted team goal. He was totally sharp and committed from the first minute until he was substituted. I think Ozil should learn from him a great deal because he plays the arsenal way and is always in tactical control of our game on the pitch.
 
Jack Wilshere had a very effective game in the midfield. We saw his hand-work and how he tried pushing the attack from his position. At times, Jack can be quite an enforcer, he only needs to enforce in his games more often and big matches. Podolski also had his own touch to the game. That fierce thunderbolt shot that rocked the palms of his former team-mate was his only highlight. Yet to recover from full fitness, it is good to see Poldi back in action again for 90 minutes.

Koscielny gave another good hearted game to the Arsenal fans and he capped it up with a goal. Our defence however was not able to stop the only shot that got at the back of the net. However it was another good display from them. Sczesny pulled some top quality save as Sunderland tried to get back to the game.

Although we had some beautiful time the only downside of the game was we lost two of our defenders to injuries i hope we wont be worried about. Sagna was forced to centre back as Koscielny and Monreal were substituted due to injuries. While Jack seemed to be in pain in the final minutes of the game.

Finally, maybe Sunderland had their mind somewhere else or we were simply unplayable for them, any which way it was good to watch some beautiful barca-like goals from our team. What a good way to end the week after that sad mid-week event against Bayern. Long-live The Arsenal.

Up Next: Stoke City

ARSENAL VS LIVERPOOL - MatchReview

This time we took it to them. We showed we wanted the win more than anything else. This time we created some chances and took it clinically. This time Arsene made the right selection. This time we proved our winning mentality and of course was extra motivated because of our last defeat. This time Fabianski showed that he is equally as good as Sczesny. This time we have had two world class goal keepers at Arsenal for a long time now.
    Today Arsenal was better organised and focused. Although had Fabianski not saved those early Sturridge chances I wouldn't know how we would respon, but we got back into the game and responded well and refused to be intimidated by them.
    A very good work by Flamini and captain Arteta. Although at times they sat too deep in the middle, they provided formidable support for the defence. Arteta got forward at times but his playing mentality of nowadays limited him from staying there. Flamini closed up the middle with his ferocious rugby like tackles, diving into all the challenges available. This forced Liverpool to play through the wings at the dying stages.
 

So what changed from the last match and today's game?
    Today Wenger made a better selection than the last one. This time we had players who added pace to the game in the Ox and Poldoski. These players and the presence of Ozil took the game to Liverpool. The Ox and Poldi was excellent on the pitch. The strength and pace of the ox totally conquered Liverpool. we controlled the game without having much of the ball and it was unbelievable work-rate from our two goal scorers.Funny enough the two players almost spoilt the day, Podolski conceded a penalty, and Suarez was denied a penalty after a foul by the ox in the box.
      Ozil was totally in the game and replicated that early mesmerising form. he was at the start of the two goals we scored. he also had two efforts on goals saved. Infact he was the second best player on the pitch. the space was provided for him by Sanogo who did not drop deep too often like Giroud would do.  Sanogo had a good game for a youngster and for someone just coming back from injury. He has the strength, a better footwork and a good chest. He will like to improve on his link-up play sometime.
     Monreal was superb in his interceptions. Jenkinson was comfortable although sterling troubled him a little bit. Fabianski was the man of the game. Brilliant save from every angle. he was the reason we won with his well timed rush outs to save as many defence splitting passes that came our way. Some fans are now prefer Fabianski to Sczesny. i just wished he had more time on the pitch.
       A very good display from the boys in general. Certainly proved that they are challengers. I hope Fabianski starts ahead in Wednesdays champions league game.
 
  Up Next ; Bayern Munich
   

WHAT I SAW AGAINST UNITED

Mesut Ozil against United. 

This year, at least every team in the league has gotten a pound of flesh from Manchester united one way or the other. But this is not so for the gunners. Yesterday Arsenal proved unable to break the United's defence for some reasons which I would highlight below. 

    THE FIRST REASON is what all Arsenal had been singing during the last transfer window that we lacked the strike force to win the premier league. Yes indeed, we need a very strong 'goal greedy' striker. Such a striker would have made all the difference yesterday. The little chances we created Olivier failed to convert. Although he worked hard enough, his best wasn't good enough for us. His inability to strike the ball into the oppositions net with the slightest chance must have made those Sagna's crosses useless and also makes him a not very good striker for a top side like Arsenal. Yet I won't deny that he is a good centre forward. But someone has to remind him of his goal scoring exploits at Montpelier and how he has to replicate that form if we are to win the league.

     THE SECOND REASON is that few chances was created by our midfield and this was not until the dying moments. In my last post, I mentioned how we stocked the midfield with too much natural, creative-thinking, ball-holding mid-fielders. Mid-fielders prefer to caress and pass the ball much more than making runs and creating space for themselves. We lacked players like Ramsey and Walcott who like moving behind the opponents defence and creating space for themselves where they can strike the ball at goal. Rosicky sat deep and refused to push forward with runs. Ozil ran to space but wouldn't move into the box. Giroud as usually always came too deep. It was such that Sagna had to be denied a cross because there was no one there. Wenger should be brave enough to start either Poldi or Oxlade in subsequent games because these players have a different playing mentality to the rest.

      THE THIRD REASON is again Ozil. Sure, I am not picking at this guy. but I think he is the reason we are competing at the top of the table at this time compared to the past five years. For Ozil to truly inspire us to win then he should add goals to his game more especially as he has no one to pass the ball to. Bergkamp, one player i love to compare to Ozil, was outstanding because he was not only technically gifted in creating goals but he scored fantastic goals as well. Fabregas became amongst the best when he started scoring too. So also has Ramsey been so important to the team because of his goals. Thus Ozil has to step up in that front.

    Our defence looked itself today. Its well timed tackles and its ability to win all the air balls that came its way was good to watch. It was like they had not been bashed at all three days ago. Let me say it first, Koscielny is the best defender I have watched in the past two years. For all those critics of Gibbs, I hope they got served. Gibbs is the best English left back today. He is well balanced, physical, fast, can read the ball and a good tackler. Monreal is no competition for him. Szczesny has come a long way. After yesterdays game my confidence in him has grown to ninety per-cent. He denied Robin twice from two clear chances.

      Finally, the match was a good response compared to our previous. However for us to dream of winning the league, we have to take four points from the remaining top four teams we are yet to play

LESSON FROM ANFIELD

  All gooners will be asking one another what went wrong today. i thought accept for monreal, we named a very good side today. but what the heck went gaga in our minds in that 20minutes. worst 20minutes of my life in football you would say. but here let me make it all clear to you.
    We have doubted arsenal title winning mentality and strength. Last night we even have more cause to doubt it. When the first goal was conceded, my mind flashed back to the Chelsea"s game and remembered that it was the same exact way they had conceded the early against liverpool last month at the bridge. Chelsea never lost their heads it was an early goal and there was still lots of foot ball to be played they must have told themselves. That's what pundits will like to call a "title winning mentality"
      Unfortunately not only did the first set-piece undo us, the second totally brought us down. Today we conceded goals from a place that has been our revelation from the whole of this season. I may think that this is why the players believed they were destined for a loss. its not like Liverpool worked hard for their first two goals.
     From then on Liverpool took the advantage of our open spaces at the back, pressed hard and high and created the remainder of the goals from deep position playing the ball over and through our two man defense without mercy.
    THE FIRST LESSON I SHOULD SUPPOSE is to ask ourselves if it is right to start BFG against attackers who are rather not "Crouch tall"? So many and Wenger thinks Vermalen has little role to play but i guess its not so. Vermaelen and Koscielny would be a better start against the likes of Manchester city, Manchester united Chelsea and Liverpoo. We all now should be able to see why. who knows how much more goals we would have conceded at Old Trafford had Mertasacker not gone to the sick bay.
    THE SECOND LESSON is should Mesut Ozil start every arsenal game? For me arsenal at his moment lacks the players that makes Ozil effective for now. This is well maybe because we start to many midfielders at times. Arsenal had players more behind the ball than in front of the ball when attacking. This then makes our creativity too limited when there are no forward runs. This is where we miss THEO, I guess he is our only striker.
    THE THIRD LESSON is we need another striker. we had the chance to equalize almost immediately after the first goal but Giroud was unable to use his right leg to dribble a defender and that killed it. Poldi or Bedntner are the best striking options that we could use but they lack what we need in a striker. Giroud is more adept as a supporting striker because looking at his stats he has been more involved in the creation of Arsenal's goals than being at the end of it. So this means he has got that midfield mentality.

 That's all folks I hope we learn them lessons. leave your comments for my first write up. Manchester is next.