It’s a shame I used a movie metaphor yesterday as the response by Arsenal to last week’s shocker at the Emirates was very reminiscent of a horror sequel.
The game had a similar but less exciting and inspired script. The cast of Arsenal victims contained some young people never to be heard of again and lots of jobbing older actors acting juvenile. Instead of sticking together and using strength in numbers the Arsenal team broke into small groups of isolated individuals to picked off like models by John Terry (at least his cast of women is far better looking and classier then Tiger’s). Indeed the big unstoppable killing force was played with some lustre by The Drog.
The short story again is this yes Arsenal are inferior. However if at 1-0: you keep your shape: do not over attack: keep providing an outlet for the ball carrier: then at some point the other team will let you back in. Indeed if that team: plays 1 light in midfield: has lots of old players: a manager unused to English football who has not mastered substitution: throws in 3 quick subs in the 85th minute and beyond: then you have a good chance if you hold it to 1 of getting at least a draw.
Again Arsenal have failings but so do Chelsea and Man United. Those failings are compounded by a seeming inability to learn, a fear of the ball in key situations and a lack of commitment and thought at times.
BTW I refer to Chelsea as a 442 below. Arguably Malouda and Anelka were deployed in a genuine 433. The difference is irrelevant as of course they had little or no width and a 433 where there is little tracking back from the 2 fringe front players it is even lighter in midfield than a 442. It’s a formation with 2 strikers one of whom is a poacher not playing in the front position – as close to the definition of a wasted selection as I can get.
Chelsea fans of a more critical nature must have some dread as after 5 games in 2 weeks suddenly they look old and United are just getting going. In the 2 striker formation Anelka is scoring no more goals than Lampard did from open play in a 4321 and Lampard is scoring less to balance that (penalties excluded). Yet it forces a light midfield and a lack of width which is not a clever tactic for a team with so many old players. Compounding this problem is the almost limitless capacity of Anelka and Malouda to return the ball to the opposition.
Chelsea for much of the 2nd half looked like England under the managers bar Hoddle leading up to Cap’. Unable to pass the ball through the opposition getting deeper and deeper. There were pluses for Chelsea with Cech clearly told to dominate more than the dismal Almunia and as good as he has been since Berkshire’s Hunt crowned him. Drogba is still motivated.
The other issue was the Chelsea bench which reflected a top heavy squad. Ancelotti had not made a substitution even as Chelsea lost shape and the ball. One could understand it and maybe why he has Anelka start as an ornament. Kalou and Joe Cole are the only things that approximate to width. Zhirkov and Alex defensive replacements. No pace on that bench and no great height. Mere more of the same replacements and the adaptability of Joe Cole – it’s definitely unclear what Cole has left and indeed he always seemed more suited to continental and international football anyway.
Both could win the title as at times this season United have looked less than a juggernaut. However I don’t see it as a positive for English football if they do as neither side is advancing.
1 more game and Arsenal have the run in from heaven. They really need to beat Liverpool but if they do they can still do it unless United run away with it for me.
