Queens Park Rangers haven’t won a game since they beat Stoke 1-0 at Loftus Road, in May. QPR are bottom of the table with the worst record in the League (0 wins) and second worst defensive record (conceded 17). Their season has been nothing short of disastrous when you consider how much money they have invested in the squad. It’s been so bad that manager Mark Hughes has gotten the dreaded “vote of confidence” from the owners. But if you think this is going to be an easy game for Arsenal to “get healthy” off after consecutive difficult losses to Norwich and Schalke, you better think again.
Mark Hughes is a barely competent manager who was given the wealth of the Sheiks and who built a vastly overpriced Manchester City team that wouldn’t start competing for titles until it was largely dismantled. Still, he has a decent understanding of how to play Arsenal – because sadly, even a halfwit like Mark Hughes knows to play against Arsenal: stay compact in defense, try to draw the center backs out, hit them on the counter. I mean, there’s more to it than that, but that’s the gist.
The bad news is that QPR have a host of attacking players who have all stung Arsenal before. Adel Taarabt was one of the most profligate strikers in the League last season. He took 88 shots and netted just two goals. One of those goals was against Arsenal when they beat the Gunners 2-1 at Loftus Road. He’s actually in good form at the moment, with two goals off just 15 shots. He is bumping his fucking gums about getting Rangers their first win of the season against Arsenal.
Junior Hoilett is a dribbler. He used to play for Blackburn. He got an assist in the game Blackburn beat Arsenal 4-3. He’s actually in good form at the moment and his goal against Everton was top notch. He normally plays on the left but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Mark Hughes’ one brilliant idea tomorrow is to move him to the right where he will attack Arsenal’s achilles, Andre Santos.
Ji Sung Park used to play for Man United. He scored 2 League goals last season. One of them was against Arsenal, in the 8-2 win.
Oh and one more thing, goal keeper Julio Cesar has an assist already this season. Ummm… long balls anyone?
Perhaps its fatigue, more likely it’s indiscipline in team shape, but since Gibbs went out injured and Andre Santos took over, Arsenal have struggled up front. At first I was excited by the introduction of Santos. I thought he would give Arsenal more options down the left and that his crosses in to the center forwards would prove useful. But Santos doesn’t cross, instead, he dribbles right into the spaces that Podolski, Giroud, Gervinho, and Cazorla are trying to occupy. It’s unfathomable to me that Podolski, Arsenal’s most clinical finisher, has only had one shot in the last two games. And Cazorla, Arsenal’s most creative player, was completely stifled by Schalke.
Worse than that, in the game against Schalke, Arsenal’s left flank was left exposed time and again as Santos bombed forward. That left Jefferson Farfan free range to get on his horse and gallop through the Arsenal back line. You can see exactly what Mark Hughes’ side’s shape will look like tomorrow in this average position graph for Schalke. They will have six players back, sitting compact, and will force Arsenal into the middle of the pitch where they can gobble up all the final balls. And yes, I just used “gobble and balls” in the same sentence.
The good news is that the QPR defense is a shambles. Stephane M’Bia was bought from Marseilles and nominally plays as a destroyer in midfield but every game I’ve seen him play he’s been terrible. He’s bumping his fucking gums about getting a result at Arsenal. They are terrible at the back, he is a terrible shield in front of the back four and I really hope Arsenal find a way to get around them.
It might take a major change for Arsenal to do so. Perhaps someone can literally tie Santos to Vermaelen. Either that, or, with Koscielny back healthy, play Vermaelen as left back. Actually, scratch that. I don’t think wither of those would help since Vermaelen loves to get forward and Sparky will be tempting him to do exactly that.
Ok, I know this is grasping at straws but why not start both Jenkinson and Sagna? Jenkinson hasn’t done anything to deserve to be dropped so why not play Sagna as a left back and drop Santos? Santos has done more than enough to deserve to be dropped — the two goals where he played the opposition onside were enough weren’t they?
Since none of that is ever going to happen, instead of two central midfielders standing on top of one another in midfield, have a midfielder protect the left flank? Jack Wilshere is back, if he’s 100% maybe he will start on the left of the Arsenal three man midfield.
OR! They could play a 4-4-2, with Cazorla on the left, Jack and Arteta in the middle, and Gervinho on the right. More straw grasping, I know.
Up front, why not play Podolski as the center forward? He’s Arsenal’s most clinical finisher and while I understand that Gervinho has scored a decent number of goals for the shots he’s taken, it’s not his shots/goal ratio that bothers me, it’s the shots he doesn’t take. Against Norwich, I aged 10 years as Gervinho was played into space, with no defender, and took an ice age to make up his mind as to what he was going to do. A similar thing happened against Schalke. Put Gervinho on the flank and let him dribble all over Bosingwa and hit those lovely drag-backs to Podolski. You do that and Poldi will put them away.
I don’t know. And that’s the problem with Arsenal right now. Everyone knows the prescription for how to play against Arsenal but no one knows the prescription for Arsenal to get better. All I do know is that if this Arsenal teams goes into tomorrow’s game thinking QPR are going to be an easy game, there could be real trouble at the Emirates. I hate saying this because it sounds so trite but Arsenal need to show what they are made of tomorrow.
Hey wait… Maybe, for once, the opposition will take an Arsenal win for granted and we will steamroll them. That would be a nice change of fucking pace from the last week.
After the last two outings I’d definitely put Podolski front and centre for tomorrow’s match. The confidence he shows in front of net in comparison to Gervinho’s inconsistency? It’s a no-brainer if we want to get our mojo back quickly.
Santos has been pretty useless lately so Mertesacker will have to play one of his smartest matches positionally if we have any hope of dealing with the pace of someone like Junior Hoillett.
Win this match while others have a bad weekend will put us right back in striking distance of top 4. Lose it while others continue to win and after only nine games, we can put to rest any of the already rapidly fading hopes of being a serious threat for the title.
I only notice that QPR have that many “dangerous” players when you mention it Tim. It’s scary to think that it’s hard to make us better than we were from that two lost. What I haven’t got a clue is if there’s any difference to the way Santos play last season to this season? If there is, wouldn’t an emphasis for Santos to replicate his performance from last season be enough to at least make him less of a liability? But what if Santos and Vermaelen have a similiarity in their tendency for scoring goals cover them up from their tendency to make costly mistake?
And finally, special for Tim, i haven’t watched Baines played but looking at his stats, wouldn’t he be a Santos with a better products? A better defender and a better attacker but actually when I look at his high key pass stats, I couldn’t help but think that he might hamper us just like Santos? Wouldn’t his movement and his overall product could conflict with Cazorla, for example, or maybe Podolski? I still doubt this though and looking at Tim excitement, he seems to be a better Gibbs, who provide width and better products.
Statistically Santos makes more tackles and interceptions than Baines so I suppose you could argue that he’s a better defender. Though Arsenal fullbacks do make a lot of tackles in general.
That said, all fullbacks in the Arsenal system must go forward. They actually provide the 4th player in the midfield and all width up front. None of the Arsenal front three play wide and as a result fullbacks and attacking fullbacks are crucial to the Arsenal system.
What I like about Baines is that he not only gets forward but gets crosses in. He plays wide. And he’s really, REALLY effective from wide positions. He’s been outstanding in that regard for three full years.
So, since Arsenal have to have attacking fullbacks, and those fullbacks have to provide width, why not have the best wide attacking fullback in the League?
That guy is Leighton Baines.
Thank you for the answer Tim.
Sadly, Baines is a combination of experience, superb quality, and also English which can only mean a huge price tags. If Moyes hypothetically seen as a replacement for Ferguson, than for Moyes and Baines, Baines would personally more benefiting to go to Man Utd. But surely if we compare on price tags, Arsenal would be more likely to buy Baines than Falcao. Although it would arguably come into one of the most controversial and likely heard issue, he will “kill” Gibbs. Well either him or injury might “kill” him though.
which is where statistics has its limits. santos is not better than Baines defensively.
Good analysis. I also think Podolski would be better served in the center – isn’t that where he did so well last season?
It’s worrying, to be honest, because while we have injuries, we still have (almost) our first team out there.
Nah, play Podolski wide left. It is is best position. We will also need his graft to cover Santos if he plays.
Play Giroud. QPR are likely to pack defense and hope for the counter. The Frenchman needs his confidence levels and continue his momentum We don’t want another Chamakh (underused striker who loses all form of confidence or bearing)
In the last few years, we’ve been a charity club for teams needing a first win or big win to get their season back on track, etc. Norwich took what was on offer last week, and I have very little doubt we’ll continue the trend against QPR.
[sigh]
I know when we’re losing games we always look at missing players as holding the key, but still…I gotta say:
We’ve missed Gibbs more than I thought we would. He’s really turned into a great, disciplined, and well-balanced left-back, and without him, nobody seems to know what to do on that flank.
…and, dare I say it, we’ve missed Walcott?
I’ll stop there.
As for the players we DO have available, I really hope we start with Giroud up front tomorrow. I grow weary of seeing Gervinho in the middle. From his hair to his dribbling, he’s just all over the place.
I agree, Gibbs is not only provide us width on the left, but he also turning into a very capable defender. I think Tim is spot on, on suggesting Jenkinson on the left and Sagna on the right. Just like what happened when we don’t have full back last season, even with just one width out, our overall play is affected badly. So the simple thing is first to restore the balance of our width and team shape.
On Walcott: we’ve certainly missed pace up front. Gervinho has some but tends to squander it (see yesterday). Podolski doesn’t seem any faster than average, nor does Giroud. Walcott and Ox both provided pace, and they’re missing.
On Jenks at left back: I like this idea too, even though I don’t think he’s ever played there for us before. I worry about his one-footedness, but I’ve read somewhere that he can play there. In theory, what better game to try it out than at home against a team that hasn’t won yet? In practice, it might be too risky right now.
You don’t get pace when you play Ramsey tucked in out at RW.
Effectively, you negate what you are attempting to do deploying Gervinho up top.
We need threat out wide to mask any deficiencies we may have with Santos on LW.
Otherwise, everything gets constricted into the middle and it becomes easy to pack the midfield and lessen Santi’s influence.
Great blog, some of the best tactical insight on the interwebz.
How about a comment on Arsene’s near-sighted opposition to the Rooney Rule, which is far more justifiable than FFP, for example.
As for Santos, he had a bad game. He’s not always that exposed. Bad games happen for good players.
The whole question of him going forward is, as you said Tim, the plan. So why do people trash the man? If Wenger didn’t want him to go forward, he would tell him to stop. Perhaps, Santos looks bad because some other player, who is supposed to back him up, isn’t doing his job?
In any case, even stupid players aren’t so dumb they cannot obey “the gaffer.” If Alex Ferguson didn’t want Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young to dive, he’d tell them to stop, wouldn’t he? Instead, he ignores it, because they get away with it sometimes at critical moments. And Wenger is not immune to such sins of omission.
Not everyone is as out of self-control as Joey Barton or Mario Balotelli at times.
1)If Santos continues to falter, should put Sagna out at LB.
2) I think we should start Giroud. Podoslki is always better out LW. Giroud needs to continue to build his momentum and confidence. QPR are likely to pack the defense and we will likely need the big man’s presence for us in the box.
3) If Jack is fit, may need him to come on for at very least half the game. But he should come on as a sub IMO.
4) Coquelin should continue to play in absence of Jack. He showed reasonable tidyness in hs game against Schalke. More importantly he will need to clock the time on the pitch as he is to my mind the only reasonable cover for Arteta that we have at the moment.
5) Santi should continue as playmaker but sould shift RW if he gets no joy. We should try Arsharvin in the hole come 60 minutes if we do not reak through.
6) RW. As mentioned, Santi could be shifted RW later stage of the game for variation. Like to see young Gnabry have a goal (Walcott or Chamberlain fitness pending). The youngster is not shy in front of goal and maybe that’s the little spark we need to unlock the handbrakes a little.
Offensively, we’re obviously having problems scoring while defensively, Santos at left back has proven to be a bit of a headache. Bould has stated that Poldi is a fabulous finisher in practice and in the Bundesliga in the previous two seasons for Cologne, he converted an excellent 18% of his shots. Problem is, when he’s playing left wing in front of the wayward Santos, he’s forced to cover a tremendous amount of ground trying to get close to goal while at the same time tracking back to help defend. Basically, it’s mission impossible and we end up with a situation where Santos doesn’t get the protection he needs and Podolski can’t contribute to the attack. Gibbs provides a better defensive platform and frees up Lukas to play with more freedom in the attacking third but he’s unavailable as yet.
I think that we need to try to get Podolski as close to goal as possible and that means playing him as a center forward. I don’t know why people believe that his best position is left wing. He can play there and obviously does for us and Germany, but last season he was tied for fourth in the Bundesliga’s goalscoring rankings with 18 goals as a center forward. He certainly can play and score as a striker.
With the available personnel we have, I’d love to see us tweak the formation a bit and play something along the lines of 4-3-1-2 with Giroud and Podolski up top, Santi behind and given a free role with a midfield three of Jack or Coq, depending of course on Wilshere’s fitness, Arteta and Ramsey. Replacing a forward/winger with a midfielder gives a more solid defensive platform and pushes both Poldi and Cazorla closer to goal. With three midfielders deeper it gives a little more security for the transitions when we lose possession and offensively, they can still selectively make late runs to the box from deep, which would play into both Arteta’s and Ramsey’s strengths. Sure it’s narrow and still requires the fullbacks to provide width, but that’s not different than what’s required in the the 4-2-3-1. But with the extra midfielder deeper, covering the space behind the fullbacks during transitions should be easier.
As for Santos, I think he should be dropped if for no other reason than accountability to the team. He’s made the exact same mistake to allow two cheap goals in two consecutive games and a message needs to be sent. If you don’t correct your mistakes, you don’t play. Sagna, if he’s fit, would be a better option for left back than Jenks because his superior technique will allow him to play on the left more effectively. Of course, if the corporal did play on the left he would be able to make the back pass to Mannone with his stronger foot.
Or TV5 left with Koz and Mert in the middle. Either would be better than continuing with Santos.
I don’t watch much Bundesliga, so you are someone else might be able to clarify this: last season, did Podolski play as a lone centre forward, or alongside another striker?
My impression was that he is more of a second-striker time, but I might be wrong.
Honestly, I tried to watch Bayern and Dortmund but not much else in the Bundesliga. But I know he played forward for Cologne, oftentimes partnered with Milivoje Novakovic in a 4-4-2 if ESPN formation and average position charts are to be believed. But if Gervinho is a realistic option for us leading the line, then surely Podolski has to be an option. He certainly seems to have the finishing ability, he has pretty good control in tight situations, holds up the ball well, can drop deep and link play, and is reasonably, if not lightning, quick. I think he could play as a central striker or withdrawn forward for us. Not that Wenger is going to play him that way, however.
The single-striker formation may be the style du jour, but there are a lot of Arsenal forwards who probably feel short-changed by it. Walcott, Podolski and Gervinho would probably all play better up top in a 4-4-2. Chamakh, Arshavin, Eduardo and Vela might have made more of their Arsenal careers in such a formation.
Giroud looks to be the only realistic option as a lone centre forward, and even he hasn’t fully convinced yet. Podolski might be able to do it.
4-3-1-2, 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield, 4-4-2 as ManShitty play it with Silva starting and defending right wing but given the license to roam in possession are all two striker systems we could use but still retain three narrow midfielders in possession.
Cisse, Zamora, Taraabt, Hoilett, Mark Hughes, Park, Wright Philips…there are a lot of people who we should be worried about..Thankfully Joey Barton is not one of them…
QPR has been less fouly this season…until now..Arsenal at home is the right game to get back to the groove of giving it up to them..
Last season we lost at Loftus road 2-1 thanks to a winner by Samba Diakite…and thats the only goal he has scored in his 52 game career. I am sure he is bumping his fucking gums about getting Rangers their first win of the season against Arsenal…aint…!?
The 3 point agenda for the day should be
- Get 3 points
- Get 3 fucking points
- Get 3 fucking points against QPR against whom anyone and everyone has got points this season..
Mark Hughes already Gutted…!!!! No Gnabry…now he has to guess what substitution Wenger is going to make at 72nd minute…
also…Welcome back Jack…!!!
Wilshere and Sagna start. Both players are 80% according to Arsene Wenger. Pretty big risk.
Hmm, interesting lineup. Ramsey, Arteta and WILSHERE starting in midfield. But what the fuck?! Sagna in for Jenks and not Santos.
I can’t believe Santos keeps his starting spot and Jenkinson is dropped.
Though, at least Gervinho is benched after a string of terrible performances.
Gervinhoooo whoaoaoa Gervinhoooooo whoaooaooa
He plays for Arsenal, he can’t control the ball
Gervinhoooo whoaoaoa Gervinhoooooo whoaooaooa
As bad as Match of the Day is, at least Brits don’t have to listen to muppets like Warren Barton and Eric Wynalda fucking laughing at Arsenal.
Eric Wynalda literally just said exactly what Warren Barton said and pretended it was something new. Incredible.
QPR’s first attack? Down Arsenal’s left. Well dealt with by Santos.
QPR’s second attack? Down Arsenal’s left. Wide open, Bosingwas makes a hash of the cross.
SWP tried to get behind the Arsenal defence but was well corralled by Podolski.
That’s 3/5 attacks down the left.
Arsenal look to be struggling to get the ball into midfield at times. QPR playing 5 v.3 there.
Two-footed tackle by Ryan Nelson on Wilshere. Looks to me like QPR are targeting him for rough treatment.
Granero should be off.
We’ve been turgid Too many passes in non threatening positions.
Gervinho warming up.
Vermaelen may have saved the game for us.
Sagna did save the game for us.
Wilshere off and he was our best attacking outlet.
Wilshere was 21/22 in the attacking third, 19/21 forward, 13/14 backward, and 12/12 square.
Gervinho on the (L) for you know who.
I want that Cisse hair style.
Cazorla, oh!
The question of the game: SWP that bad or Santos is rediscovering his form.
Gervinho done with a calf or achilles injury.
About f**king time.
Now Arsenal can go back to doing what’s they’ve done all game.
5min, plenty of time for QPR to get something from the game
F**k you Rob Stone.
All the same, we were not convincing by a long shot. An offside goal will get our season back on track.
Great game from Arsenal. Took all three points, had 21 shots, 9 shots on goal, should have had a goal earlier from Cazorla, kept the clean sheet.
For all that is said about, for all that is made joke of, for all that being written about, for all that has been hammered again and again by commentators, for all that has been taken for granted….
we are TMFDIPL – “The Meanest Fucking Defence In Premier League”…
yay!!!! 1-0 to the Arsenal…
Arsenal played a great game. Considering that we played against 12 men for 80 minutes, finally evened out when Mbia was sent off. Ref was totally biased. And yet we ground out the result. I’m proud of the team’s effort today. Up the Arsenal!
So great to have Wilshere and Sagna back. Santos, I thought, had a better game today, but you can see Podolski just plays so much better with Gibbs.
So…with Gervinho injured…does this mean Arshavin plays more?
You’d imagine Theo and Podolski would be the wings around Giroud’s bodice, now Gerv is out.
I don’t want to revel in the lad’s misfortune. But, that it’ll force Wenger’s hand into dropping him for a while after 2 and a bit very abject performances is a blessing in disguise.
And hey, it was Arshavin’s cross that led to the goal!
What’s my name? 1 Nil! 1 Nil!
3 points, tough, edgy, scrappy win. Hard to watch, hardly convincing, but I’ll take it anytime,every time.
Wilshire was, dare I say, showing glimpses of what we had in a former number four? His technical ability is on par with those catalan crybabies (he never loses the ball)
Correction: wilshere. Voice text on my phone spells it like that
A scrappy, unstylish 1-nil win but god, f***ing dammit, I’m tremendously relieved and mostly happy! “Mostly” because I think my heart just about stopped as, after controlling QPR for 85′ we gave up the two best chances of the game after going up. Arshavin giveth, playing the key pass leading to Arteta’s goal, and (tried to) taketh away, failing to press and allowing Taraabt to stand and pick out Graneiro as the defenders pushed up to play offsides, . And that man Santos playing a good 20 yards outside TV5 allowing Mackie a direct run at goal forcing Mannone to make a game saving stop. Still, a much needed three points in the bag. So good that Wilshere and Bac not only slotted in seamlessly but showed glimpses of what we’ve been missing from their absences. A great big giant WELCOME BACK to them!
Synopsis of my day at the Emirates re QPR 0 Arsenal 1
I went to the game
I saw the game
We won 1 nil
I returned home safe
But so much more activities occurred between the above four lines.
It’s Halloween in my city, the moon is bright and full its a clear sky, young gals/boys are throwing eggs at my door, children are seeking sweets. I am drunk from wine ( a good Merlot)
I will provide a clearer more coherent comment tomorrow
We won today (3 pints in the bag). some folks should get over themselves ( especially those on Tweeter about our team).
P.S. I saw Barcay Sagna fly ( leap) today on three occasions.
How good is that boy but I still love Corporal Jenkinson who is all left foot.
Laters xx
Tim,
By the by but for your by the numbers tomorrow, any chance you can do average time for a restart by QPR before conceding the goal and after please? Re time wasting was unbelievable and the referee as at best not in control, at worst frankly colluding in the time wasting.
LOL… I saw that. I wish I had “average time of game” but I can’t find that stat anywhere for League games.
By the Numbers is up:
http://news.arseblog.com/2012/10/one-nil-to-the-arsenal-arsenal-v-qpr-by-the-numbers
The most comprehensive in recent times…!! Great read..
Man U is another test to prove that we can beat a good team that won’t run and hide. So far we’ve lost to Chelsea who played us straight up. The Norwich and Schalke losses are down to us playing like shite.
We need to show that our game has got the ‘game’ to actually compete for a title and not just give lip service.
Nice game from Santos but when he misses his tackle we are screwed because he’s not catching anyone even if he takes a bus.
I like Jenkinson but is still the man at RB.
Good move by Wenger to keep Jack’s powder dry for Man U because he’s was force today even at 80%.
Aren’t you all glad we kept Arshavin.
Let me say this to old Sparky, when you get to be a big team then you get that rub of the green especially in your own building.
Sagna is still the man.
7amkickoff used to be a great blog and for which I had respect, particularly impressed with its quant approach to game analysis.
Unfortunately from its recent stance and those scores on posts, it’s fast become one of several arsene-can-do-no-wrong kind of sites. Any mild and deserved criticisms any posts put up would likely be met with blatant disapproval (ie reflected by scores)…how sad!
I still enjoy reading the stats from time to time if they are used in an unbiased manner.
By the way, I watched the entire Qpr game and we played poorly however you looked at it. We made a table bottom team looked way better and dangerous (even when down to 10 men) than they should be. Is that charity??