While I may agree with Mike’s sentiments, I unfortunately don’t think Arsenal, or its fans, are capable of unleashing Hell. If you were to create an ‘unleashing spectrum’ with Girl Scouts on one end and Turkish football fans on the other, The Arsenal would fall pretty close to the middle.
Who on this team is capable of unleashing Hell? The only guy in my opinion is Lauren, a truly scary MFer though also a very classy guy who plays hard, but not nasty. The rest of the players, whether I like them (Senderos, van Persie, Cesc) or not (Sol, Reyes) are skill guys.
When you unleash Hell you do so with wild dogs, catapults and spiked clubs. Arsenal use fencing swords and witty bon mots.
Arsenal need something, either younger versions of SuperBob, Freddie and DB10 or slightly more talented versions of Keown, Razor Ray and Gilles Grimandi. More likely they need both.
27 Responses to “Unleash Heck”
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December 13th, 2005 at 7:19 am
I just laughed out loud when I read that Sol Campbell is a skill guy.
I think he is all brawn and little brain. Have you see him pass? He is worse than Gilberto. He can hardly find a team-mate. But he can play hard when needed, atleast he could in the past. Unfortunately, he seems to have gone soft now. 
I do agree with your assessment of Lauren - scary but classy.
December 13th, 2005 at 7:22 am
Laurens stare would kill a small animal.
December 13th, 2005 at 7:39 am
I think Senderos and RvP, who you mention, as well as Toure, are all strong enough physically for us.
The main problem is our midfield - THAT is where we do not have enough physical power. Until we sort our midfield out, it doesn’t matter who we have either side of them - we will struggle.
December 13th, 2005 at 7:53 am
Well said Rick,
It?s a man’s sports and world out there and I think Arsenal were wrong getting rid of Vieira without any replacement. When I say replacement I don?t mean some kid but someone with skills, grit, commitment, passion and experience. Look at United on Sunday, like us they don?t have anyone to drive the team forward. This is the first time I have seen an Arsenal without any fighting spirit or that killer instance. Whether Wenger admits to it or not Arsenal players are still playing under PV old shadow. They are looking for some leadership which is not coming. You can?t blame Henry for his leadership skills. As you mentioned, we don?t have guys like Ian Wright, Ray, Keown, Adams, Pat anymore.
Forget about all the excuses and whinging but English football have always been rough and tough. My fear is if Wenger don?t get hold of his team soon and stop complaining about everything possible we might not make it to the CL next season because whether we like it or not, teams are now going to play very hard against us away knowing we are very soft. We can?t afford going to the Grove without European football.
December 13th, 2005 at 7:58 am
“When you unleash Hell you do so with wild dogs, catapults and spiked clubs. Arsenal use fencing swords and witty bon mots. “
Class.
And I agree. Wenger’s half way to a multinational Brazilian club in the Premiership, and Highbury are still waiting for their halftime polo scrimmage. I don’t know ho good we actually have to be playing our way to retake the title, but we’re nowhere close at the moment.
That’s not to say we don’t have some of the greatest talent out there. But if Wenger thinks he can afford to drop 30 points a season to clubs that get stuck in on us so he can rail agains their tactics or the referees, we’d, or he’d, better find a league that agrees with him.
Up the Arse, and let’s hope that at some point, Chelsea let their bazillion point advantage slip their concentration.
December 13th, 2005 at 8:38 am
Nipuna, I totally agree and in retrospect I didn’t mean to classify Sol as a skill guy. In fact, I think Sol - for the all the hype and money - is worthless. He has no skill on the ball when it comes to passing/dribbling. His footwork is poor and I don’t think he reads the game particularly well.
On the flip side, I don’t think of him as a dominating physical presence or physical leader (a la Tony Adams). To me, Sol Campbell is a big guy with some athletic ability. Of course, being English he must be the business, everyone keeps telling me so. If his name were Pascal Cygan he would be deemed unfit to play for Arsenal. Conversely, were Pascal Cygan named Sol Campbell people around here would be bending over backwards to make excuses for him.
December 13th, 2005 at 8:43 am
Probably not, but this ought to make him happy.
http://tinyurl.com/7olpx
Lots to think about.
December 13th, 2005 at 8:59 am
The more I think about it the more I think we can take those jerk-offs to the cleaners. Chelsea are not playing well, even by their attritional standards, and have not played well since they beat Liverpool in a few months back. They got completely outplayed by an average Betis side and have overcome premiership teams who are shorn of the Betis mentality and play to survive.
They could also be catching us at the wrong time. I think we’re gonna let it all hang out on Sunday and play our attacking game in all its glory. I think the players are tired of being all tense and tetchy in these games and gonna say “f_ck it” and go right at Chelsea. I don’t think we will feel any pressure because the players already know the title is over. We’ve got more than enough to swamp those boring bastards. Play with verve and keep our nerve, and we will beat them I guarantee.
December 13th, 2005 at 9:39 am
It’s quite funny. When Wenger signed him, I thought - what is he doing? But somewhere along the way, I thought it was ok - maybe because Campbell imposed his physical presence on the game and dealt well with players like Shearer. Now it’s back to the same old feeling again.
I guess it’s natural to think this way. When the team is doing well, some players look better than they are. When the team is doing bad, some players look worse than they are.
December 13th, 2005 at 11:49 am
What a piece Mazza…100 percent agree…Those west london mercenaries are due a good kicking…I would like to order some Champagne Football Vintage 2003 from the good half of North London…Do em’…ste
December 13th, 2005 at 2:25 pm
Scotty, it’s not a fencing sword it’s a “Foil”. Have you ever been stuck by a fencing foil? Let me tell you it can hurt. I have been a lover of fencing for many years. Members of my family compete in Fencing at an international level.
Let me tell you, were I given the choice between a spiked club and a Foil or Epee, I’d pick the long steel rod any day. Why, because I could stick the guy with the club from a further distance than he could reach me with the club and his dog to for that matter.
The study of war is a funny study because it usually always comes down to who has the better tools. Like rock, paper, scissors, arrows will always beat swords and guns will always beat knifes. Even today in modern warfare, we don?t drop one giant bomb to destroy the enemy, we use smart bombs that can destroy targets clinically and erode the enemies? ability to fight.
I say we sharpen our swords and stick it to them.
I?m opposed to all this talk of becoming like Bolton because I hate this type of football. I also don?t know what the purpose is in trying to teach a bunch of Epee Masters to suddenly swing spiked clubs. They need to stay the course but repair the flanks where they are vulnerable.
Yes, selling Vierra has come around to show exactly where the club is weak in the midfield. Arsenal needs someone who can swing a Claymore or Broad Sword and we need it yesterday.
They need to close ranks and do what they do best and not emulate someone else?s game. I?m opposed to all this talk of suddenly taking on a Shearer type of hooligan style soccer because he showed that unsportsmanlike behavior could win a game. Cheating can win you games too but we don?t encourage that. I never liked the notion of enforcer in hockey either because of how many careers have been lost due to injuries, resulting from that mentality.
I?m not saying Arsenal shouldn?t change the style but maybe just now we need to fill PV4 apparent loss with someone of equal skill and prowess. If you conjure up the image ?dog?s of hell? let me say we need the ?dog catcher from heaven?.
Football can also be an art form; it doesn?t have to be played by a bunch of primates.
December 13th, 2005 at 3:55 pm
I just agree with Rick in that we’ve always won with something to stick at them in the middle. Cesc will catch up and probably be a monster. But, if nothing else, there is a psychological advantage we’re giving away.
I have a theory that referees tend to let the home team dictate how’s its going to go down to some degree. I think its a form of peer pressure, and an subconscious element of “when in Rome” or “guest/host rules”. If they want physical up North, then 90% of the crowd is going to get it as per the cooperation of the ringleader, or the ref.
When clubs come to Highbury, the crowd gives their own stick or support to the way they expect matters to go. Along with just feeling more support and less travel, I think it may have something to do with why we’ve been doing well at home. I do agree with you that I think we’re blowing the “back down/bottle it” theory a little out of proportion. But if Gilberto won’t tackle, and Cesc is too small as of yet, well…
I think Wenger has been relying too heavily on the referees to share his appreciation of the way we try and play the game, which is why he feels hard done by after games like Bolton and NUFC. Those clubs are sh*t, but on their day, at their grounds, they tip the rules to their favor.
You know what really p*sses me off? We’re 3 games on the trot without a goal and we’ve got Chelsea next. Somebody needs to find the net before all confidence is lost.
And I’ll take a “boomstick” any day.
December 13th, 2005 at 4:10 pm
I know there has been enough debate about Shearer recently but his words echo what a lot of people have already been saying for a while:
———-
‘You have to be physical,” he said. ‘If you go out there and let yourself be pushed around and bullied, you won’t get anywhere. You have to be physical because football is a physical game.
‘I’m not aware of anyone, particularly in the midfield area or up front, who doesn’t give a little bit. If you don’t, you’ll get pushed around and bullied. It’s a big position for big boys.
‘I wasn’t aware that Arsene Wenger had been complaining about how physical I was. I don’t mind that. I’ve never seen (Patrick) Vieira pulling out of challenges.
‘Arsenal are a great side with great footballers in it. If you stand off them and let them play, they will beat you. But if you get stuck in, give it a go and don’t give them time to settle, you’ve got half a chance.
———–
December 13th, 2005 at 4:36 pm
I hope Wenger sees the light and now understand that his midfield is truly light. We do need “skillful brawn” for want of a better term. Viera certainly possessed all that and more though his output over the last 2 years did dropped a couple of notch. Maybe Wenger should consider putting Gilberto, Cesc and Flamin on a weight program designed to bolster muscles without sacrificing touch. When I see Cesc trying to dispossess Ameobi in midfield in last week’s game, it was really a huge mismatch. This is proving to be a season of learnings for Arsenal and I hope Wenger fixes the weakness in the current team before things degenerate further.
December 13th, 2005 at 4:45 pm
Did I really say that? ;^\
December 13th, 2005 at 9:20 pm
ScottyUS
I also agree with you and Rick both, in as much as sticking something in the middle ? without it we have no service and with no service far fewer goals. It does little good to have a striker who never receives a ball from the midfield.
As for the referees, yes I hate this economy of rules that changes from game to game and on the whole seem to allow other teams to be so psychical with Arsenal. I don?t count Shearer?s recent display, as for me that was pure violence and not psychical soccer. I can appreciate what Wenger is feeling about referees after the Newcastle game you got to scratch your head in wonder too. As much as I hate everything Chel$ki stands for, I will say that for the most part they play soccer and not a brutal game of thuggery (on the field anyway).
I know what your saying with home field advantage but we all know you?ve got to win away to win the EPL, unless mid-table satisfies you. I think we fans our convinced that we have to control, not just plug the middle, to achieve a top table placement. I only hope Wenger does, I have such faith in him that it is sometimes difficult to be objective. He?s given this team so much! He?s in a pickle now and for one reason or another I think it keeps him awake at night. I don?t have that problem as I always fall asleep in my drunken stupor
I?m always going to choose the ?oil branch? over the booomstick, even if I have to beat them to death with it :)~
December 13th, 2005 at 9:25 pm
oil branch - whoops
olive branch - spoiled that joke
oh well
December 13th, 2005 at 11:34 pm
Are you talking about Michael Owen?
December 13th, 2005 at 11:37 pm
I stopped reading your comment half way through when the vision of Monty Python slapping eachother with wet fish entered my mind!
December 14th, 2005 at 12:47 am
Every team needs an enforcer - every year since Wenger took over Arsenal have had that from Remi Garde to Petit to Vieira/Edu - and now supposedly Gilberto but each year the average age of our midfielders has been getting younger and perhaps it is the experience that may count partly…..
Scanning the transfer market shows not many choices for a tall strong enforcer out there apart from Bouba Diop from Fulham….the guy has good skills as well as a massive physical presence….
December 14th, 2005 at 3:10 am
Great comment Scotty. Thanks
December 14th, 2005 at 3:19 am
Sorry Gerard…praised the wrong person. Mind you Scotties was Ok as well.
December 14th, 2005 at 6:38 am
I don’t think Wenger liks Diop, and to be honest he is overrated. He has a couple of brilliant games and then seems to do nothing for a patch. I like watching Fulham, but Diop is too inconsistent and not that good on the ball.
December 14th, 2005 at 7:08 am
I don’t know, I think Dioup is just about good enough after quite a bit of watching him and he seems fairly comfortable on the ball and running forward with it- far better than Gilberto anyway. The problem I have is when you watch Fulham you just know they can’t defend a lead to save their life yet Dioup is their enforcer making sure that doesn’t happen yet he doesn’t really seem to stiffen their defence; though the defenders behind him are even worse than ours. Even Makelele would struggle with those clowns.
December 14th, 2005 at 7:24 am
Do you guys think that whoever comes in to this midfield enforcer position will forever be compared to Vieira and consequently not good enough?
December 14th, 2005 at 8:05 am
I don’t think it will be that difficult for a player to come in and replace Vieira. It would be different If Vieira left at his peak but he wasn’t up to much when he departed so im not sure there would be that much pressure. Just the pressure of playing for Arsenal would be testing enough anyway.I am not sure anyone could replicate what Vieira achieved domestically for us; his game was brilliant for us in that arena. But in europe I can’t remember him having more than a couple of decent games in eight years.
December 14th, 2005 at 10:05 am
Different players bring different atrributes. Yes, we need someone to put a foot in - and there are plenty of players that can do that. But this is Arsenal, they need to have extra class, and once they have won the tackle they have to be able to give it.
It’s not like Arsenal have never won the title without Vieira is it? Under George Graham Arsenal went a whole season and only lost 1 match. We didn’t have Vieira then.
I think Wenger needs to do more than just buy a midfield stopper who is also good on the ball though, he needs to shore up the defence too.
I don’t like Lauren in the Champions League, he has cost us loads of goals - and if Wenger does not trust in Senderos then we need a centre-back too. Although Lehmann is doing great this season, long term we need a big keeper as wel.