A horrible week and a horrible injury to Dudu. Only now when I see that he’s mentally calm and has shown great strength and courage in his words that I am a bit calmer and am able to think clearer with regards to Arsenal’s season. Get well soon Dudu!! BTW if you haven’t noticed (impossible) you can Email Dudu from the Arsenal.com site.
The Birmingham game was ours for the taking but for a Clichy boob and a Mike Dean gaffe where he couldn’t wait to blow the whistle and help his good friends from ManU with yet another non-existent penalty. Is he friends with Mike Riley?? Anyway we’re still 3 points clear and out of the two cups so the FA can’t screw us anymore.
The Villa game is a must win game though specially since we’re playing at home as well before we make the trip to the San Siro. What kind of a challenge can we expect from the Midland side?
Villa usually play a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1 if you like; though its hardly defensive by any stretch. Its more a 4-3-3 like ManU rather than a 4-5-1 at say Wigan or Bolton or Newcastle. The wingers are primarily 2nd and 3rd forwards who cut in at every opportunity and score goals. The quality of Ashley Young on the left wing has been excellent all season and his consistency is quite remarkable. Sagna needs to have a good game against him. At Villa park where IMO Sagna had his worst game of the season; Ashley Young repeatedly sent in cross after cross and gave the iron man right back a torrid time. So what is it about Young that makes him dangerous? He’s quick..good with the ball at his feet,has great delivery and hits a decent shot as well if he comes inside. Hence the right back has to worry about both things…the run down the wing and the inside forward position. That makes it hugely difficult…which is the main reason why Ronaldo is successful as he can go both ways. Agbonlahor is much more direct and more of a goal scorer than Young and Senderos will need to be up for this one lest he gets beat for pace by a very very quick nippy forward line. I read on Arsenal.com that Villa were better at set pieces this year; the big reason is the mountain that they play around — and my mind always goes back to that Valencia game. John Carew — Valencia 2 - Arsenal 1. His size and aerial prowess mean any defender will have it bad against him and while not particularly quick he’s extremely physical and it gives the Arsenal CB’s yet another problem to deal with. So a pacy 3 pronged attack with 1 physical focal point and two lightning quick inside forwards is not something we can be too complacent about. Gareth Barry is very reliable and has bad games very rarely. The back four of the fat Bouma, Knight, Laursen and Mellber are not the greatest around though Laursen has scored numerous set piece goals this season. They can be beaten though.
Now for us…the biggest question is? How many of them want to do it for Dudu? Of course they want it themselves..does Dudu’s injury give them fresh legs or will they drown in the deep end? Gallas will have been hurt big time by last week’s incident and to see a teammate crippled, the team fight back and for Clichy to fuck up in the last minute was all too much to take for the moody Frenchman. You can talk all you like about petulance but this time while Gallas hasn’t been our best defender around this year…(he flicked a header to their left back at Villa Park IMO) I can 100% relate to where he’s coming from. His experience is vital in the run-in ..we have such few players who have won things that its important he stays calm and manages to guide the team through a torrid time. Senderos has to be one of our best players of the last 2 months or so and better than Gallas — I dare you to say NO and show me the facts. Its an open challenge. Clichy needs to cut out these concentration lapses as thats the only part of his game which he has a problem with. I’m sure he’ll improve though — if he and Sagna can bomb forward all the time and force Young and Agbonlahor back all the time we’ve won 80% of the battle. I’m sure they can do it.
The Cesc-Flamini partnership has been the key this season and there’s little I can add that hasn’t already been said about Hleb who will start wide left again and roam. Once again ..how much can Hleb drag the midfield around so that Villa’s wingers do not get enough defensive cover and are forced to drop deep to defend? Since Eboue’s still out Theo will start on the right again even though he scored two goals. The Ade-Bendtner saga is getting ridiculous now and I hope AW has had a quiet word with Ade about him not passing to NB(haven’t yet seen it though). Is NB fitting into the Arsenal system? Will he make it here? Is he really that good over a period? I guess only time will tell…there can never be a better time for him to prove himself though. SO here’s hoping the big Dane gets a few goals. If its not happening for Ade I’d actually move Cesc right, bring Diaby on and put Theo up front with NB. He actually works better with Eduardo than Ade though there could be other reasons for that. Phew — long preview. Sachin has raised the bar..blame him. Congrats on the kid BTW. Hope you bought him Arsenal diapers and stuck Dennis Bergkamp pictures all over his cradle :). The kids will be pumped and we will win it.
Arsenal 2 - Villa 0
101 Responses to “Arsenal - AstonVilla”
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February 29th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
nice thoughtful preview, thanks. sure that walcott and not diaby will be starting on the right though? what about diaby starting right and walcott pairing at striker with ade, with bendtner as sub? just kicking some possibilities around….
February 29th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Great preview! You guys always come through with some facts I hadn’t considered. I also wouldn’t mind seeing Walcott at striker, but the wing will do. The most important thing is getting him games right now so he can build on last week’s performance.
February 29th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I always call out key match-ups and tomorrow’s will be Senderos vs. Carew without question. We know how Senderos loves his big physical strikers. Carew’s a fantastic player. Here’s hoping Senderos doesn’t get sent off or something else we don’t need. He’s going to have his toughest game tomorrow. If he has a good game tomorrow then I’ll say he’s really turned a corner.
I’m also very interested to see how Almunia plays tomorrow.
Except Laursen, their defense is absolute garbage. The last time we played Villa, we started really well but lost the initiative after Carew tried to Eduardo Alex Hleb and he had to go off. With Cesc already out injured, we struggled to control the game. We have more than enough in attack to throw these guys a beating tomorrow. Let’s see what happens.
February 29th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
man, this was the first time i actually read the preview….it is quite comprehensive. you really put in serious effort. i used to think it was mostly copy and paste.
big up LDE!
as for our squad 2moro i want to see:
lehmann
sagna - gallas - senderos - clichy
diaby - cesc - flamini - hleb
walcott - adebayor
bench: almunia, hoyte, denilson, bendtner
diaby on the right and hleb on the left.
walcott and adebayor should stay up front.
i selected just 4 on the bench just to avoid listing gilberto! lol.
February 29th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Provisional squad: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Senderos, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Flamini, Hleb, Bendtner, Adebayor, Lehmann, J Hoyte, Denilson, Gilberto, Traore, Lansbury, G Hoyte.
If Diaby isn’t up to snuff, fitness-wise, I suspect, Theo will start on the wing and Bendtner will join Ade upfront. If so, they better shake hands and make up.
If not, like Fred says, Theo in the middle upfront.
This is actually a tricky game for us. Villa can be erratic, but they have scored a surprisingly high number of goals this season (50). far more than Chelsea, L’pool, Everton, Sp*ds. I can see them getting a goal, even two, if we are still collectively rattled by the Eduardo incident. Sendy needs to continue is newfound steadiness, if only to teach Gallas by example!
They’ve only lost one of their last 11 games, earning a 2-2 draw at L’pool and the amazing 4-4 draw at Chelski.
The good news they have also let in a lot of goals too (35), which is the most of all the top ten sides. So we can set about them and look forward to a couple of goals ourselves. ManUre thumped them 4-1 away, let’s not forget.
Statistically, the most likely result is 2-1 to the Gunners. But the Eduardo factor could work either way. Let’s hope it fires the boys up to come out thirsting for revenge and swat them 3-0.
Go Gunners! Do it for Dudu.
February 29th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
My only fear is Arsene starting Bendtner and Ade up front. Regardless of their personal differences, if any, they are just too similar and will NEVER make a good strike partnership. At this point in his career young Nick is an Ade without the pace and work rate. Like oil and water, they will never effectively co-exist and we have drawn or lost all games this year when they have been started as partners up front.
Walcott up front with Ade, Diaby on the left with Hleib moving to the right and Gilberto and Bendtner on the bench should be the only squad changes. Clichy, Sagna and the Flamster should be able to control Young and Agbonlahor and so the key matchup will be Carew versus Messrs Gallas and Senderos and will Amunia regain his confidence after his less than stellar previous performance. Hopefully our Jekyll and Hyde central defense will be on form tomorrow so for the first time in two weeks I can laugh over a few pints of Guinness interspersed with a couple shots of Patrone.
February 29th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Nice preview LDE. Like you, Carew still reminds me of that Valenica game. The worst part is I remember I saw that goal coming as soon as the cross was played in. You are being modest (again) in saying I raised the bar. You have been posting in-depth previews with regards to tactics for a long time whereas I was more interested in seeing the games from a historical point of view.
Also, thanks on the baby wishes. It is a girl and my goal is to have the baby awake for her first arsenal game tomorrow morning. So I am hoping for a good win with some nice goals because I can’t afford to get upset tomorrow morning
like I was last weekend.
February 29th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
I am fascinated about how we will approach this match, especially as a follow-on to last weekend’s emotional grinder and the trip to Milan coming in three short days.
No predictions (I suck). Just good wishes to the squad, and I wish we take flight from Dudu’s misfortune and soar on past Villa to the holy grail.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:11 am
Great preview LDE!
Well I won’t be using the Actors best wish salutation to the lads for this match. Damn we “broke a leg” last weekend and ones enough.
I’m getting a bit cynical about the games lately, I not only want to know the starting eleven but whose the referee. I saw the Professor, Le Boss on the BBC Sport Today complaining about the Refs and their calls.
Indeed, as you say LDE, let’s hope it isn’t a dyed in the wool ManUre lover. More objectively, let’s hope the match is fairly refereed.
March 1st, 2008 at 4:16 am
One thing Eduardo really earned a lot of respect is - he never played “victim” on this injury incident. Didn’t moan about the tackle. And quickly forgiven Taylor. Heard that he even refusing using the painkiller. and from the off seems in a very positive frame of mind.
particular after i read yesterday how Taylor came out and moan about how Wenger’s comment caused him to receive death threat. Now we know who’s the real man.
March 1st, 2008 at 10:53 am
Line-up as I hoped . Good call Fred.
I like the flexibility on the bench with Bendtner there more and Diaby starting. Walcott can move wide and bring Bendtner on or sub out Diaby for Denilson then Gilberto for Walcott in the later stages if the game is settled. Bendtner also available in later stages to add height to the squad for set piece defense.
Keep winning, get our top players fit. simple.
Go Gunners!!
btw, I still haven’t figured out how commentators or previewers read formations. Carew definitely a striker, but ArsenalTV calling it a 4-4-2 while others see an attacking 4-5-1 or 4-3-3. Go figure.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:54 am
Walcott looks dangerous.
Clichy looks nervous.
Ade looks strong.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:56 am
0-1 at halftime.
We look collectively under a cloud still. Of course, it had to be Sendy who put it into our own net - threading an eye of the needle to do it.
Here’s to one hell of a rousing team talk at halftime from Wenger. This is the pivot for the season. If we slip behind ManUre, already 2-0 up and cruising, there won’t be any catching them.
Come on, lads!
March 1st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Is this how it comes crashing down?
Have we done it with smoke and mirrors all year?
Embarrassing loss to United - out of the FA Cup.
Out play AC Milan, only to miss all our chances and draw.
Debacle against Birmingham, and the lead with breathing room in the league is gone.
Now, we have Villa… who come out and play us straight on… and frankly, we don’t look like we can beat them. Own goal by Sendy, and we finally get Ade to pass to an open Cesc, and he can’t hit the broad side of a barn again. One goal from Cesc in his last 17 matches??
Sorry. Its not good enough.
If we drop points to Villa at home, we don’t deserve to win the league… and unless we STAND UP and fight… and battle and get all 3 points in the 2nd half, I’d expect us to lose to Milan… and lose the league… and end up trophy-less again.
THIS MOMENT is what it is all about… NOW… 2nd half… with the season literally on the brink.
We’ll see now who comes thru in the key moment, and who does not.
I hope Wenger has a fantastic half time speech for the lads…
I think we win 2-1… but we are fecked if we don’t come out and take this game.
Who will step up? I say Theo.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:02 pm
The team looks immature and unable to handle the pressure. Besides that you have Diaby playing out of position after 2 months out, Hleb in a position where he is often invisible, a central midfielder whose contract expires in 6 months, a little boy up front called Walcott and a defender called Senderos who always messes up sooner or later. Too many weak chinks, not enough depth, if we go second it’s probably all over and AC Milan will be a washout.
Only Van Persie can come back and save us.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I agree Danny. We need some presence up front. Someone who is not afraid to hammer the ball. RVP can’t come soon enough.
If we lose today, I see a downward spiral coming strong.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Right after that comment,
Theo hammers the ball!
March 1st, 2008 at 12:07 pm
It would be nice if Arsenal actually started games at the pace in which they usually end them. This first half sparring routine is getting very tedious now, especially in the business end of the season.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:13 pm
am sweating it out rite now, cannot believe their only shot on target is from sendy and they have a goal and we dont
… its becoming last season all over…no finishing no killer instinct!
March 1st, 2008 at 12:13 pm
When a manager has to give some sort of half-time boost/comeback speech 4 games in a row you know there are mentality issues.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:16 pm
gotta agree with that, we start our game way too late, again symptomatic of last season man i need some therapy rite now! i can already picture all my manure supporting friends taking my case!
March 1st, 2008 at 12:18 pm
their defence is there for the taking, we just arent capitalizing!!!
March 1st, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Nerve racking stuff
March 1st, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Denilson and Gilberto. Hold on to your hats lads.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:50 pm
This one is just slipping away… Ending with a whimper…
March 1st, 2008 at 12:55 pm
i am almost in tears
March 1st, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Nicky Bendtner!!!
We’re still in it boys..Believe
March 1st, 2008 at 12:56 pm
bendtner!! is it hope or the last burning ember
March 1st, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Dougnuts. If they hadn’t played like retards for the previous ninety they could have scored at least three.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
this was a seriously exasperating match, last season all over again!
whats with cesc man???
March 1st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Massive goal - the psychology of staying top cannot be underestimated. But we need injured players back and up to speed fast - Toure, Van Persie and Rosicky for the rest of the season, otherwise no chance.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:01 pm
cant blame this game on missing players though, can we. we should have won 3-1
March 1st, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Whew! Boy, this team is no tension tamer.
We’re still top. Time to regroup for Tuesday. Where’s my Maker’s Mark?
March 1st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
This was nerveracking for sure, but days like this are the reason why you’re a fan…at least for me
March 1st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Thank you Bendtner!
They sure want to take the long route to the cup don’t they.
___________________________________
Look at the bright side all you naysayers above “We’re number 1″
March 1st, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Massive Massive Massive last kick goal…..this will keep our hopes alive. A last minute draw is as good as a win..maybe not statistically but psychologically. Only caught the second half and thought we were quite poor - It was a classic Park The Bus game of the previous two seasons. Anyway all’s well that ends well and was it just me or did Ade not pass to Bendtner again while the viceversa was not true??
March 1st, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Sometimes its better to be lucky than good.
Villa outplayed us. With the season on the line in the 2nd half (in many respects), Villa created far better chances than we did.
Uninspired performance.
Cesc? Hello? whats wrong with him… he’s a shell of himself.
Ade created little.
Senderos. Wow, when he has the spotlight shown on him, his faults glare at times. He was a pathetic figure out there today.
So very lucky to get a point.
But its a MASSIVE point in the big picture.
We stay on top barely. Its a draw that feels like a win. (opposite of last week)
Simply, Villa were better than us today… and we were at home, and that game was huge for us. What exactly does that say about our current form?
Nothing positive, thats for sure. We are in serious trouble right now.
Not sure who/where the team leader is right now. There is no “get on my back” player… this is where the experience factor comes into play. Nobody played with the desire and desperation that should have been shown in the 2nd half. I didn’t see it. Thats worrying.
OH. And what is up with the fecking fans?
In extra time, all I saw was orange seat backs surrounding the pitch.
Does anybody stay until the end in a 1 goal match? or what?
THAT is PATHETIC.
1-1 victory today. Stole the point. Kept the lead at the top, barely.
We are in some serious trouble if we don’t turn this around quickly… like Tuesday.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Why is the Fox Sports website still showing the result as 0-1 Villa????
March 1st, 2008 at 1:22 pm
1-1 victory is a good way to call this match.
we were always going to either (a) struggle in this match (likely) or (b) hammer them due to a positive effect from last week (unlikely). there was little chance or a non - heartracing regulation win.
scoring at the death is pretty much like a victory and staying on top for another week at least was extremely crucial. if we had lost it would have been all over IMO.
but now we live to fight another day….opportunity to get the injured back and to hope.
ps: this was probably the first time this whole season flamini has been substituted!
March 1st, 2008 at 1:30 pm
It’s funny how the situation of a game changes your expectations. If you had told me beforehand that we would draw 1-1 at home against Villa while United cruised to victory, I would have been furious. As it turned out, I was ready to kill someone if it meant we got a draw to stay top. Basically, I entered the third stage of grief for our season.
I’m with Fred on this one: 1-1 victory. Let’s hope we can carry the momentum from Nik’s equalizer to Milan on Tuesday.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:30 pm
The ONLY difference between now and the last couple of months is that - the goals have really DRIED up. Goals are the be all and end all in this game and we are now relying on “inconsistent” sources for our goals.
Adebayor was never a “natural” scorer…the way Eduardo or Van Persie are.
The midfield help only by luck and inspiration rather than consistency. That is always a problem.
We really, really, really need Van Persie back.
Toure, Rosicky and Song in there to strengthen the backbone will be very helpful as well.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I agree that we really need RVP back. He seems like the only one that can take a free kick or reliably shoot from distance.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
And if the Ade-Bendtner combo is going to be used - we should really start improving on our delivery. Clichy is hit-and-miss when it comes to crossing. And Sagna and Walcott were poor today. Walcott was very poor.
Funny and sad how Senderos has gone from a position of relative strength to one of being substituted when he wasnt injured and not on a yellow card.
I guess that nips the Senderos-mania in the bud hey.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Senderos being subbed mean precisely zilch. Wenger probably threw Gilberto on because he got a few last minute goals last season.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Its not necessary that someone needs to be on a yellow card or injured to be subbed. But yes he had a poor game today…I’m not really sure the own goal was completely his fault though..lazy’ish attempt by Gallas there…and Almunia got beat near post again..although this time he could be forgiven for it was his own player. There’s no Senderos-mania…he HAS played well. Gallas has been poorer than him IMO.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Lets be honest and stop dreaming. The players are faltering psychologically, if we don’t get some key players back quickly the title challenge will be over in 6 weeks.
The players need to look around and be see the likes of Van Persie, Rosicky and Toure out on that pitch. Playing like this, we’ll never get through that Chelsea, Bolton, Liverpool, Man Utd phase unscathed - we’ll be lucky to get 1 point from those 4 games.
Our only hope is a miracle win at Milan, which would massively boost confidence, or the return of some players we simply cannot afford to be without much longer - the squad evidently isn’t deep enough or good enough to get us through till the end.
I’ll try not to blame Wenger if we win nothing - as I said thought the team need another year of maturation and at the end of the day, injuries are not his fault - but his attitude resulting in the Man Utd debacle destabilised everything, and lousy tactics at Milan - where we would have won had he been brave has shaken confidence badly. They need a boost - and seeing the 3 players I mentioned would give everyone a big boost.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Look at the spuds. The blow away Chelsea and get drubbed by the Brummies. It just goes to show you that among the professionals in the Premier League anything can happen.
I am not sure what was on the minds of the players today, but it didn’t look like winning. Adebayor needs his hair back - since he’s changed it he has lost the ability to head the ball. 3 chances all went way over.
I do get the feeling that the squad are currently licking their wounds. They look like they are feeling sorry for themselves and need to be cuddled. The PL, however, is not about cuddling, it is about grit and professionalism. We need to wake up and do it fast.
Yes we got hammered by United, but whose fault is that?
Yes Dudu had a horrific injury, but dropping points to a penalty at the death, whose fault is that?
The answer to both of those questions, is OURS.
Players need to remember the hunger and determination of early season games as that seems to have dissapeared. Nontheless, we are still 1 point up over Manure. Here’s hoping they will wobble, but they have been oh so consistent over the season. End of March - April will be huge.
Wigan (A) - Nothing other than 3 points will do.
Boro (H) - Nothing other than 3 points will do.
Chealsea (A) - Must win for psychological benefits
Bolton (A) - Nothing other than 3 points will do.
Pool (H) - We should beat them @ the Grove.
Manure (A) - I pray for nothing worse than a draw, but on Manure’s current form a win there is very unlikely. Here is hoping I’m wrong.
Reading (H) - Nothing other than 3 points will do.
Derby (A) - If we drop points to them I might hang myself.
Up the Arse!!! Kiss the Crest!!! Believe!!!
March 1st, 2008 at 2:34 pm
The goal is perfect for Bendtner’s confidence.
Hleb/Cesc took us through September.
Some additional RvP help took us through October.
We stumbled a bit in November.
Adebayor carried us in December.
Eduardo in some of January.
Then Adebayor up till now.
So through out the season we have had periods where just one or two players were putting the points directly on board.
We need a player or two to gain some serious ascendancy and carry us for at least one month - enough time to get the Fabregas/Hleb axis back on track for the final title push.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Actually Gilberto got only one late goal last season. And we all know Wenger does not really care that much for Gilberto’s exploits last season.
Wenger never subs CBs. Senderos would probably not start against Milan. Either Gilberto or Toure (hopefully) would.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:58 pm
I wouldn’t put anything down to one player Fred, it’s a team game. I was disappointed with Wenger’s formation. It was a big game, Diaby was not ready to come back so soon, especially playing out of position on the left, this meant Hleb had to move to right side - meaning 2 ineffective players - is it really a surprise to anyone that neither turned up? Hleb was a joke until he switched to the left flank where he is clearly much happier.
Villa are a very good team - only lost 2 away games all season, playing Walcott up front was risky - he’s just not ready yet, better to have him in on the wing where he can use his pace and put some crosses in for Adebayor and Bendtner, which is exactly what he started doing when he switched there. Hleb has also put some very good crosses in from the left recently too.
Again, I feel Wenger messed it up tactically. Not saying we would have won, but would have certainly seen a more effective performance.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:00 pm
So now to Milan on Tuesday hey!
I believe if we can get a goal we will go through.
I feel it is already written that we would play Barca in the quarters!
Anyway, an excellent Cesc/Hleb plus high work-rate from the rest will be key.
I think Van Persie will be back. Wenger says he is ready but does not want to rush him, but surely he will push him for this match?? And I hate to say it, but we do need Eboue in there as well, and he is available.
So I see:
Almunia,
Sagna - Toure (!) - Gallas - Clichy
Eboue - Cesc - Flamini - Hleb
RvP - Ade
Bench: Lehmann, Senderos, Denilson, Gilberto, Diaby, Walcott, Bendtner.
Personally I will start with Lehmann but Wenger isnt going to do that.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Against Milan, Wenger will play 4-5-1 with Adebayor alone up front. I don’t see Van Persie figuring in this game at all unless we are a goal down with 10 minutes to go.
The only shred of light I see in this game is that Milan’s home performances this season have not been great - they’ve only scored 14 goals in 12 games. But can Arsenal steal a goal playing 4-5-1? If we had a genius like Henry I’d say yes, but we don’t. And can Arsenal hold it at the back? Maybe, but I feel there’s a defensive error in that trio of Senderos, Clichy, Almunia.
For me psychology will win that match, and AC Milan hold every card in the pack on that front.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:13 pm
danny: yeah it is a team game in theory. but when it comes to actually winning it falls to just a few players on hot form at that moment in time. the “hot form” players need a competent support cast though. so in other words when it comes to “playing” it is a team game, but when it comes to “winning” it isnt.
right now we just need the injured back, so we can find alternate sources of inspiration.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:26 pm
For me you win and lose together. Adebayor’s job is to score, the defenders job is to keep clean sheets. Sometimes strikers fail to score and another player bails them out, sometimes defenders concede and the strikers bail them out. It’s all about having a balanced, top quality team. There’s no point Adebayor scoring 1 or 2 if we’re letting in 1 or 2 as well. Individual form fluctuates throughout the team during the season. Consistency is the key.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:58 pm
If Wenger subbed Senderos because of his performance then he would have hauled him off in 80% of the games he has played for Arsenal. But no, he hasn’t, so it was purely due to the fact that Gilberto is more offensive and Sendy was probably injured. Although I did think the subsitution was fairly pointless in terms of having an effect on the game.
RVP won’t be back on Tuesday. If you listened to Wenger’s comments about rushing him back last time then that would be a bit of a no-brainer conclusion. He may get a spot on the bench but Wenger is wisely holding him back for the league. After all there is not much point in risking him for a match that looks increasingly like a dead rubber with our state of mind and form.
March 1st, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I am a huge Cesc fan. For years, his only weakness (unfortunately a big one) is he just can’t finish. The beginning of this year all of a sudden he started scoring and I thougth he turned a corner, he is only 20 after all. But the last several months he has gone back to being the old Cesc, he is worse at finishing than the most of the strikers and attacking mids in my over 35 mens league. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the one today, yikes. How can such a great player be such a terrible scorer???
March 1st, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Senderos has played some decent games. He was good against AC Milan. He has played some really poor ones, where he looks over matched. Today, was one of those. He didn’t belong out there.
But as a 4th defender, what do you expect? If he was much better, he’d want to start… thats the way it works.
Ade HAS to finish chances… if we are going to win the league, AND other players have to score OPEN chances as well. Cesc was outstanding early in the year. It was fantastic. As noted above, he’s back to being SHITE at scoring.
If he is taking our free kicks with a chance to score, we’re screwed. He ain’t scoring anything right now.
There is enough blame to go around the whole damned squad. Seriously. We need a LEADER, to take charge of the team, and show them how.
I think back to being down to Liverpool at half, after going out of the CL to Chelsea, in the undefeated season. We had leaders and a few key veteran players, and we came out like our lives depended on it.
We came out for the 2nd half today… ho hum… oh well. Thats a bad sign.
On Tuesday, I’d have to believe we’re playing 4-5-1 on the road at Milan. If we have an effort like the last 2, we will get beat down… like at United.
If we play with the passion and effort we did at home v. Milan, anything is possible, but without finishing much better, we’re fecked… on Tuesday and in the league.
“I’m holding out for a hero”… will someone please step?!
March 1st, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Villa are a competent team, I was surprised at how many physically big and robust yet skillful players they have.
We lacked a little bit in attacking capacity at the sharp end. In that sense we are still light squad-wise. Without Eduardo, and with RvP out for so long - we don’t have a lot of options.
Pleased for Bendtner. Like Fred said a few days ago, goals make all the difference to a striker. Hopefully the young guy will gain from this and provide a few more critical goals. Whilst it is a team game, champion teams have a variety of guys who stand up and provide answers (goals) throughout the season. Maybe we’ll eek a few more goals out of Bendtner over the next couple of weeks.
The one thing that never ceases to amaze me is how emotionally unstable some supporters are
A point redeemed at the death. A huge point, ManU and Chelsea will be spewing. Bring on Milan.
March 1st, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Hey, one more point either taken by us or dropped by them brings St. Totteringham’s day. That means it will probably fall in March this year, no matter how poor our form is! How many pundits on this site or elsewhere predicted that this year?
Didn’t see the game so can’t comment. But when I saw the stats flashed up Senderos og and Senderos for Gilberto, I thought that the last month or two would be thrown out the window by the Senderos haters. Yup, those short-sighted people who can’t identify an alternative third choice centre half willing to come to Arsenal are on his back again. All I say is we are lucky we have someone who will stay long enough and fill that third choice position until Djourou/Song/Nordveidt/Gavin Hoyte is ready.
March 1st, 2008 at 7:13 pm
@ danny, that is true no doubt. that is why the rest of the team needs to be competent and do their basic job right.
our “invincible” team was almost the definition of the word “team”….but still henry scored half the goals. without his input we wouldnt have won anything in 04.
a competent team puts you in the title race, but just a few individuals actually win it for you. ronaldo, lampard, henry, pires all worked in teams that did their jobs competently most of the time….but if they werent on hot form, the league titles of the last 7 years would have gone different ways.
we do need a “hero”. at least one that can hold the forte till the team stabilizes a bit.
March 1st, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Cesc doesn’t even have the confidence to take a free kick. What the hell was that chip when he had a shot on goal and a chance to curl it to the top corner?
Surely if he can curl a pass, he can curl a shot?
We need FabreCLASS back ASAP!
March 1st, 2008 at 7:17 pm
@ 59: actually no one has blasted sendy yet. and u are right, i tried thinking of a possible replacement and only curtis davies came to mind! lol. ah well.
March 1st, 2008 at 7:20 pm
One point away from St Totteringham’s day
March 1st, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Folks… are we not beyong St.Totteringham’s Day?
yes, its fun to mock Tottenham.
But they thumped us in the Carling Cup, AND beat Chelsea to win it.
When was our last trophy?
Yes. Mock the Totts, that great, but I don’t give a rat’s ass about that when I’ve just watched us knocked out of two Cup competitions in embarrassing fashion, blew our big chance to beat Milan at home in the CL… are 3 days away from possibly going out of that competition, and our 5 point league lead has dissapeared with 2 poor league games in a row.
I’d say the wheels were coming off our cart.
We play to win trophies. Saint Totteringham’s Day… wonderful.
I certainly don’t care about it.
I doubt they’ll finish ahead of us for a long long time. Its not even a competition any more.
March 1st, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Yeah, Fred, No one has blasted Sendy yet. Just made the following comments by way of example. Nothing to worry about
“a defender called Senderos who always messes up sooner or later”
“Its not necessary that someone needs to be on a yellow card or injured to be subbed. But yes he had a poor game today”
“If Wenger subbed Senderos because of his performance then he would have hauled him off in 80% of the games he has played for Arsenal”
“Funny and sad how Senderos has gone from a position of relative strength to one of being substituted when he wasnt injured and not on a yellow card.
I guess that nips the Senderos-mania in the bud hey.”
“Senderos. Wow, when he has the spotlight shown on him, his faults glare at times. He was a pathetic figure out there today.”
You know, he wouldn’t want to do something wrong if those comments are when no one is blasting him.
March 1st, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Two draws and we’re back to slashing our risks. Just be thankful your not a ManU supporter, they haven’t been able to hold 1st place all year!!
Come on, get a grip. This is a marathon not a sprint. And our boys have provided answers to every challenge and doubt raised so far. This game looked like we would suffer only our 2nd (?) loss at the Emirates……but the team responded yet again. There is a nice reputation building about playing us at the Emirates, very nice.
I still reckon our play has improved since our dip, but unfortunately we are suffering a bit from a lack of options at the sharp end. Dudu, RvP, Rosicky, even Eboue……most top teams would struggle a bit with that number of hits in the same sector.
March 1st, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Stag,
The point about St. Totteringham’s Day is to bring reality back. The people on this site who are criticising the players, the manager, Gallas the captain etc. in the last week or two are the same people who predicted we would finish behind Spurs. You are right that it is not a competition any more but were you saying that at the end of last season. I don’t think so.
You also forget that for the vast majority of Arsenal fans, the second result they look for is the Spurs result to make sure they have kept on losing. The first target every season for me is St. Totteringham’s Day. When I have to wait for the last day of the season (or was it twenty years ago, it didn’t happen) I don’t like it. Rise above the rivalry with Spurs and you lose something as an Arsenal fan.
Kiwi,
You are right. Did Villa bottle it or did we show bottle????
March 1st, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Villa showed again that this is a competitive league.
Few games can be relied upon to be easy. Sure easy games come along, but it is easier to be confident in hindsight.
Bring on Milan.
March 1st, 2008 at 9:51 pm
@ 65: why bother defending sendy on a day when he has definitely not been good?
@ stag: why are u moaning and groaning about trophies before the season ends? hold up on the bitching till summer at least.
we still top the league, something that some thought utterly impossible. the fact that we have got this number of points at this stage means there is definite quality in this side. chill.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:46 pm
I said a while back that not fielding our strongest team for the FA Cup 5th round was going to have some psychological side effect. We’re in a bit of a winless streak here in all competitions (0-1-3 > 4-0 ManU, 0-0 Milan, 2-2 Brum, 1-1 Villa) and I don’t see it happening in Milan (will probably lose 2-0 away) and it won’t be until Wigan that we’ll win (if we don’t beat Wigan we don’t deserve the Title, especially at an important time like this). The same cannot be said in the games involving Boro / Pool at home, Chelsea / ManU / Bolton away unless we regain our early season form.
Why many pundits (even though many are anti-arsenal) have a point in betting on ManU to beat us to the title in this last phase due to their composure and experience. I think we all agreed that we played really well early in the season mainly because no one expects us to do well so less pressure to win, but now with 10 games to go and having led the league most of the season our expectations changed. Add to the media bias that kept calling for our team to crumble week-in week-out and last weeks horrendous injury to Dudu, I do think the pressure to perform is getting to the heads of our inexperienced players.
I’m managing my own expectations but secretly optimistic. If we’re out of Eurpoe it will allow us to focus soley on the league. I’d love to win both but tbh we don’t have the squad depth to challenge on multiple fronts
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:16 am
@irishgunner: I’ve always been a big Sendy backer; if you’ve followed this site regularly which I’m sure you have. I also believe he’s been our best defender for the last 2 months over Gallas and I’ve not seen anyone call me out on this one yet. But yesterday for the one half I did see he wasn’t lookign that great. He made some good challenges and mistimed a few; scored an own goal which he was NOT fully responsible for — hmm so he had an okayish game tending to poor. That in NO WAY eradicates his great performances at the start and during the ANC when everyone predicted we would slip. So no..I think he has come on leaps and bounds really..and while a Sendy moment(if anyone wish) will always come around; we could then say that a Rio moment or a Gallas moment or a Hyppia moment(better than Senderos…sorry..I disagree) will also be there. So i summary I think Senderos has done everything he could have done as a 3rd or 4th choice CB and no one has any right to haul him over the coals anymore than the rest of our defense.
And no…I dont think there are any much better 3rd choice CB’s either.
Hyppia, Brown, Alex(maybe..just maybe) who else..can you even think of?? .. Didier Zokora?? or Zat Knight? Ryan Nelson? Radhi Jaidi? Joseph Yobo? Titus Bramble? … someone else? Please put the names down here.
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:31 am
the own goal Sendy conceded was a clumsy one, no doubt abt it. but did anyone notice who’s the one failed to get out and let our offside trap broke down at the first place? Clichy. And he had done it more than one occassion against Villa, failed to get out in time.
as Arsenal were pushing the back 4 high up the line, it’s crucial our offside trap work. and to play an offside trap, our full back should always be positioning themselves ahead of the two central halfs.
our problem lately, IMO, is more down to Hleb and Cesc’s form. They are so important to us that when they struggled, we struggled as a team.
it has been a while now our attacking game been a bit flat. relying more and more on crosses from full backs, or long ball into the box. the usual short passing game trying to penetrate the middle no longer work as smoothly as early of the season.
March 2nd, 2008 at 4:02 am
it doesnt work as smoothly because the team is in-experienced. fabregas has only played for arsenal, and has not won anything and he is 20. and all our experienced players are not exactly putting in solid performances.
gilberto is a disaster, gallas is a big baby, lehmann and almunia are clowns, hleb gives the ball to his younger, less experienced teammates and tells them to do whatever.
so basically u have the likes of fabregas, adebayor carrying quite an excessive burden.
during the villa game hleb had this quick dribble and shot play that he made. we really need MORE of exactly that.
dribble-cut-shoot! we need to keep things simple. we need routines. less passing in the box. walcott, who i feel is the least competent in our team, did a simple run and shoot routine the other day and scored quite easily. there is no reason cesc and hleb cant do exactly that. it is effective and actually less work for them.
either that or we have to make do with those rather cross-and-hope from the likes of clichy and sagna.
March 2nd, 2008 at 4:45 am
not just in terms of shooting, Hleb’s passing has been a bit off lately as well. It’s not often we saw Arsenal struggling to get their attack going at Emirates, it was the case yesterday, particular the first half.
but to me, the worst performaner yesterday gotta be Diaby. His laid back attitude sometimes really got to me. We desperately needed to bounce back from the Birmingham upset yesterday, so i was hoping to see some “sense of urgency”. And Diaby basically offered zero pmy_js_check2=e5ed8079d139125cd71e8990e71d62b9
March 2nd, 2008 at 4:48 am
funny, why the later part of my comment turn out to be like that?!
March 2nd, 2008 at 6:57 am
Thanks for the comments : Nicosian, Arsenole, Fred Sachin and Seh/G
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 am
@61
I agree. Cesc does not have the confidence to be hitting the free kicks. He needs to let it loose. This is why I feel we need RVP back in the squad.
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:45 am
btw, anyone know what rosicky’s status is? hard to find any updates on him with all the talk of van persie’s impending return.
March 2nd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
One of the things that struck me yesterday is that nobody seemed willing to grab the game and take responsibility for scoring the equalizer. Not a good sign.
March 2nd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Look at this:
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_3224082,00.html
Clarence Seedorf will almost for sure miss tuesday’s game, Kaka and Emerson are very doubtful as well. Add that to Dida who has been out for quite a while, and they’re in the same boat as us.
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
very interesting link ChicagoGooner…of course, before the game at Emirates AC Milan were be reported to be down to their third choice goalkeeper, only to have Kalac recover and put on an impressive performance
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
dida lost his starting place weeks ago. kalac is there number one.
emerson has never been a regular.
kaka will be fit.
so the only loss is seedorf.
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
All good points there, Fred. I didn’t know Dida had lost the starting spot, but I’m not the least bit surprised. Emerson is shaky, but the absencce of a veteran like Seedorf who knows how to win when it counts could be critical. He’s won the Champions League 4 times, and is the only player in history to win it with 3 different clubs.
March 2nd, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Milan to me is like so much of this season. It is a little hard to predict how our emerging team will react. One good thing is that Wenger will start his strongest line-up - no tinkering. As we’ve seen against Spurs and ManU when he tinkers there is often tears.
I guess most speculation relates to RvP and whether he will play any part in the game. You’d think not, but we are desparately thin on attacking options so maybe just maybe Wenger will want him to be an absolute last-chance roll of the dice. So a place on the bench is an outside chance…..but even then Wenger would be loathe to risk him.
The great thing about this game is that Milan have to attack. The pressure is on them to score, yet in doing so they may open themselves up a little more than they did at the Emirates. Where will our goal come from? Ade our normal channel may be effectively marked out of the game, Walcott is very inaccurate so it’s hard to back him against Milan, so perhaps a howitser from Flamini, or a Diaby special. Goal scoring is a bit of a worry Fab lacks goalscoring confidence at present, Hleb is Hleb, Eboue doesn’t score, Walcott lacks accuracy and Bendtner often looks what he is - lacking experience. So it really comes down to Ade and ‘whoever’. Not a good position to be in. RvP will add firepower. But it’s basically Ade, RvP (hopefully) and whoever till the end of the season. On that note it’s nice to see Walcott score 2 against B’ham and Bendtner 1 against Villa. We really need these lads to add a bit of whoever.
March 2nd, 2008 at 4:48 pm
The game on Tuesday will be a good test of where we are pyschologically and whether Bendtner’s goal has really proved to be the uplifting fillet Wenger claims it will be.
I predict we will see a pretty poor version of AC Milan in the San Siro. I would be very surprised if they roused themselves to the levels they showed last year against United. Kaka and Seedorf’s potential absence will see to that. That makes the game purely a pyschological challenge for this Arsenal side. Do we play to their tempo like subserviant puppets or do we sense their mediocrity and go for the throat?
I’ve thought all along we will play to their tune and get mugged off late on. Hopefully Bendtner’s late goal has awoken Arsenal from the mental slumber that encourages that scenario and they’ve acquired the competitive edge to dismiss the spectre of Milan’s european record at home.
March 2nd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
This is Milan’s game of the season, so Kaka will definitely play. Only Seedorf will be missed. Seedorf’s absence wont suddenly turn Milan into a mediocre team in the CL - at home.
IF we beat them it wont be because they are mediocre or were “out of form” or “unlucky”. We will really deserve it.
I expect them to play a 4-4-2 with Ambrosini, Pirlo, Gattuso balancing the rudder behind Kaka at the tip. Two strikers, Pato and Inzaghi (probably) will stay up.
Unfortunately I expect Wenger to roll out his awful version of the 4-5-1 again.
I hope RvP is on the bench at least.
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Good to see a bit of mature talk coming from Bendtner in the media.
http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=81283
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Nice comparison from a journalist on Rosicky and Diaby:
Wenger must also be pining for Tomas Rosicky, who provides so much guile on his left flank. In contrast to the coltish Czech, who is still struggling with a hamstring strain, Abou Diaby is a cart-horse, unwilling to take on his man and painfully one-paced. While the cross which led to Arsenal’s equaliser did come from his flank, it was delivered by Gael Clichy, long after Diaby had been substituted.
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:18 pm
almost started to forget about our colt……….shame he spends so much time grazing.
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Always provide links when quoting.
Funnily enough Diaby’s problem is trying take on too many players and not knowing when to pass.
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Funnily enough Diaby’s problem is that he’s shite.
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:24 pm
The squad depth is being really testing at present.
1. 2 of our players came back crocked from the ANC - Toure and Song - and they cover the same position. Add Djourou’s injury and suspect confidence after his Birmingham experience and we looked stretched at CB.
2. it’s typical for us not to carry a lot of backup out wide. But with Rosicky proving to be fragile for the second year running and Eboue looking a little manic post-ANC we aren’t looking too flash. Now even Dudu isn’t available to cover there and RvP has been absent almost all season. Hleb (a bit of a star this season) also has relatively frequent (but short) injury interruptions.
3. I shiver to think where we would be without Adebayor this season. The squad always looked callow up front, now with Dudu out, RvP still out (and yet to prove his long-term fitness), we look almost threadbare. It doesn’t help that the wide players generally have a goal scoring aversion. Bendtner aside, there is nothing to call from the bench. Certainly no variety.
4. Even that cretin Diarra weakened the team by leaving. Now in CM as backup we are left with Denilson who I’m fine with, Diaby who Wenger clearly wants to treat carefully and play wide, and Bert who has dropped his bundle in a fashion I WHOLLY failed to predict. Even Song is out.
So injury is biting and we’re being tested. This level of injury, particularly to players who play the same role is hugely disruptive to a teams momentum and flow. And we know don’t we that Arsenal rely on flow more than most teams. We’re a formula one machine that is finely tuned. You just can’t throw in any old part and expect us to purr.
The annoying thing to me is that we looked to be improving before the Eduardo incident. The team seemed to be regaining its rythym. Now that incident and the ongoing injury bite is threatening to stall that progression toward fluency.
Injury can derail a title challenge. It is that important.
But on a positive note, if we get a couple of wins and get RvP and Rosicky or Toure back in the team the sun will come out again.
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:43 am
I was traveling on the weekend but I did get to see the second half. What Arsenal lacked in this game was match winners. The whole team was kind of flat. We needed a Henry/Ronaldo who could conjure a goal from somewhere or at least a Gerrard/Lampard/Ballack who could shoot from distance or take a good free kick.
Cesc’ lack of confidence and goals was highlighted in the first half when he was set up by Walcott and Ade. His early season flourish masked our midfield’s inability to score and now it is showing. The only other player who can score from midfield is never on the pitch. I think Ade has been affected by his miss against Milan. He missed two chances which he would have a lot better otherwise.
That we need our injured players back is an understatement. But the last minuted equalizer could prove to be of great significance. We have gone four games without a win and that could become five on Tue night. I am not saying we will lose, but we may not win. I don’t mind if RvP doesn’t play on Tue night if he comes back on the next weekend.
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:48 am
Walcott showed that he can beat players for pace. But he always goes past the player on his outside. Never on the inside. In the first half, he had cut open on the inside, but nevertheless took one more dribble to go outside before passing to Ade who laid on Cesc’s missed shot. I hope he learns it, otherwise defenders will learn to defend against him.
We needed pace to beat the Villa defense and did not have much. Villa showed how a combination of pace and power can trouble a defense. I said long time ago a player like Agbonlahor or Young could have been very useful at Arsenal. I still hope we can sign someone like that in the summer.
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:35 am
I have very little optimism after watching this match.
Yes, Villa are a very, very good squad - they played with a lot of commitment and passion - look how they would hustle and get back on the defensive side for a Gunner counter.
But, I am very, very surprised how flat we looked. Just, very, very disappointed.
It looks as though we are looking for a back door through which to exit this play.
We look younger than ever - this is the time when the cream rises to the top. We just are not cream yet. I think we will be, but not this season.
We have looked like cream for good stretches of this season, though.
Like 99% of us on this site, I thought winning the title was a fantasy.
What will hurt in the end is that we were in first for so many weeks.
Yes, I know we are still top of the table. But this can not last at this level, not even for another week or so.
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 am
Quick question - would you prefer to have won at Birmingham and lose against Villa and get three points OR draw both games and get only two?
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:51 am
I have a better question - would you prefer to be 10+ pts off the top like last season at this stage, or 1 point lead at the table as it is?
Personally, I would perfer we are 10 points clear leading the table at the moment. Since we are not, I’ll take the 1 point lead over trailing by 5 or 6 points, and to be perfectly honest, I didn’t expect we would be even trailing 5 or 6 points heading into March back in the summer, let alone leading 1 pt.
Let’s face it, i saw again and again how ppl talk about they love an exciting title race. I think we are having one at the moment. And if we are going to have a RACE, inevitably u got up and down, stress and tension. Man U had overlapped us at the past, yet we regained the lead soon after. We had pulled outselves clear with a 5 pts lead, and they soon recovered the loss ground.
Man, don’t we love it! If anyone can’t handle the stress and tension of a title RACE, and believe that we are falling apart every time result doesn’t go our way, I think football may not be the right sports for him.
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:27 am
Anyone see Makelele’s tackle on Saturday?
One week ago an Arsenal player left the pitch with his foot hanging off, the FA have said virtually bugger all about it - and then this - and not even the media have mentioned it. Makelele’s tackle was almost identical to Eduardo except it looked deliberate to me - and the player on the receiving end is lucky not to be on crutches.
It seems the FA are not even interested in their own players’ welfare, instead preferring to think up pathetic schemes to make money and ruin football as we know it.
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:57 am
RvP is in the squad going to Milan but not Toure.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
@nipuna and andez:
I am very excited to be at the top in a very tight race!!! It is a far better season than I thought - to be at this position at this time fighting against a quality team like Man U is thrilling for me. Basically, it is a lot of fun!
I’m just saying we look like we are in a deep funk, and it is hard form me to see us getting out. We’ve been in funks earlier this season, but I had confidence that it was a matter of a couple more games to get out of it and we did.
This one looks much different to me, that’s all. Of course I hopw we get out of it.
“football might not be the right sports for him” — ???
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I hope that if RvP plays, he doesn’t get injured again.