In defence of the defence

hadareud · Post by **hadareud** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:24 am

I really don't think that the teams improved defending gets the recognition it deserves.

We've been horrible at the back in the early part of the season, conceding 18 goals in our first 14 league games. That's an average of 1.4 goals per game or in other words an incredible 49 goals over a season. To put that into perspective: only 8 teams in the entire league are on pace to concede more goals than that. It's fucking scary if you look at it that way.

However, since then we've conceded 9 goals in 17 games, fewer than any other team in the league. In 2009 we have only conceded 4 goals in 11 games, which would work out as an amazing 14 goals over a whole Premiership season, which would be a Premiership record.

From one extreme to another then. An improvement like that is not a coincidence. Not only have we toughened up in midfield to allow fewer attacks, we've also improved the defending of set pieces. I'm not a 100 % certain that this is correct, but IIRC we've only conceded one single goal from a set piece in those 17 games, and that was the free-kick that went through a very dodgy wall against West Brom. I don't have any stats on how many goals we've conceded from set pieces before that, but I know that it was a considerable amount and cost us games (Hull, Fulham, Stoke). And amazingly, this improvement came despite the "small" Toure and Gallas combo playing the bulk of those games.

Let's also not forget that Almunia has been excellent in this run and that his contribution should not be underestimated. And the obvious improvement of Denilson, Song and Diaby played no small part in it either.

And apart from all the stats watching Arsenal play is so much more enjoyable now that I don't have to shit myself anymore at every corner and every attack of the opposing team. Not that we haven't had any dodgy moments and mistakes at the back in recent months, but all in all the improvement is not only one that you notice looking at the stats. It's like watching a different back 5 compared to the early parts of the season.

Of course it's not all positive - just imagine where we would be now had we defended like this all season long.

Ah well, better late than never I suppose.

green gooner · Post by **green gooner** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:22 am

In Saturdays game it looked to me like Song and Denilson BOTH played the holding role in a 4-2-3-1 type system.

Our defence has struggled all along because there was no shield in front of them as we missed that ball winning kind of player. Now seeing this , at long last, Wenger has employed two players to act as a screen in front of the back four.

Is this the ballance we so badly needed for so long

Our defence was too exposed as there was no steel in our play earlier on in the campaign, now we may have struck the right note for the players we have.

sloth · Post by **sloth** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:26 am

Well said.

I think it's time that Manuel got some serious praise. For me he is our most improved and consistent player this season.

Prior to this year I always thought he was a decent keeper but never saw him make a real game-changing save.

This season, though, he's made loads of them as well as making very few mistakes.

Angelo

goonersid · Post by **goonersid** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:35 am

sloth wrote:Well said.

I think it's time that Manuel got some serious praise. For me he is our most improved and consistent player this season.

Prior to this year I always thought he was a decent keeper but never saw him make a real game-changing save.

This season, though, he's made loads of them as well as making very few mistakes.

Angelo

I agree totally however I think many fans will never forgive him for the spuds game.

xDAVEYx · Post by **xDAVEYx** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:50 am

yeah, it was TOTALLY his fault that a team of 11 conceeded a 2 goal lead because they thought they were home and dry.

what a useless twat

o2ba_gooner · Post by **o2ba_gooner** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:36 pm

I agree with everything stated - just like to add that it's noticable how much better the team works defensively together, with 2/3 players pressing the opposition ball carrier.

We are also better when Bendtner is out there - it is very noticable how hard he works as the first line of defense, for me Adebayor stands around ball watching way too much, both when we have the ball and when the opposition has it.

Anticipation for Adebayor is something that happens to him when he bolts his food!

perry groves was a legend · Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:51 pm

Totally agree,the defence has been awesome in recent games,the only goal they were rubbish for was the roma one.Denilson deserves credit for this I think,he has been well underapreciated this season.When Cesc got injured Arsene went more defensive,a lot of nil alls and 1 nils,but now that we have Arshavin,Nasri,Cesc,Theo we can now get back to flowing football and the defence now has the confidence that was sorely missing earlier in the season.Also Gallas has been much better since being stripped of the captaincy.Manuel has also impreved and there has been a similar improvement in Djorou and Gibbs.
Well there's my two cents.

digger · Post by **digger** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:46 pm

Almunia has been excellent recently. He's a lot more "showy" than Lehmann or Seaman (ie, loves to fling himself across goal to parry a shot rather than just catching the fucking thing), but as long as he's keeping clean sheets, i don't care how he plays.

Toure and Gallas have formed a decent partnership, and Song has finally started to do what we all thought he'd do from the start of the season.... put his foot in and make a simple pass.

Lethal · Post by **Lethal** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:13 pm

they have improved massively i agree,but that is for the most part with a midfield containing denilson and song,2 more defensive players

with the return of theo and cesc i can see the standards at the back slipping

gallas an toure have looked superb lately and almunia is still improving(still not good enough imo)

Skooner · Post by **Skooner** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:17 pm

I think everyone is doing their bit but Gallas in particular has really got his head down and started playing like his Chelsea days. He is exceptionally good at reading the game. That along side Toureâ€™s pace is a very good partnership. We do still lack a little bit of height but I think we might even be learning to defend like everyone else does ie make sure you get some of the man as well and put them off so they donâ€™t get a clean header.

I also think itâ€™s been noticeable in the last month or so that the full backs have started bombing forward more again. After the S***s game seemed to me that Wenger asked them to hold back which hurt us offensively. Now the central midfield is doing a better shielding job they are getting forward more and we are reaping the benefits.

Long may it continue!!!