Olivier Giroud’s last-gasp header helped Arsenal recover from two goals down to claim a 2-2 draw at Everton.
When the two sides met at Goodison Park last season the Gunners were well beaten 3-0 and at half-time many fans, including myself, would probably have been thinking ‘oh no not again!’. Thankfully two goals in seven minutes rescued us from what could have been an embarrassing defeat.
On the one hand, it was a poor performance. The defending was sloppy and we seemed to lack ideas in large spells of the game and this needs to improve. On reflection, a point at Goodison is a good result. If someone had said to me at the start of the season we would get four points from the opening two games against Crystal Palace and Everton I wouldn’t have been too disheartened.
In terms of results it is a fairly decent start, but Arsene Wenger’s men really need to up their game in the coming weeks if they are to prove real title contenders.
Last season the Gunners won more games on the road than any other side in the Premier League but you wouldn’t have guessed that from this performance as once again they came unstuck against another side from the top five. This is the main factor that needs to change. The Gunners were only seven points off champions Manchester City at the end of last season, but heavy defeats to City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton proved their downfall.
We have the potential to do better this season and have made some shrewd signings, but we really must do better against the other big sides. Do that and we might have a chance!
The season is still in its very early stages so there is still plenty of time for Wenger’s men to take their game up another notch.
Back to the match, and give credit where credit is due, Everton are a hard nut to crack and for most of the match were excellent. Some focused on our deficiencies but Everton deserved their lead before we snatched a point.
There were question marks over the defending for the opening goal when Gareth Barry crossed the ball in and Romelu Lukaku was left totally unmarked. Lukaku unselfishly left the ball for Seamus Coleman to head home after 19 minutes.
It went from bad to worse for Arsenal when the hosts doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time. The usually reliable Per Mertesacker was outmuscled by Lukaku before the former Chelsea man powered past Calum Chambers and slid the ball through to Steven Naismith, who calmly slotted the ball beyond Wojciech Szczęsny. Naismith’s effort looked offside but the Toffees were more than deserving of their two-goal advantage.
Arsenal improved after the break and Giroud, who replaced Alexis Sanchez for the second half, looked lively and almost made an instant impact but his volley went over the bar.
It is hard to really assess Sanchez so far. He still looks a bit off the pace but I think he should be given a few more games before we can really tell how he is adapting to life in England’s top flight. As for Giroud, he continued to try and get us back into the game and forced Tim Howard into a save before the American shot-stopper was beaten by two late goals.
Substitute Santi Cazorla’s low cross was tapped home by the ever-reliable goal hero Aaron Ramsey seven minutes from time.
The Gunners’ were poor for large spells but showed excellent resilience in the second half and completed their comeback right at the death, instead of falling apart as they had done in some losing positions last season.
It looked like Ramsey had overhit his cross but Nacho Monreal managed to keep it in play and he crossed the ball back into the box for Giroud to head in to seal a valuable point for the visitors.
Arsenal will need to show vast improvement when they host Besiktas in the second leg of their Champions League play-off at the Emirates next week. With home games against Manchester City and bitter rivals Tottenham looming next month, this will be a testing time and the Gunners will need to make sure they hit the top of their game to get positive results.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
Sunday, 24 August 2014
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Rambo sees red for goalless Gunners
Aaron Ramsey was sent off as Arsenal were unable to find an away goal in a frustrating stalemate at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
The Gunners failed to create too many chances in Turkey, lacked an away goal and saw their key man Ramsey dismissed for two bookable offences, both for shirt pulling. Personally I still think the English club will win the home leg next week and progress into the group stages of the Champions League for the 17th consecutive season.
It wasn't all negative for Arsene Wenger's men either with Calum Chambers, who was making his European debut, producing another top class performance for the visitors. I keep forgetting Chambers is only 19 when he plays with such professionalism and maturity. It is still early days but he is slotting in very well.
Fellow new-boy Mathieu Debuchy looked lively at times. The foundations are there and Arsenal have a very good squad, but I still feel another two or three signings are needed. Although Chambers is making great progress we still need more back-up in defence and it looks like Kostas Manolas will be joining us from Olympiacos. A defensive midfielder such as Sami Khedira, or another big-name player in that position, would be of big benefit to the Gunners, but whether there is still a possibility of that deal is anybody's guess...who knows what will happen there!? The final, and arguably most important, signing would be a striker. Olivier Giroud is capable of brilliance but also has frustrating performances like against Besiktas, too hit and miss to be our main option. We need another forward to take the pressure off Giroud's shoulders - as a second striker I'm confident he'd do the job, but he can't do it alone that's for sure!
So, back to the game, and there really isn't too much to talk about. Demba Ba tried his luck straight from kick-off and only the woodwork prevented him from scoring one of the quickest goals in Champions League history. Incidentally, the Gunners once held the record for the fastest ever Champions League record when Gilberto Silva scored against PSV in under 21 seconds in September 2002.
Although both sides created some chances there was not too much else of noteworthy of mentioning from the first half in a largely forgettable contest.
Arsenal's hopes of getting a result were dealt a cruel blow when Ramsey was sent off for a second bookable offence with 10 minutes remaining. Some might say he was unlucky, others may say he was a silly boy! Either way, we are without a key player for the second leg, but we shouldn't blame him for the lack of victory. He's only human after all, we all make mistakes and he is still a top class player.
Despite being a man down the Gunners almost won it in the dying stages when substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ran through the Besiktas defence, getting the better of a few of his opponents before firing a shot towards goal, only for Tolga Zengin to turn his effort onto a post.
The Gunners were unable to find that all important away goal and were forced to settle for a draw. A draw is frustrating but 12 wins and one draw from 13 Champions League play-off ties is a very decent record so we shouldn't be too disheartened. Just three goals conceded in that time too, so we have proved we are a tough nut to crack.
I fully expect home advantage to prove decisive next week so let's hope I'm right.
Roll on the second leg
Come on you Gunners
The Gunners failed to create too many chances in Turkey, lacked an away goal and saw their key man Ramsey dismissed for two bookable offences, both for shirt pulling. Personally I still think the English club will win the home leg next week and progress into the group stages of the Champions League for the 17th consecutive season.
It wasn't all negative for Arsene Wenger's men either with Calum Chambers, who was making his European debut, producing another top class performance for the visitors. I keep forgetting Chambers is only 19 when he plays with such professionalism and maturity. It is still early days but he is slotting in very well.
Fellow new-boy Mathieu Debuchy looked lively at times. The foundations are there and Arsenal have a very good squad, but I still feel another two or three signings are needed. Although Chambers is making great progress we still need more back-up in defence and it looks like Kostas Manolas will be joining us from Olympiacos. A defensive midfielder such as Sami Khedira, or another big-name player in that position, would be of big benefit to the Gunners, but whether there is still a possibility of that deal is anybody's guess...who knows what will happen there!? The final, and arguably most important, signing would be a striker. Olivier Giroud is capable of brilliance but also has frustrating performances like against Besiktas, too hit and miss to be our main option. We need another forward to take the pressure off Giroud's shoulders - as a second striker I'm confident he'd do the job, but he can't do it alone that's for sure!
So, back to the game, and there really isn't too much to talk about. Demba Ba tried his luck straight from kick-off and only the woodwork prevented him from scoring one of the quickest goals in Champions League history. Incidentally, the Gunners once held the record for the fastest ever Champions League record when Gilberto Silva scored against PSV in under 21 seconds in September 2002.
Although both sides created some chances there was not too much else of noteworthy of mentioning from the first half in a largely forgettable contest.
Arsenal's hopes of getting a result were dealt a cruel blow when Ramsey was sent off for a second bookable offence with 10 minutes remaining. Some might say he was unlucky, others may say he was a silly boy! Either way, we are without a key player for the second leg, but we shouldn't blame him for the lack of victory. He's only human after all, we all make mistakes and he is still a top class player.
Despite being a man down the Gunners almost won it in the dying stages when substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ran through the Besiktas defence, getting the better of a few of his opponents before firing a shot towards goal, only for Tolga Zengin to turn his effort onto a post.
The Gunners were unable to find that all important away goal and were forced to settle for a draw. A draw is frustrating but 12 wins and one draw from 13 Champions League play-off ties is a very decent record so we shouldn't be too disheartened. Just three goals conceded in that time too, so we have proved we are a tough nut to crack.
I fully expect home advantage to prove decisive next week so let's hope I'm right.
Roll on the second leg
Come on you Gunners
Monday, 18 August 2014
Opening Weekend Premier League Round-Up
Following the return of Monday Night Football and Chelsea's routine victory over Burnley, here is a round-up of the rest of the action from the opening day of the new 2014/15 Premier League season.
Costa Bravo
Burnley 1 Chelsea 3
Diego Costa proved his worth with a debut goal as Chelsea moved top of the table with a comfortable victory at Turf Moor.
It was the Premier League new-boys who opened the scoring after 14 minutes when Scott Arfield controlled the ball expertly and unleashed a stunning strike beyond Thibaut Courtois. Costa, who joined the Blues for over £30million over the summer, had been in fine form during pre-season and added to his tally with his first competitive goal as he tapped in from close range just three minutes later. Fellow new signing Cesc Fabregas produced a sublime first-time pass to set up Andre Schurrle as the visitors took the lead soon after. Title favourites Chelsea ensured there would be no comeback from their opponents when they added a third through Branislav Ivanovic’s close-range effort.
Sterling Effort
Southampton 1 Liverpool 2
Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge ensured Liverpool began life without star striker Luis Suarez in victorious fashion.
Suarez made a big-money switch to Barcelona over the summer but his former side were able to include two new acquisitions from their opponents in their squad. Dejan Lovren started in defence and Rickie Lambert made an appearance from the bench.
Southampton had been expected to struggle following key name departures but the players seemed to do new boss Ronald Koeman proud despite the result.
Liverpool opened the scoring when a sublime through ball from Jordan Henderson found Sterling, who slotted the ball beyond debutant Fraser Forster after 23 minutes. Koeman’s men stunned the visitors by levelling the scores within 11 minutes of the restart. Nathaniel Clyne played a neat one-two with Dusan Tadic before latching onto the Serbian’s back-heel to fire home.
Sterling turned provider to set up Sturridge to tap home after 79 minutes, although the Saints really should have taken a share of the spoils. Morgan Scheiderlin saw his late effort superbly tipped onto the bar by Simon Mignolet and new-boy Shane Long looked odds on to score, only to head the rebound wide.
Ki victory for Swans
Manchester United 1 Swansea 2
Koeman’s fellow Dutchman Louis Van Gaal also had an unsuccessful Premier League debut. The majority of the pre-match talk focused on Van Gaal, but it was his Swansea counterpart Garry Monk who had the last laugh.
David Moyes replaced the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson in the dug-out last season and things looked promising after an opening-day 4-1 victory at Swansea but his nightmare tenure ended after just 10 months. Van Gaal also started his reign against Swansea , who claimed their first league win at Old Trafford.
Swansea's win was even more impressive when you consider the departures of key players Michu, Chico Flores and Ben Davies over the summer.
Ki Sung-Yueng finished off a well-worked 29-pass move as he was left free by some questionable defending to slot home Nathan Dyer's pass after 28 minutes. The hosts hit back after 53 minutes when Wayne Rooney scored his first goal since being named Manchester United's new captain with an over-head kick. Gylfi Sigurdsson, in his second spell with the Swans following a summer move from Tottenham, had the final say as he latched onto Wayne Routledge's mis-hit volley to score from close range.
Precious Silva shines for City
Newcastle 0 Manchester City 2
David Silva was among the goal-scorers as Manchester City began their defence of the Premier League title with a routine victory.
Manchester City looked out of sorts in the Community Shield defeat by Arsenal, but it was business as usual as they beat the Magpies on the opening day for the second successive season.
City opened the scoring after 38 minutes when Yaya Toure’s long ball found Edin Dzeko, who’s back-heel set up Silva to calmly stroke the ball beyond Tim Krul. Newcastle almost levelled through debutant Ayoze Perez, but the substitute’s effort took a crucial deflection off Feranando, who had a superb debut for the visitors, to take it agonisingly wide of a post.
Sergio Aguero had only been on the field for seven minutes when he beat Krul at the second time of asking. The substitute’s initial effort was parried by Krul but the Dutch shot-stopper could do nothing about the rebound as Aguero calmly hit the last-gasp winner.
Wood outfoxes Toffees
Leicester 2 Everton 2
Chris Wood came off the bench to score a late goal to give Premier League new boys Leicester a share of the spoils at the King Power Stadium.
Aiden McGeady scored one of the goals of the day with a sublime curling effort to give Everton the lead after 20 minutes. New signing Leonardo Ulloa scored from close range just two minutes later as he started to justify his £8million price tag. Everton regained the lead on the stroke of half-time when Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar combined to set up Steven Naismith and the Scots lofted finish went in off the crossbar. But Leicester secured a point when Riyad Mahrez's effort deflected into the path of Wood who calmly slotted home.
Hammers pay the penalty
West Ham 0 Tottenham 1
Mark Noble missed a penalty as West Ham were undone by a last-gasp strike from Eric Dier in a dramatic clash at Upton Park.
The usually reliable Noble had scored his last 10 Premier League penalties so Hammers' fans must have felt confident when the hosts were awarded a spot-kick following Kyle Naughton's handball. The Spurs defender was sent off but the visitors were given a let off when Noble sent his penalty wide. It went from bad to worse for the Hammers when James Collins was sent off for a second bookable offence. The Hammers had created 18 chances but their failure to convert proved costly as Dier delivered the knock-out blow in stoppage time. The defender, who joined from Sporting Lisbon this summer, took the ball beyond goalkeeper Adrian before scoring the winning goal.
Chester pounces for Tigers
QPR 0 Hull 1
James Chester scored the only goal of the game as Hull overcame their FA Cup heartache to win 1-0 at Loftus Road.
The Tigers lost a two-goal lead before losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup Final back in May but they started the new season with a hard-fought win. Rio Ferdinand and Steven Caulker looked the better defensive partnership on paper, but it was Chester grabbing all the headlines. The former Manchester United man put in a fine defensive display and capped it with the winning goal as he got the better of Ferdinand to head the ball beyond Robert Green. Chester almost went from hero to villain when he was adjudged to have handled in the box, although the ball appeared to hit him in the chest in the closing stages of the match. A penalty was awarded but luckily for Hull, Allan McGregor was on hand to keep out Charlie Austin's effort.
Super Saido
West Brom 2 Sunderland 2
Saido Berahino struck twice as West Brom claimed a share of the spoils in Alan Irvine's first competitive game in charge at The Hawthorns.
The visitors took the lead when Lee Cattermole's wonder-strike found the top corner of the net after only five minutes, but the Baggies levelled matters three minutes before the break. Valentin Roberge was adjudged to have pulled down Victor Anichebe in the box, although the award of the penalty did seem harsh. Berahino made no mistake from the spot before grabbing his second 16 minutes from time.
Both sides had a goal disallowed before former Sunderland midfielder Craig Gardner crossed for Berahino to volley home. But there was still time for Sebastian Larsson to level the scores after he latched onto Patrick Van Aanholt's cutback to score from close range.
Villa Victorious
Stoke 0 Aston Villa 1
Andreas Weimann scored the only goal of the game as Aston Villa won on the opening day for the second successive season.
Ron Vlaar and Philippe Senderos impressed at the back to deservedly keep a clean sheet, while Weimann tried to prove he can fill the void until Christian Benteke returns from injury by scoring the winning goal. Weimann's initial touch took the ball away from him, but it fell back kindly to the Austrian who made no mistake to score from a tight angle after 50 minutes.
The first round of fixtures is not yet finished in the Premier League and it is already great to see its return. Here's hoping for another exciting season and maybe, just maybe, Arsenal can get even closer to the title.
Roll on the next round of matches
Costa Bravo
Burnley 1 Chelsea 3
Diego Costa proved his worth with a debut goal as Chelsea moved top of the table with a comfortable victory at Turf Moor.
It was the Premier League new-boys who opened the scoring after 14 minutes when Scott Arfield controlled the ball expertly and unleashed a stunning strike beyond Thibaut Courtois. Costa, who joined the Blues for over £30million over the summer, had been in fine form during pre-season and added to his tally with his first competitive goal as he tapped in from close range just three minutes later. Fellow new signing Cesc Fabregas produced a sublime first-time pass to set up Andre Schurrle as the visitors took the lead soon after. Title favourites Chelsea ensured there would be no comeback from their opponents when they added a third through Branislav Ivanovic’s close-range effort.
Sterling Effort
Southampton 1 Liverpool 2
Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge ensured Liverpool began life without star striker Luis Suarez in victorious fashion.
Suarez made a big-money switch to Barcelona over the summer but his former side were able to include two new acquisitions from their opponents in their squad. Dejan Lovren started in defence and Rickie Lambert made an appearance from the bench.
Southampton had been expected to struggle following key name departures but the players seemed to do new boss Ronald Koeman proud despite the result.
Liverpool opened the scoring when a sublime through ball from Jordan Henderson found Sterling, who slotted the ball beyond debutant Fraser Forster after 23 minutes. Koeman’s men stunned the visitors by levelling the scores within 11 minutes of the restart. Nathaniel Clyne played a neat one-two with Dusan Tadic before latching onto the Serbian’s back-heel to fire home.
Sterling turned provider to set up Sturridge to tap home after 79 minutes, although the Saints really should have taken a share of the spoils. Morgan Scheiderlin saw his late effort superbly tipped onto the bar by Simon Mignolet and new-boy Shane Long looked odds on to score, only to head the rebound wide.
Ki victory for Swans
Manchester United 1 Swansea 2
Koeman’s fellow Dutchman Louis Van Gaal also had an unsuccessful Premier League debut. The majority of the pre-match talk focused on Van Gaal, but it was his Swansea counterpart Garry Monk who had the last laugh.
David Moyes replaced the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson in the dug-out last season and things looked promising after an opening-day 4-1 victory at Swansea but his nightmare tenure ended after just 10 months. Van Gaal also started his reign against Swansea , who claimed their first league win at Old Trafford.
Swansea's win was even more impressive when you consider the departures of key players Michu, Chico Flores and Ben Davies over the summer.
Ki Sung-Yueng finished off a well-worked 29-pass move as he was left free by some questionable defending to slot home Nathan Dyer's pass after 28 minutes. The hosts hit back after 53 minutes when Wayne Rooney scored his first goal since being named Manchester United's new captain with an over-head kick. Gylfi Sigurdsson, in his second spell with the Swans following a summer move from Tottenham, had the final say as he latched onto Wayne Routledge's mis-hit volley to score from close range.
Precious Silva shines for City
Newcastle 0 Manchester City 2
David Silva was among the goal-scorers as Manchester City began their defence of the Premier League title with a routine victory.
Manchester City looked out of sorts in the Community Shield defeat by Arsenal, but it was business as usual as they beat the Magpies on the opening day for the second successive season.
City opened the scoring after 38 minutes when Yaya Toure’s long ball found Edin Dzeko, who’s back-heel set up Silva to calmly stroke the ball beyond Tim Krul. Newcastle almost levelled through debutant Ayoze Perez, but the substitute’s effort took a crucial deflection off Feranando, who had a superb debut for the visitors, to take it agonisingly wide of a post.
Sergio Aguero had only been on the field for seven minutes when he beat Krul at the second time of asking. The substitute’s initial effort was parried by Krul but the Dutch shot-stopper could do nothing about the rebound as Aguero calmly hit the last-gasp winner.
Wood outfoxes Toffees
Leicester 2 Everton 2
Chris Wood came off the bench to score a late goal to give Premier League new boys Leicester a share of the spoils at the King Power Stadium.
Aiden McGeady scored one of the goals of the day with a sublime curling effort to give Everton the lead after 20 minutes. New signing Leonardo Ulloa scored from close range just two minutes later as he started to justify his £8million price tag. Everton regained the lead on the stroke of half-time when Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar combined to set up Steven Naismith and the Scots lofted finish went in off the crossbar. But Leicester secured a point when Riyad Mahrez's effort deflected into the path of Wood who calmly slotted home.
Hammers pay the penalty
West Ham 0 Tottenham 1
Mark Noble missed a penalty as West Ham were undone by a last-gasp strike from Eric Dier in a dramatic clash at Upton Park.
The usually reliable Noble had scored his last 10 Premier League penalties so Hammers' fans must have felt confident when the hosts were awarded a spot-kick following Kyle Naughton's handball. The Spurs defender was sent off but the visitors were given a let off when Noble sent his penalty wide. It went from bad to worse for the Hammers when James Collins was sent off for a second bookable offence. The Hammers had created 18 chances but their failure to convert proved costly as Dier delivered the knock-out blow in stoppage time. The defender, who joined from Sporting Lisbon this summer, took the ball beyond goalkeeper Adrian before scoring the winning goal.
Chester pounces for Tigers
QPR 0 Hull 1
James Chester scored the only goal of the game as Hull overcame their FA Cup heartache to win 1-0 at Loftus Road.
The Tigers lost a two-goal lead before losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup Final back in May but they started the new season with a hard-fought win. Rio Ferdinand and Steven Caulker looked the better defensive partnership on paper, but it was Chester grabbing all the headlines. The former Manchester United man put in a fine defensive display and capped it with the winning goal as he got the better of Ferdinand to head the ball beyond Robert Green. Chester almost went from hero to villain when he was adjudged to have handled in the box, although the ball appeared to hit him in the chest in the closing stages of the match. A penalty was awarded but luckily for Hull, Allan McGregor was on hand to keep out Charlie Austin's effort.
Super Saido
West Brom 2 Sunderland 2
Saido Berahino struck twice as West Brom claimed a share of the spoils in Alan Irvine's first competitive game in charge at The Hawthorns.
The visitors took the lead when Lee Cattermole's wonder-strike found the top corner of the net after only five minutes, but the Baggies levelled matters three minutes before the break. Valentin Roberge was adjudged to have pulled down Victor Anichebe in the box, although the award of the penalty did seem harsh. Berahino made no mistake from the spot before grabbing his second 16 minutes from time.
Both sides had a goal disallowed before former Sunderland midfielder Craig Gardner crossed for Berahino to volley home. But there was still time for Sebastian Larsson to level the scores after he latched onto Patrick Van Aanholt's cutback to score from close range.
Villa Victorious
Stoke 0 Aston Villa 1
Andreas Weimann scored the only goal of the game as Aston Villa won on the opening day for the second successive season.
Ron Vlaar and Philippe Senderos impressed at the back to deservedly keep a clean sheet, while Weimann tried to prove he can fill the void until Christian Benteke returns from injury by scoring the winning goal. Weimann's initial touch took the ball away from him, but it fell back kindly to the Austrian who made no mistake to score from a tight angle after 50 minutes.
The first round of fixtures is not yet finished in the Premier League and it is already great to see its return. Here's hoping for another exciting season and maybe, just maybe, Arsenal can get even closer to the title.
Roll on the next round of matches
Sunday, 17 August 2014
Rambo First Blood
Aaron Ramsey proved to be Arsenal's hero once again as his late strike guided the Gunners to their first points of the season with a 2-1 win over managerless Crystal Palace.
It was hard to believe this was the same starting XI who had comfortably beaten Manchester City 3-0 with a fine performance to lift the Community Shield just a week before. It was a far from convincing performance from the home side but it is often said that it is a sign of a top side when they are still able to win games even when not at their best.
Despite the far from convincing performance, Wenger guided his side to the all-important three points and that's what matters most. There were also some positives on show at the Emirates as Arsenal dominated possession, with Laurent Koscielny and new-boy Calum Chambers, who was playing in the absence of World Cup winner Per Mertesacker, keeping things tight at the back. Fellow new-signing Alexis Sanchez also impressed on his league debut, but Gunners' fans will be expecting a lot more from the Chilean as he tries to prove his worth at the Emirates.
Palace deserve huge credit for limiting the hosts for so long, especially with caretaker boss Keith Millen having less than 48 hours to prepare for the match following the shock departure of Tony Pulis. Palace fans and neutrals alike are still shocked by the departure of Pulis - going from manager of the year to not being in the dugout for the start of the new Premier League season really does beggar belief. It made preparation harder for Palace, while it was hard to gauge whether or not it would make the game easier for Arsenal. Personally, I thought it would make the game trickier and Palace seemed up for the task.
With last season's opening-day defeat to Aston Villa fresh in the minds of many fans, there was a feeling of 'oh no, not again' when debutant Brede Hangeland headed the Eagles in front after 35 minutes.
Although Arsenal had dominated possession before the visitors surprise opener, Arsene Wenger's men hadn't created too many clear-cut chances. So it came as a huge relief when Arsenal levelled matters just 10 minutes later as Koscielny headed home from Sanchez's free-kick.
The Gunners looked destined to have to settle for a draw but were given further hope of a better result when the visitors were reduced to 10 men as Jason Puncheon was dismissed for a second bookable offence.
Wenger's men took advantage of the extra man as Ramsey scored his second goal in as many games with a simple tap in after Julian Speroni could only parry the initial effort from new signing Mathieu Debuchy. The stoppage-time strike came as huge relief from the Gunners in a game that, at times, they didn't look like winning and Wenger's men know they will have to up their game next week with trips to Besiktas and Everton on the horizon. But whatever fans thought of the performance, the Gunners still won the game and were the only home side to collect all three points on the opening Saturday of the 2014/15 Premier League campaign.
It is hard to think too much into the performance against Palace as it usually takes a few games for teams to hit the ground running. Wenger's men were only seven points behind champions Manchester City at the end of last season and, if the Gunners can improve their displays against their fellow title challengers, maybe it can be different this time around. But there is a hell of a long way to go and the most important thing is that Arsenal maintain a high level of consistency this season without having daft spells of madness.
If we can match the performance of the Community Shield win over Manchester City again we will definitely be a force to be reckoned with, but we certainly need to create more chances. With World Cup winning trio Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil to return in the near future and Theo Walcott not too far of his injury comeback, the future is looking bright for Arsenal. But whether we have a chance of adding the Premier League title to the 2014 FA Cup and Community Shield is another story. We certainly have the potential to do so, but Chelsea and Manchester City are the clear favourites so we will have to take points off them to stand a chance!
One thing is for sure though, it will be an exciting title race!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
It was hard to believe this was the same starting XI who had comfortably beaten Manchester City 3-0 with a fine performance to lift the Community Shield just a week before. It was a far from convincing performance from the home side but it is often said that it is a sign of a top side when they are still able to win games even when not at their best.
Despite the far from convincing performance, Wenger guided his side to the all-important three points and that's what matters most. There were also some positives on show at the Emirates as Arsenal dominated possession, with Laurent Koscielny and new-boy Calum Chambers, who was playing in the absence of World Cup winner Per Mertesacker, keeping things tight at the back. Fellow new-signing Alexis Sanchez also impressed on his league debut, but Gunners' fans will be expecting a lot more from the Chilean as he tries to prove his worth at the Emirates.
Palace deserve huge credit for limiting the hosts for so long, especially with caretaker boss Keith Millen having less than 48 hours to prepare for the match following the shock departure of Tony Pulis. Palace fans and neutrals alike are still shocked by the departure of Pulis - going from manager of the year to not being in the dugout for the start of the new Premier League season really does beggar belief. It made preparation harder for Palace, while it was hard to gauge whether or not it would make the game easier for Arsenal. Personally, I thought it would make the game trickier and Palace seemed up for the task.
With last season's opening-day defeat to Aston Villa fresh in the minds of many fans, there was a feeling of 'oh no, not again' when debutant Brede Hangeland headed the Eagles in front after 35 minutes.
Although Arsenal had dominated possession before the visitors surprise opener, Arsene Wenger's men hadn't created too many clear-cut chances. So it came as a huge relief when Arsenal levelled matters just 10 minutes later as Koscielny headed home from Sanchez's free-kick.
The Gunners looked destined to have to settle for a draw but were given further hope of a better result when the visitors were reduced to 10 men as Jason Puncheon was dismissed for a second bookable offence.
Wenger's men took advantage of the extra man as Ramsey scored his second goal in as many games with a simple tap in after Julian Speroni could only parry the initial effort from new signing Mathieu Debuchy. The stoppage-time strike came as huge relief from the Gunners in a game that, at times, they didn't look like winning and Wenger's men know they will have to up their game next week with trips to Besiktas and Everton on the horizon. But whatever fans thought of the performance, the Gunners still won the game and were the only home side to collect all three points on the opening Saturday of the 2014/15 Premier League campaign.
It is hard to think too much into the performance against Palace as it usually takes a few games for teams to hit the ground running. Wenger's men were only seven points behind champions Manchester City at the end of last season and, if the Gunners can improve their displays against their fellow title challengers, maybe it can be different this time around. But there is a hell of a long way to go and the most important thing is that Arsenal maintain a high level of consistency this season without having daft spells of madness.
If we can match the performance of the Community Shield win over Manchester City again we will definitely be a force to be reckoned with, but we certainly need to create more chances. With World Cup winning trio Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil to return in the near future and Theo Walcott not too far of his injury comeback, the future is looking bright for Arsenal. But whether we have a chance of adding the Premier League title to the 2014 FA Cup and Community Shield is another story. We certainly have the potential to do so, but Chelsea and Manchester City are the clear favourites so we will have to take points off them to stand a chance!
One thing is for sure though, it will be an exciting title race!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
Friday, 8 August 2014
What's Gunner happen to Arsenal in the 2014/15 season?
In recent seasons it has been the same old story of starting a season talking about whether a long trophy drought will end. Not anymore!
After nine gruelling years without silverware my beloved Gunners finally won another trophy with a 3-2 extra time victory over Hull at Wembley. At 2-0 down, it looked like another frustrating season but Aaron Ramsey completed a fine comeback and the rest is history.
Going into a new season with the trophy-drought monkey off our backs allows me to look ahead with renewed optimism. I think the FA Cup win will have a big effect on the mentality of the players and could see us finally push up to the next level.
In the 2013/14 season we held top spot for long spells only for Manchester City, who were only top for a few weeks in total, to claim the top prize. While Arsenal can take heart from how they led for so long, as well as winning the FA Cup, ultimately the league season was another frustrating one.
Before the season started, some Arsenal fans would have bitten someone's hand off to have ended the trophy drought while also qualifying for the Champions League yet again. But is this really good enough? For all the positives of last season, I think we can do better and we need to improve the consistency of our game and be able to maintain a title challenge for a lot longer.
On the one hand I believe there is no reason why we can't do just that. But at the same time the Premier League is getting more and more competitive by the season and, with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea also competing for the title, chances of winning it become increasingly difficult.
The Gunners have given themselves a better chance than normal as not only is the trophy drought over to change the mentality of the squad, but some shrewd additions could allow them to push their opponents all the way.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, not often known for his big spending, raised several eyebrows by signing Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for a fee in the region of £35 million. This adds huge firepower to the Gunners' attack and hopefully several more goals. The attack is also boosted by Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski returning to the squad having won the World Cup earlier this summer, while Theo Walcott should return in around a month. There is huge potential in the Arsenal front-line but whether it reaches its potential remains to be seen.
Midfield is an area that hasn't often caused much concern so providing everyone stays injury free we should be okay, although the addition of another defensive midfielder wouldn't hurt. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny developed a formidable partnership in the centre of defence last season and for most parts were among the best in the top flight. However, blips in a few heavy defeats cost Arsenal dear so consistency will be key if we are to improve this season. Bacary Sagna at right-back is a huge loss and an even bigger blow to see him join rivals Manchester City. But Mathieu Debuchy is more than capable of doing a sterling job and it will be interesting to see just what impact the former Newcastle man has at the Emirates. Wenger has also bolstered the defence with the signing of 19-year-old Calum Chambers from Southampton and, if he can follow in the footsteps of fellow former Saints Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, he could be a star in the making.
Wojciech Szczesny will again be Arsenal's number one between the sticks but this time will have a more top class back-up to keep him on his toes. No disrespect to Lukasz Fabianski, who joined Swansea over the summer, but having Colombia's David Ospina as our new number two fills me with a lot more confidence about the depth of our squad.
So just how far can we go?
I genuinely believe this question is impossible to answer. I'd put the chances of us winning more silverware or seeing a league campaign drift away in the final months as 50-50, it really is that hard to call. I'd love to say we can produce a better title challenge this year. The foundations are there and we certainly have potential to do so, but whether we do is another matter. I won't be drawn on predictions, partly as I have bad luck in that field, but also I have no idea how things will pan out, so let's just wait and see. There is plenty potential for good cup runs and it is feasible for us to win either or both of the domestic cups, including retaining the FA Cup.
As for European competition, I think we will reach the knock-out stages again but beyond that who knows. When the draw for the qualifiers were done, I was delighted when we drew Besiktas. By no means will they be easy but out of some of the other potential opponents in the draw, I would rather see us against them at this stage. We have an excellent record at the group stage and, should we beat Besiktas, I think we can progress beyond the next stage.
The knock-out stage is always tough to take as we tend to muck up the first leg and then produce a superb second leg away at the likes of Bayern Munich. Consistency is again the word to epitomise us. We need to make sure we hit top form in every game of the Champions League and not just in portions of games. Do that and we could go a long way. Lose our focus and we may well concede quick-fire goals to give us an uphill task before the tie is even at the half-way stage.
But before all of that we have the Community Shield and ahead of the game my thoughts on the competition are mixed.
Community Shield
For many years I have felt that the Community Shield is such a pointless game to start the season with. The match between the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup winners is often the curtain raiser for a new campaign but I just can't always take it seriously. This season is totally different because the Gunners are involved.
It may not be the most important of silverware, in fact it often matters little. But for a club like Arsenal, who ended a nine-year trophy drought as recently as May, it could be crucial.
If we win the match and pick up our second piece of silverware in three months it will be a huge boost to confidence and could potentially have a big impact on how the rest of the season unfolds. It won't define how our season ends but it could effect the mentality we start the Premier League campaign with, so whatever the result is we need a very strong performance and one to make the fans proud.
Although the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace is a totally different match in a totally different competition, I can't help but think going into it with another trophy in the cabinet will be a huge boost and make the players truly believe this can be a special year.
But we will have to be on top form to ensure former players Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri have a day to forget when they come up against us.
Final thoughts
I believe we will be in the top four again at the end of the season, but will avoid any concrete predictions of where exactly we will finish.
The new signings have given fans and players a real feel good factor about the season ahead, so who knows what we might achieve.
We need to be consistently hitting top form to stand a chance of toppling our rivals and can't afford any silly defeats again this time around.
Hopefully we learnt some harsh lessons from the 2013/14 and are ready to start the new season firing on all cylinders. Our destiny is in our own hands and it is up to Wenger and the players to prove they have what it takes to provide a real challenge to the title chasers.
QUE SERA SERA
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
After nine gruelling years without silverware my beloved Gunners finally won another trophy with a 3-2 extra time victory over Hull at Wembley. At 2-0 down, it looked like another frustrating season but Aaron Ramsey completed a fine comeback and the rest is history.
Going into a new season with the trophy-drought monkey off our backs allows me to look ahead with renewed optimism. I think the FA Cup win will have a big effect on the mentality of the players and could see us finally push up to the next level.
In the 2013/14 season we held top spot for long spells only for Manchester City, who were only top for a few weeks in total, to claim the top prize. While Arsenal can take heart from how they led for so long, as well as winning the FA Cup, ultimately the league season was another frustrating one.
Before the season started, some Arsenal fans would have bitten someone's hand off to have ended the trophy drought while also qualifying for the Champions League yet again. But is this really good enough? For all the positives of last season, I think we can do better and we need to improve the consistency of our game and be able to maintain a title challenge for a lot longer.
On the one hand I believe there is no reason why we can't do just that. But at the same time the Premier League is getting more and more competitive by the season and, with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea also competing for the title, chances of winning it become increasingly difficult.
The Gunners have given themselves a better chance than normal as not only is the trophy drought over to change the mentality of the squad, but some shrewd additions could allow them to push their opponents all the way.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, not often known for his big spending, raised several eyebrows by signing Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for a fee in the region of £35 million. This adds huge firepower to the Gunners' attack and hopefully several more goals. The attack is also boosted by Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski returning to the squad having won the World Cup earlier this summer, while Theo Walcott should return in around a month. There is huge potential in the Arsenal front-line but whether it reaches its potential remains to be seen.
Midfield is an area that hasn't often caused much concern so providing everyone stays injury free we should be okay, although the addition of another defensive midfielder wouldn't hurt. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny developed a formidable partnership in the centre of defence last season and for most parts were among the best in the top flight. However, blips in a few heavy defeats cost Arsenal dear so consistency will be key if we are to improve this season. Bacary Sagna at right-back is a huge loss and an even bigger blow to see him join rivals Manchester City. But Mathieu Debuchy is more than capable of doing a sterling job and it will be interesting to see just what impact the former Newcastle man has at the Emirates. Wenger has also bolstered the defence with the signing of 19-year-old Calum Chambers from Southampton and, if he can follow in the footsteps of fellow former Saints Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, he could be a star in the making.
Wojciech Szczesny will again be Arsenal's number one between the sticks but this time will have a more top class back-up to keep him on his toes. No disrespect to Lukasz Fabianski, who joined Swansea over the summer, but having Colombia's David Ospina as our new number two fills me with a lot more confidence about the depth of our squad.
So just how far can we go?
I genuinely believe this question is impossible to answer. I'd put the chances of us winning more silverware or seeing a league campaign drift away in the final months as 50-50, it really is that hard to call. I'd love to say we can produce a better title challenge this year. The foundations are there and we certainly have potential to do so, but whether we do is another matter. I won't be drawn on predictions, partly as I have bad luck in that field, but also I have no idea how things will pan out, so let's just wait and see. There is plenty potential for good cup runs and it is feasible for us to win either or both of the domestic cups, including retaining the FA Cup.
As for European competition, I think we will reach the knock-out stages again but beyond that who knows. When the draw for the qualifiers were done, I was delighted when we drew Besiktas. By no means will they be easy but out of some of the other potential opponents in the draw, I would rather see us against them at this stage. We have an excellent record at the group stage and, should we beat Besiktas, I think we can progress beyond the next stage.
The knock-out stage is always tough to take as we tend to muck up the first leg and then produce a superb second leg away at the likes of Bayern Munich. Consistency is again the word to epitomise us. We need to make sure we hit top form in every game of the Champions League and not just in portions of games. Do that and we could go a long way. Lose our focus and we may well concede quick-fire goals to give us an uphill task before the tie is even at the half-way stage.
But before all of that we have the Community Shield and ahead of the game my thoughts on the competition are mixed.
Community Shield
For many years I have felt that the Community Shield is such a pointless game to start the season with. The match between the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup winners is often the curtain raiser for a new campaign but I just can't always take it seriously. This season is totally different because the Gunners are involved.
It may not be the most important of silverware, in fact it often matters little. But for a club like Arsenal, who ended a nine-year trophy drought as recently as May, it could be crucial.
If we win the match and pick up our second piece of silverware in three months it will be a huge boost to confidence and could potentially have a big impact on how the rest of the season unfolds. It won't define how our season ends but it could effect the mentality we start the Premier League campaign with, so whatever the result is we need a very strong performance and one to make the fans proud.
Although the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace is a totally different match in a totally different competition, I can't help but think going into it with another trophy in the cabinet will be a huge boost and make the players truly believe this can be a special year.
But we will have to be on top form to ensure former players Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri have a day to forget when they come up against us.
Final thoughts
I believe we will be in the top four again at the end of the season, but will avoid any concrete predictions of where exactly we will finish.
The new signings have given fans and players a real feel good factor about the season ahead, so who knows what we might achieve.
We need to be consistently hitting top form to stand a chance of toppling our rivals and can't afford any silly defeats again this time around.
Hopefully we learnt some harsh lessons from the 2013/14 and are ready to start the new season firing on all cylinders. Our destiny is in our own hands and it is up to Wenger and the players to prove they have what it takes to provide a real challenge to the title chasers.
QUE SERA SERA
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
2014 World Cup: The Awards (Part 2)
WELCOME BACK FOR PART TWO OF THE WORLD CUP AWARDS
Sorry for the delay in coming back for part two. It was already written but I just wanted to prolong my World Cup experience for just a little bit longer! Now it’s time to turn the attention from individual stars to team brilliance
TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT
The likes of James Rodriguez, Lionel Messi and Thomas Muller helped to light up this summer’s global spectacle but all-round team effort is equally, if not more, important. The likes of Costa Rica, Chile and Algeria surpassed expectations to delight their own fans and many of the neutrals but there can really be only one winner of this award.
WINNERS: GERMANY
Although the above teams were strong candidates, it is hard to argue a case for any of the two to take this award instead of Germany. The Germans started their campaign in blistering style with a 4-0 win over Portugal. Ghana made them work hard for a 2-2 draw before Joachim Low’s men ended the group stages with a narrow 1-0 win over USA. Narrow wins over Algeria and France followed and, although they were not at their best at all times, they professionally got the job done and got results when it mattered most. The Germans really played as a close unit throughout the tournament, with the 7-1 demolition of hosts Brazil in the semi-final underlining their superiority. Germany needed extra time to beat Argentina 1-0 in the final but they were still more than deserved winners. As an England fan, I should dislike the German football team but I couldn’t help but admire them this summer. A team full of stars working hard for each other and, at a young age, have a very bright future ahead of them.
SURPRISE PACKAGE
WINNERS: COSTA RICA
Without a shadow of a doubt Costa Rica were the ultimate surprise package of the 2014 World Cup. Jorge Luis Pinto's men were expected to be the whipping boys of Group D. Not only did they exceed expectations by topping the group with wins of Uruguay and Italy, but they remained unbeaten during regular time. Only a penalty shoot-out defeat to Holland in the quarter finals prevented Costa Rica from reaching the final four. That is just crazy, but it doesn't appear to have been a fluke! Costa Rica produced
enough good results along the way to prove they deserved to get as far as they did.
WORST TEAM
WINNERS: BRAZIL
Host Brazil may not have won the trophy but they can have this award! There were some weak showings in some of the groups but some of these were expected. Australia failed to get a point but their gutsy displays let them off the hook for this award. Spain went into the tournament as holders and finished with just one win but this award must go to Brazil. They put on a superb tournament and did reach the last four, which to some may not seem too bad, but when one of the globe's biggest sides concedes more goals than any other side at its own tournament, including a 7-1 defeat, it is hard to argue that Brazil were the worst performers, sorry!
MANAGER OF THE TOURNAMENT
3) JORGE SAMPAOLI - CHILE
The Chile boss did superbly to guide his side to qualification despite being in a group with European giants Spain and Holland. Only penalties prevented the South Americans from beating the hosts in the round of 16 and Sampaoli's men can be proud of their efforts.
2) JORGE LUIS PINTO - COSTA RICA
I was just a whisker away from giving Pinto first prize as Costa Rica's performance at the World Cup was nothing short of superb. Pinto's men performed well above expectations and they became a favourite among many of the neutrals. Simply, a joy to watch!
1) JOACHIM LOW - GERMANY
I don't want to be giving most of the awards to Germany but it is hard to argue against this one. Germany weren't always in top gear but to be able to lead his side to World Cup glory, along with masterminding a 7-1 win over Brazil, is a huge achievement. Not to mention a fantastic group of players he has developed. Low really does deserve the award as top boss!
BEST MATCH
This is so hard to choose. For pure surprise and spectacle Germany's 7-1 thumping of Brazil is right up there alongside Spain's implosion in their 5-1 defeat by Holland. Costa Rica's 3-1 win over Uruguay was an immense result for the underdogs, while many of the knock-out games including Chile 1 Brazil 1 and Belgium 2 USA 1 provided great drama. As a close second place, I'll give huge credit to Algeria, who kept me on the edge of my seat in their 2-1 defeat by Germany.
WINNER: HOLLAND 3 AUSTRALIA 2
If there was ever a game to epitomise what is great about a World Cup this was it. Those were my words in my blog after this pulsating match and I stand by them. The game was full of great drama, top quality goals, end-to-end action, and a mammoth effort by the underdogs as Australia came so close to causing a major World Cup upset.
QUOTE OF THE WORLD CUP
Rather vain award this but I am going to give this award to myself! In the first half of the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina there was a moment when a goal was ruled out for offside. It wasn't clear at first if it was a goal and a huge clap in Wetherspoons, where I watched the first half, was heard around the room. I text a friend to say 'whole of spoons erupted in a sophisticated clap, but was offside' and then the quote of the tournament was born.
Going back to the actual commentators and Clark Carlisle, often dubbed as Britain's brainiest footballer, came out with a daft yet amusing comment. During the Ecuador vs Switzerland group match he former Burnley man said 'when Jackson Martinez can't get in the side, they must be pretty good'. Carlisle could've maybe had a good point had it not been for the obvious fact that Martinez is Colombian!
CRAZY MOMENT
The most bizarre moment of the tournament has got to be when Luis Suarez bit Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay's 1-0 win over Italy, an incident that ultimately saw the striker receive a lengthy ban. But there is no way I am letting Barcelona's newest recruit anywhere near an award, regardless of what it is for. Brazil's horror show in the semi-final, Cameroon's players fighting among themselves, a goalkeeper being substituted before a penalty shoot-out and a locust landing on the arm of Rodriguez are just some of the many other crazy moments this summer. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella falling over was a highly amusing moment but for me there is one winner, and an excuse to let England win at least something in this tournament.
WINNERS: ENGLAND
England thought they had opened their World Cup account with a goal from Raheem Sterling after just four minutes of their Group D opener against Italy. Even the BBC flashed up 'goal' and temporarily had the scoreline at 1-0, only for fans to be left momentarily confused as the shot had actually crashed into the side netting. It is a shame it wasn't the 'goal' that could have made our World Cup turn out so differently, but at least I can just about see the funny side of it now.
BEST WORLD CUP OF MY LIFETIME
WINNER: WORLD CUP 2014
Some have questioned whether or not this is the best ever World Cup and I have debated whether or not this is the best one of my lifetime. I loved France 1998 and Japan/South Korea 2002, but this one has to be the icing on the cake. England were not as good in this tournament, which was obviously disappointing, but that aside this tournament definitely had that little something extra about it. The others were more dramatic and allowed England fans to enjoy some knock-out football they were involved in, but this was different. Plenty drama and enough surprises to keep you on your toes, I loved every moment of it.
On that note, we bid the 2014 World Cup in Brazil a fond farewell. Only German fans will be truly happy with the end result but almost all neutrals can have enjoyed at least some aspects of the tournament. I have loved watching and blogging about every match and, if Russia can come anywhere near this great spectacle, 2018 will be a year to look forward to.
The tournament was already over on the pitch, but now my blogging World Cup is also officially over! It is sad to see the World Cup come to an end, but it’s only four years until the next one!
Let the drama continue in every World Cup from here on in!
Sorry for the delay in coming back for part two. It was already written but I just wanted to prolong my World Cup experience for just a little bit longer! Now it’s time to turn the attention from individual stars to team brilliance
TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT
The likes of James Rodriguez, Lionel Messi and Thomas Muller helped to light up this summer’s global spectacle but all-round team effort is equally, if not more, important. The likes of Costa Rica, Chile and Algeria surpassed expectations to delight their own fans and many of the neutrals but there can really be only one winner of this award.
WINNERS: GERMANY
Although the above teams were strong candidates, it is hard to argue a case for any of the two to take this award instead of Germany. The Germans started their campaign in blistering style with a 4-0 win over Portugal. Ghana made them work hard for a 2-2 draw before Joachim Low’s men ended the group stages with a narrow 1-0 win over USA. Narrow wins over Algeria and France followed and, although they were not at their best at all times, they professionally got the job done and got results when it mattered most. The Germans really played as a close unit throughout the tournament, with the 7-1 demolition of hosts Brazil in the semi-final underlining their superiority. Germany needed extra time to beat Argentina 1-0 in the final but they were still more than deserved winners. As an England fan, I should dislike the German football team but I couldn’t help but admire them this summer. A team full of stars working hard for each other and, at a young age, have a very bright future ahead of them.
SURPRISE PACKAGE
WINNERS: COSTA RICA
Without a shadow of a doubt Costa Rica were the ultimate surprise package of the 2014 World Cup. Jorge Luis Pinto's men were expected to be the whipping boys of Group D. Not only did they exceed expectations by topping the group with wins of Uruguay and Italy, but they remained unbeaten during regular time. Only a penalty shoot-out defeat to Holland in the quarter finals prevented Costa Rica from reaching the final four. That is just crazy, but it doesn't appear to have been a fluke! Costa Rica produced
enough good results along the way to prove they deserved to get as far as they did.
WORST TEAM
WINNERS: BRAZIL
Host Brazil may not have won the trophy but they can have this award! There were some weak showings in some of the groups but some of these were expected. Australia failed to get a point but their gutsy displays let them off the hook for this award. Spain went into the tournament as holders and finished with just one win but this award must go to Brazil. They put on a superb tournament and did reach the last four, which to some may not seem too bad, but when one of the globe's biggest sides concedes more goals than any other side at its own tournament, including a 7-1 defeat, it is hard to argue that Brazil were the worst performers, sorry!
MANAGER OF THE TOURNAMENT
3) JORGE SAMPAOLI - CHILE
The Chile boss did superbly to guide his side to qualification despite being in a group with European giants Spain and Holland. Only penalties prevented the South Americans from beating the hosts in the round of 16 and Sampaoli's men can be proud of their efforts.
2) JORGE LUIS PINTO - COSTA RICA
I was just a whisker away from giving Pinto first prize as Costa Rica's performance at the World Cup was nothing short of superb. Pinto's men performed well above expectations and they became a favourite among many of the neutrals. Simply, a joy to watch!
1) JOACHIM LOW - GERMANY
I don't want to be giving most of the awards to Germany but it is hard to argue against this one. Germany weren't always in top gear but to be able to lead his side to World Cup glory, along with masterminding a 7-1 win over Brazil, is a huge achievement. Not to mention a fantastic group of players he has developed. Low really does deserve the award as top boss!
BEST MATCH
This is so hard to choose. For pure surprise and spectacle Germany's 7-1 thumping of Brazil is right up there alongside Spain's implosion in their 5-1 defeat by Holland. Costa Rica's 3-1 win over Uruguay was an immense result for the underdogs, while many of the knock-out games including Chile 1 Brazil 1 and Belgium 2 USA 1 provided great drama. As a close second place, I'll give huge credit to Algeria, who kept me on the edge of my seat in their 2-1 defeat by Germany.
WINNER: HOLLAND 3 AUSTRALIA 2
If there was ever a game to epitomise what is great about a World Cup this was it. Those were my words in my blog after this pulsating match and I stand by them. The game was full of great drama, top quality goals, end-to-end action, and a mammoth effort by the underdogs as Australia came so close to causing a major World Cup upset.
QUOTE OF THE WORLD CUP
Rather vain award this but I am going to give this award to myself! In the first half of the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina there was a moment when a goal was ruled out for offside. It wasn't clear at first if it was a goal and a huge clap in Wetherspoons, where I watched the first half, was heard around the room. I text a friend to say 'whole of spoons erupted in a sophisticated clap, but was offside' and then the quote of the tournament was born.
Going back to the actual commentators and Clark Carlisle, often dubbed as Britain's brainiest footballer, came out with a daft yet amusing comment. During the Ecuador vs Switzerland group match he former Burnley man said 'when Jackson Martinez can't get in the side, they must be pretty good'. Carlisle could've maybe had a good point had it not been for the obvious fact that Martinez is Colombian!
CRAZY MOMENT
The most bizarre moment of the tournament has got to be when Luis Suarez bit Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay's 1-0 win over Italy, an incident that ultimately saw the striker receive a lengthy ban. But there is no way I am letting Barcelona's newest recruit anywhere near an award, regardless of what it is for. Brazil's horror show in the semi-final, Cameroon's players fighting among themselves, a goalkeeper being substituted before a penalty shoot-out and a locust landing on the arm of Rodriguez are just some of the many other crazy moments this summer. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella falling over was a highly amusing moment but for me there is one winner, and an excuse to let England win at least something in this tournament.
WINNERS: ENGLAND
England thought they had opened their World Cup account with a goal from Raheem Sterling after just four minutes of their Group D opener against Italy. Even the BBC flashed up 'goal' and temporarily had the scoreline at 1-0, only for fans to be left momentarily confused as the shot had actually crashed into the side netting. It is a shame it wasn't the 'goal' that could have made our World Cup turn out so differently, but at least I can just about see the funny side of it now.
BEST WORLD CUP OF MY LIFETIME
WINNER: WORLD CUP 2014
Some have questioned whether or not this is the best ever World Cup and I have debated whether or not this is the best one of my lifetime. I loved France 1998 and Japan/South Korea 2002, but this one has to be the icing on the cake. England were not as good in this tournament, which was obviously disappointing, but that aside this tournament definitely had that little something extra about it. The others were more dramatic and allowed England fans to enjoy some knock-out football they were involved in, but this was different. Plenty drama and enough surprises to keep you on your toes, I loved every moment of it.
On that note, we bid the 2014 World Cup in Brazil a fond farewell. Only German fans will be truly happy with the end result but almost all neutrals can have enjoyed at least some aspects of the tournament. I have loved watching and blogging about every match and, if Russia can come anywhere near this great spectacle, 2018 will be a year to look forward to.
The tournament was already over on the pitch, but now my blogging World Cup is also officially over! It is sad to see the World Cup come to an end, but it’s only four years until the next one!
Let the drama continue in every World Cup from here on in!
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
2014 World Cup: The Awards
If someone had said to me at the start of the tournament that Germany would win the World Cup and England fail to get out of the group stages, I would have been truly disappointed.
Although that is in fact what happened and I am gutted by England's early exit, I think the 2014 tournament has actually been the best World Cup of my life time.
Plenty of shocks, drama and entertainment from the word go, with Brazil claiming a fortunate 3-1 win over Croatia in the opening game before holders Spain were demolished 5-1 by Holland. England lost their opening game 2-1 to Italy but the performance had given many supporters hope that we could turn things around. Already I was loving the tournament, even smaller games such as Switzerland vs Ecuador were grabbing my attention. Football had well and truly taken over my summer but I wouldn't have it any other way. What a great tournament!
When trying to reflect and look back on it, it is difficult to know where to start, but it makes sense to focus on England before then dissecting the rest of the tournament by way of awards.
So how would I rate England's performance?
Usually before a tournament the media over-hype our chances and we are left disappointed. This time, even as early as when the groups were drawn, our chances were already being written of and we were given no hope of getting out of the group stages. So when we failed as most had expected it surprised me somewhat how critical some were of the outcome. It is always disappointing to exit a World Cup but did we really expect much more this time? If it is judged by the pre-tournament comments of some people I think not. I'm not defending our side, far from it, we should've done better. I just think some of the criticism was over the top.
Realistically our squad isn't as good as the top sides. We have some great players but are lacking some truly world class talent. Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney can be great on their day but whether they are up there with the best players in the world I am not so sure. There are a lot of younger players coming through like Raheem Sterling who could become one of those players, but we are still lacking. Our defenders are fairly decent too but then when compared to real top defenders such as Philipp Lahm, Mats Hummels and Thiago Silva just how class are they really?
It sounds like I am being too negative so don't want this coming out the wrong way, England have some great players that in theory have great potential but they just never quite deliver when it matters when other big sides can. If things are addressed, who knows, maybe, just maybe we can really give the best sides a run for their money in major tournaments.
Onto the matches, despite losing the opening game to Italy there was a sense of optimism among some fans as we had given it a real go and been unlucky to lose. The performance against Uruguay wasn't bad but wasn't great either, just average, until we equalised then was ours for the taking but we still lost. It is hard to analyse the goalless draw with Costa Rica as it was a dead rubber.
But this tournament was about far more than just England. Even for England fans and fans of sides of other under-performing nations like Spain, there would've been something to enjoy from the tournament from a neutral point of view. An array of great games, great goals, top goalkeeping, and much more, so what were the best points?
GOALKEEPER OF THE TOURNAMENT
This is so hard to call as there were several top performers in this category. Manuel Neuer, who is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, deservedly won the golden glove. After helping Germany to World Cup glory it is hard to argue with that, but it was kind of expected from the global star. It is easy to make a case for a few other candidates who seemingly came out of nowhere to become stars of the tournament. Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa produced some great performances and was the key factor in his side's goalless draw with Mexico. But apart from Neuer, it is Costa Rica's Keylor Navas and USA's Tim Howard that really stood out for me. Navas was instrumental as Costa Rica defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals, while Howard became a record-breaker in one of his many fine displays at the tournament. USA were unfortunate to exit the tournament after a narrow 2-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 but, in that match, Howard made more saves in a single match than any other player in World Cup history with 15.
WINNER: KEYLOR NAVAS
The star of the show for Costa Rica and if people hadn't heard of him before they sure have now. What a World Cup this guy had and he thoroughly deserves to win the award as my best goalkeeper of the 2014 tournament.
SAVE OF THE TOURNAMENT
I could make a case for all these to be number one but have had to make a decision
3) KEYLOR NAVAS - COSTA RICA VS URUGUAY
Diego Forlan's looping shot was heading for goal only for Navas to react superbly and tip it over the bar
2) MANUEL NEUER - GERMANY VS BRAZIL
Germany eased to a 7-1 victory and, although Neuer didn't have much to do, their goalkeeper was excellent when called upon and produced a stunning double save to keep out Paulinho.
WINNERS: GUILLERMO OCHOA MEXICO VS BRAZIL/HOLLAND
TIM HOWARD USA VS PORTUGAL
In the end, I couldn't separate these two. Ochoa deserves the title for two magnificent saves. The first a superb diving stop to stop Neymar's goal-bound header before an excellent close range save to deny Holland's Stefan de Vrij in the round of 16. But Tim Howard, who had a top class tournament, deserves to share the award after reacting superbly to push over Eder's follow up after Nani had struck a post.
But it is no good the goalkeepers doing all the hard work if the outfield players don't bang in the goals and we were treated to plenty of wonder goals this summer.
SO WHAT WAS THE GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT?
3) JERMAINE JONES VS PORTUGAL/ROBIN VAN PERSIE VS SPAIN
Although Robin Van Persie's header deserves a place of its own, I thought a wonder goal from one of the so-called lesser sides also deserved a mention. Jermaine Jones beat his man before unleashing a thunderbolt from outside of the box in USA's 2-2 draw with Portugal - a goal truly worthy of joint-third place. Jones' shares the award with Van Persie, whose sublime looping header helped Holland on their way to a shock 5-1 win over holders Spain.
2) TIM CAHILL VS HOLLAND
A high ball flew into the box and Cahill met it with the sweetest of volleys to hammer the ball home for what, at the time, I thought would easily be goal of the tournament.
WINNER: JAMES RODRIGUEZ VS URUGUAY
Take a bow Rodriguez! Cahill's goal was only going to be beaten if someone came up with something truly incredible, and one of the young stars of the tournament did just that. Rodriguez cushioned the ball expertly before turning to execute a thunderous volley that crashed in off the crossbar.
PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT
WINNER: JAMES RODRIGUEZ
I must admit that before the tournament I had barely even heard of this young star, but now I am a big fan of the Monaco winger. Rodriguez was one of the stand-out performers of the tournament and his six goals saw him take home the golden boot. His displays left me hoping Arsene Wenger would make an offer to try and prize him away from France and into Arsenal. That is unlikely but I can keep dreaming! An incredible player from this summer's spectacle and one I hope I see a lot more of.
Rodriguez's team-mate Juan Cuadrado also had an excellent tournament, while the likes of Costa Rica duo Joel Campbell and Giancarlo Gonzalez, Germany's Mats Hummels and his side's entire midfield, that man Lionel Messi and Belgium's Divock Origi also deserve a shout out. There were several other great performers, but it's onto the next category!
But first...like all good awards ceremonies there needs to be a break, so we'll be back for part two after these messages...
Although that is in fact what happened and I am gutted by England's early exit, I think the 2014 tournament has actually been the best World Cup of my life time.
Plenty of shocks, drama and entertainment from the word go, with Brazil claiming a fortunate 3-1 win over Croatia in the opening game before holders Spain were demolished 5-1 by Holland. England lost their opening game 2-1 to Italy but the performance had given many supporters hope that we could turn things around. Already I was loving the tournament, even smaller games such as Switzerland vs Ecuador were grabbing my attention. Football had well and truly taken over my summer but I wouldn't have it any other way. What a great tournament!
When trying to reflect and look back on it, it is difficult to know where to start, but it makes sense to focus on England before then dissecting the rest of the tournament by way of awards.
So how would I rate England's performance?
Usually before a tournament the media over-hype our chances and we are left disappointed. This time, even as early as when the groups were drawn, our chances were already being written of and we were given no hope of getting out of the group stages. So when we failed as most had expected it surprised me somewhat how critical some were of the outcome. It is always disappointing to exit a World Cup but did we really expect much more this time? If it is judged by the pre-tournament comments of some people I think not. I'm not defending our side, far from it, we should've done better. I just think some of the criticism was over the top.
Realistically our squad isn't as good as the top sides. We have some great players but are lacking some truly world class talent. Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney can be great on their day but whether they are up there with the best players in the world I am not so sure. There are a lot of younger players coming through like Raheem Sterling who could become one of those players, but we are still lacking. Our defenders are fairly decent too but then when compared to real top defenders such as Philipp Lahm, Mats Hummels and Thiago Silva just how class are they really?
It sounds like I am being too negative so don't want this coming out the wrong way, England have some great players that in theory have great potential but they just never quite deliver when it matters when other big sides can. If things are addressed, who knows, maybe, just maybe we can really give the best sides a run for their money in major tournaments.
Onto the matches, despite losing the opening game to Italy there was a sense of optimism among some fans as we had given it a real go and been unlucky to lose. The performance against Uruguay wasn't bad but wasn't great either, just average, until we equalised then was ours for the taking but we still lost. It is hard to analyse the goalless draw with Costa Rica as it was a dead rubber.
But this tournament was about far more than just England. Even for England fans and fans of sides of other under-performing nations like Spain, there would've been something to enjoy from the tournament from a neutral point of view. An array of great games, great goals, top goalkeeping, and much more, so what were the best points?
GOALKEEPER OF THE TOURNAMENT
This is so hard to call as there were several top performers in this category. Manuel Neuer, who is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, deservedly won the golden glove. After helping Germany to World Cup glory it is hard to argue with that, but it was kind of expected from the global star. It is easy to make a case for a few other candidates who seemingly came out of nowhere to become stars of the tournament. Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa produced some great performances and was the key factor in his side's goalless draw with Mexico. But apart from Neuer, it is Costa Rica's Keylor Navas and USA's Tim Howard that really stood out for me. Navas was instrumental as Costa Rica defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals, while Howard became a record-breaker in one of his many fine displays at the tournament. USA were unfortunate to exit the tournament after a narrow 2-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 but, in that match, Howard made more saves in a single match than any other player in World Cup history with 15.
WINNER: KEYLOR NAVAS
The star of the show for Costa Rica and if people hadn't heard of him before they sure have now. What a World Cup this guy had and he thoroughly deserves to win the award as my best goalkeeper of the 2014 tournament.
SAVE OF THE TOURNAMENT
I could make a case for all these to be number one but have had to make a decision
3) KEYLOR NAVAS - COSTA RICA VS URUGUAY
Diego Forlan's looping shot was heading for goal only for Navas to react superbly and tip it over the bar
2) MANUEL NEUER - GERMANY VS BRAZIL
Germany eased to a 7-1 victory and, although Neuer didn't have much to do, their goalkeeper was excellent when called upon and produced a stunning double save to keep out Paulinho.
WINNERS: GUILLERMO OCHOA MEXICO VS BRAZIL/HOLLAND
TIM HOWARD USA VS PORTUGAL
In the end, I couldn't separate these two. Ochoa deserves the title for two magnificent saves. The first a superb diving stop to stop Neymar's goal-bound header before an excellent close range save to deny Holland's Stefan de Vrij in the round of 16. But Tim Howard, who had a top class tournament, deserves to share the award after reacting superbly to push over Eder's follow up after Nani had struck a post.
But it is no good the goalkeepers doing all the hard work if the outfield players don't bang in the goals and we were treated to plenty of wonder goals this summer.
SO WHAT WAS THE GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT?
3) JERMAINE JONES VS PORTUGAL/ROBIN VAN PERSIE VS SPAIN
Although Robin Van Persie's header deserves a place of its own, I thought a wonder goal from one of the so-called lesser sides also deserved a mention. Jermaine Jones beat his man before unleashing a thunderbolt from outside of the box in USA's 2-2 draw with Portugal - a goal truly worthy of joint-third place. Jones' shares the award with Van Persie, whose sublime looping header helped Holland on their way to a shock 5-1 win over holders Spain.
2) TIM CAHILL VS HOLLAND
A high ball flew into the box and Cahill met it with the sweetest of volleys to hammer the ball home for what, at the time, I thought would easily be goal of the tournament.
WINNER: JAMES RODRIGUEZ VS URUGUAY
Take a bow Rodriguez! Cahill's goal was only going to be beaten if someone came up with something truly incredible, and one of the young stars of the tournament did just that. Rodriguez cushioned the ball expertly before turning to execute a thunderous volley that crashed in off the crossbar.
PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT
WINNER: JAMES RODRIGUEZ
I must admit that before the tournament I had barely even heard of this young star, but now I am a big fan of the Monaco winger. Rodriguez was one of the stand-out performers of the tournament and his six goals saw him take home the golden boot. His displays left me hoping Arsene Wenger would make an offer to try and prize him away from France and into Arsenal. That is unlikely but I can keep dreaming! An incredible player from this summer's spectacle and one I hope I see a lot more of.
Rodriguez's team-mate Juan Cuadrado also had an excellent tournament, while the likes of Costa Rica duo Joel Campbell and Giancarlo Gonzalez, Germany's Mats Hummels and his side's entire midfield, that man Lionel Messi and Belgium's Divock Origi also deserve a shout out. There were several other great performers, but it's onto the next category!
But first...like all good awards ceremonies there needs to be a break, so we'll be back for part two after these messages...
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