This is the inaugural Bradyesque7 weekly Arsenal round-up. The only place to get your Arsenal both rounded and upped.
First up is the arrival of Nacho Monreal on Sky Sports Deadline Day. Monreal was destined to be a professional footballer. His father, a huge supporter of their hometown club, in Spain, is believed to have pleaded with his wife to allow him to call their son Nacho which is, of course, the Spanish word for match.
The fees paid for players such as Monreal are rarely confirmed by the club but, if reports are to be believed, we paid every figure between eight and twelve million for Nacho and almost certainly a little more and a bit less for Olivier Giroud in the summer.
Strikers and defensive midfielders may have been on the top of everyone’s wish list, but the second most important day of the football calendar came and went with only one player arriving.
HRH Lord David Beckham trained for a day. Arsene Wenger joked that one day in training with Arsenal was enough for Beckham to regain fitness and be snapped up by PSG. The medical team are said to be having it engraved onto a plaque.
We drew 2-2 with Liverpool this week in a belter of a game. There were thrills and spills and there were defensive howlers, which are spills. We went two goals down and the defending was pretty, pretty poor. Brazilian party animal, Andre Santos, was at fault for both goals. In possession, for both halves, Arsenal were terrific. Some might say the best football we’ve played all year. Other might say that trying to make a big statement because it’s the INAUGURAL BRADYESQUE7 WEEKLY ROUND-UP is pathetic.
Giroud’s fantastic debut season shows no sign of relenting as he continued his scoring run this week. Potency which can only be rivaled by Giroud himself, but in smaller, greener shorts.
Steve Bould may have fixed our problems at the beginning of the season but we’re conceding again. Some of the goals probably were preventable and we possibly could have gone on to win more points. As far as I can see, the problems seem to stem from two issues; tactical errors and individual mistakes. However, it can’t be ignored that we have been unfortunate from time to time too. Pinpointing that particular problem has probably been your highlight so far and you’re welcome to that.
The weekend brought a return to the bygone days of ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ as Stoke City visited the Grove. Several impressive saves from Begovic kept the scores level for 78 minutes and proved what we’re all thinking; They do have six fingers!!! Santi Cazrorla and Lukas Podolski were introduced and the game was up for the tiring, Cleetuses. Podolski aimed his free-kick off the knee of a Stokel and cleverly wrong-footed the digitally enhanced Begovic. The game was over, the war was won and the sheet was clean. We got our Arsenal back???
And finally, Liam Brady has agreed to become Head of Youth Development at Juventus in 2014. Brady has given over twenty years service to the Gunners and is probably going to remain involved with the club. Arsenal are believed to have begun the search for Brady’s successor. Some new guy will be tasked with “building on what Liam and his team have created”. Good luck with that dude.
Regardless of what you may think, that is everything that happened in the last few days.
Thank you for reading.
Positively Arsenal 
Nice one Bradyesque.
The defensive situation is very interesting (as in challenging) at Arsenal and has been for a decade. The simplistic answer is drill, drill, drill for set pieces like we used to in them golden days, then take a piece of rope and get the back four in such a straight line they’ll never venture out again. And learn the “dark arts” too. Strikers need to learn the error of their ways with a tickle on the back of the old ankle.
Medieval, I think, but it’s been the English way forever.
On the other hand Wenger seems intent on defenders primarily as footballers, part of a whole system; and defence as responsibility of a whole team, not just big blokes. Wenger seeks balance.
And yet we concede more than necessary, and at times lose focus, especially just outside the box in preventing a clean cross or sometimes strike. We appear susceptible to the counter attack. Our backs (not just Santos) can be found out of position.
Then again, it’s not just Arsenal. As the game develops, it is much more mobile and elastic, and technical, and all top teams are conceding goals they should not; perhaps Everton is an exception, perhaps City too.
I
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Excellent stuff
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ps … I pleaded with my (then) wife to call our second son “Liam”. After asking me “what the hell kind of name is that anyway”, and I said “Irish, you know, colonised by the Brits too”, she conceded, but refused my original proposal “Liam Brady”. He’s become a cricket journalist.
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Good stuff Bradyesque
On the defensive theme ZP what we lacked following the departure of Jens was a keeper who dominated the box and who performed at least some of the drilling of the troop in front of him in the course of the game. Szcz made an excellent start to taking over that role last season and I am delighted to see him shout, point and generally holler at defenders to get organized and do their job.
His misfortune at the Euros and his early season injury knocked his confidence a bit but he is picking up again now. He could be the crucial piece of the defensive jigsaw over the next few weeks.
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ZimP @ 9:08 pm
I feel your pain. None of my adult children share my love of football despite being force fed as kids. Maybe it was that kick and rush stuff English football of the 80s on my telly. 🙂
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I have the opposite problem Shotta – I have to keep explaining to my youngest – he’s 14, that Messi is not a real footballer and that is not how proper football is played 😦
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We’re selling Brady to Juve? WHY CAN WE NOT KEEP OUR BEST PLAYERS? Surely its time for Arsene to go.
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Speaking of defensive issues. Did you guys observe how vocal BFG was in leading our defenders last Saturday? From the usual gentle mild mannered giant to a man-possessed. Added to that was Mikel’s captaincy. To me, thousands a miles away, for the first time in a long time there seemed to be some real leaders on the field. The dude who writes the Tactics blog stressed that Arteta is Arsene’s eyes on the the field of play. Which leads to the inevitable question: Is the Verminator the right choice as team captain? I am sure on this blog we can have a serous discussion and not a sniping and demeaning of Vermaelen or any of our players for that matter.
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Nice summary Bradyesque; an unusually busy week especially when you add in the the reserve’s match on Tuesday!
Lee Dixon spoke eloquently and at length just prior to kick off at the Emirates on Saturday in an interview broadcast live throughout the stadium about the defence and how the nature of defending at Arsenal changed, especially following the departure of George Graham. A very erudite and interesting speaker, Dixon described the relentless drilling of the back four by GG which was conducted largely at the expense of the ball-playing side of the game with which we are more familiar these days from our back line. He said this all changed when Arsene pitched up and even today, all these years on, you can detect the relief in Lee’s voice when he said we instantly became a far more ‘ball-playing’ kind of team.
The drilling was such that Dixon knew exactly where he was on the pitch from the position of the advertising hoardings and if the sign for Barclays was not visible in exactly the right place out of the corner of his eye he knew HE was in the wrong place. He also knew, without looking, that Tony Adams would be half a pace behind him 15 yards across, and Adams knew where his colleagues were, again, without looking.
Few would advocate a complete return to this regime but it does highlight that those 1-0’s to the Arsenal didn’t ‘just happen’.
I thought Thomas Vermaelen’s Arsenal career started astonishingly well and I’ve no doubt he will again hit those same lofty heights. Did uncertainty creep into his game with the award of the captaincy? If it has done, why might that be the case? I would hate for him to be ‘punished’ with the loss of the role but for me the outstanding candidate for the role, going forward, has to be Jack.
Not since Tony Adams has one so young come in to the side with such commanding presence that he could be described as a natural. It’s not to do Thomas down but, ironically with the exception of the great Adams, I’ve always felt a midfielder is best positioned to touch base with all parts of the team for most of the time. If defenders have to play with the levels of concentration so described by Lee Dixon, is it sensible to ask a defender to also think about everyone else’s game?
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Andrew.the top teams and players now would make a nonsense of that type of defending.The change in off side would have put paid to it.
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I do not think there is anything the matter with Tommy’s captaincy, he still plays with real energy and is the leader on the pitch. What has suffered slightly is his form, disrupted by injury, a couple of howlers and that Kosc and Per are very capable players. To be team captain you really have to be a definite name on the top of the team sheet.
No reason to change now in my opinion – if Arteta is Arsene’s eyes on the pitch that is enough to do and he presents as a bit quiet for the on pitch leadership role.
Jack needs a few more years to allow his football to develop and he has a bit of a hot headed streak that he needs to rein in
Don’t discount Aaron in years to come for the captain’s job – if he can cement his first team slot then the position he plays in, and the way he plays is just right for captaincy.
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I wasn’t advocating a return to George Graham’s approach George, just passing on Lee Dixon’s remarks from Saturday.
Agree I wouldn’t want to see TV ‘punished’ by the loss of the captaincy and certainly not mid season. But there is something about Jack – as you say, his hot-headedness – which is exactly what I love about him. Real passion from the 1st to the 91st and doesn’t he let everyone around know it!
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I am convinced that the traditional (physical) DM is a thing of the past Mikel and Aaron types are the way forward.
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I know you were not Andrew.I was simply pointing out that a return would have much less success.
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Shotta, friends describe Arteta as The Prince. Because more then any other player he keeps the ear of the ref, & can play them and the opponent. Maybe it’s the hair? There must be a reason why he gets away with so many cheeky fouls! If any arsenal player plays the dark arts (with some style) it is Arteta. I’m guessing Ramsey will have to apprentice for a little while yet.
I thought the mid air pirouette by Arteta against Stoke (just before HT) was an attempt to ‘win’ a foul?
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Can’t recall the interview but I think it was with Cesc, anyhoo I seem to remember reading an ex Arsenal captain saying something along the lines of (Christ could I be more vague?) the role of captain being a much bigger deal over here than it is ‘on the continent’ (as I was brought up to say).
Players schooled away from these Isles are used to more collective responsibility with more naturally vocal players doing the shouting and the captain’s armband denoting an almost ceremonial role.
Of course we in England have replaced (in our minds) the calm authoritative Bobby Moore style captaincy with those exemplified by the Tony Adams, Roy Keane, Steven Gerrard types and can’t cope if our skipper seems quiet and undemonstrative.
I find it difficult to be objective because this is the culture within which I’ve grown up. For my money the best is a combination of old style blood and thunder captaincy a la TA combined with free flowing, improvisational quick thinking football a la Wengerball 3.
The problem is I don’t know if the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
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they said vieira would stay back and guard back four..no he didnt..he was the first box to box central midfielder..petit was the typical def mid blocking attacks…vieira was also the player wenger assigned the role of breaking up zonal marking. he was the one to carry ball between banks of 4/5 and take part in initial playmaking in opponents half….
the makelele dfm role is definately a thinfg of the past…barcelona uses neat and tidy busquets..not exactly a tackling beast, more of a central libero, stealing and passing it to his midifeld dynamos…juve plays with pirlo in the dmf position..a role wenger reserved for cesc initially… united plays with quarterback carrick in the dmf position and had fletcher/park as ball winning midfielders…bayern has schweinsteiger who is closer to vieira than makelele in roles. i would say wenger is combining the barca-juve example….a reader/playmaker/passer as def mid with two box to box dynamos who can chase and harass and also confident at bombing forward.
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Just found this quote supposedly from Arsene “I think the captain is an important position, but it is not as important as the team spirit. You do not have to over-emphasise the importance of the captaincy.”
http://arsenalarsenal.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/new-captain-for-arsenal/
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Hunter “dynamo who can chase and harass and also confident at bombing forward.” sounds like Aaron Ramsey to me?
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I find it difficult to be objective because this is the culture within which I’ve grown up.
i have also been brought up in a culture where crossing with a red light and evading taxes aint such big a deal but its still wrong when you look at it objectively.
this is my biggest complain about english football.they feel they dotn have to change anything or learn anything from the football schools of abroad. in many aspects of their game and mentality on the game itself are still stuck in the 80s, maybe even 70s and the audacity for them to turn around and call the inventor of modern football as a guy who has lost it is simply ridiculous.
the majority, we are told, wants to see lads as captains…as if a football team is a tribe with their leader-killer that comes out for war. they can not accpet that the game is about skill percission and speed. they view it as an arena for aggression ( disguising it as passion of course) not a game of technical flair…maybe its because the english lack in technical ability and training to play any other way.
wenger is here educating ….showing that it can be done provided you put in the effort and train like a professional…but the powers that be dont want english football to copy say the spannish dutch or italian…they want it as it is….. pubs, captains, a brawl and a 4-5 scoreline…
they laugh at wenger for paying attention to clairefonatine academy yet that academy produced frances biggest generation to date. he is now combining spanish flair with german discipline in the cazorlas miquels artetas nachos and the eisfelds gnarbys pers poldis and adding the brittish loyalty factor but with players trained in european football, not english football
the emphasis is only winning and at all costs, no importance is given as to how you achieved victory. ferguson…20 titles or whatever ..you think he cares if some of them were won with pinball ricoches, dodgy penalties, penalty box overload confusion or by pure luck, or default? not at all. besides history is written by the winner and we all know what the books will say…thankfully i was alive to witness it and make my own mind about this “history”…..
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pedantic george February 5, 2013 at 11:01 am
yes he can do it. but i think wenger is preparing him for the pirlo/arteta role with jack and ox (?) or jack and eis(??) being the xavi/iniestas ( ????)…just off the top of my head.
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————szcy————
jenks–kons–verm–gibs
———–aaron———–
——-jack——–eisf—–
–ox——————–ryo-
————-theo———-
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Great round up from Bradyesque, hope it’s a weekly feature,with regard to DM which in my opinion is much more recently a quarterback, I’d give it to Ramsey. I love Lee Dixon, sat in the east lower and clock end for years cheering him on,saw him pick up his first championship medal in the flesh, I even used to work with a guy that drunk in his local and said he was a top man,I’ve picked up a fella that grew up with him and concurred with that whilst also revealing that Dixons dad wears a syrup!,hell I even went to his testimonial but the” Wenger doesn’t let Bould coach story” came from him telling Ian Wright,who has a radio show and a column in The Sun, I still love him but couldn’t help thinking that on Saturday when he was on the pitch,don’t like telltales,I mean I didn’t tell anyone his dad wore a wig, oh wait…….
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@George
Very, very true which is why I was always against a DM signing in recent times. I just don’t see a traditional DM fitting our system. Even Song had to add a trick or two to his repertoire to fit in and Mikel is imo still the better player for the position.
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“Brazilian party animal, Andre Santos, was at fault for both goals.”
I’m sure the majority of fans wouldn’t even question that statement. Welcome to the whipping boy club Andre.
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ian wirght has been hating us ever since we rejected his mediocre son, merson has been hating us ever since arsene dropped him back in 96-97, adams i dont know..cant understand him , way too much alcohool in his system and possibly a bit of a grudge/jealousy against bould for not being involved inside the club. dixon blows with the wind, vieira is being “professional” and keeping options open since he is involved in football in a technical advisor role. petit is jealous of cantona’s philosophical “air” and is fiercely competing with him for the title of wholl say the most absurd and complicated thing on camera. the only ones who accept no shit when it comes to talking arsenal are seaman parlour bobby and jens.
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So I see no one could answer Evil’s question at ACLF yesterday.
As expected!
And an excellent weekly round up.
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aa, sorry ive only just seen your message from yesterday.i obviously give you the wrong impression if you think in didnt enjoy your post, its just sometimes only the star player and the goalscores get a mention and as well you know there is so much more. my reply was just trying to highlight that.the fulham no.7 you spoke of was patrick roberts although the team sheet had him at sixteen,he is one of the lads they have high hopes for(i was sitting with some of the fulham officials).ive no problem writing reviews for you although i must warn you im very ARSENAL blinkered!
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“Brazilian party animal, Andre Santos, was at fault for both goals.”
Perhaps this is satire, but Santos wasn’t even on the pitch for the first goal. I really do think it’s a poke at those blaming him for everything though. I’m just not 100% sure.
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sahil sehrawat (@sahil_sehrawat) February 5, 2013 at 11:57 am
So I see no one could answer Evil’s question at ACLF yesterday.
ha! what did evil tell them?
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finsbury at 10:47 am
Arteta as the “Prince”. How apt Fins. Did you notice after that tussle with Owen, not a single strand of hair was out of place. I suppose referee Foy was impressed as well. Barely a ticking off. Legend in the making.
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Markus ,you realise is a joke? I am confident you do
Although Santos is getting a huge amount of unjust stick IMO
And Hello mate ,nice to see you
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What do we think on here about the new website? Waste of club resources or necessary modernisation? Is it time to get the black bin bags out and over our monitors?
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The official website is almost unrecognizable. Looks a lot better on the mobile.
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@Sahil
Tried it out and it’s much much better on my mobile! Okay, I will desists from protesting against it with a black bin bag.
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listening to liam brady on keys and gray and im sure he said ARSENAL have offered him another position within the club that didnt take as much time as he felt he needed to ease down so the juve link looks dubious
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Well he asked about the names of the conspiracy theorists, people who commented regularly at ACLF. There was not single direct reply, just some more rambling about the conspiracy theorists without ever pointing out a name.
Evil, I think it looks good.
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Arse or brain ,I think that too was humour
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oh good post today although i hope the santos at fault for both goals comment was tongue in cheek
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george im abit tired and dumb today not picking up subtlety
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Humour is funniest when there is a doubt about whether its supposed to be funny.
I think Bradyesque has done a great job .
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@Sahil
Unfortunately it’s a often used tactic on ACLF. They accuse you of being something or saying something and when you ask them for proof, none is forthcoming. I think George can pay testament to that, considering how many times he has been accused of doing something or saying something and how often those accusers could actually produce the proof for that (0 times, to be exact).
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pg totally agree
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Hunter ,be careful with the anti English rhetoric
I will have to ban you.And if you get banned I will never post on the site again.
(I am of course joking.You have said nothing wrong.And a whole lot right).
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Yes, George I realised. I’m sure others have stated the very same in complete seriousness though. When are they going to have you on the Fans Forum as co-presenter by the way. You must be almost due an invite at this stage.
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That badge is superb!
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Great stuff, B7. Look forward to reading weekly.
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I would like to thank all the posters for making us a bit of a success in our first week .Lets hope for continued growth with your help.
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And thank you George for this brilliant blog.
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i must say ive really enjoyed this first week knowing how difficult it is to start a blog with quality but so far its a job well done lads
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