A guest post from @foreverheady

All Community Shields matter, but some matter more than others.

You’d certainly wish you were playing, rather than just watching, given you only get the traditional curtain-raiser invite if you’ve won either cup or league the season before.  Other countries glamorise such ties with titles like Supercup, but the UK settled first with Charity, and then Community (reflecting a more politically correct age) to highlight the fact that for once the riches on display might help those who are a long way away from any such wealth.

Some of these games are little more than a stroll in the Wembley park, a last opportunity to put the finishing touches to the long pre-season process, especially when the previous year’s Cup has thrown up an unlikely winner, such as Wigan or Portsmouth. I suspect yesterday’s affair would have been one such game had Aston Villa done what many predicted and beaten The Arsenal in May. But of course they didn’t, and what we were left with was a Premier League marketing dream.

A London derby.

Chelsea v Arsenal. Jose v Wenger.

You see, every so often the Charity Shield throws up a game that really does matter, and which has significance far beyond the actual result.

Liverpool and Leeds in ’74 is the first I remember, the animosity between the teams palpable, but in later years Liverpool and Manchester United, Manchester United and Arsenal, Chelsea and City. Heavyweight contenders, Bull elephants circling each other, marking territory, establishing dominance.  At times all that seems missing is the dulcet tones of Sir David Attenborough, so primal are the encounters.

Last year’s Shield proves the point in reverse somehow; with several of the players still in post-World Cup drowsiness, and City clearly not rating their opponents, Arsenal secured a bloodless win that surprised one and all and which seemed at the time almost an irrelevance, such was the sense that the real title contenders were keeping their powder dry. And so it proved: although City and Arsenal eventually proved comfortably better than all the rest, the Premier League title was Chelsea’s well before Christmas.

It wasn’t like that yesterday, not like that at all. In the second half of last season’s League campaign, Wenger’s Arsenal emerged as a side to be reckoned with, a side that many felt could prove to be genuine contenders once more.  Although they never got close enough to land a proper blow, the celebrations of the Chelsea team on securing a goalless point at The Emirates in April suggested that they too had begun to see Arsenal as credible and feared opponents.

But something else was happening too I think, namely the increasing intensity of the animosity between Wenger and Mourinho.

The English game has lacked a proper feud for a while. Clough and Revie ages ago; then Clough and just about anyone; Ferguson and Keegan; Ferguson and Wenger for a while, but then, not much – to be honest the last few years have been positively beige. Van Gaal can’t be taken seriously, Pellegrino seems hardly bothered, and Arsene has not really had the team for anyone to reckon it be worth spending too much time on mind games. But it has been clear for a while that there is something about Wenger that really rankles Jose, and the feeling, it would appear, is delightfully mutual. Taunts in Press Conferences, measured and barbed responses, touchline scuffles, cold shoulders and faint praise. It has all been escalating very nicely, and if anyone thinks that as the managers led their teams out yesterday they were treating it as a friendly then I would respectively suggest that not only do they not really understand football but they haven’t a clue about human nature either.

Certainly the full-studded stamps of Ramariez on Cazorla, Ivanovic’s scything’s of Ozil and the heaviness of Coquelin’s challenges in the first several minutes suggested that pre-season was well and truly over, as did the intensity of Arsenal’s forward surge immediately after kick-off. This was a contest, and although essentially even, with both sides enjoying plenty of the ball, The Arsenal always seemed just that little bit lighter on their feet, more direct in their approach.

Close matches between top teams are decided by the smallest of details, and by moments of individual brilliance. A couple of years ago I wrote this about Mesut Ozil:  “great players make it seem like 11 against 10, for their vision reduces defences as surely as if a red card has been issued. Özil is a space maker and a game changer.” And he proved my words just right yesterday. Look again at the Arsenal goal. Ozil has the ball on the left hand flank, seemingly intent on attacking down that wing: in a moment he switches play to Theo in the middle, his pass cutting five defenders out of the game. Suddenly there is space, which Walcott maximises by immediately releasing Oxlade into the box, who then cuts inside and fires unstoppably with his weaker foot into the top corner.

It was the goal of a great striker, initially enabled by a master craftsman.

And in the end it proved the difference.

First Ramirez and then Hazard might have equalised, but only last ditch defending and great goalkeeping prevented Arsenal from stretching their lead too.

Both clubs will take things from the game.

Chelsea will point to the missing Costa, to a slight unpreparedness, to the ring-rustiness of Falcao and conclude that on another day things might well have gone differently. They have time between now and September to enter the market and acquire the players that will allow them to confidently defend their title, and I am sure they will. They probably need a centre-half, a defensive midfielder and a new striker as yesterday their spine looked vulnerable.

Arsenal will remember that they have Alexis and Wilshere to add to the mix, and will no doubt also look to strengthen and perhaps improve key positions.

I suspect that both managers will be looking at the same players and that after yesterday both clubs will be keen to back their manager’s choices. But most of all, both clubs will know that their next encounter will count for more than just another trophy of debatable worth, and that they will be playing for Premiership points and real bragging rights.

Saturday, 19^th September will see the hottest tickets in town; the battle lines have been drawn and there won’t be any charity on offer, not even a handshake.

There is no point me pretending I’m not over the moon with that win, I am.

I couldn’t give a flying that it is a friendly because there was nothing friendly about it.

They were trying to win just as much as Arsenal were. The tell tail signs were there early on when Santi had his Achilles raked. A dive in the box from Ivanović, further evidence that there was no charity involved in this encounter.

I make no apologies for thinking Chelsea are our fiercest rivals. I detest everything about the club, especially that horrible hypocrite of a manager. I love the fact that we beat them, I love it.

There is even less point me trying to review the game. All I know is we won, we were the better team and we deserved to win.

Three things that stood out the most were how much of a difference Giroud seemed to make, how good Coquelin was and Laurent Koscielny is as world class as it’s possible to be.

I am not going to predict we win the league, but I will say that there will have to be some very bad luck, on the injury front, to stop us making a genuine challenge.

So that’s it, my comprehensive match report. I hope you all enjoyed it.

So the long close season is drawing to an end, the evenings are shortening, arable crops stand tall and golden in the fields, cheery yokels chew on a shared stalk of straw by my gate, and the slamming of the transfer window is no longer the distant dream it was a billion tweets ago. Hip-Hip-Hooray!

Shedding the sleepy early Summer shroud we must prepare ourselves for another season supporting our club, mountains to climb, let us get to work then:

What did I learn from this weekend ?

As Stew said yesterday and we all know, the thrashing of Lyon and what was a much more interesting game against Wolfsburg a pleasant interlude. I expected more from Lyon but they were knocked out of their stride and suddenly found the game lost. Wolfsburg were a much better work-out, the first half an hour was particularly tricky. We looked a little unsure of one another in that opening, a little rattled. We settled though, we took control. Nacho probably did as much running as I have seen him ever do in 90 minutes. The Germans controlled the ball well and do not give it away. We shall come to more of that below. What they lacked was a really sharp striker, but you know that.

Both sides are in the hat for CL group stages. We may see them again. There will be tougher opponents who do not fold as Lyon did. Mossy will not always be as obliging as he recently has been.

The evidence yesterday and today confirms that we enjoy a squad of formidably talented individuals, technically the best squad I can remember. And beyond the first eleven another what ? …. eight, nine or more players who could come in and do as good a job as those who are on the team sheet.

Clockwork, very fast clockwork. They enjoy an excellent understanding of each other’s movement and pace, short and long passes are pinged about. And did you see the finishing yesterday ??? Oh my ! Arsene has taken several years to assemble this selection of players. It has taken time, it has taken patience, there have been errors, and so often progress of the team has been set back through injury. The dish seems just about ready to serve.

And that perhaps brings us to a second thing I learned yesterday. The necessity of ensuring that players are fit, physically and mentally, for a full season of football when the contest gets underway. For the first time we embark upon a season with neither a) numbers of key players knackered because of summer competitive commitments, or b) carrying long term injuries that will bar them for months from contributing. The players looked, to me, rested, confident, and ready. That has not always been the case.

And the third valuable learning experience ? Well this youngster Jeff Reine-Adelaide must have made a hell of an impact in training, on coaching staff and manager. To get at his age and experience from new recruit from the admittedly highly rated Lens academy, and never having played a game for the French side, on to the Emirates pitch in six weeks as a starter is not usual, is untypical, is downright odd. We have a LOT of teenage talent and most of them have served their time. Iwobi I see joined the club at eight years old. Young Jeff’s rapid progress caught my eye even though, by the time he did get on yesterday, the game had lost its fizz. Today though he was a central figure, made Theo’s goal, a creative player and so strong for a 17 year old. One point of concern though, the name “Jeff”, is that French ??

One pot down, I admit is was a little embarrassing not having won the Ems Trophy since 2010

And what do we think the next week will bring ?

Sunday – Chelsea at Wembley of course. 3.00 Kick off time as it should be. Checking the records we have never played them in the Charity or Community Shield at the stadium. During the Millennium years there was just one meeting, in August 2005, with the Fulham Broadway posse winning 2-1. Jose’s only Community Shield, their winner from Droggie, our goal from the 18 year old prodigy Fabregas and, according to the match reports I looked at today, an excellent performance from Peter Cech keeping us at bay in the final quarter. Oh for the wheel to turn the full circle next Sunday.

A step back though from the edge of the wishing well.

Like just about everyone, everywhere ( including a number of CFC fans I know) most people consider Jose Mourinho to be the incarnation of football evil, a man who consciously sets out to destroy any semblance of art or beauty in the game. He almost invented bus parking in modern football with Inter. He acquires and discards footballers like disposable paper hankies. He treats opposing manager, often former colleagues and mentors, with contempt.

Not only does Jose have that satanic core running through him like a stick of rock but, unforgivably, the man keeps winning trophies. He is not lucky, he works hard. He uses the massive resources he is given well. And each time we anticipate bagging the bastard, cutting him down and mounting his smug Portuguese head on the library wall, he eludes the hunters. He even, once or twice, contrives to get the hunters to shoot each other in the head. I wince at the recollection, for the 1,000^th time.

But what Jose is very good at is setting up his football team to stifle the opposition, to stop them winning. No side managed by Jose ever is profligate with the football. They keep it and keep it. ( Rather like Wolfsburg but with a greater propensity for violence) At worse Jose’s approach ensures a share of the points, at best his cautious control of the ball allows his side, if they can force a chance or error, to win.

So this week Jose will be working very hard indeed. He will be looking at the tapes of yesterday and of our closing games last season, and from his careful and shrewd analysis setting up Chelsea next week as the immovable object against which our artists will batter themselves to exhaustion. It has worked so often before, will it work on the 2^nd of August ? The Community Shield will be no friendly, it will be no sham display, at the end of the game there will be a trophy won by the better side with plenty of sweat expended.

Enjoy your week.

A guest post from Seebs

Singapore, half time, first friendly of the season, a young side are putting on a decent display in extreme heat. Stupidly I wandered on to twitter, hoping to see praise for Chuba Akpom and Alex Iwobi, only to find many showing frustration at the game. One person twitted “that’s 45 of my life I’ll never get back”, I couldn’t believe it. At first I was annoyed and I was going to add a sarcastic reply however, as I know the person and know their passion for ARSENAL, I resisted and then started thinking about things that drives supporters.

This is not anything to do with AKB’s and wob’s but actually goes across the spectrum. As we have seen on this forum the arrival of a relationship with ARSENAL is different for everyone and probably means something slightly different for everyone as well. I think I love ARSENAL more than anyone else in the world and I would imagine most would inwardly feel the same boast (whether you’re from N5 or north Australia). I know there are people who spend more money than me and I know there are people who spend more time than me on our beloved club but I validate my illogical reasoning with the hurt I feel when something bad happens to the club or the elation I feel when even the minor positive happens. My life is undoubtedly affected by the club and my wife understands that our diary is guided by the diary of ARSENAL and knows she will lose me on certain occassions  and I am unavailable even to listen to a conversation at some points. She says I love ARSENAL more than her and jokingly I say that’s because I’ve loved ARSENAL longer than I’ve loved her, but in all seriousness there is a commitment there. This love means I hate anybody attacking my club, I love watching even the most boring game, I would never walk away or turn off even if we were getting stuffed and reading about our history feels me with a warm glow.

I do think of the club as “THE ARSENAL”, an institution full of class that you have to pay your dues to truly belong. I remember at a wedding I went to many years ago, two young lads were introduced to an uncle they hardly knew, there Mum said they had just started supporting ARSENAL (although knowing their family there would have had little choice). Their uncle stood up straight and almost ceremonially shook their hands and welcomed them in to an institution he said would be with them all their lives. This red and white cloak we all wear as we go about our daily lives manifest itself in different ways, on here we support everyone hoping they will come good while others have a standard of which they believe must always be matched to be truly representative of a great club. This standard has obviously been raised by Arsene and invincibles and there are fans who will match every game, every player and every situation with not just invincibles but the best of the best of the invincibles.

As I look at the many ARSENAL books in my collection and the massive history columns that make up the ARSENAL empire I can understand those who say this or that is not good enough for our great club however if you look deeper into our history you would find many who if judged with hindsight would fail the modern fans test. In my first Highbury years there was a CB who wasn’t blessed with the skills of Bobby Moore in fact many would include him in the list of our worst ever CB’s, his name was Terry Mancini and as a young defender I loved him. He scored one goal but it was a very important goal and it helped ARSENAL stay in the top division that year. Modern day fans would have castigated him but he is part of our history and part of “THE ARSENAL”.

Arsenal, in whatever form turn me on, I still get the infantile excitement and nerves I got when I was a kid, whether its watching on the telly,  getting off the train on match days or sitting in a cold rickety old stand on a Monday night watching the stiffs. There are many fans however who have let their love of the image, the institution, the banner, “THE ARSENAL” get in the way of their pure enjoyment of game. So I would ask them once again do you love ARSENAL or the idea of ARSENAL?

cheers,

Seebs (arse or brain)

A guest post from @foreverheady

The autumn of 2012 was an interesting time for The Arsenal. The three new signings, Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla were settling in quite nicely, but their arrival early in the summer, initially greeted by the fans with some degree of enthusiasm, did little to compensate for the disappointment felt when both Alex Song and Robin van Persie left the club for what, to them, seemed greener fields elsewhere.  The first few results seemed promising: despite successive nil-all draws suggesting that Giroud wasn’t quite the replacement for RvP some had hoped for, a comprehensive win at Anfield with goals from the other two new boys and a display of poise, power and grace from Diaby suggested that the season might turn out well after all. A thrashing of Southampton and a hard-earned away point against Manchester City confirmed the promise, and, albeit prematurely, some were talking of a title challenge. However, and especially in light of the two afore mentioned departures, one particular cloud hovered over the horizon. Theo Walcott, who had been with the club since he was 16, and now surely entering his most productive footballing years, was entering the final stages of his contract, and as yet had not put pen to paper to commit himself to the club for another term.

As autumn gave way to winter the mood around the Emirates darkened too. A number of poor results saw the team slip down the table, injuries (especially to Diaby) began to take their toll and an embarrassing League Cup exit on a frozen Bradford pitch seemed to suggest that the stadium project was nothing but a white elephant, draining the club of money, players and hope. The vultures were circling, and Walcott was the prime target. Not many would have bet heavily on him staying at the club with the January transfer window about to open. Much was made at the time over his desire to play centrally, but I think there was more to it than just positional preference. Money came into it, of course, but also I think a desire to be central to the plans of the club – and also a need to know that the club was worth being central to. Just after Christmas he got his wish to play up front as lone striker in an astonishing game against Newcastle, and he answered those critics who suggested that he lacked the physical presence and skill set to be a Number 9 with three fine goals: the first a Henryesque finish from left of centre into the bottom far corner, the second a predatory effort in the box, the third an exquisite chip after an audacious solo run. 7-3 the  score line, and as he acknowledged the applause with a solo lap of the ground after the final whistle it was impossible to know whether he was saying goodbye to The Emirates or just revelling in the moment. I felt sure he was off. Only he will truly know, but I suspect he could not have failed to be moved by the warmth of his reception and the love the crowd had for him.  But much to my surprise in mid-January, sign da ting he did, and for a while he must have wondered what he had done.  Defeats by City and Chelsea, a premature Fifth Round FA Cup departure to Blackburn and then an away defeat to Tottenham saw the Gunners fortunes, while not quite at rock-bottom, at least feeling suspiciously much like it. We trailed Spurs by seven points, we were about to be knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich, confidence was low and a season that had started reasonably optimistically was threatening to unravel.

Except it didn’t. Changes to the defence tightened things up, and Theo started to fire on all cylinders. A ten-game unbeaten run in the league, inspired by vital goals from him, saw The Arsenal secure fourth place on the final day of the season, breaking our neighbour’s hearts into the bargain. I suspect we may never properly know quite how important a placing that was, how seminal Walcott’s strikes were. What we do know is that by denying Tottenham Champions League football they found it impossible to stop Gareth Bale from leaving them. And we also perhaps know that because Real Madrid needed to fund his purchase, they made Mesut Ozil available, and that The Arsenal were able to step in and buy him. Inspired by that acquisition the Gunners played some brilliant football at the start of 13/14 and went on, of course, to win the FA Cup as well as finishing comfortably ahead of the chasing pack in the Champions League spot again. More top signings followed those successes, with Alexis being the most notable, and despite a horrific injury crisis in the first half of 2014/15, third place in the League and another FA Cup triumph suggested that whatever assurances were given to Theo back in January 2013 about the direction of the club, they were very much on the money.

The irony of course, is that since the club signed Mesut Ozil, Theo has been almost permanently injured, and so we have yet to really see the full flowering of a relationship that I believe could become one of the most potent and formidable in the history of the game. Walcott possesses electrifying pace, a fine footballing brain and the predatory instincts of a natural born goal scorer. He is articulate and well-mannered, but also ultra-competitive. He is also appropriately ambitious and has it within him to become a legend for both club and country. His career thus far has been interrupted by a whole series of niggling injuries, and at times he has seemed just a little bit frail. However, after suffering what could have been a career-ending cruciate ligamentinjury in the Third Round FA Cup defeat of Spurs back in January 2014, he has shown admirable fortitude in not only fighting his way back to full fitness, but also returning noticeably more solid and robust.There is a bit of bulk about him now, a real physical presence. All credit to him, but also the medical team and the manager for resisting the temptation to bring him back too soon.  It seemed to me entirely fitting that he should have scored the opening goal in the 2015 Final, and I hope he felt it just reward for his patience and fortitude.

So when people talk about all the new strikers we might buy, I just feel glad that we have on our books someone who has already scored over 50 goals for the Club, is a proven International and is still only 26. In the few games he has played with Ozil, Alexis, Cazorla and Ramsey he has shown signs that he could add quite significantly to that tally. Indeed, I would not dissuade anyone from having a few pennies on him ending the season as the league’s leading goal scorer, as long, of course, that he continues to play for The Arsenal. I like to think he will, for I believe his best years are yet to come, and that he is, in many ways, the vital cog in our attacking wheel.  I also believe that it was his decision to stay three years ago that reminded everyone that although a few rats may have left, the Arsenal ship was far from sinking. I suspect the manager is more than aware of all of that, and that he has a special regard for him. After all, he did pay more than Five Million to Southampton when Theo was was only 17, a not inconsiderable fee back in 2006. While it would be fanciful to claim that Walcott plays Potter to Wenger’s Dumbledore, I cannot help but think of him as the boy who stayed. After all, I am often told that Arsene wears a magic hat….

A guest post from @foreverheady

Meaningless methadone it may have been and for the manager and team no doubt a low stakes game, where getting fit and building up gently for the rigours to come was the main priority. And yet Arsene would have known that it was also a game that the team was expected to win, and win well – and that the right result would do much to build momentum and confidence. It was a useful, risk free game for the critics too: a win would be treated as all that should have been expected and that counted for nothing, while a stumbling draw or embarrassing defeat sure signs that the team was lacking the key personel so obstinately ignored by the out of touch manager.
But as things turned out, something rather wonderful emerged from a game which certainly exceeded my expectations – and given that this was the third time in a row that this has happened it is perhaps time to start taking it seriously. In the final game of the 14/15 League season Arsenal needed a point to secure third place in the table, their charge towards second spot having been derailed by two disappointing home results (with no goals scored each time) and a lacklustre point at Old Trafford. West Brom at home was a nice way to finish the campaign, but there were plenty saying that if we couldn’t break down the Swansea and Sunderland defences we would struggle to do so against a Pulis team. To add to the interest the following week’s Cup Final ensured that players would be anxious to make a last claim on a starting spot, while also remaining injury free. Arsene rested Giroud and started with Walcott up front and in an astonishing display of free flowing football Arsenal scored four goals, with Theo bagging three. It was breath-taking and the WBA defence was shredded. Much the same happened at Wembley: once again Walcott started centrally; once again the team scored four with Walcott the first scorer.
Fast forward seven weeks or so to the game yesterday, and Walcott was again a central attacker, although this time paired with Giroud in what looked suspiciously like a 442. I have to say it didn’t come as a total surprise to see Theo open the scoring, but what was slightly unexpected was the fluency and sharpness of the team, who seemed to pick things up exactly as they had left them at Wembley. At times the Everton players looked compleley bemused by the speed and trickery of their opposition, and if you haven’t seen the game I urge you to find a recording of it somewhere. Cazorla, Ozil, Ramsey and Wilshere were unplayable, the stretching runs of Walcott almost impossible to predict. This was football of the highest order, football that no English club has produced for some time – and as I say, it was the third time in three games that it has happened. Yes, it was only a pre-season friendly (although before the game I was told Everton would provide a stern test). Yes, Aston Villa were poor (although before the Final I was told that they would be awkward opponents). Yes, the Baggies played as if they were already on the beach (although before the game I was told they would be resolute and well-organised). And yes, harder games lie ahead and we won’t always have it our own way (thanks for pointing that out because I would never have thought it, wet behind the ears that I am).
But given the evidence of yesterday, you would be foolish to think anything else than this side is transforming into something rather special who play football in a most unusual and next-level way. Any new signings will have to fit into this new evolving pattern – and, of course, help it evolve still further. These are exciting times to follow The Arsenal – and yes, it is only pre-season, but if you can’t be optimistic and excited in July, then you really have no business being a fan at all.