Winter Wins (and Draws and Losses)

By: Tom | April 16th, 2009

I tend to go through spurts in Football Manager. I can go for a few days without playing, but then, when I do sit down, I might be there for hours and play a dozen games or so. This causes problems when it comes to this here blog, as I often find myself playing furious catch-up. I admire Daryl who seems to be able to limit himself to just one or two games and then write about them, and I will make an effort to get somewhere near that standard in future, but for now you’ll have to excuse an overload of match reports in this post.

This is the second time I’ve written about January’s matches. I wrote a very lengthy entry which I was planning on splitting up into a couple of posts, but somewhere along the way the internet gremlins gobbled it up and left not a trace. You’ll understand if I don’t go into too much detail for each of these games then, as it’s rather tiring re-writing all eight of them.

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Arsenal vs. Watford – FA Cup 3rd Round
3rd January 2009
English starters: 5 – Jagielka, Hoyte, Cattermole, Walcott, Wilshere

Goals – Fabregas (52), Nasri (61)

Brought in a couple of fringe players and gave Eduardo a chance to lead the line (although I’m not sure that’s really the kind of role he thrives in) and got a very comfortable win. Everything went as expected, including Rosicky coming off the bench and picking up a knock.

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Aston Villa vs. Arsenal – League Cup Semi Final, 1st Leg
7th January 2009
English starters: 3 – Taylor, Jagielka, Walcott

Goals – Agbonlahor (45), (89), Adebayor (84)

This was the game that got me excited about Agbonlahor. His pace was absolutely terrifying and he ran Steven Taylor ragged, who had to come off at half-time shaking and gently weeping. Silvestre seemed to be doing a better job of keeping him under control in the second half, and we were able to impress ourselves upon the game more, switching to a 4-3-3 in the last quarter of an hour as we went looking for a vital equalising away goal.

We did get it through substitue Adebayor, but then got too greedy as I left us in our offensive set-up, convinced we could grab a winner and put the final within touching distance. In the last minute, Milner broke up an attack, the ball was hoofed down field and Gabby used his pace to reach it and slot past Almunia.

Still, a result I was reasonably happy to take back to the Emirates for the second leg.

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Chelsea vs. Arsenal– Premier League
10th January 2009
English starters: 3 – Jagielka, Cattermole, Walcott

Goals – Toulalon (60)

For a while here it looked like we might get away with a point. It wasn’t the best of games, as I largely came to park the bus and try and grab something on the break. We lined up 4-4-1-1, and tried to snuff out any Chelsea play that might come through Essien and Deco.

We were largely successful in that regard, but in the process didn’t pay enough attention to Chelsea new boy Toulalon, as he took advantage of Van Persie’s missed clearance to poke home.

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West Brom vs. Arsenal – Premier League
17th January 2009
English starters: 5 – Jagielka, Gibbs, Cattermole, Walcott, Bullard

Goals – Adebayor (61), (pen 90+1)

A nice game to have following the Chelsea disappointment. New boy Bullard had a reasonably impressive debut, as he provided the assist for Adebayor’s first, and after that we always looked comfortable.

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Arsenal vs. Aston Villa – League Cup Semi Final, 2nd Leg
21st January 2009
English starters: 4 – Jagielka, Cattermole, Walcott, Bullard

Goals – Fabregas (15), Adebayor (21), (pen 89), Ponzio (45+3)

We absolutely dominated this match, and the final result shouldn’t have been as close as it was. Two early goals and two assists from Bullard and we were cruising towards Wembley. Then, against the run of play, Ponzio scored a flukey goal from a seemingly impossible angle that Almunia should have dealt with, and the tie was in the balance once more.

The second half was all Arsenal, but it wasn’t until the last minute that Walcott was felled in the box and Adebayor won it from the spot.

It’s Man City in the final.

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Plymouth vs. Arsenal – FA Cup 4rd Round
24th January 2009
English starters: 4 – Jagielka, Cattermole, Walcott, Bullard

Goals – Fabregas (39)

Some calls in the press that we should have won this game by more, but I wasn’t too overly concerned.

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Arsenal vs. Everton – Premier League
28th January 2009
English starters: 4 – Jagielka, Cattermole, Walcott, Bullard

A drab game as Everton got the point they so obviously came for. We couldn’t break down their 4-4-1-1 formation and missed a chance to gain ground in the title race as two of the top three lost.

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Arsenal vs. Man City – Premier League
31st January 2009
English starters: 3 – Jagielka, Cattermole, Bullard

Goals – Nasri (87)

If this was a dress rehearsal for the League Cup game, then Wembley can expect to see a very nervy final next month. A particularly dour first half called for stern words at half time, and it was the sub Nasri who finally proved the difference in the end. As you can see, I dropped Van Persie for the past few games after a poor run, and used Nasri, Rosicky and Vela at different times to replace him. Apart from Nasri’s sub appearance in this game, none of them have really impressed.

After rueing missing out on the three points in the previous game against Everton, this felt like a bonus, so things probably balanced themselves out.

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So January has seen progression in the domestic cups, but patchy form in the league, and that is ultimately where I am going to be judged most harshly. I’m still comfortably fourth though and set for Champions League qualification, so hopefully that will be enough for now.