I hadn’t seen the Football Pools website until today, when I stumbled on a column from Tony Cascarino. If you don’t have instant recall of every footballer from the 90s, Cascarino was an ex-Chelsea striker who went on to achieve cult status at Marseilles. He was also Ireland’s top goalscorer despite not actually being Irish.
He reckons we’re the perfect way for Arsenal to brush aside that inspid performance against West Brom. And what unrefutable reason does he give for this? Well:
 Roy Hodgson is more of a European style coach as he likes his teams to get it down and play. However, that falls right into Arsene Wenger’s team’s hands as they are better at it. Craven Cottage is a nice place for the Gunners to go and play in their own style and they’ll win.
It’s not that I disagreee that Arsenal play better football than we do, but Hodgson’s a European style coach? Couldn’t you say that about Benitez, Scolari and Wenger? Perhaps the way to prove Cascarino wrong is to deploy some mean guys in midfield (like, say, Leon Andreasen) and try outmuscle Arsenal’s teenage midfield. Worth a shot, isn’t it?
While we’re on the subject of this website, I also came across Mark Chapman tipping us to go down. Chapman, a supposedly funny Radio 1 DJ and occassional host of 6-0-6, doesn’t give a reason for our nine months of struggle but still tips us to be ‘around the bottom’. He’s also a Man Utd fan so what he knows about football can be scribbled on the back of a beer mat.
I’m not buying it. Despite what we didn’t show at the KC, the boys proved last season that they’ve got the stomach for the fight and I think Roy’s added plenty more quality this season. It might be wise if someone showed Zoltan Gera how to score in an open goal between now and Saturday night, though.
I ‘sort’ of get what he means about RH..
I would hardly call Wenger a European ‘style’ coach. I think his style is pretty unique.
The best way to beat Arsenal is to defend well, get a set pieces chance or counter attack and score before Le Guns do.
Seems like Brede Hangeland has down well for Fulham, so it will be interesting match for me both as a Gunner and a Norwegian.
Good luck to you 🙂
I understand what you’re saying. Roy is a European-style coach, but my point was that most coaches take ideas from the continent these days. My major gripe with Cascarino was that he was simply suggesting that Arsenal seemed to just have to turn up to win.
My point with Wenger was that he brought French fitness ideals, a different outlook on the game of football (see the passing style) and an adventurous philosophy which I thought owed much to his own experiences, both in French football and Japan.
Norway Gooner – Thanks for the tip. I’ll pass it on to Roy.
As for Hangeland, he divides opinion amongst Fulham fans. I think he’s a very good centre half and one of the main reasons for us staying in the top flight. Others see him as a weak link and just a small step up from Zat Knight.
I hope you enjoy the game (but not too much obviously!)
One poor result does’nt spell a season. Arsenal may win but there’s plenty of fight in Roy’s team which I think Arsenal will find out at the weekend!
I am a Gooner but I must say that I have never known Cascarino to make a sensible comment or prediction yet.
Last year he had Arsenal finishing mid-table and Spurs taking the Champions League place. Needless to say, Arsenal finished 8 places and 37 points above Spurs.
Some Premiership results are predictable but every game has to be hard fought for and anything less than 100% effort is punished.
well all i can say is that this Cascarino character obviously hasnt been reading up on fulham or arsenal lately, if he had he would have realised that arsenal have a host of central midfielders injured and it is one of fulhams best positions in terms of numbers of players, fulham shudnt be underestemated for this fixture, but with all of this sed i still beleive Arsenal will probably win, maybe by one or two clear goals
Norway Gooner – Get in front & defend well. That’s the way to beat every side, not just Arsenal.
It’s like people think there’s a unique formula for beating us.
Deny the opposition time and space in possession, defend well & score first. That will be every teams aim every time they take the field! Plum!
After one game Fulham will be relegated, The Arsenal will never win the league again and JT will score a penalty in every final this season to put right that miss in Moscow. Thats according to our lovely boys in the press. Really wouldnt read too much into what Chelsea Tone has to say fellas. Good luck for the season.
there is no European style.. the way Italians play and the way the Spanish play is different. the way the french play and the way the Germans play is different. different clubs employ different tactics.
Arsenal plays like the way the dutch play or the way South Americans play. the dutch have the best style in Europe.
benitez is Spanish but Liverpool plays in an English way.