Arsenal Thread

Some fundamentals are missing and for me, one is physical presence. Is there a shorter midfield quartet in the Prem than Theo, Nasri, Denilson and Fab? For all that undoubted quality, you need a bruiser in there somewhere. Even Flam was a shorty, but he could put it about and play football when it was needed. You have to say we've sorely missed him. It's equally painful when you consider that Diarra slipped through our fingers too, although his temperament could be called into question.

Secondly we don't have any real leaders. Gallas does alright, but he's just not captain material. Personally I think he gets a bit of a hard time. He might be a bit past his best but he still does it on a regular basis, see the penalty clearance on Sat for an example. What annoyed me the most about Sat was that no one, bar Almunia, was shouting and getting pissed off. They all looked like lost school boys. No direction.
 
What about fabregas he was the leader last year but this year he seem like hes just playing football, he dont get himself involve as the leader of the team no more, Guess he focus on going back to barca next year...
 
Fabregas is a good player. His playing was the same last season and this season too. But then i do feel for him too. Hes in a team which cant win games and and is lost in its own world like not having consistency. U know what i mean, like he deserves more. I'm not saying he should leave Arsenal, but then he gave all his youth to Arsenal, he was so young and played here, the only Spaniard Youngster, i mean he obviously misses home n stuff.

The bottomline is that he has given Arsenal so much, but what has Arsenal given him other than losing matches on home grounds, losing his best Friends (Hleb, Senderos, Henry, Flamini) and finally not winning anything. He is trying his best to do whatever he can. But then if he leaves next season, i'll hold Arsenal - esp. Wenger responsible not Fabregas.
 
rushilhalflife said:
Fabregas is a good player. His playing was the same last season and this season too. But then i do feel for him too. Hes in a team which cant win games and and is lost in its own world like not having consistency. U know what i mean, like he deserves more. I'm not saying he should leave Arsenal, but then he gave all his youth to Arsenal, he was so young and played here, the only Spaniard Youngster, i mean he obviously misses home n stuff.

The bottomline is that he has given Arsenal so much, but what has Arsenal given him other than losing matches on home grounds, losing his best Friends (Hleb, Senderos, Henry, Flamini) and finally not winning anything. He is trying his best to do whatever he can. But then if he leaves next season, i'll hold Arsenal - esp. Wenger responsible not Fabregas.
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I think you've got them two mixed up, Arsenal has made him into one of the best midfielders in the world, I doubt if he stayed at Barca he would have been given a chance.
 
I think wenger will not last the whole season,

I mean he sure deserve honor and braveness for what he has done but we got money to spend and he doesnt, Theres great player who are willing to join arsenal with the mouvement and team posture but wenger dont bring them in so at the end no title is won but the team give a great show to the fans, but no title is won.

experience players thats what arsenal need, Silvestre is a good experience player but hes a passive dude, hes not a leader.

experience and debt added to the young squad would make this team unbeatable.
 
Any of you see his interview on CL weekly, Was saying that if he was to buy 2-3 experienced heads it would unbalance the side with so many young heads and older heads :SS
 
Yea,i know. So i guess he might maximum just 1 player or no one at all. Wenger wont be sacked. Thats for sure. I dont want him to be sacked either. After all he has done a lot for this club. 12 years was not a joke!!.

Wenger, if he leaves before his contract ends in 2011, will be only becoz of his own choice or not at all. I'm sure the board will never sack him.

We've gone through situations worse than these!!
 
If you get rid of Wenger you're f*cked, well and truly. He's the only reason Arsenal are able to attract the best young players in the world. If Wenger goes, Ade and Cesc will follow, and you'll have real issues getting decent players in.

In Jan I'd push hard to get Micah Richards. He's been rubbish this year at City, but has massive potential, and is a self-admitted Arsenal fan. I think City will bring in some of the best CBs in teh world, and that'll give him a reason to head south. With decent coaching he could be a revelation. Also give some grit in the air.
 
beachryan said:
If you get rid of Wenger you're f*cked, well and truly. He's the only reason Arsenal are able to attract the best young players in the world. If Wenger goes, Ade and Cesc will follow, and you'll have real issues getting decent players in.

In Jan I'd push hard to get Micah Richards. He's been rubbish this year at City, but has massive potential, and is a self-admitted Arsenal fan. I think City will bring in some of the best CBs in teh world, and that'll give him a reason to head south. With decent coaching he could be a revelation. Also give some grit in the air.
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how can u say wenger is the reason why young players want to join us? wenger could easily be replaced with another top manager.
 
It's definitely some steel in midfield that you need. You are bullied too easily. I feel the same happens at United to a certain extent. We've been outfought by a couple of midfields this year i.e. Liverpool and Everton 2nd half. That would never have happened when Keane was there and I'm sure you could say the same about Vieira.
 
Wenger must be held onto. He's the guy who turned us from mediocre long ball playing, to a team that is consistently in the top 4.

I think he needs a strategy rethink. It's not working at all this season. The right blend is needed, and he needs a ruthless streak a la Fergie, to axe those players not carrying their weight.

I know what everyone will say to this, but i think bringing Vieira back for a couple of seasons to provide that drive and leadership will help enormously. He can be our Cantona so to speak.

ArseBlog said:
Arsene spoke last week about how you need 11 leaders on the pitch. One might have made a difference against Villa. This team is rudderless, inconsistent and now, sadly, out of the title race for this season. We've lost four out of thirteen and with so far still to go in the campaign it's inconceivable that we can remain unbeaten from here on in.

There are some very real problems. Last week they got themselves up for a big match and performed excellently. This week the opposition wasn't quite so glamorous and the performance reflected that. It was the same against Hull, against Stoke, against Fulham and against Sunderland. Is it over-confidence? Arrogance? Laziness? It's not my job to find out, it's Arsene Wenger's, but you cannot deny the problem exists.

Defensively we are a shambles. There's no solidity at the back and the centre of our defence is weak. We have conceded 15 goals in our 13 league games, 10 of those at home. The issues the manager identified have not been addressed and unless they are then we will remain a defensively suspect team. Apart from Djourou, who has not really been given a chance in the league this season, none of Gallas, Toure or Silvestre have performed well enough. When you have a soft centre you will get exposed and Gallas, Toure and Silvestre are soft. I won't say not good enough because that's too sweeping but not playing anywhere near well enough.

I also wonder that if Gallas and Silvestre weren't French would Wenger be so forgiving of their poor form and slack defending. I fully accept that Kolo Toure has not been playing well but it was Gallas who was guilty of a string of poor performances and individual errors which costs us goals, yet Toure was dropped. What kind of message does that send? Gallas defended well for the most part against Villa, he prevented the rebound being scored, but was found out with a simple long ball over the top, 'defending' for which other centre-halves of recent times would have been crucified for. How long do you keep carrying someone?

Midfield was woeful. Cesc is playing as poorly as I have ever seen him play, Nasri goes from the sublime to the opposite of sublime, Theo flits in and out of games and when faced with that kind of system has no space to get behind defences where he causes the most damage, Denilson still isn't ready in my opinion, and Diaby was more or less anonymous.

Up front Bendtner didn't have a lot to work with, Villa are a good defensive side, but the way he strolls about the pitch is maddening and the way the ball seems to bounce off him at completely random angles when he tries to control it puts me in mind of a hungover Sunday League player at times.

Yet this was the same group of players that did so well and beat United. It's so, so frustrating.

Afterwards Arsene said:

You have to accept that the game is played by human beings and sometimes physically they have a drop. It is very difficult for us to have a rational explanation about what happened today. I believe that the team want it but it was just like a few other times this year where it is unexplainable why we don’t really play at our 100% potential.

Physically that team had a week off after the United game. There is no reason why they should have had a drop. They should have been full of confidence, full of energy, yet they were half-arsed, sluggish and, at times, disinterested. Where was the urgency? Where was the fight?

I think it's obvious this team lacks a leader. Again I'm not being critical of Gallas just for the sake of being critical but he's not a leader. He might try but it's just not in his nature. I think that's obvious and then you have to start looking at the manager who persists with him as captain. Is there a natural leader in the team? I've talked up Cesc for the captaincy and I think he'd enjoy it but maybe now is not the right time.

We're a quiet team. There's nobody talking, egging people on, shouting, encouraging. We go out, 'play our football' but if that doesn't work we are stymied. We miss a Flamini type character, not only for the way he played football (and I think we really miss that at the moment) but for his relentless drive and unwillingness to be beaten. Some of them appeared to just give up yesterday, went through the motions and that's not right.

The manager has to address these issues and the only way of doing it now is with the chequebook. We have to splutter through until January, hoping that the Arsenal that is motivated and capable turns up for the matches, and then buy. He needs to buy at least one centre half and at least one central midfielder. Not prodigies, not teen-sensations, not players with 'great potential', but players who can come in, bring quality and experience, and improve the side. Ideally one of those players could provide the leadership the team so badly needs.

I know we have lots of good young players coming through but the cream will rise to the top anyway. Let's not forget Cesc broke into the Arsenal team when we had Vieira, Parlour, Edu and Gilberto in his way. Proper men, experienced quality footballers and to perpetuate this fallacy that buying a player will somehow prevent a talented youngster making his mark does the manager no service.

It's hard to know what to feel about this group of players. One week they're fantastic, the next week they're beyond dreadful. They build us up then knock us down again. The bottom line though is that this team has weaknesses that are apparent to me and practically every Arsenal fan. We lack quality in defence and in midfield and there's a mental weakness that has to be corrected, otherwise this is going to be a very long and very trying season.
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all was on point but this took my breath away....
Arsenalblog said:
Let's not forget Cesc broke into the Arsenal team when we had Vieira, Parlour, Edu and Gilberto in his way. Proper men, experienced quality footballers and to perpetuate this fallacy that buying a player will somehow prevent a talented youngster making his mark does the manager no service.
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Sucks about Theo. Dislocations are awfully painful, and worse, more likely to occur after each time you get one. Not a good sign.

Can't wait to hear Arsene's reaction ... :(
 
IceMan_Bergkamp said:
Maybe a blessing in disguise - we may see some of the young team coming through like Wilshire and Merida.
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hows that a blessing in disguise. no1 is as fast as walcott in our team and we really need a fast pacey winger that can trouble a defence. Wilshire is not a winger from what i have seen nore is he even fast:CONF:
 
jonneymendoza said:
hows that a blessing in disguise. no1 is as fast as walcott in our team and we really need a fast pacey winger that can trouble a defence. Wilshire is not a winger from what i have seen nore is he even fast:CONF:
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It's a kick up the ass to our underperforming first team = blessing in disguise.

Pace is good, but teamed with a football brain, it's more effective. Theo's choice of ball sometimes just baffles me, along with the fact that he leaves the ball behind on occassion. Fran Merida plays in this position, and i would like to see him, or maybe move Nasri right, and play Vela left. Merida's crossing was quite impressive in the Carling Cup, and would be a good source of support for Ade.

With Wilshire, i was thinking of him playing in the middle in the abscence of Fabregas in some capacity along with Ramsey.
 
IceMan_Bergkamp said:
It's a kick up the ass to our underperforming first team = blessing in disguise.

Pace is good, but teamed with a football brain, it's more effective. Theo's choice of ball sometimes just baffles me, along with the fact that he leaves the ball behind on occassion. Fran Merida plays in this position, and i would like to see him, or maybe move Nasri right, and play Vela left. Merida's crossing was quite impressive in the Carling Cup, and would be a good source of support for Ade.

With Wilshire, i was thinking of him playing in the middle in the abscence of Fabregas in some capacity along with Ramsey.
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Wilshere can certainly play mate and this might give him more opportunities but its a lot to ask for him to step up and play consistently over the next few weeks.

I would prefer your option of Nasri right and Vela left, and Ramsey replacing Fab on Saturday. Merida looks a talent but I don't think is quite ready yet.

Also, its about time Ramsey is given a go instead on Denilson.

YoungGun_UK said:
You'll win the Champions League (You heard it here first)
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Cheers pal, with a name like that are sure you are not one of us!? :D
 
:LOL: Nope but to be fair I do like Arsenal now...Would have been crazy talk a few years ago to say that in the Vieira/Keane days :)) I just have a feeling it will be you lot or Barca and I reckon you can beat them.
 
YoungGun_UK said:
:LOL: Nope but to be fair I do like Arsenal now...Would have been crazy talk a few years ago to say that in the Vieira/Keane days :)) I just have a feeling it will be you lot or Barca and I reckon you can beat them.
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well i have heard many people would rather see us win the league/champions league then chelsea(only up their because they won the lottery) or liverpool(the most flukey team i have ever seen).

I heard ferguson actually saying that during the summer
 
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