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Arsenal Thread

Almunia is not a top goalkeeper, but he does not deserve the stick he's getting.
Neither of the Arsenal's bacl four (Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen and Clichy) are top. (and i do like Sagna and Vermaelen).
I love Arsenal's football, the most beautiful in the world, but it's not the most effective....
 
Because you lack a finisher.

Whats up with Fab again? Spanish media are (yet Again) saying he is already on a move to barça. True not true speculation spanish media being crap?
 
gerd as a hotspur supporter.... I salute you:D

The game is different you need a keeper who at least is in the squad at the national level. Players only need a chance to prove themselves and Almunia had more time facing top strikers than any non-national player come to mind (bias).A club like Arsenal out of the 4 top clubs in the EPL has by far the weakest keeper.Utd and Chels won it w/ a very good shot stopper. Pepe for pool is very good too.I fancy Fridel imo is very sharp , Almunia was always suspect and that was before CL final vs barca when he had the chance of a life time to become the hero.(bit harsh I know)

It was always going to be hard to win w/ an average keeper, Lemon was sour ,but made our defense solid I still remember cl run w/ a clean sheet until the final.
 
Sorry to disagree, it's not the impatience of frustrated fans. We've been seeing how Almunia is sooo slow. Sluggish goalkeeper. Any in-form goalkeeper would have taken 2 steps back and tapped the ball much much higher.

We've been watching him for a long time now and it has been like this all season long. Just like that goal by Man City when it took him ages to react and jump on the ball, that eventually his the post and bounced back at him and went in.

No response, sense of positioning and not fit. Give Mannone another run, he's so much more agile. Just teach the kid not to deflect balls to the front of our own goal, FFS!
 
I don't feel Almunia is getting an undue amount of stick. I personally am not writing him off as 'shit' or a complete waste of space. As I mentioned, in prior seasons he's improved a lot from the complete flapper he was a few years back against... well... Man United at Highbury (remember that 2-4? :DOH:)

If we intend to challenge for top honours again then you have to have a top (or at least very good/promising) keeper. If you look at the last couple of 1st choice guys we've had, Lehmann and Seaman, you realise how much we miss a solid figure in nets.

He's hardly to blame for all our faults, but he's certainly something that needs to change for me.
 
IMO, if you spend some money on Akinfeev and Huntelaar, then your a real contender for the title. Quality starters and quality players for the job that you want.
 
Interesting, despite being 'out of the title race', you're only 6 points behind Chelsea due to the result last night.

Both of us and Chelsea are easily capable of dropping six points to you, so it'd still be on.
 
The media get more and more kneejerk all the time and people start to believe the information that is constantly pumped into them from all over whether it's true or not. Nobody's out of the title race, not even City or Liverpool!! We should all know by now anything can happen in football.
 
matherto said:
Interesting, despite being 'out of the title race', you're only 6 points behind Chelsea due to the result last night.

Both of us and Chelsea are easily capable of dropping six points to you, so it'd still be on.
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Thats only if we beat Chelsea....I don't want to be too negative, but beating chelsea at Stamford bridge is tough enough. But doing it off the back of the defeat by Man Utd, is another matter.

I just don't think a few of our players have the drive to compete. Denilson being one of the main culprits. I hope Ramsey plays instead of him on Sunday, at least you know he is going to give 100%.

Some of our other players can be lazy aswell, I just don't understand it.

Denilson at times just expects stuff to happen, instead of making stuff happen. Really frustrating and is useless in big games when we need everybody trying their hardest.

If we beat chelsea I will be so happy, but also surpised.

hopefully they can prove me wrong! Come on Boys!!!
 
I don't understand that fans always go searching for culprits...Almunia, Denilson, ....
On top of that English fans are obsessed by workaholic players...there are players who aren't big workaholics but who manage to sense when the moment has come to do something decisive...(Gerd Muller comes to my mind, the greatest goalscorer ever).

Gianluca Vialli has written a wonderfull book about the difference in style between English football and Italian football. He was amazed that in England fans applauded when their players forced a corner...teams like Juve and Milan are seldom dominant but they know how to choose their moments.


I know what you people will say: Engmlish teams are far more succesfull than Italian teams...that's true...but that's a question of money.
 
I agree gerd and I think it's stupid. It's all well and good running round all day but I'd rather have someone who knows when to move to contribute more to the team than contribute less by running round all day. That's why most people prefer Tevez over Berbatov in this country even though ones a mercenary who will move from club to club for money professing his love and then selling them out (probably the biggest thing English people hate in football) and the other is not.
 
BobbyBox said:
Thats only if we beat Chelsea....I don't want to be too negative, but beating chelsea at Stamford bridge is tough enough. But doing it off the back of the defeat by Man Utd, is another matter.

I just don't think a few of our players have the drive to compete. Denilson being one of the main culprits. I hope Ramsey plays instead of him on Sunday, at least you know he is going to give 100%.

Some of our other players can be lazy aswell, I just don't understand it.

Denilson at times just expects stuff to happen, instead of making stuff happen. Really frustrating and is useless in big games when we need everybody trying their hardest.

If we beat chelsea I will be so happy, but also surpised.

hopefully they can prove me wrong! Come on Boys!!!
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No If you beat Chelsea your only 3 points off them.
 
YoungGun_UK said:
No If you beat Chelsea your only 3 points off them.
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I know, but if we lose we are 9 points away and that IMO is what will happen.

to Gerd and Jumbo.

I'm not talking about a player that can change a game at the drop of a hat and not be involved in the rest of the game (Like Arshavin).

Denilson on alot of occasions loves attacking and going forward, but when a team conter attacks and is bombing away, he can have every oportunity to catch them up. But choses to jog back, hoping that we will get the ball back and he will be more advanced so he can have a chance up front.

When you see goals like what happened with Man Utd and they run past your player, or your player is near them, but makes no attempt to hassle them and close them down. Then that is lazy in my opinion and they should be getting close to people and not letting them get near the goal so a scoring opportunity can be had.

I'm not just blaming Alumnia or Denilson, they are examples of weaknesses in the team. I have no qualms about pointing out what players do wrong, because these flaws in players can be detrimental to the team and can cost the team points.

I think denilson is great, but he represents Arsenal at the moment. When things are going well we are fine. When shit starts to happen, they expect things to happen to rectify it, instead of working their arses off to get a result.

Man Utd didn't have a great team out on Sunday, the difference is they have players that fight to the end and have desire, we don't necessarily have one player like that? maybe Fabregas (he definately has the desire).

Its just frustrating we have alot of really good players and if they had a better work ethic, I reckon we could have a world beating team. But they think they are alot better than they actually are at the moment.

I am also blaming Wenger on this as this is the team he has assembled. he needs to realise that some players jsut don't cut the mustard and he needs to stick his hands in his pockets and stregthen the team.....hopefully with players that can actually get through a season without getting injured 20 times during it.

Anyway, I hope they prove me wrong on Sunday and they get their act together.

I love my team, but it is begginning to be the same old story year after year.
 
Yeah I see what you mean. On MOTD they highlighted the difference between the two teams when the other was counter-attacking, your players like you say were jogging back (I noticed Vermaelen was sprinting though) whereas when it happened to us 6, 7, 8 players all ran back full speed to break up the play and win the ball back. I guess this is part of Wenger's philosophy that could do with some work and if he really drummed in the importance of this to the players when they're in their formative years and then again in everyday training then maybe this wouldn't be happening so much. Maybe he's so focussed on the attractive short triangulated passing and constant moving he has forgotten to teach them the importance of getting back.
 
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Vermaelen is still young and hungry and on top of that i heard in an interview that he thinks things are going too good for him at the moment.
He tought that he would be mostly on the bench in his first season and he's afraid that it can only get less better...i think that is a very good attitude. And i must say that most people here in Belgium are (happily) surprised that he's doing that well this early. We all thought he would be a fringe player...
 
He's just awesome. His Arsenal career couldn't really have started any better. Vermaelen has all the ingredients to be a top defender; physical presence, heading ability, positional sense and a never-say-die spirit. Not to mention a goal threat that puts some of our midfield (and a couple of strikers) to shame.

You can see how visibly angry he is when we concede. That's the attitude you need at this level (or any level really) in my opinion.

If (when?) Fabregas decides to head back home he could well be captain material. It's early days yet though, lets see how he is this time next year. All in all he's one of Wenger's best recent signings.
 
The Verminator is currently my favourite player...he is quality and also has a "I hate losing mentality" which more of our players should have IMO especially that Denilson fellow...;)
 
gerd said:
I don't understand that fans always go searching for culprits...Almunia, Denilson, ....
On top of that English fans are obsessed by workaholic players...there are players who aren't big workaholics but who manage to sense when the moment has come to do something decisive...(Gerd Muller comes to my mind, the greatest goalscorer ever).

Gianluca Vialli has written a wonderfull book about the difference in style between English football and Italian football. He was amazed that in England fans applauded when their players forced a corner...teams like Juve and Milan are seldom dominant but they know how to choose their moments.


I know what you people will say: Engmlish teams are far more succesfull than Italian teams...that's true...but that's a question of money.
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I wouldnt say obsessed, but we respect endeavour...

most fans dont want to pay to watch some lazy twat, everyplayer doesnt have to be zidane, but they have to work for the shirt...

sometimes a tackle or chasing down "a lost cause" can kickstart the crowd and inturn the team...

maybe its a class issue or maybe cultural, but its a good point you raised dude.

On sundays game ive gotta say almunia has got alot to answer for..

or maybe its the manager for sticking with him but he played exactly the same against us in a 4-2 result we got a few years ago at highbury...

that was years ago!
 
You know what, Im gonna put it out there; I like Denilson. He's still raw, but at 21 most central/defensive midfielders are. His last few games haven't been his best and he was out of his depth against United as it was somewhat starkly plain to see.

However, overall I think he's the kind of quietly efficient player that Arsenal need. You can't have a team full of superstars, there have to be some water carriers and in that respect he's as good as most in his age group. He doesn't drive forward like Diaby or Ramsey and he can't tackle like Song, but he does have an good pass rate, likes to play one touch (Wenger's trade mark) and links between attack and defence well, much like Gilberto used to.

I think he could be a good player, but at the moment he perhaps needs a boot up the arse every now and again. Maybe if Wenger dropped him for Ramsey for a short run he might up his game a bit.
 
Joystick said:
You know what, Im gonna put it out there; I like Denilson. He's still raw, but at 21 most central/defensive midfielders are. His last few games haven't been his best and he was out of his depth against United as it was somewhat starkly plain to see.

However, overall I think he's the kind of quietly efficient player that Arsenal need. You can't have a team full of superstars, there have to be some water carriers and in that respect he's as good as most in his age group. He doesn't drive forward like Diaby or Ramsey and he can't tackle like Song, but he does have an good pass rate, likes to play one touch (Wenger's trade mark) and links between attack and defence well, much like Gilberto used to.

I think he could be a good player, but at the moment he perhaps needs a boot up the arse every now and again. Maybe if Wenger dropped him for Ramsey for a short run he might up his game a bit.
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I like Denilson aswell and I think he will be a really good player. But he needs to up his game.

I have seen how he can play and to see him not playing that way all of the time just frustrates me. He is still young and I think he will come good. But it is the same as most, we need players that are good and consistant now, not in a couple of years.

The thing with Arsenal they have a few good games and start to think they are great and then take things for granted and then get kicked in the balls. It has been happening over and over again. They keep saying they are stronger etc etc and that they have learnt from previous games, but when they keep being so naive, they are not going to get anywhere.
 
I think Wenger is in some sort of Catch 22.
Arsenal has too many similar players, which makes them the most attractive team in the world (after my son's team of course, after all they have the best coach in the world - me) but which is also the reason they don't win. They need bad characters like Man Utd have them, that' s the reason Man Utd have won plenty of things: Keane, Cantona (who had it both), Rooney (same as Cantona), Vidic, Ferdinand, Schmeichel...they all rather kill you instead of conceding a goal...Arsenal haven't a single player like that IMO.

This super attractive football is their trade mark (unique selling point) but it's also the reason they don't win enough silverware...
 
Denilson is a decent prospect and will eventually turn into a good player, were in a pretty similar position with Anderson who can occasionally look like he's not upto it whilst on other days be a top CM. Problem you guys have is Denilson is a regular and Anderson is a squad player. Its something I think Wenger doesn't do as good is blending the old with the new, their really isn't a transition with Arsenal which has its ups such as the player developing quicker but not without fans constantly slagging of the player and calling for him to be sold.
 
gerd said:
Arsenal has too many similar players, which makes them the most attractive team in the world (after my son's team of course, after all they have the best coach in the world - me) but which is also the reason they don't win.
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I think it's not so much about the focus on attractive football. Does your son's team win things sometimes?
I think it's more about overlooking important aspects, for what AW has to answer for. I think Denilson can be both talented and dedicated. But AW must straighten him up now.

The bad characters we had lately (Adebarndoor and Cashley) I'm glad they're gone. Good riddance. In our Invincibles squad we had just Cashley (although he wasn't so well known for being a cunt then).

However that squad was definitely balanced, something that this current squad is not.

PS: The Verminator is also one of my favourites, along with Cesc and Arshavin. If he maintains this level, you can consider him top class!
 
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Denilson will be like Silva in the aspect he`ll stay until we kick `em out at 30+ .Denilson has improved imo... scoring goals from outside the box which is nice
 
However, being overtaken by the referee when jogging back on a counter attack surely can't be overlooked.

Did the same against Stoke, 'trying' to take on Sidibe before Stoke's second goal.

Also, thought to have been KIA when the mystery Emirates sniper shot him against Everton when he fell in a heap.

He's a strange boy.
 
My son's team always wins...they only lost once (but that was their most important match, so similarities with Arsenal)
 
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