Arsenal Mania: Brace Yourselves
- Thread starter SteveJ
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Arsene Wenger is such a fraud!
I'd be melting down if I was them. I think in so many ways Wenger is fantastic, and badly underrated, but the exact same thing is happening to them in Europe again and again and again. He had lots of money this summer, and basically just needed to make one big signing (other than the one he made, Cech, which was a perfect decision until he... didn't play him in an absolutely vital must-win game.)
I know it probably wasn't an option, but if Schweinsteiger had gone to Arsenal instead of us, they could basically wave goodbye to this inability to keep their heads and stay defensively stable in Europe. Solving their problem is that simple. One world-class, experienced, match-running DM.
CechI'm not sure that team would have conceded any of the goals they did against Olympiakos.
Bellerin Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs
Schweinsteiger Coquelin
AOC Cazorla Sanchez
Walcott
It's games like this that make me think there is no systematic issue affecting PL clubs in the CL. It's not got that much to do with the greater toll exacted by the PL's intensity. Each of the underperforming clubs just has it's own perennial problem:
-Under Wenger, Arsenal are incapable of matching their superb attacking football with some defensive nous, pragmatism and stability.
-Under Mourinho, Chelsea are just too good a side to effectively play shut-the-shop Mourinho-ball... but it's the only strategy he seems willing to use. Their various games against PSG in recent years have been the epitome of this - playing aggressively, they could have won comfortably. Instead they played some weird, nervous, half-defensive version of their game and ended up both attacking and defending poorly.
-United's case is more straightforward, we have genuinely declined in the late- and post-Fergie years. Fortunately we now seem to be slowly gaining ground again, but it will take a few seasons.
-City are maybe the one team who have mostly just struggled with the joint demands of league and CL. Also they have a very obvious mental hoodoo. Their best players at the moment are also their most experienced players, the leaders of the team: Hart, Kompany, Toure, Silva, Aguero. These are the ones who have seen them inexplicably lose to worse teams again and again to fail in the CL, so now you have an England-esque confidence complex, where the leading players, the senior players, have a problem which will lead to further failures and thus infect the younger, developing players, unless the cycle can be arrested.
Spot on with Arsenal. Schweinsteiger would have definitely improved them by miles. Or even Schneiderlin, for that matter. Bizarre they went for neither.
Chelsea did do well last year till poor tactics and mentality against PSG knocked them out. If they concentrated only on the football, they are capable of going far, but Mourinho seems to have so many other instructions for them (Oscar's Oscar worth performance followed by the entire team encircling the ref, etc) that they can't deliver to their potential. Against Porto, shit team selection and out of form players screwed them. Hazard in the team, Ivanovic off it, Terry at the back and Remy at least on the bench would have improved that team by miles. Hindsight, but true.
United need time, but we'll get there. We used to do reasonably well under late-Fergie teams, too. Would have gone far in his last campaign if not for cnut Cakir.
City may have mentality issues like Arsenal when it comes to CL, too, but it can't be denied the groups and fixtures have been tough for them consistently.
The Arsenal store must make a killing. Never known a fanbase to have so much people kitted out in the gear.
He clearly rested Cech for the biggest game of their season so far this weekend..
He went to Rome to meet the Pope that day, and he even said because he got up so early to travel he was able to put the transfer to sign Welbeck in motion immediately.
And yet people claim that Wenger has no interest in older players...
Let's face it, if Arsenal get a result this weekend, everything will be forgiven.
Arsenal fans may say that last night's game was more important, but I reckon the majority would be more than satisfied with dropping 3 points last night while gaining 3 on Sunday.
Not saying that it was the right decision to rest Cech though, why the hell can't a goalie play every game?
Great point. I too feel the same. He just doesn't want that kind of pressure on him. Mediocrity has taken him and he is so deep in his comfort zone that he doesn't want to try something expansive at all.
The worst thing is that there is no pressure on him to perform as long as they keep making a profit and hence he is the poster boy in the boardroom. Although, I really like Arsenal now since I don't see them as competition at all. Long may Arsene continue.
It's all to appease Ospina and keep him at least slightly motivated. Rest assured Wenger won't feel obliged to play him in the CL again.
Can someone tell me why Wenger is praised for making the cech signing? It was a signing of the proverbial handed to him on a platter kind. Because cech wanted to stay in London and Spurs had lloris, it was in effect a choice between arsenal and west ham probably. That too at a relatively cheap price and a reasonable age which made Wenger not pass up on him like he did with Fabregas.
I don't think if cech was open to move to other parts of Europe, he would have been buyable for Wenger even if he was allowed to join a direct rival.
I don't think if cech was open to move to other parts of Europe, he would have been buyable for Wenger even if he was allowed to join a direct rival.
Re: the arrogant Arsenal fans point;
i was listening to the buildup on talksport last night and when it was noted the keeper switch, Perry Groves shrugged and said to the presenter 'you could probably play in goal tonight'
how'd that go then Perry?
i was listening to the buildup on talksport last night and when it was noted the keeper switch, Perry Groves shrugged and said to the presenter 'you could probably play in goal tonight'
how'd that go then Perry?
Looking at their pre match thread for the weekend that's Chelsea / Arsenal / Liverpool forums who all claim we're just as bad as they are.
This under appreciation of our start is really starting to annoy me. You can have doubts if Martial will continue his form or if Blind will start to struggle at some stage but no way are we presently just as bad as they are.
This under appreciation of our start is really starting to annoy me. You can have doubts if Martial will continue his form or if Blind will start to struggle at some stage but no way are we presently just as bad as they are.
I never thought they were in the title race. They'll get closer to the top than they did last season but I'd be shocked if they won the league. Which is similar to how I feel about Leicester tbh.
I think they'll probably come relatively close to winning the title, albeit not doing so, purely because no one's going to run away with it. I reckon City will probably win it with about 80 points or so (maybe more if they keep everyone fit and firing), so if that's the case Arsenal could have a season similar to their last yet come a lot closer to the title. A bit like us, essentially.
I agree mate. I think that the Prem is their focus. They need to win that again before they can start focusing on CL.
And the reality is the keeper should have been good enough, and so should the defenders. Cech not being picked is not the reason they lost.
Why are the melting down though? According to the caf and everyone, Wenger is an oh so amazing manager for getting 4th or higher every year and getting out of the CL group stages. They might do that this season, so isn't he just basically living up to the standards that apparently makes him an amazing manager?
He also built a stadium, so that excuses them from being successful, ever.
He also built a stadium, so that excuses them from being successful, ever.
It raises the question as to what Arsenal are intending to do with their cash surplus. The stadium is paid for, Wenger refuses to invest in the team, and yet they still charge such high ticket prices. Hopefully Silent Stan will feel the need to purchase another ranch, and appropriate their warchest for the purpose. Then we can look forward to a real meltdown.
Well they have won back to back FA cups so at least he has that.
I disagree with that way of thinking, the league is incredibly long and one match will hardly change a lot. For United I would have definitely taken the win over Wolfsburg if you had offered me one win this week
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I disagree. I don't think people (Wenger specifically) realise the difficulty in winning that last 14-18 points. The difference between Arsenal and Chelsea last year was the same difference as between Arsenal and Spurs/Liverpool (ask any Arsenal fan how much better than Spurs they are). The season before the difference between Arsenal and City was the same difference as between us under Moyes and them. The season before the difference between Arsenal and United was the same difference as between them and the woeful Liverpool.
I don't know why anyone expects them to suddenly attain 15 more points by signing one good player each year, whilst the rest of the team gets one year older. Signing one quality player a year is the minimum amount to tread water, not to improve. To improve you need 2-3 quality player's every season. Chelsea won the league last year by adding Costa, Fabregas & Matic - but bear in mind that they were only 4 points off City the season before, not 15.
Arsenal needed a top quality striker, a top quality midfielder, a top quality goalkeeper and a top quality central defender to win the league. They got one of these positions sorted. However with their current model they'll need to replace their goalkeeper again before all other positions are covered as Cech will be 36/37. So the cycle will continue.
Sorry mate Im no good at riddles. Whos better than who in what year at what time in what context? Can I phone a friend?
Look at the Premier League tables for the last few years; Arsenal have always been as close to the shite teams they lambast in 7th/8th, as they have to 1st.
Horrible thing is, I actually think they will get something from the game on Sunday, even if it is a draw.
Managers do not always tell the truth..I very much doubt that Wenger didnt sign Martial because of Campbell..
Its evident from Wenger's quotes that they were interested in him, but that Monaco had told all suitors that he wasnt to be sold this season. United forced the issue by offering an amount that any sane chairman couldnt refuse.
That is why the Monaco coach also threatened to quit when he was told Martial was being sold. I think he too expected no sale this season.
Nullify Sanchez and they are harmless. Expect our midfield to dominate theirs.
wonder how this fella is holding out?
Yep, me too. They didn't play as bad as people make it sound like and we didn't play as good as people make it sound like.
Yeah youre right, theyve always been in the Champions League. Theyre pure shite!
I don't think there's been much difference in our league performances so far this season. If there's more than five points between the two teams at the end of the season then one of us has either significantly over or underperformed.
If we win on Sunday we'll be on the same points. Neither of us have been setting the world alight.
This basically. We are top but haven't been all that convincing
Oh but you won't... and you'll be 6 points behind and almost certainly out of the CL.
Happy days.
Happy days for who? You're a city fan. Why would you want United to win?
He's not I don't think. He's just got a tagline as once he said he wanted City to win. Can't remember why.
CL group stage match against Barca. Barca were playing keep-ball and it got boring.
edit: i think I might be remembering it wrong.
Best defensive record in the league and 2(?) goals off from being the top goalscorers and that's behind West Ham and Leicster who we'll eventually catch.
You may have concerns about our style of play or that we don't create enough chances but we are a machine at this stage.
15 goals in the last 6 games since we actually have a striker up top coupled with the best defensive record in the league . I think we're convincing enough at this stage.
So much so that you wanted them to win? God, you must have wanted to pluck your eyes out.
We're far from a dependable team yet. The Wolfsburg game showed that, we struggled and panicked a bit when Wolfsburg were dominating the possession. We need Rooney to find some form, or drop him. He was our weak point in the second half, as he kept losing possession.
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