Despite having the preponderance of the play and hitting the woodwork we could manage only a draw at The Valley. Charlton are a good, combative side well managed by Curbs, but it’s somewhat disappointing to see us beating Chelsea one week and really dropping two points the next. Arsene will no doubt publicly be proclaiming the chemistry of the team after their usual frustrating European endeavors - and so he should. But privately I have to wonder how much longer he will endure having such limited funds with which to strengthen the side. The need for a striker to complement Henry has been apparent for at least a year. Evidently, Arsene doesn’t think Aliadiere is quite ready and Kanu, Wiltord and Bergkamp seem to be bit-part players at the moment - so what gives? Add to that the fact that the midfielders are not scoring anything like enough (Freddie is a shadow of his former self, and things don’t look quite right with Pires), and we’ve got problems in the goal-scoring department. Maybe they are working on a swap with Barcelona involving Gio and Kluivert - let’s hope something good is about to happen soon on the scoring front. We won’t win the league if only Henry can be counted on.
15 Responses to “CHARLTON 1 ARSENAL 1”
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October 26th, 2003 at 4:44 pm
I don’t really agree …
it was a well played match on both sides…
the Charlton goal was the result of a VERY dubious penalty given… the defense played well… I am excited about the cohesive unit the back 4 is becoming…
I agree that Freddie is not playing well… Pires played OK… Bergy was ok at best…
and how can you say anything negative about Wiltord or Kanu… they were only give 15-20 minutes at best… KANU needs a SERIOUS run out there… let him start 2 or 3 matches and see if he can do something… otherwise its totally unfair to judge him…
We are TOP of the freaking table… we beat Chelsea / Newcastle / Liverpool and drew at Old Trafford… you are not going to win every match…
and winning on the road is a difficult task…
Charlton currently sit 7th… so they are playing WELL… they aren’t crap… we are not going to steamroll everyone…
I am not disappointed with the match or the outcome… we are still undefeated in the EPL… and top of the league… and MAN U lost at home to Fulham…
after reading alot of things about Kluivert recently…
He wouldn’t be my first choice to be an Arsenal player… he is troubled… has a checkered past…
and will have a high weekly salary that apparently we can’t really afford…
October 26th, 2003 at 5:29 pm
I wonder what we’d be saying if Henry was hurt regarding this Kluivert thing. Do you really want to rely on Kanu to get the job done? Just because Dennis and Wiltord don’t appear to be getting the job done doesn’t mean that we should rest our hopes on Kanu’s shoulders. Just a bit less than a year ago people didn’t want anything to do with Kanu. The fact that others are out of form shouldn’t change that. Maybe a Kluiver signing wouldn’t be bad.
October 26th, 2003 at 6:11 pm
I agree with what is said! Henry can not be expected to pull this team through to a trophy. Pires and Freddie are hardly themselves and the defense seems shaky. I do like Lens in the back. Chelsea is now holding the bar well above where we are and its up to Wenger to straighten things out.
October 26th, 2003 at 9:55 pm
Personally, I have never understood the Kanu bashing that has gone on…
When he played (started) last season… the first 5 or 6 matches…. he scored 3 and set up 5… he was very good…. when you get 15 minutes on the pitch and an occasional start in the CL… its hard to perform well…
I am simply saying he deserves a legitimate run out… if Arsene and Arsenal are so high on Aliadaire… then give him 3-5 matches of significant playing time…
we won at Old Trafford without Henry in the line-up… it can be done… he is not the only talent on the team… he disappears on occasion as well…
there have to be other options besides Patrick Kluivert….. he is not the only talented striker in the world who is available…
and…
there is NO REAL RUMOR that Kluivert is even being considered by Arsenal…
October 26th, 2003 at 10:00 pm
huh? “Chelsea is now holding the bar well above where we are…”
have you been watching a different season????
what the hell have they actually done??
Chelsea is holding up 2nd place…..
we BEAT Chelsea… remember…?
they haven’t done or won ANYTHING yet…
if anything… United hold the bar… they are the EPL champs… Chelsea are the want-to-be’s…
and until they actually beat us… or United in a match… then they haven’t done F-all…..
the back hardly looks shaky to me… Lens blew the
last CL match in Russia… not the defense…
and the defense played very well v.Chelsea…
Kolo… who we were most worried about has played extremely well…… he will only get better…
October 26th, 2003 at 10:44 pm
I agree with your comments about the defence - they’ve been a pleasant surprise with Kolo growing in stature every game. Once Senderos is fit, and if he’s everything that Arsene feels he is, we’ll be in decent shape for cover in central defence too. If we had the stability at the back last year the run-in could have been more pleasant for us all.
But, I remain concerened that too much is being expected of Henry. Your point about Kanu being given little playing time may be valid - but there may be a reason for that that we don’t know about. Bottom line - Henry needs help up front and the midfield looks a bit listless goal-wise.
This has been an outstanding exchange of views.
October 26th, 2003 at 11:09 pm
I have a similar fear of Henry going down…
but if RVN went down… if Owen went down… etc etc etc….. nobody has a replacement for the best striker in the world…
Viera being out…. it just as difficult, as far as I am concerned… his being out at the end of last season was also a major reason for us losing the title… he DOMINATES midfield… we don’t dominate midfield without him…
I am not against bringing in a striker… just not sold on Kluivert as the answer…
October 27th, 2003 at 9:27 am
Had Cudicini not given the Gunners the game I would suspect a different tone. Right now I see Arsenal at the same point as last year and that is losing points they should keep to lesser opponents.
Lens makes one gaffe in 13 games and hes now the goat? I like him in goal more than Taylor. I will concede that Toure has done a good job with Campbell but I dont believe they are on the same page at times.
October 27th, 2003 at 10:17 am
I think the thing that makes Kluivert so tempting right now is his ridiculously low transfer fee. It is about one-tenth what another striker of his quality never mind a more in-form striker. Yes his wages might(and unfortunately probably make the Board choke). But what difference does it make if we aren’t willing to pay the transfer fees to go after players who would come on for less wages. Do we wanna pay more now or later I guess, and under the circumstances I’d guess we could ONLY pay later. Which makes Kluivert the man to seek either on loan with an option to buy or to buy(Perhaps we could agree a higher fee with Barca to buy than the 1.4 million if we do want to buy him after the loan)But not only would bringing in a quality Number-Nine type immediately produce more goals and crosses and corners would actually lead to chances and thus to goals, but defences would have to change their tactics radically which would open up things for the likes of Henry Pires and Cole on the left who like to run at defenders with the ball at their feet and would have fewer defenders runnimg back at them because there is no threat from the right or in the box now. Bring back Pennant who along with Lauren or Volz WILL provide high crosses from the right for aerial chances(certainly the left side will provide more low crosses or balls cut back from the touch-line and a LOT of them as well as a few high crosses)and Pennant WILL makes runs into the box too-ask Southampton-especially on the counter. It will not only make our attack more varied and more dangerous but I think the tactical changes could re-energize the squad which seems a bit stagnant(and yet still good enough to win the Premiership…scary when you think about it) not just now but for a few years. It does not have to be Kluivert to make this happen but all things considered I’m not sure there is another choice who would be available in January of his quality who MAY(not sure if playing in UEFA Cup play leaves him cup-tied)be eligble should we go through to the European Cup knock-out stages. Either way he is certainly worth a six-month investment at that fee. I hope the board realizes that this time.
October 27th, 2003 at 11:29 am
again…
has anybody seen Kluivert even mentioned as a possibility…? have we been linked to him?
I haven’t seen ANYTHING… so the point is really not valid…
Pennant… unfortunately… wants to remain at Leeds… probably forever…
and I can’t blame him…. he starts and plays 1st team football in the premiership… something he want get at Arsenal for a some time…
Volz… he wouldn’t get in our team either…
the back 4 looks good… and Keown / Cygan are the 2 that are usually on the bench…
October 27th, 2003 at 11:34 am
The point about another stiker is that it doesn’t have to Kluivert. Another option would do just as well in these discussions. The point is that we need someone else up front.
October 27th, 2003 at 11:36 am
huh?
had Bergkamp scored that PK in the FA Cup vs. United a few years back… we would have won?!!
Cuducini coughed it up…. might have had to do with the Arsenal pressure and Henry bearing down on him… we won… we outplayed them as well…
Lens WAS the goat in that CL match… it happens… I think he’s a quality keeper… but it certainly wasn’t the defenses fault…
the more KOLO and CAMPBELL play together…
the better they will/have become… the back 4 is so much better right now than it was at the start of the season… thats a huge positive… especially having Keown for insurance.
October 27th, 2003 at 11:38 am
don’t hold your breath waiting for us to buy someone worth a damn…
we needed (need) a solid defender or 2 after last years debacle at the back in the last month…
and the cry was that we have no money to spend…
don’t think that has changed at ALL…
unless the link with the Russian Billionaire and Arsenal are true…
October 27th, 2003 at 12:15 pm
Sky Sports has reported an Arsenal link to Kluivert along with Chelsea and ManU. I believe that Rivaldo may go to Chelsea more than Kluivert. Apparently the Russian billionaire take over rumor has been quashed by the billionaire himself, according to Sky. Henry, in a Sky interview, promises that Arsenal will look better and improve as he has not been happy with the teams play.
I hate to be the spoiled fan, its that the team possesses no spark or excitement. The team looks flat right now and I know they are capable of leading the pack by 6 points.
October 27th, 2003 at 1:38 pm
I am usually a “glass is half-empty” type…
and I don’t hesitate to criticize our team/owners/coach…
I just don’t agree with any negativity towards this team… we have played very well in the EPL…
our CL play is horrific… nuff said about that…
we are undefeated and TOP of the league…
I don’t want Rivaldo… or Kluivert… I just dont’ think they are the answer to any problem we have…
we ALL want Arsenal to win every match… its just not possible…