So now no longer is the quad on - we have to settle for the treble!!
The loss to Wigan really hurt even if it was a Carling Cup tie that we haven’t taken seriously in years. All of a sudden it becomes an important competition because we are having a bad season!
I made it a point to specifically monitor Senderos’ performance for the game and even though I believe he will come good, he had a nightmare of a game. Slipping all over the place, being out-muscled and out-paced. In some occassions even out-jumped by Roberts who ran circles around him and got his deserved goal from a simple up and over Wimbledon style ball….
However, this post is about the veterans in the team. I feel the main cause of Arsenal’s “freak” season (I called it “weird season” in an earlier post) is the fall out of form of our veterans…
Bergkamp I am very sorry to say looks like he is ready to hang up his boots and retire - he is a yard slower than even Senderos! He is stumbling and unstable while running with the ball - the speed of thought is there but the limbs just don’t allow it! He alone missed 3 clear chances that the Bergkamp of old would have delicately lobbed the keeper a few minutes before Wigan got their goal….
Pires - what can I say. The sooner he goes the better. I love the guy for what he has done for Arsenal and he still can turn it on but to turn it on once in ten games is a major problem. I can understand why AW left him out of the line-up - Pires had Valencia on his mind more than Arsenal and you could see he sleep walked through the game once he got on. Did not do much right….
Sol - Don’t think he can start for England on this form. I would say he still has 1 good year still left in him but is in an awful rut of form. Hopefully form is temporary and class is permanent. Last night Senderos was struggling to cope with Roberts yet Campbel of old would have taken this sort of game by the scruff of the neck and dealt with any danger but he is struggling also! Toure bails out Campbell nowadays!
Ljungberg - is always injured now. Spends more time on the sidelines than on the pitch. Misses the chances he used to easily score from. Injuries have taken a serious toll and he is visibly slower. His intelligent running used to be a major contributor to the Arsenal cause - well the running is there but no more end product.
Gilberto - Vieira’s departure has probably affected him the most. He has no more shield. Previously Vieira would take all the attention from the opposing markers leaving Gilberto more freedom to protect the back line. Well now he has been exposed. During the last match he showed some good touches but that is not his job. He has also taken a massive step backwards.
Lauren - the only complaint I have about Lauren is his lack of pace and that he gets caught when facing the likes of Ronaldo and even last night albeit playing out of position he was not defending the crosses coming in. I believe he used to play in the midfield as an enforcer (Makalele style for his old team Mallorca) well I believe he would still do a better job now than Gilberto - especially now that we have Kerrea Gilbert who looked very good and pacey.
Anyway I have excused Lehmann as he has done well this season (a word on Almunia - he looks very solid as a back up and has done well)…
I hope our veterans get it together for a last hurrah against Real Madrid - and turn back the clocks and help out the youngsters otherwise we are in trouble. Real’s veterens are also struggling but hitting form at right time now….
14 Responses to “The Veterans”
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January 26th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Stag your britishness excuses about Sol is BS. I missed the debate below but to say because Sol is British no one is saying anything about his crap form is BS. Remember what I said about him after the Everton and Wigan games. And most of the fans I know are saying the same thing. The guy is very crap at the moment and past is best.
Yes I wanna see some British faces at Arsenal but that doesn’t mean **AYE CARUMBA**(censored) player(s) with no heart, Passion and Soul.
January 26th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Well said Ozzy,
As I said yesterday is about time we get rid of all the Vets at Arsenal. Flamini should get lost and Reyes send back to Spain. As Henry said, Stats means fcuk all and I agree with him. Reyes is doing fcuk all apart from diving all over the place and trying to get other players sent off. According some of the folks here stats shows he is the best but that is a big lie. The guy is very expensive and as **AYE CARUMBA**(censored) as they come.
But wait why are we crap and **AYE CARUMBA**(censored)?. I don’t blame the Vets but the manager and his silly ass excuses. Wenger spent the first half of the season bitc*hing about Chelsea and anything else whilst the team was playing as **AYE CARUMBA**(censored) as hell.
So maybe is about time we asked questions about Wenger. He is the one in charge and Arsenal are playing **AYE CARUMBA**(censored) under is watch.
January 26th, 2006 at 3:09 pm
LoveG…
said it on the other thread…
Read Rick’s article… he’s said Sol is done, and playing like crap. There were a few Brits that came to his defense saying he should play for England and that he is/was a great Brit international and all that jazz.
I simply said… to Rick… that you should expect to get some Brits not liking what you are saying about Sol… I agreed with Rick, as he has lost more than a step and might be past it.
I don’t care if he is British, its just fact.
January 26th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
I know what you meant but remember there are a few guys who log in each week just to talk crap without any debate skills but excuses and cheap shots about others.
You should know by now that most of these silly ass fans I always called the KKK,BNP and cowards don’t represent Arsenal or football but just to piss others off.
So let try and differentiate between good brits and the bad ones. When one silly American like FG log in we don’t say he is speaking for all the Yanks.
January 26th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
Tis very true.
He don’t speak for me!
January 26th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
Easy tiger. If you want to chuck out 10 players in one go then you’re being completely unrealistic.
I know you’re frustrated, I am too, but you just have to hold firm. If you change half a team every season you will end up like Liverpool, in teh wilderness for 15-20 years. Doing that is a lottery.
This team needs about 3 more buys, QUALITY & EXPERIENCE in defence, midfield and goalkeeper. Then I promise you’ll see a different Arsenal within 3 months. Whether Wenger will do that I don’t know, I am sure he’s looking at it.
The only players I would advocate getting rid of are Cygan & Flamini, they do nothing whatsoever and will never improve so there’s no point them being at Arsenal to be honest. I will even concede that there is an outside chance that Senderos will be better one day - despite my continual grilling of the clumsy oaf.
January 26th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
I am getting fed up with some of the comments on here. One day it is Senderos as the worst player ever to play for Arsenal, the next day Sol. Who will it be tomorrow? Well, Reyes, Gilberto, Pires, Henry, Lauren, Ljungberg, Flaimini, Lehmann, Almunia, Cole, Fabregas and Bergkamp have all received heavy criticism on this site from one fan or another. Love_Gunners and Stag133 are particularly good at targeting players, tactics and the manager without logic or consistency from one week to another.
Yes, some players have lost form, lost a yard or two, but all of the veterans (without exception, well I will give you Cygan) have given great service to Arsenal. Bergkamp is possibly the greatest player to have pulled on an Arsenal shirt. The goal against Newcastle will forever stay in my memory as one of the greatest goals ever, not to mention the hat-trick against Leicester. The thing is, nobody could have expected all of them to lose form at the same time.
This season Arsenal have been unlucky with injuries and form. Players in the same position have been injured at the same time (Cole and Clichy). other players (Sol, Gilberto and Ljungberg) have lost form at the same time. As a result they haven’t been able to protect the youngsters - too busy sorting out their own game. The result is an inability to play away from home. When you add in the fact (and it is a fact) that the captain’s away form has never been consistent, is it any surprise that we have struggled away from Highbury.
As for the criticism of Wenger and his transfer policy, we are getting into ridiculous territory now. As I have said before and I will say again repeatedly, name one player that has left Highbury and gone on to greater things. With possible exceptions of Anelka (won a European Cup as a bit-part player with Madrid but subsequently nothing) and Vieira (yet to win anything), the likes of Overmars, Petit, Sidwell, Upson, Pennant, Boa Morte, Volz, Barrett, Dickov etc. etc. have done nothing. Wiltord was scoring goals for fun in the French league before he came to Arsenal, he is still scoring goals for fun in the French league but he wasn’t able to win a first-team place at Arsenal because he wasn’t good enough. How I have laughed at the recent posters who have wanted him back.
Okay, there have been some failures - Jeffers, Stepanovs, Wright (the goalie) especially but the way he plays the transfer market there will continue to be failures - I fully expect one of our three signings not to make the grade in the long run. Overall, we have spent less money than Spurs, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle or Middlesboro over the last few years. And we are likely to finish above most of those.
We have lost the league by a long distance before (when there were only ourselves and Man Utd) in contention and come back the following season. Who is to say we won’t do it again. So all I say is KEEP THE FAITH.
I hope I can retain patience with this site and be able to say I TOLD YOU SO when we are back on top next season or the season after. And before I hear anymore crap from Love_G about who is a real fan, people like me are entitled to our (rose-coloured) views as much as anyone else is entitled to their Eeyore-type views.
P.S. Whenever I have seen Senderos playing left-sided central defence with Toure or Djourou alongside him, he has played well.
January 26th, 2006 at 6:32 pm
the guy who said reyes should go back to spain is a dick. he has set up loads of goals this season and he works tirelessly. We desperately need him right now.
i think pires, ljungberg and cambell will go at the end of the season.
January 26th, 2006 at 6:44 pm
I agree about Cygan. In Flamini’s defence I will recall what Wenger said about him a few weeks ago - he will be better on the bigger Ashburton pitch.
I don’t know if that is true but I am willing to trust Wenger’s judgement but even then, I don’t think Wenger sees hime as ever being more than a squad player. If he improves and is prepared to play only 15-20 matches as first choice, then he may yet have a useful role at Arsenal.
January 26th, 2006 at 10:00 pm
I can’t understand why the Boss permits it.
Jeez, I would have had a word with Gilberto about his passing sometime ago. He seems to be kicking the ball away as though he?d rather just get rid of it than play it and thus it almost always ends up at an opponents feet. It?s ba-a-ad.
I?ll say one thing for Gilberto though; he looks like the most laid back guy on the pitch. Something Freddy hasn?t this season. Freddy is so tight, I sometimes wish he?d just enjoy the game and relax. I think some of this ?we got to win? pressure is a bit of a burden to the team, so they?re trying to hard. Then I think, it is self-inflicted and damn we do have to win away if Arsenal is going to keep its CL position. As I have said before he?s not the only one with a headache. It?s heartbreaking to see them loose. I already wear Freddy brand underpants but they are starting to feel somewhat tight as they ride up.
Sol who? I mean I love the guy but I love the team more. I don’t think he’s made an indelible impression on any of the games he’s played, when not injured. I say that with respect - I mean the dude dated Dido!
I’m sentimental towards him and can’t visualize his face without the gunner jersey on. He’s having one helluva terrible season though. I’ll probably buy a pair of his jeans, and then spray on some Arsenal Perfume, as an act of condolence for saying this. His bad form at the back, well it’s hurting the club and with all the other out of forms, well ~(:aye Kabunga :)~ It’s a real dilemma because he’s got to be on the field to play for England and so it?s hard to bench him.
The Boss it too nice a guy - me thinks.
I really do think the boss is too nice a guy to the older players. Remember his look at RVP last year for that stupid foul and red card. I think the boss relates to the younger players more as a father figure. The near thirties players are cut slack. I respect him for that because it?s my ideal of what a kind coach should be. However, now we have too much to loose and he?s going to have to suck it up and whip some ass into shape to salvage anything from this season ? most importantly to him as he?s said ?the EPL and not the cups?.
January 27th, 2006 at 2:32 am
Welcome Johnny the Coward . Stay a coward and live like a coward.
January 27th, 2006 at 2:55 am
Try very hard and retain patience with this site but I don’t see anyone pushing you out and please show me where I said real fans here. Asked where all the cheap shot folks are? I don’t believe in excuses but as I said a few days back I respect each Arsenal player but if someone is not doing well I will say so “Freedom” not letting my emotions get in the way of staying it.
Maybe like others you are coming up with excuses and not dealing with the real issues at hand. Thanks God we have a Chairman and the best player in the world who see reality and not excuses.
1. Senderos is playing very crap and if you can’t see that fine. I never we said we should sell Senderos.
2. Reyes is doing nothing apart from diving. If you can’t see that too fine. I don’t believe in stats. As Henry said, Stats don’t win you games.
3. Everyone with a bit of common sense knows the Vets at Arsenal are not doing well and that includes the club owns chairman. This is an excuse.
4. The past is history. At the of the day Wenger is in charge of the team. BR took us to an Europe Cup final should we bring him back then. Maybe bring back Adams and the back 5.
January 27th, 2006 at 2:58 am
Dannyt - I’m not just frustrated but the way we going about things..
As you said yes getting rid off all them players will take us back year but we need to buy some real players now but next year.
All I’m asking for is 3 players now and 3 during the summer. Players with skills and experience between 23 - 28 ages.
January 27th, 2006 at 5:53 pm
Fair enough the general points about the site, I accept those.
There is a line between excuses and explanations. There is overlap but a thesaurus will give you defence, apology and plea for excuse but account, description, vindication and rationalisation for explanation. I hope I tend towards the explanation side of things rather than the excuse side of things.
On your your four points
1. Senderos makes mistakes playing on the right side of central defence, not on the left. Someone makes him move instead of Campbell. Is is Wenger? Is it Campbell? Is it an injury to Campbell and not wanting to discommode him? I wish I knew. Campbell and Senderos are interchangeable but not complimentary. Both are left-sided. It appears neither can play the right side of defence. Hopefully tomorrow we will see Djourou alongside one of them.
2. Reyes is brittle. But he picks himself up and keeps running. In one recent game he was kicked on the same ankle three times in the first twenty minutes. No-one can take that kind of punishment and not start to fall over.
3. Yes, the vets are not doing well. For various reasons they have all lost form together. Campbell - injuries, Ljungberg - injuries and distraction, Pires - contract, Gilberto - loss of midfield partner, World Cup year. Wenger could have prevented some of this but even he could not have known that they all would have failed.
4. Wenger then deserves time because of 3.
These are not excuses but explanations. You are free to accept and reject them. If I am right, the key point is that they are all curable by next season so things are not therefore as bleak as some make out.