Sorry not to post this sooner, but Arsenal’s performance yesterday did nothing to ease my hangover, and so I went to bed immediately following the match. Anyway, as everyone knows by now, we have no goal scorers, and as such, we lost 1-0 to a scrappy Everton team determined not to lose at home.
Aliadiere missed his second sitter in as many games, and for some reason, Rosicky was never brought into the match. The back four formation was ridiculous. Why continue to play Gilbo back there? Hleb continues to make the wrong decision when playing in and around the penalty area. Oh, and to make matters worse, Theo’s now out for the rest of the season.
Just in time for an international break. Yeah! How I hate them so.
The one bright spot from yesterday’s match was the play of Abou Diaby. The midfielder seems to be back to full health, and really did have some moments where it looked like Paddy Vieira out there for the Gunners. Adebayor will be back against Liverpool, but who’ll be paired with him up front? Baptista? Aliadiere? Gunnersaurus?
39 Responses to “Everton 1 - 0 Arsenal”
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March 19th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Gunnersaurus?? hahhahahaha Good one! He might do a job but he looks a little “green.” Hey yo, I’ll be here all week. Please remember to tip your waitress……
March 19th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Rosicky STARTED.
Aliadiere’s “sitter”… was about knee high on his left foot, hardly a sitter.
I really don’t give all the blame to the strikers, once again… I can’t remember too many times a midfielder played anyone into a good scoring position. Cesc still can’t shoot or score… and Baptista’s first touch is horrendus… but these guys are our 4th and 5th strikers. There is a reason for this… we’ve seen why in the last few matches.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I know Rosicky started, but I think I could count the number of touches he had on one hand.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Why aren’t you big enough to admit Aliadiere is f*cking crap? Every time you defend him you just look an even bigger nerd. It’s a stain on your character, which already looks messier than the contents of a baby’s high chair.
Get some guts, admit you were and are wrong about him and you might get an ounce of respect.
March 19th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
It seems as if Wenger is just getting more and more stubborn with age and would rather stand by his principles to the detriment of the team. He goes on about doing his best for the club, and thus far we all know what a great job he has done with that, however it’s getting to the point where he is trying to make a stand for himself rather than the club. It’s all about him. He will not do anything transfer wise or other which remotely substantiates claims made by the media; it’s his way or the highway. Wenger’s contract his up at the end of 2008 and I hope he goes with his dignity intact. It’s the least he deserves.
If he does what he says he will in the summer, which seems to be precisely zilch by the sounds of it, this Arsenal team will spend the next season going two steps forwards and two steps back. Just like this season in fact.
After a disappointing result like PSV he briefly seems to receptive to buying a few established players and discarding incompetant youngsters, however by the second day he has convinced himself that buying experienced players will “kill” his youngsters, whereas most managers realise competition is part and parcel of football. He increasingly cannot distinguish the wheat from the chaff and this flaw is gradually eroding all the good work he does.
So if Wenger sticks by his word and refuses to give his youngsters serious and experienced competition we can write off next season as well. lots of fun but an ultimately unfulfilling experience.
March 19th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Both Baptista and Aliadiere are rubbish, both couldn’t nut-meg my grandmother on a good day and she’s been dead since 2004!! As much as I love the Gunners I’m really sick of AW saying “there were alot of positives in the match.” Well I didnt see any, did any of you??? Now you know somethings wrong when I get frustrated, but thats the way it is.. I know AW says he isnt going to be buying, but I really like Huntelaar (sp) from Ajax, I believe he has 16 leauge goals, 20 something overall and is extremely good in the air and can finish, I’m sure he’d be cheaper than Bapts and we already have one of his fellow countrymen here in RVP, any thoughts on him good or bad??
March 19th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Let’s be reasonable here…
We could have been 2-0 down before AJ’s injury time goal. Between the two boring sides Everton actually created more chances, and they came out to attack from the very begining. It was only a matter of time our indifference sank in and it shows in the players attitude and their (lack of) workrate.
Even when we had our 1st choice strikers and having them all being fit an in-form, Arsenal’s style of elaborate passing game can be easily disrupted by any organized side. Now with us struggling and missing key players, our reluctance to play more direct is again costing us. In god’s name Doug Carsley, a DM, almost scored a dipped shot from 35-yards and hit the post. Why can we not shoot the ball more often when outside the box?
As long as the Arsenal players continue to believe their style of play is superior and believe that they can win games based on merit alone, then I’m afraid we’ll see much of the same performance.
This game was no different than the Villa game - just that this time we weren’t lucky enough to grind out a result.
March 19th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
I am hoping Wenger is posturing and that his public statements on transfers are for the consumption of the present employers of potential transfer targets. In any event, no matter what Wenger is thinking, I believe there is no way he will spend 15 million pounds on Julio Baptista.
March 19th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Another one those… very frustrating but I agree in that there were positives about this match. As many of you have noted I enjoyed Diaby's performance.
As far as Ali goes… i loved the kid, his attitude and so on, but he's just not good enough, but I would take him over Baptista any day.
The beast is soooo over rated, not here cuz obviously we don't like him too much, but overall he is just lame. I've never liked him, ever, but when he joined Arsenal i thought i'd give him the benefit of the doubt. His first touch is not up to par with our play and he seems to not pass the ball on purpose to the player making the run… Cesc made an amazing run that could've resulted in a Goal.
Cesc does look a bit tired, but I don't agree with the comment of him believing the hype about him… don't doubt this kid, he is legit, he just may not be having a good couple of months.
I am so fed up with people saying Freddie is past it and that we should sell Henry. Yes, Freddie hasn't had the best couple of seasons, but I damn sure think he deserves to be cut some slack… a player that has given his all to the club for a decade, has been injured A LOT and has played somewhat out of possition and hasn't complained. He is not having a season like C. Ronaldo, but please give him some time… So many people said the same thing about Pires last year, and we sold him and i've read many times: “We need a Pires type player” … hm? what about Robert Pires? that kind of thing.
If people think Henry should be sold they really need to stop breathing for a good 7 minutes. It is just ridiculous to me when I hear : “sell him now! get someone like Babel, etc” PLEASE have you even really thought about what you were saying??? Henry is one of the greatest footballers to ever walk this earth, as simple as that, and I really think people should really chill and just look objectively at the fact that he has been injured all season long, if not more, who knows.
I believe in Wenger, in Henry, in Cesc, in Freddie, in Jens, in Kolo, in RVP (remember how you guys said we should bench him? now you're beggin for him) , etc. We are in a new stadium, we've sold paramount players like Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Sol Campbell, Francis Jeffers (i thought I throw this one here for a good laugh), and we still have managed to play some badass football guys. This might not be enough for some, and I particularly want trophies, but I am fully aware of where we are. This whole negativity is not reality is just rubbish.
Players in? Huntelaar and Eto'o ; Heitinga, Rafael Van der Vaart. Out? Baptista, Ali.
As much as I disagree with some of your comments and basically can't stand some of your opinions I deeply respect the dedication and time you all put to the greatest team on this planet.
Imagine actually loving keane and defoe??
awful!
cheers
March 19th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
Danny, whether I am wrong about Aliadiere is not relevant to the argument.
The strikers did not get any service from the midfield. They were not played into good positions to score. Thats just a fact.
Aliadiere didn’t have a “sitter”… sorry… the ball was knee high on his off foot… maybe Thierry Henry in form might have scored that one, but to expect Aliadiere to put that home, is not reasonable.
I don’t think he’s a bad player. He’s 5th striker on the club. What exactly do you want or expect from 5th choice. He’ll be playing top flight football for someone next season, barring injury. That much I am sure about.
Is he Arsenal quality? No. It looks like he is not good enough. But neither is Baptista. I’d take Aliadiere over Baptista. At least he can control the ball, and run by players… he is more an Arsenal type player than Baptista is.
But he’s not good enough to get any playing time in the team. Based on what he’s done with his chances so far, he doesn’t deserve to play over anyone.
March 19th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Wenger is different from most other EPL managers in that he never criticises his players in public though he was once visibly upset with RvP for getting sent off in an EPL game last season (can’t remember the game). What happens behind closed doors is anyone’s guess. I think the players respect him for that. As for Huntelaar, I will not be surprised if Wenger brings no one into the squad this summer. He is going to count on Adebayor and Bendtner to be the 3rd and 4th choice strikers. I am pretty sure Baptista will only join Arsenal if there is a trade with RM for Reyes - otherwise Baptista is going back to Spain and Wenger will want to cut his loss with Reyes expediently.
March 20th, 2007 at 6:22 am
Hello Guys,
First of all, congratulations to all those contributing their opinions to this great web-site for any true Arsenal fan irrespective of his country of residence.
Although I disagree with many negative comments especially after a loss, I understand that fans making these critics are talking with their heart.
But I really don’t understand why Arsene Wenger would suddenly be a bad manager, why Henry should be sold, etc. Obviously all of us would like our team to win trophies; but even if we haven’t won any silverware in the past two seasons, does that mean that we should get rid of the manager and the best arsenal player for years now?
In 10 years time, AW has revolutionised the team: new training ground, new stadium, a qualification to the Champions League from one year to the other, three Premier League trophies, many cups, many finals, a full unbeated season in the Premier League …
From one of the best teams in England in the eighties and early ninetees, Arsenal is now considered as one of the best teams in the world. And there is more to come …
If we have a look at this season, we have been severely hit by injuries, and we also take a while before adapting to the new stadium. In my opinion, this explains the current gap between MU/CFC and Arsenal. But we are not too far from these two teams.
Although I would love to read web articles about the big signings Arsenal could do in the summer transfer market, I would say at the end of the day that Arsene knows what’s he’s doing. Look at the monet he spent to build this team, in comparison to the considerable budgets at the disposal of MU/CFC/LFC managers.
Chelsea winning silverware but experiencing at the same time a huge financial loss is nonsense to me. I would not be proud at all seeing Arsenal getting trophies in similar circumstances.
I know that AW policy will pay dividends in the fort coming years, we just have to be a little patient. And hnestly, I believe that AW deserves it!
Perhaps, I am too optimistic, but I tend to believe that the future is bright !!!
March 20th, 2007 at 8:27 am
I am convinced that AW will be bringing in some talent in the summer… As I totally agree that he wants to get the best he can out of what he has and if they think they are leaving they may do even worse (how could they get worse, you ask?) think Igor (1-6) Stepanovs. To his credit at least Fab4 started taking shots (not good ones but shots nonetheless) which does show his frustrations with the front 2. he cannot play the perfect pass when his strikers are nowhere to be found. I thought the Beast did better the 2nd half with his passing he came back more and did some fine give/goes. but that doesn’t put the ball in the net as we all know… this summer should prove very interesting… but we have 10 matches to get through til then.. and like it or not… JA or the Beast will be involved in most of them…
March 20th, 2007 at 8:31 am
sensible… well said…too many are ready to jump ship… yeah things could be better.. and they will be… I believe… Arsene Knows….
March 20th, 2007 at 8:46 am
In terms of the money, I wonder if this isn't at least somewhat overblown.? I know it's easy to focus on how much United, Chel$ki (in particular) and now LFC have.? But don't we have the second or third highest wage bill in the league?? Stadium debt and all that aside, it's not really like The Arsenal is Little Sisters of Poor, is it?? I hear this all the time and wonder it's just become a familiar crutch. Does anyone know the facts?
You make some good points with the rest.? It's at least the arguments I make when United supporters (for instance) are annoying me that we need a new Manager.? But among us here, Managers have peak periods just as players do.? I am hopeful about next season.? But for the first time in almost 10 years, I won't assume AW knows.? I'll need to see it on the pitch.
March 20th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Freddie isn't Robert Pires.? Pires outscored Freddie, even o?n his way out of Arsenal.? You think that Freddie deserves slack despite not having “the best couple of seasons”?? This is sport, man. We can't love and wish Freddie back to his goal scoring prime.? He's done.? It's a shame, but it happens.? Yes, we would all love a Pires type player.? I believe you understand that means we want a winger who can put in 15 goals a year, as opposed to actually wanting the 34 year old (I think) himself back.
Everything else I agree with.? Baps is crap and Cesc is the goods.
March 20th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
I completely understand your point… Yes we need a scoring midfielder, without a doubt, but I still think Freddie deserves a chance… call me a romantic. Bergkamp was my fave player and he didn't always have the best seasons… yeah we can't compare them, but I just think Freddie also deserves patience… Ok, maybe not start all the games cuz if he's not playing well he's not, however much like bergkamp again he needs a few games in a row to get going.
We all talk about loyalty… how ashley had none and left, other players and so on and so forth. What about our loyalty? As fans…?
With this I don't mean that anyone of you is not loyal just by wanting to replace a player… what I mean is that once we demand a player to work for the team, give it his all, etc the one guy that does it, with grit if not talent, his head is being called for…
Personally i think FL8 in particular deserves to be in the team… or in other words not get sold.
peace
March 20th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Your right he doesnt blast his players in public, good thing. I watch every single game on the tele, I’m lucky to have satelite and get several footie channels. Anyway I watch, and watch, and record the matches on video for my personal Arsenal archives, so I see the mistakes that are being made, and what gets me is they are making them week in and week out, no change? Now I fully understand that our two top goal scorers are kaput for the season and that alone would cripple alot of clubs, explains alot on the goal scoring front, but doesnt explain the constant set-piece errors, and corner errors we make. I know AW is the right man for the job and has been since day 1, and I do not want him to leave, period! I guess I would like to see some emmotion from him time to time, I know he roosts the 4th official during the matches, but I still hate the quotes “There were alot of positives in todays loss…” I’m frustrated because this is the club I support and I hate to see poor performances on the pitch, I know everyone on here feels the same. Well hopefully we will have a good game plan going into Anfield because I know ‘pool will be gunning for us after two defeats w/in a few days span. I think the 4-5-1 is proper for this match even though I’m not a fan of this formation, I’ve always liked 4-3-3, but I dont know if we fully have the right players to play that formation, at least we dont have enough healthy that is!
UP THE ARSENAL!
March 20th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
I appreciate you like Freddie, but I think the word loyalty gets tossed around too easily in sports.? We're fans and they are professional footballers.? That's not really a relationship where the word loyalty means anything.? We're loyal to a Team.? It's the Arsenal we foresake above all others. Players come and go.? Managers come and go.? Hell, even the stadium changes.?
Nobody is calling for Freddie's head.? My impression here is that we all really appreciate Freddie's service.? Just about every comment o?n his decline still speaks admiringly and respectfully of his effort. (And, often, red hair.)
But it is what it is.? Hard work is lovely.? Hard work with nothing much to show for it is Matthew Flamini.? You want Freddie the way he was, it's on the DVDs.?
What's best for club is, ultimately, what we all want.? Turning Freddie into cash is what's best for the club.? And that's where my loyalty lies. I bet yours, too.
Nothing wrong with being a romantic, man. That's part of our shared obsession as well.? We all have our favorites.? I was a big fan of DB, too.? But, as with Pires, even when 10's form wasn't it's best, he could still find that piece of magic.? I've seen enough that I'm convinced Freddie doesn't have enough in him left for the Gunners.? I'd love to be wrong.
March 20th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Everyone agrees that Diaby is looking good and should play more.
Why then does Wenger stick him to the left wing? He should be playing in the middle. What happens when Gilberto returns to CM?
March 20th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
If we can hold onto to 3rd, I'll be thankful. Considering the injuries, the WC, the inconsistency, the less than stellar goal scoring options, and youth development, to finish one place up from last year maybe the most realistic result. Despite the allege 20mil transfer fund, I don't see it being spent. The more fiscally prudent course for Arsenal will be to ride the horses they have into next season. If the next season starts off poorly, then Wenger may need those funds to make moves in the dreaded January transfer window.
9 games to go but as Gilberto says, the Liverpool game is now crucial for the team’s psyche. Hopefully no new injuries during the international break.
Off-Topic:
Stunning goals from the ‘back from the dead’ duo of Shevchenko and SWP. Chelsea are the only team I’ve seen that can turn a win into a display of arrogance. Get a grip, it was just Sp*rs. Beat Man U, then you can beat your chest.
March 21st, 2007 at 2:46 pm
What good is a knife with a dull edge? If you don’t score, you can’t win. You don’t have to be a rocket surgeon to figure that one out.
You guys can see why I’ve raved about van Persie so much. He has that edge that will cut regardless of what the rest of the team is doing. All he needs is the ball at his feet and he’ll rip our opponent’s hearts out.
If Fabregas couldn’t play with Vieira then what makes you think he can play with Diaby? I’ve repeatedly said that Diaby is not a defensive mid but a box to box guy, very much like Vieira. One more time, DIABY’S NOT A DEFENSIVE MID.
I’ve also said that if you can’t trap or pass, then you can’t play soccer. You have to be exceptionally good at trapping and passing to play at Arsenal. Baptista’s exceptionally bad. His nickname is an illusion as he’s not a dominating physical presence. So can anyone tell me exactly what it is that he brings to the team? Brian McBride is more of a beast.
I think if Wenger can’t sell Jose, then bring him back. So what he doesn’t like London, he signed a contract. He’s got a legit beef about not playing in the Barcelona game as he was very key to us getting to the final. He should have played in Paris. Wenger’s got that wrong and will have to work it out with Jose.
Freddie’s done. The strength of his game was his ability to beat people and get behind defenders. If he can’t do that anymore then what does he provide? I like his fight but it’s skill that win’s games.
King Henry stays!
March 21st, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Good post.? I really o?nly disagree with bringing JAR and his crappy attitude back (having him here at gunpoint will o?nly make it worse), but I agree with everything else.
I said as much (above) about Cesc disappearing a little when Diaby is o?n the pitch.? I'm hopeful that the last couple of month's, which have not exactly been horrible for him, are all part of Cesc's maturing process.? I don't think it's quite fair to draw an analogy between 17 year old CF/Viera and what a 20 year old might be able to do. Let's allow them some consistent time o?n the pitch, where AW can hopefully help sort everyone's roles.? ?
Finally, absolutely agree with your assessement of Diaby.? Box to box.? I believe he's got goals in him.? He's got the mentality, for sure, as does RVP.? We obviously need every bit of that.
March 21st, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I agree with all you have said and that includes Reyes to return. He never said that he doesn’t want to play for Arsenal, all he said was that he doesn’t like English lifestyle and was hard for him to adapt to the English game, but still he can offer more than Ljungberg that’s for sure.
Yes, Diaby is a box to box type of player, but I can’t see a reason why he and Cesc can’t play together. It’s not necessary to have a defensive midfielder on the pitch, just look at United, they have Carrick and Scholes in the middle of the park and neither Carrick nor Scholes is DM and they are on top of the Premiership. So I think they can play together.
And sorry, Brian McBride? You must have been thinking of Goran Pandev
March 21st, 2007 at 11:55 pm
fabregas’ inability to gel with vieira was more down to paddy’s unwillingness, at that time, to adapt his game to cesc’s.
there is no reason why cesc and diaby can’t play together. diaby has shown his willingness to pass and make runs. the deflected goal as well as his chance in the carling cup are examples. he may not be the typical DM (define that as you see fit) but he wins tackles and gets stuck in.
call him what you will…
let’s see how their partnership develops over the next couple of years before we pronounce them dysfunctional.
i’m with danny regarding the beast. he needs a good run with a healthy first team (and we have not once played with our strongest 11 this season) before we can fairly assess his value to our team. unfortunately for him he may not get the chance.
but this idea that he has a poor first touch is bordering on absurd. the way everyone talks about it, his EVERY first touch leads to loss of possession and that is simply not true. i see a good first touch often when he plays.
watch the CSKA away game again and see how poor henry’s first touch is throughout the game. the commentators highlighted this many times. so is henry’s first touch poor? well, in THIS game it was.
every player’s first touch eludes them multiple times in every single game, as well as the training ground and sunday afternoon kickabouts with the family.
so are they all bad?
don’t get me wrong, baptista’s touch has eluded him in key situations. and he has had his share of bad games.
but he did have two nice turns at everton (2nd half) where he received the ball, spun while holding off his marker, and headed towards the goal. that’s something i see him bringing to the team. he also is not afraid to shoot from distance. diaby’s goal at villa proves how valuable that quality can be. think of the first goal against spuds in the replay where he fought to stay on his feet to slot home. or the goal against reading when he initally lost possession but bulled past the defender to stab home (with the outside of his boot no less). i saw some strength in those goals. what about you? and his fourth(!) goal against liverpool showed a perfect first touch shot from aliadiere’s shin-high cross.
your judgment leaves you blind to only what you want to see. and there are many on this site these days that are guilty of this.
it is high time to stop the micro-analysis of every player after every game and see the match as a whole. when we play well, players will shine. some more than others. if we play poorly, maybe 2 or 3 players do their reputation no harm, but we still played bad as a team. capisci?
the content of this season has been judged on a game-by-game basis throughout. it is all too much to take sometimes.
you fans that have jumped on during the wenger era have witnessed the greatest period for this club and it promises to pick up again in the next couple of seasons.
if you can’t yet see that, then go wallow in your pathetic misery or start supporting chelsea. they will buy anyone you like. your satisfaction is guaranteed at the bridge, or your money back. what a deal.
go. there are many like you over there.
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:22 am
I agree that Diaby and Fab should be given time. That statement, along with all the others I made, was simply food for thought.
So what Thierry had bad touch in one game on a cold night in Russia. His touch is consistently very good where Baptista’s is consistently bad. I agree Baptista has shown some moments of potential magic but it’s not frequent enough to justify the money we would lose to bring him here.
And for the record, I was an Arsenal fan before Wenger arrived. In 1995 Paul Dickov was my favorite player and he wasn’t even a regular starter. Sure, we didn’t get the same coverage of English soccer in the US back then like we do now, but I was always looking for Arsenal to be on even in the middle of the night. And also, for the record, I haven’t been calling for Arsenal to go out and buy anyone.
I do, more often than not, give objective opinions of Arsenal players based on their performances. You’re supposed to judge players based on a game by game analysis and not on just one game on a cold night in Russia. If you don’t base your analysis on every game then what do you base it on?
March 22nd, 2007 at 9:32 am
just watch each game and make fair assessments. like i said, every players first touch eludes them through the course of a game.
and it wasn’t just cska away that henry’s first touch left him. it happens in every game. that he’s scored so many great goals for us allows us to overlook that fact.
as for the micro-managing of this season…
you lot need to put it all into context. we have had another year of injuries ruin our chances at developing chemistry and cohesiveness. it has hampered our ability to put our best squad out there.
i ask again, how many times has our best 11 played together this year? not once.
where would utd be if ronaldo was injured for most of the year? where would chelsea be without drogba? if either of those teams had the injury problems we’ve had they would not be 1 and 2 in the table. that we are in third and have improved our standing over last year is testament to what this team can do. even with the injuries.
somehow many people here think that no matter which 11 we put on the pitch, we should just kick ass over every team we meet. that is utter bollocks. and totally naive.
we don’t need wholesale changes to this team. we need to be healthy. if we pick up 3 or 4 players like some of you think, then we will prolong this ‘transition’ period another couple of years.
and then what? will you call for more players when ribery doesn’t settle in right away? or babel or huntelaar or whoever?
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:18 pm
What good is a knife with a dull edge? Depends on your use.
A dull knife causes more damage as the blade isn’t as sharp thus causing rougher cuts b/c of the bluntness of the blade. So if you’re in a fight than a dull knife can actually be beneficial. Also you can still stab with the point of the knife not just the blade… but I also think out of the box & am a lot smarter than most people…
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Plus, the opposing side will all need tetanus shots!?
Or am I mixing my metaphors?
March 22nd, 2007 at 6:12 pm
seanieB:
You make powerful points and I agree with your general faith in Wenger. He has brought Arsenal a golden era like no other it has seen previously. Having said that, I disagree with you regarding the Ribery, Babel point. Perhaps, it should not be either of them but we have seen our starting midfield on a few occasions this year and there is a distinct problem with width. Hleb and Rosicky inevitably take the ball to the inside; rarely do I see either cross. When Eboue is on the field and healthy, Hleb’s reluctance to run wide makes less difference because Eboue will go wide and is very fast. I don’t know if Wenger needs to overpay for Ribery who has developed quite a reputation over the past two years but I think Wenger would be wise to consider buying a wide winger with speed who likes playing on the outside. As for your comments on Baptista, I have watched every Arsenal game this year save two and I believe Wenger will not pay what Real Madrid will demand for Baptista. I may be wrong and, if so, I will tip my hat to you.
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:14 pm
village, you are one of those i can count on to still make good, thoughtful points on this site. kudos for that.
i’m not really talking up babel or ribery, though. i use that example because so many others on this site are talking about them. people can insert their own player du jour if they like. but the money it would probably cost us for ribery is not worth it. he had a decent run in qualifying for the WC as well as the finals, but i hardly think he is the secod coming of anybody. henry talks him up, and suddenly he’s the best prospect out there. i am not convinced.
but i do agree with you regarding width. i absolutely wish we would whip more crosses into the box, ala manure, because chaos ensues and goals often result. unfortunately le boss doesn’t want to employ this tactic. it’s sudicidal, yes, but it’s wenger’s choice. not a good one.
that said we do have eboue AND clichy to make overlapping runs. we saw hleb and eboue’s partnership down that right side start to develop into something at the end of last season. unfortunately injuries have rendered that option null this year.(think of henry’s headed goals against porto and manure, both crosses came from wide right, also van persie’s goal at charlton) and when gael came back and got settled, we saw him terrorising right backs, and making end to end runs often leaving a trail of opponents in his wake. but he started the season injured and is now again hurt.
there’s a recurring theme here people.
and just to be totally clear, i’m still not convinced about baptista. he shows qualities that we presently don’t have (directness, shooting from distance, taking half chances) but i’m still not sure. i agree that he will cost more than his game has shown up to this point. i am not sure he’s worth the 15 mil that is being thrown out there. but i also know that he has not had a proper run in the team, like ade had early in the season. he’s had his own injuries and is still adjusting to the pace of the game. and i will say again that with so many first team players out throughout this season he has not had a chance to show what he can do with our best lineup. (but he did show what he could do with somewhat of a settled lineup in the carling cup) right now, i don’t know if he’ll get his chance. he’s on loan, so we’re not ’stuck’ with him like we owned him. he’d get his chance then.
of course he could hit a purple patch as we close the season. then what?
remember, dennis started slowly here and he WAS a world class player before coming over. titi started slowly, but has become a world class player. pires started painfully slow, and look how he turned out.
next year…
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:44 am
I think you’ve got me confused with someone else. I will repeat that I’ve never said we should go out and buy anybody. I’ve said that Ljunberg doesn’t offer us very much anymore and Baptista isn’t worth the money we paid for Jose Reyes.
Everything you’ve said has nothing to do with what I’ve said in this post. You come on here telling me I’m not a true fan and should support Chelsea. Why are you saying that stuff to me? For the record, I don’t like Babel or Huntelaar. Don’t bash me because you’ve got me confused.
I don’t dislike Baptista but I think Jose Reyes provided us with more than Baptista is capable of. Last season Reyes held the line very capably in a 4-5-1 when Henry was out, led the team in assists, and was very instrumental in helping us reach the CL final. He was good enough to put Pires on the bench and has gone to Madrid and put Beckham on the bench. Baptista isn’t nearly as dynamic and has never been close to putting anyone at Arsenal or Real Madrid on the bench.
Freddie Kanoute is at Sevilla and is a star. But he only managed four goals in his last EPL season. Just because he was good enough to play for Sevilla, doesn’t mean he’s good enough to play for Arsenal.
March 23rd, 2007 at 4:24 am
A knife is designed to be sharp and to cut. That is what makes it most effective for intended use.
For as high quality an instrument as Arsenal appear to be, they simply lack that cutting edge that a sharp knife has. A team like Chelsea may not have the same high quality but by virtue of the fact that they have a sharper edge, they’re more effective than Arsenal.
In short, Arsenal should have the cutting edge that reflects the quality of materials and craftmanship that the rest of the knife possess.
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:33 am
i am not confusing you with anyone. my original response was to your post regarding fab and diaby (you used CAPITAL letters to make a point) and it morphed into analysis of what many on this site have said in the last few weeks, i.e we should buy ribery or babel or whoever.
i was also responding to village gooners reply to me.
and my suggestion of supporting chelsea was aimed at those who keep saying we need to buy 3 ‘world class’ players. i believe you when you say you haven’t talked up a big buying spree. so let that go.
as for reyes putting beckham on the bench…well beckham is shite anyway, and jose is not wanted by real anymore. so that point is moot. i liked reyes and wanted him to succeed, but for whatever reasons, he found that difficult in the epl. you really think he can come back now and perform?
your senderos rantings aside, you do make some good points. don’t take it personal man.
March 24th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Anyone notice we’ve got two former Arsenal players (Bentley and Pennant) whining about being snubbed by England?
March 25th, 2007 at 6:33 am
Both pretty good players, and judging by how BAD England played, perhaps they SHOULD BE playing for the National Team. Couldn’t be much worse.
You can easily look and say TWO English players that Arsenal let go, that are starting for good EPL teams…
I have no problems with players WANTING to play, be it for their club or national team… I don’t mind Bendtner talking about wanting to play for Arsenal either.
March 25th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
No one should be surprised about the latest bout of verbal diarrhea from Gallas. Last August, I predicted that his presence in the locker room would be a problem. Now that he is has made statements, the question comes up as to whether or not he is really being disruptive. He has attacked the medical staff over the his thigh injury. They thought it was a minor injury and it that turned into a 3 month saga. With all the scans these players go through, how was that missed? Gallas for one wants to know. I have wondered why Arsenal’s players this year in particular have had so many muscle type injuries that have dragged that have taken forever to recover. That seems to me to be just poor preparation on someone’s part. Players or physios or both.
Gallas’s other comments concerned the team’s young players and the “basic” mistakes they’ve made. Their over reliance on Henry. Their lack lack of killer instinct. These are things that Wenger and his coaching staff should be addressing daily, in private. Set play defense and CK offense should be worked ad infinitum because we sure as hell have the passing thing down pat, you think? Gallas is complaining about the problems we all see with this team. As a winner of two league titles, I think he’s earn the right to to put his boot up some players’ behinds. We know that Wenger will not do this, at least not in public. Maybe it’s time for the ‘Roy Keane’ approach to motivation because the non-confrontational approach is not working. Time will tell over the next 9 games, starting with Liverpool.
OFF-TOPIC:
Trevor Brooking is holding Fabregas up as THE example of the type player England hasn’t a hope in h**l of producing with its present ‘Academies of Excellence’ system. Just who are those a******s (Pardew, etc.) who have criticized Arsenal’s heavy use of young foreign players. The same coaches/general managers who cry: PLEASEEEE Mr. Wenger, begging your pardon sir, could you loan us a player or two? Wenger knows.
March 25th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Ade scores twice for Togo and is then kicked out of the team for some row on bonus payments.
March 26th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Ongoing saga. You may recall the Togo National team threatened a boycott of their WC matches because the players were not going to get the bonuses promised them for reaching the WC. Adebayor puts up with deaths threats for saying he would not play because of the bonus issue. He does play and leads the team to victory with 2 goals. Since Adebayor is so revered, maybe the people who threatened him would be willing to pay him and his team mates. Alternatively, the Togo FA should pass around a hat if they don’t have the cash (the result of a ’short fall’ in FIFA monies).