Note: This article was submitted before Monday’s Chelsea game. Also, there are quite a few submissions regarding end of season talks and possible transfer targets. Those should go up in upcoming weeks..
Now that another trophyless season is confirmed, there is very little to play for. Even second place looks difficult with a 6-point gap to Chelsea, if they win over Wigan. We have a 5-point lead over Liverpool which we should be able to hold as Liverpool are involved in the CL. Even if it doesn’t, what’s the worst that can happen - 4th place and a possible 15 point gap to the top? This season has already told us that we can challenge for the title, albeit with a few changes. With that in mind, I would like to see some new things tried out in the last 4 games.
In no particular order (except the first one)
With Flamini injured, can we get his contract sorted out? Surely, he can’t be busy with games now.
With Flamini injured, can we try some new faces in DM? How about Diaby, Denilson, Song or even Djourou. Anyone but Gilberto.
How about starting Bendtner instead of Ade for all games (except maybe Everton)? A run of games should really tell us how good he is. Also, let’s hope the others pass to him.
How about starting Walcott instead of Eboue on the right wing for all games? If Walcott clicks as a RW, we can sign the striker we so desperately need (in Eduardo’s absence) without having to sacrifice Bendtner.
With Sagna injured, can we play Hoyte or Eboue as RB in all games? I would prefer if only one of the two remain for next season.
I would love some experiments in the CB and GK departments too, but we have little choice there. Maybe play Gilberto or Djourou as CB.
71 Responses to “Experiments in the Last 4 Games”
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April 15th, 2008 at 2:17 am
Good thing you sent this in Nipuna as I was going to put something up regarding this as well. I think it would be a good idea to make some of the changes as you suggested. Theo truly deserves a start now. Before the Man U game, Ade said that game would decide if players should go on vacation. I don’t think vacation should be on their mind as there is still something to play for in the next 4 games.
It would be great if Arsenal can catch Chelsea for 2nd. I think 2nd place would mean automatic CL group stage qualification, which would be a bonus because there would be some tricky fixtures in the CL qualifying rounds.
April 15th, 2008 at 3:07 am
Hadn’t expected Chelsea to drop points against Wigan. Now, second place is doable as Chelsea have to play Everton (A) and ManU (H). Nevertheless, would like to see some new experiments tried out instead of the tried and failed ones (like Gilberto and Eboue).
April 15th, 2008 at 4:25 am
I also wish we stick to 4-4-2 in all games. However improved Hleb is in the support striker role, it only diminishes our goal threat and increases the pressure on Ade (or whoever is the lone striker).
April 15th, 2008 at 11:04 am
This is all wishful thinking. Do you really think Wenger is going to change his approach at this stage in the game, especially after he sat on his hands all season long ? Since there is still a mathematically possibility (although very very very unlikely), Wenger is still secretly hopeful. I still think Wenger will field the same team that played ManU for atleast the next match. If Chelsea / United drop points, and we dont, I doubt there will be much change in the team. If Chelsea / United dont drop points, I expect to see a slightly weaker team with Cesc probably being rested (finally) and Diaby or Denilson vying for Cesc’s spot.
April 15th, 2008 at 11:53 am
@4, ManU are 9 points ahead and with a massive goal difference. For us to win the title, ManU must lose three games and draw/lose the other one. You (or Wenger) really think that’s possible? Now that’s wishful thinking.
Yes, Chelsea’s result has made second place possible. Nevertheless changes to the team can be done. I remember how the 02-03 team thrashed Southampton and Sunderland after losing the title to ManU. I believe a similar effect will be there on this team. Reading are fighting for survival but play football, Derby are already down and Sunderland are safe. Only Everton have something to play for.
April 15th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Nipuna, I dont think there is anyway for us to win….I gave up that pipe dream when ManU were pulling ahead. However, I dont know that Wenger has, even though publicly he has stated we are out of the race. BTW, ManU dont have to loose 3 games, if ManU draw 2 and loose 2, mathematically, we can still win the league if we win all the remaining games, but again, I dont see either of those scenarios playing out.
Anyway, all I was trying to get at was that given the above and being the dreamer he is, I think Wenger will wait atleast 1 more game before changing the team around, especially since we play Reading before ManU play Blackburn.
April 15th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I dont like the idea of experiment. … We are not in a youth league. They experiment in the reserves, in the pre season games, carling cup, … the league is the league.
We all know the Eboue in Right Wing is like playing Lehman up there.. We all know that Sendy cant play in this level.
Simple, win the last 4 games left and get us some pride back. Try to get the second spot, so you dont have to fool around with CL qualifications in the summer.
Arsenal needs a whole lot changes ..and AW should have known that in the winter window … a keeper, a Center Back … then we need a finisher. you can use Almunia up there and misses same chances as Ade … keep Ade there in the squad but get us a better striker.
AW is some how genius but stubborn about his ideas ..like Eboue on RM or Sendy at CB …
April 15th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Don’t forget if we get 2nd we’ll get a chance to thrash the league winners! Always a good way to start the season!
April 15th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
@ 8: actually, its the FA cup winners that get to play the charity shield match….
April 15th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
personally, i just want us to reach 80 points and take advantage of chelsea’s distraction to take 2nd place. 80 points plus second will be perfect.
@ 1: actually, the first 3 in the PL qualify automatically for the group stage….it was changed to this earlier this season….so no matter what happens we wont have to play those CL qualifiers in august.
April 15th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
i like the idea of experimentation.
let ade, hleb, gallas, sagna, clichy, rosicky and fabregas go on their vacation.
let toure suffer some more in training as penance.
let lehmann start the remaing games since he stuck it out and he is going to play for germany at euro 08.
i want to see the following teams or approximate:
lehmann
eboue - song - djorou - hoyte
walcott - diaby - denilson - traore
RvP - bendtner
bench: fabianski, gavin hoyte, gilberto, lansbury, barazite.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
More than experimenting with different players at different positions, It is my opinion that, we should be competing hard and going all out to try and finish second (Since finishing second is definitely within sight).
Going up one place from where we are right now will definitely boost the confidence in our lads after what we have been through post Eduardo’s injury. In addition, this is exactly what we need- The belief in ourselves that, despite whatever that has happened in the league right now, we shouldn’t give up and give our best to snatch a lead and finish second. This would be a great finish to the season and a much needed inspiration for our team, as we go into the next season, settling for nothing but a win.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I say give Cesc a rest for the next two games. Reading shouldn’t be too hard and Derby should be a push-over.
Why not continue with Song at CB. I only saw the highlights for the ManUre game, so I don’t know how he did overall. But he wasn’t responsible for the goals.
With Flamini injured, why not put Diaby in at DM. And certainly give Theo a run instead of Eboue. Anyone, but him!
April 15th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
macmac@13: Song definitely had the jitters and probably rustiness in the first half and made some errors that should have been punished. He definitely looked better as the game went on though. I agree with putting Diaby in at DM and Walcott in for Eboue. If Wenger is going to be serious about his youth movement, Gilberto should not be starting and it’s obvious that Diaby is not a wing, so I think he should get a look in the middle. The Eboue experiment is an unmitigated disaster. Shift him back to RB and let Walcott start. I think it’s time to see what he can do. Of course, what I think doesn’t really matter - it’s all up to Le Boss.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
We should play with our best players and try to finish 2nd, because that way we will go in the CL straight away(Fred, only 1st and 2nd qualify automatically).
Reason more to finish 2nd is the European Championship. If we finish 3rd the players won’t get the needed rest and they will have to start with the pre-season earlier because of those qualifying matches, and that means they will be tired around New Year already. So, no experiments… well, maybe just one, I would like to see Fabianski in goal, just to taste what is like to play in the EPL and get some valuable experience
April 15th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Agree with finishing 2nd as an important goal.
Yes - not having to play some Eastern European club in the summer CL qualifiers will be welcome.
Also, finishing 2nd actually (in my book) would give the season a sense of accomplishment and distinct improvement over last season (notwithstanding the admitted change in expectations when we were tops in January).
This is why I still feel engaged with the remainder of the season.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
I get the finish 2nd rationale and agree. I think a few players need a real rest- Toure, Fabregas, Hleb, Adebayor, and van Persie. The first and last haven’t looked right in recent games..
Does anyone think Hoyte can cut it still? He is a squad player for RB and LB depth, no better than 3rd choice. Why keep him? Because he trains hard, know the Arsenal way, and is ok (thus far) with limited playing time.
I like the idea of giving Traore some time at LM. Walcott more time up front or on the right. No need to try Diaby at CAM but either CM fine. Try Djourou or Song at CB but let’s pair them with Gallas.
Eboue at RM is a bit better than him at RB but I think he has peaked- lots of energy, the ability to send in a cross but that is erratic and his shooting is dreadful.
That said, once 100% put Sagna back in as the backline needs to work as a unit. During parts of the year Toure looked better than Gallas but Senderous with Toure was frightening while with Gallas was serviceable. I know I am in the minority but Senderos is still young and is improving- keep him, I dunno.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
@ 15: actually from what uefa reported earlier this season….from NEXT season onwards 1st to 3rd would go straight to the group stage.
it started out when platini wanted to reduce england’s number from 4 to 3 and to include FA cup winners……for some very weird reason it backfired and it ended up having england’s 1st to 3rd going straight to the group and 4th to the 3rd qualifier.
i vividly remember reading that.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
correction:
actually the new changes will start from 2009/2010 not 2008/2009 so u r right sheed………….we better husstle that second spot.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I welcome the idea of a little experimentation, especially in view of the fact that the top 3 in the EPL does not go through qualifying. Denilson is not yet match fit and therefore will probably not be able to start the next game or two. He played 60+ minutes with the reserves yesterday, looked good, missed a few chances and tired early and was substituted.
The experimentation does not need to be wholesale but can be done a game at a time.
Lineup for next game.
Lehmann - Good keeper and needs match practice for the euros.
Eboue Gallas Djourou, Clichy
Walcott, Song, Diaby, Hleib
RVP, Bendtner
Following game bring in Denilson and Traore
Interest of note is that Traore has been playing at left wing for the reserves in the past 3 games with great success. Could that be a sign of Wenger preparing our new left winger for next season?
Apart from our Reserves trio of Mannone, Barazite and Nordveldt and on loan Vela, a 16 year old English lad was recently signed and has moved up to the reserves already, scored a goal in his second game and seems to be the next great English star. Midfielder Jack Wilshere is a name which we should hear about in the very near future barring injury or a mental breakdown.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Wilshire is absolute class. A genuine special talent, almost on Rooney level. He looks to have the talent to be knocking on the door of the first team squad already, but only problem is that he is dwarf at this point. Needs to grow a bit.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:05 am
Now that Denilson is back, we can rest Cesc in a few games. Traore on the left wing is also a good idea. Chelsea play Everton on Thu. So we should know if there is any chance of 2nd place before playing Reading. Accordingly, we can make the changes.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:08 am
Loved this piece on Arseblog about Hleb.
“Transfer speculation is hotting up around Alex Hleb as well . According to his agent big clubs like Barcelona, Juventus, Real Madrid and Hull City are asking about him all the time because he’s ‘world class’. I don’t think any Arsenal fan would dispute the fact he’s a very technically gifted footballer but world class players win you matches with crucial assists and more often with crucial goals. Hleb’s scoring record since he came to Arsenal has been poor - only four this season and none since Reading away on the 12th of November. For an attacking midfield player, sometimes deployed behind the main striker, that’s really not good enough by any standards. Maybe we just don’t have the right kind of ice-cream for him to operate at his best.”
The last line is a classic.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:25 am
though i’d hate to lose hleb, he looked like he was going to have his “breakout” season until about december and then just stalled a bit, which goes for pretty much all of the squad, doesnt change the fact that he is class!
plus our style of play really needs him
April 16th, 2008 at 4:47 am
I see that David Villa has stated that he would “love” to play for Arsenal. With Valencia lying in the bottom half of La Liga, I think there is little doubt he will leave to play European football. Can we get him?
Firstly, depends on whether Wenger thinks we need a striker. Secondly, how much will he cost? As Gunnblog put it, is he “worth” it?
Personally, I would love for a player like him to join us. But I guess someone will have to leave to make that happen. So Arsene has to make a decision on RvP’s fitness and Bendtner’s future.
April 16th, 2008 at 7:15 am
We got to try to finish as high as we possibly can for team morale next season, I don’t like the idea of experimenting that should be left unti preas. Most of our last few games we have lost points due to extremely poor decisions from the officials starting with the penalty decision against Clichy. I know it’s sounds biased but it is in fact true. We could well be top of the League right now and still in the CL if those decisions had gone for us/not gone against us.
However we should not have had so much borderline 1 goal more than the opposition victories, as we are supposed to be far superior than teams like Birmingham. At the end of the day as much as I would not like to admit it man Ure have a better team and squad than we do at and that has made the difference. We obviously need to get a commanding centre back, I would love Arsene to spend up to £15 mill for Richards as he will also fit into the youth policy that Arsene says he will not scrap. David Villa would be nice but proabably too expensive for Arsene to consider and would Nicky accept being 5 choice when Eduardo returns?
April 16th, 2008 at 7:38 am
As for Jack Wilshire, I do not think we bought him the other day, he came up through our junior ranks. He is a star in the making but not near the first team as someone suggested, he hasn’t even played Carling Cup yet. I think it is a a bit much to compare him to Rooney though. He is the most talked about youngster at the club only 16. However we have another star in the making that is not so well hyped, his name is Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. He is also 16 but a monster at 6′ 3. I read somewhere that he has an excellent attitude, will to suceed in the game and is a hard worker too which a qualities that Jw also possesses. Jay is a great link up player when he is on fire, good distribution, great defensively and versatile it seems as I have seen him featured in several positions in midfield and defence. I think his natural position is centre midfield a Vieira type player but with greater technical ability.Remember the name.
I can understand why Wenger is not too keen to splash the cash when you have youngsters like these coming through and you have the likes of Landsbury, Gibbs and Randall supposedly ahead of them. Nordveit is the only defender that really impresses me though no Micah Richards coming through our reserves.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:17 am
arthur, I watched a few clips of Emmanuel-Thomas, yeah his physical presence does remind me a bit of Paddy. A powerful left foot, clam on the ball, and looks pretty good a passer (for the youth team games) as well. and yes 6′3 at age of 16 that’s something. according to youth team report he can play at Left back, Central Half, Left Midfield and central midfield. not bad.
Jack Wilshire i think it’s an attacking midfielder instead of a striker is he?
one thing abt English young talent is they all look quite promising initally, before their progress slowed down or halted at a certain stage. From as far as Stephen Hughes to Matthew Connolly, Kerrea Gilbert the latest. seems like a same pattern.
i do hope one of the English lads will come through. pretty sicked and tired of rivals fans mocking our so called “non-English” policy, and blamed England’s failure on Wenger? talking about scapegoat mentality.
honestly don’t know what Chelsea, Man U, Liverpool fans got to feel “proud of” of their English players. Chelsea’s last homegrowth English talent is John Terry, Man U Wes Brown, Liverpool Gerrard and Carragher…. how old are those guys?
the way things going, it won’t take long before they all end up like us - with not many English players in their first team squad. Spurs is the same, u can sense a major squad overhaul down White Hart Lane the coming summer.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Wilshire is different from every other youngster I have seen at Arsenal. You have decent talents like Thomas, Randall, Gibbs etc but Wilshire is a freak in the way he understands the game.
I remember a few months ago Wenger said we have a 15 year old English lad who is technically at first team level already. I think it is fairly obvious he meant Wilshire. Before the reserve game the other night, Nick Banfield said he was very special and that’s not something Banfield says often and also some Journalist on Arse TV mentioned as the next big thing in English football. Let’s hope he stays injury free.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Andez check out the reserves match against Derby and check out the technical ability on top of all you mentioned. I have watched several games with him, he has only just turned 16 I think late last year. When he is on song he controls the game like a play maker when in central midfield for the reserve side, at 16! he has ability and with his attitude he will have a very bright future. Only thing is they do not play him always in CM for the reserves at least and I think that is the position he is most effective.
I hope you subscribe to Arsenal TV online by the way, it is worth it. If you see the game against Derby he has some really good close control and cool head, should have scored two, the first run was even better than the second only no goal at the end.
I didn’t see what all the fuss was about concerning Conolly seemed pretty average to me, in a team that leaked far too many goals, but to be fair I didn’t see that much of him and only highlights. Steven Hughes I remember playing for the first team I thought he was average too, but may have been highly effective at reserve level. Kerrea Gilbert looked really good especially going forward to mme when he had a short spell in the first team, haven’t seen him much in the reserves seems a bit injury prone, doesn’t look as if he has a future at Arsenal though, if Hoyte is rated above him then he is not ready yet.
JW is predominantly a midfielder in an attacking sense but can play up front. He has scored a bag load of goals from midfield like Lansbury but JackI think has greater technical ability and maybe even greater awareness, but I haven’t seen enough of Lansbury to see how good he really is.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Mazza dear fellow, you are right JW is different from any other youngster and he is very different from JayT. They cannot be compared directly, Wilshere is an offensive midfielder a goal scoring machine great awareness great technical ability and an eye for an exquisite pass looking at the Derby game at least. JayT is totally different although he also possesses great technical ability and can pass the ball well he is never used as a striker as JW is but as a defender that tells you what type of player he is. It is like comparing Vieira to Pires, a no no.
But they are both very special, JW will probably get the most attention because he scores a lot of goals, but I repeatt they are both special. The club recognises that is why they have both been elevated to reserve team football at the age of sixteen.
By the way if I remember rightly Arsene was not talking about a15 year old but rather two players in the academy either 13 or 14 he said they had nothing to learn technically. I saw a rather murky picture of one of them circled in a team photo on a website they could only guess about whom the other 13? year old was. But I am pretty sure he has not referred to a 15 year old that is technically at first team level, as the incredibly amazing 15 year old would have least been on the bench in the CC.
Personally I think Jay T is in a class above Gibbs and Randall, he stands out in a team like Wilshire does, Gibbs and Randall have promise and can be influential on the youth stage at least but they are not yet understanding. JayT if you care to watch him is outstanding albeit in a less eye catching way as JW.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Correction Paragraph 4: they are not yet outstanding (rather than understanding).
April 16th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
@arthur3sheds. #26
“We could well be top of the League right now and still in the CL if those decisions had gone for us/not gone against us.”
If the poor ref decisions really started to affect our players (plus the horrific injury to dudu) at St.Andrews really DID affect our game, then I’m worried that our players don’t have the mental toughness to rise above adversity.
During the past couple of seasons, it’s quite easy to see that when Arsenal players are wound up, we become agitated and gets into unnecessary disciplinary problems (remember carling cup final 2006/7) instead of developing a siege mentality and use that as our motivation to prove the critics wrong. Galla’s reaction to the Birmingham penalty says it all - not professional or focused enough.
Bad decisions WILL happen again next season, as is with player injuries, suspensions, fatigue, and going AWOL. I’m sure United also got their fair share of bad luck over the decade but they still managed to win 9 (and on their way towards another) title.
Disruptions happen to every team. The difference is how our manager prepares for them and how our players react. I still think our players are a bit to easily agitated and it’s easy for opposition to bait them. We need an enforcer a la Viera, but there isn’t one.
April 16th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Yep, your right. Two 13 year olds.
April 16th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
You are right Neova Man Ure have the quality to overcome a bad decision against them, {by scoring an extra goal when neccessary}. That is the extra quality they have and as one pundit said the other day they have multiple match winners to bring from the bench we only have Theo right now. But i honestly don’t believe from what I have seen they have had the amount of match determining decisions going against them as we have since the Birmingham game. I am not referring to decades here Neova, The clear offside that gave Chelsea their equaliser, Adebayor’s supposed offside against Boro etc. However Man Ure should be going for the treble now, Sylvain Distin’s foul on Ronaldo I think should have been a penalty. Rio Ferdinand was even quoted as saying Gallas’s penalty was harsh, I thought it was unintentional myself and should not have been given, but to me Gallas looked guilty as hell, so I don’t know, plus Ade’ goal looked like hand ball to me so you could say things evened themselves out in that game.
By the way I am not claiming the poor decisions affected the players but rather affected the results ultimately meaning dropped points. However the Dudu incident naturally would have some sort of effect mentally for some of the players, however I don’t think that would drop us points after a couple of games at most. You may have noticed Cecs game fell apart after that incident he kept giving the ball. It must have been hard to care on after seeing that happen right before your eyes your friend screaming in agony as his foot appears to be hanging onto his ankleonly by a few thread of his sock. Empathise, it must have been really hard to concentrate, it needed someone who had not been as close to the incident to provide the extra spark we needed to nearly win us the game. I doubt if they would have felt settled until they had heard the injury was not as bad as it looked and Eduardo would even be able to play football again. I feel that was a mitigating factor in Gallas’s outburst. But the fact a potentially prolific striker is missing from a side that is not firing up front will have an effect on the teams morale particularly when the team did as we did; struggle to score.
April 16th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Valencia won the Spanish Cup today and should be in the UEFA Cup, although given their season they could still get relegated. Been reading for 1-2 seasons now that David Villa will move but interesting to read his interest in Arsenal. I do remember nothing came of other players like Ribery and Guti who showed interest in Arsenal. Although, Wiltord had at one point expressed interest in Arsenal and that move did come about.
Regarding the last 4 games, it would be nice if Arsenal can end the season with a winning streak. That way they won’t have to wait until the start of next season to discover winning games again.
April 16th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
i can’t see the point in caring whether we finish second or fourth. i mean, have they ever been in a position where they had to qualify for the CL and failed to do so? i doubt it
of course hleb is world-class. he is one of the most penetrative dribblers in the game. think of him as a john stockton-type point guard in the NBA, the kind of guy who dishes out tons of assists but rarely scores himself, rather than as a frustrated scorer.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Just to clarify Wilshere for arthur3sheds. Wilshere came from Hales End Academy and was brought in on trial around August of last year and signed his long term Scholarship this January at Arsenal. And yes, barring injury and/or emtional immaturity he will be a great player. Shows good attitude on and off the pitch, excellent maturity for someone so young and is a rabid goal scorer from the midfield.
David Villa like so many before him has verbally confirmed he loves the way Arsenal plays and would certainly love a move to the EPL. It always seems when players express their fondness for Arsenal they never end up being acquired and at and estimated cost of 20+ million don’t see Arsene making this purchase. Would not mind seeing him paired with Ade or RVP but we would have to sell one of our strikers to keep everyone playing on a regular basis.
I saw Villa in todays game and was impressed by his pace and athleticism but looked more like an RVP rather than a Drogba/Ade type.
Let’s hope we put in a few young ones for the remaining games except for Everton and see how they do. If we can’t beat the Reading’s and Derby’s of this world without a full squad it would make the quality of our substitutes somewhat doubtful and emphasize a need to “substitute” them on our squad next season.
April 16th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
@ 37: actually he does not have “tons” of assists. he needs to improve on that as well.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
CaribKid: I was thinking the same thing regarding some of these young players that if they can’t handle Reading or Derby, then how will they cope against the ManU’s or Chelsea’s. Currently, Derby is slated to end the season with the lowest point total ever. Not sure if they will try to fight in the next few games or fold horribly. Reading and Sunderland will put up a right, even if Sunderland will be safe by the time they play Arsenal. Everton’s fight will depend on how they do over the next 2 games and if they are still in touching distance of 4th place.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
err..awful typo..fight not ‘right’ for Reading and Sunderland.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:58 am
We are linked with Amauri, the player Stag wants to see at The Arsenal!
April 17th, 2008 at 11:50 am
I wouldn’t mind seeing Toure moved into the holding midfield role with Flamini injured. Also, let’s see what Traore can do as a wing player…
April 17th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
#39:
maybe hleb would have more assists if adebayor could actually, you know, convert his chances now and again? just a thought.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
hmmm……26 goals in one season seems like a quite good amount for a big, bumbling oaf that you think ade is.
howabout 5 more goals each from ade’s striker partner, or 5 more goals each from fabregas and especially hleb ??? is that too much to ask?
what do you want ade to do - score 40 fucking goals in one season?? even henry never reached 40 and ade is not henry….so your expectations are ridiculous.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
and yes, ade is big, clumsy and somewhat oafish…..and he doesnt make any “dream team” i make up….but to be fair to him……his goals are the MAIN difference between this season and last.
he cant shoot straight and always tries to sidefoot…..and he is completely a confidence player ….
interesting stats from arseblog though:
Adebayor 23 goals in 106 shots (57 SOG) - 1 goal/4.6 shots
Ronaldo 34 goals in 216 shots (109 SOG) - 1 goal/6.4 shots
say what u may of that.
a lesson to our mdfield though…..u can ONLY SCORE IF YOU ATTEMPT A BLOODY SHOT - HLEB CAN YOU HEAR THAT?
April 17th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Fred, you might want to repeat that again in a few hours. Hleb is currently enjoying his gelato and does not want to be disturbed. Also, he can’t eat and hear at the same time.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
the more you all try to come at hleb with your clumsy kicks and oafish tackles, the more he spins and slides and whirls away.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Good point Fred in regards to the ratio of shots to goal by Ade and Ronaldo. As I have said before, Ade is also 4th in the EPL in goals per minute on the pitch with only Ronaldo, Torres and Defoe ahead of him.
Yes, he may be a stumbling oaf, but his statistics ranks in the EPL top three for most parts. Also add the intangibles of his aerial presence, work rate and ability to create space for other forwards although he may not be the finished article he is a darned sight better than any other striker on our squad.
Now, lets take Hleib with all of his skill, ability to dictate pace, superb ball control, versatility and all the other accolades heaped upon him his statistics would say otherwise. 7 assists and 3 goals as the pivotal attacking midfielder is just not good enough, period and I actually dare anyone to challenge that when compared to most of the attacking midfielders for other top flight clubs. Viera as a defensive midfielder produced more goals and assists every season.
As they would say in Jamaica. NUFF SAID!!!!
April 17th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Been away for a while and just watched the Liverpool game. I seem to have a gift for calling critical matchups. Before the first game, I expressed my concern about Toure against Babel and said I’d rather see Eboue against him as Babel just seems to quick for Toure. Babel’s quickness is the reason they were awarded the penalty.
People seem to believe we don’t have room for Villa. Nuts! There’s always room for anyone who’s that fast and that clinical in front of goal. His inclusion would be someone else’s problem but Arsenal’s problem is scoring more goals and he could help solve that problem. With the chances we’ve squandered this season, he could have easily score twenty goals. Besides, we can’t possible start the season with only three strikers, and we need atleast one of them to have some pace.
I’ve been talking about Traore playing LM since we lost Rosicky. But Diaby is so good technically, it’s hard not to play him. So many want to see him play DM so I just hope Wenger does it so we can put that argument to rest. For me, he’s not good enough tactically to play that position and has never shown potential to become such. I hope I’m wrong but time always tells.
I told you guys in the summer that Eboue would suck at RM. I actually apologized after the Emirates Cup game against Inter but it seems I didn’t need to. He’s got great qualities, mostly his quickness and pace, but Theo’s got that, too. We’ll see.
April 17th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Well, Franck Ribery, often banded about here as a potential signing to replace Hleb, has scored a mighty 7 goals(2 of which were penalties) and five assists for Bayern Munich. And this in a weaker league for the best team in the country. Ribery cost £17 million.
He did play about ten fewer games than Hleb but the point remains that these goal scoring attacking midfielders are hard to find.
Hleb would have had two assists in the last two games if Ade had any natural finishing ability under pressure. And remember that great cross to Eduardo against Birmingham that Dudu contrived to miss from five yards? What about the sumptious pass that set Fabregas free against Boro in the league only for Cesc to miss? That’s all off the top my head. That’s four assists right there.
April 17th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Yardman, I agree that Ade has those qualities that aren’t always quantifiable with statistics. With David Villa’s pace along side, Arsenal would have a deadly two-edged sword. You couldn’t afford to take your eye off either as they both pose a threat.
Even though Vieira wasn’t a DM player for Arsenal, I agree that his goals and assists were often overlooked. He was very clinical when in good positions; better than any of our current midfielders. But Hleb is simply too good. The only difference between him and Cruyff is that he doesn’t score enough but they look very similar in the way that they play. He has the potential but will he ever realize it?
Lastly, I’ve been screaming for Barazite for the past three weeks.
April 17th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Actually, there really is no basic difference between Zidane, Kaka and Hleb when it comes down to sheer and basic technical ability and ability to “see” the whole pitch. The problem is that talent alone doesnt mean anything.
Hleb doesnt score enough … fine. But the dissappointing part is not even trying AT ALL. He hardly ever shoots in any major match. Against Liverpool, both games and against Man U he didnt have a single shot on or off target.
In the first half, he was in a situation where he dribbled a defender cleanly, two defenders left spread out, he could have run the 5 meters into the edge of the box and shot……….instead he happily passed sideways to the “oaf” adebayor who did his usual routine of side-footing every shot. ofcourse van der sar saved easily.
far less talented players would have scored on that play.
April 18th, 2008 at 2:00 am
Anyone read this interview of Avram Grant? An absolute classic….loved it. The media must be so so sick of it…either way hardly anyone is honest. All they do is twist words and write rubbish 90% of the time.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/grant-you-want-me-to-tell-you-what-i-say-to-players-811333.html
April 18th, 2008 at 2:32 am
Hate to disagree with you Joshuad, especially since you have just come back to the foal (lol), but everywhere I have checked seemed to indicate he was our DMF. If he was not, I do not mind being corrected and would you tell me who fulfilled that role with Arsenal.
Thanks in advance for your response.
April 18th, 2008 at 2:36 am
Hey Fred, Ade learned his side footing from his friend and mentor who just happened to be our top goal scorer for many years, Thierry Henry. Give credit to Henry though, he would miss the easy chances but would then redeem himself with a goal sheer individual artistry it would be difficult complain of his previous misses.
April 18th, 2008 at 2:38 am
Yeah, Carrib, that role was filled by this Brazilian dude named Gilberto Silva. In his early days, he played the DM role behind Petit but in the latter years, it was Gilberto.
April 18th, 2008 at 2:58 am
People forget that Ade was NOT supposed to be the main striker this season. That was RvP. Since RvP is always out and Eduardo got injured just when he had started to adapt, Ade ended up being the MAIN striker. That is not his fault. He has far exceeded expectations. How many thought he would score 26 goals? Only Andez said that he will score 15. The equivalent situation for Hleb would have been if Cesc was out all season and he ALONE had to supply all the assists.
In any case, Wenger is not getting rid of either player. The solution is to complement both. For Hleb, get another winger who is direct and scores goals. For Ade, get another striker, who has better technique and a better goal scoring ratio. If Rosicky and RvP/Eduardo were fit, both those requirements might have been met. But it was not meant to be, so we must find other solutions now.
April 18th, 2008 at 8:51 am
what? we’re linked to Amauri?
Huh?
OK. I can dream!
That would end the striker issue!!!
He’s strong, efficient and talented… and he puts the biscuit in the basket.
Probably will never happen!
But… I can dream.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:33 am
hope everyone listened to today’s arsecast on arseblog.com. wonderful spoof after the closing theme music that pegged about three quarters of the posters on this site.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Actually I don’t think it was Nicosian. I’ve seen a few fans on other message boards acting like that but most fans on here- that aren’t part of the Arsene knows brigade- have actually recommended about three or four signings. Which considering how things have gone this season, is perfectly reasonable. Would you not agree?
April 18th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
actually i dont think we need a striker. we are better off buying TWO solid attacking midfielders/wingers.
ideally i think 4-2-3-1 is a formation that would suit us well.
let hleb and flamini/song sit in the center behind an AM trio of fabregas and two other GOALSCORING AMs/wingers of the reyes, ronaldo playing style. rosicky, vela, walcott and merida will then be subs for this AM trio.
that way, hleb can be in his preferred center position but deeper - and since he is absolutely scared of scoring he will then have 4 players ahead of him at all times to pass to. song or flamini or whoever can then clean up beside him.
off the top of my head: we could get hypothetically ofcourse - diego and arshavin for say 25 million. and say unknown awesome sagna/vidic clone CB for say 7 million from god knows where. and a new number one, lets say the 6 foot 5, alex gomes of PSV for 5 million. vela, merida, randall, gibbs return. off go gilberto and lehmann.
a lineup of say:
gomes
sagna - vidic/sagna clone - gallas - clichy
song - hleb
diego - fabregas - arshavin
bendy or ade
with:
fabianski
eboue - toure - djorou - traore
diaby - denilson
walcott - merida - walcott
ade or bendy
April 18th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Adebayor will have to improve his touch big time if he doesn’t want to look like an oaf compared to those ball players behind him.
April 18th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
The only real changes I’d like to see would be to go out and get at least one solid CB, maybe two. Where they’d come from is anyones guess. We all know what Wenger is capable of fishing out… and we’ve heard him say he’s in the market for one or two quality players before.
I’d imagine that Carlos Vela will be putting time in at wing next season, and there are still no guarantees that Hleb or Flamini will be in North London (particularly when Hleb has been seen chatting with other clubs, and news of it actually made the official site).
Eduardo obviously won’t be back until at least December, and RvP either has to learn how to stay healthy or needs to be forgotten. Bendtner has showed encouraging strides, and between him and Ade, there is at least some durability in the striker corps.
Completely off on my own thinking about it, I wouldn’t complain if Crouch was on the shopping list — even though I really doubt he would be. I like his spirit and grit, as well as another towering forward.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
LDE - thanks for the Grant interview link.
What a constipated turd. All the media panache of Jabba the Hut on Oxycontin.
It read likes a Harold Pinter play.
Yes.
No.
I don’t know.
(You certainly don’t)
Just watched a Prem archive game last night. Our 3-2 home victory over ManUre in 1997. Interestingly, we took a 2-0 lead through two long shots from Anelka and Viera’s first-time swerver into the far corner. Then - sound familiar - we promptly let in a goal, and then another goal - all before half time.
Back then, we held them off in the second half, then pressed and got the winner, an exquisite Platt header into the top corner at 85mins.
Some differences between that side and now. They were tougher: Adams, Parlour, Bould, Viera - all got stuck in, winning midfield challenges to kickstart an attack. Also they were much more direct. They weren’t afraid of a) well-aimed long balls and b) running directly AT the defence.
Our current team does run with the ball, but they mostly lack the muscle to shrug off challenges and push through. Hleb dances around them, not through them. Diarra, the impatient little turd, had this quality in spades (no pun intended). He held off midfield challenges as he ran and turned, making space for himself and opening things up.
Cesc can do it, somewhat surprisingly given his stature, but more through guile. Eboue and Theo lack that Ray Parlour solidity, where you knew he could go in on a 50-50, win it, and get right up.
Anyone see the Senderos crying stories? Just what this team needs. More sensitivity.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Rye.
Crouch?
Are you serious?
I think he is average at best. He won’t make it at Liverpool for much longer, and he’s certainly not good enough for the Arsenal.
There are about 20 strikers I’d prefer to him.
He’s Danny Dichio in disguise.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
He has a better touch than Ade Stag. Look at the goal he scored at the Emirates against us. Pure class. I would take him over Ade any day of the week if he could consistently play at a level he is capable of. But he also has days when he looks pretty poor.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Stag, after all of your ranting last off season about how bad off we were without TH and how no one would score even 15 for the club this season and all that, I’m not going to spend too much time thinking about your comment…
To answer your question though, yes, I’m serious. And he’s leaving Liverpool without really ever having much of a chance to play. You ever watch him feature for Three Lions? He gets the job done, and is durable. I’d certainly take him if the money wasn’t ridiculous.
April 18th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
If nothing else, we need to bring in two experienced players who are capable of starting on day one of the next season and the positions should be CB and Winger. Either Udinese defender Cristian Zapata or Lucio of Bayern would be a nice addition at CB and Quaresma, Diego Capel, Robinho or Ben Arfa would take on the winger’s role.
Yes, Gomes or Jusskalienen would be nice to have as competition for Almunia and a Diego or Arshavin also nice to have in midfield to complement Fab and also replace him when needed due to injury or squad rotation.
The least important need right now is striker. Vela, Walcott, RVP and even Hleib in a 4-5-1 will vie for the supporting striker role with Ade and Bendtner competing as the target men.
Would Villa be a great acquisition? Absolutely.
Will Arsene acquire Villa? Unlikely.
Will Arsene sign a left winger? Unlikely, will use Vela and Traore in that role.
Will Arsene sign a mid fielder? Absolutely.
Will Arsene sign a GK? 50-50 chance.
If Flamini stays the lineup should be:
Almunia or new GK signing
Sagana, New CB, Gallas, Clichey
Hleib, Flamini, Fabregas, Rosicky or New Signing
RVP, Ade
Rest of squad: Vela, Toure, Eboue, Song, Djourou, Traore, Bendtner, Fabianski, Barazite, Walcott, Denilson, Diaby, Senderos, Merida
April 18th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
crouch is nonsense. there is a reason benitez doesnt use him.
whatever u want to say about ade, benitez, ferguson, grant and mourinho will all love someone like ade and will use him frequently.
April 19th, 2008 at 5:26 am
We’ve already got two target men and Bendtner will be as good as Crouch in another year or two. However, Crouch is much better than I thought he would be when Wenger was talking him up at Southampton.
We need someone with pace up front that can finish with either foot. Ade has squandered so many chanced because he doesn’t have a left. RvP, Bendtner, and Eduardo have two feet but no pace. With Henry, Anelka, and even Wright, we’ve always had players with pace who could finish, until now. We also need someone who can hit a dead ball other than van Persie. Villa could provide all those things as well as being a predator in the box. Wenger’s not interested. Damn shame.
At CB, Toure has become a liability. He’s just as bad as Senderos. The only difference is he’s got the pace to compensate for many of his errors. Someone mentioned him for captaincy; not the right answer. He’s too excitable and jittery, he often makes bad decisions, and he doesn’t accept responsibility when he does screw up.
He also likes to yell at the young guys. I watched the Man Utd game yesterday and van der Saar hit a simple long ball to Rooney who ghosted in behind a ball-watching Toure and got off a shot. Toure is yelling at Song when it was his screw up. He often does that. On Torres’ goal last Tuesday, sure Senderos got smoked but Toure was in a position to rotate over and put in a block. Instead he did this thing where he flaps his hands and feet while Torres picked out the far post upper corner and laced his shot. Then on the penalty, while it was soft, he got smoked by Babel with some bad defending. He was getting destroyed by Rooney and Ronaldo last week to the point Wenger opted to bring in Hoyte for Toure in the last ten minutes of the game.
Sure, he’s been a great servant who’s given his all but he’s costed us at the business end of this season. Wenger mentioned he was more concerned about us giving up goals this season and I think he’s talking about our CB’s, mainly Toure.