[Three posts courtesy of Andez, AlexArsenalFanBuffalo & ajay_gooner]
One Piece of Advice by Andez:
Almunia - Attack the cross
Clichy - Concentrate (when defending)
Gallas - Grow up
Senderos - Work on upper body strength
Toure - Stay clam (when defending)
Sagna - Pick up where you left off (for next season)
Fabregas - Learn to curve a shot
Flamini - Pick up where you left off (for next season)
Hleb - Shoot!
Rosicky - Stay healthy
Walcott - Work on your left foot
Diaby - To improve defensive attritubes, work-rate
Adebayor - Work on your first touch
van Persie - Give us 20 league games a season
Bendtner - Work on upperbody strength, learn to hold the ball up
Arsenal Season Review and Game Plan for next season (My Opinion) by AlexArsenalFanBuffalo
[This was submitted shortly after the 4-2 Anfield Loss]
To say that our European chances were held on two awful European refs were understatements. But for how shitty those calls were, we have to strengthen the squad.
Strikers
Adebayor - Needs to learn a couple things in the off season. First is to time his runs much better. He was off sides way too much in both of the Liverpool games along with the whole season. And when he has the clear cut chances, he has to finish them off like the world class striker he is. There were two or three chances that Eduardo would have struck in the back of the net that Adebayor pulled. The second is to keep the swagger about him that he had in the beginning to mid season that he totally lost. That swagger was when he pulled that ball off his chest with his back to the goal and stuck it. That was one of the best goals I ever saw, EVER. He needs that back. Other than that, when a fit RVP or Eduardo can link up with him, they will be great.
RVP - Needs to stay healthy. If it is that he needs to do just strength training all off season, so be it. The first half of the season he looked amazing. He had a swagger and it showed. He just needs to stay healthy, that’s it.
Eduardo - He was coming into his own and then he got that horror tackle. He will be back and at first he will be cautious but he might be what we need at the end of next season if we are looking to battle on a couple of the fronts.
Bendtner - I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt this season because he had a great season with B City along with doing well for the national team. I think we saw flashes of his brilliance but after that fight with Adebayor, he totally lost his nerve. No self-confidence at all. I think Adebayor was right to get pi$sed with him because he is supposed to be the tall striker that can give Adebayor a couple game breather when need be. And he hasn’t been the goal machine that Himself or his stupid Father said and think he is. I don’t know if he needs another loan season at a Premier Club or to stick it out next year riding the bench and hoping for someone to get hurt. He could be a “Beast” in disguise.
Carlos Vela - He has played for Osasauna this year because he hasn’t been able to get a euro passport. He is from Mexico and I think he will def be worked in to the first team next year. He is a striker but can also play on left wing. He is super quick and has a good shot. I thin he is like 18 or 19 years old.
Midfields
Eboue - He is absolutely garbage. He has no business being on the right hand side of the midfield. He has no shot, he dives too much, and his crosses haven’t been what they were when he was a right back. There is no place for him in the squad. He can’t even be a cover for Sagna as we saw with Wenger using Toure as coverage (which baffles me).
Rosicky - Your spot on with Glass Joe. I don’t know what he needs to do in the off season to toughen up. But it might be that he just is not built for the premiership. Maybe he will thrive in a slower less aggressive league like Italy or Spain . If he would toughen up he would be a good player. Though Wenger has put him on the left wing, I think (like Hleb) he is much better as a more central midfielder. He drifts that way anyway when he plays. If he left, I wouldn’t be so sad to see “Little Mozart” go.
Fabregas - He is a world class amazingly-great player. Great first half to the season. Has just ran out of gas in the last two months. He needs coverage so he doesn’t have to play games against Derby and Reading . He would have benefited so much to that. He would have benefited from Diarra staying and taking over so of the duty to start the smaller games. I hope when he is playing in the summer, he doesn’t speak to other team mates and they lead him astray to another big clubs that have adequate coverage and he can afford to make the big $ and not have to play every single game. Great partner to Flamini. The only thing I thought could be a little rough
Flamini - The workhorse of the bunch. He is amazing. He really came into his own when he got the shot. He is a model to the younger players that are crying about no first team action. If he leaves at the off season, it will be a great disappointment. The one two punch of him and Cesc is to of the best midfield pairs in the game right now. Plus they are both extremely young for their experience and talent. He is the only one that has that Old School Tough Guy look in the mold of like Ray Parlour or Martin Kewon. I think he is a perfect Captain when/if they get rid of Gallas.
Diaby - Has really come on as of late and played very well. You can see a real Vieira quality about him. He is quick, smart and has a great shot. I don’t know if he is a great left wing or should be a good left D Midfielder. Maybe to play to challenge Flamini for that spot. He has that type of shot that he can come up when they are pressing and grab it 30 yards out. He is also a strong tackler the way Vieira was.
Hleb - Played great in the first half and really had flashes of brilliance this 2nd half. The only problem is he is not a great wing player and he strives to give that pass right down the middle to Adebayor. He hasn’t got as hurt this season which is good. I think one of Wenger’s great tactical moves as to make him a second striker right behind Adebayor. He is a good player to be subbed in the 60 or 70th minute if that plan of attack isn’t working.
Walcott - He has finally got his confidence and he has come on LEAPS AND F***NG bounds! He should have been on the right side of the pitch rather than Eboue. His pace is electric; he would rather set up a player then be the hero himself. He will be amazing and I know he is not going anywhere. I would really like to see him start against Utd and for the rest of the season. And selfishly, I am really happy England isn’t in EURO 08 so Walcott gets a rest for the summer. He will be a big part of next year’s campaign. They have him play as a striker for the Under 21s but I think with his pace he should be kept on the right side as a wing.
Other 1 offs
Gilberto- Past his Prime. He will probably leave at the summer to a slower league. You saw him come on against Liverpool and he looked slow and not with it.
Song – Has a chance to come on as a cover player for Flamini or Fabregas. He can also cover for Central Defense. I read he did great at the African Nations Cup this winter.
Fran Merida – I think another year of loaning will do him good. Maybe in the premiership to get him ready for the different pace than it is in the Spanish league where he is now. I read a lot of people say he is in the same vein has Fabregas, which is a great person to be compared to.
Defense
Toure - He has been very solid for the team. You can tell the African Nations Cup took a lot out of him this year. He has just run out of gas and to be put on the right as coverage wasn’t fair to him. Against Babel , you saw he was just a step off and it shouldn’t have been a penalty. He should have never been in that situation because Eboue should have been playing that position.
Gallas - This should be the last year for him at Arsenal. He has a massive salary, he isn’t an inspirational captain, and he has been beaten pretty easily by the big boy strikers of the league. He and Toure just haven’t been able to forge an air tight seal like a “Micah Richards/Richard Dunne” has or “Sol Campbell/Toure” had. If he stays, he shouldn’t be captain next year.
Senderos - He is the second coming of Pascal Cygan. Why he plays instead of Djourou is beyond me. He is extremely slow, he has no confidence, he is always very rushed, and the big boy strikers, i.e. Drogba and Torres, man-handle him. Not only that but he got played by 60 yr old Hyypai. He got beat, by both him and Torres, from textbook mistakes young inexperienced Defenders make. He doesn’t have the quality to be in the red and white Shirt.
Djourou - I’d like to see him get a shot. He is quicker than Senderos. He just needs the games under the belt. If he isn’t what I think he is then ship him off to a smaller team.
Clichy - He is another great player who really has the heart, speed, toughness, and quality to be amazing. The problem is, if he gets an un-timed tackle and is seriously hurt we don’t have coverage for him. When we had Cole, Clichy was just waiting so we had coverage. Now we do not have that experience and quality yet. There is Tra’ore, who I think will be great in the years to come. I think he is great because he went to the Spurs V. Arsenal at White Hart with a pair of knuckle dusters.
Hoyte - He just isn’t the quality everyone thought. He might need to do well with another loan spell or being sold off to get a couple pounds for him.
Sagna - He is THE BEST right back in the country if not the world. He was the best signing last year. I can’t say enough great things about him. After he got hurt, we saw how much the Arsenal really needed him. We need coverage for him. So he doesn’t have to play game in, game out.
Goal
Lehmann - He is a big baby. Maybe he should have played the last couple games, maybe he shouldn’t have. Who really knows, but what I know is he is bad for the moral of the team and all he wants to do is under-mind Wenger. Let him go in the off season. He isn’t worth much anymore. If there was a better up and coming German keeper then they would get the starting job for EURO 08.
Almunia - He has played very well and there are times he is caught out because it’s a game that he doesn’t have that much to do. I don’t know if most of the goals in the last games have been because of him or the defense but regardless he is better than Lehman and much more stable.
Fabianski - I would love to see him get some more first team experience. From what I saw in Carling cup and reserves, he looks really good. Could be a great future keeper for the team, or he can be another Richard Wright.
Manager
Wenger - I still have faith in the man. I think he has maybe lost the plot on a couple areas. First he needs to have a deeper squad. Regardless if he can not for-see Rosicky, Eduardo and RVP from getting hurt, he should have and needs to spend to just have a much deeper squad. End of story. Even if he thinks it’s cheating by buying world class already, for him to win anything he needs a bigger, deeper squad. I think he has done a couple good things this season. The new role he had for Hleb was genius. Picking Almunia for the most part this season has paid off ten fold. As a manager it’s less a liability not having Lehmann on the field.
Now to the bad he has done. Eboue starting over Walcott is stupid. Eboue not covering the right back position is also equally as stupid. Eboue still on the team is just as equally stupid. His lack of spending is his other major fault.
Summary
Overall he needs to buy about 5 or 6 new players to cover in the off season.
2 True Wingers (left and right) (Ricardo Quaresma, Diego, Luka Modric, Hatem Ben Arfa, )
1 An experienced world-class Central Defender (Micah Richards)
2 Adequate (up and coming young players who know they have to wait their turn) coverage for Left and Right Backs. ??????
1 Another Top Class striker in case we need to call on them when others get hurt. (Diogo, Rodrigo Palacio, Karim Benzema,)
He needs to constitute a semi-rotational policy for less formidable opponents so the likes of Fabregas and Adebayor don’t have to play every single game.
And Finally….
Lost season by ajay_gooner
The reason we lost the season is that we could not get three points against the lesser teams and reached to a point where we had to beat the top three to be in the reckoning. This season was no different then the last one where after being the better team we lost or drew because we lacked in finish.
The season started well but then the team went back in the same mode as last season. Adebayor to me is not a world class finisher but a good support player. The striker should be selfish and should be slippery in the box. Adebayor always seems to be looking for support to pass the ball instead of going for the kill.
The other reason is Arsene did not buy at least two players in the transfer window. I am sure he will buy a few guys and my guess would be.
If Gilberto goes ……who comes in Daniel Alves or Deco(Brazilian origin) as Arsene always likes to have two players from the same nationality or linguistic origin.
Martins from Newcastle if they let him go.
David Villa ….he is sure to leave Valencia as they are out of Champion’s league
one of the Dutch guys … Huntelaar
replacement for the keeper as Lehmann is not going to stay. Alumnia is good but not great….the replacement could come from Spain or Gomes from PSV or Green from Westham.
Senderos goes and maybe Arsene will buy a English player for defense as there is where the team lacks soul.
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:20 am
Well, I can tell you one player Wenger won’t be buying back anytime soon -
After one recent game Henry was described as a “relic”, a reporter remarking that “to describe Henry as pathetic would be an understatement”.
The Barcelona newspaper Sport gave him four out of 10 for his display in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Schalke, saying he had performed “as flatly as he has done of late”.
El Mundo Deportivo shrugged: “No. There’s no way of getting him to play well. Not even the Champions League could reactivate him.”
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/04/22/glum_henry_attracts_few_homage.html
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:56 am
Henry’s problem at Barca was expected. Most of the top sides in Europe these days do not play with 2 men up front. so either him or Eto’o would have to play out of position. and it’s unlikely to be Eto’o as he’s more of an out and out striker who would not be effective playing wide. i think even Henry himself should have awared of that when he decided to join them.
spending most of his time playing down the left flank, there’s no way Henry would be happy. as i remember one of the reasons he decided to join us that many years ago was Juventus played him down the left, and he didn’t like it.
Titi is never a “worker”. as a left side winger or attacking midfielder his job does require him to track back.
whether Barca will win the CL or not, i think Titi simply not enjoying his football at the moment. from the “main man” of Arsenal to nothing more than a supporting player at Barca, don’t think he likes that neither.
i read a report Henry been saying he’s going back to London. now we all know Wenger is not the type who would turn the clock backward. Arsenal under Wenger always firmly set their sight FORWARD. so it won’t be Arsenal Titi is joining if he’s really returning to London.
so that left with…. either Chelsea or Spurs… an unimaginable sceniro.
i think Titi is facing a tough situation right now - not happy at Barca, unlikely Real will be interested. and he won’t be happy dropping down to a smaller club in Spain neither. Going to Italy things will be even worse, his game never suit the Series A. Returning to England he will be eaten up his own words once again, that he will never play for another club in England.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:18 am
Describing the Richards/Dunne pairing as “airtight” is comical… Citeh has let in 41 goals this season and Arsenal only 29.
Plus, Richards got beat and beat BADLY by Arsenal.
The grass is never greener.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:29 am
Thanks for the rundown. Agree with most but have a couple quibbles:
Eboue: The herd mentality consensus that he is “garbage” is overwrought. He is volatile and unreliable and can’t seem to score but he is very talented and has been playing well last couple of games. Wenger would not keep a “garbage” player around this long; obviously he sees potential.
Gilberto: Showing signs he might be resuscitatable as a squad player; not sure we can close the book on him yet. But you’re probably right.
Lastly, why do I always seem to feel more comfortable with Lehmann in goal? Really conflicted about what we should do here, though I doubt there’s any way we can keep him and have everyone save face.
P.S.—I do think it’s ridiculous to claim that the team needs half a dozen new players. That’s clearly not going to happen, and it’s far from clear that it’d even be desirable. People have become infected with the fantasy-league approach to team building, and it’s clouding their judgment. Thank goodness we have a manager who resists this vulgar kind of thinking.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:39 am
Now that Hleb has been charged by the FA, who will we see on the wings for the last three games? Diaby is also injured in the reserve game. I hope it’s not the tried and failed Eboue + Walcott. If Walcott plays on the right and we can hope to see something new on the left - Traore or Barazite maybe? Just a thought.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:55 am
It’s a good thing that Hleb is out. He has been overworked in my opinion. Chances to see different faces on the wings. Or maybe Wenger would start Theo on the left and keeping Eboue on the right. Or maybe Van Persie could drop back to LW and Theo to start as a striker.
Feel bad for Titi. Remember all those times when he was with us and Barca couldnt stop bothering us, link him here and there. Now look at what happen.
We should start selling players over 30’s to Barca and make a lot of profit out of it. We know for sure they going to flop. Well, Titi hasn’t flop, but hey, he was better when he was playing for us.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Yeah, having a big squad whereby key players can be rotated now and again is so vulgar. How dare Chelsea and Manchester United attempt to have quality cover in most positions. Forget refereeing decisions, the phenomena of squad depth is the real plague of the modern game. It’s a totally abhorent concept. Thanks for bringing that to our attention Nicosian. Eyes have been opened.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
The problem with Gilberto is he needs to play everygame to be at his best level. I dont see that happening now should Flamini sign a new contract. I believe Gilberto should put in his mind that he is no longer a starter and needs to perform the best of his level when playing less games and less minutes. Pretty much a good backup. I have been a supporter of Gilberto since the day he signed for us, and quite recently nearly changed my mind on him. But after days of thinking, hey, I would love to have a guy like Gilberto, who is well like, a family type kind of person and more importantly a leader. Many might disagree, but this is just my humble opinion.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I think both Flamini and Hleb will leave this summer.
Hleb hit that guy’s face on purpose, so he wont have to play those games against Everton and Sunderland and further risk getting a broken leg. Nobody will buy a crocked player.
To be honest I couldnt care less if either of them left. Flamini is so replaceable. To replace Hleb, Wenger needs to go back to Germany (where teams still play around a number 10) - Diego, van der Vaart. Or we could look to Spain and get a winger of the Reyes mold. A bit more experienced and with a head screwed on tight though. We need to get back our pace. No question though we must replace a Hleb if he goes with at least TWO players - because we were already short when he was here.
To Hleb. You want to go to Inter? Goodluck!
To Flamini. Your career ends here. Bye!
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Flamini can go. He will go and never be heard of again.
Letting Hleb go would be suicide, primarily because Wenger will not sign more than three players no matter who goes in and out. It would just make a mockery of what Wenger is trying to achieve. Hleb has been best midfielder alongside Fabregas by quite a distance. The season would have folded without him. We need to add to that, and maybe leave him out for games where his strengths are not needed ie. Boro at home, where somone direct would be more effective.
I think both of them are going as well though.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Andez on Henry.
The man has seen his only child 5 times in 8 months.
This surely has some effect on his psyche’.
He has not exactly been a big hit… and the Spanish papers hammer him.
Maybe deservedly. They expected THE TH14, that we all saw here.
I would definitely see him coming back to the UK.
You can say its an unlikely scenario, but if he wants to be near his daughter - Tea - he has the ability to do so.
I can imagine Chelsea taking him on, especially if Drogba goes. Anelka and Henry … Arsene Wenger’s own dream pairing… playing @ Chelsea!
Its possible.
I don’t think he’d go to Spurz. TH14 has class. I don’t think he’d go there.
Gilberto DOES need regular playing time on the pitch to play well. Who doesn’t?
Some folks expect a wind-me-up doll. Throw a guy in once in 5 games and say … “perform”.
Doesn’t work that way.
He will be a good player for someone… he’s not 40.
We don’t need 6 players coming in… unless of course we lose 3!
We need DEPTH. I think we need some incoming talent as well… but I certainly won’t hold out ANY hope of it happening. I expect the same Summer as virtually every Arsenal Summer… we wait and watch… other teams bring in players, we do feck all.
IF… we plan on competing with United… and the team they have assembled… then we have to improve. Not by getting a year older. Thats laughable.
Chelsea… are going to bring in players as well… and I imagine Liverpool too.
We’ll likely watch the beautiful Summer sunsets… and put the profits in the bank.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Squad depth is welcome; squad overhaul is not.
What a conceited, know-it-all prick you are, Mazza.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
People are suggesting three of four signings and letting a couple of players go. It’s called making a few perceived necessary adjustments to at least look competitive in all competitions. Wenger, for all his qualities, is not the untouchable genius you think he is, as has been proved quite clearly over the past couple of years.
But, carry on and put suggestions in people’s mouth, or you can always piss off to another site if such transfer rambling are beneath you. Muppet.
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Hey. Play nice.
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Yeah, I don’t know where this “Eboue is Garbage” comes from either. Eboue is a very good player to have in the squad.
An experienced world-class Central Defender (Micah Richards). Is that a joke? It’s pretty funny.
I told you guys three months ago that Flamini would probably bail. That kid wants 80k a week. That’s what Vieira made. Does he think he’s as good as Vieira?
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I think Arsenal need to overhaul about 7-8 “supporters.” We all know the ones, they love the way Chelsea and Man U play, complain incessantly about the best players, are always down on the team, the players, the way Arsenal play, and would be unhappy if Arsenal won every game by a margin of 10-0.
Trade those folks in for some real supporters and you’ll make a LOT of people happy.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:19 pm
no, we all know you’re the only “untouchable genius” around, sir. i only hope wenger finds a way to absorb your wisdom before making all of us suffer through another season in which we are so obviously un-”competitive in all competitions.” really, your genius is wasted in such cramped quarters.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
this chelsea-liverpool match is the definition of TEDIUM. if someone was suicidal this match could push him over the edge….gawd i hate these teams.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
seriously. both teams are so bereft of creativity its hard to watch.
think kuyt fouled makele before scoring though. skertel seems to be marshalling drogba well, we need to get ourselves one of those
oh yeah and torres missed a 1v1 …wonder if that makes him shit??
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:00 pm
“this chelsea-liverpool match is the definition of TEDIUM. if someone was suicidal this match could push him over the edge….gawd i hate these teams.”
LOL!! it’s call “anti-football”! but well, what do we know? they are the “tactical genius”. We, Arsenal under AW, are like a bunch of mustangs - to hell with the tactic, let’s go out and ATTACK! wouldn’t trade a trophy for the football we get to watch over the years, exclusively by the team who wear red and white.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Fred @18: nice statement. But you are quite brave in watching this game. I decided to stay away for my own sanity.
The previous 6 games between these two in CL have ended in three 0-0 draws and three 1-0 results. And one of those goals is still disputed.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Folks. Some of you…sometimes… slay me.
Yes. Its tedium watching other teams. They lack creativity.
SOUR GRAPES? Yes. Quite.
They play TO WIN. We play to entertain.
At the end of the day, its about getting a result.
Apparently nobody remembers: “boring boring Arsenal”
Chelsea and Liverpool (in the CL for sure)… know how to WIN.
They know how to get the “W”… regardless of how pretty it is.
They have match winners, game changers & depth.
We’re good. VERY good, no doubt. But not quite good enough as we are.
All the pretty football in the world isn’t going to change that.
I’d rather win ugly, than lose pretty.
Perhaps many of you… would rather lose pretty.
Thats what it sounds like to me.
I do think we are going to lose some players…
Hleb could definitely go.
Personally, I think he’s very very good. Very creative… and works extremely well with Cesc. He’s a passer, not a shooter. Accept it & move on.
If he goes, it will definitely be a blow, because we’ll have to bring someone in to “TRY” to replace a talent like that…. and Wenger doesn’t always do that. AND, it takes time for players to fit in and gel. Wenger usually waits all Summer to bring someone in, so it takes 1/2 season to adjust.
If Flamini goes, we lose a guy who has the most grit and determination, in a Ray Parlour type of mold. He had a very good season, and will be difficult to replace in some respects. Sheer talent? perhaps not.
He wants to get paid.
OK. I completely understand that. You’ll have folks here say he’s a greedy bastard who should be happy to be playing under Wenger, the genius that made him what he is today… utter non-sense.
Gotta GET PAID. His value as a player might be at its PEAK. If he doesn’t get paid with a handsome contract now, he might never.
We could be in for a long fun interesting anguish filled nail-biting maddening Summer Silly Season.
As always!
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:41 pm
On Eboue, I’d be happy to see him go. Half a season of promise followed by 2 seasons of failure. Season 1 he lost the FB spot, season 2 he has proved woefully insufficient at RM.
But the clincher is his on-field manner. It’s pathetic and a slight on this great club. All the face-pulling, play acting, cheating nonsence like someone is swinging on his willy.
If it wasn’t for this I would tolerate him and hope Wenger developed his game.
Throw in the need to restrict our reliance on African players (due to the bi-annual mid-season ANC). He clogs a senior role in the squad, and again gives an illusion of depth.
As at today, the package doesn’t stack up. Sell him to Big Sam who spoken admiringly about him - that in itself says it all.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I doubt Wenger would sell Eboue.
I don’t like his theatrics either, or his on-field non-sense.
He has some skills. He has his moments.
But if he goes, it means someone has to replace him. There is no clear cut choice that is better than Eboue, and the fact that he can play more than one position, in a team that is LACKING DEPTH, makes him more valuable on our team.
The ACoN is not a relevant reason to let a player go, or not bring in a player. Once every two years for a few weeks.
There are players going back for international matches half way across the world… so should we just restrict our team to Europeans?
I’d take a quality African player any day of the week… the ACoN is not a big deal… all the teams have to deal with it. If you have a squad that lacks depth, then it effects you more.
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
The ANC is a factor Stag in deciding a players value to your squad, although not necessarily a deciding one. You don’t have to agree.
But if I was a manager I would want to ensure that my senior squad wasn’t going to be unduly depleted for a significant period every 2 years. You can’t compare a tournament to spasmodic internationals - be realistic.
If you want impact look at both Toure and Song who came back injured. Toure, post ANC has looked less composed. What would have happened if Adebayor had gone as well?
We already have Toure, Eboue and Song - all potential senior defensive components in our team. Add Adebayor as well. Knowing that you will lose 3 defensive players doesn’t seem too smart to me. It’s about managing risk - the ANC is a known risk. If you don’t work it into your plans that’s just being negligent.
Footnote: I agree Eboue’s versatility gives him an added value. But at present he’s still a poor FB and an inadequate RW by Arsenal standards.
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I never watch Chelsea play unless it’s against Arsenal, Manu and maybe Spurs. It’s a waste of my valuable time to watch crap football.
On the other hand, 6-7 players may be arriving in the squad but at least 3-4 will be existing Arsenal players like Vela, Merida, Barazite and Nordveldt, maybe even Wilshere, Mannone (If we don’t get another GK) and . Realistically, expect 2-3 new arrivals.
For all the Ade and Eboue haters, they will be here come next season like it or not.
Lehmann, Flamini and Hoyte looks like certainties to go with question marks for Senderos (Will Arsene keep the faith?) and Gilberto (Will he accept being a non starter?)
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Stag@22: I wouldn’t qualify it as sour grapes. I love to watch Arsenal play because they are fun to watch. I can watch Man u for the same reason. Sure, I prefer that they lose, but they are entertaining. Liverpool and Chelsea play to win, although I think you could generally say that about any big team. That being said, that type of mentality, particularly when both teams play that way, is horrible to watch.
Also, I think most of us remember “boring, boring Arsenal” and the reason everyone chanted that at other grounds is because those teams were pretty boring to watch. Sure they got results, but I think that in sports there is more to it than just winning. I would love it if Arsenal won every game, but of course that isn’t going to happen. At the end of the day though, regardless of whether they win anything, I would rather watch the gunners than either Chelsea of Liverpool because watching them is more work than fun, which is why I watch sports: to be entertained.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:04 pm
“Also, I think most of us remember “boring, boring Arsenal”……”
I doubt ‘most’ do. My pick would be that 60-70% of supporters on this site started supporting Arsenal during Wenger’s reign. The standard of football that Wenger has developed at Arsenal is exactly what attracted them and now ironicaly they judge the man by this standard.
For those of us who have followed Arsenal pre-Wenger there is a sense of awe about what the man has achieved. He has changed the very culture of the club and established a new culture that is now world famous and universally admired. That’s why we are very circumspect in criticising the man. I can’t think of another manager who has achieved this. And lest we forget - has redeveloped the clubs infrastructure (training ground and stadium) and it’s youth institute.
Good point Seattlegooner.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:29 pm
timmy@16- LOL. I think they are quite a few who get that passing thought while reading here.
Kiwi@23- I agree re: Eboue assessment of “1/2 a season…” Not so much the other parts.
ANC does not worry me too much- 3-4 players with decent depth is fine for a squad.
Eboue is a decent squad player but I don’t like his antics either and he hasn’t shown enough at either RB or RM to earn my vote- his playing time should diminish.
Hoyte? I am not a fan or his pace, position or overall play but is there any harm in him as emergency player on the backline? He doesn’t complain and gets a few minutes here and there. He should move on to get playing time for his own interest.
Hmm- the struggle between entertainment and winning- thankfully they are not exclusive and why I admire Wenger is his determination on BOTH fronts. Some years back I chose Arsenal and I won’t go back even if they become boring. I pray they do not, however…
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I see the future of three players as crucial to next season. Wenger will earn his money trying to assess how to handle them.
1. Gallas: Mixed year both playing-wise and as captain. His p’ship with Toure has osillated between poor and ok.
Upside: Proven performer, tough, versatile, mobile.
Downside: Dubious choice as captain, injuries, p’ship with Toure.
Let’s remember he only came to Arsenal as part of the Cole exchange deal so it isn’t clear whether he is Wenger’s idea of the ideal guy to play with Toure. Wenger has got himself in a bind - Gallas is really valuable, one of those experienced players we need, but probably not as captain and not with Toure. He’s such an emotional character that he would likely react badly to a demotion from captain, or not being a starter.
What to do? Dunno!!
2. RvP: Class and glass.
I think Wenger will keep him, persist with him, hoping that his durability improves.
But with Eduardo out, there is no deputy so his fraility is a major issue.
What to do? Keep him and buy a ’super’ quality player to compete/cover. Forget ego’s, if they ever all get fit - let them fight it out and sell-off as required.
3. Rosicky: Just glass. The style is there, the promise is there but he hasn’t had a breakthrough season like Hleb. We’re still waiting for him to impose himself.
His role is just too important to this team. He gives balance. Hleb can’t score, Rosicky can - but only if he makes it on to the pitch. 2 years - minimal impact.
What to do? I’d flick him. If RvP and Eduardo weren’t in the injury boat I’d probably treat him like RvP but Wenger likes a compact squad. So I’d trade him in and buy new - ’super’ new.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Andez, loved the brevity of your advice- nice change of pace for a post.
Kiwi@30- excellent point. My added concern with all 3 is Euro2008.
I too think Rosicky must go- he likely takes too much in wages for all his time on the treatment table.
Let’s not pin hope on Vela- 1/2 season at the earliest. 1-1/2 more likely. Arsenal will spend time on the youngsters.
We need the Flamini engine with Fabregas in midfield. Walcott will spend some more time on the right but who of the youngsters will emerge.
Gallas out before Euro’08 but I worry as much as we complain about him how many are better?
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:06 pm
GunningSteve, I really like Gallas. Before he came to Arsenal he was probably my favourite CB
I still like him as a player.
Unfortunately the p’ship with Toure is ok at best - and while both Toure and Gallas are there I can’t see Wenger buying a real quality player to compete. And Toure won’t go, Wenger loves him and rightly so.
The other concern is his captaincy. On that front I think we can do better. I like the idea of the Flamster being captain. Sadly Wenger will likely go for Fabregas.
To be honest I’m sick of emotionally complex foreign captains, who hold the club/Wenger to ransom. I’d rather have an uncluttered english defender-type who had a knack for occassionally shouting loudly in an under-performing fancy-dans ear and then followed that up with a bit of tough love in the dressing room. Won’t happen cause it conflicts with Wenger’s MO - and he (the english captain) would need a few englishmen in the dressing room for those occassions when a good all-in team brawl was required. Ironically Gallas is probably the euro version of what I want - just the euro version comes complete with tears and pitch sit-in’s and a lot of emotional drama. Groan.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Why did Hleb do it?
The nancy-boy face slap was totally out of character, it looked surreal, almost premeditated. Did he want to finish his season a little early? Is he simply tired, feeling flogged after a long hard season that seems to be ending in a whimper? A season where he along with Adebayor has been the only attacking player of note? A season where his game has excelled and yet he receives criticism for failing to contribute things that he can’t and others should.
Or is there more to it? Is it a bit more sinister from our perspective? Is he happy to exit this season in the knowledge that he is leaving and wanting to avoid any chance of an Eduardo-incident?
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:49 pm
stag, if you would rather win with that football then why not go support chelsea or liverpool since they do “know how to win”. nobody is begging u to be a fan here. dumbass.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:29 pm
We need to keep Hleb and Ade. Our current axis of Cesc, Hleb and Ade is a little slow and that is shown in many of the games. We are slow starters but usually end up strong. It is supposed to give us an edge in Europe (I think we need a strong defense for that). What we are missing is the “wham bham thank you ma’am” style of Henry + Pires + Ljunberg that’s gives us control of matches early in the game.
So we need to complement Hleb with a goal scoring, pacy and direct winger. We need to complement Ade with a technically gifted and two footed pacy striker. That’s all I want this summer. That’s also why I want David Villa so much. He fits the bill so well that, well, we won’t be signing him.
Last season, I craved for Tevez. He went to ManU. Look what happened despite people saying he can’t play with Rooney. He has ~18 goals. More than any in our side except Ade. I hope Wenger doesn’t pass up the chance on such a fantastic talent like Villa.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:30 pm
@ kiwi: actually he did that completely on PURPOSE……he was smiling incredulously when the referee failed to give him a straight red.
he couldnt do it a second time because it would be way too obvious.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I’d go with Kiwi@30. Keep Gallas + RvP and sell Rosicky. But who will buy a crocked star? Not that we would make a big loss.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Funny to see Rafa complain about the ref after the 1-1 draw. Seems like he has forgotten how much help he got from the referees reaching here.
Also I burst into laughter reading Gerrard’s comments -
Gerrard brushed aside any talk of them struggling in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, where they have yet to score a goal under Benitez.
He added: “We haven’t played there with Fernando Torres.”
Putting so much faith in one player who has score ~3 away goals all season? As much as I hate Chelsea, I wouldn’t shed a tear if Liverpool went out the same way we did at Anfield.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Come to think of it, keeping Walcott as a winger option is not the worst thing to do.
Strikers - Ade, RvP, new signing (Villa??), Bendtner
Wingers - Hleb, new signing (van der Vaart??), Vela, Walcott
Walcott can be used a striker, if required. Keep Eboue as backup RB. He too can be used as RW, if required. Merida/Barazite can be 5th winger. So can Diaby. Is that good enough? Probably not, as we don’t know how long Vela will take to settle and if he is indeed a true winger. But I don’t see Wenger signing a new winger AND keeping Hleb+Rosicky.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:59 pm
This is how my team is beginning to look
GK - Almunia, Fabianski, Mannone/new signing
CB - Gallas, new signing, Toure, Senderos/Djourou
FB - Sagna, Clichy, Eboue, Traore
CM - Cesc, Gilberto/Flamini, Denilson, Diaby, Song
WM - Hleb, new signing/Rosicky, Vela, Walcott
FW - Ade, RvP, new signing, Bendtner
Out - Lehmann, Senderos/Djourou (3/2M), Hoyte (2M), Gilberto/Flamini (3/0M) and Rosicky (4-5M)
In - new CB (6-8M), new winger (8-10M), new striker (10-15M)
Net spend = (8 + 10 + 14) - (2 + 2 + 4) ~= 25M
CM is still weak if Flamini leaves, but what to do?
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:29 am
Nipuna #39, I know all of this is musing on paper but it probably would work assuming RvP is fitter next season and assuming we sign real quality at striker/winger.
We’re still light out wide, but RvP and Walcott can both play a role there. And Vela provides an option, albeit one that can’t be relied upon unduly. Then Wenger can always resort to playing a midfielder (i.e. Diaby, Denilson or Eboue
) if he wants to strenghten the midfield.
Ideally Wenger would have 3 quality wide players…..Hleb & 2 new signings……but that is unlikely. But letting Rosicky go and replacing him with quality will at least reduce the ‘perpetual injury’ factor.
I’m happy with Ade/Bendtner and RvP/new signing as strikers with Walcott as another option. Personally I think Bendtner and Walcott are still very green, but you never can tell when green starts to emerge into quality. And under this scenario they are options no’s 4 & 5.
Sadly when you look through our roster of strikers there is a questionmark over every one of them……..ironically the one who has really contributed this season is the one most criticised, LOL
Adebayor - much criticised (altho I’m a huge fan)
Bendtner - on the outer / minimal impact
RvP - class yet glass
Eduardo - long-term injury / what future?
Walcott - glimpses of quality / but overall little impact
For this reason I’m less upbeat about our attack at the end of this season than at the start. But let’s see what Wenger does.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:39 am
Fred #36, I kinda got that impression too.
If, and that’s a big ‘if’, there is truth to the Hleb want-away rumours Wenger should just say no and back his ability to influence Hleb to stay over time. I’d back Wenger to do it. Hleb presents as a plyable character. I just think it would be jolly annoying to watch him go after we’ve invested 3 seasons in him. Only this last season has produced any meaningful dividend.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:14 am
Arseblog comes up with some good ones on Hleb -
As expected the FA have charged Alex Hleb with violent conduct for his slap on Reading’s Graeme Murty. I don’t think Arsenal will appeal and on Thursday Hleb will be banned for 3 games, effectively ending his season. I suppose the man who has just one more league goal than Philippe Senderos and one less than William Gallas this season will have more time to decide what his favourite ice-cream flavour is.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:52 am
@Stag, it’s definitely not sour grape. Simple - like during the World Cup, I always tuned in for the Brazil match, and rarely went for a German or Italy game unless it’s in the final stage.
not that i m a Brazil supporter. whether they win the world cup or not means nothing to me. but we are Arsenal fans because we had become “football fans” first, and any football fans love to watch good football. that’s why ppl still talk about Holland’s “Total Football” back in the 70/80s, despite the total football didn’t really win them anything. yet those who beaten them in major tournament final, Germany of 74, Argentina of 78, how often do we hear ppl even talk about them these days?
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:10 am
@Kiwi ..i agree that Wenger should just take the risk and ask Hleb to stay on for one more year …..If anyone can do that…will probably be Wenger …..and Hleb has never been one with a big ego or attitude during his time at Arsenal..so there might be a possibility..unlike a Diarra or Bentley or Cole.On the flip side..if that slap was deliberate with the intention of getting himself sent off..then it will become a really difficult case to handle. Would be interesting to see if there is any communication from Hleb regarding that incident…the only possible reason I could think of is Murty saying something to Hleb to which Hleb reacted ….something like Zidane on Materazzi.
W.r.t Flamini..i’m glad that Wenger has set the deadline of April…and one way or the other we are going to be done with it….if he says he wants to stay at Arsenal then he should probably sign the contract and be done with it ….. Personally I won’t criticize too much him if he decides to go for higher pay…..but i think he’s making the wrong move…..probably see his career going downhill from here on. Could just be a possbility that Wenger or the board’s policy of asking players over 30 to leave or giving them just 1 year extensions could be a contributing factor to some of the players choosing to leave early. I mean there’s probably not much of an incentive to stay on too long here and try to become a legend.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:35 am
I don’t think RvP has significant injury problems. If you think, Beckham, Terry, and Rooney two times has done in a metatarsal and no one is questioning their durability. As for his other injury, that was just a horror fall/tackle playing for Holland and his following injuries were all down to his and Wenger’s desperation trying to have him back when he wasn’t fully fit yet. He’ll be alright.
I said this after last season that Rosicky isn’t fit enough to play full games twice a week over an entire season that lacks a Christmas break. With that, I don’t think we should just jettison him because of his lack of durability as I’d rather have him sometimes than not at all. It’s not like we could make any money off him right now. He could be managed where he played for an hour then Carlos or Nacer could get some time or trade games with one of those guys. He could even play two full games in a week, just not every week. He could be successfully managed and kept fit all season if we proceed with caution. Wenger flogged him before his injury but Flamini, Fabregas, and Hleb were all out injured and the boss didn’t have much choice.
While Flamini’s talent is replacable on the field, we also have to consider he’s a big time leader on the pitch as well as a big personality in the dressing room. I remember reading interviews where players said they loved having Flamini around and his departure would leave a big hole that no one is just going to come in and fill. There are too many unquantifiable tangibles that we lose if we lose him. I don’t think he wants to leave so we’ve got to meet somewhere between 40 and 80k a week. I think he’d sign for 50k a week and Arsenal can afford that.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:41 am
With the Hleb incident, he could just be tired. He’s probably wanted to do that for a long time but we were still in all competitions then. This is the first game he’s had a chance to get that out of his system.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:58 am
Josh, I wholly agree with what you say on Flamini.
But on RvP and Rosicky, I think your letting your admiration of them cloud your judgement and it’s against all available evidence.
RvP doesn’t have significant injury problems?????? Where have you been for 3 years? But like I say, I’d probably persist.
Manage Rosicky?????? He can’t play for half a dozen games straight. We don’t carry spare wide midfielders. These guys are highly paid professionals. He’s in his prime age-wise, not Bergkamp in wind-down mode. If he can’t achieve a normal standard of fitness he has to go. The timing of his departure might be another question. Part of his problem is he hasn’t played regularly enough over a sufficient period to fully integrate into this side. He’s in….then out….then coming back….then out….then coming back….then out…….
He’s just not that valuable to skew the whole team to cover for his glass-ness.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:25 am
I think Flamini is not as easy to replace as we might have thought. Let’s don’t forget one significant point - if we sell him, and brining in a new guy, he will need TIME to settle. the result will surely suffer because of it.
and if we keep Gilberto and play him to fill the gap, the thing about Gilberto is - he tends to dwell on the ball, and his passing is not up to pace with the rest of the team. Filling in for a few odd matches is one thing, playing consistently we will see the negative effect of it.
so the bottom line is - do we expect our team to CHALLENGE the title next season? or just to see it as another transition season?
if we want to challenge the title, we have little time to wait for new signing to settle in. Not saying we shouldn’t buy. We should add a couple quality players, yet at the meantime, we should keep the core of the side together. that will buy the time for the new signing to settle in.
and all those talks of Flamini is saving himself for a better contract from elsewhere, so he left the pitch early as soon as he picked up and injury in an early match is totally rootless.
he may be a greedy bastard, but on the pitch, this guy always gave 100%. in fact, he’s one of the rare players we seen from this Arsenal side this season who has shown a real HEART to battle for the team. It’s very unfair to take that away from him.
the same applies on Hleb. I think the guy is simply getting frustrated with all those ruthless tackles aimed at him, and the way we lost all those matches lately. There is NO WAY he slapped an opponent on purpose so he can off for holiday earlier or to save himself for other club.
Opinion is one thing. Those are the accuses which are totoally rootless. and it’s kinda an insult to those players’ professionalism.
on Hleb’s case, if he’s going to leave, i think one reason maybe he’s fed up with the physical style of Premiership. remember, he’s not alone. Reyes had already ran away with tail between his legs, getting scared by all those tackles. And even Pires when he first arrived, he told Wenger he might not have cut it with the English game.
i m not saying this is the lone reason if Hleb’s going to leave. but i believe it’s definitely one of them.
u look at the way ppl chopped van Persie down during the Reading game, he’s lucky to come away unhurt. i m not suprised at all van Persie, Rosicky the likes getting injuried so often. the fact that Hleb been playing so many games this season is what it suprised me, cos he’s also one of the players getting a lot of physical abuse on the pitch.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:54 am
Andez, I agree that the ferocity of tackles in the EPL have me surprised that more finesse players don’t come down with injuries but we shouldn’t forget van Persie’s injury last year (Winter 2007) was not from a tackle and this year’s (Fall 2007) was during his time with the Dutch national team.
We can handle the loss of Flamini but it would be a blow.You don’t want to sub out CM all the time- I would expect Song then perhaps Denilson to get a shot. Look to the future…
Yeah, Hleb was yellow-carded at Man U, frustrated at the refereeing, the prospects of a loss, etc.
Everyone may want a striker but I would be shocked.
Adebayor, RvP, Bendtner, Eduardo, Walcott are all legitimate options and will the likes of Rosicky, Hleb, Diaby, even Fabregas we have attacking options with a lone striker.
Hope for a replacement for Rosicky- he started 19 games this year, 31 last. With his injury history it is naive to think it will change much. RvP- a bit naive too perhaps but always hope with the younger.. Also consider the wages, Rosicky HAS to be making a bundle..
We need a dominate CB partnership- could Gallas be the LB, kick Clichy in the pants option? I doubt it but another year should make Clichy better.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:21 am
i think our striker situation is tricky. it’s like there’s a little GAP there between the “future” and “now”.
at the present, i think they are not quite good enough to rely on if we are going to win the league.
yet you know they are definitely good enough in 2 or 3 years’ time, the likes of Theo and Bendtner.
but we can only achieve that by PLAYING them. yet if we play them for next season, our result may be INCONSISTENT.
if we buy in a quality new striker though, then either Theo or Bendtner, or both, will suffer.
so it’s really a catch 22 situation.
that’s why i always feel being critics is far easier than actually managing the team. to fans, everything is always black and white. to managers though, they got lot of stuffs to think about.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:27 am
well said Andez, that’ why I say Wenger has a big task this off-season. the green, the injury-prone and the injured…..
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:07 am
Real Catch-22 situation for Wenger….With Adebayor, RVP, Walcott, Bendtner and Eduardo we have a decent strikeforce in theory..the injuries complicate matters….but if these guys keep together for the next 3-4 years…you can imagine how good they can become as a striking unit. Knowing Wenger he will take the risk and go with the ‘green’.
One option which Wenger could look at is to take a cue from Ferguson and sign …a ‘Henrik Larsson’ kind of player on a short term basis..don’t know if there is anyone on the horizon..but definitely an option that could solve all his problems in one go.we won’t have to enter into a bidding war….we can concentrate on strenghthening the wings/defence rather than spending money on a strikeforce…. plus we’ll have the experienced guy to fall back on as a sub if the youngsters don’t click or RVP gets injured …. he can also be of help to the youngsters….and finally we can have a relook once Eduardo is back at the end of the season.
Very unlikely scenario i know ….I’ve been trying to think of some unlikely options since since Wenger always chooses to come out with such moves that nobody even thinks about…
Cheers
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:57 am
Wayne, on the strikers…
RVP can’t play a full season, its HIGHLY unlikely given his propensity for injuries. Nobody questions his talent.
EDUARDO is a big ?? you can’t expect anything from him going forward. If he comes back in Dec./Jan. and contributes anything its a plus.
BENDTNER & ADE… two pals. Is that what we want leading the way… two guys that don’t like each other. Will they even pass to each other.
I don’t like that scenario. Theo could become our best striker in a few years, maybe even next year… but… not that great a crop of strikers looking at next year … in my opine.
Wenger does NOT do Larsson types of deals!
Doubt he’ll start now.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 am
Yes Fred… I know you want me to leave the site, so you can run wild with your non-sense unabated. Sure, I’ll listen to everything you say. Who should I support? Barcelona? Chelsea? Tell me exactly the team I should support, as you are all knowing and all powerful.
What color shirt should I wear tomorrow?
JACKASS.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:17 am
Looks like Flamini’s on his way. Meanwhile, Villa are resigned to losing Gareth Barry.
Wouldn’t be the worst switch in the world if we got Barry in the middle of the park.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:32 am
If Reo Coker cost 9M, how much would Gareth Barry?
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:39 am
Stag, Wenger actually had DONE Larsson type of deals before. Signed Davor Suker when his career was winding down. That’s after Wright and Anelka no longer with us, and Henry just arrived. So Suker played a stop gap role. in the few appearances, i think Suker did pretty well for us, though he missed an all so important penalty in the UEFA Cup final penalty shootout.
Wayne’s idea actually made sense. having said that though, i too doubt AW will go for a deal like that these days, cos this team very much have a motto written in it - Toyota, moving FORWAR! ok, i should say Arsenal!
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:42 am
btw, i wonder if UEFA will be happy to see an all English (or any two clubs from a same country)final in CL? so i won’t be suprised to see Barca beat Man U, through a questionable referee decision. yes, i have no trust in the man in black, or whatever colour these days, they are still crap.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:55 am
I know we’ve got bigger fish to fry than a striker. However, adding David Villa to Arsenal would be absolutely incredible. The primary reason is no one in our team can do what he does. He can make Arsenal so much more dynamic going forward. He’s a two-footed striker with pace and a clinical finisher. He’s got a lethal freekick and a better than descent scoring record for both club and country.
All the times that Hleb doesn’t shoot, Villa could spank an accurate volley with the greatest of ease. He’s good with the ball at his feet, his movement’s intelligent, he’s an excellent passer of the ball, and he can create for himself and others.
I’ve never advocated for Wenger to go out and buy anyone but I probably feel as strongly about Villa as LDE did about Torres last year. His addition to a squad that creates as many chances as Arsenal would make us favorites to win any competition. Wenger may be happy with one striker who can score twenty goals a season but with Villa, we could possibly have three and keep them all fresh and happy all season. I’m sure they could all play together. It would be an exciting prospect. Sorry boys, I can’t let it go.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
@ stag: support any team you wish, as long as they win. its obvious from your ramblings that the WENGER philosophy does not agree with you and you are very bitter about that. Fair play to you however WENGER IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
Yet you come here every summer and ramble on endlessly and negatively like a fool.
When you were asked several times to place a bet on matters that you were running your mouth on, you cowardly declined - on SEVERAL occasions.
Says a lot about your “convictions”.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
@ josh: Wenger has already come on the official website and said he is not interested in Villa, so am surprised people are still putting his name out there.
In my view we dont need a striker. We need TWO more attacking midfielders that score.
There is no space upfront because Walcott needs “space” to grow and so does Bendtner (if he stays). Ade’s 27 goals mean he is USEFUL.
What we need now is a midfielder who can consistently score the goals.
In a tight game against a quality team any striker can easily be CUT OFF - just ask Henry and his alleged big game bottling. Or ask Torres - who only scores at Anfield - or against clownish defenders like Toure and Senderos who give 10 seconds to bring the ball down, look up and place it anywhere he wants.
Strikers can be stopped. A determined winger - like Ronaldo, Pires in his prime, etc, are far more difficult to stop in the tight games because they run from deep.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Musings:
1. Hleib is already off to Germany to watch his old club play Bayern rather than stay with his team. Significant? Who knows.
2. Let’s not forget that Vela also plays striker. Striker was his natural position and only changed when he went to Osasuna because of their formation.
3. Strongly feel that Song will make us forget about Flamini. Saw him play in the ANC and he was not just good, he was excellent.
4. Would love to have Villa or Huntlaar but really don’t see that happening.
5. Although Barazite plays at right wing occasionally his preferred position is striker. From all reports he is tall, strong, skillful, aerially adept and his best results comes as a forward rather than a winger.
6.My fear is losing Fab to injury. Denilson, although being a good player just can’t provide those crucial attributes. Question, who on the current team can replace Fab?
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Team beginning to look like:
GK: Almunia, Fabianski, Mannone/New Bosman Signing
CB: Toure, Gallas, Senderos, New Signing, Djourou, Nordveit?
WB: Sagna, Clichy, Eboue, Traore, Gallas or Toure in a pinch
DMF: Song, Gilberto, ?????
MF: Fab, Rosicky, Hleib, Denilson, Diaby, New Signing, Merida?,Eboue in a pinch.
Wing: Walcott, Vela, Traore, New Signing
Forward: Ade, RVP, Bendtner, Barazite, Eduardo?, Walcott and Vela in a pinch.
Major questions are:
1) Will Hleib leave or stay?
2) Will Flamini leave? I think he is a goner.
3) Will Diaby be tried at DMF if Flamini leaves?
4) Will Eduardo return to his old self and if so, how quickly?
5) What are the odds of Rosicky and RVP having injury free seasons? As a betting man I would give 1/4 on Rosicky and 1/2 on RVP.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:51 pm
No one can replace Fabregas. It’s one of the numerous holes in the squad. Luckily for us, this particular hole wasn’t leaking too bad this season. When it was, we saw the results. Not good.
Next season, Rosicky may stay fit and Fabregas could get injured for a long spell. Then at the end of next season everyone will be saying we need quality cover for Cesc, Denilson just doesn’t cut it etc.
This is why we need at least three or four players. You never know what angle injuries can come at us from.
Getting one top class central midfielder and one top draw wide midfielder is the bare minimum. Only then should we think about the likes of Huntelaar and Villa and central defenders. I have faith in Bendtner anyway.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Fred, I know you must be from a gambling culture… its all about betting for you.
You had us winning the league or getting 2nd… how’d that work out?
I can make my opinions… view what happens, and change them… its called adapting…
In life and sports, things CHANGE constantly. If you just go with what you said, flying in the face of REALITY… you are insane.
I can support Arsenal… and we will win many more than we lose.
But if we improved some, I think we could actually win trophies and championships. Thats called an opinion.
Andez, you are right on Sukor. Probably WHY Wenger doesn’t buy anyone in the downward slope of his career… or even at their peak.
Sukor was not very good in his time at Arsenal… from my recollection anyway.
He didn’t contribute much.
Mazza, I agree, we can’t replace Fabregas… if he goes down, we would be totally screwed. But he’s our best player, and those are hard to replace. You can’t have stars sitting on the bench for very long… you need role players that can be effective… we lack that in some areas, no doubt about it.
Yes. I will hope and pray and whine and whinge all Summer… while other teams TRY to improve, and I see us losing Hleb, Flamini, and who knows who else will exit. It will take time for any young player filling their slots to find their feet in the rough and tumble EPL. There is not much doubt of that happening.
A Torres signing… can totally change a team.
He’s been excellent for Liverpool. I think thats the type of buy many of us would enjoy seeing for once… a game changer… or POTENTIAL game changer… at least.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
stag, i said 2nd or 3rd.. the posts from last summer are still up, so you cant WIGGLE or LIE your way out of that……i asked u to stake on 4 points and you lost all of them.
and no, am not a betting man, i have never bet before, but i figured that was the only way to stop your constant whining. there is a reason u ran away from this site.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:49 pm
@ 66: i dont understand where the concept of replacing fabregas comes in. if fabregas is injured, then hleb or rosicky or any playmaker who is on the wings takes over.
who is the backup for kaka? or the back up for ronaldo?
such players NEVER have replacements.
people like fabregas are one in a million. NO QUALITY youngster will sit on the bench behind a 20 yr old fabregas waiting for an injury or rotation. lets be realistic.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Wayne #53, I like your idea of buying a Larsson-type. The thought had crossed my mind in the past. Unfortunately Wenger doesn’t seem to favour that approach.
Suker did fit that profile, but I recall he had little real impact despite a pretty heavy-weight reputation. So maybe the odds of finding a Larsson-type are too low for Wenger.
I know I’m going on, but in my opinion, if Wenger wants to pursue his young-Arsenal policy he can’t afford to carry too many crocks in his meagre store of experienced senior players. Three of his most reliable senior goal-scoring options are either perpetually injured or maimed. Vela et al don’t enter the equation - we’re talking about guys who can be expected to carry responsibility.
When we lined up at the start of this season RvP was the one real hope in attack - be honest.
Out wide it was ALL about Hleb/Rosicky - there is daylight between them and the rest.
Further back in our hopes, were Adebayor maturing and Eduardo adapting.
In the ‘potential category’ were Bendtner and Walcott.
Henry was gone and it looked pretty slim pickings.
Return to the present.
The great hope (mine too), RvP has had another woeful season fitness-wise.
Adebayor has leaped forward, but Eduardo is out. I’m not expecting anything meaningful from him until the season after next.
Bendtner/Walcott remain in the green tin.
Hleb has broken through but confirmed his goal aversion. Rosicky - read RvP with less upside.
Wenger needs to improve the risk profile of his first-choice attacking 4 - or add depth.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Fred, the only reason I left the site for a few months, is because I simply don’t need idiotic non-sense on a regular basis… from you and a few other folks… who are TOUGH behind a keyboard.
Like I said, meet me down the pub, we’ll see who’s name-calling then.
Fortunately, in my OPINION, the good outweighs the bad on the site… there are a lot of good, thoughtful postings… and some people who can accept being wrong, who can accept other opinions NOT their own.
You aren’t really one of them. But hey, thats you.
Keyboard Freddie.
Never wrong, all knowing, all-being.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:26 pm
The thing that really irks, is that we are so jolly close. I honestly believe that a fit RvP & Rosicky would have kept us in this title race and potentially given us the execution to finish off Liverpool…….
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
United got schooled again by a talented possession team. I’m still to make up my mind whether United are a great team or whether they are the best bluffers in the business.
Fred, a complete replica for Fabregas is unrealistic but a more attacking version would suffice. Somone like Diego who actually plys his trade in the middle so he wouldn’t be completely alien to the concept of the defensive side. Diego could also play wide so he would be multi-functional and wouldn’t be constantly be twiddling his thumbs on the bench.
We have no one in reserve who can play centrally in a 4-4-2 and also get forward. Wenger seems loathe to ever put Rosicky and Hleb there. Diaby cannot seem be bothered to do anything at times when he has been tested in the middle. He just stands there.
Kiwi, everything you’ve said recently has been spot on. I was thinking along the exact same lines last summer. You can probably see now why I was so keen to add depth in the Hleb/Rosicky mould before the season started.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Kiwi:
Man U’s strikers have scored less than 30 goals combined this season.
Chelsea’s strikers have scored less than 20 combined - ALL FIVE OF THEM.
Liverpool’s has scored 33.
Our strikers have scored 34 goals…..and that is not counting Walcott. And with RvP and Eduardo missing 10 months between them.
Our strikers have scored more than any in the top four.
OUR STRIKERS ARE NOT TO BLAME!!!!!!
Our midfield has come painfully short for us. That is the main difference between us and Man U and Chelsea. Our midfield doesnt have the cynicism and ambition
of the other two.
Let us settle our defense and midfield - the attack is alright.
Walcott and Bendtner NEED and DESERVE space to grow. Bendtner is raw around the edges but he has scored quite a few vital goals (tho his relationship with teammates is a big question mark). Walcott’s play recently has proven he is indeed a TALENT.
These two wont grow playing in behind - a new big striker, RvP and adebayor.
Just in the exact same way Henry only burst out after a couple of seasons of playing time.
Lets strengthen our defense. Lets stack up on attacking midfielders.
Our strikers are doing just fine.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Ofcourse, that is why I am always of the impression we are WAY to harsh on our own team.
If Arsenal EVER plays the way Man U played today. Little to no created chance, couldnt string 5 chances together, and hold just 30% possession, we would have massacred them on the blogs. Or imagine they played like Chelsea and Liverpool yesterday.
Yet Man U has played this EXACT same way SEVERAL times this season - even in the league. Chelsea play like that for a living.
If we play this way just 4 or 5 times, the heavens will basically fall down and everybody will be griping of how useless the team is - and how they have no fight.
The only problem is when we play mediocrely it is a complete surprise and we always usually lose - while when Chelsea and Man U play like complete utter shite they get a draw or get some free-kick or penalty or a combination of both.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:09 pm
The difference between when Arsenal play poorly compared to United and Chelsea is that our idiosyncratic nature and general repulsion to defending any length of time invariably results in us shooting ourselves in the foot or making a defensive mistake to throw away all of our attritional work.
If Arsenal could actually look a tad convincing defending deep and clearing their lines then I think fans would accept that type of performance now and again. It’s just that when we try that trick Toure has an epileptic fit every time someone throws a cross in and we lose headers. That’s why possession is so important to us.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I am totally in agreement with you MAZZA. We don’t need an exact replacement for Fab, but we do need someone who can play like Fab in the misfield. Diego is the perfect example and maybe Modric. Someone who can defend but also attacks, scores and with excellent passing skills.
Denilson is the only one on our team remotely similar. Neither Hleib or Rosicky can provide defensive support, forget Eboue, maybe Diaby. Fact is currently we have no one to take up the slack in case of an injury to Fab who plays a pivotal role in Arsene ball.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
MAZZA, give Toure a break. He has only been spastic since his return from the ANC with an injury. Previously he played very well and if we look on his performances over the years he has not only been a faithful servant but has steadied our defense and saved many goals with his pace and timely tackling.
This is just a blip and he will be okay come next year. Problem still remains that the Gallas, Toure, Flamini defensive triangle will always be suspect against the long ball kings of the lesser EPL teams and that needs to be addressed beyond Mr. Swiss Cheese (Senderos).
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Fred, I appreciate your opinon.
Not blaming anyone…..my concern is how we shape up for a title challenge next season given that 3 senior goal scorers are crocked and you can only rely ’so-much’ on potential.
We have all watched on as our team competed brilliantly for 30 games of the EPL and then a combination of injury bite and tiredness sucked the life out of our season. Even post-Birmingham we could still have maintained a challenge if we had sufficient goal-scoring options. We didn’t. The greenies weren’t up to it. Adebayor was flogged. My concern is to avoid a re-run. In fact, potentially we might not even do as well. If we don’t get off to a fast-start we could do a Liverpool and never even mount a challenge.
I’m not negative, you know that
but with Eduardo out and RvP & Rosicky affirming their unreliability, and Hleb confirming he is a midfielder play-maker not an executor where are our go-to goal scorers? I re-iterate my belief in this squad but it needs a few more options who LIKE to score goals and have a higher level of efficiency.
So your suggesting going into next season with Ade/RvP/Bendtner and presumably Walcott is adequate for a title challenge? You must have a good crystal ball
Only one of the 4 contributed a meaningful number of goals this season.
What if RvP breaks down again?
On the wide players - I think we agree.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:10 pm
It’s good to agree Mazza
- re our wide boys, at the start of the season I was pretty open - I didn’t anticipate Rosicky having a worse season injury-wise than his first, and I thought let’s give Walcott and Eboue a chance as options. Truth is, Walcott, Eboue and Eduardo (when playing wide) have been inadequate. Sadly, Rosicky’s protracted absences has placed the full responsibility on them. RvP’s absence has accentuated the problem because when fit he brings so much attacking quality and goalscoring ability to our team. He would have lessened the burden on everyone.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:33 pm
my point kiwi was that its not attacks that win leagues. its midfield and defense.
my point is that our attack as it is already scores enough goals to mount a challenge.
a lot of teams have won trophies with completely WACK attacks. take france in 98, when trez was hardly played and henry was still a winger. guivarch was a joke. infact henry is the only striker that has carried a team to the EPL as far as i can remember. and he did that just once in 2004.
if we have a solid, deep midfield, and an attacking midfielder that actually shoots and scores from time to time. we can even play 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 very effectively.
a great striker is not a necessity to win a trophy.
a solid defense and deep midfield is FAR more important.
in general i dont want walcott to be suppressed and am sure wenger agrees with that. he wont become the next best thing if he continues being a 5th choice striker.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Fred we are probably more in agreement than not.
I’m not advocating the necessity of a gold plated striker.
I’m saying that for us to win anything we have to outscore the opposition. I agree, and have often said, that we need to contribute more goals from midfield - and more specifically from the wide roles. Hleb won’t - so the ‘other’ guy has to. That’s a balance problem, but also an options problem. We agree on that.
The other guys who will score goals regularly are our strikers. Adebayor has been huge. But can you honestly say, that in the thick of the battle, when a goal is the only thing our play lacks, that Bendtner and Walcott are up to it?????? Are you happy to sacrifice points and cups to give them another season of development? Because that is what is likely.
RvP is the unknown - a great season from him and we may well be champions. But he’s such a ? fitness-wise.
We rely greatly on the 2 strikers and the ‘other’ wide player for our goals. Write up your teamsheet and tell me who you are relying upon for goals and attacking quality in the heat of battle over the course of a season. Make sure you also tell me your strategy for managing RvP and Rosicky and their probable absences.
I’d love a better CB - but I reckon the only way to get it is if Galas leaves.
CM - I pray Flamini stays - he’s proven and we don’t need another problem to solve. Song, Diaby, Denilson sound viable until they’re all we’ve got and we’re being over-run. All 3 are in the developing potential basket.