Arsenal Banter Archive November 11 2014

11 Nov 2014 21:53:10
I asked on the West Ham page a few weeks back how they thought Jenks was doing, the couple of answers I got were he's doing well and they are very hopeful of keeping him on a permanent basis.
by what I've seen and read he also seems to being doing very well to me, absolutely gutted if he is gone forever, not only did he never get a real chance with us but we could reall do with him this season more than ever.

The season away may do Jenkinson the world of good, but in reality he wasn't performing well enough at Arsenal. Debuchy is far better than him. I have my reservations about Chambers at right back, he looks far more comfortable at centre back. Bellerin lacks defensive ability and I am not sure he will make it at the top level. let's see how Jenkinson performs over the season, before we consider bringing him back next season.

12 Nov 2014 20:45:55
He was coming to an age where "make or break" seasons occur.

At the end of the day we couldn't foresee Debuchy getting the injury he did at the time he did. (Even given our record before people jump on to that, lol)

What could have easily have happened is he stayed and played the league cup for the season unable to dislodge Debuchy. Imagine the hindrance that would have caused to his development.

Chambers on he other hand I don't think was seen as a replacement for him because Wenger is excited by his versatility.

Given he was newly purchased and at an important age in development it was better sense to keep him and oversee his progress.

I think Jenkinson was put out on loan to give him the best chance at becoming the player we want him to be. If it wasn't the case we'd have sold him straight up.

11 Nov 2014 15:54:05
Over the last few years we have stopped beating top four teams,which on its own is worrying and disappointing. What's probably worse and even more worrying, we are now not beating teams in the top half. Systematically over time we are going backwards . We used to realistically challenge for the league and often get through to champs league latter stages. Then we were perennial second place finishers, then 3rd and 4th, now at present regular 4th. We have also stopped topping champs league mini league , finishing second and then getting bombed out. We are sliding down not up, or staying the same. Our status in the game is falling and some people still think we are in good hands. Look at the facts and figures and you will see the truth is we are not a big club anymore. Maybe at the moment financially we are fine,but on the field we are definately overdrawn. I personally used to admire wenger, now I don't have any admiration for him at all. I feel he is not the manager that he perhaps once was, and we are paying for it. I just wonder at what cost. I just can't see where we are going now as regards to playing style and future.

Fair points Steve - he does seem to have lost the plot a bit. It would seem that from the outside that he builds great relationships with the players but slowly does not seem to inspire them any longer. His tactics seem really lacking without a leader at the back.

I am not one that believes its all about signing a half dozen new players will solve things - for sure a few are needed.

He rarely rotates the team, never seems to bed in all of our promising youths, look at Bellerin and Campbell we have big holes in their positions due to injury and he does not spot start them at all to get them on track, instead he plays guys out of position. For me Monreal is a decent 2nd choice LB that's it. Also, I thought he handled Gnabry terrible last year - he could be a world beater never got a chance to get on a roll, not sure we will see those days for us probably somewhere else.

Who needs Cazorla and Rosicky in the EPL when one would suffice. etc I think we are all suffering at the moment.

Red people look at me as a moaner and they are right. But this isn't about moaning this is about what I can see and I am worried for my, our team. Every one on here highlights problems that week after week year after year that are not addressed, every man and his dog can see the problems. We are greedy we do want to win everything, but the most important thing is that we are giving it all 100%., and moving forward.

Agree with you 100% Steve, I'm not asking to dominate the PL and CL just to genuinely compete in them anything more would be very nice bonus of course but to demand them would be silly by us or anyone else come to that.
If we were Norwich or Palace I would never ask to compete for a tittle as that would be unreasonable but a club the size of ours with a 60,000 stadium and the highest prices in world football asking to mount a sustained challenge isn't unreasonable IMO

Guys my eternal optimism is slipping a bit and I agree with your frustration. I am still hopeful that we can do better, a couple of nice purchases in january and some key players back from injury.

I really hope the lack of compete level does not come from the boss down - he is a stubborn fella!

We will not compete at the top level until we sign a world class keeper, sort out our defence, sign quality defensive midfield players & defend properly.
I would keep Szczesny as back up & try to sign someone like Cech, if possible. Defensively we should keep Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs & Chambers. We then meed to sign a RB, CB & a LB. We need to release Flamini & Arteta & sign 2 quality replacements, such as Khedira & Schneiderlin. We need to learn to defend deeper. We need to sort out our defendng at set pieces, possibly allow Bould a free reign to coach defensively. We need to learn not to throw both full backs forward at the same time. Our wide players need to double up with the full backs when defending.
Wenger has become a dictator at Arsenal and I hate to say it, but perhaps a change is due. We face a hard task in keeping in touch with the top four, before we have Debuchy & Koscielny back and are able to make signings in the January window. Knowing Wenger he won't make the necessary signings in January and we will once again struggle to make the top four. There has been little progress at the club since 2005, last seasons FA Cup win simply distracted us. We look further than ever less likely to compete for the PL or CL.

11 Nov 2014 15:07:35
Flamini often gets a lot of stick but I'm going to stand up for him. Yes he's isn't a top class cdm but the guy shows so much passion and determination that the rest of the players need to follow his lead.

He plays for a team that both full back bomb forward and playing with ramsey who doesn't offer him much help. He has to plug gaps and protect the CB on his own. Honestly Viera in his prime will struggle in this team. Viera had gilberto and petit helping him out and yet flamini has nobody.

The issue isn't we need a top class dmf, it would certainly help. But we need a team who isn't reckless and neglecting defensive duties and leaving the team so exposed.

Always behind a player that gives their all, always dissapointed when players sulk - Flamini is a good versatile squad player and does his job when called upon

Flamini simply isn't good enough. I doubt any premiership club would sign him, never mind a title contender.

12 Nov 2014 21:07:30
Noodles 337 I'm with you. He gives it his all and doesn't. Player who commit like that don't deserve to be vilified.

Robbie I'm with you he's not good enough for us. At least not starting. However a person of his passion is always welcome in the squad.

Noodles again. I most certainly think a cdm is a very large problem. Regardless of whose behind him, Flamini doesn't do his job well.

The best CDM's cover their CB's so well (bombing forward or not) people think they're the best CBs in the world

11 Nov 2014 10:48:07
8m pounds in a life time is a lot of quid, wenger is paid 8m pounds in a year to tinker AFC to some sort of respectability, now even that is on the decline, the fans are paid nothing to suffer the pain and the shame, rather the fan pays for there mediocrity.
You know what you’re going to get each season with Wenger. Third or Fourth.
If Arsenal want something more they know what they need to do

11 Nov 2014 06:45:18
We must sort out our defence.
Szczesny is not a world class keeper & we need one. Personally I like Begovic or ideally I would love to sign Cech, but I doubt it would be possible.
I would keep Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny & Gibbs. I would, of course keep Chambers, but as a centre back. I would invite Keown in to drill the defence. I would sign a right back, a left back & a centre back. The right back I would like is Clyne. The left back, Tyrone Mings from Ipswich & Hummels at centre back.
In defensive midfield, I would release Arteta & Flamini at the end of the season when their contracts expire & sign Khedira & Schneiderlin.
To assist in funding these purchases we can sell Monreal, Ospina, Campbell (Wenger clearly isn't keen on him) & Podolski.

The first thing to do is during the international break is come up with a plan B because January and even if we had no more injuries ever having everyone available are too far away.
Arsene must work with the players left behind ( like Mert) have an open conversation and together have a plan waiting to implement once the squad returns .
January ie a luxury Arsene may never get to enjoy as Arsenal manager if he can not turn the ship around before hand.
Fixtures will not get any easier than we've had so far and the pressure may be tiny at the moment for Arsene but defeat to utd will see it increase dramatically.

11 Nov 2014 03:48:00
The past few days have been irritating for any gooner. Pro Wenger or not. What I fail to understand is for how long are we going to bank on The Invincibles or Henry or Tony Adams or Wenger. When will that time come when if someone asks me, I'd say, yeah remember when Walcott hit that winner to get us to the title. It's slowly becoming a case where the fans still believe we are as good but have the management and coach given up!? Why are the right transfers that are there for the taking not made? Like a ManUtd or a RMad. Getting linked to all the players and ending of with Yaya SaNoGoal, not that we don't have money or anything, Forbes doesn't feel that way. Why are bad players not nip in the bud? Why is Nacho playing as a CB OR why are we dependant on the BFG, whose lost it. Injuries okay are acceptable but the way you react to them and only if you have cover. Where is Poldi? Where is Rosicky? Play them. Why can't we be the favourites? This mess was long time coming. Wenger was too arrogant too arrogant to accept that Arteta couldn't stop a counter attacks or Flamini couldn't finish a game without a yellow and good tackles. If anything feel bad for Sanchez, he's been playing really well. Am not saying for one moment that am not proud to be a gooner, but the fact that we get happiness by being in champions league speaks volumes about how our club has depleted. It really is a crisis and I don't care if it's Wenger or bloody Harry potter who os the manager as long as we realise what really our priorities are. Taking 11 above average players and finishing 4th or 7 above average and 4-5 world class players and winning the league. Hopefully (eventually) we'll get there.