Arsenal Banter Archive March 01 2013

01 Mar 2013 18:19:09
Was very interesting to hear Wengers comments about man marking Bale,

"we don't plan for anybody. It is always the same, focus on our strengths and forget about your opponents"

That sums up wenger and our situation over the past few years, when your a top team with quality and the opponents are not as strong I agree and we were successful, now other teams have caught up by spending big and we have less quality, so sorry Wenger I agree we need to play to our strengths but it is so so foolish to not counteract and nullify their strengths.

Shaneyd

Spot on.

Do you really think he is going to come out and say. "Yes we are going to man mark bale"?
What message would that give?

He isn't playing mind games though is he. Wenger will set the team up in the same way as if he was playing Orient in a pre season friendly.

The difference is when other managers are asked about Bale they say 'well we have a plan for him', when asked if they will reveal they say then say 'no' obviously.

Wenger's sole method of preparations is to focus inwards not be opponent-specific as well all know so when he says 'we don't plan for anybody' we all know it's not mind games - he's telling the truth. We all know it anyway so not sure why anyone would debate this idea. It's been well documented for years that Wenger never prepares tactically for the strengths of the team we face. This will explain why Peter Crouch often scores against us, and other such annoyingly predictable problems we have. Fergie et al have always considered their opposition. to focus inwards solely is dangerous and it shows every year.

Metal gooner I fear if wenger is planning on keeping bale quiet he will entrust Ramsey to do it, he chases shadows against run of the mill players against someone as quick as bale I fear for us.

Lets show bale onto his right foot and whatever we do we cannot afford to give free kicks away within 30 yards from goal. KOs if you play take note.

Shaneyd

01 Mar 2013 16:58:53
Spurs this weekend, Gareth bale will no doubt be at the centre of wenger's thinking regarding the choice of our wingers, but the way we are defensivley as a team unit I doubt it will make much difference.


Fight fire with fire because tbh they have avb incharge and don't look strong at the back?

First goal will be masive IMO due to confidence and really then the team with the first goal should be able to assert themselves on the game.


I would play. Shezza. Jenko verm mertesacker monreal arteta ramsey jack cazorla giroud theo


Id play ramsey to help cover and protect monreal and jenko, hopefully jenko will be told earlier then 15 minutes before kick off he is playing;). we need the cool head of arteta aswell. jack and santi inter linking further up the pitch worked really well at sunderland. Giroud needs to get back to the way he was a few weeks ago think he needs a goal or two! (PLEASE don't BE ANOTHER CHAMAKH) and Theo's pace is always a threat hopefully against ausso ekotto (likes to get forward) there will be space to exploit

It depends on us and what arsenal show up, Need to see a lot of commitment and fight, because our season is on a knife edge, and well this could be the beginning of the end!



COYG

Podolski is a must.

That team started against Villa and was very poor

We suck every time Ramsey starts. This is an almost 100% accurate observation.

Unless he is deployed as DM to start with, he shouldn't start. IMO It should be Coquelin - after Giroud he's the most arrogant player we have and he knows what his job is and loves it. Also we need Podolski to start.

I would go with Szcz, Jenks, Kos/Mert, Verm, Then: Coquelin DM, Jack CM, Santi ACM, Podolski left, Giroud middle, Theo right.

Agree with metal, ramsey is awful and clueless sheep**** (stilll love there due to being an arsenal player) when ever he plays my head goes down, I would defo like Coquelin in there instead of him. More attacking and defensive drive and overall a better player than ramsey atm.

I'd get rid of podolski move theo to the right and play AOC to track back when bale goes on a run

Agree with you Joe. 1st goal will be huge. Either way we will have to score more than 2 goals, so a high line is needed, so no PM4 for me.

I reckon Ramsey will start at RM to try to protect Jenko. Rambo always plays out wide for the bigger games (even though it never works well).

shez.
Jenko. TV5. LK6. Nacho
Rambo. Wilshere. Arteta. Cazorla. Podolski
Walcott.

This is not the team I want, but it is what I expect.

A Welsh man will score the winner, wouldn't it be one of those funny football moments if it was Ramsey?

gun44

I am not saying Ramsey is awful - we just never seem to play well when he starts.

I missed out Monreal, sorry.

01 Mar 2013 14:10:35
I can see a fair bit of critisizm for Merts below but to be fair there is not really a 'perfect' CB in todays game. It's more important to have a perfect 'pairing' at CB which is lacking in most sides.

Per is big but slow and can get turned by a tricky player, TV5 is solid, quick but not that tall so not the best in the air, Kos is tough tackling but gives away free kicks because of this.

I think it is most important to find a good partnership who work together with telepathy like Adams, Bould and Keown used to do with any combination, they all knew each others strengths and weaknesses and worked together, you cannot have a fast tecnical CB who is 6ft5.

Cut the guys some slack, they are 3 good CB's but are being made to work hard at the moment because we are not finishing teams off like we used to do by attacking.

337

01 Mar 2013 14:45:59
For me I do like Merts, but do you think he is genuinely good enough if we're to be making a serious challenge.

I really liked Vermaelen and Koscielny last year but they've not really had much of a chance together this year, in fact the back four has been changed around countless times, never really a chance for any of them to mould together.

On top of that though you should happily be able to rotate your squad. I've said in a previous post about a true CDM and how much difference that may make to our back four?

The problem is not the cb pairing, the problem is not having a dm player sitting in front of them.

Did you ever see the partnership Mertesacker and Naldo had they were both huge Naldo was fast as well rare combination, but I agree it's about knowing your partner's strengths and weaknesses. Think the team need more defensive coaching as well.

Yes but mert I not good in the air and he doesn't have any physical ability to match his hight this is way he gets criticsim

Yes but mert I not good in the air and he doesn't have any physical ability to match his hight this is way he gets criticsim

^^ Agree with first 3 replies, Adams, bould and Keown all had their weaknesses, Adams was a 'donkey' when it came to skill, Bould was not the quickest and Keown used to give away way too many fouls but they were legendary in any combination!

Stoner, we would not get away with TV5 & Kos against teams with height, so this is where Merts comes in.

CC, you are right about a DM, but he would need to be tall enough if we dropped Per.

In my humble opinion, we need a DM who is tall, skillfull and can play CB if needed, combine this with being able to keep up with our skill and tempo and this is why we cannot find one - I can not think of a player with all these skills.

Maybe someone else can?

337

337 I am not saying to drop any of the back 4.

if you look back, since gilberto silva left we have never had a quality dm.

when you play attacking full backs you need a dm.

this is why we leak goals

01 Mar 2013 16:16:14
337,

Per isn't the greatest with his head though, crazy for someone that tall, he lacks the power in his legs, Vermaelen I think is better with his head. In fact Giroud has looked pretty good at heading out of defence.

The other thing is this zonal marking which more often than not we fail at and look a bunch of half wits. Some say clubs do use it successfully, we just seem unable to.

With the high line we play I think speed and acceleration of the CB's is more important than arial power really. This is why although Mertasaker is quick in the brain so to speak and a good reader of the game his lack of pace and acceleration let's him down in our high line of play. He just looks a bit awkard and clumsy if anything a Bit like crouch but in defense.

TV5 and Kos are still our best options at present if you ask me They just need to regain confidence abit more especailly TV5. Make Wilshire Captain I say and free TV5 from that.


Heading really is only a bigger factor at defending corners and close free kicks and that is about the team as whole not just the CB's. If Zonal marking is not working we should go back to man for man. You do need your best header of a ball though attacking every corner to clear it no matter what, weather that is a CB, DM or even a big striker like Giroud it does not matter.

337. Wanyama?

Agree with CC that we need a decent DM. However we need 2 new CB's too. You could have the best DM in the world but with an error prone pair of defenders behind him it won't make the required difference we need. Bring in 2 CB's and let them forge a new partnership and let others cover.

Would love Jagielka marshalling the back 4, with a strong DM. Even at 30 (will be 31 next season), he seems very assured and comfortable, and its no surprise that due to him and others like Felliani, Baines, Pienaar, etc, they could finish above Liverpool for the 2nd season running.

In addition, a strong DM is vital but more importantly, Steve Bould needs the freedom to coach the defense as a unit. We have the joint 2nd best defense and this can only be improved with Bould's full guidance.

337 sorry pal can't agree.

PM4 is shocking.

He may only be 27/28 but he has many "miles on the clock". He may be 6'5 but is useless in both penalty boxes, TV5 & LK6 are better in the air. And he isn't just slow, he is super slow.

100+ caps for Germany means nothing because he wouldn't get close to their squad now. I'd like to see PM4 do keepy-uppies, I bet he can't do 50!

Bould, Adams, Keown always had something to prove, and this gave them the all important pride and desire to win. But after 100+ caps Merti has nothing else to prove, he has seen Arsenal as a retirement scheme.

Just because PM4 has been our best CB, does not mean he is a good CB. He wouldn't start for ant top-half Premiership team (and most of the bottom half actaully).

PM4 is the white Djourou, almost a Squillaci MkII. 70k per week poorly spent, and he will never agree to leave on transfer before his contract ends because no club will match that money.

topgooner

^^ Top Gooner, utter rubbish!

Firstly, not for a minute am I merts biggest fan, I just felt some of the rubbish (just like you have spouted) is unfair. He has been our best CB this season, Kos was last season and TV5 the season before but as soon as they put a foot wrong people like you destroy them.

You call yourself a fan?

337

01 Mar 2013 10:19:54
AW is very intrested in Eriksen at Ajax would be a great addition to the NEW ARSENAL next season.
Along with Lew he`s going on his final year soon!

01 Mar 2013 22:11:44
he would be a great player but I doubt he'll come to us if he has city offering him triple the wages

28 Feb 2013 18:33:23
Great work ed02.
Ed please can u tell me what changes do you see for arsenal in the coming months and will arsenal be one of the club who will spend big money this summer?thanx
wajid {Ed029's Note - Ed2 is no longer answering any Arsenal related questions.}

01 Mar 2013 06:52:38
Been so much talk of the group of players within the squad that need to be moved on or released this summer.

Does anyone think that Arsene will sell some current 1st teamers this summer in the bid to improve the team. They all have a value and some have not performed as we'd hoped.

Any money brought in will add to our amount to spend and even if we gave those unsellable ones away it wouldn't take from it, just free wages.

I can't see him selling anyone in the current first team sadly. Maybe Vermaelen.

The thing is, he thinks al his players are amazing. He thinks Ramsey is amazing. He thinks Mertesacker is amazing. So in Wenger's eyes why would he sell? Unless a player wants to go.

I believe that first team players that should be moved on should they want first team football next season are: Mertesacker, Gervinho, and I wouldn't be surprised if Podolski has a word at the end of the season haha.

The thing is we'd be foolish to sell most of our first team, but most of our subs aren't good enough to make an impact or change a game and that's exactly what they're meant to do, as well as provide competition.

01 Mar 2013 12:50:42
I was thinking Vermaelen, maybe through his choice, also Gervinho, I can't see him ever getting any better but you never know, Mertesacker is a worry, I don't dislike the guy but just not convinced he is good enough for where we need want to be.

Ramsey again has improved and don't see any real problem with him as a squad player.

My main thing is that Arsene identifies there not up to it if we're aiming to challenge for the title and we don't go full circle with more wasted players on big money that we could move on whilst they have a genuine value.

Vermaelen will be gone in the summer.

he has no interest

Vermaelen, sagna, gervinho plus the players we loan out every year should be sold


gooner mark

Vermalean shouldn't be captain anyway, he doesn't show any leadership qualities, and as you say charlie looks disinterested. But since when do Arsenal have a major overhaul in players?

Maybe this is the beginning of the change that the eds have mentioned?

Or us just over hyping. see it when I believe it.