Arsenal Banter Archive April 22 2014

22 Apr 2014 17:55:07
Steve, you keep going on about us getting bullied, yes we got thrashed and yes it hurts BUT

We played Liverpool 3 times and beat them twice ( no other club has managed that this season) the game at Anfield saw us fail to start in the first 30 minutes and we just never recovered . They have not got a huge midfield, Henderson is nothing like Toure at City.

The game away at M City saw us concede 6 but score 3, we had 2 goals disallowed that on another day, other officials would have given and you could argue that we should have had a penalty so the game was far from one sided.

The Chelsea game very similar to the Anfield game we got done in the first 25 minutes down to 10 men, never going to recover. When you look at the goals the back four were all over the place RB and LB thought they were wingers, cheap passes gave Chelsea possession so easily nothing to do with a 6ft giant nicking the ball from a 3 ft midget .

Never once said henderson like toure, he's strong and mobile. Every time if you really watch we are like boys against men and way off the pace. We got hammered away from home by all said teams and it ain't the first time.

You obviously can't remember ozil weakly losing the ball, goal, cazorla weakly losing the ball, goal, arteta weakly losing the ball, goal sagna against everton away weakly losing the ball, goal and many more players billied off the ball and guess what. i'm sorry I don't see us being strong and pacey.

Your weakly losing the ball comment can be thrown at every league in English Football, we remember them because it is our club.

I don't buy your argument about power and pace, who do you want Bolt? Pace for sure but I think you saying our lads are weak isn't that accurate. Our deficiencies in the heavy defeats came from poor defending more so than us having 3ft midgets


Henderson might be very strong but no more so Physically than Ramsey or Wilshire IMO

Ok I think we will agree to disagree. I have different coloured glasses to you. Lol

I'm with Banbury on this, weakly losing the ball? you mean getting tackled?
can you not remember arsenal's goal at city, where toure weakly lost the ball?
the reason we lost those games was because of poor defending and poor passing.

Waq you did a good job of answering the question. How ever you put it.

Ok Steve r
decent debate all the same mate

22 Apr 2014 15:50:22
The answer to all our troubles could just be about to come to our aid. Diaby diaby diaby. Only teasing, the treatment room is missing him already, don't worry he'll be back soon. Seriously, I wish the boy well.

I hope he doesn't feature, we do not need him that is for sure, let him have the Summer to completely build himself back up

22 Apr 2014 14:18:32
Don't know if anyone noticed, but if Liverpool beat Chelsea this weekend and arsenal win. Then we are only 2 points behind Chelsea with 2 games to go, and if Everton win they are only 3 points behind.
The way Chelsea are struggling lately and with the huge distraction if the Champions league, could it be possible for Chelsea drop out of the top 4? And arsenal and Everton get 3rd and 4th.
Wonder what Mourinho would be thinking having loaned out a quality striker who in turn knocked his own club out of top 4.
Although with evertons fixtures it will b a long shot, I really think we can and probably will get 3rd.
If anyone thinks big deal. The main impact if this is we don't have to go through qualification and hence transfer business can be done much earlier as CL group stages are guaranteed. Could be an interesting end to the season me thinks.

{Ed025's Note - that would do me waq mate..

I think chelsea will take a draw at anfield. but it would be good to see them lose, which means liverpool effectively win the title, but then the top 4 becomes a race with 2 games to go.

3rd and the FA cup? I'd be happy with that but think it very unlikely.
4th and the cup will have to do this season and right our wrongs next season in my opinion

22 Apr 2014 11:43:41
Is it just me or has Podolski suddenly become more alive and lifted since the return of Ramsey and recently Ozil? makes me wonder the effect the two of them have on the team. Two games in and Ramsey's already back in the prem league team of the week. Good lad that Ramsey. we missed you. we really did.

Amazing what a world cup on the horizon does to a player.
Flybo

The looming cup final seems to have motivated the players. In addition most players will be fit for the final, with the exception of Walcott.

Confidence and faith, wenger has never shown such faith in Poldi as he has lately. although I feel this is as good as poldi gets, he just cannot function as a lone striker and neither is he really good enough to be a winger (lacks pace)

so unless wenger wants to go 4-1-2-1-2 or something to that effect I cannot see how poldi will fit into our scheme of having 11 midfielders.

22 Apr 2014 09:01:11
Every time a club has a change of manager it’s down to bad results, losing the dressing room, not being able to motivate the team or a combination of all. Reading the news re David Moyes overnight and how he’s allegedly lost the dressing room it got me to thinking, in what way at all is Arsene Wenger motivational?

Granted I do not know nor have I ever met him but certainly from TV/Radio interviews he does not come across as the most motivational manager. I cannot imagine him giving a rousing team talk or as having any capability at all to raise the teams confidence when it’s low, to boost players when they are down or to make changes when they are required. I cannot even imagine him as being capable of convincing potential transfer targets to join the club.

For me, Arsene Wenger has all the personality traits of an economist, an accountant or business manager. He does not have the flair and flamboyancy required to be a top level manager – I’m comparing Wengers personality traits against Messrs Klopp, Guardiola, Mourinho, Rodgers, Mancini and even Ancelotti. I’ve said in previous posts that I think he’s lost his spark and the fire is no longer in his belly.

Should David Moyes get the high jump this week, Manchester United will go into the market and carefully select their new manager, will embark upon an active summer period and will enter the new season full of optimism and confidence. Can we (hand on heart) admit that we’ll enter the new season feeling the same confidence? Will we have an active summer period? Will Arsene Wenger be able to build our confidence again? I think the answer is sadly no and we must face the fact that now is the time for change.

{Ed025's Note - look at the guys record sad face..how many successive champions league campaigns?..this is the same guy who motivated the "invincibles"..i have said it before mate..be careful what you wish for.. by the way guys..all posts about moyes will go on the "other post" page, the banter page is for posts pertaining to arsenal..cheers..

@Ed025 Yes we had the invincibles under Wenger’s management but come on….how many of Lehmann, Campbell, Cole, Viera, Pires, Ljungberg, Bergkamp and Henry needed help with motivation? That team had leaders! Toure was the only player to require motivation and that was simply to lay off the biscuits! This was also pre the ‘sugar-daddy’ era where competition was less fierce – will a top flight team ever go unbeaten again, no chance!

I’m not for a second saying I’m ungrateful for all Wenger has done, he’s an Arsenal legend. My fear is that he stays long enough to undo all the good he has done. The game has changed and he has not.

With Moyes exit now confirmed I can see them landing a Klopp or similar and I for one will be very envious!

{Ed025's Note - arsene brought all those self motivated players to the club SF, but i agree it is harder now to motivate these over hyped over paid prima-donnas in the league these days, but i believe arsene will get it right..but thats just my opinion mate..

He definately has motivational skill, and excellent man management, that for me has never been in doubt. Neither for me his training/ fitness techniques, I just think tactically and team set up, the game has advanced and mr w hasn't. He talks about spirit and commitment, when he is interviewed after games, never the failings technically where we fail on aregular basis.

22 Apr 2014 11:38:02
Panic Stations,

Arsene has lost it, Man United are about to get Klopp as their new manager, there is no hope for us, abandon ship, abandon ship!!

Just joshing with ya, United have always been there or there abouts, you didn't imagine they were going to stick with Moyes did you.

It's not just them it's Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea and City we will be fighting against next year.

I don't recall a single player that left saying Arsene couldn't motivate them. It was simply the quality of player we were able to bring in and if Ozil says he joined the club because of Arsene then I'm happy with that.

To the point of our injury nightmare do you not think this team was motivated to win the league, sure they were 100%.

Still maybe the new manager will get the best out of Jack ;-) lol.

My opinion on wenger has got nothing to do with motivation, I think he can regroup a team with the best of them.

my concern is his tactical awareness in the league games, I do not see him being inept in the champions league, when he knows we have to play a certain way against better teams, but in the EPL, he puts the team out to play the same way against all opposition, as if we are the best team, perhaps we would be if we had a striker who would not return a paltry conversion rate.

his overall game in terms of possesion, defending, attack, winning aerial duels is very poor, he is the 8th best player on the team, and as a striker he should be in the top 2.

being ahead of Arteta, an injury plagued gibbs and the goalkeeper is not what he should be proud of.

His lack of everything has cost us, and it showed this weekend when Ozil, ramsey and poldi made all the difference while he wasted chances.

for me the team does not need a massive overhaul. a DM, a RB if Sagna leaves and a striker are necessary. Poldi has shown he can play the role quite well but he needs a partner upfront.

@Jenny Taylor

Unfortunately I don't think the team were motivated to win the league this year. I think they were motivated to make top 4. this is the main ambition under Arsene Wenger.

I've been a backer of Wenger till recently, now I've made up my mind it's time for him to move on I'm forever seeing negatives in his methods.

Still, maybe the new manager will turn things around and I'll perhaps be more positive ;)

22 Apr 2014 13:12:27
Totally understand Sad_face, it's sometimes really difficult to see good times ahead after what really can only be described as a mediocre period of winning nothing.

I obviously still have faith in him although often tested to the limit. I'd just like to see the right players come in and see where we end up under his leadership.

I really don't believe they were motivated for fourth, they are now, but listening to Ramsey he had a belief of what they could have achieved and that must come from a growing feeling of confidence given by form and Arsene.

I for one hope next season to see Smiley_Face. :-)

I would have to disagree sad face, as much as I do not like how the season has started, I think Arsene always goes for the W, problem is he underestimates the challenge.

22 Apr 2014 07:39:04
Steve.r,

Just reading your post last night about pace and power and think we always look at the Viera era when we think of that and our team and I'm not sure we're not guilty of almost kidding ourselves that we need 11 Jonah Lomu's to win anything.

I was thinking that way but in reality power wise we are all asking for a dominant defensive midfielder who we naturally assume we be like Matic at Chelsea, a tank as well as good at football.

Pace, we have Gnabry, Walcott and the Ox. You mentioned Liverpool who have pace from Sterling and to a degree Sturridge and Saurez. Yes Henderson is box to box. He is our Ramsey who also gets stuck in box to box.

Size wise, Chelsea play Willian, Oscar, Hazard and Ramires, none are huge.

City have Silva, Nasri, Milner, Fernandinho and obviously Toure with Navas as the speed merchant.

It is not always about speed, it's the timing of the runs our midfielders make into the box, the movement they have and we have that in abundance and with a fully fit (please god) Walcott, Ox and Gnabry we have speed.

I'm not sure that Muller, Robben, Ribery, Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Gotze etc are massive guys. It's movement and speed, speed we actually have, it's just having them on the pitch at the same time.

So if we add a genuine CDM William Carvalho/Lars Bender a Draxler/Di Maria or a Morata/Benzema we'll be a massive threat next season.

It's even much like Gav said, if this squad had an RVP we'd be caning it.

I think even if you look across the rest of Europe the only real stand out team for proper pace and power are Madrid with Bale and Ronaldo.

I really don't think we are that far away, yes we may need to fill other squad places as Bendtner etc will be off but I really believe that like Banbury said, bar injuries, we would still be well in this race and that's without additions we all want.

Agree that it's not just a pure powerhouse that we need. I'd rather describe it as we need a midfielder who can dominate the game. Like a toure or Matic or a Gerrard. Flamini has done well but he's best ability is to break up play. Going forward he struggles. A bit of extra height in the middle wouldn't go a miss either.

Good post Jenny, a really top quality DMF is needed along with a natural goal scorer ( although I think Theo could easily become that man).
The first job is to not lose Kos and Sagna we desperately need to keep the best of what we have and just add a couple not replace

Please, we get bullied by chelsea, out powered by man city and against the top teams get blown away by pace and we don't get in behind. We always blame our injuries always and we can't keep using that as an axcuse. Why do we keep failing badly, its because we are behind in athleticism, which has got nothing to do with jona lomus. Wenger has gone down the small technical keep the ball players and it hasn't worked.

22 Apr 2014 12:08:51
So steve let's just say we get a top quality CDM and a top quality striker like I said, would you still think we'll get battered by Chelsea, Liverpool and City.

My opinion we need at least one mobile center back, mert is very good but does lack pace. I don't want to sell him. We require a replacement for arteta like natastic or that ilk, who isn't wanting for pace on counter attacks. We need a left sided left footed walcott ish player who can work back. We need a stiker with presence and pace who can actually scare defences. We need a manager who can actually see what's going wrong and rectify it and understands how to nullify the threat from the opposition. Throw in a right back a left back whos fit and we are not a million miles away.

{Ed025's Note - so your fairly happy then ste.. :)

22 Apr 2014 01:26:57
i know its a largely useless comment, but imagine how good we would have been if van persie had of stayed and stayed fit. Ozil and ramsey galloping about behind him with walcott and the ox on the wings. it would have made some excellent viewing, and maybe just maybe a title somewhere.

shame he chose to end his career (lets face it with his fitness record he's not going to be playing many years longer) on a manc treatment table.

please mr Wenger find us a forward who everybody is scared of playing against again.

I like giroud, wouldn't hurt to have a forward who runs at defenders though. We don't really have anyone like that, the ox is probably the closest. I'd like a striker who can run at a defender wait for the defender to come on to his front foot, then explode past him with a quick drop of the shoulder. Anyone match that discription, except messi & ronaldo?

Gav with due respect rvp left to win trophies like most and he did it nearly instantly. The one year we had him fit we won zilch, the one year mu had him fit he bagged fergie a going away present.