Arsenal Banter Archive March 02 2016

02 Mar 2016 22:29:26
Dont anyone come on here tomorrow and try and take any positives from this. There are no positives just truths and the truth is we are going backwards at a more alarming rate than our league position shows. Our form is awful, we don't have a striker and our defence is shocking. that's the positives.

02 Mar 2016 23:19:24
Yep, it's beyond pathetic now.

02 Mar 2016 23:23:59
At this rate it will be a battle to hold onto 4th Utd, City and West ham not far behind.

02 Mar 2016 23:25:09
On a positive note - no major injuries tonight. Oh.

03 Mar 2016 00:10:51
It's unreal every team needs a bit of luck but it just won't go in for us and a foul on ozil for there 1st goal nd now cech is out for the spurs game. will be lucky to get 4th at this stage.

03 Mar 2016 07:00:03
Are we really blaming a foul on ozil. He should of been stronger. Reminded me of trying to wrestle the remote of my gran.

02 Mar 2016 22:19:30
Seriously frustrated with the last 6 or 7 games. No real pressure and other throwing points away. We have a golden opportunity to win EPL and choke before the pressure is even on us. We need more leaders on the pitch. A defence that scares opposition, midfield that will give the opposition no space or time to rest while the striker is fast, deadly and can create something out of nothing. The sort of team that beats people in the tunnel before the game. Seaman, Adams, Sol, Pires, Freddie, Paddy, DB10, Henry etc etc. They beat people before they hit the pitch and they ensured everyone played their part on the pitch.

02 Mar 2016 22:13:45
It gets better Wenger confirmed Cech injured aswell.

02 Mar 2016 22:07:26
Shocking. Wenger has to go his arrogance lack of passion and lack of real leadership to his players has effected too many players now and means lack the bottle and desire to do the dirty jobs in a game, too many hiders.

They think can just turn up play and pass teams to death with their supposed superior technic and win games. No prepared to win the battle first not prepared to mix it up.

02 Mar 2016 21:52:40
Wenger made some bad decisions, taking campbell off was a mistake, taking sanchez off was another and Olly just can't finish and that's a full stop. This was a must win game and we threw it away.

02 Mar 2016 21:51:14
The league is done. We are done. Spurs will finish above us and will potentially win the league.

Time for Arsene to go. Time for a revamp of the squad. I'm done with this team, done!

02 Mar 2016 21:34:56
Wenger out anybody?
Or will I get shot down in flames by the blindly loyal majority?

We all love (d) him and he has brought our club so much, but enough is enough.
Liverpool, Stoke, Chelsea, Southampton, Hull, Barca, Manchester United, Swansea - all these losses or draws with only Burnley, Bournemouth and Leicester as wins. This isn't knee jerk, it's becoming more patently obvious than ever before. Like Mourinho earlier this season, Wenger seems to have lost his magic touch. Very sad, and very, very obvious.

02 Mar 2016 21:41:46
I've never been in the Wenger out brigade but it really is time for Wenger to go . Same old story every year and it's not going to change with him in charge, enough is enough.

02 Mar 2016 21:52:43
Only Newcastle rival Arsenal as the least ambitious club in England, both clubs consider financial success as trophies, Newcastle want premier league football as cheap as they can get and Arsenal want champions league football as cheap as they can get it.
If its not city utd Chelsea or Liverpool finishing ahead of us its spurs and Leicester and the only ones who will lose any sleep over it are the fans.

02 Mar 2016 21:53:05
Sadly it's got to end. He's done more for the club than anyone. But there is more to Arsenal than an efficient bank balance, as important as that is.
He is no longer a top flight coach. Taking off Joel proved it for me tonite. We have Ozil providing more opportunities than any player in the PL and we ain't scoring proves the point again.
£125k in the bank at one time we held 40% of th PL cash balance and we can't score goals. That is plain bad planing. I'm not an anti Arsen man but too watch a team pass the ball so much so ineffectivly is painful. We do not talk enough no one rollocked anyone no one takes control. It's all too Zen trying to play perfect football. Well we done that with the invincibles, perfect football ends up with the ball in the net more often than the opposision and more points on the table than the opposision.
So I'm now for a change in management. I hope he sees it and takes the best course then we can hold him in esteem. But if he don't it will be supporters calling from the stands each game. I don't want that.

02 Mar 2016 22:03:40
I just wish he walked with an fa cup. He had two chances. I can see an exit with silverware.

02 Mar 2016 16:34:27
Spurs two most important players are Toby and Kane. City kompany aguero. Leicester. Kante. Vardy?

Whos ours. Kos and Or?

02 Mar 2016 18:45:41
Cech and Ozil or Kos and Sanchez take ya pick all 4 are top draw players even if Sanchez isn't quite showing it right now his class as with the other 3 is undoubted, they are the legs that carry Arsenal along.
Nice legs shame about the face : -)

02 Mar 2016 18:55:06
Derby i don't put kos in, for me its cech and coq. I don't put kos as important to us as kompany is for city, or vardy for leicester, or kane for toots.

02 Mar 2016 19:24:33
I would say Coq and Cazorla are our most important/ influencial players when they play well in tandem in the middle the team as whole plays much better and more dynamic, then closely followed by Ozil and Sanchez.

Chech is obvs. a top keeper aswell for us but a keeper does not influence the pattern of play the same way.

02 Mar 2016
The real time live chat page is open for today's Arsenal match at the below link for you to talk to each other during the match
Arsenal Live Chat page

02 Mar 2016 14:19:17
If Arsene was our head coach responsible for picking the team and the way it played but not for assembling or retaining the squad we would not only be champions this season but would have been long before now.
Yes Arsenes team selections and tactic's are sometimes questionable but so are all managers/ coaches at some point each season, Arsene is still a very top coach but his judgement of who to bring in and who to let go have been shown to be very very poor for quite a few seasons now but had we had someone who was much less attached to the existing players responsible for the ins and outs we would without question have had a real DM 5 years ago and a top striker 3 years ago and the history books of both the premier league and Arsenal foot club would make very different reading today.

{Ed001's Note - that is a very good point that G62. Hard to disagree that his weakness has been a lack of a ruthless streak when it comes to who to keep and who to offload.}

02 Mar 2016 15:38:33
If silent Stan had as much interest in football as he does in money that may have happened.

02 Mar 2016 15:53:34
Gunner there is coaching and there is coaching for a game situation. I have been involved in managing and coaching at a low level in comparison at youth level and have been involved and around coaches. I have learned a lot of thing and one of them is no two coaches have the same ideas, they have their own. I watch with a critical eye ( my critical eye ) the way we set up, or don't set up and the technical issues around our team, the shape the balance, the awareness of what players should be doing and their awareness of danger. I look at our cunningness and guille in situations like keeping the ball for instance with 5 minutes to go out of danger, our ability to adapt to conditions and changes, to rectifying errors from game to game, to new ideas and the ability for players to appreciate their jobs and others. Yes we have players with great ability in their feet, but things like conceding fouls or not are related to coaching as well, when to jockey, positional play and when to tackle. I find myself getting more and more frustrated in our overall team play and wenger must be one of the most praised, but also most vilified coach in the premier league.

02 Mar 2016 17:26:01
Steve no one gets more frustrated or angry both in seeing our players not chase back to win the ball back as a team once we've lost it or individuals who stand hands on hips when they've lost the ball and don't even get me started on the double ducking German and his attitude in games yet is for some reasons our captain? Grrrrr, Says it all really, and to make it worse I have to listen to Arsene saying how the attitude is good within the squad or even getting angry with those who dare to question his players attitude?
But if you consider we have for over a decade now been top 4 under Arsenes coaching it can't be all bad admittedly not faultless but certainly way way way above average for sure, if you add to that level of coaching a no nonsense recruitment and retainment policy which is baseed purely on abilty and actual performance levels then I don't think too many would be quiet so reluctant to put in a shift every game and dare I suggest in even get in the way of the ball to prevent us conceeding a goal? That would be nice to see in and every match :-)
If we were much more ruthless in off the field I'm pretty sure it would transfer onto the field and then of course in to the trophy cabinet too.

02 Mar 2016 18:11:28
Steve what do you see as the difference from when we have beaten Bayern and City as to when we played so appallingly badly against United, who themselves were far from good but didn't have to be.

Is this Wenger getting it wrong or complacency from the team?

02 Mar 2016 18:34:53
Red mate Arsene is responsible for the team in both good and bad times the glory and blame comes down to the manager.
Mourinho gets sacked Hazard doesn't that's the way it is come with the territory mate, if we had serious competition for places it wouldn't be such an issue so often.

02 Mar 2016 16:31:42
Steve coaching draughts is totally different. This is Not quite so black and white.

02 Mar 2016 18:38:26
Everyone knows what our weakness is and that's bottle and a serious lack of it! We only play when the pressures off. We have had spells for the past five years when we could have won the tittle and regardless of the players we have had or not has it has always boiled down to one fact and that is that we are spineless.

02 Mar 2016 18:50:50
Red if you can beat acteam like bayern that means you must have a certain amount of quality in the team. If you can't maintain a level close to that on a consistent basis, you have to question the tactics and coaching. If you look convincing one week and lose 4-0 to a team nowhere near the standard of what's expected the next on a regular basis then there is a problem with basics. I think flaws in wengers way are highlighted in his inability to beat maureen in 13 attempts, maureens basics are obviously better than wengers and he knows how to stop him, so there are flaws in wengers basics. Why in so many big important games do we go 2-0 down so easily. It can only be our coaching methods.

02 Mar 2016 19:34:40
Results are I would say 95% down the players an perhaps about 5% down the manager in his tactical nous and match time judgement calls. No Manager would save Villa for example this season simply because the players are not good enough simple as.

Wenger does lack in the tactical department in in tight games where you need to have a real game plan that extra 5% effectiveness if you like can make the difference.

The main issues for me though is a lack of leaders on pitch, I find not enough players take responsibility and the initiative when the going gets tough. We have too many hiders to willing to pass on the responsibility. To many fair-weather players that play great when there is no pressure/ expectation but crumble when you need to fight back. I am not saying all players but enough to make it a problem for me.

Wenger has to take responsibility ultimately as it is he who brings the players in.

02 Mar 2016 19:56:50
It just frustrates Steve, those games against Bayern, City and if you like Olympiakos were genuine pressure games where everything was spot on and even the 1st 70 minutes against Barca.

So tactics and basics are spot, under pressure, but then completely go out the window as in the United match and watching that game in the first 5 minutes or so we never looked ready or up for it or that it was simply going to be a walk in the park, then you watch Wenger on the touch line doing his nut.

The other thing that for me was apparent that Koscielny was walking back to the starting position after they'd scored almost as if oh well, not rollicking anyone or firing them up.

I accept the buck stops with Wenger as you say 62 and he is responsible for putting them on the field but they let us down too mate.

{Ed025's Note - im with you red dog, sometimes the players have to take some blame..

02 Mar 2016 07:49:53
Tell you what! It's coming to something when a teams supporters don't want them to go any further in a competition. I:e The Champions League. I'm guilty of that too it's like a big wind up every year and we all end up saying the same thing " let's concentrate on the Premuer League" By now we should all have realised we haven't been nowhere good enough for the CL for years now but it's a bit of a catch 22 you get in the top 4 and you're in! The other side of the coin is if a club is not successful they cannot attract top players! . Does anyone really know what goes on behind closed doors at Arsenal? because I would love to know .
I we secretly saving up for a new stadium again or something . Answers please .

02 Mar 2016 08:49:01
There are lots of reasons that the money allegedly remains in the bank from the following, depending on what you read.

1. Wenger is to tight to spend it.
2. It's kept for potential stadium capacity upgrade along with the local transport system.
3. Both Kroenke and Usmanov need a healthy bank account to either assist in the facilitation of loans to buy ranches etc or in fact buy the shares owned by the other.

Take your pick but none is an excuse for not buying in the summer and if Elneny was worth buying for a paltry £5 million in January why was he not purchased in the summer. At least he may have had an opportunity to get up to speed and the odd game, if in fact he's actually any good.

{Ed025's Note - for me red dog its all down to wenger, i think hes a great manager but he does have flaws, he does not want to go down in history as a buyer of talent but as a mentor who brought through players with limited potential and turned these stones into diamonds, the money is there and he can spend if he wants to but he chooses not to, ozil and sanchez of course are the exception but were a symptom of fan pressure and to show willingness from the board..well thats my opinion mate..

02 Mar 2016 09:37:05
Ed, I just think he is genuinely frugal - it's in some people's nature. Whether he has his legacy on the back of his mind or not, I actually believe he finds it hard to find it inside him to spend big on a player unless he is 95-100% certain that he is a vital buy and is necessary to the team, and he probably still struggles even then.

His loyalty to his existing squad is always a factor too. And I agree with you, great manager (I'm his biggest fan) but sometimes what some would describe as his qualities (loyalty, scouting young hidden gems obsession) can also be seen as flaws in the bigger picture.

{Ed025's Note - i still say 2 quality signings would have won you the league TPG, a forward and DM even as late as january will end up costing arsenal big time mate..

02 Mar 2016 10:05:45
I too thinks it's number 1 ed. There were excuses or reasons given as to why Benzema, Carvalho and Fekir never arrived but in honesty we all know there were other options but I'm in agreement with PFG he seems as though he almost has to be 110% sure he is making the right decision to spend big.

It's like we have been linked with Draxler, who then stated he didn't want to move to Arsenal, Lacazette I think the same and Aubeyamang who did to but also has an alleged attitude problem. Same could be said of Lukaku. Were linked with Reus but he apparently comes with baggage.

To the outsider it's like any little thing is enough to put Wenger off, we maybe need a few players with attitude, barring Balotelli because is a total tool, still being a prize dick at AC Milan, as per last nights goal celebration.

Ultimately I think you will be proved right ed. This was his year of all the bloody next years we've been through and he's fluffed his lines. Worst of all I actually think he now knows it.

02 Mar 2016 10:55:44
I fail to believe draxler wouldn't of joined if we went all out for him.

02 Mar 2016 11:59:15
without knowing it wenger has become a wenger out or he's slowly doing it without people knowing in time for may when we win nothing,

avatar has changed, massive that is.

02 Mar 2016 05:27:16
Massive match tonight. We need to win, as Leicester have dropped 2 points and Tottenham have a difficult away match at West Ham.
News coming through that Santi is out for the rest of the season and Jack is still weeks off playing. Why doesn't this surprise me. The amount of times injured players comebacks are delayed is simply not accpetable. With Rosicky, Ox, Cazorla and Wilshere likely to miss the run in, our squad will look short. We allowed Debuchy to go out on loan and have Arteta who has been injured most of the season and not good enough when fit and Flamini who is a waste of space. If you exclude those injured and useless players, we have only 19 players to choose from for the remaining games. Any more injuries and we have a serious problem. I have a feeling we may end up struggling for 4th place, as Man U have hit a run of form. The FA Cup will be difficult, as we have to win the replay at Hull, then get past Watford and Chelsea and Man U are still in the competition. We are virtually out of the CL as well. It's such a shame that Wenger didn't sign 2 or 3 more players over the last 2 transfer windows, which would have made all the difference.

02 Mar 2016 16:23:38
Well fingers crossed we actually turn up tonight RG, it's what Arsenal do, we have a stinker then we're usually electric the next game which does my barnet in because our consistency is way way off this season.

Our squad is looking pretty thin as is stands n could have done with a couple of new faces to beaf it up and put good vibes around the place. Ifs n buts mate, nothing we can do now but get behind our 19 men ;)

We can hardly even chop n change our first 11 which is a nightmare because that's exactly what it needs now

It's going to interesting to see if anyone actually stands up n leads the team after everyone (fans/ pundits) have been slating us for having no leaders. I want to see players screaming out if someone puts a foot wrong. We need perfection from now on in!