Is there something fundamentally wrong at Arsenal or are we over analysing?
This season is NOT a crisis as of yet. If we finish 5th it might be but I wouldn't expect that to become a reality. We are more likely to get 3rd than 5th and second is still a possibility which would put a different perspective on things.
At the start of the season I didn't think we would challenge for the premiership, I was optimistic but didn't ever realistically believe that we would do it. I thought if we got closer to the eventual winners than we were last year and possibly finish 3rd or even 2nd that would be an improvement and we'd be heading in the right direction.
We'd always have the bonus of doing something in the cups! (D'oh!) However another final admittedly not on the scale of last year but more experience gained.
But allis not lost after all the cups are a bonus but in my opinion the ultimate prize is the Premiership as you have to show consistency over a whole season, the European Cup is a very close second if only for the glamour but the League is the best marker for development.
The cold facts are that there will be no trophies this season at the Emirates. A transitional year as predicted by the media muppets and only talent and potential to take as our crumbs of comfort.
Are we by expecting to win something every year or at least challenge realistic and looking to build on some notable recent success or have we been spoilt by some of the best football ever seen in this country?
Whatever the answer, the team has been lacking something of late especially in putting the ball in the net department and also in keeping it out of our end stakes as well. We seem to be dominating against teams who are scrapping for their lives and then nick a goal against the run of play.
It begs the question, how do we rectify this? Does it need rectifying? The main things we can do to change our fortunes (apart from actually having some) I have evaluated below;
Injuries?
Key men have been out for long periods such as Gallas, Henry, Van Persie, Rosicky and Eboue and we have rarely had the first choice XI out 2 or 3 weeks in a row so we lack continuity.
Given how important Henry's contribution has been when we have had successful years I think we have done pretty well in his absence but he has definately been missed. Van Persie was just hitting some top form and is pretty much out for the season and Gallas has been injured more than he has played so how would United cope without Vidic, Rooney and Saha? Or Chelsea without Drogba, Robben and Terry?
New Signings?
Do we need a new striker? Someone to round off all of our lovely moves like Eto'o or David Villa? The answer is maybe but the reality is AW will never spend that sort of money and if he did he would be stunting the progress of RVP, Adebayor and Walcott. I think a top class keeper and an out and out winger like Quaresma or Babel might do the trick as we seem to lack balance in the midfield and the squad.
Different System?
Can someone please explain why we changed the 4-5-1 for Europe when we were 11 minutes from winning the European Cup? Should we play 3 central midfielders and 2 wider men like Chelski did last season? Would a midfield trio of Cesc, Diaby and Rosicky or Denilson, Hleb and Flamini be defensive enough? Is Gilberto a good enough centre back to play that system or do you play him in there as well? Will not playing 2 strikers put too much of a burden on Henry who is not an out and out striker?
Experience?
Or are we looking for something which is not really missing and given time these players who have shown great quality and potential to be winners can put up back on top? Should we just be patient and wait for the team to gel, grow physically stronger and more tactically aware or do we need to act now?
Your thoughts please ladies and gents!
posted by JoeBoni @ 5:45 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
the problem with Arsenal is many teams sit back allowing the gunners 99.9% possessing and hit on the counter and successfully.Just lookat BR and PSV to highlight a few games which the gunners could easily have won.O
One more thing. As well as being unable to score the gunners are letting in late goals.
So it is this. It's no use dominating possession and have ten shots and no goal.whereas the opposition has on shot and score.
Unless this is rectified AW/Arsenal will be known for pretty soccer but get beaten.
Over-analysing, yes. but a little less over-elaboration on the pitch might help too.
We are over-analysing, but it's probably because we were unbeatable not so long ago and everyone wants to know why it's gone downhill so quickly.
To (possibly over) simplify, we have not meshed as a team yet. I'm not sure we really understand how exceptional the Invincibles were. It's not something that can be easily repeated. However unless we want another few seasons like the last two, we will have to buy some experience so the kids get to learn quicker.
I think Over analysis is the watchword.
Interestingly i watched Graeme Soueness a few weeks ago on Sky sports and despite his failings as a manager he makes a fair point: "Sometimes you have seasons like that where things just dont go for you" I think Arsenal just had one. Ok so we lost to PSV - but 7 minutes later and its extra time and we win and suddenly we fancy ourselves against anyone.
However i do feel we were lacking in some quaity various departments this season this season. Baptista for me has not cut the mustard - so everyone needs a season in the premiership i hear you say However TOO ofetn than not his first touch is really poor to say the least. Certainly not worth UK£12 million on current performances. Jury still out for me.
Hleb who has been sub standard on more than one occasion i admit - i still love. That guy is the most gifted technical player i have seen. Ok so he's given the ball away a lot this season but i Still want him on my team in the last 10 minutes of the champions leuague when you want to apply consistent pressure or want to keep the ball. Have a feeling he might fly next season.
Flamimi - 100% effort but too little return for me.
Freddie - 100% effort but the creativity and goals have gone. Too much stuff breaks down when he gets the ball. Ribbery in for me here. I always thought Overmars type player made Arsenal look so dangerous and we havn't had one in a while bar bobby who had a slightly different take on things.
Rosicky for me has looked awsemone when ever he played in the 2nd half of the season. Again just didn't get the rub of the green when in another season they would all have gone in.
Eboue and Clichy buoth Happy with and wouldn;t want anyone else to be honest. A years experince on the defensive side should do emmanuel a power of good..
All in all i think we should be back on song next season with one or two injections of real quality. Woodgate a good buy for me.. Ribbery another one
I think there is a fundamental problem at Arsenal. We dont score in too many games. Its simple. Chelsea have scored against everybody they have played this season. Man United have goals coming from everywhere. Even Liverpool, with their 3 strikers and a plethora of midfielders who can notch a goal have options. We dont have it. Its all very predictable. We play in front of teams and rarely get behind them.
Injuries were bad this year and most importantly henry who is an all time great has barely played for the first time.
He not only scored the most goals but gets the most assists. He gets double anyone else in fantasy football so of course he'll be hugely missed.
We need a world class goalie next year and then with Gallas/fabregas/henry we have an amazing spine. Rosicky is a special talent
so much to look forward to.
Have a 60000 stadium and a magical team. This is a golden age!
a few things have definitely stood out this season, most of which have been described in the article.
We lack a consistent first team, and that is one of the most obvious characteristics of The Invincibles.
My major problem is this. We lack more than one striker (Ade) with an instinct to run into the box, which we had in Pires, Freddie, Overmars etc. and everybody on the team has failed to follow through on their runs. Cocu almost scored earlier in the first half at the Emirates and Denilson was at least 10 yards behind him by the time Cocu made contact with the ball, missing his header by a few feet. I dont know who Denilson was responsible for at the time, since total football dictates a rotation in zonal defending as well rotation in attack, but why make the run from midfield until you've just reached the outside of the box before deciding to give up? follow through on your run man, you could have at least made Cocu struggle for the opportunity. This is a mistake by many of our players, because they only seem to have patience to fight for the ball the middle third, if they cant get the ball for a quick counter, they just hand over that responsibility to the defense, even though theyre clearly not prepared. This could be because hoyte, toure, clichy eboue gallas etc. were playing their part in the total football we play while in attack, but when we lose possession, the team gives up on that belief of playing as a real and pure unit, no matter what situation arises on the pitch. If our future captain, King Kolo, obviously feels a major burden on his shoulders to push the team to score, then Fabregas, Hleb, Rosicky etc. should feel that same responsibility in Defense. My point is, our defense has always played a major part in our attacking success, and in my opinion, this season more than most. Gilberto, Toure, Eboue, Clichy, Hoyte, Gallas all had their time in the spotlight as goalscorers or creating magical moments with wonderful passing movement and pace. Clichy's penalty award against Reading the other week, Eboue's brilliant crossing, especially against Charlton when his cross to RVP outside the box seemed take as long as RVP wanted to set up that...that...i don't even know how to desbribe it. To possess that kind of technical ability, no words can do justice. The goals Gilberto scored this season led some analysts, and much more importantly us fans, to predict he would be voted the player of the year in the premiership this season. Toure is just unbelievable. For me, he will always hold a special place in my heart, largely because he is a Muslim. his honesty and great character as a teammate, as everyone at Arsenal FC has mentioned, as well as his will to do battle for the cause is exactly what i want from a player. When he first arrived his physical presence was not that noticable, and even now, i feel his reputation is what spreads fear in opponents, and thats the biggest compliment. An African Cannavaro. In the next few years, will almost definitely be one of the top 5 defenders in the world. i have seen Toure make more runs inside the box than almost every midfielder and all the strikers but Adebayor.
That's my real problem. The team we have is incredible, I only think we need a goalscorer and a goalkeeper. I want our defense, and i want to be able to give Senderos at least another season, because he is a beast, and pointing out a few hiccups while ignoring great tackles and having a towering presence in the box doesn't do him and Wenger justice. Actually a winger would do wonders, because having 2 instinctive central midfielders playing on our wings seems to get little done, even with players like Hleb and Rosicky, probably more technically skilled than 95% of the players in Europe. Peace. and Remember, Theres only 1 Arsene Wenger!
I am fed up with making excuses for this team. I no longer want to hear the words 'if', 'potential' or 'future', as in 'if henry had been fit, and gallas had started' or ;these kids have the potential to be world beaters.' we can all see that, but that's not good enough for me. or arsenal. I'm not going to pull my punches because i love the club too much.
I can think of 3 major factors which must be addressed.
First is our squad. The number of times we must have defended arsenal saying that our 1st team is the best in england...
The fact is our cover for the first team is woefully inadequate. especially in defence. man utd can bring in heinze, brown, silvestre. we have justin and the kid armand. you just cannot be solid when you have to babysit the likes of senderos or djourou. For all our brilliant attacking movement, solid defence is what wins you leagues (chelsea??). In these positions we need reliable, experienced performers. Instead we sold sol and lauren, two stalwarts from the unbeaten side. i know gallas has been injured, but that's no excuse. we have been erratic, disorganised and vulnerable in defence all season, gifting cheap goals which punish us.
This includes jens. on his day - brilliant. just watch the villareal 2nd leg. But his ridiculous attempts to claim crosses or through balls has cost us dear. PSV wouldn't have scored if he wasn't yet again sat on his arse trying to claim a cross which he could never have got. he is the cause of our problems defending set pieces. he needs to go.
The second reason for our shortcomings is the old favourite - no vieira. Now I've calmed down a bit after seeing diaby pick up where he left off at man city, but this bit is really about gilberto. can he be the defensive spine of our midfield?
I really don't think he's got the quality. he may have started scoring, but his concentration is shocking. invisible wall my arse. For a player who needs to do the simple things right, he gives the ball away under no pressure at least 5 times a game, and that's being generous. compare him to makelele. in fact don't, there's no point. Ok so he's not that bad, but then there are too many better players than him for me to be really happy. sell him to inter.
Finally, and perhaps the most important one, is attitude. If these recent failures are good for one thing, its to make our players eat humble pie. I don't want to read those boring weekly stories where a player claims we are as good as manu or chelsea. until we are up there we should shut up and stop thinking we have a divine right to win games because we play beautiful football. If we could have shown some fighting spirit against blackburn or psv, we might have been luckier. We all know exactly how teams will set up, and yet we still can't deal with it. It's like we look down on these teams. well, as long as it works, what do you think teams are going to do? We play in England. English football is aggressive. we should relish it, instead of pointing fingers and moaning about the allardyce physical, defensive game.
Now i'm not sure who is at fault for this mentality. I know it's not wenger's style to stir up the players before kick-off. That was fine when vieira was the inspiration: do you remember the days when we were 3-0 up after 20 minutes? Well, recently we've looked half asleep until there's a goal. Usually not for us.
I'd be very pleased to hear that wenger shouted a bit, or forced the players to only practice shooting from outside the box. for a week. Anything but massage their egos.
Of course, 'if' we had taken a tenth of our missed chances we'd be up there with manu, and you may think I've been a bit drastic in my criticisms, but this is born out of frustration. The same frustration all of you must have watching this team of incredibly gifted footballers fail to realise their 'potential'. Well, i don't see that. we are arsenal, and we need to be winning trophies, and be sitting at the top of the pile. Not in the 'future', but now.
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