Let’s be completely honest with ourselves. This is Arsenal fan to Arsenal fan. We all want the same things. No Mancs, Spuds or Scousers here to argue with for pride or reputation.
Our team is simply not good enough. Perhaps even worse than City’s. They looked impressive the other day, no doubt. They showed holes though. They have the potential to be great, Mark Hughes has done his job well. But they have also piled on the pressure. I don’t think they’ll break into the top 4 and if they don’t next season as well, big players will not join them.
We have a bunch of good players, not excellent players. Sagna is a good player. But he can’t cross and that regularly affects our attacking effectiveness and momentum as a team. Clichy also has the same problem, but is now also prone to a laspe in concentration. On the other hand, Gibbs is a young player and whilst mostly solid is still also prone to inconsistencies and small errors. Most of our players are prone to that mistake. They have experience, but no one to learn from. Even Cesc is struggling to make the team look good. Bendtner is a good player, but does not have the pace to regularly beat defenders and is NOT a right winger. Denilson is a poor player. No natural talent. He is industrious and a hard worker, but not a natural footballer and thus, is prone to inconsistency. He is also very weak.
It has been the problem for years. We simply lack the quality players that can put in top class performances on a regular basis and not succumb to injury. We missed our chance in 05/06. The team was dwindling then. But the quality was still there. They could not show it on the pitch regularly, but would definitely have shown it on the training ground. Unfortunately, we had mugs like Eboue, Senderos, Reyes and Pleb with us at that time. The only success story out of all of them, left us for A.C Milan.
We’ve been unlucky with injuries, no doubt. But the fact is, our performances have just not been that good enough. These bunch of players have gained experience but little quality. They know each other and they should be gelling well. It’s been like that for 4 YEARS. So why are we still seeing performances like the ones against City? Simple, the players just aren’t good enough. It’s at this point when you need to get the cheque book out. Appreciated, our financial capabilities may not be as great as other clubs, but PHW says the money is there. So is it, or is it not? The revenue brought in from winning trophies will far out shadow the cost of 2-3 players.
It’s not all doom and gloom. We have shown potential this season and can still build on that. Teams will lose a lot more this season than they did last season. If City lose/draw with United next game and we win our, we’re right back in it. Liverpool and Chelsea have yet to play a member of the top 4. We may only have good players, but with the right ethic and work rate, if the team play for each other, defend together, attack together, we will be an excellent TEAM. It’s just that this mentality is lacking. We’ll just have to see what happens. It’s a long season. Remember, Chelsea looked unbeatable at the start of last season as well, regularly sticking 4-5 goals past their opponents. But they crumbled in the end. The January transfer window is still ahead of us, who knows what will happen?
On a sour note, a word to our captain, something which I think has been on everyone’s mind but they just couldn’t bring themselves to say it. Cesc, I love you to bits. I realize that maybe the lack of quality surrounding you is affecting you’re game…. But get over it. Put you’re head down and play as the world quality player that you are. Not every team is the Spanish National Team. This group of players need you to be their leader and performances like the one you put in against City are just not acceptable. Yes, their is more pressure on you and yes, we expect the extraoridnary from you because we all know what you are capable of. A true world class player can change a game by himself and we haven’t seen that from you for a long time . You’ve had a decent break, you’re playing in you’re best position, no excuses.
Edit: Been discussed in the shoutbox that lack of a quality keeper is also a problem and I agree. Most of the conceded goals this season have been Almunia’s fault and he’s another one that needs to shape up. He showed good form last season, but United away apart, nothing super class. Keep in mind though, the defences that Cech, Casillias and VDS have in front of them. Also, I realize that it’s only 4 games into the season. I’ve already said that it’s unpredictable and we started well. We deserved to win both Manchester games but didn’t and that’s a problem we have had for years, which in my opinion stems from lack of quality players. When we play as a team and are clicking, we’re awesome, but we don’t have the mentality to do that regularly and it’s Cesc’s job as captain to do that.
The Fabster
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agreed about cesc, his heart isn’t in it and will leave next year, shame but understandable, a choice between barca and us isn’t that tough!!!!
Nope. The problem is with the goalkeeper. The nature of the way we play often leaves us stretched with a counter attack. Two on three. We need a great keeper like Cech or Reina. Almunia would do well at Bolton but is not good enough. Mark my words better keeper equals trophies.
Looks like it’s the end for Cesc, sorry to see him go but his heart looks like it’s no longer at the club.
Almunia, is rubbish, the guy has nothing compared to the great Jens Leahman, clichy needs to warm the bench for a while and let Gibbs take over, Sanga, good defender but rubbish going foreward, Eboue should get the nod, Diaby how much longer are we going to wait for this guy to come good, maybe he never will.
I agree Fred. Almunia is a decent keeper, but if we want to be successful we need someone top class. However, it’s not the only reason and bear in mind the defences Casillias, VDS and Cech have in front of them.
Ur opinion is a load of crap!! Arsenal outplayed both Manc teams and were a bit unlucky. Last year we were outplayed by those same teams and we lost. Micah’s goal was offside and we created enough chances to win us the game. We dominated play against a supposedly top 5 team, only the result didnt go our way. I agree abt Clichy though. He is becoming a liability and he rarely produces going forward, which is bad when you take his lungs and pace into consideration.
If Almunia can regain the form of last year he is good enough.
The is a joke because in actuality you are baasing this off of a poor game on Saturday. Why didnt you come out after the Man U game and write this? is it because you know we shouldve won?
We have been playing great!
Terrible Article after 4 PL matches you can ananlyze and one bad performance you sum up the whole season.
GET POSITIVE! Eduardo’s 2 game ban has been dropped! YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!
there you go!
My fellow Gonners,
The problem is very simple and i would have thought Wenger would have fixed it before the window shut.
When you dont have a hard experienced midfielder(or in any other position) you will have the piss taken out of you , just like Adeybayor intimated us even before kick off what the fuck was he doing in the Arsenal end…… he was taking the piss who stood up to him ? would Keane or Viera just stood by????
Teams kow they can take the piss.
have to say spot on.. pity about fabregas.. wouldn’t be surprised if he has a good showing in the world cup, slightly inflate his already high value and arsenal will sell him off to barca.. i am with you, I can’t really blame the boy.. he has been fiercely loyal to us but has tasted success with spain and wants it on a regular basis and sadly we are not the team to provide it// i also think its time to test out gibbs, he brings the same skills as clichy plus he has a mean left foot at times, better crosser of the ball too// clichy has never really recovered from birmingham jan 08// other than that, we cant bring in anyone till jan, so chin up fellas and keep the vibes positive//
the problem with almunia is that he looses focus easily.well lets just hope for the best/
yes the same players that beat everton yes they are all shite and be sold off now
Who hasnt beat Everton.
In them olden days wenger was ruthless when a player didnt perform,nowadays he is a little pussycat afraid of upsetting his prodigies,he has gone far to soft i am afraid.
Merida will probably replace Cesc when he is sold of to Barca.
Bendnter is slow and doesnt kno aw pstn himself.stl dont understand y diaby starts ahead of wilshere.ramsey the lad doesnt change his pace and dribblng nuisance even if we r 10goals down he seems not 2b ambitious abt rsults shud b benchd as soon as theo is bak.4the fulbaks aw can u rum a field strch 2gv a ball 2lazy 4foward who loses the ball and watches u as u race bak 2defend thaz our entire forwad curently.
I can’t believe how shit this blog is. It’s poo. Literally poo. Type poo into google and this would come up. Cesc, Arsenals problems?. O M F***ING GOSH! I cant believe the cows turd that published on this! I looked at you past articles. That Sinbad is a big fart. Sinbad, what did you have for dinner today? Beans?
Arsenal Action: SHITTEST BLOG EVER!
what is this guy on?lol. your all way off mark. please dont manage a team any time soon will you folks.
RIGHT here is the problem and spread it.
NUMBER1 Gallas and vermaelen run up to corners all the time wanting to score and leave us vunrable at back with the counter(just watch replays of the goals conceaded you will see they are nearly all by counter attack).
Number2 clichy thinks he’s cashley cole and tries to be a winger but is knoware as good, leaving us bare at the back also.
number3 fabregas is fucking pissed. would you try as hard when in your mind also your thinking this team is shit.
number4 lehtwat is past it.cmon the goal he let in at man c was so shocking that i reckon he was match fixing.
Now something posative.
number1 if gallas and co stop going for corners then their will be no more counters,fabregas will then be inspired,clichy will stop trying to be the main attention, and then we will punish every single fucking team that dare cross our paths. and with the extra confidence we will win even if two nil down and be hailed as kings of all.lol but only if the above happens, of which i cant see,but heres to hope and spread the word.
although i dont agree with u in some of the stuff u posted(fabregas), its good to hear some positive things from you.
Fabregas dip in form started last season and that affected Ade too.But we all refused to see it.This might be his last season with us though.Even when we won our first 2 games, we should have seen it that we are not strong enough to be on top this season after 38 games.
we have many player that are for the bench players(Diaby,Bendtner,Denlison to mention a few). our formation this season is just to cover up the DM issues we have. Song and Fab alone cannot handle the middle so AW adds Denilson and looses a striker up front.RVP is not a lone striker material, he needs someone stronger by his side. Our full backs(Sagna and Clichy) are not good in the final 3rd of the field,too many bad crosses and tracking back is becoming an issue too.
As for the CB, the back up are not available/not good enough. All these issues shows we are not championship material.
Agree totally,almunia just average. Not being pushed for no1 plot. Could of went for given or green. Keep it goonerish:@
We have such fickle fickle fans.
Denilson has only played 17 odd games for Arsenal this season, he was missing with a back injury. As was Clichy I think.
So now Clichy’s rubbish cause hes had nightmares against Ashley Young and Nani. And Denilson is not a natural footballer even though he’s played over 100 games for Arsenal and captained his national under-21 sides, and is still only 21.
I was frustrated after the Man-U game, but I think Wenger knows a bit more than I do about his players so I’ll just trust in his judgement.
Also, with our budget, our youngsters and without a striker for months, which other manager could have kept us challenging as long as we have?
This season, Vermaelen, Gallas, Fabregas, Song, Arshavin and Van Persie have been as good as anyone could be in our team. Next season I think other youngsters will join that list, like Ramsey, Gibbs and maybe Vela/Wilshere. My point is, I don’t remember Lampard or even Terry being as good as some of our youngsters at the same age, so imagine how good some of our players will become.
This discussion is varied for sure – I will return for sure!