Senegal's Arsenal Thread 2012/2013 : featuring positive negativity

[bergkamp]

To be fair if that penalty went in, it would of only papered over the cracks today. Don't even blame Arteta for having not the best of games. Its not just bad defending from the back four either. Why do we only start playing with any real urgency with 20 minutes to go?

[bergkamp]

By the way, don't mean to sound like a spoilt or over expecting Arsenal fan. We're not the best team in the world, but we should be performing better than this. We should be winning more than this.

[SJ234]

Meh not sure what we deserve or should be doing. The waters are muddied by the inability of the team to be consistent. At least we support the most entertaining/comedic team in football

[SteveUK]

Nice to see Giroud getting a few goals, shame he was not the one to try the pen for his hattrick.

[SJ234]

Meh Arteta is a reasonably accomplished penalty taker.

[bergkamp]

Seriously though, If we fail to perform/get a result against Spurs, the mood is gonna get very sour indeed.

[ajw10]

Time for Wenger to go. We won't even finish 6th this season at this rate.

[SJ234]

Shouldn't go now but the debate on his future is very valid indeed. It's a long season left and there is time to recover but on this current form we are struggling to do anything worthwhile.

The form will improve but it is just when and to what extent and for how long.

If he is to go which I see as unlikely it would be on the back of this continuing to the end of the season. He is much more likely to go at the end of his current contract

[H.O.V.I]

It has got to the point where i just don't see things changing under wenger, no doubt what is going on at board level is playing apart in all this but that doesn't explain why for the last 5 or 6 years we continually find ways to not get the job done. There is just a lack of heart in the team and has been for years and i blame wenger for that.

[SJ234]

My biggest issue is the fragility of the team. One slight knock off course and they have no idea what they are doing. Curious how can only deal with being behind though

[SeanNUFC]

Wenger's been getting away with results like these for far too long imho, not that i care much but it just amazes me how he gets these results to keep his job and does just enough and then the same troubles start the next season, only this time it seems what's happening isn't enough.

[ajw10]

Potentially we could go into December in mid table and close to being out of the CL. There's a reasonable chance we don't win a single game in November. If that's the case then we have no chance of finishing fourth.

[Ayub95]

Spurs at home is a do or die situation in bloody November imagine that.

[PaulHartman71]

I didn't watch the game as was at work, but how many crosses did we put in to Giroud? Might not be the attractive football everyone wants to see/is used to but he seems to be a legit threat in the air, might as well take advantage of that if it gets us the goals we need to win games.

[football_master_94]

I switched the game off at 2-0 after the Poldi goal as I took it for granted that it was game over as, at the time, you were bossing the game and Fulham were looking like their typical away selves. I tune in at FT to see 3-3, so, can someone tell me what happened? Was it another defensive - and general - implosion?

[SJ234]

He only scored one with his head last season

[SteveUK]

I didn't watch the game as was at work, but how many crosses did we put in to Giroud? Might not be the attractive football everyone wants to see/is used to but he seems to be a legit threat in the air, might as well take advantage of that if it gets us the goals we need to win games.

Its not the getting goals thats the problem, its what we do once we have them, as we all know we are a one plan team, we attack with attractive passing(but we are even losing that ability due to the decline in the quality of players/confidence/availability of players), we have no plan B, till we get some sort of alternative for when we are leading games, we will keep getting results like today, and schalke.

[ajw10]

https://twitter.com/ScottyDavisAFC

Sums it all up pretty well tbf.

[bergkamp]

I switched the game off at 2-0 after the Poldi goal as I took it for granted that it was game over as, at the time, you were bossing the game and Fulham were looking like their typical away selves. I tune in at FT to see 3-3, so, can someone tell me what happened? Was it another defensive - and general - implosion?

I don't think we were ever really bossing the game. Ok we upped the tempo late one. The first two goals were almost against the run of play or when it was pretty even. Fulham actually had a lot of possession for a period in the first half. Apart from the defensive frailties, its the lacklustre passing in midfield that frustrates me. Dwelling on the ball at times and not getting it forward enough. Very Un-Arsenal like. Haven't seen any real urgency, penetration :o and tempo in our play for a while.

[SteveUK]

Villa trying to copy our style of giving away 2 goal leads, bleedin' copycats!

[Candre168]

What worries me the most is that whenever we concede a goal, the team immediately looks absolutely deflated like they all need to be on suicide watch. There's some serious problem with the players psychology at the moment, and I think that starts at management.

[SteveUK]

What worries me the most is that whenever we concede a goal, the team immediately looks absolutely deflated like they all need to be on suicide watch. There's some serious problem with the players psychology at the moment, and I think that starts at management.

Well i think that can be attributed to the lack of leadership on the pitch aswell, there is no single player that rallies the team, or organizes them, all the input(if any) comes from the bench.

I was listening to a program on skysports the other day, think it was before the Schalke game, and they pointed out the fact we have no "Angry Men", that person that gets the team motivated and to basically wake up.

We have a few players who point but thats about it, there is such a lack of communication between the players imo.

Also, can someone explain to me WHY in god's name is Walcott taking free kicks for us? Cazorla, arteta and podolski all on the field, at no point should he be needing to take free kicks.

[Candre168]

Well i think that can be attributed to the lack of leadership on the pitch aswell, there is no single player that rallies the team, or organizes them, all the input(if any) comes from the bench.

I was listening to a program on skysports the other day, think it was before the Schalke game, and they pointed out the fact we have no "Angry Men", that person that gets the team motivated and to basically wake up.

We have a few players who point but thats about it, there is such a lack of communication between the players imo.

This has been a problem ever since Patrick Vieira left, and to a lesser extent Henry. I would have thought management would fix this by now.

[SJ234]

Henry was never leadership. Vieira is the key

[ajw10]

Arteta does that job. However he is only one man. Do think people are getting 'being shouty and stressy' with being a leader. We have leaders like Arteta and like Mertesacker. Rosicky too when fit.

[Suggy33]

Meh Arteta is a reasonably accomplished penalty taker.

Well, Cazorla picked up the ball, and Arteta (from what I would guess) took the ball off him probably to try and redeem himself for giving away the pen at the other end.

I was a nervous wreck when he was stepping up to take that, sat right behind the goal could barely watch.

The decision to bring on Ramsey for Coquelin baffled me. Coq was the only one showing any urgency, chasing back and pressing. Giroud was awesome after we went 3-2 down, chasing down everything, and Arshavin was great off the bench.

[gunner4eva]

Arteta just had one of those games where nothing went right for him

Giroud was fantastic today, my opinion of him has definitely changed

[ajw10]

Wenger on motd asked if he looked at Berba: 'we did not even know he was on the transfer list'.

What a manager.

[djvandyke]

This so called manager can’t organise his team and can’t motivate his team. He is our Brian Clough and has to go before he does any more harm.

[aggressive minor]

Wenger on motd asked if he looked at Berba: 'we did not even know he was on the transfer list'.

What a manager.

Shouldn't you know by now that what he actually says in interviews is not necesarily what he means?

[Henry_14]

Wenger on motd asked if he looked at Berba: 'we did not even know he was on the transfer list'.

What a manager.

As minor says, Wenger never actually says what he means in interviews unless its of some benefit to the club.

It was a ridiculous question to ask, just because he scored a couple of goals against us means we should have bought him. Giroud scored just as many, and to be honest scoring goals doesnt seem to be our problem anymore

[SJ234]

Wenger on motd asked if he looked at Berba: 'we did not even know he was on the transfer list'.

What a manager.

Truly stupid post.

These pretty much sums up where I am at. There are some elements I don't agree with.

http://www.arse2mouse.com/post/35477333373

http://arseblog.com/2012/11/arsenal-3-3-fulham-drawful-entertainment/

http://goonerholic.com/2012/11/frustration-frustration-frustration/

[Suggy33]

Yeah, we started off the season lacking goals and not conceding, its almost opposite now.

Pretty sure with Girouds goals yesterday, he moves ahead of Rooney in the performance charts.

[SJ234]

This team is just ridiculous begin unable to score but are great defensively and have now sort of reversed it with various other issues as well along that transition. I suppose the positive is at least they can do both I suppose

[ajw10]

haha such an overreaction :**)

I know that Wenger doesn't mean half of what he says but to phrase it like that is really bad management. Either he didn't know, which makes him an idiot or he's saying that he would have signed him if he did know he was on the list, which doesn't give a lot of confidence to Giroud.

[Candre168]

To be honest, I think it doesn't make a difference who we sign right now. Wenger isn't able to motivate the players anymore. There is a collective cloud over the club that keeps raining negativity on the players. I've never seen Arsenal players look so utterly deflated. It's crystal clear to me.

Something has to change. I don't really know or care what. If things stay like they are now, we're going to end up as bad as Liverpool or worse.

[Candre168]

And I might add, what is this fetish Wenger has with playing players out of position? Santos is a winger, Podolski is a striker, Arshavin is a supporting striker and Ramsey IS NOT A BLOODY WINGER.

[SJ234]

Santos has played left back quite a bit and Podolski has played nearly all of his games for Germany on the left wing. So most of that is bollocks

[dfgrigg]

And I might add, what is this fetish Wenger has with playing players out of position? Santos is a winger, Podolski is a striker, Arshavin is a supporting striker and Ramsey IS NOT A BLOODY WINGER.

Santos has played left back quite a bit and Podolski has played nearly all of his games for Germany on the left wing. So most of that is bollocks

As I understand it Arshavin generally played on the left for Zenit. Ramsey is never played as a winger. He tucks in and plays as a midfielder.

I agree on the Santos point though. He has never been a fullback in the British sense of the term.

[Candre168]

Santos has played left back quite a bit and Podolski has played nearly all of his games for Germany on the left wing. So most of that is bollocks

Left back for who? In Brazil he was a wing back in a fullback-less formation. For Fenerbahce he was a winger. He can't play fullback in a traditional back four.

Podolski doesn't play as a 'winger' for Germany, he plays behind the striker as the outside player in a 4-2-3-1 but he's not pushed out to the wing.

[SJ234]

I believe when he played for Brazil he was. The point is he can play left back. It's just that he isn't a very good one defensively though that would be greatly improved with greater fitness

Podolski plays exactly the same role for us as he does for Germany. He is on the left of the attacking 3. Providing some width and coming inside a lot. In fact he has come inside a lot more for us than he ever did for Germany during the Euros.

[Candre168]

Brazil don't play with fullbacks. They have wingbacks, because they don't play with wingers either. The wingbacks provide the width. Santos has never really played fullback before joining us.

Germany don't play with wingers either. They have 3 attacking midfielders in a 4-2-3-1. They usually play Muller, Gotze, Ozil, or Reus and have one of the Attacking Midfielders play to the side off of the striker, which is usually where Podolski plays.

[SJ234]

Brazil don't play with fullbacks. They have wingbacks, because they don't play with wingers either. The wingbacks provide the width. Santos has never really played fullback before joining us.

Germany don't play with wingers either. They have 3 attacking midfielders in a 4-2-3-1. They usually play Muller, Gotze, Ozil, or Reus and have one of the Attacking Midfielders play to the side off of the striker, which is usually where Podolski plays.

He has played full back for them. Wingers or no wingers he is still the most responsible defender for them there. Furthermore our fullbacks are as attacking particularly on the left see how much they are encouraged to bomb forwards as the widest midfielder drifts inwards. He isn't being played out of position at all. He is just poor defensively.

For Germany he is on the left drifting in sometimes and other times being wider whilst being on the left of a 4-2-3-1. Pretty certain that is what he does for us

This whole debate is about semantics.

[SteveUK]

Santos at Left back, Whether hes played it or not played it, still doesnt change the fact he's ***** at it.

Id rather have Giroud over Berbatov any day, not cause of the Spurs links, but cause of the effort and work rate you get from Giroud, plus hes got alot of years ahead of him.

Cant wait for Gibbs to be back, and buy a left back in january.

Also i think Jenkinson deserves to be in the team over Sagna, he played well, we conceded less with him in the team aswell and we just drop him cause of Sagna's name, doesnt really reward hard work.

[ArsenalFan7]

you say it like we're actually going to buy a left back, no chance, i look forward to a january where no change is made and we end up finishing 5th

[Chr1s Lawson]

With only 4 wins in 11 games this season it could be worse than 5th!

[SteveUK]

Well a few positives from today in the chase for 4th.

We got a point at Ethiad, Spurs didnt.

We got 3 points at Upton park, Newcastle got 0

and as it stands Liverpool might be heading for a loss at stamford bridge.

Ah noticed a mistake i misread the newcastle game, they was actually at home.

[PaulHartman71]

I wouldn't really class Liverpool as a threat for top 4 tbh

[SteveUK]

This is true, they would be really screwed if they lost Suarez.

[ArsenalFan7]

With only 4 wins in 11 games this season it could be worse than 5th!

it'll probably come down to the final few games where all of us teams who can't push for the title because we're too pathetic battle off in some **** off for 4th and we finally lose out this year and arsenal football club gets a slap round the face it has needed for a while. only it'll all be too late