Frankly we are not good enough and it was shown again today against a deeply average Bolton Wanderers side. Yes, we could have won it, but we didn't, Bolton could also have won it, they had a few chances too. Overall we had more of the ball and did have the better chances, but fundamentally we lacked the quality in the final third to finish Bolton off.
I will be positive for a bit. It was great to see the Bac back, he had a solid game and it is brilliant to have a proper right back in the side again, it's like tasting water again when one has been trekking across an arid desert. The defence did well on the whole and Arteta is also back. RVP is class and he almost produced a wonder goal out of nothing today, the Ox is also a great young talent.
Enough of the positivity. We lack quality going forward and Thierry Henry's addition is a sticky plaster to a gaping wound. I love Thierry, he loves the club too, but he is so past it, his legs have gone and he is not the answer. It borders on the criminal how little back up we have to RVP up front. We are a massive rich club and we have one decent striker, frankly it is utterly pathetic. The Henry substitution did nothing for us today, Thierry does not have the legs, it is just so plain to see.
Theo Walcott has been playing like a drugged mule for the last few weeks. His touch is average, his vision non existent, his finishing terrible, his decision making weak, his defensive contribution minimal. He really has offered very little other than his pace. It is very depressing to see his career going backwards, one has to question his attitude and application. I am really starting to have serious doubts about his future at the club.
I feel sorry for Aaron Ramsey, too much has been put on his young shoulders, so soon after a career threatening injury too. His form has been erratic and poor at times, he does always give his all and I like him as a player. I do think that out squad has been terribly exposed though this season, Ramsey has played too many games and has been asked to carry too much given where he is in his career.
Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know that I am no knee jerk reactionary, I am not a routine moaner, I have reached this assessment and conclusion after a lot of hard thinking and deliberation. It is just rather sad that our current squad is just nowhere near good enough in too many areas. We do not have enough top drawer players, we lack the quality on the bench to change games and we have so much overpaid dross it is beyond belief. This is such an average Arsenal squad.
43 comments:
The question is 'Can Wenger turned it around'
I'd have to say No
Disagree completely on your assessment.
Theo was the most dangerous player on the park. Yes his finish was too close to the goalkeeper allowing him to save. Who made that chance - Ox coming into the middle. Ramsey can't do that.
And what the hell did Ramsey do the entire game but give the ball away? We created nothing because all the ball went through him and he slowed it all down.
Spot on mate. We are don't deserve to be in the UCL next year.
Wenger have lost the plot completely.
I think it is time for RvP to leave at the end of this season.
Have to agree ..shameful finishing no excuses!! Cant see anything changing much in the next few weeks our play is too predictable and slow... while we have no back strike force wise I worry alot more about our thrust! We had become so used to cesc and jack splitting teams apart with one touch ! Something we really miss alot
were in big trouble and anyone who thinks any different needs help. the worst thing of all is that its going to get even worse, a season of mostlt mediocre players and the transfer windows is closed. absolute laughable
Spot on so many below par Arsenal players that need to be moved on
Oh dear
Agree 100%! For this team to WIN matches it has to be firing on all cylinders (example. FA Cup over the weekend for about 15 min.). Problem is, they cannot with the talent on the field. Frustration is a word I commonly use as an AFC fan now. We are in for a long 2012/13. Take whatever Champions League money we may get before we get knocked and use it for three positions... Two strikers and one defender. Each top notch. Then pray they don't bail because they will not be playing CL next year.
Don't worry fam we got Chamakh coming back this week lol
I'm another one in the camp that just can't see what Ramsey gives us. He thinks he is far better than he is, slows the game down cos he has to have 4 or 5 touches every time he gets the ball,then tries a glory pass and gives it away. When we move the ball quickly we are a far better side, as the 2nd half against Villa showed. Tonight we had 9 shots in the 1st 20 minutes, then it all slowed up again, so frustrating.
You reap what you sow.AW and this penny pinching board have gotten this great club in a free fall.Their refusal to bring in quality and to rely on pretenders like walcott and ramsey,bringing back henry instead of rienforcing the team with some new blood and loading the team with dead wood a'la djourou,benayoun and ashavin is a guaranteed recipe for failure and the board prepares to fail.
Rvp can also go to hell. He missed clear against man u, did the same again today. What class can we talk of if a striker is not converting? The thing is he gets more chances than possibly any other striker in the league.what has ramsey done for the team? As an attacking mid we expect goals and assists. Can anybody tell me how many he got?
Have to agree with you,squad lacks quality,the team has no drive i can't do this anymore just fed up with this.Somebody needs to come in and give this Club a bloody good shake up from top to bottom before the current melaise becomes the norm.
Agreed if we want to finish top four then we had to buy a midfielder and striker in January but we didn't because wenger can be a stubborn twat.
"...Frankly we are not good enough..."
No shit Sherlock. The sad part is it's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. Arsenal FC is dead & buried my friends.
1) Any fan can clean about £20m pa (minimum) off a stupidly large wage bill -AW cant/wont.
2) Any fan can see that only 3-4 players would get a start in any of the top 4 teams we are competing against -AW still wont add quality just potential
3) the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result - AW sticks with certain players regardless.
4) when AW goes will he just "go upstairs"? this could be crucial in holding the club back.
Can anyone else see the comparisons between the late great brian clough and wenger? - or indeed Arsenal & Forest? Forest have taken years to recover from cloughies successes, I can see Arsenal following easily the same path, Arsenal fans should get ready for a rerun of mediocracy of 80's
I can't work out what the fuck is going on this season, but something fucking stinks. I'm gonna call it, Wenger and the board fell out, and he's off.
Mate, u are all fooling urselfs. I don't blame any player, i blame that fool at fifty we call coach. That man is a disgrace to football, i just wish him dead so that arsenal can progres.
arsenal are just shit.. RVP is great but without him arsenal will be nothing. walcott is a really good player but so many people are hard on him, he just struggles. he looks like he needs to leave to regain any confidence. henry signing was pointless. the man is about pace and he ain't got it anymore. the rest of the team are absolute shit. wilshire obviously a great player and is sorely missed. but yh wenger has missed a chance to at least keep up with the pack but arsenal will now fall behind even more, as there is nothing to help this current squad. 7th place will be a decent finish the way its going
No-one seems to have mentioned Song - wot a sack of shite. Too bloody slow physically and mentally and passing wise.
He needs a size 15 right up him. Dozzy sod.
Someone said mediocre like the 80's - we've been there already for at least the last 5 years. We've been getting out of jail with odd players like Fabregas and VP.
Forget buying - we cannot trust Wenger - his judgement has gone to pot - buying, team set up, coaching, tactics, substitutions, media presentation (PR). We should be using what we have a lot more effectively. Wenger rewards poor play - Theo has not improved one iota in 6 years plays terrible every match and gets rewarded with another game. Exactly what coaching has he received - we see the same terrible player every match. If he gets another contract I swear my head will come off.
You're a joke- we are something like 5th in the league for chances converted and rvp is one of the top 3 strikers in the league for chances converted
Frankly- its a team lacking in quality, confidence and tactically just seems bizarre
This is killing me... From watching thierry (a shadow of him former self) to the over playing and over trust of too many young players. It's mind bogling to think what is happening. It seems as though the only TH was brought back was to appease fans and put some bums on seats for dwindling attendances in lesser games. I feel the final straw is nearly upon us an I'm sad to say that instead of just moaning we need a far more drastic show of our discontent ie a protest. I don't agree with boycotting games though as it only harms the club we love and support but something has to give.
How many players in the current arsenal squad have made it into the invinsibles??????? The only one i can think of is Dhjorou. Haha. Wenger lost the bet when it came to him. Easily the worst player ever. Its like watching jar jar binks!!!!
Walcott is useless. He wants 100k a week!!!! Sell him to city!!!!
There's quite a few reasons why we're drifting down the table and falling behind our rivals - Arsene is answerable for most of them. But what about the teams who fight like tigers against us and then roll over when playing Man Utd, giving them 3 easy points ! As long as the authorities and the media turn a blind eye to this, then we're never going to win the title anyway !
Ass-wenger is JU̶̲̥̅st̶̲̥̅ a village idiot.Arsenal i̶̲̥̅̊s finished finally wenger has succeeded in ruinin this Club there isnt a wayout now we av to be contended with a 8 position on Τ̲̅ђε̲̣ table
As much as I like Arsene Wenger and admire what he's done for The Arsenal I find it more and more difficult to understand and defend his decisions:
Why does Wenger send Ryo out on loan at a time when Theo is so terrible and should be rested in some games?
Why does Wenger keep faith in Theo at all? A player with so little football brain (for a player with his pace it should've been very simple to score when he was played through on goal by Chamberlain - take the ball past the keeper and push it into an empty net. But instead he shoots straight on Bogdan!)
Why doesn't Wenger react to things happening on the pitch? And why doesn't he react any sooner than he does?
Today it was obvious that Ramsey had an off-day, so why on earth does Wenger wait until the 80. minute before he puts on Rosicky instead?
And, worst of all: Why doesn't he realize that this squad needs more quality? Why didn't he go out on the buyers market in the transfer window to spend?
Your shite,yid army
12 and counting,can't wait for st arse holes day.
from INVINCIBLES to INVISIBLES in 5 years
There's quite a few
reasons why we're
drifting down the
table and falling
behind our rivals -
Arsene is answerable
for most of them. But
what about the teams
who fight like tigers
against us and then
roll over when
playing Man Utd,
giving them 3 easy
points ! As long as the
authorities and the
media turn a blind
eye to this, then we're
never going to win
the title again, anyway !! I do, however, think we have the basis of a great team but I no longer trust Arsene to cut the dead wood and sign the top quality the team/squad needs. What about media darling Davey Moyes ? Is he the man for the job ? Thoughts, anyone ?
The ONLY manager this board will accept as a replacement is one with a name as big or BIGGER than Wenger's... and THAT name is about to leave Real Madrid this summer.
I have to agree with anyone who calls Walcott utter shiite - I recorded the match, was dismayed at Theo's performance and then RE-WATCHED to make sure. All I did was watch Walcott. 90% possession lost when he touched the ball - nothing more need be said, speaks for itself: 90%.
I believe Wenger has reached his zenith. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.He still thinks he can qualify for the top four. That remains to be seen.
He is too stubborn for the good of Arsenal . His buy kid policy aint working and yet another wc one is bought. Yeah I know he will help Arsenal win trophies but only after MC/MU?Chelsea have won ten trophies.
I will believe that he can qualify for the top four if the gunners start on a winning run.
Otherwise get real. Arsenal should get someone not afraid to ditch his policy if it aint working.
Wenger is destroying Arsenal slowly. If he is not removed,Arsenal will slide into oblivion like Forest who under agreat manager started to decline.
Wenger thinks he is god and can do no wrong.
I can't wait for May to show the gunners will finish seventh.Then what?A new man will take at least two years to make his mark.
Mark my words. If the gunners slip out of cl contentio,they will take five years to get back.n
Wenger has taken this team all the way back to where they were in the 80s under Don Howe. This is where we were then, pre 'top 4' nonsense.
I would like to see Wenger resign with dignity at the end of this season, with all our best wishes. I hope he will do that.
Players like Arshavin and Walcott are not born winger. They only play attacking game and can offer very little defence solution.
RVP can play for any team's first XI. Vermaleen and Sagna might can make it to those big teams' (MU, MC, Chelsea, Real, Barca, Bayern, AC Milan, Inter) first XI or their bench.
Song, Metersacker, Szczesny, Ramsey, Arteta, Gervinho, most probably in their bench.
Rosicky, Diably, Vito Manone, Almunia, Fabianski, Gibss, Chamakh, Park, Denilson, Bendtner, Jenkinson, let's face it, they won't even make it to their bench.
So, with such team, how can we expect them to deliver anything?
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Wenger needed to buy in the January transfer but again relied on his youth to get the CL spot when Will wenger realise he needs a strong left back a more efficient mid and someone who can finish and link with RVP
I know there's alot of comments regarding wenger to quit.
However im worried that it's all the boards fault for the tight budget we're on. So no matter who replaces wenger, we'll still be stuck on having a 15-20mil budget per season.
If that is the case.. what manager out there would do any better?
Im sorry but i believe Wenger is not at fault..this is a man who has done the job with success for years.....its the new board!!! Ever since they came into the picture and David Dein left its gone downhill!
Wenger out simple as... This is the team he assembled! It really is pathetic. Fans think can't get rid of Wenger he is the club! what a riduclous thought, yes the man has done amazing, I appauled him for that, this doesn't mean he is untouchable for the rest of his career. He hasn't done anything in 6 years!!!! Bring a new exciting manager with fresh plans, i'd really like to give Joachim Low the job
PPL blaming the board...Wenger spent 40 million !! so he was givin money he just spent it crap
Gooners, I wrote up some player ratings and analysis on yesterday's debacle at http://oursoccerblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/bolton-vs-arsenal.html
Cheers
I've said this over and over again...and here it is once more. Too many Arsenal fans have been so caught up in pitfalls of our defence that they have simply failed to see the bigger picture. Our defence has been a big issue for about 2 or 3 seasons but with a creative midfield it was always easy to overshadow the deficiencies at the back. Unfortunately, due to reasons that will probably never be known to or understood by us, the board and Mr. Wenger has allowed our great club to backtrack so far that the problems have now spread to the middle of the park. From right to left, there is not a single player that is beyond average in the exception of Song, who I must admit has been below par in the last 6 or so games but has nonetheless proven time and again the wonderful abilities he possesses. On the other hand, Walcott is not only an embarrassment to the club but without doubt an embarrassment to the sport itself. Absolutely and shamefully talentless in every aspect of football, one can only wonder how he became a professional footballer as he is clearly better equipped to be challenging Usain Bolt for an Olympic medel. Ramsey must top the table for the most unforced errors this season. I have lost count of the amount of stray passes that have come from him. Arteta is completely anonymous and unproductive. Gervinho is a nightmare in the final third. He simply cannot find a final pass or shoot. And last but not least, the reinforcements in the shape of Rosicky, Arshavin, and Benayoun who collectively are quite simply passed it. All in all, there are no strengths in this team other than a world class centre forward in RVP. What we have been known for the last 7 years, passing, keeping the ball, having most of the possession, opening up defenses and playing the beautiful game, has now escaped us. What we are witnessing here is the degradation of Arsenal Football Club as this is most certainly the worst line-up of players I have ever seen during my 20 years of supporting the club. FRIGHTENING?
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