Saturday 5 May 2012

Complacent and arrogant? Again and again


I have lost count of the number of times that we have come unstuck against the weaker sides this season, it is staggeringly frustrating.  We have beaten all the top sides other than ManU but we keep making the same mistake, that mistake being that we assumed that all we need to do against the smaller sides is turn up and we will win, how many f*cking times do we have to make this mistake?

Blackburn 3-4, Fulham 2 -1, Swansea 3-2, QPR 2-1, Wigan 2-1 and then today.  The words of the manager are damning enough:

"....but maybe subconsciously [we thought] we would win it........We lost too many challenges and it is surprising because recently we were quite good, but today I feel that defensively the whole team was very poor."


It has happened too many times, we have been complacent and arrogant against too many sides this season, and it is costing us dear.  The words of Norwich player Steven Morison are even more damning:

"I think Arsenal thought we were going to be a pushover today."

I do not expect to win every game against the weaker sides, but I cannot accept the levels of performance and complacency that we have seen against some of the lesser sides this season.  If we had treated all our games equally and shown more respect, pressed harder and worked harder against these lesser sides, then I do not think we would have dropped so many points so lazily.

The manager knows which players are complacent and arrogant, and I suggest that he moves them all on in the summer, I only want players who are prepared to put in their all in every single game they pull on an Arsenal shirt.  I can take losing if we give everything, however I cannot accept the complacent dross that we have seen at times this season.  I haven't even started on the schoolboy defending.....



34 comments:

Anonymous said...

The manager has to go as well as the complacent players.Its he who picks them.The lack of attitude of our players is all down to the manager

Anonymous said...

RVP missed some sitters today

Davi said...

When arteta is out we have no balance in the midfield. Apparently we haven't won a single game without him this season, which says it all. Imo Coquelin should be in the midfield next to song when arteta is out as he is the most similar to Mikel, and a more competant defensive midfielder than Ramsey, who isn't really suited to that role. Maybe he just isn't sure of what his role is supposed to be? Diaby is also better for that position. Unfortunately with Sagna now out, Coquelin will most likely be playing RB in the next game...
I think this game also exposed Vermaelen who is a really great player who I'm glad to have in the side, but he is prone to the odd bad game. He's a great all-round footballer, but not the world class CB he's made out to be.
Let's keep things in perspective though, Norwich were really good, and were it not for the first 8 games, we would be miles ahead of the rest. This shows that current side is very good, but the damage done earlier in the seasons means that the CL position is not secure to say the least

Oerjan Nilssen said...

It total agree... to show up in the last 25 minutes - isnt good enough:/ Song, Ramsey and Gervinho was a disaster in the first half.. so many misplaced passes:/

Mark said...

It's tough being the worst fans in the country demonstrated by the pathetic reactions to games. We moan for the first half of the season bombarding phone-ins about how Wenger nust go and only RVP is any good; then when we are almost down and out we get behind the team against Milan and Tottenham lifting the roof off the ground and all is forgiven; things are looking good and Arsene is a legend, the Ox is going to be the best player in the world; even useless Theo is a world beater. But it couldn't last we are rubbish again and everyone's got to go. Look at the Liverpool fans today and then look at ours. Embarrassing.

Anonymous said...

I think the reason why we are so poor for the past 4 games was because we badly miss Arteta's leadership and determination to push and win games. Ramsey is not the natural successor to Arteta let alone Fab.

Anonymous said...

Wenger is the arrogant one, thinking that he can beat all commers with too many ordinary players, an appauling lack of depth to the sqaud & only one way of playing.

Anonymous said...

its pretty much clear from todays attitude that some of the senior players want to leave emirates as well as the manager. It was total non-scense the way they played, pls ignore my typos im frustrated, as every gooner was thinkin that we 'll win and look forward to UCL for next season. But these players and manger seems to have no desire to go in the
UCL

DISGUSTING MAN

Anonymous said...

We have to face the reality that we are not really a top 4 team, we have promising youngsters but that doesn't make a good team, we lack in depth and experience the players believe they are premier quality where in fact they are not many have said that we have one of the best goalkeepers in the league but he cannot kick a ball he puts defenders under imediate pressure by rolling out to them and he is a long way from even being a great, that is also true of many of the players they believe they are superstars but have yet to prove if they are even premier material

Anonymous said...

Hard to think of a more gutting result in recent years, this is up there with the worst. I agree that we would have won this if we had Arteta, we need him to wake up some of the players. This game should have been like a cup final but we played it like a training match in the first half. Why they came out so laid back, who knows.. would have thought the manager would have left them in no doubt before the game to take this very seriously.

Anonymous said...

It's not all Vemlin's fault. Gibb isn't doing his job and Vermaline was tying to o to eopl's job ad he was caught exposed. this our keeper is getting too overconfidence. It's nt yet there yet.

Anonymous said...

Defence must have taken a day off,ramsey moderate and very slow movement in first half.Get back into game then woeful marking for there third goal.spurs must be rubbing there hands.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to say but te buck stops with Arsene Wenger, maybe his time is up. How many times are we going to perform badly against the supposed weaker teams. Norwich, like Wigan were good, but we didn't show them enough respect, the first half was shambolic. Ramsey, Song and Gervinho didn't show up in the first 45.
Then after we get ahead in te game we give up a goal almost identical to the one we conceded at Swansea. Someone needs to tell Gibbs he is a left back, and Chesney that he is becoming the goalkeeping equivalent of Nick Bendtner.
The bench we had today was a disgrace, 5 of the 7 you wouldnt want to come on. When Chamakh did appear he missed a sitter!
Come on Arsene, sort it out in the summer, or ship out yourself! You have made the job of rebuilding harder by failing to get a CL spot, maybe not even into the qualifying round.

Anonymous said...

WENGER OUT!

Tsusima said...

This has become quite a norm to expect. So many average or IMO 'bad' players thinking they're superior so just need to turn up or rely on some hardworking players like RVP is enough. The manager should take the blame too, for not shouting at them, motivating them, letting them turn up lackluster again and again match after match. I hate to say but unless manager changed, players changed, or at least mentality changed; we don't deserve the ECL.

sparky said...

Wenger is arrogant and thinks he runs Arsenal, but he has become embarrassing.There is no chance of us making the CL, Chelsea are confident and will probably win the European cup which means 4th if we get it is disastrous. But perhaps this could be what Wenger and Arsenal need, a kick up the Arsene!. The loss of CL revenue will be a massive blow, but it won't stop there. Spurs Will be in the CL and they will attract the players we want , let's face the truth Arsenal are going nowhere and it's all down to Wenger his stubbornness not to spend on players like Mata,Cahill and others .We have the richest Russian as shareholder who wants to make Arsenal great again but the board and kroenke say no!. 7 years without a trophy , 2nd highest wages in the league with players who are jot fit to wear the shirt and selling out best players is not the way to win. I like many other Arsenal fans are fed up, sick of the way the club is being run, it's nothing but a disgrace

GOONER4EVER said...

I have been saying on other blogs for many many times........Ramsey is hopeless,slow and careless.
Comapare our play when the Ox came in !!!!All Wengers fault cause he knows all about Ramsey and thus stick o playing him in the most delicate position.Forget Europea this year

Anonymous said...

I hate to say that but it really whenever Ramsey play, we will have a hard game. Starting from Feb, when AW started with Rosicky instead of Ramsey, we have a very run and beaten no of strong teams while once AW used Ramsey replaced Rosicky, we ended our run by losing to no of bottom team. Couple weeks ago, when AW benched Ramsey again, we again won no of big games. While once Ramsey was placed for the poor Arteta since 9 min of the Wigan game, we losed to Wigan and draw three game.
Arsenal 1-2 Wigan Athletic
Apr 21 FT Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea
Apr 28 FT Stoke City 1-1 Arsenal
May 5 FT Arsenal 3-3 Norwich City
If Arteta and Wilshere or even diaby are not available and we are short of mid field. I would rather AW use 4-4-2 like second of today game. Yes, we are still disappointed with today result, but the damaging the 4-4-2 of the second half can create is impressive and far better than the first half.

Well... Ramsey, he can't create any chance but too lazy to protect def line. No of time he was either too slow or too slow to come back and play def... PLS AW.. No Ramsey..

Johnny Deigh said...

I agree with anon @19:58. Gibbs was a bit all over the place and wasn't good at marking players.

Ramsey had Denilsonitis, too lazy, not tracking back at anything more than a canter.

And you can't forgive the ref for not giving Van Persie a penalty for a blatant shove in front of an empty net.

That's the real scandal.

Anonymous said...

The difference in body language from the two managers said it all today. Lambert all passion and clapping his hands in support, Wenger all moaning and throwing his hands in the air in impotent protest.
Credit to Norwich City, the better side on the day; they wanted it more (have said that before this season) and, crucially, had more options up front than Arsenal.
After so many culpably overconfident performances this season we do not deserve CL football next year. Failing to qualify might just bring on the corporate kick up the arse our club needs. Not holding my breath though.

Johnny Deigh said...

Oh, and it was probably Szczesny's worst match in an Arsenal shirt.

Anonymous said...

I was there & will be at the hawthorns

Ramsey is total dogshit, I'm just seething he played him yet again, what is this about? Some kind of project prove I'm always right like denilson? When the ox came on & did all dogshitn cant it just made me & the stadium even more mad! Grrrrrrr, dogshit plays we don't win duhhhhh

Gibbs is shit, benayoun goal aside garbage, szez oh dear another flappy pole awful gone to his head, apart from them 1st half a disgusting disgrace un motivated by the boss, 2nd half same shit lucky not to be 3 down, UNTIL he finally takes off dogshit & benny... Then? Transformed we should have scored 6, 20 fantastic minutes, why oh why did he not start with that team, as for their last goal well Gibbs was on instead of santos for fucks sake, no pen for rvp? Ref must be bent...

Arsene said we have a squad to win the league yesterday, deluded beyond

We need usmanov or we have a decade of decline ahead, kroenke is dogshit too!

Such an important game - Disgusting

Johnny Deigh said...

Just looking at Norwich's 2nd goal again. Shocking, absolutely shocking. 3 Norwich attackers break against 2 Arsenal defenders and neither Rosicky nor Ramsey could be bothered to track back. Just a nice leisurely stroll in the park for them. Left Gibbs to take on two defenders and the shot deflects off Gibbs up and over Szczesny.

Anonymous said...

anonymous 20.28 sounds like a well educated gooner innit!

Anonymous said...

it is ime for wenger to leave, he should accept responsibility. These are his methods, his players and his teachings.
If the players are arrogant a-holes, then that is on wenger for teaching them to act as such. he plucked them as kids and molded them into who you see today.

Johnny Deigh said...

You can't blame Wenger for the Calciopoli inherent in the game.

Maverick said...

Looking at Arsene i think he is done at Arsenal now......he seems detached and different, i think he knows we know and the board knows that changes will be made and i reckon he will not sign a new contract at all. It has been said he feels alone and mocked and chastised and that no one in the club truly supports him as a manager he loves the players and the fans but the bond is broken and all the players he brought through have left in bad circumstances which has hurt him, he feels no one is truly loyal to him nor the club. You can see in his general demeanour he still has passion for the job but he is a shadow of the man he used to be, you can see by his team selections and how almost myopic he has become he forces the issue with things that dont need to be forced case in point his stubborn holding onto playing Ramsey when AOC would have been a better option, all because Ramsey has been injured and he wants to prove a point.

If he is not careful he is going to throw away his legendary staus and be viewed as a jekyll and hyde character that was once a great but then sabotaged his own image. I dont see him being manager after next season, it might be Guardiola.....just seems too convienient that he leaves Barca when he did to take 'a year off' which funnily enough coincides with Wengers contract renewal and we all know that Guardiola learnt things from Wenger.

Maybe that is why Wenger stubbornly refuses to spend even though we all know the money is there and lots of it. Maybe he is leaving enough for the next manager to reshape the squad to how he sees fit.

I have a huge feeling next season will be Arsenes last managing Arsenal, i dont know whether he will move upstair or just quit managing, but he looks absolutely spent!

Anonymous said...

Something is wrong at Arsenal for sure. The attitude of the players showed it all, the way they were jogging in the ground and the way the goals are conceded, ITS HIGH CLASS DRAMA. May be the SENIOR GROUP of player don't want Arsenal to qualify for Champions League, so that they don't have to commit their future to Arsenal, and Van Persie missing the clear chances is mystery too.

May be the MANAGER himself not happy with the board any more and want to quit, but its hard to believe that the same team who beat Chelsea 5-2, played 3-3 with Norwich,

NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR AN HONEST GUNNER

Anonymous said...

I'd love to have seen some of you spas live through the 60's and 70's when Spurs were a top team and Arsenal had won anything for years. You are pathetic if you think this is bad. 28 comments before me. How many of you come from north London anyway? If it's glory you're after just fuck off.

Unknown said...

The teams of the 60s and 70s were more professional and exciting that this boring pussy footed lot,and the effort they put in for the money they got would shame this useless Wenger team that he forever talks about as if it were not his team at all. There are better players in lower divisions and Managers who understand tactics and dont insult their fans.

Anonymous said...

I'd never thought I'd say it, but fingers crossed for Man City , fourth place is as good as it gets for us . Spurs must of been rolling around on the floor yesterday.

James said...

i cant believe the comments about the lack of tracking back by rosicky or ramsey.

Ok im not saying they had great games cause they didn't just like every other player but when we lose to poor teams there is one player who is always at fault for our defensive frailties

where the mother f@#king hell was our defensive midfielder, alex song is a liability. Hes all over the place he causes so many problems for the more advanced midfielders its unreal he completely destroys our structure because he prioritizes playing through balls to RVP than doing his job of sitting in-front of the defense. Then he takes too many touches of the ball doesnt move the ball quick enough slowing attacks down and killing our countering ability then there's the huge amount of passes he overhits or gives to the opposition trying to be Cesc which he has no where near the quality.

Ok hes made some great assists this season but at what cost for every goal he creates the opposition have scored 2-3 because of his continuous wandering upfront and leaving his defense exposed. I feel sorry for Ramsey and Rosicky because they cant concentrate on their own jobs just encase they have to cover Songs ass time and time again.

We need a new defensive Midfielder who does his job and nothing else like de jong and i hope the Song to Real stories are true move him on and get M'Vila or even Flamini would be better than Song he is the cause for so many problems at Arsenal.

Anonymous said...

I think next season will be Arsne's last. This season started really badly with the last minute transfers and I think in Park he panic bought. He managed to turn us around and move us up the table, which is credit to him and the players. I think the problem is that we don't have a big enough Quality squad ..... so many of the players are burnt out as they have played virtually ever game, as we have no quality replacements. That is down to AW not wanting to face up to the fact he would loose Nasri and Cesc. We've also lost some great talent to injury again this year. I personally think that not getting a CL place might cause AW and the board to look at things, have a good clear out and bring in some fresh quality. If we make CL, then I don't think anything will change. Either way, I'm a Gooner for life, I will get behind the team and wish the moaning shites would do the same .....

p.s. New home kit is nasty IMO

Anonymous said...

Agree that next season will be Wenger's last. I hope he then stays at the club as Director Of Football, or similar position, and we persuade Pep Guardiola to takeover on a long term contract.

We've been handed a massive reprieve today with Newcastle losing and Spurs drawing. It's essential we get 3rd to guarantee CL with no qualifying necessary. I can only hope Wenger goes all out this Summer, clears all the deadwood, and makes some top signings. We're not miles off being a top team, 2 or 3 good signings with no key departures would make a huge difference.

With Podolski in the bag, if we could sign Vertonghen and M'Vila and renew Van Persie's contract before Euro 2012, we'd be in a good position for next season. Also think we need an experienced goalkeeper to keep Szczesny on his toes. Like most Arsenal fans, I like him and feel he has potential to be a top keeper, but he's far from the finished article and certainly doesn't deserve to be the Undisputed #1 based on his performances this season.