Topic: Arsenal

[jillcwhomever]

yeah, a bit strange for 1 team to hvae 2 Monday games in a row isn't it? I'd be very unimpressed if that was us, I don't like Liverpool having the Monday game even once, let alone twice!

It is all about handling the pressure though, basically its in the head. I think we are slowly getting those monkies off our backs. Beginning to beat the awkward teams, ie Stoke and WBA. There was a time when we couldn't cope with early kick offs on Saturday's, but we're starting to win those too. Bit by bit we are getting there. Our greatest advantage is already having those points. I said in another thread I would rather have the points in the bank, then be the team, with all those games in hand. They know one loss and everything is over now. We just have to continue to win those games, not worry about anyone else. We'll see where we are at the end of the season.

[Schmidt]

but they have lost Karanka who could marshal those clean-sheets. Maybe facing Arsenal will see Agnew go very defensive and that could play to their strengths, I feel Boror are weak enough for us to win but our players confidence is so fragile...

They've kept two clean sheets in four since he left though. I think it's a very slim chance regardless, I'm fully expecting an Arsenal win, I just think there's a hint that Middlesbrough could frustrate.

[Xabi Gerrard]

Cazorla has had a renewal of his contract already it seems, the club just haven't announced it.

He's by far your best player. No one else in your squad even comes close. But after two injury ravaged years at his age surely his time at the top level is up?

[ScottishGoon]

He's by far your best player. No one else in your squad even comes close. But after two injury ravaged years at his age surely his time at the top level is up?

He is a massive loss. His injuries are a big worry, obviously dream scenario is that he's just been unlucky & he comes back fully fit for next season. Before his knee injury last December he had played nearly almost every game of the season, & wasn't really injury prone before that. Just need to see how he is when he comes back to fitness.

I think it's compounded by the fact Wilshere is so injury prone as well. Taking injuries aside i think most would agree these were the 2 most talented midfielders in the squad, but obviously big question marks remain over Cazorla & Wilshere is looking increasingly like a bit of a lost cause.

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

Yeah at his best Cazorla was a magician. The kind you'd pay the entry fee for alone. Surprised no one when he moved deeper back in midfield with arsenal and made it work too.

[Titi Camara]

30 mins in, zero shots on target by either side. Sounds like a cracker!

[Schmidt]

30 mins in, zero shots on target by either side. Sounds like a cracker!

It's actually not bad, lots of almost chances.

[Schmidt]

Changed my mind, it's shit.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

https://twitter.com/__wakefield/status/854036765404954625

Oh Ty

[kavah]

^ ha ha - I would actually recognize Ty more than some of the players to be fair

[Something Worse]

He's got earphones in and headphones around his neck! Legend!

[Lush is the best medicine...]

^ ha ha - I would actually recognize Ty more than some of the players to be fair

celeb big brother awaits

[ggcc14]

Yeah at his best Cazorla was a magician. The kind you'd pay the entry fee for alone. Surprised no one when he moved deeper back in midfield with arsenal and made it work too.

I really feel like I only seen those magicial performs at Villarreal and Malaga.

[Cliff Bastin]

Decent win, well said from Chamberlain on the interview. Now to the FA cup semi final. Up The Arsenal!

[Xabi Gerrard]

3 much needed points and a goal from the workshy lazy coward who goes missing in big games. Ozil also scored so all round good day for the Gunners.

[TepidT2O]

They were fucking dreadful....

Shockingly bad... how did they get so bad?

[Sir Psycho Sexy]

They're lucky that Boro are so bad, yet even today they should have conceded more than 1. I'm just hoping they can fight out a draw against Utd, but I'm not holding out much hope there.

[4pool]

As Arsenal supporters might be a bit relieved, you can watch something more positive about your history:


Rocky & Wrighty: From Brockley To The Big Time – Full Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2byZj3oz3U



For those who haven't seen this, Arsenal or not, it's worth your time.
Although a bit painful for us Reds supporters in some parts..

[ElCapo]

Okay that's fair enough, I always rated Lallana but didn't realise he'd been so feted before we got him.  I bracketed them together for being on the fringes of the England first XI.  For the record I don't see Ox ever reaching Lallana's level, but if Klopp fancies him them I've no doubt he could turn him into something very good.

I think Klopp wants to build a bigger squad as the current squad size is related to not having Europe.

So Ox will be a squad player, not necessarily a starter.

[deano2727]

Is Chamberlain not wanting to move for first team football? Doesnt make sense why he would leave Arsenal's bench to come sit on ours. I wouldnt have him replace anyone in our first team. Maybe Klopp and his team see something in him I don't. I wouldnt be massively for the signing, but I wouldnt be against it either. I think an out and out striker is more important than a player like this, but if we can get both, then happy days.

Arsenal have a hard fixture list. They dont look so great at the moment either, and they dont have too many more bankers left. In fact the only banker they have is Sunderland at home and maybe Stoke away. 3 wins and 2 draws will be enough for us.

[4pool]

Ox hasn't scored more than 2 league goals a season for Arsenal. Been injured. Why do we think things will change?

To me Ox is nothing more than a squad member. That's how he's been used at Arsenal. For the reputed 30+ mil, we can do a lot better. For 10 mil he might be worth a punt.

We want better players to take the place of what we have. For 30+ mil, that's what one expects. Or at least I do. Not a squad member.

I'll put it this way. The sub board goes up and Ox is coming on for Arsenal...doesn't really put any fear into me. Never mind if he starts. His production is to little.

We have TAA and Wilson who can play RM and easily get the stats Ox does of 2 league goals a season.

But it's all about opinions, eh.

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

I really feel like I only seen those magicial performs at Villarreal and Malaga.

Agreed,  Arsenal seems a Gerrard esque deeper adaptation due to his technical quality as he got older. The peak was probably in Spain and at times, for the national side.

It's more the type of player - two footed to the point of being unreadable for an.opponent, the spark of creativity to play all manner of passes,...eminently watchable at his peak.

[rickardinho1]

Ox hasn't scored more than 2 league goals a season for Arsenal. Been injured. Why do we think things will change?

To me Ox is nothing more than a squad member. That's how he's been used at Arsenal. For the reputed 30+ mil, we can do a lot better. For 10 mil he might be worth a punt.

We want better players to take the place of what we have. For 30+ mil, that's what one expects. Or at least I do. Not a squad member.

I'll put it this way. The sub board goes up and Ox is coming on for Arsenal...doesn't really put any fear into me. Never mind if he starts. His production is to little.

We have TAA and Wilson who can play RM and easily get the stats Ox does of 2 league goals a season.

But it's all about opinions, eh.

Our First XI midfield and attack is capable of taking anyone apart on their day, the problem this season was that we never had anyone in midfield to cover for injuries, and if we had Ox in the squad in January especially we might have picked up a few more points, and also been able to give Lallana and Wijnaldum a rest here and there.

Anyways, this could just be noise from the player's agent trying to get Ox a better deal at Arsenal. We'll see what happens in the summer.

[MagicHat]

Cazorla still great to watch as he controls a game. Or is when fit

Was surprised that Wenger went three at the back, swear he has been vehemently opposed to it before so thought it would be a rare modern change he wouldn't take up. Seemed to benefit Ramsey but Monreal was invisible going forward and Oxlade showed flickers of what he would do but we needed more from our wideplayers as we struggled to create in the centre till Boro pushed bodies forward. Perhaps a case of getting used to system? Once Boro equalized, team fell apart for awhile but Cech was alert to bail us out a few times.

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

Apparently Wenger went with a 3-4-3.

I see the next big fad...

[ScottishGoon]

Cazorla still great to watch as he controls a game. Or is when fit

Was surprised that Wenger went three at the back, swear he has been vehemently opposed to it before so thought it would be a rare modern change he wouldn't take up. Seemed to benefit Ramsey but Monreal was invisible going forward and Oxlade showed flickers of what he would do but we needed more from our wideplayers as we struggled to create in the centre till Boro pushed bodies forward. Perhaps a case of getting used to system? Once Boro equalized, team fell apart for awhile but Cech was alert to bail us out a few times.

Formation apart, its the type of performance we used to put in after a bad run or heavy defeat. Back to basics, trying to be a bit tighter, but a bit low in confidence so not fluent as an attacking unit. The main difference is it's taken way longer to do this year. We usually start to pick up our normal game after that type of performance, but obviously with the circumstances this year it's different so lets see where the next couple of weeks go.

As for the formation, i actually think it's the formation that suits the players we have most, & helps mask some of our weaknesses. Whether we will stick to it & subsequently implement it well enough remains to be seen. Our main weaknesses are that we are too weak physically, our full backs leave our centre halfs exposed, our centre midfield leave the centre backs exposed, playing with the extra attacker with Ozil means defending from the front is more difficult. All things that technically with 3 at the back should help minimise.

Perhaps long term it's not the favoured solution, but until we get players better suited to the formation we want to play, or adjust tactics accordingly, perhaps its the best short term fix.

[Petadroli]

They're lucky that Boro are so bad, yet even today they should have conceded more than 1. I'm just hoping they can fight out a draw against Utd, but I'm not holding out much hope there.

They were lucky to win, yes, but sometimes you need such wins to get some confidence back. I think they will get a result against ManUtd at home, a draw probably, because ManUtd are shit at finishing and superb at drawing.

[rickardinho1]

I watched the Arsenal game and what struck me was how little purpose there was about Arsenal compared to what I usually associate with an Arsenal team...

There was no tactical movement like overlaps. No overloads. No clever interplay around the box. Just 11 players passing it around like they were playing in the park. Incredibly stale and bereft of tactical direction.

Rather than relying on anything they've been drilled to do on the training ground, the team is utterly reliant on individual brilliance from one or two players, and that is a recipe for disaster when those players leave.

You used to look at Arsenal teams a few years ago and there would be a recognizable style of play, and in games like this it was wave after wave of attack, whereas here it was just aimless knocking about, and hardly any chances created for vast stretches of the game.

Needless to say, this is undoubtedly a huge summer for the club, and if they make some poor decisions it could really set them back quite a few years, and one season out of the CL can quickly turn into two, and three,... and with Spurs moving into a new stadium and Chelsea being well run the "London factor" wouldn't be as great as it has been.

[CallumLFC]

Neville made a good point last night. Their centre midfield is a shadow of what it used to be over the last 10 years. They just can't dominate games with the ball like they used to.

[ScottishGoon]

I watched the Arsenal game and what struck me was how little purpose there was about Arsenal compared to what I usually associate with an Arsenal team...

There was no tactical movement like overlaps. No overloads. No clever interplay around the box. Just 11 players passing it around like they were playing in the park. Incredibly stale and bereft of tactical direction.

Rather than relying on anything they've been drilled to do on the training ground, the team is utterly reliant on individual brilliance from one or two players, and that is a recipe for disaster when those players leave.

You used to look at Arsenal teams a few years ago and there would be a recognizable style of play, and in games like this it was wave after wave of attack, whereas here it was just aimless knocking about, and hardly any chances created for vast stretches of the game.

Needless to say, this is undoubtedly a huge summer for the club, and if they make some poor decisions it could really set them back quite a few years, and one season out of the CL can quickly turn into two, and three,... and with Spurs moving into a new stadium and Chelsea being well run the "London factor" wouldn't be as great as it has been.

I agree to a certain extent. I would add the caveat that we are drasticaly short in confidence, playing a strange formation & had obviously set out with the intention of trying to be more solid & difficult to break down first & foremost. Now, it's weird saying such a thing at Middlesborough, but such was our low confidence at the moment it was important we can get back to basics. When we are confident we can play well, such as the Chelsea home game for instance, it's just we don't do it consistently enough, or perhaps are too easily knocked out our stride to implement our game.

Neville made a good point last night. Their centre midfield is a shadow of what it used to be over the last 10 years. They just can't dominate games with the ball like they used to.

This is also true. In players such as Cazorla & Wilshere when he was fit, & before them the likes of Fabregas & Nasri, we would dominate the ball. Xhaka can grow into that type of player but the likes of Coquelin & Ramsey aren't what you would say are possession based players. Even the wide players such as Walcott aren't good enough at keeping possession compared to the wide playmakers we would have in the past such as Rosicky, Hleb Pires etc. I'm not sure if it was a deliberate thing from Wenger to try & change the style more direct, but sometimes we seem a mish mash of a team.   

[Chris~]

They were lucky to win, yes, but sometimes you need such wins to get some confidence back. I think they will get a result against ManUtd at home, a draw probably, because ManUtd are shit at finishing and superb at drawing.

Bit like how beating West ham should have given them confidence? They're not a good team at the moment. They either need a lot of luck or a remarkable turnaround to do anything this season.

[ScottishGoon]

Bit like how beating West ham should have given them confidence? They're not a good team at the moment. They either need a lot of luck or a remarkable turnaround to do anything this season.

I meant to add to my earlier post, but this backs up what i was going to say, that we have left ourselves too much to do for Top 4 now anyway even if we suddenly did rediscover our form. I know Wenger & some fans are clinging on until its Mathematically impossible for us which is fair enough as you want them to try until the end, but realistically given the fixtures we all face we are done. The Palace match all but killed that hope.

[Chris~]

I meant to add to my earlier post, but this backs up what i was going to say, that we have left ourselves too much to do for Top 4 now anyway even if we suddenly did rediscover our form. I know Wenger & some fans are clinging on until its Mathematically impossible for us which is fair enough as you want them to try until the end, but realistically given the fixtures we all face we are done. The Palace match all but killed that hope.

It's the position we've been in for a few years. 'If x loses and we win all our games...'

It rarely happens though for anyone in that position as there's usually a reason you're behind with only a handful of games left.

[Xabi Gerrard]

As Arsenal supporters might be a bit relieved, you can watch something more positive about your history:


Rocky & Wrighty: From Brockley To The Big Time – Full Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2byZj3oz3U



For those who haven't seen this, Arsenal or not, it's worth your time.
Although a bit painful for us Reds supporters in some parts..

Just watched it, thanks for posting, good film. I was at Highbury for the Valencia game a few days after Rocky died, emotional night.

What a great crop of kids Arsenal had come through the ranks alongside Rocastle in the mid 80s - Adams, Thomas, Keown, Merson (or was he a bit later?). Up there with Man Utd's class of '92 surely.

Thought it was strange that they didn't mention Wright's spell in prison though, would have added to the story by showing how far their paths had diverged early on.

[Cliff Bastin]

Wright joined at 28 ended up top goal scorer ever. Shows how great he was.

[Buggy Eyes Alfredo]

He is a massive loss. His injuries are a big worry, obviously dream scenario is that he's just been unlucky & he comes back fully fit for next season. Before his knee injury last December he had played nearly almost every game of the season, & wasn't really injury prone before that. Just need to see how he is when he comes back to fitness.

I think it's compounded by the fact Wilshere is so injury prone as well. Taking injuries aside i think most would agree these were the 2 most talented midfielders in the squad, but obviously big question marks remain over Cazorla & Wilshere is looking increasingly like a bit of a lost cause.

Season looks set to be over after his collision with Kane. Second scan for Wilshire has picked up a hairline fracture to his left leg.

[TheShanklyGates]

Jack Wilshere has an injury free season out on loan and then breaks his leg just in time for his return to Arsenal. Almost feel sorry for him at this point, seems like his body just isn't cut out for top level football one way or another.

[Cliff Bastin]

Wilshere should have a strength and conditioning coach like a world class boxer would have. Its not a coincidence.

[jillcwhomever]

Oh dear that's not good for Wilshere he doesn't get much luck. 

[Petadroli]

Jack Wilshere has an injury free season out on loan and then breaks his leg just in time for his return to Arsenal. Almost feel sorry for him at this point, seems like his body just isn't cut out for top level football one way or another.

Yeah, although injury-free was pretty much the only positive thing about his loan until now. He was a non-factor for Bournemouth and if he can't even cut it there, his days at Arsenal, surely, are over.