Topic: Arsenal

[The North Bank]

When people were saying "he leaves arsenal and all of a sudden he's fit" I knew that wouldn't last.
Time to cut our losses.

[MagicHat]

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.

Agreed

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.

Yes I did think "at least we will have three players back now" when we had to defend. I think if we can get our wide players to adapt that would really help and players will get used to the system, I did like how we had more numbers then usual in box when got crosses in from Oxlade.

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.

Central midfield has arguably been our big problem this season as soon as Cazorla got injured

[ThePeetmix]

Central midfield has arguably been our big problem this season as soon as Cazorla got injured

Cazorla is a HUGE loss for you guys. He's your last good passing midfielder who can dictate play. And he's crocked now.

If Arsenal have any sense, that should be priority no.1.

[rafathegaffa83]

He was a non-factor for Bournemouth and if he can't even cut it there, his days at Arsenal, surely, are over.

Even Howe's parting words re: Wilshire make it sound like they have very little interest in signing him in the summer.

“It is a big blow to lose Jack,” Eddie Howe said. “We have loved working with him since he arrived last August. He has made a huge contribution to our season, both on and off the pitch.”

The Bournemouth manager added: “We wish him a quick recovery and thank him for his effort and professionalism while he was with us.”

 27 league appearances for Bournemouth. Playing the full ninety minutes in just over half of those. Zero goals, two assists.

[rickardinho1]

Even Howe's parting words re: Wilshire make it sound like they have very little interest in signing him in the summer.

 27 league appearances for Bournemouth. Playing the full ninety minutes in just over half of those. Zero goals, two assists.

But he's English and a brave scrapper so he must be good! 

[child-in-time]

Wilshere should have gone to Italy. I still cant comprehend how he chose Bournemouth over Milan.

[Xabi Gerrard]

If you're using goals and assists to judge a midfielder you're doing it wrong.

[The North Bank]

Wilshere should have gone to Italy. I still cant comprehend how he chose Bournemouth over Milan.

Totally agree, it was Roma who were in for him, I called him a bottler who chose the easy way out when he went to Bournemouth. Missed his chance of seriously relaunching his career.

[child-in-time]

Totally agree, it was Roma who were in for him, I called him a bottler who chose the easy way out when he went to Bournemouth. Missed his chance of seriously relaunching his career.

I think Milan were also in for him, no? There were reports of them still being keen on taking him this summer too, so he will probably have chance. I dont think he will go there though, he will have to accept a huge wage cut (I believe so, I dont know how much he is on atm) and will have to adapt to a new place/culture/style of football. English footballers dont do that.

[Cliff Bastin]

You can't relaunch anything if your body keeps breaking down. Look at Diaby, absolutely brilliant talent but was ruined by a thug tackle in 2006 and never recovered. I still remember his Anfield performance. If Diaby had never been ruined by injury we could be speaking about him as a great Arsenal player.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Totally agree, it was Roma who were in for him, I called him a bottler who chose the easy way out when he went to Bournemouth. Missed his chance of seriously relaunching his career.

English lad bottles going abroad to improve himself. Happens so often.

[Xabi Gerrard]

You can't relaunch anything if your body keeps breaking down. Look at Diaby, absolutely brilliant talent but was ruined by a thug tackle in 2006 and never recovered. I still remember his Anfield performance. If Diaby had never been ruined by injury we could be speaking about him as a great Arsenal Man City player.

Fixed that for you.

[The North Bank]

English lad bottles going abroad to improve himself. Happens so often.

It also shows a lack of appreciation of football, at the end of his career he ll be called a once Bournemouth player rather than Roma or Milan. English players don't seem to be students of the game like players from abroad who seem to appreciate history more, it makes them go the extra yard, they seem to love the game more. Wilshere is done, made his money though.

[Xabi Gerrard]

He's a smoker isn't he? Hard to feel sorry for any footballer who smokes when their career doesn't work out, they obviously didn't want it enough.

[Chalky Boots]

If he's any sense of nous he'll go abroad and start afresh. I know Pep was quite pitying to him recently but it's clear he was right when he said La Macia produce several of Wilshere every few years.

[NO COUTINHO]

8 years since the 4-4. times goes by doesn't it..

[Lycan]

Horrible game. One of the worst defensive displays I can recall under a Rafa Benitez Liverpool side that night.

[thelinnen]

Who would've thought back then we would've played 12 Champions League matches in the next 8 years? I don't know about anyone else but I grew up watching us always in it and almost took it for granted at times. If Arsenal have a few inconsistent years coming up they'll feel the same.

[ScottishGoon]

Who would've thought back then we would've played 12 Champions League matches in the next 8 years? I don't know about anyone else but I grew up watching us always in it and almost took it for granted at times. If Arsenal have a few inconsistent years coming up they'll feel the same.

I already miss being able to actually compete in the Champions League and we've qualified every year!

[Xabi Gerrard]

Who would've thought back then we would've played 12 Champions League matches in the next 8 years? I don't know about anyone else but I grew up watching us always in it and almost took it for granted at times. If Arsenal have a few inconsistent years coming up they'll feel the same.

Doubt not being in it will feel the same for Arsenal fans. For us the fun bit was being challengers, looking forward to a knockout game against the very best in Europe and knowing that not only could we hold our own, we could easily win. It was fun when getting to a semi final was considered a bad year for us. Going from that to the 2010s has been a major come down.

What are Arsenal fans going to miss about being in the CL? A few boring group games topped off by a last 16 humiliation? Screw that. A year or two where they can focus all their energy on a league challenge, or even creating some memorable knockout nights in the Europa, might actually be a lot more fun for them.

[Cliff Bastin]

Can any Liverpool fans back that up that getting to a semi final of the Champions League was considered a bad season? That is bollocks. Maybe in the 70s or 80s in the European Cup when you dominated but not for nearly 28 years now.

[Xabi Gerrard]

Can any Liverpool fans back that up that getting to a semi final of the Champions League was considered a bad season? That is bollocks. Maybe in the 70s or 80s in the European Cup when you dominated but not for nearly 28 years now.

It's a bit of poetic license that happens to be pretty damn close to the truth you pedantic weirdo. We were at the point where we were officially the number one ranked team in Europe. We had damn high standards and being a losing semi finalists was a step down from the two finals we reached in that period.

[child-in-time]

Yeah the 07/08 season was considered sub-par at the time, the bar was set so damn high that 4th and a CL sf was considered almost a given.

[The North Bank]

There was a time when id feel sick when Arsenal finished second.
There was a time when I wouldnt watch match of the day when we only won narrowly, when draws felt like defeats because I no longer knew how defeats felt.
We've both fallen a long way, but we have fallen further, your league position isnt far off where it was back then, league performance is more a guide of where a club is.
At times you also play better football now than then, when you had a more defensive approach.
We have hit rock bottom, the football is bad, the results are bad,league position bad, and there are no signs of progress.

[Xabi Gerrard]

There was a time when I wouldnt watch match of the day when we only won narrowly,

Bloody hell TNB that is hardcore!!! Dont think my standards have every been that high, I doff my cap to you

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Can any Liverpool fans back that up that getting to a semi final of the Champions League was considered a bad season? That is bollocks. Maybe in the 70s or 80s in the European Cup when you dominated but not for nearly 28 years now.

Under Rafa, European success was taken for granted. People bitched and moaned. Little did they know what the folowing 7,8 years would bring

[The North Bank]

Bloody hell TNB that is hardcore!!! Dont think my standards have every been that high, I doff my cap to you

I remember we once won a game 1-0, and I got so many text messages from friends/family fans of other teams, laughing at the hilarity that we only won 1-0, asking me "what happened".
Id take a 1-0 defeat most days now.

[Lycan]

We have hit rock bottom

Bit of an overreaction that mate. Try being a Blackburn Rovers fan.

[Cliff Bastin]

I remember the days when our football was so destructive to the opposition, quick and precise. We would batter teams in the first half.

[The North Bank]

Bit of an overreaction that mate. Try being a Blackburn Rovers fan.

We are not blackburn rovers, our rock bottoms are different levels.
I mean, you could have stuck with Roy Hodgson because you were better than Tranmere.

[Hazell]

We are not blackburn rovers, our rock bottoms are different levels.
I mean, you could have stuck with Roy Hodgson because you were better than Tranmere.

Under Roy we weren't.

[skipper757]

Under Roy we weren't.

Although to be fair, we did take the formidable Northampton Town to penalties.

[The North Bank]

Bit quiet in here today...No Arsenal Tv??
Fucking buzzing lads, fucking have it.
Never in doubt.
Always knew we'd do them and their charlatan manager.
Shame spurs bottled it would have been a great final.

I think the Ox is the best right wing back since Cafu.

[Cliff Bastin]

  A number of them had the best performances they have put in all season in this one game. Which is rather shocking but hell, I'd rather get into cup finals than anything else.

[Floydy]

Bit quiet in here today...No Arsenal Tv??
Fucking buzzing lads, fucking have it.
Never in doubt.
Always knew we'd do them and their charlatan manager.
Shame spurs bottled it would have been a great final.

I think the Ox is the best right wing back since Cafu.

great result, fancied it myself, but it will mean nothing if Chelsea smash you in the final

[The North Bank]

great result, fancied it myself, but it will mean nothing if Chelsea smash you in the final

We ll do Chelsea, we got nothing else to play for, they're still in a title race. 1 month to prepare, let's have em! 3 trophies in 4 years would be great for a club that is failing miserably.

[EstonianRed]

Bit quiet in here today...No Arsenal Tv??
Fucking buzzing lads, fucking have it.
Never in doubt.
Always knew we'd do them and their charlatan manager.
Shame spurs bottled it would have been a great final.

I think the Ox is the best right wing back since Cafu.

Not in the mood, when we are shit meanwhile. Always funnier when we are on a roll.

[Greatness]

All the piss taking at this lot year in year out and they might end up winning their third trophy since we last won anything, just shows how bad we are!

[swoopy]

Bit quiet in here today...No Arsenal Tv??

You do realise we were playing at the time ? Perhaps we were too busy watching our own team play instead of commenting in a thread about Arsenal!

[tubby]

Well done, boys.