Arsenal Thread 2013/14

[AwayDay]

Ok, now the dust has started to settle, ill throw an honest assessment of Arsenal and see if you guys (City & Gunners fans) agree.

For me, the main problem is at striker. For the way we play, Giroud just isn't good enough. The lad is decent at holding the ball up, decent at bringing others into the game, but has shortcomings....namely his lack of pace.

There's no worry for the opposition of him running in behind, so the can squeeze the game up, thus negating space for the 3 in behind him. He doesn't stretch defences, his play is mostly in front of the defence. Because of this they rely on midfield runners like Ramsey, which can leave gaps in your midfield as you ruthlessly exposed today

Ozil has been criticised but his game has never been about dominating opposition. His game is about finding runners with a slide rule pass and he doesn't have enough at Arsenal. Hopefully from our point of view Walcott will help with this somewhat but It doesn't take away the striker problem.

In an ideal world Arsenal get a striker like Drogba, who has the physique and the pace and power, but of ourselves they are few and far between.

Add to this the problem we have playing Wilshere on the wings. Doesn't work in big games who have proper attacking full backs. He hates tracking back and the full backs get too exposed. It happens time and time again. Then when he gets the ball out wide he's in an area where he isn't comfortable to be. Get a proper wide man in there that is used to tracking back!

Of course, this isn't our only problems, but solving these issues would be priority for me, before talking about an upgrade on Flamini etc.

I dont think city away is a good measure of how good a team is because they destroy everyone. But I do agree we do need 2 absolutely top bracket players, and another 2 decent squad players to have a genuine title winning team. A top striker is a must, giroud is decent and works hard but he is not henry or van persie. We have too many similar players in midfield and it causes havoc with our defensive formation. Another defender would help too.
Having said all that we have progressed a lot from last season so things are not too bad.

 

[GunnerGer]

Ok, now the dust has started to settle, ill throw an honest assessment of of Arsenal and see if you guys (City & Gunners fans) agree.

For me, the main problem is at striker. For the way we play, Giroud just isn't good enough. The lad is decent at holding the ball up, decent at bringing others into the game, but has shortcomings....namely his lack of pace.

There's no worry for the opposition of him running in behind, so the can squeeze the game up, thus negating space for the 3 in behind him. He doesn't stretch defences, his play is mostly in front of the defence. Because of this they rely on midfield runners like Ramsey, which can leave gaps in your midfield as you ruthlessly exposed today

Ozil has been criticised but his game has never been about dominating opposition. His game is about finding runners with a slide rule pass and he doesn't have enough at Arsenal. Hopefully from our point of view Walcott will help with this somewhat but It doesn't take away the striker problem.

In an ideal world Arsenal get a striker like Drogba, who has the physique and the pace and power, but of ourselves they are few and far between.

Add to this the problem we have playing Wilshere on the wings. Doesn't work in big games who have proper attacking full backs. He hates tracking back and the full backs get too exposed. It happens time and time again. Then when he gets the ball out wide he's in an area where he isn't comfortable to be. Get a proper wide man in there that is used to tracking back!

Of course, this isn't our only problems, but solving these issues would be priority for me, before talking about an upgrade on Flamini etc.

I don,t think scoring our issue. 33 goals this season tell us that. I think though we might need come for per and lauren in janaury and maybe paddy type defensive midfielder in case we lose flammi and areteta to injuries.

If we do that then we be ok.

Can you not see the limitations on Giroud in these big gamer gooner2. Yet again he's failed to score in one of them!

 

[mcmanus]

Fuck mithering about the odd officials' decision, teams at the top get them eh?

Like dogs eventually morph into their owners ........fans morph that whinging fucker Wenger

 

[GunnerGer]

Ok, now the dust has started to settle, ill throw an honest assessment of Arsenal and see if you guys (City & Gunners fans) agree.

For me, the main problem is at striker. For the way we play, Giroud just isn't good enough. The lad is decent at holding the ball up, decent at bringing others into the game, but has shortcomings....namely his lack of pace.

There's no worry for the opposition of him running in behind, so the can squeeze the game up, thus negating space for the 3 in behind him. He doesn't stretch defences, his play is mostly in front of the defence. Because of this they rely on midfield runners like Ramsey, which can leave gaps in your midfield as you ruthlessly exposed today

Ozil has been criticised but his game has never been about dominating opposition. His game is about finding runners with a slide rule pass and he doesn't have enough at Arsenal. Hopefully from our point of view Walcott will help with this somewhat but It doesn't take away the striker problem.

In an ideal world Arsenal get a striker like Drogba, who has the physique and the pace and power, but of ourselves they are few and far between.

Add to this the problem we have playing Wilshere on the wings. Doesn't work in big games who have proper attacking full backs. He hates tracking back and the full backs get too exposed. It happens time and time again. Then when he gets the ball out wide he's in an area where he isn't comfortable to be. Get a proper wide man in there that is used to tracking back!

Of course, this isn't our only problems, but solving these issues would be priority for me, before talking about an upgrade on Flamini etc.

I dont think city away is a good measure of how good a team is because they destroy everyone. But I do agree we do need 2 absolutely top bracket players, and another 2 decent squad players to have a genuine title winning team. A top striker is a must, giroud is decent and works hard but he is not henry or van persie. We have too many similar players in midfield and it causes havoc with our defensive formation. Another defender would help too.
Having said all that we have progressed a lot from last season so things are not too bad.

This isn't a knee jerk reaction, I've said it all season. All the best teams can get in behind, and have strikers that allow them to do this. Arsenal dont. It doesn't have to be through blistering pace like Henry, look at RVP, look at Negredo, look at Higuain, who through clever movement and the ability to play off the shoulder of the last defender can still offer a threat in behind.

 

[Bulldoglikeapproach]

Ok, now the dust has started to settle, ill throw an honest assessment of of Arsenal and see if you guys (City & Gunners fans) agree.

For me, the main problem is at striker. For the way we play, Giroud just isn't good enough. The lad is decent at holding the ball up, decent at bringing others into the game, but has shortcomings....namely his lack of pace.

There's no worry for the opposition of him running in behind, so the can squeeze the game up, thus negating space for the 3 in behind him. He doesn't stretch defences, his play is mostly in front of the defence. Because of this they rely on midfield runners like Ramsey, which can leave gaps in your midfield as you ruthlessly exposed today

Ozil has been criticised but his game has never been about dominating opposition. His game is about finding runners with a slide rule pass and he doesn't have enough at Arsenal. Hopefully from our point of view Walcott will help with this somewhat but It doesn't take away the striker problem.

In an ideal world Arsenal get a striker like Drogba, who has the physique and the pace and power, but of ourselves they are few and far between.

Add to this the problem we have playing Wilshere on the wings. Doesn't work in big games who have proper attacking full backs. He hates tracking back and the full backs get too exposed. It happens time and time again. Then when he gets the ball out wide he's in an area where he isn't comfortable to be. Get a proper wide man in there that is used to tracking back!

Of course, this isn't our only problems, but solving these issues would be priority for me, before talking about an upgrade on Flamini etc.

I don,t think scoring our issue. 33 goals this season tell us that. I think though we might need come for per and lauren in janaury and maybe paddy type defensive midfielder in case we lose flammi and areteta to injuries.

If we do that then we be ok.

Can you not see the limitations on Giroud in these big gamer gooner2. Yet again he's failed to score in one of them!

Personally don't think Giroud is the problem, its his lack of backup. He looked REALLY tired to me in the second half today.

 

[GunnerGer]

I don,t think scoring our issue. 33 goals this season tell us that. I think though we might need come for per and lauren in janaury and maybe paddy type defensive midfielder in case we lose flammi and areteta to injuries.

If we do that then we be ok.

Can you not see the limitations on Giroud in these big gamer gooner2. Yet again he's failed to score in one of them!

Personally don't think Giroud is the problem, its his lack of backup. He looked REALLY tired to me in the second half today.

Our first striker might be as good as your 3rd choice striker, that to me tells its on story, not to mention the limitations and problems that it causes the team.

 

[ifiwasarichfan]

I don't know what the Arsenal fans expect of Giroud.

He had a really awful start but then he clicked and has scored consistently ever since. He isn't in the same league as Kun, Suarez, RVP or Rooney but apart from those four who else in this country produces the goods as often.

Arsenal's problem is Wilshire. The system Arsene has adopted doesn't favour him but he gets picked anyway as Arsene is frightened of losing him. If Arsenal go 4 -5 -1 and they always do;

It has to be Flamini (wish he was at City) and Arteta holding and Carzola, Ozil and Ramsey (Footballer of the year so far) in front.

No place for the very talented Theo there either.

 

[Bilboblue]

They should have signed Higuain, not Ozil in the summer.

Or both, the tight fuckers.

 

[Marvin]

Wenger made a big admission after the game when he said that Arsenal lost their defensive discipline when he took off Flamini

Turned the game back in our favour - I forget whether it was before or after the 4th, but I thought this was a tactical error. Quite unusual for a manager to volunteer that information.

Why did he say this? To protect the team against any flak, but it doesn't seem to have been noticed.

Arsenal v Chelsea will be a huge game which I think Arsenal have to win otherwise it will knock their confidence

On the Ozil comments above, I think his signing lifted the club and players but his own playing contribution is over rated. Ramsey has been Arsenal's best performer by some distance.

 

[mcmanus]

Can you not see the limitations on Giroud in these big gamer gooner2. Yet again he's failed to score in one of them!

Personally don't think Giroud is the problem, its his lack of backup. He looked REALLY tired to me in the second half today.

Our first striker might be as good as your 3rd choice striker, that to me tells its on story, not to mention the limitations and problems that it causes the team.

You used to pay Dennis fucking Bergkamp £50,000 a week whilst we got loans to pay players like Brannan or Pollock.

My heart bleeds.