Arsenal Thread 2013/14

[afc16]

I don't think I can express how much I disagree with what you've put there.

Yes they missed Ramsey, but he's nowhere near as influential as any of the 3 players you've mentioned above.

Arsenal were always going to fall away as the season reached its end, they haven't got the squad depth, or the squad quality, to carry a legitimate title challenge. Their strikers are limited in the extreme, and their midfield is made up of ball players, but no size, strength of solidity. They've been playing Arteta in a holding, defensive role, can you see him getting many games in any role for City or Chelsea, let alone in a holding position?!

i just don't get this 'aresenal were always going to fall away' business i really don't.

based on the form of some of our players, are you really suggesting the 7 point gap wouldn't be smaller had we not had ozil/wilshere/ramsey/walcott all out at the same time for a number of months, on top of koscielny for a few of the games as well?

lets just say we only managed 1 extra win had those players not got injured all at once, that puts us just 4 points behind the leaders, going into the last 2 games of the season, i hardly call that falling away?? i mean people have been saying that since the start of the season, even by jan when we were still top. well to finish anywhere between 4-7 points behind the winners, considering the injuries, is hardly what i call falling away.

So you have conveniently forgotten being about 6? points clear at the top then?

I'd say ending up 13 points worse off than that point is falling away.

not having a go but i dont understand your calculations or your point. 13 points?

theres going to be points movement throughout the season, it doesn't matter if we were 6 points clear at one stage. you were 8 points behind utd at one stage but still won league.

what matters is the end of the season and my argument is that right now we are only 7 points behind. if we end up finishing anywhere between 4-7 points behind, i'd hardly call that falling away. coming up just slightly short yes but hardly falling away or collapsing.

secondly, is it really too much to suggest that those 4-7 points couldn't have been made up had we not suffered such an injury crisis at a critical time in the season? yes i know you and other teams have had injuries but like I've said before i cant remember anyone having to go months without 4/5 of their very best players and important players at the same time.

 

[CityFan94]

Arsenal, like Chelsea, are only a few players away from being real title contenders.

If Arsenal signed a defensive midfielder (Lars Bender), a top striker (Benzema) and possible a wide player (Draxler), they would be in contention next season 100%.

-----------------------Szczesny-----------------
Sagna--Mertesacker--Koscielny--Gibbs
------------------Ramsey--Bender------------
------Walcott---------Ozil-------Draxler----
-----------------------Benzema------------------

Squad: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Monreal, Flamini, Cazorla, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gnabry, Podolski, Giroud.

That could win the Premiership IMO.

 

[Ronuja]

Arsenal, like Chelsea, are only a few players away from being real title contenders.

If Arsenal signed a defensive midfielder (Lars Bender), a top striker (Benzema) and possible a wide player (Draxler), they would be in contention next season 100%.

-----------------------Szczesny-----------------
Sagna--Mertesacker--Koscielny--Gibbs
------------------Ramsey--Bender------------
------Walcott---------Ozil-------Draxler----
-----------------------Benzema------------------

Squad: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Monreal, Flamini, Cazorla, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gnabry, Podolski, Giroud.

That could win the Premiership IMO.

Sagna's outtie though, he hasn't extended his contract and really is not likely to. Vermaelen and Fabianski will almost certainly be playing their football elsewhere as well. That's three signings required just to replace player's we already have. If we go out and make three additional signings on top of that- unlikely if Wenger is still in charge, because that's just not how he rolls- it would take some time to integrate six new players into the side. I'd like to believe you, but I fear next season will be one of transition/consolidation for Arsenal. I think for a proper challenge for the title gunners will have to wait a season or two.

 

[MSP]

Arsenal, like Chelsea, are only a few players away from being real title contenders.

If Arsenal signed a defensive midfielder (Lars Bender), a top striker (Benzema) and possible a wide player (Draxler), they would be in contention next season 100%.

-----------------------Szczesny-----------------
Sagna--Mertesacker--Koscielny--Gibbs
------------------Ramsey--Bender------------
------Walcott---------Ozil-------Draxler----
-----------------------Benzema------------------

Squad: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Monreal, Flamini, Cazorla, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gnabry, Podolski, Giroud.

That could win the Premiership IMO.

Sagna's outtie though, he hasn't extended his contract and really is not likely to. Vermaelen and Fabianski will almost certainly be playing their football elsewhere as well. That's three signings required just to replace player's we already have. If we go out and make three additional signings on top of that- unlikely if Wenger is still in charge, because that's just not how he rolls- it would take some time to integrate six new players into the side. I'd like to believe you, but I fear next season will be one of transition/consolidation for Arsenal. I think for a proper challenge for the title gunners will have to wait a season or two.

The only problem with bold parts is that was expected from you since your last trophy but whenever you came close to it Wenger and board would sell some of your most important players.

If you don't stop doing that then not much would change. And you won't stop that until your best players are being accordingly paid. Your wage bill is pretty big but many average squad players have relatively big wages while most important ones do not have wages they could have in some other big clubs. So, when City, United, Chelsea, Barca, Madrid come and offer Wilshere for ex. etc. 50-60k more per week, he is gooner :P

 

[City_Sean]

The Reason Arsenal are far behind is because they lack both the mentality and leadership required to win the league, at the moment they play pretty football, but aren't up for it when it becomes a battle.

 

[M18CTID]

i just don't get this 'aresenal were always going to fall away' business i really don't.

based on the form of some of our players, are you really suggesting the 7 point gap wouldn't be smaller had we not had ozil/wilshere/ramsey/walcott all out at the same time for a number of months, on top of koscielny for a few of the games as well?

lets just say we only managed 1 extra win had those players not got injured all at once, that puts us just 4 points behind the leaders, going into the last 2 games of the season, i hardly call that falling away?? i mean people have been saying that since the start of the season, even by jan when we were still top. well to finish anywhere between 4-7 points behind the winners, considering the injuries, is hardly what i call falling away.

So you have conveniently forgotten being about 6? points clear at the top then?

I'd say ending up 13 points worse off than that point is falling away.

not having a go but i dont understand your calculations or your point. 13 points?

theres going to be points movement throughout the season, it doesn't matter if we were 6 points clear at one stage. you were 8 points behind utd at one stage but still won league.

what matters is the end of the season and my argument is that right now we are only 7 points behind. if we end up finishing anywhere between 4-7 points behind, i'd hardly call that falling away. coming up just slightly short yes but hardly falling away or collapsing.

secondly, is it really too much to suggest that those 4-7 points couldn't have been made up had we not suffered such an injury crisis at a critical time in the season? yes i know you and other teams have had injuries but like I've said before i cant remember anyone having to go months without 4/5 of their very best players and important players at the same time.

My own view of this is that even though you have been unlucky with injuries Arsenal have still looked a better side this season, and the improvement has been clear to see in many games. I think what has done for you was a horrific run of tough fixtures through February and March and if those had been interspersed with some easier looking games, you might not have fallen away. The defeats at Liverpool and Chelsea don't look too good and must've been gut-wrenching for you Arsenal fans to witness as both games were over in the first 20 minutes but I thought the 6-3 at our place was one of the best games of football I've ever seen and Arsenal played a big part in that. Although I felt we deserved to win, you were still in the game going into the last 15 minutes and we couldn't really relax until we went 5-2 up.

 

[BigOscar]

Have Arsenal been unlucky with injuries? Really? They have a collection of incredibly injury prone players, so is it really unlucky when they get injured?

 

[CityFan94]

The Reason Arsenal are far behind is because they lack both the mentality and leadership required to win the league, at the moment they play pretty football, but aren't up for it when it becomes a battle.

I agree.

Ramsey is one player who has a winning mentality and it shows in how much they miss him.

I think the signing of Lars Bender would also really help in that area.

 

[Ronuja]

So you have conveniently forgotten being about 6? points clear at the top then?

I'd say ending up 13 points worse off than that point is falling away.

not having a go but i dont understand your calculations or your point. 13 points?

theres going to be points movement throughout the season, it doesn't matter if we were 6 points clear at one stage. you were 8 points behind utd at one stage but still won league.

what matters is the end of the season and my argument is that right now we are only 7 points behind. if we end up finishing anywhere between 4-7 points behind, i'd hardly call that falling away. coming up just slightly short yes but hardly falling away or collapsing.

secondly, is it really too much to suggest that those 4-7 points couldn't have been made up had we not suffered such an injury crisis at a critical time in the season? yes i know you and other teams have had injuries but like I've said before i cant remember anyone having to go months without 4/5 of their very best players and important players at the same time.

My own view of this is that even though you have been unlucky with injuries Arsenal have still looked a better side this season, and the improvement has been clear to see in many games. I think what has done for you was a horrific run of tough fixtures through February and March and if those had been interspersed with some easier looking games, you might not have fallen away. The defeats at Liverpool and Chelsea don't look too good and must've been gut-wrenching for you Arsenal fans to witness as both games were over in the first 20 minutes but I thought the 6-3 at our place was one of the best games of football I've ever seen and Arsenal played a big part in that. Although I felt we deserved to win, you were still in the game going into the last 15 minutes and we couldn't really relax until we went 5-2 up.

Yes Chelsea and Liverpool were gut-wrenching and soul crushing. I think most of us have consigned those two events to a hazy, distant world of absurd and meaningless pain where nothing makes sense. Although some fans feel the game at the Etihad falls into the same category, I disagree. We were outplayed for sure but the team showed some fight, there was a good ebb and flow to the match at least before the gap was widened to three goals.

Have Arsenal been unlucky with injuries? Really? They have a collection of incredibly injury prone players, so is it really unlucky when they get injured?

Persistent, long-term injuries, not to mention multiple relapses have plagued Arsenal for yours now. I'm convinced it's no longer 'bad luck' and Wenger as promised an investigation into it, so I hope we are able to resolve this issue.

 

[AwayDay]

Come on city!!!