Football The 2013 / 2014 Season Thread

[soze]

But what can he do tactics wise when he is so limited by choice? How many able players has he actually got to park the bus? 3, 4? You can't park the bus with offensive minded players.

He can try 5 at the back or he can tell Flamini and Arteta to both sit back and just have the front 4 hit on the counter. Or he could have strengthened with the right kind of loan player in the January Window. But I am not a premiership manager and this is not the first season we have had these problems. If Flamini did not ask to come back I would bet Arteta would be our only "defensive" minded midfielder this season.

 

[caLLous]

I don't think I ever said Wenger should be sacked, I honestly don't remember. There were many lols throughout the transfer window but then he went and signed Ozil and everybody kind of shut up. I fear (fear, lol) you will suffer from the same problems United are having when he finally does go, though, so Arsenal fans might want to be a bit careful what they wish for.

He should probably have made some changes after it was 3-0 today but I don't know what he could've done tbh.

 

[Embattle]

Well I see that injured loan player you got was on the bench today.

I can't see Fulham escaping the drop, tough to pick the other 2 candidates.

 

[Raven]

I was listening to a debate on the radio that was saying how well he has done by getting champions league football every season which has suited the club financially, what with the stadium change and everything but he has been extremely lucky this season to get 4th. If it wasn't for UTDs total collapse (which nobody saw) and Spurs utter failure to spend the money made from the Bale sale on anyone good they would be in 6th/7th now

That being said, they might not even get 4th this season. Everyone knows who he will pick and the tactics he will use because he has no other option. He basically has an excellent first 11 to play one tactic, if anyone swaps things around to beat that tactic he is fucked.

Anyway, Like I have said, if he had spent a small amount in the right places Arsenal may well be competing for 1st this season but instead he spent 40 million on a player he didn't need just to buy someone...anyone. A massive panic buy. You may well say it was a planned buy, if that is the case it is an even bigger sign of his loss of touch. Why spend 40 mil on a midfielder when you have so much quality for that position and such dross up front...sure you have Giroud but he is not going to single handedly score the 40-50 goals you need from a set of strikers to win the prem. (Chelsea excluded)

 

[soze]

I don't think I ever said Wenger should be sacked, I honestly don't remember. There were many lols throughout the transfer window but then he went and signed Ozil and everybody kind of shut up. I fear (fear, lol) you will suffer from the same problems United are having when he finally does go, though, so Arsenal fans might want to be a bit careful what they wish for.

He should probably have made some changes after it was 3-0 today but I don't know what he could've done tbh.

At 3-0 down it was over the change needed to come from before the game so we did not end up 3-0 down again.

I think the big difference will be we do not have an old team if the manager plays a similar style the transition will hopefully only be a season or two at the most. But if it does not come now it will only get worse. Spuds, Utd ect could all come back stronger next season and if we just try for 4th again and don't strengthen we could lose it all With Wenger in charge.

 

[ileks]

He can try 5 at the back or he can tell Flamini and Arteta to both sit back and just have the front 4 hit on the counter. Or he could have strengthened with the right kind of loan player in the January Window. But I am not a premiership manager and this is not the first season we have had these problems. If Flamini did not ask to come back I would bet Arteta would be our only "defensive" minded midfielder this season.

Arteta shouldn't be starting the big games IMO. Flamini is a much better option. Same for Giroud. He lacks the pace and finishing for the games where Arsenal won't have as much of the ball. The midfield have to push up to support him and the opposition exploit this by pushing high up the pitch. Chelsea did it today but so did Liverpool, City and Bayern.

 

[soze]

That being said, they might not even get 4th this season. Everyone knows who he will pick and the tactics he will use because he has no other option. He basically has an excellent first 11 to play one tactic, if anyone swaps things around to beat that tactic he is fucked.

I don't agree with that at all. Plenty of managers change tactics and play in a different way. Saying he has no option is a cop out. He does have options and he has a team of professional athletes who when asked can play out of their favorite position and play a different tactic and style.

 

[soze]

Arteta shouldn't be starting the big games IMO. Flamini is a much better option. Same for Giroud. He lacks the pace and finishing for the games where Arsenal won't have as much of the ball. The midfield have to push up to support him and the opposition exploit this by pushing high up the pitch. Chelsea did it today but so did Liverpool, City and Bayern.

I agree forcing Arteta back into the team when Ramsey was on fire cost us big and it destroyed all our momentum. And Giroud really should be a squad player not our only chance. If the rumors are true he is off in the summer anyway as his wife has said move back to France or you are duhumped.

 

[ileks]

Anyway, Like I have said, if he had spent a small amount in the right places Arsenal may well be competing for 1st this season but instead he spent 40 million on a player he didn't need just to buy someone...anyone. A massive panic buy. You may well say it was a planned buy, if that is the case it is an even bigger sign of his loss of touch. Why spend 40 mil on a midfielder when you have so much quality for that position and such dross up front...sure you have Giroud but he is not going to single handedly score the 40-50 goals you need from a set of strikers to win the prem. (Chelsea excluded)

Ozil was a fantastic signing. It was the lack of signing in January given the injuries to Walcott and Ramsey that were the mistake. If Ramsey had stayed fit and kept playing like he was Arsenal would still be in the title race.

 

[soze]

It was the 3rd time Wenger had tried to sign Ozil so he was not a panic buy if anything I think after failing with Suarez he was one of the only big players Wenger had confidence enough to buy and I believe he was a statement of intent. But all of the momentum and wow factor was lost with the pathetic January window.

 

[caLLous]

I wonder what the longest time between buying a player and him making his debut for the club is...

 

[soze]

It might be in our interest not to play him until he is fully fit. We do not have to pay his wages until he plays or he is fully fit to play I can't remember which.

 

[Embattle]

I heard on football focus that while todays game was wengers 1000th he last won a cup on game 497.

 

[caLLous]

I saw this which made me smile today...

Twitter was created 8 years ago yesterday. This means that no Arsenal fan has ever tweeted about winning a trophy.

And ok, while we're ragging on Arsenal:

 

[CorNokZ]

The tactics in that game have lead to me seeing more "It is time for Wenger to go" than I have ever seen before. Lots of people hoping he wins the FA Cup and steps down afterwards. With Rodgers and Martinez the favored replacements.

And before anyone says why would Rodgers leave Liverpool, money. You could build a better team with Arsenals resources currently.

Isnt those the exact funds you argued a couple pages back that they couldn't spend cause they were sitting so well in the bank?

 

[soze]

Isnt those the exact funds you argued a couple pages back that they couldn't spend cause they were sitting so well in the bank?

You mean the ones I kept saying are available now because of the new sponsorship deals and the fact most of the debt is gone then yes.

 

[Raven]

What a finish.

 

[Raven]

Spurs defence are shocking again, Southampton could rip them apart at this rate.

 

[Olgaline]

Eriksen should have left his leg on the ground.
would have been an easy pen.

 

[Raven]

So is @Aoami still laughing at Spurs at every given chance?

 

[caLLous]

Probably. That was better but far from convincing. Lucky for us Saints did their "going ahead and then falling apart" thing again. We were much better in the second half but we seem to struggle to string 2 good halves together.

 

[Raven]

Rose needs to find a new profession tbh, it wasn't just errors but he puts so much pressure in the keeper with shit back passes.

 

[caLLous]

Huh? Rose was great... It was two Naughton mistakes that led to the goals (he's otherwise been an excellent RB recently) but Rose was good going forward and made some great tackles.

 

[soze]

I saw this which made me smile today...

Twitter was created 8 years ago yesterday. This means that no Arsenal fan has ever tweeted about winning a trophy.

And ok, while we're ragging on Arsenal:

I really am starting to get sick of this 8 year shit especially from clubs who have won fuck all either.

Since spurs last won a "trophy" the League Cup they have spent £292400000 on players. Since they last won the FA Cup in 91 they have spent £558750000 on players. It does not feel so bad being an Arsenal fan right now. Half a billion spent on players just so you can fail to qualify for the champions league and moan about Arsenal.

 

[soze]

Also for some perspective since Arsenal last won a trophy Chelsea have spent £600859000 on new players. Man City have spent £698620000 on new players. I wonder if that has anything to do with Arsenal dropping down a place or two in the pecking order.

 

[CorNokZ]

Bendtner spotted at our home game today as a personal guest of our CEO. Not only that, he was also wearing our jersey alongside with Frank Arnesen...

 

[soze]

He is on a free but he wants £130k a week if the paper talk is correct. How much would you guys offer him?

 

[Embattle]

Also for some perspective since Arsenal last won a trophy Chelsea have spent £600859000 on new players. Man City have spent £698620000 on new players. I wonder if that has anything to do with Arsenal dropping down a place or two in the pecking order.

Yet didn't Arsenal club/fans always state that they were going to win it a different way, develop a team etc etc.

Seems like RM have decided to commit suicide.

 

[soze]

Yet weren't Arsenal club/fans always stating that they were going to win it a different way, develop a team etc etc.

Seems like RM have decided to commit suicide.

Yes because we could not afford to do it your way so the only way we could try was with kids. But it does not matter there is a reason that Arsenal have stopped winning things and that is the money at City and Chelsea, without that money we would still be battling with Utd most seasons.

 

[CorNokZ]

Could probably give him that each month and tbh he should be fine with that. He's been nothing but trouble the ladt few years and he has nothing but trouble. We could be a stepping stone for him to get back into an EPL mid-table club and not just in the reserves and never play. It's not like he needs the cash anyway