Crisis? What Crisis?

[Letters]

Are we in crisis? Awlful first day of the season but two good wins since.
Yes, they've been against sides we 'should' be beating but you've still got to beat them and this time last year we had 2 league draws and zero goals, both of those games were sides we 'should' be beating too.

IMO our first XI is pretty strong, not title contenders but definitely top 4 material. The real concern is the squad depth, or lack thereof, and we really needed a marquee signing this summer to give us a lift and it hasn't happened.

If we win on Sunday a lot of the feelgood factor will be back.
If we don't then it'll be :ilt: all round of course.

It seems a bit early to be taking about a crisis though.

[Niall_Quinn]

We are in year 9 of the crisis, the crisis being a total absence of sporting ambition.

[GP]

Nah, people are only saying it's a crisis because they've been brainwashed by the media.

[Letters]

Zimm called it something like "8 years of averageness" in another thread. That's a massive over-statement. We've had at least one serious title challenge in that time.
But if you're going to crow about new financial power then you want to be putting your money where your mouth is. And they haven't.
The squad does seem worryingly thin but I'm not sure we're in crisis. We'll know in a few months I guess.

[Marc Overmars]

There's no crisis but the fans are right to wonder just what the hell has gone on this summer in the transfer market. It's infuriating because a dip into that fortune we have could result in a marked improvement from us this season. At the moment it just seems like we're doing to the bare minimum again in order secure the 4th place trophy.

The Villa game exacerbated things but even if we won that I'd still be clamouring for signings because the squad is not good enough and it needs bolstering to give everyone a lift.

Still, a week to go and we'll probably sign some players, so lets see what happens.

[Cripps_orig]

It's not a crisis.

It's the repetition of the same old shit every season.

It's the killing of any hope we had at the end of last season after a dcentish end.

[hobson's choice]

It may not be crisis stage at this point, but every year that goes by, it's getting worse.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

Nah.

Us in 2010 was a crisis. Coventry are in a crisis. Rangers and Portsmouth were in crisis.

Yours is stagnation. Stagnation and inevitability. Stagnation at a high level, but stagnation nonetheless. It looks more and more likely someone like Spurs will overtake you and you will finish outside the top 4, but that's been said for so many years it has lost any meaning. Not many would be surprised, or even unhappy if this turned out to be Wenger's last season in charge. And in many ways that's quite sad...

[hobson's choice]

I'm really at the point, where I think Wenger is scared to attempt to really succeed. He'd rather have the bar set low, so 4th place is seen as some kind of accomplishment.

[Marc Overmars]

I'm really at the point, where I think Wenger is scared to attempt to really succeed. He'd rather have the bar set low, so 4th place is seen as some kind of accomplishment.

If he spends heavily and fails we're out of excuses. Or more pertinently, he's out of excuses.

[hobson's choice]

If he spends heavily and fails we're out of excuses. Or more pertinently, he's out of excuses.

I've never been one of those spend big money fans. It just baffles me how they've just failed to address obvious weaknesses, and just add a bit off quality to the team. Which doesn't require spending silly.

And what frustrates me so much, is that, there are no truly great teams in football, and as above average as we are. A couple of quality additions will get us right back in the mix.

[Xhaka Can’t]

It is not 'crisis'. Crisis would mean something akin to examples put forward above. A crisis would at least be exciting to live through - albeit for the wrong reasons. What we have now is more akin to 'nothingness'. The futility of it all is excasperating. On this Board we have pretty much called how every season will pan out for at least 4 years now.

If only we'd put our money where our mouths were at the bookies, we'd probably be able to lead a fan buyout.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I've never been one of those spend big money fans. It just baffles me how they've just failed to address obvious weaknesses, and just add a bit off quality to the team. Which doesn't require spending silly.

And what frustrates me so much, is that, there are no truly great teams in football, and as above average as we are. A couple of quality additions will get us right back in the mix.

I agree that if we were spending like chelsea and man city i'd be just as disillusioned with football as i am now.....but the rot has spread so far throughout Arsenal that it would take that kind of money to set us right. And it's not even just in the first team, it's an open secret that our youth system is a complete mess and the quality of players just aren't coming in so we can't even develop young players as an alternative to mass purchasing.
To be honest our strongest first XI is just about good enough to make top four but the fact that it is is a shocking indictment of English football in general, the best league in the world?....absolute joke....especially when you look at our national side which is the quintessence of ordinary.
For me not only do we need to buy we need to sell, stop persisting with average players and players that are forever injured....how many games do you think we will get out of Rosicky and Diaby this season.....these are both players i like and would have loved to have seen them do better with their Arsenal careers it's unfortunate but you have to be ruthless.
Per Mertesacker for me is a very good defender but try as he might he cannot come to grips with the pace of the english league and to be honest most clubs in Italy would snap your hand off for him as he is an accomplished international.
I am going to keep my counsel about a certain Welshman because i think it goes without saying what i think about him.
Not that by the way City, United and Chelsea don't have a lot of players that stink up the place like a carton which contained a kebab and only the stringy brown lettuce and bits of day old pitta bread remain.....but that's their problem not ours....i hate the thought of any player playing for our club who just isn't good enough or likely to play enough games.

[-Xs-]

Yeah, not so much of a crisis as just stagnation; an unwillingness from the powers that be to attempt to change the status quo by strengthening positions which could promote us to actually have a shot of competing for the Premiership title rather than just being happy to play out the numbers simply because 4th place comes with its own financial reward. Adding to that the eagerness of our club to charge some of the highest prices in the land, with none of that invested back in strengthening the squad. It's all a bit of a piss take really. But by no means a crisis.

[selassie]

Not crisis, just a vicous cycle. What have us Arsenals fans done to deserve this punishment?! Honestly it borders on torture. :console:

Sad thing is we are now getting linked to some top quality players but we all know full well for a number of different reasons that we will end up with essentially players that nobody really wants.

Of course the current first team isn't bad, it's not a shoe-in for 4th but it is capable of a 4th place finish. Same as it ever was.

[AKBapologist]

Really?



How are we not in crisis?

Bumbling from one catastrophe to another? With no were near enough senior players for a match day 18.

And really? Tempting fate a bit with this thread? Let's at least wait till we're confirmed in the champions league before suggesting finishing above spurs and not playing on Thursday's being the height of our expectations is not actually that bad.

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[McNamara That Ghost...]

Really?



How are we not in crisis?

Bumbling from one catastrophe to another? With no were near enough senior players for a match day 18.

And really? Tempting fate a bit with this thread? Let's at least wait till we're confirmed in the champions league before suggesting finishing above spurs and not playing on Thursday's being the height of our expectations is not actually that bad.

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The only poster to mention Tottenham other than you was Cibbles and he isn't an Arsenal supporter. Letters said us being top 4 material but that's hardly him going overboard.

A true crisis in football shoud only be reserved to talk about one of two things, relegation or the club is near liquidation, like Cibbles said. Anything else is worth discussing and debating but talking in terms of crisis just makes me smile for it being such an overreaction.

[AKBapologist]

Oh, so the only thing we're allowed to get upset about is relegation or doing a leeds? Give me a break.

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[McNamara That Ghost...]

Oh, so the only thing we're allowed to get upset about is relegation or doing a leeds? Give me a break.

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:doh:

No, I'm saying calling it a crisis is an exaggeration not that there aren't any problems worth being upset about. All the posters on here that have made clear their grievances aren't calling it a crisis.

[AKBapologist]

It's not an exaggeration. Crisis is a imprecise and relative term that clearly means different things for different clubs.

Having a senior squad this small for a club that charges fans so much for no real reason whatsoever IS something to be upset about. The results of which are already becoming apparent (see red zones, fatigue/stress injures and the injury spiral) with consequences, what ever now happens transfer wise, that will last throughout the season.

If you want to childishly suggest we can't get pissed of with the same mistakes happening over and over whilst teams around us, continue to pull ahead then that's your prerogative. But it isn't going to change the fact more and more of us no longer have any faith that the club is being run in a transparent and coherent way with the din of under achievement and lack of ambition becoming synonymous with the club.

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[McNamara That Ghost...]

It's not an exaggeration. Crisis is a imprecise and relative term that clearly means different things for different clubs.

Having a senior squad this small for a club that charges fans so much for no real reason whatsoever IS something to be upset about. The consequences are already becoming apparent (see red zones, fatigue/stress injures and the injury spiral).

If you want to childishly suggest we can't get pissed of with the same mistakes happening over and over whilst teams around us, continue to pull ahead then that's your perogative. But it isn't going to change the fact more and more of us no longer have any faith that the club is being run in a transparent and coherent way.

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Again, I have not suggested there is nothing to get upset about so I don't know why you're persisting with that line of thought. I also don't understand who the rallying call is to when most agree at least on this thread, it isn't a crisis but there are some quite big issues in spite of that.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

compared to what we were, how the hell is this not a crisis? What is it then, honeymoon?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

compared to what we were, how the hell is this not a crisis? What is it then, honeymoon?

What we were, when?

[AKBapologist]

So this is just an exercise in semantics?

If we got thrashed 4-0 tomorrow would we be in crisis then? Or does the literal relegation of administration of the club made the term crisis appropriate?

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[Cripps_orig]

I guess it depends on what people mean by crisis.

We aren't a Leeds, Coventry, Pompey etc

That's a crisis or was a crisis.

Can it be called a crisis when to right the wrongs, all we have to do is change manager?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

So this is just an exercise in semantics?

If we got thrashed 4-0 tomorrow would we be in crisis then? Or does the literal relegation of administration of the club made the term crisis appropriate?

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If we got thrashed 4-0 tomorrow, it'd be one of the most sickening results we've ever had happen and there would be a huge debate as to how Wenger could conspire for us to have such a shit result after winning 0-3 in the first leg but I don't think it could be a crisis. What would be the upshot, we don't sign anyone? Well we're there already as it stands.

[Özil's Panoramic View]

Who is Cibbles?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Who is Cibbles?

Coutinho is Boss.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

it's one of those silly questions, 'what crisis'. A really pedantic and one dimensional view. Of course on the outside we look great; brand new stadium, rich finances, alright academy system. But there's shit loads of problems. We all know what they are because we've been talking about them for the past 5 years. So i'm not sure what people mean when they ask 'what crisis'.

[AKBapologist]

Derp

[AKBapologist]

If you have situations X and Y as the only circumstances were the term crisis can apply, and X and Y haven't happened then of course... But that is neither a realistic nor practical attitude to take.


For me, cancelling reserve matches because the senior squad is so thin is a type of crisis. A serious one but not the Armageddon. But after years of selling off and falling to replace or key players, it is just to much to take, and could cause the types of infliction points that lead to other crises in future!

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[Özil's Panoramic View]

What is lacking here is a bit of perspective, imo. No one can deny that squad wise, we're playing with fire. We are just a few injuries away from some sort of 'crisis'. And it's very much a possibility when you look at seasoned crocks like Wilshere, Rosicky, Gibbs and Sonago.

[AKBapologist]

Every single point applies to our club right now:


Crisis is the situation of a complex system (family, economy, society) when the system functions poorly, an immediate decision is necessary, but the causes of the dysfunction are not known.

a) situation of a complex system – simple systems do not enter crises. We can speak about a crisis of moral values, an economical or political crisis, but not a motor crisis.

b) poor function. The system still functions, but does not break down.

c) an immediate decision is necessary to stop the further disintegration of the system.

d) the causes are so many, or unknown, that it is impossible to take a rational, informed decision to reverse the situation.

Crisis has several defining characteristics. Seeger, Sellnow, and Ulmer[2] say that crises have four defining characteristics that are "specific, unexpected, and non-routine events or series of events that [create] high levels of uncertainty and threat or perceived threat to an organization's high priority goals." Thus the first three characteristics are that the event is

1. unexpected (i.e., a surprise)
2. creates uncertainty
3. is seen as a threat to important goals
Venette[3] argues that "crisis is a process of transformation where the old system can no longer be maintained." Therefore the fourth defining quality is the need for change. If change is not needed, the event could more accurately be described as a failure.

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[Niall_Quinn]

We're in a prolonged and deeply destructive crisis. Everything that was achieved in Wenger's early years is slowly being torn down. There is no sign of the trend reversing. If this was happening at Utd or City or the chavs managers would be sacked and fans would be up in arms. We are undoubtedly in a crisis and just because the blind people in charge can't see or acknowledge it only makes it worse.

[Harland]

Nah.

Us in 2010 was a crisis. Coventry are in a crisis. Rangers and Portsmouth were in crisis.

Yours is stagnation. Stagnation and inevitability. Stagnation at a high level, but stagnation nonetheless. It looks more and more likely someone like Spurs will overtake you and you will finish outside the top 4, but that's been said for so many years it has lost any meaning. Not many would be surprised, or even unhappy if this turned out to be Wenger's last season in charge. And in many ways that's quite sad...

What a brilliant post. Kudos!

[Marc Overmars]

we r in cwysis

[-Xs-]

we r in cwysis


http://youtu.be/bd8vNJoVwf8

[Xhaka Can’t]

It's not an exaggeration. Crisis is a imprecise and relative term that clearly means different things for different clubs.

Having a senior squad this small for a club that charges fans so much for no real reason whatsoever IS something to be upset about. The results of which are already becoming apparent (see red zones, fatigue/stress injures and the injury spiral) with consequences, what ever now happens transfer wise, that will last throughout the season.

If you want to childishly suggest we can't get pissed of with the same mistakes happening over and over whilst teams around us, continue to pull ahead then that's your prerogative. But it isn't going to change the fact more and more of us no longer have any faith that the club is being run in a transparent and coherent way with the din of under achievement and lack of ambition becoming synonymous with the club.

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I get pissed off a lot. Not as much as NQ. But a lot all the same. 99.999% of the time what I'm pissed off about could hardly be described as a 'crisis'.

No one has said you should not be pissed off, but most are of the view that calling this a crisis is an exaggeration.

[LDG]

The club isn't in crisis. Not in terms of us folding, or being relegated.

For some fans, it is a crisis though. Being that it's fairly easy now to see that our club is not the club it once was. Not only stripped of it's assets, it's being stripped of it's soul, and that to me is "The Arsenal" at a critical point.

[Letters]

The club isn't in crisis. Not in terms of us folding, or being relegated.

For some fans, it is a crisis though. Being that it's fairly easy now to see that our club is not the club it once was. Not only stripped of it's assets, it's being stripped of it's soul, and that to me is "The Arsenal" at a critical point.
I'd say that's a football issue rather than an Arsenal specific one.

[Power n Glory]

Not another one of these 'it's not so bad' threads!

A couple of good results in and it's back to this same rhetoric. I'll feel a lot better when the transfer window has shut and we've signed quality players. Until then we are on the same course as every other season. It's senseless to compare this time last year because the same silly comparisons were done the year before and the year before. Pisses me off! Until the club actually change course, then I'm unmoved by all this.

[-Xs-]

Don't worry, the board will go into meltdown if we get stuffed by the scum