Match Reaction v Swansea at home (15/16)

[Power n Glory]

I'm not sure how dropping a striker who is not scoring is going to help. Strikers need goals to get confidence, he's not going to score if he's not playing. He's not scoring anyway right now but it will come.

Giroud got his confidence back after coming off the bench to score goals. He's at his worst when he goes for an extended period without scoring.

Bad management of the bench meant we had no alternative other than Giroud. Someone else should have been coming off the bench to play as striker and if they find a hot streak it's much easier to bench Giroud. Instead, we're in a situation where all our strikers are cold.

[Niall_Quinn]

I'm not sure how dropping a striker who is not scoring is going to help. Strikers need goals to get confidence, he's not going to score if he's not playing. He's not scoring anyway right now but it will come.

Perversely it seems to work with Bif. He seems to show the most fight when he's fighting his way back into the team. But once he gets comfortable then he does that lamppost thing. That said, we didn't have Welbeck available nor Alexis so that left Theo. Theo is between contracts so you can't really play him.

[Letters]

Ospina is fine.

Not as good as Cech, obviously, but he's a good player in his own right.

It's not like we're throwing Almunia in.

I kinda agree he's fine, but he's no Cech and with our defence Cech has got us plenty of points this season we wouldn't have got otherwise.
I guess it doesn't matter any more, we're not going to win the CL or league anyway.

[Power n Glory]

Perversely it seems to work with Bif. He seems to show the most fight when he's fighting his way back into the team. But once he gets comfortable then he does that lamppost thing. That said, we didn't have Welbeck available nor Alexis so that left Theo. Theo is between contracts so you can't really play him.

Sanchez has been back since Chelsea and that's when Bif started to go off the boil.

As for Walcott, he should have been used exclusively as a striker off the bench coming on for Bif. No starts from the wing because he's been awful. There should have been some competition up front because it was keeping them both on their toes at the start of the season.

[Marc Overmars]

It's not like he has gone a couple games without scoring, I think it's now 10 games since he scored. It's fair to say these last 10 games have left our season on life support, how we could have done with just a few goals from him in that time. Not pointing the finger at him because everyone has been poor but if we're talking about dropping players then surely he is one of the logical candidates? I don't see the point in just persisting with him because "he'll come good", of course he'll score goals again but by the time that happens could it all be for nothing?

Besides I think Giroud has always reacted well to being dropped. To his credit he always comes back firing.

[Letters]

No, don't you see? Dropping him to the bench is much better for his confidence than showing faith in him.

Wenger was on the grassy knoll, you know...

[Niall_Quinn]

Sanchez has been back since Chelsea and that's when Bif started to go off the boil.

As for Walcott, he should have been used exclusively as a striker off the bench coming on for Bif. No starts from the wing because he's been awful. There should have been some competition up front because it was keeping them both on their toes at the start of the season.

Computer said no.

[Niall_Quinn]

Wenger was on the grassy knoll, you know...

You are exhibiting early signs of slipping back into the fantasy world you created where Arsenal wins titles.

[Kano]

It's not like he has gone a couple games without scoring, I think it's now 10 games since he scored. It's fair to say these last 10 games have left our season on life support, how we could have done with just a few goals from him in that time. Not pointing the finger at him because everyone has been poor but if we're talking about dropping players then surely he is one of the logical candidates? I don't see the point in just persisting with him because "he'll come good", of course he'll score goals again but by the time that happens could it all be for nothing?

Besides I think Giroud has always reacted well to being dropped. To his credit he always comes back firing.

Exactly. Just persisting with the same system that has ruined our season makes no sense at all. 10 games without a goal would see any other striker in the league dropped. Throw in Welbeck and try something different, or Sanchez even. Giroud was dropped at the start of the season and he responded very well.

[Marc Overmars]

Exactly. Just persisting with the same system that has ruined our season makes no sense at all. 10 games without a goal would see any other striker in the league dropped. Throw in Welbeck and try something different, or Sanchez even. Giroud was dropped at the start of the season and he responded very well.

You can clearly see his confidence is gone, what's the point in patting him on the back after every game and saying keep going son? The crowd shit on him every game, that's probably damaging his psyche a lot more than not finding the net. As far as I'm concerned it's poor management but persisting with underperformers and not taking them out of the firing line before it's too late is something Wenger has a habit of doing.

[Munchies]

Wenger is getting mad at Thierry :lol:

Arsene Wenger rebukes Thierry Henry: 'He sits in the best seats so cannot speak for Arsenal fans' -


https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/705706557334540288

‎@piersmorgan
Wenger has best seat in the stadium and doesn't see any of the glaring problems that @ThierryHenry sees from his box. #afc

[Power n Glory]

You can clearly see his confidence is gone, what's the point in patting him on the back after every game and saying keep going son? The crowd shit on him every game, that's probably damaging his psyche a lot more than not finding the net. As far as I'm concerned it's poor management but persisting with underperformers and not taking them out of the firing line before it's too late is something Wenger has a habit of doing.

I remember MS saying he should have been benched ages ago and I agreed with him on that. Or if not benched, at least take him off early and try Theo or Sanchez up front. At least don't allow Giroud to get close to double figures without a goal.

[Marc Overmars]

Wenger is getting mad at Thierry :lol:

Arsene Wenger rebukes Thierry Henry: 'He sits in the best seats so cannot speak for Arsenal fans' -


https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/705706557334540288

‎@piersmorgan
Wenger has best seat in the stadium and doesn't see any of the glaring problems that @ThierryHenry sees from his box. #afc


A guy in Timbuktu sitting in his armchair can see all the problems.

[Power n Glory]

Wenger is getting mad at Thierry :lol:

Arsene Wenger rebukes Thierry Henry: 'He sits in the best seats so cannot speak for Arsenal fans' -


https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/705706557334540288

‎@piersmorgan
Wenger has best seat in the stadium and doesn't see any of the glaring problems that @ThierryHenry sees from his box. #afc


Wenger will fall on his own sword and lose all of his close supporters towards the end. Delusional and he starts sniping at the wrong people. Bring some of that back bone to the players!

[Letters]

You are exhibiting early signs of slipping back into the fantasy world you created where Arsenal wins titles.

No, I'm just not slipping into a different fantasy world where Wenger is THE WORST MANAGER OF ALL TIME and to blame for ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.

[Letters]

Wenger will fall on his own sword and lose all of his close supporters towards the end. Delusional and he starts sniping at the wrong people. Bring some of that back bone to the players!

Like Thatcher though, his legacy will be appreciated in time.

[Niall_Quinn]

No, I'm just not slipping into a different fantasy world where Wenger is THE WORST MANAGER OF ALL TIME and to blame for ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.

Fair enough. But if you are going to be absolutely fair you must surely accept Wenger is the worst manager of all time and to blame for absolutely everything?

[Niall_Quinn]

Like Thatcher though, his legacy will be appreciated in time.

What?

[Niall_Quinn]

Wenger is getting mad at Thierry :lol:

Arsene Wenger rebukes Thierry Henry: 'He sits in the best seats so cannot speak for Arsenal fans' -


https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/705706557334540288

‎@piersmorgan
Wenger has best seat in the stadium and doesn't see any of the glaring problems that @ThierryHenry sees from his box. #afc


Arsenal fans don't need anyone to speak for them, especially a bloke who spends his time speaking for the vampires that have hijacked the club. Arsenal fans can speak for themselves and a growing number are saying Wenger Out. So maybe he should pay more attention to that. He's always deflecting and distracting and trying to insert irrelevancies between himself and his responsibilities. Henry is a pundit now, it's his job to talk shit. Wenger's job is to win this title so why doesn't he do that or get lost and let somebody else try?

[Kano]

Like Thatcher though, his legacy will be appreciated in time.

We don't need an overspill into this section of the site but :haha: that's some statement.

[Xhaka Can’t]

A guy in Timbuktu sitting in his armchair can see all the problems.

Alpha?

[Letters]

We don't need an overspill into this section of the site but :haha: that's some statement.

I was only WUMming tbh :lol:

[Letters]

You know who I blame? FY. We were fine* till he came over and balled it up for us all.
Oh, and Gary for getting him the ticket. For shame :sulk:

* - kinda.

[Özim]

I'm not sure how dropping a striker who is not scoring is going to help. Strikers need goals to get confidence, he's not going to score if he's not playing. He's not scoring anyway right now but it will come.

A player who isn't performing should be dropped end of, this isn't a creche for the needy, this is a football club, Giroud has been sh*t for ages and can't score a goal for toffee, a spell on the sidelines might re-focus and motivate him more to perform better when he plays.

Showing faith in a player as has been proved by Wenger does nothing except lead to us failing time and time again, I'm frankly sick of Wenger's blind faith, a manager who's tougher and more of a disciplinarian would do us good.

[Özim]

Wenger is getting mad at Thierry :lol:

Arsene Wenger rebukes Thierry Henry: 'He sits in the best seats so cannot speak for Arsenal fans' -


https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/705706557334540288

‎@piersmorgan
Wenger has best seat in the stadium and doesn't see any of the glaring problems that @ThierryHenry sees from his box. #afc


Honestly the guy is clueless, you'd get more sense out of a plank of wood, he's the laughing stock of Europe.

[Özim]

Like Thatcher though, his legacy will be appreciated in time.

Time will tell, people may remember him as a joker who ignored everyone talking sense and spent most of his career hailing 4th place. His attitude and methods have really tainted his legacy, the great football days are fading from memory and now all we can see is a man who gets it wrong time and time again and refuses to change.

[Letters]

The two FA Cups will help.
If we see finishing 3rd and winning the FA Cup as a disappointment then that level of expectation comes entirely from Wenger.
At worst he's overseen us fall from the best team to one of the best and we're in great financial shape for any new manager coming in.
He needs to go, but let's not get all revisionist or forget the early Wenger teams - whoever comes in I doubt we'll ever see the like again - or how important he's been for our long term future.

[Niall_Quinn]

A player who isn't performing should be dropped end of, this isn't a creche for the needy,..

Prove it!

[Kano]

The two FA Cups will help.
If we see finishing 3rd and winning the FA Cup as a disappointment then that level of expectation comes entirely from Wenger.

3rd behind Leicester and Spurs and an FA Cup remember. Not good enough this season at all. But yes the revision of history is absolutely dumb.

[Letters]

3rd behind Leicester and Spurs and an FA Cup remember. Not good enough this season at all. But yes the revision of history is absolutely dumb.

Yes, we shouldn't be below those sides. But neither should Liverpool, Utd, City or Chelsea. This is a bizarre season.

[Özim]

The two FA Cups will help.
If we see finishing 3rd and winning the FA Cup as a disappointment then that level of expectation comes entirely from Wenger.
At worst he's overseen us fall from the best team to one of the best and we're in great financial shape for any new manager coming in.
He needs to go, but let's not get all revisionist or forget the early Wenger teams - whoever comes in I doubt we'll ever see the like again - or how important he's been for our long term future.

We won trophies before Wenger and we'll win tropies after him, what you have to remember is that noone cared abotu coming 3rd before the CL, there's an article from Jenas about Spurs on the BBC where he says Spurs limited themselves to 4th place under other managers and that the difference now is that Pochettino has got them believing the title is a possibility, there's the winners and then everyone else at the end of the day, noone remembers the team that came 2nd.

So for me yes sure the first few years with us were amazing, but he's spent a greater part of his career with us being 2nd best and accepting it, which in turn makes you question whether he is indeed a great manager or it was just that he had an advantage over others in the transfer market allowing him to sign players noone knew about at the time and was lucky he inherited a top notch defence with ready made leadership.

What he delivered early on in his career was top notch, but you can't help but think how much of that was circusmtances because once the above disappeared he's achieved precious little. A top manager delivers time and time again over the span of his career to prove he is great.

If you take out that 6-7 year stint (of which not all were successful years) just look at what Wenger has achieved in the rest of his career, the reality is not a lot.

[selassie]

Like Thatcher though, his legacy will be appreciated in time.

:haha:

[Bumble]

Yes, we shouldn't be below those sides. But neither should Liverpool, Utd, City or Chelsea. This is a bizarre season.

Although both Liverpool and Chelsea have changed managers as they realised there was a problem. City are going to have a new manager next season as they realise there is a problem. And up until Gaal got lucky with Rashford United were going to get a new manager too.

Just because those four teams are behind Leicester and Spuds doesn't mean its ok for us to be. We are a stable settled side, we have the 3rd highest net spend over the last 3 seasons. We have one of the highest wage bills and one of the highest paid managers and the highest ticket prices in the world of football. Yet its the same each year.

This game tomorrow is crucial win and I still think we will win the league but lose it and 4th place could be a huge struggle that is how fragile the players are.

[Kano]

Yes, we shouldn't be below those sides. But neither should Liverpool, Utd, City or Chelsea. This is a bizarre season.
Sure but we're talking about Arsenal.

And I'm pretty confident fans of those other clubs wouldn't be happy with an FA cup or 3rd/worse either. (well maybe Liverpool but they're a joke of a club no anyway).

[Maestro]

We have a squad that should win in the current environment, in any of the previous years it is not strong enough to be close to the title.

It drives me mad that people keep looking at our squad on paper and these 'known' names seem to indicate we have good players all over. We really don't. The squad needs quite a bit of work when you consider 4/5 attacking players are needed (out wide and upfront) replacements in midfield for those leaving and one if not two CB's and a replacement keeper once Ospina clears off. Maybe even more if an Ozil or Sanchez clear off.

Totally agree. Lots' of work to be done, unless people have low expectations. if we want to stand toe to toe with the best we need as a minimum, real top quality in the following areas:

Right Midfield - Theo is rubbish there, Ox is immature and wayward and Campbell decent
Central Midfield - Need I say more
Striker - Need I say more
Centre Back - Merts on his way out, Chambers should be given enough time to develop properly. Kos good, Gabriel hasn't settled in yet
Goalkeeper - Cech get's injured and we're down to Ospina, need I say more

Theo, Flamini, Arteta, Merts, Rosicky, Ospina should be shown the door

We're nowhere near where we need to be. Wenget buys one decent player per season if we're lucky and people think this squad is not "far off".

There is serious work to be done here just to really start competing from a personnel point of view, let alone the management deficiencies

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I kinda agree he's fine, but he's no Cech and with our defence Cech has got us plenty of points this season we wouldn't have got otherwise.
I guess it doesn't matter any more, we're not going to win the CL or league anyway.

I disagree completely the guy is a walking disaster area, I can't think of one goal we've conceded when he's been between the sticks where you don't think he could have done a lot better.
I watched him in the Copa America and he was atrocious.

[Letters]

We won trophies before Wenger and we'll win tropies after him
Of course, but the period of success we enjoyed from 1998-2004 was the best since the 30s and achieved with a style of football better than anything I've ever seen from anyone. When he took over we were boring boring Arsenal.
Top 4 has become a 'thing' but that is not Wenger's fault and the fact remains that pre-Wenger no-one would have been calling for an Arsenal manger's head if we finished 3rd and won the FA Cup. We have higher expectations now and that is because of Wenger.


question whether he is indeed a great manager or it was just that he had an advantage over others in the transfer market allowing him to sign players noone knew about at the time and was lucky he inherited a top notch defence with ready made leadership.
The big things he brought to the table which made us a success initially were a knowledge of the European game which no-one else had and fitness methods. It has to be remembered that when he came in it was the era of drinking schools amongst players and fish and chips on the way home after a game.
Neither of these things are luck, he was doing things which were pioneering in England and other clubs soon followed suit. Yes, he inherited a good defence but we were nowhere near a title winning side before Wenger came along.


What he delivered early on in his career was top notch, but you can't help but think how much of that was circusmtances because once the above disappeared he's achieved precious little.

Well, no. The Invincibles squad was pretty much entirely his own and Vieira was his own player who became a great captain.
He's presided over a very complicated stadium move, kept us in the top 4 throughout and has won us a couple of Cups when he's signed some better players. He's failed to push us on, we need to find someone who can, but he's hardly taken us into mid-table or worse (as some doom-mongers endlessly predicted he would)


A top manager delivers time and time again over the span of his career to prove he is great.

The last 10 years are what separates him from someone like Fergie who achieved success over a very long period, but very few managers achieve that. Wenger is in a category just below the very best because of that, but he's clearly overall been a very good manager for us, if he did go this summer he'll leave us with a squad good enough to challenge for the title, or close to, and more thane enough money to bolster the squad in areas where it's needed.

[Maestro]

Like Thatcher though, his legacy will be appreciated in time.

huh, and what legacy is that??? stop smoking that shit mate

[Letters]

Sure but we're talking about Arsenal.

And I'm pretty confident fans of those other clubs wouldn't be happy with an FA cup or 3rd/worse either. (well maybe Liverpool but they're a joke of a club no anyway).

Maybe not doing cartwheels. but I doubt they'd be calling for the manager's head. Put it this way, if a new manager came in and that was his first season would you want him sacked?
Obviously this is a different situation because of the history with Wenger but it was hardly a car crash of a season.

[Power n Glory]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/649815/Arsene-Wenger-Disagree-Alex-Sanchez-Arsenal-Lack-Hunger-North-London-Derby-Tottenham


ARSENE WENGER has rejected Alexis Sanchez's claims the team lacked 'hunger' in the midweek defeat to Swansea.
By James Cambridge

Arsene Wenger disagrees with Alexis Sanchez's 'lack of hunger' claims

Sanchez spoke out after the 2-1 defeat on Wednesday night, saying he and his team-mates lacked the belief to win the game.

"There are great players here, I train with them daily and they have got the mentality and the desire to win, but sometimes we lack the hunger, he told American broadcaster DirecTV.

"Sometimes we lack this hunger to believe that we can be champions... [We need] to go out on to the pitch feeling that we are already winning 1-0."

However, Wenger has today refuted the Chilean's claims, saying the Gunners were merely unlucky and did not lack the heart to win the game.

"No, I don't see that," he said

"I felt a lot of disappointment [in the dressing room] after Wednesday I must say, but to come back on that we watched the game again.

"We were a bit unlucky as the second goal was offside and the first was a blatant foul on Mesut Ozil.

"Even if we look at ourselves to correct results, everything went against us."

Wenger has instead turned his attention to Saturday's crucial north London derby with Tottenham (12.45pm) which he has branded a 'must win' game.

"We want to win [against Spurs] but mathematically, you can call it as you want," he added.

"It's a need, yes, but results are so unpredictable that even the most gifted mathematician will have trouble to find the model for how this league works."

Never a good so sign. Where is the accountability? We were unlucky on the foul but come on.....

[Marc Overmars]

:violin:

[Kano]

Maybe not doing cartwheels. but I doubt they'd be calling for the manager's head. Put it this way, if a new manager came in and that was his first season would you want him sacked?
Obviously this is a different situation because of the history with Wenger but it was hardly a car crash of a season.
A new manager has nothing to do with it. An entirely different context all together. People are calling for Wenger's head because it is clear he cannot take this club any further. And considering we would finish behind those two clubs when we are the team with a better squad and more financial muscle (like Wenger has complained about City/Chavs), it is a disaster to finish behind them both. The FA Cup can come nowhere near close enough to compensating for that.

[Letters]

Disaster :lol:

And I was talking about last year's season :good:

[Kano]

Disaster :lol:

And I was talking about last year's season :good:

What has last season got to do with anything. We are in the present. 2016. There isn’t even a point to what you’re trying to say. You’re inventing these hypothetical situations to what end? Apparently you believe Wenger should be sacked but in reality you would look ridiculous saying what you really feel, in that he should stay as manager, so you jump on the bandwagon. Our discussion isn’t even about re-writing Wenger’s history. But you revert back to these odd arguments trying cover Wenger’s arse about last season and believing 3rd and an FA Cup is ok. If you want him to stay, just say it. No need to hide it under ridiculous pretences.

[Niall_Quinn]

Of course, but the period of success we enjoyed from 1998-2004 was the best since the 30s and achieved with a style of football better than anything I've ever seen from anyone. When he took over we were boring boring Arsenal.
Top 4 has become a 'thing' but that is not Wenger's fault and the fact remains that pre-Wenger no-one would have been calling for an Arsenal manger's head if we finished 3rd and won the FA Cup. We have higher expectations now and that is because of Wenger.

You're back! :bow:

This is where the loser mentality comes from, a deeply ingrained and carefully tended culture of underachievement dressed up in relativism. Winners deal in absolutes. You either win or you don't. Nobody would have been calling for the managers head prior to Wenger and following a 3rd place finish and a Cup win because that would have represented an improvement by the standards of that period. But when you set higher standards then those become the new benchmark. It's inadmissible to look back to an unrelated period for comparison, a completely invalid argument. The only reason you would want to do it is to deflect, excuse, obfuscate. We can't win but never mind, look at Terry Neill, not Arsene Wenger. We can't win but we're doing better than Terry Neill. Better than Bruch Rioch. Who else can we rope in to distract from an astonishing decline is standards? What other low watermark can we find on which to base our misleading comparisons?

This season has exposed Wenger in totality and what's revealed is a man full of excuses, ready to blame everything and everyone bar himself. A man who has succeeded in only one form of coaching, the methodical indoctrination of a subset of the fan base into accepting second best as a noble pursuit.

We should have a thread cataloguing Wenger's excuse chronologically. How big is the disk space on the server?

[Niall_Quinn]

"Even if we look at ourselves to correct results, everything went against us."

Even - even if we look at ourselves. If we go so far, stretch the imagination, consider the most outlandish possibilities - even if we look at ourselves, everything went against us.

:haha:

Somebody get a straitjacket and give this man the help he needs.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/649815/Arsene-Wenger-Disagree-Alex-Sanchez-Arsenal-Lack-Hunger-North-London-Derby-Tottenham



Never a good so sign. Where is the accountability? We were unlucky on the foul but come on.....

That's shocking. No we don't need to change anything we just need to wait until we stop being so unlucky.

[Maestro]

Wenger is so full of shit it's shocking. You'd have to be sucking his cock if you're not offended by the bile coming out of his mouth. No decency, no humility, no responsibility, no balls and no respect for the fans whatsoever. He's a cunt, period.

Lose, yes it happens, be incompetent ....hey not everyone is great at what they do ..I can forgive a lot, but don't fucking take the piss and treat the fans like idiots. He's a cunt and does not give two shits about the fans or anybody else's opinion. Gutless idiot. Just respect people's intelligence a little bit and it wouldn't be so bad.

Don't know how much longer a lot of you want to believe he's anything other than that. Keep sucking the cock Letters & Co.

[Power n Glory]

That's shocking. No we don't need to change anything we just need to wait until we stop being so unlucky.

It's really bad. Completely ignores what Sanchez has said about what the team lacks and brushes it off as bad luck. You hope that's all for the camera's but I doubt it. I get the feeling he's totally out of the loop.

[selassie]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/649815/Arsene-Wenger-Disagree-Alex-Sanchez-Arsenal-Lack-Hunger-North-London-Derby-Tottenham



Never a good so sign. Where is the accountability? We were unlucky on the foul but come on.....

This is a major part of the problem, Wenger is acting like we are the victims here! "nothing wrong with my team, we played well, the reason we are losing is because those evil powers of be are all conspiring against us"

[Power n Glory]

This is a major part of the problem, Wenger is acting like we are the victims here! "nothing wrong with my team, we played well, the reason we are losing is because those evil powers of be are all conspiring against us"

He has to go. If he's anything like this in the dressing room the performances make total sense.

[Niall_Quinn]

From Arsecast:


"If your cavalry is Theo Walcott, you're going to get fucking scalped. Sorry. That's the way it works."

[KSE Comedy Club]

I said ages ago that Wenger was a cunt, letters should remember it well, and I would like to change that opinion now maestro has raised the subject again.

He isn't a cunt anymore.


He is now a clueless, delusional cunt :good: