RVP should pay in the Bergkamp role and not as a striker

[gunnerrrrr]

His talent is wasted in the "striker" role of a "433"...

Thoughts?

[Tipsychubbs]

He can do both roles, just like say, Rooney. He can drop back and playmake, putting balls in for Walcott/Gervinho etc., or as he's shown he can get in the box and finish off chances. I think the formation is flexible enough for him to alternate when necessary, as long has he gets appropriate support from the other attacking players and is not isolated.

[GunnerFan4Life]

I reckon away games should be something like:

-------Chez---------

Sag Mert Verm Santos

Oxo Arteta Song Gerv
--------RVP----------

-------Theo---------


Since Arshy is lazy I can't think of another natural winger who'l go up and down for protection tactically and organisation so Oxo(when he's ready) and Gerv on the wings to provide defence cover when we don't have the ball but when Wilshere gets back then he must be considered a starter :unsure:

[Unai Tea]

I reckon away games should be something like:

-------Chez---------

Sag Mert Verm Santos

Oxo Arteta Song Gerv
--------RVP----------

-------Theo---------


Since Arshy is lazy I can't think of another natural winger who'l go up and down for protection tactically and organisation so Oxo(when he's ready) and Gerv on the wings to provide defence cover when we don't have the ball but when Wilshere gets back then he must be considered a starter :unsure:

You could maybe include Young or Benayoun as wide right midfielder, or put Walcott there and Young at FW.

[BOBN]

He can do both roles, just like say, Rooney. He can drop back and playmake, putting balls in for Walcott/Gervinho etc., or as he's shown he can get in the box and finish off chances. I think the formation is flexible enough for him to alternate when necessary, as long has he gets appropriate support from the other attacking players and is not isolated.
bingo. hes in exactly the right position. just need to make sure walcott and gerv are well up in support/running beyond.

he never impresssed me in the bergkamp role tbh, he doesnt have his skill-set. more van basten than bergkamp. this is his only good position.

[Syn]

Think we should start going with a more traditional 4-4-2 look, or something approaching what we had in 2007/2008. We've tried the 3 in central midfield: 1) for fear of getting steamrollered through the middle, and 2) to get the best out of Cesc.

Stick Song and Wilshere in the middle and tell them to man the fuck up and take responsbility. Walcott and Arteta outwide seem like the type who'll do the Hlebisky tracking back and be half-useful going forward. We're left with Van Persie and a scramble for the second striker spot between Park, Gervinho and Arshavin.

I also think the system would be more robust in dealing with injuries/suspensions.

You know it makes sense.

And back on topic: Van Persie has been scoring and scoring very well; I don't see how his talents are wasted? His biggest problem has been injuries. If he can get through 30+ league games ( :haha: ) in a season, he's close to a 25 goal striker.

[IBK]

Think we should start going with a more traditional 4-4-2 look, or something approaching what we had in 2007/2008. We've tried the 3 in central midfield: 1) for fear of getting steamrollered through the middle, and 2) to get the best out of Cesc.

Stick Song and Wilshere in the middle and tell them to man the fuck up and take responsbility. Walcott and Arteta outwide seem like the type who'll do the Hlebisky tracking back and be half-useful going forward. We're left with Van Persie and a scramble for the second striker spot between Park, Gervinho and Arshavin.

I also think the system would be more robust in dealing with injuries/suspensions.

You know it makes sense.

And back on topic: Van Persie has been scoring and scoring very well; I don't see how his talents are wasted? His biggest problem has been injuries. If he can get through 30+ league games ( :haha: ) in a season, he's close to a 25 goal striker.

Agreed - and for him, RVP's injury situation has been good for 8 months.

[KESSLER]

He already does, he's a 'false' #9. Like Messi does for Barca

[Özim]

RVP is more suited to the Bergkamp role IMO, however he's also our only goalscorer up front and thus we have no choice but to use him like this.

Had we signed a goalscorer it might have been different, but Wenger simply refuses to.

[Cripps_orig]

Play Theo with RVP

It'll be like Henry and Bergkamp just not as good

[Master Splinter]

RVP is a better goal scorer than Bergkamp.

Bergkamp was far more creative and inventive. But then, very few players are as intelligent as Bergkamp on the pitch. RVP is still one of the most creative strikers in the League.

As others have said, RVP's only drawback is his fitness. He doesn't need to be moved.

[KSE Comedy Club]

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/874357-robin-van-persie-may-ask-to-play-free-role-at-arsenal-after-four-goal-salvo


Robin van Persie 'may ask to play free role at Arsenal' after four-goal salvo
Robin van Persie has hinted he would like a free role for Arsenal, after his four-goal salvo in the Netherlands' 11-0 win over San Marino on Friday.

The 28-year-old is usually employed as the main striker for the Gunners, but Oranje boss Bert van Marwijk asked him to do something different in the Euro 2012 qualifier.

He played behind lone frontman Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and responded by finding the target four times in the rout.

Van Persie later revealed he had enjoyed playing in a new position.

He told OnsOranje: 'This game I had a free role. That was fun.

'But at Arsenal I play as the striker, that's what I do every day.'

However, he also admitted he did not know whether Van Marwijk would continue with the experiment for Tuesday's game against Finland.
'It's the coach's decision. We must judge it match by match,' Van Persie added.

Another Arsenal man to enjoy international duty was new boy Park Chu-Young, who scored a hat-trick for South Korea in a 6-0 victory over Lebanon.

[Cripps_orig]

He probably would have scored 4 goals playing in goal against San Marino. Shouldn't think too much of that. Good confidence boost but that's it. Tells us nothing about if he can play that "free role" role

[GunnerFan4Life]

I always thought he'd be quite good playing free role, if we could actually buy a real striker. I still think Theo should play ahead of RVP, get Hazard in Jan so it would look something like:

Hazard Arteta Song Gerv

Theo
RVP

[Cripps_orig]

I always thought he'd be quite good playing free role, if we could actually buy a real striker. I still think Theo should play ahead of RVP, get Hazard in Jan so it would look something like:Hazard Arteta Song GervTheoRVP So you think RVP should play behind Theo and yet have him ahead of Theo in the team you shown?

[GunnerFan4Life]

So you think RVP should play behind Theo and yet have him ahead of Theo in the team you shown?

Ah yes, typo there:

Haz Art Song Gerv
RVP
Theo


But issue is Wilshere could be back by january so selection issues....

[Alan B'stard]

His talent is wasted in the "striker" role of a "433"...

Thoughts?

i agree. plus 4-3-3 (ie 4-5-1) was us bending our team out of shape to give cesc the extra protection he wanted in the centre.

It was fucking shit, and the sooner we get back to 4-4-1-1 with:
-a defence worthy of the name
-flying wingers, one of which knows to track back.
-a strike partnership
-two powerful midfielders..

we can gt back to the formula that used to win us trophies.

[Darth Vela]

Can't really add much more, we need to use 4-4-2 against some teams and stick with 4-3-3 against others but sadly I don't think we'll see that, with a different set of player skill sets we might play 4-3-3 a little differently which would have a similar effect though, that's what I'm hoping for.

[Power n Glory]

We can still play a 4-3-3 with RVP playing the false 9 but he has to put Walcott on the left and Gervinho on the right, plus get two of the three central miss must have fluid three roles as well. It can't just be one player and that is where we went wrong with Cesc. We need more movement from the centre and the three front men for it to work.

With RVP dropping deep it is supposed to create space in front of him for players to exploit but you rarely see it happen. We're too rigid for a 4-3-3 at the moment.

[fakeyank]

Think we should start going with a more traditional 4-4-2 look, or something approaching what we had in 2007/2008. We've tried the 3 in central midfield: 1) for fear of getting steamrollered through the middle, and 2) to get the best out of Cesc.

Stick Song and Wilshere in the middle and tell them to man the fuck up and take responsbility. Walcott and Arteta outwide seem like the type who'll do the Hlebisky tracking back and be half-useful going forward. We're left with Van Persie and a scramble for the second striker spot between Park, Gervinho and Arshavin.

I also think the system would be more robust in dealing with injuries/suspensions.

You know it makes sense.

And back on topic: Van Persie has been scoring and scoring very well; I don't see how his talents are wasted? His biggest problem has been injuries. If he can get through 30+ league games ( :haha: ) in a season, he's close to a 25 goal striker.

:gp:

[fari]

if we were stoke or some other long ball team chamakh would score more goals. tell him to stay in the box and fight for headers, i bet u he could do that all day but our pass, tiki taka system doesn't seem to be bringing out the best in him. similar to barca's flirtation with ibrahimovic a few years ago i think cham's time here has not been good for either party

[IBK]

Think we should start going with a more traditional 4-4-2 look, or something approaching what we had in 2007/2008. We've tried the 3 in central midfield: 1) for fear of getting steamrollered through the middle, and 2) to get the best out of Cesc.

Stick Song and Wilshere in the middle and tell them to man the fuck up and take responsbility. Walcott and Arteta outwide seem like the type who'll do the Hlebisky tracking back and be half-useful going forward. We're left with Van Persie and a scramble for the second striker spot between Park, Gervinho and Arshavin.



I also think the system would be more robust in dealing with injuries/suspensions.

You know it makes sense.

And back on topic: Van Persie has been scoring and scoring very well; I don't see how his talents are wasted? His biggest problem has been injuries. If he can get through 30+ league games ( :haha: ) in a season, he's close to a 25 goal striker.

:sarcy:

[BOBN]

:sarcy:

yes because he didnt spend the whole united match covering for that non-league fraud jenkinson....

[Cripps_orig]

yes because he didnt spend the whole united match covering for that non-league fraud jenkinson....

This

[Syn]

non-league fraud

Nice. I'm stealing that.

(But not to criticise Jenkinson. I quite like Jenkinson. And his perfectly square shaped head).

[Özim]

yes because he didnt spend the whole united match covering for that non-league fraud jenkinson....
Non-league fraud, blame the manager who signed a kid from a lower league team and then just stuck him straight in the deep end with a couple incompetent centre backs and a midfield with brittle bone syndrome as company......that sure was some amateur management.

[ElusiveGooner]

Play Theo with RVP

It'll be like Henry and Bergkamp just not as good

Agreed. This season Theo should get a chance in the middle to see what he can do.

[V-Pig]

He already performs the same role as Bergy: fucking awesome Dutchman.

[BOBN]

Non-league fraud, blame the manager who signed a kid from a lower league team and then just stuck him straight in the deep end with a couple incompetent centre backs and a midfield with brittle bone syndrome as company......that sure was some amateur management.
well according to some on here hes an upgrade on eboue so i'll be holding him to the same standards if you dont mind.

also if hes the loveable scamp from the lower leagues in out of his depth he should shut hes fookin mouth when experienced internationals like walcott are telling him whats what.

[Özim]

well according to some on here hes an upgrade on eboue so i'll be holding him to the same standards if you dont mind.

also if hes the loveable scamp from the lower leagues in out of his depth he should shut hes fookin mouth when experienced internationals like walcott are telling him whats what.
This is the same Walcott who's done next to nothing in 5 years+ of being with us and who's been living on the hype that surrounded him when we signed him as somekinda wonderkid since then too?

Not forgetting the fact he gave away a penalty in that match.

I don't think he's qualified to give advice about defending to be honest, he's never been much cop at it himself, why would anyone take him seriously when it comes to advice about it?

[BOBN]

This is the same Walcott who's done next to nothing in 5 years+ of being with us and who's been living on the hype that surrounded him when we signed him as somekinda wonderkid since then too?

Not forgetting the fact he gave away a penalty in that match.

I don't think he's qualified to give advice about defending to be honest, he's never been much cop at it himself, why would anyone take him seriously when it comes to advice about it?
yep, that theo.

why? because hes an experienced international and is his superior. hopefully with the likes of metersaker, arteta and benayoun coming in the lines of seniority are even clearer to upstarts like jenkinson. its the culture which has crept through the club and that has been fackin us.

[Flavs]

We should play a 4-2-4 punt and chase style like Wimbledon did in the 80's, that would be worth it just for the look of surprise of peoples faces when we start punting it 60 yards upto Schmack so he can lay it off to RvP or the defensive strikers.

Long ball footie :bow:

[Flavs]

In all seriousness we should be playing 3-5-2 and should have been for a few years now. The extra centre back can move forward to support midfield if needed or drop deeper to cover the other 2 against central play, both vermaelen and Meatpacker could do that, the wing backs we already have. In midfield Ateta, Wilshere/ramsey and Song is robust and creative and with enough gumption to allow the creative 2 to play. Then 2 up top with Rvp being allowed the free role to drift wide or come deep and keep either Theo or Gerbilinho up top to occupy the opposition centre backs with their pace.

Simples

[Cripps_orig]

Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp believes his old club need a definitive goalscorer to ease their woes in the Premier League.

Bergkamp enjoyed much success in north London, winning three league titles and four FA Cups before he retired in 2006 and returned to the Netherlands.
The Gunners sit near the foot of the table in 15th place and the Dutch master believes front-man Robin van Persie needs some support up top and has also backed under-fire manager Arsene Wenger.

"When I look at Robin van Persie he is the front player, but he is better in my old role. They are missing an out-and-out goalscorer. Now they play with an extra midfielder instead," Bergkamp told the Daily Mail.

"The midfielders are all the same sort of players. You need one who wants to get behind Van Persie.

"I know he's [Wenger] the one who will be struggling the most. But with his experience, it'll be okay."

The 42-year-old also insists the team could do with the inspiration of another former Gunner in Patrick Vieira, an individual who almost returned to north London before deciding on taking a football development executive role at Manchester City.

"There was talk of Patrick going to Arsenal during the summer. I would've done everything possible to get him there," added Bergkamp.

"Just to get him in and around the dressing room. It would have brought so much to the team."

Bergkamp is currently on the coaching staff at his old side Ajax and admits he would love to come back to England to do the same, but insists management is not for him.

"The plan is to be settled here now I've built my house. But there is something that stays with me, something in my body that wants to go back to England one day as part of a coaching staff," he admitted.

"That is always in my mind. I don't miss specific things but I miss the feeling which I can't really explain. I haven't sold my house there yet.

"I've never seen myself as a manager. As a manager you have to put all your time into the job and that would be difficult for me. As a player I wanted to switch off at home and it's the same now. I would maybe feel trapped.

"You have to always be involved and, if you're not, you are not doing it right. I want to just drive home, switch off and spend time with my family."


http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/10/11/2706190/arsenal-missing-an-out-and-out-goalscorer-to-support-robin

Bergkamp :bow:

[Özim]

Every man and his dog knew we needed a goalscorer, Wenger goes and signs some unknown Korean he won't play instead....great bit of management there.

AW doesn't seem to rate goalscorers, scoring goals is obviously not that important to him....doesn't rank as high as triangular passing obviously.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Every man and his dog knew we needed a goalscorer, Wenger goes and signs some unknown Korean he won't play instead....great bit of management there.

AW doesn't seem to rate goalscorers, scoring goals is obviously not that important to him....doesn't rank as high as triangular passing obviously.

Rubbish who could we have got in that week all the good players we never going to be sold where they.

[Özim]

Rubbish who could we have got in that week all the good players we never going to be sold where they.
We had all summer, if we wanted someone we could have made an offer for them early on, instead we sat there all gormless making excuses about being on our period :lol:

We weren't interested in signing quality strikers who could score goals let's face it.

[Power n Glory]

It really is shameful. A lot of people have been saying this for months. Fans not coaches.

What's wrong with Wenger? Why can't he see this?

[Olivier's xmas twist]

It really is shameful. A lot of people have been saying this for months. Fans not coaches.

What's wrong with Wenger? Why can't he see this?

Can't see it or does not want to?

Why spend big wages on a stiker who scores goals when we was not going to win the league anyways. might as well save the wages and buy when we are ready to challenge again.

our biggest problem is defense not attack anyway don't matter how many world class strikers we buy or should have bought. if goals are leaking at the other end what diffrence does it make.

and which top stiker would want to come to us anyways be realistic now.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

We had all summer, if we wanted someone we could have made an offer for them early on, instead we sat there all gormless making excuses about being on our period :lol:

We weren't interested in signing quality strikers who could score goals let's face it.

Im talking about when we bought Park. Lets be real how many top strikers would want to come to us. no one knows who we bidded for really. we was never going to get an Ageuro or a Dzeko to high wage demands.

Im sure their is better then park but like you say he sells shirts so maybe why he was bought.

the board see this season a write off so why waste the wage bill when much might not happen.

[Özim]

Im talking about when we bought Park. Lets be real how many top strikers would want to come to us. no one knows who we bidded for really. we was never going to get an Ageuro or a Dzeko to high wage demands.

Im sure their is better then park but like you say he sells shirts so maybe why he was bought.

the board see this season a write off so why waste the wage bill when much might not happen.
Thing is though it doesn't matter when we bought Park, we had plenty of time to sign someone before if we wanted them.

As for players not wanting to come, with Wenger in charge probably true after all who wants to play for a guy who openly admits that winning isn't important and who accepts laughable collapses every season without changing anything...however if you don't try you don't get, bet you would have never thought West Ham could have signed Tevez and Mascherano.

[Flavs]

Thing is though it doesn't matter when we bought Park, we had plenty of time to sign someone before if we wanted them.

As for players not wanting to come, with Wenger in charge probably true after all who wants to play for a guy who openly admits that winning isn't important and who accepts laughable collapses every season without changing anything...however if you don't try you don't get, bet you would have never thought West Ham could have signed Tevez and Mascherano.

What an absolute load of bollocks.

And why keep bringing up West ham's somewhat dodgy deal with Kia Joorchabian to "sign" Tevez/Mash You now that West Ham had to pay out massive fines due to fielding Tevez right? Due to the 3rd party ownership rules, you are also aware that they are in the championship now?

Charlie makes a valid if somewhat painful point about who we could have signed. Any top player, or at least their agent, is going to sell themselves to the big bucks clubs as they know they essentially name their own price. As soon as we are interested in a player you can bet your arse their agent is on the phone to citeh trying to get a few more grand a week. Which in turn makes it harder and harder to sign top players.

In terms of who would play for Wenger, well pretty much everyone actually. But if they can get an extra £5k a week playing up the road they will do that instead. That's just how modern football works.

[Özim]

What an absolute load of bollocks.

And why keep bringing up West ham's somewhat dodgy deal with Kia Joorchabian to "sign" Tevez/Mash You now that West Ham had to pay out massive fines due to fielding Tevez right? Due to the 3rd party ownership rules, you are also aware that they are in the championship now?

Charlie makes a valid if somewhat painful point about who we could have signed. Any top player, or at least their agent, is going to sell themselves to the big bucks clubs as they know they essentially name their own price. As soon as we are interested in a player you can bet your arse their agent is on the phone to citeh trying to get a few more grand a week. Which in turn makes it harder and harder to sign top players.

In terms of who would play for Wenger, well pretty much everyone actually. But if they can get an extra £5k a week playing up the road they will do that instead. That's just how modern football works.
Absolute nonsense.

There's other examples, VDV, Juninho, Klinsmann the list goes on...

Not all footballers sign just for the money, if you show ambition and sell them your vision you can convince players to come. We're still a big club and if we were ambitious and sold them the idea that we want to be the best and win it would be a lot easier to sign players, problem is we're cheap and settle for 4th so what can you say.

Other clubs manage to sign quality after all. Small club mentality is setting in at this club, even the fans think we're nobodies now....well done Wenger

[Flavs]

Absolute nonsense.

There's other examples, VDV, Juninho, Klinsmann the list goes on...

Not all footballers sign just for the money, if you show ambition and sell them your vision you can convince players to come. We're still a big club and if we were ambitious and sold them the idea that we want to be the best and win it would be a lot easier to sign players, problem is we're cheap and settle for 4th so what can you say.

Other clubs manage to sign quality after all. Small club mentality is setting in at this club, even the fans think we're nobodies now....well done Wenger

So just so i have this right in my head, you are saying that Wenger never tries to sign anyone other than those we have signed and that the ones we do sign are all shit. However the players that other managers sign by this magical method that Arsene hasn't figured out are awesome in every way? Other clubs sign quality? So you don't think the likes of Arteta and Metersacker are quality?

You also completely ignored the money thing, of course.

Also Klinsmann and Juninho? Really? You know when Spurs signed Klinnsman we signed Bergkamp right? and Dennis didn't look for the door first chance he had like the German. VDV as well :lol: He who Harry has told he can leave as he cant guarantee him first team football.

What i don't understand about you Zimm is that if everything is wrong with the club and so fundamentally annoys you in every way, while all the other clubs are soooo brilliant why don't you go and "follow" one of those?

[Özim]

So just so i have this right in my head, you are saying that Wenger never tries to sign anyone other than those we have signed and that the ones we do sign are all shit. However the players that other managers sign by this magical method that Arsene hasn't figured out are awesome in every way? Other clubs sign quality? So you don't think the likes of Arteta and Metersacker are quality?

You also completely ignored the money thing, of course.

Also Klinsmann and Juninho? Really? You know when Spurs signed Klinnsman we signed Bergkamp right? and Dennis didn't look for the door first chance he had like the German. VDV as well :lol: He who Harry has told he can leave as he cant guarantee him first team football.

What i don't understand about you Zimm is that if everything is wrong with the club and so fundamentally annoys you in every way, while all the other clubs are soooo brilliant why don't you go and "follow" one of those?
I don't think Wenger ever goes for the players he should be going for these days, if he does go in for someone he drastically under bids, if you want a good example of how deluded the guy is look no further than the Baptista deal we tried to broker from Sevilla a few years back. Baptista says he's not leaving as he wants his Spanish passport and Wenger is still saying he's hopeful of a deal...the guy is totall clueless.

Arteta is good, but make no mistake at 29 and injury prone we were always going to get him on the cheap due to his age, we did it with Rosicky after all, I don't mind signing him my problem is that he's the replacement for Cesc a younger superior version and we can't build a team with him in it because realistically he'll be past it in a couple years. As for Mertersacker don't get me started, never thought the guy was any good at all, still don't think he's all that...hasn't helped our leaky defence at all that's for sure.

There are just two things wrong with the club IMO, the greedy f*ckers at the top who just want to milk as much money out of the fans as they can and that clueless idiot in charge of the team who is also to blame because at the end of the day he's getting rich at our expense......36 million he's made in the last 6 years......not bad for the job he's been doing.....find me another job where he'd get paid that much for failure.

What makes me laugh is that you were laughing at my opinions a few years back and yet I'd already tweeked that Wenger was screwing things up.......

[Flavs]

the guy is totally clueless.

Oh come on now you dont win 3 premierships and 4 FA cups if you are a "clueless idiot" now do you. (Also you are surely not saying you wish we had spent the extra £5mil on Baptista? he didnt exactly have the best of times for us when he came did he.)

Also Arteta isn't Cesc's replacement, Wilshere is.

[Özim]

Oh come on now you dont win 3 premierships and 4 FA cups if you are a "clueless idiot" now do you. (Also you are surely not saying you wish we had spent the extra £5mil on Baptista? he didnt exactly have the best of times for us when he came did he.)

Also Arteta isn't Cesc's replacement, Wilshere is.
That was 6 years ago now, in 6 years he's done nothing to suggest he can ever repeat any of success.....I don't know any other top manager that went from winning loads to winning nothing so quickly but they way he did it suggests he is somewhat clueless.

We had a pacey, powerful team full of leaders and hunger to succeed and yet he builds a slow, weak team with no leadership and no desire......if that's not clueless I don't know what it, on top of that he totally ignores the basics of football upon which all successful teams are built, a good defence, leadership, organisation and efficient players who work well together.

Those early successes are a long time ago now and it's hard not to have some doubts as to whether it was his management ability or just the fact he was signed players who just clicked together on the back of a defence built by another manager and a player signed by another manager (Bergkamp).

Looking at him today, if he'd started his career like this people would have labelled him incompetent and he would have been out on his ear......would have been hard to argue with them too.

[I_Killed_Kenny]

That was 6 years ago now, in 6 years he's done nothing to suggest he can ever repeat any of success.....I don't know any other top manager that went from winning loads to winning nothing so quickly but they way he did it suggests he is somewhat clueless.

We had a pacey, powerful team full of leaders and hunger to succeed and yet he builds a slow, weak team with no leadership and no desire......if that's not clueless I don't know what it, on top of that he totally ignores the basics of football upon which all successful teams are built, a good defence, leadership, organisation and efficient players who work well together.

Those early successes are a long time ago now and it's hard not to have some doubts as to whether it was his management ability or just the fact he was signed players who just clicked together on the back of a defence built by another manager and a player signed by another manager (Bergkamp).

Looking at him today, if he'd started his career like this people would have labelled him incompetent and he would have been out on his ear......would have been hard to argue with them too.

not really fair. We have been in 1 CL final plus a cupla Carlings. We also collapsed in 2 really good attempts at the league. We could b sitting with those 3 cups at least under our belt. wouldve put at end to this winless 6 year crap. If we hadnt, and also hadnt finished in the top 4 each year, then maybe clueless is fine to say BUT we have challenged at certain points in the past 6 years. not reaching any final and not even having an attempt at the league, like say pool have not done for a while, would be more worrying for me! the fact we did not win those trophies were cos of onfield matters

[Cripps_orig]

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has defended his decision to field captain Robin van Persie as a striker, despite claims from former Gunner Dennis Bergkamp that the Dutchman is being misused.

The Arsenal legend insisted that the 27-year-old was not being played in his natural position, and that Wenger should field a more natural striker to shoulder the goals burden with Van Persie.

But the Arsenal boss has responded to these claims ahead of the clubs clash with Sunderland on Sunday, insisting his captain is more suited in a team rather than an individual position.

"Robin's best position is on the football pitch,” Wenger told reporters.

“On the right, on the left, up front, behind the striker, he can play everywhere. It's as simple as that.

"He is most suited to the team and adapted [and] adjusted to the quality of the other players. In this position he has scored 26 goals in 32 games so you cannot say he is in a bad position because the numbers go against you.

"But you have to be open-minded. He can play as well behind the striker, on the right and on the left.

"When I bought him he played on the left wing. At Feyenoord he has been educated like that. I put him central, because he is a quality player."

Wenger has been under constant pressure this season with his team having delivered a number of below-par performances, placing them just 15th in the table.

Arsenal face the Sunderland on Sunday at the Emirates, and Wenger is hopeful that his team will walk away with all three points, choosing to concentrate on the game ahead than comment on his side’s future.

"What we can hope for and what we want to achieve is to win our next game. There's seven games played and we had some difficult away games.

"I am convinced we have good potential, we have rebuilt the team and of course we were a bit disturbed at the start of the season for different reasons, but we just want to focus on short term. At the moment we are not in a position to make long term plans."


http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/10/14/2711042/arsenal-bosss-arsene-wenger-defends-decision-to-play-robin

Wenger needs to STFU and listen to Bergkamp whos probably forgotten more about football than Wenger has ever known

[Marc Overmars]

RVP is more than good enough to play up front as an out and out striker.

Dennis should stick to his shite ass assistant coaching.

[Cripps_orig]

RVP is more than good enough to play up front as an out and out striker.

Dennis should stick to his shite ass assistant coaching.

He is but ultimately its what is good for the team that counts and RVP in his current position isnt good for the team. For himself, sure its great as his goals prove but the team in 2011 has been shitter than Derby County in 2007/08 season and thats saying something.

Also your 2nd line should be a bannable offense tbh

[Marc Overmars]

Yeah, I shocked myself with that line.

Hope people find it in their hearts to forgive me.