Arsenal v Fulham - Saturday 26 November - 17:30 (GMT)

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Originally Posted by Joker

Our midfield is seriously not good enough at the moment. Arteta has been barely visible AGAIN.

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Am I missing something here?

Have I been imagining win after win after win?

Get Arshavin out, if Ramsey is not up to it, get him out as well. This really show why we need a proper playmaker in midfield, not some Welsh Lumpard. :coffee:

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Originally Posted by Master Splinter

Theo the best player on the pitch.

Most of the others need to wake up and inject some urgency into the play.

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Nah, Theo looks the busiest but the guy rarely has an end product. Fulham are pouring their focus into keeping RvP quiet so really speaking Arshavin and Theo should be taking advantage. Song might do his game by the scruff of the neck thing in the second half.

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Originally Posted by Maestro

that too and I get what you are saying, but I really think when we break or space opens up they need to be more direct sometimes and offer a real attacking alternative to always sending the ball wide

they can have a much bigger impact on the game, theo, gerv, arsh (oh),rvp are not always going to be on form and it is important to get a contribution from central mid

it certainly feels like everyone is waiting for RVP to score .....

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He'll score. We're waiting for Song to go into beast mode too. Then we'll be sorted.

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Originally Posted by Syn

Joker - serious question: do you ever use your brain and 'think'?

If this fact is true, count the passes made by Schwartzer, Senderos and Hangeland....they are passing it around their area, wasting-time, waiting for Van Persie or Ramsey to close them down before launching it up field. They have little intention of going forward and are playing for a 0-0 or a smash and grab. It says nothing about our midfield.

What does say something is that our players aren't showing enough movement...which, I guess, was to be expected with Arshavin on the pitch. Van Persie looks tired as does most of the team...doesn't look good - I thought we needed that early goal but Ramsey blazed over.

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It tells us that we're not as good in possession as we used to be, as the ball is being given away more, and also that the midfielders are not showing for the ball, therefore the defenders can't build from the back and are forced to hoof it forward. So yes, the statistic does tell us something about the midfield. Moreover, we can stop Fulham pointlessly passing the ball in midfield if we close them down more. Arteta's supposed to be doing the dirty work in this team, at least that's what his supporters have been telling us. Yet why is not trying harder to wrestle back possession? Creativity wise he's pointless, so if he's not doing the defensive stuff what's his role supposed to be?

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Nah, Theo looks the busiest but the guy rarely has an end product. Fulham are pouring their focus into keeping RvP quiet so really speaking Arshavin and Theo should be taking advantage. Song might do his game by the scruff of the neck thing in the second half.

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I've lost patience with Theo and want rid, but fairs fair, he has been good today - our best player in fact and had Ramsey not hit his pass into Upper Tier Row 27, we'd be pretty comfortable by now.

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Originally Posted by GB.

Am I missing something here?

Have I been imagining win after win after win?

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Yes, we are bottom of the league and nailed on for relegation. Where have you been hiding?

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Nah, Theo looks the busiest but the guy rarely has an end product. Fulham are pouring their focus into keeping RvP quiet so really speaking Arshavin and Theo should be taking advantage. Song might do his game by the scruff of the neck thing in the second half.

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True. Unlike the rest Arshavin doesnt have an excuse to be short on energy. While he hasn't looked poor has gone into an energy conservation mode like the rest of em

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Originally Posted by GB.

Am I missing something here?

Have I been imagining win after win after win?

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The wins have been very welcome but they've papered over serious deficiencies in this team. The midfield is the main worry, but how often has Santos done something seriously idiotic in the last few weeks? Luckily, most of the time he's not been punished, but one of these days he's going to cost us.

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Originally Posted by Joker

It tells us that we're not as good in possession as we used to be, as the ball is being given away more, and also that the midfielders are not showing for the ball, therefore the defenders can't build from the back and are forced to hoof it forward. So yes, the statistic does tell us something about the midfield. Moreover, we can stop Fulham pointlessly passing the ball in midfield if we close them down more. Arteta's supposed to be doing the dirty work in this team, at least that's what his supporters have been telling us. Yet why is not trying harder to wrestle back possession? Creativity wise he's pointless, so if he's not doing the defensive stuff what's his role supposed to be?

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Yeah but he is, he's been up and down and across the pitch non-stop. And the hassling and harrying and closing down the space has been fine, but you can't do much when the opposition wants to pass back. You don't cover the space behind them. Why is it now fashionable to single out Arteta? He's doing as well as anyone else. He's not Fabregas but he's effective in a different type of team to the one Cesc used to drive. Who do you want? Diaby? Denilson back?