Match Reaction Vs. West Bromwich Albion

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Originally Posted by GB.

This is key, and it has been an Achilles heal of just about any team Wenger has coached for Arsenal. I hope it is a long time before we have an opportunity to see how resilient the team are when facing adversity, but the signs are better than in the past because it has taken some character and determination to get to the point we are now.

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Mental strength has been a major issue for us, whether it's when we go behind or take a lead and thats just during a game. . . .we are known to crack while being in arguably strong positions in the league.

However if there is proof that we are just a smidgen better in that department, it is the way we have responeded to the Utd defeat and the game against Blackburn. Tottenham hurt but we werent the worst team that day and I believe that players like Kos and Song even Ramsey and Arteta have raised the ante and if we are going to go down (like some were saying we were showing the kind if firm to do so) then teams are going to have to put us down and we aint going to play ourselves inti that position.

When you count the number of players we have replaced this might not be an issue any more. Going through the list, Ches never had a problem anyway and is now establised as #1, Jenkinson looks a tough bastard, Merts has a ton of experience, Verm never had a problem with confidence, Santos hasn't been tainted by any of the old habits, Arteta, bags of experience, Gervinho, again untainted and now no Clichy, no Bendtner, no Nasri, all chokers. RvP is on great form, players like Chamakh aren't even getting a sniff. Jack to come back, he kept going as the rest were collapsing last season. This is a different team. You have to think it can only get stronger as it gels. There seems to be more practicality and a little less cockiness about this group. It's hard to say for sure but the team just feels a big stronger mentally. On Saturday they owned WBA without rubbing it in. Less of the stupid 30 pointless passes routine and more much more direct, less of the back-flicks, more hustle. We'll see but I have more confidence in this team, for some reason. I don't think they'll win anything but I believe we'll get stronger as the season progresses, rather than climbing a mountain and then plunging of a precipice.

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a little less cockiness about this group

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I agree with that......meant to say that I think the team has for once not got a prima donna in its ranks.

There is no player that demands that the ball go through them and everyone plays for each other. This was not the case with Cesc and although he could be brilliant at times there were other times when the play became stifled, Cesc grew up under TH14's shadow and in a way things rubbed off on him cos....Towards the end of TH14's reign there were times when players thought they had to get it to him.

Although the difference between TH and Cesc was that Th started off as a project discovered by Wenger and molded into a match winner, in some ways he earned the arrogance he developed through hard work and match winning performances. Cesc and Nas (match winners in their own right and absolutely brilliant at times) were babies who demanded from the off preferential treatment

RvP is the nearest we have got to a superstar but he does not come across as the 'hissy fit' throwing type and through his goals as gotten over the bump I thought was in his way when given the captaincy. He is leading as are a fair few others, another thing missing from past teams a group of leaders.

Tough games to come and some possible slips ahead........but the team is growing and there is a lot to cheer and look forward to......it may be said we needed the summer/start of the season to clear the cobwebs

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Originally Posted by Japan Shaking All Over

I agree with that......meant to say that I think the team has for once not got a prima donna in its ranks.

There is no player that demands that the ball go through them and everyone plays for each other. This was not the case with Cesc and although he could be brilliant at times there were other times when the play became stifled, Cesc grew up under TH14's shadow and in a way things rubbed off on him cos....Towards the end of TH14's reign there were times when players thought they had to get it to him.

Although the difference between TH and Cesc was that Th started off as a project discovered by Wenger and molded into a match winner, in some ways he earned the arrogance he developed through hard work and match winning performances. Cesc and Nas (match winners in their own right and absolutely brilliant at times) were babies who demanded from the off preferential treatment

RvP is the nearest we have got to a superstar but he does not come across as the 'hissy fit' throwing type and through his goals as gotten over the bump I thought was in his way when given the captaincy. He is leading as are a fair few others, another thing missing from past teams a group of leaders.

Tough games to come and some possible slips ahead........but the team is growing and there is a lot to cheer and look forward to......it may be said we needed the summer/start of the season to clear the cobwebs

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I wouldn’t blame Cesc for tippy tappy nonsense we used to try each game. That was a result of an imbalanced team with too many similar players on the same field or players that were so limited and cowardly, they looked to play the simple pass and possession game. Nasri and Arshavin for example, don’t take on their players and dribble down the flanks like Gervinho does. They’re more comfortable coming to the centre and they usually depend on a one two to beat their man or they’re drifting towards the centre looking for the ball. Gervinho and Walcott are more direct. They take their wingbacks out wide and look to beat them when one on one. Then with our more attack minded full backs that can actually cross overlapping, it creates a problem for team.

We had too many players in the squad that were jack of all trades and master of none. Too many play makers looking for ball to feet situations and trying to play intricate passes with one another and it just created a mess. We were passing ourselves in circles with only one or two players actually looking to take on their man or make runs into space. Clichy’s overlapping runs were terrible. He’d never time them right and would always screw up his cross if he got it right and the same goes for Sagna.

Add players like Denilson, Chamakh, Bendy and Diaby in the mix….it just created an uninspiring team with the wrong balance. Now, we have players that have more defined roles and seem to play to their strengths. Ramsey is better at roaming and looking to play the killer pass or getting open to have a shot. That intricate build up play just doesn’t suit him. He has a more direct approach compared to Cesc , Wilshere, Denilson and Rosicky. But with players like Arteta and Song sitting behind him and spreading the ball, it makes it easier for him to get around the pitch. With Gervinho hogging the ball, it gives our players more time to move and find space. We have to maintain that balance. It’s early days yet, but the signs are good.

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Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory

I wouldn’t blame Cesc for tippy tappy nonsense we used to try each game. That was a result of an imbalanced team with too many similar players on the same field or players that were so limited and cowardly, they looked to play the simple pass and possession game. Nasri and Arshavin for example, don’t take on their players and dribble down the flanks like Gervinho does. They’re more comfortable coming to the centre and they usually depend on a one two to beat their man or they’re drifting towards the centre looking for the ball. Gervinho and Walcott are more direct. They take their wingbacks out wide and look to beat them when one on one. Then with our more attack minded full backs that can actually cross overlapping, it creates a problem for team.

We had too many players in the squad that were jack of all trades and master of none. Too many play makers looking for ball to feet situations and trying to play intricate passes with one another and it just created a mess. We were passing ourselves in circles with only one or two players actually looking to take on their man or make runs into space. Clichy’s overlapping runs were terrible. He’d never time them right and would always screw up his cross if he got it right and the same goes for Sagna.

Add players like Denilson, Chamakh, Bendy and Diaby in the mix….it just created an uninspiring team with the wrong balance. Now, we have players that have more defined roles and seem to play to their strengths. Ramsey is better at roaming and looking to play the killer pass or getting open to have a shot. That intricate build up play just doesn’t suit him. He has a more direct approach compared to Cesc , Wilshere, Denilson and Rosicky. But with players like Arteta and Song sitting behind him and spreading the ball, it makes it easier for him to get around the pitch. With Gervinho hogging the ball, it gives our players more time to move and find space. We have to maintain that balance. It’s early days yet, but the signs are good.

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Not meant to sound as if it was Cesc's fault just that it seemed that it all had to channel through him which more often than not halted the flow rather than enhance it.

Stats show that were taking a massive risk lettong both Cesc and Nas go but we seem to be finding a way around that. . .we are definitely riding RvP's goals but others are chipping in snd getting on the end of things, Theo's goal against the Chavs, Artetas gainst WBA.

Still think we need to look for another goal scoring threat. . .whole gang of options and I would say we are a more attractive destination now than a few months ago!

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Originally Posted by Japan Shaking All Over

Not meant to sound as if it was Cesc's fault just that it seemed that it all had to channel through him which more often than not halted the flow rather than enhance it.

Stats show that were taking a massive risk lettong both Cesc and Nas go but we seem to be finding a way around that. . .we are definitely riding RvP's goals but others are chipping in snd getting on the end of things, Theo's goal against the Chavs, Artetas gainst WBA.

Still think we need to look for another goal scoring threat. . .whole gang of options and I would say we are a more attractive destination now than a few months ago!

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Hate to say I told you so....but I was pretty convinced that getting rid of Cesc was a good thing long term.

Whilst he is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the world, we relied to heavily on him. Everything went through him, meaning we suffered when he was injured, and were too slow in getting the ball forward on some occasions.

We're already a lot more direct, and I hope that we'll become even more efficient in that respect. We've buggered around playing tippy tappy for too long, and at long last we seem to be hitting teams more on the break, and with more incisive moves, rather than continually trying to pass the ball into the next.

We will be further enhamced with the return of Sir Jack. . .if we can keep rhings the way we are, I bet we beat all the teams we have lost so far this season, including Utd

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Originally Posted by LDG

Hate to say I told you so....but I was pretty convinced that getting rid of Cesc was a good thing long term.

Whilst he is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the world, we relied to heavily on him. Everything went through him, meaning we suffered when he was injured, and were too slow in getting the ball forward on some occasions.

We're already a lot more direct, and I hope that we'll become even more efficient in that respect. We've buggered around playing tippy tappy for too long, and at long last we seem to be hitting teams more on the break, and with more incisive moves, rather than continually trying to pass the ball into the next.

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Cesc in the current squad would be decent. It's the change of full backs and wingers that have really changed things around. We've got more movement ahead of us. When he was in the squad with Henry and co, he was fine. We had players with pace, but then we lost that and brought in too many slow players and too many central mids that don't attack directly.

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Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory

Cesc in the current squad would be decent. It's the change of full backs and wingers that have really changed things around. We've got more movement ahead of us. When he was in the squad with Henry and co, he was fine. We had players with pace, but then we lost that and brought in too many slow players and too many central mids that don't attack directly.

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Cesc might have been like Ian Botham was for England. As a player concentrating on his game, brilliant. Make him captain and he loses something. If we had just bought him now as a player, he would have been great.

Anyway, Cesc is now irrelevant so we move on.

The current squad, as mentioned above, is looking much better and more prepared to try. As NQ said, players moving forward rather than passing it back - I guess this is a sign of increasing confidence, a sort of 'hey, I can take the bastard' approach rather than 'better pass it back so it isn't me that loses the ball'.

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If we had just bought him now as a player, he would have been great.

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It would take £50-60mill to buy him.

DAMN!