Maybe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Or he could be the reason we're not excelling even more than what we could be.
Having a fast, agile forward like Suarez may inject further pace and energy into our attacks, making us even more deadly.
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Maybe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Or he could be the reason we're not excelling even more than what we could be.
Having a fast, agile forward like Suarez may inject further pace and energy into our attacks, making us even more deadly.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...er-window.html
Oh dear Lord Dennis..
:haha:Quote:
Originally Posted by fakeyank
One of Fat Sam's first signings for Real Madrid. :cloud9:
I think Theo’s gotten a raw deal playing on the right side because he’s not a natural winger. He’s just adapted to the situation and has managed to carve out a unique position for himself here at Arsenal. I can’t imagine any other club playing him this way. He’s not considered as a winger or a striker so if he were to lose his place at the club, he may find it hard to find another club that can find a use for him. I have no idea why we’re not playing him on the left as an inverted winger so he’s cutting in on his preferred foot or why he’s not being developed as a striker. Theo isn’t the best technical player we have in our squad, but playing down that side exposes him even more.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blink 1nce Quince 2wice
It’s why I slightly disagree with your point about Wenger being a genius and honing his skills. If it wasn’t for Theo’s persistence, work ethic and ability to bat off the criticism, most other players would have crumbled a long time ago or kicked up a stink to play in their preferred position. I’m thinking of Ramsey, Bendy and Eboue as recent examples. Or when Flamini had to kick up a stink to play as a DM instead of left back and Song wanting to play as DM instead of a CB. Theo has done really well with what he’s been given but it my opinion we’re only seeing a fraction of what he could potentially be for this club. The plan for Theo was to turn him into a Henry type striker. The right wing was only supposed to be a part of his development and I think Theo has learned everything he can from that position.
:haha:Quote:
Originally Posted by fakeyank
Why do you want to be a bench warmer for them?
Cut him some slack. Ask any player at any level which club they'd love to play for and they'd mention Real or Barca as a dream move.
Saw this in the comments section and he's right. Don't fall for the BS!
Quote:
what i find sad is how easily you readers fall in to the snare set by tabloids. Those of you who mocking and bashing bendtner are the reason why these buffoons continue to publish rubbish articles. I can't believe journalism has become this desperate. Football is looking more and more like hollywood. I m pretty sure his statements were taken out of context. Even then, if they were honest, majority of the players on the planet will say they want to go to real madrid or barca. so whats the big deal.
Fine. It's a dream move for any player but on the back of his generally ludicrous opinion of his ability it does make him sound like a twerp.
That's the angle they were shooting for. If he's said a lower league team or somewhere more realistic, they'd have whipped a nasty story where everyone would have said he's being totally disrespectful to us.
Presumably his comment was meant as a joke. Even Bendtner has some level of self-awareness.
:lol: Letters
you easily manipulatable buffoon.
Well that was unexpected.
Actually, it's Japanese. Makes sense.
Really dont see how the media turned it into something other than what was asked..Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...r-sets-2804261
Really? Exactly what was he asked? I'm seeing three different takes on that question. Also, take into consideration he's talking to the Danish press.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...na-future.html
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...r-sets-2804261Quote:
Even more bizarrely, however, was his next answer to the question, 'how do you envisage to continue your career?'
'Real Madrid or Barcelona,' said the self-proclaimed 'greatest striker in the world'.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...er-window.htmlQuote:
When asked at which clubs he reckoned he could next turn to, Bendtner, who has 24 goals in 57 international matches, said: "Real Madrid or Barcelona."
The quotes from Bendy aren't even consistent. Some have left out that 'If I could decide' part so until you see the full interview, I'd take it with a pinch of salt. That could have been said in jest. Also, the reports are designed to keep Arsenal fans on his back each game which is counter productive for our season.Quote:
Asked where his next move would be, he replied: "If I could decide: Real Madrid or Barcelona."
That is one way of looking at it. Another is to think Theo fortunate for the fact that the 433 is now commonplace in the modern game and Wenger's preferred formation of choice. Otherwise, Theo might not be at a club of this stature at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
I think your position presumes that the 'wide attack' roles in the 433 are exactly the same as the 'winger' roles in the 442, which I think is a flawed premise. The 433 is such that the wide players actually switch between performing traditional winger roles and becoming the 2nd/3rd forward. That to me is it's purpose. The fact we have players who do not formally switch between the two mean our play is hard to keep track of a lot of the time or predict for the opponents.
I also find the inverted winger idea fatally flawed too. Playing Theo on the left which I should add is something Wenger has been more than willing to try with plenty of others is probably only ostensibly suited to him. It would place pressure on his close dribbling ability, with the ball on his right foot exposed. He would essentially be starting from a position of showing the defender the ball. That is unless we assume all he would do is, receive the ball, take a touch and finish, but that would pigeon hole him into a very very predictable and easily marked player indeed and he would become even more limited than many already suggest he is.
For a player to play on the 'wrong' side, he needs to be extremely clever and probably have a level of dexterity that Theo doesn't. I accept that they can't all be as astute as Pires but it does require such a level of dynamism that it is not simple.
I didn't say Wenger was a genius in honing Theo's skills. I said part of the genius of Wenger is in the honing of his players skills rather than overly contriving ways they can use it. That is exactly how he has done what he has with the likes of Henry, Pires, Ljunberg and plenty more.
The game has changed since Theo was first signed and Wenger has acknowledged as much. I suspect Theo's lack of moaning is down to a mixture of professionalism but also the same realisation that the 442 is seldom adopted and the game having changed.
I like the idea of Theo through the middle, but he isn't quite best suited to playing the central role in a 433 which we all realise, so where else can he play apart from where he currently is.....unless you change the entire formation because of him and I don't think he is important enough to the team to do that.
The next question to Bendtner should have been..... 'Do you think they would take you?'
I dont think it matters what question he was asked, the guy just needs to shut up and/or, be humble. Even if he said it as a joke, people will still be facepalming all over the world, because the guy has been saying for years that he's the best in the world. He could've answered that if he could decide, he would be playing for a club that lets him play full time, but instead he chooses to say Barca or Real, which is still fucking stupid to say as long as you're still under contract with a team top team like Arsenal. Answering Barca/Real is fine, if you're still a teenager that plays for a low level club or born and raised in one of those cities.
So i cant really see, in any way, how Bendtner comes out on top in this one, even if the media has twisted it.
PnG wins this discussion. Many things to be annoyed with Bendtner about but this ain't one. Seemed to be a tongue in cheek answer to a silly question. He could hardly say the truth could he - which is that he'll play for any club that'll take him. He was willing to play for Palace and was annoyed we pulled the plug on that deal.
Oh no, I'm not thinking of a traditional 4-4-2 winger at all. Most teams that play a 4-3-3 or a variation use inverted wingers. With Real Madrid, Ronaldo and Di Maria play that way. Munich, Ribery is on the left, Robben on the right. Chelsea play that way, Barca use inverted wingers....if you're going to be playing on the shoulder of defenders, wouldn't it make more sense to receive the ball on your stronger foot when going for goal?Quote:
Originally Posted by Blink 1nce Quince 2wice
Speaking of showing too much of the ball and getting exposed, when Wilshire played on the left and kept coming in field, he was showing way to much of the ball and kept getting clattered. When he switch flank, he coped much better. I can see the same for Theo and I'm thinking about that Newcastle goal where he just looked so much more confident taking on players. At the moment, I think it's easier for defenders to keep him out because all they have to do is usher him over to the byline.
Also, I thinking of that Townsend kid. Of all people, Harry said he decided to play him on the wrong side because he could see how he was struggling on the left but he hit form as soon as he was on the 'wrong' side and cutting in on his stronger foot. Again, if we're trying to use Theo as a winger/striker, then play him on the opposite side because on the right he's more prone to operate like a 4-4-2 winger. As soon as he gets in to the box and the angle becomes to acute for him, the only option he has left is to cross.
You people need to quit writing essays about Walcott.
Anybody with any sense knows hes our most feared and dangerous player. Guardiola, Messi and them werent thinking about anyone else when we played them.
Lets do it. If he comes off weve got a gem.Quote:
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reportedly been given the thumbs up to launch a January bid for Corinthians' Brazilian international forward Alexandre Pato.
The Gunners boss is still looking to add to his strike force after failing to sign any notable competition for Olivier Giroud, who has scored eight goals in 18 appearances this season, in the summer.
He was unsuccessful in his pursuit of Liverpool's Luis Suarez and the Reds are almost certain to refuse to sell the Uruguayan to a Premier League rival if they do decide to cash in on their star asset.
Wenger, therefore, has to explore other options and the Daily Express reports that he will return for another former transfer target, Pato, whom he tried to sign from AC Milan last January.
The 24-year-old opted to move back to his native land with Corinthians, who have suggested that they will allow Pato, who has scored 10 times in 27 international games, to leave either on loan or for a £10m fee.
Theo's an odd player. He has gradually got less and less involved in the general play up to the point where he basically plays like a CF out wide - contributing nothing in the build up and putting 100% focus on making runs in behind. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it makes him more one dimensional and predictable. The best players can do both and Theo can't, he's useless with the ball at his feet which is probably why he's shifted to this new style.
His pace makes him dangerous in that role with the quality of creative midfielders that we have, even more so since he's added an end product to his game. He's also vital to our counterattacking (which is non-existent without him). But that says more about the lack of pace and of quality wide attackers in our squad than it does about Theo.
Since signing the new deal and speaking with Wenger, his role out wide has changed. I think he'd get way more shooting opportunities from the left because he's not comfortable going in on his left foot. Most teams that want goal scoring wingers player them on the 'wrong' side.Quote:
Originally Posted by Penguin
But he has to get involved with the build up play because that's probably what's stopping him from playing up front. Gervinho, Chamakh and Giroud aren't clinical strikers but have really good build up play and assist the team. I think Theo may be getting his focus wrong if he really wants to play as a striker.
Podolski is another odd one as well. Has long streaks of anonymous moments. It's a odd way to use wingers in a 4-3-3.
Various rags claiming we are "eyeing up" Torino and Italy winger Alessio Cerci before Jan transfer window slams open.
Could be direct replacement for Walcott ahead of his £90m cash plus Falcao move to Monaco.
No way are we selling Walcott.
Firstly, he's English and is useful as part of the homegrown criteria kicking in. Secondly, he's recently signed a new contract. If Wenger stood by Ramsey in his darkest days, there's absolutely no chance he'll sell someone like Walcott, who has impressive stats.
Move on.
Good arguments there, but weirder things have happened before.
Pato, if he can stay fit, is a top top player!!Quote:
Originally Posted by BOBN
I mus admit I was a clown to be messin aroun', but dat doesn't mean dat I 'av to leave town
BECAUSE!
With respect to the little guy Theo, who I am actually a fan of, those guys you mentioned are infinitely better and more accomplished dribblers than he is. I suspect if they weren't, they would not be regulars for their respective clubs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
Even on the wrong flank Theo will need to opt for the right option, be it a pass, shot or a little 1,2 with someone else. He might only actually get 1 or 2 clear cut shooting chances cutting in on his favoured foot, which is a tenuous reason to switch him alone. He has scored a fair few goals with his right foot from the right. It is easier to bend it in from the wrong flank but we do sometimes forget the advantage of the ball veering away from the keeper when a right footed player shoots from the right.
That said, I wouldn't be disgusted if Wenger tried it out, although I do often things this sort of thing is better left for pre season rather than in the middle of a season.
:lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh_Gooner
Of course the main reason that Walcott is unlikely to leave should be self-evident.
If a player has the will to stay, and the club has the will to keep him what else is left? Only the means - means we now have.
From an economist's point of view, when someone offers you more than something is worth, the smart move is to sell, and use that money on something better. But something immediately better than Walcott is likely to be as or more expensive than what you get for him. So what do you do?
The economist will look for value, look for potential. And that is how we have operated up till now.
Wengar was often mocked for his annual mantra:
"We want to keep everyone and maybe add one or two more".
Mocked, because it rarely, if ever happened. We always had the will to keep players (so it was claimed), but when push comes to shove, either the proffered price was too tempting or the player too tapped up. When Utd offered the little boy inside Van Persie £250k a week, that was that. Suddenly he didn't like the direction the club was going.
The AST recently commissioned a study into the effect of squad stability on success. Apparently it has a impact. Who knew? The annual churn of sell/replace did us no favours.
But finally we have the means to keep hold of players, or at least to manage succession planning in an intelligent way. And that doesn't mean we wouldn't sell Walcott if a ridiculous offer came in, it means that we have a much more flexibility in the way we handle it.
BFG and Özil have been tapping Draxler up :bow:
http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/20/julian...ummer-4195140/
I would love Draxler here, but how do we fit him into our already stacked offensive midfielder line?
He's only what 19/20 isn't he? He could be a long term replacement for Rosicky.
Squad rotation based on form, fitness, injury, suspension and general tactics? It's a long old season when you look at all 4 competitions (plus internationals), so I'm sure there's more than enough starts and subs appearances for all - we don't have to shoehorn everyone into the same XI for every game...
Per MD confirmed Draxler has Arsenal DNA. :coffee:Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG
We already have like 9 players covering those 3 spots. Even considering all the stuff you mention, i dont think we need more players for those spots, especially considering one of those spots is covered by Özil, who seems to be a machine, playing 60-70 games a year the last couple of years. That leaves 2 spots for 8 players.Quote:
Originally Posted by I am invisible
At the sort of angle Theo comes in at when approaching goal, a shot veering away from the keeper will often result in a miss. The amount of goals he's gotten from that position shows how good he is at finishing. He's having to drive them low and hard into the side netting. It's not the swerve that beats the keeper it's just the sheer pace when he's coming in from a tight angle. Keeper can't get low quick enough to stop it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blink 1nce Quince 2wice
Found some good articles worth reading. Helps explain things in more depth than I can.
http://www.footballparadise.org/blog/inverted-wingers/
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blo...de-out-wingersQuote:
Inverted winger is fundamentally a simple concept. Instead of putting a left footed winger on the left, play him on the right. While this is a counter-intuitive tactic, (I mean, come on! How can you put him on his weaker foot! Most wingers don’t have another foot! *cough* Bale *cough*) it is surprising deadly.
“Why?”, you ask. Well the end goal is the same as a false 9 – dragging the opposition out of position. Since an inverted winger’s on the wrong wing, he invariably runs inside towards the goal. If the full back follows him, it opens a huge gap for any other player – a supporting midfielder, the wingback, etc. – to exploit. On the other hand, if the defender does not follow him inside two things happen.
The center back is dragged out of position allowing the striker space to run into.
The center back does not move out of position giving the inverted winger time to unleash a drive from a long range. This particular scenario is from where a large number of Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals come from, shrugging off the full back, cutting in and unleashing his monster long range shots.
Some really good articles on this.
When you consider the fact that we play with a lone striker that's good at linking up play, one twos, we rarely cross the ball and it's hard to find a sole striker unmarked when you do cross...I can't see why we play two deadly finishers in positions where they're constantly being forced down the byline. We've never been a team that whips in crosses, neither Podolski or Walcott are great ball carriers and hardly stretch play when driving to the byline, they hardly look to get down the byline these days and hug the touchline so I can't see why we can't switch flanks. We use overlapping wingbacks......would like to see how it works. Otherwise, with the money we have, I wouldn't mind us bringing in a winger like Di Maria. Someone that can get goals and create. Since we have the money, I have a feeling those two positions are vulnerable and open to improvement despite the good stats.
You basically wanna see some of this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
http://www.ultraimg.com/images/BvgFE.gif