Match Reaction Arsenal 0-1 Swansea

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Originally Posted by Bumble

We have won 48 out of 54 points against the bottom 10 sides with 2 games to play yet only 22 out 51 against the top half with one to play.

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That's pretty worrying and seems to be a problem that won't or at least hasn't gone away for a few seasons now.

I think some of us have just been relieved we haven't had spankings off our top 4 rivals and have ignored our poor return against these rivals and teams in the upper half of the table, me included.

Last night was one of those games...I knew we wouldn't win after about 10 minutes. Poor result and we have probably thrown away 2nd place now...a 2nd place finish would have been nice TBH.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Same old. As soon as there's a glimmer of progress the bumbling idiot stomps all over it. He's been threatening a result like this for weeks with his general idiocy. The players have managed to overcome the challenges he chucks in front of them but you get a night like this when our ex-keeper is up for it and you get unlucky in front of goal and WUMger sneaks the loss.

That first 45 was painful. Any normal manager would have switched things around, but WUMger will always just sit and watch until the computer alarm goes off and shows him what sub will most handicap the team.

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The way I see it for current Arsenal to be successful with this brand of football is to buy/produce at least one more striker similar to Sanchez. Forwards who can take their own initiative to make something for the team. Giroud and Ramsey were so poor last night. You can't really blame midfield for not creating enough, it is a very discipline performance from Swansea. We just don't have enough ruthless strikers upfront. Of course our slow build up game doesn't help us but playing players (or asking too much from limited players) out of their position is our biggest problem. :coffee:

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Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie

I don't know, anyone even partly responsible for Bendtner being on 52k a week, Chamakh on 70k a week, Diaby on 60k, Denilson on 45k etc shouldn't be trusted with being the treasurer for the local church benevolent fund let alone the country's finances.
The sad thing is despite that, he'd probably do a better job than Osbourne and Darling before him (certainly borrow less)

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We at least managed to shift on Bendy, Denilson and Chamakh. We have a new problem brewing with players like Walcott, Wilshere, Ramsey and a couple of the other core players. When you dole out massive long term contracts like we've done with these guys, you get the predictment Walcott is currently in. He hasn't developed enough to warrant a £100k+ contract, but a new contract usually means your pay goes up.

Jack is close to the £100k mark on £85k, not sure what Ramsey is on and Ox has passed the £50k mark too. I know there is a going rate on wages but I wish we'd roll out the big contracts once a player has arrived and ready to play at a consistent high standard.

We always struggle against packed defence, always have. You could have substituted Chelsea for Swansea yesterday and the game would have been almost the same except Ospina couldnt keep out the one effort that came his way and Chelsea had no real desire to win the game.

We do the same stuff over and over again, trying to either pass, through them or latterly from the wings. In the old days we had supreme individual talent of Henry, Pires, Bergkamp, who could pullout one amazing piece on individual skill that would turn the best laid plans inside out. You need to mix things up, be more direct. has anyone else observed that the long range shot has long dissapeared from our players repertoire.? It has been trained out of them. The players that still are inclined to still try it like Rosicky and Podolski are phased out. Wenger loves tippy tappy, even though the original advocates of it Barca have since moved on to a broader envelope. We hold fast to it. likely will as long as it delivers CL qualification.

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Originally Posted by Letters

I don't think I I've said once this season we've made progress, of if I have it's been conditional depending on how we do, so stop the WUMming. You are such a toddler sometimes.

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Stating in multiple statements that this run is the next best thing after the invincibles run could be seen to be implied as progress. Anyway, forget what you implied or what I may have inferred from your statement(s).. simple question (I know you never answer simple questions), if we end up 3rd and win the FA Cup, will you want Wenger to stay? How about we dont win the FA Cup?

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Originally Posted by fakeyank

Stating in multiple statements that this run is the next best thing after the invincibles run could be seen to be implied as progress. Anyway, forget what you implied or what I may have inferred from your statement(s).. simple question (I know you never answer simple questions), if we end up 3rd and win the FA Cup, will you want Wenger to stay? How about we dont win the FA Cup?

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The following should give you and idea of where things could go if we don't win the Progress Cup.

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I do see the Cup win as important but we could lose it for ridiculous reasons - it seemed to me the ref was doing his upmost in last season's final, denying us 4 or 5 pretty clear penalties. We got there in the end but had we not it wouldn't have entirely been our fault.

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If we lose and are denied a penalty then Wenger should stay. If we lose and aren't denied a penalty then Wenger should stay because if we get somebody else in he might do worse.

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Originally Posted by fakeyank

if we end up 3rd and win the FA Cup, will you want Wenger to stay?

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Yes. I'm not sure it's clear progress from last season, especially as we now can't finish with more points than last year, but it would be two (fairly) major trophies in two years and in over a longer period we seem to be heading in the right direction, the bigger question is can Wenger push us on. Your answer would be 'no'. Mine would be 'I don't know'. My question would be who could? Mourinho could, but personally I wouldn't want him near the club. Klopp has been cited but can you imagine this place if he had a season for us like he's had for Dortmund this year?

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How about we dont win the FA Cup?

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That is a question with more shades of grey, I think.
It would depend on what happens on the day. If we slump to a poor victory after a disappointing end to the league season, after such a good run, then probably not.
If we play well and end up losing because of a ludicrous reffing decision (stupid sending off, clear penalties denied us or soft ones given against us) then I'm not sure that's any basis to make such a major decision.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

The following should give you and idea of where things could go if we don't win the Progress Cup.
If we lose and are denied a penalty then Wenger should stay. If we lose and aren't denied a penalty then Wenger should stay because if we get somebody else in he might do worse.

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Not quite sure what that WUMming is about when you posted pretty much the exact same things above about the fine lines in football.

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Originally Posted by Letters

Yes. I'm not sure it's clear progress from last season, especially as we now can't finish with more points than last year, but it would be two (fairly) major trophies in two years and in over a longer period we seem to be heading in the right direction, the bigger question is can Wenger push us on. Your answer would be 'no'. Mine would be 'I don't know'. My question would be who could? Mourinho could, but personally I wouldn't want him near the club. Klopp has been cited but can you imagine this place if he had a season for us like he's had for Dortmund this year?


That is a question with more shades of grey, I think.
It would depend on what happens on the day. If we slump to a poor victory after a disappointing end to the league season, after such a good run, then probably not.
If we play well and end up losing because of a ludicrous reffing decision (stupid sending off, clear penalties denied us or soft ones given against us) then I'm not sure that's any basis to make such a major decision.

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Dont you think Wenger staying or getting the boot should be decided on things larger than the next 5 games? Should we not look at the last 5 or 6 years (at least) as a baseline to understand where we are going as a club under his management?

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Originally Posted by Letters

Not quite sure what that WUMming is about when you posted pretty much the exact same things above about the fine lines in football.

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It's not WUMming for a start - see your own answer above which I accurately predicted. How can I be WUMming if you then go on to type what I said you'd type? Unless you are WUMming yourself?

Everyone understands fine lines, but it's not so easy to accept being on the wrong side of those lines 90% of the time. How many attempts to beat Maureen now? It's pretty damn shameful. And what about our record against a fading Man Utd? Crap. We beat a half-arsed gypo gang of mercenaries, looked good at the time, until everyone else started beating them to put things into proper context. And now we're going to finish below them. Pretty damn shameful.

Win, lose or draw the cup, good ref, poxy ref, good performance, bad performance, it's time for Wenger to bow out. Even if Klopp or somebody else came in and did worse, so be it. It's worth the risk on the offchance they'd do better. Wenger won't do better. He had all the cards he needed this season and he's still going to fall at the line.

Instead of saying maybe the new guy will do worse, how about saying maybe the new guy will do better? Could anyone do worse against our main rivals? Would it be possible?