Read the thoughts of a neutral observer - who has a lot of time for Arsenal as a club. www.mcnamara-sport.tumblr.com
Read the thoughts of a neutral observer - who has a lot of time for Arsenal as a club. www.mcnamara-sport.tumblr.com
New Maccy.
Don't really think, this game told us anything we did not, know. Its clear this season, were not the force we used to be. When you see City struggle in a group that they really should not with the players they have. Then for us, its clear we'd struggle in games.
Schalke are by no means mugs, They got to the semi final a couple of years ago and they have some fantstic players. Not a shock to draw with them at home at all.
Wenger might have hoped Walcott’s electric pace would furnish his team with a constant threat. Notwithstanding his sharp reaction to pounce on a loose ball and score early on, the winger was hugely disappointing.
Within 5 minutes, Walcott, under little pressure, had possession out wide with team-mates rushing to fill the box. His dreadful cross resulted in Schalke breaking and having a shooting chance within seconds.
Later in the match and, at a critical juncture with his team winning 2-1 and the hosts temporarily reduced to 10 men, Walcott wasted another glorious crossing opportunity , blazing high and out of play.
The 23-year old has made no secret of his wish to be deployed as a centre-forward – and in fairness he’s recently showcased an ability to be clinical in front of goal. Presented with a gilt-edged chance to secure an undeserved win for his team in the final seconds in Germany, Walcott could do no better than roll a soft shot straight into the legs of goalkeeper, Lars Unnerstall.
Demonstrating a familiar lack of self-awareness, Walcott said after the game;
‘..hopefully now I can get a run in the team because I feel I fully deserve it’.
Innate confidence is key to a footballer’s ability to perform but such lack of introspection may partly explain one of the modern game’s great mysteries – the limited improvement in Walcott despite close to seven years working daily with Wenger and a panoply of wonderful talent at Arsenal’s London Colney training groung.
This isn’t the first time Walcott’s public behaviour or utterances do him no favours. During Arsenal’s 8-2 capitulation at Manchester United in August 2011 he openly pilloried his then greenhorn colleague, Carl Jenkinson, who was enduring a tough afternoon.
Reflecting on that nadir at a later date Walcott said,
‘The game against United hurt a lot. Seeing the players go through that, no player wants to be part of that’.
To those who didn’t know better that quote would suggest the player had watched from the side-lines as his team were humiliatingly run ragged.
Walcott played for 83 minutes before being withdrawn with his team trailing 7-2.
As an individual who reportedly considers himself worthy of a five-year contract, paying a weekly wage of £100,000 and the power to dictate his position on the field he needs to produce considerably more for his club.
Walcott’s contract situation is merely one of myriad problems Wenger is encountering and his judgement is suffering as a result, not only with regard to his handling of Wilshere.
Interesting.
Some good points he makes.It is perhaps unfair that the current Arsenal vintage bear the weight of being compared with their predecessors, not only the aforementioned individuals from Wenger’s trophy winning teams but more recent darlings of the Emirates including; Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie.
It is certainly possible that history will record Van Persie’s departure to Manchester United as the act which formally consigned the proud Gunners to a rank below the elite.
When an Arsenal team containing; Nasri, Fabregas, Jack Wilshere and Alex Song contrived to lose the 2011 Carling Cup Final to Birmingham City it marked the beginning of a horrendous three months for the club in which genuine hopes in all competitions were ruthlessly wiped away by superior opponents.
Barcelona and Manchester United ended the Gunners Champions League and F.A. Cup involvement within the space of four March days. The league season petered out, with now familiar vulnerability apparent, in defeats at Stoke City and Bolton Wanderers.
Last edited by Olivier's xmas twist; 07-11-2012 at 10:54 PM.
On field decline?
I blame the board
I was just watching a repeat of the NLD at the Emirates 08/09. We were leading 4-2 with 10 mins to go. Somehow Clichy slips and loses the ball simply because he was afraid of Bentlys shadow...Bam! 4-3. from Jenas...Dying minutes we lost the ball in midfield Bam! 4-4 Aaron Lennon. The defence that day included William Gallas and Mikel Sylvestre.
Fast forward to 2012. New defence: the symptoms are exactly the same. Our players slip and fall under the slightest pressure and immediately the whole team panics...Bam we concede. It shows that the players are not the problem, the coaching is. We have seen this same scenario play itself out for the last 6 years, somethings got to change.
Shit your right, the coaching is somehow making these players slip over.Originally Posted by Globalgunner
Maccy. There's only 3 MaccysNew Maccy.
The lead singer from EmbraceMaccy. There's only 3 Maccys
It's better to burn out, than to fade away.
Embrace.
They were more soul-suckingly awlful than Snow Patrol and Coldplay.
Maccy had a shocker there.
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