Are the doubters wrong about Wenger?

[LDG]

I don't think we would have had enough without that extra striker.

It seems pretty obvious to me that it is the major deficiency in the squad. Something that should have been addressed in the summer, and even with the benefit of doubt, should have been done in January.

The refusal to patch upbthe same problem witnessed against City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton, is also the reason.

The injuries have certainly played a part, and perhaps cost us 6 to 8 points? But I'm afraid you never win the league unless you take another couple of scalps from your main rivals.

[IBK]

Fair points both - but is it these reasons rather than Wenger having been left behind tactically that we should focus on?

[Marc Overmars]

I think we were lacking up front to begin with and the injuries just finished us off. Even when we were leading the table I never particularly thought our football was that good, more efficient than anything. Injuries are certainly a problem though, it happens every season. Pretty obvious something is not right with how fitness is handled.

Who knows, we might have a few more points had key players been fit, but injuries are something every club has to legislate for. Us more so than anyone.

Nothing will change my view that Wenger is yesterdays man now. Rodgers and Liverpool are certified proof of that.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I think we were lacking up front to begin with and the injuries just finished us off. Even when we were leading the table I never particularly thought our football was that good, more efficient than anything. Injuries are certainly a problem though, it happens every season. Pretty obvious something is not right with how fitness is handled.

Who knows, we might have a few more points had key players been fit, but injuries are something every club has to legislate for. Us more so than anyone.

Nothing will change my view that Wenger is yesterdays man now. Rodgers and Liverpool are certified proof of that.

Ugh i am sick of hearing that Rodgers is some kind of tactical genius, he has in Suarez the third best player in the world at the moment, he has pace in his team that allows them to overwhelm most defences and he is getting good performances (at times) from players in his side that are at best distinctly average and at worse...apalling.

He might shoehorn his team into slightly different formation, but the result is the same...that against a lot of sides they blitz them early on and shoot their bolt and look leggy and lethargic for the rest of the match (evidenced in the second half performances against city and norwich).

Their defence in terms of personnel and defensive set up is near on diabolical for a side that will win the title, don't get me wrong Rodgers has surpassed himself but i don't see anything about him that makes him a genius of any kind. This is not defending Wenger in any way, shape or form but if you are able to spend 100m on players since you joined the club and mount a title challenge in a season where there is a bit of a power vacum it makes you a good manager, not necessarily a great one.

Whilst fair play to him, he's proved to people that he's no longer an incompitent who is badly out of place as manager of that club, it still makes me shudder that he is thought of so highly....let's see where he is in a few seasons time.

[IBK]

Ugh i am sick of hearing that Rodgers is some kind of tactical genius, he has in Suarez the third best player in the world at the moment, he has pace in his team that allows them to overwhelm most defences and he is getting good performances (at times) from players in his side that are at best distinctly average and at worse...apalling.

He might shoehorn his team into slightly different formation, but the result is the same...that against a lot of sides they blitz them early on and shoot their bolt and look leggy and lethargic for the rest of the match (evidenced in the second half performances against city and norwich).

Their defence in terms of personnel and defensive set up is near on diabolical for a side that will win the title, don't get me wrong Rodgers has surpassed himself but i don't see anything about him that makes him a genius of any kind. This is not defending Wenger in any way, shape or form but if you are able to spend 100m on players since you joined the club and mount a title challenge in a season where there is a bit of a power vacum it makes you a good manager, not necessarily a great one.

Whilst fair play to him, he's proved to people that he's no longer an incompitent who is badly out of place as manager of that club, it still makes me shudder that he is thought of so highly....let's see where he is in a few seasons time.

I started my Rogers thread before seeing this. You may well agree with me...

[Marc Overmars]

Ugh i am sick of hearing that Rodgers is some kind of tactical genius, he has in Suarez the third best player in the world at the moment, he has pace in his team that allows them to overwhelm most defences and he is getting good performances (at times) from players in his side that are at best distinctly average and at worse...apalling.

He might shoehorn his team into slightly different formation, but the result is the same...that against a lot of sides they blitz them early on and shoot their bolt and look leggy and lethargic for the rest of the match (evidenced in the second half performances against city and norwich).

Their defence in terms of personnel and defensive set up is near on diabolical for a side that will win the title, don't get me wrong Rodgers has surpassed himself but i don't see anything about him that makes him a genius of any kind. This is not defending Wenger in any way, shape or form but if you are able to spend 100m on players since you joined the club and mount a title challenge in a season where there is a bit of a power vacum it makes you a good manager, not necessarily a great one.

Whilst fair play to him, he's proved to people that he's no longer an incompitent who is badly out of place as manager of that club, it still makes me shudder that he is thought of so highly....let's see where he is in a few seasons time.

I never said he was a genius or anything like that. In fact it shows Wenger up even more that Liverpool have not even had to be special to get the job done.

[IBK]

I never said he was a genius or anything like that. In fact it shows Wenger up even more that Liverpool have not even had to be special to get the job done.

I kind of feel the same...with qualifications.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I don't think we would have had enough without that extra striker.

It seems pretty obvious to me that it is the major deficiency in the squad. Something that should have been addressed in the summer, and even with the benefit of doubt, should have been done in January.

The refusal to patch upbthe same problem witnessed against City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton, is also the reason.

The injuries have certainly played a part, and perhaps cost us 6 to 8 points? But I'm afraid you never win the league unless you take another couple of scalps from your main rivals.

The findings are quite compelling. If we accept that having fewer injuries would have resulted in 6-8 points more, then that puts us quite comfortably in second place with a chance of winning the actual league with the run in being easier than Liverpool's.

So actually even without the extra striker, suggesting we would be 6-8 points better off with fewer injuries means we might have won the league in any case. All that is to say, maybe the familiarity with the horrendous injury situation has caused us to downplay its significance this season.

I still think Wenger's deficiencies are plain to see and the lack of quality in the forward position is a huge factor, like you or anyone else does, but perhaps we don't cut quite the hopeless sorry arse reflection we see looking back at us....

I do think it is high time Wenger read (or probably re-read) the art of war, borrowed a few mantras and got the edge back. Seek to crush your opponent, not simply defeat him. With that attitude we might be looking at his third double and very few would be campaigning for his beheading right now.