Arsenal 2-0 Stoke - Match Reaction

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Perhaps....but like I am Invisible says.....if we we're choosing a time to play them, it would probably be now. In 2 months time they might have completely turned it around for all we know...?

In all honesty after Matic scored one back yesterday, I didn't think they were that bad, but clearly several of their key players aren't on top of their game and Everton were really good.

A draw away to Chelsea is perfectly acceptable but when you lose to West Ham at home, who I personally maintain are nothing special, you need to start nicking a few points from games you're less expected to take them from.......that is of course, IF you're talking about shaping up to win the league.

[Niall_Quinn]

How many games did it take Henry , Adebayor , RVP , Anelka ..etc to establish themselves as effective centre forwards for Arsenal ? Didn't i Wenger got bashed for giving them that opportunity ?
Walcott is a CF who had been wasted on flanks for quite long . It would surely take him some time to recover his boots . I would suggest we gave him at least half a season of a good run before making any judgment .

Well the why hasn't Wenger done that? When did RvC leave? Why is Giroud even here? Monsieur Hapless could have made all this happen a long time ago. Why do we have to sacrifice another season while Theo find his boots? But okay, I'm game, considering Monsieur I Know Best But Still Don't Get Results has failed to sign the striker we've needed for how long now? Might as well be Theo I suppose, if we're still experimenting at the top level.

[Alpha]

Well the why hasn't Wenger done that? When did RvC leave? Why is Giroud even here? Monsieur Hapless could have made all this happen a long time ago. Why do we have to sacrifice another season while Theo find his boots? But okay, I'm game, considering Monsieur I Know Best But Still Don't Get Results has failed to sign the striker we've needed for how long now? Might as well be Theo I suppose, if we're still experimenting at the top level.

Well , I got the point but if you go down memory lane , you will remember this has always been the way Arsene does his things at Arsenal . I don't remember the last time he signed a ready made world class striker .He always made them from nobody's .
The last of them was RVP . when Ade left , I remember Van Persie Flopping against Fulham and getting done by Sheffield united defenders in the following game . Everyone : Media , fans , pundits questioned Wenger " silly decision" not to buy a striker instead of wasting time with RVP .
Not long after that , when RVP started performing , the same people were praising Wenger for finding a "world class " striker in RVP .
We won back to back FA Cup without that "world class " striker .I believe if we would have to win something more than just a FA Cup , it would be down to the teamwork rather than just a striker .
By the way , before RVP left he was one of the best strikers around and we failed to win even a Carling cup . Isn't it that ironic ?

[Power n Glory]

I have to admit, I had serious doubts about RVP as striker. Besides the injury problems he made the wrong runs, was very selfish in his play and just wasn't aware of his surroundings. But then all that changed. Morphed into a beast of a striker. Banging them in with his left foot, right foot, headers, poachers, screamers.... I miss that guy! Why the heck couldn't we have told him the sponsorship deals were due the following season?

[Kano]

Goes to show we weren't the only ones sick of hearing 'next season will be better'.

[Niall_Quinn]

Well , I got the point but if you go down memory lane , you will remember this has always been the way Arsene does his things at Arsenal . I don't remember the last time he signed a ready made world class striker .He always made them from nobody's .
The last of them was RVP . when Ade left , I remember Van Persie Flopping against Fulham and getting done by Sheffield united defenders in the following game . Everyone : Media , fans , pundits questioned Wenger " silly decision" not to buy a striker instead of wasting time with RVP .
Not long after that , when RVP started performing , the same people were praising Wenger for finding a "world class " striker in RVP .
We won back to back FA Cup without that "world class " striker .I believe if we would have to win something more than just a FA Cup , it would be down to the teamwork rather than just a striker .
By the way , before RVP left he was one of the best strikers around and we failed to win even a Carling cup . Isn't it that ironic ?

What you are saying is all true, I don't disagree with any of it. Which is why Wenger has to go. We've had his decade of experimentation and make do and mend and even though he's pulled off some excellent transformations, can't deny it, we need to get on with the business of competing for titles now. We don't have another decade for him to play his games. And it's not just the striker role, it's every crucial position on the pitch. His experiments with keepers, his outrageous patch-up jobs in the centre of defence, his round pegs in square holes in the middle, his banishment of players to the wings. It's all interesting as a theoretical experiment but in the end it has resulted on us being off the pace every season. Even if we sacrifice this season for Theo, we still need that midfielder. When does that happen, the season after? How many more seasons until we get the balanced team that can challenge?

Arsenal isn't Wenger's pet project, or at least it shouldn't be. Let's get a proper manager now and get on with the business of challenging for the top spot. That's what this stadium and the sponsorship deals and all the wrangling in the boardroom was supposed to achieve, so let's do that.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Completely off topic but I totally missed Draxler signing for Wolfsburg! Undisclosed fee....typical.

I think in the absence of finding the solution up top, Wenger might have signed Kondogbia who can play CB as well as DM or Vidal. Might as well have strengthened another area

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Wenger won't stay another decade NQ...especially if he doesn't win anything too....

[Penguin]

Theo has impressed me tbf, his movement is really good. I'm not too worried about his finishing which will pick up when he builds up a bit of confidence.

But the best strikers can play with their back to goal AND behind the defence. Both Theo and Giroud can only do one or the other and that's one of the reasons neither will ever reach that level. The goals will come, especially in open games like Stoke and Villa, but we haven't seen him against a decent, organised team that sit back a bit deeper. He was completely ineffective against Chelsea in the community shield and I have a feeling we'll be seeing more games like that.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Chelsea have conceded the most goals this season.....just saying....