Chelsea Vs Arsenal | Premiership 23/03/08

[Inchpräctice]

Do the people who are looking on the bright side (which, incidentally, I do think is commendable) think that things are ok then?

I'm just asking because I'm sure it's not just me that thinks Arsenal FC has some serious problems that need urgent attention at the moment

I've tried to address these problems in this new thread:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4692

[Fabrestuta]

I think we were punching well above our weight earlier in the season, and that gave people a bit too much optimism. Personally I do believe United are a lot better than us, squad wise, not if we both put out our best 11, but its not just your best 11 that win you the title. Its a long season and our lads just look bollocksed imo because our squad is far too small. We have good players, we just don't have enough top class talent that we can bring off the bench.

[Trina]

" one season too early for arsenal " said andy gray

How many times has that been said though and how many more times will it be used?

[Good_Eye_Sniper]

I'm sorry guys, I see what you are saying, and I applaud your optimism, but my confidence in my team has taken a MASSIVE nosedive today.

I remember the unbeaten run, when I would joke with my mates that "Arsenal don't do losing anymore", because I knew full well that whoever we came up against, we'd have it in us to win, or at least come back from a goal or two down.

And further back, the 97/98 double winning season, when we were laying waste to all before us at the end of the season - it wasn't a case of "Will Arsenal win the title?", but more "When will Arsenal clinch the title?" - We were a steamroller. A juggernaut.

Now? We're a reliant robin

Maybe I've just taken today really badly, or maybe all the problems that I've tried to ignore from the past few months have come into sharp focus.

In all honesty, I wonder if we will even win another game this season, that's how little faith I have in this team at the moment.

We've got nothing, and nothing in the reserve tank. Please don't have a go at me for being negative, I'm just being honest, and right now, my team that I love (and yes I do, even though I am railing on them) feel like a mid table side

[Inchpräctice]

to inchy

championship manager or football managers as it is called now

Oh right. Never played it mate.

It is the draws that have screwed us up. And IMO the draws have come about because we haven't been getting the goals in. Ade hasn't scored for weeks, RVP clearly isn't back on form. What other strikers do we have that we could think "put X on, he will bag a goal!" None in my view!

Hleb, Fabregas and Flamini were there when the strikers couldn't score. Now they are not.
Think back to the beginning of the season and the bet those 3 had on who can score the most. I understand the injuries etc, but the banter and spirit isn't there now.

I mean the only reason we scored today was because Sagna got it!

I have no answers, so please don't attack me, lol. But something needs to be done. Loosing 2 games in the season should mean we have it in the bag. But the amount of draws we have had against clubs we should have been 2 and 3-0 up, has messed it up for us.

I do also think that the 4-5-1 formation had a big impact, after a few games it was clear that wouldn't work, but yet we continued with it.

Yeah I agree with that. The midfielders are supposed to score when the strikers are marked out of the game (in an ideal world). That didn't happen today because they marked the whole team really well.
I also think we stuck with 4-5-1 too long.

Personally i think the only prob we have is the goals for, atm, Ade seems to have dried up, RVP is still a bit rusty, but as someone else mentioned he's one of those players that when on form he can produce something out of nothing, i really dont think there are any serious problems, we need a fox in the box, which Eduardo was looking quite the part for, Theo i dont believe wont ever be an out & out striker, more of a winger or in a supporting role.
Bendnter? im still not 100% sure what i think of him, but he does cause opposition defences some trouble. Maybe he should have come on sooner today? who knows.


I think we need more depth on the wing, what has caused this lack of goals for us i dont know, but as i said elsewhere on here i think Hleb needs to at least take more shots himself rather than look for someone to pass to, i love the bloke but i often find he wastes crusial time doing this when he could have had a pop on goal himself, law of averages says a few could have hit the back of the net.

No matter how well prepared you are for a season, nothing can prepare you for injuries to key players. (god id love it if that poof was out for months on end at utd! because you just know they wouldnt be scoring as much)

I agree with Trina its the draws that have come to haunt us.

It's the goalscoring that's been one of the main problems here and we're now starting to realise how much we miss Eduardo.
Totally agree that Hleb doesn't shoot anywhere near enough. He just doesn't have that will to go running towards the box and let one fly. If he did he'd be as good as Ronaldo.
I also agree that the subs should've come on earlier, especially Theo. You can't do much in the dying minutes of a game.

It's also true that some events can change your season.
For example if Manure had lost Ronaldo even for 4 games they would really have struggled, and if RVP had come back 3 or 4 weeks ago he'd be on fire by now which would've changed the last part of our season.
Luck and injuries play such a huge part of this whole thing.
Losing Eduardo has had a huge impact.

[Good_Eye_Sniper]

I really shouldn't have had a few sherberts after today.

I'm really not happy

Wenger, buy someone who isn't a sicknote or a Mongolian 12 year old!

We need a player or two who wont soil himself when the pressure is on, and actually grab the team by the scruff of the neck and haul them over the finish line in first place.

We need the LA Lakers, not the Harlem Globetrotters

We need to WIN, not flounce around for 90 minutes



OK, I'll stop

[rogerthornhill]

I have been such a fan of Arsene Wenger for such a long time but recently I have been thinking that perhaps we need a new approach. Gosh I can hardly believe that I said that but maybe an artistic approach isn't what is needed, maybe we need a streetfighter to be in charge? I would like to see a squad which is much more robust, physically and mentally. I feel that all kinds of frailties are in this team, when I look at the starting XIs I don't feel much or any confidence. I know that I am being negative but at least that's honestly what I feel.

[Windass10]

Firstly we lost fairs dos but played well draw was fair to be honest they got abit lucky. I liked to mention credit to Drogba who scored 2 good goals in the game to win it and I would like to say hes a true gent for praising Arsenal in his interview saying we are a good team and stuff good one drogs.
Now back to the point why have we given up yet its not allover be positive 6 points if it was 9 then fair enough, plenty of twists and turns i will keep believing we can still do it till its mathmatically possible come on Arsenal.

[She_Gunner_Wales]

Firstly we lost fairs dos but played well draw was fair to be honest they got abit lucky. I liked to mention credit to Drogba who scored 2 good goals in the game to win it and I would like to say hes a true gent for praising Arsenal in his interview saying we are a good team and stuff good one drogs.
Now back to the point why have we given up yet its not allover be positive 6 points if it was 9 then fair enough, plenty of twists and turns i will keep believing we can still do it till its mathmatically possible come on Arsenal.

It was good of drogba to say that, he stopped the interviewer from walking away so he could say it, (before stammering to get his words out) but this is also the same man who in so many words encouraged the chelsea supporters to give Gallas grief. not very professional, maybe what he said post match was something to do with what he said midweek, kinda back-tracking maybe?
Certainly didnt expect to hear it.

-----------------------------------

Ive calmed down a bit now, apologies if i offended anyone earlier, i had my hot-head on.
Still gutted but well trying to be optimistic, it aint over yet.

[Windass10]

Firstly we lost fairs dos but played well draw was fair to be honest they got abit lucky. I liked to mention credit to Drogba who scored 2 good goals in the game to win it and I would like to say hes a true gent for praising Arsenal in his interview saying we are a good team and stuff good one drogs.
Now back to the point why have we given up yet its not allover be positive 6 points if it was 9 then fair enough, plenty of twists and turns i will keep believing we can still do it till its mathmatically possible come on Arsenal.

It was good of drogba to say that, he stopped the interviewer from walking away so he could say it, (before stammering to get his words out) but this is also the same man who in so many words encouraged the chelsea supporters to give Gallas grief. not very professional, maybe what he said post match was something to do with what he said midweek, kinda back-tracking maybe?
Certainly didnt expect to hear it.

-----------------------------------

Ive calmed down a bit now, apologies if i offended anyone earlier, i had my hot-head on.
Still gutted but well trying to be optimistic, it aint over yet.

That was all paper talk, drogs said in his interview that the chelsea fans should thank Gallas and respect him cos he won them 2 titles etc and was proud of what he did during this time at Chelsea.

[Trina]

Firstly we lost fairs dos but played well draw was fair to be honest they got abit lucky. I liked to mention credit to Drogba who scored 2 good goals in the game to win it and I would like to say hes a true gent for praising Arsenal in his interview saying we are a good team and stuff good one drogs.
Now back to the point why have we given up yet its not allover be positive 6 points if it was 9 then fair enough, plenty of twists and turns i will keep believing we can still do it till its mathmatically possible come on Arsenal.

There are 7 games left....Man U must loose 2 just to put us on even points. Then they would still win due to goal difference.

So for us to win. Out of the last 7 games, we must win every game and Man U must loose 2 and draw 1.

Can't see that happening.....

[arseman]

There are 7 games left....Man U must loose 2 just to put us on even points. Then they would still win due to goal difference.

So for us to win. Out of the last 7 games, we must win every game and Man U must loose 2 and draw 1.

Can't see that happening.....

It's unlikely, I know, and I also know many would prefer us to concentrate on the Champions League, but let's not give up just yet.

[Inchpräctice]

There are 7 games left....Man U must loose 2 just to put us on even points. Then they would still win due to goal difference.

So for us to win. Out of the last 7 games, we must win every game and Man U must loose 2 and draw 1.

Can't see that happening.....

It's unlikely, I know, and I also know many would prefer us to concentrate on the Champions League, but let's not give up just yet.

It is unlikely I agree, but then it was pretty unlikely that we would draw four times in a row against crap teams like Boro etc.
And it was pretty unlikely that one of our main strikers would have his leg broken 5 minutes into a game.

Anything is possible so I'm not giving up yet.

[arseman]

It is unlikely I agree, but then it was pretty unlikely that we would draw four times in a row against crap teams like Boro etc.
And it was pretty unlikely that one of our main strikers would have his leg broken 5 minutes into a game.

Anything is possible so I'm not giving up yet.

Yeah, everyone seems to think that Man Utd are this awesome invincible force, but they're just as capable of slipping up when you least expect it.

[Good_Eye_Sniper]

Ive calmed down a bit now, apologies if i offended anyone earlier, i had my hot-head on.
Still gutted but well trying to be optimistic, it aint over yet.

NO!

You hurt my feelings!

Hehe, just kidding Everyone was a bit strung out yesterday weren't they?