Arsenal Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2011/2012

Fuzzy_Dunlop · 18-02-2012 9:11pm

Sergio wrote: »

There you go again with the same old excuses.Its absolute bulls**t in my opinion.There have been defensive frailties in this team for a very long time going back to the famous keown/adams era.Its basic stuff at times that have cost us massively at crucial times of the season like learning to clear our lines and not getting caught on the break time and time again.These qualities have nothing to do with money or stadiums but bad coaching!

Obviously the money doesn't come into it when talking about individual performances and errors. However when you look at the overall performance of the team over the last few years, we have the 4th highest wage bill and consistently finish about 4th in the league and make the CL knockouts every season. We're performing exactly as you might expect given the amount we spend in wages (even neglecting how much less our actual transfer spending is). It's obviously not as good as we might hope but it's not exactly the great disaster that a lot of people would have you believe.

KeithAFC · 18-02-2012 9:12pm

No one is putting in any tackles. No communication. There is no one talking on the pitch FFS. Arsenal FC and not one player is communicating.

Sergio · 18-02-2012 9:12pm

ImpossibleDuck wrote: »

Again, misdirected criticism in my opinion.

He's built a very solid defence in:
Sagna; Mertesacker (Vermaelen); Koscielny; Santos

It's been disrupted massively by injuries.

If you're going to criticise, do so in the needed areas. As I've said, defensive problems weren't the cause of our downfall today. Lack of heart and bottle, and lack of attacking prowess cost us more.

Have to disagree.Our defense is still the main cause of our down fall.Mertesacker has been very poor at times,vermaelen has been unlucky with injuries but santos is far from proven.I know gibbs has been injured too and sagna also but overall we have been leaking far too many goals,Djourou was a disgace again today and was lucky to be still on the pitch after the 2 footed tackle.He also was the cause of their first goal.Koscielny has been our best player all season consistently strong and not afraid to get stuck in.

cson · 18-02-2012 9:13pm

Our usual Feb/Mar collapse in all competitions seems to be happening rather earlier in the season as the years go by.

I certainly won't begrudge RVP his move in the summer, a player of his level deserves to be winning trophies and I don't think we're going to be doing that for some time.

Disenchanting.

MagicMarker · 18-02-2012 9:14pm

Wenger and Arsenal are like a couple who have been in a long term relationship since their teens that's grown stale, they both know it's over but are too afraid to admit it to each other.

Once they go their separate ways they'll both wonder why the fúck they didn't do it sooner!!

tayto lover · 18-02-2012 9:14pm

ImpossibleDuck wrote: »

I agree wholeheartedly.

Name me an Arsenal player today who played better than Arteta.

My only problem with Arteta is that he is too slow in delivering the final pass into the strikers and he usually holds it up too long allowing defenders to get back. Cesc was brilliant at giving the early defence-splitting ball. He was weak for their 2nd goal but played well enough otherwise. Nobody played well today imo apart from little Chamberlain who never gave in. He is still a bit raw though.

emergingstar · 18-02-2012 9:17pm

cson wrote: »

Our usual Feb/Mar collapse in all competitions seems to be happening rather earlier in the season as the years go by.

I certainly won't begrudge RVP his move in the summer, a player of his level deserves to be winning trophies and I don't think we're going to be doing that for some time.

Disenchanting.

Keep him for his final year, can't sell again just take the hit on the transfer fee

KeithAFC · 18-02-2012 9:19pm

A pretty big away following yet again and the players just don't care. What was it, 5 thousand went to AC Milan and something like 4 thousand people to this game? Going all the way up to Sunderland from London and to get such a sad performance and work ethic from the players is a disgrace.

cson · 18-02-2012 9:20pm

Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Arteta, Song, Chamberlain and RVP are the only players out of the matchday squad today I would want to be still there come August. It may be a little quick to give up on Ramsey but I don't think he's good enough to be starting for a side with Champions League pretensions [and after the last week or so, pretensions are all they are].

I'm starting to believe that our injury situation is less to do with being unlucky and more to do with what goes on in training and conditioning.

We've lost key players for every season as long as I can remember for huge amounts of time. RVP, Fabregas, Wilshere, Vermaelen, Rosicky [when he was useful] and the desperately unlucky [cos tbf thats what they were] injuries to Eduardo and Ramsey [who looked a much better prospect at that time than he does now].

Kolo Toure got malaria one season. I mean ffs, what professional footballer gets malaria?!

ImpossibleDuck · 18-02-2012 9:22pm

Sergio wrote: »

Have to disagree.Our defense is still the main cause of our down fall.Mertesacker has been very poor at times,vermaelen has been unlucky with injuries but santos is far from proven.I know gibbs has been injured too and sagna also but overall we have been leaking far too many goals,Djourou was a disgace again today and was lucky to be still on the pitch after the 2 footed tackle.He also was the cause of their first goal.Koscielny has been our best player all season consistently strong and not afraid to get stuck in.

I struggle to see how you can say that. If this had been last season I'd agree. We saw against Milan how important Mertesacker is, because Vermaelen's too similar to Kos. Santos is not proven but he'd be a hell of a lot better than Vermaelen playing there!

Yes, Djourou is awful, but that's exactly my point!! There isn't a hope in hell he'd be on the pitch if we weren't so hampered by injuries!

tayto lover wrote: »

My only problem with Arteta is that he is too slow in delivering the final pass into the strikers and he usually holds it up too long allowing defenders to get back. Cesc was brilliant at giving the early defence-splitting ball. He was weak for their 2nd goal but played well enough otherwise. Nobody played well today imo apart from little Chamberlain who never gave in. He is still a bit raw though.

I could see why you'd say that but I don't think Arteta's that kind of player. He wasn't bought to replace Cesc, he's not the same type of player as Cesc.

I think he's overlooked by too many Arsenal fans. Often he gets the ball, takes two or three striding touches forward and plays a clean, fast ball forward. In stark contrast we have Ramsey, who'll pick the ball up, take a touch left, take a touch right, look behind him, and eventually play a 5-yard pass sidewards.

I know it's not exactly fair to heap the creative burden on him, but he's not delivering in the creative sense.

I'm not saying I know more than you, or anything of the sort, but during the next game or two watch Arteta and look at the amount on constructive forward balls he plays compared to Song, Ramsey, Rosicky or whoever is playing with him in the centre.

emergingstar · 18-02-2012 9:23pm

Forget the champions league
Forget the fa cup
Forget the league
Forget the wenger stay/go debate
Forget thd injuries
Forget the poor form
Forget the excuses
If this team don't put in a performance next sunday against the spuds
They can go fcuk themselfs

Fuzzy_Dunlop · 18-02-2012 9:24pm

cson wrote: »

Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Arteta, Song, Chamberlain and RVP are the only players out of the matchday squad today I would want to be still there come August. It may be a little quick to give up on Ramsey but I don't think he's good enough to be starting for a side with Champions League pretensions [and after the last week or so, pretensions are all they are].

Bit harsh on Coquelin and Gervinho too imo.

18-02-2012 9:25pm

ImpossibleDuck wrote: »

Now that's unfair I think!

Would you have said this a few weeks ago when we had Koscielny leading the defensive front with some wonderful performances.

Today our defence was jumbled about like crazy. First we have to play a right-footed DM at left back. He get's injured so we have to deploy our centre-back who is changing positions daily (which means its hard for him to adapt) at left back and bring on Squillaci to aid Djourou. These are our 4th and 5th choice centre-backs who might have never even partnered each other at CB afaik (i could be wrong but it probably wasn't more than once). Then we have to bring another CB off due to injury and deploy our only other option, a DM who's having a dreadful game anyway, at CB.

Our right-back and most stable player is only recently back from a horrific leg break and many on this very thread have noted how he doesn't seem to be at full fitness.

Do you really think defensive organisation was even a possibility during that?

And the wind was another factor in defensive uncertainty. (I know that sounds like a lame excuse but just think of the amount of misjudged headers today).

I'm not defending that side, because they were atrocious today. I'm simply saying that that is not the area that needs to be criticised!!

Lack of heart and ambition was a bigger problem today.

I'm asking for a little bit of reason.

Sorry i should have explained further i meant defensively as an 11 as opposed to as just the back 4. For what its worth i think Koscielny is absolutely marvellous in terms of both passion and defensive ability and is one of the few positives of supporting AFC at present. The back 4 in general i do realise have suffered injuries this year and Vermaelan seems to be suffering a bit of jitters i feel at present. They are under savage pressure at times too. Probably way more pressure then for example, Vieira and Petit (and later Edu) allowed the famous back 4 to be under.

My argument is that there is too many of our team committing themselves forward, not tracking runners and maybe not able to tackle properly or when neccessary. We are too susceptible to being caught on the break. This has been the way with a few years now where teams can beat Arsenal with in a few cases just the one shot on goal.

cson · 18-02-2012 9:29pm

Fuzzy_Dunlop wrote: »

Bit harsh on Coquelin and Gervinho too imo.

My bad.

They can certainly do a job. Hopefully the likes of Miyachi and Lansbury can add something too.

Most important thing is clear out the ****e in a major way; Squillaci, Almunia, Chamakh, Arshavin, Rosicky are probably all on big contracts and they've contributed **** all in the last year or so.

greendom · 18-02-2012 9:30pm

Thought Sagna did pretty well, considering he's just back. And Fabianski looked pretty secure as well.

tayto lover · 18-02-2012 9:30pm

cson wrote: »

My bad.

They can certainly do a job. Hopefully the likes of Miyachi and Lansbury can add something too.

Most important thing is clear out the ****e in a major way; Squillaci, Almunia, Chamakh, Arshavin, Rosicky are probably all on big contracts and they've contributed **** all in the last year or so.

Don't worry we will have Diaby back soon:rolleyes:

Fuzzy_Dunlop · 18-02-2012 9:34pm

cson wrote: »

My bad.

They can certainly do a job. Hopefully the likes of Miyachi and Lansbury can add something too.

Most important thing is clear out the ****e in a major way; Squillaci, Almunia, Chamakh, Arshavin, Rosicky are probably all on big contracts and they've contributed **** all in the last year or so.

Yeah that really is the key. Need to clean out all the crap first and foremost, which may prove difficult unfortunately due to the ridiculous contracts some of them are on.

KeithAFC · 18-02-2012 9:34pm

Benitez will probably replace Wenger in the summer. Wenger will leave in at the end of the season.

DB10 · 18-02-2012 9:34pm

Arteta really is ****e. Mid table player. Another poor signing.

DB10 · 18-02-2012 9:35pm

KeithAFC wrote: »

Benitez will probably replace Wenger in the summer. Wenger will leave in at the end of the season.

If he takes over I give up.

cson · 18-02-2012 9:37pm

DB10 wrote: »

Arteta really is ****e. Mid table player. Another poor signing.

Probably good enough for the level we are at now but not the one we aspire to. He really did look lost in Milan. He is however the type of squad player we should have been buying in years gone by, he's by and large been very very solid this year in the league.

DB10 · 18-02-2012 9:40pm

Should have signed him years ago. Hes been in decline for 2 years ask Everton fans.

KeithAFC · 18-02-2012 9:42pm

DB10 wrote: »

If he takes over I give up.

We will probably learn how to defend. Benitez is a good manager.

ImpossibleDuck · 18-02-2012 9:45pm

DB10 wrote: »

Arteta really is ****e. Mid table player. Another poor signing.

*sigh*
Regarded by many as one of the signings of the season. (Of all premier league sides)

G.K. · 18-02-2012 9:48pm

People are being harsh on Rosicky - at least he's trying, even if he's not reaching standards he once did.

Pepe LeFrits · 18-02-2012 9:49pm

Arteta has been really good for us and one of our best players overall this season. Should definitely have signed him years ago though, himself alongside Cesc and Song would have been great.

It all comes back to the summer really, losing Nasri was bad enough but to lose Cesc, and for the amount he went for, was absolutely criminal. Cesc was the absolute everything to this team and we just obligingly let him walk away.

DB10 · 18-02-2012 9:52pm

ImpossibleDuck wrote: »

*sigh*
Regarded by many as one of the signings of the season. (Of all premier league sides)

LOL

Come on your having a laugh, there was thread on here for team of the season recently nobody mentioned him. Regarded by who? You've just made that up.

Hes had another two shockers this week. His part in the 2nd goal was laughable. He doesnt even try. No wonder he never got any Spanish caps.

He belongs in a Wolves or Bolton level side. He cant keep the ball.

If he gave a ****e and tried I might have some sympathy.

Pepe LeFrits · 18-02-2012 9:55pm

DB10 wrote: »

He cant keep the ball.

Right...

cson · 18-02-2012 9:55pm

Well the team was built around Fabregas, now we have the same team but not the player it was built for. Which is crazy. I agree we got raped for him too; I'm loathe to use the Andy Carroll scale of transfer fees but £35m for Fabregas was outrageously cheap. Should probably have been double that and at least £50m.

Fuzzy_Dunlop · 18-02-2012 9:55pm

DB10 wrote: »

LOL

Come on your having a laugh, there was thread on here for team of the season recently nobody mentioned him. Regarded by who? You've just made that up.

Hes had another two shockers this week. His part in the 2nd goal was laughable. He doesnt even try. No wonder he never got any Spanish caps.

He belongs in a Wolves or Bolton level side. He cant keep the ball.

If he gave a ****e and tried I might have some sympathy.

Think you're on your own with this opinion. I sometimes think you only watch the games we lose to be honest.

DB10 · 18-02-2012 9:56pm

G.K. wrote: »

People are being harsh on Rosicky - at least he's trying, even if he's not reaching standards he once did.

Is he?

No he really isnt. He just doesnt care.

Everyone including pundits and oppo fans and ourselves are deriding the players attitude and work rate.

Its players like Rosicky, Ramsey, Arteta, Djourou, Walcott with the lack of passion, work rate, and bollocks.

It certainly isn' guys like Vermaelen, Sagna Van Persie, Chesney Wilshere.

DB10 · 18-02-2012 9:58pm

Fuzzy_Dunlop wrote: »

Think you're on your own with this opinion. I sometimes think you only watch the games we lose to be honest.

If I only watched games we lost, I'd still be watching a big amount of games.

Silly point anyway, I was posting here after Sunderland last week ffs.

DB10 · 18-02-2012 9:59pm

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Right...

Seem him out by the corner flag today and numerous other poor passes.

As for defensively and in attack, well hes non existent.

ImpossibleDuck · 18-02-2012 9:59pm

DB10 wrote: »

LOL

Come on your having a laugh, there was thread on here for team of the season recently nobody mentioned him. Regarded by who? You've just made that up.

Hes had another two shockers this week. His part in the 2nd goal was laughable. He doesnt even try. No wonder he never got any Spanish caps.

He belongs in a Wolves or Bolton level side. He cant keep the ball.

If he gave a ****e and tried I might have some sympathy.

I'm not making that up. By journalists and writers. I've read a few articles which puts him in the top three signings this year.

Come on, if you're suggesting Arteta is ****e you really don't know the first thing about football. He's had a poor week, granted. But everyone has. Before that, he's been fantastic in the middle. This is the general consensus as far as I can see? He's been praised to the hilt on this very thread! And deservedly so.

Drexel · 18-02-2012 9:59pm

cson wrote: »

Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Arteta, Song, Chamberlain and RVP are the only players out of the matchday squad today I would want to be still there come August. It may be a little quick to give up on Ramsey but I don't think he's good enough to be starting for a side with Champions League pretensions [and after the last week or so, pretensions are all they are].

I'm starting to believe that our injury situation is less to do with being unlucky and more to do with what goes on in training and conditioning.

We've lost key players for every season as long as I can remember for huge amounts of time. RVP, Fabregas, Wilshere, Vermaelen, Rosicky [when he was useful] and the desperately unlucky [cos tbf thats what they were] injuries to Eduardo and Ramsey [who looked a much better prospect at that time than he does now].

Kolo Toure got malaria one season. I mean ffs, what professional footballer gets malaria?!

Didnt Drogba have it last year??

ImpossibleDuck · 18-02-2012 10:00pm

Fuzzy_Dunlop wrote: »

Think you're on your own with this opinion. I sometimes think you only watch the games we lose to be honest.

Thank you! :P

18-02-2012 10:01pm

I do hate the fact that the frustration being borne out is called "a knee-jerk reaction". It's every f*cking year at the same juncture ffs!

Enough is enough :mad:

poolboy · 18-02-2012 10:03pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Honestly, I feel like I am f*cking done with this team.

It's one thing supporting the team through rough patches, it's quite another supporting a team that looks like it couldn't give a sh*t and a manager that won't change the tactics when it's needed.

F*ck that, life is too short.

Genuinely sorry to see arsenals season implode like this i have a huge respect for the club and if liverpool arent winning then arsenal are the only of the top clubs i can watch winning without feeling sick but "fans" like you are getting what you deserve.

18-02-2012 10:06pm

poolboy wrote: »

Genuinely sorry to see arsenals season implode like this i have a huge respect for the club and if liverpool arent winning then arsenal are the only of the top clubs i can watch winning without feeling sick but "fans" like you are getting what you deserve.

Ha! "fans" like me?

Troll on boy, troll on.

Have a read of some of my previous posts. I'm one of the more positive members. However, enough is enough.

ImpossibleDuck · 18-02-2012 10:07pm

poolboy wrote: »

Genuinely sorry to see arsenals season implode like this i have a huge respect for the club and if liverpool arent winning then arsenal are the only of the top clubs i can watch winning without feeling sick but "fans" like you are getting what you deserve.

Wow, wow, wow! I'm not sure how much you frequent this thread but everyone around here knows Pappa Dolla is a commited fan. To say what you said is just ridiculous! He's venting his anger, so's everyone else! I guarantee you he'll be right back here for the Sp*rs game :P

poolboy · 18-02-2012 10:10pm

Granted i dont frequent this thread very often i am in no way a troll i am questioning how you can be a fan and decide you are done with a team cause lifes to short its beyond me

L'prof · 18-02-2012 10:11pm

We're in meltdown, but we've been here before so I'm not surprised. I just find myself losing interest in a bunch of players who can't even be bothered to put in a decent shift when we need it the most. We've conceded 6 goals without reply at the moment, it could easily be 10 after the Spurs game. The most disappointing thing is that nobody's surprised when we lose any more, we're capable of losing nearly any game.

A lot of work needs to be done this summer to put things right at the club, I just don't know if it'll actually happen.

Sgt Pepper 64 · 18-02-2012 10:16pm

L'prof wrote: »

We're in meltdown, but we've been here before so I'm not surprised. I just find myself losing interest in a bunch of players who can't even be bothered to put in a decent shift when we need it the most. We've conceded 6 goals without reply at the moment, it could easily be 10 after the Spurs game. The most disappointing thing is that nobody's surprised when we lose any more, we're capable of losing nearly any game.

A lot of work needs to be done this summer to put things right at the club, I just don't know if it'll actually happen.

Wow, apart from the goals conceded bit, that could be about Chelsea!

Quazzie · 18-02-2012 10:20pm

Is it too early for an end of season review?

greendom · 18-02-2012 10:20pm

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

Wow, apart from the goals conceded bit, that could be about Chelsea!

it's amazing how far both teams have dropped compared to last year. if either was playing at the same level as last season they would at least be competing with Spurs for 3rd.

greendom · 18-02-2012 10:21pm

Quazzie wrote: »

Is it too early for an end of season review?

i think the only way we'll hold onto 4th is if the season ends today

tayto lover · 18-02-2012 10:22pm

Quazzie wrote: »

Is it too early for an end of season review?

Roughly the same time as last year's end of season review. And the year before, and the year before ....
The team is sponsored by Ronseal.

KeithAFC · 18-02-2012 10:30pm

The season review would be a bit different this season. We have been AWFUL for nearly all of it.

liamygunner29 · 18-02-2012 11:20pm

first of all pappa dollar is one of the best posters here and its a bit of an outrageous call landing on to another teams thread and judging whos a fan and whos not.

I haven't posted I awhile but just can't believe what I saw this week and to be honest this season. In all my time supporting Arsenal I have never ever been so angry. Such a team of hangers on, nobody besides RVP and the Ox has shown any leadership or bottle, its all just a case of getting by and hoping it works out.
What is going on with Sagna and the Verminator?

On a long term basis we are going further away from success every year. Selling your 2 best players and not replacing them at all adequately is not a formula for success specially considering the reason they may of left was a lack of success. Wenger has made absolutely horrific calls regarding players in the last couple of years and we may be a huge huge price. I see it like this we don't get 4th we lose RVP (a player of his quality needs to play in Europes top competition) and the deadweight and bring in a new manager to inherit Jack, Ox, Schez and a couple of other bright sparks and just hope that manager can spend the transfer money and bring us back up again. If we get 4th (think this team will bottle it) we see what Wenger does in summer and if we are losing games come august he gets the road. One way or another I think we need an overhaul before we go so far behind its impossible to fix, I love the man, he has made me so happy and I'll never forget that but he everybody has to know when to walk away

Soups123 · 18-02-2012 11:30pm

poolboy wrote: »

Granted i dont frequent this thread very often i am in no way a troll i am questioning how you can be a fan and decide you are done with a team cause lifes to short its beyond me

If your as proper a fan as you think you are you'll understand after the week we just had venting utter frustration in ur team thread is quite normal!

Arsenal Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2011/2012

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