Arsenal Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Interesting fact.

We've hit the woodwork 12 times so far this season.

This season v previous seasons:

2008-2009: 22 12  5  5 37 24 13 41
2007-2008: 22 15  6  1 43 17 26 51 ( 3rd)
2006-2007: 22 11  6  5 41 19 22 39 ( 4th)
2005-2006: 22 11  4  7 34 16 18 37 ( 4th)
2004-2005: 22 14  6  2 52 24 28 48 ( 2nd)
2003-2004: 22 15  7  0 42 14 28 52 ( 1st)
2002-2003: 22 14  4  4 45 24 21 46 ( 2nd)
2001-2002: 22 11  8  3 43 26 17 41 ( 1st)
2000-2001: 22 11  6  5 38 22 16 39 ( 2nd)
1999-2000: 22 13  4  5 41 22 19 43 ( 2nd)
1998-1999: 22 10  9  3 23 11 12 39 ( 2nd)
1997-1998: 22 10  8  4 39 26 13 38 ( 1st)
1996-1997: 22 11  7  4 39 21 18 40 ( 3rd)
1995-1996: 22  9  7  6 28 20  8 34 ( 5th)
1994-1995: 22  7  7  8 26 25  1 28 (12th)
1993-1994: 22 10  7  5 24 13 11 37 ( 4th)
1992-1993: 22  9  4  9 23 22  1 31 (10th)

All-time premier league record:

Reading               4   4   0   0  11   2   9  12 3.00
Watford               4   4   0   0   9   3   6  12 3.00
Barnsley              2   2   0   0   7   0   7   6 3.00
Wolves                2   2   0   0   6   1   5   6 3.00
Wigan                 7   6   1   0  13   5   8  19 2.71
Ipswich              10   8   2   0  23   4  19  26 2.60
Man City             23  18   3   2  44  14  30  57 2.48
Fulham               15  12   1   2  33   9  24  37 2.47
Charlton             16  12   2   2  36  12  24  38 2.38
Derby                14  10   3   1  27  11  16  33 2.36
West Brom             7   5   1   1  15   7   8  16 2.29
Leicester            16  10   5   1  38  13  25  35 2.19
Crystal Palace        8   5   2   1  16   5  11  17 2.13
Everton              33  21   7   5  66  26  40  70 2.12
Birmingham           10   6   3   1  19   5  14  21 2.10
Nottingham Forest    10   6   3   1  13   7   6  21 2.10
Sunderland           15   9   4   2  30  11  19  31 2.07
Southampton          26  15   7   4  50  24  26  52 2.00
Oldham                4   2   2   0   4   1   3   8 2.00
Swindon               2   1   1   0   5   1   4   4 2.00
West Ham             27  16   5   6  40  17  23  53 1.96
Coventry             18  10   5   3  25  13  12  35 1.94
Middlesbrough        27  15   7   5  60  26  34  52 1.93
Portsmouth           11   5   6   0  17   6  11  21 1.91
Bolton               20  11   5   4  32  22  10  38 1.90
Blackburn            29  15   7   7  47  26  21  52 1.79
Chelsea              33  16  11   6  49  35  14  59 1.79
Villa                34  16  12   6  53  30  23  60 1.76
Bradford              4   2   1   1   6   3   3   7 1.75
Newcastle            31  15   8   8  43  26  17  53 1.71
Leeds                24  12   4   8  43  25  18  40 1.67
Spurs                33  13  15   5  51  36  15  54 1.64
Norwich               8   3   4   1  17   9   8  13 1.63
MK Dons              16   7   4   5  30  16  14  25 1.56
Sheffield Wednesday  16   7   4   5  21  16   5  25 1.56
Sheffield United      6   2   3   1   9   4   5   9 1.50
Hull                  2   1   0   1   4   3   1   3 1.50
Man United           33  10  10  13  33  43 -10  40 1.21
Liverpool            33   9  10  14  32  44 -12  37 1.12
QPR                   8   1   5   2   7   8  -1   8 1.00
Stoke                 1   0   0   1   1   2  -1   0 0.00

Think 4-3-3 might suit us for more games against 'lesser' opposition. We looked a lot more threatening once we took off Eboué for Bendtner.
With all the attackers we have/will soon have, not to mention the injury pile up in midfield, it might not be a bad move.

Adebayor, RvP, Bendtner, Vela, Eduardo. Not to be snuffed at. Perhaps a 3 pronged strike force may be a useful option?

GuanYin wrote: »

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Arsenal are just a spine of a team away from being great. All they need is a goalkeeper, a center defender a center mid and a striker

I half agree with you here.

I'm happy enough with Almunia. If we could pick someone really good I wouldn't say no. Akinfeev would be my first choice. Although if Citeh land a world class goalkeeper I'd snap Hart up in a second.

Centre back isn't too big of a problem zone for me atm.
Gallas and Toure are both seasoned pro's and I expect Kolo to regain his form. Djourou will continue to flourish playing with them and Nordveit is definitely one for the near future.

CM is our problem. We need a high quality defensive midfielder (see my sig). Miguel Veloso would be my number one choice, he's a fantastic player.

Don't think we need a forward either. We have Ade, RVP and Eduardo who are all great strikers. Vela is going to be a superstar imo (see sig again :pac:) and Bendtner seems to be improving.

So the order I'd want signings in would be:

DM
CB
GK
ST

GuanYin wrote: »

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Arsenal are just a spine of a team away from being great. All they need is a goalkeeper, a center defender a center mid and a striker

Agree, though with Edaurdo due back, he may be our striker, he was really starting to find his feet when he got the injury, hopefully we will see him back in the first team soon, though Arsene has said that he will not rush him. Centre back is still a huge problem imo would love us to sign a world class cb to play with Gallas.

TBH I dont think we need a new goalie. Almunia is doing very well this season (it's the defensive marking that's screwing up). Not taht I wouldn't love to get Shay given in, but he's a luxury at this point.

Don't need a new striker. RvP is awesome now that his fitness is back. Adebayor is still good when he bothers. Bentdner has his moments. Vela will soon become a world beater. Eduardo will be back before too long, remember he was in superb form just before his injury. Walcott can bag a hat trick at competitive international level. Wilshire is the next bergkamp apparently. Heck, Jay Simpson is looking good at WBA too.

Striker is the last position we need to strenghten.

edit: as I said before today our goal tally is comparable to the top sides, but our defense is much worse.

jasonorr wrote: »

This season v previous seasons:

2008-2009: 22 12  5  5 37 24 13 41
2007-2008: 22 15  6  1 43 17 26 51 ( 3rd)
2006-2007: 22 11  6  5 41 19 22 39 ( 4th)
2005-2006: 22 11  4  7 34 16 18 37 ( 4th)
2004-2005: 22 14  6  2 52 24 28 48 ( 2nd)
2003-2004: 22 15  7  0 42 14 28 52 ( 1st)
2002-2003: 22 14  4  4 45 24 21 46 ( 2nd)
2001-2002: 22 11  8  3 43 26 17 41 ( 1st)
2000-2001: 22 11  6  5 38 22 16 39 ( 2nd)
1999-2000: 22 13  4  5 41 22 19 43 ( 2nd)
1998-1999: 22 10  9  3 23 11 12 39 ( 2nd)
1997-1998: 22 10  8  4 39 26 13 38 ( 1st)
1996-1997: 22 11  7  4 39 21 18 40 ( 3rd)
1995-1996: 22  9  7  6 28 20  8 34 ( 5th)
1994-1995: 22  7  7  8 26 25  1 28 (12th)
1993-1994: 22 10  7  5 24 13 11 37 ( 4th)
1992-1993: 22  9  4  9 23 22  1 31 (10th)

Where do you get these stats?

~Rebel~ wrote: »

from a purely football point of view i'd love to see;

---

Adebayor
---Arshavin

---

Nasri

---

Van Persie
/\

---

Fabregas--NEW(Appiah-esque) /\
Clichy

---

Sagna

Very fluent attacking 3 behind Ade. Would be handsome i reckon.

Sure City are planning on playing 4-1-4-1, surely Arsenal could play it too?

---

Adebayor

---

Nasri

---

Fabregas

---

Arsehavin----Walcott

---

NEW

---

Clichy

---

Sagna

Yup, RVP is in great form at the moment. I'd certainly have him ahead of Adebayor.

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

As the furthest forward of a defensive 3 man midfield. Total waste.

With 6 players behind him we could afford Fab a free role in CM.
He'd be playing as high up the pitch as he is now and not have to worry as much about play breaking down as he'd know he'd have more people behind him.

Having said that though, Wenger prefers the auld 4-4-2 and I don't think he'll change it up

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

That'd leave the striker far too isolated. We've frequently struggled to score goals this season, 4-5-1ing it won't help matters.

I wouldn't be a 4-5-1

More a 4-2-1-2-1 (hybrid 4-3-3) with Fab in CM with two advanced wingers and a striker ahead of him.