Arsenal Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2013/14 mod warning post #5144

bad2dabone · 12-02-2014 11:56PM

i can understand the pragmatism of the performance, united can still hurt a team, as van persie's header that was saved showed. however i think we've seen this evening that we will come up short where it matters without a pacey striker.

i'm disappointed, and for the first time in a while i don't believe that we're realistic challengers at the moment.

I'm starting to be like "maybe next year" but i feel we won't end up with a top striker over the summer.

Alfred Borden · 12-02-2014 11:56PM

Still in our hands boys i suppose, win all 12 games and we are champions, nothing anyone can do about it!

emergingstar · 12-02-2014 11:57PM

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

Course there is.

Just win and were happy!

If only it was that easy

We put in great effort

Biased the second half and created a few decent chances

We're lacking quailty in the final third that's about it

.jacksparrow. · 12-02-2014 11:58PM

bad2dabone wrote: »

i can understand the pragmatism of the performance, united can still hurt a team, as van persie's header that was saved showed. however i think we've seen this evening that we will come up short where it matters without a pacey striker.

i'm disappointed, and for the first time in a while i don't believe that we're realistic challengers at the moment.

I'm starting to be like "maybe next year" but i feel we won't end up with a top striker over the summer.

We will but will probably loose some players like most seasons and end up a played short to challenge.

.jacksparrow. · 12-02-2014 11:59PM

emergingstar wrote: »

If only it was that easy

We put in great effort

Biased the second half and created a few decent chances

We're lacking quailty in the final third that's about it

Its not no but dooable as spurs pool Chelsea man city stoke etc have showed this season.

tayto lover · 13-02-2014 12:00AM

greendom wrote: »

Players were tentative too. A shame but understandable all the same

It might be understandable for you but I don't understand it at all.
We should have gone for the jugular from the start but the team selection had draw written all over it.
No ambition from Wenger.
A slow defensive selection in my opinion.
It was like a team selected for an away fixture at an in-form United.

Marty McFly · 13-02-2014 12:00AM

nuxxx wrote: »

With all the confidence in the world he's still not going to as effective as a pacy striker in that Arsenal setup who can turn with his back to goal or run in behind strikers. Coming from a United fan btw

Agreed I know a lot go on about his link up play but we have the players for that already he is playing CF and offers very little.

Link up play at times is brilliant but doesn't outweigh the fact he has no pace, can't head the ball, is a poor finisher and doesn't make enough intelligent runs.

UnknownSpecies · 13-02-2014 12:01AM

Liverpool only 3 points behind us now too. If we reckon we're still in with a shout then they could probably say the same after the recent results of the top 3.

On the subject of Giroud. He did miss some chances that simply HAD to be finished tonight but I'm willing to forgive him. He has a very tough job up there on his own. When he holds it up, the players around him aren't doing good enough to make runs in behind or create space for him to do something meaningful with the ball. It's also not his fault that we lack so much pace. He's not a pacey player and he's not being played for his pace so I think it's a unfair if he's criticised for that aspect of his game. It's been said a hundred times but we are crying out for a Walcott in those types of games. Even giving Podolski a half hour along with Ox might have been all we needed tonight. I feel Giroud just needs for one of those chances in a big game to go in for him and we'll see his confidence soar along with more goals.

emergingstar · 13-02-2014 12:01AM

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

Its not no but dooable as spurs pool Chelsea man city stoke etc have showed this season.

Chelsea couldn't beat went brom yesterday every game is different

I thought that was a good performance we need more quailty though

.jacksparrow. · 13-02-2014 12:02AM

emergingstar wrote: »

Chelsea couldn't beat went brom yesterday every game is different

I thought that was a good performance we need more quailty though

We couldn't beat west brom either.

emergingstar · 13-02-2014 12:03AM

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

We couldn't beat west brom either.

You make out we should be winning all games as if it's that easy

.jacksparrow. · 13-02-2014 12:05AM

emergingstar wrote: »

You make out we should be winning all games as if it's that easy

No just meant west brom are hood at home.

greendom · 13-02-2014 12:07AM

tayto lover wrote: »

It might be understandable for you but I don't understand it at all.
We should have gone for the jugular from the start but the team selection had draw written all over it.
No ambition from Wenger.
A slow defensive selection in my opinion.
It was like a team selected for an away fixture at an in-form United.

4 days before we had been heavily beaten. We were playing against a team that we regularly struggle against. Of course the team were always going to be psychologically fragile. I really struggle to see how that is difficult to understand.

emergingstar · 13-02-2014 12:09AM

greendom wrote: »

4 days before we had been heavily beaten. We were playing against a team that we regularly struggle against. Of course the team were always going to be psychologically fragile. I really struggle to see how that is difficult to understand.

I can't get the thinking either

That game was more important not too loose

Gringo180 · 13-02-2014 12:16AM

Had to wait a bit to cool down before I posted as I could of said a few things I regretted. First of all the first half we were sh1te (we were a bit better in the second half, showed a bit more urgency, and a special mention must go to Chesney who pulled an absolute save right out of the top drawer to keep us level), any time a team plays a pressing game against us we panic and give possession away needlessly. Secondly Arteta looked very pedestrian again tonight, he really isnt up to the requiredlevel against the top teams, we badly miss Ramsey and Flamini in the middle of the park, especially Ramsey who makes lovely runs into the box, exactly what weve been missing these past few games. People moan about Podolski not coming on but whats the point?? Hes no pace either and always looks for the ball to feet, hes basically a carbon copy of Giroud.

We just have no penetration in the final third, and its all down to not having any pace out wide or up top, look back to our greatest teams over the years, pace is one thing we had in abundance. The Walcott injury was a massive blow but what kills me is we could of went out and bought in January to fill the void he left!!

I would be even thinking of playing Gnabry or even Oxlade Chamberlain up front v Bayern, its the only way we will score against them or even threaten to.

So deflated over the last 2 games, even 4 points from them and we would be sitting at the top a few points clear with a few nice games coming up in the legue

tayto lover · 13-02-2014 12:17AM

Its 5 points dropped in two games.
A week ago people were talking about the minimum points we needed from the 2 games.
Most said at least 4 points.
Nobody said 1 point.

The reason we only got 1 point was because of poor play, poor team selection and poor management.
No other reason.
We lacked ambition clearly.

UnknownSpecies · 13-02-2014 12:20AM

tayto lover wrote: »

Its 5 points dropped in two games.
A week ago people were talking about the minimum points we needed from the 2 games.
Most said at least 4 points.
Nobody said 1 point.

The reason we only got 1 point was because of poor play, poor team selection and poor management.
No other reason.
We lacked ambition clearly.

Not to mention, a lot of the lads out there look knackered.

Marty McFly · 13-02-2014 12:26AM

emergingstar wrote: »

I can't get the thinking either

That game was more important not too loose

Were meant to be challenging for the title 3 points is all we should ever aim for, were not underdogs fighting relegation hoping to scrape a draw regardless of the previous result.

As tayto said before these two games everyone said we needed 4 pts not 1pt, 1 is not good enough.

Gringo180 · 13-02-2014 12:32AM

Is it a case of groundhog day and us bottling it again when the chance of silverware is looming, I really hope not. I noticed as well tonight a few of our players falling over from the slightest of nudges, I think we have to man up a bit and show some more fight. What I would do to have a Vieira, Gilberto Silva and Henry in this side, we would walk this league.

Ging Ging · 13-02-2014 12:40AM

Very disappointing. This was a real chance and it was blown.

gandalf · 13-02-2014 12:42AM

Gringo180 wrote: »

What I would do to have a Vieira, Gilberto Silva and Henry in this side, we would walk this league.

Even a Giles Grimaldi or a Ray Parlour would be welcome, someone who is prepared to really fight for it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtidXpWaVVM

This makes me laugh every time I watch it!

emergingstar · 13-02-2014 12:44AM

Marty McFly wrote: »

Were meant to be challenging for the title 3 points is all we should ever aim for, were not underdogs fighting relegation hoping to scrape a draw regardless of the previous result.

As tayto said before these two games everyone said we needed 4 pts not 1pt, 1 is not good enough.

Were one point off top

So that's not challenging for the title?

Gringo180 · 13-02-2014 12:46AM

gandalf wrote: »

Even a Giles Grimaldi or a Ray Parlour would be welcome, someone who is prepared to really fight for it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtidXpWaVVM

This makes me laugh every time I watch it!

His face after he tackled him, cult hero

Alfred Borden · 13-02-2014 12:46AM

I get the feeling that this team and management is happy to be actually just challenging for the title, not winning it!

tayto lover · 13-02-2014 12:47AM

emergingstar wrote: »

Were one point off top

So that's not challenging for the title?

The last number of displays were certainly not going to challenge for any title.
Wishy-washy from the manager too.

emergingstar · 13-02-2014 12:48AM

tayto lover wrote: »

The last number of displays were certainly not going to challenge for any title.
Wishy-washy from the manager too.

Can't win them all tayto

Still there playing bad

What will happen if we actually play good??

Gringo180 · 13-02-2014 12:49AM

tayto lover wrote: »

The last number of displays were certainly not going to challenge for any title.
Wishy-washy from the manager too.

Agree and its very worrying that we still can never seem to beat any of our title rivals.

efb · 13-02-2014 12:52AM

Gringo180 wrote: »

Agree and its very worrying that we still can never seem to beat any of our title rivals.

We beat Liverpool this season

emergingstar · 13-02-2014 12:52AM

I remember this time last year we were 19 points off top people were moaning

Fast forward 12 months were one point off top, people are still moaning

I guess some people will never be happy

If that's how your way of supporting our club fair enough

I rather look at the positives and get some enjoyment out of it

gandalf · 13-02-2014 12:54AM

tayto lover wrote: »

The last number of displays were certainly not going to challenge for any title.
Wishy-washy from the manager too.

Maybe so but I think it can be argued that the whole league this year is "wishy washy" every team is messing up. Chelsea have dropped points, Man City have dropped points. Feck it Liverpool are in the mix again.

For the neutral observer this is a great league and it will more than likely go to the final day of the season. We're still in that mix unlike last seasons champions who are definitely out of the running.

We are still fighting for silverware on 3 fronts. Every team has a bad run of results, we've had ours and we are still only 1 point off the top. Lets look forward to this weekend and support the team.

Arsenal Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2013/14 mod warning post #5144

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