Saturation Coverage Increases Pre-Season 'Noise'
Aug 11th, 2008 by 'holic
There were days, not very long ago, when if you wanted to see pre-season friendlies you actually had to go to the games. Wall to wall television coverage was not available. Because there was no internet either you had to hope you could find a column inch or two of a report in the papers.
How things have changed. In rational moments we talk of pre-season games being an exercise in getting players back to a level of fitness, avoiding injury, and maybe getting used to new faces. Then it arrives and rationality is a victim to the ‘I want everything now’ mentality. The forums and comments are filled with doom.
Two draws and a defeat (forget the six wins) with very much a second string side suddenly means we have no depth, no cover at all, according to some. An injury to Abou Diaby is somehow seen as the arrival of doomsday in some quarters. Get real.
Now I will confess, again, to being of the opinion that we are two players short of where I would like us to be. The words being used by Arsene Wenger lead me to believe that every effort is being made to bring in at least one new signing. “I do not rule out anybody completely at the moment,” he is quoted as saying.
In all honesty that is not a lot different from the position I found myself in last summer. When Johan Djourou was loaned out to Birmingham we were expecting a central defender to arrive. There was a general clamour as well for a goalscoring winger. Neither arrived. The world didn’t end. In fact until that fateful day at Birmingham we were the best team in the land.
So forgive me if I refuse to jump up and down and stamp my feet now. If an experienced central defender and a quality defensive midfielder don’t arrive I’ll get behind those that are playing. I have no option, they are my team, regardless, and I have gone into seasons before with much less hope than this one offers.
You know what? The players we have will win a lot of football matches. Now if we can supplement them and strengthen the areas of perceived weakness, all well and good. The proof of the pudding will be seen soon enough, but the world is not going to end because a team with an average age of nineteen could ‘only’ draw with Sevilla. Not so very long ago, we would have celebrated that.
65 Responses to “Saturation Coverage Increases Pre-Season 'Noise'”
Dont worry, “Arsene knows”. Why dont we give hi another pay rise.
him
nicely said, come on you gunners!! websites like Le Grove should be shut down, we’ve got a beautiful team and will kick arse next season!
Well played mate.
Good article, Goonerholic, and I completely agree with it’s sentiments.
Thanks ‘holic – I’m finding myself getting sucked in to the doom a bit, so thanks for a bit of rationality. Regardless of what happens or not in the transfer market, every player wearing an Arsenal shirt and turning out for the team gets my support. We cannot even begin to guess what is going on behind the scenes and since we can’t influence Arsene’s decisions, we might as well focus on what we can do, which is to support the team wholeheartedly.
Yep im gonna support arsenal no matter what happens. The team
needs our support not people getting on thier back and the
managers back cos that aint gonna help our club.
Well, we were crying out for that goal scoring winger last year and, erm, we didnt actually win anything did we?
Now we seem better equipped in the wide areas and are not dead light in central midfield.
We aint that far off, a quality addition with premier league experience, who currently plays in claret and blue in the midlands will do!
we are NOW dead light I meant!
One of the best pieces i’ve read for a long time.
Well said!
I read that Wenger said that he was looking for a central midfielder, but NOT someone to specifically play alongside Fabregas, as, he reckoned, anyone could play with Cesc!!!
I reckon that points at Alonso, and Wenger waiting for Benitez to admit he wants to sell him, and therefore drop the price. If Alonso doesn’t play in the CL, then Benitez can’t say he’s staying.
So bet your house on Alonso getting a “slight knock” in training today or tomorrow….
I guess if we do buy him it will be late this week or early next week, although we might have to wait for Arsenal (and probably Liverpool) to have guaranteed the CL cash before it all goes ahead….
Nice one Holic!
I admit our preperation for Twente isn´t ideal but we have a couple of players on the injury table and Song at the Olympics so if we get these players back and a new DM we look better equipped to deal with injuries this season than last IMO.
I´ve been one of those who want us to sign another cb but Djourou is looking much better than last season and hopefully Senderos will take the next step and iron out those mistakes because apart from that he´s a good defender.
Fabianski finally showed what he´s capable of and although you can´t say he´s good enough yet, that performance gainst Sevilla shows that when he´s on song he´s one hell of a gk.
It is funny tho, I was only going on with myself this morning about how a few years back, the 1st pre-season game most would know anything about was the Charity Shield!
Now we got tournaments all over the place and everyone is judging their entire season based on a win against some foreign team with various degrees of fitness, sharpness, arsedness!
mjc//
Hope your right mate, but it´s near impossible to predict what Wenger will do.
At least your on to something and I´ll be one happy bugger should we get Alonso.
Djourou looked pretty good the other night, hope he can get games and show his worth, finally. If he can, I think he could well be good enough to be a partner to either Gallas or Kolo, eventually.
Barry, for me would be the perfect signing. He’s experienced, wouldnt need to settle in to the league and can play left back and centre back too, oh, and he aint a short arse either.
Emm! A little bit of positivity, well what ever next. Nice article, it’s so easy to get drawn into the end of the Arsenal story, what with the constant knocking of our team’s chances from all quarters. Even the ‘odious one’ has commented recently. With so many detractors we need to get behind our team, and support our side.
Great article! FINALLY someone who talks some sense. I agree completely with everything you write. I can’t believe all the nonsense being published on various blogs about how we are finished and how both Liverpool and even Tottenham are a “class apart” from us. Utter rubish. We have a very strong team, packed full of world class players – that’s right, I said “world class” – and players who are HUNGRY. I don’t doubt for a moment that we will have a great season. Neither do I ever doubt that AW knows EXACTLY what he is doing. He is a very intelligent man, and if he won’t buy any more players this summer he will surely have some excellent reasons for that decision. Only two days now. I can’t wait.
Nice one ‘holic. The gloom and doom merchants have been pretty busy with their rumour mongering. Le Grove was even audaciously suggesting some kind of swap deal with a Boro player. Why on earth would you buy a Boro player when you can pick from some of the world’s best ?
I dont think we are in a bad position. There is Ramsey, Denilson, Wilshere, Coquelin, Lansbury and Randall all of whom can play the central midfield role. People dont seem to trust the kids and want some renowned name to take up their place. Gareth Barry is good for Aston Villa – is he a guarantee to be a success for us ? No way. People forget that the more expensive signings dont always guarantee success and the real gems have always been those that are understated. Find me one person who would have backed Mathieu Flamini to be the success he was in the role last year.
Loads of catching up to do, I’ll have a few drinks, thank you, ‘holic.
+great post, comme toujours. It’s always a pleasure to read you.
Well said ‘holic. I would love to have been able to put it half as well as that. Sanity couldn’t have been better expressed.
Re: PG
I’m not doom mongering and I’m quite confident about this season but come on… “Ramsey, Denilson, Wilshere, Coqueline, Lansbury and Randall”. A lot of young talented players but anyone who thinks that will be good enough to challenge for the Prem and Champions League is insane
As always, Goonerholic… you’re a shining beacon in an otherwise dark and dreary night. Good form.
Spot on , in fact the majority of the doom merchants sites are run by fans who have known very little esle but A.Wenger hence the “i want a trophy and i wanted now” or “i bought kaka on championship manager, why cant wenger buy him”.enough said about ” les tossers”
CRISIS…………..?????????
Even arsenal sites that have previously played down the defensive/midfield frailty of the squad are expressing their concern today.
ARSEBLOG – who I respect totally sums it up perfectly and mirrors the concerns of the rest of us.
Even if we get away with it over the next two weeks, it will not change the fact that it is extremely unprofessional for the club/board/manager to put us in this vulnerable position.
I have increasingly become disillusioned by Arsene’s statements of late.
First there was the “we do not need to buy a defender”, then “I’ve come with my chequebook” at the start of the Euros, followed by “I’ve realised everyone is too expensive” and now “I’m too busy to worry about buying a midfielder”. Well for christ’s sake – is there no-one at the club who isn’t ‘too busy’.
Reading between the lines, I wonder if arsene’s last statement was his clever way of telling us that he needs help. I don’t think a man as calculating as him would have let this situation arise. I hate to say it, but the S****s midfield is lookking very good and all of their purchases will improve their squad. I know it is a fact that we cannot compete with them, manure, chelski and quite a few others in transfer budgets, but are we really that poor that we can’t invest in a player/players that will give us a chance to compete.
What would it cost if we don’t qualify for the CL next season. Yes – I dare to ask the question – shoot me for it…..
I will support Arsenal anyhow, even if we get relegated..I am a fairly new GUNNER (2004/2005). I am doing my part to support my team, i just ordered both home and away kits (too excited to wait for them to arrive). I went out to a football tournament in Charlotte, NC this weekend and most of the guys I met support Arsenal..I was a little shock since we haven’t won anything for a while..there were more gunner jerseys than any major european team. I am thinking of forming a GUNNER FAN club out here to see the games together..
We have a board who aren’t particularly concerned with winning things. They just want to rake in as much moolah for minimum outlay. hence their statements about how Gooners would be more than happy to finish 4th every year, how winning isn’t importmant, coz the stadium is full of mugs paying top dollar to watch the yutes.
Why should they have to actually spend some money to strengthen the team???
What an outragous suggestion old chap.
hallelujah!!!
It seems every proper, right-minded gooner except those infected with the ‘Arsene knows best’ virus, concedes that we need a top class, combative, defensive midfielder.
The fans, the pundits, the check-out girls in Tesco – all know this.
We shouldn’t have let Diarra go
We should have got Flamini to sign a new contract earlier last season, We should have realised by now that Diaby is injury prone and may never be good enough
We should have realised that Fabregas was not going to be match fit for the Twente game
We shouldn’t have sold Gilberto until we had secured a replacement for Flamini
We shouldn’t have given priority to signing little known players
WE SHOULD HAVE PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS AND BOUGHT THE BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE THAT WE CAN AFFORD – AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH1!!!!!!!!!!
Arsene is the best manager we’ve ever had. He had a great working relationship with David Dein. David Dein used to handle all the transfers – and look at what fantastic players that yielded. Maybe the club should get Arsene some top class assistant to take the burden off his shoulders. he can appraise the players and let someone else do ther donkey work.
The fact is that we have fucked up! If we don’t get a good result on wednesday, serious questions will have to be asked……………
Diarra is a short arsed, arrogant, impatient twat.
Fuck him, we dont need gits like that.
Flamini was out the door last season, he had one decent season and used it to get the biggest deal he could from whoever would pay him most.
Fair play to him, he arrived under a cloud and left in a similar fashion and styleee.
Gilberto? bless him, almost every game he played last season, was a game in which we were over run in midfield, a bit like how Ramsey and Randall were on saturday.
Not saying things aint been done in a cack handed way. We should definitely have signed at least one more player by now, everyone is aware that diaby simply cannot stay fit, just like RvP and Rosicky last season, we cannot go into a new season expecting either of them to fit for long periods, they are BONUS players and listening to Wenger go on about how we were unlucky with injuries when my nan could’ve said RvP and Rosicky would miss most of the season, aint even funny.
Sorry for the negativity, it is more to do with the board IMO, I am beginning to think we are skint.
If we aint then maybe Wenger needs a new number 2 who can give a point of view instead of just nodding.
Well said. Nice to hear someone on a blog site talking sense
Spike
Not sure, but I think despite trying hard to be a ‘good gooner’ you actually ended up agreeing with me. It is possible to be a proper fan, gonner til I die etc and ask difficult questions.
It comes down to who owns the club in some ways. Obviously the shareholders own the club and the board run it, but we the fans are the heart and soul, and I think we have been let down.
The problem is that due to the usual cloak of secrecy – we don’t actually know who is letting us down. I choose to believe that it is not Arsene – and even if it is I forgive him!
Rasputin
Thing is, my views swing wildly from one extreme to another!
One minute Im full of optimism for a new campaign, then get dragged down by an avalanche of pessimsitic doom mongery.
Thing is, i don’t think we are far away from having a title challenging squad.
BUT, that one addition cannot really be an unknown inexperienced kid from a different country/continent.
An experienced, quality addition is required IMO and that aint gonna come cheap. Sure prem players are over priced, but now aint the time to be pontificating about value for money etc when that extra outlay could be the diffeence between a successful season or mediocrity.
Regardless of whether we do actually win anything, i would have thought the murmurings from our better players would give the club enough of a reason to strengthen, or we may well say adios to cesc….
Rasputin is sensible and correct.
Thia is the weakest Arsenal midfield in ten years. End of. The issue is not, and never will be, about whether fans will support the team – of course they bloody will! The issue is why and how it comes to be that we have failed to identify a good replacement for Patrick Viera? One emerged from the shadows last season in the form of Flamini and yet we allowed his contract to expire to the extent that he walked out of the club FREE – we failed to ensure that one of the best destructive midfielders in europe was tied to a contract and on a decent competitive salary – that is utterly unforgivable but follows a litany of mistakes as regards letting players go … to name a few: Viera, Edu, Campbell, Henry, Flamini, Lauren, Diarra – at ManU most of those players would still be at the club and the transition between new youthful players and the established yet fading greats would be made fairly seamless (see Giggs, Scholes, Neville etc.). The result is that we are trophy-less for years, and YES THAT AMOUNTS TO A FUCKING CRISIS THIS YEAR IF WE WIN NOTHING … simply stating that the world is not at and end is weak beyond belief – get some bollox ffs. Please don’t tell me you’re happy about this situation because it stinks – STINKS – BIG TIME!!!!!!. The club has money to spend thats for certain, so now is the time to spend it or believe me – the stadium will not be full every game. We are all feeling the difficult economic circumstances and it’s going to get worse – dish up another season of failure and we’ll be on a downward spiral that’ll be very very difficult to get out of – let’s not become Liverpool – let’s buy the two players we so desperately need and let’s go out and take the PL and the CL THIS SEASON. The culprits for this are quite clearly – not Wenger who is a genius talent spotter and nurturer, not the fans who cough up more and more money every season making us the highest revenue-earning sports club in the world, not the players who are without doubt a gifted group but … the Arsenal Board – it’s time to either give Wenger the money he needs OR instruct him to buy some experience. IT’S SO OBVIOUS.
Rasputin, your determination to put out a pro-Dein message, to the extent that you are duplicating posts on here, is interesting.
I think you wil find that what Arseblog and I say are not mutually exclusive. I do have, however, a problem with people who profess to know what every proper, right-minded gooner is thinking. Think about what you are typing, and you will understand why I am concerned with rationality being cast to one side.
I wouldn’t claim to be more likely to be right than the next man, or to now what everybody is thinking, but I assure you there are few who can deny that I am a proper, right-minded Gooner.
It is interesting that if anyone says anything negative about our club we immediately look for an underlying motive. I cannot forgive David Dein for the way he went about doing what he thought was best for the club. I, like most fans see red and white holdings as the enemy – an avenue by which we could end up like Chelski, Man City and Pool. No, I am not advocating the return of DD, but I would like Arsene to have his pick of the crop for a replacement to ease the burden on him. Let Arsene get on with what he does best.
Goonerholic
In my haste to reply, I didn’t realise I was responding to you. Clearly it is your site and you have every right to analyse/respond to what your postees say, but don’t you think it is a bit feeble to argue over symantics when we are trying to discuss important points! (the duplication by the way is because I am a muppet and didn’t realise I had put my comments on yesterday’s blog)
I guess what I am trying to say, is that I don’t understand why we appear to be so fragile in our confidence at the moment that when anyone makes a slightly negative comment about the club, we try to argue against it even though we agree in principle. So the only conclusion I can make is that the current state of the club is making us all (sorry to be presumptious – I meant most of us) nervous about the season ahead.
My apologies to anyone who I offended by the phrase ‘every proper, right-minded gooner’
Can’t spell semantics before anyone tells me
Fair enough R. What galls me is the amount of angst out there. The assumption that nothing is happening. The slaughtering of Arsene Wenger because we have, and I will accept this, a perceived shortfall in a couple of areas. Let me suggest, not insist, that we are fairly limited in our choice. Because of the quality of the players we already have any new signings need to be of a certain standard., Arsene’s ‘super-quality’ if you will. These players, even in the event that their existing employers are prepared to release them, have options available to them. If we are able to come to agreement with them, and their clubs, we will get them. If we are not, then for goodness’ sake what we have is not bad. I just don’t see where all of this moaning for moanings sake gets us. But maybe that’s just me?
Thanks Goonerholic. We agree, we’re human and it appears you are not entirely ‘angst free’. I have never, will never slaughter, AW. The main thrust of my comments has been to ask why the board hasn’t given him more support.
I find it galling that clubs like S***s have been able to secure the players they wanted, and my fear is that we are damaging our image to prospective future players. It’s great when players say “I’d love to join Arsenal, they play beautiful football” but in reality a high percentage (Ade?) would probably consider a high wage packet as a greater inducement. Having said that, I was a bit dissapointed when I heard Ade had been awarded a huge rise. Am I ambivalent – I’m in two minds about that one!
Who am I. I know nothing. I guess I have joined the debate on this site because I want someone to put my mind at rest. Its a great site (I mean it!) and I get the feeling that a lot of the correspondants are regulars who are known to one another. I hope that my comments will be accepted as genuine and heartfelt if sometimes over the top with my choice of phrase, and anyone who doubts this can meet outside the Emirates on saturday and I’ll buy them a beer before making myself hoarse cheering our boys on
There is the difference then. I do believe that this board made great efforts to accomodate what he wants. I am absolutely certain that Ken Friar has been kept extremely busy this summer doing the work you seem to think Arsene has taken on from Dein. Ken may not have the extensive range of oily contacts that the orange one had, but he is a first-class negotiator and administrator, which is part of the reason why the club has not fallen into a black-hole as predicted when Dein left. Just another take on things which fits in with what I am told, and what I choose to believe.
Anyway, I think we have done it to death now. This could have been tomorrow’s post. 😉 All the best fella. Even if we don’t agree doesn’t mean we can’t unite behind the club.
Thanks Goonerholic – I’m flattered by your attention and pleased you’ve found ‘a difference’
I know you want to draw a line under this topic so I promise I will not come back if you choose to respond.
I have to take issue with you on one matter. I am sure Ken Friar is a good man who works his socks off and doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, but to describe DD’s contacts as ‘oily’ has to be wrong – slick is the appropriate word (oh no – they’re all going to think I’m a Dein advocate again!).
Wenger and Dein were very close friends and colleagues – I know this for a fact and Dein’s slick transfer negotiations bought some incredible players to the club. Such was the bond between the two men that some fans feared Arsene would leave over the matter.
I’m pragmatic. I don’t care how orange the negotiator is, I’d just like to see us sign some good players by whatever means – the fracas over Merida shows that we are prepared to push the rules a bit.
So I’d like to leave you with two concise statements of my opinion.
THE SQUAD IS LIGHT IN MIDFIELD AND SHORT IN EXPERIENCE
THE CLUB HAVE FAILED TO FIND A REPLACEMENT FOR FLAMINI
If you have a difference on either of these points I’d like to hear it.
If we sign two incredible players in the next two weeks I will be ecstatic. You can all slag me off, and do you know what, I won’t care because Arsenal will be the winner and that’s all that matters.
Ffs, Wenger is too busy to bother about sighnings, how very professional. Can you imagine Ferguson making a statement like that, in fact can you imagine any other manager saying something so silly. Seems Wenger can lie as much as he likes and some of you will never question him, I cant listen to this mad mans bullshit and excuses any more, he stopped making sense a long time ago, around the time we became chokers and lightweight.
I’ll have a large brandy and cigar in my office.
*slams door*
No smoko, shell-dweller. Gave up a year and eleven days ago, and I’ve never been so short of breath. Should have carried on….
I have read these comments with interest and tend to agree with Rasputin. Yes I think we have fantastic players coming through, but they are not ready now. I saw Arsene analyse parts of last season on the tv. He said that defensively we were strong. This was all except for the big ball through the middle. We are light in midfield both in stature and in terms of experience. Not only have we not replaced Paddy but in my opinion we have not replaced Freddie or Pires. Only a few years ago we had a midfield that contributed 40 plus goals. We also had commanding centre backs.
Arsene does need help. It should be simple. We are the second richest club in the league and the 5th in Europe. Arsene should be able to say that he wants him, him and him. Then someone goes out and gets them. End of really.
I don’t want to be doom and gloom. Far from it. But we are not going to evolve unless we have experience to guide players through their development.
Top post and top debate though…….
Top post ‘Holic. Agree completely
Great article ‘Holic’ and as Steve T says a great debate.
To say that I do not have concerns about the strength of our CM and defense would be a lie, but that does not overshadow the fact that we have a fantastically talented side, who I have no doubt will again play the best football in the league.
The nay sayers are coming from all quarters and it is good get some positive vibes, we definitely have work to do but is not all gloom and doom.
It seems to the staple of football pundits to banish us to the realm of no hopers, but again we will prove them wrong.
Hi to all Gooners (first time poster on this site).
Can I firstly congratulate you for an absolutely first class mature debate – the common thread being that we all care passionately about Arsenal.
To get straight to the point, my personal view sits somewhere neatly between ‘holic and Rasputin. Forgive please if that sounds like I am sitting on the fence but I will explain why.
Rasputin is IMO quite right in proclaiming the two key areas of weakness in the current squad,
THE SQUAD IS LIGHT IN MIDFIELD AND SHORT IN EXPERIENCE
THE CLUB HAVE FAILED TO FIND A REPLACEMENT FOR FLAMINI
I do not believe this can be seriously questioned by ANY (serious) Gooner. On the other hand I believe ‘holic is absolutely spot on in his opening comments because we have had an excellent pre-season campaign. We’ve kept key players like Ade, Cesc, Gallas, Clichy. RVP is fit again (let’s wait and see for how long). Walcott, Bendtner and Denilson (and even Eboue) are all showing signs of improvement and experience. So maybe things are not anywhere near as dire as many doomsayers would like to proclaim!?
I believe Wenger WILL sign one more player (Alonso, Inler, Barry???). There is still another two weeks approx before the transfer window closes and he is simply being tight lipped about who he is targetting and when that will be.
Look at Liverpool. They made it public knowledge as far back as two months ago that they intend to sign Gareth Barry. And that deal is yet to happen because they cannot raise the finance. We are not Liverpool. Furthermore, there hasn’t really been a huge amount of activity in the transfer market (apart from S***s – and they’re always buying players). My point is whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, finance plays a huge part of modern day football and AW has always been someone who favours running a football club like a business.
first class article. The panicy types of rasputin and co are what depress me.
(Although I happen to agree with spike on Diarra), of course we can all see what rasputin means by ‘We shouldn’t have let Diarra go’ – because we won 0 and now have neither LD MF or GS. But that’s ‘hindsight’. It happened because AW knew that we could win something in 08 with the team playing as it was- so he sacraficed the development of Diarra and lost him. You panicers moan so much because he is a developmental manager (which yes, he is) not a cheque-book manager but the central midfield ‘issue’ happened because he chose the _expensive_ choice of sticking with Flamini and losing Diarra in a bid to win the league or CL. Didn’t work out in the end but that’s sport.
But the biggest head slapper is that the transfer window is not over till September. Do Arsenal often/usually sign their targets at the very last moment? Let’s check recent history.. . You shouldn’t even be having this debate until September. Then, what ever happens try to remember: we are not chelsea. we are not man u. but we do have a tried and tested method of keeping up with these money soaked bastards, which has kept us ahead of even liverpool and has even landed us titles every few years.
Calm Down – or wake up?
I’m disappointed to be labelled ‘a panicker’. Looking back at results is hindsight – its called history and it is something from which we learn, without history the word ‘experience’ wouldn’t exist.
I’m not panicking, I expect us to beat Twente and the first 6 games of the season look like bankers…………..but remember, the last time we proclaimed that a certain 6 game were vital – it all went pear-shaped. So can we learn something from that history. Well the players certainly claim to have it imprinted on their psyche.
The sending off later of Hleb for something completely out of character and the ‘injury’ to Flamini were all signs that those players were off.
We have to learn from these mistakes even if we don’t want (for professional reasons) to come out in public and admit to them.
Its hard to be positive when we haven’t won anything for 3 seasons. Wenger is a genius but his inability to act in transfer market has cost us badly. Each of those seasons if he had made one crucial signing we could have won something. Last year we were crying for a centre back, the 2 seasons prior a striker like Eduardo (fox in the box) to partner Henry or even a goal scoring midfielder (incidently his stubborness on 30 + policy cost us Pires and boy he’s goals would have helped last 2 years). I think we could survive without a defensive midfield but my biggest worry is central defence!! We dont dont know how to win ugly because we cant shut out teams 1-0 (to the Arsenal) anymore. Its plaint to see that Toure and Gallas can’t play together. Both play better with a traditional centre back – Toure was good with Campbell, Gallas was with Terry. All the team that have wont the premiership have had a dominant centre back pairing as a spine. Terry & Carvalho, Vididc and Ferdinand, is it any wonder we will play second fiddle again. Until Wenger brings in a dominant centre back we wont win the title…offensively we can match any team but defensively we concede the most ..our 1-1 draws could have been 1-0’s. That’s the small margin between winning and losing. Our full backs are great and last year we had a fantastic shield in midfield from Flamini (So dont argue that the midfielders didnt help enough last season) so no more excuses. Tactically both Toure and Gallas are lost.
Thanks Ash!
I came on this site to swap ideas and learn from other fans – and Ash has opened my eyes to something I hadn’t fuuly appreciated. He’s not panicking and he’s not anti Arsenal or Arsene but he makes very good points and shouldn’t be criticised for allowing optimism and loyalty to cloud his judgement.
You only lose games if you concede goals – you need to score goals to win games – apologies for stating the blindingly obvious. I think the stat showed last season that a pairing of Seneros with either Gallas or Toure conceded less goals than Gallas with Toure – seems to prove Ash’s point.
So guess what, I’m harping on again that we need a tall strong defender and a combative, ball-winning defensive midfielder. If we buy two such players before the window closes that would be great, but AW did say that we don’t need to buy any defenders so I’m not holding my breath on that one!
Have to say I generally agree with Ash too. To be honest I thought we were going to get more of a steely type defender (and then some) when Gallas arrived. He hasn’t really been the sensation I thought he would have. But let’s not forget Arsene had tried the same with Senderos and Pascal Cygan before him (I read somewhere that our record of results was statistically pretty successful when Cygan was in the team)…..so maybe we ought to be giving Le Prof at least a modicum of respect for trying in that department.
But the here and now is that we are only going to make one more purchase and I say a defensive midfielder (where there is little or no experience alongside Cesc) who can also relieve the central defensive partnership is more important than a central defender (where there is a little more depth and experience besides Toure and Gallas, in the form of Senderos and Djourou and Song).
Just heard the injury list for tomorrow. At first I thought it was just a wind-up, but other sites are reporting that Kolo Toure (hip), Philippe Senderos (hamstring), Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Samir Nasri (knee/thigh) are all out.
I think we’ll still win quite comfortably, but hamstring injuries can take some time so I would suspect that some of these players will probably be out for saturday.
This really does highlight our lack of experience and personnel in midfield/defence. We haven’t started the season and we are having to pair an 18 year old and a 17 year old who has never played in the Premiership in midfield for a championship qualifier. Thank god its over two legs in case the unthinkable happens.
It would be just like that moron McClaren to sneak a result. Watch out for ten men behind the ball and attacking invention consisting of numerous long balls over the top from the brolly man!
I hate all this doom and gloom. When the papers tell us that losing Flamini was a major blow, you`d think he was an incredibly gifted technical player, instead of the wholehearted tryer who`s had one good season, that we know him to be. Then they tell us that we havn`t replaced Hleb, a superbly talented player WHEN he could be bothered. I know that we would have signed Nasri anyway, but surely when we have someone with the unfortunate soubriquet `the new Zidane` playing in his stead, have we significantly weakened the team? Throw in the departures of Lehmann and Gilberto to make a full-blown exodus, and its no wonder that some of the more soft in the head Arsenal supporters start to worry.
The answer is simple. To all those depressed souls who are worrying about the future, I say, I know a place, not a million miles away, where the optimism is unbounded. Indeed this is going to be their year (again). Why don`t you all f**k of down the lane; you know you`ll feel better for it.
I’ll have one for the road please, ‘holic
Good stuff ‘holic. I think I’ll make it a point to read your blog more often now.
Biscuitbum
What a genius you are – why couldn’t the rest of us mere mortals see as clearly as you?
Of course you’re right and why didn’t we have the sensitivity to know that we’d upset you by ‘all this doom and gloom’ After all, this forum is not for intelligent debate but simply a repository for an endless stream of back-slapping and myopic kowtowing.
Everything is perfect. We have a balanced squad of players. We have no financial issues. We have won the league four years on the trot. We have no right to ask questions. We should just fork out for our tickets and not allow our passion for football to spill over into areas that don’t concern us.
OK. sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but your pathetic suggestion that anyone who takes the time to express an opinion and invite comment from other fans should go and support S***s tells us more about you.
And by the way if you are suggesting that is the place to go because that is ‘where the optimism is unbounded’ – aren’t you the one who is advocating optimism over realism?
Tough luck anyway because it is possible to support and worry about our club at the same time and when you are at the Emirates you will be surrounded by thousands of fans who to a greater or lesser extent worry about our club and they are all as worthy fans as you are and don’t deserve that diatribe you’ve just dished up.
Apologies all for the lack of a preview of the Twente game. I have too little knowledge of the visitors to write a meaningful piece because I only tend to watch Dutch football when the big three are playing each other. I also don’t want to detract from what has been a really good debate here. I’ll be back tomorrow with some observations on the game, and hopefully a decent performance by us. I dread to think of the reaction if we don’t win fourteen-nil, and I have a horrible feeling these opponents are better than we might imagine, having beaten Ajax to qualify for this stage of the competition. Anyway, wherever you are watching it, have a good one.
Biscuitbum – you’re all over the place with your comments. For starters, how on earth can you on the one hand lament the press giving Nasri the unfortunate soubriquet `the new Zidane’ (yes, I agree – he should never be described as such), then use the very same as part of an argument to suggest we have NOT significantly weakened the team?? And what may I ask has that remotely got to do with supporting S***s, a sad team of inveterate optimists (over reality) who year on year declare they are going to win the league?? Surely you should be arguing for the very opposite – or maybe YOU should be joining them?
My friend….it’s all about opinions……and everyone has one. Please show a little more respect to those that just happen to express one the differs to your own.
Final word……I’ve just read todays Arseblog……who gives, IMO, a very balanced assessment of the challenges facing the squad as we face the new season. We surely must not close our eyes and ears to what are fundamental issues happening at the Grove.
Come on you Gunners!!!!
Just wanted to add my praise for your excellent work ‘holic. You’re a star.
toss a biscuit you bum. fans who care care enough to speak up. the team needs help in midfield. i detest pessimism but shyte man we can’t contend with this squad. which self-respecting epl side wouldn’t love to line up against denilson and ramsey. i respect wenger even though he sounds like he’s had some botched brain surgery lately. aw needs to be a bit less nurturing and a bit more ruthless. if he’s afraid of killing youth, he’s bought the wrong youth. and you can safely bet when the game is on all my vitriol will be spewed at any and all opposition. that said i think we have just enough to finish third in epl but that’s as far as this team can go.