If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Arsenal : Where did it go wrong?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I'm just wondering what neutrals think of Arsenal's "transition", try to keep the wind-ups to a minimum. 
It's a real riches to rags story.
1. Not replacing Vieira.
Selling Vieira was the right decision, looking at our season, even if we had him we still would've lost many of the game we have. Wenger's biggest mistake was not bringing in some steel (Diarra perhaps?) in the Summer, despite missing out on Baptista.
2. Big name players letting the side down.
Look at the "English International on 80k a week" last night. Shite, absolute shite. Cotton-wool Gilberto, non existant. Ljungberg ineffective. Pires too lazy (and he wants a two-year deal?). Even Henry deserves some criticism here. Last night's overhead attempt for example. What was the point? The youngsters have been, on the whole, (perhaps Senderos aside)been playing relatively well.
3. Henry's leadership skills.
Vieira led by example. Henry....doesn't lead at all. He occasionally gives a player the odd glare-o-doom but other than that, where's the communication? Where's the encouragement? We've been playing without a captain this season as far as I'm concerned.
4. No plan B
Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, Gilberto loses the ball, ball hoofed, meathead striker, *insert arsenal defender here* misses ball, goal. Almost every goal we've conceeded this season has used this template and we have nothing to combat it.
5. Henry: will he won't he?
It's not a good thing to have the clubs best player and captain um-ing and ah-ing over a new deal. This has hung over the club like a black cloud. Despite what he has already said i.e it is my desire to stay, IMHO he's off in the summer if we finish outside of the Champions League (which is looking extremely likely). He should just come out and say it. I don't think any Arsenal fan will hold it against him, he's given us a lot of good memories but if he does or doesn't he should say so, so Wenger can plan a replacement now rather than be rushed into a panic buy on August 31st. If he wants to repay the "debt of honour" he owes Wenger he should sign the extension regardless so Arsenal get the maximum fee he would command (probably 20-30 million).
It's a real riches to rags story.
1. Not replacing Vieira.
Selling Vieira was the right decision, looking at our season, even if we had him we still would've lost many of the game we have. Wenger's biggest mistake was not bringing in some steel (Diarra perhaps?) in the Summer, despite missing out on Baptista.
2. Big name players letting the side down.
Look at the "English International on 80k a week" last night. Shite, absolute shite. Cotton-wool Gilberto, non existant. Ljungberg ineffective. Pires too lazy (and he wants a two-year deal?). Even Henry deserves some criticism here. Last night's overhead attempt for example. What was the point? The youngsters have been, on the whole, (perhaps Senderos aside)been playing relatively well.
3. Henry's leadership skills.
Vieira led by example. Henry....doesn't lead at all. He occasionally gives a player the odd glare-o-doom but other than that, where's the communication? Where's the encouragement? We've been playing without a captain this season as far as I'm concerned.
4. No plan B
Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, Gilberto loses the ball, ball hoofed, meathead striker, *insert arsenal defender here* misses ball, goal. Almost every goal we've conceeded this season has used this template and we have nothing to combat it.
5. Henry: will he won't he?
It's not a good thing to have the clubs best player and captain um-ing and ah-ing over a new deal. This has hung over the club like a black cloud. Despite what he has already said i.e it is my desire to stay, IMHO he's off in the summer if we finish outside of the Champions League (which is looking extremely likely). He should just come out and say it. I don't think any Arsenal fan will hold it against him, he's given us a lot of good memories but if he does or doesn't he should say so, so Wenger can plan a replacement now rather than be rushed into a panic buy on August 31st. If he wants to repay the "debt of honour" he owes Wenger he should sign the extension regardless so Arsenal get the maximum fee he would command (probably 20-30 million).
Post edited by JustV on
0
Comments
Ah come off it, one off season doesn't lead to a 'riches to rags' story. Try £40 Million + of debt, no manager and a numpty board. I remember watching my lot (Derby) tonking you 3-0 not all that long ago.
Now shush yourself.
I know it's an "off season" and we will be back. I still remember the days 5th place was a good season but considering the players we have at our disposal and our performances so far it's just not good enough at the moment.
I may have been a tad overdramatic but last night really pissed me off. :banghead:
I think our problem is we havent really brought in anyone to fill in the gap and generally add something to the team. We've brought some good youngsters who im sure will be great in a few years time but we kinda needed someone who would make an immediate impact and we havent.
Sad to see, a team that only a few seasons back was playing beautiful football and were the best team in the land
But we'll be back, don't you worry about that
There's no passion at your club. Noone really loves the club, and there's no heart to drive the team on. Fair enough, Henry's presence alone lifts a team, but he's not really captain fantastic.
Pires, Lungberg, Campbell, Bergkamp and couple of others (Lehmann) need replaced or are at that stage soon enough. That's quite a few players and you can't just throw in a load of young African-French players and expect it to come together.
I agree that Henry needs to sign a contract. It's affecting his own game. I used to think Henry only played crap against big sides, but now I see it slipping in against the rest. He looks discontent.
And like us, your team is crying out for a domineering midfielder. Fabregas has a good touch and that but he's not got any physical presence. Not many of the top midfielders would be that fazed playing against him.
I think we're starting to see weaknesses in tactics as well. Wenger said he'd never play 5 in midfield but surprise surprise, you've played half this season with 5 in midfield. Your not scoring and your looking likely to concede in every match. There's something wrong.
We're still in a better position than you.
Second in the league, and still in the 2 domestic cups. Fair enough, we're not in Europe but the way your lot are playing you won't be much longer either. And we will be there next year, of that I'm sure. And we have Rooney.
I would say United are at the same stage we were at last season. Cup success helped paper over the cracks for us but they've been made glaringly visible this season. United and Liverpool are probably still Chelsea's short-term rivals though.
Diaby looks as though he could be the midfielder we need but as usual it's all potential and no proven quality.
Think the team hasn't got another option (think mentioned in first post), but the way I see it is - They like the sexy football, the quick pass and move mostly on the floor, they don't have the ability (or height and strength maybe) to get wide and whip some balls into the danger area, they seem to play it back across the area and try slide delicate balls through all the time. (I'm saying this but obviously haven't seen every game etc.) Viera was a big bloke who from midfield could make his way into the box for crosses to be whipped in, don't think they have anyone with that height and physical presence coming from midfield anymore.
Henry's overhead kick - The point was that it was a fantastic effort that didn't miss the far corner by much, I believe that would have levelled the scores?? How an Arsenal fan especially can complain about something like that with so much quality attached to it I don't know. Would you be asking what the point was if it had nestled in the bottom corner?? I think not.
We were 3-1 down, there were players running into the box. All he had to do was pass it and it's 3-2 and all to play for in the last 10 minutes. He went for the ego stroke. I appreciate the effort, but I don't appreciate the lack of team play. Henry is a demi-god but he shouldn't be exempt from criticism if he warrants it.
I'm probably not the only Arsenal fan who would take boring defensive 1-0 wins until the end of the season over showboating thrillers that could go either way.
Hmm just saw this about Campbell and why he might have left Highbury on Wednesday. Having abit of hard time in his private life.
I hate speculating though, and at the moment I'm just worried about the blokes wellbeing.
All players have stinkers, especially when they're having a hard time of it. Who cares about the rumours? I would say the NOTW should be ashamed of themselves, but they have no shame, and if they destroy a good man they're even happier. The NOTW staff- all of them- should be executed; I'd happily shoot them, that's for sure.
Arsenal basically need a big forrad, a big centre-half, and a midfield presence. They have surprised me how much they've missed Vieira, but I happen to think the biggest loss last summer wasn't Vieira, it was Edu. They've certainly missed Edu.
They've got the youth to do well, I reckon. Players like van Persie, like Fabregas, like Senderos, like Reyes certainly have the ability. I think Reyes is finding it hard, becayse teams know they can kick him out of a game, so they do. ManYoo are masters of it, so are Bolton.
But the problem's been the older players just haven't performed this year. And the defensive troubles have started because Arsenal are missing a lot of key players- Lauren, Cole, Clichy, and now Campbell. When ManYoo were without Neville, Ferdinand and Heinze they couldn't defend for toffee, if Liverpool lost Carragher and Hyypia they'd be in trouble, if Spurs lost King they'd have problems.
Arsenal are struggling because the squad is a bit threadbare, basically. Apart from Chelsea, a team without most of its regular back four would struggle greatly.
It'll come right for them. He may be a cunt, but Wenger is a decent manager.
I kind of agree, but as Moaninho pointed out, Reyes didn't grow on a tree. And Walcott didn't either.
I actually think it will do, the kids seem to be quite good.
I know it was only Birmingham, but that back line defended well with an average age of 20, and Adebayor seemed to offer something a bit different.