re: Arsenal 2014/15 Season Long Thread

Posted by dgnx6

Member since Feb 2006

89668 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 12:36 pm to GeauxTigers2020

I guess what pisses me off is we have the resources but wenger is just stuck. I have always been scared to see this team with s diff manager and a diff style. But fricking pardew has changed things around at Newcastle and will most likely beat us. Sad thing is I actually think we won't make top 4 and will be stuck with wenger at least one more season. Just seems like we will never catch back up with Chelsea when that team was utter shite growing up. I was even on wengers side about not signing fabregas, that was a huge mistake. Not one of our central midfield players is better than him.

Posted by cwil177

Baton Rouge

Member since Jun 2011

29631 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 12:37 pm to leoj

Arsene needs to go. This team plays below its talent. That definitely falls on the coach.

Posted by leoj

Member since Nov 2010

3107 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 12:52 pm to cwil177

not a long term fan but it's apparent to me that a change needs to be made. We may not be capable of winning the league this year but we could be 2nd-4th for sure. Honestly with the results so far we could finish 5th or 6th if we keep this up. Keep waiting for a light to go on in the team's collective head and I'm not seeing it.

Posted by Stewie Griffin

Baton Rouge

Member since Feb 2005

16148 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 2:05 pm to leoj

Damn this is a depressing but really interesting read.

LINK

quote:
If there is one player who will probably come to symbolise the second half of Arsene Wenger’s career in the Premier League, it will be Mesut Ozil.

Beautiful failure.

quote:
Mourinho loves the way Ozil plays. He claims he could turn his back on a training session at Madrid and still know when Ozil struck the ball.

It made a different sound. Like a golfer striking the purest of iron shots.

In three seasons at the Bernabeu together, Ozil had 68 assists – the most by a mile in any top European League.

Yet, when it became clear Real would sell, Mourinho, freshly reinstalled at Chelsea, was not interested.

Like a lot of judges, Mourinho thought the demonic physical churn of the Premier League might prove too much for pure technical genius.

So, he passed. Wenger bought.

Because Wenger shared Mourinho’s love of Ozil’s sublime talent – but had the idealism to convince himself it could blossom amid the muscular cacophony.

It hasn’t and it won’t.

I haven't given up on this team, and certainly not on Ozil. I think he's shown when playing centrally he can thrive in the EPL, and with the pace we've surrounded him with, we could be exceptional on the break.

But I think this is a well-written and well-argued opinion, and it's certainly a possibility.

Posted by cwil177

Baton Rouge

Member since Jun 2011

29631 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 2:07 pm to Stewie Griffin

Didn't read the article but if this is about physicality I think it's off base. It's about positioning. And Arsene keeps playing him out of position.

Posted by Stewie Griffin

Baton Rouge

Member since Feb 2005

16148 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 2:10 pm to cwil177

It's more using Ozil as an analogy to Wenger's Arsenal conclusion. I'm not saying I agree -- I'm quite optimistic the parts will come together -- but it's a valid and well-formed expression of an opinion I don't really agree with. City and Chelsea have been winning with muscle, and we don't have much.

ETA: And the players who have played best this season (Sanchez, Ox, Welbeck) are extremely strong players.

This post was edited on 11/10/14 at 2:11 pm

Posted by LSUGooner

Member since Aug 2012

81 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 4:30 pm to Stewie Griffin

Certainly an interesting read. Thanks for posting.

I think it's also valuable to point out that even Wenger's best teams had plenty of muscle. The invincibles were full of guys who were technically sound, but they also were big guys who had an incredibly powerful defense to back up the flair.

Also, in games where the technique failed, there were many times were set piece goals were the difference. Big and powerful players like Gilberto, Viera, and Sol Campbell just to name a few were capable and often did score on set pieces. They also were rarely scored upon via a set piece due to that power and strength.

Wenger has replaced a team of 6' players who were technically sound and powerful with players who are 5'8", slight, and quick but not robust. If Arsenal were in La Liga or potentially even Serie A, they would have a chance with that style and those types of players. However, that type of team is not one that can truly compete with the physicality of the Premier League.

Posted by TheZaba

Member since Oct 2008

6196 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 4:50 pm to Stewie Griffin

quote:
and with the pace we've surrounded him with, we could be exceptional on the break

I haven't watched y'all as much this year, but this was clear to me before when Wenger was playing him with the likes of Cazorla and Giroud. Just too many players ahead of him that wanted to play one touch, link-up play while he really only had Ramsey looking to make runs in behind which is where he really excels IMO.

And part of it is you have to have teams willing to come at you and open up space in the back for your runners. You can have Welbeck, Walcott, and Sanchez coming at you, but if you concede possession and drop off with 10 behind the ball to make them beat you with one touch through the middle, that makes things harder for him as well. That's what teams have done to us, although our attack is nowhere near it was last year, and Dortmund.

Posted by timlan2057

In the Shadow of Tiger Stadium

Member since Sep 2005

20480 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 4:54 pm to cwil177

quote:
Didn't read the article but if this is about physicality I think it's off base. It's about positioning. And Arsene keeps playing him out of position.

This.

Posted by GeauxTigers2020

Member since Sep 2013

28667 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 4:57 pm to TheZaba

(no message)

This post was edited on 8/24/25 at 2:59 pm

Posted by glassman

Next to the beer taps at Finn's

Member since Oct 2008

118230 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 5:21 pm to GeauxTigers2020

quote:
If you had a disciplined player like Matic

We would challenge y'all for the league when healthy.

Posted by KneffLSU

Louisiana

Member since May 2012

920 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 6:13 pm to glassman

quote:
We would challenge y'all for the league when healthy.

The most used phrase by an Arsenal fan. Even if healthy Arsenal still doesn't have the strong defensive midfielder or centre back necessary. Arsenal would be relying on Liverpool method to outscore opponents. Even when healthy, Arsenal still has major holes in the squad to compete for the league title.

Posted by glassman

Next to the beer taps at Finn's

Member since Oct 2008

118230 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 6:17 pm to KneffLSU

If we had Matic we would not be losing these matches late. If Wenger would stick Chambers at CB and play Bellerin at fullback we would be better defensively instantly.

Posted by cwil177

Baton Rouge

Member since Jun 2011

29631 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 6:54 pm to glassman

I don't think Kneff read the post you were replying to. If we had Matic and someone more mobile to replace Per, and if we stayed healthy, we could compete with Chelsea. We have none of those things, so we won't.

Posted by glassman

Next to the beer taps at Finn's

Member since Oct 2008

118230 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 6:54 pm to cwil177

Of course not.

Posted by KneffLSU

Louisiana

Member since May 2012

920 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 7:13 pm to glassman

Ah I see. I didn't see the adding Matic part. Still, I feel it tough to say you'd be comfortable sticking a 19 year old CB with 31 PL appearances and a 19 year old RB with 2 PL appearances to improve a defense.

Posted by Stewie Griffin

Baton Rouge

Member since Feb 2005

16148 posts

Posted on 11/10/14 at 7:52 pm to KneffLSU

quote:
Posted by KneffLSU
Ah I see. I didn't see the adding Matic part. Still, I feel it tough to say you'd be comfortable sticking a 19 year old CB with 31 PL appearances and a 19 year old RB with 2 PL appearances to improve a defense.

In a perfect world we woul have Kosc and Debuchy healthy. That said, the fact that we think two 19 year olds in our back four would improve our defense shows how little faith we have in the current four.

Posted by dgnx6

Member since Feb 2006

89668 posts

Posted on 11/11/14 at 11:52 am to GeauxTigers2020

quote:
My question is IF y'all bought the players in key positions you need (CDM/CB/ST) would y'all be losing in the same way? I know that y'all have conceded goals when holding players and defenders pushed too high up the pitch with a lead. If you had a disciplined player like Matic who is almost always behind the ball, what would the team look like?

I honestly dont think so. i think we have deeper issues. like wtf cant we ever be healthy, has to be something with the way we train. The selection of players when healthy at times is mind boggling. The timing of substitutions and the players being subbed in hardly ever make sense. Overall, these teams havent been mentally strong for a while. I thought we were getting over that hurdle last season grinding out wins, but we have reverted back to not being able to see out games.

Oh and wenger has had some extremely useless signings over the years now. Just doesnt make sense when i always felt like he got the most out of young up and coming players. I just think he's lost it.