afc SQUAD OF COWARDS ED BY THE BIGGEST 1

[MrJibbles]

Hmmm there is a few things I could say about things in the last 2 weeks.

[Seth Rollins]

Speak on it.

[Turkish]

Speak on it.

[Aquaman]

Honestly want to hear what the blind brigade have to sayif we fail to win the league this season, where does wenger go from here? honestly if you can't win it this year you NEVER willfeel to put money on wenger never winning a trophy at arsenal again, unless the mentality changes nothing will ever be won, and thats true talk.No kneejerk, its my honest appraisal

[MrJibbles]

Having kept my gob shut since the cup final and not bothered to talk about various matters, now I'll just say what is on my mind.Lets go back a couple of weeks to the Birmingham game as we all were very confident about winning this game, since we won the previous fixture 3-0 just a month ago. This was a total contrast in terms of performance, confidence, motivation especially as we had just beat Barcelona you would have expected them to be high. Times I just didn't recognise certain members of that 11, our defence looked so shaky which was a bit strange after we'd seen the back 5 perform well in recent weeks and looking like they were just coming together at the right time. No Fabregas which would be a blow to ANYONE, a player of that calibre is not easy to replace for a couple of weeks let alone one game. Rosicky what has happen to him? I would not have started him what so ever, it was a bad call by Wenger, now I'm not going to use my FM tactical expertise like many on this forum do but Nasri should have played in the playmaker role where he has flourished when Fabregas has been missing. The goal was just typical of us slipping up with the ball in the air. 2nd half we had them on the ropes and failed to punish them, look at the chances we had! All of that I think you could tell would lead to us losing it, that goal was a total fluke, you could not do that again if you tried.Barcelona now I didn't see the game live since I'm doing a degree during the evenings but from what I had seen and heard was our defence were very good, holding Barca at bay who did pressure us all over the pitch it was only for a mistake by Fabregas that gave them the lead. In certain areas I feel our defence may not have been given the credit they deserve due to the manner of the defeat, players yet again let us down i.e. Diaby yes 1st game back but I'm not having it (I will cont' when I get into the Utd rant). Robin didn't need to get involved with the 1st, the 2nd was stupid to be told it was time wasting, we see them spend more time rolling around than Robin did kicking the ball away, I can understand he may not have heard it. Beating Barcelona at The Camp Nou is such a difficult task for anyone, they are going to pressure you all over the pitch at a high intensity refusing to let you have the ball, it's not an excuse it's a fact, anyone who has watched them this season or previous seasons will know that! Did we do enough to create any chances? Not at all, I feel we could have attacked more and not gone looking to hold the lead. Ball retention was poor. Another thing on the sending off, that really did f*ck me since we won't know what would have happened if we kept 11 players on the pitch. Yes we were being battered but that don't mean sh*t unless you win the game. They are a great footballing side but an ignorant club. "More than a club" do me a favour.Tonight has left me miffed, and in some areas baffled. That team should have gone out there and took the game to Man Utd from the whistle. Allow Nasri the freedom in the hole, to me it is as if Wenger doesn't trust him and would rather Diaby dictating the playmaker role when he can't do it! Robin didn't have much joy up top, not much service so he needs to drop back and receive the ball,. Sagna got forward a lot and did put in some very good crosses but no one took the chances! Denilson I will always be a critic of since I just don't think he is built for us anymore, he did show promise when he first joined but has failed to step up and progress but instead has regressed and stepped back with others over taking him. Diaby Diaby Diaby poor, I hate he takes too long on the ball, there were times when he should have passed but failed to, I saw him walking looking dis-interested. Chamkah should have scored that header, I don't care if you are tired from a long season, just f*ck*ng direct it and beat him! I wouldn't have minded if he tried to put it top corner and it was saved but it was woeful. Sidenote good to see Rambo back.Where do we go from here? It's strange 3 weeks ago a lot of us were buzzing after beating Barcelona then rolling on to a cup final expecting a win then someone upstairs didn't want to see this party continue and called the fuzz., we made too much noise and had too much fun for some. We still have the league to play for, we won't win it now since we are being stripped of our goods and everything is going against us now.Where does Wenger go from here? Keep his job, replacing him won't do nothing. Players need to buck up and f*ck*ng work for it and stop stumbling at the final hurdle. It's beyond frustrating as a fan that we have to put up with sh*t like this for weeks on end, when we play pretty football and win it is great but when we do that and fail to win it's jarring. He has addressed our goalkeeper with WS53 (I can't spell it) who is showing signs of being a number 1 for years to come, defence we need additions and possibly an improvement. I am not sold on having Eboue as cover for Sagna (who has had a very good season!), we need better cover. Clichy I don't know what to think with him, times he looks really good them other times he loses his head and doesn't follow what the other 3 are doing especially trying to play the offside trap. Djourou and Kos has been rocks in certain games together, built up a nice partnership and have improved as the season has gone on, yet when it mattered eeeeeeh. Wilshere is a star, been my player of the season I can't fault him. Nasri was great in the 1st half of the season, 2nd he has been okay just not what we have expected from him. Diaby, Denilson, Rosicky all squad players thats it, 2 of them will go in the summer (still a Rosicky fan but seeing him like this is so sad). One thing we have lacked is raw PACE, without Theo its non existent, some have a very good acceleration but not what he offers, Theo gets ALOT of stick from anyone who watches the game but you can't deny he has improved, don't get me wrong I get annoyed when he fluffs up the easiest sh*t but that's one kid I want to see succeed.Good to see Rambo back, I would like to see him and Wilshere in midfield, it has very good potential (but can anyone wait for this?)Football now days we all expect things and can't wait. Wenger has done an amazing job for the club none of us and I don't think calling for him to go is right! This has nothing to do with being "blind" I wear glasses my eyesight is bad enough, you got to think who is built for the job? Will the fans accept someone doing it different? or would we become the club who calls for a managers head week in week out.Now I like most of you are very annoyed after a gutless performance and if we don't win the league I'll be even more cheesed off. This season is the season we SHOULD have stamped our foot down sides have got weaker, teams are beating each other, shocked win, unexpected wins, but when the ball has been in our hands we've failed to do ANYTHING with it, yes 3 points behind with a game in hand but that is not the point, what is we've failed again to push on in the crucial games. Too many points dropped at stupid times, Wigan being one of them!I've just typed and typed not gone over proof-reading (f*ck knows if I contradicted myself, don't give a f*ck). Some may agree some may not, in the end football is about opinions, mine counts just as much as yours, if we all agreed life would be boring. I am gutted at whats happened, the cup final left speechless for quite some time, Barcelona left me not wanting to talk about it, tonight I've barely bothered. One thing that has happened is our expectation levels are sky high.*sighs*f*ck it for now.Just go out and f*ck*ng win please Arsenal!

[Seth Rollins]

It's hard to defend today's performance. Barca you can say we had no shots, were pressed and closed down and given nothing. Today we had chance after chance and in the first half was damn near camped in their half. Rooney's goal was a disgrace to give away. Their first was against the run of play, but 90% of goals we concede are against the run of play. Sick of talking stats regarding Arsenal.At one stage they had the twins, Gibson and O'Shea in the middle for f*ck sake. Denilson can't be there next season, I used to rate Diaby, I'm not changing my mind over a couple performances but damn. I was always expecting Rosicky to move on end of season. I think we need a BEAST in front or goal and a ruthless AM as I don't know what's happened with Arshavin.What's the news on Tommy V?*Edit: Lol, we named the same three players Stat. Yeah, Djourou and Kos has looked good in most games and S53 in goal looks promising. I think because of the teams this season THIS was the season to do it and bag a couple trophies. The league is the big one but come on man, the nature of this season and them defeats I'd still be thinking we could have had so much more. And if he bags the league that justifies these players staying next season.

[MrJibbles]

It's hard to defend today's performance. Barca you can say we had no shots, were pressed and closed down and given nothing. Today we had chance after chance and in the first half was damn near camped in their half. Rooney's goal was a disgrace to give away. Their first was against the run of play, but 90% of goals we concede are against the run of play. Sick of talking stats regarding Arsenal.At one stage they had the twins, Gibson and O'Shea in the middle for f*ck sake. Denilson can't be there next season, I used to rate Diaby, I'm not changing my mind over a couple performances but damn. I was always expecting Rosicky to move on end of season. I think we need a BEAST in front or goal and a ruthless AM as I don't know what's happened with Arshavin.What's the news on Tommy V?

Our midfield should have dealt with them without a problem. We had better players but they worked harder, just the way it goes. Do agree the 2nd was a disgrace, 1 minute we acted then the next we see it in the net, where is the concentration? where is the focus?Now with Rosicky going, would you say give Lansbury a chance? Maybe I am biased since he comes from my neck of the woods.Tom V is progressing but we dunno when he'll return specifically.

[Aquaman]

So who is to blame if your players don't work hard? clearly the manager, too many safety blanket playersstat I don't understand why eboue is being mentioned rb is probably the on position where both the 1s choice and 2nd choice are pretty reliable, (not a coincidence they are both experienced)1.as ive said its only in one or two instances that this is a talent problem, its more a poor mentality problem and its fed down from the manager 2. a lack of personnel cover in vital positions allow me to expand on this pointwe play a midfield 3 where we have 3 pivots, defensive anchor is the most sparse of these for cover we stared the season with only song who isn't that adept at it in the 1s place and young Frimpong earmarked as cover.Now we're reduced to playing Jack there simply because others are not capable (just like when we had to play nasri dm vs utd cl semi)Main creative at the point of the 3. Most of our mids would want to play here and in lesser sides probably could we are litterally stacked with players who can play this but obviously we all know who is 1st choice for this nasri SHOULD be second choice here at all times but again lack of depth in wide positions means we move nas to wing and play likes of rosicky and diaby here and they dont have what t takes.Which leaves the 2nd midfielder spot basically anyone in our squad can play here providing the 1st choices for the other 2 spots are present obviously having a wilshere in this position is an added bonuscan you spot the flaw here? we have basically 1 average player (song) for a vital position in our team and wenger was content with this?simply must by a dm3.Lack of pacewe have no real pace in the team aside from wally and nasri there is no dynamism uptop, leaves us with a lack of an outball, its a shame that Theo is picked by default simply because he is fast we should really have other options who have pace, team has lacked pace/power for a while too, i think this is why he was tryna sign alex chamberlain. Pace/Power also big problem at CF VP is quality but we all know he gets injured and when he comes back takes him 4 games to get in his groove, need a quality alternative.Final point even with the squad deficiencies we should still be capable of winning things but not with the mentality present, its not how winners equip themselves.

[Michel Kane]

Who thinks the GK problem was/is bigger than the DM problem?

[mp*]

When it comes to injuries, NOTHING is impossible with Arsenal. I dont know how many times it has to happen before Wenger stops gambling. As of now we have our two best CB , CM and GK out injured and its not the first season where our best players get injured when we need them most. So to get to Jan with injuries at the time i might add, and then not strengthen is criminal im sorry. Who cares if you cant keep 5 CBs happy, like say 4th choice players dont see loads of game time here. You need to do what you have to do to win. If it can make a difference you do it, otherwise you end up going into the last 10 games (i.e crunch time) with players like Almunia, Squid and Denilson starting.We play the way we do right now due to one thing or well player, Cesc Fabregas. The shape we play allows us to get the best out of him when he is playing. The key point here is "when he is playing", when he is not playing, why do we try and play the same way? Against some dead teams it works and we will be ok, but in the tough games it barely ever works. When hes not there our next most creative player needs to play behind the striker i.e. Nasri. PLaying him wide when Cesc aint there just limits him too much. We have big strikers etc yet we still have to play exactly the same leading us to see things like Bendtner/Chamakh going wide or Diaby playing in the hole, i just dont get it. I hope when Cesc leaves we use it as chance to change up the way we play because we dont have enough genuine quality (or if we do they dont play enough) to play this way and win imo./Would continue but Respol said what i wanted to say/for me DM(No replacement for Song)>>Sriker(No good replacement for RVP (who will get injured))>>>>> Keeper(Happy once Woj was gonna get a chance and Almunia never plays again)

[Captain Planet]

Who thinks Al has finally stepped up to ease the crisis?

[Michel Kane]

Alumnia?

[BLACK VICTIM]

had a couple decent games he is still sh*t at heart though and we will find that out the hard waywenger is a c*nt do we actually have money to spend because i dont see a reason if we do why we haven't spent it yet, denilson makes me sick, rosicky made easy passes look impossible against barca n he is just shiti used to rate diaby but his decision making has to be 2/10 the guy is actually thick as he looksif we win the league with this personnel i will be amazed i can see us getting battered by man/tott/liv real talk it actually makes me sick why we think we can get by with sh*t players

[Turkish]

AlmuniaFabianskiSquillaciDenilsonDiabyRosickyAll have to go.ClichySongBendtnerThese 3 have pissed me off. Some quality is there but lack conviction in anything they do which is needed in big games. Could get decent money for each and invest in better.

[Guest THEREALTULSE]

I still think Almunia was at fault for Rooneys goal, weak hand, poor positioning and just loses his senses when acting instinctively.Rosicky is decent, still has a future with us but I've never seen him be so wasteful in the final 3rd in his entire career, there is just no communication between the midfielders and strikers.Makes me sad when I can remember Bergkamp in the hole with Henry on the shoulder.Wish we could get that back again, I've probably underestimated or took for granted the power of a partnership, the ability to think on the same level despite being totaly different in contrast of positions and mentally.

[Shatterstar]

I think the wheels fell off after the 4-4 @ Newcastle, since then our only decent performance has been against Barca at the Emirates. The injuries against Stoke were highly damaging too, Theo has been a massive loss, him & RVP get the best out of each other.The squads mentality irks the hell out of me, so frail, I don't think the term "dig deep" is ever used in the Arsenal dressing room. Same sh*t season after season, couple bad results, ridiculous amount of injuries to key players then a total collapse.

[Guest Awesome Kong]

When's Wally back?

[Natty]

I feel sorry for wilshere playing with these half hearted pricks while he works his ass off

[Fearless-Guy]

definitely knee jerk happening in herewe werent complaining about personnel when we beat barca, when we beat chelseathese players are good enough, its a mentality thing and to certain extent selection by le profrosicky no way should have started, i woulda gone with b52 you can say what you want but he is a threat you saw when he came on he had a good couple of chancesiobviously the cup woulda been nice but every cloud...this could have some positive side effects as well you never know there might be some cutthroat performances on the horizon, players being more hungry etc

ok maybe i was wrongbut if we had got a result from barca or advanced in the fa cup the situation wouldnt have been as bad as we are now facingbut basically my thoughts are that we need at least a couple rugged players that know how to graft, put in those hair raising tacklesatm only wilshere i see doing thati actually thought this crop might do it this season playing this style of footy, but when i saw the gulf between us and barca i realised we are nowhere near being able to win stuff playing our style, these players are far too lazy and lucklustre to do the pressing game barca dodef need a genuine winger as well

[Guest Klitschko]

Bentner not having a touch like an Ox at the Camp Nou makes this thread a few pages shorter.

[Natty]

Not a knee jerk at allwhen we play with 5 or maybe even 4 out of the 6 of Cesc, Wilshere, Song and Nasri, Wally and RVP we are a good side and have a cutting edge and can beat everyone in the league but to put it simply our back ups ain't good enough. The difference between us and man united is that they can put out a weak side like that but can defend and have heart and are clinical where we have none of the above when man like denilson, diaby and rosicky are playing.

[Fearless-Guy]

yeah i agree, and if the backup isnt good enough, whos fault is that, sadly its wengersour backup has the worst losing mentality out of man u, chels, totty, not sure about poolthey must know they are being culled in the summer surely that isnt them doing their bestrosicky isnt just a shadow of his former self, hes a spec of dust that has been left in the wake of a meteor flattening his core being

[Guest Klitschko]

They difference is a manager that has been winning trophies for longer than you have been alive, that has instilled a certain ethic and mentality in the players.Don't get it twisted, because O'shea and Gibson wouldn't get on on the Arsenal benchApart from thatThe defence has been doing very well recently (except for Newcastle), the rate of goals conceeded has improved massively with Djourou - Koscielny, the back 4 has for once resembled a premier league outfit with Scezny in goalCame up against an in-form United defence (one of the most miserly in the league, ironically, behind Arsenals)The team has gotten a lot of injuries at a critical time in the season and lost form and confidenceBirmingham was unfortunate, but by no means exposed any weak areas in the teamBarcelona was predictable, it is a shame to go out and in that manner, but there aren't many, if any teams that could have avoided a similar fateThe FA cup exit, considering the mentally shattering evening at the Camp Nou, no Fabregas, and out-of-form midfielders (barring maybe Wilshere/Nasri) was also, unfortunately...expected, though if chances had've been taken it could have been a different story, but Arsenal came up against a very in-form United back 4.On a side note, I have to say I doubt either of those goals would have occured had Scezny been in goal.

[Seth Rollins]

I'm not going to sit here and quote but for ONCE there's not much written on the last page or so that I DON'T agree with.Whoever broke down the 3 pivot focal points and Song needing serious cover and us needing WINGERS instead of attacking midfielders playing out wide got POS'D and is spot on.CescWilshireNasriRamboSongArshavinWallyRVPChamakhAny of those as our 5 and 1 up top is GOOD enough to win a game and the league.DenilsonDiaby (in my review list now)Bendtner (review list)RosickyAre not good enough to consistently start games. How many have they played between them this season?Sz53 would not have conceded the second, even the first is debatable, the second one was an absolute disgrace from a defensive point of view and killed a game we was well and truly in. For once I agree with Turkish. True say everyone gets injured, and where we was fighting on 4 fronts (he took all comps seriously), we need rotation and better players. I'd like us to actually sign a WINGER, I mean out and out WINGER, DM, and left back. Sell Almunia and get someone else in to compete with Sz53. RVP can't be our no.1 if he's never fit. Chamakh and Bendtner don't have 30 a season in their locker and RVP doesn't even have 30 games a season in him.Unfortunately, this isn't FM. But after this season, I think the Demon Headmaster's spell would have finally worn off of me.

So who is to blame if your players don't work hard? clearly the manager, too many safety blanket playersstat I don't understand why eboue is being mentioned rb is probably the on position where both the 1s choice and 2nd choice are pretty reliable, (not a coincidence they are both experienced)1.as ive said its only in one or two instances that this is a talent problem, its more a poor mentality problem and its fed down from the manager 2. a lack of personnel cover in vital positions allow me to expand on this pointwe play a midfield 3 where we have 3 pivots, defensive anchor is the most sparse of these for cover we stared the season with only song who isn't that adept at it in the 1s place and young Frimpong earmarked as cover.Now we're reduced to playing Jack there simply because others are not capable (just like when we had to play nasri dm vs utd cl semi)Main creative at the point of the 3. Most of our mids would want to play here and in lesser sides probably could we are litterally stacked with players who can play this but obviously we all know who is 1st choice for this nasri SHOULD be second choice here at all times but again lack of depth in wide positions means we move nas to wing and play likes of rosicky and diaby here and they dont have what t takes.Which leaves the 2nd midfielder spot basically anyone in our squad can play here providing the 1st choices for the other 2 spots are present obviously having a wilshere in this position is an added bonuscan you spot the flaw here? we have basically 1 average player (song) for a vital position in our team and wenger was content with this?simply must buy a dm3.Lack of pacewe have no real pace in the team aside from wally and nasri there is no dynamism uptop, leaves us with a lack of an outball, its a shame that Theo is picked by default simply because he is fast we should really have other options who have pace, team has lacked pace/power for a while too, i think this is why he was tryna sign alex chamberlain. Pace/Power also big problem at CF VP is quality but we all know he gets injured and when he comes back takes him 4 games to get in his groove, need a quality alternative.Final point even with the squad deficiencies we should still be capable of winning things but not with the mentality present, its not how winners equip themselves.

In red is what I POS'd. but even Wenger said himself, Song is not a DM and charges forward. Anyone who plays there pretty much dictates the ball between the defence and midfield. He's just the most defensive out of the 3. I actually think we should just BUY someone (a DM) and play him there, and then if anything but Song next to Cesc. Like for like next to Cesc isn't clamping down and locking down the midfield battle we always have. That's the only reason I like Wilshire next to Cesc, he puts in a SHIFT AND and hard challenge.

[Taurus]

I feel sorry for wilshere playing with these half hearted pricks while he works his ass off

Trust me, this is why we need more British players because they know what it means to the fansWilshere has been outstanding for us, him and Ramsey are gonna form a very good partnership in the future.