Arsenal 2016/17

[TF S4DK]

Wenger's remit to some fans to earn a new deal, wasn't to challenge it was to win PL or CL.

Our ticket pricing structure is a board issue, not a manager issue.

We where told a lot of things that turned out to not be true... Plus they could easily spin that Arsenal compete with the elite every year...

[Kuffir]

tf is a lifer

mad institutionalized

its sad

[Kuffir]

On 16/02/2017 at 6:31 PM, Heero Yuy said:

http://m.goal.com/s/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2017/02/16/32747482/lucas-perez-ready-to-leave-arsenal-in-search-of-regular

the way this guy had been treated is a joke tbh.

 

 

3 perez 3 ox 3 sanchez

lol @ thinking ox wont flourish elsewhere

just needs a consistent manager

[Drift]

What a colossus 

[Badman]

Bet Wenger watches the same video every night the prick 

[Drift]

I reckon he's forgotten

That's why he's tryna built midfields with these sub 6 foot fuckboys.

[Agony]

Quote

Arsenal's Culture of Mediocrity

Does Arsenal Football Club owe Wenger to fix the issues which are clear with this side? Or is the issue Wenger himself, meaning his departure is the only fix?

The manner of the performance and the extreme of the overall result made this defeat a lot more damaging and perhaps a lot more significant for Arsene Wenger and his reign at Arsenal. A 10-2 aggregate score, two 5-1 defeats, signalled that the gap between the best and this Arsenal team was not closing, but becoming markedly bigger. People are talking about the dis-respect shown towards Wenger, that he "deserves" more from the fans for what he's done for the club. Sentiment maybe getting in the way of ambition and success at Arsenal, as this article will discuss, if Arsenal want to progress and compete with the top sides, Arsene Wenger needs to go. 

 

 

The most worrying aspect of these two legs was the fact Wenger could come out and defend and even praise his side. Commending the team’s first half performances, saying that “we can compete with Bayern". Excuse me? He follows this up, "we showed that in the first half, I believe the second half was a very difficult situation for us.” Let’s just put things into perspective here. This is a Bayern side who were leading 5-1 on aggregate. No-one expected Arsenal to be able to close that deficit and qualify. Mats Hummels admitted that they were “sluggish” and in “maintenance mode” until they scored the penalty to make it 1-1. After that they switched on and annihilated Arsenal. But they didn't need to be motivated from the start, because everyone knew Bayern would qualify. We knew after the draw was made. Arsenal haven't got what it takes to beat this level of opposition. 

 

Lacking in mental toughness 

For Wenger to proclaim that he believes his side can compete with Bayern is to be honest, rather naïve. It is like the youth coach who says after a 6-0 loss “we played brilliant, passed it around lovely, yet lost focus in the final 20 mins and they scored a few, but up to then we were fantastic!” The problem for Wenger is that the game is 90 mins, maybe around 95-100 if you count injury time. A two legged game puts that up to around 200 mins. That’s where you will be judged. Where you will be tested. For almost every minute of those two legs. Most teams can compete for 45 mins, 60 mins of a game, yet the best are able to do it over the course of a whole match. 

 

Arsenal’s problem, their very serious problem, is that they couldn’t stay focused or deal with the pressure of the game for it’s entirety. It's the same issue with Arsenal time and time again, their failure to either be ready for a game, and suffer badly 1st half, only to show a reaction in the 2nd half, usually when it's too late. Or the opposite, a positive start followed a poor end. Against Bayern they were ok in both first halves. But when the pressure was raised they fell away. Yes they went down to 10 men, of course a tougher task and they needed four goals to get to extra time. But there wasn't a change tactically to move to a 4-4-1 formation, keep it secure, look for transitions. It was more open, spaces everywhere and the defence over-ran and exposed tragically. 

 

The eventual capitulation was embarrassing for the players, coach and club as a whole but ultimately the damage was done in the 1stleg. I guess Lorent Koscielny is the glue keeping this team together, because in his absence they conceded 9 goals over the two legs. And if I’m being truthful, in my opinion he’s not actually that great. The problem with Arsenal which is highlighted continually in these Champions League ties, yet also in the bigger Premier League games like last weekend’s loss to Liverpool, is that when the pressure is risen, Arsenal fall apart. And we’ve become very used to it in recent years. 

 

Since the exit to Barca in 2011 there’s been this consistent failure in the 1st leg of the knockout round. It’s a mentality issue without question. It’s also a preparation problem. Let’s discuss these problems, because this is the continual failing of this team. Players aren’t (necessarily) the issue, the money isn’t either, truth is the one constant in this is Wenger.

 

The changing of philosophy and the costly consequence

In their run to the final in 2006 Arsenal didn’t actually play all that well. Their route to the final was built on a 4-5-1 defensive transition approach. And quick counter attacking was Arsenal's 'thing' in the early 2000's. It wasn't so tiki-taka but direct, quick, ruthless passing football. And they killed teams. They went even more defensive in that Champions League run, and it worked, it was European style football and it got them to the final. 

 

Ever since then the team has been dis-mantled of it’s winners, characters and quality and replaced with a new breed of player; smaller, weaker and without much character. It must have been by design that Wenger chose to move away from the model which served him so well in his initial years at Arsenal. A team which was strong, physical, aggressive and dominant was gradually replaced. In it’s place it became “nice”. Nice football, nice guys.

 

Unfortunately not what was needed for success and Arsenal went on a very barren run. The team was good enough to come in the top four, they had very good players, yet something had gone missing. The spirit, the mentality, the strength which characterised the Arsenal of the late 90’s and into the 2000's. Chelsea’s Mourinho was built almost like Wenger’s old side was. Players like Essien were exactly what Arsenal built their success on. But instead Wenger moved towards midfielders like Fabregas and Flamini, defenders like Djourou and Senderos. Wenger's new era was worryingly weak.

 

 

Why look back so long? Well the problems are still there. This Arsenal side continue to look weak, physically and mentally. A team built by Wenger. With good money. Make no mistake this is not a cheaply assembled side. However it is a side assembled by a manager who has lost his way. This team resembles its manager in the worst way. It can’t handle the pressure, it can’t adapt, and when the going gets tough, it falls apart. Look at Ozil. A fantastic footballer, technician, intelligent and creative, but not a player you can rely on in pressure situations. Especially when he's supposed to be your creative leader. Germany won a World Cup with him in the side but he was part of the team, not the key element of it. 

 

A flaws of Wenger

This is the modern Arsenal ladies and gentleman. The Bayern defeat was nothing surprising, the scoreline simply highlighted how bad it was. You see this looks a like a team who doesn’t know how to play as a team, doesn’t know how compete with the best. It lacks cohesion, togetherness and collectivism on the pitch. Off the pitch this is a group of players who can’t wait to post their group/team pictures on Instagram and Twitter and showcase to the world how close and tight this group is. But as perhaps a sign of the modern youth of today, it’s all talk off the pitch, and very little on it. When they step on the pitch and they come under pressure they fall apart. 

 

Now I can only imagine that like England against Iceland in Euro’s, that the pressure affects the players thinking and decision making. That they lose focus on the task and objectives, that they stop working for each other and abandon the game plan or strategy. I say this because while this is a sad indictment of the type of individuals Wenger has brought in and nurtured at Arsenal, the other option is significantly worse. That is, that they don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing because they haven’t been given the information or knowledge. I believe it’s a case of both. And this means Wenger is to blame on both counts. 

 

Tactically Wenger is one of the worst, if not the worst, tactical coach across Europe’s best sides. The fact he can’t get past the last 16 highlights this problem. Arsenal a good side, that's not the issue. They play some excellent football when confident and against lesser sides. Progression out of their group is regular. Yet so is their elimination at the final 16. 

 

Simply put there are much better coaches in today’s game who are streets ahead of Wenger tactically, both with and certainly without the ball. He is not adaptable and shows an inability to change things during games tactically, with personnel changes often more like for like than tactically adjusting. Truth is Arsenal are predictable, you know what you’re going to get, how they are going to play and ultimately how you can beat them. Thomas Muller said before this weeks game that Bayern “enjoy” playing Arsenal. Of course they do! They are given time, space and are very rarely challenged properly physically or mentally. 

 

Arsenal just aren’t a frightening prospect anymore, and haven’t been for over a decade now. How some people cannot point this blame at Wenger is almost madness to me. Compare his time at Arsenal to Ferguson's tenure at United and you see the problem. Ferguson wanted new assistants and coaches to come in and offer new ideas, approaches and innovations. He wanted to evolve the team and not get stale. He knew this was the way to keep on top. Wenger seems reluctant to allow for change, allow for new ideas, and this is why Arsenal are struggling to adapt and improve in the modern era. 

 

Some will throw out the money excuse but even when the stadium was being paid they were still spending on players, yes the net spend was low but Wenger was still bringing in players, the majority of who didn’t perform well enough. Now that the stadium is paid off that excuse has now gone, so you would expect an upturn in performances right? Yes players like Alexis, Ozil, Xhaka and Mustafi have come in, but have Arsenal got any closer to the best? While two FA Cups have come (not to dis-credit their successes but they didn’t really have to play anyone of real consequence along the way) they still look a long way off the best. 

 

A culture of mediocrity

Truth is the money excuse has allowed Wenger an excuse, a way out of criticism and while he keeps delivering Champions League football, rather than Champions League trophies, he stays in the job. Arsenal’s board and owner are as mediocre as Wenger is. No wonder the team lack the mental strength to actually do anything significant in these type of games. Arsenal have become the model for the elite version of mid-table mediocrity. Qualify for Champions League, reach the knockouts each season, be in the final 16, and see that as some sort of success. Repeat. 

 

Most of the big clubs sack their manager if they get knocked out at this stage, Arsenal give their manager a new contract. It’s madness. And I understand the frustrations of the fans. They were told a new stadium would allow Arsenal to compete with the best, but right now they look further away than they have been before. And the fans must feel infuriated that they pay the highest prices across Europe to get the same results and feeling each season. Arsenal are mugging off their fans with these crazy prices and giving what back in return? Constant disappointment? I think it’s criminal that Arsenal charge as much as they do to be honest. It’s an insult to the fans and their loyalty to the club. 

 

Their patience finally seems to have broken. The façade of Wenger appears to have been realised by more, the tide has turned against Wenger. And it’s justified. Arsenal are an embarrassment in relative terms compared to the other elite sides in Europe. And this is where they should judged. This idea they are some sort of minnow compared to the rest isn’t true. People talk about not being able to compete but they choose not to offer wages which the other top sides offer, and wonder why their best choose to leave? Yet still have a wage bill which is in the top 10 in Europe? This shows to me that there's too big a squad at Arsenal and too many average players getting too much. But not wishing to match the other big clubs wages allows for the narrative of Arsenal being inferior. If they lose their best players they can throw out the line, “so how can we compete” etc etc. 

 

Arsenal are being held back by a manager who is not only failing to deliver on the pitch but who is also failing off it also. The only beneficiaries are the owners who are making money from this 'project'. And so why would they consider sacking him?

 

The dictator holding on to power

Wenger was brilliant in his Highbury era at Arsenal, when he had a team built to compete, when he inherited a strong core of players, a world class defence, players who understood the club and it's history, characters with personality and a bit of an edge. He had David Dein in charge of transfers and negotiations. It was a squad full of winners, leaders, characters and quality. Yet the longer he's been at the club he has replaced what he had with an abject group of players, nice players, technically good, yet lacking the mentality and personality to allow Arsenal to compete. 

 

Alexis Sanchez may be the only one who truly has the mentality which Arsenal need. And what has happened? He has spoken his mind, aired his frustrations and grown sick the mediocrity culture at Arsenal, and what’s resulted? He is seen as a problem. I believe Wenger has become so controlling at Arsenal that he can’t accept criticism. He has surrounded himself with yes men, nice guys, in order to keep his control. And while I don’t necessarily like the idea of ‘player power’ you need to have winners and leaders on the pitch to win the big trophies. Arsenal don’t have them.

 

When Wenger says "I think I have built this club," apart from sounding very arrogant and conceited, it also reflect badly on him. Yes he has built this club, he can take great pride in the building of a fantastic modern stadium, yet he also must take the blame for the team he has built. Either the players lack the mental strength needed to be successful, or he lacks the coaching expertise, tactical nouse and motivational ability to inspire and produce a winning team. Arsenal FC are a reflection of Wenger, as the result versus Bayern shows, this is not a good thing. 

 

Wenger is holding Arsenal back from being able to truly compete with the best sides. Arsenal aren’t in a crisis. No, they are a very well ran business. Yet you can’t surely believe Wenger is doing a great job. The owners of other elite clubs in Europe would have moved their manager on a lot earlier, provided the culture where the club was required to perform and reach the final four of competitions. Unfortunately for Arsenal fans it seems they have an owner, chief executive and manager who are all very happy, cozy and content where they are right now. Being comfortable isn’t the best approach to take in the world of football. A change is very much needed, perhaps not just the manager.

 

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address

 

Quote

 

Mike McDonald11 March 2017 at 06:23

This is the best article I have ever read on Arsenal.
I realized that I was being fooled 11 years ago. The first thing I realized was that Wenger intentionally chose assistants who were either 'yes men' or like Bould were happy to follow his rules and be a 'yes man' as they knew that they wouldn't get another job at a club even close to AFC's level so they agreed to be a 'yes man.' Did you know that Steve Bould has strict instructions as to what he cannot do during practice or games? Wenger doesn't want Bould to 'show what he can bring' as it would expose him. I was told this by one of his closest friends, Nigel Winterburn.
I also realized that the idea that former players were not employed because they weren't happy being a 'yes man' isn't the whole truth.
The whole truth is that Wenger's single biggest fear is being 'exposed.'
If he employed them then they would find out the truth. Wonder why Wenger got rid of the Invincible team so quickly? They became of an age where they had ideas, saw his major faults and were now bold enough to speak up. Wenger then decided to only sign players who would not confront him. Nice guys, as you said. It became obvious to him that 'the leader type' who would speak up might expose him. 
This is Arsene Wenger's biggest mistake, but it was an intentional choice made to not expose a coach that was scamming the world of football.
Arsenal almost always lose big games because they are tactical. He can win games against weaker opposition as his players are better. Wenger doesn't understand how to combat problems so pretends that Arsenal do things 'The Arsenal Way' which is another scam. In his first 10 years the players arranged the tactics to win tactical, big games and they were better players and mentally tough and could deal with adversity. The game in the last few years that Wenger gets credit for (when we beat City away) was a low pressure/counter attack system that the players set up, not Wenger.

Wenger wanted to win trophies in future years but he knew that he would need leaders to do this. He knew that he was incapable of tactics and due to his desire to not be exposed he agreed to settle for mediocrity as he had a choice to make.... Buy leaders and win but in a world of such intense media scrutiny risk being exposed or buy 'nice guys' who wouldn't question him but sacrifice trophies. 
He doesn't want a new board or Director or Football as they would expose him too.
Arsene Wenger has also lied and made the fan base believe that he has been loyal to Arsenal, This is a massive lie. He refused all the other big teams because he knew that he can fool the English media, his board and weak players but would be very quickly found out and fired abroad. The Spanish, German and Italian press don't just want the teams to 'put in a shift!' They ask tactical questions about formations, strategies etc.... Wenger wouldnt survive this as he is tactically inept.

This is just a piece of the truth. I'd love to tell you more. I am beyond fed up of Wenger and I'd love for you to use your platform to share. My email is [email protected] if you want to discuss more about 'The Arsene Wenger scam'

http://whitehouseaddress.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/arsenals-culture-of-mediocrity.html?m=1

[TF S4DK]

While some Arsenal fans wrongly see Wenger as doing no wrong, some opinions of him doing no right are beyond delusional.

[Heero Yuy]

[TF S4DK]

Quote

 

Now I can only imagine that like England against Iceland in Euro’s, that the pressure affects the players thinking and decision making. That they lose focus on the task and objectives, that they stop working for each other and abandon the game plan or strategy. I say this because while this is a sad indictment of the type of individuals Wenger has brought in and nurtured at Arsenal, the other option is significantly worse. That is, that they don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing because they haven’t been given the information or knowledge. I believe it’s a case of both. And this means Wenger is to blame on both counts. 

Wenger has openly stated the problem here... It's never been picked up as tbh it wouldn't fit the agenda of Wenger being an bad coach or tactician...

I think Martin Keown asked him about the differences between the Wenger squads he was part of, and the ones he isn't...

Wenger said to Keown you lot I would run drills and watch you perform them and as the game approached I'd turn to Boro and Pat pulling my hair out and say I don't think these man can do this, but as a coach you stick to your convictions and on Saturday you'd do it perfectly, this squad in training do it perfectly... He then stopped short as he realised to finish the sentence would be a damning indictment of his current squad.

Wenger REALLY rates this squad, he rates them above his actual winners and thats fine if he actually believes it, and if you think about it how many times we have heard about player x being outstanding in training or even if you think about Alexis comments on the squad last season, then it might be the right belief.

They are given everything, I just think the balance is wrong, most will say they are weak, they lack leaders, manager is arrogant, team are unprepared and while their might be grounds for aspects of all of those. I think the real issue is you go through that squad and before you get to pride, fight, preparation, etc.... I see a lot of players who don't even like to defend... Players who definitely didn't start kicking ball to defend... No amount of drilling them will help them as that's not them and none of them on the pitch are going to stress the importance of defending as frankly they don't like doing it, and Wenger takes the blame for putting them all together, but to say they aren't coached is nonsense. When you look at our horrible results, you will see players doing things that are shocking for themselves and their team mates. That's not lack of coaching, that's lack of desire to do things your not comfortable doing when the match is going against you. Even Sanchez this great winner that he is being proclaimed to be, in certain games he taken the piss like Podolski/Arshavin/Andre Santos levels of piss taking. Would a Klopp, Diego Simeone or a Jose Mourinho who would stay on this current crop of players a lot more to try and get that extra 5-10% of running out of them help? Yeah it probably would work for a period of time but not a season lol, we even see the result of what would happen as whenever Aaron Ramsey (incl. Jack Wilshere too) plays a big game he definitely steps his running up is more agrressive across the pitch until the 55th minute when he does his hammy.

How many times do I say Arsenal need to buy talented cunts that like to do the other stuff. As right now if your a team that needs a result, you probably look forward to playing Arsenal as you can expose their players weaknesses.

[TF S4DK]

Case in point, is that West Brom goal.

They've been drilled for them corners, but Ramsey just passed the buck, he even put out his hand as if hes staying touch tight ffs.

They knew what to expect, they just didn't want to really do it, nor like doing it.

[Heero Yuy]

Conte literally walks up and down the town touch line for 90 minutes telling players, where to be, to defend etc.

the same squad who couldn't give two shits the season before are running around like madmen, defending as a team, staying structured etc

But you're saying you can't coach that....

[TF S4DK]

7 minutes ago, Heero Yuy said:

the same squad who couldn't give two shits the season before and running around like madmen. 

 

We both know they stopped running for Mourinho.

Cos they was giving two shits the season before that when they was winning the league with him.

[Heero Yuy]

 if you listen to what Hazard AND david luiz were saying about conte being constantly on to them in training and games about positoning, maintaing the shape, and concentration then it's clear there's alot more than just the fuck mourinho vibe that went around last season.

conte is running up the line at 2,3 nill still drilling guys about where to be and what to do.

[Mame Biram Diouf]

17 minutes ago, Heero Yuy said:

 if you listen to what Hazard AND david luiz were saying about conte being constantly on to them in training and games about positoning, maintaing the shape, and concentration then it's clear there's alot more than just the fuck mourinho vibe that went around last season.

 

But that is one the biggest things Mourinho is known for though 

[O Fenomeno]

Clearly not built to win@The Hawthorns 

 

what a pathetic manager.

[PascalMoriarty]

Pathetic team, doesn't matter who the manager is. Professional football players it's fucking disgusting. Soon to cool off caring about football and concentrate on the things in life that give me a return on my stress levels, like women. 

[TF S4DK]

If anyone thinks they didn't prepare for set pieces then your beyond delusional...

But again this bunch of players don't want to defend...

[O Fenomeno]

Handing out green arrows for no reason.

 

Atletico Madrid never wanted to defend then Diego Simeone changed the mindset and signed players to fit his philosophy.

New Manager 

New first XI 

[O Fenomeno]

2 minutes ago, Iceberg said:

but they are his players 

Exactly get someone they're are shook of 

[TF S4DK]

 

17 minutes ago, Iceberg said:

but they are his players 

I stated this before the game...

I could argue the recruitment case but it is what it is, and I don't argue that he's put this group together and the balance is awful.

If you remember my issue last week, was that a new manager doesn't get more out of them as some of them are just not very good. So this argument that he get a new contract if he wins the PL or CL is I actually think Wenger has done extremely well to make people think they even deserve to be champions of anything.

[TF S4DK]

Wenger has won trophies, he didn't win trophies barking at players like Conte. Why people expect him to do it today is just dumb.

As 'Arry use to say he sat down and watched like The Professor, that had done his work all week.

Wenger, the touchline pacing, fuck boy coat zipper started with this cost cutter team. Like I said before Luis Boa Morte made 25 appearances for Arsenal... Jermaine Pennant made 12.... Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has made 122...

Telling me about Moses means nothing as your talking about a manager that changed load of players for us both good and bad.

[Seydou]

My niggas

We ain't getting top 4 this season

Season done in my view