Official Gooners Thread - A New Hope

[slow corner back]

Sorry O Neill but if you think 1 defensive midfielder is all you need you are kidding yourself. More like two defensive midfielders, at least one centre half, a clinical striker and wingers who track back. Its all very nice looking good going forward but you need some steel in your team and some hard graft when things are going badly. Your squad is far too shallow and a couple of injuries have you in trouble thats basically what cost you last season. If he has any money Wenger needs to spend in January and again in June. There will be no league this season although you will remain a dangerous cup side.

Arsenal lost the title last year by 4 points. They led Utd 1-0 in the second half of their match late in the season at Old Trafford. If they had held on they'd have won the league. That was the difference. A penalty/free kick. The main difference to now was Flamini and injuries.

When teams go through a bad patch people find it wonderfully easy to analyse what is wrong, usually taking their lead from tabloids or MOTD analysts. When they turn it around, the same people shower plaudits on the same side.

Wenger will get it right with the current squad and maybe one addition in the new year. Confidence is low at the minute.

Since January 2008 Arsenal have allowed Diarra, Gilberto and Flamini to leave, none of them have been replaced. They have replaced the ineffective Senderos with the ineffective Silvestre. Eduardo was your only striker who was close to clinical and has not been replaced since he got injured, even if he comes back this season it will take hime quite a while to get fit. Arsenal did not loose the league at Old Trafford they lost it at Birmingham and Gallas knew it and thats why he cracked up. Once Utd and Chelsea got their noses in front they were not going to slip, one side might have both certainly would not. So far this season Arsenal have lost 5 games they have five more top four fixtures to go and a trip to villa to look forward to. Many more points will be lost in these fixtures and as of now your best hope is fourth place and maybe a cup. Will that be enough to keep Fabregas at the club? He is on record as saying that he wanted a trophy this eason or he would consider a switch to Spain. Making him captain is a step in the right direction for Arsenal but Wenger needs to spend and spend well in January and June otherwise the rumbilngs ammong the fans will continue to grow and the dissatisfaction will spread to the players. What are the odds on Robin Van Persie or Gallas leaving after the last weeks events? Excpect the spanish to come sniffing in January.

[ildanach]

What are the odds on Robin Van Persie or Gallas leaving after the last weeks events? Excpect the spanish to come sniffing in January.

I think gallas will go but van persie will stay if wenger wants him! Worried about cesc going in the summer but not in january. we need 4 new players 2 centre halves and 2 defensive midfielders. If we are within 8 of the top at christmas i would not  right the season off yet!

[Uladh]

Not concerned at all at Flamini leaving. In terms of workrate, it was fantastic this year but that is replaceable. He was probably the least talented of our midfielders. He's had one good season - last year he on the verge of being farmed out to Birmingham and I think he naver forgave AW for that. I'm more concerned at Hleb possibily leaving.

[ONeill]

Yes, and as you can see I said he was replaceable. Unfortunately, he wasn't replaced. Get some donkey-worker to hold up in front of the back 4 and we'll be whistling dixie. Not sure who Wenger thought would do it in the present squad. Maybe Song.

Tonight - who knows. New Fabregas-led dawn perhaps.

[Puckoon]

Hopefully this idea of turning fiberglass into the captain will be a master stroke - it needs to be. Something needs to get him out of his present funk - maybe this will be it.

[Dinny Breen]

Will take that tonight, Fabregas had a good game but Song, Ramsey and Denilson were poor and they seem to be the cause of Arsenal's lack of cohesion. Clichy again a class act and Wiltshire looked impressive in his little cameo. A win is a win and will shut the media up for a while...

Sunday will be interesting but anything other than a Chelsea win will be a shock...

[ludermor]

Is it the medias fault Gallas went public?

[Dinny Breen]

Is it the medias fault Gallas went public?

Is that directed at me, if so I'm sorry I really don't see the merit in discussing any tabloid generated mini-soap opera because quite frankly it's boring..

[ONeill]

We're gonna win the quadruple.

[billy the kid]

Up da Gunners.

Was a bit nervy at the end as Gunners were really dominant but not getting the goals. Kiev were very defensive but very well organised and their tactics made it very hard to create clear cut chances, but no complaints they took the approach they thought would serve them best and they nearly got the point they came for.

but a win is a win and considering how many players the Gunners are missing at the minute us Arsenal fans have to be happy.

[ludermor]

Is it the medias fault Gallas went public?

Is that directed at me, if so I'm sorry I really don't see the merit in discussing any tabloid generated mini-soap opera because quite frankly it's boring..

Bit touchy Dinny, it was a genuine question. You mihg think its boring and a soap opera but the fact is the captain was stripped of his role after i presume a breach of club protocal. You dont thik there is a story to be told?

[Dinny Breen]

Bit touchy Dinny, it was a genuine question. You mihg think its boring and a soap opera but the fact is the captain was stripped of his role after i presume a breach of club protocal. You dont thik there is a story to be told?

Not touchy in the slightest I just find the whole circus around the Premiership tedious and boring. Gallas had breached club protocol a few times and deservedly was stripped of the captaincy but headline news seriously 

Most of the Gooners on this thread are aware of Arsenal's limitatiions, you can be sure Wenger is aware of these as well. Wenger showed belief in his young players, a belief that unfortunately that has not been repaid by the players.

Arsenal have never had a good relationship with the media and as the biggest London Club they are subjected to tabloid sensationalism more than any other club, that unfortunately is how the British press act. Ever since Wenger arrived in London when he was subjected to those horrendous rumours and threatened to sue any tabloid if they published them he has been critisied for been myopic, his teams sendings off, his footballing philosphy, his refusal to spend big, his selection of non-english players etc etc

Wenger should be admired and respected but instead the media just want to tear him down, quite sad really.

[ludermor]

he has been criticised for been myopic, his teams sendings off, his footballing philosophy, his refusal to spend big, his selection of non-english players etc etc

But surely he deserves criticism for some of the above??

[Dinny Breen]

But surely he deserves criticism for some of the above??

Nope the over-reaction in the Britsh media is not deserved, why should he buy young English talent at inflated prices, he got his fingers burnt with Jeffers and learnt from that. His footballing philosophy is fantastic why would anyone feel the need to criticise that. Shock Horror Team manager refuses to criticise his team in the media and refuses to comment on contraversial incidents involving his players, good management in my opinion.

Wenger is non-English and is in charge of what was traditionally the most English of clubs, in my opinion if he was English we wouldn't even be having this discussion..

[under the bar]

I think that Chelsea's long-standing false sense of superiority will play into Wengers hands and Arsenal will get a result.