A really limp performance today lads, embarrassing to be honest. This Arsenal team is gradually turning me into a far more pessimistic animal, I'm sick of us turning up with no hunger or desire in big games, we seem to be the only top team to do it. I've lost my last remaining hope of a title challenge, it's going to be another top 4 struggle from here on in, which is why I think we need to keep Wenger for the moment, but he and the team really need a huge kick up the Arsenal.
However, before we start slating the usual targets, youngsters like Ramsey and irregulars like Santos (as awful as he was) I think we need to start questioning why the nucleus of our team, our experienced regulars, aren't performing especially in a big game when we need them to step up. Some have been consistently poor for weeks now.
Vermaelen is supposed to be our captain, our leader. Yet not only is he our third best CB, but leadership-wise he's gone missing since he took the armband. His defending has no drive or passion anymore and he never had the calmness and positional awareness to make up for it. His game is mistake-ridden and he needs to be dropped. Kos and Per please.
Arteta has been generally OK this season but if you're billed as an experienced, ultra-consistent 7/10 man then you need to continue that in the big games, especially in a game where controlling the midfield is our best chance of getting something. He rarely does anything spectacular which means that he needs to at least perform to a decent level pretty much every week, yet today he was weak defensively and offered very little going forward, he let Anderson and Cleverly breeze past him too often.
As for Podolski, he has been poor for a while now. Not only has his excellent start and his goals evaporated, but also his defensive work-rate and neat passing seem to have deteriorated as well. He has done nothing, absolutely nothing since the West Ham game, and he needs to buck his ideas up, because at the moment Arshavin is playing better than him, despite not being that good vs. Reading. I will give him time, because he's new and looking very tired at the moment, but as an experienced player with 100+ caps for Germany I expect more and I'm sure you'd agree with that. Maybe we should play him up-front?
I won't have a dig at Santi because even though he was poor today he has generally been superb and without him we would be absolutely nowhere. However like all top players I expect him to find a way to circumnavigate opposition marking, because that what marks out a special talent from the rest. Great goal today but he needs to tighten up his shooting IMO.
As for Santos, we need to see a major improvement in performance and attitude if he wants to play for Arsenal into 2013. He tweets about being a warrior but he is anything but at the moment. The fans are starting to turn against his shoddy defending and general idiocy (speeding incident and RVP shirt thing), I saw someone saying he was our new Eboue a few months back, shows you should be careful what you wish for. I love the guy but he's letting us down.
The others, Vito, Per, Sagna, Giroud were generally OK today, but it was such a spineless team performance that I'm not going to praise any of them.
Key players not performing
posted on 3/11/12
It's up to wonga to fire them up, but he isn't capeable
posted on 3/11/12
Whats clear is we havent got the right blend up front
Pod's not performing on the wing and Ramser on the right is not having the same effect as Rosicky or Benayoun on the left did last season
Giroud's ok, he's getting chances but he brings others into play with flick ons which isnt something one of our strikers has done effectively since Kevin Campbell... no wonder it never seems to work
When we have a bit of verve upfront we look very dangerous but the 3 of Pod-Giroud-Ramsey just doesnt give it
posted on 3/11/12
I agree I think we need an intelligent attacking wideman playing in the Nasri/Arshavin mould, who also works relatively hard. We could play Cazorla there but it would leave a hole in midfield and although Diaby would give a great balance to the team if he filled it his injuries rule that out to be honest.
We really need that extra burst of acceleration and flair though, I know what you mean, Giroud isn't technical enough to create like RvP did and Poldi/Walcott are both more direct goalscoring widemen, they don't have the vision to create opportunities really.
Someone like Jovetic would be perfect, or Nani maybe but he's a and I don't see United selling to us.
posted on 3/11/12
Gerv and Arshavin can be exactly what we need
But then other days theyre exactly what we dont
posted on 3/11/12
Per was our bright spot today and Manone was alright with regulations his saves.
posted on 3/11/12
*his regulation
posted on 3/11/12
Frankly, what you are saying is that it's down to the Manager. Lack of desire. Lack of leadership. Players not performing. If that's the problem it's down to the Manager to provide the kick the players need. don't you think?
posted on 3/11/12
The manager has a large degree of responsibility to motivate the team, yes, it's up to him. However the players do need to have some motivation themselves, and even if it is a failing of AW it doesn't automatically mean he should be fired?