The articles of the last two months have been a real mixed bag, by which i mean mostly nay sayers panicking about everything, claiming we need to spen vast amounts on loads of players, that will magically address our glaring tactical and mental problems.
For me, there in lies the real issue. Some people genuinely believe that signing someone like Samba, will magically make our defence impregnable, or signing Mata will have us scoring freely. The real problem at our club is much more than personnel.
I agree, we need to sign a defender, but more as a competitor for a starting place, as well as reliable backup. I certainly think a striker needs to be signed also, as we can't just rely on RVP to carry us in the striking department, this is where the real money has to be spent! However i also believe, and this is having watched Arsenal since i was 8 years old, that tactically and mentally we have plummeted over the course of 6 or 7 seasons.
The way we play defensively verges on the suicidal sometimes, a ridiculously high line that commits way too many players forward, hence why we get caught on the break very regularly, i think we have a back four that could be very solid, but Wenger seems to have lost the ability to train defenders, although i'm not sure he ever really had that ability since he inherited the defence of George Graham.
Tactically we have plan A, and that's it, again, Wengers stubbornness and inability to mix it up has cost us many, many points over the last few seasons. We are now, i feel, back to where we were when Henry left, the start of another transitional period, losing our captain and best player to Barca. We all thought that the team that emerged from 2006 could go on to win things, but our glaring mental issues caught up with us.
It just seems that our players have no motivation at times, their heads go down, and they just tap the ball around the oppositions box to no effect, then get hit on the break, we've seen it time and time again. The way we always seems to capitulate around March, gradually dropping out of each and every competition. There's some seriously deep rooted issues here, that i don't believe a couple of signings can magically fix.
Some people will slate me for saying this, but with the team we had last season, or the season before, i think Alex Ferguson would have won something. Not that i like the guy, because i don't, but he seems to have the ability to always instill belief in his players, a never say die attitude, you saw it again today in the Community Shield.
He won the league, with arguably their weakest team for years last season. they did it through never giving up, never dropping their heads till the whistle went, you just don't see it with a lot of our players...
It's not all doom and gloom of course, we have players who do put the effort in, who do have the never say die attitude, Wilshere or Sagna for example. My point is i just don't see how a few signings will drastically change the problems we have, unless Wenger starts changing his ways a bit, mixing it up tactically, and imbuing real mental strength into a lot of the players, i really can't see it changing much.
From what i've seen pre season it seems to be same old, same old. Although i don't think it's a great indicator of how we will play in our first few competitive matches, friendlys are for getting players match fit, and integrating new signings.
Also, another thing that really gets me, is the horrific atmosphere at the Emirates, i try to go whenever i can, but sometimes it's just embarrasingly quiet, i remember how great Highbury was atmosphere wise, some of these so called fans need to sort it the hell out and chant for gods sake. Our away support is awesome, and i always love going on the road as you can have a real good cheer with everyone else, this probably has something to do with our Home/Away form last year!!
So to conclude i'm not saying we don't need to sign anyone, because we do, especially as Cesc is off to Spain and Nasri looking like he just wants to go to anyone that will pay him stupid amounts of money. I'm saying that people seem to think that new signings will magically make us win things, when they won't....
The REAL Problem with Arsenal
posted on 7/8/11
The disparity in spending between us and the top 3 is greater than that between us and a side like Aston Villa. Arshavin's £16m transfer is still our most expensive signing for goodness sake. Compare that to our rivals.
posted on 7/8/11
The thing I also do get, if you go through our squad man by man and judge them on recent merits, what happened to the great youngsters that were going to grow up, the point i'm making is we really only have a few really very good players. I mean, what says it all to me is look at the deadwood, nobody will take Bendy and Eboue is like worth 3.5 million. There is potential there like Wilshere and Ramsey for sure but most of the rest are proving to be OK at best.
posted on 7/8/11
Oooh I've been waiting for a well-thought out and intelligent article on this board for months! Thank you.
I agree with everything you say. I also agree that we had a better team in 07/08. Somehow there was less mental baggage on our players. The midfield of rosicky fabregas flamini hleb was superb. Adebayor scored goals for fun. Billy and Kolo...Eduardo as well, what a class act he was.
This team is, to quote The Hudsucker Proxy, "outta hope, outta rope, outta time." Predictable football (hardly good to watch any more), sloppy defence, NO GOALS.
posted on 8/8/11
"There's some seriously deep rooted issues here"
This point resonated strongest with me. I don't buy that our players are menally "fragile" as everybody likes to mindlessly repeat. But I think there are mentality issues to address quickly.
You mentioned heads going down too quickly. I would add that the slack attitude of a lot of our players when we take a lead is a big problem too. And I would say that a good work ethic around the field at all times is something we need more of (again, mentality issues). You know we cannot close a game out. Teams like United can though...
Our goalkeepers suffer obvious confidence issues and whilst aparently they are good in training, put a little competitive pressure on them and they fold. Again, mentality. Schzzhnznnyeezy might be our answer to this. He has made mistakes, but all keepers do. That is only one position though.
Confidence again is key for a lot of our players it seems. We don't have many players who feel they rightly deserve to win titles and cups it seems (I feel this anyway). We have folded completely against other big teams recently when in reality, we have had the quality to come good in these types of games.
Take the likes of Chamack for instance. We have seen that he can do it. Stamina and fitness aside, we know that he can be a real handful and can score goals. Look at him now. He looks lost! What is the difference between todays Chamack, and the one that started last season against Liverpool?
And it takes our lads so long to get back into form again because they are surrounded by lots of players with similar confidence/mentality issues.
I'm a staunch Wenger supporter still, but some managers really instill a good mentality from day one and then go on, depending on the quality of their squad, to win things.
Make your own conclusions from that last point.
posted on 8/8/11
you are all dithering around the "real proble at Arsenal" and this is Wenger.
As the OP mentions Fergie could have won last year and in 2008 with our respective squads. Wenger did not.
Dont get me wrong, Wenger is good in his own right but has lost the plot in recent years. It has nothing to do with monies to spend as we have had money to spend but he has opted not to do so. And the reults can only be placed at his doorstep.
Wenger needs to shape up or ship out to put it simply. The team is not the real problem its the coach.
posted on 8/8/11
Great article.
posted on 8/8/11
i agree lex, great article exxcept for one thing.
The conclusion he was leading to he did not state and that is that Wenger is the real problem at Arsenal.
posted on 8/8/11
You say that, but I bet he nailed those caterers down to a good deal for the club during their contract negotiations last season.
posted on 8/8/11
cheers guys, i'm glad many agree with what i'm saying. I suppose it does boil down to Wenger being the problem, but i still find it hard to actually say it.
After everything he's done for Arsenal, i'd like to think he can still change, although i'm not sure he will. I have a feeling it could very well be his last season at Arsenal, which saddens me....
The only issue is, who do you bring in to replace him?
posted on 8/8/11
I think the reports of Wenger's position being under threat are a little premature.
* If we go out of the CL qualifers, but retain top 4 this season, the board will still back him.
* If we get through against Udinese, go out in the last 16, slip to a 5th place finish, but bag the one of the domestic cups, the board will still back him.
* If we slip to 5th, quarters of the CL, no cups, but show signs of real progession on the pitch, the board will still back him.
Only if nothing approaching one of the above scenarios happens, will the board start to get fidgety I think.
And none of us should be hoping for that.