So just beyond the halfway stage of the season we've played 21 games with just 38 points. None of us expected to be up there challenging for the title but we I felt top 3 was very much realistic, that is already now looking unlikely and we'll be lucky to finish top 4.
What has however surprised me is the amount of points we have dropped against the lesser teams. We all know how poor we are in big games but we have generally been decent against sides mid table. Now I'm not expecting us to beat every single team around 8th-20th but halfway into the season and we have already dropped 12 points against these sides. Last season throughout the whole season it was 13 points we dropped against sides outside the top 7, the most shocking of those was the home defeat to Watford.
It's crazy with the attacking talent we have why we have dropped so many points, some has been down to bad luck with decisions i.e.West Brom, Stoke, Watford, however our win against Burnley was a lucky one. Then we have had bad performances such as West Ham and Southampton, we were lucky to get a point against Southampton, even yesterday game we played poorly but still should have scraped the win but as always something seems to go wrong for us in these away games.
Dropped points against lesser sides
posted on 2/1/18
Wenger only seems to look at numbers rather than the quality of player. So Wilshere playing again will mean Ozil leaving isn’t a problem, because we still have a midfield space filled
posted on 2/1/18
We have always been known for free flowing attacking football. That often sweeps away lesser sides. But Wenger never used change our style against the top sides where we used to get spanked. So we were known as flat track bullies. But it always got us a top 4 place.
However ever since we changed formation our style is turgid, full of pointless passes sideways and backwards, even in our own half. I just wonder if Wenger now assesses players based on passing percentage instead of the important things like, goals, assists and clean sheets. There is no incentive to score more goals if you stay in the side because of 'touches of the ball'. Just look at how poorly Iwobi is performing at the moment while we have a more than adequate replacement in Walcott who scored 19 goals last season before being 'benched'. Is Iwobi being taught that you always have receive the ball instead of making selfless runs beyond the opposition because the ball will never be played into space so he won't achieve the acceptable number of touches?
Its easy to defend against us when you are playing one less attacker and looking for another pass instead of shooting or making runs.
posted on 2/1/18
comment by Tu Meke Ainsley (U3732)
posted 2 hours, 55 minutes ago
Let's blame the fact we have 3 league wins away from home all season on refs.
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Yeah let's do this
posted on 2/1/18
Which people have given this article 1 star
posted on 2/1/18
comment by WOKO - thats Wenger out, Kronke out. Xhaka is crapper (U16927)
posted 2 hours, 4 minutes ago
I still think the biggest problem we need to sort out is midfield and Xhaka in particular. I tend to focus on the weakest link in the team and that is currently him.
He is slow and doesnt play as many chance creating passes as some on here seem to give him credit for. He s very slow at all aspects of the game and that is where I think his problem lies. When he holds the ball up looking for the perfect pass or receives the ball sideways and plays it on sideways both scenarios allow the other team more time to gt back and organised in defence. He is also poor defensively because of his lack of pace and poor positioning.
We are regularly playing with an extra CB to counter his defensive weakness (we didnt try that until he had come into the team and we had started dropping points) which means less attacking players. With 3 at the back Wenger has been playing the second CM as an attacking player so just saying they should drop back is not the answer. That will make us even less effective going forward.
We need to address this in January or we wont even qualify for EL next season.We're dropping points against teams at all levels of the table. The only team above us we've beaten in the league is Tottenham. We still havent recovered from losing Santi who controlled midfield. It is the absolute priority in my mind. Santi not only conntrolled misfield but also brought out the best in the players around him. Both are things we lack at the moment. That will cost though, so I would be happy for us to spend £100m on getting that right even if it means we get no one else.
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This is spot on. With Cazorla in the team, he could receive the ball comfortably under pressure or facing our keeper and with a quick turn onto either foot, get the ball forward to our attackers.
Our front 3 of Lacazette, Sanchez and Ozil could be lethal if they were receiving the ball more often with space around them to get at a back 4. Instead we're expecting them to create chances once teams are happily organised with 10 men back behind the ball.
posted on 2/1/18
comment by selbstgerechtein (U7048)
posted 19 hours, 44 minutes ago
You can’t finish top 4 with 13pts from 11 away games.
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Absolutely true! What is alarming is that many Arsenal fans are delusional in thinking that this team is potentially a "top-4" PL team. Arsenal FC has to undergo a top management(ownership?) overhaul if it is to become a great club again.
The best thing that could happen to Arsenal is that it gets embarrassed by Chelsea this week, and then many of those fans who continually drink the Arsenal "Kool-Aid" will finally get upset about where this club is headed and change might happen!
posted on 2/1/18
There aren’t many arsenal fans left who are that deluded not to see there are big problems at arsenal. The recent trophies have probably helped paper over the big cracks. But it’s mainly been more reason to delude the board owners etc that we are doing well. Had wenger not won the cup when we didn’t get top 4, there’s a high likelihood he would have walked or been replaced
Although I do think we are potential top 4 team this year. A better manager with more ideas to get best out of the squad could get us 4th at least. However unless we change our away form ASAP, top 4 is out of the question. But we are a long way off challenging for the league. Need 4 or so more quality players and better tactics and attitude to get near that. The clubs been managed very poorly, because not long ago you could say we were 1 or 2 quality players away from winning the league. Now there is massive work to be done. It’s due to the clubs lack of direction and ambition, and unwillingness to chance
posted on 3/1/18
The clubs been managed very poorly, because not long ago you could say we were 1 or 2 quality players away from winning the league.
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Two words: Leicester City.
posted on 3/1/18
That was 1 in 5000 chance according to the bookies.
posted on 3/1/18
comment by Mr. Eboue Emmanuel (U12374)
posted 5 hours, 4 minutes ago
That was 1 in 5000 chance according to the bookies.
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This. Referencing Leicester City is a bit of a nonsense
Obviously Arsenal aren't being well run though, we can all agree on that