Arsenal's Current Woes - TalkSoccer

**Arsenal007** · 24-03-2008, 12:45 PM

As I watch by beloved Arsenal drop more and more points I dont feel like we deserve all that we have gotten. I feel almost unlucky due to having key injuries and players just not finishing the job. I see that there are some players really pushing hard and others are playing but just not on point as usual. I hope that we can some how weather this storm and push on to a title win. I also hope that the champions league prove to be good for us. I still have hope and will always support but I feel uneasy.

nvn04 · 24-03-2008, 08:56 PM

Realistically, the title's gone. Man U isn't gonna drop enough points that we'd be able to come back, especially given the way we're playing now. We just don't have the depth right now so a few key injuries or a couple of players off form hurt us more than others. Everyone deals with injuries over the course of a season, its just that United and Chelsea are better equipped to deal with them as they have more depth. Champions league is another story, though. We've been playing well there even when we've been shit in the league recently, so it's definitely possible to go on a run there, but I'd say Man U still have to be considered the favorites there as well.

**Arsenal007** · 24-03-2008, 09:14 PM

Honestly you never know, I know that Man U are playing well but, I think it is still up in the air. I honestly would much rather see us win the CL, we have won the Prem. before but we have not won the CL. I still have faith that we could win.

nvn04 · 28-03-2008, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arsenal007

Honestly you never know, I know that Man U are playing well but, I think it is still up in the air. I honestly would much rather see us win the CL, we have won the Prem. before but we have not won the CL. I still have faith that we could win.

Yeah, we'd need win at Old Trafford and hope Chelsea beat United or they draw, which doesn't seem likely atm but is definitely possible. And I agree, I'd probably rather win the CL too as we've never won it before.

TheBigCat · 03-04-2008, 06:19 AM

Hey gang. I know it's been a while, but I did tell you all that I got another board to mod.

Anyway, everyone said I was nuts when I insisted that The Arsenal could compete for the Prem title this year. Well, compete they have, and this despite the fact that nobody gave them a shot. Great job by the Gunners but they are still missing something vital IMHO. They are severely in need of a winger who is a serious scoring threat. Pires could be counted upon for 15 goals a Prem season. Rosicky has 7 so far. That's not good enough.

**Arsenal007** · 03-04-2008, 12:26 PM

I think you are right about Rosicky, but he has been hampered with injuries. I think Arsenal are really going to try to pick up Diego from Bremen.

NJ10 · 03-04-2008, 03:13 PM

Eboue for me isnt good enough to play regularly on the right of midfield. He may be a good athlete but he hasnt scored a goal this season (and rarely looks like he will), his crossing is inconsistent and he lacks discipline tactically. I definitely felt Walcott would have been a better option for Arsenal last night, and indeed as soon as he came on he injected a bit more zest into your side.

Its strange because i genuinely felt Eboue would go on to become one of the worlds best RBs when he broke into the side at the end of the 2006 season, but he hasnt kicked on and for me, i question whether he has the right attitude and mentality to be at a top club.

On a more general note, i agree about the lack of goals from wide areas. In years gone by Arsenal have had Overmars, Pires & Ljungberg, all of whom would regularly chip in 10-12 league goals a season. A player like that would take so much pressure off Adebayor & Van Persie, but Hleb for all his quality is not a major goal threat, Walcott seems to only have composure in front of goal once every blue moon, Eboue simply doesnt score, and Rosicky is missing. That wouldnt be such a massive issue except Eduardo is out, Bendtner is out of his depth, Van Persie is playing his way back into form and fitness, whilst Adebayor despite his goal last night has still dropped a level in terms of performance. It amplifies the problems.

That said, still got a great chance of going through in the CL. I cant see Liverpool keeping a clean sheet at Anfield, but somehow i just think we will sneak through.

NimcHE · 06-04-2008, 08:12 AM

Im new here but i want to say that in some ways you are right all of you.

Eboue is a young player and he can be performed, and if you have seen you would belive that arsenal players are playing bettyer then last season, if we dont win this Premier legue season, then we will do it next season ,

And about CL i 90% sure that arsenal will go to next round, even if the game goes to penalty, i know that arsenal will go to next round,.
Thats a great perforance from young players , if they keep playing that way im sure that they will be like FOOTBALL LEGENDS: PELE, ZIDANE, Van BASTEN, Ovenmars, and not o forget the best player on the world and my favorite player HENRY!!!.

All i say is what i think, you are all wecome to say to me that im wrong or right .

**kyan** · 06-04-2008, 09:19 AM

I think some blame has to go to Wenger to be honest.

OK he couldn't have accounted for the injuries to Eduardo and RvP (maybe he could have to RvP - apparently he hasn't even started 50 league games in 4 years at Arsenal) and the departure of Diarra.

But his squad is so small, and it was clear it was going to be tested by January so why didn't he go out and get a short-term loan or find anyone new? Wenger says there was noone good enough available in January but I don't buy that, there are plenty of players in world football that could do a job. He could have added someone like Barcelona added Davids a few years back, or United getting Larsson last year... someone experienced.

Maybe I'm being harsh, but it's something I'd heard and I agreed with it...

**russe||** · 06-04-2008, 10:47 AM

The current squad isn't big enough it is that simple.

Wenger has to take pretty much all the blame because it has been the same for several years now - Arsenal get to March/April then fall to pieces. Injuries accumulate forcing already tired players to soldier on.

One thing that rarely gets commented on his the quality of Arsenal's medical staff - they have an awful track record.

How many times have we seen Arsenal players come back from injury only to aggravate the injury and be out for another few months? Van Persie and Henry last season spring to mind, Van Persie again this season (twice?) and also what the hell is wrong with Rosicky? At the time Wenger said he'd be out for no more than a week - that was almost 6 weeks ago.

**unitedfan** · 06-04-2008, 11:21 AM

Rotation is the name of the game for many teams. The like of Chelsea and United rotate their teams comfortably, and look how it works - both are on form at the latter stages, whereas Arsenal are not. Wenger never shows any kind of desire to change things up, he's always been of the mindset to be content with what he has, and for all his qualities as a tactician, trainer and recruiter, that content attitude hurts his team. Getting a big squad in is one thing, the other piece of the puzzle would be for Wenger to use it, and rotate players in the interests of fitness and change, rather than putting continuity above all else.

NimcHE · 06-04-2008, 11:26 AM

Thomas Rosicky is still injured, here are some news that i got from official site of arsenal:

"Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) will miss Saturday's game and the Champions League Quarter-Final second leg at Anfield. "He will not be back for the Liverpool games" said Wenger."

I hope that i cleared your mind now

nvn04 · 07-04-2008, 08:56 PM

Rosicky's out for the season now. But overall I'd agree with the fact that we are lacking in depth in our current squad and because of this are having a tough time dealing with the injuries we do have. And yes, even when fully healthy we don't really have the same ability to rotate players without taking a step back like Chelsea and United do. And our players do seem to get reinjured pretty frequently, I don't know if the medical staff is letting them come back too early of what, but it's definitely a problem.

However, that being said, I don't think that it's been the same for the past few years as russell said. Two years ago we came back from a deficit in the last few premier league games to nip spurs for the last champions league spot while we were still on our way to the champions league final, not a bad ending to a season that we started poorly. Last year we were never really in the title race after a couple of months and got knocked out of the champions league early, we didn't finish up the season where we were because of a poor finish. This year is the only season in the past few where we've been really shitty at the end and it's cost us.

hanuma · 14-04-2008, 09:55 AM

A lot in this thread was fair comment: Forget Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool - Arsenal are the best title bet

I honestly didn't think Arsenal would last as long as they did, but Hleb and Adebayor really stepped up this season and Fabregas seemed to have far less work to get through from game to game allowing him the chance to be more productive in the final third, if not quite as efficient as you'd like.

A valiant attempt. This summer the club should be able to afford to bring in a few veterans to strengthen the squad.

**Mighty T.A.L.** · 14-04-2008, 10:00 AM

Eboue fucks up everytime when he tries to contribute up front. I can't understand why Wenger uses Eboue on the right wing when he's obviously is a right back. Now when Sagna is injured, why don't Wenger play Eboue, Toure, Gallas, Clichy...?