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The theory, (or was it just a hope?), that Arsenal had finally found some collective resilience was blown to pieces by back-to-back defeats at the hands of Spurs in the North London Derby on Saturday and Braga last night in the Champions League. As weeks go, this one couldn’t have been much worse.
Saturday’s capitulation to Spurs was the first home league loss to our North London enemies since 1993. And anyone who was at that match 17 years ago will remember that it was a game staged a week before Arsenal’s appearance in the FA Cup Final and George Graham fielded a very much weakened team in the days when “squad rotation” didn’t happen and the FA routinely fined anyone who didn’t put out what was perceived to be their strongest team. The Spurs victory that night was a hollow one - Arsenal fans mocked their visitors for the length of time it took them to break down a near youth team.
How Did We Lose That Game?©Getty Images
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The meeting at the weekend couldn’t have been more different and the fact that it was a match that had a genuine bearing on both team’s aspirations at the top of the table made it all the more important. To say it was a game of two halves was an understatement. The bottom line, however, was that a team like Arsenal should not be surrendering a two-goal lead to anyone at home, especially in a game as important as this.
After the match Arsene Wenger suggested that the second half performance came down to a mental problem rather than a football problem. He is partly right. Anyone with half a brain would have known that Harry Redknapp would lay into his team at half-time and they would come out a different side in the second period. It was imperative that the Gunners did not concede a quick goal after the break - but that is exactly what they did. From there, they began to wobble and just couldn’t seem to recover.
So, Wenger is right that there was a mental problem. However, he also needs to concede that there was a football problem too. Arsenal showed a lack of tactical acumen in shutting the game down at half-time. They only know how to play one way and that is passing and attacking. This was a time though when less idealism was required and they needed to keep their opponents contained. Spurs had offered so little in the first half and yet Arsenal maintained such a high defensive line in the second half it almost invited their visitors to hit them on the break- particularly after Jermaine Defoe’s introduction. It was all so unnecessary.
Criticisms can be made of the defensive work for all the Spurs goals, but the blame for Saturday’s defeat has to fall squarely with Arsene Wenger. If the players weren’t sufficiently focussed in the second half and if they were tactically naïve - that is down to the manager.
The Gunners had the chance to bounce back last night in the Champions League away to Braga but matters went from bad to worse when the Portuguese team conjured up two late goals to leave Arsenal needing a win in their final group to ensure qualification to the knock out phase.
It was a game in which Wenger’s team had the lion’s share of possession and yet they failed to muster a sufficient cutting edge to put their hosts to the sword. They were hard done by when Carlos Vela was denied a penalty decision but to focus on that would be to ignore that, again, this was a match that Arsenal should have won but couldn’t find the resources to do so. Worse still, again, they got hit on the break and lost the match. Add to that Cesc Fabregas aggravating his hamstring injury and it all adds up to worrying times for Arsenal supporters.
The first thing that needs to be sorted out is their home form. The last five Premier League games at Ashburton Grove have seen Arsenal lose to West Brom, Newcastle and Spurs, scrape a last-gasp victory over West Ham and beat Birmingham 2-1. That is a very long way from being the form of Champions.
Arsene Wenger has built this team and it is he that has put his faith in these players. He may "not understand" how it is that Arsenal contrived to lose to Spurs and Braga but it is he that has to find a way of re-instilling confidence and a winning mentality into players who look bereft of both at the moment.
 
Comments
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Posted by stephen on 11/24/2010
arsenal fans will have to start to sing defend defend defend in steed of attack attack attack
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Posted by Anonymous on 11/25/2010
David: Don't you think it is time that the AFC board started to think seriously about a successor to AW? If teams reflect the personality of their manager, and given that this team is the purest reflection of AW--he selected and groomed *all* the players, inheriting none--then aren't those chronic problems of mentality and tactics the responsibility of AW? And if so, doesn't the only way to 'solve' them seem to be changing the manager who imprints his style on the team? I imagine that if AW were to go, or to be invited 'upstairs', that many of the players would likely want out too. But perhaps that is precisely what is needed: a clear-out of the lesser talents and healthy transfer fees for the more talented who are only there because of AW (e.g. Cesc)? It would leave any incoming manager with a healthy transfer budget and the opportunity to reconstruct a team in his image with new recruits unlike those with 'mental' problems? Would like to know your views on this ...
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Posted by lalok_gunners on 11/25/2010
we need to baunce back quickly...
we must win at aston villa to restore players' confidence..
pls rest chamakh, he looked already worn out...
he starts most of arsenal match...
even in carling cup he still play as subs...
play RvP this week...
bendtner and vela are still not good enough to start...
when they're given chance, they always waste it..
they still do not prove they can be a decent match winner..
and arsenal need to improve their crossing, make use of chamakh's aeriel prowess....
everybody knew how decisive he is on the air..
he shown it, he even outclassed JT on the air, he forced reina to make mistake..
lastly, no more lose at home...
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Posted by David Fitch on 11/25/2010
As you say the spurs game was a game of two halves but what has become known is that if you attack Arsenal their defense cannot cope and are always open to the counter attack, so when Rednapp made his change at halve time and they up the tempo Arsenal had no answer and the last goal again a free header no defender to challenge.The champions league i got the feeling they were playing for a draw because we are used to Arsenal starting at high tempo which in this game was missing Braga plan was to defend and counter on the break as Arsenal defend high on the pitch always a good chance of this type of goals the Braga manager had done his homework and it worked. Arsenal are going to rethink its tactics or make every chance into a score and hope to outscore the other team.
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Posted by Sever on 11/25/2010
I hate to sound like the gleeful cynic kicking a man when he's down, but has anything really changed since last season? In fact, since the Invincibles, those terrible fluctuations in form have been a constant. It's a cliche but it's true, Arsenal are consistenly inconsistent. Wenger's half-a-decade-long project has been a failure so far.
I'll be the first to admit that things were similar in our double winning season in 01-02. We hadn't won anything in three years, and got stuffed at home by Charlton and Newcastle. Then we got our act together in the second half of the season. But this new generation can't defend if their lives depended on it, and their cycle of failure is MUCH longer. Wenger's transfer policy, his tactics, his overall direction must be put on trial. Should we consider sacking him if the team carry on like this until the end of the season?
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Posted by Frank on 11/25/2010
If one more pseudo journo writes "it was a game of two halves" I think I'll vomit.
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Posted by kevin on 11/25/2010
gr8 article v are all so frustrated wen will these 'youngsters' finally mature 1 week wenger says the team is ready to b champion and the next week he says they have a mental problem!!!
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Posted by anonymous on 11/25/2010
Well done David. i love all your article written in this blog. I wonder whether Arsene Wenger do read all comments made by supporters. I don't want to blame the players cause they played like what the manager asked them to do. I hate Wenger for all the excuses he made after losing a game. He would throw excuses yet still lose the game again and again because of the same mistake. It's like he didn't learn any lesson. Please AW, we do love to watch attractive football but the more important thing is to WIN the game and the trophy.
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Posted by Shad on 11/25/2010
Very gutting. Spineless performance. The blame is squarely on AW and his policies; Transfer and Substitution). We have two new CBs still warming up to each other, we have formless midfielders still starting every single game (read Arshavin & Fabregas) plus a CF who needs 10 strikes at goal to knock home one.
At this point there is nothing positive in the team. They look tired, are lackluster except for a select few, and the steel mentality is light years from being cultivated.
This is saddened further by the fact that Chelsea & ManU are equally weaker and the league is still up for grabs.
Call me paranoid bu I am not optimistic about anything with this team. I see another trophy-less season and the cycle cycles.
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Posted by Francis Sim on 11/25/2010
I am not sure if I should count myself lucky to have missed the week's matches on TV. Nevertheless, I believe too many of our players are unable to focus for the entire 90+ min. Too many players are giving the ball away too easily and some players are not even trying to close down the opponents after losing the ball.
The season started brightly but I am afraid that the sparks and flame are going out like the past 4-5 seasons.
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Posted by Stephen Engwau on 11/25/2010
Gunners loss is all to be blamed on Wenger. Why did he leave song on the bench? His two substitutions were all wrong. It sems he wanted a point from that game. Nasri would have replaced walcott and song would have replaced cesc.he would have started chamakh in place of bendtner. Wenger got it all wrong
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Posted by Lee on 11/25/2010
I think you might be right. It is a beautiful game to watch when Arsenal click but it is always this time of yea when the wheels begin to really come off. Can't wait for attention to goal keeper and the back line when the transfer window opens.
Bitter loss to the Spurs. Gallas probably reminded the Spurs how fragile the minds of the Gunners are at the break. Especially since he was the main culprit the last few years.
I saw in another post the need for a strong character like Viera.
I love the Gunners put I am never confident in a lead when they play. We are just not good enough.
I do not see Cesc at the Emirates for much longer.
I believe we are still in 2nd, no? Gunner supporters complain a lot even when we are in a strong position. Aresene spoiled us with the Invincibles.
Go Saints as well. From New Orleans!
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Posted by Jerry on 11/25/2010
I guess its time for Wenger to move on. If Arsenal have to be champions they need to start buying players of worth.
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Posted by d on 11/25/2010
"If the players weren’t sufficiently focussed in the second half and if they were tactically naïve - that is down to the manager."
So what're you gonna do?
Some guy on the comments board suggested that the assistant manager should be sacked. That's a good start eh?
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Posted by Bob on 11/25/2010
You're right that at least one of the defeats are down to Wenger. I am not an idiot, so I wouldn't call for his firing, but I don't understand why he can't get his players to play defense properly. In the 2nd half vs Spurs, we should have put 10 men behind the ball and created a fortress. Let Spurs have the ball and attack, and we'll just defend. So the tactics were all wrong. Vs. Braga, again the defending was horrible to allow us to get beat on the break. But it is down to the players to score goals, and they failed to do that. We dominated possession but we couldn't get the ball in the net. I think Chamakh would have done a better job than Bendtner in there, but I understand starting Bendtner to give Chamakh a rest. However, defeats are only useful in that they can teach you how to do it differently next time, I hope Wenger is learning and will adjust...
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Posted by Gollum on 11/25/2010
As an Arsenal supporter, this is a very level and well written article
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Posted by Abhishek Nandi on 11/25/2010
Wenger knows only one way and doesn't have any plan B under his kitty when things go wrong.His arrogance over new signings and faith over few useless players(read Bendtner,Denilson,Alumunia etc) have cost us 6 trophy-less season. If he has built the modern Arsenal..the invincibles..he is the only one responsible for this shabby Arsenal performances over the last couple of years.Someone need to tell him where he is going wrong and HE MUST rectify them, keeping his ego aside.He is a fabulous MANAGER but as a football coach, he needs to learn a lot of things.
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Posted by perez on 11/25/2010
It has been the worst week since the season began & it's not easy to swallow. In my oppinion, the spurs match we must not blame the team, the right person to blame is Arsen Wenger for taking off the trio (Chamakah,Nasir & Ashavin) coz they had created & scored all the goals as well as puting enough presure on the spurs defence, by taking them off, it ment that spurs had been handed a life chanse to pile the presure that was ment for them to the opposite side (Arsenel). That was the coz of the spurs defeat.
For Braga it's a mental problem coz they went into the match looking for a draw which was a wrong idea thats why they were purnished & that must be a lesson coz an Arsenal team 'll never go out there to play for a draw unless when it's the outcome after 90 min's.
I urge the team not to give up coz they still have every marterial,fercilities & talent to win anything. Go Gunners we're behind ur backs & we'll give all the surport u need to become winners. Wish u luck guys.
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Posted by David Chow on 11/25/2010
Up till today, I could still hardly accept our defeat to Hotspur at our home ground and after heading 2-0 in the first half. In my view, Cesc, as Arsenal's captain, owes us an apology for his stupid act of blocking the ball with his arm resulting in the penalty loss and allowing Hotspur to come back into the game.
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Posted by max on 11/25/2010
Fab4 out for 2 weeks?.Well lets wait till the Arsenal med team get their hands on him.Min 3 months out.
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Posted by Anonymous on 11/25/2010
The theory, (or was it just a hope?), that Arsenal had finally found some collective resilience was blown to pieces by back-to-back defeats at the hands of Spurs in the North London Derby on Saturday and Braga last night in the Champions League. As weeks go, this one couldn’t have been much worse.
Just hope is fast becoming the template!!
Arsene Wenger has built this team and it is he that has put his faith in these players. He may "not understand" how it is that Arsenal contrived to lose to Spurs and Braga but it is he that has to find a way of re-instilling confidence and a winning mentality into players who look bereft of both at the moment.
Wow, you are obviously a football man !! but your calling it wrong. It`s not up to Arsene to re-inspire his team, they all play well... Arsene has run out of the right stuff. In truth, 2 yrs ago...its amazing that he is still with us. I think he may well ruin everything he has done. Like a boxer, doesn`t know when to give up !!
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Posted by Dennis on 11/25/2010
Arsenal is a dead club,Arsene Wenger need to be sacked before can win trophies.
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Posted by Akin Fred on 11/25/2010
Thanks for another good piece David. I however do not agree that Wenger alone is to blame for the capitulation we have see this week. Yes he signed his french central defenders and is putting his faith in them. I personally do not believe in Lorient and his partnership with Squillachi makes things look much worse. I remember months back when we all pleaded with AW to get Quality central defenders and we saw what he bought. I do not believe we would have lost the Spurs game had Vamerleen been in the team. Wenger's stubbornness is costing Arsenal and it beats the sh_t outta me how AW does not see this. Secondly our players have the wrong idea of how this season is going to pan out. This is a season where all teams are focused for 96minutes which means your defense must not go to bed early like ours have done twice this week. This is a season where if you can hit 10 past an opposition, you don't stop at four!! Once we are a goal up, our marksmanship becomes poorer, we waste chances.
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Posted by M.Wylie on 11/25/2010
I just wish we could speed up our attack play. Cesc seems to be strolling thru midfield, playing tippy-tappy passes, waiting for support - while the opposition run back to get 9-10 men behind the ball. Why not use our pace and be more direct? In the Spurs game, Chamakh pulled down a long ball, ran against two defenders to the edge of the 18yd box - but instead of shooting pulled up, dribbled the ball away(!) from goal and "waited for support". If our lone striker isn't selfish enough to have a shot, then who exactly is willing to go for goal? (Chamakh was replaced by van Persie within minutes of that incident.) More speed of execution, more direct play, more shooting please.
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Posted by femi orekoya on 11/25/2010
i think arsene got it all wrong...you dont need to be a rocket scientist to know that jenas was not up to scratch in that game yet he kept both his defensive midfielders in the game using a lone striker...he should have hooked denilson and brought in van persie playing 4-4-2 and even though spurs would have scored arsenal would have outscored them......yet it didnt happen...
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Posted by susai anthony, kuala lumpur, malaysia on 11/25/2010
Arsenal were once renowned for their stout defending with the likes of Pat Rice and Peter Storey guarding the fortress. Very little went past them and the Gunners were quite happy to grind out 1-0 wins. Much has changed since. Arsenal have since transformed into the Harlem Globetrotters of soccer - and if there was a trophy for entertaining, the cupboard would not be as bare as it has been in the last few seasons at the Emirates. While the likes of Glichy and Sagna are doing wonders on the flank on the attack, I do not think they come anywhere near Rice or Storey in terms of defending capabiliy. In the past we had Liam Brady who probably was the Gunner that could stand anywhere near the likes of Ryan Giggs. Now we have almost 10 entertainers outfield and 1 clown(?) between the posts. Hardly the formula for winning titles I would think. Yes,we certainly need the likes of Samir Nasri but we also need more people in the mould of Pat Rice of yesteryear or Alex Song in the current setup.
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Posted by Kanu Okoli on 11/25/2010
Diz players keep letting AW down. Its not always down to d manager. These players need to repay the trust d manager has in them.
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Posted by Anthony on 11/25/2010
David, there is nothing more to add. You've said it all.
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Posted by ifeanyi udemezue on 11/25/2010
I agree entirely with you Dave. Arsene Wenger should take the lion share of the blame for the capitulation we are experiencing at the moment. They should learn to defend if need be.
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Posted by tunde Taiwo on 11/25/2010
Right now Arsenal is not a championship team,they play in such a disjointed manner it is unbelievable Wenger is the manager.Please note that every counterattack against Arsenal almost always results in a goal......... Hollow defence and uninspiring attack,I believe it will be tough for them to make the premier league.
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Posted by Ben Simba on 11/25/2010
Agreed. But in football there is something called 'luck' - The team will be back no doubt. Anyway I blame the ref in the braga game. He was a disgrace
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Posted by The Arsenal1000 on 11/25/2010
i think arsenal just need to become concentrated on the game for 90mins, we dont really need new signings i think because the ones we made are good squillaci is solid and koscielny is good but more time will do him good,its just a matter of patience
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Posted by Graham on 11/25/2010
The home form is very worrying, although I think in some ways the whole idea of home and away is a bit problemativ for Arsenal. When they are at home this year they seem to think they should always have the ball and always be attacking. When they go away it seems they have built a bit of resilience and realised that sometimes they do need to sit a bit deeper.
As for Braga, why was the defensive line so high, when all they needed to do was secure a point to definitely qualify. It is just mind bogglingly silly for them to be pushing so hard for a winner when the stakes are so high and now they have piled the pressure on for the last game. It is ridiculous to win the first 3 games and then play as we have since.
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Posted by Emeka Obi Esq on 11/25/2010
As you said David, against Spurs Arsenal came into the 2nd half and started to pass the and attack as usual. That is very wrong as their priority should have been to defend the 2 goal lead. Another disturbing point about the games against Spurs and Braga is that the 5 goals Arsenal conceded, all came from set piece either in our own half or in the opponent's half. This is disturbing because for years the media have been saying that Arsenal is too vulnerable at set piece and AW have done absolutely nothing about it. At the rate we are going, Arsenal will win nothing at the end of the season
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Posted by zeunone on 11/25/2010
That was spot on. arsene has completely lost the uncanny ability tp strike a balance between competition and commerce.
i strongly believe the time is up for me to go and get and professorial seat at the LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL.
the passion and desire to win is obviously not in him again.he is delusional and obsessed with his own footballing philosophy which is not deivering results let alone trophies.
he should tow the honorable path and resign.
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Posted by robinson on 11/25/2010
seems teams have mastered the fraility of arsenal on the counter- attack especially aerial strikes as shots or passes....... this is is an area that needs re-affirm. the striker should up his game to at least 7/10 in clinical finishes.
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Posted by Shivam on 11/25/2010
While the losses have been demoralizing, especially the loss against Spurs, it is not the end of the world. After all the catastrophes we are still just 2 points below the top and after what we saw, we can only get better, isn't it.
Chelsea lost back to back games and their first half display against Zilna was far from their best. United have dropped so many points from winning positions this season. This season is still about being the best among the worst. And for that we still have time on our hands.
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Posted by Shanti Ghose on 11/25/2010
It has become a distinct pattern with Arsenal performance diary. It is the same old story repeated over and over again. Arsene's big mouth spouting wonderful promises and build-up before a game and then blaming others for poor performance is getting pretty boring for the Club supporters. You can see that he is totally incapable of instilling calm and confidence to his players by his childish display of tantrum after losing the game the other day.
I sometimes wonder how he manages to keep his job.
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Posted by Lembach Is Staying! on 11/25/2010
The problem is simple: who's the on-field leader for this team.
Maybe it's Cesc, but his constant injuries mean his influence is dampened. Beyond that, who else can they look to in times of crisis?
Nasri has been playing well, but I don't believe he's the type of personality who can rally a struggling side.
Song has the Vieira role, but not the same stature as a leader.
The defense seems to be full of mutes, and the keepers are too worried about their own precarious position to take command of the team as a whole.
The worst of it is this is one of the most intractable problems to "solve" because it requires someone who has the balls to take responsibility and the personality to do so without alienating the rest of the easily bruised egos in the side, and if such a person was in the team, he should have already emerged.
So who's the savior?
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Posted by Phil on 11/25/2010
Pretty much sums it up. It is a very woeful feeling heading into away game at Aston Villa.
I don't doubt the skill of the team, but something is desperately missing. Even in past years, the slip ups just haven't seemed this bad. I can't help but wonder if Wenger has just lost the ears of this team. You can't give them their head if they don't know where they are going.
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Posted by Jeremy on 11/25/2010
I concur.
I have to question the substitution choices against Tottenham as well.
The impotent Bendtner for a dangerous, lively Chamakh is silly. Removing Nasri foolishness.
Cesc (a usual rock of reliability) has been a far cry from his form in recent past seasons. He looked tame with his shots, tepid with his passes and is alone culpable for the handball-penalty kick goal, which ultimately gave Spurs equal footing on the scoreline and the momentum from said tie.
It was a frustrating match to watch.
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Posted by titansgunnerMan on 11/25/2010
Wenger won't say it but I will. Wenger, his staff, and players are WEAK. Weak mentally and physically. I would rather be Blackburn- a team maybe not technically gifted, but definitely you can't call them soft. Until that's straightened out, supporters can get used to 3rd, 4th, and possibly 5th place finishes from this team of also rans.
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Posted by Michael on 11/25/2010
Dare I say it but, if we finish trophyless (again) this season, I think it might be time to say merci and au revoir to Mr Wenger. This probably won't happen because the board loves the fact that with Wenger in charge the club will run a big profit every year regardless of on field results, but it's the same problems every season and he hasn't fixed them. We always hear about 'potential' but its been potential for 5 years now, this is no longer an excuse. I hear Luis Aragones and Frank Rijkaard are unemployed at the moment, maybe we should give them a buzz.
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Posted by James Byrne on 11/25/2010
I think the situation the Boss is faced with is far more serious. The gunners have lost 4 out of 6 games, all in the month of November. I think the team is far too casual in their play, they need to lift the tempo up a few notches, stop trying to walk the ball into the net, have a few shots at goal from outside the penalty area. Our current back four are shakey to say the least maybe we should look at playing an extra man to help out at the back.
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Posted by hilton cholmondeley on 11/26/2010
Arsenal need to step up their passing game and the defence must be more solid and they must shoot more at goal and then you will see good results winning results.
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Posted by Christian Foi on 11/26/2010
I agree with all your commnentary. The problem lies with the coach. As we say over here the "Buck Stop Here" As I said it many time you need someone with bighe job. B.....to do t
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Posted by Charade on 11/26/2010
Disappointing indeed. It broke something to see that loss to Tottenham, and I can't really say I believe Arsenal to be champions if they play like a championship side.
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Posted by dave on 11/26/2010
That picture with the caption is hillarious.
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Posted by Joseph on 11/26/2010
It is true the reason of not wining games is not only mentally problem, it is also technical problems. I can also add why more than 80% of arsenal FC are not physic compared to other Premiership clubs? The club no longer composed of young players, they are at age of which most players shows their maximum performance. Why can someone say players of arsenal are for the future,what does future to arsenal means? because many players are approaching retiring age from soccer. The club should focus on buying new players who are physic and can shut outside penalty box. There are players who are cheap e.g Asamoh Gyan from Ghana who is physic why such players are not considered? I can see Chamack has not covered the gap of Adebayo, the club needs people like fredrick Ludjuberg or Ray Poulour, but the players of arsenal of today it is impossible to win any tittle
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Posted by MBD on 11/26/2010
INSHORT AM SHORT OF WORDS I DONT KNOW REALLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT IM REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN THE PLAYERS AND YJE COACHING CREW.IT IS A BIG SHAME.
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Posted by Seryx on 11/26/2010
David, i think u'r rite puttin it all on Wenger. I stil cant believ we lost both games! Against Tot'ham was wen we needed dat new-found resilience most & we couldn't com up with it. Tot'ham and Braga didn't actually 'win' those games, WE 'lost' them and we lost our chances to both go top of the EPL and confirm qualification for the R16 in CL. I still wonder why Wenger didn't use Chamack, Koscielny, Nasri and Song in the Braga game. We needed to kill the game first before loading up second string players (that's what Bendtner, Djourou and Denilson are to me) but it's already happened. I know we'd qualify for the R16 as our home form in C.L. is still quite good and funny enough I kinda believe we can beat Villa this weekend as our away form in EPL has been awesome.
I just hope Wenger will work on the boys to get their confidence back soon enough and we still need to ensure we lock down our home games by all possible means. But the EPL is quite open this season so we stil hav a chance.
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Posted by deboy on 11/26/2010
greetings 2 all gunner faithfuls.
I think arsene wenger should call a spade a spade.
I didn't see the reason why he considers some game more important than others.
Barcelona is 2 face Real madrid on monday but that didn't stop them from fielding their best eleven.
Arsenal should do the same,play a 4-4-2 formation with Van persie and Chamakh upfront.
GUNNERS! 4 LIFE...
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Posted by Jeremy Bee on 11/26/2010
Hi,thanks for an extremely well written article.However,I am not as forgiving in my analysis of the situation.I agree-AW is to blame.Frankly,losing the game against Spurs after being 2-0 up at home is a disgrace.The problem with Arsenal and this AW team in particular is exactly like him;a mirror image of his character;they live in a fairytale world believing that their football will win any game against anyone(Barcelona embarrassed us at our own game).The truth is tactically we are extremely naive. The games we lost against West Brom, Newcastle and Spurs as well as the points dropped at Sunderland were all down to concentrating so much on playing fantasy football(most times in front of opposition goalposts)that we forget the game is only 90min! We had chances against all the aforementioned and just didn't(note not couldn't)kill off the game. Why leave Chamakh on the field to squander chances when we're 2-0 up & you know at HT exactly what Spurs will do-but leave Walcott on the bench??
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Posted by Peter on 11/26/2010
Absolute classic analysis of how woeful we have become!
Wenger, should understand that excuses will never take us anywhere.
Our opponents are doing much better than us when we should be piling more pressure on them at the top.
I have said time and again that we need a consistent goalkeeper!Despite wenger insistence i'm little convinced we got one in Fabianski!
If we continue this way, we would better kiss any hopes for a silverware goodbye!
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Posted by Don on 11/26/2010
Agree totally disappointing week. Two lead a game 2-0 and lose is totally unacceptable. And then to play so dismally three days later is dumb founding. Not sure what is going on with Arsenal, they have seemed to have lost direction. To have so much possession and not turn that into goal scoring opportunities is a concern. The game is not about passing the ball around in the midfield aimlessly it is about putting the ball in the net and keeping out of your own. Bendner was everywhere but in from of the goal. Why is he running back to win the ball and then a no show when crosses are coming over. Wegner is smart he needs to rethink tactics. Very disappointing when you have results like this you start to wonder if everyone including the coaches are just overrated. Maybe our expectations are too high!!
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Posted by damazane on 11/26/2010
Every time I get convinced that arsenal is on the right track, something goes horribly wrong.The pain that I feel every time arsenal losses is indescribable.Giving away a two-goal lead at home is
unforgivable.Chamack,except for the odd goal that he
scored,he was just not playing the entire time he was on the pitch.Quite frankly I think we miss Vermaelen. Our defense is leaking. We have conceeded
5 goal in our last 2 games.I love Arsenal!!!
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Posted by kdouble08 on 11/26/2010
does anybody remember how Arsenal lost the 2002/03 title? exactly how many 2-0 lead became 2-2 or worse? 2-0 lead is the most self-destructing result for Arsenal since years...
inside the team nothing have changed since, outside more money was spillt into the rivals (Chelsea, Man City, Tottenham and partly all PL teams). all in all what was enough to win titles then is not enough now.
I am very much afraid that Mr. Wenger have not noticed this fact. Arsenal will not win anything this year. mark my words.
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Posted by vijay on 11/26/2010
He may do many mistakes, but I fail to understand how he can mess up with Fabregas time and again. He has done it before and it really p_sses me off that he plays Fabregas while he isnt fully fit, for games which arent so critical. Without Fab, I think the team is decent to get atleast a point at Braga. Now we have him injured, and worse still is that he may not be fully fit for the Old Trafford tie.
Wenger, is that it? Have you lost it?
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Posted by patrickson on 11/26/2010
arsenal can bounce back after these losses,wenger has a team full of talent but only needs to mature his players for big games.there defence needs improving,midfield needs to be stronger.cecs has a role to play and he have to deliver and hold his team on the burner when times go bad, i must say his leadership has to play around everyone for the team to go forward .strickers have to attack the goal more than just waiting for a through ball to come come there way ,and score the goals they have to ,remember every chance counts.i sitll feel gunners can good countender once they play football and not pretty football.go gunners for life.
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Posted by Anonymous on 11/27/2010
All arsenal need is a winning mentality. They know how to dominate possesion but they don't know how to win matches. Arsene should know by now dat what counts is d number of matches u win & not d % of domination of play. Up Gunners!
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Posted by james on 11/27/2010
"That is a very long way from being the form of Champions."
definitely. what champions??
did you honestly expect more? the arsenal squad can always be relied upon to do well early season and spectacularly capitulate in the late season.
not quite there yet for "champions", truth be told.
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Posted by Sam kenya on 11/27/2010
Blame it all to the manager.if we compare our player with the tottenham,few can make it to starting eleven. Shows how shallow the squad is.
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Posted by ISMAIL AHMED NUNGULI on 11/27/2010
We need trophies from Aasene Wenger & no skepgots
every time the team looses in a manner that shouldn't have!
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Posted by Ricco on 11/27/2010
I love Arsenal very much, but they need to step up their game. I personally want trophy pls u guys should try and make me happy again.
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Posted by anand on 11/29/2010
hi guys,
y not u all try Martin O'neill? and maybe arsene can go back to Japan!!! bcoz Japan need a manager to develop their kids but no pressure to win any thropy!!!he he he !!!!
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Posted by Glenn on 11/30/2010
I am a passionate Arsenal supporter, i am frustrated at how we can control games then lose that control so quickly, the game against Tottenham was a good example, we should have won that game easily, tottenham had the better substitutes and played a smarter 2nd half, we were very lax in our 2nd half approach, our backs are out of sorts with the loss of vermaelen, i think that Chamakh, needs to be rested, he can be very lazy with the ball when in open play, he is effective in the air but does not receive the ball where he needs it, that comes from lazy passes and crosses, if RVP is good enough for the bench maybe we should try starting him and giving chamakh a rest he would make a good strike player late in the game, we need to start our best 11 each game if we are to challenge for the title. come on you gunners.
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Posted by Michael PC on 12/19/2010
AW is honourable person and forward looking manager with modern ideas,BUT,
He also is: tactically/technically clueless,
and not streetwise on how to win a fight on the pitch,how to motivate/make his team raise their game/correct their mistakes,as he (and his equally mute and ignorant assistants)look on at the,sometimes, pitiful spectacle like zombies and only harassing 4th officials for stupid little things that dont really matter when real problem is himself and his underperforming or indifferent players who are running around sometimes like headless chicken,without anyone in sight to provide leadership.
(Cesk is overrated,has no good shot,his passing mostly erratic,shouldn't take every setpiece and following all that saga about Barca,he only goes through the motions, marking time until he leaves Arsenal!I expect him to sit out most hard/unglamorous games for rest of season.Sell'm .
AW is incapable of buying good keeper or CD's
He is also complacent/arrogant to admit all that!!
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About
Sam Limbert: My retirement as a football player came at the age of 14 due to being rubbish, it's fair to say I was more Kaba Diawara than Thierry Henry, so I turned my focus to writing about the game. I'm a lifelong Arsenal fan and have been lucky enough to watch the team across England and Europe. My favourite Gunner of all time is Dennis Bergkamp, and the 2004 Invincibles is the greatest side I've ever seen in English football. I try to be positive about the Arsenal as it's the hope that keeps us going! Follow me on twitter @SamsMatchReport.
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