Garth Crooks Can See It, Why Can’t Arsene?!
On Match of the Day 2 tonight, Garth Crooks implored with the panel asking why Arsenal haven’t invested in a quality striker, a quality midfielder to play alongside Cesc Fabregas and a top quality goalkeeper.
He said “it’s so obvious, and that’s what they need to turn from a good side into a great side so they can win things”.
Yes Garth, it is obvious. Not to Arsene Wenger though.
Update:
Read our new post on Arsene Wenger here.
And
February 7th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Wenger and the board out they are killing our ambition.
February 7th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Grow up. If you can’t support the club, don’t.
You don’t go to matches. We don’t want your support.
Citeh will welcome you with open arms.
February 7th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Garth Crooks hit the nail on the head. I’m just tired of this moral victories spew Wenger comes out with. He was delighted with our performance yet Cheslea were never in the position to be under pressure. We dominated because we were chasing the game from the outset. Everyone knows Chelsea allowed us enough rope to hang ourselves with- just like what Man U do, our tactically naiive players over commit leaving us vulnerable to counters then goals.
The only trophy we can win is one for aesthetically pleasing football.
February 7th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
I think Diaby is the perfect partner for Cesc in our formation.
I do think we need a GK badly.
We have a world class forward in RVP who’s back in 6-8 weeks. A club can’t just buy cos it has a injury, this is real life, not a computer game.
February 7th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
wenger is the problem, hes built a team of gutless shite that no other manager would want plus hes got no objections to being the highest paid manager in england on 5 million despite not even challenging anymore, time to run this greedy lying conman out of our club
February 7th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
When is not supporting Wenger same as not supporting the club??! Arsene IS NOT ARSENAL! The club is far greater than that.
February 8th, 2010 at 12:00 am
A top quality midfielder to play with Cesc? I strongly believe our first choice midfield is one of the best in the country - Cesc, Diaby, Song, Ramsey, Nasri and on the wings Walcott (after he’s had a few more games to get his form back) and Arshavin (or just behind the strikers - NOT a lone front man). I’m sure all these players would be welcome at any other team in the country…
Having absolutley nothing up front in the last 2 games has cost us badly, it’s just a big shame that that RVP got injured - otherwise our season might be very different to what we’re looking at now. Arsene did try to sign in the window but couldn’t get the right player at the right price.
February 8th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Why lie?
I was just watching and he didn’t say that.
Funny, I’ve never heard you say a good word about the Gooners.
Are you even a fan?
same applies to Danish gooner
February 8th, 2010 at 12:03 am
supporters support
February 8th, 2010 at 12:07 am
wallcot never had any form in the first place. hes shite
February 8th, 2010 at 12:10 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAiyAMU9HBM - Theo vs Liverpool
Theo never had any form in the first place? I really hate moronic arsenal fans sometimes, a lot of our fans don’t deserve the club we have. As ‘anon’ says - supporters support, not just bitch and whine when things don’t go our way
February 8th, 2010 at 12:12 am
anon you are blinded by the wenger lies and spin. we have enough of his failure so jog on to one of those we love arsene sites where you will be more at home
February 8th, 2010 at 12:12 am
Anon, he did say that, and he is right, wenger a mug
February 8th, 2010 at 12:14 am
finally his famous myopia has affected him on his own team, hail the 3rd best premiership team by choice!
February 8th, 2010 at 12:23 am
We absolutely need a new goalkeeper. Why Wenger has stuck with Almunia for so many years is beyond me. He had no track record before he came to Arsenal despite being in his mid to late twenties, and from his first match against Birmingham at home, he simply hasn’t been good enough; one of the worst goalies in the Prem, IMO. If we had Given instead, I believe we would still be right in the mix. Akinfeev, Buffon or Lloris would be ideal, and more importantly, probably available in the summer.
Clichy is in a real rut too. Even before his injury he was making mistakes, and it is such a shame Gibbs got injured because he was showing huge progress. Possibly a new left back is needed, as I have serious doubts over Traore too. Happy with the midfield, though Denilson should be let go - not strong or quick enough for the role he plays, plus his positioning often goes to pot.
Definitely need a top class centre forward - think how much better we would be if we had our own Drogba or Rooney. Van Persie’s injury is a shame but he was so injury-prone anyway that it was asking too much to rely on him staying fit for the whole season - same goes for Eduardo and Walcott, whose career is in danger of slipping into mediocrity. Dzeko or Chamakh would be realistic and both could add so much.
Wenger REALLY needs to lose this arrogant and ridiculously stubborn streak, there’s no way we will win the title with this current policy. If he is not prepared to change his ways, then he must go for the good of the club.
February 8th, 2010 at 12:26 am
anon 12.00/12.07
What kind of supporter are you?
The one who doesn´t give a shit about obvious problems?
Happy to see Almunia and Denilson and I´m really sad to say it, now also Clichy, fuck up game after game?
Are you happy when Arsene spoil average kids with fantasy-salaries when some of them doesn´t give a shit when it comes to trackin back?
DO YOU REALLY think that Cesc will stay throu this f*ntastic y*uth experiment, giving his heart in every game when some players don´t care and knowing that these average players will get a pay-raise cos they´re part of Arsenes family?
Who are you to judge us that live and breathe Arsenal 24/7.
We all ´love´ Arsene but he needs a reality-check..
If he leaves you can continue supporting him.
February 8th, 2010 at 12:38 am
I reckon cesc has had enough, he’s off to barca, wenger used an excuse off we have a younger team compaired to cheski, well wenger that’s ur fault not cheski,
an that’s why there on top an were going to be lucky to get 4th
February 8th, 2010 at 12:41 am
Dan, we don’t have any cover for RvP. We can’t just rely on one world class striker to stay fit all season, that’s just naive and pretty ridiculous. United have Berbatov and Owen if Rooney got injured, and Chelsea have Anelka, Drogba and players like Joe Cole, Malouda, Lampard and Ballack who offer goals and attacking threat. Without Van Persie, we can’t score against the tougher defences. Just look at the game at Stamford Bridge last season - Van Persie scored twice. He’s also scored several times against Liverpool and Manchester United. And even this season when we struggled, Robin scored a brilliant solo goal against Manchester City.
Also, I never get tired of the ‘Arsene knows’ brigade who spout shite all the time. We haven’t won anything since 2005, and that was a competition Wenger now deems not worthy of trying to win these days.
In 2006, we were told we’d win things in a few years. Then the same the year after, then the year after that. It’s 2010 now and we look as far as we ever have in regards to the title race.
If Wenger is guilty of anything, it’s telling us all we can win the league year after year, because it’s blatantly obvious we can’t.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:10 am
Anon and crookington do i start questioning your loyalty ????only the Arsene knows brigade would question a fan that doesnt agree 100 percent with wenger,it is infantile,silly and bang out of order.But you keep living in your little dreamland and then in 5 years when you start bitching about us not having won any thing in 10 years,dont say i told you so.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:37 am
arsene was cheated..before the january transfer window he talked why every body talking abaut singning..the window is not open..remember!!! and january was passed, and he said he failed in bringing someone in the transfer. why can’t did the transfer in early date. the team realy need some singning for the title hope.and now what happen..the board said arsenel was enough money..im very dissapointed with arsenal..the club all about to make money..don’t wan to win trofy. 5 years is to long..in arsene i don’t trust.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:43 am
Fans need to show patience.
http://www.uefa.com/multimediafiles/download/pressrelease/uefa/uefamedia/87/97/76/879776_download.pdf
Have a read of the document and think how it applies to Chelsea.
How old are their players now?
If Chelsea can’t break even in a single year, how do they hope to replace this ageing squad? There’ll be no Drogba, no Lampard, no Cashley, no Carvalho, no Malouda, no Anelka…
They’ve bought short term success and the wage bill and transfer spending simply can’t continue. They are a club that relies on their benefactor.
So give the boss a break. He’s laying proper foundations that will see us reap the benefits for years to come yet.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:12 am
“he’s laying proper foundations that will see us reap the benefits for years to come”???? He’s been laying them for years already and what benefits can we see?.One of the worst Arsenal teams I have seen in years and I’ve been a fan for over 50 years.I follow Arsenal not Arsene Wenger and I hope this is his last year with us as we desperately need some fresh thinking at the club
February 8th, 2010 at 4:18 am
All these senseless attacks on others does nothing to solve the real problem so why don’t we all go have a cup of tea and sit and think before we open our foul mouths and abuse the hell out of each other. To midlessly say someone is not a true supporter because he/she doesn’t agree with a point of view is just infantile. Surely we are above that dross.
Yes, the club is in trouble, no we will not win anything, yes we’re all pissed off and yes the playing roster is not good enough to take us above an also ran in the EPL. But do we need to abuse each other??? Why don’t we all take a cold shower and think a bit.
February 8th, 2010 at 7:51 am
If we don’t win a trophy this year, which is in my opinion a 99% chance, it willl be 6 years without one. Surely there will be huge pressure on Wenger after that. How long can this barren run continue, particularly when Wenger pretty much admitted that he threw the FA Cup.
Also, if Arsene decided he wanted a keeper, why not sign one earlier in the window rather than making a last ditch bid. It reeks of poor managerial organisation.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:43 am
Let’s get Crooks in. Why has it always got to be all or nothing? If we don’t win the hardest game of the season we’re shit. Our fans consist of too high a percentage of spoiled, whiny Man Utd fans without the balls to change teams. Our blog writers are on the whole, tossers. Go onto any other newsnow site and there are three or so fan blogs. We’ve got hundreds of them. I wonder what it is about us that inspires such poor support. As for the guy who claims this is one of the worst teams in 50 years- pathetic. No doubt you’re about 15 in any case and tired of Cockney Reds gloating.
The thing is, if all top 4 squads are compared, we’re absolutely laughing. Perhaps it isn’t being borne out in the current league position, but football does go on indefinitely. Let’s remember that while bitching. Yes, we would be improved by a better goalkeeper. If anybody thinks that’s a profound insight and that Wenger would be amazed to hear it, you’re a fool.
If people step back and look at the top 4 squads- we’re fucking light years ahead. Maybe league position isn’t bearing it out, but it will.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:52 am
WENGER OUT
February 8th, 2010 at 8:54 am
bring r TONY back
February 8th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Chris Redmond. Agree totally!!
February 8th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Fuck Arse not buying players is killig us and he always has an excuse for everything Fucken hell wenger tie for action no talk the team is good but not just good enough to match man u or chelsea
February 8th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I think the article is pretty spot on - this is not a team full of weakenessesm and we certainly don’t need a new manager - we need a world class goalkeeper - if we had a keeper of the quality of Given, or even Reina, we would not have dropped so many points. This, as far as I’m concerned, is indeniable; Almunia is not even in the top 10 of the keepers in the Premiership, and as Brian Clough said “a good keeper can save you 20 points a season.” It’s so true.
We are also sorely lacking two world class strikers. We have one in Van Persie, but he has been injured and it has left us looking light up front. Yes, we’ve been able to score goals from players in almost every position, but imagine how much easier it would be if we had a ‘proper’ front man to cover and rotate RVP with.
In a perfect world a spare left back and a decent centreback to cover any potential disasters with Vermaelen and Gallas would be great, but I absolutely believe that had we signed a quality keeper and striker in the summer, we’d not be outsiders but we’d be leading the pack.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
We lost and deserved to lose! the bottom line is against weak teams are goals will save us but not agisnt solid machines like chelsea!!!
who saw the comic defending for the forst goal??? can anyone tell me what clichcy was doing??? i’ll tell you what happened. he saw something which none else obviously noticed! staring running across the line and left his post for the unmarked drogba to tap in too! comical defending! the second goal was just as bad. we just needed to mark ar men instaead vermalen and clichy running towards the same player! then he decides to dive in and get turned easily and almunia is the poorest goal keeper in the premiership top ten! easily!
i will always supoort aresnal to the end. but some of the s hit i have seen is embarrasing! sagna,gallas vermalen song fabregas diaby van persie nasri….the rest are not upto scratch. theo is not a arsenal player! he gave cole a day off and can even go pass a parked car without knowcking the side mirror off!
February 8th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
stop playing arshavin as the lone striker! he was much more effective on the the left and bentner needs time and will come good. as soon as he came on we were abit more lively and had more presence in the box! oh and one more thing if i see one more cross from sagna and clichy lofted into the box i will kill myself! they cant cross anyway but when they loft the ball aimlessly into a chelsea box i start to think thease players havent got brains aswell as there disappering talent! bendter cross fair enough, arshaving cross i dont think so!!!
February 8th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Stevie Wonder can see
February 8th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
I watch watching the game with a liverpool fan and after the first goal he said to me we can still do it. after sustained arsenal pressure I was already thinking aresnal comback is on the cards and we could do this! as i showed my renewed hope he turned to me and said ” this sis the problem with asenal you go a goal behind and start to throw loads of players forward and panick! same thing happened against united!” a minute later arsenal were hit on the counter attack and we were two nil down!.
He told me that the difference between us chelsea,unitd and liverpool. they go behind but dont panick. we had over 80 minutes left and began to play like they scored a away goal and its make or break! how many would be happy at being 1-0 down with 75 gone??? i would coz anything can happen. rather then go 2-0 down and leave are selves open to 3 or 4!
February 8th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Firstly, well said gazgooner regarding’US’ arguing among ourselves about who is a proper fan etc. Its childish and we are ALL supposed to be Arsenal supporters
My take on Wenger is that he is far too stubborn to admit his failings, his failings being that he will not sign experienced players in case they stop the youngsters breaking into the first team. Excuse me Arsene, but if they are good enough they will get their chance as they have done before. Also, some of those youngsters are just not good enough at this level.
I like many others am getting sick of Arsenes tired old diatrabe of “Zis squad of players will soon mature and we will win trophies, of zat I am sure, despite the fact we lack a little bit of physicality”
I am also sick and tired of Arsene waiting until the last possible minute of the transfer window to sign a new player as he did with Arshavin and by all accounts, Thomas Sorensen. If you really do want a player Arsene, then go and sign him on 1st of January.
Some of the players seem to be suffering from some sort of confidence problem and the main one is Clichy who has gone from being a class act to a Sunday morning football (apologies to all Sunday morning players). We have a team of hobbits who cannot mix it and continually run into brick walls like Chelski, Man Utd, etc.
If we had a player like Drogba, Terry or Rooney we would be pissing this league right now. Unfortunately, we don’t so it will be another trophyless year for us Gooners. Oh well, guess it will be another £1300 to renew my season ticket to help pay off the stadium loan and not on new players.
Up the Arse.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Quoting Garth Crooks makes you look like even more of an idiot than him.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Spot on Brigham.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
We totally and utterly dominated this game and if Clichy had not decided to try and decrease his transfer value by about £10m since he returned from injury, we would have been 0-0 going into the second half of a game that we bossing. I agree we need a top GK and then sign Chamack and we have a great squad. We don’t need another MF, we don’t really even need a striker when RVP and Bendtner are around, but if we have those people then we have the best team/squad in the league. If Man Utd lost Rooney for as long as we lost RVP, and Chelsea Drogba, then they would prob be 9 points worse off too. The GK’ing issue is obvious, but we do need a bit of luck up front. It is not as bad as everyone is making out. We beat Liverpool and Chelsea and Utd don’t win away at Everton and Villa and suddenly we are 7 pooints off top with the easiest run in out of the lot.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Cesc Fabregas has today reportedly turned down
a new contract. That says it all really. We can all argue on
here all day about OUR clubs failings, but when
our star mans had enough and wants out doesn’t that prove us doubters right!
How much, really, would Chamakh and Sorenson cost us £10 million? £15 million?That wouldve kept us and Cesc happy, but sadly not.
When Arsene goes next summer it’ll lead to interesting times…
February 8th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
garth crooks is a no-nothing spud face who sits on a sofa and talks big. if he is such a hotshot why aint he out there being a manager instead of playing it safe on the sofa without having the guts to actually put his balls where his big mouth is?
that slightly ageing milf who sits next to him and talks just as much crap as crooks has more credibility than him and she is easy on the eye. someone should tell crooks to go and get measured for a correct-fitting trouser because he looks like a nonce sat there with his punny balls sticking out of his ill-fitting trousers. grow some real balls crooks and get out there and manage or shut your biased mouth.
and just so to make sure that even the slowest of your readers get it: CROOKS=NO BALLS BIG MOUTH BULLY WHO HAS ABOUT AS MUCH CREDIBILITY AS A GLASS NAIL.
win or lose get behind the team or f@ck off and die.
f&cking lightweight glory-hunting scum. you make real fans sick to the stomach with your pathetic moaning and treacherous “surport”.
February 8th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
For those complaining about us not signing a striker, Chamakh is coming this summer on a free. Wenger has wanted him for a year, but Bordeaux wanted too much for a fee and Wenger decided to wait it out a year. He may have gone back in for him in January but as Bordeaux is still in the Champions League and Chamakh is their best striker, Bordeaux again refused to sell. So, with van Persie and Bendtner out and Chamakh planned on joining in the summer, Wenger didnt want to buy another striker and stunt the growth of Eduardo, Vela, Walcott, etc. I wish he could have found a player available on loan, but I really think those players weren’t available on the market.
As far as a goalkeeper, I have no idea what Wenger was thinking. If he really was going in for Sorenson on deadline day, he shouldn’t have waited that long and then run out of time. Almunia has been the weakest player in the side all season. Wenger obviously recognized that when he benched Almunia for 19-year old Vito Mannone. I wish Fabianski could get a run of games just to see how he does this spring. If he does well, maybe we won’t have to sign a keeper. If he fails to do well, its time to buy a new one. Personally I think the young Polish kid Schechny (or however you spell it) who is on loan in League 1 or something is our best goalkeeper. In a few years he could be Number 1, and I think Wenger might be buying time for him by sticking with Almunia and not investing in a new one. But Almunia really is a liability, and he does not deserve to wear the shirt.
Clichy should be on his way out as well. Sell him, while people might still pay good money for him. Unfortunately Gibbs is out, because for me the job is his to take now. Clichy is awful.
Looking ahead to next season, Wenger will have van Persie, Gibbs, and Djourou back. Striker, center back, and left back will all be strengthened by our own players. I hate when Wenger says players coming back “will be like a new signing” but more than anything we just need these players fit again and a lot of our problems are solved. Add Chamakh on a free and Wenger really only needs to add a goalkeeper (if Fabianski cant cut it) and possibly a holding mid to play behind song.
GK - (New Signing), Fabianski, Mannone, Schechny
LB - Gibbs, Traore
CB - Vermaelen, Song?
CB - Gallas, Djourou
RB - Sagna, Eboue
CDM - Song, (New Signing)
CM - Diaby, Denilson
CM - Fabregas, Ramsey
LW - Arshavin, Eduardo, Vela
RW - Nasri, Walcott, Rosicky
ST - Van Persie, Chamakh, Bendtner
February 8th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
I like your post Joel, but the problem is that over the last 5 seasons we’ve sold more players than we’ve bought. So while it would be natural to assume that we’ll be stronger next season (like most fans do) we probably won’t be.
Last summer we brought in Vermaelen but sold Toure and Adebayor. The summer before we brought in Nasri but sold Flamini, Diarra and Hleb. The same thing happens year after year. We just replace what we’ve lost (and not very well) and that’s why we haven’t progressed over the last 5 seasons. Players like Henry, Vieira, Bergkamp, Gilberto, Freddie, Bobby and Lehmann haven’t been replaced with adequate enough players and that’s why we haven’t won anything since those players retired or left the club.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
I cannot belive that some people like to see Chamakh in an Arsenal shirt , He is not even better then Vela UNBELIVABLE realy . Please God dont let this happen his shit honestly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 8th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
What a lot of people don’t seem to appreciate with Clichy is how long it takes for a player to get back after an injury. I don’t quite understand how it is fair that Walcott, Eduardo, Rosicky and Diaby (every week) get sympathy about not being at full fitness whilst both Clichy and Nasri never appear to get any. You watch Clichy run, he is playing at about 60% of his best, Nasri is no different. Both Clichy and Nasri have had really serious injuries and its extremely unfair to expect either of them to come back and start playing at their best. You don’t turn from being one of the best left backs in the world, if not the best, to being utterly rubbish every match. You can pretty much guarantee that if we’d had United and Chelsea at the end of this apparently easy run we’re now going to go on he wouldn’t have been the one making the mistakes.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:49 am
I take some of your points Kris regarding Clichy and his injury and getting back to full fitness. Whilst I can see that is a perfectly obvious observation, you need to remember he was pretty poor prior to his last injury and in all honesty has not been the same since the Birmingham game last season.
He no longer nips in to steal the ball, his positional sense is woeful at times and his crossing is terrible and he could not cross a cheque! In fact, both of our full backs constantly fail to deliver a decent ball into the penalty area and that is probably due to a lack of practice in training, whree I have no doubt our players are taught to ‘thread it through the eye of a needle’. No point in crossing it anyway really as there is never anyone in the bloody penalty area to get on the end of it most of the time.
The best two crossers of the ball we have IMHO are Gibbs and Eboue, who can both deliver a cracking ball into the box, as can Trarore at times as well.
What we lack right now is a forward who loves to play on the shoulder of the other teams defence, one who can bully them, make THEM think about what he is going to do next. Chelski have Drogba, United have Rooney and it works a treat for them. Who do we have currently? Arshavin and Nasri, both of whom could not bully a 6 year old in the playground, let alone Terry, Ferdinand, Vidic etc.
Anyway, three points against the bin dippers tomorrow will do very nicely and get ourselves back on track. Support the lads, support the club, especially the club as it will always be around when players and managers have long gone.