Monthly Archives: April 2011

Cesc Finally Says What We’ve All Been Thinking

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Finally, someone from Arsenal has said something other than that we have “great potential” and we are “building for the future”.

Fabregas has come out and said Arsenal lack that winning mentality.

I for one am glad that the players have finally stopped spouting the same old rubbish. I used to visit the official Arsenal website on a daily basis to find out the latest news but now I can’t stand it, and haven’t visited for months. The Arsenal website is just a mouthpiece for all of the tripe that comes out of Arsene’s mouth. I finally got tired of reading how much potential this side has and most of all, all of the ridiculous excuses we’d have for throwing away games.

Arsenal have the amazing ability to blame everyone else except themselves.

Maybe if Arsenal started looking at themselves a few seasons ago we wouldn’t be where we are today.

I’ve said Arsenal have lacked that mental strength or winning mentality since 2008 (and probably before that) and it’s nice to see someone within the camp finally admit it.

I wrote this in November 2008 after Arsenal lost to Stoke:

“Giving away stupid points away this season has come from immaturity and complacency. Against Fulham it was just a general all round poor performance, but points dropped against Hull City and Spurs were from a lack of mental strength. Where is the ability to kill a game off? Where is the maturity to know that if you’re a goal ahead and can’t get another then keep hold of what you’ve got?

“There are no excuses, especially when last season we had no problem winning games by closing out the game. Giving away two goals in the last few minutes of the match would have been unthinkable last year.

“I think the big problem is that watching Arsenal this season, there are worrying signs of weakness which you just don’t see in previous title-winning campaigns. Could you see the Arsenal teams of old with Vieira and Adams in the side capitulate like we did against Spurs? When you see your side literally throw away points then you can only fear the worst.”

We play Spurs tonight who are fighting to get into the Champions League again next season. I use the word “fight” because that’s what Spurs will be doing. It’s a North London Derby and they would love to end our slim title chances.

But what Arsenal team will turn up?

The problem is even if Arsenal show commitment, desire and that “winning mentality” that has been lacking this season, it’s a case of too little too late. We’ve thrown away too many silly points already this season.

Against Newcastle last night, I just wanted Manchester United to score.

The draw last night just prolongs the agony that Arsenal fans have to suffer, until finally we know mathematically that Arsenal haven’t done good enough to win the league.

 

Where Do Arsenal Go From Here?

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Arsenal have proved yet again this season that they are a team incapable of making the next step. Undoubtedly we have great potential but we’ve been saying that for the last 7 seasons. Sooner or later we have to just admit Arsene’s trust in youth has been a failure, and that time is now.

I’ve been a supporter of Arsene’s methods and over the last 7 seasons have been one of very few that have agreed that spending money isn’t the answer. Maybe I was sucked in by Wenger’s philosophy that new signings would “kill” the younger players but the fact of the matter is now, they’ve had their chance and they’ve blow it.

The last few seasons have been frustrating for Arsenal fans, mainly because we make the same amateurish mistakes time and time again. There is something fundamentally wrong with the mentality in the squad and I don’t need to remind you this is the team that blew a 4 goal lead against Newcastle, lost to Spurs after being 2-0 up and conceded that ridiculous goal in the Carling Cup Final. So the farce on Sunday against Liverpool was hardly a surprise.

I’ve read a lot about the Arsenal fans and how their nerves “transfer to the players on the pitch”, as if it’s the supporters fault Arsenal collapse in spectacular fashion. That is complete nonsense. These Arsenal players make the same ridiculous blunders over and over again. There is a culture of failure at the club and that stems from the management all the way down to the players.

The fact is things need to change now, and drastically.

Either the manager has to go, Arsene’s whole philosophy has to change or there needs to be an overhaul personnel in the playing staff.

Arsenal have the inconceivable ability to throw away games and if you take those 0-0 draws at home against Blackburn and Sunderland, the points dropped against Newcastle and Spurs, and even the ones dropped against Liverpool on Sunday, we’d be within a couple of points of Manchester United.

The biggest frustration for me is the quality of the Premier League this season. Manchester United have stuttered this campaign but are a million miles away at the top of the league. With all due respect, their squad is the weakest it has ever been but credit where it’s due, the team is full of winners. You can have all the ability in the world but if your team has the mental strength of Rory McIlroy then you will never get anywhere.

In the summer, it was billed as the most competitive Premier League Title Race in a long time. But the fact is Chelsea have been under par, and Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester City haven’t been good enough. If Arsenal were even slightly competent they would have won the league this season. This campaign was the best chance for Arsenal to finally lift the Premier League trophy but once again they have blown it in spectacular fashion.

But what is the answer? Will Arsenal’s new American owners give Arsene Wenger even more power? Will we have the same old disappointment for the next 10 years?

Can Arsenal win another trophy with Arsene Wenger in charge? That’s the million dollar question.

 

The Main Problems With This Boring Arsenal Side

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Arsenal are horribly predictable.

They say we play the best football in the league but honestly, it’s quite boring to me now. It’s the same old predictable football which never has an end product.

Someone should tell Arsene Wenger football is about scoring goals, not pointless passing that never really troubles teams who are well organised. All teams have to do is sit back and they know that we will run out of ideas.

And another thing which is horribly predictable is the way Arsenal collapse.

I tell you, if this Arsenal team had some balls or a spine, we’d be dangerous.

Do you remember the unbelievable collapse at St James’ Park when we were 4-0 up? Newcastle United, of all teams, managed to peg us back to 4-4. That is the only time in Premier League history that a team has blown a 4-0 lead. Quite an achievement if you ask me.

And I don’t need to remind you about the ridiculous Carling Cup Final.

So when Eboue inexplicably fouled Lucas after Arsenal had done all the hard work and got the lead through a van Persie penalty, you weren’t surprised.

This team doesn’t have any leaders, or players with back bone. Fabregas doesn’t want to be here, and too many players are pampered and hide when the going gets tough. Arsenal are regularly accused of trying to score the “perfect goal” but in reality, most of the players don’t have the balls to take responsibility so are passing the ball so they don’t have to do anything themselves.  They over pass because it’s easier to give someone else the ball instead of taking the game by the scruff of the neck.

We cross the ball but no-one ever has the intelligence to actually make a run into the box and get on the end of them.

And why the hell does Wenger persist in putting Bendtner on the right? Surely if you’re after a goal and crossing the ball Bendtner is the man you want on the end of the crosses?

Defensively Arsenal are fragile. If Suarez wasn’t so wasteful in possession, Liverpool probably could have beaten us today. And for all Arsenal’s possession, Reina hardly had to make a save. All that possession but no-one has the balls to take a shot.

Arsenal need a change of personnel and a change of philosophy. Van Persie aside, we have no-one in the team with a winner’s mentality. We over play and waste a lot of chances. We need to be far more direct and clinical, we seem to pass the ball around for the sake of it. Barcelona’s passing game is neat one-touch football which usually results in a chance after 9/10 passes. We take far too many touches and the decision making at times is awful.

Arsene Wenger was in disbelief after the game but he has to take a look at himself. It’s been the same old story for the last 7 seasons now and things have to change. I’ve been a supporter of Arsene’s approach over the baron seasons but now enough is enough.