Friday, November 15, 2024

Time for Arsene to change the tune and Arsenal to produce the goods

I have great faith in Arsene Wenger. He has a method of playing football that I totally endorse. Although I have absolutely no allegiance to Arsenal, in fact quite the opposite, I love watching them play. I think that football should be played the Arsenal way.

Likely to lose?

Having said all that, it can be no coincidence that Arsenal have lost to Fulham, Hull and Stoke already this season. Which of the other top four sides are likely to lose to those three teams. That’s right. None of them.

Arsene Wenger has packed his team full of young clever ball players, but when a team is prepared to battle, quite simply the Gunners go missing. Manchester United, Chelsea and even Liverpool, this season, are prepared to win games by getting stuck in. They play great football but if they first need to win the battle, they are quite prepared to do so.

Wicked long throws

Nobody should be shocked that Stoke are going to get the ball into the box as much as possible aiming for their two big, powerful strikers Ricardo Fuller and Mamady Sidibe. Nobody should be shocked by the fact that they are most dangerous from the wicked long throws of Rory Delap. Despite this, Arsenal were totally unable to cope.

Centre halves Kolo Toure and Michael Silvestre were totally dominated by the Stoke front two, and you would have thought that the battling pair were a couple of world beaters. For a side with Premier League and Champions League ambitions, it was not much short of embarrassing.

Rotation policy?

Arsenal went into the game with Theo Walcott and Robin Van Persie on the bench. Was this Arsene Wenger adopting a Rafa Benitez style rotation policy or was it simply an attempt by the manager to put more of his physically strong players on the pitch to try to match Stoke?

Shouldn’t Arsenal let Stoke be worried about them rather than changing things because they are worried by Stoke? The fact that both Stoke goals, predictably came from Delap throws, shows that whatever Wenger was trying to do he failed miserably.

Capitulated

The fact is that Arsenal totally capitulated under the pressure Stoke exerted on them and in those ninety minutes Arsenal showed why they cannot win the Premier League. Wenger constantly talks about the promise of his team, but with a few trophy less seasons behind them, they have got to deliver now.

Throwing a 4-2 lead away in injury time against Tottenham and allowing themselves to be totally dominated, bullied and overrun by Stoke City, both go to show that the alleged promise is unlikely to come to fruition for another season.

Petulant

When Van Persie did get a chance of the bench, he needlessly barged into Stoke goalkeeper Sorenson after being on the pitch for just twelve minutes and got himself sent off. It was a petulant act by a petulant player who should know better.

With Cesc Fabregas looking like a shadow of the player that we saw in the first half of last season, it was difficult to see how Arsenal could create enough to make Stoke worry about defending rather than driving forward towards the Arsenal goal.

Things got even worse for Arsenal when Theo Walcott, after coming on as a substitute, was carried off after a lengthy delay.

Time to deliver

So is it right that Arsene Wenger continues to talk about his side being so young and having so much potential, or is it time for the excuses to stop and the team to start to deliver?

Let’s look at yesterday’s starting line-up. Manuel Almunia, aged thirty one. Sagna, aged twenty-five, French international. Toure, aged twenty-seven, forty-five international caps. Silvestre, aged thirty-one, forty caps for France. Clichy, aged twenty-three, French international. Denilson, aged twenty. Fabregas, aged twenty-one, thirty-six caps for Spain, European Championship winner. Song, aged twenty-one, twelve international caps. Diaby, aged twenty-two, French international. Adebayor, aged twenty-four, thirty-eight international caps. Bendtner, aged twenty, twenty-one international caps.

So with the exception of Almunia who is over thirty, and Denilson, who is a genuine prospect, the whole team are international footballers. There isn’t a teenager amongst them and there are four players of twenty-five and over.

Producing the goods

I’m afraid it is time for Arsene Wenger to stop talking about potential and start producing the goods. This team should be good enough to beat the likes of Stoke but they simply are not. Instead of talking about doing things the right way, Wenger should be looking for a goalkeeper, two centre-halves and a midfield player in the January transfer window. If he doesn’t, Arsenal may struggle to get fourth place and although it seems almost unthinkable, Arsene Wenger may struggle to keep his job.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Graham Fisher


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  • Alex noel odika

    0 0

    They said experience is the best teacher, but the quesion is does Arsenal players play with experience? The ans is capital NO. Reason Arsenal need an experienced players to back up thier young potential stars as wenger call them. Losen agaisnt A’ Villa what a disgrace.
    Is an advise. Noel (Nigeria)

  • Alex noel odika

    0 0

    They said expirence is the best teacher, but the quesion is does arsenal players play with expirence? The ans is capital NO. Reason arsenal need an expirenced players to back on thier young potential stars as wenger call them. Is an advise. Noel (Nigeria)

  • toro

    0 0

    im still positive with the way Arsene manages his team. however, with 3 losses and 2 draws in 11 games at EPL, this record is somewhat humiliating for a club like Arsenal. this should open up Arsene’s very eyes and his stubborn mind that this is ENOUGH! and cannot go on like this. a change should be made, a radical one.
    elaborating Arsenal weakness, IMHO, these elements are vital and must be covered up:
    1. Almunia
    2. Gallas & Toure
    3. a combative DM accompanying Cesc
    4. killer striker Henry-like

    who would be the next Gunners replacing those 5 mentioned above? I will leave to Arsene, he knows better than I do and i do hope Arsene or whoever his staffs could read our comments here, since we are looking forward for Arsenal to get some, not just one trophies this season.

  • Dieudonne

    0 0

    I agreed with all over you guys. I said it later, it is more than one year that arsenal is using that strategy off young players, but it is unlikely for that side to win a trophy.
    He (Arsene wenger) has those young players but he is not using them. why buying them? Every young player perform with experienced player. Again a player like Sylvester, gallas, tule, Bendtner and some more are the players to take away from the team . I am sure that wenger is a stinger he doesn’t want to spend but few better players are better than more bad ones if you sell those and buy some experienced player the team will be ok. David Villa, Alonso, Garth Barry, André Arsh… from Russia all those players are good but why not buying them what Liverpool is loosing now for buying Keane and other players check how they play what Manchester is loosing now for buying Bebtov ………and watch how they play . What arsenal is gaining now for buying Sylvester. I think arsene wenger have to change his mentality or psychology. He always have budget but the transfer market finish withou using that availlable money for the players what does it mean?

  • Patrick

    0 0

    I actually agree with you, Graham. As a die-hard Arsenal supporter, I am tired of hearing the same old rhetoric from Wenger: the team is young, we lacked experience, blah blah. In January, Arsenal need to sign a truly world class goalkeeper, not a pretender, and they need a defender who is good in the air and can command his players around him in the box for those set-pieces. Most importantly, though, Arsenal need to sign a strong, bullying, mean, bad-ass Defensive Midfielder like they had for so many years when Vieira was at his best. In fact, just the DM might be good enough to get the season back on track at least. Xabi Alonso and Gareth Barry were linked with the club over the summer, but as usual, nothing materialised. I love Wengerball, but Wenger’s stubborness is starting the adversely affect the club.

  • Soccergoalx

    0 0

    I like the way Arsenal play. But, I think they need experience in their team. Just like Manchester United, they have Giggs, Scholes, Gary Neville and Van der Saar. They have the experienced players to lead the young one.

  • Nazir Alema

    0 0

    i don’t understand why he brought silvestre in his team. that guy is not fit to be called a gunner.

  • Chibueze Ogbuagu from Nigeria

    0 0

    Very fair commentary indeed. But the simple truth is that as long as Arsene Wenger continues to make everyone feel as if the other Managers (who spend good money buying top players season after season) are less wise than he is, then he has to accept responsibility for Asenal’s achievements per season. I recall that Thiery Henry, in those days, strongly advocated the purchase of a couple of top-class players (especially forwards). But Arsene maintained his stand and preference for grooming young unknown players. Well, to some extent, this strategy has worked for Arsene but it’s beginning to takes its toll now; how long will the likes of Cesc Fabregas continue to put up with this non-vigorous pursuit of Arsenal’s ambition? Little wonder why the likes of Hleb and Flamini left for fresh challenges. Yesterday, I watched the same Arsenal side against Stoke and I couldn’t believe how little the Arsenal midfield could hold on to the ball. No sooner will they collect the ball than they will lose possession. And to think that the same Fabregas was playing; he looked so ordinary due to the quality of his teammates. Unless Aresenal strongly reviews this policy of not spending money (despite repeated reports that there’s money available for spending), then the next wave of unpleasant events will be further exodus of key players, like Fabregas. Wise up Arsene!

  • osi Idode

    0 0

    Arsene wenger should do away with Almunia,gallas,syvetsre and we should tink of suitable replacements and its not a bad idea if he can signup an individually skilled die hard fighting striker like Obafemi Martin during the January transfer window,if this changes can be effected and also coulped with the return of eduardo and rosisky,i beleive arsenal would be a force to reckon with once again the Barclays premier league. Osikemekhai Idode.Nigeria

  • MSS

    0 0

    Spot on. I too firmly believe that Arsenal need to sign 4 players (2 Defenders – At least one of them extremely stromg in the air, good DM to partner Cesc and a world class keeper). But my take is Arsene will not do it. He is too stubborn. Consequences –
    Arsenal will not finish in top 4. Will not qualify for CL. That’s a lot of money lost.
    Arsenal will not win any title this season at least not the major ones CL and FA Cup. The ambitious players (Cesc in aprticular) will walk away. That would been rebiluding again. That’s just ridiculous.

    One more thing I strongly feel is that the current crop of players (barring a few) are not passionate enough while playing for Arsenal. I don’t see the kind of passion I see from players of other clubs like ManU, Chelsea, Liverpool, Hull, Stoke. That’s a worrying sign.

    Also if Arsenal feels that his younsters are good why are they not being played more. Players like Vela, Djouru, Ramsey. Otherwise when will they gain the required experience.

  • MSS

    0 0

    Spot on. I too firmly believe that Arsenal need to sign 4 players (2 Defenders – At least one of them extremely stromg in the air, good DM to partner Cesc and a world class keeper). But my take is Arsene will not do it. He is too stubborn. Consequences –
    Arsenal will not finish in top 4. Will not qualify for CL. That’s a lot of money lost.
    Arsenal will not win any title this season at least not the major ones CL and FA Cup. The ambitious players (Cesc in aprticular) will walk away. That would been rebiluding again. That’s just ridiculous.

    One more thing I strongly feel is that the current crop of players (barring a few) are not passionate enough while playing for Arsenal. I don’t see the kind of passion I see from players of other clubs like ManU, Chelsea, Liverpool, Hull, Stoke. That’s a worrying sign.

    Also if Arsenal feels that his younsters are good why are they not being played more. Players like Vela, Djouru, Ramsey. Otherwise when will they gain the required experience.

  • osi Idode

    0 0

    Arsene wenger should do away with Almunia,gallas,syvetsre and we should tink of suitable replacements and its not a bad idea if he can signup an individually skilled die hard fighting striker like Obafemi Martin during the January transfer window,if this changes can be effected and also coulped with the return of eduardo and rosisky,i beleive arsenal would be a force to reckon with once again the Barclays premier league. Osikemekhai Idode.Nigeria

  • Chibueze Ogbuagu from Nigeria

    0 0

    Very fair commentary indeed. But the simple truth is that as long as Arsene Wenger continues to make everyone feel as if the other Managers (who spend good money buying top players season after season) are less wise than he is, then he has to accept responsibility for Asenal’s achievements per season. I recall that Thiery Henry, in those days, strongly advocated the purchase of a couple of top-class players (especially forwards). But Arsene maintained his stand and preference for grooming young unknown players. Well, to some extent, this strategy has worked for Arsene but it’s beginning to takes its toll now; how long will the likes of Cesc Fabregas continue to put up with this non-vigorous pursuit of Arsenal’s ambition? Little wonder why the likes of Hleb and Flamini left for fresh challenges. Yesterday, I watched the same Arsenal side against Stoke and I couldn’t believe how little the Arsenal midfield could hold on to the ball. No sooner will they collect the ball than they will lose possession. And to think that the same Fabregas was playing; he looked so ordinary due to the quality of his teammates. Unless Aresenal strongly reviews this policy of not spending money (despite repeated reports that there’s money available for spending), then the next wave of unpleasant events will be further exodus of key players, like Fabregas. Wise up Arsene!

  • Nazir Alema

    0 0

    i don’t understand why he brought silvestre in his team. that guy is not fit to be called a gunner.

  • Soccergoalx

    0 0

    I like the way Arsenal play. But, I think they need experience in their team. Just like Manchester United, they have Giggs, Scholes, Gary Neville and Van der Saar. They have the experienced players to lead the young one.

  • Patrick

    0 0

    I actually agree with you, Graham. As a die-hard Arsenal supporter, I am tired of hearing the same old rhetoric from Wenger: the team is young, we lacked experience, blah blah. In January, Arsenal need to sign a truly world class goalkeeper, not a pretender, and they need a defender who is good in the air and can command his players around him in the box for those set-pieces. Most importantly, though, Arsenal need to sign a strong, bullying, mean, bad-ass Defensive Midfielder like they had for so many years when Vieira was at his best. In fact, just the DM might be good enough to get the season back on track at least. Xabi Alonso and Gareth Barry were linked with the club over the summer, but as usual, nothing materialised. I love Wengerball, but Wenger’s stubborness is starting the adversely affect the club.

  • Dieudonne

    0 0

    I agreed with all over you guys. I said it later, it is more than one year that arsenal is using that strategy off young players, but it is unlikely for that side to win a trophy.
    He (Arsene wenger) has those young players but he is not using them. why buying them? Every young player perform with experienced player. Again a player like Sylvester, gallas, tule, Bendtner and some more are the players to take away from the team . I am sure that wenger is a stinger he doesn’t want to spend but few better players are better than more bad ones if you sell those and buy some experienced player the team will be ok. David Villa, Alonso, Garth Barry, André Arsh… from Russia all those players are good but why not buying them what Liverpool is loosing now for buying Keane and other players check how they play what Manchester is loosing now for buying Bebtov ………and watch how they play . What arsenal is gaining now for buying Sylvester. I think arsene wenger have to change his mentality or psychology. He always have budget but the transfer market finish withou using that availlable money for the players what does it mean?

  • toro

    0 0

    im still positive with the way Arsene manages his team. however, with 3 losses and 2 draws in 11 games at EPL, this record is somewhat humiliating for a club like Arsenal. this should open up Arsene’s very eyes and his stubborn mind that this is ENOUGH! and cannot go on like this. a change should be made, a radical one.
    elaborating Arsenal weakness, IMHO, these elements are vital and must be covered up:
    1. Almunia
    2. Gallas & Toure
    3. a combative DM accompanying Cesc
    4. killer striker Henry-like

    who would be the next Gunners replacing those 5 mentioned above? I will leave to Arsene, he knows better than I do and i do hope Arsene or whoever his staffs could read our comments here, since we are looking forward for Arsenal to get some, not just one trophies this season.

  • Alex noel odika

    0 0

    They said expirence is the best teacher, but the quesion is does arsenal players play with expirence? The ans is capital NO. Reason arsenal need an expirenced players to back on thier young potential stars as wenger call them. Is an advise. Noel (Nigeria)

  • Alex noel odika

    0 0

    They said experience is the best teacher, but the quesion is does Arsenal players play with experience? The ans is capital NO. Reason Arsenal need an experienced players to back up thier young potential stars as wenger call them. Losen agaisnt A’ Villa what a disgrace.
    Is an advise. Noel (Nigeria)

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