It is still early days in the season for Arsenal, but unless the Gunners start to get into gear, like starting at Aston Villa this weekend, then the fans really can start to worry. If we don’t somehow produce a match winning performance at Villa Park then it will have been a truly awful start to the season.
Just one win grabbed in the last minute in the opening day against Crystal Palace will see Arsenal way off the pace and playing catch up already and we do not look like a team that is going to catch a cold at the moment. The fight and determination that we showed against Everton, Leicester and Man City was encouraging but we could have lost all three.
We are badly missing that sharp attacking play that saw us blow most of the lower teams away last season, confidence is low and we face a trip to a buoyant and well rested Villa after a tiring away night in Germany. However, Arsenal have shown many times in recent years that we can bounce back from a poor game or bad run of results, so I am not writing us off just yet.
This time next week the Gunners could be out of the league cup and facing Tottenham, Galatasaray and Chelsea in the next three games and the season could be heading down the toilet before it has got going. So come on Arsenal, pull your bloody socks up!!
All the fans that went to Germany last night were the ones I felt sorry for
Not really. They knew it
would be tough we all did.
They would have had a lot
of fun seen their team play at
a great stadium and probably
drunk a keg of booze each.
Lucky bug@ers I say 🙂
Real concern for me is the way we keep conceding the same types of goals.
Due to this, Ramsay doesn’t know whether to stick or twist whilst Wilshire naturally feels compelled to come out with the ball.
Ozil doesn’t look like his heart is in the cause, for some reason he wants to play well, his body is prime, he has the skills but his head isn’t right; and I wonder if that is because at RM he knew he would compete for the league, but feels Arsenal are not even close to doing that.
And he could be right? Arsenal spend £100m+ on attacking outlets, but clost to £30m on defensive options.
Due to our defensive issues, we must rely on a high pressing game like BD did to us.
Currently we lack desire, we are too set in a subdue state of being which I am afraid reflects Wenger.
We need to liven up this joint
Aguero scored yet we outnumbered City attackers defensively…
Immobile scored yet he was the only player we had to deal with…
Naysmith goal was an example of how vulnerable we usually look on the counter
No real defensive presence in the box before Leicester & City’s Demichelis goals
Everton, City, and Dortmund have thus far showed that we are still prone to 6-0 defeats with such kind of poor midfield & defensive performances. There’s such a looseness about our defending it’s terrible. These are the same exact problems that we had last season. Hell, we looked like an under-punished Brazil yesterday, FFS! Everyone, their uncles, baby mamas, & grandfolks know Wenger hasn’t rectified our real problem – defending! Look away when Arsenal plays Chelsea, Liverpool, United, City away from home later! I have a bad feeling about one or two of these games!
@GT
Outnumbering the attacker isn’t enough to say we should do better, it doesn’t work like that.
Hit on the counter with our full backs behind play and acres of space to run into means they are dictating play (our defenders have all this space to defend whilst the attack have this space to run into, it works better for the attacker).
Look at Aguero’s goal. When the ball is played into the dangerous area 2 against 2 all facing the goal. Its a situation I would rather see Arsenal in than when they try and get the ball pass 6 players defending.
If we look at probability; 2 against 2 is likely to outcome a goal. This is the continuous problem at Arsenal.
Naysmith had so much space behind the defence to run into, Lukaku to run at. remember they have the ball, and the space to run into…they dictate!!!
somehow Arsenal need to figure out the right balance. I can only see it with 2 CM sitting back. If Arsenal think they can do a Barca than fine, but press front the top!!
Outnumbering the attacker means you have enough players to provide alternate defensive cover should one player fail to dispossess the attacker. We don’t transition well at all from attacking to defending! The point you are making about pressing from upfront is what I’ve always advocated since we are not the most physically endowed of teams. Unfortunately, our team needs a lot of lessons that it might take more than this season to learn. We leave way too many holes in the defense. See how easy Mkhitaryan had it going, popping shots at will? I’m not sure why Arsene never prepares his players well enough to defend strongly when they have less possession.
I’ve been a staunch supporter of Wenger even when things are not going our way but the last tranfer window sums it all up for me; WENGER NEEDS HELP BUT TOO PROUD TO ASK. Yes, we nees some speed in the team after Theo’s injury but what’s the purpose of buying attacking players when there isn’t a sure defensive unit to make the attacking prowess of the team solid????? Its like constructing a building without proper foundation. The building will without a shadow of a doubt collapse. He has in Sanchez, a good signing in my opinion. He brought in Welbeck, Ospina, Chambers and Debuchy. These are decent signings. Why on earth he failed to by a proper defensive midfielder and a solid and experience defender is still baffling to me. If you are good in your trade and one of the top managers jn this industry, then there should be some pride of refusing to lose at all cost in ypur attributes. I think Wenger no longer have this. I would be ashmed if I am Wenger losing cheaply as if I lack tactical knowledge. Sir Alex would rather die or quit after such years of experience and losing like a mediocre. Ramsey and Wilshere cannot play together and Wenger should know this. Playing them together hampers the game of the other. He should instead play Ozil behind the striker and ramsey at the base of MF alongside a proper DMF. Then use Carzola/Oxlade on the left of MF and Sanchez on the right with. He keeps using both Wilshere and Ramsey and playing Ozil out of position. Arteta is NOT a DMF. He refused to buy on simply because of him. This will cost us the title unless something is changed. Something has to changed for sure.
I think it’s time to worry in my opinion, and we arsenal fans now have the right to tell Mr wenger that “we told you so”……..buy a DM and a CB and apparently those two positions costs us against dortmund.
Not only against BVB, but every game since the start of the season!
So sad seeing how well BvB counter attacked yet knowing we have the potential to do better yet we rarely do, so sad 🙁 🙁
It’s time to worry because we don’t look any better in bigger games this season. We showed signs of life against City, but our defensive weaknesses were there for all to behold. Had Everton not let their foot off the gas pedal, we’d have been toast! Dortmund result could’ve been far worse than it was… and that’s without almost half of their best players on the pitch! We just don’t look at all ready to handle big games with maturity! I know players develop over time, but Wenger can seriously do better than this! This is embarrassing!
If this continues it could be the first season we don’t make top 4.
really get it together guys
Wenger is arsenal problem…
In 18 years, he’s only come closest to winning the CL once. That should tell you how much hope we have on winning that trophy! We just don’t look comfortable in that tournament. We pretty much stumble when we are expected to. It’s like even the most amateur pundit can predict we won’t last & it always turns out to be true.
next year we will have a MAN UTD like transfer policy….big clearout of ageing players and mgr…
dont see us in top4..the squad looks tired already…hope theo can inject pace and spirit in to the squad..
all wenger’s fault..should be retired now..
Immobile ran to the arsenal goal with 3 Arsenal players. But no real effort to block him or tackle him. Devastating play!! Need to improve a lot
Nope not worried. We will beat villa and get back on track
U do realise we have played poor every game this season. An the large majority of last season.
The final vs hull last year. List goes on.
This is no slump. Wenger has to justify himself now
Good point but you just reiterated my statement wenger has to justify himself now so we will see after the villa game
Think the fans that travelled last night should be entitled to a full refund after that shambolic performance if same happens on Sat time to start the Wenger out chants!
keep a clean sheet !!
and win ofcourse
If we can have Diaby (for some physicality) and Walcott (for goals) back to fitness and form then maybe we can put a more respectable showing this season. It’s unbelievable that Wenger didn’t do anything about our defensive midfield throughout the transfer window. And now he’s saying the team still needs some physicality in midfield. Is he just realizing this?! He also says we don’t need a striker – ridiculous ;(
Gd luck with glass man diaby.
Last time I checked he got injured opening the fridge
Myself and Hafiz Rahman don’t usually see eye to eye, but what he said was so true that I couldn’t help but to repost again: “How many bad day at the office excuses do we need?
i will forecast the next few bad day at the office
vs Man Utd, City, Liverfool and Chelsea…..we are definitely gona have bad day at the office”
if we don’t win anything this season the board must take a stand / choice whether wenger can carry on this way
against aston villa drop scz/ozil/welbeck & give break 2 ramsey (wislhere injured) bring in ospina/rosicky/cazrola/ox & podoslki
League cup or if were lucky fa cup. Any other trophy is beyond us.
C’mon Muff. Game 5 and
you throwing in the towel?
You the well of optimism 🙂
Dare to dream. Lol.
Lol. No towel throwing davy I just realise wengers stubborness is costing us. At least if he was a tactician ….mesut ozil infront of bellerin??!! Wenger could have single handedly destroyed the lads confidence last night .
I think Dortmunds great quality
had a bearing on things too 🙂
didnt alot of people on here say dortmund are poor this year.
way worse than last year. plus several key players gone.
Ya and those are the idiots who don’t watch football
& campbell
The fans are the problem cause some deluded fans still believe wenger is a god… Chelsea or manu fans will never talk shit… speak up or stfu.. arsenal need a change.. starting with the coach…
As much as it hurts to say this, I was expecting a washing by Dortmund. I think things were a lot more worrying if Arsenal put this performance in at home, but I still feel like our chances in the CL are fairly good with the draw of Galatasaray and Anderlecht.
As far as the upcoming game goes, Wenger should really consider going back to 4231. Regardless he should bench Wilshere and Ozil for the Villa game and start 2 out of Santi/Rosicky/Ox I have defended Ozil in the recent games but I also feel like he was really atrocious because even the basics weren’t good enough this time. Ox on the other hand had a fairly decent sub.
Yes, this was disappointing, but if Arsenal beats Villa away, I don’t think there is reason for alot of panic. IF that is, if Arsenal lose against Villa I predict the same riots we were used to in recent years; the return of the WOB.
I wasnt expecting this. Being completely outclassed by a dortmund side without the spine of their team!
Smh
Last season ArsenaL had a soft
first 9 EPL games and Ramsey
was scoring for fun. This season
we played Everton away in game 2
and City in game 4. Add to that
Dortmund away in the first ECL group match.
Injuries are forcing changes as well.
So it has been a lot harder start this season.
Yet Arsenal is only a point off 4th =.
So yes Villa is a huge game.
A win and we could be up to 5th
lose and we could slip to 10th.
There is no shortage of talent in fact blokes are
queuing up for game time. AW needs to step
and prepare this team for a good win.
I fully agree, but you mention a big core of the many questions at Arsenal.
“There is no shortage of talent in fact blokes are queuing up for game time.”
Why doesn’t our manager UTILIZE that and keeps on playing Ozil instead of protecting him against his own bad form? Same goes for Wilshere, no shame in rotating him with Rosicky and Ox in the current system we play. Really has me baffled in all honesty.
It is not the same loosing a game and playing an ugly football(if we played any)-like we did at BVB-or loosing a game afer an epic battle with a great football.FC Basel lost 1-5 against Real,but they played attacking football,nice to watch .Not us…..Wenger out!
Loosing? As in “Let loose the dogs”? No such word. Why do so many people try to convince any visitors to this forum that we are as thick as bricks? It’s LOSING ffs!
Am I the only that thinks besides the lack of depth at the back, arsenal have a really good squad?
Yes Arsenal does have a good squad.
These players sometimes are
outstanding but next game
they play well below their best and the
game after they get injured.
Why can’t our players produce quality
on a regular basis?
No one wants to hear it but our coach IS EXTREMELY AVERAGE, not only is subject to favouritism and bias, he doesn’t prepare well, he NEVER rotates, he’s tactics are non existent, he doesn’t sub, doesn’t motivate the team, settles for mediocrity, is extremely indecisive in the transfer market, is never open to change. I hate to say it but its digustingly obvious what the problems are
40m (kondogbia + sokratis) couldve given us a squad that was expected to win the title and enter the later stages of the champions League but arsene was too indecisive, subtitutions could’ve given us wins at leicester and city but arsene never subs on time, less than 24hrs ago we got pummeled because he doesn’t rotate, I think it isn’t too hard to c where the problem is…..
Arsenal lost to Dortmund due to poor tactical display of Wenger. Given the way Dortmund were set up, the 4-2-3-1 would have been a better tactical approach to the game. Our midfield was completely none existent and each time we lost the ball high up the pitch, there was no defensive cover in midfield. It looked as if both Wilshere and Ramsey were playing in the number 10 hole and were competing against each other. Wenger ought to have adopted a double pivot of Arteta and Ramsey but he instead went for the 4-1-4-1 against a fast paced Dortmund side.
Wenger’s greatest undoing in football management is that he is not tactically flexible. Once he decides on a tactical formation for a particular season, he blindly becomes addicted to it without due consideration of the opponent’s tactical formation. This was the reason for all the 6-3, 6-0 last season and it will be the reason our beloved Arsenal will be routed this season. How do you explain it when a coach will not change his tactical approach to a game in the course of 90 minutes even when it is obvious to all
100% agree. our demise comes mainly from tactical imistakes. Remember last season, although we won against more modest teams, most of them still had a good run against us. we are really bad off the ball. Far too casual.
Which would be immediately rectified if we played man-for-man marking so that EVERY ONE of our players would have the RESPONSIBILITY of keeping their opposition player under control. At the moment it’s a slapdash mess with no one having any responsibility whatsoever. Pathetic.
The first goal in particular was disgusting; it started with out throw-in; where were Arteta, Wilshire and Ramsey: Shouldn’t at least one have been in midfield circle to cover Immobile?
And, as bad as Ozil has played this season; he wasn’t as bad yesterday, and wasn’t the reason BVB found space on that side. Ballerin wasn’t ready for this challenging a match – constantly out of position (usually too high), and when he gave away the ball (which was A LOT), didn’t track back fast enough. We know Ozil doesn’t defend but you can’t expect him to be behind Ballerin. AW and squad deserve blame for not instructing Ballerin that he was playing too high.
i watch the game on tv last night and do you what i saw two completely different managers and there styles of management,
case 1 wenger just sat there no being bother by the looks of it not a genius moment to change the team shape or tactic to save the game cluless really.
case 2 jurgen klopp he was always up on the touchline animated(he is a joy to watch just on his own without the team) talking to his players and encouraging them to keep chasing the ball down, and counter attack and he wasn’t scared to make changes to the shape or tactics through out the game to gain advantage, where he could clued up manager(what wenger was once upon a time) he is the future of football management, take your bow klopp you earned it last night can only hope when the time comes we can convince to take us to the future of modern football. Also he was just casually dress that is a kick in the teeth to wenger shows how comfortable he was facing us.
Arsenal agm date. October 16th,hope the shareholder have the balls to ask the questions we ask on this forum regarding transfers,tactics and the managers performance !
No doubt the security will be beefed up, ready to pounce on any shareholder with a bulging trouser!
Lol that rules me out then !
Mr lean September 14, 2014 at 7:47 pm
“Going to stick my neck out here and say
Ozil will be motm on Tuesday.”
I know shows how much I know !
People think Wenger is an economist .some think he is a professor.In all honesty i just see Wenger as a politician in a coaches shoes…Most politicians lie with a straight face.they do things not really to better the country but to keep the population quiet and prevent decent(Ozil was bought to keep fans quiet after a failed summer in the market)..they refuse to admit they are or were wrong so they continue along the failed path(Wenger knows AFC needs a DM but if he buys one he would have been wrong all along and most fans right)..
So do you see who we are dealing with?
Am worried too about the Villa game. The squad is capable but the manager seams to favor some players. If he fields Ozil, then that’ll be like a player less i.e 10 against 11.
Let him drop Ozil to the bench, if Ramsey doesnt pick then bench him too. Players like Campbell and Rosicky are relishing a chance to prove themselves. If Diaby has recovered then field him for Arteta, if not then let flamini take that slot.
Sczezney
Bellerin Chambers/BFG Koscielny Gibbs
Diaby/Flame Ramsey/Ox
Sanchez Wishere/Carzla(if jack unfit) Campbell/Santi
Welbeck
Ospina could be slotted in to show Scz that he shouldnt be so comfortable. If Welbeck doesnt score in the next 3 games, bench him too. Wrong team selection cost us the game in Germany, Flamini should have started and either Ox or Carzola for Ozil. Campbell needs to play at some point. Lastly IF WELBECK AND SANOGO CANNOT SCORE, DROP THEM AND BRING IN APKOM!
If campbell was given game time that welbeck has enjoyed so far, he would have scored atleast one goal.
What makes you think that???
When is Wenger going to see the light Mertesacker, Arteta, Flamini are not just spent forces, none of them have ever been good enough. So what happens Arteta is made captain and M, vice captain. Other teams now have a simple plan to beat us, do I have to explain? I can’t bring myself to go into detail .None of these have any defensive skills. Against BD on tuesday Mertesacker was criminally slow and Arteta was just criminal. How much longer can Koncielski keep bailing this excuse for a team. Why are Rosicky and Campbell not getting a shout. What does Steve Bould think? What does he do? Why are we discussing what we need in the January Window. It’s the same as what we needed in the last one and the ten before that. When is the Board going to wake up or do we just hold hands and watch our team sink….
Last season was a mirage – we played 4-2-3-1 and – against lower opposition only – defeated mid-table and poor teams. This year BFG, Flamini and Arteta all one year older and slower. They were not really good enough last year but we survived. To make matters worse this year we switched to 4-1-4-1 pushing Ozil wide; it makes no sense. Also, why not rotate Poldi, Campbell, Cazola, Rosicky, Ox into the squad? If they aren’t good enough, then we should have upgraded. Top 4 is unlikely, and it’s very possible we finish behind Everton, MU, Southampton and Spuds. Even if on form, we aren’t good enough because we have poor balance.
#FACK AW ILL SAY THAT EVERYDAY UNTIL HE STARTS ACTING LIKE A REAL MANAGER, & CAMPBELL NEEDS HIS PLAYING TIME UR KILLING HIM ON THE BENCH COME ON #AW WAKE TO FACK UP
I think 4-1-4-1 needs scrapped in the meantime. Try get back to a stable team and at least be hard to beat for the rest of the season. And HOPE (as f•ucking usual) he gets his wallet out for a DM, CB in January. Coz let’s be honest he has to address it this time or were f•cked !!
Someone been nicking some of your vowels…?
There is no miracle and football has his basic rules too.
Wenger is already a less than average tactician and he doe snot have the tools to change the done when needed it.
French journalist (sports journalists) already told him on L’Equipe, you have 10-12 midfielders who are more or less the same (short, skilled, no power) and you have no solutions for crucial alternatives (that was during the transfer market as it was closing)…!!
Ozil is on the wing… He should play in the middle (£42millions and no influence on the game… That is really Wenger way of seeing things) and if he fails, let him failed in the middle.
We have no DM, Dortmund was in our defence after 3 passes at the most.
Arteta is dead on his feet and has been since last season (cannot remembered a descent game from him) and they are talking about a new contract…!! (again Wenger wants him to stay because he is another excuse for not recruiting).
We have a hugs gap in the middle and we are short at the back.
And the deluded one tells you we had “an average game”…!!
What I saw is our team being out powered, out played, out smarted, out everything…
Personally, I think Dortmund were kind or just unlucky… They had 24 chances which shows that they were not even at the top of their game as we should have left with 6 to 8 goals in the bag…
WE have been debating the same things season after season.
Wenger buys on the cheap and then brings Ozil (a player we did not need, may I precise).
He said that we, the fans, should be lucky we bought Welbeck because “he was not at home… If he had stayed at home Welbeck would have not been at Arsenal”.
We deserve better than this sh*t (saying that for years) and the misplaced arrogance of this guy is disgraceful.
Portuguese sports journalists asked Mourinho why he had a go at Wenger last season.
He said “You have a manager who has total power at Arsenal and cannot deliver trophies, but still the fans and the Arsenal board still supporting him… Why? You will have to go and ask them. I called him specialist of failure because if a coach does not bring trophies after 3 or 4 years you are out of the door, but not Wenger… Because ambitions and objectives are not clear or unstated and the fans are taken for a ride… May be they like it that way”
We need to work together to get him out.
However I can hear that old saying in my head about sh1tting in one hand and wishing in the other and we know what one will fill up first!
Best formation with current squad might be 3-5-2 though I’m not a fan of this formation:
Gibbs/Monreal – Kos – Chambers
Ox – Ozil/Cazola – Wilshire/Arteta – Ramsey/Arteta – Sanchez
Poldi/Campbell – Welbeck
Wolcott/Giroud/Flamini/BFG can rotate
Only way to cover for lack of CDM and slow & old BFG/Arteta/Flamini
How dare Wenger make Arteta our captain as he is gotten progressively worse with every game!!!!
The all system/team is in place to accommodate Jack Wilshere… Why?
Is he the best player in the team? Not by a long mile.
Wenger is convinced it will work that is why he keeps insisting on the tactics.
We are playing worse that last season so far… He may as well go back to what he was doing before.
The Dortmund display was shocking, sad to witness and pitiful… We clearly showed that winning the CL is not a reachable aim (especially with this manager and the squad in place).
The next 3 years are going to be painful because we have an unchallenged individual at the helm (supported by the board and some delusional fans)… He is a con artist and less than average coach.
Why is he still in position? just because he is financially savvy and careful…
We only have won 3 of our last 10 games away in CL… Top club? my f*cking ass, not even close to that. We can barely make it out of the group and we are usually kick out the round after.
Wilshere is now injured and I wonder where is Campbell and Rosicky?
I didn’t watch the match last night as I was on the field playing I ran my heels off I was in their faces I was angry I got a well-deserved yellow and could have been sent off later on I intercepted a good few balls and assisted with 2 goals and won the match
From the highlights and the analysis I understand the Arsenal were weak in midfield the Arsenal needs an enforcer someone just like me a motivator and in the face of the opponents a thorn in the side
I also believe MR wenger was at fault we all knew we would be weak in defence the least MR wenger should have had is a strong fresh midfield after all we had a tough encounter with city + traveling why didn’t he use Rosciky ,Carzola and Campbell
On a different note I like chamberland stature he is tall and has pace and energy why not adapt him to the defensive midfield position with clear emphasis to be in the opponents face
The arsenal and Mr wenger need to wake up fast now we have this weekend to prepare for Chelsea if we believe we are title contenders
Everybody knows what Arsenal lacks except Wenger. We were crying for a beast DM for z last couple of years if we keep going like this, z worst will happen when we play wiz z likes of Chelsea
Start Cazorla, Rosicky, Podolski/Campbell and Ox against Villa instead of Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere and Sanchez(bring Sanchez at half time, to give him rest). I think these changes will not be worse than what we are playing. Plus I know Rosicky and Cazorla will help in some defending too.
One question, would Jenkinson have been better instead of Bellerin last night?
Fans in london should write to wenger calling resgnition 4rm hm…we need a tactician like klopp or simeone
All we freakin need is a top striker who could have slotted in those chances Welbeck and Podolski missed.
Does Wenger think Welbeck and Giroud = Costa, Aguero
All we freakin need is a top striker who could have slotted in those chances Welbeck and Podolski missed.
Does Wenger think Welbeck and Giroud and Sanogo = Costa, Aguero and Falcao
i felt that arsenal should have won that game easily,, but fell into BD trap by trying to pass out at all instant, with only 2 ball played over the to for Sanchez and welbeck to chase to ease pressure.
In competing against the best teams in the world we always seem to expose our soft under belly, which is actually our midfield, two much midfielders of the same set skills which can not stand up to physical pressure or offer protection to our back four.
Granted BD had fresher legs but the easy way which they won back the ball by forcing our midfielders in a blind alley was really depressing, if you going to camp out on you 18 yard box you must have a release valve or 2 which i though was ALEX and DANNY. I really wondering about wengers tactical ability and adaptability, he does not have the guts to change plans or make changes early.
Many things i would love to say but it really does not make any sense
why worry now like ?. our season was over as soon as the miser wenger put away our cheque book in the summer .he flattered to decieve once again and all the season ticket holders fell for it , or so it seems to me . why worry anyways , it is only a game , and as long as wenger has the reins our club will not win any major trophy , a major trophy meaning the premier league or the champions league , hahahahahaha , wenger win the champions league , omg , how funny .