You could say this about many Arsenal players. Xhaka needs to have runners in front of him and just stay in front of the back 4 and ping balls. Wengerball doesn't allow this.
good game, we played pretty well, and both teams' goals conceded were shitty defending. and an unpopular view maybe, but i was there in the North Bank today, and i think our atmosphere was pretty decent. i don't think it's as bad as people make out. We showed good character to get back to parity each time. Alexis was disappointing, but Xhaka was decent. Coq too, and Mustafi did OK against their defence, but I think collectively our defence let the side down. If we play this way vs. West Ham, we'll smash them. As for the semi vs. City, could go to penalties, I reckon it can be the same with plenty of goals again. Ospina was motm for me, and bad that Kos got injured. Gab was OK this time, I'll give him that.
EXCELLENT that you were actually there today! As the match played out, I was thinking how it would be nice to be there in person myself. So the closest I could come up with was picking out this T-shirt this morning... Hmm... future avatar?
Sadly this is could be very true. Hopefully Kroenke, Gazidis & Wenger are smart enough to handle this well. I'm worried that either they're just waiting for us to finish the season strong, in Top4 and/or FACup Final and then announce Wenger's staying, or that they're trying to engineer some change that will placate the fans, i.e. new coach or DOF alongside Wenger. In my gut, I think either of these might backfire.
I think the second scenario you outline is most likely. I'm reserved to the fact that Arsene is most likely going to stay, but hopefully the delay means there is a restructuring going on. With the rumors of coaching changes, it may very well be. Bring in a DoF and new assistants. New manager is needed, but this would AT THE VERY LEAST be a step in a more tenable future solution.
Just glanced at the table. In order to make Top 4, I think that we might have the best chance at unseating Liverpool rather than Man City. We have 2 games in hand over Pool, compared to 1 over Citeh. And all that assumes that ManUre also stink it up on the run-in. So it's a pretty huge ask at this point, but if we kind of win out, and a few teams above us stumble, then maybe, just maybe. And yes it's pretty pathetic that 4th place would be our only trophy, outside of a possible FACup. Regardless of what the Wenger decision is, I've always thought that the smartest, fairest thing to do would be to see where we end up in May, and then take the decision.
Your post illustrates that regardless of what happens, our position in May will not show growth or a position worthy of an extension.
I don't understand what the ******** people are waiting for. It's been the same season for almost a decade. Every potential springboard towards success (FA Cups, new signings) has been met with an equal number of failures (no CF/CM/DM/CB, Almunia, two years too much of Coq).
It's pretty amazing that a matchday thread against City only has five pages of posts the day after. The apathy is rampant
*raises hand* As a season ticket holder for Atlanta United not only do I have a new high-stakes local team drawing my interest and dividing my time, but the way they've run that club from the beginning in building the rapport with the fans, being clear in their communications and following through with their stated intent to win on the field... Everything has been so eye-openingly different compared to Gazidis and Co. that it's made me all the more apathetic regarding The Arsenal. I watch when I can, clad in my jersey and cap, and I'm emotional for each game, but my expectations have now diluted my hope. When the energy and conviction both on the pitch AND from the boardroom are stagnant for so long, then as a fan you have little recourse to instill change then to demonstrate exactly how you feel. If they are seemingly unwilling to work for wins and honors, why should I work hard as a fan to do more than observe the games? Perhaps hyperbolic, but like I said, the experience with AUFC has really tinted my perspective. I want Arsenal to win and am still hopeful to travel to London soon for a game, but I can only do so much before I feel I'm giving away my heart for nothing in return.
I love sports, but I've become quick to drop things when they're not fun for me. Not to be that guy, but I've got a lot of real life shit that causes me stress, so when I find following a sport/team is more stressful than fun, I let it go immediately. I usually pick it back up when it's fun again.
I think you may have misunderstood my point of view. I completely agree that our results this year fall way short of supporting his extension. So, since he seems personally to want to stay on at Arsenal, I think it's only fair to the fans to wait until mid-May, where there's a very good chance that we fail at Top 4 and/or FA Cup, and in that case I want to believe that the Board would think it crazy, in fact suicidal, to extend him after those results, and after all the protests, planes, fights in the stands, 70% for #WengerOut, etc, etc.
That is arguably the American way of being a sports fan. And it seems to go hand it hand with owners who move teams from Oakland to LA to Oakland to Las Vegas. Unfortunately for me, even though I'm American, I hooked up with Arsenal in the 1970's, so it's now a marriage for me, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health...
I've been a Gooner since about '82 and I'll support them till the grave. But the nature of the game has evolved as the money becomes bigger and bigger and the relationship with the fans becomes more in-line with simple consumerism. I don't begrudge sports teams trying to milk every dollar possible, so long as they don't mind that we as fans will respond accordingly. More importantly, as I said the local soccer option for me has evolved from a ho-hum minor league team managed by Traffic to a MLS team with a prominent local leader with the utmost support. I bought in because this is my one gift to myself since the divorce and because the team has done everything I could ask as a fan. I believe in them. I still believe in The Arsenal, as well, but at the moment I'm not believing in the men at the helm. BTW, I hate the whole franchise relocation crap, but that's another thread.
Not sure how someone with the name "GunnerJacket" can support a team wearing red and black, seeing as how you're supposed to hate two teams that wear those colors
Jane Cavendish has been gone on and on and on about how Xhaka's not a good enough athlete for the Premier League. There's something to that, but the likes of Fabregas and Carrick are hardly elite athletes, and they have been very influential. I think the conclusion is that Xhaka doesn't fit with the rest of the team, but he's also the best midfielder we have.
its very true. He isnt a good athlete. I said this when we signed him. The problem is Wenger has him covering more space than he should, which heightens his lack of athleticism.