Not really my taste, can we go back to "Rihanna is hot" and "Embiid is good at basketball" posts for a bit please
This is a loaded question. Would you consider Cesc's career post Arsenal a flop? What about Nasri? Sagna? Clichy? Cole? I am sure I am missing a few. What would you consider as young?
I'm going to advance my current theory that the problem with this team on the offensive side of the ball has been Alexis Sanchez. I keep hearing about how the guy is World-Class and all, but he takes too many touches, demands too much of the ball, shares too little, etc. Over time we all will be glad he's gone and replaced with a true striker and a true chance creator in Mhki. Check back with me on this one in 18 months. On the defensive side, the problem is the players aren't good enough, especially at defensive midfielder. But I've said that a lot on this thread and so have others. There is no time or place on this planet where Xhaka is a good enough defensive cover for a top-4 PL team. And we spent most of this season with Nacho Monreal as a centerback, and at times as our best centerback. These players are not good enough for us to be a top 4 team.
Nuance is not apologizing for Wenger. And in any case, Wenger picks the players, so if the problem is with the players and not the tactics, the blame still rests on Wenger.
I didn't say flop, though I pointed out there were some flops, I asked if any of those players had significantly improved under another coach. I don't think you can say that about any of the players you listed.
Good point. Of those 5, only 2 of them would I say did some truly good stuff after leaving: Cole & Cesc. But in Cesc's case the Chelsea period seems a bigger success than Barca where he was a more occasional utility player it seemed.
Which would make his entire comment irrelevant. He wrote it because he differed on Wenger being to blame, not because he wanted to expound on Wenger's player selections.
He had a great few years there -- especially since Pep could never figure out where to play him. 42 seems awfully low for playing f9 w/ prime Xavi/Iniesta/Messi.
Of course he played all over the shop - not just false 9 15 goals in 2011-12 was similar to Pedro (13), Sanchez (15) and Xavi (14) Messi scored 73
OK, better than I realized. I don't follow LaLiga, just what I see on goals highlights. With that in mind, would you say he was more valuable to Barca than he has been to Chelsea? Because I had formed the opposite impression.
More valuable? Probably. But Cesc is well past his mileage, so its hard to make real comparisons on success.
Whoscored.com lists 31 league and champions league goals in 121 games. Is it possible to compile 30 appearances in three years in whatever the Spanish league cup is called? Still good numbers, but not significantly better than his numbers at Arsenal, where he had 25 goals in league and champions league play in his last two years at Arsenal.
I'm not a fan of Liverpool's roster, except for the forward line and attacking midfielders. I'd take either Jack or Ramsey over Henderson and whoever else they're playing. I'd take Kos, Mustafi, or Monreal over Lovren. I'd take our fullbacks maybe. I'd take Cech over Mignolet.
Not necessarily about Ramsey necessarily but I think a lot of these stats are bullshit. Goals are legit, because when push comes to shove you can't fake a goal. But for the offensive stats especially, the one thing that's key to a successful offense that isn't tracked is fluid ball movement. You can say that Ozil makes 3.1 key passes per 90 mins or whatever it is, but things like this are incomplete because it takes two to tango. You need someone moving efficiently to pass to. That person needs to know that if he's doing what he's supposed to, then there's a legit chance he'll get the ball. All parties have to understand each other's tendencies and play to the strengths of their teammates. Back to Ramsey, clearly going forward the goal threat of the team is going to be built around Ozil, Miki, and PEA. It's up to Ramsey to figure out a position and a way to play with those three that amplies the offensive output of the team. Or he should be sold, stats or no stats.
If anything, Ramsey is very good for them. Our three behind PEA (Iwobi, Ozil, Miki) all rely on runners to create space for them to exploit. PEA can't be our only consistent runner into the box. Ramsey brings this quality to the team.
Maybe, but from what I've seen over the last few years is that the offenses that really tick have an interchangeable forward line where wing and center forward positions are unpredictable. The defense can't really track runners or maintain shape. I think that's what we should be hoping for. Ramsey popping into the box from nowhere looks good on paper, even looks good on the pitch, but simply doesn't contribute enough goals and we've seen quite a bit of it by now. Not that it can't be solved (among other things we could simply try to play Ramsey in lieu of Iwobi) but what we have now, or at least what we had pre-transfer window isn't working.
I was giving you more credit than Mebe was--I was saying that if interpreted as Mebe had, your point would be redundant. But you actually think that Wenger is not to blame, right? Did I misunderstand?
I personally blame the current one-year (and probably two-year) no Champions League run on a lack of comparable talent, not the manager. I"m hopeful the influx this January is the start of a resurgence, though it obviously needs to be followed by better defenders and better defensive-minded midfielders this summer.
What about the constant failings in the cl and lack of a challenge or the last 13 years in the league? That not wengers fault either?
Okay, see @mebeSajid ? That's all I'm saying, you weren't saying that Wenger is to blame, you were saying the players are. And I am amazed that there are still people who think this.