Do we need a fox in the box type player? I think wenger was spot on when he bought Jeffers for that reason although that didn't work out well. I think we still need this type of player because we create so many chances for this type of player. Although I love Henry/Bergy/Reyes I think they are similar in terms of roaming around the pitch which leaves no target man. It may also help in terms getting wins in hard fought games by nicking the odd goal.
Sometimes Arsenal have trouble scoring the difficult goal-- the type of goal that generally gives the impression that someone pushed the ball into the goal with their face. Arsenal don't score a lot from corners or headers-- they tend to score by creating space behind defenders. In last week's game, Palace simply dropped their back line far, far back, effectively conceding all of the space in between the halfway line and the penalty area. They were betting that they could continually get eight or nine men behind the ball, meaning that the only way to goal was with a long shot that somehow threaded through, or from over the top (as with a cross or a corner). Arsenal aren't very good at the latter, as I mentioned, and though they took some 20 shots, most of them were weak or wide because they came from far away on a slick pitch. The only Arsenal score was after a defensive mistake when Ljungberg managed to slip into the area. Otherwise, the Gunners seemed to stand around in the Palace half, waiting for a defender to be struck by lightning or otherwise fall over and create an opening. What I'm trying to say is that it'd be nice to have the kind of player that would score those goals, the ones where a cross goes off a face or a knee or is scored after a penalty-area scramble. But if it comes at the expense of the kind of space-creating high-pace football that Arsenal are used to playing (and won a title with), it'd be silly to switch up.
When things start to go wrong, it seems like the common thing to do is to point towards the attack as the root cause for our problems. The simple facts of the matter are, we have failed to score in all but one game this season. In our 12 league games so far we've scored 32 goals along with 5 goals in 4 games in Europe. Our most pressing concern isn't putting them, it's keeping them out, have you seen how many clean sheets we've kepted this season? Shocking. Chelsea have managed to concede 4 goals all season, we've conceded double that in our last 5 games. Obviously our vastly different style of play has alot to do with it, but some of it is down to poor defending. Strengthen at the back is the priority.
I wasn't implying that the attack was our current problem...sorry if i gave that impression. I heard a couple of people talk about morientes to arsenal (typical transfer talk) and thought about it. Also another thread mentioned ian wright and i thought about how franny was oing to be a silimar player. I think our current situation (confidence after the man u game aside) is down to defence. The positioning and marking has been very bad. This also has to do with vieria not playing well and I hate to say it but we need Gilberto I certainly wont be writing him off any longer! Just my 2 cents (or that 2 pence?)
It would be nice to have a RvN type of player minus the cheating on our team though i wouldnt mind if he came with the cheating. We are already usually outscoring the opponents so its not the attack that is needed. Dont mention Jeffers...hes one player who i look at and wanna punch in the face...and thats without even knowing who he is or what he does then you find out hes a football player who sux major penii and u wanna keep punching. Toilet paper and shit covered ass hairs have more of a future than Jeffers in football.
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to fedwood again stop putting too many reppable quotes!!!!
I think the leaky defense needs the work. The other teams are dropping their lines back, but we still manage to get a goal in. We need to stop those going the other way!