has anyone actually said this? because what I see is a criticism of their attacking play, but no one has attributed that to the result on Saturday...
I actually think we created enough opportunites to win that game. We just couldn't take any of them. Not sure that has anything to do with Wenger or Clichy or Sagna or our speed or whatever.
We usually create enough chances to win most games we play, yet here we are, playing for only the Premiership and looking like we'll be staggering to the finish line once again. I, for one, and not trying to rip any player or the coach, just looking for a way to get more out of our players, to better put them into positions to succeed. Sure. He was playing out of his skin, and when a quality player like that finds the groove, he can play anywhere. He's been out wide the past couple of months and looked much more ordinary.
only because cesc wasn't playing and he could come inside, those 2 don't work together nasri is not even close to messi/ronaldo anyway
This week's episode of the Tuesday Club summed up my feelings of whats wrong with our team quite succinctly. The Tuesday Club - Pizza Kiss Leads to Glory Days "She was nice"
If Cesc leaves, what's the best course of action for us? Promote Ramsey full time and deal with the growing pains? Sign a direct replacement? Sign a wide player and move Nasri inside? What do you guys want to see?
If Cesc leaves he needs to be replaced, and with as a high profile a replacement as we can afford. We need more quality, and we will need the numbers as our second string can't be relied upon. Most importantly, squad morale would be shattered if we let Cesc go without bringing in some stellar reinforcements. I'd replace him with Hamsik+Vertonghen, but of course what I would do tends to be the exact opposite of what Arsene would do, so I fully expect us to promote Ramsey and spend a fraction of the money on a little known striker from Ligue 1 (with a Feb 2012 bump of this thread).
...and usually does so poorly. I know I've posted this thought before, but I don't understand with all his speed why Clichy doesn't run at defenders in the box more often. Instead of receiving a ball, taking it to the edge of the 18 out wide and then lofting in a worthless cross, he should be taking the ball into the box...especially when defenders are backing off and giving him space, which I've seen happen frequently. Then he'd be in a better position to hit those low hard crosses back across the 6 yard box, which are easier to do and which defenders hate dealing with more so than lobs. Now sure I realize that doing this would require Song or whoever to make sure they were sliding over and covering better since Clichy would be even more subject to counters when making these deeper runs. But offensively, it just seems like it'd be much more effective then his current MO.
of course, the quality, or lack of, from crosses by defenders would be mush less important if arsenal had proper wide players to put those (better) crosses in instead, if arsenal had strikers to put those (better) chances away and if arsenal had midfielders with good distance shooting lurking around just outside the box prepared to wallop any rebounds in.
Sure, and if my aunt had balls, etc., etc. My point is that Clichy would seem to be perfectly capable of doing what I suggested above, i.e., it's within his range of competency. All those things you sarcastically suggest would be great if we could make wholesale changes in the squad. My modest suggestion would more than likely work with what we currently have.
You'd waste one of our two (most likely) transfers this summer on Hamsik? We have Ramsey and Nasri who can slot in for Cesc. That way we could at least spend the Hamsik buy on a direct winger we so desperately need/and or a full-back that is more effective than Clichy. If Walcott gets injured again and we have to play Arshavin on the wing we are going to suffer.
The issues we have at other positions should be taken care of separately. We can't lose Cesc from our midfield, add no one, and expect to maintain our status as a perennial top 4 candidate. Clichy may be on his way out according to some rumors floating around (some contract issues and we are shopping him around). Taiwo may be available on a free this summer, and even if we don't go after him, Clichy's departure should fund his replacement. Offloading some of our spares should fund a winger.
Even still, I'd rather go after either another solid winger, or solid striker (Bendy and Chamakh don't exactly instill confidence), or another solid CB (in the case TV isn't the same), or a world-class GK, before going after another attacking centre-mid. While I don't agree that losing Cesc means we will most likely drop from the top 4 (provided we still get 2-3 other solid players), I think that in any event it will take us at least 2-3 years before we can win the league.
what about cavani if it's a goal scorer you want. he's been on fire for napoli this season. someone mentioned hamsik but i'm not sure we could afford him. you're talking a minimum £25m+ since he just signed a new contract a 6 months ago. re:clichy. i'd read the contract talks had stalled. re:taiwo. his contract expires in the summer. setting aside the "cheap signing" issue, is he the player we want? i mean, would we be interested had we to pay proper money for him?
you think Cavani will be cheaper than Hamsik? not a chance and Taiwo is not good enough... he would be great from set pieces and shooting from distance, but he is worse than Gibbs defensively
Yeah, both Cavani and Hamsik would be 20m+, though If we sold Cesc I wouldn't mind the idea of using roughly half that money toward Cavani. As for Taiwo, what about getting him as a replacement for Eboue? Any chance he could play on the right-side?
John Cross is saying Arsenal have signed Charlton's 19 year old right back Carl Jenkinson, presumably to replace Eboue... he can play along the backline but specializes at right back http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...n-left-back-Carl-Jenkinson-article720352.html
Not a fan of Cavani. BTW, fascinating podcast in the Online gooner from Monday night. Special guests: Amy Lawrence, Phillipe Auclair.
Says he's a left-back, not a right-back? Either way, this type of signing is useless, IMO. Edit: in response to the Charlton-signing.
they say left back (tranfermarkt says rb). if that's correct that surely must mean the death of any traore return. edit:nevermind
Cross is wrong, he is a right back... saying he is a left back sells papers tho with the Clichy stuff just reading what a few Charlton fans say, he is a right back that has filled in at left back due to an injury crisis at the club also http://www.football-lineups.com/footballer/51822/