Don't blame the boys – Arsenal lack tactical leadership to win title

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
15 Nov	3:00 PM	P	Aston Villa (H)	0	2	Lost

"... injuries and suspensions are better at substitutions and squad rotation than Wenger is based on my subjective evidence of the past 12 years... We are all hoping that this is a turning point although I have already written off Arsenal's season. I would love to be wrong..."

That's what I wrote after the Man Utd game.

The title is not over but someone will have to lose it for us to get it because we can't win it.

My conclusion from the first 13 games of the season which has included a staggering 4 losses is very simple. I think the squad is good enough to beat anyone in England and in Europe and there has been some proof of that. However, we don't have anyone in the coaching staff to tactically deploy our resources well and for that reason, it is difficult to hope for much this season.

Arsène Wenger's has only started experimenting with formations in the last 3 years. He always picked a balanced attack minded team until he lost Ljungberg and Píres and started to make do.

Wenger's balanced teams are generally extremely competitive and beautiful against opponents playing open football with space. It is not because we have players in this or that position. It is because he trains players to be good on the ball and to pass neatly. There is nothing tactical about those team, they are just extremely good footballers who will thrive on space and openness no matter whom he picks from his squad.

Against compact teams however, we are totally out of our comfort zone. However, I believe we have enough in the squad to pick the right team to breakdown these kinds of teams. Unfortunately, we have nobody on the coaching staff at Arsenal (at least nobody with influence) who can deploy that right combination for the right opponent when the opponent is not the type we are optimised to play against. We are optimised to play Real Madrid and Man Utd and Barcelona. We are not optimised to play Chelsea, Villa, Liverpool, Everton or Bolton. Every time we beat these teams, it is more about scoring the first goal yet we come from behind to beat better open teams.

Arsenal has lacked penetration for years – since Píres and Ljungberg – mainly due to poor movement. As I have written here several times, Vela, Eduardo and Walcott are the only Arsenal players left who know how to move in the box. But Vela is on the bench, Walcott on the flanks and Eduardo injured. Against open teams it doesn't matter too much because passing itself can unlock teams but against compact teams only very decisive movement and counter-attacking will do.

Against Villa, it was clear that our penetration was awful after 20 minutes. The team even with Bendtner not doing well did well against an open Man Utd side that was playing two strikers. Diaby could function because Man Utd attacked in numbers and gave him space when they lost the ball. The same team faced a different opponent today and the penetration was absolute rubbish.

Why Wenger could not see this at half-time and change early enough when even my girlfriend could spot it, I have no idea.

Our defence is much improved with Silvestre and Gallas even though we conceded two goals. They have a better partnership. Almunia is not great. He could have actually let in a penalty that was so very stoppable. He is not as agile as Fabianski who would have reacted better to Clichy's header as Villa played on while Sagna was injured. Gallas could not be expected to catch Agbonlahor on a quick counter attack because he is so fast and ball arrived as surprise as Arsenal expected a free kick from the Vela foul. But Gallas did what he could. He took Agbonlahor wide enough to make his shot less effective. The shot was totally stoppable but Almunia let it under his fingers – in fact under his hand.

Clichy is unlucky. He is the most consistent and passionate Arsenal player but you can't do anything about slipping up that let Jenas in on goal and trying to get on a defensive header with pressure on your back and scoring an own goal. He got his head to a ball against United that Berbatov would have won behind and tried again today and failed. But the difference is that he is there. Many times early this season, there was never a defender there.

Our midfield is ok. Denilson is really growing as a defensive midfielder. Nasri did his best and so did Walcott but there was no space to play and it was impossible to find Bendtner or to shoot from outside the box when they had the ball. There was nothing else they could do.

Arsenal has good players and has everything they need in my opinion. What we really lack is the guy to see after 20 minutes that penetration is not happening and that the team needs something else and change it asap. Mourinho was hugely successful in Porto and Chelsea because he acted quickly. He would substitute after 20 minutes. Wenger is not like that. He trusts the team to break the deadlock. Good for team morale when it works but much worse for morale when they lose. The team needed help. Nasri, Walcott, Fabregas and Bendtner needed help. Diaby was confined to doubling up in midfield when it would have been easier to pass out of midfield had Arsenal had options. Adebayor and Vela were on the bench to help them but didn't get sent in on time.

Wenger is a great manager. He is given us great players and a great squad. Nobody else could have given us this squad at this price. I believe Wenger when he says we have all the players we need and that these players can win the league and the champions League. I really believe it. But they can't do it in any random combination. The combination of players on the pitch has to be thought through game by game.

The players need help to be their best not just before match day but during the match itself. Arsenal showed respect to Villa. They defended well and fought well. They did all we have been asking them to do. But they didn't get the help they needed from the bench to reap the rewards of their hard work.

I have been pissed off at Wenger before but I always put it in context. Today I am absolutely furious. Worse than after Fulham, Hull and Stoke (I blamed players for those) but today I blame the manager. This is the first time in 12 years that I have written those words.

The failure was unnecessary. The players and fans were hurt unnecessarily. As far as I am concerned, it was not a failure of the players on the pitch. It was tactical and management failure. The players were good enough and ready to win that game and the fans sang for them to do so but fans and players were let down by management.

User Comments

prince_naruto

Posted on 19 Nov, 2008 at 02:42 AM - Reply

i'm 25 years old. i support arsenal since 2001. i am from singapore, south east asia. glad to read this article and comments. we are all feeling the pinch and the fall. just think that this is the time to find out who are loyal and who are fair-weathered. Gunners all the way. Keep on buying the jerseys and accessories to support this club we love.

leon lloyd

Posted on 18 Nov, 2008 at 08:34 PM - Reply

Just want arsenal to get to the transfer window and spend.. it would great to see karim benzema at the emirates with maybe curtis davies and tom hoddlestone ...not been convinced 4 a while that this team has the killer instinct to win the premier league title.some times i wish wenger would be more more ruthless and drop players who are not performing..frustrated that diarra is doing so well at portsmouth2.4me , fabregas and diarra would be ideal in the centre.sissoko would a powerful signing also.anyway its all hopes and dreams and probably 2much football manager ...

Joel Che

Posted on 18 Nov, 2008 at 03:26 PM - Reply

Thanks for all the comments. Just a few notes about them.

1). Clichy is Arsenal's most passionate, consistent, winning and driving players. As one of you put it, he bleeds for Arsenal. If Clichy made 10 more mistakes, he would have earned it. I cannot bring myself to blame Clichy.

2). I believe Gallas / Silvestre partnership is working so far and seems to me to be the most stable since Campbell/Toure - I know it's only 2 games so far but Toure is on the bench for a reason. We may have conceded goals but they have been more goalkeeping or team errors. For the past 2 games, I have realised I am not panicking when there is a corner against Arsenal as much as I did all last season and in the first 11 games this season. Even when we lost to Villa and also against a Man Utd side with an aerial threat.

3) Lastly, the point of my article is this. It may be due to youth or lack of leadership or sharper opponent etc but when your team is having a hard time on the pitch (and this happens to Chelsea as much as it happens to Barcelona) and they cannot find a way to get into the game, you can stimulate it from the bench. Being stuck or lacking ideas on the pitch is a universal problem even with excellent experienced teams. Coaches deal with it by stimulating the team with changes. Sure many players did not perform and that can happen. Wenger himself acknowledged it was a mystery why it happened. But it does happen and when it does, you can change things round to freshen the team up. Adebayor and Vela did just that but it was a little too late.

Thanks again for positive and negative comments!

GBG-gooner

Posted on 18 Nov, 2008 at 01:59 PM - Reply

We don't have the team to win the premiership.

I told a friend of mine some weeks ago that we will have a great record against the other top four clubs, but will continue to loose points to smaller teams.

Why? because we don't have the players nor the tacticts to kill of strong and defensive minded teams. What is sad is that we really don't miss that much, but an intelligent hard working defensive midfielder who will loose a leg rather then let opponents running through.

Denilson is not that bad, who knows, he might get world-class one-day. but he wasn't at the end of last season, and still he is almost the only one that can fill that role, it was so obvious we needed to replace flamini/gilberto,

At arsenal we would also need him to have excellent passing skills, which offcourse costs money.
If denilson is world class, why did we try to get alonso? as a back-up to world class denilson? you can fool yourself but not the opponents, they make us pay for sure.

Wenger has been playing russian rulette, when he really needed to make sure he didn't, now the team confidence rumbles, which was very evident against Villa, no one makes any decisive passes, they only give the ball to the next player. Fabregas didnt have a single magical moment all game, and that is a bad bad sign.

I still believe we can be a force in europe this year, if PL doesn't drain the team of confidence.

hello

Posted on 18 Nov, 2008 at 08:04 AM - Reply

we have lost penetration and ball control. walcott, diaby,denilson,bendtner and sagna lose the ball too often. Yep sagna too!!. Nasri is too slow and is useless on the couter-attack. He should be playing central midfield but then we already have fabregas. He is no comparison to hleb who had a lot of penetration and speed. I thought 1 or 2 yrs and he would also score regularly. I think we should never play the above mentioned players together. we should leave out atleast 2 and play others with better ball possession.

Chris

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 09:53 PM - Reply

Just a quick word about Clichy. He was voted the best left back in the primership last season by his peers. He bleeds Arsenal and I for one love the bloke - he is still oustanding.

Finally if they're good enough they're old enough - Vela, Ramsay even Jack!

Ramgun

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 07:06 PM - Reply

Arsene has never changed. He is the best finder and developer of talent in the game. Unfortunately he is one of the worst match-day managers. Combine Mourinho and Wenger and you would have the greatest manager of all time!
The poor team selections, bad tactical decisions and awful substitutions are becoming more prevalent and I would be very sad if Arsene's time as our manager ended badly. I am hoping that things work out for him.
After the terrible day on Saturday can we please consign 4-5-1 to the dustbin unless we are playing an attacking team like Man Utd. It will never work against Kiev or Sunderland or Aston Villa.

lakmert

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 06:36 PM - Reply

I agree with parts of your article but some show symptoms of a raging arsenal fan that needs someone to blame. Wenger to me is doing the best job he can. With a whole host of first team players injured such as rosicky, eduardo, now sagna. Do you really think if eduardo and rosicky were back we would be 13 games into the season and already suffered 4 losses? I highly doubt it. Wenger has had to experiment with players in positions because he has no other alternative. To play diaby in the bergkamp position behind bendtner was ridiculous, diaby will never have the vision and precision passing of No.10
If you remember back in the bergkamp and henry days, that formation would rip sides apart now it merely gets us a draw if we are lucky. I agree with you that Wenger is not experimenting with formations enough but thats what pre seasons are for. I don't recommend doing that a third way through the season. I think he just needs to bite his tongue and let these young stars we keep hearing so much about to actually come out and play full games. The vela's and walcott's etc. They seem to be the ones that are hungry for success, if i see Adebayor hold his head again after he flourishes away another golden opportunity, i will break my tv set.

I am absolutely frustrated with the team because i really do see an amazing opportunity to be big time leaders in the premiership and europe but we are lacking execution, drive, passion and consistency.
We will win the league this year and i'm sure no one believes so far but i think the only real title contenders are Chelsea, they have shown consistency, in my opinion Man. u have peaked, Liverpool is just warming the seat for someone to come over and knock em off and all we got to do is find consistency in results, and with only 13 games into the season there is still time.

Have faith my fellow Gunners!!

Nedu Canada

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 06:14 PM - Reply

...some thoughts about our Arsenal …allow me to notice something about Arsene Wenger : until two-three years ago his comments carry along competence and common sense , good occasion for everyone to learn about his soccer philosophy …for a while he started to shock with strange statements or over-explanatory excuses, ( like “ Theo Walcott has an edge over Messi, we can win everything, some opponents are cowards, etc etc ) …I think that is a sign of shaken self-confidence ...In my opinion Arsene Wenger was always a excellent manager for and only for ATACK philosophy of the game …meaning “ well, once we got the ball this is the way how we should play it around further on “ …On the other hand I do not think that Arsene Wenger was ever a brilliant manager of the defense side of the game …I cannot believe that he does not notice how badly is Arsenal defense…I looked how organized and grouped play Aston Villa in their defense, …No doubt that Gallas is an erratic defender without discipline and knowledge …in addition to that he does not have elementary technique to kick the ball properly …I think his way to behave on field leave Arsenal youngsters stunned and disappointed…no leader what so ever in my humble opinion…pointing finger to others instead to watch himself in mirror is a terrible example…
…this year Arsenal played different that last two years …the ball is passed continuously lateral and back and rarely strikers or midfielders attack or dribble to eliminate one or two defenders….Arsenal miss badly Flamini and Hleb …Flamini was type of guy bossing in the field , tackling vigorously , knowing when to make a fault to stop an counterattack, a midfielder who did not loose easy a battle one to one …Hleb was capable to penetrate defenses by eliminating one or two opponents than pass the ball , …it was the time when Adebayor, Van Persie , or Fabregas run forward to get a good pass and not to turn around and around with the ball like today …Hleb was influential player and perfectly accommodated the way Arsene Wenger wanted the attack ….today maybe Theo Walcott try to run forward with the ball but, sadly enough to say, he does not have a good technique to keep the ball close …the others keep passing the ball, or turn back and again and again ….no danger immediately unless the opponents make a mistake …
…I am coming back to Arsenal defense and I am just wondering why Arsene Wenger off-loaded so easy Senderos. …I do not remember Senderos making so many mistakes in comparison with what Gallas offers now …in addition to that Senderos was quite good in air and honestly I think he is the type of central defender good for Premiership …I remember a game against Milan when Senderos really dominate every ball in the air …today Gallas and Silvester do not have the force and energy to attack the ball in air …compare these two guys with Vidic, Ferdinand, John Terry, Carvalho, C Davis , Nielson or even Dawson …these guys would put their head heavily against strikers …not like Gallas for sure ….

Nedu
Richmond Hill, Canada

manas

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 04:53 PM - Reply

This is probably the best article I have read in recent time. Wenger is a great manager but he never make cahnges before 60 minutes. It is rightly said that Almunia was actually conceding a goal in the penalty which he should have saved very easily. But I feel you have also slightly overestimated your players like Mr. wenger does. Our midfield is very weak. Walcott is a waste, yes I mean it. Clichy is good but sometimes he does extremly silly mistakes which Ashlay Cole never did.

J Mehmett

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 03:28 PM - Reply

Well said, Joël Che. Wenger used to be one of the most successful managers in the EPL, but today, it seems that the manager is tired, he lost his clever tactics and he gambles all the time.

sulazu

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 02:33 PM - Reply

I do not agree that Arsenal has got all the players needed to be consistent in the league & Champs lge. We needed a strong presence in that midfield as Denilson is not cut for games that are very physical & compact at the middle. Also, if Arsenal ever serious of winning anything, players like Bendtner, Diaby, Song will not give us the goods. However good Diaby may be, he is only fit against teams that play an open game. That is why he normally play well in big games like against Milan, Man Utd, Madrid & co. But you dont get too many of these teams especially in the premiership. Hence, the need to get players that could respond well to teams with different playing philosophy. As for the league, we should forget about it & maybe deploy our energy to Champs league & probably the FA Cup.

simon

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 01:41 PM - Reply

after last season we had the most potential of The Big Four to improve. However, whilst none of our rivals lost players and added to their squads we lost two key players in Heleb and Flamini,so not only did we not improve we actually got worse, the fact is Hleb is much better than Walcott, and that is the the difference

fazz

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 01:06 PM - Reply

I agree with you to a degree. Yes the manager got it wrong today, BUT I also think he got it wrong with the previous matches!

Song is BEST in defence, NOT in midfield. Good grief, even Arsene Wenger himself said so last season!

The one player I feel worse for is Cesc! He is not being used to the best at ALL! There's no help from what I call a BRAND-NEW midfield, compared to last season!

sebe

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 12:22 PM - Reply

This time Yes! you are right to write those harsh words towards the management. i have always noticed those failures from the bench long time ago. however the team could manage to come out of those situations in the overall result. But this time they are losing the ground and belief they deserve from the spectators.if i am to mention the team trying its best to promote the taste of football i would pick ARSENAL. unfortunately, the spectators are not good enough to see this and give the due respect.nonetheless, the management could have done better in the tactical aspect to boost its advantage it already sets in most games.
i wish i will see this work quickly.
ARSENAL The team i am fun of.

timmy the dog

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 12:18 PM - Reply

I agree, I'm afraid. I think Wenger has often lacked tactical instinct. He seems to sometimes think too much about things and not quite have that gut understanding of footy. For example, on the topic of defending crosses into the box, he was talking about the the overall or average height of the squad rather than the need for one good ball-winning box dominating central defender, which we've needed for ages (and I think Djourou might manage to be).

When Arsenal need to break through against lower league opposition, there is a need for at least some rehearsed set-piece routines (do they practice corners?) and for quick breaks with people making runs and attacking space in the box - but they don't seem to be trained for that. You don't get the feeling that they're allowed to mix it up, so it becomes too easy to defend. It's far too easy for teams to concede possession and still get better (if fewer) chances to score.

It's odd because some of the most revered managers have relied on tactical coaches for success, and it hasn't diminished their reputations. Redknapp in his last job had Adams as a defence coach, and apparently had Ferdinand teaching the strikers too at some point. Ferguson had Quieroz to solve his problem of adapting to playing in Europe. Arsenal News Review (I know, can be hysterical at times, but not all the time) had a piece on Keown's help during the Champion's League run to the final in Paris. I imagine he wasn't asked to continue because wenger felt Keown's instruction contradicted some of his own, but that compromise is part of being a manager - it's not the same sort of role as a maestro, you're managing a collective enterprise, so part of the strength is delegation, I reckon.

Ochino

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 12:07 PM - Reply

Bendtner is a waste of time and should be sold at the earliest opportunity. He came unstuck against Man U and he was awful against Villa. What Arsenal lack is a natural assasin, the likes of Thierry Henry, Anelka, Wright, Bergkamp and so on.
The failure by the management is reflecting on the players. Wenger needs to adjust his policies. We have the personnel yes, but we lack depth.

valsenal

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 11:49 AM - Reply

I agree 99.9% with this article.

Wenger is now like a very good pilot who thinks he can fly a plane without wings.

He is pressing the self-destruct button without realising it.

First of all he is not loyal to his players. Look at what he did to our hero Pires. He refused him the same contract he gave to Own goal Sylvetre and Panic Captain Gallas.
Now he is turning a blind eye on Arsenal's true captain Cesc Fabregas by not giving him the armband.

Despite what people say, Fabregas is a dedicated gooner and only the deeds of Wenger will drive him away and that is surely not his fault. He is werely a young lad hungry to win trophies. Besides he is not given a rest (played 90 minutes against stoke, 94 against Fennerbache, 96 Man U and 94 Villa in the space of 2 weeks) hence the dip in form. That is equivalent to capital panishment.

The manager is again at fault for Fabregas dip in form and to add insult to injury Mr Wenger is refuting the visible fact that Cesc form is dipping. Maybe he needs specs!!

If Arsenal is to salvage what is left of the season than Wenger has to make use of the services of gliding Vela and Stepping Ramsey to give clout to the first team.

He should play them at the expense of Adebayor, RvP and Fabregas if need be. The team selection should be based on current form and type of opposition as stated by Joel, not according to seniority or fame.

In Vela and to a certain extent Ramsey, he have the perfect answer to tight/stubborn defenses. Vela can glide past defenders with easy, while Ramsey can pick a pass from the edge of our penalty box.

How many penalty did we get this season? The answer is very few because none of the so-called striker being used spent 20 minutes of the 90 in their opponenets box. They all drift out to go add more confusion to the midfield.

Vela will win us many penalty against defense minded opponents because of his close control.

Imagine Vela on one flank and Walcot on the other, Fabregas and Ramsey in the middle and Ade and RvP leading the line against the likes of Stokes and Hull City. There will be no need for Clichy and Sagna to support the attach. The back 4 can group in the center-circle and watch the midfield and strike force do what they are paid to do.

Song can replace Ramsey against heavy weights, and as for Denilson, I don't rate him that highly. We are conceding more goals because he is never in front of defense when it matters.

The other reason why Arsenal is doing poorly is the lack of ambition and lack of initiative. He waits till the 70th minute to make a substitution even when we a drawing or loosing against a lesser side. That is criminal!!!!!!!!!!

Change at half time if it 0-0 against losser opponents period!!!

I leave it here before the emotions of the weekend get the better of me.

goonerholic

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 11:37 AM - Reply

very sad but well said...you've said everything out from my head n heart...the problem is AW has been to stubborn minded and no strong 2nd man to usher some ideas in to him...hope we will still manage to hang on to 4th place as qualification for CL is crucial.

frack

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 10:27 AM - Reply

i totally agree wit the above article. The boys could not do mare than they could.
The technical group reacted very late. I personally believe Gallas and Toure needs some challenge for their position. Agbonlahor was stopable at that point but Gallas could not.
Lets concentrate on the europe,it possible for us to win something this season.

Wong

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 09:26 AM - Reply

Absolutely true! Vela would have changed the game had he been let off the bench earlier.

Alaba, Nigeria

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 08:59 AM - Reply

I will never blame Arsene for the lost against Villa and my reasons are as follows:
Were those boys not the same team that beat ManU?
Where did you see any desire to win the Villa match on the boys?
This boys rested for a week without playing any competitive football and yet they lost the form against ManU.
Wenger cannot play for the boys but the boys played the game as if there was nothing at stake.
Arsenal is a team that is known for fight to finish matches but this time the boys will not play or show the zeal to win matches on till when they concede a goal.
Those active minutes when games are about to finish where do they keep them at the start of the games.
Look at the game against ManU, We ought to finish the game with at least 4-1 but where is the desire to do the impossible.
Remember the San Siro match, this boys fought to the end.
Blame not Arsene because is the only coach that can manage Arsenal with what we have but i will advice him to try Vella in stead of Bendethner because Vella can move in a very tight space.
DON'T BLAME ARSENE WENGER!

Baba Tee

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 08:22 AM - Reply

To say i am hurt is an understatement. We lost to Fulham, Hull, Stoke now Villa. We are falling below standard. Do we have to hope for one of our contenders to lose so we can have a go at the title? That definitely is not an attitude of a champion. We should just wake up concentrate on other challenges Champions league, FA Cup and the carling cup (after all man-u and chelsea are out). But for the Premiership i dont want to sound pessimistic but lets just forget it. Chelsea is already ahead of us with like nine points, Man-u is ahead and have an outstanding.
By God i just hope we can keep our players next season. That will take a lot of committment of the players and a lot of believe in the Arsenal.

FELLO IN ATL

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 01:32 AM - Reply

NICE ARTICLE,YOU JUST MAKE ME FEEL BETTER AFTER READING YOUR ARTICLE.I THINK THE BOYS HAVE PLAYED VERY WELL ESPECIALY IN THE SECOND HALF AND THEY DESERVE SOMETHING FROM THE GAME. I ALSO BELIEVE IT WAS A TACTICAL FAILURE BY THE BOOS. NOT ONLY IN THIS GAME , YOU CAN SEE SAME LACK OF TACTICAL AND MANAGEMENT HEPLS FOR THE BOYS IN MANY OF THE GAMES THEY LOSE. I HAVE TURN OF MY TV FOR THE REST OF THE DAY AFTER THAT SECOND GOAL YESTERDAY, I WAS HARTH BKOEN AND FEEL SICK D WHOLE DAY.
I THINK ALL ARSENAL FANS SHOULD SEND A LETTER OF DISAPPOINTMET TO WENGER FOR HIS TACTICAL AND MANAGEMENT FAILURE.

sami

Posted on 17 Nov, 2008 at 12:28 AM - Reply

In hindsight we could really have used Diarra as the holding midfielder. It was a tricky situation because Flamini was doing so well,Diarra was not patient & we lost them both. They both have the tenacity we are missing in midfield right now.

gunner

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 08:14 PM - Reply

I agree with the fact that Wenger should have reacted earlier (at the half time may be) because we've all seen after 10 minutes that it wont work without changes, I don't know what he don't .......

However, I still believe that he's a great manager and tactician.

Disillusioned Gooner

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 08:14 PM - Reply

It is the day after & i am still in shock. I was absolutely pissed off yesterday & wouldn't speak to anyone. The board need to put some pressure on AW cos he is totally lost in space at the moment. He has been poor on the tactical side for at least 3 seasons now. We have been facing such difficult teams for some season's now & we still do not have the tactics to get on top of them yet such teams find it easy to stop us scoring & winning; the board needs to find out why nothing has been done about this & what AW is going to do to resolve the situation.

Saraki

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 07:33 PM - Reply

God bless you for this article, it was really glaring that we were playing compact team against villa,cos they were not given any space for us to operate but Wenger still could'nt do anything about it. The only thing i disagree with about this article is the combination of Sylvester and Gallas to me they both have the same problem which is composure and that explain why they end up making some silly mistakes especially Sylvester, i used to tease my Man U friends when he was at Manchester that he was always the weakeast link, never thought in my life that one day he will end up being an Arsenal player, i could have bet with my life that he will never play for us, because he lack all the criteria to be an Arsenal player, but that is Wenger for you. I believe we need a central defender that is composed and can restore the confidence of his back four, a good DM that will parner with Fab while Denilson continue to gain experience, if Chelsie and Man U can have as many as 5 MD, why can Arsenal have 2 good ones. Please Arsene save us from heart attack i beg you.

maestrono10

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 07:32 PM - Reply

So true it hurts. It's only a matter of time before the intelligent players pick up on this and start questioning Wenger's implementation of the players at his disposal and Fabregas looks like he might have caught on.

sanjlon@yahoo,co,uk

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 06:02 PM - Reply

Get KAKA and 2-3 Big Tall strong defenders and sell Van pursie the blanks firer and the Bendner sell him too for some decent men who know how to score!

Andy Chan

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 05:44 PM - Reply

I must agree that Wenger is kinda slow when it comes to substitutions. I mean, everyone knows that 90% of the time he'll only substitute at 70 min. The earliest would be after 60 min or unless someone is injured. In a sense he has made Arsenal somewhat predictable.

Desalegn, Ethiopia

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 04:01 PM - Reply

Good assessment. Although my comments never let to appear, I always said we need not only a playing team but also a winning team. So the manager has to come off his orthodox approach

Goonerbeall

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 03:44 PM - Reply

Strong words for a change. You appear to be mentioning something that was said a while ago some guy and he was shouted down and it went quiet. We tend to treat symptoms at Arsenal no wonder problems come back to haunt us in different guise.
Wenger, for all his masterful management appear to be short on tactics. He seem to prefer the same type of players while Fergie and Nourinho go for diferent players who may fit different formations aimed at different opponents. I bet the Carling Cup team that beat Wigan could have done better against Villa-maybe not winning as they did last time but definitely better. I think Ramsey and Wilshere could have taken care of themselves and that predator Simpson could have given headache to defenders- atleast more than they got. Oh, I wanna cry.

Steve

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 03:44 PM - Reply

I totally agree with this article....I have been completely let down. It takes a lot to galvanize shattered feelings after a disappointing outing, but to have it all dismantled again after just one match is totally demoralising.

james wood .folkestone. kent:

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 03:32 PM - Reply

I agree, Pat Rice sits there like his totally pissed off, he seems almost scared to talk,or is he absolutely full of Wengers constant moaning??.Surely Wenger must see the squad is just not strong enough in depth,have his hands been tied by the board that much in thre transfer market? At least 3 new players are required,one being a new captain?.

danny

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 03:09 PM - Reply

fantastic article,very informative. I still think that we need a good central defender and defensive midfielder,but your article makes a lot of sense.

Gunner4Life

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 02:49 PM - Reply

Back to square one...gunners we reamin....but i am tired of comments, disappointment week in week out....the only thing for us is to continue watching and let destiny take us to the promise land....for trophies i dont see any coming this season and may be next if wenger will not sit up.

laurencecox

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 02:28 PM - Reply

i hate to blame individuals but as long as bendtner is considered to be the best arsenal forward we can start then we deserve nothing less than results we are getting. And as long as the management are happy with the performances of the far from world class striker these results will continue.

gautam

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 01:58 PM - Reply

We are optimised to play Real Madrid and Man Utd and Barcelona. .....??Its that simple??u think we could always beat United or Barca >>with this team ??i believe ManU was a one of had they got the 1st goal we would hav been ytanked...against Barca no chance etoo would hav eaten both silvstre and gallas alive!!!!!

indian express

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 01:10 PM - Reply

all arsenal fans in india r furrious at this defeat i hope the club learns a lesson from this , fan following is on the verge of a dicline if any more home defeats occur.

Romford Pele

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 12:59 PM - Reply

Arsene has never been a tactical genius and on the whole it doesnt work too well when he departs from the 4-4-2. Yes he got it wrong yesterday and changed it too late. But to say it was all about tactics is not right. From the off, Villa were quicker and sharper and more hungry. We looked totally worn out and I had to remind myself this lot did not play in midweek. There was a collective lack of effort especially in midfield which is where we really lost the game. It seems strange that when we keep letting in silly goals that I think the defence is playing reasonably well but we have a powder puff midfield and lets face it a pretty inconsistent keeper. Can you think of any other top half club being interested in Almunia? Still we are stuck with this lot until next summer as Arsene will never buy in January.

Al

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 12:35 PM - Reply

So disappointing....the game.....Glichy needs to go..his CONTINUAL lapses in concentration /defensive errors have cost us dearly...remember birmingham?...and that was not the first time

M

Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 at 12:09 PM - Reply

I disagree, we are losing matches because we cant grind out results, teams like chelsea and man utdgo a goal down, and it spurs them on, admitedly i dislike the way chelsea and utd just buy others teams stars n dont really train youngsters in the way arsenal do, and man utd against arsenal were awfull, they wasted chances and as much as it hurts me to say they couldve atleast drawn with us.... but i think their commitment to the club and fans drives them on! i dont think they have the best images, their players are rough sometimes and dive frequently, but they fight for the results. as an arsenal fan im proud of how well we are doing without a ridiculously expensive team, but we need to want to win, and believe that we just need to chin up, heads down, and get to work! organise the defence and stop getting sloppy, use players to their strengths, and believe in the manager and the team!

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