Illusion
Established Member
1. It’s been a funny start to the new decade for Arsenal fans; a fortuitous draw at home to Everton, knocked out of the cup by a ‘rampant’ Stoke and outclassed by Chelsea on Sunday. What are the staff and fans’ expectations for the remainder of the season?
I'd like to see the team rally themselves and put as much pressure as possible on Man Utd and Chelsea. I don't think we're going to be able to overtake both of them, but we certainly have a good chance of getting second place. At the very least the team should make sure that they are well placed to take advantage of any mistakes that the top two will make, don't let them run away with the league in comfort.
2. The last time you made a sustained campaign to win the Premier League, was arguably the year you last won it in ‘03/’04. What does the manager need to do in order that you can challenge again in ‘10/’11?
I disagree with the first part of the question, I'd say the last time we made such a campaign was infact two seasons ago during the 07/08 season. We were in control for a period and looked like the favourites until the catastrophic Birmingham game.
In order to challenge again in 2010/11 we need to change the way the players are coached defensively. By far and away our biggest flaw is the lack of adaptability and tactical nous. Wenger always sets out our team to play the same tactics and attempts to win 'our way', through quality attacking football. Unfortunately this does not work well when it comes to playing against the top teams in the league, who know all too well how to turn our game against us.
Of course we certainly need a new goalkeeper and I think there are other areas of the squad that need a bit of a reshuffle, although nothing drastic.
3. How has the loss of Van Persie affected your season?
It's certainly been the single biggest thing to derail our season. Although I don't believe injuries are a valid excuse, especially for us (we should be used to them by now and prepare accordingly).
The loss of RvP has dramatically hurt our attack more than any of us would have expected before a ball was kicked this season. He's grown into his new role so brilliantly that he's become as important to us as Drogba, Rooney and Torres are to Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool.
4. One of the classic footballing clichés involves Wenger and his youth development at Arsenal. A quick look at the Gooners’ squad shows the likes of Merida, Ramsey (I know he’s a product of Cardiff) and Gibbs having all impressed in some measure this season. Is this aspect of the side still what it once was, and are enough of the lads from the reserves showing enough promise to challenge for first-team honours?
Absolutely, some of the youngsters are showing tremendous promise and I fully expect several of them to become household names within our squad in the next 2-3 years. Gibbs and Eastmond are the two stand-out examples for me, as everyone already knew about the likes of Merida and Ramsey. Right now Gibbs is certainly our best left back due to Clichy's atrocious form and Eastmond has proven himself a good backup option to Song.
5. As I’m sure you’re aware, Liverpool has had its fair share of run-ins with its American ‘benefactors’ over the past couple of seasons, and it’s looking increasingly likely that Stan Kroenke will be forced to make a takeover bid for the club when (not if) he acquires 17 more shares in the club. How do the fans feel about Kroenke’s increasing shareholdings and its implications for the future of the club? (I’m expecting answers along the lines of ‘anything’s better than Usmanov’
I believe in a plurality of ownership and I don't think we need to be taken over. I don't think a takeover from Kroenke is necessarily inevitable, I believe he's buying up shares to protect his investment from someone like Usmanov rather than pushing towards a takeover.
He may well end up taking over the club and as far as new owners go, he doesn't appear to be a bad one. For me a takeover is not about how much money billionaires can pump into the club (this is highly unrealistic and rare), it's about how the new owner(s) will run the club when they get control. Will he demand more success? Will he start taking dividends? Will he push to increase the clubs worldwide brand and commercial operations? Will he saddle the club with debt?
If he runs the club the way it's currently being run, reducing the debt and increasing our revenue commercially then I don't really have a problem with Kroenke taking over.
6. Continuing the financial banter, Cesc is seemingly in and out of the broadsheets (there’s a Terry joke in there, somewhere) on a daily basis with stories of new contracts, renewed interest from Barca, and other such tittle-tattle. Do you have what it takes to make him stay? Is he irreplaceable?
We absolutely have what it takes to make him stay, although I think part of that has taken a blow in recent weeks with humiliating defeats to our closest rivals and a disappointing cup exit. Right now he's irreplacable, but in the long term I think we'll be alright, Ramsey was a very big signing and he should be able to step up to a similar level in time.
7. With Chelsea and our friends in Manchester running away with the top 2 this season, do you think it’ll be both Liverpool and Arsenal who fill the final two spots for the CL, or can you see City and Tottenham causing a fuss?
My pre-season prediction was Chelsea to win the league comfortably, with ourselves and Man Utd battling over second and Liverpool/City fighting for Fourth. I still stand by that prediction and I believe Liverpool will finish ahead of Man City.
It's a testament to how far behind the likes of Tottenham and City really are when you consider they have not had to deal with European football at all this season and they are still finding it difficult to snatch fourth.
8. How do you regard the rivalry between Liverpool and Arsenal? There doesn’t seem exist the vitriol that teams like Chelsea or United generate, and there isn’t the geography-based hatred that comes from being forced to share air with the likes of Everton and Sp**s.
I find there is a fair amount of mutual respect between our fans, I have quite a few friends who support Liverpool and I am happy to see Liverpool do well. Part of that is down to the hatred we both share for Man Utd and a recent dislike that has developed for Chelsea.
It gets harder to like Liverpool when you see some of the tripe posted on various forums about us, but all clubs have moronic fans so I tend to ignore it.
I think a large part of the reduced rivalry between our two teams is because we've not really been competing against one another for a long time.
9. Normally we ask who a particular team’s danger men are , but in this instance, I want to ask what sort of team you’d put out to beat us, and what sort of tactics you think Wenger will adopt.
Wenger will probably play the exact same team he did against Chelsea, with the exception of Rosicky coming in for Walcott. I don't expect Bendtner to start, but if he does he'll start in the middle and Arshavin will be out wide.
My personal lineup would be this:
Arshavin/Bendtner/Eboue or Rosicky
Diaby/Song/Fabregas
Clichy/Vermaelen/Gallas/Sagna
Mannone
The goalkeeper is a sore point however, we all know it will be average Al.
10. Last time we all met, it was an utterly depressing 2-1 to you guys. Today, you are Mark Lawrenson (don’t worry, it’s not permanent) - Predict the score – a chalk brick in Armoury Square to the winner.
I will have to go for 3-1 I think.
I do want to say 2-1 as I don't have much confidence in our strikeforce at the moment and we'll certainly concede with Almunia in goal. However, we showed positive signs of determination against Chelsea and I think the players are going to step up again for a big home game.
Kuyt or Gerrard to score for you.
Arshavin, Fabregas and maybe Vermaelen to score for us.
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Oh and I must say I do like the cross-fansite opinion stuff, it works well.