Reason why Arsenal where poor last season.

[Arsenalfan123]

Something I noticed over the past few years.

in 2003/2004, we played Middlesbrough 5 times.

During the 2 times we lost (1-0 and 2-1) in the carling cup (Jan 2004), we didnt have Pires and Henry. But we had Cole, Toure, Edu, Parlour, Gilberto, Bentley, Vieira, Bergkamp, Reyes. And I think the commentator even said (during the game against Middlesbrough when we lost) something like "Arsenal dominated the play, but lacked the attacking flair". This situation also was similar to the one in 2005/2006, where we dominated play, but lost/drew and failed to score alot of goals.

During the other 3 times we won (twice in Jan 2004) (4-0, 4-1, 4-1). We had Pires and Henry. Pires and Henry contributed alot of goals and assists in those 3 times we won.

Last season, with Pires off form, Henry failed to receive support. Pires and Henry play well together and somehow seem to link up very well, something that the other players cannot seem to do (as well as Pires).
And during the beginning of 2005/2006, where we lost alot of games and had a poor start, Henry was injured, Pires was also injured (Neville tackle [Everton]) and off form. We struggled very very badly attacking.

Against Leicester in 2003/2004, Henry and Vieira were rested. Pires played. We struggled to score goals, and Gilberto scored a goal )Pires played a part in the buildup). Yet we didnt conceded a goal (without Vieira), till injury time. Cole was sent off too btw. We drew 1-1. So without Henry, we played badly.

In the beginning of 2004/2005, Vieira was injured. We had Fabregas and Gilberto in central midfield for the first 4 games in a row. We won 4-1, 5-3, 3-0 and 4-1. Henry and Pires played, and without Vieira, we still won. That just proves that without Vieira, we can still score alot of goals, hence showing that the attacking players like Pires and Henry dont need to track back and defend.

Not to metion that Pires and Henry scored 57 goals in all competitions in 2003/2004.

Conclusion: Without Pires and Henry both on the pitch and on form, Arsenal struggled for goals.

Target: A goal scoring midfielder, like Pires.

 

[Loylz]

I don't think you can point to one thing being the reason we were poor last season. A culmination of many things including a very high injury list, coupled with our inability to score away from home added to the fact we had so many young players and players playing out of position along with numerous other things accounted for the fact that we did not do as well as we'd have hoped. Also not only was it a lack of goals away from home it was also a lack of performance, grit and cohesion from the team when the going got tough.

You can have a goalscoring midfielder for all you want (and we did have Pires last season who still managed to get into double figures) but if the team ain't playing the style of football we're used to (also due to many reasons) then we will struggle to score goals as we do not really know any other style to play.

Our game is confidence based. Because of the fact that injuries affected our game so much so at the start of the season that any hopes of challenging for the title were gone with barely half the season played, We lost confidence and as a result struggled to find any real form and consistent performances. After a few good wins in the Champions League you could see with the players steadily returning and with our younger players growing into their roles that our form was slowly but steadily improving and thanks to a late, late run of form we managed to find ourselves ahead of the Spuds for the final Champions League spot.

We did struggle last season but to say it was down to the loss of form of Pires is only half the truth. And to say that a goalscoring midfielder alone will solve all our problems and put us back to challenging for the title is a bit naive.

But you are partly right. With Pires gone and Freddie suddenly losing his scoring touch last season we need our midfielders to start coming up with the goods this season for the good of the team.

 

[Arsenalfan123]

Fair enough, but when we win CL matches, (real madrid, juve etc..), the next game in EPL or 2 games after we lost/draw. (even though they where confident)

BTW, in 2003/2004, we had alot of suspensions and injuries, and our squad was depleted against Birmingham, we had to use Clichy on left wing.

Yet we won (3-0) as we had Henry and PIres playing that game.

 

[Exiled In Newcastle]

Firstly can I thank you for actually posting a reasoned, well written piece here. In all honesty the majority of posts in here tend to be ill thought out rants.

I don't agree though!

I think you're placing far too much importance on the Henry/Pires axis. You could equally hang the article (with figures to back it) on a Bergkamp.Ljungberg partnership.

A bit simplistic but the first thing any team needs is a settled defence - which we weren't even close to last season. This draws the midfield deep to cover (Reyes having to spend most of the season doubling as a left back is a case in point because it reduces the attacking possibilities) and reduces the contact between the midfield and attack, which was the main reason Henry ended up so isolated last season.

 

[I love Pascal Cygan.]

There are a plethora of reasons why we struggled last season.

I agree with Arsenalfan123 about our left hand side not being as productive (no Cole/proper left back coupled with Pires' decline.)

I agree with Loyan about the players lacking of confidence and the high injury list.

I agree with Exiled... about our lack of a settled defence.


We also missed Bergkamp's vision and creativity.

We missed Vieira's influnce on and off the pitch.


We lacked a settled 1st XI if truth be told. Only 5 of who we generally consider to be our 1st XI played over 30 games in the Premiership last season.


If we can avoid an injury crisis like the one we had last season and have the players we consider to be our 1st XI playing at least 75%-80% of matches then we'll finish top 3 for sure.

 

[flaunt]

Thanks Arsenalfan123 for the great thought.

Actually, sometimes the simplest & most obvious observation hits closest to home and I think he may have something here.

Of course, I'm not saying we must replace like for like. We just need another goalscoring / creative player to develop the same kind of psychic ability with Henry (or another player).

We saw glimpses of van Persie & Adebayor clicking - admittedly against a 3rd division side from Austria - but great things usually come from humble beginnings.

While its sad to see Pires go, it also came to a point where Pires was becoming more a peripheral figure rather than the focus of our attack.

In 2004/05 & 2003/04 Pires was very much the fulcrum of our team. Cesc took over that mantle last season, and does not look like relinquishing it.

What made Henry so productive was his teamwork with Pires. Not in the goalscoring department. Henry pretty much assists on his own goals right there.

But in 2004/05, Henry had... what? 16-17 assists? That number had dropped to 2 or 3 last season. And a big part of it was Pires not being as deadly effective as usual - consequently we struggled at times to break down teams.

So what Arsenalfan123 posted has merit. He is right, we need someone to step up and fill the Pires role, and hopefully link up with Henry (but again, it doesn't have to be like for like in my opinion. Reyes or Rosicky don't have to be forced into that role).

 

[Arsenalfan123]

Thank you for all replies.

Hleb, Reyes and Ljungberg mananged 12 goals all season. Pires at his prime had 19 goal.

Another reason why we where so poor. Although Reyes had 5 goals and 10 assists in EPL last season from 26 games.

But this assists are:

Against
Middlesbrough - 3 assists
Everton - 2 assists
FUlham - 2 assists?

Reyes's assists come in bunches, like in those 3 games he already had 7 assists, and the other 3 assists came in the other 23 games he played. He was way too inconsistent.


But I think players lacking confidence is not a problem. We beat Juventus 2-0, Real Madrid 1-0 etc.. and yet the next few games in EPL we lost/drew.

Although in one game we lost due to injuries and youngsters was against West Ham (2-3 lost). Campbell played poorly, Larsson made a costly mistake.

I expected Arsenal to beat Tottenham at least 2-0/3-1 (after we beat Juve 2-0), but instead we had to draw 1-1.

BTW, Pires did get 11 goals last season, but 7 in EPL, 2 from Fa Cup, 2 from CL. 2 CL goals where penalties, 2 from FA CUP against Cardiff. Pires at his prime got like 17 goals a season etc.. but last season Pires has dipped badly (especially in the first half), and as a result Henry was insolated and arsenal lacked attacking options.

BTW, last season I was really really dissappointed with Hleb, Reyes, Ljungberg and Pires (in the first few months of the season)

Pires and Henry linked up extraodinarily well. BTW as pointed out again, Arsenal where depleted against Birmingham in 2003/2004 (suspensions (due to the man utd fight), injuries). We had to use clichy in the left wing, but in the end we won 3-0 (because we had Henry and Pires).

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And I think the commentator even said (during the game against Middlesbrough when we lost) something like "Arsenal dominated the play, but lacked the attacking flair". This situation also was similar to the one in 2005/2006, where we dominated play, but lost/drew and failed to score alot of goals.