Rough patch

[patrick42uk]

every team has one, its a fact of football. you cannot be consistent in all competitions for a whole season. last season i felt our rough patch came at the worst time when we were on course on the treble one week, and 2-1 down to liverpool at home the next. i'm hopeful this can be our rough patch which is completely feasible as it comes off losing our long unbeaten run. i think lewd said something about the ac milan unbeaten team failed to win their next nine games after losing their run. it must be mentally tough for the players but they are talented and should get through this. i feel its really important to win soon, to get the confidence back. our next three games offer an opportunity as thre is no champions league distraction as well. palace are on the up at the moment but i feel they offer a perfect opportunity for that win because they cannot match us for talent. i really hope wenger freshens the team up on saturday. he spoke about a physcial tiredness today and perharps that should see some of the younger players coming in.

 

[Mark]

I agree. It is much better for us to go through bad patches now than in April/May. I think a lot of teams would hope for a bad patch like this as well, only one defeat in all of this. We may be drawing games, but we could just as easily have lost them too. Considering injuries to key players like Gilberto and Campbell too, it isn't really that bad. We will get used to it and get back on track soon I think.

 

[Canuck]

Better to get it out of the way now, i agree. The best thing we have going for us is the talent waiting to come out of the wings. Flamini, Senderos, Lupoli, RVP, and Cesc all really have nothing invested in the unbeaten run. They can come into a match, or better yet start a match without having that over their heads, and maybe can help roust the boys out of the lethargy that they are suffering now.

 

[Anonymous]

if u consider from our double winning season in 2001-2002
henry played most of the games, then he went off to the world cup, then he played most of our games in the 2002-2003 season, then he went off to the confederations cup, then he played most of the games in 2003-2004 season, then he went to euro 2004, now hes played most of the games this season
poor lad hasnt had a decent rest and he's playing with an achilies injury
fifa and the uefa need to stop these meaningless compeitions and i feel EPL should only have 18 teams

 

[quattro]

at the very least we still haven't lost a match yet since manure which could say heaps either of our resilience or our luck, or both. a win, a CONVINCING win against palace should be just what the doctor ordered. besides, with us level with chelski on points, widening the goal difference has now become quite important.

 

[Mark]

Canuck - seeing those youngsters would be great, but I don't see Arsène playing them. Fabregas will obviously continue to play but we have to remember he is 17 and he will need a rest. I doubt we will see Senderos and Lupoli in the Prem this season. Hope RvP and Flamini can break through though. I'd start them both on Saturday.

ache - I agree. The Prem should have 18 teams and a winter break. I could telll Henry was injured tonight. Shame he never gets any rest. Best to do it now rather than later, but I can't see that happening.

 

[Canuck]

Yes it's quite clear that most of the youngsters won't be seeing much first team action barring any horrible injury/suspension mishaps. But I believe it is def. time for RVP to be getting some starts. Henry is undoubtabley tired and not playing his usual game. Plus Clichy, Flamini and Pennant are all ready for 1st team starts in the Premship, maybe not the Champs league quite yet.

 

[Mark]

I forgot about Clichy. I think he should get games. His pace can trouble anyone, be it in defence or midfield. Great player imo.

 

[JazzG]

What really worries me is the defense. This time last season we had conceded 9 goals and had 27 points. This season we have 26 points and have conceaded 12 but have scored 31 compared to 23 last season. Not a huge difference and tbh around this time we did look a little wobbly but this season our defending at times has really been terrible. We have really missed Sol at the back, last season we were lucky as our first choice CBs played most games but I don't think we are prepared properly if one or even two have to spend lengthy spells on the sideline.

I hope patrick is right and this is our rough patch. I also hope Wenger has the guts to go with some of the younger players when we play Palace.

 

[Aussie]

Lot of players not in good form at the moment compared to the start of the season. Plus there Cygan who has never been in good form.

Henry - Struggling to get in games
Bergie - Started season very well but has dropped off. To be expected though.
Pires - Has scored a few but hasnt found form.
Paddy - Has struggled passing remains poor
Jens - Poor

By there standards they have been poor.

Younger players like Cesc, Cole and Reyes going really well though.

Lets just hope we hit form again as a team.

 

[Senght]

Our rough patch is nothing compared to Manure's current one, if you guys think about it. Look down the table and see its position. We should be relieved that we aren't that sort of qualty. Aside from the freak loss to Manure, we have been drawing 3 games, and a draw is always better than a loss. Look at Manure, who just lost to Portsmouth. Although I cannot take anything away from Pompey but looking at paper, Manure should have beat them quite comfortably.

Rejoice to see that our rough patch isn't as bad as some "other team". I'm sure Chelski's one is comign up

 

[beanz]

Yep, it's all comparative, I'll bet most teams would give their right arms to have a "rough patch" like ours, providing that we come through it soon of course.
We do seem to be coming up against opposition, that raise their games when playing us and when our level drops a bit, the results are frustrating.
It could be worse 'tho, like Manure

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with what you are saying, but the fact remains that we have had a rough patch in Europe for seven years now.

 

[sabret00the]

if u consider from our double winning season in 2001-2002
henry played most of the games, then he went off to the world cup, then he played most of our games in the 2002-2003 season, then he went off to the confederations cup, then he played most of the games in 2003-2004 season, then he went to euro 2004, now hes played most of the games this season
poor lad hasnt had a decent rest and he's playing with an achilies injury
fifa and the uefa need to stop these meaningless compeitions and i feel EPL should only have 18 teams

you're not english are you?

 

[Gunner4life09]

well a rough patch could be good for us, make the players come back down to earth and really work hard for there victories.

I think a patch like this will show who are the real arsenal fans. We need to stop critising the players and stick with the team through and through no matter what.

 

[Chips&CurrySauce]

To be honest I don't expect anything prior to European matches. As Sol said, after 7 years of under achieving in Europe I have finally come to accept it. I used to get really excited before European matches (I was young, naive and stupid!) But now I know better. To be scraping along in a group as average as ours is pretty pathetic, whatever Wenger says!

 

[Anonymous]

if u consider from our double winning season in 2001-2002
henry played most of the games, then he went off to the world cup, then he played most of our games in the 2002-2003 season, then he went off to the confederations cup, then he played most of the games in 2003-2004 season, then he went to euro 2004, now hes played most of the games this season
poor lad hasnt had a decent rest and he's playing with an achilies injury
fifa and the uefa need to stop these meaningless compeitions and i feel EPL should only have 18 teams

you're not english are you?

and if im not?

 

[USArsenal]

i would rather go thru a rough patch now and still remain at or near the top of the table than in the last 6 matches of the season and throw away the title like we did in 02-03.... manure have gone thru their bad patch (or are STILL going thru it), Chelsea really havent gone thru theirs yet.... if we are going thru ours now, i can live with that... as long as we get out of the group phase in the CL and remain 1 or a close 2 in the EPL for now, we will get it back and start playing our real game

 

[Anonymous]

Fact of the matter is our time looks lazy, i think it is a mental problem. They cant possibly all be tired, not so early in the season. They are walking around the pitch as if they dont need to try. The guilty include henry, pires and paddy. Bergy has been trying but he genuinly looks tired after an hour in. Fortunately our youth are doing great, keep giving them games, they deserve it. But the main thing is wenger needs to pick who he wants to start regularly, lately he has been changing - cesc, edu or vieira. bergy, reyes or pires. He needs to make up his mind and stop changing every game. Last 8 games have had to stability with different line ups in defence midfield and attack every game.

 

[senior]

I wish we were going through such a rough patch :-((

The thing I have noticed about your performance both last night and on Saturday from the highlights that I saw, was the fact that you were not playing with anything like the tempo that you have been. It was a lot slower for long periods with only patches of the quick quality passing that has been your hallmark over the last couple of years.

Is this becuase Viera has been out for a bit and is still getting his touch back, the swopping of Reyes/Pires means they have the same problem, Fabregas again being in and out, Henry being tired or ??

I would suggest it is a combination of these and the loss of your brick wall at the back and think the only answer is to give Henry 6 months rest .

IMO it will not last and a win will change the story completely.