"We lack consistency"

[outlaw_member]

I was about to make a similar post in the 'I want Wengerball back thread'. We haven't really moved away from the aspects that served us superbly in the past. Our strikers have been a major reason why we build attacks, in the manner that we do. We aren't incisive enough, because our strikers don't allow us to be. Neither are consistently capable of beating their marker or creating chances for others, so how do people suppose we play fast cutting edge football with such players?

 

[kel varnsen]

even the idea of letting cesc go popped into my head today. not sure where we go from here, but right now, the team is terribly unbalanced and lack real quality.

the re-education of walcott needs to end as well. put all of us, including walcott, out of our misery and just let him play up front. he could be devestating there,

 

[JazzG]

I look at Barca play and look at them against Chelsea and Man utd and the sign that they are truly a top quality is shown at how both of the English clubs had to completely change their game to stop Barca from playing and nick a win. Now against us Chelsea and Man utd did nothing of the sort and mostly played their own game knowing our game wasn't good enough to worry them. I look at Xavi and Iniesta and they just play the ball about effortlessly at times and no matter how strong the opposition player is it doesn't phase them. If you can move the ball quick enough and your movement is good I don't care if you have Arnie in your midfield because they can't overpower you if they can't get near you. Of course Barca have their weakness and I'm not saying they are the greatest ever but I look at them play and we are like a cheap imitation of them.

This team simply does not have the quality to dominate teams. Simple as that, we got too many players playing in a system that doesn't suit them.

 

[Captain]

I actually thought that Cesc should have been sacrificed from the middle when we went 4-4-2; probably moved to the right.

I would have brought Eboue on for Sagna rather than Gibbs too given that situation but it's all water under the bridge now.

 

[kel varnsen]

to paraphrase ronnie coleman, everyone wants to play pass and move football, but no one wants to make hard ass runs off the ball. meaning, hardly anyone in this team can be arsed to make runs off the ball. they all just stand there, waiting for the ball. if they do receive it, their immidiate instinct is to pass it right back to where it came from.

 

[Captain]

I look at Barca play and look at them against Chelsea and Man utd and the sign that they are truly a top quality is shown at how both of the English clubs had to completely change their game to stop Barca from playing and nick a win. Now against us Chelsea and Man utd did nothing of the sort and mostly played their own game knowing our game wasn't good enough to worry them. I look at Xavi and Iniesta and they just play the ball about effortlessly at times and no matter how strong the opposition player is it doesn't phase them. If you can move the ball quick enough and your movement is good I don't care if you have Arnie in your midfield because they can't overpower you if they can't get near you. Of course Barca have their weakness and I'm not saying they are the greatest ever but I look at them play and we are like a cheap imitation of them.

This team simply does not have the quality to dominate teams. Simple as that, we got too many players playing in a system that doesn't suit them.

No, Manu played the midfield and set of forwards in both games to equally stop us playing and give themselves a chance to win. They dropped Berbatov and played their highest impact central midfielders because a high tempo 'in your face' approach has been proven to work against this team.

Chelsea more or less play that way anyway, so they don't have to change.

 

[AshburtonGhost]

Kel, and none of them want to "move no heavy ass weight" either, gutless pr*cks.

 

[MDGoonah41]

I was going to start a thread, but there are already lots, and I think this one is as good a place as any. Arsenal is at a crossroads. Wenger obviously felt that dismantling the Invincibles and starting from scratch was the right move. The youth movement has yielded zero trophies, one modestly interesting title challenge, a Carling Cup final, an FA Cup Semi Final and a CL Semi Final. And zero trophies. Wenger now has a number of issues, if he's staying.

1. Separate the wheat from the chaff. We've got a number of quality players. We also have a number of passengers/projects. Keep the quality, play the quality players in their best positions, and then loan out the projects out to lower tier teams where they can play regularly.

2. Continue using the Carling Cup as some sort of little play toy for our under 18's, but start showing the FA Cup proper respect. It was our best chance at silverware this year, and we cocked it up.

3. Pick a formation and stick with it. The constant tinkering makes Rafa blush. Stop playing players out of position and moving people all over the place. Nasri is either a LM or a #9, he's not a holding midfielder. If you want a holding midfielder, buy one. If you don't have the players here to fit the formation, then adjust that this summer. If you want to play a slow, static form of football, you need players with strength in the middle of the pitch. If you want to play fast, counterattacking football, you need players that understand how to move and make decisions on the ball.

4. Stop buying 16 year old projects and channel that money into buying players that will help the first team. There's nothing wrong with adding youngsters and keeping a steady flow of talent available, but there is a problem with that when the first team has a number of cracks that are currently being papered over. The first team should be priority number 1, not the reserves. We have a limited cash supply (it seems), it needs to be properly spent. The "experience" signings of the last 2 years (Eduardo, Sagna, Arshavin) have come up aces. More of that.

 

[raidersoftheark]

All very nice and good, but we've heard it all already.

 

[Cruisio]

to paraphrase ronnie coleman, everyone wants to play pass and move football, but no one wants to make hard ass runs off the ball. meaning, hardly anyone in this team can be arsed to make runs off the ball. they all just stand there, waiting for the ball. if they do receive it, their immidiate instinct is to pass it right back to where it came from.

So so true, which might be the first time ive agreed with you at anytime. Its late so I wont dwell on this but heres a few things I feel we need to become a force again.

1. Movement off the ball. As Kel has said here, we have a squad full of players who want the ball at their feet and want to make the assists, whereas none of them want to work off the ball or get behind the defence. This is the main difference between us and Barca/Man Utd. If you look at their movement off the ball from midfield to attack they are always moving, making life hard for the opposition. We are static so often in games its criminal and its a thing that can so easily be trained to be better. Our technique on the ball is as high as those teams whereas our technique off the ball is miles away

2. A true, vocal leader. Sometimes things need to be said, on the pitch. Sometimes people need a rocket up their a**e and sometimes people need direction. Liverpool have Gerrard and Carragher that offer this, Chelsea have Terry and Lampard who offer this and Man Utd have Ferdinand and Giggs who offer this. In the invinceable team we used to have several leaders in Jens, Paddy, Sol, and Keown. With such a young squad we need someone who can hold them all together and right now Cesc doesnt seem that man. Annoying, Gallas seems the only one fit enough to do this job properly

3. Grit/Determination/Earning the right to play our kind of game against rougher tactics

4. Dominating centre back

5. Changes in near enough every aspect of the first team squad (capable reinforcements)

 

[kamikaze80]

good post, MD. i'm really starting to think wenger is so insulated from everything that he doesn't see what is obvious to us on the outside. his comment during the press conference that he may need to "step back" to re-evaluate some things was revealing. did he really think we were going to win? he's deluding himself and he's surrounded by yes men.

 

[McIntyre]

Ade isn't 'limited and inconsistent', he's just consistently s**t.

There was one point where Ade had been closing down the opposition defence, ball got cleared, worked its way through a phase of play or two and ended up at the feet of Almunia who launches it long... lo and behold Ade is f*cking offside!!!

And the replays showed that he'd just been too f*cking lazy to WALK back in front of the defenders. They'd quite clearly pushed up and he saw the ball go to Al's feet but he made NO effort to try and make it onside but he still felt justified in complaining about the call.

And this guy is meant to provide us the movement to base a worthwhile attack around?!!!! Give me a f*cking break. The word coasting comes to mind.

 

[xcdude24]

It'll be very interesting to see what Wenger does this summer. I've never seen comments like "i'll have to take a step back" from him before. I think today hit him HARD- VERY hard. Today will either be the day where he realizes what has gone wrong, or will be the day he basically throws in the managerial towel(without actually resigning). You're damn right MD, he is at a crossroads.

Another thing that's interesting is that the board has been kind of silent. Guys like Hill-Wood usually jump on the Arsène bandwagon after events like this. I'll be extremely curious to see what comes out of Hill-Wood and to a greater extent Gazidis' mouth the next time they speak about the state of the club. They're not going to sack Wenger, but I wouldn't be surprised if they start piling on the pressure.

 

[Gooner_Milton]

It'll be very interesting to see what Wenger does this summer. I've never seen comments like "i'll have to take a step back" from him before. I think today hit him HARD- VERY hard. Today will either be the day where he realizes what has gone wrong, or will be the day he basically throws in the managerial towel(without actually resigning). You're damn right MD, he is at a crossroads.

Another thing that's interesting is that the board has been kind of silent. Guys like Hill-Wood usually jump on the Arsène bandwagon after events like this. I'll be extremely curious to see what comes out of Hill-Wood and to a greater extent Gazidis' mouth the next time they speak about the state of the club. They're not going to sack Wenger, but I wouldn't be surprised if they start piling on the pressure.

I think behind the scenes, things will probably change too. There's a belief by many that Wenger is forced to practice 'financial prudence' due to pressure from the money men. Hopefully this loss has demonstrated to them that such penny pinching is detrimental to progress. Of course I'm not advocating that the club pull a Leeds. What I'm suggesting is that the board pull their collective heads out of the sand. Success breeds success. That's why the likes of Utd. and Barcelona are where they are today. I'm not saying the club embark on a reckless spending spree. I'm saying we need several more inspired 'Arshavin' type signings to bring us back on track.

And if it proves to be the other case, that Wenger ISN'T held back by the board but simply has an unfounded belief in his shockingly mediocre squad? Well then it's up to the likes of Gazidis and Hill Wood to knock some sense in him....or else.

 

[arsenalfc0719]

We lack real quality, that's the fundamental problem.

We need another player like Arshavin to be brought in this summer.

 

[Biggus]

along with the plenty of injuries, poor weather and pitches, lack of experience, poor refs, bad luck etc this has probably been the most common excuse this season. "on our day, we can beat anyone" has been repeated over and over. problem is, "our day" is not enough.

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i say we restructure this team properly this summer. get rid of excess players such as van persie and adebayor. use the money wisely and start over. the current side is not good enough and will not win anything next season either. arshavin or no arshavin...

What is the point? whilst Wenger is still in charge it's just fiddling at the edges.

 

[Anzac]

even the idea of letting cesc go popped into my head today.

seconded.

I said in another thread re decisions or midfield, that if we solve the Cesc issue then most of our other choices fall into place. Cesc is a class player, but he more than any other player has taken us away from the formation & style we associate with The Highbury Years.