Wow Arshavin Wow!

[alboots101]

it all starts at the back....

 

[ultradoc]

"It is up to the manager whether he will sign a new striker in January - I have my own ideas but I won't say what they are."

[/quote]

Sounds like an application for manager.hehe.

But this was bound to happen. Guys like gallas and andrey are not idiots. They are highly talented,world class and can easily see what we are missing. How frustrating it must be, when you can see a fix to a problem but cannot do anything about it. These players are playing great every week trying hard to pull the team along, but there's a limit.

It's kinda interesting at this point in time to see who all can go if wenger goes from here. Cesc might and he'll be missed.
rvP, I really don't care. almunia--no ****.nowhere to go for him i'm sure.nasri-is he good for a top european team? might fetch us some money though. rosicky-don't think he'll go. the remaining are just young kids who i'm afraid haven't made their marks to earn big moves. Not to first team laces at least. It should be interesting.

 

[Goonereagle]

Players love to play for Wenger. I assume firstly because he plays the game they it should be and he improves thier play--most of 'em. And second because he is lenient as far as man management goes (no hair dryer treatments and all that.

It'd be one crazy feelin' if he did leave (I was 11 when he took over). We'd lose a large chunk of what the club has become. Though, I do believe the board would try and stick to our traditions of the last decade. I hope that we will be like Barca in that we always desire a certain style of football. We'd probably be less cosmopolitan. Would we really wanna go back to 1-0 to the Arsenal if it meant trophies?

 

[AshburtonGhost]

Would we really wanna go back to 1-0 to the Arsenal if it meant trophies?

This is not a stab at you Goonereagle, but why do so many fans think that the only alternative to our all out attacking style of play is going back to the old days of '1-0 to the Arsenal'? It's not as black and white as that, you can play attacking football without the amount of defensive frailty we have shown and winning games 1-0 can be the key to actually winning titles. Hell, the closest we ever came to winning the CL was playing very defensively/counter attack with one of the worst Arsenal teams I can remember. Pragmatism can go a long way.

 

[Zico]

I would happily take 1-0 and 0-0 for the entire season if it meant trophies. What I care most about is winning. Playing with a flourish and the innocent adventurism of youth is a nice to have for me.

 

[alboots101]

cant dissagree with that.

 

[Goonereagle]

Would we really wanna go back to 1-0 to the Arsenal if it meant trophies?

This is not a stab at you Goonereagle, but why do so many fans think that the only alternative to our all out attacking style of play is going back to the old days of '1-0 to the Arsenal'? It's not as black and white as that, you can play attacking football without the amount of defensive frailty we have shown and winning games 1-0 can be the key to actually winning titles. Hell, the closest we ever came to winning the CL was playing very defensively/counter attack with one of the worst Arsenal teams I can remember. Pragmatism can go a long way.

I feel like Caesar you have stabbed me so much. Kiddin'.

Obviously, we don't all think it's gonna be the George Graham era, but I think it's because we're very happy with Wenger's style of play, and feel that noone should come in and try to duplicate it because they could fall flat on their face and bring the club with it.

It's a grass is greener type feeling. Some may feel we could find someone who has great style, but is also ruthless in the market and tactics-wise. I personally don't wanna see us attempt it. The main problem with Wenger is his stubborness in the market/ruthlessness, and if we can cure that we're sorted I believe.

I've often felt that Wenger doesn't like to spend big because if he does, and fails, it's all his responsibilty (also there is the ground excuse etc, etc). But, we have seen teams fall when trying to replace something that wasn't actually broken--more jammed.

There's somethin' about him that makes me want to rally around him--most of the time. Whereas I don't know if i'd be happy with a Mourinho, arrogant and kind of a win by any means necessary (draining games of life to win the title.) Their are few World Class gaffers around who play attacking football and are successful.

 

[Zico]

I would take Mourinho right now. Winner in Portugal, England, Italy, Europe. And still young. I would love for this guy to take over from Wenger and change the mentality of this team. Yes, he annoyed the hell out of me during his Chelsea reign, but I sincerely doubt any of us would have hated him if he had allowed the United-Arsenal axis to continue uncontested.

 

[alboots101]

short term maybe Zico but long term, no way he`d be off as soon as Real said jump.

imo.

no doubting his ability to produce really boring champion football though.

i gotta go to bed...early start and all that.

 

[Klaus Daimler]

Mourinho is terrible. He's managed to destroy Inter completely. They've gone from being one of the most solid teams in Europe to fragile mentalists. Our defence looks like Milan's in the 90s compared to them.

 

[Del Boy]

I'm not happy with Wenger but would not take Mourinho. I just don't like the guy, he has disrespected the club too much when he was at Chelsea and his sides play dull football.

 

[Zico]

Mourinho is terrible. He's managed to destroy Inter completely. They've gone from being one of the most solid teams in Europe to fragile mentalists.

Sounds like you're describing Wenger there, mate, not Mourinho.

 

[Klaus Daimler]

Nah, It's Mourinho alright. Most hated man in Milano these days.

 

[JGooner]

"Mourinho is terrible". That kind of guff is actually admirable on a Leninist level: don't just deny reality, assert the most extreme opposite of it! The sky is green. The Pope is Calvinist.

 

[Zico]

Nah, It's Mourinho alright. Most hated man in Milano these days.

I would give up my smaller nut to have a team of mentalists led by the most hated man in England if it also came with league titles.

 

[Biggus]

Players love to play for Wenger. I assume firstly because he plays the game they it should be and he improves thier play--most of 'em. And second because he is lenient as far as man management goes (no hair dryer treatments and all that.

As I said players play for whoever pays them the most theres no loyalty in football these days- it's naive to believe otherwise.

It'd be one crazy feelin' if he did leave (I was 11 when he took over). We'd lose a large chunk of what the club has become. Though, I do believe the board would try and stick to our traditions of the last decade.

One day he will be gone, Arsenal existed before Wenger and it will exist after him.

I hope that we will be like Barca in that we always desire a certain style of football.

F**k Barcelona.....Do you support Arsenal or Barcelona?

We'd probably be less cosmopolitan.

The globalism that is the feature of our times is not confined to Arsenal but shared by many clubs.

Would we really wanna go back to 1-0 to the Arsenal if it meant trophies?

In a second! you have to walk before you can run.

 

[progman07]

Goonereagle was probably kidding, Biggus... I can't imagine ANYONE who would choose pretty passing over trophies. That would be just against the reasons people have been playing competitive football for 100+ years.

When do you cheer more? After a cute 1-2 in our midfield, or during a trophy presentation?

 

[AshburtonGhost]

Prog, the sad part is that some fans actually do feel that way and are indifferent to a trophyless season as long as they see a couple of 6-0 scorelines and quick passing moves they can cream over on the season review/youtube.

 

[GoonerGurjit]

ANDREY ARSHAVIN'S admission was painful but brutally honest: "If I was an Arsenal supporter, I would probably have left the stadium as well during our loss to Chelsea."

Arsenal fans go back to the Emirates today for the first time since that 3-0 defeat to Carlo Ancelotti's table-toppers - a defeat that left their titles hopes severely damaged.

Those same supporters deserted the stadium long before the final whistle last Sunday evening.

It was a massive jolt to the Arsenal system and since then every Gooner has reflected on what the club needs to get back on track. Arshavin is no different.

He admits Arsenal cannot score without the injured Robin van Persie and says boss Arsène Wenger must sign a hitman next month to save the Gunners' faltering season.

Since Van Persie suffered the ankle injury that will keep him out for five months on international duty with Holland, Arsenal have failed to score in the league and back-to-back defeats have seen them drop 11 points behind Chelsea.

And they got knocked out of the Carling Cup by Manchester City in midweek - again without scoring.

Arshavin said: "I never say a lot about injuries but, unfortunately, when Robin is out, we can't score. It's a big problem."

It is obviously a massive blow to Arsenal's title hopes.

Arshavin admitted: "Yes, yes. It's a big problem. But I think if we reach January 1 without big problems, Arsenal will buy any player that Arsène Wenger wants and we will still fight for the championship."

The Russian schemer then described the library-like hush in Arsenal's dressing room last Sunday.

He revealed: "Everyone was silent in the dressing room. The boss said nothing. It looked like we played but Chelsea scored the goals. Of course, I was as disappointed as everyone in our team.

"We did our best - unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get even a draw."

The pain is even deeper for Arshavin as he feels a huge debt towards Wenger and the club. The £20million signing from Zenit St Petersburg continued: "Of course, I feel responsibility because Arsène bought me for big money.

"I'm not Thierry Henry but I'm one of a few experienced players in this team.

"I can take my young players and make them follow me. But we have other leaders as well like Robin van Persie, William Gallas and Cesc Fabregas."

He added: "It's difficult to explain our performances against Sunderland and Chelsea. Normally Arsenal produce the best football in England. But I think for fans, that's not enough.

"Fans expect results and I understand them because if you don't have results you have nothing. What should change? I don't know."

Arshavin conceded his performances have dipped this season. Following his deadline-day move last January, Arshavin hit the ground running and he stunned Liverpool with an incredible four-goal haul at Anfield in a 4-4 draw last April.

He said: "I have to say that I looked better last season than I do this season.

"Because when I played last season, I played once a week.

"But now I play once every two or three days. I had some international games as well and I did not feel fresh in my legs and in my mind.

"It's always game, game, game and I need time to settle and rest. Sometimes I am talking about it with Arsène but, in saying that, I still want to play from first minute to the last in every game.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2759211/Andrey-No-Robin-no-goals.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/foo ... goals.html</a>

 

[Burnwinter]

It's always game, game, game? How difficult that must be for him.

Sometimes I doubt Arshavin's commitment to Sparkle Motion.