Not exactly a week to look back on with fond memories. In fact, the week was simply horrible and one to forget.
When I made this blog I said I will be as positive as I can but after this past week, it was very difficult hence the lack of posts.
How Jermaine Defoe was winning headers in our own half is just unexplainable! How the Braga front man scored with three Arsenal players around him was also unexplainable and leading 2-0 at half time and losing was even more unexplainable!
Losing to them lot down the road was hurtful. The joy of celebrating at half time is like a distant memory, however, its now time to look forward.
There are issues that need addressing. Defensively, there is always a mistake in us and even at 2-0; you do not always feel confident. Missing Thomas Vermaelen off course is a big loss, and it seems like we may have to cope without him for a while longer so we must adapt and improve. We are just conceding way too many goals.
Now the positives;
We are still in all four competitions. A win in the in the league would mean going top of the Premiership (for a few hours at least), a win in Europe would mean going into the hat for the next round of the Champions League and a win in the Carling Cup at home to Wigan would mean a semi final place, life is not all bad is it?
This time last season, we were on the verge of being knocked out by Man City in the Carling cup (I know the same thing could happen on Tuesday but let’s be honest, it that was a very tough draw, where as this year we have a home draw and are playing more of our first team players). We lost to Chelsea around this time last season and we were something like seven points off the pace in the League. So we have improved this season. Last season we lost at Blackburn, Sunderland and City and this year we have got results at all (Draw at Sunderland was disappointing but a point is still more then last year).
The problem most of us feel is that, we will keep making these mistakes and the same old thing will happen again and again. This may be true but while we are in this position, my belief in the team will stay strong. We do need to sort out our home form because our away form has been superb this season and the stats back this up.
Mr Wenger has been the subject in many forums and on twitter and the feeling is certainly mixed. I have always been a believer in Mr Wenger and therefore will always support our man but I will be the first to admit he has some work to do. As I said earlier, the defensive side of our game needs work.
It was widely documented that there were bids for Pepe Reina and Phil Jagielka rejected and there was interest in Par Mertesacker too so this shows Mr Wenger did try and address the issue but for whatever reason it did not happen.
This week did confuse me a bit, more then I am normally anyway! I was asking myself various questions, like are our defenders good enough to win us a league? Who should we bring in to sure up the defence? Why was Djourou left out against Spurs after playing so well?
I still am none the wiser.
But the special thing about the club is, come match day, everyone is behind the team and I know that will continue.
Roll On villa away then the Carling Cup quarter on Tuesday night.
Come on you Arsenal!
When I made this blog I said I will be as positive as I can but after this past week, it was very difficult hence the lack of posts.
How Jermaine Defoe was winning headers in our own half is just unexplainable! How the Braga front man scored with three Arsenal players around him was also unexplainable and leading 2-0 at half time and losing was even more unexplainable!
Losing to them lot down the road was hurtful. The joy of celebrating at half time is like a distant memory, however, its now time to look forward.
There are issues that need addressing. Defensively, there is always a mistake in us and even at 2-0; you do not always feel confident. Missing Thomas Vermaelen off course is a big loss, and it seems like we may have to cope without him for a while longer so we must adapt and improve. We are just conceding way too many goals.
Now the positives;
We are still in all four competitions. A win in the in the league would mean going top of the Premiership (for a few hours at least), a win in Europe would mean going into the hat for the next round of the Champions League and a win in the Carling Cup at home to Wigan would mean a semi final place, life is not all bad is it?
This time last season, we were on the verge of being knocked out by Man City in the Carling cup (I know the same thing could happen on Tuesday but let’s be honest, it that was a very tough draw, where as this year we have a home draw and are playing more of our first team players). We lost to Chelsea around this time last season and we were something like seven points off the pace in the League. So we have improved this season. Last season we lost at Blackburn, Sunderland and City and this year we have got results at all (Draw at Sunderland was disappointing but a point is still more then last year).
The problem most of us feel is that, we will keep making these mistakes and the same old thing will happen again and again. This may be true but while we are in this position, my belief in the team will stay strong. We do need to sort out our home form because our away form has been superb this season and the stats back this up.
Mr Wenger has been the subject in many forums and on twitter and the feeling is certainly mixed. I have always been a believer in Mr Wenger and therefore will always support our man but I will be the first to admit he has some work to do. As I said earlier, the defensive side of our game needs work.
It was widely documented that there were bids for Pepe Reina and Phil Jagielka rejected and there was interest in Par Mertesacker too so this shows Mr Wenger did try and address the issue but for whatever reason it did not happen.
This week did confuse me a bit, more then I am normally anyway! I was asking myself various questions, like are our defenders good enough to win us a league? Who should we bring in to sure up the defence? Why was Djourou left out against Spurs after playing so well?
I still am none the wiser.
But the special thing about the club is, come match day, everyone is behind the team and I know that will continue.
Roll On villa away then the Carling Cup quarter on Tuesday night.
Come on you Arsenal!
Totally agree with everything you've said except I guess i'm a little more pessimistic than you. I don't think our defence is good enough to win us the league. The attacking players are not always going to be firing on all cylinders, one goal sometimes has to be enough. But far too many times a clean sheet just appears unattainable or when we do somehow get one, it always feels fortunate, the opposition always create great chances. It's worrying. But the defensive duties of course shouldn't fall to just the back 5, it needs to be a team effort which brings me to the most demoralazing fact. We do not have the players with the intelliegence to read the game well defensively and until we acquire those players i'm afraid there will only be limited improvement. I don't think we lack the desire, we lack the defensive quality and that can only be resolved in the transfer window...over to you Arsene.
ReplyDeleteCant argue much with you mate.
ReplyDeleteThe bit about is our defence good enough to win a league was more a question, i dont know the answer myself. I would like to see a dominent Centre back come in though and the team to continue pressing, even last season, we started the season pressing well but it become less and less further down the line, this season i think pressing is a big part of it. As you said, defending is not just about the back 5. must defend as a unit which sometimes we get caught out.
It is over to Mr Wenger, but now til jan, we are to play with who we have got and with the title wide open, december could be vital.
Yeah exactly, I just don't understand why we don't press more consistently. You would think the players would realise our good results have come from pressing particularly high up the pitch, i just don't get why they switch it on and off. Also I really don't understand why they look as if they stop trying during parts of a game, it can't always be down to complacency. It just feels like it's a deeper problem. If it was just a matter of complacency and direspecting the opposition I think they would have learnt by now surely. It's a mystery to me and sometimes it looks like it's a mystery to the players themselves and Wenger. They say the same things, 'we'll learn' but then they make the same mistakes. It's like as soon as their performance goes down a gear they don't know how to take it back up as much as they want to. You see plenty of great teams down the years have the ability to take it down a gear when they are a goal up and sit back a little and run through the gears at will. Why can't we do the same? We're missing an ingredient, is that leadership? Who knows?
ReplyDeleteyeah hard to point finger on what. Im not against going for another goal when in the lead because thats the arsenal way and the way these players are BUT there has to be a balence. pressing is a good thing but sometimes we even push up to much, 1 ball over the top and the other teams through!
ReplyDeletehard to put finger on it but i trust the club, manager, staff who are more qualified (well i hope they are!) work out the problem and fix it!!
This league is there to be won. The Carling Cup is there to be won! and if we dont win any, that will be most fustrating!
Amen to that haha. Just want this team to believe in themselves, they seem so shaken when they concede. I don't think there's a more determined manager in the league at the momment, he wants more than all of us for this team to succeed, I really hope they do. I feel like we've been through so many highs and lows with the current crop, that some silverware would just be out-of-this-world amazing! There's way too much doom and gloom at the momment and as you rightly point out we can go top for at least a couple of hours this saturday, bring it on!
ReplyDeleteyeah i agree, one trophy...and you never know. agree we are too down hearted when we concede and against spurs we looked scared even at 2-1. we certainly lack leaders, thats for sure. in the past we have had such personalities that can lift the team and i really miss Adams and Vieira, great great captains in terms of driving the team and just lifting them.
ReplyDeleteThe fustration is there because we all want to win, us as fans, all want to win. thats first
second, we know that we are not that far away, we know that maybe 1 player or 2, we are there
and third, we know the title last season and so far this season is there to be won, last season we lost twice to man utd and chelsea!yet still come april were in it! that is what annoys us because we know a few more results and we can be champions league.
but most of all, we just want to win to shut all them other people up who bang on about 5 years without a trophy and bang on about how this team isnt good enough.
tell you what mate, if we do win the league (i know a big if, but im always optimistic) then i think il shout for about 10 mins straight without taking a breath!
thanks for the comments.
Hi Akhil, what a week and dreadful feeling just like a big rock fall on top of our head.
ReplyDeleteWithout trophies from previous years and experiencing it all over again this season.
Positively of our faith and loyalty only could turns everything in positive way towards Arsenal.
I am not a psychic but only an ordinary fans that believe a feeling we might won something this season.
I think Arsene picked Koscielny because he has a better record at winning headers -- which was probably done to counter Pavyluchenko or Crouch.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, he's sh*t in front of goal and Djorou is much better at tracking strikers like Defoe.
We're still in all 4 comps but by the skin of our teeth! Can you imagine losing to Villa? Possible. Can you imagine losing to Wigan? After last seasons 2-3 its possible! Is it possible we only get a tie at home in the Champions League and Braga pull off a shock? Possible. Big, Big games coming up that a few weeks ago would have been small automatic victories! Am I concerned? Bloody right I am! I have a bad feeling we will find ourselves drawn away to F.C.United or the like in the F.A.Cup 3rd round, roll the camera's! @iamozgooner
ReplyDelete