posted Apr 17, 2008

merryPongmaster......

Great post, backed up by facts, not opinion.

As you said he's not perfect, but he has improved steadily over the past 2 seasons.

Everyone forgets he is still young AND learning under probably the best management / coach team at developing (rather than simply buying) talent in the prem'

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posted Apr 17, 2008

As a United fan I completly agree on the Adebayor comment. In one season he went from a bit part player to leading Arsenal's line and the improvement has been massive (remember Henry couldn't shoot for toffee in his early arsenal days). 20 goals tells its own story, the problem has been that he hasn't had enough support from the other Arsenal strikers, with RVP injured too often.

He scored in both games against liverpool in the champs league and against United (admittedly a handball) recently so is a proven big game player. If your defence had done its job, all those games could have been won. While not the finished article, he is the last player you should be blaming for your failure to win trophies this season...

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posted Apr 17, 2008

I agree bring a strong central defender, that is willing to tap a few legs , hard. Making sure that no player will want to take the pisstol out of us.
What is all the chatter about selling off Helb? We can't go selling our top men, foolish chat. How come suddenly we are chatting about clearing out. We built a very attractive team, that mess up and lose concentration , does that mean break up the foundation that was laid over the years? RA.
10milesniper

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posted Apr 17, 2008

I hear what you saying and agree with much of it. BUT and its a big but, how much long can a team of potential go on losing. Arsene has transformed Arsenal in so many ways and should be congratulated for what he has achieved and be given a job with the club for life. But how much longer can he remain manager. to my mind one more season if we do not win any trophies. in Arsene's reign we have losted many important games, in no particular order

Uefa cup final to Galatasaray
FA cup Final to Liverpool ( from a winning position)
Carling cup final to Chelsea (from a winning position)
Champions league Final to barcelona (from a winning position)
Fa cup semi final to Man utd, with the Giggs goal, which would not excist if Bergkamp had scored penalty
Champions league quarter final to chelsea from winning position
and recently to Liverpool twice, man utd and chelsea.
History will not remember who played the best football but who won the trophy. These failures are down to the manager.

Plus his blind dislike for any english player - Justin hoyte deserves a proper chance in the team, but he is english, so Mr wenger rather than play him at right back (his position) he splits up our central defensive partnership and plays senderos in such important games ,need i say more. Plus his continuing believe in Eboue, why why why !

If we had strengthened the team in January we may very well be still in the title race and the champion's league.

I believe that if after next season we are still trophy less a new must come in.

DJ

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posted Apr 17, 2008

History will not remember who played the best football but who won the trophy.
__________________

I have to say, we've heard this quite a bit recently and in all honesty it smacks of glory hunter mentality to me. I guess no one has ever heard of or appreciated the play of the Dutch national team then?

No, fans of football remember fantastic, stylish, swashbuckling play. They remember Bergkamp scoring a magnificent hat-trick but not winning the game. They remember Vieira doing a sombrero to get himself out of trouble nearly every game it seemed. They remember Ray Parlour bagging a triple. They remember Robin Van Persie lashing in a leaping volley after a 50 yard run, or an impossible angle finish after cutting in from the touchline with no one in the penalty area in support. They remember Henry scoring an audacious backheel. They remember Lehmann making a crucial penalty stop to secure a berth in the final. They remember so many more of these kinds of moments.

Fans of vanity, bragging rights, and banter remember only trophies.

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posted Apr 17, 2008

besides (U10156991) - good posts mate

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posted Apr 17, 2008

cheers merryPong, it turned into an article...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A34762971

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posted Apr 17, 2008

I did have faith in Wenger until after the Man U match, when I started to have some doubts. It wasn't that Arsenal lost, necessarily, but the manner in which he took the defeat. He seemed to be in a state of denial, saying that refereeing decisions were largely, if not mostly, to blame for Arsenal's decline this season. I read this in the Sunday Times, and I agree with it: if Wenger denies that his team are not good enough to win the title, he will not 'see' the deficiencies (mentioned in previous posts) and will not address them. He has done fantastic things at the club, but I sense he may be losing his grip a tad. Having said that, this is the third season in a row without a trophey, and there were three consecutive seasons without a major trophey (not counting Community Shields) between 1998-99 and 2000-01. Therefore, I would say that if there's no silverware next season, he has to go, really. I love the football Arsenal play, but Man U play great stuff, too. And it pains me to say it, but I would prefer Arsenal to play like Chelsea and win things than play as they do currently and not win anything.

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posted Apr 18, 2008

if theo doesnt start tommorows game then i dont no if he will ever start a game... just move eboue to right back.. eboue on the right wing is very poor no end product... theo will make something happen, pick a better pass and but the defence under more pressure with his pace

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posted Apr 19, 2008

I'm a Manchester United fan who loves watching good football...hence the other team than my own that I watch is Arsenal. I agree that you need to look at your centre backs; with Eboue and Clichy as fullbacks you're doing well...but you need at least one more top quality centre back. After that, it's a case of giving Theo a lot more time on the pitch and finding support for Adebayor, who for all the criticism is a great player and can be even more for you all. RVP...great player but a bit like Saha for United: Great but too injury prone to depend on. You have to appreciate SAF and Arsene's loyalty to their players but you need men on the pitch, surely. Better luck next season!

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