Have Arsenal genuinely turned a new leaf or is it a false dawn?

Exactly, until it is mathematically impossible for us to cock things up! We all know how quickly things can change in football. One minute we thought we were riding high and then we go on a 4 game losing streak. I am going to keep my counsel until 3 games to go and we are 9points ahead of our nearest rival (us safely in 3rd). I don't remember the last time we had a grand standing finish to the season!

 

This man speaks sense

That same delusion from reduced expectations is making fans believe this season has been recently saved. Fifth place is still very much on the cards I'm afraid. God forbid RVP gets injured tonight, we'll be lucky to finish in the Europa spots without his presence.

 

Someone even had the temerity to suggest RVP only thrives because of the service he gets, that to a point is true... How many of our offensive players would have buried the chances/opportunities with the same service? Look at the chance against Liverpool in the final minute, or the equalising goal against Newcastle..... No one in our squad would have buried those chances!

 

LOL - how stupid of us. Come back Arshavin, Bendtner et al, lets see you finish some of the great chances given to RVP

RVP's technical ability is what turns these balls into assists, nothing else.

 

Thanks for putting it nicely! That is exactly what I was trying to say. I like the comeback Arshavin etc etc.

 

Us? Your profile says you support Gillingam.

 

I thnk "Keeping your oldies" over-simplifies the issue. Giggs and Scholes have been able to hold down a place in the first team right up to last year. Henry was not going to be first choice CF when he left. Paying his salary and turning down the transfer fee, so he could be a cheerleader may have helped the team, but there is a very good chance that Henry and Arsenal could agree on a right amount of money for him to do that.

Whilst Man United success seems to indicate that the "oldies" policy may be a good one, there is no real evidence that selling older players doesn't help the younger players coming through. Chelsea seem to be struggling to move out the old guard, if you read the reports.

On the RVP issue, I believe a team scores a goal and not an individual. To many people have been outspoken against players and will now deny anything they do is good. You would think that they would relize that ANY player playing at an Arsenal or another top club is likely to be a pretty decent player, regardless of what you see in the few minutes per game that they are on camera. If you come out and say they are rubbish, you are likely to be made into a fool at some point.

 

Granted Hothead, not all of the chances created would have been converted without the awesome Van Persie, however I was simply pointing out that when Van Scored against Everton and Liverpool for example, he didn't play the absolutley sublime pass from midfield as well! He cant and doesn't do it on his own as a previous poster stated he did.

 

Sol, Gallas, Lehmann and Pires... Two lunatics, one poisonous tw*t and one Pires. Out of all those the only player I wish we'd kept hold of was Bobby but that was back in the dark days of the one year extensions. Happily Wenger appears to have learned his lesson there with Rosicky being offered a two year deal.

 

And another thing, although VP 's great touch created the first goal against Newcastle from Walcott's pass, VP did actually miss a couple of sitters first half as well. Even the great VP misses his fair share as well!

 

@Mywordisgospel

AW has not single handedly changed our expectations for the worse...

That is incredibly ******ed. AW is the one who set the expectations by being so successful within the first half of his time at the club. To say he has lowered expectations is silly. We may have adapted our expectations along with the changing landscape of the EPL (Chelsea and City's money for example). If our expectations have dropped a little it is due to being realistic. Not every club can be at the pinnacle of there sport permenantly. We had a spell fighting with Utd to be the best team in the league - we have dropped of the pace a little in the last few years but we have not dropped away (despite all the predictions every year that we won't make top 4). And i'm sure we will win more trophies under Wenger.

On top of that you make the ridiculous claim that i constantly hear from people trying to belittle Wenger:

"He inherited a top 4 and never replaced them, thats why he is no good, he can't buy defenders" - Unfortunately this is total rubbish and the Invincibles had a back-line made up of only Wenger signings.

Wenger did inherit a very good defence (very, very good) but he then rebuilt a fanastic defence (with alot more skills than the previous lot), he then unfortunately seems to have gone for skill over defensive ability slightly too much for a few years - however i'm confident we have now done a massive amount to address this problem.

As for our defence currently - feel free to compare us to other teams - they are all just as crap! Chelsea, Utd and Liverpool always look like they may concede to me. I think people watch too much of there own team and are blind to the obvious failings in other teams. I think it is a combination of fast, attacking football (mixed with good attacking talent) and a slight drop in defencive standards that has created the current situation.

You also mention Cahill - HAHAHA - i would defo rather have Kosc, Verm or Mert playing than Cahill thanks. Although Cahill would make a better back-up option than Djourou!

 

Typical wum comment. Rather that see RVP's contribution as a brilliant thing for the club and the players around him, you choose to call it over reliance. Well, you're wrong. Maybe as a Gillingham fan you don't follow Arsenal quite as closey as you should, as RVP said himself that if it wasn't for his team mates, and in particular Walcott, then he wouldn't be on the end of the chances to score them. RVP has scored so many times because the team are creating the chances for him.

 

The one thing I'd want to improve on is the wastefulness of our other outfield players. Gervinho and Theo in particular have missed some gilt-edged opportunities this season. Yes, as a whole the team has been great in providing for RVP but when the chance falls for them, and it does, then they have to be able to finish it regularly.

 

Topgun, I know what you meant, I was just joshing. But to be honest quite a few of the goals RVP has scored he made, some of these "assists" were hardly that. Song's balls over the shoulder were great balls admittedly but they still required supreme technique and confidence for a goal to be scored from them.

Toledo, you just have to look at Chelsea and Man U to see that we dismantled a winning side far too early. When Chelsea did the double they had Drogba, Lampard, Carvalho and Ferreira all in their 30s. They were runners up last season with Terry, Cole, Malouda and whoever else is in their 30s. Man U have half their team in their 30s I reckon.

We have not got the balance right between age, experience and power for a long time and until we do, we won't win anything.

 

It's probably the one area that both Walcott and Gervinho could improve on significantly. If they can, our front line will be lethal. As it is RVP is scoring the goals (1) because he is world class (2) Because he is playing as a lone forward (3) because the team are providing him with the chances. To suggest we'd be 14th without him as Kentish Man did, is frankly just a dumb wum comment.

 

I have never rated Cahill and I never wanted us to buy him, but at one point I was so disillusioned with our defence I was calling for us to buy someone, anyone, even Cahill.

Glad we didn't though

 

Right now Sagna, Arteta, Rosicky & van Persie are at their peaks - that's only 4 out of a starting 11. Possibly Santos & Merts too.

Chesney, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Song, Theo, & Gervinho are all going to improve. Not to mention Oxo, Ryo, Frimpong, Wilshere, Ramsey, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Diaby, Campbell etc.

That's a whole lot of players under the age of 26.

 

You're right, there's a lot more to come from this team.

I still think we need to add one or two more top quality proven talents (in the mould of Goetze)

 

Regarding your final paragraph, it is certainly no surprise to me that our recent run of great form has coincided with Rosicky playing in central Midfield instead of Ramsey. Rosicky is both cool under presure, class and vastly experienced. I'm not sure that Ramsey is gonna make the grade at Arsenal, he has never recovered his pre broken leg form, thanks Shawcross!

 

He's a wum mate, so he nicked the title of your thread to try and cause a stir.