What has made the difference in the last 2 games? Has it been the opposition? Has it been the personnel? Has it been tactical? What do people think? Whatever it is, it's working. In addition, is Wenger learning? www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-boss-arsene-wenger-searching-1767656 Would you like to see either of these come in? Could it pave the way for other former players to come in? The future is looking a little brighter today. It's depressing that we're excited that Arsenal might get 4th...but it's a start right!?
Our defensive solidity in the past two games has been noticeable. Now, this may not last but if it is an improvement from what we've been experiencing up to now, then we will do well, like at the beginning of the season. The team is starting to have that feel about it, for me again. I don't know about anyone else. It's early though, two games against lacklustre opposition. But, we've done very well. So let's use the same tactics in defence, and try to build on the momentum we have.
But until that goal went in against swansea we were all complaining about how crap we were playing. The defence certainly shows signs of greenshoots of growth but. , we need to put in a few more like that before im hanging out any bunting.
Well Bayern were definitely below par. That could be down to complacency following their easy win, or the absence of Schweinsteiger. Swansea looked off colour too. That could be due to a loss of motivation following their cup win, or Michu being off form. I'm not saying we didn't play well though. I'd say the best thing we did for these games was dropping Vermaelen and bringing in Koscielny. When Wenger makes decisions based on form, it pays off. If he'd done this all season, we might not be where we are, but perhaps Wenger will learn from this.
I think it's a bit of both. We played with a lot more purpose and focus, whereas as our opposition weren't playing at their best. To make a proper assessment we need to gauge Arsenal in a run of games and when they are actually competing for something. It's all when and true when the pressure is off you, but when you are actually playing for something, things are a lot different. We will have to wait for next season to see if we've progressed.
The Difference = 1 - No Szezeney - ****ing awaful keeper with shocking distributuion and his handling seems to get worse. 2 - No Vermaelen - Been very poor this season. Commits stupids fouls all the time and has no posistional sence. Needs to be stripped of the captains armband. 3 - Now this is a big one - No Wilshire - He's a gem of a player but there is no balance in the MF with him there. He does tend to give the ball away alot in the middle of the park which gets us in alot of trouble. Remember at the start of the season we where very solid to and 2 out of the 3 above werent in the team. A MF of Jack, arteta & Cazorla doesnt work. Too weak and height and no power in there.
Seems "Fabianski Reborn" is a strong thing for the team. Even Merts has been saying how good it is to have a Keeper who organises and shouts a lot. Verm is a strange one. All the ingredients, but perhaps just not on form? Merts again has said they sat down and analysed the Tottenham defeat in detail just as the defense. That's great - and I'm hoping Wenger takes on board the improvement that's come about from it and starts to divide up the analysis. Wilshere is an interesting one. Who should be playing in midfield then? Clearly he's out for the International Break, so does he come back in after? He'll be rested, and hopefully fit, but after the last 2 games he doesn't really deserve to walk straight back in I suppose.
You're being very harsh on Chez there. He's not having the best of seasons but he's by nowhere a ****ing awful GK, we've all seen his quality last seasona nd the season before so let's not start crucifying a very young GK because he's in poor form
@gunner.b.alright - only the foolish thought we where crap leading up to our first goal. We looked tired in the first half, but tidy and solid defensively. We didn't allow them a single shot on goal in the game, kept a clean sheet and put 2 goals past them. It was a good solid performance and at no point during the game did we play crap. I agree we need to continue to put in performances like that until the end of the season, but to suggest the goals somehow papered over a poor performance is unfair on the team and the effort they put in.
I hope the defense continue to study prior games as a unit and work together to ensure this solidarity continues. It could make the difference between us getting CL football or not, so let's hope they have finally figured it out!
Perhaps im a bit harsh but can you blame me? He's on around 40-50K per week now that he signed his new contract last season. For that sort of Money you would expect at least some good games. Hes been in the 1st team for over 2 season now and he still cant kick a ball out from defence, still has pathetic distribution, still lets its easy goals. Frankly he has declined since when he 1st burst onto the scence. I remember making an article on JA606 a few season back where i compared Szez & Fabianski and Fab had much better figures all around. Saves to shot percentage was around 10-15% better than Szez and frankly Szez & has probably gone even worse. I still remember his ****ing stupid wink against Spurs in the 3-3 game at WHL a few season bk. He clattered into bale when Winks at the Camera before letting in a ****ing stupid goal from 25 yard from Huddlestone. The guy thinks he some sort of big shot and the fans all cream themselves over him because he talks or shouts at the defence. There are at least 10 GK better than him in the league. Cech, Hart, De Gea, Howard, Vorm, Begovic, LLoris, Migonlet, Cesar, Foster. We are Arsenal not some GK training ground where GK can learn there trade and we give the "Its ok, hes young and improving excuse" sorry for the Rant
Our defence has been great, but in the past 2 games our midfield has not been that great. Only Cazorla shined against Swansea, while against Bayern , we were misplacing passes every other minute it seemed. Wilshere walks straight back in because he is in another league compared to Diaby and Ramsey.
As I said in another thread Wilshere might be in another league, but it does not nesessary mean playing him improves our midfield. Jack + Cazorla in our midfield now is the same problem as was Gerard + Lampard in the England squad. Two great players playing similar role with no real place for both in the same midfield. I hate to say it because I love Jack etc etc, BUT if we look behind the obvious and the cliches, thre is a problem. there is some lack of balance in our midfield when both Santi and Jack are playing. Is it a coincidence that our midfield (even with Diaby!!) was better in our last two games? I think Cazorla was brilliant against Swansea because there was no Jack, and Santi knew what is needed from him.
Expect, our midfield was not that much better in the last two games. As a unit, they were very average and only Cazorla did well against Swansea. Diaby was poor against Swansea, and Rosicky was pretty terrible against Bayern. Ramsey was Ramsey and he does what he does. Cazorla and Wilshere can play together, they are two quality players and Cazorla of all people should know how to combine with highly skilled technical players. Wilshere gives us something we do not have when he is not playing, that player who can beat people and drive the team forward. The difference really is just the back five. There is no uncertainty with the high line and how we use it for a start. Jenkinson has been an improvement on Sagna. Vermaelen is no longer in the team and he was a player in terrible form. Also we dropped a keeper who was clearly feeling the pressure for a keeper who seems to be high on confidence at the moment. Those are three big changes in defence, so that's the difference.
Agreed. Diaby and Rosicky were below average in those games. I agree that Wilshere + Cazorla is too attacking though. They are both AM's... and Arteta is basically a CM in a DM position. Against Reading, we can afford to do that. In other games we need Ramsey alongside Arteta to give our midfield some balance.
