Really? He had a couple of good individual moments but they never come to anything. That's why I mentioned Dembele(although mostly in jest) as he's had a good start to the season, barging his way through with the ball, it's a bit like watching Yaya except he never produces anything useful. You still just look like you lack balance. Fitting Cazorla and Ozil into the same team is turning into Lampard and Gerrard for England. They're both at their best playing in the same position but they're always shoehorned into the same team with one either getting pushed out wide or Cazorla playing deeper, like tonight. Look at the offside goal tonight, that ball from Cazorla is what the number 10 should be doing regularly but Ozil didn't really do any of that and Cazorla was in a more supporting role which gave him less opportunity to get the ball in those positions. The media might be getting all excited about that young Gomez, much like they did with Chambers this time last year and so many other young players, but they're just playing well considering their age, they're not brilliant. There was a lot of space down that right side tonight and you really should've been exposing it. City did it yesterday, focusing a lot of attacks down the right against the inexperienced Branning. If you were to name City's best 15 players, Navas wouldn't even be on that list but he's started every game because he's the best fit for the right wing. If Wenger picked players in their best positions, you'd have had more balance tonight. Every summer Wenger works on his masterplan, which seems to be to see how many great passers he can fit into the team. Some games it works, some games it doesn't and you're inconsistent until Feb/March when you're out of the CL and he's under pressure so he changes it, you become more varied in your play and get consistent results but it's always too late for a serious challenge on the title. Then the press say you're two or three quality players off a serious title challenge, Wenger buys one because he knows best and then you're back to the masterplan that never gets you anywhere. Still, at least you've won a game
Coquelin Ramsey Walcott Cazorla Sanchez Giroud If Arsenal plays that front 6, I think they’ll win the league. I don’t understand why Wenger doesn’t, but I’m very, very thankful. Oxlaide-Chamberlain for Walcott, I think, also works. Tbf, Liverpool looked great for much of the first half. The sky’s the limit for them if the refs continue to gift them 44% of the possible points.
Great to hear Red Nev giving Wenger a load of flak on MNF. He's right too. Wenger hasn't won a title for over 10 years and the main reason is that he hasn't replaced Patrick Vieira and made Arsenal tough in midfield. He believes his team can outplay other teams simply because of their strengths, whilst completely ignoring the threats posed by the opposition and his own team's weaknesses. As Gary said, he's either arrogant or naive. I think it's the former; he seems determined to prove critics wrong, but already this season there is plenty of evidence (the same old evidence) to suggest Arsenal will not be title winners.
I don't remember the actual quote so can't be 100% but i'm sure Wenger at one point discussed his admiration for how Fergie gained more success despite trusting kids and for years he attempted to achieve success the same way, which he nearly did when Adebayor was there and had that outstanding season. He is a stubborn man, has a vision and then will stick with that vision until its clear he has to try a new approach, he failed with trying to win the title with a young team, now he will fail with this new approach, great manager but his days of winning league titles are behind him.
No doubt Arsenal needed a Viera for ages. Even so, and even granting the weaknesses of the squad, I think Wenger still has a shot at the league this year if refuses to start Ozil, puts Cazorla in the middle, and makes Walcott be the dangerous RM he is, and not the mediocre striker. I can only hope Wilshire gets healthy soon. He and Ozill--and Wenger’s insistence on playing them--have cost Arsenal dearly in the past and stand a good chance of doing so again. I’m sort of on Wenger’s side on this one. He doesn’t need more buying, quite possibly anyway. But he does need to play his best team, not his best 11 players, he hasn’t done that, and, if the past is any guide, he won’t do it till Arsenal needs to win a few to get into the CL spots.
It's a real shame John stones has handed in a transfer request, really didn't want him to go to the chavs I hope Everton hold out for every penny, you can bet your life that Maureen and john blue badge terry have been in his ear. Its disgusting that a big club like Everton has to sell its prized asset to the plastics.
They should offer him to a big club abroad for less or at least make noises of doing that...I agree with what your saying...make the chavs work for it.
Villa losing 4 3 at home to notts county and palace drawing at home to Shrewsbury and wesr brom drawing at home with port vale.
Opps...villa were losing 3-2...now 4-3 up in extra time. Sunderland won 6 -3 with s defoe hattrick after being 3 all at ht. Palace now 3-1 up in extra time but wba and stoke both drawing to lower league clubs with just 10 mins til pens
I think if they manage to get £40m then they've absolutely tore Chelsea a new one there. I like Stones, he looks a great CB in the making but I haven't seen enough of him to suggest he'll be a world class CB down the line and for £40m you'd sort of expect him to become one. I don't see him reaching the levels of say Terry, Rio, Ledley, Judas, Carragher and Woodgate, all of whom I'd say have been the best English CB's of the recent generation. Obviously I could be proved to be massively wrong and he becomes an England stalwart and international superstar though if I'm being brutally honest (and maybe a tad biased) I think Dier looks the better prospect and he's no way near the £40m mark (although a club's valuation of a player will always be higher than an outsider's). Best of luck to Everton though, I hope they absolutely rinse Chelsea of every penny they're willing to spend... Mainly because they could then splash £10m on Fazio .
I think Fazio is worth more than £10m. WBA wanted him so there could be a bidding war. I think he could reach the levels you mention. Maybe £20m?
please log in to view this image All this talk about Arsenal being the smallest team in the league is overblown.
I'm starting to have my doubts about the Dutch robot, despite his track record. He seems very free with Utd's cheque book, and his breathtaking arrogance almost makes Whinger look modest!..
I think we dodged a bullet not getting him. Comes across as a massive prick and the type that players fear more so than respect. For a guy who blew his own trumpet when he was appointed, he's needed a lot of financial help to look even remotely adequate at managing Utd.
