Ramsey has been poor at the start of this season irrespective of his goal (that was actually ruled out) last week. How he got MotM yesterday was beyond me, it should have gone to Coquelin or Gabriel, who I thought was fantastic. It should have either been one of Theo or Ox that should have started but as a wing-forward with Giroud as our focal point up front. Not a fan of Giroud but he's the best option we have at the moment up front which tells its own story about how poor our CF options are.
It's at these times when a team that wants to win the league, has to take advantage and scrape those results together when most other teams are dropping points. Barring City, everyone else is playing pants. We weren't playing that bad before the season started but it looks like we're already feeling the pressure of expectation. There are three teams that can realistically win the league and one is playing well, one is off form and the other one - us, seem to be struggling mentally. Couple that with inadequate reinforcements in the transfer window and Wengers decision making has made our start below par. I do hope we pick it up again and I won't be suprised if this happens when Sanchez hits form.
Walcott was bad, but you have to play them sometimes for them to show their worth, that's the point of having a squad, unless you want Giroud to start 38 games in a row, including when he's not on form? As for the OX, you can argue until you're blue in the face, if it wasn't for him, we wouldnt have won, simple as that. So i'm not 'hardly' right, I am very very right in saying OX should have started, and it paid off.
There's a difference between having to scrap through a game in which you're not good, and just being bad, and we're the latter. We have been mostly bad since the start of the league, or as Wenger said, very average.
Btw, I wanted Walcott to start as a winger, NOT A STRIKER. So him being bad again proves me right, when I keep going on about the need to buy a proper CF, while others on here consistently harp on about Walcott being one of our striking options. I don't view Walcott as a striker, and yesterday's game showed it. Your comments on him being bad should be sent to the brigade of Wenger is god and never does no wrong and Walcott can be a striker and is an option for strikers at this club.
Cym, he didn't have much to deal with but if you actually analyse the way he positions himself on the pitch and how composed he is on the ball, he really does look like a top class defender. You have Koscielny who can sometimes dive in and has a tendency to have a rush of blood to his head, but Gabriel is so adept at staying on his feet and making the right interceptions. Every time Newcastle looked like they were going to break (mainly in the first half), he was always in the right place at the right time. Honestly I think it's only a matter of time before he is a regular in the side.
But thats what makes me question our mental fortitude. The manner of our defeat against West Ham and our dour draw again Pool shows that we lack that certain something to battle through and scrape those results when the pressure is on. The expections are there on this team yet they seem to be struggling at suchuan early stage.
I've come to the realisation that Walcott is all wrong for Wengers current philosophy. He doesn't have the strength or skill to play our form of high technical game. It's no wonder that he never hardly plays him as our cf. He works on the right wing as he gets thw chance to run at the left back and cut in. If the defence plays deep then he becomes next to useless.
we have looked bad so far when things haven't gone our way, in West Ham and Pool, even against C.Palace when they equalised, our heads dropped a little.
Your comment shows you make uninformed and incorrect snap judgements about people based on football forum posts.
These Walcott comments always come back every few years. The thing with Walcott is he takes an annoyingly long period of time to hit form. But once he does he is a great asset. Don't forget in 2013/14 he scored 23 goals from a wide right position. He's easily capable of bettering that providing a) he stays fit and b) he gets games. Really don't see him as a CF though. RWF or even LWF for sure.
Of course he is an excellent asset providing he is used and used to his strengths. I agree that he isn't a CF at all and under Wengers preferred strategy, he doesn't work so well. But if he's played in a more counter attacking role, then this is where his strengths shine through. Playing a fast, direct attacking game is the way he should be played period. This is where our plan b would come in.
You still may want to re-check that...I can guarantee you he didn't score that many in the season you mention.
Total goals he did (according to wiki), league goals was about 13 I think. 5 of those 21 did come in two carling cup games against championship fodder though. But still a good haul for him that season. If he could replicate that he'd be great. But will Wenger ever play him RWF consistently ever again? Also, he's only scored more than 5 league goals a season three times in the nine seasons he's played football for us. Can see why Wenger is hesitant.
I thought I was pretty clear in, many times, saying I'd rather Ox starts. However, Ramsey scored a perfectly good goal when he started on the right against Liverpool so it's not a good argument to say "he scored, I was right". They both got goals when starting wide right! Regarding Giroud though, of course you don't expect him to play every game, who said he should? I'd certainly have started him though considering his record against Newcastle. PS I'm not bashing Theo, think he's got a very important place in the squad but, as bear mentions below, he takes a while to get going. ...mind you they all seem to be right now.
