That was the season after we lost an amazing striker and we had a decent side. Let's compare Szczesny > Almunia Sagna = Sagna Gallas < Koscielny Touré = Vermaelen Clichy > Gibbs Eboue < Walcott Flamini = Song Fabregas > Arteta Hleb = Oxo Eduardo = Giroud Adebayor < Podolski I think we'll be ok but need some more midfield creativity, as we're looking weak there.
Sagna < Sagna And OXO is nowhere near Hleb. Potentially yes, but we are not talking about potential here, are we?
I don't like the greedy **** but Adebayor was/is a serious player, Pod is unknown at prem lge level so I don't thinks it's reasonable to say Pod is the better player....
Gallas in 08 > Koscielny now. And there's no way you can say Podolski > 2008 Adebayor yet! And I doubt you will ever be able to IMO.
What worked so well in 07/08 season was the Fab-Hleb-Rosicky trio, it was some of the best football being played anywhere when all 3 were available. I don't think we'll be as good as that season. We bottled it hard that time, as the season was ours. Whereas this season I think we should only hope for the chance of winning the CC or FA cup... I think we'll comfortably make the CL though.
Our 07/08 is comfortably better than our current team. The midfield itself was significantly better than our current crop. We played some amazing football during the majority of the season. I can't recall us playing much amazing football this season. Szczesny > Almunia Sagna > Sagna Gallas > Koscielny Touré = Vermaelen Clichy > Gibbs Eboue < Walcott Flamini > Song (DM) Fabregas > Arteta Hleb > Oxo Eduardo = Giroud ? Adebayor = Podolski ? You can't really rate Giroud or Podolski yet as they have yet to kick a football in the Premiership. Hleb was class when he played for us and OXO has a lot to do before getting to his level. Flamini is a better DM than Song. Sagna was more fresher and playing some fantastic football then, and kept a very good Eboue out. He is still good, but after 2 leg breaks, he has slowed down. Gallas was a top defender when he came to us and Kos is still learning. Lastly, we had Fabregas, he is priceless...
Yup, agreed. Now had we only hung on to and created something with that side. It was good that Arsene put together such a side but I don't think he was the man to have gotten the best out of them. Perhaps he should have been our scout and not the manager.........
07/08 was the closest that Arsene got to HIS ideal team. We are now in a state of rebuilding again, so our current team simply cannot compete with that one. It's worse in every way, apart from keeping.
Those teams were not his ideal team. His idea of an ideal team would be a kind of Barcelona clone. The 07/08 team would keep possession for long periods and create loads of chances. It obviously had it's flaws, but it essentially played the way Arsene wanted. The difference now is our team no longer has Fabregas and the needed quality in midfield to duplicate such a style.
Are you seriously saying that the likes of Petit,Vieira,Overmars,Henry,Pires etc etc were not Wenger's ideal type of player ?
I'm referring to the style of play, not the players. Of course those players were our best players and team to date, but Wenger intentionally changed the way we played. We moved away from fast, passing/counter-attacking style of play to slower possession type football. Arsene has tried to mimic the same style of Barca and Spain, the Johan Cruyff system of play.
You're starting to confuse me now lol. The OP was comparing the 07/08 team with our current team. I am saying that the 07/08 team was better and more closely resembled Arsene's vision. The invincibles team isn't being discussed.
Well my friend if we keep losing our key players we will always be in a state of rebuilding. That is the problem with our great club. We are run by people either with no sporting ambition or who have allowed it to be coloured by other considerations. Why else would RvP have been reluctant to extend his contract? In many ways we are an ideal spot for him to see out his best days except of course that if he does spend the last of his best days with us, he is unlikely to see the best that they could bring, given the seeming lack of vision of our owner, board and to a certain extent, manager.
Van Persie wont leave this summer. The board and Arsene have both come out and said it. I've got a feeling we will keep him regardless. Chances are he'll just run down his contract and leave on a free next Summer. Szczesny > Almunia Sagna = Sagna Gallas > Koscielny - I also think Gallas was better than Koscielney. (hes an idiot though) Touré < Vermaelen Clichy > Gibbs - This is debateble because Santos may well be our first choice LB given a run of games without injury. Flamini < Song (DM) - Flamini had ONE decent Season.(before and after that he has been rubbish) Fabregas > Arteta Hleb < Wilshere Eboue < Walcott Adebayor < VanPersie Eduardo < Podolski Squad: Walcott (09) vs OXO - Oxo Senderos vs Mertesacker - Merts RVP(08) vs Giroud - RVP (This could be pretty close though) Gibbs (08) vs Santos - Santos Rosicky (08) vs Rosicky(012) - Rosicky (012) Depends how you look at it (because our formation/system has changed) but I think our current squad is actually stronger now that we've added Giroud/Podolski.
Don't let your dislike for Gallas cloud your judgement. He was excellent for us during that season. Apart of course when he played against Birmingham and he threw a tantrum, following Clichy's blunder. Was that the same season?
