Has Wenger taken us as far as he can?

[DJ_Markstar]

i guess the theory on our inexperience at the top of market did have some substance. we'll see this year, especially if it means we have unspent money/unfinished business from last summer.


on carlo, there is some merit on EUROPE VS league debate. wenger obviously plans for long-term and his teams (pre-invincibles) were built on consistency and longevity than the knockout cup performance. it could signal a difference in style by the managers.

IMO AW's 'player intelligence' tactical approach is best suited to accumulating points over a league campaign, rather than winning individual games in a Cup run. We've made top4 every season of the barren run but only made 2 domestic Cup finals in that same 8 year period.

If what you're saying is true, then the bolded is not proof of it. You could equally say that because Wenger has more FA Cups than league titles, that his approach is more conducive to winning cup games than accumulating league points.

 

[Johnny_Blaze]

Arsenal have every chance of at least making it to a CL final if we strengthen three areas of the team, which we should be doing this summer.

Surprise packages have been a regularity in Champions League finals since its inception - Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich 09/10, Man Utd 10/11, Dortmund, Liverpool, ourselves, Monaco, Leverkusen, etc.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Agreed with GDeep - IMO we were miles away from the likes of Bayern & RM.
What makes anyone think we could win the ECL when we can't beat a **** ManU?

Exactly. That's why Real Madrid can't win the CL because they lost to Celta Vigo.

Not quite the same as I don't think Celta Vigo were a fallen contender that RM have a mental block in regards to.

What does that have to do with us in the CL though? They aren't even going to be there next year, our issues with them are irrelevant to that competition.

 

[a_fourteen]

An absolute feast
<a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vSA40QntQI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vSA40QntQI</a>

 

[Anzac]

What makes anyone think we could win the ECL when we can't beat a **** ManU?

That's about as * reasoning as Ive read on here. Surprising.

I simply find it incredible that anyone can seriously say we aren't far off winning the ECL.

IMO progress beyond the CL Group Stage is akin to playing the PL top4 contenders, which we've struggled against for some time. As for ManU they are fallen PL title holders but we have an issue beating them in the games that matter, and we couldn't manage to turn that around this season.

For mind we won't be ready for the CL until we are genuine PL title contenders throughout the entire season and take it into the final weeks as did LFC this season. IMO the ECL is another step up because the head to head results count towards the tie outcome, unlike head to head games in a league season.

 

[Mastadon]

I did think we were more likely to win the CL than the PL over the last few years. In the knockout stages we just need to perform over 2 games at a time and with some luck and a good draw anything can happen. Liverpool won the CL with a very average team and Porto did the same.

 

[Iceman10]

We need to get back into the habit of topping group stage tables, we tend to have a good start getting six or even nine points (e.g. 2010/11) straight off the bat, looking to be in good shape, and then drop off a bit allowing another team to sneak first. This in part I think is due to squad depth as the effect of three matches in a week starts to weigh us down past initial freshness in the first two months, and into Nov/Dec. This season we were in a tough group to be fair though, a bit of a group of death.

 

[Anzac]

IMO our CL 'issues' are that we are not only several players short in the 1st team, but that our squad also lacks the capability to maintain performance levels.
We are still a 1 trick pony and we lack the maturity/experience for the players to win the games that count against the big boys without direction. The Invincibles weren't good enough to do so in the CL when they were 1 of 2 teams to dominate the PL, and this squad isn't at their standard.

 

[King Malta]

What makes anyone think we could win the ECL when we can't beat a **** ManU?

That's about as * reasoning as Ive read on here. Surprising.

I simply find it incredible that anyone can seriously say we aren't far off winning the ECL.

IMO progress beyond the CL Group Stage is akin to playing the PL top4 contenders, which we've struggled against for some time. As for ManU they are fallen PL title holders but we have an issue beating them in the games that matter, and we couldn't manage to turn that around this season.

For mind we won't be ready for the CL until we are genuine PL title contenders throughout the entire season and take it into the final weeks as did LFC this season. IMO the ECL is another step up because the head to head results count towards the tie outcome, unlike head to head games in a league season.

So you'd rather us be a team that capitulated under pressure despite having a pretty much full squad all season and less games than everyone else than be a side who fell away because of a thin squad and an injury crisis? We are only a couple of players away from turning that thin squad into a deep one, Liverpool will have more games next season and will retain the damaging stigma of their collapse...and no FA Cup either.

A season like that doesn't make you more equipped to handle Europe's heavy-weights. Although we've struggled domestically we've still gone toe to toe with sides like Bayern, Dortmund and Napoli (sides who are arguably as good as some of the top 4 sides in England) and held our own, we're not that far off at all.

I don't think we'll win the CL next season but I do feel their's truth in the fact that we're not that far away, and we're certainly closer than Liverpool.

 

[Iceman10]

Has it been confirmed that AW has signed a contract extension, was said after the FA Cup final that it would be all squared away shortly afterwards (within a matter of days)? If not, the glacial pace in which we go about things just bugs me a little. If it has been, sorry for not noticing when it happened.

 

[Jury]

What makes anyone think we could win the ECL when we can't beat a **** ManU?

That's about as * reasoning as Ive read on here. Surprising.

IMO progress beyond the CL Group Stage is akin to playing the PL top4 contenders, which we've struggled against for some time.

No, it isn't at all. That may be your opinion, but it's not reality. It's a completely different competition played in a completely different style and tempo. Good lord.

For mind we won't be ready for the CL until we are genuine PL title contenders throughout the entire season and take it into the final weeks as did LFC this season.

Forgetting the irrelevance once again--so we'll be contenders once we've proven we can choke up a league title. Yes, that'll convince you no end.

 

[Anzac]

^
My point was that we are not capable of effectively imposing our style upon our peers over the course of a season, let alone in the 1 off games when it counts v the likes of ManU, CFC & Citeh.
If we can not go head to head with those 3 then we will not progress beyond R16 in the ECL with any regularity to be able to win it.

Further to that AW's philosophy does not provide the numbers & quality in depth to maintain a challenge in any more than 1 comp v top flight clubs at the same time. We can not compete successfully in both the EPL and ECL at the same time - in 16 seasons we've made 1 Final, 1 S/F and 4 Q/Fs, but have not progressed beyond R16 this decade (primarily because we have failed to win our Groups).

We need more than just a few more players for this team and manager to become serious CL & PL contenders.

 

[beck]

i guess the theory on our inexperience at the top of market did have some substance. we'll see this year, especially if it means we have unspent money/unfinished business from last summer.


on carlo, there is some merit on EUROPE VS league debate. wenger obviously plans for long-term and his teams (pre-invincibles) were built on consistency and longevity than the knockout cup performance. it could signal a difference in style by the managers.

IMO AW's 'player intelligence' tactical approach is best suited to accumulating points over a league campaign, rather than winning individual games in a Cup run. We've made top4 every season of the barren run but only made 2 domestic Cup finals in that same 8 year period.

3
League cup 06/07 and 10/11
Fa cup 13/14,

 

[beck]

^
My point was that we are not capable of effectively imposing our style upon our peers over the course of a season, let alone in the 1 off games when it counts v the likes of ManU, CFC & Citeh.
If we can not go head to head with those 3 then we will not progress beyond R16 in the ECL with any regularity to be able to win it.

Further to that AW's philosophy does not provide the numbers & quality in depth to maintain a challenge in any more than 1 comp v top flight clubs at the same time. We can not compete successfully in both the EPL and ECL at the same time - in 16 seasons we've made 1 Final, 1 S/F and 4 Q/Fs, but have not progressed beyond R16 this decade (primarily because we have failed to win our Groups).

We need more than just a few more players for this team and manager to become serious CL & PL contenders.

We beat Porto 6-2 on aggregate in 09/10 to reach the quarter finals of the champions league

 

[Anzac]

^
My point was that we are not capable of effectively imposing our style upon our peers over the course of a season, let alone in the 1 off games when it counts v the likes of ManU, CFC & Citeh.
If we can not go head to head with those 3 then we will not progress beyond R16 in the ECL with any regularity to be able to win it.

Further to that AW's philosophy does not provide the numbers & quality in depth to maintain a challenge in any more than 1 comp v top flight clubs at the same time. We can not compete successfully in both the EPL and ECL at the same time - in 16 seasons we've made 1 Final, 1 S/F and 4 Q/Fs, but have not progressed beyond R16 this decade (primarily because we have failed to win our Groups).

We need more than just a few more players for this team and manager to become serious CL & PL contenders.

We beat Porto 6-2 on aggregate in 09/10 to reach the quarter finals of the champions league

Which I counted as being part of the last decade a the season started in 2009. We've failed to progress in the 4 seasons since.
Some will say that is because of who we've met in the R16, but it should also be noted that we failed to win our Group in each of those seasons IIRC.

 

[entropy13]

Which I counted as being part of the last decade a the season started in 2009. We've failed to progress in the 4 seasons since.
Some will say that is because of who we've met in the R16, but it should also be noted that we failed to win our Group in each of those seasons IIRC.

Arsenal won the group once in that period. And that whole period also featured groups wherein three clubs were in a chance to qualify before gameday 6.

And we got a point less in 11-12 compared to 10-11 and 13-14 even though we won the group in 11-12.

 

[Anzac]

Which I counted as being part of the last decade a the season started in 2009. We've failed to progress in the 4 seasons since.
Some will say that is because of who we've met in the R16, but it should also be noted that we failed to win our Group in each of those seasons IIRC.

Arsenal won the group once in that period. And that whole period also featured groups wherein three clubs were in a chance to qualify before gameday 6.

And we got a point less in 11-12 compared to 10-11 and 13-14 even though we won the group in 11-12.

Is this meant to validate the idea we are close to winning the CL?

End of the day we were the top seeds and failed to win the Groups.
As for there being 3 teams in with a chance to qualify, IMO that's more an indication of our inability to dominate the Group.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Breaking:

Arsène Wenger agrees Arsenal deal till 2017

Source: SSN.

GLORY GLORY Arsène WENGER!!!

 

[Tangy99]

Arsène is my hero.

Interestingly this takes him to 21 years.. Could he be considering challenging Ferguson's 25 years? As long as his health remains good, then I hope he may have it in mind.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Good to see Arsène sign new contract he is building good team i just hope he not f**ked up all his good work this summer we just 2 quality players short to be a really quality team. quality striker and midfielder please Arsène get it done!