PL: Arsenal vs West Ham United | 07/04/07

[Endris]

Exactely. Lehmann said in an interview on telly that they do only talk about five minutes prior to a match, maybe watch a short video about the opposition. Five minutes? You've got to see Germany's coach. He can go on torturing his players for an hour about tactics; he picks out single players, what they did wrong, where they can and must improve and next time you can actually see the result of the whole thing. :shock:

Wenger also clearly has a problem admitting that he has to practice football basics with the majority of his worldclass players and this attitude refects the arrogance that this team has show towards all the "lesser" team they have dropped points against this and last season.

 

[Alfonso]

Cocaine Tony, you do realise we were hailed as one of the greatest sides in the history of football in 2004? Which makes our fall from grace even worse. Especially, when the time span as only been 3 years, which is not that long. I just feel the extent of the transition could have been avoided, and like someone said earlier, the more excuses we have ready, the more we are setting ourselfs up for failure.

I know one thing though, the next one year is the most important year Wenger has ever had at Arsenal.

 

[rednwhitearmy]

*embarrasing*

Although you have to hand it to Green, he did an outstanding job! I was very impressed! What a world-class performance by him, even if he is a ****.

I thought Hleb was a huge threat upfront, so too Adebayor, but it just wasnt our night, or season might i add.

 

[Tony Montana]

Cocaine Tony, you do realise we were hailed as one of the greatest sides in the history of football in 2004? Which makes our fall from grace even worse. Especially, when the time span as only been 3 years, which is not that long. I just feel the extent of the transition could have been avoided, and like someone said earlier, the more excuses we have ready, the more we are setting ourselfs up for failure.

I know one thing though, the next one year is the most important year Wenger has ever had at Arsenal.

Well the hailing of one of the greatest sides in the history of football was premature. We won a league title. Great. Wonderful. Going undefeated was the icing on the cake. But we never retained it and then most of our key players left after 2 or 3 seasons. How can we really be claimed as one of the greatest sides? One season wonders in my opinion. The Manure sides of the 90s and the early 21st century were better, as well as the Liverpool side of the 70s and 80s.

The 2004 side was the greatest Arsenal side, for sure, and we arguably played the best football seen in this country but after one defeat we crumbled. Mentally, that was absolutely pathetic. Look where we are now. Ridiculous. But in all honesty, these things happens. Biggus is right, nothing in the future is certain and we could go years and years without the title. It's happened before. Look at Chelsea, they went 50 years without the title. We have to grab what we can NOW. We haven't grabbed anything. It's not really funny, that's all i'm saying. It would be naive to think that in 3 years its a shock that a team can fall like we have. Loads of teams do it. No one is immune to doing fantastically in one season and then falling some way in the next. This is football, what do you expect Alfonso.

 

[Alfonso]

Cocaine Tony, you do realise we were hailed as one of the greatest sides in the history of football in 2004? Which makes our fall from grace even worse. Especially, when the time span as only been 3 years, which is not that long. I just feel the extent of the transition could have been avoided, and like someone said earlier, the more excuses we have ready, the more we are setting ourselfs up for failure.

I know one thing though, the next one year is the most important year Wenger has ever had at Arsenal.

Well the hailing of one of the greatest sides in the history of football was premature. We won a league title. Great. Wonderful. Going undefeated was the icing on the cake. But we never retained it and then most of our key players left after 2 or 3 seasons. How can we really be claimed as one of the greatest sides? One season wonders in my opinion. The Manure sides of the 90s and the early 21st century were better, as well as the Liverpool side of the 70s and 80s.

The 2004 side was the greatest Arsenal side, for sure, and we arguably played the best football seen in this country but after one defeat we crumbled. Mentally, that was absolutely pathetic. Look where we are now. Ridiculous. But in all honesty, these things happens. Biggus is right, nothing in the future is certain and we could go years and years without the title. It's happened before. Look at Chelsea, they went 50 years without the title. We have to grab what we can NOW. We haven't grabbed anything. It's not really funny, that's all i'm saying. It would be naive to think that in 3 years its a shock that a team can fall like we have. Loads of teams do it. No one is immune to doing fantastically in one season and then falling some way in the next. This is football, what do you expect Alfonso.

Our goal as supporters should be to win every year, but not our expectation. The difference is that we were actually good enough to achieve the goal of winning every year of very close to it, and that we could have gone further to write Arsenal's chapter in the history of European club football in the post-war Era, next to Real Madrid in the 50's, Ajax in the early 70's, Liverpool in the late 70s - early 80s, AC Milan and Juve in the early 90s and even Man Uniteds in the later 90s.

That opportunity doesn't come along regualrly to every team and to pass it up as we did was a real gamble - a gamble that is failing if it hasnt failed already. That's why the impatience is so high here, because the team had made the goals, the dreams we all have as supporters seem so achievable just three years ago.

 

[jgunner84]

Our goal as supporters should be to win every year, but not our expectation. The difference is that we were actually good enough to achieve the goal of winning every year of very close to it, and that we could have gone further to write Arsenal's chapter in the history of European club football in the post-war Era, next to Real Madrid in the 50's, Ajax in the early 70's, Liverpool in the late 70s - early 80s, AC Milan and Juve in the early 90s and even Man Uniteds in the later 90s.

Will you stop dreaming? That is never going to happen. Wenger has never won titles back to back. How can we become one of the greatest sides in world football ever?

I just came back from a holiday and this is what I find. As usual Ade has failed to score and the magnificent Hleb has once again proved his class. I guess more people are going to defend Hleb now?

This is the worst week in my life.

 

[Tony Montana]

@ Alfonso. Lol. I never expected Arsenal to even reach the European Cup semis. We were just never good enough. Suddenly, last year we managed to sneak our way through where there was little pressure on us to win. We were supposed to be crap and interestingly when we were expected to win against Villarreal we struggled a lot.

You're right, we should have cemented another league win after 2004 and emulated the great sides around Europe with back to back titles and European Cups but we never really took off. There are several reasons but I can't be bothered to go through all of them. We all kinda know why. I still feel we were a club pushing above its weight .

 

[awooga83]

Agree Alfonso sometimes you have to accept you will have an average manager and average players. But as you say at this moment we are in a great position these players aren't average, they are playing really poorly but they are better then this there is more within us and we have seen glimpses of it so its not intangible either. Wehave a great manager not an average one and we are in quite a privileged position. The worst thing about it is we are wasting it the potentail we have is being thrown away. People need to see that this isn't the bad time. In terms of being in a position to win titles this is pretty much as good as it gets. We probably are within a several players of being able to challenge. Its in the squandereing of these opportunities, compared to the other big clubs and even Chelsea that we let ourselves down.

 

[Tony Montana]

This is the worst week in my life.

:roll:

You must have a ****e life.

 

[jgunner84]

You must have a s***e life.

I do. That comment was also related to some events in my personal life. Sorry for mentioning that.

 

[Tony Montana]

Sorry bro about your personal life. I didn't know you were being that serious. Whatever it is, I hope you find happiness soon.

 

[Biggus]

Cheer up Jgunner, try to think of some funny jokes. Heres one....

I thought Hleb was a huge threat upfront.

 

[Alfonso]

This is football, what do you expect Alfonso.

I realise that, but we were in a position of strength at that particular point, and we should have captalised. We were arguably the best team in the world at that point, and Chelsea despite the fact had spent millions were still our *****es. Chances like these to properly dominate in world football do not come very often, and im affraid we did not take this opportunity with two hands. Instead we went the direction that we all know we went in, and so far that direction has proven to be a mistake, as like ive said in the Wenger thread last month, we would have never done a Leeds anyway.

 

[DC Gunner]

There is a real goal scoring problem in this team, I'm just about to make a post in another thread about it as well but it is something that seriously needs to be addressed. IMO we need at minimum another proper goal scoring midfielder before we think about becoming title contenders.

I thought Rosicky was supposed to be that scoring midfielder.

How about Cesc, his shots lack power and that is a fact of life. No one please tell me he is only 19, if you are a starter for Arsenal, better play and shoot like ones do, otherwise you are prematurely inserted into the gameplay.

I can't believe a blind shooter like Lampard scores his goals through power and deflections, look @ C**t Ronaldo, his shot is strong, he almost beheaded Jen @ OT this season. Rooney has strong shot as well.

And no one tells me go become Manure Fan, I hate them with passion.

Every time I catch a long shot goal , I think "Arsenal will not do that" , Look No further than the CL goals few days ago.

Bergie used to shoot, Paddy used to shoot, I even remember Parlour scoring from Long range

there is a reason why we are not scoring much:
1-We don't shoot
2-we don't look dangerous from Corners and set pieces.

With goal scoring you either have the art or not. Look at Romario, the most laziest c**t you will ever find but that guy would score even if you blind folded him. Then there are players like Hleb and Cesc who dont look like scoring even if you blindfold the goalkeeper!

 

[Alfonso]

Will you stop dreaming? That is never going to happen. Wenger has never won titles back to back. How can we become one of the greatest sides in world football ever?

.

I dont think anyone was dreaming in 2004 buddy. That following season finishing second and winning the FA Cup was seen as a disapointment. That speaks volumes about where we were 3 years ago as a club, and how backwards we have gone. Although i understand some of the boards decisions, which is in relation to financees, i dont agree on to which the extent of the "transition" was carried out. I beleive a lot of needless errors occured, e.g. poor management, i.e. selling Vieria and Edu without replacements, not getting in any stop gap players to ease the pressure on a 18 year old Fabregas, etc.

 

[choi12911]

Cheer up Jgunner, try to think of some funny jokes. Heres one....

I thought Hleb was a huge threat upfront.

 

[Feis-al]

i'll take 5 shots on target, 1 goal over 15 shots on target, 0 goal anyday anytime.

and btw, goals win you games, not the number of shots on target, unless you utilize those opportunities to the max.

if only one of gilberto's headers went in...

darn.

and yes, green was fantastic.

I believe his point was we have not even been creating chances the previous games. So by the team creating chances even if they didn't take them, Its a good sign they are not stuck on a month later

 

[celestis]

It's important for the squad to know that 3/4's of their game is in good working order -which it is , but they were careless when it came to scoring . Most of them were half hearted with their chances and it showed especially two of Ade's chances , Fabs one on one and Freddies one on one. It's like they don't think about finishing they just go through the motions and it shows.

To, Hleb please show some balls and take responsibility and shoot when you are in the box.

 

[rednwhitearmy]

Cheer up Jgunner, try to think of some funny jokes. Heres one....

I thought Hleb was a huge threat upfront.

Am I missing the joke?
Did you guys watch the same game as me?
I have never ever seen a forum that HATES Hleb so much. You tend to leave Ljungberg alone etc. but why Hleb.
He puts his heart and soul into each minute, and all he gets is total bullsh*t from the fans. Its totally disrespectful, and I as a supporter am appauled by the actions and comments put forward in this forum.
LIGHTEN UP! The sport is a TEAM game, and to those criticising Hleb's resistance to shoot, have a look at Adebayor and Eboue, and see how they were in the box and didnt shoot.

 

[Mr Wolf]

[RC( wrote: You got it all wrong unless you are trying to be funny.

Bentley left because he wasn't in the first team, and Andy Johnson would cost about 15-10 million pounds. None of them would be here even if they were French, Spanish, etc. If an English player wants to be a back up then he is perfectly free to do so, as Hoyte and Cole have shown].

I understand your wiev but I go on to think that we'd have more consistency if we had some more English players.
Do you remember the good old Arsenal spirit? You can't have that never-say-die spirit if you don't have in the squad two ot three homegrown players that encourage the others in the most dramatic moments.
And another thing: the foreign players help if they are good. If they are average, it's better to have average English, at least they don't have problems of acclimatisation. Aliadiere, for instance, has been playing for the Arsenal since 8 (eight!) years and he has never shown to be a decent player. And how many players better than Julio "The Beast" (but not the Best) Baptista are there in the Premier League?
I'm a great fan of Arsène Wenger, I would like a lifelong contract for him as a manager, but, as I'm not blind, I can't refrain from seeing the mistakes that we have committed in this season and that condemned us to the mediocrity.