UCL |Olympiacos v Arsenal| Wed 9/12/09|19:45| ITV1(finally)

[AliBabaBrewer]

Walcott's been in and around the first team for about 3 years.
At Ramsey's age, who'll be 19 in 2 weeks, he was getting roughly the same amount of game time.

 

[True Gooner]

Sabre, to pick up on the full back point, it showed how one dimensional our side can be. Without the overlapping runs of the full backs we lacked any width to spread the Olympiacos defence and make some decent openings. You cant simply play central attacking midfielders and expect natural width.

The thing is I don't mind the crossing - it should be another part of our attacking armour. But our full-backs, from first team down to youth level, provide a body high up the pitch but nothing in a productive sense and inevitably screw up our defensive shape.

There's a weak, loser's mentality at the club these days. Teams are confident in stifling us and know they'll have a chance.

For me none of Ramsey, Vela or Walcott should be anywhere near starting games and at a push on the bench. Too much garbage at the club.

It's a good thing that they've hardly started for us then. Even Walcott's only been a part of the first 11 since last season.

 

[longrufus]

What exactly is your point? We rested first teamers when we got the chance - and damn right too, given the number of injured and walking wounded we have.

Not really sure if your post was directed at me or not. Anyhoo my point was quite simple, the footballing philosophy at the club is wrong. Its all well and good saying it was a nothing game, but it wasnt a nothing game to the Arsenal players playing in it, for them it was a chance to show they are good enough for the first team, for them, it was a cup game, a one chance shot to show Wenger how good they are. My point wasn't discussing individual performances, as there were some stand out performances from Song and Ramsey, but rather looking at the direction of the club.

What did last night show, it showed that the youth of tomorrow looks perfectly capable of playing like the Arsenal of today. Unfortunately that means, dominating games, not taking our chances and not getting what we deserve from the game. You can put that down to the lack of experience, but in this is what happens to the first team on a regular basis.

Yes we are a great footballing side, and from the back of last night our youth team looks like it will be a great footballing side. The problem is though that great football does not equal great results. The way we play is so one dimensional that when we are on it we will tear teams apart. However the flip side is that when it doesn't come off, like last night, or against Sunderland or against Chelsea, we don't get the result we need.

Unfortunately the league is about consistency, and I just cant see how our footballing philosophy can give us consistent results. The sign of a great team is that even when it is playing poorly it will manage to grind out results, something Chelsea do, something United do, and something we use to do.

We don't adapt, we don't change, we go into every game with the mentality that if we play perfect football we will win. Which may well be true, but its all about chance, too often we will not play perfect football, and will come up against a better team who will come out on top.

 

[Zico]

Long, it was a nothing game. Ramsey seized the opportunity. Merida and Bartley looked decent. We already know about Song. Everyone else missed an opportunity to move higher up the pecking order.

 

[True Gooner]

For me everything's going swimmingly well up until we get to adding the the finishing touches on the first team.

I'm happy with the way we've brought young players through the years and the style we play BUT we seem to constantly over look our faults or turn away and hope they go away with time. To me the best/quickest way to overcome those problems is to spend money rather than trying to side step the problem.

Could you imagine if - just if - Wenger was willing to spend £30m over the past few years on a top goalkeeper like Frey and a proper midfielder? Someone who could cover the deficiencies of the first team and actually help realise the potential of our players? It's silly/stubborn that we've not given ourselves the best possible chance to win.

 

[Zico]

Read Arseblogger this morning. Found it interesting that he went into Vela, and then just let Walcott off, basically blaming the boy's injuries. Seems to be consistent with how a lot of people assess him.

First it was youth, now injuries. 2 or 3 years down the line, I wonder what excuse we will have for this boy. **** me, he's not Arsenal quality (or what it used to be before the gutting of the team). We should just accept that not all the players we gamble on at 16 will pan out.

 

[longrufus]

Long, it was a nothing game. Ramsey seized the opportunity. Merida and Bartley looked decent. We already know about Song. Everyone else missed an opportunity to move higher up the pecking order.

It wasn't a nothing game to the players playing though was it? It was a big chance to show what they can do. For me it is just another factor highlighting the problems at the club and its current direction.

Ramsey was good, I've said as much, but great individuals rarely win you trophies, great teams consistantly do.

 

[True Gooner]

Read Arseblogger this morning. Found it interesting that he went into Vela, and then just let Walcott off, basically blaming the boy's injuries. Seems to be consistent with how a lot of people assess him.

First it was youth, now injuries. 2 or 3 years down the line, I wonder what excuse we will have for this boy. f**k me, he's not Arsenal quality (or what it used to be before the gutting of the team). We should just accept that not all the players we gamble on at 16 will pan out.

You also have to accept that all players don't peak at 20.

Only at Arsenal do we write off players who are 20 and over 30.

I don't understand why people are so convinced that Walcott will never make it at Arsenal. He's not a natural footballer but the way everyone's going on about it you'd think he's a cross between Franny Jeffers and Kaba Diawara.

 

[Klaus Daimler]

Walcott will be a regular both for us and England within two years. He's that good.

I've never understood why Arsenal fans gets on his back so much. Every other top club in England would love to have him. It's always easy to say "I told you so" on the back of a limited number of appearances right after lenghty injuries. People are doing the same thing about Eduardo right now. They're gonna have to eat those words too, sooner or later.

 

[True Gooner]

Actually, it's only around here that people are happy to slag him off. At games he's massively backed by the crowd - to an extent that I wish we're more willing to give the likes of Bendtner that kind of support.

He's got quite a few annoying habits to his game but he's shown a lot of positives during his time here. I find it amusing that people come up with lines like he's 'only' scored a hattrick for England in one of their biggest games this decade or he 'only' ran past the entire Liverpool defence to set up a goal in a Champions league semi final at Anfield. Added to the fact that he seems to be a big game player given his performances against Chelsea (CC and FA cup), or the way he dragged us to win against Birmingham or his contribution vs Milan. All by the age of 20.

Has he been overrated? Yes. Does that mean he's rubbish? No.

 

[USArsenal]

he's young, inconsistent and has been dogged by injury.. that's about as much as I'm gonna say about him.. he has the potential to be a real contributor, and I think he will.. he needs to stay fit and keep getting games to develop.. that's all we can ask for

 

[Klaus Daimler]

I find it amusing that people come up with lines like he's 'only' scored a hattrick for England in one of their biggest games this decade or he 'only' ran past the entire Liverpool defence to set up a goal in a Champions league semi final at Anfield.

Yeah, quite. He's an underrated footballer in my opinion. Seems to have a lot more going on than just pace. Not that "just" having pace and the ability to control the ball at high speed is something to frown upon though - those feats alone probably makes him more technical than 80% of the english national team.

 

[qs]

Actually, it's only around here that people are happy to slag him off. At games he's massively backed by the crowd - to an extent that I wish we're more willing to give the likes of Bendtner that kind of support.

They give it Theo over Bendtner for a few reasons though, obviously he's English but even beyond that when you're at a game you get annoyed by players who don't chase things, Theo chases everything, Nik doesn't. Theos also an extremely exciting player, often times he ****s up and it becomes frustrating but if you've been watching the team pass it around aimlessly for 70 minutes and all of a sudden Walcotts coming on everyone expects him to add that directness. Plus he doesn't wear pink boots and tell anyone who'll listen he's the greatest player in the world.

I like both players though. I think Niks sorted out alot of the things that annoyed people on the pitch. And once people are happy with you on the pitch you can do whatever you like off it.

 

[Clrnc]

Walcott will be a regular both for us and England within two years. He's that good.

I've never understood why Arsenal fans gets on his back so much. Every other top club in England would love to have him. It's always easy to say "I told you so" on the back of a limited number of appearances right after lenghty injuries. People are doing the same thing about Eduardo right now. They're gonna have to eat those words too, sooner or later.

I am abit doubtful about that now because from what I have seen, Lennon is way way way ahead of him now

 

[fabo]

Theo is loved by match-going fans that is true. As much as Cesc or anyone else it seems to me.

Anyway, Longrufus has summed up most of my thoughts. I don't see a whole lot to be excited about. Weak squad, weak mentality, pretty on the eye but most strong teams don't fear us at all. And most importantly, I don't think this group of players are equipped to win Leagues or CL's playing this type of football.

 

[Accomplished]

I'll say it again, Theo's been fantastic for us in the past, people have just forgotten that.

He's got better, not worse, it's just form/injuries.

 

[Del Boy]

Walcott will be a regular both for us and England within two years. He's that good.

I've never understood why Arsenal fans gets on his back so much. Every other top club in England would love to have him. It's always easy to say "I told you so" on the back of a limited number of appearances right after lenghty injuries. People are doing the same thing about Eduardo right now. They're gonna have to eat those words too, sooner or later.

He won't even make the WC squad Klaus so unless he really improves his game in the next few years I highly doubt he will become a regular ahead of Young,Lennon,SWP or even Milner.

 

[Swish]

Great posts, we finally have some logical posts in the thread. Welcome lads, take a seat and stick around.

All the criticisms he has received from yesterday's game are way OTT and it's based on his first appearance after a sequence of injuries this season. Everyone is extremely disappointed 9to the point of insulting) because an unfit, out of practice, inexperienced in that position, recovering striker didn't have the best of games.

Ridiculous.

 

[Swish]

Walcott will be a regular both for us and England within two years. He's that good.

I've never understood why Arsenal fans gets on his back so much. Every other top club in England would love to have him. It's always easy to say "I told you so" on the back of a limited number of appearances right after lenghty injuries. People are doing the same thing about Eduardo right now. They're gonna have to eat those words too, sooner or later.

He won't even make the WC squad Klaus so unless he really improves his game in the next few years I highly doubt he will become a regular ahead of Young,Lennon,SWP or even Milner.

He has more than 6 months to prove that he deserves the place amongst the squad, unless Capello's making the squad choices tonight?

As long as the second half of the season isn't as plagued as injuries as the first half for the young man, I would say he is on a level playing field with those who are also in with a running for a squad position.

If it is as dogged as injuries as the first, then I'd prefer not to see him go to Africa with England. After all, it was England who returned him to us broken at the beginning of the season and has scuppered this years chances for him in the first place.

 

[Del Boy]

Will he stay fit for 6 months running, probably not. Lennon deserves his place as does Beckham at present.

Unless Walcott really improves and some how stays fit I can't see him going.