http://www.onlinegooner.com/editorial/index.php?id=119
usual thread starter… ok, I know it’s only a single defeat, but the team has not played well so far this season in any of the matches that count for something. Sorry, but a lot of this squad are simply not good enough. Here’s a back up team –
fabianski – gibbs – senderos – djourou – silvestre - walcott – denilson – song – traore – bendtner – vela.
Frankly there are only four players there I’d have any real confidence in and a couple of maybes (gibbs, traore). The rest ain’t good enough. Arsene’s let things decline too far. I have a bad feeling about this season. Cesc cannot come back quick enough, but who will get the nod to partner him? I reckon eboue will replace theo on the right and denilson remains. Thank god we are 2-0 up in that one!
Has Wenger lost the plot? (23/8)
It's been said that the fixtures have been kind to us for the early part of the season but with performances like this, we can forget anykind of title challenge. Can you imagine meeting a ManU or Chelsea today..... we'd have been ripped to pieces.
We need Alonso AND Barry AND Inler..... never going to happen I know but we simply have to many squad players given the responsibility to be world beaters and it's scaring me to be honest.
It says it all when you're thinking ' good, we've got Song back ' OR ' Bring on Wilshere' .
I can see three things happening at the end of the season. 1 We win diddly squat. 2 Another close season of Fabregas to Madrid/Barca headlines but this time he actually goes AND finally 3. I actually manage to get a season ticket on the back of poor season and low renewals.
It's really tough being an Arsenal fan at the moment. When it works it's beautiful but losing to Fulham....please!!!! These are our bread and butter fixtures
We need Alonso AND Barry AND Inler..... never going to happen I know but we simply have to many squad players given the responsibility to be world beaters and it's scaring me to be honest.
It says it all when you're thinking ' good, we've got Song back ' OR ' Bring on Wilshere' .
I can see three things happening at the end of the season. 1 We win diddly squat. 2 Another close season of Fabregas to Madrid/Barca headlines but this time he actually goes AND finally 3. I actually manage to get a season ticket on the back of poor season and low renewals.
It's really tough being an Arsenal fan at the moment. When it works it's beautiful but losing to Fulham....please!!!! These are our bread and butter fixtures
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MickeyFabs
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If Fabregas and Diaby were fit, things would be different, but this performance shows we need another centre midfielder.
It will be Inler, as in my heart I know Wenger will not open the cheque book for Alonso or Barry.
On another note, is it me or does anyone else think that Eboue is probably a better bet on the right than Theo at the minute? I can't believe I said that but he's not playing with any confidence right now!!
Van Persie is also worrying me, I would have preferred to see Bendtner start today.
It will be Inler, as in my heart I know Wenger will not open the cheque book for Alonso or Barry.
On another note, is it me or does anyone else think that Eboue is probably a better bet on the right than Theo at the minute? I can't believe I said that but he's not playing with any confidence right now!!
Van Persie is also worrying me, I would have preferred to see Bendtner start today.
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meatflowers
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well i think you're a bit harsh on walcott here
in a match where we were collectively awful, walcott was one of the few players who did more right than wrong. toure wasn't bad, song's cameo was excellent (all 10 minutes anyway) and walcott didn't do a great deal wrong.
a few times he messed up and he deserves being picked up on it, and his general performance was quiet, however i'm not sure he can be blamed for a serious lack of service down the right and considering he and the others aimed to play sagna in behind for a lot for crosses, i'm not sure he could have done THAT much more. sagna always looked to cross it in and theo's not likely to be slamming in a header from sagna' high crosses to the back post and sagna was preffering to cross rather than cut it back, so =/
it wasn't a good performance for him by any means, but like i said even his hardly overwhelming performance was one of the best 3 or so in the team.
the really disappointing performances today came from denilson, ade, nasri, sagna and rvp. clichy was also poor but i'd say he was a little bit less bad and had a few more successful things.
i like denilson but he was shocking today, really disappointing, maybe it was just a bad day or maybe he's not ready to be playing at this level yet, i don't know. as for the others, all of them just looked half-hearted and half asleep.
i'm going to the twente game this week so we better fucking have a better performance than that.
in a match where we were collectively awful, walcott was one of the few players who did more right than wrong. toure wasn't bad, song's cameo was excellent (all 10 minutes anyway) and walcott didn't do a great deal wrong.
a few times he messed up and he deserves being picked up on it, and his general performance was quiet, however i'm not sure he can be blamed for a serious lack of service down the right and considering he and the others aimed to play sagna in behind for a lot for crosses, i'm not sure he could have done THAT much more. sagna always looked to cross it in and theo's not likely to be slamming in a header from sagna' high crosses to the back post and sagna was preffering to cross rather than cut it back, so =/
it wasn't a good performance for him by any means, but like i said even his hardly overwhelming performance was one of the best 3 or so in the team.
the really disappointing performances today came from denilson, ade, nasri, sagna and rvp. clichy was also poor but i'd say he was a little bit less bad and had a few more successful things.
i like denilson but he was shocking today, really disappointing, maybe it was just a bad day or maybe he's not ready to be playing at this level yet, i don't know. as for the others, all of them just looked half-hearted and half asleep.
i'm going to the twente game this week so we better fucking have a better performance than that.
I'm so angry and frustrated with that performance, but I can't change my opinion on Wenger based on one defeat. Before today, I was of the opinion that Wenger was trying to make the most out of a poor financial situation, and I still think that's the case. He's clearly managing the club with one (or two 
) hands tied behind his back, and has therefore been forced to over rely on youth.
In Wenger's interview on BBC, he said that "Fulham wanted it more than us" and I find that deeply worrying. Why did they want it more than us??? we're fighting for the title - supposedly - and yet our players showed a distinct lack of fight and determnation. There was no fire in the belly and, for a team who pride themselves on their technical skills, showed a lack of both cohesion and composure.
"They wanted it more than us" - oh dear. If that really is true, then that leaves a serious question mark over Wenger's head. These are his players. Player's he signed and players he assured us are good enough to bring us silverware. If they are struggling for motivation after only 1 league game, then that is a serious indictment of this team, and leaves you wondering why they aren't responding to the manager.
Has Wenger lost the plot? I don't think so...but the reaction of the team away at Blackburn and Bolton will tell us a lot about whether his faith in his players in misplaced or not.
) hands tied behind his back, and has therefore been forced to over rely on youth.In Wenger's interview on BBC, he said that "Fulham wanted it more than us" and I find that deeply worrying. Why did they want it more than us??? we're fighting for the title - supposedly - and yet our players showed a distinct lack of fight and determnation. There was no fire in the belly and, for a team who pride themselves on their technical skills, showed a lack of both cohesion and composure.
"They wanted it more than us" - oh dear. If that really is true, then that leaves a serious question mark over Wenger's head. These are his players. Player's he signed and players he assured us are good enough to bring us silverware. If they are struggling for motivation after only 1 league game, then that is a serious indictment of this team, and leaves you wondering why they aren't responding to the manager.
Has Wenger lost the plot? I don't think so...but the reaction of the team away at Blackburn and Bolton will tell us a lot about whether his faith in his players in misplaced or not.
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QuartzGooner
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- Location: London
Wenger has not lost the plot.
He has financial shackles for a few seasons.
What he must do though, is look at Central Defence and Central Midfield, and our formation.
For Central Defence it is time to find a decent partnership from existing personnel.
The way I see things it could even be that Djourou and Song is the strongest partnership, and I am NOT joking.
For Central Midfield, we need to buy a top notch ball winner.
There is also the conclusion, that with our squad, we must look at 4-5-1 as a formation.
If we can sit a Toure or a Song or Gallas in front of central defence, we can let Cesc and Denilson create in front of them.
Let us not forge that today we were without Cesc, Rosicky, Eduardo and Diaby.
That is significant.
That
He has financial shackles for a few seasons.
What he must do though, is look at Central Defence and Central Midfield, and our formation.
For Central Defence it is time to find a decent partnership from existing personnel.
The way I see things it could even be that Djourou and Song is the strongest partnership, and I am NOT joking.
For Central Midfield, we need to buy a top notch ball winner.
There is also the conclusion, that with our squad, we must look at 4-5-1 as a formation.
If we can sit a Toure or a Song or Gallas in front of central defence, we can let Cesc and Denilson create in front of them.
Let us not forge that today we were without Cesc, Rosicky, Eduardo and Diaby.
That is significant.
That
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I Hate Hleb
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Quartz,
We've all got used to you being the eternal optimist but really, those excuses just won't do!!
Yes Wenger is short of funds, yet instead of purchasing the experienced defensive Central Midfielder and Defender we all know we're desparately missing, he chooses to buy other personnel or players for the future. Now I know he has bought Silvestre, but a Man Utd reserve who has been injury prone recently and won't apparently be available until mid Sept. was not what we had in mind!! Mind you, he'll certainly have plenty of company in the treatment room with the other already injured new signings, Berchoff and Coqualin!! 
Djourou and Song eh? Now I rate Djourou and think it was a mistake to drop him yesterday, but really - are we that desparate for defensive solididarity that we risk a midfielder only recently tried in that position as one of our first choice centre-halfs? And next to another relatively inexperienced player?
Finally, to try and blame our piss poor performances on midweek internationals is a cop-out. Denilson didn't play yet was by far our worst player, so how do you explain that? Was it because he was lonely at the training ground, perhaps?
You then say "let's not forget that today we were without Cesc, Rosicky, Eduardo and Diaby", yet 2 of those are not regulars and one is almost permanently injured!! What does that say about the size of our squad? Our lack of depth for a supposedly top club - regardless of the financial shackles - is not only shocking, it's a fecking embarrassment, and no amount of excuse making can cover-up that fact!! 
We've all got used to you being the eternal optimist but really, those excuses just won't do!!
Yes Wenger is short of funds, yet instead of purchasing the experienced defensive Central Midfielder and Defender we all know we're desparately missing, he chooses to buy other personnel or players for the future. Now I know he has bought Silvestre, but a Man Utd reserve who has been injury prone recently and won't apparently be available until mid Sept. was not what we had in mind!!
Mind you, he'll certainly have plenty of company in the treatment room with the other already injured new signings, Berchoff and Coqualin!! Djourou and Song eh?
Now I rate Djourou and think it was a mistake to drop him yesterday, but really - are we that desparate for defensive solididarity that we risk a midfielder only recently tried in that position as one of our first choice centre-halfs? And next to another relatively inexperienced player? Finally, to try and blame our piss poor performances on midweek internationals is a cop-out. Denilson didn't play yet was by far our worst player, so how do you explain that? Was it because he was lonely at the training ground, perhaps?
You then say "let's not forget that today we were without Cesc, Rosicky, Eduardo and Diaby", yet 2 of those are not regulars and one is almost permanently injured!! What does that say about the size of our squad?
Our lack of depth for a supposedly top club - regardless of the financial shackles - is not only shocking, it's a fecking embarrassment, and no amount of excuse making can cover-up that fact!! -
Seven Kings Gooner 1
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We need some logic here so :
1. Gallas and Toure don't work together.
2. We all prefer Toure.
3. Sell Gallas and make Cesc captain.
We will be better off without him his defending in pre season has been appalling, that goal yesterday was due to not attacking the ball, it is a fault with his play and at 30 you are not going to change it now.
Removing Gallas from the squad would strenghten it, he is a good player but he is just not Arsenal
1. Gallas and Toure don't work together.
2. We all prefer Toure.
3. Sell Gallas and make Cesc captain.
We will be better off without him his defending in pre season has been appalling, that goal yesterday was due to not attacking the ball, it is a fault with his play and at 30 you are not going to change it now.
Removing Gallas from the squad would strenghten it, he is a good player but he is just not Arsenal
i seriously do think that wenger is wrong to put that midfield in against west brom and fulham.
it has shown a complete lack of respect to those 2 teams thinking that there easy 3 points so i will not worry about the midfield for the first few weeeks of the season.
i seiously think that he will buy nobody else now and why did he buy silvestre.
he says anyone over 30 he never buys or sells them on then buys silvestre,
it has shown a complete lack of respect to those 2 teams thinking that there easy 3 points so i will not worry about the midfield for the first few weeeks of the season.
i seiously think that he will buy nobody else now and why did he buy silvestre.
he says anyone over 30 he never buys or sells them on then buys silvestre,
I totally agree with you Adrian.
Both Gallas and Toure are defenders who play as secondary defenders playing off a big stopper using their mobility to sweep up the second balls or runners coing from deep.
As captain and the senior member of the partnership it should be Gallas who is going up and tangling with opposition forwards, however he doesn't/or refuses to. Getting rid would save plenty of cash in wages - bring in a decent fee and remove his malevolent attitude from the squad.
Both Gallas and Toure are defenders who play as secondary defenders playing off a big stopper using their mobility to sweep up the second balls or runners coing from deep.
As captain and the senior member of the partnership it should be Gallas who is going up and tangling with opposition forwards, however he doesn't/or refuses to. Getting rid would save plenty of cash in wages - bring in a decent fee and remove his malevolent attitude from the squad.
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proudtosaythatname
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I'm not convinced that Wenger has lost the plot but I am prettty depressed following the first 3 competitive games of this season.
We were atrocious yesterday and I can barely find a good word to say for anyone; except the magnicicent Gael Clichy, and Sagna. Denilson was awful, Eboue managed a few accurate passes but was basically Eboue, van Persie should not attempt Henry-like frre kicks until he can 1. Get them over the wall and 2. Get them to dip once they are over.
I think we are too hard on Theo and even esteemed ed has a selective memory which cannot recall his superb performance and 2 goals in last season's St Andrews disaster.
I'm unsure whether Wenger has money and will not spend it on principle - as per some of the current and very insightful Gooner articles - or cannot see the deficiencies, which is far more worrying. I'm also not dertain why he has held back the promising ramsey and Wilshere from the successful pre-season games.
Finally, I'm genuinely worried about Wednesday - despite the 2 goal lead and naff opposition - and I'm petrified about Saturday, when we'll be up against an upcoming mid-table team. Much will depend on Senor Fabregas.
We were atrocious yesterday
and I can barely find a good word to say for anyone; except the magnicicent Gael Clichy, and Sagna. Denilson was awful, Eboue managed a few accurate passes but was basically Eboue, van Persie should not attempt Henry-like frre kicks until he can 1. Get them over the wall and 2. Get them to dip once they are over. I think we are too hard on Theo and even esteemed ed has a selective memory which cannot recall his superb performance and 2 goals in last season's St Andrews disaster.
I'm unsure whether Wenger has money and will not spend it on principle - as per some of the current and very insightful Gooner articles - or cannot see the deficiencies, which is far more worrying. I'm also not dertain why he has held back the promising ramsey and Wilshere from the successful pre-season games.
Finally, I'm genuinely worried about Wednesday - despite the 2 goal lead and naff opposition - and I'm petrified about Saturday, when we'll be up against an upcoming mid-table team. Much will depend on Senor Fabregas.
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barnetgooner
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What Mr Whitchter wrote about Theo Walcott after the Fulham game:
"For the amount of opportunities the player gets on the flank, the return is questionable. Wenger is loyal to him because he desperately want s more domestically developed players in the squad (due to UEFA’s rules). But, frankly, he’s bought a pup. Yes, we’ll always have Anfield, and the San Siro, but there’s not a lot else and there have been plenty of opportunities."
I know you've written another article since the Croatia game, but Wednesday night and Theo's performance at Ewood Park today just underlined what a ridiculous statement this was.
You think Wenger is only loyal to Walcott because he's English? That's absurd; Wenger is loyal to Theo because he's a great judge of talent and can see the lad's potential. But you don't need to be a genius to see it. You say he's not done much apart from Anfield and the San Siro, but even before Zagreb we had the Carling Cup final, the superb dribble and cross that Ade should've put away at home to Milan, the two goals at Brum, two goals against Prague, a few nice goals at the tail end of last season, the lovely finish against Twente etc etc, not to mention the many games he's scored or impressed in for the under 21s.
Yes, some of the hype since Wednesday has been exaggerated but think about all the impressive stuff Theo's done in his short career. I know he often looks marginal or timid in games (particularly against Fulham) but he's only 19 and the frequent flashes of brilliance I've just listed will become consistent excellence over time. What's more, he does it in the big games; Carling Cup final, San Siro, Anfield, Zagreb. How someone can dismiss him as a pup I have no idea.
"For the amount of opportunities the player gets on the flank, the return is questionable. Wenger is loyal to him because he desperately want s more domestically developed players in the squad (due to UEFA’s rules). But, frankly, he’s bought a pup. Yes, we’ll always have Anfield, and the San Siro, but there’s not a lot else and there have been plenty of opportunities."
I know you've written another article since the Croatia game, but Wednesday night and Theo's performance at Ewood Park today just underlined what a ridiculous statement this was.
You think Wenger is only loyal to Walcott because he's English? That's absurd; Wenger is loyal to Theo because he's a great judge of talent and can see the lad's potential. But you don't need to be a genius to see it. You say he's not done much apart from Anfield and the San Siro, but even before Zagreb we had the Carling Cup final, the superb dribble and cross that Ade should've put away at home to Milan, the two goals at Brum, two goals against Prague, a few nice goals at the tail end of last season, the lovely finish against Twente etc etc, not to mention the many games he's scored or impressed in for the under 21s.
Yes, some of the hype since Wednesday has been exaggerated but think about all the impressive stuff Theo's done in his short career. I know he often looks marginal or timid in games (particularly against Fulham) but he's only 19 and the frequent flashes of brilliance I've just listed will become consistent excellence over time. What's more, he does it in the big games; Carling Cup final, San Siro, Anfield, Zagreb. How someone can dismiss him as a pup I have no idea.
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gooner.ed
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i say it as i see it. it was a belief that wenger had bought a pup, but football is all about opinions. i don't claim to have a monopoly on the truth, but i do have opinions. they may be proved wrong or right by subsequent events. if i didn't express them, there wouldn't be a lot of content on pages 2 and 3 of the gooner, nor in the online editorials.
i'll do an online ed about the blackburn game in which i'll refer to more theo thoughts on why we are suddenly seeing a much improved player. so i'll save my thoughts till then, save writing them twice.
i'll do an online ed about the blackburn game in which i'll refer to more theo thoughts on why we are suddenly seeing a much improved player. so i'll save my thoughts till then, save writing them twice.
Anyway, going back to the title of the thread. Played 6 Won 5 Drawn 0 Lost 1. Wenger convinces Ade to stay....and he scores a hat trick today. He nurtures Walcott and England (and then Arsenal) are rewarded with a priceless win. That's a decent enough start to the season for someone who's lost the plot....
