We have a 20+ goals striker - RvP
The real question is can whoever plays in midfield contribute with gaols. This is what normally sets apart Championship winning teams and certainly the scoring of Freddie and Bobby in 02 was more vastly more important than the contribution of Wiltord(important though he was) and Jeffers (less said).
If we can't solve this problem, we won't do anything.
Anelka
In all fairness Magic Hat, what are you basing your prediction on when you said that cesc & hleb will score 10 a piece ? I can see(maybe) rosicky getting 10 as he has a great shot on him and he does like pulling the trigger but the other 2 probably wont get 10 between them. Cesc, although he is a great player, is not a natural goalscorer and the words hleb & goalscorer do not belong on the same page never mind the same sentence. I probably would be willing to take anelka back into our fold as he has something our other strikers do not...pace. I believe that le boss would be able to manage him & his ego now that anelka is older and fans should remember Arsene is very good at managing his players ego's. Still think we need queresma though and please please Arsene, put eduardo(not hleb) up front with van persie on sunday. 
The Danish one can score though, has done so twice in pre season with the Lazio one very well taken but finishing is perhaps bit off. Ade is a good forward personally but not a great scorer, he needs to work on his finishing but 10+ is only a little improvement. Dudu didn't need time to score against England, Lazio, Arsenal or Israel, time to adapt yes, new country and new team, but I still think he will score. Van Persie is our 20 goal a season striker, Dudu maybe in a year on as wellCockerill's chin wrote:
Can't see the other's meeting your expectations. Bendtner is called raw by AW himself. Adebayor needs to find the same level of improvement that Drogba found at the chavs last year. Dudu will take a season to settle in a vastly superior league, but I'm sure he will eventually settle. We need a 20 goals striker for 07/08.
Cesc started scoring near the end of the season, he gets into good situations and I don't think see him missing open goals this year. As for Hleb, if he plays off the striker, he will get chances due to his quality, an excellent dribbler, if he shoots more then I think he will start scoring.Cesc, although he is a great player, is not a natural goalscorer and the words hleb & goalscorer do not belong on the same page never mind the same sentence
I think you can put your money on two strikers playing on Sunday as AW likes his 4-4-2 at home as much you and I a Sunday roast.augie wrote:In all fairness Magic Hat, what are you basing your prediction on when you said that cesc & hleb will score 10 a piece ? I can see(maybe) rosicky getting 10 as he has a great shot on him and he does like pulling the trigger but the other 2 probably wont get 10 between them. Cesc, although he is a great player, is not a natural goalscorer and the words hleb & goalscorer do not belong on the same page never mind the same sentence. I probably would be willing to take anelka back into our fold as he has something our other strikers do not...pace. I believe that le boss would be able to manage him & his ego now that anelka is older and fans should remember Arsene is very good at managing his players ego's. Still think we need queresma though and please please Arsene, put eduardo(not hleb) up front with van persie on sunday.
And what you see from the players is what the Boss wants. If he plays them out of position and they continually drift into the middle, then this is no surprise. Blame the Boss! Does he want an out and out winger? doesn't look like it to me.
While I won't deny that RVP is a great talent, it is a wee bit premature proclaiming him as a 20+ goal striker, given not only has he never done it for Arsenal, he has never done that for Feyenoord either, i.e. at no time in his career.Galasso wrote:We have a 20+ goals striker - RvP
The real question is can whoever plays in midfield contribute with gaols. This is what normally sets apart Championship winning teams and certainly the scoring of Freddie and Bobby in 02 was more vastly more important than the contribution of Wiltord(important though he was) and Jeffers (less said).
If we can't solve this problem, we won't do anything.
Now I realise he is still 'young', (though lets face it he was 24 on Monday, where were the likes of Ronaldo, Owen, Anelka etc by that age), and he has never completed a full season, but there lies the problem.
Until RVP can complete a full season, it is flawed to expect any type of goal contribution that comes close to making up for the goals we have lost through Henry's departure.
Here lies the problem with our whole forward line, we are expecting all of them to do something they have never done previously to launch any challenge in the EPL.
RVP - Has had a lengthy injury every season for us.
Ade - Needs to step up big time as far as finding the back of the net is concerned, something that, from previous performances, doesn't look very likely, and he is off to play in the African Nations Cup.
Eduardo - Never even played in the EPL, he is likely going to need a period of time to get use to the playing staff and the pace of the EPL, even the Iceman found it tough initially!
Bendtner - Like Eduardo has never played in the EPL, is young but very raw, doesn't look an obvious type of player to play 'Wengerball', and more likely the sort of player that would be used as a battering ram when plan A is failing.
That does not fill me with a sense of confidence going in to a new season, when the previous one we were some what goal shy and 21 points behind the Champions.
It only takes another injury to RVP over the Christmas period, and with Ade gone our forward line will consist of Eduardo and Bendtner.....
I don't think it is unfair to descrive RvP as a 20 goal a season striker, as last season goals to game ratio suggests that he is. And, although I don't have stats, I suggest his goals to minutes played is not bad either. Alot of the time he was injury free he just didn't get into the side. And when we needed him, he was injured. Last seasons injury was a freak injury, no more than that.Burnsjed wrote:While I won't deny that RVP is a great talent, it is a wee bit premature proclaiming him as a 20+ goal striker, given not only has he never done it for Arsenal, he has never done that for Feyenoord either, i.e. at no time in his career.Galasso wrote:We have a 20+ goals striker - RvP
The real question is can whoever plays in midfield contribute with gaols. This is what normally sets apart Championship winning teams and certainly the scoring of Freddie and Bobby in 02 was more vastly more important than the contribution of Wiltord(important though he was) and Jeffers (less said).
If we can't solve this problem, we won't do anything.
Now I realise he is still 'young', (though lets face it he was 24 on Monday, where were the likes of Ronaldo, Owen, Anelka etc by that age), and he has never completed a full season, but there lies the problem.
Until RVP can complete a full season, it is flawed to expect any type of goal contribution that comes close to making up for the goals we have lost through Henry's departure.
Here lies the problem with our whole forward line, we are expecting all of them to do something they have never done previously to launch any challenge in the EPL.
RVP - Has had a lengthy injury every season for us.
Ade - Needs to step up big time as far as finding the back of the net is concerned, something that, from previous performances, doesn't look very likely, and he is off to play in the African Nations Cup.
Eduardo - Never even played in the EPL, he is likely going to need a period of time to get use to the playing staff and the pace of the EPL, even the Iceman found it tough initially!
Bendtner - Like Eduardo has never played in the EPL, is young but very raw, doesn't look an obvious type of player to play 'Wengerball', and more likely the sort of player that would be used as a battering ram when plan A is failing.
That does not fill me with a sense of confidence going in to a new season, when the previous one we were some what goal shy and 21 points behind the Champions.
It only takes another injury to RVP over the Christmas period, and with Ade gone our forward line will consist of Eduardo and Bendtner.....
You're right, he's 24, not a kid and my assertion that he's a 20 goals a season striker should be placed under 'reasonable expectation based upon evidence'. The question of the rest of our forward line is a question of the unknown, and that in itself is scary.
What we do know is our midfield players, and if we are going to start the season with the squad as it now, then the midfield area holds the key. As it does for all sides who want to step above the average and win serious trophies.
And there lies another problem, goals from midfield.
Not only are we expecting the forward line to do something they haven't previously, if you look at where the goals are most likely to come in midfield, Rosicky, Hleb, Fabregas, Eboue, Walcott, none of these players have contributed much in their careers as far as goals are concerned.
So not only do we have a forward line that hasn't produced the required goal tally historically, we have exactly the same problem in midfield.
unfortunately our whole season is based on players stepping up and doing things they haven't previously, very scary.
Not only are we expecting the forward line to do something they haven't previously, if you look at where the goals are most likely to come in midfield, Rosicky, Hleb, Fabregas, Eboue, Walcott, none of these players have contributed much in their careers as far as goals are concerned.
So not only do we have a forward line that hasn't produced the required goal tally historically, we have exactly the same problem in midfield.
unfortunately our whole season is based on players stepping up and doing things they haven't previously, very scary.
Or to put it another way...
Our whole season is based upon Wenger's ability to find the right combination/method of playing that allows Hleb/ and Rosciky to score goals (ala non-prolific Marseilles Pires), whether he has picked up a gem in Eduardo and whether his faith in Adebayor will be rewarded.
For the next season more than ever, the team is everything.
Our whole season is based upon Wenger's ability to find the right combination/method of playing that allows Hleb/ and Rosciky to score goals (ala non-prolific Marseilles Pires), whether he has picked up a gem in Eduardo and whether his faith in Adebayor will be rewarded.
For the next season more than ever, the team is everything.
-
WinterburnsRightFoot
- Posts: 113
- Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:24 pm
Burnsjed, you're talking a lot of sense and I think thats what we are all worried about.
Without going over old ground too much, the "super, super class" player is exactly what we need. Having lost one such player for more reasons than we are aware, we need to replace TH's assists and goals with someone of similar quality. As promising as our kids are, thats all we can actually say about them, they are promising. We need a couple of the super, super class players with a proven record, talent and experience. As a club we need to make a statement and need the boost that a big signing can give.
Its a scary road we're looking down. A meadiocre season can only lead to a disillusioned dressing room with players (and Manager?) looking to move on and a decreasing ability to attract big names as replacements or additions.
Finishing outside the top four would be an absolute disaster. Not only is Champions League football a must for the status and the revenue, it also keeps us in the running to sign the big names. We can all see where our failings may lie this season and I think we are all justified in feeling concerned. To only qualify for the UEFA cup doesn't bear thinking about. It has no kudos and holds no attraction for top players. I for one don't relish wasting my cup tie credits on this Carling Cup of Europe competition but I fear we may have to get used to the idea.
Yes, it's a case of "In Arsene we trust" and there is still a big part of me that feels all will be well. But there's that nagging concern that we all seem to feel.
Lets hope that we are all worrying for nothing and everything will be alright.
Without going over old ground too much, the "super, super class" player is exactly what we need. Having lost one such player for more reasons than we are aware, we need to replace TH's assists and goals with someone of similar quality. As promising as our kids are, thats all we can actually say about them, they are promising. We need a couple of the super, super class players with a proven record, talent and experience. As a club we need to make a statement and need the boost that a big signing can give.
Its a scary road we're looking down. A meadiocre season can only lead to a disillusioned dressing room with players (and Manager?) looking to move on and a decreasing ability to attract big names as replacements or additions.
Finishing outside the top four would be an absolute disaster. Not only is Champions League football a must for the status and the revenue, it also keeps us in the running to sign the big names. We can all see where our failings may lie this season and I think we are all justified in feeling concerned. To only qualify for the UEFA cup doesn't bear thinking about. It has no kudos and holds no attraction for top players. I for one don't relish wasting my cup tie credits on this Carling Cup of Europe competition but I fear we may have to get used to the idea.
Yes, it's a case of "In Arsene we trust" and there is still a big part of me that feels all will be well. But there's that nagging concern that we all seem to feel.
Lets hope that we are all worrying for nothing and everything will be alright.
-
WinterburnsRightFoot
- Posts: 113
- Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:24 pm
Remember when Man U sold off horseface? Their 30 a year striker and the biggest diver in the league, when Scholes seemed to be fading, Rooney's score rate wasn't the best and Saha was nowhere near horseface's quality but it did them good, the team came more fluid and goals got shared around. Henry was a fantastic player but maybe he accidentally overawed his team mates who would pass to him when they shouldn't, that sort of thing (personally think Liverpool have that problem with Gerrard sometimes). Without Henry, the other players need to pick up the burden but they have the ability to do so easily and think fears of a Uefa Cup spot are too much, think we are too good for that, we will create chances, this season we have to learn to take them.
-
Cesc is God
- Posts: 2650
- Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2007 4:59 pm
- Location: Bognor Regis
- Contact:
-
WinterburnsRightFoot
- Posts: 113
- Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:24 pm
Scholes and Giggs only have a few more seasons in them and would be surpised if Ronaldo can pull off such a great season for a second time running. Not least if they go Tevez/Rooney or a four man attack, then I think they will lose the title as I don't think the system will work and Tevez/Rooney are too similar. Giggs only got 4 and Scholes six goals last season according to the football database but players all over the pitch seemed to score.
This is where the players have to step up, we know our strikers can score and so can Cesc and Rosicky while Hleb must shoot more then once a game but the goals are there to be scored. If our defence could be a little better then it would be less a problem, we don't concede then most games we score anyway.
This is where the players have to step up, we know our strikers can score and so can Cesc and Rosicky while Hleb must shoot more then once a game but the goals are there to be scored. If our defence could be a little better then it would be less a problem, we don't concede then most games we score anyway.
Last edited by Magic Hat on Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
