Thoughts

[supergeorgegraham]

Two reasons we are not level with Chelsea. They are Flamini and Arteta because they were useless in the DM position. If you watch our defeats back you will see that they failed to protect the back 4 time and again. I found it worrying that Arteta is due to be offered a new deal as I don't see where he can benefit the team. Yes the League is poor this season and Chelsea are not that great just very effective and boring but hey if we win the cup again and finish second I have no complaints. I see improvement on last season even if some dont

[markyp]

there is no improvement,the league is worse and we have the exact same points as this time last year.Wenger was fortunate that injuries to Tets and Jack forced the benched Cazorla back in to the team who has been a revelation,hes been making us tick.improvement would have been challenging for the title from the off,not a purple patch when its all done and dusted.the DM side of things is still a massive problem,Coq has been awesome since his return from Charlton but again this was done to luck,he was sent on loan to run down his contract so that he would bugger off in the summer.Wenger again got lucky as he's come back a different player but he isn't the solution long term,as a back up hes fine but we need a 6 ft 3 power house in that position its the only way.second and an fa cup would be good season but lets not get carried away,we are still no where near challenging Chelsea and again this summer Wenger will neglect the positions that need strengthening.

[mcdowell42]

Markyp how do you get out of bed in the mornings

[augie]

Simplifying it a bit too much to say that coquelin would have made the difference if played all season - there have been other factors (tactics, motivation and a lack of centre backs for starters) explaining why we are not challengers as well. Coquelin is rightly lauded for the difference he has made but I do wonder if the acclaim he has received has been slightly ott because we haven't played a proper DM in years - at home to Monaco for example, they played around him like he wasn't even there and most of our fixtures in the last couple of months have been against fairly average teams and even song looked world class in fixtures like that in the past Coquelin has without doubt improved our game significantly, and I do agree with the pre-game analysis on sky yesterday, where they talked about the fact that he now realises that he isn't there to be a playmaker and is there purely to sit in front of the back 4 and break up opposition attacks - however I will also say that I will be very, very disappointed if we go into next season as our first choice DM cos we can and should have a better DM

Btw you can say that you see improvements even if others don't, but the stats don't lie and they tell us that prior to yesterday we had the exact same number of points as we had at the same stage last season

[supergeorgegraham]

Points might be the same but Ozil is finally getting used to Prem. Sanchez has just improved Arsenal. Giroud has been consistent apart from Monaco home. Gabriel looks like a great signing. Koscielny continues to be quality. Cazorla in fine form. Coquelin goes from strength to strengh. Best form I've seen in a long while

[augie]

Points might be the same but Ozil is finally getting used to Prem. Sanchez has just improved Arsenal. Giroud has been consistent apart from Monaco home. Gabriel looks like a great signing. Koscielny continues to be quality. Cazorla in fine form. Coquelin goes from strength to strengh. Best form I've seen in a long while

So if all those individuals are performing better, why is the team's results and points tally not better than last season ?

Btw, I am baffled as to how you can judge gabriel as a great signing when we have seen fcuk all of him yet He might prove to be an outstanding purchase, and I love the attitude he seems to bring, but the reality is that he hasnt played anywhere near enough to properly judge him just yet

[StuartL]

Points might be the same but Ozil is finally getting used to Prem. Sanchez has just improved Arsenal. Giroud has been consistent apart from Monaco home. Gabriel looks like a great signing. Koscielny continues to be quality. Cazorla in fine form. Coquelin goes from strength to strengh. Best form I've seen in a long while

So if all those individuals are performing better, why is the team's results and points tally not better than last season ?

Btw, I am baffled as to how you can judge gabriel as a great signing when we have seen fcuk all of him yet He might prove to be an outstanding purchase, and I love the attitude he seems to bring, but the reality is that he hasnt played anywhere near enough to properly judge him just yet

Yeah, you have to wait till May to judge.

[SteveO 35]

There are 3 reasons as I see it

1. The one you correctly highlight where we spent a few months pretending Wilshere could be the additional CDM to Arteta and Flamini when anyone with half a brain knew he wouldn't fit that role. As luck would have it they all got injured and Wenger was forced into desperate measures by recalling Coquelin who he admitted he didn't think would figure in his plans

2. We chose to let Vermaelen, Sagna and Miquel leave, and farm Jenko out on a season's loan, knowing that our defence was already the other main reason behind our inability to compete and brought in only Debuchy and Chambers. The former has spent virtually the entire season out whilst we can't work out whether Chambers is a RB, CB or CDM resulting in a total loss of confidence and some abysmal displays such as Swansea away which cost us crucial points. When Koscielny and Gibbs unsurprisingly picked up injuries the threadbare defence was then exposed for what it was in those early months

3. Chesney played like a complete arrogant prick culminating in the loss at Southampton and fair play to Wenger for having the balls to drop him ever since because despite people's concerns I have barely seen Ospina put a foot or glove wrong since then

Of course, if we'd have done what everyone knew should have been done in the Summer and signed a top quality CB (perhaps Gabriel joining then would have helped, along with the ridiculous decision to send Jenkinson out on loan), and a proper CDM (who would now have complemented Coquelin perfectly) we would be in an even better position.

Still I'm sure he'll spend big and sign the players we need in those positions to return us to former glories

[silus]

I've said many times it doesn't matter who your back four is, if they aren't protected they will let goals in. Coq is playing well, but should be back up to a world class DM and get games when said player needs a rest, cup games etc.
I like Arteta as a person but he was never a DM for me and the less said about Flamini the better.
Unfortunately Wenger will think that the position is covered with Arteta/Coq/Flamini...and he won't sign anyone else.

We also have the added problem that Per is determined to challenge Arteta for the slowest professional footballer on earth...both should be moved on in the summer (with flamini and diaby) but wenger will remain loyal to the players he has and not replace either of them until it's too late and yet another chance of a title challenge has passed us by

[silus]

I've said many times it doesn't matter who your back four is, if they aren't protected they will let goals in. Coq is playing well, but should be back up to a world class DM and get games when said player needs a rest, cup games etc.
I like Arteta as a person but he was never a DM for me and the less said about Flamini the better.
Unfortunately Wenger will think that the position is covered with Arteta/Coq/Flamini...and he won't sign anyone else.

We also have the added problem that Per is determined to challenge Arteta for the slowest professional footballer on earth...both should be moved on in the summer (with flamini and diaby) but wenger will remain loyal to the players he has and not replace either of them until it's too late and yet another chance of a title challenge has passed us by

[supergeorgegraham]

If Arteta and Flamini are kept to back up Coquelin then I agree we won't challenge for the title. Both players are passed it and not good enough. Gabriel has played a few games he looks strong and fast and I'm looking forward to seeing more. Dubuchy and Chambers are also good signings so defence is improving

[Supagoon]

My View.

1. Injuries, I've always blamed arsene for this. Our injury management seems to be finally improving. If your best players are fit then you'll win more games. You certainly need better players against the better teams. Trying to win trophies with a half fit squad, losing players every game to muscle injuries was something that could be improved. That's part of the reason I wanted a new manager. Because nobody in their right mind would keep medical backroom like ours with our record.

2. Tactics, we have improved in the bigger games. We leave ourselves less exposed and respect our opposition more. This is all I wanted to see, some preparation for games, some study of the opponents strengths, some coaching, some respect. The Monaco game shows though we are not too far away from becoming arrogant again.

3. Coq. Yes he is far better than Flamini ever was and better than Arteta who really was a CM. Arteta was an experiment which proved DM is a specialist position not some spare part position. For me Arsene has treated this position with total disrespect.

We are better than last season, I can see that with my own eyes. Last year, when I saw us with DMs, and fullbacks push up ahead of the ball against Chelsea at Stamford bridge I thought our manager wasn't taking things seriously. I've seen reckless moments like this season, spurs at home, utd home, but by an large we have stopped doing that.

[markyp]

Markyp how do you get out of bed in the mornings

im the eternal optimist

[northbank123]

Chelsea have laboured at QPR today, although the game has 1-0 them written all over it.

Every point they drop pisses me off because it serves to underline just how winnable the league has been this year, just like last year. When you think what a good side we had back in 2008 when English football was at its strongest it's such a shame.

[northbank123]

Chelsea have laboured at QPR today, although the game has 1-0 them written all over it.

Every point they drop pisses me off because it serves to underline just how winnable the league has been this year, just like last year. When you think what a good side we had back in 2008 when English football was at its strongest it's such a shame.

I am absolute shite at betting etc but this was a racing certainty.