As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Bendtners Drinking Buddy wrote:If you want to talk about poor set-up, not buying a striker post the Theo injury il probably agree with you but this season has been particularly bad in terms of injuries and it has cost us a number of points - no manager can legislate for that.
Except Arsene should be able to because - and see if you can spot the trend here - it happens every single year.
Walcott's absence could have been covered in January but for some inexplicable reason we signed Kallstrom. If no manager can legislate for injuries then perhaps we need to look at why we get so many every single season. If our training isn't up to scratch or we continually play players who are unfit or in the fucking 'red zone' then whom do we blame for that, Chelsea, Sheik Mansour, the FA?
We have had a lot of injuries but we also have more of an ensemble cast rather than a few key players, therefore we have a lot more players who people consider to be important when assessing injuries.
Take City - over the course of a season nobody would place much weight to injuries to players other than Kompany, Toure, Silva or Aguero. Likewise Liverpool, people would only really pay attention to Suarez, Sturridge, Gerrard, maybe Sterling, Coutinho and Mignolet. United probably only van Judas, de Gea and Rooney.
With us, I don't think we've done that terribly. Our centre-halves have played the vast majority of games together. Giroud has somehow stayed fit so we have barely seen Sanogo other than through choice. Szczesny has not been injured so again, we have only played our calamity back-up through choice. Cazorla - our best player last season - has stayed fit. Ozil obviously suffered that hamstring injury but until then pretty much played 90 minutes every game which was worrying. Only Ramsey really has been fucked out of our key players, plus Walcott although his inclusion then takes it to 8 which is more than the clubs above. And then people argue that our full-backs are important because of the state of their replacements and even Wilshere and Podolski (whereas they are in reality fringe players). If you're considering that many players to be vital then chances are you're obviously going to suffer more injuries to them than a side with 3 or 4.
In fairness was rather humbling to see the talent that The Chavs and Citeh roll up when others are unfit.
Its NOT any solace to AW or to AKBs, as things have clearly been mishandled this season yet again, but to have the team that Chavski played yesterday was revealling.
Meanwhile MAureen actually had tactics on his side too, clearly utterly unfair
armchair wrote:Injuries this season. FFP last season. Citys money the previous season. The board before that. Citys money the previous season. Chelsea before that. The new stadium before that. Bad refereeing decisions. Downright bad luck. Injuries again.......
I don't think we've been as badly affected by injuries this season as we have in previous years. The back line has been much more settled than usual - in past years its been constant rotation at centre back and not so long ago we were talking about Wayne Bridge on loan because we had 3 left backs injured and the year before ended up with Djourou at right back when all the RBs were out
We've also been settled between the sticks and Wenger can count his lucky stars that Giroud hasn't had a long run out of the side
I would say only 2 injuries caused any serious disruption - Walcott and Ramsey - which were both very untimely but I'm not sure either of those two would have been much use in a 5-1 blitzing at Anfield, or the 6-0 mauling at Chavski, which were the two telling defeats that turned us from supposed contenders back to the VT specialists we've become
scotgooner wrote:It saddens me the amount of excuses people will make for Wenger and never just admit he is the problem
Im not making an excuse, its a fact we have been ravaged by injury this season, Ramsey would have won player of the year had he stayed fit and carried on as he did - do you not agree his absence alone has cost us points?
If you want to talk about poor set-up, not buying a striker post the Theo injury il probably agree with you but this season has been particularly bad in terms of injuries and it has cost us a number of points - no manager can legislate for that.
Chelsea got a result, but it should reallty have been a 0-0 shouldnt it - and Liverpool are not as good as people make them out to be - an outstanding individual has dragged them through and he has not been injured, our key players have been injured. Plus they have played 25 odd games less than the likes of Arsenal.
Morinho is a good manager, but there is a good chance Wenger will win more than him this year
No manager can legislate for injuries but 99 % would use the opportunity the transfer window offers to buy and strengthen to make up for it (but I guess we were the 1 % away )
the story of last night for me was the fact that Oxlade Chamberlain was out injured AGAIN.
Why is this? It is quite simple. He has recently been overplayed. So he is now injured and someone else will now be overplayed and get injured. it has happened all season and is the reason why we can never compete for the league.
We are 7 points off the top - Ramsey, Walcott, Wilshere and Ozil are worth those 7 points, plus their absence meant our bench / options in tight games were particularly poor.
Im not saying we are the bestg football team in the world, but our key players have been injured together at key times and it has had an effect.
I do not disagree that buying a striker in Janaury might have cut that gap down, or indeed another attacing option - im just stating that injuries have held us back this year, i dont see how that can be disputed.
Bendtners Drinking Buddy wrote:We are 7 points off the top - Ramsey, Walcott, Wilshere and Ozil are worth those 7 points, plus their absence meant our bench / options in tight games were particularly poor.
Im not saying we are the bestg football team in the world, but our key players have been injured together at key times and it has had an effect.
I do not disagree that buying a striker in Janaury might have cut that gap down, or indeed another attacing option - im just stating that injuries have held us back this year, i dont see how that can be disputed.
BDB, I think the problem is that it (at least) appears that you seem to be defending Arsene with the injuries, as if he couldn't allow for that. Correct me if I'm wrong there, mate. But my point and many others too is that this happens every season and thus it is gross mismanagement for Arsene not to anticipate it happening and plan accordingly by strengthening in the summer and in January.
Bendtners Drinking Buddy wrote:
The worry for me is 1 win in 5 years against the top sides, but i cant remember the last time we went into a big game with all our players available, its not the sole reason for losing / getting smashed - but it doesnt help.
I'm pretty sure in all of our big games our opponents would have had injuries too.
And besides, look at Chelsea.. Went to anfield on sunday without cahill or terry in the starting 11. Them two have been their biggest performers this season, and they still come away with 3 points. You're right it definitely dosn't help going into big games with our big players injured, but we should be set up to deal with that like chelski were.
Bendtners Drinking Buddy wrote:
The worry for me is 1 win in 5 years against the top sides, but i cant remember the last time we went into a big game with all our players available, its not the sole reason for losing / getting smashed - but it doesnt help.
I'm pretty sure in all of our big games our opponents would have had injuries too.
And besides, look at Chelsea.. Went to anfield on sunday without cahill or terry in the starting 11. Them two have been their biggest performers this season, and they still come away with 3 points. You're right it definitely dosn't help going into big games with our big players injured, but we should be set up to deal with that like chelski were.
It's the manner of the defeats that is the issue, 8-2 6-0-4-0 etc etc etc, teams in the relegation zone don't take the hammerings we do when we go away to a top side. That's got fuck all to do with injuries, it's down to Wenkers lack of tactics and his teams lack of pride.
Fuck him Wenger out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gunner Rob wrote:if we had every player available for Liverpool, Chelsea, City, United away we still wouldnt have won
Quite possibly true. As the players being fit obviously doesn't address Arsene's serious lack of tactical know-how or even his desire to actually prepare properly to address other teams' strengths...
I did have a few beers last night so I may have been confused, but in the last couple of games it looks like AW may have been trying some of that tactics stuff. Pod has been playing much more centrally and getting into the area more and we look to have a bit more of a goal threat. He can afford to do it against weaker teams and we may have turned a few draws into wins if he'd tried it earlier.
Chief window licker John Cross has been churning out plenty of pro-Arsene propaganda today about how he's earnt the right to rebuild for next season yadda yadda yadda. Repeat ad nauseum, it could be any article from May of the past 8 years...
