Arsenal...lose it again

[Schards#2]

Tbf, if they were to win the league (which they won't) then he wouldn't really need to fix anything.

Disagree with this.

Whoever wins the league this year will, IMHO, be the worst team to win the top flight in my lifetime. All contenders have many flaws and have played poorly in a fair percentage of their matches.

[PlasticRoyale]

It's not as easy to just go out and buy a great keeper.

Utd struggled to replace Schmeichel.

[PlasticRoyale]

If Utd/Chelsea/Spuds are not very good then the rest of Europe
bar Barcelona/Real Madrid must be fooking awful

[TBM]

Seriously, I could coach Barca and get the same results... look at the team...

You're Sam Allardyce AICMFRMS

[Hoop Blah]

It's not as easy to just go out and buy a great keeper.

Utd struggled to replace Schmeichel.

Totally agree it's not just as simple as saying 'right I need a top class keeper' but it really seems that Wenger hasn't really tried.

I believe he came very close to signing Schwarzer from Fulham but since Lehmann left he doesn't seem to have made enough effort to fill the void.

Shay Given would've been the perfect signing if you ask me, even down to being the right age that he'd be making way at around the time their young lad will be ready to step in.

[ZacNaloen]

With a club like Arsenal who play their transfer cards very close to their chest, it's very difficult to comment on what they have and haven't done the transfer market.

[Maguire]

It's not as easy to just go out and buy a great keeper.

Utd struggled to replace Schmeichel.

Totally agree it's not just as simple as saying 'right I need a top class keeper' but it really seems that Wenger hasn't really tried.

I believe he came very close to signing Schwarzer from Fulham but since Lehmann left he doesn't seem to have made enough effort to fill the void.

Shay Given would've been the perfect signing if you ask me, even down to being the right age that he'd be making way at around the time their young lad will be ready to step in.

Wenger tried to buy Reina for £20M last summer

(according to Bob Wilson on TV this weekend)

[Hoop Blah]

Fair enough as he'd be the quality of keeper they need, but it sounds like they're just trying to compete with the Spurs of old in almost signing players.

At least that shows he was looking to do something, but looking back over the season was it enough?

[Row Z Royal]

Flip side to sacking Wenger is that Arsenal could then do a Liverpool and slip out of the top 5

Indeed. Unless the exact right man came in, there'd be too much change too quickly.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Arsenal are so good and frustrating to watch. The better teams go narrow against them, so Arsenal can't pass the ball through the middle. When Arsenal do go wide an get a cross in, the final ball is rubbish or there is no one in the box.

Van Persie will only be a good player when he can play a whole season. There's no point in having a world class player who only plays 15 league games a year. When he is out, Bendtner and Chamakh aren't good enough. I've never seen two big players be so poor at holding the ball up.

Wenger's refusal to buy a big name keeper is their main downfall. They lose 7-10 points a year because of Almunia's mistakes. They wouldn't pay the £2.5m Fulham wanted for Van Der Sar, and look what he's won at United. They constantly get offered Shay Given, but won't pay the £6m City want for him, and the Schwarzer situation was embaressing. They've been unlucky with Vermalaen as they didn't think he'd be out for the season, but Squillaici is quite clearly not a top drawer central defender. kolscieny is improving but needs to bulk out for the premier league.

At the end of the day, if Arsenca can't pass through a team, they reall don't have a plan b

[readingbedding]

Hang on...

Late penalty, 8th minute in injury time.

Hang on...

12th minute of injury time Liverpool equalise.

[buzzby]

Hang on...

Late penalty, 8th minute in injury time.

Hang on...

12th minute of injury time Liverpool equalise.

Wenger as gracious as ever

[Stranded]

Gotta love Kenny's reaction.

[Zammo]

Amazing second half, and Arsenal got what they deserved. They were awful. Their total football, which allowed Wenger to get away with not winning trophies, has gone missing. Wenger was so short of inspiration that he played Bendtner out on the wing, which in itself is a massive LOL. Typical Wenger at the final whistle. Everybody else's fault. So glad they won't be winning the league.

[Boyle the Royal]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Ebou%C3%A9

"He really isn't a good enough footballer to play for Arsenal. Intelligence of a fly."

[PlasticRoyale]

Gotta love Kenny's reaction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12jYmjCN ... r_embedded

lolz

[No Fixed Abode]

Don't get me wrong - Guardiola is obviously talented, 'the next Mourinho', but I think it's too early to assume he's one of the world's best just because he took the best squad of players in the world to a season full of trophies.

The 'next Mourinho' is at Porto m8 - Andre Villas Boas. Linked with the Chelsea job if Carlo is sacked. Won the Portugese title in his first year and has worked at Chelsea before as a scout under Mourinho.

[Wide and Wonderful]

It's not as easy to just go out and buy a great keeper.

Utd struggled to replace Schmeichel.

To be fair Schmeichel was pretty much impossible to replace - he is the definitive goalkeeper that raised the bar for what we expect from goalkeepers in this day and age..

Regards Arsenal - They just aren't mentally strong enough and I suspect that a lack of British players in the team may well be the reason. English players may not have the flair or fancy tricks that our europeans seem to have in abundance, but by god do we play with some heart and passion in our game. If you look at the teams that have been successful over the last decade and a half, they had a core of British Players in their ranks.

Whilst it is true that Arsene Wenger has changed many things in English football - players are far more professional and health, fitness and athleticism have improved no end in the last 15 years or so because of his influence. But he seems to struggle with develop mental toughness since Tony Adams et al left the club some 8 years ago. (Gallas's sit down strop as captain a prime example.)

English players may have their faults, but a lack competitiveness and mental strenght isn't one of them.

[Kitson12]

Arsenal should have signed Given when they had the chance!

[FiNeRaIn]

English players may have their faults, but a lack competitiveness and mental strenght isn't one of them.

Thats why the English national team are renowned bottle jobs?