The Arsenal Society VIII

How about Guardiola to replace Wenger? Seems like a ready-made replacement to me. Similar type of football and Guardiola is unlikely to stay at Barca after next season. Might even get Arsenal to press higher like Barca.

Can't believe some of the suggestions on here. Wenger will NOT spend big in the summer. This is clearly a transitional period for Arsenal with the debt from the new stadium. The main priority for Arsene will be to finish in the top four every season which he is doing with considerable ease.

Anyone else feel this team has overachieved? Average age is only around 24 so they're still to reach their peak. If Arsenal can keep hold of their key players then in around 3-4 years this team should be able to win something. Doesn't help when teams around them are spending ridiculous amounts of money which is being financed by ***** who are ruining football.

How do you know this?

This view amuses me. Arsenal fans have been saying this for years now. They always seem to have a good young squad that won't win anything, and then you'll hear people say in a few years time once they've matured they'll win stuff but that never happens.

It's because we are constantly selling our best/key players every season, and replacing them with kids. Which makes our average age remain static. Last summer was the first time we didn't sell anyone.

With an average age of 23, I can confidently say we will have a much better side in 3/4 years.

I think a lot of scrutiny is put on our defence but i think we have to look forward to see some of our problems.

One thing that's been instilled in this side is to overpass. When we went unbeaten or won the double, or won our first title, whenever we went down I knew at any time and against any opposition we could score a goal.

This season Man United have scored more goals than us, heck I'd wager that Chelsea and Totteham aren't too far off either.

We have pretty much no good centre forwards any more and van Persie (an injury prone Striker) has toscore all of our goals. He's the only good goalscorer we have. Heck the season where we threw it away at Birmingham van Pizzle was injured but we had Adebayor to score goals for us. Now we have Bendtner and Chamakh, who upon inspection of the season gone we can't rely on to get 25+ goals a season.

More importantly though one thing we've lost and Man United have, is the ability to score a goal at any point. Those seasons gone, we were probably one of the best counter attacking teams of all time. Being able to win possesion back and in the twinkle of an eye put the ball in the back of the opponetns net.

Also if a team wants to keep a clean sheet against us (which most now do) all they have to do is put the team behind the ball and defend with a bit of organisation and they won't concede. Simply because we want to pass the ball too damn, much. Even those seasons 2,3,4 years ago we created chances and pundits saying we overpass would piss me off because that wasnt the case but now it's pretty damn frustrating when a player has an opportunity to shoot (an opportunity that even I could score from), but instead tries to make an intricate pass to a teammate.

Like seriously, they can all shoot , if they're driving into the 18 yard box with the ball on their favoured foot and space in front of them, it's rare for an Arsenal player to shoot.

/incoherentrant

Agreed. I think that's where something Panth was saying about us not varying tactics comes to the front - our only way of playing is to sit on the edge of the box looking for little passes through to end up with a tap in, that's all very well if defences are willing to commit, leaving space in behind for passes to be made, but seeing as that's the only way we play, they know they don't need to commit. It ends up with the defensive unit keeping shape, too many bodies in the way to fire off shots and other players are able to track back and put in tackles (i.e Davies yesterday) without the defence ever being really threatened. The result always seems to be that we either misplace a pass, are intercepted by the players getting back or the ball gets switched out wide to one of the fullbacks who'll cross in - none of our midfield players are in the box anyway as they're mainly sat on the edge waiting for the ball to be passed back (not that they have the physical presence to challenge in the box anyway) and RvP is left trying to win a header against 2 CB's and probably a couple of DMs as well who've tracked back from their position between the defence and our passing mids on the edge.

We really need to be a lot more direct on the counter and try more shots early on in moves from around the area. Tbf, recently we do seem to be doing this more, we saw a lot of shots from Cesc/Nasri in the first half yesterday, sadly most were dragged a touch wide and Jussi made a fabulous save on another. We also did it to an extent against Spurs - Nasri's goal showing how it can work. The more we make shots like this, the more it will pay off, therefore the more other teams will notice and be forced to start committing defenders more in order to block the shots, that will free up the space in behind for the little passes to work leaving the tap in opportunities we seem to so rarely get these days. Just a slight variation like that could make our system work a lot better imo.

Adding the extra attacking option of a different striker would also do wonders in that respect too, our strength in depth upfront is pretty awful tbh. Even ignoring RvP's fitness, we should have more than one top top striker - look at United with Roo, Berba & Hernandez, Chelsea with Torres, Drog and Anelka - Sturridge too to an extent. We pale in comparison. So when you add that RvP's fitness is so unreliable too, it looks fairly **** tbh. In fairness to Wenger he's tried to add that option with Chamakh but that's failed really and so should be looked at again.

Even Pool have Suarez, Carroll and Kuyt.

To start the season with a broken RvP as our only proper striker is scary.

I don't see Nasri and Cesc at Arsenal for another 3 years.

Exactly. You have to question the best way to free up the funds for it, though.

If we're shifting some of the deadwood in the side do we really want to use all that money on a good attacking option or spend at least some on bringing in like for like replacements? I think part of the attitude problem we have atm may be caused by a lack of competition in the side and other than perhaps Ramsey, none of the youngsters coming through are really ready to challenge for first team places yet. I wouldn't be opposed to selling Chamakh, perhaps it's a bit rash but it's dallying about that can really cost you with players. He's not showing any promise at all atm, seems very much a confidence player and he's not gonna get that by being a number 2 to RvP, which, given his skill set and ability, is all he ever realistically will be. Might be best to get rid now while people still remember his goals at the start of the season and performances in Europe last year?

The amount of money spent this summer(supposedly £40k) should not be spent on 1/2 players, say 1 striker and 1 midfield. However amount of money is there to spend, it should be spent wisely and help the squad gain ability+experience and not just talent in one area.

Other than that I'm sure there is a French Hernandez Wenger can find.

Now that is Arsenal money

OUT

There have been plenty of rumours that £40k is what he has this summer.