Arsecafe: Where now for Arsenal?

Team Brian GB

Then Chelsea would have came out of hibernation and attacked them again, every time we went forward at pace we had an intent that was lacking in the Arsenal side, it is classic Chelsea to get a comfortable lead and let the opposition tire themselves out in much ado about nothing.

I don't understand the theory that if you have a lot of possession then you by default 'dominate' a game, I would say that as they did nothing with it and looked like a blunt force that the Chelsea defence dominated the game as every single time they fought back whatever Arsenal tried to do and were successful.

Team Brian GB

Fabregas shot a lot, aiming for people in the stands from a million miles out mind.

Team Brian GB

Seriously though, I think Wenger needs to be given a serious wake up call about the deficencies in his side, as if this week isn't proof enough, and beat Porto in the CL and get drawn against Barcelona.

GlastonSpur

Where now for Arsenal?

Pretty much out of the title race now, very probably another trophyless season, a small outside chance of being sucked into the fight to finish in the top 4, Fabregas quite likely IMO to leave in the summer, followed by a major Arsenal spending spree and a revamping of the squad in all 3 areas: defence, midfield and strikers ... particularly in the defensive and GK department.

So far this season Arsenal rank 9th in the goals conceded table, below even teams like Stoke, Fulham and Birmingham. Even Spurs, who takes more risks than many teams in trying to play attacking football, have conceded 5 less than Arsenal.

You can't expect a team that says it has league title aspirations to have any chance with such a leaky defence.

Brwned

I can't believe how you can't see the hilarity of your contrast in opinion on Arsenal and Spurs.

Genuinely cracks me up.

peterstorey

Well a worst case 3rd place. And a tilt at the CL. Doesn't sound too shabby when compared with some others does it?

jdmufc

when compared to others, no.

if thats what you´re happy to settle for then fair enough

Eto'odinho

Glaston's post must be the most genuinely hilarious one written in ages.

Sam.G

You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig..

Liverpool beat you on Weds and even third is up for grabs. From title contenders to 4th place battlers in little over a week. Keep applying that lipstick..

Saying that, I think you'll beat Liverpool Weds and it would have been good to see Arsenal challenging for longer.

GlastonSpur

Which bit of my above view on Arsenal do you think is so wrong?

And I only mentioned Spurs (and other teams) in relation to goals conceded, so again doubtless you'll tell me what's amiss.

peterstorey

So you don't even need the lippy to fancy that pig?

GlastonSpur

A day or so ago you were telling me that Spurs were out of the race of for 4th place, despite being just 1 point off the pace, and that Arsenal were still well on course for the title.

Well, Arsenal now need to make up 10 points on Chelsea in order to displace them.

So forgive me if I regard as entirely looney your comparative assessment of the situation viz Spurs for 4th and Arsenal for the title.

Sure Arsenal still have a tilt at the CL and it's a bigger trophy than the FA Cup, but your chances are small IMO ... probably less than Spurs chances in the FA Cup.

And sure you'll probably finish in 3rd place, but then again I haven't predicted 3rd place for Spurs, whilst you have predicted a title win for Arsenal.

CnutOfAllCnuts

I wouldn't be too sure about it.

I'd said a best cast 3rd place.

Kraftwerker

Some funny contributions here.

A Spurs fan having a go at Arsenal for underperforming and conceding too many goals.

And a Liverpool fan accusing Arsenal fans of putting lipstick on a pig.

Now all we need is a Man City fan to come along and accuse them of wasting money.

Team Brian GB

I imagine you will come third but it is certainly not worst case scenario whilst it is still only February when you could only be two points ahead of Liverpool on Wednesday night, and also Man City still have two games in hand - it is by no means out of the question that you can finish fifth.

CnutOfAllCnuts

peterstorey

I didn't say we were well on course I said we were still in it, which if we had won yesterday we would be. Spurs aren't in the race for 4th you've had better teams and been better positioned and still blown it over teh last few years. Don't forget you're Spurs.

x42bn6

Team Brian GB

I agree with that, Arsenal to finish any higher need to win every game they have left and hope that Man United and Chelsea above them drop 7,8,9,10 points respectively because I'm not convinced that could happen.

Team Brian GB

I wouldn't be too cocky because Tottenham could third to fifth and so could you, you all basically have to play each other still, Liverpool are five points behind Arsenal and Man City are eight behind with two games in hand - I'd be looking behind instead of ahead of you.

peterstorey

You should be looking behind you since you're right in ManU's sights rather than Spurs'.

GlastonSpur

You began the season by predicting Arsenal would win the league. Now you're 10 points off the pace, your challenge is effectively over, done and dusted, and you are reduced to saying "if".

Spurs are just 1 point off the pace for 4th, so very obviously we are still in the race and still in with a chance. But I'm not surprised that your bitter "logic" denies it.

sincher

I'm not so sure Arsenal are completely out of it. Their run-in is pretty easy - if they can get RVP back fit, they might still have a chance. Neither us nor Chelsea have looked like definite winners.

Spurs have a chance for 4th but I doubt they'll get ahead of the scousers.

Chadwick's Acne

It'd be pretty immense if both Arsenal and Liverpool missed out on the top four (along with City) but it won't happen sadly.

GlastonSpur

Er ... since Chelsea top the table, they can hardly be looking anywhere else but behind them

peterstorey

We're not completely out of it (we've come from further back before) but it's unlikely that both teams will drop enough points. I doubt RvP will be back this season.

sincher

RvP not coming back kills you off straight away I think.

sincher

You need to get Bendtner in the team pronto. It's not that he's brilliant, but at least your fannies can play off him rather than just rubbing up against each other.

F-Red

Realistically, 3rd at best is all you'll achieve this season. Compared with others it doesn't sound too bad, but Wenger and Arsenal should be competing for titles, not settling for 3rd or 4th in the league. If that's the expectations from Arsenal fans then there is something wrong.

Crerand Legend

They are out of it and thats the cold hard facts. The Arsenal team I watched yesterday is one of the poorest that Wenger has assembled and even an early Van Persie return wont make much difference. Will still make top 4 easily enough

peterstorey

No one's happy with not winning one of the big pots. But while pointing that out might be acceptable coming from a ManU fan, coming from the Spurs wankers it's a bit rich.

RonaldoVII

If they lose against Liverpool on Wednesday, not only will they have a fight for 3rd on their hands but a fight for 4th too. Spurs and Villa to join us and Chelsea in the top 4

Team Brian GB

They've won the Carling Cup in the last four years, you've won nothing.

sincher

That's too strong. They are not a poor side. They are still the best attacking side in the league when they have everyone fit.

Predictably enough, they have probably proven not strong enough defensively to win it.

People are forgetting that last year, virtually the same side beat most of the big teams and struggled to break down some of the smaller teams.

Brophs

Arsenal are far from a poor side. Firstly, they had both of their traditional front men either unavailable, or only fit enough for a bit-part role. The also had Clichy who I think is an extremely good player not long back from injury, and it showed.

Arsenal only need a couple of players to be a cracking side; a keeper, a Flamini type to allow the midfield to play and another out-and-out striker to provide competition for Van Persie and Bendtner.

If they have a problem, IMO, it's their lack of a plan B. It seems the done thing against them now is to tighten the middle, and force them to cross the ball which, with Arshavin up front is worse than hopeless. They need someone who can hold the ball up a bit to bring the flair players into the game. Earlier in the season Van Persie was doing that brilliantly. If Bendtner can do that for them they'll look a far better side.

Pogue Mahone

If I was a gooner I might find that reassuring if the same thing wasn't true last summer. And the summer before that.

The gaps in Wenger's squad have been ongoing for a while now, it's his inability/unwillingness to fill them that is holding them back.

Chadwick's Acne

They need a lot more than three players, fans forget that it's squads that win titles nowadays...

GlastonSpur

Not really, considering your overblown pretensions about it all. Nor when Spurs have more recently won a trophy than Arsenal, "big pot" or not.

And nor especially when you have already bet me £50 that Arsenal will win the league, with the bet to be voided if Spurs don't finish 5th or higher.

The fact is that the Arsenal squad is not as good as you crack it up to be, nor the Spurs squad as bad as you like to make out.

kundalini

Arsenal's defence was abysmal against United and within 25 mins at Stamford Bridge had made another two terrible errors. They haven't got a clue how to defend against the counter-attack; what was Vermaelen doing moving back into the centre rather than covering the main threat Drogba, who of course scored?

More than anything, Arsenal need to recognise that defending is the responsibility of the whole team for 90 + mins and has to be taken seriously. At the moment the list of Arsenal players who don't take defending seriously is a very long one.

kouroux

Go on Glaston.Give it to him