Wednesday, 23 May 2012

RTK Blog: Arsene calls for more time

Arsene Wenger’s press conference after the Old Trafford rout summed up the club’s state of mind and affairs. In an attempt not to make excuses our manager fielded the obvious criticism of his tenure. Arsene confirmed the signing of Chu-Young Park and said that he was going after a defender and a midfielder. He ruled out the link with Arteta and he refused to admit that he had got it wrong. If Gooners were looking for solace, then there was none. Arsene Wenger has decided to give lessons in how to deal with humiliation and that is to realise that we had 8 players out and physically after the Udinese game, we were a spent force in the second half.

The eight players if you needed reminding are Jack Wilshere, Gervinho, Vermaelen, Song, Gibbs, Diaby, Sagna, and Frimpong. These were special circumstances according to Arsene, and he conceded that Arsenal were short in some areas, but apparently the score was not typical of the performance of the team. In response to the predicted loss of Fabregas and Nasri, he said if he finds players who will strengthen the squad he will do it. Apparently the scouting team consists of 20 people let’s hope that they deliver. Manchester United also had a young team, and two of it’s frontline centre backs missing. The difference was depth and experience. Training with the likes of Ferdinand and Vijdic has given Phil Jones and Chris Smalling a quantum leap ahead of their rivals. On the Arsenal bench, five players had never played Premier League football for the club. Our youth need world class players to train alongside in order to give them the development they need but where are they?

The problem is that the players we are after are on the second tier, and certainly not world class. Even signing the world class Kaka on a loan deal will not stop our defence shipping goals. Success begins at the back, and now on the showing of Djourou and Koscielny, we need Cahill and Samba. Cahill would provide the quality, and Samba the no nonsense defensive aggression needed. We will need an experienced playmaker to allow the new forwards to have good service, and of course a new left back. Time is running out, and at the end of this week, we will be able to analyse our prospects for the coming season. This result yesterday was the mother of all humiliations and if we do not respond positively in the transfer market then the club morale will disintegrate and protests will be the order of the day.

Arsene refuses to accept responsibility for this defeat, and in stating that he must be given more time before judging whether he has got it wrong is a flawed defence, which is astonishing given that Fabregas knew that he was leaving the club 2 months ago and Na$ri wanted to leave at the start of pre-season. Now even allowing for the cash flow scenarios, it was not necessary to wait until the Champions league qualifier to go after players. Arsene confirmed that Arsenal Football Club are behind other clubs in paying decent wages and confirmed that in an ideal world the young players would benefit from having experienced players alongside them.

The problems at the club are very simple to explain and the natural sequence of disastrous consequences are entirely predictable, and for many of us the surprise was not the defeat at Old Trafford but it’s manner. It leaves many Gooners today in a state of shock. Everyone outside the club seems to know how to fix the problem, but due to a mixture of  a Machiavellian Board and a conviction Manager we are waiting for reality to dawn. This my friends is the beginning of a real crisis, and only by the end of Wednesday evening will we know if it can be averted.

Rocky the King     e-mail rtk@arsenalinsider.com  Twitter @RTKafc_insider

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Rocky_The_King

Ok I wasn't born and bred a Gooner, but after being in the wilderness, I saw the light and beat a track for Highbury. I have been a season ticket holder for over a decade, and now a life member of the Arsenal Supporter's trust. I hate the Scum and Man U with a passion. Formerly FTK I am co-owner of Arsenalinsider and it's chief blog writer, I can be found having a rant about all things Arsenal, and believe me, you had better listen...

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  • Edgems4

    I was almost lynched here for suggesting that we are up for defeats the entire August.I can’t see the situation improving for obvious reasons.That Wenger goat…….even Ferguson feels we should not play them again unti and i quote,”Wenger  gets back their big players”….At one time Fergie became disinterested in any more scores and he seemed to say,”Enough boys”.What a shame!!!!….So Wenger wants to sign who?…Alex who?…..crap!

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    • Anonymous

      AW is only partly at fault, he needs to prove that he still can take Arsenal forward, time is running out

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      • Angelo1971

        He won’t make it with these players, unless he gets us a proper defensive coach immediately. Preferably an Arsenal legend. We need respected staff. Chesny would profit to learn from Seaman. Also the whole medical team should be fired immediately. Unfortunately he fails to admit these problems. The uninterested players should be fired as well. And the board and the uninterested owner? We are in deep shit. I don’t
        like Hansen after his Walcott remark, but he’s been right in most of the
        things. AW is (and therefore we are) in big trouble.

        I know I find positive solutions to come true only on my playstation or football manager (pc).

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      • BigL

        He is entirely at fault. No partly about it

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      • BigL

        He is entirely at fault. No partly about it

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        • Anonymous

          Fair enuf Bigsy…
          You are entitled to your view.

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  • Anonymous

    I’m prepared to wait untill the end of the transfer window before judging Wenger, but it doesn’t look good.

    It has been obvious for several seasons that the squad has been getting weaker and weaker.

    Yesterday’s shambolic defensive display must surely finally convince Wenger that his most urgent need is for two centre backs a left back and a defensive mid fielder.

    Any question as to which defenders would be better than Djourou and Koscielny can be answered in two words, “almost anybody”

    Fans who have been forced to pay an extra 6.5% can’t be expected to put up with the present situation.

    Spend the money Mr. Wenger or get out.

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    • charliegeorge

      You wanker.  Calling for his head now when you’ve been wrong for the last, what, 4 years.  4 years behind the times.  4 years of getting it wrong.  RTK, for his part, is still in denial.  Still burying his head.  Still as wrong now as he was 4 years ago.  Yep, you can tell who knows about football and who doesn’t around these parts.

      Wankers!

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      • Anonymous

        Try not to label others with your own sexual proclivities.

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        • charliegeorge

          You mean yours and Wenger’s.  After all, you seem to agree with his debauched methods.  There’s no turning back for you.  After defending him so staunchly for all these years, your credibility, of which there wasn’t all that much to begin with, is shot.

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          • Anonymous

            I have supported Wenger ever since he arrived at the club and I need apologise to nobody for doing so,  His record has been excellent, although under the financial constraints imposed by the construction of The Emirates and London Colney it has not been possible to progress as far as we would all wish.

            As, charliegeorge, you consider yourself omniscient perhaps you could provide us with the name of a manager who could have done better, at the same time name the man to replace Wenger.

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          • charliegeorge

            I seem to recall Wengerites saying exactly the same thing any time anti-Wengerites pleaded for change. 

            What on God’s green Earth makes people conceive of the notion that only one man, and one man alone, can cure Arsenal’s ills?  When it’s the same man pushing Arsenal deeper and deeper into a hole.

            Is this some sort of twisted logic? 

            We obviously need somone who can clear up this mess, impose some creative destruction. 

            If you think no other manager can come in and right the wrongs, what makes you think the same manager who caused those wrongs is still the best person for the job?

            Can’t you see that whatever he had, he has lost?  Can’t you see that he has been blinded by turning so-called unpolished stones into gems?  As they say in the classics: power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

            Who should be brought in?

            I don’t care.  Anyone.  Someone.  An individual who isn’t totally deluded.  Moyes, Coyle, Hughes.  It doesn’t really matter at this juncture. 

            Just don’t serve up Pat Rice, for crying out loud.  A very real prospect if he were sacked tomorrow.  Which in itself speaks to his complete insecurity.

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      • Anonymous

        Your analysis under another name four years ago appears to have been more right than mine. We can argue whether I have been in denial, I would say that I have been prudent and willing to give AW more time. But your passion then was about saving the demise of the club’s good name. I made constructive mild criticisms, yours were bordering upon the vitriolic.
        We needed balance.
        Now all those years on, AW remains as before, but this time even his best players don’t believe him anymore. However I would respect your position more if you heaped your oprobium upon the Board as well. When the final story is to9ld, we shall see more than AW at fault.
        I do believe that this will be AW’s last season at the club, for unless we seriously strengthen we will miss out upon Champions League qualification. i am not sure that if the owners and the Board remain of the same mindset that AW’s successor will fare any better.
        Perhaps it is time for usmanov after all…

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        • charliegeorge

          Yes RTK, and I seem to recall you once wrote under a different moniker.  The golden child for which Project Youth was built around.  He didn’t buy it, Nasri didn’t buy it, Henry didn’t buy it, Vieira didn’t buy it, God only knows who else didn’t buy it, except for …. . let me see, there was harper, arsenehollis, JIN, and … yes …. there was you.

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      • Angelo1971

        You’re an animal. We don’t need your kind.

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        • charliegeorge

          Kind?  And what kind are you?  The kind who’s got your head so far up Wenger’s backside it ain’t funny.  The kind who wouldn’t know a football if it hit him flush in the face.  The rusted-on kind who needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the realms of modern football.  Which clearly and palpably, you fail to understand.  An acolyte until the end.

           You know, there’s a reason why dinosaurs are dead. 

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          • Angelo1971

            I’m not a wengerist. Quite to the contrary. I thought you were an AKB. I can’t help it. After all these I can’t stop hating them. Sorry for the misunderstanding. If I was rude I just lost it after the new bad news. We have no left back (Gibbs injured) because they sell Traore. You can hate him but I think it’s a massive lack of coaching and lack tactics  that he looked so bad. Still better than nothing.

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    • Anonymous

      J.I.N the Board has failed to increase the finances to pay the wages of decent signings, but AW is too hung up upon not paying the market price, he feels obliged to stick to his valuations

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      • Anonymous

        RTK, perhaps it’s time to release the players who are hanging around the treatment room on inflated wages.  It may work out cheaper to buy out the contracts of players, like the perpetually injured Diaby, and so release funds to pay better wages to more reliable players.

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        • Angelo1971

          The new players should be coming with injury clause. If you get injured so many times like Diaby you’re out.

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  • Mexican Gunner

    According to some french journalist Arsene was very close to sign Hazard offering 15m in cash plus 4 in add ons plus Diaby BUT the president of Lille knowing about the red situation of Arsene decided to ask 5 more millions and one more player, apparently Squillacci. SO Arsene decided to breake the negotiations and steal that korean guy.

    If its true its horrible, because Hazard would be great so no more negotiations with Lille in the future until their president or our manager leaves wich is awful cus Lille usually has very interesting players.

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    • Anonymous

      Diaby and Squillaci?  What sort of incentive is that?

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      • Angelo1971

        You broke the ice. After this defeat you made me laugh for the first time. It’s like offering 2 bags of shit to a restaurant. Tragicomedy.

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  • Leigh

    Better to use Sol Campbell than no new signings.

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  • Bradley Stuart

    Poor Kos. He played his heart out but he is only one man in a second rate defence.
    I think TV and Kos are good. I would give Lille both those rubbish players in a heartbeat to get Hazard.
    I don’t think we need Cahill and Samba, just one and a LB cos those two we have are utter rubbish too.

    I’d flog AA to Wolfburg cos he has lost it all. Pace, skill and shooting ability.
    I doubt that many other managers in the PL would keep the rubbish hi earning straglers at the club. I think Bentner was hard done by when he played on the wing but also dug his own hole with his big mouth.

    Let’s keep the faith, 2 days to buy and 2 weeks for players to recover and gel.

    After that Wenger better make some magic or he’s out the door.

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    • Anonymous

      We have run out of time I fear, as the selling clubs will add 2 million to their previous price and say take it or leave it. So we have seriously messed up this window and someone had better take the blame for it…

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  • Stanlo24u

    It is obvious that Arsene must look for great players to buy before the close of transfer window. the team needs to be upgraded before more disaster. It is good that we are loosing now so we can put our team in order. God help Arsenal FC, God help Arsene

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    • Anonymous

      Amen brother…

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  • Mark

    The Arsenal Board are happy to take our money for tickets and merchandise but are not willing to spend some money on players. Time we started boycotting games until they start spending some money on players. You can help save our team by doing one of the following: Boycott future games until we spend 70 Million on new players or Bring a red card with you to the games! Lets show the red card to Wenger and the Board

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-Arsenal/266192366741705?v=wall

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    • Anonymous

      Unfortunately season ticket holders have paid their money, let’s face it the board wont be embarrassed by the few remaining seats being left empty.  What should sting them into action is the disgraceful site of the league tables this morning.  Arsenal just 1 point above the relegation zone.

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      • Anonymous

        we would have been bottom save the point at Newcastle

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    • Anonymous

      your views are entitled to be aired, as long as they do not harm the club

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  • Anonymous

    If Kroenke has any interest in Arsenal Football Club’s future he must immediately invite Usmanov onto the board.

    Wenger is in desperate need of somebody to help and advise him, that somebody is David Dein.

    Gazidis, with his almost total lack of football knowledge and his culpability in the failure to see through the necessarry signings over several transfer windows should be sacked.

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    • Anonymous

      I am leading calls for Gazidis to go…

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  • Oddsmaestro

    There was one person who saw this coming, David Dein. If only we would have listened to him. But instead he became the villain. How wrong we all were. We need Dein on the board, with Usmanov. Not for money, but for ambition!!!!

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    • Anonymous

      i agree

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  • BigL

    Glad you have woken up RTK. The sad thing is this is this could have been avoided. We tried to march against it at the end of last season, you called to give Wenger more time.

    When he doesn’t sign anymore players, how much time will you give him?

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    • Anonymous

      2 days mate, and I mean it…

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  • Bpod

    I knew we where in for a thrashing maybe 5 or 6  nil,but 8-2,complete and utter joke.Nevermind top 4 at best 6 or 7th place,hoping to avoid the Europa league.

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    • Anonymous

      ooops! hope you’re wrong

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  • me

     

    bellamy strong spirited attacker (only one attacking player needed)
     
    3 defensive players needed (cb,cdm,lb)
    g.cahill defensive strength and good in the air
    jagielka defensive strength and organised
    samba determined to not allow attackers to feel comfortable
    richard dunne defensive strength and reliably fit
    alex(Chelsea) defensive strength

    theres enough faberagas/nasri/clichy money into tempting these players.

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    • Anonymous

      I think that Bellamy would do a job too, I mean if we were considering that psychopath Barton, then Bellamy is Barton on tranquillisers imo…lol

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  • Notoverthehill

    RTK I believe you are correct that the “malaise” started wikth Nasri in  January and Cesc shortly after, wishing to leave.  Undoubtedly the buy-out has not only tied up the running of the Club but also has destabilised the whole structure of Arsenal Holdings with KSE having to look for the cash to pay those who have sold their shares.  Will Red Holdings now put the pressure on KSE by increasing their holding of shares to 30%.  IF the AST have 10% of the shares will Red Holdings tempt some of the members? 

    Too many are ignoring the self-inflicted absentees, Gervinho, Song, Frimpong and now Jenkinson.  Has any other club in the history of EPL had 4 red cards in the first 3 games?  Senderos was finished by Drogba, Djourou likewise with Rooney.  The 2 full-backs were tailor made for the ManIOU wingers.  Hale End Academy and the Reserves have been a weak link now for the last 2 years, mainly because I do not believe The Arsenal carry out psychometrical tests on all prospective recruits.

    The only new recruit that I can spot in the coaching team is a goalkeeper.  The coaching team cries out for younger coaches with proven intgernational playing experience.

    Win, lose or draw, WE ARE THE ARSENAL.  The moaners and groaners and soothsayers are not rrequired for the duration.

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    • Angelo1971

      Moaners? You nutcase. The whole building is collapsing on our heads because of the incompetence. The board, Wenger, the coaches (?) and the medical team (rather injury team) are all at fault. Spare us your stupidity. With Gibbs injured Traore sold (!!!) we have no left backs. Traore finds QPR more attractive. Within a year that’s how far we reached. Last year we needed about 3-4 proper players to achieve and get belief into the players. I mean Suarez kind of die hard players and not soft dick Chamakhs and Squilaccis. So we are moaners because we want at least a defensive coach, faithful players and competence instead of the relegation form and humiliation. Fuck off you shit.

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      • Notoverthehill

        The Emirates, London Colney and Hale End Academy all collapsing???

        The Arsenal Ladies have clinched the inaugural FA Women’s Super League title with a 3-1 win over Liverpool.  Out of the mouths of babies, come forth wisdom.

        If the cap fits wear it!!!

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        • Angelo1971

          Oh. I was talking about the men’s first team and the surrounding incompetence. Respect to the ladies though. The academy has never really fulfilled its potential. 

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        • Anonymous

          Wahaaay!

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  • Bigsyisback

    Lay off Wenger, it is bloody obvious that he is taking the rap for the Board, either way the board should now be making a statement ..they should come out and publicly back or sack Wenger, their silence is exactly the root of the problem and precisely the type of idiots Wenger is dealing with, blame the board not Arsene for they are the problem and the sole reason you all want answers, if they spoke out you would all know where you stood, and something tells me Wenger is in the dark too doesn’t it look that way to you..for all his sins at least Levy speaks his mind, most of the time it is absolute shite he waffles but it is a view we all know is his own …lay off Wenger !

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    • Angelo1971

      I’m sure/I feel that to a certain extent you’re right (transfers; self-contradictory comments to press). I just have a few questions:

      1.) I still don’t understand why he did not try to put pressure on the board by threatening with resignation and revealing the truth. If he really loves Arsenal he would not want to cover the board and Kroenke, because they destroy the club. 2.) Tactics man. You must have a plan B and in the case of United he did not even a plan A. 3.) Why not employ a defensive coach? Bringing in a(n Arsenal legend) from outside or bringing over Bould to train the boys would even raise the morale. 3.) Medical team? Fire the cunts.

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      • Bigsyisback

        All valid questions and I think these next 48 hours will give you the answers you are looking for,
        Wenger has always maintained that he does not need to buy big and has the talent from within, if he now “panic buys” in the next 48 hrs all of his theories were a load of waffle and he was covering for the board who have now stepped in and backed him with cash, if he does nothing then it is clear question 2 above, is not something he is interested in as you have no squad for a plan b,…question 3 ..perhaps wenger likes to run the entire ship and defensive coaches are only as good as the man in charge, you can have the best “zonal coach “in the world but if the manager does not agree with zonal marking it is a wasted theory, I also know for a fact wenger and bob wilson were at each others throats for years so coaching is not always that easy to put right !

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        • Angelo1971

          Proper coaching and instilling winning mentality would solve most of these problems. By the way Koscielny should put on some muscles and be trained. He has some ability just see the Barca game. He’s been wasted for a year. Check Zoltan Gera from West Brom (the Welsh dog killed him at Fulham though). He was on cheap drugs when he was young. He had no muscles. He stopped the crap and was working like 2 to beef up. From a provincial city he was taken to Budapest’s FTC. From there he achieved the PL move and the Europa League final and the player of the season award. Can you imagine if he does not do cheap drugs he might have ended up in a bigger team. Taking from where he started it’s still a fairy tale. The summary is if you have the basic abilities you can work your way up with hard work. I just do not see the hard work, though it might not only the player’s fault.

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        • Angelo1971

          Only a coach Wenger respects could come. Question as u said if it works that way. I think even Pat would be good but either he’s a yes man or he accepted that Wenger does not tolerate people with different opinion. Either way somebody’s at fault. I simply don’t believe that most of these guys could not do a plan B if properly instructed. Those who are not willing should be fired on disciplinary ground. There has to be a way. If in a proper workplace you don’t achieve you will be fired. Punishment could solve the yellow/red card situation as well.

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        • Angelo1971

          By the way collective punishment would either bring the team together creating discipline or the unnecessary red card heroes would be fucked up/hated out. I liked and backed Song for a long time. I’m fed up now as he’s an animal. Frimpong is following his example and I don’t want him to. Hopefully he learns.

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          • Anonymous

            harsh mate… very harsh

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        • Anonymous

          This is AW flaw and Primorac should have been sacked by now

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      • Anonymous

        AW is loyal to players and Board in public

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    • Anonymous

      Well said mate! :-)

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  • Mr.Seven

    Arsenal really need to look at their strengths and weaknesses. If you do that you’ll see they need to play a 5-3-2 system.
    let’s start upfront. The attacking line has only one player playing who is worthy of arsenal first team, RVP. But his out alone there al the time. He said he needed a buddy and I believe that with either chamakh or Gervinho/walcott the team is more dangerous in front of the goal. the combo Chamakh-RVP will make arsenal dangerous in the box, where as the combo RVP-Gervinho/walcott will make us more dangerous behind the opponents defence. Besides the wingers aren’t really an asset at the moment, with walcott wanting to be in the centre and arshavin ruining his talent.

    In the defence arsenal have perfect wing-backs for the job : Santos/gibbs left and Sagna/Jenkinson right. Except for Sagna, they all lack defensive qualities but make up for it with attacking rushes and getting the ball in the box.
    With 3 centre backs arsenal solve the problem of being prone to counters and it being the achillesheel of the team. Besides, most arsenal centre backs are players who can help upfront.

    The three centre midfielders should just play the way they do now. With Wilshire, Song and Ramsey arsenal’s got quite a talented midfield. Just don’t put Rosicky on the pitch.

    Arsenal really need to beef up the centre of the team upfront and in the defence. This is a way of doing that.

    My squad:
    Szczesny
    sagna; koscielny,mertesacker,vermaelen,santos
    Wilshire;Song;ramsey
    Van Persie;Chamakh

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