Arsenal v WBA

Wasnt very impressed with arsenal, i think with the squad they have they are going to struggle to stay in the top 4. I've give them credit in the past for playing some very good football but going of this display they look pretty average, i can seriously see Liverpool finishing above them unless they improve greatly as the season goes on.

Originally Posted by Lou_Macari_Chippy

Wasnt very impressed with arsenal, i think with the squad they have they are going to struggle to stay in the top 4. I've give them credit in the past for playing some very good football but going of this display they look pretty average, i can seriously see Liverpool finishing above them unless they improve greatly as the season goes on.

Name 4 teams better than them.

I can name 2, but it's tight.

Originally Posted by dunk

Name 4 teams better than them.

I can name 2, but it's tight.

certainly not brazil 70

Originally Posted by dunk

Name 4 teams better than them.

I can name 2, but it's tight.

WBA were/are very poor yet arsenal made hard work of creating chances, they also nearly conceded in the second half (took a goal line clearance). They could easily have dropped 2 points at home against a poor team.

Yes they are one of the premier leagues better teams, but potential champions? not on this showing anyway. Of course it's early days and they may well start to click into gear after a few games but this idea that you can pass your way through 8 men inside the box i think will prevent them generating enough chances to really put teams away. They also lacked power inside the box from crosses, with WBA dealing rather easily with any crosses that were put in.

i think united, chelsea, liverpool are all going to do better than them and i also think that teams like everton, spurs, portsmouth, and villa could put some pressure on them. It's early days of course but i just get the sense a little bit that teams have figured out how to play them and without hleb there to create space i just think they might struggle a bit. Im not writing them off though, wenger is a decent manager and they may well click, this is more just initial thoughts on first showing; will be interesting as the season goes along to see how they do.

Originally Posted by Lou_Macari_Chippy

WBA were/are very poor yet arsenal made hard work of creating chances, they also nearly conceded in the second half (took a goal line clearance). They could easily have dropped 2 points at home against a poor team.

Yes they are one of the premier leagues better teams, but potential champions? not on this showing anyway. Of course it's early days and they may well start to click into gear after a few games but this idea that you can pass your way through 8 men inside the box i think will prevent them generating enough chances to really put teams away. They also lacked power inside the box from crosses, with WBA dealing rather easily with any crosses that were put in.

i think united, chelsea, liverpool are all going to do better than them and i also think that teams like everton, spurs, portsmouth, and villa could put some pressure on them. It's early days of course but i just get the sense a little bit that teams have figured out how to play them and without hleb there to create space i just think they might struggle a bit. Im not writing them off though, wenger is a decent manager and they may well click, this is more just initial thoughts on first showing; will be interesting as the season goes along to see how they do.

We drew with Reading, 0-0, on the opening day last season. Reading were relegated and we ended up winning a League & European Cup double.

I'm not suggesting Arsenal will do the same but what I am saying is that you can't read too much into the opening day's fixtures.

Liverpool were completely out-played by Standard Liege

arsenals young players are awesome, made west brom look like they were chasing shadows a lot. if some of them were ours we'd be purring.

nasri was good on the left, can spot a pass and good on the ball. denilson is another top prospect.

defence and frailty are the question marks, but I would not be surprised to see them win the league, theres nothing between the top 3 besides a slip or two

Originally Posted by wiganste

We drew with Reading, 0-0, on the opening day last season. Reading were relegated and we ended up winning a League & European Cup double.

No sense here please. Arsenal are obviously £#%&!ed because they only beat West Brom 1-0

Originally Posted by Lou_Macari_Chippy

Im not writing them off though, wenger is a decent manager and they may well click, this is more just initial thoughts on first showing; will be interesting as the season goes along to see how they do.

I think some of you missed this bit, i think i made it pretty clear that my comments were on this showing and that it's early days - I'm not writing them off!

My point is that it was noted by quite a few on here last year that arsenal were good but often over passed in the final third, at first, last season, arsenal seemed to be awesome and teams had no anser to their quick passing, but as the season wore on they started to find it harder to get results as other clubs seemed to figure them out. What i saw today led me to think that that tendency to over-pass was still there - it's the one thing that's holding back an otherwise decent side - it's the difference between challenging for the title or being on the periphery. I'm not pre-judging how their entire season will go, just saying it will be interesting to see whether their style of football remains as effective as it was at the start of last season. Hope that clarifies a bit what i meant.

much too early for any kind of conclusions. they'll do well this season, score plenty of goals and get into the late stages of the cl. they might even have a shot at second in the pl.

villa are the most likely challengers to the top four imo. o'neill has bought very well, the youngsters are staying and the team will be knocking on the door this season.

Fulham 1 Arsenal 0

I still think they have problems with their style of play, i think they've been figured out.

£#%&! it, i'm going to go out on a limb here, as early as it is, and predict that arsenal have their lowest ever premier league finish.

Originally Posted by Lou_Macari_Chippy

i think they've been figured out.

what, after a decade and a half? that's just a lazy cliche. you can't 'figure out' a team like that. if arsenal are weak(er) this year - and it's far too early to say - then it's the result of them selling good players and not replacing them adequately, plus the possibility that the rest of the league is catching up with the top 4 after lagging badly for years.

Originally Posted by borsuk

what, after a decade and a half? that's just a lazy cliche. you can't 'figure out' a team like that. if arsenal are weak(er) this year - and it's far too early to say - then it's the result of them selling good players and not replacing them adequately, plus the possibility that the rest of the league is catching up with the top 4 after lagging badly for years.

Understand whay you are saying but a decent team would have torn them apart yesterday.

They don't appear to have the squad to cope with the injuries they have, there was very little on the bench which is usually a sign of a clubs strength.

As someone once said you'll win nothing with kids, unless of course they are the right kids

Here's arsenals squad;

Seriously, how many of those players would you want at United if you could have a free pick? Nasri?, van persie maybe? possibly rosicky? i'm scratching now... i mean their idea of strengthening is picking up silvestre!

i think they've cut themselves too thin and i think their football has become predictable and lacks a cutting edge. I'm actually a bit shocked at the deterioration tbh.

Position Player
1 GK Manuel Almunia
2 MF Abou Diaby
3 DF Bacary Sagna
4 MF Cesc Fàbregas
5 DF Kolo Touré (vice-captain)
6 DF Philippe Senderos
7 MF Tomáš Rosický
8 MF Samir Nasri
9 FW Eduardo
10 DF William Gallas (captain)
11 FW Robin van Persie
12 FW Carlos Vela
14 FW Theo Walcott
15 MF Denílson
16 MF Aaron Ramsey
17 MF Alexandre Song
18 DF Mikaël Silvestre
19 MF Jack Wilshere
20 DF Johan Djourou
21 GK Łukasz Fabiański
22 DF Gaël Clichy
24 GK Vito Mannone
25 FW Emmanuel Adebayor
26 FW Nicklas Bendtner
27 DF Emmanuel Eboué
28 MF Amaury Bischoff

they were cack against fulham.

but arsene is still a genius, a professor, a superhuman mind amongst mere mortals.

1 GK Manuel Almunia
3 DF Bacary Sagna
4 MF Cesc Fàbregas
5 DF Kolo Touré (vice-captain)
7 MF Tomáš Rosický
8 MF Samir Nasri
9 FW Eduardo
10 DF William Gallas (captain)
11 FW Robin van Persie
14 FW Theo Walcott
15 MF Denílson
16 MF Aaron Ramsey
19 MF Jack Wilshere
22 DF Gaël Clichy
25 FW Emmanuel Adebayor

those 14 would be handy to have

Originally Posted by LaPaz

1 GK Manuel Almunia
3 DF Bacary Sagna
4 MF Cesc Fàbregas
5 DF Kolo Touré (vice-captain)
7 MF Tomáš Rosický
8 MF Samir Nasri
9 FW Eduardo
10 DF William Gallas (captain)
11 FW Robin van Persie
14 FW Theo Walcott
15 MF Denílson
16 MF Aaron Ramsey
19 MF Jack Wilshere
22 DF Gaël Clichy
25 FW Emmanuel Adebayor

those 14 would be handy to have

I dont rate Gallas - spent force, best days behind him. toure is ok but slow. walcott may turn out ok but right now he's still too raw, edwardo may well be finished, denilson is not consistant.

Clichy is decent, fabrigas is decent, rosicky and van persie are both decent and nasri seems decent. Thats about it for me.

Originally Posted by Lou_Macari_Chippy

I dont rate Gallas - spent force, best days behind him. toure is ok but slow. walcott may turn out ok but right now he's still too raw, edwardo may well be finished, denilson is not consistant.

Clichy is decent, fabrigas is decent, rosicky and van persie are both decent and nasri seems decent. Thats about it for me.

I'd rather have Gallas or Toure than O'Shea or Evans as back up centre back, Walcott than Fletcher or Martin playing wide right.

I'd take a chance on Edwardo rather than keep Saha & Denilson instead of Gibson or Possibom for the coming season at least.

Originally Posted by LaPaz

I'd rather have Gallas or Toure than O'Shea or Evans as back up centre back, Walcott than Fletcher or Martin playing wide right.

I'd take a chance on Edwardo rather than keep Saha & Denilson instead of Gibson or Possibom for the coming season at least.

Ah ok you want them as backups ok then yeah i'd probably go along with that

Position Player
MF Cesc Fàbregas @#%&! but scores goals from midfield
MF Tomáš Rosický excellent attacking midfielder
FW Theo Walcott rapier wide man
MF Denílson skilful fast attacker
GK Łukasz Fabiański brilliant young keeper
DF Gaël Clichy decent left back cover
FW Emmanuel Adebayor half decent striker, useful squad option


one or two of these would be useful