The winter transfer window closed January 31st, 2014 and Arsenal’s only outlay was to spend £660,000 to get a defensive midfielder in on loan, and as soon as he pulled on his boots for his first training session, he was injured. Arsenal fans had been calling for Arsene to spend some money on a forward but the club and manager decided to stick with what we had: Giroud, Podolski, and Yaya Sanogo. Since the transfer window closed, however, the wheels have come off on Arsenal’s title challenge and it has been on both ends of the pitch where Arsenal are looking frail and toothless. Consider this:
Before the window closed (Premier League numbers only):
Arsenal had kept 10 clean sheets in 22 matches (clean sheet every 2.2 matches)
Arsenal had conceded 19 goals in 22 matches (0.86 GPG)
Arsenal had conceded more than 1 goal just 3 times in those 22 matches (3 v. Villa, 6 v. City, and 2 v. Soton)
Arsenal only conceded 6 first half goals in those 22 games
Worryingly, Arsenal had conceded 11 goals in 3 of 19 games meaning that in 16 games Arsenal conceded 8 goals (0.5 GPG) and in the other 3 games had conceded 11 (3.7 GPG)
Arsenal had only been held scoreless twice in 22 matches
Arsenal had only been held to one goal in 5 matches of those 22
Arsenal had scored 43 goals in 22 matches (1.95 GPG)
That means Arsenal had 15 games where they scored 2+ goals in those 22 matches before the window closed
Because of that record, Arsenal spent 19 weeks on the top of the table
After the window closed (Premier League Number only):
Arsenal have kept 3 clean sheets in 11 matches (clean sheet every 3.7 matches)
Arsenal have conceded 21 goals in 11 matches (1.9 GPG — more than DOUBLE what we allowed in the first 22)
Arsenal have conceded more than one goal 5 times in those 11 games (Everton, Swansea, Southampton, Liverpool, Chelsea)
Arsenal have conceded 13 first half goals in those 11 games (including four matches in a row where we have conceded at least once in the first 30 minutes)
And the worry above pays off as Arsenal have conceded 14 goals in just three games of those 11 (4.7 GPG — Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton)
Arsenal have been held scoreless in 4 of the 11 matches since the window closed
Arsenal have been held to 1 goal in 3 of those 11 matches (in other words in 7 of the 11 matches Arsenal have scored just 3 goals)
Arsenal have scored 14 goals in the last 11 matches (1.27 GPG)
Arsenal have, however, scored 2+ against each of our non-top four competitors (Swansea, Sunderland, Palace, Soton) and only been held scoreless against one of those same type of teams (Stoke)
Worryingly, Arsenal have scored just 4 goals in the last 6 matches and conceded 13
There were 6 Arsenal starters unable to start this match (Gibbs, Koscielny, Özil, Ramsey, Walcott, Wilshere) and whilst Ramsey did play (he was very good) Flamini picked up his 10th yellow cards for the season and will miss the FA Cup clash against Wigan. And while I think injuries have been key to this seriously poor run of form Arsenal are in at the moment, and that is unlucky, it is also true that Arsenal’s failure to bolster squad depth in the summer and winter transfer windows has played an equal role in contributing to the injuries, to the tired legs (Giroud in particular), and ultimately to the poor run of form.
But… this has actually been a long time coming. Since Arsenal sold Cesc Fabregas the team’s offense has been on a decline and is the worst offense ever under Arsene Wenger’s tenure:
And the reason so many pundits want Arsenal out of the Champions League is that we aren’t exactly the most exciting offensive team in that division either. Arsenal have faced a lot of top teams in that competition over the last four years but have been among the bottom 1 or 2 teams in the Champions League in terms of creating shots per game and unlike the Premier League (where the shots taken are approaching the shots conceded) Arsenal are actually upside down now in the Champions League and are conceding more shots than they take.
Nearly two years ago I wrote that Arsenal needed probably £120m in new players, top level players in this team. The reaction to that article was predictably: spending doesn’t guarantee success, buying “Andy Carroll” isn’t the answer, look at how much money X team have wasted, stats don’t tell the whole story, etc etc, equivocate, equivocate.
Spending money doesn’t guarantee success in sports* but it makes you more likely to be successful — which is why so many teams spend money. Whatever it is that Arsenal are doing at the moment (net transfer outlay £19.4m in three years) isn’t working.
@7amkickoff
*Yes, Everton have been very frugal, however, their leading goal scorer (Lukaku – worth at least £25m) and starting midfielder (Barry) were obtained on loan and have contributed hugely to their success. Getting star players in on loan and hoping Chelsea will let you sign them in the off season seems like an even less sustainable business model than not buying players at all.
I’m pissed off!
So am I brother, so am I. It’s really strange how these graphs have opened my eyes. If you think about it really, we’re pretty shit in the CL, and we’re a bit less shit in the Premier League. We do not play nice football anymore, neither are we getting the results (we did for a while, and last year too, when shit hit the fan). So what exactly are we getting under Wenger? Weigh in the pros and the cons and make up your own opinion. We tell ourselves that we are a classy team with class players, but… Read more »
Rubbish. Suarez would have come if Liverpool let him. And we very well might have won the league.
Ok, let me put it this way: If we were to offer a top top top absolutely ultra super top quality player 250k a week and Real Madrid or Barcelona were to come in with an offer of 150k a week, where do you think that player is going to go? Will they go to fight for the Premier League and end up fourth with absolutely no stake in the Champions League or will they go to a club that’s a force to be reckoned with both domestically and internationally? (Mind you Real have failed to win it for more… Read more »
Everton’s loans – Romelu Lukaku, Gerard Deulofeu. Contributions to victories against Arsenal – 2 out of 4 goals. Arsenal’s loans – Emiliano Viviano, Kim Kallstrom. Contribution to Arsenal season so far – zilch. You know what using the loan system is? It’s a team that’s gone ages without success taking a long, hard, honest look at itself, laying out an ambitious plan for its future, realising that it cannot permanently sign the requisite level of player to bridge that gap and, crucially, putting its ambition over its blind pride. If you think it’s so unfair, it’s because you’re not doing… Read more »
*results against Arsenal, not victories.
Give Wenger Gazidiz’s job, and bring in a New hungry manager to manage our team. Now everyone is happy. Wenger can continue to build up Arsenal, and give us the best possible Platform to be able to compete with the sheikhs and Oligark’s. And the fans get a New manager whom can focus on the team and tactics, without being distracted by the business side of things and every other detail you need to think about when running a club. Imo Wenger work description is to broad, and he dont get as much time managing the Squad as he used… Read more »
Having Wenger stay at the club would undermine any new manager and it would be the same at any club, I can think of little worse then this
I wouldn’t be adverse to him joining the board after a few years away but not staying on
If we could somehow clone the Wenger who got the team grinding out victories in the second half of 2012/2013 and the one who got us to the top of the Premier League (pre Jan) this season we’d have the perfect season lol.. In all seriousness… what is so gut wrenching is the ‘what if’… What if Walcott was fit all season. What if Mesut Ozil didn’t get played into the ground What if the OX was fit all season. What if Ramsey was fit What if Wilshere was fit. What if we’d signed another striker in January. What if… Read more »
THEN WE WILL WIN A TROPHY!
OR MAYBE TREBLE WINNERS???
shit, its just a delusion.
gazidis job is try to bring money to the club and make deal happen : for that he has done a stellar job .he is not his job to sign player
Stellar? No. Decent, maybe.
Exactly Lord. We pin this blame on Gazidis, but his job is to make the club money, and he does. Wenger’s Job is to bring on field success, and sadly in recent years he hasn’t. The last 3 seasons have been awful, by his standards, and the last 5 we have looked anything like contenders for anything. Hopefully an FA Cup win will snap us back into something. But i can see that this is Wenger’s last season. It feels like it did when GG’s time was up. Both victims of their own high standards, and last season collapses.
Pissed off is an understatement. It’s incredible the lack of game plan in this team sometimes. I’m all for the Arsenal way… but winning points is far more important. If we’ve got our most creative and influential midfield and attackers out, Use some fucking management skills and adapt our style of play to the players we have available. This pass side to side crap is pointless without the players in the team to play this style of football. I don’t see why we cant ever play 2 strikers? I know Arsenes bloody stubborn but surely something like this would of… Read more »
Anyone else notice the URLs for the graphs are /fuck and /double-fuck respectively?
*giggles*
Well that was a sore read.. Everybody who is in to football in the UK or anywhere else understands exactly the reason(s) why are consistently failing to improve every season. Everybody. Knows. Why. Two main reasons. 1. Squad depth. 2. Quality of the players in the squad. Until we address both of these issues we will never achieve the success of the highest level. It doesn’t matter what manager you have in charge, you need a big squad with some of the top players in Europe / World football to win / compete across any form of top footballing competition… Read more »
It’s not treacherous or unfair to say it’s time for Wenger to go; it’s not been half a season, it’s been 10. It’s time for change and that’s not a malicious or ‘fair-weather fan’ sentiment. I’d like Jurgen Klopp.
First time ever I feel the same. That feeling crept in after his 1000th game, we all know what that was.
I think the problem is that even Wenger thinks it might be time to go. Why else the procrastination over the new contract. It is hardly the action of a man who thinks he is going to tear up the league for the next few seasons. I think maybe the uncertainty is starting to have a negative effect all round. It is very sad but it rather appears that his tenure is just going to peter out – we might win the FA cup of course but not all guaranteed as we look at it tonight.
Hanging on to Wenger is like hanging on to your old VCR (Cassette) because u remember u watched ur favorite movies on it. SMH
You’re quite fond of this analogy, aren’t you? Second time today!
Feel your anger
Better than being pissed on!
Ever been stung by jellyfish?
That really hurts Crispy. They say that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger but getting stung by just one jellyfish made me run out of the water screaming like a wuss. Didn’t make me stronger at all
It’s funny how all the ‘Wenger out’ comments are getting so many thumbs up whereas if you’d said that just yesterday you would have been thumbed down like mad. Us fans (including myself) can be so fickle.
Hope we win the FA Cup and Arsene leaves on a high. Love the man, but sadly.. Wenger out!
FatGooner and I were commenting many weeks ago that Wenger doesn’t cut it anymore, thumbs down galore.
Fast forward a few weeks, I guess we had a point.
You really do not know anything about arsenal fans. Once we win the next match, any “wenger out” fan is a “Cunt” and/or a “Plastic fan”
And all of a sudden, wenger’s a “genius” and/or a “Classy” manager.
And of course, let’s not forget the old “with a few additions and a better injury record next season”
Or the classic, “We were never gonna compete with all these oil money anyways”
I just love arsenal
I’m gonna go out on a limb and offer the thought that it’s HOW you make your point, more so than the actual point made.
We can all see that the curtain is closing, but nothing makes someone look like more of a muppet than calling Wenger names and having a tantrum.
At the very very least, he deserves better than that.
I agree with what you are saying.
However I did put forth an opinion respectfully. I think people become a bit blinded after a win or two, and then back to reality after a loss, as deji above pointed out. Wenger deserves respect, but at the moment Arsenal fans expect more, which is all part and parcel of being a big club.
Hey @ 7amkickoff I don’t want to sound superstitious but could you do a by the numbers of Arsenals win/loss ratio when wearing those red socks.
That would bring some levity to the funeral.
Hopefully we can get 4th place and win the FA Cup. That would salvage this season. Last summer Gazidis stated our intent that we were ready to spend again, we have no excuses this time around. I knew that we had declined offensively but I didn’t think the numbers would be THAT bad. These past 3 years have been terrible. Wenger is too smart not to notice that. That’s why he wanted Suarez. Something seriously needs to be done in the summer to give us a faster, better attack than the one we have now. We have been so one… Read more »
Gazidis says it every year, he’s the Tony Blair of football. Fantastically charming and a great spin doctor but generally talks a lot of shit.
can I replaced me grand Arsene?
Fact: Wenger has only won a trophy when there’s only been ONE team to compete against.
Fact: Wenger has won 2 Qtr Finals rounds in 17yrs in Champions League.
Fact: Wenger has never won te Europa League.
Fact: Wenger has consistently made the CL because we’ve consistently had either the 2nd, 3rd (or more recently) 4th highest resources so that’s bare minimum for any coach.
Fact: Wenger has a losing record (quite terrible too) against all average/above average managers he’s faced.
Calm down, Rafa.
haha. Brilliant
Why so many thumbs down,is he not factual?
It is a crime he has not won the Europa league…
to win the europa league you need to qualified to thursday night football . we face bigger team that some of the tosh the spurs and other face on thursday sry
and winning the champions league you need not just a good team but a little bit luck and cheating exploit…. ho wait i will add FACT to make it better
We have a manager who thinks losing 6-0, 5-1, 6-3 etc is just an accident.. The players share the same mentality too. That is the reason we cannot win in big games
It’s not about being proWenger or antiWenger.
IT’S ABOUT ARSENAL!!!!
#Enough with the emotional attachment.
Agreed.
Other than sentimentality, what other reason is there to have the manager sign that new contract?
I love some of memories but that’s all there is.
I can’t bring myself into saying #WengerOut cause it’s too disrespectful considering what the man has done for us. So I’m just saying #timeforachange
How can wenger play such a high line yet again against a side with pace, the space between the defence and midfield was criminal, against Everton,Chelsea, man city and Liverpool they could of all scored more as well and he doesn’t learn? It’s gross misconduct.
I still think Wenger has it, but, with the way things are at Arsenal I think we have no chance, Wenger is too concerned with the bank balance and doing things his way, a change would be a scary thing for both sides but now it’s the only way that Arsenal or Wenger can go somewhere
Difficult knowing where to start. I’m so depressed at getting slapped by the toffees today that like everybody else I want to rant but that sure ain’t going to fix anything. My take on this is that Giroud is good but in a Pires call him off the bench to score way and not like Henry. With Poldi and Giroud taking up the Pires, Ljungberg role we need to spend big time on a striker and not on one of AW’s protogés who he is sure he can turn into a top striker in 5 years. We need an Alpha… Read more »
Nobody can defend him anymore.
I’m glad he will have to leave now.
enough is enough
I loved Arsenal yesterday.
I love Arsenal today.
I will love Arsenal tomorrow.
I want my old Arsenal back……
old Arsenal ?….early Wenger, George Graham or others ,what actually constitutes old Arsenal ?
80s arsenal when midtable was the norm
Rabble rabble rabble!!!
I get that a lot of fans want a change in management but its obviously not going to happen until the end of the season. If t happens that is. Truth be told i sense Arsene is going to be here for another 3 seasons dependant on the FA cup result.
It’s the constant bad decisions that puss me off more than anything else, Sagna and Monreal left exposed time and time again because our nominal ‘wide’ players have no instructions defensively.
Something has to change, we can’t keep falling apart at this stage of the season, yes injuries have paid a part but we could have addressed weaknesses in January. The Cup is a must win or this season is a write off. I still believe we will get 4th spot but that’s terrible considering the position we were in back in February.
Are you a kiwi Javis Bro with that accent? I’m pussed off too!
Ha, typo…Irish Gooner
From anyone who seen who Klopp celebrated yesterday….
We want that one
Everyone stop with the Klopp bullshit… Have you never seen Dortmund play? The exact opposite of our team; counterattacking, pace, possession be damned. You want to turn our team inside out? Klopp would need 4 years and 200 million to rebuild the team to suit his style. In the meantime we would drop to 8th or 9th for years.
It is an interesting point, but please remember that Wenger plays a lot of players out of position and in different styles than would naturally suit their play. I have to say with some this has been phenomenally successful and the man is very much smarter than me. But I believe it would not be hard to adjust our style of play with our current squad and a full pre-season. In a perfect world you would get 2 or 3 new players in as well but I don’t think changing the style would require such a drastic change.
The irony of not getting fourth is it gives the board the perfect excuse in not buying the players we need to be able to compete. You can almost here them saying that this player won’t come because of no cl football.
What a complete fucking mess this could end up being. And we thought fergie left man u in a mess. At least they have a board that will spend and try to put things right.
The 3% hike in season ticket prices when we were top of the league is beginning to look even more cynical now.
The reason expectations are so high is because of Wenger.
The Wenger Out brigade would do well to remember that.
But we’re regressing and there is no excuse for that based on the resources we have as club. Resources that AW helped generate but apparently refuses to use
how are we regressing. elaborate please
I think he means we’re regressing in that our football sucks and we are getting regularly pounded in the most embarrassing way by our rivals. This was not always the case. Hence a regression of sorts.
You are kidding right?
We’re not progressing for sure. We’ve been stagnating for years , our football is predictable, our tactics remain unchanged irrespective of opposition or team selection. Teams like Liverpool and Everton have caught and surpassed us and effectively blow the billionaire benefactor argument out of the water and stats on this very forum show our football has declined in recent years.
Thumbs downs are a comin for this but please… remember that we have a new stadium, money’s been tight while this has been sorted. I might be blind but we’re revving up the engine to compete with the big boys in the coming years. I won’t give-up on Arsene or the team. common lads!
The expectations are also high because were paying more money than anyone one else,personally my expectations are high because WE ARE THE ARSENAL !
Arsene fans would do well to remember that.
where is mpls whjen you need him ?
hey mpls….our fans are getting stick from their chelsea city united everrton liverpool mates….lets sack the manager !!!
bow out with a cup for everyones sake arsene. been a fan of the man for a long time now , but im afraid there comes a time for everyone. i think this is it now. so poor today. players not doing it for manager anymore. podolski, vermalen, know there out at end of season. just no effort. time is here for the cull i think. still a chance of the cup though..COYG
I think Wenger is losing the dressing room. Even I would become tired with a manager who lacks tactical nous . The senior players also look for guidance but Wenger gives nothing. Week-in, week-out, it’s tippy-tappy 5-a-side training rubbish. When Vermaelen came out and said he and the players wanted Wenger to stay, I laughed. Here was a captain who was on the bench because Wenger did not believe in him, a captain who wants to leave but because he is the captain, he is forced to face the press and say nice things about Wenger. When you hear players… Read more »
the senior players look for guidance? arteta needs guidance to face barkley and naismith? … o_O
All the wenger outs is justified, i want him out to if he does not buy a top quality striker like suarez. Bring back alex song, and get fabregas or draxler. And get 2 more fast attacking wingers. And a central defender if vermaelen leaves, and a right back when sagna leaves. Thats the facts thats what we need to compete. I would happily have wenger stay as long as he spends big in the places i suggested! If he does not do that then i will happily see him leave and get a top class manager in to sort… Read more »
..a top quality striker like suarez. Bring back alex song, and get fabregas or draxler. And get 2 more fast attacking wingers. And a central defender if vermaelen leaves, and a right back when sagna leaves. Would be lovely. We should have done that 3 years ago, and 2 years ago, and this summer – and all the half-season windows in between. We haven’t. Apart from Özil, who I’m happy we have, but did seem rather “last second panic”, we have had countless reasons to sigh quality players – but we haven’t. Not once, not in years. You want to… Read more »
The “its the board” crap excuse has been done to death and frankly i cannot believe some still say this,the man himself several times has admitted its him and has openly admitted to refusing to spend big,well to spend on big players as he has spent big on crap,he is intelligent so it must be arrogance then,
OUT!
ok blahblah its official….wenger could have got falcao but said no ill have sanogo
same for flamini…roma was offering de rossi but he said no ill have matthieu…..
Never thought I’d say this about a Wenger team but we looked old, slow, and morally defeated from the first moment of the game on.
Nevermind guys. It’s the new norm for Wenger nowdays. Humiliated every aways games is normal. Outplayed, outsmarted and outclassed is okay for him. Just don’t questioned about the team’s spirit. I can’t see anyone who in Arsenal shirt who wants to win today. They just don’t care anymore.
How about Wenger makes a “new” benchmark in the coming weeks? I want to see the team got beaten by at least 5 goals in the coming matches. Granted. Wigan will beat us next week. Hull and Norwich can score at least 3 goals.
Fantastic article.
Those two graphs are astonishing.
Agreed, really insightful (even if does make for grim viewing).
Keep the high standards up @7amkickoff, after all, Wenger loves/won’t argue with statistics.
Awesome work Tim. I’m curious to know what our goals conceded/clean sheets compares with or without Kos. Why? I’m actually of the opinion that Kos singlehandedly make our defence decent n believe the first step towards rebuilding this team is finding Kos a very competent partner.
Well, I have bad news: Koscielny started and finished Liverpool Started and finished against Aston Villa Left after City were up 2-1 Left after Chelsea were up 4-0 He was also played a full 90 in the LC loss to Chelsea and the CL losses to Napoli and Bayern. All 2-0 losses. I like him but this is a team problem. Mostly I would say a team problem with our fullbacks pressing too high up the pitch constantly. The Chelsea match really opened my eyes. Schurrle basically stood where Gibbs should have been. Chelsea tackled in midfield and then passed… Read more »
100% AGREE…
Bould OUT!!!!
The Genius who designed Fulham’s defence IN!!!!
Same for Swansea. And where did Lukaku attack from? Why he was played, Tactically, “out of position” on the right (our back left) where Monreal should be standing. And with Poldi’s legendary defending… well it’s not a genius to find that blind spot.
Sure wish we used tactics like that once in a while. Like, perhaps, Ox to keep Baines occupied as he did so well in the FA cup match…
most depressing season since graham’s last was cut short. how many of our first 11 would get into chelski’s? sorry arsene time to move on. ps wigan could be a shocker.
Either Wenger goes after hopefully winning the fA Cup or the Board force him to spend some fucking money ! Ozil is our only serious outlay in quite some time. I’m willing for Wenger to stay if he’s allowed to sign the right players. I think he would be more flexible if we had the playing options to enable him to vary tactics and adapt to situations in games. If we’re not going to re-invest in the squad then new ideas our needed to get the most out of this current crop they look stale and lacking ideas at the… Read more »
Think today was a line in the sand for many supporters. Up until now AW was quite rightly given the benefit of the doubt, he earned that through everything he has done for the club. But the Everton result on the back of the other ‘accidents’ is too much! Other teams deal with injuries through strengthening their squad and/or changing tactics to take account of absences – why can’t AW? Hope we win the FA Cup so AW can leave with his head held high, don’t want to see him holding on too long and losing the respect and love… Read more »
Will it be the eye opener the board needs to be out of the champions league or perhaps they will be happy with a lukewarm performance in the europa league?
So instead of spending a keg more gunpowder in january we have now lost 30 kegs and may lose more.
We need to overcome this annual spring thing when others sprint and we see to take a break or a couple of step backwards!
CUMON GUNNERS!
I’d like some stats on how many times Wenger has actually made a “tactical change” to his game plan during his tenure at arsenal. Started with 4-4-2, went on 4 in defence, 5 in the middle and 1 upfront and nothing EVER changes. Martinez obviously watched our game against Liverpool. By putting Lukaku on the right today (Suarez on the right against Liverpool) and Naismith played as a false 9 (Sturridge) we were destroyed. Mourinho did the same against City to get a win and when City won Chelsea, it was because Pellegrini made tactical changes to the team. You… Read more »
Away to Chelsea 23/10/99 (had to look it up) Kanu hat-trick and everyone bombed forward. Come to think of it, IF Wenger does allow the players to work things out for themselves then perhaps we should blame them? However, as you have rightly pointed out, Martinez did his homework and set his team up to get 3 points probably knowing full well that we only play one way nowadays.
All 100% true apart from the bit about nowadays
The blame cannot lay with wenger alone. We have a board that are willing to offer him a 3 year 7 million a year contract. They are rewarding a man who has won 0 in 8 years. If he stays or goes personally I don’t give a monkeys. And yes he has done wonders for the club and may even deserve a new contract for his past glories, but while we have this board in place I can’t see anything changing with a new manager or with wenger. The reason they want Arsene to sign a new contract is he… Read more »
disgrace! the fact he played that oaf Giroud over Chuba Akpom makes me boil with incandsent rage! Wenger Afuera!
Wenger’s legacy will be incredible and long-lasting. To keep us in the Champions League every season under the financial restrictions imposed because of the new stadium move at the same time as the emergence of the petro-dollar/sugar daddy clubs has been a miracle. This is a man who put the long term success and health of Arsenal FC above his own ambition and desire for trophies and glory and that should never be forgotten. The likes of Mourinho would never contemplate such a thing. On top of that he has had to cope with a raft of long-term injuries to… Read more »
dear matty,
“to take the Club to the next level.”
that decision is for the owners to make, not the manager. if they want to bring the club to the next level then they will have to play the industry as dirty as chelsea city milan madrid barca play it instead of waiting it all from their manager…….
-tactics were predictable and inflexible (have been for some time) -mistmatches (Monreal/Lukaku, Cazorla/Baines) fed Everton goals -Arsenal did not drive the byline today and until Ox/Ramsey arrived did not drive the box -opposing teams repeatedly get open field breaks on Arsenal back line. Overall: team gives impression of being unsettled. Possible causes (speculation): -Wenger tactical inflexibility and, at times, odd decision-making leaves players frustrated and confused -Transfer policy failure to address core needs undermines team collective belief -Bad apple(s)/discontent in locker room Bad sign: when Wenger attributed injuries to possible player use of (legal) unauthorized supplements leading to overtraining. This… Read more »
Get forth, I hope, and the fa cup (even that seems unlikely at the mo) and then step down as manager and get Martinez in!!! Wenger could try a change of tactics in the meantime!!!
A lot of people talking about bringing Martinez in, he’s a fantastic manager but he won’t be leaving Everton just yet, be realistic.
They will be the same people who were nominating Owen Coyle a few years back.
When the manager called for consistency of performance he could not have had in mind what his players have delivered at Liverpool, Stoke, Chelsea and Everton. These performances must have shaken him to his core and I expect him to call it a day at the end of the season.a truly sad ending.
Just because you disagree with both views doesn’t mean they come from the same people
@AlexShawESPN: Simply don’t get this. You’re on the bench and your team have just gone 2-0 down away.
Happy days… http://t.co/N6bmQRAkd6
I made error in accepring Wenger days have finished. His time is up and its insane to have too much control in one man. I feel fans are scared of change and forget we have achieved success in the past. To all those who tbumbed me down and cant acknowledge the truth. Im sorry you deluded fools we need change.
On way home from match. We were given a drubbing. We were handed yet another footballing lesson, this time by a team with a fraction of our resources. We were beaten by a side with far more attacking verve, far more tactical awareness and infinitely more ambition. We looked slow, terribly slow, and seemed to lack any conviction. Worryingly l didn’t understand our gameplan. What exactly have we learned from our hidings this yr? Nothing by the way we played. When one down, the players seemed to have no faith. Too many players heads dropped. Arteta, Flamini and Giroud had… Read more »
Michael laudrup anyone
After the dogs dinner he made of the swansea dressing room I think that would end very badly
We’ll win the FA Cup and finish outside the ‘Top 4’ – How ironic would that be?
Love Arsene as i do, i think it’s time for a change – KLOPP IN!
It will b a miracle if we beat Wigan
Is there anything more fucking annoying than the ‘i want my arsenal back’ brigade. I am fucked if i want my arsenal back of the 1980’s don howe era. I really hope AW & arsenal win the fa cup if nothing else but to bring some dignity and respect back to our club. and quiten the press. then i hope aw decides to call it a day. in time we will look back at his time with very fond memories of all he has achieved. at the moment all is dark but we will move on from this and achieve… Read more »
Money is not the answer ! Getting the right player in the right positions is ! we need an out n out striker we couldn’t even trouble a 19 year old cb today who at time showed his inexperience ! Or have the pace to beat his 40 year old partner ! We see performances from players who wenger wouldn’t even consider who cost nothing in comparison of what we pay ! Surely we have got decent youth players are we being to picky in not using them !
I remember being slagged off earlier this season, when we were top of the league, for saying that the Board should wait until the end of the season before offering Wenger a new contract. Not such a bad idea now, eh? I actually don’t think that this result is as damaging as many people think. We have a much easier run-in than Everton, and so I reckon we’ll probably just scrape 4th again. The important thing now is that we win the FA Cup and get that ‘no trophies’ monkey off our backs. Even if we win the Cup and… Read more »
We have a much easier run-in than Everton? Easy run-in like Aston Villa and Swansea at home?!!
Spot on pal. He’s had a good run as th’old fella but it’s time to put him to stud.
George Graham is undoubtedly a football man but he’s not a 2014 football man ! Wouldn’t let him near the decision process involved in appointing Arsene’s successor. Although would any true Arsenal fans want Gazidis involved in the process as he is definitely not a football man. Arsene deserves to leave with dignity Gazidis just needs to fuck off !
Indeed, if we were going to go for an up to date knowledgeable and intelligent advisor then I can think of little better then someone like Smudger
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Hullcity——- Giroud and Sanogo, should be playing here (doubt they should even be starting) not for the Arsenal, they are an insult to the great forwards we’ve had over the years. total disgrace. if you throw in Sanogo for a giroud with hope of turning a crucial game like this around then you know you’re in trouble.
Wenger just fucked us real hard in January. its all down to him.
There is so much fear and no belief in the starting XI. We need to send them to a psychologist. Wenger must buy strikers too.