Arsene Wenger has put Arsenal’s goalscoring issues at home down to the fact the team isn’t quite 100% in certain areas, and that the strikers aren’t taking the chances instinctively enough.
With plenty of attempts and no goals from five of the last six Premier League games over this season and last, it’s becoming a bit of a problem and the manager isn’t quite sure why the finishing skills of his players have abandoned them.
“Maybe we are not firing on all cylinders at the moment,” he said. “By definition, the finishing is a little bit cyclical and it goes in cycles.
“Finishing qualities come and go and you do not always know why, but certainly at the moment we want it so much at home that we’re trying to force it a little bit.
“It doesn’t look natural enough in our finishing qualities because we want to force the situation a little too much.”
He also hinted that pressure to perform at home is playing a part as he looks for his team to slip it in.
“Our results away from home, with goalscoring opportunities and our finishing percentage has been higher recently,” he said.
Here at Arseblog News, we’re simply glad we got the chequebook out this summer to sign Owen Gole, our top scorer along with Olivier Giroud.
One wonders if this has anything to do with the often mentioned difference in attitudes between the home and away fans…? The unconditional support of the away fans vs support of the home fans, which may or may not end in boos depending on the result.
(Sorry, clicked too fast.) (contd.): this might perhaps explain why the players are ‘forcing it a bit’ more at home? But then again, nobody really knows what’s going on in the heads of the players… So this is just speculation on speculation.
Guarantee the fans play a part. Couldn’t believe the groans when Chambers was giving the ball away on Monday. Would have never heard that at a stadium full of fans who knew a thing or two about football, in what way do they think it would help or were they too stupid to even think about it?
We really have some of the best fans in the world at Arsenal but unfortunately, we have some rather crap ones too.
Can’t agree more. Exactly what crossed my mind. I remember Dortmund fans applauding the team out of the field after a very poor performance at home last season.
I wonder if that can happen at the Emirates. I sincerely doubt that.
If the players know that the fans are with them all the way, it can be the difference between a pressured and a relaxed performance.
In my opinion the home kit and away kit matters.Home kit is a bit strange.NEED to address certain issue.
Spot on sir. Far too many daytrippers and tourists to create any decent atmosphere at home.
I totally agree! I only go to about 10 games a season, but the away matches are always guaranteed better atmosphere and more vocal support. Maybe down to more like minded people being bunched together (singing sections at the emirates?) or could just be a coincidence. Even when watching on TV I tend to hear more of the arsenal chants more clearly at away matches than when watching matches based at home.
It’s like taking a massive shit.
It’ easier if we just relax and let things happen normally.
Was laughing out loud in my office seat…
…and then you relaxed, and…
I dont think the home fans help. It gets toxic at times. I get that you pay the money (hey, I do too), but such a negative atmosphere is never going to be conducive to relaxed, free-flowing football. Granted, the players must improve, but we should be doing our bit too.
meh. home fans are paying loads to watch good football. and if it’s not good football they have a right to say so.
Anyway…on this whole ‘not 100 percent’ thing. Arsene has been saying we had a great preseason. Now he says we aren’t fit. So either the statement that our preseason was great is bollocks or the excuses he’s making for our start to the season is bollocks.
‘What’s happening in the transfer market Arsene?’ Excuses excuses excuses.
I’m in a much more forgiving mood when we win. Already feels like the same story as last season all over again.
“‘What’s happening in the transfer market Arsene?’ Excuses excuses excuses.”
I want a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, but I’m unemployed and they haven’t made Silver Clouds since 1966. However, by your reasoning this is just excuses, excuses, excuses, and I should go out and buy one anyway.
Benzema Cavani Lars Bender Khokorin Sebastien Frey that Polish guy from Sevilla…..
We need signings!
(does it have to come to this so that I agree with Tony Pulis that the window needs to be closed sooner…)
In reality we can’t compete with star power, and we have to hope that cohesion trumps cash.
I know a person that is forcing shit – AW… 🙁
I know someone trying to force a joke 😉
The goals will come, even without signing a striker we have a lot going for us up top.
If the pressure is there at home, lower the matchday ticket price then. Maybe that’ll help to ease the it. I just don’t understand why would we be under pressure at the Emirates. The fans are there to support and hope the team to win. It’s not like they would shout, “Shame! Shame! Shame!”, everytime Giroud wasted a chance. We are accustomed to manage our expectation as fans anyway, given our recent run past seasons. Heck, we are not Newcastle, so don’t worry on any banners saying “we demand a club that tries!” Never go to the Emirates myself, maybe… Read more »
You really like game of thrones don’t you?
This is baffling judging from fans’ expectation but its obvious that our form generally-not at home alone-is worrying if not,liverpool would’ve been schooled! We really made liverfool looked like a decent side. I was perusing the F365 16 conclusion on the match on Monday,the writer’s angled narratives were from the kops leaving out the objectivity in that analysis. Overall, they came, saw, and had a assumed conquest! But form is temporary;class is permanent Arsene is stubborn and he’s driven by presumption. Giroud for all his glorified flicks,hold-up play WILL not win us the league alone! That’s as true as existence… Read more »
“That’s as true as existence of God.”
Too true, much of the criticism of Giroud is indeed fairy stories believed only by idiots.
“That’s as true as existence of God”
So it’s bollocks then? Glad to know we’re on the same page.
Comment: i believe in God and don’t mind being called an idiot. Thanks
Yes quite obviously “finishing qualities” come and go with most but im pretty sure with Wrighty and Henry they just came. Come on wenger.
I’ll take a striker that scores over one filled with glorious flicks
Nearly every season , by the time we’ve sorted our heads out, bought a player or two, Chels or City are 9-10 points ahead of us. A realistic title challenge can be all over very quickly in this league.
We should have our squad and tactics sorted for the first game….not arseing about with “should Ramsey be out wide or should Cazorla be so deep or should he start with the Ox?”
Wenger on thin ice, gambling with our title chances….
Why aren’t we having secret talks with Owen Gole’s agent?
Why?
Is he looking for a move away from us?
While our home form may not be unconnected with the home fans,I won’t fall for the opinion. Rather, I saw it as a unexpected dip in form
Force it?? With a little bit of handbrake on?? The only time we play with any urgency is in the last 10,15 mins of games that we arent winning already. Play like that from 1st whistle ffs
I’m so desperate for something I almost Googled Owen Gole…this is what AFC reduces me to, smh
Draw at home, lose away. The Arsenal way against the top 6
How many goals did Giroud score in the last ten games?It is easy to rationalize anything.How many years of experience playing home games does this team have? Why is playing at home now such a handicap. I suggest that you look elsewhere for the real problem. I think the problem is in team balance because of mid field deficiencies. There are too many small ball players in mid field with only one ball winner. To achieve balance Wenger is sacrificing a striker and playing Ramsey as a winger. The solution for me is simple. 1. Get a proper and physical… Read more »
Dont vote that often, but your comments resonate with me to do so. (y)
Presicely…nothing to add!
Your comment makes perfect sense. Which is why Wenger is doing the exact opposite of everything you said.
Man are you single? My sister wants an intelligent guy
Not sounding deluded but we did score a perfectly good goal against Liverpool so I don’t believe in that stat fully but even still, our home scoring ratio is still bad
“By definition, the finishing is a little bit cyclical and it goes in cycles.”
Heh. Yes Arsene, that is (by definition) what cyclical means.
Owen Gole almost scored again vs pool but for Skrtel lunge to deny it. The man should’ve been red carded for his silly intervention.
It’s either the fan’s faults or the refs. Sometimes the players.
Rarely ever the management and/or tactics in a game.
It’s been said many times before, but the sad truth is that under Wenger we will always be defeat away from a meltdown or a crisis. If we can’t score goals, we need a new striker, if we concede from set pieces we need a new centre back. If we look susceptible to counter attacks we need a new DM. Wenger won’t change and neither will the fans. Most of us are guilty of being fickle. We want results, we want to be entertained, we want effort and we want consistency. It’s too demanding to have everything, but for me… Read more »
This. Other fans blaming the home fans is patronizing. The reason the fans react (and they do react) is because they have been ‘there’ before on numerous occasions. They can recognize a lack of tactics and ideas. They can sense the team is skittish as they have take the field and have watched meltdowns where the team falls apart (home and away). The team has a mental fragility at times which is glaring, and everyone and their uncle knows it – journalists, pundits and fans alike. The problem is not the fans but the fact that with regularity, an errant… Read more »
You can down vote me as you like,Giroud doesn’t cut it!
However,he’s not our problem, wenger is the main problem. He’s a reactionary manager. Emirate suppose to be a slaughter slab for teams. Arsenal still lacking great striker
I accept your invitation.
I think Cazorla is a good example of what Wenger is saying – his long range shots seem to be rushed or snatched. With freekicks he is more relaxed and generally hits the target – he needs the same approach for shooting. The longer you go without scoring, the more inclined you are to rush it.
If I were a PL standard striker and Arsene asked me how many out of 100 chances would I expect to put away, I would say “I dunno, like, 70?”
That we have not scored in more chances is quite bad. Defoe would improve us right now. Or Podolski.
I doubt even Messi, Ronaldo or Suarez have a 70 percent conversion rate.
to put it short, our problem lies in the midfield and poor deliveries to giroud most of the time makes it twice as hard for him to put the ball behind net.
Think Giroud does fine putting the ball BEHIND the net tbf. Its putting it in the BACK of the net that he needs to work on. 😉