Sunday 22 February 2009

Are Arsenal feared too much or not enough?

There used to be a time when Arsenal beat the opposition in the tunnel before the game. Sometimes it can appear that those days are no more.

Unfortunately for Gooners, and Arsenal, we are seen as the soft touch of the so-called top four and the fear we used to generate through the Premiership seems to be at an all time low.

Sides play Arsenal and believe that they can beat us. Or at least get something from the game. It used to be so different.

We have become predictable and teams know that putting ten men behind the ball causes us real problems. We are finding it hard to break down sides when we used to have the answer.

When teams "park the bus" in front of goal it shows an element of fear but more than anything it shows that teams have worked us out. Causing frustration for the players and especially us Gooners.

I think that our lethargic starts to games doesn't help. We seem very slow in our build up play and allow teams to get behind the ball. Which as we all know, causes us problems.

We need to somehow get that fear back. As much as it pains me to say the current personnel in the Arsenal squad probably doesn't help.

Without trying to sound as though I'm making scapegoats the likes of Song, Denilson (although he has improved this season) and even Bendtner probably do not strike fear into the opposing side.

Wenger can't add to the squad until the summer now but the return of Eduardo, Fabregas, Rosicky, Walcott and the signing of Arshavin will add a lot more to this Arsenal side.

We need to get behind the team until the end of the season and turn the Emirates into a cauldron. Perhaps if the players aren't scaring the other team then maybe we Gooners can have a go?

I believe we will finish in the top four but we need to get the fear back into us. Let other clubs dread playing us not fancy it.

Keep it Goonerish..........

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Finally, a blogger who sounds like a fan!

Anonymous said...

if we are going to get that fear back we will have to change the way we play.

teams have worked us out and we are predictable. if we dont get an early goal games become very difficult for us.

arsene needs to be proactive. change the formation now and then so we can get more bodies forward.

Anonymous said...

if we are going to get that fear back we will have to change the way we play.

teams have worked us out and we are predictable. if we dont get an early goal games become very difficult for us.

arsene needs to be proactive. change the formation now and then so we can get more bodies forward.

Anonymous said...

You don't know much about Arsenal do you?

Arsenal miss Walcott.There were no problems before his injury. There is no pace in the side. Rosicky is already out of Arsenal. Ivan has told him his contract will not be renewed.

Why even mention Rosicky.

Anonymous said...

We are no longer feared! Our players fear themselves and are so low in confidence.

Yes we can say that we are missing Fabregas and Walcott mostly. Without these two in the squad we are lacking creativity.

Wenger needs to realize that he needs to buy like for like players in the summer if a player does get injured

Anonymous said...

Wrighty get on Twitter!

All gooners get on Twitter!!!

Anonymous said...

As you have said the gunners are predictable. No variation and it's pass all day. No wonder so many matches been drawn. To be champs you have to win more games at home. I know it's easier said than done.Until that day comes the gunners will be a mediocre team competing in the cl . That's all.

Wrighty7 said...

What is twitter mate?

Anonymous said...

We do not miss Walcott is we play Arshavin, but when you have Eboue in the team you do have a lack of quality.

Denilson is what he is, a very good DEFENSIVE midfielder, place him alongside Song in place of Fabregas and you do not have any creative quality anywhere near the level of Cesc.

Arshavin - Fabregas - Denilson - Nasri

That is a fantastic midfielder.

Anonymous said...

-Lettraggad- Why is everyone saying we are predictable and have been found out .. NO we have not been found out .. The way we play now is not the game of old .. remeber back in the day when we looked more likely of scoring double figures than playing 0-0. We have lost our way thats the problem it seems we have totally lost the pace and i beleive its more a mental problem. t may sound like a cliche but this could be rectified with the reurn of walcott.(he is all about pace) and Fabregas who basically makes his pass way before he gets the ball. We cant judge either Denilson or Song until the team in full has raised their game..

Anonymous said...

how can u say we dont miss Walcott? In the time Walcott has been out, we have had Eboue playing and not creating anything but pain to watch. Yes we now have Arshavin, but he needs time.

Walcott has been sensational before getting injured

Anonymous said...

DENILSON IS NOT GREAT,HE AND SONG ARE DOING THE SAME JOB FOR FUCK SAKE.HE NEEDS HELP AND CESC WOULD HAVE TO HELP HIM

Anonymous said...

I hope we can keep and get everyone fit for next season, then we will break any team any where.

Anonymous said...

Its almost a matter of they used to fear us so much they would just park the bus, and now with this current team, they can get points out of that because we cannot break them down

Vertino Aleci said...

the thing is we all know sunderland were never going to take the game to arsenal. They would always play defensively hoping to nick something on the counter attack. So why play Denilson and Song in the same team against them? I was very surpised to see Vela on the bench as after Eduardo, he was the best player against Cardiff. Wenger should have played him and told him to enjoy his game. Vela could have taken Sunderland for a run around. I was also surprised perhaps plesantly to see Arshavin start but I wonder what his impact would have been if he came on as a sub. Think about it, the game is 0-0, Sunderland know what Arshavin can do, he comes on as a sub and...well no point thinking that now is it!

Anonymous said...

If we can get thru Roma, we'll be in the Q/F wigth the likes of Fabregas, Rosicky, Walcott & Eduardo all fit and hungry.

It's up for grabs now!

Anonymous said...

Short memories. We struggled at the start of this season with both Walcott and Fabregas available. When they come back it'll help but it won't automatically solve our problems.

Anonymous said...

Teams don't fear us nearly enough, but if we were good enough their tactics wouldn't be an issue, we would just play through them. And I'm not one of these "our whole team's shit" fans, I think the quality is at the club, we just need the players fit and a little luck!

Where the fear, or lack of it, really affects us is elsewhere. Watching United yesterday, there was some calamatous defending from Blackburn and I thought "Why do we never see teams defend like that against us?" We used to, but not anymore, now all defences we come up against seem tight and organised. And it lies in confidence. Defences come up against Rooney and Ronaldo and they panic, they came up against Henry and Pires and they panicked. Against us now they are confident they wont be helpless and that if they stick to their gameplan they can keep us out. We need to produce the football we are capable of and rip teams apart consistently, maybe even for an entire season, and then the fear will start to return and opposition defences will start to feel that there's nothing they can do to stop us, presenting us with even more chances to batter them!

Anonymous said...

A few points chaps,

1) Denilson is a good player, not a world class player and there is no doubt he's come a long way this season. Just wish he would pass the ball forward, you know where the opposition's goal is?!

2) Can people please stop making Walcott look like he's some kind of godsend. The boy has pace, which is a fair shout, but that's about it really.

3) What we're going through is indeed a mental problem. But we'll pull through, if we manage to keep Eduardo fit then I'm sure that 4th spot will be ours - assuming Villa mess up that is!

Anonymous said...

Denilson and Song are good players but not great, and will not be great. They WERE exiciting youngsters at one point in time, but, that has not translated into greatness.
denilson is neither great defensiveless nor in the attacking sense. His positioning is out. He does not protect the centre backs.
Song, fared even worse in positioning as a defensive midfielder.
Both of them does not have the energy and power to play in the centre. They lack that energy and pace that injects and infects the team.
Overall there is alack of cohesiveness. This has caused the entire team to play sideways. The way they pass the ball around like they did not want it, gives the opposition confidence.

Anonymous said...

How can anyone use the words good with either of Denilson or Song??? Both are at best ordinary players who would fit well into the likes of West Ham or Man City!1 The same goes for Diaby, Bendtner, Adebeyor & Almunia and Eboue. And therby hangs the tale of why we are currently dropping into the also rans area of the league rather than the top 4.....we now have a squad littered with AVERAGE players rather than players who can drive control and win games. Walcott is still unproven as far as I am concerned, sure he had a few reasonable games at the beginning og the season but he then was pretty ordinary. Fabregas and Eduardo may improve things slightly when they come back but I am afraid they are not enoough to lift us into 4th or maybe even enough to keep 5th place. Don't bury your heads guys things are at a low ebb as far as this squad are concerned!!!

Anonymous said...

wenger still want to risk the midfield with playing song and denilson together against a 10-men-defence team. why dont he put nasri in the middle alongside with denilson and play vela on left flank? it is obvious that sunderland will never going to play for win but to get results from emirates. the problem against sunderland was that denilson and song, when they have the ball, they tend to pass it to the wings rather than make a link up play through the middle. that's something that arsenal missing when against that kind of team in my opinion. i would love to see wenger plays nasri and denilson in the center to give a bit penetration through the middle as what cesc always does when he play. nasri have the ability and vision that similar to cesc when he plays in the center.

almunia
sagna-gallas-toure-clichy
arshavin-denilson-nasri-vela
bendtner-van persie

that is more attacking than the team was on last saturday. perhaps arsenal could do something from that team

Anonymous said...

I think has got his tranfer policy wrong and he won't admit it. No less a figure than the rednosed has pointed out what is wrong with his purchases. It seems AW wants the Brizilian style without buying the quality defenders.
I'm afraid this season is a washout unless the gunners can clinch the fourth spot.
Even then it is time wasted when AW had all the time to make the necessary purchases these few years.
The buck stops with him thanks to his pretty weaving soccer.

Anonymous said...

This is the best blog from a Gooner that I have heard for a long time. We need to get behind the team.

The major problem with the central midfield pairing is fear.

If they make past and it’s intercepted the crowd, hiss and Boo as if its a fing pantomime. Hence Song always plays the safe ball. For Christ sakes we have been without our Star players more than any other top team. Admittedly the squad depth needs addressing, but we are where we are. Now the real supporters have to get behind this team and look forward to a summer where the Chief Executive earns his wages.

"One Song, We've only Got One Song"

Anonymous said...

If teams really did fancy playing us then they’d aspire to three points not one. Parking the Bus is always an indication that you fear the opposition. It is the tactic of the scared.

Anonymous said...

When last did any of you see a long diagonal pass from our current midfield?!!!If denilson and song want to be part of the team, they need to develop that side of their game.. Carrick and scholes do it for ManU, alonso and gerrard for Liverpool and ballack and lampard for chelski!!! The said pair should work hard on their passing range to quicken attacks!!!

Anonymous said...

well the only way after going down will be up. fingers crossed for 4th place!

Anonymous said...

well the only way after going down will be up. fingers crossed for 4th place!