Arsenal 2013-2014: Insufferable & Unsuccessful -- And Worse than Chelsea

Status
Not open for further replies.

Luis Taint

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 7, 2012
5,883
Fox Sports1 isn't showing the West Brom match, anyone have any idea where I can watch it?
 

sachmoney

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2008
9,513
Tim Thomas' Bunker
A win is a win, I guess. With guys like Vermaelen and Arteta needing to regain fitness and the great form of the current squad, at the very least, these extra matches should provide a chance to get them fit, in addition to being an opportunity at a trophy. Looking forward to the Chelsea game. I wouldn't be surprised if both squads brought it somewhat considering Mourinho and Wenger aren't the best of friends.
 

SidelineCameras

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 13, 2011
1,813
Chelsea and Tottenham playing to a draw is the best result for the Gunners. Good way to start the morning ahead of a tough away fixture.
 

Luis Taint

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 7, 2012
5,883
Absolutely great day so far, and an excellent opputunity to put space between Arsenal and the manchesters.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
Following on this stupid tracker, which says that Ramsey looked pretty badly hurt at end of half - ankle, they said.  How bad was it?
 

mikeford

woolwich!
SoSH Member
Aug 6, 2006
29,517
St John's, NL
Think someone is having a laugh cuz he was never hurt. Giroud got stepped on and came off the pitch for the final minute or so but thats about it. Dont think its much serious though. 
 

mikeford

woolwich!
SoSH Member
Aug 6, 2006
29,517
St John's, NL
Quite a difference from the first 45 thats for damn sure. Rambo looks like the best midfielder on Earth right now.
 
He owes us like 10 bodies by now.
 

Spacemans Bong

chapeau rose
SoSH Member
Even conceding that Ben Davis goal, it never looked like Arsenal were going to lose. At a difficult away ground. As my mate said, he hasn't felt that confident of closing on a one-goal lead since Sol was back there.
 
I am officially in the Church of Latter-Day Championship Believers. The rest of the league is pony.
 

mikeford

woolwich!
SoSH Member
Aug 6, 2006
29,517
St John's, NL
I dunno bout that... the last 10 minutes were dodgy. But job done, 3 points in the bag and 8 points clear of united.
 
 
Feels good man.
 

Blundatola

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 9, 2008
702
Chicago
mikeford said:
I dunno bout that... the last 10 minutes were dodgy. But job done, 3 points in the bag and 8 points clear of united.
 
 
Feels good man.
Why are you concerned with how many points clear of Newcastle you are?...Oh.
 
Spacemans Bong said:
I am officially in the Church of Latter-Day Championship Believers. The rest of the league is pony.
 
This. There's no reason for Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea to be looking so ordinary, and they may all wake up soon enough, but as long as Arsenal is banking points that they aren't matching, Arsenal's odds are shortening all the time. I believe they're now third-favorites for the title with the bookies - ahead of Man Utd and Spurs, behind Man City and Chelsea.
 
By the way, last night was my favorite Match of the Day episode in a long time - Man Utd and Man City losses, Arsenal win, Spurs-Chelsea draw (with Torres sent off), and Danny Murphy/Roberto Martinez in the analyst chairs instead of Shearer, Hanson, Lawrenson et a. Happy days...
 

mgoblue2

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 6, 2010
652
ConigliarosPotential said:
By the way, last night was my favorite Match of the Day episode in a long time - Man Utd and Man City losses, Arsenal win, Spurs-Chelsea draw (with Torres sent off), and Danny Murphy/Roberto Martinez in the analyst chairs instead of Shearer, Hanson, Lawrenson et a. Happy days...
How was Martinez? I didn't get a chance to watch.
 

DLew On Roids

guilty of being sex
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 30, 2001
13,906
The Pine Street Inn
ConigliarosPotential said:
This. There's no reason for Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea to be looking so ordinary, and they may all wake up soon enough, but as long as Arsenal is banking points that they aren't matching, Arsenal's odds are shortening all the time. I believe they're now third-favorites for the title with the bookies - ahead of Man Utd and Spurs, behind Man City and Chelsea.
 
By the way, last night was my favorite Match of the Day episode in a long time - Man Utd and Man City losses, Arsenal win, Spurs-Chelsea draw (with Torres sent off), and Danny Murphy/Roberto Martinez in the analyst chairs instead of Shearer, Hanson, Lawrenson et a. Happy days...
ConigliarosPotential said:
In all seriousness, I'm questioning why I should keep supporting Arsenal.
Had to be done.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 2, 2006
22,345
Philadelphia
Really impressive showing today from Arsenal - took their chances early, continued to generate good opportunities from their possession advantage, and looked rock solid in the back. 
 

Spacemans Bong

chapeau rose
SoSH Member
Neither can most of Real Madrid's fans.
 
We ain't won shit yet but I still can't really believe we got him. I mean, Arsenal in that sad-sack lame ass situation pulled off the transfer of one of the best players to ever join the Premier League. It's like the dark cloud just got up and moved, overnight.
 

lars10

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
11,612
Man... That ball is nowhere close to settled and he just nails it...that's impressive.
 

soxfan121

JAG
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
23,043
Spacemans Bong said:
Neither can most of Real Madrid's fans.
 
We ain't won shit yet but I still can't really believe we got him. I mean, Arsenal in that sad-sack lame ass situation pulled off the transfer of one of the best players to ever join the Premier League. It's like the dark cloud just got up and moved, overnight.
 
Or is it just great, patient management? Part of the transfer game (like any deal) is the relationship and part is being ready to capitalize on unexpected circumstances. In hindsight, the bitching about the lack of transfer business seems very silly, as the waiting game netted (see above). Wenger surely knew well in advance of the actual transaction that Ozil was going to be available. He made his deal and let the bullshit hit him from all sides. His press conferences from this summer are HILARIOUS if you think the Ozil deal was struck significantly before deadline day. He didn't screw up the deal for his partners at Real Madrid by blabbing (and screwing RM on the PR with its fans). He didn't respond to a frantic fan base. He calmly laid out bricks of cash for (see above) and waited for the Bale transaction to get finalized. And his business demeanor will make future deals with RM (a talent pipeline) easier. At least until Fiorentino Perez is deposed. 
 
To get the best players it takes some combination of mountains of cash, mountains of bullshit and/or inhuman patience. Wenger isn't infallible  but he's a much better poker player than most Arsenal fans seem to think.
 

SidelineCameras

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 13, 2011
1,813
I'll take the point with most of the team clearly tired. All credit to West Brom for playing a strong game.

I am very excited for the return of Theo, Santi, Poldi, and the Ox. Lots of midfiled and offensive options when people get fit
 

sachmoney

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2008
9,513
Tim Thomas' Bunker
Eh, I don't think they looked tired. I'd just give West Brom credit for packing it in and making it hard for Arsenal to win back the ball when they were in possession. It was a tough and frustrating game. They just couldn't string together the killer ball. This was bound to happen sometime.
 

teddykgb

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
11,016
Chelmsford, MA
Spacemans Bong said:
Let's not forget West Brom won at Old Trafford last week and finished 8th in the Premier League last season. They are a very competent, difficult side to play against. A point is nothing to be ashamed of.
 
Everybody is doing that these days
 

mikeford

woolwich!
SoSH Member
Aug 6, 2006
29,517
St John's, NL
Goal aside (and he got massively lucky), Jack Wilshere played like absolute shit today. He needs to be dropped from the starting XI. Ramsey NEEDS to play centrally, hes USELESS on the wing. He didnt impact the game AT ALL today on the wing and the form he's in, youre completely wasting him by shifting him out wide. 
 
Put Rosicky wide til Cazorla and Theo return. Anything is better than Wilshere right now.
 

twhan1978

New Member
Nov 22, 2005
45
I wouldn't say Wilshere played like shit, but he does need to simplify his game a little right now.  Ideally, he's part of a 3 men for 2 spots rotation at the base of the midfield with Arteta and Flamini, with Ozil and Ramsey playing farther up the pitch.
 
And you're right: put Rosicky or someone else out wide until Ox, Theo and Santi return.  And keep feeding Gnabry minutes.
 

sachmoney

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2008
9,513
Tim Thomas' Bunker
WIlshere had a bad first half, but he picked it up in the second half. In the past, we'd probably see him lose control of his emotions, especially following that yellow card. He kept everything under control. He was far from his best, but I was impressed with how he composed himself in the second half.
 

bsartist618

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 5, 2007
847
Every time I looked in the first half, Wilshere was on the ground having either just lost possession or failed on an awful challenge.
 

sachmoney

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2008
9,513
Tim Thomas' Bunker
Michael Cox wrote a pretty interesting piece on Arsenal's narrowness against WBA. Unfortunately, Arsenal won't be able to have the versatility to add width until Theo and Ox come back. Perhaps even Poldi, if you classify him as a winger. Jack and Ramsey don't feel comfortable out there.
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
Would Arsenal be best served going with a 3-at-the-back/2 wingback approach until they get their wide players back? Liverpool have done this with pretty good success thus far.
 
Szczesny
Koscielny - Mertesacker - Vermaelen
Jenkinson - Flamini - Wilshere - Gibbs
Özil - Ramsey
Giroud
 

blueline

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 23, 2012
383
The hope is that Cazorla and Walcott will be back anyways after the international break. 
 

mikeford

woolwich!
SoSH Member
Aug 6, 2006
29,517
St John's, NL
PedroSpecialK said:
Would Arsenal be best served going with a 3-at-the-back/2 wingback approach until they get their wide players back? Liverpool have done this with pretty good success thus far.
 
Szczesny
Koscielny - Mertesacker - Vermaelen
Jenkinson - Flamini - Wilshere - Gibbs
Özil - Ramsey
Giroud
No one would be best served by Vermaelen playing.
 
Or Jenkinson.
 
 
Or Wilshere for that matter.
 

sachmoney

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2008
9,513
Tim Thomas' Bunker
Instead of picking on the personnel you chose, I'll talk about the formation. Essentially, you're swapping out a midfielder for a CB. That right there for starters probably doesn't work. You're pushing the wing backs up the field, which creates pockets behind them. I'm not sure having an extra CB really solves that problem, even if they're told to fill that space. Additionally, the great Arsenal attacking sides have been able to overlap on the wings, and you probably still lack that and you will still lack that until you get some authentic wingers. Lastly, putting another CB on the field exposes the team's depth.There are three CBs plus Sagna right now and putting them all on the pitch makes them susceptible to injury and eroding any depth the team has.
 
Wenger has tweaked his formation in the past, but I don't really see the 3-4-3 appealing to him. 
 

sachmoney

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2008
9,513
Tim Thomas' Bunker
Özil, Cazorla, and Sagna passed fit. Not sure if Cazorla will be able to start. Ideal scenario would be to get a goal or a few and take Özil out for Cazorla. I suspect that Norwich will be a tough battle though.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.