Nothing To Fear This Season

This topic contains 17 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by the specialone the specialone 7 years, 7 months ago.

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  • #1189251

    steve68
    Participant
    • :

    great to see us get our first win of the season and we
    must push on now because of the handicap we have given
    teams.i personally don’t think there’s one outstanding
    team in the prem lge and the likes of citeh have signed
    a lot of young players.

    the problem with us is we beat ourselves more than our
    opponents do sometimes by not getting what we need.now
    the squad looks a lot better and stronger and for the
    first time in a long time,i feel a lot more confident
    going to our bogey grounds old trafford,stamford bridge
    and stoke.cech,bellerin,mustafi,kos,monreal looks the
    most solid i can remember for a long time.

    on the game it was great to see sanchez near back to
    his best and as everyone knows i’ve been crying out for
    ozil to make those runs into the box more often because
    i think he can and should score between 12/15 goals a
    season.we know his quality on the ball but when you play
    the no10 it can’t only be about assists and backing up
    the play.he’s got the ability to do it thats for sure.

    i don’t think we have a bad run of games till we play
    chelski home and we must start a winning run.i think
    we have a lot of options.would like to give a mention
    to holding who i think will get better and better.
    playing alongside kos will be an education for him
    and i don’t think it’s a necessity that it will be
    kos & mustafi.each player must earn the right to play
    and competition will make us better thats for sure.
    a long way to go but a lot more optimistic than i
    was a week ago.

    #1189419
    The Oracle
    The Oracle
    Participant
    • :

    Chelsea looked really good yesterday, Man Utd are definitely better than last season, can’t make my mind up about Man City yet and Spurs were outplayed by Liverpool. It will be interesting now to see what Wenger thinks his best XI is. Walcott has done OK in all of his games. Xhaka is going to play most games but who will he partner him with. I just can’t see Goroud & Perez playing in the same side and both are very different players. It might take us some time to gel and that is what bothers me now. We also have bias towards the left hand side of the pitch with many naturally left footed players. WE shall see.

    #1189422

    andy528
    Participant
    • :

    Talent is there in abundance in this squad Steve – its all down to whether we can show some consistency and more importantly, show some stones when we go up against the big sides. We need to be able to go up against City/Chelsea/United and know we can take points off them.

    Our midfield is so packed with options, its the best it has looked in ages and in Granit Xhaka, we have a proper leader. He looks like he is going to be a top player. Fantastic range of passing and brings a real calm authority to the team. Being able to bring the likes of Elneny on to tighten things up is also a luxury.

    Let’s just hope we can keep the key players fit this year. That’s always a downfall of Arsenal

    #1189770

    barber_
    Participant
    • :

    Steve – I just want to say re Ozil that probably the move of the window in terms of getting more out of Ozil might just be Xhaka. I’ve pointed out in the past that Ozil takes too much responsibility for the ball, but that’s because he seems to have little confidence in those behind him.

    There was always a contrast with how he played when Arteta was playing compared with Flamini. In the case of the latter, the striker would always be isolated because Ozil would come very deep to get on the ball and would feel sole responsibility for control and creativity.

    But with Xhaka, he can be more concerned with the attacking picture higher up. I saw yesterday he was spending less time on the ball, giving it and making his move. His attraction was more to attacking spaces than the ball. And if he continues like that, it will be a throwback to how he played for Germany in the 2014 WC qualifiers where he was their top scorer. As long as he continues to play like this, I see him knocking on the door of 10-15 goals this season. It’s the commitment to get into those positions and onto those chances that I found very encouraging yesterday.

    Of course, having that striker in front of him, as well as wingers, who he can tee up will aid his natural game, but I feel he can and should contribute with more goals with the creativity and control behind him. Chelsea’s wing play is probably what will do damage for them this season, and we might have to consolidate our strengths through the middle to keep pace with such teams.

    #1189992

    steve68
    Participant
    • :

    barber.hope you’re right on ozil,mate.there’s no douting
    the ability he has on the ball and i definately see him
    as a world class player if he can get 12/15 prem lge goals.
    i know some might say he already is but i think he needs
    to be the whole package whereby defenders don’t just fear a
    pass but him getting on the end of things too.

    i’m with you on xhaka.really think his quick decisive
    ball playing from midfield can transform defence to attack
    much quicker than having coq or elnemy who are more side
    to side players than xhaka who has the ability to play the
    way he faces a lot quicker which will benefit the likes of
    ozil,sanchez a lot more.i really do think that xhaka is
    the perfect fit for rambo and i honestly think thats our
    best potential partnership on the basis rambo can get
    forward knowing that xhaka is going to keep the ball a lot
    better than coq or elnemy.

    what we then need is game man management.we have see
    leichester’s drinkwater bomb forward for them so it’s
    no excuse why rambo can’t do that for us.we can’t have
    rambo bombing forward as well as our full backs.that’s where
    wenger must install the dicipline in not having too many
    forward.partnerships are key for me this season and the
    strength,core of our team could very well be that central
    midfield partnership.

    #1190208
    the specialone
    the specialone
    Participant
    • :

    steve – My honest suggestion to you is don’t get carried away here.Our squad exactly hasn’t become so strong.And to be honest I don’t even think consistency is the key.I think mentality is the key for this club, and to be really really honest the season we had last year,I just can’t see the mentality changing under this manager.I’m not being pessimistic here,I’m just being realistic.
    One of the biggest things we have to improve on is not to capitulate.If you don’t have the quality to win the league,fine.But don’t give up without a fight like we always have done.That’s one thing I want to see.But we will eventually be in for disappointment like this club has delivered most of the times.

    Manage your expectations, or you’ll just be dissapointed even more mate.

    #1190253

    steve68
    Participant
    • :

    specialone.that’s why i will not blame any of the players
    but wenger himself.he must set the agenda at the club and
    must give the players the belief that they are good enough
    to compete for the title.

    i do believe if we can keep the majority of players fit,
    then we can be a force this season.the first thing i said
    at half time when we were 3-0 up was can we manage the game
    without giving watford a sniff.they won the 2nd half 1-0,
    so there’s some way to go.the mentality can be there but
    only if we build partnerships that work.you normally find
    from past experiences that if that’s the case the confidence
    from winning gives that to other players when they have the
    chance.

    so in theory what we need to do is build bridges and dig
    the trenches deep enough that each player knows his role
    so those drills help you when we need to this season.the
    likes of cech,kos,mustafi,xhaka,rambo,sanchez,ozil must
    have a huge influence on the rest of the squad.wenger must
    do his part but players must believe in themselves too.
    all i want is to compete for the title to the wire.i
    certainly think we could have a stronger and better second
    half of the season because there are new players in the team.
    it’s certainly better than a week ago i’ll put it that way.
    time will tell how good or not we will be but there’s
    nothing to fear from what i’ve seen so far.

    #1190739
    the specialone
    the specialone
    Participant
    • :

    steve68 – I think it’s much more than wenger instilling belief in the players.Wenger sure does that because all he speaks about in press conferences is that this team has belief they can win the title.It’s about giving them that extra push for the title,do whatever it takes.
    I’ve actually never seen that at Arsenal in the past decade, except when we are fighting for top four.Which clearly explains that he has set top four a target and anything else is a bonus.

    I’ll give you a prime example last season.Even With all the top teams having an off season,I always thought this club would been for disappointment as always but maybe just maybe with such an irregular season and the position we were in we would just nick the title.The game that convinced me that this club certainly doesn’t have the mentality was man utd away.We had our key players fit, and they were playing their reserve team.Still they managed to beat us.Who could deliver such a pathetic performance?We absolutely capilutated.Gave up without a fight.

    I don’t know what you’re ambitions for the club are this season, but I’ve definitely ruled out winning the title.No chance.Maybe just nick top four like always but again with a big challenge.Either ways it’s a step backwards and we have to start forcing both the board and Wenger out.

    #1190781

    steve68
    Participant
    • :

    specialone.it depends on many things for me this season.injuries,
    tactics,knowhow,luck,all things that play a huge part.i certainly
    don’t fear citeh,utd or chelski.it’s not like it’s barca,madrid
    or bayern.

    another important factor is the difference our new signings could
    make.i’ll put it this way.utd bought pogba for 90m.we got xhaka
    for 34m.think we have got the better deal and i certainly think
    he can be one of the best in the prem lge.what will tell me if we
    can compete for the title or not is when we go to utd,chelski and
    stoke.just those 3 games alone will tell us a lot because we know
    history does not favour us.

    if we are there or thereabouts come the new year then i certainly
    think we can get better.we have defensive options and a lot of
    attacking options so it will all depend how we balance the two.
    i’ve always had the opinion that wenger has not got the best out
    of the team/squad so that’s the main person i’m looking at this
    season.it’s only 3 games gone so i’ll make a more honest
    assessment come jan when we will see how the top of the table
    will pan out.

    everyone will have their own opinion on what is our best team
    and i’ve always looked at the spine of a team which tells it’s
    strength or weakness.cech,kos,mustafi,xhaka,rambo,ozil,giroud/
    perez looks as good as anything out there for me although some
    might have the exception like aguero.kos is the best CB in the
    prem lge.ozil is the best no10.sanchez as good as any wide player
    and in rambo i still believe we have the best attacking all round
    midfield player in the prem lge.

    if xhaka,perez,mustafi can add something too that then i think
    we can be a force again.nothing to fear for me mate.

    #1190916
    the specialone
    the specialone
    Participant
    • :

    steve – Firstly,please tell me you’re not one of those who actually blames injuries.Every team has injuries!I don’t care if we have more but you simply cant use it as an excuse anymore.I’ve never blamed that part of the game and honestly get annoyed at those who do.

    Secondly,Xhaka?Yes value wise we might have gotten the better deal of course.Because for me no central midfielder is worth 90m.It’s clear and I’m sure that even Man utd will admit they overpaid for him.But you know what, if I had the money they do I would overpay for him too.
    Why?Because he’s simply that good and IMO amongst the top three Centre mids in the world.

    As for Man utd,citeh etc?Actually we should fear them even more this season.Simply because they’ve gotten the best managers in the world and also gotten the best of players out there.Which is exactly why I’ve ruled us out for even pretending to challenge for the title, and the first three results of the respective teams confirms that.Sure three games dosen’t say much, but it says the direction the club are heading in into the season.

    Also,the only way we’ll be a force again is when we win a major trophy(PL or CL).That will never happen under wenger and this board.It actually will be very tough to happen under any other manager for that matter.However,You of course are entitled to believe otherwise and have the confidence going into the new season.I certainly don’t and like I said manage your expectations mate because if you’re expecting Arsenal to even come close to winning the title then You’re in for disappointment.Just a suggestion again.

    Cheers.

    #1191222

    steve68
    Participant
    • :

    spcialone.no i do not just blame injuries.if you look at my post
    i mentioned a lot of the ingrediants you need to win or compete
    for the title.we have had more injuries than any other team over
    the past 5/7 seasons so it has affected us and that more fact than
    opinion.

    but you me and everyone else knows it’s more than that.what i want
    to see is the team have a shape and a pattern of play that’s
    successful.i keep mentioning this because of it’s importance,but
    build partnerships and you are building a backbone which i think
    we haven’t had.we have added 3 players to the spine of the team
    and i hope they all have the effect we need.i love the look of kos/
    mustafi and can’t wait to see a xhaka/rambo partnership because i
    think that’s our strongest.

    on expectations,well,this is afc and we should demand we compete
    for the title.no fan can guarantee anyone winning it but we must be
    there or thereabouts.i’ll put it this way,i’ve been watching this
    game and nothing suprises me one bit.i’m just sitting on the fence
    and see where we are come the new year because you don’t win nothing
    before christmas.if we are there come then,then i have this gut
    feeling we could have a very good second half of the season.i think
    we have every bit as good a team as those you mentioned.

    how many afc players would get in a utd,citeh or chelski team?i would
    say 50/50 if i’m honest.don’t sell us short because we have the
    talent and ability so it might just be the case of moanio,guardiola
    being better than wenger but i think we have just as good a player.

    #1191420

    barber_
    Participant
    • :

    I don’t know about Pogba, TSO. I’m not saying he’s not a good player, but in football people tend to confuse aura for ability. Sport in general, not just football. A player is more likely to be lauded if he has a big mouth or looks or carries himself in a certain way. Muhammad Ali is a great example of this – he was a great boxer, absolutely fantastic, but “the greatest”? Based on what? Apart from things like sentiment, adulation, self-aggrandisation, etc, there are very few records or metrics you can come up with that would show Ali as being “the greatest”.

    Same with Ibra – I think he was given too much credit too early, and the chances that afforded him actually formed the springboard to being that player. I personally think he has never been better, and has gotten better with age. Contrast that with Balotelli, who I think was almost a carbon copy of young Ibra with the moments of brilliance, the skill… But people confused the aura for superlative ability, and he also was given chances at top clubs that had more to do with his perceived potential than ability and throughput. Only he hasn’t exactly turned out the same way Ibra did. On the other hand, you look at how long it took before a player like Iniesta is given the credit his footballing ability deserves!

    I haven’t said much about the transfer because it’s none of my business. But I wouldn’t have paid that money for Pogba, because he’s not worth it. Not even in this inflated market. I’m happy with what we have in midfield and really do not envy any other team in world football. Out wide (especially RW)? Up front? Defence? Perhaps. But we have all the possible options and combinations in midfield, and it’s now up to the manager to harness them in the right way over the course of the season.

    #1191444

    barber_
    Participant
    • :

    Steve – What I like about Xhaka is that he is an intelligent and confident player. He has the vision to see the possibilities, the intelligence and discernment to be able to pick the right options, and the ability to execute the passes (Ramsey’s biggest problem is discernment, for me!).

    With a player like that, you know that he is only limited by the possibilities. As long as they’re in front of him, he will pick the right one and execute. Most midfielders are limited by which direction they face, what “footedness” they are… And then, of course, whether they back themselves to make a pass or not. At least with Xhaka, I know that 80% of the time, he will make and execute the right play, without compromise. I can only imagine the confidence one could have playing in front of someone like that!

    Truth be told, he seems to have settled in more quickly than I expected. His transition from Basel to Gladbach was slower. But then again, this is the thing about experience – it stands a player in good stead for similar situations in the future. His movement has been okay, but I expect his positioning to be even better when he gets the hang of the speed and pace of the league. I’m chuffed with him!

    #1191531

    steve68
    Participant
    • :

    barber.i think xhaka gives us so much and it was a no brainer
    wanting a player who can tranform defence to attack with his
    wide range of passes.the way we play we must be good in possession
    because we can have too many forward at times.i think rambo
    is the perfect partner for xhaka because when ramsey does go
    forward he knows that xhaka aint going to give it away and it’s
    no conincidence that ramsey does well when he plays with
    someone who can keep the ball.

    thought arteta done a great job with him but xhaka looks a
    massive step up in terms of xhaka will play the way he’s facing
    and has that ability to change direction of play far quicker,
    whether thats short or long lasses. when we used to
    have arteta,coq or elnemy is a huge difference.all of them
    play more side to side and when you do that our opponents can
    squeeze and press us higher because they know we are square,
    square,back.that’s predictable and as cost us massively over
    the years.

    now there’s a difference,when xhaka has the ball our opponents
    don’t know which way he’s going to play and that benefits us
    hugely because walcott,sanchez,ox etc can look for that space in
    and behind while ozil can drop off and look for it short.there’s
    a variation we haven’t had.when you have that player that the
    players,fans can trust then we will be better and stronger for it.
    i’m so impressed with xhaka that i’m going to get the new shirt
    with him on the back.he looks top,top draw for me,mate.

    #1191558

    barber_
    Participant
    • :

    Steve – I think Arteta vs Xhaka just comes down to differing levels of security. Their main job in possession involves recycling possession without losing it, thereby giving us control and midfield dominance. Xhaka’s superior ability means, though, that he can execute things that boggle the mind but still remain well within his ability and risk limits. In effect, he wouldn’t lose possession because he is not taking excessive risk in line with his ability. Whereas Arteta favoured the less adventurous passes perhaps because he didn’t have the same level of ability and security in trying for longer ranges and riskier passes.

    As far as how Wenger wants to play, this is the missing piece of the puzzle in midfield IMO. How he is able to use his ample and diverse resources in midfield could, COULD get him closer to the league than he’s been for a decade plus. But he would do well to move away from just control to creativity, efficiency and end-product from the midfield – especially as he has the security at the base now.

    #1191612

    steve68
    Participant
    • :

    barber.always remember moanio talking after beating us at the emirates.
    he stated that when arteta has the ball to press us high because he’d
    knew he’d pass square,back and that made us predictable.
    i’d like to think that teams cannot see a weakness in that area now.
    barca,madrid,bayern the exception to the role plays the way they are
    playing and thats so hard to stop with the quality they have.do think
    that our back 5 can be it’s strongest in years and that alone can
    get us closer.

    what’s that saying,to be the best you’ve got to be the luckiest.i
    used to remember our legendry back 5 get murdered in games but kept
    clean sheets through building that understanding and sticking too
    it no matter what.that never die attitute,belief that they were
    going to keep a clean sheet even if it meant our opponents missing
    chances.

    with kos and mustafi i do think they can build the foundations we
    need.always thought kos needed someone similar to compliment him.
    the only thing that concerns me early on is mustafi likes a sliding
    tackle/challenge in his own box.with the pace of the prem lge i
    hope someone tells him to find his feet first and to be more
    careful early on.do think this could blossom into the best in the
    prem lge.when was the last time we all thought that.

    #1192053
    the specialone
    the specialone
    Participant
    • :

    barber – Whilst I agree to a certain degree about your theory of a player being lauded more because of his aura,I’m not confusing the two here.Infact,I’m saying he has both of those.
    He obviously has the natural ability as well as that aura about him that exudes confidence in the players around him and moreso in the fans.

    Listen,I said no central midfielder is worth that much.And I only said I’ll pay that much for him If I had the money Man united have.If I was given Arsenal’s transfer budget say of even £150m,and I had to spend almost 3/4th of that on one player then I think I’ll buy two Xhaka’s and another player for that amount.However,I really do rate Pogba amongst the best central midfielders in the world.He has everything in his locker a midfielder should.Range of passing,Vision,strength,Pace and bags of ability.With him in the team, your chances of winning the championship move a level up.Everytime he gets the ball you just wait with excitement what he’s going to do next.Mourinho is not stupid, he has calculated and spent that amount in line with the expectations from the club and the although I despise the man one quality I admire about him is that he is not afraid to fail.He’s spent big, and he knows that he HAS to win the title anything less would be an underachievement.

    #1192062
    the specialone
    the specialone
    Participant
    • :

    Also,both steve and barber.I’d like to see how our midfield does with Xhaka,Ozil and the either of Cazorla/ramsey in more games, bigger games.Which is why I’ll hold my judgement until then.

    I’ve already given credit to Xhaka.Individually he’s a fantastic talent.A perfect ball carrying midfielder that burdens the responsibility off the likes of Ozil.His range of passing is also very impressive.But he’s very similar to Arteta.And how often did we see Arteta and Ozil play together.The reason coquelin was deployed more in that position is because of his mobility and aggression and ability to press.

    To be more precise, when we come us against a team that we are expected to dominate.Then it all looks good for the midfield.Xhaka doing the job just in front of the defense with both cazorla and ozil given freedom ahead.
    But should we come up against a better team, who’s main strength will be to hit us on the counter, then what?Will Xhaka himself be able to handle that.I am curious to see how this midfield pans out against top teams.

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