Archie Leach
Gooner
Calling Arsenal an average team is a 'swipe'.
Calling Arsenal an average team is a 'swipe'.
I'm not having a go at you, mate. I made my points politely. But I disagree, I think Arsenal are a very good team, and like I said we're two players from having a real title challenging squad, which is what a vintage Wenger side looks like.Not really. You obviously took it out of context, average in comparison to some of the teams of the past. But in terms of quality, yeah you's have a good team. Funny, I have generally always spoken positive about Arsenal on here on here due to the fact that I have never had any major problem with your lot - yet you's are having a go at something that was obviously taken out of context when some people on here slate your lot. Quite amusing indeed as I have often stuck up for the likes of Ramsey and Giroud when they were getting dogs abuse.
It really wasn't a 'swipe' and I'm deeply sorry for any offence that was caused. You poor sensitive bunch.
I don't know why we didn't buy him. I assume it was because we felt we didn't need another player in that position or that he was overpriced. Don't think either is a good reason.
I'm not having a go at you, mate. I made my points politely. But I disagree, I think Arsenal are a very good team, and like I said we're two players from having a real title challenging squad, which is what a vintage Wenger side looks like.
Doesn't it always, though? That's what this club has always been about and I don't want to see that change.
I think a lot of people underestimated just what a transformative effect bringing one of the better players in the world into the squad can have on the dressing room. Apart from the obvious talent that the player himself brings in, there is also the confidence/knock-on effect that player will have on the rest of the team that makes them aim higher and play better.
This opinion that Arsenal are an average team is very understandable. People look down the starting XI and think 'not many of them would get into our side.' The problem with that view though is that unfashionable players have been performing to such a high standard recently. You can't argue with 19 wins in 22 games.
It can have an adverse effect too though, as we probably saw with Rooney last year. Arsenal bringing in Özil means they're pushing Cazorla out wide and I'd say that will inevitably see him fail to hit the heights of last year.
Januzaj is eighteen, surely you wouldn't have ruined his development by signing Ozil.
It can have an adverse effect too though, as we probably saw with Rooney last year. Arsenal bringing in Özil means they're pushing Cazorla out wide and I'd say that will inevitably see him fail to hit the heights of last year. Given how good Özil is that's a good trade-off, but would that be the case with Rooney? We were willing to do that with Kagawa last year to fit van Persie in but I don't think we'd have been so quick to push Rooney to the side. We've already seen his somewhat fragile ego on plenty of occasions so it's fair to wonder whether that would have had a positive transformative effect on him, and seeing as he's one of the few leaders in the side and arguably our key player, that's got to be a pretty big factor.
It can have a transformative effect on Arsenal's dressing room because they've failed to hold on to their top players and bring in new ones, but it's a different scenario with us. We've kept Rooney, we've brought in van Persie, we have a team of title-winners...it's night and day really. Arsenal needed a lift of that kind that we don't. And if bringing in that player causes one of our other top players to be marginalised or leave, then most of that positive impact could easily be negated.
There's also the fact that all these players they have are the right side of 30, and mostly the right side of 25... which means they're getting better and peoples expectations of their level of performance isn't moving along with them.
Yes, precisely.
We were playing well before Ozil, but his arrival seems to be lifting the others even more. This is why you sign world class players. It doesn't even matter how well Ozil plays, he just elevates the performance of all those around him by his mere presence.
Where would we play him though? Stick him on the right wing and expect him to whip crosses in
We need to move on a bit now from 4-4-2. The players available just are not suitable to wing play.
Which is a bit surprising though, credit to him or the manager or whoever is responsible. Hopefully he keeps it up, I love watching him play, but there were times over the last 2 years when I thought the German nationalteam would be stronger with Kroos or Götze instead of him in the team for a few reasons, his contribution in defense was one of them. I would love it to be proven wrong, because at his best he's imo the most enjoyable player to watch right now.Also, having watched him for 90 minutes for Arsenal a handful of times, I think people underestimated his defensive contribution when they said he won't work back at all... he does a pretty decent job covering for people and isn't exactly a lazy fecker when it comes to defending.
That's because Ozil is a class player though, he can play across all of the front positions and create something.
Its like Nani in that respect, any top class player can play in all positions, which is why limited players like Valencia are becoming outdated.
Now why is that I never hear anyone say that about Shinji Kagawa? Hmmm...
Now why is that I never hear anyone say that about Shinji Kagawa? Hmmm...
Come on Pogue. I'm hardly a Kagawa apologist but the statement "any top class player can play in all positions" is simply not true.
That's because Ozil is a class player though, he can play across all of the front positions and create something.
Its like Nani in that respect, any top class player can play in all positions, which is why limited players like Valencia are becoming outdated.
As long as we actually keep januzaj. I'd rather keep him than almost all of our first teamers. That's the kind of player I've been dying to see in our first team.Doesn't it always, though? That's what this club has always been about and I don't want to see that change.
Top attacking players being able to play right across the attack is nothing new, so why would players like that become "outdated" now if they weren't outdated over a decade ago when there were more top players?
I remember Italian teams being damn successful in Europe for about 2 decades without traditional wingers providing width.Because formations now are relying on the front players playing more narrow, requiring more technical ability in tighter spaces.
The width is mainly from fullbacks where as a few years back traditional wingers were the norm.
Valencia is just too 1 track minded to play in that type of formation, his game is so restricted it really limits the rest of the team.
Sure on his day when he gets it right he can be a big threat, but for me this isn't consistent enough. When his plan A fails he struggles massively to get into the game.
I remember Italian teams being damn successful in Europe for about 2 decades without traditional wingers providing width.