Arseblog News – the Arsenal news site
Arsene Wenger wants his team to take hold of tonight’s game against West Ham from the start, and not simply react when they’ve gone behind.
Impressive second half performances against Man City and Chelsea were too little, too late, and the Arsenal manager is looking for a better all round performance this evening.
“I don’t question the players’ character but then you look at the consistency of the results in the big games,” he said.
“The attitude of the players is fantastic. They want to do well and are focused, but are maybe a bit too respectful in the big games. Every time we start to show what we can do, the game is already lost. That is what we have to change.
“The players come out and think ‘we could have done better’. But when you look at the first half we lost goals that we shouldn’t lose and 50:50s you cannot lose in big games. You have to go with a mentality in big games based on belief and total commitment.”
Against a team like West Ham, who will try and rattle Arsenal with a more physical approach than any of the most recent opposition, the manager needs to ensure his team aren’t found wanting and requiring a half-time rocket to get them going.
Arseblog News suggests giving the half-time team talk before the game, and at half-time put on some death metal and display images of war and violence on the dressing room wall.
That should do it.
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I think its self belief thats the problem.
We start slow, often on the backfoot, but as we get more into the game its more than obvious what we are capable of. We need characters the likes of Bergkamp, Vieira or Henry who had it in them to lead and not to fear the opposition and carry the team on their shoulders.
Unfortunately we have no leaders (we can see Jack has the qualities) to push the team forward
Totally agree, too often we play matches on the other team’s terms. We need to find a way to really impose ourselves on the opposition from the start and have them trying to keep up with us for a change. Recently it has taken a change of approach at half time (and a bollocking) to settle into a game and start playing our stuff, by which time it is usually too late.
Note that all 3 of them guys had physical presence… they were experienced… we’re a team of midgets, easily bullied & over paid!
don’t be a negative nancy ,you’ll have your chance if/when we lose.
Size dont matter that much.. Just look at Messi, iniesta, xavi and fabregas.. Mata, silva, Suarez, wilshere are all doing well..
I think Diaby will start to counter the physicality of Diame. Will Rosicky make the bench? Hopefully he is fit enough to make an appearance.
I think fans have been harsh on Wenger. If we adopt the pressing game we will win. Good to have Pod back.
COYG!
diame is injured
And you are mad……..Diame’s fine.
Yeah sooo fine he’s not even starting the game..
Diaby can’t counter anybody’s physicality, ’cause he’s made of wafers.
Metal and War at the same time… there is only One song that fulfils that in my mind… http://youtu.be/EzgGTTtR0kc
COME ON THE ARSENAL!!!
Someone’s never heard of Slayer
LOL. Seen Slayer a number of times, but the first war song to come to mind was that one.
Maybe AW needs to put a bit of Raining Blood on at 11. Should wake the likes of Diaby / Theo up!
Both Metallica and Slayer suck balls.
Rosicky will definitely go H.A.M., metal is his favourite music.
Blogs was referring to death metal, not Metallica or Slayer…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK128KFj5_k
“Arseblog News suggests giving the half-time team talk before the game, and at half-time put on some death metal and display images of war and violence on the dressing room wall.”
I think locking them in the dressing room before the match with effigies of Joey Barton and John Terry would do the job as well.
i thought mad jens was doing his coaching badges with us. get him into the dressing room FFS. he might stand on a few players feet just to let them know
not on Diaby’s feet though. That’s a £1000 fine
The away game at old trafford was really embarrassing. I mean we basically bendover. It was so fucking painful, one of our biggest rivals but my oh my the respect we showed them was so so….
*painful
Are these new words or have I heard them somewhere before? Tell us something we don’t know. I’m more in interested in what he’s doing about it. The same thing happened in the home game against Chelsea, I know, I was there (paid £100 in total for the honour). That was back in September and here we are in January and ain’t a damn thing changed. Oh well ‘In Wenger we trust’ lets not talk about replacing him. Heaven forbid, what would we be without him? We have obviously reached the point where Arsene = Arsenal.
I understand your frustration and I am with you. As to Wenger being the Arsenal, Wenger’s current contract expires in 2014. I don’t like the idea of firing him before the contract expires even if we don’t make the CL. Le Prof deserves at least that much of respect. We the fans of a classy club should remain classy and see what Wenger can do before the end of his contract, no matter how frustrating that may be. I don’t think he will want to walk away from this club in an underachieving manner.
Regardless of what happens, these next two season will define his entire legacy here at Arsenal: a manager who started brilliantly and helplessly faded away towards the end, or a manager who started brilliantly and rescued the club back to the glory after a tough period of underachievement, largely due to key injuries and all those c*nts leaving us for money. I genuinely wish for the latter.
Let’s win the West Ham game. Let’s win the FA Cup. Chelsea won the CL last season and they finished 6th in the League. Why don’t we make some splash in the CL this year? COYG
It’s called being wet.
Stop being wet.
Grow some balls and get stuck in. Stop thinking someone else’ll save us and do it yourself.
If we don’t give them space as we did at Stamford bridge then we will win. The team gives room for the opposition to play their game at the moment
You’re talking about “pressing.” Borussia Dortmund has been utilizing that quite well these past few season. The downside of press football is that it really tires out players, so that depth in the squad and consistent rest based on rotation of players are vital. Depth is exactly what we don’t have due to all those underachieving players so called “deadwood.” I like the idea, but when we have many games to go until the end of the season, it may causes some unwelcome repercussions down the road.
Barcelona seem/seemed capable of it, and im sure the majority of players are always the same?
Was respectfulness the problem against Norwich,Swansea,Southampton,Villa etc??
‘Sympathy’ was a problem there of course.
The Mongols kicked ass and instilled fear in their enemies because they feared Genghis Khan more than tmy. Does that sound like ferguson and man u? Wenger seems soft in comparison.
not really interested in a football philosophy based on fear.
i love the creative “victory through harmony” thats why im an arsenal fan. Harmony is what we lack at the moment, so no victory….but that can be installed with a few new players and less tired legs
COYG
I agree with you manfredi. Just saying that I can’t see Wenger giving it to a player when he’s not performing. Breathing down his necks and saying: “if you want to put on this jersey than you better be prepared to deserve it” or something to that effect.
When he’s had to wenger has showm amger at the squad, amd against chelsea sent them back out early. He has it when he needs it, more effective that way. Have you never watched supernanny? Sigh.
*more than the enemy
They must have played R.E.M and had pictures of puppies and rainbows in the dressing room before the chelsea game
Just wanted to point out that my comments were directed entirely at Mr Wenger and not Mr Blogs who is still doing a stellar job.
I heard i like to listen to Gotye. Which has some, Relevance……
“Now your just somebody that i used to know”
Play for the badge boys!!
I think the team is lacking complete and utter c**ts. Every successful team has at least one or two.
I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if we’d have signed Barton! Honestly I’m split. It could have been a disaster. It could have been a brilliant signing. He would have offered something which we definitely don’t have at the moment – whether that’s a good thing…?
Guess we’ll never know, thank fuck.
Are we talking about a team of 17yr olds that have never played PL football ?
No ,we are talking about a side packed with International footballers all of whom have PL experience (Poldolski & Carzola aside), all are aware of the pace ,strength,ability and commitment required to succeed in this league.
Wenger has returned to the well with the same tired excuse and found there is no water….what a suprise.For an undoubtedly intelligent man he shows scant regard for the intelligence of us Arsenal fans,I am a season ticket holder (2) of over 15 yrs and will not be renewing unless Mr Wenger steps aside.
Exactly. The excuses well has run dry.
The team is too young; it’s too physically fragile; it’s too mentally fragile; it’s lacking in leaders . . . So Wenger, in response to the wise critics, stops buying talented ten-year-old midgets and goes for bigger and more experienced players in the final third of their careers.
Except, alas, the problem doesn’t seem to have been the youth of the players after all. If anything, we’re getting more mature and combative performances out of Coquelin and Wilshere than the new bigger and more experienced recruits.
The fact that Wenger has listened to the simplistic explanations of the pundits and acted on their advice suggests to me that he’s lost confidence in himself. If so, small wonder that he can’t impart it to the players and this relatively big and elderly team is so hesitant, scared and defeated-looking. Remember the freedom with which the little kids – little in both senses: think skippy, smiley Vela – used to wreak havoc with the thug teams in the Carling. Don’t suppose many people here rated Vela as much as I did but he could score against Stoke (and not with a chip) which is something Giroud and Podolski have yet to achieve.
Well, I’ll answer your call Wenger, Respect is all gone.
Unfortunately it is mine for you.
I had the pleasure to “join” Arsenal midway through the George Graham years, so effectively, Arsene Wenger has been a God to me with what he has done for our club, but in last 2-3 years he has undone it all for me. He is deluded now, he should either be sacked for not doing good enough with assets available or he should quit due to unreasonable restraints. Either way, we are finished with the way we are being run right now. absolutely zero tactical nous.
Can people seriously tell me regardless of Chamakh and Djourou leaving on loan, that Guiseppe Rossi, Loic Remy, Mathieu Debuchy, M-Yanga Mbiwa, Daniel Sturridge and/or Demba Ba would not have seriously improved our current squad/first XI. Our lack of activity in market is tantamount to me that someone is seriously failing our club. Zaha is a prime example that Wenger has no guts in his own ability to outbid another manager, fear of rejection maybe, well RVP and Cesc have already rejected our project.
Save our Club please. Not with panic buys (Santos!!) but with ……. I don’t know but not what is status quo
I forgot to divulge on my deluded comment, what I mean by that is that he says only exceptional players will be considered but they will no longer consider us I’m afraid, likes of Hummels, Goetze. Reus, Howedes and Schurrle are not going to consider us as a step up anymore. I apologise if people think I’m out of line but to European players right now we would be behind likes of Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Barca, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Dortmund, PSG, Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea and I’m afraid now that Liverpool and Spuds are looking more appealing than us right now.
You’re right Damian. The Mbiwa transfer has really pissed me off. You could see, when we played Montpellier, that he would have been really good for Arsenal.
And Debuchy… I’ve already said on here that I can’t believe we didn’t go for him. He wasn’t expensive either!
Yes, Mapou. Terrific and talented player if a bit card-prone. Loads of the much-valued ‘leadership’ qualities: he was made captain of Montpellier when only about 17. Debuchy too is a good prospect.
I wonder if Wenger, in going for older and less talented players in final third of their careers, is saving himself the heartache of having them pinched by our rivals? Can’t see Barca or City making us a big offer for some of our recent more stolid and elderly purchases. Bild – nasty tabloid but with not too bad football pages – suggest he’s going for the Hungarian striker, Adam something unpronounceable at Meinz. Wouldn’t be a bit surprised in view of his other recent purchases – Mertesacker, Podolski, Santos, Arteta and Giroud.
I guess players in their mid-late twenties are exactly what the pundits and most of the fans have been calling for but, as I said above, it hasn’t proved to be the solution to our mental or physical fragility and it seems a desperate and ill-conceived strategy to me. OK, team-building is difficult when your rivals steal your best players, but I can’t see how this directionless and stop-gap policy is going to do us much good in the long term, especially financially.
More team-building, not less, would be my preference: team-building so good and complete the team WANTS to stick together because it believes in itself and has started to win. Only that would protect it from being picked off by Barca and City. As it is, any decent young player stuck in a sea of ageing mediocrity will eventually be wanting out. What was wrong with our previous attempt to team-build was that it wasn’t thorough enough and so was let down by its weak links. Had we invested just a few million a decent keeper instead of years of Almunia/Fabianski, we might still have Nasri, Van Persie and Cesc.
Cesc left to be back in Spain… I don’t see that as a rejection.
I prefer to see us pressing the ball and opponents, we don’t have the required players to sit back and invite teams onto us, or the concentration levels for that matter it would seem.
Winning the ball high up the pitch is the best policy for this team, and we tend to then pin teams into their own half when we adopt this method The 2nd half of the Swansea game was as good as we have played this season against a decent side (both games in fact).
Sammy Hagar’s “I Can’t Drive 55″ really gets me pumped up!
Even if the players played at their best, half our squad just isn’t good enough to play for Arsenal. Ramsey, Diaby and Coqulain wouldn’t make Petit, Viera and Gilberto break a fuckin sweat!
Mbiwa has signed for Newcastle for £7m !!!
Staggered at this,felt his non appearance for a medical on monday meant we would nick him….silly me.
Just the type of player we need,showed real quality when we played Montpellier in the CL….. obviously not enough quality for Wenger.
So Newcastle have got Mbiwa and Debuchy for roughly the price of Gervinho,,,, Are our scouts on the barcodes payroll?!
In words of Gilles Grimandi: “But monsieurs and madames, we are only buying players we scouted for two years, and M’biwa has been scouted for 20 months. Couldn’t go for him. Must obey procedures.”
Well someone doesn’t want Mbiwa….. Instead of giving the thumbs down, why not explain why he wouldn’t make a good signing? I’m basing my assesment on a few games, the odd YouTube cllip and the praise lavished on him by a couple of Montpellier fans I’ve spoken to. It’s hardly thorough, so I can’t claim to be an expert. I’d be quite interested to know why, if he isn’t, he wouldn’t be suitable at Arsenal. Any ideas?
@shuggietodd – I expect you’re getting the thumbs-down for cheerleading reasons. If we had bought Mbiwa he’d be hailed as the best prospect ever and a typical Wenger signing – young but amazingly mature for his years; skilful but a tireless and passionate leader. Since we haven’t bought him, he’s crap – just a mediocre mercenary with a mercenary agent who’s been touting him around Europe for years, which is how a loyal gooner yesterday described Ba.
Would you have gone M’vila? I would, I’m afraid, because I think our situation is getting more than just a little bit desperate. Yes, very bad character, very big risk but, if he wasn’t, he’d have gone to Real or Barca or Bayern by now. My guess is, if we bought him this window he’d be on his best behaviour for a season to two and his skill might be enough to get us into the top four. If we don’t buy him and have to rely on the ageing and injury-prone Arteta (or the inexperienced and injury-prone Coquelin) we’ve not got a prayer. Would love to see him playing with Wilshere. Would also love (sadly, sort of) to see us selling him to City or Barca in 18 months for 50 million. (That money would come in pretty handy for a club that’s self-sustaining by means of its transfer surplus alone but in a couple of years will have run out of young and brilliant players to sell.)
I am hoping we get the win tonight and in the context of last season after 23 games we would have the same number of points and overall scored more goals even without RIP – Sorry RVP. Interesting that this is the case as everyone said without him we would not be able to score !!!
We can’t score – last 10 league games, 6 of those were without a goal from open play…not good.
The mentality of a team is greatly influenced by its manager’s.
Surely you have to go with a mentality in ALL games based on belief and total commitment, not just big games. Otherwise what’s the difference between losing to Man City and losing to Norwich. It’s still three points either way.
Maybe so, but if you beat the team you are chasing then you gain 3 points
If we’re going to ever win anything again then we can’t afford any slacking. Simple as that.
Let’s have a bit of positivity and optimism folks!
If (sorry, I mean WHEN) we beat West Ham tonight well only be 4 points behind the cunts in white and 8 points behind the cunts in blue, with lots of highly winnable games in the next few months.
Plus, the spuds are yet to begin their customary second-half-of-the-season collapse.
Cheer up The Arsenal play today. COYG!
To be honest I’m beginning to think that the only thing we’re really missing is a tough, uncompromising leader on the pitch – a bruiser – that the rest of the team is fearful of.
We had it with Adams and Vieira, but haven’t had anyone since.
With ManU everyone’s scared stiff of ‘old blue nose’. With Chelsea (when they were winning stuff they had both Mourinho and reprobates like Terry.
It’s not just our tactics (or lack of) that’s the problem. It’s personnel. And I really don’t think TV5 is the guy to do it.
With so many new players and young players the the problem with our first team is (and I don’t quite understand the psychology) that some/most players need leadership.
We could do a lot worse right now than hand Jack the armband. Either that or send Vermaelen on an SAS induction course. That might do the trick.
I can see where you’re coming from in wanting a bruiser, but – dear God – it seems like a counsel of despair. Me, I’d rather have skill and excitement than rely on brute force. Brute force – ‘committed’ or ‘combative’ being the politer term for it – is what the impoverished mid-table teams used to recruit because they couldn’t afford dazzling skill. I guess we can’t either these days, and mid-table is probably where we look to be heading, especially with the fans getting on the back of the players and destroying what little confidence they have left. Note Gervinho: so excellent before he came to us, so excellent for the Ivory Coast, unlikely to flourish with our fans on his back …
Rather than a big bruiser why not go for M’Vila who’s first and foremost a supremely skilful defensive midfielder and only a bit of a bruiser but who I reckon would link up phenomenally well with Wilshere. He’s not a long-term prospect, I fear, as his self-destructive tendencies are bound to re-emerge pretty soon, but for a season or so surely he’d be a safe bet? Even he must realise, faced with a choice of Anzhi or QPR, that to salvage his almost-ruined stellar career, he’s got to keep his head down for a bit? Better him than a has-been and equally unreliable bruiser like Barton? If you’re that keen on plain and loyal bruiser-ish-ness with all it’s drawbacks in terms of suspensions, well, we’ve got it already in Frimpong.
Detah metal? War and violence? Here you go lads…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfcTbK-U1YQ
You want more? Of course you do. If it doesn’t work with war and violence, well, give them a blonde beauty….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91SqLKGIN-A
Arsene will sign west hams diame before the weekend if not early next week.
That is not good enough. Not by a long shot. He will be a new average player who will be impossible to get rid of.
Save the money of thats the best we can do.
Methinks tonight will be used as a scouting mission for diame, as well as an opportunity to earn 3 points.
Arsene wenger out!!! Neva tot I will be the one sending this. But I just have to release the tension! The old man has lost the magic touch. No time for sentiments.
Funny if we lose tonight …. that would give wenger a strong kick up the french twat backside to spend some money!He acts like its his personal money im sick of him arghhhhhhhh!