qs! wrote:

Spot on Lagos but then I'd have to point out that I do think Robin has the right stuff.

I do think/hope its something thats changing though. The likes of Szczesny, Wilshere, etc seem to have the mentality to kill off that old malaise. Even guys like Ramsey and Frimpong have an excellent attitude.

Yep, and I think that attitude is linked to an ability to go out and be able to put in a decent shift regardless of the overarching doom and gloom at the club. Problem is there are too few Wilsheres and Sceszsnys and too many Chamakhs and Gibbses, guys who just lack conviction and courage to bolster their talent.

We should also not discount the effect the manager's temperament has on the team. How easy is it to feel confident as a player when your manager is tossing bottles, vigorously rubbing his hair or turning various shades of a sickly green on the sidelines?

Caligula wrote:

Chamakh is not as bad as he appears. In fact, the majority of the players, and the team as a whole is not as bad as it appears. There is a huge psychological problem at this team. How else can we explain the same group of footballers playing like world beaters until the Carling Cup, and then looking like Wolves for the past 6 months? Even Chamakh started brightly and did a very good job up front while Robin was out. It goes beyond him though. Even RvP seems to have caught the malaise of late. They're not great players, but they're better than what we have seen this past half year. What's wrong?

Lagos is right- People (especially of the Arsenal Wengerist persuasion) tend to vastly overestimate technical qualities and underestimate mental and physical ones, tbf I think most of them get it now.

Some choose to ignore the fact that you don't get near any Premiership 1st team never mind an Arsenal without being very very good, even players like Almunia have had excellent games once or twice, and tbf Wenger has always netted them cheaply that is his forte.
What is not his forte is organising them into a system that will play to their strengths and minimise their weaknesses, in short pragmatism.
He is still a prisoner of dogma and his grey eminence Primorac.

Good players don't become bad overnight, and of course we don't know what personal or physical problems players might be having, but one things for sure- We're not a team with a functioning style or system at the moment, and that would make a Messi look rubbish.

/thread

He's surrounded by shite is all.

He got great service a few times, finally bagged one, should have had 2

Lex Chambers wrote:

I suss out the shitsters well early. Slammed senderos and denilson faster than you can say "losers" and I called Gibbs early too. Fling that kid in the bin

I called Denilson from day one. Such a poor footballer.

Robin + Theo. Needs to happen more

I repeat. Robin + Theo. Needs to happen more often.

Just the thought of Theo running on to Robin's usual through passes should be enough to give them a chance together.

naz wrote:

Robin + Theo. Needs to happen more

IMO we need to play a 4-4-2 with Robin and Theo upfront.

Didn't get much service today, but he looked decent. He just needs games to get in form. It's been like that for a few seasons.

The era of the 5 midget midfield is over.

Great strike, with his chocolate leg too