Official Arsenal FC Thread

jerrod · Post #161 » by **jerrod** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:01 am

the spurs game is on espn 2 so i get it in hd!!!!!

i was worried i wasn't going to have anymore in hd this season

jerrod · Post #162 » by **jerrod** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:14 am

i have to leave like now for a 7v7 game but i just got done watching the match and i had to register my:

A. amazement and love of this game
B. absolute expectation that arsenal will blow a lead for a draw

ZaQ- · Post #163 » by **ZaQ-** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:12 pm

Allow me to take a positive from today's loss to Bolton: We will have at least one new CB next year. Koscielny is a depth guy, at best; Djourou looked promising but has been abysmal since the injury; Squillaci should never see the field; Vermaelen can hopefully come back strong though that's no guarantee.

What do you guys think of Szczesny? I'm pretty torn on whether I would like him back as the top keeper.

IronChef · Post #164 » by **IronChef** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:59 pm

I like Szczesny a lot. We bring him back as number 1 for sure, imo.

Any money we have to spend should be spent on a striker, winger, defensive midfielder, centreback, and right back, imo.

jerrod · Post #165 » by **jerrod** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 11:57 pm

i'm just fine with szczesny as the number 1.

Post #166 » by **J.Kim** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:18 am

I'm happy that we've finally moved on from the likes of Almunia and Lehmann and have a decent GK that we can rely on (too bad the defense can't seem to support him in any way)

IronChef · Post #167 » by **IronChef** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:24 am

I'm pumped for his future. He looks like he'll grow into a fantastic keeper. He's a commanding presence and loves the club.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neKZ50PYNKQ[/youtube]

BC_ · Post #168 » by **BC_** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 5:17 am

If Vermaelen is fit I'm happy with Vermaelen-Djourou-Koscielny-Bartley as a rotation.
If Vermaelen isn't 100% I don't want Koscielny as a starter.

IronChef · Post #169 » by **IronChef** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 4:06 am

^^ Yeah, pretty much how I feel. If we're not sure Vermaelan is ready to go, we need to buy a CB. If he is ready to go, I'd rather get a better LB than Clichy, and RB than Eboue.

BC_ · Post #170 » by **BC_** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:42 pm

Just been looking through where we dropped points this season - I think if we'd had Szczesny, Vermaelen and Ramsey all year we would have won the league. I still want backups at DM, LB and RB but I don't think any wholesale changes are necessary.

edit - I meant wholesale changes to the starting lineup. Almunia, Denilson, Squillaci etc can all GTFO

IronChef · Post #171 » by **IronChef** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:09 pm

The only changes to the starting XI we need to make is Vermaelan for Koscielny, and I'd like to improve on Clichy. Other than that it is replacing the squad members: Eboue, Denilson, Rosicky, Bendtner, Almunia, maybe Arshavin, Squillaci (maybe with Bartley).

Post #172 » by **Slava** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:11 pm

manchild wrote:Just been looking through where we dropped points this season - I think if we'd had Szczesny, Vermaelen and Ramsey all year we would have won the league.

That's what Wenger said. :lol:

Honestly every team goes through injuries in a season. We played Fletcher and Carrick in defense for some part of last season and lost games, in the end it came down to a point.

Which is why squad strength is important and that's why players like Jonny Evans, Smalling, Wes Brown, O'shea and Park are invaluable to us. Chelsea found it the hard way this season too.

IronChef · Post #173 » by **IronChef** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:33 pm

SlavaMedvedenko wrote:
manchild wrote:Just been looking through where we dropped points this season - I think if we'd had Szczesny, Vermaelen and Ramsey all year we would have won the league.

That's what Wenger said.

Honestly every team goes through injuries in a season. We played Fletcher and Carrick in defense for some part of last season and lost games, in the end it came down to a point.

Which is why squad strength is important and that's why players like Jonny Evans, Smalling, Wes Brown, O'shea and Park are invaluable to us. Chelsea found it the hard way this season too.

I agree somewhat, everyone gets injuries. But, losing Vermaelan for the entire year hurt a lot, he's by far our best defender, and the leader of our defence. If United lost Vidic for the year, or Chelsea lost Terry for the year it would have made a large difference to their season.

Edit: Not saying we would have won the league, but it certainly didn't help

IronChef · Post #174 » by **IronChef** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:36 pm

P.S. Vermaelan is starting in the Reserves game against United!

Post #175 » by **5DOM** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 4:03 pm

IronChef wrote:
SlavaMedvedenko wrote:
manchild wrote:Just been looking through where we dropped points this season - I think if we'd had Szczesny, Vermaelen and Ramsey all year we would have won the league.

That's what Wenger said.

Honestly every team goes through injuries in a season. We played Fletcher and Carrick in defense for some part of last season and lost games, in the end it came down to a point.

Which is why squad strength is important and that's why players like Jonny Evans, Smalling, Wes Brown, O'shea and Park are invaluable to us. Chelsea found it the hard way this season too.

I agree somewhat, everyone gets injuries. But, losing Vermaelan for the entire year hurt a lot, he's by far our best defender, and the leader of our defence. If United lost Vidic for the year, or Chelsea lost Terry for the year it would have made a large difference to their season.

You are absolutely right, but Slava's point still stands. You need depth to win a 38 game league.
We also lost last year's 32 goal 14 assist man in Lampard and our 2nd choice CB in Alex for half the season, and were forced to play our 1st choice RB at CB for most of the season. Benayoun also just started playing now, and Drogba was suffering from malaria for months.
I know you guys missed Fabregas, RVP, Walcott and Vermaelen a lot, but you have to be ready for this kind of situation especially when some of those players have history of being injured a lot.

Post #176 » by **Slava** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 4:14 pm

Can't compare Vermaelen to Vidic and Terry. These guys have been in the league for years with no significant injury records. Depending on one defender would be like Spurs depending on Ledley King or Woodgate to play an entire season.

Rio was pretty much MIA for most of last season and this one but Evans and Smalling developed well because of that. The talent gap between your best and 2nd best central defender shouldn't be that bad as it is with Arsenal.

IronChef · Post #177 » by **IronChef** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 4:22 pm

5DOM wrote:
You are absolutely right, but Slava's point still stands. You need depth to win a 38 game league.
We also lost last year's 32 goal 14 assist man in Lampard and our 2nd choice CB in Alex for half the season, and were forced to play our 1st choice RB at CB for most of the season. Benayoun also just started playing now, and Drogba was suffering from malaria for months.
I know you guys missed Fabregas, RVP, Walcott and Vermaelen a lot, but you have to be ready for this kind of situation especially when some of those players have history of being injured a lot.

Oh I agree, we need to improve the squad depth for sure. Eboue, Denilson, Squillaci, Rosicky, are not good enough. Neither really is Bendtner, or Arshavin this year.

IronChef · Post #178 » by **IronChef** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 4:31 pm

SlavaMedvedenko wrote:Can't compare Vermaelen to Vidic and Terry. These guys have been in the league for years with no significant injury records. Depending on one defender would be like Spurs depending on Ledley King or Woodgate to play an entire season.

Rio was pretty much MIA for most of last season and this one but Evans and Smalling developed well because of that. The talent gap between your best and 2nd best central defender shouldn't be that bad as it is with Arsenal.

Vermaelan is nothing like King or Woodgate, he hasn't had any injury problems up till this year. He is as important to us as Vidic or Terry to their teams. He was in the PFA team of the year over both in his first season in the EPL, not saying he's a better player, but It was a huge loss.

Arsenal's depth is never going to be that of Man U or Chelsea. We can't lose a striker and a CB, and then drop 80 Million pounds in the January Transfer period replacing them.

We have lost more man-games by a fair bit over Chelsea and Man United due to injury. Part of that is relying on injury prone players (Van Persie, Fabregas, Walcott) and some was just bad luck (Szczesney, Fabianski).

Post #179 » by **Slava** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 4:48 pm

Arsenal's depth sucks because of relying on guys like Eboue, Denilson, Squillaci and co. Chelsea have dropped that money over the summer to buy players that would start for them in the near future not to shore up their reserve unit and its a one off occurrence by all indications.

Yet, you lot would have done well with a reserve striker like Welbeck or Sturridge, players from other academies that are on loan right now. The issue is not as much squad numbers as much as it is about your manager overvaluing some players.

Post #180 » by **5DOM** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 4:55 pm

I think even a 7M purchase of Begovic could have very well kept Arsenal in the title race. Almunia played 8 more PL games than he should. At least Szczesny looks promising and hopefully you won't have to worry about GK next season