owls66 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 We're in a good position going into the New Year. I do wonder, however, how we'd be doing with some scoring prowess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cersei Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I don't think it's that, they don't get many chances. No one is scoring. If we were getting goals from midfield but not the strikers id agree but the share is very usual. May and noohoo have scored nearly half our goals between them. I honestly think the reason we are doing well is players like semedo getting us clean sheets. Id love a more agile replacement for newhoo though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sotonowl Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 A couple of 1-0 wins over two teams in a relegation battle with one of those goals being a penalty and with both teams having a player sent off. Reyt exciting. don't knock it, arsenal been winning titles for years doing exactly the same Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dore Owl Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 don't knock it, arsenal been winning titles for years doing exactly the same Fair enough if we manage to scrape 1-0 wins against the majority of teams, but we aren't are we? Which is the point I was making. Against better opposition we struggle to score enough to win. Two wins against two of the worst teams in the division has boosted up the table a few places, but a couple of draws or losses (which is realistic in my opinion ) and we'll see ourselves back down around 16th again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theowlsman Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Gray is doing a magnificent job. The players have a team spirit to be proud of and are doing themselves, and us, proud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dezmo Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Fair enough if we manage to scrape 1-0 wins against the majority of teams, but we aren't are we? Which is the point I was making. Against better opposition we struggle to score enough to win. Two wins against two of the worst teams in the division has boosted up the table a few places, but a couple of draws or losses (which is realistic in my opinion ) and we'll see ourselves back down around 16th again. Totally agree. While we are solid defensively we offer very little going forward. We are the lowest scoring team in the championship and with Drenthe and McGugan going back I can't see us creating much until we find someone to replace these. I am happy on the whole with the way the team is progressing but two unconvincing 1-0 wins against the two poorest teams in the division doesn't give me much to get excited about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the monk Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Well slappa my thighs, if we lose or draw a couple we will go down the league! Why don't other clubs suffer from this ? What about if we win another couple ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bannofan Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I think there's a difference between seeing where we could improve , and being a total walloper who hates it when we win because it goes against their entrenched opinion. It's also worth noting that a lot of contributers haven't got any understanding of the game, for example even after two years some still can't see what Nuhui brings to the side and that he is far from a ' useless oaf' . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlerfan1 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 totally agree with poster, if we went all out attack, especially at home, against most teams in the division, we would get spanked. we are playing a system of closing down opponents, home and away, and hitting them on the break, and for the most part, it is working. until, if ever, we can compete with others on budget etc, this is how it is, and 10th after half a season proves that, as things are, we are doing things right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scram Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 really? And heres me thinkin arsenal havent won the title for years... And the last few times they did win the title they did it playing probably the best football seen in this country - attacking, purposeful, possession football with some of the best players ever to grace the league Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Snooty Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 George Graham got them the title that time with just 18 goals conceded didn't he. Boring as hell to the opposition , 1-0 to the Arsenal and all that. But I doubt their fans minded the League Championship making it's way to Highbury. 18 goals against. Even all these years later that never ceases to amaze me. I think a lot of the great stuff Wenger did in his early years was built on that cornerstone of that back 5. That horrible, horrible back 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GY-owl.4 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 George Graham got them the title that time with just 18 goals conceded didn't he. Boring as hell to the opposition , 1-0 to the Arsenal and all that. But I doubt their fans minded the League Championship making it's way to Highbury. 18 goals against. Even all these years later that never ceases to amaze me. I think a lot of the great stuff Wenger did in his early years was built on that cornerstone of that back 5. That horrible, horrible back 5. did i not hear the other day that chelsea conceded the same number of goals the first time under Jose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Snooty Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 did i not hear the other day that chelsea conceded the same number of goals the first time under Jose? Might have. I do remember the big debate that ensued that season about his negativity. Esp as The Arsenal had won it with some swashbuckling stuff the year before. It all goes back to the big debate about whether you want winning football or attractive football. Of course it's possible to do both. But it helps massively if you have the best players in your division.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scram Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 George Graham got them the title that time with just 18 goals conceded didn't he. Boring as hell to the opposition , 1-0 to the Arsenal and all that. But I doubt their fans minded the League Championship making it's way to Highbury. 18 goals against. Even all these years later that never ceases to amaze me. I think a lot of the great stuff Wenger did in his early years was built on that cornerstone of that back 5. That horrible, horrible back 5. Well apart from the mainstay of that back 5 including Sol Campbell, Lauren and Ash Cole in the years Wenger won the Premier League Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Snooty Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 (edited) Well apart from the mainstay of that back 5 including Sol Campbell, Lauren and Ash Cole in the years Wenger won the Premier League Maybe so, but nothing will stop me believing that that was from the basis of the 'old' Arsenal with attacking flair added. The marriage of the two ideals. Dixon, Adams, etc al made a difference when we first went there nothing will convince me otherwise. Keown and Spunky still played a pivotal role after the others had left. Campbell coming in for Adams along side Keown continued what had come before. As did Cole for Winterburn. The attitude of proper defending passed on from players who had developed in it and passed to new players. Old Arsenal might have 'won boring'. But I think the new Arsenal had their best years when those defensive values were still evident in the players in defence. Edited December 31, 2014 by Lord Snooty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scram Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Campbell was a brilliant replacement for Adams (and he needed to be to replace the real kingpin of the defence) - but Lauren and Cole were totally and utterly in a different league to Dixon and Winterburn and were pivotal to the expansive way Arsenal played football in a way that their predecessors could never have been Arsenals success came when that turgid back 4 was broken up and replaced Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Snooty Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 (edited) Campbell was superb - and always makes my England XI. (unlucky not to score two winners in back to back Int. Tournaments too.) Cole has been one of the best full backs in Europe (I'd say the world but I don't see football from every country) for the last decade. And I don't doubt that they were better footballer than their predecessors. But they were first and foremost excellent defenders. Something I don't think can be said of Arsenals back fours since. You don't consider the trophies Graham won success? I'd take that sort of failure!! Edited December 31, 2014 by Lord Snooty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scram Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I do consider Graham as having success with Arsenal of course But the debate we were having centred on Wengers use of that back 5 and it being pivotal to the success he had - it wasn't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Snooty Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 (edited) I do consider Graham as having success with Arsenal of course But the debate we were having centred on Wengers use of that back 5 and it being pivotal to the success he had - it wasn't The ghost of them Scram. The ghost of them! Security guards walking the marbled floors, checking on the bust of Chapman hearing feint whispers. 'And one , two, three, STEP UP , two three , 'arms in the air' fill your lungs lad, "he's off ref" ' Edited January 1, 2015 by Lord Snooty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1867Heaven Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Fair point, but I think a lot is frustration. We are maybe a couple of players away from being a play off side. Unfortunately Milan won't invest to push us on I agree and I think a lot will rest On the McGugan situation, he is blatantly available and probably for less than his value, be it wages or fee or combination. Sitting in 10th at the turn of the year with the possibility to sign such a player who has already been on loan, judgment time Milan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now