The Arsenal Thread
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Europe's Underachievers: Premier League - Arsenal
by Martin Laurence at Friday, Oct 7 2011 11:27
While there have been plenty of surprise packages in Europe's top 5 leagues, with the likes of Levante and MGladbach springing to mind to date, some clubs have struggled to find their feet in the 2011/12 season, and would have expected much better starts.
With the international break now upon us WhoScored highlights the sides whose lowly position will be of concern to their fans, coaches and perhaps most importantly, boards. We start, with part 1 of our latest feature, in the Premier League, where 1 candidate stands out after a disappointing campaign so far.
Premier League - Arsenal
While the most disappointing team of the season on paper thus far is bottom club Bolton, who have lost their last 6 matches, the club furthest from their usual standing in a purely negative sense is undoubtedly Arsenal.
7 points from as many games has included 4 defeats and left the Gunners just 2 points off the relegation zone as October begins. A tricky opening schedule has seen Wenger's side face the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and most recently North-London rivals Tottenham, losing all 3.
Failures to Win a Repeat of Last Season
A look at the 5 games they have failed to win compared to their results in the exact fixtures last season brings an interesting outcome. Their opening match saw a bore draw at Newcastle overshadowed by ill-discipline, proving a real shame after last season's game of the campaign saw the same outcome but in far more dramatic fashion. Arsenal took a resounding 4-0 lead before the hosts pulled back and eventually equalised late on through Cheik Tiote.
A 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool followed, having picked up a point in each of their two 1-1 draws with the Reds last season. An 8-2 humiliation at the hands of United came next, having lost 2-0 in the fixture last season, while their next failing was by far the biggest shock of their results thus far, losing 4-3 to lowly Blackburn in a fixture they won last season 2-1 at Ewood Park.
The last defeat they suffered came at bitter rivals Spurs, dropping a point that they earned at White Hart Lane last season. In conclusion, in the games that Arsenal have failed to win this season, they only won once last season, picking up just 5 extra points from the aforementioned 5 fixtures in 2010/11.
Performance Analysis vs Blackburn
A look at the match stats from the fixture with Blackburn this season and the corresponding match last term may suggest that Arsenal were very unfortunate to end on the losing side. Two own goals in the match certainly didn't help the visitor’s cause, with Blackburn's 4-goal haul coming from just 4 shots on target and 8 in total. In comparison Arsenal mustered 23, with 9 on target. In terms of pass accuracy, the Gunners also excelled with 86% dwarfing Rovers' 72% while they controlled possession with 69%.
When examining the same game from last season, Arsenal's win was far less comprehensive than the performance stats suggest from this time around. While the away side managed 14 shots, Blackburn registered 15, with the hosts tally almost doubling this year's total and Arsenal's tally doing the exact opposite, with almost half of the shots attempted in the win last season. In terms of pass accuracy Wenger's side managed a lesser total than this season's fixture with 81% as well as slightly less possession, with 65%.
Per Shaped Defensive Problems
Per Mertesacker was brought to the club to shore up a backline that has looked weak for years, particularly in the absence of Thomas Vermaelen, but as yet the German has failed to do so. In the 4 league games he has played the tall centre-back has been part of a defence conceding 6 goals, despite keeping 2 clean sheets
His most abject performance was undoubtedly in the defeat to Blackburn, conceding 4 goals and picking up a WhoScored rating of just 5.43. An average rating thus far of 6.39 is not much better and ranks him as the 15th best Arsenal player to have started in the league this season. However, one stat where he does, and has always impressed, is his aerial duel success rate, winning an exceptional 88%.
Other than his obvious aerial dominance, Mertesacker has put in a somewhat limited defensive shift thus far, making just 1 tackle per game. In comparison Thomas Vermaelen averaged 3 per game in his two starts this season highlighting his importance to the side. The Belgian also managed an excellent 4 interceptions per game whereas Mertesacker has registered just 1.3. When it comes to clearances he has made 3.5 per game, which again doesn't stand up to the likes of Vermaelen (9) and Koscielny (5.8).
Follow Martin Laurence on Twitter.com
by Martin Laurence at Friday, Oct 7 2011 11:27
While there have been plenty of surprise packages in Europe's top 5 leagues, with the likes of Levante and MGladbach springing to mind to date, some clubs have struggled to find their feet in the 2011/12 season, and would have expected much better starts.
With the international break now upon us WhoScored highlights the sides whose lowly position will be of concern to their fans, coaches and perhaps most importantly, boards. We start, with part 1 of our latest feature, in the Premier League, where 1 candidate stands out after a disappointing campaign so far.
Premier League - Arsenal
While the most disappointing team of the season on paper thus far is bottom club Bolton, who have lost their last 6 matches, the club furthest from their usual standing in a purely negative sense is undoubtedly Arsenal.
7 points from as many games has included 4 defeats and left the Gunners just 2 points off the relegation zone as October begins. A tricky opening schedule has seen Wenger's side face the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and most recently North-London rivals Tottenham, losing all 3.
Failures to Win a Repeat of Last Season
A look at the 5 games they have failed to win compared to their results in the exact fixtures last season brings an interesting outcome. Their opening match saw a bore draw at Newcastle overshadowed by ill-discipline, proving a real shame after last season's game of the campaign saw the same outcome but in far more dramatic fashion. Arsenal took a resounding 4-0 lead before the hosts pulled back and eventually equalised late on through Cheik Tiote.
A 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool followed, having picked up a point in each of their two 1-1 draws with the Reds last season. An 8-2 humiliation at the hands of United came next, having lost 2-0 in the fixture last season, while their next failing was by far the biggest shock of their results thus far, losing 4-3 to lowly Blackburn in a fixture they won last season 2-1 at Ewood Park.
The last defeat they suffered came at bitter rivals Spurs, dropping a point that they earned at White Hart Lane last season. In conclusion, in the games that Arsenal have failed to win this season, they only won once last season, picking up just 5 extra points from the aforementioned 5 fixtures in 2010/11.
Performance Analysis vs Blackburn
A look at the match stats from the fixture with Blackburn this season and the corresponding match last term may suggest that Arsenal were very unfortunate to end on the losing side. Two own goals in the match certainly didn't help the visitor’s cause, with Blackburn's 4-goal haul coming from just 4 shots on target and 8 in total. In comparison Arsenal mustered 23, with 9 on target. In terms of pass accuracy, the Gunners also excelled with 86% dwarfing Rovers' 72% while they controlled possession with 69%.
When examining the same game from last season, Arsenal's win was far less comprehensive than the performance stats suggest from this time around. While the away side managed 14 shots, Blackburn registered 15, with the hosts tally almost doubling this year's total and Arsenal's tally doing the exact opposite, with almost half of the shots attempted in the win last season. In terms of pass accuracy Wenger's side managed a lesser total than this season's fixture with 81% as well as slightly less possession, with 65%.
Per Shaped Defensive Problems
Per Mertesacker was brought to the club to shore up a backline that has looked weak for years, particularly in the absence of Thomas Vermaelen, but as yet the German has failed to do so. In the 4 league games he has played the tall centre-back has been part of a defence conceding 6 goals, despite keeping 2 clean sheets
His most abject performance was undoubtedly in the defeat to Blackburn, conceding 4 goals and picking up a WhoScored rating of just 5.43. An average rating thus far of 6.39 is not much better and ranks him as the 15th best Arsenal player to have started in the league this season. However, one stat where he does, and has always impressed, is his aerial duel success rate, winning an exceptional 88%.
Follow Martin Laurence on Twitter.com
Expected really... Mertesacker will take some time to gel, maybe even longer than usual considering he has come to Arsenal at a time when morale and club spirit is not exactly high, thankfully most people have refrained from doling out too much criticism of his performances so far, its obvious that we have not seen the best of him yet
FrankieDolan
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Dont know if this has been posted, might cheer some Arsenal fans up atm.
Danny Graft (The Manor) - ARSENAL ANTHEM (Keep The Faith) - YouTube!
Danny Graft (The Manor) - ARSENAL ANTHEM (Keep The Faith) - YouTube!
Fantastic read. Massive insight to Arsenal's finances.
[url]http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2011/10/arsenals-finances-21-questions.html
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[url]http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2011/10/arsenals-finances-21-questions.html
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vlad-the-impaling-gunner
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and eto'o must have missed the goal or something
money never help
---------- Post added at 02:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:24 PM ----------
Great news having Song for our relegation battle
that happens later in the season,not atm
vlad-the-impaling-gunner
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Actually, I think Cameroon are still awaiting results from tomorrow's games before they know if they will qualify as one of the best second-placed teams. So they might still make it.
vlad-the-impaling-gunner
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MomentI truly hope Liverpool batter us in that battle.
what a performance by Rosso (Rosicky)
[video=youtube;dg0V4f2ulUo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg0V4f2ulUo&feature=player_embedded[/video].
and lol about the Kalou battle. he's not what we need. Liverpool go get him.
[video=youtube;dg0V4f2ulUo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg0V4f2ulUo&feature=player_embedded[/video].
and lol about the Kalou battle. he's not what we need. Liverpool go get him.
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will you really take him! **** I would give him to you for free if I was the manager... the only problem with Kalou is that he does bang in vital goals from time to time but he misses a **** lot more and the fact that he is not good enough to make the bench for us anymore either, much rather have Lukaku than him on the bench
Frimpong Interview on Soccer AM 
Sky Sports | Shows | Soccer AM | Latest News | Frimpong behind Wenger
Sky Sports | Shows | Soccer AM | Latest News | Frimpong behind Wenger
Michael Barnett, co-founder of protest group Arsenal FC not PLC, said: "Wenger is a cancer at our club, killing us slowly. The longer Wenger is in charge the worse we will get.
"If this banner exposes this further then so be it. I just fear for the future if this continues. I'm not alone. We want Wenger out because of the last six years of failure and we feel he keeps making the same mistakes, year on year.
"Most want him out and feel strongly that his time is finished at the club. The rest take his past as proof that he can solve the current problems, which nobody is happy with, but we feel that he has been making the same mistakes for far too long.
"The fact is, he rewards failing players with even higher wages and keeps faith with players clearly not of the requisite standard to consistently challenge for trophies. "
I cannot remember a time, when I have heard so much utter........bollocks to be frank. What an absolutely disrespectful, disgraceful thing to say, when some little odious crettin, refers to Wenger as a cancer at the club. All the hard work he has done for them, to make them an extremely stable financial force, to bring in world class players, to go a season unbeaten, to take them season after season after season after season to the Champions League.....don't these fools realise it may not be Arsenes fault all the time. I mean, perish the thought the players should take responsibility. Perish the thought, other clubs suddenly a massive cash injection via a takeover. Perish the thought, clubs have a dry spell. I wish I was going to the Sunderland match, just to hear the real Arsenal fans telling these morons to just shut the **** up. They know absolutely nothing that goes on, absolutely nothing. They should just keep their mouths quiet.
"If this banner exposes this further then so be it. I just fear for the future if this continues. I'm not alone. We want Wenger out because of the last six years of failure and we feel he keeps making the same mistakes, year on year.
"Most want him out and feel strongly that his time is finished at the club. The rest take his past as proof that he can solve the current problems, which nobody is happy with, but we feel that he has been making the same mistakes for far too long.
"The fact is, he rewards failing players with even higher wages and keeps faith with players clearly not of the requisite standard to consistently challenge for trophies. "
I cannot remember a time, when I have heard so much utter........bollocks to be frank. What an absolutely disrespectful, disgraceful thing to say, when some little odious crettin, refers to Wenger as a cancer at the club. All the hard work he has done for them, to make them an extremely stable financial force, to bring in world class players, to go a season unbeaten, to take them season after season after season after season to the Champions League.....don't these fools realise it may not be Arsenes fault all the time. I mean, perish the thought the players should take responsibility. Perish the thought, other clubs suddenly a massive cash injection via a takeover. Perish the thought, clubs have a dry spell. I wish I was going to the Sunderland match, just to hear the real Arsenal fans telling these morons to just shut the **** up. They know absolutely nothing that goes on, absolutely nothing. They should just keep their mouths quiet.
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