There have been more than a few articles written after Arsenal’s recent
slump in the Premiership and their exit from the Champions League to Liverpool.
The themes are common, Arsene Wenger should have strengthened the squad during
the January transfer window (as if signing players comes with any sort of
success guarantee); Arsenal needs to rebuild; too young; too old in the case of
Gilberto; “poor me” ala Jens Lehmann.
But how many of these writers, pundits and bloggers picked Arsenal to win
the Premiership this season or even to finish in the top three? My memory of
last August is that a lot of them – even a few Arsenal fans – were looking at a
fourth place Premiership finish at best.
A good number were suggesting that in the wake of Thierry Henry’s
departure for Barcelona that 5th place might even be a more
realistic target. A good run in the Champions League and beating the reigning
European Champions along the way? Not even on the radar.
So how can a team that was so widely dismissed just eight months ago overachieve
and still be considered a failure? The fact of the matter is that Arsenal have
become victim of rising expectations rather than of under achievement. What if
instead of starting the season undefeated in 15 games they had started
disappointingly like Liverpool or even Chelsea and then hit a winning streak
that took them up to third place in the Premiership? We would be inundated by articles fawning
over this Arsenal side as one on the rise and the team to watch next season.
What about the Champions League you say? Liverpool won but the two legs
largely hinged on two penalty decisions that both went Liverpool’s way. Winning
and losing at the top level often sits precariously on a knife edge and in
these two situations the breaks went Liverpool’s way. And sometime in the
future they won’t – as has happened in the past (Chelsea penalty at Anfield in
October anybody?).
But that doesn’t seem to matter to those prone to knee jerk reactions and
with a proclivity to throw a whole nursery class out with the bath water let
alone just one child. With five games to go Arsenal are favourites to finish
above Liverpool in the Premiership and could still finish second ahead of
Chelsea – or even Manchester United.
Given that Liverpool or Chelsea is going to be knocked out at the
semi-final stage of the Champions League and both were knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley, can we
expect to read articles about the need for Liverpool or Chelsea to rebuild
their sides?
After all, if Arsenal finishes above them and needs to start over then
why not other teams who finish below them? With five Premiership games left
Arsenal have already gained more points than last season, have a much improved
away record and progressed further in the Champions League than twelve months
ago. The team is younger than their main rivals. What’s more Wenger now knows
for sure what his younger players are capable of – they have been given a
chance. Some have passed examination and a few have come up short.
The short comings of the current Arsenal squad have been made clear but
it is a side that is far more likely to get better than one that might slip
into reverse gear. It does need selective strengthening but it is no time for
lemming-style talk of dumping players and starting all over again. The last flock went over a cliff at the end
of the 2003 season and look what they missed.
BOBBY, isn't that what i have been saying? at the start of the season, flash thought tottenham take the 4th spot from us, and Liverpool where the second best to win the title.
I was listening to 606 with Arsenal fans calling for wenger to be axed. Well, let's axe him, who do we bring in?
And for some reason, I don't know why we got all these injuries:
BENCHMARK
It's not really how good you are or not it's much more about are you better than those around you or not.
LA VIOLA
The Romanian God Of Goals is smashing them in again and but for one shiite game in Italy we'd be getting Rangers, which would have been quite the reunion.
Although this season 'Ol walter is definitely able to urinate much higher than Gordon.
BENCHMARK PART TWO
Chelsea and United don't really have any gaping holes in their rosters and could go through the close season without any purchases, of vcourse they won't because they need to keep up with the metaphorical Joness
The article points out that net transfer spending by Benitez since his arrival at LFC (about £71m-- see the transfer list since 2004 at the bottom of the page) is significantly exceeded by the Champions League prize money won during the same period (including to date from the current campaign).
This suggests that from a purely financial point of view, making CL success the highest priority-- ahead of the PL title-- could make some sense (when coupled with largely guaranteed PL money) ... so long as the strategy works. Of course, the necessary precondition is to finish at least fourth in the PL.
Since CL success also raises a club's international profile-- thereby helping to attract foreign talent (for example, Torres has said that CL play was key to his LFC move) and potentially increasing foreign revenue (growth in pay-tv and merchandise revenue is only available overseas, as the UK market is largely saturated)-- there is an additional reason to ensure the top 4 PL finish necessary to guarantee access to the CL bank vault, even at the cost of not seriously challenging for the PL title.
For English fans, this is still not on (LFC fans love CL success, but crave a PL title above all else). But as the top English clubs increasingly look overseas for new fans and thus new revenue, will we see a gradual shift in focus to Europe?
If so, how will they balance the necessity of ensuring that top 4 PL finish? Will this divided attention increase the chance for other clubs to knock them off and join the elite, or will the ever-increasing CL money allow the top clubs to cement their favourable PL position? What are the implications for local fan support if the PL title becomes somewhat secondary to the CL for the top clubs?
"... any smugness about Arsenal getting knocked out of the Champions League"
I don't hear smugness-- mostly impatience that some (not all) Arsenal supporters seem incapable of accepting that another team was even on the pitch, since apparently the only thing in the way of an Arsenal stroll to victory were the officials.
For the relevant example, try re-reading foxcube's plaintive squeal that "Of course the decisive factor [in Arsenal's loss to Liverpool] is the non-existent penalty, and perhaps the missed one from the first leg. [emphasis added]"
The endless excuses-- right up to Monsieur le Gérant himself, as you would admit in private at least-- are an implied put-down of the opposition, whose tactics, substitutions, toughness, and/ or quality of play could of course not be the real "decisive factors" in Arsenal CL results.
So who is disrespecting whom?
"I don't take comfort in Liverpool's off-pitch follies"
And I have complimented Arsenal's off-pitch success (new stadium, club finances) in the past on this blog.
But I actually thought your comments-- jest or no-- were pretty much spot on. The near future for LFC is going to be very ugly off the pitch, whatever happens on it.
Last edited by Ursusarctos on April 10th at 10:02 PM.
URSUS - GOONER - REDS - BOBBY
The pivotal moment in the game was the shocking marking on Hyypia. What sort of defence lets a 6ft plus flying Finn have that much space in the area?
Arsenal have shown that culpability this season (and have shown they know how to exploit it).
Prior to the goal they were playing Liverpool off the park.
That goal knocked Aresnal off thier stride and they were forever playing catch-up.
Had the Gunners gone at half time 1-0 Benitez's game plan would have been different, 2-0 it would have been throw everything forward.
The one time Couch actually gets onto a long ball is the one time he isn't marked, go up with him and he doesn't make that header to Torres.
Arsenal had the game by the scruff of the neck and couldn't finish off the deal.
Is that the culpability of the players or the manager (or maybe Hicks and Gillette?), I don't know.
Whingeing about refereeing decisons gets you nerk all, it does keep the focus off certain defeciences in the club that are more importnat though.
VERBAL
I can recommend a good opposition.
The ball's trajectory didn't change (as it would have done with contact to the arm).
Be gracious in victory.
BBC RUMOURS
Next season Villa will be a blue
Martins will be a gunner
Couch will be n the south coast (forming an entertaining little and large cabaret)
Beattie will be a Black Cat - sorry lads I don't hink Keane is that Stupid.
Sven's boss wants a BIG NAME striker at Eastlands - so of course Vennegoor of Hesselink must be first on the list.
Ursus-So fighting for fourth is successful? Not first, second or third but bloody fourth?
Getting knocked out of the FA Cup early on by Barnsley is successful?
I didn't think so.
Any red man craves a PL title over a CL title?
Wrong again. Any SMART red fan would know that a CL title is the only thing thats going to give us the financial muscle to be equal with the Man U's and Chelski's. When we have the squad to make a run at the PL title, we will.
As for the Straw Man?
Actually its Straw MEN. You were one of them. Its pathetic when you can't even stand up and be counted.
Cute link though...
Waiting ANXIOUSLY for your...ummmmm..."in-depth" response....
What a joke!
Craigy-Wait what? I thought size didn't make a difference? So what if Hyypia's 6ft plus? Shouldn't you be just as concerned for someone, say, Mascherano's height?
FINALLY!!!! Thank you Bobby for that HONEST, LEVEL HEADED assesment of the current Arsenal squad.
You have hit the nail on the head. I was one of those who did not think arsenal would finish in Champ Leag position this year. not because of the departure of Henry but because of the inexperience of the squad.
there are significant holes in the squad that can be address but there is not a need to blow up the team and start from scratch.
they need another striker, a left winger, a couple of full backs, and a center back.
arsenal has had a wonderful run this year and i expect them to challenge for every competition next season again.
Apad-So what you're saying is that they don't have to start from scratch but they have to bring in new players that will be about 45.45454545454545(and so on)% of the team. Thats practically half the team!
"I watched the Champions League quarter-finals and the way they crushed Arsenal. Only the greatest and the best can play such a match against strong Arsenal."
That comes from Croat(Sleeper!) youngster Luka Modric.
Reds fans apparently we are trying sign him away from Chelski, Arse and Spurs. Anyone know anything?
I can't see Martins at Arsenal, I don't think he would fit in.
I don't see him as the requested BIG name at the Eastlands, but Vennegoor of Hasselink would be a great addition for City reaching it's ambitions.
I'm curious to see if VanBasten will be able to convince Huntelaar to stay at Ajax. Previously, (before he decided to take over at Ajax) he had recommended that Klaas make way to a bigger club to develop his career at the highest level in Europe.
LGB...Neither Ursus nor I ever said that the earlier poor form was ENTIRELY the fault of Tom Hicks. We just said that it played a role. And now the big ######## has opened up his Texas-sized mouth again! What a ####!
Craigy, when the ball hits your bicep at the height the ball was at, it reacts the same way as it would if it hit your chest. In any event, it wasn't that I was being ingracious in victory, but just responding to the vitriolic donkey poo that TH was spewing out.
1.Liverpool
2.Chelsea
3.Arsenal
4.United
5.Newcastle -- Who knew, not me... ;)
6.Spurs
7.Everton
8.Blackburn
9.Portsmouth
10.Man City (I think Sven's 2nd year they will climb the table even more)
11.Middlesbrough
12.Aston Villa
13.Sunderland
14.Bolton
15.West Ham
16.Reading
17.Derby
18.Fulham
19.Wigan
20.Birmingham
As things stand now, aside from Blackburn, Reading, Sunderland, Chelsea and Arsenal it looks like I was way off mark. I gave way to much credit to Spurs and Newcastle and underestimated Portsmouth and Villa.
Great points regarding Arsenal. Per Wenger's history, I don't foresee big changes at the club. He may bring in up to 3 players and they will, as always, be given time to settle in. I'm always curious as to who will be on Wenger's list as he seems to bring in unexpected players. That is also why I don't see him making a move for Martins. I think if he were to make a move for a striker it may be Fenerbahce's Deivid, Vannergoor of Hasselink or Huntelaar. Altough I really don't think he will bring in a striker. He has RVP, Adebayor, Eduardo and groming Walcott as a future CF. I think if he does bring in some players it will be a center back, a left winger and a difensive center midfielder -that is it.
It is too bad that Pires left without a replacement waiting in the wings -no pun intended.
TH,
You are the funny one. "BOBBY, isn't that what i have been saying?" I see Bobby merely rephrased your posts. From now on I'll pay close attention to what you say and ignore Bobby's comments. Hehehe.
Ciao,
Re: Arsenal strikers. I'd be amazed if he doesn't bring in another striker. Eduardo is as good as gone for them and they need a goal threat. (Pity he was getting better for the team.) The new striker, or someone that can be prolific from the wings, must be their top priority.
Managers on the watch list this summer: Rijkaard, the Special One, Lippi, Ancelotti. Positions that could be open among the top clubs: Chelsea, Barca, Real, and Inter. It'd be amazing and cruel if Juve fires Ranieri.
craigy was joking about Vennegoor of Hesselink because the name itself is BIG.
LGB,
Yes, I'm not a hyperbolic H14 type, so I would never have said that the problems were entirely on Hicks' idiocy. I argued (more than I wanted to because some people couldn't accept it) that Hicks' winding up-like comments disrupted the team and I still stand by it. That's why his latest outbreak of talking out of his #### has me worried. In fact, that was the first question asked (before the Arsenal matches and the pending Blackburn match, which are both better topics) in Rafa's weekly interview with the official site. Athletes and coaches are only human and that gets forgotten by many, including you. Distractions can hamper, tragedies can have adverse affects (see Kuyt, Dirk).
Thank you Bobby. Still doesn't cover the fact that Wenger could have added depth, he didn't and it cost him this year. In the long run I am sure other clubs boards look at Arsenal's ROI and are jealous. The supporters aren't.
TH- have you watched Man Utd this year? I have and they have attacking and defensive quality to burn. Even at CB where they are light, Wes Brown, Sylvestre and O'Shea are as good or better than Senderos(now, he still may develop). I watched Utd's "B" team beat Roma. This is a club that whose back up strikers are Saha, a luxury, a guy whose goal to game ratio is comparable to anyones and Tevez who is a box to box striker who can finish and set-up.
Martins- no thanks, Wenger needs another poor finisher who can't convert like he needs a hole in his head.
So its not entirely Hicks' fault but his talking disrupted the team and caused us to play poorly?
Which one is it? Either he's at fault or he's not. I'm starting to get confused.
No matter how much you want to paint the picture in the way you see fit, it still always comes down to players and coaching. Trust me, I understand the ways tragedy can effect one's concentration but this is not a tragedy in any sense of the term, its a business.
The funniest part is that while all of this was going on Torres kept playing well and he kept scoring. Now if this guy is in his first season and, as you and Ursus have pointed out, the only reason he came was because of Rafa then wouldn't he be more affected than anyone else?
Furthermore we are playing like we always do even before our American owners set eyes on us. Just like 2005 we are playing Everton for fourth, got knocked out of the FA Cup by a lower division club, got knocked out of the Carling Cup by Chelsea and are going deep in the Champions League with playing Chelsea yet again in semifinals. Oh and we were never in the title race.
TH,
You are the funny one. "BOBBY, isn't that what i have been saying?" I see Bobby merely rephrased your posts. From now on I'll pay close attention to what you say and ignore Bobby's comments. Hehehe.
FOXCUBE, Bobby is the football analyst for everything football, I am football analyst for BARCA, ARSENAL, JUVE, FRANCE NATIONAL TEAM only. so, if you just listen to me, you will miss a lot.
Last edited by Thierry_Henry on April 11th at 9:33 AM.
By smugness, I was referred to a little jab about our lack of European success. And yes, I've found the endless excuses/whinging/raised expectations a little tiresome, which I've addressed in some recent posts. I'm personally happy that Bobby has decided to share his thoughts, which mirror mine on the big picture with Arsenal.
Finally, many bloggers -- myelf included -- haven't given enough credit to Liverpool. Fortune favours the brave and Liverpool showed it, both in Rafa's tactics and their play after getting knocked back early and then after Adebayor tied the match.
craigy,
No arguments -- we missed our chances and had some shameful marking on the first two goals at Anfield. Great teams make their own luck and shouldn't rely on officiating decisions to settle match. We didn't take advantage of opportunities that could have seen us go through and those failures cost us the tie as much as the calls on Kuyt and Babel.
TH- have you watched Man Utd this year? I have and they have attacking and defensive quality to burn. Even at CB where they are light, Wes Brown, Sylvestre and O'Shea are as good or better than Senderos(now, he still may develop).
Well, yeah, I've seen them taking on Middlesborogh 2-2 and Derby Country 1-0 utd. without Ronaldo, they would have lost both games. :)
But of course we need to strenghen our CB ####. Gallas and Toure are great, but we need real cover for them. Whatever happened to Jourou?
quite frankly, a Roma team without Toti, is not Roma really. If De Rossi converted that penalty, it could have been a different story.
Last edited by Thierry_Henry on April 11th at 10:13 AM.
great article bobby could not agree more with you. this team needs time and they have been great all year, i think the two main concern are defensive back ups and a replacement for fabgregas, a guy that can come in and not be a liability and give arsenal victory against the derbies, fulhams and bolton.
Not really gonna play the guessing game vs Wenger as to who we need to sign as he knows better then any of us of what the team actually needs and who from the bench and reserves is going to able to step up.
Ladies and Gentlemen. The bored of directors of Ar5ena1 are positively pink with pleasure to announce that the winner of this year's See It Our Way, Or Else essay writing contest is Robert McMahon of Wengerpeg, Canada. His outstanding effort ends a string of 14 wins by Nick Webster of Tijuana, Mexico.
Here we are at the #### end of trying, trophyless season and still Mr. McHamon is standing tall on the club's behalf. As everyone knows, a trying trophyless season like this can be stressful to our crying, cringing, cossetted, corgi-loving fan corps. Comfort and counselling of the nature provided by Mr. McManoh simply can't be bought. Cheaply, anyway.
It's the bored's pleasure to award him the Silver Arse Trophy, a gallon of ButtBuff polish and a genuine Impala-hide chamois. Congratulations, Mr. McMohan.
I'll answer you're question with a question. If a person causes any distraction that has an impact on teamplay then must that person be the sole reason for a downturn in on-field performance?
What the hell man. Have you lost it? It's not that difficult a concept to grasp. There are several factors that influence how a team may perform and having a co-owner talk freely in the press about how he tried to arrange for another manager to take over definitely would have a discernable impact (player interviews even corroborate this).
You're starting to sound like aldoray with his notion that because Babel scored to make the aggregate score 5-3, then the penalty talk is moot, ignoring the fact that Babel wouldn't have been left in a 1v1 situation with Fabregas if Arsenal didn't have to push forward for an equalizer.
Its a good thing Hicks only controls 2 votes of a 6 person board.
Imagine the kind of nonsense he would stir come the summer if he could block the board from releasing transfer funds or something equally as nuts as trying to get fellow board members to resign.
I suppose if you would have told any Aresnal supporter that they'd be 3rd on 71 point with 5 game to play, 3 points behind second place, and only 6 behind first place, while 8 clear of 4th... They'd have taken it in a heartbeat... But it's not about where they stand on the table right now that has everyone talking about them, it's how they got there.
Just about any time, a team with in legitimate championship contention does so well for so long, and leads the league, only to let it slip away, they're regarded as a failure for not being able to maintain.
Totti definately adds to Roma. However, during United's drilling last year he was in the line up. Once you mark him, the team folds. That is part of Roma's problem, they rely too much on Totti. Spaletti is out to change that, but it will take time. With players like Aquilani, DeRossi, Mancini, Giuly and Perotta it is possible.
Since a few of you were also pointing it out... Figure I'll throw mine out there too...
My predictions from August:
1. Man United
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal
5. Tottenham
6. Blackburn
7. Everton
8. Portsmouth
9. Newcastle
10. Aston Villa
11. Man City
12. West Ham
13. Middlesbrough
14. Sunderland
15. Fulham
16. Birmingham
17. Bolton
18. Reading
19. Wigan
20. Derby
I don't want to brag or anything (ok, so maybe I do) but I think I did pretty well... Other than Spurs, who let a lot of people down, everyone else was pretty close...
the point is that before the beg. of the season they werent legitimate title contenders.
it was a surprise to see them at the top of the league and not too many people thought they would get as far as they did in the CL.
they have one of the smallest rosters of the Big Teams in the PL and CL and with the loss of Henry in the summer folks where not pointing at them as contenders.
Thats the point too many of these Kool Aide drinkers dont get. they have had a great year and i expect them to be even better next year.
I only hope that Wenger takes care of some of the holes on the roster. Defense has been a problem all year long. they need a better presence on defending set pieces.
I must say, for those of us that have been participating in this blog prior to the start of the season...
We had discussed that Arsenal would not have a bad year. We had based our assestments on the fact that last year Arsenal performed well during the long period that Henry and RVP was out injured. That is why most of us had placed the Gunners in our top 3 or 4.
I am the soccer analyst for the Fox Soccer Report and appear twice a week - every Monday and Friday at 10:00 EST. I have also been a regular contributor to the Fox Soccer Channel website since the summer of 2004. Over the last twenty years I have contributed to various radio and television programs throughout North America as well writing about the game for newspapers, magazines and websites.
Thank you to all who take time to visit this blog and especially to those of you who post your comments and thoughts.
PS - If you have questions please post them on the regular Monday blog. I am unable to answer e mails posted to the inbox on this site.
And one more thing. If you have questions or complaints or compliments about programming please contact Fox Soccer Channel or Fox Sports World Canada directly. I have no control over what the stations televise.
