View From The Sphere

THREE reasons why our trophyless run WILL continue

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Image for THREE reasons why our trophyless run WILL continue

Ever since the beginning of this present trophyless era, there has been a persistent series of problems within the Arsenal team which basically seems to be the reason behind The Gunners lack of silverware in recent years.

There are three main components through which these problems arise from and until they are conquered, I’m afraid it might take longer as expected before the trophy drought finally comes to an abrupt end.

1. Defending

Arsenal’s defensive performances pretty much got underway after the road to Paris in 2006. The zonal-marking was employed after this and has been the main reason behind The Gunners’ inability to solidly defend, especially when under pressure.

Tactically, when you tend to mark zonal-mark your opponents, you give them enough space to move the ball around and much needed time to think of how to cause damage.

However, a man-marking approach, with little space off your opponents, will help choke them and cause impatience, which can prompt them to easily give the ball away more easily. This is what I believe the players need to work on. If the midfielders can put in more effort and work tirelessly, things will change for the better.

2. Attack

No defence was capable of holding the likes of Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp, Jose Antonio Reyes, Freddie Ljungberg and Thierry Henry during their peak years at Arsenal, simply because they all possessed a great level of technical ability and skill. Arsene Wenger has struggled in recent years to create a similar strike force, but failed largely due to a reason that is still obscure to me (please state below if you know).

A team that defeats Arsenal nowadays uses one simple tactic. They hassle Wenger’s boys while they park the bus, patiently looking for a chance to counter attack. They frustrate Arsenal players to play out of their own will and eventually take the lead through any opportunity they have – The Gunners’ performances at the San Siro last season, where they lost 4-0 and the humiliating 8-2 defeat against Manchester United last year backs my claim.

But when this problem arises, it requires very technical players to create openings for their team-mates under this duress condition. Despite having technical players at Arsenal, this never seems to change.

3. Motivation

As the saying goes, only two factors can motivate your action, money or love. Manchester United players, with the exception of few, are average players, but yet they do produce excellent performances. Manchester $hity and Chelsky both motivate their stars with money, and the results are there for us to see. And, apparently, Arsenal players arguably lack both factors.

Unless Arsene Wenger is willing to make tweaks to the club’s wage structure, the players’ love for the club will receive much scrutiny. The kind of spirit unleashed whenever the likes of Steven Gerrard, Henry, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, including our very own Jack Wilshere, put on their respective club’s jersey and play/played their hearts out. You will agree with me that if Arsenal had three or four more players that shared the same spirit as Wilshere, Manchester United would have been gunned down last weekend. But it is pathetic to see that the present set of Arsenal players severely lacks the love-factor. Literally, these players are hardly motivated. They may proclaim their love in interviews, but they hardly reveal it on the pitch, especially when it matters most.

I hope Wenger talks real sense into them and make them realise fans are not getting happier every summer – enough of watching our bitter rivals triumph while we bite our fingers in faith.

This article is courtesy of Ayobami’s Blog

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17 comments

  • Billy says:

    Lobster go back to ocean where you belong!!!!!!!!

  • WC says:

    I can tell you why number 2 happens – because Wenger doesn’t spend money on quality. Consider Thierry Henry cost about 11M way back in ’99 – that’s was alot of money for a player back then. I’d say the equivalent of that taken into account inflation and the average of the transfer market these days that’s maybe about 25M. Bergkamp was 7.5M in ’95 that’s aeasily another 20M+ signing today. Reyes might not have exactly been a legend and we’ll be remembered mostly for his homesickness but for the 11M we spent on him which was still alot in 2004 he got the second most assists in his first 2 seasons behind TH14.

    For being one of the richest clubs in the world we’ve never bought a player for 20M – doesn’t that say something about our spending? It might sound like bargaining or good business for some but for others it sounds like being cheap. The Emirates trophy case doesn’t lie.

  • hemed says:

    lobsta is an akb bt u right though aw is in demand bt y dsnt he go?bcoz no club celebrates mediocrity lyk arsenal,imagine him chelsea,madrid,juve and honestly tell how long hell last wthout a trophy
    wat really pisses me off is that he lacks a plan b,instead of arranging the team hed rather complain to the 4th official

  • Muhammad Asif says:

    i think 1 other problem arsenal has is the UK arsenal fans,i blive u guyz r d closest to d team, n u are d 1s dat can fight 4 us,our team is not producing results,our ticket is d most expensive and yet u ppl stil go out to watch matches instead of protesting and abstaining from watching matches,u go 2 stadium,thereby empowering d club (by making money 4 dem)i think u guyz r all dumbs n cowards,u jst make me regret being an arsenal fan….u r all disgusting……

  • Tina says:

    The problem is the fans in the UK and London . Please do not go to the home games . You are continuing to support the Board and Wenger indirectly by going to the home games . YOU SHOULD STOP GOING TO THE HOME GAMES – AT LEAST 2 -3 HOME GAMES WITH AN EMPTY STADIUM WILL TEACH THOSE STUPID GREEDY BOARD MEMBERS A LESSON . They only want to see money in their pockets . PLEASE STOP SPENDING ON MATCH TICKETS AND SEASON TICKETS . Thats the only way they will listen .

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  • Mohd Isa says:

    The run will continue until Arsenal get rid of the fm who wants to play like Barcelona.It hasn’t worked the last five to seven years. Why shd it work in 2014 when the gunners will be flushed with cash?
    When you see RVP score against Arsenal,it’s obvious to all except the most blinkered.He had acres if not some space. He was isolated. Vermallen was some yards away.NOw you contrast that with Arsenal.
    When they are near the box they start passing. By then the speed has gone. Even then a top class gk will stand in the way.Barca played a similar game against Celtic indulging in passing in the penalty area.In spite of this they could not score.If a team like Barca can be foiled,Arsenal several notches below the Spanish team, will be be suckers for the swift counter attack.
    It did not happen in 2012. It has been happening
    since the famous 5 left.

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