Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Rocky7 
Date:Monday March 19 2007
Time: 10:33AM
UK time is: 03:13:02
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Arsenal - A Team Of Losers?
I have to say that I'm losing patience with this Arsenal side, they are a team of losers I'm afraid. There is no one in this current side who steps it up when games are tight and adds a spark of inspiration when it's needed. It's impossible to compare anyone in this side to the likes of Bergkamp, Pires, Vieira etc, they knew what it took to win games, all kind of games.
We lose the Carling Cup Final, fair enough that can happen, so the fans took the positives from the game, we then lose the FA Cup replay against an average Blackburn side, yet again the fans take it and move on, we then get knocked out of the Champions League with an unbelievably wet performance.
After all that chain of losing, 100% losing with nothing to really play for, Arsenal then put on a brave face and try and do their best to claim second spot, telling us that their target is to solidify third and ideally take second place from Chelsea. Who are they kidding? Yet again we lose a must win match and effectively end the challenge before it has even begun. Pathetic. I really am sick of watching a team of talented players not knowing how to win vital matches and not being able to score, I suspect Arsenal fans are slowly getting concerned that we are the club that develops youth for the future only for them to leave in their prime, whilst Arsenal forever remain in no mans land.
Fair enough, losing is inevitable in football, but it's the manner in which Arsenal lose and the same old mistakes being made.
In the summer Wenger really has to introduce some winners into this Arsenal side because currently they lack any winning spark or mentality, most importantly they lack what all winning sides have - consistency - our only consistent feature this season is losing games that we really, really should win. I slightly feel embarrassed for Gallas, he must feel that he is surrounded by lightweights.
OK you might think I'm being harsh but look at what Arsenal (a team which a few seasons ago were scoring for fun in an unbeaten campaign) have achieved this season. Nothing. People will say we are developing, that's what they said last season, at least last season we reached a major final...and lost again.
Today's result was the breaking point for me, I tipped Arsenal to surprise everyone and win the league this season, well they've surprised me by being a bunch of losers when it really matters. After we beat Man Utd at home, if someone had said to me 'This is as good as it gets for you this season' I would never have believed them. I'm so upset I just can't bring myself to think about Arsenal right now, I wish this season ended tomorrow.
Article submitted by Professor Calculus
Articles submitted by Vital Arsenal members are based on the opinion of the member and not necessarily the view's of the network itself.
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Your Comments
I'm sure that's what people were saying when we lost two finals in 2000 and 2001, it comes with experience. Buying a shedload of players won't help. City, West Ham, Wigan and Chelsea thought huge signings would help their seasons. Stability is the key, as it was in 2002 when Wenger stuck with his team, fostered them and brought them together as a unit. I remember explicitly people saying exactly the same thing on the way home from the 2001 Cup Final, that we were losers and nearly men. Without wishing to make excuses, any side would miss players of the quality of van Perise, Henry, Adebayor, Hleb, Rosicky who have missed these crucial games of which you speak.
Little Dutch
easy easy we are all fed up but i know we have match winnes on the squad. any other team playing with there 4th and 5th choice strikers would be suffering as well. take drogba sheva(i know i know) and kalou from chelski take rooney saha and i dont know who and then take bellamy kuyt and crouch from the other teams and see where they go. our midfielders need to score more goals no one argues with that but we were not finishing well with our best and without them we are toothlessissh to say the least. this doesnt mean we dont have match winners. lets not overeact
mish
To add to my earlier point, United and Reading signed barely anyone last summer and they're not having bad summers.
Little Dutch
I think you're being too harsh prof. They are still young. Aliadiere has been suddenly thrown into the deep end and Baptista still hasn't adapted and both of them are second strikers. I think liverpool will fear an arsenal backlash on saturday.
indian-gunner
This is a bit of an overreaction. Away to Everton isn't the easiest ground to go to with no strikers. Next season Bentner comes back to challenge for a place, RVP will be fit and ready, TH14 should be well on the mend. Our season finished last week. I couldn't care less the results on the run in now, once we seal CL football. Anyone know whether Vela can come in for next season. Just seen this article, signs are promising http://www.worldsoccer.com/news/carlos_vela_news_107291.html
d11gunner
Go and support Chelsea prof. They could afford to lose 3 world class strikers at the same time I suppose. The only problem now is that we have forwards who can't score goals. You can't blame Wenger for this as his first choice pairing both have long term injuries. I watched Arsenal sides for years with average players and this is nothing like those times.
hatespur
I thought overall we played OK yesterday. only the strikers and perhaps the wingers really let us down. clearly you cant win games if your front 4 are not playing well, but dont throw the baby out with the bath water. when we have our first choice front 3 there and the same standard midfield/defence as yesterday then we have a chance.
gazzap
Prof, your article reads 'GUTTED' in flashing red lights, and I share your pain! I agree though with LD that it's about stability - I dont feel we need more than 1 or maybe 2 new outfield players. What we need more than anything is to 'click'. I refuse to believe that our talented guys (Rosicky for gods sake - a superb player) cannot kick the living daylights out of opponents more frequently......I'm hoping that Diaby is going to bulk us out a bit more in midfield next season. With Gallas & Toure at CB I feel defence will be fine. Up front, we need Henry back to his best (settle for 90%), and RVP to fire on all cylinders. It's all graft and although we cannot magic a solution, one will become apparent!
Andy-bayor
The way we are playing at the moment reminds me of West Ham of the 70/80's who were technically the best team around but won bugger all. I think we are better than that and we must just wait until our injury luck changes. Baptista and Aliadiere shouldn't be blamed as it takes time for players to bed in. Do you remember TH14 when he first arrived? He took his time delivering the goods. So get stuffed Prof and keep the faith
Emkay
Rocky - whats up with the pic that goes with this article? Doesnt say loser, to me :) !!
prits
A team of losers? No. A team of learners? Yes. I know everyone said that we were in transition last season, we were and we are again this season. United went through 3 seasons of transition before winning the LC last season. They will come good Prof. Have patience my friend.
simmy8_2000
I hate to repeat myself but i certainly think fundamentally, our problem lies in our tactic. Why couldn't we play crosses & get someone to head in when the box is crowded? Why we almost do not score from set pieces? Why we always get panic when we are defending free kicks & corners? We never practice offensive and defensive set pieces do we? I was like having deja vu yesterday. I felt like having deja vu the entire season to be exact. 19 shots on goal produced nothing. Come the last minute set piece and we screwed up the game. I have lost count on how many times we conceded in the finals minutes from set piece (Bolton, PSV, Everton to cite a few)
Joe_@**
To be fair to the prof, this article was on the forum a couple of weeks back, and not after the everton game. He has a fair point, but I dont agree with it. I still think we've got a good team with a lot of potential and it will take losing many more finals before we are a team of losers. Give them a year or 2, and they will turn it around for us.
prits
Joe_@**, no team in the Prem has scored more goals from crosses than Arsenal this season. That whole thing about us not being able to do so is a bit of a myth.
Little Dutch
we are young, we need to bond as a team, all we need is some confidence & a good start next season ....
HENRY`14
Henry14... sounds a bit like Spurs
Jacky B
a few years ago,all these goals we concede in the last minutes of games would have been no more than consolation goals,as we would have been 3-4 up by then and cruising,the fact is we are not converting our chances into goals on a regular and clinical basis,be from the strikers midfield or defensive set-pieces,but we are creating chances,and its true we just need to get our big players back,and start clicking
fran merida
LD, I appreciate your info. The kind of crosses that I mean are those that can be connected with headers. We did score a lot from low crosses but that kind of play usually required a through ball to be treaded into the box, then someone cut in from the byline. We were usually stuffed out by the crowd in the box when we attempt to make those through balls.
Joe_@**
Also, we are lacking in those more 'individualistic crosses' a la Ronaldo and Robben. Players to disorient the opponents defence, pulling CB out of position with dazzling skill & and speed. Henry used to do that until 2 or 3 seasons ago.
Joe_@**
I understand all the finer details as to why we are in the situation we are in but the fact remains (and it's a big fact) that we are losers - in every competition - It doesn't matter what learning is taking place or the potential the team has, losing can become a bad habit a club gets used to.
Last season we conceeded one goal during our entire champions league run to the final, that was without Campbell and Cashley, basically the same defence we have now only without a proper left back, this season our defence is awful, so how can anyone say that this season is all about learning?
I'm sure Wenger will sort it all out and I don't doubt him for a minute, but you have to understand that sometimes unforeseen problems kick in and prevent a team from becoming what it was always meant to be, this doesn't just happen in football, I'm worried that we have a team of great players but none of them are winners.
Liverpool suddenly became a team of losers after they dominated the 80's, it happens, and only the post mortem years after reveals why. I'm just saying that there is an uncomfortable pattern emerging with Arsenal and the habit of losing, it may be the beginning of the end or just painful learning curve, but how can you not be concerned? I can't be one of those "It will be alright" people, beacuse it might not be alright.
So my concern is not with the players and their ability or Wenger and his vision, I'm concerned that it just might not happen, just one of those things that doesn't work out, on paper Arsenal are great but in reality they are losers right now, and have been for a few seasons.
Professor Calculus
apart from being a good article, may i also like to add, what a quality picture !!! anyone who can get me her number , let me know !!!
PUREGOLD
Yeah Prof, where'd you get the pic? Unlike arsenal, she's certainly not lacking up front.
d11gunner
PUREGOLD dont u hav kids.......neway i hav to agree with the prof partially he is right winning and losing becomes a habit.but we havent lost as many this season as we did last time......we hav always come gud against the top 4 .neway i agree with joe we need somebody hu is a 'show pony' almost the rest of da team will benefit from him.im surprised how henry has changed there are positions if two season ago he'd hav tricked theplayer and gone past him now he chooses to pass to a team mate. Age? Neway nebody know a winger in that mould .i dont think ribery does that.....quaresama or simao me thinks..... wat do u guys think
karley
lol d11gunner, my sentiments exactly :)
prits
I agree that we're a team of losers. However i don't think it's cause they don't have the mentality. I just think it's cause we don't have enough players that can shoot well. And w Henry 'n rvp out, the amount of ppl on our team that can shoot well amounts to a big FAT
thenry009
0
thenry009
Arsenal - A Team Of Losers? Who cares!I wanna meet her, : p.
k_chelski
u know kevin jus u being in this site says a lot abt ur last statement
karley
apart from being a good article, may i also like to add, what a quality picture !!! anyone who can get me her number , let me know !!! PUREGOLD. I'm the only one punished for a joke?blimey...
k_chelski
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