Arsenal need Wenger to play more mind games
Arsenal’s problem is an issue of self-confidence and motivation - and Wenger has little time to deal with it before the Hamburg and Manchester United away games.
Arsenal fans are understandably happy about their last day dealings - they got Baptista for Reyes (much-needed strength and versatality in midfield) and Gallas + change for Cole (one of the best centre-backs in the world). Throw in the token unknown youngsters (Sho Ito and Denilson) and Arsenal are suddenly being touted as serious contenders for the Premiership and the Champions League.
Like Palmer says, having Gallas in the team will allow Arsenal to be a more attacking, more positive team. The Gallas and Toure pairing well be one of the strongest in Europe (on par, if not better, with Terry and Carvalho).
Baptista will add a fighting spirit to the side but unlike Gallas he has not been properly tested in the Premiership. I trust Wenger’s judgement when he says that Baptista will be a great player for Arsenal but don’t put your mortgage on Arsenal winning the Premiership just yet. Just adding a player who can shoot from outside the box will not help Arsenal win matches.
Right now the team is not only off-colour, it’s stagnant. It’s not a personnel issue (although Arsenal, like Manchester United, look short on numbers) but a motivational issue. There isn’t a problem on the training ground, it’s inside the players’ heads, and Wenger has to sort it out quickly.
Baptista will take time to settle in, while everyone else should be sharper after getting a couple of matches under their belts during the international break.
Arsenal have a relatively easy home game against Boro on the 9th before they go on two tricky away games to Hamburg and Manchester United. They will beat Boro, but the Hamburg will more or less tell us how Arsenal will fare against United at Old Trafford on the 17th.
“the team is not only off-colour, it’s stagnant. ”
not sure how you can draw that conclusion after two league games - if we’d stuck our chances away we’d have battered both Villa and City - hardly stagnant.
“Arsenal have a relatively easy home game against Boro on the 9th”
You must be joking right, i would right off Boro’s chances at the emirates stadium, they are more than capable of causing an upset.
lol how can toure and gallas be a better pairing than terry and carvalho? lol!
I think Baptista will used more as a centre-forward than anything and Persie will go to the wing. Then Denilson I think is another winger so now they have width to put crosses in. Their defense seemed settle albeit inexperienced, but Gallas will do wonders for them. But, rightly said, they have motivational problems. There is no Vieira to guide them when they have to grit it out and they don’t have the shooting wingers that they have based their whole game on. Furthermore, they have their mind set so much on the ideal that everyone must play for the team that no one take that glory shot. This ideal of playing for everyone but themselves takes alot out of their confidence and for one, I don’t really mind one bit. They are Gooners anyways and I hope they don’t get this sorted out until early March.
Denilson is a defensive midfielder.
Lets face we have very little chance of winning the premiership this year as we have too many players that have not yet settled and youngsters who are still learning, we have no one to take control in defense, yes henry leads but thats up front.
this is that much overused term “a transitional year” for arsenal.
while john terry is one of the best defenders in the world carvalho is good but not in the same class. so, are Gallas and Toure better then terry and carvalho?, obviously not now, you really need to see them play together before you can answer that,how many times have we seen real madrid buy the “best defenders in the world” only to sell them off because they couldnt defend against barnet together
no offence to barnet fans (thats either of you)