No opposition, open goal - how long would Arsenal take to score?
Everyone has special places where they get their brightest ideas - in the shower, on the crapper, while walking, or maybe while they’re trying to sleep.
So while I was … in one of my special places … I had a thought:
If there was no opposition team member on the pitch except the goal keeper, how long would it take Arsenal to score a goal?
Would they adapt to the situation and play a long ball from defence to attack to cover distance quickly? Would they flood the box and float in a cross?
Would Arsenal have players running in the box and shooting at the keeper because they had a clear shot?
Or would Arsenal pass the ball around, play one-twos outside the box, pass it around inside the box and try to get the keeper to yawn from boredom before shooting at an empty goal and missing it completely?
I dunno, you tell me 
It’s interesting to take this scenario and then apply it to other clubs - how would Chelsea or Manchester United play this?
Be honest, and the answer will surprise you. Because if you honestly believe that Arsenal would play ‘direct’ football because they have the opportunity to do so, then tell me why they haven’t so far. Not for a lack of opportunity, surely.
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I think they’d spend most of the time taking turns to see who could hit the bar.
Obviously you haven’t realised that this season we have played more directly than in most of the last 8. interesting that this has been a bad season. you could argue our old play it round the houses technique has led to our current troubles but i would argue that this season we have lack an ‘unlocking’ player. i love henry but when he wasn’t captain he was happy to be the focus of the team. now he wants others to take responsibility. he was a poor chance for captaincy. or was he remember the bernabeu.
Mike - obviously I haven’t.
“Couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo” comes to mind here.
buy eto’o he apparently knows how to score a goal, he can show adebayor
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But Chris, I’m sure Arsenal can score. It’s just a question of how long they would take to score.
And I ask this, quite seriously now, because it’s a question of adaptibility. Arsenal this season have been inflexible and haven’t adapted / responded to difficult situations.
Chelsea would punt it up to Drogba. United would give it to Ronaldo or Rooney. Liverpool would give it to Gerrard for a punt or lob it to Crouch for a shot (perhaps not that fast though).
Would Arsenal punt it up to Adebayor, or would Lehmann pass to Gallas, who’ll give it to Silva, who’ll pass to Hleb, who’ll take 5 touches and slide-rule it to Fab, who’ll pass to Rosicky for a shot?
It’s a fair question
Great thought but if you think the problem is Arsenal not scoring then take a look at the goals for column, the same as Chelski. The problem this year is all the goals in the other column. About time Arsene thought about plugging a few holes