VDV : "Spurs are bigger than Arsenal!"

[Welshiespursboyo]

Is that not more to do with being a Spurs fan though? We generally worry about our own games.

I don't think we're right on their heels just yet, but I also don't think we're very far from them at all.

We seem to have more and more special players now. The sort of players we would all be envious of if they played for Arsenal.

Probably Our team makes me right cack my pants sometimes though :-|

 

[Kendall]

I like your positivity but I just see a much stronger and better overall side when I watch Arsenal and compare them to us.

I can't remember the last time we truely battered and took apart a team in the Prem like Arsenal seem to do consistently.

 

[Kendall]

What I really liked was the fire he has already showed. I thoroughly expected him to be a bit of a fancy tart, albeit an amazingly skilled one.

He went in for a committed sliding tackle on Van Damme (?) and was instantly furious and trying to pick him up when the fecker made a meal of it. He then looked like he was willing to take a swing at the three Wolves players who confronted him.

Fucking love it

You can take the gypsy out of the caravan park.....

 

[mil1lion]

Probably Our team makes me right cack my pants sometimes though :-|

I think a lot of our fans feel that way. But I think we make life hard for ourselves at home, simply because our fans are so restless. It doesn't take a lot for the fans to show their frustration in a game, even if it's still 0-0. They don't have that at Arsenal until at least towards the end of the game. It would make a big difference if we stayed on the players side a lot more at home.

 

[donny1013]

They have had relatively few upsets in the last few years at home, Hull a couple of years ago. For the past two seasons though they have been rolled over by Man Yoo and Chelski whereas we have definitely held our own against those two far more than we used to. Hopefully the fact that we have for once kept hold of our best players and our now in the CL, means we can really tighten the gap. If they fail to win anything this season which will mean 6 years without a trophy, I can imagine a fair few of the fair weather fans calling for him to go, which would definitely hinder them.

 

[IamCelestial]

we are still miles behind Arsenal IMHO. However, much less than we were 2 years ago.
It would take years for us to be on the same level with them though, provided they don't improve that much.

 

[mike_l]

I think it does. As does throwing away a 2 goal lead in the CL, I don't think this Arsenal team would've done it.

They've been prety ruthless and look much better overall than we do. Better movement, create more chances, take more chances.

They don't have a Berbatov either.

To be fair, they did do it in the last 10 minutes away to Wigan last year, though losing the game rather than drawing it.

Edit: I'm guessing this has already been mentioned anyway.

I think we are coaching away from Arsenal, personnel wise I think we are about level, Fabregas aside. The big difference is Wenger's ability to get top level performances out of not top level players.

 

[mil1lion]

I like your positivity but I just see a much stronger and better overall side when I watch Arsenal and compare them to us.

I can't remember the last time we truely battered and took apart a team in the Prem like Arsenal seem to do consistently.

I don't think that really matters much tbh. They can have games where they smash a team, then a week later they're wasteful in front of goal. That's what Arsenal are all about. When they're scoring goals, they're as good as anybody. But it's the points total that counts, and they simply don't scrap to victory enough to finish above Chelsea and Man Utd.

This is a side of the game where we've proven to be better at since Harry arrived. The win at Stoke for example. We have the ugly side of our game now, but it's really those home games against teams who defend in numbers that cost us crucial points. I think we just lack a bit of genius at times on those games. Something VDV will offer us.

It may seem like Arsenal are way ahead of us, simply because of the style of play they win with. But they will still crack against scrappy teams and still drop silly points on their travels. While we may lose games we should win comfortably, yet win scrappy games instead. It's still 3 points on the table.

 

[Kendall]

But we don't really do that any better than Arsenal do :lol:

Arsenal threw away 2 points at Sunderland. But we got buttfucked on that ground last year, really should've been 6 or 7.

 

[bern]

Whether or not he's right in saying it (and it's certainly open to debate, even outside of the two sets of fans), that has tipped me over the edge into a full-on mancrush on VDV. I don't think it's unreasonable to say that I want his babies, ill-equipped for them though I may be.

:rofl: very well put!

 

[Riandor]

Arsenal have had much more recent success and still manage to get into the top 4 season after season despite not having big budgets to bring in new top players.

Wenger is excellent at taking young players and moulding them into a winning unit. That is the benefit of a club that has learned to win things and a lot of those players have had that handed down.

The longer they go without winningm the more that will wane.

You have to get that win in, whether it be Carling Cup or Premier League.

Since our Carling Cup win, we have looked (a few hiccups aside) like a side who is hungry for success, now we have the CL and if we can grab a trophy this year (say the FA cup for example), it will be another step towards building that winning mentality at the club, that's all that is missing.

VdV is another top step in that direction and it shows that we are starting to be able to pull players who are still in their prime rather than say the Klinsmanns (2nd time round) or Edgar Davids... good players on their way out.

+ keep the talent we have, rather than 1 in and 1 out (a la Berbatov / Modric).

This season is arguably more important than last year!

R.

 

[mil1lion]

But we don't really do that any better than Arsenal do :lol:

Arsenal threw away 2 points at Sunderland. But we got buttfucked on that ground last year, really should've been 6 or 7.

We're going to lose games on our travels at times, as will Arsenal. But I think we have the ugly side of the game that Arsenal lack. I think the biggest reason they have struggled to win trophies is because they never replaced the likes of Petit and Vieira. It's funny that Arsene complains about the physicality of teams, yet his team were physical back when they were winning things. It hasn't quiete clicked for him yet :duh:

The biggest difference between us and Arsenal is just that extra genius in front of goal. In the League, despite all the changes in defence, we've still not conceded more than 1 goal in a game. But we're a top class striker away from finishing teams off at the other end.

 

[Niko]

Arsenal were in a champions league final a few years ago! They are a massive club, until we cement our place in Europe every year and make a decent challenge for the title we will be nowhere near them...

 

[$hoguN]

As mil1lion has rightly pointed out the reason the Arsenal youth play the way they do is it is a style of play taught from the youth level to the first team, much like Barca. If we continue to improve and keep Harry in charge for years i'm sure our academy will churn out some players who play in the way our current side do.

 

[Wiener]

Good to see VDV entering into the spirit of the great North London Rivalry. From what I know there is a good following for English clubs in Holland, so they have some idea of what it's all about.

Unfortunately in the cold light of day, we are not a "bigger" club than the arse in terms of financials or fanbase. From memory they have generated more than twice our revenue over the past few seasons.

As for football we are edging closer. They are possibly defensively more vulnerable while our strike force is missing real quality. I still think they will finish above us this season. In fact, rather depressingly, I can see only see them putting Chelsea under any pressure.

Good effort from VDV, but no doubt his comment is rather tongue in cheek.

 

[mil1lion]

As mil1lion has rightly pointed out the reason the Arsenal youth play the way they do is it is a style of play taught from the youth level to the first team, much like Barca. If we continue to improve and keep Harry in charge for years i'm sure our academy will churn out some players who play in the way our current side do.

I have really high hopes for our youth team. It's in the best shape i've known it since i've been a fan.

I'm not sure we'll ever be quiete like Arsenal and Barca though, unless we're to bring back our reserve team. One of the disadvantages of loaning players out is, they're not playing the same system as us.

I've watched our reserves up against Arsenal reserves a couple of times in the past. What impressed me most about them was how they played just like the first team.

The same can be said of Barcelona B aswell. It's just a continuous flow of talent through the different age groups, playing the same brand of football, under the same system.

At least if we keep Harry at the club, the system and style of play will remain the same. Which will make life easier if we were to lose a key player. It's why Arsenal will sell Fabregas to Barca and still continue to do well, with Wilshere taking his spot.

 

[ShelfSide18]

I have really high hopes for our youth team. It's in the best shape i've known it since i've been a fan.

I'm not sure we'll ever be quiete like Arsenal and Barca though, unless we're to bring back our reserve team. One of the disadvantages of loaning players out is, they're not playing the same system as us.

I've watched our reserves up against Arsenal reserves a couple of times in the past. What impressed me most about them was how they played just like the first team.

The same can be said of Barcelona B aswell. It's just a continuous flow of talent through the different age groups, playing the same brand of football, under the same system.

At least if we keep Harry at the club, the system and style of play will remain the same. Which will make life easier if we were to lose a key player. It's why Arsenal will sell Fabregas to Barca and still continue to do well, with Wilshere taking his spot.

This is true, I watched the U19 Semi Final 2 seasons ago and it struck me how similar to the first team they were in how they played, from being coached into their way from an early age. I know it's them lot, but it was impressive, and Wilshere was the best player on the park by a mile too, although I really liked the look of Mason.

We on the other hand looked like a collection of very talented individuals, encouraging, but I hope to see us moving towards what I saw from Ar5ena1, a procession of talent coached in the same way, same style and ethos. It takes time, and patience, but it is the way we should be headed.

 

[worcestersauce]

It is all about the system they play and the fact that the players start on it at a very young age. They train the passing movement over and over and over and so when someone gets injured another player can slot in knowing what is expected of him, it's also why Wenger doesn't really like buying more mature players and if he does he tries to get french ones who have the French grounding.
The problem with that system is that it should always get you thereabouts but it will never get you to the top unless you have exeptional players who can sometimes turn "the system" on it's head and do something different; with arsenal the classic example was Denis Bergkamp, just look at when they won their titles and every one was when he was on fire, brilliant, brilliant player, but it's also the reason they've won nothing since he retired.
Bigger than us? not for most of my lifetime but certainly successfully streets ahead of us in the prem but only up to up to five years ago since when we've been closer and we're the club that have won a trophy.

 

[Bulletspur]

I don't think that puts us some way behind them though. We're literally a Berbatov away from them right now. The Wigan loss was our first home loss of the year.

But we did have Berbatov but he left for a bigger club didnt he? If he was Arsenal I doubt if he would have left, therefore making Arsenal a much bigger club than us at the moment. Despite our turn around, we are still quite a distance from them overall.

 

[michaelden]

VdV said we are bigger coas he's in our team. Simple as. He has a big ego, almost as big as mine, and I think he can back it up so lets give him the chance too