Do Arsenal deserve more?

Following their defeat at Old Trafford, Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, conceded his side could not win the Premier League title this year but claimed they deserved more due to the style of football they play.

Few can deny the Frenchman's team play with flair and technique that is both beautiful on the eye and effective on the pitch. Emmanuel Adebayor has stepped up to the plate this year with some remarkable goals while Cesc Fabregas has pulled the strings like a puppeteer. Then there is Theo Walcott - what about his blistering run that set up Adebayor for a tap-in at Anfield last week?

Many could also point to decisions that have not gone the Gunners' way. Crucial penalty decisions against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals were the fine line between them still being in the competition and being merely pretty also-rans.

But isn't the game all about winning? Doesn't a side need steel as well panache?

And then there is Manchester United. Don't they also play the entertaining game? Does a goal difference of +54 not prove they play football the "right way"? And are they not about to walk away with the Premier League crown for the second year in succession?

What do you think? Do Arsenal deserve something from a season that has promised much and delivered nothing? Vote below and don't forget to leave your comments. Just remember, keep 'em clean or they won't be published.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Comments

[Timothy Tanner]

"Arsenal should also start paying their players equittably.If I was Fabregas I'd be outta the door when I could treble my money elsewhere.The profits made by the team are going to the men in suits when they should be paying the players."

Yes, given most of our board aren't paid, the one that now is earns far less then the manager or players, and no dividends, it must be going to the suits. How do they get money Greg though, I'm unable to see it?

Did we deserve anything? In the league, Manchester United deserved it, we put out a strong side who didn't try for the Fa Cup, Carling Cup while second leg of semi was more even then scoreline suggests but 3rd choice keeper combined with 7th choice cb meant we got hammered however we were inferior to Spurs in the 1-1 draw so deserved to go out. At least we lost there to teams who care about entertaining the fans.

The CL was gutting, it was a very even game and we just didn't quite have the luck but we compounded it by bad defending. Overall, think our attacking deserves a reward but our defence deserves nothing.

Reasons why we failed? Dudu's leg injury didn't help but ones Arsene will need to look at

1) Failure to rotate. Our second string has got to many semi finals so why doesn't he trust them rather then leave the likes of Cesc running on empty?

2) Almunia. Ok, Jens deserved to be dropped at start of season but not after his January run where he was brilliant. Almunia is solid but you need a brilliant keeper and Arsene refused to use the one we had, Mad Jens.

3) Defence. We have a poor defensive record, in the end we conceded too many goals and it undermined the efforts of our attack.

[Luke]

The excuses are boring now. Injuries happen to all teams.

Wenger should have bought in january, and dont forget he decided to sell Diarra who is clearly proving to be a top player.

With Balsa Boy Saha who has not even played 100 games in 5 years, United have more or less played the whole season with two strikers, Rooney and Tevez. Not forgetting Rooney broke his foot at the start of the season, and was then out again for a month with an ankle injury, and Tevez is only about 70% fit, with no pre- season for 3 years.

Same old arsenal, the worst losers of all time. Blame everyone but themselves.

[Steve Haigh]

Been an Arsenal fan I am biased in making the decision that we did deserve something this season. The football we've played has been sensational a pleasure to watch for both fans and neutrals. We have been involved in some of the most entertaining and dramatic games of the season such as Arsenal Vs Milan, the second leg of the Arsenal Vs Liverpool tie and last Sundays match against United. Unfortunately the latter two did not go our way. To add to all this we have scored some fantastic goals, Adebayor against Spurs is the one that springs to mind.

However i do feel we have shown our one big shortcoming as the season has come to a close and that is the lack of squad depth. Despite having a lot of exceptionally talented young players in our ranks, we have lacked the squad players needed to rest key players such as Cesc and Flamini and i think this has taken it's toll. Where as teams like United have a large squad full of quality players, which has provided them with the luxury of resting key players. I feel this has played a part in the way they have stormed ahead in the title race as well as the awsome Ronaldo and as much as it pains me to say they will deserve it if they win.

[Hansen]

Arsenal and Chelsea get what they deserve from their squads. This year their star African players are out of PL matches for six weeks to play in the African Cup of Nations. They go to a different continent with a totally different atmosphere. They play a very different style of football when in their national teams. Some of them are playing 6 or 7 matches of great importance. Back home during these weeks, the clubs are left coping without the Essiens and Adebayours. Like it or not, but this is the consequence of having star African players in the squad.

[Richard Davies]

In the article after the United game which is referred to here, Arsene Wenger does not say anything about Arsenal deserving more. No Arsenal fans I have spoken to do either.
What we all know is we had a lot of big decisions in a row go against us, things didn't even themselves out as one would hope they would.
And lets face it, if United were without Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez and Anderson ( read; Van Persie, Rosiscky, Eduardo & Denilson )for a large majority of the season, I am sure their squad would have found it as hard going as Arsenal have.

[Karthik]

I think Eduardo's injury and the 4-0 loss to United brought Arsenal's season crashing down.
Apart from the emotional impact of the injury, which was immense, Arsenal lost their most clinical finisher. Since then, Adebayor's goals have dried up too. His early season form seemed to contradict the widely-held belief that he had everything to be a top striker apart from composure at the finish, but now he's reverted to form. Van Persie's prolonged absence, and indifferent return, meant that they had only one, misfiring, goalscorer left.
Arsenal's play in the final third is all about threading the ball through to forwards making diagonal runs. They don't have traditional wingers pinging in crosses for forwards to run onto. And when the ball is received by a player out wide, he generally cuts in or passes back to someone on the overcrowded edge of the area.
Arsenal's players don't seem to fancy the Scholesian - or the less stealthy Lampardian - arrival into the box from deep.
They don't shoot from outside the box either. Fabregas, against Milan, seemed to hesitate before he realised no one was closing him down and shot home. Hleb is another player reluctant to shoot. Rosicky is the exception, but he was injured.
All of this resulted in goals becoming extremely hard to come by, and when you don't score, you don't win.
Their defensive frailties aren't as bad as they seem. The lack of goals has made them vulnerable at the back, and exaggerated the effect of letting in even one goal.
They'll win trophies next season if they don't have injuries, and buy a winger who can put in crosses, a striker to take some of the load off Adebayor, and if Wenger encourages Fabregas or Flamini to make opportunistic runs into the box. Buying another centre-back wouldn't be a bad idea either. Gallas as captain is okay; I don't see how anyone else could have made a major difference, in terms of points won at the end of the game.

[QUARTZGOONER]

Fatigue did for us this season.
Cesc, Flamini and Hleb were the midfield of excellence who were worn out, because their back ups were either injured, too old or not good enough to be trusted by Wenger.
Big injuries to Eduardo and Van Persie mean Adebayor led the line for so long he got tired out too.

[notes from a swedish guy]

i think arsenal needs to get some "dirty" players, someone who can step up and do that trash goal when needed.
And I wouldn't be so disappointed if wenger could bye som english playes, perhaps evertons Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka..

[JAY]

Do Arsenal deserve more? No. They may play with the style and quality of winners, but at the end of the day, if you have a defence that cannot handle simple long ball attacking then you have a problem, as seen against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Also, although Arsenal are good to watch, their passing is quality, but a little 1 dimensional? Compared to the way United have played this season, with their variety of quality in midfield, it is almost un-defendable at times. I think it's fair to say United deserve to be above Arsenal.

Where has Fabregas been for the last 8 games? Adebayor hasn't continued his rich goal scoring form whereas Ronaldo has put 38 in 38. Big players have not stepped up for Arsenal, the pressure has got to them.

The pivotal moment in this season was the 4-0 thrashing at Old Trafford in the FA Cup and this sent a damning message to Arsenal and they crumbled.

They do not deserve better because the league isn't finished in February, and 8 pts in their last 8 games cannot be regarded as unlucky, just not good enough.

[JOHN]

It seems most people are in the "winning is fine but football is about entertainment too". But it should be obvious that for the manager winning is more vital. Case in point George Graham. Given how boring his teams were would he have been employed very long if he did not win? If Arsene sent out teams that played beautifully but always finished in the middle or lower half of the table would anyone care what he does? You get to see Arsene work because he also happens to win a lot. Wasn't that always the knock on the West Ham/ Ron Greenwood school? Beautiful losers?If you don't win enough you get fired.

This is not Olympic figure skating with style points from judges factoring into the score. If you want entertainment set up judge's panels who would award additional points based on style preferences. Lets see how far that would get. If losing doesn't matter then why is there relegation?

[Ralph]

I have the solution for Arsenal to win.
Grab up a Canadian born midfielder!!!
:)

[pietro]

At what point do Arsenal deserve the title or the champions league?
Please explain?
It becomes increasingly annoying, tedious and boring that people especially Arsenal Fans, are prepared to give comment on what they think Arsenal deserve.
The truth is you deserve what you earn ie. each team has to earn the right over the season regardless of exscuses or injuries and injustices,if you want to talk about injustice and deserve!! ask Roy Keane what he thinks 4 bad descions 12 points dismissed,what can you do.

The table does not lie and at some point opinion is wasted, as you cannot cast an opinion if the facts are there for all to see: quite clearly No!

Arsenal = No title, No European cup. No Domestic cups. after all is said and done this is the reality not the fantasy. 3 seasons of nothing does not substitute good football and should raise questions as to whether there football is affective.
I have recently heard on radio and tv talkshows like Talksport 5 live etc that Arsenal are the new Kevin Keegans Newcastle winning lots of friends but nothing else if this continues i'm pretty sure MU,Chelsea alike will be elated.

[R. Karim]

Unfortunately what Arsenal have done this season is over achieve ! This team is a 'work in progress' they were never supposed to have done so well so early on. This has only set higher expectation. At the beginning of the season all the pundits told you that Arsenal were going to fall out of the top 4 ! Then they come very close to winning ! So all the players who did not 'perform' are no good ? I think you will see a much improved Arsenal side. Wenger is not going to cultivate young players and then not give them an opportunity to prove themselves, which is why Viera and Henry had to go.

[elie marcuse]

Of course the game is about winning.But Arsene Wenger has impacted the Premier League in many ways: getting results as no other manager did since he came to the club, buying "stars" for little money such as Anelka and Henry just to name these two, and selling them for millions at a time when the new Gunners stadium was being built, reaching a Champions'League final, revolutionasing training methods! Now, these are no meagre achievements are they???
On the other hand, time is required to beat teams like MU and Chelsea who spend tens of millions of pounds every season on new players!
No Arsene is right: he will soon get the conquering middle line he needs to dominate the game (remember Vieira and Petit??) , a new keeper (Lehmans was a disaster!) and a couple of top players in the back.
No, today's armchair forecasters and critics are not really convincing: finishing second or third this season with his young (23 year old average) team is not a disaster! We'll hear from them soon!

[Michael Kelly]

Perhaps all the recent 'unlucky decisions' that have gone against Arsenal are some sort of Karmic response to all the 'I didn't see it' Wenger quotes over the years.

Yes Arsenal do play good entertaining football the 'luck' evens itself out over a season... as others here have said, the league table doesn't lie. Having said that installing Gallas as captain? Big mistake!

[Jeremy]

Do Arsenal deserve more? No.

[Dave]

Full disclosure here - I'm a gooner.

The league table doesn't lie. I've been a supporter since 1958 and have seen some lousy teams and some great ones. The current squad is good but not great. Certainly not good enough to win the league. ManU are much closer to being called great. And the difference? Simply the depth of quality in the squad - our reserves make up the numbers, whereas MU's are loaded with talent to a much greater extent. Also MU can beat you in so many different ways.

Big mistake in not strengthening in January - and knowing what a stubborn sod Wenger is, he will not care to learn from it. We need a goalie, a center half, help in midfield, a proven striker - and last but not least a captain who is not a nutter.

[Man Utd Fan]

I vote "No".Its not that I dont agree with Arsene's claim that they play beautiful football but what is most important is consistency. Ever since Eduardo's injury, Arsenal have simply lost it.

Maybe Arsene wants a new award to reward Arsenal's play this season.
"Most Stylish Footballing Club" but it wont be easy convincing the FA. ;)

[ewrong]

You only deserve what you earn.

[madgooner]

The ignorance of the present breed of football fans dismays me. A year ago Hleb was being targetted by some idiots. He's undoubtedly one of the top players in the world, and clearly was then.

Now we have Wenger in the firing line. When he arrived we had a team in near terminal decline. Within weeks he signed Vieira.

Spending money would not have won us the league. There is always someone better off than you. Torres would have been nice, but he'd have led to the criticism that we played to narrowly.

Give me Walcott, Hleb (PLEASE STAY!!), Rosicky and Fabregas playing football for the next 5 years and the trophy's are an inevitable long term bonus.

The stadium will, one day be named after him...for me it is now.

[tunde taiwo]

Let me start by saying i am an Arsenal supporter and have been for over 40years,the answer to the question is an emphatic no from me,simply because you get what you put in to the game.I admire the courage of the Man U players and their never give up attitude to the game,Arsene Wenger needs to inculcate that in his players.

[pete heed]

lack of better squad players has let arsenal down as the seaon is coming to a close

[Sam Muthusamy]

If anybody thinks that Arsenal played stylish football and deserved to win a trophy are deluding themselves. Foot ball is not just passing the ball scoring goals are for more important!Outscoring your opponent is the name of the game isn't it? Man U is not leading the table by simply playing stylish football or boring football. They score bucketful more than their opponents, thats why they are leading.Blaming referees or wrong decisions are signs of a team and their supporters who are burying their head in sands, if they continue the same theme next season the results will be exactly the same.

[Tunde]

Pleased to see that so man arsenal fans wont let sentiment or support becloud judgement. I am a Gunner and while we have had some bad calls, we/our defense allowed Babel get as far as he did before takin him on, penalty or not, Adebayors goal at trafford was a handball (tho dont think it was preconcieved) and if it had been united's goal we would have been up in arms. We were leading at chealsea before capitulating, we went on a series of draws, whwich won would have still seen us on top spot. Some of our players have been used wihotu a break (Flamini, Cesc and Adebayor) the list could go...but for a season that we were meant to finish outside the top of the table.. well done and when u think about chealseas budget...doubly well done..when you think about the average age of the team..well done..and for playing some of the most orgasmic football i have watched (lIVERPOOL ANFIELD CL & OLD TRAFFORD) well done. Signed: All things being considered, a contented Gunner.

[Jim Erricson]

Obviously not. When they win the league then they can say they deserve it. You can not get away frm the fact that despite a few harsh decisions and bar the wigan game they have had the chances in games to win they havent taken them so they only have themselves to blame. Arsenal always think they are hard done by,but when i watch them in the games they play i can honestly say they get a lot going for them in matches - refs. Example the home game against Liverpool in the CL, the ref was giving them everything he only evened it out as far as im concerned by not giving that DEBATABLE penalty. Arsenal are arrogant , just look at the conduct of their players- Adebayor ( on numerous occassions he is violent) Gallas and Fabregas, Gallas all the team talks he gives for his image constantly shouting and being aggressive and immature.Kicking Nani in the F.A.cup - and Wenger claiming he was showboating,when they had Pires and Henry the biggest showboater of all. Fabregas a good player but a nasty piece of work as a man. They moan and moan non-stop. Wenger is a great manager but he has showed no humility and it was a penalty at Anfield and he says it wasnt and is arrogant enough to say Helb-Kuyt was a 'REAL' penalty. How can you feel sorry for a team that conducts themselves in the manner in which they do, and TBH the majority of Arsenal fans are just like their team,theyre are some exceptions. The league doesnt lie,they havent finished off games they had the opportunity to so therefore they dont desrve the title. Man Utd play attractive and entertaining football as well and over the 38 games this season deserve to win it. Even when they havent played great they've still managed to churn out results and you have to respect that