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Ray Parlour blasts Arsenal after Stoke, “When are they going to learn?”

Written by Jeffrey on May 10, 2011 – 4:30

Arsenal Interactive - Player RatingsRay Parlour and Fredrik Ljungberg

Like many Arsenal fans, former midfielder Ray Parlour simply cannot understand why the Gunners are yet to learn how to properly defend from set-pieces.

Speaking to talkSPORT, the Englishman admitted Arsenal is an amazing team to watch as they possess flair and ability but they simple fail in basic tasks like defending set pieces as against Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City on Sunday they conceded goals that could have been easily avoided.

Asked if this problem was tackled when he was playing, the 38-year old revealed that players used to do it on the training ground as it’s just a matter of picking a player and make sure stay with him.

Parlour concluded by saying that yet again, Arsenal will archive their season as a disappointing and frustrating one as they simply failed to step it up a gear in the last part of the season.

After the Stoke defeat, he said:

When are they going to learn that they can’t go to places like Stoke and give things away. It’s a tough game.

It’s amazing to watch this Arsenal side, they’ve got so much flair and ability but just simple things they get wrong.

Set-pieces have been a nightmare. Look at Bolton – two goals [conceded from set-pieces], another one today.

And we used to do it on the training ground, we did practice set plays. Sometimes you’ve got to look at the players and say responsibility. ‘This is your man, if he scores it’s your fault!’ That’s how you’ve got to do it for me, that is how you do it on the training ground.

Frustrated is the word [to sum this season up]. I think there was a great opportunity this year to win [the title]. They were in a great position and suddenly they haven’t got the final push.

Every single game is a cup final. Last week was a cup final against Manchester United and they performed and won the game.

This week’s another cup final for them but they haven’t turned up again and that’s the problem they’ve got. The last ten games you’ve got to win every game, simple as that.

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  • Cameron says:

    I think more time on the training ground and the off season should focus exclusively on communicato, organisation, decision making and set pieces in defence. Could make a big difference to our season.

    Djouro, Koscielny and Vermaelen are all still learning the job so we have to expect this but it is a huge weakness to our squad.
    We have really missed Vermaelen in that area. I think Cahill would be ideal. But organisation and nerves cost us so badly. We need a new CB or DM to really boss the box and midfield.

    • Hunter says:

      At 25 years old you should have learned enough to handle these situations

      • SeattleGooner says:

        Yes and no. Koscielny has been in top flight football for a total of 2 years. He probably won’t ever be top centerback in the epl, but he does have his strengths. He reads the game well among other things. Anyways I have more faith in him than I do in Djourou, especially lately.

        • Hunter says:

          That is exactly what I am getting at. He is clearly nowhere near what we need so why the hell did we pay 10 million for him?! Knowing full well he had only played a season of top flight football why on earth did we buy him when what we needed was a top class commanding central defender? We could have gotten Christopher Samba for less than 5 million and he is better than any defender we have on our roster at the moment including Vermaelen. Arsene’s decisions are becoming more bizarre and and stupid by the day.

          • DeepRed says:

            What on earth makes you think Blackburn would have sold Smaba for less than $5 million, especially given where they sat in the table in January? And how do you know he could have played at our pace and wouldn’t have struggled to adapt, like a Torres or a Dzeko? If communication is a problem – and it clearly is – what difference would one man make?
            Jeez, you act like it’s as simple as a jigsaw. And is Vermaelen/Djourou/Samba/Kos the quartet you want for next season? I’m hoping our new CB this summer will be in a different class to Samba. You can’t just buy a player for three months, you know.
            And as for dismissing Kos, look back at how he and Djourou have played this season. Hardly a shipped a goal when playing together, until these past two games, where it’s surprisingly been Djourou who’s form has plummeted.
            Do you remember the first Barcelona game when Kos marked Messi out of the game? You’ve a short memory Hunter, and you’re rushing to judgment, blaming this, that and the other without pin-pointing the precise flaw. (For me it’s Squillaci not adjusting in time, the lack of a fit GK with a run of games under his belt, a lack of organisation, playing a high offside line at the wrong times… I’m sure there are other points, but not the ones you’re on about).

          • amos says:

            Hunter your are a good gooner but today you have reasoned like manure.
            kos has made very vital saves at the back , he is couragious and does not fear to make tackles even at 18. Squi. should go and strengthen the position. Samba is the right man for the job.

            • Hunter says:

              Kos has also gotten 2 reds and given up multiple penalties.

              Samba was available in January and since his contract is about up he would not have been more than 5 million. He already plays in the division so he knows what to expect and he handled our “pace” with no problem when we played Blackburn. He seems to have no problem with communication since he captains his side every week. Are you seriously going to try and say Koscielny or Squilaccis is a better defender? If so you aren’t watching closely enough. Koscielny cannot focus for an entire match and tactically he is a joke. I agree that it’s due to lack of experience but that’s the managers fault for buying a player who is nowhere near good enough. And if you think I am the only one who thought Samba would have been a help see for yourself. Arsene tried to sign him but the deal fell through. He tried to get him on the cheap and Blackburn kept their valuation at around 5 million:

              Blackburn Rovers captain Christopher Samba admits he is open to a summer away from Ewood Park, despite signing a new contract with the club this year.

              The 27-year-old was close to a move to Arsenal at the start of the year and admitted that he would consider proposals from clubs at the end of the season.

              He told reporters: “I think a move to Arsenal was very close in January but that is life. You have to continue.

              “Everybody knows that I am an ambitious player. I am at an age now where I want to try to do something. You only have one career and it would be a shame to not make the best of it.

              “I am happy at Blackburn but I will study any opportunities that come my way this year.”

              The Congolese centre-back explained that he is not trying to fashion a move and is happy to stay at Blackburn if no deals materialise.

              He added: “I’m not trying to move away but of course I would look if it is the right thing for me.

              “If it happens, it happens, but it [move to Arsenal] wasn’t meant to be and football is like that. I committed myself to Blackburn and will always do my best.”

              • DeepRed says:

                Samba gives one quote that he “thinks” a deal was on and that’s evidence that a) We were interested, b) an offer was made, c) Blackburn valued him at 5m and d) Arsene made a lower offer. Boy, that’s a leap. I’ve seen the rumours floating around on sites with no quotes, no confirmation from quotes, valuations made up by sports reporters and the like, but nothing as definite as you write. Do you have sources?
                If you’d read what I wrote I said Squillaci’s been a problem. But to lump Kos in with him is nonsense. Again I’d ask you to look at how many goals we’ve conceded when Kos has played with someone other than Squillaci. Two reds? Yep, and I remember how ridiculous they were, especially the one at Liverpool. Samba’s had one as well, BTW. And Blackburn has shipped a lot of goals with him playing.
                Maybe he would have been an asset, who knows? But don’t be so certain about ‘what ifs’, huh? Oh, and you can’t argue that ‘he was available’ and Wenger was a fool for not signing him, and then say he’s a fool for trying to sign him an failing. If the latter’s true then, well, he wasn’t available.

                • Hunter says:

                  We gave up 83% of our goals when Koscielny was on the pitch, more than any other center back on the roster. He is simply not very good. Blackburn have given up a lot of goals because most of the team is crap, but as a defender Samba is better than anything we have got. As usual we “almost” got a player but we wanted to get them on the cheap and ended up with nothing. This story has been around for ages and it was fairly well known in January that we were in for him because he was a cheap solution.

                  You sound like Arsene, stop making excuses and protecting players who clearly aren’t up to the required standard. Koscielny is not good enough and at 25 should not be making the same stupid mistakes that our 19 year olds make.. He can’t mark properly, loses focus and is easily muscled off the ball. There is no excuse for any of these issues and he is not the player we needed.

    • Tim says:

      Stil learning at the job? They are bloody in their mid 20’s, if they can’t learn by then it’s hopeless for them. Of course, it doesn’t help that Wenger doesn’t drill the team on defending against set-pieces.

      • 26may1989 says:

        For most players, that’s fair comment. But there are always exceptions. Eg, Ian Wright, who only became a pro at the age of 22. Koscielny had one season in Ligue 1 with Lorient before he joined us, and this season he has learned quickly and well. I wasn’t happy about his signing but he’s been our most consistent defender other than Sagna. That says plenty about the weakness of our defending but it also shows Kos to be an intelligent, talented player. He’s not our problem, far from it.

        • Dave says:

          So basically you’re saying that Wenger brought in someone who isn’t ready for the EPL in hope of fixing our terrible defense? I doubt he’ll get better unless a defensive coach is brought in because Wenger won’t be teaching him on how to defend.

          • Paddy O'Neill says:

            Do we have a defensive coach and if so who is he??

            • Dave says:

              Haven’t got one. A team certainly needs one badly, only a blind fool would think otherwise. But I don’t know if we are going to get one because knowing Wenger, he probably want someone like Pat Rice who just nod at everything he says.

              • Junichi says:

                When the team was winning, Pat Rice and his “noding” weren’t a problem…

                • Dave says:

                  Pat Rice years of service shouldn’t be forgotten but bringing in a defensive coach is more important right now, as Wenger won’t be the man to fix the defense.

                • Dave says:

                  Besides Junichi when the team is in crisis and they need the manager and assistant manager the most, Wenger and Pat Rice are not helping the team to handle them through them, as shown by Cesc’s outburst and how some of our players are at each others throat in recent years. It’s easy to keep doing what you’re doing when the team is doing well but when it’s not, it’s the likes of Wenger and RIce to deal with them. At least if a defensive coach is brought in, maybe the team can finally address our horrible record of conceding in set-pieces.

              • Paddy O'Neill says:

                I’m a George Graham fan. Sod the fact that they won games 1-0 and didn’t play ‘attractive’ football. Looking at Graham’s record it’s nearly as good as AW with less years to do it. And people forget Wenger inherited Graham’s hard men – now look what we’ve got. And Pat Rice was never a good defender anyway – I think he is clueless when it comes to coaching.

                • Dave says:

                  I agree. It’s a good thing that Wenger inherited GG’s goalkeeper and back four because I doubt Wenger could have won his first double without them.

  • Aussie Jack says:

    Coaching is at fault. There`s a saying ” If the teacher hasn`t taught the pupil hasn`t learned”

    These guys need parade ground discipline and it would appear there is nobody on the Arsenal coaching staff that is prepared to instill this for fear of upsetting Wenger.

    Maybe they should have some preseason training with special forces where Wenger is not allowed near them. They`re mentally soft ,anyone would think they`re on the welfare.

    Even if we introduce men of steel how long will it be before they become pampered brats?

    “Shape up or ship out” as the Americans would say, and that includes the boss.

  • TAZ says:

    year in year out , now for six years, Arsenal seem conditioned to loosing ground after their dramatic rise to the top place. We more often see a frustrated Wenger who will look to the old archives of the likes of Silvester, Sol Campbel, Squillaci and Lehman. Unless a ground breaking measures are taken we will see the same regression for next year and beyond

  • John Muhindo says:

    I think wenger is growing older than Sir Alex Fugision, no vision of winning games by keeping sub-standard players in his club(arsenal). If he does not reform in selecting good players the future of some best players we have like Nasri, Fabregas, Jack, Ramsey & Varmlean my be doubtful at the club. Djourou, Eboue, Diaby,charmkha, Bendner etc should go.

  • Tim says:

    They are never going to learn to defend against set-pieces as long as Wenger is the manager.

  • cesc says:

    stuck in my mind is a vision of thierry squatting down left hand on the floor,shaking his head as if to say i’ve just scored to put us in front and you clowns let them go up the other end and equalise straight away. couldn’t you just keep them out for 5 minutes. HIS HOLE ATTITUDE IS SAYING I GIVE UP WITH YOU LOT. and he did and he left us. that was about 3 years ago and we still haven’t sorted out our defence. what does that tell you? our coaches are cr*p.

    it is no good blaming youth. djuoruo is rubbish always has been always will be. song isn’t quick enough. squillachi is ?

    wenger puts up with mediocrity for years and then lets them go. why can’t he see what everyone else can see, we have to much rubbish in the team to pose a serious threat to anyone.

    the training ground only works if you have capable students. we don’t have capable students, just dummies.

    • Hunter says:

      A large amount of this has to do with Arsene constantly trying to fit square pegs in round holes. Djourou is actually a midfielder that Arsene decided to play in the central defense. He was excellent as a midfield player and then he was put in a position he is not as good at. Just look at our midfield. We have a bunch of central players that Arsene keeps trying to play on the wings instead of buying a damn wing player. Nasri, Arshavin, Rosicky, Bendtner, Walcott are all central players being played out of position. Gibbs is a wing player being played in the defense as is Traore. Sagna is actually a better central defender than anyone we currently have on our roster and played there most of the season before he came to us when he was named Ligue 1 defender of the year.

      Arsene has just completely lost the plot. He needs to go back to what worked and that was a side with players that had experience and good positional sense and understood tactically what to do and when to do it. Until that happens we will continue to fail at every obstacle.

      • Stoph says:

        You’re wrong again!!! Djourou used to play as a DEFENSIVE midfielder, not a CENTRAL midfielder. That’s a common and easy transition being as he’s already a defensive-minded player. Anyway that was his youth career, Djourou has been played in the CB position since about 2003 when he first came to Arsenal. When Nasri was training in France his natural position is on the wing. The idea is that players can move around into different positions. It’s called total football, I think you should look it up. And stop pretending to be an Arsenal fan. I’ve had enough of people thinking they are an Arsenal fan and being wrong all the time about everything

        • Hunter says:

          Where does a defender play? IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE MIDFIELD IN FRONT OF THE BACK 4. Don’t try to correct people if you are clueless please.

          Well since what we have going on is not working something needs to change. Just look at Arshavin, he is awful out wide. He was better when he played centrally, even as a solo striker last season when Robin was out.

          Yes, the transition to defense is sometimes easy and sometimes not. This time it clearly has not gone as well as it could have.

          We need to stop trying to pretend we are Barca or the Oranje. We are neither of those. We have some really crappy players who are nowhere near being good enough nor smart enough to play in the total football style. in order to play total football you need players with extreme football intelligence. We simply don’t have it. How many of our current squad would get into the invincibles squad? Absolutely none. Possibly as a sub a couple but none are good enough to have been in the starting XI and that’s what we should be striving for. To replace those players with players who are as good or better.

          • Hunter says:

            I meant where does a defensive midfielder play not a defender.

        • Hunter says:

          Oh and Nasri played in the hole behind the striker for Marseille and he plays in a central position for France (where he gave England a footballing lesson in the friendly a few months back). Again, stop trying to correct people if you can’t get your facts straight.

  • Doublegooner says:

    Parlour also questioned whether the players really cared enough…..That sums it up.

    Many over paid & not worthy.

    Never see a Manc player not given his all…Unlike Wenger, Ferguson would sort him out BIGTIME

  • Charlie says:

    You don’t necessarily coach players how to defend at set-pieces. If it’s a man-marking system or a zonal system it’s still the same idea, get to the ball first. Strength is important, height is important for getting to the ball first if it’s launched in high and awareness is very important because a delayed reaction of a few milliseconds can cost you a goal. In my humble opinion you can only do so much on the training field, most of it needs to be in the players themselves and the main problem for the Arsenal defenders is that they are not aware enough, tehy react too slowly. I think a giant like Samba screaming in their ears might help to fix that though.

  • Illybongani says:

    the problem is they spend all week in training trying to refine their tippy-tappy football and they get to the game, against the Boltons and Stokes, and they’re totally clueless with a more robust and direct opponent.

    The thing that is so annoying is I don’t think one Arsenal fan couldn’t see our weaknesses at the start of the season, or in January, and nothing was done. Samba NEARLY signed? Join the list. It’s not your money Arsene – spend it.

  • Qudzy says:

    Frustrating was the perfect way to some it up! A frustrating perfomance from a bunch of pathetic overpaid babies! Thank you Wenger for ensuring that your French ‘fries’ are employed!

  • realistic tony says:

    if you want an honest opinion about arsenal just ask sensible opposition fans. They will tell you its pretty football but not much danger and even if we go behind we know we will equalise.The Birmingham players knew they would beat us in the final when cesc and walcott werent playing. Fergie said recently i never worried about arsenal’s challenge for the title.
    Football fans need to feel that their team can win any match….there is always a chance that a team from a lower division can beat a prem div team. History is full of giant killers.
    What sickens me is the fact that i knew stoke would beat us, like i knew newcastle would pull back a 4 goal deficit. Thats the difference in the mindset between us (arsenal fans) and say plymouth fans.We have lost optimism, and when that goes , life as a football fan is very very bleak. Some wenger fans believe we should all be grateful for champs league qualification every year….So what!!!…. we scrape 3rd or 4th and predictably get knocked out after the easy group stages. Im not grateful for the predictability of knowing we wont beat stoke or bolton or put another way, im not confident we can beat anyone..(ref; leyton orient, leeds,WBA,SUNDERLAND etc).
    We have a predominately weak team led by an incredibly stubborn and blind manager, and to get us in 3rd spot we have been lucky to have had RVP fit and the great industry and skill of Jack W. Nasri in the first half of the season also helped put points on the table.When these star players were missing we struggled to beat orient.
    I agree with many on here that say AW wont change, although i believe he will add 2 modest and relatively cheap signings. In fact i predict that if cesc goes for 40 million we will have a net profit from transfers!…AGAIN!!!

    • Gunnertime says:

      Spot on realistic Tony.

      What is very clear to see for everyone no matter whether we think Djourou is playing out of position, we don’t have wingers, RVP is being wasted as a lone front man, etc is this:

      1.) Our club captain, the man around whom Wenger has built the team does not really want to be here. If you gave him a choice with no strings attached he would have gone to Barca a few years ago. This is simply unacceptable to have, I don’t blame him, Wenger should have sold him and moved on.

      2.) It is not just defensively that we are a shambles, against Stoke we were outplayed tactically AND offensively. As Tony said above, and Pennant spoke of after the match, because our build up play is so painfully slow, they could let us fart around with the ball in our own half and regroup defensively, and only bothered pressing us hard when we got into the last third. Squeeze the space, force eye of the needle passes from static positions and hey presto! you have nullified us completely.

      3.) Mid table sides are getting better players, more tactically aware and have more confidence against top sides now. Even Man Utd and Chelsea struggle away from home. What still seems to separate them is their attitude to must-win matches, it seems to make them better over the years, it totally destroys us.

      4.) Every year we constantly go through the drama of losing players, NEARLY signing someone after being in the market for everyone, an player who has been injured for the whole season comes back to great applause and then the same group of players go through the exact same sequence of ups and downs. Ironic that the year we decide to put out a full team for everything we could have done with getting knocked out of something sooner to avoid that ridiculous sequence of Jan and Feb matches.

      5.) We will finish with less points this year than all but two previous years, scrape third and have set more unwanted records for bottling matches. Our second half of the season performance YET AGAIN would leave us mid-table and crashing out of every cup.

      Things have got to change

      • Hunter says:

        Excellent post.

  • Srbistuta says:

    It really doesn’t matter who plays at the back (OK maybe it does if it’s Squillaci) but the way we play TEAM DEFENSE is what is wrong with this team. Our middfield players don’t give a crap about winning the ball over, hustling up and down and dog fighting with the opposition. When you look at moonited their players are flying up and down the field, not just the back four, but middfielders and forwards as well. It’s a team effort. Sure Kos and Johan look like donkeys every now and then, but you name me one center back that doesn’t.

    Now I’m not saying Arsenal doesn’t know how to play team defense, just look at the moonited game. Wilshere giving it all out, Arshavin had made like 10 sliding tackles whe he came on late in the second half, every united player was bouncing off Song how hard he was going for the ball, Theo was covering his side down to our corner flag and the center backs even Squillachi played good.
    Arsenal were not that dominant (vs manu) and we didn’t saw as much of tippy tappy as we are used to, but the team effort was amazing it reminded me of time when Vieira, Parlour, Gilberto and co were controling the game and made living that much easy for back four and the keepers.

  • carry ann says:

    im not saying this is an excuse, but i bet they cant practice defending set pieces because offensively, no one goes after the ball! the only people that actually go after it are our defenders, but they are also the ones defending them! so you cant make it gamelike. nevertheless, they are professionals, and they gotta do what they gotta do to get the job done at training and in the games

  • amos says:

    It is high time that Wenger stop taking responsibility of the unperforming players , he should demand perfomance from each player as sir Alex is doing.. let the players own the wins and losses . Otherwise even 2011/2011 will be B.S.u . we are tired of being nos 3s and 4s we want trophies . Wenger get a good CB , a good DM and a game killer . Thats all

    • Paddy O'Neill says:

      Has Ray Parlour done any coaching – bring him back

  • tommy says:

    Wenger isn’t going to admit his pet project has failed. Gazidis isn’t going to put pressure on Wenger. The board isn’t going to put pressure on Wenger. The way I see it we have one hope: Kroenke. While he doesn’t like to meddle in the operations of his teams, and he hasn’t shown to be upset much when his teams endure a few losing seasons–like the St. Louis Rams– the club is an investment for him, and he is not going to be pleased if Arsenal continues to be seen as a joke because it’s going to mean less revenue from strip sales etc. I was going to buy an Arsenal track top this year but didn’t because I don’t want to be laughed at. People I know in London say they have been seeing fewer and fewer people walking around with Arsenal kit. Wenger does nothing and this will only continue to decline–who wants to wear Arsenal kit when it won’t provoke respect from people but sniggers of laughter????

  • DouglasFC says:

    To add to all your comments…

    1) We need season in and out defenders. We cant keep changing our defenders. The line of defence this year is totally different from last year.

    2) we need more ideas in attack.

    3) we need to learn from the past. The same team that beat stoke in the first round should have played.

    4) We need to improve on the size of our players. Teams like stoke and bolton will continue to recruit bigger and bigger players. Our size seems to be shrinking. They are not just big players anymore they are fast and mobile and intelligent, plus they have more EPL experience.

    5) Our team sorely lacks wing attack to get around the left and right backs. It also lacks desiginated shooters and passers. Not everyone can be passing and not everyone shooting. Who assumes responsibility for the goals?. Who is Mr selfish?

    Time to reflect and put responsibility on these players afterall they are paid and contracted to do a job.

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