At the start of the season, I think most people would have agreed with the statement “if we don’t

[Monty91]

get too many injuries, we have a good chance of winning the league”. I don’t believe people would have felt it necessary to add the qualifier “but, if we DO get lots of injuries, we should still have good enough back-up to see us through any absences, even if those absent are crucial players for several months.”

I don’t think believe people would have felt it necessary to add that qualifier because I don’t believe anyone actually believes it to be true. I think most people understand that, if deprived of crucial players for long periods, it is not necessarily indicative of managerial failings if the back-up players are not quite able to make up for these absences.

So, given that we have singularly failed to avoid getting too many injuries – including being deprived of the entire foundations of our midfield for several months – how can anyone possibly blame Wenger for us not winning it?

Unless of course they directly blame him for the injuries, which would be highly speculative at best.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

[Billy Goat Sverige]

We went into this season with Wilshere and Rosicky long term injured and Arteta a known cripple. That meant we started the season with Cazorla/Coquelin/Ramsey/Flamini. I'd suggest it was his fault not bringing in cover for midfield.

Oh and we also went on a good run of results straight after the pair of them got injured so the idea bad form is all down to them being injured is *******s.

[Pat Vegas]

[7evens]

This isn't just a one off. We have a list of raspberries as long as your arm, year after year..
We've even resorted to subbing the bloody subs :shrug:

[Pokster]

which means if we picked up any other injuries we were going to be drastically short of players.... so how is it not AW's fault that he didn't make sure we had adequate cover in case of further injuries?

[Monty91]

beeet lacking sharpness” period of ****ness (certainly in the case of Coquelin and Sanchez) that often hurts the team more than the actual period of absence.

Should we have bought Elneny in the summer? Well, I’m not sure Wenger was as ready as some fans to write Arteta off. And Wilshere and Ramsey were initially due back before January, I think.

[Pokster]

and we always scored more goals than the oppo'

[Monty91]

provide any substantive evidence of this being the case. If true, I’ll want him out as much as anyone.

[Pat Vegas]

Start taking about looking back at the beginning of the season?

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Are they allowed injured players etc.

[Ashberto]

Who is he?

[Luis Anaconda]

out 11 full internationals (with the exception of Coquelin, but as a first choice in anyone's book he can be taken as an exception). We haven't had to field untested youngsters at any point like United - with the exception of Iwobi, who has actually claimed his place when others have been fit (and is also, of course, a full international)

[Pat Vegas]

[Pat Vegas]

Returned into the squad our form has dropped.

[redgunamo]

No number 9 :-(

[Luis Anaconda]

a side that is forced to field a 400-year-old central midfielder at centre half, we probably can't complain too much

[7evens]

Even more disturbing to find it was written in 2014 and we've sadly continued the trend.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/1130 8606/Revealed-The-truth-behind-Arsenals-terrible-injury-reco rd-and-how-your-club-shapes-up.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/11308606/Revealed-The-truth-behind-Arsenals-terrible-injury-record-and-how-your-club-shapes-up.html)

[Luis Anaconda]

[Pat Vegas]

'We clearly miss Cazorla' if he was back we'd be fine.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

When are they, you know, going to show him how to trap a football?

[Luis Anaconda]

Probably never - he needs to run wild

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[Luis Anaconda]

wtf was that all about.

[7evens]

last season.
The upshot is that if you use fewer players and keep the consistency of a smaller squad... you get the idea.

http://www.lcfc.com/stats/player-stats/

[Pat Vegas]

So it was crap.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

perhaps leading to his injury and subsequent form?

[Bergkamp's Brain]

or just that we lack a good enough number 9?

[Luis Anaconda]

and given his attitude to sitting out games, as long as he was "fit" he was going to play most games, even if there is an option on the bench

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

[Luis Anaconda]

[Pokster]

so not good for the joints... could that actually be a big reason for our constant inuries

[Bergkamp's Brain]

[redgunamo]

[Bergkamp's Brain]

[Luis Anaconda]

[Luis Anaconda]

[redgunamo]

small clique of crony, favourite players while cold-shouldering the rest of your squard [sic], the youth and academy prospects and so on.

For instance, this sideswipe is always aimed in Mourinho's direction whenever his tenure somewhere (inevitably) ends in acrimony.

Results, you see. It's all about results.