Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?


By Boris Mellor
July 27 2014

Trends seem to go in cycles in football, and the last few years it is mostly the team with the best goal difference that wins the league. Which raises the question Arsenal got enough goals in the team?

 

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

+/-

Pts

Man City

38

27

5

6

102

37

65

86

Liverpool

38

26

6

6

101

50

51

84

Chelsea

38

25

7

6

71

27

44

82

Arsenal

38

24

7

7

68

41

27

79

 

If you look at the goal differences you will notice that the league positions faithfully mirror them. City had the best goal difference, Liverpool the second, Chelsea the third, need I continue?

It’s all about goals, Man City scored 2.67 a game, Liverpool 2.68, Chelsea 1.86 and Arsenal 1.78. With 1.78 goals per game Arsenal were almost a full goal a game behind the Champions.

To state the obvious Arsenal need to score a lot more goals if they are to be contenders. Back in the day when Arsenal won the league every two or three seasons, it was never two in a row, and for 10 years it has been none; but when they were winning the league it was down to prolific goal scoring strikers and midfielders.

Giroud would not have been in the pecking order above Wright, Anelka, Henry, Bergkamp or even van Persie. Meanwhile midfielders such as Pires and Ljungberg jointly scored as many goals as most main strikers in lesser teams, as did Bergkamp.

With the departure of RvP Arsenal lost their last 30 goal a season (even if it was only one season)striker, and are yet to replace him. Meanwhile, apart from perhaps Walcott, the midfielders are yet to match the consistency of the Pires/Ljungberg partnership. Maybe if Ramsey and Walcott had not been injured last season we might have seen such a partnership, and predicting what the future will bring is a mugs game, but is Giroud about to become the 30 goal a season striker the team needs?

 

Does Wenger intend to enable Sanchez to score more than his 13 a year average at Barca?
Or does he intend to buy a quality striker?

Clearly he wanted to buy one last year, as he tried to buy Suarez and Higuain. He failed and settled for a quality midfielder. Arsenal with the odious Suarez might have won the league, I doubt if Higuain would have had the same effect. We will have to wait and see what the final squad sheet is, but I can’t help feeling that without a quality striker the odds on winning the league will be longer than most fans would care for.

Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Arsenal Times (IP Logged)
Date: 27/07/2014 18:32

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:08:02:22:47:20 by Padre Pio.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Optimistic Gunner (IP Logged)
Date: 27/07/2014 18:54

Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?

Only if Theo, Giroud, Sanchez and Ramsey (Ozil too maybe), all of them stay fit for at least 95% of the whole season.

https://i.postimg.cc/tTfqCGwv/Arsenal-FC.png

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)
Date: 27/07/2014 19:02

I think its in only 9 seasons of the 27 FAPL seasons that has the top scorer actually helped his team win the league. Henry a couple of times did it. so two thirds of the time it has not happened.

A big thing you overlook in goal difference is goals conceded count just as much as goals scored, Arsenal conceded 14 more goals than chelsea

Henry type strikers are not found easily, and his effect on us was way ahead of what any other striker has had on their team in regards to FAPL titles. It seems very overstated the amount of goals Bergkamp and Ljunberg are assumed to have contributed.

Bergkamp's top FAPL season for goals was 16, he had 12 twice and 11 once, apart from that he had 8 seasons when a 9, 8 and 6 where his best return. Ljunberg in his 9 seasons had one year with 12 and one with 10 and the most he got after that was 6.

Pires did have the sort of goal contribution that can make and did make the difference.
Pires had in six years 3 seasons with 14 each - these seasons all in a row.


It would be great if we added a striker who will likely get us 30 plus league goals a season, but how many of them are actually out there and available. It would certainly help make us champions. But we have now the core players to get the extra goals, Ramsey, Walcott and Sanchez all very capable of hitting mid teen figures if not more, and Giroud can add the 20 or so that would give us a great chance. Yes we all hope we get in a worldie, but the record books show that way more often than not, the top scorer will not belong to the league title winners. Our last worldie striker was RVP, we won nothing at all with him.

by the way Henry only managed 30 fAPL goals in one season, 27, 25, 24 twice, 17 tiwce and 10.

Its far too simplistic to say a world class striker is the key to winning the league. Its far more important to have goals from everywhere, and to be solid at the back.

*Signing Ozil is a signing Bergkamp type moment for Arsenal. It changes things utterly.*

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)
Date: 27/07/2014 19:07

would also say its wrong to suggest that Arsenal settled for Ozil over signing another striker last summer, even if we had managed to sign Suarez, we would have signed Ozil, the transfer was being worked on for months

I agree with your assessment that Hiquain would have made little difference to us last season. and like OG states, keeping our better players fit is key,

*Signing Ozil is a signing Bergkamp type moment for Arsenal. It changes things utterly.*

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 27/07/2014 19:27

Chelsea prove my case in the negative, they had a far better defence but it only gained them third place. good defence without plentiful goals will no longer hack it.
i have no view as to whether wenger would have signed ozil and and a striker, the point is he did try to sign quality strikers and failed. That is the most important point

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: tigerline (IP Logged)
Date: 27/07/2014 21:11

Quote:
Padre Pio
Chelsea prove my case in the negative, they had a far better defence but it only gained them third place. good defence without plentiful goals will no longer hack it.
i have no view as to whether wenger would have signed ozil and and a striker, the point is he did try to sign quality strikers and failed. That is the most important point

He also failed to sign a proper defensive midfielder ...
For the second year in a row.

THAT position is just as important in attaining a superior goal difference.

And he has STILL not filled that gaping hole in our squad.

The clock is ticking ... Louder and louder.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Jonny Kipper (IP Logged)
Date: 27/07/2014 22:54

I got excited opening this thread thinking that Merlion was back.

Our family cat passed away when I was little, and I was very upset for obvious reasons, but I kept thinking I heard him scratching at our door.

You've evoked this sadness in me once more. Hold me.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)
Date: 27/07/2014 22:59

its not holding you need if you miss merlion

*Signing Ozil is a signing Bergkamp type moment for Arsenal. It changes things utterly.*

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Optimistic Gunner (IP Logged)
Date: 27/07/2014 23:03

Quote:
Shane
I got excited opening this thread thinking that Merlion was back.
Our family cat passed away when I was little, and I was very upset for obvious reasons, but I kept thinking I heard him scratching at our door.

You've evoked this sadness in me once more. Hold me.

lmao, classic shane

https://i.postimg.cc/tTfqCGwv/Arsenal-FC.png

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: MattySadler (IP Logged)
Date: 28/07/2014 08:39

After we lost RVP I was bricking it for 2012/13 as he'd been our only source of goals for a while. With the additions of Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla we ended up in a much better position, both in terms of team spirit and morale and the fact goals were shared around.

As predicted by RVP himself, Walcott hit 21 goals in all comps and,in their first seasons in England, Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla got 16, 17 and 12 goals each, which was great.

2013/14 and we add the best assister in the world, plus Aaron Ramsey finds his goal scoring touch and Giroud historically always does better in his second season.

Giroud hit 22 in all comps, Ramsey hit 16 and Podolski hit 12. It must be pointed out that had it not been for two big injuries, Walcott would have probably hit 15-20 goals, plus Ramsey and Podolski were also hit by injury which probably meant they didn't score as many as they could've.

So we're coming up to 2014/15, Ozil will hopefully be settled and well rested, plus he'll have Giroud, Ramsey, Sanchez and Walcott to work his magic with.

Personally, right now our front four would look something like this:

----------Giroud
Sanchez----Ozil----Walcott

I think that providing they have better luck with injuries, Giroud, Ramsey, Sanchez and Walcott could all quite realistically hit 15-20 goals. Players like Podolski, Joel Campbell, Santi Cazorla, Oxlade-Chamberlain etc, could also chip in.

The prototype for goals being shared out has got to be Man City. Look at them in 2013-14. Augero, Dzeko, Yaya Toure, Negredo, Nasri and Silva got 28, 26, 23, 11 and 8 goals respectively in all comps. Looking at our "similar" positioned players, comparatively it'd be Sanchez, Giroud, Ramsey, Walcott, Cazorla and Ozil. I don't think we actually come off looking too bad in that comparison, we just lack the worldie striker.

Obviously I see Sanchez and Walcott more as wide players then central players. Giroud doesn't really compare to Aguero. This is where I see us needing a top striker.

I think spending money on a top striker makes a lot of sense. Giroud is a solid player. He works hard, he makes a big defensive contribution, his link up play is very good, and he can score. The one thing he lacks is that 30 goal a season star quality a player like Augero or Suarez or Falcao or Cavani has. You look at the current squad we've got, and you throw in a big money striker and a central midfielder to play with Ramsey and I think we can smash most teams in the world of football.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Eboractos (IP Logged)
Date: 28/07/2014 09:16

Quote:
eduardo
I think its in only 9 seasons of the 27 FAPL seasons that has the top scorer actually helped his team win the league. Henry a couple of times did it. so two thirds of the time it has not happened.

Actually it's over 40% of the time that the winners have the top scorer since the Premier League began

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 28/07/2014 10:14

I agree with Matty one great striker and we would be real contenders. Look at city or even Liverpool have real natural scorers made all the difference. Arsenal spend a fortune on scouts they need to get out there and get what we need.

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Optimistic Gunner (IP Logged)
Date: 28/07/2014 10:27

Quote:
Padre Pio
I agree with Matty one great striker and we would be real contenders. Look at city or even Liverpool have real natural scorers made all the difference. Arsenal spend a fortune on scouts they need to get out there and get what we need.

Our scouting system was excellent and quite revolutionary (in the EPL) back in the late 90s to early 00s, but it has been average for a few years now and is nothimg special anymore.

https://i.postimg.cc/tTfqCGwv/Arsenal-FC.png

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Gรถรถfle11 (IP Logged)
Date: 28/07/2014 11:17

Just thinking about Giroud being our only center forward for another season is giving my head a right ache.

Official 1000th poster in the classic transfer rumors thread of 2014.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: tigerline (IP Logged)
Date: 28/07/2014 14:45

Quote:
MattySadler
I think spending money on a top striker makes a lot of sense. Giroud is a solid player. He works hard, he makes a big defensive contribution, his link up play is very good, and he can score. The one thing he lacks is that 30 goal a season star quality a player like Augero or Suarez or Falcao or Cavani has. You look at the current squad we've got, and you throw in a big money striker and a central midfielder to play with Ramsey and I think we can smash most teams in the world of football.

thumbs down

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: AJ The Gunner (IP Logged)
Date: 29/07/2014 11:51

Quote:
Optimistic Gunner
Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Only if Theo, Giroud, Sanchez and Ramsey (Ozil too maybe), all of them stay fit for at least 95% of the whole season.
HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU. THOUGH IF YOU THROW IN A 30+ GOAL STRIKER IN THE MIX IT WOULD BE EXCELLENT
Can We Now Trust The Process ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿคท๐Ÿฟโ€โ™€๏ธ or Should We Still Remain Cautious ๐Ÿ™‡๐Ÿฟโ€โ™€๏ธ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:07:29:11:53:46 by AJ The Gunner.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)
Date: 29/07/2014 17:04

when people on here say we need a 30 goal a season striker are they talking about a 30 FAPL goal a season striker or 30 goals in all competitions.

*Signing Ozil is a signing Bergkamp type moment for Arsenal. It changes things utterly.*

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Boston Gooner (IP Logged)
Date: 29/07/2014 22:29

Think we can get goals ok if we don't get any injuries.
But that isn't going to happen is it.

Biggest worry is that we will still concede to many.

"๐—œ๐—ณ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜. ๐—œ๐—ณ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ, ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด."

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Philly the kid (IP Logged)
Date: 29/07/2014 22:47

Quote:
Boston Gooner
Think we can get goals ok if we don't get any injuries.
But that isn't going to happen is it.

Biggest worry is that we will still concede to many.

We have brought in one of the worlds top fitness experts. If anything, for that very reason, we have a better chance of not suffering the same level of injuries as last year.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)
Date: 29/07/2014 22:51

we also brought in a medic from West Ham too.

*Signing Ozil is a signing Bergkamp type moment for Arsenal. It changes things utterly.*

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Philly the kid (IP Logged)
Date: 29/07/2014 23:33

Quote:
eduardo
we also brought in a medic from West Ham too.

Andy Carroll may as well retire now then!

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Jack_is_the_truth (IP Logged)
Date: 30/07/2014 15:02

yes

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: De Times (IP Logged)
Date: 30/07/2014 16:20

Giroud-Sanchez-Walcott
Dzeko-Aguerro-Negredo
Which set would you take?

"A club is a union between players, supporters and directors". - Wenger.
Arsene wenger has done an absolutely masterful job within the constraints he has... Every single year, he has outperformed our spending every single year he has been manager. It is extraordinary. -Gazides.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 30/07/2014 17:17

Quote:
Philly the kid
Quote:
eduardo
we also brought in a medic from West Ham too.

Andy Carroll may as well retire now then!

Apparently he just has

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Jack_is_the_truth (IP Logged)
Date: 30/07/2014 22:09

really?

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Boston Gooner (IP Logged)
Date: 30/07/2014 22:23

Reports are suggesting Carroll could now be out for up to another four months after confirming he requires surgery to fix the issue.

โ€œGoing under the knife tomorrow morning and absolutely devastated to be missing the start of the season,โ€ he tweeted.

"๐—œ๐—ณ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜. ๐—œ๐—ณ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ, ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด."

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: tigerline (IP Logged)
Date: 31/07/2014 14:56

Quote:
Boston Gooner
Reports are suggesting Carroll could now be out for up to another four months after confirming he requires surgery to fix the issue.
โ€œGoing under the knife tomorrow morning and absolutely devastated to be missing the start of the season,โ€ he tweeted.

Giroud's durability is underappreciated.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Philly the kid (IP Logged)
Date: 02/08/2014 19:01

Re: thread title.
It would seem so.
Haven't even seen out first team yet. (Sm1)

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 02/08/2014 22:35

Yep i can see sanogo scoring 3 or 4 goals every match in the prem

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Boston Gooner (IP Logged)
Date: 03/08/2014 11:19

Quote:
Padre Pio
Yep i can see sanogo scoring 3 or 4 goals every match in the prem

A few more when he can head a ball. lol

"๐—œ๐—ณ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜. ๐—œ๐—ณ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ, ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด."

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 03/08/2014 12:52

And stop falling over his own feet, but he gets in all the right places

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Philly the kid (IP Logged)
Date: 03/08/2014 13:14

The timing of him stacking it yesterday, celebrating his goal, was immaculate with BT sports commentary.
.....sanogo is unstoppable... *trips*
Too funny.
(Sm6)

Re: Has Arsenal got enough goals in the team?
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 03/08/2014 19:05

Quote:
Philly the kid
Re: thread title.
It would seem so.
Haven't even seen out first team yet. (Sm1)

Not when playing a better team than Benfica, we hardly had a chance

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

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