Le Tissier nonsense: Arsenal are “mediocre” without Van Persie
Matt Le Tissier may be regarded as something of a legend in English football but his comments regarding Arsenal made this morning seem to be wildly off the mark.
Speaking to talkSport, Le Tissier said, [Van Persie is unbelievable and… without him, Arsenal look a very mediocre side.”
There is no doubt that Van Persie’s flair added something to the Marseille game last night and his presence was certainly missed, with Park failing to make much of an impact. However, by labelling the Gunners as “mediocre”, Le Tissier seems to have under-rated the Arsenal squad completely and has failed to look beyond the obvious ‘one man team’ Van Persie argument.
Vermaelen is undoubtedly one of the best centre-backs in the division. Not only can he command the backline, but his ability to provide an extra attacking threat – and not just at set-pieces – makes him a valuable asset for any team. Le Tissier also seems to have overlooked the world class goalkeeper between the sticks. Again, Wojciech Szczęsny is among the most talented goalkeepers in the league but is only 21 years of age. That is anything but mediocre.
The fact that Sagna was voted the best right-back in the Premier League last season (and three seasons before that too) has also been overlooked. Laurent Koscielny may not be everybody’s favourite but his recent performances have suggested that he will be pivotal to future Arsenal clean sheets – as he proved last night at the Emirates.
There is also the small matter that Jack Wilshere was voted PFA Young Player of the Year award – also in 2010/11 – and looks set to become Arsenal and England’s next superstar. His availability for the European Championship in 2012 is vital for his national side, despite him being just 19 years old. Is this mediocre?
The Gunners’ early season performances may have seemed average at best but surely nobody can still accuse Arsène Wenger’s men of being “mediocre”?
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first we become mediocre when fabregas & nasri leave n now that we collapsed stamford bridge and r on an unbeaten run, including unbeaten in CL, we would be mediocre without RVP,
tell me my good man wat is united without rooney n vidic, what is chelsea without drogba & terry, liverpool without carragher & suarez????? arsenal without their star back (verma) & forward (RVP) could beat united, chelsea, pool in their own backyards comfortably provided they were without their star men, so face it hater arsenal r bigger than u & ur rep MOTHERFU*KER
ARSENAL TILL I DIE
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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No arsenal fan has questionned the strength of the squad, it has merely bebecome a misconception among other fans who do not watch the football played but values arsenal players by their transfer fee.
The likes of park ryo arteta etc are hardly talked about in news and ppl, but a quick youtube search reveals th true quality and reasons why wenger has bought them
Previous seasons when the likes of fabregsa was at the emirates and rvp was injured we were supposedly a one man team aswell.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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I don’t understand this at all. We were clearly the better side, and controlled them for long periods. And Marseille are far from a poor team, particularly in defence. The media are just desperate to jump on arsenal at the first opportunity.
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I find it funny, and like many of you I may be abit Biast towards Arsenal but why are there so many people who put us down and I believe are ‘Arsenal haters’.
When we were on fire last season it was Nasri who made us a one man team, a few seasons back it was Fabregas, and even further than that it was Henry. No one will ever give us credit regardless. So as for Le Tissier’s comments, they mean nothing. His commentating and him as a pundit however IS VERY MEDIOCRE!
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Arsenal are one of d best teams in the world,it is expected for people to say crap about a good team.so I’m not surprised he said these things,we av scored less goals without RVP truely,but he is only doing his job of scorin while others do theirs.He should keep his mouth shut n enjoy his retirement
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one day rooney will become an legend of english football… that doesn’t mean that he will ever say anything smart…
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Out of tune?. Like or Dislike:
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I don’t understand why everybody keeps talking about our team they have started again. We we have been improving alot. We all need to stick to our team all the time.
When we won at Chelsea how happy the players were they came to the fans and celebrated. If we are behind them they certainly go on but if we slag our own team no good.
These people are trying to put down our team why can’t they leave us alone. They are all jealous because we are coming up slowly.
ARSENAL TILL I DIE.
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Who cares what Le Tissier said, he is mediocre.
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I agree with you, Le Tis has this one wrong.
P.S. TV5 and Per played last night, Kos got the night off. Am I the only one who thinks we now have good CBs? We haven’t been able to say that in a few years!
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@ Le Tassier: You look “mediocre” by saying that
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Who is Matt Le Tissier? The Legend? 8 caps for England? Jack Wilshire has 5 caps already. Walcott 20 odd. Oh yer I forgot, Southampton were a force when he was with them winning the league, fa cup, champions league??? WTF Le Tissier shut it.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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Word Luke, it seems as though everyone and their mom can’t help but take a shot at Arsenal whenever we do not perform like a world-class squad. I believe it’s still 8 wins out of the last 10 games with 2 draws. I’ll take that any fu***** day. I’m going to look at this in a positive light though, I hope he’s just trying to motivate Arsenal to grow even stronger and fear no team. And don’t hold it against us that our striker is world class, why would we be mad about that?
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southampton with le tissier were a mediocure side
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@Wenger’s Jelly tots
first off the name is hilarious but I ask you should gooners be negative at a time when we are undefeated in all competitions in ten matches and seem to be getting stronger each week? If you watched the game yesterday you noticed that Gervinho is only lacking his finishing, whcih he had in France, and he will be moving up the top goal scorer list. He, Ramsey, Song, Arteta, and Wal are just now congealing and I’ll give you they are only now hitting form because Wenger waited until the last fu*kin day of the window to buy. We do need more bite in the midfield, someone who can create for themselves. A snjieder-ish mid and Vertonghen in january will appease me. But regardless you must admit pundits like taking shots at Arsenal even when we are playing well. Give park time and he will come to form
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@le tassier
do u think arsenal were leading by goal to nill utill 62min’s?
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Oh please. Every time we get great results, critics and haters will just say ‘Well, that’s a good game’ and still come out with thousands more critism from the game even though we did well (eg the Chelsea match) And now, we just drew Marseille, and thousands and thousands of criticism are appearing! Must everyonePpick on Arsenal? Tbh, I was also disappointed with a draw, however, we can be proud at least to say that our back four has improved a lot! Not just that, our midfield was rather solid as well, with Ramsey having yet another fantastic game, szczesny was as world class as ever. Give the Gunners a break. We are still unbeaten since tottenham, and at least we kept a clean sheet against marseille ! Well that there is assuring!
Up the gunners!
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Listening to these pundits would make anyone with a sense of fairness sick but its Englander who appear ro want to discredit our manager. it may not seem connected but it usually follwed by praises of Spurs and Redknapp. I saw them going on after beating QPR and the praises that followed. I mean they played well but super they were not especially not if you took into consideration of the fact opposition was a tinpot outfit.
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Sounds to me like Le Tissier needs to take his medication and find his way back home in a psychiatric facility.
For goodness sakes for the first time in a LONG time we have a first and second string that I am proud of. I personally don’t give a rats furry ass what Le Tissier has done for himself (career wise).
It is true that we are a more lively team when we have our preferred striker on but doesn’t that go without being said. Man United are different without Rooney, Man City without Aguero, Chelsea without Drogba (08/09), Liverpool without Suarez, and the list goes on.
If Szy, Vermaelen, Sagna, Mert, Kos, Arteta, SONG, Wilshire, Ramsey, Gervinho, Walcott, Park, Santos, Arshavin, Frimpong, Coquelin, and on occasion even Rosicky and Chamakh aren’t class acts then I guess I’ll have to go find a real team like whatever Emile Heskey is on. FML!
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If i push his argument further, then Man Utd is a mediocre team without Rooney. Man City would be mediocre without Silva and Tottenham would be mediocre without Bale. He just needed to say something to stay in the limelight.
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Even if we draw we get hammered in the press. Write and speak the truth guys, we are far from a mediocre side. I suppose people have always had high expectations of such an old, established club, that always plays a brilliant brand of football. Enjoy your retirement……..
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Le Tissier is correct… atm there is simply not enough depth in quality, within the striking department in particular, and likewise within central midfield… Chamakh is not up to the required standard, and probably needs to be replaced… Arteta is struggling to be able to consistently play the ball forward, and as such does seem to be out of place in the Arsenal midfield currently… Diaby is also injured [when is he not?]… Simply put, Wenger needs to buy another quality, and no doubt rather expensive striker and central midfielder [as well, if Arshavin is transferred out, then also another quality attacking wide man]… Required urgently, is a strtiker that can actually convert opportunities into goals, and a midfielder that can consistently manufacture opportunities for the forwards… just two players of excellent ability, that is all that is required to transform AFC into the club an AFC that can compete at the highest levels [though, if Arshavin leaves also, then i guess three]…
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I think these writers should vet their pieces very well before presenting it cos i didn’t see kolscieny in yesterday’s match as claimed by the writer or may be i watched a different game. We fans need to be very objective when commenting, cos to me and honestly speaking who would have scored for us yesternight? Ramsey had two clear chances and wasted them, park was just off our frequency and gerv seemed a bit faigued and it went on and on. I believe what le taissier meant isn’t what most fans are commenting on. He meant van persie’s attitude, his presence and this aura of confidence that he brings to the team, together with his present scoring form and not just only the scoring form. He hasn’t said anything bad if you listened to that interview. Up gunners.
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BANG ON, best article i’ve read on this site
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Just waiting for all those Arsenal “fans” to say le Tissier is an idiot, knowing these are the same fans who only 2 weeks ago wanted Wenger out as Manager, who wanted to sell Walcott, and Arshavin, and anyone else who isn’t playing the best football of their lives right now. Who wanted to buy endless centre backs because they’ve seemed to forget we have Koscielny and Vermaelan….
Have faith in whoever plays in an Arsenal shirt, have faith in Wenger. If you want Arsenal to win matches support the team, don’t slag them all off. The reason they play badly is down to low confidence from the Carling cup final loss last season, compounded by the media, and our own supporters not supporting the team. Not all Arsenal supporters slag the team off, but a good number of Arsenal supporters have, many of them on this forum.
Up Arsenal!
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Absolutely right! In fact they got relegated WITH Le Tissier LOL!
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@gooner fresh…thanks mate….
im a bit sceptical of wenger and his motives these days. Its because i am an arsenal fanatic that i want the best for the club…im sorry to display anger or passion due to the disappointment of whats happening and the acceptance that we are outside of the big teams challenging for the title.
Some fans need to get real….criticizing wenger(not the players directly) is not anti-arsenal…quite the opposite.
i believe le-tissier is a fan of arsenals style of play.
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The guy said “without rvp, they look very mediocre”. I share this point of view for the moment. The team is lost without his captain and most experienced player who brings options and confidence. They can not do anything good enough to score or win the game against teams considered “mediocre”. So they do look mediocre on the pitch, as a team. But this will change soon with the return of TV5, Jack, Sagna(real technical players and leaders), Diaby and improvements from Jenkinson, Per, Kos, Santos, Gervinho, Ramsey and Arteta. It is difficult to deal with the many changes of the last transfer window. I agree with Wenger: many other teams would have drowned with a summer like that. Szczesny, Per, TV5, Kos, Jack, Song, Arteta, RvP, they will form the invincible backbone of the new team.
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let us not react to every comment made about Arsenal FC but to just take record of them until the end of May 2012. that will be the time we read them all out respond accordingly. IN ARSENE WE TRUST
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name a big club that do not have a stand out performer. REAL for Ronaldo, BARCA for Messi, UNITED for Rooney etc
All haters of Arsenal will hide their heads in shame
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Truth hurts and though the talk about sagna, verma and wilshire is certainly true that’s 4-5 good footballers in a team of 25. That’s certainly nothing to brag about.
Apart from the chelsea match the attacking display of the side is leaving a lot to be desired. Remember how Arsenal was known for creating chances?
We have not lost for a fair while and all kudos to arsene but the team is certainly not ready for greater things yet.
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we have to change our point of view, for now , RVP is the central striker, so its normal all focus will be on him, and he will put the goal, but if tommorow he’s not here, another one will do the job, he will play the role of arsenal’s attacker and goal scorer, and will act like it…
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le who?
tell this idiot to lick his balls and shut the f~ck up. he was mediocre himself.
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One word … Tw*t ! Who in the right mind claims arsenal a mediocre team? Maybe still high from the fake french weed he was sold
Our team is built up from the bottom all of our players careers where built up from scratch. fabregas , van persie, wilshire , song , szchezney etc all world class but started off as skilled youngsters. Arsenal are not classed world class because they dont spend stupid money cough cough 50 million to make a fake team built up from money alone. arsenal is an infastructure built from raw talent. so whoever says arsenal is mediocre is either high or a titnham supporter
arsenal for lifffe
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He is mediocre, because of him England did not win any WC’s… and 0 goals for England
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I now understand what `playing ugly` means and Arsenal aren`t much good at it. Le Tissier is referring to the entire unit as operating in a mediocre fashion without van Persie and he`s right.We have new players who have never played `the Arsenal way` and there`s a fair bit of `kick and rush` about their game, nevertheless it seems to be working (for the present). Without going back to the `tip-tap, go no where` game I think eventually Wenger will want to see a lot more class in the traditional Arsenal style return.
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He is Absolutely right admin ur arguments tell the story sczesny is class so is vermalen but they cant win games the attack and the midfield does and with out van we r crap swallow ur pride and accept it
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Dear matt terrier,
I’m not sure if u notice this. Man Shitty would suck without khaldoon and Chelsea would suck without Abramovic….and THEY DON’T EVEN PLAY
FOOTBALL!!!
Go Gunners!
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I’m a fan of Le Tissier but am in complete agreement about him being way off the mark here. Szczesny is a TOP class gk, i really believe he is our man, anyone who says we need to buy a new GK is deluded. Gibbs and Santos competing for LB is fine by me, Verm and Mert are a quality pairing and more than happy with Koscielny competing too! but I must say in the games I have attended I highly rate Miquel, indeed above Djourou and Squllaici, both seem to be not good enough to match our ambition. Song is a classy DM, and Coquelin/Frimpong challenging his place in the side is a good thing, both going be to fine players. I concede that central midfield is our weakest are, are Diaby/Benayoun/Rosicky really good enough? No, quite simply, unless you want to finish mid table. Ramsey will eventually be world-class, but for now he lacks intimidation and presence, and Arteta is yet to convince me. The fact that we NEED Wilshere back, urgently, a 19-year-old is worrying, although to be fair he is an excpeiton and one of the many stand-out players of his generation in world football. Our wingers are more than capable, Gervinho and Walcott are quick, clever and able, so no qualms. AOC seems exciting, and the more i see of Ryo the better, really think he will be world class. As for up front, without RVP we seem weak, so would be nice to see AW to invest in a suitable partner in January, as with all respect i really don’t think Park/Chamakh are good enough tol lead the attack if he gets injured/tired (which surely is inevitable?)
Nevertheless, we seem to be on the rise and hopefully a top 4 finish is possible. However, if we havent mounted a serious title challenge within 3 years then surely AWs time is up?
Anyway, Gooner for life, in Wenger we trust.
Sorry for writing loads ha, just wanted to get my views across x
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@Le Tessie: You should teach your mouth how to shut when talking about Arsenal. Arsenal is the best.. always and ever! With or without stars.
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So many haters hating on Arsenal. Man Utd were recently hammered 6-1 by Man shitty (with their sugar daddy) but arsenal haters are not saying anything about it. 10 games unbeaten is a record to be proud of. I fail to see how Arsenal can be a one man team. Part of the reason why RVP is scoring freely this season is beacuse of his growing understanding with Gervinho. To be honest Gervinho is starting to improve and all that is left for him to start banging goal.
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Le Tissier was so good he never play for any other team except Southhampton. How can I listen to someone who could not manage his private life successfully, and now telling Wenger that manages a big team what to do.
Le Tissier who married his childhood sweetheart Cathy and had two children; Mitchell and Keeleigh, failed to manage his home of four including himself and had to divorce his wife in 1997. What a poor manager and a failure he is.
All his three brothers – Mark, Kevin and Carl – also played football, but never professionally and he couldnt manage them; but to tell us what Wenger is doing at Arsenal is mediocre.
Just ignore the fool he is. ARSENAL TILL I DIE, AND IN ARSENE WE TRUST.
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He is right…..Arsenal is a mediocre team…the spark is gone…his name was Fabregas-a super-player-…Arteta,Park,Jenkinson&Co-just mediocre players.You cannot have a super-team without 3-4 super-players…at this time,Arsenal has only one-RVP….very soon he’s gone,too
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again
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Ok have read the comments to half way and here is my take. We are much better than we were with Fab and Na$ri!!!. I know how it sounds but seriously I think we are. Also we are very far from mediocre. Wenger did very well in the transfer win but a bit too late, however all the players he brought in was exactly what we needed well just one short. We needed a straight Fab replacement; thats what we are suffering today. I thought loosing Nasri was no big deal but Fab was. The sort of game we play need a Fab in the middle to open teams up. Our strikers(forwards) did well last season scoring cos there was creativity going forward mainly from Fab. I hope the boss get a good creative mid and a top striker in Jan but with a good creative midfielder like fab was, you will see all our forward popping in the goals. At the moment we are putting loads of effort to open opponents up but kudos to our team grinding out results in the mean time till Jan. For me top of the list is get a good creative mid in Jan. PS Ateta has done very well, Mert is a Master even if some think diff, he just calm things down back there, Santos is another good buy hopefully he adjust quickly, Ben is also good. Park is a top striker and with good creativity going forward this guy knows where the goal is. I didn’t see much mis-hits from him in the Mar. game. So while its only fair to respect Le Tissier’s opinion its a shame he’s decided to join others a take a swipe at AFC. As already pointed out this is normal for all clubs, Messi, Rooney, Suarez, Drogba etc represent same for their clubs
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