Tony Adams: Graham was a better coach than Wenger

[Özim]

With the correction to the 90/91 season, I think that we can all see that despite the perception, Wenger's Arsenal beats Graham's Arsenal in the key defence stats:

Average goals against per season: 34.7 vs 36.4
Average goals against per game: 0.914 vs 0.942
Best season: 17 vs 18
Worst season: 43 vs 49

The difference is when we needed to defend well we could.

There's no doubt our defence then was better regardless of the stats, the fact is we have a lot of possession these days, we didn't use to so naturally teams would have more chances to score.

If a teams attack more naturally they will also score more, technically we weren't as good but defensively we we far superior.

We didn't have the old 1-0 to the Arsenal song for nothing.

[Power n Glory]

Lets cut the crap. If he's a better defensive coach than Graham then he should be able to sort the defence out for next season.

[Toronto Gooner]

The difference is when we needed to defend well we could.

There's no doubt our defence then was better regardless of the stats, the fact is we have a lot of possession these days, we didn't use to so naturally teams would have more chances to score.

If a teams attack more naturally they will also score more, technically we weren't as good but defensively we we far superior.

We didn't have the old 1-0 to the Arsenal song for nothing.

I hate to date myself but 1-0 to Arsenal was a song way before George Graham was manager.

[Coney]

next season, I might have a chance of winning the Azerbaijan league title

Now why did that make me laugh out loud??

[Toronto Gooner]

Lets cut the crap. If he's a better defensive coach than Graham then he should be able to sort the defence out for next season.

This is something I will agree with. I put together those stats to try and show that Graham was not some defensive super coach, and the Fabulous 5 was not some super human defensive unit.

But, what I will also say is that in my opinion I do not necessarily think that Wenger is that good of a defence coach.

[Toronto Gooner]

Now why did that make me laugh out loud??

You have a well developed appreciation of the absurd and farcical.

[Kano]

Now why did that make me laugh out loud??

cos he wont even achieve that

[Letters]

With the correction to the 90/91 season, I think that we can all see that despite the perception, Wenger's Arsenal beats Graham's Arsenal in the key defence stats:

Average goals against per season: 34.7 vs 36.4
Average goals against per game: 0.914 vs 0.942
Best season: 17 vs 18
Worst season: 43 vs 49

I think Graham was undoubtably the better defensive coach.
Those figures are deceptive because they don't account for the fact that we're a much better side than we ever were under Graham. Our defence in terms of goals conceded is actually one of the best in the PL right now. But it's the worst in the top 4 and there's the point. We're now comparing ourselves with the best in the country and are found wanting.
Plus the way we concede goals show bad defensive organisation and coaching. We concede far too many from set pieces or long straight balls, situations which a Graham defence would cope with all day.
If we were 1-0 up in a tight game with 10 minutes to go and under the cosh under Graham then you could guarantee that more often than not we'd see it out and win the game.
These days if it's 1-0 with 10 minutes to go then even if we're not under the cosh (and we rarely are these days) there's a constant worry that we'll cock it up. And we do with depressing frequency.
In the Graham days, especially near the end, we were fairly mid-table and our goals conceded was still one of the best in the country. It wasn't pretty but we were pretty tight at the back.
Anyway, the key sentence of my ramble is that we're a much better side now than we ever were under Graham.
And that's because for all his faults, for all the frustrations, Wenger is at a completely different level to Graham as a manager.

[Toronto Gooner]

I think Graham was undoubtably the better defensive coach.
Those figures are deceptive because they don't account for the fact that we're a much better side than we ever were under Graham. Our defence in terms of goals conceded is actually one of the best in the PL right now. But it's the worst in the top 4 and there's the point. We're now comparing ourselves with the best in the country and are found wanting.
Plus the way we concede goals show bad defensive organisation and coaching. We concede far too many from set pieces or long straight balls, situations which a Graham defence would cope with all day.
If we were 1-0 up in a tight game with 10 minutes to go and under the cosh under Graham then you could guarantee that more often than not we'd see it out and win the game.
These days if it's 1-0 with 10 minutes to go then even if we're not under the cosh (and we rarely are these days) there's a constant worry that we'll cock it up. And we do with depressing frequency.
In the Graham days, especially near the end, we were fairly mid-table and our goals conceded was still one of the best in the country. It wasn't pretty but we were pretty tight at the back.
Anyway, the key sentence of my ramble is that we're a much better side now than we ever were under Graham.
And that's because for all his faults, for all the frustrations, Wenger is at a completely different level to Graham as a manager.

Letters, I completely agree with what you are saying here. I only put up those figures to show that Adams' assertion (along with some fans) that Graham was a better coach/manager is not accurate.

[Power n Glory]

If Tony Adams was a playing under Wenger as a young developing player, he'd probably end up like Senderos. I can understand why he'd prefer Graham. He learned the basics from him.