Only 11% of all Arsenal Premier League goals are scored from outside the box. Of our direct title competitors, Everton score 30% of all PL goals from outside the box, Chavs 29%, Liverpool 22% and MansourCity 17%. A number of Gooners on Bergkampesque want our players to take more shots at goals from outside the box.

The question to debate today is: is this a good idea?

A few years ago, I read somewhere that Arsene discourages his players to take shots from outside the box and he will confront his players during post-match analysis if they took a shot from outside the box, when, in his opinion, a better option had been available. I am not sure whether this is true, but it does seem that our players have become reluctant to take a shot from outside the box in recent seasons.

Most of us love long distance goals; and the further away from goal the better!

Goals scored from well outside the box often become unforgettable ones. As a teenager, I watched Dutchman Arie Haan score an impossible long distance goal against Italy’s Dino Zoff, during the 1978 World Cup. For me, this goal epitomises the long-distance shot, as, at the time, I just could not believe a goal could be scored from so far out. I will never forget this goal:

Bergkamp and Henry scored regularly from outside the box for us. And of course there was Paul Merson who had a great long distance shot too – see from about third minute onwards for some examples:

I don’t know about you, but it always annoys me when I hear a match reporter say: ‘The problem with Arsenal is they want to walk the ball into the net’. Arsenal want to create the best scoring opportunities and the manager appears to believe that just taking a shot now and again is a waste of possession and inefficient.

Having said that, with players like Arteta, Podolski, Ox, Vermaelen and Cazorla in the team, Arsenal could turn shooting from outside the box into another weapon of attack, if Wenger would let them.

So what do you think fine fellow Gooners? Let’s have a heated debate! 😛

Written by: TotalArsenal.