Match Reaction v Southampton (away, FA Cup)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

Sure but you did have a go at him for playing Tierney in the last round.

---

that was against a shit newcastle side, this was against a much better Saints side - anyway it was the forward line that was the biggest fail - Willian, Eddie and Pepe are never going to win a game for us

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by I am invisible

I suppose I can’t complain too much - we rested all the players I wanted to see rested, and that was always going to leave us with the pre-Christmas, relegation-form bums. Cant have it both ways, I guess.

I just still can’t believe quite how bad some of these players are! I mean, I know exactly how bad they are - I’ve seen it enough times - and yet it still comes as a total shock, every single time! We’ve got a lot of work to do this summer.

---

yes that was absolutely clear

i have to say I've made my mind up about Pepe now, I've always had some goodwill towards him, but he's just not good enough and we should see what we can get for him in the summer

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by I am invisible

Unfortunately, this is what the squad looks as soon as we rest even 1 or 2 key players at the same time - it’s not pretty.

---

where Arteta went wrong was downgrading the FA Cup so much - i'd prefer to have risked the league game rather than this tie, it's really demoralising, we've just thrown the cup away as holders and we've lost one route into European football next season

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mac76

yes that was absolutely clear

i have to say I've made my mind up about Pepe now, I've always had some goodwill towards him, but he's just not good enough and we should see what we can get for him in the summer

---

Yeah, it’s damage limitation with Pepe now, for him as well as us. I still think he could have a decent career with someone, in a different league and in a very specific system, but this is doing no one any favours.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mac76

that was against a shit newcastle side, this was against a much better Saints side - anyway it was the forward line that was the biggest fail - Willian, Eddie and Pepe are never going to win a game for us

---

Tierney IS our attack!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mac76

where Arteta went wrong was downgrading the FA Cup so much - i'd prefer to have risked the league game rather than this tie, it's really demoralising, we've just thrown the cup away as holders and we've lost one route into European football next season

---

Fair enough - right rotation, wrong game for you then?

For me, I think he called it right - I’d focus on the league. We took the cup after a couple of shock results last year, but I don’t think we beat the likes of City this year, if we come up against them again (and we would have at some point). They’ve already sussed out that counter-attacking tactic we used against them last season, and we don’t have the options or the experience to take them on in open play yet. The league let’s you pick and choose your battles - with the cup, one mistake and you’re out.

These back up players are just not good enough unfortunately. Nothing more to say on the usual suspects.


We have to win Tuesday now. We should see a better performance with Tierney, Partey, Saka, ESR and Auba starting, but always that worry about momentum being lost with a defeat.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gooner23

These back up players are just not good enough unfortunately. Nothing more to say on the usual suspects.


We have to win Tuesday now. We should see a better performance with Tierney, Partey, Saka, ESR and Auba starting, but always that worry about momentum being lost with a defeat.

---

At least we’re (finally!) starting to chip away at it - we’ve got rid of some this window, and hopefully we’ll see more go in the summer. If Arteta and Edu do nothing else during their time here, it will have been worth it if they can ship out as much of the crap as possible.

Just so frustrating that we have to sit through at least another 5 months of it (and even then we probably won’t get it all done)...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by I am invisible

At least we’re (finally!) starting to chip away at it - we’ve got rid of some this window, and hopefully we’ll see more go in the summer. If Arteta and Edu do nothing else during their time here, it will have been worth it if they can ship out as much of the crap as possible.

Just so frustrating that we have to sit through at least another 5 months of it (and even then we probably won’t get it all done)...

---

The Willian deal isn't a great example of lessons being learnt though. I'm also worried about the links to Bertrand currently. It's good to see some of the dross being shifted though.

In the summer we need to try our hardest to get rid of:

Willian (though i doubt we will)
Eddie
Pepe
Xhaka
Elneny
Mustafi (if he's not gone already, if not i think he might be out of contract anyway?)
Auba
Bellerin (we should get good money for him i'd hope and AMN and Cedric are as good as him)

I'd be tempted to hold onto Laca as he's proving useful and it was interesting to hear Keown say he's good with the younger players, though if we need to sell for contract reasons then so be it