Match Reaction v Chelsea (away)

[Xhaka Can’t]

Yeah no chance of 4th place. As satisfied as we are with the fundamental work Arteta is doing, wins are still very scarce. We haven't won back to back games since the opening 2 games of the season and if you go further back to the end of last season, this is a very deep rooted rot.

Arteta is working from the ground up, there's been nothing for him to build on.

People need to remember that. This skid goes all the way back to last March.

The signs are that Arteta is stemming the bleeding but the patient still needs a lot of work to pull through.

I’m getting more confident with Arteta as time passes. He seems to know the issues and has or is developing a strategy to repair them.

Also, I think it has to be mentioned that brain fart aside, Mustafi worked his socks off all night and was effective.

The most disappointing aspect of last night was Ozil. This is his third chance with a manager, 4 if you include Freddie, and his response has been pathetic.

He is an expensive dead weight that we can’t get rid of soon enough.

[Gooner23]

We should appeal IMO, as Letters says it wasn't a nasty tackle, just a clumsy intervention

Doesn't have to be nasty, if it is deliberate with no attempt to play the ball then its a red card. My issue is with the consistency in which the rule is applied.

[Globalgunner]

Everything is subjective. If that tackle had occurred anywhere except inside the box it would certainly be a yellow. Dont forget the nasty Chelsea player will always dive in that situation. If Mustafi was ahead of play when the foul happened as some say. Then it should be rescinded. Bullshit call that would never happen to a Spurs, City, Pool or United player at home. Was it any worse than the tackle that stopped Pepe in our last game and nothing was given. The Refs are mentally almost always intimidated by the baying home crowd. Last decent EPL ref was Paul Durkin IMO

Was going through a web page of English referees and came up with this gem "Patrick Viera once was fined 25.000 pounds and banned for two matches for calling Andy D'Urso a man with "no personality".

[Özim]

Doesn't have to be nasty, if it is deliberate with no attempt to play the ball then its a red card. My issue is with the consistency in which the rule is applied.

Yeah it's the double jeopardy rule, if it's deliberate you give the penalty away and get sent off, if it's not then it's just a penalty.

[Letters]

In that case, I do think Luiz could have, you know, stayed on his feet. Concede the goal, stay on the pitch.
I appreciate it's a split-second thing but still, didn't help us. We conceded the goal anyway and had to play the rest with 10 men.

[Özim]

In that case, I do think Luiz could have, you know, stayed on his feet. Concede the goal, stay on the pitch.
I appreciate it's a split-second thing but still, didn't help us. We conceded the goal anyway and had to play the rest with 10 men.

Yes it was Mustafis' error but Luiz didn't cover himself in glory either, but he's never been the best defender or decision maker to be fair.

[Maestro]

The most disappointing aspect of last night was Ozil. This is his third chance with a manager, 4 if you include Freddie, and his response has been pathetic.

He is an expensive dead weight that we can’t get rid of soon enough.

This for me is an even more pressing issue than the CB situation and it appears every manager and quite a lot of fans are duped by this graduate fraud. His attitude stinks, has no application and no end product. This is something we simply cannot afford for someone in his position on the pitch.

I would drop him with no hesitation, whatsoever, and play Laca in the 10, Auba up top with Martinelli and Pepe out wide. We would lose absolutely nothing and Laca would contribute a lot more to the team in that position, without the striker's pressure he's currently under. We won't be keeping many clean sheets, but jesus we struggle to score more than a single goal in matches. Having Ozil sit there with no attcking output whatsoever, is killing us more than the lack of a top CB right now IMHO.

[Master Splinter]

This for me is an even more pressing issue than the CB situation and it appears every manager and quite a lot of fans are duped by this graduate fraud. His attitude stinks, has no application and no end product. This is something we simply cannot afford for someone in his position on the pitch.

I would drop him with no hesitation, whatsoever, and play Laca in the 10, Auba up top with Martinelli and Pepe out wide. We would lose absolutely nothing and Laca would contribute a lot more to the team in that position, without the striker's pressure he's currently under. We won't be keeping many clean sheets, but jesus we struggle to score more than a single goal in matches. Having Ozil sit there with no attcking output whatsoever, is killing us more than the lack of a top CB right now IMHO.

It's our attack that's proving the most difficult thing to resolve. And Ozil hasn't been the answer to anything for a long time now.

I'm still expecting a few holdouts to make a case for him based on some mythical latent talent that has failed to manifest in recent years despite endless chances under four coaches.

I think it's also fair to blame Arteta and the club management for picking proven, hopeless liabilities like Ozil and Mustafi when there are other viable options that are either on the bench or have been sold/loaned out.

There's no doubt Arteta has improved the team in many aspects in a difficult period, but it's difficult to have sympathy if he's going to continue to pick players who have nothing worthwhile to offer in return. When you see a kid from South America and a kid playing out of position outperform seniors on a constant basis, it becomes even more baffling that you would choose to favour experienced wastrels.

[Master Splinter]

Is the guy who thinks Saka is shit still here?

There's probably a weirdo who doesn't think much of Martinelli out there somewhere too.

[fakeyank]

It's our attack that's proving the most difficult thing to resolve. And Ozil hasn't been the answer to anything for a long time now.

I'm still expecting a few holdouts to make a case for him based on some mythical latent talent that has failed to manifest in recent years despite endless chances under four coaches.

I think it's also fair to blame Arteta and the club management for picking proven, hopeless liabilities like Ozil and Mustafi when there are other viable options that are either on the bench or have been sold/loaned out.

There's no doubt Arteta has improved the team in many aspects in a difficult period, but it's difficult to have sympathy if he's going to continue to pick players who have nothing worthwhile to offer in return. When you see a kid from South America and a kid playing out of position outperform seniors on a constant basis, it becomes even more baffling that you would choose to favour experienced wastrels.

Dont know why we arent playing Ceballos in place of the fraud..