Liverpool vs Arsenal - Match Reaction

[Niall_Quinn]

Wenger out

/thread

[gunnerrrrr]

Wenger out

/thread

Summed up perfectly.

[Munchies]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B5ZcyhSIgAAWaRo.jpg

Mertesacker doesn't even jump :lol:

Another angle

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B5ZjfxqCUAEwv2S.jpg

:doh:

[Bumble]

Well considering we were awful and flamini could have been sent off. A draw not bad result but how the hell did we concede two goals to that Liverpool team. And it could have been more.

We are also level on points with spurs. That's poor

[gunnerrrrr]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B5ZcyhSIgAAWaRo.jpg

Mertesacker doesn't even jump :lol:

Look at the sub.....So Brendon brings on Lambert...a strong powerful centre forward, and we take off Giruod and replace him with a midget.....

Amazing management.....idiotic management that is

[Gooner23]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B5ZcyhSIgAAWaRo.jpg

Mertesacker doesn't even jump :lol:

Thats a bit of a deceptive picture. Merts wasn't even close to him. It was a completely free header. Fucking piss take.

[Marc Overmars]

What a non-performance.

A better side would have beaten us to a bloody pulp.

Normally we can rely on a 10-15 min period of sustained, good play but we didn't even get that today. We just accidentally took the lead never bothered to assert ourselves on the game from there. Kept inviting a weary and lacklustre Liverpool side on to us and eventually we were punished.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I dont think we had any choice but to make the substitutions that we did, the way I see it when you have no central midfield you can't hold onto Possession so you have to drop deep in numbers.
Arguably we should have taken off Welbeck instead of Giroud, but I think Wenger wanted to keep on players who had pace, that's why he substituted Sanchez for Campbell

[Gooner23]

Ches 8 - kept us in it.
Chambers 4 - woeful
Debuchy 7 - goal gets him an extra point
Merts 5 - not a leader
Gibbs 6 - steady
Flamini 3 - lols
Oxlade 5 - below par
Cazorla 6 - better than the other two
Alexis 4 - his corners lose him a point
Welbeck 4 - shocker
Giroud 6 - ok

Wenger 0

[Globalgunner]

Our manager is incompetent and incapable of stepping up to the big plate. But we'll stick with him because no one else can do what he does. Come January he will have Diaby and Wilshere back and steam on to 4th place

[gunnerrrrr]

What a non-performance.

A better side would have beaten us to a bloody pulp.

Normally we can rely on a 10-15 min period of sustained, good play but we didn't even get that today. We just accidentally took the lead never bothered to assert ourselves on the game from there. Kept inviting a weary and lacklustre Liverpool side on to us and eventually we were punished.

Again it all goes back to the Manager.

Liverpool acted down our right side...Chambers was awful beyond words....typcially Wenger take off one of our best players from the last game (Bellerin) and replace him with a so so who is not even a right back. Surely Bellerins pace would have made miles more sense against the pace of Sterling.

Oxlade was awful, yet allowed to carry on until only injury forced Wenger the moron to act.

Sanchez was ineffective, due to the abject performance from Giroud and Welbeck.....

You can't make this up, its the same old shit game in game out....it doesn't matter if its Liverpool or West Brom...

[RomfordPele]

Ches 8 - kept us in it.
Chambers 4 - woeful
Debuchy 7 - goal gets him an extra point
Merts 5 - not a leader
Gibbs 6 - steady
Flamini 3 - lols
Oxlade 5 - below par
Cazorla 6 - better than the other two
Alexis 4 - his corners lose him a point
Welbeck 4 - shocker
Giroud 6 - ok

Wenger 0

Generous scoring for everyone there mate. Including wenger.

[Master Splinter]

Just a dreadful match in every respect.

At least getting smashed in the first half by Stoke and mounting a futile comeback was superficially entertaining. This was utter dross.

Wenger going into full negative mode had the desired effect. Can't blame the players too much when they're given poor instructions, told to play in the wrong areas and given no plan at all.

Hopefully we can give RPQ a good beating to ensure a flicker of entertainment during the festive fixtures. Because we're going to pub it up good and proper away at West Ham and Southampton.

Tennis is back soon :bow:.

[Marc Overmars]

In all honesty I think we set ourselves up not to lose. Pretty obvious from when we took the lead we had no fucking clue what to do, auto-pilot was in full swing.

Came for a point and got it.

[Slacker]

Our manager is incompetent and incapable of stepping up to the big plate. But we'll stick with him because no one else can do what he does. Come January he will have Diaby and Wilshere back and steam on to 4th place

You never know Walcott might make an appearance before the end of the season...

[Master Splinter]

I assure you, I'm not making these quotes up:



We played a little bit with a handbrake in the first half.




We lost the ball too quickly in the first half - when you are not used to something it was frustrating.




It's disappointing that we didn't even jump.


WUMger returning in full force is the greatest solace during our shitness.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Szczesny - 7 - Made good saves, but no saves he shouldn't be making

Chambers - 5 - Bossed by Markovic, why was he playing at right back

Mertesacker - 6 - Didnt play that badly considering his total lack of pace

Debuchy - 6 - Nicely taken goal but not a centre back and should have been playing where Chambers was and vice versa

Gibbs - 6 - Skinned for pace a little too often, but generally stopped too many crosses coming in and was a good attacking outlet.

Flamini - 4 - Could have been sent off and was totally inept in Posession

Cazorla -7 - Our best player dispossessed too easily for their first goal but worked his nuts off second half, good assist for Giroud.

Oxlade Chamberlain -5- Desperately in need of a rest

Sanchez - 5 - Also needs a rest totally ineffective today

Welbeck - 5 - Worked hard but barely got a sniff on the ball

Giroud - 6 - Good finish and was definitely our best attacker


Coquelin - 5 - looks every bit a championship quality player

Joel Campbell - 5 - No chance to really do anything

[Munchies]

I assure you, I'm not making these quotes up:







WUMger returning in full force is the greatest solace during our shitness.

:haha: :haha:

[Munchies]

Chambers - 5 - Bossed by Markovic, why was he playing at right back


It's pretty clear to all of us that Chambers can't handle anyone with any pace, remember even Dzeko outrunning him to a ball.

Yet Wenger puts him up against one of Liverpool's fastest players :doh:

Same thing happened against Swansea.

Put Chambers at CB or try him at CDM, can't be any worse than Flamini

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I agree, to be fair Bellerin couldn't have been any worse today so Chambers could have sat in front of the defence

[selassie]

Given how the game played out a draw wasnt a bad result considering. Everything about this team & the management disgusts me, nothing more to say.

[RomfordPele]

Given how the game played out a point wasnt a bad result considering. Everything about this team & the management disgusts me, nothing more to say.

I agree. Disgust is the word. Spare a thought for the board too. Smug, complacent parasites leeching off a once great club. They can fuck right off too.

Happy Xmas everyone!

[fakeyank]

What was most worrying for me was the fact that Sanchez has caught on Wengeritis. He wasnt chasing the ball or forcing the defenders to make mistakes. The longer we keep the cancer (Wenger) at the club, the more he will kill off any decent players.

[topgun]

Given how the game played out a draw wasn't a bad result considering. Everything about this team & the management disgusts me, nothing more to say.

Totally agree with that.

[Slacker]

It's a tough one but sometimes I wish we'd miss out on 4th place and that would give the club the impetus to do something. The downside of that is once we go outside the top 4, I am not convinced by our capability of getting back up there, as we will be seeing it as the holy grail in the same way Spurs and Everton do.

The basic fact is there are at least four teams in the league who are on a par or better than us - Chelsea, Citeh, Mancs and Scousers, with Spurs and Everton banging on the door. Then you have the team nobody saw coming, and this season it looks like Saints or West Ham, but in the past seasons Spurs, Everton, Villa, Toon and Swansea have stuck around giving Wenger sleepless nights until late on in the season.

It's clear to me the guy has become so arrogant and set in his ways that we'll not get anywhere until he goes. And that is sad. Undoubtedly he's a genius, he's worked wonders for Arsenal and I don't know any fan who isn't grateful for that. The bad news is we are stuck with a manager for three years who seriously needs to be questioned, not left to his own devices. I do believe David Dein was one guy who would have had a word and brought him to his senses. Unfortunately there's nobody who can do that now.

Arsenal seem to be a bit pointless at the moment. Not going to win anything, led by a vain and stubborn old man who refuses to accept he can't fix the fundamentally basic faults in the team. We can all see what we need, and I'm sure Arsene does, but he genuinely believes he can succeed doing things his way. I genuinely believe we will not get in the top 4 this season. If our first 11 is fit sure, but we know that will never ever happen.

Maybe by some ridiculous fluke we'll win the CL this season, but I can't see it. Another thing AW hasn't thought of is the winner of the Europa League qualifies in front of 4th place this season, so if Spurs, Liverpool or Everton take things seriously, we could toil into 4th place in May to have that ripped away because the Europa final will be contested by any combination of Spurs, Liverpool and Everton, neither of whom will be in the top 4, but winner gets the Champions League.

Oh and yes, predictably, we were shit.

Happy Christmas ;)

[Syn]

Vital point gained in the epic battle for 4th.

[Letters]

Didn't see it. Before I'd have been happy enough with a draw but leading that late...you might want to win. But I think we all knew we wouldn't we just do not win these sorts of games and always always always find a way to cock it up no matter the scenario. Depressing how inevitable it all was.

[Letters]

Vital point gained in the epic battle for 4th.

I'm backing us to win the 4th place trophy by default, I don't think West Ham or Southampton have the legs to sustain their current position and the other contenders are marginally more inept than us.

If we win on Boxing Day we'll be on course for 60 points. Well done us.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Borini going off should have killed the game. But hey.....there's points to drop so let's drop them.

Our backline is a joke.....and it is a miracle that Debuchy our RB just happens to be a decent CB.....too bad our CB's aren't decent CB's.

[Niall_Quinn]

Why doesn't Paddy Power ever lay odds on us not turning up for big games? They can afford to lose a bit of cash, selfish bastards.

[Ollie the Optimist]

did anyone with ten minutes left to go, genuinely think Arsenal would win?

I think the answer to that question sums it up, Im willing to bet the majority of Arsenal fans would say to no to that question because its the same old shit week after week. We all know what will happen, its just so fucking obvious. The coaching staff and manager have got to be able to see it. It happens in every fucking big game. We bottle it. City at home, ten minutes left, they get a corner, they equalise. Now liverpool. Its a joke. I love wenger, and i would love him to succeed but he won't any longer. He just has to go, because this club needs a change otherwise its just the same old shit every week

[Slacker]

Totally agree.

As for the game, it was a bit of a sad spectacle. Shezza was great. Quietly starting to perform like a top class keeper. Had a heads gone moment when Sterling handled, but you can't legislate for cheating. Chambers looks like his confidence is shot to bits. He needs someone like Bouldy to really pick him up before he becomes the next Arshavin. Gibbsy looked short of confidence as well. Not afraid of bombing forward, but looked out of sorts all game. Merts was on auto pilot. Steady workhorse, but we all know he's short on speed, looks a bit lost without a partner CD, and likes consistency in the team around him. Give him the same players around him and he becomes a top player. Debuchy was Debuchy. Solid, good in the air, didn't deserve to be booked for what he did so still doing the Sagna job but he's clearly more injury prone.

Flamini and Cazorla were our best players. The Flamster will always get brickbats but he was solid and composed today. Didn't deserve to get booked even though the cheats on the other side were out to get him. First yellow was a perfect tackle. The kind of tackle that would be applauded if a total cunt like John Terry had made it. But JT would not get booked for it, he would be lauded for making the tackle of the season - yeah, fuck off Sky, you overrated overexpensive bunch of wankers.

The Ox and Alexis looked jaded today. As Gooners we would have expected these guys to be match winners, but they looked absolutely nakkered.

Big Sexy was superb again today. Why is it when anyone else comes back from injury they'll play one or two matches and do their groin or hamstring for the next two months? This guy has come back at top level with no problems. Take note Walcott, Wilshere, Ozil, etc.

Danny Welbeck - this guy puts his heart and soul into every game. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes not. Difficult game for our boy today but he won some important tackles by the halfway line and did his bit. Looked a bit isolated at times but the manager needs to accept responsibility on that front.

Overall we got a draw in a game we would expect to lose most seasons. Bit pissed off we didn't win but I can see the problems the manager didn't address and even now know they will not get sorted, which is depressing.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

I kicked a cushion for the first time after a game today...... We were absolutely crap first half today and to go up on the second was a dream(I sam still in the camp that I want us to win) the fact we let it go so deep into injury time really fucks me off.....but we are a shadow of what we can be. I don't blame Wenger.....but based on the way some of the Sky pundits analysis us....I would spread Wengers annual between them! Merts is a a ghost at tea who should be thinking about his future and Gibbs should have been covering the post as JRedknapp pointed out.... Team is to blame for their late goal

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I've never understood a justification for the full backs not being on the post at corners and that remains.... but you can be sure nobody at the club will tell him otherwise so why would he do any different next time.

[Niall_Quinn]

Summary on MOTD2 can't be argued with. Everyone could see the problems except Wenger. Rodgers easily outwitted him today but it's very hard to imagine he could have done it against any manager other than Wenger. After 10 minutes we should have been able to shut down the pretty basic Liverpool gameplan. I really don't know what's wrong with Wenger. Maybe he's had some sort of breakdown.

[Munchies]

Won't get fourth at this rate, and when Skrtel scored I genuinely didn't really care.

Sure I wanted us to win, but you get so used to it now.

[Marc Overmars]

Wenger has been scarred so much now by past atrocities he simply doesn't have the nous to engineer results in these games anymore. It was just plain negativity that cost us, we held out an open invitation for Liverpool today. The score line was irrelevant because we were unambitous from the first minute and never set out to do anything other than contain them, same level of performance when we were losing, on terms, then somehow ahead. The red card made no difference because we just retreated further back for some cowardly reason.

Sad to see the identity completely stripped from this club by a once great but now stale manager.

[Munchies]

The red card made no difference because we just retreated further back for some cowardly reason.

.

Retreating back against 10 men :doh:

Wenget :rose:

[Munchies]

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/79879000/jpg/_79879725_liverpoolvarsenal.jpg

From the bbc sport page.

This happened throughout the game aswell.

Either have another defensive player next to him, or don't play Flamini at all

[AFC Leveller]

Our worst performance of the season and you could tell the players and manager had last season's 5-1 thrashing on their mind. Liverpool are hopeless and are nowhere near as good as last season but we made them look like world beaters and they could have beaten us by 5 again had they been a bit more composed.

The passing from us was the worst ive seen in a long time and the attacking play was fucking dire. How ca they let the best headerer of the ball run free and score in the 97th minute?

[Marc Overmars]

The 5-1 was definitely on their mind, it was a complete hatchet job from the start. Would have made sense if Liverpool were actually any good these days but there you go.

Wenger. :wave:

[LDG]

I was watching a film.

[adzzzbatch]

The more I see the replay of squirtle's goal the more I'm convinced mertasacker could've blocked it if the cunt hadn't ducked out of the way.

[Niall_Quinn]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/12/21/2434AA5100000578-2882684-image-m-89_1419185004730.jpg

Our cowering 6'6" captain as the Liverpool equaliser goes in. Adams, Bould, Keown, Campbell? Merts isn't quite in that class is he? I hope this serves as a shocking embarrassment for him so he can come out and play a proper role for us from this point on.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

BFG needs that face to sell more merchandise in fairness.

We do this in games a lot - concede, take the lead, draw 2-2. Also if Wenger wants to manage by not really managing at all, then that is only going to work if we don't have eight hundred injuries.

It's time for him to go just purely for not resolving how regularly our players fall prey to death.

[selassie]

Retreating back against 10 men :doh:

Wenget :rose:

I actually think we would have lost if the game went on any longer, seriously.

[Gooner23]

We gave Squirtle a free run and header.

Didn't even make it hard for them.

:haha:

[Marc Overmars]

Our cowering 6'6" captain as the Liverpool equaliser goes in. Adams, Bould, Keown, Campbell? Merts isn't quite in that class is he? I hope this serves as a shocking embarrassment for him so he can come out and play a proper role for us from this point on.

He has been horrific this season, probably our worst performer in fact. He said himself he's struggled since the World Cup, lack of motivation maybe. I don't think Kos being dead has helped but you'd expect better from one of our so called leaders.

Thanks to Wenger he's got precisely zero competition for his place as well, so he doesn't really need to concern himself with poor performances.

[Penguin]

It's pretty embarrassing how we could only clock 30% possession. It used to be only Barca, Real and a few other bigger European teams that could do that to us. Now even the likes of Southampton and Swansea school us in the possession game.

It wouldn't bad if it was an actual strategy to let them have it so we can play on the counter, but it's not. We just can't keep the ball against a decent high pressing side. We're also shockingly bad at getting it back - it's like a training ground session to keep the ball against us.

[AFC Leveller]

It's pretty embarrassing how we could only clock 30% possession. It used to be only Barca, Real and a few other bigger European teams that could do that to us. Now even the likes of Southampton and Swansea school us in the possession game.

It wouldn't bad if it was an actual strategy to let them have it so we can play on the counter, but it's not. We just can't keep the ball against a decent high pressing side. We're also shockingly bad at getting it back - it's like a training ground session to keep the ball against us.

Agree 100%.

We are soft and easy to play against.

[AFC Leveller]

Arsenal prove to be the catalyst again as another shite team improves drastically after playing us. We gave Man ure the perfect springboard and now Liverpool look like being back to their best after yesterday.

[fakeyank]

Arsenal prove to be the catalyst again as another shite team improves drastically after playing us. We gave Man ure the perfect springboard and now Liverpool look like being back to their best after yesterday.

Not a bad thing really. We need these teams to come up and take away that 4th position from us. I think getting in the top 4 is the poisoned chalice for us that saves Wenger's arse at our club. It is time for us to lose that spot for the greater good of the club.

[selassie]

Not a bad thing really. We need these teams to come up and take away that 4th position from us. I think getting in the top 4 is the poisoned chalice for us that saves Wenger's arse at our club. It is time for us to lose that spot for the greater good of the club.

Yep, I've basically given up caring about 4th place and to be honest if failing to finish top 4 meant Wenger walked then Im all for it. There I said it!

[Letters]

Arsenal prove to be the catalyst again as another shite team improves drastically after playing us. We gave Man ure the perfect springboard and now Liverpool look like being back to their best after yesterday.

What are you basing that on? We played Liverpool yesterday, what have they done since then to say they're 'back to their best'?!

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

What are you basing that on? We played Liverpool yesterday, what have they done since then to say they're 'back to their best'?!

:lol:

We weren't that bad against United, just couldn't finish for shit.

We wouldn't have been half as dominant if you guys had a midfield, rather than 30 yards of open space.

[Letters]

:lol:

We weren't that bad against United, just couldn't finish for shit.

We wouldn't have been half as dominant if you guys had a midfield, rather than 30 yards of open space.

Weirdly, that should be the area we're strongest. Wenger is doing his best to balls things up if he can't even get the midfield playing well.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

Weirdly, that should be the area we're strongest. Wenger is doing his best to balls things up if he can't even get the midfield playing well.

I do find it quite ironic that the season after you win a trophy (after however many years of "we'll never win anything") and two consecutive seasons of big money transfers (after however many years of "we'll never spend big money/attract big names", spending £3.50 and scraping 4th) is the season where most people turn against him, probably his most unbalanced team and maybe even the season where you don't finish 4th... though that's said every year. And you will. Because you always fucking do.

[fakeyank]

I do find it quite ironic that the season after you win a trophy (after however many years of "we'll never win anything") and two consecutive seasons of big money transfers (after however many years of "we'll never spend big money/attract big names", spending £3.50 and scraping 4th) is the season where most people turn against him, probably his most unbalanced team and maybe even the season where you don't finish 4th... though that's said every year. And you will. Because you always fucking do.

I think people are coming to the realization after 2 seasons of high spending that it was never about the money. Wenger lost his mojo long back and just cannot set his teams up to win. You just have to look at SAF and see how he managed to win the league with less spending than City and Chelsea.

Even teams like Stoke, Villa and mid-table teams have a 20% belief that they can get something out of games against City, Chelsea and Utd. We fans know before the game itself that we will be lucky to get a point out of these games. That is not what Arsenal FC is supposed to be. Arsenal fans pay a lot of money to just expect a draw in these games. Everyone can see that we have the potential to be among Europe's elite yet all we manage to do every season is be 'mere participants' in the CL.

This season, IF we finish outside the top 4, it'll be a blessing in disguise. The CL money offers nothing to me. I'd rather we participate in that tournament when we can actually challenge for it, rather than get humiliated in the knockout stages every season.

[Niall_Quinn]

I do find it quite ironic that the season after you win a trophy (after however many years of "we'll never win anything") and two consecutive seasons of big money transfers (after however many years of "we'll never spend big money/attract big names", spending £3.50 and scraping 4th) is the season where most people turn against him, probably his most unbalanced team and maybe even the season where you don't finish 4th... though that's said every year. And you will. Because you always fucking do.

It's like your grandfather not being able to carry you on his shoulders any more. You try to break it to him gently, unlike some who just observe, "You old cunt, fuck right off!" You know, some of us still remember what he did in the past, and we also accept that he did it in the past. I think Anfield lost the plot after Fagin went, we're going through the same shit now - becoming a corporate entity instead of a football club.

EDIT: "Becoming" was too strong. I should have said, icing the corporate cake, adding the decorations and imagining the price tag.

[AFC Leveller]

What are you basing that on? We played Liverpool yesterday, what have they done since then to say they're 'back to their best'?!

Liverpool and Rodgers in particular have been getting a lot of bad press lately and the presure was almost unbreable for them but after our game, a lot of Journos and pundits have suggested that Liverpool are improving and this will effect the mood in their camp.

watch this space.

[KSE Comedy Club]

I could see the equaliser coming tbh.

The pundits have been going on about how we need to hold onto a lead to see the game out - but they are so wrong it's untrue.

We can't hold onto a lead because we aren't good enough in defence. The minute we stopped attacking we were fucked.

It is literally, our only form of defence.

It's happened so many times recently, we try and sit on a lead only to invite tons of pressure and fuck it up. It's so predictable and so irritating.

Wumger is a clown in his own personal circus - but we are all sick and tired of the same old show. It's time for the carney to piss off.

[Niall_Quinn]

Down to the real business of being a player at Arsenal now those silly pre-Christmas matches are out of the way.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/12/22/243B036900000578-0-image-a-46_1419291598851.jpg

[Letters]

Arsenal players have Christmas do shock exclusive.
Since when did you start working for The Sun?

[Letters]

I could see the equaliser coming tbh.
Stevie Wonder could have seen it coming...

I generally take umbrage with people who say they "knew" something like that would happen, people who do that tend to be glass half empty people who always 'know' we'll concede a late equaliser and are the first to say so when it happens and the last to say they thought it would happen when it doesn't. And most of the time, actually, it doesn't. But it happens with such wearying regularity these days that it was zero surprise to anyone. We just CANNOT close out games often enough and we CANNOT win big games. Even when we're 2-1 up in the 96th minute, we still contrive to cock it up.

:ilt:

[Niall_Quinn]

Arsenal players have Christmas do shock exclusive.
Since when did you start working for The Sun?

Don't mind them having Christmas - but would also like them to turn up to the games they get paid to play in. That was a zero effort on Sunday. I'd be hiding after a performance like that, not hitting the town.

[Power n Glory]

Arsenal players have Christmas do shock exclusive.
Since when did you start working for The Sun?

Can't you see how they're mocking us fans with that Christmas party? The nerve of these bastards!

How much did that party set the club back? Another example of the club spending money in the wrong areas! It's a pisstake!

[Letters]

Can't you see how they're mocking us fans with that Christmas party? The nerve of these bastards!

How much did that party set the club back? Another example of the club spending money in the wrong areas! It's a pisstake!
The Daily Mail must love you.

[Power n Glory]

The Daily Mail must love you.

Don't even get me started on the French! Where are the English players in that picture? Clubs a disgrace!

[rodders]

What are you basing that on? We played Liverpool yesterday, what have they done since then to say they're 'back to their best'?!

They were a bloody site better than us. My fear is that Alexis Sanchez will see what Nasri, Van Persie et al have seen and agitate to join a club that actually wants to win something.

[fakeyank]

Cant agree more on Sanchez. He looked like a typical Wenger player against Pool. I just hope it was a one off, and not another case of the cancer striking another player again.

[AFC Leveller]

I just cannot believe how shit we played on Sunday and how good we made Liverpool look.

[Niall_Quinn]

Cant agree more on Sanchez. He looked like a typical Wenger player against Pool. I just hope it was a one off, and not another case of the cancer striking another player again.

We've been relying on him to do it all, there had to come a point where those energy levels ran out. No one player can save a team that is so badly mismanaged.

[Niall_Quinn]

I just cannot believe how shit we played on Sunday and how good we made Liverpool look.

I was watching but couldn't believe what I was seeing. The game passed by without any comprehension of what was going on. When we went a goal up I was wondering, how can that be possible? It's the worst I have seen us play since 1978 when I can first recall thinking Arsenal is my team. I was celebrating the goals more because they pissed the commentators off than because my team had scored. This Arsenal just doesn't give you a sniff of anything to be passionate about. They are sterile, an empty and emotionless theatre troupe going through the motions as a shop window for the real commercial business of the operation. It really is the worst performance I have ever witnessed. A particular blow because while I'd love to win a few trophies (what fan wouldn't?) I can live without it provided we play some decent football that allows me to get behind the team and will them on. There was nothing there. Absolutely nothing.

[fakeyank]

A particular blow because while I'd love to win a few trophies (what fan wouldn't?) I can live without it provided we play some decent football that allows me to get behind the team and will them on. There was nothing there. Absolutely nothing.

:gp:

Couldnt put it better. We play dull boring and absolutely shit football.

[fakeyank]

I just cannot believe how shit we played on Sunday and how good we made Liverpool look.

We did the same against Spurs this season.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

At least we know Sanchez is speaking to the rest of them....the sorry arsed twirps.

But yeah.....he was pretty poor himself against Liverpool and not the meercat for 4 performance I hoped it might be.... On the corner taking, Pat Nevin's theory must hold a lot of weight!

[Niall_Quinn]

Our corners? If we actually practise them then fucking shame on the players for not being able to handle the pressure of applying that training on match day. I suspect we don't practise them. There's a horrible, horrible arrogance that runs through this club. Like the basic stuff, well duh! yes we know that. Problem is, clearly we don't.

[AFC Leveller]

:gp:

Couldnt put it better. We play dull boring and absolutely shit football.

without wishing to heap any praise on them, watching chelsea last night beat stoke was a real eye opener. the way they stood up to them, the way they moved the ball so quickly, the way they got the ball back instantly and their big players peforming when it mattered, it was the complete opposite of what we served up last week.

we play slow football that doesnt generate any excitement or passion and it rarely works. teams that press us high trend to beat us these days and our approach is always the same.

now our clown in charge says his team are good enough to challenge. another season goes to waste while he collects his 8 salary.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

It's like your grandfather not being able to carry you on his shoulders any more. You try to break it to him gently, unlike some who just observe, "You old cunt, fuck right off!" You know, some of us still remember what he did in the past, and we also accept that he did it in the past. I think Anfield lost the plot after Fagin went, we're going through the same shit now - becoming a corporate entity instead of a football club.

EDIT: "Becoming" was too strong. I should have said, icing the corporate cake, adding the decorations and imagining the price tag.

What's Pardew got to do with this?

On a different note I think we have tended to underestimate the impact a 3-5-2 can have against a team. Playing Henderson wide right in a 5 man midfield isn't exactly the stuff of dreams. Roger's could have played any combination of players on his payroll in that 5 man midfield and we would have seen a similar effect. He has used it to good effect a number of times imo.....and I don't necessarily believe him to be a genius.

I could tell very early on during the game that it was going to be really really hard to counteract it and not just because of us not being up to it.

For all the pinning we do for a 442, I'm surprised there aren't more fans wanting us to play 352....it gives the numbers in midfield, the width of a 442 and the potency and variation in attack too.......perhaps it's something to do with only having 1 entirely fit proper CB :d but deployed correctly a 352 really is a formation that can be used to devastating effect. Especially if the other team's ability to exploit its weaknesses are completely nullified as they were with us by Liverpool. Roger's, Martinez and Van Gaal, have all used it well at specific times and I wouldn't be surprised if it was being used by 50% of high profile clubs by 5 years time. I know we all have criticisms of those managers above but we have serious criticisms of 99.9% of all managers....it doesn't mean they all do everything wrong all the time.

Don't get me wrong.....fools gonna fool.... but if we played that game 5 times over with Liverpool in similar form I think we'd find it incredibly tough every time.

[Niall_Quinn]

It's not the numbers in midfield, it's what they do. Our manager is clueless, do you get that much? It's hard to believe but the evidence suggests it's true.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Well they wouldn't have done what they did without those numbers in midfield would they. It's not like anything they have in midfield is lightyear's ahead of Chamberlain and Cazorla who actually had a good game.....neither were they in better form coming into the game.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

And I meant 343. Obviously that changes things completely. :d