Glorious failure is what we do best. Get fucked up, do the valiant effort thing to no avail and prove what great spirit we have.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters
I thought even that had been sucked out of us but we've still got it. :bow:
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Glorious failure is what we do best. Get fucked up, do the valiant effort thing to no avail and prove what great spirit we have.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters
I thought even that had been sucked out of us but we've still got it. :bow:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cripps
Don't understand why both Rosicky and Arteta weren't taken off, despite f**king up countless times Ramsey by his own rock bottom standards actually had a reasonably ok game and i would have been happier for him to remain on the pitch. The fact remains that this was a shock result, and we didn't have the attacking ability to punish Bayern further despite actually being very clinical this evening. For me the only Bayern player to really play well this evening was Thomas Muller who even despite us defending in a way i haven't seen since the beginning of the season gave us plenty of nervous moments.
Don't understand the rationale behind taking off Walcott either, it's abundantly clear to me that the tactics and defensive drilling of the game was masterminded by Steve Bould so it's a shame he didn't have a hand in the substitutions as well.
All considered though despite being disappointed that we went out (though that said i didn't actually believe we would lose this evening, i thought it would be a score draw) the fact that i am disappointed makes me feel good.
First - the match itself. Well done lads - salvaged some pride. The fact that Bayern were under pressure to save the tie on at the end made a mockery of most predictions - including mine. Special mention for our back 5 - who I thought were very good. Propers especially to Flappy - great game considering he's been out so long; and Jenks who was a star. Plus I would be happy for Vermaelen to stay out in favour of Kossy.
I'd agree that we suffered from being less expansive going forwards - but bar Ramsey - who I thought had a good 70 mins - our MF was below par. We showed very little intuitiveness passing forward when it counted. Carzola was again wasted on the left and Walcott showed just why he is far from the player he thinks he is. He simply can't make it happen on his own. Felt sorry for Giroud - who worked hard up front with little real quality behind him.
As for our second half syndrome (this being the second half of the tie) - for me, its the mark of a team that lacks innate self belief and composure. We can chase lost causes when a game is mostly gone because there's nothing left to lose...or when the opposition drops a bit in terms of intensity. Its telling that we did not have the composure to really take advantage of Bayern after the second goal - whereas they ultimately had the ability to do what was needed - helped by a performance from Arteta that showed why he will never have the star quality that we need.
Still - I'm not going to be too critical after one of our better performances this season that restored a bit of reputation in Europe. I'd love to say that I hope we can build on this in the run in - but I fear that the focus we showed here is unlikely to be repeated consistently.
Kos and Merts should be playing as our CB pairing from now on. No dodgy moments from Fabianski which was good. Bayern weren't that hard to defend against but we've conceded against weaker opposition.
The bad...Arteta is a prick. Besides the last few minutes, he hides in the middle and never looks to receive the ball from deep. You'll never see that at Barca or from any other team where the midfield is supposed to be the strength.
Ramsey was Ramsey. Rosicky wasn't all that good either. Some bad passing but he wasn't the worst. Cazorla was in hiding and had a very quiet game. The dude needs to lose weight and put a shift in. Walcott was shit. Giroud is worst than Chamakh and Bendy. He has no quality.
But this result should give us confidence because we were I low spot before kick off and I'd never think we'd pull off a two nil victory. You have to applaud that and I hope we build on this.
Wenger will use this as a reason not to sign any players this summer.
definitely deserves it on the basis of tonight's performance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
If Wenger plays Chesney at the weekend he's just summing
You're right. I pay a grand a year to watch a load of mediocre shite every other week.Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry Tuffnutz
At least I don't try and kid myself they're any good though.
Kos really is a big game player in Europe!
Fab was quality.... i have seen Schzney around London on a few occasions and he really looks overweight. ...think Wenger is finally realising.
Giroud is a nice guy etc, but way below some of the strikers we have recently had spearheading our attack...
Rosicky , even though he is not the player he once was pre injury, is still imo our best midfielder......
As for Ramsey....... he needs to decide what kind of footballer he wants to be.......a shit one or a not so shit one..
Overall a great result, but a strange overall game and performance.
Wumming :doh:Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters
:damnyouautocorrect:
Little bit sad.
the same we all watch.Quote:
Originally Posted by RomfordPele
but after a game everyone, and i mean everyone, expected us to get another pasting in, to walk away with a 2-0 win salvages some pride in the tie, rather than a 6-1 aggregate score to truly make us a laughing stock. i don't care how bayern played because a lot very good teams will go into that stadium, play an off colour bayern and still walk away with nothing. it doesn't change how shabby we have been this season but tonight is the least we should expect every game - effort. and we got it.
if you can't get some sort of pride from this i'd say cancel that ticket, as i did last season, and give it a rest for a while as it's all become a bit too much for you.
:haha:Quote:
Originally Posted by gunnerrrrr
Yeah that's what I'm thinking, we'll probably go on a half decent run from now till the end of the season, he'll then point to our mini unbeaten run etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cripps
I also agreeQuote:
Originally Posted by RomfordPele
I wasn't overly into this game for the most part but Giroud's wondergoal attempt was a real piss take. Not the first time so why does he do that? Considering that there were so few opportunities to effectively counterattack.
Conversely, they probably would have shown more respect to a better side. From the sounds of it the Germans thought we were a tinpot outfit.Quote:
Originally Posted by AKBapologist
Shame we couldn't complete the mother of all humiliations.
Yeah Bayern clearly thought they could cruise through in 2nd gear.
Have the quality? Really?Quote:
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "I believe we were very, very close. We were unlucky a few times as well. I think about Gervinho's chance and maybe one or two set pieces we could have done better.
"Overall, we had a great go. The regrets we have are from the first game when we conceded a very cheap goal in the last five minutes. If we had lost 2-1 at home you would see how important that goal was.
"I know these players, they have a fantastic attitude and spirit. We have the quality but unfortunately we have to go out of the Champions League. It hurts very much but the positives are the performance and the spirit."
We haven't even got one of those in the last 8 years, how wrong were they? :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Up in Flammmmmesss! :crying:
Yeah that was stupid, he's done that a few times this season. Needed more intelligent forward play out there but Bif and Theo were fairly shit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis Bendtner
What does this result mean in the end, absolutely nothing....it's all very good saying we beat Bayern etc etc but we've achieved nothing, it would have been an achievement to turn it around and win the tie, it would have shown we've got something about us. Alas every season it's the same, collapse when it matters and win games that in the end don't matter, convince ourselves (the manager) that we're great and start again with the same cycle.
For once it would be good for us to do something that actually means something.
The difference this time though is that the fans won't be convinced by this nice win at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arse n Wonga
Change is still needed. We've gone past the point of no return.
Ok, as you've actually bothered to explain your view rather than score a cheap point, I just think this will be used by the club to maintain the status quo. If that's what you want then knock yourself out. But I saw nothing there tonight that we shouldn't be seeing every bloody week from this lot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry Tuffnutz
It shows how far we have fallen that some of us are toasting it like its a big victory. We lost, and we bottled the last five mins as per usual when we give ourselves a chance. I don't feel any pride in that, sorry.
Giroud is a step down on most of our strikers and he excels at nothing. His control and technique isn't good at all, not dominant in the air or that accurate, shooting is wayward....his movement can be good but he's slow. We need better because we're going nowhere fast with him leading the line.
It's hard to create anything for a guy so limited in pace and ability to control the ball.
Yeah but it's not the fans that matter though, it's the manager he's the one that needs to be under pressure to make changes and sign players....his words about quality and young players (that old chestnut again) showing their quality and him saying this team has a great attitude (before the match he said they had a great attitude compared to any of his teams) really don't fill me with confidence he's going to change anything.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
This is the start usual end of season mini revival that convinces him all is good.
He doesn't even seem to be predatory, so when chances arrive in the box he's always a couple yards away from them as he has very poor instinct and anticipation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
Depends whether you are looking at the match, in which case it means a little relief from the repeated humiliations we have suffered, or in general terms - where a glorious failure makes very little difference to the general trajectory we are on as a club.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arse n Wonga
maybe it will be used to maintain things. maybe it is not a high point of arsenal's history but ffs, if you cannot get any pride at any time from anything arsenal are doing at the moment then i don't get what you are doing watching. i really don't. yes it's been a painfully shit season, led by a manager that needs to go come the summer. anyone with half a mind can see that. if you are telling me your reaction would have been the same with yet another heavy defeat then i know you are lying. you sound disappointed, which if you step back and think about it, was not even a feasible reaction before the game because we all thought we were already out. tie done. no chance at all. not even with 5 minutes to go.Quote:
Originally Posted by RomfordPele
we didn't even expect to be in that position and it's ludicrous to label it as 'bottling'. that's just nuts. what was unacceptable was the performance in the first leg and throwing the whole tie away after 20 mins with absolutely no show of right or retaliation in front of our own fans. that was a low and left everyone feeling less than proud.
going out on away goals, rather than a pounding, getting an important win before travelling to swansea are two very important things right now. or, we can just sit here and cry all the way to may instead of hoping for some sort of miracle to happen. because seriously, without that, what have we got as supporters?
there is no shame in taking a bit of pride from a victory. that is still allowed y'know. it's become a rare thing but it still happens occasionally.
Like for the first goal, you mean? Interesting that he's scored 3 more than RVP did in his first season with us - with a considerably worse MF behind him. As for the long range shot he's being criticised for - did anyone see any of the shite shots fired in by the Bayern players? Not fair to pillory him for that. How many shots did our most expensive player even attempt?Quote:
Originally Posted by Arse n Wonga
i think that's a poor stat thrown up by the commentator - rvp was far younger with far less starts in the team. giroud is good but as a squad striker. if we ever want to get serious again, he is not the guy to lead our attack and strike worry into opposition defences.Quote:
Originally Posted by IBK
It's really hard to pin point a strength that he has in abundance over all of our other strikers. I though we were buying a predator and a bit of an old school player. The type of player that will lace a bullet in the net if given an inch like Shearer, Batistuta. Or a massive handful of a player like how Christian Vieri who can bounce defenders off him. I wasn't expecting him to have that world class polish but at least have something about him that we could use. It's hard setting up goals for a guy that slow and rubbish in front of goal.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arse n Wonga
Robben is shit.
However RVP was 19 when he first signed for us and a lot of his appearances were as a substitute. Giroud's 26 and on the whole he's been decent, but he lacks that extra quality that you need if you want to at the very least compete for silverware.Quote:
Originally Posted by IBK
That's a crazy comparison when you consider RVP was coming off the bench for the majority of his games and not starting. We'll need better than him if we want to get anywhere or we'll need to figure out a way to utilise his strengths and I can't for the life of me figure out where his strengths are.Quote:
Originally Posted by IBK
Can't blame our center forwards for today, our midfield was shocking. Probably the worst arsenal midfield I've seen in over 15 years.
It was more frustrating because of the context of the game/that particular move to be honest. Could have been a good counter with some players forward which was rare on the night. He has done it a few times - like against Stoke - perhaps anxiety or something.Quote:
Originally Posted by IBK
I accept that - but for me it added a little context. Older or not - Giroud has come from a weaker, less physical league - and it is his first season. I'm not saying he is RVP quality, but I think he is suffering from our disillusionment at RVP being sold. He tries hard enough, and he's not stunk the place up - and he's only 2 behind our 100K player in the league. Personally, I'd go for other scapegoats - starting with the manager.Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry Tuffnutz
That's fair, after all someone like Giroud does need good service, he's not going to conjure something out of nothing. The lack of creativity that has been present for most of the season is at least as big a worry. In the past we had midfielders who could thread a pass through the eye of a needle and combine with the forward players to devastating effect. Nowadays there's so much mediocrity in there.Quote:
Originally Posted by IBK
Time for Cesc to come home.