Match reaction vs Everton

Not happy with our concentration levels and tracking back for Evertons first goal plus how we didn't get the ball forward fast enough first half.Second half was better but still don't think Alexis should've come off but we got a point so mustn't grumble.Its good how we are getting points playing below par and really happy with players we have.Arsene just got to get the best out of them now.

I can't really disagree (how disappointing), so I'll just add to this...

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Tippy tappy kills football. Playing a game that relies on 90%+ passing accuracy and dominant possession doesn't frighten English teams who know it is much easier to disrupt intricate football than play it. We call it the Arsenal Way, but we haven't actually been playing it successfully for years. Instead we have been losing the ball in critical areas, slowing the game down and making it much easier and more predictable for our opponents. By the numbers we've been able to grab a CL spot every season, without ever really challenging for more than that.

We haven't been the team the media portray us as since 2007, since we went Cesc-centric. All the commentary about our lightning quick counter-attacks was just lazy and not based in reality.

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Everton moved the ball quickly into space yesterday and swept from one end to the other in seconds, where it might take us minutes of tapping backwards, forwards, backwards and forwards again to cover the same ground. When we eventually reach the opposition box we then have to go through the whole 20 flicks and tricks routine before losing the ball when the odds of impossible pass #24 goes against us. We have the players to play a much more expansive and direct game. But they are being wasted as things stand.

I can't tell you the amount of times where we've come forward with equal or more players than the opposition only for a lack of drive to occur within 5 yards of a defender, and then the square/back pass. Opportunity wasted.

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Ox got criticised for having 5 shots off target. He shouldn't be praised for being off target, but he should get some credit for shooting at all. Similarly Alexis shuffled left and right trying to put pressure on their back line and disrupt their flow at source. No fucker helped him. Anyone can play that role, just running around until you run out of steam. Why spend £30mill on a player to do that? It's a waste. How many times did Ramsey look up to find that nobody could be arsed to move and stretch the opposition? 5 yards tight passing, tip, tap. Little triangles on the edge of the box with a needle fine option for the pass, that then requires instant control and instant layoff to the next guy in the 5 yard pattern. Or blast it over to the other flank and start the tip tapping again.

(underline mine)This is what kills me; seeing nobody making runs. Even decoy runs. Just anything to keep the defence honest. Instead, let's go around the left, around the right. dink-dink... interception/overhit ball to the goalline.

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Originally Posted by She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

Giroud is a weird one

Plays absolutely toilet sometimes (i.e. Besiktas) and you think we need to bench this guy and put Sanchez up top

We bench him but when he comes on he changes the game (i.e. Everton). Then you think 'we need a target man, maybe Giroud should start'

:blink:

We wouldn't have scored the equaliser without Giroud on the pitch but lets not get too carried away - He was hardly Messi. 70% of the time we get the Besiktas Giroud which is shit - a non-league player would give you more. Then in other games he has his moments & some of us on here think "there you go", we told you he was good. He looked good on Saturday because of what we compare him to. If that was most other average strikers it would have been a normal game where he missed 2 good chances by not hitting the target & then scored with one.