Match reaction vs. West Ham

Thought I’d pre-empt McNamara That Ghost here.

It’s not yet half time but clear that this one’s already lost (currently at 0-3). Defence abysmal and not for the first time. Side has never been settled, though I concede a number of distant away matches have been played just now. I just can’t see Arteta motivating this lot into any retaliation. Feel sorry for the youngsters in the side, it’s demoralising.

I’ve seen this happen before of course but it doesn’t make the present situation any better.

Now at FT and 3-3 I still see problems. We rode our luck and Lacazette the only Arsenal player to score. Aubameyang? Pfft.

I’ve followed this club for 53 years now. Foe me and leaving the hungrier, younger players aside, I feel apprehensive about any improvement for a couple of seasons at least.

:lol:

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Originally Posted by Dial Square Old Boy

Thought I’d pre-empt McNamara That Ghost here.

It’s not yet half time but clear that this one’s already lost (currently at 0-3). Defence abysmal and not for the first time. Side has never been settled, though I concede a number of distant away matches have been played just now. I just can’t see Arteta motivating this lot into any retaliation. Feel sorry for the youngsters in the side, it’s demoralising.

I’ve seen this happen before of course but it doesn’t make the present situation any better.

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This is why I wait until the match is over before creating them. :doh:

Shouldn’t take going 3-0 down to look like a competent team.

A good point but does nothing for us other than consolidate the mid table stench that we can’t seem to get rid of. Not going to move up the table if we can’t win a few games in a row and they seem incapable of that now.

On another note, Odegaard. :bow:

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

This is why I wait until the match is over before creating them. :doh:

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Crazy idea. It’ll never catch on.

Up to ninth :scarf:

Good to see some fight but that first half hour was a disgrace.

Not sure what Mikel was thinking but starting Auba on the right was a really poor decision. Think we're at the point now where it needs to be Laca or Auba at 9, with two from Pepe, Saka, ESR and Martinelli on the wings.

Odegaard is an exceptional footballer :cloud9:

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Originally Posted by Letters

:lol:

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:gp:

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Originally Posted by dazthegooner

Up to ninth :scarf:

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:lol:

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

On another note, Odegaard. :bow:

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Correct. I hope we can keep him but doubt we will.

Lacazette has his heart broken being told our first goal wasn't in. :rose:

Fucking Sky twats.

Arteta has to take some of the blame for the poor start, no other manager destabilises his own team from the off by swapping wingers from one side to the other like that

Xhaka was predicatbly awful, his habit of simply giving the ball back to whoever passed it to him drives me insane

Partey was awful too, the shine's definitely worn off now

But Odegaard and Chambo were great and credit to Laca he really gives it his all

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Originally Posted by Mac76

Arteta has to take some of the blame for the poor start, no other manager destabilises his own team from the off by swapping wingers from one side to the other like that

Xhaka was predicatbly awful, his habit of simply giving the ball back to whoever passed it to him drives me insane

Partey was awful too, the shine's definitely worn off now

But Odegaard and Chambo were great and credit to Laca he really gives it his all

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Imagine starting a game with 11 players and none of them called Xhaka. Imagine that

Our 2nd goal by West ham OG must be a goal of the season contender. He absolutely blasted it past Flappyhandski

No way we’ll keep hold of Odegaard.

The set up at the start completely blew the game. The shape was horrible, basically an unintended 3 at the back. Awful

You never know with Real Madrid.

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

You never know with Real Madrid.

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Would he want to stay though? There’s not a load of quality around him.

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Originally Posted by Letters

Would he want to stay though? There’s not a load of quality around him.

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I think there’s a lot of potential around him in ESR, Saka, Martinelli and Partey (who I think needs more time to adapt).

Get fucking Xhaka out though. He was terrible today, and that is saying something.

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Originally Posted by Dial Square Old Boy

Thought I’d pre-empt McNamara That Ghost here.

It’s not yet half time but clear that this one’s already lost (currently at 0-3). Defence abysmal and not for the first time. Side has never been settled, though I concede a number of distant away matches have been played just now. I just can’t see Arteta motivating this lot into any retaliation. Feel sorry for the youngsters in the side, it’s demoralising.

I’ve seen this happen before of course but it doesn’t make the present situation any better.

Now at FT and 3-3 I still see problems. We rode our luck and Lacazette the only Arsenal player to score. Aubameyang? Pfft.

I’ve followed this club for 53 years now. Foe me and leaving the hungrier, younger players aside, I feel apprehensive about any improvement for a couple of seasons at least.

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Understand where you are coming from. I thought the same thing after the 3rd goal went in but something turned round immediately after that, with Odegaard and Chambers rolling their sleeves up, digging deep and giving belief to the others. Laca, Saka, Tierney and Luiz fought well despite Xhaka and Partey just going through the motions.

I am hoping Arteta starts seeing what seems obvious to those of us who see the promise of the youngsters. We're not going down, I doubt we'll get top 6, why not give the kids some game time in some of the dead rubbers we've got left? Can't be any worse than the first half an hour today.

Just heard Moyes saying throwing away a 3-0 lead was 'still a good result' :haha:

I don't like to unnecessarily criticise players but my word, Aubameyang has been truly awful for some time now. I'm starting to wish he'd left last summer and we'd just persevered with Lacazette up front.
Anyone know why our best CB wasn't playing? David Luiz must be Arteta's lovechild.
Odegaard has been in the team less than 2 months and he is already bossing our midfield, let's hope Real Madrid haven't been paying attention to our games lately.
Extra shooting practise for Thomas Partey, I think one of his efforts landed in my back garden and I live in Hertfordshire!

Arteta's constant tinkering with formations and players positions is becoming a major issue for me. That first half an hour was arguably the worst I have seen us play all season and that is saying something, it was totally unacceptable.

The fightback was good, but again...we left ourselves far too much to do and are forever tinkering with player positions and formations etc.

Yesterday was a classic Arsenal performance, from the ridiculous to the sublime.

As others have said, I thought Odegaard was superb 2nd half, he completely ran the game and has become an integral part of our team now, almost a leader. Arteta better have some long term plan in place, because if we don't secure the signing of Odegaard we will be a lot worse off quality wise as a team.

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Originally Posted by selassie

Arteta's constant tinkering with formations and players positions is becoming a major issue for me. That first half an hour was arguably the worst I have seen us play all season and that is saying something, it was totally unacceptable.

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Maybe he's just trying things. Let's face it, the league season is basically over for us. We're not qualifying for Europe through league position.
So if he wants to run some experiments then I'm OK with that.

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Originally Posted by Letters

Maybe he's just trying things. Let's face it, the league season is basically over for us. We're not qualifying for Europe through league position.
So if he wants to run some experiments then I'm OK with that.

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sorry but moving Saka out of what's demonstrably his best position and moving Auba to a side where he's even worse than on the left isn't any kind of 'experiment' it's just rank stupidity - plus he's already tried it before against Citeh and it didn't work then either

i think it's Arteta playing silly buggers with another of his old bosses, like he does when he swapped things around against Pep

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Originally Posted by Mac76;4539297[B

][/B]sorry but moving Saka out of what's demonstrably his best position and moving Auba to a side where he's even worse than on the left isn't any kind of 'experiment' it's just rank stupidity - plus he's already tried it before against Citeh and it didn't work then either

i think it's Arteta playing silly buggers with another of his old bosses, like he does when he swapped things around against Pep

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Yep, totally agree.

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Originally Posted by Mac76

sorry but moving Saka out of what's demonstrably his best position and moving Auba to a side where he's even worse than on the left isn't any kind of 'experiment' it's just rank stupidity - plus he's already tried it before against Citeh and it didn't work then either

i think it's Arteta playing silly buggers with another of his old bosses, like he does when he swapped things around against Pep

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He basically trying to find a way to fit Aubameyang in the team. He really didn't want to play him, me thinks

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Originally Posted by hobson's choice

He basically trying to find a way to fit Aubameyang in the team. He really didn't want to play him, me thinks

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He did the same with Ozil.