Match Reaction - Arsenal 0-2 West Ham

[Niall_Quinn]

Wenger. That is all.

[adzzzbatch]

Shit from all concerned, especially Cech.

[AFC Leveller]

Horrible start to the season, horrible mistakes by Cech and the team lacked ideas energy and drive.

this is a very eazrly reminder that this team can still fuck up at any given moment and it is not ready to mount a serious challenge.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Whatever the mistakes by Cech, this was a result of tactical deficiency.

We conceded the first goal on nine ocassions last season, only once did we come back to win against a manager less Crystal Palace.

We don't have the players or the tactical nous from the manager to play the expansive football we want, West Ham were always going to make us play in front of them and look to take any chance from set pieces or counter. They deserved to win and Slaven Bilic saw us coming a mile off, predictable.

[PGFC]

lol...Wenger does it on purpose, just to upset GW.

[Marc Overmars]

If we don't start well and score then this is the always the risk. We're so poor at chasing, West Ham had the cigars out when defending today. Many other teams will do so as well.

Let's just stick to what we know rather than pretend we're any good. Bring on the 4th place scrap.

[Master Splinter]

Cech cost us the game quite clearly.

But the conservatism in going with the packed midfield again shows that Wenger has not learnt anything. Only more injuries leading to him stumbling upon a working formation will change things. So there's some hope, I suppose, with all the certain upcoming injuries.

Even when we had worse personnel in defence, I always felt that the lack of organisation in midfield or stupid mistakes like the one from Oxlade (yet again) were the main reason for all the pressure. I think that showed again today and when your goalkeeper plays like a clown on his debut, you're fucked.

No Walcott or Alexis means no quick movement up front, no guile, no unpredictability and no goals. Ox is good, but he's not a forward and we need at least two of Alexis, Theo or Ox to play. You can get away with playing a lone Giroud in some games, but over the season, the lack of a direct, incisive outlet will ultimately cost you.

The difference Bellerin makes should be obvious by now too. Anyone thinking Debuchy is for some reason a better defender should remember that Bellerin had outstanding games against City, United, Liverpool and Chelsea last season. Having players like Bellerin, Coquelin, Ox, Sanchez and Theo gives the team so much more energy and a new dimension. It also dilutes the creative players' uses when they've got no players or spaces to play with and pass to.

We'll bounce back comfortably from this and comfortably finish in the top three, but unless there's some clear-cut changes in team selection, there won't be progress. A couple of signings would certainly help, but they won't help us to a title if they're handicapped too.

And bring back Szczesny. He's the most decisive keeper on set-pieces we've had. If Cech has a few more games like that, it will become a huge problem.

[Static]

ROFL WHAT

[Power n Glory]

Cech cost us the game quite clearly.

But the conservatism in going with the packed midfield again shows that Wenger has not learnt anything. Only more injuries leading to him stumbling upon a working formation will change things. So there's some hope, I suppose, with all the certain upcoming injuries.

Even when we had worse personnel in defence, I always felt that the lack of organisation in midfield or stupid mistakes like the one from Oxlade (yet again) were the main reason for all the pressure. I think that showed again today and when your goalkeeper plays like a clown on his debut, you're fucked.

No Walcott or Alexis means no quick movement up front, no guile, no unpredictability and no goals. Ox is good, but he's not a forward and we need at least two of Alexis, Theo or Ox to play. You can get away with playing a lone Giroud in some games, but over the season, the lack of a direct, incisive outlet will ultimately cost you.

The difference Bellerin makes should be obvious by now too. Anyone thinking Debuchy is for some reason a better defender should remember that Bellerin had outstanding games against City, United, Liverpool and Chelsea last season. Having players like Bellerin, Coquelin, Ox, Sanchez and Theo gives the team so much more energy and a new dimension. It also dilutes the creative players' uses when they've got no players or spaces to play with and pass to.

We'll bounce back comfortably from this and comfortably finish in the top three, but unless there's some clear-cut changes in team selection, there won't be progress. A couple of signings would certainly help, but they won't help us to a title if they're handicapped too.

And bring back Szczesny. He's the most decisive keeper on set-pieces we've had. If Cech has a few more games like that, it will become a huge problem.

Sums up our problems and why you have to pay attention to the team selection. We've said it so many times in so many different ways but we keep seeing the same mistakes. Too much passers, not enough people moving. Too much ball to feet players on the pitch. Square pegs in round holes... etc. I just don't understand why Wenger hasn't sussed the pattern and how to balance a team. It takes injuries and players being unavailable for him to find the right combo.

[Ernesto]

Whatever the mistakes by Cech, this was a result of tactical deficiency.

We conceded the first goal on nine ocassions last season, only once did we come back to win against a manager less Crystal Palace.

We don't have the players or the tactical nous from the manager to play the expansive football we want, West Ham were always going to make us play in front of them and look to take any chance from set pieces or counter. They deserved to win and Slaven Bilic saw us coming a mile off, predictable.

It really was reminiscent of the football we were playing between 2006 and 2010.

Boring, predictable, shit.