Match reaction vs Schalke

[Power n Glory]

Yeah see image below, Vermaelen was already running away from goal long before (maybe it was his man but he was long gone), Mertersacker was the only one who could see the attacker and therefore really should have covered him rather than ignoring him. Both at fault but ultimately Mertersacker should have covered it IMO:



Since we play zonal marking, no player marks any particular man and thus Vermaelen was simply covering his area, the player behind Mertersacker would have covered the other guy.

Ultimately though it was a poor performance by everyone IMO, we conceded two goals and didn't score any which is hardly a strong case for either defence or attack.

Give it up man. You're wrong. If Merts would have moved over to cover Huntelaar, his man would have been open and through on goal if the header were to go his way. No point in being stubborn on this and posting up a still image after we've seen replays. But whatever.

[Özim]

Give it up man. You're wrong. If Merts would have moved over to cover Huntelaar, his man would have been open and through on goal if the header were to go his way. No point in being stubborn on this and posting up a still image after we've seen replays. But whatever.

I disagree, I watched the match and that part of it over and over again I have it on Sky Go, Vermaelen was long gone (perhaps wrongly) and Mertersacker was the only who could see the attacker, he then completely ignored him (just as they said in the commentary) and allowed him a free run on goal, he should have seen the danger and stopped it, the other guy wasn't a threat in the least.....we don't play man to man marking so noone is marking anyone in particular...you just covering the danger.

As I said both at fault in some way but Mertersacker should have covered, that's what good CB partnerships do, cover for each other.

[Niall_Quinn]

I disagree, I watched the match and that part of it over and over again I have it on Sky Go, Vermaelen was long gone (perhaps wrongly) and Mertersacker was the only who could see the attacker, he then completely ignored him (just as they said in the commentary) and allowed him a free run on goal, he should have seen the danger and stopped it, the other guy wasn't a threat in the least.....we don't play man to man marking so noone is marking anyone in particular...you just covering the danger.

As I said both at fault in some way but Mertersacker should have covered, that's what good CB partnerships do, cover for each other.

Even in a zonal system as the CB you don't allow two strikers in behind you in the box, on the penalty spot in fact, the key danger area. You've got men ahead of you to cover the space TV is moving into (actually no, we sold him but the theory stands). TV is completely out of position, the only reason he'd be there is if he had a fair chance of charging the ball down. He's left Merts in a hopeless position where the pass can go either side of him to either striker. It's a lack of discipline from TV, the guy doesn't treat defending seriously enough. He's too cavalier. Kos is the same to be fair. Merts looks more like an old school defender who knows the importance of conservatism in defence.

I can't recall if maybe Jenks could have got across to help out but even if he could have he should have been the third man used to overwhelm those two, not the emergency cover because TV had gone walkabout. It's lack of awareness, straightforward poor defending. Add Santos into the mix and an inexplicable instruction to Podolski not to chase back (because you can be sure he would be bollocked if he was disobeying orders) and you have a mega-fucked strategy that can't possibly have come from another old school defender Steve Bould.

This has Wenger's fingerprints all over it and if he wanted to find a sure fire way to fuck us up that was the team and the gameplan to do it. If I didn't know how committed he is to the club I'd even suspect him of sabotage it was that bad, that obviously flawed and so obviously negligent not to change it once the disaster waiting to happen was being broadcast loud and clear.

It was an incredbile fuck up of a match. The same shit was happening in midfield too with Arteta being overwhelmed and no fucker stepping in to help him. Then you have Ramsey and Gervinho gifting the ball to the opposition and that doubles the workload. Shit all round.

[Power n Glory]

NQ

Summed up nicely.

[Özim]

I agree with what NQ says to some extent, however it's still brainless defending to just let a player run free in the penalty area when you see him, especially their best finisher and one of the best finishers in Europe.

Mertersacker saw him and would have seen Vermaelen was nowhere near, he should have covered end of, it's a team game not an I'll look after myself mentality required, in the days we had a decent defence the defenders didn't just play like lemmings, they covered for each other when necessary and when better placed, the other guy had run away from goal and was even further away than Vermaelen.

Why the hell would you ignore a guy who scored 39 goals last season when he's free in the penalty area?

It's no wonder we're sh*t in defence when our positional play is awful and noone anticipates danger when it's plain to see to anyone who bothers looking.

[Power n Glory]

http://cadfael.tv/image/src/1351109929672.gif

He didn't just leave him. He's tracking his man and when he sees that Verms doesn't have his man, he tries to cover but it's too late. If Verms had maybe taken a step to his right as Merts does when the ball gets flicked over then that ball gets cut out.

[Özim]

http://cadfael.tv/image/src/1351109929672.gif

He didn't just leave him. He's tracking his man and when he sees that Verms doesn't have his man, he tries to cover but it's too late. If Verms had maybe taken a step to his right as Merts does when the ball gets flicked over then that ball gets cut out.

That angle doesn't really show it well, the side on view gives you a much better idea, Vermaelen is badly positioned no doubt about it, but Mertersacker is standing behind Huntelaar and with that in mind you'd be crazy to just let him run free when you're fellow CB hasn't seen him, he's their best finisher why would you track a guy who's nowhere near as dangerous if you have the choice, common sense should prevail.

[Niall_Quinn]

I think we can all agree it was fucked up. Whole match was fucked up from start to finish.

[-Xs-]

I didn't watch any of the match

Just watching that gif, I'd say the blame lies across pretty much them all - bad positional awareness from the defence and mid, failing to close down correctly, and a shit keeper behind them.

[fakeyank]

Was it Per or Tommy? Well I know for a fact that it was a monumental fuck up by everyone... all the players on the field barring gnabry should be executed.