Match reaction vs Pool

[AFC Leveller]

Payback time next week bitches. We have to return the favour and at least beat them by 2 or 3 next Sunday.

[Niall_Quinn]

It's not a fantasy game, look at our record in games that matter over the last 6-7 years, see how many we've actually won when the pressure is on.

Okay, now the goalposts are shifting back in time. So let's go even further back. Now how are we doing against the top clubs?

[Xhaka Can’t]

The thing is, there has been change. Significant change. That does not mean I think we have eradicated all our bad habits.

But what I have, which I haven't had for years is hope for the future. We are no longer looking to sell and for the first time in over a decade, we are likely to buy a star than sell one.

We beat pretty much everyone we are supposed to beat, but remain shocking against the top sides.

We are almost sure to qualify for the CL, and on years past, that just made me groan as it made no difference. We were never going to be buyers. Now it is different.

There is a long way to go yet, but at least we are on the right path and there are players in this team that are working for the shirt.

[Niall_Quinn]

Payback time next week bitches. We have to return the favour and at least beat them by 2 or 3 next Sunday.

Exactly. Although I'd rather have been kicked out of the cup than lose the points yesterday.

[Özim]

So fine, it now turns out we haven't been blown away every time. Progress. Yes, we dropped points. Just as the chvas and city have dropped crazy points against lower placed teams, and utd and pool have dropped points everywhere. We have a chance to pick up points too.

We've dropped a lot of points, but the point is these big matches matter a lot, particularly later on in the season when you approach the end of the season, we've regularly failed to turn up in those fixtures before and we've already started this season's end of season run in against the better sides in a similar fashion, so why would anyone believe it's going to be different this time, because we've been top? We we not top a few years ago as well when something similar happened?

[Bergkampwonderland10]

The off the ball running from Liverpool yesterday showed us what has been missing since we lost Walcott and Ramsey…and without Flamini we have noone orchestrating the midfield to protect the back four. That's our undoing…it's amazing how stagnant we were yesterday and over our past 3 or 4 games. Walcott's loss was massive and yet Wenger chose to do nothing in the transfer window.. griezmann would have been a good replacement by all accounts.
Anyway…let's hope for a massive response. I'd play Rosicky from the start against Man U…he always ups the tempo of the team as a whole. Wilshere…does it in fits and spurts…not sure what Ozil is at…he's being marked closely but showed second half against southampton that he can up his game in an instant. He looked pissed off to be subbed…but he knows it was probably his worst game for us… Giroud needs to stop dropping so deep…he's definitely in need of support up front and we have NO ONE! Shame. Let's see if we can sort a few things out v man u…Wenger has already played his hand saying how shit scared we are of Mata…so let's hope he puts Arteta man for man on him…which I doubt! Wilshere can take rooney and kos can sort Dutch skunk.

[Özim]

Okay, now the goalposts are shifting back in time. So let's go even further back. Now how are we doing against the top clubs?

It's relevant, because our poor performances against top sides stretches back years, it's a cycle that's been going on for a long time and affects us every time we play them.

[Niall_Quinn]

We've dropped a lot of points, but the point is these big matches matter a lot, particularly later on in the season when you approach the end of the season, we've regularly failed to turn up in those fixtures before and we've already started this season's end of season run in against the better sides in a similar fashion, so why would anyone believe it's going to be different this time, because we've been top? We we not top a few years ago as well when something similar happened?

You're slaughtering the manager for something that will happen in the future?

[Özim]

The off the ball running from Liverpool yesterday showed us what has been missing since we lost Walcott and Ramsey…and without Flamini we have noone orchestrating the midfield to protect the back four. That's our undoing…it's amazing how stagnant we were yesterday and over our past 3 or 4 games. Walcott's loss was massive and yet Wenger chose to do nothing in the transfer window.. griezmann would have been a good replacement by all accounts.
Anyway…let's hope for a massive response. I'd play Rosicky from the start against Man U…he always ups the tempo of the team as a whole. Wilshere…does it in fits and spurts…not sure what Ozil is at…he's being marked closely but showed second half against southampton that he can up his game in an instant. He looked pissed off to be subbed…but he knows it was probably his worst game for us… Giroud needs to stop dropping so deep…he's definitely in need of support up front and we have NO ONE! Shame. Let's see if we can sort a few things out v man u…Wenger has already played his hand saying how shit scared we are of Mata…so let's hope he puts Arteta man for man on him…which I doubt! Wilshere can take rooney and kos can sort Dutch skunk.

I think our problem is our style of play, it's too slow and too reliant on perfect football, I agree that Liverpool's off the ball running was brilliant but their game was played at pace as well, everything they did was based on pressure, runners and quick attacks. Walcott does help for sure (as we saw in the FA Cup) however only occasionally as that's not generally the way we play.

We basically need to go back to playing with pacey runners (we have a few in Ozil, Cazorla) and need to get rid of Giroud up front who is just too slow, the midfield has a tendency to slow the play down as well as the moment with their sideways passing rather than more positive forward thinking passes.

[Özim]

You're slaughtering the manager for something that will happen in the future?

I'm slaughtering the manager for almost 9 years of the same thing, nothing to me suggests it's going to change this season.