Match reaction vs Pool

[Özim]

What was clear yesterday is there was noone on the pitch to grab them by the scruff of the neck and calm and instruct them and noone on the touchline. In successful Wenger sides we had the likes of Adams, Keown, Vieira, together with genuine goal threat up front to settle the team down or bring them back into it when under pressure....yesterday was like a bunch of headless chickens running around, absolutely noone was organising or being disciplined and we had zero threat up front.

For all the talk about Mertersacker being a leader, where was he yesterday when his teammates needed someone to instruct them and offer experience?

[selassie]

I'm not saying "fluke" in terms of Liverpool not thoroughly deserving their win, I'm saying everything has to go 100% right for one club and 100% wrong for the other to get a 4-0 scoreline after 20 minutes. Normally such dominance results in maybe the breakthrough goal, a smack off a post, a great save, and incredible miss, etc. Much like the chavs when they annihilated city just as badly a we were beaten yesterday.

The fact Wenger doesn't seem to prepare for individual opponents, of course that has to be addressed and that's why we were so badly mauled yesterday (leaving aside for the time being the awful effort from the players). Everybody on the planet knew it should have been Gibbs for Monreal and of course such an obvious reality revealed itself starkly in the pitch. It took Wenger an hour to admit it - another problem we know about, he's stubborn as hell.

Injuries, why do we have to hear all the time about Fernandinho and Aguero as the excuses for city's humiliating pasting? Ramsey and Walcott? Not a mention from the media crack whores. Let's not buy into their shit. Instead let's ask what the fuck is up with us having so many crucial injuries all the time.

But instead it's all Wenger out, board are shit, players are shit - just a few days after it was Wenger should get a contract, board have done well with new deals, players have really stepped up. That's what journalists do, and as fans do we want to be copying those cunts? A win on Wednesday and it's all change again.

The fact we're pissed because we just lost top spot, where we have been most of the season, is reason enough to witness the progress. Not there yet, some old problems still to tackle, but lobbing toys as far out of the pram as we can is undignified and the media cunts are just loving it. Loving it so much they have gloated over images of a 65? year old bloke slipping and potentially injuring himself. See what lowlife slime they are? Better to stick two fingers up at the cunts than line up behind them like some here are doing.

The fact that Wenger doesn't seem to prepare for opponents is bad enough in itself, for that reason alone he is not doing his job properly and in no way should be given a new contract.

For sure we have made progress, we have put ourselves into a good position. The issue I have is that we just don't seem to be doing enough, tactics, transfer market/player recruitment, it really does frustrate me and I feel it's not necessary, we are handicapping ourselves with it and I will happily admit I think Wenger is largely responsible for it.

I do agree that the media are cunts and have been waiting for this.

[saintnickle]

I hear the optimism and we should try to stay positive but I can see this team chocking. It's Wenger's trademark and I have no confidence in him to turn this around. I'm just being realistic. I always thought we'd have a chance to capitlise off our rivals change of management this season but it came under certain conditions and I think Wenger has fucked up royally in the transfer market as he did in past seasons where we were top of the league but crumbled. 2008 is the most memorable.

We have next season to strengthen but I think we'll lose Sagna in the summer and I wouldn't rule out more exits. I seriously doubt we'll be able to replicate the buzz and conditions we're seeing this year and I don't think we'll ever win the Premier League again with Wenger in charge. He can't handle the pressure. It's like with the Carling Cup game against Birmingham. I have no idea why his teams crash like that so often but it's becoming a reoccurring pattern and we can't be certain this season won't be any different.

Good post..

[Power n Glory]

To grossly over simplify the whole thing to an extent.... I think that if Wenger wants to win these big games more often, he either has to decide to prepare for the opposition a lot more than he does......OR......he has a better team at his disposal and assemble a superior squad.

Previously he at least always had a world class forward to give them something to think about. The last season and a half he hasn't had that. He cannot knowingly go into seasons knowing he is two major players short (by admission of his own targets), not plan for the opposition....not blast anyone from the touchline playing poorly or needing to wake up and do all his talking all in the dressing room at half time and still expect to be pick up more points in these games.

If wenger puts a world class player in practically every 1st team position then fine......ignore the bloody opposition and tell them to just go out there and beat them up, but that is far from the case.

That's how we were able to win the league in the past but why we failed so miserably in the Champions League each year when we were title contenders.

[Power n Glory]

Even though we are not looking to sell it wont stop the likes of sagna going and anyone else with any ambition.You are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think we are going to keep our best players and buy stars.i will wager you any money you want that we wont spend more than 30 million a year.We so called had 70 m to spend in the summer but only parted with 25 m in total even though it was glaringly obvious that we needed a striker.Its one thing to spend what you earn but another to only spend half of it.Cardiff spend more than us.

That's also my worry. He's still moaning about the transfer window and trying to deflect attention away from our activity. We're still waiting for Sagna to sign a deal and it's a worry that we're still taking ages to retain the services of out older players. That's another thing to bear in mind. There are no guarantees that we'll be able to keep this squad together as well yet alone strgenthen. The signs are worrying and I want to see what we do in the summer.

[Özim]

Even though we are not looking to sell it wont stop the likes of sagna going and anyone else with any ambition.You are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think we are going to keep our best players and buy stars.i will wager you any money you want that we wont spend more than 30 million a year.We so called had 70 m to spend in the summer but only parted with 25 m in total even though it was glaringly obvious that we needed a striker.Its one thing to spend what you earn but another to only spend half of it.Cardiff spend more than us.

I agree, I think the 42 million we spent last summer was a one-off and only came about due to the sheer amount of fan pressure on the club. Next summer we'll see nothing before the World Cup, then excuses followed by 1 or 2 moderately priced signings, who won't be what we need as is the norm.

As for not losing players, Sagna is an obvious possible loss, but don't rule out players like Ozil wanting out either when he realises we're not going to bring in any big names, he doesn't look happy, our style doesn't suit him at all, at Real he created a hatful running up and down the pitch, in the last 8 games I think he has 2 assists for us.

It would be great to feel that things have changed, but despite an improvement this season I'm not convinced there's still a lot that remains the same, notably the manager and his tactics/style. If he had any common sense he would have reverted back to the style of his successful teams, because that worked numerous times for him whereas this current style never has. So how long should he persist? It seems there's no end to his persistence with this failed style and failed tactics.

The biggest problem at the club is Wenger because he'll never change and thus neither will the team.

[saintnickle]

I agree, I think the 42 million we spent last summer was a one-off and only came about due to the sheer amount of fan pressure on the club. Next summer we'll see nothing before the World Cup, then excuses followed by 1 or 2 moderately priced signings, who won't be what we need as is the norm.

As for not losing players, Sagna is an obvious possible loss, but don't rule out players like Ozil wanting out either when he realises we're not going to bring in any big names, he doesn't look happy, our style doesn't suit him at all, at Real he created a hatful running up and down the pitch, in the last 8 games I think he has 2 assists for us.

It would be great to feel that things have changed, but despite an improvement this season I'm not convinced there's still a lot that remains the same, notably the manager and his tactics/style. If he had any common sense he would have reverted back to the style of his successful teams, because that worked numerous times for him whereas this current style never has. So how long should he persist? It seems there's no end to his persistence with this failed style and failed tactics.

The biggest problem at the club is Wenger because he'll never change and thus neither will the team.

Your right ozim,ozil doesnt look happy and doesn't look like hes enjoying his football at all.

[AFC Leveller]

I dont know if anyone has mentioned this but when you lok at the way we've playing recently, trying to dicate the tempo early on, contain the oppo and hit them during a brief spell, it's worked and will work against poor sides but yesterday we came up against a side full of goals, pace and a side that plays high tempo and we wanted to playat our own pace (slow, tedious shit) but Liverpool simply didnt let us and robbed the ball of us everytime.

Something for the manager to think about next time (wont hold my breath).

[Marc Overmars]

We need some pace and energy. Losing Theo and Ramsey has killed us.

[topgun]

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

Exactly right,and on top of that the guy is so tactically clueless it's unreal,but as the board have just said well done and more of the same please and here's 24 million for your efforts.