Match Reaction vs West Ham (home).

[Niall_Quinn]

Nothing like a win to bring the doom mongers out in full force.

[Dein-machine]

It's just funny because Wenger is constantly criticised on here (with some justification) for not giving the players enough instruction, now he's being accused of giving players strict instructions.

And yes, obviously Ozil needs players running on to his balls but if the players we've got who can do that are injured then that's not poor management of Ozil.

All players will be instructed about their personal role before a game, the fact that Ozil & the other midfielders were so deep all night would suggest this is what they were told to do because its not natural for most of our midfielders. So, we could say that the instructions whilst trying to nick a draw may have worked on others, they are the wrong instructions for someone like Ozil = Bad management.
Whilst injuries to Rambo & Theo have definitely hindered Ozil, Wenger has restricted our forward movement by regularly playing Flamini & Arteta together, asking our attacking midfielders to play deep & the biggest mistake of all - not buying pace & a goalscoring threat in Jan window when he knew he was without Rambo & Theo and that Giroud is shit = Bad management

[Özim]

It's interesting how when it suits you you take his words and actions as proof positive how much he cares, but when things aren't going so well you ignore his clear frustration and say he isn't bothered about us winning.

It's not actually his words, more his general demeanour and actions, I never said he doesn't like winning but I've noticed his excitement at the prospect of 4th place particularly the other night.

[Özim]

To be fair to Zim, when we were being handed our arse in the thrashings this year Wenger sat there, lifeless and shell-shocked ..no reaction, no getting on the touchline to cajole, organise and instruct ...absolutely nothing, giving the impression he was clueless as to any sort of answer or response to the pummeling we were taking. To me he came across as a man resigned to our fate and accepting that we had no response, until of course for the lame stato substitutions at 68 minutes, long after we'd been raped.

...on the other hand, now that we are desperately fighting for 4th spot and facing the lesser lights in the league, he's all up on his feet early in games cajoling, organising and instructing ...get the picture

Great post and spot on, you can just see the excitement and hear it in his interviews too.

[Letters]

It's not actually his words, more his general demeanour and actions.

Which you interpret however you wish on a case by case basis in order to back up what you've already decided to be the case.

[Özim]

Nothing like a win to bring the doom mongers out in full force.

Should we change our opinion because we got a couple of wins? A couple wins doesn't really change that much and doesn't fix the problems, my opinion doesn't change whether we win or lose, it will only change when I see real signs of progression over the course of a season and a demonstration that we're willing to adapt to the changing circumstances on and off the field.

[Özim]

Which you interpret however you wish on a case by case basis in order to back up what you've already decided to be the case.

Not really no, but I would think after the disaster in the last couple months he would be a little less excited about beating a team we should beat who have nothing to play for at home, there's nothing on the line except 4th place, it's not like the title is an option anymore.


I can understand the excitement in the FA Cup but not when you're fighing for 4th, in football terms (not financial) it's almost meaningless and yet he reacts as if his goose has just laid a golden egg.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Not really no, but I would think after the disaster in the last couple months he would be a little less excited about beating a team we should beat who have nothing to play for at home, there's nothing on the line except 4th place, it's not like the title is an option anymore.


I can understand the excitement in the FA Cup but not when you're fighing for 4th, in football terms (not financial) it's almost meaningless and yet he reacts as if his goose has just laid a golden egg.

Champions League football is key to our sustainability as a football club, and whilst the board may not put pressure on him to win trophies i can imagine they do for him to win 4th. Plus i don't care who you are, if your team hasn't won in almost a month you are going to celebrate when they do....doesn't matter who you are playing.
And to be honest i'd rather us finish 4th than 5th, because what's the point of having a new manager in at the club if he will have next to nothing to spend and we won't get in a top manager because the top manager wants to manage a club in the champions league?

[Power n Glory]

Any other response to what I posted apart from the usual pathetic sarcasm - How about how you disagree that he has been managed badly.

I expected, hence the silence. Ozil has been played into the ground with the amount of games he's played. The injury was bound to happen.

[fakeyank]

What do people think about having Pods and Giroud upfront as a 2 ?

Maybe a 4-3-1-2 , with the 3 being : Ramsey, Arteta/Flam, Ox , the one being Ozil/Cazorla, and Giroud/Pods uptop.

I love that idea. I want to see us line up with two up top. I understanding crowding the midfield when we are away against the likes of Chelsea, City, Liverpool but two up top is my favorite formation.