Match Reaction - Arsenal 1-2 Watford

[Power n Glory]

The difference between Saturday and last night was obvious. Forget strategy. It's just team selection and playing style.

- Play a midfielder that's not the best ball distributor but and plays simple passes

+ along with midfielder that has no positional awareness, bombs forward and leaves gaping gaps in the middle

+ an inactive/lazy attacking midfielder that plays well in patches

= no control in the midfield control, no rhythm and poor build up play.

Edit - And that's just the midfield selection problem. Even if we solve that issue, we still have that lump playing up front. Even if we manage to get the flow and rhythm right in midfield, Giroud has the bottle neck effect on our play. It comes to a halt.

[Marc Overmars]

I think he has a point, you can't attribute victory on saturday to steve bould and then attribute defeat on tuesday to Wenger....that's totally ridiculous

Saturday was Wenger, Tuesday was Wenger.....

He's right about the fans at the stadium, and it's ridiculous to blame Wenger for that....the fans have been like that ever since we moved to the Emirates. Get there on time, stay to the end.....no i don't go week in week out....haven't been to an Arsenal game in over a year in fact but been to about 30 games at the Emirates stadium since the move and it's always the same whatever the score....fans shuffling out from the 80 minute mark.

I think Wenger needs to go, he's utterly utterly stale and this club needs some effervescence and a need fresh approach, but we can't keep pretending that it's the answer to all our problems. We need to create a better atmosphere at the Emirates stadium and i don't think getting rid of Wenger will necessarily improve that....the singing section....rewarding loyalty points for people who get there on time and don't leave till the end i think would.

That would be embarrassing, the club having to essentially beg people to turn up on time and stay, imagine the stick we'd get for that! Fans need to take responsibly for themselves but unfortunately the hardcore goers have likely been priced out and replaced by tourists and part-timers for whom watching Arsenal is akin to going to the cinema.

The Emirates is a soulless pit. Not really surprised how the team often struggle to get going at home compared to away games.

[Power n Glory]

That would be embarrassing, the club having to essentially beg people to turn up on time and stay, imagine the stick we'd get for that! Fans need to take responsibly for themselves but unfortunately the hardcore goers have likely been priced out and replaced by tourists and part-timers for whom watching Arsenal is akin to going to the cinema.

The Emirates is a soulless pit. Not really surprised how the team often struggle to get going at home compared to away games.

Or maybe people are just growing tired of the same shit? Those that are leaving early are probably regulars and not tourists because they wouldn't arrive late or leave early if it's their first time going. It comes back to the team and way we're playing. It's not inspiring.

[Marc Overmars]

Or maybe people are just growing tired of the same shit? Those that are leaving early are probably regulars and not tourists because they wouldn't arrive late or leave early if it's their first time going. It comes back to the team and way we're playing. It's not inspiring.

Fans have been buggering off early ever since the move to the Emirates. There is definitely a new kind of fan attending games now.

[Power n Glory]

Fans have been buggering off early ever since the move to the Emirates. There is definitely a new kind of fan attending games now.

New fans...yes. But I seriously doubt new fans that don't often visit the Emirates are coming in late and leaving early. It's a bitch getting to the game and even more of bitch getting back home when you have to queue at the station or wade through a massive crowd just to get to the station. It has to be regulars leaving early that know the routine and can't stand the same story. Not saying people won't leave early but the numbers will continue to grow if we continue to play shit. If we're out of the title race by March, we'll start to see less people attending games as well as people leaving early. We're at a point now where people aren't even satisfied with a late comeback because we all know damn well we shouldn't be in that sort of position at home against Watford.

[selassie]

Is anyone surprised, I'm not, it happens every season, this team will never win the league of CL with this manager in charge, but what's worse our football is dreadful and boring and every season pans out the same way, there's no unpredictability.

Not at all surprised no. Many including myself called this season even before a ball was kicked.

This season is no different to last season, why would it be when we have Wenger in charge? This is a man who went into our first game of the season with Holding & Chambers as our starting CB's, he doesn't care about winning, he will do the absolute bare minimum to achieve the seasons targets, he sets the targets, he is accountable to nobody.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

New fans...yes. But I seriously doubt new fans that don't often visit the Emirates are coming in late and leaving early. It's a bitch getting to the game and even more of bitch getting back home when you have to queue at the station or wade through a massive crowd just to get to the station. It has to be regulars leaving early that know the routine and can't stand the same story. Not saying people won't leave early but the numbers will continue to grow if we continue to play shit. If we're out of the title race by March, we'll start to see less people attending games as well as people leaving early. We're at a point now where people aren't even satisfied with a late comeback because we all know damn well we shouldn't be in that sort of position at home against Watford.

No i think you're right it is the regulars doing it, but as MO has stated they have always done it.....rain or sunshine, great game or terrible game, winning, losing or on a knife edge they are off at the same time to beat the crowds.

I have been to games in 2007 and 2008, and games in 2015 and 2016 and it's not increased or decreased it's stayed the same.

I agree with you fans have a right to be angry paying so much and seeing dross, but these people would do it anyway

[selassie]

To admit there weren't mentally ready is pathetic really. Just shows how untouchable he is, and he knows that as well. If he cares as much about the club as he claims to then this has to be his last season. Another contract would be for purely selfish reasons.

I want to get angry about this result but it's just so predictable. Chelsea drop points and still extend their lead over us, our squad is as good as theirs yet the league is done and dusted by end of Jan thanks to our managers incompetence.

He mentioned the mentality thing regarding the players like it wasn't his responsibility! Why is he even saying stuff like this in public?!

I'm not angry either, can't be bothered to invest my emotions in this team, not worth it. At least I can enjoy Saturday now, not going to watch the game, I'm taking my kids out for the day instead.

[Power n Glory]

No i think you're right it is the regulars doing it, but as MO has stated they have always done it.....rain or sunshine, great game or terrible game, winning, losing or on a knife edge they are off at the same time to beat the crowds.

I have been to games in 2007 and 2008, and games in 2015 and 2016 and it's not increased or decreased it's stayed the same.

I agree with you fans have a right to be angry paying so much and seeing dross, but these people would do it anyway

How do you know the numbers have stayed the same through the years? Also, it's not as if 2007 and 2008 were great years for us either.

I'm not that fussed about people arriving late or leaving early. Life happens and it may be a case of people traveling far just to see the game but have an early start in the morning. Nobody knows what sacrifices are being made just to be at the game so I can't really assume too much.

Full crowd, half empty crowd, it's no excuse for a shit show from the players and poor prep from the manager.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

How do you know the numbers have stayed the same through the years? Also, it's not as if 2007 and 2008 were great years for us either.

I'm not that fussed about people arriving late or leaving early. Life happens and it may be a case of people traveling far just to see the game but have an early start in the morning. Nobody knows what sacrifices are being made just to be at the game so I can't really assume too much.

Full crowd, half empty crowd, it's no excuse for a shit show from the players and poor prep from the manager.

It's anecdotal evidence of course, all i'm saying is that i've been to games at the beginning of our time at the emirates and recently and there was no noticeable difference in the level in the people leaving at the 80 minute mark. It doesn't matter if it's a midweek evening encounter or a saturday afternoon kick off

There is no excuse for starting the way we did last night, of course i don't blame that on anyone but the manager and the players

Would we still be performing like this if the fans got here on time, stayed to the end and got behind the team more?....quite probably but there's also an argument to be made that a more buoyant atmosphere does help the players. A one off example but i remember we were getting outplayed by Barcelona at home six years ago but even watching on tv the crowd were as noisy as i've ever known them to be and i think that filtered through to the players and it helped them go up that extra level.

That's not the same as blaming fans for the players performances, that's saying the crowd atmosphere does make a difference.

In 2006 when we first moved to the Emirates there was no where near the same negativity amongst the fan base (understandably the fans have been very patient over ten years for no real reward) but people leave out of a sense of habbit rather than what's going on, on the pitch. If it's an evening game and we're already comfortably winning.....that's fine....get home for work in the morning i get that. But on a saturday afternoon? really.....whilst i think TFL could have been a bit more helpful with making better access to drayton park and opening it up on matchdays......i've left the ground early once (2-0 home defeat to schalke) and usually make my way out at the final whistle and the difference for me in getting back to either highbury and islington and finsbury park is 10-15 minutes at most.

Now yes just to confirm i'm only basing this on my own experiences which yeah are probably about 10% of the overall games played at the emirates, but no i'm not in anyway trying to make excuses for Wenger what happened last night was on him and the team completely. And yes i do think the atmosphere will improve if he's not here next season, but at the same time i honestly wish our ground was more intimidating to away teams