It was a one off game. Stop overreacting.
It was a one off game. Stop overreacting.
I wasn't blaming Mkitaryan for the loss by any means, it was just an observation based on what's happened on his career, all very good delivering when you're playing an avergae team, much harded when you're playing a top side who won't give you time on the ball and have quality all over the pitch.
We were overrun yesterday, partly that due to players not working hard enough, obviously the lack of quality in defence and in CM was another issue, but for me Mkhitaryan doesn't need to adapt, he's been playing in this league for a while now and should realise how big a game it was, the fact he didn't really do anything was disappointing as well.
Don't get me wrong, the defeat was 100% down to Wenger for me, but I'm jst wondering if it was wise to have two players like Ozil and Mkhitaryan in the same team when playing a top side.
For me Lacazette in the 10 mins he was on showed plenty of good movement, I know he missed a good chance but he looked sharped and once he gets a goal and gets a run his confidence will return, he definitely helps our play IMO and I'd play him in the 1st 11 with Aubameyang.
The whole team were pretty anonymous to be honest, we know it's Wenger but the fact noone could stand up and be counted either (including Wilshere that everyone wants as captain) was disappointing, Wenger is Wenger and is a major problem, but in the old days we had players who would turn up despite Wenger, it seems these days we don't really.
Spurs have won 6 of the last 9 Derby games against Arsenal, with 2 draws and only one win for the Gunners.
Be careful what you wish for
1 game isn't enough to be honest, Aubameyang is a forward and will need service so obviously without that he won't do a lot on the whole, however it's down to the midfield to create and work, we know Ozil won't, is Mkhitaryan another player who won't?Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
People can say what they like about Lacazette, but he does work hard and does try to make things happen which is more difficult as a striker. The way Spurs overpowered us was embarrassing, but clearly they're far superior to us, they're a proper team with quality in the right areas.
We could do worse than the try and sign Alderweireld (isn't his contract almost up) as he's quality.
True. it's how we bounce back in the next game that matters. Or the game after that if the bounce is a bit delayed.
Für eure Sicherheit
There's no way those players weren't aware of what a London derby means to the fans. There's no way they didn't work, the stats will bear all that out I'm sure. And that's where Wenger will get his solace from, oh look, we ran as far as them, made as many passes as them. First thing he said yesterday, possession was 50/50 as if some great achievement had been secured or somehow this meaningless statistic indicated parity between the clubs. But he's delusional of course.
The players collapse in games like this because the opposition manager knows precisely how to shut down our pitter-patter game. A little bit of pressing, don't give us time, don't give space at the back, and bypass the static midfield with a quick pass. It's so simple. Wenger sets up the same way for every opponent. He may change the players, may move them around a bit or even fuck around with a back three or a back four. But the principle is always the same. Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass... slow it down, retain possession, don't lose the ball, play it safe. And walk it into the net if the opportunity arises. Don't waste possession with snap shots or long shots or speculative balls forward - you can see he looks pissed when we do that, even though we end up giving it away anyway on the 368th pitter-pat pass in front of the defence or the bollocks cross that always hits the first defender.
This is why we can't win and can't even put in a performance against teams that are set up to shut us down. And when those teams also have effective players we get a hiding. If the managers were swapped yesterday then Arsenal would have thrashed the spuds. Thrashed them.
Für eure Sicherheit
I feel the reason we lost yesterday was the same reason Lacazette missed those two chances at the end
Poor mentality
I don’t necessarily buy into this idea that we should have gone for the jugular with our team selection. I did state that I wished Lacazette and Aubemeyang to start before the game but you think of all the times we have gone for it away from home and been picked off on the counter, it rather nullifies the idea that if we can’t defend we might as well attack especially especially as we lack the midfield presence to impose ourselves on the game and in reality we haven’t really had it that convincingly since Vieira left.
The first half wasn’t terrible, I think playing Ozil on the wings didn’t work and certainly didn’t offer us defensive solidity as Bellerin had to deal with Davies and Son by himself (and actually he did it quite well). Mhkytarians final balls were a let down but we kept our shape well and did look dangerous on the counter attack even if the execution was off
Although with that I do take on board that we didn’t press them at all on the ball, not our attacking players, not Xhaka and not Elneny.
The goal went in after half time, and it was just pandemonium. Why?. Why did we panic so much and lose our heads and our shape. Partly because the players have absolutely no confidence, partly because there’s no gameplan mid game. There’s no “if we go 1-0 down we will keep our heads but do x, y and z differently”.
That’s the real negative judgement on Wenger.
Is Kane really miles better than Aubemeyang, Eriksen better than Ozil, Son better than Mhkytarian. Eric Dier and Dembele on their day are better than Elneny and Xhaka but Dier is also just as much of a fuck up.
Don’t get me wrong we do need far better midfielders, but that wasn’t why we lost yesterday.
One man is the reason we lost and the same man is the reason we lost 14 of 26 away games
Wenger is a scared old man, afraid of the future and haunted by his past. His past, as it will be revealed what a clusterfuck he was in reality, how he lucked upon a golden age of players and milked its genesis as his own making, players who could have accomplished so much more if he wasnt such a charlatan.
He fears the future because he is afraid what will happen if he leaves after being unsuccessful for so long and if someone else takes over and the clubs fortunes immediately improve. What will be said about him? What will he do?. So he grimly hangs on in a prison of his own making, shackling the aspirations of hundreds of millions of fans along with him. Even to make a change , a little change, allow someone else to coach, to suggest a new strategy, will be to lose what he cherises most...power and adulation.
His will be remembered as a bloodless coup, the most successful and complete in sports history with the complicit cooperation of the dunces on the board during the final years of PHW`s reign.
Make 2mrw better than 2day
Come on let’s stop with this trying to rewrite history just because Wenger should have gone years ago
You don’t win three premier league titles by dumb luck, just as in the same way you don’t lose 14 games from 26 on the road just as a result of bad luck.
It’s daft to suggest he was never a very good manager.
Van Gaal in his day was a better manager than Wenger but at Man United he was terrible, every dog has his day.
A good manager would be able to replicate what brought him success. Realise what it was and build on it. Why has he not won a league since the demise of the invincibles?. He may be a good manager but definitely not a great one. Great managers win great things and do it consistently. He was lucky with his squad of 1996-2004. History proves it.
Make 2mrw better than 2day
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