Match Reaction - Arsenal 0-2 West Ham

[Kano]

As good as he can be at times, I'm not really sure how I feel about Ramsey.

If Ramsey left and worked under a manager that developed his game on and off the pitch, he could be one of the best in the world. He works under a manager who doesn't teach him any discipline in his role, so like everyone else out there wearing our shirt, they are left to figure it out for themselves. As long as he stays at the club under Wenger, he'll remain a frustrating player to watch.

[Kano]

Too many players had shockers today, not just Cech. Why move Cazorla out of the position where he was fundamental to our good run last season. If that means Ramsey out of position or on the bench tough shit. Absolutely toothless up front with Giroud as well. And Ozil really was dreadful today, capable of so much better.

Oh how I've missed that feeling of bitter disappointment.

Exactly. That system seemed to be working. Cazorla deep, Ramsey out wide and ozil allowed room to control the centre.

[LDG]

Midfield was appauling today. They were all so square. No movement.

AOC, by far out most dangerous player kept coming inside and was then moved to RB.

Ozil had no movement in front of him

Our ball retention was terrible

We didn't work as hard as West Ham and were second to every ball.

The defence was sloppy and slow.

The keeper looked like a lumbering oaf.

All in all.

Fucking crap

[Globalgunner]

Its going to take a lot more than what we have to overcome the deficit of having Wenger as manager, better players than this lot struggled to make up for it. Is this another of those car crash starts or just a hiccup. All in all that sense of optimism sure dissipated fast didn't it?

[Power n Glory]

Cech cost us the game quite clearly.

But the conservatism in going with the packed midfield again shows that Wenger has not learnt anything. Only more injuries leading to him stumbling upon a working formation will change things. So there's some hope, I suppose, with all the certain upcoming injuries.

Even when we had worse personnel in defence, I always felt that the lack of organisation in midfield or stupid mistakes like the one from Oxlade (yet again) were the main reason for all the pressure. I think that showed again today and when your goalkeeper plays like a clown on his debut, you're fucked.

No Walcott or Alexis means no quick movement up front, no guile, no unpredictability and no goals. Ox is good, but he's not a forward and we need at least two of Alexis, Theo or Ox to play. You can get away with playing a lone Giroud in some games, but over the season, the lack of a direct, incisive outlet will ultimately cost you.

The difference Bellerin makes should be obvious by now too. Anyone thinking Debuchy is for some reason a better defender should remember that Bellerin had outstanding games against City, United, Liverpool and Chelsea last season. Having players like Bellerin, Coquelin, Ox, Sanchez and Theo gives the team so much more energy and a new dimension. It also dilutes the creative players' uses when they've got no players or spaces to play with and pass to.

We'll bounce back comfortably from this and comfortably finish in the top three, but unless there's some clear-cut changes in team selection, there won't be progress. A couple of signings would certainly help, but they won't help us to a title if they're handicapped too.

And bring back Szczesny. He's the most decisive keeper on set-pieces we've had. If Cech has a few more games like that, it will become a huge problem.

Sums up our problems and why you have to pay attention to the team selection. We've said it so many times in so many different ways but we keep seeing the same mistakes. Too much passers, not enough people moving. Too much ball to feet players on the pitch. Square pegs in round holes... etc. I just don't understand why Wenger hasn't sussed the pattern and how to balance a team. It takes injuries and players being unavailable for him to find the right combo.

[Niall_Quinn]

AOC, by far out most dangerous player kept coming inside and was then moved to RB.

That was inexplicable. Hammers couldn't handle him at all in the first 20 mins then we swapped it all around and out came the slippers and the drinking chocolate and their defence coasted home.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Ugh

Same old predictable nonsense

The game is over as soon as the other team score first, because we don't have someone who can just get us a goal from route one (we've lacked that since we sold the rapist) and unsurprisingly our record of coming from behind in matches is atrocious.
Bilic is a good manager, and he won the way any good manager would win by compact defending and hassling us off the ball.
When we have time and space, we can beat anyone....when we don't....our ability is negligible.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Cech cost us the game quite clearly.

But the conservatism in going with the packed midfield again shows that Wenger has not learnt anything. Only more injuries leading to him stumbling upon a working formation will change things. So there's some hope, I suppose, with all the certain upcoming injuries.

Even when we had worse personnel in defence, I always felt that the lack of organisation in midfield or stupid mistakes like the one from Oxlade (yet again) were the main reason for all the pressure. I think that showed again today and when your goalkeeper plays like a clown on his debut, you're fucked.

No Walcott or Alexis means no quick movement up front, no guile, no unpredictability and no goals. Ox is good, but he's not a forward and we need at least two of Alexis, Theo or Ox to play. You can get away with playing a lone Giroud in some games, but over the season, the lack of a direct, incisive outlet will ultimately cost you.

The difference Bellerin makes should be obvious by now too. Anyone thinking Debuchy is for some reason a better defender should remember that Bellerin had outstanding games against City, United, Liverpool and Chelsea last season. Having players like Bellerin, Coquelin, Ox, Sanchez and Theo gives the team so much more energy and a new dimension. It also dilutes the creative players' uses when they've got no players or spaces to play with and pass to.

We'll bounce back comfortably from this and comfortably finish in the top three, but unless there's some clear-cut changes in team selection, there won't be progress. A couple of signings would certainly help, but they won't help us to a title if they're handicapped too.

And bring back Szczesny. He's the most decisive keeper on set-pieces we've had. If Cech has a few more games like that, it will become a huge problem.

Cech cost us a point. The game could still be ticking along and we'd in all probability be looking for an opener. Which to be fair, is kind of hard to get when your sticker is firing in a cross from the left wing with nobody in the box.

[Power n Glory]

Cazorla and Ozil were effectively taken out of the game today by Wenger's absolute insistence of forcing certain players into the starting eleven. He has no notion of squad rotation or selecting a team to beat specific opposition. It sounds ludicrous for fans on a message board to be questioning a man with 20 years experience at the club. You end up assuming that experience must account for something and the fans and the media and the ex-players and the old lady from the pie shop down the road who doesn't even like football must all be wrong.

But how many seasons have to pass before the obvious is accepted as fact?

It really is infuriating. Why couldn't he just stick with the team that got us on that good run. Coquelin, Cazorla and Ozil should be the main trio. Coquelin wasn't bad but he took Cazorla and Ozil out of their element for sure. Ramsey's positioning is awful and you're right to say he smothers Ozil's work by being too high up the pitch. Show some intelligence and work deeper in the field!,

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

A little worrying with Cech, but I agree with Souness alluding to the lack of communication, helping one another and simply sensing the danger. The line was too high too.

Coquelin's passing was all over the place today but he wasn't alone.

As much as I love Chamberlain he does have a horrible habit of losing the ball in situations that lead to us conceding. If he keeps it up he will completely nullify the pro's of having him there as an attacking threat.

Ramsey was incredibly frustrating and there were far too many occasions when the right hand side opened up with one of our players in space, only for us to completely ignore it.