Match Reaction. WBA2-1 Arsenal 21/11/15

[selassie]

Wenger is definitely a problem, he's not responsible for absolutely everything that goes wrong but he's definitely part of it, some things are directly his fault.

Poor planning costs us everytime, I don't even know how he can talk his way out of it TBH, we all see it coming, he didn't, it's not even like we're unlucky.

I know this is off the back of seeing them dismantle City but who thinks Klopp would do a better job than Wenger here at Arsenal? I sure as hell do.

[selassie]

If I was being picky I'd tell you that decimate means "to remove one in 10", so that would be 90% of our squad fit :coney:
But basically, I agree. IMO we're good enough but the injury problems are building up again and that is looking like it may cost us.
If so then #WengerOut, 'cos this has been a problem for years and he hasn't found a solution.
But while we're in touch I'm going to keep believing we have a chance. We have a good run in, if we're there or thereabouts with 10 games left I think we've got a shot.

Yeah you are being picky...you know what I mean

[Power n Glory]

I dont think signings are the issues. My first post on this thread was about the lack of urgency in our game. I do not know if you watched this game or not, but the players didnt even look bothered till the 85th minute. There was no hustle, no busting a gut, just piss poor non-penetrative football. This was no Bayern Munich against who we couldnt touch the ball.. this was West Brom FFS!

I have mentioned this before as well.. My main grievance with Wenger is not primarily his signings. It has always been about his tactics and man management. While he could have and should have done better in the transfer window, he is very poor in tactics and motivating a team. The same mental frailties are a trademark of his teams. Yesterday's game was just plain horrible.. no motivation, no energy, no plan B. Gutless!

Most of us are on the same page with this one. Same hallmarks as past teams with the lifeless performances. As said with the Utd game, it’s not a good sign when the manager leaves it up to the players to pep themselves up for a game. The initiative should come from the manager first and trickle down to the rest of the team. We’re lucky that City lost yesterday so still close to the top but we’re not learning from past seasons. The manager, the players, even us fans rattling on about our shortcomings or what’s different to past seasons. Déjà vu. Even if we win the league somehow, I want Wenger gone after regardless. Winning the league again would be miraculous. Like surviving a rally race with Stevie Wonder at the wheel. The joy at cross the finish line would be a feeling like no other. But you’ve be mad to jump back in the car again and think you’ll be as lucky. This is it for Wenger.

[Dein-machine]

I don't disagree about Wenger's weaknesses, but he's always had those. It didn't stop us winning titles back in the day. And the next guy, he'll just have different weaknesses. It sounded like a bad day at the office all round on Saturday. Those happen to every team. We can't afford too many though, it's the first really bad league result for ages so let's see how we react. If we have a nightmare few weeks which sees us fall out of the title race then I'll probably catch ZD too. Hopefully not the Stage 3 Brain Death kind though.

All managers may have weaknesses but if you are managing a team with title aspirations you cannot have the weakness of not spending the right money on quality players in areas of need. The next manager may not for example be great on the training ground but you get good coaches in for that, as long as he identifies a style of play that wins games & makes sure we have the best players possible including cover to play that style. Previous years have shown the weaknesses of players like Giroud & Mertesacker, so you have to deal with it in the transfer market - Wenger constantly fails to do so. A non-league manager walking into Arsenal last year would have known we needed cover for Coq, another quality CB & a proven goalscorer. Without these, points will be dropped along the way due to injuries, suspensions & strikers not taking their fair share of chances.
Saturday proved that Arteta shouldn't be anywhere near an Arsenal shirt - its not a biased reaction from Saturday, you will find posts from me & many others saying exactly the same over the past few years. You will note how many times posters on here say about how unlucky we were with missed chances etc. Missed chances aren't unlucky when you have as many as we do - its poor finishing from strikers simply not good enough.
At the same time Campbell was missing a sitter from 5 yards on Sat, West Brom were bringing Berahinho on, Vardy was banging in his 10th successive goal - there were players out there who can score goals - we decided we didnt need them. Players like Schneiderlein were available to give us options to Coq but we decided Arteta & Flamini are good enough. These are very basic errors that are unbelievable errors from a man of Wengers suppposed football knowledge.
We lost Saturday due to Arteta being a shit alternative to Coq & our strikers not taking chances, This is not bad luck - its bad management & there will be plenty more games like it this year. These games ultimately cost us the chance to compete & its the same every year.

[Niall_Quinn]

All managers may have weaknesses but if you are managing a team with title aspirations you cannot have the weakness of not spending the right money on quality players in areas of need. The next manager may not for example be great on the training ground but you get good coaches in for that, as long as he identifies a style of play that wins games & makes sure we have the best players possible including cover to play that style. Previous years have shown the weaknesses of players like Giroud & Mertesacker, so you have to deal with it in the transfer market - Wenger constantly fails to do so. A non-league manager walking into Arsenal last year would have known we needed cover for Coq, another quality CB & a proven goalscorer. Without these, points will be dropped along the way due to injuries, suspensions & strikers not taking their fair share of chances.
Saturday proved that Arteta shouldn't be anywhere near an Arsenal shirt - its not a biased reaction from Saturday, you will find posts from me & many others saying exactly the same over the past few years. You will note how many times posters on here say about how unlucky we were with missed chances etc. Missed chances aren't unlucky when you have as many as we do - its poor finishing from strikers simply not good enough.
At the same time Campbell was missing a sitter from 5 yards on Sat, West Brom were bringing Berahinho on, Vardy was banging in his 10th successive goal - there were players out there who can score goals - we decided we didnt need them. Players like Schneiderlein were available to give us options to Coq but we decided Arteta & Flamini are good enough. These are very basic errors that are unbelievable errors from a man of Wengers suppposed football knowledge.
We lost Saturday due to Arteta being a shit alternative to Coq & our strikers not taking chances, This is not bad luck - its bad management & there will be plenty more games like it this year. These games ultimately cost us the chance to compete & its the same every year.

Wenger may want to win trophies, but that's not his priority above all else. His number one priority is to keep the club running in a way that matches his philosophy. Big happy families. Players getting chance after chance after chance to deliver and even when they come up short and there's no sign whatsoever they'll improve, getting another chance. Happy players, great spirit, and fun was had by all. But it's not a shop for winners. Everyone and everything is too comfortable. Except in his focus area of attacking midfielders, no real competition around the squad because the players who are supposedly challenging the first eleven just aren't good enough - not at the top level anyway. No boots being thrown at player's faces. Silly promises behind the scenes that result in mega-farce such as Cech being benched for CL matches. Arsenal must be the easiest touch in football for a mid-tier player like Gibbs or Flamini or you could say Giroud. And this has gone from one extreme to another. Previously we'd get rid of 30 year olds when they still had plenty to offer. Now we hang on to them when they are well past their sell-by date.

We need a football bastard in here to shake up the whole mentality. It should be about winners getting the big bucks and bonuses and losers getting kicked in the face or kicked out the door. I think Pellegrini suffers from the same shit. He should be walking this league with the resources at his disposal but the players are shitting on him. Ferguson would have kicked that cunt Toure 50 yards into the air and then onto the street by now, and then brought in a better replacement regardless of how much it cost.

We went into the season without a killer striker, without a like for like replacement for our only genuine DM and knowing Merts would get plenty of game time because we're short of quality there too. Cech was a great signing of course. We'd have dropped more points had he not been in the net. Like we did in the CL for instance, when Wenger went with the guy who throws the ball in his own net.

So two weeds trying to kill off a mediocre Utd and who can't take the advantage gift wrapped by collapsing chavs. Pellegrini will probably be sacked even if he wins the title this year. The owners know what they want at that club, the publicity afforded to winners. Not runners-up, or CL qualifiers or an almost did something bunch of millionaires. The ruthlessness required to win. We, on the other hand, will probably give our guy a contract extension. And so the same story will go on and on with everyone bar the few hold-outs knowing how it's going to pan out season after season. As fans we aren't in this any more. We're expected to hand over cash but our expectation of getting something in return is not recognised any more. Instead there's a happy little family, great spirit, great money, great lifestyle, it must be fucking lovely to be an Arsenal manager or player. Best job in the world surely? All the perks, none of the targets. Bliss. No wonder spirits are so high.

[selassie]

Wenger may want to win trophies, but that's not his priority above all else. His number one priority is to keep the club running in a way that matches his philosophy. Big happy families. Players getting chance after chance after chance to deliver and even when they come up short and there's no sign whatsoever they'll improve, getting another chance. Happy players, great spirit, and fun was had by all. But it's not a shop for winners. Everyone and everything is too comfortable. Except in his focus area of attacking midfielders, no real competition around the squad because the players who are supposedly challenging the first eleven just aren't good enough - not at the top level anyway. No boots being thrown at player's faces. Silly promises behind the scenes that result in mega-farce such as Cech being benched for CL matches. Arsenal must be the easiest touch in football for a mid-tier player like Gibbs or Flamini or you could say Giroud. And this has gone from one extreme to another. Previously we'd get rid of 30 year olds when they still had plenty to offer. Now we hang on to them when they are well past their sell-by date.

We need a football bastard in here to shake up the whole mentality. It should be about winners getting the big bucks and bonuses and losers getting kicked in the face or kicked out the door. I think Pellegrini suffers from the same shit. He should be walking this league with the resources at his disposal but the players are shitting on him. Ferguson would have kicked that cunt Toure 50 yards into the air and then onto the street by now, and then brought in a better replacement regardless of how much it cost.

We went into the season without a killer striker, without a like for like replacement for our only genuine DM and knowing Merts would get plenty of game time because we're short of quality there too. Cech was a great signing of course. We'd have dropped more points had he not been in the net. Like we did in the CL for instance, when Wenger went with the guy who throws the ball in his own net.

So two weeds trying to kill off a mediocre Utd and who can't take the advantage gift wrapped by collapsing chavs. Pellegrini will probably be sacked even if he wins the title this year. The owners know what they want at that club, the publicity afforded to winners. Not runners-up, or CL qualifiers or an almost did something bunch of millionaires. The ruthlessness required to win. We, on the other hand, will probably give our guy a contract extension. And so the same story will go on and on with everyone bar the few hold-outs knowing how it's going to pan out season after season. As fans we aren't in this any more. We're expected to hand over cash but our expectation of getting something in return is not recognised any more. Instead there's a happy little family, great spirit, great money, great lifestyle, it must be fucking lovely to be an Arsenal manager or player. Best job in the world surely? All the perks, none of the targets. Bliss. No wonder spirits are so high.

[AFC Leveller]

[fakeyank]

That was a brilliant analysis of the offside rule.

The Coq analysis was something which everyone could see light years away, except Wumger