CL: Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain Reaction - Home

[Niall_Quinn]

I thought PSG were poor. No flicks, no tricks, a significant lack of sideways passing. They had way too much energy for me and I didn't like the way they took a chance and showed ambition when they went forward. In fact they went forward far too much and lacked the discipline to slow things down and congest the play.

[Power n Glory]

Whilst I agree, it should be noted that we were just as bad if not worse in Paris when neither of these started

The passing stats are totally unsurprising to me, we looked totally unable to deal with PSG pressing where as conversely PSG midfielders are confident, can trap a ball well and good at one touch passing.

The line up was atrocious, but I'm not entirely confident a different line up would have yielded a better result/performance. PSG play a pressing game and function well as a unit, they retain their shape well....the kind of things Emery is obviously instilling on the training ground.

He's ultimately exactly the kind of manager we should have

It’s worth remembering we came into that PSG pretty shaky and still working out how to play with Sanchez up front. We still managed to get the ball to Sanchez and Ozil more times than we did on this occasion. Not saying we would have won because I think our first team squad needs adjusting and improvement anyway, but we stand no chance if our midfield can’t find our attackers.

Ramsey can’t play as a CM and probably has no place in the squad if the only thing he can do is burst forward. Giroud is a plan B striker. It says a lot that he received the ball more from Ospina and Gibbs than any other player.

But that said, it doesn’t mean Coquelin, Ozil, Iwobi and Sanchez are free from criticism. We’ve had 3 big games and they haven’t produced. We need more from then. I won’t fault Sanchez’s effort because he never goes anonymous but really should have put us ahead with that header against Utd. You already know my views on Ozil.

PSG are good team but I wouldn't go too far with the praise. We could have had them if we kept playing at a high tempo. We were at home but played like we just shat our pants. We came out strong for the 2nd half which suggests we something was said at half time but we blew the lead.

[Niall_Quinn]

Is it time for Theo to do a news piece about a secret meeting between the players yet? Isn't that usually due around this period?

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I thought PSG were poor. No flicks, no tricks, a significant lack of sideways passing. They had way too much energy for me and I didn't like the way they took a chance and showed ambition when they went forward. In fact they went forward far too much and lacked the discipline to slow things down and congest the play.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

It’s worth remembering we came into that PSG pretty shaky and still working out how to play with Sanchez up front. We still managed to get the ball to Sanchez and Ozil more times than we did on this occasion. Not saying we would have won because I think our first team squad needs adjusting and improvement anyway, but we stand no chance if our midfield can’t find our attackers.

Ramsey can’t play as a CM and probably has no place in the squad if the only thing he can do is burst forward. Giroud is a plan B striker. It says a lot that he received the ball more from Ospina and Gibbs than any other player.

But that said, it doesn’t mean Coquelin, Ozil, Iwobi and Sanchez are free from criticism. We’ve had 3 big games and they haven’t produced. We need more from then. I won’t fault Sanchez’s effort because he never goes anonymous but really should have put us ahead with that header against Utd. You already know my views on Ozil.

PSG are good team but I wouldn't go too far with the praise. We could have had them if we kept playing at a high tempo. We were at home but played like we just shat our pants. We came out strong for the 2nd half which suggests we something was said at half time but we blew the lead.

Oh don't get me wrong PSG are far from perfect, the fact that they annihilated us in both legs and we got away with a draw in both games exemplifies that.

One of their significant weaknesses is like with us that they have to play out from the back and that's when they are at their most vulnerable (in both games we had most success pressing them in their own third)

And of course there is an inability to finish games when they are on top.

But i think as poor as we were, they do make us poor by playing on our lack of confidence on the ball when not given time and space. And i do reiterate that their energy, confidence on the ball and ambition is something we should look to emulate.

It's clearly not just about having physical presence either, because Veratti is a midget but he was essentially dictating the tempo last night.

[Letters]

Bayern will finish 2nd in their group too so this is clearly a clever tactic to avoid them in the last 16.
Wenger

[Power n Glory]

Oh don't get me wrong PSG are far from perfect, the fact that they annihilated us in both legs and we got away with a draw in both games exemplifies that.

One of their significant weaknesses is like with us that they have to play out from the back and that's when they are at their most vulnerable (in both games we had most success pressing them in their own third)

And of course there is an inability to finish games when they are on top.

But i think as poor as we were, they do make us poor by playing on our lack of confidence on the ball when not given time and space. And i do reiterate that their energy, confidence on the ball and ambition is something we should look to emulate.

It's clearly not just about having physical presence either, because Veratti is a midget but he was essentially dictating the tempo last night.

It's not just their style we need to emulate. We could learn a lot from most teams when it comes to defend. We have no approach. Yesterday, I could see Sanchez pressing like a madman whilst his teammates just stood back and watched. It's something seen far too often. The players defend how they want and not collectively. The manager doesn't say anything to them. It still amazes me that it took Wenger saying to the press that Theo can't defend for Theo to pull his socks up. I suspect that's the same for most of the players because don't defend as a unit.

[selassie]

Is it time for Theo to do a news piece about a secret meeting between the players yet? Isn't that usually due around this period?

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

It's not just their style we need to emulate. We could learn a lot from most teams when it comes to defend. We have no approach. Yesterday, I could see Sanchez pressing like a madman whilst his teammates just stood back and watched. It's something seen far too often. The players defend how they want and not collectively. The manager doesn't say anything to them. It still amazes me that it took Wenger saying to the press that Theo can't defend for Theo to pull his socks up. I suspect that's the same for most of the players because don't defend as a unit.

Maybe other teams but not necessarily PSG, whilst they have very good individual defenders....i think as a unit they make the mistakes as we do...hold a very high line and seem to mark zonally at times (certainly in Ligue 1 anyway)

[mastermind84]

Wenger is the root to all the problems.

He isn't a modern manager. Doesn't understand positional play. Doesn't know how to get the team to press as a unit. He is cooked. It's not the players, it's him.

He only cares about final 3rd play but we can't get it there anymore.

We struggled this season with Cazorla and without him. We have struggled this season creating chances against better sides. It's Wenger.

And Cavani is a beast of a player. Mustafi really has me scared. He reminding me of Vermaelen.