I'm not saying this result is a disaster (it obviously means nothing) but the serious lack of squad depth has to be a cause for concern. Moreover, some of the players who performed like clowns aren't showing any signs of improvement whatsoever. Chamakh, Squillaci, Djourou, Fabianski, Arshavin have been given chances to prove that they should be starting on a fair few occasions this season, but they've failed to take almost all of them.Originally Posted by Letters (TPFKA WWTL@WHL)
It was the worst performance for a long time, since OT I reckon. Quite a lot of those players played last week vs City though and while we lost that one too that was a very good performance. Off night tonight definitely but it's not a huge disaster IMO.
We need to strengthen in January, I don't think we need to buy loads of players but a couple in the right positions would help. Top priority for me would be some more firepower to take the pressure of RvP.
Glad I didn't rush home to see that.
It wasn't pretty. It was a bad a performance as I've seen and if Olympiakos weren't so shit, they'd have easily Manc'd us. Major problems in this squad and need to be solved asap.
lord what filth. i cannot believe chamakh got paid for that 'performance'...arshavin also...funny thing is i wonder if vela and some of the other loanees would have done a better job.
utter shite, if Frimpong thinks he can get away with playing like that he needs a rocket up his arse. It was like watching the first team at the end of last season, no movement, no desire, no team work. Utter shite.
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Also why not play Miyachi and Ju? Don't see the point in either really
Ryo is injured.
And Ju should be getting games over Chamakh and Arshavin.
Considering Arshavin, Chamakh and Squillaci were playing again, it was probably a 'shop window' game.
Only Rotherham are interested though.
My tuppenceworth...
Even with a second string team the players should have done a lot better than that. I'm afraid that what we saw was a CC final style performance where before a ball was kicked the players approached it like a training game. That was the real disappointment for me - as it shakes my belief that this team had shaken off the complacency that has affected us in recent seasons. By contrast, I've rarely seen a team as up for it as Olympiacos - and with good reason of course. Unbelievably our team looked like one expecting a no-pressure outing, and looked shaken to the core by the intensity of the Olympiacos players and fans.
Where were the players trying to stake a claim to first team football - apart from Oxo you would have thought that there was nothing at stake for them.
So much for the collective aspect. Individually - what can you say about our keepers - who looked amateurish and frankly out of their depth? Its a worry when our second choice keeper clearly needs a long run of games to stop looking like Mr Nervous. Squillaci proved again thathe is simply not up to it. AW's decision to play Santos backfired spectacularly. Coq and Dench looked shadows of the players who bested the Citeh midfield last week - they looked completely over-awed by the Olympiacos onslaught.
...and I'm generally optimistic that players can come back but I don't think I want to see either Arshavin or Chamakh in an Arsenal shirt again.
Yes, the result doesn't matter, but yesterday nigtht was a blow to the pride, and has dented the feel good factor in a way that last weeks' midweek game didn't.
Putting the laughter back into manslaughter
A good experience for the youngens and a good run out for the chump players.
Our back up keepers, striker and Arshavin are woeful and need to be replaced, but we already knew that.
Ox is first team squad member now IMO. One of Cock and Dench needs to go out on loan. If Wilshere is fit by Jan then they should both go out on loan.
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