Arsenal 0-1 West Ham Match Reaction

[HCZ_Reborn]

As I say, I think that we resemble Citeh in more ways than simply losing key players. Both teams have done so, but I do think that this exposes a flaw in their approach. A team with the resources of Citeh should not have been undone to the extent they have been by the loss of Rhodri. Maybe he was papering over the cracks (ageing squad etc), but by the same token, they continue to misfire after they spent big in January - buying a very good player in Nico Gonzalez to cover for Rhodri. They also (unlike us) have one of the best strikers in the world in Haaland.

I think that football is moving beyond the Guardiola (and Arteta) possession model, and is becoming more faster and more direct, focussing on transitions to stretch the opposition. Liverpool are exploiting this, but Newcastle; Villa; Forest are also playing in this way. In Forest's case, I have read some interesting stuff about how leaving the lion's share of possession to the opposition is combating fatigue and player burn out. Football evolves quickly, and Guardiola (and his protege Arteta) suddenly look vulnerable. You are right, we don't have the players to play a different way - but this is even more of a worry for me. Our limited recruitment over the Summer - and indeed over the last few transfer windows is the antithesis of the game that many of our competitors are making work for them.

I fear that trying to buy more players with the technical ability to cope with a demanding 'system-based' style of play may not only be difficult, but that the style of play itself may be past its sell by date.

Again I’m really far from convinced. I’m sure there is some stylistic change in the game, that happens a lot. How relevant that is to us this season…just don’t see it.

Liverpool lost Van Dijk to injury in the Merseyside derby in 2020 they went from being league champions to only securing 4th on the last day of the season. Not saying we would have won the title if Saliba stayed fit but I think it clearly torpedoed any chance of us winning the thing

A football team can absolutely be affected by the loss of even one player if that player is key to how they play.

I’m not denying we need to change our style and be more direct, but it makes not a bit of difference to where we are currently. We lost at home to West Ham because we don’t have goalscorers in the team, it really isn’t anymore complicated than that.

Quick Transition play works well when you’re playing a side that will come out and attack you, but it’s naive to assume teams didn’t think to employ that against City last session. No they just had a beast of a player in Rodri who was able to neutralise the threat on the brief occasions the opponent did get the ball

[Niall_Quinn]

Again I’m really far from convinced. I’m sure there is some stylistic change in the game, that happens a lot. How relevant that is to us this season…just don’t see it.

Liverpool lost Van Dijk to injury in the Merseyside derby in 2020 they went from being league champions to only securing 4th on the last day of the season. Not saying we would have won the title if Saliba stayed fit but I think it clearly torpedoed any chance of us winning the thing

A football team can absolutely be affected by the loss of even one player if that player is key to how they play.

I’m not denying we need to change our style and be more direct, but it makes not a bit of difference to where we are currently. We lost at home to West Ham because we don’t have goalscorers in the team, it really isn’t anymore complicated than that.

Quick Transition play works well when you’re playing a side that will come out and attack you, but it’s naive to assume teams didn’t think to employ that against City last session. No they just had a beast of a player in Rodri who was able to neutralise the threat on the brief occasions the opponent did get the ball

You are still measuring everything with the Pep mindset. There's ALWAYS space on a pitch, always. Watch any game, the space is right there if you have the players that can exploit it. And I'm not talking intricate triangles that pull opponents out of position, I'm talking actual space, open grass. You'll see it 50 times in a game. But very few want to exploit it or can exploit it. We have the technical and pacey players that could put endless pressure on stubborn defences. I know you don't agree but if technical ability and pace are not the key attributes we have in this squad then what the hell do we have?

[Niall_Quinn]

Btw, the keeper opting against fucking around in his own box but instead thumping it into a channel for somebody to chase can also be called a transition, or Stoke or whatever you want to call it. Well Liverpool know how to do it, works for them, why can't we give it a try?

[HCZ_Reborn]

You are still measuring everything with the Pep mindset. There's ALWAYS space on a pitch, always. Watch any game, the space is right there if you have the players that can exploit it. And I'm not talking intricate triangles that pull opponents out of position, I'm talking actual space, open grass. You'll see it 50 times in a game. But very few want to exploit it or can exploit it. We have the technical and pacey players that could put endless pressure on stubborn defences. I know you don't agree but if technical ability and pace are not the key attributes we have in this squad then what the hell do we have?

Of course there’s always space on a pitch, but if a team comes to defend that space will tend to be behind you and only in front of your opponents

It’s got nothing to do with style of play it’s to do with the fact that defenders and especially full backs are quicker and fitter than they used to be, if you’ve got a speed merchant on the wing the defence will double up on him, if you’ve got two (which we don’t currently) the job is much harder.

There is something to be said for being able to get the ball forward quickly but again only possible if you have someone technically competent in central midfield, we don’t…

As for Pep ball, you again are somehow convinced that the slow metronomic passing is a feature of a system. It’s not, it’s a consequence of where the team has been able to maintain their defensive shape before you’ve got into their third.

Of course you can pull players out of position and stretch play, but it’s a hell of a lot more difficult when a team has committed to positional discipline and only coming forward on the break.

[Mac76]

We've DEFINITELY bottled it, on almost every occasion that mattered.

No, 'bottling' implies fear, whereas in our case it's incompetence and being misguided - Arteta went for one attacking player (Sesko) in the summer then gave up when he coudn't get him and went back to his comfort zone of goalkeepers and defensive players

I've heard the club and Edu were far from convinced on prioritising Merino over an actual attacker and they were right

He simply seems to underplay the need for more attacking players and won't even consider someone if they aren't what he thinks is perfect for his setup, it plays into his stubborness and control freakery - again though it's not fear it's just his apparent mindset

[Niall_Quinn]

Arteta's tactics drip with fear. I kind of understand it too, in a limited way. Remember back to just how woeful of defence used to be. Arteta fixed that, but it's also like he made defence the priority for every player on the field. Fear of losing the ball, so we rack up the short passes, fear of being caught on the break so we shun anything that isn't safe. Always, always looking for ball retention rather than trying to get that ball forward as efficiently as possible. Seems like a whole lot of fear to me. And the transfer policy reflects it. Merino, Calafiori, even Rice.

[Mac76]

Arteta's tactics drip with fear. I kind of understand it too, in a limited way. Remember back to just how woeful of defence used to be. Arteta fixed that, but it's also like he made defence the priority for every player on the field. Fear of losing the ball, so we rack up the short passes, fear of being caught on the break so we shun anything that isn't safe. Always, always looking for ball retention rather than trying to get that ball forward as efficiently as possible. Seems like a whole lot of fear to me. And the transfer policy reflects it. Merino, Calafiori, even Rice.

well it's arguing over words but i'd say 'caution' rather than fear, but you can put it that way, he just doesn't strike me as being afraid but rather convinced if he gets the defence right we'll never concede a goal again, which is obvs an unobtainable fantasy btu he seems to believe in it...

[Letters]

I don't really know how you bottle the title when you're not in front in the first place. It has always been Liverpool's to lose.
It's certainly true we have failed to take advantage of their slips, but this hasn't been like 2 years ago when we were surely favourites and then fell in the final furlongs.

[Marc Overmars]

Arteta's tactics drip with fear. I kind of understand it too, in a limited way. Remember back to just how woeful of defence used to be. Arteta fixed that, but it's also like he made defence the priority for every player on the field. Fear of losing the ball, so we rack up the short passes, fear of being caught on the break so we shun anything that isn't safe. Always, always looking for ball retention rather than trying to get that ball forward as efficiently as possible. Seems like a whole lot of fear to me. And the transfer policy reflects it. Merino, Calafiori, even Rice.

I agree and I think it’s probably because of how we collapsed in 22/23 that he’s gone down this path. We were electric at times that season but also very open at the back and eventually it cost us.

I don’t mind the pragmatism but he’s forgotten that you also need match winners to get you over the line. Apart from Saka we don’t have anyone who can create a bit of magic out of nothing. Coaches like Mourinho and Simeone who’ve been famed for being spoilers always had genuine quality up front to go with the dogged defending.

[KSE Comedy Club]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football...s/ckgzvj97vl2o

Lego haired cunt

Asked by the Irish woman whether having no attacking options meant that we had only two shots on target

“I don’t want to put it down to that”


Really? Twenty shots on goal and only two on target and you don’t want to put it down to you breaking the only attacking players we have


Silly, silly man

'There's still a long way to go, we're only in February' - Arteta on Arsenal defeat

That says it all, we are now at phase 5.5 of 'the process' - the delusional stage.