The first thing that comes to mind is that this is a fixture that’s been given a billing that it really doesn’t in all truth deserve, I actually think our game against Forest was a bigger game than this. The other thought is that we are both in the same boat in regards to struggling to score goals. We have no strikers and the only competent striker they had was sent on loan to Villa for being a naughty boy.
I fear that games like PSV lull us into a false sense of security, my Arsenal supporting mate who hates Arteta where as I only dislike him was saying to me that the reason we couldn’t score against West Ham and Forest was because we weren’t ambitious enough in terms of pushing up (i don’t think we did push up any higher against PSV than those teams, I just think there was less protection for their back four). I have come into conflict with people here because I do not believe there was anything we could have done to score goals other than some fluke shot that deflected in. Whilst the system we play slows things down and allows teams time to get back into position, I think ultimately as I say it’s shuffling deckchairs on the titanic and I’m not sure we are capable of drastically changing the way we play in any event.
Ultimately PSV for our first three goals were able to get back into defensive shape, but they were too inept to cut out rudimentary crosses, passes or even clear their lines. I would expect better from a non league team let alone one in the premier league. Would love to be wrong, but I do not expect goals in premier league games before Saka’s return and therefore the object has to be not to give away silly goals.
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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
