Morning all.
I’ll admit it, I was banking on Man City doing us a huge favour yesterday. Even a draw would have been enough to lift my footballing spirits but expecting anything from Guardiola’s team was stupid of me. Liverpool breezed to a 2-0 win. The league title is theirs to lose now and I can’t see any realistic scenario unfolding to change that.
I used the wrong terminology yesterday by saying I wasn’t angry about our defeat to West Ham, what I should have written is I wasn’t surprised because it’s happened before. Twice now, Arsenal have collapsed when the door to win the league has been open. I would say three times if one is to add this season into the equation but sadly, it was Liverpool who looked the strongest from day one.
We’re hanging on to second spot with a six point gap between ourselves and Nottingham Forest in third place and nine ahead of Man City in fourth and whilst there’s a mathematical change of winning the title, that has to be aim although in reality, staying ahead of the clubs behind us is the real challenge.
You might think I’m being negative but I’m not, I’m just a realist. If this group of players can’t muster up something better than they did on Saturday, knowing full well that there was an opportunity to gain two points on the league leaders, then what’s the point in trying to believe they can do anything more than secure top four?
We have injuries, the players are tired, we didn’t make enough signings etc etc, there are plenty of excuses to point the finger at but my gripe is about attitude and the way we play the game.
I know I posted this yesterday in the comments but here it is again. It’s Graham Potter talking after his teams 1-0 victory on Saturday afternoon:
“The players gave everything, and left everything out on the pitch, which is what we’ve been trying to instil and encourage. When you do that, you’ve got a chance to get results. Talent is one thing, but it’s about being a team, and having a collective mentality. I think we showed that today in abundance, so I’m delighted.”
Did the Arsenal players give their everything?
Losing in sport it part and parcel of the game someone or a team plays but I’ve always believed that it’s how a loss comes about which makes the difference. Years ago I posted a quote from the great Martina Navratilova who said:
What matters isn’t how well you play when you’re playing well. What matters is how well you play when you’re playing badly.
Great teams win games when they’re playing badly which in my opinion is something this Arsenal needs to learn to do if they’re going to experience success. To do that though, I think we need players to step up in personality. Grow a backbone and drag the team from its slumber to playing like a team who wants to win come hell or high waters. Even if victory evades the team, at least play in a way which gives the team a chance. We have to be able to turn games we’re losing into draws and games we’re drawing into wins.
I love players like Ben White and Gabriel, Myles Lewis-Skelly too because they have an attitude few others in the squad have. Put simply, I think we’re too nice, our football is too nice whereas a bit more aggression in the way we play might make us more difficult to beat. I don’t mean kicking opponents off the park by the way, just be less passive in the way we play because we do make it easy for defences to block us out.
I watched some of the Newcastle v Nottingham Forest game yesterday and even at 4-1 down, Forest didn’t give up. Ok, they lost 4-3 in the end but not for the lack of effort in the second half. Arsenal will certainly need to be a lot better than they were on Saturday to have any chance of winning on Wednesday.
Catch up in the comments.
For me its not Arsenal being nice. It should be the players asking themselves why they cant cope under pressure. Every year its the same old story. Here we go again – giving away 3 points that we should have won and at a critical stage.
Perhaps Arteta needs to build a team with players that have been under this type of pressure so they know what they are dealing with and can handle it. I believe he is wanting Nico Williams, Zubimendi, Sesko. Come on Arsenal, put your money on the table, stop being tight fisted and give Arteta what he wants and let us see the difference and finally win the Prem!
Sadly we have had some horrendous injuries and we are all missing SAKA, but that is no excuse to play the way they did against West Ham. They have to learn to adapt when injuries happen and I don’t think some of them have.
But hey who knows, in the past some clubs have managed to overturn a 10 point lead, like Arsenal did against Man U. BUT if they are going to do this, they are going to have to win the remaining matches, which at the moment will be a tall order from some of the players if they don’t change their “mind set” and start believing they can do this.
Hopefully this Wednesday we will see a big change and bag three valuable points, Will Newcastle overturn Liverpool – who knows as Liverpool are playing well but “miracles” do happen!
We aren’t too nice we are too damn slow. CB’s posing like Spuds cock with foot on ball. Opposition given all time in the world to organise their defence. Pathetic slow ponderous football is the problem, and that’s due to the managers tactics
Good morning Rico and Laura.
Nobody can deny that we’ve been hit hard by injuries this season, I can’t remember when we have had so many players out long term. I think it comes down to having to rely on some “fragile” members of the squad. By that I’m in no way disparaging anyone, just highlighting a few such as Jesus, Calafiori, Martinelli, Tierney, Zinchenko who seem a bit injury prone and have to be “managed” rather than being fit to play ninety minutes on a regular basis.
With the exception of M L S and Nwaneri the rest of the squad are either in their peak years or, in a few cases, slowly approaching the end of them.
Arteta seriously needs to boost the squad, not just with the odd striker, but with more experience and strength in midfield.
Losing Partey and Jorgino, this summer, is going to significantly weaken our midfield so any incoming players need to be signed early in order to get a chance to settle in with a full pre-season.
Morning Laura, Cicero, Al.
It’s kind of the same thing Laura, we’re too passive in the way we play and in attitude. The two merge together imo.
Agreed Cicero. I know it’s not the players fault for having injuries etc, that’s life in the game but we now have too many. I’m amazed Partey has lasted but thank goodness he as.
I see former gunner Lucas Perez has signed for PSV.
Hope you don’t mind Rico, I’ve copied this from my last comment on yesterday’s post:-
Perish the thought, but could there have been a touch revenge in the decision by Var to upgrade Miles Lewis-Skerry’s card from yellow to red. The Howard Webb Empire Strikes Back! With apologies to the Star Wars franchise.