Morning all.
So we lost 2-0…
But, all time the game was 11 verses 11, we matched the current Champions of Europe in every sense. In fact I’d say that until Szczesny was sent off, we were the far better side side.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was causing Bayern all sorts of problems down the right and but for Neuer being sharp, he may have got us an opener. Neuer prevented Sanogo from scoring his first Champions League goal too with a good save on seven minutes.
Kroos too had a chance for the Germans but Szczesny made a stunning save to keep his shot out.
We started well, we looked the best we had done for a while and to be honest, we were good….
Then we were presented the best chance of the match after Mesut Ozil was tripped over in the penalty area.
Up stepped the German, well, more like up strolled the German and yet again his spot-kick was feeble and needless to say, Neuer saved with absolute ease.
What happened to power, pace and precision?? It’s not the first time Ozil has approached a penalty kick with such lethargy but I sure hope it is the last. That was our chance to take what would have been a well deserved lead and kick on. I wish Sagna had stepped up and blasted the ball into the back of the net….
Ozil’s head went down, his shoulders dropped and to be honest, his performance from then on did far from reflect his reputation and he was still caught shaking his head late on in the game. Flamini was clearly annoyed by Ozil’s lacklustre display late on in the game and let him know too……
Boateng was booked for the foul on Ozil and it wasn’t too long before he committed another foul either but this one, just before the 40 minute mark went unpunished.
The red card came out for Szczesny after he caught the forever diving Dutch cheat Robben as he went through on goal. Yes our keeper caught his leg but the ball was going away from goal so was a red card really necessary?
Maybe the triple somersault by Robben helped to convince the referee that it was.
Anyway, Santi Cazorla was the player to make way for Fabianski. I’d have oiked Ozil off!
David Alban fired the spot-kick against the post. Ha!!
We as a group defended well although Monreal, who was on for the injured Gibbs, looked all over the place at times and his task wasn’t helped by others who left him exposed on the left…..
It was inevitable that Bayern would make the breakthrough and they did soon 53 minutes through Toni Kroos and credit where it’s due, it was stunner and Fabianski could do nothing to prevent the ball from finding the top corner.
The sucker punch was dealt when Thomas Müller headed home Bayern’s second with just minutes to go…
We aren’t out just yet but it’s a tough task ahead…
There are plenty of positives after last night.
Yaya Sanogo, who was playing in his first Champions League match looked full of life and attitude and never stopped trying. Ok, he didn’t, maybe doesn’t have the finesse to his game yet but it certainly looks as if that might come any day soon. His pace and determination up front certainly gives us something different.
The defence looked totally untroubled all the time we were 11 v 11 and that’s a huge plus considering we were playing a side who is deemed the best in Europe.
The one thing I did find strange though was replacing Oxlade-Chamberlain with Tomas Rosicky. Our Englishman was having a decent game yet Mesut Ozil, who was awful, stayed on.
Is Arsene Wenger afraid to upset him by taking him off? Well he shouldn’t as in my opinion, he should have gone off when Fabianski came on, let alone when Tomas came on but somehow and for whatever reason which only Arsene Wenger knows, he remained on the pitch until the end….
Ok, it’s going to be difficult to overturn this result in Germany but if we can play like we did last night for the remainder of the season, we still have a huge part to play in the league title race, just as we do in the FA Cup..
Don’t be too disheartened – there’s a lot to be proud about after last night.
That’s your lot for another day….
Morning All………….
Rico, Did David Alban miss the penalty or Dr Alban…? 😀
Morning all.
Oz was carrying an injury, so was replaced.
Great effort, poor result.
Dust ourselves off and move on.
Kozcielny is simply the best CB in world football.
Sorry, OX had an injury.
yep.. i agree we have every reason to be proud of ourselves… 0 -2 scoreline in a 10 vs 11 match for 50 min + and that too against currently one of europe’s best team is something to be proud off… arsenal showed a lot of character and guts to show that performance… makes my heart fill with pride
morning all!
Out if the Champions League let’s thinking in tne next fixture.
We lost Gibbs for 3 weeks(?), Ox (?)…
Very good write-up rico… apart from Alban of course 😛
I think the effort was there and needs to be commended but to me this is just another of only if moments…
Imho, even before the sending off we were losing grip of the game… there was no way we could have sustained that pressure for the rest of the game even with 11 men…
I find it shambolic on AW’s part to start the game with 2 less defensive minded players compared to BM’s starting XI who are arguably the best club team and the best manager…
Even Bayerns bench had more defenders on it than we did…
A very naive selection again…
Was Ozil taking the pen cos nobody else wanted to? After the Marseille fiasco he shouldn’t have been allowed anywhere near it. Only Berbatov and Balotelli can take pens like that and get away with it. All such a waste though. Even more frustrating was the fact that they scored an unreal 1st goal as they weren’t making chances.
Pep…best manager?
Give me the best two sides in the world and i’d go ok, Ginge 🙂
Good match report Rico.
but the player who goes by the name Alban just keeps escaping me. Never heard of him 😉
Personally I would have gone with TR07 from the start. Imo he is much more suited than JW for these type of games. I would play JW in games such as Sunderland or in the EPL where his mistakes would not be punished quickly.
As I said yesterday before the game. it should have been Flamini, TR07, Ozil.
With hindsight I would have played Cazorla as the number 10 and Podolski on the left.
Boring Boring Chelsea
Devil, check your email when you have a moment.
Ozil went to school with Neuer and he practices penalty with him for the Krauts…
only AW will allow Ozil to take a penalty against Neuer but hey…
Flamini run his socks of last night,but
the 2 goals were down to him,
he backed off from kroos 1st goal
he covered for kossers awayday when marking muller
but him go thinking kosser was back.
Little things like that…………..cost you games
Hiya Kev.
Is that cab warmed up?
I need a chauffeur soon 🙂
but let him go
Ginge, nobody else wanted to take the penalty…not sure Wenger had much say lol
I agree Dev… Poldi should have started the game… his starting position when we do not have the ball will have negated a few of the issues Gibbs and later Monreal had…
To me we lost the game because they had 2 extra men (not one) in midfield for 2 long, Alaba joined into the midfield after the break… that was why I thought going 3-5-1 would have helped better…
They would have then gone long balls but Sagna, Per and Kosser would have had a field day against Manduzkic and Gotze…
Possibly right Scott…
That is why Arteta is so so important imho… but he is not appreciated by a few imho…
Thing is Fred there were enough players around that you just can’t point a finger at Flamini when others could of closed down or taken a man…! It seems that far to often others look around at other players to take responsibility than seeing a problem and doing something about it themselves…! free man pick him up, 2 on 1 mark the space in behind… it’s the fact we don’t do the simple things well enough when defending and helping out team mates
Morning All.
Morning Rico, good post.
Didn’t see the game, as I was plumbing-in a bath, but Arsenal certainly sounded the dominant team until Szczesney was sent off.
I cannot comment on Robben or the pen, but Robben has previous and is a totally cynical snide, so I guess that he doing his usual horizontal penalty area swerve.
Losing Gibbs is a blow, negative, Fabianski played well again, positive, Giroud on the bench, the naughty step!
Don’t agree with criticism of Ozil, even a £42.4 million pound footballer needs time to adapt and has confidence issues. M
Maybe the real reason Wenger plays him every game has more to do with speeding up his adaption and to help him regain his confidence.
The 2nd goal was a killer.
Wonder if Kallstrom will be fit for 2nd leg?
Good point on Ozil, Kev.
Wenger kept playing Ramsey in spite of what most Gooners were saying for that exact reason……
I have to agree with you again WATH… jeez someone must have spiked my tea with GG this morning 😛 – ”it’s the fact we don’t do the simple things well enough when defending and helping out team mates”
Scott, Wenger picks the penalty takers before each game… there are normally three 1st 2nd 3rd choice…!
Ts, watch the teams that play decent footie against us, they pass and move and yet watch how many of our luxury players go with the runners…? very very few…! If we can see it why don’t the management..? why do you insist on playing the ball players over n over n over……….. Mr Stubborn won’t change the way he picks a team and the fact he thinks being pragmatic is being negative..!
Personally, I do not see much wrong with Ozil’s game…
His lethargic body language does not truly indicate what he contributes…
The issue is what I said in December… ‘we do not have enough intelligent players around him…’
Put him next to a young TR07 and AR16 and you will see a true no.10 imho…
————————–
As I said sky swapping Sagna’s stats for JW?… pfff
Wath, well, two out of the three walked away 🙂
Kev, missing a pen in such an important game surely can’t do Ozil’s confidence any good what so ever. He’s a quality quality player in my book but he needs a break and he needs quality around him, lot of pressure on him to produce and he clearly missing options that Walcott and Aaron give us on the pitch to play those killer passes.
Very good report Rico,
I felt Wenger made the right selection on the night, apart from the goalkeeper. Fabianski has been used very sparsley, and in my opinion every time he has been use he has done good. Fabianski deserves better treatment in my mind, looks like his exit will come at the end of the season but i feel this would be a mistake, Fabianski has made lots of blunders since he came on the scene but in all fairness to him, he has worked hard to cut down the errors, i find him a safer keeper than Szezesney as he has a tendency to rush out and still do things he shouldn’t in fact i stand by him being an accident waiting to happen, and its always important games.
Wenger stuck with Sanogo, and i as many others thought Wenger had lost his marbles, but Wenger in my mind was right, he did nothing wrong against Liverpool and he has to get experience at some time why not against the best, and Wengers belief in him was well and truly justified. Mesut Ozil has taken some stick but although not a defensive player he ran all night, a missed penalty was the key to how supporters have vented their anger. Wenger stated that he takes penalties with his own style and now i have seen that style twice Ozil and Wenger must realise that style does not work in CL. I agree with you Rico another should step up if we are ever likely to be awarded another.
Hiya Kev. agree with your points regarding Ozil. However I still think he needs to take a little break and allow Cazorla to play in that position for 1 or 2 games at least.
Scott…..that is one hell of a school.
Totally agree WATH…
Pep did not select his best team against us last night but selected his most hard working team i.e he was pragmatic even though they were the clear favorites…
How many times have you, Rico, Dev and Kev said Aw should play Gibbs and Monreal together instead of one of our luxury players on the lhs…?
Spot on re Fabianski Sp1…
Scott too has always rated Flappy…
Why did Cazorla not take it… Why didn’t Jack or Ox want it…? Even Flamini or Kos or Sagna… all big time players with bottle… I would of been happier is Ozil had hit the clock merely by smashing the shit out of it but that limp effort was pathetic…! oh well… it’s finished now to stuff Sunderland.
Not sure wath who out of our midfielders are that defensive minded.
Arteta would have played with flamini that’s for sure.
You could say we would have won 1nil if Arteta had played,
he would have tucked the pen away.
Ginge…..I would go even further……Gibbs would be my left winger and buy another left back.
Why not?
Poldi can play number 10 as well.
some good posts there guys – great reading.
True Poldi not playing in such games is pathetic on AW’s part…
Don’t get me wrong I have slated Poldi in the past for being lazy like Theo against the minors but in big games…???
Fred, even young Hayden would have offered more than JW and allowed SC19 and Ozil tro shine imho…
tsgh – you have posted this stuff a number of times and i agree with you. Why leave the kind of experience out of the side for games like this? Your point on allowing mates to face off for the crucial penalty also begs real questions being answered
Devil, we are so lucky that it is the only school of it’s kind in Oz, and just down the road 🙂
as you all know I would have gone 4-4-1-1 which is my favourite for such games.
Why not…….
Chesney/Flappy
Sagna, Merte, Koz,Monreal
Cazorla,Flamini,JW,Gibbs
Poldi
Yaya
I would have told JW to stay deep and just win the ball.
And yes I agree with Sir SP regarding Flappy. its a shame to loose him now. Pity AW did not give him more playing time.
we were disintegrated possession wise after flappy went in goal – one has to also question why was this and why did it continue so long? Was the second goal and possibly more not inevitable?
I am more concerned with what our striking options are for the rest of the season. Since Giroud decided that his old chap was more important than Arsenal, a team that lobs on with about £70k a week, we are left with Bendtner or a bloke who has played only a handful of minutes for us. I hope that Wenger fines that twat big time and looks to move him on at the end of the season and finally sorts our strikers out. He’s had enough time surely.
Oz- I know I defend Aw but this kind of blunders have been going on for 30 years… if he curbed that side of his management style he may have won the CL already…
Dev- JW/ MF20 completed only 3 tackles and 6 clearances between them all night… one of those 2 contributed only 20% of those stats…
I do not want to seem like I am bashing a young man who has a cult following but…
Penalties are results of mistakes and should allway be converted. Any player taking one of these shots should have a clear mind. Whether in an important game or not, it should be taken with the up most concentration. Ozil was given the second chance to rectify his bad penalty against Masailles but he acted out exactly the same which tells me he is not a penalty specialist.
Big fan of Issac ts
I have to agree Adam….
If a player who is mediocre at best at finishing can’t be bothered doing his extra marital moves after a training season in Colney instead but uses the room the club has forked out for before an imporatant game then he is not serious imho…
I rate Joan Isaac… Fred
TS. We agree again? What’s going on? 🙂
Wath, great points re: Ramsey, Walcott.
Ozil was playing his best stuff prior to Ramsey’s absense.
Hope that AOC isn’t a serious injury and was just a precaution?!
Thiago has played less than 20 champions league games in his career but he did not make the same tactical mistakes some of our so called better players made in midfield…
Blame Suarez’s Kabbalah string for that Adam… 🙂
I must be seeing sense at last. That’s what my wife said when I stopped wearing red spandex strides too. 🙂
morning all. ozil is not the type of player who’ll bleed for the shirt like koscielny or flamini. he has his attributes but fighting till the last minute aint one of them. the sooner the rest of the squad accepts this, the better. I feel he should not be slated for being who he is but having said that, the manager should have the courage to take him off if he is deemed to be making the team lose balance/fight. no player should cut an image of the untouchable but having said that, I am damn proud of their performance yesterday.
😛 Adam…
We will be back to square one in the summer but it ‘s all RESPECTFUL Sir…
Coach, I think that it’s possible that Ozil ‘wants’ to play, in order to get his confidence back.
He isn’t brimming with it, but he still stepped up for the penalty, and I reckon he will again. Maybe next time he should just thump the ball…
Hiya Lule…
hi adam …..I agree with u totally ……….Im not really bothered as I tout the team worked hard ,……….ozil does take penalties for d german team so….I’m really concerned with our DM
Neither new you were a catholic ts
He needs to observe a bit from the side Kev. Like Pires before him. One or two games that is all.
🙂 I missed that one Fred…
ts now u knw why I think kross is my favourite German player
tsgh – Wenger has his supporters, you however do see the failings without covering them with excuse as many do. Wenger has promised Ozil big things clearly and the summer so far looks very much like – top players out, gambles in and on we go to season 10 without silverware if we’re not careful. Wenger doesn’t listen, that much we do know
I don’t think ozil will ever b able to influence a match d way pires used to IMHO…….I might b wrong thou
snaparse – clearly Ozil in not enjoying his lot in life at all at the moment, we better hope that changes before the summer because you just know Mourinho will be sweeting him up come summer.
😀 Snap… I know you rate him as much as I do…
The thought of Moyes monitoring him is nauseating to be frank… I will cry if Moyes signs him…
Did you see Kroos did not celebrate much when he scored compared to last season… if rumours are true he is coming to us next summer if we cough up of course…
tsgh – if you said Fergie was monitoring him i’d be worried, if we want him, surely we can handle a Moyes approach?
I hope so Oz… I love the man… He even made me support AS Monaco even when my other favorite player and one of the best no.10’s of all time Abedi Pele was playing for OM BUT the man is failing to learn imho…
😛 Oz re Moyes…
The question now in my mind is do we go to BM and go for the win hell for leather or do we play a tactical game with an eye on the FA Cup and wanting a fresh team up for beating Everton…? As previously said we just don’t have the squad to do so many big games on top of each other and now we back to having yet more injuries we gonna struggle. Why not Gnabry in front of Monreal… Serge seems to put in a decent shift.
Where are the pundits who claim the EPL is the best league in the world?
At this rate only Chelsea and the special one will go through to the quarter finals… it will make him look good gain when it is not quite so…
We have a bunch of overated English players who do not know anything about tactical shape and modern football imo…
UEFA were looking at reducing the English allocation to three sides, imagine the despair for Arsene if that comes in next season. No more top four cups 🙂
You have a point WATH…I believe Serge is more tactical switched on at his age even more than SC19 imo… he is certainly better at that side of the game than JW and Theo… imho
The issue is that AW does not rate efficient players…
Paul Scholes would never have made it at Arsenal under AW… I am even surprised Arteta and Ramsey are in the starting XI…
What I do know is that if Ramsey had come through the academy he won’t still be with us…
Eisfield will do what Kroos does for the team but because he does not try to take on or dribble the whole midfield like JW AW does not favour him…
I can’t understand why AW tried to buy Crewe’s Powell 2 seasons ago but is not interested in Aneke who is currently better than Powell
so 4th won’t be a trophy damn! Oz.. 🙂
Ts I hope we sign kross……..imagine kross and ramsey double pivot……I can only dream…flamini really should have done better for d second goal or am I been harse?????
I think you are being a lil harsh on Flamini…Snap 😉
saying that if he actually did his job instead of playing up to the cameras by pretending to be organizing the playings then just maybe he could have done something…
But hey… we splitting hair here so…
Kroos and Ramsey will make me cream like Goonster …
please stop it… 😀
Me and my typos, thanks for correcting the post Wath… 😛
Morning all….
Hiya lady…
hi Rico
if UEFA reduces the allocated slots to three, am sure Wenger will call it quits. he can’t afford to go one season without a trophy!! but I got to ask though, what the HELB happened to carzola of last season? is he scared of going to Brazil?! will ramsey be fit for the return leg in Germany?
Thanks re the post comments guys…
ts kross really is a complete midfielder……. watched him at Leverkusen and he has grown to b a master tactician,…….always taking up good defensive position even when played as d no10…..a true German I must say…….oz ozil really needs a break IMO……just so he takes some time and work things out imo
Hi Oz, Ts…
Adam, your ‘lobbing £70k’ comment made me laugh, I wondered just what you were referring to for a second… 😉
Snap- Kroos reminds me of Lothar Matthias in his style of play…
snaparse – you may well be right. Just saw the video of him and flamini, not good. Action is required as you say
The reason why Rafa and the bin-dippers won the CL was because he ensured that Hamman was always fit for the important games for tactical reasons…
I have always believed that playing your best players or most inform in every game does not win you the game…
tsgh – agreed
ah d great Matthias ts…..ozil doesn’t really act like a German(I knw his Turkish origin) but u see gundogan and u really wonder
true oz flamini and Wilshere were really pissed at him
That £150+ million we have in the bank needs spending!
Snap Hakan Sukur was a fighter…
Lule, re SC19 I have asked this a few times on here… why is he behind Mata, Navas and Silva in the Spanish team at the age of 28…?
SC19 is selected and played in the Spain team when the manager does not want to play the Iniestas’ Silvers of this world… SC19 plays against the likes of Tahiti or when they have to travel 4000 miles to South America…
People think I dislike SC19 but he hardly ever turns up in big games…
Rico – yeah but it all’s lies – Arsene is broke and has always been broke – who cares about yearly financial reports 🙂
Lol true Rico . …….this team just needs 2 or 3 v.good players IMO and we sure as hell can afford it….a winger DM and a striker should b d minimum this summer imo
tsgh – we have a few of them and regardless of flack i think Wenger is another
🙂 Oz.
Striker
DM
Winger
Those three are a must in the summer, plus a
GK if Fabianski goes
Rb is Sagna goes
CB if TV goes..
Just realised I repeated what you said Oz, looks like we agree 😉
we’re 2/3 players away from greatness – how many seasons have we used that line?
Since the summer of 2006 I’d say….
Oz- I have to agree re AW…
I think his is more about arrogance than bottling it…
He believes his teams are far better than they may be on certain occasions…
Afternoon all. God, I hate that little prick Robben. You can just tell he was either bullied at school, or he was a little bastard at school… either way, probably universally hated.
ha ha Rocky… he has a face only a mother could love… but with his bank balance it’s all good now with him I guess…
Rico. Glad I raised a smile. Giroud raised more than that though. 🙂
Ts, I bet his own mother only likes him because of the money… Take that away and she’ll despise him like the rest of us too!
Allegedly.
Adam… He is one handsome mofo though…..
😛 Rocky… harsh man… 😀
Join the club Rocky, horrid little man…
🙂 Adam…
Unfortunately I was on the train home for the first half so all I got to see was one-way traffic. were we that good before the sending off? As for the penalty…. how many times does Wenger need to say that he hates short run ups before telling Ozil he can never take a penalty as long as he insists on the kind of powder-puff bullshit penalties he takes?
tsgh – Wenger 2008 “people need to understand football is not all about trophies” well you got that right mate. Not that many supporters (or players) would agree but Arsene knows you know 🙂
rocky – i still find it hard to understand how anyone in their right mind would allow him to take that considering who he was facing??
We were very good Rocky, could, maybe should have been 2 up before the sending off…
I honestly think there are too many central midfielders on our books. too many of the same kind such that no one has been able to make their positions indisputably theirs. just like our back five.
Ches is in trouble for sticking his fingers up as he left the pitch…
Did he not learn from Jack’s incident earlier this season….
true Oz. Especially as he is low on confidence already. That killed him off. He looked like a lost little boy in the second half and should have gone off. I know people on here love him but at the moment its like we are playing with 10 and a half men. He’s been missing for a looooooong time now. He will no doubt come good, and he will show everyone the form he was in when he first came. But personally I’d rather see Rosicky in the team for a bit. It won’t be for long, as he picks up a ridiculous amount of bookings, but it may be the catalyst to make Ozil come back better. Sure as hell worked wonders for Szczesny.
Agree lule…
And not one of those square pegs can fit the gaping round hole which is on both wings…
Aw seems to sign players and make them fit instead of signing players for a specific position…
I don’t know Rico… I think Rosicky can do it. Ox defo can. The rest are pretty interchangable.
Why was Podolski sat scratching his arse on the bench instead of Sanogo? In a game of such importance? Podolski must surely know his time with us is up now.
rocky – ah the questions the questions – all so valid but there ya go, only the professor knows the answer
I kind of meant Ramsey, Ozil, Santi, Jack really Rocky, AW sticks them out on the wings and it doesn’t work too often.
Serge, Ox and Rosicky I agree on…
true Rico. hope Arsene will soon retire.
Rocky. Great to see you on here mate.
Ches will get a ban but he was really only signalling what the world thinks of that little rodent scumbag.
Rico. I think Wenger likes all players to serve their apprenticeship on the wing. I would not be surprised to see Sanogo or Bendtner out there this Saturday.
I hope that Gazidis has a word with Pep telling him the job is his in a few years or when he wants to be involved with competitive football again. He looks a shoe-in to build a new, more rational dynasty at Arsenal to me.
best finisher i have ever seen – so important game, let me play this kid from the french 2 league doh! The kid did ok according to reports but i ask you, was that a sensible game to throw him into to?
Oz… I don’t think he does know… That’s the main problem right there!
you’re preaching to the converted Rocky 🙂
Wouldn’t shock me if Wenger tried to be clever thinking Sanogo was like a secret weapon as they wouldn’t know anything about him. Problem is, no-one does as he’s been injured for so long. Definite wrong choice for me.
I know mate…. I know!
Unless Wenger thought what the rest of us think… We had nochance of winning the CL so may as well rest Podolski (who is permanantly resting these days) and the lothario Giroud. But then surely he would have rested Gibbs and played the accident waiting to happen Monreal. Who knows.
Nice to venture back Adam. I trust you’re well?
I am off to work team –
Giroud cuts quite a figure in his underpants though. He should be sold to AC Milan then he could go to Berlusconi’s bunga-bunga parties and stroll around like the dickhead he has become, after covering the rest of his body in tattoos that is. Just how unprofessional and disrespectful has he been? He must have heard the tales about Chamakh. Sell him this summer.
Not bad Rocky. Thanks for asking.
I like Giroud though. He really does put a shift in most times. I agree he was a bit disrespectful but we only know about it because some old scrote had to sell her story. Players up and down the country are no doubt doing it but getting away with it. I don’t think he meant to be disrespectful. He was just thinking with his hampton.
Good stuff. Dropped you an email about 20 mins ago
Rocky. Giroud hasn’t put a shift in for quite a while mate. As you know I have never thought him good enough to be the main striker for Arsenal. He is slow of thought and even slower of body. He is also a dickhead of epic proportions apparently.
On the other hand I think Monreal is a very good player who has had no support from Ozil whatsoever.
All opinions though.
The way things are shaping up Wenger is going to have some massive decisions to make come summer with TV, OG, LP and even Ozil. All big players, all crucial decisions. World Cup year too and we all know how hard it is to sign players in that period because Arsene tells us every 4 years.
You could well be right about Monreal. Yesterday could have well highlighted the fact that no-one bothers tracking back and helping out on that side. He just always seemed to me a mile away from Robben in the second half when the ball was played out that way. I think in the summet Pod will go. So too will TV. We can agree to disagree regarding Giroud!
Giroud should be our plan B (taking pink boot’s slot) and we need to buy a proper greedy strike.Not wilfried umbongo, a “proper” player!!!
Agreed Lee. I wouldn’t say no to Remy in all honesty as he’ll be relatively cheap. He can take Bendtner’s place. We need more than one striker in reserve.
Decent game, our boys put in a hard shift. the second goal was harsh at the end.
Ozil needs a break.
Poor mngt by AW to allow him to take penalty against his boyhood and national mate. Neuer knows Ozil style in his sleep, that is why he paused briefly.
I am not sure what Poldi has to do to get a start, certainly in the dog house with AW – WHY????
Monreal is poor defensively compared to Gibbsy but we cannot trust him because he is injury prone.
Schezzer is a great shot stopper but has this Lehmann tendency to act irrational and headless, in important games.
I would have opted for TR07 over Ozil and stuck Poldi in for the start. The boys performed admirably considering we always get short end of stick in CL games.
Ox looks superb and is up for it now. JW put in a nice effort. I wish TW19 was fit, things would be different. Sanogo did well again.
Stay calm, let us support the boys and get the league.
Agree with that. That was the best I have seen Wilshere play for a while. Probably because he now knows he can be the star in midfield again due to Ozil’s lacklustre performances.
Lee. Where does Wilfred Umbongo come from then?
Guessing The Congo??
I think Wenger wanted the team to perform like they did against Liverpool on the weekend and in the early stages they did.
Our penalty would’ve changed the game’s dynamics if we scored it.
I too thought JW played rather well last night when we were down to 10 men. He seemed to know what his role was.
I suggested Flamini left with Monreal ahead and take Ozil off last night and second goal I blame Wilshere and Kos. The risk way out weighed the reward. 1-0 would’ve been the same to me as 1-1 as we still needed an away goal.
On Ozil – Yes its clear his performance levels have dropped off lately BUT noone is talking about how Arsenal is setup in a way that does not take advantage of his major strength – playing the killer ball.
At Real, for example, he led assists in Europe because he had active runners who he can find, moving at pace behind and across defences. Who does Arsenal have upfront? Giroud and Bentner are about as slow as a striker can be, and Sanogo cant be expected to read the game on this level yet. Factor in that Walcott is injured, and you can see that the outlets for Ozils killer passes are just not there. Instead, he does a decent job of being a cog in the attacking wheel of Arsenal, without standing out in his role in the slow buildup. Defensively, he is below average – but we never bought him for that did we? Hopefully he can still improve there.
My point? If we had a real striker(s) making incisive runs and pacy wingers on both sides making more runs behind, you would instantly see Ozil picking them out more often and we would be celebrating his creative vision. So summer investment in a quality striker is doubly important – to score a pack of goals, and to bring the best out of Ozil.
Adam, he’s from Brazzaville……
Same Circus, different town.
tsgh, you’ll like this, i said at half time last nite Bayern would pass us to death.
2nd half,
Bayern 508 passes
Arsenal 62.
Yes, we were down to 10 men but that is still staggering.
I was particularly amused with Robben’s reply when asked if he had spat on Sagna. The Dutch weasel looked aghast as if anybody could even consider the fact that he might behave in such a thoroughly dishonourable way. He proclaimed that, if he were to do such a thing he would never be able to look his family in the face again. Cheating in any way apparently goes totally against his principles.
Nice to know that.
Afternoon Rico and the House.
Another first clas post Rico and you are spot on we all should be proud of our team. There has been very good posts today which have made excellant reading, and have reflected my thoughts.
I see some of the so called experts are giving Arsen stick for his team selection.
I think he chose that team (after seeing the poll you had last week)
with Sat in mind. There will some fairly fresh legs on view and I expect a few changes.
Sorry guys, storm broke, internet crashed and to top if off my laptop is yet again a law unto itself… 🙁
Good job I am picking up a new one tomorrow 🙂
Afternoon Rick and thanks…
Roger, I pretty much agree there…
Afternoon Rico. Good news about the laptop.
Afternoon Adam, that’s the only good news right now. The big man above is sure testing us right now….
Send me on your old one rico, it can’t be any worse than mine !
After last night I can’t share your faith in the team for the remainder of this season, can see it being an action reply of last year, another top four trophy at best.
You are welcome to it Micko but it comes with a virus 🙁
I doubt we will win anything this season either but all the time we are in with a chance, I hang on to hope….
Once I read we are playing Everton at 12.45, I lost hope of the FA Cup, that’s for sure….
Your not having much luck with your internet are you Rico.
Unlike most I still believe we can win something with the first team and the youngsters.
Remember our conversation about Chuba Akpom.
I have been told that allthough he played 90mins for Coventry on Tues he is playing in the game against Charlton and the game next
Tues. I see these games as big as last night.
I don’t think we have the firepower to win anything. Who’s faults that?….
Catch up tomorrow guys…
Night all….
None at all Rick. Had two for 7/8 years and they have both had to be binned 🙁
Gone now….
We do Lewis…
Lewis, Wenger is paid handsomely to make the big decisions and he cocked up big time last nite, still lets give him the benefit of the doubt and judge him in May……………..yawn, yawn.
rico, if that market inspector on EE can be an actor then so can I !!!
Kev, how long does it take to fit a bidet ?
The scum got beat in the inter two bob cup tonite so it’s not all bad.
Over and out.
hello everyne!
Probably will be Fabiansky at the goal in munchen.
I posted my comments bout the game yesterday
always the same
Micko 1-0 dodgy penalty apparently, still it keeps them on their toes for another game next week. Keep them busy and hopefully the more games they play the more worn out they will get.
Lose another game and everyone uses it to back up their own agenda. Ozil was bought as a offensive play we didn’t pay 42.5m for a defender he did not play as bad as some would have you believe last night. It’s Not Wenger’s fault Giroud couldn’t keep it in his pants and he’s replacement played well. Also we were supposed to be playing the best team in the world and it was a close game until the sending off.
Following the sending off it was incumbent on the remaining players to adapt which they did quite well apart from the lapse at the end when we gave away goal number 2. 1 – 0 was recoverable but we should have kept the ball instead of lumping it forward and giving away possession and consequently the second goal.
Boom
Morning anyone 😉
Oops, didn’t see you there Lee, morning to you….
Moaning…
The unveiling of God’s statue tomorrow…….
You moaning again 😉
New post up now….
Spooky Lee…..