Morning all.
Following the defeat to Man City last Sunday, there were a few mutterings from a number of players about how hard they would work together to improve things for Arsene Wenger. They were behind him, well, so they said but those words were hardly put into action last night.
Yes, City were good and we mustn’t lose sight of that but I thought we made things easy for them once again. Too much space and time on the ball was afforded to them and the visitors aren’t a team to do that against.
The game was pretty much over by halftime and even when it looked like we might actually get on the score sheet, Aubameyang made life easy for Ederson with a really weak penalty kick. That’s what happens when a team is going through a bad time and boy are we going through one of those and I don’t just mean the last weeks or months either.
Sane ran us ragged, certainly Bellerin but I didn’t see much support offered by Mkhitaryan and the same could be said on the other side of the pitch too where Kolasinac was also enduring a difficult evening. The midfield was overrun yet again too.
A slightly different starting eleven to the weekend but the same end result. We had a few chances, but couldn’t take them, not that I think it would have made much difference because City always looked liked they could go up another gear or two, certainly after their third goal.
At half time, the Arsenal players, Wenger and his staff left the pitch to booing. They did at full time too but somewhere in between, the ‘Theres only one Arsene Wenger’ rang out although I’m still not sure whether that came from the home or away fans. My hunch is the away fans because quite soon after followed the ‘Arsene Wenger we want you to stay’ singalong. Both were loud and possibly too loud for it to have been from the few Arsenal fans left inside The Emirates. Mind you, Gordon Strachan might have a point suggesting that the volume levels are ramped up on television when the boos come out.
Highlighting individual players for their poor performance is a waste of time imo because it’s a collective thing now. Too many are underperforming which is what happens when the belief has gone. It’s almost like every player has accepted that this is it, this is where we are and can see no getting away from it.
I don’t recall the last time Arsene Wenger didn’t use a single substitute, perhaps a move which said so much. It didn’t matter what he tried or with who, his team is finished under his leadership. Or rather lack of it. The cameras caught him on several occasions just sat with his head down looking to the ground. Either that or shaking his head or looking at his watch no doubt like us, just wishing the referee would blow his whistle to signal the end. Unfortunately for us all though, there was still plenty of time to go.
The Emirates was far from full, a sad and sorry sight really, yet City fans had turned out in full but then so would we Arsenal fans if we in a similar position. We’ve been there and done it, albeit a long time ago.
This current Arsenal team is everything which it wasn’t back then. In George Graham’s day, our defence was the best and Arsene inherited that best. He added more steel together with speed and flair and boy were we tough nuts to crack. The way City pass and move, is the way we used to play, but no more. That, like all the other qualities Arsene Wenger used to believe in, are long gone. Back then he signed men, footballers who were strong both physically and mentally and they knew how to play. Going a goal down didn’t usually matter because they had the self belief and desire to fight back. They were filled with confidence, much of which was instilled in them by the very same man who today lost, broken and devoid of ideas.
The board should never allowed things to get this bad, Arsene Wenger himself shouldn’t have done either. Hindsight suggests that he should have realised things were going wrong quite a number of years ago, but having continued like a gambler trying to win all the money he’d previously lost, he should have walked away last summer after thumping the newly crowned League Champions Chelsea in the FA Cup Final in style. That would have been the perfect moment for everyone because that’s the last match we’d remember him for.
Now though it’s horrid to watch. Not only the football, but him too. The partnership between him and the club is going to end and soon I think but the parting of their ways should have been so very different. Had both the board and the Frenchman had an ounce of common sense, it would have been.
Now though, when the time comes for him to leave which I think is very soon, the good times under Arsene Wenger will be greatly overshadowed by the last ten years of struggles, declining football, odd press conferences and excuses.
Shame, a great shame.
Morning rico, good post under trying circumstances. Its sad, and been so obvious. We really should be a few years into a new regime now, and who knows where we would be?
Great article.. you could add if he is there next year then relegation is a probability,, Brian Clough overstayed
but
last 3 games vs liverpool lost 10 – 4
last 3 vs mancity lost 9-1
last 3 vs bayern lost 15-3
i think that sums up how bad we are
Too many reverse and square passes, wasting time that we very much need nowadays, as we always have to try and play catch-up. We are way too slow going forward, a lesson learned again last night, as city cut through ourmidfield and defence with so much ease. I’m finding it really hard to give any of our players last night 5 points out of 10. We look like rabbits in headlights way too often. Personally I would keep Monreal, Bellerin, Ramsey, give Wilshere a decent package, and give Auba a chance, and depending on his attitude, keep Ozil if hes willing to earn some of his £350,000 a week. The rest just dont seem to cut it, and its clear to see we need a total overhaul, especially a leader on the pitch, as Kos has had his day now. We have to spend money if we’re even going to think about being top four again.
Morning Andrew and all.
Welcome Lower East and M67 and thanks re the post.
We need to spend money but don’t want Arsene Wenger to be the one spending it..
Lower East, those numbers are dreadful…
Morning Rico. The weather and the fans conspired last night to give everybody a full and true view of where Arsenal are at the moment. The crowd was tiny and this for a match against Man City. The performance was dire and any real improvement over Sunday’s debacle was purely academic. I actually believe that Pep eased off in the second half to spare Wenger a complete humiliation. We had nothing going for us that was really going to hurt them and they knew it. If our penalty had been taken instead of being telegraphed then I imagine they would have roused themselves and scored another goal.
From a personal point of view I don’t feel angry any more. I watched the whole thing from the comfort of a warm home and felt sad. I really can’t be bothered to run through some of the shocking performances I have witnessed from players who should be nowhere near an Arsenal first team. It’s all become too painful.
What is happening and where we really are in terms of the EPL is, as I said, there for all to see and what needs to happen is surely self-evident.
In the corner stands a boxer a fighter by his trade
And he suffers the reminders of every blow that laid him down
and cut him till he,cried out in his anger and his pain .
I am leaving ,I am leaving but the fighter still remains
One more fight and I will be a contender again.
Morning Adam. I think I’ve come to accept it is what it is until he’s gone. Like you, I’m sad though because it needn’t have been this way.
Can’t stand Carragher but I think he’s right, the club need to tell us what’s happening because it’s hardly likely to derail our season now.
Great song ‘The Boxer’….
I see Diane Abbott counted the attendance last night at the Emirates!
Good morning Rico a post to end a reign, or at least it should be but, it won’t, will ot?
Agree with all the above. The whole ‘franchise’ needs a really good shake from top to bottom. That includes the ‘owner’ let’s have him out and all his employees or at least most of them. Like an old rusty car this thing needs a total restoration not a bit of make do and mend?
Shocking performance from an under achieving team. How much longer does this have to go on? Do we really have wait until May/June until some significant changes are made to the staffing arrangements. Losing a manager and the 1st team coaches now is hardly. going to make much difference to this year’s final placings. Get rid, shake it all up. Appoint the man you want to manage/coach as soon as possible, if the chosen one is not available until the summer, appoint an interim coach just to get us to the end of the season. We have enough points, just to avoid relegation already so we ain’t going to go down! Bit, we need a significant change. And we need it now!
It’s stopped snowing ………for now and sun has put in a bit of an appearance! Happy days!
David Silva could find space in a single bed with Gemma Collins in it……. twitter last night!!
I agree Rico. Time is a precious commodity and this season is essentially over. Surely all eyes must turn toward next season now and who will be in charge. Surely the sensible thing would be to sort who is going to take over right now and direct the energies within the club toward that eventuality. What players will be going and who might arrive should all be on the agenda now. Not at season’s end when a huge scramble will surely ensue as it’s the dreary old World Cup again with all the bullshit that entails. We are way, way beyond Wenger dropping hints about what players he might sign and how there will be big changes. He’ll go to the WC anyway and won’t make any decisions until it’s too late. We all know that. That’s just bullshit and the board know it. There’s a real chance for Arsenal here to make the right moves beginning today. If they prevaricate or indulge themselves in yet another bout of boardroom politics while Rome burns then they will have missed a real chance to roll out the changes.
That’s how I see him Rico : – A punch drunk old fighter that still believes that he has one more lucky punch in his locker. But he can’t find it because it’s not there.
Morning Wavy. What you suggest is basic common sense. As you say, we’ve nothing left this season to fight for so why not start the rebuild…
The board and Wenger don’t seem to do common sense though…
And still Wenger says we can salvage our season.
I don’t know what planet he’s on…
See my 11.26 for that answer. Someone has to throw the towel in for his sake and the clubs.
I reckon you’re spot on Potter.
His body language gives it away, he’s spent.
Good post rico
Mornng all.
The sad thing last night, city players didn’t have to break a sweat and we were 3 nill down ..the rest was like a training session.
Debruyne didn’t even have to try..
Was really humiliating. .
That David Silva goal was a beauty though.
top top qualidy ?
That’s how we used to play donkeys years ago.
Who is Gemma Collins???
Thanks Kk.
Just another training session for City really. I bet they’d like to play us every week.
Chris Houghton is probably looking forward to Sunday’s game…
M67, a rather big lady here in the Uk.
Brudder. That tweet made me chuckle. 🙂
rico knowing that Chris Houghton is a spud and that he doesn’t wish anything good to happen for arsenal. .
he would probably hate to see AW leaves. .so I am afraid he is going to roll over and loose ..then our lord will claim momentum and mental strength ..
It’s a conspiracy I tell ya!
Ha ha Kk, I can see another defeat for us if the game goes ahead. Confidence is at an all time low I reckon. Can’t see a way Wenger can change that either..
Hi Rico
Just because Le Prof says the team is low of confidence seems everyone buy it.
Le Prof assembled a very expensive team full of c***ps make more sense.
More likely punching above their weights for those few wins and draws .
I would expected this situation had it been 15 or 17 years back.When there was plenty of financial restriction but not when you spanking 50 M on a normal basis.
Kronke has decided his business is still good with Le Prof…….so ….yeah one more season is the adage i guess. Kronke remove the Le Prof is a very expensive task hence the man will not move one inch he will stay put.
Alex. I have a feeling that it might prove more expensive to keep Wenger, bearing in mind that every step back would need to be reclaimed.
Just a thought.
Adam …either way is to little to late.
there are to many people hiding comfortably behind Le Prof…….and to rely on this one to make change in a positive direction is bit naive.All those one who are hiding are the very one part of the shambles and to remove just Le Prof and leave all this is just not good enough.
AW changed the formula towards the end of last season by playing 3 at the back, and it paid off obviously winning the cup as well. .
This season he was found out, and teams exploited the space behind the wing backs and put long balls over our dysfunctional midfield and pathetc defence and we got some spanking along the way. .
The 1st test was at anfield. .
Wenger then desperately kept switching between back 4 and and back 5 and failed miserably. .
We conceded way too many goals ..a record I think. .
I mean Petr cech is still waiting for his 200 clean sheet since November.
On the other end we have also been toothless. .but I guess that was all sanchez fault. .
Alex if AW leaves, his coaching staff would also leave. .including your beloved Bouldy..? at least he might be allowed to do what he does best ..coaching the defence. .
Arsenal defence and midfield don’t do the basics under AW..so even Tony pulis could do a better job ..
Hi Alex. I don’t it needs Wenger to tell us anything really. Just watching the players tells me they are shot of confidence. They’ve no confidence in anything they do on the pitch imo.
Agree Adam. I wonder how many other managers across Europe are on his kind of salary..
If there is a clause in his contract about end of season talks, I guess they’ll be no compensation to pay him either.
“Obviously it is not easy when you cannot score a goal to give us extra energy. There are maybe some players who are a bit resigned.” P.E.A
That doesn’t bode too well then…..
Rico. Wenger is perhaps in a virtually unique position but has nobody in his ear to consult. This unfortunate sequence of events, stemming from the scenario Potter outlined recently where DD, DF and ultimately Kroenke were concerned has led us to where we are. It’s easy to look at successful managers abroad and anticipate that they could bring that to our club but this is most likely an over-simplified view.
Whatever happens, I think that the opportunities that a new manager will get makes the Arsenal job one of the most interesting and challenging in European football today. Also it’s not as if the club have been wildly successful since moving to the Emirates so the shadow that Wenger casts is a lot smaller than it used to be.
The board would have looked around the stadium last night and shuddered. Yes, the weather played a part but I have been there many times with below zero temperatures with a full house. The fans have mostly lost faith and that translates into a loss of income for Arsenal, the business. Something has to give.
Afternoon Rico and All
Pep let us off lightly last night,played
keep ball 2nd half..Cheers Pep.
Arsene is now showing the world what a
selfish man he is..He know’s the score.
What’s best for The Arsenal..
It’s not you …is it Arsene
It’s all been said about the mob upstairs
not wanting to sack him..and he know’s that
as well.
So last night could get the ball rolling,
yer it was cold..
But Arsene wants us all to believe,
it was a Caraboo magraine,
our form is relegation stuff since Sanchez went,
but he keeps saying after every defeat
we will have to concentrate on the next match,
so going by that statement 0-3 against City
then 5 days later 0-3 again,by City
is the problem just concentration thing.
Thats cleared that up then.
Adam, I think you said it the other day, the board need to get a guy in and back him. Just because one guy is getting things right in Spain, Italy, France etc, doesn’t mean he’ll do well here. The PL is a very different league to all others in my opinion as Pep found out last season. He’s fortunate enough though to have owners who back him in every department.
Until Wenger goes, we’ve no idea if our board will do something similar although probably on a smaller financial scale…
He’s right though Lee… we concede a goal and it’s like ‘Oh well then, here we go again.’
Our attacking play is insipid and Aubameyang will be a waste of money if no one starts giving him better service.
Wenger has lost the dressing room it seems…
Afternoon Fred, I think our football was relegation stuff at times before Alexis arrived, let alone after he left.
Things are working for Ozil right now yet he has a great striker ahead of him to feed so he should be enjoying life on the pitch. There was a moment last nigh5 when he was in possession centrally and had a player each side of him he could have passed to, both further forward too which I know is a shock, but instead of the simple ball put wide, he tried to plough through a busy midfield on his own. Funny enough, he lost possession.
School boy errors, not what you’d expect from a £350k a week German international..
I think he has, and quite a while ago. I’m praying that Mikki and Auba were made promises of change when they agreed to sign for us, Ozil too.
Merse reckons he’ll leave in the summer.
So in essence, the goal keeper is past it, the defence woeful, the midfield like a sieve and we have a toothless attack…..the future doesn’t seem all that bright!!
I reckon most of them are just disorganised, too soft and far too complacent. They’re in a comfort zone which if removed by a more demanding and disciplined manager/coaches would soon see improvement imo.
My point about Sanchez is that
are micky and pea enough to
replace that talent?
We look worse now,the so called
dressing room being down,
looks on its knee’s ..to me.
there’s beena long list of forwards since RVP left :- Podolski , Walcott , Ox Cham , Gervinho , Bendtner , Sanogo , Akpom , Sanchez , Afobe , Campbell ,Giroud .Chamakh
What do they all have in common ? Were they all shit ? I would argue that some were but some others were not , but they all failed and none are with us now.
Is it always the player or perhaps the system ?
Just heard John ITK cross saying he is 100% sure that AW will be moved on this summer?
Has Ornstien spoken yet? Or this is not his game?
They might be under a different manager Fred..
The system Potter..
Kk, fingers crossed the itk is really itk on this one…
Change is certainly n the air.
That go’s without saying Rico..
I reckon so Adam..
Thought you’d agree Fred ?
When would it end? I reckon soon. For years SK would not fire Jeff Fisher the head coach of the Rams, his NFL franchise. For 12 years they didn’t make the playoffs, but Stan didn’t care because NFL revenues are guaranteed and revenue sharing ensures profits.
However, after an uproar by former players and fans, just as it is going on now at Arsenal, Fisher was fired. In came a young Sean McVay, at 30 years old the youngest head coach ever in NFL history, who had no head coaching experience. The rest is history, the Rams were the most improved in the NFL, won their conference and made the playoff. So don’t think that Stan and Josh are not aware that Arsene has to go and don’t be surprise if TH14 is the new head man……
Until then, we just have to suffer and watch AW be defiant: “I have turned down the world for Arsenal”. Oh really so have Arsenal, we have turned down/ missed out on, Guardiola, Ancelotti, Allegri, Mourinho, Conte, Klopp, Simeone, etc, etc…. He knows its the end.
Hi Obi, good to see you back..
Good comment, all kind of falls into place..
Hi Rico, been reading everyday. I just really don’tknow what to comment/ say anymore because one person is killing the club and we all see it…..
Yes, it’s all got rather boring Obi as there’s nothing positive to write or talk about.
I can’t see what pleasure Wenger can take from being at the club anymore..
Night guys..
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/mar/02/arsenal-players-arsene-wenger-meeting?CMP=share_btn_tw
Am just gonna leave this here.
Morning.
Morning Rico.
Morning Adam. The thaw has arrived at last.
Shame the same can’t be said of Arsenal….
New post up now.