Morning all.
Having gone from looking good to reach the knock-out stages, we now face a very very tough test – we need to beat both Napoli and Dortmund away from home.
Maybe Marseille will do us a favour along the way and lessen our task ahead. Mind you, we still need to make sure we beat them at The Emirates to stand any kind of chance of progressing in this group.
I thought we were dreadful in the first half. Ball watching, no width, no pace and certainly no movement off the ball to allow simple football and simple passing.
In fact for the first hour, we were losing the ball cheaply, players were being passed like they weren’t even on the pitch and we were second to every ball. We were nothing like the Arsenal we have seen of late and we had no-one bossing or even organising the midfield.
Dortmund were looking good, but we allowed them to look that way, we played right into their hands and we looked like the away team going all out to sneak a draw.
We gifted them a goal when instead of hoofing the ball out of danger, Aaron Ramsey decided to try a bit of trickery and lost the ball, allowing Dortmund to score.
Who was organising, who told him he was in danger, anyone?
Or no-one.
Our equaliser was well deserved by Giroud, a big centre-forward who wasn’t about to give up on a Sagna cross which was delivered into a very dangerous area. Subotic hashed at clearing the cross, totally getting in the way of his keeper Weidenfeller and there was the Frenchman to batter the ball home. He’d been one of our better players so far in the match, he was giving up on nothing.
Prior to that, Giroud had been cynically held back by Hummels just outside the area, which earned the Dortmund man a booking and then the big guy sent in a cross which half-cleared and fell nicely for Tomas Rosicky to fire towards goal. I thought it was in as the goalkeeper was beaten easily but in behind him was Hummels to clear the ball off the line.
Jack Wilshere, who’d earlier appeared to land funny, hurting his ankle in the process, finally left the pitch and was replaced by Cazorla.
Play was still very cat and mouse, neither side really looking to win the game, but as we entered the last thirty minutes of the match, we picked up our play slightly.
Cazorla saw a fantastic strike hit the top right-hand side of the woodwork as we were clearly going all out to nick a second and take all three points but the inevitable happened.
Dortmund hit us on the break and hit us hard, our players were caught our far to far up the pitch as their full-back Kevin Grosskreutz broke down the right, leaving Gibbs standing. His cross found Lewandowski in acres of space at the back post and he wasn’t going to miss the chance to secure all three points.
And he didn’t!
That was our first loss since the opening day of the season and it hurt.
Not because we lost but because of how we played.
Arsene Wenger said after the game:
If you look at the number of saves our goalkeeper had to make, we can only look at ourselves. We were not mature enough.
If you cannot win a game then don’t lose it. In the second half we were on top but made it difficult by giving them the second goal.
It all looked messy and very unlike the Arsenal we have got used to watching this season. There were signs of the same against Norwich and unless we came out of the blocks with pace, fury and quick passing against a side as good as Dortmund, then we were always going to be on the back foot and we were for the majority of the game.
In my opinion, we missed having Flamini in the middle as so much was going through our midfield. There was no-one prepared to win that ball, keep that ball and take control. To organise, direct and get a grip of the game. We improved when Rosicky moved more central after Cazorla came on and only then (imho) did Arteta pick his game up. We also missed pace and width, which is no doubt why so many fans cry out for us to sign a winger. Not a right/left sided midfielder, a proper out and out winger with pace.
We tried towards the end but with most of our players pressing so far up the pitch, a side like Dortmund have the quality to hurt us on the break and they did just that.
Jurgen Klopp may have been in the stands, but he got his tactics spot on for last nights match so credit to him but we helped Dortmund by the way we played.
As for Arsene Wenger, from his comments it seems as if he’s not at all happy at the way we gave the points away so cheaply.
All we can hope for from last night is that another lesson has been learned…
There was of course a controversial moment in the match when Lewandowski elbowed Laurent Koscielny in the face. First off I thought a red card had to be shown but after seeing the replay I am far from convinced it was deliberate.
However, from the referee’s point of view, if he saw the incident and showed the player a card which he did, he clearly thought otherwise.
In which case, surely a red one was his only option?
Anyway, Crystal Palace up next, let’s go and make them pay!!
to hell with you ladie luck…u and arsenal are still married and ure sleeping with dumfound behind he’s back…ure so cruel…great game…..oliver and rozza are pure class…lewa lewa lewa dont worrie metz gon pocket u much more deeper d next time….flamini, we missed u alot…mr wenger time for rotation dis squad need a break
Am, what about that game was ‘great’?
Morning all gooners…
Well written write up Rico.
I know its been a while, but i left cuffley sold everything and am sofa surfing at freinds …nice to see thre stuff we have been playing recently.
For both goals we conceded, 1st one i blame Ramsey for losing the ball edge of our area, 2nd i balme Arteta for not filling in at RB once Sagna went up. RL had too much time to strike it clean. We were unlucky last night but we looked a different team with Santi on.
Is it me or anyone else think Ozil was poor as well last night? TR07 as much as i love the mozart , his passing wasnt up to scratch , ramsey looked slow (perhaps tired) and JW unbalanced positionally.
Last nights Mom for me was Cazorla. He might have been on for half an hour but he posed problems won corners and hit the bar. Giroud was also very impressive as were our 2 centre halfs bfg and kos
man of the match Klop – i said at half time he was spot on. Now the group looks tough, we blew a great chance last night and didn’t appear to arrive at the game in the mood at all, how many times have we said that over the years. Worrying tougher games to follow and come December our easy start might be painting a different picture to the hype we have been receiving of late. Hopefully we’ll pull it together and put this behind us. Our answers are not far away
Yep first real test for a while and Arsenal failed, the next few weeks will be the barometer on which the season will pan out, starting with a potential banana skin at Palace
Thanks George, hope you get things sorted soon and off the sofa..
I too thought Arteta was very average until his fellow Spaniard came on and Rosicky moved central.
Ozil didn’t really get into the game but he could see we were struggling down the right and moved out there to offer a threat.
Tomas was very good imho, as was the back 5 until they hit us, but that’s what happens when everyone goes forward and no-one covers for them.
Merts was very good, as was Kos…
We helped Klop though Oz, we were all at sea and you’d have thought we were new to this CL affair…
i see the statements rolling, ‘a lesson learned’, after all these seasons in this comp? I think not. We got it wrong, balance, tempo, attitude, it was all wrong. More tests to come and we’ll see then the real positions and progress. We are shipping to many goals for my liking already TBH
Morning Rico. Good write up and I generally agree.
They came at us with quick and accurate passing as the match started and always seemed to have an extra man on the pitch. Through the middle they were very good. I thought we looked a bit shocked at how precise they were.
Our play that lead to their goal was sloppy and they made us pay. After that they didn’t know whether to stick or twist so we got a foothold in the game and our fans at last drowned out that infernal drumming from their supporters. After we scored you could see the confidence was coming back. They never tested Chesney and we began to look good. Now it was their turn to chase and they began to look a tad ragged.
As the second half started, once again they were good, quick and efficient though still not particularly threatening. Then, at last, we began to pick them off in CM. We won th ball higher up the pitch and you could see they were worried. Oh for a proper winger I thought.
We went close a few times and it seemed as though we had broad, if not total, control as time ran down.
We got done on a breakaway. Yes, in retrospect there was some naivety involved but we were trying to win. On such small details are CL matches won and lost but it could quite easily have gone the other way. I am disappointed but not disheartened. They are one of the top sides in Europe and we matched them very closely.
You really must admire their fans and the player’s relationship with them though and I wish we had a bit more of that at our club.
Thanks Rico,
Dortmund will be semi finalists at the very least, so its no shame to say we lost to them. We weren’t battered though and that’s what sucks. A draw was the fairer result.
We will annihilate Palace, but i bet my £8.90 euromillions winnings that Chamakh plays a blinder against us. We lacked speed last night. Perhaps this weekend we could use it to rest a few players, ie ramsey wilshere is out injured and put in miyachi and gnabry. Would be nice to see Akpom on the bench, perhaps jenks ion for sagna, and monreal in for gibbs.Verm in for Kos…
Klopp is a top manager , he got his tactics spot on last night
Morning all, good post rico.
The sooner AW realize that MA08 is not good enough the better our MF will be, poor organisation, lacks pace and always slowing the tempo down. imo
Hi George. Good to see you back. Especially in the daylight hours.
Morning Adam.
What leaves me so disappointed is the way we played, we’ll never have a better chance to beat Dortmund. Had we only started stronger and with more pace – or even just use the width more but there was nothing.
When we did get the ball we were so sloppy in possession.
Nerves maybe, I don’t know…
Like I said in the post, I’m not too stressed over losing, but the way we lost irks…
Welcome Jam.
Thanks Gdna, I’m kind of with you re Arteta, he was really off for the first hour last night…
I still believe we played into his hands though George. Had we been able to match the start we had against Napoli, I truly believe Dortmund would have been done and dusted by half time. But they gave us no time on the ball and instead of movement and quick passes, we dilly dallied on the ball too much…
Funny game. Arteta is coping it all over today and yet i thought he was in our top 3 players. Unlike his mates, i don’t remember him loosing the ball. he had more tackles than anyone i noticed, broke up many of their movements and his passes were as good as anyone out there. Strange how we see things differently.
I hear you Rico.
I am always surprised at how different the games look on TV to in the flesh.
As a broad overview on the balance of play, they had an excellent 25 minutes at the start but we got to grips with them and, apart from small passages of play, we were quite a bit better than them in the second half and for the last 15-20 in the first half. They had a fair bit of luck too, especially keeping Lewandowski on the pitch after that blatant elbow. They are a major, major step-up from the teams we have been playing recently and we cannot dominate them like we often do with other teams. I have seen us play much worse and win.
Arteta was actually pretty good last night after we got to grips with their midfield but it is so typical that some people always single out players for criticism after gazing into their Crystal Ball.
Hindsight is, as ever, 20/20.
Hi Adam,
Been a while mate…
Oz, Arteta done a job but for an hour like Rico mentions earlier he was just a plodder, and didnt orchestrate and organise. For a captain he wasn’t vocal enough. Our top 3 players were bfg kos and OG
Did he make any tackles in the first half Oz? 😉
Not just Arteta for me Adam, first half, apart from the defence and Giroud, I thought many were quite average. Rosicky was very good in fits and starts, especially after Cazorla came on but as you say, maybe TV paints a different picture..
But I still missed Flamini and Theo. 🙂
We played ok, and got done on the break by the side that were finalists last season.
No way we should have given that goal away, but i reckon it is nothing to worry about.
We don’t yet have the depth to absolutely challenge on all fronts, and i reckon the PL is more attainable than the CL.
A lack of movement in and off the ball cost us, as it always does when we lack it.
Morning all.
Personally, i didn’t think Arteta did anything wrong.
We were too keen to push forward at the end and it hurt us.
In a dynamic and fluid situation players can’t always impose themselves, especially in a team game against very strong opponents.
Yep, Flamini and Theo were missed, I agree,
I’d rather the domestics than the CL too Scott, for the very reasons you suggest, we can’t cope as our depth isn’t there..
I actually didn’t think Dortmund were ‘that good’ Adam. There defence was there to be battered, we just didn’t do that enough in the first half..
Morning all.
Still gutted about last nights result, it hurts mainly because on the whole I thought we were the better team. The first half hour we were passive and showed Dortmund too much respect, once we got going I thought they were there for the taking. We definately missed Flamini, games this season have seen him drop in whenever a defender goes forward, he is more disiplined than anyone in our midfield and would more than likely have covered Sagna for their goal.
Dortmund are a good side, but we more than matched them and for me that bodes well for the away game. If we have a go and don’t play this bullshit passive football we sometimes resort to, we can win. The onus will be on them to attack more so maybe we can pck them off!!
I thought Arteta, Kos and Giroud were great last night. And Santi when he came on.
Rico, i reckon the potential is there, but the younger guys are not up to it yet…certainly not enough so as to suggest we have great depth.
In a year or so…with some more experience, maybe.
With a few additions in January…definitely 🙂
Rico. I am afraid we will have to agree to disagree there. 🙂
Oh, and Giroud was definitely MOTM.
Lewis, knowing us, we’ll go and beat them in Germany..
Have to agree there Scott, again 😉
Adam. Indeed we will….. But you know me, last word and all that, I think we made them look good… 😉
To be honest. I wish wilshere is benched more often these days. He really does not contribute much to our game. I know he is brave but why always take the harder option of running through 3-4 opponents than just passing the ball to a team mate. One thing i am beginning to notice is that Wenger fears Jack. Always trying to justify to him why he took him off/rests him. As he was substituted yesterday ’cause of the ankles, Wenger approached him to greet him and he pretended as if he did not see wenger. I say stick him to the bench and he will buckle up, and also show more respect to the coach. What on earth did he contribute yesterday? Gnabry would have done better.
Arteta has started playing the same conservative midfield again. Forget we won Norwich 4-1, but the result did not reflect the perfomance. I wish Flamini will be paired with Ramsey from now. arteta should only play when we are comfortably on top.
Nice post Rico.
If this keeps going, people will start talking, Rico 🙂
Or perhaps they made us look bad Rico?
Welcome Uzochukwu.
I can’t agree there re Jack, recently he’s been playing very well and last night, his performance was typical of a few on the pitch. I’d rather not single him.
Some games players play well, in others they don’t and it’s the job of the manager to spot that and react. Also, his game was clearly hampered after his injury.
Flamini/Ramsey for me every day of the week, but these players can’t play every game and last night, Arsene Wenger had no choice.
Thanks re the post by the way.
They already are Scott 😉
Maybe Adam, but I still think we can play a lot better than we did last night.
Maybe both sides nullified each other to an extent.
Who is talking, Rico??
Speak up guys haha.
At last we agree Rico. We can, we have and we will.
Criticising Jack is daft but some people need a scapegoat.
Actually Adam, maybe you are right, in which case, some of the players who played last night really aren’t good enough for the European stage.
Which in turn means, if AW really does want to win that CL, best he go and sign a few players who are good enough to win it.
And adopt the right tactics to make sure they do.
🙂 Scott. I read something on goal.com…
@ Rico, maybe it was the injury, or the whole team was bad. But to me, if there is no space in the central midfield for Jack, bench him. If he must play, play him at his natural position. I prefer Gnabry on the right flank than Jack. Gnabry covers the right back better than Jack too.
We have taken a massive step today with the boy.
We have enrolled Sean at the International Football School!
After a bit of investigation, we find the education is top notch, and that is priority no. 1.
Part of the daily routine is 2 hours of first rate football coaching.
He desperately wants to to, he will get a great education and the fact he is getting the coaching at the school means we do ot have to traipse him around the country side a few afternoons a week, so win, win, win!
Now i have to do more overtime to pay for it 🙂
Goal.com..so that’s where you get your news 🙂
Jack has been playing much better of late.
He is stll making errors, but is getting there.
I don’t think anyone was bad today, but very few were great, and that doesn’t cut it v top opponents.
@ Adam, Don’t you think making such comment on mine is a tard too harsh. it was my opinion I expressed and not yours.
You can almost hear Klopps team talk.
‘Play it tight, close them down, give them nothing. Then wait until the last 20 mins and Arsenal will count on us tiring (after he told everyone they were tired at the weekend) and they’ll go for it in the last 20 mins.
That’s when we can hit them on the break and win the game’
Done and dusted….
Morning you lot….
Good post Rico, I also thought we were very slow and lethargic last night… no tempo to our game what so ever, they were closing us down from the front yet we just stood off of them and let them play…! The lack of width was testament to the fact Ozil went and basically sat on the right touchline in the 2nd half to try and spread the game…! Yes they are a very good team but we had an off night and didn’t really turn up. As for Arteta though he wasnt even on the pitch in the first half, people were going by him like he wasn’t there and he got the wrong side so many times…! Games like that for me are to quick for him unless someone sits in with him and they didn’t. Why was a left footed Jack played on the right and a right footed Tomas played on the left…? Plain daft if you ask me…! Then again WTF do i know.
Jack and Ramsey need to be consistent. TR907 and SC19 don’t drop their level…and with theo and the ox and glass legs diaby back there will be fierce competition. Arteta is a good squad player. Nowhere near the levels of the others but he’s done good in the past, he shouldn’t be a guaranteed starter. Flamini looks like 1st choice DM, although Ginge quite rightly points out MA08 stats are better than Flamsters.
So we shipped 2 against a good Dortmund side, its the opther end of the pitch we need to address. god forbid OG gets iunjured …we are well and truly f if we are to rely on the Pink booted Bomber!
I didn’t understand why he was out on the right either Uz, neither did I understand Rosicky on the left…
But that was down to Arsene Wenger, so surely he should be to at fault, rather than the player. The same thing happened with Ramsey, he was awful not too long ago when played on the left/right and he took some serious criticism but look at him now….
Can’t disagree with much there Wath, but i am never right either 🙂
Morning Wath, thanks.
Just wrote the same about Jack and Tomas, strange goings on.
Must be because Halloween is creeping in on us…….
We were one player failing to track back, and a crossbar away from winning the game, so all is not lost, i reckon.
Still, we need to come out and win comfortably on the weekend, because another flat performance could lead to another, and another….
I was watching the game on tv so I probably didn’t see the game properly. The first half MA08 was awful, the MF that played against Fulham would have done a better job, apart from the Napoli game, MA08 has been awful pre-season and all. If Norwich had a bit more quality we would have lost on Saturday when Flamini went off injured, so its nothing against MA.
Rico. When I am at a game and I see players giving their all for the club and compete with the best and then get undone by a sucker punch I am not happy. If Santi’s shot had gone in and everything else about the game was the same we would see it as a decent point and a fair reflection. Small things but crucial. In this case, 6inches,
Yes, we could have played better but I am not in a criticising mood today as I think the boys did ok but were unlucky.
Perhaps some of the players who played last night are not, as you say, good enough for the European stage. Perhaps the Napoli team that we comprehensively beat recently and who beat Dortmund are also unfit to be playing at this level too.
Morning all,
Like everyone said, we missed pace and width. I think currently Gibbs is our quickest player.
On Wilshere,like other good players out of position will look good against poor sides, will be found out by better teams and resort to what feels natural when under pressure. (wilshere’s is cut in and drive at players)
BVB’s tactic was always catch us on the counter.
Scott, to be honest, I’d rather just focus on Palace now, what’s done is done and it’s not the end of the world for me. Maybe that’s just because I’m not fussed about the CL.
Until we have a deep/strong enough squad, I couldn’t care about it really, all nit does is get in the way. But, I know we have to be in it to attract the better players so it serves a purpose and that’s about it…
Question, if MA08 was playing at DM would he be considered as deadwood, with the current set of MF at the club?
6 inches is always small yet crucial Adam 😉
I actually don’t think anyone is being over critical, just having a view on how they saw the game…
But in all seriousness, you might as well hit the corner flag as to hit the post, the end result is the same 😉
*that should read wasn’t…
Same here Rico.
The CL is all fluff and bubble for us atm.
Nice earner, but not the end of the world if we don’t get through to the next stage.
Still, we will get through, and we are better than the Chelski side of a few seasons back, so who knows??
So true Rico…
Off to work….
Not in my view Gdna, he’d be 2nd to Flamini… Personally, and as said earlier, I’d always start with Flamini and Ramsey if both were fit..
But there are times when rotation is needed or forced and last night was the latter. However, had Flamini been fit, I think AW would have started with both Arteta and Flamini in front of the back five and Ramsey would have been free to push up further..
agree with that Rico, I think he would have too
Ah, that makes it a very different question Gdna. But since he’s been here he’s played the ‘dm’ role so is it entirely fair to ask?
The only downer Scott is confidence and the prospect of going into the Europa cup.
Don’t work too hard Adam.. 😉
If he isn’t playing as a back up DM Rico to me he is deadwood, because the options at CM is superior to him. I think AW should push to get bender and ship MA out in the summer.
But he is playing backup DM Gdna. I still think he has a lot to give just not sure when coming up against a side like Dortmund or the likes of Chelsea/Man utd, City, etc, he can play there on his own…
But, you are entitled to your view on him of course.. 😉
Rico, i want us to finish top 4…top 1, actually…in the PL, and remain in the CL, but just not spend too much time trying to win it when realistically, we would need an awful lot of good fortune.
Seems to me that a few weeks into last season we were saying similar things about Arteta,…..maybe he just needs plenty of miles in his legs to start showing his best.
Just deciding whether to make my bread pudding into the shape of a Gibson or a Fender???
As do I Scott because of what playing in the CL gives us, but winning it, well I’d rather the PL and one of the domestic cups…
Get back to ruling England before we try and conquer Europe.
Yes, it’s not new re Arteta, and he’s not ever going to get any quicker… He wasn’t that quick to begin with 😉
Hummels and Subotic are two of the most highest rated central defenders kn European football…
Personally I don’t think they are as good as BFG and Kozzer…
We do have a habit of going overboard about certain players at other clubs.
For example, I really rate Reus, but I thought that he had a very ordinary game last night.
All the same, I hope we sign him in the January Window…
Kev, i said earlier we may have nullified each other in the game.
Very few players from either side looked great.
Just that type of game i guess.
Afternoon Rico…
We could have Walcott back and on the bench for the return in Germany…
A lot can happen in a couple of weeks…
Agree re their defence Kev, very ordinary and were there to be exposed imho…
Reus was very very quiet…
Scott, Dortmund are a great side, play great football, but are they better than us?
I’d have to say no, they got lucky.
It was an easy game to referee, but I think the ref was shit.
Afternoon Kev, I really hope so, his pace will scare the heck out of them. Santi should be a lot fitter by then too and will no doubt start…
As should Flamini..
Agreed Kev…ref was woefully inept.
At our absolute best, we beat Dortmund.
We stubbed our toe, nothing more.
Of course, losing on the weekend means we have broken it lol
The two goals were just easy for Dortmund as Arsenal players ..defence was porous and without width and pace. For sure, Dortmund players played slow passing with better possession and moved fast by the wings on counter attack. I think Flaminni could have put up a better defence if he had played on that day. They played better in the second half and looked better to score a winner.
Lewandowski didn’t need to have his arm so high, at head height…
I really rate him, but 9 out of 10 times that foul would have been red.
Then Arsenal win 3-1.
The ref was a coward.
The only contentious decision in the entire game and he bottled it…
Dortmund rode their luck, fair enough. But there are still 9 points to play for, 4 more might just be enough, 5 and we could win the group.
Calm down Mick
Off to work.
Lata All…
Go steady Kev… Mind the pavements 😉
Very good narrative Rico.
As someone who watches bvb weakly and said on here for weeks that our rhs will lose the game depending on who played there…
Its a shame AW from October to January in the last 5 years has chosen to play his best team instead of his efficient team in crucial games…
bvb play only 2 ways and it is mostly influenced by either Pierre Aub starting or Blas’ski starting…
There was no way we were going to win that match with our set up IMHO even with bvb’s poor away record.
I can’t see us beating them at home so unless OM can take points from both Napoli or BVb we are stuffed.
Finally Gibbs was immense.Reus made Alaba and lahm look
amateur.
I am not sure how we were poor in the middle when M’tary was kept quite and even Hoffman was not seen when he came on…
But I guess I watched a different game.
Good to see George around.
I just don’t think we played badly at all.
A few errors which were punished by a very good side is fair enough.
We had our chances and were a little unlucky.
No doubt at all Lewandowski should have been sent, but so be it.
Again, we had our chances, and nobody to blame but ourselves.
Anyway, great chatting…great to see George back…..goodnight all.
I thought you were watching Chelsea when you started questioning whether Jose would put up with our performance during the first half Ts.
Kev, BVB is better than all teams in the PL, so they are definitely better than us. Imo
Night Scott…
Yesterday was a good game to test how good we are and we failed, I still think we are a top GK, CF, DM and a proper winger to be in the same class with some of the elite teams in Europe. I’m hoping AW realize early so we can start competing with the elite.
DNA, then we must agree to disagree mate…
Circumstances seemed to work in their favour…
Arsenal we’re missing more key players than them, but all I heard from the pundits was Dortmunds injury list…
They cleared one off of the line, we hit the bar, Szczesny was a spectator for most of the game…
Does that make them better than us???
Matter of opinion I suppose?!!!
Chelski had a good result last night…
But would you really want to spend £50 watching a Mourinho team?
Good points earlier Oz and Uzo.
😀 Rico.
Look at Dortmund and Bayern?!!!
Bayern win all the trophies, but everyone loves Dortmund and would rather watch them play….
Kev, first and foremost I couldn’t really tell who was the home team, secondly in key positions they have better players than us. They seems a better unit than arsenal. Imo
Agree Kev.
I think trophies are more significant to fans than playing style, so whatever it takes to win a game is all that matters. It’s just like saying SC19 hit the bar and we could have won if it went in, but BVB hit us on the counter and won the game that’s what matters, nobody remember SC hit the bar in the game.
You not convinced about Ches then Dna?
Good summing up Rico. I think we started sluggishly and Sagna in particular gave the ball away needlessly three times, which sets a bad tone. I was just shouting at him on my TV when he actually put in the first decent cross and we scored!
We haven’t been great every game this season, but it’s easy to overlook it as we have won so many. Need a fit Walcott for some width and Flamini seems even more important now he hasn’t played. Not sure why it has taken so long to replace Song as the DM. So important with our style of play to anchor in front of the defence.
It’s not really that Rico, but watching the goals again I think he could have done a little better, sometimes when a team isn’t really playing well s goal keeper can save you a point. Imo
said the same earlier, Santi might just as well hit row z, the result was the same…
Rico, others might think it’s hating on the players but that’s not it, it’s all about what I think is required for us to compete. If Casillas is available I wish AW would get him because it would improve our team, nothing against Scz.
Well DNA, I could easily tell who the home team were.
They were the team who dominated 60% of the game and created the majority of the games opportunities…
And that wasn’t the team in yellow!
They have better players, do they, DNA?!!!
Not sure about that mate.
We had a couple of players who had an off night, but I wouldn’t swap Gibbs, Sagna, BFG, Koz, Santi, Ozil, Jack, Ramsey, Szczesny, for any of their opponent players…
That’s most of our team….
Who did you have in mind???
Kev, stats can be misleading. Watch bully on arsenal fan tv. Lol
I would have said the same last season Gdna, but the form he’s in, I wouldn’t swap him…
Yes DNA, trophies are crucial, only a fool would deny that…
But I want to watch a winning team that excites me…
Watching Chelski is like having a tooth removed…
Time for my walk, catch up later….
Kev, lol. Chelsea ain’t that bad.
Would you pay £50 to watch Chelski DNA?
DNA, you still haven’t given me your list of Dortmund players’ who you think are better than their Arsenal equivalents ????
I have to do some work….
I’ll get back to you later on that last point DNA…
Afternoon Kev.
Kev, With the exception of Ozil, I would take Reus over SC19, Gundogan over Ransey, Sahin over Jack, Subotic over Mert, the injured right back over Sagna, Lew over Giroud, their GK is on par with Scz so a better GK for me. Bender over MA and Flamini and the list goes on. Imo 70% of their squad is world class.
Kev. A Fender I think.
Hi All, Missed Flamini last night, because when Sagna or Gibbs go forward he tends to fall back into their positions, so that last goal i think he would have closed Lewandowski down. But do not worry as we will still progress, just shows how much we miss Theo out wide, he will take one or two players out of play and create more space for SC, MO and AR. COYG’s
Strange that no one mentioned that we had a valid goal disallowed where Hummels and Subatic bumped each other and fell down, the ref blew for a push from Mert after Ramsey scored.
Best result at this stage really, its better for the team to perform with the pressure of winning by guts than being pressed by unrealistic invincible expectations. Dortmund in a fortnight will be a much more entertaining adventure, mark my words.
Afternoon folks..
Bradster, very good point and I am guilty as I forgot all about our goal that was disallowed… 🙁
I’d still rather we’d won lari, funny enough..
Ian Holloway has left Crystal Palace, hope they don’t appoint a new man before our game…
A Fender it is Adam…
Off to get dinner..
Borussia Durtmund is better than Arsenal????
Well, well, well. I must have been watching a different Arsenal then
When they were at the top of their game we beat in the Ems and in their backyard, we drew with them and even Santo looks like worldclass. Yesterday they just got lucky when they hit us on the break. I’m not a tactician, but watching the game boil down to two things; they attacked us in our half so we can’t develop play to move forward with the ball. When we do have the ball, they crowd our players with two or three players around to repelled us going for ward.
My opinion is they wanted the game more than us, but better than us???
Our goalkeeper should have been even allow to use a chair, that how easy it was for him. The opportunity presented itself and they took it. Only two things notable about RL throughout the entire game, he elbowed Koss and he scored.
Hi Dna, I bet you are a jay z fan? Lol
I just looove the way you turn against our team when we lose.you dont rate any of our players it seems…if that is the case then please be consistent even when we win. 🙂
I cant believe you will take Subotic over Mert or Reus over SC19…
I guess it is a matter of opinion but Sahin over JW? Lol
Last February you were telling me how JW was the best player in our squad…
I know we are all mere bloggers and hold no qualification as experts but I remember you saying you did not watch Bundesliga after S04 beat us last October and you said a bundesliga team beating us was proof we were not going to qualify for the CL.
Anyway being someone who was at westfalenstadion to see RM verse BVB last season and a long term fan I would say bvb are having a lot of luck and decisions go their way.How we beat H09 1-0 last weekend was sure luck.They are not even that good but have a team that has been together for over 4 years…
Speak to any bvb fan and they will tell you klopp has crazyand questionable tactics…
Would you believe some bvb fans say they are a 1 man team and Lew should be sold?
Hi Ng,
I agree with your post but I still think AW played into klopp’s hands. He set up thinking Pierre Aub bvb’s best player this season would start instead of M’taray. When he saw the team sheet he should have changed it or maybe he did but it was too late.
This game reminds me of s04 and BM last season at home when the weekend before Farfana and Holtby both played for S04 and Aw thought martinez will start for BM against us because martinez was rested.Instead gustavo played marked out jw and sc19.
On the away leg their managers played the opposite and we picked up points…
Hi T’s, hope things are OK. Some of our players didn’t put the extra shift that was needed or it was not their day. But to say Borussia Durtmond is better than Arsenal, is way off mark.
Before the game yesterday I make sure I watched both games Home and Away – (Sept 13 and Nov 23), our team now is much more better than our previous team.
Not bad buddy… just bored of hotel rooms…working away from home. Lol
Cant complain though, I am grateful to my creator for having a job at least…lol
Just disappointed we got things wrong yesterday…
Hope you are well to?
Ts, what are u talking about turning against afc? I just being honest, Dortmund is a better team than arsenal, if speaking the truth is turning against the team and not a real afc fan it’s what it is. U can hide behind stats, but stats is mis leading. Do a survey and pick a combined afc and BvB 11 and see what other people think. I’m Tottenham fan that’s why I choose those players over afc players. We got 60% possession, Lew elbow kos and didnt see red and SC hit the cross bar, so we won….that’s where I won’t take cover, the better team won.
Chill buddy…bvb have an extablished team we are still evolving…
This same Bm team were finishing 2nd to bvb 2 seasons ago so lets get behind the team…
You cant tell me Subotic or hummels is better than per when Lowe disagrees by picking mert…
You cant tell me Reus who I rate btw is better than SC19 when Schurrle is better than Reus but SC19 is better than Schurrle… maybe I am simplifying things…
As I say it it about opinions but it is hard for me to be convinced that flamini is so good when as an examole he played for Milan and did not get called by le bleus whilst ncfc’s cabaye…
The same way I struggle to believe flamini is a better tackler when he makes less number of tackles per game and wins less tackles in percentage …
Ts, did u see the question Kev ask me? Do a survey and asked gooners if they would take those players in afc team. I’m spuds, so I’m always wrong. If I was against afc I would state that AR was the reason the first goal scored, but I didn’t because AR has been superb since the season start, so why kill him for a mistake.
Gdna, I didn’t know you supported the enemy… 😉
All calmed has it?
I don’t supports them Rico I was being sarcastic, i said the better team won and I’m not supporting the team that’s why I say I’m a spud.
I was pulling your leg Gdna, hence the 😉
Rico, lol.
Without keep on repeating myself, but I too thought they were better, but only because of the way we played.
I’d love to see Lewandowski and Reus in our side, and Bender but that’s just my own personal opinion.
I’m off for the day as it’s quiet.
Night all…
I’ve watched the game after it and I knew the score either.
BD has a very high pressure, with all its advanced lines. Contrary to what has happened, the other teams, defending themselves outside the box and populate that area. As they climbed their lines and make very high pressure, the level of the midfield, our medium do not have space and constantly play with his back to the game. With one played more advanced (Giroud), the harder the game becomes flow. At a minimum, it was necessary to have two more advanced players (if they are fast, best) to be spaces between defense and midfield and release our players in midfield.
Then the quality of the opponent does the rest.
We will have to prepare ourselves for more games of this type, because teams wishing to play on equal terms with Arsenal, will use this tactic.
Not sure how anyone who actually watched the game could say Dortmund were the better side.
Then again, i am not surprised that the knives come out immediately after a loss lol.
Still, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and my opinion is ATID 🙂
Naive……most definitely.
Outplayed…..kidding me.
Frimpong jnr is born…lol
Hi scott, jm
Morning all.
Off out this morning. New post will be up around 9.45
Catch up later…