Morning all.
Panto time was certainly on shown at The Emirates last night and plenty of our players were the villains. For around fifty odd minutes we couldn’t pass a ball, keep the ball or stop Liverpool’s wave after wave of attacking football. Going behind was no shock, just conceding the two goals though was. Had the Liverpool players been wearing their shooting boots, the game could have been pretty much over before halftime. But they didn’t and that’s their problem, not ours. The first half was awful, absolutely awful.
The second half was slightly better, certainly for five minutes of it. Three quick fire goals from Alexis, Xhaka and Ozil put us 3-2 up and with thirty minutes left in the game, defending was key. Don’t concede and the three points were ours, sending those Scousers home with nothing, but no, we couldn’t even manage that.
As often the case, Wenger’s idea of defending is to attack and that’s what cost us against Man Utd and again last night. Why oh why can’t he get his players to shut out a team? Why can’t he get his players to close down the opposition and give them no time on the ball? Why the heck can’t he get his defensive unit to defend properly? I suspect we all think we know the answer and we probably do but its schoolboy stuff, it really is. It’s also why we’ll never win the Premier League under Wenger.
For the neutral, the game must have been entertaining but for the fans of both sides it was awful and strewn with errors from both sides. Comical goalkeeping, dreadful defending and for us, a questionable team selection. I’m not knocking Maitland-Niles because I thought he had a decent game but where was Sead Kolasinac? What exactly does Iwobi do to justify his constant selection? Why when we go 3-2 up leave Coquelin and Elneny sitting on the bench? I just don’t get it at all.
Still, I’ve not managed in the Premier League for twenty odd years so what do I know eh…
On a bright note though, how good was it to see Jack Wilshere somewhere near back to his best? Apparently talks over a new contract for him are progressing well. Interesting comments from him on the official site, especially about defending:
I’ve said before that’s where I want to play. I like playing through the middle, whether it’s deeper or it’s in the number 10. With a player like Mesut, we’ve been playing next to each other, it makes it easy.
“If you make a run, he’ll find a ball for you and with Granit sitting in behind it’s working quite well. We’re looking to build on that, we can improve definitely, that’s what we’re trying to do.
“When I used to watch my game, every time I picked the ball up I wanted to run with it, I wanted to hurt the opposition, but now I can pick my times. I don’t have to do it every time. Sometimes you can just pass and move in to a better position.
“I feel like my time at Bournemouth helped me, I improved defensively, I’m not one who just dives in to tackles now. I try and pick my opportunities when the ball breaks. I feel good, I’m happy with the way things are going and I’m enjoying playing here.”
Not sure Arsene Wenger will like that…
Have a good day guys, hope you’re all ready for the big fella and your chimneys are swept..
A Merry Xmas Rico and all.
I have said my bit on the last blog but just look at this fact.
The 1991 Title winning side scored 74 goals and conceded 18.Liverpool were second scoring 77 goals but conceding 40.There you have it in a nutshell.
With a really good defence including keeper you have no chance and that’s just for starters.
Not sure which way things will go with Jack but I hope he stays. We can’t replace 6 r 7 players in one season but you can replace one manager.
Merry Christmas to you too Kelsey..
“It was a thrilling game,” Gunners manager Wenger told Match of the Day.
“I am frustrated at not winning, but that is the type of game you want in the Premier League.
“We played frozen with fear and not at our level in the first half. In the second half we played at our level.”
“The good thing is that overall we did not give up,” said Wenger. “The spirit is fantastic. On that front, I am proud of the players.
“It shows a strong mentality. We have the capacity to respond. What you want is for the team to realise that we have to start from the first minute.
“More for people who love football, let’s give credit to the creative force. If you have no shots on goal the defences look good but that is not what people want to see.”
Kamikazi football may be thrilling for the neutral but when a manager has been at a club for 21 years and that clubs defence is the worst , by a country mile . in that time, with not a single outfield defender up to the job, for lifelong Gooners , like us on here, it is a matter of gross despair. I am simply counting down the days until this idiot , arrogant and incompetant manger is history. On that day, it will , at long last, truly be a champange day. If I wrote what I REALLY wished would happen to Wenger, the entire board and snake Kroenke , I would have the police call at my door.
Well said Jon. I too will be popping a cork when he leaves..
Merry Xmas Rico and all ya !
Matiland
Look closely yesterday game and the only time Salah manage to score was when Mati was up attacking .Otherwise he had Salah in his pocket and no danger occured on his side.
Honestly i do not miss Kolasinac .
Matiland is not bad going forward either.
The culprit is non but Sanchez.
Sanchez is ignoring him even when Matiland is there and can do something.
Hey ……..did anyone see how many times Sanchez been dispossed and lost the ball ?
Iwobi ……????
He is just not premierl league player ….or yet.Need to learn his trade sonewhere else.
Bar Jack and Matiland there was no one there i can mention had a good night
I would like Arsene to leave with dignity myself. But I don’t wish ill on him. I think that is horrible tbh.
I’ve only seen the goals, but every Liverpool goal came via a deflection, so there was an element of luck in all of them, although our defence being left exposed wasn’t unlucky it was rank poor coaching and prep by the usual suspects.
Petr Cech was the reason we didn’t get a pasting, I don’t really see him as as big a problem as some say, if you put a decent defence in front of him he’ll be fine.
Alexis losing the ball for the 3rd goal was disappointing, but if we defend properly it isn’t a goal.
He always tries to do something positive, that how he was able to make that late long run into the box, anticipate and get in front of Gomez to score.
Our problems go so much deeper than Alexis losing possession, all that is camouflage for poor organisation and amateurish defensive coaching and prep.
Psychology was the problem according to Wenger, didn’t he say this was mentally the strongest group he’d worked with at Arsenal – or some similar rubbish, I stopped listening ages ago, it’s frankly embarrassing listening to his excuses for his own inadequacy.
Hi Adam, yes I agree, he is still the most successful manager since the War and therefore I’d hate to see him depart with boos and angry words in his ear, so if he leaves this coming summer he can still get a fond farewell.
But if he drags it out for another year……
Hi Alex, same to you..
I think it’s too late for him to leave with dignity Adam but like you, I wouldn’t wish him any I’ll. I just wish he’d leave.
To wish him bad is a bit silly i guess.
But
Has lost mine and i believe many the respect the once he gloated.
Himself need to see a psycologist rather to talk about the team .
Le prof knows well how far is disconnect from the ordinary fan and that is since he opted to stay for making money for himself and the personal comfort that comes with that.
I have to disagree with allezkev.I thought Cech looked decidly woobly but the defence in front of him was non existent.A bit harsh to say all Liverpools’s goals were through deflections yet they missed three sitters in the first half and Salah would be in my team every game.The man is class and on fire.
2 similar teams and if Liverpool don’t get top 4 expect Klopp to be klopped.
Wenger has gone passed the date when he could have left with total respect and though I will always respect him his words,actions and set up of the team is beyond comprehention.He needs to go this Summer regardless where we finish.
As usual last night threw up more questions than it answered. ? Why do most of the team play as if they met in the pub down the road half hour .Why is there no cohesion ? We have a team of individuals that. play in spasms but rarely all together for longer than last night’s 15 minutes.
Putting a finger on it is very difficult but it’s been thus for a long time and I don’t see it changing any time soon.
Maybe in the new year ……Who knows.
Kelsey, I only heard the game from the radio, BBC5L and all I heard during the commentary was Liverpool missing chances (agree with that point, but that’s their problem surely) and Cech making saves. Put Cech behind a Mourinho defence and maybe he wouldn’t look so wobbly?
Concerning Liverpool’s goals, they were either assisted via deflections or they weren’t, whether the goals were lucky is a moot point, I guess it depends on how you viewed the game as a whole and as I assume you saw the entire 90 minutes, then that’ll influence your feelings on them and the game in general. Fair enough, you obviously have a better picture than me as all I saw was 4 minutes of the briefest of highlights.
That said the vast majority of our problems, be they a wobbly goalkeeper or lucky deflected goals or not, is our defence, it’s a shambles now, it was a shambles last season and it ain’t getting better any time soon.
Man City 4-0….
Guardiola…!!!
If only?
Afternoon all.
Haven’t we often said that stick a solid defence in front of the keeper and we’ll concede less, have a solid and organised midfield in front of the defence, we’ll concede less just as we would if we defended from the front like we did against Totts.
This team doesn’t know how to defend because the manager doesn’t know how to and he’s too darn stubborn to admit that or let someone else who knows what they are doing work with them.
Look what happened in 2006 when we got to the Champions League Final. Was our defending down to Wenger? No…
No worries allezkev.
I assure you we were pathetic but I also believe that Wenger hasn’t got a clue about how to defend and when he has a decent defender he makes him into a winger.Chelsea sold Cech after he peaked.I like Martinez in fact before Ospina and what does he do he sends Martinez out on loan, sold Szscney and that leaves the most junior in Macey
I like Macey from what I’ve seen of him but I know that’s not a lot..
Perhaps we’ll soon see Martinez and Macey fighting for the number one shirt.
Night guys.
Kelsey, I also like Martinez and was a little surprised that he was loaned out.
I guess that Wenger, being the conservative manager that he is, was aware of what could happen and what could be said, if he’d sold Ospina, kept Martinez as No.2 and then Cech gets injured and Martinez comes in and has a rough time, a bit like Webster when Wilson got injured as I’m sure you can recall.
I like Macey as well and would have liked him in goal when we played West Ham last Tuesday.
Night Rico
Corriere de la Sport state Szczesny best keeper in Italy says Daily Cannon on news now.
Morning all
So half way through the season so what are your expectations this season, including any possible ins and out in January and what would you consider a good season if in fact you can find anything that keeps you positive,Somw will say getting 4th is an achievement and others will say the main obstacle will be once again Wenger.
Think about it carefully as to what you would want from players who aren’t tied down to contracts and those you would let go.
I know it’s a hypothetical question but personally I can’t see a dramatic turnaround and see us finishing at best forth but more realistically anywhere between fifth and seventh .
I know many will say nothing will change under Wenger so joining the elite is a hard task.
I class us as a top second tier club and might remain so for quite a while, as I am a realist.We all use logic about many aspects of the club from top to bottom but logic goes out of the window yet our share price is at an all time high at 28K ,I wonder if that might make kroenke sell or is that wishful thinking.
Many attend complain about ticket prices and it’s justified by them, despite being in London but Arsenal turn over in ticket revenue more than any other club in the world on Home receipts.Many fans just cannot afford to see their club anymore they are irrelevant to the Board as others will always buy tickets.I don’t want Arsenal to become a tourist attraction club/heavily reliant on the corporate section.The real fans fell their ientity with the club is diminishing.
We were also told by the Board that the purpose of moving from Highbury to The Emirates was to really complete with the best.We have failed miserably and been lied to time and time again.Rant over.(love to hear from Herb on this)
Morning all.
Kelsey, joining the elite under Arsene Wenger is impossible imo.
New post up now..