The Official Arsenal - 14 x Cup Winners Thread (Vol 5)
Discussion
Asked on Wednesday about his side's chances of qualifying for the Champions League via the Premier League, Arteta said: "Until it's mathematically impossible, you have to fight."
Oh god he sounds like Wenger at the end of his reign already. If the Liverpool match was his idea of "fighting" we're even more f
ked than I thought. I was at the 7-0 against them, don't think we'll get 7 shots away tonight...
Oh god he sounds like Wenger at the end of his reign already. If the Liverpool match was his idea of "fighting" we're even more f
ked than I thought. I was at the 7-0 against them, don't think we'll get 7 shots away tonight...
Cupramax said:
Comedy gold, drops Auba and puts in Willian, the rest is about as good as it gets with Tierney out. So is that Laca as solo upfront...at home...to Sparta...see if we can hold on for 0-0 and nick an away goal in the second leg then or keep passing it to Saka to create something until his injury flares up and hope SR can make 90 mins too?As you can tell I'm feeling confident of cruising to an easy win.
Driver101 said:
I thought the keeper should have saved that.
Not sure you'll get through now. Need to play a lot better than that.
Unless Arsenal change their approach, they’ve got no chance. 55% of the ball and only managed 2 shots on target in the whole game. Prague managed 4 and they’re away and obviously saw a lot less of the ball. Not sure you'll get through now. Need to play a lot better than that.
What I don’t get (and do wonder if those that support some of the relegation teams have the same feeling or just live with the poor play, but) how can the same group of players look amazing in some games, rare I know but they do occasionally, and then in others look like tonight that they look like they are in treacle.
We know they can do it, is it just confidence? Urgency? Manager? What is it?
We know they can do it, is it just confidence? Urgency? Manager? What is it?
RacingPete said:
What I don’t get (and do wonder if those that support some of the relegation teams have the same feeling or just live with the poor play, but) how can the same group of players look amazing in some games, rare I know but they do occasionally, and then in others look like tonight that they look like they are in treacle.
We know they can do it, is it just confidence? Urgency? Manager? What is it?
I support United and we’re the same. We spent the first half of the season being sWe know they can do it, is it just confidence? Urgency? Manager? What is it?
t for 70 minutes of a game conceding 1 or 2 goals, then suddenly turning into an unplayable football machine and scoring for fun and nicking the win. We now just grind out wins without ever really looking like we will. I’ve posted about the current obsession with possession being a disease that’s killing teams. Arsenal did it today, so did United to an extent. It’s all about holding onto the ball and making little attempt to score. Then just assume the opposition will roll over and let you score. It works for City, but they tend to try to score. The rest of the teams kick the ball about aimlessly in defence, or defensive midfield without a clue what to do and an absolute paralysis for fear of losing the ball. Well, we had it coming...as I said at half time, not good enough. Lacazette missing that 1 on 1 is inexcusable.....
Saka and Smith Rowe did not look fully fit and were shoe horned into the team today out of necessity really. Laca was woeful, just floating around and being in every position on the pitch except where he was needed most, Willian didn't really do anything wrong or right and should have been subbed after 55-60 mins. Partey again was poor - I said after the Liverpool game he gave the ball away cheaply on many occasions, and today was no different. Xhaka insisted on having 4-5 touches every time he was on the ball and slowed everything down. Gabriel and Holding look a very nervy pairing and did not convince. Cedric is playing out of position and it showed, and Bellerin was barely in the game.
Blame lies in many areas as far as I see it, with the manager and with pretty much every player that steps onto the pitch for arsenal at the minute....very sad and it feels that we just need a reset somehow. Massive game in Prague now, and a match we need to be more positive and ruthless in.
Saka and Smith Rowe did not look fully fit and were shoe horned into the team today out of necessity really. Laca was woeful, just floating around and being in every position on the pitch except where he was needed most, Willian didn't really do anything wrong or right and should have been subbed after 55-60 mins. Partey again was poor - I said after the Liverpool game he gave the ball away cheaply on many occasions, and today was no different. Xhaka insisted on having 4-5 touches every time he was on the ball and slowed everything down. Gabriel and Holding look a very nervy pairing and did not convince. Cedric is playing out of position and it showed, and Bellerin was barely in the game.
Blame lies in many areas as far as I see it, with the manager and with pretty much every player that steps onto the pitch for arsenal at the minute....very sad and it feels that we just need a reset somehow. Massive game in Prague now, and a match we need to be more positive and ruthless in.
Looking ahead to the next 3-5 years, I just can’t see how we’re going to get back up to the top four
I always find myself thinking, if you said to City, Chelsea, United and Liverpool you can have any player from the Arsenal squad and put him in your team they’d possibly put 1-2 on their bench at best (Auba, Tierney) We have a squad of average at best players now
It’s been a slow decline for many years now with a couple of FA cups thrown in which doesn’t really mean what it did 20+ years ago. I think the last time our defence was decent was back when we had Sol. Yes, fifteen years ago
I always find myself thinking, if you said to City, Chelsea, United and Liverpool you can have any player from the Arsenal squad and put him in your team they’d possibly put 1-2 on their bench at best (Auba, Tierney) We have a squad of average at best players now
It’s been a slow decline for many years now with a couple of FA cups thrown in which doesn’t really mean what it did 20+ years ago. I think the last time our defence was decent was back when we had Sol. Yes, fifteen years ago
LudaMusser said:
Looking ahead to the next 3-5 years, I just can’t see how we’re going to get back up to the top four
I always find myself thinking, if you said to City, Chelsea, United and Liverpool you can have any player from the Arsenal squad and put him in your team they’d possibly put 1-2 on their bench at best (Auba, Tierney) We have a squad of average at best players now
It’s been a slow decline for many years now with a couple of FA cups thrown in which doesn’t really mean what it did 20+ years ago. I think the last time our defence was decent was back when we had Sol. Yes, fifteen years ago
2007 I always find myself thinking, if you said to City, Chelsea, United and Liverpool you can have any player from the Arsenal squad and put him in your team they’d possibly put 1-2 on their bench at best (Auba, Tierney) We have a squad of average at best players now
It’s been a slow decline for many years now with a couple of FA cups thrown in which doesn’t really mean what it did 20+ years ago. I think the last time our defence was decent was back when we had Sol. Yes, fifteen years ago
That's when the rot set in. Dein sold up and Kroenke started to get his (grubby) hands on the club. Losing Dein was the first mistake. Letting that man in was the second. ( I know it's not AS simple as that, but you get the point). I remember that year thinking this is not going to be good long term.
We don't ( and hopefully never will) have the blank cheques that the clubs in blue have had over the last decade or so and as such allowed them to buy trophies. The flip of that is we will always struggle to compete. The only hope is a strong academy of talent.
Agreed though, It's potentially a very long haul to get back ( if ever) to being title competitive.
Squad rotation aside ( absolutely needed over long multi competition seasons) the more I watch Arteta the more I'm doubting him. He can't even come up with a consistent squad formation! Does he even know where on the pitch to play his best first 11?? Does he even know his best first 11??
I'm not sure.
Gassing Station | Football | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff