It was still a joy to watch
Arsenal Post Match Thread.
- Thread starter FantasyIreland
- Start date
Under Mancini, we would have won that 5-1. First time Pep has arrived at a team which needs attention and he's looking lost. I don't disagree with his philosophy, but our results against the top teams prove that, in our league, you need to defend well and just trying to keep the ball is not enough. Pep must learn or....go.
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blueinsa
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Im amazed he ever got the sack because according to folklore on here, we have won every single game we ever played under him or have lost since he left had he been in charge.
History tells us we would never have won that game 5-1 under him!
dannyboy29
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Navas shouldn't be anywhere near a match day squad never mind playing against one of the leagues best players in a position he is very unfamiliar with. He offers absolutely nothing, yes he's quick and he gives 100% but so does Chris Brunt but I wouldn't fancy him in the team either. He put a good ball in for Sergio's header but to be fair he had 10-12 practice goes in the minutes before so he got one right to be fair.
100 percent agree with this. A lot of people thinking just because we have pep that that should guarantee us success? He's working with a ageing squad that scraped 4th last season more through luck than deserving of it.
dave_blue12
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Sadly the injury to GJ has really fucked us.
From the little I have seen of him I think he is the one player we have who does not accept losing/drawing. Like Sanchez yesterday he always tries to make a big impact on the game. He may be young but he has that in him.
Looking forward to next season.
From the little I have seen of him I think he is the one player we have who does not accept losing/drawing. Like Sanchez yesterday he always tries to make a big impact on the game. He may be young but he has that in him.
Looking forward to next season.
bluemoon32
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I think a question that needs answering ( maybe to Pep himself) is why in the hell our squad wasn't changed to suit Pep before he actually took over ?
It obviously wasn't a surprise to the powers that be that Pep was coming here so why weren't these issues fixed beforehand ?
So far it looks like this season has just been yet another make do season where we'll address the issues in the summer and then we never really do, to keep writing off seasons the way we do is quite frankly ridiculous and has gone on for too long.
With the money we've spent we really should have been more successful than we have been,
Watched PSG take Monaco apart in the French League Cup Final on Saturday. 4-1.
PSG did everything we didn't do. Controlled the midfield. Kept the ball for long spells. High pressing. Quick turnover. Cut down Monaco's width. Cut out their crosses. Tackled. Worked hard. Took their chances. Etc.
Yes Monaco are good at going forward. But we made them look a lot better than they really are.
PSG did everything we didn't do. Controlled the midfield. Kept the ball for long spells. High pressing. Quick turnover. Cut down Monaco's width. Cut out their crosses. Tackled. Worked hard. Took their chances. Etc.
Yes Monaco are good at going forward. But we made them look a lot better than they really are.
BillyShears
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I felt exactly the same watching that game. What was even more disconcerting for me was that Monaco made us look in the first half of the 2nd leg like Barcelona made PSG look.
The key is midfield control. More and more and more I'm coming to the conclusion that as good as they can look there, neither Silva nor KDB long term should be playing in the number 8 roll. Certainly not together. They are both excellent when the wind is behind them, but as soon as they face physical/mental adversity in the centre and they need to show some bollocks, the pair of them wilt.
yesterday we did not lack physical intensity, but focus. We got in some great attacking situations but the passing was way off. That's why Yaya came on but there are weaknesses in his game.
BillyShears
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With respect I could not disagree more. Our lack of intensity yesterday was an absolute disgrace in the 2nd half. We played like it was a friendly.
pavelsrnicek
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There's definitely merit in the argument that it's either KdB or Silva with say Gundogan or someone else but I think when we struggle it's a combination of factors.
Have to say though the key position for us is the holding midfielder/ pivot or whatever we call it. A driven Yaya is perfect there but he's been off his game for a few weeks. Fernandinho can play there but against decent sides his game gets a little loose. Whoever we get in the summer to play there will have a huge bearing on next season.
BillyShears
Well-Known Member
Spot on. And i'd expand that and say it's about balance and understanding. Toure is slow for sure, but so was Xavi Alonso and yet he anchored Pep's midfield at Bayern most of the time. Our issue is that whatever three we currently field it just becomes stupidly unbalanced too quickly against any decent attacking side. What's more, you can see more and more as the season's gone on that teams are realising that putting our midfield under any pressure generally makes them crumble because even shit sides are beginning to try and press us high and put us under physical and mental pressure from the off.
What has surprised me most this season is I'm struggling to think of any players pep has really improved, Silva maybe but last year he was injured, Sterling could only improve on last year . Klopp and Pochetino have improved almost all their players, I was expecting this season to see everyone playing 10% better and more motivated but it doesn't seem like it.
Platt Lane 59
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Agree about the lack of players who have improved.
My question is why does Pep seldom make key substitutions when the game is able to be won ?
Yesterday and against Liverpool at home, we did not bring on an attacking player when both games had opened up and we could/should have gone on to get the extra 4 points that would have almost certainly sealed a Top 4 place.
My question is why does Pep seldom make key substitutions when the game is able to be won ?
Yesterday and against Liverpool at home, we did not bring on an attacking player when both games had opened up and we could/should have gone on to get the extra 4 points that would have almost certainly sealed a Top 4 place.
Blue Hefner
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What was wrong with the team selection yesterday? We went for it, that is what I want to see
Apart from Navas at righ-back, I don't see any issues. Even that, there is an argument for having him there as Zab has struggled at times throughout the season
Apart from Navas at righ-back, I don't see any issues. Even that, there is an argument for having him there as Zab has struggled at times throughout the season
tolmie's hairdoo
Well-Known Member
The main thing we lack throughout the team is a physicality/reluctance to actually engage in the personal battles.
Even when we tackle, it's always with an attempt to nick-it, and counter, rather than taking the percentages completely out of the equation, clearing it out of play and giving the defence a time to actually fill back in.
Don't get me started on our throw-ins again - three times yesterday we even managed to throw the ball out of play.
Pep's mantra will always be if the opposition doesn't have the ball, then they can't hurt you.
But the same must also apply that always trying to keep the ball in play, reduces the margins for error when you can't keep it.
I'll say it again, it won't matter who the defenders are when you play as high a line as we do. It was the same under Pellegrini, it exposes any player.
We either now buy two world class sitters who also have the technical out ball of a Yaya, or we have to defend five yards further back and mix it up a bit more.
Our forwards can beat any team in the world in a foot race, shown by Sane yesterday.
It wouldn't hurt once in a while to by-pass the midfield and try and hit over the top.
Even when we tackle, it's always with an attempt to nick-it, and counter, rather than taking the percentages completely out of the equation, clearing it out of play and giving the defence a time to actually fill back in.
Don't get me started on our throw-ins again - three times yesterday we even managed to throw the ball out of play.
Pep's mantra will always be if the opposition doesn't have the ball, then they can't hurt you.
But the same must also apply that always trying to keep the ball in play, reduces the margins for error when you can't keep it.
I'll say it again, it won't matter who the defenders are when you play as high a line as we do. It was the same under Pellegrini, it exposes any player.
We either now buy two world class sitters who also have the technical out ball of a Yaya, or we have to defend five yards further back and mix it up a bit more.
Our forwards can beat any team in the world in a foot race, shown by Sane yesterday.
It wouldn't hurt once in a while to by-pass the midfield and try and hit over the top.
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