Arsenal (A) | Community Shield | Post-match Thread

There is two schools of thought regarding the tactical changes that pep has adopted and the consequences they have had. One is that they were essential to us winning the cl. The other is that us winning the cl was simply our awful luck from previous years evening itself.

I suppose we can’t take anything away from those home performances against Bayern and real in the cl they were exceptional. But imo of the 5 sides that have won the league under pep this is the weakest. Yeah it’s got Haaland who is extraordinary, if we feed him that is (which we haven’t done recently) but the balance and squad depth is significantly inferior to the previous title winning incarnations.

We won one away games against sides that finished in the top 9 last season and one away game all season in the cl.

We need a winger that can play both sides and a cm that can play as a 6 and 8.
This is something that occurred to me after we let Cancelo go out on loan, yes I know he wanted out etc but we seemed to become less of a threat and the service to Haaland wasn’t the same, on the other hand it did shore the defence up. I also agree maybe Pep went all in to cut down the percentages and leave little to chance to finally get that CL monkey off his and our backs. Away from home was a bit stodgy but at home we proved to strong for virtually all our opponents.
 
Considering they've been on the razz for 5 out of the last 7 weeks I thought they played ok.

Once through the group stages of the Champions league & touching distance of top spot the fun can begin.
 
Regardless of what some think, yesterday hurt me, many fans & I'm sure Pep & the players too. The Community Shield is much more than a 'friendly', albeit winning/losing won't dictate how the next nine months will pan out.

Hopefully defeats in our last two "friendlies" will concentrate our minds on how quickly things can change in football.

I dismay at our fans who believe, & are happy in the thought that we'll go into the season with 6 CB's, no specialist FB's & with only Grealish who's a wide midfielder not a winger. Apparently this is Pep's new tactical masterpiece going forward. Well I wholly disagree.

Pep said several times that we only adopted these tactics last season due to the lack of overlapping FB's who could get up & down the pitch. It worked well, but I doubt this is Pep's final tactical plan.

The glaring issues I noticed against Atletico & Arse were our total lack of width. Outside of Bernardo for 25 minutes in the first half, we were relying on right footed CB Akanji at LB to get to the byline as Jack just wasn't on it in either match.

We need this sorting ASAP BEFORE the window slams shut. I knew letting Mahrez leave without a top class replacement would be a mistake, & so it's proving. :-/

We need two world class wingers & a quality LB.
 
Last edited:
Why is it strange, there were several hundred posters on here who voted against the boycott.
Enough from me, it’s sundowner time where I am!

Blues are not some political collective, there's no policy making quorum. I don't go to Wembley because I hate the place, it doesn't make me a lesser blue.

I couldn't care less.

Go, don't go, agree with the boycott, disagree with it, these things don't define us as blues.
 
Regardless of what some think, yesterday hurt me, many fans & I'm sure Pep & the players too. The Community Shield is much more than a 'friendly', albeit winning/losing won't dictate how the next nine months will pan out.

Hopefully defeats in our last two "friendlies" will concentrate our minds on how quickly things can change in football.

I dismay at our fans who believe, & are happy in the thought that we'll go into the season with 6 CB's, no specialist FB's & with only Grealish who's a wide midfielder Grealish not a winger. Apparently this is Pep's new tactical masterpiece going forward. Well I wholly disagree.

Pep said several times that we only adopted these tactics last season due to the lack of overlapping FB's who could get up & down the pitch. It worked well, but I doubt this is Pep's final tactical plan.

The glaring issues I noticed against Atletico & Arse were our total lack of width. Outside of Bernardo for 25 minutes in the first half, we were relying on right footed CB Akanji at LB to get to the byline as Jack just wasn't on it in either match.

We need this sorting ASAP BEFORE the window slams shut. I knew letting Mahrez leave without a top class replacement would be a mistake, & so it's proving. :-/

We need two world class wingers & a quality LB.
My Dad knows a thing or two about football and has said exactly the same re wingers.

Gomez is not good enough cover at LB.
 
A loss is a loss to me - Whilst some think it's a lovely, relaxing, day out friendly - I detest losing.
That said - come 10.00pm next Friday and we have 3 points - the disappointment will fade pretty quickly.
 
Thought city played well and were the better team. I’d be in the camp that the CS is a trophy. I know Pep and the players say it is but if it was a “major trophy” we’d have wiped the floor with arsenal yesterday.

They were in fifth gear while we were just sitting in the car still waiting to drive off
If it was a major trophy haaland wouldnt have been coming of in like the 60th minute...

I think arteta played his hand a little in terms of further down the road.... He played his strongest 11 baring jesus imo. unlike city who you could argue ederson, gvardiol kev and foden all didnt start.
 
this game is supposed to be between the Champions and the FA cup holders. I cant take the game seriously when a team that doesn't win anything gets invited for coming second.
Would it not be a good idea when a team wins everything like City did that for example the champions of Scotland get invated to play this game.
 
how to avoid conceding deflected, flipper goals?
Lillo needs to sort this out in trainings. :)
 
this game is supposed to be between the Champions and the FA cup holders. I cant take the game seriously when a team that doesn't win anything gets invited for coming second.
Would it not be a good idea when a team wins everything like City did that for example the champions of Scotland get invated to play this game.
Celtic fans at Wembley. Lol!

I doubt the FA and the MET Police would want that.
 
Watching it with a Forest fan yesterday and first thing he said was if this is Arsenal winning 1-0 against Forest there's no way we're getting 8 mins. And that's the concern. In theory it should benefit us as teams always timewaste against us but I can see this being used whenever whichever team who's most likely in a title race with us are 0-0 at 90 mins. If they're 1-0 up I can't see the 8 mins being added.
 
Watching it with a Forest fan yesterday and first thing he said was if this is Arsenal winning 1-0 against Forest there's no way we're getting 8 mins. And that's the concern. In theory it should benefit us as teams always timewaste against us but I can see this being used whenever whichever team who's most likely in a title race with us are 0-0 at 90 mins. If they're 1-0 up I can't see the 8 mins being added.
I'd like to know who is making the call on added time. You'd expect it to be the 4th official, but I wouldn't be surprised if the TV match commander had a say in it somewhere.
 
I wasn't too bothered until I realised just how much I hate Arsenal and their overzealous celebrations.

Our players needed that. Complacency creeps in when things are easy.

Even though we were the better team, we were eventually 'humbled' and I'm sure our players will have hated that feeling at FT.

It should help with the rest of the season.

Bright notes were Palmer proving he can step up. Foden looking sharp and KDB still being a class above anything any other team has.
 
I wasn't too bothered until I realised just how much I hate Arsenal and their overzealous celebrations.

Our players needed that. Complacency creeps in when things are easy.

Even though we were the better team, we were eventually 'humbled' and I'm sure our players will have hated that feeling at FT.

It should help with the rest of the season.

Bright notes were Palmer proving he can step up. Foden looking sharp and KDB still being a class above anything any other team has.
 

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top