Arsenal (H) - Post Game Thread

Chi-town blues said:
We do that when eddie is playing between the sticks . Any city fan should know pros and cons of our two goalies .Im sure pep and his team know a thing or two about mixing stuffs , you know like cabinet full of hardwares . Also pep team should have a hard drive full of haalands strengths and weaknesses .
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I’m well aware of our goalkeepers pros and con thanks. I was talking about the back 4 getting their heads up and trying it occasionally instead of playing it along the line and back again.
 
argyle said:
No.

Not everything has to to be a conspiracy.

The City players could have spoke to the manager and declined playing two games before the Arsenal match. They didn't.
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Maybe, but Southgate should be thinking about himself even if he doesn’t care about the clubs, ,he needs these players for the summer, risking them when he has nothing to learn about them is just idiotic.
 
i went to rotherham said:
I’m well aware of our goalkeepers pros and con thanks. I was talking about the back 4 getting their heads up and trying it occasionally instead of playing it along the line and back again.
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They are instructed not to would be the main reason. Possession and positional are priorities for him.Plus it’s rare for oppostion defences to stray too far forward and leave gaps behind,mostly they keep 8 back and leave 2 up for a breakaway.
Arsenal used to but have stopped leaving those spaces behind.
 
i went to rotherham said:
I’m well aware of our goalkeepers pros and con thanks. I was talking about the back 4 getting their heads up and trying it occasionally instead of playing it along the line and back again.
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Quite.

In fact, yesterday Ortega put us under far too much undue pressure at times, esp in the first half, by playing it BACK to Kovacic in the deep LB position with nowhere to go.

As a general rule, if you can’t pass it FORWARD to a player, because everyone is marked, then the long ball to feet, or over the top, to your 6’3” striker seems like a reasonable third, fourth or fifth option!

Arteta was having them set traps, whereby you leave a man “open” but only to the extent that he’s going to be open for a split second and then shutdown. We played into it far too often.

In short, teams know Pep is about finding the spare man and shuffling to create overloads. Knowing this allows a good opposition manager with a good opposition team to create the open man and funnel the ball where THEY want it…which too often was by our corner flag!
 
Big_Alan said:
I don't know if it's been said but what pissed me off most was the ref..same at Liverpool couple of seasons ago..he's decided to not referee the game as every other game and decided to not card anybody?? Which leads to letting them off for pulling back ,blatant yellow card. Once he decides he's not doing it then it's open season..
The referees a wanker!!!..
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Did the same last season v dippers but changed his mind on how he was reffing the game halfway through after we scored
 
i went to rotherham said:
I’m well aware of our goalkeepers pros and con thanks. I was talking about the back 4 getting their heads up and trying it occasionally instead of playing it along the line and back again.
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If you want to play ball and have an impact , it has to come quickly and directly from the keeper and not from the back four. When their back line was pushed higher up the pitch , our back four were occupied , so how can you expect them to kick a long ball to have any positive outcome?
 
WallyA said:
Curious what Pep wants for next season.

Buy real fullbacks and continue this 4231 with them overlapping?

He seems to do this to get the most out of Kovacic and Rodri partnership currently. I also think the wingers probably like coming into the half spaces as well for more freedom.

Or go back to last seasons success of Stones into midfield?

With us hardly ever doing this bc Stones is made of Glass.

But Gvardiol is probably our most competent on the ball defender that if he can train to live in a 360 vision environment, he would be class like Stones.

Personally, I dont think im a fan of the fullbacks high and wide approach as they are just their to hold the width, and dont actually offer a threat.

Atleast when we have wingers do it they can still link with the midfielder to form attacking patterns.

The 4231 also only offers 4 true attacking players.

And if Stones isnt fit, I dont see why right now Rodri cant start there and push up next to Kovacic in the interim.

Thats my thoughts on the 2 options, we have control with 4231 but the width is kind of "fake", teams dont fear the CBs in those spots, less attacking players, and its not hard to go back to last seasons approach even if Stones is injured.
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The whole story of this season is Pep not quite getting the balance between attack and defence quite right with the injuries and squad he has. Like you say, we spent an attacking player for Kova to come in and looked very comfortable defence wise against a very good attack, but missed that extra body in the final third. I don't think we have the right players for the proper wingback system, and Stones is the only player who can really bridge the midfield and defence.
 
I think some are forgetting that the other big clubs in the league have improved and invested a lot of money. It's not over by a long shot and I'm disappointed we drew yesterday. But I'll keep believing until we can't win it. Arsenal parked the bus for long periods and we were not able to unlock their defence this time. We lacked a little quality with the final ball. Top teams don't become crap overnight.
 
CatMan said:
Stalemate was not only a description of the score but also the best description of the game. It was an absolute snorefest, and I can not see us retaining the title from here. It's just a real lack of quality. Doku was to replace Mahrez, but never in a month of matchdays could he muster or bag a goal like Mahrez did.

Kovacic was to replace Gundogan and frankly offers nothing. I look at Palmer's creativity at Chelsea and shake my head.

Foden is either 9/10 or 5/10, and how you possibly put on Grealish before Bobb! Exactly what does Grealish offer?

Haaland offered nothing and KDB is clearly ageing.

I thought our defence worked well and Rodri and Rico did well too.
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I can remember Mahrez getting some stick a few years ago. Too one footed, predictable etc. he even got the nickname ffs, ffs!
Gundogan also got some stick too. The weak link and so on.
Doku will be fine as will Kovacic, in fact Kovacic is settling in very well already imo.
Grealish retains the ball and draws fouls as a result. He's a tough lad and a battler.
Next season I think Foden will play more centrally more of the time, getting ready to take over the reins from Kevin.
Bobb is a tricky player and difficult to dispossess, but he does need to bulk up a bit. He will be a regular starter in a season or two.
As for the P/L title - yes City are the outsider at the moment but spuds and villa will have a say in where it ends up.
It may now be the dippers to lose, but we have to MAKE them win it.
It ain't over 'til it's over....
 
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