Arsenal (A) | PL | Post Match Thread

Ironically Arsenal were time wasting at 3-1 and even took five minutes to take that free kick near the corner flag. Then we made a couple of substitutions and lost all shape and discipline

Thankfully most of the other results went our way this weekend and we're still good enough to finish in the Top Four. However the team is in urgent need of major surgery and regardless of what these players have achieved, some of it should have been done last summer.
Instead we find ourselves on the last day of the transfer window without a single orthodox full back in the squad

Virtually every away game against a decent team has finished in similar fashion with City lacking pace and ideas, and I genuinely fear for us in Madrid
 
From 15 minutes in until our equaliser we were the better team and looked likely winners.

However very few teams can defend as badly as we did at the beginning & end and expect to get anything other than defeated.

Unforced errors, suspect set up, badly timed substitutions ......rinse, rinse, rinse & repeat.

The great man has been wonderful for City,however a change may be right at the end of the season for everyone, particularly him.

A more varied and pragmatic style of play is necessary and will suit the players.

Change is constant !!
 
A lot of people turning on Akanji now, let's just remember he's always had bozo moments in him but he provides other things that we didn't have before. But the most important, with Gvardiol, has been availability. He has, except a short period, been available more than the other 3 cb's and is clearly being run into the ground. But we don't have a choice now, we are where we are.

On the game itself i thought other than the two ridiculous goals we gave away, we bossed most of the game up to 60mins. They were on the backfoot, maybe due to seeing how we are shit on the counter, but we controlled them OK IMO. But it's been the story of the season, we give away cheap goals and the mentality is completely lost now to go up another gear.

I know everyone thinks getting in a 6 will fix things and i think it would have earlier in the season (which was obviously not possible, unless we had one already in the squad), but i think it's got to the point where it won't really make much of a difference. The guy that comes in needs to be a huge personality, like we had when Ruben came in, but i just don't know if one guy will be able to reset it completely. We'll stumble through the season, have some highs like the last few games but probably continue to have some shitty lows.
 
bigA said:
Agreed. This team has run it's course like all great teams will do and it is time to rethink, replace and rebuild. The ride has been an absolute dream but the stark reality of this era being over is now upon us. The fall as been quicker than we've ever imagined and that has shocked us all and some are going into full blown panic mode. Myself, I'm old enough to have seen the real abject lows this club endured. Times the likes of the rags, dippers, Tarquins and Spuds fans have never endured and would shit themselves if they ever faced those times. I am also aware those times could come around again. Hopefully they won't but never say never in that respect.

I am also very thankful for the past decade that we have been very successful indeed, enjoyed the magical, sublime and superb football we have played and of course the rewards from that. We can all bitch and moan and the current plight and I'm no stranger to that but most of us take it on the chin and the love for the club and what it means to us remains undiminished. The media and fans of other clubs can say what they want about us, they will never have a fan base that has put up with so much turmoil, so much anger and so much heartache than what we City fans have put up with throughout the history of this club.
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Undoubtedly the greatest team in the history of the English game. I never thought I'd be in a position to say that. Four in a row in an era where even mid table clubs can outbid the top clubs on the continent for players, and a treble to back it up. No-one else even comes close to that achievement. Anyone moaning that it's not enough and throwing their toys out of the pram because they aren't winning it every year needs to have a word with themselves and probably only started supporting City in the first place when we were already the best.

But let's be honest, the title win last season was big final effort of a team on its last legs. There were signs of a few cracks appearing and you wonder if it wasn't for the chance to do four in a row and go down as the best ever, whether the players would have managed it.
 
Gone for a Burton said:
From 15 minutes in until our equaliser we were the better team and looked likely winners.

However very few teams can defend as badly as we did at the beginning & end and expect to get anything other than defeated.

Unforced errors, suspect set up, badly timed substitutions ......rinse, rinse, rinse & repeat.

The great man has been wonderful for City,however a change may be right at the end of the season for everyone, particularly him.

A more varied and pragmatic style of play is necessary and will suit the players.

Change is constant !!
Click to expand...
It was also pretty telling that when Arsenal upped their intensity, we struggled to cope. Getting the early goal enabled them to basically coast, keep it tight at the back and conserve energy. They got a bit of luck with the second goal and then by the end of the game, there were able to press us quite strongly rather than just sitting back and soaking up the pressure like in previous games. Our lack of intensity has been an issue all season. And obviously once we're chasing the game, our defence is even more exposed than normal.
 
Really frustrating game. The first hour we competed but shot ourselves in the balls with constant poor passing and lack of concentration, especially defensively. Akanji will come in for some stick here because of the first goal, but he was at it all match with little touches that showed he didn't have the all under control properly, and he wasn't alone as Kova was the same, foden too. Yes, Arsenal press well, but the decision making and passing options was just not there for long periods.

The final half an hour, we didn't even look like a professional football team. Thankfully it's only one game and we can bounce back quickly, but lots to do in the week and at least we have that without a midweek game for once.

Not holding everything stable when we'd scored was disappointing too. I am genuinely starting to think we've signed a deal on the 115 charges to avoid punishment as long as we let every opponent score first.

One glaring issue is the lack of leadership and responsibility. Dias has to be back for us to stand a chance of top 4 or European progression.

I am also personally frustrated that, despite Marmoush showing his play style and Pep commenting on it as something we need to get used to, we didn't utilize him at all really. That right back got on a yellow early and was vulnerable, and we didn't target it.

It's tempting to rip up the tactics board and start again and use orient as a practice game to get basics re-learned. But I think we just purely need the confidence boost of beating teams right now, regardless of everything else.
 
Far too many passengers at the min.

That needs to change.

Pep really does need to give the new players and a few youngsters a proper chance now before the summer.

This season is dead, let’s try to see who can step up and not waste the rest watching senior players fuck up and walk about the place stinking it out.

I can’t get onboard with the excuses anymore. Losing games in the manner we did against Arsenal is unacceptable.
 
I'm With Stupid said:
It was also pretty telling that when Arsenal upped their intensity, we struggled to cope. Getting the early goal enabled them to basically coast, keep it tight at the back and conserve energy. They got a bit of luck with the second goal and then by the end of the game, there were able to press us quite strongly rather than just sitting back and soaking up the pressure like in previous games. Our lack of intensity has been an issue all season. And obviously once we're chasing the game, our defence is even more exposed than normal.
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Yeah they were in second gear once they went 1-0 up. I always felt they had more in the tank and the last 30 mins showed that they did.
 
I've already written this season off as a wakeup call for major rebuilding. We let a very successful team age out. It has been compounded by injuries. Pep knows the size of the job better than any of us. I'm pretty certain he's up for it. We will see some big changes in Summer. Until then we need to get through this period as best we can. Expect some big defeats. It's going to happen. We should have enough to cling on for 4th. I don't see any trophies, but we have been beyond spoiled, so that's fine.
 
I'm With Stupid said:
It was also pretty telling that when Arsenal upped their intensity, we struggled to cope. Getting the early goal enabled them to basically coast, keep it tight at the back and conserve energy. They got a bit of luck with the second goal and then by the end of the game, there were able to press us quite strongly rather than just sitting back and soaking up the pressure like in previous games. Our lack of intensity has been an issue all season. And obviously once we're chasing the game, our defence is even more exposed than normal.
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Akanji is completely fatigued after playing so many games partially fit.

He needs a period of R&R as soon as there is a reliable alternative.

We have no recovery pace,strength or power in midfield.

The same issues sometimes with the same players,sometimes with different players are happening week after week.

Is it the coaches structure and tactics, the players or the circumstances or a combination of them all ?

The errors yesterday were the errors of the last 6 months !!
 
I think we’re gonna see some big names being left of the team from now on. Judging by pep’s comments at full time I reckon he’s gone to town on them
 
Gone for a Burton said:
Akanji is completely fatigued after playing so many games partially fit.

He needs a period of R&R as soon as there is a reliable alternative.

We have no recovery pace,strength or power in midfield.

The same issues sometimes with the same players,sometimes with different players are happening week after week.

Is it the coaches structure and tactics, the players or the circumstances or a combination of them all ?

The errors yesterday were the errors of the last 6 months !!
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You're speaking some sense. Akanji could now well be in that of ever growing group of players that we've seen the best of.
 
Even David Silva would find it difficult against 11 defenders, we need movement up front, and even the wife says do we not tackle any more, just run alongside
 
Makes me laugh these cunts celebrating like they won the world cup - they weren't actually very good themselves, city just gift wrapped them the game.
 
badbear69 said:
I could not of said it better . We have best manager and some of the best players to ever play for us . So i think some fans need to wobble there heads
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Absolutely, poor after the second scrawny goal (2years running !)
The bus wreckers rebuilt after their quadruple attempt in 22 (and God forbid they got really close !) ,their midfield with Macalister and Szboznai plus Jones and Elliot looks set for a few years,we need to the same.
Four in a row is phenomenal in football history which
Gone for a Burton said:
Akanji is completely fatigued after playing so many games partially fit.

He needs a period of R&R as soon as there is a reliable alternative.

We have no recovery pace,strength or power in midfield.

The same issues sometimes with the same players,sometimes with different players are happening week after week.

Is it the coaches structure and tactics, the players or the circumstances or a combination of them all ?

The errors yesterday were the errors of the last 6 months !!
Click to expand...
Vored best defender at the Euros, in a normal season would have been rotated plus he's rarely had an experienced companion with him.
 
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