Chavski match thread.

[augie]

Well I was talking about the Chelsea game specifically. I didn't expect us to win there. But the fates conspired against us to produce a scoreline like that.

I also think the scorelines at City and Liverpool were very flattering to the opposition.

Not offering excuses for losing any of our games. We're just not good enough.

In fairness olgit, when you only play 4 big domestic away games in a season and you fail to score at manure (where poorer teams are actually winning ) and then you concede 6, 5 and 6 in the other games, you cannot describe it as a freak in any aspect. We played the same formation and used the same tactics in all those games and they didn't work before yesterday so how could we expect them to work yesterday ? We had enough experience of getting walloped away to the big teams to ensure that it wouldn't happen yesterday but yet it happened again so it was far from a freak result.

Whatever about the citeeh game, you cannot seriously argue that the victims result was very flattering to them - they cut through us at will and showed the clinical finishing that you would expect from a team challenging for trophies. None of the goals were lucky or freaky in any way and truth be told they actually eased up in the second half so if anything that result flattered us

Losing games like yesterday is not a shock. Getting thrashed in a game like yesterday is not a huge shock but getting thrashed like that 3 times in a season is totally unacceptable for any self respecting big club so perspective does and should go right out the window imo

[officepest]

Losing games like yesterday is not a shock. Getting thrashed in a game like yesterday is not a huge shock but getting thrashed like that 3 times in a season is totally unacceptable for any self respecting big club so perspective does and should go right out the window imo

Yup. Relentless beatings away are to be expected now as Wenger/Gazidis have 'managed our expectations' to a degree where large proportions of our fanbase actually belive we really cannot compete with financially doped teams like, er, Liverpool.

It's piss-poor really.

[northbank123]

Completely agree with you re the Dortmund game LDB. We went away in Europe to a better team than us who were brimming with confidence and much better than any PL team at that time. We set up very solid defensively, disrupted their passing game and restricted them to very few opportunities, also keeping the ball well (even though we created nothing first half) so that it wasn't a defensive siege. Second half we came into the game a lot more as they tired, grabbed a clinical goal on the counter and could have finished the tie with other chances, and by the end didn't look like conceding.

For me it was performance of the season by a long stretch, even though it has been forgotten about because of Dortmund's domestic woes and the way the CL campaign unsurprisingly panned out. If we'd gone there with the same formation and mindset as in our big domestic away games we would have probably shipped in 4+. For once Wenger changed his tactics and was rewarded handsomely - I cannot fathom why he doesn't take this on board domestically? Although as I've said before I think Mourinho instigating these personal clashes is designed to make Wenger even more stubborn regarding the style of football we'll use to try and beat Chelsea.

[Herd]

We set up wrong..........again........ Chelsea looked at us knew where the weak spots were and went for them straight away.
We failed to score from an early chance Giroud isnt good enough at the top level but our complete inability to hold any shape when we lose the ball is pathetic.
They forced a 1-1 down the right and scored,repeat same 2 mins later game is over.
This approach of not chasing back hoping they dont score so we can have another go reminds me of the playground at school not premiership football.
By the time Ox handballed whilst doing what Gibbs should have been doing ,we had allready lost ,if it had been a boxing match they would have called it off to avoid the defenceless boxer getting killed !
Despite bringing on more and more defenders we persist with the same set up and get further hammered.

[bunch]

This game is a stain in our record that is very difficult to wash out. Just think, even if we were to win the FA Cup, this season's most memorable events will be the total shaggings we recevied. Just like the 8 - 2 humiliation at Old Trafford, these games won't be forgotten. Long after the last player who disgraced our shirt on Saturday has left Arsenal, us fans will still be eating on this colossal shit sandwich. Wenger is steadily ruining his legacy at Arsenal Football Club.

[SteveO 35]

Why I don't know, but I decided to endure the first 20 minutes of Saturday's debacle again last night. The painful thing is that essentially the same weaknesses that were there 3 or 4 years ago are still being exposed. When we used to play United they would frequently pair up a winger and wing back to bomb down our right hand side targetting usually Clichy and the non existent fat Russian knowing that it would often end up 2 versus 1. Time after time the likes of Ronaldo, Nani, Valencia etc would cause mayhem. Watching on Saturday, all of the first half damage came from that flank....Mourinho knew Podolski would be left up front leaving Gibbs alone and so it proved time and time again

This is why I find it hard to forgive Wenger - he makes the same mistakes, year in year out. The personnel have changed....the problems are the same

[Herd]

Why I don't know, but I decided to endure the first 20 minutes of Saturday's debacle again last night.

Spooky Stevo ,cos I did the same just to be sure what I watched was true !

[DB10GOONER]

We were absolute rubbish. Total gash. Looked like scared schoolkids. No getting round that. Ironically it was probably the right way to "celebrate" Arsene's 1000th game, in that he has been here for about 400 games too fucking many!! The fact it ended in farce just somehow felt... right maybe?

Sagna was appalling. Every single attempt at crossing hit the first defender in the fucking leg. Every time he got forward and didn't fuck the cross he turned back and refused to take his man on. Santi was worse as he hid for the whole game. Ditto Rosicky. Ditto Podolski. Sure, they huffed and puffed but they took no responsibility and offered little.

It's hilarious to read people blaming Giroud for this game. Isolated up front with no crosses from wide and no supply from midfield, what is it exactly people think an average striker can achieve in that situation? Even a good striker would struggle.

Arteta looks on his last legs tbh. I rated him over the last couple seasons but he is not the same player anymore. The calls for Flamoney to start are reasonable now but tbh I'd be totally unsurprised if he had started and gotten himself sent off on Saturday. He works hard, but he is fucking retarded alot of the time, just lunges in when it's not needed.

Chesney was terrible. At least 2 of the goals were down to him. I had a bad feeling from early on when I saw he had that stupid grinning over-cocky head on him which usually means we are conceeding at least 5. What is it with him? We win one and he loses the plot for the next one? Where's your fucking selfies now you twat?

One thing that also struck me afterwards was this myth that has built up around Mert and Kos this season that they are now top top defenders. And against rubbish like Palace, Cardiff, Hull etc etc, they are. But the minute you put them up against the big guns its us losing 5-1, 6-3, 6-0. No clean sheets against the better teams in the CL either. Not saying it's all their fault, but it is no coincidence that we've received 3 absolute stuffings with them on the pitch against decent quality teams. They are good defenders at best, not top class. Chesney as well, no where near top class.

The worst thing about Saturday though is that the Chavs appeared to have taken pity on us, because they could have done us 8 or 10 nil if they wanted.

[arseofacrow]

In the end, even with a full team for most of the time we wouldn't win the league because the boss and his methods are a central problem.

When we had some of the best players in their positions in the world, it didn't matter much bar the near criminal lack of progress in the European Cup - a precursor for what we've seen develop over the last years.

This team is capable of turning up sometimes and going missing when it matters. This comes from the culture at the club - everyone's ambition is 4th place.

We are just hanging on to the coat tails of the rest while some fans cling to the dying embers of Wenger's philosophy.

It's sad that we aren't setting our sights higher and don't have a manager who's capable of change.

[Gunner Rob]

i am looking at the big picture this morning.

the Chelsea match was irrelevant, the City match was irrelevant, the Liverpool match was irrelevant.
this club is aiming to reach 4th place and currently we are in...4th place.

the manager is achieving what is expected of him, the board are happy with him making money, the fans are happy to pay for all of this. hey who knows we might even get the bonus of the FA Cup this season as well - which will help with merchandise sales. ARSENE WENGER IS DOING A GOOD JOB

[Sam59]

could be interesting if we look at who we could play in the CL play offs, if we finish 4th. For me, it's only IF as we may finish 5th. Atletic Bilbao or someone and there'd be no CL group to play in, just thurs night.

I think it was a fitting way to commemorate Wenger, losing 6-0 (record home win for Mourinho) and having the Chav crowd singing for him to stay and repeating Mou's crass 'specialist in failure' jibe. It shows up the difference. Wenger isn't a failure in that he's set out each year to protect the owner and board's investments, and his own bank balance, by finishing 4th.
They apparently had lunch pre season and Mou declared himself baffled and curious as to how someone could be so satisfied with never winning trophies. This is , according to Dein, a "purist" approach. Ho fecking hum.

What made it hardest for me was that the repulsive John Terry didn't even celebrate. He just looked like 'what was that? that was our easiest game of the season'.

[skizz_b]

All weekend I have tried to put this performance into words, and I only have one.

lol.

[corkbarry]

All weekend I have tried to put this performance into words, and I only have one.

lol.

This is how i still feel

[TheCook]

I am never ever going back to Stamford Bridge.

[Robin_L]

Don't you think it's about time Arsenal.com took this off the main page of the website?

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archiv ... ppen-again