A lot of people are blaming the points dropped to the moronic (though expected) substitutions that Wenger made. My question is how did we get ourselves in a position where we have to chase a game at home in the last 20 mins playing a side like Wolves? After going ahead inside 10 mins for the zillionth time we let a shit team back in the game but being callous and downright clumsy going forward and conceeding that joke of a goal.SteveO 35 wrote:Agreed. Whilst yesterday's result was just about as miserable as it gets, and our manager proved himself to be the tactical cretin that he is.....Rosicky was just about the best player out there and Benayoun, whilst not outstanding, produced more than that lazy Russian fuckwit has done in 18 months.Batflyer wrote:Have you seen the game yesterday? I thought Rosicky and especially Benayoun were playing very well. Song, Arshavin and Chamakh however...Gunnerz4life wrote:I'm a bit surprised how lightly players like Rosicky and Benayoun get away with, compared to the usual villians Song, Arshavin and Chamakh. These 2 are sub standard players who should nowhere near be at a 'top' club. I'm sure they have a good attitude and all that but they seriously lack the quality to impose themselves in a game. We might have more of a team spirit than now compared to last season but the quality have gone down drastically.
By the way, I disagree with you about Rosicky and Benayoun getting away with bad performances. Especially Rosicky has been criticised a lot on here.
I would say that this season those two deserve a few more chances before we consign them to the dustbin marked 'Vela'
WOLVES GAME THREAD
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Gunnerz4life
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highburyJD
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as angry as I've been in ages leaving the Grove
absolutely f*cking furious
we all make mistakes - nobody is perfect but IMO yesterday was an unacceptable catalogue of errors
I was having Xmas dinner after with my extended family. My Everton supporting bro was dismissive of my anger, "you've been on a great run, you draw a game you should win and the toys come out the pram - it happens, look at all the other draws yesterday"
on one hand I can see this argument
but those draws came first, we were in an amazing position to have an excellent swing and we threw it away
OK first - I think Atwell is possibly the worst ref I've ever seen, Webb loves ManUre, so did Mike 1penagame Riley. Dowd hates us, he decided the Newcastle comeback was going to happen and we couldn't stop him. Mike Dean has an amazing 'unbeaten' record against the Arsenal. But Stuart 'wide shot = goal' Atwell isn't biased or a cheat - he's 100% clueless. I refuse to believe that man has ever played a game of football.
This is not why we lost
yes there should have been more time added (how can the goalie get booked for timewasting during injury time, yet more time not be added??) but I don't think their player, can't remember who it was and have read no match reports and seen no highlights, should have been sent off. Also looked to me like after being fouled 3 or 4 times (HTF does Atwell ignore those?) Song responded by lashing out and was lucky not to go. Ref bottled that.
On those individual incidents I could be wrong, not seen replays, but the spirit in which he refs is incomparably bad. Standing on the ball for our free kicks and stopping quick ones. Ignoring timewasting and cynical transition fouls. Stopping the game to 'talk' to players but not booking them. He raised the tempreature, he created the poisonous atmosphere. Idiot didn't lose control of the game - he just never had it.
That said our team was almost as inept as him.
We started well - the changes, Rosicky and Benayoun, both worked. After tired/poor performances from Walcott and Rambo they made sense. I couldn't actually differentiate but Yossas Benayicky was doing pretty well (bloke who sat next to me said here's the clue - if they stop, turn then go back they way they were coming it's Rosicky)
The goal, that Gervinho tried his best not to score, came after Rosicky burst down the right - stopped, turned, headed back the way he was coming and played the ball sideways to Yossi, making a good supporting run. Benayoun played a great ball to Gervinho (maybe offside?) who staggered round the keeper and scuffed past the defender on the line left footed. At that point Wenger's lineup looked vindicated - new faces creating, Gervinho who some would have dropped scoring.
After the goal we had a 5 minute excellent spell of quick tiki taka style sustained possession. We were actually working Wolves hard, dragging them all over. Then we got overexcited about our possession and degenerated into slow 'sterile dominance' - slowly playing the easy ball and just allowing Wolves to hold their shape. We made it easy for them. It was pretty obvious, the Grove became restless, yet no change happened. Their wingers were auxiliary fullbacks yet we persisted with a back 4 marking Fletcher. The total lack of flexibility was infuriating - Djourou and Vermealen's inability to overlap and lack of opposing player rendered them meaningless.
Djourou stared as a def mid, why not put him there and free Song?
Why not put Vermaelen left wing, Gerv right and push Yossi right up with RVP?
If the formation is surreally sacrosanct then scream at the centrebacks at fullback until they effing overlap?
We could have switched to a back 2 let alone a back 3.
Wolves free kicks in their own area consistently won them throw ins by our penalty area. Idiotically naive defending. Why aerially challenge Fletch when he's on his own with no Wolves player in 30 yards?
Stand strong and win the 2nd ball FFS who's he gonna flick it to?
Eventually gridiron style Wolves won some decent field position, got a corner (can't remember how - bet it was cheap as chips) we cleared it badly but still had a chance. Somebody flies in inside the D and get's embarrassingly 'sombrero'd' by that wee shite who tried to kill Cech (name?) good ping, spectacularly flukely lands for Fletch who headed home slowly into the corner (could Szcz have done a little better, were his feet not quick enough? Could be time just stood still a bit in front of me).
Unlucky goal to concede, not scoring the 2nd a worse crime but don't really know how they were even playing football in our half to get a corner. We should have reacted to their setup sent RVP some support and totally still outnumbered them in midfield.
2nd half the refusal to change our shape became almost pathological.
I was saying Rambo or Rosicky at RB (ie right wing) from about 50th min. Didn't happen until the very very end. Our midfielders inability to make runs into the box was insane - there was no need to be scared of any tracking back FFS. Verminator just wasn't contributing wide left - so obvious to bring him inside and 'libero' his attacking instincts, didn't EVER happen.
Taking Yossi off was inexplicable, a player who can't possibly be tired, who has the capacity to open up defences, who was playing very well in the 1st half.
Leaving Djourou on so long unbelievable.
Arshavin was actually not 100% shite - which is a jump for him (playing for a move?) but Chamakh
Chamakh, seriously? Vermaelen up front would be so much more of a goal threat. Chamakh, bereft of any confidence, was worse than having nobody. He occupied space in a packed penalty area. The clash of heads looked to me like he stopped RVP scoring. Shocking.
Walcott I guess was injured/knackered. Why no Park? WTF was he signed if he can't play? How bad must he be in Chamakh is better? How did Ox not get on the pitch when a long shot looked one of best chances of scoring?
Wenger is a manager who froze out Edu, an excellent player, because he was going on a Bosman. I don't see that as necessarily a bad decision (once Edu said he was going bed in the replacement). I see continually picking Chamakh as either
1- a marketing attempt to boost the price we get from ligue 1 (if he's going why not drop him like Edu??)
2- an indication against all evidence the manager thinks he can be relied on to score a goal
3- the manager sacrificing the present to future, re-energised Chamakh inspired glories
if it's any of those reasons (I can't think of another apart from superinjunction based blackmail) then it's ill-judged to the point of idiocy.
Koscielny was good, Mertesacker/Arteta solid in a defensively unchallenging game. Szcz might have made a wonder save but had nothing else to do. Yossi was unlucky to be subbed IMO. RVP lacked support but was played in twice and over egged his first touch.
every other player on the pitch should be pretty much totally f*cking ashamed of themselves.
A not good enough, pathetic, Xmas ruining farce. Yet tactically I attribute the most blame to Wenger. Never a great strategic manager - he sent the team out well. We started fine yet when changes OBVIOUSLY had to be made Wenger dillied and dallied.
A terrible performance all round. Hurt my fist punching inanimate objects on the way home. Hurt my stomach doing to turkey & trimmings what a dumped teenage girl does to HaagenDaz. Hurt my throat screaming abuse at Atwell. My head hurts after drinking my bodyweight in vino.
BahHumbug ArsenalruinedChristmas
absolutely f*cking furious
we all make mistakes - nobody is perfect but IMO yesterday was an unacceptable catalogue of errors
I was having Xmas dinner after with my extended family. My Everton supporting bro was dismissive of my anger, "you've been on a great run, you draw a game you should win and the toys come out the pram - it happens, look at all the other draws yesterday"
on one hand I can see this argument
but those draws came first, we were in an amazing position to have an excellent swing and we threw it away
OK first - I think Atwell is possibly the worst ref I've ever seen, Webb loves ManUre, so did Mike 1penagame Riley. Dowd hates us, he decided the Newcastle comeback was going to happen and we couldn't stop him. Mike Dean has an amazing 'unbeaten' record against the Arsenal. But Stuart 'wide shot = goal' Atwell isn't biased or a cheat - he's 100% clueless. I refuse to believe that man has ever played a game of football.
This is not why we lost
yes there should have been more time added (how can the goalie get booked for timewasting during injury time, yet more time not be added??) but I don't think their player, can't remember who it was and have read no match reports and seen no highlights, should have been sent off. Also looked to me like after being fouled 3 or 4 times (HTF does Atwell ignore those?) Song responded by lashing out and was lucky not to go. Ref bottled that.
On those individual incidents I could be wrong, not seen replays, but the spirit in which he refs is incomparably bad. Standing on the ball for our free kicks and stopping quick ones. Ignoring timewasting and cynical transition fouls. Stopping the game to 'talk' to players but not booking them. He raised the tempreature, he created the poisonous atmosphere. Idiot didn't lose control of the game - he just never had it.
That said our team was almost as inept as him.
We started well - the changes, Rosicky and Benayoun, both worked. After tired/poor performances from Walcott and Rambo they made sense. I couldn't actually differentiate but Yossas Benayicky was doing pretty well (bloke who sat next to me said here's the clue - if they stop, turn then go back they way they were coming it's Rosicky)
The goal, that Gervinho tried his best not to score, came after Rosicky burst down the right - stopped, turned, headed back the way he was coming and played the ball sideways to Yossi, making a good supporting run. Benayoun played a great ball to Gervinho (maybe offside?) who staggered round the keeper and scuffed past the defender on the line left footed. At that point Wenger's lineup looked vindicated - new faces creating, Gervinho who some would have dropped scoring.
After the goal we had a 5 minute excellent spell of quick tiki taka style sustained possession. We were actually working Wolves hard, dragging them all over. Then we got overexcited about our possession and degenerated into slow 'sterile dominance' - slowly playing the easy ball and just allowing Wolves to hold their shape. We made it easy for them. It was pretty obvious, the Grove became restless, yet no change happened. Their wingers were auxiliary fullbacks yet we persisted with a back 4 marking Fletcher. The total lack of flexibility was infuriating - Djourou and Vermealen's inability to overlap and lack of opposing player rendered them meaningless.
Djourou stared as a def mid, why not put him there and free Song?
Why not put Vermaelen left wing, Gerv right and push Yossi right up with RVP?
If the formation is surreally sacrosanct then scream at the centrebacks at fullback until they effing overlap?
We could have switched to a back 2 let alone a back 3.
Wolves free kicks in their own area consistently won them throw ins by our penalty area. Idiotically naive defending. Why aerially challenge Fletch when he's on his own with no Wolves player in 30 yards?
Stand strong and win the 2nd ball FFS who's he gonna flick it to?
Eventually gridiron style Wolves won some decent field position, got a corner (can't remember how - bet it was cheap as chips) we cleared it badly but still had a chance. Somebody flies in inside the D and get's embarrassingly 'sombrero'd' by that wee shite who tried to kill Cech (name?) good ping, spectacularly flukely lands for Fletch who headed home slowly into the corner (could Szcz have done a little better, were his feet not quick enough? Could be time just stood still a bit in front of me).
Unlucky goal to concede, not scoring the 2nd a worse crime but don't really know how they were even playing football in our half to get a corner. We should have reacted to their setup sent RVP some support and totally still outnumbered them in midfield.
2nd half the refusal to change our shape became almost pathological.
I was saying Rambo or Rosicky at RB (ie right wing) from about 50th min. Didn't happen until the very very end. Our midfielders inability to make runs into the box was insane - there was no need to be scared of any tracking back FFS. Verminator just wasn't contributing wide left - so obvious to bring him inside and 'libero' his attacking instincts, didn't EVER happen.
Taking Yossi off was inexplicable, a player who can't possibly be tired, who has the capacity to open up defences, who was playing very well in the 1st half.
Leaving Djourou on so long unbelievable.
Arshavin was actually not 100% shite - which is a jump for him (playing for a move?) but Chamakh
Chamakh, seriously? Vermaelen up front would be so much more of a goal threat. Chamakh, bereft of any confidence, was worse than having nobody. He occupied space in a packed penalty area. The clash of heads looked to me like he stopped RVP scoring. Shocking.
Walcott I guess was injured/knackered. Why no Park? WTF was he signed if he can't play? How bad must he be in Chamakh is better? How did Ox not get on the pitch when a long shot looked one of best chances of scoring?
Wenger is a manager who froze out Edu, an excellent player, because he was going on a Bosman. I don't see that as necessarily a bad decision (once Edu said he was going bed in the replacement). I see continually picking Chamakh as either
1- a marketing attempt to boost the price we get from ligue 1 (if he's going why not drop him like Edu??)
2- an indication against all evidence the manager thinks he can be relied on to score a goal
3- the manager sacrificing the present to future, re-energised Chamakh inspired glories
if it's any of those reasons (I can't think of another apart from superinjunction based blackmail) then it's ill-judged to the point of idiocy.
Koscielny was good, Mertesacker/Arteta solid in a defensively unchallenging game. Szcz might have made a wonder save but had nothing else to do. Yossi was unlucky to be subbed IMO. RVP lacked support but was played in twice and over egged his first touch.
every other player on the pitch should be pretty much totally f*cking ashamed of themselves.
A not good enough, pathetic, Xmas ruining farce. Yet tactically I attribute the most blame to Wenger. Never a great strategic manager - he sent the team out well. We started fine yet when changes OBVIOUSLY had to be made Wenger dillied and dallied.
A terrible performance all round. Hurt my fist punching inanimate objects on the way home. Hurt my stomach doing to turkey & trimmings what a dumped teenage girl does to HaagenDaz. Hurt my throat screaming abuse at Atwell. My head hurts after drinking my bodyweight in vino.
BahHumbug ArsenalruinedChristmas
