Olympiakos at home.

[Blade]

Arsenal make a dash avoiding journalists.

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/footbal ... 58406.html?

Look at their smirks as they dash off.

[northbank123]

Agree largely about the team selection - was our strongest side bar Ospina and Gibbs. Bad decisions but hardly wholesale changes and should have been more than enough to roll over those part-timers.

Not sure their keeper made unreal saves though. Plenty of regulation ones and let in a poor goal actually. In fact the chance where he made a good save and then follow up was cleared off the line was the only time we really threatened to equalise. Despite them sitting back and letting us have the ball and heap pressure on we didn't look like actually creating chances which is a testament to the level of Wengers tactical nous.

[SPARKSY]

Have to say that ospina was poor tonight and was lucky he didn't concede from a set piece earlier in the first half (although our centre halves were equally culpable there), but to blame this result on the decision to pick him ahead of cech is absurd We conceded THREE goals of which he was at fault for ONE........why is this defeat being placed at his feet more than any of the other players ? We had a team of useless c*nts (bar sanchez) who don't give a flying fcuk about us or the club as long as their generous pay cheques continue to come through, and the blame for this farce should be divided amongst the lot of them cos there is certainly enough blame to go around

Btw for those who haven't already heard, our polish keeper did not have a good night tonight either, and was especially bad for one of the goals he conceded

For me it's more that it sends the wrong message. This is the CL and we've rotated and pissed around with team selection, and played with an attitude that stank the place out in Zagreb especially.

If Cech is our number 1, he should play. End of. To have a CL keeper and a Premier League keeper simply to try and keep your reserve happy is utter bollocks.

The fact our reserve keeper who shouldn't have been picked dropped a Flappy-munia style clanger just fits the narrative perfectly, but you're right - it's not all his fault.

I actually fancy a shot at the UEFA Cup as the CL is boring. We never look like winning it so who cares. Gutted for Sanchez though; he was immense.

You have to wonder how long such a class act as Sanchez will hang around, when he keeps having to try digging the team out of such big holes.
Or more importantly how long his agent wants to put up with such drivel when he could be laughing all the way, playing for a team that is capable of winning.

[Bradywasking]

Last night would have been unbelievable if it wasn't so believable. ... I was as unmotivated before this game as the Zagreb game but that doesn't take away from the disgust I feel after another horrifically inept performance from a bunch of carefree responsibility-free overpaid footballers (one or two honourable exceptions) and their clueless manager.
We can pick the bones out of the defeat and single out individual errors but this defeat is down to the collective malaise in the club which begins at the very top. This defeat and so many like it is only a shock because people make it a shock. In terms of where we are, application and attitude these nights are no shock to any of us let down far too often by a manager and those he has honed in his image.
It is simply time for Wenger to go, there are two quality replacements available. If we don't get either now we never will. So in reality that means we never will because Wenger isn't going and the board aren't pushing him, the players aren't pushing him and the "fans" aren't pushing him. The media are turning the screw but he will use that in his favour by claiming conspiracy etc. We are fucked long term and that is the reality.

[SPARKSY]

What a classy move by Le Tool. When BT questioned his team selection and Ospina in particular, he gets shirty and says
"Cech also made a big mistake earlier this season"
Slating his own player to save his own skin.

Monaco last season
3-3 Anderlecht
8-2 at OT
That record v Jose
5-1 Anfield
6-0 on his 1000th game
6-3 Citeh
Defeats back to back at Zagreb and home to the Greeks

Ancelotti is free. GET HIM IN!!!!

Even Wrighty questioned his team selection on BT Sport. Said the manager had got his selection "badly badly wrong"

[Gunner Rob]

my match ratings

Ospina - should never have started 0
Bellerin - looks a bit lightweight 3
Gibbs - another lightweight out of his depth 4
Koscielny - unlucky to be injured 6
Gabrial - didnt do a lot 5
Coquelin - rushed back too soon due to lack of alternative 2
Ozil - didnt realise he was playing until late on in game 0
Cazorla - a few good touches 6
Oxlade Chamberlain - sorry but not good enough 3
Walcott - ok but missed first half chances 6
Sanchez - feel sorry for him in this team 8

[augie]

Have to say that ospina was poor tonight and was lucky he didn't concede from a set piece earlier in the first half (although our centre halves were equally culpable there), but to blame this result on the decision to pick him ahead of cech is absurd We conceded THREE goals of which he was at fault for ONE........why is this defeat being placed at his feet more than any of the other players ? We had a team of useless c*nts (bar sanchez) who don't give a flying fcuk about us or the club as long as their generous pay cheques continue to come through, and the blame for this farce should be divided amongst the lot of them cos there is certainly enough blame to go around

Btw for those who haven't already heard, our polish keeper did not have a good night tonight either, and was especially bad for one of the goals he conceded

For me it's more that it sends the wrong message. This is the CL and we've rotated and pissed around with team selection, and played with an attitude that stank the place out in Zagreb especially.

If Cech is our number 1, he should play. End of. To have a CL keeper and a Premier League keeper simply to try and keep your reserve happy is utter bollocks.

The fact our reserve keeper who shouldn't have been picked dropped a Flappy-munia style clanger just fits the narrative perfectly, but you're right - it's not all his fault.

I actually fancy a shot at the UEFA Cup as the CL is boring. We never look like winning it so who cares. Gutted for Sanchez though; he was immense.

I agree totally with you g88ner - wenker continues to treat opposition like these teams with absolute arrogance and it then transmits to the players who think that beating them will be piss easy Of a normal day you MIGHT be able to defend his decision, but to play a rotated team last night when HE needed to win (he as opposed to we cos I couldnt give a shit ), is absolute lunacy
If I'm honest, dropping cech for ospina last night actually pleased me when I heard it - I have said a few times lately that I think ospina deserves a chance to be number 1 and cech has done nothing to suggest that he is going to do anything to improve our goals against column, but I am kinda regretting the decision now

[fivetothree]

But look at those players. None of them are shite really are they?

Yes, Ospina dropped a bollock last night but had we been able to defend we still should have won the game. The fact of it is

a) We have no real leaders in the team anymore. Coquelin may become one in future but that is it
b) Obviously we spend no time on tactics or defending. You might be able to get away with that in the PL to an extent (until we meet someone better than us) but it is a sucidial approach in the CL.

I would love for us to appoint Ancelotti but we have to be realistic, it is going to have a to get a LOT worse before the board do anything. We might get lucky by the end of the season, perhaps Wenger will walk away - but no way is he getting sacked.

Stan is getting his cash, and the rest of the board are too meek to complain. Idiot fans who keep paying thousands of pounds to watch crap like this will ensure they don't do a thing.

Our best hope is that he leaves at the end of the season and we can keep our best players like Sanchez.

[Redarmy]

Should play your best 11 players in your most important games....end of, that said they had more than enough to dispatch Olympiakos at home FFS

Looking at the players as they lined up and then began the match, after 5 -10 minutes could see was going to be a far from easy night, despite the poor Olympiakos away record

THEY WAS UP FOR IT AND MOTIVATED WITH COLLECTIVE WILL TO WIN, covering and tracking back with a great team effort

As for Arsenal how many times have we seen them come out as if either scared stiff or half asleep

what does Wenger do to them??? give them sedatives before they start? what type of motivation does he use if any to get them up for the game, don't tell me they don't need it ...everyone does, they will do what they have to....

Honestly Olympiakos deserved to win

No Leaders on the pitch, Sanchez was bullied by a push from big defender about questioning a throw in decision, nobody helps him out....always same story....it shows there is vital ingredient missing in this Wenger team
and i for one am totally sick of this repetition

[casgooner]

Woke up with that feeling again, 'oh we lost'. They had four shots and scored three goals. How many times does that happen? WE had some great chances and played some good attacking football in the first 15-20 minutes and failed to score I think I knew then that they were probably going to win. The players seem to have an attitude that they deserve to win because they've been on top and had loads of chances - well guess what Arsenal, you have to score to win!

I feel sorry for Alexis, he leaves everything n the pitch. How many times has he worked hard, got a goal to get us back in the game for our clueless defending to concede. Where the hell was our LB and left sided mid field when their 3rd goal went in? Still celebrating getting the equaliser no doubt! They had far too much space, nobody there for a mile around as the low hard cross/pass went into the box, and nobody could deal with it. I thought we could when when I saw the team. Ox, Sanchez, Wolly, all players who play with pace. We should have been two up before they got near out goal.

Ah well, we are getting used to this. I don't think its our god-given right to win, but I do think its the responsibility of the club to get us to a level to compete.

[foxinthebox2001]

I expect quite a few feel like me, so much I want to type but its exactly whats already been said.
Every season.

[arseofacrow]

Was the gator around last night?

Terrible, shit, c ts,

Sanchez excluded.

Just as a microcosm of the performance were Arsenal players yet again turning their backs and the sight of Mertesacker's limp attempt to challenge for the third goal.

Could go on but all of our shit, limp, crap was on display as well as shooting ourselves in the foot.

[officepest]

Was the gator around last night?

Terrible, shit, c ts,

Sanchez excluded.

Just as a microcosm of the performance were Arsenal players yet again turning their backs and the sight of Mertesacker's limp attempt to challenge for the third goal.

Could go on but all of our shit, limp, crap was on display as well as shooting ourselves in the foot.

Which is surely proof of what people on here have been saying for years; i.e. we do not do any sort of defensive training whatsoever.

If we did then the first time anyone turned away from a shot they would be ripped apart by the manager and made to train all the next day on set-piece drills until this pathetic habit had been drilled out of them.

Instead we see it game after game after game, from every single type of player on our books.

[nut flush gooner]

Agree largely about the team selection - was our strongest side bar Ospina and Gibbs. Bad decisions but hardly wholesale changes and should have been more than enough to roll over those part-timers.

Not sure their keeper made unreal saves though. Plenty of regulation ones and let in a poor goal actually. In fact the chance where he made a good save and then follow up was cleared off the line was the only time we really threatened to equalise. Despite them sitting back and letting us have the ball and heap pressure on we didn't look like actually creating chances which is a testament to the level of Wengers tactical nous.

It's that attitude that cost us last night tbh. To not field our number 1 goalkeeper is criminal.

To me it seemed Wenger has an agreement with Ospina about playing him in certain games. Wenger being a man of his word would naturally not want to piss Ospina off.

Sorry, this is the most prestigious club football competition in the world I couldn't give a fuck about gentleman's agreements, we play our best side end of. The fact we lost the first game only makes this decision even worse.

[Theoperator]

Playing Ospina was NOT the problem mate, he was after all our no.1 for a lot of last season. Its utterly wrong to slate Wenger for that- its the lack of any other signings, lack of motivation lack of ideas THATS some of the more pressing problems

First real mistake other than V Saints (and not a major one then) in Credit card cup last season TBF to Ospina

Faffing around moaning about Ospina plays into the AKB and AWs hands- the whole team played like toilet. The manager is a total busted flush