Match Day Thread Leicester City vs. Arsenal 2016/17 Official Match Thread

Wenger will get them pumped up?
He couldn't pump up a pillow!

 

If he was subbed for Wilshire he must have been pretty poor?

 

Not really, more of a tactical change for a more attacking centre mid.

 

Was the 600 club employees on Wenger's mind, when he signed a new contract, that paid him £8 Mil a year?

 

I wonder how many Arsenal employees you can pay from £8m?

 

Don't think you guys are giving enough credit to Leicester; because you played thru them twice last season, & because they lost at Hull, you seem to have forgotten how incredibly difficult they make it for attack minded teams to get into any sort of rythm against them. They dictated the pace and you weren't comfortable with it but you didn't get bullied out of it and the result could have gone either way. Sanchez was too far up the park tho.

 

True. Last season we won there 2-5 but they were pretty much unstoppable last season. They are still a good outfit and they played their counter attacking game quite well yesterday, in the end it was only Koscielny and Cech (plus some favourable refereeing) that kept us in it. Ultimately though, it again exposed our weaknesses and demonstrated how far off we are where we should be.

 

Want to give some credit to Holding who had a really good game yesterday. Despite the disappointment surrounding the club at the moment, there are some still some positives. I also think we'll get stronger as the season progresses, but admittedly the start of this season has been a big let down.

 

Holding looks a great signing. He's going to be a very good player.

 

Alongside Kos, he looked really assured. If we get Mustafi, we are going to be rock solid at CB

 

Point at the Champions? You took 6 off them last year, so you are already 2 points down on last year. How did you do against Pool last year - is it 5 points down already?

 

Drew at home to pool last year

 

And from memory Liverpool were the better team that day as well

 

I don't understand this value for money mindset as far as Wenger is concerned. He likes a player, would love to recruit him but refuses to do so on the basis that the asking price is a few millions above what he values the player at. The whole world knows that English premiership clubs are awash with money never mind Arsenal with its own huge reserve of cash. What difference does a few millions do here and there when the first team is improved and the revenue dwarfs that sum? I can only think that Arsene is himself a shareholder albeit a small one.

United and Woodward started with that MO but then quickly realised that they were failing to recruit because it was unrealistic. Arsenal will realise that too.

 

It is inevitable they will whether they do it with Wenger or not. But if they choose to employ the same frugal mentality with the new manager, Arsenal WILL drop out of the top 4. Wenger has been at the club for a very long time and enjoys unparalleled control and stability which has enabled him to finish in the top 4 on a regular basis, no other club offers that. A new manager wouldn't be able to do it with our current crop of players and would most certainly axe a fair few players and start again. The Premiership has become very competitive and allows very little margin for error.

 

Though you were really disappointing to be honest. My two pennies worth;

Not sure what you made of Xhaka's performance but you must be well pissed off that Kante went for a lesser sum and is twice/thrice the player.

Ox was your most dangerous player in the first half but our fullbacks played a lot better in the second half.

You desperately need a striker. Playing wingers up front hardly ever works (Henry the obvious Arsenal exception).

Walcott is incredibly poor. He's got the first touch of a rapist and I don't think he's anywhere near as quick as he was.

Your back four were sublime, in particular Rob Holding who I think will be a gem for you. I thought he was your MOTM.

I thought Coquelin (probably spelt that wrong) should have been sent off. Considering Simpson was sent off for a lot worse in February.

A draw seems disappointing but on the balance of play I think it was a fair result. Having said that we should have had a penalty.


All in all, you're a mile off (as are we) of challenging this season. Is this Wenger's last season? I wouldn't bet against you dropping out of the top 4.

Cech had a blinder according to the Premier League Years programme that Sky do.

 

Umm I'm not sure I agree with this, Man U have consistently broken transfer records and spent lots of money. Even in Moyes and Woodwards 1st season when they were bedding in a new executive team, manager, coaching staff and playing style - they still spent £70-£80m on Mata and Fellani, then after that under Van Gaal they spent something like a quarter of a billion or more on transfers!!!

 

I think that we were missing a striker big time - having our main attackers of Sanchez, Theo, Oxo and Santi - all short, all poor in the air (with the exception of Sanchez) up against Morgan and Huth was asking for trouble - they were so comfortable everytime we played anything into the box.

Our defence looked much more solid with Kos, he was my MOTM, but Holding played really well. Coq was lucky not to be sent off and we should have conceded a pen right at the end - what was Bellerin thinking?

Same old though - decent play, no cutting edge, no pace to the game, not stretching the opposition, no goal threat, no striker upfront who can pull the CBs out of position and create space for himself and others and create chances/score goals.

 

Kante twice/thrice the player of Xhaka? Stopped reading after that as you clearly talk guff.