Oh well, You boys put in a good performance but unfortunately it wasn't good enough. Welbeck is really not good enough in the final third. Mkhitaryan didn't really get long enough. The biggest disappointment of the night though was ozil. He tried, he got into some good positions but the final ball was lacking. The worse part for me was there was a lot of times to put it in the box or find a clever pass and he just ended up passing it back to xhaka each time rather than trying to make something happen himself
I don't think anyone expected us to score tonight, tie was over as soon as Koscielny gifted them that goal in the first leg
It's funny. On Twitter there's alot of 'the players let Wenger down' type sentiment but for me that's absolute Bullocks. We were tactically outmanoeuvred - which isn't hard to do. Every man and his dog knows how we are gonna set up and that we wont change shape regardless of whats happening. It sounds harsh but the players actually did OK considering they clearly get no defensive coaching,or any kind of external motivation. There's some very good players in that side.
We didn't play terribly. We didn't do enough. it was a reasonable enough performance in the circumstances but we have neither the players nor the system to take on teams like Madrid and win.
I think there was a lack of urgency and our play was just filled with pass pass pass pass pass pass then lose the ball and nothing comes of it. I think we had one shot on target the whole game. In reality that’s been Wengers style for the past 10 years or so. It needs to change-we have to be more efficient with the ball. This game illustrates perfectly why Wenger needed to be let go and why we need a different direction.
There are no sentiments in football, Wenger should have gone 5 at least 5yrs ago. He selfishly hung on.... I feel really sorry for whoever takes over, as they would be taking over a very unbalanced side, requiring surgery all over the pitch. He appears to have drained confidence and belief out of his players! He has trully tarnished his legacy.
1 and a half weeks left of the season to go. We're nearly there. Let's play out the last of these matches and be done with it. Nothing play for now.
Sad end to Wenger, he went out of Europe the same way he usually does through flaky defending and inflexible tactics. But we were the architects of our own downfall rather than Atletico being outstanding. It's a big shame as this was a very winnable game and cup overall but it's ended with a whimper.
I agree on the Wenger remarks however as for the team...I dont agree at all. Its actually a pretty damn good squad - there's just big defensive holes to fill. The CB's need an overhaul -I would bring two (One experienced one young) and sell Mustafi and Holding/Chambers. A new GK and most importantly a DM. Also Max Meyer looks to be coming on a free. That's only 3 experienced players and 2 youngsters (one free) to turn this side into a TOP class one. ----------------------Oblak----------------------- Bellerin--Sokratis----Koscielny---Monreal ------------------Kondogbia--------------------- -------Mkhitar------Ozil-------Mey/Wil-------- -------------------Aubamayang----------------- Bench: Lacazette, Soyuncu, Xhaka, Ramsey, Koalsinac,Meyer/Wilshire, Cech. Thats a very strong team and well within budget. For me with Aubamayang, Mkhiratian, Bellerin, Ozil - the core is there we just need to fill in the cracks with some quality.
I would love Kondogbia at Arsenal. One good thing about changing manager - all these players that fit perfectly in our squad and are exactly what we need (which for some insane reason we NEVER go for) can maybe finally be signed. no more of this bizarre transfer activity or lack thereof hopefully.
Your new strikers will be fine next season. It'll be their second season so they will be used to the premier league and each other. Your attacking midfielders do not do enough defensively imo but a good coach will sort that out. You need to sort out your contracts as a few end this summer and another 5 or 6 end next summer or you will be giving players away. You need at least 2 quality DM to get you through the season and 2 central defenders as well as at least 1 top quality keeper. The biggest issue is having no CL football as that will limit the choice of top quality players willing to come unless you get a top manager. It is also a much shorter transfer window as it ends 2 days before the season starts and is more complicated due to the world cup taking place. Will be interesting to see what happens
My issue with Arsenal in Europe is that you never seem to really go for it. Just kind of all just goes out with a whimper. I just feel like you never really give it a go tbh. Anyway new ideas and new people is what you need and sadly that looks what you will get
Thats partly because Wenger never changes the shape of the side. Even when we HAD to score we were still playing a 4-2-3-1. Wengers subs where at the exact same time they always are. This is what has annoyed me most as an Arsenal fan in recent years. Weird **** like.. Wenger wont make a sub until after the 65th min (unless forced through injury) - regardless of whats happening on the pitch. He wont ever change the shape to counter an opposition, he wont give obvious tactical adjustments mid game either. He sets the team up a certain way before the game and if it does'nt work - that's it.
I thought Ozil was the only one of Arsenal's attacking players that looked interested in winning the game, everyone else was ****, just plodding around not looking to get in decent positions, I didn't see Lacazette or Wellbeck dart for the inside post once in that game when the ball went out to the wing. Arsenal have needed someone new at the helm since George Grahams defence retired and he had to choose his own
Arsenal played well, but paid price for the usual defensive mistakes . very impressed by way Atletico defended . attacking wise, I think you should had passed ball more directly and faster .. I felt decisions were slower at final end taking extra time before making a decision.. Arsenal problem is you have only Plan A without Giroud, that was a match screaming for a player like him. tbh I don't feel sorry for AW, it was his choice to remain against the wish of the fans, he win FA cup last season, that was a great way to say goodbye in a winning note last season. I voted Conte before as who should be your manager, but after watching Atletico, Simone should definitely be your man that can sort your back , you have enough power upfront to score goal. you just need better organisation defensively and passing efficiently in a more direct approach .. I think is really worth pay whole transfer budget to bring in Simone instead of new players , he will make a big difference with same players you are having atm.
Arsenal's unbeaten (but not really) side had a defence of Lehmann, Ashley Cole, Kolo Toure, ****face and Lauren. It's not so much the defence as the whole team's defending and the lack of a holding midfield player, let alone one of any quality. They've never replaced Vieira.
Agreed. It’s both ridiculous and negligent that 15 years later we still have not replaced this player.
Not just Vieira but Gilberto. It was what Gilberto did for us that we missed hugely as well. He is amazingly stubborn that he refused to go back to what was a winning formula so he could embrace his new style.
Football has changed, I hear what you all say about replacing this player or that player, or rebuilding Graham's defence and all that, but things have moved on and sides don't play the way they used to. We need a new manager for new times, but I'm not sure I am going to pre-suppose what that manager needs to do. I was amazed how well our second team held up against United last week-end. We have too many specialists in our first team Midfield right now, and a team of young all-rounders fared better. Our defensive midfielders have no attacking flair and our attacking midfielders cant defend. It is far too easy to shut off the pass to the flair players and to limit their possession into areas where they cant hurt the opposition. If we are going to play with Ozil we need a certain team shape where the other team cant just mark him out of the game in order to shut us down. We have become far too reliant on our full-backs to provide flair on the wing. Bellerin had a terrible game, or was well defended, or both. I wish people would stop going on about our defence because I don't think that is what the worst part of the year has been. The fact is that we are not scoring. Ramsey, Wilshere and Iwobi are not creating chances, leaving Ozil as the sole provider. Losing Sanchez, who was a ball-hog , but could still provide just made matters worse. Lacazette is not a wide midfielder, nor is Welbeck. They cannot play there. If we get the midfield right, the defence will not be under the same pressure they are now, and will not look nearly as bad. I don't know exactly what needs to happen but it is a midfield problem we have, and I think employing more specialists isn't the solution. If the new manager came in and got rid of Cech, Lacazette, Ramsey, Iwobi, Wilshere, Ozil, Koscielney, Mustafi, and Welbeck, to build a team around a new young core, I wouldn't be totally unhappy, even seeing the back of Ozil, who I think is an amazing player. Does anyone think a team of: Ospina - Holding-Chambers-Manny / Nelson-Xhaka-MNiles-Mikataryan-Kolasinac/Ozil-Lacazette Would have done so much worse last night?
