We 'lost' because we only scored 3 goals. As soon as Oxo went off, we looked a much poorer side. The boy needs to play every minute of every game from now on. Ideally centrally.
He was very good but I think we'd still have won had we been able to bring on another central player (Arteta/Diaby/Ramsey) and been able to maintain our shape. That went to pot the second he went off and total toilet when Theo went off.
It was almost faultless. Had we not sustained those injuries we would have gone through. The players just had nothing left to give and Chamkah, Park were just not on the same level as oxo and theo. I also think Song played the whole second half with an injury.
Some people will have you believe that Song's wonder passes to RVP are the norm and that his passing is good. Sorry to harp on about it but his passing is pants and, by virtue of the number of games he plays he is bound to get one Hollywood pass right ! I don't rate him at all.
Let's face it, winning this 5-0 was highly unlikely against a top team like AC Milan. Add to the fact that we've been poor this season and that this is the worst Arsenal side during Wenger's tenure, 3-0 was a great scoreline!
Worst Arsenal side during Wenger's tenure??? Some people have short memories! I don't think this side is as bad as people make out, I think our first 11 can give most top teams a good game. They may not be on the same level as the invincible, but to say they are the worst side is taking the biscuit!
I can't believe Theo is being praised for his performance last night, nor the view that Ramsey would have helped. Wrt Ramsey, it is noticeable that we are much sharper and direct and threatening in midfield without the Welsh youngster. So yes perhaps retention might have better in the last 20 minutes but you need more to hurt the opposition. As for Theo, again, how times times did he make teh wrong decision last night playing against one of the worst left-backs we've seen. Each time Theo got the ball in a good psoition, I knew he would enbd up lossing us the ball. Even for the second goal his cross was tame. I was also annoyed at Gervinho - when RVP missed that chance in the 2nd half Gervinho was actually clean through and should have ran on and got a better shot in, but instead as he ALWAYS does to slowed up allowing the defence to cover. His final shot and RVPs chance were down to luck. The ref was certainly dodgy last night. LAst RVP got sent off for kicking the ball away in an all too excusable incident yet the chap last night got nothing, and then there were the bookings.
Seriously?? Theo was excellent last night. His movement was the key reason our midfieled had soo much room. Chamberlain and Oxo were (along with RVP of course) our star performers and the quality of our play dropped dramatrically when they went off. It was a classy performance from Theo cant see how anyone could think otherwise, but then looking through your posts I can see you've got a bit of an 'agenda' when it comes to the young englishman.
He played like a different player yesterday. I thought he was a winger then all of the sudden he becomes a deep-lying playmaker out of nowhere.
Ok then name me a Wenger side that was worse than this current one? Firstly, we have no proper wingers and please don't say Walcott is a winger, he's a traditional central striker who's been stuffed on the wings by Wenger. This team is the most vulnerable Wenger team i've seen. Nowadays a lot more teams can give us a run for our money, which wasn't the case a few years ago, which consisted of a few top teams, or the Stoke type teams. Yes we've never quite been great defensively since the invincibles era, but we used to mask it with great possessional football. Now we don't have the same quality in the middle as before (Fab, Nasri, Hleb etc). We only have one striker and a couple of budget backups. Without RVP's input this season, we would have struggled to get 6/7 place. Our first 11 might be good but we are lacking quality bench players to change a game. Lastly and most important, this team lacks more self belief as before. Just a few years ago, we've looked more assured, more close to winning but been genuinely unlucky. Now it's less to do with luck and more to do with quality and weaker mental strength.
Arteta, Ramsey, Benayoun, Diaby, Coquelin, Wilshere, Arshavin - 6 midfielders injured and one is on loan.
How can anyone say this isn't the worst Arsenal team under Wenger's management with us ??? I despair for some Arsenal fans sometimes, I really do.
Verliy, the value of a players worth to the team is in the eye of the beholder. I see Theo and scream at his ineptness, others have their feet swept off the floor by his cunning movement and passing and running. I'm not going to comment on him ever again.
People always get carried away after a few good results. This does not mask the fact that we've had a poor season. Add to the fact that we've thrown players like OXO and Jenkinson into the deep end just highlights our problems. However, we can take some positives from this season, some being the younger players doing the business. We just need to build on that and add whatever quality we need.
Hey Omo What's this about taking the biscuit. I think the reality speaks for itself. Mr 20K said " worst Arsenal side during Wenger's tenure ". Can you think of a worse one in these past 15 years? Given that this season has been described as being our worst start in 58 years, it follows not unreasonably that this worst start has been as such because of a similarly worse side..... Not an unreasonable suggestion perhaps?
