Just got back from the game, and without a doubt, that is the worst Arsenal performance I've seen at the Emirates, the second half was a total disgrace. I said beforehand that if we showed up to this game with the wrong mindset, we would make trouble for ourselves, and that's exactly what happened. We came into this game thinking we had won it before a ball had been kicked! This is the main problem for Arsenal, and is what I always believe shall keep us down, we just don't have a good enough mentality when we are on a positive strong run. The results at QPR and today just prove it, whenever we go on a good run, the players all of a sudden take their foot off the pedal when they face a lower team, this has happened time and time again, season after season, the players do good and suddenly grow big heads on their shoulders. It's easy going into the big games full of drive and motivation, we will most likely see that on Saturday VS Chelsea, but what truly defines how strong your character is is when you face a lower team and still bring it all to the table, that's what separates the champions from the pretenders, and Arsenal have CONSISTENTLY failed in that department, and quite badly. At the end of the day, every team loses, but the manner in which Arsenal lose is what truly irritates, we lose not because we played good and were simply unlucky, like against Liverpool and City earlier in the season, rather games like QPR and Wigan we lose simply because we put in a very very very sh!t lazy casual performance due to weak mental character combined with arrogant character thinking it will just happen due to past positive games. At the end of the day, top 4 is still in our hands, but even if we get it, you'd have to be a buffoon to consider this season a 'success', this has been an utterly sh!t season from us, today's loss was our TENTH loss in the league, 10 losses! And if you think losing 10 times in the league is still a success, then you're as delusional as Liverpool fans who think wining a trophy makes up for how sh!t they have been. In any other season we would not be in the top 4 with 10 losses, us ending in the top 4 will not be down to how good we were, but how low the standards and quality in the Premier League has become, we could still end the season with another loss and yet find ourselves in the top 4! I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the quicker this season ends, the better, a top 4 spot will not mask the major problems and weaknesses this team has, nor will it mask the fact that this has indeed been a bad season for us, you can make all excuses you want, but 10 losses in the league says it's own story, not good enough, simple as that, 3rd or no 3rd.
I disagree, this hasn't been Arsenal's worst performance at all. They were just outplayed by a better side on the day. Give Wigan credit for coming to our ground and playing good football and winning. The same happened to us when we went to Swansea earlier in the season, where they also outplayed us playing top football. Being Arsenal does not give us the right to beat teams like Wigan. We need to earn the right win and yesterday we wasn't good enough.
Complete misreading of the game and an article littered with cheap soundbites. Rubbish, some fans may have done, but I can assure you that the manager and players didn't. We lost this game because Wigan set up very well to counter our approach, they worked hard all night, stretched us and got their reward. Don't get me wrong, our performance wasn't good enough, but to heap blame on our is simply a reactionary rant and bears very little resemblance to the game. Wigan have just beaten Man Utd also, give them some credit where it's due, instead of the same old lazy rubbish about our mentality.
Agreed Remember guys, no game is a given. Playing against a team that had such intensity we will only raise our game, and its a good time to play against Chelsea.
Yet more points dropped where we should not have dropped them. Yes Wigan played well but that is no excuse. We should be beating these sides regardless of how well they play, at our home ground. What happened out there? I think we can beat Chelsea I'm just not sure how we can do it without Arteta.. we have been too reliant on him this season Can anyone reassure me how we can cope without him? Who will play there, as Ramsey is dire..
Spot on Ally that to a handful of poor performances and the result is to be expected. Wasn't the worst performance this season at all, not even close. The players better play for their manager for the remainder of the season, a few of them owe the gaffer !
Oh my, I hadn't even realised this game was at the emirates, I thought it was in wigan. No wonder you're upset then. Wow, Wigan really is turning it on, cudos to them. One thing...Van Persie's an awfully sore loser. Anyone getting slightly iritated how he gets into arguments just about every other game? Cracking player, but he's a bit a of a bitch personality imo.
I agree with this - but we HAVE to sort out the shocking gaps we leave when our guys try to play 'DUTCH TOTAL FOOTBALL' and are then wide open to counter attacks. Discipline required.
I think Arteta would have tracked back for both goals last night, he's done this all season - and we missed that last night.
Fair point. It's an area that needs attention. Trouble is that I don't think we should play Song as a DM, because he offers a lot going forward. If we want someone to screen the back 4 and sit in midfield to track back and mop up, then Frimpong is probably that player.
I think Frimpong is the only true DM that we have. He pretty much relishes the tackle and winning the ball back, it's his game. He can bomb forward pretty well too, which I don't think should be taken out of his game. But overall, he offers the most, sitting in Midfield breaking up opposition play.
??? Are you for real ? He offers a lot going forward ? He can only pass the ball one way and cannot shoot - as proved yesterday when he had numerous opportunities to let fly but didn't. He is not creative at all, his through passes to RVP are the only passes he seems to be able to make forwards - we saw the limit to his passing ability yesterday. Clueless in attack, he is as attacking as Carlos Vela is defensive.
Problem solved everyone, PISKIE has the solution for Arsenal. Lets not bother buying an attacking midfielder because Song offers a lot going forward Song offers the odd floated ball over the top to a striker, that is the sum total of what he offers going forward. When does he dribble past a player and commit them ? When has he played a slide rule pass along the ground ? When has he forced the keeper into a save ? But he offers a lot going forward Another for the signature crew methinks.
I can't really be arsed to get into an argument over your assessment of 'non league standard' Song, suffice to say that 13 assists speaks for itself and I've said all season that I think we need to bring in another top quality attacking midfielder in the summer to replace Nasri or Fabregas.
I don't think he wants Song to take over the Cesc role, he just thinks that he shouldn't be limited to a DM. As far as i'm aware, he wants a Cesc/Nasri replacement....Had we bought Mata, we wouldn't have had this problem. Hang on, sorry, he's cr@p according to TT....
