This The way HH and Jayram jump on the players and manager as soon as we draw is frankly a bit ridiculous.
If that was a good game, then we truly are screwed. You've mentioned both Merino and Zubi as failing to score as some evidence of a good game. I don't get that. Both SHOULD have scored.
It's a touch of realism. We are talking here about taking the next step to winning a title. The same issues that have held us back from that last step were shown again yesterday and TBH it is more strange not to recognise our football needs to improve a lot. The positive is that we are not playing well at all and yet we're top, but we will need to get better to stay there at the business end of the season. As for players - it is what it is. I am very disappointed with many of our signings so far. Zubimendi, Eze and Gyokeres are not yet at the level we need to win the league. If they play well , I will be the first to say it.
In theory, yes you are right, and yes, not having an outball did cost us - I agree with your analysis there and on Merino's role in us being pinned back. But throwing a 17-year old with 0 PL experience in a game when we were backs to the wall is not grounds to criticise the manager IMO. For instance, whenever we cleared the ball or the ball was played up to him, in that environment, his first touch could have been terrible, he could have been bullied off the ball or he wouldn't have closed the right angle to shutdown the passing lane. Considering the game Ballard was having, I think he'd have eaten Harriman-Annous alive and I'm not convinced he'd have been able to make the ball stick. It would have been a very bold move to throw him on to see out the game. Look, I'm someone who has been extremely critical of Arteta overall, and was not happy with his management of the Liverpool and City games this season. But since then, and especially yesterday, I can't really knock him too much.
Zubi hit the bar ffs, it could easily have gone in on another day. Aside from even that, he still had a good game, especially in the 2nd half You can't measure whether they had a good game on whether they scored or not. They both COULD have true, but also both of them contributed to a decent overall performance (and yes we weren't great in the first half)
Nah mate, if you think that you don't know me at all ! I'm from the camp of better to try and fail than not try at all. What I refuse to accept is ultra defensive tactics, I also refuse to accept being overly hung ho (think Wenger). To me its common sense. We all saw the tide of the game turning especially when they made their triple substitution. When we got pinned back the only options are to leave things as they are - the old bury your head in the sand trick, bring on extra defenders to shore up the defence (Maureen was the king of that and to great success), bring on an attacker to provide an out ball. Now, considering Eze was replaced by Mosquera, we already brought on an extra defender to shore up the defence, but it didn't change the tide of the game, with Merino dropping deep were were doomed to continually be pegged back. Hence why I wanted Merino replaced. To me its common sense, I much prefer a manager be proactive rather than wishful.
Nah it's not realism, it's pessimism and over exaggeration. I don't agree that the same issues that have held us back were on display yesterday If they were, our heads would have gone down at 1-0 and we probably would have lost 2-0
I take your point about needed an out ball, but HA was not the player to throw into that game We suffered because we didn't have Gyokeres, Martinelli, Havertz to bring on for that scenario Merino COULD have done a better job providing that out ball, but our back were up against it and I can see why he dropped deep to defend.
We were terrible in the first half AND for the last 15-20 minutes. We had a 30 minute spell where we woke up and played well, then dropped off again as soon as we went 2-1 up. That's not the attitude of title winners. That's my concern.
Nah, we weren't great in first half, but we weren't terrible either Neither were we terrible in the last 15-20 mins And our attitude was not left wanting This is you being overly pessimistic again
Fella, the last 20 minutes, we continually gave the ball away and Sunderland were cutting us open easily. Our midfield was run through. I think we took our foot off the gas.
I agree the first half was cumbersome and we weren't moving the ball quickly enough to break down their block, but I saw a vast improvement for the majority of the second half up until the 80th minute. And yes, the football does need to improve, but I also think we need our best players back too. I disagree that yesterday was indicative of the same issues historically which have held us back from winning the title. As I've said before. This was our 3rd away game on the spin and, due to the injuries we have, some players have played more minutes/not been able to be rotated as much as they'd have liked. If this game was last season, or the season before, with the injuries we have, I'm not sure we come back from being 1-0 down. Sunderland are a physical, aggressive side who are tactically flexible and currently sit 4th in the league - they're not there by fluke, they're there because, after 11 games played, they have earned the right to be there. The Stadium of Light is not an easy place to go to and they will take points off other good teams at their ground. Our record this season in the league is 8 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss after navigating an injury crisis. This shouldn't be cause for concern, it should give you encouragement that when we have more options available, we can go up another gear or two.
I agree - from 45 to 80 we played well, but the last 15-20 we certainly did not. First half pissed me off massively. Just no urgency at all. It's the contrast to the start of the second half that pisses me off the most. We can't be waiting for adversity to put the effort in. Winning the title is going to come down to very small margins. Those are the margins where we've fallen short in the last 3-4 years.
I don't think we took our foot off the gas. I think we suffered because we didn't have any recognised strikers to bring on and tired towards the end, up against a Sunderland team who threw the kitchen sink at it. 9 times out of 10 we see that game out, but yesterday they grabbed an equaliser I don't think the attitude was off, neither did the players lack concentration, urgency or display any of the negative traits you've accused them of.
I think we went there thinking it was going to be a tough game and played conservatively in the first half to try and control the game When we went 1-0 down we had to change things around and credit to the manager and players that they did Football is about small margins, but I don't think you're concentrating on the right issues
Tiredness is not an excuse for the first half - or the many other games where we have wasted time playing nothing football for extended periods in matches this season. What I will say is that I am not sure whether the lack of urgency is down to attitude or tactics.
Like I said, I think the plan was to go there, keep it tight and try and control the game, rather than go gung ho with no recognised strikers in the team What you see as lack of urgency, was likely part of the plan to not expose ourselves. When we went 1-0 we had to switch it up, which is exactly what we did.
Controlling a game is not passing the ball around defence and midfield sideways and backwards for extended periods. That's simply wasting minutes and opportunities. It smacks of fear. We're better than Sunderland and the first 30-35 of the second half showed Sunderland were there for the taking. In fact, even when it went to 2-2, we opened up again and created excellent chances. I think we would have put them to the sword if we opened up our game. Instead we played safe and blew a huge opportunity with Liverpool and City playing each other. We also gave big hope to Chelsea, now just 6 pts behind and we go to Stanford Bridge soon. Thats a an even bigger game now and we need to take it to them IMO, not pussy foot around for more than half the match.
Just no lol. It's got nothing to do with fear Controlling the game is EXACTLY about keeping possession, and then building on it to try and score and win. Especially away from home against a tough team who are riding high on confidence. If we'd have gone there and tried to 'put them to the sword' and left ourselves open to the counter we could have been 2 or 3 down at HT. The fact that we went 1-0 meant that we had to change our approach, which is exactly what we did. I think you've completely misjudged this game tbh. But we're going round in circles now.
