By 1970's Gooner
It was a shocking performance from every one of them. There was no urgency, tactical awareness or a plan of how to break the opposition down. There was also no width which allowed Monaco to flood the middle of their defence and defend well.
Giroud missed three clear cut chances. A header, a cut back from Sanchez and skying the rebound from the goalkeeper after Walcott's shot was parried. If he had scored from only one of them the outcome would have been very different.
Sanchez was just a busy bee again. Welbeck tried but wasn't good enough.
Cazorla was ok in the first half but faded in the second. He played too deep and there was gap between him and the rest of the forwards. There was no urgency nor did he make enough of those surging runs.
All four defenders had a bad game. Mertesacker the worst. He was so much at fault for both their goals. The first one he could have moved his body out of the way. The second he sold himself way beyond the half way line thus allowing them a clear run on goal outnumbering the rest of the remaining defenders i.e Koscienly!
Why oh why does Ozil have to start? He offered nothing tonight. He offers nothing in big games. He is dozy, shies away from the rough side of the game and gets so frustrated that he just gives up. Like last season we are playing almost with 10 men. Wenger has to own up that he made a dud buy.
Still why did he not sub him at half time? Why did he not sub him in the second half then? We would have had a better chance to come back.
We had a terrible night where nothing went right. They had a great night where everything went right for them. It will not be like that in the return leg.
We can turn it round at their place and run them close. We might even qualify....
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Adrian Durham anti Arsenal what an absolute clown!
By 1970's Gooner
I feel sorry for Adrian Durham.
It seems that he is and feels inadequate to be a smart, objective and penetrating journalist like so many journalists serving their profession. So he tries to make a living for himself by adopting the most distorted and extreme views on anything that is news.
He does this intentionally to rile and wind up the fans so that he gets the reaction and the readership that justifies his continual employment.
His latest tirade is against Arsenal for the Daily Mail. His take is that Arsenal fans intentionally talk up and elevate their players into heroes with fantastic ability compared to the top players in the world.
Here is what he wrote today:
They don’t win big trophies, so in order to try to keep themselves in the picture towards the top of the table, and keep up the image of a big club still up there with the big boys, they have to over-promote their players on a rotation basis beyond their true abilities.
If Arsenal were as good as their fans believe, they would top the Premier League and be favourites for the Champions League'.
Here is a summary of what he wrote:
- Mesut Ozil cost £42million and was billed as Arsenal's world-class star
- Aaron Ramsey was next big thing before attention went to Alexis Sanchez
- Francis Coquelin was also supposed to be the next shiny superstar
- The spotlight has turned to Spanish playmaker Santi Cazorla
- But few managers would sign him over Eden Hazard or David Silva
- Arsenal fans keep themselves in the picture by over-promoting players
He compares Mertesacker to Kleberson!! He forgets that the BFG won the World Cup!
He concludes that Real without Ozil won the CL but with Arsenal only the FA Cup. He forgets that Germany with Ozil won the World Cup.
He says that no team will sign Cazorla ahead of David Silva or Hazard. Yet he accepts that Athletico Madrid might want to get him on board. Yes Athletico who have won La Liga ahead of both Real AND Barcelona.
And he goes on and on...
I borrowed a description that a Stoke fan used to describe him on Talksport radio:
'What an absolute clown'
He ends his piece in the Mail with this:
'If these players really are as good as Arsenal fans want us to believe, the Gunners would be top of the Premier League table and favourites to win the Champions League. But they’re not'.
And I ask him:
So therefore all the Manchester City players are crap because they are not top of the PL and are not favourites to win the CL!!!!
All Chelsea players are crap since they are not favourites to win the CL!!!
All PL teams are full of crap players because they are not top of the League and are not favourites to win the CL!!!!
Adrian Durham: What an absolute clown......
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Five surprises in Arsenal's line up vs Leicester
By the Coach
Arsene Wenger is expected to make more changes than many pundits have dared to predict for tonight's game against Leicester. And most of the changes are intended to give a rest to some players who have been out with injury recently and not wishing to play them after only a three day rest.
In defence Gibbs is due to start instead of Monreal who has been a regular recently but who needs a rest. The rest of the defence remains the same.
In midfield Rosicky comes in for Ramsey who has been way below par recently. Cazorla keeps his place and is given the chance to prove that his abysmal performance at the Lane was just a blip.
The third change is the most surprising one as Flamini is due to be given a rare start in place of the awesome Coquelin who is also rested.
Remember most of these players played three days ago and Wenger may feel that his squad is big enough and strong enough to make rotation a viable option especially with regard to bringing that awful injury record down to reasonable proportions.
And the last changes in attack are Sanchez for Ozil and Walcott for Welbeck.
Ospina
Bellerin Mertesacker Koscienly Gibbs
Flamini
Rosicky Cazorla
Walcott Giroud Sanchez
Arsene Wenger is expected to make more changes than many pundits have dared to predict for tonight's game against Leicester. And most of the changes are intended to give a rest to some players who have been out with injury recently and not wishing to play them after only a three day rest.
In defence Gibbs is due to start instead of Monreal who has been a regular recently but who needs a rest. The rest of the defence remains the same.
In midfield Rosicky comes in for Ramsey who has been way below par recently. Cazorla keeps his place and is given the chance to prove that his abysmal performance at the Lane was just a blip.
The third change is the most surprising one as Flamini is due to be given a rare start in place of the awesome Coquelin who is also rested.
Remember most of these players played three days ago and Wenger may feel that his squad is big enough and strong enough to make rotation a viable option especially with regard to bringing that awful injury record down to reasonable proportions.
And the last changes in attack are Sanchez for Ozil and Walcott for Welbeck.
Ospina
Bellerin Mertesacker Koscienly Gibbs
Flamini
Rosicky Cazorla
Walcott Giroud Sanchez
Saturday, February 07, 2015
Wenger's wrong starting 11 and midfield let the team down
By 1970's Gooner
Yes we did get the goal albeit against the run of play. But we never kicked on. We carried playing defensive football but without having the men up front to go on the counter attack and thus relieve and give a breather to the rest of the team.
This was a mistake by Wenger in his selection for the starting 11 by leaving Walcott and Rosicky out. Both had the legs and the nous to help the rest of the team to manage the game.
Walcott would have been the perfect outlet for running at speed with the ball but more importantly Rosicky, as he amply proved when he belatedly came on, would have been ideal to keep the ball and play the simple pass to a colleague.
Something that Cazorla and Ramsey failed miserably!
Not once did they make a simple pass.
Not once did they hold onto the ball long enough.
Not once did they come out winners in the 50 50 balls.
As a result we lost the midfield battle and kept giving the ball away like imbecile novices.
As a result we were outrun and outfought.
As a result we eventually caved in. How much pressure can you take after all?
We were under pressure against Man City but at least we kept the ball and utilised Alexis for the counter attacks. Today we had nothing. Nothing.
And I blame Mr Wenger.
For not starting the brilliant Rosicky.
For not starting Walcott.
And for not substituting Cazorla and Ramsey much much earlier.
Noe we have a battle on our hands to finish 4th and we have given a leg up the Spuds.
Yes we did get the goal albeit against the run of play. But we never kicked on. We carried playing defensive football but without having the men up front to go on the counter attack and thus relieve and give a breather to the rest of the team.
This was a mistake by Wenger in his selection for the starting 11 by leaving Walcott and Rosicky out. Both had the legs and the nous to help the rest of the team to manage the game.
Walcott would have been the perfect outlet for running at speed with the ball but more importantly Rosicky, as he amply proved when he belatedly came on, would have been ideal to keep the ball and play the simple pass to a colleague.
Something that Cazorla and Ramsey failed miserably!
Not once did they make a simple pass.
Not once did they hold onto the ball long enough.
Not once did they come out winners in the 50 50 balls.
As a result we lost the midfield battle and kept giving the ball away like imbecile novices.
As a result we were outrun and outfought.
As a result we eventually caved in. How much pressure can you take after all?
We were under pressure against Man City but at least we kept the ball and utilised Alexis for the counter attacks. Today we had nothing. Nothing.
And I blame Mr Wenger.
For not starting the brilliant Rosicky.
For not starting Walcott.
And for not substituting Cazorla and Ramsey much much earlier.
Noe we have a battle on our hands to finish 4th and we have given a leg up the Spuds.
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