I've actually found Giroud's pathetic hold-up play contributes to why we can't make the ball stick upfront.
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 6 minutes ago
You are clueless. There is no other striker in the whole PL who has more assisted than him and missed 3 month due to injury.
You are just a pathetic hater. Fack off.
---------------------------------------------
Hater? Are you 12 years old? Grow the fack up, you idiot. Giroud has just 2 assists this season, an a passing accuracy of 64%. That's fackin pathetic compared to ANY other top striker. Do you want to have a bet that no other striker of a top 10 PL team has a worse pass completion?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Who is 12 years old...good question? I recommend specsavers for you, you clown
Only kids use juvenile words like "hater". I observe you've said nothing of substance other than being the usual embarrassing lick-spittle worshipper of all things Giroud. It's pathetic. Are you willing to take up a statistical challenge on how pathetic Giroud's passing is compared to majority of PL strikers. Tell me if you are?
The new Arsenal is at early stages and its becoming rather successful, there are few issues against teams that presses and defending during late parts of the game but I like what Wenger is doing here.
He doesn't seem to be bothered about perfect 60-70% possession stats anymore but wants to win. This team is more suited to the new system of win at all cost rather then old legratic Arsenal struggling to break opponents down. There is much improvements to be made but this new system suits the players we have have potentially could turn out to be a solid team capable of challenging anyone consistently
Sheriff,
Not that this is a criticism of you, but it's just funny how at the start of the season you bemoaned that we never undeservedly won any games like how United and Spurs did, yet now we're winning games and the last few times it's not been deserved whilst we've played some dour football at times. It's weird how the tables have turned.
To be honest with you, although the last couple of league performances have not been to the standard I expect, we've won 8 out of the last 9 matches so at least we're grinding out results.
Not been impressed with the team in recent weeks, but I prefer it to playing well and losing as we were earlier this season.
It's interesting how you talk about the lack of possession we've had this season, yet some of our most momentous victories have been when we've had less of the ball.
Let's just hope our performances improve soon. We're not as silky to watch anymore admittedly.
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 22 minutes ago
Only kids use juvenile words like "hater". I observe you've said nothing of substance other than being the usual embarrassing lick-spittle worshipper of all things Giroud. It's pathetic. Are you willing to take up a statistical challenge on how pathetic Giroud's passing is compared to majority of PL strikers. Tell me if you are?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And you think you say something decent? You are not even able to analyse properly.
I am convinced you bring up every stat on earth to let him look like a 2. League striker. I am sure of that. And no I am not interested. Move along.
The new Arsenal is at early stages and its becoming rather successful,
--------------------------------------------
Just losing at Old Trafford in the FA Cup would dismantle that idea. I don't think it's a new Arsenal. If anything, I think there's a spark lacking in the team and we're just waiting to be found out by the right opposiion.
And you think you say something decent? You are not even able to analyse properly.
I am convinced you bring up every stat on earth to let him look like a 2. League striker. I am sure of that. And no I am not interested. Move along.
------------------------------------------
That's the thing though. The stats will totally dismantle your deluded notions of how awesome Giroud is. Are you telling me to "move along" on my own thread?
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 22 minutes ago
Only kids use juvenile words like "hater". I observe you've said nothing of substance other than being the usual embarrassing lick-spittle worshipper of all things Giroud. It's pathetic. Are you willing to take up a statistical challenge on how pathetic Giroud's passing is compared to majority of PL strikers. Tell me if you are?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And you think you say something decent? You are not even able to analyse properly.
I am convinced you bring up every stat on earth to let him look like a 2. League striker. I am sure of that.And no I am not interested. Move along.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You really are a couple of laughable pricks
Not that this is a criticism of you, but it's just funny how at the start of the season you bemoaned that we never undeservedly won any games like how United and Spurs did, yet now we're winning games and the last few times it's not been deserved whilst we've played some dour football at times. It's weird how the tables have turned.
---------------------------------------------
I wanted us to grind out results when we can't control and dominate games. I didn't want the team boring us every week with tepid football and surrendering control of the game to other teams regularly. You didn't see me complainin when we beat City with conservative tactics, did you. It's just unacceptable to start struggling regularly and fluking results against Palace and Leicester. I don't like the signs in what I'm seeing.
Sheriff
I agree, it is concerning.
To be honest I think the games against the much lower ranked sides in the division will be difficult purely because they will be fighting to secure their top flight status which will give them all an extra incentive (especially with the new £5bn deal). That's why although the Leicester game was thoroughly unpleasant to watch, I wasn't entirely surprised.
We certainly can't afford to be complacent, though.
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 4 minutes ago
Not that this is a criticism of you, but it's just funny how at the start of the season you bemoaned that we never undeservedly won any games like how United and Spurs did, yet now we're winning games and the last few times it's not been deserved whilst we've played some dour football at times. It's weird how the tables have turned.
---------------------------------------------
I wanted us to grind out results when we can't control and dominate games. I didn't want the team boring us every week with tepid football and surrendering control of the game to other teams regularly. You didn't see me complainin when we beat City with conservative tactics, did you. It's just unacceptable to start struggling regularly and fluking results against Palace and Leicester. I don't like the signs in what I'm seeing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pr.ick
Pr.ick
Spurs fans vocabulary.
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 51 minutes ago
And you think you say something decent? You are not even able to analyse properly.
I am convinced you bring up every stat on earth to let him look like a 2. League striker. I am sure of that. And no I am not interested. Move along.
------------------------------------------
That's the thing though. The stats will totally dismantle your deluded notions of how awesome Giroud is. Are you telling me to "move along" on my own thread?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You mean of your laughable sharticle with no substance you clown?
That's the thing though. The stats will totally dismantle your deluded notions of how awesome Giroud is. Are you telling me to "move along" on my own thread?
_________
I never said that OG is awesome you priiick but keep going with your hating.
comment by groovyduringthewar (U1054)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
Pr.ick
Spurs fans vocabulary.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pri.ck
Give it till end of the season before criticising the idea completely. I don't like it either we have to hang on in last 15 against poorer sides. But if this counter attack system is successful in CL and FA cup then I'm all for it. Monaco will be the first real test of this tactic against a good team with all our best players together.
A fit and firing Walcott would help stop us getting pinned back.
And how many trophies did Arsenal win at the height of the possession dominance with Ces, Nasri, Arshavin,et. al? How far did they progress in competitions? I'd rather have teams press Arsenal than park the bus. I no longer have to worry about losing to the Blackburns of the world because Arsenal couldn't do anything with 60+% possession. Or losing to a Man U team starting 7 defenders. I don't care if Arsenal plays poorly between now and the end of May as long as they consistently gather points for a top 4 finish, a possible FA Cup win, and a respectable showing in the CL. United were very dodgy in Ferguson's last year, but they won the league by out scoring everyone. It might be nervy, but if it works it works.
I never said that OG is awesome you priiick but keep going with your hating.
------------------------------------------------
No, you only have your head rammed neck deep into his ar.se hole. You've become an embarrassing self-parody here with your Giroud bumming, I've actually begun to believe it has to be some kind of running joke and I missed the humour. Cos surely, no sane, clued up fan is deluded enough to believe half the twaddle you spin about an average player. Someone the world and his dog can see his glaring mediocre elements except you. Keep using moronic, juvenile words like "hater". Sounds like the crap you'd see from a Justin Bieber fangirl on Twitter.
And how many trophies did Arsenal win at the height of the possession dominance with Ces, Nasri, Arshavin,et. al? How far did they progress in competitions? I'd rather have teams press Arsenal than park the bus. I no longer have to worry about losing to the Blackburns of the world because Arsenal couldn't do anything with 60+% possession. Or losing to a Man U team starting 7 defenders. I don't care if Arsenal plays poorly between now and the end of May as long as they consistently gather points for a top 4 finish, a possible FA Cup win, and a respectable showing in the CL. United were very dodgy in Ferguson's last year, but they won the league by out scoring everyone. It might be nervy, but if it works it works.
--------------------------------------
The problem with this logic is it somehow assumes that getting pressured and battered and somehow fluking a result that could easily have gone differently if the opposition were more ruthless is some kind of deliberate strategy. Our increasinly sloppy build-up play is not a tactic. It's just a deterioration of our attacking and passing game because we're a bit too focused on our shape. Against better teams, we will be punished. If Crystal Palace - one of the most negative teams in the league - can lay siege to our half for most of the game, I fear for us if we meet a team like Bayern who suffocate the life out of the opposition. It will be very disappointing if we meet Man U in the FA Cup shortly and they dominate us and STILL win the game - just like our loss to Spurs recently. Spurs have beaten us a handful of times in recent years, but our loss to them a few weeks back was the most disappointing BY FAR. At least, we lost on our own terms whenever we lost to them before and gave it a go and came out swinging on the front foot. This time, we lost with our backside against the wall with what was pretty much a cowardly performance. It was as if we were expecting they'll somehow keep missing or get tired of attacking us. It was embarrassing to watch.
Let's not kid ourselves. We've not found some kind of magical formula that would dramatically transform us by being a negative team. And that's what we're turning into.
"I don't like THIS Arsenal"
Mate you don't like any arsenal. You are always moaning
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 26 minutes ago
And how many trophies did Arsenal win at the height of the possession dominance with Ces, Nasri, Arshavin,et. al? How far did they progress in competitions? I'd rather have teams press Arsenal than park the bus. I no longer have to worry about losing to the Blackburns of the world because Arsenal couldn't do anything with 60+% possession. Or losing to a Man U team starting 7 defenders. I don't care if Arsenal plays poorly between now and the end of May as long as they consistently gather points for a top 4 finish, a possible FA Cup win, and a respectable showing in the CL. United were very dodgy in Ferguson's last year, but they won the league by out scoring everyone. It might be nervy, but if it works it works.
--------------------------------------
The problem with this logic is it somehow assumes that getting pressured and battered and somehow fluking a result that could easily have gone differently if the opposition were more ruthless is some kind of deliberate strategy. Our increasinly sloppy build-up play is not a tactic. It's just a deterioration of our attacking and passing game because we're a bit too focused on our shape. Against better teams, we will be punished. If Crystal Palace - one of the most negative teams in the league - can lay siege to our half for most of the game, I fear for us if we meet a team like Bayern who suffocate the life out of the opposition. It will be very disappointing if we meet Man U in the FA Cup shortly and they dominate us and STILL win the game - just like our loss to Spurs recently. Spurs have beaten us a handful of times in recent years, but our loss to them a few weeks back was the most disappointing BY FAR. At least, we lost on our own terms whenever we lost to them before and gave it a go and came out swinging on the front foot. This time, we lost with our backside against the wall with what was pretty much a cowardly performance. It was as if we were expecting they'll somehow keep missing or get tired of attacking us. It was embarrassing to watch.
Let's not kid ourselves. We've not found some kind of magical formula that would dramatically transform us by being a negative team. And that's what we're turning into.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
At the end of the day, football matches are decided by goals. Currently Arsenal is scoring more than the opposition. Giroud, Sanchez, Walcott, Cazorla, et. al are taking their chances. Arsenal conceded possession and played "pragmatic" football in the second part of the 2012-2013 season, and played it well enough to snatch 4th from what seemed like an assured drop out of the top 4. Securing a top 4 position is the most important objective. If that means sacrificing attacking football and becoming negative, so be it. Arsenall and Arsene are almost at that point; if a few more games go Arsenal's way, they will be in the top 3 with a few points (2 or 3) to spare, which will be important given how tight positions 3 to 7 are. Then, Arsene might loosen the reigns a bit.
And you are greatly over-emphasizing the importance of the Spurs game. It would have been nice to beat them, but they played similarly at home last year and ended up with no points from that game; it was an extremely nervy game from an Arsenal perspective, but Spurs didn't score their chances and Arsenal did. They opposite happened this season. Kane being clinical, Arsenal defenders being sloppy, and Walcott being a tad rusty--those were the fine margins between 3 points and no points.
And today's game wasn't about pressing--it came down to Bolasie and Zaha skewering Chambers and Monreal, a pair of an inexperienced and slow back with an experienced, moderately fast back. As things are, Arsenal's players are hitting form and are scoring--that is all that matters in football; score more than the opposition, and you win. This can be done by stifling teams and sneaking 1-0s to swashbuckling high scoring games. This team is playing efficient football, and scoring when their chances are presented. I'm tired of the days of watching Arsenal pass the ball millions of times around the 18 and then back to the 50 and then back to the 18 ad nauseam. For all that passing, that team was woefully inefficient at producing shots that led to actual scoring chances. Today Arsenal should've scored three goals--they scored two instead; that is 2 goals out of what was certainly 3 goals. Most games 2 goals will get you a win. Arsenal won. I'll take it.
And regarding Bayern, they currently don't have the players to press Arsenal; I'll take Xabi Alonso pressing Alexis any day. Martinez, Lahm, and Alaba are out. Dortmund, PSG, Atletico, Chelsea, and Juventus are the teams that could currently put problematic pressure on Arsenal. Real don't press the opposition at the front line.
reading some good articles on our changed style of play. IMO I think we always go to extremes and the answer lays somewhere more in the middle.
Conceding possession to allow teams to open up and thus create space for us to exploit and score on the counter is a good thing. better than the past where we had most of the ball and teams just dealt with us by parking the bus and then countering us.
On the other hand, we are giving to much possession away and this is making us vulnerable. you say 2-0 normally can win you a game, TBH if Palace would have taken their chances we could of quietly easily have lost or drawn a high scoring game.
IMO we still need to get the right balance in midfield. We have to many attacking, small midfielders and we need another quality Central defensive midfielder General to perhaps partner the COQ. We can give possession to a team but giving the ball away and not controlling the midfield even on the counter can be suicide.
This is the worst article of the entire season. Congratulations op
Sign in if you want to comment
I don't like THIS Arsenal
Page 2 of 4
posted on 21/2/15
I've actually found Giroud's pathetic hold-up play contributes to why we can't make the ball stick upfront.
posted on 21/2/15
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 6 minutes ago
You are clueless. There is no other striker in the whole PL who has more assisted than him and missed 3 month due to injury.
You are just a pathetic hater. Fack off.
---------------------------------------------
Hater? Are you 12 years old? Grow the fack up, you idiot. Giroud has just 2 assists this season, an a passing accuracy of 64%. That's fackin pathetic compared to ANY other top striker. Do you want to have a bet that no other striker of a top 10 PL team has a worse pass completion?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Who is 12 years old...good question? I recommend specsavers for you, you clown
posted on 21/2/15
Only kids use juvenile words like "hater". I observe you've said nothing of substance other than being the usual embarrassing lick-spittle worshipper of all things Giroud. It's pathetic. Are you willing to take up a statistical challenge on how pathetic Giroud's passing is compared to majority of PL strikers. Tell me if you are?
posted on 21/2/15
The new Arsenal is at early stages and its becoming rather successful, there are few issues against teams that presses and defending during late parts of the game but I like what Wenger is doing here.
He doesn't seem to be bothered about perfect 60-70% possession stats anymore but wants to win. This team is more suited to the new system of win at all cost rather then old legratic Arsenal struggling to break opponents down. There is much improvements to be made but this new system suits the players we have have potentially could turn out to be a solid team capable of challenging anyone consistently
posted on 21/2/15
Sheriff,
Not that this is a criticism of you, but it's just funny how at the start of the season you bemoaned that we never undeservedly won any games like how United and Spurs did, yet now we're winning games and the last few times it's not been deserved whilst we've played some dour football at times. It's weird how the tables have turned.
To be honest with you, although the last couple of league performances have not been to the standard I expect, we've won 8 out of the last 9 matches so at least we're grinding out results.
Not been impressed with the team in recent weeks, but I prefer it to playing well and losing as we were earlier this season.
It's interesting how you talk about the lack of possession we've had this season, yet some of our most momentous victories have been when we've had less of the ball.
Let's just hope our performances improve soon. We're not as silky to watch anymore admittedly.
posted on 21/2/15
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 22 minutes ago
Only kids use juvenile words like "hater". I observe you've said nothing of substance other than being the usual embarrassing lick-spittle worshipper of all things Giroud. It's pathetic. Are you willing to take up a statistical challenge on how pathetic Giroud's passing is compared to majority of PL strikers. Tell me if you are?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And you think you say something decent? You are not even able to analyse properly.
I am convinced you bring up every stat on earth to let him look like a 2. League striker. I am sure of that. And no I am not interested. Move along.
posted on 21/2/15
The new Arsenal is at early stages and its becoming rather successful,
--------------------------------------------
Just losing at Old Trafford in the FA Cup would dismantle that idea. I don't think it's a new Arsenal. If anything, I think there's a spark lacking in the team and we're just waiting to be found out by the right opposiion.
posted on 21/2/15
And you think you say something decent? You are not even able to analyse properly.
I am convinced you bring up every stat on earth to let him look like a 2. League striker. I am sure of that. And no I am not interested. Move along.
------------------------------------------
That's the thing though. The stats will totally dismantle your deluded notions of how awesome Giroud is. Are you telling me to "move along" on my own thread?
posted on 21/2/15
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 22 minutes ago
Only kids use juvenile words like "hater". I observe you've said nothing of substance other than being the usual embarrassing lick-spittle worshipper of all things Giroud. It's pathetic. Are you willing to take up a statistical challenge on how pathetic Giroud's passing is compared to majority of PL strikers. Tell me if you are?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And you think you say something decent? You are not even able to analyse properly.
I am convinced you bring up every stat on earth to let him look like a 2. League striker. I am sure of that.And no I am not interested. Move along.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You really are a couple of laughable pricks
posted on 21/2/15
Not that this is a criticism of you, but it's just funny how at the start of the season you bemoaned that we never undeservedly won any games like how United and Spurs did, yet now we're winning games and the last few times it's not been deserved whilst we've played some dour football at times. It's weird how the tables have turned.
---------------------------------------------
I wanted us to grind out results when we can't control and dominate games. I didn't want the team boring us every week with tepid football and surrendering control of the game to other teams regularly. You didn't see me complainin when we beat City with conservative tactics, did you. It's just unacceptable to start struggling regularly and fluking results against Palace and Leicester. I don't like the signs in what I'm seeing.
posted on 21/2/15
Sheriff
I agree, it is concerning.
To be honest I think the games against the much lower ranked sides in the division will be difficult purely because they will be fighting to secure their top flight status which will give them all an extra incentive (especially with the new £5bn deal). That's why although the Leicester game was thoroughly unpleasant to watch, I wasn't entirely surprised.
We certainly can't afford to be complacent, though.
posted on 21/2/15
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 4 minutes ago
Not that this is a criticism of you, but it's just funny how at the start of the season you bemoaned that we never undeservedly won any games like how United and Spurs did, yet now we're winning games and the last few times it's not been deserved whilst we've played some dour football at times. It's weird how the tables have turned.
---------------------------------------------
I wanted us to grind out results when we can't control and dominate games. I didn't want the team boring us every week with tepid football and surrendering control of the game to other teams regularly. You didn't see me complainin when we beat City with conservative tactics, did you. It's just unacceptable to start struggling regularly and fluking results against Palace and Leicester. I don't like the signs in what I'm seeing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pr.ick
posted on 21/2/15
Pr.ick
Spurs fans vocabulary.
posted on 21/2/15
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 51 minutes ago
And you think you say something decent? You are not even able to analyse properly.
I am convinced you bring up every stat on earth to let him look like a 2. League striker. I am sure of that. And no I am not interested. Move along.
------------------------------------------
That's the thing though. The stats will totally dismantle your deluded notions of how awesome Giroud is. Are you telling me to "move along" on my own thread?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You mean of your laughable sharticle with no substance you clown?
posted on 21/2/15
That's the thing though. The stats will totally dismantle your deluded notions of how awesome Giroud is. Are you telling me to "move along" on my own thread?
_________
I never said that OG is awesome you priiick but keep going with your hating.
posted on 21/2/15
comment by groovyduringthewar (U1054)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
Pr.ick
Spurs fans vocabulary.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pri.ck
posted on 21/2/15
Give it till end of the season before criticising the idea completely. I don't like it either we have to hang on in last 15 against poorer sides. But if this counter attack system is successful in CL and FA cup then I'm all for it. Monaco will be the first real test of this tactic against a good team with all our best players together.
posted on 22/2/15
A fit and firing Walcott would help stop us getting pinned back.
posted on 22/2/15
And how many trophies did Arsenal win at the height of the possession dominance with Ces, Nasri, Arshavin,et. al? How far did they progress in competitions? I'd rather have teams press Arsenal than park the bus. I no longer have to worry about losing to the Blackburns of the world because Arsenal couldn't do anything with 60+% possession. Or losing to a Man U team starting 7 defenders. I don't care if Arsenal plays poorly between now and the end of May as long as they consistently gather points for a top 4 finish, a possible FA Cup win, and a respectable showing in the CL. United were very dodgy in Ferguson's last year, but they won the league by out scoring everyone. It might be nervy, but if it works it works.
posted on 22/2/15
I never said that OG is awesome you priiick but keep going with your hating.
------------------------------------------------
No, you only have your head rammed neck deep into his ar.se hole. You've become an embarrassing self-parody here with your Giroud bumming, I've actually begun to believe it has to be some kind of running joke and I missed the humour. Cos surely, no sane, clued up fan is deluded enough to believe half the twaddle you spin about an average player. Someone the world and his dog can see his glaring mediocre elements except you. Keep using moronic, juvenile words like "hater". Sounds like the crap you'd see from a Justin Bieber fangirl on Twitter.
posted on 22/2/15
And how many trophies did Arsenal win at the height of the possession dominance with Ces, Nasri, Arshavin,et. al? How far did they progress in competitions? I'd rather have teams press Arsenal than park the bus. I no longer have to worry about losing to the Blackburns of the world because Arsenal couldn't do anything with 60+% possession. Or losing to a Man U team starting 7 defenders. I don't care if Arsenal plays poorly between now and the end of May as long as they consistently gather points for a top 4 finish, a possible FA Cup win, and a respectable showing in the CL. United were very dodgy in Ferguson's last year, but they won the league by out scoring everyone. It might be nervy, but if it works it works.
--------------------------------------
The problem with this logic is it somehow assumes that getting pressured and battered and somehow fluking a result that could easily have gone differently if the opposition were more ruthless is some kind of deliberate strategy. Our increasinly sloppy build-up play is not a tactic. It's just a deterioration of our attacking and passing game because we're a bit too focused on our shape. Against better teams, we will be punished. If Crystal Palace - one of the most negative teams in the league - can lay siege to our half for most of the game, I fear for us if we meet a team like Bayern who suffocate the life out of the opposition. It will be very disappointing if we meet Man U in the FA Cup shortly and they dominate us and STILL win the game - just like our loss to Spurs recently. Spurs have beaten us a handful of times in recent years, but our loss to them a few weeks back was the most disappointing BY FAR. At least, we lost on our own terms whenever we lost to them before and gave it a go and came out swinging on the front foot. This time, we lost with our backside against the wall with what was pretty much a cowardly performance. It was as if we were expecting they'll somehow keep missing or get tired of attacking us. It was embarrassing to watch.
Let's not kid ourselves. We've not found some kind of magical formula that would dramatically transform us by being a negative team. And that's what we're turning into.
posted on 22/2/15
"I don't like THIS Arsenal"
Mate you don't like any arsenal. You are always moaning
posted on 22/2/15
comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 26 minutes ago
And how many trophies did Arsenal win at the height of the possession dominance with Ces, Nasri, Arshavin,et. al? How far did they progress in competitions? I'd rather have teams press Arsenal than park the bus. I no longer have to worry about losing to the Blackburns of the world because Arsenal couldn't do anything with 60+% possession. Or losing to a Man U team starting 7 defenders. I don't care if Arsenal plays poorly between now and the end of May as long as they consistently gather points for a top 4 finish, a possible FA Cup win, and a respectable showing in the CL. United were very dodgy in Ferguson's last year, but they won the league by out scoring everyone. It might be nervy, but if it works it works.
--------------------------------------
The problem with this logic is it somehow assumes that getting pressured and battered and somehow fluking a result that could easily have gone differently if the opposition were more ruthless is some kind of deliberate strategy. Our increasinly sloppy build-up play is not a tactic. It's just a deterioration of our attacking and passing game because we're a bit too focused on our shape. Against better teams, we will be punished. If Crystal Palace - one of the most negative teams in the league - can lay siege to our half for most of the game, I fear for us if we meet a team like Bayern who suffocate the life out of the opposition. It will be very disappointing if we meet Man U in the FA Cup shortly and they dominate us and STILL win the game - just like our loss to Spurs recently. Spurs have beaten us a handful of times in recent years, but our loss to them a few weeks back was the most disappointing BY FAR. At least, we lost on our own terms whenever we lost to them before and gave it a go and came out swinging on the front foot. This time, we lost with our backside against the wall with what was pretty much a cowardly performance. It was as if we were expecting they'll somehow keep missing or get tired of attacking us. It was embarrassing to watch.
Let's not kid ourselves. We've not found some kind of magical formula that would dramatically transform us by being a negative team. And that's what we're turning into.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
At the end of the day, football matches are decided by goals. Currently Arsenal is scoring more than the opposition. Giroud, Sanchez, Walcott, Cazorla, et. al are taking their chances. Arsenal conceded possession and played "pragmatic" football in the second part of the 2012-2013 season, and played it well enough to snatch 4th from what seemed like an assured drop out of the top 4. Securing a top 4 position is the most important objective. If that means sacrificing attacking football and becoming negative, so be it. Arsenall and Arsene are almost at that point; if a few more games go Arsenal's way, they will be in the top 3 with a few points (2 or 3) to spare, which will be important given how tight positions 3 to 7 are. Then, Arsene might loosen the reigns a bit.
And you are greatly over-emphasizing the importance of the Spurs game. It would have been nice to beat them, but they played similarly at home last year and ended up with no points from that game; it was an extremely nervy game from an Arsenal perspective, but Spurs didn't score their chances and Arsenal did. They opposite happened this season. Kane being clinical, Arsenal defenders being sloppy, and Walcott being a tad rusty--those were the fine margins between 3 points and no points.
And today's game wasn't about pressing--it came down to Bolasie and Zaha skewering Chambers and Monreal, a pair of an inexperienced and slow back with an experienced, moderately fast back. As things are, Arsenal's players are hitting form and are scoring--that is all that matters in football; score more than the opposition, and you win. This can be done by stifling teams and sneaking 1-0s to swashbuckling high scoring games. This team is playing efficient football, and scoring when their chances are presented. I'm tired of the days of watching Arsenal pass the ball millions of times around the 18 and then back to the 50 and then back to the 18 ad nauseam. For all that passing, that team was woefully inefficient at producing shots that led to actual scoring chances. Today Arsenal should've scored three goals--they scored two instead; that is 2 goals out of what was certainly 3 goals. Most games 2 goals will get you a win. Arsenal won. I'll take it.
And regarding Bayern, they currently don't have the players to press Arsenal; I'll take Xabi Alonso pressing Alexis any day. Martinez, Lahm, and Alaba are out. Dortmund, PSG, Atletico, Chelsea, and Juventus are the teams that could currently put problematic pressure on Arsenal. Real don't press the opposition at the front line.
posted on 22/2/15
reading some good articles on our changed style of play. IMO I think we always go to extremes and the answer lays somewhere more in the middle.
Conceding possession to allow teams to open up and thus create space for us to exploit and score on the counter is a good thing. better than the past where we had most of the ball and teams just dealt with us by parking the bus and then countering us.
On the other hand, we are giving to much possession away and this is making us vulnerable. you say 2-0 normally can win you a game, TBH if Palace would have taken their chances we could of quietly easily have lost or drawn a high scoring game.
IMO we still need to get the right balance in midfield. We have to many attacking, small midfielders and we need another quality Central defensive midfielder General to perhaps partner the COQ. We can give possession to a team but giving the ball away and not controlling the midfield even on the counter can be suicide.
posted on 22/2/15
This is the worst article of the entire season. Congratulations op
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