Forget the Liverpool game, it’s the performance against West Ham - unbothered and awful, to determined and brilliant - that shows why we are where we currently are as a team.

Erratic. Unpredictable. Watching Arsenal is beyond a rollercoaster ride, and more like being forced at gunpoint to jump about an untethered bouncy castle, perched on the edge of a cliff, with a hand-grenade with a rusty pin stuffed into your pocket.

Erratic. Unpredictable. Watching Arsenal is beyond a rollercoaster ride, and more like being forced at gunpoint to jump about an untethered bouncy castle, perched on the edge of a cliff, with a hand-grenade with a rusty pin stuffed into your pocket.

Fine analogy Lex that sums our situation up.

Slavia are a dangerous team and I can see them causing us loads of problems

comment by Castor Troy (U8700)
posted 9 minutes ago
Slavia are a dangerous team and I can see them causing us loads of problems
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They put out Leicester and Rangers.

Yup expect them to cause us a lot of troubles.

I'm not worried. I'm not particularity enamoured with Arteta, but in cup competitions he has been effective. I still very much expect to get past this tie.

ESR and Bukayo returning would be a big positive. Arteta needs to drop the wasters. Aubameyang, Lacazette, Pepe, Ceballos. Players who've let down the side with some abysmal performances and lack of fight.

I’m not sure you can label Laca’s performances abysmal. Apart from Saturday he has been one of our best players lately.
Ceballos though! How much are we paying for his loan?

comment by The greatest trick Arteta ever pulled was convincing the world this squad is not good enough for top 6 (U10012)
posted 15 minutes ago
I’m not sure you can label Laca’s performances abysmal. Apart from Saturday he has been one of our best players lately.
Ceballos though! How much are we paying for his loan?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For a £50m signing, he has been an abysmal player. Ok, not currently as abysmal as Auba or Ceballos, but definitely nothing to sing about.

I very much hope for next season we put more faith in youth. The likes of Auba, Laca and Pepe cost us £180m. That is a mind numbing number. And they have delivered very little.

comment by Serial WUManiser™© -¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (U1410)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by The greatest trick Arteta ever pulled was convincing the world this squad is not good enough for top 6 (U10012)
posted 15 minutes ago
I’m not sure you can label Laca’s performances abysmal. Apart from Saturday he has been one of our best players lately.
Ceballos though! How much are we paying for his loan?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For a £50m signing, he has been an abysmal player. Ok, not currently as abysmal as Auba or Ceballos, but definitely nothing to sing about.

I very much hope for next season we put more faith in youth. The likes of Auba, Laca and Pepe cost us £180m. That is a mind numbing number. And they have delivered very little.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Do we have time to put all our eggs in our youth?

Supporters are fed up to wait on the time we compete again. We are already wasted out time and money.

I’m betting even if we get through we’ll make hard work of it, like a fecking up the home leg and needing an extra time winner away. A lot will depend on the line up, if it’s same as Liverpool with Cedric at LB, I will be worried.

comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 39 seconds ago
comment by Serial WUManiser™© -¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (U1410)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by The greatest trick Arteta ever pulled was convincing the world this squad is not good enough for top 6 (U10012)
posted 15 minutes ago
I’m not sure you can label Laca’s performances abysmal. Apart from Saturday he has been one of our best players lately.
Ceballos though! How much are we paying for his loan?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For a £50m signing, he has been an abysmal player. Ok, not currently as abysmal as Auba or Ceballos, but definitely nothing to sing about.

I very much hope for next season we put more faith in youth. The likes of Auba, Laca and Pepe cost us £180m. That is a mind numbing number. And they have delivered very little.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Do we have time to put all our eggs in our youth?

Supporters are fed up to wait on the time we compete again. We are already wasted out time and money.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Do we have much of a choice? If we don't get European football next season, it's either trust in youth or trust in those that have failed us time and time again

I very much hope for next season we put more faith in youth. The likes of Auba, Laca and Pepe cost us £180m. That is a mind numbing number. And they have delivered very little.
——————————
When all attacking players keep failing, I’d say the system might not be right for them.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EyNJZdmWYAIYqSF?format=png&name=large

This is awful but it’s even more so when you remember Liverpool had no proper CBs playing

comment by The greatest trick Arteta ever pulled was convincing the world this squad is not good enough for top 6 (U10012)
posted 39 seconds ago
I very much hope for next season we put more faith in youth. The likes of Auba, Laca and Pepe cost us £180m. That is a mind numbing number. And they have delivered very little.
——————————
When all attacking players keep failing, I’d say the system might not be right for them.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EyNJZdmWYAIYqSF?format=png&name=large

This is awful but it’s even more so when you remember Liverpool had no proper CBs playing
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What system? Honestly what was our system? Producing misplaced passes, not winning the ball, being static, no movement, not keeping the ball for 5 seconds?

Do we have much of a choice? If we don't get European football next season, it's either trust in youth or trust in those that have failed us time and time again
___________

No idea. If we dont have international footy next season all depends on our owner to invest again or to sell players. We have very good youth players but we cant even keep them see Balogun?

very worried about the Slavia games only chance to get something from this season is to win the EL

How dare this team wear David Rocastle shirts and give such a dreadful performance

I demand a positive reaction and a handsome Victory

'How dare this team wear David Rocastle shirts and give such a dreadful performance'

Yeah, that p/ssed me off too. They've obviously no idea who he was, let alone what he was about.

Bunch of fakers.

Fack me £180M on Auba, Laca and Pepe. What a shambles

We have regressed since signing these players

My biggest concern with our players is the total inconsistency. One minute they seem to be well drilled energetic and organised , then the very next game they seem chaotic , lethargic and totally shambolic.
Obviously the opposition plays a key part in how we perform but that does not explain how our energy and drive falls off so much in some games.
Th West Ham game was an extreme example , we were a total fiasco in the first half , then looked like a top four side in the second half.
Arteta needs to urgently sort out why this is happening and fix it, its not a new issue its been happening all season.
In some ways the players and manager have been fortunate that there are no supporters in the ground , because Im certain they would have been getting some serious barracking if there were.

We've probably got to score at least 4 goals as we know we are bound to concede at least 1. How long is Tierney out for?

comment by Snooker_49 (U10665)
posted 5 minutes ago
We've probably got to score at least 4 goals as we know we are bound to concede at least 1. How long is Tierney out for?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I fear the worst Snook. KT could be out of the season. It means that our dreams to win the EL fading without KT.

Our next 4 games are against the bottom team and 3rd bottom team in the PL and 2 legs in the EL. Anything less than 2 wins in the league and going through in the EL and Im all aboard the Arteta out train, no more wishy washy in between, no more benefit of the doubt.

comment by (U3265)
posted 2 hours, 45 minutes ago
My biggest concern with our players is the total inconsistency. One minute they seem to be well drilled energetic and organised , then the very next game they seem chaotic , lethargic and totally shambolic.
Obviously the opposition plays a key part in how we perform but that does not explain how our energy and drive falls off so much in some games.
Th West Ham game was an extreme example , we were a total fiasco in the first half , then looked like a top four side in the second half.
Arteta needs to urgently sort out why this is happening and fix it, its not a new issue its been happening all season.
In some ways the players and manager have been fortunate that there are no supporters in the ground , because Im certain they would have been getting some serious barracking if there were.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Weirdly this whole not knowing what Arsenal will turn up has been a very long term thing, it happened under Wenger as well as Emery and Arteta. Even though we have changed players we still seem prone to have this sloppy attitude, seems like it’s some culture that’s ingrained in the club that transcends managers

comment by (U3265)
posted 3 hours, 34 minutes ago
My biggest concern with our players is the total inconsistency. One minute they seem to be well drilled energetic and organised , then the very next game they seem chaotic , lethargic and totally shambolic.
Obviously the opposition plays a key part in how we perform but that does not explain how our energy and drive falls off so much in some games.
Th West Ham game was an extreme example , we were a total fiasco in the first half , then looked like a top four side in the second half.
Arteta needs to urgently sort out why this is happening and fix it, its not a new issue its been happening all season.
In some ways the players and manager have been fortunate that there are no supporters in the ground , because Im certain they would have been getting some serious barracking if there were.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thats fairly simple to explain. Its down to how the opposition play. If they sit deep and let our players have the ball in front of them we look good. If they play their own game we look good. If they set up to disrupt our play and not give us any time on the ball we fall apart. The ball gets played forward to our midfield who cant cope with the pressure and play a back pass (Xhaka in particular). We play the ball back and forward a bit until they win it off us and attack us leaving us looking shambolic. the forwards lose any appearance of being motivated and just look like dejected has beens.

comment by The Wonky Kronke (U16927)
posted 1 hour, 6 minutes ago
comment by (U3265)
posted 3 hours, 34 minutes ago
My biggest concern with our players is the total inconsistency. One minute they seem to be well drilled energetic and organised , then the very next game they seem chaotic , lethargic and totally shambolic.
Obviously the opposition plays a key part in how we perform but that does not explain how our energy and drive falls off so much in some games.
Th West Ham game was an extreme example , we were a total fiasco in the first half , then looked like a top four side in the second half.
Arteta needs to urgently sort out why this is happening and fix it, its not a new issue its been happening all season.
In some ways the players and manager have been fortunate that there are no supporters in the ground , because Im certain they would have been getting some serious barracking if there were.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thats fairly simple to explain. Its down to how the opposition play. If they sit deep and let our players have the ball in front of them we look good. If they play their own game we look good. If they set up to disrupt our play and not give us any time on the ball we fall apart. The ball gets played forward to our midfield who cant cope with the pressure and play a back pass (Xhaka in particular). We play the ball back and forward a bit until they win it off us and attack us leaving us looking shambolic. the forwards lose any appearance of being motivated and just look like dejected has beens.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That doesn't explain the West Ham game, West Ham didnt change their style of play at half time , we did . We kicked it up a gear and started to put more effort in. Which begs the question why didnt we do that from the start. We have started too many games slow and lethargic , which is not good enough.

comment by (U3265)
posted 1 hour, 9 minutes ago
comment by The Wonky Kronke (U16927)
posted 1 hour, 6 minutes ago
comment by (U3265)
posted 3 hours, 34 minutes ago
My biggest concern with our players is the total inconsistency. One minute they seem to be well drilled energetic and organised , then the very next game they seem chaotic , lethargic and totally shambolic.
Obviously the opposition plays a key part in how we perform but that does not explain how our energy and drive falls off so much in some games.
Th West Ham game was an extreme example , we were a total fiasco in the first half , then looked like a top four side in the second half.
Arteta needs to urgently sort out why this is happening and fix it, its not a new issue its been happening all season.
In some ways the players and manager have been fortunate that there are no supporters in the ground , because Im certain they would have been getting some serious barracking if there were.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thats fairly simple to explain. Its down to how the opposition play. If they sit deep and let our players have the ball in front of them we look good. If they play their own game we look good. If they set up to disrupt our play and not give us any time on the ball we fall apart. The ball gets played forward to our midfield who cant cope with the pressure and play a back pass (Xhaka in particular). We play the ball back and forward a bit until they win it off us and attack us leaving us looking shambolic. the forwards lose any appearance of being motivated and just look like dejected has beens.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That doesn't explain the West Ham game, West Ham didnt change their style of play at half time , we did . We kicked it up a gear and started to put more effort in. Which begs the question why didnt we do that from the start. We have started too many games slow and lethargic , which is not good enough.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They tired as the game went on and sat deeper, were unlucky to concede 2 og's and we put them under pressure. I didnt say every game is exactly this but it fits in with the general overview of what I said. And you'll never have a perfect explanation that fits every single minute of every game, its a general opinion on how our whole season has gone.