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EPL: Arsenal v West Ham - 9/8/15, 13:30 - SS1

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goonerwarsh

Established Member
There is
That sums it up for me. There are actually threads dedicated to some sort of explanation for the defeat. Tactical reasons and blame on personnel seem to be the main ones, but personally they are all moot. Plain and simple, we were at home, we have the better players regardless of the positions they were playing in and we should have been fully capable of winning the match especially with the confidence and squad stability there currently is.

However for me it just comes down to the mental side if the game and season after season it just seems that this team doesn't have it to win a league competetion. They can win cups but they just aren't focused enough to learn from their lessons and maintain ruthless consistency. How many players came out before the start of the season talking about the need to start strong. They clearly know they need to, so why the lackluster performance? The lack of energy and effort. It's the first game of the season. Have they not been looking forward to actually playing a competitive match for the past month?

We will see the same thing this season. We will bounce back, probably win 10 on the bounce before we see another dip in performance and the same pattern reoccurring. Hopefully I am wrong, but they just don't seem to have that will to win consistently. Too quick to self destruct and incapable of solving problems. The only thing this team has above everyone else is cohesion. When it clicks, when the players are all on the same wavelength we are devastating. However when that isn't the case, it's like watching a completely different group of players. It's only one game, but if you can't get up for the first game of the season at home that doesn't really bode well.

That post just explains it all perfectly. I was saying this to a colleague this morning. The problem yesterday wasn't talent on the pitch, regardless of how average Giroud or this or that player is. Man for man we have a far better team than West Ham. We had more than enough talent on that pitch to win that game comfortably yesterday. All the talk is how great the mood is in the camp and how much fun they all have, but there I think lies the problem. There's some very comfortable young men at Arsenal, that have no idea how to deal with pressure or expectation.

There is a general complacency, and ignorance that rears it's head regularly with this team. How many times do you watch Arsenal and in the first half they look tired and uninspired, go in for half time and come out with a bit more effort. That wasn't a one off, it's not like we haven't seen a very similar performance from us with a very similar outcome to yesterday's game.

Unfortunately, yesterday showed that regardless of whether there is enough talent in this squad and I think there is just enough to make a challenge for the title this year, mentally we are still a long long way off. We just aren't professional enough, and there's always an excuse.

Wenger saying yesterday that West Ham were fitter and more ready than us because they have had a couple of competitive matches. If it had been us that had played a couple of European games and we had still turned in that performance yesterday he would be blaming it on tired players. Last year our slow start was because our players were suffering from a World Cup hang over, it's just f**king ridiculous. I just don't like this excuse culture for everything. They are paid vast sums of money to do a very privileged job. They should have been absolutely raring to go yesterday, they came out literally like it was a kick about in the park.

It's only one game of course, but it's still a massive blow. To lose a home game against West Ham. With every loss we have that much less margin for error as the season progresses if we do want to genuinely challenge. From the evidence yesterday, I just don't think we've learnt any lessons from where we've gone wrong the last few years.
 

WurzlSepp

Has No Chill
There is


That post just explains it all perfectly. I was saying this to a colleague this morning. The problem yesterday wasn't talent on the pitch, regardless of how average Giroud or this or that player is. Man for man we have a far better team than West Ham. We had more than enough talent on that pitch to win that game comfortably yesterday. All the talk is how great the mood is in the camp and how much fun they all have, but there I think lies the problem. There's some very comfortable young men at Arsenal, that have no idea how to deal with pressure or expectation.

There is a general complacency, and ignorance that rears it's head regularly with this team. How many times do you watch Arsenal and in the first half they look tired and uninspired, go in for half time and come out with a bit more effort. That wasn't a one off, it's not like we haven't seen a very similar performance from us with a very similar outcome to yesterday's game.

Unfortunately, yesterday showed that regardless of whether there is enough talent in this squad and I think there is just enough to make a challenge for the title this year, mentally we are still a long long way off. We just aren't professional enough, and there's always an excuse.

Wenger saying yesterday that West Ham were fitter and more ready than us because they have had a couple of competitive matches. If it had been us that had played a couple of European games and we had still turned in that performance yesterday he would be blaming it on tired players. Last year our slow start was because our players were suffering from a World Cup hang over, it's just f**king ridiculous. I just don't like this excuse culture for everything. They are paid vast sums of money to do a very privileged job. They should have been absolutely raring to go yesterday, they came out literally like it was a kick about in the park.

It's only one game of course, but it's still a massive blow. To lose a home game against West Ham. With every loss we have that much less margin for error as the season progresses if we do want to genuinely challenge. From the evidence yesterday, I just don't think we've learnt any lessons from where we've gone wrong the last few years.
Good post.
I qonder how that can be, we won 2 fa cups in a row, beat some of the bigger teams.
Why don't our players learn? Beating the big ones you have to give your all - but somehow vs smaller teams they think like: Omg, another game against an average team? I am bored...
 

Trilly

Hates A-M, Saka, Arteta and You
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
Is it me or is it always us on the end of these embarrassing results?

Can't be losing more than 3-5 games if you want the title. Can anyone see us only losing two more times this season?
 

stiiphunn

Established Member
That sums it up for me. There are actually threads dedicated to some sort of explanation for the defeat. Tactical reasons and blame on personnel seem to be the main ones, but personally they are all moot. Plain and simple, we were at home, we have the better players regardless of the positions they were playing in and we should have been fully capable of winning the match especially with the confidence and squad stability there currently is.

However for me it just comes down to the mental side if the game and season after season it just seems that this team doesn't have it to win a league competetion. They can win cups but they just aren't focused enough to learn from their lessons and maintain ruthless consistency. How many players came out before the start of the season talking about the need to start strong. They clearly know they need to, so why the lackluster performance? The lack of energy and effort. It's the first game of the season. Have they not been looking forward to actually playing a competitive match for the past month?

We will see the same thing this season. We will bounce back, probably win 10 on the bounce before we see another dip in performance and the same pattern reoccurring. Hopefully I am wrong, but they just don't seem to have that will to win consistently. Too quick to self destruct and incapable of solving problems. The only thing this team has above everyone else is cohesion. When it clicks, when the players are all on the same wavelength we are devastating. However when that isn't the case, it's like watching a completely different group of players. It's only one game, but if you can't get up for the first game of the season at home that doesn't really bode well.
Spot on. That sums it up for me. I don't think our players have the right mentality to perform week in, week out on a consistent basis. I thought we had learned our lessons given how we performed between Jan and May but this is just a reminder that this team tends to implode once in a while.
 

Big Poppa

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
I don't know. I didn't see a lack of effort on Sunday. I saw an opponent with a detailed game plan combined with a couple of errors that swung a game in their favour. If we play West Ham 10 times we win 9. It was the way we lost our discipline after falling behind that surprised me.

We made some critical errors and were affected by it mentally. When players with excellent technique miscontrol simple balls and play simple passes out of play, they are over complicating something quite simple. The same thing happened against Monaco. This is where you need vocal leaders on the pitch. When Zarate put in the second, instead of berrating Ox for not clearing his lines, Koscielny just buried his head.

Each and every West Ham player on the pitch knew his job in and out of possession. With Arsenal, Wenger tends to set out his side based on whether the last game was a win or not. If it was a win, he will pick exactly the same XI in exactly the same position.

When the pressure's off this team looks excellent. When its on and the talking needs to be done on the pitch, too often they are found wanting. It doesn't matter how many individuals you have that are better than the opposition, if you are not prepared for them tactically and physically, your technique and 1-2s count for nothing.
 

Nyctophobia

Established Member
That's the thing with Ox - he spends a lot of time jogging around in central positions - I wish we could just play with classical wing play sometimes.
it's like he is stuck in two minds all game. "I'm a wing. I'm a mid. I'm a wing. I'm a mid. I'm a wing. I'm a... Oh look my fullback is unprotected"

And then...
IXkDR5U.gif
 

albakos

Arséne Wenger: "I will miss you"
Administrator

Country: Kosova

Player:Saka
That's the thing with Ox - he spends a lot of time jogging around in central positions - I wish we could just play with classical wing play sometimes.

I had same opinion yesterday while watching the game. At one time in first half he was so far on left side, that our right side was wide empty. That was few minutes before he hit the volley just wide.

He was energetic making some nice runs and crosses, but he needs to be aware of danger areas and play it safe. The second goal came directly from his mistake in mis-controlling the ball from inside our box.
 

RUS arsenal

Established Member
People are going overboard with the whole "OMG Wenger MADE OX PLAY FULLBACK!!@%" thing. Theo came in at the hour mark and was fresh while Ramsey doesn't have the recovery pace to play 3 at the back. Ox was exhausted anyway and had only 1 more run in him.
 

SuperGoon

Debbie Downer

Country: Ireland

Player:Saka
I want everyone to watch this and then truly appreciate how civil this message board is, lol.

 

SA Gunner

Hates Tierney And Wants Him Sold Immediately
Moderator

Country: South Africa

Player:Nketiah
You can see the look on Wenger's face, the frustration with this performance.

The question is... does he have what it takes, to rectify it, to give us a real chance this year?
 

Stoneh

Active Member
I think Wenger playing players all over the park has affected them mentally, even they dont know what position they should be in. There is no dicipline, Ox was ok but he should have made more runs as we had them on that side, instead he kept coming back in centre. Ramsey was definitely the weak link leaving Coq on his own. I dont understand why Caz didnt play alongside him in the 1st place. Early days but Wenger needs to be truthful and honest. He keeps using players we have so they gel and have the unity but im afraid that doesnt win you titles if your playing players out of position just because you dont want to drop them. Coq with Schneiderlin or Vidal and they wouldnt have got a look in CM. But no, we dont need new blood. We used Ramsey who should have been on bench. This year the PL is even tougher, the players know they will always start so there is no worry. West Ham players played out of their skin.. determination and look at the new players... a real desire to win. We tiki taka until we get to final third then were stuck. No plan B and any speed we have Ramsey kills it with added extra touches. Ramsey and Giroud need to be benched. Kos and Mert should be shouting to keep defence organised. Its ok when things going well but when were under pressure.. we have no leaders or anyone with a steel desire to win that will rally the rest.
 

Nyctophobia

Established Member
You can see the look on Wenger's face, the frustration with this performance.

The question is... does he have what it takes, to rectify it, to give us a real chance this year?

He was making pained expressions even before we conceded the first goal if my memory doesn't fail me.

It's so weird because we know Wenger is one of the smartest managers there is, but still these mistakes come about, I don't understand what's going on behind the scenes at all.
 

SA Gunner

Hates Tierney And Wants Him Sold Immediately
Moderator

Country: South Africa

Player:Nketiah
He was making pained expressions even before we conceded the first goal if my memory doesn't fail me.

It's so weird because we know Wenger is one of the smartest managers there is, but still these mistakes come about, I don't understand what's going on behind the scenes at all.

It cannot be Wenger being clueless to these mistakes. I dont believe someone who lives and breathes the game like he does, for as long as he has, could not be able to get all the key things right.

When Wenger retires, he needs to write a ****ing book or give us a tell all interview. I wonder what goes on in his head sometimes, I really really do.
 
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