EPL: Southampton vs Arsenal | Sat 26th Dec | 19.45

[redanddread]

Oh and @redwhiteAustrian must never be allowed to start a match thread this season

I didn't want to say anything but I was on an unbeaten streak!

 

[progman07]

I thought we would turn up on the second half. Whatever Wenger said half time it had no effect.

I don't think the loss is due to the quality of the players. It is knee jerk to blame a team who has recently won against Man City for lack of quality.

We were 10 times more focused and agile against City, than yesterday. We were a lot faster in the counter, and when we lost the ball we closed down. Yesterday we seemed to lack focus and willingness to give 100%, and after the goal we could never regain control over the game. Of course Flamini and Ramsey never controlled the game against City either, but at least we could contain their players very well. Yesterday we did not seem interested in giving the same defensive performance (e.g. closing down the shooting player...), while Southampton focused more on closing down our players than City.

Anyways we are still in a great position in the league, but we certainly need to change things if we want to sustain it.

 

[General]

We always struggle to deal with teams that press us and physically challenge us. Southampton dictated the tone of the game and the referee went with it in the spirit of keeping the game flowing. I am not against it. It makes for a better game even though we got badly beaten. It is our job to rise up to the challenge.

However, I don't think our players were a problem, the ones we played are simply not enough suited to this type of match up. We lack players in the squad capable of dealing with aggression and intimidation - I mean watching Ramsey attempt to square up to Wanyama at one point was such a joke. He has no chance.

Agreed. Southampton turned it into a dog fight and we just couldn't deal with it. Normally our technical operators are able to move the ball quicker and wear down teams but we had to chance with that midfield. We are going to face a lot of these type of games towards the last part of the season as teams scrap for survival and inevitably we will come unstuck. The ref will always be under pressure to play to home advantage because of the crowd.

Finally we see how Kosceilny's tendency to come out and bail our midfield can prove costly as he was caught ahead of the ball for at least two goals. The results over the past couple of matches masked our soft underbelly and championship winning teams simply don't lose these type of games 4-0. I'm yet to be convinced we are anything other than a top 3/4 team.

 

[Goonerozil33]

I agree but he is right though. The 2nd was a clear foul & that was the crucial one. Still, on the night his team were an embarrassment

Its different when we have to chase the game from 19th min. If the first three did not go in we would not lose. Its that simple. It has nothing to do with guts or professionalism. If you have to chase game its likely that other team ll.look good. This was exactly like the Chelsea game where bad decisions influenced the final outcome and the performance.

 

[fabo]

Why are people trying to draw comparisons with the City game? We played City at home, and set up almost like an away team, kept it tight-ish and created the better chances.

This one was almost a role reversal.

 

[Jasard]

Looked like we played with a hangover and no preparation. Not going to bother reading too much in to the game, didn't turn up at all. Shameful.

 

[Bashii]

That team looked jaded, hardly surprising with no rotation for weeks.

Bang in the middle of the ridiculous xmas period where squad depth is vital and we gave 100% vs City just a few days ago.

Yeah we had a shocker, it happens.

The next game is vital, pick up 3 points and forget about this blip and focus on our target: The League Title!

 

[infinium]

Its different when we have to chase the game from 19th min. If the first three did not go in we would not lose. Its that simple. It has nothing to do with guts or professionalism. If you have to chase game its likely that other team ll.look good. This was exactly like the Chelsea game where bad decisions influenced the final outcome and the performance.

Yes, it was a foul but the players need to be smart. It was a game where the referee was letting a lot of things go and we should have responded. Shane Long was a nuisance the entire game and he bullied Kos and Merts. What it needed was for someone in the team to take a yellow and give him something to think about. Nothing violent or dangerous just a few strong shoulder barges or tackles to remind him that we will not be intimidated by his antics. No point flapping your arms about and complaining that the big boys are not playing fair boo hoo

 

[Aevi]

We've had good luck with my matchday threads, so I'll make the Bournemouth one now.

I didn't watch yesterday's game, so hopefully that means something in the superstitious world

 

[General]

I thought we would turn up on the second half. Whatever Wenger said half time it had no effect.

I don't think the loss is due to the quality of the players. It is knee jerk to blame a team who has recently won against Man City for lack of quality.

We were 10 times more focused and agile against City, than yesterday. We were a lot faster in the counter, and when we lost the ball we closed down. Yesterday we seemed to lack focus and willingness to give 100%, and after the goal we could never regain control over the game. Of course Flamini and Ramsey never controlled the game against City either, but at least we could contain their players very well. Yesterday we did not seem interested in giving the same defensive performance (e.g. closing down the shooting player...), while Southampton focused more on closing down our players than City.

Anyways we are still in a great position in the league, but we certainly need to change things if we want to sustain it.

The City game was played under totally different terms to this game. We had almost 65% possession yesterday compared to the 35% we had against City. City will always come to play against us which is why the games tend to be end to end with plenty of goals. This was very much a physical matchup and we just couldn't deal with it. Southampton also has a few technical operators within their ranks to mix it and they totally subdued us. They were more clinical and took their chances were City failed. I see the City game as nothing more than a smash and grab because it masked many of the things that Southampton woefully exposed yesterday, one being the indiscipline and lack of protection given by Ramsey and Flamini.

Gotta love Flamini though. Always fire in his belly and full of passion even after delivering another sh*t performance.

 

[Kroket]

Agreed. Southampton turned it into a dog fight and we just couldn't deal with it. Normally our technical operators are able to move the ball quicker and wear down teams but we had to chance with that midfield. We are going to face a lot of these type of games towards the last part of the season as teams scrap for survival and inevitably we will come unstuck. The ref will always be under pressure to play to home advantage because of the crowd.

Finally we see how Kosceilny's tendency to come out and bail our midfield can prove costly as he was caught ahead of the ball for at least two goals. The results over the past couple of matches masked our soft underbelly and championship winning teams simply don't lose these type of games 4-0. I'm yet to be convinced we are anything other than a top 3/4 team.

Agreed on all accounts. The one thing we do have going for us is that unless City manage to sort themselves out, this year's title will actually be won by a top 3/4 caliber team. If we have a good January window and we get a couple more lucky results we could easily end up top of the league at the end of the season, even if this is nowhere near the best team we've had in the Emirates era. Such a weird season this.

 

[bingobob]

Once again the myth about possession is blown out of the water.

The best overall team wins the league and that means simply what it says you need to be best overall, in all areas and until we can bully teams we will always be liable to come unstuck.

 

[celestis]

Why are people trying to draw comparisons with the City game? We played City at home, and set up almost like an away team, kept it tight-ish and created the better chances.

This one was almost a role reversal.

Yup thats and that's why we struggled . We had to play like an away team .

 

[MaraDon]

Says a lot about Debuchy though, that he can't get a look in with Hector's inconsistency.

debuchy is the better player, he should be playing.

 

[WurzlSepp]

That team looked jaded, hardly surprising with no rotation for weeks.

Bang in the middle of the ridiculous xmas period where squad depth is vital and we gave 100% vs City just a few days ago.

Yeah we had a shocker, it happens.

The next game is vital, pick up 3 points and forget about this blip and focus on our target: The League Title!

This is ridiculous!

I am from Germany, not many Arsenal fans around me, but lots of Bayern or Dortmund ones. 4 Watched the game yesterday and 3 of them said we looked like we did not give a **** at all and a good mate added that we got no one on the pitch who would go nuts, foul, tackle, scream at our players to wake em up.
Everyone could see that we just were not up for it mentally, such arrogance!
My Bayern mate said if that happened with their team the players would be in trouble.

Why are you guys looking for excuses?
Tired? Kidding me? Coaches see them every day and could give em like 3 days off to recover.
Even with like 75% of your energy you should manage to get at least a draw against the likes of this crap teams.

Now look back this season, who did we lose against - yeah, the "crap" teams, cause our squad is arrogant as **** and we got no real leaders in it.

Shameful and unacceptable.

 

[celestis]

We lost last season because of two goal keeping howlers and no CF.

 

[Santi's Left Foot]

debuchy is the better player, he should be playing.

LOL.

 

[RandyMarsh]

That feeling when you wake up and for a brief few seconds you forget what happened last night, then reality hits you and you remember Southampton turned you over 4-0..

I'm going back to sleep. **** this.

 

[General]

If we have a good January window and we get a couple more lucky results we could easily end up top of the league at the end of the season, even if this is nowhere near the best team we've had in the Emirates era. Such a weird season this.

Jan to me is key to where we will eventually end up because like last season City will eventually sort themselves out and there is no Chelsea in their way this time. Wenger must know in his heart of hearts that we need a midfielder who can help us navigate these type of hard going games. Only some smart additions in Jan, notwithstanding players returning from injuries, will help take advantage of this wide open championship but Wenger has form for sitting on his hands because of the amount of players we have returning from injuries so I'm not holding my breath. This is all set up for another Jan window disappointment.

 

[bingobob]

We lost last season because of two goal keeping howlers and no CF.

Was it not after this game Sczesnseys dad came out blaming Mertesacker?