EPL: West Ham vs. Arsenal - Saturday April 9, 2016 - 12:45

[Jury]

I don't know, Iwobi and Elneny have made us look miles better than when we had Walcott and Ramsey. .

I dunno. I'm starting to think it was an anomaly. When you're looking to see a certain type of improvement, any sign of it and it usually gets exaggerated. The same goes for when you'r expecting a player to play sheight, you look at the sheight bits more.

 

[Revolution]

That was a complete and utter shambles.

Wenger can't be blamed for the poor defending in added time in the first half. 2-1 is fine going into the break. Players should be smart enough to deal with pressure.

But it's really same ****, different season. The players can't control matches, and only looked decent when the pressure was on. But as ever, never doing enough.

You'd think they and Wenger would learn after Monaco, but they don't. Just wish this awful season would end.

 

[Aevi]

I dunno. I'm starting to think it was an anomaly. When you're looking to see a certain type of improvement, any sign of it and it usually gets exaggerated. The same goes for when you'r expecting a player to play sheight, you look at the sheight bits more.

Nah, we do look better, much more crisp. Iwobi's involvement in midfield as well as Elneny's constant movement to make himself available make it so that we guarantee our possession much more, and thus the passes come off. We then build-up a la Wengerball and it's a prettier sight than when Ramsey often loses possession (for various reasons, not just on him) and Walcott hides in a corner.

We have improved with the new setup, but it is by no means our answer.

 

[Jury]

Nah, we do look better, much more crisp. Iwobi's involvement in midfield as well as Elneny's constant movement to make himself available make it so that we guarantee our possession much more, and thus the passes come off. We then build-up a la Wengerball and it's a prettier sight than when Ramsey dribbles futilely and Walcott hides in a corner.

How has all this affected our results though? Ultimately, we're still failing. That midfield got ran over today, against West Ham. You judge it over a stretch, and I've seen both good and bad so far, for all the change. Certainly nothing conclusive.

West Ham were getting at our back four as easy as Ive ever seen a team. No protection, no control.

 

[rich 1990]

Never was sold on Coquelin and his limitations are beginning to rear their head, again I might add. We were better when he went off.

 

[Aevi]

How has all this affected our results though? Ultimately, we're still failing. That midfield got ran over today, against West Ham. You judge it over a stretch, and I've seen both good and bad so far, for all the change. Certainly nothing conclusive.

West Ham were getting at our back four as easy as Ive ever seen a team. No protection, no control.

I'm not saying we have been brilliant, but we beat Everton and Watford convincingly, those games arguably having been some of our best performances this season. Also, West Ham was specifically set up to clog up our midfield by playing a 3-4-3 and all things considered Elneny and Coquelin dealt with that rather well, it was the wings that got exposed.

Also somewhat of a double standard there, saying they can't be judged from 3 games but some of our players are bashed by less. Not saying it's you, just in general. I think we should still upgrade on the squad we are playing now, but it is looking better than what we were running with during the middle of the season.

 

[Jury]

I'm not saying we have been brilliant, but we bone of them eat Everton and Watford convincingly, those games arguably having been some of our best performances this season. Also, West Ham was specifically set up to clog up our midfield by playing a 3-4-3 and all things considered Elneny and Coquelin dealt with that rather well, it was the wings that got exposed.

Also somewhat of a double standard there, saying they can't be judged from 3 games but some of our players are bashed by less. Not saying it's you, just in general. I think we should still upgrade on the squad we are playing now, but it is looking better than what we were running with during the middle of the season.

I think it's too early to say we look anything tbh. 3 games, one of them a capitulation...

 

[Aevi]

I think it's too early to say we look anything tbh. 3 games, one of them a capitulation...

Sure, it is too early. Their weaknesses will be more and more exposed over time. My main point is the players in the squad now are better at carrying out Wenger's system (the first touches and quick passes come to mind), and that benefits our performances. Arsène's successes seem to be short-lived though, so it is only a matter of time until this batch collapse one way or another.

 

[SomGooner]

I can't stand this fat tosser Jonathan Pierce on MOTD.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

How many fouls did Carroll commit after being booked in the 3rd minute?

 

[A_G]

I can't stand this fat tosser Jonathan Pierce on MOTD.

 

[SomGooner]

I hate how we make absolute frauds like Carroll look like a footballer, never mind a hat trick scoring one. Disgusting, absolutely disgusting.

 

[SomGooner]

F*ck off Murphy. Like we give a toss about what you think. Go and jump in front of an on coming train and the world would be a better place. bold headed tw*t

 

[Jury]

I hate how we make absolute frauds like Carroll look like a footballer, never mind a hat trick scoring one. Disgusting, absolutely disgusting.

Mate, the list is ****ing endless, going back about 15 years.

 

[Big Poppa]

I've always said players like Adams, Campbell, Vieira, Henry made Wenger look good. Now these huge personalities have gone, he's been exposed.

He was never very good at setting teams up. He's been a very lucky manager. It happens.

Nah I'm not gaving that he was lucky. He's just failed to adapt to a paradigm shift in the English game. Teams like West Ham, Leicester and Sp**s can attract coaches and scouts who would've been seen only in La Liga or Serie A when Wenger first started.

Lesser teams have improved tactically without the ball whereas we have neglected that area of our game for 10 years.

 

[Big Poppa]

If we start Mertesacker Payet and Lanzini would have field time against him. so it lose-lose situation.

Coquelin and Elneny took care of them relatively comfortably.

 

[Big Poppa]

Wenger picks his players based on previous result and performance. He's always done this, unless it is an exceptional occasion like a knockout game. I don't have an issue with this except Wengers slowness to change when it isn't working.

This for me is where he fails. There was absolutely no reaction West Ham's change of approach after going 2-0 up. Defensively we have no game intelligence.

 

[kofigunner]

I'm not sure Coquelin and El Neny were overrun. When the ball was though the middle or anywhere they had access to, they dealt comfortably with the situation. When Westham went 2 down, they started overloading the wings and I don't think Sanchez and Iwobi were tracking back well enough. At 2-0, we should've been more restrained and should not have beenbombing forward and making the game open. Westham's game plan was always predictable when they started Andy Caroll. He's only really good for one thing. It was always going to be about whipping in crosses from the wings. They got the space to do that when we left the barn door open.

 

[General]

To be fair before the game all the talk was about Payet and how he'd cause us problems especially from set pieces so we actually did OK keeping him quiet. Everything else from a defensive point of view was pure shambles. Gabriel has Clichy syndrome, his awareness is shocking. The often reliable Monreal also had a nightmare. Özil's weak attempt to stop the cross for the second goal was disgraceful. When it got to crunch time and we needed our players to put their bodies on the line, they went into hiding. We have Andy ****ing Carol scoring a hattrick against us.

 

[redanddread]

Wenger picks his players based on previous result and performance. He's always done this, unless it is an exceptional occasion like a knockout game. I don't have an issue with this except Wengers slowness to change when it isn't working.

This for me is where he fails. There was absolutely no reaction West Ham's change of approach after going 2-0 up. Defensively we have no game intelligence.

We have no intelligence full stop - it's one of the biggest faults with Wenger's teams - lack of in game intelligence.