UCL | PSG v Arsenal | 13th of September at 19:45 (GMT)

[Jury]

Don't feel that Özil and Cazorla have the chemistry to play together.

I said that two years ago.

 

[Salieri]

Happy with the point. But can't for the life of me decide what's our best 11 are??? On a big night like the start of our CL campaign, one expects any manager to play his strongest 11...! Except Wenger?! Or maybe those who started were the best for the game?

Many things do not make sense in this club. Like trying to keep your 2nd choice GK from leaving by promising him CL footie on the expense of the only person who won it..! Regardless of how Ospina did. The fact that Arsène did exactly the same two years in a row makes me suspicious of a deal between the two. Also playing the youngest players in the squad and benching Xhaka, Giroud, & Perez is a little baffling to me. We have 3 upcoming games that would be perfect for their experience level to play in.

One positive point is Wenger instructing Gibbs, Xhaka, and Giroud to warm up mid first half to light some fire under some players.

Always thought goal difference will be the deciding factor between us finishing 1st or 2nd in this group. And if we continue to improve over the coming weeks, we will be in a strong position come Christmas. Till it all goes down again in February of course.

 

[OnlyOne]

Didn't watch the match, all I can say it wtf was up with the team selection, smo Wenger.

 

[MaraDon]

Interesting numbers. Santi was pants the first half...He really improved the second half.

verratti played a fanstastic game, he has stature and he imposes himself like a real organicer, the kid is elite.
cazorla had a meh game today.
we were dominated and we had a lot of troubles to digest their goal, but we showed caracter to keep ourselves in our toes,
many kids on the field, iwobi and chamberlain together is just too much

 

[redanddread]

f**king hell.

Surely we can appeal that BS...

 

[redanddread]

trying to think back to a time that I actually felt good about an arsenal performance in the UCL especially against a good side. Probably that barca win at the Emirates?. damn.

It's been a long time. Thought we played well against Bayern last year though..

 

[redanddread]

We were shocking all over the pitch especially in the first half which was hellish to watch. That's not the players, that's the game strategy. There was something terribly wrong with whatever the tactics were meant to be - I certainly couldn't tell you.

It's the players! They need to man the **** up. The goal was comical. They can play better than that but they have no flow yet. Hopefully the last two "lucky" results can give this team the confidence to start putting in some performances because we been ****e so far this season.

 

[rich 1990]

I'm (and I'm sure others are too) really tired of sitting here in my living room during summer and pointing out clear errors in Wenger's strategy which he fails to see.

He's bought Xhaka and now has no natural partner for him.

You should be glad its Autumn, tbh.

 

[SuperGoon]

Apparently there a tactics column on Arsenal.com suggesting that playing Coq up the field was a strategic move to give Cazorla space to play-make.

If anyone finds it, please post a link. Thank you.

Probably my favourite Arsenal youtuber, tbh. Always very level headed and provides good criticism. Liked what he said about "Deserving some luck in paris after 2006,"

 

[carlito'sway]

For me, Wenger did his best to screw this tie up for us. The starting XI was a joke by anyone's standards.

Alexis up front- it doesn't work, stop playing him there.

We have a 32 million pound cm on the bench who has been quality both last season, in the euros and so far this season (when he has managed to get a game) and yet coquelin starts ahead of him.

Chamberlain should really be booted from the club- despite having the good game here and there he really hasn't pushed on since he has arrived at all. You can see the way he looks when he comes off the pitch- he knows he should be a million miles from where he is and it frustrates him. I know Iwobi has been getting stick for not defending (with justification) but at least he looks good going forward (except that disgraceful wayward ball towards the end of the first half).

Next one is controversial but Ospina shouldn't have started. He had a terrific game but my reasoning is this: you play your best keeper in the most important competitions (premier league and champions league)- they don't need to recover like other players so it is completely possible. Wenger clearly thinks Cech is the better keeper- indeed, Cech will be played in the premier league on the weekend- so just play your better keeper. If you think Ospina is so good, then play him all the time.

As the game wore on, and changes were made, the line-up started looking more and more like what I had expected (and what most gunners would have expected) and we were much better. So much so that we managed to get a goal. But this was not a game we should have won. A striker with a modicum of confidence would have buried at least three of those cavani chances and the game would have been over.

We are playing badly at the minute and what is more troubling is that our football is looking worse as well. For me, we are still miles away from winning the league or the champions league and we aren't even going to have the silver lining of watching a team that looks good now. People talk about how Arsenal are the best looking team in the premier league but I don't think this is the case anymore.

Lord! That is Monday morning quarter backing at its best, specially when one does not have all the facts but still spouts authoritative opinions.

A couple of infos:
- Theo was injured, hence Ox started.
- Giroud is not fit to start, period. Arsène said it before the game
- Ospina is an international GK, one of the best in the world today. For him to stay, he has to have some guarantee he will play some games. He was promised to start in the CL and to keep his spot if he performs. Arsène pretty much confirmed that after the game. If he did not get that guarantee, we would have Chez the clown as our back up keeper.
- Xhaka did not start indeed, but lets wait for the rationale behind that before speculating ad nauseaum.

 

[carlito'sway]

Don't feel that Özil and Cazorla have the chemistry to play together.

Seriously mate, what you feel is totally wrong. These guys look for each other all the times. Have you looked at the games flow charts when these two play together? Most of the times, they have the most passes between themselves....That is not an issue.

 

[carlito'sway]

verratti played a fanstastic game, he has stature and he imposes himself like a real organicer, the kid is elite.
cazorla had a meh game today.
we were dominated and we had a lot of troubles to digest their goal, but we showed caracter to keep ourselves in our toes,
many kids on the field, iwobi and chamberlain together is just too much

No doubt...Veratti is pure talent. Love the dude.
Santi was pants the first half...much better the second and if we controlled the tempo and dominated, it is mostly because of him.
Iwobi had flashes...Ox not so much, total black hole.

 

[RUS arsenal]

Good result but some terrible defending. Seems to me that Mustafi and Kos are not on the same page yet. Hopefully as our new CB settles, this issue takes care of itself...

 

[carlito'sway]

Good result but some terrible defending. Seems to me that Mustafi and Kos are not on the same page yet. Hopefully as our new CB settles, this issue takes care of itself...

These two need to sit down and spend some quality time together, preferably with Bouldie as well. Then go to the training ground and keep working.

 

[RUS arsenal]

These two need to sit down and spend some quality time together, preferably with Bouldie as well. Then go to the training ground and keep working.

Mustafi has only been here like a week so I'm not surprised at the mayhem at the back. We are lucky it hasn't cost us yet thanks to the ref on the weekend and Cavani's terrible finishing today.

 

[carlito'sway]

Mustafi has only been here like a week so I'm not surprised at the mayhem at the back. We are lucky it hasn't cost us yet thanks to the ref on the weekend and Cavani's terrible finishing today.

Indeed..... But now they will have time to work on the details. This pairing has strong potential.
To start with, they all us to press up the field like we did in the second half today. At some point both were basically playing in the center of the field if not in the PSG half.

 

[Batman]

Realistically we got very lucky today. Should and could have been 3 or 4 nil down before we even looked like wanting to play. I can't blame everything on the team selection but I don't like to see the same mistakes repeated over and over again. Ospina made some big saves today but it's baffling not to start Cech. Xhaka is miles better than Coq and he should be starting every match. Alexis up front is not working and should not happen anymore. This is where there's no excusing Wenger. He's got a pretty well stocked squad now. No excuses for dreadful tactical decisions or team selection. We dodged a bullet today and really didn't deserve to. I don't want to keep seeing the same old head scratching choices in big matches. We won't survive too many more.

 

[SteveEvets]

I would sign Aurier and play him RW and I'm only half joking.

Surely the half that is joking remembers the Eboue experiment

Speaking of RW, it looks like Ox should have been sent out on loan instead of Campbell and Wilshere. The lad has no confidence whatsoever.

 

[carlito'sway]

Realistically we got very lucky today. Should and could have been 3 or 4 nil down before we even looked like wanting to play. I can't blame everything on the team selection but I don't like to see the same mistakes repeated over and over again. Ospina made some big saves today but it's baffling not to start Cech. Xhaka is miles better than Coq and he should be starting every match. Alexis up front is not working and should not happen anymore. This is where there's no excusing Wenger. He's got a pretty well stocked squad now. No excuses for dreadful tactical decisions or team selection. We dodged a bullet today and really didn't deserve to. I don't want to keep seeing the same old head scratching choices in big matches. We won't survive too many more.

No....it is not baffling not to start Cech and to start Ospina. Actually, this decision was vindicated.
It is simple, as mentioned in a different thread, if we want to have 2 top level quality GK's in the squad, the back up has to play some games, hence Ospina is starting the CL and likely some local Cup matches.
That is the only way to have a top back up keeper to stick around otherwise we will be stuck with a joker like Chez or a unproven like Martinez.
For the same reason that Areola started today not Trapp for PSG or Bravo was rotating at Barca with Ter Stegen.

 

[Rain Dance]

Mustafi has only been here like a week so I'm not surprised at the mayhem at the back. We are lucky it hasn't cost us yet thanks to the ref on the weekend and Cavani's terrible finishing today.

welcome back RUS