UCL R16 1st Leg | Bayern v Arsenal | February 15 19:45 GMT | BT Sport 2

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

How many opposition fans are reading this thread now I wonder. Must be glorious for them, this usual meltdown.

Anyway, back to getting CL 2017/2018 tickets!

 

[Ashybashy86]

F*cking brutal to watch that.

Amazing how we aren't desensitized to it all by now.

 

[Big Poppa]

Yeah he brought them but they're all way better than what they showed. Mustafi and Bellerin were absolutely dreadful, Ox was so poor in the second half and Özil looked out of it completely. Come October they'll be playing like world beaters again, need to have a long look at themselves.

Are they though? Look at our record against the top 6 in the league. Or our record generally whenever we are in an advantageous position. Implosions and self-defeatism are too much of a recurring theme to be an accident.

Let's be honest here, the occasional winning streak against bottom half of the league teams is not the basis of a title challenge. We're lucky that points aren't weighted against quality of opponents, because that, would show our true level.

How many times this season have we shot ourselves in the foot by going behind with a poor first 30 minutes, then playing on a completely different level once we score? This fragility, this vulnerability has been prevalent for some time.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

How many opposition fans are reading this thread now I wonder. Must be glorious for them, this usual meltdown.

Anyway, back to getting CL 2017/2018 tickets!

Playing Gent and Saint-Etinne is more fun seriously jealous of them at least they have chance to win trophy.

 

[rich 1990]

Stay in Germany, you spineless wankers.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Can't wait until Allegri bins this lad too

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

This might have broken Wenger. It feels like the real beginning of the end. I still want us to finish third at least to give the new guy a real chance at a proper start. Kudos to Ospina and no real complaints about Kos, Bellerin,Ox and Alexis tonight. Iwobi wasn't great but he's young and being hung out to dry. The rest I'm not bothered about tbh. I'm unconvinced that a different manager could do much with some of them. The saddest thing is that I don't think any of our injured or loan players would have made any difference out there tonight. Years of selling our best players and failing to invest massively over the last three summers has finally caught up with us. The cupboard is bare and Wenger's magic has run out. Still it's Arsenal forever and we just keep going game to game.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

If you're a gooner and realist (a very sad combo), then you're pretty much clairvoyant on all things Arsenal.

That's what adds the extra sadness quotient. To be fair, you can always count on us getting thrashed at least once a season.

What's really disheartening is that no other team of our stature is regularly on the end of them, a truly Arsenal phenomenon.

 

[Batman]

No, the Fergie part is pure fantasy.

And being able to control a ball on your first touch and not make stray passes to the opposition, particularly in front of goal is about basic footballing skills.

And yet your hero signed all these players who apparently can't do that. You don't get to have it both ways licking Wenger's boots in every post and then slating the players that he is solely responsible for buying and playing.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

I had a bit of a personal hiccup that forced me to miss that match. I just got back this minute to see the result.

I have no words.

Might I suggest "A pitiful end to what started as a glorious era"

 

[Rimaal]

Ox

OMG...

I don't know what happened in the game, and I'm not sure I want to know.

 

[Big Poppa]

Different players have been letting Wenger down consistently in the last 10 years then. Or maybe, it is the manager, the only consistency in the 'story'.

We cannot hold the ball in midfield, we have not been able to do that since Fabregas left, Özil does nothing to keep the ball, and others like Coquelin and Ramsey are not good enough to do it.

We get a goal kick, one blink and it's Bayern in possession again, laughable...

While I fully agree with all of your points, there's a gross misconception that this starts and stops with the players we have in possession. We've had this same issue with Fabregas type players. Using the goal-kick example, when our keeper kicks it long, we lack the physical presence to win the 50-50. When he plays it short, we lack assured passing out from the back, through to midfield.

When our opponent has long spells of possession, we have nobody to get it back. We press as individuals, and when we do so, fail to engage physically. When we do have the ball, as you pointed out, players like Özil can only thrive when they get it in space. When they are pressed in numbers, they panic and give it away, rather than using their body to shield it. Our general game plan without possession is conspicuous by its absence.

 

[Rimaal]

Might I suggest "A pitiful end to what started as a glorious era"

I'm trying to read backwards through the thread. But really, I'm not sure I want to.

If I were to guess what happened, I would say we came out in an attacking formation and tried to take the game to Bayern, rather than sit back like most other teams do at the Allianz.

I don't know if I'm up to analysing this after the night I've had.

 

[STYLEZ]

So depressed right now.

 

[Tosker]

glad to see we're saving ourselves for the mighty Sutton

and I hope now we finish below 6th as I think it's time to see what we can do without European football, as playing CL is just demoralizing year after year for everyone

 

[Sapient Hawk]

This might have broken Wenger. It feels like the real beginning of the end. I still want us to finish third at least to give the new guy a real chance at a proper start. Kudos to Ospina and no real complaints about Kos, Bellerin,Ox and Alexis tonight. Iwobi wasn't great but he's young and being hung out to dry. The rest I'm not bothered about tbh. I'm unconvinced that a different manager could do much with some of them. The saddest thing is that I don't think any of our injured or loan players would have made any difference out there tonight. Years of selling our best players and failing to invest massively over the last three summers has finally caught up with us. The cupboard is bare and Wenger's magic has run out. Still it's Arsenal forever and we just keep going game to game.

To those who say "We'll miss him when he's gone" I say yes, but we'll miss the man, not the mismanagement that has permeated the last few years of his reign.

I find it amusing when rival fans say regarding his departure "Be careful what you wish for". What does that mean?

Lets look at things closely :

1. Years of mediocre gutless displays that leave us bereft of any chance of major silverware by February.

2. Players of low caliber brought in to make up the numbers whom we've been told are the answers to all our ills.

3. False promises followed by even falser dawns.

I'll honestly bare with a few years in the wilderness if it gets us to muster what our true financial muscle will allow us to. Can't be difficult as we're technically there already

 

[OShea's2010]

Amazing how we aren't desensitized to it all by now.

I am totally. I knew we'd get beat and we did. I don't get disappointed so much these days cos I expect it

 

[Sapient Hawk]

I'm trying to read backwards through the thread. But really, I'm not sure I want to.

If I were to guess what happened, I would say we came out in an attacking formation and tried to take the game to Bayern, rather than sit back like most other teams do at the Allianz.

I don't know if I'm up to analysing this after the night I've had.

It's not worth it, save your ire for when we're dissecting the post match performance about how, for some reason, Sutton United managed to get the better of us.

 

[OShea's2010]

This might have broken Wenger. It feels like the real beginning of the end. I still want us to finish third at least to give the new guy a real chance at a proper start. Kudos to Ospina and no real complaints about Kos, Bellerin,Ox and Alexis tonight. Iwobi wasn't great but he's young and being hung out to dry. The rest I'm not bothered about tbh. I'm unconvinced that a different manager could do much with some of them. The saddest thing is that I don't think any of our injured or loan players would have made any difference out there tonight. Years of selling our best players and failing to invest massively over the last three summers has finally caught up with us. The cupboard is bare and Wenger's magic has run out. Still it's Arsenal forever and we just keep going game to game.

The players are better than what you think, they just need leadership and direction

 

[danlaw]

As soon as Kolscieny got taken off, I knew I knew it was going to turn ugly for Arsenal. Wenger, save yourself and Arsenal fans these agonies, forget about the truck load of money you get from the Club, just go home. Allegri, come quickly!