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UEL SF 1st Leg: Arsenal v Atletico Madrid | April 26, 2018 20:05 BST | BT Sport

Match Prediction


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Big Poppa

Established Member
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Country: USA

Player:Saliba
The tie isn't over, but it is so disappointing that once again our inability to defend properly has soured the mood. We started off well in the first half, but it tailed off a bit, then 2nd half Atletico battened down the hatches and it was all us before the dejavu of a defensive horror show reared it's head at 1-0 to us.

There were quite a few errors in that goal we conceded, firstly why was Welbeck trying to take on 3 players like he is Messi?! He handed them back the ball. Monreal also then kept Griemann on side. Why in a 4 v 1 situation against a team with 10 men did we not have one defender man marking/ manhandling Griezmann while the other played sweeper?! poor organisation and tactical execution.

We should of scored more goals, but it would of been nice not to concede also. We have to now think about only beating Atletico, despite their cureent record I feel we can score, but defensively you have to worry about us over there.

Would have should have !!!
 

ksarp

Active Member
Just got home from the game. What can I say, typical Arsenal.

I didn't think we'd score against them to be fair. When they went down to 10 men I thought it was a bad thing because that's their food and drink. Absolute masters at the dark arts. Godin was a warrior. I don't mind that. They did what they had to do to get through the game. Night and day between the teams mentalities. If they go up 1-0 at home against 10 men, no way are they conceding. We are just very naive.

I don't think we hurt them enough in the final third. We lacked the ability to get at their full backs one on one but we did move the ball well, just a little slow and horizontally at times. Even though I posted earlier we are poor on the counter and I've sat in the North Bank and witnessed goals against us on the counter (more than I can remember) time and time again, I didn't expect them to create anything. They were happy with the 1-0, but boom, one long ball and a goal. West Ham got in a few times that way as well. If I was facing this Arsenal defence, I'd just say stick it over the top of them a few times and see what happens....Mustafi/Kos will always end up giving you a chance. I fail to see how you don't blame Wenger at least partly for this. The issue isn't not scoring chances. You aren't going to win every game by three or four goals. That's why you need to be solid and alert at the back. Godin had his arms out to his side all game, pushing his back line up and pulling them back when needed. Monreal shouldn't be allowed be that far back. Kos or Mustafi (can just about tie his laces so probably not him), but someone should be in control of the line.

When the same thing happens once or twice let alone over and over again, as a coach you sit down and assess what the issue is, and then work on it in training or/and in the video room. You pull players into positions, you drill them, you work on the team's structure and shape in and out of possession. It always falls on the manager. If Mustafi isn't concentrating and isn't covering around the back of Koscielny, like Koscielny used to do for Per, when that ball goes long, and Monreal is too deep...these are individuals errors in a sense that each player is in control of his own actions, but the shape and structure of the team is the managers responsibility. Nobody can blame Wenger for missing chances, but you can certainly blame him for the team's vulnerability in defence, especially on the counter. If Koscielny clears that ball we get away with it, but it doesn't change the fact the defence were in awful positions.

I'd be very surprised, in fact shocked, if we get through this tie.
This is why Wenger has to go
 

Sapient Hawk

Can You Smell What The Hawk Is Cooking?
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Country: Saudi Arabia
D1beUMa.png

The redemblance is uncanny.

Unlikeable team? Check.

No interest in engaging in football? Check.

Experts at ****house tactics? Check.

Though the only thing an untrained eye wouldn't have picked up is that hell would freeze over before Stoke ever left the Emirates with a point :lol:
 

Pat Rice

Self-Proclaimed Nice Guy
After sleeping on it I’m not even disappointed in the performance. I’m just deflated. If anyone mentions Simeone as a manager candidate they can jog on. He plays anti-football. I don’t care if he is a serial winner that classless performance does not deserve the badge.
 

Jasard

Forum Issue Troubleshooter
Moderator

Country: England
Feels like 80% of games someone in defense makes a catastrophic mistake, its really is ****ing abysmal. I know we struggled to put the ball in the net they are defensively superb and I think we were very good in our build up play and attack but they only need to attack us a couple of time to score ffs. Sick of these pricks. Fuming this morning, how did we win 3 FA Cups with such dodgy characters in defense.
 

Hunta

Established Member
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Country: England
Feels like 80% of games someone in defense makes a catastrophic mistake, its really is ****ing abysmal. I know we struggled to put the ball in the net they are defensively superb and I think we were very good in our build up play and attack but they only need to attack us a couple of time to score ffs. Sick of these pricks. Fuming this morning, how did we win 3 FA Cups with such dodgy characters in defense.
Mertesacker played in all those finals.
 

Hunta

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Country: England
1-1 felt much worse last night.

Doesn't matter if they score early on next week, a goal is all we need to level things up. Get a goal and they're under pressure not to concede again so they'll go defensive like last night and we'll have all the ball, obviously it's easier said than done, but one thing we can do is score goals in the Europa league.
 

marting

Active Member
Yeah we're not in disagreement on that one mate.


I guess there are different ways to show you "want it". I agree that the tempo tonight has been better than in most PL games, but in all honesty we've seen this same type of tempo in all out 1st leg EL games. This is the standard really, it just proves that they're totally indifferent about the league. So personally I'm not going to be pleased because they've decided to play at a respectable tempo, that should be the standard for every game. But for a European semi final against a top class team in an emotionally significant game and when they're down to 10 men for +80mins ? It wasn't enough.

Left, right, left, right, left, right. Swing in a hopeful cross from the byline or the edge of the box. This is my nightmare. I have PTSD from years of games like this against the likes of Sunderland, Blackburn and Co. if they can defend against it then Atletico without a doubt can.

Maybe I have an erroneous understanding, but ordinarily you'd exploit being a man up with width if you've got pace, space and quick switching of play. Slow build up from side to side with the wingers camped in their half with no space to run into behind? No way width can exploit that, Atletico have got all the time in the world to get set.

Laca looks like he has a leap to be fair to him, but if we couldn't do it when we had a lamppost like Giroud then it's insanity to think we could do it tonight. I don't blame Wenger at all for individual mistakes like the one our defence committed tonight, beyond shouldering some blame for buying them I actually sympathise with him when they let him down. But from an attacking sense we need a different approach, a plan B, something beyond slow tedious left right left right aimlessly swing in a cross.

Agree mate. But like you say (and we all know) that you exploit a team being a man short with width, Yet we dont have 1 winger in the squad. We dont have players that can beat a player with skill, rather 1 2's or sprinting to beat an opponent. Welbeck for all his hard work....is very limited and doesnt give much in the wide areas. Same with Özil to be fair you dont want him out wide, Monreal and Bellerin have never been the best in the final third either.

You have to give it to Madrid, they defended very well with what we gave them, I cant beleive people are critizing Simone for being so negative. I cant remember the last time arsenal went down to ten men and didnt conceed within 10 minutes.

Its not all about playing great free flowing football, Theres an art to defending, If i was a Madrid supporter i would be full of pride with the way my team fought and stayed strong tonight.
 

shootxhakashoot

Özil lives rent-free in my head
Just got home from the game. What can I say, typical Arsenal.

I didn't think we'd score against them to be fair. When they went down to 10 men I thought it was a bad thing because that's their food and drink. Absolute masters at the dark arts. Godin was a warrior. I don't mind that. They did what they had to do to get through the game. Night and day between the teams mentalities. If they go up 1-0 at home against 10 men, no way are they conceding. We are just very naive.

I don't think we hurt them enough in the final third. We lacked the ability to get at their full backs one on one but we did move the ball well, just a little slow and horizontally at times. Even though I posted earlier we are poor on the counter and I've sat in the North Bank and witnessed goals against us on the counter (more than I can remember) time and time again, I didn't expect them to create anything. They were happy with the 1-0, but boom, one long ball and a goal. West Ham got in a few times that way as well. If I was facing this Arsenal defence, I'd just say stick it over the top of them a few times and see what happens....Mustafi/Kos will always end up giving you a chance. I fail to see how you don't blame Wenger at least partly for this. The issue isn't not scoring chances. You aren't going to win every game by three or four goals. That's why you need to be solid and alert at the back. Godin had his arms out to his side all game, pushing his back line up and pulling them back when needed. Monreal shouldn't be allowed be that far back. Kos or Mustafi (can just about tie his laces so probably not him), but someone should be in control of the line.

When the same thing happens once or twice let alone over and over again, as a coach you sit down and assess what the issue is, and then work on it in training or/and in the video room. You pull players into positions, you drill them, you work on the team's structure and shape in and out of possession. It always falls on the manager. If Mustafi isn't concentrating and isn't covering around the back of Koscielny, like Koscielny used to do for Per, when that ball goes long, and Monreal is too deep...these are individuals errors in a sense that each player is in control of his own actions, but the shape and structure of the team is the managers responsibility. Nobody can blame Wenger for missing chances, but you can certainly blame him for the team's vulnerability in defence, especially on the counter. If Koscielny clears that ball we get away with it, but it doesn't change the fact the defence were in awful positions.

I'd be very surprised, in fact shocked, if we get through this tie.
great post. Some will say individual errors costs us but time and time again the same things happen with this personnel. It then falls on the manager to drop the personnel or address the problem. Neither has happened and its gone on for as long as I can remember.
I was as excited as Ive been in years about the game yesterday but the inevitability of what happened was the most depressing thing. At least the tie isnt over.
 

Wryer

Well-Known Member
That aside, watching our central defenders flopping around like a fish out of water is a sad sight. They basically panicked even though we have numerical advantage.
 

Lady_Gooner

Posting While Meditating
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
I haven’t been bothered about a result since Everton away in 2016 so this feeling is welcome.
The team have to go to war next week. Every player has to leave the pitch with blood, sweat and tears which I think they will.
Costa is going to be a right pain, no way our defenders don’t get done by him. We’ll need 2 away goals minimum, tough ask but football is about believing I guess
 

YeahBee

Terrible hot takes
After sleeping on it I’m not even disappointed in the performance. I’m just deflated. If anyone mentions Simeone as a manager candidate they can jog on. He plays anti-football. I don’t care if he is a serial winner that classless performance does not deserve the badge.

I rather win than look good and lose
 

field442

Hates Journalists Named James
Trusted ⭐
They’re going to sit deep and play on the counter next week. Ideally we’d play the same formation as yesterday when we’re chasing a goal but I’d be tempted to play three at the back for extra protection when they counter-attack. Welbeck will also be useless in a game like that so Mkhitaryan has to come in for him.
 

coolaa

Well-Known Member
Seriously, both Koscielny and Mustafi are hopeless. I would rather have Holding and Chambers to be our starting CB for the remaining games.
 

HBL

Established Member
Chelsea managed to score twice and F.C. Carrier Bag scored once, not over at all. We’ll have to finish better than we did last night.
 
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