PL: West Ham vs Arsenal | January 12th | KO: 12:30 GMT | Sky Sports

[freeglennhelder2]

Poor poor poor. P1ss poor in fact. What can you say after that? Onwards and upwards I guess.

We were so bad in attack, I actually think we defended better today. Auba was a bit meh all game TBH. Laca was brilliant for the first 15 then slowly tailed off.

Let’s hope we’ve not shifted our traditional December form forward by a month.

 

[tap-in]

I didn't see the game but kept track of the score. Very disappointed, we really needed a good game today to get us back on track. I don't understand Torreira & Bellerin being on the bench but I'll save any further judgement until I've seen the game.

 

[Manberg]

We will win games with Özil and lose games with Özil but given his quality I think we are more likely to win games with him in the squad as at least he gives us options. Not using him to me is just plain daft

But he can cost us too. He doesn't track back, tries dummies in midfield etc.

 

[gunner4lyfe]

Why was Xhaka taken off? Was he on a yellow?

 

[rich 1990]

Tracking back has to be the most over rated attribute in football.

 

[Manberg]

Tracking back has to be the most over rated attribute in football.

Football is a numbers game. 11 vs 11 on the pitch. When defending if a player doesn't track back what happens is the opposition is more than likely going to exploit the space left behind.

 

[A_G]

And if we were winning games without Özil of course people wouldn't be as upset, because it would demonstrate we don't need him. At the moment, the opposite appears true.

This poor run started at OT, and if you look at the fixtures in that time:

Huddersfield-probably makes a difference in this type of game
Southampton-was partially at fault for the winner when he came on
Burnley-thought he turned the corner here
Brighton-ineffectual performance
Liverpool-we've lost by 4 goals twice there with him playing
Fulham-probably no difference to the score
West Ham-a high intensity away game, doesn't really suit him

There are deeper problems with this team that need fixing, I have a hard time seeing the 2018 iteration of Özil making a difference in those games.

 

[buji banton]

I feel like after Wenger, we can now see exactly how bad this team is. I don't like it at all.

 

[Ricardinho]

Why was Xhaka taken off? Was he on a yellow?

Was having a poor game

 

[Leeroy1979]

But he can cost us too. He doesn't track back, tries dummies in midfield etc.

I get that but I think his creativity is worth the compromise?..we could account for this in team selection and play two cm with him who graft...Torreira being one of them and I suppose xhaka (not his biggest fan but best we have I suppose) I think ghendouzi is getting far too much game time too early but him and Torreira doing Özil donkey work would be a pain in the arse to deal with as they are both busy

 

[blaze_of_glory]

This poor run started at OT, and if you look at the fixtures in that time:

Huddersfield-probably makes a difference in this type of game
Southampton-was partially at fault for the winner when he came on
Burnley-thought he turned the corner here
Brighton-ineffectual performance
Liverpool-we've lost by 4 goals twice there with him playing
Fulham-probably no difference to the score
West Ham-a high intensity away game, doesn't really suit him

There are deeper problems with this team that need fixing, I have a hard time seeing the 2018 iteration of Özil making a difference in those games.

I dunno. A lot of speculation there tbf. All we can do is watch and come to our own conclusions. Mine are different.

 

[rich 1990]

Football is a numbers game. 11 vs 11 on the pitch. When defending if a player doesn't track back what happens is the opposition is more than likely going to exploit the space left behind.

When certain attackers come back, all they do is get in the way. If you leave players in the opposition half, they'll occupy the opposition defenders. Having everyone running round like chickens is a total waste of time.

 

[The_Playmaker]

We lack athleticism and we are falling behind teams just because of it.

There was a point in that game when Iwobi raced back and took the ball off Antonio and ran back the other way. It is a problem when you put out a team and only 2 players in your line up can do that.

I am sick and tired of slow players who are weak and incapable of receiving the ball under pressure.

We need athletes in this team. We need and entirely new defence. We need at least two athletic midfielders and we need to convert Iwobi into an 8 and use AMN in midfield. We need to buy genuine wide players who can score goals and take men on.

 

[A_G]

I dunno. A lot of speculation there tbf. All we can do is watch and come to our own conclusions. Mine are different.

The Özil Civil War is going to tear A-M apart.

 

[Manberg]

I get that but I think his creativity is worth the compromise?..we could account for this in team selection and play two cm with him who graft...Torreira being one of them and I suppose xhaka (not his biggest fan but best we have I suppose) I think ghendouzi is getting far too much game time too early but him and Torreira doing Özil donkey work would be a pain in the arse to deal with as they are both busy

Sure, you're not wrong but I doubt he would've made a difference to the overall performance and result.
We have big problems in the squad. There's the defence issue. Our defence is so dire that due to his absence, Rob Holding is seen by some to be a sort of messiah, when in actual fact he ought to be a squad player at best.

 

[Manberg]

When certain attackers come back, all they do is get in the way. If you leave players in the opposition half, they'll occupy the opposition defenders. Having everyone running round like chickens is a total waste of time.

That type of naivety is part of the reason why our defence is so bad, no matter who we buy.

 

[Rimaal]

He's started 12 of the 14 games in which he's been available, not counting the other 7 where he's had "back trouble". He just hasn't done enough in those games, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect more than 3 goals and 1 assist in that time.

It's certainly unreasonable to keep him out of the squad for so called technical reasons that no one can fathom whilst playing inferior players and losing. It makes no sense. It will never make sense.
Why alienate your most valuable player, waste his gigantic wage, and still lose??

ffs, he played Mkhi over him, so it's defo not about performance or goals.

 

[Leeroy1979]

Sure, you're not wrong but I doubt he would've made a difference to the overall performance and result.
We have big problems in the squad. There's the defence issue. Our defence is so dire that due to his absence, Rob Holding is seen by some to be a sort of messiah, when in actual fact he ought to be a squad player at best.

Totally agree with the holding comment. I posted on here last week that although he has improved I still don't see him as the defensive king many think he will become.

No I don't think Özil would have won us the game today as the whole team just seemed flat but I bet we would have created more.

If emery is hamstrung by finances then he has to work with what he has got and he has got a player who on his day can be mercurial....so play him. I think the positives outweigh the negative

It sounds like I am part of the emery out brigade....I am not...he is a damn good manager with a good track record, he needs time but for Jan if we can stiffen up our defence by bringing in a good cb and find a way to get a tune out of Özil (putting him in the squad would help lol) I think that we will see an improvement

 

[Makingtrax]

This poor run started at OT, and if you look at the fixtures in that time:

Huddersfield-probably makes a difference in this type of game
Southampton-was partially at fault for the winner when he came on
Burnley-thought he turned the corner here
Brighton-ineffectual performance
Liverpool-we've lost by 4 goals twice there with him playing
Fulham-probably no difference to the score
West Ham-a high intensity away game, doesn't really suit him

There are deeper problems with this team that need fixing, I have a hard time seeing the 2018 iteration of Özil making a difference in those games.

Wasn’t that the height of the injury surge?

 

[A_G]

Wasn’t that the height of the injury surge?

Yes you're right, losing Holding and Bellerin has been far more detrimental to the team IMO than Özil being marginalised.