CL| Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal (A), 7.45pm 13/9, SS4

[Floating]

I understand that our performance wasn't world class, flowing football - but we're still gelling as a team, missing half of our spine, and we were playing away at one of the toughest places to go in Europe, to in my estimation, one of the best teams in Europe. We will improve, mark my words.

We just got a result in the hardest game we'll play in the group stages, when many weren't expecting so much as a point. I'm not saying we'll win the CL, but to suggest that we won't get out of a group over Marseille and Olympiakos is overly negative.

 

[celestis]

How many naturally fit players do we have? Full backs, obviously. Benayoun? Who else? The likes of Gervinho, Walcott, Robin, Song, Arteta dont seem to have great stamina.

Don't know till we try ,pressing intelligently is less tiring than chasing shadows headlessly.

 

[alboots101]

Perhaps it is Floating but thats where Wenger has put me.

ps..it wont stop me going to see them btw and it wont stop me supporting the fk out of them when I do go.

 

[Floating]

ps..it wont stop me going to see them btw and it wont stop me supporting the fk out of them when I do go.

:thumbup Good man.

 

[arsenallegends]

Their goalscorer had a resemblance to Arjen Robben I felt. Bit taller perhaps.

 

[outlaw_member]

I think the nature of English football is what prevents us from refining our pressing game. Like Liverpool under Benitez, our best option is to develop our pressing game so that we can use it in the big games. Due to the fact that teams in England are comfortable going long, it will be easy for teams to bypass our packs if we were to use it all times. Although, strong aerial CB's should prevent any teams from successfully bypassing our pressers. We most definitely need to develop a pressing game, but there's really not a lot that Wenger seems to get right these days. Furthermore, players like van Persie, Walcott and co. are not cut out for it.

I don't think this team has much upside, to be honest. Arteta's not an influential midfielder who will control the game, but he's a good support player to the main playmaker. Jack is also the same in that he's also better as the support midfielder as this moment in time. Maybe, together we'll be better, but it won't be by much. Benayoun has always been a flaky player that is as capable of brilliance, as he is of making unforced errors. Walcott is Walcott, van Persie is too dependant on quality service, and Gervinho has signed for us at the wrong time. 4th place would be a successful season, all things considered.

 

[Spork]

Szcz is immense love the way he commands his box Kos was great to esp in second half.

Did you see his celebration when RVP scored? Class as always. I'll try to .gif it if it hasn't already been.

<a class="postlink" href="http://gifninja.com/animated-gifs/268429/szcezsney-celebration" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://gifninja.com/animated-gifs/26842 ... elebration</a>

Sorry it's a bit glitchy, no idea why that is. :S

 

[mistaT]

I don't think this team has much upside, to be honest.

Exactly how I'm feeling this morning, I really don't see this team miraculously finding some great form and performing much better throughout the season.

1-1 ties away in Europe may be as good as it gets this year, and we (Arsène) will be looking to complement that by 4th in the Premier League.

Bah.

 

[Floating]

Szcz is immense love the way he commands his box Kos was great to esp in second half.

Did you see his celebration when RVP scored? Class as always. I'll try to .gif it if it hasn't already been.

He's such a Gooner, such a competitor, such a talent. So glad we have him.

 

[General]

If getting what we didn't deserve on the night makes people happy, then fine, but that performance was utter sheight. I said I'd be happy with a point, but to get it with a performance like that is rubbish. I can see Jack improving us, but he wont turn us into CL contenders by a long way.

We're the walking dead in this competition.

You can talk. I thought you were excited again. Make your mind up FFS :bash

Unlike you, General numb-nuts, I'm always open to persuasion by what I see on the pitch, and in this specific case the Dortmund game.... unlike your ilk that choose how they want to feel and stick with it regardless of what happens. This isn't about football for you - it's about you.

Plank.

Seems to me you cannot post anything constructive without resorting to cheap insults. This isn’t the lobby my friend. Such a tough guy obviously.

It’s funny how characters like you spend all your time silencing anyone who dare raises genuine concerns about the team yet become an emotional mess and the team’s worst critic whenever we deliver a bad performance (see TH’s post). We are the walking dead in the competition right?

 

[eye4goal]

How many naturally fit players do we have? Full backs, obviously. Benayoun? Who else? The likes of Gervinho, Walcott, Robin, Song, Arteta dont seem to have great stamina.

The front 3 are our biggest problem. We'd be better with and without the ball with someone like Gotze in place of Theo/Gervinho. Dortmund are probably the fittest team in Europe right now though. Bender covered almost 14km last night!

 

[outlaw_member]

I disagree, the players in the middle third are our biggest problem. We can't move the ball to the final third without involving the forwards in ridiculously deep positions, which leaves us with nothing in the final third when we do get it there. How many times have Walcott, van Persie or Gervinho received the ball 50 metres away from goal, and there is only one, or at most two players ahead of them? We can't build or sustain pressure to save our lives. How many times have we camped outside the box this season, twice, thrice? We've got nothing in the middle third, and our attackers are suffering for it. Yesterday was the best example of how weak we are in that part of the pitch. We constantly passed it amongst the back four without being able to advance the play and push Dortmund back. Requiring attackers who can keep hold of the ball would just be compensating for weak midfielders who aren't keeping it well enough themselves.

 

[outlaw_member]

Oh, I notice you meant in regards to pressing. In that case, I agree. You can't expect to press ferociously when your highest player is van Persie.

 

[Cruisio]

I swear when we developed a really great pressing game against Chelsea last season we were actually really good at it, and good for the next few games after when we played like that as well?

Then we ran out of gas and regressed

 

[Jury]

Seems to me you cannot post anything constructive without resorting to cheap insults. This isn’t the lobby my friend. Such a tough guy obviously.

It’s funny how characters like you spend all your time silencing anyone who dare raises genuine concerns about the team yet become an emotional mess and the team’s worst critic whenever we deliver a bad performance (see TH’s post). We are the walking dead in the competition right?

You've clearly mistaken me for somebody else. :?

And lets not make references to to my sentiments in other entirely irrelevant threads so you can fail in spectacular style at trying to make a point.

Do yourself a favour and forget about me.

You're like the forum wasp ffs.

 

[alboots101]

I gnarfed.

 

[General]

Mistaken you for someone else? You didn't write the nonsense below? Do yourself a favour and remove h from a.

We're the walking dead in this competition.

 

[JazzG]

Thier pressing is impressive. Always thought Barca had the edge on that due to the size of their players, but Dortmund show maybe thats not so much an impportant factor. So why cant we do it? Maybe we dont work as much on fitness as we should

In the 2007-2008 season we did do it quite well, I remember against Milan when we had the likes of Hleb, Rosicky, Flamini and even Cesc closing them down. Hleb, Rosicky and Flamini had great stamina though and could run all game long and not complain about it. That has to be the best Arsenal team of recent times...

 

[Jury]

@General

I believe we are.

But what point are you trying to make?

 

[General]

You'll find that answer in THunter's response to you on page 19.