Emirates Cup: Arsenal vs Napoli | 03/08/13 | 16:20, BT Sport

[blaze_of_glory]

k thanks

 

[Vela]

The midfield was the problem in the first-half. Wilshere and Ramsey as the "2" midfielders did not work, especially defensively and when we didn't have the ball. It showed how important and crucial Arteta is to the team. Napoli's first goal was a sort goal to concede, it was down to Jenkinson's mistake.

Kos had a very good game and showed why he is our best centre-back. I thought Rosicky had a good game as well, he's been in good form in pre-season. Sagna done well when he came on the second-half. Podolski was disappointing, a very poor pen from him in the first-half. In a game he either seems up for it or you don't notice him that much.

 

[Bigbludfire]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6psU8Fp7c6g" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The post match interview.

Arsène looks confident when asked about Suarez & transfers overall.
Sanogo will play tomorrow .

That BT reporter is trying way too hard, and Arsène's just messing with him

 

[Vela]

Martinez/Szczesny, Miquel, Kos, Per, Sagna, Arteta, Chamberlain, Zelalem/Ramsey, Santi, Theo, Sanogo/Akpom the team for tomorrow?

 

[arshy9]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-on-napoli-and-the-transfer-window" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archiv ... fer-window</a>

Post-match conference.
He's confident we can win the league.
Talks mostly about transfers.

 

[Gervais]

The booing at half time and the booing of Higuain was so cringey and embarrassing.

Szczesny
Sagna Mert Kos Miquel
Arteta Zelalem
Walcott Chamberlain Cazorla
Sanogo

Will probably be the team tomorrow.

 

[Jury]

Didn't manage to see the game but, judging by the comments, it sounds like we were basically the same frustrating bunch as last season, but without the clean sheet! It sounds like we were naive. Giroud looking bad but just about keeping his knockers at bay with a goal....Groundhog day.

Jenks isn't good enough yet. Insignia should never have been allowed to spin away inside him for a start, and then he makes a pigs ear of the clearance to compound the fail. Awful.

 

[dyeruz]

Microcosm of last year. Slow starts, playing within ourselves, some missed opportunities, opposition goes up the other end and scores.. (plus factoring in defensive ****-ups )

Second half, changes were made, Arteta restored to his position (the need for a DM is sorely needed if he goes down) Ox in the middle and Sagna out wide. We play with urgency and some zip and we believe in ourselves, we hold our own against any team. Last year showed that.

We are not a bad team by any stretch. It's even more baffling that with a few good additions in the right places, we can challenge for trophies.

There is still an issue with our MF's coming up to support Giroud. Too many times crosses were coming in and he was the only one in the box and being well marshaled.

Overall it is what it is. On one hand you can say Napoli spent all that money while we spent zip and we still came put with a draw. But truth be told this wasn't an impressive Napoli side. Benitez set them up defensively for the counter and they played that way. Good game though.

 

[Anzac]

So it seems that 2 months after the season finished and 2 weeks away from the new season,
we STILL need to improve our spine and the Asian tour was little more than PR & flag waving as we've improved little other than fitness?

 

[McIntyre]

Arteta restored to his position (the need for a DM is sorely needed if he goes down)

This is a matter that Wenger is quite clearly neglecting. Again.

Arteta was fantastic last season and he grew into that role. But he cannot be expected to play every game.

Dare I say it, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Wenger still... after all these years... sees Diaby as an option in that position.

Ramsey may currently be Arteta's understudy in the role in Wenger's plans, but I would bet my house that Wenger STILL envisages Diaby as the answer to that role long-term, despite his atrocious injury problems.

I simply can't see any reason why he wouldn't be looking to strengthen that area of the team otherwise.

 

[MDGoonah41]

diaby is out for like 6 months, right? surely hes an afterthought at this point

 

[McIntyre]

diaby is out for like 6 months, right? surely hes an afterthought at this point

He very much should be. His career at the club should very much be as dead as the dodo.

But I simply can't help but feel that Wenger considers that there is no point investing in a defensive or deep-lying midfielder to compete with Arteta because as long as Arteta and Ramsey can do the job adequately until the new year he'll have his "new signing" in Diaby.

Sorry, but this is just the cynic that Wenger's transfer dealings and undying faith in players that should've long ago been put out to pasture has made me into.

 

[Buhry]

Diaby should be a complete non entity at this point. I would like to think that even Wenger can see that but I'm not sure.

 

[musicmonkey]

diaby is out for like 6 months, right? surely hes an afterthought at this point

He very much should be. His career at the club should very much be as dead as the dodo.

But I simply can't help but feel that Wenger considers that there is no point investing in a defensive or deep-lying midfielder to compete with Arteta because as long as Arteta and Ramsey can do the job adequately until the new year he'll have his "new signing" in Diaby.

Sorry, but this is just the cynic that Wenger's transfer dealings and undying faith in players that should've long ago been put out to pasture has made me into.

We've been confirmed we bid for Bender and apparently also Fellaini at the start of the window. Pretty clear he knows the position needs strengthening.

Wenger mentioned we've got deals other than Suarez in the works and imo DM is the position it's most likely in. It's GK, CB and LW that you've got to be concerned Wenger's got too much faith in the current crops for, not DM.

I know everyone's down about the lack of transfers but the last bit is rubbish. We've been doing the exact opposite this window, we've put a lot out to pastures as you put it and we still are doing. Gervinho looks to be on his way who's a prime example of us doing the opposite to what you say, other deadwood like Chamakh is also following possibly as Wenger said today. The only ones we haven't looked to shift are Frimpong and Diaby as they've both been injured.

 

[akhil]

Saw the game on espn 360. Commentators were awful, repeated the standard cliches associated with us.

Positives

Kos is back in beast mode.

Per and Kos is a real partneship. They read each others moves very well, Gibbs looks fit and sharp as well.
Sagna looked pretty good when he came on. Its his first proper preseason for the last couple of seasons.

Ramsey played pretty well although he played as though Arteta was behind him at all times.

Jack was a little sharper with his passing and dribbling.

Rosicky was sharp as well. Can't believe he played the full 90.

Gnabry wasn't bad, he was pretty good on the ball but he drifted inside too much.

Ox's on the ball play for a CM is very very good. His defensive side wasn't tested at all in the 2nd half. Napoli just boxed themselves in.

Arteta was his usual self.

Negatives

Ramsey and Wilshere moved together leaving massive gaps. Rosicky at one point was playing like the holding mid in front the CB's for a good amount of time.

Jenkinson's mistake was hilarious, the ball literally bounced on his head. He totally misread the flight of the ball. Otherwise he was all right, looks a little unfit.

Fabianski's still looks indecisive.

Giroud was his usual self. Held the ball up nicely a couple of times but lost it a few occasions as well. Standard mixed bag from him.

Walcott was meh.

My biggest worry was Podolski. He looked grossly unfit, he was very heavy legged from the start, looked very slow for reasonably quick player. He was a passenger for most of the game.

Whenever we got in behind their midfield, the movement from the wide players in the first half was appalling. Giroud was marked by both CB's and neither winger tried going in behind , the number of times Ramsey, Jack and Rosicky were waiting for some movement from the front 3 was depressing to watch.

 

[ArsenalDNA]

Why was everyone so negative after the game?

Napoli are a good team and aside from two individual mistakes, by two players who won't even make the starting 11, we dominated them.

If Arteta, Sagna and Szczesny were in the starting lineup we would've won by 3 or 4.

 

[ArsenalDNA]

The booing at half time and the booing of Higuain was so cringey and embarrassing.

Szczesny
Sagna Mert Kos Miquel
Arteta Zelalem
Walcott Chamberlain Cazorla
Sanogo

Will probably be the team tomorrow.

It was fckn stupid.

If the fans wanted to show their displeasure at missing out on Higuain they should've clapped him i reckon.

It's not Higuain's fault he's not here.

 

[mo50]

Why was everyone so negative after the game?

Napoli are a good team and aside from two individual mistakes, by two players who won't even make the starting 11, we dominated them.

If Arteta, Sagna and Szczesny were in the starting lineup we would've won by 3 or 4.

Same old issues from last season. Midfield looked lightweight while the attack looked dysfunctional, lacked quality and was one dimensional.

Wenger's been harping on about internal improvements, but to be honest I've seen **** all so far. And with the season 2 weeks away we're still not close to any signings. So much wtf surrounding us right now.

The negativity is completely justified.

 

[ArsenalDNA]

The midfield was experimental. When's the last time Ramsey and Wilshere played together as the two holding midfielders in a semi competitive game. As soon as Arteta was out there we looked solid again.

Of course the attack looked ****. Why do you think he's been targetting strikers?

If our attack looked off how did theirs look? Without Jenkinson and Fabianski they would have created one chance the whole game. Did they even have a shot in the second half?

Didn't Napoli come second last year? Haven't they spent 50+ million this window?

It wasn't the perfect performance, it wasn't even a great one. But there's no point getting upset about it.

 

[redwhiteAustrian]

I thought Kos was once again brilliant yesterday.
What a player he's become.