EPL: Arsenal v Liverpool- 24/08/15, 20:00. [SS1]

[Prawn Sandwich]

Gabriel and Chambers didn't do too badly for 3rd and 4th choice centre backs, respectively, imhotbh (in my honest opinion to be honest).

Unusual to have to start both in such a big a league game. I'm not surprised their partnership was shaky, and sure they rode their luck a bit, but it's a clean sheet.

Enough from their point of view, and it does show some depth in squad improvement as previous third and forth choice centre halves would have been disastrous!

It is just frustrating in other areas on the park we are lacking and with a week left in the window, IF we try and make any fixes, it will be a case of luck over judgement.

 

[fabo]

agree, couple years ago our 3rd and 4th choices were Squillachi and Djourou. We have done better.

Chambers tonight was reminiscent. Lad unravels when he makes an error or two.

 

[adpree]

I think he genuinely believes what he is saying. Last of the gems he said at the end of the post match show.

Q: Can you see any of these 2 truly challenging for the title?
Owen: No, I can't. Not a chance. I think it will be between City and Chelsea who have both started the season well. I even think United will be closer to the title than these 2. Arsenal's been a bit of a joke this season and they will be fighting Tottenham, Liverpool for 4th, 5th or even 6th."

I wish I had his job. Just rock up, talk rubbish, watch a half, talk more rubbish, watch the second half, spew the last bit and you are home free. You get paid for your troubles as well.

 

[Balance is key]

Wenger says 'we had chances in the 1st half'. Really?

Chambers created a few

 

[Clrnc]

The goats say these things because we click on their links. If we stop clicking on their rubbish, they'll stop doing it.

He was the commentator in this match, nothing to do with any clicks or links.

 

[Juan Matas Beard]

Still feel that way? Coutie Pie did nothing other than latch onto giveaways then shoot. Özil bossed the entire second half, was everywhere.

I was judging his attacking threat compared to Coutinho in the first half in which Özil was misplacing his passes whereas Coutinho was looking a threat and creating chances with scraps of possession.

Özil looked better in the second half but I wouldn't go as far as saying he bossed it, I won't be the first to say he's got more to offer than what he displayed. Coutinho however did seem to quiet down as Arsenal had more of the ball.

 

[celestis]

We ****ing scored in the first half buddy.

and sadly what a good goal that was too .

 

[Santi's Left Foot]

I see Cazorla is getting stick now, laughable really.

 

[haha_arsenal]

We should have been dead and buried after the first half though. They had about 7 great chances.

We had 3 the entire match.

one went in but wrongly ruled offside.
Pool have literally won 4 points from lineman's error in two games.

 

[Rimaal]

Chambers created a few

Yes, for Liverpool.

 

[Artisan]

Come on mate you can't honestly believe that. It's not about individual performances its about how our TEAM performs when we have a front 3 of Alexis-Giroud-Ramsey, all our players clogging the centre of the pitch, right hand side non existent, no pace in attack, no counter attacking threat, not enough service to Giroud from out wide..i could go on.. The team balance is all wrong. So wrong.

Ramsey needs to be given another shot in the centre and a genuine winger like Ox needs to be back at RW.

No it didn't work on the wing, yet again. He had a good game though regardless. The disallowed goal came on the left ffs, we literally don't have an outlet on the right. In the center he can get away with it and play to his strengths.

Well I gotta say I completely disagree with you guys. While Just like most people I'd like to see Ramsey center and wide players out wide. Against top teams the formation clearly works. And it worked today.

You can't say we were poor when we have 3 certain goal scoring opportunities, one of which was taken and wrongly called offside. You can't also use Ramsey wandering to the left for his goal against him, that's how he is instructed to play when he is wide. We basically play 4-2-2-2. It works, we used a similar formation towards the tail end of 12-13 when we went on our run. it's the most defensively solid formation for us.

100% Convinced that if that was any other top team, those two other opportunities would have been taken as well. They were too good to miss, but alas Giroud is Giroud and Alexis beside not being 100% also has no left peg.

 

[fabo]

We need a limited destroyer like Coquelin because of the shambolic set-up of the team, positionally.

 

[ModelGooner]

Awful. So dissapointed.

 

[Batman]

There's enough in the squad to go out and win games. It's about putting a cohesive team out together. Arsène's problem is that he's trying to have his cake and eat it too. He wants to play this poor man's tiki taka but the majority of his team is better in a quicker counter attacking setup. Cazorla really doesn't fit the counter attack because he likes to dither on the ball and Ramsey while he also dithers isn't technically good enough to play tiki taka. Giroud is just, well the less said the better. Alexis is better when he's able to run into space or when he's got people making runs around him while he carries the ball. The best lineup for us right now is something like this:

Alexis-----Walcott-----Ox

Özil-----Rambo
Coq

Monreal--------Kos-----Gab-------Bellerin

Now for that to work Rambo would really have to work hard on both ends but he's capable. I can't imagine that Özil wouldn't be able to pick out a run with those 3 in front of him. Not too many teams can cope with that sort of movement up front.
​

 

[celestis]

Bemusing Mignolet was blatantly wasting time the entire 2nd half .

 

[Giroud]

Maybe but I was hoping we'd buy someone like Fekir or Meyer to replace him and mould into our future star.

The main problem we have now is that this team is starting to grow old together which is a big no-no. In a couple of years we'll have to start dismantling it all over again and enter rebuilding mode.

I thought Santi was our 2nd best player last season. Since he joined only Sanchez and Ramsey have been better players (I think he's outperformed Özil at the club). He's started the season poorly but selling him would have been madness.

Özil, Sanchez, Ramsey and Koscielny have plenty of time left in them and they're essentially the core of our team so I wouldn't worry about the age of our squad.

 

[Penn_]

Did Özil create any chances of note? Helooked more energetic but I can't recall and stand out chances he made.

 

[bingobob]

Why would you sell Santi, madness.

Wenger needs to have the balls to drop either Özil or Caz.

If you drop one you have to sell one. It's an area we are too strong and one which will give us better returns. Imagine we had an extra 20 to 40m to drop on a player. It would be exactly what the "super clubs" do.fs Barcelona knew Fabregas and Alexis would sit on the bench sold them bought Suarez and won the Champions League. Their outgoing wages plus fees brought in I'd Hazard a safe bet on more or less funded that one transfer.

Genuinely, if we have forty million to spend, had sold Cazorla and Wilshere, bought Cech, Vidal and dropped the 55m or whatever it is for Benzema do you not think we would be sitting much happier right now.

 

[Santi's Left Foot]

Well I gotta say I completely disagree with you guys. While Just like most people I'd like to see Ramsey center and wide players out wide. Against top teams the formation clearly works. And it worked today.

You can't say we were poor when we have 3 certain goal scoring opportunities, one of which was taken and wrongly called offside. You can't also use Ramsey wandering to the left for his goal against him, that's how he is instructed to play when he is wide. We basically play 4-2-2-2. It works, we used a similar formation towards the tail end of 12-13 when we went on our run. it's the most defensively solid formation for us.

100% Convinced that if that was any other top team, those two other opportunities would have been taken as well. They were too good to miss, but alas Giroud is Giroud and Alexis beside not being 100% also has no left peg.

We haven't even scored a goal at home in how long. Something is fundamentally wrong, I mean would it really hurt to play Ramsey in his position ffs

 

[haha_arsenal]

Did Özil create any chances of note? Helooked more energetic but I can't recall and stand out chances he made.

wasn't Özil who made that pass to Ramsey which was ruled offside ?