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EPL: Arsenal vs. Southampton - Tuesday 02/02/16 - 19:45

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General

Established Member
While I agree it wasn't a clear cut dominating performance, it was clear we were the better side. We weren't at Stoke, for instance, and also not against Liverpool and Chelsea in my opinion. That's why I think we are overreacting to this game while you could argue all three PL games in front of this one were much, much worse. Especially in play, not especially in result. We had the clear cut chances, Southampton maybe had one. 14 shots doesn't always say everything.

EDIT: I'd even argue, as much as was wrong with this performance, that we didn't play terrible at all. If you go back to the win against Man City at home and the games since that game, we've played a lot worse. A lot.

I think being the better side is nothing to write home about against a decent mid table side at best. We created some chances which in turn created a false sense of security but we were never truly in control. This is a very important observation because even if we had scored I'm not convinced we could have seen the game out. The pattern of the game and the eventual disappointment is something we've seen before. The Sunderland game last year was a prime example. I think a lot of fans need to be honest with themselves and ask if their expectations actually reflect reality.
 

Reyes

Active Member
I think being the better side is nothing to write home about against a decent mid table side at best. We created some chances which in turn created a false sense of security but we were never truly in control. This is a very important observation because even if we had scored I'm not convinced we could have seen the game out. The pattern of the game and the eventual disappointment is something we've seen before. The Sunderland game last year was a prime example. I think a lot of fans need to be honest with themselves and ask if their expectations actually reflect reality.

I agree with your assessments that it's nothing to write home about, and that we have to reflect on expectations. We have trouble with controlling games against small teams with Cazorla out. Against big teams, we have played better this season than against small teams. Crazy observation actually. I do think we would have won this one if we had scored though, unlike you. Southampton defended well, but really their amount of attacking influence on the game gets overrated. They didn't do a lot, even if we gifted them the ball and all kinds of space.
 

Gooner Zig

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I think a lot of fans need to be honest with themselves and ask if their expectations actually reflect reality.

Expecting to challenge for the title in the ****test PL ever? That's the minimum expectation. How can you argue otherwise?
 

Reyes

Active Member
Expecting to challenge for the title in the ****test PL ever? That's the minimum expectation. How can you argue otherwise?

To be honest, we are still challenging. I agree it's not the best position to be in but it's far away from 'not challenging'. We're not out of the title race at all.
 

General

Established Member
Wenger hasn't learnt his lesson and this is partly because of the minimal pressure he has here. No other manager would play the same midfield and formation for 4games in a row and not try something different, especially considering the warning signs. Please don't tell me he had no other choice, even ignoring the options he had in the transfer market. He's certainly not desperate or determined to win this league otherwise we would've seen a significant shift towards addressing the problems. We will end up second and people will bemoan how close we came and how without injuries and bad refereeing decisions we would've won the title. We will start over again next season and go through the same emotions. I know some might disagree but I think next season actually represents our best chance of winning the league when we finally get rid of the dead wood that has undermined this team for several seasons.
 

General

Established Member
Expecting to challenge for the title in the ****test PL ever? That's the minimum expectation. How can you argue otherwise?
We challenge every year until we are out of it mathematically. That's not the point. I think the expectation that we should be running away win it is far from reality. I also think this team is well short of championship winning quality and experience in key areas. A lot of people are confusing the increased competitiveness of the league to poor quality competition.
 

Reyes

Active Member
Nah I think the expectation that we should be running away win it. I think this team is well short of championship quality in key areas. I also think a lot of people are confusing the increased competitiveness of the league to poor quality competition.

True, this expectation is too much for me as well. We are not that significantly better that we should run away with it. City, for example, is lacking in certain areas, but they also have two/three quality players like us. Leicester and Sp**s are harder to judge because they are such a surprise. Fact is, I have always rated Pochettino and momentum can carry you a long way. Still, they are more **** than us. The league hasn't worsened, it has leveled out more. Because ****ing everyone seems like they have russian chavski level oil dollars.
 

Sweggeh

Active Member
Looking back at it, this season is no surprise. This is the same team and manager who have been proven time and time again to be useless in the league. We never even sniff 80 points.

Why would it be different now? I feel like such an idiot for being tricked by Wenger and his silver tongue yet again.

Nothing will change until Wenger is gone.
 

Daniel Brown

New Member
It's just the same old gutless performances by a team managed by a gutless manager. There will be no league at the Emirates until Wenger is gone. We deserve to be where we are and actually it should be a lot worse if not for the incompetence of other teams. Just look at the syles of Leicester and Sp**s compared to our slow and toothless performances. Look at the goal difference. It says it all and all he is willing to spend is £5 million on an okay player?

http://www.dailynewsservice.co.uk/wenger-must-die-on-his-sword-for-arsenal-to-evolve/
 

RandyMarsh

Established Member
Still can't believe we didn't win last night.

We ****ing dominated them. Chance after chance after chance.

But 90% of our team are a bunch of fairies in front of goal.

Same old ****
 

kopzilla

Always Negative
I still think we can win, but we can't let City get more than about 6 points ahead of us. Done if that happens.

Leicester WILL implode!

Right? RIGHT?????

They are growing in confidence every single game....I feel that they might do the unthinkable because the "top" teams aren't really dominating the scenes anymore.

Whether they win the title or not they are set to finish top 4 and that in itself is a fairy tale for them.
 

General

Established Member
Terrible. Our troubles started with Flamini/Ramsey midfield and will continue as long as those 2 continue to start there for us, especially Flamini.
I find it difficult to look beyond this weakness and it's easily one of the weakest pairings in the league, undermining everything we are trying to achieve. Our team is taking knives to a war where the top dogs carry big guns and we are blaming them for not shooting.
 

Bakka

Active Member
The most disappointing thing about the game, except our finishing obviously, was Ramsey once again.
He has been awful since he finally got to return to the middle. I am so sick and tired of his glory hunting mode..

yeah, I know Flamini was terrible, but wtf do you expect of him? Even a blind man can see that...

Regarding the result, how anyone can blame Wenger for this game, I really don't know. He was let down by the freaking players missing chances left, right and centre.
 

Sweggeh

Active Member
The most disappointing thing about the game, except our finishing obviously, was Ramsey once again.
He has been awful since he finally got to return to the middle. I am so sick and tired of his glory hunting mode..

yeah, I know Flamini was terrible, but wtf do you expect of him? Even a blind man can see that...

Regarding the result, how anyone can blame Wenger for this game, I really don't know. He was let down by the freaking players missing chances left, right and centre.

When you don't buy an outfield player when you know our team desperately needs improvements all over the park, then of course we can blame him. We would have won that game, and many other games this season, if he did what was necessary in the summer.
 

CJJ

Established Member
I came into this thread now thinking i'd slate the team for having a **** performance, but honestly.. its pointless. We all wanted that victory yesterday but Forster had a good game and we lacked desire.

To be more concrete about the faults about this game i think its so obvious we don't have a midfield. (And havent had one since Cazorla got injured).

We have obvious issues moving the ball forward using the midfield, and until that gets fixed i don't see us go on any good run of games whatsoever.

Fixing the midfield would fix the title for us IMHO.

Start Elneny and Coq next game. We need something fresh, and it can't get worse than Flamsey.
 
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