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FA Cup | Arsenal vs Manchester City| 23rd April at 15:00 (GMT)

What two teams will reach the final?


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bingobob

A-M’s Resident Hunskelper
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Clear cut opportunities for city? They hit the woodwork twice
I can remember Toure smashing a volley from outside the box that Cech tipped onto the post. That's not a clear cut chance. That's a shot from distance. Even the best organised defence will struggle when teams start taking pot shots from 25 or 30 yards out.

Clear cut is Welbecks miss from the edge of the six yard box or Holdings free header from the edge of the box, clear cut are the two goals we scored both inside the six yard box. Chances in the danger zone with time and space. Heck even Delphs wasn't clear cut Bellerin was marking the angle and he was hitting a shot on a narrow angle on his left foot.

The only clear chances they had was Silvas header and the goal, tho I can't remember the other shot that hit the post. So maybe three in 120 minutes of football against arguably the best attacking team in the league. That's outstanding.
 

bingobob

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So three or four player errors not an error of formation.

The formation isn't to blame here. The only error that is avoidable is our set up defensively. Its completely wrong. Even if we leave two back they both are pushed too far up and the wrong way around. The danger isn't the space in front it's in behind. Xhaka should have dropped to pick up Aguero leaving Monreal free to sweep. Look where the ball initially lands approximately on the circle in our own half. If Xhaka has Aguero then by default Monreal is behind him. Already in position to clear.

Ramsey is getting stick because it leads to a goal but if that situation arises again I'd want him to do the same. Heck I'd even want Cech to do the same. Monreal should be deeper as should Xhaka. A man marker should never be last man the last man should be someone on the cover. In that situation someone in behind is more dangerous than anything else. In the defensive transition you want to delay the pass as long as possible to get bodies back to regain shape. We encouraged that pass by being so poorly organised.
 

Makingtrax

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You can't tell what the position of Monreal and Xhaka are relative to Aguero when Ramsey loses the ball because they're not in shot. You're just guessing, unless you've seen other footage.

Ramsey made a vital error. When most of your players are in the box for a set piece, to give the ball to opposition further up field is negligence. And the support for that statement is the goal that happened after.

Monreal and Xhaka were daydreaming instead of watching Aguero. Aguero is into his stride much faster and therefore has started running before them.

Cech was too slow and could have easily cleared the ball as Aguero's kick into the box was too far ahead of him.

You guys are so frustrated with Wenger that everything has to be poor organisation, nothing can be simple player error, which this definitely was.
 

Big Poppa

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Player:Saliba
I'm inclined to agree with Jury to an extent. We were thoroughly battered in the first half, and City hit the post and the bar.

It's only when they started to drop physically that we came into play. The truth is that both teams are pale imitations of their former selves, and it was a question of the least ****ty defence would win. That happened to be us. Our midfield was largely irrelevant, and it was very easy for the City attackers to get to our box. We are surviving by virtue of having one more defender in the box to make clearances and that's it.

The formation can work over time, but we need better suited players for it. Xhaka and Ramsey aren't mobile or physical enough and neither Giroud nor Özil can press. I'm ok to try it again, so long as we use Bellerin as the RWB, put Ox in midfield and stick Alexis up back front, with Iwobi, Perez or Welbeck on the left. It would also be interesting to see Theo in a system where he has to do less covering for the full back and is liberated to make runs into the box.

One thing that the adapted approach should tell the players is that that you don't need the ball to win. It's about how well you defend without it and how efficient you are with it. Watching Man City was like watching the Arsenal of the last 10 years in big games. Pointless possession, wasted chances, injuries and bad luck. Well done to the boys!
 

Makingtrax

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No, he should have passed, not tried to beat 4 people
This

Giving the ball away easily in and around your own box or when most of your team is ahead of you can only lead to trouble at this level. Ramsey has been guilty of both on numerous occasions.
 

Jury

A-M's drunk uncle
Christ. Ramsey is an attacking midfielder and tried to make something happen. That's his job. It doesn't work all the time--in fact it hasn't worked much at all for a long time--but if he stops trying, he's done. Had he managed to bundle the ball past Toure and squared it on a plate for someone, everyone's happy,

If anyone wants to blame anyone, you put the blame on the player that had one job. One job. That job being not to fall asleep, and be ready drop deeper, quicker, in the event of a counter. Monreal had one man to watch and he lost him. If he sees Aguero advance on him--even at walking pace when we have possession--he has to drop deeper. He has no business letting him get even near level. He has every player on the pitch bar Cech in front of him ffs. What more does he need to see?

So if you want, we can put a portion of blame on all of them. Blame Ramsey's mother for giving birth to him if you want to go further back. But rather than play the blame game, why not ask why it was possible for this to happen?

@Makingtrax This isn't even an attack on Wenger ffs! :lol: I know you're hypersensitive to anything remotely bringing his decisions into question, but this is about something else.

And just to clear up the 'formation' thing: when I say the formation was the problem, I mean the positioning of our 'defence' when it happened, and not the 343. That's a different discussion altogether.
 
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Mitch

Blonde Brigade Grand Wizard
Considering how brilliant Ox has been the past 2 matches in the RWB role it would be criminal to move him out of that role just to squeeze a long term out form player in Bellerin into the side.

Also Gabriel doesn't deserve to be dropped after his performance this weekend.
 

razörist

Soft With The Ladies, Hard With The Mes

Country: Morocco
Everybody who's ever stood on a pitch for a bit of footy knows that what Ramsey did was criminal. Granted, there were other mistakes at the same time/after he lost the ball, but his stands above all others. While Ox had the ball, he had all the time in the world to understand that we were overcomitted, that first and foremost he couldn't lose the ball if he gets it. But he goes for a pathetic dribble and loses it.
 

Ashybashy86

Well-Known Member
3-4-3 is a good formation, but I'm still not sold on it with our midfielders. City just waltzed through. I think we need to flood the midfield. Maybe 3-5-1-1, Sanchez up top and Welbeck on the left instead.
 

Makingtrax

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Christ. Ramsey is an attacking midfielder and tried to make something happen. That's his job. It doesn't work all the time--in fact it hasn't worked much at all for a long time--but if he stops trying, he's done. Had he managed to bundle the ball past Toure and squared it on a plate for someone, everyone's happy,
There's no defence for what Ramsey did, you're reaching.
 

bingobob

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Seems to me that quiet a few people truly don't understand football. The time to make a decision is so finite and there are so many possibilities to exclude from your thought.

Both Ramseys and Cech decisions were ultimately right ones based on what was happening. Ramsey attempted to dribble into a better space the result is a clear cut opportunity for us. Cech sees Aguero take a heavy touch and decides to hold his ground because if he rushes out he risks clattering him and conceding a penalty. By faking to come out he hopes Aguero takes an extra touch and the ball rolls into Cech. Ramsey can be faulted for poor execution but it was the right decision. I'll not slate anyone who has a go at his execution

Blame can only be attributed to Monreal and Xhaka. You cannot coach Ramsey in his position. Does he shoot, pass backwards sideways or forwards, does he cross or dribble. Each alternative requires knowing where the defenders are where the attackers are. Same with Cech defending a one on one. You can't practice that or even give clear guidelines to what a player should do. You have to trust their judgement. Ramseys judgement was sound not his execution. Defensively however we can coach our defenders better. It doesn't require the understanding of near infinite known unknowns. Its simple. They leave one upfront minimum one cover one man mark. Personally id have a man marker someone to cover and someone to sit where Xhaka is as this would have allowed Xhaka to press the attackers with cover behind.

There is some sort of fickle agenda. Xhaka literally attempted the same dribble later in the game lost it and wasn't punished because we had men in cover that prevented City from releasing the ball quickly.
 

Makingtrax

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No you're absolutely wrong. He tried to take a player on at the edge of the opposition box. That's exactly where you should try to take players on.
You can't be serious. When the team is over committed at a set piece, when there's minimal cover behind you, and almost all the team is ahead of you . . . . you try to dribble through two or three players and give the ball away.

Even at county school boy level that's a hanging offence. :lol:
 

carlito'sway

Established Member
No you're absolutely wrong. He tried to take a player on at the edge of the opposition box. That's exactly where you should try to take players on.

Come on mate. Ramsey's decision is simply indefensible. I can't understand why you are insisting otherwise. You can't do that on corner/ freekicks when your team has overcommitted.
 

mm76

Yer Da
No you're absolutely wrong. He tried to take a player on at the edge of the opposition box. That's exactly where you should try to take players on.

not when there's nothing behind you and as @Makingtrax said your team is heavily committed, you play a simple pass and keep the ball upfield - he had four guys closing him down - not the time to try beating them all
 

Kobi

I Know Who You Are
You can't be serious. When the team is over committed at a set piece, when there's minimal cover behind you, and almost all the team is ahead of you . . . . you try to dribble through two or three players and give the ball away.

Even at county school boy level that's a hanging offence. :lol:

Exactly, in normal circumstances I have no problem with someone trying to beat a man or even two on the edge of their box, however this was not normal circumstances.
This was following a set piece and all our 'big men' were still in the box waiting for the ball to come in, if you can't get the ball back in the box (the preferred option) then you make sure you don't lose it.
He has to show a bit of common sense, if we had taken a short corner and Ramsey had tried to dribble past everyone resulting in that goal he'd be (rightly) criticised, this isn't really much different.
 

mm76

Yer Da
If Özil did that ..:D

quite

tbh i think this incident helps makes the case for El Neny - his tidiness means he'd have played the right pass in that situation and allowed us to continue the move - the way he plays can look dull but it's important and allows us to keep possession at times like that

and btw do we think the Ox woudl pass again to Ramsey in that situation or avoid him? anyone can make mistakes but it's not good if players can't trust one of their teammates to do the sensible thing
 
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