Premier League: Sunderland vs Arsenal Saturday 25th 15.00

[BobP]

Re: Premier League: Sunderland vs Arsenal Saturday 25th 15.0

The image that sticks with me most of all from this game is the confused ineptitude on display when countering in the second half. It was horrifying. The Sunderland defence and midfield looked had no answer to it and we still only managed to bring the ball to the 18yd line and choke on it.

Everyone gets a mild panic attack when crossing that boundary, everyone except Alexis Sanchez that is. What is the problem? Don't we practice this in training at all? It's like these people have never played football together in their lives at times.

Sunderland were all over the place when we were breaking at them as they pushed for the equalizer. Because of our inability to stretch the play in those positions we had all our players concentrated in central positions which was where the Sunderland players also were leaving us with a brick wall in front of us.

I was watching City against Tottenham last week and what Navas was doing when City won the ball was very interesting. He was holding a far right position with acres of space around him as the Tottenham defense was disorganized. it's very unselfish play as he curbs this instinct which is probably present in him to go and chase after the ball but by staying out there he's stretching the disorganized Tottenham defense leaving them on the straps and with more to think about. In some cases he may be rewarded if his teammates are able to get a pass through to him.

My point is we have nobody who does that, my hope was that Sanchez would do that but regardless of how effective he's been he's just like the rest of our attackers, he gravitates towards the ball. Walcott is probably one of the only guys who does that for us.

Welbeck needs to stop playing like a midfielder also. The formation is partly to blame because a 4141 leaves the striker isolated to an extent if the 2 advanced midfielders are pinned back by the opposition but too frequently instead of making runs I see him pull up and demand the ball like a midfielder. Happened a few times on the break against Sunderland.

 

[MaestroCesc]

Re: Premier League: Sunderland vs Arsenal Saturday 25th 15.0

Anyone see Poldi trying to play football with the kids at HT but getting rejected .

 

[eye4goal]

Re: Premier League: Sunderland vs Arsenal Saturday 25th 15.0

It was a last season like performance from us. Not very exciting but we looked solid and made it hard for the opposition. It was definitely a 4-2-3-1 for me and hopefully it remains that way once Ramsey comes in for Flamini/Arteta.

Chamberlain and Cazorla are working hard but one of them has to make way for Podolski, Walcott or Campbell if we want to be less reliant on Sanchez.

 

[RUS arsenal]

Re: Premier League: Sunderland vs Arsenal Saturday 25th 15.0

I think it is too much to say that Cazorla needs to be dropped just because of this game. Yeah, it was a terrible game, but overall he has been one of the better midfielders for us this season, one game doesn't erase that.

 

[BobP]

Re: Premier League: Sunderland vs Arsenal Saturday 25th 15.0

I watched this game again. Sunderland were abysmal, anybody who says otherwise doesn't understand football, but that isn't the point. The point is we were just as bad as they were because of our inability to exploit the gaps which opened up on various occasions through Sunderland's defense. Our players have horrific spatial awareness, horrific. If they were to just look and see where they are positioned in relation to a specific play and act accordingly we would be much better for it. When shifting play to one side, which often resulted in Sunderland players gravitating forwards the ball, instead of quickly switching play and exploiting the gaping space we chose to try and play through a clearly crowded area. There was an instance where Welbeck and Ox were dilly dallying with the ball on the right side of the penalty box struggling to find a way through, the entire Sunderland team were massed into that side of the box leaving only one player covering Gibbs who was on the left side completely alone. Finally Welbeck, I think it was, passes out of area to Cazorla, there is a massive and I mean MASSIVE space in between the player covering Gibbs and the rest of the Sunderland team and Sanchez is the closest one to that space and he doesn't even bother to look up and around him to see the space that's gaping right behind him and instead hovers around Cazorla.

I see all of this plus more and it begs the question what exactly does this team do in training?

 

[MaestroCesc]

Re: Premier League: Sunderland vs Arsenal Saturday 25th 15.0

Cazorla's finishing has gone to ****, two games in a row now he should have had at least a goal. We could never find the right ball in the final 3rd and with Özil out the team that's his main responsibility.

 

[ArsenesNO1Fan]

Re: Premier League: Sunderland vs Arsenal Saturday 25th 15.0

Cazorla's finishing has gone to ****, two games in a row now he should have had at least a goal. We could never find the right ball in the final 3rd and with Özil out the team that's his main responsibility.

Cazorla has looked like a rugby kicker recently.

 

[Monstar-Gunn4r]

Re: Premier League: Sunderland vs Arsenal Saturday 25th 15.0

I watched this game again. Sunderland were abysmal, anybody who says otherwise doesn't understand football, but that isn't the point. The point is we were just as bad as they were because of our inability to exploit the gaps which opened up on various occasions through Sunderland's defense. Our players have horrific spatial awareness, horrific. If they were to just look and see where they are positioned in relation to a specific play and act accordingly we would be much better for it. When shifting play to one side, which often resulted in Sunderland players gravitating forwards the ball, instead of quickly switching play and exploiting the gaping space we chose to try and play through a clearly crowded area. There was an instance where Welbeck and Ox were dilly dallying with the ball on the right side of the penalty box struggling to find a way through, the entire Sunderland team were massed into that side of the box leaving only one player covering Gibbs who was on the left side completely alone. Finally Welbeck, I think it was, passes out of area to Cazorla, there is a massive and I mean MASSIVE space in between the player covering Gibbs and the rest of the Sunderland team and Sanchez is the closest one to that space and he doesn't even bother to look up and around him to see the space that's gaping right behind him and instead hovers around Cazorla.

I see all of this plus more and it begs the question what exactly does this team do in training?

Half the problem is our players tend to gravitate towards the ball to offer an option to pass. Sometimes the run is the better option but we seem to cluster forming what I like to call the clusterf#ck. There are no options outside the cluster, but even if there were there is no deep lying midfielder to move the ball around to those who are taking up space.

Debuchy before his injury was brilliant at offering us an option that wasn't involved in the cluster as he stayed wide and looked to make runs. It was one of the reasons I was dying to get Coleman in but Debuchy was performing like a top class attacking full back. This is the problem with having Chambers in there who doesn't offer this and Bellerin who is obviously cautious about making the attacking runs until he finds his feet. Yes I've seen him making some great runs but there is no reason for him not to do that 11-12 times a match rather than once or twice.

Özil while he gets involved in the cluster gets us out of it as well. He will come and take the ball and move it elsewhere if there are any options.

Ramsey runs into space on the wings and likes to get his head up and look for the space of the run, need him back on form or to sit deep and try and dictate play.

As far as Welbeck, Ox and the attack were concerned they were trying to get the Sunderland defence to make a mistake or commit a foul, the options weren't as east to get the ball to IIRC. It was slowly ratcheting the pressure up.

Walcott will hopefully bring an end to the cluster as he is always an option that is looking to run and passing the ball is only a means to an end.