Ratings and post-match dicussion vs Chelsea

[AshburtonGhost]

^ yeah regarding Rosicky. He isn't great in front of goal these days but his ability to play one-touch football saw us quickly open Chelsea up via quality passing interchange as opposed to the individual efforts we were largely restricted to for most of the match prior.

 

[asajoseph]

Chamakh was by far and away the biggest problem with our team today. All the usual scapegoats weren't really too much at fault, but this guy simply does not have the quality at this level if you can't put the ball on a plate for him to head. Not good enough to be a lone striker.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Chamakh was by far and away the biggest problem with our team today. All the usual scapegoats weren't really too much at fault, but this guy simply does not have the quality at this level if you can't put the ball on a plate for him to head. Not good enough to be a lone striker.

I think our centre backs were extremely poor as well, but generally I agree. Chamakh simply wasn't up to it yesterday. For someone whose claim to fame is his aerial ability, his missed header in the second half was absolutely criminal. He generally struggled throughout the whole match, which is unfortunate because I think he's done well since arriving here.

 

[Hoya]

Squid had an awful match, but Chamakh was the worst in my opinion as well. I hated the diving, and his miss in the 2nd would have changed the entire complexion of the match. Nothing came off, he was hesitant, just so many problems with him today and our attack often broke down with his decisions on the ball. He has bailed us out a few times but he doesn't do anything else to justify a starting place besides head it (and the fact that all our attackers are out injured). His workrate is obviously top notch as well.

We kept possession pretty well today, but today was another if if if performance against one of the big guns, something that happens way too much. And to be fair Fabianski stopped the scoreline from becoming embarrassing.

We can play the injury card but they were without Lampard as well in the midfield which helped us dominate the area like we did. Whatever, hopefully we recover from this, I still think Chelsea will have at least one if not two indifferent stretches during the season and hopefully we can make up some ground during those times, and also give them a game at home.

People are right too that we weren't dominated today. The defense wasn't under constant pressure since we kept possession well, they were just very very poor when called upon for the most part. Drogba is a beast but we weren't out-muscled, our problems lied with defensive positioning and finishing.

 

[Biggus]

The difference between Chelsea and ourselves today was two goals, nothing else.

Nothing else.

Brilliant Klaus you've just summarised the whole object of the game of football, there is nothing else.

Chamakh was by far and away the biggest problem with our team today. All the usual scapegoats weren't really too much at fault, but this guy simply does not have the quality at this level if you can't put the ball on a plate for him to head. Not good enough to be a lone striker.

Also don't understand all the Chak hate, the biggest problem ? you're having a laugh Asa, Arshavin is a tubby little ***** and Songs brain is as fluffy and pink as his afro, oh and Wenger is a naive turnip.

 

[Burnwinter]

On a different day Chamakh would definitely have scored. That's easily enough deduced by observation of things he's done since coming here. He is usually somewhat capable of directing a contested header.

So I think it's fair enough he cops some of the blame.

Of course, if we didn't have him we wouldn't have had our best chances at all.

 

[Biggus]

I think he's some way down the queue of targets to scapegoat.

 

[Burnwinter]

Well, I agree. You can't fault his attitude. He looked absolutely gutted at the whistle.

But of the scapegoats there are, he's the one of whom it can be said that one or two split second things done differently, done better, could have changed the outcome.

 

[Biggus]

So- we blame the man thats playing his 6th PL game for Arsenal, and not the one thats spent (if thats the right word) the last 5 years building this team?

Oooooooooookay.......

Ah f**k it- lets just boo Al and Eboue.

 

[Burnwinter]

I'm not suggesting that anyone should be blamed in lieu of anyone else Biggus, just that Chamakh had a slightly off day when if he hadn't we could have had a different result.

I'm actually not inclined to blame anyone too aggressively for the outcome. We didn't play that badly and a witch hunt won't change the result.

Players I was somewhat disappointed in:

Clichy
Squillaci
Song
Arshavin (as the match wore on)
Chamakh
Vela (bit harsh since he had no time, but I struggle to see the point of him)

As for Wenger, I don't know what was going through his mind yesterday, but about the only thing he indisputably got right was putting Rosicky on.

I suppose you'd have to concede Fabianski's promotion has been slightly short of disastrous as well.

He absolutely needs to sort out Alex Song as well.

 

[DOUBLE-YOU]

We were predictable and played right into chelsea's hands. Forget all this talk about possession and half chances - that was chelsea's game plan. Chelsea know we like possession, but they also know how to defend against us and importantly, how to hit us on the counter attack. Seedorf was spot on in his analysis on match of the day when he said we lacked aggression in the final third. We never really worked Cech and we never got inside their full backs (like cole did for 1st goal).

I am not one who uses passion as an argument, but i seriously question the mentality of some of the players. When Wilshere came off, he gave a fist pumping "come on" to JET. You could see he didnt want to lose. At the final whistle Koscienly was having a laugh with Drogba, WTF!!! That's the difference between winners and also rans. Currently we have too many passive players. The fact that Squillaci was captain says we really lack certain leadersip qualities in the squad. This may seem a knee jerk reaction, but i am fed up of losing big games. These games are not lost because of tactics or ability but because of character. Injuries is no excuse because i have seen worse arsenal sides win games through determination.

ratings

Fabianski - 7 - made good saves and commanded area
Wilshere - 7 - was direct and kept probing
Nasri - 7 - he played well but he isn't direct enough.

everybody else - 6 - no one was poor, they just didnt do enough

 

[goonerwarsh]

Double you, I'm agree with you 100%

There's no genuine character in this team. I will say this. I think the team played to the best of their ability yesterday. I won't fault their effort. They just do not have what it takes. The club has to a certain degree lost it's identity. Our record against utd and Chelsea is nothing short of disgraceful

 

[Biggus]

I'm not suggesting that anyone should be blamed in lieu of anyone else Biggus, just that Chamakh had a slightly off day when if he hadn't we could have had a different result.

If a lot of other people performed there could have been a different result too.

I'm actually not inclined to blame anyone too aggressively for the outcome. We didn't play that badly and a witch hunt won't change the result.

Well why play devils advocate then, leave it up to others to justify why Chamakh should be blamed for us having to endure this same old rubbish year after year.

I dunno, maybe I'm looking a too big a picture.

 

[asajoseph]

What more do you want, Biggus?

My justification is right up there for you to read - if the balls not in the air for him, more or less on a plate, he simply isn't good enough to trouble most defences. Play him as a lone striker and we're going to be asking for trouble all season long.

 

[Burnwinter]

If a lot of other people performed

Indeed. I've posted my ratings in the ratings thread, and I mentioned six disappointing performances in the very post you've just quoted!

Well why play devils advocate then, leave it up to others to justify why Chamakh should be blamed for us having to endure this same old rubbish year after year.

I'm not playing Devil's advocate. I think basically everyone thinks Chamakh had a pretty average day except you. Certainly some are overstating their disappointment, but he hardly graced the game.

So come on now, stop misrepresenting me.

As for what happens year after year, it's fair to judge that Wenger is not doing enough to rectify our problems. Not only that but all his summer signings let us down (to some extent) yesterday.

And furthermore new, strange problems are emerging like Song's schizoid movement, which goes back in all likelihood to misconceived instructions from Wenger.

The years pass but the problems remain the same and we are left clutching at platitudes when everyone knows that the reason we lose is because we don't have the right squad.

I'm looking a too big a picture.

Erm, yeah, ok. :mrgreen:

 

[asajoseph]

On Clichy, the guy was clearly targetted by Drogba for most of the first half, and I actually felt that he did a really good job of closing him down and preventing him get any space.

 

[Burnwinter]

I thought he was decent defensively. The commentary on my stream hammered that home repeatedly actually, kept going on about how brilliant he is at closing down. But he had lapses, albeit not on a par with those of the CBs.

When Clichy went forward there were a couple of occasions where he threw away not one, but two opportunities in succession to supply a decent cross. The cruel waste was palpable.

Howeveer, whenever we play a side that defends deep well, the fullbacks tend to cop it post match.

It happened a lot to Sagna last season, he was constantly being accused of crossing to nowhere when really the MF was guilty of pushing the ball wide all the time instead of trying to find a way through, and the forwards weren't moving well and presenting themselves.

 

[Biggus]

@ Burnsy fair enough.

What more do you want, Biggus?

What does anyone want Asa?
Sure we'd love to have Drogba or Villa, but Chamakh is the closest thing we have to a top center forward.

 

[Segway]

Overall we played well but still managed to lose 2-0. Unbelievable really. We just weren't clinical enough.

 

[lagos]

I must say that even though I spared him in the ratings, I was hugely dissapointed with Chamakh yesterday and too be honest apart from the fact that he can head a ball, I'm still not yet convinced by him as a goal machine.