Sunderland v Arsenal | EPL | Sat 18th Sep 2010 17:30 | ESPN

[Tourbillion]

I'm still furious. But why when this happens so often?

 

[patrick42uk]

Rosicky does not have a good shot. He shoots a lot - its not the same thing. He never finds corners or really has a keeper sweating.

Was it you who was thoroughly excited when Rozza scored the 2 screamers against USA and then subsequently for us against Hamburg?

Don't know. My opinion of his finishing now is based on a few years watching him up close so I trust that more

 

[otfgoon]

Clichy's role for the goal is more infuriating everytime I see it. If he doesn't drop back for reasons I cannot comprehend Sunderland have 3 players offside and the game is over. The fact that he makes a mess of the clearance just adds salt to the wound.

 

[TomasCR]

I know Wenger is the last one to blame but I was a bit surprised he didn't use the last sub in the stoppage time when we were under some serious pressure. Eboue for Chamakh whatever, that's what could have been done anyway or, at least, some of the managers do it and for a reason.

 

[Invincible]

Chamakh wins EVERYTHING aerially, head or chest. Amazing.

Not really.

 

[Rorz]

I know Wenger is the last one to blame but I was a bit surprised he didn't use the last sub in the stoppage time when we were under some serious pressure. Eboue for Chamakh whatever, that's what could have been done anyway or, at least, some of the managers do it and for a reason.

Well if he had done that, he wouldn't have been able to say that he saw no reason why the ref extended the time like he did yesterday. It seems AW doesn't sub on these occasions because he wants injury time over as quick as possible.

 

[Yaya]

Just re-watched the goal we've conceded against sunderland, and by the looks of it kos did **** up for the goal along with clichy. Both of them played sunderland players on side.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Just re-watched the goal we've conceded against sunderland, and by the looks of it kos did **** up for the goal along with clichy, they both played sunderland players on side.

yeah i watch it when the ball get between kos legs but i dont blame him i blame clichy he not clear the ball well and i think kos did not except clichy pass the ball to him

 

[ricky1985]

I was in a foul mood this evening with how the weekend's games have gone - watching the game properly just now has made me feel much better.

We really weren't that bad. I'm not sure what happened in the first half - they pressed like their lives depended on it, the ref gave them absolutely everything, small pitch, hostile/hyped-up crowd, and us not looking physically sharp, all contributed to our poor performance.

What I didn't notice on the crappy little stream I was watching at the time was how well we started the second half. The game didn't change with Song's sending off, it changed when Wenger got us in the dressing room at half-time and woke us up a bit. We could have scored 3 goals in the 9 minutes of the second half that Song was on the pitch. Arshavin (twice) and Chamakh missing big opportunities.

The way we played after the sending off was magnificent. Absolutely outstanding. Denilson, Nasri, Rosicky and Wilshere ran the midfield, and as a result, the game. Chamakh was heroic up front - ran his socks off and then some more. Sunderland couldn't really get near our goal and when they did our centrebacks were, as has been widely mentioned, brilliant.

The only real negative on closer inspection was confirmation of just how poor Gael Clichy was. For the love of god, Arsène - drop him now. He was beaten all ends up in almost every facet of the game.

We were just so unfortunate in the end.

 

[Gunner_JT]

I thought Clichy did struggle alot against ElMohamady but he was an animal in the air. I don't think Squillaci would have had much luck against him even. Thought he was part of Bruce's plan to get a strong and powerful player to target our smallest player in the back and it worked for them.

On the positive side i did think Clichy was lively going forward.

 

[redanddread]

The only two things that really bother me about yesterday's game are the way that it finished, and our inability to get the ball down and play in the first half.

Obviously there were a number of individual errors, some poor finishing, and missed chances, but these things will happen. The fact that we were second to everything for the first 45 was deeply worrying though.

Absolutely. But I would have been more worried if we couldn't turn it around in the 2nd half. Funny that we score when not playing our best yet concede after having played much better. All teams have a bad half, quarter but the good teams show an ability to turn it around and I believe we have a good team.

 

[redanddread]

Having looked at their goal in detail, two things jump out at me.

1. As the ball is thrown back into the mix by Zenden all the Sunderland players are offisde.

2. No one attacks that ball.

If Clichy and Koz had not dropped back (to cover the anticpated header) as the Sunderland player went to head/flick the ball on into the penalty all the Sunderland players involved in the final build up to their goal would still have been offisde. However, if someone had attacked Zenden's ball then the Sunderland player would not have been able to direct his header with such accuracy into our penalty area.

Was our decision not to attack the 1st ball in (which we had done all day) our ultimate undoing. Was this a mental lapse? Maybe. Should we be concerned at this type of mental lapse? Maybe. Could other title winning teams make this mistake? Maybe.

A heartbreaker no doubt but a pretty solid perforance all round.

 

[redanddread]

I was in a foul mood this evening with how the weekend's games have gone - watching the game properly just now has made me feel much better.

We really weren't that bad. I'm not sure what happened in the first half - they pressed like their lives depended on it, the ref gave them absolutely everything, small pitch, hostile/hyped-up crowd, and us not looking physically sharp, all contributed to our poor performance.

What I didn't notice on the crappy little stream I was watching at the time was how well we started the second half. The game didn't change with Song's sending off, it changed when Wenger got us in the dressing room at half-time and woke us up a bit. We could have scored 3 goals in the 9 minutes of the second half that Song was on the pitch. Arshavin (twice) and Chamakh missing big opportunities.

The way we played after the sending off was magnificent. Absolutely outstanding. Denilson, Nasri, Rosicky and Wilshere ran the midfield, and as a result, the game. Chamakh was heroic up front - ran his socks off and then some more. Sunderland couldn't really get near our goal and when they did our centrebacks were, as has been widely mentioned, brilliant.

The only real negative on closer inspection was confirmation of just how poor Gael Clichy was. For the love of god, Arsène - drop him now. He was beaten all ends up in almost every facet of the game. We were just so unfortunate in the end.

So as not to think this is a Gael Clichy love in, I think he might have been at fault for the goal. However, he up to that point played a very dynamic game and accoring to the English commentators had that brute Alyhamdy (excuse the spelling) in his back pocket most of the day. Considering that they targeted him and threw high balls to Alywhat'hisname and attacked down the Clichy's wing consistently-he actually had a good game and dealt with (nearly) all the problems he encountered very well..

 

[Anzac]

Just noticed on the highlights that 3 players had tried to press the ball & had raced out to half way in an effort to do so before the ball was recycled into our area. 2 of those players were Chamakh & Denilson & I think the 3rd was Nasri, but I wonder why Denilson has run out so far when he doesn't have the pace? Also noticed that at one point he was our most forward player on a counter from deep, and that he shot for goal from outside the area instead of trying to hold possession & waiting for support.

I said it earlier in that we looked too much like a team chasing a goal, as opposed to one who was a goal up & a man down = bloody insane.

 

[redanddread]

im trying to figure out why Clichy didnt just send it out over the touchline, why try to hook it across the pitch to the sideline?

The only thing I could think of was that he was turned in such a way that his left foot was going in that direction.[/quote]


Yes. And the ball was bobbling around a little. I also thought why not kick it over the goal line for a corner. However in hindsight, imagine the derision if he tried that and subsequently sliced the ball into our own net. Well, the dude would need police protection. I think the error was made further upfield in not challenging (either clichy or Koz) the player who headed the ball into our area and also maybe with Koz & Clichy retreating anticpating the header and thus playing 4 Sunderland players (including Bent) onside.

 

[albakos]

I know Wenger is the last one to blame but I was a bit surprised he didn't use the last sub in the stoppage time when we were under some serious pressure. Eboue for Chamakh whatever, that's what could have been done anyway or, at least, some of the managers do it and for a reason.

Well if he had done that, he wouldn't have been able to say that he saw no reason why the ref extended the time like he did yesterday. It seems AW doesn't sub on these occasions because he wants injury time over as quick as possible.

Yet unfortunately our players think teh opposite.

Why we never play short balls by the corner flag to make the time run? You saw it yesterday on Manure-Pool game how Rooney etc made the time go by...

In our game there was a moment just before their goal, when we could've play on and keep the ball, but instead, Denilson decided to pass a 60 yard ball to Chamakh. Its so frustrating

I remember few months ago even Wenger was furious why we don't keep the ball at dying seconds of the match.

 

[giuliob]

According to Rosicky he communicated with Nasir and Chamakh and neither wanted to take the penalty. That is really bothersome.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11670_6390236,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 36,00.html</a>

 

[Timleaf]

Well, whatever anyone thinks about Arshavin you know he'd have stepped up and taken responsibility. I reckon Walcott would have had the bottle aswell.

 

[albakos]

According to Rosicky he communicated with Nasir and Chamakh and neither wanted to take the penalty. That is really bothersome.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11670_6390236,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 36,00.html</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It really is.

If they cannot stand up or are afraid of shooting a penalty, then all the hype they spout about how our team is more mature or how we are mentally tougher/more prepared, is pure BS.

 

[goonerleila]

We don't know the exact reasons why either Chamakh or Nasri declined to take the penalty but if they weren't confident then they made the right call. Like I said before, I'd rather a player who didn't feel confident about scoring leave it to someone who was.