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

[Gurgen]

How about we forget about this and move on? Sure hope our players do.

 

[outlaw_member]

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.

Our inability to control play when we require it most is incredibly disappointing. It is largely down to a lack of maturity, but it's frustrating how often we tend to pursue a goal, when slowing down play and keeping the ball for the sake of it, is usually the better plan.

 

[Viper]

Chamakh is a ****ing striker. Why didn't he take the penalty? His job is to score goals, and he should have been the most ideal candidate for spot kick duties. Argh. I'm still a bit bitter over the defeat, especially after watching the highlights on MoTD again.

We better smash the crap out of Sp**s now. :\

 

[Kenyonhater]

Biggest disappointment for me was that Chamakh bottled taking the pen. Tomas said he discussed it with Marouane and Nasri but they weren't up for it so he reluctantly took it. Yes he was the most experienced man out there but he clearly wasn't confident having missed important pens for his country. Chamakh should have grabbed the opportunity - first away goal for his new club and the chance to kill a difficult game with ten men and be a hero (Nicklas wouldn't have thought twice about it) but he bottled it. Big shame because I've been impressed up to now.

 

[Gunner_JT]

Rosicky on his penalty.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.thegunninghawk.com/2010/09/21/tomas-rosicky-why-i-kicked-the-sunderland-penalty/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thegunninghawk.com/2010/09/2 ... d-penalty/</a>

 

[asajoseph]

Chamakh is a ******* striker. Why didn't he take the penalty?

Even he'd struggle to get enough power on a header from there.

Don't really fancy him with his feet.

 

[Anzac]

How about we forget about this and move on? Sure hope our players do.

IMO that's half the bloody problem. They're still making the same errors after more than 3 seasons so IMO it's quite evident they DO forget about it far to f*cking often.

 

[number_0]

Not really fussed about the penalty taker to be honest, our first 4 choices (possibly 5, if you count TV) were not available, it was a coin toss on who gets to take the shot, MY choice was rosicky before he even stepped up.

 

[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.

Our inability to control play when we require it most is incredibly disappointing. It is largely down to a lack of maturity, but it's frustrating how often we tend to pursue a goal, when slowing down play and keeping the ball for the sake of it, is usually the better plan.

It's incredulous when you consider that ball retention is the cornerstone of our current style of play - we do so when we don't need to, and yet when we are under pressure or chasing the game we open up completely end to end as if playing 424.

IMO playing Denilson & Wilshere as our 2 CMs in a 441 & still allowing them the same levels of freedom to go forward was f*cking criminal. AW is obsessed with maintaining 2 wide men ahead of the FBs, because he doesn't require the midfield to cover the flanks.

 

[outlaw_member]

Chamakh is a ******* striker. Why didn't he take the penalty?

Even he'd struggle to get enough power on a header from there.

Don't really fancy him with his feet.

I wouldn't have trusted Chamakh, either. His finishing with his feet and composure is pretty poor. Now if he could flick the ball up and strike it with his head...

 

[redanddread]

Chamakh is a ******* striker. Why didn't he take the penalty?

Even he'd struggle to get enough power on a header from there.

Don't really fancy him with his feet.

I wouldn't have trusted Chamakh, either. His finishing with his feet and composure is pretty poor. Now if he could flick the ball up and strike it with his head...

How many times have you watched him play to be able to amke that statement? Did you watch him play for Bordeaux? He slotted home a rather composed finish with his FEET against Braga (yes he as missed a few agaisnt Blackpool).......he also converted a penalty with APLOMB in pre-season.

 

[outlaw_member]

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.

Our inability to control play when we require it most is incredibly disappointing. It is largely down to a lack of maturity, but it's frustrating how often we tend to pursue a goal, when slowing down play and keeping the ball for the sake of it, is usually the better plan.

It's incredulous when you consider that ball retention is the cornerstone of our current style of play - we do so when we don't need to, and yet when we are under pressure or chasing the game we open up completely end to end as if playing 424.

IMO playing Denilson & Wilshere as our 2 CMs in a 441 & still allowing them the same levels of freedom to go forward was f*cking criminal. AW is obsessed with maintaining 2 wide men ahead of the FBs, because he doesn't require the midfield to cover the flanks.

We've been suffering from this problem ever since we changed our style. The very thing we take pride in and excell at, suddenly deserts us when we need it most whilst under the intense pressure. Fabregas is most at fault, because it's he that should be settling the team down, and slowing down play under such circumstances.

 

[Anzac]

We've been suffering from this problem ever since we changed our style. The very thing we take pride in and excell at, suddenly deserts us when we need it most whilst under the intense pressure. Fabregas is most at fault, because it's he that should be settling the team down, and slowing down play under such circumstances.

We did it last season A v ManU & City in consecutive games for consecutive defeats right at the start of the season, and repeated it during the season. I wonder if AW has as many issues 'learning from our mistakes' as the players?

The other issue I have with it is that most of AW's compromises are made in favour of the midfield, as opposed to taking direct corrective action with the midfield it's self, and then we basically throw it away.