UCL - AC Milan Vs Arsenal 19:45 15/02/12 ITV1

[Anzac]

We weren't much better at Swansea and to be fair the Man U game was our worst of the season.

At least in the Milan game it was 4 not 8 and against some great players, Ibrahimovic looked on fire and Robinho was dangerous and they were not alone.

OT = worst result,
but San Siro = worst performance by the team as we made changes / improvement after OT,
but no excuses for being so inept against Milan.

 

[David Smith]

@ferrari, fair enough and thanks.

One of the reasons I don't think tactically it was all that bad is that our players actually stunk to high heaven, pretty much all of them. Wenger's at some fault here too, of course, but not a one of them can hold his head up high and say they gave it their all (some more than others naturally). I reckon it's quite telling that this is the most openly critical I can remember Wenger being about a team performance - usually he deflects, but not this time.

True. I think it's because Wenger can see it was a bad performance all across the pitch. We're used to losing if we play well but that was not the case against Milan and Wenger has right to be furious at his players. It's not a performance we've come to expect from Arsenal. If we lose we could often take positives from playing well but I feel the team let themselves down last night. Such defeats I talk about include both games against City. We know our squad can perform at the top level but frankly they didn't show up at the San Siro.

 

[DiamondGooner]

9 if you think Gibbs is better than Santos.

Nope!


What was scariest for me is that we looked like we simply were not capable against a team of that class as in even on a good day.

We have RVP and Ox they had Ibrahimovic, Robinho, Prince Boateng etc etc we were outgunned in almost every department, I'm not even sure if were capable of beating a team with those sorts of players anymore.

If a team is better, simply they are better, we need to wake up from this thinking of just because were Arsenal that means we can win.

If we humble ourselves we would realise that we were outmatched squad for squad and at least 8/10 the better squad will win.

 

[albakos]

I wonder what the hell was going on through the minds of our players last night. They looked to be shocked that Milan were pressing us so hard.
Wenger and his stupid gameplan about taking the game and attacking them from the go, might have made our players think that Milan will play on counters and sit deep, so we will dominate the match.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing last night. Chesney and his stupid kicks will always be a problem. He was at direct fault for the first goal by just howling the ball to Nocerino, so he quickly released KBP in the box and Chez misjudged the kick thinking it would go out, as he didn't try to take the ball above him. After that he was shaking the whole game. Talk about overconfidence and when reality strikes, you go hiding.

5 shots in goal, 4 goals conceeded.


I never saw a worse game from Vermaelen. All his talk about "I know a lot about Ibra" etc.... He should've better said: "I know a lot about Ibra's pockets". He was even below Squillaci levels.

Their midfield were making turns around Song, Ramsey and their stupid backheels. So frustrating to watch us lose possession countless times.

I always knew we will not have it easy against a very experienced Milan team, but never I expected to be smashed like this.


And I bet it's even more difficult for most of A-M who were thinking we will have it easy and sail through to next round. Some were even saying that Verm-Kos partnership will keep a clean sheet, and Ibra will not get a sniff at goal. :bash

For the end can't help but quote myself from few days ago. This was coming

I'm struggling to believe that most of you think the will brush them aside and surely qualify.

This is AC Milan ffs. 7 time European Champions.

Back in 2008 when we beat them, our midfield was stronger and Milan were on a decline, after winning CL the previous year. Cesc had just played the game of his life.

Back now, Milan are Serie A champions and leading the table against a rejuvenated Juventus.

I can't say we will win, but the most realistic result is a score draw or even a loss.

</rant>

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

if you see the milan yesterday goals all come from our players mistakes. am not talking about milan bieng lucky but am talking about our players need to be careful and stop giving the ball away many many times

1- boateng goal come from chesney mistake give the ball away to milan player.

2- Robinho goal come from sagna mistake he was think ibra was offside and sagna stop and just watching while ibra enter into the box cross the ball well and robinho score

3- Robinho goal come from rozza mistake he give the ball away and then our players stop pressing and just watching ibra moving pass the ball to robinho TV5 slip and robinho score

4- ibra peno i did'nt watch it cuz i was pissed off and turn off the tv but i heared its come from rozza give the ball away.

so what am talking that our players need stop bieng losers and give the ball away when any team pressing us high, start thinking and keep yourself calm pass the ball to the free player better then give it away.

 

[Vela]

The defence was all over the place last night, Arsenal never win the ball back as well and why don't we press? Like people have said above no leadership in the team and lack of belief and fighting spirit. AC Milan rightly deserved winners and out played us.

Not going to talk about individuals.

 

[Anzac]

I feel like that performance deserves an obituary - something similar to that posted for the original burning of The Ashes.

And unless AW does something to deserve that 6m salary we may as well dust one off for him as we'll need it sooner rather than later.

 

[eye4goal]

This is a genuinely shocking result for Arsenal. In terms of style, Milan seemed the ideal side for them to face, because of their vulnerability to pace and width, but Arsenal didn’t show either of those features here. It’s staggering that Arsenal didn’t go wide more readily, and difficult to explain.

In one of their long-running spats at the turn of the century, Arsène Wenger once commented upon Sir Alex Ferguson, saying that “His weakness is that he doesn’t think he has a weakness.” Wenger’s weakness is that he doesn’t seem to know his side’s strength.

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2012/02/15/milan-4-0-arsenal-tactics/

 

[TheArsenalis]

Its rediculous to suggest, but is wenger make a conscious decision to cull all quality from this team?

 

[TheArsenalis]

Its rediculous to suggest, but is wenger make a conscious decision to cull all quality from this team?

 

[spartandre217]

Zonal marking has patently ignored a pitch that was relaid, in poor fashion just Tuesday night. That was by no means an accident IMHO. Why were the sections that were relaid the sections our game this season have depended on oh so heavily

 

[evoh_1]

Zonal marking has patently ignored a pitch that was relaid, in poor fashion just Tuesday night. That was by no means an accident IMHO. Why were the sections that were relaid the sections our game this season have depended on oh so heavily

True about the pitch up the wings but milan did some good technical work down the wing and didn't stop ibra and robinho drifting out wide? We still played 90 minutes with no left winger, and 45 minutes with no right winger, you can't think that is a plan against a compact well organised defense like milan's?

 

[Accomplished]

Its rediculous to suggest, but is wenger make a conscious decision to cull all quality from this team?

yes, it is "rediculous" to suggest.

Next.

 

[USArsenal]

I don't know what the average age of the AC Milan team were last night, but it must have been around 30, or more, and they out played us as a team.

Milan's average age (outfield players only) was 27.8.. i included Emanuelson's age instead of Seedorf's because he was off after 10 minutes.. otherwise, only Ibra and Van Bommel were 30 or over.. (not including subs)

our average age was 25.8 (not including subs) with only Rosicky over 30

Milan are not as old has they've been in previous seasons.. and we're not as young as we've been in previous seasons

 

[GDeep™]

Wenger bottled it with not starting OX, but last night was all about his players letting him down, disgraceful from the lads.

 

[David Smith]

I wouldn't have started Ox either and I think Wenger made the right decision on that front.

 

[ebouenolike]

Its rediculous to suggest, but is wenger make a conscious decision to cull all quality from this team?

Jesus Christ.

 

[dysphoria]

I wouldn't have started Ox either and I think Wenger made the right decision on that front.

yea, what you'd do is definitely a barometer of whats right.

 

[mo50]

Rosicky out wide still boggles my mind. Its another classic case of trying to fit players into the predictable 4-5-1.

 

[dysphoria]

Rosicky out wide still boggles my mind. Its another classic case of trying to fit players into the predictable 4-5-1.

exactly. I can't remember any single occasion he's actually preformed well out wide for us, he may have some pace but he's similar to theo in the sense that he doesn't actually go past players with trickery, rather, its about sudden bursts of speed. No sense playing players like that outwide against teams who will sit deep and pack the midfield let alone starting him ahead of ox who's shown that he can play wide and provide width with pace and trickery.

Too many similar square pegs trying to be fitted into round holes.