Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has blamed complacency for throwing away a three goal lead against Anderlecht last night and said the team has to learn the ‘massive lesson’ they were given.
The midfielder looked to have scored the goal which would make the game safe in the 58th minute, but after an offside goal and a penalty, the visitors last minute equaliser ensured they went back to Belgium with a point.
“Obviously a little bit of complacency crept in because we didn’t finish the game strongly at all,” he said. “At 3-0 a team of our quality should be able to see that out and dominate the remaining 20–30 minutes. We failed to do that and we were punished.
“We were creating chances and 2-0 at half-time we obviously felt comfortable and that we had a good foothold in the game. Then to make it 3-0 that obviously eases a little bit more pressure, but you can never take the foot off the gas too much and we obviously did that and they punished us.
“Hopefully this is a massive lesson learned – we were at the opposite end of the spectrum a couple of weeks ago at Anderlecht, losing 1-0 and we took it right to the end and in the last two minutes we turned the game around.
“So we should have known better than anyone that the game is never done until the final whistle. We didn’t do that tonight, but hopefully it is a lesson learned and we can take this into the rest of the games and get the job done.”
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal do learn from that lesson or if their football recidivism brings about a repeat in the not too distance future.
We suggest they do 100 lines each:
We must not be daft twats in the future
We must not be daft twats in the future
We must not be daft twats in the future
etc
That’ll show ’em.
Last night, I did something I’ve always said I wouldn’t do, and have managed to up until now.
I bet on Arsenal. I included them in an accumulator and cursed them for us all.
I am truly sorry. If you want to have it out with anybody. Have it out with me.
I plead guilty too, sorry. Never again.
No, it’s my fault. I jinxed it. After the third goal (brilliant by Ox!) I turned to my brother and said “I don’t want to say this too soon, I think we’re starting to click.” It went rapidly downhill from there.
As long as we’re on this subject, UCL matches are aired late night in India and I’ve only had the chance to watch two arsenal Ucl games this season, one was yesterday. No prizes for guessing the other one.
haha, me too – 3-0 looking strong, how foolish to think that meant anything… and, curse it, had arsenal in a multi with dortmund and basel, all to win by 2+. was already spending the money in my head. gotta laugh, not even slightly surprized by the result. the absurdity of football (life in general, actually). silly humans
Me too 🙁
Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn’t one today.
I genuinely don’t believe we learn from any of our so called “lessons”. Even if we are 2-0 up at the 85th minute I’m still scared that we will capitulate… I really though that last season was the turning point, regardless of the cup final bar the huge losses to the big teams (again harks back to my statement of us not learning from any of our lessons) we looked like we knew what we had to to do, go 2-0 up and shut up shop… This season… Ugh… Man I just don’t know… Chambo was absolutely exhilarating last night… Read more »
I know how you feel but with perspective, it’s the same for everyone.
Just ask Liverpool what happened last year against Palace.
The “good side” (I know) is the minimal impact the result has on our season. 1st in the group stages would have been difficult given the goal difference with Dortmund so if we’re going to slip in a game, that was the one.
that is the only if we can called positive of the game, that happened in this game which was almost impossible to be first in the group and i’m praying it will be the only one this season to slip from 3-0 lead, but knowing our team this game will not be the last to slip embarrassingly or be trashed by the big boys, so sad but true. anyway i would take a draw yesterday and win in Swansea than winning yesterday 3-0 and losing a lead of 0-2 to Swansea. I hope all the players will be on their… Read more »
Couldn’t agree more, think that our manager is tactically hopeless to be frank, but have a look at this blog as to why the reason behind our capitulations might be more basic:
http://www.rightattheend.co.uk/2014/11/arsenal-red-and-white-laughing-stock.html
Haha, well said. I was literally gonna be like “Am I the only person bored of all the ‘lessons’ we learn every fucking year.”
Lesson that lasts until the next big lesson. This shouldn’t happen.
Had to Google recidivism.
I couldn’t agree more with what Merse said on SkySports – tactically clueless.
I felt exactly the same couldn’t have said it better
After such a game, the physical and mental strain is not to be underestimated.
We can only hope they can act like professionals and switch gears to focus on Swansea now.
We really need a positive result before the international break to keep building some kind of momentum in the league.
Mate, on my site they fucked alot of people. One for £400. So as you can imagine he’s quite pissed.
Anyways im fed up of hearing about learning lessons. I learnt when i was 12 the game ain’t over until the whistle. And that when one goes, generally one stays. I mean thats basic balancing of a team. So how these super pro athletes keep failing to do basics you have to question not only the manager, but their intelligance and game management skills.
Shame that arsenal never do… We have become synonymous recently with such pathetic capitulation… Please sort it out Arsene !
Arsene won’t sort it out. It’s all his fault for being tactically clueless and not strengthening at the back and defensive midfield in the summer.
Any other manager at any other club would be sacked for this kind of result, especially after the mediocre season we’ve had thus far.
Boy, if fourth in the league is mediocre, how bad must the other sixteen teams below us be?
I have say, if you have anything to learn about giving away a 3 goal lead, then you probably have no business being a professional footballer. I mean come on it’s pretty easy, you’re 3-0 up, don’t let in 3 and you win.
We have enough good players against a 2nd rate Belgian team to spank them.
Concurring with others, I feel sorry for Alexis, he really is on another level at the moment
Just pray we make it through to the last 16 and Koscielny & Debuchy are back for both legs.
Since we are inevitably going to landed with the heavyweights, we are going to need them.
A defensive midfielder in January would be nice as well.
Gooner till I die.
We should know by now that a 3-0 lead is dangerous for Arsenal, hell we’ve been know to throw away a 4-0 lead! We’ve supposedly learned so many lessons we should be on our post graduate doctorate by now!! The biggest lesson we never seem to learn is the “How to shut up shop – 101”.
Our tactically inept manager has been found out long time ago? Anyone remember the great run by Walcott, vs Liverpool that set upAdebayo? that was a game with less than 5 minutes to go, the man is just bereft of ideas defensively. Does anyone think managers like Anceloti or Morinho would play Monreal at 5’7 as CB? Wenger has been outed, he just tells players to go out and play, Vierra said it, the unbeaten run thing was down to those strong leading players in the team, not anything Wenger did really. The defensive ineptitude has been going on for… Read more »
For fuck’s sake. Tired of the injuries, ropey decisions from officials and inability to handle pressure. Thank god for Alexis or things would be a lot darker right now!
i am very upset about the result just like everybody else but i will like to make the folowing observations. i am hopeful that we can LEARN, this time!… from this mistake. What pains most is that our lack of adequate defensive cover/talent , which is now resulting in our defensive frailties has been predicted by ‘experts’ and fans alike, well before the closure of the last transfer window and yet arsene elected not to strengthen up, and that decision is now ‘biting us in the arse’…..with the so called ‘experts’ now grinning from ear to ear in front of… Read more »
So all Chambo’s trying to say is : “He who kills by the sword, dies by the sword”?
…
Dont touch me… I’ll leave…
(A’ont have a coat)
A massive cock-up was what it actually was.
We were tactically naive. It pains me to say it but Wenger’s teams always have been. He puts faith in the strengths of his players and gives them a lot of freedom on the pitch. The good side: he has inspired players like Vieira, Henry, Pires, Cesc, Ljungberg etc etc etc… The bad side: when you don’t have enough ability (I am referring to defensive know-how) as we don’t right now, you have to outscore your opponent because that freedom we are giving players is not controlled. At 3-0 up, or even 2-0 up, you should be able to control… Read more »
We never learn. 2 up at bolton in 02/03 8 pts clear we fucked it up drew 2-2 lost the league by 5pts. 00/01 fa cup final 1 up on 5 mins to go we let owen score 2 to finish us off. 07/08 8ts clear at the top looking like champs then.. 2 up at Birmingham we fucked it up. 06/07 league cup final 1 up on the cunts 15mins to go then drogba does us with 2 in 8 mins. Who cab forget tge spuds 2 up 3-1 up 4-2 up fucking 4-4! Wtf! Newcastle 4-4 we were… Read more »
Ox is right, this was a massive lesson – on how to make your opponents look world class…twice! Sigh.
3-2 vs Spurs at home after we were two up.
3-2 vs Wigan away after we were two up.
4-4 vs Newcastle
4-4 vs Spurs
8-2 vs Utd
6-1 vs Liverpool
6-3 vs City
6-0 vs Chelsea
3-3 vs Anderlecht
How many more fucking lessons do they need before they learn?
Wenger never learns so I dont expect his players to.
you forgot liverpool 5-1 and 4-1 several years back i think it was 2007 when crouch scored a hattrick
And 4-4 vs Liverpool as well when Arshavin got all four.
It’s now painfully obvious that this is a collection of weak minded individuals. I for one don’t put this on the manager’s tactics of technical approach to games. All that is BS. Every player on this team needs to look in the mirror and ask himself if he gives his all for this team. And the answer is obvious for all to see. No accountability, that’s where the manager is to blame. He doesn’t hold these weak minded twats accountable
But if you look at every iteration post-invincibles, every team he has created since then has been described as mentally weak.
If the players are the variables, and the one and only constant is the manager, who builds his teams in his image, then surely then it must be the manager’s core fault?
I mean, for years we would concede by having both fullbacks bomb forward only to get caught on the break? Yet how long did it take for him to change that? Heck it’s arguable we still do that.
I think some of our players have forgotten that we are a team and all they care about is personal glory. We win and lose as a team all they need to do is go and look at d statues outside the Emirates. Look at the invincibles not all those guys scored so many goals but in the eyes of the fans they are legends. Do your job to help the team not for your own glory and whether or not u score or not be content as long as the team does well. I won’t single out names in… Read more »
I’ve lost count of the amount of people that have pulled me up today for being a gooner and shouting abuse at me because we have cost them x amount as their bets went down. Most are not arsenal fans. So that’s made me smile.
Arsenal fans that have lost money though should no better than to back this team to do the obvious or the simple.
As for making the last 16 does it really matter. We go out at the same stage almost every year anyway.
“We suggest they do 100 lines each:
We must not be daft twats in the future
We must not be daft twats in the future
We must not be daft twats in the future
etc
That’ll show ‘em”
From the Edna Krabappel school of management I take it?
So if this was a massive lesson…..all the others were teeny weeny ones?
It keeps happening because we have the same manager!! For fuck sake…..different players….same fuck ups! Wenger Out!! Klopp in!
Oh so klopp whos in the relegation zone in THE ALMIGHTY BUBDESLIGA is gonna do a better job? Fuck off.
Klopp took a club on the bring on financial ruin and made them a legitimate world class team. He has achieved more in the past few years than Wenger, with a significantly less financial power and suffering the purchase of all his star players much more than we have. Yet year on year has made them better. Once upon a time they were the underdogs when they would face us, now we’re happy to nick a point from them. They’ve achieved more domestically and regularly go further than us in the UCL too. Yes they’re having a bad season so… Read more »
Wow. Wow. Honestly ive never read such bullshit in my life before. It seems like you f*cking made up the longest paragraph of utter crap that ive seen. Ever. Just to allow you to criticise our manager. Firstly the nonsense about them losing more key players is hilarious…we’ve lost far more than them in a much kore demanding league and managed to maintain cl qualification and take the club through a difficult and seemingly impossible transition period. As for the financial power..reallly? Do you understand the debt the club was in during those nine years because of our stadium? Wenger… Read more »
Talking of long paragraphs
Fans didn’t throw away the lead yesterday, I assure you.
Its my opinion…..and here’s another…..Even a total cunt like you could do a better job….that’s how bad Wenger is.
Ibrahim a bitch? Heh….Zlatan, is that you!??
Judging by the thumbs I am calling this election won by the Wenger Outians.
One-sided, misleading arguments from both candidates per the usual, with the requisite vitriol for good measure, and a good read of the electorate (for this day).
Okay I understand you’re young Ox, even though you’ve had sufficient experience at the top level at your age. But what about the other older players in the team? Aren’t they supposed to bring their experience? Shouldn’t they have learnt enough lessons throughout their footballing career?
Listen there seems to be lots of hate on here right now. Lets break it down if we want someone to counter attack etc klopp is our man. If we want someone who keeps the ball et al spain germany then pep is our man. It really depends on how we see ourselves playing. What I do know is that by playing klopps football we will have lots of problems implementing our youth as they all play the same recycle of posssess football as the 1st team. As for an earlier comment about metal toughness of our teams since the… Read more »
Obviously the ox obviously really likes the word obviously, obviously
Oh fuck, another “lesson”. We’ve had plenty of those. They don’t seem to work.
I thought we already learned this lesson when we tied Newcastle 4-4 a few years ago and did the same thing against Liverpool after Arshavin scored his fourth of the night.
A DM and a CB signed at the beginning of the season and we wouldn’t be leaking goals so easily…
I guess it’s Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Munich in the last 16 then. Pitty because Dortmund are really fading in their league and I think we could have taken them at home.
With the amount of lessons these guys have learned, they should all have PhDs by now
Christ I’ve lost count of the number of times ive heard this from them. Arteta as well its just words. Terrible balance to the squad and lack of character in it is only one persons fault
Based on the number of 2-0 victories last year i genuinly thought we had learned our lesson, but now i’ve realized that this is Arsenal, and we will always have to shit bricks until the last kick 🙁
Heard this kind of bullshit too many times to take it seriously anymore. I would set up my Sunday League side in a better manner and have certainly never been personally involved in such a collapse when leading a game by 3 goals. And yes I hear you shout, “but this is Champions League not Sunday league you twat!” And to that I answer; doesn’t matter what level of football you play, your team should have enough nouce, and if they don’t the Captain (me) of manager should have enough sense to organise them with 25 odd minutes to go… Read more »
Unless Anderlecht beat BVB, the lads might feel as though they don’t have to fully appreciate the “lesson” they were served last night. It’s only one game and potentially irrelevant in the grand scheme of the Champion’s League, but results like this must have a negative impact on the team mentality.
Having said all that, we may still win the tournament.
I don’t disagree but question is”how many massive lessons do we need?”
Newcastle, Spurs, Andelecht not to mention several spankings from United City and Chelsea.
Seems more like lesson not learnt.
Its all getting a bit predictable and validating of Joey Barton the twat. Its almost not shocking anymore…
To paraphrase a fellow gooner, nothing validates Joey Barton. Nothing.
A lack of discipline seems to be the ‘virus’ rolling through the camp. I’m looking at you for one, Mr. Ramsey.
They need a really loud and big translator for Alexis and let him address the squad.
I’m a confessed Wenger supporter but his defeatist body language when it starts turning sour is really bothering me.