Arsenal: Szczesny, Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs, Flamini, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Alexis, Cazorla, Welbeck
Subs: Martinez, Bellerin, Rosicky, Wilshere, Podolski, Walcott, Sanogo
Arsenal’s miserable week continued as they threw away a second half lead to lose 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium against Swansea City. A scrappy first half gave way to an eventful second as Alexis Sanchez opened the scoring on 65 minutes before Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free-kick and Bafétimbi Gomis’ header turned things around for the hosts with 15 minutes remaining.
Pre-game
The Gunners made only one change to the side that started against Anderlecht in midweek with the injured Mikel Arteta replaced by Mathieu Flamini in the centre of midfield. Jack Wilshere, back from the suspension, knee kick and virus that have kept him out of three consecutive matches, returned to the bench. Theo Walcott was also on the bench looking to build on his 13 minutes of action against Burnley last weekend.
First half
The first real chance of the match fell to Swansea on 10 minutes when a whipped Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick required Calum Chambers to clear from close range at the back post. The opportunity had come as the result of a foul by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the tricky Jefferson Montero and the Ecuadorian winger continued to be a threat on the left wing firing a low shot at Szczesny’s near post on 21 minutes that our Pole did well to palm away.
Having dominated the opening 8 minutes with long spells of possession Arsenal were forced on to the back foot for much of the next 20 as showers descended at the Liberty Stadium. A series of corners were successfully defended, Wilfried Bony had a penalty claim dismissed by referee Phil Dowd after a slight nudge by Chambers and Szczesny had to block a low drive from Emnes.
At the other end a deflected effort by Ramsey was the best Arsenal offered as they struggled to provide Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck with any service. Cazorla offered very little and although Chamberlain was a threat on the right wing – two fouls from Neil Taylor and Ki Sung-yueng both resulted in bookings – his final ball was often wayward.
The England international did get it right two minutes before the break when his deft return pass to Welbeck freed the striker to shoot from close range. Lukasz Fabianski, playing against his former club for the first time, got down low to parry the ball for a corner. As the momentum swung Arsenal’s way Ramsey flashed a volley just wide and Mertesacker should have done better with his head from a corner.
Second half
Arsenal continued the momentum after the break as Sanchez freed Chamberlain who couldn’t quite sort his feet to fire anything more than a tame effort straight at Fabianski.
Moments later Cazorla took a nasty kick from Ashley Williams that saw both players require treatment and the Swansea captain rightly booked. It was the second time he’d sent the Spaniard sprawling. Ex-Gunner Kyle Bartley headed over Sanchez’s resulting free-kick.
Mertesacker and Flamini joined Ramsey in the book, Cazorla forced Fabianski into a decent stop before Arsenal finally broke the deadlock on 64 minutes with a lightning quick counter-attack.
It was all started by the excellent Chamberlain who charged 40-yards down the right, fed Cazorla who in turn slipped Welbeck behind the defence. The striker checked back calmly, picked out partner Sanchez who promptly smacked the ball into the back of the net from six-yards out. It was the Chilean’s twelfth goal of the season. (1-0)
Almost immediately Bony came close to an equaliser as Swansea poured forward in the driving rain. 10 minutes of pressure were duly rewarded when Gylfi Siggurdsson curled a free-kick into the top corner after Gibbs had cynically taken out Modou Barrow 30-yards from goal. The left-back also earned a booking. (1-1)
Proving no lessons had been learnt from midweek, the Gunners promptly conceding a quick-fire second. Montero, skinning Chambers for the umpteenth time, made his way to the byline and dinked a ball into the middle that substitute Bafétimbi Gomis headed low past a stranded Szczesny. (2-1)
Stunned by the turnaround, the Gunners floundered in the final third despite the introduction of Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott for Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini and Yaya Sanogo’s late cameo in place of Calum Chambers. In the end the visitors didn’t really threaten Fabianski’s goal as the home side defended in numbers to the pleading cries of a passionate crowd.
The result leaves the Gunners floundering in sixth place, a title challenge little more than a pipe dream now. We’ve not beaten a side outside the top six this season – a pretty pathetic state of affairs given where we were this time last year.
Well that was rather poo.
Arsene, centre-back, told you.
same old same old same old fuck
are arsenal going backwards…no…everyone else is going forward…we’re staying the same
Can I be arsed to read the 250+ comments below this one that surely contain various degrees of dooming and how our players stink and our manager stinks?
No.
Though if Rambling Pete has made an appearance, would someone please tell me?
So upset!
Wenger waited until Ramsey got in the way and gave away the ball for the equelizer (thats all the useless fucker done) before he hooked him, what does he be looking at, he’e really lost it, WENGER OUT
I find your comment fascinating.
As in, after seeing similar comments over the past few weeks, I’m 90% certain if you had kept your post as it was but removed the “Wenger out” at the end, you would’ve got a whole bunch of positives and few dislikes.
So it seems you can point out all the flaws of Wenger, his choices, squad failures, being tired of him and everyone will agree. Yet there’s almost a pavlovian response as soon as anyone uses the word “Wenger out” in their post
Or maybe, it’s just that saying ‘Wenger out’ simply because you believe he got one substitution wrong is a bit over the top.
I’ll hold with the Ramsey sentiments. I just think he is giving Ramsey too much time to find his game at the moment. I’m not getting on Ramsey’s back either. As for ‘ Wenger Out ‘ , we just need to put the handbrake on that right now, Wenger may have his faults and make mistakes but how do 11 players lose a lead twice in a week in such an abject way ? I’m pretty sure Wenger isn’t asking them to throw it away. The players are good enough, they are internationals, they need to organise on the pitch… Read more »
No handbreak. Sack him now!
Aaron Ramsey is nicking a living.
Wenger out.
Best player last year. Injured again for four months. And is now trying to regain form in a struggling team by trying too hard to make shit happen as no one else is capable (other than Sanchez, of course). Get a grip of yourself Anus. Without him last year we would have been nowhere near an FA Cup win.
Fickle, fickle man.
Last season’s best midfielder in the league by a country mile, the player whose goal secured us our first trophy in almost a decade is nicking a living?
Sounds like you are nicking a brain.
…you couple of mugs need to look at Ramsey’s performance for both Swansea goals.
Weak, feeble, aloof…just not good enough.
The lad was good *going forward* *last season*, but he’s been replaced for the #10 role by Sanchez. He needs to improve his game in the centre of the park where at the moment he looks utterly clueless. We need better.
I think you are correct apart from the goals last year everything else he did was for the best part SH*T. Someone would need to take him onto the training ground and show him how a midfielder should play how to pass the ball 10 yards and how to track back after the ball and maybe try back up the play instead of always wanting to be playing in-front of the striker.
Even last year with the goals he scored for me he was still very poor at his job!!!!!!!!
German Gooner, he lost it years ago when he signed that kunt silvestre from the cheats. I’ve had no confidence in him since then. He keeps scraping 4th in the PL and 2nd in the CL, but has not taken a step forward in over 10 years, and is too stubborn to retire upstairs. With our squad, Martinez (Everton) would have put in a title challenge last season, despite the injuries.
Nope, CB is not the problem.
Wenger,blame it on the rain, whatever you do…
Completely agreed. What I’m looking forward to, is to see if Arsene has the guts to give young Isaac Hayden a chance and see how he does in the PL because For sure 1) Playing Monreal at CB is a risk Arsenal shouldn’t be taking. Even with Bony up-front, what chance did he really have? I can’t believe he was played. I was hoping to see Chambers and Bellerin as the CB and RB resp., but if he really needs chambers at RB, I’d rather go with a 6’2 and much stronger(compared to Nacho) Hayden against Bony and Gomis. 2)… Read more »
Manure also have their share of problems but credit to Van Gaal, he has trusted his natural centre backs, McNair and Blackett rather than playing Rafael or Shaw at centre back. Why don’t we trust our young right back Bellerin and trust our young centre back Chambers to play in their best positions? Chambers looked superb at the start of the season at centre back. Doesn’t make sense to me why we would play Monreal there instead of him. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but how much do we miss Jenkinson right now? He could have had a brilliant run… Read more »
Where have you been all season? Honestly mate name me at least 3 good games we’ve had this season. That’s right you barely can, it’s a fucking joke of a season. Wenger may buy someone come January, either Khedira or the likes (he better be after the shower of shit we keep up with every week), but it’ll be too fucking late. And it has been the past 3 windows already. A striker should’ve been bought last season and bedded in proper. Last summer should’ve been about making defensive reinforcements but Wenger fucks it up yet again.
The fact is it isn’t just new players we need. We have a bloody good squad of international players. It’s a new manager we need. And soon.
Thanks for the good years, but we need a change.
I quite agree with you. Chambers was having a horrible afternoon, a tactically sound manager would have either taken him off or swapped him with Monreal even for the fear of him picking up a second yellow (We cant risk loosing him against the Mancs right?). But no, Arsene leaves him and keeps ‘Faith’ .
I’m certainly not going to disagree with you there. If you read my past posts on other match reports you can see my rants about needing a defensive mid, being down to the bare bones in defence, the squad not gelling and the like. Truth is, I’m tired of repeating the same concerns week-in, week-out. As predicted after the Anderlecht game, our defence got picked apart today and although this may seem harsh to say, especially on an Arsenal website, we didn’t deserve to win.
Why would anyone read your past comments?
Apologies. I meant read as in the past tense rather than the present.
Things that need changing at Arsenal:
Manager
Playing squad
Backroom coaches
Scout Network
Medical and Physio Dept.
Youth Setup (This has been addressed recently, although its too early to tell if improvements have been made).
Yeah? Please tell me again about your experience managing big club like this…
Absolute effing…effing…effing.
Ugh. I feel helpless. The team equally so, Chambers had a stinker. 5 people trying o head the ball out of the box and get beaten. Rubbish effing performance again.
It’s embarrassing 🙁
What an absolute joke. I’ve stuck by Wenger all these years and have never considered wanting him out, but I’m really starting to find it hard to defend him. Every Arsenal fan on this planet knew that we needed a CB in the summer and to fail to secure one over a 3 month window is inexcusable. And now we are paying for it. Last 2 games thrown away because of defensive frailties and having to play a short LB as a centre half, someone we are going to have to cope with for at least another month while Koscielny… Read more »
Those poor fucking rain sodden bastards who travelled down the M4.
I feel almost as sorry for them as I do for Sanchez.
And what annoys me is Wenger had the balls to point out that Alexis didn’t have “the best game today”. Take some responsibility, Arsene. Alexis is the only reason we’re in the top half of the table, you owe him a lot.
Buy a defender in January or leave.
thank god i got some JD and smokes left from last night
ball in our half , winning the game , we get possession . we pass the fucking thing 10 times before finally realizing we need to get rid . ball goes forward (under pressure ) . bad pass ! they get the ball , break forward . we foul the guy . they get a free kick . the wall looks a joke as mert is about 12 ” taller than everyone else . they score !! wenger then looks amazed !!!! its your fucking tactics man !!!!!!!!!!!! any other team in the league would have been well shut of… Read more »
changing managers doesn’t always solve the problem i acknowledge that , but the one thing it does do is give hope !! we all know we’ve got no hope of serious trophy’s till we change the manager
Poo is an understatement. What was with the complete lack of tempo. The CB’s and keeper just passing it between themselves repeatedly. No passes thru the lines. Credit 2 ox 4 at least trying 2 make things happen. Just not enough attempts at goal either. Even after we scored the game began 2 drift, Ramsey and cazorla were really poor. But AGAIN Wenger refuses 2 use his bench, until its 2 late. We actually have 1 of the strongest offensive benches in the league. Chambers is a great prospect, but at CB. He doesn’t have the pace 2 play at… Read more »
chambers is too tall for full back . why play a guy 5 ` 10 who`s a left back ( not a very good one ) at centre half , and stick a guy 6 foot plus at right back ????????? inform me of any full backs in the prem who are over 6`1 ( who are any good ) ???should have played bellarin right back and put chambers center half . but then again i`m not paid millions to state the fucking obvious !!!!!!
Sorry Arsene, it’s coming to a sad end
80th minute is the new 67th innit?
Yep. Wenger’s self-derived rules: 1. Substitutions: none allowed until the 80th minute 2. Team selection: no changes allowed until someone injured 3. Tactics: select the tactic that will help players learn to play unfamiliar positions, not the tactic that will win the game. These rules are based fundamentally on an untrue hypothesis of “long-term planning” that the team will gel together in 5 months’ time, that players will improve in 5 years’ time. The hypothesis isn’t true because it doesn’t take into account players injured, leaving, morale, and elephant in the room short-term results. Using these rules in the context… Read more »
At his core, Wenger is essentially an economist. Nearly 100% of economics is based on simplistic models that represent ‘normal’ situations. For example, if Pepsi cost a quid and coke 50p, it’s pretty obvious which you’d choose. I believe Wenger’s coaching philosophy is similar, and also represents the real heart of our issues. he’s based his management on a model that makes too many unrealistic expectations: no injuries, players can theoretically ‘cope’ with unfamiliar positions, players will learn from their mistakes, etc.
Except, you know, when that isn’t true. Like against Burnley when we started Flamini and Arteta, and brought on Ramsey in the 61st minute. And Monreal playing at CB because of a lack of alternatives, not as a tactic. Other than that, who has been playing out of position?
of course, cuz Burnley are such a good team and world beaters right? since we cant say that against any decent side, we has to resort to burnley
Fuck this shit, Wenger really has to go already. Fucking abysmal transfer window yet again, another season fighting for fourth and playing fucking shit tiki taka while at it
As fans, how can we mobilise and pressure the board from their miasma?
You can’t. We can only suck it up for 2 and a half seasons.
Saddest thing is that I remember the joy I felt when we won the cup last season, but in retrospect it increasingly looks like a mistake.
It was a mistake to win the FA CUP?
jesus christ.
As much as it pains me to say it, it’s looking like it. Manager’s job was hanging on it (it shouldn’t) and win brought another 3 years on the contract.
Which really is a shitty situation all around because no one should EVER feel like winning the cup was a mistake.
Right now though, I’d take a couple more trophyless years but with visible progression over the FA cup, sadly.
I’m similarly gobsmacked by the reaction.
Suddenly winning silverware isn’t progression and a duck we needed breaking.
Mention this one year ago and you would have been lynched.
Well, clearly it isn’t, since we’re actually not progressing at all and was obviously not the right duck to be broken.
what an absolute pile of crap you and anyone who agrees with your comment are spouting… For 9 long years the mistake lay in not winning anything, and now that something has been won its a MISTAKE!? The mistake was not buying a proper center-half in the past transfer window, and not reinforcing the center of the the midfield when it was abjectly clear that as good a player as Arteta was he is no longer at a level required to operate as a deep lying defensive midfielder because that is simply not his natural position… Anyone like Chair and… Read more »
Would be interesting to see how you measure the “visible progression” then. Not that I disagree this was a shit performance, and a shit run of form. I’m just as frustrated as you are.
Is it the results that matter? – that’s hard to judge consistency by. And ultimately meaningless as you always get outliers in any set of data (including football results).
If it’s final table position that matters… it’s still November. Unless you consider mid-season results… like 2008 where we topped the table up till Boxing day.
It certainly can’t be silverware, as you emphatically pointed out.
Well mister, you have a right to your opinion (and I to mine). In my opinion, there isn’t a problem in personnel (well there is, but a new CB or DM wouldn’t save us today) but in our manager. This team SHOULD win against Swansea and the like, even without those additions. There is a deeper, tactical problem and there’s only one way to change that. Winning FA cup was a mistake in a sense of what it caused. It caused that the manager got an extension without a second thought from the board and it gave him a lot… Read more »
Without an FA Cup win, I doubt Sanchez would have joined us.
So let’s take away Sanchez’ involvement in this season and where are we? Worse off. So no, the FA Cup was not a mistake, the FA Cup was needed more than anything.
Sincerely,
Someone who spent the best part of 10 years waiting for that trophy.
I wrote a long reply but it seems that the site ate it up. So in short: – Neder, it was a mistake in a sense of what it caused: manager got a new contract without a second thought and a lot of leeway and goodwill this summer window, had we not, we might’ve gotten a new manager who took a more aggressive approach in the transfer market which would be probably better in the long run – Ahab, visible progression is admittedly mostly based on my gut feeling but even though it’s only November, my gut feeling tells me… Read more »
But then we have to look at where that money comes from. An FA Cup trophy provides an increase in revenue from competition winnings and the extra sponsors that want to buy into a trophy winning team. There is talk that Sanchez was chased by both us and Liverpool, he chose us, one reason was because we played closer to how Chile played, but you can’t rule out that the cup win wasn’t a bonus to his decision. I’d take a trophy over not having a trophy no matter what the circumstances are. We had 9 years without a trophy… Read more »
Some mistake.
Take a Wenger Out sign to the Utd game, it might wake the board up
Yeah it’s going to take fans taking signs with WengerOut! to Emirates games, for the board to finally wake the f**k up.
What else do you suggest? If we want change then we have to stand up and make a noise and at least let the board know.
part of the problem at the moment is the malaise in the stands. Everyone is moaning and nobody is getting off their arse and doing something.
Maybe it will make the team start fighting for him and performances will improve. On the other hand it could have the opposite effect. Who knows with this team.
Maybe we need proper fans and not mugs.
Maybe we need fans with enough self respect not call themselves after someones pubic hair
1) Get yourself to an optometrist.
2) Get your mind out the gutter.
Any transfer window that sees Alexis Sanchez come in, one of the most exciting players we’ve ever had at Arsenal, can’t be abysmal.
The lack of a covering center half is an abysmal decision, as is the unforgivable action of going into yet another season without a powerful center mid to give us strength in the middle of the park.
Tiki taka? Yeah, I wish!
Nothing has changed and he needs to go. For once i want Wenger to admit that it was his fault. What are the excuses now?? Our attack is good, but our defence is shocking. Wenger has to take blame for that and leave with some dignity.
anyone else dread watching arsenal these days?
I can’t watch Arsenal two weekends in a row any more. I just can’t.
Well then you’re not much of a fan are you?
I guess so Neder. Since you’re into gauging peoples fandom I hope this comment reaffirms you’re analysis and puts a smile on your face. God knows we someone needs to leave the comment section in a good mood.
I can’t understand why we were so worried. So much fear…for heavens sake the players are good on the ball. If there’s fear track the fuck back and make a foul earlier. Great free kick but I applauded Gibbs for that foul. He scored an amazing free kick. Can’t really complain. The second was ridiculous. Chambers was getting beaten every single goddamn time and The centre halfs having seen that time and again don’t deal with the ball across. Joke. Arsena Wenger is the joke here, can’t teach his team defend after 2000 effing games.
as much as I agree we can’t blame Chambers in this situation and where he’s come from he’s been great.
Not blaming chambers, although he got roasted far too many times with the same trick. I was blaming the center halfs. They should have read it. Anybody watching that game could’ve predicted that Montero would try to get to the byline. But not Mertesacker. No, he wants to leave his out of position 5 foot whatever partner to out jump that tall bloke from Swansea. Monreal playing in there is emabarassing for the manager but so much has been said about it. Mertesacker should help him out. He was totally unaware of what was happening around him. There was no… Read more »
Rubbish. It was The Ox’s fault for not helping Chambers. Now you’re just using Mertesacker as a scapegoat. He didn’t do anything wrong all game.
Nope, Wenger’s fault for not telling the Ox to help Chambers out. You know, that’s the point of a manager, he is supposed to notice areas of weakness and help his players fix them
Have a look at his position in the second goal, there is no one near him. What’s he trying to do- Stop a run into that area? But who is around him to make that run? Can’t understand his position there at all. How can he feel secure in leaving the task of heading it out to small man like Monreal. Singling out Mertesacker, yes, I am. But I feel his performances have been poor and he deserves crisiticism. The blogger has a soft spot for him so he never gets criticism, he deserves it for his start to the… Read more »
The problem with that NoseHair is that Ox was our greatest attacking threat. He was the one, even more than Sanchez, driving us forward, as seen by his run that allowed Cazorla to play in Welbeck, to cut back inside and slide a lovely pass to Sanchez for the opening goal. And it was a wonderful goal in a woeful game. If as you say you saw The Ox be tasked with helping Chamebrs, why didn’t Wenger understand that The Ox was our best attacker, have him switch to the left and put Cazorla onto the right and help cover… Read more »
I obviously didn’t see The Ox being asked to help Chambers, I’m just inferring that he was because he was tracking back a lot more in the second half. He just did a really crap job of helping Chambers.
And it’s not that difficult for someone to get back to do a bit of defending and then get back up the other end.
Not really we got alexis.
Tika Taka haha, They do a couple of one-twos and you call it Tika Taka. This team is shit.
sanchez looks a good transfer window signing mate … but agree with your sentiments , alexis must be wondering what the fuck he`s got himself into !!!!
Stupid decision from Gibbs and chambers. Givin a free kick away from shootin range and chambers was absolutely piss today. That kid is left footed so don’t let him run down the line but he let him do it over and over again. Gotta be one of the most frustratin thing being an arsenal fan
If Gibbs didn’t bring him down it was a guaranteed goal.
Oh, dear!
You keep being proved right again and again mister! Pity so many people gave you shit in the past!
Thanks, Tony.
Fatgooner is a troll and will always be a troll
It just keeps on getting better, doesn’t it. Chambers was ripped to pieces, defense is shit, Ox and Sanchez were the only ones worth their salt. Thank fuck for interlull, at least you can’t lose when you don’t play
I’ve said it before and will say it again, idc how many downvotes will get. We dont deserve Alexis, he is such a beast player to be playing for this team now. And also, changes need to be done, either with Arsene or not here…and im rather liking the last option of without wenger here..
This defensive situation has taken what looked to be a really promising season and replaced it with 2011/12. Entirely Wenger’s fault. What’s more is that he could see Chambers was struggling with their left winger all game yet he did nothing to change the situation. I can’t help but think it is time for Wenger to go.
Who was he going to bring in to replace Chambers at RB and we could trust anymore than Chambers?
He could have put Monreal out there, he could have put Bellerin a natural right back out there. He could have made a change tactically where he told the right winger or rght sided central midfielder to give more protection to Chambers and double up on Montero. Doubling up on a troublesome winger isn’t rocket science.
Spot on Andrew. Someone could’ve been tasked to assist Chambers. Some stuff looks so basic to coaching that I’m surprised every time by Arsene’s decision making.
bellerin, he’s much faster then chambers
Could have bought on Bellerin, who has the pace to deal with their left winger.
Put Bellerin and Walcott on the right side, and I guarantee Montero either drops deeper to defend or gets burned for a goal. But hey, what do I know. I haven’t won the PL
Maybe shift Ox to the left and bring on both Theo and Bellerin, thus changing the dynamic of that side and forcing Montoya deeper and more defensive to handle the ridiculous speed and threat of both.
It may not have worked, but it was clear as things stood it was a matter of time. But Wenger never tries any tactical changes.
All crap suggestions. Everyone’s complaining Monreal is unfamiliar with CB, and you want him to move to RB for the first time ever in the middle of that game? The fact is The Ox was told to help Chmabers in the second half, you could see him tracking back more, he just did a really crap job of it.
As for Bellerin, he’s even more inexperieced than Chambers.
Surely the point is that he could see Chambers being skinned alive before his very eyes and did absolutely nothing about it, nothing.
Thumbdown for the term ‘beast player’.
Give me a list of five managers that would like to replace Wenger with.
Klopp
Martinez
Heynckes (too bad he already retired)
Bergkamp/De Boer
Koeman
Low
Garcia
Simeone
Blanc
Klopp- Borussia Dortmund are sitting in the last place of Bundesliga as we speak. In all his managerial years, Klopp has never encountered anything like this, you or I have no idea how he and his club handle adversity
Martinez- not proven at the top level, very loyal. I don’t see him leaving Everton af
Retired
Bergcamp/De Boer- almost with no exception, great players make shitty managers.
Koeman- not leaving Southampton after one year I imangine
Klopp plays a much more aggressive counter attacking style than we do, not the Arsenal way (besides he’s made for Dortmund.) Martinez is only in his second season at a medium sized club, give him 3 or 4 more seasons and he’s a perfect replacement after Wenger’s retirement. Bergkamp has so far shown no ambition whatsoever to being a manager and De Boer is quite clearly not rated that highly by clubs considering he’s won four strait titles with Ajax and he’s never really been highly sort after by bigger clubs in Europe Koeman…flavor of the month..give me a fucking… Read more »
Jurgen Klopp? Marcelo Bielsa? Antonio Conte? Roberto Mancini? Rudi Garcia? Siniša Mihajlović? Plenty of coaches with new ideas and philosophies out there.
“Playing the arsenal way.” I am not exactly sure what is the arsenal way anymore after watching that shocking horrible performance.
“Klopp plays a much more aggressive counter attacking style than we do, not the Arsenal way”
I reckon that’s what people are looking for, a rebranding of the Arsenal way.
“Playing the arsenal way.” = giving away games that we’re leading, passing the ball around, defensive mistakes, static players, “mental strenght”…yeah….
Also can someone tell me what Steve Bould does as assistant manager? I know I have only a limited match day view, but it seems to me he just sits there quiet as a mouse. Doesn’t seem to challenge Wenger at all. Sure as shit he can’t be offering tactical solutions to onfield problems, either that or Wenger is flat out ignoring them. So how about we poach Paul Clement from Ancelotti and Real Madrid, set him up as Assistant, get him bedded in the club and then have him take over in 2 years. Clement is a highly rated… Read more »
Koeman? He’s only been here five minutes. Did you want Laudrup, too? Martinez? Over Wenger? Ask anyone in the game whose better and they’ll tell you it’s a stupid question. Not sayin’ we shouldn’t be on Arsene’s back for not buying a CB/DM…he deserves the flack 100%. Just don’t put an average boss (Martinez) and flavour of the month boss (Koeman) over a guy who’s won 3 Prem titles and 5 FA Cups. Not to mention CL football year in year out. Look at Brenda Rodgers. Funnily enough, you left her name out. I wonder if you would’ve a few… Read more »
Good try but Blanc ! Not competent enough plus will establish quota not based on quality at our academy.
‘Great players make shitty managers’.Gaurdiola,Ancelotti,Cryuff, oh dear.Wenger’s misfortune is that it is truly ignorant people that make excuses for him nowadays.
True, there’s many aspects of his management that are irreplaceable and extremely positive for the club.
But consider that in terms of the aspects of the matchday – team selection, tactics, substitutions, man management – he is probably the worst in the EPL.
I want to downvote the first para and upvote the second
There are managers out there now who are managing smaller clubs than Arsenal who shown themselves to be better managers than Wenger over the last few years. However the risk with changing managers would be that changing Wenger could perhaps uproot many of the structures at the club. Is it a risk worth taking at this point? Personally I think so, especially when we potentially at the beginning of a new era for the club where we can choose a new direction.
“give me a list of five managers that you’d like to replace george graham with”
bullshit argument…
How is that a bullshit argument? He is, by all accounts, a world class manager. Good luck finding one on the street. When people say “Wenger Out” they usual sound of cricket chirping ensues, because they want change for change’s sake, and that is a bullshit argument for you.
How about the guy who manages grampus8.i have no idea who he is but then I didn’t 20 odd years ago either. Any one on here could name their favorite manager for it only to be shot down by any number of people that disagree. To do nothing is not an option. We are stale and going nowhere as a club. Arsene has done wonders for us but all things comes to an end. A new manager may fai, who the fuck knows but to just carry on as things are because we are scared of trying something new will… Read more »
This.
This indeed !
Anyone, even me. I’ll be better than an old bloke who can’t see any problems or ant solutions. There are loads of good young hungry managers out there. I’ll gladly accept a couple of seasons of ‘rebuilding’ as long as someone is implementing a clear philosophy and a winning attitude. Wenger is not doing this at all. He is inept, tactically inept, inept as a man manager, inept in the transfer market.
Jurgen klopp, antonio conte, Diego simeone,
Any shithead is better that Wenger right now. The old fart has lost it.
Go on then WillyG, apply for the job… After all any shit head is better right!?
Punxsutawney Phil
Ronald Koeman or Jurgen Klopp – both managers with ideas and ambition.
Sam Allardyce would do a better Job.
I have been saying that since Swansea beat us at our house two years ago.
How can you not see the obvious dissonance between the statements we don’t deserve Sanchez and Wenger must go. How the fuck do you think Sanchez was able to be convinced to play for Arsenal in the first place? Arsene is Arsenal, Arsenal is Arsene, whether we like it or not. If we as fans seriously think that its Wenger’s time to go, if he’s not the man to lead the team forward during this new phase, then we need to start talking about it seriously and consider the ramifications of getting rid of someone whose basically built this club… Read more »
again, the whole “we can ONLY sign players like alexis cuz wenger” is just assumptions we make cuz is the only thing we know. Nothing says that if with another class manager we wont be getting players at the same level or even better than him
its an open secret that both Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez were convinced to join Arsenal only after a conversation with Wenger. Both spoke specifically about how the style of play and coaching that Wenger favors is what convinced them ultimately to join.
And what says another manager couldnt have convinced them as well?
Whether or not another manager would have convinced them is a hypothetical that doesn’t matter in this situation. The fact of the matter is he DID convince b/c they (Sanchez and Ozil) wanted to play for him and he’s all we’ve got at the moment. Look i’m not just a blind Wenger apologist, what bothers me is the sheer callousness of thinking about just tossing someone whose essentially built this club for two decades out the door like he’s meant nothing. Its heartbreaking but also very fucking infuriating because no one really seems to be thinking about it rationally.
@with the left and the right
Such as is hypothetical than another manager would do worst than Arsene and wont be able to convince players of the same level or better to join
Agreed, and they only need convincing because due to Wenger’s shit management we haven’t won anything meaningful for years. If we were successful players would want to come here.
Because, David, Ozil and Sanchez were top players at the top clubs in the world, they could have gone anywhere they wanted, but they came to Arsenal because of Wenger.
Yep, Bruce Rioch signed Bergkamp
We could drop like a stone or we could actually challenge for the title again. Who knows.we won the FA cup last year. Great day but how long will you keep saying we can’t let wenger go because you are scared of change. It’s not a part bout being fickle it’s about seeing th obvious.
When is the right time. Another 3 years 5 another 10? Because you think the man should stay doesn’t make those that think his time is up fickle.
Don’t believe the shit that the media team at Arsenal feed you. Those interviews by alexis and ozil are basic propaganda tools to help the wenger cause. In reality alexis and ozil were both driven out of their clubs and we were the best team they had to choose from.
Yeah, because the media are always on Wenger’s and Arsenal’s side.
That was sarcasm, by the way.
Answers:
Sanchez came for the money, as all players do.
Yes, Wenger built the club recently, but now his time has ended.
Arsenal is Arsenal, not Arsene.
Man Utd will finish above us this season now they have a decent manager and decent players.
There are plenty of better managers. He suited the club when all we could do is find new talent and develop it. He’s now out of his league.
I’ve supported this club since 1978, and I’ve never been so frustrated. We’ve been worse, sure, but never so frustrating.
We need a change.
But the money was not a priority for Sánchez. He rejected the better economic offering from Liverpool because he believed in Wenger. He always wants to play at the highest level. Also when he was in Udinesse he rejected the better offering from Manchester United, twice, for playing in Barça. Alexis is not like other players so you must not be unfair with him.
You’re just hoping Manure will finish above us, despite being a point behind us. They have done nothing to suggest they’ll finish above us. Maybe you should think about which club you support.
Yes, he’ll probably get us out of jail by the end of the season and we will all be left biting our nails for that 4th spot on the final day. Treading water and somehow all will be forgiven. What utter crap.
with the left and the right, you are craven.
“Man Utd will continually struggle for a couple of seasons”, is that suggesting that we haven’t been struggling for the last decade? If the ramifications of changing Wenger means we all need to be aware, then you need to consider the ramifications of us staying in the same spot with no improvements for his continued tenure. We have the team to build on, we have the money to improve. But we are led by a manager who doesn’t know how to improve what we have and has a backroom setup that don’t know how to find players. The idea of… Read more »
We’re not even half way through the season. And you’re forgetting the FA Cup. Hardly ‘no improvements’.
And what about Ozil, Sanchez, Ospina, Debuchy, Welbeck, Chambers? No improvement? Don’t know how to find players?
People support Arsene for what he’s done since he arrived in ’96, taking the club from mid-table mediocrity to trophies, Champions League every year, and a world class stadium, and not on the basis of the last two or three results.
I’m talking from an improvement on our FA Cup winning squad in 2005. He dismantled that team far too quickly. Ozil and Sanchez are great players and it’s great that we’re getting great players back in the club, but it’s taken him almost 10 years to get to this point. As for finding players, how many strong midfielders has he found since Vieira left? How many mercurial strikers has he found that come anywhere close to Thierry Henry? How many defenders did he find in the last window. I get that people support Arsene and for what he has done… Read more »
No, since 2006 his resume includes one world class stadium, built with basically nothing left to spend on transfers, and yet competing with billionaire-backed clubs who have together spend roughly £1bn.
The stadium was completed in 2006, it was planned long before that. As for competing with billionaire clubs, I agree in a way, he has kept pace with them on a limited budget. Sure. But competed with them? No, we’ve never competed with them, in 2007-08 we were on course to winning the league, but we bottled it. We led the league for most of last year, but we bottled it. The few times where we have been in the driving seat of the league, we have been the makers of our own undoing. That’s down to the manager. Again,… Read more »
Again, we had to pay for the stadium after 2006, which left us with nothing to spend. And yet we still got the Champions League every season.
Idiot.
Yes you are
But we can get injured……
FUCKING BOTTLERS.
Apparently there’s a new rule that doesn’t allow you to make a sub until you’re losing the game. Wenger gotta stop being hostile towards any pundit that criticises him and start looking at what he’s doing with this club.
Sanchez’s frustration at the linesman says it all.only player that cared today
That’s right Arsene, play a left-back in central defence. What’s the worst that could happen?
WengerOut
In fairness, he wasn’t really to blame though. Montero dominated our right hand side the entire match without anything being done about it.
The second goal was his fault
Who the fuck could he play?
Maybe sign a centre back when we had the chance?
Monreal’s quality has always been questioned and when praised it was always for his attacking threat. Sanogo, my gran my neighbours three legged dog has more presence than him. You reckon wengers like “errr were about to play against two of the best aerial threats in bony and gomis errr how about playing my second shortest fullback in CB”. Great Fucking Idea.
“errr what monreal lacks in physical ability errr he makes up for in mental strength” – Arsene Wenger
Totally bored of this shit now.
Alexis must wonder what the duck he’s doing here and why he bothers.
A shambolic excuse for a football club.
Ladies and Gentlemen….Arsene Wenger
Give him a bronze statue outside the stadium and move him upstairs in a respectful way.
Klopp in.
Get rid of him altogether. Klopp seems to be flavour of the montha at the moment but I wouldn’t want him either, he burns out players and has as many injured as Arsenal. His answer to everything is to run more, note how his players are either wrecked or wanting out after two seasons. There must be someone better than that.
Reactive subs, inability to hold a lead from threats that have been present all match. Same problems over again, I’m fed up. Loved and been loyal to Wenger for his entire tenure, but we need a change in thinking, not capable of someone who is still stuck in 2004.
I am gonna get loads of thumbs down for saying this but I don’t care. Wenger needs to go. It’s shambolic to loose to a rubbish team like Swansea. I am fed up.
They might be rubbish, but they are fucking better than us
I don’t think so. Our forward line is miles better than them and is one of the best in the league. Our defence is far worse than with those key injuries and our philosophy of defending, our game management sucks. We don’t learn. It has been happening for years. Our attitude towards transfers and defending sucks.
In paper and names, sure our forward line is better, but when playing…not so much
Exactly my point. We are not playing to our potential. Our attitude sucks.
our forward line is one player, without sanchez we’d be the other end of the table. We are only as good as we play and we dont play well, you can rant and rave all you want but if the highlights thus far are beating what i thought were the worst team ive seen in the premier league this season, aston villa and a heartless bunch of shameful mercenaries in galatasary. this notion some have that we should be beating everyone because were better is mad, were not better
Forward line miles better? Our forward line is good, but Sigurdsson and Bony could be playing there. Especially Sigurdsson. He could be playing for any of the top teams (and Arsenal). Just look at his stats. Cockenham were idiots playing him out of position and then selling him.
The table doesn’t lie..
Oooh blimey…that means the Irons are better than us too….yikes….
Right now they are.
…not. Only eleven games you babies.
Nothing new, same old story, same old arsenal
WengerOut
We can’t call for change so all I can say is: wash, rinse, repeat… until next time.
Couldn’t bear to watch the match today and with good reason. The demise of this team is painful.
not even mad…just sad…
Taking the lead and blowing it away.
How do you fuck up a wheat farm? – Ralph Capone
Bloody hell I even thought we were quite good! Just Swansea were better, bloody hell when’s it gonna work for us?
This loss is on stubborn wenger. Buy quality defenders and stop playing people out of position. Take out chambers as he was being destroyed by montero. I doubt wenger is watching the same game we are all watching
Still early in the season? Still january transfer window? We’ll turn it around; hopefully soon.
Oh shut up!
Well done, you have just destroyed all his points with your brilliant reply.
Yet another game where we conspire to fail in spectacular fashion.
Wow what a fucking surprise that match was. Such absolute fucking bullshit.
Get that French stagnant twat out of this club. Learnt something from the anderlecht game did you? Bunch of overpaid losers. Pathetic.
There’s nothing wrong with the players. It’s only one big problem with this club.
Hey, less of the racism fella. We’re all mightily hacked off that the manager’s incompetent but I don’t think his nationality has anything to do with it.
Why is it racist to call someone French?
He was born in France so therefore he is French.
Change the word to “black” and then ask yourself if it’s racist. (And if it’s racist when it’s black, why isn’t it racist if it’s French?). Of course it’s an accurate description of who he is, but his nationality has nothing to do with it and when it’s used as part of a derogatory remark, it’s absolutely racist. I’m all for getting rid of the fucker, but let’s leave racism out of it.
It cannot be ‘racist’ because French isn’t a race, it is a nationality. I wasn’t using it as a derogatory remark, I was using his Nationality as a way for people reading the comment to realise who I was talking about. The derogatory remark in my comment was ‘twat’ and not ‘French’ so if there is one word you should be concerned about is the latter one. I am in no way racist, just expressing my endless anger and frustration. Which, by the way, I still have almost 15 hours later.
You used his nationality in a pejorative sense. If you really had to call him a twat, why not just call him a twat? There was no need to bring his nationality into it, so it can only have been used in a negative sense.
I’d also suggest your overall point could have been made without any name-calling at all.
Well, considering how the entire post was supposed to be negative I can see how my use of his nationality may seem like I used it as an insult, but it wasn’t. Name calling isn’t necessary, but it sure does help blow off some steam.
What a shower of shite that was.
Wake me up when Arsene is gone…
I want to be frustrated but I cant muster the strength to give a fuck. Classic Arsenal.
So 2-1 down, need some goals. Best finisher goalscorer to come on? No course not, because that would make sense.
Please fuck off.
So glad I’ve sold my season ticket, poor mug who bought it off me must be wanting to kill me.
I hope our Manager resigns before the Utd game, but he won’t as he’s too stubborn, he is finished as top class Manager.
I will taking a Wenger Out sign to the Utd game, I urge my fellow season ticket holders to do the same as the board will sure as fuck do nothing.
no.
Oh yes, like you used to shout ‘Spend some fucking money’ when the club was on the edge of financial ruin, and yet Wenger kept giving us Champions League football. Because the fans are always right, right?
We haven’t been on the edge of financial ruin for the last 25 years. I don’t remember the fans singing ‘spend some fucking money’ back then. Which period are you referring to?
Forgive me, no Arsenal fan has every said ‘spend some fucking money’.
http://www.totalfootballmadness.com/2011/05/23/arsenal-fans-chant-spend-some-money-at-arsene-wenger-video/
Is that dependent on what you quantify someone as a fan, based on?
i.e. a real fan wouldn’t say that
If it makes any difference, I never agreed with those who made that feeling public during matches, wrong place, wrong time and all that.
The fact that Bellerin was our only defensive cover today is almost criminal, especially when chambers was getting killed all evening.
Ugh, I’m sure I’ve seen that game before. Fair play to Swansea, they were outstanding… Not.
Tough league this is. Still though, can’t help but feel if we’d signed Schneiderlin we would be much better at seeing out games.
Whose fault is it we haven’t got enough defenders?
2-1 down, and you bring on Sanago to save the day. What a joke!
Our corners are the worst. Truly the worst. Why don’t we practice them?
Because Wenger simply does not value them. He values open play intricate football, he considers set pieces as being extras that he doesn’t need to focus on. Oh… and the same with defending.
Same shit, different day
A toothless performance from Arsenal. Alexis was the only guy driving us forward so far. But then he’s only human. Scored even today. Defence is all over the place. Midfield is spineless. Really really poor
OX drove us forward everytime he got the ball
I’m bitterly disappointed in this season so far. We were supposed to be progressing and finally able to compete with the rest of the top teams in the Prem. Instead, we have gone backwards, the buck has to stop with the manager with the decisions both on and off the field. Ahhhhhhh, So Frustrating!
wengerout
Plain and simple. We are fighting for fourth! League over.
Also, a decent defensive midfielder, stops the run, before gibbs has to track back and make a silly tackle!
Second goal, a CENTRAL DEFENDER will do better than a left back! In central defence!
Wenger can blame nobody but himself!
I am absolutely FU**ED off watching this team. And how clueless Wenger seems to be when the whole world sees we needed a CB AND A DM!!
RUBBISH PERFORMANCE!!!!
Sanches must be thinking, What do i have to do to make these clowns play better?
Holy shit, imagine watching a team that lost more than 20% of their games!!
I thought it was that we hadn’t beaten a side outside the BOTTOM six. Even worse
Felt sorry for Chambers today, you would think that Wenger would make an adjustment to that side of the pitch after he gets blown past 10 times in the first half. 80th minute substitutions after going two down. Groundhog day.
*down 2 to 1 I meant
why are the subs always so late? Why?
for the same reason that Wenger starts with the SAME FUCKING XI every single fucking game; he acknowledges that this XI is playing like dogshit, but keeps with the team because he’s hopeful that sometime during the 90 minutes, some form and confidence will fall out the sky and make this disgraceful shambles of a team play like the Invincibles. He’s loathe to change the starting line-up, before or during the match because he wants these players who have persistently fucked up this season to suddenly, miraculously, come good. I think he keeps the same team during matches so he… Read more »
Yeah let’s bring Walcott on to hit them on the break! Oh no they are 2-1 up and sitting back – fucking useless tactics once again!
Except those three or four balls played over the top for Walcott. Other than that, an absolute Berlin wall at the back.
I’d hazard a guess at his reasoning, which I think is pretty sound. But with the anti-Wenger sentiment building up in this comments section I doubt you’ll see much of it before it’s thumbed down into commenting hell. Up till the equalizer we were doing okay, with a 1-nil lead. But naive faffing about in the centre of the park in terrible conditions let them break with the ball which forced Gibbs to foul. Not through the fault of Chambers as the comments section would lead you to believe. Fantastic free kick, nothing could be done about that (I’d argue… Read more »
bla bla bla… bla bla bla bla
it was clear to everyone (or maybe im just a coaching genius) that we needed a sub before they scored. We looked stale. Clearly bringing Walcott on earlier would have changed things.
This isn’t anything new. Bad tactics, bad subs. Same old story
Wenger decides who is coming on and at what time before the match has kicked off. He always has and always will. He doesn’t let the 90 minutes influence his decisions.
I disagree sir. Let me just say one thing. Chambers was clearly ineffective. What was the problem? Monteiro was skinning him for PACE far too often. You say Bellerin is rumored to be bad defensively, fair enough. But what’s the one thing he’s known to have? PACE. Also, did we have any other alternative? ‘Not a youngster with a rumored inability to defend’ you say, but Chambers is no experienced campaigner either. His body language clearly suggested he gave up. How do you trust him when he clearly doesn’t have the tools(read :pace) to defend against Monteiro?
I agree with much of what you said. I, however, do take major exception to how long he stuck with the team as lined up. I think he should probably have considered Walcott earlier in the half, before we lost the lead and were facing a packed defense. Once we got the lead he needed to bring in support for Chambers. There is no excuse for not bringing in either Bellerin (like Monreal subs to add a 5th defender) or to bring in Wilshire for extra cover. None whatsoever. Even the normally braindead announcers noticed how frequently Chambers was left… Read more »
Carl Jenkinson
It gets harder every week, until we have a brief moment of elation by beating some pooky team 2-0, then it’s back to the same old Arsenal.
People chattin Wenger out and them same people want klopp in charge. Look at what position his team is in the league. Other than him, who else?
What a load of absolute, undiluted rubbish. We will not win another league trophy with Arsene at the helm. He needs to be the awesome gentleman that he is, and pick a seat on the board. Its his for the asking!
The definition of insanity is doing everything the same way and expecting a different result.
While I get your sentiment, if you think that through it simply won’t work.
Wenger on the Board means overall control, do you honestly think he will let another manager come in and undo his blueprint?
And would the Board have the nous to find the right guy anyway?
It will be by his recommendation.
Brace yourself, this ain’t over even when he retires from management.
No it isnt look it up.. and Einstein never said that either: http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/03/9-albert-einstein-quotes-that-are-totally-fake/
Also, Wenger out!
Wenger is absolutely tactically clueless, completely blind or really, really stupid. Chambers had a nightmare against Montero the entire game but nothing was done about it and where did the winner come from!? It is utter madness from Wenger not to change something that is clearly broken. Like a broken record he persist in doing it the wrong way. I would be a better match coach at the moment and I’m no manager. We switched of the 71 minute. I was pretty happy with the way we played until then but you could see the players switch off. We stopped… Read more »
Im not even surprised!!!!
Chambers check your pockets. You got seriously mugged there. Rubbish management (again) by AW. Asleep at the wheel
Lessons learnt? Clearly not. On paper we look like quality side. It just needs coaching.arsene is just too stubborn and the fans are paying the price. The board don’t give a fuck as 4th is still possible if not probable on our current form.
The club needs a massive change of direction starting with Arsene going.