Arsene Wenger refused to blame goalkeeper David Ospina after the Colombian, selected ahead of Petr Cech, conceded an embarrassing own goal that helped Olympiacos on the road to a 3-2 win at the Emirates.
Arsenal were made to pay a heavy price for a performance riddled with instances of abject defending even though they twice drew level against their Athenian opponents thanks to goals from Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez.
With his side rooted to the bottom of Group F following consecutive defeats Wenger reflected on the carnage of another dismal European display.
“A goalkeeper can make a mistake; that doesn’t explain that we lose the game. It happened to Petr Čech already this season [against West Ham].
“It is still possible of course to qualify but it’s difficult to swallow losing a game like that. We lost it on a lack of defensive concentration and bad luck. They had four shots on goal and we conceded three goals.
“The turning point at 2-2 is we give them a goal again straight away. If it stays 2-2 for five minutes we win the game.”
Alas it didn’t. Nor do we count a corner as a fucking shot on goal…even if it results in your keeper dropping the ball over the line.
Anyway, Arsenal play Bayern Munich twice in the next five weeks, if it all goes tits up and we lose both – not hard to imagine given how slick Guardiola’s outfit are right now – then we could struggle to qualify for the Europa League in third place, let alone the knockout stages. Good times.
Good times? More like great times.
Can’t even keep Owen goal Ambition-less club.
Now he’s signed with Olympiakos and scoring against us!
Owen goal is still with us. It’s just him scoring own goal. No? Sorry.
That was fucking horrific viewing. The worst part is I am not even surprised. I even joked with a few mates before the match that we would get done tonight, and low and behold. Munich will literally spread our cheeks and hump us into submission. They will massacre us. We’ve just lost to two of the weakest fucking teams in the whole of the competition in consecutive matches. That’s the first fucking time Olympiacos have won on English soil in 13 attempts and we practically rolled the fucking red carpet out for them like we’re total amateurs that have never… Read more »
Against Munich, we lose 2-0 rather than getting humped and an away draw (or vice versa) which will be testament to our character
Auction the CL Place off – we are just in it for the money. Not even Europa league quality
Well put. If I could, I would give you a hundred thumbs up.
We could well lose our 4th qualifying spot should the Italians outperform us this year. Perhaps that might shake us up? I cant see what else would, even if we finish bottom of the group the board will be happy with the cash made. I can’t stand watching us in the champions league, it’s like watching England in a world cup, tactically naive and like a bad version of Groundhog day without Bill Murray in. Something has to change about the way we approach these games otherwise I’m going to replace Arsenal with Bill Murray films. Moan over… Let’s beat… Read more »
More than half the team don’t deserve to play for Arsenal… Oh wait, I didn’t even know the names of Olympiacos players. Maybe Arsene doesn’t deserve to be our coach
Adding one more point – concentration lapse? Why the fuck and how many fucking times?
Agree with all of that, apart from the ‘literally’ part. If they did ‘literally spread our cheeks and hump us into submission’ I think that might be a red card offence.
On a serious note, has anyone seen Ozil?? Someone said he played last night…..yet again I just couldn’t see him. Not making him a scapegoat but it’s shit like last night you wonder could we really not improve on him….he’s due a massive game against utd but somehow I get the feeling he will go missing again. Terrible performance
Spursday Night Football it is then! Good times are here! We’ll win the Europa League and Wenger will sign a new 3 year old deal, sounds like a plan 🙂
I doubt we can go beyond quarters or round of 16 in Europa based on our performance in Europa. Teams like sevilla might easily beat us.
I would much prefer we finish last because we don’t deserve to be in Europe.
On the plus side we will be able to focus on the league title playing a throng less games
“A goalkeeper can make a mistake; that doesn’t explain that we lose the game. It happened to Petr Čech already this season [against West Ham]. !!!! Yes Arsene .. we lost against West Ham !! If keepers make mistakes it does explain why we lose the game
Trying to justify this in my head by fast forwarding to the distruction of Manure this weekend. ?
Are u being serious?
United will absolutely piss on us if we play like that. Our back four are currently handing out goals as if they’re fucking charity workers donating easy goals to needy teams. We will need every ounce of quality to beat United, not because they are better than us on paper, but because they have a horrific psychological edge over our us. Last season, they rocked up at our place with a backline of Smalling, Blackett and McNair. Not even Maureen has the fucking arrogance to play 3 at the back against us at home, because he will admit through gritted… Read more »
this team will not beat united
Arsene Wenger will not beat Manchester United this Sunday.
“They had four shots on goal and we conceded three goals.”
Take some responsibility please instead of bemoaning bad luck.
Exactly. All these excuses is just super annoying. But of course the man knows nothing changes until he decides so…
I don’t think that’s bemoaning bad luck. I think that’s saying his team defended like nobs. Of course, that’s just my opinion.
He said that like it was incidental, IT WAS NORMAL FOR US THE LAST 5 YEARS, GOOD FUCKING SIR!
I wonder how much concentration will be lapsed against Bayern?
or how many goals Lewandowski will get in 2 games? But knowing Arsenal, we will beat Bayern in both games only to lose to Zagreb and Olympiakos again and finish 3rd in the group, haha.
Reading/commenting on this site has really helped me get over games like this. I thank the community for their support in our darkest hours. Long live Arsenal…so they can continue to torture us in new and exciting ways.
No excuses its the champions league a must win game… of its not ospina’s fault he shouldn’t of been playing in the first place…
It’s absolutely Ospina’s fault, and it’s Wenger’s fault too. Not mutually exclusive things.
“We will loose vs Bayern both legs”
This has been your inner arsenal voice speaking.
Bayern winning all its remaining matches after beating us might ironically again be our only hope lol
By the time bayern are done with us olympiakos could have 9 points anyway.
UCL is becoming an increasingly tactical competition and Wenger isn’t the type of coach who adapts his plan to the nature of the opposition. the portguese manager coaching the greeks (only 38 years old) did his homework and played with a plan that exposed our weaknesses. Wenger should add someone with tactical nous as an assistant, the same way the purple nosed Alex Ferguson did at Man U!
English clubs don’t do tactics. The game plan is always “let’s outscore the opposition!” That’s why PL clubs are so bad in the CL.
Spot on, mate. Wenger is a great coach, probably the best this league has seen, but he’s not a good manager. He has no clue about tactics.
No tactical genius needed – all he needed to do was watch the Anderlecht and Monaco debacles , tell his team to sit back and wait for us to self destruct.
Wenger is to arrogant and pig headed to take advice on tactics from anyone.
A few years back this question was posed to him in a press conference. The response was ‘what can somebody come in to tell me?!’I paraphrase but it was along those lines.
Wenger is an Arsenal pioneer and legend. However we all know deep down he will not win us the Champions league or league again.
I await the ‘no one better is out there brigade’….You’re letting sentiment cloud your judgement.
this manager has been embarrassed so many times it doesn’t even phase him. worse, there’s no pressure on him to win. highest ticket prices in europe and no investment in the team. please leave wenger.
WOrked extra time for the past 3 weeks to pay my ticket. I have a family and watching Arsenal is my only recreational time I have for myself. No words for it. GROW a fucking PAIR! (SOrry) It appears that I have words for it.
@Alexis Pachino I feel for you mate. These are the reality stories from the real fans that make shit like tonight feel even worse. This is going to be a season-defining result I feel, sink or swim from here Arsene
My mate took his 8 year old for the first time today as its been the only tickets he could get hold of.
The kids been talking about going for weeks and weeks. Gutted his first experience of live football was that shower of shit. Weren’t even ahead so he could hear the crowd be happy
We expect to be treated like supporters yet we act like disgruntled customers…
How about we just leave the money aspect aside and judge the performance?
It was a shambles. Plain and simple.
Every player save Sanchez should pay you back.Maybe you could tell them what putting in a shift means?
Here come the plastics. That’s you, Yorkshire. Why don’t you stfu and get yourself a big dose of COYG.
No need to justify my commitment my firiend but I suffered along with other 60000 at the ground last night. Always willing to lose as there are no guarantees in sport but I do want to see heart and passion.
Maybe the plan is to drop into the Europa league which is more manageable to win.
Or maybe a new way of humiliating ourselves
Why are you talking about Europa? We could finish bottom of the group.
fuck the europa league i watch eastenders thursday
I’m sorry but it’s the same old excuses and this team & manager never learns. The two FA Cups have been great fun but it’s time to face facts. Arsenal will not challenge for either the league or Champs league while Wenger is in charge. IF the board had any ambition or backbone and didn’t let Wenger make all the footballing decisions at the club then they would show some balls and release him of his duties, he quite simply is no longer a top class Manager. Modern football has passed him by. He wants to win it his way… Read more »
Whilst the eventual result at the weekend was good, Leicester should have put three past us by the time we scored our first. Our mental fragility has been the key factor for a long time and it has not been resolved. We are not close to winning the league, we’re heading out of the CL for the first time in 15 years: this team is going backwards under Wenger. It’s time for a fresh approach.
We won the CL for the last 15 years? Wow!
So someone like Griezmann of Atelitco Madrid or Morata of Juventus or even Carlos Bacca who left Sevilla for AC Milan aren’t improvements on Welbeck, Walcott and Giroud??!
If only all 3 were available!
Griezmann had a buy out clause for 42m. He’s obviously going to be worth 50m now.
Don’t buy into the “not available” bullshit. According to Wenger Martial wasn’t available either. If the money is right then the player is available. End of.
I think this result tells you precisely what we can expect from the rest of the time Wenger’s with us. We’ll perhaps go on a decent run in the league, have a go at winning an FA Cup or League Cup, but that’s the best it will ever get. We’ll never win the league or progress in Europe as results like this will be perpetually just around the corner. It’s just a question of when they happen, not if. Too much evidence has accumulated over the last few years for me to think otherwise. We’re just not good enough, and… Read more »
Over the last 8 years we’ve been moving in circles. In each season there are some highs, but also devastating lows. For me there are 2 main reasons (besides injuries) for our chronic inconsistency. First of all we got a lot of special talents in the squad, who are exceptionally good at one thing (speed, technical ability, passing, tackling…), but are seriously lacking in other aspects of their game. I don’t want to go into names, but I’m sure every Arsenal supporter can name you a lot of examples off the top of his head. The thing with such specialists… Read more »
As a wise man once said, In the premier League, work ethic, Grit and the willingness to get your hands dirty come first, Talent and ability come second. We got plenty of talent and ability, But are very short on workhorses who pull their own weight even when they are not in form. When you have that you can still grind out results despite not firing on all sylinders.
100% agree re- set pieces. When we get a corner or free kick, I don’t get excited as I know how to stilly lacking in imagination we are. In fact I get nervous that the other team win it and will break.
When we concede a corner or free kick, I watch our players lack of man marking or mismatched marking and it’s so obviously a part of the game the team as a whole just isn’t that interested in. We look vulnerable every single time. I don’t get it.
With Steve Bould as assistant I just find this shocking.
I couldn’t agree more with this. I’ve been conditioned to expect nothing from our corners except a counter-attack by the opposition. And from opponents corners I’ve been conditioned to shite my pants.
The hilarious thing is that we could win this weekend and Man city could contrive to lose again and we would be top of the league.
There is so much money in the English game that I’m starting to think that nobody gives a fuck about Europe.
Same old moaning Arsene!
Who is supposed to keep these players concentrated? Who keeps naming Cazorla as captain? And if these dorks keep making the same mistakes EACH FUCKING SEASON, then be more ruthless: worst case scenario for them, sell and use the cash to buy better replacement.
Was it so difficult for Ospina to catch that ball?? Wtf was he thinking.. Such an amateur mistake.. I don’t think even an amateur gk makes such an error.. My god that too in this elite competition.. Cmon man..
The team should be performing far better than we are on a week to week basis given the players we have.
But we’re not and haven’t for years now.
So fuck it, do any of you honestly think we can win the UCL?
Going out now makes absolutely no difference then the first round of the knockout stages.
But then it just might, with the long term picture of our club in mind…
Dan D – it does make a difference because the further we progress, the more TV money / matchday income we get.
And when we receive that extra cash we can add it to the £193m that’s currently sitting in the bank account, never ever ever to be touched……ever!
He needs to fuck off and yes you do need to answer questions as that’s what the fans, who pay your wages want.
Sorry got carried away. Arsene knows best. Keep up the great work champ.
John Terry is a cunt.
Wenger is so naive and has been so for many years..mourinho is right in saying hes never under any pressure what so ever..hence the usual meltdowns in the big games..
This team and manager deserve all the ridicule they get.
How many times have I heard Inspector Clouseau blame a lack of concentration? Tactically clueless, his players, his fault!
Thanks for everything you have done for this team but your time as an arsenal coach is done. You don’t have the energy and motivation to run this club anymore and don’t get me started on your game tactics. Thank you so much Mr Wenger and please find us a good manager replacement before you leave
I dont claim to be a manager at one of the best football clubs in the world. But i have a little knowledge of football, and of who is best for my team, and who is not, and when to give players a rest etc, etc.. Before this match started, 1 thing struck me, and i said to my brother, WTF is wenger doing starting Ospina, i do not understand this, he says it is a must win game, why is he starting or 2nd goalkeeper, the PL and CL are the 2 main trophies English clubs really want to… Read more »
I didn’t notice Arsene kick a ball tonight.
I just wanna know why we splash £12m on Cech so we can use Ospina on CL.
When you watch us play like we did tonight how many others feel they’ve watched this same game so many times before.
Each debacle brings a dispiriting sense of deja vu.
Arguing with my mate and fellow Gooner about it finally being time for the manager to go and he said, be careful what you wish for.
I replied: That point used to be valid but we’re not an ‘Everton’. With the squad we have, any decent, experienced manager could achieve exactly what Wenger is doing right now (as a minimum)…& there’s of course the chance he might do better.
Get a new manager and 25 new players to replace all the ones we have, so many comments, so few brain cells, it’s no wonder we do shit at home with this kind of support, you lot are to fans what the Daily Mail is to inclusive, factual journalism! Who do we get in, Klopp who messed up at Dortmund or one of the many managers who come into a club with bigger bank balances than ours for one season, spend a fortune, without making any real difference and possibly fluke their way to a trophy? Ospina is a poor… Read more »
We’ve lost 6 of our last 13 home games in the CL and you think people are being unreasonable for asking questions?
Don’t be absurd.
We have the most loyal fans in the country, who always back the team. In the decade trophy drought, we packed out the stadium week in, week out, paying the most expensive ticket prices in the country! So please find your brain cell and don’t come out with the utter garbage that we fans are the cause of it.
You must be Arsene Wenger’s PR staff
@ The Falcon Most Arsenal fans are talking sense, and coming to their senses. You trying to blame the fans for the club losing is absolutely ridiculous. And youre on about people spouting off lol? You say no club is entitled to win the CL or PL, everyone knows that, but clubs are expected to win the CL and PL or at least challenge for it, and newsflash, Arsenal is one of those clubs, and we are entitled to opinions when the team does and does not meet the expectations of the fans, considering the team we have and money… Read more »
Are you wenger in disguise?
I agree that some comments can go overboard and get very ranty but this result is not a one off, it’s become a regular fixture both domestically and in Europe the last few years. No we don’t have a divine right to win anything but think it’s far too simplistic to say that criticism of Arsene is the sign of a poor fan. Look at the players at his disposal. I don’t believe anyone can honestly feel that there isn’t somebody out there who couldn’t get more from this squad. Love Wenger for shay he’s achieved over many years but… Read more »
For FSM sake, WENGER GO HOME!
at least we will respont, you know learn from it n stuff… hurray to the American businesses club, Arsenal.
Why blame the Americans, was exactly the same before Stan. Do you think Stan told Wenger to play Ospina? or that Stan does the tactics? or that Wenger wanted to buy player X, but Stan said no?
for ruining what was once a football club, ran like a football club, transfer business and ambitions of football and actually “success” not just taking part only to make money for their pockets. for having these players in the first place and just being told to have faith n do it next season, you dont deliver for more than a decade so you figured out its about an ospina? pfft, indifferent irreplaceable board and manager… oh taboo to talk about them is it?
I think you need to look at what the word ‘ruined’ actually means.
if you think us being reduced from winning trophies for fun to this 4th spot routine is something other than being ruined, well that shows your low expectations, for me as an old enough fan its lack of ambition and i think thats definitely not the spirit. we are “ruined” to the level of people like yous expectations…
When did we ever ‘win trophies for fun’? The most consistent trophy winning period we ever had was under Wenger.
I’m an ‘old’ fan too and I’ve seen this club in a lot worse shape than it is now. Frankly, from where we were in the 70s and most of the 80s, it doesn’t even compare. That may give me some perspective or temper my expectations, but it annoys me when people who have genuine, valid criticism can’t make their point without restoring to hyperbole.
Looking at his press conference, it’s easy to see why Arsenal lose. Other team scores? Bad luck. Fail to score? Bad luck. Where is the accountability? Here in the US, there was an American football coach named Vince Lombardi who won a lot of titles who said “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” I don’t think it’s a coincidence Arsenal has lost so many games to start the season. This team, this manager, everyone should prepare better if they want to see their “luck” change. You know where you can work on defensive concentration? On the practice field.… Read more »
Exactly!
And every day you read Walcott or Giroud saying that “on the other day” he could score 3. Yeah, you could, but you cannot finish so you scored 0.
And insted of seeing things as “I have to work on my composure and finishing” our playeres thinks “we were unlucky”.
Where, there is very little luck involved in whole situation, but there is a lot of us beeing careless, uninterested and waiting for things to happen.
Remember back when Gazdis said we’re on the verge of competing with the Bayerns and the Barcelonas of the world?
Absolute Bollocks.
We aren’t on par with the Zagrebs and Olympiakoses of the world who sadly outclassed us tactically.
I’m in absolutely no position to lecture Wenger about tactics, but dammit, I believe the Arsenal should be fighting with Europe’s elite, and clearly he’s running out of ideas to take us forward.
In the modern game, managers are sacked for a lot less. Stay till the end of this season, and then leave, we’ll remember you for all you’ve done.
He’s been out of ideas for a few years already. The only thing he’s not lacking is the support of the board – unfortunately for the fans, the board doesn’t give a toss about winning the BPL/CL.
Give him a statue and wish him a happy retirement, then turn this club around – but will the board have the balls to do it?
I am tired of this circus and the clowns in it.
Is Arsenal a serious football club? Is Arsene Wenger a serious football manager? On the evidence of the last two UCL games and about a dozen games other the years where we’ve set new lows for defending in professional football, no, we aren’t serious. The third goal in particular stands out, it wasn’t any particular individual mistake but why was every single arsenal player BALL WATCHING? instead of ya know looking at the person you are meant to be marking. Its not even that hard. We don’t have enough discipline on the pitch or enough leaders. Is Arsene Wenger going… Read more »
Gazidis himself is soft as he will not stand up to Wenger and demand a new progressive policy to replace the existing stale one. Lord Peckham of Fucking Orpington was shot down in flames by Arsene for daring to mention how much money we had for Heavens Sake and he’s the bloody Chairman.
Man up Ivan. ..
It absolutely tears my heart out, but why on earth can’t Arsene Wenger just simply admit that once again, another season in, he has totally messed up. Again, his so called saving money and there’s no particular player out there and he’s not just going to buy any old player. Is totally destroying Arsenal Football Club. It makes my blood boil!
save us gazidis!!!
Wenger has to leave after 2017. There was Arsenal before him and they’ll be arsenal after him.
And someone please tell me what use Steve Bould ?????
I thought “cash reserves” had a blinding game last night. Lots of interest, if a little inactive. “Mental Strength” not selected again.
Europa League here we come. We might have a chance of lifting a trophy in Europe at last.
Jimbo, and what if we really won it? I hope for you we don’t, because clearly you think it is ‘below’ what we should expect from our club, and would only bring more embarrassment on us for celebrating a mickey mouse trophy, wouldn’t it?
In actual fact, were this to really happen, people like you would be front row cheering and parading the streets, leaving the world no doubt that you are a winner too… of a trophy the club has never won before!
I would of course cheer for them in the Europa League or any other competition for that matter. It is just disappointing that the club has once again failed to make a mark in the CL, but perhaps the Europa League is a better level for us and more suited to the ambitions of the club in general.
Wenger shouldn’t lament anything. He didn’t pick his strongest team and that team lost. Maybe he’s more focussed on the league which would be brilliant. I’d rather go out at the group stages than ‘half ass’ Europe AND the league. Mertesackers lazy, uncommitted, disinterested face as he just watched their player stab in the third is the thing that is sticking in my mind, even more than ospina. And ospina, he does that. Catches then drops. It’s his ‘thing’. He does it a lot, a ‘controlled’ drop of the ball. He’s cocky and takes risks. When he’s under pressure to… Read more »
Who lost concentration?
Wenger when picking the fucking team?
He never learns his lesson. Ever!
Pick a weaker team in the champions league. Lose to Zagreb.
I know next time I’ll pick a weaker team and lose to Olympifuckingakos.
Wash rinse repeat.
He’s fucking useless. We only win the FA cup cos no one else gives a shit. I mean the last few winners have been Wigan and Portsmouth.
And szeszney is looking absolutely world class at roma. That, is not bad luck, but poor management.
Oh well. Never really liked waking up at 445am in australia on weekdays to watch games anyways. More sleep for me.
Szeszney had an absolute nightmare in Champions League last night. He was about as bad as Ospina was. Seriously. He looked at fault for the goals on the weekend as well in Italy. Ospina made a howler tonight and will be crucified for it. Cech to play every game for the rest of the season now.
If there is truth in the suggestion that Cech had a slight injury Wenger was perfectly entitled to pick Ospina in order not to aggravate it in advance of Sunday’s bigger game v Manure. Ospina is an international , was our number one keeper last year and was excellent v Spurs. How can Wenger foresee or legislate for a simple error? No excuse for the rest of the performance but hanging this one on him if the injury issue is to be believed is playing to the simplistic media / pundit narrative that passes for football analysis these days. At… Read more »
you don’t put injured players on the bench. they’re either injured or not.
Almost thought this was Wenger speaking 5years ago, then I remembered different years SAME SHIT
No desire at all to play in the Europa league so if we don’t get points off of Bayern in either match I would tank at least one of the last two matches (probably the home one) or at least play a weaker squad to avoid having to play the Europa League. You see how teams in that often fade quickly from the race for the CL spots in England. The squad we had playing last night was a strong one, especially in the attack with the only changes from the primary squad playing of late being Chamberlin for Ramsey… Read more »