Arsene Wenger says Arsenal ‘lacked maturity’ and were ‘naive’ in defence as they were comfortably beaten 3-1 by league leaders Chelsea.
Despite taking umbrage with the officials for allowing Marcus Alonso’s opener to stand – the Spaniard appeared to elbow Hector Bellerin as he headed in – the boss accepted that the Blues, who scored further goals in the second half courtesy of Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas, were the better side.
Speaking to the BBC after the game, Wenger lamented: “It was a foul. If you look at a number of games recently we can feel sorry.
“It was 100% a foul, it was even dangerous play. That doesn’t take anything away from the performance of Chelsea.
“We had a strong start but didn’t take the opportunites and after half time the second goal was the killer for us.
“We were really naive and not clinical in our defending. Then Chelsea looked the better side. We took risks and they were well organised and played well on the counter attack and looked powerful.
“We lost ball the many times. In situations we lacked maturity and experience. Individually some of our players were not at their best today.”
While Wenger didn’t go so far as to concede defeat in the title race, the result does leave Arsenal 12 points behind Chelsea.
“It is not the ideal subject after game like that,” he added when asked whether his side can put pressure on the Blues.
“Chelsea are in a very strong position. They look solid, difficult to beat and we needed to be better today.
“They don’t lose against the big teams and that is always the secret to win a championship.”
Maturity? Coming from the man who pushed the fourth official. Oh dear.
Fans frustrated with the lack of trophies
Lack of trophies I can deal with.
Lack of fight, tactical awareness and seeing the same mistakes, year after year, I can’t.
That squad of players shouldn’t have dropped 25 points in that amount of games played so far.
naive? lack of maturity?
How msny internatiional caps won by our kerper and back 4.
Same old excuses, but it’s BULLSHIT!!
aint it.
Wenger has to step down for me at the end of the season. You won’t ever catch me in the grounds home or away calling him a cunt, or holding up a banner with a message on it, because I respect what he has done for the club over the last 20 years. And I think we owe him more then that. I also don’t personally agree that he is a totally shit manager. I think he definitely still has some fantastic attributes which some other managers in the league will never have. I just think he has hit a… Read more »
The need for change is evident. I am not going to deny that.
But let us fans maintain our composure.
I truely believe Arsene would definitely leave at the end of this season on his very own. He does already look like a man who is beaten.
Let us not put him under much more disgrace and show him some respect as a fellow Human Being, who has been there with us for so long now by not carrying banners and yelling abuses at him.
Perfect assessment this. He complains the team lacks maturity like it’s not his responsibility to drill some grit into them. Players today aren’t those natural warriors from his earlier years, unfortunately. Most are overpaid kids who will do the bare minimum unless they have a ruthless manager accepting no less than absolute commitment. Theo failed to track his man yet again, costly in another big game? Bench him for the remainder of the season then sell him. Drill that fear into players and they will be on their toes. Arsene treats them like school kids…. learn from your mistakes son… Read more »
Right on,IamaGoober. My thoughts, in a nut shell, for some time.
I feel they have decided long time ago – this Club is not meant to win trophies, the primal objective is to deliver financial results. If thropies come – cool, but thats secondary, truly going for it would require though too high risk (finacial related to regular acquisitions of top players and obviously manager change) for Kronke to go for it. Wenger is a perfect solution for them-delivering bare minimum for fans to still go to the stadium and not demanding enough / risk averse to screw their finacial bottom line. Sadly we are in this position for c.a. 10… Read more »
Yeah – I totally agree mate. What really worries me is who the board will bring in to replace him. I genuinely think it will be someone like Eddie Howe. I dont realistically see them going out there and getting someone in like Diego Simeone, Allegeri or any of the sort. I think it will be someone in the Wenger mould – so we will just have Wenger mark 2.
Great piece, I totally agree with you but who is out there that is good enough to replace him , Even the “great Peppers ” is struggling It’s the players that are the problem, they make the stupid mistakes and don’t take responsibility for them because they know they can always hide behind Wenger and he will protect them. Not one arsenal player has ever come out and said “I’m sorry I made a mistake? They just let Wenger take all the blame they are cowards and it’s time to change the way that they can think ” no one… Read more »
maturity?…lol
Sorry arsene, that won’t jell. that’s what it used to be in the Fabregas, Nasri years when we were still bulding a team. These are a bunch of matured fickle so and so’s.
mental strength?…he reads the media chatter so he wouldn’t dare use that one now either.
What really hurts is everyone with an ounce of sense in him, knew Chelsea were going to win today!
Wenger had 10 fking years to fix this. Conte turned around his side after just 3 months of struggling.
Completely agree. Not excusing AW in anyway, but it does considerably help to have an onwner of the club that actually cares & WANTS to win trophies. Conte has had it far easier in that regard.
Did Abramovich change the system at Chelsea or was it Conte?
They did pretty much nothing in the transfer market.
Batshuayi who never gets a look in.
Luiz, oh how we laughed when they bought him back.
And Marcos Alonso a Sunderland failure.
So let’s not pretend Abramovich bankrolled some massive turnaround. It’s down to the manager and their players showing some balls and desire.
Can you imagine Ozil making that run Hazard made? As soon as Coq touched him Ozil would have been on the floor.
Not sure I agree that conte has it easier, especially when you consider the money he’s spent. Clearly the club have supported him financially , but he chooses to buy five average players instead of two world class players…hence the results.
I don’t know why BigDave is getting all the negative feedback. It’s a good point.
No, it’s a pathetic and erroneous cheap-shot.
Same old, same old… I want a change.
Arsene out.
Utter bollocks,we were just shite.
I feel this squad needs some rebuilding, starting with the defense and the manager.
Why are those thumbs down? 13 years is not enough to build a title challenge? I suppose we should give Wenger another five years (or 13 years) to repeat the same mistakes again?
Aren’t you fucking fed up with this damn accountant?
I am in no way saying that, that was the reason for our loss today but can someone explain the difference between that elbow and the one by Xhaka on Joe Allen?
The difference is this one went in airborne at high speed and knocked Bellerin out.
No difference. I have said no foul for Xhaka so it couldnt be foul for Alonso. As an arsenal fans i want the first goal dissalowed but to be honest that wasnt a foul. Looks nasty specially on the replay but Alonso jumped a head higher than Hector
How high he jumped means fuck all. You can’t go into a challenge full speed and put your elbow into a player’s face and go through them to get to the ball. It’s as simple as that. It shouldn’t be allowed to stand here or anywhere else on the pitch, I don’t care what team.
Another year, another fight for the top four. I don’t think there is a realistic shot at winning the champions league, FA cup can only act as a consolidation (if we do win it- losing it would be an added misery). I suspect if we finish within top 4, Arsene will step down (gut feeling)
Above spuds is all that matters. Dining at europes top table is not on the boards agenda. Just spin.
Why would he step down in that case? He’ll be achieving his goals!
We did not lack maturity. The players are plenty experienced enough. We consistently get taken apart bu the top 6 sides because the team lacks cohesion and tactically is set up the same way despite the opposition or players available. Need a manager who can adapt. Wenger obviously cannot. Do you honestly believe Conte, Simione or Mourinho would’ve set up like Arsenal did today? It’s always the same with Wenger, lame excuses after your side is completely outclassed. Need change. Need a coach who inspires and motivates his players. The last decade have provided enough chances and examples that Wenger… Read more »
I regret that I can only upvote this once as Don is spot on. The era of jazz hands coaching is over. The game has passed Wenger by and a change is needed.
Arsene should have gone 3 years ago. Who do we get now though? The board will not appoint simione or someone of his ilk because he’s a winner and will demand money and the same attitude from the board. We will get some young wenger like manager that won’t rock the boat and his just happy to be at a huge club like ours and will comply with the board and it’s philosophy of its not about winning trophies it’s about finishing in top 4 foe the money it brings in. We are fucked as a club as long as… Read more »
spot on voldermort
although 3 years ago is generous!!!
Again again again
Always excuses
You know what, the Arsenal board got their wish. A team that’s in the top 4. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less. This gooner here honestly feels its a waste of my own energy and passion to expect us to change. Year in, year out, it’s the same. And they expect us to be thankful for the yearly collapse. You’ve got it. I honestly believe that was the best team we could have put out today, we were thoroughly outclassed and embarrassed by a much better fluidic side when it mattered a lot. Groundhog day. It feels less painful and… Read more »
He has no mandate for staying on after this season.
Offer Simeone a £10m a year contract, and let’s see a real title challenge for Arsenal.
We lack a cohesive, battling mentality. Our squad is packed full of international experience and major trophy winners. How long can we keep blaming the players for? Chelsea had pretty much the same squad last season,and Conte has turned them into a formidable looking team. Could a new manager do the same for us?
Perhaps we should have a look at Hull right now.
its even worse because this formiddable team is one with Victor fucking Moses in it. If you can get a player like that to turn in weekly performances then not being able to do so from players like Alexis and Ozil looks even worse!
Chelsea found it harder to beat WBA….defensive organisation DOES count for something, Wenger!!
Who would have thought that there is something to be said for defensive solidity? Shocking I know.
What the general feeling on The YouTube channel Arsenal fan tv? People like it?
No.
No, it’s shit
So we lacked maturity lol heard that one too many times before Wenger!!! Sign the requisite players that have the maturity or instill it in the team – either way Wenger is at fault so its time to GO!!!
Secret to the championship?? How about we start by not losing to teams like Everton and Watford
This. What Arsène said about Chelsea is false. They have not been invincible against the top teams. Lost to Sp*rs, lost to Arsenal, drew with Liverpool. But they don’t stumble against the poor ones, so they can afford the odd stumble. If the team is naïve and lacks mental preparation that’s the manager’s fault. I’m sorry, I love Arsène but this is bad. The problem isn’t losing to Chelsea it’s losing to minnows: does he really not see that?
When we easily got 4 past southampton it was Bould, why cant we just blame him for the lost of the last two matches and wait for Wenger to finish the ban.
It is as much about our tactics as our mentality. Our 4-2-3-1 is just too open as we only have 5 players doing defensive work (LB, CB, CB, RB, one CM/DM), one of them being Bellerin who often plays almost as a winger. We also don’t really press effectively. Just can’t beat any top team with this kind of tactics.
And what the fuck is up with Sanchez?
FFS. Extremely fracking frustrating. Chelsea are a power team, and when they play powerfully against us on the road, we fold.
That said. Foul on Bellerin. Moses allowed to foul with impunity.
Alexis was our most underperforming player today. Would like to see him given a rest and put Perez or Welbeck in. They aren’t better, but they are rested, mobile, have height, and don’t turn on teammates.
Let’s play as a team for a few games.
Vent over!
If Wenger wants this club to progress, he will start planning how we get Simeone into the club for next season. He is one of the last top managers still available. Simeone cut down his contract for a reason.
We keep giving the ball away, that’s why we are second best against teams like Watford and Chelsea who don’t give the ball away as much as we do.
Alexis is our number one give the ball away bloke, followed closely by Ramsey.
It’s not fucking rocket science!
Alexis is the rich mans Ramsey, they have exactly the same faults, except Alexis scores a few more goals.
You probably felt smart and original typing that out but that’s one of the lamest criticisms of Alexis I’ve ever heard. He dragged this team to the top of the table but right now his form is way below his usual standard. Stop exaggerating his faults.
No, I don’t feel smart or original, as I was saying the same thing last season. Alexis was rubbish a lot of the time last season. If Arsene had taken him off instead of Joel Campbell against Watford in the cup when he put on Danny Welbeck we could have won that game. He’s selfish, runs around a lot, gives the ball away all the time and at the moment looks as though it’s beneath him to play for us. Exactly like Ramsey but he scores more goals. We’ve all got differnt views on players that we like or don’t… Read more »
Totally agree! It’s time to get beyond the lure Sanchez is with his running everywhere! NO this is NOT football when a guy spends his time missing controls and passes! And ignoring fans…
Alexis should be criticised, and he should absolutely be taken off when he’s playing badly. As should Ozil. But putting Alexis in the same bracket as Ramsey is a stretch too far.
If you think he’s as bad as Ramsey I’m guessing you think we should sell the pair of them?
Agree that Alexis was really bad last season but tbf he has been quality bar 2-3 matches this season. What he has similar to Ramsey is that there is a huge gap between their in form level and out of form level. On a bad day they can’t make a simple pass but on a good day they look like world class (Ramsey hasn’t looked like that since the EC tbf)
And yes, I’d be happy if we sold both of them.
I think it would be refreshing to see Arsene or lately Steve Bould actually get off their arses, shout instructions to the players and generally look like they give a shit and have an ability to change the game!
I believe this is common behaviour with other managers??
Well it is Wenger’s job to build the squad and make sure they got what it takes and are up for it. We need someone more Passionate and authorative who can both light a fire under the teams ass and inspire them to be all that they can be everyday. Also someone who recognizes competition and dont allow some players to keep their place in the team regardless how shit they might be playing. Like Peter Cech, how long is gonna be allowed to float along on his reputation? At some point we need to evaluate his performances and see… Read more »
Agree about Cech. Why do you think Chelsea let him go. Past his sell by date. Bring back Szczesny.
Play Ospina.
I would like to see Szczesny back. Cech is slowing down, but (except for today) his maturity and leadership abilities compensate. And he’s still a fine shot-stopper. Pull our smoking Pole back and have him start, with Cech as reserve, cup keeper, and insurance. Sell Ospina because he deserves to start somewhere and there isn’t room for him here. Martinez will be the backup when Cech retires or leaves.
Arsene Wenger is no tactician. We only lacked tactics today. Let’s face it, player for player, Arsenal have a better squad, except goalkeeper, Hazard and Kante. But the key is getting them to play together. Getting the best out of every player’s strength. Wenger does not do that. He wants 10 Patrick Vieiras on the field, who can run, tackle, pass and score all alike. Arsenal lack tactical awareness. They seem to not practice what to do, player for player, where to be and how to defend or attack in certain situations. Like how players should play if under pressure,… Read more »
You think Costa is inferior to Giroud or Alexis as a striker? Who is Walcott supposed to be better than? Chelsea has the better squad at this time, and that’s the main reason they won. Kos and Mustafi have had better games, so it’s not “tactical awareness” they lacked; they were simply poor today. Criticism of Wenger is perfectly fair; no way should the team lose to the likes of Watford. But the loss today was not Wenger’s fault. Ox looked pretty good out there, but we had some very good players who were MIA for long stretches. I’d have… Read more »
Thing with wenger is he has won every thing playing 4-4-2 – even today we went 4-4-2 or 42-4 at the end to score and in both f.a. cup finals we scored when we went 4-4-2 in recent years . But that formation does not suit ozil unless you play him wide left ( he can do that job , played there for Germany who reus was injured for wild cup win ) but wenger wants him Playing at no. Ten!! For me go 442 . With coq and Xhaka holding and kicking opposition like vihriala and petit in the… Read more »
Play 4-3-3 or 4-2-2 as all the other top teams do. Our system is rubbish
4-3-3 or 4-4-2 I meant
Today I realised when I play FIFA I prefer playing with the reserve team and youngsters…
That tells me a lot about our first 11.
Ha ha it’s back to the old excuses. Sorry Wenger but that won’t do it anymore.
oh do fuck off. bla bla bla. same old, same old.
Just gave my 11 year old £5 for scoring the winning goal against our local rivals today. Told him with no irony that he played better than Sanchez and Ozil put together today even though he didn’t play his best he battled to the end and got his chance of an easy tap in for the winner… it makes me feel sick to wonder how much Sanchez and Ozil got paid today, even if it was a fiver it was MUCH TOO MUCH!!!
I watched a 15 minute video of Bergkamp’s assists this week. Watching him and those around him underlined just how relatively poor our present squad is including Özil and Sanchez.
You can watch a 15 minute video of Ozils assists and they’re just as good. Yes, Bergkamp was awesome, but there were plenty of games where the invincibles played like rubbish. The invincibles seem to have become a stick to beat the current team, and I wish people would stop it. I sometimes wonder if that isn’t part of the psychological hang up we seem to have. This team has some very good players, but Arsene has favourites that are undroppable and doesn’t do tactics or motivation very well, and if our players today behaved like Adams, Viera etc, and… Read more »
The sad reality is that we have a chairman who knows nothing about football. Wenger goes when he wants. Such a sad situation.
Maturity in our team, he did not see it
Does he have any himself? If he had then we would have gone long ago before being titled the specialist in failure.
Where are you Walter and Tony the two bloody Arsene’s mercenaries, can you clear this mess and still proclaim Arsene is the messiah? Real fans should spit on your faces.
Errr…. slightly hysterical reaction much? Title is running away but the writing was on the wall last match. The problem is midfield. He was a bit light of one player coming into the season (be it Jack or someone-else). This is why it is a problem having Elneny in a way bc he has to go to AFCON. Santi’s aging legs, Jack preferring to ply his trade elsewhere…we are short on experience in midfield that can partner Coquelin. We know Le Coq is a different player with Santi. Granit was developing a good partnership. But we need another player to… Read more »
I think it’s worthing noting that Welbeck at least looked like he gave a damn. Probably our best player today and that speaks volumes about the rest of the team.
We lack intensity. Over elaboration where simple directness would have suffice. Lack of anticipation when balls are whipped in from out wide, no one gambles into the box. Midfield naivity. We were porous, Coquelin worse than Flamini. Ox hard to blame since it isn’t a natural position or againts second string Soton side. Alexis starts up front but no product. His passing is horrendous. Ozil did not make up enough defensively to help the inexperienced pairing of Ox and Coquelin. The most experienced player of them all, their ex player Cech with a lovely assist to our ex player Fabregas.… Read more »
Bayern Munich anyone?
We’re going to win the Champions League.
😀
Is it just me that would like Ian Holloway as our manager just for the bants? Oh, ok I will get my coat..:-)
I actually agree with AW. At the risk of beginning to sound like a broken record, I’ve seen players drag runners down as they go forward with the ball to stop potentially dangerous play (Arsenal don’t ever seem to do this and Coq is the biggest culprit) and everyone says “oh, he took one for the team there”…. Very cynical but it is a totally acceptable football move (honestly, if you’re not an arsenal fan, Coq’s attempt to win the ball of Hazard for the 2nd goal was comical but for an arsenal fan, it is downright disheartening)… Imagine if… Read more »
Our players take one for the team and they’re likely to get a red card. The manager has told them to stay on their feet. Their confidence is gone because they’re trying not to do anything wrong, and our defenders aren’t drilled to a system like some other teams it all falls apart more easily when the confidence is lost.
I don’t see any point in Wenger being arsenal manager anymore. David Moyes can do better.
Really.
For a top manager with so much of experience Wenger at least needs to get his facts right – “we lost the ball many times today” I didn’t see many arsenal players with balls today, how can u lose something that u don’t have Mr.Wenger??!!
Anyone else tired of being completely overrun in the midfield by ‘big’ teams? And this wasn’t just a case of playing with the bare bones. So many of our players looked absolutely terrified with ball at feet – it was painful to watch.
Midfield is very thin at the moment which is one of the biggest problems. In many ways, its why we start so insipidly. As much as Ox did well, the balance is not quite right. I mentioned we needed Ozil to play beyond is usual standard to help the lads out behind him. Still no time to feel sorry for ourselves (which I suspect could be a problem with certain players), we need to pick ourselves up and move on. As much as we have been poor, it could get more embaressing if we do not pick up. Hull beat… Read more »
Oops!… I did it again
I played with your heart, got lost in the game
Oh, baby, baby
Oops!… You think I’m in love
That I’m sent from above
I’m not that innocent
If the two games were a CL tie, Arsenal won it.
Arsene has got to go. We’re playing football that just isn’t relevant anymore. Chelsea (dirty concussing fouls on opponents aside) play the way we should be playing. Attacking team is already mentally beaten when they get offered half a chance. Wall(s) of impenetrable defence. Brilliant counter attacks. And here’s the real kicker – even bloody Watford had the ingredients of that on Tuesday. We don’t. We have been caught out by a changing of the guard with our players/manager’s mentality still stuck in a bygone period. Wenger’s got to go. Ozil and Alexis are gone, there’s no point assuming anything… Read more »
Every week we all come on here to vent and console ourselves because we support a great team that has a very selfish, greedy and clueless manager behind it. The team is not the problem today of more than anything was more proof. Wenger can’t win anymore you can’t complain about players not being mature and refuse to sign mature players. Well I am still too young to have a high blood pressure from watching something that’s meant to be fun. So until wenger goes no more arenal games or news for me. Complete purge.. doing the same thing over… Read more »
Arsenal need to sound out some names NOW. If Wenger stays on Ozil and Sanchez will definitely not sign on for more of this. Mind you, couldn’t give a shit if Ozil left – lazy cunt.
Bloody Graeme Souness…where’s your Liverpool? OTOH rather irritating Spurs are now ahead of us. We should not take St Totteringham’s day for granted. If anything it should motivate us to at very least finish above them. Whether we can catch Chelsea is now fairly moot. We also have City to worry about tomorrow. But what a wasteful two weeks. First we had opportunity to sneak closer last week against Watford and now we put undue pressure on ourselves to have us a performance we don’t seem up to delivering. Still plenty to play for and the worst thing is for… Read more »
Sanchez gave the ball away cheaply repeatedly. He looks to dribble and shoot with three defenders on him. Ozil jogged around the pitch.
He sounds more and more like Mou
Maybe wenger is still using the positive self-esteem psychological philosophy from 15-20 years ago. It’s now believe those techniques did more harm than good, and could explain our weak mentality. He tends to build up players/team after relatively good performances against poor opposition. Like Sanogo scores 4 goals in a preseason against a weak opponent and suddenly he’s the next Henry and top top quality. Or more recently, we score 4 goals against a Southampton reserve calibre team, who just played a few days before, and suddenly this is his best attacking team ever. Players pat themselves on the back… Read more »
Time to replace the injury prone players while we are at it, the lack of santi has been a huge problem and we look a lot better with him in the team but he is just too injury prone to rely on!!!