Arsene virtually in tears in the interview when asked if he was sad that he wouldn't

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Originally Posted by PSRB

I'd like to see the defensive side at Arsenal but considering the strikers they have, a bit more flair wouldn't go amiss

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Yet they clearly and by some distance had the two best attacking performances on the pitch last night.

Flair? Can be over-rated you know. Professional football is about winning.

The lad Griezemann even fitted in a rabona last night.

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Originally Posted by Pokster

I agree with you 100%, I always felt there was loads more he could have achieved with us

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Well as Sir C points out, the mere fact that a player of his ability was happy to play for a team like Arsenal when he should have been playing for one of the European giants was evidence that he was not especially ambitious or driven.

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Originally Posted by SWv2

Yet they clearly and by some distance had the two best attacking performances on the pitch last night.

Flair? Can be over-rated you know. Professional football is about winning.

The lad Griezemann even fitted in a rabona last night.

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You are missing the point. They were always going to play on the counter attack. If Arsenal had been afforded that much space then I'm sure Ozil, Ramsey and Mikihtaryan could have been a lot more influential.

If Arsenal had put 9 behind the ball then I imagine you'd have seen less of a 'great' performance from their two strikers.

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Originally Posted by Burney

Well as Sir C points out, the mere fact that a player of his ability was happy to play for a team like Arsenal when he should have been playing for one of the European giants was evidence that he was not especially ambitious or driven.

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Token: He was driven everywhere

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Originally Posted by Rich

You are missing the point. They were always going to play on the counter attack. If Arsenal had been afforded that much space then I'm sure Ozil, Ramsey and Mikihtaryan could have been a lot more influential.

If Arsenal had put 9 behind the ball then I imagine you'd have seen less of a 'great' performance from their two strikers.

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I am not sure I would be so limited as to simply describe their performance last night as being based on counter attacks.

Sure they had a few late in the game as we pushed on for the goal we needed and invariably left space and perhaps lesser numbers at the back, a natural part of any game of football of course where one team is pushing on.

Rest of the time I thought they played a very controlled game. Their defenders defended, their midfield covered their defence and when needed passed the ball around and their forwards provided an outlet. All very commendable really.

If you are confident in your ability to defend and bide your time in full knowledge that at some point the opposition will make a mistake in defence then that is fine.

You simply don’t really understand the game and make a naïve straight line connection between ball possession and quality, or superiority or whatever.

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Originally Posted by SWv2

I am not sure I would be so limited as to simply describe their performance last night as being based on counter attacks.

Sure they had a few late in the game as we pushed on for the goal we needed and invariably left space and perhaps lesser numbers at the back, a natural part of any game of football of course where one team is pushing on.

Rest of the time I thought they played a very controlled game. Their defenders defended, their midfield covered their defence and when needed passed the ball around and their forwards provided an outlet. All very commendable really.

If you are confident in your ability to defend and bide your time in full knowledge that at some point the opposition will make a mistake in defence then that is fine.

You simply don’t really understand the game and make a naïve straight line connection between ball possession and quality, or superiority or whatever.

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On the contrary, I think that Simeone's tactics are to apply attacking pressure in waves. I.e. become reserved for a period, inviting pressure on, safe in the knowledge that their organisation is so good that it very difficult for their opponents to attack. Then, at various intervals (whether these are pre-defined, decided by the natural ebb & flow of the game, decided by the captain etc) the defence, midfield and attack will move 20-30 yards further up the pitch. This seemed to disrupt Arsenal's attacking intent and I'm sure provided some respite from the mentally draining task of defending a constant territorial disadvantage.

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Originally Posted by Rich

On the contrary, I think that Simeone's tactics are to apply attacking pressure in waves. I.e. become reserved for a period, inviting pressure on, safe in the knowledge that their organisation is so good that it very difficult for their opponents to attack. Then, at various intervals (whether these are pre-defined, decided by the natural ebb & flow of the game, decided by the captain etc) the defence, midfield and attack will move 20-30 yards further up the pitch. This seemed to disrupt Arsenal's attacking intent and I'm sure provided some respite from the mentally draining task of defending a constant territorial disadvantage.

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... and then they undid us with a pub league, long ball. Again.

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Originally Posted by Burney

Well as Sir C points out, the mere fact that a player of his ability was happy to play for a team like Arsenal when he should have been playing for one of the European giants was evidence that he was not especially ambitious or driven.

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Does the same go for Wenger too?

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Originally Posted by Burney

Well as Sir C points out, the mere fact that a player of his ability was happy to play for a team like Arsenal when he should have been playing for one of the European giants was evidence that he was not especially ambitious or driven.

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Routinely quiet in big games, I think his lack of pace was often a reason.

And as Peter has pointed out to us many times, he was really only 'a poor man's Teddy Sheringham'. :-)