A few thoughts on "losing" 1-1

[Dr Headgear - Wannabe viking]

Sloppy goal aside, I thought we did OK.
Possibly should have had a pen, possibly should have had a goal with the ball over the line after the save. Kaboul and Loris their two best players by far, so we must have been doing something right.

Ozil had his best game for ages, The Ox was good, Welbz disappointing. Chambers had a good game.

The team doesn't look balanced though. A world class defensive midfielder would go a long way to solving that. If we don't have that then we need far better understanding between our players about which space to occupy and when. We often had loads of players in the box, but nobody lurking just outside to hoover up clearances, or everybody lurking outside and nobody making the runs. If we want to play total football in the opponent's half then we're going to have to work on it, a lot.

Shameful waste of corners, we missed Giroud there. And for all the "why didn't Alexis start?" stuff, he had a chance or two where he should have shot first time but opted for a pass through a crowded penalty area - not sure exactly how he's any different to any of our other players in that respect.

Lastly, shockingly negative from Spurs in a NLD. Don't think I've ever seen them turn up with so little ambition.

[Ben.]

I thought he was better last week though, when everything went through him.
When he is the main playmaker we move the ball quicker, Wilshere holds onto the ball for too long, draws a foul by which time they're all back in position.
The problem with teams showing no ambition is they know we will either gift them a goal, allow them a counter by recklessly chucking everyone forward or concede from a set piece.
You play Chelsea and put everyone behind the ball you know if you concede that's it.

[LadyG -keeping the spirit of the unbeatables alive]

You missed out our lack of pace when attacking, and failure to attack the ball IMO.

They were there for the taking yesterday, and apart from Chambers naff pass to Flamini which Flamini then held onto far too long when he clearly wasn't in control of it, they didn't really threaten us. They never really looked like scoring.

Instead of attacking them at pace in the true Arsenal way, with one touch football and running off and on the ball, we just played the pass and hold game, kept sending it back to defence, passed it around the back. It's this way of playing when teams are there for the taking that pisses me off.

It means that by the time we get the ball into the final third, we can't get the ball through cos they have everyone back. PLUS, when we do get into the good position, we take too long to shoot or there is rarely anyone running onto the ball from deep to score, or anyone taking up a position by the far post where the ball always ends up from corners. In fact Alexis was the only person that took up a far post position yesterday.

It's annoying cos we only get flashes of playing at the top pace with this reincarnation, previous incarnations could and would play that way for the majority of the game. Kill teams off then relax.

[LadyG -keeping the spirit of the unbeatables alive]

[Bergkamp's Brain]

Ball didn't cross the line. Saw it again this morning. Showed the whole thing.

To be fair, we didn't pay well. Whether we look unbalanced or lacking in key positions, we are struggling to make it tick right now. This was a poor Spurs team. We really could have been a couple down at half time had we played a decent team.

We just haven't quite got going this season. Crucial week coming up

[Billy Goat Sverige]

to play everyone in their best position and drop Wilshere. The team will be more balanced when we don't have midfielders put on the left and then spending the whole game in the middle.

[Ben.]

I was convinced last week would mean Ozil would play in the same position.

We miss Walcott massively though.

[devongunner]

piece in the jigsaw

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Bergkamp's Brain]

[Ben.]

The fact he offers something different than what we have, makes excellent runs and offers a huge threat in behind.
Throw in 20-25 goals and 15 assists and I wouldn't have thought it would be that controversial an opinion.

[devongunner]

and we still only struggled for fourth. I thought we were talking about the final pieces which would bring together all the positives we have and make us real CL and PL challengers?

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[barrybueno]

[Bergkamp's Brain]

Had he scored 25 goals in a season yet?

He is a threat in behind but at the moment we can't string 2 passes together so it is slightly moot.

I never suggested that it was a controversial opinion. It always seems that we miss players that are injured more than is realistic.

[devongunner]

does he really offer more than Sanchez or OX or Cazorla or Welbeck or Ramsey at his peak last season. If he does what is the line up?

[Billy Goat Sverige]

behind Welbeck. Ramsey or Wilshere with Arteta, i don't really care which one as both are playing **** at the moment.

Whether he offers more than Cazorla or Ox i'd say he almost certainly does. In the passing game and retaining possession probably not but in terms of goals and assists neither Cazorla or Ox have come close to getting 21 goals and 14 assists in one season. Ox probably never will tbh, but he's not that sort of player.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

statistic to refer to. Obviously when an assist is the ball bouncing off someone's arse it's a load of *******s.

[Dr Headgear - Wannabe viking]

Mainly because putting the ball in the box is often the easiest part of a move.

But when you have that many, you're clearly doing something right.

[Hendon Gooner (Only Easy Day Was Yesterday))]

We should be crushing shower of ****e teams like that - not just doing "okay". Pathetic!! :banghead:

So sad how the expectations of our fans have been lowered by this regime since we moved to the Emirates.

:cry:

And I salute all the Arsenal fans going to Chelski next Sunday.
Hope that they Chelski don't utterly rape the fcuk out of us.
Paying good money to see another humiliation. Fingers crossed that the defeat won't be too traumatic.

[LadyG -keeping the spirit of the unbeatables alive]

I let my ticket go cos I'll be out of the country, but if I was going could see myself leaving early if it went :titsup:

[The Rob2]

[devongunner]

[Dr Headgear - Wannabe viking]

which was clearly a save.