I only saw the first half, but I thought we looked rather fine going forward.

[Sir C]

Clearly Xhaka was having a 'mare and Ozil hasn't really got going yet, but overall it seemed to me that we were heading for a relatively routine victory.

What went wrong?

[Burney]

Clearly Xhaka was having a 'mare and Ozil hasn't really got going yet, but overall it seemed to me that we were heading for a relatively routine victory.

What went wrong?

General sloppiness in front of goal (or 'Danny Wellbeck' as he's also known), a good strike by thon Stoke chap and a poor offside decision that denied us a goal.

[Pokster]

General sloppiness in front of goal (or 'Danny Wellbeck' as he's also known), a good strike by thon Stoke chap and a poor offside decision that denied us a goal.

I would say the non penalty was the main reason..... offside was correct, but he was lucky in it being correct.

Biggest problem was our manager picking defenders out of position.. and then blaming the defence

[Sir C]

General sloppiness in front of goal (or 'Danny Wellbeck' as he's also known), a good strike by thon Stoke chap and a poor offside decision that denied us a goal.

Oh. So not quite the catastrophic disaster suggested by the usual sources? Surprising.

[Burney]

Oh. So not quite the catastrophic disaster suggested by the usual sources? Surprising.

Not really, no. Disappointing and frustrating to be sure, but no disaster.

Mind you, Sellback (as my autocorrect insists on calling him) may have incurred ire once or twice duet to his cack-footed profligacy, I must admit. You're right about Xhaka and his apparent determination to give Stoke the ball, also.

[redgunamo]

Oh. So not quite the catastrophic disaster suggested by the usual sources? Surprising.

The defeat was the "disastrous" bit, I think. As you say, the performance was like a million other matches in which we've ended up strolling to victory.

[SWv2]

Oh. So not quite the catastrophic disaster suggested by the usual sources? Surprising.

There is certainly no reason for losing the plot as it is but one game / one defeat.

One could look at certain elements of the manager’s thinking and wonder what the fúck he was doing, specifically in defensive selections, but you know he is in charge and all that. One could maybe ask if he really has got the midfield balance right and if he has not after so long when he is going to do so.

Thing is, we are both intelligent chaps, so we both are 100% aware that more or less every defeat this season will see a reaction perhaps not in line with the cause, a resurrection of the ill feeling that pervaded last season and a continued questioning of the decision to give the man a new two year deal.

In summary, the season is going to be one long fúcking ball ache.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

There is certainly no reason for losing the plot as it is but one game / one defeat.

One could look at certain elements of the manager’s thinking and wonder what the fúck he was doing, specifically in defensive selections, but you know he is in charge and all that. One could maybe ask if he really has got the midfield balance right and if he has not after so long when he is going to do so.

Thing is, we are both intelligent chaps, so we both are 100% aware that more or less every defeat this season will see a reaction perhaps not in line with the cause, a resurrection of the ill feeling that pervaded last season and a continued questioning of the decision to give the man a new two year deal.

In summary, the season is going to be one long fúcking ball ache.

Bringing on Walcott for Lacazette was also a highlight. Take off your best finisher for a **** who usually does **** all when coming on as a sub.

[redgunamo]

Not really, no. Disappointing and frustrating to be sure, but no disaster.

Mind you, Sellback (as my autocorrect insists on calling him) may have incurred ire once or twice duet to his cack-footed profligacy, I must admit. You're right about Xhaka and his apparent determination to give Stoke the ball, also.

I can forgive the midfield, if they are taking risks with their passing which can naturally result in a loss of possession. In fact, I want them to do more of it. Trouble is, everyone is obsessed with the process nowadays, rather than the result; people are happy with 70% of the ball, regardless of whether it actually gets you anywhere or not. Mafia bosses seem to be the only men who can demand actual results these days.

Young Danny Welbeck is more difficult to forgive. Has he already forgotten that we just signed a fifty million pound striker precisely so that he would never have to shoot for goal ever again? The man has a big "9" on his back and everything :homer:

[redgunamo]

Bringing on Walcott for Lacazette was also a highlight. Take off your best finisher for a **** who usually does **** all when coming on as a sub.

I think Wenger believes that Theo is like a fifty million pound striker.

[Burney]

There is certainly no reason for losing the plot as it is but one game / one defeat.

One could look at certain elements of the manager’s thinking and wonder what the fúck he was doing, specifically in defensive selections, but you know he is in charge and all that. One could maybe ask if he really has got the midfield balance right and if he has not after so long when he is going to do so.

Thing is, we are both intelligent chaps, so we both are 100% aware that more or less every defeat this season will see a reaction perhaps not in line with the cause, a resurrection of the ill feeling that pervaded last season and a continued questioning of the decision to give the man a new two year deal.

In summary, the season is going to be one long fúcking ball ache.

Surely this is no surprise, though? We've signed two players and look likely to have lost our top scorer. Were we expecting to be notably better given this? :shrug:

[Ash]

people are happy with 70% of the ball, regardless of whether it actually gets you anywhere or not.

Which people are these, redg? Apart from AW, of course.

[redgunamo]

Which people are these, redg? Apart from AW, of course.

Oh, they're everywhere!

The only ones playing the sort of Cassandra-role here seem to be me and Thierry Henry.

[PSRB]

I would say the non penalty was the main reason..... offside was correct, but he was lucky in it being correct.

Biggest problem was our manager picking defenders out of position.. and then blaming the defence

Linesman clearly guessed, no way he could have seen it and the frame before (seen on t'internet) when Giroud actually touches it shows he was onside. The non-penalty cost us, hurry up VAR

[SWv2]

Surely this is no surprise, though? We've signed two players and look likely to have lost our top scorer. Were we expecting to be notably better given this? :shrug:

No surprise but then Ivan promised us change etc.

As it stands change seems to be the appointment of Lehmann in a background role and a rather dapper looking third kit which is worn as an away kit.

I expect Sanchez to be sold in the next 10 days which will lead to **** being lost all throughout the Arsenal family.

[SWv2]

Linesman clearly guessed, no way he could have seen it and the frame before (seen on t'internet) when Giroud actually touches it shows he was onside. The non-penalty cost us, hurry up VAR

The introduction of the VAR may well have resulted in the goal being awarded as replays in post-match analysis were adjudged by as many experts as vindicating the decision as those who said the goal should have stood.

[Peter]

Clearly Xhaka was having a 'mare and Ozil hasn't really got going yet, but overall it seemed to me that we were heading for a relatively routine victory.

What went wrong?

Every time we lost the ball (and we decided to do that a lot) everybody was out of position. This was very nearly a problem several times in the first half that you watched. In the second half we managed to combine that with about three mistakes at once to gift them a goal.

All the chances we created either fell to Wellbeck (say no more) or found a referee/linesman who was blind to a foul but managed to spot offsides that were not there.

Its no disaster. Just a standard defeat we have seen many, many times before over the last 12 years. Another to come next weekend.

Two more years to go…..

[Peter]

Surely this is no surprise, though? We've signed two players and look likely to have lost our top scorer. Were we expecting to be notably better given this? :shrug:

Anyone surprised by this game needs to see a doctor. It was the least surprising sequence of events imaginable. It couldn't have been more Wenger-like if someone had scripted it.

[Viva Prat Vegas]

Our approach to going 1 down was to begin attacks at the speed of a Per
Wait until the opposition were in four banks of four and then pass the ball back to them
:shout:

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

Clearly Xhaka was having a 'mare and Ozil hasn't really got going yet, but overall it seemed to me that we were heading for a relatively routine victory.

What went wrong?

The problem with looking good going forward is that it is rather irrelevant if we don't score. Score we must because we are likely to concede at some point in the game.

[Ash]

Our approach to going 1 down was to begin attacks at the speed of a Per
Wait until the opposition were in four banks of four and then pass the ball back to them
:shout:

Isn't that standard procedure in recent years?

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

Every time we lost the ball (and we decided to do that a lot) everybody was out of position. This was very nearly a problem several times in the first half that you watched. In the second half we managed to combine that with about three mistakes at once to gift them a goal.

All the chances we created either fell to Wellbeck (say no more) or found a referee/linesman who was blind to a foul but managed to spot offsides that were not there.

Its no disaster. Just a standard defeat we have seen many, many times before over the last 12 years. Another to come next weekend.

Two more years to go…..


Poor Welbs looks pretty sharp except in front of goal.

[Viva Prat Vegas]

Isn't that standard procedure in recent years?

Unfortunately yes
We are now leetle lacking in pep and dynamism but good at playing Sharks

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

I think Wenger believes that Theo is like a fifty million pound striker.

I believe that will be his opening stance at his next contract negotiation ;-)

[redgunamo]

I believe that will be his opening stance at his next contract negotiation ;-)

Right. Can't blame him really :-\

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

No surprise but then Ivan promised us change etc.

As it stands change seems to be the appointment of Lehmann in a background role and a rather dapper looking third kit which is worn as an away kit.

I expect Sanchez to be sold in the next 10 days which will lead to **** being lost all throughout the Arsenal family.


I doubt anyone will really be surprised by Sanchez being sold.

[redgunamo]

Poor Welbs looks pretty sharp except in front of goal.

Exactly. If he could actually score from where he was shooting from on Saturday, he would have stayed at Manchester United and would probably even be on his way to Real Madrid by now and we wouldn't have paid all that money for Lacazette either.

[eastgermanautos]

Clearly Xhaka was having a 'mare and Ozil hasn't really got going yet, but overall it seemed to me that we were heading for a relatively routine victory.

What went wrong?

As it happens I agree with you. But, as in life, when you don't capitalize, you soon come to discover that others have a plan to fvck you up. This was the case also with Stoke.

[Yesterday Once More]

Wellbeck and Chicharito were United's back-up strikers a few years ago. I thought then that we bought the wrong one, and I am even more convinced now that we did.

[SWv2]

Wellbeck and Chicharito were United's back-up strikers a few years ago. I thought then that we bought the wrong one, and I am even more convinced now that we did.

Welbeck is fúcking useless.

[Rich]

Welbeck is fúcking useless.

But a top bloke, by most accounts. Nice to have around the place, I suspect.

Imagine you're having a bad day and you bump into Danny. He'd be there offering a smile and a firm hug.

[SWv2]

But a top bloke, by most accounts. Nice to have around the place, I suspect.

Imagine you're having a bad day and you bump into Danny. He'd be there offering a smile and a firm hug.

Couldn't give two fúcks.

He is not my mate nor never will be. Not really interested in the character of players, moreso their ability.

Welbeck at least tries very hard which in turn gives him the upper hand on others such as Walcott.