Last night was a night that summed up many of the manager's and the club's failings. Great credit to League 2 side Bradford for a true battling performance and congratulations to their supporters. We played a strong side but in truth we were not at the races for much of the first half and most of the second, although Vermaelen equalised late on, we could not make our complete domination in extra time count and narrowly went out on penalties, two of our spot kicks rather unfortunately cannoning back of the inside of the post.
I have to say that I am slightly ashamed and embarrassed at the way many of our own supporters are behaving and reacting. Fine, criticise the manager, criticise the board, criticise the players, but there is a way of doing this without sinking to offensive abuse and mocking. We also should be supporting these players when they are on the field and the negative support of some fans at home games is actually having a real detrimental effect on performances.
I know our squad is weak and several players are not good enough. However I do not buy the lack of effort or the mentality issue, we simply aren't good enough, there's no need to claim some of our average failing players are not trying when they appear to be putting in a lot of effort. Gervinho is the perfect case in point, he is a frustrating player no doubt, but last night he was probably our most dangerous player going forward, yet in the eyes of some supporters he was to blame for everything including third world famine.
The manager has certainly lost the plot in recent years. The 4-3-3 system, the way we play it, is an abject disaster area. Again last night we had no pace and width in attacking areas. I barely noticed Podolski in his left sided berth, surely he must play centrally? Gervinho is not a centre forward, while there was no one on the right flank in the first half. Ramsey was anonymous, Cazorla only came to life later in the game, again we had numerous central players in midfield and attack, and no proper width.
The lack of depth in the centre forward position was again demonstrated. Chamakh's movement did show us what we had been missing to a degree, alas his poor finishing did not. Gervinho was far more at home on the left and it begged the obvious question - why as Podolski playing wide and Gervinho centrally, again?
Sacking Arsene now mid season with no replacement lined up would be utterly stupid. Change for the sake of it without any serious plan for what will happen afterwards is the stuff of idiots. Arsene needs to sort this mess out and if he doesn't then he has to go in the summer. We need better players in certain areas and we need to stop playing numerous central players in the same team without having any attacking width. I would be fully in favour of switching back to a 4-4-2, or perhaps a 4-4-1-1 with Santi off the centre forward. Arsene needs to remember the importance of width and bring in some quality in January.
5 comments:
You don't think there's a mental issue? Why then do the players regularly not turn up or put much effort into games? I have spent lots of money this season going to watch the team play Norwich, Swansea, Schalke, QPR and every game there has been so little determination that I was bored stiff. Your point is that the quality isn't there. You don't need to be good to put effort in. There's a huge problem with attitude and desire to win games. This is the managers fault! He doesn't motivate them, drill them properly in training or assign fault when they are regularly shit.
Wenger can't be trusted with the transfer money. He's lost command of any sense. He'll ruin any good player that he buys. Arshavin was great til he met Wenger. Carzorla is already losing his footballing desire. Gervinho up front, Ramsey out wide! It's not working so don't continually do it!
Nothing was ever achieved by blindly supporting something that doesn't work.
Arsene is playing with what he has. But ur right 4-4-1-1 is what we need. we need Huntelar and Baines and push gibbs to left mid ??
The style of play is pedestrian from the back, predictable through midfield and has been for years. The days have gone when the ball went to Thierry and stayed with him not coming straight back. The crowding of the opposition third with our players and their defence leaves little room for sutlety and we are exposed by a long ball upfield. The lack of pace and guile from the forwards is embarrassing and as the league table does not lie surely even Wenger will have the odd self doubts, or maybe not. Third rate French players, panic buys and a 40 strong scouting system. Heaven forbid what they see in some of the players they recommend. What is the point in complaining as no-one at the top listen. Would you if you were raking off millions in bonuses. Enough said. N Ireland supporter.
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