Arsenal concede yet another late goal – We need some more spirit on Thursday

Another bad match management leads to late defeat by Konstantin Mitov

Arsenal lost away again this time at Old Trafford. And while it’s not a big surprise that we lost, the way we did it is what hurts. We didn’t draw it, because of bad match management, again.

We lack the players who will dig in and talk when we are under pressure. We couldn’t cope with Martial on the wing and the crosses were causing us a lot of trouble. The way Manchester United lifted their game after we scored showed the difference in character.

I thought Mavropanos and Chambers were alright, and actually I don’t think Mustafi and Koscielny would’ve been much better. Up front only Mikhi was on the level required. Aubameyang was really missing and Iwobi was his usual self so now’re going to Madrid on the back of 2 late disappointments.

This requires character which I honestly don’t think we have. And I am so happy Wenger will be gone as I just cannot stand seeing this for another year, but the candidates to replace him don’t give me a lot of confidence.

Allegri seems out of it, Simeone is unlikely, Ancelotti doesn’t seem likely either. The best choice left is Enrique, who has high demands which is uncertain that will be met, but also wants a lot of power, something the club is not willing to give after Wenger goes, which is a smart move.

We’ll likely hire a coach, not a manager, but he’ll also need to be a character that will be add steel to this mentally fragile group. Vieira is an option, but I don’t think he has the managerial pedigree to take us back to the top. And I really don’t want Arteta.

Now the character of this team faces it’s biggest test to suck up the punches and go to a team who has conceded 4 goals in La liga in 2018 at home while our away record is terrible.

The one good thing about going to Madrid at 1:1 is that we’ll have to attack. We couldn’t defend against a team who was happy losing 1:0 with 10 man. We failed today, we made it nervy against Ostersunds and against CSKA, it’s obviously not our strength. Still we need to go to Madrid and pull out a supreme away performance.

We are major underdogs, but this is when we usually are capable to either concede a humiliation or pull off a miracle upset. Hopefully we’ll do the latter but honestly I don’t trust the team not to concede on the counter. Something that Atletico are very good at.

The best thing about the season is Wenger leaving and the fact that it ends soon. Effectively on Thursday if we don’t get past Atletico. Hopefully though we’ll see some spirit for once. We have the quality to hurt them, it’s the mentality that worries me.

Konstantin

37 Comments

    1. Another sour post by Konstantinos. The team didn’t lack spirit. They fought really well against seasoned campaigners. Fellaini is difficult to stop given aerial crosses.

  1. “Allegri seems out of it, Simeone is unlikely, Ancelotti doesn’t seem likely either. The best choice left is Enrique, who has high demands which is uncertain that will be met, but also wants a lot of power, something the club is not willing to give after Wenger goes, which is a smart move”.

    – Beyond changing Manager (which is just one part of it), the Club must change policies (transfer, negotiations, budgets, contracts etc). You can’t continue the same policy with any other manager (i dont care even if it Pep) and expect different results. Most fans forget that fact….what AW leaved with (happily though with great results), most of the managers we are clamouring wouldnt. Anyways, Wenger is gone; we are keeping fingers crossed- let’s see what grade A coach is willing to come operate under same condition to accomplish same GREAT results (overall) as AW.

  2. Looking at the wider picture, this season has ended with success; Wenger’s sacking. After todays game it is clear that we have more potential in some of our younger players than most had realised. The new man will have something to work with and once excuse making, player pampering Daddy Wenger is gone, the new man will surely bring a tougher attitude which could totally transform the club outlook, though miracles will take several transfer windows. All the old guard defenders(including both keepers) MUST be moved on this summer, save only Monreal and just possibly Kolasinac. Kos is only fit for the knackers yard and were he a horse, would finish up as dog food. Mustafi would make even a dog as sick as we all are of him. Merts is retiring to be a coach, if the new man will have him , which must be unlikely and I suspect that just one top CB will be brought in with one of the two who played today playing alongside him. I would offer Burnley whatever they want for Nick Pope, who has been the best English keeper this season, IMO. WE BADLY NEED A PROPER WINGER who is fast, determined and can cross, plus move inside like Sane does so effectively. And after a full decade, a quality DCM, which we have not had since Gilberto.

    1. Here comes a man who delights in making himself happy by using the word sack. Here comes a man who sees tomorrow and his already predicting the new manager will have something to work on as if AW had not made a huge success of making stars out of younger players than most managers till date. You havent said anything new and the new manager will not be doing anything new for decades….because you would suddenly realized AW had done all of that before. The new manager will have to win 7 FA cups and give us another invicilbles….thereafter go ahead to win the UCL with the so-called average players AND under THE SAME budget regime. Until that, sorry – WE will not impressed. If you change policies and buy better players, negotiate faster (not taking for ever even as we saw in Jan 2018 on Auba’s case), tidy up contracts on time….and not allow good players to run down as we saw before and still seeing in some cases)..if the board changes for good and a new manager achiever greater results….of course …that is also expected….nothing new. Pep has shown you can splash 200M only on defenders and achieve results….Mourinho has shown you can splash 89M on a player and win Europa….Real Madrid has shown you can splah 100M or more on a player and win UCLs, Barcelona has shown you can splash 140 euros on a player and win the La Liga. So, if you dole out big money, you must give me results and that is what the new manager will have to produced or be sacked. You run on low budgets and produce the kind of results AW did, you have to be respected and you become a LEGEND and that is what Arsene Wenger has become and you CAN’T change that. Watch out for more accolades. (You may wish to list just 5 coaches – world wide or in the top 5 European leagues….who have achieved greater feats while operating under same conditions).

      1. Lexynal,
        Try as we may, some people just don’t want to recognise what Arsene Wenger has done for the club.
        Every manager asked has said just how much the man has changed the face of football in this country.
        Every single player who has played under Wenger has praised the man and reiterated how much they owe to him. I refer to players from Tony Adams to Naitland Miles as classic examples of this.
        I have and always will be a Wenger man and will be at out game with Burnley to salute a living legend who has Arsenal DNA running through his veins. He is a loyal servant of the club and the most successful manager we have ever had.
        Watching our young side today, it was great to see the young guns give a Manure first team a run for their money. He certainly leaves us in a much stronger position than when he joined us.
        HOWEVER.. I do believe the time has come for Arsene and Arsenal to have new and different challenges. We as supporters should also move on and, unlike those supporters who have caused such bitter division within our club and still won’t let go (on both sides), be ready to support whoever comes in to replace him.
        The problem is for these supporters is they can’t move oncan they? Konstantly Moaning is THE classic example of this. Every article he writes has the inevitable dig at Wenger.
        Just let it go for heavens sake. You have your wish and the man is going.
        Now please show everyone that you can debate something else without mentioning past managers.
        Jon Fox has previously said that the site is getting boring…well Jon I think the reason is because we are getting bored of the same old same old.
        Any site has to rely on the input it receives, so I look forward to reading your forthcoming input.
        You never now fellow Gooners, we might even agree on something worth discussing!!!!!

        1. Its up to them if they wan to recognise Wenger

          or they wants to continue despise and hate…its their choice and their opnion

          Without Wenger’s initial success…..Kroneke and Usmannov may not buy in the club…

          we may not even have the loan approve….and paying off the loan….

          We could be just another Crystal Palace or Nottingham Forest……

          The man is still a human and hes leaving….

          Let it go

          1. You speak like kroenke buying the club is a great thing and he bought it because of Wenger! I wish kroenke never bought the club we wouldn’t be suffering like this

            1. would kroneke buy a club that is not successful or potentially has a chance to grow at that time?

        2. u two guys make me laugh,22 divide by 3.really ken? u talk of player talking abt how great he was,he developed them,bt he never gave them wat they wanted.ask yourself why did the great ones move on to other teams?they cos they had ambitions that lacked in the club.wenger made money for the club,how did it help us fanz apart from mockings from man u,chelsea n city fans.being a fan,you enjoy wining trophy not stabilizing cheque books and building stadiums those r sec.needs.wenger made some of u think futball is abt thoz thing n blindly followed.it will be difficult to remove that mentality once another manager.

          i rather remain in highbury n win trophies,than move to emarates n win 0 epl trophy n 10 yrs. i repeat 0 TROPHY IN 10 DAMN YEARS.
          THEN this will wake u up 4 mnths withiout away point….hahahahahahahahahahahah joke….clubs shld talk abt trophy not facilities.

          1. To be frank Frank, your talking a load of bulls**t.
            No trophies in ten years? You obviously have never followed the club because you don’t have a clue about our history do you?
            In the last five years we have won the FA cup three times.
            That is more than City, United, Spuds, Liverpool or Chelsea, let alone the rest of the premier league teams.
            Don’t come up with the bull about the cup not being a trophy, just ask Utd and Chelsea supporters as they prepare for this years final.
            Ask the Spud and Saint supporters who lost in the semi final how they felt not being in the final.
            We mock Spurs fans for their barren spell, but your like a spoilt little baby because we get it back from others.
            You are the worst kind of “supporter” any club could have. No clue as to why we had to move stadium, no concept on why players want to play for Wenger and no idea who actually holds the purse strings of the club.
            It’s being reported there is only 50million for the new manager, so who do you blame for that? The board have said money was no problem and that they had made contingency plans for not qualifying for the CL. Perhaps if you could think a little and answer those questions you might be worth me wasting my time replying to you.
            If you learnt to communicate properly I might be able to understand some more of the gibberish you have “written”, but I’m bored silly trying to educate someone who has no knowledge about football and how a club should be run.
            Bye bye and good riddance.

      2. new manager won’t be around for 2 decades so he doesn’t have to replicate Wenger’s record at all. These are the final few months of debating Wenger and I can’t freaking wait for it to end. Arsenal are about to go through rebuilding so it’s unlikely new guy will suddenly win league or UCL within 1-2 seasons. The reason AW got sacked is because of the clear direction the team was heading which was backwards. Bad results, bad performances, we’ve seen it all and AW has done nothing to make the team better while he’s still spending cash. Our poor team isn’t all down to him, but he can’t get best out of the players he has either. Oy, I’m bored of this. Continue grieving the fall of the mighty Wenger, but I won’t. Was going backwards and change was badly needed. Now board needs to do their part and get behind this new guy and give him funds.

        1. RSH,
          That’s the whole point of my post, but you still don’t seem to get it!
          We all have our personal views on the outgoing manager, but the point is he is now going and that should be the end of the story.
          Let’s have a debate on the merits of those manager/coaches being mentioned as successors.
          As it’s being suggested the fans helped push the old manager out, should we also have an imput into who the new manager is?
          What about choice of goallkeepers or merits of the ones we have?
          Should we spend the money on just one CB after watching our greek defender play today?
          Should we offer Wilshere and/or Ramsey new contracts?
          Could the Emirates handle a standing area? If so where should it be?
          Are the away supporters given too good an area when one considers where our away fans have to go at say, Newcastle or manure?
          Where do we see Usmanov in the new set up?
          Let’s move on, bring the fans together again and look towards the future.

        2. i go with u RSH.AW has been operating under mediocrity for the past 10/12 yrs, dat was Y he cudnt win the league.while other top 4 evolutionised,changed managers and had directions towards winning the league,AW was busy investing in academy players(denilson,chamberlain,wilsher,bentner.small boys to challenge Chelsea who had shevchenco,ballack,essien,drogba,deco etc.man city had yaya you’re,robinho etc,Liverpool had gerrad,Alonso,baros,mascherano etc.i mean world class players everywhere.

      3. Why are the big name coaches are not in favor of managing arsenal, there’s something more to arsenal then arsene, Arsene had his weaknesses, player loyalty, etc but he did the best he could. I still say Ivan out

        1. Selling giroud to Chelsea was a dumb decision, he was good as a sub, gave us option B, not surprising we didn’t score late goals and away points. Welbach should have gone, but he has no .Selling coc and keeping xhaka backfired badly.selling Gabriel and keeping mustafi OMG

  3. This was my predicted
    line up for today’s game.
    Cech
    Niles Holding Mertz Kolasinac
    Nelson Willock
    Wellbeck Mkhitaryan Iwobi
    Aubameyang
    Not bad eh?
    So everything is on the Thursday game now and perhaps the final…
    Going 1-0 down early is not allowed to happen.
    I think he will go for a defensive starting X1
    and play Cech it’s not a day for sentiment
    Sit and counter will be the plan
    An ideal day for a lone striker like Giroud.
    Wilshere and Wellbeck (pace) Iwobi (pace)will be
    used as impact players later rather than starters.
    A false 9 Ramsey /Ozil may even be used to
    absorb the massive Athletico start expected
    keep the score close till halftime and its all on

    Cech
    Bellerin Koz Mustafi Monreal
    Xhaka Ramsey Kolasinac
    Ozil Mkhitaryan Lacazette

    Ospina Holding Wilshere Nelson Nketiah Iwobi Wellbeck

  4. There was nothing wrong with our mentality today Konstantin. We played very well but of course it doesn’t fit with your Konstant necessity to search out the negatives in everything.

    1. @ #MAGA..thanks. A true Arsenal fan. We need to find a way to ship out some negative-Spurs fans like Konstantin, Jon Fox, Phil etc

      1. Lexynal,
        You post one very good article and then come up with the dribble regarding others.
        I am sure they will answer your comments about being Spurs fans if they can be bothered to waste their time.
        It’s you who should realise that these kind of posts just keep the same old same old rubbish going.
        Let’s see you give an opinion on who you think should be the next manager/coach and explain why?
        That would be more interesting I would think!

        1. Spot on Ken. I always enjoy reading your posts whether I agree with them or not.
          Let’s appreciate Arsene Wenger for what he has achieved, acknowledge his strengths and weaknesses, hope he goes out with the Europa League if possible for his sake and Arsenal’s, wish him the best for the future and move on with positive thoughts under a new manager.
          The spotlight now falls on Kroenke and the board to show their ambitions for this great club.
          After 56 years following the Arsenal through thick and thin, I and many others here have no intention to follow another club, despite the advice of some on this forum.

          1. OzzieGunner,
            Thanks mate, it’s good to have a fellow lifelong gooner looking forward to the future,whilst respecting the past.

  5. I think all eyes were on Sanchez earlier & Mkhi was overlooked. Was really glad he scored ? he’s done well for us & hope he has a good game on Thursday

  6. Perhaps the first half was better as I missed most of it … But they dominated in possession corners shots etc in second … And they were poor … I think people were fearing a five nil drubbing so if u set the bar at that level yes it was a decent performance … The young Greek kid looked decent and maitland niles looked calm in possession which bordered on lethargic at times and miki looks up for Thursday … But what it showed was that bellerin xhaka Iwobi and wellbeck need to be shown the door ASAP with mustafi and kos both vulnerable a quality right back a central defender and DM are essential this summer plus a quality winger if possible .. Not sure the cheapskate management are willing to hire a manager that will tell them up front their needs … Hope so

  7. Only just watched the game as I was working earlier, and a very respectable performance. I feel gutted for them losing right at the death.

    AMN was very impressive, as was Mavropanos. In fact, I was so impressed with our Greek CB, that it proves just how bad a manager Wenger really is when you think how awful Kos, and Mustafi have been, and yet we have to wait almost 5 months to see this guy play!

    I promise you that Kos or Mustafi, or both, will make at least one key mistake which will cost us a goal. If we want any chance to progress, they both need dropping.

  8. Wenger said: that “next year there will be someone else in the dugout and it will be a hostile environment again”. I think he has allot to say about our board but he just hasn’t said it.

  9. the boys did well considering some of the factors such as new pairing, inexperience, lack of game fitness and etc….

    too much negativity from Kon…just too personal….

    its time for a change

    1. Thanks JohnIbrahim….it is just absolutely unbelievable the amount of negativity we see here on this platform. I wonder if they are true Arsenal fans or they just happen to stumble on this site and wanting to idle away time typing on the computer. Whether we like it or not, it’s been demonstrated yesterday that we still have crops of youngsters with future for us and Wenger did not have to take instruction on line-up from anyone of us. It is a pointer….it shows the believe…and we expect the new coach to take it from there. Simple!

  10. I don’t know why people think Allegri is out. He’s in the middle of a tight title race so why would he say he’s leaving next season? Just be patient about new manager. We’ll definitely know very soon after the season is over. Arsenal is a big job and I’m sure we got a lot of options.

  11. Whoever comes in, the board have to decide quickly. Dragging feet will affect our preparation for next season.

    I hope the ‘Drag Feet’ culture in Arsenal FC will finally end. We have watch players slipped past us, becoming superstars because we just refused to pay a little more. Penny wise Pound foolish!

    Looking forward to a new start.

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors