Atletico Madrid v Arsenal review – Familiar frustration ends Wenger fairytale

The fairytale ending of a Europa League final for Arsene Wenger will not be happening after Arsenal suffered in a second leg heavily laden with deja vu from last week’s game against Atletico Madrid. Despite creating the better chances in the first half the Gunners were left to rue another defensive lapse which allowed Costa to score on the stroke of halftime.

While it was not a great start to the game from Arsenal, we played steadily and got through an early spell of pressure from the home side, which considering the blow of losing Koscielny to a freak injury in the 8th minute was pretty impressive.

Within 15 minutes the Gunners had settled into the game and we began to pass well and look like the threat we posed to Atletico for most of the first leg. Just like in that game, however, the Arsenal players struggled to penetrate their much lauded defence.

And just like in that game, a sloppy piece of defending from us was punished to the full, with Bellerin losing Costa and the former Chelsea striker scoring less than a minute before the break, the worst possible way for halftime to arrive.

There was plenty more of the familiar frustration in the second half. Despite a number of great opportunities the Gunners could not quite fashion that goal we so desperately needed. At least Atletico missed a few of their own which kept us just a single goal away from staying in the tie.

In the last 15 minutes or so when Arsenal should have been hammering on the door, however, we appeared to run out of steam and maybe belief as well. The seasoned Spaniards wasted time like pros but they also created chances and so the hope of a fairytale ending for Wenger was not to be.

Bob.

130 Comments

  1. Been saying all season how poor this Arsenal side is. But all the “Merci Wenger” nonsense made people believe we were suddenly going to be good. Atleti doesn’t care and are a proper top European side. Arsenal just know how to keep possession and they are happy. A collection of individuals. When someone like Thomas can slot into a fullback position seamlessly and look likes hes played there all his life, that is when you are more than just a collection of players. A clear system, identity, and well coached. I’ve been calling this tie all week because we know Arsenal are weak mentally, weak personnel-wise, and crack at the first sign of pressure. This terrible mentality has plagued all of Wengers squads for years and years and no changes have been made. FINALLY Dictator Wenger has fallen and we can rebuild and completely demolish this poisonous mentality. Great days ahead. GOOD BYE WENGER and THANK GOODNESS! (and MOTM goes to Chambers. Everyone else 2/10)

    1. They all are just a reflection of their manager, afraid to take risks

      Even our so-called creative midfielders do not dare to hold the ball more than two touches and rarely created through balls at the Emirates, let alone at Wanda Metropolitano

    2. Well said RSH. And thank you Griezmann for a world class display which showed the Arsenal players just how mediocre they are.

    3. Atletico are not a proper team to. But saying that been waiting for this since last week. Arsenal are poor. Running 50 yards towards the opposition and passing back 30 yards to their own. Players. Disgusting and absolutely horrified by the tactical play all night. Could not beat 10 men last week. But expected to be better tonight. Ozil brutal, Ramsey and Wellbeck, Laccazzette,Wiltshire running around like headless Chickens. Atletico more physical and robust. I would rather have Burnley playing in European football than Arsenal at least they will play for the crest on the Jersey.

      1. Considering this is their 4th European final since 2011 I would call them a proper European side. I’m interested to hear why they are not though.

        1. Arsenal and Athletico are one of the same if you say they are a good team fair enough. But the mist the champions league cut came to the Europa cup through the back door, lost to Chelsea at home, lost to Seville in the Copa del Rey at home did not set the Spanish league alight if Griezman wasn’t playing for them they would be a normal side this guy is the heart. And consider the chances and possession that Arsenal had if they physical enough in the first Leg we would not be talking about the result now.

          1. Real Madrid have lost to Spurs, and a ton of fodder Spanish sides this season. Are they all of a sudden not good? You have to look at trends and then draw conclusions. Yes, Atleti did bad in group stage this season, but have been in two UCl finals recently. That easily outweights one group stage gone wrong. And considering they are on the cusp of winning another European title when things did go wrong only shows how good they are. Arsenal and Atleti are nothing alike when Atleti can beat Barca/RM to La Liga titles, make finals in the biggest competition in club football, and can stroll through this exact Arsenal side when they are down to 10 men for half the whole tie. Bringing up Griezmann is irrelevant. Same thing as saying Barcelona w/o Messi is a nothing club. Point is they do have Griezmann and they are far from a one-man show. A one-man show was not what just embarrassed us.

          2. It must be different when Wenger goes. But it will take time for the new manager to succeed. There is so much to put right. Like the entire balance between attack / defence …
            artistry / strength … tactics / naivety … yes naivety. Meanwhile Wenger luvvers who know xxxx all … will be wanting to pounce. It will take time. And 3 – 4 Wenger players have to go ! We need tough winners instead. Hopefully the would be heroic Wenger fiasco is over …..

            1. At last! Start with Kos, mert, caz, welbs, cech and nacho out. Let’s get some young quality players and get a system with a more direct aproach. Change of training methods and start feeding players confidence.

    4. People say don’t kick sand in the eyes of a man that is already down. I think that does not apply to Wenger. He should have all sort of dirt in his eyes in fact he should be buried in it with these kind of performance in semis. He made it so easy for atletico. I will be so glad if he doesn’t see out the remaining matches. What is the point of resting all these players against manu.

  2. Most Atletico players were good at making tactical fouls and intimidations, whereas most Arsenal players were not

    Liverpool’s backline made more defensive errors than Arsenal, but their midfielders are better at creating good chances. Had our playmakers been able to create solid chances for the attackers, conceded one goal could be redeemed by scoring more

    But our so-called creative midfielders could not even break a ten men’s defense at the Emirates, let alone breaking Atletico’s defense at their turf. As I said previously, the lazy and the coward ones would show their true colors at the second leg

    1. Wenger was happy with 1-0 win in the first leg. So much for the most experienced manager, how can you get satisfied with 1 goal against 10 men team and playing at home? Just a pure weak mentality from the old man. Now he has nothing to show off on his way out.. leaving us in the 6th position while collecting his annual over the top salary

      1. 1-0 would be ideal before that first match started, it would have took some pressure off the second leg too and Atletico would have needed two goals to knock us out which they might have gotten but also an away goal from us becomes more likely with the game opened up. That mistake in the last game was the the killer, if we’d been patient and concentrated it would have been a different game but this teams problem has always been everybody getting greedy when they smell blood and they never learn no matter how many times they got sucker punched for it. Wenger after the game basically said the job was to protect what we had and be patient, he says that but he is the one that just watches it unfold.

    1. The contract might be extended so he could be sold next season, because there was no club wanted him in January

      1. but we gave him 300k plus. nobody will match those wages beside China. Even in this current market we’d only get 20mill at best. Thats how low his stock has fallen. He’s not rated in Europe anymore. He’s just going to sit on this contract until it expires. Even if new manager doesn’t play him. (I predict he will only last 1 season as a starter under new manager)

    2. i hope they gave that to him in order to raise his value and sell him – he will needs to go

  3. No fairy tale ending for Arsene Wenger….

    They lost the tie in the first leg…..Griezzman away goal and couldn’t take our chances against ten men. This hurt.. I won’t pretend about this.. It hurts. I do love this club so it hurts real bad.

    1. Same here mate. Was so pissed off how we let a 10 men team draw against us at our own home? So frustrating

  4. Before the match, “guys, let’s make this match a well deserved Wenger farewell party and go win this cup for him” hurts so much this old fossil lasted this long. What does the new manager have now? FA cup to play for next season?

    1. I hope the new manager comes and bench Ozil for the whole of next season. What a terrible performance from him. No input what so ever. The only time he played well for Arsenal this season was couple of games before his contract renewal. From the beginning of the game he got frustrated and showed no desire. I really dont want him at Arsenal anymore. I rather have Iwobi than him. So disappointing.

      1. True, Ozil is having a joy ride coz he already signed da ting, no worries. We need strong and dedicated players, these riders should find another club that can tolerate their non sense, may be go with Wenger coz he’s the only manager that can and have been tolerating this stupidness, he may even be the source of it based on how he treats them like their own biological father

  5. How on earth did we bottle this tie, especially that first leg? Such a bitter end to the season!

    1. Coz most Arsenal players were too afraid to lose the ball in the first leg. Most of them looked to be worried to take higher risks against a ten men team

      No guts, no glory. The creativity died when they played too safe

  6. Well that’s exactly why I said sack Wenger before the first leg, because otherwise, we have no hope. And now we’re out! Which does not come as a surprise in the slightest!

    First order of business for the new manager is to teach Arsenal players how to cross a football! The more crosses that went in, the more I was laughing! Diabolical!

    Pathetic performance, but a very expected one. Cannot wait to see the back of the biggest fraud in football management! I read in the paper today that only Sir Alex Ferguson has managed more games in UEFA competitions than Wenger. Says it all really. Wenger’s had an endless amount of opportunities, and finds away of messing it up every time!

    1. First Order of business is Clean out the Wasters. Get in the lads who believe in Arsenal as a formidable club. When Costa came up for sale. I said Arsenal should be in for him physicality unbelievable and an eye for Goal. Boy did not play the first Leg. But dare I say it was up for it to night. HOPE Can Spring Eternity HOPE to see the new Manager changes everything and gets players who will stay and play for the club and the Jersey.

  7. Monreal is my disappointment of the day how many attacks was buried because of him…..
    Good game for Chambers he have and Mustafi was also decent. Xhaka had excellent game.
    Ozil was Motm for me. Good balls good vision just not understood until Mikhy came in. Finally we had one touch play.
    Wellbeck hard working machine without anything to show for it. He should not be starter.
    Ramsay was so so.
    Ospina out he was just shaky and terrible.

    I am very sad I truly believed we could pull this out.

      1. Relax man, he is just another Ozil fan. Ozil is an icon like Beckham, his jersey is in demand

        But for me he is just an attacking midfielder version of Giroud, because he can only play centrally with fluctuative performance

        1. And you think player like Beckham had his fame only because he was good looking ? Giroud like it or not would still be very good bench player that we lack again and again.
          Ozil for sure is not WC. However in our squad yeah he is head and shoulders above most of our players.

      2. Hahaha. I died reading that as well. Ozil was pure Sh7t! I’m officialy starting a movement to get Ozil out of the club. I have been a staunch supporter of Ozil but today I’ve given up on him. Hopeless piece of sh7t. Please join my movement guys I’m gonna call it Ozil Out Battalion.

          1. So ozil was amazing then? We should keep him then??? Tell me when was the last Ozil single handedly did anything? All you wenger haters can go on and on about wenger but are too afraid to point finger at our highest paid player. Tell me what did Ozil do yesterday?? He got frustrated from beginning and started showing his tantrums. No desire, No determination, No hunger! You all want wenger out but dont want players who are equally terrible like wenger to leave. bunch of hypocrits.

        1. Time and time again. Looking at ozil and wondering where did it go wrong. He has the skill of bergkamp and can move with such skill. But mostly nothing comes from it. He either doesn’t run into the space or see the pass. All the skill but not the brain I guess.

          1. I see it is the opposite. He has nice ideas, but he lacks the skills (showed by his poor first touches and his inability to touch the ball more than three touches) and the Arsenal players around him do not have the same concept

            Bergkamp on the other hand, has great close ball control and good stature. In my opinion, he is a different type of attacking midfielder than Ozil. See this video:

            youtube.com/watch?v=f6UPlEzT1bU

    1. ozil?? give me a luaght men, did u really watch the game? he was a ghost…and wenger didnt have cojones to take him back…

      what “chances” are u talking about Bob? athletic was the better team for a mile. They have the better chances and they looked allways calm and commanding the game. We could not score them even if we would play 5 hours.
      Good news is Wenger and this discoustng attitud and way of play is going with him. I hope he can make a little compensation for all the suffer of the last years and get PSG job and buy us ozil for good money.

      1. ozils reputation alone makes people think he’s better than he is. He’s bang average. horribly inconsistent. complete waste of money. For the billionth time does nothing in a big game. Something I would’ve easily put money on.

      2. Don’t get me wrong he is Motm for me, becous I just simply did not see anyone better. At least he had some dangerous passes. Except for Wellbeck there was no one more dangerous. So guys laughtbas much as you want, but we were Avarage at best. Ozil dropped deeper to collect the balls…. Join the army I will defender players that deserve it. He is not 300k player sure. But if you want to sell him you should sell almost whole team lol and that not going to happen…..

    1. Not even crestfallen – Arsen leaves with a whimper just like the teams he coached for the last dozen years. This is what happens when you over stay your welcome, when you don’t realize that it’s time to hang your whistle. Look at Fergie he went with a bang, Arsene left with a whimper.

  8. This was probably a big sticking point to any manager coming in to manage in champions league or europa league. Itll be somebody none of us or media said it would be to work along side these other 2 coaches for the team & team only, just to coach & pick starting 11. What manager would want this Arsenal job?

      1. Enrique wants a 200M kitty – Tuchel is gone to PSG
        By accident would probably take over West Ham if an offer came. I hadn’t heard that Jardim and Emery had made themselves available, what does that even mean?
        Ancelotti wants to coach a big(ish) team again he is out of a job.

        1. Jardim and Emery have officially declared that they will leave their current clubs at the end of this season

          I thought Wenger would go to PSG?

          1. Emery is being let go just like Wenger and Tuchel will be their manager Wenger will be Director of Football if he goes there

        2. I will put my money on Jardim probably stay tuned after our last home game on sunday wenger’s last game/send off and bda luck to him for what he did for arsenal for 22 years

    1. it wont bad as bad as you think. It’s easily the most coveted job this summer even without UCL. It might scare off the likes of Ancelotti, but I dont think it really changes that much. And I’m sure most of the managers the club have been talking to were more than aware it was likely Arsenal were not going to have UCL football.

  9. Arsene Wenger’s a bigger thief than George Graham. He’s had £8 Mil this season and he’ll get another £8 Mil for going quick.

    1. How was George Graham a”thief”? He was accused of taking “bungs”(backhanders) from player agents to facilitate transfers, as did many other managers at that time.

  10. Not that I didn’t want Arsenal to win, deep in my heart I always do and have since I was 6 years old but now it’s time to close the book on a disastrous, 10 mediocre years and welcome a new and hopfully successfull manager. COYG!!!!

  11. Wenger’s exit feels like a trophy.

    I really want the season to end right now.

    I feel no pity for him leaving with no trophy, the greedy man had so many chances to leave on a high after those FA Cup wins.

    A lot of players need to leave with Wenger.

    A lot will get better under a new manger

    I can’t wait for the new season to start with a new manager, with new players

  12. We lost this last week when we failed to score from multiple chances, and also let them score the most ridiculous goal.

    Honestly, with this team and manager we didn’t deserve to win this cup, and it’s probably a fitting end to our worst season in recent years.

    I look forward to the new regime, whoever may be leading it. Wenger stayed too long and this is the net result, a team of nearly men but not quite men.

    Our league season is over, so it’s all a bit pointless now….literally!

    Onwards and upwards!

    1. Kozy has been having problems for long time but wenger kept him because he was a local boy and mert should have gone after great performance with Chelsea in FA cup final – wenger’s loyalty to his average players made us paid a huge price

  13. A sad ending for Wenger but let’s move on.
    We’r a massive club . The fifth richest in the world…if we make a good choice in the managerial front we will have, iam sur, a bright future

    1. You should rather feel srry for your self. For tolerating such nonsense for way to long.

  14. I hope that mesut Ozil is part of the clearout for the rebuild. It’s time for him to go. He’s not what we need. Not when players like Thiago, Denis Suarez, other Spanish and German CMs puttin quality performances in, while our guy does nothing game changing when the moment demands he do so.

    His mentality and drive is no longer there to be the best. The man is a human-being, and observing him from that stand point — he’s gotten comfortable. Beautiful wife, well paid, famous on social media (which I’m not a big social media guy but making a point), and NOT CHALLENGED FOR HIS NATIONAL TEAM SPOT — he’s chillin. He’s chillin and it’s killin us.

    When the new manager comes in and the new scout starts bringing in more guys, I hope they ship mesut out.

    Excited about the rebuild. COYG!!!

    1. The only way forward was to get rid of wenger there was no way he was going to work with Sven and Raul

    2. Yess I agree. Im starting a movement Ozil Out Battalion. Please join and make your voice heard. We dont need players who is bloody lazy as cover it by saying its his playing style. Im so furious with him. Arrrggghh! Worst performance ever.

    3. Even Oxlade-Chamberlain created more crucial assists than Ozil and Wilshere recently

      Arsenal already have Aubameyang and Lacazette but they are not getting good supplies from our “creators”

    1. there are rumors we want nabil fekir he should be a perfect replacement for Ozil if we dont get him Liverpool will sell Salah to Madrid/Barca and get him simple as that like they got Naby Keita already for next season. Wenger’s scouting department was a joke big time and i am happy it just blow up on his face!1

  15. Wenger love story.. more like a horror story! Just possession football with little else! Those players seriously need to practice on shooting it’s all pass pass pass I’m just glad this Wenger era is coming to an end next week! Really annoyed and I shouldn’t be I don’t know why I expected more arsenal under Wenger just can’t deliver when it matters! 22 years and not one European trophy! Look at Liverpool in the Champions league final with Jordan Henderson and James Milner in their team that’s down to astute man management! Just to think we could have had Klopp but stuck to the inept Wenger for far longer than we should have and now we’re scouring the globe for assistant managers oh and back in this damn draining comp again next season! Once again We’re laughed at! Over and out!

    1. john, its down to quality Saidio mane is equal to what we have combine – we need to keep Chambers, holding,Mavs, and bring in two centre back plus new wing backs nacho, kozy, mustafi, Mert ,Bellerin, ozil, Ramsey, xhakha, cech, welbeck all need to go with wenger

  16. if we cant beat those english mid table/bottom teams away how are we going to beat good organise defense minded team like A. madrid? our only celebration here is wenger is leaving thats our achievement for this season

  17. we have to get a top manager now that we don’t have CL next season and only a top manager will be able to bring in top players

  18. Athletico has conceded only 4 goals at home this season. What does that say about them? We couldn’t break them with ten men in London and you expect a miracle in Spain? Lol ? Glad we’re closing this Wenger chapter. I thank all the fans who made it a reality with your protests. You all are HEROES. I can’t wait for the new season.

  19. Sanchez was the problem and he was deviding the dressing room, but now the weather affected the whole team, and players were tired after having enough rest.

    1. I think we were missing a second option striker Welbeck was playing as a winger if we had Auba we would of scored for shore it was his kind of open game

      1. We came all the way to the semi finals with same crop of players you mentioned and now we even added Mikhi, this team is bullocks coz we haven’t faced anyone tough until Atletico, and this is the reality check, nothing extraordinary, just our normal team performance and we shouldn’t be surprised

    2. Hahaha the guy has been long gone man, let’s keep moving forward

      It is obvious that some of our current players do not have enough motivation anymore and no Wenger to protect them this time

  20. Great game by Chambers coming in. Now we need to pair him with a world class CB whose got decent pace because Chambers is SLOW. Very impressed with Athletico’s defense. They gave nothing away and made tactical fouls unlike Arsenal. I wish Arsenal lost 4-0 because it kills me to know we should’ve taken at least a 1-0 lead to Madrid which would have seen us go to extra time. This team is so frustrating to support. Very excited to see who the new manager will be and what type of changes will come from that! Looking forward to the future!

    1. Madrid would have scored another one if they needed it. 1-0 was never enough.

      1. We’ll never know. What if we got lucky. The point is at the VERY least we should’ve secured the 1-0 win last week. I’ll add another thing though, with the amount of crosses we were putting in today I sure wish we had Giroud. Still don’t understand for the life of me why we let him go if he’s not playing any more with Chelsea than he was with us. He was always a great backup plan

    2. Chambers is very handsy because of his lack of pace, and thus picks up too many cards for me. I’m not sure he’s consistently displayed he’s good enough to demand a spot in the 11

      1. Just pair him with a top CB whose fast and have them forge a partnership and understanding. I think defensively and on the ball he looks good.

  21. What a complete bag of sh#t Bellerin is…. Whenever I watch him play he is fu#£ING useless.

  22. Wenger had the foundation to succeed the new manager never will have. Arsenal was the 3rd best team in England and today we are no more.

    City
    Manure
    Liverpool
    Chelsea
    Spurs.

    They all have overcame Arsenal in being greater. Arsenal are on one step ahead ruining them self. Damage is done and the new manager has much to do. Who is going to be named the new manager will also tell in what direction this club is going after.

    Rise again and work our self back again, or fall further behind and become a forgotten club like the many milans and ajax out there.

  23. Dumped out of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest. Embarrassed in the league cup final. Failed in Europe’s second rate competition. 6th at best in the league. Zero away points in 2018.

    Thanks for the memories Wenger

  24. We have the laziest, most clueless bunch of overpaid bimbos in this club. We lost this tie when it was announced & most of us predicted this. 22yrs with no European trophy is the worst record ever. I wanted Wenger to leave on a high but he made his bed so he should just lay in it. Wenger has left us in a shambles & Whoever takes over from next season has the toughest job: changing the mentality, rebuilding, taking us back to CL & competing in the league etc… Our season is over, let’s look forward to new beginnings.

  25. Wenger has just seen outcome of his useless effort.The entire team needs fresh selection and elimination

  26. I’m not really surprised we lost….. I’m beginning to wonder if we even deserve to be in the Europa next season…
    Jesus I hope the new manager is announced asap… then the re-building begins… and boy that will take some doing!! A major clear out is needed…. Some decent, strong players are needed

    1. Players could be different playing with a new manager and a new system and clear instructions, especially in defence and attacking free kicks. The last free kick I can remember us scoring from was santi in the fa cup final against hull.

    1. players shouldve been playing for the fans that travel and put up with complete garbage. Wenger deserves nothing. He gets paid 8mill a year for mediocrity. He’ll be perfectly fine. So tired of the worshiping of this guy. Have to go back over a decade for him to be relevant.

  27. Really, Enrique’s demand of 200 million looks less after today’s performance

  28. Wen u don’t believe u see it.
    Thank God Wenger is going because he could have dash new contract to most of all these guys (Bellerín)

  29. I just not watching Arsenal anymore till next season

    I just waiting for the new coach New season New players New Arsenal

    good bye for now

  30. I dedicate this song to all the old – school Gooners out there! ??
    YAZZ- The Only Way Is Up!

  31. Martin known on ozil about bloody time someone truly said it as it is!
    Yes last week he was angry and shouted and one of his team mates which I was encouraged by but the guy is class but a sulky child!
    I for one want him gone there’s lots of other top quality 10s around maybe not to his level but hey ho.

    1. Lets be honest he is not the only one. There were other players rested in weekend and they too had bad performance today. Wenger has backed them so much for so many years and you can see these very same players cost him his job. He was showing blind faith in them. Either that or he would never criticized them individually, and they got on just fine with bad performances. I want to see if the new manager will catch up on this.

      1. totally agree. Ozil is bound to get a lot of attention since he’s on 300k per week, just like Alexis gets picked on for his poor performances. Ramsey was a huge letdown today. Everything he touched turned to crap. Wilshere only looks for Bellerin I feel, next to no creativity. Welbz just hopeless. No idea why Miki didn’t start. Even if he had a knock this is the game you throw all your best cards out on. Shouldve been on at HT at least. All these so called creative players did nothing today. And the horrid crossing did not help.

        1. Ozil was a chocolate teapot and ashtray on a motorbike.

          Ramsey at least tried to make stuff happen.

          1. tried and failed. Gave ball away far too many times, and anything that wasn’t a short pass ended up getting intercepted. He created nothing. I’m far from praising Ozil. He’s Just as crap. Whole lot of the midfield produced nothing. 1 shot on target in a game we had to score to go to a European final. It’s just disgraceful.

            1. Better to try and fail than to never have tried in the first place imo.

              Impotentnteam with impotent Manager. Illegal say I’m not surprise by the result.

  32. Scum players saying ‘let’s send him off on a high’ and then putting these rubbish performances in. Hopefully there tme in first 11 is also up as guaranteed starters.

  33. Just a bunch of as*holes all of them.. And their leader is the as* himself Mr.Arsene Wenger.
    Do any of you know when we took our first shot at goal?
    69′ min.
    We have a total of 7 shots and 1(xhaka’s shot) on target.
    7?
    7 from a team that had to score at least 1 goal to have a chance
    7 from a team that wants to give their long serving manager a great send off with a European trophy.
    7 from a team that its manager thinks is “great bunch of players ,just 1 or 2 additions will make them excellent”.
    And the team that had to do nothing but defend and keep a clean sheet has 15 shots. More than double.
    15 The team that all the world calls defensive , park the bus team.

    No doubt i agree for once and for one last time with arsene that this is a great team… But its manager is an absolute as*hole who doesnt know what the f*ck is to be done with individual talents and make them a group that clicks and plays to each others strengths .
    Its always take the ball dribble into opposition half till their penalty box then pass back to midfield then pass to the defence. Defence to the other flank and repeat the same with opposite flank.

    Every player seems to be playing a charity match…the kind of flicks they try to lose the ball , the way they don’t go for winning the ariel balls and subsequent second balls (other than chambers no player won a ball in the air orvmade a proper pass with their heads ).

    Even lacazette seems to have lost interest.
    When he first came to arsenal… I observed him keenly …he used to make so many over the defenders shoulder runs into the empty space, Only to be disappointed and frustrated with a side pass.
    But now he isnt even making any runs.

    That is how the @s#hole degrades quality players. He doesnt even instill any motivatio neither in the dressing room nor from the pitch side

    Our players(bellerin,xhaka) are more keen on shaking hands after a strong challenge than to get back into their positions.

    They miss the target with a sitter and have the audacity to smile and laugh about it(ramsey) rather than feeling gutted.

    I wish he was sacked right away than at the end of the season.
    Coz we could hace atleast put up a fight for getting into champions league next season.
    So that the next manager can get an idea of whom to sell and retain while also giving an edge with CL football while singing new players.
    Europa League once again it is.

    An absolute waste of a season by the asshole this year.

    And yet he has the guts to say “goal is to leave the club better than how he found it”

    “Merci Arsene” my foot to that As*hole.
    I’d say “foutre le camp Arsene”
    Go on…. bash me however you want to…with asking me to respect as he is already leaving
    But i will not let stupid emotions get the better of me.
    I dont care what he did in his first 10 years.. I have become a die hard Arsenal fan from 2006.
    All I remember is 2-3 years(06-08 & vanpersie season)

    Rest all is agony . 10 years of agony. So i wont give him any credit for having the best core of young french players turning into world beaters.

    I have started watching football for the beauty of it and the excitement it gave to watch arsenal(CL final against Barca) made me die hard Arsenal fan.

    So i did not want to be an as*hole to make myself suffer by watching absolute crap of football every weekend.

  34. With Keown, and have been for a long time; Ozil is baggage
    And a luxury player. Just doesn’t turn up when he is needed.

    Wenger, and his team, lost another European Trophy opportunity. I wish him well but am glad his outdated, inefficient and naively tactical coaching is to leave the club.
    Thank him for the early years of success and his undoubted love, commitment and dedication but let’s face it, it hasn’t been good enough for a decade.

    So what’s next…well it won’t be Liverpool’s No2, and it won’t be Simeone (his balls are to big to get in the Emirates) so I pray we go for Enrique or Allegri.

    Knowing the Arsenal owner and board however, they will probably go for someone cheap, mouldable and who they perceive to fit the ‘arsenal (or should I say Arsene ‘ethos’) which would confine us to continued mediocrity, that in part comes from the unwillingness to invest where it counts most: in the team.

  35. My biggest frustration was lack of leadership at the back and yeah… not surprised by their goal.
    Gutted.

  36. I agree that ozil was not good enough but he has always been like this
    he is not a box to box midfield player
    he was the only player to break into atleti box
    I only wanna ask the other arsenal fans
    why do we only cross in balls from wings
    when the only player laca or welbeck are bang average headers
    we do not have a striker of 6ft
    why do we just waste the ball by crossing in from one flank to another even atletico didnt crossed the ball while having costa and grizman
    and monreal was a shit crosser
    we really need our players to break in by one touch passing and create chances

    1. Yes, that was a “bang average header” by Lacazette for Arsenal’s only goal in the first leg at the Emirates.

  37. for me arsenal really needs to buy these players
    1) fekir
    2)koulabily/monalas/fazio/sokartis/or knock german league doors
    3) johnny evans for 3 million after being relegated
    4)butland or psgs arelo/trapp
    5)CDM I really wish we could get nigholen or anyone like him
    6) any winger that can assist 10 goals (mahrez,zaha)

    we need a big squad if we want to compete
    just look at the champions and other top clubs the spend millions and have depth in squad
    the youngsters we produce are only good for selling
    iowbi holdin nkitia can never break in like mbappe
    we really need personalities of tough players who can look the opponent in eyes
    we really lack this
    viera henry bergkemp lehmann were the people with carizma and character
    who took the game from neck

  38. We have been loosing element of surprises since out from CL place two years ago. Twenty years of CL involvement were surprises, because no matter how awful the start was, we were always ended 4th at less. Surprise again we never win the title, LOL.
    Again, no surprise like last night displayed.
    Costa the smug face was the main threat as predicted, but the defensive line couldn’t nullify him as predicted, and he scored as predicted. Our attacking style were completely predicted.
    There’s nothing wrong with opponents prediction on us as long as we can walk through them with our predicted moves. Just look at Liverpool.
    Arsenal at the end of Arsene’s era are too predicted. Our capabilities had been measured and we could not walk beyond the measurement. Looks like the book of ” How to Beat Arsenal” are available in bookstores, and even a newbie manager would accomplish the job let alone Simeone.
    As the sumps, Arsene could not have his one last sweet send off memory as predicted.
    Well, see you all folks in another Friday night football next year, with new face manager. I hope he’s not Diego Simeone because I still love positive football anyway.

  39. It was a horribly spineless display. As much as I wanted Wenger to go out with a bang, the game was unfortunately an uncensored display of why Arsenal have failed to achieve top honors in so many years. While it’s easy to blame the players, especially Ozil, who seems to have been singled out on this forum due to his astronomic wages, the real problem today, as it has been for years, is the tactics we use. Players being played out of position to accommodate the manager’s favorites! We have no width, accept from the fullbacks. Ozil, according to Mourinho, is the best #10 in the world, but he’s being played as a right winger. He’s an attacking mid, instructed to stay forward and drift inside, leaving Bellarin horribly exposed when he’s also caught forward – that’s why Costa was free on goal. Same on the left with Welbeck. Why are we playing a lop-sided attack with Ozil drifting inside consistently, but yet when we’re on the counter he’s on the right, making it twice as hard for him to slot the important thru-balls through to Laca. And then we rely on the fullbacks to take players on from wide positions, yet they don’t really have the skills for that. On the counter, players break forward, but then someone consistently slows the play down with an aimless back pass, allowing the opposition to regain defensive positioning and shut up shop. Despite having no true wingers, wide players are instructed not to take on their man, always resorting to the back/sideways pass, allowing opposition defense to again regain defensive positioning. That’s not the players, that’s tactical training and instruction on how they’re being told to play. It’s so frustrating to watch! While the players must take some of the blame, there’s just a lack of togetherness and teamwork to the playing style. We’ve watched countless different squads over the years play games with the same problems. I don’t blame Wenger – I hugely respect the man and his tactics used to work wonders on the very best. But, unfortunately it’s clear that his playing style doesn’t work against the best opposition anymore and it breaks my heart to say it. I was saying all game, when is Wenger going to take Wilshire off, move Ozil to the #10, and put Miki on, but he left it too late as usual. Hell, who else was going to make a difference from the bench? Iwobi? And my god, how we needed a plan B today – where’s Giroud when you need him? Obviously Auba couldn’t play, but my god did we need someone up front to mix it up a bit. Not that Laca was bad, but he’s not that tall and really doesn’t have the aerial presence to get on the end of many crosses. And why the f couldn’t Monreal put in a cross to save his life!? I really think the change in formation to a back 3/5 last year really screwed Wenger up. He sold all our wingers (Walcott, Chamberlain, etc), then tried to go back to our old system. Miki is the only guy who can really play LW, RW, and he wasn’t started (I’ll give him a pass for injury), but then why are we trying to play that system if we don’t have the players for it!? Arggghhhhh!!! I just pray that the next manager recognizes individual players’ strengths and weaknesses and plays to them with appropriate tactics and formation. It’s not like we’re going to sell half the team. Yikes, I could rabbit on all day. Rant over! Oh P.s. when Chambers was coming on, I think that was the first time in years I’ve seen Steve Bould give any kind of instruction to a player… and he actually did pretty well!

  40. Wenger has fukced us over. What is the point of having subs on the bench if you don’t use them. What is the point of now allowing players to actually cross the ball but because it’s been so long since they have done it and not allowed in training, they have forgotten how to do it.
    Actually, what is the point of any of this and what manager is going to want to come to us now? €50 mil for Bellerin? Take it and run. Wiltshire? Let him go, if he can get up off his backside. Mustafi? Master of the slide tackle, ha, ha, ha! Monreal? Defender? When was that? Chambers? The only bright spot in that defence last night but he can’t do it all on his own. Kos? Sorry he’s badly injured but has been a liability for ages and unfortunately the injury has probably finished him. Midfield? We didn’t have one until Mikki came on. Attack. Again, what attack? Welbz ran his socks off but that’s about all. Was Laca even playing?
    #MAGA? I’m not sure it’s possible for a very, very, long time, if ever.

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