Arsenal escaped with a lucky point again. by Konstantin Mitov
Hello everyone and good day to you all. So the Champions league started and this time we picked a point away at PSG. I would’ve taken a draw all day long and considering how we played and how last season we had 0 points from 2 games, it’s a platform to build on.
I’ll start with the good stuff which were exactly two – the point we got and Ospina’s performance. I was surprised by the line up, like frankly most of us were, but the one change that actually made the difference was the goalkeeper. Petr Cech hasn’t had the brightest of starts to the season so this gamble actually paid off.
Moving on though, our performance was shambolic again and didn’t deserve a point. We started with a goal down, before I could open livescore to see the results. The defence is yet to build that understanding, but Koscielny was in PSG’s half in minute 1 and the ball in his area couldn’t be dealt with by Monreal, and Mustafi wondered whether to run with the ball or Cavani and the latter put it in the net after a fine cross.
Cavani missed a number of great chances, highlighting why even at 34 Ibrahimovic was picked in front of him and he spared us, with Ospina doing the best he can to make life difficult for the Uruguay striker. But our whole performance in the first half was shocking. We still don’t have a solid pairing between the two CB and the GK and rotating Cech brought even more chaos.
But the full backs, especially Monreal didn’t have the best of games either. I think that lack of competition in those areas hasn’t been addressed. The two DM didn’t really help either. I just don’t understand the reason to put Coquelin on. He lacks discipline and ability and he got booked in the first half again, leaving himself vulnerable.
Cazorla needs time on the ball and when we don’t have players pushing up front, he struggles and why we didn’t start Xhaka is another mystery here. The guy has vision, passing abilities and is a bigger guy in a short squad. I’m baffled we paid so much money for quality to have him on the bench. His and Giroud’s introduction changed our presence in the game which brings the last point.
Alexis alone up front doesn’t work. It hasn’t worked out so far and it will not in the future. Alexis scored when he got coming in from a deeper position. Just look how Thiago Silva was dealing with Giroud and nobody picked up Sanchez who smashed it in. We had 5 players in or around the box at that time and it paid off. We started pressing them higher and they made mistakes.
Lucas Perez could’ve been more suited to this game, because of our counter-attacking approach, which when starting the game 1:0 down from the off didn’t really play out, but still we started with no real striker which is an issue, because we don’t score enough goals with a striker let alone without one.
Finally, Koscielny said in the interview after the game that we “slept” for the start of the game. That’s not me saying it because I’m so negative, it’s our captain doing it, and we’ve slept through the start of many games if you ask me – the last two in particular and I can name quite a few other games, where we find our feet in the game too late to make an impact.
Overall the point is a good one, but we let PSG create far too many chances and if that was Barcelona we would’ve been at least 3 down at half time. Arsene is playing dangerous experiments that haven’t worked out – and will not work out- and he’s escaped dry from the water but he will be exposed when a team doesn’t waste chances like Cavani and Long did.
The purpose of the Ox, Coquelin and Giroud was unknown to me in this game and despite the fact Giroud at least put some pressure on their defence he still managed to get two silly bookings and a red card, just like at Zagreb last year. The fact Arsene didn’t trust him again isn’t fitness issues if you ask me.
The point is a valuable one though and we have to go with a positive mood to Hull away next, which will be another though fixture where we can’t afford to let any points slip. Enjoy.
Konstantin
The team is overrated and average plain simple.
Wenger should just be thankful that the spirit of humiliation hasn’t come to haunt him this season.
well arent u a big rainbow of happiness
I used to think Ramsey was the problem but now I understand why he is Wenger’s best player.
waay heyyy…this rainbows still shining!!
Where are all the Ramsey haters, is he playing too, Now I understand why Ramsey starts on the wings ahead of our piss poor useless natural wingers.
If Ramsey is fit, he starts, plain and simple. Hopefully Ozil wakes up from his sleep . He has too much quality to be playing this way. Hopefully this team is ready by the time Chelsea comes, I swear we may get raped again . The results hv just Bn covering the cracks . Loads of problems and loads of work to do.
Glad Ramsey wasn’t playing mate, it could have been worse. Imagine playing bad even when the average players aren’t playing, how could it be with Ramsey in the team?
Wenger has lost it, 100%. Fine he chose Ospina over Cech b/c he wants to keep them both happy but choosing Coquelin over Xhaka was a criminal offense, then he plays two young kids (OX/IWOBI) when he just said this team is of MEN!! Leaves Giroud & Perez on the bench with Sanchez up front? And where’s Walcott!?! This is complete madness and hadn’t it been for Ospina’s heroics and Cavani’s bad night we would’ve lost that game.
Is he saving his best XI for hull or Nottingham forest? I just don’t get it anymore what this old man is doing.
Walcott is injured
Recurring problem to start the game on proper footing. If we keep “sleeping” to use Kos words we will lose everything before we even have a chance to compete for them.
The coach & the players are both at fault (50-50). They have to do a better job and start games with not only the right intensity but also proper mental focus!!
On the coach side we have a versatile squad so why always play a 4-2-3-1 formation when we have the players to also play a 4-2-2-2 or a 4-3-3 (with 1 player in front of the defense and 2 in more advanced position or the opposite). That allows a shuffling of the midielf to suit the opposition with Coq, Xhaka, Cazorla, Ramsey rotating.
Depending on if you want to play the expansive Arsenal football or use a more defensive shape and realease players with quick passes on the counter which we should be able to do with the pace we have in front. With the arrival of Perez & Mustafi that should be doable.
And please Sanchez in a 4-2-3-1 should not be use as the lone striker, he is a wing player that should be given total freedom to move where he sees weaknesses a bit like Ronaldo at Madrid.
And though I like Coquelin (and he’s been terrific at breaking things up) why buy Xhaka if it’s to bench him? He can screen the defense as effectively but also provides more options with his long/short range passing as well as a better positional awareness. He’s less limited as simple as that!
There is no way now anyone can tell me we have outstanding players in our squad.
Yesterday psg we’re only respecting their countryman Wenger otherwise had they been with the likes of ibra it would easily have been 6 0 to them.
I used to think Charlie Nicholas was too harsh on our squad but now I realise he was speaking plain unpalatable truth.
He said kos wasn’t really that good he is our best defender but not world class.
Coq is only a good squad player.
And Maybe Sanchez is overrated. There is a reason barca dumped him.He is too unorthodox. He overdoes everything.
It pains me to admit this but hazard and bale are better than him.
Ozil the same.He is a player on par with Silva and maybe de bruyne but the likes of iniesta bergkamp and muller are way above him.
If these two wish to become the best players in the world they need to prove their worth because such titles do not come on a silver platter
kos is world class, dont have to argue the point the best players managers and pundits say he is,
sanchez can overcook things, but ur undervalue of him is criminal. he was sold as they needed striker , suarez was available and they needed funds to make it happen, that last season he scored 21 goals for them an what 12 assists ..not bad a for a winger
ozil is a great player but he disappears in the big games, de bruyne doesnt for city.
de bruyne is better and younger, amazing player de bruyne.
iniesta goes into the hall of fame- as does bergkamp so why mention them?
you think hall of famers are just readily available that we can sell ozil an upgrade??
realism please
Only few positives I can think of from yesterday was:
– getting a point (which is good result when away)
– Ospina’s great performance despite he had to pick the ball from the net after 40 seconds (not great for confidence after last years CL horror show)
Is it me or has Mustafi started really nervously the Southampton and PSG games and after some 15 minutes, he starts intercepting like a madman and floors b*****s? Hopefully he can start like that from the kick off! Plus it will take time for Koss and Mustafi to click.
serge aurier looked great
didnt he want to come here few years back, an we were linked for months…
but we showed no interest
looks a player
I think the biggest problem is not our players, it’s the whole mentality of how we play. We ALWAYS give the opposition way too much room on the ball. We don’t close down quick enough. On the ball, we lack movement. Our guys will pass and then just jog off waiting for something to happen, instead of actually making space. If you watch Barca their forwards and midfielders are constantly moving and making room, there is always at least 2 – 3 players to pass to. Don’t want to flog a dead horse, but we need a new mind behind our team.
@Big Gun
I think thats it in a nutshell…We wait for teams to lose possession before we start our attacks. W should be closing them down and forcing errors….
Dennis, thank God, you are thinking like I am. It was sickening to watch and see the kind of selection Wenger made. I was like, what is going on in the old man’s head? You have a physical and fast striker in Edison Cavani, assisted on the wings by equally lightning Angel di Maria and Serge Aurier, who is like our own Bellerin. Then Wenger leaves Giroud on the bench? However wayward and sloppy Giroud is, he is our only senior recognised striker and version of Cavani to provide physical presence and threat to the opponent’s defence and create space for our more mobile attackers. We were lucky to escape with a draw! The manager in Wenger has long gone. His decision put Arsenal under unnecessary pressure. We have a body to select players but not a manager.
The good – I was watching
The bad – Giroud clotheslined a player
The ugly- Arsenal fans thought his sending off was an injustice
The ugly Betty – Giroud always finds a way to **** up
the good was marco veratti…rolls royce of a player
Another big game and ozil goes.missing for the most of the game. This ha’s been the trend since he has joined us. I rate ozil but he needs to act like a big player if he wants to be compared with the very best.
Just put the best players on the pitch whenever possible
There was no reason to start both ox and iwobi and bench giroud and perez
Honestly, i even would have preferred Joel Campbell to Ox last night
Unfortunately he isnt with us this season
Against PSG, you need to put the best players out
But like Southampton we were saved by our WC or Top players
Southampton- Koscielny and Caz
PSG- Alexis and Ospina
Giroud and Perez aren’t WC but if we started them we had a good chance of winning
I am happy with a draw but could have been better