How the mighty have fallen? By Sylvester Kwentua
Three seasons ago, Arsenal’s goal keeper ended the season as one of two goal keepers who kept a good number of clean sheets throughout the season; Wojciech Szczesny of Arsenal and Petr Cech, who was a Chelsea keeper at that time, were the two goal keepers with the enviable record. Even our defence was doing well at that time.
Fast forward to three seasons later, and one will be forced to ask “what has happened to the structure that helped us well defensively?” how come we now concede goals at will? Are we running a goals promotion for other teams? How come we can’t seem to shut down our defence? What is really happening? Oh, how is the mighty falling!
While watching the Arsenal versus Bayern Munich game, I had a brief conversation with a Chelsea fan friend of mine. He opined that even the great Cech would have conceded the goals that Ospina conceded, insisting that our defensive problems are beyond our goal keepers. We have issues with the entire team structure as a whole and that unless, we address it, world class goal keepers like Ospina and Cech will keep on conceding embarrassing and stupid goals, he said. To an extent, I concur with him.
Let us look at it this way; we conceded five goals away to Bayern Munich in the first leg after the boss was substituted. As soon, as he left the pitch, it was as if the whole defensive unit ran out of ideas on how to defend. Even Mustafi who gave us the lucky charm at the early stages of the season, was nowhere to be found. Bayern Munich saw that and as a good team, we were duly punished. I cry for Arsenal. The same thing happened in the second leg; we fell apart after the red card to the boss! As soon, as the Boss was given the marching order, I said to myself, “how we going to survive the pressure?” well, I got my answer at the end of the game.
The question I need to ask is, if the Boss was to get injured for the rest of the season, what is going to happen to our defence? It is better imagined! We need world class defenders and a good defensive system to help out the goal keepers. We have turned world class goal keepers to amateur goal keepers and it is not a good thing, especially for Ospina who still has some good years ahead of him. A solution needs to be found ASAP before it becomes too late. We are tired of being the whipping boys of other teams. We need a revolution! Don’t we?
Sylvester
Meanwhile in Spain.Barcelona just made the biggest comeback in UCL history.
If you thought yesterdays refereeing was bad, the penalty on Suarez was just shocking. I don’t see a reason for us to play in the champions league, if we need to compete with such refereeing. I am sorry UEFA, this is unacceptable. Hopefully PSG appoint Wenger though. I’m not sure they’d be happy with Emery after this.
The officials are instructed to favour the big clubs like Barcelona etc etc, as it makes the competition more appealing to the neutrals.
It’s always rigged to a certain extent and it always will be.
The other sad thing is that in the quarter finals teams like Atletico and normally PSG are turned into the Arsenal’s of that round in terms of the draws they get against big teams.
If Bayern, Real and Barcelona avoid each other again in quarters it would be the 7th season in a row that it happens.
Uefa is a sell out as confirmed by the new BT deal, it’s money and helping the big teams if not for the whole game then with atleast one big decision, mainly red card or penalty.
We need characters and leaders in that back four. Like Sol Campbell was for us many years ago. We need strong and vocal characters like Ashley Williams, Vincent Kompany and Robert Huth to play alongside Koscielny. Apart from defence, we need a true midfield general to dictate our game. I wonder if the OX can grow into that player.
Mystic Twig 🙂
I did predict Barcelona could win this.
It shows just how far off the top level we are
If Bayern can beat us 5-1 we should be able to do the same. That’s the standard we should be aiming for.
@ Mystic Twig
I bet you didn’t foresee me ? ?thumbing you down mate ??
Get a life
? Lol and where can I buy one of them from? ?
Please tell and I will let you know where you can purchase a sense of humour from. ?
There’s no stopping you is there?
The problem is simple, we have no system, strategie, game plan nor solidarity and let’s be honest here, even if Kos played the full 90 minutes in both games, it wouldn’t have effected the results. It’s not as if we haven’t been hammered before with Kos playing the full match.
Luis Enrique::in copa del rey final,still in race for la liga and now UCL,yet he’s leaving at the end of the season.
Wenger::Eliminated 10-2 in UCL,out of title race and EFL cup,team looking out of sorts,player unrest.Wants a contract extension
Enough said about Arsenal in general
“Enough said about Arsenal in general”
Perfectly describes the club and the culture at the Emirates these days.
What’s even more disheartening is how the club is conditioning the fans into having some sort of loser mentality… Alexis is ultra-competitive and super ambitious. This character of his has exposed the mediocrity so prevalent in the club.. and the fans are beginning to dislike him for exactly that. The fans think it is okay -maybe better even- for Alexis to leave Arsenal this summer.
GOSH! WHAT ON EARHT IS WRONG WITH THIS CLUB?!!
What’s even more disheartening is how the club is conditioning the fans into having some sort of loser mentality… Alexis is ultra-competitive and super ambitious. This character of his has exposed the mediocrity so prevalent in the club.. and the fans are beginning to dislike him for exactly that. The fans think it is okay -maybe even better- that Alexis leaves Arsenal this summer.
GOSH! WHAT ON EARHT IS WRONG WITH THIS CLUB?!!
Well Sanchez will be chalking of PSG from the list of teams he will got to if he leaves. He only has Juventus (don’t have enough money..but if they win UCL), Bayern and Atletico.
He’ll probably end up at Chelsea ?
Reports from Spain are suggesting that Wenger sabotaged Arsenals chance of signing manager Pep before he went to Man city.
Apparently the chiefs behind the scenes at the emirates tried to convince Wenger to retire a year earlier but he wasn’t having any of it.
Nevermind it’s not as if Pep is setting the world on fire at City, they drew 0-0 at home to Stoke city tonight ?
That cannot be true, because why would they then offer Wenger a two year contract? Makes no sense!
I just hope he goes in the summer. I think even Sam Allardyce could have managed two FA Cups in 12 years, given the same players and funds as Wenger. Pathetic!
He steps in to midfield sometimes to intercept opposition passes, that cuts out many threats.
Let Monreal or Gibbs go next season and play Mustafi in LB in some games with Kos and another new CB or Mert. That should bring a bit more solidity.
EIther
Bellrin——new CB—-Koscileny—Mustafi
or Bellerin—-Koscielny—-Mert—Mustafi >>>reverse the cb positions
Atlanta CB on loan from Juve, Mattia Caldara, watch out for him he could be the next big CB.
If Sanchez goes to Juve we should try and get money plus player. But knowing Wenger he will probably accept £20m + Mandzukic.
I meant money plus defensive player.
Liverpool have submitted an offer for Sanchez: £40 million and 50 pence ?
Must admit the Kroenke / Wenger ‘don’t want to break the wage structure’ PR machine is pretty good. Most Arsenal fans seem to have now accepted that AS7 is going to leave, and have even generated a mild anti feeling to the guy who is clearly carrying the team at the moment. Thus his departure will cause minimum backlash against the Kroenke / Wenger / Gazidis triumvirate as everyone has already accepted it will happen. TBH I’d rather they get rid of Sanogo / Debuchy and maybe Ozil, and pay him their wages. Without him, we wouldn’t even be in the top half this season.
Thats spot on