Are things worse than we thought? An honest review of Arsenal’s Cup Final display

Why Arsenal are far worse off than fans thought? by Soorya

Arsenal have just been obliterated in the Carabao Cup final by a far superior Manchester City in what was one of the worst performances of the season, one of the most humiliating defeats in the club’s history and ultimately a failure. Whilst highlighting City’s strength and depth; they rested £57 million Laporte and second top scorer Raheem Sterling and still comfortably beat us, this also emphasized Arsenal’s many deficiencies.

Approximately a month ago, after the signing of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, I wrote an article stating that his signing wouldn’t solve anything – and I was heavily condemned. At this point in time, sadly, I’ve been proven right. Whilst, his signing and the renewal of Ozil’s contract was a step in the right direction; they haven’t changed anything. If anything, Aubameyang is experiencing the same problems that Lacazette had, and before that Giroud. We don’t play to our striker’s strengths. When we had Giroud we rarely ever crossed the ball into the box for him to attack. Now we have Aubameyang and Lacazette, both pacey strikers and we rarely hit the ball in behind for them to chase. Against City, the high lines meant it would have been easy for Aubameyang to catch them out.

Then we come to the enigma that is Mesut Ozil. I am one of his biggest supporters and think it was vital we signed him to a new deal. But whilst, his performances undeniably improved after critiscism suffered earlier in the season, they have dropped again with him missing in two of our biggest matches, at Spurs and yesterday. To be fair to him, the rest of the midfield didn’t cover themselves in glory either. Ramsey and Xhaka walking back in a cup final, as Gary Neville said ‘Spineless’ the pair of them. Especially Xhaka, you are a defensive midfielder, start acting like one! Even then, does anyone know what purpose he fills in this current team. At least Francis Coquelin and Elneny acted like defensive midfielders. Wilshere and Ramsey, whilst Jack showed some passion and desire, failed to exact any control on the game yesterday. You’ve been at the club longer than both, start acting like you care for the club, and play for the badge. If anything play for the manager that gave the both of you a chance, and has been immensely loyal to you throughout your career.

However, whilst both our midfield and attack were poor yesterday, the defence is the real problem in our team. Lacking leaders, organisation and quality. Mustafi, what are you doing waving your hands about, it wasn’t a foul! You were just in the wrong position and got eased off the ball. Fix up or get out the club! Laurent Koscielny whilst you are our best defender, that’s not saying much. You need to act as a leader. You’re the senior defender, act as a mentor for Calum Chambers who is severely inexperienced. Though Chambers wasn’t awful yesterday, is he good enough for this club? Adams, Campbell, Dixon, Toure, Lauren and now Chambers. Not the same class, and that’s all that needs to be said. However, in truth, everyone knows Chambers shouldn’t have started yesterday and everyone knows that.

That’s the fault of Arsene Wenger. Why change from a back 4 to a back 5 and play a severely inexperienced centre back. Because it worked last season won’t mean it will work this one. We don’t have Sanchez to save us and CIty are a lot better. He has failed, again and again, to deliver tactically against a top manager and surely now enough is enough. Not only were we technically deficient, we didn’t show any heart or desire. Surely that’s the sign of a manager who has lost his dressing room. At this point, Arsene Wenger is simply destroying his legacy, Arsene, please just walk…..

Soorya Thavaraj

38 Comments

  1. This may be the biggest garbage article put on here sorry for the offense i like the site but this shows the lack of heart and appreciation and sadness of arsenal fans no love we’ve been spoiled for so long we cant lose with honor anymore we made it to a cup final a long way to go for any group i didnt see mu there or liverpool or tottenham and we beat a tough chelsea side in semi final to make there and lost a tough match to the best epl team by far this season and our fans are such poor losers we couldnt even stay to congratulate the team for making it that far and giving us the opportunity to go how embarrassing and sad and then try to say no desire i mean lets realistically analysethe game and not listen to so called manchester united scoundrs like Neville who never once cared more about arsenal than a piece of mud and then try to disassemble the team after a tough lost what kind fans are we. Who wants to come for us put their body on the line and if you come up short no one will stand beside you bunch of bandwagoners spoiled who need to take a look in the mirror first before casting such negative stones and you dont win or lose cause of refs but this has to be one of the worst refereeing seasons ever its been bad and almost as sad as our club support

    1. Get off the wenger juice mate and stock up on the chicken soup … The evil Phil Neville is the least of our problems … But a crash course in grammar might help

      1. The article did forget to mention ( to suit his argument perhaps) that Lacazette was injured, Myk. was cup tied and Cazorla has been out for 18 months.
        Yes, we were outplayed in every department I agree, but don’t forget to tell the complete story.
        With regards to how we got to the final Thomas, agree completely. Selective memory is rife with some people.
        I understood your article completey, shame that Rkw needs punctuations to be able to understand someone elses point of view though.
        Must be wonderful to be so good at everthing.
        Also agree with RSH about refereeing decisions, Mustafi was unbelievable and he is a full international!!

        1. Ken , I have to assume 1945 is the year and era you haved lived in all your life. Why not just accept we are now well into the 21st century and dinosaurs like you are regarded as strange and totally out of touch with modern football reality by modern fans. Defending the indefensible is an oddball thing to do, to put it mildly, yet still you do it. Enjoy your bunker with Wenger while you still can , as your hero is now very close to being sacked and reports say the club are actively lining up a shortlist for his successor, thank God!

          1. I wonder if those guys are even into football? I will wait Wengers leave to see if those fans leave with him for good.

          2. Jon Fox,
            I am going to reply to you, despite the fact that I find most of your previous posts sickening in their abuse and because you think you can say whatever you want, but get upset when someone replies in the same way.
            I will also answer you like for like, so I will get personal in the same way that you have.
            Your a modern fan with modern views?
            What does that mean? You listen to boy bands, watch Star Wars and like to call other human beings “a cancerous growth”?
            You are so blinkered in your hate for a man you admit you have never met, you choose not to read what I have posted, but twist things to suit your warped mind.
            Whose defending the indefensible?
            Again,you choose not to read what I have posted etc.
            You call yourself a modern fan. That means you give up your season ticket and then proceed to tell others to protest at home games etc. while you stay at home in the warm watching TV.
            You can’t even stir yourself to go to the ground and protest, but expect others to do your bidding.
            You sit at home in your armchair and preach to me about the 21st century.
            You do fit nicely as a 21st century icon actually, the the potatoe couch supporter in his lazyboy chair.
            If you want to insult me, then actually read what I say, digest it and then come back to me.
            As for your Wenger bunker comment, grow up, act your age and then you can call yourself “a modern fan”.
            You stated that you want your, football club to lose badly in every game they play and that you want wenger to have an accident!!!
            This is from a modern fan living in a modern world?
            Well then, I’d rather keep my season ticket, support my club, hope they win everything going and live in a pre modern fan era, where standards were a lot higher than those you now seem to live by.
            Is that such an oddball thing to do,obviously it is to you.
            Finally, if you had read what I have previously said, then you would know that your last sentence was my wish as well, but why confuse fact with fiction?

            1. Wenger still has support here and it seems some are ok with the way we played on Sunday. scary.

              I think nobody cares about Gary Neville but Spineless Arsenal has been a cold fact for the last 10 years. that’s it, that’s all. the weak underbelly of the team has never been fixed and it is a managerial issue. Arsene did great for the club but he has expired for at least 5 years.

              I actually still very believe in our players. not in our manager.

              1. Thats fine that you say that but i would like to add 3 fa cups as not spineless and a community shield as not spineless as well but i do agree with you nobdy here cares about gary neville his opinion about arsenal doesnt matter but i respect your views

                1. Wow did you just count the community shield as a marker for success?? A glorified pre-season game with a shield at the end of it!!

                  Here is part of the problem with fans like yourself accepting mediocre……..

            2. Ken you always have analytical comments with valid points open to opinions some people dont read they just like to be nsgative towards others. Its ok to disagree but do so respectively and with intellect and as for the 21st century we did go invincible in this era and have won 3 fa cups in the last 5 years made it to a champions league final and lost a cup final this year with hopes to go far in the europa i dont think he checked what era we are in i think he just made it because we have been one of the most successful and grown to be one of the biggest clubs in the world in the w1st century good defense ken

            3. Yes and the fact we can disagree on opinion but we should show up to the games shoulder to shoulder sing the songs and root for afc a real fan modern or not shows his support by showing up and making their presence known in good times and tough times

        2. Referees weather fans pundits injuries …. I thought Alice’s trip to wonderland was pretty weird but your football rabbit hole clearly ends in an utterly bizarro junkified world like the rest of em on this site and as we are finding out from our cousins across the atlantic where ageing white men are od’ing on opioids at unprecedented rates when you were born doesn’t get you off the hook (literally) … Man city could have complained about injuries to mendy or delph being suspended or Jesus not hundred percent but instead they just got on with the game … There’s more to grammar than punctuation just as there is more to being a fan of a club than slavishly supporting it’s deluded manager ..

          1. First i didnt mention wenger and if you can read didnt excuse the loss to referees, nor did i complain about injuries which i could of , and your grammar isn’t perfect either. Although i atleast say something with statistics and give analysis to my opinions like many others do on this site except apparently you, who says a few negative comments and downcasts everybody here now without a single intelectual analysis of your opinion and apparently struges to read english. Oh and the uk per poulation density has one of the worst overdose records of drug abuse which has nothing to do with football and i wish not to joke around about it because i have close friends who have lost close family members to such tough illnesses which no words cam appease as have people across the world and avain nothing to do with arsenal or football

            1. cut the sentimentality which has nothing to do with this argument… as to statistics i dont see one in your half baked drivel which amounts to an ill-informed rant about neville (actually one of the more sensible football commentators) and fans who have suffered a decade of decline and underperformance under a dilusional manager who has completely lost the plot about modern football and ended up creating a zombified football team which you can read about here assuming you can canhttps://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/feb/26/zombified-arsenal-lack-obligation-to-be-in-love-with-idea-of-winning

    2. You’re a disgrace. Hiding behind referee decisions when all of them were correct. Accept the club is not going in the right direction and that changes need to be made. 6th place in the league, not likely to get past Milan, losing to Ostersunds last week, unmotivated players on huge wages, outdated manager on huge wages… oh, but the referee!! Wake up. It’s embarrassing.

      1. Thank you for you honest analytical viewpoint ken and backing me up on the punctuation my phone is problematic and to get all the marks right takes three times or more as long but i feel the content is there, and rsh i was not hiding behind referee decisions i said clearly that you dont win or lose based on the refs you have 90 minutes to win a game i was meaning overall across the league this year its been bad almost as bad as our honor as club supporters we made to a final and win ir lose that looks good to people across the globe but the fans embarrassed the club on a global stage by walking out no honor in defeat. Also though it doesnt change the outcome we didnt score but mustafi is going backwards eyes on ball if aguero attempts to play ball hes legal to be there but that gets called all year when a player plants both feet and makes no attempt at the ball and stops mustafi in his tracks with no attempt at or for the ball he illegally interfered with that space but none the less mustafi did play poorer than you would hope

    3. I dont know if you are just commenting for the sake of commenting, or just trying to be a trolling idiot?

      Losers will always come out with full of excuses, but the thing is. Mr Ghandi. Arsene and Arsenal are not being judged just bec of this game alone. We judge and despise this never ending circle of repeat which seems to have no end. Far from it.

      You do wrong, you correct them, as mistakes do happen. You do again wrong and choose not to correct them, then those mistakes become choices, the mistake becomes you. Arsenal who is doing all the mistakes. Try to use you commen sense a bit ( if you have one, and Wengeritis can be very dangerous to the mind) and anderstand the point, before you choose to name us fans spoiled again. Jesus man.

      1. Walking out on a cup final early is poor saying the things after is poor we have had the most consistancy of any pl club for 20 years it goes bad we lose and we show no honor in defeat i never mentioned wenger i mentioned the lack of support in a cup final was sad and by walking out it showed we’ve been spoiled city didnt leave the semi early last year when we beat em they didnt leave early wehen they lost in league one and i cant stand city im arsenal through and through we won a cup last year and the year before were in another cup final and tempemental fans leave early even though it takes alot to get to a cup final maybe you need to lose more to lose respectable its hard it sucks but its a cup final bigger than the management our opinions for a day its about how you show you solidarity as a club win or lose every other club in england would of taken our spot in a heartbeat if they could of and we lea e early that shows spoilage and it was embarrassing to see we need to be stronger as supporters newcastle doesnt like ashley yet they still show up and when was the last time they won a cup?

    4. It’s not the fact we lost. If we got comfortably beaten by Manchester City whilst showing some desire then it wouldn’t be as bad.

  2. you know what all this talk of our manager- how rubbish the players are
    what about the fans

    tonight just as a protest to stop monday night football
    – 25,000 stay away as Dortmund draw: Borussia Dortmund drop points as 25,000 fans boycott their televised draw with Augsburg

    why cant our prawn sandwich brigade unify like men and make a stand a statement
    cos we are selfish- we want change but dont wanna inconvenience ourselves too much doing it

    i gave back my season ticket few years back, stopped buying merch- thats nothing- reality is i have found other loves in my life so arsenal are just one part not enough for me to go crazy
    i believe many are like me ..bit of a moan – cheeky rant , next game here we come

  3. wenger has no esteem as aman i mean dont think any man would go through wht this dumb one trick pony has endured……..heavy defeats, losing star player to direct rivals time and again,buying crap out of service players from the rival he jus strengthened welback,silvestre….i mean come onnnnnn dont you have any pride?????

  4. how many games a footballer has to play to be considered experience?

    Chambers has over 100 EPL experience…..

    he was quite good during his loan at Boro….

    he may not have a cup final experience but there is no one left……unless the fans want BFG to play…

    1. Chambers was better than Mustafi, and Kos was bang average that game as well. AW could’ve easily put out a starting XI without Chambers tho. If he wanted to (stupidly) stick with 3 at the back, put Monreal-Kos-Mustafi, and then Kolasinac and Bellerin as wingbacks.

      1. I think Monreal’s recent goal heroics is why we didn’t see that. That is usually what he went with.

  5. can i call like i see it? why are we writing the same kind of article over and over again. most of the articles are about how terrible we are and what can we do about it, yes we lost the final but do we really need several different writers stating that, or having a article about post match after we had an article about the match. it would be nice to get everyone’s opinion on the match, line-up, tactics, training, transfers, etc …but when the same context is posted several times over the course of days i beleive the message loses all meaning.
    i’m not trying to be negative or discourage anyone from writing I personnally appreciate the time and effort put in, so I thank each and everyone of you for giving us an outlet! but im just saying we can be more constructive as a community.

    I don’t know how many of us there are in this forum but i’m with muff. we try our best to release our stress the way we can, i’m a grown man can’t be upset about this team all week i would have gone mad, so the keyboard is where i also headl! but i beleive we can be more constructive in this forum for example by having a different writer for everygame thus reducing the workload on the people writing those articles, or the admin picking a player and the fans compete for who can make the best chant for him, which player has improved the most, which player is declining, our best youth product, an analysis of our coaching system, we do most of our training on artificial grass is it a reason for our huge injury problems, how much has kronke made since purchasing arsenal, any of these as an article would be hugely appreciated. admin what do you think? would love to hear your thoughts on this.

    1. Some great points/ideas there mate. Me I was gobsmacked hearing Bellerin talking about the difference between Arsenal and Barcelona that he noticed day 1. He said everything in Barcelona is geared around the football, always ball work, seems obvious enough. Then he said at Arsenal his first day was training the entire day without a football. I always presumed that Arsenal done too much work in the passing area compared to shooting tackling and set pieces. So was gobsmacked hearing this.

      And on a similar note. Pep I read a player say that his teams don’t practice tackling, they pressure and force issues but don’t practice tackling, not even their defenders.

    2. Hi Sal. All those ideas sound great and you will find that many different writers contribute on many different subjects! I always say that if a reader comes up with a great idea then write it up and send it to me…..

  6. We need to look at Dortmund fans, they just staged a massive protest where around 25,000 fans didn’t turn up to a hom match, now that’s a real protest! Yes, their protest has nothing to do with their manager, but it shows that when united, we the fans can make great things happen.

    Let’s stand together against these leeches that have drained the life out of us!

    1. TheArsenalWay,
      It might just be that 25,000 people would not agree with a protest.
      The suggested figures banded about on this site fluctuate like the weather and recent protests actually haven’t been very successful.

  7. Arsenal is stale.

    Whatever way you look at it, the blame eventually falls at Wenger’s door. He buys the players (or has a direct hand in the choice of transfers), instructs the team and is expected to inspire them. Yesterday when we were three nil down, there was the familiar picture of Pep on the touch line waving his hands and remonstrating with his players whilst imparting tactical information whilst next to him was the clueless Wenger and Steve Bould who sat literally with their hands in their pockets.

    I don’t accept that Arsenal do not spend money. Lacazette, Aubameyang and Ozil’s wage’s are examples of substantial amounts of money invested in players. Xhaka and Mustafi were also reasonably priced players. Kolašinac (who was the best left back in the Bundesliga) was valued at approximately £40m+. In recent times, Arsenal have spent money but because these new players have so far failed to make the required impact we can conclude that either the money was not spent wisely or something has happened to these players once they have joined Arsenal. On the other hand, Liverpool bought Salah and Mane for reasonable amounts of money and they are tearing up the premier league. Before that Leicester bought, Kante, Mahrez and Vardy (to name a few) for next to nothing and won the league. It is hoped that the appointment of Sven Mislintat would help to unearth prospective gems. What happens to them when they get here is up for debate.

    It is my personal opinion that Arsene Wenger is tactically clueless – and the players know it too. This is one of the reasons, which feeds into our lack of confidence on the pitch, why in the last ten years we have failed to retain our star players. It appears that Wenger’s tactics rely on the individual brilliance of players and once they cross that white line they are literally on their own. I have never known Wenger to make tactical changes during a match to counteract problems as they arise. Although we do not have the best squad in the league, this is exasperated by our manager’s lack of skill and know how. It is my firm belief that if we would be in a stronger position if Pep, Mourinho, Klopp, Conte or Pochettino managed Arsenal.

    Sadly, nothing is going to change whilst Wenger is at the helm. Arsenal has become stale and rather than just being a top four team we are regressing. The hurt that fans feel comes from the slow and painful realisation that we have become a mid-table team.

  8. Wenger is the main problem.
    Call me ungrateful. I appreciate the trophies under his regime BUT it has gone to his head. He stubbornly sticks to his philosophy of Not spending on a top defensive midfielder and being loyal to average players. His definition of quality is different to most

    I guarantee you that if Klopp, Guardiola, Spurs manager (can’t spell his name), Mourinho were here they would have signed a quality central midfielder Like Kante, Matic, Gueye, Fernandino, Wanyama, Etc. And they would have gotten rid of Xhaka, Eleny, Iwobi, and others who are not high enough quality

    Wenger doesn’t know how to manage at the top level anymore. I don’t put him up there with Mourinho, Klopp, Pochettino, Guardiola or Conte. I put him with Moyes, Allardyce etc
    Top 4 is our highest ambition
    Now we can’t even compete for that because we let 5 teams pass us by

    WENGER OUT PLEASE

    1. To the above two commentators i agree with you that we have had players under performing for the talent but mourinho has done nothing but go to clubs who upon his arrival spend more money than they have ever spent gets the best players finally wins a title or more so the players do then gets fired because after a couple years everyone around the club hates him and the clubs basically just as good before he arrives and after he leaves and co te has consistently lossed to wenger with chelsea pochettino has also lost to wenger if not twice on aggregate but both klopp and guadiorla are both top top managers

  9. Dear Mr.Wenger, you are an intelligent man, you are well qualified in your position and you have had some enviable success as manager of what was one of the finest clubs in the world. You know deep in your heart your time is up. As a man who has loved the game and the club you should now give notice of your intent to retire from Arsenal and put to rest those who would insult you and hurt you. Thank you.

    1. Aussie Jack,
      That is a superb way of putting your frustrations and I applaud you.
      Everything you say is true except that we still are one of the finest clubs in the world.
      There are no crude, vile, unnecesary snide remarks about the manager and I can agree with the content.
      No need to defend Mr Wenger because you have shown him the respect that he deserves.
      Thank you for being able to put in words what I have been trying to say, one of the best posts I have ever read.

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