Arsenal need to stay focused for the whole 90 minutes!

It is becoming the theme of Arsenal’s season so far that we start of at full speed and over-run our opponents and look far superior, even against a team like Chelsea. But after gaining a reasonable lead we seem to sit back and invite our opponents to attack us and try to get back into the game.

We did exactly that again against Swansea yesterday, and again we let the Swans back in so much that we had to limp over the line in the end. We do seem to manage to hang on this season, unlike previous ones, but Wenger believes that this is something the team needs to work on.

Wenger said after the game: “I have some mixed feelings because it looked at some points comfortable and then it never was. We could never capitalise on the two-goal cushion but at least we got the three points,”

“I would say when we went two goals ahead we lost our focus and when you are playing a team who are down the bottom and trying to stay in the Premier League you can’t do that,”

“We finished with good solidarity and we made it over the line.”

One day though, we are going to sit back so much against the wrong team and they will get their revenge in the second half, after we seem to run out of steam.

But what is the reason for this? Are we just too complacent when we have a lead or do we use up so much energy in the first half that we just can’t keep up with the pace? Are we not as fit as our opponents who seem to fight to the end?

Perhaps once we are in front we should go in for the kill and build up a really unassailable lead before dropping our guard? Is there any way that Wenger can fix this problem?

Darren N

3 Comments

  1. I don’t see it as a problem, not if it’s done right. You could say if we had sat back properly yesterday with everyone getting back behind the ball leaving four forwards to counter attack at good moments we would have been more comfortable. The counter attack done by teams who specialise in it was usually our achilles. This is on the players minds and rightly so. I don’t want them going full steam ahead when we have a healthy advantage, it’s an unnecessary risk. I like seeing a real team shape, moving forward together and returning together, it’s smart to know when this is necessary. The aim for me is to have a team that is all round solid, like Bayern had three or more seasons ago.

    Ps, how many times have we heard pundits slam AFC over the years for pouring men forward when we had a cushion. It was the worst part of the captain Fabregas years, you don’t win titles that way.

  2. We have the capability of putting teams to the sword. However, when we go up 2-0 our whole demeanor relaxes and we start showboating which costs us time and time again. Why not go up 4 or 5, really put them to the sword then allow some of our bench to get game time? Someone in the team has to speak up about this.

  3. We are just not ruthless enough and we dont learn…Barrow was causing havoc on our left and the whole game we didnt adjust to neutralize him. I was so impress by AOC! Walcott wasted too many chances for my liking!

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