Is there anybody else on the planet other than Arsene Wenger who thought it was a good idea for Arsenal to start a crucial Premier League match away to Liverpool without Alexis Sanchez? Anyone? Come on now don’t be shy?
‘Tactical reasons’ is what the Sky Sports report on the game said and if that is true then we really are in trouble because our manager must have lost the plot. What will his next tactical surprise be I wonder? Playing without a goalkeeper to throw the other team off balance and lull them into a false sense of security?
The fact that we were completely dominated in the first half and only managed to muster up just one shot on target before the Frenchman relented and brought on the Chile international at the restart. Arsenal were already going into the match with problems, especially on the creative side of things, with Mesut Ozil’s illness and Santi Cazorla’s second ankle surgery keeping them out, so what possessed Wenger to drop our best and most dangerous attacking player I can only guess.
He said it was to increase the aerial threat by having Welbeck and Giroud on but that sort of thing would usually work only in a game where you are pressing forward against a deep sitting defence. And even if you accept the ‘aerial’ argument why would Iwobi and Walcott start ahead of Sanchez? Answers on a postcard please.
Bob.
Haha if it was the direct route then sanchez could hve been the best option coz his crossing is terrific and he is the best or among the best when it comes to that. Looks like wenger has lost the big man sanchez and also some of his squad.
Am very sorry Admin. That was a good definition of “Stupidity”.
If my student should as me of the meaning of stupidity I will say it is leaving out your best performer in your team in a crucial contest. Example- in a crucial football match against your closest rival you leave out your best player who is the highest goal scorer in the league and also an assist number 1 of your team and then lose the match and drop down the peck.
Wenger, time to go. Am not afraid of the future even when the present is not palatable.
I’ve come to the point where I don’t want to watch another game until I see a new manager. My honest opinion is that not only is Wenger done, but some of our players are overrated and most of the time inconsistent. My biggest problem with this team is the lack of fight and weak mental state we enter these big games. Been so for the last how many seasons. It is really sad to think that Sanchez will probably leave end of the season. Massive blow to this club and I blame Wenger.
True man. We hve over hyped players earning alot of money in our club. The likes of iwobi should be given a chance to maturw not just throw them in a lions den. Such games can affect a youngsters growth it can even hve a negative effect on him and the lad starts playing awful.
I reckon he will pick up allot more from being thrown into the thick of it, in the long run, but the problem is we can’t afford him the patience right now as the result is too important, or were too important. The team was struggling, he should never have been a starting wide-man.
True but he shouldn’t be anywhere near our starting 11. We need to hve wc players or good enough players in first 11 who can be role models to young players. Hehe or maybe its the coach!
It is not new that Wenger opposses himself, he says one things and does another..
We want to be direct, and how were we direct in that game cos I didn’t even see any directness,his player can’t even muster 5 passes at a stretch let alone create anything.
He wants to play a certain way,but these players obviously can’t play that style..
I remember the Fabregas/Nasri days we were so proud of our style even when we lose,we always enjoy the games…
But now, its directly opposite,yet he can change things…
We have players that can play in a 3-4-3 formation…we have players that play high presing style bar Ozil…why not just try new things???
Benching Sanchez for whatever reason apart from injury for a must win game is utter stupidity and foolishness…infact, anything you call it goes….
I never enjoyed a game we lost.
“Why Iwobi and Walcolt start?” I am very sorry, but I haven’t seen Walcolt in the starting line-up, maybe I was just watching different game or just the madness syndrome is going on here.
Ok, back to the game the Mr. Bin said he wanted to be a bit direct by starting OG and Welbeck? May be we need to have a clear definition of direct football, but from what I know if you want your team to be more direct you have to go with pacely players. I expected Welbeckand Walcot on the wings with Sanchez upfront, while regular changing formation from 4-3-3, to 4-4-2 by letting Sanchez playing a bit centrally while Theo and Welbeck playing the two strikers. That is direct with regards to our current squad.
I also expected Ox to be given the box to box role, for me that his best ever position I have ever seen him play, with this I want you to recall the game we played against AC Millan 2nd leg at home in (2012? ). The guy is tenacious in that position. Ok he occasionally used to lost the ball which sometimes caused problems but that sorted with confident, more playing time.
OT: why don’t we persuade the Sevilla coach to come to arsenal. I heard that they have a good relationship with Sanchez maybe that can persuade him to stay as well. He seem to be a good coach considering what he is doing for Sevilla and what he did with Chile.
No be happy man, Justice will be done on March 7th, against Bayern.
I heard Roben saying “I had enough of playing against Arsenal, I am tired of scoring against them, and I am not ready to be the cause for the sucking of Arsene, I hope the gaffer will start Ribbery and Costa on the wings. I wish Arsenal the best not to concede another 5.”
So, the knife if there for the Bayern to slaughter.
For my poor heart, I might just decide not to watch that game!
Alexis came on at half time and so had the entire second half to be our best player. In my opinion he was not our best player, the Ox was, but only by virtue of the rest playing like absolute drains. Alexis did not score, he rarely threatened and apart from the goal, he didn’t look like a world class player. He is not superman, he has been out of form and many have been asking for changes in the way the team is set up. I think that Alexis stifles the way that Arsene likes the team to play by failing to pass at the right time and losing the ball when in possession. He has improved this season, but there are still too many times when his team-mates seem scared not to pass to him, when there is a better pass on elsewhere. If Alexis goes i won’t cry, if he stays I won’t mind, but today I’m coming down on the side that I’d prefer if he goes because he’s a disruptive influence.
To answer the central question: was the decision to bench him madness? Here I am; hand up, no I don’t think it was. Arsene Wenger had a game plan, the plan didn’t work, but not because Alexis wasn’t on the pitch.
Bellerin had an awful game, ditto Koscielny and Mustafi, Monreal was so-so, Welbeck was anonymous apart from the goal and his failure to track back led to the second goal, Xhaka looks like an oil tanker which can’t change direction, Coquelin was passionate but ineffective, Iwobi has lost his spark and I don’t know why he starts before Walcott. Giroud was clearly not fit and didn’t win the aerial battle or hold the ball up. The Ox should be our number 10. Have I missed anyone?
Some of this may be Wenger’s fault, but he must live or die by his decisions which are made without the benefit of hindsight.
Maybe you should read the players opinion about alexis before talking about bad influence…wenger plans didnt work because it was a bad plan, sinple as that…dont play ozil at some matches could be part if a plan, sometimes, but dont play alexis is just madness…alexis is who won us many games, alone…otherwise, wenger had never left out ozil because of a game plan because he just cant…but he did it with sanchez in our seasons most important game…my answer: wenger didnt play sanchez just because alexis dont agree with wengers mediocrity, unlike ozil, who is in wenger mediocrity wagon and support his regim to continue
Regime*
Gworm, if Alexis is playing lone striker, well then almost everything/everyone should be looking to find him. I agree Alexis has some discipline/attitude problems, but I will mind very much if/when he leaves. A team needs different types of character, look at Costa, Suarez, Simeone.
An interesting analysis Gworm and I agree with much of what you say. However I would have started with Alexis despite agreeing that, at times, he wants to do everything himself. My main worry is that we have ceased to look like a team for quite a while now. Our midfield seems to get overrun in every game. We do not have the right payers in there in my opinion. Defensively we are looking more and more open and attack wise we are not breaking quickly enough when we do have the opportunity.
Sadly Arsene no longer seems able to motivate his players and he must stand down at the end of the season whatever happens . We then need to clear out those players who are not good enough and begin the process of rebuilding under a new coach.
Gamble….Tactics….strategy???????? B****S*** the truth is that in this man deluded mind and his gigantic ego adding senility and arrogance of a has been he wanted to teach Sanchez a lesson how he could beat Fool without him but of course it backfired and the lesson was all the way around……Sanchez showed that unfortunately for us the Fans our team lacks everything we are no better than a mid table team no leadership, lack of character, clueless all this on top that our Manager lost it…..we are sitting on the top 5 just because we still can beat the bottom table teams and WATFORD is a proof that not even that……without Sanchez or a motivated OZIL we will be out of CL spots next year….how can he go in front of the mic and justify himself is beyond me