Two positives from Arsenal’s defeat to Liverpool By Sylvester Kwentua
Here we go again friends, we are back to square one after a humbling defeat over the weekend. We may have lost four goals to Liverpool, but I got two positive and heart gladding things to take away from the game over the weekend.
One: We seem to have found a permanent solution to our goalkeeping department. With back to back excellent performances from Aaron Ramsdale, I afraid to say that Leno is going to spend a long time on the bench, unless he decides to try out his luck at another club. Leno is an excellent goalkeeper and so is Ramsdale. It is so unfortunate that Leno made a series of errors and Ramsdale was given a chance and he grabbed it with both hands.
So far so good, Arsenal can boast of having two quality goal keepers. As a big club, having two quality goalkeepers is key. In this regard, Arsenal is safe. However, I must say that Leno’s opportunity to reclaim his spot, is very high. Arsenal is forging higher, and if a goalkeeper feels too comfortable in his position, he will be taken out of the first team with ease. I am sure Ramsdale knows this, and he will always be on his toes. I love the competition.
Two: Arsenal is surely a work in progress but will come around soon. Against Liverpool, Arsenal played above average in the first half. In the second half, it was a different ball game entirely. Arsenal have the players, Arsenal have a young but enthusiastic manager and happily, Arsenal is gradually winning back the support of their fans. It will only get better from here. With more experience of playing together, the boys will form a strong unit, and with time, will surely start dominating and winning games against the big teams. I felt we could actually compete in the first half of the game, and that is one thing that gladdens my heart. Surely as seasons go by, these men will create history, mark my words.
We are Arsenal and proud.
Sylvester
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Sylvia, you are so very right. These are boys who’ll be men con Feb March 2022.if this whole group, ie, players, grounds men, coaches all stay together, the arsenal of old will be on the role. Fans just have to be patient and Arteta must not rush for a league trophy or top 4. That will come after development is at 85%
The way we capitulated in the second half continues to be an issue plaguing this squad 2 years after Arteta took over as manager.
Same fundamental mistakes being made, and forced to play out from the back and feeding directly into Liverpool’s press.
There was no plan B, and no tactical adjustments to try and turn things around. The substitutions offered little to nothing in tactical nuance or productivity.
Our first real test since being dominated by City and Chelsea, and the best to say is we kept pace with them in the first half.
We can’t continue to make excuses for poor performances, and it’s time to start holding everyone from the managers to players accountable.
On this occasion the Manager most certainly got the set up wrong.You simply cannot face teams like Liverpool and Man City with only two central midfielders.You need to match up their 4-3-3 system by deploying a DM supported by two athletic Box to Box operators.To play both Auba and Lacca at the expense of another recognised midfielder, demonstrates naivety on the part of Arteta I’m affraid.
Sorry Sylvester, nice try but although these are both positives they didn’t come out of the defeat at Liverpool
There were simply no positives for us at Anfield, no lessons either as far as I could see, we knew what we knew before and know it now
We just dust ourselves down and go again next weekend, stick to what we are good at and do the best we can with that
Man City and Liverpool are miles ahead of us, Chelsea are looking that way at the moment but I am not convinced of that yet myself, we just need to try to compete with West Ham, and a few others to be the best of the rest as far as the table is concerned
Back to square one…..please get over yourself.
Sorry, Sylvester – it’s good to be positive but neither of your two points were discovered at the Liverpool game.
Only bad points such as:
Arteta still makes some very naiive tactical mistakes in his team set ups.
He still can’t think on his feet, which all good managers have to be able to do.
This 11 are still a long way from challenging for anything other than a Europa League place.
This is a young squad, and they cracked under pressure – Tavares and Lokonga in particular making numerous mistakes. To there credit though, enlike many around them they never hid from the ball.
We can’t rely on our experienced players to lead by example – Auba and Partey were almost anonymous and totally ineffective.
“their” and “unlike”, sorry long day!
Yet more typically condescending comments: “naive tactical mistakes”.
Perhaps you could give examples of great teams you have managed where you have shown your tactical nous.
The sense of entitlement and the lack of respect for the manager is getting tiresome.
This team is still evolving and there are quite a few young and inexperienced players in this team so some fluctuations in performance are inevitable.
The problem that Sylvester has in writing article several times each and every day, is that he contradicts himself so very often.
He urgently needs to abandon this article mania in order to work out what his actual, REAL and consistent views on Arsenal matters are.
As a writer myself I like to encourage those who show flair for this art and who wish to learn properly.
But when you have such an obsession , at all costs as he does, to write something , anything ,however daft and unthinking(like the “Torreira coming back” piece a few hours ago) but refuse to put proper thought into what you write, then you need calling out as a writing obsessionist who is just not up to the job.
I am firm on this and hope it is not censored as I expect it to be. This young man needs proper advice and not to be exploited on JA simply because he fulfills a JA Admin need to produce an “article” several times each day.
Quality, NOT quantity, is what makes a PROPER writer!
I have no doubt that we are in a better position now than last two seasons.. I am not going to cry over the Liverpool loss.. I believe in the process now more than ever.. a few more good players and we are genuine contenders.. coyg!!!
I’ll cry for you!