Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I have 20-20 hindsight and never get a decision wrong, but the Arsenal boss does not have that luxury. If he did I am sure that Arsene Wenger would have prepared the Gunners a little differently for this Champions League game away to the mighty Bayern Munich.
I think there are a few reasons for Wenger setting the side up as he did. One is the fact that we won the home tie and have been playing well, especially going forwards. Another reason is that although a point would have been better than a win, we really needed to win to give ourselves a good chance of qualifying as we expected Olympiacos to beat Zagreb in Greece.
But despite the fact that the manager felt that the players did not defend well enough for the tactics to work, which is true to an extent, it seemed clear that the attitude was more adventurous than it had been in London. Once again there is a question about whether we were too confident in our own ability.
The thing is that Bayern Munich are an amazing team in great form and so maybe some confidence was warranted, but surely we should have tried to replicate the performance that got us that win.
Being a bit more forward thinking looked like a plan as the forwards were not tracking back as much, so maybe it was a risky tactic that could have worked with a better performance and maybe the situation in the group called for it.
What do you think Gooners?
Listen Baby Please
Sometimes when you want to beat the best, you need to be tacticallyyy riskyyy on a dailyyy babyyy please
What’s wrong with you mate.
Bayern Munich are just a brilliant team they also beat Wolfsburg and Dortmund by 5-1,we shouldn’t be to despondent,we just met a top european side who showed that they are a level above us so let’s just focus on the EPL!
This is the sole purpose of Bayern, to thrive in Europe. If they don’t reach the final every year, it’s considered a failure. They don’t need all those superstar players for them to win Bundesliga. Winning Bundesliga is like a stroll in the park for them. They are the only team that has this luxury.
Bayern Munich is a good team but Arsenal is a good team too but they gave it to them easily come on the minet bayern had the ball it was lobed straight to our 16 Arsenal was to hesitant to close them down and only once did matasaker closed the man down and got yelow for it maybe if ozils goal was registered it could have been different for us but there was no steal in our game against Bayern mybe the totenhame game was on their mind and here I am looking forward in hammering totenham
just, dont use that Cup Kit again..3-0 and now 5-1, bad luck I think 😀
bellerin and boss are arsenals best players imo when boss is absent at CB the team falls to bits BFG can only play with boss nobody else! and then bellerin being the best full back arsenal has had in years and the only person (bar campbell)who provides width down the right atm but i knew from last night we wouldn’t win this battle but the war is yet over
They are our two most talented defenders imo also (Monreal defensively is on par if not ahead of bell) but changes to back-lines always spells trouble and away to Bayern is probably the last team on earth you would pick to make do with said changes.
Bayern one of the strongest teams in the world…found outfield players to strengthen their squad with in the summer..not Arsenal though. nobody’s good enough for Wenger. So we will sit with the likes of Flamini and Arteta..sucking wages from the club.
Come down to earth AFC fans … We aren’t unstoppable as most of you here say … We are unpredictable, consistency wise …
I don’t think tactics was the problem. The biggest problem was that half our first team was out injured.
After 20mins Campbell was sweating like a pig on a hot summers day. His work rate was poor. Debuchy was also looking a bit frail, and you can’t expect more from a guy who hasn’t played much this season to get thrown in the deep end against Bayern. Mertesacker is another weak link…he is just too slow! Big liability against teams like Bayern. Our backup was Gibbs and Iwobi…really? Where as they had Robben, Vidal etc.
On top of this, Bayern were just really cohesive and did pretty much everything right. Won’t be surprised if they win the tournament. The only thing we can learn from this is that Arsenal need to more strength in squad depth…having to rely on players like Iwobi and Campbell in such a big game is futile. We can thank our lucky stars that Coquelin is still fit. Just imagine if he get injured too…our title hopes will be lost.
Wenger has done reasonably well so far, but he needs to make another two or three top signings next window. Another top CF, decent backup for Coquelin and a repalcement for Mertesacker.
agree with everything but the wenger part.. can you plz elaborate?
how has wenger done well? he knows every year we have lots of injuries but fails to get backups that are almost as good as first XI. gives arteta another contract. should have gotten a really good CDM (minimum). also need a RW (caz/ozil/ramsey dont do well there; and ox has been disappointing)
Campbell was doing all the work that Debuchy was supposed to do.
Alexis Sanchez is back to his sh**ty self. Mistimed passes, sh***y defending, failed dribbles…..
He has the confidence of messi and talent of hazard… how many time does he have to the ball in our own half till we get punished… His ‘defensive’ workrate is a load of BS… He has no anticipation of positional awareness…. works on ‘thirsty? dig a well’
What’s more depressing is that wenger doesn’t have the balls to bench his star players (currently no options as well sadly)
really ? 15 likes? what is wrong with you people? now you’re slating sanches coz even if he is tired playing every game without resting for pl, cups and international and he keeps working hard to score?. he is’nt even out of form. he is just too tired and still keeps running even when he is too tired to stand up right before every game starts!
My thoughts
the wide players, Sanchez and Campbell didn’t track their full backs at all
Bayern have only one game plan… long ball to switch play to the wings… they aren’t really that effective when you nullify their wide areas which neither or fullbacks nor our wingers did….
Plus sanchez and cazorla need to stop taking risks around our penalty area!
Everybody is praising Bayern,I totally agree that they were better than us…
But my point is I don’t think that we were beaten by bayern but injuries instead…
Jack,Welbeck,Rosicky didn’t even start the season and Now Ramsey,Wallcott,and Ox…On Top Of that Bellerin and Kos were also absent….So guys plz have faith in this team…
And for all those who are saying that we don’t have a squad depth have basically no clue about this beautifull game…
Our 6 midfield players are out injured…Well no team can cope with this situation not even bayern,barca or real madrid…So plz guys be positive and believe in this squad…
My sixth sense is little decent and I can sense that we will win something big this season…
Walcott will be a big miss though…he was doing a terrific job as CF untill he got injured…Game like this remind me of him even more…
Which midfielders are you referring to? Wilshere, Ramsey, Rosicky, Chamberlain are injured. That is four midfield players not six. Chamberlain is more of a forward/winger anyway. Bayern have Gotze, Ribery and others injured yet they had players just as good to replace them with. Where as we had inferior players on the bench who have hardly touched a ball this season, to play against and expect to win against Bayern away. Definite lack of strength in squad depth. Every team has injuries, but how can you expect any team to excel in the CL with players like Campbell, Iwobi, Arteta, Flamini as backup?
This is my only gripe with Wenger, he needs to address this issue ASAP. Go to the board and make it clear that our backup/fringe players need to be just as good as our starting team. Arsenal are not a poor club, surely we can afford to have better players on the bench? Prime example…Coquelin gets injured…is Arteta or Flamini going to do the job effectively till the end of the season and play in all four tournaments? We can all agree both players are over the hill. This is why the Barca’s, Bayerns, Madrid’s have been the dominant European clubs, because when their Ferrari goes in for servicing, they have a Bugatti as a backup. Arsenal’s backup is a Beetle.
whats wrong with iwobi,campbell,arteta and flamini.
Apparently there are no better players out there
How can anyone even dare to blame our loss on injuries WHEN WE ARE SITTING ON A £200m transfer kitty??????All the players that are injured right now except bellerin, were injured at some stage last season and the one before that.It really isn’t rocket science to predict the players that are going to get injured at arsenal and even which type of injuries they will get.
There was no 200 mio kitty. There was 50mio available for players, and 50mio players that would suit the team weren’t available.
If club spent 200 mio, it would be liquidated the next year. You are just too stupid to realize that.
Alright, we got beaten by the same bayern we frustrated just few days ago.
Anyway, we got the three points needed to even have any hope of qualifying two weeks back and with the kind of injuries we suffered last week, we had no chance of defeating them.
Those criticizing Campbell and Debuchy should please tamper judgment with mercy. Both are not used to playing two to three times a week for a while now.
Campbell especially has played three times in about eight days, when last ha he done that? Pls let’s be constructive in our criticisms.
All we have to do now is beat the remaining two teams and we are in.
Let’s focus on our next game and keep the pressure on Man city.
I remain a gunner.
Why Cos was in the bench?? Injury?????or…..
IMO the first, second and 5th goals could not be scored if Cos and Bellerin were in the filed
By 6 players I mean 6 attacking players…And although I don’t know much about bayern players…But i’m pretty sure that they will not have 6 attacking players out injured…Ribery And Gotze Are the only ones IMO…
Well for all those who want new players…where will you play them…25 is the limit for a squad in BPL and we have 24…
Second thing what will you do when all players will be fit…
The only player I want is a proper backup For Our Coquelin and that should be our 25th player not any attacking one…
Only players who don’t deserved to be here Is Arteta and flamini…Need to address this situation ASAP…
And common guys it was just an one game after a decent run of games…and that too without Kos and Bellerin…
We are not man city,man utd or chelsea who will through money at everything that has happened to us…
We are the mighty arsenal…we make our own stars…Henry,Dennis and Now Coq and Bell…and plenty more…
And as for CF If Walcott can keep himself fit he can be the next big thing…His speed and movement can break any defence and what’s more exciting is that he is learning his new trades…
And Santi,Sanchez,Ozil and walcott are play to born together…
I can’t understand how after just one defeat our confidence starts to fade away…
Our squad is pretty good…it was just an off day can happened to the best out there…
In Arsene I Trust and a proud Gooner For Life
deluded
Trying to predict who Bayern are going to pass to next is like trying to predict the movement of a fly. The way they swarm and can have the ball pass by three of them and still get it to intended destination is amazing. Even watching an overview from the comfort of my living room and I cannot see the obvious ball on. Short short long short and all you can do is try to catch your breath ..amazing. Pep is the only manager I have seen who deserves the gold standard for possession of such high quality, felt like I had watched three games of football and there was still half an hour to go. A very unique manager is Pep Guardiola.