If he stopped persisting with Ozil on the wing, we might actually do something decent. He is arguably the best number 10 in the world but also arguably the worst winger in the world, yet Wenger keeps putting him out there and watching dire performances from him. We need the same formation Germany used to such effectiveness in the world cup. And funnily enough it was the same formation we used when we actually played well. None of this horrendous 4-1-4-1 rubbish that he's toying with.
UEFA Champions League/Europa League ** Spoilers ** [16/17/18 September 2014]
- Thread starter Cosimo
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Caporegime
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Be careful what you wish for. I think for years United fans were quietly bothered with some of Fergie's tactics and transfer market policies but as success invariably followed it was kept under the carpet.
Then when he left... it's hardly ever going to be rosy when a long term manager like Ferguson or Wenger leaves. It may improve in the medium term but are you really wanting to force that risk?
No, not careful, coming 4th isn't a prize, it just means the same players get higher wages. Being in the champs league isn't some majestical prize, potentially winning it rather than being embarrassed in the first knock out game isn't something I actually care about. I don't cling to an almost comeback in the second leg because the other team has long since given up caring about the game as genuinely good performances or genuine reasons for optimism. Bayern/Milan utterly utterly destroy us in the first leg and don't even turn up to the second legs because it's over. The only people that fail to notice that are Arsenal fans who act like scoring a couple in the second leg means anything at all.
LIkewise, Utd had one poor year because they picked a stupid manager that was a bad choice from the start. 2 months in the job and LVG has done what Fergie and Moyes refused to do in the past 3 years, move on players who aren't bad enough, buy genuine quality, completely turn around the team.
The only issue is not picking someone absolutely retarded to be the next manager. If we picked Moyes we'd drop off, if we picked LVG or someone of similar quality they too, without the emotional attachment to players, would clear out the crud in the first 2-3 transfer windows bringing in actually useful players instead.
I'm sure you're joking.
I notice he comes across to head the ball about 20-25 yards out when he clearly has the better angle than a stationary Sakho who never realises this and drops back so a runner can easily chase the next ball. Hard to tell who is at fault, lovren poor communication or maybe he shouldn't do that but it seems the most logical way as he can attack the ball, near every hood head towards Sakho who ***** the bed.
Stevie was disastrous for that goal last night, the ball shouldve been easily swept up by him but he tried running into a group of 3 Ludo players to win it. That said just seeing the same things said about him as this point last year and a lot of it is silly/dumb
Oh come on now, not this again. It was a dire performance, sure. Dortmund were well up for it though, they were just the better side. I fully expect Arsenal to beat Dortmund back at the Emirates. I was surprised Wenger played Bellerin over Chambers though, but he obviously wanted to give that Bellerin a chance in a big occasion. We just never settled into the game, don't forget that this is Dortmund side who've got to like the last 4/final in the last 2 years. They aren't pushovers. There was no composure from Wilshere/Ramsey and Arteta..it's up to them to get their head right and try and sort the team out. It just never came though.
Caporegime
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He played in the middle in the first two games of the season, it was only because of how utterly abysmal Cazorla was wide that he pushed Ozil wide for Caz to play in the middle. Ozil is better wide than Cazorla is.
But Ozil was dire in the middle and no, he is not arguably the best no.10 in the world. He barely plays on the wing anyway, he has a free pass to come narrow and does so constantly and did nothing better when doing so. He's played in the middle multiple times while being woeful, throughout last season and every game this season, he was poor for Germany.
He is so so far from being the best no.10 in the world it's hilarious, he's a huge girl, he is lazy, his passing is massively over rated and he is one of the least consistent players in the world.
The difference between great and decent players are how often they are at their best. Ozil has at no stage in the past 5 years been a consistent player. I'd pick dozens of players ahead of him to buy or play, players who may not managed to be as good as Ozil at his very best, but will still 25 games of the season be better than Ozil because he is so rarely at his best.
Caporegime
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The chance where they hit the post was also his mistake. If we're going to use him in that position Gerrard needs to show the same kind of discipline he has against the bigger teams against everyone and Rodgers needs to do far more to protect him. We can't carry a player for half an hour because he's dead on his feet if we want to do well this season.
Caporegime
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i have not had my breakfest yet
Caporegime
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Bit harsh
Don't listen to him, you'll starve if you attempt that.
Caporegime
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They had significantly more injuries than Arsenal, multiple key players out and it wasn't about their performance. Arteta under no pressure just left the ball for absolutely no reason and it should have led to a goal.
As for Dortmund, Klopp has been in charge there a lot less long and has a fraction of the budget, if Dortmund can produce such a team, paying less for every player, there is no reason Arsenal shouldn't be beating them, that is the point.
When a manager is getting better performances out of his players, playing better football, winning more, doing better in europe, winning the league and doing this on a much smaller budget when basically every player Dortmund have could have been bought by Wenger instead, where is the excuse?
Wenger is buying the wrong players, he is not buying Cesc/RVP's any more and hasn't for a very long time, he's buying poor players too often and worse is he's keeping poor players.
Arteta can't get his head right in that game, he's simply not good enough. EVeryone knew this, everyone wanted Wenger to buy a DM..... for the past 5 years... and he hasn't.... and it costs us multiple times every single year. That is Wenger's fault, not Ramsey or Wilshere or Arteta.
WE still go into these big games with Wenger telling our fullbacks to run to their byline... produce nothing, and get caught out defensively constantly all game long. Basic tactical CHOICE that Wenger makes. It costs us in every single big game and after years Wenger still does it, it has literally never once worked well for us.
A tactic that NEVER works, that after years Wenger still uses..... whose fault is this if not Wenger's exactly? This is ignoring the fact that Gibbs is quite clearly an awful defender, the first goal Gibbs was woeful for. He was out of position, then he caught up because Immobile wasn't running fast. He caught up and just stood behind the striker and watched him....... wow, much defend.
Good defender, hack him the hell down, go in to half time 0-0, nope, he just watched. He physically slowed down to stop behind the defender, he could and should have run around him, gotten goal side and he could have done that painfully easily... he didn't. In 5 years that hasn't been a single hint Gibbs would be a good defender. With years to get good back up for CLichy, and since he left to buy a good fullback... he's failed multiple times.
Wenger can't pick players, can't judge how they'll adapt or work in the team. He keeps buying the same type of player over and over so the midfield is flooded with too similar players, and constantly ignores what the team needs.
It is 100% Wenger's fault, and with the budget, wages, control at the club and most crucially time in the job(meaning he more than any other manager on the planet has had time to bring in younger players on the cheap and watch them turn into Ronaldo's/Bales), is doing a worse job than any other manager in a top team anywhere.
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Ooooooh. Heathers quote !
Atletico beat Chealsea last year in the semi's with a team a quarter of it's value or something. It's not so black and white as you make out. Arsenal got Bayern first round of the last 16 last year, and we beat Dortmund away from home last year. It just one of those rubbish performances that they will want to forget about asap. They just never got going. Arteta being good enough is an argument on it's own which people could debate until the cows come home. He is a good player but he maybe does lack some pace/agility that you would want from a proper DM. He is 32 though i think, we should see another DM next year or this jan i would have thought. Unless Chambers can do a job in there, he looks a bit risky for that role atm imo. What defensive mid would you buy to improve the team?
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Was that the chance Sakho tried to control the ball outside our box from a hoof and it bounced off his leg to one of their players?
Agree on Rodgers needing to give him more protection, I many players regardless of age could play on their own in that team in his role, I also don't see any other player not letting an attack go past them a couple of times a game, the fact that as soon as they have an attack Steve is to blame doesn't fill me with great confidence in anyone behind him.
EDIT: Agree on discipline too, even before we went 1-0 up he was a bit reckless at times, unfortunately that seems to be him not using his brain when frustrated at the people in front of him.
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It's easy for a fan to blame the manager for everything dm, the fact was that our players didn't play very well. It wasn't Wenger's fault (with the exception of playing Arteta but who else could he put there?).
Welbeck should have put away those chances (not Wenger's fault)
Ramsey wasn't up to scratch
Sanchez gave the ball away too much, as did the majority of our players.
Our defence was awful (with the exception of Koscielny who tried his best).
It was a bad day, I predict things will get better as they usually do. We should have bought another striker who can finish but hey, what's done is done.
Welbeck should have put away those chances (not Wenger's fault)
Ramsey wasn't up to scratch
Sanchez gave the ball away too much, as did the majority of our players.
Our defence was awful (with the exception of Koscielny who tried his best).
It was a bad day, I predict things will get better as they usually do. We should have bought another striker who can finish but hey, what's done is done.
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There are two issues, one the formation we're using isn't getting the best out of anyone and secondly the formation's leave a huge gap between the 5 attacking players and the 5 defensive players.
Last night we essentially had two banks of 5 working individually rather than together. Either the entire backline moves up to close the space or the front 5 don't commit at the same time.
Gerrard's mistake/instinct is to close that gap but he's easily bypassed because he's out of position and doesn't have the legs to get back.
Either we change the formation to get the most out of Gerrard (probably a diamond) or we change the personal and use a more athletic DM.
Oh and their goal is totally on Mignolet and Gerrard, Lovren is well positioned and it's a fanatic ball, Manquillo too, if Mignolet stays on his line the striker is going wide regardless due to Lovrens position and Manquillos, absolutely dreadful. Dumb from Moreno too but we still had good shape bar Steve
Agree on formation, our best periods have been with two strikers, was even pleased with borini for once last night. Also pity about our injuries as Couts needs dropped
Agree on formation, our best periods have been with two strikers, was even pleased with borini for once last night. Also pity about our injuries as Couts needs dropped
Caporegime
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Sadly for DM i don't think many utd fans were shocked when welbeck missed his chances.
Bayern: Neuer, Rafinha, Benatia, Boateng, Alaba, Lahm, Alonso, Bernat, Götze, Müller, Lewandowski
Man. City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernandinho, Toure, Navas, Silva, Nasri, Dzeko
Yay, 4 at the back for Bayern. Should be a good 'un.
Man. City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernandinho, Toure, Navas, Silva, Nasri, Dzeko
Yay, 4 at the back for Bayern. Should be a good 'un.
Soldato
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He's coming....
