Loved the Ox in this game. Didn't forget his defensive responsibilities and his speed was able to spring the attack a few times. I think we may have tripped into something here
Sanchez makes very silly decisions because he's a soloist. The last play where we got a penalty, he should have passed to Perez who was wide open on the RW. Iwobi was beast today. His defending has improved. I'll give Ox a break he did well but needs to work on that final ball. Ozil was so poor but AW can't sub him for some reason. Theo shouldn't start vs Bayern. Glad he was subbed before a red card happened.
Especially when he threw the ball at the official, I thought for a moment that he would've been sent off right then and there, but at least Mark Clattenberg gave him the benefit of the doubt and only gave him a yellow card instead.
Couldn't catch the last 15, but glad we held out. I'd like to see Alexis dribble less and pass sooner. We are better that way. Glad he was able to bag a couple. I am so done with Theo. Not because his offensive production is inconsistent, but because he is a huge defensively liability. He plays defense like a forward. No, worse. Even Giroud and Alexis come back and fight for possession. So many times Hull could have attacked our right side more because Theo wasn't tracking back fast enough. It's already cost us the last couple game and we were lucky it didn't today. Someone needs to pound it into his head that outside mf players MUST play some defense.
Pretty mediocre performance all the way around really. We were the better side little command and could have easily dropped points. It seemed like Alexis, Iwobi, Ozil, Theo were are just going through the motions. The defense was letting in too much penetration thought we didn't end up conceding anything. We need a breath of fresh management in here like yesterday.
BTW, after the match was over I promptly dozed off and took a nap during the United-Watford match, well, I guess that's the price I pay for being such a hardcore Gooner living on the U.S. West Coast and having to get up at 3:00 am on 12:30 pm BST matchday starts. Brats and eggs and Arsenal football at 4:00 am, a great combination, I just hope we don't have another 12:30 pm BST (4:30 am PST) kickoff for the rest of the season (unless it's the upcoming Derby match at Shite Hart Lane against Scums)
Ox was really good. His long ball is pretty shit but if he plays with Xhaka that probably won't be an issue. But I also wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't play CM again this year and is stuck back on the wing. Theo needs to go away.
I get how he does things that are frustrating. He frustrates me sometimes too. But "most infuriating ever"? Nah. Not from the guy who is leading the league in goals, who scored both of our goals yesterday, even if both of them were far from his best. Who shows the desire to win more than just about anyone. For me Alexis is a big net plus. Sure he's got some negatives, which are well documented. But I'm hard-pressed to find someone who has been more influential, more valuable to our season so far. And sadly you can't put Ozil in that category this season. On that last note, I've been frankly dissappointed that Ozil hasn't been able to pick up the slack while Sanchez's form has dipped a bit in the past month or so. I've always hoped that our "two big stars" would complement each other, have each other's back. When one fell off or got injured, the other would rise to the occasion.
I smiled when I read this post. Because not too long ago you could of almost just reversed the names. With Theo being on top and Ox in the dog house. The form of many players (maybe most players) ebbs and flows like the tide. This is one thing that a manager like Wenger has come to understand and accept, even as he puts consistency up on a pedestal as one of his key tenets. And why he shows patience, holding on to players that many of us are ready to cut loose. I'll admit to feeling that way about both Theo and Ox in the last few years more so the latter.
The upper west tier has to be the quietest section to watch a home match. Full of tourists like myself. I've made some friends through Arsenal exchange and red action so I'll thankfully and luckily try to get better tickets next time (not a dig at Arsenal America as it's random) Although our home atmosphere isn't great anyway. Another point, I didn't meet a single fan that was Wenger in. Sad to see how he's fallen.
The problem is that Alexis doesn't make the other players on the team better, and often makes them worse.
OK, that's a reasonable thing to debate, but hard to measure. I also like to give guys credit for quantifiable contributions to our success. And if you had a list of guys who've singlehandedly been most responsible for earning us points this season, I think that Sanchez (goals/assists) & Giroud (goals) would be at the top, followed by Cech (saves) and after that a group of guys including Ozil. Whereas last season Ozil (assists/goals) would've made a strong case for being 1st on this list, with Sanchez maybe 2nd... sadly Mezut's not quite dominating like he used to.
Back in Houston thawing out from my trip to London. Guys, I now know why Wenger doesn't make substitutions until late in the game. The second half flew by. It felt like the substitutions were pretty early, but then I looked at the clock and the game was almost over. Wenger probably just needs to set a timer for 15 minutes when the second half starts. I sat in section 115. My seat was even with the penalty spot at the clock end. It seemed like all the vocal fans are in the lower part of the stadium. My section was full of fellow tourists. It was great to see a game in person. From my seat, it looked like a handball on the first goal. I have seen the replays and still think it was handball. There was also a crunching tackle on Alexis on the other side of the stadium that I could hear echo throughout the stadium. Even though the second half was pretty shit, it seemed to fly by. I think it was because I didn't want the game to end. In person it seems like such a short game compared to watching on tv. Favorite song/chant: you're ********ing shit,you're ********ing shit, you're ********ing shit!! That was loud and clear at the stadium.
someone play well at a position then immediately switched to a different position and all past success forgotten? yup, sounds about right for wenger.
and i think his point is quite BECAUSE sanchez IS quite good and, as you said, is a net plus. would it be so frustrating with a joel campbell or a giroud? nah, those guys are squaddies with limitations to their games. someone like sanchez who is supposed to be one of our, as you said, "two big stars" should have higher expectation and, thus, yeah, such a thing is more frustrating from. different manner of players. sanchez is someone who tries to "make it happen" which can and will result in miracle goals or insane assist but will just as often result in the aforementioned "run back 30 yards from promising position" or being sent through but felt the need to cut back to his right and lose the ball. ozil is a facilitator. he won't carry the team on his own and, if midfield is shit and/or nobody is making a run, then he is nullified. if other people are doing their job then he is sublime.
Your analysis/comparison sounds about right to me. And that's why I rate Sanchez more highly. Although I admire his single-minded put-the-team-on-his-back determination and one-on-one skills, a combination we haven't had in our squad for a while (since Henry?) I'm not sure that's the style I would go looking to sign. But sign him we did. And in doing so, we now have a guy who's quickly become the most influential, valuable, impactful guy on our team.
Our next match is in just over 60hrs. A little trip to Munich. Hey @Darth Norteño, how about a thread?
I really cannot recommend trying to meet folks on the Arsenal exchange group in Facebook or Red Action enough. A pal of mine of the exchange group showed me around all the pubs, introduced me to fellow season ticket holders. On match day we went to a pub for breakfast, a couple pints, the Gunner pub, saw Highbury and then walked to the Emirates. Felt like a scene out of a movie or my dreams. At the end my pal gave me the JVC 89 winning season kit signed by Theo, Welbz, and Lucas after his trip to Southampton away. Moral of the story is that fellow gooner a will go out of their way to make you feel welcome and will do their best to find you tickets with locals. Amazing time. Wish I managed to snag Bayern away tickets but in the end decided to Glasgow/Dublin to finish out my trip. ********ing kicking myself now as he managed to find one.
Just listening to Arsecast, and Andrew was at the game. Sitting at the top top of the north upper and he said it was remarkably quiet up there.
"tripped" might be the wrong word tbh. He played centrally a lot in his youth and that's the position he has always wanted to play. But his speed/work-rate and Arsene's ideas about how to develop talent meant he got played out wide and our lack of wingers meant he got stuck there for far too long.