Yeah but they had other results to make up for it. The same thing to be said after the United game really. It's more or less conceded that last summer's transfer window was a debacle. But I don't expect this summer to be any better if we still have Wenger calling the shots. We have Alexis and Ozil and we're still 19 points off the top of the table. And our ambition is to re-sign one or both of them? We don't have a single creative/attacking player to build on? I fear Lacazette is basically a Giroud-level talent. Ramsey and JFW are going to be out of contract soon, and it's not even clear if we want them. We're best off to dump Wenger now, get somebody else in and get the squad we have to play as well as they can with what we have, so we have some idea of what we need in the summer. That's a bigger deal than 4th place to be honest.
Given that Wenger didn't cash in on Sanchez and Oezil last summer, a non-top 4 finish (or a Europa win) would be terrible for Arsenal's short-term prospects.
Just watched the game on a crappy Reddit stream. I think next season I will just fork over the $50 so I can watch all the games without having to use choppy streams. Anyways, I agree it was a boring game to watch. We created a few chances and they created a few chances. Their best chance at the end of the game was from some very sloppy play from Kos and the rest of the defense. Why isn't he just booting the ball down the field out of danger? Instead he gifts it to Chicharito who hits the underside of the crossbar. I thought AMN looked pretty good. He had a few good crosses in toward Giroud. Overall just another lackluster performance. I was just hoping we would steal a goal right at the end to get the 3 points. Oh well
We blew our wad against Manure (which was a great game). We will never reach that level of intensity again this season. Ozil and Sanchez just going through the motions now. This team is in limbo until major change occurs.
There were times today where I saw MN go reaallllllly wide, was on his own, all it takes is for a teammate to realise he is there and pass the ball and we get the chance to create something. Instead, Xhaka, Ozil and Jack all decide to go Route 1 straight through the middle where Wet Ham have 6 people standing and waiting.
Our team has zero idea when it comes to spacing; midfield too far away from defence; midfield too close to the attackers. That is totally the reason why we can't defend or break down teams that park the bus.
I just don't see how anyone can watch Ozil and Sanchez and say they're "not up for it" or "going through the motions." Ozil and Wilshere were our most dangerous players yesterday (Kos and Cech were West Ham's most dangerous). And yeah, Sanchez is no doubt in a run of poor form but it doesn't appear to me that he's not trying. Quite the opposite --- he's trying to do too much.
There's not enough movement in the team when we get camped on the edge of the opposition box in games like this. Ozil, Xhaka and Wilshere never really made runs into the box, Sanchez and Iwobi didn't really penetrate either through dribbling or looking to get on the end of through balls. If you look at City attacking in the same scenario, or Barca of a few years ago, they pass around the edge and then quicken it up with players running into the box and pulling the defence out of shape. The one other thing we had going for us was Giroud's ability in the air, but apart from Maitland-Niles putting in a few crosses, when Giroud was marked by at least two of their centre-back three, we didn't really utilise that. If you're not going to get wide and put crosses in for him then you might as well play Lacazette or Sanchez as the centre forward as you take away his main strength. Should have had a penalty (There is no excuse for Cresswell's hands to be up where they were) and could have lost it at the end through some sloppy defending. the story of Arsenal's season so far.
Idk about Wilshere being dangerous - missed most of the first half, and he was definitely tired in the second. Ozil has been on fire this season. Alexis has dropped too deep - he's not getting the ball in the box, and he attempts too many through balls. Can't try to win the game with every touch.
I also think that part of why we were good against Man U was that the high press was so effective against them, and there was room to move. Southampton and West Ham just sat really really deep and didn't push out at all, so even when we got the ball back, we were still going up against a packed defense.
Well in yesterday's match being "one of the most dangerous" was a low bar to clear. But nevertheless, I thought he looked decent, especially in the first when he was pushing the ball forward in somewhat Rosicky-type fashion. And I'm by no means a Jack fan-boy --- wouldn't blink if we sold him for decent money.
Games comin fast & furious now... https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/arsenal-vs-newcastle-epl-16-dec-2017.2079724/
I thought Jack played pretty well although it was hard for any of the midfielders to really shine with the game compressed in the thirty yards around West Ham's goal for the most part. He had a few good touches and passes, quick turns out of trouble and he did try and drive the team on, but anyone in his position needs runners to hit and we didn't have them yesterday. I think he did enough to stay in the team for Saturday.