Arsenal Lobby

MJGunner wrote:

Manchester City need to stop playing like Arsenal to get back to winning ways, says Gary Owen


The 53-year-old was frustrated by Roberto Mancini's side's failure to score in their past two games, and believes a more direct approach needs to be taken ahead in front of goal


Former Manchester City man Gary Owen believes his former side need to stop trying to play like Arsenal, after they failed to score in their past two Premier League outings despite dominating possession.


Owen admits he was alarmed to watch Roberto Mancini's side's 1-0 away defeat to Sunderland on New Year's Day, a result which followed the goalless stalemate at the Hawthorns against West Brom.

The ex-midfielder has suggested the Eastlands outfit need to take a more direct approach, with the Premier League leaders set to face Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night.

“I watched the Sunderland game and it frightened me a little bit,” Owen told Talksport.

“I think we are falling in the trap that we feel that we can play Arsenal-esque, where you have to walk the ball in and can’t shoot unless you’re six yards from goal or in the six yard box, otherwise it doesn’t count.

“Nobody puts their foot through the ball from the edge of the box and when you have 11 men around the ball, if you can’t get around them then you have to blast the ball through them.”

I think we need to stop playing like Arsenal

imalegend wrote:

MJGunner wrote:

Manchester City need to stop playing like Arsenal to get back to winning ways, says Gary Owen


The 53-year-old was frustrated by Roberto Mancini's side's failure to score in their past two games, and believes a more direct approach needs to be taken ahead in front of goal


Former Manchester City man Gary Owen believes his former side need to stop trying to play like Arsenal, after they failed to score in their past two Premier League outings despite dominating possession.


Owen admits he was alarmed to watch Roberto Mancini's side's 1-0 away defeat to Sunderland on New Year's Day, a result which followed the goalless stalemate at the Hawthorns against West Brom.

The ex-midfielder has suggested the Eastlands outfit need to take a more direct approach, with the Premier League leaders set to face Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night.

“I watched the Sunderland game and it frightened me a little bit,” Owen told Talksport.

“I think we are falling in the trap that we feel that we can play Arsenal-esque, where you have to walk the ball in and can’t shoot unless you’re six yards from goal or in the six yard box, otherwise it doesn’t count.

“Nobody puts their foot through the ball from the edge of the box and when you have 11 men around the ball, if you can’t get around them then you have to blast the ball through them.”

I think we need to stop playing like Arsenal

we haven't really been playing like Arsenal this season....

MJGunner wrote:

Samuelj29060 wrote:

RealGunner wrote:Congratz man

With work, football journalism, watching games, football training, 6-a-side football, I have little time for FM12 right now

Might fit a couple of hours in later tonight hopefully.

Congratulations!

beatrixasdfghjk. wrote:How come the FA can ban refs for bad reffing, yet managers can't complain?

Iceman wrote:Follow me on twitter : https://twitter.com/#!/Iceman3206

I've decided to make an account dedicated for football and the other one ( @FadyNB ) to be for my friends and all, so unless you're interested in my personal thoughts, I'd suggest you unfollow my old one and follow the new one (y)

Wojciech Szczesny has criticized his Arsenal team-mates for a "very childish performance" that saw them concede twice late on against Fulham to lose 2-1.

Laurent Koscielny had given the Gunners the lead but following a second-half sending off for Johan Djourou, Steve Sidwell equalised and Bobby Zamora scored right at the death to complete the comeback.

A disappointed Szczesny felt that the north Londoners should have left Fulham with all three points and he blamed his side’s poor defending.

“There was probably some tired legs, but I think probably we should have kept the concentration and kept the focus and we would have been fine,” he told reporters.

“But I would imagine it was a very childish performance in the end from us. It was very confusing.

“I thought for 85 minutes we defended really well with 11 men and they never looked like
scoring and then, when we had to play with 10 men, they looked very dangerous.

“I’m very disappointed with the result, but hopefully we can recover as soon as possible. The fixtures come thick and fast and players get tired and these kind of results can happen.

“We were hoping to take advantage of that. We felt we could do so and were disappointed, so hopefully in the coming weeks we can do much better.”

Szczesny also criticised referee Lee Probert, who failed to give a penalty in the first half for a Philippe Senderos challenge on Gervinho and later gave Djourou a second yellow card for fouling Zamora.

“Johan said he barely touched him. The guy [Zamora] seemed to go down very easy. Plus I had the ball in my hands already, which doesn’t help. After Johan got sent off, it was very difficult for us,” he said.

“I didn’t see [the penalty shout] from my end but from what the lads said in the dressing room it wasn’t a penalty claim - it was just a clear penalty. It seems like we don’t get those decisions these days but, hopefully, next time they’ll come for us.”

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry looks like he will return for a two-month loan and could be available for next Monday’s FA Cup tie against Leeds United.

Henry has been training with the Gunners since the end of the MLS season and Szczesny hopes that he soon gets the chance to step on to the pitch in a competitive game.

“He’s quality,” added Szczesny.

“He’s a great finisher and he’s very clever, very intelligent, plus he’s a great figure to have in the dressing room. He helps all the players off the pitch, as well as on the pitch. So it’s great to have him in the dressing room.

"Hopefully everything will be done and confirmed as soon as possible because we need him.”

Promising talent Gedion Zelalem is looking to represent the USA national team and not Germany according to his father.

The 14-year old, who is set to join Arsenal’s youth academy when he turns 16, is a German citizen of Ethiopian descent who has lived in the States for more than five years and has recently trained with both the German and US U15 teams.

But his father says that he is likely to pledge his allegiance to the US as he is more comfortable in the system.

“Everything is open,” said his father to the Washington Post, who initially hoped his son would represent Germany.

“It was a good experience in Germany. They said they want to invite him again, but he has more of a chance for the US. He is more comfortable with the US, he has a lot of friends here.”