Arsenal 3 - 3 Norwich City: Dreadful display, destiny no longer in our hands

GoonerJay29 wrote:Thomas Vermaelen and Alex Song both made a grand total of 0 tackles today.

Yeah, I noticed in the first half how Ramsey was doing more defensive work than Song, but Song's offensive contribution was good enough in the second half that I almost forgot about it. As for Vermaelen, that's surprising, although in fairness I felt the challenge he got a yellow for, although from behind, did get the ball first so maybe that statistic is unkind (not that 1 tackle would be good either). IMO Koscielny was our only player who defended well today.

I'm frustrated but glad we came back to score because in all honesty, we could have easily lost.

I won't worry until tomorrow. Bad for my health and more rational.

Last night I had a dream that we drew against norwich, but spurs also drew their game. The only thing was that in my dream both games were being played at the same time and Newcastle lost 2-0 to city.

GoonerJay29 wrote:Thomas Vermaelen and Alex Song both made a grand total of 0 successful tackles today.

1st half Song was basically walking, Ramsey was the one to put in tackles, Rosicky was the one to run. It's so bad, for their two goals, no midfield recovery whatsoever. Kozz was one man army at the back tonight, he basically got bullied out from headers and tackles, elbowed, pushed, punched because he has no stamina left, I feel sorry for him. 2nd half Song was good because he didn't need to defend at all.

I seriously consider Kozz-Per partnership after these poor run of games. At least, our defense was solid with Per albeit some crappy goal here and there.

Twoism wrote:

GoonerJay29 wrote:Thomas Vermaelen and Alex Song both made a grand total of 0 successful tackles today.

1st half Song was basically walking, Ramsey was the one to put in tackles, Rosicky was the one to run. It's so bad, for their two goals, no midfield recovery whatsoever. Kozz was one man army at the back tonight, he basically got bullied out from headers and tackles, elbowed, pushed, punched because he has no stamina left, I feel sorry for him. 2nd half Song was good because he didn't need to defend at all.

I seriously consider Kozz-Per partnership after these poor run of games. At least, our defense was solid with Per albeit some crappy goal here and there.

Shift Vermaelen to left back whether he likes or not, play Gibbs only when the oppo is parking the bus.

We can't have two full backs bombing forward, leaves the two centre halves exposed.

gunnerlistick wrote:


Shift Vermaelen to left back whether he likes or not, play Gibbs only when the oppo is parking the bus.

We can't have two full backs bombing forward, leaves the two centre halves exposed.

TV and LK both venture forward too often, some time it work wonders (TV scoring in the last minute) sometimes it works against us as today. What we lack is "collective defending" or in easy terms defending as a team. Individual changes will not help.

ARE YOU *bleep* KIDDING ME. HOW THE *bleep* DID THESE BASTARDS *bleep* THIS UP. *bleep* IT. I AM THROUGH WITH THIS. I NEED TO TAKE OFF FROM THIS AND COOL OFF.

ARE YOU *bleep* KIDDING ME. HOW THE *bleep* DID THESE BASTARDS *bleep* THIS UP. *bleep* IT. I AM THROUGH WITH THIS. I NEED TO TAKE OFF FROM THIS AND COOL OFF.

I'd rather stick a middle finger up to the shat that is Europa league and not play in it tbh

so are we ever gonna go back to 09-10 season with song playing as a DM
verminator could bomb forward but it was experienced gallas covering and song dropping back to fill the space now both verm and song go forward like mad
sad thing is even us fans knew how they gonna play let alone coaching staff and players but yet coulDnt do much and when going down 2-1 it was norwich enjoying space/or either dragging our center backs laterally and vertically or play in channels and put crosses in

frak aston villa im worried if we can beat WBA

Song's too creative to play DM. I mean FFS he's the lead assister. Can you imagine how many games we'd lose if it weren't for Song going "Frack Ramsey, imma do it" and launching those nanometer focused through balls?

I think he's reinvented himself and should be backed up by a more defensive or hardworking (like in Arteta's manner) player.

Sushi Master wrote:Song's too creative to play DM. I mean FFS he's the lead assister. Can you imagine how many games we'd lose if it weren't for Song going "Frack Ramsey, imma do it" and launching those nanometer focused through balls?

I think he's reinvented himself and should be backed up by a more defensive or hardworking (like in Arteta's manner) player.

apparently M'vila's coming....


but you're absolutely right about Song's brilliant moments for us. almost all of our creativity lies with him

A midfield with Song upfront?

urbaNRoots wrote:A midfield with Song upfront?

Wilshere - Arteta

Song

that's what it was going to be if we weren't going after m'vila. maybe not have any one of the three more advanced than the others but just 3 CM's and Song as the creator

urbaNRoots wrote:A midfield with Song upfront?

Wilshere - Arteta

Song

You see, that would be a beautiful lineup. Pretty much last year's. Change Song and Arteta, though.

Wilshere is hardworking enough to stabilize the midfield and give Song enough freedom to pass. He presses like a raging zombie. Arteta can then focus 100% on the pretty shit and we wouldn't have the "lulz, arteta is a sux signing" comments. This season Ramsey had all the creative output under his responsibility, and this failed incredibly until he was replaced by Rozza.

With Arteta out, no Wilshere and Ramsey in meh form, there's a huge gap in the midfield. Arsenal's game thrives in midfield domination, so if this does not happen, tactics fail.

The question is, what happens to Arteta or Wilshere if we buy M'Vila? With M'Vila in the lineup has to be:



Would be awesome, because it has a prefect balance of steel and silk, but there would be too many benched talents which does not happen under Wenger. Rosicky is only backup, sure. Wilshere is coming back from an injury. But will he kill/stagnate Ramsey's, Frimpongs and Coquelin's careers?

on dropping two points...
It is more than frustrating because we were very poor in the first half, not switched on. The quality of our first half was absolutely not at the level we wanted in a decisive game like that. in the second half we did very well. We created at least 10 chances but again not only did we not take our chances, but on top of that we gave them a third goal in a situation that was absolutely unbelievable. In the end we got punished for our mistakes.

on conceding the third goal…
It was five or six mistakes in the same goal.

on the first half…
We have to analyse the reasons why we were not sharp enough in the first half. There is no obvious reason because we prepared normally as we always do, but maybe subconsciously [we thought] we would win it. Norwich played well, you have to give them credit.

on Arsenal's Champions League hopes…
It leaves us with one thing - it is not in our hands anymore. We have to wait for the results to see where it leaves us tomorrow night. We knew that if we didn't win today, that is what would happen.

on whether Arsenal deserve to qualify…
It depends on what you mean by 'deserve'. We have 67 points, and every year you qualify with 67 points.

on the defensive performance…
We were [too frail], of course. We lost too many challenges and it is surprising because recently we were quite good, but today I feel that defensively the whole team was very poor.

on Van Persie's penalty shout…
I don't know, we have to accept the decisions of the referee, that is the only thing I can say. Here, the whole season we have got zero penalties. It is absolutely amazing because you see other clubs who have 10 or 11.

on Aaron Ramsey…
He was unlucky with the first booking, it was a good tackle. It is part of learning your job, you have to deal with all kinds of situations and he will do that. He is very strong mentally and is going through a difficult period at the moment. But he will come off that stronger.

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That part in bold really annoys me and makes me doubt Wenger. Firstly, if we prepared like we nomrally do and dropped points against QPR, Wigan, Chelsea, Stoke and now Norwich, then there's clearly a problem with the way the team is preparing for games.

Secondly, how, in a game as important as this, can players "subconciously" think that they are going to win the game? That's the wrong attitude to take into the game. The manager should not be letting the players go into games with that sort of mentallity. No wonder we bottle it so often.

Tomorrow i'll be cheering up for ManCity

just seeing the highlights i was amazed how much norwich tried to create so many chances against u guys. couple of those they missed, few of them with good saves, and few they scored. whine in other end u guys have loads of chances should have scored.

that 93 min was so tense, u guys could have scored.

well i feel sorry for u guys because fans dont deserve this. i also cant believe because arsenal were in pretty healthy position and i thought that top 3 is guaranteed.

Spider wrote:Tomorrow i'll be cheering up for ManCity

I know that's what I was thinking, Man city and Vila.

Tottenham will finish 3rd. They will beat Astonvilla, let's hope Fulham willl beat them at whitehart lane.
The worst scenario for us is CHELSEA WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! if they win it they will automatically qualify for next year.

So i hope we will finish 3rd!

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hanibal23 wrote:Tottenham will finish 3rd. They will beat Astonvilla, let's hope Fulham willl beat them at whitehart lane.
The worst scenario for us is CHELSEA WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! if they win it they will automatically qualify for next year.

So i hope we will finish 3rd!

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Welcome to the forum.

Trust me Villa will get a point from spuds and City will win by 3 goals.

GoonerJay29 wrote:on dropping two points...

on Van Persie's penalty shout…
I don't know, we have to accept the decisions of the referee, that is the only thing I can say. Here, the whole season we have got zero penalties. It is absolutely amazing because you see other clubs who have 10 or 11.

:vagi: wow, I did not know you guys had 0 penalties this year, that is crazy.

In the words of good ol Jim Ross:"This is bulls***!"

Aston Villa are absolute crap and Agbonlahor's form is not helping at all. I don't see Villa doing something against a Spurs team with confidence.

Hope Newcastle draw Man City, and Spurs lose to Villa somehow. IMO we screwed up against Wigan.

Unless Spuds and Newcastle get 6 points from both of their next fixtures then we'll be 4th but I don't like other teams having our fate in their hands.

Twoism wrote:I'm so fukcing pissed right now so excuse me for my *bleep* language.

Chesny is absolutely horrible all game, someone please reminds him a 19 years old kid does not have the right to be cocky when that *bleep* soft ball went in at similar pace of a doped up snail.

Gibbs where do i begin, you're right back not 2nd coming Iniesta, when defend, i know the ball could hit you like a *bleep* pain but please at least put your ass out instead of pedaling back every *bleep* time. Oh yeah, for a million and one times, you can not dribble.

TV5 and Kozz do not compute, cannot believe I would say this but I miss Per so dearly. Please come back and put your fragile giant body on the line for us, and slowly but surely move up 5 inches to set up offside trap. Cause the other sure can't do that.

The rest were ok and RVP is RVP but who give a damn now, we're about to get brick shat on by Spuds.

And Wenger, I noticed you threw bottle to the ground out of frustration quite often this year, not your fault man, smash the players with those bottles and ask them to harden the *bleep* up, stop playing with mentality of a 12 years old. 10 minutes to keep the ball but no *bleep* that, we pressed some more so Morrison who probably works at lumber mill part time, scored such goal of season that Ian Wright would applause.

I defend this team so many times but this one game, I'm sorry I simply can not. We were playing Norwich not Barcelona, at Emirate not Nou Camp, to protect the precious 3rd ( soon to be 4th) spot not to win CL final.

God & Podolski help us all

Great post, man, +1


And hey, look at it this way: Tottenham lost to Norwich at home, you did better than that...