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re: Arsenal 2014/15 Season Long Thread
Posted on 3/17/15 at 5:06 pm to HerbTyler985
Posted on 3/17/15 at 5:06 pm to HerbTyler985
We put way too much emphasis on the first leg. We think we have to win it every year and so as soon as we give up a goal we panic and inevitably crumble. Wenger needs to beat into the team that a tie or one goal defeat in the first leg isn't the end of the world.
That being said soccer is a game of luck sometimes. Kondogbia breaks open the first leg on a massive deflection off a shot that was never going to go in. Today welbeck hits a peach of a half volley, hits their guy on the ground and could easily have fallen Giroud or rolled into the corner, instead it goes wide by an inch. Such is the way it goes
ETA: I'm also really starting to worry about Alexis, especially against good teams. His directness with the ball and unwillingness to run in behind without it is starting to become detrimental
That being said soccer is a game of luck sometimes. Kondogbia breaks open the first leg on a massive deflection off a shot that was never going to go in. Today welbeck hits a peach of a half volley, hits their guy on the ground and could easily have fallen Giroud or rolled into the corner, instead it goes wide by an inch. Such is the way it goes
ETA: I'm also really starting to worry about Alexis, especially against good teams. His directness with the ball and unwillingness to run in behind without it is starting to become detrimental
This post was edited on 3/17/15 at 5:18 pm
3
Posted on 3/17/15 at 5:19 pm to tigerfan88
quote:
Matt Spiro @mattspiro Koscielny on BeIN Sports: 'We say same thing every year. Our first game is catastrophic. We have to put it right... play well in two games'
quote:
ETA: I'm also really starting to worry about Alexis, especially against good teams. His directness with the ball and unwillingness to run in behind without it is starting to become detrimental
I think he is just tired and a bit overplayed at this point.
Posted on 3/17/15 at 5:20 pm to RTR America
Absolutely gutted with the result :/
Posted on 3/17/15 at 6:23 pm to tigerfan88
quote:
We put way too much emphasis on the first leg. We think we have to win it every year and so as soon as we give up a goal we panic and inevitably crumble. Wenger needs to beat into the team that a tie or one goal defeat in the first leg isn't the end of the world.
Wenger hasn't been able to instill this mindset in his teams in any of these ties the past 6 years. I don't see it starting any time soon.
quote:
Absolutely gutted with the result :/
I wasn't. The tie was basically over after the last game. I didn't bother watching this game because I knew it would just be a repeat of things we've all seen before. Literally looked up the score after the fact and said, "Yup."
Posted on 3/17/15 at 6:39 pm to tigerfan88
i dont want to dog Alexis, but he does too much at times. I would have have taken him off and left welbeck on. though he was in the better position to score at the end than Giroud was, but that doesnt mean he would have. And while he got screwed on the pk, he could have got a red. He did pull up on that tackle, but it was a reckless one to even try while sitting on a yellow.
Posted on 3/17/15 at 6:40 pm to cwil177
quote:
I wasn't. The tie was basically over after the last game. I didn't bother watching this game because I knew it would just be a repeat of things we've all seen before. Literally looked up the score after the fact and said, "Yup."
It was a good game to watch though. Im not upset because i didnt expect us to go through, but we had 5 clear cut chances and a pk that was called a dive on sanchez.
Posted on 3/17/15 at 6:45 pm to dgnx6
In hindsight we should've started Walcott over him from the beginning. Monaco wasn't even pretending to try offensively so walcotts lack of tracking back wouldn't have been an issue. But early on when there was at least some room having someone just make runs off the back shoulder could have been useful. His pace wasn't worth much when they had 9 guys within 30 yards of their own goal.
God this game would've been perfect for Ox
God this game would've been perfect for Ox
Posted on 3/17/15 at 7:02 pm to tigerfan88
The officiating was horrific for both sides but we certainly were given nothing favorable except for retarded out of bounds calls.
Also, this Monaco team is awful to watch. My high school team played this way at times. Monaco could overpay me to do this now. Ugh.
Whatever, focus on the league and FA Cup.
Also, this Monaco team is awful to watch. My high school team played this way at times. Monaco could overpay me to do this now. Ugh.
Whatever, focus on the league and FA Cup.
This post was edited on 3/17/15 at 7:03 pm
Posted on 3/17/15 at 7:07 pm to gallagherkck
Only thing I am really pissed about is how we reverted to hoofing it to Per in the box at the end of the game instead of just attacking like we had all game.
I also wish we would have at least attempted 1 or 2 long shots when they were giving us so much space.
I also wish we would have at least attempted 1 or 2 long shots when they were giving us so much space.
Posted on 3/17/15 at 8:29 pm to tigerfan88
quote:
God this game would've been perfect for Ox
I was thinking the same thing. We needed someone that could dribble with pace. I know many on here love Ozil, but I just get so frustrated when he has the ball at his feet longer than a second or two. His lack of a right foot and speed sometimes kills us in possession.
Posted on 3/17/15 at 9:12 pm to DestrehanTiger
Considering they're our two world class big money players, it's crazy how one footed ozil and Sanchez are. Although I say that, Messi is super one footed
Posted on 3/17/15 at 9:57 pm to tigerfan88
No comment.
On to Cincinatti.
On to Cincinatti.
Posted on 3/18/15 at 11:05 am to Stewie Griffin
Ok, I have comment now.
Thought Ozil played his arse off yesterday. Was everywhere. It's amazing the things he does against a compact defense. His ability to find and create space is amazing, and he's working his arse off, too. I think last year's criticism was good for him. He's responded brilliantly.
I really think Alexis needs a rest, mentally and physically. He just doesn't have it right now. Go Theo right, Welbeck left, or Welbeck right, Ozil left, Ramsey holding, etc.
Good to see Ramsey rounding back into 13-14 form.
As soon as Welbeck's shot was deflected by that dude laying on the ground, I just thought to myself, it's not meant to be. As poorly as we played at times in the first leg, it took SO MUCH BAD LUCK for us not to go through. Alexis' penalty denial, two Welbeck shots blocked (one by Theo, one by Monaco), a crazy Kondogbia deflection, Kosc hitting the bar (offside, maybe), Giroud saved off the line, etc. All of those things changed so much in terms of strategy and attacking style. It really is insanely unfortunate and I'm hoping we get breaks next year, because I do think we're building a team that can compete in the CL.
Ok, now on to Cincinnati. Or Newcastle. Second is within reach, Chelsea could hit bad form and could make things interesting at the top, and the FA Cup is ours to lose. Lots left to play for.
Thought Ozil played his arse off yesterday. Was everywhere. It's amazing the things he does against a compact defense. His ability to find and create space is amazing, and he's working his arse off, too. I think last year's criticism was good for him. He's responded brilliantly.
I really think Alexis needs a rest, mentally and physically. He just doesn't have it right now. Go Theo right, Welbeck left, or Welbeck right, Ozil left, Ramsey holding, etc.
Good to see Ramsey rounding back into 13-14 form.
As soon as Welbeck's shot was deflected by that dude laying on the ground, I just thought to myself, it's not meant to be. As poorly as we played at times in the first leg, it took SO MUCH BAD LUCK for us not to go through. Alexis' penalty denial, two Welbeck shots blocked (one by Theo, one by Monaco), a crazy Kondogbia deflection, Kosc hitting the bar (offside, maybe), Giroud saved off the line, etc. All of those things changed so much in terms of strategy and attacking style. It really is insanely unfortunate and I'm hoping we get breaks next year, because I do think we're building a team that can compete in the CL.
Ok, now on to Cincinnati. Or Newcastle. Second is within reach, Chelsea could hit bad form and could make things interesting at the top, and the FA Cup is ours to lose. Lots left to play for.
This post was edited on 3/18/15 at 11:08 am
Posted on 3/18/15 at 1:45 pm to Stewie Griffin
Really interesting stuff from The Guardian
Forget about Monaco, Arsène Wenger has an excellent Arsenal team lurking in there
Forget about Monaco, Arsène Wenger has an excellent Arsenal team lurking in there
quote:
Arsenal are somewhere between the 8th- and 16th-best team in Europe. In the context of recent Premier League no-shows and meltdowns in Europe, this is far from disastrous.
quote:
Arsenal’s exit was still less depressing than that of Chelsea, who were outplayed by a superior team, who never dominated their opponents, and whose tactics and degree of basic athletic mobility looked at times outmoded. Arsenal did at least look like a progressive modern football team in Monaco. They have now won 13 of their last 15 matches. They will probably be in the Champions League next year and are two matches from retaining the FA Cup. Among English clubs only Chelsea would refuse to swap places with them right now.
quote:
They now have a plan B, no matter how loudly those who think they don’t have a Plan B say they don’t have a Plan B. Arsenal can pass long to Olivier Giroud, or play Danny Welbeck in behind. They can attack with that familiar blitz of diffuse sideways passes. They can win without the ball, as they have when Francis Coquelin has excelled this season. More significantly, Mesut Özil was excellent against Monaco, and excellent in a way he hasn’t always been excellent in the past, leading Arsenal’s attacks in the last 15 minutes and seeking out the ball as others tired.
quote:
Giroud just does not look sharp or mobile enough as the chief cutting edge of a highly creative midfield. A really high-class striker would have scored more than one of the six or so excellent chances created against Monaco, and Arsenal might even have saved themselves. The process in the past two years has been to make one big-money signing a year. A ruthless, mobile centre-forward with some powerful central midfield backup would round out the current team nicely.
Posted on 3/18/15 at 2:02 pm to Stewie Griffin
quote:
Thought Ozil played his arse off yesterday. Was everywhere. It's amazing the things he does against a compact defense. His ability to find and create space is amazing
I'm sure it is most likely that I just don't know the game as well as most on here, but I didn't see the amazing part of his game yesterday. There were times when he would lose the ball just past midfield and it would take me a split second to realize it was Ozil and not Giroud that just got pick-pocketed. He had some nice passes here and there, but I wasn't overly impressed by his game yesterday.
Posted on 3/18/15 at 2:06 pm to DestrehanTiger
To add a little positivity, I was very impressed by Kos and Per out there. They had incredible games. They had a lot on their shoulders and really came through. It wasn't just the defending, but they made some really nice passes that started attacks when it seemed they could just pass back to each other much more easily.
This post was edited on 3/18/15 at 2:18 pm
Posted on 3/18/15 at 2:24 pm to DestrehanTiger
Monaco were sitting deep and taking away space behind Giroud, so Ozil worked deep and wide to get the ball in space, drawing in defenders and playing the ball into a better space. He had a few giveaways on high risk plays he doesn't normally go for in a few particular areas, but only because the game called for it.
126 touches (game high, 2 key passes (game high), 6 dribbles (game high), two tackles, 11.34 km covered (second on Arsenal only to Santi). To cover that much ground in a game that we had 61% of possession and did very little defending is pretty remarkable for No. 10. He covered more ground that many Monaco players even though they were chasing the ball most of the game.
His pass to Monreal set up the Ramsey goal, and Ozil does that more than any player in the world: play the perfect pass to set up the assist.
We also saw Ozil work really hard throughout the game and win physical challenges. He's been criticized for not doing that enough, even though that's not his game, but he's done it anyway.
126 touches (game high, 2 key passes (game high), 6 dribbles (game high), two tackles, 11.34 km covered (second on Arsenal only to Santi). To cover that much ground in a game that we had 61% of possession and did very little defending is pretty remarkable for No. 10. He covered more ground that many Monaco players even though they were chasing the ball most of the game.
His pass to Monreal set up the Ramsey goal, and Ozil does that more than any player in the world: play the perfect pass to set up the assist.
We also saw Ozil work really hard throughout the game and win physical challenges. He's been criticized for not doing that enough, even though that's not his game, but he's done it anyway.
This post was edited on 3/18/15 at 2:33 pm
Posted on 3/18/15 at 2:25 pm to DestrehanTiger
Both guys are really good passers. They benefited from a very conservative Monaco attack that allowed our defense to remain compact.
It was a great performance for us. It's a shame it was pointless, but so it goes.
It was a great performance for us. It's a shame it was pointless, but so it goes.
Posted on 3/18/15 at 2:59 pm to Stewie Griffin
quote:
We also saw Ozil work really hard throughout the game and win physical challenges.
Seriously him chasing down that Monoco attacker basically the full length of the field in the 94th minute was a giant middle finger to the pundits who call him lazy.
Ozil was fantastic, MOTM for me.
Video of his performance
I can get being upset about being knocked out again, but it is hard to be upset with how they played yesterday. Arsenal were fantastic yesterday. That was one of the better performances of the season imo.
Breaking down such a strong defensive unit like we did away from home has me feeling good about the rest of the season.
Posted on 3/18/15 at 3:19 pm to RTR America
What counts as a dribble, exactly?
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