Post Match EPL Arsenal (A) 0-0 January 8th 20:00
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Another take on the 'no shots on target' kerfuffle :
Ian Wright :
"Liverpool had the better chances" + "I'm quite happy we managed to get a point in the end"
I'm also seeing a lot of media nods to the strength of Arsenal's defence - which we already knew and it was never going to be easy without Isak, Eki and Mo. I don't see that as an issue in context, it's just a talking point.
Ian Wright :
"Liverpool had the better chances" + "I'm quite happy we managed to get a point in the end"
I'm also seeing a lot of media nods to the strength of Arsenal's defence - which we already knew and it was never going to be easy without Isak, Eki and Mo. I don't see that as an issue in context, it's just a talking point.
You mean you're comparing it to a Klopp game with our 3 main attackers vs a team without our 3 main attackers?
These damn newbies that keep popping up with simple, accurate, one liners. FFS. Who's this Piedro guy now?
That's amazing actually. Look at some of the players in that team : Torres, Gerrard, Kuijt and Maxi.
No complaints really from me. We went away in a storm against the best performing team in the league with a squad missing Salah, Isak & Ekitike.
I really like our balance on the right with Frim, although he looked unsure of himself around the box. He & Bradders combine well, such a shame if it’s a bad one for Bradders.
With even one or two fitter players (Tekkers, Jones) i think we could have won that. But the squad is too thin in key areas meaning zero sub options. Imagine even having Elliot to throw on down the right.
Worrying that we are watching this paper thin squad whilst city step up their advances for Guehi. We are focused on signing 17 year old defenders who will go on 4 loans between now and seeing the first team.
Back to the game - i think it’s a good point in the circumstances.
I really like our balance on the right with Frim, although he looked unsure of himself around the box. He & Bradders combine well, such a shame if it’s a bad one for Bradders.
With even one or two fitter players (Tekkers, Jones) i think we could have won that. But the squad is too thin in key areas meaning zero sub options. Imagine even having Elliot to throw on down the right.
Worrying that we are watching this paper thin squad whilst city step up their advances for Guehi. We are focused on signing 17 year old defenders who will go on 4 loans between now and seeing the first team.
Back to the game - i think it’s a good point in the circumstances.
I hate the wording of this stat because we did attempt shots on target they just didn’t go on target
Ibu looked good last night. Why? He had:
- confident and assured right back
- right back who was backed up by RW
- Gravy able to help out as additional cover (and not ‘instead of’ the RW)
We also fashioned our best chance down that side when Gravy made a great run through bodies (Gravieira back at the emirates) then released Frimpong who should have had a shot but messed up a pull back.
When the balance is good, our players go back to looking more like the top quality players they all are.
Minor kudos to Arne for not giving into temptation and making Szob RB
- confident and assured right back
- right back who was backed up by RW
- Gravy able to help out as additional cover (and not ‘instead of’ the RW)
We also fashioned our best chance down that side when Gravy made a great run through bodies (Gravieira back at the emirates) then released Frimpong who should have had a shot but messed up a pull back.
When the balance is good, our players go back to looking more like the top quality players they all are.
Minor kudos to Arne for not giving into temptation and making Szob RB
This was the equivalent of Klopp having his usual XI except for Origi, Minamino, Moreno up front.
So Barca 4-0 then
Moreno played very well in that one
As much as I slated Slot pre game and as much as Dreamy talks hyperbole nonsense, credit where it's due, we did play fairly well yesterday and we did play some good football in patches. We had no shots (on target), but we had no strikers and our worst player was our make-shift striker, so it is what it is, but we did what we haven't done in a while, we kept possession and made the other team work. It wasn't really a pressing game so it's hard to gauge whether we had more of the ball because we were just better, or because Arsenal's own game is more possession based than about pressing, but regardless, it was gutsy, we looked solid (Saka would cause ANYONE problems) and we began to impose ourselves on the game and they, for large parts, couldn't get near us.
It wasn't magical, but it was a lot better than we've been all season. The problem is, 90% of the teams in the league are very high energy and direct, that's what we struggle with. Yesterday we played Arsenal at their own game and they couldn't cope with it.
It wasn't magical, but it was a lot better than we've been all season. The problem is, 90% of the teams in the league are very high energy and direct, that's what we struggle with. Yesterday we played Arsenal at their own game and they couldn't cope with it.
Tbf we had 8 shots and one hit the woodwork, but we didn't have a registered shot on target. We lacked that cutting edge though, and could have done better in a few attacking moments. We missed Ekitike badly.
Duly corrected, I knew what I meant! 😀
Agree with some of that, but it’s Frimpong who needs to improve his end product as he was really up for it in the wing.
Kerkez was great, a real bulldog who got in where it hurts and was strong.
All in all, considering where we are this season that was a great result and performance.
He struck the ball toward the target and, without intervention, it didn't go into the target. Ergo it wasn't on target.
Ah come on ffs.. We didn't create heaps of opportunities..
We defended well and controlled possession and a few times got into good positions but not heaps..
As a game in itself it was a good preformance but in the context of the season it's another game where we lacked creativity.
When you are mouthing off that people should eat humble pie over a game where we drew 0-0 it says alot about you as a person
I will say there were a few positives to take away from the game but I think while playing this way suited us against Arsenal, it's different agsinst a teams who get 10 players behind the ball as soon as we get possession and we play so slow we allow them to get organised
The way I would sum up the game yesterday
We controlled the game and possession without really creating much so I'd say we didn't deserve to lose but we didn't do enough to win
Yepp, still too slow in possession but this time it led to denying Arsenal the ball and generating a small amount of pressure instead of looking clueless against a back 8
I said this in the match thread and the only reason it didn’t happen is Slot shit his pants and didn’t put Rio on for Gakpoo.
180 mins against Arse and no goals conceded. In fact wins to nil against Madrid, Inter and Villa. So while it was good and bodes well for the CL, it doesn't give any confidence that we can beat the shite we face week in week out... And losing Tayto for months will be awful.
The work rate was definitely better, and improved as the game went on. The second half was the first time I've seen us press aggressively and effectively in months. Lets hope we haven't just turned into a Rafa team that only raises its game for the big occasion.
The work rate was definitely better, and improved as the game went on. The second half was the first time I've seen us press aggressively and effectively in months. Lets hope we haven't just turned into a Rafa team that only raises its game for the big occasion.
I cannot like this - "of" is not, never has been and never will be a fucking verb!!!!!
Heaven forbid a fan gets sick of our own fans talking about fucking shite we are and will get humiliated and calls it out pre game when we are on the longest current unbeaten run in the league. And it’s not like it was people were just saying we would lose, the talk was us getting played off the park.
I’m very happy with whatever that says about me as a fan and a person.
Exactly. CL is tough for lots of reasons but we have as good a chance as anyone.
I can't understand the angst about not using subs. Slot's first priority was to keep a a clean sheet & then second to maybe catch them out. Given that the world and his wife were expecting a humiliating bum rape, this was a sensible and obvious prioritisation.
The 11 out there were doing a brilliant job for priority 1, firstly by defending deep in the first half, and then, in the second half, holding possession higher up the pitch, which had a chance of achieving priority 2. Bringing on a Chiesa or Rio may have increased the chance of achieving priority 2, but could have completely disrupted our priority 1 activities. That was a risk Slot was not prepared to take in this game and I think that was right.
Compare this to a match against lesser opposition when, chasing the win, he throws on a bunch of attacking subs and Virgil goes up top, and everyone is criticising him for not having a clue ...
The 11 out there were doing a brilliant job for priority 1, firstly by defending deep in the first half, and then, in the second half, holding possession higher up the pitch, which had a chance of achieving priority 2. Bringing on a Chiesa or Rio may have increased the chance of achieving priority 2, but could have completely disrupted our priority 1 activities. That was a risk Slot was not prepared to take in this game and I think that was right.
Compare this to a match against lesser opposition when, chasing the win, he throws on a bunch of attacking subs and Virgil goes up top, and everyone is criticising him for not having a clue ...
Not much consolation but I don't call other teams cunts when they play like that, I call them smart. I call our manager a cunt because he knows that is how they will play and has no way around it.