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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:12:05:22:55:00 by Padre Pio.

Arteta: "The senior players have to lead and the young players have to follow."

He's right but his tactic to sit deep after our first goal was the wrong decision. We should have gone for the kill they were there for the taken.

Our senior players are the worst at the club currently and are holding us back.

First of all you will not win games when Tavares plays like that.
And Odegaard giving a stupid Pen away.

Our midfield lacks strength and pace.
They don't help defence or attack.

Ramsdale 7 - Did well again. Nothing he could really do about the goals.

Tomi 8 - MOTM. Best player tonight easily.

White - 6 - Did ok no more. Did a great tackle in box 1st half.

Gabriel 6 - Still not convinced by him.

Tavares 3 - How bad was he. Not a Tierney fan but he has to come back. You can't have a fullback who can't defend.

Partey 4 - Was involved in one of goals but otherwise poor again.

Elneny 3- Why was he even starting ?

Martinell 7 - Tries his heart out. Messed a great chance up. Is not good enough to be our main striker.

Odegaard 4 - Scored but another poor performance. Just what was he doing giving the pen away. Clearly not strong enough.

Smith Rowe 6 - Scored and then just faded. Said in match thread he looked knackered.

Auba - 2 - This guy is finished.

Subs - No help.

"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."

There's no way Tavares deserves a lower mark than Ben White.

I didn't see Rashford go past Tavares once. Yes Tavares needs to improve his positional sense but Tierney is even worse. Watch the Chelsea game he was holding Gabriel hand for their 2nd and gave James far too much space.

Ben White, Partey and Auba have been shocking at Anfield and tonight. The problem is we haven't got anyone who can replace them at this point bar Martinelli, who could replace Auba if Arteta had the balls!

How do we know Arteta told them to go deep?
I doubt it, he has seen it cost us several times this season. What a manager tells footballers to do and what they actually do are entirely different things

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Ratings v United

TheReMarkable 02 December, 2021 22:23

Ramsdale 6 looked commanding again. Couldn’t do anything about any of the goals.

Tomiyasu 7 our best player on the night. Looks a real player.
White 5 some dodgy moments but his passing from the back is important for us.
Gabriel 7 defended really well.
Tavares 3 appalling defensively and did nothing for our attack. Arteta got this decision badly wrong. His fault for the second goal I think it was, don’t want to watch again to confirm.

Partey 4 I thought it was one of his worst performances. I always felt many on here were exaggerating his bad performances in the past but tonight was bad bad.
Elneny 5 did ok.

Odegaard 4 marked down heavily for rubbish first half and the penalty. Not a top player at all.

Martineli 6 I thought he did well at times. Needs more game time.
ESR 6 we stopped going through him when I think we should always go through either him or saka. He needs to work on his fitness by the way.
Auba 4 confidence gone again like last season.

Saka 5 didn’t show much urgency.
Nketiah 5 did nothing. Not good enough for this level.
Laca 5 two overhit/mishit passes when we were trying to attack which stopped both attacks as predicted. He doesn’t even look like a striker. Not sure what he looks like. Maybe one of those strikers you see in league one.

Obviously another wrong about Tavares. lol

"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."

Quote:

Padre Pio
How do we know Arteta told them to go deep?
I doubt it, he has seen it cost us several times this season. What a manager tells footballers to do and what they actually do are entirely different things

They keep on doing it at every away game we play. I don't think we've been on the front foot at any of our away games this season.

If the players are.not following the managers instructions then he has a big problem! I
They do it at home too, watch his post match interview he is measured but critical of the team. They clearly didn’t do what he wanted,



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:12:03:00:35:38 by Padre Pio.

Mark there was more players at fault for their 2nd than Tavares.

Firat Smith Rowe should have done better but he couldn't reach the ball because of his poor fitness. Gabriel should have got out faster. Partey should have matched Ronaldo run and Ben White could see Ronaldo so he should have been marking him or cut the ball out.

There's no way Tavares is the biggest factor in their second goal am not having it.

Quote:

Gunnersingh1

Quote:

Padre Pio
How do we know Arteta told them to go deep?
I doubt it, he has seen it cost us several times this season. What a manager tells footballers to do and what they actually do are entirely different things

They keep on doing it at every away game we play. I don't think we've been on the front foot at any of our away games this season.

If the players are.not following the managers instructions then he has a big problem! I
They do it at home too, watch his post match interview he is measured but critical of the team. They clearly didn’t do what he wanted,

It goes back to leadership then from the players and manager. Arteta talks about "non negotiables' but if the players aren't following his instructions then they need to be dropped.

The players haven't got the bravery to keep playing.

If we kept playing and pushed up the field I think we could have won this match or at least go a point which would have kept Utd 5 points behind us.

Still wish he'd play Smith-Rowe as a 10. He's a much better engine for the team there. Leave Saka on the right; he and Smith-Rowe work really well together. Go with Martinelli on the left, or even Auba, where he used to have success. He does nothing up front, except press. How bad do we really need a dangerous striker??? Overall our passing was so poor, giving away the ball time after time. A great chance wasted. Horrible us scoring and then playing on the back foot for the rest of the half. Lots to learn from this game.

Quote:

TheTruthbeTold
Still wish he'd play Smith-Rowe as a 10. He's a much better engine for the team there. Leave Saka on the right; he and Smith-Rowe work really well together. Go with Martinelli on the left, or even Auba, where he used to have success. He does nothing up front, except press. How bad do we really need a dangerous striker??? Overall our passing was so poor, giving away the ball time after time. A great chance wasted. Horrible us scoring and then playing on the back foot for the rest of the half. Lots to learn from this game.

Great points

Quote:

TheTruthbeTold
Still wish he'd play Smith-Rowe as a 10. He's a much better engine for the team there. Leave Saka on the right; he and Smith-Rowe work really well together. Go with Martinelli on the left, or even Auba, where he used to have success. He does nothing up front, except press. How bad do we really need a dangerous striker??? Overall our passing was so poor, giving away the ball time after time. A great chance wasted. Horrible us scoring and then playing on the back foot for the rest of the half. Lots to learn from this game.

Arteta had bene learning for 2 years now.
Another 2 more years of learning for him?

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas

Quote from The Athletic:
As his team visibly wilted in that first half, Arteta could be seen on the sidelines urging his team up the field. Whatever his plan was, this was not it.

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Rather than pinpointing specific players, I think this current team lacks belief when they play the top teams, which leads to a lot of passive play.

That said, our midfield was poor, that was the key. No pace, no power, no belief. It looked like everyone was too scared to play.

Quote:

litmus
Rather than pinpointing specific players, I think this current team lacks belief when they play the top teams, which leads to a lot of passive play.
That said, our midfield was poor, that was the key. No pace, no power, no belief. It looked like everyone was too scared to play.

I agree with most of what you say, but you have to name players. Partey, Eleney and Auba were just not good enough

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Quote:

Padre Pio

Quote:

litmus
Rather than pinpointing specific players, I think this current team lacks belief when they play the top teams, which leads to a lot of passive play.
That said, our midfield was poor, that was the key. No pace, no power, no belief. It looked like everyone was too scared to play.

I agree with most of what you say, but you have to name players. Partey, Eleney and Auba were just not good enough

Agree.

"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."

Quote:

Padre Pio

Quote:

litmus
Rather than pinpointing specific players, I think this current team lacks belief when they play the top teams, which leads to a lot of passive play.
That said, our midfield was poor, that was the key. No pace, no power, no belief. It looked like everyone was too scared to play.

I agree with most of what you say, but you have to name players. Partey, Eleney and Auba were just not good enough

Arteta commented after the game that he wanted the senior players to lead those youngsters.
But it failed ... like all previous games.

It was not 5 or 6 games ago that supersub Laca came in and revitalized the team, gesticulating and shouting all over the pitch urging those youngsters to push on, and he scored the equalizer.

What happened today?
No spark, no urgency, no leadership and plenty of mishits.

Nketiah?
Trying to polish a lump of turd and expecting a different result? Insanity.

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas

Quote:

Padre Pio
Quote from The Athletic:
As his team visibly wilted in that first half, Arteta could be seen on the sidelines urging his team up the field. Whatever his plan was, this was not it.

Mikel Arteta has admitted that Arsenal showed a lack of "maturity" during their 3-2 defeat to Manchester United on Thursday night.
In an entertaining game at Old Trafford the Gunners took the lead and later drew level 2-2 in the second half, before ultimately coming away with nothing.

A Cristiano Ronaldo penalty gave the hosts three points twenty minutes from time with Martin Odegaard's unnecessary sliding challenge proving Arsenal's undoing.

Speaking at full-time, Arteta insisted that his side could have easily gained something from the game.

"Well, we scored the first one and after that we had total control of the game. We started to give some very simple balls away in very dangerous areas that opened some spaces for them, and gave them some momentum," he said.

"We had some difficulties there, (and we) we conceded the goal. The second half I think we started really well again - we had total control, we concede the goal and we reacted really well, we kept playing, and we were dominant in the game.

"We scored the second one, and then after that we have to go and show the maturity to going and score the third one.

"In that moment we did not manage well enough that situation, and we conceded the goal. So, I’m pleased with a lot of things that I saw, but being realistic (after) conceding three goals at Old Trafford, it’s very tricky to get something out of the game."

Arteta went on to bemoan the amount of mistakes his side made throughout the 90 minutes.

"I think we were sloppy in possession. We gave the ball away to the opponent, and we had no pressure there," he said.

"That created strong momentum that allowed them to run, and they had the structure to play - and suddenly we started to give the ball away. So many unforced errors that led to them having belief that they could do something in the game.

"I didn’t see a team with the handbrake, I saw a team that wanted to impose (themselves) here. They were dominant, we played with the right structure and the right freedom at the same time.

"But we didn’t defend our box well enough well, and manage some situations well enough to concede the way did."

The result leaves Arsenal fifth in the Premier League table, well-positioned in the chasing pack looking to secure the final Champions League place this season.

Next up for the Gunners is a trip to Merseyside to take on struggling Everton on Monday.

[www.90min.com]

Then, wtf you are doing on the training pitch knowing that you have a bunch of "immatured players"?

This is not the first time that after taking the lead, the entire team went into its shell and defend the lead.
Why is it happening at OT when their deadly attack lead by Ronaldo and Fernandez coming in deep will surely worth a goal at least?

The only immaturity on display is just a naïve and greenhorn dumbfcuk of a manager.

Ramsdale 6
Looked commanding again. But his deficiencies were well exposed by Ronaldo:
#1 - He is vulnerable with far post shots. This is the best way to beat Ramsdale.
#2 - He anticipates shot and dive too early.
#3 - More work at the training pitch, and the best thing is that he still can improve and is improving all the time.

Tomiyasu 7
Our best player on the night. Looks a real player.
Was only sold a dummy once by Ronaldo.
He needs to work out on his forward passes and run more often to the byline to pull defenders off our attackers. Need to see more one-two and running the corner into the box to surprise defender.

White 5
some dodgy moments but his passing from the back is important for us.
The key is his synergy with Gabriel and Tomi that makes this formidable and solid Defensive Trio should we play 3-4-3 or 3-5-2.
But his communication with Ramsdale is still lacking and needs to improve fast.
What that fraud got it right is that he now has a CB that can drive forward and execute accurate through balls, 90% of the time.

Gabriel 7
defended really well.
But left exposed all the time at left flank with both Tavares and ESR caught out of position high up the pitch.

Tavares 3
appalling defensively and did nothing for our attack.
Arteta got this decision badly wrong. His fault for the second goal I think it was, don’t want to watch again to confirm.
ManU had identified he is the weak link and allowed him to drive high up, then instantly pressed him with 3 players and won 100% of the balls back.
Not only that, ManU midfielders anticipated his passes, intercepted one of them and resulted in a goal.

Partey 4
I thought it was one of his worst performances. I always felt many on here were exaggerating his bad performances in the past but tonight was bad bad.
He was utterly worked over and out-classed by both Fred and McTominay.
Some decision making resulting in being disposed off and robbed of the ball.
Poor passing skill that telegraphed to ManU players, easily intercepted.

Elneny 5
Well, if you called running around, chasing ball, and once a while execute a forward pass, then he did ok. Offered no midfield protection against Fred, McTominay and Fernandez running rampant in the middle.

Odegaard 4
marked down heavily for rubbish first half and the penalty. Not a top player at all.
He simply did not clicked in the team, running like a little boy lost.
Xhaka must be coaching him how to tackle in our box.

Martinelli 6
I thought he did well at times. Needs more game time.
He should replace Auba and Laca now!
What is there to lose when both Auba and Laca can't even hit the barndoor at one to five metre range?

His best role is the Henry's Role, as a forward, hanging aorund the left to drag his markers all over the place. Need more work to compliment movements of ESR and Saka at the flanks with Odegaard in the middle.

ESR 6
ManU knew all about him and simply pressed him with 3 players to stop him turning and passing. Lost 100% of his balls when pressed by 3 players in the 1st half.
Simply need to get more into the game and not disappeared most of the time.
we stopped going through him when I think we should always go through either him or saka. He needs to work on his fitness by the way.

Auba 3 #@$%&^**#@@

Saka 5
didn’t show much urgency.
He is simply not in the game and does not have any striker instinct tog et more into goal scoring position. His shooting skill is poor and will not be a world-class player like Roberto Pires with such poor shooting techniques and is not a regular 10 to 15+ league goal scorer per season.
Worried he is another big-head charlie that think he has arrived and need not put in extra effort to improve further and keep on improving.
I see him as hitting a plateau now and didn't seem to improve further to another level at all?

Nketiah 3
What is this turf doing on the pitch with Pepe on the bench?

Laca 5
two overhit/mishit passes when we were trying to attack which stopped both attacks as predicted. He doesn’t even look like a striker. Not sure what he looks like. Maybe one of those strikers you see in league one.
What more do you expect from him?

That Fraud -@#$&*^^%##
And best of luck to Michael who left OT immediately after this game.
Michael Carrick out-classed him without raising a sweat.

Certainly, the influence of Ragnick is that with the intensity gegenpressing in 1st half against ESR and Tavares to stop our left flank from creating any attacking play.
And forcing us to attack from our weak side - our right flank with Tomi a purely defensive RB and not an attacking RB.
Worse, no synergy with Martinelli, Odegaard and Tomi to create attacking triangle at right flank.

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas

Sky Sports ratings look more accurate to me than those above, though probably to harsh on Tomiyasu and too generous for Tavares.

Arsenal: Ramsdale (7), Tomiyasu (6), White (6), Gabriel (7), Tavares (6), Partey (6), Elneny (6), Smith Rowe (6), Odegaard (7), Martinelli (8), Aubameyang (5).

Stats showed we had 83% passing accuracy (better than Man U) and we had 17 shots - one of the highest we have registered all season.

Disappointed we lost but the team is still young and we are carrying Auba every game. Martinelli was best Arsenal player.

Stats showed we had 83% passing accuracy (better than Man U) and we had 17 shots - one of the highest we have registered all season.
.........................
And this is a winnable game, of which we snatch defeat out of the Jaws of Victory.

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas