Conjo Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 The players were up for it and worked really hard. Everything else was poor. We won't see that effort in many more games this season, and when the effort decreases we'll get stuffed by most teams as the "tactics" will be more exposed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astroblack Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 Was curious to see the differences between last year and this year's games against Arsenal at home. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49223797 - 2019 https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45456658 - 2018 This year we had 2% more possession(36% vs 38%). Same shots on target as last year 2 for us, 2 for them. So not freaking out yet. Think we're just plain better than some teams. Strikers will get firing. Hopefully Saturday 3pm. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 We were completely outclassed, and were lucky to not be behind at the break, as both Mkhitaryan and Aubameyanh could have, and probably should have, scored. Don't know why people are defending Bruce and his tactics, or lack thereof. We created next to nothing and they were the better side pretty much the entire game. We definitely weren't outclassed in the first half like, that's just rewriting history to suit an agenda. Aye arsenal could've scored a couple, but we hit the post and Joelinton flashed a header just wide of the post, it was pretty even tbh. Bruce's subs threw the second half into chaos but even then arsenal weren't great and Dubravka didn't have much to do. This is in no way a defence of the manager btw as his subs undoubtedly cost us the game, but let's not pretend we made them look like Barcelona. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1964 Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 No but the point is that was largely an Arsenal reserve team and we created nothing, two half chances at home to a poor side Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasper Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 I found it very weird that he seemed to answer critisism over us being too open at the back in the end. The whole problem was that we created nothing in the final 15 minutes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest neesy111 Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 Arsenal did have like 6 players missing mind. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paully Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 Was curious to see the differences between last year and this year's games against Arsenal at home. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49223797 - 2019 https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45456658 - 2018 This year we had 2% more possession(36% vs 38%). Same shots on target as last year 2 for us, 2 for them. So not freaking out yet. Think we're just plain better than some teams. Strikers will get firing. Hopefully Saturday 3pm. Arsenal's team was miles better last season! Cech Bellerin Mustafi Sokratis Monreal Guendouzi Xhaka Ozil Ramsey Aubameyang Lacazette Leno Mornreal Sokratis Chambers Maitland-Niles Xhaka Guendouzi Nelson Willock Mikhitaryan Aubameyang Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 Weren’t we also in the middle of a bad run then too after a host of stinking fixtures? This was our first game of the season, ‘new manager bounce’ with £80m worth of attackers available for selection. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest neesy111 Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 Weren’t we also in the middle of a bad run then too after a host of stinking fixtures? This was our first game of the season, ‘new manager bounce’ with £80m worth of attackers available for selection. It was like around the 4th/5th game of the season last year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 So after Spurs, Chelsea & Man City when we were already on the back foot. Not first game against an understrength Arsenal with their big signing on the bench and our £40m striker playing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCormick Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 This is going to be a very unpopular opinion on here but, much to my surprise, i thought we looked- tactically- relatively good against Arsenal in the first half. We honestly did look quite drilled with our mid block pressing just after the half-way line and doing well retaining the shape while retreating to a flat low-block when Arsenal's attacking play sped up (and were able to get through the lines). Our compactness off-the -ball did go some way to limiting Arsenal's chances in that first period. The one stark criticism you could make is that our 3-5-2 formation, with our full-backs lying so deep, meant that in order to cover their over/underlapping full backs and wingers our midfield pairing had to go wide to cover, leaving a lot of spaces in the middle for a good passing side to exploit. This is where Rafa's 5-2-2-1 shone out of possession; you had Almiron and Perez covering these wider areas so the team kept its defensive shape a lot better during transitions. Much like we were under Rafa at times, we were quite poor in possession and our attacking play was quite predictable really; it was dependent on Almiron breaking and trying to pull the defenders away to make space for Joelinton (who did very little wrong with his limited service) . The second half was tactical shit-show though in parts. The shape changed when Willems was brought on; you could be generous and say this was because he didn't have a lot of time to train with his new team-mates, or you could rightfully slate Bruce for not effectively communicating his role to him before he came on. Ritchie's naive pressing in midfield was also comical, and meant we were always exposed in the transition as he was never where he needed to be. He was literally just chasing the ball and getting pulled all over the field. All in all it wasn't a terrible performance. Yes, it wasn't the strongest Arsenal side but they were tactically very astute and had the benefit of working under a system and manager for a longer amount of time. I'll be very interested to see how we fare against a Norwich side who are very well-drilled offensively, but maybe lack the defensive nous at this level to consistently keep clean sheets. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCormick Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 I mean mid block and low block are two separate team tactics, so I’m not sure what you’re getting at in all honesty? Well yes and no; in different parts of the play you obviously have to shift your defensive block. This is from the first 2 mins and that's a very high press. That's true (and there's nothing wrong with a very high press, Liverpool do this with great success), there was quite a high press during goal-kicks and throw-ins in their defensive third. What's your point? I'm just trying my best to have a balanced discussion on tactics and, by your own admission you didn't watch the match. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCormick Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 I’d be very surprised if this was accurate Why? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minhosa Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 Completely disagree McCormick. It smacked of SB getting them fired up 'Give the crowd something to get behind' and, when that wore off, there was fuck all else to back it up, either system or strategy wise. I thought he did Longstaff a major disservice playing him where he did. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCormick Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 That's a fair assumption too. First half though I saw enough of our play off the ball to suggest that there was some defensive organization and understanding going on. Completely agree with your second point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conjo Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 First half felt like hard work papered over the lack of a plan and organization. Second half was second half. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minhosa Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 First half felt like hard work papered over the lack of a plan and organization. Second half was second half. Yep . We'll get annihilated as least 6 times this season. Probably by more than 4 goals. The signs that Rafa's drilling/discipline is wearing off are already apparent tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 That's a fair assumption too. First half though I saw enough of our play off the ball to suggest that there was some defensive organization and understanding going on. Completely agree with your second point. Felt to me like we were quite well organised in the first half and that was probably more due to the players assuming the positions they did under Rafa, and that worked well as they are all well drilled in those methods. As soon as Bruce started having to make off the cuff decisions with subs, it all went to shit. Having that bizarre subs bench didn't help either, but that was all self-inflicted by Bruce himself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Posted August 15, 2019 Share Posted August 15, 2019 Finally got round to listening to the TF podcast; mental gymnastics all over the place and that’s before they got onto the Charnley via Edwards propaganda. Thought for thought what’s been published this week by the club, transparent as fuck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Edgar Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 Pretty obvious now that Edwards is a patsy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minhosa Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 Pretty obvious now that Edwards is a patsy. Beyond obvious he has an arrangement with Bruce/Charnley/The Club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 Finally got round to listening to the TF podcast; mental gymnastics all over the place and that’s before they got onto the Charnley via Edwards propaganda. Thought for thought what’s been published this week by the club, transparent as fuck. Do the same people still do it? They were adamant last season that it would be basically the end if Rafa walked. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 Finally got round to listening to the TF podcast; mental gymnastics all over the place and that’s before they got onto the Charnley via Edwards propaganda. Thought for thought what’s been published this week by the club, transparent as fuck. Do the same people still do it? They were adamant last season that it would be basically the end if Rafa walked. Yup. The same ones who eulogised last season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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