Some team that's worst than the one that played Norwich 0 - 2 Schalke 04

Here we go again.

Last year, many called us a one man team. Van Persie was the only standout player in the side and his clinical goalscoring earned us a great deal of points. The other players were good too, of course, but he was the one who finished the small amount of chances we actually created.

This year, some are beginning to call us a no man team and unfortunately it's really difficult to argue that right now.

It's a sad state of affairs right now. We used to be a side known for quality attacking football with something of a fragile spine. Now, we're a side that has a decent defence but almost no quality, bar one player, in attack.

Just look at Gervinho tonight. This guy is a our top goalscorer, somehow, but he can't control a football, can't pass, can't cross, can't shoot and makes the most awful decisions in the final third. What was he thinking with that dive? Gets around his man then flops to the floor... absolutely moronic decision.

But the alternative is two out of form players.

That doesn't even begin to cover the problem. We had 6 shots tonight, 1 on target. That's disgraceful for a team at home and way below the level we should be expecting. I've no idea what's happened to Podolski, maybe he's playing with an injury, but the guy just looks sluggish and barely gets involved. Didn't even track back today, which certainly didn't help with our problems down our left hand side.

We're completely reliant on Cazorla to create chance but as we've seen tonight and on Saturday, that's bound to end up in failure. The two men either side of him have to get in the game more, and the team as a whole needs to stop with this boring, pedestrian possession and start playing with some pace and urgency. In fact, I'd advocate becoming a counter-attacking side because we clearly don't have the quality or intelligence to play incisive possession football.

Vermaelen is pissing me off game by game for his gung ho playing style. He's supposed to be a defender, but he races up the pitch like he's some sort box-to-box midfielder and leaves us horribly exposed at the back; Koscielny bailed him out last season and it's Mertesacker's turn this season. He's a much better player when he's staying back and actually being a defender.

Then there's Andre Santos. It's difficult for a left back to mark two players and in that regard, either Podolski or Coquelin needed to cover more. However, he looked slow, out of shape, was a horror show with his positioning and offered nothing going forward.

It's difficult to see light at the end of the tunnel after two poor defeats like that. Sure, we've got Gibbs, Sagna, Wilshere, Diaby, Chamberlain and Walcott all to come back into the squad, which will undoubtedly add a lot of quality, but will it resolve our impotency issues? Maybe I'm just being too negative, but it's hard to see that it will - Chamberlain and Walcott have hardly proven themselves to be the answer to our issues on the right hand side, and Wilshere is just coming back from not playing for 14 months. It's a big ask for him to come in and provide more creativity... but he's going to have to.

And even then, it'll be either out-of-form Giroud and Gervinho up front.

God forbid we don't win against QPR. Losing to Norwich, Schalke at home and QPR in consecutive games? Yeah, I'd be prepared to give up on the season already if that happens.

Good luck to Gazidis and Wenger at tomorrow's AGM.

I am not disappointed... I am not surprised...
I knew what was going to happen just by watching the first 30 mins...
Almost a repeat of Norwich match...

Inspite of having more than 60% of possession we had 5 attempts and all off target..
and the first attempt on target came in the 94th minute by a 17 year old.. Our players should be ashamed of this.. Whenever Schalke got the ball they were looking deadly.. Scoreline could have been worse if not for their poor finishing..
Gervinho.. no words to describe him.. how can a pro be more headless..
Santos got raped by Farfan.. he should have stayed back and concentrated on defending.. doesnt have the stamina or pace to do both..
Ramsey is back to last year..
Only positive from the match was that Coquelin looked better and 10 mins of Gnabry...

Why the hell we dont use our subs properly.. nothing was happening and nothing seemed to happen.. but Bould waited till the 82th minute even after we were 1 down..

Mannone - 5
Jenkinson- 6
Metskr - 6
Vermaelen - 5
Santos - 4
Coquelin - 6
Cazorla - 7
Arteta - 6
Ramsey - 5
Podolski - 5
Gervinho - 4

Wilson37 wrote:I am not disappointed... I am not surprised...
I knew what was going to happen just by watching the first 30 mins...
Almost a repeat of Norwich match...

This was worse. I can't support this crap any more. I have had it.

Good bye fellows. It was a fun ride.

Wait. That was years ago.

to be honest im not surprised, i suspected that this was going after the sale of van persie and especcially fabregas . i didnt watch the match but im guessing that there was a lack of penetration and incision from arsenal ? i think we should play arshavin as an attcking midfielder, it wont solve all our problems but it will be a start . these days i think arsenal are like one of those strong german teams, they can play good counter attacking football but they have too many fundamental weaknesses to win anything

I dont know where to begin

Your titles Jay deserve a medal.

Absolutely gutted, was planning to play some footy with friends tomorrow, not into that anymore.

I love a good rant.

AGM will be interesting tomorrow.

Hope the fans roast Gazidis and co. at that meeting.

Someone needs to kick them back into reality.

What a surprise, arteta again failed to shine in the champions league. Honestly people he is a decent player but he is not the top player fans have been calling him.
Yawn, i dont want to repeat myself but we have too many average players, its that simple. I just want to see cazorla and wilshere play together because thats the only combo we have that can make this team pass the ball brilliantly again. I cannot believe how bad our forward line is, its disgraceful really. We have been playing ramsey on right wing and gervinho as a false 9, thats how bad it is

3 reasons we look wear imo
1.goalkeeper. Our Defenders do not look like they have confidence in him (rightfully so)

2. Gervinho- play him up front , out back, make him the cheer leader of the team.... no matter what he will find ways to break the offensive flow of an attack. (please play theo ahead of him ..... pleaseee)

3. Santos- cannot track back fast enough, and is indecisive when going forward.

These 3 players cost us the game today and on saturday

Diego Armando Maradona wrote:What a surprise, arteta again failed to shine in the champions league. Honestly people he is a decent player but he is not the top player fans have been calling him.
Yawn, i dont want to repeat myself but we have too many average players, its that simple. I just want to see cazorla and wilshere play together because thats the only combo we have that can make this team pass the ball brilliantly again. I cannot believe how bad our forward line is, its disgraceful really. We have been playing ramsey on right wing and gervinho as a false 9, thats how bad it is

I saw this against City and Chelsea , If you get tight to him and put him under pressure he struggles to have the same impact with the ball. I think he also misses the physical presence of Diaby or Song alongside him to take some pressure off him.

I dont know why you guys angry for? Arsenal have lost many players and games, but are strong financially.

Gervinho is simply horrible. He isn't good enough to play in the EPL on any team. QPR could do better than him.

You guys have to stop criticizing our players, is not their fault they are not good enough.

We need every single injured player back and starting.

...is what I'd go with on Saturday. Give Podolski a break because he clearly doesn't look 100%. Coquelin looked good today so he should keep his spot. Walcott and Chamberlain to get some space in the side. Gervinho as far away from the team as possible.

Rev wrote:Hope the fans roast Gazidis and co. at that meeting.

Someone needs to kick them back into reality.

No trophies and stars leaving... but Arsenal chief Gazidis bags 24% pay rise to £2m

He dont give a shit about what any fan says, he is making money for Stan and Stan loves him for that.

The only thing I can see at the AGM is lies and more lies and we might see some fans be sold.

Raptorgunner wrote:You guys have to stop criticizing our players, is not their fault they are not good enough.

I got really depressed after reading this

“I expect us to respond in a strong way because this team is very ­ambitious,” he said. “The players were very disappointed to lose at Norwich but we have to put that behind us.

Losing 2-0 at home and not one shot on goal is a strong respond.

Bould: 'We lacked confidence with the ball'
Arsenal Press conference
Steve Bould reflects on the 2-0 defeat against Schalke

on a frustrating night…
We haven't played anything like we can, I think that's the big disappointment. We haven't performed today. We lack a bit of confidence, for whatever reason, but it's a tough competition and they [Schalke] are a good side in all fairness. They beat Dortmund at the weekend and played really well. A 0-0 would have delighted us I think.

How the mighty have fallen, at home and would be delighted with 0-0 against Schalke.

An arsenal team that lacks confidence with the ball, this is getting worrying

I'm more concerned about why they lack confidence, given the ease and precision they were stroking it about against West Ham. Then they come back from the international break and start playing like shit. I just don't understand how there can such a drastic dip in performance between those two games.

Moreover, if one game against Norwich has suddenly made this team doubt they their own abilities to pass the ball, then what does that say about their mentality?

I'm also concerned by Bould saying we were jaded. How can we be jaded in bloody October?

Wilshere is going to start against Reading. Along with Oxlade and maybe Sagna

GoonerJay29 wrote:

Mannone

Jenkinson --- Mertesacker --- Vermaelen --- Gibbs

Coquelin --- Arteta

Walcott --- Cazorla --- Chamberlain

Giroud

Subs: Martinez, Koscielny, Sagna, Wilshere, Ramsey, Podolski, Gervinho

...is what I'd go with on Saturday. Give Podolski a break because he clearly doesn't look 100%. Coquelin looked good today so he should keep his spot. Walcott and Chamberlain to get some space in the side. Gervinho as far away from the team as possible.

I couldn't agree more with everything you said here. Bench looks strong, first team is freshened up, looks perfect.

In the last 180 minutes we have managed two shots on target.

Silent Stan was at the Champions League game against Schalke.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2222722/Stan-Kroenke-watch-Arsenal-twice-days--Charles-Sale.html#ixzz2AGDufCAA