We've got a problem

'We are sorry... now let's put it right'
Mikel Arteta
on a difficult day…
It's not good enough with the way we started the game. Just before they scored we had a chance with Olivier that could have changed the game completely but we gave them the game in [their] hands.
  
If you give the ball away in the middle of the park against Chelsea you know what's going to happen. That's what we have to avoid and we knew that from the start of the game and we haven't done it. We paid for our own mistakes. We have to take it on the chin because it's unacceptable to lose another big game like this.

on being concerned about the big games…
The first one [at Manchester City] you may analyse in a different way, the second one [at Liverpool] was a bit different in the way we conceded the first three goals but on Saturday in my opinion it was worse because it was more our fault. It was when we were in possession of the ball and we knew that we couldn't take risks in certain areas. After 3-0 and with a man down it makes it impossible.

The good thing is we have a lot of things to play for and we've always reacted to disappointments and difficult moments. But this one is a really hard one to take, it was a massive game for us and for me it's unacceptable.

on two home games coming up…
Yes but we have to take [on board] some of the things we have done wrong. You cannot only just move on, you have to analyse what you've done and react. I'm expecting a big reaction on Tuesday because we have to and Saturday was not good enough for this football club.

The pressure we put on ourselves by losing games like that is massive and there's no need for it. We just disrupted the good season we were having. I don't know what else to say apart from sorry to everyone at the club, the fans, and we promise that we will try hard to put that right.

on the title race…
This can change at any moment. There are two midweek games again and it can change quickly around. We just need to be there again because if there's any possibilities we have to be able to take it. Let's try again, it's been a difficult day but we need to stay together again and battle because what we can still get is very good.

on the players feeling the pain…
It hurts deeply inside. It's embarrassing to be on a football pitch in that situation. Psychologically it's really hard and when you go through that you analyse it and you know you don't want to be in that situation again. I promise everyone that we have that hunger to put it right. On Tuesday we have an opportunity again at home and we just need to bounce back.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140324/-we-are-sorry...-now-let-s-put-it-right-

It's not about being sorry or something ..
.
It's about studying your opponent correctly and hence adjusting the tactics. It's baffling how we never do that.

Wenger"We felt we prepared properly, but we did not turn up, so it is puzzling. After 20 minutes, it was game over and it became a long afternoon, a long dramatic, dreadful afternoon. There is not a lot more I could say, you could blame and blame but it does not help.

  

Arteta will obviously never perform the way Wenger uses him a role that isolates him and doesn't afford any protection to his positional. Versus Chelsea he was slotted as the sole deep midfielder in a 4-1-4-1 to which did not suit half the players. Even in a pivot ou have Wilshere and Ox busy bombing forward without care of their rear stationary while Flamini seldom plays. If Arteta has to worry about consistent defensive positions to which naturally will have him cautious with passing and without freedom to distribute from the attacking end, you won't find congruency. Funny considering this isn't even has natural role.

Arteta is not the player to have on the pitch against top teams who know he is our weak link.
Its time to drop Girugolo and Arteta, the embarrassment must end. Arteta offers almost nothing, cant defend and cant go forward, he does not have the legs to put up with top players anymore, ever small teams take him down.

which top 4 is this? cos we have won at Anfield, Ettihad and StamfodBridge in that span

I assume it's the top four teams at the end of the season, including the assumed top four this season:

2013/14 - Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal
2012/13 - Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal
2011/12 - Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs
2010/11 - Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal
2009/10 - Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs

And the corresponding results at those team's grounds:

2013/14 - 6-0, 5-1, 6-3
2012/13 - 2-1, 1-1, 2-1
2011/12 - 1-0, 8-2, 2-1
2010/11 - 1-0, 2-0, 0-3
2009/10 - 2-0, 2-1, 2-1

Won: 1
Drawn: 1
Lost: 13
Goals Scored: 15
Goals Conceded: 42

Raptorgunner wrote:Arteta is not the player to have on the pitch against top teams who know he is our weak link.
Its time to drop Girugolo and Arteta, the embarrassment must end. Arteta offers almost nothing, cant defend and cant go forward, he does not have the legs to put up with top players anymore, ever small teams take him down.

That's a short-sighted way of looking at things considering he is your best player in holding possession, passes intelligently into areas that open up space and screens the defence very well. He will be a weak link if Wenger places him in a role that makes him a weak link. Like Gooners come up with every excuse to defend Özil, Arteta is forced into a role to which has him defend more than bomb forward (hence why your "cant go forward" point is doesn't make sense) and that will naturally make him a defensive liability given he has zero protection.

Pls don't let this media lockdown/silence deceive you into thinking there is drastic changes on the way or that some players will be perma-dropped or that we'll be going 100% destroy-every-team-mode until the end of the season.

Arquitescu wrote:

Raptorgunner wrote:Arteta is not the player to have on the pitch against top teams who know he is our weak link.
Its time to drop Girugolo and Arteta, the embarrassment must end. Arteta offers almost nothing, cant defend and cant go forward, he does not have the legs to put up with top players anymore, ever small teams take him down.

That's a short-sighted way of looking at things considering he is your best player in holding possession, passes intelligently into areas that open up space and screens the defence very well. He will be a weak link if Wenger places him in a role that makes him a weak link. Like Gooners come up with every excuse to defend Özil, Arteta is forced into a role to which has him defend more than bomb forward (hence why your "cant go forward" point is doesn't make sense) and that will naturally make him a defensive liability given he has zero protection.

He keeps the ball moving and can set the tempo of the game at times, but you can’t do that when you don’t have the ball. I love Arteta but Wenger should know how to use him at the age he is now, and against teams who hold the ball better than us, should use Flamini.

Raptorgunner wrote:

Arquitescu wrote:

Raptorgunner wrote:Arteta is not the player to have on the pitch against top teams who know he is our weak link.
Its time to drop Girugolo and Arteta, the embarrassment must end. Arteta offers almost nothing, cant defend and cant go forward, he does not have the legs to put up with top players anymore, ever small teams take him down.

That's a short-sighted way of looking at things considering he is your best player in holding possession, passes intelligently into areas that open up space and screens the defence very well. He will be a weak link if Wenger places him in a role that makes him a weak link. Like Gooners come up with every excuse to defend Özil, Arteta is forced into a role to which has him defend more than bomb forward (hence why your "cant go forward" point is doesn't make sense) and that will naturally make him a defensive liability given he has zero protection.

He keeps the ball moving and can set the tempo of the game at times, but you can’t do that when you don’t have the ball. I love Arteta but Wenger should know how to use him at the age he is now, and against teams who hold the ball better than us, should use Flamini.

If Wenger actually finds a suitable partner for Arteta who won't leave him isolated or without protection, Arteta will flourish yet again. No surprise he dominated City/Yaya and Bayern last year when he actually did. The system is essentially built for counters to which doesn't allow Arteta to receive the amount of touches necessary given that he isn't congruent to Arsenal's evolving system as it is.

Bénin wrote:It's not about being sorry or something ..
.
It's about studying your opponent correctly and hence adjusting the tactics. It's baffling how we never do that.

We do its just that Wenger expect the players to impose their game plan and tactics on the opponent.

Mertsacker comes out and blames the afternoon timings of the game for their humiliation how more pathetic can we get?  

Raptorgunner wrote:Mertsacker comes out and blames the afternoon timings of the game for their humiliation how more pathetic can we get?  

He was being sarcastic ffs   

EL Patron wrote:

Raptorgunner wrote:Mertsacker comes out and blames the afternoon timings of the game for their humiliation how more pathetic can we get?  

He was being sarcastic ffs   

really? my bad.   

In retrospect, I'm so glad I was traveling and had to miss this match.

This away game capitulation to big teams is really, really troubling. Since I didn't watch this one, I can't comment on specifics, but everything I've read indicates it's just more of the same we've seen in recent years when Arsenal have caved ... only worse. This needs to be addressed. Freak results are one thing, but this is a pattern.

That said. This particular match is still just 3 pts (or 1 pt) lost ... that would be the same whether Chelsea barely nicked it by a goal or if they had won 15-0. If this squad really has true potential (and I think they are not so far from being the contenders they've looked like at earlier points in the season), they just have to pick themselves up and do something nasty to Swansea tomorrow. Get back on track.

Too many fans react like emo tweens to any setbacks or any delay in gratification, especially on places like twitter. Need some more Rocky Balboa speeches in their life.

Spoiler:

Chum

Look at our beginning to DEATHRUN2

Everton (H) Win
Bayern (A) Draw
Spurs (A) Win
Chelsea (H) Loss

I really didn't expect to beat Spurs, draw Bayern or to get a result vs Chelsea. Just being realistic. Thought we'd draw Spurs, beat Everton, lose to Bayern and lose to Chelsea. So it's not about the result it's just about the scoreline.

MJGunner wrote:Chum

Look at our beginning to DEATHRUN2

Everton (H) Win
Bayern (A) Draw
Spurs (A) Win
Chelsea (H) Loss

I really didn't expect to beat Spurs, draw Bayern or to get a result vs Chelsea. Just being realistic. Thought we'd draw Spurs, beat Everton, lose to Bayern and lose to Chelsea. So it's not about the result it's just about the scoreline.

The performance though...

Yeah, we can talk for days about the performance but those who jump to the conclusion that Arsenal are out of it are being premature.

Arsenal reminds me of Rob ford, mayor of my city. Ford does everything well and once a month goes out and embarrasses himself the city and its on every News channel but its always a minor set back and promises to never do it again. 

Raptor

@MJ & Chum 2 more losses and can we conclude we're not premature ?

Ramsey out for another two weeks. Koscielny, Ozil and Wilshere not back for another couple of weeks, either.

This season is quickly going down the crapper.

What are the chances that Ramsey had a long-term injury and Wenger was hiding it so he won't be pressured to sign a proper replacement? Wouldn't surprise me at all

Like I said on Twitter, I would rather Wenger came out from the beginning and say Ramsey is out for three or four months than tell us he's two weeks away, only for him to somehow (and conveniently) suffer a setback that keeps him out for another fortnight

Twoism wrote:@MJ & Chum 2 more losses and can we conclude we're not premature ?

I don't think it's premature to be disappointed about bad form and bad results, and concerned about the rest of the season.

But who knows how the season will play out? There's still a chance for everything. People are worried about top 4, but Arsenal have finished top 3/4 in shakier circumstances IMO.

To me a big part of the appeal of sports is that competitions can be won and lost on slim margins and against incredible odds. So I am temperamentally disinclined to mope about results and predict imminent doom and disaster on the back of a few bad matches. (This doesn't mean I swing over to blind optimism, either, mind you.) Disappointment, anger ... emotions are all fine. I just don't think people should behave like some weird, coked-up Eeyore. (Or an emo tween, as per the original comparison.) Because why even follow sports then?

Whole point is to get back up, work hard, and try to do better and enjoy it all.

Don't get how the Arsenal medical team is so shite.