Borussia Dortmund 2 - 0 Arsenal: What a mess

I have not much to say. The previous analysis are spot on. If you guys can see it so clearly , I guess Wenger is also well aware too. The question is why are the same mistake made ? Imo Wenger doesn't have the ABILITY to make a defensive plan based on his opponent's strenghts. Last year the reason we had a great run in the league is because our defensive line were terrific. Sagna-Mert-Kos were very solid defensively allowing guys like Ramsey to roam forward.

Agree with Jay, for shorter version: we are clueless mess, such a way to start a freaking week

We needed a real DM but wenger didnt buy one then he changes his tactic refuses to change it while we are losing. He doesnt have a plan B.

I'm pretty sure even if we have prime Makelele, we would still lose maybe not total 20 shots on goal but still lose. Problem is deeper than that and Wenger need to get a clue sooner than later

6unner wrote:
I actually think that Klopp or just about any manager would want to replace most of this team. The team as a whole is unbalanced and lacking quality.

We have 3 teams worth of average of CM's, CAMs that are wasted on the wings, no prolific striker, 1 healthy winger, no DM/holding MID that will put the fear in anyone, average FBs. For some reason we seem to be more worried about a "British Core" than about getting the players in that can actually win anything. Then modifying our tactics to be able to use as many average players as possible.

I agree, if we had a real manager who would motivate our players and they would go out there and fight for their manager. Wenger will never live up to the modern requirements of a football, at his age we will see games like this until 2017. Good managers get the best out of average players but Wenger manages to get the worst out of quality players.      

Twoism wrote:I'm pretty sure even if we have prime Makelele, we would still lose maybe not total 20 shots on goal but still lose. Problem is deeper than that and Wenger need to get a clue sooner than later

The same manager who signed an injured player to replace another injured player. He’s clueless, taking us all for a ride.

@IanWright0

Arsene get Ozil in the middle, get the team to play around him! He's 42 mill worth of player for a reason! Do something with him PLEASE.

The script for Arsenal is pretty much set for the season and has been for several years:
- 4th in EPL
- 2nd place in CL pool and crash out in first elimination round
- Chance at either FA or Carling Cup

That's pretty much it.

I wonder how the club can change that #akb

We'll be lucky to get fourth playing this way.

Wenger has to make a decision on which one of Wilshere or Ramsey he wants to play because until one of them learns how to defend, or until the team starts pressing more, they cannot play together. Not in a 4-1-4-1, nor in a 4-2-3-1.

GoonerJay29 wrote:We'll be lucky to get fourth playing this way.

Wenger has to make a decision on which one of Wilshere or Ramsey he wants to play because until one of them learns how to defend, or until the team starts pressing more, they cannot play together. Not in a 4-1-4-1, nor in a 4-2-3-1.

Yep. Could phrase that "Not in a 4-2-3-1, and so sure as hell not in a 4-1-4-1".
Because it really is kind of hilarious that Wenger chose to address the defensive midfield frailties last season's big away games showed, by not adding anyone but by doing away with one of the CDMs altogether
In effect he's doubling down on your weakness

Really strange that he doesn't realize for the 4-1-4-1 to work you need to keep possession, press hard when losing it, and most of all keep spaces tight, all of which you're astonishingly bad at.

GoonerJay29 wrote:We'll be lucky to get fourth playing this way.

Wenger has to make a decision on which one of Wilshere or Ramsey he wants to play because until one of them learns how to defend, or until the team starts pressing more, they cannot play together. Not in a 4-1-4-1, nor in a 4-2-3-1.

Ramsey is playing as a pseudo striker, I don't see what this has to do with his or wilsheres ability to play together. It's just weird.

I'm of the view that in the current set-up, neither are providing enough midfield protection. That's why I think that unless they learn how to be more disciplined and improve their tactical understanding they're better off not playing with each other. The team would be better served with a more reserved central midfielder in there instead.

And we know there's no room for both of them in a 4-2-3-1 unless one becomes a holding player or an attacking midfielder which just isn't going to happen.

Really strange that he doesn't realize for the 4-1-4-1 to work you need to keep possession, press hard when losing it, and most of all keep spaces tight, all of which you're astonishingly bad at.

You may or not know that Wenger's way of playing is to basically leave all the decision making to the players. He doesn't study the opposition and doesn't work on specific gameplans with the team before games. So when the players don't perform as well as they should be, there's no structure there for them to fall back on and everything goes to hell quickly, which is why we repeatedly make the same mistakes in certain matches.

So instead of working with the team in training on keeping spaces tight and pressing, he's sending the team out there in a new shape that has different requirements and telling the players "you sort it out". The only reason he changed shape was so he could include an extra creative player. I doubt there were any other tactical considerations when he made the decision.

In this sense, he's astonishingly similar to Harry Redknapp.

I can understand why Wenger is putting Ramsey in scoring positions tbh...  Welbeck is not a good scorer.  He's never scored 20 goals (all competitions) for a club in his career.  He got 17 once.... but has been in the 10-15 goal range mostly.  That's not enough. Arsenal need Sanchez and someone else to each pitch 15-20 goals to make the attack work.

Mesut Ozil is not to blame for his poor performances at Arsenal, he needs to play through the centre

Place Ozil in the right environment, in the right position, with the right players around him, and there are still few better No 10s in the world


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/11101885/Mesut-Ozil-is-not-to-blame-for-his-poor-performances-at-Arsenal-he-needs-to-play-through-the-centre.html
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The media telling Wenger what to do is not good for Arsenal, now he will keep playing him on the wings till he has a good game and proves the world wrong.

For having such a small squad, Wenger is pretty damn exceptional at finding ways to keep key players away from their actual positions.

Don't be surprised if you see Walcott trying to protect the back four when he returns. Or possibly operating as a makeshift RB

Bild are shat though... that's not really a good reference.

sportsczy wrote:Bild are shat though... that's not really a good reference.

Against us yesterday it was.

You know Arsenal about to hit doom & gloom when Jay pull Arry comparision and Lex push multiple sarcastic remark.

GoonerJay29 wrote:
You may or not know that Wenger's way of playing is to basically leave all the decision making to the players. He doesn't study the opposition and doesn't work on specific gameplans with the team before games. So when the players don't perform as well as they should be, there's no structure there for them to fall back on and everything goes to hell quickly, which is why we repeatedly make the same mistakes in certain matches.

So instead of working with the team in training on keeping spaces tight and pressing, he's sending the team out there in a new shape that has different requirements and telling the players "you sort it out". The only reason he changed shape was so he could include an extra creative player. I doubt there were any other tactical considerations when he made the decision.

I do not know that, no. How do you know that?
I have read things along those lines, like from Tony Adams I think, but I always thought it was more of an exaggeration/badmouthing/invention.

Are there any sources who really confirm that, that working today, Wenger doesn't 'prepare' your team specifically for games tactically, with opposition research informing the gameplan?
Because I find that very hard to believe, even if the way you play in some games certainly seems like it.
If that is true that would absolutely indefensible for a coach at top level, or any level, imo.

Twoism wrote:You know Arsenal about to hit doom & gloom when Jay pull Arry comparision and Lex push multiple sarcastic remark.

You know whats more bizarre playing Ozil on the RW and starting a young kid at RB against one of the best teams the world.

@wengerknowsbest ·

Was the difference last night that Dortmund have a striker that is Immobile and we have defenders that are immobile? I don't know.

I mean I like Wenger... but if his 'tactic' is to 'let the players deal with the games, and to not study the opposition' then it's time for him to go

That's an elaborate way of saying he doesn't do his job and says "Ok lads, go get 'em" and moves on with his day.

Wenger prepares for games and opponents... but it's within his philosophy: His gameplan is predicated on controlling the midfield and the ball. When Arsenal's midfield fails, the entire gameplan goes down the toilet.

That's why i don't understand how he doesn't recruit heavily at the CM spot. He has waaaaay too much faith in the Arsenal youth and his current players. In the EPL, it's ok since most midfield suck arse other than the top teams. But when you get to CL, the issues get exposed with most opponents.

Not many people here want to admit it but our coach is EXTREMELY AVERAGE.

Here's a quote from Fabrgeas, comparing Arsenal to Spain, from 2010:

"At Arsenal we don’t really look at anything from the other team, we look for ourselves and that’s it. Here, maybe two three days before the game, we start looking at some videos, we know more or less the starting eleven that is going to play, we know nearly everything about them. You just have to have your group of friends here, you play cards, you play Playstation, you have fun.”

Not confirmation or anything, but more of a suggestion that Arsenal's preparation for the oppositions isn't very extensive.