Football 2013-2014

[The Nal]

I stand by my Arsenal "weak" comments and the fact they get tanked more than any other top 6 ish team.

Saw that hammering coming a mile off.

[DomDom1984]

Arsenal played right into Chelsea's hands today. They basically opened wide up and Chelsea were absolutely brutal on the counter.

[dentalplan]

That's right. The incident, the 1000th game and Arsenal's complete horror show and all that might take the edge off what was an outstanding demonstration in counter attacking by Chelsea. Some of their finishes too were stunners, Eto'o in particular. Szczsesny needs to be unhappy with himself though; I think at least three goals went across his body.

[thetime]

No surprise Arsenal today, they couldn't even score against man utd...

[DomDom1984]

To be fair, no football supporter should have trouble wanting another team to win if it benefits their own side.

[thetime]

Just go and beat citeh!

What a horrible situation for united fans. Win the derby, you help Liverpool and Chelsea!

It's gonna be hard as a Liverpool fan wanting you guys to win the derby too though.

[Wooderson]

Just go and beat citeh!

What a horrible situation for united fans. Win the derby, you help Liverpool and Chelsea!

It's gonna be hard as a Liverpool fan wanting you guys to win the derby too though.

[WS_Jack_III]

Blimey, Cisse eventually scored.

[mrtourette]

I think you have to blame the keeper for that Rooney goal, he completely lost the flight of the ball and at times was backtracking away from where it was headed. Looking at where he started and where it bounced if he'd have been able to follow it directly he could have comfortably caught it before crossing the line.

[eFestivals]

I stand by my Arsenal "weak" comments and the fact they get tanked more than any other top 6 ish team.

Saw that hammering coming a mile off.

and yet the teams at the top are hammering teams thru-out the rest of the league in the same way, and sometimes each other.

If we go back a week I can remember seeing a team get beaten by a slightly lesser score that looked no less weak when facing one of the best teams in the league.

Arsenal played most of yesterday's match with 10 men too. It was right they only had ten men, but the scoreline would probably have not been quite as bad if they'd had 11 on the pitch.

What Arsenal are missing to bring about hammerings like yesterday is their best form of defence - attack. That was the difference between yesterday and the 6-3 loss to City where Arsenal were always in the game (tho always likely to lose).

As seems to happen almost every season with Arsenal, injuries to some of their most important players for huge chunks of the season makes a massive difference to how their season goes. Both of Walcott and - if still putting in his early season form - Ramsay have been hugely missed.

The first two months of the season (up until Suarez destroyed Norwich yet again) I was choosing to watch Arsenal matches, and there was nothing weak about them.

But hey, good deflection from from a far weaker team that have fallen far further in the eyes of the world.

[eFestivals]

RVP's injury leading to Mata being in the middle could be the best thing that's happened to you lot, what with how disinterested he's looked recently.

I thought Utd looked a fair bit better yesterday.

But then, when you sit back and think about it, they only won the game because of a wonder goal where (without taking anything away from Rooney) you've got to say luck played a huge part, and a fluke of a goal for the 2nd.

It's hardly a new dawn.

[DomDom1984]

Yeah, the keeper was doing some mental work on that first goal. He was about four yards to the right of the ball when it bounced.

[pink_triangle]

I'm not sure arsenals limitations are down to a lack of mental strength, in sea,sons past when dug in a hole in the fight for 4th place, they have managed to dig themselves out.

I'm not sure what the problem is. Maybe the keeper isn't strong enough to organise the rest of the team, maybe they are lacking strength and leadership in the midfield, maybe wenger is getting team selection (eg leaving flamini out) and tactics wrong. I also think their poor record against the better teams, means those sides have no feat of arsenal. It's up to arsenal to put it right, when a top side consistently does something wrong, they need to learn from mistakes.

[The Nal]

and yet the teams at the top are hammering teams thru-out the rest of the league in the same way, and sometimes each other.

If we go back a week I can remember seeing a team get beaten by a slightly lesser score that looked no less weak when facing one of the best teams in the league.

Arsenal played most of yesterday's match with 10 men too. It was right they only had ten men, but the scoreline would probably have not been quite as bad if they'd had 11 on the pitch.

What Arsenal are missing to bring about hammerings like yesterday is their best form of defence - attack. That was the difference between yesterday and the 6-3 loss to City where Arsenal were always in the game (tho always likely to lose).

As seems to happen almost every season with Arsenal, injuries to some of their most important players for huge chunks of the season makes a massive difference to how their season goes. Both of Walcott and - if still putting in his early season form - Ramsay have been hugely missed.

The first two months of the season (up until Suarez destroyed Norwich yet again) I was choosing to watch Arsenal matches, and there was nothing weak about them.

But hey, good deflection from from a far weaker team that have fallen far further in the eyes of the world.

[DomDom1984]

Wasn't just that they didn't turn up either. Wenger got it horribly wrong yesterday. Played into the hands of Chelsea and made life ridiculously easy. Genuinely think it could have been worse had Arsenal not gone down to ten men, meaning they HAD to close up shop a touch and play a bit deeper.

If things kept going that way, Chelsea would have just kept hitting them on the break and they were absolutely lethal yesterday. Plus, Matic was just sweeping up absolutely everything. What a player he is.

[thetime]

It seems to have gone unnoticed that Everton are closing the gap on a arsenal for 4th.

8 points behind with a game in hand, they also play each other and Arsenal have city at the weekend.

[pink_triangle]

It seems to have gone unnoticed that Everton are closing the gap on a arsenal for 4th.

8 points behind with a game in hand, they also play each other and Arsenal have city at the weekend.

[strummer77]

Sometimes. I'm firmly against the Suarez World Cup incident.

[strummer77]

It seems to have gone unnoticed that Everton are closing the gap on a arsenal for 4th.

8 points behind with a game in hand, they also play each other and Arsenal have city at the weekend.

[pink_triangle]

Heard an interesting discussion about reserve keepers. They used Stuart Taylor as an example, age 33 and only 70 games under his belt. I'm sure its a good living, but you wonder post retirement if you feel like you have wasted a great talent and missed out on experiences that you can't get sitting on a bench.

[adam1234]

Got put a word in for my team today. Stoke were sensational, the front three were devastating at times and arnautovic is a real talent.

Stoke still get a lot of stick for playing long ball and for being a dirty side. Any1 who watched the last two games will know that it is nonsense.

It will take a few seasons before our image changes but we are improving massively. A top ten finish would be great, surely no real chance of relegation now.

The spurs v saints game was a very good watch too. Some great goals in that match and felt sorry for saints in to concede so late on.

[The Nal]

Heard an interesting discussion about reserve keepers. They used Stuart Taylor as an example, age 33 and only 70 games under his belt. I'm sure its a good living, but you wonder post retirement if you feel like you have wasted a great talent and missed out on experiences that you can't get sitting on a bench.

Edited March 23, 2014 by The Nal

[mrtourette]

It seems to have gone unnoticed that Everton are closing the gap on a arsenal for 4th.

8 points behind with a game in hand, they also play each other and Arsenal have city at the weekend.

[DomDom1984]

So... El Clasico isny bad I guess.

[kaosmark2]

Stoke still get a lot of stick for playing long ball and for being a dirty side. Any1 who watched the last two games will know that it is nonsense.

It will take a few seasons before our image changes but we are improving massively.