Good afternoon Positives,
There we are then, a poor week finished off for all sports of footballing and no-footballing reasons by a defeat to Brighton.
Reviewing in my mind’s eye the performance today we lost the game as a result of a period of incomprehensibly poor defending during a 35 minute period when our defensive core, Cech, Kosc and Shkrodran looked never to have met one another before and Brighton physically brushed them aside. Each time a corner came in a big blue head got on the end of it. What was puzzling was the back four we put out, including Kolasinac and Chambers is physically the most imposing group of defenders we have at the club as viable starters. Why lads … Why … Whisper it in my ear – please – I won’t shout – I promise ! It was 2-0 after 27 minutes but in truth it could have been worse.
In any event having recovered consciousness and found ourselves flat on our back we suddenly flickered into life. Oddly the turning point of our afternoon was Jack’s 40th minute wild challenge of Knockaert, for which he was deservedly carded, but after which we had some energy about us and physically began to compete. Over the remainder of the half we matched Brighton challenge for challenge, and certainly in the second half went on to dominate our opponents, over 80% of the pitch at least. That goal just before half time, neatly despatched after good work on the left, surely provided the platform for a storming second half. Or so I thought …..
In spite of our momentum going into the second half Brighton defended deep, deeper, deepest, were organised, and allowed us only an occasional sight of Ryan’s goal throughout what seemed a very long 45 minute indeed. I thought Jack and Granit were very good throughout the second 45 and the Englishman was constantly poking at the centre of the Brighton line. In front of them PEA and Mkhi also twisted and turned and tried to find space but Gawd it was crowded in there. We tried to hit them again and again on the same axis, and they defended again and again in the same way. I cannot criticise the sweat that we put in, or the commitment of our players once they had come to their senses. The guile to cut open Brighton however was just not there. Is that 16 goals in 15 PL away games this season ?
So well done to our hosts today, a deserved three points won with two well taken chances and a commendable second half defensive display. I know it is a subject I could bore for my country on but oh how I wish we had a nippy winger like that Izquierdo who was a constant thorn in our flank all afternoon.
We must stop meeting like this.
Enjoy Sunday and I trust like me you are looking forward to temporarily putting the clanking chains of Premier League football aside and enjoying the prospect of the San Siro and Milan.
Positively Arsenal 
wenger’s after game comments – football.london
Wenger on the defeat
We suffered a lot physically first half. I think the lack of confidence made us lose some balls that they took advantage of.
On the poor form
Nothing is permanent. We have to continue to recover now. We play Thursday, Sunday, Thursday. It’s impossible.
On the fans chanting ‘we want Wenger out”
I can understand the frustration. The League Cup in the middle of the season it’s always difficult.
The final we lost brings a lot of negativity. On top of that the game on Thursday didn’t help us today.
Can you turn it around?
Yes, because I have done it before. It’s the first time I lost so many games on the trot. I believe I can do it.
On the players letting him down
It’s difficult for me to get into a negative assessment. The team needs more support at the moment. When you struggle with confidence, it’s difficult.
On Cech’s tweet
It deserves respect. It’s his own assessment. He has saved us before.
Wenger on his future
At the moment my future is not my main worry. It’s about Arsenal winning games, then we’ll see where we go from there.
Wenger on the top four
We have to be realistic in the CL [top four spots], we need two teams to collapse. I can’t see that happening at the moment because two teams [above us] dropping points is difficult to imagine. Of course the Europa League is very important
Wenger on uncertainty over his future harming results
No. There is no uncertainty. The uncertainty at the moment is the quality of our performance.
More on his future
I don’t want to talk about my future today. I’m long enough in the job to know what’s going on and what is important.
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I’m off to the gym even if the driving conditions are atrocious….
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wenger on
Can you halt the slide?
A quality of manager is as well to shorten the crisis. Until now I’ve managed to do it. I believe I can do it.
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Wenger: “When you’re naked completely you have to find a shirt and put it on.”
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we have played 15 away BPL games so far this season, W3, D4, L8
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afcstuff
@afcstuff
1h1 hour ago
Arsenal’s next 6 fixtures:
AC Milan A
Watford H
AC Milan H
Stoke H
Southampton H
Newcastle A
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Five minutes late commenting on the previous post, so I’m copying it.
I refuse to throw the players under the bus. I’m sick to death of people doing that. That’s no better than throwing AW under it. They did try, desperately. And desperation shows. Even the simplest thing becomes hard. I don’t know how to fix it. But I want so much for them to be able to figure it out. And I refuse to pile on. Everyone else can do what they like, I guess.
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Nice interview from Wenger.
I am sure he will turn the odds and get the players back.
He has done it for 20 years why should we doubt him?
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Years ago when City wanted to weaken AFC but picking off proven talent from their squad, supported by Arsenal holes like the arseblagger, my friend’s cousin went on a comedy rant about how he was: “going to quit Football and start supporting the UAE/ petroclubs”.
We all laughed as we knew that within a few years he was going to be right.
So many experts put there. So little originality or interesting comments on the actual football.
As I was saying it’s been Europa or busy for quite some time now, as I said to Shotts after Stoke Away.
The inability from many to have made this simple acknowledgement, and all the factors behind it as in all of them, is intriguing to me.
Focusing on these Arsenal only it certainly made no sense to me to hear people talk about a stronger squad.
As I tried to explain over th summer and last season, swapping Chamberlain for Iwobi who is years behind in his development given his younger age, that weakened the squad, for starters. The glee surrounding his sale had shade of the Adebayor madness in witnessed from AFC fans.
The Arsenal squad was not so blessed as to be losing half decent players reaching a good age after years of investment. Still can’t understand how anyone was happy about that one, unless they imagined that the squad was stronger then it was/is.
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simply put fins, AOC no longer wanted to play for AFC, he was sold and any Gooner should be happy about it, if a player don’t want to play for AFC, then get rid, plain and simple.
by the way he has done nothing at LFC to suggest he would have made any difference to us this season, he is exactly the same player he had been for us, some good games, some ok games, and some bad games. No set position,
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eds but he was effective on the football pitch for both teams last season and this. Not prefect but decent. Obviously needed time to settle in to new environs but as per his mixed performance yesterday, he still is effective in the final third.
England aren’t blessed with loads of talent and he is half-decent.
Good enough for Liverpool to have made a long term investment in him after losing Coutinho, obviously different players, but, he is producing will continue to improve.
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We knew he wanted to go. But that only came out at the end. Doesn’t explain to me the huge number of people clamouring to push him out the door.
As above. Reminds me of the Adebayor saga. Not in a flattering way. Both players wantd to go. Both departures hurt the squad. This is simple stuff.
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Anicoll
Case for a winger was exceptionally strong today, from left especially.
Kola is good from wide areas with the ball nicely set in front of him and a good picture in middle. Anything else and it’s much more difficult for him thanks to frame and skill set.
In short, he was in loads of positions 2nd half where you’d far rather have a highly skilled speedy player.
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i’ve not been a happy man for some time now, not just because of bad results (i can live with that) but the way wenger i in the center or most abuse and taking the punches for his players. although i cant say wenger hasnt made some mitakes some of which i have spoken about a few times before (no one is infallible) but he deserves the respect of all of us.
the importance of per to the organisation of defence was underated for a very long time. now we see it. it was there last season but the impact of mustafi early season addition masked a lot of it. but because he doesnt have the speed of usian bolt (just like giroud) he is worthless. per wa the best thing to happen to our defence (not steve bould) remenber our defence was in a mess when he joined us and suddenly everything just piece together and the credit was wrongly given to bould. he is the brain behing koscielny’s great performances over the years.
the other thing i want to say is we ought not to have signed cech. yes he was a great keeper but not at this club. we have won three fa cups but ospina was the one in goal. the only advantage he had on woj initially was experience but last season, woj was head and shoulder above him. we ought to have kept woj. coq as well. coq may not be able to play the hollywood passes, but what he does he does well. no ball winner in this team anymore. so per coq and giroud as well as caz are what this team is lacking at the moment.
even this does not stop us from beating teams like brighton. the players should cover their faces in shame.
europa is a must win now and nothing else.
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Per and Arteta signed at a difficult time, and did massive things for us.
Two big personalities, experienced players.
It there really are flaws in our defensive coaching, and let’s face it, would take a brave person to say otherwise looking at things now, Per would have hugely helped iron them out when he played. We don’t know his role behind the scenes, but firmly believe he was the architect of that amazing cup final. Didn’t do too badly in other games either.
Glad one is staying, and one day, the other will return, it is his destiny. May even be sooner than some might imagine, who knows
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man city now need a maximum of 4 wins from 9 to win the BPL, they could have it won before March is done.
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was listening to BBC radio 5, checking for the man city v cfc result, and there was ian wright spewing shite about how Conte was the man to replace Arsene Wenger. Just 2 things on that
1. firstly even if AW leaves, it also means CFC would have to dispense with Conte’s services
2. if CFC sack Conte, what would the reason be, if he is such a top manager that could make AFC title contenders quickly.
Could it be cos he has lost only 2 fewer BPL games this season (with what was by far the best team in the league last season, plus some very expensive signings added), 8 games, to AFC’s 10, and who thinks AFC have the level of team and squad Conte has at CFC. Also has been AW knocked AC out of the CC over a two legged semi final.
does Ian Wright think Conte is the man cos he roars and shouts a lot on the sidelines.
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Didn’t Conte have a go at the Chelsea board at not providing him with enough resources, despite spending quite a lot last summer?
No, Arsenal is not the club for him, nor I supect would our execs be interested
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the 30’s where a long time ago, as Ian Rush might say, almost like a whole different century
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We are having a bit of a poor patch. I recognise that is the worst ever, I think, series of match results for a long while. From what AW says the fewest points earned in his tenure.
A hard and disappointing time. And in the world in which social media, Twitter etc have existed a unique set of circumstances.
The question for each fan the choice between standing up and supporting, or withdrawal from the fray.
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yes mandy, he has been whinging all season about the CFC board not getting him the world class players he needs. Moratta, Bakayoko, Rudiger, Zappacosta, Emerson and Drinkwater, not forgetting Giroud and Barkley, at a cost of nearly £250M
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Ah – Ian Wright
Poor soul – it is a pity he has not found a job since his football career finished. I did enjoy his trip to visit the bushmen of the Kalahari on the BBC though. My impression was a few of them thought he was a bit of a daft c*** though.
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anicol you know all on here will support, but sadly we are not the majority,
you can be sure that our remaining home games will see tens of thousands of empty seats.
The media, pundits, bloggers and co smell blood, and as we know, once that happens they don’t let up, we will be seeing nothing but negative Arsenal stories for rest of the season.
Sky/BT etc, have a vested interest in AFC joining the managerial merry go round, Wenger has been treated awfully by the media almost from day one, so why should anyone expect them to be anything other than cunts towards him when he is at his lowest ebb. It’s not like any of them have any love for AFC, not even our ex players who work in the media now.
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Do you want to be seen as Richard Sharpe or Scooby-Doo ?
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believe it or not Paul Merson actually got something right about the AFC situation
“Arsenal are levels behind city and need £500M worth of new players to be contenders again”
Now I did not read his article, so not sure if he understood what he was saying, or if like so many in the media, who now mention city “spent shitloads on the team” but still say “but its all Pep’s doing that city are top”
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pg who is richard sharpe, is he the swashbuckling solider who came up through the ranks etc etc
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We are solid eddy I have no doubt – the cycle of football will turn again
*paul Merson though – he is an idiot
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yes anicol, Merson is indeed an idiot, but I think he has it right about AFC needing £500M worth of players to be top dogs. City, Utd and maybe CFC can and will all keep spending at levels above AFC, even if we contend that they over pay for many of these players, they will get enough of them right, or like city already do, keep buying till they do, where and how can Arsenal close the gap enough so that we lead the lot of them.
AFC can not buy big, have the guy flop, and just go out and buy bigger to replace him. We might be able to do that once or twice now and again, but we are no where near the money needed to have an arms race
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This team has played some brilliant football this season. This team has several world class players in their number. It’s a very bad patch at the moment. Goodness knows why but it is. We will turn the corner against Milan….
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if we don’t Georgaki-pyrovolitis then rest of the season is going to be very very ugly, and I think it would see Wenger replaced.
as I always say, there are two main routes to sorting out this sort of thing
1. replace the under performing players with much better ones
2. replace the manager and bring in a few players
can you see why no.2 is the usual route taken by the clubs
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Early footage of Arsene rallying the troops.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SDYkONnfCw
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I think maybe we underestimated what effect Giroud and Walcott and yes, Alexis leaving in the middle of the season would have. When you’re struggling, you want to fall back on the familiar. But now we don’t have much familiar. Auba and Mkhi don’t have any benchmarks, any muscle memory, with the rest of the team or vice versa. This pressure cooker doesn’t seem to be the optimum place to develop it, either. I understand and respect all the reasons for it, but my word do I wish we hadn’t sold Olivier in January.
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jesus george the season would be over by time our lot catch up with Wenger and Per
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Chambers was asked
on if there was enough fight and spirit…
“Listen, we fight. We don’t go into games with our heads down. We go in fighting and look to win every game. It’s always been the same here. Things just haven’t been going for us at the moment.”
Sounds like the players are fed up with their fighting qualities being continually questioned
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/cechs-message-fans-deserves-lot-respect#fYIbjbmQM2SPQBSJ.99
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/cechs-message-fans-deserves-lot-respect#w21hLUlOJaGbPcIh.99
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its all right passenal, Gary Neville has now questioned CFC’s fighting spirit too, (v Man City)
now if only AFC and CFC had snapped him up when he became available after Valencia
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I see Chelsea are in crisis
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seen this tweeted earlier, and its something I have touched upon in recent weeks.
It is interesting that this season none of the hierarchy are showing support of Wenger like last year.
not a word from Sir Chips, or Ivan, – Josh Kroenke gave a big interview last week and never gave an support to AW. our majority shareholder rarely speaks out, and its not really a surprise that he has not spoken on this either, but Ivan and Sir Chips surely should be front and center. that they are not, hints at a lack of support for our manager from the Board. And if that is the case, then its very likely AW will be our manger for only 9 more BPL games.
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yeah anicol, they will have to win the CL to save their season.
by the way if they do, and we win the EL, and both AFC and CFC finish outside top 4, then the 4th place team would drop out of CL and back to EL, wouldn’t that be a great thing to happen to spurs, even if its at the expense of CFC winning another CL
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afcstuff
@afcstuff
Thierry Henry on if Arsenal’s loss was surprising: “No, because I expected it. That’s what bothers me the most. They have a big game on Thursday. You have to try to be positive but was I surprised today? No.”
Henry on wanting to be Arsenal manager: “I’m a competitor. You don’t back down from a challenge. When I came back to Arsenal [as a player], everyone said ‘you can only tarnish your legacy’.”
imagine some actually want him to be AFC manager
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If I didn’t care so much about the club, I might want The Ego to get the job just to show him up for the self-involved fraud that he is. Like many of the anti-support they think managing a team in this highly competitive league is a doddle. The man has no experience or credentials to manage a top team. If a man with all the experience Wenger has is struggling, I’d really like to know what that prancing prima donna thinks he has to offer other than his over inflated opinion of himself? Like they say, those that can, do and those that can’t, sit on a couch in a warm studio talking out of their arses. He should ask his mate Gary about that one.
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Passenal if we had emojis on this blog, my response to that would be a whole bunch of clapping hands.
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Chelsea game from when I joined it seemed to neatly encapsulate many of strengths and weaknesses of a very defensive approach.
It kept them in game till end, when they could have found an equaliser, though they never got close.
No guarantees, but it massively reduces chance of a heavy defeat, and they are always painful, and invite huge derision etc from fans and pundits.
But…it looks awful to be behind in a big game as a big team and still be immensely cautious about committing any numbers forward.
Not just looks either. Effectively when picking your philosophy as a coach or club you are also picking your poison for the bad times.
At the extremes, an attacking philosophy leaves you looking too vulnerable, ripe for picking off by the savvy or clever; a defensive philosophy can result in holding off when it seems there’s at least as good a chance to get your result by pushing on, or the even worse, holding well back when behind, even though this seems to contradict the essence of the sport at its best, can look terrible, is hard to watch, and is all done on the basis of just maybe, just maybe if we stay in it something can happen for us.
If anyone (nobody here) wants us to become a brilliant defensive team again, they should understand it would involve sights and matches like that. As well as holding off more than seems necessary against lesser teams.
That’s what a proper defensive team looks like, and that’s ‘after’ they have completed the process of building a team like that, with existing players and new ones brought in specifically to play that way.
Conte for instance wouldn’t be able to immediately get us playing like that, nor as they did in a good effort which almost worked against Barca the other night. Chelsea have an unbroken line of playing like that sometimes or a lot through a season right back to Mourinho’s first spell.
Those are the two extremes, which leaves out a lot of middle ground, but I believe all coaches are at heart one or the other, and the majority, especially now, are defensive, though this is heavily obscured by money and its impact in ensuring the pragmatic choice for defensive coaches at wealthy clubs is more often than not to be more attacking, though still with caution, than defensive, so long as they believe they are the better team by some margin.
It will be relevant to our future when Wenger’s time finishes, whenever that may be. Will we try modifying the attacking approach only slightly, or a lot?
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Apparently, none of them attended the game Eduardo either, or so it is reported, so can be treated with a degree of suspicion.
Not sure what the board are supposed to say, but share your concerns, and firmly believe this is wengers last season, at least as manager, at this club. Not sure how I feel about that, I respect the guy so much. If the players and indeed our manager and coaching staff also believe this, it would explain a lot of what’s happening on the field, this could be seismic. Is our post Fergie funk happening before the manager has left?
As for Henry as manager, I really hope not. But it is said the Kronke family are fond of him. He picked sky over his coaching role, his prerogative, but.
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Mandy I’ve never known for it to ever happen that a member of the Board did not attend a game, as clubs actually invite each others board members to the game. Normally at least one club ambassador(ex player such as Rice, O’Leary) would be brought along too
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conte reply to the punditry of redknapp and neville
“I think in this moment you have to accept every critic, but I am not so stupid to play against Man City open and to lose 3-0 or 4-0.
If I remember well, a few days ago, Arsenal played twice against them and then you criticize a lot Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger because they concede 3 goals in only 30 minutes.
I think that the pundit has to use the head to understand when you speak about tactics because I think that you must have knowledge to speak about tactics and not only to speak tin a stupid way.”
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you couldn’t make it up
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many have expressed concern about the ability of the AFC board to find replacement for Wenger when he goes but quick look around the media outlets & what do you know they have more than 10 managers set to take over I know the board rate AW, but do we really need 10 to replace him
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Loads of managers, David oleary Peter Reid, or wob faves like coyle, Moyes.
If change is coming, the board have to be very careful, things seem now, but the wrong choice can make things worse. Spurs went through years of muppets before getting a decent one, albeit a media PGMOL assisted cheat.
Untold did a study, a change of manager is no guarantee of an upsurge of fortune unless you keep changing, and throwing money at it, like Chelsea. And that, Stan isn’t going to do.
I believe change is coming, but fans are going to have to be a bit patient, as we know ,a clear quality of arsenal fans.
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Why is Thierry Henry even in the conversation for the Arsenal manager’s job? I guess being on TV at Sky is a better career move as a coach than you know, actually being a coach.
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How does one explain the turning of silk purses into pigs’ ears? Sure one of the s.p. squad now plays in blue….but that doesn’t work for the rest. Buggered if I know and I’ll certainly not comment on some reports claiming to have all the inside gen.but how did the euphoria of the Jan signings and re-signings disappear so fast?
I can at least reflect on worse times and the gooners and their fans bounced back, so still good reason to keep the faith, hard that it may be at the moment,
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