Arsenal 2-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[Carsy]

Then it comes down to whether you are pushed back or sit back. Until their first goal I'd say it was the latter which is tactical rather than as a result of opponents play. We've done it a lot this season including games we've won like Newcastle and Everton aswell as those where we've notably shelled points like Leeds and last night. On balance I think it costs us more than benefits

All fair points. I agree.

I guess what I’m saying is (I could be wrong) but from some of the comments it’s as if we were awful and struggling. We’re in with a decent chance of top 6 which no one would’ve thought at start of the season. I guess I’m in the camp of being very happy with the season so far and don’t feel the need to be entirely negative. Disappointing to lose Ofcourse but some comments seem to think it was a shit show. I’m not in that camp

 

[Tony Towner]

If it was a season review thread then that's fair comment. It's not though it's a verdict thread on one game, which we managed poorly.

 

[AndyWolves]

I didn't watch the game but I always think playing 3/5 at the back can make you more defensive by nature. To give the wingbacks chance to get forward you need to have possession of the ball. If we get pressed high then we can look a bit toothless / outnumbered upfront unless because the wingbacks become fullbacks

Maybe 4 at the back would see us try to play a bit less defensive by having 1 less defender!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Man U Liverpool and Arsenal gave all done us in injury time this season . Shithousery is fine if it works but for us it doesn’t . Mind you nor does trying to defend for 80 mins against a big six team .

United scored after 80 minutes against us.

 

[Johnny75]

United scored after 80 minutes against us.

Following a mindbendingly abysmal decision not to send Pogba off

 

[YoungWolf]

I didn't watch the game but I always think playing 3/5 at the back can make you more defensive by nature. To give the wingbacks chance to get forward you need to have possession of the ball. If we get pressed high then we can look a bit toothless / outnumbered upfront unless because the wingbacks become fullbacks

Maybe 4 at the back would see us try to play a bit less defensive by having 1 less defender!

The way we play it it causes us to play deeper for sure. We got stuck playing out because we weren’t brave enough to play through the middle (or as Mark said, Neves/Moutinho didnt show enough for it). Forces us wide where the opposition can trap us or we have to try and play down the line with a straight pass which is easier to defend.

if our season peters out I’d definitely look at a back four (or at least playing a lot higher and playing through the middle of the pitch more in our build up) but as we’ve seen previously us playing a back four suddenly looks ridiculously gung ho for some reason.

 

[slink]

Mind you nor does trying to defend for 80 mins against a big six team .

Seen this a few times from lots of fans and it just isn’t the case. We didn’t try to defend for 80 minutes. Arsenal were tactically and individually better and we struggled to build from the back and the forward players didn’t hold up anything played in to them.

 

[YoungWolf]

Seen this a few times from lots of fans and it just isn’t the case. We didn’t try to defend for 80 minutes. Arsenal were tactically and individually better and we struggled to build from the back and the forward players didn’t hold up anything played in to them.

We got penned in and had no answer so settled for sitting off them.

the front players had very little opportunities of the ball coming into their feet or even back to goal. Often in the air where even if Hwang or Raul got the first contact the flick on just went to an arsenal player because we found ourselves too far away. Hwang scares me with the ball in his own half, I will say that though.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

That change was with 14 minutes left to go and we'd already used two subs. Not sure what we were supposed to do to 'counter it' (Nketiah was shite anyway, he didn't do anything).

His run created the first goal didn't it?

 

[The Bion]

Hwang scares me with the ball in his own half, I will say that though.

Agreed. He was far from the only one but he can be very loose with the ball - already seen what can happen against Villa

He does work hard and can clearly finish, but got some rough edges to work on. Would trust Bruno to help with that.

 

[Carsy]

If it was a season review thread then that's fair comment. It's not though it's a verdict thread on one game, which we managed poorly.

Fairs. I’m just trying to be positive. That’s all.

 

[slink]

We got penned in and had no answer so settled for sitting off them.

the front players had very little opportunities of the ball coming into their feet or even back to goal. Often in the air where even if Hwang or Raul got the first contact the flick on just went to an arsenal player because we found ourselves too far away. Hwang scares me with the ball in his own half, I will say that though.

We didn’t go out there with that idea though, it was forced on us by Arsenal being better and pressing us effectively. Even then we did try to press high at times and it actually worked but not sure were brave enough or mobile enough to do it as much as we needed.

Podence did get it to feet a few times and we looked a threat. The service wasn’t always there but i thought Hwang and Raul just didn’t pick up good spaces or were too slow to react quite often.

 

[Lupo]

Boing Boing... CUNT

 

[Alan]

Maybe Arsenal can serve as a lesson in patience... They looked hopeless under Arteta for a minute there but he's slowly turning them around.

We give up on things too quickly. Except Oskar Buur.

 

[prawnking]

Arsenal are a pretty detestable team and manager. They'll get theirs

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Boing Boing... CUNT

If ever a photo could make you want them to miss out on 4th place - even if it means MU get it - and Pickford to be England’s number one that is it. Classless.

 

[WsWolf]

After calming down from last night, I'm still gutted but feel that we still aren't far away from really putting it all together. Neves and Moutinho didn't really get hold of the ball and the ball was then pumped up to our forwards where Raul just isn't as effective as he was when on top form, probably because he's still not quite there in terms of sharpness from a year on the sidelines.

He used to do so much with his back to goal and surrounded that we have come to expect that as normal when it wasn't, it was world class. He had very little service tonight but should have scored with the chance he had and then it's pretty much game over from there. Finishing in the top 4 is still possible for us if we can get Neto back to his old self and Raul hits his stride but the minimum really should be challenging for the top 6 based on where we are now.

 

[PuntsWolf]

If he plays instead of Hwang we don't score at all and lose 1-0.

It was a system problem last night and that's on Bruno.

We needed a midfielder on instead of Hwang or Pod at the start of the second half if the aim was to only defend.

If we'd have pressed at the start of the second half like we did in the first 10 minutes of the first I think we score again and the game is done.

We are a good side and we need to trust in our own ability more.

I don't think 3-4-3 suits Hwang at all. He can't play out wide and is far better off the shoulder of the last man in the middle. He was too far away from Raul.

On the plus side Pod seems to like Hwang making those runs and his ball through was genius. Good save from Ramsdale.

I'd rather us go 3-4-1-2 with Pod in behind Hwang and Raul against Wham.

I agree. It was more of a reference that Traore could have come on for the last 30 and offered more than zero, which probably would have been enough for us to get a result. I certainly wouldn’t have started him, no.

 

[PuntsWolf]

And on the “shithousery”. It doesn’t get added on at the end, that’s the point.

They scored in the 95th minute.There was 6 subs, two of which took forever and a goal. 4 minutes tends to get added on as standard when there’s 6 subs. So they’ve added two extra and we probably comfortably wasted 9 minutes, easily in profit on the time keeping.

I don’t like it, and that goes for any team. But until something is actively done to stop it then it will happen in every game for every team when the result is remotely close.

Not sure why people are getting wound up by that picture? He’s not shouting in Neves’ face. He’s about 10 yards away celebrating a big win.

 

[t3ch]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1497121077205557251

Some more fine refereeing here.

I remember half-seeing that one live but thought it was too blatant to have not been called and that surely I saw it wrong.

It looks even worse watching it back!!