Arsenal 2-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[MARKakaJIM]

He was that bad against City, Doherty was swapped with him positionally. We haven't seen him since have we?

Barely managed a few minutes at the back before he was pushed further forward out of harms way, looked an absolute liability.

 

[YoungWolf]

Yeah he shouldn’t any anywhere near the team anyway. The fact Doherty has played ahead of him tells you everything. Sad though. Such a good footballer and steady performer before the injury against Olympiacos.

 

[Jinky]

MOTD highlighted last night that Bellegarde lost (or didn’t track) his man on both goals yesterday. I quite like him, but this isn’t the first time he’s not done the defensive side of his job properly and it’s cost us. I imagine GON and the coaches will be working really closely with him in training to improve that.

I also agree with Slink. We’ve got to do something about these slow starts. We’ve managed to get ourselves out of trouble a couple of times, but you can’t give a side like Arsenal a 2 goal headstart because we’re still in the dressing room & expect to get something from the game. It’s a worrying trend & i’m not quite sure how you ‘train’ that out of a team, but that’s why GON is paid the big bucks, I guess.

 

[Alan]

This wasn’t quite the same “slow start” as previous matches, IMO. Arsenal were just that good for the first 20’.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Perhaps ask Arsenal to not quite start so fast? Honestly Jinks you are being a bit silly there. Arsenal were simply shit hot the first twenty minutes

 

[Haggstone]

Perhaps ask Arsenal to not quite start so fast? Honestly Jinks you are being a bit silly there. Arsenal were simply shit hot the first twenty minutes

Maybe Arsenal went at us hard because they have noticed we have been slow starters of late? I agree with Jinks on this one. It needs resolving.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Arsenal are just a better side. The slow start comment isn’t a factor at all yesterday

 

[Alan]

Arsenal went at us hard because they’re one of the three best teams in England! What are we even talking about here?

Sometimes the other side is just better than you. This wasn’t at all like the first half against Luton.

 

[Jinky]

Why are people unable to differentiate between Arsenal being bloody good and us being slow starters? Bizarre argument.

We've conceded in the opening 10 minutes in each our last three matches. That's a pattern that needs resolving, irrespective of whether Arsenal are decent or not.

 

[Tony Towner]

Why are people unable to differentiate between Arsenal being bloody good and us being slow starters? Bizarre argument.

We've conceded in the opening 10 minutes in each our last three matches. That's a pattern that needs resolving, irrespective of whether Arsenal are decent or not.

Is 3 games a pattern or a statistical blip? Prior to that we'd only conceded 1 goal in the first 15 mins.

 

[The Dude]

If he was just picking the money up he'd have declined the offer to go on the pre season tour like Podence did. He was given the option, he chose to go. You wouldn't do that and leave your family if it was just about cashing the cheques. Without looking it up I'd imagine he's been on the bench for most games this season, when a very obvious chance for him to play came up the manager chose an over the hill, overweight lump, playing on the wrong side to come on instead.

What evidence do you have to back this up? That's how it works with you isn't it?

 

[Tony Towner]

What evidence do you have to back this up? That's how it works with you isn't it?

If you want to find the e&s podcast where it was discussed at length during pre season then feel free

 

[Haggstone]

Arsenal are just a better side. The slow start comment isn’t a factor at all yesterday

I think it is a factor.

 

[Jinky]

Is 3 games a pattern or a statistical blip? Prior to that we'd only conceded 1 goal in the first 15 mins.

Gary O’Neil himself has commented on it, so yeah.

 

[Johnny75]

Is 3 games a pattern or a statistical blip? Prior to that we'd only conceded 1 goal in the first 15 mins.

Over the last few games we look slow out of the blocks in the first half. For the first 4 games we were slow out of the blocks in the second half.

 

[Derby Wolf]

Tbf we could have easily been 2 down at Fulham inside 15 minutes if Raul just got his head down and tried to finish instead of trying some twatty flick.

That being said, it's only a recent problem. G'oN got it all wrong against Fulham and yesterday we looked better once we switched formation again so maybe it coincides with the structure.

 

[Tony Towner]

I think Danny Murphy did a good job pulling apart the goals. Whether that's a slow start or just shit defending I'm not sure.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The pattern I want us wiping out is conceding every time off a simple cut back like it's Pro Evolution Soccer 2. The Spurs and Fulham openers were way too easy and it happens far too often.

Neither goal yesterday was in that bracket, there's a case for looking at some of the tracking from the midfield two (who were both very poor for an hour) but they were more good football by Arsenal than anything else, with Saka getting fortunate on the first that it bounced his way in the challenge with Dawson.

 

[Tredman]

The pattern I want us wiping out is conceding every time off a simple cut back like it's Pro Evolution Soccer 2. The Spurs and Fulham openers were way too easy and it happens far too often.

Neither goal yesterday was in that bracket, there's a case for looking at some of the tracking from the midfield two (who were both very poor for an hour) but they were more good football by Arsenal than anything else, with Saka getting fortunate on the first that it bounced his way in the challenge with Dawson.

Not sure we conceded the first with Lamina and Gomes playing.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Not sure we conceded the first with Lamina and Gomes playing.

I agree. In games like this we can possibly afford to lose one, not both.

I like Doyle and Bouba (both very young and with not much football behind them) but they don't offer anything like the same thing.