Arsenal (H) 10/02/2021 7.45pm Build Up & Match Thread

[Tony Towner]

They've scored 1 goal this year and havent won, we should have a good chance if we play towards our peak. Like all our games I'm sure it'll be tight, probably 1-0 either way

 

[Sniffer]

We've won 4 out of last 5 in all competitions, are at home, and go above them if we beat them. They haven't won in their last five but are still favourites.

Wolves 9/5 - Draw 21/10 - Arsenal 5/4

On paper the bookies have it wrong.

 

[sycophantia]

Yeah nothing to be afraid of over the next 5 games, thats not to say we'll end them with 10-12 points, we could of course end up with 4-5, probably 50/50 for all of those games.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I still don’t understand the dendonker hate in. Is he in the neves/Moutinho bracket. Ofcourse not.

For where we are as a club I don’t think he’s a bad squad player. Serves the purpose of that. We’re not a team who’s going to have 3 or 4 neves or Moutinho ability players for 2 positions.

That given, played as an advanced centre mid is laughable, but that’s really in the manager, not the player.

He's an oddity Dendoncker. Signed as a defensive midfielder/centre half and then ended up as the midfielder that gets pushed to attack most, particularly when used in a three, ahead of more talented players.

The first game I remember him starting this season, just before Christmas I think, he actually played well I think as a direct replacement for Neves or Moutinho in a midfield pair. Certainly as well I can remember him playing for a long time but then he's been bought back into his weird, semi-attacking role as part of a midfield three since and looked as much of a square peg in a round hole as ever.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He's started 9 league games this season:

Southampton (A)
Aston Villa (A)
Leeds (A)
Burnley (H)
Liverpool (H)
Man City (A)
Chelsea (H)
Southampton (H)
Brentford (A)

Not sure I'd mark any of them out as a good display. He was alright against Liverpool I suppose in the context of us as a team barely trying to attack all game.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

He's started 9 league games this season:

Southampton (A)
Aston Villa (A)
Leeds (A)
Burnley (H)
Liverpool (H)
Man City (A)
Chelsea (H)
Southampton (H)
Brentford (A)

Not sure I'd mark any of them out as a good display. He was alright against Liverpool I suppose in the context of us as a team barely trying to attack all game.

Burnley was the one I was thinking of.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I thought he was decent against Brentford, i know many didn't.

A 7/10 performance, he was involved in both of goals (simplistically) he made a lot of interceptions, recycled the ball, and was a physical presence. It was his best game for a while for me, but not a high bar as he's not got himself involved in games enough for a long while.

 

[YoungWolf]

He was absolutely fine against Brentford. He has been in most games. Problem is for most he's such an unimaginative player. He makes good run into certain spaces which is what Nuno and Bruno have tried to take advantage of but he doesn't have a creative bone in his body. He's fine with the game in front of him generally and he's good in the air. I have no issue with him as a squad player.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Problem is for most he's such an unimaginative player.

Yeah that is exactly it, he never does anything out of the ordinary, he never smashes a tackle, never hits a brilliant shot, or a attempts a good through ball, switch of play. He's just dull, and I guess makes good decisions. The latter part is probably why managers like him as he does exactly what they expect (although Bruno obviously didn't feel that against Norwich.)

 

[Jinky]

We're doomed anyway now that Bruno has won MOTM.

 

[The Bear]

We're doomed anyway now that Bruno has won MOTM.

We got that curse out of the way against Norwich hopefully.

 

[Carsy]

Would love to have your confidence . Not sure about this game at all .

Could well be misplaced. But with how we set up as a team and how they do, and personnel etc we have nothing to fear and should be confident.

the sort of team where trincao and Podence should be able to find pockets of space to get on the ball so I’d hope to see us be fairly creative and create a good few chances, without removing our defensive structure.

 

[Jolemai]

We got that curse out of the way against Norwich hopefully.

Depends on what year it is. Sometimes it counts for the next game, sometimes it's the next league game...

 

[Jinky]

Depends on what year it is. Sometimes it counts for the next game, sometimes it's the next league game...

Where's Cyber when we need him?

 

[Jolemai]

Where's Cyber when we need him?

Cosplaying a different poster?

 

[Dinowolf]

I thought he was decent against Brentford, i know many didn't.

A 7/10 performance, he was involved in both of goals (simplistically) he made a lot of interceptions, recycled the ball, and was a physical presence. It was his best game for a while for me, but not a high bar as he's not got himself involved in games enough for a long while.

The play for the first goal was a run by Semedo who passed to Neves, who passed to Moutinho, who did a one-two with Semedo and put the ball in the net.
The second goal was Dendonkey in the corner who passed back (his main skill) to Podence, who passed the ball forward into the box for Semedo to run onto and from the bye-line Semedo passed across the box to RAN who passed inside to Moutinho who then passed it to Neves who put it into the net.

Not much of an involvement, certainly not enough to keep repeating it. He really isn't that good, just a decent engine.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Was he not involved in both goals?

Were we not discussing Dendonker's form?

Odd post, and the childish little nickname you gave him underlines that. Particularly as i was far from being complimentary about him overall, you seem desperate to criticise.

 

[BillyDee]

We got that curse out of the way against Norwich hopefully.

Isn't it a PL award? Presumably the curse only applies to PL games...

 

[Dire Wolf]

On Dendoncker: by PL standards he's a step below average most of the time. He has performances where he elevates his play to a 6 or 7/10 level and some where he drops to a 2 or 3/10, but generally I'd say he's a 4 or 5/10 player which isn't good enough. He doesn't do much really, really badly but the problem for me is he just doesn't do much at all. Apart from run around and be a warm body that the opposition have to take into account. He doesn't pass particularly well, he doesn't make great runs, he doesn't tackle well, he doesn't score, he doesn't have loads of energy so he's always involved... He is just on the pitch. And I can't for the life of me see what meaningful contributions he makes to the team on a consistent, game in game out basis. I'd be happy to see him replaced by anyone who has even one attribute that can contribute more.

 

[Dinowolf]

Was he not involved in both goals?

Were we not discussing Dendonker's form?

Odd post, and the childish little nickname you gave him underlines that. Particularly as i was far from being complimentary about him overall, you seem desperate to criticise.

No he wasn't involved in both goals.
He was barely involved with one goal as I've explained above, in my "odd post".

IMO his form is poor compared to the rest of the squad. We need better.