Live Match Discussion 2017/18

[MARKakaJIM]

They'll get slapped by Real if they play like they did tonight. Roma had enough chances to take that to ET.

At the same time if Real play like they did in the two games against Bayern they won't be doing much damage to anyone.

Liverpool were trying to be far too direct today, midfield never really got up the pitch and the front three just didn't click with Firmino having a poor game. If they get back to their usual ways they could completely blitz Real through the centre of the pitch, Bayern just walked through them in the last two games.

 

[Dublin Drummer Wolf]

Definitely. They had loads of crosses into space that ended up being blasted over from 25 yds out when they had players in the box. They seemed to panic tonight, as did Liverpool.

 

[Alan]

Is he? Can't say as he's ever really stood out for me, capable of the odd moment of magic just as countless others are but I don't see anything truly exceptional about him.

Think the second legs of both semi finals were ultimately disappointing, high on energy but low on quality.

He's not used to best effect by Di Francesco tbh, he's been pushed further forward but he's most at home as a sort of Arturo Vidal #6, but he's better going forward than Vidal ever was. However that's not where you ideally want him to post up because then you lose some of his bite.

 

[Boozad]

Bad news for Koscielny, looks like his season over.

 

[Tredman]

Fred will be distraught

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Bad news for Koscielny, looks like his season over.

If it's as bad as it looked to be, it's not the kind of injury you want to be getting when you're coming up to 33. Might not just be his season over.

 

[Boozad]

If it's as bad as it looked to be, it's not the kind of injury you want to be getting when you're coming up to 33. Might not just be his season over.

I did think that to be honest, he looked in absolute agony and his injury record over the years doesn't do him any favours. Arsenal will need a couple of quality centre backs next season in that case as Mustafi, Chambers and Holding are nowhere near good enough.

 

[Alan]

Why is Simeone up in the stands again? Did he get a ban?

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Solid ball watching from Bellerin, appalling lack of awareness.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You see it in nearly every Arsenal game, there are so many weak points across their backline whether they play a back three or four. They don't have any organisation at all and no steel in front of them. They haven't even played too badly here but you know they'll switch off at some point and teams like this just score against you when you do.

 

[YoungWolf]

Awful from Bellerin. Doesn't change too much in sense that Arsenal still need a goal but a bit of a killer for them after a pretty solid first half. Midfield three had done pretty well, just needed to find Ozil more often in final third I felt.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Awful from Bellerin. Doesn't change too much in sense that Arsenal still need a goal but a bit of a killer for them after a pretty solid first half. Midfield three had done pretty well, just needed to find Ozil more often in final third I felt.

Good luck with that in a big game. :icon_lol:

 

[Johnny75]

Awful from Bellerin. Doesn't change too much in sense that Arsenal still need a goal but a bit of a killer for them after a pretty solid first half. Midfield three had done pretty well, just needed to find Ozil more often in final third I felt.

I think Atleti are letting them play. Every time Arsenal try and get beyond the first line of Madrid defence the attackers are closed down otherwise it's all XI behind the ball and hitting Arsenal on the break whenever Danny Welbeck tries to control the ball.

Madrid at a canter tonight.

 

[YoungWolf]

Lol.

 

[PuntsWolf]

You say he’s switched off, but he was never switched on! As soon as the pitch is flipped with the long ball. You should be trying your best to get in close to your CB. Particularly when they have possession in your third! Instead he’s ambling back (probably hoping they’ll win the ball back and he can attack) and has no idea whose around him. You’d get pelters on a Sunday for that.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You say he’s switched off, but he was never switched on! As soon as the pitch is flipped with the long ball. You should be trying your best to get in close to your CB. Particularly when they have possession in your third! Instead he’s ambling back (probably hoping they’ll win the ball back and he can attack) and has no idea whose around him. You’d get pelters on a Sunday for that.

Again it's such a common theme. Their back four is perpetually disconnected from each other, like he's just picked whichever four defenders he fancies and sent them out there with no work on the training ground. None of them seem to talk either.

Have the best defenders in the world if you like (and these emphatically are not) but if they're not properly drilled then you'll pay.

 

[Tredman]

Such a shame the way Bellerin has turned out, was potentially a really world class player. But has gone massively backwards.

 

[YoungWolf]

Is Mkhitaryan a fitness doubt or something, why is he on the bench by Dat Guy Welbz??

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Again it's such a common theme. Their back four is perpetually disconnected from each other, like he's just picked whichever four defenders he fancies and sent them out there with no work on the training ground. None of them seem to talk either.

Have the best defenders in the world if you like (and these emphatically are not) but if they're not properly drilled then you'll pay.

I don't think any coaching would've stopped that goal, it's all on Bellerin's lack of awareness, there were two players behind him as he started to push out but even when they lose possession and he starts to track back he doesn't make any attempt to check where those players are, it's just a token effort to amble back into some sort of defensive position. As you often see with the likes of Wilshere and Ramsey in midfield, they've just got no discipline, all they ever want to do is go forward and they have no interest in thinking about the other side of the game.

The mentality of that whole side is awful, it's like a kids team that just wants to do the 'fun' part of the game and nothing sensible or practical.

 

[Boozad]

Whoever takes over will have one hell of a rebuild on their hands.