PuntsWolf
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2010
- Messages
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A win is a win.
But that first 15 mins was beyond poor, the game could have been over. The lazy thing to say would be because we were playing 4 at the back, but that wasn’t the problem. The issue was the team collectively having absolute stinkers, they couldn’t compete a pass. And by the nature of having more men ahead of the ball we were easier to play through. With the 7-0-3 on the edge of our own area we just hoof to the front 3 and hope for the best, if they lose it it doesn’t matter. We can’t be so poor in possession as we were in that period. It also didn’t help that none of Neto, Podence and Adama were willing to do anything going back the other way and it was actually Bellerin and Cedric creating overloads meaning Kilman and Semedo were having such a tough time. Moutinho and Neves were too far apart as well so we’d gone from our usual 7-0-3 to 4-1-4-1.
We did actually settle into the game and it was at this point we gave them an absolute gift. Semedo didn’t play bad on the whole, but there’s still too much Sunday league play in his game. Same as against Villa, didn’t play badly but the goal is an absolute gift. Could have cost his manager his job.
We get back into it with the penalty. Great run from WJ and great pass from Podence. It’s something they wouldn’t have happened in 3-4-3. We wouldn’t have had two players close together. Podence didn’t have a good game today. Some moments he makes these things happen, but there’s not enough workrate and he’s too wasteful. We’re not a good enough team (certainly not against Arsenal, palace probably) to effectively carry a player and wait for the moment of magic.
Anyway we get in half time level with the man advantage. We then approach the second half the right way. Press them with the man advantage. But it’s a wonderstrike from João.
We manage the game really well and keep on pressing and more so when they are down to 9. Adama would lose it and then bust his gut to get it back. There was no way they could beat us if we pressed and we did.
The only way Arsenal could have succeeded was by bypassing the midfield and playing for seconds. They fortunately refused to do this so it was very comfortable until the end when they tried it and actually got the ball up the field.
Yea this was the most disjointed we’ve looked in that first 15 mins with a back 4. But it is was the way we were playing not what we were playing. Iron out the issues, be better in possession, more workrate from the forwards and we will be a much better team in the future. We need to keep persevering with it.
But that first 15 mins was beyond poor, the game could have been over. The lazy thing to say would be because we were playing 4 at the back, but that wasn’t the problem. The issue was the team collectively having absolute stinkers, they couldn’t compete a pass. And by the nature of having more men ahead of the ball we were easier to play through. With the 7-0-3 on the edge of our own area we just hoof to the front 3 and hope for the best, if they lose it it doesn’t matter. We can’t be so poor in possession as we were in that period. It also didn’t help that none of Neto, Podence and Adama were willing to do anything going back the other way and it was actually Bellerin and Cedric creating overloads meaning Kilman and Semedo were having such a tough time. Moutinho and Neves were too far apart as well so we’d gone from our usual 7-0-3 to 4-1-4-1.
We did actually settle into the game and it was at this point we gave them an absolute gift. Semedo didn’t play bad on the whole, but there’s still too much Sunday league play in his game. Same as against Villa, didn’t play badly but the goal is an absolute gift. Could have cost his manager his job.
We get back into it with the penalty. Great run from WJ and great pass from Podence. It’s something they wouldn’t have happened in 3-4-3. We wouldn’t have had two players close together. Podence didn’t have a good game today. Some moments he makes these things happen, but there’s not enough workrate and he’s too wasteful. We’re not a good enough team (certainly not against Arsenal, palace probably) to effectively carry a player and wait for the moment of magic.
Anyway we get in half time level with the man advantage. We then approach the second half the right way. Press them with the man advantage. But it’s a wonderstrike from João.
We manage the game really well and keep on pressing and more so when they are down to 9. Adama would lose it and then bust his gut to get it back. There was no way they could beat us if we pressed and we did.
The only way Arsenal could have succeeded was by bypassing the midfield and playing for seconds. They fortunately refused to do this so it was very comfortable until the end when they tried it and actually got the ball up the field.
Yea this was the most disjointed we’ve looked in that first 15 mins with a back 4. But it is was the way we were playing not what we were playing. Iron out the issues, be better in possession, more workrate from the forwards and we will be a much better team in the future. We need to keep persevering with it.
