Why we lost today...

[einar]

We defend in two banks of four, generally quite deep.

It's easier to beat a man when you're attacking at pace on the counter but the fact is we're always too deep to be really effective on the break (particularly without Bellamy). It means that we give the oppositon time to regroup then give the ball to our winger and effectively say "there you go lad, beat two players and get a cross in"

And this whole long diagonal ball thing is ridiculous, is it reasonable to expect a winger to beat his man when he has to take the ball down on his chest with the defender on top of him ?

How about the player who passes the ball to the winger make a run into space and get the ball back, a la Kuyt and Pennant in the Bolton game?

[Craig_H]

I think he was going to come on if we were in with a chance, a last throw of the dice if you like but not able to play at maximum level for more than 10 minutes or so. Of course he could have been risked in an emergency.

I'm sure he was abot to come on before that 3rd goal went in.

I thought that having shown little sign of threatening them AND needing two goals, something like the 55 minute mark would've been apt.

Even had the 3rd not gone it, i felt Rafa had left it far too late. His pace and movement was what we were BEGGING for.

[Rosco]

How about the player who passes the ball to the winger make a run into space and get the ball back, a la Kuyt and Pennant in the Bolton game?

Exactly, we rarely do that.

We had a few performances this season when we've done it and we've taken tems apart.

I think it's Rafa's infatuation with keeping a solid shape that inhibits us in that respect.

I always look back at the first Leverkusen game as evidence that we can play pass and move football at a high tempo.

[einar]

Exactly, we rarely do that.

We had a few performances this season when we've done it and we've taken tems apart.

I think it's Rafa's infatuation with keeping a solid shape that inhibits us in that respect.

I always look back at the first Leverkusen game as evidence that we can play pass and move football at a high tempo.

I think Rafa wants them to do that all the time.

And why he cant get them to do it all the time really worries me.

[Owen20]

For me, we made a couple of really bad errors, and were severely punished for them.

The 2nd goal - I'm sorry, but the defending was SHOCKING! & also, I believe Dudek could have stopped it.

The 3rd - Sorry Carra, but you should put the ball out of play, and if it was put out of play, there wasn't really any imediate danger.

Once Henry was free, we were always in trouble... BUT, I really think Dudek should have stopped that too. The more I see it, the worse the "Goalkeeping" looks

We were having a great spell, just before their 3rd, and I really felt we were gonna grab an equaliser, but like i say... we got punished for our errors.

Arsenal weren't that great tonight, but unfortunately, neither were we.

Looking on the bright side... at least the games will start to ease up, now we are out of a major cup competition. Not that that's what I wanted... far from it, but it's the only positive i can take out of tonight's game

[FowlerLeftFoot]

Pennant had a good game, he was constantly troubling the arsenal defence but the strikers are not attacking the crosses and put themselves in the correct positions.

[Red_Polo]

Getting a really quality winger is definitely the top priority when it comes to the transfer market. Like you said Syd, we struggle to break teams down when they defend deep. Even in more balanced game situations we very rarely get beyond a team's back line. We need players that can get the opposition defenders doing what they hate to have to do - turn and run towards their own goal. At the moment we just don't have enough of those players and it limits us.

[IanTatt]

the fact we played with 8 men cost us the game. Crouch, Garcia and Pennant are so unafective is untrue. Until we replace these players we are always going to come up short against the top teams. We need some ******* wingers..