Arsenal Match : Post game comments

[saveferris]

I am still incredibly annoyed about todays game. We knew that we could have closed the gap on our rivals ahead of us and we screwed up.

However I think today Rafa is in a no win situation and the criticism today is harsh. He sends out the team everyone expects him to pick given the squad available. He even changes the system so that Aquilani comes on for Mascherano (positive move), Ngog for Benayoun (another positive move).

The team plays well in the first half and leads so what can the guy say apart from keep it up lads, seriously everything is in his favour. We let in a goal and our composure and confidence is out of the window.

Today the players should have realised themselves that this was their chance to resurrect their season, it didnt need Rafa to say anything. We were beaten by a twist of fate against us and a wonder strike, but it concerned me that we werent motivated to make a game of it once we went behind and showed little creativity

So today Rafa got the team selection right, probably the formation based on he players he had right(tried and trusted formation), an excellent first half and a half time lead and the changes people would have wanted him to make. Yet because our players couldnt raise their own game he is getting grief. They are as much responsible for the result than the manager despite the criticism here, however they are as a collective. Johnson was caught out twice but there were 13 others that couldnt create a single chance between them.

Something I thought and Ian St John commented on was the crowd. As I wasnt there I cant say but in the second half on the TV all I could hear were the Arsenal fans, is that how it was?? If we want our team to raise its game then surely the fans need to play their part as well, this is the time to prove we have the best fans, not only when we have big European games or something to shout about. Doesnt this make us the same as any other sets of fans?

Rafa is getting the blame and the flack but its not his fault alone. We will come good, and improve this season with players returning and increasing match sharpness and fitness too i think our slump will end soon.

[-V-]

Joint 7th in the league and 13 points off the top in the season where we were supposed to go for the title. Only 7 wins from 16 games. FFS. Shocking and totally unacceptable.

This is not a case of the fans being unfairly critical, those players are not performing, Gerrard included. Nobody can accuse the fans of being harsh towards Rafa because this is not just a blip, everything from pre-season all the way to Xmas has been badly managed/organized.

[vlahka]

I'd like to point out to all those people that say sacking Rafa would be the worst thing for the club to do, but plenty of clubs that DID get rid of a msifiring manager actually bounced back with the new one. Chelsea's the most recent example.

I also echo what Operation said above. Sick of watching 1 striker and 2 defensive midfielders every bloody game all these years.

[Icon]

I also echo what Operation said above. Sick of watching 1 striker and 2 defensive midfielders every bloody game all these years.

Festive

[Nicey]

What's it like?

I feel so inferior with mediocre 24". Finishes off my day completely

It makes me happy everyday .. everyday

[Guest]

Joint 7th in the league and 13 points off the top in the season where we were supposed to go for the title. Only 7 wins from 16 games. FFS. Shocking and totally unacceptable.

This is not a case of the fans being unfairly critical, those players are not performing, Gerrard included. Nobody can accuse the fans of being harsh towards Rafa because this is not just a blip, everything from pre-season all the way to Xmas has been badly managed/organized.

Supporters don't give a ****. They leave the ground before the match has even ended. How strong a signal this gives to the players. ****ing turncoats.

[SimonNo7]

Supporters don't give a ****. They leave the ground before the match has even ended. How strong a signal this gives to the players. ****ing turncoats.

Perhaps it's just a case of the supporters showing as much passion as the players on the pitch, none or at least no way near enough (that and they want to be the traffic )

[Guest]

Perhaps it's just a case of the supporters showing as much passion as the players on the pitch, none or at least no way near enough (that and they want to be the traffic )

Don't think so. I meant in a team, when someone else's head drop, the other one must pick him up. Nowadays it's 'whatever, we're ****ed'.

Our club is as good as its supporters, as it is the ultimate legacy of this club. Sad to say that some of them are a ****ing disgrace. Just forfeit your season tickets and give them to other more willing fans.

[SimonNo7]

Don't think so. I meant in a team, when someone else's head drop, the other one must pick him up. Nowadays it's 'whatever, we're ****ed'.

Our club is as good as its supporters, as it is the ultimate legacy of this club. Sad to say that some of them are a ****ing disgrace. Just forfeit your season tickets and give them to other more willing fans.

Do you know one thing I have been thinking about, racking by brains trying to think what has gone wrong on the back of a superb season last season, and I know this is going to sound really stupid but, is a lot of the players were playing for new contracts last season, got them in the summer and then this season seem as if they couldn't care less. Coincidence or not?

[Guest]

Do you know one thing I have been thinking about, racking by brains trying to think what has gone wrong on the back of a superb season last season, and I know this is going to sound really stupid but, is a lot of the players were playing for new contracts last season, got them in the summer and then this season seem as if they couldn't care less. Coincidence or not?

You always have to reward your best players. It's the same in business, high performers should be rewarded appropriately.

Thing is, Torres missed a great chance yesterday, we should have had a penalty appeal when Stevie was fouled. Yet, nobody would pinpoint that. Football is a game of fine margins. The players and the supporters seem devoid of confidence at the moment.

The Anfield crowd gets riled up only for YNWA at the beginning. They don't seem to be understanding what the song means. It's easy to point the finger to the players.

[Leyton388]

playing two defensive midfielders is stifling our ability to go forward and attack. Its no good having two players in the middle that cant only pass back and too the side.

With the loss of Alonso and the injuries to Aquilani playing lucas and mash in the middle would have made sense at the start of the season, however it was very evident that it was not working early on and i dont understand why rafa has been so stubborn about it and stuck with mash and lucas in the middle. He should have tried moving gerrard back into the middle with mash and allow benni to play behind torres. After all gerrard learnt his trade in the middle of the park and was ****ing superb in that position.

[Guest]

playing two defensive midfielders is stifling our ability to go forward and attack. Its no good having two players in the middle that cant only pass back and too the side.

With the loss of Alonso and the injuries to Aquilani playing lucas and mash in the middle would have made sense at the start of the season, however it was very evident that it was not working early on and i dont understand why rafa has been so stubborn about it and stuck with mash and lucas in the middle. He should have tried moving gerrard back into the middle with mash and allow benni to play behind torres. After all gerrard learnt his trade in the middle of the park and was ****ing superb in that position.

But but but ... we were winning with two holding midfielders at half time and were completely on top.

[Leyton388]

But but but ... we were winning with two holding midfielders at half time and were completely on top.

i know i was talking about the season as a whole so far. We lack creativity and have no one pulling the strings in the middle of the park. You cant lose a player like Alonso with all his creativity and expect someone like lucas to step right in and have the same effect on the team.

Xabi was there last night and must have pissed himself laughing after the second half.

[SimonNo7]

You always have to reward your best players. It's the same in business, high performers should be rewarded appropriately.

Thing is, Torres missed a great chance yesterday, we should have had a penalty appeal when Stevie was fouled. Yet, nobody would pinpoint that. Football is a game of fine margins. The players and the supporters seem devoid of confidence at the moment.

The Anfield crowd gets riled up only for YNWA at the beginning. They don't seem to be understanding what the song means. It's easy to point the finger to the players.

I wasn't trying to say that the players shouldn't have had their contracts renewed, of course they should, I was just wondering if it was coincidence or could it be that some players think 'well that's me sorted for the next x years and as long as we get into the CL, which is a breeze I can just go at 75%.

[Guest]

i know i was talking about the season as a whole so far. We lack creativity and have no one pulling the strings in the middle of the park. You cant lose a player like Alonso with all his creativity and expect someone like lucas to step right in and have the same effect on the team.

Xabi was there last night and must have pissed himself laughing after the second half.

No, Xabi didn't seem to be a happy bunny to be fair to him. I'm pretty sure also that he still has a good relationship with Rafa, amidst all the speculation saying he's fallen out with him etc ..

I don't think it's as simple as that. There's a lack of belief, that's the main problem. Fans also don't seem to believe we can win a match. This is very dangerous, we're 10 points off the relegation zone and the tendency is pointing downwards.