Arsenal Post Match Thread

[dww]

I thought Henderson, while neat and tidy, offered very little a lot of the time, especially round the box. I don't think he is ready to be first choice yet.

I thought the main problem was transitions from defense to midfield/attack and pressuring/defending higher up the pitch. I suspect we need to play more together as a unit - Henderson and Adam in particular need to play more games within the current formation and tactics IMO.

[Paddy]

Love this picture

[RichC]

I thought the main problem was transitions from defense to midfield/attack and pressuring/defending higher up the pitch. I suspect we need to play more together as a unit - Henderson and Adam in particular need to play more games within the current formation and tactics IMO.

Be quite interesting to see what our actual 1st 11 will be when everyone is fully fit, you'd think both Gerrard and Suarez would be automatic starters, not so sure about Johnson at the moment though.

We've got some serious depth in the squad now

[Fredo]

I thought the main problem was transitions from defense to midfield/attack and pressuring/defending higher up the pitch. I suspect we need to play more together as a unit - Henderson and Adam in particular need to play more games within the current formation and tactics IMO.

I thought we were leaving too many gaps after we lost the ball from an attacking position. We don't seem to be compact enough, IMO - compared to how we played under Rafa.

[dww]

I thought we were leaving too many gaps after we lost the ball from an attacking position. We don't seem to be compact enough, IMO - compared to how we played under Rafa.

I think that is a deliberate tactic - aiming to allow us to have more space to create in. There were times though when the back 6 of Adam, Lucas + back four set up in a very disciplined way. Individual problematic decisions from Lucas and Adam broke that up sometimes though. My suspicion is that the problem lies with Adam who seems a bit ill disciplined, or at least not great at tactical reading of the game, and is either lazy or unathletic in terms of getting back into position.

[Muddled]

I thought the main problem was transitions from defense to midfield/attack and pressuring/defending higher up the pitch. I suspect we need to play more together as a unit - Henderson and Adam in particular need to play more games within the current formation and tactics IMO.

I think our transition from midfield to attack improved with Suarez and Meireles; if you look at the first goal, Suarez plays the ball to Meireles without even looking up - they seem to have that understanding. Going back to your original point though, I think we played some nice little triangles that incorporated Agger. However, Henderson & Adam do need to work on their play in our system; Henderson seems to run out of ideas when in the final third and Adam seems to back off when defending. It should also be noted that Henderson makes some terrific runs off the ball, but nobody found him - I think Gerrard could exploit this, but can't see how they would be in the same team together.

As for pressing high up the pitch, I think that will come with games and fitness, but I also think we were comfortable in backing off to create our two banks of four, then breaking.

The only thing concerning me from yesterday was Downing on the right and Kuyt on the left. Kuyt looked lost when on the left and a lot of our progressive play came to a halt when the ball reached him. Yes, it's good to have options and Downing cutting in from the right is one of them, but surely not to the detriment of the balance of our team.

[dww]

I think our transition from midfield to attack improved with Suarez and Meireles; if you look at the first goal, Suarez plays the ball to Meireles without even looking up - they seem to have that understanding. Going back to your original point though, I think we played some nice little triangles that incorporated Agger. However, Henderson & Adam do need to work on their play in our system; Henderson seems to run out of ideas when in the final third and Adam seems to back off when defending. It should also be noted that Henderson makes some terrific runs off the ball, but nobody found him - I think Gerrard could exploit this, but can't see how they would be in the same team together.

As for pressing high up the pitch, I think that will come with games and fitness, but I also think we were comfortable in backing off to create our two banks of four, then breaking.

The only thing concerning me from yesterday was Downing on the right and Kuyt on the left. Kuyt looked lost when on the left and a lot of our progressive play came to a halt when the ball reached him. Yes, it's good to have options and Downing cutting in from the right is one of them, but surely not to the detriment of the balance of our team.

I thought the problem with Kuyt was that he was too deep. I think it often has been when he has been in midfield. I think the sending off and introduction of Meireles did have a big impact. Not sure how indicative that was of anything long term though - Frimpong was doing a good job defensively and his loss contributed along with our changes.

Personally I think part of the problem is that Adam doesn't make space deep or offer himself enough and as a unit the midfield doesn't offer enough high odds out balls for the man in possession. Doesn't help that players look too quickly to release Downing down the wing or Carroll up fron t with long, often easy to cut out, balls.

[Mostar]

Nicked from Pepe's official facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepe-Reina-Oficial/129509713785828#!/photo.php?fbid=181499701920162&set=pu.129509713785828&type=1&theater

Comments are in reference to his pic on the train going back home to Liverpool

hi friends!!!

Here I am!! I am looking forward with this new season and this team!!!! Coming back to Lvpool with 3 important points and a great match of our team...keep going lads!!!! YNWA!!!!

[Mostar]

Couple cool gifs if anybody wants them for as your avatar

[Exiled_red]

Don't normally watch the Sunday Supplement, but just listened to 20 minutes of Arsenal/Wenger talk, not a single mention of LFC and their great performance. Dicks!

Goals on Sunday said we didn't play well...

[Shaggy]

Goals on Sunday said we didn't play well...

[Exiled_red]

Are you suggesting Chris Kamara doesn't know his stuff

[RedReet]

I thought Lucas had a poor game - he was turned/run past several times and his positioning seemed a bit off on the few occasions Arsenal players played neat quick passes in midfield. It was a nice run and good ball for the goal though.

I didn't think we played particularly well but overall our defence held up really well as a unit. Better result than performance IMO.

I think poor is extremely harsh. It certainly wasn’t one of his best games, and he definitely looks a bit leg weary but overall I thought he done ok. He let Nasri get by him to easily a few times and was unable to keep up with him, but as I said I don’t think he is 100% yet. I’d need to watch the game again and for some reason it didn’t record again on LFC TV this morning, but I do remember him making 4 or 5 good tackles earlier in the game that went completely unnoticed. That’s always been a problem with fans perception of Lucas, they overlook the good far too often and focus purely on the bad. He won ten tackles during the game, 1 less than Ramsey, Nasri and Frimpong combined and formed part of a defensive unit that barely gave Arsenal a sniff. Bar them couple of times when he couldn’t keep up with the runner from midfield, I can’t remember him doing much else wrong.


I also think it’s a bit of an insult to Kenny and the players to say it wasn’t a good performance. Obviously I wasn’t in the dressing room to hear Kenny’s words but I imagine the players gave him pretty much what he asked for. I fully expect that he didn’t tell the players to go out gung-ho and take the game to Arsenal but to keep things tight, keep Arsenal quiet and try to nick a goal. I also think we fully deserved the win and were good value for the 3 points, so can’t accept that an away win in a ground we’ve never won at is anything but a good performance.

[RedReet]

Goals on Sunday said we didn't play well...

So we matched Arsenal, the pass masters for possession at their own stadium. We came up against Vermaelen in the form of his life, with Sagna also excelling at LB. Put 2 past Szczesny who hadn’t previously conceded a goal and has having one of his best games in goal for Arsenal according to the commentators. We contained one of the Premierships best attacking teams and rarely looked like conceding. We also created a few other chances that we should have maybe did better with (Meireles, Henderson, Kelly). And all this was away from home without our two best players for most of the match.

Aye, we were ****.

[Chris]

Goals on Sunday said we didn't play well...

If we can restrict Arsenal to one clear cut chance (which was a foul anyway) and deservedly win the game by more than one goal on their own ground when we dont play well then we are pretty incredible.

I suspect if that was Villas Boas and Chelsea yesterday they'd be hailing it a "tactical masterclass" and Man Utd "Thats why they win titles".