From James Doolan :Monaco match
Just a quick message witha few observations on last night.
I was at the match, as I have been for the vast majority of Champions League games since the competition’s inception.
This was the worst Arsenal performance I have seen.
We knew what Monaco would do. Keep it tight for 45 mins and wait for Arsenal to blow themselves out and/or completely run out of ideas.
The first goal was a bonus, I was looking straight at Mert as that went in and his indecision was palpable. Push out ? Don’t handball it ? Don’t leave space behind because I have no pace ? Frozen in no mans land. The guy was always going to get a shot away.
Monaco scored again by doing what they did all game. Attack the space directly either with quick forward passes or runners carrying the ball.
Coq has done well but was this a night for Flamini ? On 80 mins something strange happened: the crowd actually started chanting; for about 10 seconds. Then Ox came on and gave the ball away cheaply, with Monaco nearly scoring. Then Ox scored. Then Ox lost the ball cheaply and the total absence of a defence meant Monaco scored.
In between that I saw three defenders all chasing back at full tilt, including Mert, yes, actually sprinting. It was like a reverse charge of the light brigade.
How did our entire defence find themselves the wrong side of a player cutting in from the right channel ?! That apart, in terms of our play, no width, but also no one playing the channels.
Sanchez, Santi and Ozil actually do the opposition’s work for them by crowding each other out.
The programme last night contained a cardboard pop-out Arsene Wenger.
They should have put it in charge of tactics.
From Brendan: Monaco
Hi Myles.
Geoff Marks is spot on in his observations.
I have absolutely nothing to add. Tactically naive, conflicted and constrained.
I don’t ever want to see Ozil in an Arsenal shirt again.
Something that always annoys me intensely is the fawning nonsense people talk about the English league being “The best in the world”.
Occasionally, an English team raises itself to greatness on the European stage – Manchester United’s ‘golden generation’, the Chelsea of Cech/Drogba/Lampard etc. Even the Arsenal “invincibles” couldn’t do it..
The fact is that the English league is certainly not the best in the world and now that in France the dodgy money is turning some clubs into potent forces we have to reckon with four other leagues (Spain, Germany, Italy and France) from which there are clubs which are certainly better than any English ones.
I will not be at all surprised if no English team makes it through to the last 8.
Have a good day.
From Haroon: They they they
Shocking performance, Myles.
I’m still short for words.
This was a massive opportunity.
Great draw. Home leg. 10 wins in 12. Attacking players all available.
What happened was a disgrace.
And for Wenger to blame the players after the match shows he is a coward.
It’s HIS fault they were not mentally ready. HIS fault they were defensively suicidal. HIS fault we didn’t settle.
e’s the manager. He’s paid 8m+bonuses to do this. It’s a disgrace. We are a laughing stock across Europe. Giroud had a bad game.
But the lack of runners pacifies Ozil. We neutralise our own player.
What a joke. I’ve never rated Ospina but he should have saved the third goal
From Stuart Laws : we learn so much more from defeat!
Actually Monaco played well – 4 centre halves, v 3 central strikers.
We played into their hands. Not a lot with the team Wenger picked, but if after half time the players didn’t correct it themselves by giving width, they should have been hooked.
I don’t get the mentality of the team, when we go one down, it’s always as if it’s the last minute of the cup final!
We were 1-0 down with over 135 mins to play…even at 1-2, take it…why risk 1-3 and be out??!
Players have surely been told this…
The biggest thing wrong with the team over the years has been we have tried to replace the Vieira and Petit combo with 1 defensive midfielder! Who the hell could do that?!?
We had 5 defenders, 5 all out attackers. Need a midfielder that can do both alongside FC, who can sit when it’s required.
Paul Clement interests me….of course you are right about his reign under Wenger…but under Wenger and then to REPLACE him…would be an interesting plan.
Anger and disapointment are not enough anymore.
From goonergerry : the psychology of failure
Arsenal must be the most psychologically fragile team in the ECL.
The main reason that a complete regime change is needed is that the collective psychology of this Arsenal team is driven by fear deriving from the repeated experience of failure in key games.
Once that first goal goes in- especially by a fluke- the players are beaten in their heads.
When you get 2 completely different sets of players displaying the same basic weakness over a 10 year period- the common factor has to be the manager over that period who has had total control over playing matters.
Arsenal are not going to be successful again by spending money or buying the best attacking talent in the world-but by appointing a top manager, a new training regime playing tactically advanced football- who values defence as much as attack.
And by adopting a different playing style altogether.- and developing a strong collective psychology born out of success.
From Soop : it’s not Wenger’s fault – it’s the team!
Hey Myles, I trust you’re well.
With the fallout from yet another predictable Groundhog Day at the Emirates, I can’t even get angry or annoyed about it anymore – haven’t done for a long while.
However, one thing I’ve noticed which is getting worse, is how Wenger is becoming more critical of his team following this kind of collapse.
He called the defence “suicidal” and “naive” post-match.
This is unbelievable. The gall of the man!
Watching with a mate, we both commented several times that Wenger just sat there, for 90 mins, doing absolutely nothing. Nowt. Nada. Just hands-in-pockets sitting on his ass. Then he has the temerity to blame the players for ballsing it up.
If it wasn’t so tragic it would be hilarious.
This team, like the manager, are incapable of actually LEARNING anything.
The game at Man City showed the potential is there, but it was just another false dawn.
This manager just won’t ever learn, and he will always be found out against a more tactically aware team, as we’ve seen time and time again over the last few years.
As long as he keeps getting an easy ride form the fans, nothing will change, and let’s be honest, he gets the easiest ride possible.
Mourinho was spot-on – a specialist in failure.
Myles says
The Arsenal players are his sons.
And his big family of sons are always the same age, between 20 and 30. In the Nineties and the Noughties, and into the second decade of the 21st century, Arsene’s sons are still the same age, almost all of them still aged between 20 and 30, although Dad’s a lot older now.
He’s affectionate with them. He’s loyal, paternal, indulgent, very forgiving. Like many fathers, he’s far too soft with his sons, so they take advantage.
I realised this in November 2000 when Wiltord went clubbing the night before the Moscow Spartak game.
But he still played. And Arsenal were smashed 4-1 that night.
27th February 2015