The miraculous away win we needed today did not happen. In all honesty, Bayern were the better the team and controlled the game from start to finish. What really impressed me is how high up the pitch they press and force you to give the ball away, thus controlling the possession and the game. I wish good old Wenger would apply press like this, but that will never happen. Our pressing is always a bit chaotic and inefficient with some players not covering their responsibilities. We did a good job of not conceding in the first half, but except for a couple of really good runs from Oxlade, we were constantly under pressure and had a tough time getting the ball out of our own half.
Once they scored in the second half, you knew it was all over. I am glad Podolski scored a nice goal (even though his push on Lahm was probably a foul) and we at least got a draw, but the reality is that we were outplayed. One of my biggest regrets is that we never tried to sign Guardiola when he left Barca. He would have been the perfect coach for us and Wenger could have passed the torch to him.
It has been obvious this season that Arteta definetely struggles against quick passing teams. He is just a step behind and is forced to foul with sliding tackles. Flamini on the other hand is a bit faster but his pressing is god awful - his favorite position is 5 feet away from the player, with hands on his quads and just pointing to other defenders where to cover - never closing the distance to the player with the ball. We need a solid presence in the middle of the pitch for next season!
Oxlade has to be a starter in every game we play from now until the end of the season!!! He is the only guy with enough pace and dribbling ability who can cause chaos in the opposing teams defenses. He gives the ball away cheaply at times, but he makes up for it with effort and tracking back.
Ozil's effort on the pitch continues to be a joke! I had such high hopes when we signed this guy, but i can't stand watching him dragging on the field. Just look at the video below and tell me if this guy is playing with any effort and desire?
Once they scored in the second half, you knew it was all over. I am glad Podolski scored a nice goal (even though his push on Lahm was probably a foul) and we at least got a draw, but the reality is that we were outplayed. One of my biggest regrets is that we never tried to sign Guardiola when he left Barca. He would have been the perfect coach for us and Wenger could have passed the torch to him.
It has been obvious this season that Arteta definetely struggles against quick passing teams. He is just a step behind and is forced to foul with sliding tackles. Flamini on the other hand is a bit faster but his pressing is god awful - his favorite position is 5 feet away from the player, with hands on his quads and just pointing to other defenders where to cover - never closing the distance to the player with the ball. We need a solid presence in the middle of the pitch for next season!
Oxlade has to be a starter in every game we play from now until the end of the season!!! He is the only guy with enough pace and dribbling ability who can cause chaos in the opposing teams defenses. He gives the ball away cheaply at times, but he makes up for it with effort and tracking back.
Ozil's effort on the pitch continues to be a joke! I had such high hopes when we signed this guy, but i can't stand watching him dragging on the field. Just look at the video below and tell me if this guy is playing with any effort and desire?
Not to mention, to see him sprinting is a miracle. If we are trying to press teams, forget about counting on him to close people down. Until he starts putting effort and desire on the pitch his place is on the bench:
I was actually impressed with Wenger subbing him at half time and i hope it was because the lack of effort, not because of the hamstring injury that he supposedly has.
We have only the FA Cup and Premier League left to focus on now with the FA Cup being our top priority. If we have to be realistic, we will have a tough time catching up Chelsea at the top considering the run of games we have coming up. Our team is just not good enough at the moment. I think with a few good performances we can stay in the mix until the end, but i don't see us pulling out the Premier League.
FA Cup on the other hand is our best chance for a trophy and if we don't win it, i don't think Wenger should come back. I am not saying Wigan, Hull and Sheffield are bad teams, but if we can't beat these guys to win a trophy, we might as well forget about winning one anytime soon. The pressure will definitely be on us, but these guys have to finally show some balls and perform.
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