Closed Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

[DYC. 7,542]

FA Cups and Community Shields, baby!

[laeth 527]

In addition to some other stuff, I posted this in the match thread at half-time. I was true then, it is true now and it's been true for months now, even years, depending on how you choose to look at it. That's why I simply can't be upset by this game or the way we played.

What have we seen so far that we DIDN'T see in the 2nd half of the season? Or for majority of the 2013/14 season? Against big sides, specifically in the CL?

* Is it hopeful lobs to no one in particular? Or wingers playing as fullbacks, spending more time in the opposition half?

* Or 3-4 passes in our "built attacks" then a player hoofing it to no one in particular? Or passing it to Ivanovic to cross the ball to no one in particular? Or ZERO shots on target for over 70 minutes?

* Or Ramires being an automatic, unjustified starter? Or Hazard receiving the ball in bad positions, before being crowded out?

I can go on.

This was all predictable to anyone who knows quite a bit about football and the history of Jose Mourinho, the manager. No signs of practicing organised attacks, instead a brief period of dominance then an overreliance on individual brilliance of 1 player. Whether it's Drogba, Milito, Ronaldo, now Hazard. When the team became "defense + Hazard" for the 2nd season in a row, I knew we were headed in the wrong direction.

We all wanted to blame it on "fatigue", but that was only part of the problem. The bulk of our problems lies at the feet of the manager. The technical quality of most of our players has gone down the drain. We now rely on instictive talents of our attackers to win us games instead of anything coached on the training ground. That might work against smaller, weaker teams, but against stronger sides, it won't.

I know many people in this thread will start blaming individuals again, I won't because I know better. Our players are MUCH better than they have shown today. I know what they are all capable of and I know why they've played the way they did today. I refuse to blame any of them.

I'm not that surprised Roman has failed to back Mourinho in the transfer market. Signings will have been a temporary solution to a permanent problem. We will be lucky to scape 3rd place this season. CL? forget about it. At the first sight of a big team, we will park the bus and be humiliated again like against PSG and Atletico. We might win the FA cup, but that's about it. Time to wake up. This team is already on the decline under this manager.

That is the biggest load of bollocks I've read in along while. Mourinho is the best manager in the world. End of story. This post is so out of touch with reality it's embarrassing.

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

Didn't play poorly at all. Quite the opposite, really. We outplayed them for the most part.

Just couldn't finish some easy chances.

Positives: Matic was a beast, Courtois was a wall, CB pairing weren't troubled too much, Willian started well, Cesc grew into the match.

Negatives: Ramires, Ivanovic, our backup strikers, and our general lack of creativity in the final third.

WE NEED A COUPLE OF SIGNINGS STILL! But I doubt we'll make any attacking signings at all so we better get used to this if Hazard and Cesc are struggling.

That's what Arsenal would say

[different level 1,056]

We continue our losing streak in the Mickey Mouse cups which started with the loss against City in August 2012. I won't lose any sleep over this...Time for the real football to start.

[iseah100 5,612]

Cue people saying Arsenal will win the league even though we thoroughly outplayed them. Azpi got burned. Also, Tibo>Cech

[CMS 382]

Why was the team so uninspiring? Hazard? Fabregas? Ivan, not one single cross went inside. Wrong passes everywhere, players just strolling all over the place. The whole team was pathetic.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Not at all concerned, if anything I'm quite encouraged by the second half.

Arsenal took their one good opportunity; we created plenty but unfortunately couldn't take them.

Falcao had some good moments and I think, with time, he will settle in to play a decent role for us this season.

I was also happy with the performances of Willian and Ramires, and Oscar also gave us some extra flair and verve when he came on. Courtois couldn't do anything with the goal, which was a smashing finish, but was otherwise excellent.

I couldn't care less about the result; it's a glorified friendly that Arsenal are celebrating as if they've won the Champions League. We improved as the game went on, and with every passing minute we looked slicker and fitter. This was a very, very useful pre-season test for us and I'm encouraged by the second half performance.

What you have to consider is that Arsena l have been back in pre-season training for some time - by the time we played our second pre-season game, against PSG, Arsenal had already played four matches. They started the brighter and probably benefited from being back in England for some time, whilst one or two of our players might have been struggling with jet-lag.

I'm not going to criticise any individual player because it's pre-season and all we need to take out of these games is fitness. It won't be until two to three games into the season before the players even start to attain mental sharpness, so one or two loose passes here and there can be forgiven as well.

Overall a satisfactory afternoon - if anything I'm looking forward to Arsenal wetting themselves about winning a pre-season competition. Only seven times in the last 23 years has the Community Shield winner gone on to win the Premier League.

It'll be seven times in 24 by May.

EDIT - I just saw someone say they were happy with this performance in this 'big game'. Big game? Next weekend against Swansea is the big game, my friend.

Edited August 2, 2015 by Alex

[iseah100 5,612]

Soooo...what about that Mickey Mouse trophy we have in our cabinet last season? (Capital One cup)

Mickey mouse? Having to beat 6 teams to get there is no mickey mouse trophy. Euro Supercup, and Arsenal's treble, those are mickey mouse trophies.

[Barbara 15,149]

I think we played well after we conceded. We went progressing and actually played well in the second.

Arsenal parked the bus, gave up playing until they brought Giroud, but all in all, we're still far from being match sharp, so I don't get why people are making statements about the season when this isn't a good parameter. They're sharper than us because they've been training for longer. They weren't superior, they took what they like to call the coward way to win matches, they defended for their lives after they got the lead. Which is ironic... that's the only concerning thing imo. Last season Wenger showed a little bit of this when playing us at the Bridge. If he learns how to give up their style for the benefit of winning, then they're probably going up a few steps.

I'm not worried, I'm not even pissed. Of course, would have loved if we won, but I'm not that disappointed or sad.

I think we're ready to play Swansea and win, we still have the Fiorentina game to sharpen even more. Not sure if we're ready for City in two weeks, but then again, it doesn't seem like they've been all that sharp either from what I've heard.

[Stingray 9,441]

Im just curious about stats. I don't think it was such a shambles. They got their goal early. We didn't hit the ground running but we kept chasing them in the second half. Didn't make it thought. I am not worried, especially seeing Hazard, Fab, .... were invisible. They aren't going to be like that much longer. Also, Petr made a few really good calls, how many Tibo had to make? Not that many tbh.

Our only worry now is depth of team. We need a CM that can do more than the likes of Rami. I wish we could get Oscar to a Brazil level, he does find Eden much more than the others.Also, If Costa is so injury prone, we better pray Remy and Falcoa are up to it. Also, we played Zouma as a left back now. What are our options there?

It was a nice study round for me. We didn't suck, but we aren't finished in our pre-season either. May the voyeur be ever happy with his silver. Let's win the title now.

:blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf:

[iseah100 5,612]

Who gives a fuck if we outplayed them?! It's the RESULT that matters. That's what we have been saying last season right?

Absolutely, but considering its still the preseason, a bit of work on finishing and this will continue to be the top team in the PL. We didn't play poor, that's what I'm saying.

[Roquila 1,335]

This is what happens if you sell arguably the second best goalkeeper in the world to your rivals.

Szezsaehtur would've never saved that Oscaf Freekick.

[HRiver 1,512]

Who even cares lol.

[Stingray 9,441]

We did fuck all today.. Arsenal deserve the win because we didn't turn up! Hardly threatened.. big Pete didn't have to do much!

Disappointed!

I actually think Tibo hadn't much to do as well.

[zinctek 462]

We dont improve ourselves and we gift good players to our rivals. Smh

its true, no matter what anyone says Chelsea have to be one of the most stupid football clubs ever to sell 1 of the best keepers in the world to a rival? Who ever signed that one off should be fired! i mean come on cech is still in the top 5 goal keepers and we go give them to arsenal! NO ONE in the premier league should have got him.

[Parky 739]

Everytime I put money on us to win we lose e.g 5-2 loss to Spurs, Loss to PSG in CL and now this game. Lesson to self don't put money on us.

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

Give the ball to Hazard FC

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

It's 4:00 am on Monday morning and Times like this. I need a girlfriend to release and get rid of pent up anger and frustration with intense fucking steamy messy sex.