[Carolina Red]

Fred was one of our better players

I know, that’s what I’m saying.

It’s like people have it in their heads whose fault it’s going to be before the ball is even kicked.

 

[Irwin99]

Disappointing but I honestly don't think Arsenal were that good and if we had been on top of our game we would have won pretty comfortably. A slow start harmed us but we could have scored and gone on to win. Some poor decision making cost us big time (Rashford especially). Looking at the remaining fixtures Spurs look the more realistic team to catch.

Thought Fred had a decent game (penalty incident aside).

That move we made at the end of the first half would have been such a great goal

 

[Majima]

Why are we a bunch of pretenders? Why were we complacent? Why - apart from your completely unjustified, inane, knee-jerk bullshit, does Rashford need to be benched? Matic did little wrong, and was coming back from an injury. Should he never come back in case he's sluggish?

Should I go on?

Rashford should be benched because he's been off it ever since he played through an injury vs Liverpool. It's not just today. He's been poor for weeks now.

Be real. I'm not calling for Matic to never come back but he might as well not have today. He was a total passenger. I don't care that he's just coming back. If he's not on it, bring someone else on.

 

[Get In Scholesy]

Also, I want to add that this type of performance should be expected when you treat advancing into the final 8 of the Champions League as the pinnacle of your season.

 

[bosnian_red]

Before de Gea's mistake, Lukaku missed a relatively simple chance to put us 1-0 up. We can't blame anyone but ourselves today. We take our chances and we win this game.

I agree with your general sentiment.

I don't expect them to win every match, but the only team we were outplayed by today was ourselves. So forgive me if i'm not ready to accept the loss just like that.

Shit happens though. This wasn't about not being prepared. This was just one of those days. Sometimes you don't have that bit of luck and end up hitting the woodwork twice, missing a few sitters, sometimes the ref gives a BS penalty against you or you goalkeeper makes a big uncharacteristic mistake. It's just "one of those days". That's it. Nothing else. No reason to go more into it. These sort of things ALWAYS happen eventually, just like every winning run eventually runs out. It's about not overreacting to a loss that we still generally played pretty well in after a slow opening 10-15 minutes.

 

[Harry190]

So...with the new rules, does Lacazette get a 2-match ban?

 

[Carolina Red]

We were shit, start to finish.

We really weren’t. We outplayed Arsenal, we just didn’t win.

 

[Majima]

That's just something you've imagined though. If you listen to the players you'll be able to see it's not reality. It's just how you rationalise an unfortunate loss

Maybe, it's something to keep in mind next time. Don't post straight after a match :P

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Had a feeling it was going to go like this. We definitely had chances but, they played well too. At about the 57th minute, I was thinking ok, Martial is going to come on any moment now but, for whatever reason Ole kept waiting and waiting. They were there for the taking in the 2nd half and just needed that bit more but, he didn't pull the trigger till too late. Couple games now have noticed he seems to wait a bit too long to make subs.

Only silver lining is after the high from Wednesday, this just bring us back to reality and know we have hell of a fight over these last 8 games to get into the CL spots.

Think rushing him back too soon,like Lingard,springs to mind. It was sensible;long warm up and see how the game was progressing.We didn'tlook like getting anything out of the game tonight and I think everyone on the bench knew it

 

[wolvored]

Sometimes when everything goes for you, something will bring it crashing down. After Chelsea dropping 2 points it was there for the taking. Dont know what went wrong today but everything was flat. We could have played another hour and I dont think we would have scored. We need to beat City now and hope Arsenal and Chelsea lose, otherwise its back to 6th.

 

[Drawfull]

Rashford should be benched because he's been off it ever since he played through an injury vs Liverpool. It's not just today. He's been poor for weeks now.

Be real. I'm not calling for Matic to never come back but he might as well not have today. He was a total passenger. I don't care that he's just coming back. If he's not on it, bring someone else on.

Fine, maybe we make subs, but that's not what you implied at first dude. With regard to Rashford, he has not been at the same level as before he did his ankle, but he's been far from shite. Who would you have played in his position and in his place (not only today)?

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Maybe, it's something to keep in mind next time. Don't post straight after a match :P

Or don't post at all in the post match thread

 

[shamans]

We still need some quality players/squad depth to compete.

 

[Still ill]

Interesting that I missed McTominay today.

 

[Johnnyredboots]

Its massively frustrating to go 3 months on a hot streak and not really go anywhere in the table. Yes we cut the deficit down but after only one loss we are looking at potentially being in 6th.

Bad day.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Does anyone have a list of ours,Chelsea's and Arse's next few games?

 

[deadrevelz]

Post Match interview:

Incredible from Ole. He just walked out looking stoney faced and started laying into Pogba, Rashford and Shaw for costing us the game. Then he said the press should respect what he's done, before ripping off his mask to reveal it's actually Jose!

 

[Joseunited]

That was a nice win for us even though we played about 20% of our level. Not really sure why people here were confident of beating us when all 3 goals against PSG were fluke. I don't think we had a lot to fear.

We're almost certain to get top 4 whereas the other three (United, Tottenham and Chelsea) have got a few difficult games coming up.

You have the cheek to call our goals fluke,a typical deluded Arsenal fan.Cut you to ribbons countless times.You beat us, you got lucky, end of.Nothing to fearpricelss,you lot were all over the place at times.

 

[PlayerOne]

It happens, players were off their game and Arsenal were well up for it. We still had the better chances and the ref ended the game with that stupid pen decision.

 

[GM K]

Lucky pen and even luckier shot getting shifted by the wind

Many will complain about John Moss, but honestly the real culprit is Lukaku tonight. Should have had 2.

Oh come on mate, why must the culprit be Lukaku? Why Lukaku all the time? Pogba was not in the game. De Gea would have caught that ball on a good day even if there was a typhoon. Fred kept losing the ball. We can blame the ref for the penalty all we want but Fred's initial needless loss of the ball in attack led to the pressure that led to the penalty. How about Rashford? Where was Matic? Lindelof was very lucky his error did not lead to a goal. I thought Lukaku showed up despite his miss. He held up pretty well. He was largely starved of the ball by the midfield.

 

[Heinzesight]

So...with the new rules, does Lacazette get a 2-match ban?

Been asking the same. I should hope so.

 

[VorZakone]

Ozil dissing Lingard on Twitter?

 

[Inigo Montoya]

No legs in the midfield, Matic was woeful and Pogba not in the game. Maybe its time to give mctom more playing time as he marks players much better.
Rashford hero and villain in two games.
We needed to buy a good engined midfielder in Jan.

Jan???

I was hoping for summer!!

 

[Rajma]

Meh, obvious hangover from the psg game as we looked tired and lethargic coupled with a drained squad and Arsenal being incredibly lucky on the day resulted in a loss. Still a lot of points to play for for all teams.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Hope Arsenal go out of the EL on Thursday, then everything will go back to normal in their little universe.

 

[Rajma]

Its massively frustrating to go 3 months on a hot streak and not really go anywhere in the table. Yes we cut the deficit down but after only one loss we are looking at potentially being in 6th.

Bad day.

You have to thank Jose for that and Woodward not having a bottle to pull the plug much earlier.

 

[GM K]

Sad part is this arsenal side has no business in the CL. Bunch of bottlers, will just waste a position in CL.

It's not over yet. Arsenal will still be Arsenal.

 

[Majima]

Shit happens though. This wasn't about not being prepared. This was just one of those days. Sometimes you don't have that bit of luck and end up hitting the woodwork twice, missing a few sitters, sometimes the ref gives a BS penalty against you or you goalkeeper makes a big uncharacteristic mistake. It's just "one of those days". That's it. Nothing else. No reason to go more into it. These sort of things ALWAYS happen eventually, just like every winning run eventually runs out. It's about not overreacting to a loss that we still generally played pretty well in after a slow opening 10-15 minutes.

That's true, i've been following football a long time. I know how it goes.

It's just hard to take when you feel like they should have done better.

 

[Cardiff_Boy]

One of those days. Game we needed to draw but there you go. Arsenal got the easiest run in but I am still hopeful of the top 4. Spurs and Chelsea are bound to drop points. It's been a painful game but been one hell of a ride so far.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Ozil dissing Lingard on Twitter?

Notice you did your usual impression of The Invisible Man

 

[Bocca9978]

We were shit, start to finish.
Not sure what game you were watching?
Should have been 3-1 up at half time, even with DDG forgetting to move and save. They had one shot on target.
Second half was ours other than a ridiculous penalty.

2-0 flattered Arensal.

 

[Majima]

Or don't post at all in the post match thread

What is your problem? Following me like a bad rash. If you have got nothing to discuss, then don't @ me at all thanks.

 

[Livewire1974]

Sack Solskjaer, sell Pogba.

 

[Leftback99]

I wasn't expecting a win like most were but it was frustrating not to get anything with the way the game went. We've rode our luck in other games but it went against us today.

We need to get out of the habit of starting slowly every game and our ball retention needs a lot of work.

 

[deadrevelz]

He didn't bring Rashford off sooner. He didn't do anything to help control the ball in midfield (change Pogba's positon? Ask Fred to drop deeper? Instruct the team to keep the ball for awhile instead of losing it so frequently with risky passes and high press?) He didn't change our formation or tactics to help deal with the compressed central space in the Arsenal half or to exploit the space behind their wing backs. He made the wrong sub bringing off Dalot, and the wrong sub bringing on Greenwood.

Players may let the manager down, sure. But he has to react to a game clearly not going our way. If we had taken our early chances the game would have been different, but we didn't and they dried up in the second half. And Ole didn't react well enough, where he should have been proactive.

They didn't dry up in the second half until the penalty. After we are 2-0 down, Emery takes off a forward and the team sits back. Which sub should we have brought on to solve this issue? Fred was the only player trying to find a pass, but apparently he was terrible and should have been subbed off or dropped deeper...
The passes weren't high risk they were poorly placed.
I was surprised Dalot came off, but that was when Arsenal were sitting back so his pace wasn't working as well. Greenwood was brought on because he has tight ball control around the box.
Not saying Ole was perfect, but the idea he was tactically outdone is silly. Arsenal were the better side for about 20 minutes and neither goal should have happened.

 

[GM K]

Interesting that I missed McTominay today.

I think McTominay would have been a better option to Matic today. Matic was off pace. McT's energy would have been very useful for us.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

What is your problem? Following me like a bad rash. If you have got nothing to discuss, then don't @ me at all thanks.

I'll reply as I feel sweet cheeks

 

[Paxi]

It's not a hangover ffs... If people think that then your mentality is fecking shit. We got beat - end of.

Saying that, can we really fault our players? The answer is: NO!

Sometimes you see the true character in the manner of the defeat and tonight it rings true.

 

[goin4glory]

Decent performance but some individuals not good enough.

 

[Majima]

Fine, maybe we make subs, but that's not what you implied at first dude. With regard to Rashford, he has not been at the same level as before he did his ankle, but he's been far from shite. Who would you have played in his position and in his place (not only today)?

I think i must not have made it clear enough then. I was discussing his performance today.
With regards to Rashford, i'm not sure. Greenwood couldn't have done any worse than him today. If he needs a rest, we should give it to him tbh.