That my friends is why Arsene can’t exist at the highest level, and part of the reason he’s off. The club went all out, purchased in some fancy red and silver flags, the fans came with their voices in full flow, but when push came to shove, we were undone by a long ball and another Koscielny big game mistake.
Wenger called the draw the worst result for Arsenal, and he’s not wrong. The only team to beat Atleti at home this season is Chelsea in the Champions League, they’ve kept 10 clean sheets in the last 11 games, and we’ve not been great on our travels this season.
Crazier things have happened, but you can’t help but think we’ve blown our best opportunity. We played seriously well in the first half, we dominated possession, we were ‘almost’ bullying them. Danny Welbeck was quite the scene, pulling defenders out of position, delivering wicked passes, and doing his ‘nearly enough’ thing with a few chances Auba would have buried.
Vrsaljko kind of spoiled the game. He picked up two bookings inside 10 minutes, fouling Wilshere and Lacazette with poor timing. That was never going to work for us, Atleti doubled down on defending, and we couldn’t find a way to make the significant gains we needed to kill the Spanish side.
We did take the lead on 60, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey had a lovely interchange, Jack looped a cross to the back post, Lacazette was on hand to score another Europa goal. A superb header.
Arsenal couldn’t hold out. Wenger didn’t find the magic to affect the game. He didn’t even think of bringing on some fresh legs to ruffle a tiring 10 man side.
You just knew we weren’t going to hold on. Danny Welbeck needlessly lost the ball deep in Atelti’s half, a hoofed long ball managed to find Griezmann, the Frenchman shrugged off Kos and made it count. A disaster. But ever so typical of Koscielny who has made a habit of dropping clangers in important moments.
It’s incredibly frustrating, part of me felt like we had a real chance yesterday evening. We were the better team, we played the best football, and we created the most chances. The other part of me knows we’ve seen it before. Back when we were only semi shit, Chelsea would let us play our way into a loss. It felt a little like that last night. This comment from Simeone was interesting.
“It’s really hard to play away at Arsenal – an extraordinary stadium, a spectacular coach in the opposite dugout – with 10 men. These Atletico players, the way they played and put up with the pressure was tremendous. The fans brought a positive energy to accompany our passion.
“You guys have no idea how difficult it is to defend. Football is about playing and playing is the fun part, but you’ve got to have balls to defend with 10 men for 80 minutes.”
I’d love to defend like kings and come away from 10 men down with the upper hand.
Is the game over? No. Is it going to be the fight of our lives in the next game? Yes.
What yesterday showed is that we have great players and we can mix with the best. Give the club a world class manager who can instill the right sort of discipline and maybe the hike to the next level won’t be quite so arduous.
As for Wenger, it is what it is. He’s not good enough, we know this. He doesn’t know how to manage a game. He doesn’t have the smarts to see out a result, or jump on it and break its neck. That’s why he’s going, no point in ranting on. Even if he wins the tournament, we know he’s washed up. I’m just glad that whatever happens, it’s over for him.
Also, Atleti weren’t that impressive. They landed the result from a poor mistake. One that we make too often. But the game isn’t dead. We still have something to play for, and on our night, we can do anything.
Fingers crossed for leg 2, #BackDoorTop4 is still on… we’re just going to have to do it the hard way. All we need is one goal, then it’s game on.
See you in Spain…
We play against 10 men for 80 min .uafa gave instructions for the ref to ensure we won yet we still can’t. If we were down to 10 men we would have excuses from here to xmas.
This team is crap
Leeds
We’ve seen it approximately 2,189 times.
It’s the best selling story since Harry Potter.
‘Arsenal: you know how it ends’
From the BBC
“Only Arsenal could concede a goal against a team not trying to score.”
LOL.
lol Leeds, they will regret the wenger style, them too.
Anyone who thinks that we should put a “b” team at Old Toilet this week end ??
Of course wenger won’t do it, obsessed by his will to (try to) beat Maureen…
Guns of Hackney
The offensive starters in my 1st X1 would be Lacazette, Aubameyang, Ozil and Mkhitaryan.
Welbeck is perfectly adequate to sit as offensive player on bench and you can
add as options Nelson, Iwobi and Nketiah to squad.
It is not ideal but there are more important priorities for next season.
“Rome is not built in a day”
The only manager not sucking Wenger off is Jose. He will love smacking wengers bum again.
Is it for the 17th or 18th time?
Sanchez to score!
Lose 8-2: The players let Arsene down.
Lose 10-2: The players let Arsene down.
Make a complete hash of a Semifinal against 10 men: The players let Arsene down.
——————-
Embarrassing work from the Arsene bumkiss squad
I’d like to see Koscielny put against a wall while a 60,000 thousand fans kick balls at his deformed face.
The result was shit, the players/manager were absolutely not.
Really? Wenger made no substitutions none. Who does that? In a European cup semi-final…against a top side like Atletico. They were sitting back absorbing pressure and made 3 substitutions while we had all the ball and made none. How could you not criticize him?
RR
It’s amazing that even after Wenger has been sacked they won’t hear a bad word about their messiah.
…worst of all, these people walk amongst us. Terrifying.
We needed to add a second goal or in the very least not concede an away goal, and we did not get this done. Koscielny’s mistake was an individual mistake, yes, but it was a bad one and he has been making silly mistakes all season. A manager more focused on defensive solidity would have probably replaced him in the XI at this point, and I’m not sure Mustafi would be starting under such a manager either.
Bamford
…replaced by who? Chambers…holding? Sheesh.
This is the Arsenal disease. Not enough talent in the pool and too many so-so layabouts.
Kos, Mustafi, Bellerin, Chambers, Mertesacker and Holding wouldn’t get near a top team.
Jack Wilshere was a complete zero for me last night, so much so that I think we should consider dropping him from the XI and going to a 3-5-2 next Thursday.
Said 3-5-2 would have Welbeck and Lacazette up top; Xhaka, Ramsey and Ozil in the center; Bellerin and Monreal as the wingbacks; and Holding, Mustafi and Koscielny as the CBs.
Playing with Wilshere is like playing with 10 men, IMO. He brings nothing.
Cygan!
Stepanovs!
Santos!
Silvestre!
Ospina!
Almunia!
Holy hell, Arsene can spot a defender.
What a joke.
Guns
Well, good point, but a different manager might have brought Holding along more or might have signed a more reliable CB in January.
“I’d like to see Koscielny put against a wall while a 60,000 thousand fans kick balls at his deformed face.”
That’s a lot of balls…
Bam
Actually I think holding has something. I don’t know what but I’m not writing him off just yet. I guess I like him. I hope he can recover from Wenger and make something for himself under a new guy.
I’ll always remember upson as the one who got away. He had it but…
Without Ospina’s heroics we would have lost 2-1 or 3-1 last night. Ospina, yes did conceded a goal but he was given’t any assistance by his defensive partners…
Yeah, I think Marko is right: no top manager on the planet would go 90 minutes in a European semi and not make a substitution. Even if only to bring on a fresh pair of legs ten minutes from the end. To point at the bench and say there was nothing there that could’ve helped us only further exposes Wenger, as he is the one responsible for the poverty of our bench, the poverty of our squad.
Would any manager not make a substitution? Seriously…anywhere.
Can’t believe that we were stupid enough to tie Ozil down to a £350,000 a week contract.
He’ll be 30 at the start of next season and has only gotten worse over the last 2 years.
WE
I think Ozil was wengers fuck you to the board.
Lets hope he can’t give carzorla a goodbye gift.
Ozil is literally earning around a £1,000,000 a game. Basically twice what Ronaldo and Messi get. Joke!
Marko
We were totally on top and creating chances. There was no need to make a change, everything was as we needed it.
GOH
Yeah agreed, last little laugh for him.
Fitting really as he’s been paying unreasonably high wages to our underperforming players for years now.
“We were totally on top and creating chances. There was no need to make a change, everything was as we needed it“
Arsene Wengers mantra as spoken by CC.
You can’t be serious when you say this can you, Charlie?
Playing with Wilshere is like playing with 10 men,
—————————————
…….and who exactly made the goal with a world class cross?
WE
Don’t even get me started on Diaby or Sanogo.
But Ozil is actually costing us around a million a game.
That’s Michael Jordan territory.
Iniesta to leave Barcelona in the summer and he seems to be ruling out any move to England. Maybe he’ll go somewhere where he can relax and get paid massively, e.g., China.
GOH
Bendtner, Chamakh, Park, Santos, etc.
All on bloated wages.
That insane socialist policy of his.
“What yesterday showed is that we have great players and we can mix with the best. Give the club a world class manager who can instill the right sort of discipline and maybe the hike to the next level won’t be quite so arduous.”
Pedro is right. We played well but let down by Monsieur Bummbling Arsehole
This results indicates that more than anything a real class manager is a must. A pointer to Gazidas not to entertain inedequacies like Arteta and other Kites he’s been flying
Bamford
He is going to China apparently, good for him has nothing left to prove in the game and deserves to make some bank while he still can.
Danny
That was a good cross, no doubt, but any one of our other players could have made that cross. What did Jack contribute to the game otherwise? I really didn’t think he added much on either side of the ball.
Greatest midfielder that I have seen in my lifetime, even ahead of Zidane.
Guns
I can’t be serious that we were totally on top?
We quite blatantly were, it was attack vs defence and Oblak pulled of a couple of top drawer saves.
Look at the stats from the game ffs, we were camped in their half. That alone would tell you the story of the game, let alone if you actually watched the fucking thing.
WE
Are you referring to Wilshere?
Me too. He bosses the game like no other.
Oh you meant ineista? Sorry.
No surprise last night.
Naive , fragile , clueless .
The funny thing is , Madrid we’re not even looking to score ha ha
So sad , but it’s nearly over.
We threw the game away because we don’t / didn’t have a holding midfielder . And we hav’nt had one since Gilberto Silva.
Griezmann was the only player for them even looking to score last night, we’re such a comedy show that we couldn’t lock down a lead with 11 v 10.
CC
Argghhhh. Stats!!!
The only stat that mattered was the 1-1.
Not the 99% pass completion.
Not the 450 miles ran
Not the possession
Just the goals mate. Just the goals.
GOH
Obviously meant Jackie Wheelchair.
Do we have a new manager yet?
No…still the same old gargoyle looming over the stadia.
Guns
Christ above you’re being such a clown. Obviously the result was shit, but to make out that we weren’t in control, or makinchances, is idiotic and totally dishonest.
One mistake, while pivotal, is giving people like you the air to talk unnecessary shit about Arsenal yet again. It’s a lamentable result, but 99.9% of the performance was exactly what we needed. It’s a tiresome rhetoric.
Guns you’re right.
Pierre, Charlie and Victoria et al, when the debate is lost they bring out the stats.
What matters is the score at then end of the game.
They played so deep , any coach worth his salt would of played against that deeper themselves …. held the ball in a more central zone , pulling there defence wider. Instead we left it wide open 1 on 1 with one of the most lethal quickest strikers on the planet against a 33 year old with very bad knees…. yeah I know kos is quick … but it’s tactics like a geography ( or should I say ecomomics ) teacher standing in for the PE teacher at a school football match … and no subs … I mean wtf… Read more »
WE
‘Greatest midfielder that I have seen in my lifetime, even ahead of Zidane.’
Yes Iniesta can now be talked in the same breath as Zidane. Who’s better between the two can make for a great debate.
CC
So knowing how prone we are to defensive mistakes, especially from long balls over the top, why didn’t Wenger sub Wilshire and drop AM-N as deep cover as a safety net?
Rocky7
Spot on!
TonyD
Wow.
It’s was a meat and drink ball that Kos fucked up, to make out it was anything other than that is embarrassing. There was no substitution needed to avoid it.
There shouldn’t be a statue, but if there is, it shouldn’t be of Wenger struggling with his zip.
TR7
Iniesta is the only other player besides Messi that I have never seen play more than a handful of poor/quiet games- in his entire career.
Tony talking tactics… Now that’s funny
And like 4 of Messi’s have come in the last 2 seasons.
“Find the Wenger criticism baffling, it’s becoming boring to see some folk concoct ideas of how blame should lay at him.”
Says LeGrove’s most complete annoying utter bore!
Next coach literally needs to concentrate on re building entire defensive unit . We need to be ugly again , teams enjoy playing against us . To think we have the playing staff for a basis of a new project for next decade is deluded . The young Greek centre back we signed looked a potential beast of a player … but he needs players around him on the pitch . But we need to spend at least 300m in today’s current market rate to get back on track any time soon . 2 x goslkeeers At least one left… Read more »
Fun fact of the day:
Messi has scored as many hat-ricks (40) as Danny Welbeck has scored Premier League goals (40) in his career to date.
And Ronaldo (50) has scored ten more HAT-RICKS than Welbeck has scored league goals.
Invests is 34 years ol. Grace football just publicly apologized for never awarding him the Balon’dor.
Yet he’s leaving Barca because he knows he’s done at the top level.
Contrast this with our own 34 yr old Spanish midfeider who’s doing public auditions to milk yet another contract extension.
CC,
So you’re saying not making a substitution was the right course of action to take given the circumstances for the last 10 minutes ? Seriously CC, I get your respect for Wenger and your narrative re last night but your staunch defence of even the most obvious criticism is contrarian at best.
Any other manager would have thrown on 1-2 substitutes of fresh legs to see if we can regain the advantage, any !
***Iniesta
In evaluating yesterday’s match there is some criticism on Wenger for making no substitutions. In his defense, he really had no bench to speak of. When you consider that outside of Wilshere, who was completely invisible all match, the others were actually at their best. The result was would not have changed regardless of substitutions. That is just how poor the depth is at Arsenal these days. Make no mistake, Wenger will be leaving AFC in worse shape than what he inherited. And there are still some here who dont understand why Wenger was “relieved of his duties” come season… Read more »
Utarse, looking at that bench there was no one whom anyone should take even an inkling of confidence in. The best 11 were on the pitch – geez but that just sounds so sad given the result.
When you consider that outside of Wilshere, who was completely invisible all match, the others were actually at their best.
—————————————
Again, who made the goal?
Others were actually at their best.? Xhaka, Ozil, Mustafi, Koscielny, Welbeck were all complete shit.
“Any other manager would have thrown on 1-2 substitutes of fresh legs to see if we can regain the advantage, any !”
We are not talking about any other manager, are we now?
To which Danny, they were at their best! For them this is their best if you take the season into context.
UT Nah, that’s just par for the course on le grove. Any time someone agrees with Wenger there’s a witch hunt and laundry list of quips because you’re so entrenched in Arsene FC. Arsenal were totally on top, fresh legs weren’t necessary for me as we had them pinned back and our lot had plenty in the tank because they’d had the ball for 80% of the game. Nothing to do with aligning with Wenger, or being contrarian, as you like to spout. Maybe you should learn to be more accepting of other opinions and avoid chalking up each opposing… Read more »
Douchebag central on here…
I should know.
CC,
You like to deflect don’t you CC. Nowhere in my comment did I allude to any wengerism bollocks. I’m asking you a simple question : in your opinion, given the equaliser, do you not think it was apt to send on 1-2 subs to try and change the game and regain the advantage ?
But seriously.
CC commenting on how “on top” we were is rubbish and irrelevant.
Just like the boxer who wins eleven rounds but gets knocked out in the last. It’s about the result.
I’ve lost count of how many times arsenal have dominated another side only to slump. The 4-0 up to Newcastle springs to mind!
UT Deflect? You just called me contrarian because I disagree with the criticism given to him. But somehow me bemoaning the constant wengerism isn’t relevant and deflecting. Ok then… “I’m asking you a simple question : in your opinion, given the equaliser, do you not think it was apt to send on 1-2 subs to try and change the game and regain the advantage ?“ I gave you a simple fucking answer: “Arsenal were totally on top, fresh legs weren’t necessary for me as we had them pinned back and our lot had plenty in the tank because they’d had… Read more »
Gums
You might have a point had I said the result was good. Difference being you were the one who said the players were shit when they absolutely weren’t.
Given the discussion about the performance from the team it’s pretty relevant to talk about the ebbs and flows of that performance.
The performance was bang on from Arsenal, it was undone by one mistake by one player.
Why don’t Ufraud, coffeecakes, goh etc have a go at analysing last night’s game as though we already had a new manager in place.
I’m sure you would give a much more balanced opinion of last night’s game.
The problem is, you still have your Wenger obsessive heads on and that tends to obscure the reality of what really happened.
Pierre
You’re not wrong, it’s as if some feel the need to squeeze in every last moan about Wenger. If Kos clears his lines we win at least 1-0 and everyone says ‘quality result’ to take to Spain. The objectivity is absolutely nowhere to be seen from some.
But is WAS a Wenger team.
His tactics
His picks
His fuck up
That’s why we are still going on about it.
It was a game we should have won at a cantor but we managed to screw it up.
10 men, away from home should have been beaten, especially with 80 mins left. That’s a fact.
It was utterly poor. Again!
Guns
His fuck up? Take your specs off you mug, dear me.
Fucking turn it in you victims. Move away from the whole obsessives bollocks.
“If Kos clears his lines we win at least 1-0 and everyone says ‘quality result’ to take to Spain.”
He didn’t though did he you clown ?! I haven’t said anywhere the performance was a bad one, but after we concede, he should have made a change. That’s objective.
UT
That’s an opinion I disagree with because we were so unbelievably on top in the game.
It’s you that has an issue with that because you think I’m aligning with Wenger just because I wouldn’t have changed anything. Grow up
CC
Correct
And there was I thinking that the Arsenal fan base would get behind the team and act like real supporters.
I suppose old habits die hard..
“If Kos clears his lines we win at least 1-0 and everyone says ‘quality result’ to take to Spain. The objectivity is absolutely nowhere to be seen from some”
What a stupid fucking thing to say.
Kos didnt clear his lines, because he always panics and fucks things up, because Wenger doesnt ever give the players any accountability in his hippy commune of a football club.
We dont ever keep clean sheets against good opposition because we are a team of frightened kids.
Patrice Evra said in 2009 it was men against boys……9 years later absolutely nothing has changed.
Hope we are at least talking to Unai Emery.
Very good manager, has a history of punching above his weight, has won things and comes across very well.
Dont like the idea of us only going and talking to Luis Enrique because he’s Rauls mate. We need to speak to 5-6 people and make the best choice.
Question:
If we don’t win the EL, considering top 4 is out of the window, does anyone think the board will regret giving Wenger £55m for Aubameyang.
I ask this cos the signing of Aubameyang hasn’t galvanised anything, which probably leads me to believe that the decision to sack Wenger was made AFTER January.
“‘Why don’t Ufraud, coffeecakes, goh etc have a go at analysing last night’s game as though we already had a new manager in place.’I think that would just highlight how limited their football knowledge is. Just obsessed by an old man and Arsène FC.
Honestly, if anyone happened upon this site and read what you two morons write each and every time, they’d think this was a Simpletons Convention Blog.
No one is the better nor wiser for reading anything that both you Victorious and Pierre write.
We were totally on top and creating chances. There was no need to make a change, everything was as we needed it. Ah that’s kind of bollox though. You almost never get a team that doesn’t make a sub inside 90 minutes. Totally on top even Liverpool made substitutions when they were 5-0 up the other night we were just the 1. The second we were 1 up against 10 men with 10 minutes to go we should have made substitutions could have brought on Kolasinac and gone to a back 5 because honestly at that point not conceding an… Read more »
“Why don’t Ufraud, coffeecakes, goh etc have a go at analysing last night’s game as though we already had a new manager in place.” 1) The mentality would be different. Over the years, Wenger’s team have been weak mentally. They lose focus and it usually results in us conceding a goal. 2) Ruthlessness: Maureen/Fergie/Any top manager in recent years,… give Arsenal the ball and hit them on the counter. Newcastle beat us some weeks back with long balls over the top. Paulinho said it yesterday that going down a man down was bad for Arsenal and that’s because everyone knows… Read more »
Carts
Wenger had nothing to do with the Auba signing…..that was Sven and Ivans business.
Carts
Pretty sure it’s been mooted that Auba/Mhki were Svens signings and not Wengers. First move in the different operational procedure and all that
Carts
Are you being serious.. Aubameyang looks a very good signing and has fitted effortlessly into the squad.
Was just a pity he and mkhitarayan were unable to play.. That extra bit of class and composure in front of goal may have made a difference.
Has Mertesacker, or any of the senior players, come out and said “We’ll learn from this yet?”
I don’t get this at all.
Arsenal lost.
Arsene picked the team that lost.
He picked the tactics that couldn’t defeat 10 men at home with 80 mins to play.
Why didn’t he change anything?
Man alive…I am so glad it’s public knowledge that Wenger got sacked. What a fraud.
As for Kos…five good games in his Arsenal career.
Sorry not lost. Drew. My mistake. I’m so used to seeing a loss.
On second thought, Per, don’t bother saying “We’ll learn… ” because under Wenger, you never do. 13 years at least of making the same mistakes and blaming it on bad luck.
Marko
” even Liverpool made substitutions when they were 5-0 up the other night”
And what happened…. Oh yeah they conceded 2 goals to put the tie in doubt…
Not a very good example marko
Marko
No it’s called an opinion mate, don’t care that you disagree but try to respect it you fucking melt.
Liverpool made subs because they play at 100mph. When was the last time a team had 85% of the ball and over 45% of the play in the oppositions THIRD of the pitch?
We didn’t need fresh legs, we needed a moment or two of quality and the best candidates for that were on the pitch – unless you’re suddenly going to suggest Iwobi would’ve produced some magic?
Pierre
You are outrageous.
Liverpool won 5-2 and are definite favourites to go through for a chance at winning the CL.
…and you have the balls to suggest that somehow Arsenal were right NOT to make a sub because “Liverpool did and lost two goals”.
That really takes guts to write that shit. Honestly.
Why don’t Ufraud, coffeecakes, goh etc have a go at analysing last night’s game as though we already had a new manager in place. I’ll have a go. Say the manager last night was Simeone and it was at home to Madrid in a Euro semi-final I guarantee you that at 1-0 with 10 minutes to go he’s making substitutions or thinking about not conceding an away goal in the last 10 minutes because that becomes more important than scoring another goal. Arsene Wenger sits there and does nothing. It has nothing to do with dominating the previous 80 minutes… Read more »
“Marko it’s called an opinion mate, don’t care that you disagree but try to respect it you fucking melt.”
You want respect and yet you call him an F’n Melt? That is actually really funny.
Do the Wenger apologists live normal lives or is this free internet hour at the mental hospital?
I’m flabbergasted.
Dont like the idea of us only going and talking to Luis Enrique because he’s Rauls mate. We need to speak to 5-6 people and make the best choice.
Apparently we are. Guillem Ballbag says apparently we’re speaking to a number of candidates like Enrique and Barrizzo. Sky were reporting that Rangnick is being considered
And what happened…. Oh yeah they conceded 2 goals to put the tie in doubt… Not a very good example marko
Right the point I was making that the inference that we were so dominant at 1-0 that we didn’t need to make a substitution was silly because Liverpool were 5-0 up and made substitutions. Bad examples how about when Liverpool were 4-0 up against us they actually made substitutions in the game.
Marko
So we make a substitution and kosielny makes the same mistake and we concede.
Who would get the blame for us conceding……
I guarantee you and goh and coffeecakes would be on here mouthing it off about Wengers stupid pointless substitution.
Leno and Sokratis getting mooted for 35mil
I blame Wenger for WW2.
CC
Leno is a fat American talk show host with a big chin. Socrates is a long dead Greek philosopher. Or a long dead Brazillian player.
Ironically they would all fit right in at Arsenal.