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What went wrong?

Well, Harry admitted that he thought that a couple of players let the occasion get to them. Well, they did, that's for sure. We looked a tad complacent right from the start, and fatally, brutally under-estimated them, to the point where everyone streamed forward leaving the defenders alone and exposed because they thought they could do Arsenal some damage. It didn't work. I hope Sandro shapes up by next week, else we'll be overrun by United again. And we can't afford that.
 
liquid_football said:
Watch the match again and you will see that he provided alot of defensive cover throughout the first half.And if a player doesnt score or assist,then he did nothing all game,right?

aah fudge it,it's niko's fault that sagna gets a free header in our box and that RvP gets 3 huge chances in the first half...and fudge NK,it's his fault we conceded the other 3 in the second half aswell!
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would we have been as exposed down the right if Lennon were playing? No, because he defends well, and his pace means Van Persie, Rosicky et al can't out-run him. Same with Walker. Hence, they'd be more likely to cut inside rather than head for the by-line. So far, so good. But Lennon and Bale often switch flanks, and that would have happened today, seeing as Bale was having such a hard time of it. That would force Sagna to be more cautious, as opposed to the bravado he showed when speeding past Niko. That means the first goal probably wouldn't have been scored. I know it's all hypothetical, but you can't deny that having Lennon there, ready to blaze past defenders on the counter, helps our team play to no end, and Kranjcar, no matter how much I like him as a player (and I do) can't do that. So, Kranjcar's good for breaking down resolute little defensive unites like the ones possessed by Norwich, Fulham et al, but no good when facing the top teams.
 
Kingdawson said:
4-4-2 away to them? what a total joke of a formation to pick.
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This.

We needed Rafa to drop back in and give us a 5th man to stop us being overrun in midfield, and to fill the hole and stop our forward(s) being so isolated.

We didn't have any possession till he came on, and it was too late by then.
 
Parker's booking was massive, absolutely massive, coupled with Luka's. Took out our midfield, but especially Parker, who's game is based on tough-tackling...from that point on, he couldn't press/destroy like he likes to...I still think going 4-4-2 was a mistake...
 
Gutter Boy said:
This.

We needed Rafa to drop back in and give us a 5th man to stop us being overrun in midfield, and to fill the hole and stop our forward(s) being so isolated.

We didn't have any possession till he came on, and it was too late by then.
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I really dont get this. We looked FAR more threatening with a 442 than in the second half with a 451. ALSO VDV barely looked fit nor did Sandro so cant really play your 451.

Yes they had chances with our 442 formation but SO DID WE. We created jack brick in the second. 442 woulda been better had Lennon played but im sure he was injured or not 100% fit.
 
Our pressing game was entirely non existant. We know arsenal are vulnerable to this yet we didn't persist, whether it was fitness I do not know. However Arsenal were extremely fit and quick as always and pressed us up high. Also further to this, does anyone know if we have a fitness coach?
 
We can't pass the ball accurately when team press us high up the pitch.
We were crowded out in the middle and usually went long as a result.
We didnt play out wide as we had no one there most of the time.
 
DHSF said:
I really dont get this. We looked FAR more threatening with a 442 than in the second half with a 451. ALSO VDV barely looked fit nor did Sandro so cant really play your 451.

Yes they had chances with our 442 formation but SO DID WE. We created jack brick in the second. 442 woulda been better had Lennon played but im sure he was injured or not 100% fit.
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We looked threatening on the break, but our whole success this season has been based on passing possession football.

I'd rather control midfield and break down teams patiently, than end up being overrun and relying on Bale's pace to hit teams on the break.

If vdV isn't fit then Krancjar's got to be used as a like-for-like #10 replacement.
 
DubaiSpur said:
Well, Harry admitted that he thought that a couple of players let the occasion get to them. Well, they did, that's for sure. We looked a tad complacent right from the start, and fatally, brutally under-estimated them, to the point where everyone streamed forward leaving the defenders alone and exposed because they thought they could do Arsenal some damage. It didn't work. I hope Sandro shapes up by next week, else we'll be overrun by United again. And we can't afford that.
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Harry needs to take culpability.
That whole thing about 'a couple of players' what gonads!!!!!
If he saw that going on (and let's face it, we ALL saw, even at 2-0 up, that we were losing possession) he had a duty to change then. Of course, some would say going 4-4-2 away from home is pretty silly to start with...
If Harry put his hands in the air and took responsibility, I'd have a LOT more respect for him...
 
DHSF said:
I really dont get this. We looked FAR more threatening with a 442 than in the second half with a 451. ALSO VDV barely looked fit nor did Sandro so cant really play your 451.

Yes they had chances with our 442 formation but SO DID WE. We created jack brick in the second. 442 woulda been better had Lennon played but im sure he was injured or not 100% fit.
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Jake Livermore, Jermain Defoe. Ask Defoe to sit in the hole. There were alternatives. Livermore's a local lad and he would've been WELL up for it. Of course, I'd have gone 4-5-1 and given VdV 45 mins at the start of the match when we can control the game...but there we go, we need to ALL learn from this and I am sure we will...
 
We will learn from it. But Defoe in the hole,really? Livermore may have shown fight, but he may also have been well and truly found out by the quality of their attacking play. Who knows. Lets just hope we learn very quickly and get back to the formula which has worked so well this year, which of course Harry has been responsible for putting in place.
 
The only reason we didn't look threatening in the second half was because we played with Sandro and Parker in the middle. Should have been Lennon come on instead of Parker and played with our best 11 with Parker and Modric in the middle and Bale/Lennon giving us width, VdV off Adebayor

Parker and Sandro together completely stifles our attack because nobody can get the ball to Modric playing further forward. With VdV in there we have Modric behind to move the ball to him and get counter attacks going. If Modric plays 'in the hole' he ends up coming and playing in CM anyway because its the only way he can get on the ball and that leaves Adebayor even more isolated
 
marcospur2 said:
We will learn from it. But Defoe in the hole,really? Livermore may have shown fight, but he may also have been well and truly found out by the quality of their attacking play. Who knows. Lets just hope we learn very quickly and get back to the formula which has worked so well this year, which of course Harry has been responsible for putting in place.
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It's not the best, but you're talking about 100% fit players versus not 100% fit players.

Sandro typically needs a game or two to find his rhythm (he was actually shocking IMHO) and Rafa needed to start, NOT come into a game balanced at 2-2 with the momentum on the opposition's side. Livermore would've sat in front of the back four, and by GHod we needed that...
 
Richie said:
The only reason we didn't look threatening in the second half was because we played with Sandro and Parker in the middle. Should have been Lennon come on instead of Parker and played with our best 11 with Parker and Modric in the middle and Bale/Lennon giving us width, VdV off Adebayor

Parker and Sandro together completely stifles our attack because nobody can get the ball to Modric playing further forward. With VdV in there we have Modric behind to move the ball to him and get counter attacks going. If Modric plays 'in the hole' he ends up coming and playing in CM anyway because its the only way he can get on the ball and that leaves Adebayor even more isolated
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Absolutely, indeed, Parker always needs to be reminded when with Sandro that he can push up!!!!!
 
thfcsteff said:
It's not the best, but you're talking about 100% fit players versus not 100% fit players.

Sandro typically needs a game or two to find his rhythm (he was actually shocking IMHO) and Rafa needed to start, NOT come into a game balanced at 2-2 with the momentum on the opposition's side. Livermore would've sat in front of the back four, and by GHod we needed that...
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You make a fair point. Would have started Defoe myself but that is easy to say now. The worrying thing is that Sandro looked well short of fitness, so we may be playing Livermore next week. Though on Sandro I would also say that I really think it does not necessarily help to play him in a three with Modric and Parker. It can work, but it surely depends on ensuring we have sufficent width. Agreed on Rafa, he is a player who can be central to the tempo and balance of our play, not for chasing a game. He does though offer real class on the ball. The biggest issue for me though is improving our defensive work. Maybe it is about 442 with Bale/Lennon, but for me we are too often cut apart and today that told against a (hate to say it) superb attacking performance.
 
If going 2-0 up was our undoing, then we're fudged for the rest of the seaosn... 'cos every time we do it from now on, they'll be nerves...

had we held onto 2, or got a 3rd, the confidence would've been coursing through our veins... as it is, we'll feel we need to score at LEAST 3 next week to even stand a chance of a point... and Man Utd don't give away such gifts any more... not after what Emirates Marketing Project did to them.. you get the feeling they HAVE learned their lesson!
 
THIS is what went wrong... 16 years ago when he set foot in the country;

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The face of pure evil if ever I saw it... he gives me (and under-5's everywhere) the real creeps!
 
The problem was we scored too early. Usually we like to build up our play by keeping possession for ages and making a goal look inevitable. But obviously today we just had to keep hoofing the ball forward hoping to counter-attack, which didn't work
 
thfcsteff said:
Parker's booking was massive, absolutely massive, coupled with Luka's. Took out our midfield, but especially Parker, who's game is based on tough-tackling...from that point on, he couldn't press/destroy like he likes to...I still think going 4-4-2 was a mistake...
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This. Parker was running round like a headless chicken after that booking, didn't help only having two in the centre of midfield against them.
 
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