Arsenal vs. Watford Tue 31st Jan 19.45: Page 22 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Arsenal vs. Watford Tue 31st Jan 19.45

Sicario

I don't get how we can start like that when we are going for the title and we know our main title rivals could very well drop points on the same night.

Arsenal really baffle me, I don't think there is a deep desire to win the title, they don't care enough about being champions, it doesn't keep them up at night, it's not their first thought whent they wake up.

Because if it was we sure as hell would not have started like that. Arsenal also don't get hurt, it does not hurt them to see Chelsea run away with the title, a London rival as well. It does not hurt them to lose the title last season to a shit team who are now facing a relegation battle. It does not hurt them when they are reknowned as bottlers and the fact they play for a club that hasn't won a title for 13 years.

Instead its acceptance, acceptance to live the easy life, acceptance to lose titles, get knocked out of cups, acceptance to concede matches, acceptance to be fucking second best.

They don't care, they will forget about this game by tomorrow afternoon and continue with their social media lives as if nothing happened.

Bring the banners out, lets make some noise, fuck these lot, we have cowards playing for us, not champions s, no way .

General

People say the same thing about Leicester this season and ignore their limitations especially without Kante. Mentality can only get you so far. You need proven quality to back it up and we lack that in a few areas. There are really no complex theories here, our slow starts are closely linked to certain playing personnel and we were bound to get punished at some point after several warnings. There were no such issues at the start of the season.

Burnwinter

Same old fragility. Definitely in expectation management mode now—that is, expect nothing because you won't get it.

Gazza M

probably won't be popular, but i really feel we always start flat and unsure when giroud starts. everyone just seems to be clueless when he starts, and there's a real lack of energy or forward momentum. our performance is always tied to how well we attack and move the ball, the giroud starting just seems blunt the flow. i'm not surprised we started creating chances as soon he came off for walcott. giroud should be a supersub, regardless of his form imo. we have to look at things wholistically rather than just stick him in whenever he knocks a few goals in

BWoolley

This was always going to happen. It's one of the things that hasn't changed with wenger across four different teams. Don't think it callls for despair, as much as Southampton over the weekend was not really worth the celebration. Have stopped feeling much about our games these days - will be the case till Wenger leaves I guess.

Burnwinter

Shits me off that we could be looking at Stamford Bridge and thinking about closing the gap to three points if we hadn't fucked this up.

Over it to be honest and feeling more disengaged than ever. Club still needs a shakeup.

Oh yeah and if we don't win anything we've got a squad rebuild over the summer to look forward to as our quality players look to jump ship.

flobaba

General wrote:
People say the same thing about Leicester this season and ignore their limitations especially without Kante. Mentality can only get you so far. You need proven quality to back it up and we lack that in a few areas. There are really no complex theories here, our slow starts are closely linked to certain playing personnel and we were bound to get punished at some point after several warnings. There were no such issues at the start of the season.

Difference is we just played Watford, not Barcelona/Bayern Munich. We have enough quality to defeat them, every day of the week, and twice on the weekends. And we are not Leicester... this is a top European club side.

Mentality is a huge factor at this club. Always has been. Let's point fingers. Giroud. Ramsey. Whoever. Are you saying Arsenal can't or shouldn't be able to beat Watford because we started those two solid proven internationals, one who's been captain of his national team?

Performances like these are why I keep laughing when after a good result, or run of results we start counting how many points we need to "close the gap" or "catch up" to whoever the leaders are in any particular season. What's the point? When we all know that we will drop the ball at the next available opportunity, and if not then, the one following.

I agree with Sicario entirely. It's a mentality issue with this team. They don't all wake up with a mindset of "TODAY. THIS GAME. is one I have to win to be a champion, so I will play it like its my final game". It's a lack of focus and professionalism. Lack of hunger no real desire. Just let's get on with it, and end up in the top 4.

Again it's a mentality imbued in the team by Wenger. You just wait till a proper manager gets his hands on the team, and see how much it will be transformed.

I'm patiently waiting. I've been patiently waiting. That's all we can do.

Claudius

Gazza M wrote:
probably won't be popular, but i really feel we always start flat and unsure when giroud starts. everyone just seems to be clueless when he starts, and there's a real lack of energy or forward momentum. our performance is always tied to how well we attack and move the ball, the giroud starting just seems blunt the flow. i'm not surprised we started creating chances as soon he came off for walcott. giroud should be a supersub, regardless of his form imo. we have to look at things wholistically rather than just stick him in whenever he knocks a few goals in

G+R = constipated offense
We need to drop Giroud. I was arguing about this earlier this season. We need to see the statistics machine Lucas in the starting line-up. His continued absences are infuriating. Why spend 18m pounds on this guy to make him ride pine? And I feel Ramsey is done here. He's done very little in between his constant injuries over the past couple of seasons. I don't rate Ox, but would rather have him.

The gaffer has blown this year's title challenge. For once, he can't hide behind squad quality.

Clrnc

The subs was all Wenger. He communicated fully with Bould all the time in the match.

Weird little stat, something to do with our preparation perhaps?

flobaba

http://www.espnfc.us/arsenal/story/3051013/arsene-wenger-to-look-into-arsenals-poor-starts-after-watford-loss

goon

What has he been doing after the last few?

I swear I'm starting to think he just makes his observations in the press conference and then just goes back to routine training with the players.

Jed

Watch us beat chelsea on Saturday for another false dawn.

goon

Well still be 6 points behind, it won't be any kind of dawn.

HomeSteak

Don't worry lads. Wenger is gonna fix it.

http://www.espnfc.us/arsenal/story/3051013/arsene-wenger-to-look-into-arsenals-poor-starts-after-watford-loss

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

goon wrote:
What has he been doing after the last few?

I swear I'm starting to think he just makes his observations in the press conference and then just goes back to routine training with the players.

That's exactly the case.

Bold Tone

What is telling is my frame of mind.
I am disappointed but not surprised even after a quick perusal of these stats.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/watford/results
I expect to have the same reaction when Wenger signs a new improved 2 year deal towards the end of the season.

Clrnc

He literally said we are all up for it mentally, then right after the match say we are not mentally there.

General

@Flo

We may have been playing Watford but we had players on the pitch who wouldn’t have looked out of place if they were wearing a Watford shirt. The two players you mention pose the same problems for their countries at international level. Blaming it on mentality is a recurring theme and a copout in my opinion. A better mentality isn’t going to make Ramsey more agile or Giroud faster. I’d rather focus on the glaring flaws in the team. If you play a slow striker and a passive midfield that can’t dominate you’re asking for trouble against most PL teams. We’ve had this problem every time we’ve set up in this manner. I think people have an over inflated opinion of the quality of this team but it is nowhere near championship winning quality. Simply have a look at Wilshere at Bournemouth and you’d realise how some of our players have been stealing a living here, made to look good by our top quality players. What should be bench options have become starting quality and it’s having a destabilising effect.

I mention Leicester because some pundits can’t seem to get it through their thick skulls that they don’t have the same quality and balance they had last season.
Let’s call a spade a spade. There is no denying there are some mentality issues, but there are also issues with quality, team balance and physical condition. It depends what you think is the prevailing issue. I certainly don’t think its mentality.

Qwiss

flobaba wrote:
It's a mentality issue with this team. They don't all wake up with a mindset of "TODAY. THIS GAME. is one I have to win to be a champion, so I will play it like its my final game". It's a lack of focus and professionalism. Lack of hunger no real desire. Just let's get on with it, and end up in the top 4.

I agree with you on the lack of focus and professionalism but I don't think its due to a lack of desire, in fact I think its the opposite. I think they choke any time they get close to doing anything meaningful. I've no doubt that if this game had come after Chelsea and we had lost we would have walked this game and won comfortably. Instead they were nervous and the early goal stopped them from having their usual 45 minutes to settle into the game.

Rohit

In my opinion we start games with a greater desire to keep the opposition out initially than actually focus on scoring. Invariably we let one in early in such games. We can't defend and when there isn't full conviction in our attacking play like there is when we are chasing games, we play extremely nervously.

Wenger needs to stop cheating himself if anything and push the team to attack. We were cavalier and used to lose like that and it was fine. Watching these lousy, nervous, cautious starts which end up with us chasing games is intolerable.

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