Arteta and Wenger accidentally give away the secret behind Saturday’s slip
October 22, 2012
The fallout continues from the great lameathon that was Saturday’s defeat against Norwich with players, coaches and fans desperately searching for some answers as to how we could have turned in such a tepid performance. Arsene Wenger at least has been fairly brutal in his assessment:
I am angry. We did not create a lot. It is very disappointing that we were not in the game in the first 20 minutes, without complete focus, and gave an easy game away.
Perhaps the use of the phrase ‘an easy game’ offers something of a clue as to the mindset that might have produced such a lacklustre display.
There were clues elsewhere too. Mikel Arteta had this to say:
We’re really down because we expected to win the game. They raised their game, they made it very difficult for us.
Call off the search! Phrases like ‘we expected to win’ and ‘an easy game’ are completely at odds with the standard line usually being peddled of ‘no easy games at this level’ and as I mentioned yesterday if we continually refuse to learn that lesson maybe we need to take more drastic action.
Only two sides have ever overcome a ten point gap to win the Premier League and while there’s clearly a long way to go this season, Le Boss is aware of what an issue that is:
The gap is very unpleasant. We had an opportunity that Tottenham could win and we could win, and we both lost.
That, of course, makes the gap a lot bigger and you cannot say you do not worry about that.
Unpleasant is a nice little understatement. Particularly when you’re in danger of being ruled out of yet another title race only 8 games into it. It’s all the more disappointing when you consider how improved the squad has looked this season but for all the promise we’ve shown 12 points from 8 games tells its own story and we have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks to turn things around.
Injuries were a factor of course on Saturday but we still had the man power to beat that Norwich side. I think Gervinho on the right is an experiment that we probably won’t see too much more of this season, at least I hope not. The kindest thing I could say about him is that he’s so much stronger on the left and even as a centre forward and in hindsight I suspect the boss would have started with the Ox out there. As it stands though, following the knock he took on the hip when he came off the bench he won’t be available for Schalke on Wednesday and with nobody else to come back from injury there’s little chance to send a message about the evident lack of concentration shown on Saturday.
The only possible changes I could imagine would be the inclusion of Arshavin or even Serge Gnabry but while the latter looked particularly lively coming off the bench I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to start throwing too much responsibility at the feet of a 17 year old. Better to keep him for the ten minute cameos for a while and simply demand greater application from our more established names.
While the 6-1 against Southampton has put a more positive spin on our ‘goals for’ column this year the fact is we’ve failed to score in three of our eight Premier League games so far. That’s not good enough and the lack of goal threat at times is a definite worry. Arsene Wenger’s stated aim without the guaranteed return of Robbing Van Purse-y was to share the goals around but that means we have to get more from the wide forwards. Podolski was off his game on Saturday and that ankle problem he’s been nursing is becoming a real reason for concern. With him not firing we were relying on Gervinho to have his shooting boots on and unfortunately he was having one of those days where spectacular air shots were more likely than spectacular net busters.
In the midfield Cazorla’s uninspired display just seemed to highlight how quickly we’ve become reliant on him for unlocking defences so it’s timely that today should hopefully mark Jack Wilshere’s second full 90 minute outing for the U-21s as they face Everton. If he gets through that one you can definitely expect to see him back in the first team against QPR on Saturday. I’d always hoped he’d be able to feel his way back into a confident, winning team. He may have a bit more pressure on his shoulders now than we’d hoped.
If You Liked This...
- Does Arsene Wenger need help?*
- Arsenal’s ‘ostentatious display of wealth’ + underdogs tonight
- Arsenal loanees vie for attention as Koln boss teases with tantalising transfer tidbits
- Positive injury news as Wenger faces defining weekend
- Why RVP could actually be a Nazi + Wenger reveals reason behind Theo’s surge in form
Comments
33 Responses to “Arteta and Wenger accidentally give away the secret behind Saturday’s slip”
Leave a Reply
Ist is good
Pls tell me the two teams via all my info that were 10 points behind and they still won the league
Arsenal chasing man Utd in 98
Manutd chasing Newcastle in 96-7?
Both were 10 points behind I think
Good shout. The players looked far too relaxed as the game started. Wake up call.
Wenger’s teams are sent out there to be calm, be patient, be technical (be intellectual). No battle cries, no fist shaking … including at half time when the players are mainly left to stay quiet and rest. Certainly no change of tactics, formation, approach. Yes it’s a problem so many players traveling, playing tough internationals, taking knocks, not training togeter … losing fluency. But Chelski and Man. City and Utd all seem to manage.
You can’t compare 1998 with 2012. In 1998,there were less than 15 matches to go. We still have 30 matches to play.I think Wenger needs to tweak his tactics.
Chelsea played anti soccer to win the cl. Nobody said anything. The important thing is winning.Of course if you can win playing the brazilian way,it will be good.But not in the epl and cl.
Wenger could be under pressure if results go against him from now on.
Most teams know how the gunners play. Very few high balls and they seldom score from corners because Wenger prefers his players to score with feet.
QPR could flood the md and wait for a gunner attack to break down before going on a counter with acres of space. Don’t bet against it.
@ marblehalls
“and gave an easy game away.”
This is a mistake on your part marblehalls if the Arsenal.com quote is correct: “…and gave an easy goal away.”
“GOAL” not “game”.
As regards the Arteta quote “we expected to win the game”, that’s perfectly OK by me.
The usual rhetoric of ‘no easy games at this level’ is just a typical ‘pre-excuse’ in case of a loss, and a total waste of breath, by any club, regardless of the actual following result. You, yourself, describe that wording as “standard”.
Of course Arsenal FC and our fans believed (beforehand) we would win this game. If we can’t assume we can beat the likes of Norwich, then the same applies, obviously, as regards every other team we are to play.
Big Al – You might be right. That article on Arsenal.com wasn’t there when I wrote the piece but the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/oct/21/arsene-wenger-arsenal-norwich-city?CMP=twt_gu and ESPN http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1197665/'angry'-arsene-wenger-bemoans-league-position?cc=5739 and The Mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/norwich-1-0-arsenal-arsene-wenger-1391255 all quote him as saying ‘gave an easy game away’.
Like I say, you might be right but I took the quote as I found it.
Regarding the standard ‘no easy game’ rhetoric I kind of agree with you but the evidence on the pitch on Saturday unfortunately suggested a team that expected they just had to turn up for the three points and that’s not acceptable.
gunners lack attacking midfielder,quality crossing from the wings and Arteta always bring the ball back whenever they are attacking.too much unnecessary passes instead of attacking and at times you can see three players at left wing instead of midfielders joining Giroud in the penalty box…..
Arsenal miss Thomas Rosicky and Diaby in the team.We need midfielders that can drive the attack. We must have rvp replacement and possible Alex Song.We are not doing well in the league at all if we are losing to small teams like Norwich
I have been an Arsenal fan for many years now. The problem the team has starts with Wenger and ends with Wenger. I don’t know how he plans his matches but one thing I know is that Wenger doesn’t adjust his tactics to suit the goings in a match. Secondly, his team selection always has a lot of unanswered questions. Last season, we lost a lot of points when Wenger consistently used Ramsey. Fans cried out and fortunately, in the last crucial match, Ramsey did not start and we won.
This season, Ramsey did not start at the beginning of the season and we were doing well but no sooner Diaby got injured and Ramsey started matches, we don’t play well. How can the team score when the midfield is not working? The midfield is non existent when Ramsey plays. Please tell Wenger to play another formation and leave Ramsey out of matches otherwise, there are more sad days to come.
We just need more than one mode to win games, most teams set deep against us but we find ways to penetrate, it’s when it’s not working we need to have alternative options and ideas. I’m not reacting to defeat by saying this because I’ve been saying it since we bought Cazorla: we still need more additions and really it needs to be someone of quality like Cazorla, someone who can change games for us (like Robin so regularly did) and that will mean spending big probably.
@ marblehalls
Guardian, ESPN, Mirror
By jove, you’ve done your homework. I must say it looks more likely that Arsenal.com is wrong.
“…evidence on the pitch on Saturday [suggested]…”
I don’t agree with. It appears we see our (non-)performance differently. If you are correct in your final three-lines assessment, then fair enough to a degree… but for the entire 90 minutes with that same mindset? I don’t think so. We needed to step up a gear after conceding, it didn’t happen. We needed to step up two gears after half-time, it didn’t happen, and for the final quarter of the game, it didn’t happen.
We lacked the ability, and ideas to create chances. We lacked cut-and-thrust, and movement. We lacked grit, steel, passion. We looked jaded.
We simply had nothing in the locker from the first whistle to the last.
The defence was ‘reasonably’ sound, barring the goal, and also Mannone coming out the edge of his box and getting lucky. And Santos’s poor display.
Giroud can only do his job if he gets the (non-existent) service.
Which leaves the midfield… and that’s where the bulk of the problem lay.
Gervinho is a left-sided player playing on the right, and he was poor.
Podolski was poor. Ramsey was poor. Cazorla was poor. Arteta was poor by his normal standard (partly due to working alongside Santos).
But these players must carry the can, not Wenger. They know each well enough (Giroud excepted) to have done far better. The buck stops with most of them individually, and collectively too.
Good post, by the way. Cheers.
It might be old fashioned but thelack of gee up from our captain is a worry..when we won things we had a captain ,particularly Tony Adams that would spur on his team mates with gestures and encouragement…..the performance on Saturday surely warranted a clenched fist or two!!
EAC, I agree with you regarding the captain. I don’t think we’ve had a real one since Tony. To be honest I can’t see who in the current squad could be a “proper, old fashioned, fist shaking” captain. Until we find one its sad to say it but I can’t see us winning anything. I hope I’m proved wrong, and soon.
Nothing’s gonna change until fans get serious and kick out the arrogant French fuck. How many more years of this shit can we put up with? Any other top club in Europe would have kicked the prick out years ago, but not Arsenal, it’s run by fucking money-grabbing tightwads that only loosen their purse strings when it’s time to pay each other.
I could agree with the whole piece except for one thing: I don’t believe the problem on display during the Norwich game should be dealt with by buying more players. In fact, we’re still looking at a team that underwent a very deep transformation before this season.
We have Podolski instead of Gervinho on the left;
we have Giroud instead of RVP down the middle;
we have Gervinho instead of Walcott down the right;
Ramsey/Rosicky made way for Cazorla;
Arteta moved further back to replace Song;
Diaby replaced Arteta (and Song, to an extent);
and then, our defense was reshuffled, with Jenkinson, Mertesacker and Mannone becoming regulars.
True, they did click several times already, showed signs of things to come, etc., but we’re still only 8 games into the first season we’re playing in this setup.
While we’re at it, I really think Arsenal’s confidence was affected by Diaby’s injury and premature squad rotation in defense. Diaby looked like he was really coming back, he hit his stride against L’pool, but then, he’s still Diaby. Ramsey is a good player, but he’s still just an understudy. With Cazorla, Podolski and Gervinho all having a poor day, we needed someone like Chambo or Wilshire, someone with enough ambition and skill to give the team the necessary kick. But while we had the quality, we were short of players again.
Yes, the problem starts and ends with Wenger, but these obituaries are premature (as usual, I should say). Arsenal fans may be the quickest to write their team off after a lackluster performance. We’re still in it to win it, it’s a part of the Wenger method. And if we come short again, it’ll be a part of the deal we did to make this team stronger.
Incidentally, here’s one interview with Wenger post-match, which points again to complacency: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJdNCjN7pxA
Even if the “easy game” quote is botched, this shows clearly that from Wenger’s perspective, and maybe even more from the players’ perspective, this was supposed to be an easy game.
As for Vermaelen: I think he’s a good captain when he’s fit and on top of his game. He has a lot of ambition, character, toughness, but he drops a bit when not 100% up to the game. And I don’t think he’s entirely fit and ready now.
The performance was simply a day off. Crucifying everybody is not the answer. The men are there, they are not inferior at all. If the same players played Man City to a standstill, then the materials and potentials are there. What we need is encouragement, self belief and confidence by the players. Fans must stop abusing and lambasting the players and manager. A lot of restraint is needed. Don’t forget Man U had lost games this season and Real Madrid is not in the top five.
it was a shocking match,even a 5-0 thumping of schalke wont do for me,its qpr next and i really dont like mark hughes one bit,you know he will have them well up for this game,its gonna be tough but we really have to win this game.this next league game is huge.
The way Arsenal fans write off their team after a bad performance is just depressing. I’m not pretending we weren’t crap. but do other team’s fans write off the team and coach like this?
It hopeless now, we are out of the title race for any odd or even reasons. Its all about the hunger and desire to do well at the top level, and that we cant see in the Arsenal players, and we need to be with it as so “it is …. what it is”???
Man City won the match going down to ten man, Newcastle almost pulled up the victory against a tougher opposition than Arsenal, so CHAMPS are made of something else, and we DONT find those at ARSENAL anymore. Goalkeepers are so shame for club like Arsenal, and there was no activity in transfer window. I bet we ‘ll not be in the top six this season
There are some very good points in the other comments on here.
The main frustration is that it was obvious watching the game what the problems were but Wenger did nothing about it (well, too little too late). He seems to be blaming everyone except himself.
Mourinho sometimes made three substitutions at half time – a risky move but it paid off more often than not. Probably why Mourinho won against Wenger more often than not as well.
Again, it’s a matter of style. For Wenger, keeping the players on the pitch until the 60th minute or later is a part of the effort to keep them settled and foster self-assurance. And we’re not talking about sending out Squillaci cause he’s a killer; it’s about players like Gervinho or Ramsey, who have the quality, but can sometimes lack composure. For Wenger, the main idea is to have a group of talented and self-assured professionals, cause then you can have a nice collective, understanding, good vibes. That’s not how Mourinho does it – instead of being a father to his players and fostering good vibes, he positions himself as the eminent specialist, over and above anyone else. His players are not his sons but his troops. And he is thoroughly prepared to do anything to win.
Does that mean Wenger lacks the desire or the guts? No, it means Wenger is more of a teacher than a leader. And that seems to be the problem. Because the point is Arsenal have regularly underperformed against much weaker teams in the past. It’s nothing new, and even in King Henry’s times we saw that over and over again. This shows neither that we aren’t progressing nor that we are regressing. There are some things that don’t change overnight. Wenger is one.
As for his squad decisions – to some extent his hand was forced. He couldn’t have changed the tactics because the current formation is among Arsenal’s greatest weapons. He couldn’t have used Giroud as a secret weapon or the final 30 minutes because he was short on men. If Diaby was there to fill in for Ramsey, perhaps he’d send the Welshman to the right and field him within an attacking three with Poldi and Gerv. But he couldn’t have moved him away from the midfield without risking trouble. What else could he have done? Use Oxlade from the first minute? Risky. Wilshere? Even more risky. Arshavin? Get out of here!
That’s just how it goes, man.
To be fair to Wenger, I am not sure how substitutions could have turned the Norwich game around. We looked somewhat lacking against West Ham in the first half, but Wenger put Wallcott on in the second half and it changed the pace of the game.
With Walcott out, and Chamberlain not at 100%, we have no game changers on the bench. Arshavin is class, but without a good run in the team, he isn’t going to recapture form of old.
We are not out of the title race yet, and there is still Europe and domestic cups to think about. Chelsea were out of it last year early on, but look at their end of season triumphs.
Chelsea will go through a rough patch at some point, and I don’t really believe Man United have enough defensively to go all the way this season. The champions don’t look fantastic either.
Have Arsenal got enough to win something this season? Yes, I think they do, if key players stay fit. It’s the same old lack of depth of squad that has plagued us for the last 7 or so seasons.
Also, do we have too many similar attacking minded players? What we need to see is more passion and a bit more grit and resolve. We had this in Vieira, arguably the best player to grace the red and white in the last 15 years. Wilshere may bring some of this to the team on his return, but will it be enough?
I am gonna go straight to the point, is the American owner that’s is killig the game. The dude ain’t spend money to buy quality player instead he is making more money for him. As for arsene wenger, he needs to drop Ramsey and biggest concern is the left back(Santos). He needs a replica someone Gael clichy. Arsene wenger got to convert Theo to a striker. I hope arsene wenger would not let him go.
Ok so apart from all the over optomistic comments about this side so far, the truth is there in reality. A lack of intensity or any easy game attitude at the start should be wiped out at half time by any manager worth his money!! Wenger makes constant mistakes in team selection, Ramsey for one thing should not be in ahead of Ox , in fact he should have been sold and Lansbury kept, he is a far better player able to play central and wide and he was a gooner through and through prepared to run and work hard! Also waiting so long before bringing Ox on was almost criminal!
We can now see that for a 2nd time – having not learned from his first mistake – Wenger buying a “Forward” from the French ligue 1, is a mistake as the standard there is so much lower and less intense, hey even Bendtner would be a star there! Giroud is no better than Chamakh, in fact I feel he looks less mobile, Give chamakh a go now, he can hardly be any worse!!
This squad of players is no better than last year in fact I personally think without the quality of a world class player we are now worse off!
It is also not a case of the fact we are behind and Have to catch Chelsea it is now a case of how we compare to the likes of Everton, WBA, Spurs, Newcastle etc, because from watching things with unbiased mind I dont think we look any betyter than those and on a lot of evidence we look weaker!
Summary: Poor management by Wenger, Lack of real monitary investment in true top quality players = exactly what we have now, a team who are looking more of a 7th placee than title contenders! Chelsea show it buying Mata, Hazard & Oscar have given them what we had in 2003/4 a team full of class forwards who can all win you games even against the best or when the team isnt playing well…. we have only maybe 1 player who can do that now! HOLD ON TIGHT AS THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG HARD, FRUSTRATING & DISAPPOINTING SEASON, with I think a 5-7th place finish at best!
@ zdzis, particularly
and everyone also
After reading all the comments on this blog I think , rather strangely, that everybody has made a valid point or more, even though some of us are ‘polarised’, that is, giving somewhat opposite viewpoints.
But I actually read all three of your blogs two times, and I would agree with you perhaps 95%.
@ marblehalls, good post!
It is so obvious that in his frustration that Wenger’s English let him down for once. reading what he said it is as clear as the nose on your face he meant to say “gave an easy goal away”.
You are reading too much in to a simple mistake a Frenchman made with his English. I wonder if youer French is a fluent and that you wouldn’t make a mistake!
why is anyone so surprised? we have ramsey, cazorla, arteta, gervinho. they have mata, oscar, hazard, mikel. price of our midfield – £45m. price of their midfield – £120m.
we have giroud, they have torres, we have mannone, they have cech. etc. basic point is, they have more money than us and they have started spending it wisely.
What a load of rubbish. It is only one defeat, everybody is ready to slit the clubs throat and start sacking managers and players.
Arsenal fans need to keep the faith, Wenger is far more educated, accomplished and experienced than most of you and he KNOWS.
Yes we were very poor on Saturday , but do we not all have of days, the only problem was all the players had a off day. I only hope it the only one for the rest of the season, yes we have injuiries and the OX got injured in the first few mins of coming on as a sub which did not help.
I think AW should seriously think about getting not just a new forward in Jan. but a stong wirey forward who will run at the defence for the full 90 mins ( i suggest a luis suarez type but more refined although he is not diving/histryonics this season ) because even if he does not score there is a good chance the defence could be out of shape leaving others to finish off.
Big Al,
I think you’re right. The truth is for anyone to see, and neither of us can be 100% sure of anything beyond that. We have performed well in a couple of games, while not being above petty errors; and now we made more errors and performed poorly. Everyone has a right to his own frustration. I would much rather focus on the positive side, though.
As a corollary to the yesterday’s “easy game” confusion, here’s today’s “extra” with Wenger’s take on a black PFA: “If there is no racism, if you want to fight against racism, you should not create any federation on a difference that you want to fight against.”