yep, he schooled Ramsey & Arteta today, he was immense. He's been playing at a very high level all season.Originally Posted by BOBN
yep, he schooled Ramsey & Arteta today, he was immense. He's been playing at a very high level all season.
Bit frustrating after taking the lead, i also think as well as Everton played our starting line up gave them the initiative. Arteta and Ramsey especially had very poor games today, Ramsey's passing was all over the shop and Arteta was just not protecting the back four very well.
Ozil was for me probably our best player and deserved to get on the scoresheet....our defending on the whole was pretty good...and Szczesny had little chance with the Delofeu goal....but when you consider the impact on the game Rosicky and Walcott had when they came on i think in hindsight it would have been best to start with them.
I did find it odd Ramsey was taken off, not that the subs didn't perform because they did, but because of his freakish engine and how useful it could have been during the last 15 which was fairly end to end.
Wilshere and Ramsey shouldn't have gone off. Arteta should have made way. He was awful. Gibbs was terrible as well. Played well too narrow and our left side was exposed all game. Cazorla also need to step his game up and get firing with the assists and goals.
Everton came out the blocks flying but we did well to get back into the game in last 15 of the first half. But Martinez is no fool. They didn't come out firing like that again in the 2nd half. He knew the team didn't have enough in the tank. We had a better 2nd half but Everton were still dangerous on the break and looking for counters.
Ozil was our best player but too many poor showings. Ramsey was off, Cazorla seems to be missing that edge. Giroud was off, Jack couldn't get into the game! Jenks was ok today. CB's coped well but left badly exposed. Arteta was really off and this was a game for Flamini....we need to learn from this. But we fought our way back into the game. Gibbs should have done better to close his man down but there were mistakes before that. We gave away possession from a poor throw in...Arteta kept jumping in to tackles and missing leaving our back line exposed....it could have been prevented.
On to Napoli and we'll need to step our game up for City! But we shower character and didn't let our heads drop after a lightening start from Everton.
Koscielny was outstanding today, made some superb interceptions, Mertesacker did well too.
Midfield was very off key though IMO, Cazorla, Wilshere, Ramsey and Arteta were poor, Ozil was slightly better but not great either.
Everton really ran the show in the 1st half, we just couldn't deal with their closing down (other than in the last 5 minutes), second half was much better though.
I thought Everton's attacks had a lot of pace in them and that caused us problem, a lot of the time we were much slower to get forward which was a bit frustrating as it allowed Everton to get men back.
Haven't posted anything for ages but I think this game could have been the one we'd look back on and say- "if only" (hopefully I am proven wrong). Anyway firstly props to Everton, clearly the best team we played besides Dortmund and they really gave it ago. Despite this, we should have won, and I just hope its not a regret at the end of the season. I mean the script could,kt have been written better,I doubt we'll get another weekend where everything goes our way like this one and we get 24hrs extra to know what we need to do. A Fergie Man U would (and have) won this kind of game and so would even a Mourinho Chelsea (even this poor one), if the situation was the same. The pressure is only going to get worse from now on and these players are going to need to learn to deal with it better. Everyone already said our failings or what AW should be concerned of but I'll just list em by priority:
1. We need a new striker- preferably one known for a lethal scoring record.
2. AW has to watch his subs. No more robotic 65th-75th min subsitutions. Yes he tried something different with the 3 subs at one time, but IMHO it was foolish and desperate- and we were lucky in such a tough unpredictable game we weren't made to pay for overreacting. He should have brought on Theo earlier, he could have followed with Flamini later... but the biggest error IMO was taking Ramsey off. In this sort of game you'll always regret taking off your biggest goal threat and once they equalised I knew their was no way back. Plus I think Ramsey, despite his poor showing, has earned some slack and should definitely had been on the field till we knew this game was completely safe.
3. Gibbs will cost us more goals with his immaturity and is the weak link in our defence. Yes he's more at fault for todays goal than anyone, but I'm not saying this soley on todays performance. If you watch him closely he still has a lot to learn when dealing with pressure and judgind danger but also his temperment suggests to me he will cost us more points. I think Nacho should start especially when we play big games where we know we will need everyone to pull their weight in defence.
4. Flamini should start big games EVERYTIME- either with Arteta or even if it is over him. He is the better player and a big game player. EVERY SINGLE TIME.
5. GET A STRIKER. This is the main thing stopping us from blitzing this league.
Well done to AW, well sone to the team, but again IMHO, all of this will be meaningless if we don't win the league this year and only a January signing is stopping this from being a reality.
Arteta was woeful
Flamini was great apart from being too eager for their goal
Fair play Wenger with the triple subs, got it spot on
A point aint bad
Everton were the best team we have played all season (including the CL IMO) and when you consider they are 5th and have only lost once this season (having beaten United and Chelsea) then a draw isnt bad at all.
However, we should be winning the home games against the non top 4 sides and we were 7 minites from doing so but Everton got a top top goal that was almost unstoppable. Everton had pletny of posession due the the fact that we gave them way too much space and also becaise they have a good midfield. This season in the big games (spurs, pool, dortmund, and yesterday) we have let the opposition have the ball and sort of waited to se what they could do before we went for it and im not too sure thats gonna work against City on saturday. we have a better passing team then most in the league so i dont understand why we have gone for this approach this season (some may arue that its an improvement from seasons gone by where we;d attack from the first minute before being hit on the counter).
all in all, a decent point and our lead is now 5 points (4 before the weekend) so we've increased our lead on the chasing pack.
City away will be very tough considering they put 10 past United and Spurs this season but a draw there would be good considering our lead right now but WE HAVE TO WIN AGAINST CHELSEA.
Arteta, WAS woeful and is always looking like the person most likely to cost us when the other team puts pressure on or if its a counterattack. He loses most of his 1 on 1s and will then resort to fouling in costly positions. I dont blame him because he never was a defensive midfielder and Wenger keeps playing him as such. The one thing that grates me with Wenger is when he puts personal loyalty to a player ahead of the interests of the team. Arteta should have been substituted and not either Ramsey or Wilshire. Arteta, however is vice captain and Wenger somehow cannot bring himself to put 2 captains on the bench at the same time, its as if the thinks that somehow will reflect badly on him. which i guess it will.
We need another proper defensive midfielder to play with or sub in for Flamini and a striker who will make the difference in games like this. I like Giroud and what he brings to our game but he is in the 3rd tier of strikers with Messi, Ronaldo and Aguero et al in the 1st tier. Since we cant get those we need to shop at the 2nd level, either in January or June
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote