Arsenal (h) Post Match Thread 0 - 0

[Babylon]

10 hours ago, Bamba's Babes said:

I've watched all his games since Celtic, he's great at getting to where the ball was rather than where the frickibg thing is.

 

In comparison, Kante got to where the ball was going.

 

I know he's not the same player but we need another Kante-type to continue our philosophy long-term imo.

In all fairness you're comparing him against teams like Barca, PSG and Arsenal... that's three teams who shift the ball so well and so quickly even Kante can struggle against them. See the 5-2 game where they were passing it and bypassing him so quickly he looked like a headless chicken.

 

We'll forever be comparing people to Kante as he's simply on another level. He's a freak of nature, we'll never replace the guy.

[Manwell Pablo]

2 minutes ago, Merging Cultures said:

I watched the game again yesterday, and kept an eye on Mendy.

 

When one of our players is tackling or running with the opposition, he plays in space between players to cut out passes, forcing the opposition to play sideways or backwards. When an opposition player runs in to the space or towards a 'good position', he tracks the player, forcing the opposition to pass into a less advantageous position, backwards or sideways. What that means is, he doesn't see much of the ball, and when he does, he does a simple pass to get the play moving. This is smart play, and I think people misconstrued this as him being a passenger.

I think people see him try and close players down and fail to win the ball and automatically then think to themselves "well Kante would of won that" etc etc. Cursed from the start Mendy he's got a near enough an impossible act to follow. 

[Bob Weasel Fox]

1 minute ago, Manwell Pablo said:

I think people see him try and close players down and fail to win the ball and automatically then think to themselves "well Kante would of won that" etc etc. Cursed from the start Mendy he's got a near enough an impossible act to follow. 

Spot on

 

i think, well I certainly hope he will win people around in time though

 

anyone heard any news on his injury?

[Ric Flair]

2 minutes ago, Manwell Pablo said:

I think people see him try and close players down and fail to win the ball and automatically then think to themselves "well Kante would of won that" etc etc. Cursed from the start Mendy he's got a near enough an impossible act to follow. 

I fell in to the trap of that in the first half on Saturday as he seemed to be arriving just a touch too late every time and did miss a few tackles that seemed fairly easy. I'm trying my hardest to erase Kante from my mind as there isn't a player who can replace him. That Gueye from Everton can get to fcuk, he's shit and I'm happy to be quoted on that every day for the rest of my life. Trust me, in a 4-4-2 that Gueye is absolute mince.

 

I think eventually we need to play 3 in the middle, once Musa has bedded in I'm absolutely revved at the thought of him and Mahrez either side of Vardy all interchanging and running amok whilst Drinkwater, Mendy and Amartey watch the door.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

16 hours ago, Gerbold said:

I thought Kanté's departure would have a hugely deleterious effect this time around. I was wrong - at least judging by yesterday's performance. Claudio fielded the Premier winning side - minus Kanté, plus Mendy - and we were a match for them. Why is that a reason to lambast tactics, players or the money spent on players.

So all that experimenting (and agonising, criticism and argument) over PSG, Barça, United and Hull was wasted words. The reality is the loss of N'Golo Kanté hasn't really changed the situation as dramatically as I envisaged. The guts of the team survives intact.

I trawled my way through the a fair few responses to this thread - as usual noting that I apparently was watching a different game to a few of the other posters - which must have something to do with 'eddies' in the space-time continuum (not, of course, anything to do with blinkered, negative, prejudiced or just plain stupid opinion).

 

Unfortunately only a few posters here have anything perceptive or incisive to bring to the forum. Much of what was written was cheap stabs at certain players - Fuchs, Mendy, Albrighton, Simpson and even Drinkwater seem to be attracting the attention of ingrates who now feel that they support a team which should have replaced more-than-decent players with £200m + spending. To some of you money represents the answer to every problem. Over the last two seasons incredible buys have been made, yet those which turned out to be unsuitable have been deemed evidence of incompetence of the recruiting system - presumably because they didn't integrate immediately and emerge as super-stars in a single game. Presumably you belong to a select bunch of humans who can have their cake and eat it too.

 

I read the blow-by-blow match commentary of the Guardian where Albrighton was mentioned as having put, not one, but two "wonderful crosses" in. Mendy, at the time of his substitution, had according to the 'Statto' working for BT Sport, a 100% pass accuracy rating - but what does that matter when spite urges one to stick the boot in. Funny how Kanté never seemed to get the mention he warranted during matches by commentators. Extolling him was left to post-match summarizers and reporters - who were well aware of just how effective a player he was.
Someone even had a go at Claudio - for not bringing on Musa earlier. Which I think, in a roundabout way, answers RowlattsFox's concern about "lack of creativity and goal threat".

 

I confess though that, although I do moan and groan when one of the players makes an error or misses an opportunity, it's out of frustration rather than bile. Football is an imprecise game in which a humans attempt to control a sphere which has only two natural binding laws applicable to it - gravity and inertia.

 

Which brings me to Mahrez - one of the few men I've seem in a football shirt who seems able to defy physics in his ability to manipulate a football. I listened to the RL phone in after the game. Some bloke stated that '"we" should sell Mahrez. Actually this guy's name is Alex and, as he said, it was...err... his opinion. The silence which greeted this bizarre statement was deafening. I almost expected someone to say "do us all a favour and fvck-off".

Alex, you are surely entitled to your opinion but that opinion makes you a bonehead, an extraordinary bonehead - perhaps the greatest (worst?) bonehead to have supported Leicester City. As Ian Stringer confirmed - Mahrez is the best football player ever to pull on a City shirt. Certainly not a defender, but we have other players to do that job.

 

I particularly loved a comment by Matty Elliot (I think) on the show about Musa beating Bellerin for pace - especially as the latter is supposed to be faster than Theo Walcott . A week or so back yet one more bright spark was stating, on here, that 'we'd' been duped into buying him.

As yesterday indicated, football isn't like going into a shop and buying a replacement part for your Dyson. It's about a team adapting to the changes brought about by the vicissitudes of the game - injury, attitude, transfer and the like. I think the real job will be persuading the fringe players - Gray, Ulloa, Schlupp et al that belonging to a squad rather than being consistently in a team is an acceptable choice to make.

 

 

 

 

I hate long posts normally but plus one this its worth the read

 

up the Foxes

[Babylon]

8 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I fell in to the trap of that in the first half on Saturday as he seemed to be arriving just a touch too late every time and did miss a few tackles that seemed fairly easy. I'm trying my hardest to erase Kante from my mind as there isn't a player who can replace him. That Gueye from Everton can get to fcuk, he's shit and I'm happy to be quoted on that every day for the rest of my life. Trust me, in a 4-4-2 that Gueye is absolute mince.

 

I think eventually we need to play 3 in the middle, once Musa has bedded in I'm absolutely revved at the thought of him and Mahrez either side of Vardy all interchanging and running amok whilst Drinkwater, Mendy and Amartey watch the door.

At some point I think we're going to have to change formation, Musa is clearly a decent player and will cause people nightmares. But he doesn't fit our current system, certainly not against some of your better sides. He'd have come on earlier had Ranieri trusted the defensive side of his game Saturday. But going 433 would see Okazaki drop out, and I really like how he links the midfield and attack. I think he's really important.

[Manwell Pablo]

2 minutes ago, Babylon said:

At some point I think we're going to have to change formation, Musa is clearly a decent player and will cause people nightmares. But he doesn't fit our current system, certainly not against some of your better sides. He'd have come on earlier had Ranieri trusted the defensive side of his game Saturday. But going 433 would see Okazaki drop out, and I really like how he links the midfield and attack. I think he's really important.

Well then we have to ways of playing with different personal, which can only be a positive if used properly, with the amount of games we're going to have to play I don't think we're going to get away with one system. 

[Ric Flair]

13 minutes ago, Babylon said:

At some point I think we're going to have to change formation, Musa is clearly a decent player and will cause people nightmares. But he doesn't fit our current system, certainly not against some of your better sides. He'd have come on earlier had Ranieri trusted the defensive side of his game Saturday. But going 433 would see Okazaki drop out, and I really like how he links the midfield and attack. I think he's really important.

Agreed, there's more questions than answers right now with us. Also if we do go 3 in the middle then we worryingly need to sign at least 1 more central midfielder don't you think? I'd be happy with Drinkwater, Amartey and Mendy but given the extra games and the possibility of Mendy being out we're a bit thin in expertise and numbers. I like Okazaki and in 4-4-2 he helps break the lines and link between midfield and attack but I still think with three proper mobile central midfielders then Mahrez and Musa either side of Vardy all interchanging would take bodies.

[Bluetintedspecs]

4 minutes ago, Gerbold said:

That sums up a good few City 'fans'. They want instant gratification - that's the size of it.

The lads matched Arsenal - defended very well - it don't look pretty but it works and they were ever ready to launch dangerous attacks. I trust all that's up with Mendy is a sprained ankle. The lad tried to get back on - showed willing when others might have given it best. I came away feeling that a few more games would see them back at their best and that Mendy could be a pivotal figure in the post-Kante team.

Btw - you want to watch out using words like "environment" - you'll be mistaken for an interlektual .

Not me guvnor; mi lads teaching me to read from a book of light, I would love to be proppa cleva like sum are one day!

[Countryfox]

17 hours ago, Gerbold said:

I thought Kanté's departure would have a hugely deleterious effect this time around. I was wrong - at least judging by yesterday's performance. Claudio fielded the Premier winning side - minus Kanté, plus Mendy - and we were a match for them. Why is that a reason to lambast tactics, players or the money spent on players.

So all that experimenting (and agonising, criticism and argument) over PSG, Barça, United and Hull was wasted words. The reality is the loss of N'Golo Kanté hasn't really changed the situation as dramatically as I envisaged. The guts of the team survives intact.

I trawled my way through the a fair few responses to this thread - as usual noting that I apparently was watching a different game to a few of the other posters - which must have something to do with 'eddies' in the space-time continuum (not, of course, anything to do with blinkered, negative, prejudiced or just plain stupid opinion).

 

Unfortunately only a few posters here have anything perceptive or incisive to bring to the forum. Much of what was written was cheap stabs at certain players - Fuchs, Mendy, Albrighton, Simpson and even Drinkwater seem to be attracting the attention of ingrates who now feel that they support a team which should have replaced more-than-decent players with £200m + spending. To some of you money represents the answer to every problem. Over the last two seasons incredible buys have been made, yet those which turned out to be unsuitable have been deemed evidence of incompetence of the recruiting system - presumably because they didn't integrate immediately and emerge as super-stars in a single game. Presumably you belong to a select bunch of humans who can have their cake and eat it too.

 

I read the blow-by-blow match commentary of the Guardian where Albrighton was mentioned as having put, not one, but two "wonderful crosses" in. Mendy, at the time of his substitution, had according to the 'Statto' working for BT Sport, a 100% pass accuracy rating - but what does that matter when spite urges one to stick the boot in. Funny how Kanté never seemed to get the mention he warranted during matches by commentators. Extolling him was left to post-match summarizers and reporters - who were well aware of just how effective a player he was.
Someone even had a go at Claudio - for not bringing on Musa earlier. Which I think, in a roundabout way, answers RowlattsFox's concern about "lack of creativity and goal threat".

 

I confess though that, although I do moan and groan when one of the players makes an error or misses an opportunity, it's out of frustration rather than bile. Football is an imprecise game in which a humans attempt to control a sphere which has only two natural binding laws applicable to it - gravity and inertia.

 

Which brings me to Mahrez - one of the few men I've seem in a football shirt who seems able to defy physics in his ability to manipulate a football. I listened to the RL phone in after the game. Some bloke stated that '"we" should sell Mahrez. Actually this guy's name is Alex and, as he said, it was...err... his opinion. The silence which greeted this bizarre statement was deafening. I almost expected someone to say "do us all a favour and fvck-off".

Alex, you are surely entitled to your opinion but that opinion makes you a bonehead, an extraordinary bonehead - perhaps the greatest (worst?) bonehead to have supported Leicester City. As Ian Stringer confirmed - Mahrez is the best football player ever to pull on a City shirt. Certainly not a defender, but we have other players to do that job.

 

I particularly loved a comment by Matty Elliot (I think) on the show about Musa beating Bellerin for pace - especially as the latter is supposed to be faster than Theo Walcott . A week or so back yet one more bright spark was stating, on here, that 'we'd' been duped into buying him.

As yesterday indicated, football isn't like going into a shop and buying a replacement part for your Dyson. It's about a team adapting to the changes brought about by the vicissitudes of the game - injury, attitude, transfer and the like. I think the real job will be persuading the fringe players - Gray, Ulloa, Schlupp et al that belonging to a squad rather than being consistently in a team is an acceptable choice to make.

 

 

 

 

 

Absolute dross ...    clearly you haven't got the slightest clue what you are talking about ...     I reckon your real job is a car mechanic ...   interlektual my arse !!

 

By the way Gerbs me old mate I've had a b@stard of a morning trying to get the spare wheel off my pick up ...   any ideas ?   

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Dreadful ref! One definite penalty.

 

We played more like our old selves, and I thought Musa looked very good. Poor quality game, and we missed a couple of chances, but I believe we will pick up as the season progresses.

[UPinCarolina]

19 hours ago, Gerbold said:

Someone even had a go at Claudio - for not bringing on Musa earlier. Which I think, in a roundabout way, answers RowlattsFox's concern about "lack of creativity and goal threat".

 

I particularly loved a comment by Matty Elliot (I think) on the show about Musa beating Bellerin for pace - especially as the latter is supposed to be faster than Theo Walcott . A week or so back yet one more bright spark was stating, on here, that 'we'd' been duped into buying him.

To be clear: You're saying that you agree with the premise that Musa could have come on earlier? If so - wonderful. If not - 

[RonnieTodger]

I thought Simpson had a poor first half, Chamberlain ran him ragged. Second half, he was much much better and looked like the same defender from last season as opposed to the one who's being playing this summer. I can't help but feel Albrighton is the current weak link. He's great at what he does, but beyond cutting inside and looking for an immediate cross, he doesn't offer much. Especially when those crosses are aimed at Okazaki, who's not winning any aerial battles. 

[lcfcdamo]

Just watched the game back think Albrighton looked really poor would like to see musa against Swansea 

[Guest Col city fan]

22 hours ago, Gerbold said:

I thought Kanté's departure would have a hugely deleterious effect this time around. I was wrong - at least judging by yesterday's performance. Claudio fielded the Premier winning side - minus Kanté, plus Mendy - and we were a match for them. Why is that a reason to lambast tactics, players or the money spent on players.

So all that experimenting (and agonising, criticism and argument) over PSG, Barça, United and Hull was wasted words. The reality is the loss of N'Golo Kanté hasn't really changed the situation as dramatically as I envisaged. The guts of the team survives intact.

I trawled my way through the a fair few responses to this thread - as usual noting that I apparently was watching a different game to a few of the other posters - which must have something to do with 'eddies' in the space-time continuum (not, of course, anything to do with blinkered, negative, prejudiced or just plain stupid opinion).

 

Unfortunately only a few posters here have anything perceptive or incisive to bring to the forum. Much of what was written was cheap stabs at certain players - Fuchs, Mendy, Albrighton, Simpson and even Drinkwater seem to be attracting the attention of ingrates who now feel that they support a team which should have replaced more-than-decent players with £200m + spending. To some of you money represents the answer to every problem. Over the last two seasons incredible buys have been made, yet those which turned out to be unsuitable have been deemed evidence of incompetence of the recruiting system - presumably because they didn't integrate immediately and emerge as super-stars in a single game. Presumably you belong to a select bunch of humans who can have their cake and eat it too.

 

I read the blow-by-blow match commentary of the Guardian where Albrighton was mentioned as having put, not one, but two "wonderful crosses" in. Mendy, at the time of his substitution, had according to the 'Statto' working for BT Sport, a 100% pass accuracy rating - but what does that matter when spite urges one to stick the boot in. Funny how Kanté never seemed to get the mention he warranted during matches by commentators. Extolling him was left to post-match summarizers and reporters - who were well aware of just how effective a player he was.
Someone even had a go at Claudio - for not bringing on Musa earlier. Which I think, in a roundabout way, answers RowlattsFox's concern about "lack of creativity and goal threat".

 

I confess though that, although I do moan and groan when one of the players makes an error or misses an opportunity, it's out of frustration rather than bile. Football is an imprecise game in which a humans attempt to control a sphere which has only two natural binding laws applicable to it - gravity and inertia.

 

Which brings me to Mahrez - one of the few men I've seem in a football shirt who seems able to defy physics in his ability to manipulate a football. I listened to the RL phone in after the game. Some bloke stated that '"we" should sell Mahrez. Actually this guy's name is Alex and, as he said, it was...err... his opinion. The silence which greeted this bizarre statement was deafening. I almost expected someone to say "do us all a favour and fvck-off".

Alex, you are surely entitled to your opinion but that opinion makes you a bonehead, an extraordinary bonehead - perhaps the greatest (worst?) bonehead to have supported Leicester City. As Ian Stringer confirmed - Mahrez is the best football player ever to pull on a City shirt. Certainly not a defender, but we have other players to do that job.

 

I particularly loved a comment by Matty Elliot (I think) on the show about Musa beating Bellerin for pace - especially as the latter is supposed to be faster than Theo Walcott . A week or so back yet one more bright spark was stating, on here, that 'we'd' been duped into buying him.

As yesterday indicated, football isn't like going into a shop and buying a replacement part for your Dyson. It's about a team adapting to the changes brought about by the vicissitudes of the game - injury, attitude, transfer and the like. I think the real job will be persuading the fringe players - Gray, Ulloa, Schlupp et al that belonging to a squad rather than being consistently in a team is an acceptable choice to make.

 

 

 

 

Not sure about this post personally. In terms of the length (why so long....? write a blog) and if you really read it, its incredibly condescending.

I'm also not sure I agree with some of it. I think its clear that losing Kante HAS left a gaping hole. and Mendy's 100% pass accuracy rate led to the princely sum of 2 shots on target the whole game. I think he's playing too deep, whereas Ngolo got further forward as often as he could. And so far we've got 1 point from a possible 6 so all isn't rosy in the garden.

Secondly..Mahrez. Great player though he is, so far he's been bang average in many of the friendlies and in the league. I'm not advocating selling our most talented player, but I do wonder whether the opposition are focussing on him big time now and it's showing.

I think we'll beat Swansea. They are a very average side this season I think. But the run after that will show how we are really going to get on this season.

Your post will be popular because it's essentially saying 'don't worry'. You could have actually written exactly that and it would have had a similar effect. Personally, I don't think we look right yet. The opposition are giving us just about zero space in-behind them and I can't yet see a plan B. I'm waiting a little longer before I can say 'don't worry' with any confidence.

I do agree you about one thing though...football is about adapting. Now that we are in the spotlight, as Champions, we need to adapt because we are up there to be shot at and the opposition must have learnt more about how we are playing. I'm interested to see the way we evolve this season.

[Bluetintedspecs]

1 hour ago, Col city fan said:

Not sure about this post personally. In terms of the length (why so long....? write a blog) and if you really read it, its incredibly condescending.

I'm also not sure I agree with some of it. I think its clear that losing Kante HAS left a gaping hole. and Mendy's 100% pass accuracy rate led to the princely sum of 2 shots on target the whole game. I think he's playing too deep, whereas Ngolo got further forward as often as he could. And so far we've got 1 point from a possible 6 so all isn't rosy in the garden.

Secondly..Mahrez. Great player though he is, so far he's been bang average in many of the friendlies and in the league. I'm not advocating selling our most talented player, but I do wonder whether the opposition are focussing on him big time now and it's showing.

I think we'll beat Swansea. They are a very average side this season I think. But the run after that will show how we are really going to get on this season.

Your post will be popular because it's essentially saying 'don't worry'. You could have actually written exactly that and it would have had a similar effect. Personally, I don't think we look right yet. The opposition are giving us just about zero space in-behind them and I can't yet see a plan B. I'm waiting a little longer before I can say 'don't worry' with any confidence.

I do agree you about one thing though...football is about adapting. Now that we are in the spotlight, as Champions, we need to adapt because we are up there to be shot at and the opposition must have learnt more about how we are playing. I'm interested to see the way we evolve this season.

Don't worry 

[biggs]

1 hour ago, Col city fan said:

Not sure about this post personally. In terms of the length (why so long....? write a blog) and if you really read it, its incredibly condescending.

I'm also not sure I agree with some of it. I think its clear that losing Kante HAS left a gaping hole. and Mendy's 100% pass accuracy rate led to the princely sum of 2 shots on target the whole game. I think he's playing too deep, whereas Ngolo got further forward as often as he could. And so far we've got 1 point from a possible 6 so all isn't rosy in the garden.

Secondly..Mahrez. Great player though he is, so far he's been bang average in many of the friendlies and in the league. I'm not advocating selling our most talented player, but I do wonder whether the opposition are focussing on him big time now and it's showing.

I think we'll beat Swansea. They are a very average side this season I think. But the run after that will show how we are really going to get on this season.

Your post will be popular because it's essentially saying 'don't worry'. You could have actually written exactly that and it would have had a similar effect. Personally, I don't think we look right yet. The opposition are giving us just about zero space in-behind them and I can't yet see a plan B. I'm waiting a little longer before I can say 'don't worry' with any confidence.

I do agree you about one thing though...football is about adapting. Now that we are in the spotlight, as Champions, we need to adapt because we are up there to be shot at and the opposition must have learnt more about how we are playing. I'm interested to see the way we evolve this season.

Sorry Mate......liked the post because it's generally how I see things thus far. Don't always agree with the man. Writing Don't worry with nothing behind it is pretty much meaningless dribble....just saying

[Guest Col city fan]

51 minutes ago, biggs said:

Sorry Mate......liked the post because it's generally how I see things thus far. Don't always agree with the man. Writing Don't worry with nothing behind it is pretty much meaningless dribble....just saying

I think I've taken umbridge at his use of the term 'deleterious'. I consider myself a bit of a wordsmith, yet this word I've never used in a sentence. 

And I dislike others using words that I don't know.

[Guest Col city fan]

1 hour ago, Bluetintedspecs said:

Don't worry 

I knew you'd write that...just knew it

[Bluetintedspecs]

34 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

I knew you'd write that...just knew it

All I could manage to write after your eye bleeding post with all its negatives, ha ha ha ha 

[Red Squirrel]

9 hours ago, Bob Weasel Fox said:

I hate long posts normally but plus one this its worth the read

 

up the Foxes

Echo that.. Well argued case by Gerbold I thought. For those still on Ladybird books I agree it might be a challenge . If we do strengthen the midfield before the window closes this team has all the qualities necessary to challenge at the top again.

[st albans fox]

Not sure if anyone commented on tunnel cam but before the game when the players return to the dressing room from their pre match meal etc through the tunnel, wasyl walks in with riyad and tried to push him towards the arsenal dressing room - he then closes the home dressing room door on him. Riyad seems unsure how to react - funny! 

[HighPeakFox]

@Col city fan - umbrage. And objecting to a word you happen not to know......are you my mother?

[brucey]

6 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Not sure if anyone commented on tunnel cam but before the game when the players return to the dressing room from their pre match meal etc through the tunnel, wasyl walks in with riyad and tried to push him towards the arsenal dressing room - he then closes the home dressing room door on him. Riyad seems unsure how to react - funny! 

Banter 

Is this on the full Foxes Player version? Didn't see this on the 4.24 min version on youtube/twitter

[st albans fox]

3 hours ago, brucey said:

Banter 

Is this on the full Foxes Player version? Didn't see this on the 4.24 min version on youtube/twitter

Yes sorry - you have to pay for the privilege of seeing the banter! would have thought the media people would have shown it after trolling the gooners for weeks