Arsenal Post Match

[sacreblueits442]

2 hours ago, lgfualol said:

Arsenal were just class. Everyone is saying it was one of their best halves in ages. 

....we dropped off!!!!

We have spent a year playing a style and pattern and when the pressure was on we forgot everything. As usual we started dropping off before half time.We started to go safe....we always do before the half time whistle. It is really strange that we cannot put together a full performance and have one good half and a less than average performance in the other.

  The team looked good, really good (in the first half)......did not take the chances we created and poor officiating decisions added to the outcome.

Going 3 at the back made us look solid, we looked good going forward, played with tempo and for a moment brought back the share excitement and pride again in this team. 

  Puel may have made a big step tonight in bringing some flexibility to the team. We have been asking for this for some time,we play like that again, in the first half, and we can fill our boots in the next 11 games. There is a good team in there.....it just needs a mental backbone!!!!

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

3 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

Interesting game, disappointing result.

 

Played quite well in the first 30 minutes up until getting the lead. We've shown in spells against Man United, Liverpool and now Arsenal that we can dictate the game and look threatening. Lots of good interplay between the team. However, as soon as we scored it felt like we immediately sat back (probably a subconscious thing more than deliberate) and Arsenal completely took over. Stupid goal to give away right on the stroke of half time and from then on there only looked like there would be one winner. Some of their play in the second half was vintage Arsenal and Torriera their 11 and Ozil ran the game. Second half it felt like we never came out as we never got going, and all of a sudden couldn't put together even three passes. Their subs had a massive impact and they wrapped up the game with a quick flurry. We did absolutely nothing in the second half and it was Vardy who should have come off. Clearly ill in my eyes he literally ran for nothing the entire game which is most unlike him.

 

The reason why the game was interesting in my eyes is because it really shows us the crossroads we are at. For the first 30 minutes we were very good and it made you think that we can play the passing game and develop it over time. But then the second half it looked like men against boys and the style looked like it was too technical and advanced for the players that we have. So which is the real Leicester? The one with young talented players that show signs of being able to become a great team, or the one that ultimately will always fall short of playing the passing system whilst more pragmatic teams around our level surpass us? I don't really know to be honest but I think for a mid level side it will take quite a while to get used to playing in a specific way so don't really want to make a judgement either way.

 

The tactics today were interesting too, I wonder if we will play that way on Saturday?

Top post. 

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

2 hours ago, martyn said:

From 35 mins in at 0-1 the result looked inevitable. 

 

Arsenal started fizzing it in to Lacazette much earlier, getting runners off him and took Ndidi out of the equation who had been brilliant breaking play up first 30. After then i don't think we managed to disrupt any of their attacks.

 

Start of the 2nd half the play got too frenetic, we couldn't get a foot on the ball to slow the tempo, (wilf and Mendy simply can't control the tempo in situations like that) nor could we spin it in behind their back 4 to turn them and relieve some pressure as Vardy barely broke above a jog all night. They pushed right up, pressed high, forced mistakes and then had the quality with their interplay to make us look silly time and again.

 

Plenty of teams will come a cropper  at Arsenal, but I came away worried at the attitude after going behind (we have a soft centre which could easily snowball into a poor run if we lose confidence). Today also laid bare the lack of genuine quality options on the bench to even attempt to turn the tide of a game.

Other than the first sentence - I don't think it was inevitable... another top post. 

[Dan LCFC]

A 90 minutes which totally encapsulates the good and bad of Leicester under Puel. We really are such a baffling side.

[Paddy_D]

'More recent than you, more recent than you, Champions of England, more recent than you!'  Good to see we've moved on from 'you'll never sing that!' without researching the opposition. 

[Sooper Steve's shin]

I’ve enjoyed watching Mendy this season, but second half we needed someone experienced and calm to step in and take a bit of control. Iborra always feels like he could be that option (although he has rarely shown it for us in truth).

 

We are lacking a bit in terms of game-changing subs and perhaps showing the mistake of ditching both Slimani and Ulloa without similar options. 

[Fuzzymuzzy]

I've lurked on this forum for far too long now, the gloves are off its time to contribute.

 

Simply put Arsenal had too much quality and possesion for Leicester to cope with. Arsenal attempted 725 passes to Leicesters 325 passes. Let that sink in, Arsenal deserved the victory based on the final 60 minutes of the game. The stats show a greater desire to win the game.

[WigstonWanderer]

Disappointing result after looking much the better side in the first half. Should have had a penalty for one of the clearest handballs I’ve ever seen, and if I’m not mistaken the offender should have got a second yellow and been sent off.

 

Having said all that, Arsenal looked superb in the second half while we lost all cohesion and fell apart.

 

Didnt expect anything anyway.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Bunyip said:

Nacho was lucky to even get a game. Puel did not do " fine " he was outsmarted by a proper manager who knew how to change the game and exploit our weaknesses. Face it we have a fair to middling side with a manager who should never be managing at this level. If you really think we could finish seventh then your bottle is not only half full it's still corked. 

Typical overreaction after a loss. Nacho could easily have bagged two in the first 10 minutes. Puel outwitted a "top" manager for half the match away from home against a European team on an 11 game win streak.

 

The sooner that you realise we are not a top 5 team the easier your life will be. We are an upper middle prem team, which I'm very happy with. 7th is a possibility, as is 12th, I won't cry over either finish.

[Col city fan]

Vardy is a clinical finisher who is suffering by playing in a side full of mediocrity.

We need to be careful. Talk of offloading Vardy and sticking with the same manager who signed Ghezzal, Ricardo and Diabetes is scary imo. Puel seems to be slowly dismantling our title winning squad and replacing them with players who are bang average.

Im all for evolution of the squad but it’s got to be done correctly. 

If Vardy would have been wearing a Gunners shirt last night, he’d have scored two or three. I think it’s not so much that Vardy has lost his way, as we’ve lost our way.

[st albans fox]

28 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

Vardy is a clinical finisher who is suffering by playing in a side full of mediocrity.

We need to be careful. Talk of offloading Vardy and sticking with the same manager who signed Ghezzal, Ricardo and Diabetes is scary imo. Puel seems to be slowly dismantling our title winning squad and replacing them with players who are bang average.

Im all for evolution of the squad but it’s got to be done correctly. 

If Vardy would have been wearing a Gunners shirt last night, he’d have scored two or three. I think it’s not so much that Vardy has lost his way, as we’ve lost our way.

Except he clearly was carrying something ....  anyway, I’m pissed off that we yet again failed to counter their tactical changes

 

their equaliser with its timing can be used as an excuse for the change the game but we allowed them to come onto us from about 38 mins ...... that’s a dangerous game against a top side and we have the players to control a game better. I’m not sure exactly when emery tweaked it (was it around 35 mins in it, was it at half time) but we had no plan to change things ourselves when the inevitable change from the opposition came. 

 

Basically, we never came out for the second half and one could argue that mentally, conceding on 44 mins was responsible...... well a top manager sees that coming as he goes down the tunnel  and does things during the break to try and make sure the players are suitably challenged with some tactical tweaks to change their mindset ......

 

and we saw nothing during that second period from our management/coaching team to stem the red tide .....granted that vardy seemed to become more and more of a passenger as it went on but to allow them to change their shape and make no allowances for that seemed odd and so it proved ......  we could have got something from the game but whereas we started by asking all the tactical questions of the opposition, we became completely passive as the game went on. 

 

Need to say kudos to the coaching team for the starting formation and tactics ........ 

Edited 23 October 2018 by st albans fox

[lgfualol]

18 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

Puel seems to be slowly dismantling our title winning squad and replacing them with players who are bang average.

But our title winning squad are average now. We wouldnt do any better playing Simpson, okazaki, albrighton and Wes, than playing our average new signings like Ghezzal. 

[Col city fan]

3 minutes ago, lgfualol said:

But our title winning squad are average now. We wouldnt do any better playing Simpson, okazaki, albrighton and Wes, than playing our average new signings like Ghezzal. 

I consider Albrighton, for instance, to still be streets ahead of Ghezzal. I said I know we needed to evolve. But not with mediocrity. 

[Pliskin]

I do smile at the scoulding you get for merely suggesting an ounce of dissatisfaction. We were poor, and yet a 30 minute spell of wasted domination is enough to satisfy some people? 

 

In my mind you can blame Puel... he’s the chap who carries the can ultimately when shit goes bad, not the owners. Having a half decent 30 minute spell won’t keep you in a job if you can’t win games. Recent results and performances have started to show some real issues and imbalances within the side. The defence I would say was marginally better today, however Arsenal scored three although attractive, routine goals a few simple passes had us star struck. Mendy and N’didi still continue to stifle us going forward, through no fault of their own it’s just their game isnt about attack. Our attack is about a useful as a door with no handle, Vardy is starved of any kind of service and yet gets berated for not delivering and Kalechi is certainly a member of the “worst we’ve had” club. He’s absolute dog and completely useless.

 

I don’t think all the players buy into Puels philosophy and I think that is evident in the body language of a few of them, I’m not happy with how things are going theres nothing about us anymore, we’ve lost all of our previous characteristics we had prior to Puels arrival and we have a soft underbelly and are easy to beat. 

 

Performances ultimately mean jack, unless you back them up with some kind of result. 

 

To put it bluntly I’m looking forward to the day Puel finally gets the sack. 

[Livid]

It’s a reoccurring problem now.

 

We have 20-25 minute spells where we play some great football but fail to seize a real advantage (Ref didn’t help last night!) we then either fade away or shoot ourselves in the foot (Wes getting sent off, switch off for that goal just before halftime again). 

 

We can’t just hand the initiative to a top 6 side like that, there will be only one outcome. 

[daddylonglegs]

The lack of a plan B is really worrying. Albrighton, Okazaki & Ghezzal are all very very average PL players, bringing them on to change a game is only going to go one way. 

 

Not saying Slimani & Ulloa were Drogba & Shearer but at least it was something different to throw the opposition. Investment needed in January.

 

also - important to reflect on how good we were in the first half, but unfortunately we were worse in the second half than we were good in the first. Spineless, no direction, confused. Just looked like we’d given up. Disappointing ... 

[BlueSi13]

Already difficult for me to get passionate about this season.  We've become such a 'meh' side.  A make-up-the-numbers Premier League club.

 

Lose a couple, shithouse a win or two, lose some more.  All whilst looking decent in patches but overall, pretty useless.  We don't have anything about us, no steel, no guts, no arrogance.  Our record against the top six is quickly becoming an abomination for example.  We just roll over when the tide is against us.

 

In my opinion we are underachieving, our squad (and wage bill to boot) should be at a higher standard.  

[KFS]

2 minutes ago, BlueSi13 said:

Already difficult for me to get passionate about this season.  We've become such a 'meh' side.  A make-up-the-numbers Premier League club.

 

Lose a couple, shithouse a win or two, lose some more.  All whilst looking decent in patches but overall, pretty useless.  We don't have anything about us, no steel, no guts, no arrogance.  Our record against the top six is quickly becoming an abomination for example.  We just roll over when the tide is against us.

 

In my opinion we are underachieving, our squad (and wage bill to boot) should be at a higher standard.  

Agree but that inconsistency is due to having a youthful side. Unfortunately the way this is going is that we’ll make them consistent eventually just in time for the big clubs to come in and buy them all.

 

We’ll become Southampton if we’re not careful.

[WigstonWanderer]

Mildly alarming that our new passing style, whilst looking attractive for portions of the game, goes to pot as soon as we’re under the hammer, and we just start hoofing it anywhere. It’s exactly at those times that the new style ought to be useful.

[UniFox21]

in two minds after last night, on one hand we should've been 2 even 3 up at HT, with arsenal down to 10 (Holding should've been booked and off for the handball) 

Instead, they equalise and after the break we collapsed. Second half was calling for Iborra in the middle to help gain the ball back and keep it. 

 

But as is being said in the other thread, they brought on Ramsey and Aubameyang from the bench showing the gulf in money

[Babylon]

12 minutes ago, BlueSi13 said:

Already difficult for me to get passionate about this season.  We've become such a 'meh' side.  A make-up-the-numbers Premier League club.

 

Lose a couple, shithouse a win or two, lose some more.  All whilst looking decent in patches but overall, pretty useless.  We don't have anything about us, no steel, no guts, no arrogance.  Our record against the top six is quickly becoming an abomination for example.  We just roll over when the tide is against us.

 

In my opinion we are underachieving, our squad (and wage bill to boot) should be at a higher standard.  

Not sure what you were expecting to be honest, unless we spend more money we'll only over flit between 7th and 14th. It's what was always gone my to happen.

[ozvaldo]

I wish we could play for 90 mins the way we did for the first 30.

Especially against shitter teams too.

[bfox]

1 hour ago, FIF said:

Typical overreaction after a loss. Nacho could easily have bagged two in the first 10 minutes. Puel outwitted a "top" manager for half the match away from home against a European team on an 11 game win streak.

 

The sooner that you realise we are not a top 5 team the easier your life will be. We are an upper middle prem team, which I'm very happy with. 7th is a possibility, as is 12th, I won't cry over either finish.

Happy to take part kind of mentality 

[lgfualol]

35 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

I consider Albrighton, for instance, to still be streets ahead of Ghezzal. I said I know we needed to evolve. But not with mediocrity. 

True. He was shit but I think it is a confidence thing for Ghezzal, coming on when Arsenal fans are actually making noise and playing us off the park is unnerving. 

 

However, we knew Mahrez was off for months and still ended up buying Ghezzal in August in a panic buy. Poor planning as per usual.

[Ric Flair]

56 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

I consider Albrighton, for instance, to still be streets ahead of Ghezzal. I said I know we needed to evolve. But not with mediocrity. 

And that's saying something as Albrighton is so limited as a players it's scary, Ghezzal just looks so unsuitable for this level.