One of Wenger's long-standing flaws - of which there are so many I've lost count - came to the fore again today and that was his decision to remove an attacking outlet in the form of Giroud in favour of a more defensive player to protect a lead.
According to Wenger logic more defenders = more protection, a basic error that he's repeated for years on end (the old Eboue for Walcott sub springs to mind). Now this tactic may work if you have a tightly-drilled, physically-imposing back 6 who relish penalty box defending and aerial challenges, but anyone who's watched Arsenal over the last 5 years would know that's far from the case (apart from the manager it seems...). Instead what he usually succeeds in doing is penning our team back in their own half, dropping deeper and deeper towards their own goal with little chance to relieve the pressure, and leaving our overburdened defence exposed to unending waves of opposition pressure.
It's a mistake he's repeated so often (3-1 defeat vs Barcelona and 4-4 draw vs Newcastle spring to mind) that it's hard to see how he hasn't learnt from it, but then that would totally be in keeping with the rest of his management. I can't wait for the day he's gone and we no longer have to put up with his silly post-game reflections like 'We played with the hand-brake on' or 'We were a little bit short physically' or the latest one 'Bad memories affected us' etc etc. which all seem to leave out the role that he should be playing on the training ground, in the dressing room and on the touchline to best set his team up to win games.
Wenger's warped defensive logic
posted on 22/12/14
Every thread seems to lead to the conclusion that your defence isn't good enough.
You should sell some of your attacking midfielders
posted on 22/12/14
comment by Pundit /\_/\ (U16869)
posted 1 minute ago
Every thread seems to lead to the conclusion that your defence isn't good enough.
You should sell some of your attacking midfielders
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Can't see ttoo many offers for any of them.
posted on 22/12/14
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 22/12/14
They would all be bought, from Ozil to Gnabry. You could shift your wealth of talent from attacking midfield to defence if you really wanted to.
You'd rather play beautifully than win football matches though. When you change this mentality, you will be deemed a title contender.
posted on 22/12/14
What really irks me to death is that we were 10 against 11 and we defend deep with 9 min to play? We subbed one of our best aerial player in OG knowing that Liverpool only play high balls and set pieces.
I cant understand why we cant defend easy set pieces? Skrtel scored the same goal last year. Frustrated.
posted on 22/12/14
I think we can forgive Giroud's substitution. As I said in the match thread, he is not 100% and had started to give the ball away at that point.
The problem at that time was not substituting the attacking players. It was the fact we were sitting too deep and had started to sink back into the penalty area. Flamini has been doing that for almost 3 months now. It started to happen early in the season when players went past him and he was not able to cover them. So now he gives attacking midfield players 4 yards of space by dropping deep. That leaves huge gaps in the middle of the pitch. Thats the space Rodgers used with Coutinho and Lalana. I was thankful Rodgers was too stupid to put Gerrard in that space or we would have lost by 3 or 4. But at the end of the game all Liverpool players camped there incl Gerrard.
In the past Tony Adams, or Sol Campbell would have pressed Flamini forward but Mert is not that type of leader and neither is the goalkeeper. So instead our back 4 took their positioning from Flamini and dropped deep. Which is always a recipe for disaster.
posted on 22/12/14
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 3 hours, 5 minutes ago
What really irks me to death is that we were 10 against 11 and we defend deep with 9 min to play? We subbed one of our best aerial player in OG knowing that Liverpool only play high balls and set pieces.
I cant understand why we cant defend easy set pieces? Skrtel scored the same goal last year. Frustrated.
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"Liverpool only play high balls and set pieces"
You are having a laugh, aren't you?
We totally dominated possession, how does that tally with your view
posted on 22/12/14
comment by CurlyBlackBonce (U18853)
posted 2 hours, 22 minutes ago
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 3 hours, 5 minutes ago
What really irks me to death is that we were 10 against 11 and we defend deep with 9 min to play? We subbed one of our best aerial player in OG knowing that Liverpool only play high balls and set pieces.
I cant understand why we cant defend easy set pieces? Skrtel scored the same goal last year. Frustrated.
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"Liverpool only play high balls and set pieces"
You are having a laugh, aren't you?
We totally dominated possession, how does that tally with your view
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I talked about the extra time in general not the whole game.
posted on 22/12/14
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 4 hours, 15 minutes ago
comment by CurlyBlackBonce (U18853)
posted 2 hours, 22 minutes ago
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 3 hours, 5 minutes ago
What really irks me to death is that we were 10 against 11 and we defend deep with 9 min to play? We subbed one of our best aerial player in OG knowing that Liverpool only play high balls and set pieces.
I cant understand why we cant defend easy set pieces? Skrtel scored the same goal last year. Frustrated.
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"Liverpool only play high balls and set pieces"
You are having a laugh, aren't you?
We totally dominated possession, how does that tally with your view
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I talked about the extra time in general not the whole game.
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So, you don't understand how a team who are agoal down and playing with 10 men might want to get the ball into the box as many times as possible.
posted on 22/12/14
He's not criticising Liverpool ffs He is saying we should have kept Giroud on to help counter those tactics.