Even Worse than Last Year

@ You Can't Buy Class
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What?
Then how about Shalke, Norwich and QPR?
Were we also mentally scarred??

Doesn't really matter, it's still in the whole mindset and mood of the team.

Anyone who has played football week in, week out for a league would know this. You fear places where you took a heavy defeat. Even if you were injured, missed the last game or joined the club after.

What?
Then how about Shalke, Norwich and QPR?
Were we also mentally scarred??
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Not really interested in discussing those games, my focus was the one just gone.

To answer your question, no we weren't we played badly. But I don't see how that bears any relation to what I wrote.

Sorry YCBC, that excuse only applies to career threatening injuries. Players are paid handsomely to be both physically AND mentally well prepared. Clubs more often than not employ psychologists to help players overcome anxieties on various matters.

It's a cop out to let the players off today because of what happened last August. For starters I'm almost certain only 2 or 3 players that played today played in that game. Off the top of my head Walcott and Ramsey... Anyone else?

Believe what you will. I've played football all my life and I know that having a chat with some old codger in a room doesn't change the fact that you and/or your team got whacked 8-2 the last time round and this is all the discussion in the press before the match.

This is not an excuse, these things should be overcome but all I'm saying is at least next time an 8-2 defeat wont be playing on their minds and maybe they'll show a bit more self-belief. Something we lack as a squad.

Good article! spot on

For me it's unacceptable for that to be the case - we might aswell have not turned up today if you're advocating such a defeatist team attitude. I'm the same age as most of these players and my job often requires me to take risks in order to achieve results. If I take a risk one week on a particular project and it fails due to an unforeseen variable, does that mean I cower into a ball and behave reluctantly the next time a similar opportunity arises? No, you get back on the horse, learn from your mistakes and ensure you are better prepared next time.

This is the exact mentality that has crept into our team since Henry left... We don't score in the first 20 mins and you see heads drop all over the pitch, arms outstretched after wayward passes etc. THESE things are all signs of terribly negative body language that is contagious. It has no positive outcome and it has become acceptable to both the squad and the manager. Wenger famously has given about 2 hair dryer treatments in his entire arsenal career and something needs to change. Football teams are usually made in their manager's image and arsenal are currently a collective personification of a lazy, stubborn, devoid of ideas old man who has no hunger or motivation to win trophies anymore... His constant championing of 4th place over the league cup/FA cup for the past 5 years shows you all you need to know... As long as the balance sheet is met, Nobody cares and this so very obviously trickled down to our squad.

I agree. It all stems from the top, a lack of belief and desire to win trophies. Players who know this and performances that show this.

Exactly mate I'll never stop supporting the arsenal because of all the great memories they've given me growing up watching that legendary defence and the emergence of Viera as arguably the greatest box to box player of all time... But I've started joining in with the jokes along with my Manc and Chelsea supporting mates when we watch games and that tells me I've really lost faith in the way our club is managed

Fortunately talking to you guys is the only sufficient therapy post-arsenal match these days.

I count 6 shots on target in the last 3 league games. We're worse than Stoke! Huzzah!

Yes, there is a lot to be concerned about. A lot of Arsenal fans haven't even realised how much their own expectations have slowly changed over recent years. You need to take a minute to stop and think about how you felt at the start of the season a(round the time of the Millennium) and how you feel at the start of the season now.

It's not easy, it's frustrating to see us slipping. Almost every club that builds a big stadium suffers for several years after. I'm not entirely sure the suffering has been necessary at Arsenal though or has just been caused by poor leadership and managerial decisions.

I've just ordered a punching bag off of Amazon because I have been ferocious these past few weeks after watching us!