[VanGaalEra]

A 2 man MF won't work in the big games, not sure how we get a 3rd CM in because you can't drop/sub Rooney off.

 

[Rezyuz]

We lost 3-0 at Highbury in the treble year. Shit happens.

Worst thing was waiting so long to make a change.

Changes at 45 min is actually pretty quick for most managers.

 

[K2K]

That's as good as it gets for Arsenal this season, we are much much better than what we showed today and will finish about them.

Like the last two seasons right? I dont get this false sense of superiority some people seem to have over Arsenal...they have had better seasons than us in the last two years, including beating us in the most important game we played Last season.

 

[The_Midfielder]

Bring back 3-5-2

 

[NessunDorma]

This place is going to be unbearable for 2 weeks now.

It can't just be a bad loss, of the kind teams suffer from time to time. It has to be a disaster of historical proportions. Also a perfect opportunity for axe grinders to get stuck into their favourite whipping boys. The manager, the captain, old favourites like Carrick and Young.

We're still only 2 points off top spot, with it all to play for, and a defeat away to Arsenal isn't a disaster (although of course, the manner of the defeat is hard to take).

Take a few deep breaths, ladies and gentleman, and try and put things in perspective.

As for the game itself:

We just lacked drive and dynamism. Arsenal were quick and direct, where we were slow and blunted. I actually thought we looked more dangerous when Valencia came on, because at least he's strong, quick and will run at people. It put Arsenal on the back foot a bit more. Just far to easy to defend against overall, though.

Fair play to Arsenal for a great result and performance, but we move on. Alarm bells should only start ringing if such performances against the bigger clubs become the norm, as in the last days of the Moyes era.

 

[kps88]

A 2 man MF won't work in the big games, not sure how we get a 3rd CM in because you can't drop/sub Rooney off.

Do what we did in the second half today. Move him wide left and drop Memphis.

 

[Red Dreams]

For me Memphis needs toughening up.

I would play Young there until...

 

[Eboue]

Man Utd are just bottlers who lack a winning mentality. It was clear from their body language.

 

[Havak]

Deserved win for Arsenal, we were blitzed in the first 20 minutes. When we finally got a foot-hold in the game, it was too close to half time and Cech was there. Even in the second half when we kept the ball better, it was just as much the fault of Arsenal sitting back as us playing a a bit of football at last. Even then, despite us having a few chances, Arsenal had two or three on the break where if they scored it wouldn't have been surprising.

So many of our players were poor today, that I find it hard to give more than two or three of them a 6/10. I can't believe that Schneiderlin didn't play as our midfield was just not mobile enough to deal with Asenal's pace and creativity in those areas. Schweinsteiger was either incredibly poor, or was forced into doing a job he simply could not by LvG, which left our full backs in particular in no-man's land.

Terrible day, but Arsenal exploited everything they needed to.

 

[sullydnl]

How unusual? They do it all the time, last season even was a perfect example. They just finished this time

Nah, I thought they were a step up again today. Even the a normally serene/slothful player like Ozil played with high intensity, they were really very good.

 

[Someone]

Losing the points isn't a disaster, it's away to arsenal after all, but the game reminded me of how slow we are upfront.

I think we'll finish above arsenal come may, but this is how a good premier league side should attack, city do the same thing, we're slow as feck, and we have a massive shortage in creativity upfront.

 

[Shark]

These days happen. We played the bastards at the worst possible time, when they're in world class mode. Let's just move on.

 

[Rezyuz]

A 2 man MF won't work in the big games, not sure how we get a 3rd CM in because you can't drop/sub Rooney off.

Said this many times, make rooney a CDM and just let him run after the ball and pass it off instead of relying on him to make a play or goal. The only positive thing about Rooney is his workrate. Make use of it.

 

[dsch]

Don't think much could be read into the result at all, despite the doom-mongers in here. The game was lost after ten minutes; getting anything after 2-0 would have been a bonus. Yeah, our midfield was way too open, but that comes from chasing the game. We don't even know how we intended to approach the match, and they could just sit and counter the whole time.

It was a definite mistake to leave the fullbacks so exposed, though. Having Mata and Depay on the wings means not much cover for either, which further draws the central midfielders out.

There's a lot of kneejerk reaction against Rooney, for some reason. For me, he was one of the players who tried to make things happen. Martial was our best player, and the match would have been very different if Cech hadn't saved from him at the end of the first half.

 

[Joemo]

Man Utd are just bottlers who lack a winning mentality. It was clear from their body language.

Reported.

 

[stu_1992]

Fecking shocking first half. The worst I've seen from us I reckon. We did okay to solidify the team for the second half, but we badly needed one of those chances to go in so that we could completely turn the tide. Never happened, the Martial chance at the end of the first half was the key one. He was however one of the few positives, perhaps the only one. Always looked dangerous on the ball.

Both full backs in the first half were shocking, Darmian being particularly criminal. Deserved to be taken off, along with Memphis. Rooney was pointless again, but at least showed some desire in the second half. Midfield looked like the midfield of old. Way too open and no protection for the defense.

 

[clarkydaz]

hope LVG made a note of what attacking brave football looks like

 

[DevilRed]

Expected. Bookies had the gooners as 2 goal favorites before the match at one point.

The manager and captain should be to blame really. The manager for setting us up in the most naïve fashion possible, against what would predictably be a rampant gooner side for at least the first 20 minutes. You don't try to play possession games at the emirates. The blueprint has been always to sit back, give them no space to pass the ball in danger areas, and then hit on the counter. Not following this blueprint has led to our first loss in 4 years against them in the prem.

Captain Rooney was nowhere to be found as usual. Not only is he performing shit and slowing our play down, he offers no leadership at all. Our team was flat coming into this match compared with the gooners who were so fired up. Give the armband to Schweinsteiger already. Then drop Rooney. Someone else deserves their shot.

Thankfully only lost 3 points in this one Seemed like more to be fair. 2 points off the top at this stage. I think most of us would have taken that at the beginning of the season! Vast improvement from last year.

However, the real tough away matches are coming thick and fast. Our schedule was relatively friendly until now. We have already failed at the first hurdle. Playing against everton away will be a huge match for us. It will really tell us whether we can keep pace in the title race, or just compete for fourth again.

 

[Untied]

It's a shame we didn't have the luck to get a goal so I could work out whether that second half was Arsenal easing off or Arsenal being Arsenal (fragile)

 

[77]

He could score 10 deliberate Own goals and still be the 1st name on the team sheet the following week

You know what I meant, can't see him starting away to Goodison.

 

[LARulz]

Nah, I thought they were a step up again today. Even the a normally serene/slothful player like Ozil played with high intensity, they were really very good.

But they still usually play a quick tempo passing game. Our manager/players not expecting or realising that is ridiculous

 

[Archie Leach]

Chelsea, while in a massive crisis, beat them without getting out of 2nd gear ffs

West Ham beat them too.....AND AND Liverpool destroyed them and were unlucky not to win

Liverpool didn't destroy us, we should've won with Ramseys goal. West Ham are beating everyone.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

We could do with a 3 Man midfield for games like these. Especially when BFS has instructions to press. No cover at all and once they get through the hurdles (credit to them) they just bypass us and have a 3 v 3 scenario.

On a very mild positive note, Martial had some class moments, Cech was solid.

 

[Moriarty]

Memphis needs to get his act together. He's had a poor league campaign so far and should not be starting ahead of Young. We really are missing Shaw too. Big blow is that.

 

[Boycott]

• What was he thinking going with Carrick-Schweinsteiger as a two in midfield? Arsenal's mobility and speed killed them. Last year we packed the midfield to combat this and went home with 3 points. To beat Arsenal at the Emirates you have to accept that you need to sacrifice your own game slightly.

• You have Ashley Young - a winger playing at left back. He's a committed team player but in that role he will show flaws. To have the lazy shit Depay not bothering to help out was criminal. That's not LVG's fault. I hope Depay learned from Sanchez today.

• We have a problem in away games where we can't handle going behind since Van Gaal is insistent on the philosophy. We play into our opponents hands.

• Martial looked lively and was unfortunate that the scenario meant his efforts came to nothing. Fellaini and Wilson did well.

 

[K2K]

-Disgraceful first half.
-Ordinary second half.
-All fart and no shit.
-Rooney finished
-Marital is an amazing talent
-I do not rate Depay and think his attitude is shit
-Bad selection from LvG
-Miss Shaw badly
-Arsenal deserved to win but, they'll still go and lose to a shower of shit next week and Claude from Arsenal TV will go into meltdown again.
- Arsenal beating United 3-0, at home, and their fans are quiet and pack out of the ground early

Up there with some of the Moyes performances

We need to back the boy with proper talent, a 10 wouldnt hurt.

I think Depay is overrated. Not a bad player, but you can see the difference between him and Martial. One will become a genuine world class player, the other wont imo, no matter how long people want to convince themselves.

 

[Get In Scholesy]

Deserved win for Arsenal, can't deny them that. If anything, today's match proved that we only play one way of football and we really don't have any game changers coming off the bench, could that be due to our very small squad? I'm not too sure yet but early signs point to that.

 

[clarkydaz]

You know what I meant, can't see him starting away to Goodison.

of course he will

 

[Inigo Montoya]

But they still usually play a quick tempo passing game. Our manager/players not expecting or realising that is ridiculous

considering how little effort they put in against Olympiakos, they should be fresher.

We were on our after midweek

 

[mav_9me]

Man Utd are just bottlers who lack a winning mentality. It was clear from their body language.

ha ha. Good one. Only thing I will say to that is this hasnt happened to us as often as it has to you guys.

 

[Jazz]

Man Utd are just bottlers who lack a winning mentality. It was clear from their body language.

Don't get too sassy just yet. You know what you're like, one great performance and next a shit one.

 

[.Rossi]

Liverpool didn't destroy us, we should've won with Ramseys goal. West Ham are beating everyone.

Liverpool should have been 3 up at one stage in the first half in that match.

Not that I like giving them credit

 

[RK]

We weren't great.
But Arsenal were phenomenal for 25 minutes. In my opinion the second goal was unstoppable.

Just a bad day against a good team. Let the over-analysis begin.

 

[Will Singh]

The only positive I could find was at 3-0 down we didn't look phased at all and kept possession well.

 

[sullydnl]

But they still usually play a quick tempo passing game. Our manager/players not expecting or realising that is ridiculous

Oh yeah, I wasn't really commenting on their style in the initial post, just that they performed it to an unusually high level. The way they went about things was certainly predictable.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Chelsea, while in a massive crisis, beat them without getting out of 2nd gear ffs

West Ham beat them too.....AND AND Liverpool destroyed them and were unlucky not to win

None of those teams were daft enough to try to beat Arsenal by out playing them at Football though.

No... it was left to us to be that daft.

 

[Eboue]

Don't get too sassy just yet. You know what you're like, one great performance and next a shit one.

Think I'll enjoy the good days while they're here, thanks though.

 

[El Zoido]

Bad day at the office all round.

LVG didn't set us up right, we looked tired, we were stunned by Arsenal's unusual intensity and we then totally ran out of ideas to get us back into the game.

It wasn't an unusual intensity, that's Arsenal's exact MO.. They did the same against us last season but we rode our luck and saw it out. It's shocking we let the same thing happen in this game.

 

[Godfather]

We were lucky not to concede more. They looked dangerous pretty much on every counterattack. Pretty funny, they outdid us the (no longer) United way.

 

[K2K]

• Having 3 30 year olds in cm/num 10 was a bad move
• Passing it around like we were 3 goals up was a bad move
• Not Rotating the squad was a bad move
• Not having any pace was a bad move
• Not defeding the man was a bad move
• Not settling down after the first goal for at least one fecking minute was a bad move
• Not settling down after the second goal was a bad move

Credit to arse they came out and played us off the park and we honestly we were shithouse, a shambolic performance that needs to be reviewed and lessons need to be learnt.

For next games i want to see this

• A Schniderlin, Basti, Herrera mid field
• Lingard to get some games to add pace
• Depay to be dropped for young
• Jones to cb
• Blind to LB

Changes need to be made

Rooney isnt 30 for another two weeks I think