[Berbasbullet]

This is the top entry that google throws up:

THE THEORY A counter-attack is a fast and direct attack that occurs from a moment of transition (when one team wins the ball from the other mid-game). Counter-attacks consist of minimal passes and their purpose is to create a goal-scoring opportunity before the opposition can recover their defensive shape.

You can find lots of other ones, but all saying pretty much the same thing.

Yeah maybe you're right then, I maintain the other two aren't though. Doesnt feel right to me though.

Also arsenal were in shape werent they?

 

[cyberman]

The definition of a counterattack is an attack that progresses quickly after regaining the ball and leads to a finish within a short time, and I don't see how the second goal doesn't meet that - it's five passes and slightly more than ten seconds from our regaining the ball deep in our own half until it's in the net. That's a counterattack by any reasonable definition?

You're right about the first and third though. And you're right that it's important to distinguish between counters and direct attacking.

I disagree. A counter has to be in transition surely? Utd literally played that out from the back. What are we supposed to be countering here?
Both teams are set in their structures. Dalot even takes a few touches and lazily plays a 5 yard pass inside.
Playing quick passes isn’t a counter attack. You have fantastic counters that has a runner who plays one pass after running clear from the length of the pitch.
We didn’t even win the ball.

 

[justsomebloke]

Gary Neville has managed to convince everyone that Arsenal were the better team - I disagree. They played prettier football in parts but we were incredibly effective in the way we approached the game and could have had more.

Nah, Arsenal were the better team. At least for most of the game. But they just folded after our second. I'll bet that's what worries Arteta even more than the points lost.

 

[Todd]

We got Eriksen on a free. Let that sink in.

 

[Okey]

_United opened the scoring with perhaps the archetypal Ten Hag goal. Every single United player touched the ball in a sequence consisting of 18 unbroken passes._

Didn't notice this (apologies if already posted; buzzing too much to read properly). Highly impressive!

 

[Eplel]

Nah, Arsenal were the better team

That's wrong. They lack quality, and they need to grind to get a result.
Rashford, Bruno and Eriksen were involved in goals without even trying.

If we were to gear up and work as hard as they did, it would be a bloodbath.

 

[croadyman]

Utd snapping an Arsenal unbeaten run on a Sunday afternoon by two goal margin, now where have I seen that before

 

[Glorio]

Nah, Arsenal were the better team. At least for most of the game. But they just folded after our second. I'll bet that's what worries Arteta even more than the points lost.

Yet we worked their keeper more and scored more. Possession and fancy movement counts for nothing if you can't create clear goal scoring chances and you can't convert.

Also football is a 90 min game, not sure how they can claim to be the better team if they folded with 20 mins to go

 

[Houdini]

Nah, Arsenal were the better team. At least for most of the game. But they just folded after our second. I'll bet that's what worries Arteta even more than the points lost.

What defines the "better team"? Possession? Shots? Shots on target? It was not like we have won with an weird OG and then park the bus Jose style. We had different tactics and we executed it better. ETH made Arteta look like schoolboy. United were the better team.

 

[croadyman]

Jesus played well, shame he is an ex City player because torpedoed any chance of him ever playing for us. Relishing being the main man.

 

[tjb]

Yet we worked their keeper more and scored more. Possession and fancy movement counts for nothing of you can't create clear goal scoring chances and you can't convert.

Also football is a 90 min game, not sure how they can claim to be the better team if they folded with 20 mins to go

We were better for the first 15, game was even till around the time we scored.
So they dominated us really for around 30 minutes.

 

[RedorDead21]

Nah, Arsenal were the better team. At least for most of the game. But they just folded after our second. I'll bet that's what worries Arteta even more than the points lost.

Better at passing the ball to one another without an end product., that’s the only part of the game they trumped us at. Wasted energy for nothing basically.

 

[Eplel]

Better at passing the ball to one another without an end product., that’s the only part of the game they trumped us at. Wasted energy for nothing basically.

Arsenal = Gorgeous George
United = Mickey

 

[justsomebloke]

I disagree. A counter has to be in transition surely? Utd literally played that out from the back. What are we supposed to be countering here?
Both teams are set in their structures. Dalot even takes a few touches and lazily plays a 5 yard pass inside.
Playing quick passes isn’t a counter attack. You have fantastic counters that has a runner who plays one pass after running clear from the length of the pitch.
We didn’t even win the ball.

When control of the ball passes from the other team to yours, you have won the ball. Whether you tackle or the oppo just plays it to you makes no difference.

"Transition" is simply the phase directly following the regaining of the ball, which is exactly what we were in. If that occurs in your own half, then yes, you start the transition playing out from the back.

I think you have a bit of a misunderstanding that a counterattack means to counter something. It simply means that after stopping an attack you immediately start one yourself.

A counterattack does not necessarily imply quick passes, but mainly and crucially that it progresses quickly and directly to a finish. Whether that's a long run and a single pass, or it's 5 or 6 quick shorter passes with more players involved.

 

[NewGlory]

A lot of the 67% who didn't vote for Rash as a MOM would probably argue that he was crap. It is baffling to see how little he is rated. Yes he was crap last season but that was the rest of the squad too.

Yeap. I also have been mad at him for being crap, but today he was simply amazing. I am gonna hold off declaring him fully back, that requires consistency, but in this match, I can't imagine what else he could have done on top of two goals and an assist.

 

[jeff_goldblum]

He made the second goal. His assist was outrageous

Exactly. “Shame Bruno” my ass. Man I am so bored with some of the negative trolls infesting this forum.

In fairness to that poster, I don't think he was dissing Bruno. I think he was trying to lampoon people who are criticising Bruno for not doing enough outside of his assist whilst at the same time incorrectly giving credit for Bruno's pass to Eriksen to Dalot.

Although I haven't seen anyone do that, so I could be wrong.

 

[Houdini]

Thank you! For it to be a counter you surely have to be countering something. It was just excellent direct football.

Actually, the both of Arsenal's goals were from a counter. Frist disallowed after a foul and the second after Varane's bad pass.

 

[AndyMUFC]

Love bursting Arsenal's bubble. They are a much improved side and definitely controlled the game more than we did but we know they're further on than we are. With all their possession they certainly didn't pepper our goal with chance after chance.

We've got a way to go, the first ten minutes are pretty much the way Ten Hag wants us to play long term but while he is working on that, we have a very solid back four, are looking strong on the counter and most importantly have a bit of character about us again.

 

[NewGlory]

Better at passing the ball to one another without an end product., that’s the only part of the game they trumped us at. Wasted energy for nothing basically.

Right and that was expected because they have been working on their team, under Arteta, for a while. EtH only started working with this team since May. I bet we will be better in a year, if we support EtH.

 

[RedfromIreland]

The definition of a counterattack is an attack that progresses quickly after regaining the ball and leads to a finish within a short time………

If that’s the case, Arsenal’s goal was a counterattack.
I haven’t heard one person mention that they scored on the counterattack.

 

[Adisa]

The goals were well worked. We teased them out and tore them to pieces.

 

[The Brown Bull]

Nah, Arsenal were the better team. At least for most of the game. But they just folded after our second. I'll bet that's what worries Arteta even more than the points lost.

I would disagree. They controlled the ball well, they had a lot of possession, they really didn’t do a whole lot with it.When we got the chance we punished them. The game is about scoring goals after all.

 

[RedfromIreland]

Actually, the both of Arsenal's goals were from a counter. Frist disallowed after a foul and the second after Varane's bad pass.

Beat me to it.
See my post below.

 

[RedorDead21]

Right and that was expected because they have been working on their team, under Arteta, for a while. EtH only started working with this team since May. I bet we will be better in a year, if we support EtH.

Strangely they seem happy now achieving the same style of play they wanted Wenger sacked for. Our defence stood up to them as a unit brilliantly. There’s fell to pieces with some cute passes from distance.

 

[Irrational.]

The sour grapes from Lego Pep and his media backers are beautiful

 

[The Brown Bull]

If that’s the case, Arsenal’s goal was a counterattack.
I haven’t heard one person mention that they scored on the counterattack.

Last time I checked goals scored on the counter attack counted as much as , well, other goals.

 

[justsomebloke]

What defines the "better team"? Possession? Shots? Shots on target? It was not like we have won with an weird OG and then park the bus Jose style. We had different tactics and we executed it better. ETH made Arteta look like schoolboy. United were the better team.

Well, again between 15 minutes or so and our second goal, they had the ball most of the time and were able to generate pretty consistent and heavy offensive pressure while we rarely got out of our own end. We fought hard and defended well, but we did not look to me like the team with the more quality. You can't tell me you were surprised when they equalised.

 

[justsomebloke]

Last time I checked goals scored on the counter attack counted as much as , well, other goals.

Yes, of course.

 

[Giggsy9099]

Bring on Citeh!

 

[justsomebloke]

If that’s the case, Arsenal’s goal was a counterattack.
I haven’t heard one person mention that they scored on the counterattack.

Possibly, I don't recall the exact circumstances and the highlights I can find start the sequence with Arsenal already in possession.

 

[Robertd0803]

Last time I checked goals scored on the counter attack counted as much as , well, other goals.

True.

Also true is scoring more goals than your opponent wins the game and gets you all the points.

Arsenal seem to forget you dont get points for sustained periods of pressure in games but not actually doing anything with it.

 

[cyberman]

When control of the ball passes from the other team to yours, you have won the ball. Whether you tackle or the oppo just plays it to you makes no difference.

"Transition" is simply the phase directly following the regaining of the ball, which is exactly what we were in. If that occurs in your own half, then yes, you start the transition playing out from the back.

I think you have a bit of a misunderstanding that a counterattack means to counter something. It simply means that after stopping an attack you immediately start one yourself.

A counterattack does not necessarily imply quick passes, but mainly and crucially that it progresses quickly and directly to a finish. Whether that's a long run and a single pass, or it's 5 or 6 quick shorter passes with more players involved.

But by that definition almost all goals are counter attacks if a team doesn’t score from their own dead ball. That’s far too broad to mean anything.
The Arsenal players plays such a nothing ball that nobody is out of position. Both teams are fully set in their structures and Dalot has the ball at RB with literally every player bar David in front of him. Just because Eriksen plays the same ball he played as he did with the first goal when there was 10 or so passes before that pass surely can’t mean it’s a counter. Pause that when Dalot has the ball and call it a counter, it just doesn’t make sense. The idea of counter attack then becomes meaningless. Is a through ball picked up by David who takes his time and plays it out to Eriksen in the same situation a counter? What would the difference be?
If that’s a counter then 99 percent of goals are counters.

 

[RedfromIreland]

Possibly, I don't recall the exact circumstances and the highlights I can find start the sequence with Arsenal already in possession.

Varane tried a through ball to Eriksen and it was intercepted by an Arsenal player and within a few seconds they scored.

 

[Tincanalley]

Cast your mind back two weeks …. We were expecting to get hammered by Liverpool. People were asking @Niall to increase the score prediction math to cricket scores, etc. Major progress made. Let’s keep it up. Apparently the vibe at the ground was terrific. Anyone at the game?

 

[George The Best]

Great team performance and we were clinical with our creativity and our finishing. This team is playing with pride, passion, aggressiveness for the shirt they wear - great to see again. Only downside for me was Sancho, not sure what’s going on there but he didn’t really figure much.

 

[Boondog]

I would disagree. They controlled the ball well, they had a lot of possession, they really didn’t do a whole lot with it.When we got the chance we punished them. The game is about scoring goals after all.

Yeah calling them the better team misses the mark here. What they are is the team that should have won the game. But they didn't for many reasons one of which was them folding like a cheap suit.

Roy has it right here. They're sore losers who should own up to the loss but the excuse making is something I think lines up nicely with folding like a cheap suit. That's shit pretenders do.

 

[justboy68]

Hilarious game. Their fans were banging on about how 'this side is different, we really mean it this time!', when they hadn't really played anyone yet. They were actually coming here confident, the delusional pillocks . I was never more confident of a win in my life.

 

[BEST No7]

Comfortable in the end. They missed one big chance through Martin, apart from that big dave had no saves...easy.

 

[Gasolin]

I disagree. A counter has to be in transition surely? Utd literally played that out from the back. What are we supposed to be countering here?
Both teams are set in their structures. Dalot even takes a few touches and lazily plays a 5 yard pass inside.
Playing quick passes isn’t a counter attack. You have fantastic counters that has a runner who plays one pass after running clear from the length of the pitch.
We didn’t even win the ball.

Yeah we had like 14 passes before Eriksen played Bruno for the goal.

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

Apparently the vibe at the ground was terrific. Anyone at the game?

I was. The atmosphere was electric. Full credit to the TRA section for their non stop singing. The Van Persie and Vieira chants were ringing out throughout. Arsenal fans, on the other hand, barely made any noise other than the 6 minute spell where they were level. They seemed to save their voices for the walk back to the tram station where I overheard numerous Cockneys whinging about how Paul Tierney "cost them the game". Their bitterness capped off a perfect day for me