That was painful to watch. We have a lot of deadwood in our XI. Prodl’s legs have gone and distribution is Sunday league standard. RP is so scared to challenge he bottles everything. Is Holesbas honestly the best set piece taker we have? He either can’t beat the first man or spoons it over everyone. It was insane how many Watford players were taken out of the occasion by Arsenal’s through balls. Happened so many times it was unreal. How can Arsenal’s fans make more noise on YouTube than they do inside their own ground? Embarrassing primary example of the modern day supporter. Bet they are currently running home to upload the footage of their face watching the game.
Was always going to end up like this, Deeney was useless which is a shame as he has been decent. Same for everyone out there bar Karnezis and Femenia. Arsenal were up for it and deserved the win. The state of the club though, the hilarious thing is that if they get CL Wenger will stay.
Without wanting to state the obvious assuming we do stay up, we definitely need to improve at the back.
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We played ok. I think Arsenal benefitted from playing the youngsters. They looked very good going forward and less dodgy at the back. Poor defending for the first goal cost us. It gave them the confidence and momentum. Saying that, if we'd taken one of those first half chances or scored the pen then who knows. But we didn't so on to Liverpool and another chance to take a big scalp.
Arsenal were clinical, we were not. Felt Doucoure and Capoue dint work together at all today. Massive holes in the middle and arsenal could pick their passes under not much pressure. Not our day and not a bad performance. Just hope we don’t get hit for 6 again at Liverpool and ruin some of the feel good factor that we have had after 2 really important wins. Also I was calling for Femenia and Janmaat to play together but it really didn’t work today. Femenia looked lost at times and they rarely linked up with the ball and doubled up without it. Hughes to start next game
A disappointing performance really: we played quite well in parts and didn't deserve to lose 3-0, but the game exposed the serious issues with the squad that mean we're way off finishing top half. The defence can play very well but always has multiple mistakes in it. We rarely go an entire game without giving the opposition an obvious chance and it means we gift too many goals. Playing 2/3 of a match with a striker that poses absolutely no attacking threat is silly, it's far too easy for the opposition. Deeney doesn't even hold the ball up well or bully defenders, he's a total passenger when playing alone. Either drop him or play two up top. Doucoure and Capoue got overrun in the middle and I didn't expect Elneny to control the game as much as he did. Disappointing performance from them both. Femenia is amazing. Holebas looked up for it. I really hope this season doesn't drift off into the ether like the others. Would be nice to finish strongly for once.
Thought the scoreline was harsh. We actually looked the better side between their first and second goals. On another day some of our chances go in and it’s a different match. Heads went down after the penalty miss and if you believe in fate and all that sort of stuff, it was written in the stars that Troy would miss and Czech get his long-awaited clean sheet. Disappointing result but no disgrace. Team is moving forward under Gracia.
Poor performance in the end. All over the place at the back and no composure at all in the final third. As poor as Arsenal have been at times this season we had a starting XI full of sub-standard players and it was only likely to go one way, despite a few spells of pressure, after we fell behind. Deeney, just woeful. I don't see how anyone can keep defending him at this point. A couple of recent goals don't make up for how thoroughly useless and ineffectual he's been the other 95% of the time for the past 18 months and today there was literally no point in him being on the pitch. Slow, sluggish, poor touch, won absolutely nothing in the air and to top it all off missed a crucial penalty that would have gotten us back in the game. I love him for what he's done for the club in the past and he will always be a legend because of it, but at this point I am desperate for his time here to come to an end so that the team can move in a different direction.
Really unenjoyable match that. Someone said - like a friendly game. Poxy arsesniffers. I hate losing to them. Fed up of Holebas' "Long" throws in their half. 1. Put ball inside shirt 2. Look around, backwards and forwards. 3. Hurl ball straight onto head of first opposition defender 4. Opposition break away with half our team trailing along behind. Fed up of Richarlison going over at the slightest bloody touch. Fed up of him not looking up and seeing his team mates and only glory for himself. Fed up of Darryl bloody Janmaat and his crappy passing and his crappy, crappy crossing. Our MOTM - Stefano Okaka. Best haircut on the pitch.
As always, Deeney offers zilch when played as a lone front man - Mustafi bossed him. I did have a little chuckle that he missed that penalty, but ultimately just wished he'd have scored it as we were still very much in the game up until that miss and usually Deeney's quality from penalties is one of his few saving graces which isn't up for debate. Ultimately, it's not really a sustainable tactic for us to be toothless in attack for 60 minutes, and hope that Okaka and a 4-4-2 save the day in the last 30 minutes - it won't work every time. Centre back - Kaboul and Kabasele are marginally our best, but really we still need an upgrade due to their inability to stay fit. We can't be having to resort to Mariappa and Prodl on a consistent basis - Mapps is too weak and Prodl is too slow, and they both have at least one huge error in them every game (Mapps was certainly at fault in losing Mustafi for their first goal). Richie? Hmm. Disappointing overall as there was something there for us in that game. One of the few plus points was Kiko back, and taking him off for Hughes was a mistake. Pereyra also looked a bit more lively than usual.
We need to sort that defence out in the summer which I believe was the plan at the start of the season.
Thought we were ok today, few key moments changed the game - Pereyra miss, second goal against run of play and missed pen. Other than that we matched them until the third goal. Only annoying thing is that this was a good chance to extend our good recent record against them as they are not a top team. For anyone that hasn't seen it, watch Holebas' movement on the third goal, one of the strangest bits of defending you'll ever see.
Pereya’s open goal miss in first half and Deeney’s poor pen defined this game. Totally different game if either or both had gone in. Otherwise performance was OK, middling, which is where we are.
That was utterly ****. Arsenal totally there for the taking and our powder puff performance failed to land a single ******* punch on them
1st half Arsenal were excellent. 2nd half we were value for a goal but difference in confidence shooting was telling
This post is particularly for Going Down, who for some strange reason kept calling me names in the Shoutbox, even though I wasn't even posting there! I take it back what I have said about Troy Deeney, I've changed my mind, he's crap at penalties as well! Just when we needed him to display his own cojones and get us back into the game, he wimped out. An abysmal display from him today that reflects his abject performances over the past couple of years. Although he did manage to have a laugh and joke with the opposition as we were 3-0 down so he seemed to enjoy himself. Thankfully, the rest of our team showed some battling effort, even if they did lack the quality.
It looked a little like we have half a mind on summer vacation. Little or no conviction. Manager needs to show what he is worth now, to get the best out of the team for the final 8 games and insure that no player eases up. Richarlison may be a great player some day, but certainly not with us. He is far too moody, immature and unfocused at the moment. We should cash in this summer. Maybe he will have a better attitude with a “bigger club”.
Well that was annoying. Textbook example of how not taking your chances at key times comes back to bite you. It was like how the last 15 minutes would have gone against Chelsea in an alternative universe.
Don’t think the 3-0 shoreline reflects the game. We missed some absolute sitters today. With better finishing we would have had a draw at least. Richarlison needs a serious word. It’s ridiculous how much he hogs the ball and refuses to pass to a team mate in a much better position. If someone offers us upwards of £20mil for him I would take it. If twitter is to be believed there were scouts from United there today to watch Doucoure. They won’t be bidding anytime soon after that performance. Prodl is not the man mountain he once was. I’m not annoyed about him being slow. But when you’re a slow defender you use your positioning, strength and physical presence to combat pace. He didn’t have any of that today. He lost countless headers today. In the last 10mins, he lost out to Welbeck twice and got outmuscled by him. Unfortunately it will be another large summer turnover with some good and some bad players coming in but will just be enough to see us safe again next season.
On a tangent, you might as well change your name to "Doing a Richarlison" - it's basically the same thing.
That was a match Merson will be saying Watford played with their moccasin slippers on. It had an end of season feel to it. Clearly the majority of players think we are safe, after that type of display. No energy, no real fight, slow moving the ball around. Pathetic defending. Arsenal were there for the taking. They were nervous but we never gave them a problem. We didn't harass them and make it uncomfortable. Holebas gave a weak pathetic performance, just remind everyone just how crap he can be, after looking like he had turned the corner. Janmaat, not a lot better. Prodl should swap those moon boots he wears, for something that allows him to run. Mind you he did pass more times to an Arsenal player than Ozil, so Wenger wouldn't probably be impressed with him. Capoue is another who looks like he's wading through heavy mud. Tried his best, but slows the game down far too much. Karnezis did well, but should have saved the third. That was a really poor goal to concede. Deeney was always going to have that penalty saved. It's called karma, and I hope he engages his brain in future and does not give it large when we beat a side. Show some class after a good win, because you know it will always come back to bite you. Arsenal had the last laugh on him today. Richarlison looks finished for now. I think he needs a break, as he's just not doing enough to deserve his place in the starting XI. Doucoure, Okaka and Hughes did okay. How many corners did we have? Loads but they were just crossed in without any thought. I think only two caused a problem, so we really need to improve on the delivery and how we attack the ball. Just a rubbish day all round and we got what we deserved, a bit of a thumping.
And of arsenal Liverpool if we had a chance to get something it was today Can't see anything from next weekend Business resumes end of march
My ratings: Karnezis - 5.5 Made 2 excellent saves in the 1st half, and was helpless for the 1st goal. 2nd half made some smart stops, and again was helpless for the 2nd. However the 3rd, while a good first time effort was disappointing to see. Didn't seem to command his area and too lax passing the ball out or clearing it. Holebas - 5.5 His set pieces were dreadful. He went forward effectively enough but defensively lacked a bit. Not his worst game by any means and put in a shift but still. Prodl - 4 Crap passing, crap defending. Put Britos ahead of him in pecking order. Why oh why did we give him a 4 year contract? Squad player who shouldn't be starting this many games. Janmaat - 4.5 Offensively ineffective, defensively destructive. He had crossed wires with Femenia multiple times in that 1st half and his distribution was poor. His passes were generally trying to be positive but didn't find their target. Capoue - 5 He lacked physicality and awareness on the ball. Didn't get a hold of the game, getting caught out on the ball multiple times, one of which lead to the 3rd goal. He's got to be quicker on the ball when covering the defence as it puts them under unnecessary pressure. Doucoure - 6 Played further back generally, trying to keep the ball or pass or carry the ball forward. He didn't do much wrong but was very cautious going too far forward until it was too late. Was hesitant shooting. Femenia - 6 Tracked forwards and backwards as we expected and saw a good cross near the end of the 1st half force a smart save from Cech. Regularly was unsure whether to press or drop with Janmaat with both regularly pressing a man or both backing off. Would start him at RB over Janmaat. Pereyra - 4.5 Bottled. Absolute bottler in a tackle. For all his work going forward him bottling tackles I think were the start of Arsenals 2nd half goals. Superb trickery saw him win us a penalty but unless he's willing to put his body in the way of tackles he doesn't deserve even a sub spot. Richarlison - 5 Works hard going up and down the flanks but his skill flatters to deceive what is now a chronic lack of end product. His confidence in front of goal is shot and had presentable half chances he's not even trying to shoot from now. Put him on the bench as this will only get worse. Deeney - 5 Didn't do well, those comments predictably came back to haunt him. Was out fought by the centre backs in the air and although he pit himself about it was to no avail, even after Okaka and Hughes were introduced. Penalty was poor, good height for Cech, but give him credit he still needed to go the right way and get strong hands on it. Subs Okaka - 5.5 Came on, but didn't have his usual impact this time. He did win some fouls and try to make a nuisance of himself but this time it didn't work. Feel like he needed more time to influence the game. Hughes - 7 Why the ever living **** aren't we starting him? He won the ball multiple times, carried it forward and drew fouls. Not afraid to put his body in the way of tackles and could well have got us something if he came on earlier. It's a crime he's not starting. Britos - N/A Gracia - 4.5 We were overrun 1st half and he was very slow to react. He made the right subs but they were too late, and perhaps should have taken Richarlison off for Gray or Sinclair later on instead of Britos. Arsenal's pressure was not well countered.
Deeeny made a complete show of himself today. Completely without class and made to look like a silly little boy. Needs to knuckle down and grow up and stop running his mouth like a schoolground bully. Pereyra hasn't been the same player since his injury. Looks poor. Hughes is the better option at the moment. Richarlison cannot keep playing every game, he's produced nothing and his continued inclusion is becoming inexplicable. Capoue has reverted to type after a couple of decent games in search of a new contract. Holebas stinks. No need to panic after day as Arsenal have the better team but it would nice not to meekly side down the table these last few weeks again.
As others have said, no need to panic, no danger of relegation, but I will say that that match has scotched any major hopes I had of having a particularly positive end of season and 'seeing where we could go'. We looked for large periods like we were unbothered, even though some inexplicably appalling finishing aside we could have been right in it. My main concern is the way we start games, and play the majority of the first half, under Gracia. Apart from when we came flying out of the blocks against Chelsea, since then we've done the same thing every game, which is wander about incredibly sluggishly, not offering passing options and repetitively working the ball back to our centre backs who then dally waiting for inspiration til an opposition attacker closes them down and forces a mistake. Even Doucoure doesn't do what he used to/should, in those periods, and drop back to them to receive the ball and bring it through midfield. Its a really weird and unacceptable collective ennui, and I'm not sure what the cause of it is. It can't continue indefinitely. I still look at those players and think there are a quite a few who need replacing in the summer, but then their flaky nature makes it rather hard to fully judge, since so many will put in a genius performance one week then stink the place out, seemingly for no reason, the next. We certainly still need to work on our attack and our strikers, for one.
