Arsenal Vs Swansea | Premiership 10/09/2011

[Massa]

442 for the love of God

[TRA Dial Square]

442 for the love of God

^

Or the Invincibles 4-4-1-1 ?

[GunnGunn]

We don't have the players to play the Invincible way anymore, that team was just a solid mass of counter attacking, clinical finshing, pacy, warriors.

Jamie Redkunt said a while back that the Invincibles were pretty much like no other team the Prem has seen. They could just as easily dazzle everyone with the best football in the World as they could go to war with another team and its true.

To go back to the 4-4-2 AW needs to regain some of his team building skills...

[TRA Dial Square]

There's one difference in a 4-4-2 and a 4-4-1-1...

You play a SS in the hole behind the main forward as opposed to playing them side by side. Haven't people been saying this is where RvP should be deployed?

ETA: Nvm I thought you were agreeing on the 4-4-2 bit.

[ThereIsBearCum]

Where do you want me to start? Frimpong is better on the ball, more physical, more confident...

Coquelin has never done anything to impress me, we only looked better when he was on against Utd because when he went off we didn't have a proper DM on the pitch!

I'd honestly rather play djourou there than coquelin!

Coquelin wasn't the one giving the ball away every time he got it yesterday
hasn't been sent off this season either

[Plymouth Gooner]

He hasn't been sent off cos he's too scared to make a challenge! He stood off the Utd players causing us to concede 3 goals!

[ThereIsBearCum]

He hasn't been sent off cos he's too scared to make a challenge! He stood off the Utd players causing us to concede 3 goals!

I think that's a pretty harsh assessment, he was putting himself about a bit... our best outfield player that day IMO
and don't forget that he was only there because Frimpong went in for a horrible tackle after he'd already talked himself into the book

[The Goats Horn]

I think that's a pretty harsh assessment, he was putting himself about a bit... our best outfield player that day IMO
and don't forget that he was only there because Frimpong went in for a horrible tackle after he'd already talked himself into the book

Frimpong first yellow against Liverpool was bollocks,he genuinely thought it was an Arsenal throw and that's why he confronted Henderson

[Forest]

3 points was needed and we got them.

[starmandb]

Its going to take time for our team to gel. Chill out people, we won didn't we.

Just about vs Swansea

88/89
0-0 v millwall newly promoted
90/91
1-0 v sunderland newly promoted
97/98
1-0 crystal palace newly promoted
03/04
1-1 v portsmouth newly promoted
2-1 v leicester newly promoted.
a win is a win is a win

[starmandb]

People are underestimating Swansea. Did a few big teams including us struggle against Blackpool last term?

we wont be the only ''big'' team struggle against Swansea this season....

We avoided the Banana skin today. (and didnt even drop any points) In the past we've slipped right on our arses on it!

agree with the sentiment but
us 6 blackpool 0
blackpool 1 arsenal 3.
you have,nt been listening to robbie savage have you?
he keeps going on about nobody giving blackpool a hiding
i think a 6 goal differance is fairly conclusive
we have heard a lot about a game with 1 for a fortnight

[friedslice]

When I first saw Coquelin 2-3 years ago he looked very good and very composed for his age at the time. He can control a game, or at least the midfield and do things very simply and efficiently, he's a good ball winner for a smaller guy too.
Think we've got two promising defensive midfield talents in Frimpong and Coquelin who hopefully we can see develop throughout the season and prove we didn't need to sign someone like Parker.

In terms of this match and result, it's just the same old story. plenty of pretty football through the space in the midfield then completely breaking down once we reach the edge of their box. terrible at set pieces both attacking and defending and the defence still looks ill organised. mertesacker looked good though and made some vital blocks or interceptions, he could be very good alongside Vermaelen.

[VCC]

for once in a long time i agree with AW confidence needs to be built,i always thought we would srape a win,the next two games are key to our year we need to not have a loss to gain some momentem and much needed confidence,good to see the new players have good starts.

[The Goats Horn]

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archiv ... -debutants

Arsène Wenger was full of praise for Arsenal new boys after Saturday’s first win of the Premier League season against Swansea.


The manager handed full debuts to deadline day signings Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta at Emirates Stadium while Yossi Benayoun was given a late cameo from the bench.


“Mertesacker was calm and composed - he just needs to adapt to the pace of the game,” he said. “He looks very intelligent in his positioning.


“Arteta played very well, especially in the first half. In the second half it was more difficult for him but you can see he will give us some technical security that this team needs and wants to play like we play.


“He [Benayoun] brought us something when he came on because he was mobile, he was dynamic and he did well.”


It was a deadline day acquisition from 2009, Andrey Arshavin, who got the only goal of the game three minutes before half-time to give Arsenal all three points against the Premier League newcomers.


Following disappointing results against Liverpool and Manchester United, Wenger knows the confidence a victory will bring.


“It was vital for us to win the game,” he said. “I think we started quite well but slowly the nerves took over.


“We played with the handbrake on and were restrictive in the second half. It is not often that we pass the ball back to our goalkeeper when we are at halfway.


“You could see in the second half that we just wanted to get over the line and we didn't make a mistake.”

[Step]

The crowd tried to lift the team from the start, the commentators on MOTD may have joked about the lack of noise but initially everyone was much louder than normal (for a game against a so called lesser team). Things wilted when the performance started to show all of the same problems as previous games. Arteta got stuck in early and with Arshavin got us going forward but after that the energy levels and passion were not there. Their left back had Theo in his pocket, RVP not really in the game (our 4-6-0 formation again) and Ramsey though willing did not look like producing a goal. Swansea exploited our full backs all game, Gibbs an embarrasment and Sagna off the pace too. We gave them plenty of time of the ball, they found it very easy to pass around us, simple give and goes and often would have two minutes of posession. Yes confidence was low but our work rate has to be higher. Walked out of the ground more relieved with the win than believing we have turned the corner.