by Gunflash » Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:56 pm
This was a defining moment for Wenger. A (theoretically) inferior team decided to play football against Arsenal and we simply weren't up to the challenge. Swansea, packed full of players who once plied their trade in the lower divisions of the English league, at times ran rings around a supposedly superior Arsenal team. They played well and Rodgers (a good NI man) is doing a good job and I hope they can stay up playing that style of football. I don't think it was a penalty for them but Dyer, from the same Southampton stable as Walcott, showed all through the game, the sort of flair, inventiveness and guile that seems to be lacking in our no. 14. If Capello is going to pick players on form, Dyer should be in the England squad ahead of Walcott.
As for Arsenal, our defending, especially away from home, is wretched. There is too much mediocrity in the squad. Arshavin was poor today. Ramsey seems to have been sucked into the whirlpool of mediocrity as well, which is sad because I've high hopes for him. Conceding straight away you've scored is the cardinal sin in football and Arsenal have done it too many times for it to be a coincidence. It comes from the complaceny, which the manager has encouraged, in thinking that the job is done when it isn't. It happened against Liverpool in the 2008 CL and in the Premier League last season. Lee Dixon showed it on MOTD and it was absolutely amazing how there was no cover for Miquel after Swansea took the kick-off. The Swans just walked down that side of the pitch and scored. The saddest thing is that it's been said so many times before but Wenger never learns, neither do this players and nothing ever changes. Forget about the Champions League next season.
There's David O'Leary and big Willie Young, sending Rixy and Stapleton off on a run