Man Utd Vs Arsenal | FA Cup 12/03/2011

[Fabrestuta]

Is it? I guess it is.

[Massa]

What stadium is that ?

[CynicalGooner]

Sagna's crossing was brilliant yesterday but as already mentioned there was only RvP to aim for. The mancs CB's had an easy time closing him out. A second striker would have made a world of difference imo, and indeed Chamakh did get his head to a couple of balls.

Yup Sagna, Gibbs, Wilshere and Arshavin all put good balls into the box. We could really have got a hat full yesterday. We had so much possession, so many chances! We were serving up goals on a plate, our game plan clearly involved putting crosses into the box but no one on the end of them, I despair!

[Forest]

Sagna's crossing was brilliant yesterday but as already mentioned there was only RvP to aim for. The mancs CB's had an easy time closing him out. A second striker would have made a world of difference imo, and indeed Chamakh did get his head to a couple of balls.

Yup Sagna, Gibbs, Wilshere and Arshavin all put good balls into the box. We could really have got a hat full yesterday. We had so much possession, so many chances! We were serving up goals on a plate, our game plan clearly involved putting crosses into the box but no one on the end of them, I despair!

I only saw the first half but looks like continued in the 2nd.

[CrimsonGunner11]

442 and thats the only way, RVP can drop deeper if need be to pick up the ball or help play. we have so many in the midfield that the ball stays in the midfield rather than getting forward, even when counter attacking.
From a corner we counter and the pass goes to RVP back to Diaby back to Denilson across to Sagna and Utd are all back in their half.
Said before doesnt work without Cesc.

I agree. we need to go back to 4-4-2 next season. 4-3-3 won't work against most teams if it appears like we're playing 4-5-1.
It was crazy how deep Rooney was playing in Utd's 4-4-2 formation. He had nothing to worry about because Hernandez was up front. There's no way we can get away with that with the current formation we're using.

[GunnGunn]

People talk about AW and tactics like its an old thing.

It really isn't.

Our strongest sides under AW were tactically beastly, we always played a different way based on the opposition, usually a 4-4-2 for most teams and a 4-5-1 we needed to.

What i don't understand is why he has changed? Its not admitting defeat to change your tactics or shape based on the oppo, i think he feels it beneath him to do so.


And Gunflash, we have one of the best squads around, name me another team with as much quality depth in midfield? Defence? Attack?

We have such a diverse array of both young and experienced talent.

You DO NOT buy as preventative measure for an injury the MAY NEVER HAPPEN.

WHO could have seen Verm out for the season?

WHO could forsee Djourou's injury today?

So it would have been okay to buy a new CB and have him sit on the bench if they never had gotten injured? Its easy to say AW should have bought a defender in Jan, when we are sitting here with only 2 centre halfs and a youngster to choose from.

And you are picking players to suit your argument now, how can you compare Lauren, Henry and Bergkamp who were first teamers to Bendtner and co, who are squad players?

Tell me this, what other team has a striker as good as Bendy who is 3rd choice? Not many.

And as much as you shirk at the likes of Diaby and Denilson, i know who i would rather have out of those two and the likes of Darren "One trick pony" Gibson and Carrick.

Our problem is very rarely PERSONEL, nowadays you can pretty much attribute our failings directly to tactical ineptitude.

You notice how when we switched to 2 up top our shape totally changed?

Why didn't AW just start with 2 up top?

End of the day, blame AW before you blame the players because its those players who have to play in HIS system, i guarantee to anyone here that if the likes of Diaby, Den and Bendy etc played for Man Utd they would be f***ing beasts consistently, same goes for Vela.

AW does not adjust our system to the players we have at our disposal, he puts players in and expects them all to play one way, it doesn't work like that in the real World, not when some of them are in the team sporadically at best.

Two prime examples of this is 1) Bendtner playing on the wing and having to cross for another striker to score when he should be partnering another striker and 2) Denilson in defensive midfield, HE IS NOT A DM!

Annoys the tits off me when players get berated when they are played out of position, or do you think Ronaldo would be as effective as he is at CB? Or Messi as a DM?

Read, i know you want to agree!

[Massa]

Trying to think of reasons as to how all things are well in Gooner Kingdom.

[UFGN]

[You DO NOT buy as preventative measure for an injury the MAY NEVER HAPPEN.

WHO could have seen Verm out for the season?

Yes, you do when you have learned from past experience that it will probably happen. If you are serious about challenging on several fronts, yes you do.

And Verm out for the season? Maybe not. But he could have fixed that in January, it was obvious by then. Everyone but him saw it. That is incompitence

[Forest]

Its all true GG, the formation is about stop conceding goals yet against some teams its stopping chances and were rarely creating any.
Its fine when we have Walcott because he has pace to counter, as GG said its about choosing the personnel available to suit a formation not picking a formation and put any old player in it. Exactly how Rafa started.

[gzagee]

[You DO NOT buy as preventative measure for an injury the MAY NEVER HAPPEN.

WHO could have seen Verm out for the season?

Yes, you do when you have learned from past experience that it will probably happen. If you are serious about challenging on several fronts, yes you do.

And Verm out for the season? Maybe not. But he could have fixed that in January, it was obvious by then. Everyone but him saw it. That is incompitence

I agree on this part; in January we had JD and Kossie as the only senior CB's. TV was still out and Squillaci was injured for at that time. Yet Wenger was tlaking of Song as an auxiliary CB....again!
We were begging for a CB with EPL EXPERIENCE to be brought in yet Wenger didn't bugde.

[Forest]

[You DO NOT buy as preventative measure for an injury the MAY NEVER HAPPEN.

WHO could have seen Verm out for the season?

Yes, you do when you have learned from past experience that it will probably happen. If you are serious about challenging on several fronts, yes you do.

And Verm out for the season? Maybe not. But he could have fixed that in January, it was obvious by then. Everyone but him saw it. That is incompitence

I agree on this part; in January we had JD and Kossie as the only senior CB's. TV was still out and Squillaci was injured for at that time. Yet Wenger was tlaking of Song as an auxiliary CB....again!
We were begging for a CB with EPL EXPERIENCE to be brought in yet Wenger didn't bugde.

Sorry but im completely with AW on that, what do you do next season with TV, DJourou, Kosy, Squidy, New guy, Bartley and Miquel next season?!
Theres having depth then theres being stupid.

[Fabrestuta]

Kos and Squelchy are not good enough though. If they are willing to be back up then ok, but neither are good enough to start imo. Kos weaknesses have been exposed recently.

[gzagee]

[You DO NOT buy as preventative measure for an injury the MAY NEVER HAPPEN.

WHO could have seen Verm out for the season?

Yes, you do when you have learned from past experience that it will probably happen. If you are serious about challenging on several fronts, yes you do.

And Verm out for the season? Maybe not. But he could have fixed that in January, it was obvious by then. Everyone but him saw it. That is incompitence

I agree on this part; in January we had JD and Kossie as the only senior CB's. TV was still out and Squillaci was injured for at that time. Yet Wenger was tlaking of Song as an auxiliary CB....again!
We were begging for a CB with EPL EXPERIENCE to be brought in yet Wenger didn't bugde.

Sorry but im completely with AW on that, what do you do next season with TV, DJourou, Kosy, Squidy, New guy, Bartley and Miquel next season?!
Theres having depth then theres being stupid.

I'd be surprised if Miquel doesn't get some loan time next season. He's still very raw. Two games against League One opposition doesn't make him a shoe-in for the senior squad... but maybe he does in your book
Bartley should've been brought back after his Sheff Utd loan, but that's by-the-by. Yes he should be integrated next year and its a good thing he looks capable of playing as a DM.
Last season we had five CBs in our first team squad at one point or the other, all with EPL exposure.

As we know AW pondered with the idea of bringing in an EPL CB, i think he said so himself. So if he had would you have said he was stupid for doing so?

[Van The Man Persie]

TV is injured as is Djourou.

Kos and Toto are average at best

Bartley and Miquel? Nowhere near good enough or ready for us.

That leaves 2 CBs

CB needed

[Forest]

[You DO NOT buy as preventative measure for an injury the MAY NEVER HAPPEN.

WHO could have seen Verm out for the season?

Yes, you do when you have learned from past experience that it will probably happen. If you are serious about challenging on several fronts, yes you do.

And Verm out for the season? Maybe not. But he could have fixed that in January, it was obvious by then. Everyone but him saw it. That is incompitence

I agree on this part; in January we had JD and Kossie as the only senior CB's. TV was still out and Squillaci was injured for at that time. Yet Wenger was tlaking of Song as an auxiliary CB....again!
We were begging for a CB with EPL EXPERIENCE to be brought in yet Wenger didn't bugde.

Sorry but im completely with AW on that, what do you do next season with TV, DJourou, Kosy, Squidy, New guy, Bartley and Miquel next season?!
Theres having depth then theres being stupid.

I'd be surprised if Miquel doesn't get some loan time next season. He's still very raw. Two games against League One opposition doesn't make him a shoe-in for the senior squad... but maybe he does in your book
Bartley should've been brought back after his Sheff Utd loan, but that's by-the-by. Yes he should be integrated next year and its a good thing he looks capable of playing as a DM.
Last season we had five CBs in our first team squad at one point or the other, all with EPL exposure.

As we know AW pondered with the idea of bringing in an EPL CB, i think he said so himself. So if he had would you have said he was stupid for doing so?

Didnt say he was good enough to start etc but odd game here and there would do him good.
People keep saying we had 5 CBs last season but fail to remember we played practically every game up til Jan/Feb with Gallas and TV, no one else got a look in hence Campbell being signed and made 3rd choice because of the quality of the other 2/3.

Didnt say he would be stupid but someone would of had to of gone in the summer.