I’ve been banned from Twitter for a week (2 days 10 hours to go!) so sharing a few thoughts here for the first time in a long time.
Losing to this Man City team is not a disaster. They were clinical Sunday, but tonight’s goals were other-worldly. Show me three better goals in one game so far this season across Europe.
If Barcelona scored those goals everyone would be lauding them as the best in the world.
I can see this City side winning the Champions League.
Arsenal’s performance on Sunday was awful- tonight’s was better. Three goals will kill off most games, but we had some encouraging moments before conceding.
In the second half, you could say City eased off a little bit. If Aubameyang scores the penalty, it changes the dynamic of the game- as it would have done had he prodded home from inside the six-yard box on Sunday in the first 20 minutes. I’m not saying we would have won, but it puts pressure on them and we gain some belief.
There’s talk of an “empty stadium”- it was freezing, and the game was on TV. All conclusions will be drawn at the disparity between fans and the team, but people didn’t want to travel. Fair play to those that did make it.
Sky/ Gary Neville interviewed an Arsenal ‘fan’ afterwards who asked for “passion”- it seems like the biggest buzz word in football these days.
If a manager doesn’t jump up and down on the touchline, he lacks passion, he’s clueless and not the right man.
If a team lose a game, they lack passion, they’re millionaires that don’t care like the “fans” do.
Just because a side loses, doesn’t mean they lack the desire to win.
I don’t get the link between the two.
Jamie Carragher said: “What we’ve seen – and not just tonight is the best football in Europe. The football is breathtaking, some of the best I’ve ever seen.” But in the same evening, said: “[Wenger] is a legendary figure – not just for Arsenal, in the English game… but they have to change it.”
For me, the two statements don’t add up. Only one side has defeated City in the Premier League this season- and even Liverpool nearly allowed them to claim a point. Yes, Wigan beat them 1-0 last week, but that is an absolute freak result.
It will be different Sunday, without disrespect to Brighton. The intensity won’t be at the same level physically, and we will dominate the ball more.
When the chips are down it’s easy to pick flaws in every detail. Two losses against the best in England isn’t the end of the world. Ok, we’ve lost games in places we should have won, but individual errors have been the main contributor to that.
All the talk about Arsène Wenger’s replacement is just media conjecture and parasites looking for clicks.
The media can talk about this, that and the other, question whether the players still believe in the manager, say “I dunno” repeatedly when asked what Wenger has to do to “lift things” now (great punditry Carragher), interview a couple of emotionally raw fans and cast aspersions all day long. This is why these pundits aren’t in managerial roles, and why Thierry Henry should be nowhere near our set up. Well played Sky in stirring that up.
If you want Wenger gone, fine- but try and see the big picture until the end of the season at least.
Sapiens Qui Vigilat 