Arsenal (H) - CC Semi Final 1st (not 2nd!) leg, Thu 13th Jan 2022 (7:45pm)

[Pidge 4,467]

Anyone able to dig up a touch map for Bobby?

 

I love the guy and want to see him find some rhythm, but can't see why we're moving Jota around to accommodate him right now.

[Anubis 21,416]

2 hours ago, Pidge said:

Anyone able to dig up a touch map for Bobby?

 

[J-V 4,034]

39 minutes ago, Anubis said:

 

That's just where Lebron touched him.

[lebron 629]

16 hours ago, Red74 said:

Klopp said Haaland wanted a starting place and there was no way he was getting in before Firmino so we passed on him. A lot of other clubs passed on him too because of his demands but he’d have been fucking brilliant for us.

 

Bobby does not create space or problems for centre halves. He makes it easy for the opposition by making sure he gets nowhere near the ball when we attack or heads back to the halfway line leaving no threat in front of them. This is why Robbo passes back because he’s got no one to aim for. 
 

We've needed a striker who can provide an option in the middle, can hold the ball up and look to get on the end of everything that goes into the box. Doesn’t have to be a 6ft 3 striker. Suarez was brilliant for us and a young version of him would be perfect in this team. 

1. Not sure a lot of clubs "passed" on him in the sense you're implying here. None of the semi-big/big clubs really wanted to be his stepping stone though, with the knowledge it would be the predictable contract circus it has become.

2. Can't agree with this. He still makes space, but playing between the lines becomes so much more difficult in games like yesterday, where the opposition midfield drops nearly onto the defensive line. There's simply not much space to operate in, either behind or in between the lines. Firmino's always done his best work against teams that try to play a bit of football, he's never been the battering ram that so many of our supporters seem to crave. The solution in games like yesterdays is our midfielders taking on the midfielders that are shielding the defence, making their defenders having to commit to either blocking shots or cutting out passing lanes. When our midfielders insist on playing the ball backwards and sideways for 60 mins, Firmino won't be of much use, we'd probably be better off with Andy Carroll. I'm not sure Bobby has regressed as much as some on here want to believe, but he's probably even more reliant of movement in behind and around him than yesterday's crew was able to provide. Once Henderson declined to play him in between the lines for the 150th time yesterday he started dropping too deep (a common occurence with players of his quality on the ball). 

3. So not Haaland, then...

[Bobby Hundreds 10,365]

It feels like we are more like the team from last season than the year or two before. This side has stagnated. The midfield is pedestrian its cover not good enough. Matip offers more of a threat through the middle than any of our midfield options. Its a side crying out for investment, forget the finances the importance of the owners investment looking solid that's just the truth of it, the football team needs improvements.

[TheHowieLama 12,940]

I like Matip but teams may be giving him that because nothing comes of it. Ever.

Where he is really effective is moving the ball quickly to a central forwards feet from defense

 

[VladimirIlyich 9,502]

13 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

It feels like we are more like the team from last season than the year or two before. This side has stagnated. The midfield is pedestrian its cover not good enough. Matip offers more of a threat through the middle than any of our midfield options. Its a side crying out for investment, forget the finances the importance of the owners investment looking solid that's just the truth of it, the football team needs improvements.

Its the inevitable outcome of not buying when in a position of strength as champions. It's the cardinal sin not to strengthen and we did just that.

[Bobby Hundreds 10,365]

8 hours ago, JustTosh said:

A clueless performance!

Why attack so narrowly when they pack their central defense? TAA drifting in from his flank is OK when Salah is there at the sideline, but not when nobody is. It had to stop. Preferably with TAA understanding himself or being told. We were much better when Neco came in. Double up on the flank would work. Yet we kept feeding the ball into their pockets.

 

 

Terrible, absolutely terrible from Klopp this time.

 

 

From the second we were 11 against 10 it was obvious Milner slowed things down. We need to react to stuff like that, not wait another 40 mins of playing time before making the obvious change to Curtis Jones.

 

 

Still think we’ll end up at Wembley though. But we really need to sort out this situation with Mane/Salah not available. We can’t continue to play as if they’re playing. Adapt to the situation for God’s sake!

 

 

Hmm are you Alan Hansen?

[dockers_strike 4,083]

30 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

I like Matip but teams may be giving him that because nothing comes of it. Ever.

Where he is really effective is moving the ball quickly to a central forwards feet from defense

 

Spot on. If he had an 'end product' to his mazy runs, he'd be on another level.

[Red74 1,619]

2 hours ago, lebron said:

1. Not sure a lot of clubs "passed" on him in the sense you're implying here. None of the semi-big/big clubs really wanted to be his stepping stone though, with the knowledge it would be the predictable contract circus it has become.

2. Can't agree with this. He still makes space, but playing between the lines becomes so much more difficult in games like yesterday, where the opposition midfield drops nearly onto the defensive line. There's simply not much space to operate in, either behind or in between the lines. Firmino's always done his best work against teams that try to play a bit of football, he's never been the battering ram that so many of our supporters seem to crave. The solution in games like yesterdays is our midfielders taking on the midfielders that are shielding the defence, making their defenders having to commit to either blocking shots or cutting out passing lanes. When our midfielders insist on playing the ball backwards and sideways for 60 mins, Firmino won't be of much use, we'd probably be better off with Andy Carroll. I'm not sure Bobby has regressed as much as some on here want to believe, but he's probably even more reliant of movement in behind and around him than yesterday's crew was able to provide. Once Henderson declined to play him in between the lines for the 150th time yesterday he started dropping too deep (a common occurence with players of his quality on the ball). 

3. So not Haaland, then...

Sorry Larissa. I won’t criticise him again. 

[AngryOfTuebrook 24,166]

7 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Its the inevitable outcome of not buying when in a position of strength as champions. It's the cardinal sin not to strengthen and we did just that.

We bought Jota, Thiago and Tsimikas after we won the League.  You can argue we should have bought more than Konaté since then, but the claim that we didn't strengthen the title winning squad just doesn't stack up.

[VladimirIlyich 9,502]

8 hours ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

We bought Jota, Thiago and Tsimikas after we won the League.  You can argue we should have bought more than Konaté since then, but the claim that we didn't strengthen the title winning squad just doesn't stack up.

If we bought those three when you say,it still wasn't anywhere near enough. 

[gkmacca 1,294]

One weird technical thing the players start doing in these kinds of matches - they all start passing the ball just behind their teammates, so it arrives a couple of inches behind the ankle. As soon as that starts I know the game is going to be sheer torture, because it never stops - we pick up the ball in the middle of the pitch, the other team retreat deep into their half, there's zero pressure on us, then we start passing behind, so that each player has to turn back, collect the ball, turn forwards again and do the same to the next teammate. It's as if we want to make our attacks slower than a snail. It's agony to watch because we all know how they train to ping the ball around fast, and they're all perfectly capable of passing accurately. So it's like some strange mental tic, like the first sign that the brain is pulling down the shutters.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA 9,660]

19 minutes ago, gkmacca said:

One weird technical thing the players start doing in these kinds of matches - they all start passing the ball just behind their teammates, so it arrives a couple of inches behind the ankle. As soon as that starts I know the game is going to be sheer torture, because it never stops - we pick up the ball in the middle of the pitch, the other team retreat deep into their half, there's zero pressure on us, then we start passing behind, so that each player has to turn back, collect the ball, turn forwards again and do the same to the next teammate. It's as if we want to make our attacks slower than a snail. It's agony to watch because we all know how they train to ping the ball around fast, and they're all perfectly capable of passing accurately. So it's like some strange mental tic, like the first sign that the brain is pulling down the shutters.

Passing behind or to a player in space does my head in an extra second can make all the difference like having too many touches before passing does. We were taught this as kids.

[sir roger 8,685]

I'm with you two guys , I hate any pace being taken out of our moves by lazy and cowardly passing. My other pet hate is well-paid coaches not having the balls to suggest that totally one-footed players should become at least competent with the other foot. It cost us a CL final with Riise and I worry Robbo will do himself damage twisting his body weirdly to avoid the ball ever touching his right foot.

[Scott_M 6,607]

We’re a good enough team to beat any side, in any venue in world football, on any occasion, with whatever players we have available.

 

Throwing toys out a pram because we didn’t beat a side whose best performance in years ended in defeat and then followed it up losing to a Championship side, who are also missing players, is somewhat defeatist. 

[Jimmy Hills Chin 2,046]

1 hour ago, Scott_M said:

We’re a good enough team to beat any side, in any venue in world football, on any occasion, with whatever players we have available.

 

Throwing toys out a pram because we didn’t beat a side whose best performance in years ended in defeat and then followed it up losing to a Championship side, who are also missing players, is somewhat defeatist. 

This is where your argument falls down

[Scott_M 6,607]

On 14/01/2022 at 05:52, Anubis said:

I did wonder how long it would take daddy’s instructions to come through from the US.

 

[cloggypop 11,752]

. 

[Anubis 21,416]

To borrow Jamie’s word of the day, somebody’s a bit delicate.

[Scott_M 6,607]

12 minutes ago, Anubis said:

To borrow Jamie’s word of the day, somebody’s a bit delicate.

Make snide, unfunny, comments and expect a response. 
 

Maybe have a little more faith in us. 
 

On 15/01/2022 at 11:52, Scott_M said:

Throwing toys out a pram because we didn’t beat a side whose best performance in years ended in defeat and then followed it up losing to a Championship side, who were also missing players, is somewhat defeatist. 

See you at Wembley.

[Anubis 21,416]

I think this is glorious. We win a semi-final and your first thought is not to celebrate but to run back to a post from a week ago. 
 

It’s made the night even better for me. Cheers.

[Babb'sBurstNad 11,882]

Top quality score settling. Love to see it.

[Scott_M 6,607]

8 minutes ago, Anubis said:

I think this is glorious. We win a semi-final and your first thought is not to celebrate but to run back to a post from a week ago. 
 

It’s made the night even better for me. Cheers.

As I said, see you at Wembley.

[Jairzinho 25,290]

A fantastic win for FSG.