EFL Cup | Nottingham Forest FC vs Arsenal FC | 20th of September at 19:45 (GMT)

[RUS arsenal]

Good performance overall, especially from Perez and the young guns. What is worrying though is that Forrest was able to slice through us on several occasions way too easily. Was it the younger players not tracking back? Midfield positioning? Defenders not holding a proper line?

 

[carlito'sway]

Also

how ridiculous is our GK situation at the moment

technically we have 4 international class goalkeepers contracted to the club.

Even if we admit szczes has had his day here- we won't keep the other three happy for too long with just the odd snippit of league football.

We have quietly solved a lot of the issues at the club.....we've got 6 serviceable centrebacks for god sake!

I guess we can discount Chez. He will not be back. Wenger convinced Ospina to stay and I don't see any future at Arsenal for the Pole.

 

[rich 1990]

Wenger can't say comfortable properly.

 

[Linson]

Linson low-down:

1. Ox is still rusty but scored a great goal
2. Xhaka has got over his premier league debut nerves
3. El-neny is a grafter
4a. Gabriel is a technically good centre back but very weak
4b. Mustafi and Koscielny is now our 1st choice pairing
5. Holding has bags of potential
6. There may be great things to come from Perez

 

[North5]

Good performance overall, especially from Perez and the young guns. What is worrying though is that Forrest was able to slice through us on several occasions way too easily. Was it the younger players not tracking back? Midfield positioning? Defenders not holding a proper line?

Wenger.

 

[carlito'sway]

 

[RUS arsenal]

Wenger.

Not like all Wenger teams looked this shaky. May be our lads are still adjusting to the new system we are trying this season?

 

[Rimaal]

Good performance overall, especially from Perez and the young guns. What is worrying though is that Forrest was able to slice through us on several occasions way too easily. Was it the younger players not tracking back? Midfield positioning? Defenders not holding a proper line?

Xhaka needs a proper holding midfielder to play with him.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

What is worrying though is that Forrest was able to slice through us on several occasions way too easily. Was it the younger players not tracking back? Midfield positioning? Defenders not holding a proper line?

It is just the way we play.

We don't try to be compact when defending.

I actually have no idea what we try to do when defend? My first guess would be that we try to defend with the minimum energy from our attackers. Which make it hard for us to be compact.

So our best way to win the ball is wait for our defence with Coquelin to take it, or interrupt them enough so they miss pass the ball or shot over. A little bit gambit move if we are going to use chess metaphor.

 

[RUS arsenal]

Xhaka needs a proper holding midfielder to play with him.

Perhaps, but even our first team looks similar.

 

[Rimaal]

Perhaps, but even our first team looks similar.

Because we've been using Coq as a box2box in the past couple of matches, not as a holding mid.

 

[Crocrodile]

He stole Mesuts #.
There is something cheeky about him.

Glad to see Gabby looking settled.
He seemed as an outcast of sort.

Great to see the squad gelling.
When they start feeding off each other, play for each other and for the badge,
we will be truly dangerous.
TITLE DANGEROUS.

 

[RUS arsenal]

Because we've been using Coq as a box2box in the past couple of matches, not as a holding mid.

Yeah, that is part of it. Not sure I'm a fan of that, but it could work if the rest of the team join the press up high. Not something I want to see against quality opposition though.

 

[Rimaal]

Yeah, that is part of it. Not sure I'm a fan of that, but it could work if the rest of the team join the press up high. Not something I want to see against quality opposition though.

Agreed. It won't work against Chelsea, for example.

Oh well... not long till the weekend.

 

[Lollipoppins]

Agreed. It won't work against Chelsea, for example.

Oh well... not long till the weekend.

I take it you're feeling better missus?

 

[carlito'sway]

Yeah, that is part of it. Not sure I'm a fan of that, but it could work if the rest of the team join the press up high. Not something I want to see against quality opposition though.

This has been discussed before.... Coq as a B2B can bring the pressure to the opposition MF and disrupt their flow. It worked pretty well vs Hull. It is not new either. Arsène tried this before with Paddy and Gilberto.
There is a clear plan behind this and we should expect to see it again vs CFC. That is why as well Arsène has mentioned he wants Xhaka to play higher as a B2B. He mentioned it again today.

Wenger on Xhaka's goalscoring: "He played very deep last year and didn’t get forward a lot. I hope that will give him the taste for more."

 

[NotAUserName]

This has been discussed before.... Coq as a B2B can bring the pressure to the opposition MF and disrupt their flow. It worked pretty well vs Hull. It is not new either. Arsène tried this before with Paddy and Gilberto.
There is a clear plan behind this and we should expect to see it again vs CFC. That is why as well Arsène has mentioned he wants Xhaka to play higher as a B2B. He mentioned it again today.

Wenger on Xhaka's goalscoring: "He played very deep last year and didn’t get forward a lot. I hope that will give him the taste for more."

The problem is our pressing high up the pitch is not very consistent and opposition teams will only face Cazorla in front of our defense after beating the press. You can't rely on a one man wrecking machine like Coquelin to execute it. Besides, if Wenger was really serious about us winning the ball up higher, he should have coached our forward players how to press effectively.

Coquelin should be deeper than Cazorla against Chelsea or we are going to have troubles, like against PSG.

 

[carlito'sway]

The problem is our pressing high up the pitch is not very consistent and opposition teams will only face Cazorla in front of our defense after beating the press. You can't rely on a one man wrecking machine like Coquelin to execute it. Besides, if Wenger was really serious about us winning the ball up higher, he should have coached our forward players how to press effectively.

Coquelin should be deeper than Cazorla against Chelsea or we are going to have troubles, like against PSG.

It is a work in progress. I have seen signs of the high press vs Hull and we managed to pin them back pretty effectively.
The team will have a full week to continue to practice and prepare for CFC. Let's see how it goes.

 

[cannonade]

Gabriel was good- but could still do without the tears everytime he falls over!

Replay showed his ankle getting rolled pretty good. And wasn't it the same just injured ankle? Imagine it's still a bit prone to weakness.

 

[Rimaal]

I take it you're feeling better missus?

My heart is singing, so my body can go mind itself for the evening. I refuse to be bothered by infirmity.