FA Cup | Arsenal vs Manchester City| 23rd April at 15:00 (GMT)

[TriniGunner]

Still Wenger out but I'm so happy for him. Genuinely loves the club and wants it to be successful.

It's why I'm not in the #Wengerout camp 100%. I want him to change, I want him to adapt, I want him to stay and be successful for the simple fact that he loves the club very much. The other side of me wants him gone for the simple fact that he cannot seem to motivate his players.

 

[bingobob]

You can't pretend to have a clue about football if you advocate that. Thus blaming Ramsey is dumb. Blaming him in the heat of the moment is one thing. But if you still think the formation was fine and Monreal being isolated like that was fine when you've had time to take stock, then you're blinded by something.

Ramsey cannot be blamed for the goal. A mistake at the edge of the opposition box shouldn't lead to us conceding. They left one guy up we need to leave three back. One to man mark another to sweep and another to sit infront at the edge of the circle / half way into the opposition half. We left a man marker and Xhaka somewhere in the middle. Its not good enough. Its more bizarre not because we've seen it happen so often but because we switched to a formation that by design is protect the middle of the pitch. Very off that it doesn't then transfer into set pieces.

Anyway. I'm not sure why people keep digging the formation. We tried it against Boro and while it was far from perfect it worked. Their goal came from a mis understanding of the formation from Holding. Oddly enough something similar happened yesterday when Koscielny wad jockeying Aguero and he tried to get Gabriel to usher him instead then he clicked on wait I can defend this side because Holding and Gabriel have me covered. Its trial and error but we limited City's chances. Aside from their goal, which we've already discussed, I can't remember many if any clear cut opportunities.

Us on the other hand we had more than a few. Our possession play wasn't great but that's fine. We controlled the game defensively in the first half. Against Boro the passing opportunities were there and will be there again as every week we wont be facing Man City however when we do face teams of that calibre we know defensively we can withstand the opposition having lots of the ball because our defensive structure and organs is greatly improved as we protect the main area of the pitch. The middle defensive third.

I'm so chuffed that as an old dog Wenger is learning new tricks. Keep this up old boy and I might put the contract infront of you myself

 

[Vistula]

It was a match, but to say it was a battle gives even more credit to the team, congratulations to everyone, job well done.

But yesterday leaves me now with a weird feeling of uncertainty. It reminds me the college times when after having an awesome shag with this cute girl you spend the next day wondering all the time whether she was just drunk or she really likes you. You can never be sure until you shag again, lol. Hope Arsenal keeps the form up.

 

[MoHaMed14]

Ramsey tried to create a goal in the edge of their box and the ball was intercepted. One pass to the halfway line should not have resulted in a goal. Anyone who thinks that's the normal level of risk you should be taking in a match like that is s fool. Anyone who thinks leaving one man alone isolated 20 yards inside the opposition half as the last man is a fool.

You can't pretend to have a clue about football if you advocate that. Thus blaming Ramsey is dumb. Blaming him in the heat of the moment is one thing. But if you still think the formation was fine and Monreal being isolated like that was fine when you've had time to take stock, then you're blinded by something.

Let's keep it respectful.

You aren't taking the situation into account obviously. It is not logical to analyze formation when the interception happened after set piece. That's because we have thrown number of players including all our three center backs. How can you possibly blame formation after that??

Ramsey made first mistake, Monreal second and Cech the third and last mistake. Monreal should have being tighter to the striker and slightly behind Aguero. Cech shouldn't have come out but kept his position and let Aguero make difficult choice. By coming out in that moment, it made it all easier to lop. Anyways, Monreal and Cech aren't at fault because Ramsey could have avoided all this.

 

[Jury]

Let's keep it respectful.

You aren't taking the situation into account obviously. It is not logical to analyze formation when the interception happened after set piece. That's because we have thrown number of players including all our three center backs. How can you possibly blame formation after that??

Ramsey made first mistake, Monreal second and Cech the third and last mistake. Monreal should have being tighter to the striker and slightly behind Aguero. Cech shouldn't have come out but kept his position and let Aguero make difficult choice. By coming out in that moment, it made it all easier to lop. Anyways, Monreal and Cech aren't at fault because Ramsey could have avoided all this.

I'm being respectful. I've not aimed that at you personally. I can see how you took it personally but it wasn't meant to be, so apologies.

So it wasn't Ramsey's fault after all then? I thought not. You say Cech made a mistake but it wasn't his fault either, as did Monreal... but it wasn't his fault either! Is this comedy hour on AM? Sounds to me like you're desperate to blame Ramsey unless I'm mistaken. Not the formation, not Cech and not Monreal. Just Ramsey, who was 90 yards away from our goal. Right.

How anyone can defend that defensive situation Monreal found himself in is mind boggling tbh. Why anyone would want to is another mystery.

 

[HERTSGOONER_11]

LOL, I was at the Watford game at home when we played shocking. First 10 or so minutes, Alexis gives the ball away two or three times with sloppy passes. Not a word. Coquelin does it, not a word. Same with Xhaka. Ramsey hit's one crossfield ball which gets cut out and people are standing up going crazy.

Forgetting the fact that the ball was there for Cech to take, twice, especially the second opportunity, I would be far more concerned why we were set up like that at the back than Ramsey trying something on the edge of the box and getting caught. In another situation, Sanchez could have shot and it gone straight into the keeper's hands. One long kick and we would have caught. It's not the first time it's happened and won't be the last.

 

[HERTSGOONER_11]

Let's keep it respectful.

You aren't taking the situation into account obviously. It is not logical to analyze formation when the interception happened after set piece. That's because we have thrown number of players including all our three center backs. How can you possibly blame formation after that??

Ramsey made first mistake, Monreal second and Cech the third and last mistake. Monreal should have being tighter to the striker and slightly behind Aguero. Cech shouldn't have come out but kept his position and let Aguero make difficult choice. By coming out in that moment, it made it all easier to lop. Anyways, Monreal and Cech aren't at fault because Ramsey could have avoided all this.

Completely different issue to the tactical set-up and Ramsey, but why Cech was so deep to begin with is mystifying. The problem was, he virtually did keep his position and stood there like an idiot. I don't blame him for not coming out the first time, but when Aguero took his ridiculous heavy touch, he seriously misjudged the situation. I don't care how slow he thinks he is, but he could have got that ball either by sliding with his feet or jumping on it.

 

[GDeep™]

Looking ahead to the final, you have to question playing agent Cech in that game. Tactically and emotionally - poor on penalties and his Chelsea heart.

 

[Red&Dreadjm]

Has to be said, City under Pep are questionable. A lot of pointless possession and sideways passing. Heavily rely on individual brilliance from the likes of Silva, De Bruyne and Aguero.

Hmmmmm........sounds eerily familiar.

 

[Jury]

Looking ahead to the final, you have to question playing agent Cech in that game. Tactically and emotionally - poor on penalties and his Chelsea heart.

I think too much is being made of his part on their goal tbh. People are also completely forgetting that ridiculous save to push the ball onto the post.

So thats exaggerating about a supposed mistake he made for their goal, and not mentioning a brilliant save that kept us in front, avoiding an inevitable collapse and defeat. Doesn't sound fair to me.

 

[MoHaMed14]

I'm being respectful. I've not aimed that at you personally. I can see how you took it personally but it wasn't meant to be, so apologies.

So it wasn't Ramsey's fault after all then? I thought not. You say Cech made a mistake but it wasn't his fault either, as did Monreal... but it wasn't his fault either! Is this comedy hour on AM? Sounds to me like you're desperate to blame Ramsey unless I'm mistaken. Not the formation, not Cech and not Monreal. Just Ramsey, who was 90 yards away from our goal. Right.

How anyone can defend that defensive situation Monreal found himself in is mind boggling tbh. Why anyone would want to is another mystery.

I think you are confusing yourself. So, let's simplify things. Formation has nothing to do with mistakes during or after set piece is taken. That's totally different training set up. I am not here to defend the set piece structure and or the positioning of the players during and immediately after set pieces. I am saying 343 formation had nothing to do with the goal we conceded. We could have being playing 541 or 631 and still would have conceded that goal. That's because, we would have sent majority of our players to attack the set piece and the resulting would have being Aguero burning Monreal. This is my point. Unless you are saying how set piece is attacked or defended has something to do with formation the team is set up to play, I am afraid, we don't have debating point here.

 

[MoHaMed14]

Completely different issue to the tactical set-up and Ramsey, but why Cech was so deep to begin with is mystifying. The problem was, he virtually did keep his position and stood there like an idiot. I don't blame him for not coming out the first time, but when Aguero took his ridiculous heavy touch, he seriously misjudged the situation. I don't care how slow he thinks he is, but he could have got that ball either by sliding with his feet or jumping on it.

Yeah, I believe he took the right decision by not coming at first because that would have resulted Aguero just skinning him. However, after the heavy touch, he did come out but not quicker and convincingly. He should have either kept his position despite the heavy touch or come out of blocks immediately after that heavy touch. It wasn't obvious mistake but for goalkeeper of his caliber it was slightly embarrassing.

 

[Makingtrax]

Their goal, like all accidents, was a catalogue of mistakes leading to one outcome . . . . but the formation was fine.

Everyone was up for the set piece and when the ball fell to Ox it's understandable that they stayed up for the impending cross. When he passed back to Ramsey there were two Arsenal players hanging back against Aguero . . . more than enough.

Ramsey should have crossed it straight into the box but instead tried to dribble past two players as three Man C players converged on him. Criminal, and the worst mistake of the three.

Both the players hanging back were slower than Aguero to see the danger and were not close enough to him.

If Cech had been out quicker he would have cleared Aguero's poor first touch.

So three or four player errors not an error of formation.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Hmmmmm........sounds eerily familiar.

 

[MoHaMed14]

Their goal, like all accidents, was a catalogue of mistakes leading to one outcome . . . . but the formation was fine.

Everyone was up for the set piece and when the ball fell to Ox it's understandable that they stayed up for the impending cross. When he passed back to Ramsey there were two Arsenal players hanging back against Aguero . . . more than enough.

Ramsey should have crossed it straight into the box but instead tried to dribble past two players as three Man C players converged on him. Criminal, and the worst mistake of the three.

Both the players hanging back were slower than Aguero to see the danger and were not close enough to him.

If Cech had been out quicker he would have cleared Aguero's poor first touch.

So three or four player errors not an error of formation.

Exactly my points. Well said.

 

[SA Gunner]

What about the other 200 odd that voted 'no contract'? You and your fence position. Is it a 'Wenger IN' day for you today then?

So glad we won the FA cup today though.

I think sticking it to you and your compadres on a day when you would be licking your lips gives me satisfaction.

To many more victories for the Gunners, and tears for you

 

[OShea's2010]

Ramsey cannot be blamed for the goal. A mistake at the edge of the opposition box shouldn't lead to us conceding. They left one guy up we need to leave three back. One to man mark another to sweep and another to sit infront at the edge of the circle / half way into the opposition half. We left a man marker and Xhaka somewhere in the middle. Its not good enough. Its more bizarre not because we've seen it happen so often but because we switched to a formation that by design is protect the middle of the pitch. Very off that it doesn't then transfer into set pieces.

Anyway. I'm not sure why people keep digging the formation. We tried it against Boro and while it was far from perfect it worked. Their goal came from a mis understanding of the formation from Holding. Oddly enough something similar happened yesterday when Koscielny wad jockeying Aguero and he tried to get Gabriel to usher him instead then he clicked on wait I can defend this side because Holding and Gabriel have me covered. Its trial and error but we limited City's chances. Aside from their goal, which we've already discussed, I can't remember many if any clear cut opportunities.

Us on the other hand we had more than a few. Our possession play wasn't great but that's fine. We controlled the game defensively in the first half. Against Boro the passing opportunities were there and will be there again as every week we wont be facing Man City however when we do face teams of that calibre we know defensively we can withstand the opposition having lots of the ball because our defensive structure and organs is greatly improved as we protect the main area of the pitch. The middle defensive third.

I'm so chuffed that as an old dog Wenger is learning new tricks. Keep this up old boy and I might put the contract infront of you myself

Clear cut opportunities for city? They hit the woodwork twice

 

[mm76]

Clear cut opportunities for city? They hit the woodwork twice

and the Delph miss

but @bingobob also mentions City were leaving a player up - we kept failing to do that yesterday - it's so basic it really p****s me off that we don't do it. It's so obvious you need an outlet if you clear the ball following a corner etc.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Great to see the team win. Loved how the fans sang for joy and Wenger with clenched fists and a smile on his face. It really feels better to win than to lose. And Sanchez grabbing that winner in overtime. Just loved how the team were up for it and celebrated. GO ARSENAL!

 

[rich 1990]

and the Delph miss

but @bingobob also mentions City were leaving a player up - we kept failing to do that yesterday - it's so basic it really p****s me off that we don't do it. It's so obvious you need an outlet if you clear the ball following a corner etc.

This drives me ****ing mad. I'd leave 3 up, minimum 2. The more people you have in your own box, the higher risk of confusion. Even if you clear it once, it'll just come straight back. It's thick beyond belief.