Arsenal: Back from the procession

[The Beardy Man]

I have spoken to a reliable source in the club.

1. McDermot doesn't review past games at all! (Crazy if you ask me )
2. McDermot doesn't do any specific defensive work,drills,etc...
3. McDermot doesn't have a clue about tactics or planning, patterns of play, tactical subs etc.....
4. Before the game McDermot said to the squad' we're not gona change the formation we're gona stay 4-4-2 because that's the Reading way.'
5. Before each game the squad have 5-10 min discussion on the opposition?

I would suggest if your 'source' gave you all this inside info, that he kind of straight away gives up any credibility as being reliable? On the basis that a reliable individual probably wouldn't divulge that kind of info...?

[sandman]

I have spoken to a reliable source in the club.

1. McDermot doesn't review past games at all! (Crazy if you ask me )
3. McDermot doesn't have a clue about tactics or planning, patterns of play, tactical subs etc.....

As someone who has watched Brian do a team talk before I can confirm that both of these points are complete bollox.

[runrunrunrungilksey]

hence why its an improvement




going into a prem season with harte as our only left back
cummings our only right back
church as one of our 3 strikers
only two CDs
cummings our only right back
and kanu and mcanuff our only two wingers
wasnt really an option was it


and given 5 million quid, how would you have sorted that mess out any better?

Along the lines of

Steven Whittaker Free
Michu £2.2
D Murphy Free
Hugo Rodallega Free
Claudio Yacob Free

There were plenty of other opportunities that we would have missed out on because we were chasing and looking at championship players and I still would have gone for

Guthrie Free Mid
Shorey Free LB
Pog Str

ill give you michu as the only one we cou,ld have afforded who would have added alot to this team - but he was already going to swansea

Why couldn't we afford anyone else?

[Haag Royal]

Since the game I have reflected on the game and where we are having previously been very critical of BMD and have posted on another thread what I think.

BMD is not the problem - Yes he has made mistakes (we all do) but look at the raw materials he has to work with. He has to deal with the S**t that he has been dealt and as fans we should never allow this to happen again. A massive wasted opportunity.

[runrunrunrungilksey]

I really hope the coaching staff recorded all of skys coverage last night (start and end) as Gary Neville was completely spot on with everything he said - he even highlighted pre match how many goals we'd conceded from low crosses from the left pulled back from the byline for opponents making late runs.

Just watched the TV version of the game from last night and Neville's assessment before the game, at HT and FT is spot on, maybe as Melonhead is so closely connected to the running of the club he would advise the management that there is some free advice and they need to watch it, kind of like the freebies on fourfourtwo only better - but I guess Neville is wrong, right Melonhead?

[Royalwaster]

Since the game I have reflected on the game and where we are having previously been very critical of BMD and have posted on another thread what I think.

BMD is not the problem - Yes he has made mistakes (we all do) but look at the raw materials he has to work with. He has to deal with the S**t that he has been dealt and as fans we should never allow this to happen again. A massive wasted opportunity.

Agree totally - in fact he's worked miracles to get us to 9 pts; with Alex Ferguson or Harry Redknapp we'd probably be on 2 or 3 pts and conceding 10 goals per game. Think we should do the same as Newcastle and give him a 10 year contract to make sure we can turn the current style of football and team management into a new philosophy.

[runrunrunrungilksey]

Since the game I have reflected on the game and where we are having previously been very critical of BMD and have posted on another thread what I think.

BMD is not the problem - Yes he has made mistakes (we all do) but look at the raw materials he has to work with. He has to deal with the S**t that he has been dealt and as fans we should never allow this to happen again. A massive wasted opportunity.

Agree totally - in fact he's worked miracles to get us to 9 pts; with Alex Ferguson or Harry Redknapp we'd probably be on 2 or 3 pts and conceding 10 goals per game. Think we should do the same as Newcastle and give him a 10 year contract to make sure we can turn the current style of football and team management into a new philosophy.

Completely agree!

[Born 'n Bred Royal]

Can't comment on all of this game as I left at half time, suffering from a head cold/man flu and chronic boredom. Looked to me like a pre-season friendly where a third-tier team ends up with a strong top flight side visiting due to the terms of a transfear deal of some sort. I'd usually commend Reading's effort, but that was just going through the motions tonight. I can hardly blame them tbh; they look a beaten side before kick off, we all expect them to lose, the neutral expects them to lose too, they must start believing it themseles. Team selection curious: 442 and over-ran. But the problems are deeper than McD; save Shorey's set pieces and possibly Pog, would any of the rest of that starting line up getting into the first XI (or even XVIII) or any of our Premier League opponents. I suspect not.

Your opinion on the game completely lost all credibility when you said you left at half time. Joke.

As far as the game went I have nothing else to add to the rest of the thread, it's doom and gloom this year.

[SCIAG]

Along the lines of

Steven Whittaker Free
Michu £2.2
D Murphy Free
Hugo Rodallega Free
Claudio Yacob Free

There were plenty of other opportunities that we would have missed out on because we were chasing and looking at championship players and I still would have gone for

Guthrie Free Mid
Shorey Free LB
Pog Str

ill give you michu as the only one we cou,ld have afforded who would have added alot to this team - but he was already going to swansea

Why couldn't we afford anyone else?

I think it would be more that those players aren't good enough. For example, Hugo Rodallega has scored 4 goals in his last 38 PL matches, and had fallen behind the likes of Franco Di Santo, Connor Sammon and Mauro Boselli in the pecking order at Wigan. Is Danny Murphy any better or likely to be any more effective than Guthrie?

Yacob and Michu, retrospectively, would have been fantastic signings. However, I think Michu would have preferred to sign for Swansea because of Laudrup and their style of play.

One of the problems is that we don't have nearly as many backroom staff now. Last time we got promoted, we had Coppell, Dillon, Downes, Gibbs and McDermott as coaches (plus fitness coaches and Bibbo). The first three left and were replaced by Rodgers and his men. When Rodgers etc. left, we didn't sign anyone else. There's been no net movement of youth (U18) coaches since Coppell left, and the only senior coach we've added is Cummins who focuses on the development squad anyway. Essentially, McDermott, Gibbs and Cummins are doing the work of five men. We also replaced McDermott internally, and if we have added more senior scouts then we haven't heard much about them. Steve Head came in too late to help us snap up people like Yacob.

TLDR: We need a bigger scouting network and a couple of extra coaches.

[Royal With Cheese]

We need a bigger scouting network and a couple of extra coaches.

Agreed on the coaches. The squad will definately not be able to afford to fly to away games next season.

[Millsy]

1. McDermot doesn't review past games at all! (Crazy if you ask me )
2. McDermot doesn't do any specific defensive work,drills,etc...
3. McDermot doesn't have a clue about tactics or planning, patterns of play, tactical subs etc.....
4. Before the game McDermot said to the squad' we're not gona change the formation we're gona stay 4-4-2 because that's the Reading way.'
5. Before each game the squad have 5-10 min discussion on the opposition?

Thanks for your input, Guthrie's boyfriend, but just to humour you I'll state the obvious:

If the above is true it is interesting how it causes a bunch of average championship players win the championship title. Perhaps everyone should be adopting these qualities.

[Stuboo]

The bad:

we lost
again our defence let us down
lots of Arsenal fans in the home end killed the vibe somewhat for me

The good:

Pog had a good game - surprised he was subbed
We scored two against a top side
The fans were brilliant last night, staying with the team, and the Bill Oddie made me smile
January transfer window is round the corner

[howser]

Was amused and amazed at McD'S Interview shown on sky earlier, he said all the bits about how he was the man that got us to cup quater finals, play-offs etc.......and he is the man to get us out of our present position ?? that I must admit confused the shit out of me ?? us climb the table he must be having a larf

1. Same Tactics
2. Same Players ~(including his "special ones" that he is not allowed to leave out)
3. Same Defensive Frailties
4. Same Continuous Changing of the side
5. Complete Inability to have a plan "b"

and this man thinks he can save us, the seasons history so far tends to contradict that me thinks ?

[melonhead]

Why couldn't we afford anyone else?

the second bit of that sentence is important, "who we could afford, and add something to the the team"
im not having whittaker, rodallega or murphy as theyre people who arent at all proven and/or not guaranteed to add alot more to this team than the ones we bought.
i agree michu and yacob may have, but there is nothing to say we hadnt looked at them, and tried to do it, but were told they werent interested cos theyd had offers elsewhere

[melonhead]

I really hope the coaching staff recorded all of skys coverage last night (start and end) as Gary Neville was completely spot on with everything he said - he even highlighted pre match how many goals we'd conceded from low crosses from the left pulled back from the byline for opponents making late runs.

Just watched the TV version of the game from last night and Neville's assessment before the game, at HT and FT is spot on, maybe as Melonhead is so closely connected to the running of the club he would advise the management that there is some free advice and they need to watch it, kind of like the freebies on fourfourtwo only better - but I guess Neville is wrong, right Melonhead?

already said our defending is shit, weve made big mistakes tactically, and in terms of substitutions
fully behind what neville says. im pretty sure brian says the same.
under pressure, when lacking confidence, players do thinsg that arent what the manager has asked them to do
like miss tackles, pass to the opposition, let players get a cross in, hoof the ball aimlessly up field, sky your shots over the bar etc

[royal67]

Genuinely embarrassed last night; not so much at the result but at how we looked totally unprofessional and failed to compete.

We are getting dangerously close to becoming a team that is pitied by other fans, and that is even worse than being ignored.

If we are to go down this season (as is all but a certainty) then please lets go down by giving it a real go, as at the moment, we are going to be relegated without so much as a whimper and that is simply unacceptable.

Here, here.........

[East Stand Ste]

the most embarassing bit was the pundits constantly saying how ebarassing it was

[Avon Royal]

Pog had a good game - surprised he was subbed

Really? Classic Brian sub. Right up there with taking Kebe off right after he gave us a second goal.

[runrunrunrungilksey]

Pog had a good game - surprised he was subbed

Really? Classic Brian sub. Right up there with taking Kebe off right after he gave us a second goal.

In fairness to Brian, Kebe gave the signal to come off. Pog not sure about that in my opinion but again a justified sub when Le Fondre scored.

[Stuboo]

Pog had a good game - surprised he was subbed

Really? Classic Brian sub. Right up there with taking Kebe off right after he gave us a second goal.

I'm a keep Brian man, but I agree his substitutions have not been good, like they were last season. Perhaps he is feeling the pressure.