Arsenal Match Thread - Sponsored by The Adkins Diet

[Norfolk Royal]

Call me naieve, but can anyone explain why we once again played with a left footed right winger and a right footed left winger?

[sputnik]

Just got home from work. Did I miss anything ?

[sandman]

Call me naieve, but can anyone explain why we once again played with a left footed right winger and a right footed left winger?

It's a modern trend used by sides like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich designed for wingers to cut inside have more shots and for in swinging crosses to only need a glancing touch to go in rather than strikers having to lean back and generate power. You don't have to be naïve to not understand it you just have to be English.

[Norfolk Royal]

Call me naieve, but can anyone explain why we once again played with a left footed right winger and a right footed left winger?

It's a modern trend used by sides like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich designed for wingers to cut inside have more shots and for in swinging crosses to only need a glancing touch to go in rather than strikers having to lean back and generate power. You don't have to be naïve to not understand it you just have to be English.

Tbf we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves if we're trying to copy Real Madrid and Barcelona. Staying in the Premier League would do for now.

[Sanguine]

A couple of hours and a gym session to digest the game today. Here's how I see it. All my humblest of opinions.

Positives:

- Mariappa, and to a slightly lesser extent Pearce; they look solid enough defenders, the former in particular composed on the ball (that shocking pass the exception that proves the rule), both good tacklers, both strong in the air. A very good centre-back pairing if we go down, and Mariappa a future captain even if we stay up.

- Our attacking tactics; leaving aside that it didn't wholly work first time out away at Arsenal, it was a pleasure to see 451 played with some fluidity on the wings, both Kelly and Shorey coming into play in our rare attacks. I've highlighted is as a failing earlier in the season, that we played a flat back 4 behind a solid 5 in midfield. Today was the right way to play to formation. We let ourselves down in execution, but there were some positive signs.

- The midfield; yes, it was shocking, BUT, and it's no secret I'm a fan of Guthrie, it was pleasing to see Adkins recognising his ability on the ball and throwing him straight into the team. I am hoping/wondering that Adkins saw Legs + Jem as a defensive option away at Arsenal, and that we might see Guthrie and Akpan playing in front of a single defensive midfielder against Southampton.

Negatives:

- The midfield; I posted it a few times on the match thread that Legs and Jem were static. Adkins played them together to work off each other, but they barely moved from the centre of the pitch all game, and were often doing no more than trotting around beside each other. No pace, no energy. No support for Guthrie or the wingers when we had the ball, and standing off Arsenal when they had it. Three men in midfield, and yet Arteta and Cazorla had the pitch to themselves at times.

- The forwards; I'm beginning to feel, despite our awful midfield, that it's actually up front where we are missing a cog or two. Pog will work his nuts into the ground, but without players breaking from midfield, he is pointless. Le Fondre and Hunt will run all day, but both need a strike partner. What we need/needed was a number 10 playing in the role Guthrie was given today.

- Our defending; I feel like all three games with Arsenal have been carbon copies. I've never seen a PL team stand off its opponents like we did today. It was shocking, Sunday league stuff at times. Even when they had the ball 30 yards out, we had 6 or 7 players camped in the penalty box shitting themselves. Contrast that to Arsenal's energy when we had the ball.


All in all today's result was pretty much as expected. I detect a different approach under Adkins and one I support, but it was disheartening to see the same appalling defensive strategy in Nigel's first game in charge. I trust that's a matter of time on the training ground, he has a week. Wigan's win means, surely, it is a must win game.

[nevo1970]

I've not felt so disappointed since the Bristol Rovers/Curo smashing of us at the Mad Stad.
Not in the game. Legs awful. Defending a joke and up front nothing. The only positive was Guthrie good distribution.
Now Adkins knows what he has to do but we are in trouble for a good while.

[Agent Balti]

This was always inevitable, sadly. A turbulent week, international week, new ideas being imparted, zero confidence (apart from maybe HRK)...and we always get stuffed by Arsenal.

It was really too much to expect us to get a result here, let alone play in any kind of fluid fashion. If anything, it will underline what needs to be done in Adkins' eyes.

It was likely to be painful, it was painful, the pain will carry on. For what it's worth, it would have been the same result under, Brian. I can't think for a second that it wouldn't have been.

Just get this hell of a season out of the way and wipe the slate clean. Please.

[Norfolk Royal]

I've not felt so disappointed since the Bristol Rovers/Curo smashing of us at the Mad Stad.
Not in the game. Legs awful. Defending a joke and up front nothing. The only positive was Guthrie good distribution.
Now Adkins knows what he has to do but we are in trouble for a good while.

Guthrie good distribution. He certainly played a blinding pass to set up one of Arsenal's goal but didn't see a lot more than that.

[ManchesterRoyals]

I've not felt so disappointed since the Bristol Rovers/Curo smashing of us at the Mad Stad.
Not in the game. Legs awful. Defending a joke and up front nothing. The only positive was Guthrie good distribution.
Now Adkins knows what he has to do but we are in trouble for a good while.

Guthrie good distribution. He certainly played a blinding pass to set up one of Arsenal's goal but didn't see a lot more than that.

Like most of the team then, thought Ledge was shocking far worse than Guthrie

[winchester_royal]

Reading fans are complete mongs. 'It's like having Rodgers back' someone said behind me after we tried to keep the ball for longer than 5 seconds.

Anyway, Arsenal were on top of their game and we're in transition mode so the scoreline was no surprise. We played some decent stuff at times though and it was nice to see the full backs go past the halfway line without the coaching staff going into meltdown.

Patience is needed over the next few weeks, it won't be pretty but I'm confident we'll come out the other side better for it.

Nigel Adkins' Barmy Army

[Ouroboros]

Back from the game.

Sat in row 2 so not really sure what happened.

Cheers.

[Kingsley Junior]

I didn't think today was all that bad tbh. I'm not sure what people are expecting really. Arsenal can be a bit lightweight at times and inconsistent, but when they are good, they are very, very good. And today was one of those days. Meanwhile, we had a team made up of the same players that have been not quite up to this level for large parts of the season...

I felt there were positives, definitely. We started well the first few minutes, we had a few good spells during the game. We tried to pass it more, perhaps in areas where we were never going to do Arsenal any harm but it's something to build off. The key thing for me was that the players were visibly trying something asked of them by a manager who has been their boss less than a week. They are obviously receptive to his ideas, and that is going to be important going forward. No, I did not particularly enjoy watching us get mostly outplayed for 90 minutes, but I pretty much expected it when I bought my ticket. We needed Arsenal to have an off day to have a hope of getting something out of the game, and I was happy to at least get a goal and show some fight.

As I recall, our much better "106 team" lost 4-0 at home to Arsenal in our first season up. I don't think our results against Arsenal are really any kind of barometer of where we are at. The Wigan result today probably makes our next 7 games largely meaningless, but I'm very optimistic about next season. Large numbers of players that got us up before, some new faces likely to be brought in too, and a manager who has four promotions on his record in the last six or so years.

[Kingsley Junior]

Reading fans are complete mongs. 'It's like having Rodgers back' someone said behind me after we tried to keep the ball for longer than 5 seconds.

Anyway, Arsenal were on top of their game and we're in transition mode so the scoreline was no surprise. We played some decent stuff at times though and it was nice to see the full backs go past the halfway line without the coaching staff going into meltdown.

Patience is needed over the next few weeks, it won't be pretty but I'm confident we'll come out the other side better for it.

Nigel Adkins' Barmy Army

+1

[royalsteve]

arsenal are a good side but they are not as good as they used to be. I did go but didn't think we would get much from the game - all I expected or hoped for was a decent performancve and maybe a goal but realistically I thought we would lose 2-0 or 3-0.

however whilst we got a goal we were absolute s**t today. At 2-0 it was 2 arsenal v 3 royals players and they still scored the 3rd. that goal was a joke. dunno wahy ledge didn't track giroud!!

forget this season, lets start playing football , then a clear out then start again - id get rid of ledge and Guthrie as a brick would do a better job

[Ascotexgunner]

arsenal are a good side but they are not as good as they used to be. I did go but didn't think we would get much from the game - all I expected or hoped for was a decent performancve and maybe a goal but realistically I thought we would lose 2-0 or 3-0.

however whilst we got a goal we were absolute s**t today. At 2-0 it was 2 arsenal v 3 royals players and they still scored the 3rd. that goal was a joke. dunno wahy ledge didn't track giroud!!

forget this season, lets start playing football , then a clear out then start again - id get rid of ledge and Guthrie as a brick would do a better job

+1, really wish wed gone for it today, I swear their defence wasn't all that.

[sandman]

I didn't think today was all that bad tbh. I'm not sure what people are expecting really. Arsenal can be a bit lightweight at times and inconsistent, but when they are good, they are very, very good. And today was one of those days. Meanwhile, we had a team made up of the same players that have been not quite up to this level for large parts of the season...

I felt there were positives, definitely. We started well the first few minutes, we had a few good spells during the game. We tried to pass it more, perhaps in areas where we were never going to do Arsenal any harm but it's something to build off. The key thing for me was that the players were visibly trying something asked of them by a manager who has been their boss less than a week. They are obviously receptive to his ideas, and that is going to be important going forward. No, I did not particularly enjoy watching us get mostly outplayed for 90 minutes, but I pretty much expected it when I bought my ticket. We needed Arsenal to have an off day to have a hope of getting something out of the game, and I was happy to at least get a goal and show some fight.

As I recall, our much better "106 team" lost 4-0 at home to Arsenal in our first season up. I don't think our results against Arsenal are really any kind of barometer of where we are at. The Wigan result today probably makes our next 7 games largely meaningless, but I'm very optimistic about next season. Large numbers of players that got us up before, some new faces likely to be brought in too, and a manager who has four promotions on his record in the last six or so years.

That Arsenal team had Henry, Fabregas and RVP in it. This one has Gervinho, Ramsey and Giroud.

[Royal Ginger]

It would've been a lot more if Gervinho wasn't so wasteful, and Ledge got the sending off he probably deserved.

[LoyalRoyal22]

Pretty poor today. Although however we play, what do you expect when they have a team better all over the pitch.

Lots of work to be done for next season if Adkins wants us to play in his passing style.

[working class hero]

If only Guthrie had played more we'd be looking to play in Europe....NOT.
Quite why he is so lionised baffles me. He did little... Then perhaps his poor little overpaid head wasn't quite right?

[LoyalRoyal22]

If only Guthrie had played more we'd be looking to play in Europe....NOT.
Quite why he is so lionised baffles me. He did little... Then perhaps his poor little overpaid head wasn't quite right?

Agreed he is not that great. But he is our most talented CM.