This was a game that Arsenal had to win. We didn't. Full credit to United, which played well all over the field, but the Gunners let themselves down today. The buildups were plodding, the final balls poor, and the defense behind the curve. I may post later on this game, but all I can say now is that Ramsey was as bad as I've seen him this year, and Walcott virtually invisible. The personnel out there should have been enough to get three points, and it couldn't get one.
And of course Spuds get two second half goals to set themselves up nicely for their first title in 55 years. This looks to be a year without a St. Totteringham's Day. I don't want to be rooting for Leicester in May, but I fear that's exactly what I'll be doing.
What bothers me most about yesterday's game was that United played as a unit, with everyone contributing. They had to throw on youngsters and second-teamers, and their defense had not played together before. We looked disjointed, with Ramsey not knowing where he was supposed to be some of the time, Gabriel out of position, and Walcott and Ozil largely spectators. Preparing and selecting the team is Wenger's responsibility.
ReplyDeleteFirst, selection: Why the hell did we buy Elneny if we're not going to use him? Ramsey is clearly worn out, mentally and physically. I like him a lot, but he has not been effective for quite some time. He should have sat this one out. Theo has been abysmal for months. Walcott's contract should not have been renewed; he's an overpaid pain in the ass. But that's a mistake we'd already made, and it's only compounded by playing him when we have Campbell ready to play both offense and defense. I don't argue about Gabriel; Per needed some rest, and Gabriel hasn't been this bad for a while. Welbeck was a defensible choice too, though I'd have played him wide right and Giroud up front. We had no center forward against a back line that was quite vulnerable to a strong one.
I get that we bought Ozil for his offensive skills. It seems churlish to complain about a guy who scored a goal and provided an assist. His corners were good too. But his defense was awful. It always is awful. A player of his talent should be able to contribute on defense. If Wenger can't figure out what's wrong with Alexis, he shouldn't play him. He seems to have energy, and he's willing to work (unlike Theo). But what was working for him last year isn't working anymore. Changes must be made. He is not helping us now.
I don't take anything away from Man U's performance, which was fantastic. But we were poor, really poor.