12 Mar 2018 07:25:49
Excellent result yesterday and a decent performance. Good to see Mustafi score and Cech save a penalty, which no doubt will lift their confidence after a difficult time. I was impressed with Maitland-Niles, who looked excellent going forward from RB, but a word of caution, as he must be taught to tackle, as he gave away a needless penalty and has the same problem as converted fullbacks, Gibbs and Bellerin did, with defensive side of the game, both in respect of tackling and positinal sense.
However pleasing the last two results have been they must be taken from the viewpoint that neithe ropponents played a typical high intensity pressing game, allowing us the time and space we need.
On the attendance, it is good that we sold 59,000 seats from a financial perspective, but it is shameful that so-called fans that have paid for seats fail to turn up. I would never miss a match, unless absolutely necessary. I support the team through thick and thin, being old enough to recall finishing 17th in the old first division, I appreciate that even in a poor season nowadays we are likely to finish at least 6th in the PL, compete in the final of the league cup and in all probability reach at least the quarter finals of the EL.
Looking forward to Thursday's return leg against AC Milan, when hopefully the fans will return and help the team through to the last 8.
12 Mar 2018 08:40:26
Maitland-Niles looks quality with great composure. Hopefully time in back four will develop him into a good DCM with pace! Needs to beef up a little and as you say, be smarter in the tackle. May be Granit can teach Jill 😂
Good to see the new players settle in as we look more dangerous going forward now - really need to sell Danny
As normal - still need to sort centre of midfield and defence as they still look frail. The back 4 need a leader to boss them around and we need to get a beast in midfield
As you say - nice result but it was at home to Watford.
12 Mar 2018 09:40:54
Before we go off spending yet more millions on players who quickly become worth a fraction of what we paid for them we need to sort out the underlying problem that has lead us to where we are now, mentality.
The cosy mentality that all but Sanchez seem to slip into once at Arsenal is our main problem and without sorting that out all the spending in the world won't improve us.
When the players we have at the club no longer see a few humiliating results and performances each season as nothing to get to down hearted about and just accept them as part and parcel of life at Arsenal and no longer see just giving up in some games as aan acceptable way to represent the club from now on nothing is going to change no matter how many GK DM CBs we buy.
Change that cosy mentality and we will see a marked improvement next season, change that cosy mentality and improve the squad quality too and who knows we might just see a top 4 challenge next season too.
The fans have seen enough walking, giving up, selfies and heard all the excuses going a thousand times over and only a selected few actually take any notice of the same old regurgitated excuses that have become an annual event at Arsenal that you can set your time and date by on on your phone,
When the mentality changes so will our fortune's on the pitch and future signings like Mustafi Xhaka Ozil might just increase in value during their Arsenal career rather degenerate into a shadow of the player they were before they got here.
Empty seats isn't the problem that is merely a delayed reflection of what happens on the pitch, sort the mentality problem out and the empty seats problem will sort itself very very quickly, no one can guarantee a result or even a good performance every game but 100% effort? Every fan who goes to the trouble of rearranging their life and spending money that most could well use elsewhere to travel to and attend games deserves to go with total confidence that their team will be giving 100% effort that day, and until that once again becomes the norm and not the exception for this Arsenal team then we will see more and more empty seats. l at the Emirates.