Unimaginative, Classless Ancelotti will be fired by May
We played the right way and did a very good defence and counter-attack. That’s the right way to play against Arsenal on Sunday.
That is what he said after they won at the Emirates. No doubt by the time we play them next, their next manager will probably say the same. The second part of that Ancelotti quote shows his arrogance. Chelsea have conceded 75% of their goals from set pieces but you don’t see any manager bringing that up. It is a shame for him that he had to learn how to play against us after watching Utd’s Champions League performance against us.
Of course he can say that because he knows one ball over the top of our defence and combine that with a Drogba run, our defence inexplicably turn to jelly. And he can say that because we were playing with two defensive midfielders, one who was returning from injury (Diaby) and the other who ran the whole of Africa in 3 weeks (Song). He can say that because he relies on Arsenal not communicating well, not showing enough desire to track back and break up the Chelsea attack. Which is exactly what happened for Chelsea’s second.
As for the first goal, that was equally farcical. You can tell that it didn’t please Arsene when he kept on citing that goal for our demise. After all, it was Chelsea’s first corner and you just don’t gift the opposition a goal that easily. How easily Clichy moved off the line to present a simple tap in for Drogba I’ll never know. It was naïve to say the least.
All of that of course cannot hide away from the fact that other than that, we bossed the game. There won’t be many teams who dictate the pace of the game at Stamford Bridge like we did. Even after we went two nil down, we continued to probe Chelsea and I’ll glady admit that I never enjoyed such attacking build up play for a game that we lost. If only Nasri and Arshavin had shown more composure when they had their chances. Fabregas’ neatly struck free kick drew a good save from Cech but if there was even the deftest of touches from Gallas we could have pulled a goal back. And then after that who knows?
Not only did we enjoy more possession, we also had more shots on and off target to Chelsea and we also had more corners. All of this makes Ancelotti’s post match assertion that his Chelsea team “were in control” rather ridiculous. A team in control does not spend most of the game packing its defence. Simply put, they relied on us having an off day in front of goal.
Of course, all things said, the most significant statistic is that Chelsea scored two, we scored none. It is a results business. But trying telling that to Roman who sacked one coach that won him two titles and another that took Chelsea to their first Champions League final. Using negative tactics like that, that too at home, will backfire somewhere along the line. Another champions league cock up by May will hasten his departure.
As for us, a defeat was obviously hard to take. There were many good things to take from it. Diaby’s return was a major plus. Apart from his error for the second goal, he looked the more assured defensive midfielder and won all but one of 9 tackles. His contribution in the attacking half was also impressive – I recall the pass to Nasri (when there were like 9 Chelsea players trying to block the route) that almost paid off.
Cesc had another impressive game. There were quite a few astray passes but he never gave up and there was this desire to keep going no matter what. He attempted over 70 passes, which you have to say is a lot for an away player and that speaks volumes of Chelsea’s tactics for me.
Eboue’s introduction gave a more direct dimension to our play – the ease with which he was going through the Chelsea midfield was unbelievable. Surely he will start a match sooner rather than later. He gives a balance to this Arsenal team if he puts his serious face on.
And I’ll leave it at that for now.
I don’t understand the insistance that Arsenal was the better team yesterday. They played the majority of the game down 2-0, so it only seems natural that chelsea would be happy to sit back and defend (espescially seeing how well it worked in the first meeting and first 25 minutes). For the few “what if’s” Arsenal had, Chelsea had just as many (Drogba’s free kick, Anelka free from 8 yards, Cole free in the box). The mental lapses in defending undid anything dominant possesion could have created, and all that posession really didn’t lead to much without an ariel target up front. Arsene put a team out there that should have expected to dominate possesion and struggle to finish and thats exactly what happened.
Two of those Chelsea what ifs came late in the game when we were cranking it up a level once NB52 came on. Even before Chelsea scored, we started the better side. For a team that played at home, that too of Chelsea’s level they were far too negative.
The key thing here is that Chelsea’s game plan involved catching us off guard on the counter. It worked today but sooner than later it will backfire spectacularly. Champions League semi-final against Barcelona springs to mind.
Like I said Chelsea didn’t have as many shots as us. I’ll agree that Wenger could have started with Bendtner. If he can start with Walcott who isn’t fully match fit either, he could have done with NB52.
I think Ballacks commnts just about sum it up. Chelsea knew exactly what to expect and exactly how to beat it. Arsenal’s inability to adjust to the tactics that we all knew were coming is what beat them. It’s easy criticize Chelsea for playing ugly, but the truth is that it almost always works against us when we play a team with the talent to succeed on the counter attack.
At some point we really need to stop moaning that Chelsea use tactics that obviously work very well against us and start adjusting to the way we know they will play. Barca went out this summer and added persone that could help break down the way Chelsea played them, we sold a guy that could do that and didn’t replace him with anything. We decided to be stubborn and not even start Bendtner. At some point Arsene has to get over his ego and adjust his tactics if the situation demands it. Otherwise we will continue to struggle with Chelsea and Manure.
Steve, it isn’t a moan as such. I don’t mind if a team struggling for their lives tries to play us on the counter. But when a team of Chelsea’s quality tries to do that it is disappointing. That means a team of international stars give up trying to outplay us from the start. What if also went with the same philosophy? That would make for an interesting spectacle wouldn’t it!?!
I’ll agree that we should have started with Bendtner especially when Chelsea are so woeful at defending set pieces. But the fact remains we created chances even without him, but didn’t take them. If we didn’t create anything, then that is another matter. And there is no point mentioning Ade’s exit. No one was complaining when RVP was playing well. I’d like to see how Utd would do with Rooney out for 6 months and Chelsea without Drogba for a few months.
I definitely agree that Chelsea could have made a much more interestng game fo the fans, but understand very well why they plyed the way they did. The bottom line is that approach will work against us the majority of the time, so any team with real title aspirations will do it to us whenever they face us. We can complain about teams doing that all we want, but we’ll never consistantly beat them until we adjust. RVP would have helped, but injuries happen (they had to play without Essien, who likely would have helped neutralize our passing). I wouldn’t be criticizing Arsenal if we didn’t expect this, but everyone out there knew Chelsea would play that style. The thing that infuriates me is that our lineup and tactics played right into what we knew they would do, and yet when they invited us to press we set up their counter perfectly. If we keep inviting teams to do this to us, we really shouldn’t complain when they do.
we used 2 DM’s to prevent gettting done on the counter. Arsene has always used two defensive minded players in his line up. Back then we didn’t just have Vieira doing most of the tracking back. PV also had Edu, Gilberto, Parlour (who played either as a CM or RM) helping him. Remember the days of Grimaldi? The problem with this team is that they insist on blasting every opposition 4 or 5-0. Even when we were winning 3-0 against Spurs, Arsene was screaming towards the players to shut up shop. But the players insisted on scoring more and more. You really think Arsene wasn’t aware that chelsea would play on the break? It isn’t anything new. I don’t think it is to do with lack of skill or planning. It is more to do with desire when the opposition are running some 50-60 yards with the ball with relative ease. Put it this way. Before Lampard delivered the pass to Drogba for his second, Diaby had a 2 second head start on him yet Lamps overtook him. It was the only time where he made a mistake but it proved costly.
I agree with you Steve. O also think this article is rubbish. Chelsea’s strategy was to allow us to control the ball, and then counter attack successfully. It worked and our tactics are predictable. We have no striker and toward the end we tried to run the ball in which we’ve only seen work well against the poorer teams in the league. We are so timid at times it’s unreal. Nasri’s effort was absolutely piss poor. Almunia’s at best a 2nd rate keeper. We don’t have the squad to compete for the premiership, nor the CL. I’m passed getting my hopes up for trophies, I’m going to focus on being content with a top four finish and empty promises at the transfer windows.
I am sorry I don’t seem to agree with your mail. Technique is great, that is our strength but tactics is also part of the game. We lost fair and square. Anyway as a wounded fan, it is ok for you to try and console yourself.
Dalo
yes well done, tactics is part of the game. That is why there were two DM’s playing for us. It was just unfortunate that they were both way too keen to make it 1-1. Instead Chelsea broke and made it 2-0. Of course it is fair. But what isn’t fair is time wasting. Something Chelsea (including their fans) were guilty of.
The simple truth is that we continue to need 3 dominators…… at striker, midfield and back 4 levels. Guys whose presence is awesome, guys who are 6ft and above. They ARE available but a scrooge approach won’t get them. At the end of this season, a bit of a clear-out is called for, of those who who have been found wanting. Money will be available…….Cesc will go home and we will benefit financially.
Whether AW will stay or not will depend on a bit of humility….and a change of policy.
Ancelotti outlined before the match it was important to catch Arsenal on the break. He set the team up perfectly, got an early goal then sat back and waited till Arsenal were stretched and hit them again.
Textbook tactics, advertised in advance. Wenger could do nothing, even with the warning we would play the same game as at Emirates.
You can’t play on the counter unless you invite the other team on to you. Creating space in the opposing half of the pitch and pow. We got the early goal and after that it was plain sailing. Arsenal fell straight into the trap and allowed Lamps and Drog to take another goal.
How the hell you can possibly equate this to Arsenal being the better team only points to one thing.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
and goodnight x
Okay there is no doubt you were saying that Hull were organised when they were leading 1-0 at the Bridge and that Chelsea were inviting the Tigers onto them? Same thing right?
The fact is that for a Premiership team that is top of the table, your team’s tactics were extremely negative. That says a lot about the Premiership and your team. And believe me style matters. Otherwise your owner wouldn’t sack Mourinho and Grant, two coaches who brought unrivalled successes to your club.
I don’t agree that Wenger could do nothing about it and neither do I really that it was plain sailing for your team.
Did you even read the post? We created more chances, dominated possession on your turf. Chelsea were clinical, that I can’t disagree with. But they weren’t the better team. No doubt you were criticising Mourinho as well when he said “the better team lost” after Chelsea lost a match as well then hey?
I will only focus on one point.
You say our tactics were negative. How so? Knowing how to win the game , having a plan, carrying it out and coming away with the result is not negative in the real world.
Do you mean we didn’t play nice little triangles or was it the way we did not give you any space where it counted.
It really does seem to me that only Arsenal fans use this ‘negative play’ excuse whenever they come against a team that the passing game does not work on. Arsene claims to be an inteligent man, well surely even he can see that to win a game ugly is better than to lose, or are you happy to have lost?
I didn’t mention Hull but all teams slip up now and then and we were pretty poor, take nothing from Hull though they fought to the end. Yesterday was not a slip by you though was it? It couldn’t have been, we all know you were the better team right!
playing counter attacking football at home doesn’t count as a “plan”. It smacks of pessimism. Mourinho was sacked for a reason remember.
I didn’t complain when teams like Sunderland, West Ham use negative tactics. The fact is we still created more chances than your team, good enough to get a result.
You seem to mistake things. Of course our defeats are a slip, we are third in the table. but it is possible to lose a match despite being the better team. Your own special one said that. Why do people still appreciate the Dutch teams that won nothing? It is because they strived to play the beautiful game the way it should be. And your team didn’t do that, end of.
And Joe, not every body has a sugar daddy to help them out in “the real world.” I hope you and your fans realise that. Without Roman, your club would have had the same fate as Leeds. Don’t you forget that.
Your point about the Dutch is spot on. We appreciate how easy the game was to watch, but they never won anything. When I think of Arsenal I want to think of titles and winning, not how pretty we were.
Playing counter-attacking football at home may no be the most fun to watch pln, but it certainly is a plan (and in this case an effective one).
The other point I’d argue is that we created more chances. Arshavin had a great one, and Cesc had two. Nasri’s chance wasn’t that great due to Cole’s tackle. Chelsea playing the way they did still produced just as many quality chances, and probably better ones.
Unfortunately Steve, I fail to see the game in such absolutist terms. Part of the appeal of supporting Arsenal – this Arsenal side – apart from the fact that we are hated over the length and breadth of this country is that we strive to play an eloquent game.
Of course I want my team to win titles but not by sitting back from start to finish. Were you satisfied with the FA Cup win in 2005? Apart from the fact that we won it by beating Utd, there was very little to take away from it. Utd dominated the game from start to finish. We never even had a shot. But who cares, we won the trophy. That’s what counts. Look where that attitude has got us.
Ashley Cole was their best defender. Ivanovic was constantly exposed on the left flank and A.Cole covered in central defence. Although he left because he wanted more money, not many gooners will deny he was as good a left back that we will have had.
Diaby is not a defensive midfielder. HE is tall, and his size is what was needed against Chelski and their midfield…
IT does not matter how much attacking play we had, we did not score. In fact, we have some MAJOR issues with attack I feel. Crossing the ball to a 5’6 make shift striker against the likes of the Chelsea defense is comical. Not going to work.
If we wanted to play this way, Bendtner should have started.
Plan B was to drive the ball literally right thru the middle…. threading the needle through 2-3 chelsea players. Not going to work…. how many times did you see us literally trying to force the issue here to have the ball intercepted? IT is so pathetic to see Arsenal pass the ball around the box over and over. No penetration and no ideas. Its almost comical.
The problem is that we do not have a tall out and out striker. Our whole team supports the small midfield and forward we have. We push up too far and get beaten on the counter over and over. How many times were TV and WG up front? More than our midfielders!
Arsene is an ass for not buying an out and out striker. This team will never win and needs someone like TH again to keep the defense honest and also to be physical and fast.
Arsenal is too small. Litreally nasri, cesc, rosicky, denilson, arshavin, walcott sagna and clichy are under 5’9.
That is ridiculous.
I neva saw wher a so called world class coach (wch i dnt blv) cud b so nastily stupid nd stingily fool that he cud’nt think of hw 2 curb nd put a stop 2 his imaginal failure instead he’s busy talkin abt d pattern nd technqs chelsea nd man utd coach used to dfeat his young inexperience side. Y can’t he jst think of d way 4wad instead of critisin d beta syd.buy strikers,defensive Mid fielders and a reliable goalkeeper.thnk u.
I must add…. while we can do without an Adabeyor and his attitude…. having a powerful and keyword here….. skilled….. forward is what this team is missing.
think back in the day…. a skilled bergkamp and henry teaming up with each other… how much success did that bring? A LOT!
A small Arshavin by himself against top teams? its laughable
Our midfield tries to support our lack of a forward or forwards and gets caught out position too many times.
Chelsea are big and tall and cut passing options as much as they could. THere defense was stellar in staying compact and anticipating our weak crosses and thread the needle attempts at getting close to goal.
I would say…. if Arsenal are going to play this way til end of season…to have our midfield take shots from distance. at least this would keep the goalie and defense honest and also lets hope for the lucky rebound or dropped shot that we can tap in.
its in the numbers… the more shots you take… the more likely one or two might lead to something positive….
we do have good shooters in midfield…. rosicky, nasri and diaby.
Are you all mad??? we were outplayed outfought and tactically naive, Chelsea knew what they had to do to beat us and they did their job perfectly, for AW to come out and say we were the better team is just embarrassing.
Possession is all well and good if there is an end product, but continually pumping crosses into the box when we have no-one in there capable of winning a header is laughable or trying to pass through six players around the box is again just embarrassing ,Chelsea beat us 2-0 and do you really think the Chelsea fans care we had the ball longer than them?
I did read a post about trying to shoot from outside the box because we have rosicky nasri and diaby arguably the three most injury prone players in the premier league along with van persie!
I have been listening to AW for the last 5 years about how the team is maturing and who much mental strength they have while selling players and not replacing…how many games would denilson get in a top side do you think ???
We were close last season but in the end our squad didn’t have enough quality so AW sold two and brought in one which makes us stronger how?????
But for me the last straw for a manager is when he lies to fans…”I will be bringing in one maybe two new faces in January”…did we actually bid for anybody?? I think not..
We need quality players and we need them soon don’t need to spend huge sums as there are players out there.
Now before I start getting attacked as anti Arsene or anti arsenal ..I have supported arsenal for 25 years home and away for 10 of those so I feel I have paid enough over the years to have an option!
Don’t bother mate! This is one of those ‘in Wenger we trust’ sites. He speaks no lies and can do no wrong.
If he said you were the better team then you were. End of. If he says he is actually Napoleon and Fergie is Josephine, then that’s the truth!
Unfortunately I cannot comment on this as my club has a ‘sugar-daddy’ and I am not in the real world!
Unimaginative, Classless, Soon to be out of a Job………… Carling don’t do Arsenal managers, but if they did, he wouldn’t be a lying, excuse ridden, Voyeur like Arsene bloody Wenger!
Darren, if you’ve supported Arsenal for 25 years, and we’ve not won anything for 5 years…how much did Arsenal win in those 20 years before And how much did Arsenal win in the years before Wenger?
You’re right about RVP being injury prone as Diaby. But RVP went a season and a half with not even a slight injury before he was clattered by that Dutch defender. And Nasri injury prone? He missed the first two months of the season because Diaby mistimed his tackle. How often was Nasri out injured last year??
“We are close last season”
Are you mad? Unless you’re refering to the 2007-2008 season. as for last was reaching the CL semi final a failure? How many times before did Arsenal reach the semi final of a major European Cup?
Gunnerstoday. Why do you think so many of your fellow goons are questioning your, sorry Arsene’s, opinions over this?
Last one from me, for all of you who can’t remember what it was like before Wenger came to Arsenal:
I seem to remember a time when Arsenal were just as, if not more, “efficient” than Chelsea.
I also seem to remember their fans echoing the thoughts of Ballack and Ancelotti.
Under Graham, when Arsenal would nullify pretty passing teams, i.e., liverpool, with intimidating physical football, the Arsenal fan’s would justify it with the comment “Well, as long as we’re winning things”.
Joe, have to say on one hand I respect you for coming back and back on a largely pro Arsenal site to have your say. On the other hand I question your sanity as you are the only one who feels compelled to have a say here.
I’m aware of Arsenal’s history – those were different days – which is why I appreciate what Wenger is doing for the club.
Largely fans are grateful but unfortunately we get fed the same b/s about how we haven’t won anything for 5 years. Of course you are aware of your own team’s history as well right? What was it 50 years without winning the league?
And I don’t get this “he speaks no lies”..I pointed out where we went wrong. And I’ll give credit where it is due. I don’t think your team deserved credit.
I made a bold statement and as ridiculous as it sounds at the moment especially considering your team won, the fact remains, there is more chance of Ancelotti losing his job than Wenger. You know it and so do we.
You are right to say arsenal were bad in the late seventys early eighties and my god were we bad..! I am not saying that I want AW to leave arsenal I want him to tell me the truth and not continue to lie to me..is that so much to ask?
If we have no money then say we have no money and I for one will give him as much time as he needs but if we do have money then spend it on strenghing my beloved arsenal, as I said in my previous post I dont think we need a lot (Lloris Veloso and someone to score goals….)
But following AW blindly just of what he has achieved past seasons is a mistake, we all want silverware but as AW said himself 3rd place is like winning a trophyand I dont want my team being managed by someone who thinks 3rd place is an achievememt.