Did Arsenal Have This Coming?

I’m not sure whether this poor Arsenal performance was down to bad luck, too many games or just the lack of desire.

Whatever it was Arsenal gifted PSV an advantage going into the second tie with some really sloppy play and a lack of urgency. PSV had set up camp to defend and nick a goal and that’s exactly what they did – but it was not as if Arsenal were making it difficult for the Dutch team.

And even though Arsenal have been lacklustre against Middlesbrough, Wigan and Blackburn Rovers recently so was suprising that Arsenal put in another poor display considering this is the last 16 of the Champions League.

The only player who looked lively in the first half was Tomas Rosicky, and it was only his effort which was cleared off the line early in the first half that caused PSV any sort of problems.

If that goes in then we could have gone and increased our lead.

But after that Arsenal fizzled out.

Thierry Henry looked particularly sloppy – or maybe unfit – and the captain’s display was rubbing off on the other players. Cesc Fabregas looked like he needs a good month off to rest and you couldn’t really expect much from the recently returning Hleb and Gallas.

The problem was that you cannot afford to have 7/8 players not playing well but that’s what we had tonight. As a team who bases their play on slick and smooth passing Arsenal we misplacing passes left, right and centre.

You could not help feeling the kids would have put in a better display tonight.

Onwards to Sunday.

 

5 thoughts on “Did Arsenal Have This Coming?

  1. Arsenal seem to think that they are on thier way to another CL final & played like they had the game won beforehand. I am very worried about our chances now. 1-0 is a great result for a PSV team so good on the break. They will surely score at the Emirates when they will have their best player back(Farfan)

    Adebayor was trying but you dont go places in Europe with him. We missed Van Persie’s touch & creativity. We just looked plain average tonight apart from Rosicky and Toure. We’ve been poor in Europe this season

     
  2. I thought PSV played well at what they did, which was very limited, and scored a wonder goal which seems to be our luck this year. I think in these ties everything is so tight that unless you get an early goal it’s going to be verry difficult. Just look at the Lehman save last year against Real, only weeks earlier Garcia had scored from virtually the same position, if Raul had scored that we could have gone out then and there so no final. Going abroad and making all the play was never going to be easy. Lets get them back to our place and give it a good go, if they beat us 1-0 on aggregate and they defend for 90 minutes fair enough to them, they played a defensive game and got a great goal and beat us.
    My real gripe lies in one place, ITV. What a bunch of moribund c*nts. If i had turned the box on in 60 minutes and didn’t know the score i would have thought we were 6 down to a conference side. I’m not saying we weren’t the better side on paper but I had to turn the TV on mute at one point to stop me chucking the switch at it. At 0-0 we had to win 1-0 and PSV probably would have defended all game, now if we win 1-0 and PSV defend all game we’ll get extra time and we’ll turn them over. This one’s far from over. Come on you gunners, lets go all the way this time.

     
  3. What annoys me is that why can’t Arsenal admit when they have played badly. Other teams do so but Arsenal take the high and mighty viewpoint blaming the other team.

    In the post-match interview Henry had a sly dig at the defensive tactics of PSV. It’s up to us to do something about it! Does he think teams are just going to let us play football?

     
  4. Wenger did admit we played badly and says we have to improve. Henry is a captain not a manager.
    We have not always been good last few weeks but get record straight – no need to skew it.
    Boro was a good performance as we went down to 10 men amd concede a pen.
    Bolton was an excellent performance. It is mixed

     
  5. This was waiting to happen for a while now. How many times this season has the team been lax in play and were just strolling about the place expecting the goal to come. Then we get sloppy and lose the first goal and have to fight back to draw or win. We have been doing this all season. I hope this will be the kick in the arse this team needs to be more ruthless. This result was down to attitude which will be better in the second leg and we will do em 2 or 3 nil. Have faith.

     

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