A boring, dreary first half picked up steam in the second, but with the way it ended, I think most of us would have preferred the boredom over the bollocks that we had to suffer. After a brilliant counter attack launched by the Ox, Welbeck ran in behind the defense to collect the through-back and cut back to pass to the middle for Alexis—who else?—,to slot it home, and it looked like we could escape with victory despite our sloppy, careless, play to that point. However, the sloppiness was exacerbated by heavier rains and the fact that we had no answer for Montero, who tore Chambers a new one each time he got the ball. Sigurddson’s well-struck free-kick eluded Szczesny, but it was Montero who really ruined things for us, crossing in for Gomis to head home. Swansea had not scored from a set-piece or a header to this point; they managed to do both inside of five minutes today. It’s a loss that will pose some tough, tough questions, some soul-searching, and perhaps some knife-sharpening. We’ll have two weeks to digest this one before hosting Man U. If you have the stomach for it, here are the highlights:
Woolwich 1886, an Arsenal site
A life-long Arsenal fan shares from his limited store of insight, humour, and wisdom…
Even making allowances for injuries to Kos and Debuchy, what did Arsene ever plan on for his defense for this season? I would like to believe that when he loaned Jenkinson he had a replacement in mind and that deal fell through. If not then he deserves to be fired now and let anyone else take over as manager.Chambers was completely outplayed all match, but he had no business being there. Anyone with eyes could see this except the two bobble-heads that pose as manager and his assistant. That Arsene has believed he could survive until January is a fantasy undeserving of commentary. Even that only has come after the first 11 matches proved he needed a defense that he failed to address all summer. Apparently having hordes of errant strikers and wingers, not always capable of finishing was his strategy in lieu of strengthening every other gaping hole and weakness in the squad. Too cheap to buy the best and too stubborn to admit time and the game have passed him by, we now will have to suffer through a season that now seems doomed to end without silver, without a CL next year – just a mid-level squad fighting for top half (not top third) with Spurs, Newcastle and Hull or Stoke, while Chelsea having been gifted with Cesc, run away, and MC, MU, Swans, et al prove that they either spent better or, quite simpky, have smarter managers.If the Board have money to spend, let them allocate 16 million to buy Arsene out or even 20 to end it mid-year, and then reorganize. Owning the Emirates free and clear will mean nothing when no one will come to watch let alone pay for mediocrity.
whatever else can be said, we're stuck with Arsene until at least the end of the season, if only because there's no one else out there whom we can bring in to replace him. The bloom seems off of Pochettino and Martinez (as John mentions in the post above this), and what of Klopp? Dortmund are a disaster this year aside from four CL matches including, sadly us. Ancelotti and Guardiola are front-running gloryhounds in my book, more adept at spending than managing. whether we like it or not, this is Arsene's team unless something truly dire happens like falling all the way out of European competitions next season.