Last week I was glad the game of football was played over 90 minutes after the encouraging fight back at Stoke. Well, today I’m thinking it’s a shame games don’t last just 25 minutes, as Wolves were more than a match for the Gunners in the charged opening exchanges.
In fact, we could of been ahead had somebody managed to convert one of the many fizzing deliveries expertly arrowed in by Milijas. But it wasn’t to be and after Arsenal got their incredibly fortuitous opener, they set about dismantling a Wolve side that simply couldn’t cope when the visitors stepped up a gear.
Fabregas - Different class
I could talk about mistakes from Wolves players all day (there were many), but it wouldn’t do justice to an Arsenal side that oozed quality and picked us apart with unnerving ease. Their third goal, as sickening as it made me feel, was a thing of beauty and the kind of moment that draws embarrassing attention to the whopping great gulf in quality between the sides.
Could we of defended better? Probably. Could we of done better with the possession we had? Definitely. But sometimes you’ve just got to hold your hands up and say we were beaten by a better side. A significantly better side (Men Vs Boys as Jed so succinctly put it).
Picking positives out of such a defeat is difficult and most come attached to the words like ‘effort’ and ‘endeavour’. SEB was one of those to ‘put in a shift’ and I was impressed by some of his link-up play, but all too often he was isolated and gobbled up by the Arsenal centre-halves. Doyle started off well but struggled more and more as the game was slipping away.
I was glad Stearman got the nod at left-back and he certainly did himself no harm. I’d like to see him keep his place, at least in the short term, as I think he offers more in both directions than Big George. It will be interesting to see whether Mick makes any defensive changes for the daunting trip to Stamford Bridge.
Of course, naming and shaming the poorer performers is a much easier task. Henry had a terrible game, especially against the high standards he’s set himself in recent weeks. Far too often he was robbed of possession when he could of offloaded and that played into Arsenal’s hands and led directly to at least one of their goals. It’s admirable that he always wants to find a pass but he needs to learn that sometimes you’ve got no choice but to get rid of the ball.
Hennessy didn’t really do himself justice either. He was certainly at fault for the first goal and could possibly have done better with the fourth. The two in between he could do nothing about. It wasn’t a calamitous showing, but it wasn’t anywhere near the levels he’s reached in the large majority of other matches this season.
Zubar started off like an express train but seemed to lose confidence and basic errors began to creep into his game. I still think he’s got a lot to offer to the Wolves side but more concentration needed for the whole 90 minutes.
I could go on, but I wont.
I’m very much of the school of thought that this defeat won’t be one that costs us our place in the top flight come the end of the season. Nor will it be the match at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight. The back-to-back games at home to Blues and Bolton are a different story though. Should we fail to pick up at least four points from those two, I might well begin to worry.
This was a painful pill to swallow, but I strongly believe we were well and truly taken apart by the Premiership Champions elect.
Keep the faith.
I thought Stearman was one of our better performers yesterday particularly when Milijas began to drift infield he certainly pissed off Arshavin to put it bluntly (who in my opinion should have been sent off).
I’ve already had my rant about Hennessey so I’ll leave him out.
As you mentioned Thomas, Blues and Bolton are very important games and I don’t think 4 points is enough. We have to get wins in both those games no doubt about it.
As they said on MOTD last night, we don’t have to play Arsenal every week.
It’s just frustrating – if we’d scored after our early dominance, we’d have made it a bit harder, given ourselves a confidence boost even if we’d have then shipped four.
I hate the words “consolation goal”.
The Bolton/Blues double header is crucial, and not just because they’re the two teams I hate most.
Happy Birthday, too, Tom!
Oh dear oh dear, how painfully clear it has become that we should have gotten nine points of West Ham, Pompey and Hull instead of 1. 1!
As expected.
That Arsenal team could conceivably win the Prem and/or CL. Joy to watch their second sense, intuitive passing but also how they worked their socks off.
First 25 mins we played well and must take heart from that.
Some basic errors all over the pitch cost us the goals.
On to Chelsea.
“Good effort” and “putting in a shift” is what the kid who was picked last’s PE report card say at the end of the year. They are profesional footballers, it is their job. A good shif is the absolutle minimum they should give and what we should expect.
If I only worked hard for 30% of the day at my job, I wouldn’t have one. Even id your not getting the breaks, or the other team is a class above you still have to work for 90min.
Hennasy, poor and uncertain for the whole game.
Milijas, if we didn’t have free kicks he would not have touched the ball.
SEB, no service but not doing much to help our cause.
Henry, woefull in conceeding possesion countless times.
I didn/t think Stearman played well at all, caught out of position too often, did not track runners for the third goal at all. Hard for the guy, right footed centre half asked to do a job for us
Doom and gloom and rant over. Doyle and Ewards turned in performances of real endevour and are probably the only two to come out of the game with any credit.
Only one more week of misery and the then two of the biggest games we will play at home for the rest of the season. 4pts would be an acceptable return, but come on, we have to fany back to back wins don’t we????
After 25 minutes i was thinking ‘bloody hell, we could get something here’. Then Arsenal get their first attack and the rest is history. What disappointed me most was after this the heads dropped, the get in their face tenacity had gone. It became a training session for Arsenal and a painful – and bloody cold – 70 minutes to sit through. What a gulf in quality. At least we’re not alone though and there will be games again where we can at least compete.
Bit harsh to pick on our players for this one in what was a bonus match really, Edwards was probably the most impressive.
So we find ourselves 2nd bottom and i’m thinking 4 points against Blues and Bolton won’t be enough (especially with trips to Spurs and Man Utd to follow). Anyone expecting 4/6 points from those games might be wise to remember Hull and Portsmouth
Starting to worry a bit, hope we will get out of the bottom 3 from now on and are not cut adrift
Rich. Fair point on being harsh on our lads, there is a MASSIVE gap in quality which I would do well to remember when thinking about individual performances.
I worried a bit as well. But we always knew it was gunna be tough. I just hope that while brum, burnley and hull seem to have picked up their game we can do the same.
We just dont seem to have that clinical part to our game yet. Or how often is there an error free game. Im not giving up hope at all though, its a long season and if we can capitalise upon our good points against brum and bolton i’ll be happy. We just need a few more 3 point games to give the boys some confidence.
Just heard the West Ham away match is being televised in January. What a massive game that has the potential to be if both sides continue as they have been i.e. picking up points but generally lingering in and around the danger zone.
I didn’t think Stearman played well either Pete. Played without confidence and looked shakey at left back.
I didn’t think Hennessey did bad. He could have done better for the 1st goal. Milijas went quiet after twenty minutes, when we stopped playing.
6 points is a must vs Blues and Bolton!!!
Wasn’t Wenger at one stage interested in signing Hennessey for a reported fee of &10 million?? In which case maybe Wayne was trying too hard to impress Wenger with the view of winning a transfer – unfortunately for him it backfired and he was woeful! On his performance on Saturday a fee of a few hundred quid should do!
Personally the only thing that worries me about Saturdays game is how it affects confidence – no win for 6 games although 3 creditable draws. I’m hoping that they draw confidence from the first 25 mins and forget about the horror show after.
I watched Chelsea yesterday and I doubt if we’ll get anything from there. They haven’t conceded a goal for forever at home. It’s important that we defend well for 90 + minutes as a 0-0 will be likely our only choice of getting points!
Can’t really add a lot to the points made about the performances yesterday. I agree with Rich that it’s difficult to pick flaws against such a quality side. My only worry is how anonamous Kightly and SEB have looked so far this season. They were our main catalyst for the success of last season, and it is therefore essential they make the step up. Lets hope its only temporary as they’re both still not at the required level of match fitness.
On a more positive note, does anybody else think the crowd were fantastic on Saturday? How many fans would be singing praise to the manager when 4-0 down?! And the chant of “four nil, and you ****ed it up” after Craddock’s effort was pretty amusing.
P.S. for yesterday, read “on saturday”!
always impossible to give a detailed report from a game i was watching on tv, so i wont bother trying. i’m just still lost 4words at hennessey’s actions (or lack of) for that 1st goal. i really thought those ‘wayne world’ days were a thing of the past. it wdnt have been so bad if ht was a piece of arsenal brilliance but it wasnt. so annoying! time to keep the faith though lads. 4pts from blues and bolton. no excuses. and no flapping at corners.