‚ö? Arsenal v West Ham - Official Match Thread FT 0-2

[charleyfarley]

". ........... V Emirates Stadium THURSDAY 28th Dec 20:15GMT VAR Craig Pawson Michael Oliver: (12) - 52 4 Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, ?òdegaard ¬©, Trossard, Martinelli, Saka, Jesus Subs: Ramsdale (GK), C?©dric, Kiwior, Jorginho, Nwaneri, Elneny, Nelson, Smith Rowe, Nketiah Areola, Coufal, Ogbonna ¬©, Mavropanos, Emerson, ?Ålvarez, Souƒçek, Paquet?°, Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Bowen Subs: Fabia?Ñski (GK), Johnson, Cresswell, Kehrer, Fornals, Benrahma, Cornet, Ings, Mubama Arsenal 1/3 : Draw 4/1: West Ham 15/2 . Amazon Prime UK ."

[Vexed]

"joe royal 2:55 Thu Dec 28 No, obviously. It has been deleted, hence my stating it has been deleted, you fucking helmet."

[Meerkat]

"In Paqueta , Kudus , Bowen , we fans all know these guys are game changers , match winners. Moyes must be aware of this obvious fact , however it’s hard to see him changing tge habit of a lifetime tonight . His inherent inferiority complex at Arsenal will ensure that we will not play to our strengths tonight."

[Meerkat]

"In Paqueta , Kudus , Bowen , we fans all know these guys are game changers , match winners. Moyes must be aware of this obvious fact , however it’s hard to see him changing tge habit of a lifetime tonight . His inherent inferiority complex at Arsenal will ensure that we will not play to our strengths tonight."

[joe royal]

Vexed. This ‚Äòdeleted‚Äô post? Vexed 12:39 Wed Dec 27 Re: ‚ö? Arsenal v West Ham - Official Match Thread - Preview Moyes will set up for the draw and come unstuck. Even Kudus (who Moyes had nothing to do with signing) won't be able to save us. If Rice was to receive a neck high career ender I'd probably take it regardless of score. Still showing.

[Vexed]

What's going on with Aguerd? Rumours that he's 'doing a Cornet' and saving himself for AFCON.

[,]

I think that we have a reasonable chance to come out on top in tonight’s game but Arsenal are the favourites. Like Arsenal we have ten points from our last five league games ( surprisingly the best going concern are Bournemouth with twelve points ). Our weak point is preventing goals because we can certainly score. We know how the game will be with us in defensive mode for much of the time and the outcome will depend on how clinical either team is with opportunities made or inadvertently offered. Here is a possible stat for Sir Alf. If we win this evening we will be on 33 points at the halfway stage of the EPL programme for the first time. This will beat the best to date of 32.

[Vexed]

For what it's worth if we get Kudus enough ball tonight he's going to make Rice look like the fucking lanky simpleton he is. Many many free kicks will be gifted to us for Jim WP to eventually work out where the fucking goal is. But Moyes will probably play Fornals or some white flag waving shit. I hope this is mild enough and doesn't upset the silly cunts that deleted my previous post.

[fraser]

"Maybe because he isn't as good as Rice and he doesn't have Paqueta's help, JWP and Alvarez don't have the same bite as Rice and Paqueta."

[solidbond]

Fraser: How comes Alvarez isn’t carrying Soucek this season ?

[Vexed]

"Looks like we have a mod with delicate sensibilities on duty. Racism yeah, political bollocks yeah, say mean things about Declan fucking Rice - DELETE. Twats"

[solidbond]

"Yer there’s no Rice but we had 100m to get a replacement, since the replacement joined we have a problem with our midfield.Take Soucek out and we we will still have a problem with our midfield ."

[fraser]

Soucek was fucking abysmal last season... Just poor this in comparison... He had Rice to carry him last season too.

[solidbond]

Soucek was part of our midfield last season and the season before and our midfield held their own and didn’t get by-passed like this season .

[zico]

Must confess I am somewhat surprised Kehrer hasn't been used as a defensive midfielder at some point. He isn't a bad player and I can't understand Moyes issue with him. As said below a far more mobile option that Tomas.

[Sir Alf]

"Some will try to undermine the pessimists among us ( me definitely one of those ) and yes in football you get results that defy all stats and logic but that’s just because with many variables it’s possible sometimes that the key ones ( players skill, fitness and a teams tactics and squad strength ) just get overridden by something like a ref sending a player off or the woodwork saving us ( remember that Burnley game a few years ago ?). It’s not negative to say we have little chance it’s just the facts or data. Look at the stats: Arsenal has emerged victorious in 12 out of their last 13 home league matches against West Ham, the only exception being a 2-0 loss on the opening weekend of the 2015-16 season. The Hammers have suffered defeat in 35 Premier League encounters against the Gunners, a number that matches their highest record against a specific opponent, equalling their total against Liverpool. Arsenal And then look at who Moyes will pick and how he will set the team up. I salute those who will virtue signal saying how they think we can win but it’s bypassing your pre frontal cortex in your brain really. We won’t get the ball as Paqueta will be needed centrally to help get and keep the ball ( he’s underrated with his physical strength and tackling ) but get played wide left. Just hope we don’t get another 5 nil or more pasting. 3 on the trot would be demoralising"

[Fauxstralian]

Sir Alf is right Against a talented midfield that can carry the ball and pass Soucek is as much use as a training cone. Arsenal with Odegaard & Rice will walk through our undermanned midfield and keep us pinned in. Moyes will do what he has done in all his previous visits to 'big' teams and hand the initiative to them Personally I'd replace Soucek with Fornals or even Kehrer to add some mobility and tell them to try and disrupt Odegaard & Rice rather than let them stroll about. Watched the Arsenal game at Liverpool and Klopp got TAA to try and quickly get the ball to Salah to isolate him against Zinchenko who struggles when asked to defend. Our only chance is to get SOME possession and get Kudus one on one in that possession.

[Russ of the BML]

"dealcanvey 11:59 Thu Dec 28 Zero wins from 72 games. 21 points from a possible 216. That's a measly 9% points gained from those available. 91% of the points have gone elsewhere. It's a fucking tragic stat. And for me, one that sums Moyes up perfectly. Too happy to concede to better opposition because he has the perfect excuse that the opposition is better. Instead of analysing and looking for a better way to improve that stat, he just accepts it. Its lazy management."

[dealcanvey]

"‘’Moyes is winless in all 72 Premier League away fixtures as a manager against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United (D21, L51). 21 points in 72 games...’’ It’s that stat that lets Moyes down as a manger the most. The fact that after all those attempts he has never tried anything different to rectify what must be one of the worst stats of any premier league manager. Play with some intent in these kind of fixtures would earn him some more respect amongst the fans. Pundits alike seem to overlook this stat mind."

[Sir Alf]

"Ludo, Marty I’d agree with your opinion that they can cause problems but against the better teams they need to be getting enough of the ball and us springing fast counters which is basically the way we seem to score goals now our set pieces are being nullified. But you have to be able to compete in midfield and get and keep the ball. Against the rich teams with great technicians and who all play the fast pressing tactics, we cannot do that and imo Bowen and Kudus will be starved of possession and closed down quickly. Soucek and Moyes tactics are a huge part of that problem. Nothing to not like about Soucek as a bloke and in a system where you sit deep and don’t have the ball his aerial abilities ( his only real strength ) has value. But it’s setting up to not have the ball. Soucek can’t press he’s a tortoise, the slowest in midfield in the division and cannot pass accurately enough or control it well enough. Getting him out of the side is not a magic wand unless he’s replaced with a quality player but playing Paqueta out of position just to play him makes things worse still. I’d be tempted to try Antonio wide left so Paqueta can play in his best position and also help Alvarez in the central area where JWP will struggle helping with defensive cover as it’s not his strength and Soucek won’t get near them or get dispossessed too easily. I keep boring on about it. I apologise but it’s therapy for me to voice it every day. Soucek not starting will be progress but we need a wide left midfielder and that could have to wait until Moyes leave because in his 2 spells as manager he’s never played one in that position. The only one his got is let to rot without getting any minutes ( Cornet ). We will never know why"

[ludo21]

"Bowen, Paqueta and Kudus are more than capable of causing them problems, just need to actually get the ball to them and play with some intent. I expect Moyes is already dusting off his ‘they’re just too good for us speech’ though."

[fraser]

"Moyes is winless in all 72 Premier League away fixtures as a manager against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United (D21, L51). 21 points in 72 games..."

[Ron Eff]

"I don’t want to be defeatist but our manager has never won against Arsenal away in the league in his career (or Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd). On that basis, it’s hard to see that changing tonight. It’s not because he’s never had teams capable, it’s because of how he sets the team up. Damage limitation, hope to win from a set piece. These games are essentially write off’s for him. It’s astonishing with those stats he’s never changed approach and just swung the bat once or twice and gone toe to toe with them. Maybe tonight… That’s not being anti-Moyes either, that’s just facts."

[marty feldman]

Our midfield set up correctly is more than capable. Moyes is the issue . Zinchenko isn't a proper full back saw enough of him at man city to see that . Kudus could rinse him all night as long as he's played further enough forward to do it . And not that cowardly shite that was seen at anfield last week .

[marty feldman]

Our midfield set up correctly is more than capable. Moyes is the issue . Zinchenko isn't a proper full back saw enough of him at man city to see that . Kudus could rinse him all night as long as he's played further enough forward to do it . And not that cowardly shite that was seen at anfield last week .

[Sir Alf]

"Any midfield containing Soucek will be passed around and thru. To press or match teams like Arsenal you have to press as a team and Soucek is simply too slow to be able to do that effectively. Only takes one player to not be any good at it and the gaps appear. So it will be a very deep lying West Ham as we’ve seen many times before. Possession at best around 20% and very few chances other than perhaps one or two quick counters which we have to hope we can get otherwise it’s going to be set pieces required to gave any chance of scoring. That is the harsh reality but, as we saw against Spurs, it can sometimes mean a smash and grab win. On the other hand, as we saw against Villa, Fulham and Liverpool it dan sometimes result in a tonking when your midfield is literally chasing shadows. But that’s what Moyes will do. As soon as we see Soucek starting as he always does, we know it’s “Alamo time”"