Premier League Match Thread: Arsenal Vs Nottingham Forest, Sponsored by... Erm... Absolutely no one, again.

[Thewolf/jimmygordon]

Hell yes.

We ran out of home games.

We left ourselves needing wins against Brighton, Southampton and Arsenal with only one of those being viable, plus at least a couple of points away at tough teams, and we hadn't done that in months

Did you see the Brighton and Arsenal wins coming in March?

Always fancied us v Arsenal

Thought we made terribly hard work beating Southampton in that must win game

When we play Sheff Utd next we need a clean sheet

Key to winning games this season is clean sheets

As we will get chances for goals every game against any opposition

We don't need to try and play like Man City at home

Just win ugly if needed

 

[Thewolf/jimmygordon]

I get the feeling though that McKenna will be let go and it looks like we are bringing Nelsson in. Although whether he is coming in as a centre back or convincing him to play in midfield is a different matter.

I wouldn't let McKenna go

 

[MaltaRed]

Don't put me in with the everyone

We strengthened our squad HUGELY just by having a season together getting to know what it takes to compete at this level and getting to know the other players, the manager and the club

That's worth 10 points more this season on its own

I also think we've physically improved the squad whilst losing some dead wood at the same time

Weve also started with very few injured compared to the previous season

We've got players in the squad now fully upto speed with what it takes to perform at this level. They arent rabbits in the headlights any more like they were this time last season. They've learnt a lot.

Now they know what Premier League takes

The experience this squad has gained together is priceless

Awoniyi
MGW
Danilo
Felipe
Johnson
Elanga
Moussa
Yates
Mangala
Boly
Worrall
Williams
The new keeper
Steve Cooper

They are all good enough for this League now and understand it

Plus we've got the best fans in the Premier League to back them up

They also all know and trust the other players in the squad now plus the manager

Last season they were all strangers together trying to learn what to do and each other's names at same time!!!

I wasn't sure any of them were real Premier League quality above

Awoniyi - any club in the world would take him now

We will be shxtting ourselves replacing some of these players when bigger clubs come in for them

This time last year we weren't sure any of them were good enough for the bigger clubs to even add to their squad

The investment by the owner has paid off. The faith he put in Cooper has paid off

The owner could actually recoup what he's invested signing 30 plus players!!! Just by selling the best 3 or 4 of them now!!!

But right now our problem is just covering for them when they get injured!!!

What striker do we buy to cover Awoniyi?

How much do we spend on his backup?

As we won't be able to afford anyone better than him at what he does for us?

Basically any centre forward we buy we won't want to start in the team instead of awoniyi anyway!!

And that striker would need to buy into being a back up?

And most importantly of all - the manager and the players fully understand the low block system and how to use it to compete against teams with way more overall quality than us

We have created a squad that can deliver low block and hit teams on the break. That took a hell of a lot of work and effort and mistakes to get there

I'm more than happy with what we have whilst thinking we may add to the squad still as well

Cannot understand the pessimism

Our bench had serious options to add in all positions except keeper yesterday. So many options

All I want this season is to avoid relegation more comfortably than last season

And I'm very confident we will get that

Next season will be harder when bigger clubs start trying to steal our best players so we need to keep finding some gems to replace them in advance

There's nothing to worry about this season. Just relax and enjoy the season!!!

This one will be easy to enjoy in comparison to last season

Providing your expectations are realistic

My expectations are to get 12 to 20 more points than last season

Way better goal difference than last season. Respectable.

And just be a tough team for the rest to play against BOTH home and away

And become an established Premier League club

This season will be like chalk and cheese compared to last season!!

I agree with allot of what you are saying Wolf...the inexperience factor is now gone...the settling of the team nd squad is also gone...so to play away games like we did last year is no excuse anymore...I still think that many of our players are being held back nd can do even more ...especially when we are going forward...too many times we are on a break nd isolated players upfront stop nd return the ball back to the backing...
Yesterday's goal was fruit of a player that came here with a different mentality...
Last 10 15 minutes even though we had a physicality advantage we didn't worry Rumsdale...I invite you to watch again the last 15 minutes ...from a neutral point of view...nd you will agree that we could have done more...at that point Arsenal were literally shocked...nd the inexperience of some of their players showed...showed why they threw away an 8 point advantage last season .. when were in the driving seat to win the league...

 

[Thewolf/jimmygordon]

Dp

 

[Thewolf/jimmygordon]

Don't forget we've got our biggest threat of all to add to the team as well

Moussa's long throw

The best opposition hate that. None of their top quality on the ball can help them deal with it. It's a leveller and will create chaos again at times

It's more dangerous than getting a corner

And we've got the best guy in Premier League for delivering it

Shame he wasn't ready for yesterday

 

[Thewolf/jimmygordon]

I agree with allot of what you are saying Wolf...the inexperience factor is now gone...the settling of the team nd squad is also gone...so to play away games like we did last year is no excuse anymore...I still think that many of our players are being held back nd can do even more ...especially when we are going forward...too many times we are on a break nd isolated players upfront stop nd return the ball back to the backing...
Yesterday's goal was fruit of a player that came here with a different mentality...
Last 10 15 minutes even though we had a physicality advantage we didn't worry Rumsdale...I invite you to watch again the last 15 minutes ...from a neutral point of view...nd you will agree that we could have done more...at that point Arsenal were literally shocked...nd the inexperience of some of their players showed...showed why they threw away an 8 point advantage last season .. when were in the driving seat to win the league...

I get that

But last season the last 15 mins re Arsenal weren't even relevant

We've improved beyond recognition compared to this time last season

And what's even better is there are clubs as bad and worse as we used to be last season who will make us look like Premier League veterans in comparison this season

Don't underestimate those 2 moments of brilliance from Arsenal yesterday. Yet still Cooper was disappointed conceding those goals.

That was the difference yesterday - moments of brilliance from Martinelli and Saka.

2 players we can't currently expect to compete with signing for our team. Nor very few in the world can.

 

[flipleflem]

It would make for a really enjoyable season if we could get a few points on the board early on and then remain 7 or 8 points above the drop zone until May.

 

[in_the_top_one]

I get that

But last season the last 15 mins re Arsenal weren't even relevant

We've improved beyond recognition compared to this time last season

And what's even better is there are clubs as bad and worse as we used to be last season who will make us look like Premier League veterans in comparison this season

Don't underestimate those 2 moments of brilliance from Arsenal yesterday. Yet still Cooper was disappointed conceding those goals.

That was the difference yesterday - moments of brilliance from Martinelli and Saka.

2 players we can't currently expect to compete with signing for our team. Nor very few in the world can.

Saka wouldn't have had the opportunity if MGW had leathered it upfield.
I'm not criticising him. Just pointing out that SC might have deemed that to be a lapse in concentration or poor decision.

Contrary to a couple of earlier comments on this thread, I think MGW's decision making is usually top drawer, backed up with the skill to execute his vision.

 

[Pope John XXIII]

Saka wouldn't have had the opportunity if MGW had leathered it upfield.
I'm not criticising him. Just pointing out that SC might have deemed that to be a lapse in concentration or poor decision.

Contrary to a couple of earlier comments on this thread, I think MGW's decision making is usually top drawer, backed up with the skill to execute his vision.

MGW gives too many goals away and it's part of his game he knows he needs to work on. Did it against Southampton too.

On the Saka goal though, it was a beauty. The pace and positioning of it was such that no keeper in the world was saving that

 

[in_the_top_one]

MGW gives too many goals away and it's part of his game he knows he needs to work on. Did it against Southampton too

Fair enough.

And I think he didn't leather it yesterday because it would have required using his left foot, a foot that I'm not sure he even knows he's got.

 

[Pope John XXIII]

Fair enough.

And I think he didn't leather it yesterday because it would have required using his left foot, a foot that I'm not sure he even knows he's got.

Watch him- he tries to take it round their player. He doesn't need to leather it, he just needs to do absolutely anything other than what he tries to do. Tries to switch sides and take it round the Arsenal player with skill, their man anticipated it and dispossessed him.

MGW is bloody good, but not always as good as he thinks he is. But he's only 23

 

[in_the_top_one]

Yes, he had other options too, but if he'd leathered it, that goal wouldn't have happened. That's all I'm saying.
It was an error. We agree on that.

 

[ZedRed]

He was never going to score it so why shoot?

Because the media says he's an incredible player.

 

[ZedRed]

Hopefully if awoniyi is starting next Friday could see him bagging a couple against that sheff utd defence

I don't know if it's because he was playing against tired legs or if Arsenal are particularly flimsy but Awoniyi seemed to be at an even higher level than the end of last season when he came on.

He looked to PL level what Keinan Davis looked to Championship level - an absolute colossus simply toying with the puny Arsenal defence.

 

[ZedRed]

I wouldn't let McKenna go

If we're only going to play low block then he's good enough for this level to do that.

 

[radfordinlondon]

What stopped us from doing the same? This summer we were no better then Newcastle 12 months ago...or so...

Maybe u forgot they are backed by a sovereign wealth fund. The big man would have to sell an awful lot of heroin to get the kind of dosh they have.

In fact a lot less players at that level want to go miles up north. They will have to pay a premium. Clubs like fulham, palarse, burntwood, all have an advantage.

So we cant match newcastle and newcastle arent at the top. Things are not the same as they were in 1979.

 

[radfordinlondon]

If we're only going to play low block then he's good enough for this level to do that.

And if we want to do a bit more?

 

[radfordinlondon]

Mate, they spent over €100m that January.

Blue ones are all January signings

View attachment 67652
All of those players were staples in 22/23 except for Wood

They spent €185m last season and have spent €153m so far this season

That's €400m - nearly £350m - in four windows, and this one isn't even done yet.

I'd give this horse a rest mate, it doesn't ride

Thats because the horse is deceased. It is an ex-horse. Gone to meet its maker.

 

[radfordinlondon]

You wonder whether it's time to have a conversation about Antonio as backup holding striker?

Is it two minutes to midnight? Antonio is done. The type of player the old forest would ov signed.

 

[radfordinlondon]

Given the team we put out, I thought we acquitted ourselves well overall and the result is creditable even if it’s not quite positive.

My greatest cause for concern is a follow-on from last season where our ball retention is so poor that it makes it really difficult for us to have good spells in games, instead we’re almost immediately cycling from one defensive manoeuvre to another.

You can see this in their 2nd goal, yes, but it was arguably more costly after we scored. During that last 15 minutes or so, we surrendered the ball cheaply again and again and were unable to exert any pressure.

It’s fine being a counterattacking side, but we have got to be one of the worst teams in the league for unforced errors and it’s a huge problem for us especially against better sides.

There were still positives in the game. Turner actually impressed me with a couple of good saves, and I didn’t think he was in any way at fault for either goal. He didn’t strike me as being immediately worse than Henderson, and given the cumbersome back 3 ahead of him he kept everything in good order.

Aina looked okay as a utility man. Elanga and Awoniyi significantly improved us when they came on. If you think of those 2 as starters, with Niakhate and Felipe to come in, then maybe we don’t need as many signings as we hope. I know it was a different league and the pressures were different, but Aurier’s efforts against Martinelli really made me miss Spence.

Broadly agree but they were excellent in winning the ball back. We were too slow to release. They had 2 or 3 players on us in a flash. We were shit but they made us look shit because they were very good at closing us down extremely fast.