Arsenal vs Everton

[kenada_blue]

There's a big difference between us and Arsenal, Fabregas was passing long and looking for his targets. We just hit and hope.

True. We hoof and say "run on to that in the corner flag!"

 

[Dylan]

There's a big difference between us and Arsenal, Fabregas was passing long and looking for his targets. We just hit and hope.

See, I thought Fabregas was poor today, Walcott made much more impact than Fabregas did.

I thought their first goal was well worked. Then we fell apart, as we have seen several times this season and rolled over and let them have their way with us.

This was another case of us letting them win, rather than them beating us. If we had bothered showing up in the second half........

 

[Dutch Toffee]

Yes i agree, he aint perfect, i just hate it when ppl say he cant compete at the next level. At times he is too slow to make a change, but too many players went missing 2nd half and clearly he should have made changes earlier than he did.

Agree with that. Moyes just like any other manager has his weaknesses,but personally I don't think its fair to judge him after this game. Would really like to see what would happen if the roles were reversed and Wenger our manager. Don't think there are that many managers out there, who would have had the same impact on EFC, as David Moyes quite clearly has had. I'm just afraid, that without major cash injection, he has taken us as far as he possibly could and that's by no way his fault.

Still despite having lost, I enjoyed the first half and there were positives to take from todays' game.

 

[kenada_blue]

We're still gonna struggle against Villa, Citeh and even Wigan.

 

[uknightbreed]

what a shame.
if lescott and yak had put there chances away things would have been different.

the first 45 we were bosssing that pitch.fellaini was a beast-very impressed with him today.

the trouble was that yet again the team came out after the break and just slipped away gradually.the energy , the ideas , the possesion , all faded.

the trouble was that arsenal were pinning us very deep , our 2 escape routes were a hoof to fellaini - who gradually ran out of steam , or hoof it to yak who either got the ball and fell over or didnt get the ball becouse he was marked by atleast 2 defenders.
becouse of this we just couldnt keep the ball , and it kept coming straight back at us. our players were literally defending clearing , running to provide support , then having to run all the way back agin to defend. this just battered any remaining energy or confidence.

imo the manager made the right substitutions but made them way too late , that decision probably cost us atleast a point.

im not too down , as i think there are signs that at our best we can be awesome , its just a matter of making it last for the whole match and learning how to kill teams off.

pienaar was probably in contention for man of the match for 50 minutes (faded)
fellaini was probably in contention (faded)
but in after thought i think mom should go to jageilka. he made world class tackles today for the whole 90 minutes and was the only player past 70 minutes who had any fight left.

ps . mikel arteta still looks to me every inch a player that is going through the motions.i still get a felling all is not well with him.
just an idea but i would swap osman and arteta round. arteta in the center with osman doing a walcott job on the wing.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

I agree he should've made some changes earlier. But our bench aint filled with players that can change games.

Yeah putting Saha on gives you something upfront, but the midfield couldnt keep the ball in the second half and their paced out did us all over the park.

As usual the heads went down, the hoof came out. Fellaini took a knock and couldnt get up and down. We dropped deep on the left because of Walcott so Pienaar couldnt get forward. Arteta didnt get forward on the right.

And also the game changed big time. When Hibbert got that yellow he was on thin ice and had to come off, Fellaini was injured and had to come off. Rodwell was looking lost as the game went on so the midfield was low on bodies. All you had was Neville but he had to come on at RB. Castillo would've been nice on the bench, I'm sure he would've came on if he was fit.

It was just about staying in the game for me, we needed someone like Vaughan who could push Arsenal further back and win the odd flick on. Arsenal where pushing us as far back as possible and dominating possession.

If you want to keep the ball then you move Arteta centrally. He had a quiet game but he'll always keep hold of the ball when he's got time and space. He wasn't getting that outwide, we needed him involved more. He'll certainly keep hold of the ball more than Osman and Rodwell.

Saha and Vaughan can change games, there's no excuses for him really. He had a bench of quality and he should of changed it.

 

[Cal]

How was Fellaini today?

 

[ToxtethBlue]

what a shame.
if lescott and yak had put there chances away things would have been different.

the first 45 we were bosssing that pitch.fellaini was a beast-very impressed with him today.

the trouble was that yet again the team came out after the break and just slipped away gradually.the energy , the ideas , the possesion , all faded.

the trouble was that arsenal were pinning us very deep , our 2 escape routes were a hoof to fellaini - who gradually ran out of steam , or hoof it to yak who either got the ball and fell over or didnt get the ball becouse he was marked by atleast 2 defenders.
becouse of this we just couldnt keep the ball , and it kept coming straight back at us. our players were literally defending clearing , running to provide support , then having to run all the way back agin to defend. this just battered any remaining energy or confidence.

imo the manager made the right substitutions but made them way too late , that decision probably cost us atleast a point.

im not too down , as i think there are signs that at our best we can be awesome , its just a matter of making it last for the whole match and learning how to kill teams off.

pienaar was probably in contention for man of the match for 50 minutes (faded)
fellaini was probably in contention (faded)
but in after thought i think mom should go to jageilka. he made world class tackles today for the whole 90 minutes and was the only player past 70 minutes who had any fight left.

ps . mikel arteta still looks to me every inch a player that is going through the motions.i still get a felling all is not well with him.
just an idea but i would swap osman and arteta round. arteta in the center with osman doing a walcott job on the wing.

He's being wasted on the right for me. He needs to be moved around constantly so he can keep defenses thinking.

We all know he has his limits as a player but when used correctly he is talented. We are not using him in the right way.

Clichy the quickest fullback in the Prem, he had no chance of getting past him. I'd have moved him to the left or in a central position.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

How was Fellaini today?

He did very well, played the "Cahill role" very well.

 

[Seamus Colemole]

There's a big difference between us and Arsenal, Fabregas was passing long and looking for his targets. We just hit and hope.

Exactly. A long pass over the defence to a striker to get in behind is not hoofball!

First half we bossed them, were the better team and deserved the lead.

Second half one of our players gives the ball away and we get punished for it.

Arsenal are a very good side and it wasn't gonna be easy. We matched them till the goal but then they got some confidence and pushed on. Then we failed to match them and fell apart.

2 totally different teams. The players lost it and Moyes couldn;t change that.

3rd goal they had given up by then.

But isn't it the same old story after every match these days (or 2 stories). We either play [Poor language removed] hoofball with no commitment (see the [Poor language removed]) or we play well, pass the ball and are the better team (Newcastle) then give it away and it destroys us and we revert back to type.

Still, not the worst reslut in the world today, didnt expect to get anything. Hibbert played well, got stuck in and defended good and didnt give the ball away much. Just what you'd ask from him.

Fellaini looked very good first half before tiring. Great control to bring the ball down and find a man. Rodwell whilst still looking inexperienced position wise at times at others showed why he is so highly rated.

Yakubu needs a spell on the bench wiht no wages until he A:learns to stay on his feet, B: learn how to shoot and C: at least pretend to give a [Poor language removed]. He is our best striker and i do still love him but he has been pretty much [Poor language removed] since he last scored. And thats not just because of poor service.

Osman and Arteta both faded out as the game went on which was a shame considering their good starts.

Overall no one individual really played badly but after the first goal went in and they pressed and pressed Moyes and the players/ The players and Moyes needed to respond and step up to the challenge. But they didnt.

 

[kenada_blue]

It was just about staying in the game for me, we needed someone like Vaughan who could push Arsenal further back and win the odd flick on. Arsenal where pushing us as far back as possible and dominating possession.

If you want to keep the ball then you move Arteta centrally. He had a quiet game but he'll always keep hold of the ball when he's got time and space. He wasn't getting that outwide, we needed him involved more. He'll certainly keep hold of the ball more than Osman and Rodwell.

Saha and Vaughan can change games, there's no excuses for him really. He had a bench of quality and he should of changed it.

But with that you need someone to win the flick ons or have the vison to pick out the run. You cant just through a pacey striker on and say "run for that", its what turned AJ into less of a player.

Cahill usually does that for us, winning those headers. Fellaini did that all game when he could, his flicks ons caused problems. It would've worked if Fellaini did have a Saha behind him or a Vaughan for that pace but he took a knocked that hurt his game.

Even with the strike changes we needed someone to keep hold of the ball. I am blaming Moyes for maybe not pushing Arteta in the middle, but not for changing his strikers late. The midfield needed changing for me not the strikers, and we were light in that department - no Cahill no Castillo.

 

[Cal]

He did very well, played the "Cahill role" very well.

I still don't think he'll be worth 15 million though in his career.

 

[uknightbreed]

He's being wasted on the right for me. He needs to be moved around constantly so he can keep defenses thinking.

We all know he has his limits as a player but when used correctly he is talented. We are not using him in the right way.

Clichy the quickest fullback in the Prem, he had no chance of getting past him. I'd have moved him to the left or in a central position.

yep thats spot on.
for me osman has a lower center of gravity and he could have turned a pacy defender like clichy inside out.
arteta should be in the middle picking out the runs of the wide men and the lone striker.

 

[kenada_blue]

How was Fellaini today?

Was boss.

Few sloppy passes and lost the ball once of twice (I put that down to the international game). Dominant in the air, had two arsenal players on him every header he went for. Got forward very well, got stuck in but needed to do it more.

He got fouled (but the reff didnt give it) by Van Persie on the edge of the Arsenal box and I think that knock carried on into the 2nd half when he got subbed about 70mins in.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

But with that you need someone to win the flick ons or have the vison to pick out the run. You cant just through a pacey striker on and say "run for that", its what turned AJ into less of a player.

Cahill usually does that for us, winning those headers. Fellaini did that all game when he could, his flicks ons caused problems. It would've worked if Fellaini did have a Saha behind him or a Vaughan for that pace but he took a knocked that hurt his game.

Even with the strike changes we needed someone to keep hold of the ball. I am blaming Moyes for maybe not pushing Arteta in the middle, but not for changing his strikers late. The midfield needed changing for me not the strikers, and we were light in that department - no Cahill no Castillo.

That would have been perfect, exactly what AJ used to do. over the top and let Vaughan chase it. It pushes Arsenal's defense back and our defense can push further up the pitch. We needed an outlet, someone who could get the team further up the pitch.

Vaughan is better at winning flick ons than most players in our team, better at it than Cahill in my opinion. He's got a great leap and he could've done that job. Saha aswell, he's perfectly capable in the air and he has pace.