First game of the season.

[ghostrider]

Not the best start to a season for us but certainly not for Arsenal either.
A wet afternoon and a host of players getting to grips with the game and the pace of each other. I'd say it was one to mark down as watchable but not super impressive by any means from both sides.

Their goal was a immediate wake up call for Willems who waited for the pass when he should've went to the ball. You live and learn.
Aubameyang was lightening quick as we all know. It's no disgrace if he manages to nip in ahead of a defender. That's his game and we got done. You either get5 lucky with him or he puts one or two away. A mistake let him in and he scored a very good and well taken goal.

We had our chances and were unlucky. I think the result was pretty fair and we now move on.
I take a lot of positives from that game. There's a lot to work with, I think. It's how Bruce sets it out.

Nobody needs to be crucified because it was a good hardworking shift without the overall quality due to both teams not getting fully to grips.

Quite a few of our players were under par but it's to be expected. You either hit the ground running or you drag yourself along over a few games.


Decent enough for us were Ritchie, Manquillo, Lascelles, Schar, Hayden, Dummett, Shelvey, Joelinton.
I thought Longstaff struggled to get into the game and regularly looked below par in his passing. However, he will certainly improve.
Almiron promised a lot and delivered very little, other than pacey runs into nowhere. He certainly put plenty of effort in and will also get much better.

Maximin came on and was a box of tricks. This blokes going to be a crowd favourite very quickly if he can stay focused.

Willem didn't really do a lot and it has to be put down to him for the mistake that led to the goal, as I mentioned earlier.
He's got a good turn of pace though, so I'll just hope he can start to blend in and motor on sooner rather than later.

Dubravka didn't have that much to do but generally he was decent enough for what he did do.

All in all I'm not too disappointed and in fact I am genuinely excited to see this team gel.
It's too early to have big digs but it's never too early to evaluate what you think. And this is what I think.

Subdued crowd didn't really help create any buzz among the players but that'll soon crank up, I'm optimistic of that.

[AP69]

38% possession against a very average Arsenal side
2 shots on target and a very strange substitution on 52 minutes
Love him or loathe him Shelvey can make a killer pass (not enough I know) but when he went off we had zero creativity
Ritchie may as well of been in the pub watching as he never got a cross in or went past an opposition player
The last 10 minutes was a cruise for them and the lack of urgency in the players in the first game of the season is worrying
I know you despised Rafa because the majority loved him and you'll back Bruce to the hilt for the very same reason but that today just wasnt good enough
Worrying times

[Zippity]

38% possession against a very average Arsenal side
2 shots on target and a very strange substitution on 52 minutes
Love him or loathe him Shelvey can make a killer pass (not enough I know) but when he went off we had zero creativity
Ritchie may as well of been in the pub watching as he never got a cross in or went past an opposition player
The last 10 minutes was a cruise for them and the lack of urgency in the players in the first game of the season is worrying
I know you despised Rafa because the majority loved him and you'll back Bruce to the hilt for the very same reason but that today just wasnt good enough
Worrying times

In fairness, I think Shelvey was injured.

I got a text from a mate at the game saying how poor Ritchie was. Other than workrate, I'm not sure what he offers as his crossing was generally woeful last season and he can't go past players.

[AP69]

In fairness, I think Shelvey was injured.

I got a text from a mate at the game saying how poor Ritchie was. Other than workrate, I'm not sure what he offers as his crossing was generally woeful last season and he can't go past players.

Not by his reaction he wasnt injured
Unless he was just gutted being injured rather than a tactical substitution
Loved Ritchie in the championship and Gayle but that's their level
A few players didn't look like they knew where they should be
Fingers crossed things arent as bad as I see them

[toptoon]

Not the best start to a season for us but certainly not for Arsenal either.
A wet afternoon and a host of players getting to grips with the game and the pace of each other. I'd say it was one to mark down as watchable but not super impressive by any means from both sides.

Their goal was a immediate wake up call for Willems who waited for the pass when he should've went to the ball. You live and learn.
Aubameyang was lightening quick as we all know. It's no disgrace if he manages to nip in ahead of a defender. That's his game and we got done. You either get5 lucky with him or he puts one or two away. A mistake let him in and he scored a very good and well taken goal.

We had our chances and were unlucky. I think the result was pretty fair and we now move on.
I take a lot of positives from that game. There's a lot to work with, I think. It's how Bruce sets it out.

Nobody needs to be crucified because it was a good hardworking shift without the overall quality due to both teams not getting fully to grips.

Quite a few of our players were under par but it's to be expected. You either hit the ground running or you drag yourself along over a few games.


Decent enough for us were Ritchie, Manquillo, Lascelles, Schar, Hayden, Dummett, Shelvey, Joelinton.
I thought Longstaff struggled to get into the game and regularly looked below par in his passing. However, he will certainly improve.
Almiron promised a lot and delivered very little, other than pacey runs into nowhere. He certainly put plenty of effort in and will also get much better.

Maximin came on and was a box of tricks. This blokes going to be a crowd favourite very quickly if he can stay focused.

Willem didn't really do a lot and it has to be put down to him for the mistake that led to the goal, as I mentioned earlier.
He's got a good turn of pace though, so I'll just hope he can start to blend in and motor on sooner rather than later.

Dubravka didn't have that much to do but generally he was decent enough for what he did do.

All in all I'm not too disappointed and in fact I am genuinely excited to see this team gel.
It's too early to have big digs but it's never too early to evaluate what you think. And this is what I think.

Subdued crowd didn't really help create any buzz among the players but that'll soon crank up, I'm optimistic of that.

Must’ve watched a different game to you. It was a dire game and we were toothless.

Dubravka was indecisive and his positioning was poor today.

As for Auba. ‘nipping’ in front of our defender, he actually had about 5 meters space between him and any defender when he got the ball.

I thought the football was meant to get more exciting when Rafa left?

[Zippity]

Not by his reaction he wasnt injured
Unless he was just gutted being injured rather than a tactical substitution
Loved Ritchie in the championship and Gayle but that's their level
A few players didn't look like they knew where they should be
Fingers crossed things arent as bad as I see them

Aye-Ritchie and especially Gayle are Chimpo level players. Bruce said that there was a lack of communication when Willems came on and he played in the wrong position to start with...that in itself is worrying that the manager can't explain to his players where to play. At the very least it suggests that they didn't have a plan for what to do if Shelvey got injured.

[AP69]

Or a plan in general

[Jammy89]

Or a plan in general

Gona be the constant all season isn't it.

[AP69]

Gona be the constant all season isn't it.

Sadly

Yes

[ghostrider]

Must’ve watched a different game to you. It was a dire game and we were toothless.

It wasn't dire at all. It wasn't great by any means but certainly not dire.

Dubravka was indecisive and his positioning was poor today.

He did ok in the main for what he had to do, which was very little.
The goal wasn't down to him.

As for Auba. ‘nipping’ in front of our defender, he actually had about 5 meters space between him and any defender when he got the ball.

His pace took him ahead of the defenders but not by 5 metres.

I thought the football was meant to get more exciting when Rafa left?

It will. It won't get any worse than Rafa's dire football.
Even seeing today's gave me some hope for excitement and today's wasn't great to watch but better than Rafa's chess games.