andrewjohnsmith wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 8:28 pm
Probably about £500 million behind based on the fees of todays match squads. We're at least 5 years behind a squad like Arsenal.
I don't understand everyone acting like it was so bad. We win against Everton. We get the rest of our wins against teams like Everton or worse, and we'll be fine. Today is not the measure of our season. Last Monday was a much better measure.
I reckon we MIGHT give Doncaster Rovers a game!
YES!! I'm living in SCARBADOS!! Underneath the palm trees!
SG90 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 6:59 pm
I've explained multiple times already:
Research Arsenal's set pieces since everyone knows they're strong at them
Don't try to play out from the back in the PL, it's suicidal
Don't play Piroe as a target man ffs, it never worked in the Championship, so why would it in the PL
Play your best players, not your favourites
Be more defensive away from home and play on the counter attack
Pretty easy, right. Most teams in the division last year conceded at corners against Arsenal. I'm sure they all did their research.
andrewjohnsmith wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 8:31 pm
Pretty easy, right. Most teams in the division last year conceded at corners against Arsenal. I'm sure they all did their research.
The answer is: 'White men can't jump!'
YES!! I'm living in SCARBADOS!! Underneath the palm trees!
Cjay wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 7:51 pm
Was disappointing how easy it was though
Don't think anyone is criticising losing to Arsenal just the manner of it.
Lower league teams give better accounts in the cup than we did.
Nobody lost by 5 to Arsenal last season at all.
We made it so easy for them with poor choices and bad coaching from set pieces, thats imo the annoyance.
Not the actual loss of 3 points.
That’s fair, and I am also disappointed how we conceded.
However, we will not be the only team that concede to Arsenal from a corner this season, and we certainly won’t be the only team that the likes of Saka etc score against.
My point is, this is far from a season defining moment, and we have much more realistic challenges to come then facing Arsenal, at the Emirates, in their first game of the season.
I’m confident we will survive, regardless of today’s result.
Don’t cry because you said goodbye to your pet, smile because you said hello
Barlow Boy wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 8:33 pm
That’s fair, and I am also disappointed how we conceded.
However, we will not be the only team that concede to Arsenal from a corner this season, and we certainly won’t be the only team that the likes of Saka etc score against.
My point is, this is far from a season defining moment, and we have much more realistic challenges to come then facing Arsenal, at the Emirates, in their first game of the season.
I’m confident we will survive, regardless of today’s result.
One of my main concerns is that the keeper is looking decidedly dodgy!
YES!! I'm living in SCARBADOS!! Underneath the palm trees!
Carrick Dave wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 8:09 pm
Okafor?
You're right about Gnonto & James btw, they were players we all hoped would make the step up again easily. and have struggled so far.
I didn't have high hopes for James, sad to say. The 4 year contract suggests the club did and maybe didn't do much research. I expected better from Gnonto since he threw a tantrum about playing in the Championship and thought he was PL quality.
SG90 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 8:36 pm
I didn't have high hopes for James, sad to say. The 4 year contract suggests the club did and maybe didn't do much research. I expected better from Gnonto since he threw a tantrum about playing in the Championship and thought he was PL quality.
I've always said neither are Prem level
YES!! I'm living in SCARBADOS!! Underneath the palm trees!
DDB220 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 7:00 pm
My takeaways now that my son is tied up and gagged. Mrs looking on wishing it was me.
Perri is not great with the ball at his feet, I can see why he has perfected throwing it. Flippancy aside it does not help with trying to play out at a pedestrian pace, particularly when the movement ahead is non existent. This is my issue with Gruev, he isn’t mobile enough, far too static. Tidy at what he does for the most part but we need more than back to you passing. He rarely takes it on the turn or on the run.
Piroe is not a target man, every time we played it long we didn’t get a sniff, so trying to play it out from the back was in some ways an attempt to get the ball forward , but their press is very good and it takes bravery on the ball and movement to play through it.
The ball constantly coming back takes it toll, we get squeezed time on the ball is even more limited so transition play becomes more difficult.
There will be changes for the next game. Incidentally, I agree with SG90 on one point - Bogle was the only positive in possession.
I'd have been much happier with Gruev today if he'd thrown himself into a couple of reckless tackles and got a yellow card. Sadly he couldn't even do that. You know Ampadu would have thrown himself about in that position. Really disappointed with Gruev today. I picked him in my starting 11. But he was a shadow of Ampadu.
Not surprised that we lost by a lot. I was surprised by how toothless we were.
I keep telling myself that Davis De Gea looked crap when he first played in the Prem but I am concerned with the goalie.
I was disappointed that they didn't let the kid take the penalty. It would have made him the youngest scorer ever for Arsenal.
I do find it strange how many posters point to players who were not in the starting 11 as the answers.
There are only two changes I would have made in hindsight. Nmecha would have been the better option at 9 as we were playing it long the majority of the time and perhaps Noah instead of James. There would have been more chance of the ball sticking, albeit infrequently. Saliba and Gabriel are top quality.
I think Perri became unsettled from that early incident where Gork had a half chance because of his poor first touch.
I think Harrison as a suggestion is too fanciful at the moment, Farke is protecting him from the fanbase until there is a greater level of acceptance.
The suggestion that Rami would make a difference is also fanciful and largely wishful thinking.
Subs coming on a game like this, where the opposition are dominating and playing with freedom will not have an impact unless they are top notch.
SG90 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 7:55 pm
Again spot on. There's a difference between losing to pieces of individual brilliance, then losing due to our mistakes and non league defending, as we did today. That's the point that's being missed by the Farke fan club.
You’ve posted more today after we got humped than the whole of last season when we won the league with 100 points, you must have been saving it all up for this occasion.
“ If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise don’t even start “ Charles Bukowski.
weasel wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 6:53 pm
The fickle nature of football. Struyjk meets a header cleanly and bullets a header that is saved. The Arsenal player turns his body the wrong way trying to get a flick on, it hits his shoulder and goes in. Who knows what might have happened if Struyjk's header went in.
A few players will have learnt lessons today. We were poor in possession and too panicked. With the cup game coming up next I think it is a great chance for some other players to get a run out and up to them to say, 'hey boss start me in the next league game.'
The disappointing thing today was that in the first half despite the poor quality when we had the ball we kept Arsenal at arm's length yet conceded the soft goal from the corner and then the second from the only time Arsenal cut us open. Second half was poor and we looked woeful defending corners.
Huge doubts over Perri in net. Not just the poor kicking but conceding 5 from 5 efforts isn't good at all.
BobHirst wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 8:46 pm
Not surprised that we lost by a lot. I was surprised by how toothless we were.
I keep telling myself that Davis De Gea looked crap when he first played in the Prem but I am concerned with the goalie.
I was disappointed that they didn't let the kid take the penalty. It would have made him the youngest scorer ever for Arsenal.
Pretty toothless v Everton.
Should probably be more worried about where the goals will come from v the other toothless teams.
I declare my love for Saint Daniel and I can shoehorn him in to any conversation.
Cjay wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 8:47 pm
Piroe probably deserves some sympathy imo
He made 1 pass into the final 3rd
Bogle made 0, Gudmundsson 1, Tanaka 0, Gruev 1, Gnonto and James 0 between them.
He literally had 0 service all game in the area of the pitch he is expected to be in
Jesus that is clutching at straws, he plays in the final 3rd. You missed Perri off your list of players who also did not make a pass.
I do not have an issue with Piroe, as you say he had little or no opportunity. He is not a back to the goal forward, we all know this, or you should by now.
YorkshireSquare wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 7:32 pm
We have Costco in the UK, been tempted by a canoe or a hot tub many times when I've been toilet roll shopping.
Walmart is a bit of a different beast to Tesco though. I'm quite fond of a Carrefour or Leclerc in France as well.
Oh, didn't know you had Costco over there.
WalMart is an amazing operation. Made the Waltons the wealthiest family in the world. Yet Sam Walton lived in the same rancher and drove the same old pickup truck most of his life.
But Costco have an amazing formula for really cheap but high quality fresh product - especially meat (over here at least)
