NLD: post-match thoughts and stuff
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 12:00PM Okay, so it’s the morning after, and I've stated countless times I have no intention of excusing the 4-1 loss, but there is no reason to perhaps add perspective to the result and try to understand it.
I know Arsenal fans are desperate to wipe clean the memory of the 5-1 and last seasons 2-1 which ended their season (deal with it Wenger) but let's get some perspective here. Had we won last night, the game would not have got a dvd release.
Selections and formations
Harry stated, a while back, that the game is fundamentally about the players. No matter the formation. 10% about the formation, 90% about the players on the pitch. To quote him:
"If you have the best ones and they do their jobs, then they can pretty much play any way you want them to"
So no shocker then that when you play Palacios in an offensive midfield position, Bentley on the wrong flank, Gio on the wrong flank, then stick in some debutants including Sandro - who, let's be fair, is not going to be that confident in the side fielded unlike say a side with the likes of Bale, Huddlestone, Modric and vdV surrounding him.
I don't blame Harry for playing the players he played. Rock and hard place. If he's not going to play key players, he has no choice but to play the fringe ones. To be honest, I didn't expect Wenger to select so many first teamers in his squad - and then play all of them. I guess he really wants to win something this season.
I stand by my pre-match belief that a NLD is exactly that and we should never be looking to field a non-competitive side. Fact is, the patched up ethic doesn't work for us. It's not so much to do with out of form players or even out of position players (although that has an influence). It's to do with the lack of an in-house top to bottom philosophy.
Philosophy you say?
Our first team is rather good. Our first team would have beaten the team Arsenal put out last night. I'm confident of that. More than confident. Arsenal's first team? Well, that would have been a full blown NLD, blood and thunder and silky skills. We got nothing of the sort last night. So why can Arsenal play a mixture of youth, fringe players and first teamers and look so comfortable against our side of not so many first teamers, put plenty of supposed quality and promising youth?
Well firstly, the supposed quality is either spent or inept. And the promising youth is just that, but not yet excelling. Simply put. Wenger, the canny s.o.b. and the culture he has instilled into their club means that from top to bottom they play a distinctive style. Players are signed and developed to fit into a style of play. Its all very specific, and although arguably, at the moment (at least in the past half-decade) its not proving to be successful in terms of silverware, they do produce very clean, crisp, technical football. They are still massive c**ts, blatantly, in terms of moaning/diving/non-acceptance of defeat - but what it does mean is that they can mix and match and not betray their philosophy of play. There appears to be no detrimental effect, although, under-strength Wenger sides have had their arses spanked before. There are limits. The hype is just that.
There is also no doubting we play with a swagger and style. We always have. It's also the culture of the club to play sweeping pulsating football. But what last night proved is that if you don’t play a spine of first team players, if you take key players out of the equation, it all falls apart. It's not so much sweeping, but more sleeping. Yes, Harry did not help matters what with players out of their natural positions. And some of the players did not help themselves (what is the point of David Bentley again?). There was no cohesion or togetherness out there from our lot. Disjointed the thought of the day.
Our players are player-dependent. The system, it works best when the key players are starting. If we miss key players, there is still enough about the collective, mental strength wise, to still pull it altogether. Far too many light-weights, in the head department, last night. Then again, this is just the one game, so I won't be looking to scape-goat. More on Harry and the players below.
I'm not suggesting an overhaul of the academy, re-introduction of the reserve team etc - although that would be fantastic in terms of long term plans. In the short term, if we're going avoid risking key players but still remain competitive, then for starters - let's have some consistency in formation and balance the team out so it can at least pretend to try and play like a full strength first team. This would mean, signing a particular ilk of player. It's not an over-night solution. And Harry - long term - might not have the inclination to work in this way. Levy - wise up and get on it. If anything, the academy really has to start pushing on at same point soon.
Quick-fire player reviews
Pletikosa - Not very convincing
Naughton - Struggled
Caulker - Played well, but clumsy needless penalty. Would want to see him involved in more games because there is defo something about him that would have me think he has a future
Bassong - Meh
Assou-Ekotto - Was fine, nothing more, but you try looking effective with Bentley up ahead of you
Gio - Had to be subbed. This kid must have something if you can do it at international level. Time Harry cut him same slack ON the pitch
Sandro - Debut, NLD, showed glimpses but can't be too critical, considering the surroundings
Livermore - Struggled, not quite ready, even for a lower-tier cup game
Palacios - He's a DM, not a very good one at the moment regarding form, so why start him in a more offensive position?
Bentley - Honestly mate, stick to setting your foot on fire and diving into in-door swimming pools
Pav - No service, is not the type of player to carve out something from nothing
Keane - He scored. Hit the woodwork. Didn't do too badly, but if we're comparing him to Keane of old, it's all a bit depressing. He has lost the mojo.
Lennon - Little room for movement, little effort when the ball was at his feet. Do we need to draft in a psychologist?
Kranjcar - Out of position
As for the swamp things?
Plenty of possession, movement and passing. Didn't create that much though, did they? Two penalties won them the match, even with our complete incompetence to resemble a competitive side, it flattered them. I know, that's subjective. I wonder if Wenger will play a full strength side if he faced Chelsea in the next round? Probably beat them, innit, what with them being wonder-kid toddlers with mental matrix skillabilities. Gooners are really milking this, bless 'em. I guess they have to take what's handed to them on a plate and make the very most of it. At least they care enough to gloat. Take the bragging rights - no argument - but don't kid (lol) yourselves. It's not half as impressive as you'd like it to be. But then, you know that.
Conclusion
Harry got it wrong. It happens. Did he honestly think Wenger would play the under 11's? Whatever it was he tried to do failed, epically. It's frustrating that, say the likes of Gio who hardly gets a chance, gets one but is played out of position. Bentley, who you'd hope would want to change his application to something that doesn't involve him pouncing around like a really crap David Beckham impersonator, failed to ignite any hope of redemption. I'll stop now, I did say - no scapegoats.
If he can learn something from this, it's some players really do need to be gone in Jan and others need to be developed and used effectively. It's a shake of the head from me that Harry didn't follow his own belief about playing players where they play best.
Even so, what with all the post-match reflection this morning, the game changed on the first penalty decision. The chances created prior to that (our chances) were better. So, in the grand scheme of things…don't read too much in it. It sucks losing to them, its never acceptable to lose in a dejectable manner, but that's football.
Roll on Saturday.
Reader Comments (181)
career appearance + full international
Pletikosa - 330 career appearances
Naughton - 80
Caulker - 44
Bassong - 150
BAE - 155
Bentley - 230
Livermore - 31
Sandro - 100
Palacios - 250
Gio - 93
Pav - 330
Probably over 1500 professional career appearances.
Stop now, it's embarrassing.
career appearance + full international
fabianski - 106
Koscielny - 167
Djourou - 89
Eboue - 270
Gibbs - 31
Rosicky - 310
Nasri - 260
Denilson - 135
Wilshere - 37
Lansbury - 61
Vela - 150
1500+ appearances
lol, is this still going on?
Spooky: A humble request...can the site be configured so that all comments show in one page, instead of 25 per?
Re:Bentley. WTF is wrong with you people? He gets in the squad rarely, then you're surprised when he tries to do something that might get him more regular playing time (i.e. scoring)? If Harry would play the lad, he would be at the caliber we all expected. In fact, with Lennon back to his indecisive, poor decision making self, I'd give Bents a run in the first team right now.
The hair? Really? I don't care if he wears a purple afro or a skullet, Why would you?
Still, this is much ado about nothing. A third rate competition that no club gives two shits about. One more opportunity to pick up knocks and injuries, which detracts from the whole goal...finish top 4, go back to CL, continue to build into a dominant, perennial top 4 side.
Wonka - will look into it later. Not too shabby an idea that.
Sorry I haven't posted for a while.
I had to go and get a cuddle off mummy.
I'm still upset that you lot fucked our season up in April and how we have started to take the league cup seriously.
Mummy said she'll only cuddle me when the woolwich get legitimately promoted.
That means never, I guess.
I love yummy cocks.
Spooky, I can't believe that you castigate Harry and do not give himm credit for good subs that got us an equalizer (back in the game).
And why do you say he played some boys out of position? What do you think is Gio's best position? What I can't understand is him not giving Kranjcar a real chance, I think he came on with minutes to go? ??????
Don't bash the boys -whenever a team capitulates in extra time, it is a stamina problem. Our players are talented, yes, even Bentley and they will show it this season.
"Harry wanted to lose and get the fixture list down, hence 11 strangers mostly out of position. Imagine his concern when he saw the scum were playing almost as shit as us. So he threw on Keane to fuck things up, but lo and behold Flapihandski let his weak shot through his fingers! Undetered he ordered BAE to increase the number of attempted dummies without clearing the ball, told Pav and Bentley not to pass to each other and the defence to blow on Nasri and Chamakh whenever they get in the box. Job done"
hahahahahahahahaha! LemonadeMoney you crack me up everytime for REAL!
funny guy
My staple diet is fresh silver tears from tramps' bellends.
The subs worked, but as a package, it all failed.
..............we got knocked out of this cup last year, and went on to have by all accounts a pretty decent season. Just a fucking shame we got drawn against them retards from up the road in the 1st round. Nevermind, this will not have any negative side effects on our aims for this season.......hopefully.
COYS.
Also Dan - Cesc was not a teenager in January 2008 his DoB is 04.05.87 u effing idiot!
O look neither was Bentner - he was 20!!!! Do your research!! I can't even be bothered to look the rest up but safe to say Dan hasn't a clue what he is on about!
ok, let's focus. First priority is to finish 6th or better, any less and we are going backwards. Second priority is to finish 4th or better, dont be fooled into thinking the same position would not be progress, 4th will be harder to keep this year than it was to get last year. Final priority is enjoy our time in the Champions League. Anything else is an obstacle, a chance to lose players to injury etc.
However... if we were to get dumped out of the cup next round by anyone we would care, but it wouldnt be a terrible thing, if we had been beaten last night by any other team it would be the same. We are not overly concerned by cups this year, but we do give a damn about NLD's and so a weakend team was an ill thought gesture.
Arsenal spent a few years establishing themselves as regular CL qualifiers, cups were cast to the side, a little later they used them to blood youngsters, note that it is only now that they feel accomplished enough to start taking them a little more seriousley as well as the league and CL. If we are to succeed without a sugar daddy (the good old fashioned way) then we will have to take much the same stance. If we draw arsenal at any stage of the FA Cup though we field a team to win ;)
@Dan - 'What facts have I distorted? Name then please. go'
I feel like a fucking saddo for doing this but you keep on about the 7 teenagers. Check the dates. In fact only 3 of them were teenagers. Yeah they were young but if you're gonna make a point at least get your facts straight :)
@dans a right nob - I see you there!! Nice. Denilson was only a few days off of 20 too ;)
Hi-freakin'-larious. Anyway, who cares. We just have to get better and better and that's all that matters. COYS
Dan , in the words of the grat Iron Mike " I'll fuck u till u love me,bitch "
Dan loves yummy cocks ? its runs in your family sweety. Now let me stick my tongue down your throat
I'd like to apologize on behalf of this idiot Dan, his view do not represent any other arsenal fans and his dad sucks cock and all females in his family are aids ridden motherfuckers
look how these clowns are now saying that carling cup is not important to them , i am sure if arsenal had same team that night and spurs their first 11 result would have been same bcoz its clear that spurs massively overachieved last season and this season in most of their matches they have been shit and lucky in one or two (for e.g in stoke game) but the most fun thing from victory at whl was not the win itself as it was given but the fact how these spurs fans who r pretending to b so macho on this blog actually ran away so rapidly from whl as if their tiny bums were shoved with burning effiel tower ,instead of supporting their team on the pitch, bloody looser both on and off pitch.....
Billy G, you'll never be Dan!
OK Billy, ask your teacher to help you with the proper spelling of "loser."
Now f*ck off to the playground son. You're repeating yourself and managing to make even less sense.
Come back after the next NLD, after we've had a proper match up between our top XIs and will talk then, okay?
ha, meant to say "we'll talk then"
talking to Gooner morons is literally dumbing me down.
Anyone else complain to sky yet?
Tomtraubert....prob would but think it's a waste of time tbh. Lilke you say they'll find it funny then probabaly allocate Smith and Wright for the remaining Spurs games this season....imagine that
on that note I f**king hate that loud mouth funny shaped headed prick. Did anyone see that reality show he did making a football team with the kids in prison, trying to relate to them making out he grew up in the ghetto, selling crack to survive, when he really spent one nihgt ini a cell for climbing on a roof or somehting lame. Plus he made shit loads of the prison lads to take trails only to dissapoint about 200 to make 15 feel good about themselves.....nice work
I fully understand why Harry played the team he did and looking at their line up to draw with them in 90 minutes was a good effort . Extra time was a step too far . However in hindsight looking who has gone out have we wasted a chance of silverware . I do not want to be like Newcastle and play Champions League and get knocked out of the group stages - I am not saying we will get knocked out of group stages and then forget the Carling Cup and win nothing for decades . I believe the game is about winning I would rather win the Carling Cup than lose in the final of the Champions League - the idea is to win trophies . Looking who was knocked out of Carling Cup - Man Utd and Arsenal must be laughing . Should Harry have picked a stronger team ?????
GIovani Dos Santos played on the right for Mexico through out the World Cup. No excuse playing Bentley on the left though, especially at the expense of Kranjcar.
I thought Pletikosa was fairly solid considering the makeshift defence.
Re: commentators.
You fellas would get a right kick out of the pair that do the La Liga matches on the US broadcasts. One of them, the "color" commentator, is a HUGE Real Madrid fan. Watching this clown slobber all over Ronaldo as he spits out constant mixed metaphors, and half his comments that leave you saying "WTF?"
Ray Hudson, is his name I think. What. A. Clown. I'm almost past despising him and reaching a weird state of admiration for being such a nutball and saying crazy shit all the time.
IMO some of you are a bunch of mugs with too much time on your hands and nothing better to do than salivate waiting for the next Tottenham defeat so that you can be wise after the event to slag the club and manager.
The rest of us support the club and manager and have a life too so enjoy your moment in the sun. There will be many twists and turns but Spurs and Harry do not do defeats like the Spurs of old so you wont get so many opportunities to get the knives out. Good job too. COYS. Champions League, were having a laugh!!!