Arsenal 3 Villa 1 post match thread

[ROBBO]

That was a relegation performance. We have two full backs who cannot play as wing backs no matter how much DS wants it. As bad as it was i'm not blaming the players this time for me it was all down to game management, the first fifteen minutes told us the set up was wrong and needed to be changed but as DS does. he doesn't do anything until the game was all but lost. We have the best squad we have had in years and should be challenging but not with Dean in charge.

[Clark W Griswold]

That performance, and my opinion of it, can best be summarised by the espresso scene in Mulholland Drive.

Ings is a tough one - he's a good finisher, but Watkins is way more mobile and we need a pressing forward in the 4-3-3.

I think there is hard work in Ings and Bailey in addition to Watkins. They’re all good players too. The problem with El Ghazi is that he worked but didn’t quite have the quality and the problem with Traore is he had touches of quality but didn’t always work hard enough. I also like McGinn for his work rate.

[Allan C]

It’s not the players.

Of course it was the players, they were absolutely rubbish, I can’t think of one who played well with the exception of Emi

so who manages the players ?

The manager is at fault but that doesn’t excuse awful play, passing (who on earth was McGinn passing to for Arsenal’s third?) just diabolical by every player

[nick harper]

I think the players played to bury 3-5-2 once and for all. It was clear most of them weren’t happy. He should have been brave enough to change it after 25 minutes but waited until we had a mountain to climb.

It’s just a matter of time for Smith now.

[vilan461]

532 Just dont suit us it looks clumsy,players get in each others way---poor poor first half, a tad better second half with Bailey on--but too late the  damage was already done, it will be a big big test against high flying West Ham for both manager and players,---3 losses on the trot simply aint good,

[TonyD]

I’m struggling to remember such an inept 1st half performance ever. 
Considering the players we have are decent. 

[ChicagoLion]

I think the players played to bury 3-5-2 once and for all. It was clear most of them weren’t happy. He should have been brave enough to change it after 25 minutes but waited until we had a mountain to climb.

It’s just a matter of time for Smith now.

Agree you could see that the players were not on board

[fredm]

One observation. I thought Mings was l terrible in the first half. Then comes the change of system and he looked totally different. I think even the players know that they are suffering from DS poor management and it's frustrating them.

Agree 100%. Mings was completely off it in the first half - but not the only one.
Also has he ever won a header when defending a corner? Was at fault for their first goal and never got near any of the other ones when they came into the centre of the goal.

[brontebilly]

We actually could have made that a very nervy finish for Arsenal...created plenty of chances in the second half.

Martinez 6 - very poor for first goal but two other brilliant saves
Cash 3 - rubbish, torn apart by ESR, didn't fancy it tonight
Konsa 5 - poor first half but a lot more solid in second
Tuanzebe 5 - tactical shambles not his fault but struggling with the physicality of the division and he used do much more with the ball for us in the championship
Mings 5 - awful first half, shit for third but much better in back 4 in a decent second half
Targett 2 - really really bad...not sure he even improved second half. Not a LWB at all
Luiz 6 - sure he made mistakes but he was on his own in there and I thought battled very hard. Key to the improvement in the second half
McGinn 2 - horror show, at fault for two goals arguably, gave away ball constantly, offered nothing without ball
Buendia 3 - rubbish, finding step up a bit much...missed a big chance for us.
Watkins 5 - horrific first half but did well on left wing in second
Ings 3 - non existent but big chance missed early in second half. Good forward but the wrong signing for us.

Bailey 7 - not fully fit but quality stood out a mile
Ramsey 7 - added much needed mobility and a brilliant first goal for us, nearly a second too
AEG 5 - can't remember him getting a kick
Smith 2 - awful team selection but even worse was him biting his nails while his team got destroyed in that first half.

[TonyD]

Even if he decides to go 4 at the back and 1 up front next game - his time is up.

[London Villan]

We have the players to play 433 well. We can rotate, cover injuries and it works.

Midfield 3 from SJM, doug, ramsey and sanson

Front 3 from watkins, ings, bailey, buendia, traore

Its not hard.

[Clark W Griswold]

Smith has been having me scratching my head since he announced 2 weeks before the transfer window that he was happy with what he had. Tonight was a new low but I’m not convinced he won’t see sense and put the formation back to how it was. What happens after that will be interesting as to whether he’s lost credit with the squad or whether he can identify and buy a couple of players in Jan to improve it, if he’s still here.

[Villan82]

Tonight is the first game in years where it was embarrassing. This is three years into our journey with Smith and three years into heavy investment. It just isn't good enough.

[astonvilla82]

Doesn't matter what formations he uses, it's results that the owners will look at and tonight was not good enough performance wise,

[Legion]

It should be Ings OR Watkins. Not both.