AC Milan 4-0 Arsenal: The Better Team Won
Wednesday, 15 February 12, 11:50 PM · Comments (2)
All things considered, we've had better nights.
I can't remember a Champions League tie in the last 15 years where we were essentially out after the first leg. The closest thing I can call to mind off the top of my head was an encounter with Bayern Munich in 2005 where we lost the first leg away from home 3-1, but even then in the second leg at Highbury we almost overturned the deficit. Last night's defeat was, I believe, unprecedented.
First off I think you have to say well done to AC Milan because they were for ninety minutes the much better team. Almost effortlessly they kept the ball away from us, cut through our defence and intercepted our passes all night. They looked like a team who had 2008 very much in mind last night and they were in no mood for anything but a victory which they duly went out and got.
For our part, it was poor from us. Very poor indeed. Much as Milan played their part with clinical and ruthless efficiency they were aided and abetted by the worst Arsenal performance in Europe for a very long time, in fact I can't remember worse under Arsene Wenger. I felt during the game that Milan had done very well to make us look average but on reflection I sadly have to admit that they didn't have to work very hard to last night.
Arsene Wenger gave a frank assessment of what we saw after the game, saying,
It was of those nights you never forget. It is our worst night in Europe, we were punished and deservedly so. We were very poor offensively and defensively. We were beaten everywhere. There was not one moment in the 90 minutes we were really in the game. What made it worse is that we had to chase the game. It was always the same problem, balls over the top and we were well beaten.
It was strange after the game last night in so much as I can understand frustration from fans, I was feeling it myself. I understand how in the heat of the moment during the game and shortly afterwards some people end up saying "x is a cunt, y is lazy, our team doesn't have any passion" etc. I don't agree with a lot of it, but I'm not blind to where it's come from. However what I find odd though is people hanging around in some weird kind of online baying mob waiting for the manager's interview so they can tear him a new one in their own little corner of the internet. For one thing his interview is normally about 20-30 minutes after the game which means people holding in their fury, nurturing it almost so they can respond to anything he says with outrage and exasperation. Why not just log off and do something less antagonising?
"GOOD POSITION IN THE LEAGUE?! THAT SUMS YOU UP WENGER!" "SEASON NOT FINISHED? WHAT AN IDIOT!" are the sort of thing those who waited studiously for their chance to be even more annoyed last night were saying. Personally I think the manager got it right in the comments I quoted above and he continued to get it right in the remainder of his assessment of our situation. We were never in the game last night. Harsh to hear, but indisputably true and the manager wasn't hiding from it. Beaten all over the pitch he said. Not a pleasant truth to have to face but there it is.
What I find more ridiculous is that if he were to come out and say "Yep, that's fucked our season right up and we may as well give up now" the rage that would meet those comments from supporters would block out the sun. As it is, Arsene is saying no such thing, he pointed out that there's still plenty to play for this term and because of that apparently he's talking bullshit.
On where we go from here, the manager said,
"We will focus on our next games, the season is not finished. We have a big game on Saturday, which is a good opportunity to show we have character and mental strength and that we can respond after such a shocking defeat."
I would go as far as to say it's vital that we do so. We are a better team than we showed last night. For the majority of this season we have been a better team than that, and I've long believed this season in the resilience of this Arsenal squad. I would be so disappointed if last night caused them to curl up and die like last year's squad. Arsene is aware of that danger too, saying
"There is a danger. A big disappointment like that has consequences on your belief. We have a lot of work to regroup and not a lot of time to prepare for Saturday's game. We need to show something completely different on Saturday."
We're in an absolutely critical stage of the season, there is no time to feel sorry for ourselves. Lose on Saturday and our chance of winning a trophy this season is gone. Let last night affect our league form and we might lose the fourth place standing we've worked so hard for, not to mention get doubled by Spurs which I find a particularly repugnant idea. Our team have got to get over this and fast. Tick tock, gentlemen.
I'm aware I haven't said too much about the game in general but what is there that you want to hear? We were poor all over the pitch, I've never seen Thomas Vermaelen have such a bad game, the midfield may as well not have been there at times and we had to work very hard to produce even the tamest of efforts on goal. That's what a quick peek at our performance reveals. I can't say I'd relish a closer look.
One thing I would say about last night though, and I'm not claiming this as an excuse or a conspiracy or anything other than a simple statement: the pitch last night was a joke. It wasn't the reason we lost, let me make that very clear. But for a top club like AC Milan to produce a surface like that for match of that calibre? Pathetic.
It's one of those days you hate as a football fan today. One of the lows that make the highs taste sweeter, not that that will be much consolation at the moment. But there will be another day on which we'll be the ones celebrating. It just seems a long way off now.
Have a good day.
I can't remember a Champions League tie in the last 15 years where we were essentially out after the first leg. The closest thing I can call to mind off the top of my head was an encounter with Bayern Munich in 2005 where we lost the first leg away from home 3-1, but even then in the second leg at Highbury we almost overturned the deficit. Last night's defeat was, I believe, unprecedented.
First off I think you have to say well done to AC Milan because they were for ninety minutes the much better team. Almost effortlessly they kept the ball away from us, cut through our defence and intercepted our passes all night. They looked like a team who had 2008 very much in mind last night and they were in no mood for anything but a victory which they duly went out and got.
For our part, it was poor from us. Very poor indeed. Much as Milan played their part with clinical and ruthless efficiency they were aided and abetted by the worst Arsenal performance in Europe for a very long time, in fact I can't remember worse under Arsene Wenger. I felt during the game that Milan had done very well to make us look average but on reflection I sadly have to admit that they didn't have to work very hard to last night.
Arsene Wenger gave a frank assessment of what we saw after the game, saying,
It was of those nights you never forget. It is our worst night in Europe, we were punished and deservedly so. We were very poor offensively and defensively. We were beaten everywhere. There was not one moment in the 90 minutes we were really in the game. What made it worse is that we had to chase the game. It was always the same problem, balls over the top and we were well beaten.
It was strange after the game last night in so much as I can understand frustration from fans, I was feeling it myself. I understand how in the heat of the moment during the game and shortly afterwards some people end up saying "x is a cunt, y is lazy, our team doesn't have any passion" etc. I don't agree with a lot of it, but I'm not blind to where it's come from. However what I find odd though is people hanging around in some weird kind of online baying mob waiting for the manager's interview so they can tear him a new one in their own little corner of the internet. For one thing his interview is normally about 20-30 minutes after the game which means people holding in their fury, nurturing it almost so they can respond to anything he says with outrage and exasperation. Why not just log off and do something less antagonising?
"GOOD POSITION IN THE LEAGUE?! THAT SUMS YOU UP WENGER!" "SEASON NOT FINISHED? WHAT AN IDIOT!" are the sort of thing those who waited studiously for their chance to be even more annoyed last night were saying. Personally I think the manager got it right in the comments I quoted above and he continued to get it right in the remainder of his assessment of our situation. We were never in the game last night. Harsh to hear, but indisputably true and the manager wasn't hiding from it. Beaten all over the pitch he said. Not a pleasant truth to have to face but there it is.
What I find more ridiculous is that if he were to come out and say "Yep, that's fucked our season right up and we may as well give up now" the rage that would meet those comments from supporters would block out the sun. As it is, Arsene is saying no such thing, he pointed out that there's still plenty to play for this term and because of that apparently he's talking bullshit.
On where we go from here, the manager said,
"We will focus on our next games, the season is not finished. We have a big game on Saturday, which is a good opportunity to show we have character and mental strength and that we can respond after such a shocking defeat."
I would go as far as to say it's vital that we do so. We are a better team than we showed last night. For the majority of this season we have been a better team than that, and I've long believed this season in the resilience of this Arsenal squad. I would be so disappointed if last night caused them to curl up and die like last year's squad. Arsene is aware of that danger too, saying
"There is a danger. A big disappointment like that has consequences on your belief. We have a lot of work to regroup and not a lot of time to prepare for Saturday's game. We need to show something completely different on Saturday."
We're in an absolutely critical stage of the season, there is no time to feel sorry for ourselves. Lose on Saturday and our chance of winning a trophy this season is gone. Let last night affect our league form and we might lose the fourth place standing we've worked so hard for, not to mention get doubled by Spurs which I find a particularly repugnant idea. Our team have got to get over this and fast. Tick tock, gentlemen.
I'm aware I haven't said too much about the game in general but what is there that you want to hear? We were poor all over the pitch, I've never seen Thomas Vermaelen have such a bad game, the midfield may as well not have been there at times and we had to work very hard to produce even the tamest of efforts on goal. That's what a quick peek at our performance reveals. I can't say I'd relish a closer look.
One thing I would say about last night though, and I'm not claiming this as an excuse or a conspiracy or anything other than a simple statement: the pitch last night was a joke. It wasn't the reason we lost, let me make that very clear. But for a top club like AC Milan to produce a surface like that for match of that calibre? Pathetic.
It's one of those days you hate as a football fan today. One of the lows that make the highs taste sweeter, not that that will be much consolation at the moment. But there will be another day on which we'll be the ones celebrating. It just seems a long way off now.
Have a good day.
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Posted by lepermessiah998
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lepermessiah998
Birmingham, GB
An Arsenal blog by some bloke calling himself Leper Messiah
2 Comments · Add yours
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What I dislike most about anti Wenger-ites is that they level accusations against AW that he cares about profits and not winning. If he didn't care ,he'd have left a long time ago!!!!
Le Grove is a big example of this sort of shite- stirring. Also some of the AST members are idiots.