Written by Mean Lean on Thursday, 04 November 2010 12:31
Arsene Wenger's post match comments said it all really. Clearly annoyed about the performance he used words such as 'lack of urgency' and 'a kind of complacency problem' and that must be worrying, those words have been used a little too often over the last few years.
Wenger will know that winning breeds confidence, and it is always the best preparation for the next game so regardless of the importance of that individual match, it has broken a good habit, a momentum building sequence that was good for the moral of the team.
I have never doubted the talent of the team, clearly we have one of the best squads in European football based on purely ability but the Hull City's, Wigan's, West Brom's and now Shakhtar Donetsk's happen too often. At our level, with the amount at stake, it should never happen.
Sometimes I believe a pattern forms during our season. We will start off well, ripping sides apart and our confidence soars then we get struck with the complacency bug. A bad result and performance is followed by an angry Arsene, then the players talk of learning from that mistake. We then have a run of 5-10 games of hard work and good football until the bug reappears. The cycle needs to be broken and quickly.
The minimum requirement should be to give your all every time you step over that white line as they say but this does not always seem to be the case.
Those who read my pre match article will know that I was a little concerned before the game. A mixed team of players who hadn't had a run of games together in recent weeks, an understanding of each others game and the fact that we already have one foot in the next round made me feel somewhat uneasy and perhaps that is the reasoning for the complacency. If this was match day two would we have given that little bit more? I think that is quite possible. I was also concerned about travelling to a side with such a proud home record. They were also going to want to prove that the 5-1 defeat was a one off.
Amongst the negatives, there were also some good things to discuss. I absolutely love Theo Walcott's goal, it was a goal that only he could have scored in our whole squad. It was Thierry Henry of old. Jack Wilshere's stabbed half volley pass was inch perfect and Theo was away, as Arsene has said once he is away then there is no stopping him. I was looking at his touches of the ball whilst running at that speed and it was perfect, it is so easy to over hit the ball in that position when you have a player behind you chasing back to win the ball. All that was missing from the finish was a slide on his side with one arm raised in the air along with a blank expression. A true Henry goal.
It was taken early and confidently, rolled into the corner of the net from outside the box. I have watched that goal so many times and it does not seem to get boring.
After the goal the handbrake was yanked up and the home side increased their gears that was pretty much the path of the rest of the game.
It looked a matter of time before the home side were going to score, they had us pegged back inside our half. They hit the post from close range with a powerful header before Fabianski proved his class yet again with a point blank save.
Their goal came from a free kick after Eboue had fouled Willian. I think Eboue is being a little harshly treated for his part in that goal. Had he left Willian to run past him without committing a foul and the result ended the same then blame would be attached to Eboue for not taking the yellow. The former Barcelona defender Chygrynskiy headed off Eastmond and past Fabianski for 1-1.
The second goal just should not have happened. What Clichy was thinking about, I will never know. Gael Clichy is a player who I admire greatly, I seem to be in the minority these days. I love his energy, his commitment and his dynamic all action displays but his lapses of concentration like our complacency problems seem to be happening too frequently for my liking.
He did very well to come across his man and win the ball in the first place but what followed next will remain a mystery to me. He didn't try and hit the ball against the defender to win the throw, he didn't put the ball out for a throw and then get back goal side, he didn't try and hit the line. He just stood their and allowed the Shakhtar player to take the ball from him and run into our penalty box, he squared for Eduardo and the Crozilian's finish was of pre injury quality. Opening up his foot to place the ball into the corner of the net, unsaveable.
A terrible goal to give away, hopefully it is out of his system in a game that looking the bigger picture, we can afford to lose.
Even with a below par performance we should have scored more goals. Squillaci should have scored with a free header and Jack Wilshere was presented with a great chance on his left foot which he should have buried, instead curling wide on his usually very classy left foot.
In the end, we couldn't find the extra goal and the three points have pushed Shakhtar level with us with two games remaining.
If we qualify as winners then this result will not matter, it will be irrelevant. But only if the team do not suffer a hangover on Sunday from the defeat when Newcastle arrive in London. It will also be irrelevant if the team finally treats every game with the respect it deserves. Application shouldn't be turned on and off whenever the mood takes you.
Samir Nasri and Tomas Rosicky needed to stamp their authority on the game for us to have won, instead Jack Wilshere coming back from a three game suspension was the player that held the midfield together. Wilshere really is starting to dominate games on his own and that is a frightening prospect at only 18 years of age.
Lukasz Fabianski is continuing to perform at a very high level, he made some really good saves throughout and was blameless on the goals scored.
Let us hope that many of our players have had the chance to take a breather and will return sharp and hungry. If we can take out our frustrations on an inform Newcastle United then much of last night will be forgotten.
Fabianski (7.5)
Eboue (5.5)
Squillaci (7)
Djourou (7)
Clichy (6)
Eastmond (6)
Wilshere (7)
Nasri (6)
Walcott (6.5)
Bendtner (5.5)
Rosicky (6.5)
Please note that ratings are only my interpretations of the game and that others will have differing opinions
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