Another cruel end to a game we really should have gotten something out of if we had our thinking caps on. When we were once known as a young and naive team a few years ago, we were constantly inundated with the slogan that you'd never win anything with kids. And so it proved as our barren years without silver-ware stretched and culminated to the exodus of a few names i wont bother to mention. In those years,we played at the best of times with an attacking swagger that was as irresistible as it was potent...make no mistake it wasn't always successful by way of guaranteeing we destroyed all that stood in our path, but it was certainly our style and we were proud of it. Back then, i recall we regularly suffered from counter attacks from swift and intelligent opponents who understood that our flair and penchant for attacking football was also our Achilles heel. All they had to do was sit back soak pressure, try not to concede and hit us when we lose concentration by giving away the ball (which was always bound to happen). Inexperience, the rawness of youth and all that Crap were given as excuses for those times we threw away games under those circumstances. But fast forward to 2014, almost all the presence of youth has disappeared from Arsenal but yet we play like we are a bunch of Academy recruits.
1-0 up with less than 15 mins to go and nobody in an Arsenal shirt could rally the troops to do what any top class team should be able to do in those circumstances. Not Cazorla, Not Per, Not Flamini not anyone! There's supposed to be Experience in this squad, but regretfully they are not bringing their leadership role to bear at all. Anderlecht was supposed to be a lesson, but in hindsight it seems that it was actually a symptom of a more festering problem with this team this season. Swansea did not overwhelm us on Sunday, but they mugged us big time. While stupidly throwing men forward going for what was supposed to be a second goal, we had 8players in their half, then as expected we lost the ball and found ourself outnumbered on the counter. Gibbs waited and waited but then finally decided to bring down Barrow. Before Sigurdsson did the rest from the resulting freekick. How on earth did weget so naiive ? Last season we showed better tactical nous in dealing with slim 1-0 leads, but this season we look all over the place on all fronts.
Not going to pick the bones too much off this loss. Its up to Arsene to address this embarrassing defensive capitulations one way or another. What our trophy targets are following this setback is anybody's guess. 12 points behind league leaders Chelsea tells its own story. In the interim, Games will continue and will meet us either prepared to defend like professionals or like kids. So as we weather this terrible storm, the only solace i can muster at this point is that Alexis plays for us not Balotelli.
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