Bus-Conductor
SC Supporter
- Oct 19, 2004
- 39,837
- 50,713
I go back quite a way (not as far as the likes of SS57 who witnessed our very first FA Cup win), and I am forming a theory. It goes like this; I remember when, in the early eighties, we were the team that played the best football in the league and Arsenal were a very decent side who never outplayed us but always managed to beat us. We played better football, The ball just always seemed to role their way. Karma eh....
Redknapp got this hugely wrong. He's like a goldfish, he learns a lesson, forgets it, learns it, forgets it.
I've just heard his post match interview and it baffles me even more. He said something like:
"They had the extra body in midfield so they were always going to dominate in there. I nearly changed it at half time but decided to give it a bit longer. I played Rafa on the right and it doesn't really suit him and he doesn't get back so great."
Then why the fuck did you pick this team and play these tactics and then take so long to correct them. And even when he did, Defoe should have come off.
He made one change from Wigan and managed to make every part of the pitch weaker. Defoe tried hard but is so weak and ineffectual - and the next time he's offside I feel it would be kinder to just pull a tent round him and put him (and us) out of our misery - we effectively were one footballer down on Arsenal for the whole match. And this was most evident in midfield where Redknapp's team/tactics effectively made it a 2 v 5 midfield at times, which was exasperated by a poor Modric performance (not helped obviously by the tactics).
What disappoints me most is I think this Arsenal side are the worst for 15 years. We shouldn't have needed fortune to beat them. If we'd have pressed their back four like we did Liverpool's we'd have scared them shitless.
We created some fabulous positions on the break and wasted every single one of them with poor choices or poor delivery. I can't remember a game recently, where we had so many 1v1's and didn't score a single one.
Until Sandro came on we were second best all over the pitch to a very ordinary and make shift looking Arsenal side. Second to every ball, second in work rate and movement, second in moving the ball around.
We humped more long balls than short ones, and were so open at times it was scary. It was really only Parker, Kaboul and King holding us together.
And I lost count of the times players found themselves in possession with no-one giving them an option and having to twist and turn as Arsenal players pack hunted them down and took the ball or forced errors. Really poor.
Then Sandro came on and for the first time in the game we didn't look like a poor team. Leaving Defoe on still left us a footballer light but at least it was now 3 v 5 in midfield instead of 2. Gradually we started stringing more than 2 passes together occasionally and by the time all the subs were made (which still amazingly left Defoe on the pitch) we had actually managed to get a foothold in the game.
I guess it's greedy to want performance and result, but I honestly believe we were capable of it with the team we have against the team they have.
Ratings:
Friedel 7 - OK, if Arsenal could shoot they'd be dangerous.
Walker 7.5 - His most competent performance to date, crowned with a pile driver.
Kaboul 7.5 - Outstanding today bar the moment when VP skanked him.
King 7.5 - As above.
Ekotto 6 - Worked hard and gets flimsy fucking help from Bale but also gave the ball away a lot.
VDV 6.5 - Played out of position against the worst opposition to be played out of position. Showed what he can do when played in the right place when he scored, unfortunately Redknapp's tactics cost us that pleasure more often. Took his goal superbly, but also took a stupid booking.
Modric 5.5 - Very poor. 31 passes is about half his average. But again, this was partly because Redknapp effectively pitted him and Parker against 5 players.
Parker 7.75 - Saw more ball then Modric, worked his little legs off. My MOTM.
Bale 6.5 - Really hard to mark today. Going forward looked good at times and did play a couple of good balls, but also wasted 3/4 great positions and missed completely with a 1v1. Defensively piss poor at times. Lilly livered, half arsed efforts to close down and help Ekotto.
Adebayor 6.5 - Below the par of recent performances I thought. Again, not helped by the tactics, which in turn hampered performances elsewhere, but there were a few times I thought he could have done better. Didn't think his movement was as good today. Even on a bad day manages to set up a goal with a delightful bit of vision.
Defoe 6 - marks for hard work.
Redknapp 3 - see above. if you can't be good, be lucky eh.
Redknapp got this hugely wrong. He's like a goldfish, he learns a lesson, forgets it, learns it, forgets it.
I've just heard his post match interview and it baffles me even more. He said something like:
"They had the extra body in midfield so they were always going to dominate in there. I nearly changed it at half time but decided to give it a bit longer. I played Rafa on the right and it doesn't really suit him and he doesn't get back so great."
Then why the fuck did you pick this team and play these tactics and then take so long to correct them. And even when he did, Defoe should have come off.
He made one change from Wigan and managed to make every part of the pitch weaker. Defoe tried hard but is so weak and ineffectual - and the next time he's offside I feel it would be kinder to just pull a tent round him and put him (and us) out of our misery - we effectively were one footballer down on Arsenal for the whole match. And this was most evident in midfield where Redknapp's team/tactics effectively made it a 2 v 5 midfield at times, which was exasperated by a poor Modric performance (not helped obviously by the tactics).
What disappoints me most is I think this Arsenal side are the worst for 15 years. We shouldn't have needed fortune to beat them. If we'd have pressed their back four like we did Liverpool's we'd have scared them shitless.
We created some fabulous positions on the break and wasted every single one of them with poor choices or poor delivery. I can't remember a game recently, where we had so many 1v1's and didn't score a single one.
Until Sandro came on we were second best all over the pitch to a very ordinary and make shift looking Arsenal side. Second to every ball, second in work rate and movement, second in moving the ball around.
We humped more long balls than short ones, and were so open at times it was scary. It was really only Parker, Kaboul and King holding us together.
And I lost count of the times players found themselves in possession with no-one giving them an option and having to twist and turn as Arsenal players pack hunted them down and took the ball or forced errors. Really poor.
Then Sandro came on and for the first time in the game we didn't look like a poor team. Leaving Defoe on still left us a footballer light but at least it was now 3 v 5 in midfield instead of 2. Gradually we started stringing more than 2 passes together occasionally and by the time all the subs were made (which still amazingly left Defoe on the pitch) we had actually managed to get a foothold in the game.
I guess it's greedy to want performance and result, but I honestly believe we were capable of it with the team we have against the team they have.
Ratings:
Friedel 7 - OK, if Arsenal could shoot they'd be dangerous.
Walker 7.5 - His most competent performance to date, crowned with a pile driver.
Kaboul 7.5 - Outstanding today bar the moment when VP skanked him.
King 7.5 - As above.
Ekotto 6 - Worked hard and gets flimsy fucking help from Bale but also gave the ball away a lot.
VDV 6.5 - Played out of position against the worst opposition to be played out of position. Showed what he can do when played in the right place when he scored, unfortunately Redknapp's tactics cost us that pleasure more often. Took his goal superbly, but also took a stupid booking.
Modric 5.5 - Very poor. 31 passes is about half his average. But again, this was partly because Redknapp effectively pitted him and Parker against 5 players.
Parker 7.75 - Saw more ball then Modric, worked his little legs off. My MOTM.
Bale 6.5 - Really hard to mark today. Going forward looked good at times and did play a couple of good balls, but also wasted 3/4 great positions and missed completely with a 1v1. Defensively piss poor at times. Lilly livered, half arsed efforts to close down and help Ekotto.
Adebayor 6.5 - Below the par of recent performances I thought. Again, not helped by the tactics, which in turn hampered performances elsewhere, but there were a few times I thought he could have done better. Didn't think his movement was as good today. Even on a bad day manages to set up a goal with a delightful bit of vision.
Defoe 6 - marks for hard work.
Redknapp 3 - see above. if you can't be good, be lucky eh.
