Leeds Utd v Arsenal Match Thread

[Finnatic]

We've lost 10 games this season and Gruev didn't get off the bench in 6 of them.

Of the games he did start 2 of them were vs Arsenal and 1 was Man City (the other being Newcastle) in terms of defeats.

In terms of ppg it's worse when Gruev starts but in context would we have got different results vs Man City and Arsenal without him? Probably not.

I meant from his first start after Ampadu’s injury a couple of years ago

[60sUnited]

Not looking for excuses or admitting that Arsenal were allowed to be amazing....we were totally crap.....I watch alot of football and can't recall a c**k up as bad as that second goal.....thank god we only play them twice !

[Cjay]

I meant from his first start after Ampadu’s injury a couple of years ago

[Victor_OTT_17]

It wouldn't have mattered how Farke set us up today.

I beg to differ! We beat Chelsea by taking the game to them. We setup to try and hold for a 0-0 today whether you agree with me or not...

[Finnatic]

I did say when he first broke into the team and I meant it.
I’m sure it’s tweaked your interest

[1964white]

I beg to differ! We beat Chelsea by taking the game to them. We setup to try and hold for a 0-0 today whether you agree with me or not...

We still conceded two goals with Okafor, Longstaff & Buonanotte on the pitch.

[Cjay]

I did say when he first broke into the team and I meant it.
I’m sure it’s tweaked your interest

Certainly not enough to check anyway

[weasel]

I beg to differ! We beat Chelsea by taking the game to them. We setup to try and hold for a 0-0 today whether you agree with me or not...

To compare it to the Chelsea game is not to take into account the difference in mentality of the players for those 2 teams. I do think we set up to contain Arsenal, look to frustrate them and then hope to hit them on the break or get at them later in the game when they pushed forward trying to force the win.

In the Chelsea match it was definitely the right approach to get into them from the start. They are a fragile team, West Ham showed that today.

We set up with a more attacking line-up, on paper, in the away match and struggled. I just think it is the case that they are a good team and if they play well then you need a lot of luck, we didn't really get any. Easy for some to make comparisons to Bodo Glint shocking teams but that is what it was in those games - 'shock.' Probably 99 times in 100 those results go the other way. Same with us and probably 9 out of 10 times we will lose to Arsenal. The gulf is massive, Look at today Sakha is injured so they replace him with a £50m player. They have £50m+ players sat on their bench.

We just have to dust ourselves down and try to win the next match. Lessons learnt and maybe a different tactic/formation/line-up when we play Arsenal in the cup final later this year.

[GreennWhite]

To compare it to the Chelsea game is not to take into account the difference in mentality of the players for those 2 teams. I do think we set up to contain Arsenal, look to frustrate them and then hope to hit them on the break or get at them later in the game when they pushed forward trying to force the win.

In the Chelsea match it was definitely the right approach to get into them from the start. They are a fragile team, West Ham showed that today.

We set up with a more attacking line-up, on paper, in the away match and struggled. I just think it is the case that they are a good team and if they play well then you need a lot of luck, we didn't really get any. Easy for some to make comparisons to Bodo Glint shocking teams but that is what it was in those games - 'shock.' Probably 99 times in 100 those results go the other way. Same with us and probably 9 out of 10 times we will lose to Arsenal. The gulf is massive, Look at today Sakha is injured so they replace him with a £50m player. They have £50m+ players sat on their bench.

We just have to dust ourselves down and try to win the next match. Lessons learnt and maybe a different tactic/formation/line-up when we play Arsenal in the cup final later this year.

Thats too much sense for some fans on here to understand.

[Irish Ian]

Thats too much sense for some fans on here to understand.

I think too many of us forget just how hard it is stay competive week in week out.

Farke tried something yesterday to try and bridge the huge void there is in quality between the two squads.

It didn't come off and we got spanked. He will feel hurt and want to avoid it happening again.
But that is no guarantee that it will.
There are are weaknesses in our squad that we will have to live with.


What I find funny is that we all knew there would be days like this when we promoted.

Well maybe not all of us.

[Irish Ian]

But when JP played Arsenal and was isolated against two of the best defenders in the league It was all his fault

Regardless DCL was poor today, ball never stuck at all

One of many who were poor tbf.

Noone said it was ALL his fault.

That leaves no room for the Farke bashing.

[DDB220]

Hopefully yesterdays drama is over and I can take a nice deep breath - exhale - turn the lights on and not have to peep through a crack in the curtains.

Frightening stuff getting called out on a forum. Still all over now - teddy and my favourite keyboard were a big help.

The big takeout of yesterday’s result is how we respond.

‘Such an appropriate line ‘

[White Riot]

That's football for you, James.

Arsenal were magnificent today.

I thought Arsenal never got out of first gear Leon. Just like the first match we played against them. We conceded soft goals from set pieces and let them play.

It was an abject surrender.

[White Riot]

They knew how weak we are down that side and targeted it - like most teams will be doing.

It's not just most teams Chapel, every team has targeted our left as it's been a fruitful source of goals all season long.

[Overman]

I think that Gruev just lowers the tempo.

The likes of Gruev and Darlow were mainly second choice players when we were in the Championship. They should not even have been part of the equation at this level and then we've still got Byram on the bench as well! This goes down to poor recruitment over the summer as we all know. However, we made it far too easy for Arsenal yesterday a training game for them. Hopefully we live and learn and pick ourselves up for the Forest game. The board really do need to bring one or two more shrewd signings.

[DDB220]

It's not just most teams Chapel, every team has targeted our left as it's been a fruitful source of goals all season long.

Hope this helps.

https://share.google/whctO6BS2sZFVjFbe

There is loads of data, some of which is contradictory - but my takeout is that most of the elite wide players in the prem over the last few years operate on the right side of the pitch.

[1964white]

I thought Arsenal never got out of first gear Leon. Just like the first match we played against them. We conceded soft goals from set pieces and let them play.

It was an abject surrender.

Every goal was defended woefully, James.

It seemed to me only Joe Rodon came out of this defensive mess with some credit. I'll have to watch the match again to analyse our defenders accurately

Poor marking for first goal, albeit a wonderful whipped in cross.

Calvert-Lewin seem to get in the way of Darlow for their second goal,

Struijk committed himself too early with his miss-tackle & didn't stop the cross in the box, where Bogle was caught napping, allowing Gyökeres to tap in.

For their fourth goal, Struijk got done again as Jesus turned him inside out to score with ease.

I have to say Arsenal's crosses into the box are sheer quality.

[DDB220]

Every goal was defended woefully, James.

It seemed to me only Joe Rodon came out of this defensive mess with some credit. I'll have to watch the match again to analyse our defenders accurately

Poor marking for first goal, albeit a wonderful whipped in cross.

Calvert-Lewin seem to get in the way of Darlow for their second goal,

Struijk committed himself too early with his miss-tackle & didn't stop the cross in the box, where Bogle was caught napping, allowing Gyökeres to tap in.

For their fourth goal, Struijk got done again as Jesus turned him inside out to score with ease.

I have to say Arsenal's crosses into the box are sheer quality.

The striking difference to our block is how deep as team we often are. The defensive line is a 5 yards inside the 18 yard box and the midfield line is on the edge of the 18 yard box. DCL was isolated because when we win possession we either lumped it or lost the ball in the few attempts we tried to pass it out from defence.

In contrast the Arsenal set up when we had a few periods of possession was much higher.
Their press and squeeze is impressively coordinated.

We struggled to break their lines, particularly centrally, every attack we mounted was pretty much down the flanks and our final delivery when we did find some space was lacking quality.

The difference in quality was very very evident.

It was akin to death by a thousand cuts as our confidence just evaporated.

[White Riot]

Every goal was defended woefully, James.

It seemed to me only Joe Rodon came out of this defensive mess with some credit. I'll have to watch the match again to analyse our defenders accurately

Poor marking for first goal, albeit a wonderful whipped in cross.

Calvert-Lewin seem to get in the way of Darlow for their second goal,

Struijk committed himself too early with his miss-tackle & didn't stop the cross in the box, where Bogle was caught napping, allowing Gyökeres to tap in.

For their fourth goal, Struijk got done again as Jesus turned him inside out to score with ease.

I have to say Arsenal's crosses into the box are sheer quality.

100% Leon

Very slack defending and some very good quality delivery from Arsenal, they should have scored two or three more imo.

Darlow needs to shout and let his defenders know he's claiming the ball, if they get in the way then he needs to clean them out as well as the ball.

We've failed very badly in not bringing in a quality number one goalkeeper, but after that showing Perri needs to be reinstated.

[White Riot]

Hope this helps.

https://share.google/whctO6BS2sZFVjFbe

There is loads of data, some of which is contradictory - but my takeout is that most of the elite wide players in the prem over the last few years operate on the right side of the pitch.

I'd agree with that. But if that's the case then, other than the bottom three teams, why are we conceding more goals from our left than every team in the division?

And what is Farke doing to stop it?

Cos it seems like whatever he's trying isn't working all season long.