Arsenal 3-0 West Ham Utd (05/04/17)

[Cardiff here we come.....]

Our back five for most of last season was Adrian, Tomkins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell - four of whom had been drilled together under the prior manager. Not one of them played tonight for various reasons, sadly the replacements are all below the standard those 5 set last season.

Saying that we used to have a quite solid defence with Joey O'Brien & George McCartney with Carlton Cole up front to get us goals...

Agree with you the personnel this season is not as good as that defence you mentioned above... but we did concede 4 vs Swansea , 3 vs Arsenal etc....with those players in the latter part of last season. As others have said on KUMB the warning signs were showing LAST SEASON.

Imo 'Coaching' of our squad has caused this season's downfall...not so much the personnel.

[Stringey]

Sadly we look a sorry state of a team that have no idea how to defend. This coming from a manager and coach in Bilic and Dicks who were quality defenders themselves. They clearly have no idea how to turn this round, we look like conceding a minimum of 3 goals per game, relegation looms large, time for change before we find ourselves finished in this league.
Swansea now massive, but I can see them getting at least 2 with this lot not putting in any effort. Can we score 3??

[Hugh Jargon]

Just seen the 2nd goal. Proof that byram is out of his depth unfortunately. Problem is...he. knows it as well.

[My_Sobriquet]

We need a new manager unfortunately

[Wilko1304]

Had to go to Phantom of the Opera tonight. It was awful. Still happier I saw that than our shambles.

Randolph is a concept I can't grasp and doubt I ever shall.

[LincolnshireHammer]

Just seen the 2nd goal. Proof that byram is out of his depth unfortunately. Problem is...he. knows it as well.

Gave away a stone Waller too, but ref didn't give it.

He looks like a fish out of water, even against Swansea he will struggle.

[hammer1975]

Just seen the 2nd goal. Proof that byram is out of his depth unfortunately. Problem is...he. knows it as well.

Because he was the only one trying to close down an unmarked Walcott (who wasn't his man)? Byram was actually covering Sanchez.

[bowltorious]

Thought Byram was good until we conceded. Then, like the rest of the team, capitulated.

[POP POP POP Robson]

I wasn't sure if Bilic had lost the players, I am now, there was no effort, no fight, no nothing ....

I thought we showed a lot of effort in defending to keep a clean sheet away at Arsenal for an hour. It's not evidence Bilic has lost the players. I know we've let in 3 goals but it felt like there was more determination at least.

[hammer1975]

Thought Byram was good until we conceded. Then, like the rest of the team, capitulated.

It's interesting seeing the general trend of comments about Byram and Masuaku

Byram - a player who most seem to have decided isn't very good - plays well for 60 minutes and isn't directly responsible for any of the goals but loses his shape late on and was very lucky not to give away a penalty

Masuaku - a player who most seem to have decided is quite good - nearly gives a penalty in the first half, doesn't clear the ball for the first, puts in a powderpuff challenge on Ox-C for their third, and makes some excellent runs in the first half

In truth neither are good enough to be first choice full backs for us but one gets dug out and no doubt many think the other did well

[IronworksDave]

I thought we showed a lot of effort in defending to keep a clean sheet away at Arsenal for an hour. It's not evidence Bilic has lost the players. I know we've let in 3 goals but it felt like there was more determination at least.

I didn't see it like that at all .... Arsenal with all their external pressures were desperate not to concede and happy to play keep ball in the first half ... we didn't get a shot on target until the 75th minute ... come half-time they realised we posed no threat, pushed forward 10 metres and cut us to pieces ...

The sad truth is we all knew it was coming, who didn't know we'd concede three goals? but unlike some of our more recent games we never once looked like scoring even one ....

It wasn't a case of us keeping a clean sheet more them just taking their time ... we were never in this game from the moment it kicked off ....

[Crouchend_Hammer]

An Arsenal team in one of their worse run of form for years. A team with a make shift back four and a third choice keeper. A club in crisis (relative for them).

However, we just rolled over and died. Absolutely nothing. An embarrassing performance with no energy, fight or competiveness.

A mediocre and lacklustre slide to the Championship. I think everyone has given up

[Doc H Ball]

Thought the first hour was reminiscent of Man U and Liverpool away. We matched them first half.

Then, predictably, their class told. How many times has Walcott done that to us?

I didn't see Sam's teams go away to the big teams and not get beat either. We had Randolph, Arthur, Collins, Fonte and Byram as our defence. As someone said earlier, you could take Bob Paisley and he couldn't do f*** all at Arsenal with that either.

I enjoyed my night again and I spit in the face of corporate football teeth nashing. I had a meal in a Hassidic restaurant with good friends, pints in a rough old hole, enjoyed the ground and its surroundings and thought we played with spirit until the first went in.

The Wenger In/Out chants were great fun. I won't go on the Slav thread cos it will take the shine off that realising that some of our lot are the same.

One final good thing about going to the Effeminates and losing is that no matter how low you might be, you come out and listen to those muppets dreading the Europa Cup and it cheers you right up! Bunch of c****.

[irving boleyn]

I trust Antonio's substitution was tactical ?

Although his excellent start to the game did tail off towards the end of the half so he may have been Injured.

[simon1982]

I trust Antonio's substitution was tactical ?

Although his excellent start to the game did tail off towards the end of the half so he may have been Injured.

He wasn't well and had to come off.

[Doc H Ball]

Without Antonio our attacking threat is now limited to Carroll finding a rare bit of space or Lanzini scoring something spectacular.

Ayew creates less than Rolf Harris presently. £20m?? f*** me, Dowie, Small and Jimmy 'The Tree' Quinn would be worth £100m between them in today's market.

[SirStoneyOfBow]

I don't have much to add but my feelings of frustration and desperation watching us play today.
Gutless, toothless and no game plan - Swansea will determine our season and if we stay up we have a LOT of work to do and a lot of **** to dump out.

[hadleighhammer]

I thought we did alright. Was their 1st a handball? I was sure it was but I'd had a few and opposite end of ground.

Far more embarrassed about the little Green Street wannabe youtube c**** at the end. Running up to the Arse fans knowing their stewards there and segregation so no chance of anything yet still trying act hard throwing some coffee bean signs with their mates recording it for youtube as if it some result.

Embarssing some the young twats we got now, can act well hard with a fence and a steward in they way but I bet **** it it if it got more lively. Got plenty smashed back when I was that age but knew my place and was never that much of a massive ****. Bring back full price tickets I reckon.

[kayahammer]

We look like a team which expects to lose

[Colours never run]

Randolph has to be dropped.

For all Adrian's bravado b**locks and running the risk of getting sent off, he's never made some of the clangers that Randolph has.

Must of been deflating for the team after they defended so well up until that point.

That's exactly how I also saw it. We worked tirelessly up until then to stay in the game and even looked comfortable containing them. Then yet another soft goal goes in after all that hard work and I could understand why heads went down and why Arsenal grew in confidence.

Randolph in goal is killing us and it makes me ****ing pissed off to think he keeps his position when time and again he's clearly not consistent enough at this level. The odd Cup game every once in a while was one thing but up against Premier League Teams week in, week out he looks well out of his depth.

I don't doubt he's a nice chap, but it's not enough to keep him and I hope we never see him represent us ever again. The Championship is his level.