Arsenal vs Sheffield United

v.
EPL Week 4 - Sunday 4th October 2020 - Emirates Stadium​

Please keep all discussion related to the match within this thread.

Matchday Stats/Player Ratings - https://www.s24su.com/forum/index.php?match-day/match/arsenal-vs-sheffield-united.512/

Officials:

Referee: Lee Mason
Assistant Referee: Mark Scholes
Assistant Referee: Timothy Wood
Fourth Official: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: Andre Marriner
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Peter Kirkup

Coverage:

Follow via S24SU Twitter: https://twitter.com/s24su

Live TV Coverage:

 

[Iffy Onuora's Shiny Head]

Anyone criticising Lundstram for lack of effort recently should be berating Mcburnie.

The complete opposite of burke. Slow jogs to close people down, half attempts at 50 50s and not once did I see him sprint including for the goal against.

Surely when you've been dropped from the first XI you want to go out there and prove a point. I've stuck up for him so far but that Chelsea game seems a very long time away for him.

 

[jt64]

We're lacking so much creativity in midfield. We need to revert to Norwood/Fleck/Berge next game

 

[A Storm of Blades]

What’s pissing me off is we’ve turned into everything clueless pundits thought we’d be last year. Hoof and puff, no creative edge, defensive, long throws. What on earth has happened?!?!

 

[ATL Recs]

No different to Everton away last season defending the last third exceptionana

Outclassed for the most part.

Some positives.

Thought Lunny had a good game.

UTB

ffs he played at one pace never drove forward and in good positions played square and back lost the ball or gave it to a red not green shirt often but played well

 

[JayGreen17]

That second half was difficult to watch, Burke has great pace but is terrible on the ball, the midfield was like another Defensive line with no creativity, Berge has been good this season but that wasn’t great and can see Norwood back next game, it’s hard to take at the minute, but we’ll come good after these tricky October games, it’s gonna be slog until November and we might have some making up to do points wise which adds to the pressure.

 

[Varkanoid]

Look on the bright side we are only 4 places behind Man City and Man Utd !

 

[bromtom]

We got beat by a better side and on another day we might have got a point at the end

And on this day, we didn't and we're absolutely pointless in their half for 75 minutes.

Not a slasher, we have the tools to get results, but only if we start playing to win.

 

[JayGreen17]

No different to Everton away last season defending the last third exceptionana

ffs he played at one pace never drove forward and in good positions played square and back lost the ball or gave it to a red not green shirt often but played well

I didn’t even realise he was in the pitch.

 

[HydeParkBlade]

A flat midfield sacrifices a #10 but is a compromise worth taking if it means we are defensively solid. We aren't defensively solid at the moment and we completely lack creativity in midfield. I really think starting with a 3-4-1-2 again is worth trying.

 

[DronnieBlade]

No different to Everton away last season defending the last third exceptionana

ffs he played at one pace never drove forward and in good positions played square and back lost the ball or gave it to a red not green shirt often but played well

Centric to a lot of our better play today.

You must have your COVID mask pulled up a smidge too high !!

UTB

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Berge RCM, Norwood middle fleck or Osborn left. Lunny isn't creative at all. Norwood is.

 

[JPSharpy93]

That second half was difficult to watch, Burke has great pace but is terrible on the ball, the midfield was like another Defensive line with no creativity, Berge has been good this season but that wasn’t great and can see Norwood back next game, it’s hard to take at the minute, but we’ll come good after these tricky October games, it’s gonna be slog until November and we might have some making up to do points wise which adds to the pressure.

Agreed, Berge has many positive attributes but atttacking with any kind of urgency isn’t one of them.

 

[HeySethUTB]

We're lacking so much creativity in midfield. We need to revert to Norwood/Fleck/Berge next game

The problem with that is we need to use the midfield on the ball rather than asking them to chase scraps around off the top of people’s head. The amount of times we progressed the ball into arsenals half before going all the way back to rammers to boot it forward, to then lose it is so frustrating. To many centre backs in this division can play meaning if the kick is not perfect the ball is scooped up and hidden from us.

We all know we can play, wheres the Sheffield Utd that played Man Utd, Chelsea, Tottenham, Burnley, Liverpool (BDTBL) and Arsenal last season. It goes to show just how much we as fans do to help the lads which is nice, but at the moment it’s a back handed complement.

 

[Blade56]

What happened to attacking like last season? I’d rather go down with a fight than that pathetic whimper, embarrassing. When we did try going forward we rocked them back on their heels and could have made a game of it. Sitting back and parking the bus is not the blades way, poor show Wilder!

 

[ilovesufc]

Centric to a lot of our better play today.

You must have your COVID mask pulled up a smidge too high !!

UTB

I think you have DronnieBlade ! Lunny was constantly giving the ball away like he has been doing all season. He's meant to be box to box yet spends most of his time going sideways and even more frequently backwards. For the first goal he was standing like a statue in the box while things unfolded around him. No covering for Baldock or Bash. He's so average.

 

[Bladesman]

What’s pissing me off is we’ve turned into everything clueless pundits thought we’d be last year. Hoof and puff, no creative edge, defensive, long throws. What on earth has happened?!?!

Long throws that we do completely fuck all with as well.

 

[essexblade73]

Long throws that we do completely fuck all with as well.

They aren't even that long. Barely hit the front man

 

[Kev Gee]

I think we need to recognise that without JOC, we are going to concede at least 1 goal per game. In order to counteract this we need to be more positive.
Time to change our approach or we will go down.

 

[HeySethUTB]

A flat midfield sacrifices a #10 but is a compromise worth taking if it means we are defensively solid. We aren't defensively solid at the moment and we completely lack creativity in midfield. I really think starting with a 3-4-1-2 again is worth trying.

With no freeman around, got give Fleck the role in behind Didzy and OliMac, Norwood and Berge holding with interchangeable runs forward to join in a chance. Fleck has got it in his locker Aston Villa, Burnley and Man Utd at home proved that.

 

[robbiez666]

We offered almost nothing in that game.

We defended ok first half but Arsenal didn't really offer a great deal. We created absolutely nothing going forward. McGoldrick had to come back to get the ball and whilst Burke makes some great runs they tend to end with him losing the ball.

Our midfield was non-existent. Osborn ran around a bit, chasing shadows, Berge didn't impose himself and Lunny seems to get in the fight positions and then do something stupid. The midfield is far too far behind the attackers.

We only got back in the game, like we did with Wolves, because the opposition took their foot off the gas and let us.

Ramsdale - 6 - Made a good safe from his own kicking error and didn't look that dependable. Didn't have the greatest to do as Arsenal were pretty rubbish.
Enda - 6 - Defended pretty well but didn't get forward all too much. An error on the goal but largely Robinson's mistake?
Robinson 5- Looked slow with the ball at his feat and always close to a mistake. Not the answer there and I'd rather see Stevens move inside. Can we not sacrifice the left footed shape for Ampadu?
Egan - 6.5 Couple of wobbly moments but did well. protected the ball and made some good headers
Bash - 6 - Made some good headers and got forward but looked off his game.
Osborn - 5 - Ran around a lot, normally chasing one of their places. His positioning looks all over the shop and his decision-making was poor
Berge - 5.5 - Looks good at time on the ball and looks capable of making a defence turning pass. Does not do it often enough and gets caught dwelling on the ball far too often
Lunny - 5.5 - Gets in good position but his final shot, cross, pass is generally dire. Makes so many wrong decision and far too slow in making them
Burke - 6 - Makes some great run but there' s usually nothing from his end product. Not good at holding a ball up. Still up against it today but fails to challenge for headers, albeit he closes down quite well (but seemed to do much less of it today).
McGoldrick - 6 - Terrible first half but got no service. Looked like he'd been told to play further up the field but didn't know what to do there. Should never be playing with Burke. Doesn't work. Second half he dropped deep to pick up the ball and much more influential but then no one upfront. Scored a very good goal and was prepared to have another go from outside the box.

McBurnie - 6 - At least had a shot but doesn't seem to put himself about or cause defenders much problem
Sharp - 5- Why did we give him an extra 2 years? Works hard and a good pro but not good enough at this level
Fleck - 5 - Much the same as Osborn but with less running

It has been noticeable this season how easy our midfield have been to play through when teams have gone through the middle. So simple to get to our box.

 

[The Vicar]

No excuses, we just defended & offered nothing up front, 78 minutes until our first shot says it all. We only got a foot in the game when they dropped off & Billy came on & we had a more offensive formation.

Thought Osborne & Lunny were poor today & SB was not great, but very little going forward to pass to!

But another goal from a header is criminal, I cannot understand why GB did not stand on Sako & challenge for the ball instead of playing statues on the line.

The sharpness & intensity that Leeds are playing with this season is what we had last season, but it has disappeared completely. The amount of times we got into a crossing position and did not get a cross in was poor. We look like we have no urgency or energy, never mind quality.

At the moment we have what looks like a Championship strike force playing in front of a team that has forgotten what made it so successful! Personally I think RB will be one for the future, whether he can do enough for us this season waits to be seen.

Today was the first time I have been questioning of CW, it was as if we set up not to lose & failing that keep the score down, then when all is lost give it a go. It was difficult not to watch this & not see the gulf in quality that was present, & will be there all season.

As said earlier, I think we will be bottom 6 until December at the earliest & maybe later. Then I think the weight of games that others will have [CL, EL, Carabaou] will start to take their toll, & then we will have a chance to get some points.

But for the first time in 4 years I have to question CW.

Happiest team today is Burnley!

 

[Davalon]

I think we need to recognise that without JOC, we are going to concede at least 1 goal per game. In order to counteract this we need to be more positive.
Time to change our approach or we will go down.

Robinson offers nothing going forward apart from his long throw compared to JOC by having watched our first four games, I can't help think teams are adapting to our system better.

Whether some teams were a little cocky or thought it beneath them to adapt to our system last season, but in all four games I've seen evidence that the opposition has made changes to nullify our movement from the wing backs and centre halves.

 

[HeySethUTB]

It has been noticeable this season how easy our midfield have been to play through when teams have gone through the middle. So simple to get to our box.

This. Load of good points in that robbiez666, the flat 3 was to make us defensively more solid but it’s clearly not effective, teams haven’t suddenly worked out how to stop us going forward, they have just worked out how to break us down meaning we spend most games looking at the wrong goal, with little pace to spring counter attacks. If it’s not being played into the channels for one man to chase its being hoofed up for one man to head.

 

[HydeParkBlade]

With no freeman around, got give Fleck the role in behind Didzy and OliMac, Norwood and Berge holding with interchangeable runs forward to join in a chance. Fleck has got it in his locker Aston Villa, Burnley and Man Utd at home proved that.

I agree Fleck could play there. Been saying this for ages. That's where he played when he was a teenager and was being dubbed as the next Rooney

 

[Revolution]

They aren't even that long. Barely hit the front man

that one at the end was pathetic.

 

[robbiez666]

The sharpness & intensity that Leeds are playing with this season is what we had last season, but it has disappeared completely.

this is a great point. We came back tired post lockdown and we've looked 'not at it' since, apart from a few games.

We never seem to have a proper go until we're behind. We start so slow and ponderously.

 

[essexblade73]

that one at the end was pathetic.

He spent ages wiping the ball and then threw it like larry grayson

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Its painful isn’t it, defend, defend, defend, until the other team has scored, then we go chasing the game with what little time we have left with no threat or any kind of creativity. Do we ever try anything different, such as throwing Lowe or Bogle on...? No, we take off our best outlet and throw on McBurnie and Sharp to try save the day

Aah thoort thhaa were Billy wit naame laahk
.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Just 7 defeats in a row. A fucking rocket up the anus is needed.

when we genuinely tried to attack and not smash aimless punts up field we looked a little bit like our old selves.

lets not kid ourselves though we didnt deserve anything from today, we were far to negative. We cant rely on our defense to get us through the season we need composure and to switch to a a more attacking minded and composed state of mind.

We have also invested heavily on players who are sitting on the bench. Why have we done this? Generaly i think our midfield needs the biggest overhaul to bring that composure and link from defense to the front without the constant aimless long balls. This may come back to bite us that we didnt invest more there.

we look a MUCH better team when we try and pass. The second the hoofs start in the worlds strongest domestic league in the world you are fucked.

Our crossing and simple passing from every midfielder then George and Enda, was abysmal.

 

[Weasel]

What is absolutely infuriating is when we win the ball back high up the pitch, have their players out position and some of ours oin advanced positions, and then one of ours will stop, put a foot on it and then pass it back.....as all the opposition players get back into a nice compact defensive formation again.

It does my head in when we do that. The attacking pace of a snail.