Premier League - Arsenal vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

[Bluemike]

Definitely looks like a back 3 with Johnson and Davis as wing backs

[mendipblue]

Woolfenden it is !!! 3-4-3 ??

Disagree. 3 5 11. Woolfenden, Greaves and O'shea at the back, Johnson anan Davis wing backs

[WarsawBlue]

What does Christian Walton have to do ... ? What does Muric have to do ... ? I don't really want to find out tonight, but something needs to change. A sudden fantastic improvement would be OK with me! [2002, outside Highbury when the team coach arrived, George Burley looked pretty deflated sat at the front - but it's not that bad this time - I still believe!]

[mugen1]

Why? Just why Muric?

[TODD66]

Interesting stat mentioned on Amazon.

Town only conceded 1 goal as a result of 112 corners.

Impressive levels of defence on that front!

[TODD66]

Anyone else thinking about watching from behind the sofa in a Dr Who scary monsters might appear way

Hoping for a result but just a little apprehensive

[Frosty]

Nice even contest

[Cabanas Blue]

I think we have them worried most teams have scored in the first couple of minutes.

[hallamblue]

Usual powder puff header clearance from the number 6 maestro ...crossed back in and he funks up the clearance again. Priceless

[Frosty]

Enivitable, Davis looked at fault there

[Bluemike]

A 1-0 massacre

[ashfordblue]

Going by this first half we are looking more like a division One team all chasing shadows, we need Hutchingson on the right and bring Jack Clarke on the left we have to try and open them up, so far Davis looks crap and certainly off his game, Szmodics is useless, Delap just not good enough too clumsy, overall we are destitute a typical team that will be fighting relegation, we've got no one who can hold the ball and get some movement going, let hope for a better 2nd half

[mugen1]

Arsenal free kick yet a couple of minutes ago we get nothing despite there being similar contact

[ITFC2024]

That’ll help our goal difference, now let’s beat Chelsea!

[Blue Wilf]

Hate cheating arsenal and this stupid league with its stupid refs (as bad as all of the other leagues sadly!). Omari poor tonight but quite why arsenal fans wanted to boo a 20 year old I don't know - w*nkers. We defended OK in the main and arsenal were just so much better all round really - not surprisingly. We were OK but had no threat. Can't help but feel that I wish we had played that conservatively in a few other games and held onto points rather than throwing them away - would have meant that no points tonight matters less but sadly, we fall further behind with chelsea to come...

[Bluemike]

Happy at only conceding one but what a bore fest, shearer was right, we never put the ball in the box when we did get a chance, Hutchinson was woeful, Delap not in the game, had no chance really, Phillips pretty rank and Johnson and Davis mostly poor.

[Cabanas Blue]

Happy with the second half and Muric hardly put a foot wrong and it looks like Jack Clarke has had his hair cut

[Charnwood]

Woolfenden it is !!! 3-4-3 ??

Disagree. 3 5 11. Woolfenden, Greaves and O'shea at the back, Johnson anan Davis wing backs

11 attackers and we may have had a shot on target.

[Charnwood]

I think we have them worried most teams have scored in the first couple of minutes.

Szmodics had his chance but didn’t make contact with the ball .

[Blue Wilf]

Happy with the second half and Muric hardly put a foot wrong and it looks like Jack Clarke has had his hair cut

The haircut was indeed welcome but he was still totally ineffective.

[Charnwood]

It wasn’t brilliant but closer than most of us predicted. Had we been that determined in defence all season we could have easily been six points better off than we are and sitting in 15th place in the table. Maybe a lesson there Kieran.

[Cabanas Blue]

It wasn’t brilliant but closer than most of us predicted. Had we been that determined in defence all season we could have easily been six points better off than we are and sitting in 15th place in the table. Maybe a lesson there Kieran.

Yes agree I wonder what Team he will put out on Monday, I think Hutchinson needs a rest he was poor and I think Broadhead has earned a start he has been looking lively in games.

[hallamblue]

By and large I thought that was a very
disciplined display by the team. We just need a striker capable of taking the rare chances we get.

I still stand by my earlier comment, that we should continue with this formation ( but not all the players that played tonight), for some of our other games. Had we played this against other teams this season i think we'd have more points in the bag.

Arsenal stuck 5 past Palace at their place. I thought we managed their threat well.

[ashfordblue]

It was a better 2nd half but Delap was bloody awful glad when they took him off, replacement Al Mahdi is not up to this standard, and I can't see him staying here, Davis had a bad game and needs replacing he's not learning, Johnson was ok, and Wolfenden, Cajuste, Greaves, Phillips, O'Shea, had good games, Szmodics is a bit out of his depth tonight but when Broadhead came on he had some nice touches, and Jack Clarke was ok but has work to do to improve his game he's looking fragile, this is what we needed when Jack Clarke played on the left Hutchinson on the right it opened up the game more, Muric had a much better game but had no chance with their tap in, BUT overall we are miles off the pace and we missed Morsy in Midfield but Cajuste and Phillips paired up well so if we can play 3 midfield and not 2 it will help in our other games coming up, we must get much better quality players coming in the window and Axel back in the fold asap we might scrape home to 15th or 17th safety, but two full backs right and left are a must, plus another striker,

[Frosty]

Happy at only conceding one but what a bore fest, shearer was right, we never put the ball in the box when we did get a chance, Hutchinson was woeful, Delap not in the game, had no chance really, Phillips pretty rank and Johnson and Davis mostly poor.

Agree with that Mike, accept I thought Phillips had a reasonable game

[ITFC2024]

So I’m hearing Chelsea will rest some players. We’ll be at home, so I think we should go all out attack! With the crowd behind us, and hopefully the first goal…we can win this! I have a feeling we’ll win! COYB!!!!!

[Bluemike]

I hope it hasn't gone unnoticed that at both Spurs and last night we played a different formation to every other game and by and large both times were relatively successful so ditch the bloody 4-2-3-1 as some have been asking for for weeks.

[Ricco]

But remember Mike, we know nothing, and speaking out against the process is blasphemous!

[ITFC2024]

I hope it hasn't gone unnoticed that at both Spurs and last night we played a different formation to every other game and by and large both times were relatively successful so ditch the bloody 4-2-3-1 as some have been asking for for weeks.

I think fortress is a better description for that line up. Yeah, the 4-2-3-1 doesn't work with the players we have. I still think we should be more open and attacking when playing at home, but with that said we should adapt to a more defensive structure when we are ahead in matches, especially later on.

Other thoughts from the match, I think Broadhead needs a start. It probably wouldn't hurt to have Omari on the bench for a change to give him a rest. I also think the selected formations going forward should focus on strengthening the midfield. If that means three dedicated MFs then so be it.

Final thought...is there any way we can off load Jack Clarke? What a complete disappointment he's been.

[osborne77]

I agree about having a more flexible approach to the defensive formation but I do think a back four with Davis in can work with Tuanzebe fit at right back and O’Shea/Greaves as they affectively move across and become a back three when he bombs on.

Unfortunately, our cover at right back is not up to that, particularly Harry who’s positional play is shocking sometimes. The difficulty with a more defensive back three/five is that it can show up the lack of quality we have in attack more, so it’s always a balance.