Swansea 3-2 Arsenal: Swans do Arsenal better than Arsenal

By: Brenton | January 15th, 2012

Swansea: 61% possession in the first half.

I almost feel like I should just leave it at that. Not often do we have less of the ball than opposing teams. This is what it felt like:

We got to celebrate early, then not so much after that.

I’m not sure I can recap this game. I’ll try.

We scored very early, then decided that we weren’t really very good and played like it. We were really quite bad.

With just 4 minutes gone Arshavin sent RvP through to the right of goal, and with the angles seemingly covered, he still managed to bang it in near-side past Vorm. Swansea had allowed just 4 goals in 10 games at home, so this felt like a breakthrough. The game was quite open, considering how stingy the Swans’ defence has been so far.

Swansea got one back in the 16th on a dubious penalty call, though I didn’t see it at the time as I was making tea. Nathan Dyer spun in the penalty area and landed on Ramsey’s awkwardly kicked-out leg. The referee was perfectly positioned to see it, and from the tv angle it did look like Ramsey kicked Dyer’s foot out from under him, but it was an unlucky call. Wojo guessed right but didn’t get to it.

It could have been 2-1 on 30 minutes had RvP taken just a tad more time on a nearly identical run, but Vorm stayed big and got a hand to it.

We were pretty crap for most of the half; I can’t even be bothered to go over the rest of it.

We tied it up on a really nice goal from Theo. Djourou sent a beautiful ball through and Theo, in the only good play he made, sent a low, fast, chip over Vorm to tie it up.

However, less than one minute later Swansea were back in front. Substitute (and best passer of the second half) Sigurdsson threaded a lovely ball through to Danny Graham, who made the most of an easy situation to bang one in.

Wojo should have done better, Miquel should have done better, Koscielny should have done better… Ugh.

And that was it for goals. We sent Henry, AOC and Rosicky on, and carved out a couple chances, but never really threatened to win. Swansea passed better, pressed better and played like we wish we could. They deserved to win, and we really didn’t.

We’re now 4 points behind Chelsea, level with Newcastle and one up on Liverpool. Most importantly, we’re 10 points behind Tottenham. Fuck that. The Homey Train will have a few new passengers after this one.

Player ratings

Ramsey was shit, Song was shit, Walcott was shit except for his goal, Arshavin wasn’t great, Mertesacker was poor, and Szczesny wasn’t very good, Djourou is quite clearly not a right back, Miquel looks like he’ll make a strong leader one day but is no natural left back, Benayoun didn’t look like he could cope with his position, van Persie was isolated, Henry hasn’t gelled, Rosicky didn’t change much, and Oxlade-Chamberlain is very young. Koscielny tried.

I’m loathe to give out a Man of the Match award; here’s what Darren had to say:

Just finished watching that crap. Too bad I’m not earlier because I wouldn’t mind writing how bad they all freaking were. Brenton, give Miquel the man of the match please, he at least looked like he cared. Could you imagine having to travel to Wales to watch that lack of effort?

Guh.

Here’s hoping next game is easier…

Some Related Stories:

Category: Arsenal News

« Liveblog 3000! Many Brentons in Swansea edition | Home | Trouble »

caligunner

wow, this comments section is depressing. The attacking performance was pretty good. 3-4 really good goalscoring opportunities and some decent interchange amongst the attackers.

Arsenal made some bad defensive errors in this one and gave the ball away too cheaply in midfield. Other than that it was an evenly played game. Swansea kept the ball very well and you have to give them credit for it. I thought Arsenal chased the ball way too much in midfield(Song, Ramsey) and got pulled out of position way too easily by Swansea's passing. Ramsey/Kos mistakes really did cost Arsenal the game and over a long season, these kind of mistakes will happen.

Arsenal are not a great team right now. Probably not as bad as the beginning of the season and probably not as good as the good run of fall form. When you rely on a 21 year old in midfield with no significant first team experience, you are going to get mistakes. Plus its just one game, cheer up.
Rico

Just one game?

Swansea 3-2 Arsenal
Fulham 2-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Wolves

Should of been a easy 9 points. no?
caligunner

Fair enough.

Fulham is always a tough place to play and Arsenal just ran out of gas in the end.

Team played well enough to win against Wolves.

Very good teams go through runs of mediocre and bad form in a long season. This Arsenal team is probably just good and bad pockets of form should be expected.
Perry S.

Meh.
Homey_Mills

I've hopefully not been doing the roller coaster of opinions during this season. I've been trying to say the same thing all along. A few weeks ago, I had to try to tell people there was no way we were competing for the league title. But now today, on the other hand, I would say that we can't just write off finishing 4th either. It's still a possible goal, but catching Spurs seems very distant, and Chelsea should only be getting better. So it will be very tough.

I don't know about saying we won't win a title for another five years. There's a shot at winning the FA Cup this year. And it's still a big club that's competitive every year, so there should be chances at winning things in the future, with or without Wenger.

Still, having said all that, I've been consistent with the "Homey Train" all along. When things were going well, I still said the team was too thin and too reliant on one player in superb form. I still feel that way, and now we're seeing things come apart. Despite Wenger's historical greatness, there is simply NO excuse for the mismanagement of so many things for so long. Waiting until the last minute to sell star players, then making rushed decisions at the deadline to bring in new players, after the season has begun horribly. Not addressing the back line in previous seasons. Saying there's tons of money to spend, but not spending it. On and on... sorry for beating a dead horse here. I didn't want to "win" the argument by seeing the team perform poorly. But I guess there's some vindication in seeing people start to see what I've been seeing for a while.
soji

Just one comment: Only a fool will look at this team and say its a 4th place caliber team much less an epl championship caliber team, especially now. We lack quality big time, and Mr Wenger always says 'when i see a special, quality player, i'll buy'. Perhaps Mr Wenger has lost the ability to pick out quality even if quality slapped him in the face. We thank the heavens for RVP, we would be rubbish with him.
Anger Disclaimer (all my teams lost this week: LSU, SAINTS and ARSENAL, thats a emotional roller coaster folks) Peace!
Kas123

Soji........? Roll Tide. Just had to say that. Wink
Martin

Hey, at least the Saints and Arsenal could get the ball across midfield.
Kas123

If Hazard signs for Chelsea, I will totally join your train Homey. Arsenal tracks Mata, Mata signs for Chelsea. Arsenal bids for Cahill, Chelsea signs Cahill. What will happen next? Oh let me guess, Arsenal tracks Hazard, Hazard signs for Chelsea (please dont). Arsenal have bid rejected by Dortmund, Goetze signs for Chelsea. What a disaster that would be. Something is really rotten in North London and it's starting to stink. Wenger, talk to us, we need to know whats happening. There is no way you can go from being the professor to the fuck-up.
Guest

Moussa Sow and maybe Gemaine DeFoe to Liverpool. Hazard to Chelsea. Who is Wenger in for. Stan's ass?
Guest

Money talks and Chelsea can pay more than us.

Cahill is shit anyway
brenton

Agree, Cahill is overrated.
Kas123

People, what are we fussing about? It wasn't the sorry fools that call themselves Arsenal players that lost the game for us, it was the referee. Its always the referee. We need to get a few new officials during the transfer windows so we can get better calls, score goals, and win games. Or at least that what Wenger thinks.
Patoux21

we can expect sarcasm and mockery till the end of the season
Kas123

Sorry Patoux, but when do you stop blaming others and take responsibility.
Patoux21

it wasnt a criticism myself I am being very sarcastic about Wenger at the moment
Kas123

Lmao, Oh.
Will

When I had my own "short stint" with my old school's soccer team, if there was ever any minor fuck-up, stupid goal, failure to mark, or penalty given away (let alone losing), the coach would lose his head. I sometimes wonder, with our ability to return to the pitch after HT and look just as dreadful, if the players really fear Wenger at all in that respect.
Kas123

Good point Will.
Patoux21

Coach rating: Arsene Wenger was shit
Arsene Wengers Conscience

AT least he sat all by himself. And wore a nice homeless person coat. He'll be admitted to a psychiatric center soon. You'll see.
Patoux21

I was more impressed by his killer sneakers I though he was going to play and kick the ball
Tomisin

Nice player ratings btw lol
Tomisin

Wow...I dont blame you or anything Brenton, but this review made me feel even worse than before
Darren_V

Could've been worse. I could've written it
brenton

Yah, sorry. Couldn't do anything about it.
Gunner Patey

Wait until we play Inited next Sunday. You'll feel even worse. The rule should be no recaps after losses. But, then there would be no blogs.
Rico

History to repeat itself?
Receive a thrashing and then some late panic spending at the end of January?
Tomisin

We can only hope...but the Fulham game was supposed to be the 8-2 of this transfer window, the catalyst of some transfer activity.
Gunny

Shite. I'm getting used to the taste of it. That's bad. Very bad. Wenger should have to eat a bucket of it after every game like that. It would teach him a lesson that he appears incapable of learning.
a concerned gunner

i hope we now realise how important arteta is to the team. we couldnt keep the ball for nothing at all
Stevepatriks43

I have never been one of the “Wenger out” brigade,
but& it’s becoming more and more convincing. I always figured that
Arsène needed to change a FEW SIMPLE things, but he has continually
failed to even SEE our issues let alone make the required changes. And
then it hit me – what if he’s just not able to? What if he has taken us
as far as his weary legs can? There’s absolutely no shame in that –
after all, people like Martin Luther King, William Wallace and Moses
didn’t make it all the way to the “Promised Land”. When we attain that
seemingly elusive “self sustainability”, I’m sure he’ll get the credit
for his contributions. But please& let’s consider that perhaps he
has run out of ideas and has become a liability to the club (against his
intentions, I’m sure), and would do more for the club at this point if
he made way for some fresh ideas. I think he has survived enough on the
merits of his previous achievements, but we must now act solely in the
interests of the club, look forward, and create new history.
Will

This is a good point, but I'm still not sure Wenger leaving is the right way to go. We've not won anything recently, and this has been a terrible season... but he's certainly got a smart head on his shoulders, and you wonder if there is another manager in the world right now who develops youth and manages money better than Wenger, which is what we need given our lack of "rich benefactor." And Reasonable, I think you're being unreasonable; the Invincibles side would coast towards this title, challenged only by City, perhaps. 2004/5 is not long enough ago that the league's change in player quality could be comparable to Napoleon's army versus the US Marines.
Reasonable

Let's just wait for 5 more years of no trophies. 12 years of no trophies and out of the CL will be a lot more reasonable. Right Homey?

Can't beat a 10 man Wolves side at Home. Embarrassed by a Martin Jol coached Fulham. Destroyed by Swansea City for the first time in 30 years. You're right. It's all so reasonable now.

Persie gone this summer. Nasri, Cesc, Clichy, Adebayor gone. Mata to Chelsea, Hazard to Chelsea or City or wherever. Wenger spinning his arms like a windmill. Things are looking up. Just wait another 7 years.
Will

No need to be so hostile. I only said that the Invincibles are not "ancient history" as you put it. I'm not sure how I feel about Wenger, but I was addressing Steve about how I think he is quite accomplished. We all know what's already happened.
Reasonable

If Moussa Sow goes to Liverpool (he's been quoted as saying he would love to play in front of the Kop) and Eden Hazard goes to Chelsea and we get NOBODY, then I'm sorry, Wenger msut move back to France. Not trying to be hostile. Just somewhat reasonable since I'm so damn frustrated.
Reasonable

Time for some new history. 7 years of no trophies is enough. Forget the ancient history. It's like thinking Napoleon could beat the US Marines.
Rico

I like this recap it's honest, showing the disappointment and annoyance of how we all feel after watching that horse piss. I can't believe how pissed off am getting at this team. Constantly under performing and the lack of heart to play for the shirt on their backs.
Frankly I'm coming to the end of the line myself. I really want things to change. Either the management structure or the board as things are going from worse to pathetic, we bypassed bad to worse. This includes some of the players. If they're not good enough get them out. No more Mr Nice Guy. You either perform to your ability and if its not good enough then take care and goodbye.
Richest Club in North London and we have that to show for it.

P.S I thought your ratings were spot on.
Patoux21

What is more worrying is that it seems Chelsea our main rival for 4th spot is going to invest in quality players they already have Cahill and are pushing hard to get Hazard. On the other end Arsenal is testing some unknown left back from Oman's second division. I have no idea about this player's quality but there's probably a reason why he's only playing in some minor league.
Gunner4lf

Chelsea get Mata and Hazard and we get Benayoun. Good lesson. Forget Arteta too.
Gigi

I respect you a lot Brenton, your work to write a recap after that game is no easy task (from the spychological part al least) it takes a man to stand up and do it. Thanks (frankly I was thinking no one would write a single word.
Perry S.

Great team effort on losing.
Swansea Jack

Errr... am I missing something here? The game I saw yesterday finished 3-2 to Swansea
brenton

That was weird. I have no idea what I was thinking. Depression set in, perhaps?
Homey_Mills

Yes, the one I saw yesterday finished 3-2 as well. At least the goals are mentioned in the recap, if not the headline.
Arsene Wenger

I wrote the headline. I'm delirious. I need a freaking psychiatrist.
Martin

Yes. I think you were missing the part of his comment where he said "losing." And the sarcasm, which has become quite the fixture on this comments section.

EDIT: And I'm an idiot. Don't understand why you were responding to Perry's comment, but your point about the scoreline was correct, I totally failed to notice that.
Perry S.

Heh, massive levels of confusion abound. On another note, I honestly still have high hopes for our club. I still believe a #4 finish is absolutely possible and not laughable as so many believe. We have a series of players coming back from the shelf; players who have such a massive impact in our play and improving the quality of our team. I'm pretty excited to see out the rest of the season.