Well, what do you want me to say? A few days after Tactically-Inept Manager contrives to watch his team blow a 3-0 lead against inferior opposition, blowing a simple 1-0 lead wasn't really ever going to be difficult, was it? Nope, no lead is safe with Tactically-Inept Manager!
That said, don't get me wrong - Swansea are no mugs and they were always going to be a tough out at their own ground. But, 1-0 up with half an hour to play, we should have been able to see it out. Then again, if you are ever surprised at our ability to throw away winning positions, you're either an eternal optimist or you haven't been a supporter that long.
The first half was largely the equivalent of the computer in FIFA playing two evenly-matched teams against themselves. I had figured before the match that Swansea might really go for it from the off, but instead they played a bit of a hybrid of their normal style, with more men back to defend than usual.
It worked a treat if we're being honest, especially as they did much more with the ball on the rare occasions when they had it. Calum Chambers has been excellent all season, but he had a right old mare today and the Swans took full advantage. Gylfi Sigurdsson and especially Jefferson Montero made his life a living hell all game long, and there were two instances in which the young lad could have had a penalty given against him. It won't be one for his autobiography, at any rate.
Essentially, each side had one decent chance in the first half. Swansea were first in the 35th minute, when the entire left side of our defense disintegrated. Kieran Gibbs was sucked into the middle (insert my usual screed about our fullback defense here), but Marvin Emnes shot straight down Wojciech Szczesny's throat. Up the other end, a beautiful series of passes between Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck led to the latter free on the right side of the area. Our old boy Lukasz Fabianski's positioning was excellent, but frankly Welbeck should have done far better with the chance.
Right before halftime, Aaron Ramsey might have scored when he volleyed a poor defensive clearance right back in. But, when things are going horseshit, they're going horseshit.
But, Alexis is still in absolute Beast Mode, and he scored again just after the hour mark. It was one hell of a team goal, too. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - who may have been our best player on the day - began the move with a barnstorming run down the right. It was worked out to Welbeck, who destroyed his marker with a brilliant cutback. He dragged it across the face of goal, where Sanchez was waiting for the tap-in.
You know, for a minute there I thought we'd actually go on to win this thing. Oh, Sean! How could you forget the comedy stylings of Tactically-Inept Manager?
As usual, the warning signs were there nanoseconds after we scored. Wilfried Bony was presented with a gilt-edged chance after Montero skinned Chambers for the umpteenth time, but he hilariously mis-kicked it. That gave us a reprieve of ten whole minutes before they equalized, though. We gave away a dumb free kick, and Sigurdsson lashed an absolute thunderbastard of a free kick over the Mini-Mes we had in the wall and into the net. Nothing Szczesny could do about that one.
Speaking of, there was also nothing our Pole in Goal could do three minutes later when they got their winner. As had been happening all match long, Chambers got torched by Montero down the right. He whipped in a cross, and Bafeimbi Gomis was able to beat out Ramsey to the header.
Thing is, though, that was the 78th minute. Where were the substitutions before that? It was bleedingly obvious that fresh legs were needed as Swansea started to control more of the ball, and it was also obvious that even young Hector Bellerin may have been a better option than an obviously-flailing Chambers. I mean, I've managed zero games and all, but I think I know where the real farce is, Arsene. Anyway, right after the goal, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere came on for Ramsey and Flamini in a classic case of bolting the barn door after the animals have already left.
Theo did what he could, but basically all Wilshere managed was to get a yellow card and bitch at the referee a lot.
Anyway, the most amazing sub was still to come. In the 89th minute, when no one would have enough time to affect proceedings, Tactically-Inept Manager hauled off Chambers for Yaya Sanogo. Yes, the guy with no goals to his name. So, let's take inventory - Tactically-Inept Manager puts on Lukas Podolski against Anderlecht at 3-2 when we badly need to shore up, and he puts on Sanogoals when we badly need to score...and with just one minute left in normal time to boot.
On current evidence, we have the worst manager in the Premier League. Go ahead, tell me I'm wrong.
Still, it's funny - after the Burnley result, I thought we were slowly coming into our own and ready to make a run. Now? I honestly believe that this may now be the year that we don't win the Arsene Wenger Memorial 4th Place Trophy.
The Modern Gooner Player Ratings:
Szczesny 7, Gibbs 6, Monreal 6, Mertesacker 6, Chambers 3 (Sanogo N/A), Flamini 6 (Walcott 6), Ramsey 6 (Wilshere 5), Cazorla 6, Sanchez 7, Oxlade-Chamberlain 7, Welbeck 6
Man of the Match: Jefferson Montero, for his ritual humiliation of young Chambers.
That said, don't get me wrong - Swansea are no mugs and they were always going to be a tough out at their own ground. But, 1-0 up with half an hour to play, we should have been able to see it out. Then again, if you are ever surprised at our ability to throw away winning positions, you're either an eternal optimist or you haven't been a supporter that long.
The first half was largely the equivalent of the computer in FIFA playing two evenly-matched teams against themselves. I had figured before the match that Swansea might really go for it from the off, but instead they played a bit of a hybrid of their normal style, with more men back to defend than usual.
It worked a treat if we're being honest, especially as they did much more with the ball on the rare occasions when they had it. Calum Chambers has been excellent all season, but he had a right old mare today and the Swans took full advantage. Gylfi Sigurdsson and especially Jefferson Montero made his life a living hell all game long, and there were two instances in which the young lad could have had a penalty given against him. It won't be one for his autobiography, at any rate.
Essentially, each side had one decent chance in the first half. Swansea were first in the 35th minute, when the entire left side of our defense disintegrated. Kieran Gibbs was sucked into the middle (insert my usual screed about our fullback defense here), but Marvin Emnes shot straight down Wojciech Szczesny's throat. Up the other end, a beautiful series of passes between Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck led to the latter free on the right side of the area. Our old boy Lukasz Fabianski's positioning was excellent, but frankly Welbeck should have done far better with the chance.
Right before halftime, Aaron Ramsey might have scored when he volleyed a poor defensive clearance right back in. But, when things are going horseshit, they're going horseshit.
But, Alexis is still in absolute Beast Mode, and he scored again just after the hour mark. It was one hell of a team goal, too. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - who may have been our best player on the day - began the move with a barnstorming run down the right. It was worked out to Welbeck, who destroyed his marker with a brilliant cutback. He dragged it across the face of goal, where Sanchez was waiting for the tap-in.
You know, for a minute there I thought we'd actually go on to win this thing. Oh, Sean! How could you forget the comedy stylings of Tactically-Inept Manager?
As usual, the warning signs were there nanoseconds after we scored. Wilfried Bony was presented with a gilt-edged chance after Montero skinned Chambers for the umpteenth time, but he hilariously mis-kicked it. That gave us a reprieve of ten whole minutes before they equalized, though. We gave away a dumb free kick, and Sigurdsson lashed an absolute thunderbastard of a free kick over the Mini-Mes we had in the wall and into the net. Nothing Szczesny could do about that one.
Speaking of, there was also nothing our Pole in Goal could do three minutes later when they got their winner. As had been happening all match long, Chambers got torched by Montero down the right. He whipped in a cross, and Bafeimbi Gomis was able to beat out Ramsey to the header.
Thing is, though, that was the 78th minute. Where were the substitutions before that? It was bleedingly obvious that fresh legs were needed as Swansea started to control more of the ball, and it was also obvious that even young Hector Bellerin may have been a better option than an obviously-flailing Chambers. I mean, I've managed zero games and all, but I think I know where the real farce is, Arsene. Anyway, right after the goal, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere came on for Ramsey and Flamini in a classic case of bolting the barn door after the animals have already left.
Theo did what he could, but basically all Wilshere managed was to get a yellow card and bitch at the referee a lot.
Anyway, the most amazing sub was still to come. In the 89th minute, when no one would have enough time to affect proceedings, Tactically-Inept Manager hauled off Chambers for Yaya Sanogo. Yes, the guy with no goals to his name. So, let's take inventory - Tactically-Inept Manager puts on Lukas Podolski against Anderlecht at 3-2 when we badly need to shore up, and he puts on Sanogoals when we badly need to score...and with just one minute left in normal time to boot.
On current evidence, we have the worst manager in the Premier League. Go ahead, tell me I'm wrong.
Still, it's funny - after the Burnley result, I thought we were slowly coming into our own and ready to make a run. Now? I honestly believe that this may now be the year that we don't win the Arsene Wenger Memorial 4th Place Trophy.
The Modern Gooner Player Ratings:
Szczesny 7, Gibbs 6, Monreal 6, Mertesacker 6, Chambers 3 (Sanogo N/A), Flamini 6 (Walcott 6), Ramsey 6 (Wilshere 5), Cazorla 6, Sanchez 7, Oxlade-Chamberlain 7, Welbeck 6
Man of the Match: Jefferson Montero, for his ritual humiliation of young Chambers.
