Mauricio Pochettino's Post-Match Reaction - Arsenal

[Saint-Armstrong]

• It's clear that with the recent results, I am angry today with how things happened
  
• However, I am happy with the effort and competition against the league leaders
  
• We have to keep on working hard and playing the style we want to
  
• We offer Artur our complete support
  
• We give Artur all our kindness, these things happen, we are all human
  
• We are a team, we work as a team, we win and lose as a team
  
• I think overall, we competed well - even after conceding
  
• I think all the players put in a good effort today
  
• During the full ninety minutes, we kept believing we could get something positive
  
• It wasn't to be, we need to move on and forget this result
  
• Dejan Lovren is at home
  
• Last night he spent the entire night vomiting
  
• He should be fully fit for Monday
  
• We need to analyse Luke Shaw's situation, but we hope he can train on Monday too
  
• I think the game was well-balanced
  
• I don't think they had that many clear chances
  
• When they had the penalty call, it was all over really
  
• I thought we could get a draw from it
  
• The positive today is that we continued to compete well despite the setback
  

[Saint Without a Halo]

Good response

[Georgie]

Positive re Lovren and Shaw. Let's get our full team raring to go next Sunday and try to get a result.

[adrian lord]

Good response

[trousers]

Good summary from MP

[shurlock]

Shame he wasn't asked why Lallana came off and his reasons for the decision.

[Badger]

But did he offer the assembled journalists the chance to view Lovren's vomit ?

 

As Burley once did about Niemi's diarrhoea.

[Alejam]

Shame he wasn't asked why Lallana came off and his reasons for the decision.

 

Maybe playing 2 games for England, MP thought he needed a rest? Dunno just a thought.

[Sheaf Saint]

Maybe playing 2 games for England, MP thought he needed a rest? Dunno just a thought.

 

That was my assumption. Lallana was clearly our best attacking player on the pitch but didn't seem at all surprised when he was subbed.

[CanadaSaint]

Shame he wasn't asked why Lallana came off and his reasons for the decision.

 

Agreed. I'm as high on the guy as everyone else but I don't think MP had a very good day today. Losing Lovren from the starting line up, and Shaw at half time, didn't help us one bit. But MP's decisions to dismantle the midfield and significantly change the back row when Maya was on the bench arguably hurt us more.

 

Those changes certainly did not allow us to "keep on ... playing the style we want to".

[Badger]

Agreed. I'm as high on the guy as everyone else but I don't think MP had a very good day today. Losing Lovren from the starting line up, and Shaw at half time, didn't help us one bit. But MP's decisions to dismantle the midfield and significantly change the back row when Maya was on the bench arguably hurt us more.

 

Those changes certainly did not allow us to "keep on ... playing the style we want to".

 

Maya and Jos in the same back four again ?

 

No thanks, MP has my support in not risking that.

[CanadaSaint]

Maya and Jos in the same back four again ?

 

No thanks, MP has my support in not risking that.

 

So why did he put him on the bench then?

 

It's all about opinions but I'd much rather we'd put Maya on the left side of our D-line and kept JWP in midfield than do what we did - especially taking JWP out of midfield and then pulling Lallana out as well. That effectively took out 50% of the engine for much of what we've achieved this year.

 

We're a very different team to what we were when Jos and Maya played together last year, with much better defensive support coming from midfield.

[Badger]

fair point that he was not using him as a CB.

 

Perhaps Chambers might have been a better rb option to keep the midfield intact than Steven Davis.

[Junior Mullet]

That was my assumption. Lallana was clearly our best attacking player on the pitch but didn't seem at all surprised when he was subbed.

 

Quite possibly Lallana was the "senior Saints player" who reported back from England duty last week, surprised to hear that he would be thrust immediately back into double session training if wanted to keep his place in the team.

 

The fortnight Adam has just had would have been a massive emotional journey. He's been outstanding this season and he must now put thoughts of Brazil to one side (I think he's done enough to be confident of going) and continue his excellent form for Saints.

[Tom28]

Quite possibly Lallana was the "senior Saints player" who reported back from England duty last week, surprised to hear that he would be thrust immediately back into double session training if wanted to keep his place in the team.

 

The fortnight Adam has just had would have been a massive emotional journey. He's been outstanding this season and he must now put thoughts of Brazil to one side (I think he's done enough to be confident of going) and continue his excellent form for Saints.

 

Lallana had been ill during the week. Wasn't quite 100%; was never going to last the whole game. Coughs/colds going through the squad (anyone who watched the MoPo press conference will know he had it too). I have one right now as it happens; trying to play the high pressing game the way I feel right now would be horrendous!!