Somebody asked me the question: why do you think big clubs freeze against weaker opposition? Liverpool do it, Arsenal did at the end of last season, Spurs used to do it. All teams that the quality within their ranks to dominate more than half the league teams, but they don’t.
Obviously a lot of the time they come out on top, but too often for their fans’ liking top teams are found wanting. Is it tactics, complacency, nerves? Every club has their own weaknesses, some are shared and some are unique, but is there really any excuse for teams losing to opponents far worse than they are? It wouldn’t happen in Sunday league games so why should it happen at the top level?
Tactics
With the huge influx over foreign players, mangers and a more continental style of play as well as extra talent the top teams also procure players who are perhaps not used to dealing with the way the archetypal English teams play. By this I mean the intensity, physicality and aggression can sometimes be a bit overawing. Whilst certain managers can overuse this as an excuse it, like many stereotypes, it definitely holds sway as an argument.
You only need to look at Arsenal to say the countless teams who have out-muscled them not just in terms of their players but also their tactics. Like it or not the English game focuses greatly on the presence of height particularly on set pieces and it is an issue that has plagued Arsenal and their fans for years now.
People might put it down to other factors but the stats don’t lie. Last season Stoke scored 67% of their goals from set pieces, Arsenal scored less than 10% of their goals in that way. And, over the course of the season, many teams will take this approach leading Arsenal, and others, to be undone.
Complacency
This for many teams is undoubtedly an issue. I think Liverpool and Arsenal both suffer from this greatly. Arsenal, because of their early season humbling, seem to be over this at the moment but I wouldn’t bet against the feeling returning.
I think Arsenal, because of their style of play, and Liverpool, perhaps because of their reputation, tend to believe their own hype a little too much sometimes thinking they need only turn up to beat teams. At the Emirates last year this was particularly evident.
Arsenal’s home record was terrible and strewn with unnecessary defeats to teams like newly promoted Newcastle and West Brom. Liverpool’s game against Sunderland and Arsenal’s against Blackburn highlight this perfectly. Both teams were in control of their respective games, neither were being undone tactically but both fell apart needlessly.
Who are you? You seem to have come up with a broad headline as an excuse to have a go at Arsenal. Such a shame when you don’t actually seem to have a clue what you are talking about.