Arsenal players ‘need someone to PUNCH’ em Martin Keown as he hardens their ‘sloppy mistakes’ … before Karen Carney says Mikel Arteta ‘looks lost’ after painful Europa League draw against Slavia Prague
- Martin Keown says the Arsenal players need someone to punch them in the face
- The Gunners got an equalizer against Slavia Prague at the last minute
- Keown said Mikel Arteta’s players should be awakened before they start playing
- Fellow pundit Karen Carney added that she thought the Arsenal boss looks ‘lost’
- Disaster for Gunners now Czech side scores the last gasp equalizing with the Emirates
Martin Keown says the Arsenal players need someone to “punch them in the face” to wake them up after their dismal performance brought an equalizer against Slavia Prague in the Europa League.
The Gunners took the lead in their Europa League quarter-final first leg in the Emirates thanks to Nicolas Pepe’s 86th minute finish, but Tomas Holes scored an equalizer on death to give the Czech side a vital away goal.
Mikel Arteta’s side were wasteful and missed opportunities to disappear from view earlier in the game before having to give up their lead due to poor defense from a corner.
Martin Keown played against Arsenal on Thursday-evening after their draw against Slavia Prague
Arsenal faced a last-minute euqaliser in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final
Former Arsenal defender Keown filled in with the Gunners for their cautious approach in the first half before improving after halftime.
The expert claimed it was as if the players had to be woken up in order to play.
‘For me tonight was about Arsenal and the way they played. By sitting down, they chose the wrong tactic, ”Keown said BT Sport
‘There was an opportunity to take the initiative and ask questions, can you play? But they were allowed to settle and build from behind.
Tomas Holes came out of a corner in injury time and gave Slavia a vital away goal in the tie
Keown also hit the ‘careless mistakes’ that led to the visitors’ equalizing at death
‘In the first half it got nervous and they were not the team that we saw against, for example, West Ham a few weeks ago. It seems Arsenal are not proactive in games, they need someone to hit or punch them in the face before they wake up and start playing.
“He (Arteta) did it in the second half with the switches, but they couldn’t get through.”
Keown added that Arteta is having a hard time getting a response from the players before criticizing the careless mistakes that led to Slavia’s equalizing goal.
‘(The result is) very disappointing, it is now going to be difficult for Arteta. He has made a lot of changes within the club, many people have been allowed to go. There have been many problems for Arsenal in recent years with players coming in and out.
He’s in charge now and he’s not really getting the response from the team. They make sloppy mistakes and it costs them. We expected them to talk on the field. It’s the same old story, Arsenal are giving away goals. It is a disastrous outcome, but it is not the end. ‘
Karen Carney said the Gunners’ boss looks’ lost ‘and suggested the playgroup had split up
Employee BT pundit Karen Carney said the Gunners’ boss looks “ lost ” and suggested the playgroup had split.
“It took them too long to figure it out, and maybe that’s because of a lack of leadership on the field,” said Carney.
‘They had the opportunities and didn’t take them. He certainly would have wanted a better response. Sometimes it was hard to watch, they didn’t know what they were doing.
I think Arteta looks a bit lost and maybe he needs some guidance himself, he is still the youngest manager in the Premier League.
“He’s tried one way, he’s trying another way. The group seems a bit fragmented and they are not doing what he wants them to do. It’s a bit all over the store.
