'Arsenal's defending is just not good enough'

03 February 2010

NIGEL WINTERBURN: Clichy's form is a real concern

I WAS at the Emirates on Sunday and, like most people in the ground, I was very disappointed with what I saw from Arsenal.

Having played in so many big games like that myself, I couldn't believe the level of defending for all three of Manchester United's goals.

The first one was a great piece of skill from Nani to take out Clichy and Nasri, but then Denilson's attempted challenge was just terrible and Almunia's attempt at saving it wasn't much better. Four players at fault for one goal.

The second one was a superb finish from Wayne Rooney, but at one stage he was 10 yards behind three Arsenal players, and yet got in front of all them to score.

And on the third goal, Clichy's decision-making was just awful. He allowed Park to run through and score without making a challenge. It was terrible defending from a player who I rate highly but who has come back from injury looking very, very rusty. His form is a real concern and Arsene Wenger will be livid with that because this was a game where everything was on the line for his side.

They had worked very hard to take 24 points out of 30 since losing so badly to Chelsea two months earlier, to get themselves back in contention for the title. And then they just wasted that hard work.

The only consolation is that they have a chance to get right back involved on Sunday at Chelsea, but is has become a must-win game. It really is do-or-die on Sunday.

They certainly cannot afford to get beaten again, and the players simply have to realise that and raise their game accordingly.

When I was playing for Arsenal, if we had a bad result the first thing I would do was evaluate my own performance and think if there was anything I could do better myself.

Then we would address it as a team, and work from there. I am sure the Arsenal players feel they let themselves down on Sunday but now they have to put on a perfor-mance on Sunday that shows that.

This is not the time to be over-reacting or calling for Wenger to be sacked, which is ridiculous. The day he leaves, the club will never be the same again, people should remember that.

The players must show they care as much as he does on Sunday. It's a big game and they have to win it. The whole season is on the line.