Rival watch
- Thread starter Spurlock
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He didn't help himself today setting up in a 343 with Aubameyang on the left wing, considering Aubameyang is a graduate of the Walcott School For Headless Chickens when tasked with anything that requires tactical or positional sense
Realistically the best formation for them to use would either be a 3412 or a 442 diamond, but the issue is that Emery doesn't trust Ozil to perform in the system he wants (and, to be fair to Emery, it's not as if Ozil sleepwalking through games is a new phenomenon) but he's hamstrung by a combination of having to make the best of the players he inherited and having his hands tied by the board - the same board who signed off on paying Ozil £350k a week to avoid losing face at the possibility of both Ozil and Sanchez leaving them last season
Really want to debate you on this, but it's hard to argue against it.
We are just so poor right now. Wenger and Gazidis have left this squad lacking quality and balance, but Emery has to shoulder some responsibility for the decisions he's made. The Southampton, Brighton, Liverpool and West Ham away games were truly dreadful, and it's his player selections, tactics and decisions that have contributed to those poor displays.
I realise that this is going to take a long time to sort out, but the thing that frustrates me is even when we've lost games this season, we've showed some grit and fight at the very least. West Ham were comfortable throughout the second half despite all the possession we had.
It's the first time where I've felt that we've put in a performance identical to last season.
I think, like you say, the defence is the worst I can ever remember it being. So we will need to rely on cup competitions until that essential part of the team gets sorted.
A guy on the 606 text commentary of the Pool match says "Whatever reputation precedes Salah, that was a definite penalty." Which kind of misses the point. NO reputation precedes Salah, regardless of what he does. How many "definite penalties" did Bale not get because of "reputation". But reputation doesn't get attached to certain teams or players. I'm guessing the bookies will refuse to give odds on the next match being won by a Salah penalty. Just wait for the pundits trotting out their cliches "it's the sign of a good team that wins when not playing well". That perhaps, and not having to worry about penalty decisions.
We have, but the improvement has been small. We've not improved enough to break into the top 4. It is going to take a while to change mentalities, let alone players.
Torreira, Guendouzi and Sokratis have been decent signings, the jury is still out on Leno but he's been ok overall, and Lichsteiner on a free has been so bad that I feel like we've been robbed. Relative to the money we've spent from last Summer, they've not done too badly.
IIRC, there were some big questions being asked of Klopp and Pochettino in their first seasons, but it took them a few transfer windows and a good couple of seasons for them to get their respective sides to where they are. Emery will need to be afforded the same amount of time. Taking over the toxicity of Wenger's latter years was never going to be an easy task.
We have a very long way to go, though.
Some people are calling for Emery to go already, but that's not the solution right now. Especially after a mere 6 months.
There's a lot of your fans that thought that it was just a matter of getting in a better coach to significantly improve results. It was never that easy. There's a lack of real top notch players in key positions.
We had a lot of iffy players at the club when MP arrived. However up the spine of the team we had Hugo, Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane. That's a great start and they'd all been at the club for a while.. Chuck in Kyle Walker and Danny Rose and you've got 80% of a very decent back line with some very decent players to play in front of them.
Arsenal's rear guard has ageing players who need moving on - Cech, Koscielny, Monreal, Lichsteiner and some who just aren't good enough - Kolasinac, Mustafi, Sokratis and Leno. Bellerin (he's got real pace but he's not great defensively) and Holding are the only ones that have a future at a top side.
In midfield, Elneny and Xhaka just aren't good enough. Torreira is. Guendouzi's promising but very inexperienced. Not sure about Iwobi. Losing Ramsay now is bad timing but he's not worth the cost of keeping him.
Up front you've got 4 players that, collectively, are said to be costing nearly £1m a week in wages. The problem is that you can't really play one of them at all and probably only function as a proper unit with 2 of the others on the pitch at the same time.
That's a lot of work to sort out. MP had managed in England at Southampton before Spurs. Emery's never managed here and he's had a similar experience to Pep. Strong start followed by some bad results and a significant drop off. Pep had his reputation, vast sums of money and CL football to aid the 'transformation'. Emery's got a much, much bigger job on his hands. History says it'll be the next manager after him that starts to get it right but he seems like a nice bloke.
I thought the first sultan of Egypt was Saladin, not Salah Dive
Oh human! Surely you know thar Salah is such a little fella that can't help but trip over those big defenders large boots....accidently,of course!!!!
I think the first fella should be made president.....of Arsenal! The second.....is he Alf Garnett's brother?
Given Arsenal's current impoverished state, Unai Emery asked Stan Kroenke if the squad could record a song and release it, to raise some much needed transfer funds.It would cost him **** all, so it seemed like a great idea to Stan and he readily agreed. His only stipulation was it had to be his favourite tune...
'Only a Loanee'............
Come on, join in, you all know the words!
'Only a Loanee'............
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Come on, join in, you all know the words!
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I'll see your rants and raise you this one....
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Very well put and thoroughly explained.
I tell you what, this sounds exactly like that which Levy was, not so long ago, describing as an 'unsustainable' model.
It puts many things into perspective about how Spurs are approaching transfers and contracts.
It seems as if Arsenal are stuck, or becoming unstuck, between doing what the City's and United's do and what we seem to be doing.
Glad to be on the right side of that kind mess. I hope we stay there.
The owners relied on the PL top 4 being at worst a 4 horse race.
Citeh immediately blew that in 2011, with Spurs lurking since 2010.
Their supporters tolerated it with the annual CL campaigns being an opiate,
until they started to get repeated ritual spankings in that too.
They are now in the circle of hell that Spurs were from 2010-16, but with the
near wage bill of PL winners. Long may that continue.
Colin ****er making the best argument for a second referendum there is
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S
Spur of the Moment
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Great boost for the Remain argument. Anything that pondlife twat supports is a good indicator for the complete opposite.
Only surprised he hasn't blamed the EU for Cardiffs problems. Oh wait, he effectively has!
David Wagner has left Huddersfield by mutual consent.
Their chairman has been at pains to point out this doesn't mean he's been sacked, but that it has been decided by both sides that he will leave.
He has done great things for them, but so far this season they have been woeful and look nailed on for relegation.
Their chairman has been at pains to point out this doesn't mean he's been sacked, but that it has been decided by both sides that he will leave.
He has done great things for them, but so far this season they have been woeful and look nailed on for relegation.