There is no case for keeping Unai Emery anymore

The only excuse Emery has is that Holding, Tierney and Bellerin haven't been playing. If they do start to play regularly, and we still witness the same drab football, with the same kamikaze defending, then he has no leg to stand on.

But to be honest, I don't even think it's a valid excuse. There's no valid excuse to be 19th in the league for pressing. There's no valid excuse to have had 96 shots against us in 5 games. There's no valid excuse for Watford to be having 31 shots on our goal - the highest against us since Opta records began. There's no valid excuse for the same errors in team selection and the same approach in build-up play despite it yielding no rewards.

You're never going to have your starting 11 fully fit every game. It's about squad management and game management. Emery has neither.

 

I think Piskie's points about your injured players is a very valid one - you are effectively playing a second-choice back line at the moment, which is obviously going to leak goals. Relying on Holding and Bellerin - both of whom have abysmal injury records - does seem a bit naive though. They're never going to give you a full season and when you're aspiring for the top 4, half a dozen bad games and you're fecked.

From an outsider's perspective, the thing that confuses me most about Emery is that he still doesn't appear to have settled on a clear system, formation or selection. It is anyone's guess who will start for you in midfield and attack from game to game. That confusion is clearly filtering down to the players. We've seen it plenty of times recently and we have arguably one of the most settled teams and managers in the league - certainly in the sense that the core of the group have been together for 4-5 seasons now. Yet none of that counts for **** when Poch inexplicably decides to tinker with the system and go 4-3-3 or try a diamond in midfield; a crap performance is inevitable.

Knowing the system that best suits the hand that has been dealt to you as manager has nothing to do with money, transfers etc. and everything to do with managerial nous. Look at how Norwich are playing...a clear, consistent identity that suits their personnel. Sure, there will be games where they concede a ****load of goals, but then there will also be victories against City; because the glove fits.

It's my biggest criticism of Southgate at national level too; he insists on an approach that just doesn't suit the personnel he has at his disposal.

 

That's a pretty dumb post mate. He's 18 not 33 and it wasnt even a major surgery. He'll be absolutely fine.

 

But that is exacly the point, he's only 18 and he's already been sidelined for 5 months with a hamstring injury, which is an injury with a fairly high chance of recurrance. It's also serious enough to warrant surgery.

 

Glass half empty kinda empty kind of guy huh?

 

The worst team in Premier League history, Derby County (2007/08), faced 82 shots in their first five games that year...

This season, Arsenal have faced 96

 

You've raised some valid points, CK, and I agree with a lot of what you've said. My argument though is this:

1) Whilst Emery has been unlucky with the injuries and the squad he inherited, there is only so long he can hide behind this as a reason for underperforming. Every other club has to experience these things. Lampard's been at Chelsea for a few months and the players have a clear idea on how he wants to play. Norwich, as you say, have a clear identity which has served them well in the Championship and now they are doing pretty well back in the Prem with scarce funding. But even Norwich look more solid at the back than we do. I don't believe Norwich's defence and midfield, as individuals, are better than ours. Why is it that our players look so poor? It's the system they're being told to play. Who is responsible for this? The head coach.

2) No matter what injuries we have suffered, there is simply no justification for these statistics at all:



This is the issue with Emery. He'll start out with a bold, high tempo, pressing approach, but once it reaps rewards, he'll make the team retreat and try to defend the result, irrespective of how much of the game there is to play. It's nauseating because his sides go from having opponents completely on the back foot to handing them the initiative without really having a solid enough defence-and-counter setup.

 

Yep, it's definitely not just about injuries, although I think the injuries have informed Emery's inconsistent selection.

We don't have a team identity yet and this transfers to the players during some games, where they seem to lose thread of what their teammates are trying to do.

As a result of that players make mistakes, and it's not just been one or two players either, Sokratis, Luiz, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Maitland Niles have all made mistakes.

 

But this has been his style since day one. It served him very, very well at EL level with Sevilla but his money-laden PSG sides fell horribly short at CL level because their ability to manage a game in-game was non-existent. And the current signs point to the fact that it is groundhog day at Arsenal.

Lack of in-game management was one of your key shortcomings under Wenger. It is why, at the time, I said a manager like Simone would be ideal to drag you back from that particular extreme by enforcing an atmosphere of iron-willed discipline around the place. Sure, the football wouldn't have been the prettiest, but it would have broken once and for all a culture of 22 years and counting. Emery's greatest failing thus far is that he only appears to be adding to Wenger's legacy as he goes along.

It's still early days in the grand scheme of things, and having your actual defense back will no doubt help, but it does look like he is approaching 'borrowed time' rather soon.

 

Can we have some perspective here, we have played 5 games and lost once - away at Pool having had chances to lead but didn’t take them.
We have drawn our last 2 games 2-2 but in differing circumstances.
Under Wenger we would have lost both games.

Against Spurs we were 2 down and fought back and could have won the game. Against Watford we were 2 up and nearly lost the game, and this inconsistency is the bit that gets me.

 

It isn't just the results though, it's the defensive clangers, the lack of chances being created, the ultra-conservative approach to away games, the inconsistent performances, the perplexing style of football.

Against Newcastle - we won, but both teams were rubbish
Against Burnley - we won, but we didn't play well
Against Liverpool - we lost (expected), but we made it easy for them with some of our mistakes
Against Spurs - we drew, but made a catalogue of deplorable mistakes. Could and should have won the game, but the 2-goal deficit is what cost us.
Against Watford - we drew. Started off slowly, took control when we scored and then bottled the second half. Watford had 23 shots in the second-half alone. There are no excuses to go 2-0 up against the league's bottom team and not win the game. Disgraceful from everyone.

When you factor everything in, there's very little to be optimistic about.

 

Xhaka has been our 'defensive midfielder' this Season and it's fair to say he's been horrific. Guendouzi has a habit of drifting forward, Ceballos is not a defensive player. Xhaka does not have the mobility or energy to protect the midfield.

Sure the guy can pass, he's technically good but he slows the game down, makes awful challenges and defensively may as well be none existent. Personally I am loosing patience with the guy.

 

For me we should be playing a MF of Torreira-Willock-Guendouzi. With strict Torreira sitting in front of the defence like he does for Uruguay. With Front 3 of Auba - Laca/Pepe - Ceballos/Ozil

 

Yes you may be right about Willock.
I feel like Torreira and Ceballos in midfield is just too lightweight. (particularly against big teams like Watford/Spurs)
So perhaps playing Ceballos higher up and bringing Willock in midfiled may be the answer.

Makes me realise though aside from ANOTHER CB we still need to bring in a quality athletic midfielder. I just dont see Xhaka being anything other than a squad player.

 

A silly expression, whether a glass is half-full or half-empty depends on it's previous state.

 

Just gone through our prem results and I think 10th March against United was the last time I remember actually watching us and thinking we played well.

Since 28th October 2018 our record is W16 D9 L9 in the league. 57 points from 34 games. Abominable..

 

Please fast forward to the 22 minute mark. He succinctly explains our issues and I 100% agree with him!

 

I just now realized Emery has a break clause in his contract at the end of 2 seasons. i.e. the third year is an option.

I think we will get allegri next summer.

 

I hope so

 

No, it isn't fair at all. You really haven't got a clue. Xhaka is the first name on the team sheet at Arsenal, and when he isn't in the team we always do worse. I really haven't got a clue what you see. Fans have to stop these stupid witch hunts against players born out of ignorance and narcissism. If you cant say anything positive or constructive, just give us all a break and stfu.