Arsenal has 5 captains: Petr Cech the man for Sunday

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Here we are folks, the even of the most exciting season to hit these shores in over a decade. New manager, new philosophy, new players, new thinking and new hope for a fanbase that’s had a bland old ride.

The two opening games are against arguably two of the most exciting managers on the planet. Guardiola is the king, Sarri is a disciple, both are going to play expansive, direct, exhilarating football with players that are levels above ours. Unai Emery has a shite record against Pep, losing 6 and drawing 4 of ten appearances. Sure, he’s not exactly been blessed with the funds or quality the opposing manager has had for those games, but it’s still shabby.

The big question we have ahead of Sunday’s late game is whether he’s had enough time to instil any sort of rigour into the back 5, and the starting 11 overall.

“Defensively: first it is to be organised, recover the ball quickly. But in these two moments in the match we need to work.

“To say it here is easier than doing it on the pitch. We also need time, but now I am happy because I think the players are improving.

“We need two things: quality players, which we have, and then organisation. Together I think we can improve, to win in our way. I repeat: organised, then play.

“When we are thinking in an attacking moment, I want the goalkeeper thinking for that, he is the first.

“The same when we are thinking defensively, I want our strikers to be thinking: ‘We need to protect the goalkeepers.’ I want those two moments to feel the same for all players.

It’s great to hear a manager talk about the defensive as a collective issue, tomorrow will give us an insight into how good Emery thinks we are this season, and how he plans to make up the 10 points or more he’s going to need to to break into the CL. Are we going to be pragmatic tomorrow, accept we can’t play City off the park, and look for an attacking angle, or are we going to go another route?

“Our style with the ball is to be protagonists, to do things with combinations, to control the match with the positioning of the ball,”

“And then when we have the space, to be aggressive going forward.

You can be a protagonist like Wenger, where you go all guns blazing, or you can be a bit more strategic about it and invite pressure to hit with the counter punch. Our core strength in tomorrows game moving forward is going to be speed and finishing. We have enough players in our midfield who can find Aubamayeng if City overextends themselves, the question really though, will be whether we have the discipline and will to keep a rampant team at bay for 90minutes.

Who knows… what we do know if Petr Cech is captain this weekend. Apparently, number 1 is going to be Kos, number 3 Rambo, with Ozil and Xhaka filling the remaining slots. Seems odd that we’d blow so much on a new keeper only to have Cech as a captain.

For me, 5 captains is a bit of a cop-out. It’s confusing, it’s idealistic and it puts us in the same place we were with Wenger. Notable that all of the captains are from the last era. Interesting that you’d sign in Licht and Sokratis as leaders and opt for old guard? I think having lots of captains sounds good on paper, but like anyone who has worked in a flat hierarchy, it’s generall carnage. Humans need a leader. They’re not good at working with 5. Just my opinion, but hey, we’ll see how it pans out.

Right, that’s me done, see you in the comments!

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Paulinho

Lol I will try that again:

Xhaka has been consistently shit at the things he’s already shown he is consistently shit at.

Sanmi

Marko calm the feck down. We are playing the best team in the land. And we are not parking the bus yet not being fucked.
We are doing OK

Bamford10

That’s sort of what I was thinking, WE. Ramsey should stay simply on account of his engine. People can argue about his decisions-making and what he has done with the ball, but his engine will help.

Pierre

Does anyone understand why ramsey is playing centre forward… Very strange decision..

karim

Cech, Bellerin and Xhaka away from the starting 11
Take Mustafi along once Kos is back
Play Lacazette
Have a decent season

Redtruth

Arsemal are shapeless.
Ozil is a wet lettuce and never an Arsenal man.
Maitland Niles lone contribution to the game was get injured.
Fulham would give Man City a better game.

Kay

Xhaka shoudnt be playing against citeh liverpool spuds thats for sure.

Ozil needs to atleast clear the first line.

Champagne charlie

Paulinho

Just stick to your standard critical routine, it’s all you’re good for. That, and overselling everything Ramsey does. “Best play of the game”, fucking ran 40 yards and laid a ball off and you’re content with that for 45 mins. Sage

Ishola70

So disappointing. And they still have De Bruyne and Sane to throw on for fun. No point in keep deluding. These players are not good enough whatever magical system. It will be embarrassing for Emery if he can’t improve upon Wenger’s points total last season. Arsenal have had a few moments attacking. So what. Even bottom dwellers have their moments against top teams. Been outclassed team looks horribly disjointed and at sea. A raw kid is being hailed in Guendouzi. Team needs surgery and it starts with that goofy cunt Xjaka. Playing like a cunt yet again. The freal nosedive… Read more »

kc

Need to get Torreira and Lacazette on the pitch asap. I’d sit Xhaka and Mhiki.

London gunner

We need to learn to do fullback overlaps.

What walker does for city bellrin should do for us. Though tbf to the lad he has had a good game.

Still though we need to stop going central and trying to walk it through the banks of four. Let’s use those overlaps.

TitsMcGee

Guendozi is young and has a mistake in him here or there but you can see the potential.

Lichsteiner doesn’t have the legs to play every game at his age but he brings experience.

Can’t get ball out of our own half.

AMN was getting roasted.

NorwegianGooner

Peter Cech really is an atrocious keeper..

Micheal

Playing out from the back is suicidal when we have players like Cech who have no technical ability. It is an accident waiting to happen against high press teams like City.

Ishola70

Still only 1-0 still so-called in the game but anyone can see with any foresight at all that this group of players ain’t good enough. Not good enough for standards we all want to see consistently.

Simple as that.

Bishop

Cech is just learning to be a Morden GK at 36 won’t work….hoof up top era is gone..Managers want to keep possession from the back and hence going for ball playing ones.

Emery has to make up his mind..if it’s Cech you want,then forget about playing from the back.If it’s Leno, then implement that and also not doing it without brains.You have to know when to kick it out.

London gunner

Bamford

Problem is Ramsey is playing in the hole or as our main playmaker with his more advanced role.. The problem with this is he isn’t good enough as a playmaker or creatively.

Ramsey is a box to box midfield player with some flair and a great engine shouldn’t be placed anywhere else.

Bamford10

London

Yep, that’s the problem: the squad is still not good enough. But I’m also a little perplexed by Emery’s selection and formation for this first match.

Kay

We need width against top teams. We are too narrow as we all discussed a couple of weeks.

Take of xhaka and bring in torriera

Dissenter

It seems Emery is feeding Ramsey’s ego by giving him the liberty to play so far up front.
I don’t know but it’s not pretty and it’s a bad way too start a new manager’s tenure.

Ishola70

Long season ahead folks.

Al

Can’t believe how dramatic people are. What were you guys expecting from our first game?

It was always going to take time for this team to adjust and at the end of the day we are playing City.

We will get there but Jesus….relax it will take time for the manager to get his vision implemented

useroz

AMN a big loss going forward. His passes were more than good let alone the pace. Lich should be fine defensively. Guendozi’s 19 yo and the Ligue 2 experience showed ; tbh looked out of depth. But, sad thing is, Guendozi still better than Xhara. What did Xhara do? Ozil meek; Mikki and Ramsey poor. Auba ‘quiet’. So we lacked forward/striking prowess! Auba’ shot 40 min in was a half chance esp ,if he had aimed for the far post. . The GK would have been stranded. Our final pass and shots are still poor @ the ‘next level’ unfortunately.… Read more »

Champagne charlie

Guendouzi starting is a poor choice for me, he’s too raw for City and co.

It’s Xhaka and Torreira with Ramsey sitting deep, protect, protect. Cech helps nobody with starting our play, and Iwobi should be wide left with strict instructions to help AMN.

All a bit too hopeful from Emery me thinks, underestimated how good City are. Preseason is over, the pedestrian football doesn’t cut it.

WengerEagle

We missed a trick not strengthening more in the summer, was always going to be a hug ask only adding a couple of players to the mess that Wenger had left behind.

Paulinho

Charlie – I told you when he joined Xhaka was pomy and yet you’re still deluding yourself that he’s somehow going to come good.

Jesus, how long do you need to see he is absolute shit.

Guns of Hackney

Emery simply has to go.

Radio Raheem

Interesting half.

We started off well, albeit for 10 minutes then they took control but we’ve finished quite well with players like Guendouzi growing into the match.

Interesting use of Ramsey. He is, essentially, our lead presser, putting pressure from the front. He is well suited to this and we should persist with it.

We’ve looked better with Lichsteiner on the left.

Like everyone as pointed out Xhaka hasn’t been up to speed. He’s the change I’ll make.

Up 4 grabs now

I said earlier we’re playing with ten men with xhaka on the pitch, didn’t realize it would be 9 with Miki. Hook them bothand put laca and Thor on please.

Batistuta

Ishola

You really are going overboard aren’t you? Were you expecting some sort of miraculous turn around

Moe

Cmon, Xhaka and Ramsey are poor…….. that you can tell from only watching one game. It’s not rocket science, class always comes thru even in one match.

Dissenter

CC
Guendouzi and Torriera start for me.
Youth and mobility all the way.

karim

Even Gambon said he would give Emery 10 games !

London gunner

What formation and players would you guys have on at second half?

Up 4 grabs now

Guns be careful your starting to sound like red troll.

Paulinho

Guendouzi would be better without Xhaka cramping his space.

Last week against Lazio and throughout pre-season he was one taking the ball off the defenders, and now for some reason Xhaka is the one tasked with dropping deep – with the expected disastrous results.

The whole nightmare first half started with him giving the ball away.

Guns of Hackney

This should have been dealt with in pre season, not against the champions.

We were told that all our business was done and were in good shape etc etc…so what’s happening?

This is the same failed experiment, rehashed. Holy fuck.

TR7

Xhaka is Charlie’s blind spot. He has been making poor excuses for him since he joined.

US

Shades of the Wenger era, caught in between ideas. Cech at 36 is not going to learn to play out of the back, City have noticed and are pressuring our back line even more than usual because they know Cech will hoof it.

Even if he does learn, at 36, why put the rest of the team through those growing pains when no one expects Cech to be our number next season. Really reminds me of Wenger

Bishop

One of the worst things we got from Wenger was signing Xhaka…although we all thought he was good but now suprisingly the new man also keeps him even when it’s so obvious he’s shit..Emery isn’t just starting him,he even gave him a new contract saying he loves him.

HE MUST LOVE RUBBISH THEN

Goobergooner

Hahaha I also love that Xhaka has moved up to the mighty number 34. Proudly worn by the greats Francis Coquelin, Kieren Gibbs and Kyle Bartley, to name just a few of the favourites! Suits him to a T haha.

Guns of Hackney

Up 4 grabs

Sorry guy. I’ll reign that shit in.

izzo

Teams will press us and if this is what we have to deliver then we’ll be out of 4th place contention by December. Emery needs to make the tough decision and bench the poor performers.

Ishola70

Batistuta
“You really are going overboard aren’t you? Were you expecting some sort of miraculous turn around”

No but come on that was embarrassing that half.

We are sleep waking into complete mediocrity if that is seen as nothing less than embarrassing so far.

Un na naai

Same old arsenal
Always leaking.
Early doors but the issues will take a lot longer than one summer to rectify

London gunner

WE and myself are correct.

We should have done much more in the transfer market. We added a band aid to a gunshot wound.

I get Emery wants to check the team out for himself, but let’s ge honest many of us knew the defence was a shambles and that many of the players we have on the team are shite regardless of wenger or not.

Bamford10

Yeah, Guendouzi is a little raw, but he’s better than Xhaka. I’d go Guendouzi- Torreira-Ramsey as the central three, Ozil-Lacazette-Aubameyang as the front three.

But even that front three isn’t good enough, and neither is our defense.

Kayciey

We should never accept any player from Man U……I said it here…am saying it again. Mkhitaryan is shit. Welbeck is shit…..Ozil….poor today…. Ramsey is clueless….Xhaka….worse than poor…..Emery….. another Wenger….Cech…hot and cold.

Bob

Ramshit for laca should help

Champagne charlie

Dissenter
That’s hopeful at best, Guendouzi has been a deer in the headlights but is playing in a position critical to us getting a foothold.

Bit of pragmatism to open the season wouldn’t get anyone. We’re causing our own problems half the time.

Paulinho
Throw enough mud and some sticks, you’re only offerings are to tear at players or coaches. How long before you realise golden boy is holding us ransom and delivering meekly?

karim

Anyone else noticed Arteta’s despair when they scored ?

Up 4 grabs now

Guns, good man, you don’t want to end up like him. Lol

Un na naai

Why is this mendouzi starting? He looks awful. Why not start mainland in centre mid? He is far stronger at this stage

Dissenter

We’ve been poor no doubt.
Just picking up from where we started last season.

useroz

Wouldn’t blame Cech for the goal. Bellerin a Guendozi aside (who Sterling danced around), Cech had FIVE big fellows in fron and Sterling had a free shot and strike with venon.

TR7

A midfield of Guendouzi, Ramsey and Torrira is what we need in 2nd half. I don’t understand the point in playing Ramsey as a forward.

Redtruth

Aubameyang is a on a plate Forward.

Leftsidesanch

No changes yet, City can up their gears if they want.

London gunner

Matteo hasn’t been perfect and still has a way to go in development but he is a 19 year old lad playing against one of the best teams on the planet and doesnt look out of place in this game.

Guns of Hackney

No changes?

Wengerrrrrrr!!!!

Sub on 70 mins coming?

US

Red Raheem

“He is, essentially, our lead presser, putting pressure from the front. He is well suited to this and we should persist with it.”

Yeah but the problem is even when we get the ball back he cant do anything with it as our 10. And playing Ozil wide to accommodate him is ignorant imho

TitsMcGee

Lol 45 mins in an there’s an Emery has to go post lol

Marko

Even Gambon said he would give Emery 10 games !

I mean yeah give him time but that doesn’t excuse certain players performances

vegas gooner

anyone have a decent stream of the game?

karim

The scenes when Unay start subbing people at the 67 th minute

Dissenter

CC
‘Guendouzi looks very raw but his physicality and athleticism has already trumped Xhaka already.

Bishop

But really is Emery mad?
Why is Ramsey up top??midfield is empty to second ball all the time

Bamford10

Why the fuck is Aaron Ramsey our center forward? Not a good start for Mr. Emery.

Marko

46th minute Ramsey back helping out his defence. Mark it down Paulinho

Champagne charlie

Tr7

He’s not a blind spot, he needs to seriously up his game. Difference is I think he’s capable under Emery and won’t sit foaming because of the first 45 mins of the season.

Especially when he’s one of many who have had about 90 mins total football until now. It’s early days in a totally new regime for the players, let’s discuss after 10 games.

karim

Marko

Agree

Guns of Hackney

Ramsay still playing as centre forward.

That’s unforgivable.

Elmo

Has Ramsey taken over from Giroud as the designated Arsenal player to do the ‘loser face’ and constantly stick his tongue out?

Bishop

Ozil scammed us..or is he not made for this pattern ??

Guns of Hackney

Goddamn it. Emirates quieter than a funeral.

Champagne charlie

Dissenter

Maybe tell him that, been brushed off the ball numerous times and was a ghost for their goal.

Yea yea, he’s young. But they’re as costly at 19 as they are at 25.

Bishop

Oxil hasn’t done a single thing right all day?? 1 single thing

Guns of Hackney

Bishop

Ozils agent deserves the credit. £300,000 for that???

He did very well.

Arsene's Nurse

Mkhitaryan is playing left midfield and Ramsey is ahead of him in the centre. It’s either a bizarre set up, Ramsey doing what he wants to do like under Wenger or Wenger has possessed Emery in some way.

Bishop

It will get worse when Sane and KDB come on

Guns of Hackney

Sorry but Emery is way out of his depth.

Dissenter

Honestly I don’t cafe if Ramsey leaves on a free transfer.

Marko

Ramsey knocking it out for a Man City throw there mark it down Paulinho

Champagne charlie

Emerys face is a picture

Ishola70

Nice Xjaka

Zfree

The hard decision for Emery might also be to sit Ozil some. Benching Xhaka is not a hard decision for a manager. Blatantly obvious way to improve the side

Un na naai

Champagne Charlie

Couldn’t agree more

Goona

While ramsey and ozil play we have no chance…both SHITE

Buckhurst Gun

If emery doesn’t make a sub before the 68th minute then god help him – and us !

useroz

If this yellow,Laporte kicked at Auba in opening minutes should be yellow.

Laca on. 53 min. WOW…. next level

Fuck off Ramsey

Paulinho

Charlie – The fact you can’t handle any criticism of him without mentioning some other player that I’ve complimented speaks volumes of how touchy you are about being proved wrong about him.

If he’s the same in January will you then finally admit he’s nowhere near as good as you thought?

Champagne charlie

Laca coming on, Emery got my text

Bamford10

I think Emery tried to be too cute at the last moment, wanted to get all of the players he rates into the XI, and went with something strange in Ramsey as a false 9.

Very bad call. But let’s hope he makes better decisions going forward.

TR7

Ramsey is another one. Can’t play CM, can’t play CAM but gets a pass for he makes some decent runs.

Dissenter

Someone said to see if the German nation team dram would have fired off Ozil.
Nope, it didn’t make any difference. h=He still ducking from 50-50 challenges and sifting his defensive duties to Bellerin

DaleDaGooner

Thought he wouldn’t remove Ramsey

Buckhurst Gun

Wow ! Just as I pressed post comment – laca on ! 53rd minute

alexanderhenry

Positive move from Emery at least

Guns of Hackney

Lacazette is shit.

Henry buries that.

Champagne charlie

Paulinho

It’s a comment about your “judgement” whilst chirping about mine.

Your best mate just got hooked btw…. pipe down

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