Firstly, a happy Tuesday to you all and welcome to a brand new season. I hope you’ve all been behaving yourselves this summer. It’s felt like a long break without the Arsenal – plus ca change – even with the welcome appetiser of a World Cup to enjoy, along with a trip to see Pete in NYC – I can confirm he is still a complete tart.
Nonetheless, I can rarely recall anticipating the start of a new season with such fervour as this one, as a full stop was placed at the end of the Wenger dynasty and a new era begins (I’m reluctant to denote it as the ‘Emery era’, as I’d be flabbergasted if he – or any future manager – sustains a reign to match Arsene’s).
A perfect amuse-bouche for the season curtain raiser was a tour of the Player Performance Centre at London Colney last week, followed by a presentation and Q&A. An assembled group of London-based football journalists and Arsenal bloggers were invited to the training ground as part of the club’s push to enhance club and press relations. Whether this was lip service or otherwise, the whole experience was exceptionally revealing and whilst there will be ongoing concerns around player personnel and tactics, any perceived worries over the players’ physical preparation should be fully alleviated. This is a genuinely world-class operation, and one that is geared up to succeed.
My over-riding takeaway from the event was there is a tacit (and fair) acknowledgment from Arsenal that they are not going to be able to compete financially with the petro-clubs; however, we can try and steal a march with marginal gains around player physiology, psychology and analysis.
The tour was led by the impressive Darren Burgess (Director of High Performance), along with Gary O’Driscoll (Medical Director) and Chris Morgan (First Team Senior Physiotherapist – recently poached from Liverpool); along with Sean O’Connor (Training Centre Facilities Manager). Sean has worked at the club for the best part of two decades and his passion and love for Arsenal was infectious.
Rather than provide lengthy paragraphs and prose, I’ve summarised the key points from the afternoon, which hopefully makes it slightly more digestible than my usual stodge (plus there’s a fair few facts and stats):
The facilities
• Investment in the training centre in the last two years totals £17 million
• The club now employ 250 staff on the performance side. The greatest attributor to this has undoubtedly been in analysis
• The club boasts the largest crypto-chamber in the UK at a cost of £160k
• The players are stat-obsessed – they take it incredibly seriously. In the gym there are boards that are updated after every match with ‘top-3’s’ for a number of metrics, such as most sprints, maximum acceleration, distance covered and total sprinting distance
• The general facilities are – as you would expect – outstanding and cutting edge. Be it the indoors 40 metre running track, or the 3D body analysis room for post injury analysis, it really is an amazing environment
• The small details make all the difference too – the changing areas and whole building are flooded with natural light whilst corridors are lined with iconic images of Arsenal legends and iconic moments
Darren Burgess
Further to the tour, a 30-45 minute presentation and Q&A was given by Darren Burgess. The key takeaways were:
• The club wants to be more open and relationship driven, including with regard to player injuries and fitness
• There are now 31 full-time medical staff at the club
• The club has hired data ingenue and Candy Crush guru Mikhail Zhilkin to provide the analysis for the vast swathes of data that’re recorded
• The club are constantly monitoring and assessing the players’ fitness – to paraphrase, every training session is a fitness test
• The key focus area is around player resilience, which is tailored to Emery’s desire for high-pressing and constant movement
What was abundantly clear from both the tour of the facilities and the subsequent presentation from the team, is that whilst Arsenal could certainly be accused of letting standards drop on the pitch over recent years, they haven’t given an inch off it.
The improvements are incremental and ongoing, but the club has made both the physical investment in facilities, coupled with hiring the best experts from around the globe to build on marginal gains and create the best possible platform for the manager and his coaches.
Most tellingly, it was made clear that the players have been receptive to the heightened importance placed on physiology and conditioning. Whilst it may mean more time in the gym or in recovery sessions, they buy-in to the practices and believe it can enhance performance.
A big thank you to Darren Burgess and his team for their time and insight – the above only skims the surface of what was garnered.
Man City and looking ahead to Chelsea
I’m not going to wade too deep into Sunday’s game – Pete covered it off nicely yesterday, but a few observations:
• The main positive was how we pressed as a unit for the majority of the game. The results were mixed, but there was a clear change from last season – the distance run by the team exceeded any distance we covered last season
• Ramsey came in for a lot of stick – as he so often seems to – but watch the game back. He was outstanding at leading, or ‘triggering’, our front-line press and most of the times that it bore fruit was a result of his industry
• The issue with this approach is that it leaves Ramsey as one of the furthest two players forward (often the most advanced), which prevents him from hurting opponents with his unique skillset – namely his ability to break into the box from deep, often unchecked
• Ozil undoubtedly had a poor game, but similarly to Ramsey, the role he was playing was never going to allow him to weave his magic. His position on the wing meant he spent large swathes of the game as an auxiliary right back to support Bellerin, and crucially, he was not in positions to hurt our opponents
• Aubameyang also looked isolated. With Ozil too deep and Ramsey too advanced, he didn’t have the benefit of arriving support to play off
• Our success, or otherwise, this season depends largely on getting Ramsey and Ozil into positions on the pitch where they can hurt opponents. This set-up didn’t achieve that in this game – but, it’s Man City who aren’t a fair barometer of how we will shape up against more forgiving opponents (who are pretty much any team in the last decade of the Premier League)
• Cech made some excellent saves – undeniably – but if Emery wants to set out the side to build from the back, Cech is not the man for the job. That being said, it should be of concern that our £25 million German international hasn’t convinced the coaching staff that he is good enough to usurp the helmeted veteran, who’s best years are clearly far behind him
Chelsea
• For Chelsea, I’d be setting up slightly differently. Whilst our defence didn’t cover themselves in glory on Sunday, very little was expected of them. Of more concern was our inability to get our star-studded attack firing
• If you look at Klopp’s Liverpool (pre-Van Dijk and Allison), he has clearly taken an approach that has shoe-horned all of his best attackers into the team and creating a platform for them, accepting that their defence is not top tier
• I sense we are in a similar situation. Our defence is highly fallible, but our attack is high calibre and that’s the part of our game we need to optimise (appreciate this feels a bit like a Wenger-throwback!)
• Aside from bringing Monreal into the side (fitness permitting), I would be drafting in Torreira and Lacazette for Saturday teatime for Guendouzi and Mkhi
• Guendouzi did *okay* against Citeh – his attitude was outstanding, he never hid and always wanted the ball, but his defensive naivety (which is completely to be expected at this embryonic stage of his career) was brutally exposed by Silva, Sterling et al. and with Jorginho and Kovacic in waiting at Stamford Bridge, I would be plumping for experience
• Mkhi shouldn’t start big games for Arsenal. In my view, he is a talented stat-padder versus dross, who looks lightweight and ineffectual against our immediate rivals. I’d have preferred the money for Alexis….
• Xhaka had a poor game on Sunday, however I’d be interested to see him with Torreira who – in theory – should prevent Xhaka having to play on the turn so much, which he clearly struggles with
• To get the best out of our four main attackers, I’d have a diamond with Torreira at the base with Xhaka sitting deep alongside Ramsey (with licence to roam) and then Ozil at the tip in a more conventional number 10 role; behind a front two of Auba and Laca
• Our two front-men’s synergy is obvious and their best spells in Arsenal shirts have been when they’ve dovetailed together.
Sorry it’s been a long one – thanks for sticking with me. Until next time.
Follow me @BeardofPires
Point entirely missed anyway, I didn state Lacazette was a bigger goal threat (i said Auba is better here), I said he’s better centrally for his ability to link play and let us move forward. All of which he disposed in those games where he wasn’t scoring. No you were talking about how ineffective Auba was against City and I brought up a period where Lacazette was ineffective in 13 of 14 games. And the playing with an injury stuff I’ll be perfectly honest I’m pretty sure that was started on this blog as an excuse much like Özil having… Read more »
CC: “However I fail to see how we’d be in any worse a position over the next 12 months with Arteta in charge.” After playing one game in the season, yes, we’d be in the same situation. But you’d fancy Emery winning us more points than Arteta over the course of 55+ games. Difference between a top and average manager could easily result in even 20+ points per season swing. I’d fancy Emery to start showing his class and win us points by his work during and before games. Arteta would learn in the process. Even Pep became what he… Read more »
why not have a guy that at least knows the current crop to extract what he can.
He knows the current crop…I dunno
James informative post
Its strange though with all these state of the art facilities and all this insight that we are witnessing the worst Arsenal team in recent memory.
If the players are so bought into this process how does that chime with what were seeing i.e couldnt give a toss attitude from some players. Did they offer any explanation that might explain this?
PS. what were the stats for time spent on mobile phones during training?
Give Emery time they say but yet after one game some still pine for Arteta. Pretty extraordinary how Arteta has only been linked with the Arsenal job when vacancies opened up in Nice, New York, Dortmund, Girona, Sevilla, Everton, Rangers etc etc. Why oh why is Mikel still just an assistant coach?
Give Emery time they say but yet after one game some still pine for Arteta. Pretty extraordinary how Arteta has only been linked with the Arsenal job when vacancies opened up in Nice, New York, Dortmund, Girona, Sevilla, Everton, Rangers etc etc. Why oh why is Mikel still just an assistant coach?
I’d like to know this also.
Luis Enrique linked with the Arsenal job ends up with the Spanish job. Carlo Ancellotti linked with the Arsenal job ends up with the Napoli job. Patrick Vieira linked with the Arsenal job ends up with the Nice job. Mikel Arteta linked with the Arsenal job stays as an assistant coach.
Doesn’t seem right does it?
So what i take from this post is that we can’t afford to spend like the top clubs so we shall spend the most on fitness and hope that a manager with new tactics makes us into challengers ?!?! The reality is if we don’t start buying £70 million pound players, including defenders and keepers we will never win the title again , fact, it’s not hard to work out is it, still the most important thing is we retain our ‘ values’ , pathetic.
Marko He wasn’t ineffective in those games, he didn’t score. Not suprised you can’t separate the two. Lacazette still remained a focal point of the attack and brought players into the game, he just couldn’t buy a goal. – Hook line and sinker to the usual suspects with the Arteta bait 🙂 Point is if the same lot think we won’t make top four, won’t see any change until new players are here etc then Arteta would’ve been a riskless appointment that could’ve caught fire, or could’ve done no harm at all. Just pointing out how utterly suited the commentary… Read more »
70 million pounds players ..LOL
70 million of whose money exactly? Do the club generate enough to foot 400-500 million pound transfer windows?
Honest question
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Albanian
Maybe Mikel is happy to learn from the best on the planet before taking over from him at a massive club.
But no, he should get a year under his belt at Rangers to prove to le grove posters of his ability. You reading that Mikel? You’re doing it all wrong lad
Leftsideanch,
“Give Emery time they say but yet after one game some still pine for Arteta. Pretty extraordinary how Arteta has only been linked with the Arsenal job when vacancies opened up in Nice, New York, Dortmund, Girona, Sevilla, Everton, Rangers etc etc. Why oh why is Mikel still just an assistant coach?”
He has Arsenal DNA.
He knows the current crop better since he was among the shit-bunch
Pep will loan us all the City wonder-boys, effectively we will be the senior year of the city academy.
The list is endless
Hook line and sinker to the usual suspects with the Arteta bait
Oh it was a joke… good one. Not like you weren’t calling for him in the summer no no great one. Also strikers are paid to score goals that’s it and as ineffective Auba is centrally he still scored 6 of his 10 goals there and hasn’t gone through a period of 1 in 14 without scoring centrally.
Surely the board didn’t call Emery for meeting.
That’s just nonsense since the are used to the manager calling them in for meetings, that’s what Wenger did in the last decade.
He even used to issue public ripostes when they talked about his lack of spending.
I really don’t know if arsenal can afford £70 million pound players but one things for sure they won’t ever be winning the title again unless they do, be ok tough because they will be really fit .
Marko
As always, you can’t debate anything that dips beneath the superficial. Not sure if you’re just stupid, or lazy. Probably both.
I made my feelings perfectly clear over the summer about potential managers, I wasn’t “against” any of the names per say. I saw value in Arteta when he was being dismissed out of hand, doesn’t mean I endorsed him wholly or he was a first choice. Just more of the same from your juvenile processing of information and commentary.
But no, he should get a year under his belt at Rangers to prove to le grove posters of his ability. You reading that Mikel? You’re doing it all wrong lad
Sure that’s why. You fail to mention none of those clubs considered him either. But no learn from the best remain an assistant for as long as City want the 47 year old Pep and then hope they consider you for the job. Very smart very clever
Marko seems to have a hotline to the going’s on at Man City, dismisses the idea of Mikel as successor to Pep and knows for sure that none of the clubs mentioned approached Mikel for their management roles.
If only you didn’t make up almost everything you say.
No Charlie only you have a hotline to City. Rang them up on the red phone on your desk and was told he’s Pep successor.
CC
You really believe Arteta is Guardiola’s successor?
That’s the same line they fed to Patrick Viera before they shipped him out to New York.]
If Arteta is waiting for the city vacancy to open in 2022 then he’s not the sharpest guy around.
Emery would piss all over Guardiola if he had his budget.
Guardiola has been lamentable in the Champiobs league since he left Barcelona.
Strange how people believe what is planted in their heads, for example the pressing the team was supposed to have done against city, I did not see it on the scale of city’s or liverpool’s In that it was collective or sustained. It was sporadic at best, the team lacked the energy to sustain it, I’m not sure we have the personnel at the moment for it.
Guardiola management
Barcelona-Richest club in Spain
Bayern Munich-Richest club in Germany
Man City-Richest club in England
Top stuff ,Great read.
I have no qualms with the back end renovations which has happened. Arsenal clearly see marginal gains as something important, as should every other aspirational team in Europe. Sadly, our issues are way deeper than what meets the eye. I don’t think we can extract much more from our current crop of players as I believe they’ve hit their ceiling. Not their fault, in fact, it’s Wenger’s as he bought horribly. And bar, Torreria, I don’t think we’ve done anything to write home about. We’ve got a £20m GK on the bench, while we have a past, 36 yr old… Read more »
Marko I’m not making the statement that he’ll take over, saying MAYBE that’s the path that’s there given the massive praise and high regard that emanates from City about Arteta. Only you are here spouting your ignorant certainties. Dissenter I’ve never seen anything that suggest a Vieira was a successor at City, he was a name they used to ground themselves in the US. Since Arteta has arrived at City it’s been a very real prospect that he’s heir to the throne. So much good is said about him and their fans were clear that he wasn’t going to go… Read more »
“Let me help you with that. We can’t.“
Tell that to those who believe we’re on equal footing with Chelsea financially
Redruth
Another curve ball from you there. I like it.
250 performance staff seems crazy to me. Am I old-fashioned? It works out at about ten to each member of the premier league squad. What do they all find to do? That kind of set-up gives the impression of a panic measure. Okay, we can’t compete for the best players, so let’s try all this fitness and training stuff. Okay, nobody is denying that fitness and training matter a great deal – but two hundred and fifty people to achieve it? C’mon now. At the end of the day, personnel matters most. Is that an old-fashioned view? I don’t think… Read more »
Dissenter: “He has Arsenal DNA.”
I don’t agree.
110 games for us, 162 games for the Toffies.
Out of the 5 seasons with us, he was decent in maybe 2 seasons. Out of the 6 seasons for Everton, he was instrumental in all of them.
Leader for Everton. Not a leader for us.
Adored by their fans. Never really loved universally at our club. (and how could he be with 2 good seasons, 1 average seasons, and 2 atrocious seasons)
raptora
I was merely putting up the things people have said to support Arteta.
Lol Charlie so the reason xhaka was shit was because he didn’t have a preseason? Right that explains why he was shit for all of the last two seasons AND average in the World Cup
But yeah it was the preseasons fault
China
Moth to a flame
Charlie you use the same disingenuous trick you used to do to reduce blame for wenger as you now do with xhaka which was straight from the transparent as hell Wenger playbook of excuses Ie you find an excuse to isolate a single bad performance of a player you like (as you did with wenger) and find as many excuses as you can for why we can’t jump to conclusions. Conveniently and incredibly obviously ignoring the literally mountains of evidence the rest of the world has been looking at dating back years which highlights that he (just like wenger) is… Read more »
If it wasnt*
englandsbest
250 seems big but you can’t judge the number on its own. The staff might be shared with the youth teams. How does it compare with City, Liverpool, United, and Chelsea? If the number seems bloated compared to our rivals then it’s is a fair criticism.
Arsenal Fan TV forced into rebrand following meeting with Gunners chiefs:
The fan platform will now be simply known as AFTV after discussions took place between the social media channel and the club.
It is believed that unauthorised use of the copyrighted ‘Arsenal’ for audio and visual recordings was negatively impacting Arsenal.
The Gunners reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to Arsenal Fan TV in an attempt to protect the club’s branding.
———————————————————
Loool
He’s just been highlighted. Xhaka has had more good games than bad for Arsenal. But the fans skin him for playing poorly against the top6. The whole squad have performed badly in those games. Xhaka is just the whipping boy. Is he a limited player? Yes. Does he have his uses? yes. Can we do better than him? yes Will he have good games this season? yes, many Will he have bad games this season? yes especially against (but not limited to) the top 6 together with the rest of the squad. You could probably do this for all our… Read more »
For shame mystic for shame.
Hang your head.
Plenty of posters will tell you Xjaka has failed the team and had poor matches from teams outside the top six.
And yet you want us to believe your spun story that Xjaka only fails against the real top sides.
For shame.
wow
a proper Xjaka fanboy we have here.
Telling porkies on his behalf.
That regista feeling is strong.
That Wengerite thirst for ballers and never mind how shit they are off the ball shines brightly.
So that’s as far as I can tell 4 Xhaka fanboys that still exist. Unbelievable really. Should have gone to specsavers
China Nah you’re just anther daft one that picks and chooses the content from someone on here and ‘represents’ what they say in the manner you see fit. I said Xhaka had a shit game, there was no excuses being thrown out there. I referenced pre-season because it’s game ONE and I don’t make any ridiculous assertive remarks about Emery or the players after such a paltry period of time. It was deflective with Xhaka simply because you have him being roasted good and proper meanwhile Ramsey has barely had a peep said about him despite the fact he was… Read more »
Marko
I’m curious, does wanting to see how a player does under a new manager make someone a ‘fanboy’?
You must get all the bitches, a stud you are.
Ok, hands up who thought that the post-Wenger era would be straightforward? Some on here seem to think that the current crop of players would immediately pick up on Emery’s ideas and philosophies and everything thereafter would be hunky dory, whilst others felt that a mass clear out and spending big would basically solve all our problems. Any player can adapt, providing they have a clear mindset. Unfortunately, most of Arsenal’s players have been preprogrammed into a system and mindset that is going to take time to break down. From getting up in the morning, waddling along to training, doing… Read more »
to create
Celtic could be out of the CL tonight.
I hope they progress.
Marseille apparently want Elneny, interested to see what the offer might be.
Both Auba and Laca need to sort out their shit..because at the moment they are not good enough.
Auba was big pony on Sunday, his ball control was poor, and he got depossessed very easily.
They both had zero composure in front of the goal..
Even Sturridge could have done better !
They need to improve big time
I would sell Ramsey before Elneny ..
This guy is fucking clueless first he suggests Ozil was poor because of the role he he had not because when he got the ball his touch , decision making and passing was dog shit. And then he follows that by believing Xhaka should start another game for Arsenal, he’s either a Spurs fan or he doesn’t know anything about football.
Campbell apparently close to a move to Frosinone, though I imagine we will get peanuts if anything and Ospina moving but only on loan which is annoying but I suppose that sees out his contract.
Jenkinson remains, no shame.
Cesc is the new Ornstein
I’m curious, does wanting to see how a player does under a new manager make someone a ‘fanboy’?
Nah it’s way more than that and you know it. You make excuses for him for two seasons running you’re a fanboy
Karim
If I was ‘Arsenal’s home kit to be red this year’.
Interesting article. DO those stats indicate why Ozil couldn’t thread a 10 yard pass between 2 city players to find his team mate and instead just passed it directly to the opposition. If I did that down the park my mates would take the piss…
and I’m only on £3.50 a week.
Marseille are considering a move for Arsenal’s 26-year-old Egypt midfielder Mohamed Elneny, who signed a new four-year contract in March.- Mirror
Jah make it happen
It depends how much for, if it’s a decent amount then sell him and set that money aside for a January move.
China
He is a moron. He thinks the more he posts the smarter he seems… when the reverse is true.
Lol. Ishola and Marko doing themselves in atm. You two can go ahead and name one Arsenal player who has consistently shown up against the big teams.
I didn’t limit Xhaka’s failings to big teams only though but same is the case for all other players lol. don’t go crazy on this one
Cesc
Good one. All apologies.
There is no right position for Ozil on the pitch for Arsenal. Half hearted players put it half hearted performances. One great display when he feels like showing up is no grounds for 350 a week. Think about the number 10 we are missing right now in the center of the pitch. Someone who shows up everyday and puts himself in every match as well as leads. He is a negative influence on the pitch and to his team-mates. Have you ever seen him lift up a player or even give a thumbs up to another effort? Is he only… Read more »
Mstic
So let me get this right.
You rate Xhaka
You rate El neny
Am I missing something here?
Marko “More to it” but not enough for you to actually say anything other than “excuses”. I’ve said he has the ability to be a good player for us and I’m curious how he gets on under Emery. You’re more than dim if you think Wenger’s last two season were optimal for any player to display their ability. Of course you’re one of a few that continually contradicts themselves to suit any given narrative. I’m incredibly consistent with what I say, and I’m deliberate about it too because I know fucktards like yourself will try every little sly misrep along… Read more »
Mystic you notorious flip flopper Xhaka doesn’t show up in neither big games medium games or small. He is quite possibly the worst Wenger purchase of the last decade. He is shocking. At least he had the sense to loan or Andre Santos or some of the other shit signings he made but Xhaka under him done 90 mins after 90 mins. He’s a pile of shite
For those who th ink that City bought the prem I thi k are very nieve, there is no way that City would be were there at with Mark Hughes, if you look at there pressing game it’s so good and fitness and hours and hours of drills to herb that level. Emery I think is looking For this team to play in that style and in my view City are the bench Mark. You really have to give probs to the City coaching staff
Charles you’ve been running interference for his shit performances for about two seasons. Everytime a pundit or a fan criticises him there you are. Everyone sees it
Leon
Absolutely spot on, trying to undermine Pep with the money argument is hilarious. He’s won 7 titles in 9 years across 3 leagues.
What other manager who spends money does that? He’s head and shoulders above the next best manager.
The thing is with Xjaka as said before it’s not worth blaming the player any more.
He can be a defensive liability against any team.
The blame goes on the managers that keep playing him for Arsenal and that will be the case for Emery as well if he continues with him.
How did Liverpool assemble such a great team? Financially they are on the same level as us.
They have salah, maine, firminho, keita, fabinho, vdk, Allison, Robertson, trent Alexandre
There less glamourous players are still pretty good. Shaqiri, ox, milner, sturridge.
The only shit players they have are lovren and that goal keeper who will be perms benched now.
What a shit pile of dung Arsenal is compared and we have no excuses we have just bought terribly in the transfer market and paid silly wages to completely averages players
Marko Except I haven’t, thats just your idiotic take on it because you can’t compute literally any nuanced discussion. It’s all black and white with you, and you lie profusely to box ideas into those categories. Now Xhaka is incapable of playing in ANY type of game for Arsenal and is the worst signing Wenger ever made. Embarrassing commentary that shows you up as exactly what i’ve stated. I’ve said when Xhaka has been good, bad, or indifferent. You simply choose to ignore reality and pretend I’m championing him for greatness. Instead I’ve stated numerous times that he (and all… Read more »
LG talking about stupidity of others and moments later describes the Liverpool, without a title in nearly 30 years and without a cup in almost a decade, as a “great time”.
Le Grove amuses daily.
The Royal Arsehole
I agree with the majority of what you said but I think he at least a acknowledged Alexis when he was putting chances on a plate for him.
*great time would’ve made more sense. “Great team” however does not.
Considering we now have a whole load of people at the top of their profession at the club I find it a little strange that more thought had not gone into hiring a new manager . Let’s look at the facts. Emery likes to play the high press ….who do we have up front to implement the high press ..aubamayang , ozil ,mhkitarayan and lacazette. ..so not much thought has gone into that has there. Emery likes to play the guardiola way from the back ….who do we have to implement this way of playing …mustafi ,bellerin ,sokratis,lichsteiner and xhaka… Read more »
Doublethink,
You are square on, after I gave it a doublethink I swear it hit my mind that Alexis was the only player he would give the nod.
The village moron posts again I see.
I think Emery might end up opting for something close to Liverpool after a couple of transfer windows with a forward line of three direct attackers and then a high energy but balanced midfield.
With what we have at the club that seems the easiest way forward.
CA
That is what I thought he would go with on sunday 4-3-3 but ramsey was pushed forward
Pierre I think it will require some changes, it might be that we can make Aubameyang and Lacazette work in a Liverpool style attack but I doubt Ozil or Mkhitaryan can, or at least it would not be the most efficient way. Instead a younger, far faster and more direct player would be needed with good dribbling ability. In terms of midfield Torreira is a great start for balance, Guendouzi could be good if he develops well, could use Ramsey in there but we would need a robust well rounded CAM/CM type player as well. It would have to be… Read more »
Charlie
To be fair you’re moving the goal posts there. Saying Liverpool assembled a great team is an opinion on the current season’s squad, it’s got nothing at all to do with whether they won a title in the 90s or not.
CA
Torreira and guendouzi look potentially good signings as does Lichsteiner.
Not sure about all the fannying about at the back though..
I’m all for passing the ball out if you have good technical defenders but teams will press if they can sense any weakness or lack of confidence, especially away from home.
Sancho
There’s no goalposts being moved. You don’t become a great team unless you win numerous titles, it’s not something you don because you spend money.
I’m talking about them right now. It’s merely a fact that their last winning side was way back when. Great team my backside, City are a great team.
Dunno why I’m still left seething after such shambolic performance from the boys,Must be said Xhaka is really really bad though(literally can’t stress that enough) and apparently has now compound he’s numerous weaknesses by being lazy, watch the city second goal again, although Licth is the major culprit but he was running back to help defend as Mendy ran rampant through the left side for the cut back, this brain dead footballer had ample time to fill in the gaping hole left by our CB’s as they were too deep to intercept but just shockingly stopped halfway and watch dumbfounded… Read more »
London,
How did Liverpool assemble such a great team? Financially they are on the same level as us.
You know why, why even ask the question?
There’s tabloid talk that PSG are about to make a 100 million bid for Christain Eriksen.
Why wasn’t there a similar offer for Mesut Ozil last summer?
Xhaka is incapable of doing the basics like shielding the ball, playing out from the back, briñging others into play and making telling Passes…. Guendouzi is capable of these things and much more.
I see the usual suspects who lampooned Papa before a ball was kicked in anger have gone oddly quiet after he more than held his own against the blistering city’s attack.I’ve always rated him and IMO he’s our best CB, some idiots. even disgracefully opined Fvckin Evans was the better defender, lol, Glad he’s making you lot eat back your words.
Xhaka is incapable of doing the basics like shielding the ball, playing out from the back, briñging others into play and making telling Passes…. Guendouzi is capable of these things and much more.”
I mean you do come out with some waffles at time but this has got to be Your best comment ever,literally nailed it.
lol Big Papa was just standing around.
He was hiding in the game.
No influence at all.
I suppose because he didn’t make an obvious howler then that’s seen as really good.
Reminds me of those times Xjaka didn’t make an obvious mistake. Folks on that would say he had a good game.
Big Papa may turn out not as bad as some have suggested but to praise him for his performance against Man City is a little over-egging.
People were quiet about Big Papa Victorious because there wasn’t much to talk about him regarding the match.
Pierre It looks similar to what was happening to Guardiola when he first tried it with Bravo, the fans not liking it and actually cheering when the GK just kicked it forward. I think it was basically the wrong team to try it against, City press you high up, they are full of confidence, full of quality and have players who can hurt you. Ozil won’t show for the ball, neither will Mkhitaryan, neither will Xhaka which means it was a 19 year old rookie with half a season of Ligue 2 football who was the only person asking for… Read more »
Your Comment Here
‘He was hiding in the game.
No influence at all.’
Not true
So you are one of those eh..
Sokratis is an old school defender,a bit like big Per,in the sense that you won’t be seeing him running around sliding in, his positioning and organization will also ensure he’s almost always at the right place the right time hence why he won’t be making ‘howlers’
He made one great tackle in the box, which could easily have been a penalty if he got it wrong, but he didn’t. He also won all his aerial duels,and made nine clearances.
Nine clearances?
Vic he didn’t do much of real note and was on the periphery for quite a lot of the match.
This was noted in the Le Grove podcast today.
And nobody made comment about him after the match which was telling and this was not just because he didn’t make a mistake. If he was impressive someone would have mentioned it but no-one did.
But as he had an error free match this can give him some confidence maybe going forward.
Boomslang
Am in full agreement with this last post of yours !
Overall it was a good debut for big Papa, I know he’s new but considering he’ll be a mainstay in the team,should have being made one of the captains not lumberjack Xhaka who’s boots always seem to be heavy for him
And as for the Papa doesn’t slide in comment that is ridiculous as anyone who has seen him in the past knows he is aggressive and does slide in quite a lot.
I was glad though in this match that he didn’t do that and if he can keep discipline and not dive in which he has done in the past it will be better for the team.
Ishola
I noticed that also, we lost the match and naturally comments will be directed to factors that led to such, which players were culpable, tactics, etc..didn’t take anything away from sokratis ‘s performance, I was indisposed that moment hence why I couldn’t chim in on his decent performance,cos I did recognize he was having a decent game,he seems to compliment Mustafi better than Kos and the rest CBs, still too early to draw a definite comment but early signs are he belongs here
Cesc,
“Our player of greatest worth is probably Aubameyang and we wouldn’t get what we paid for him now, he will be 30 at the end of the season and it means Emery has nothing he can sale to really raise some funds.”
Which is why we should have sold Ramsey for as much as we can get. He is the only player left with some reasonable resale value.
The proceeds could have been used to get players that will make the team better.