Emery treads dangerous tightrope with key players

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Hot on the agenda today is more chat about Unai Emery. I think the Arsenal space at the moment is in a weird reorg phase. The walls of the great Wenger divide have been demolished and now people don’t know what they’re getting upset about.

My view on Emery isn’t a negative one, I’m not campaigning against him, I’m merely putting him under the same scrutiny as I would any coach.

I think the man is a better coach than Wenger, I think he’ll bring a more modern rigor to our preparation and I think he’ll instil a different type of energy into the club. My overarching worry is he looks a touch safe against the competition. I’m just not sure where the special sauce is going to come from, and in a league where we’re competing against the very best, I think that’s important.

As I wrote in the summer, this hire was so unbelievably important because of how far we’ve regressed. If we’ve got this signing wrong, Arsenal run the risk of falling into obscurity. Champions League football can become a distant memory pretty fast, which makes it harder to replenish the squad with the talent you need to take things to the next level. Stan K doesn’t have the pockets or the desire to do what the chaps at Liverpool have done. That’s why we really do have to hope Emery kicks us on this season.

I’ve gone back and forth about expectations this season. I know I’ve said in the past that you have to write this year off. Now, what I mean there, is you have to write off challenging for the league. What you can’t do is say that 5th this year is acceptable. If Emery can’t better Wenger by a chunk in his first year, that’s a problem. The goal of the Spaniard has to be hitting the top 4.

I’m not saying he won’t do that. I think we saw enough in that Chelsea game yesterday to be very excited about. But we have to be critical as Arsenal fans and we have to look for real positives, not: ‘well, Wenger didn’t do that’ hot takes.

When I say that, I’m talking about people like me celebrating good subs. Sure, that’s great, but it’s table stakes.

It’s the same with shuffling the starting 11. Ramsey being on the bench would be unthinkable under Wenger, because he always played his best 11 because he wasn’t really strategic. It’s not bold, it’s not brave, it’s just part of being a manager in 2018.

I’m more interested in the things he’s getting right and wrong on the field. So far, we should absolutely be celebrating the visionary decision to start Guendouzi. I thought he’d get games this year, but damn, it’s balls out to play him against Chelsea and City.

A negative might be some of his tactical decisions. Choosing Mesut Ozil as the player to track Jorginho for 90 minutes read like he’d never seen the German play before. The guy has no interest in that side of that game. As someone mentioned in the comments yesterday, Alex Ferguson would have Danny W take on jobs like that back in the day.

Then you have the persistence of playing Granit Xhaka for two games in a row. He yanked him on 70minutes for Torreira when we were playing for a win, which is kind of humiliating. Then he pulled him off at half time against Chelsea for the same reason. I have no emotional connection to the Swiss, but I’d say that’d be pretty embarrassing for him. Now, I’m not being a little cry baby here, I’m all for being bold in the moment… just for me, in this moment, it looks like he’s made a bad selection twice. One we could ALL see. How does that come across to the players? Ruffling the feathers of your senior players like that early doors is either inspired or not very smart.

Another area we need some sharp refocus is the defence. It’s unacceptable that we’re looking so ragged. We’re 2 games in, but we were shite at the back through the whole of preseason. The manager needs to get to grips with the basics very quickly. He made his bed when he signed a very slow centre back to be the lynchpin of his new defence, now he has to work out how to make the best of the situation. I love Lichtsteiner, but it’s starting to look like a wonky decision to hire in a right back of his age when he’s understudy to a young player who has looked disastrous in his opening two games. I know it’s not just him, Sven has had a role to play here, but even the fact that the two of them combined appear to have misunderstood the pace requirement of the league is a worry.

That should be helped by starting with the best 11. Granit Xhaka has been terrible the whole time he’s been at Arsenal. There will always be someone telling you the things you see with your eyes might not be right, but in football, if it looks like someone is consistently terrible, it’s because they are. Xhaka has been piss poor twice in a row, he needs to start on the bench and LT has to make his full debut. There are fans arguing that we struggled in the second half without the creative spark of Xhaka, but I don’t buy that. Guendouzi and LT have a good range of passing and look far better built for the rigours of the PL.

There also needs to be more cohesion on the pitch. The team two weeks in a row has seemed to give up on the game plan at halftime. Last week, Cech reverted back to hoofing, this week, the pressing discipline seemed to fade. That’s something I’d expect to eradicate over the next few weeks as the players start to understand the ideas.

Hopefully, some wins will remedy the issues. I think the thing Emery has to be careful is overkill in a panicked response. Double sessions, laborious video analysis and flip-flopping with the starting 11 isn’t going to help settle the players. The next 3 months are going to require strong leadership and a lot of faith from the players. Emery has 8 games to build belief in his players and a head of steam that’ll take us to 100% through the festive period. It’s all very exciting, but things really must improve fast if we’re to move beyond praising table stakes adjustments Sam Allardyce would have made.

Fingers crossed the manager and his team have the minerals to make this work.

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Cesc Appeal

‘its irrelevant to me, i blame him for not delivering on his talents though but never for what he earns’ It may be irrelevant to you but it is highly relevant and logical to set expectations by what he earns. Basically every company in the world does that, that’s why you get a salary based on merit and more will be expected of you the more you earn. You do get that? So again, do you think Ozil is a £350 000 a week player? Simple yes or no. I’m not saying he’s at fault for signing the deal, but… Read more »

China

Cech rarely wins us points. Why is that? How many penalties has he ever saved for arsenal? I don’t care how professional he is. The guy is paid around 100k a week in his mid 30s and is usually average, sometimes awful and occasionally good. No other major team would take him off our hands right now, certainly not as first choice and on this salary. And what does it mean to be professional? He doesn’t go out partying or chatting shit in the media? Like I said, he’s a past it player making great money to be first choice… Read more »

Bob N16

Michael 24
Guendouzi, ‘make him captain’
Ozil ‘ someone should remind him he’s on 350k a week’

You’re certainly a comedian…..

Carts

After all, the bar was so fucking low, in regards to our goalkeeping quality, that a lot of people were overexcited with the Cech signing.

China

I won’t pretend cech didn’t seem like a good signing. He looked like a fantastic signing at the time. I’d have signed him too in a heartbeat in that moment.

But I’m honest enough to admit it was a big mistake. He’s average at best

Cesc Appeal

Cech has done well to be fair in terms of just GK things in the first two games. Whether he can work going forward with this Emery style of playing out from the back, who knows.

Cech and Guendouzi have been our best performers so far.

Receding Hairline

It may be irrelevant to you but it is highly relevant and logical to set expectations by what he earns. Not in football , in fact not even in everyday life. Your boss at work earns more than you , but who does the leg work? Who has a tougher workload? Bet it isn’t your boss. Or do you look at a player in the lower leagues and say he earns just 5k lets bump him up to the premier league and he will perform better on 30k? Fact of the matter is had we held our nerve Ozil will… Read more »

James.wood

Must agree with Bamfords earlier post about Liverpool signings .

Our selection process on players to sign has not gotten any better.
Lich I see as a big mistake.
Leno yet to be seen.?

Leftsidesanch

We won’t see Leno until our first EL game. Cech so far hasn’t done enough to be omitted from the side.

Cesc Appeal

Like I said, obfuscation equals deflection.

Carts

I just tho0ught the signing of Cech was very myopic. It effectively solidified our position as a false top team.

Look at it this way, we signed Chelsea’s #2, in order to close the gap on Chelsea.

You take that £10m, sell some shitheads and invest in a GK with plenty of room for development a la DDG, Courtois

Leftsidesanch

It was pleasing to see Xhaka and Ozil hooked off respectively but will they go straight back in the team for Saturday afternoons game?

gambon

Our xG against City was 1.6, we conceded 2

Our xG against Chelsea was 2, we conceded 3

Not sure Cech has been very good. Have any of the goals we have conceded been unsaveable?

Are we at the point where years of neglect have led us to accept incredibly low standards?

Receding Hairline

A lot of conclusions are being drawn after two, yes two matches against Man City and Chelsea. Lichteiner a mistake, the same Stefan that came on to steady things against City? He is free transfer brought in to lend his experience to what we are trying to do Cech must be benched based on the fact he had a bad season last year, forget the fact he has been very good this year, punish him for last year. Even the much maligned Xhaka will play a healthy number of games this season as i imagine will contract rebel Ramsey. If… Read more »

Carts

“Not in football , in fact not even in everyday life. Your boss at work earns more than you , but who does the leg work? Who has a tougher workload? Bet it isn’t your boss. ”

LOL what the nonsense!

As a project manager, my leg work isn’t even comparable to the Programme manager. Let’s not lie, now!

He’s earning almost twice as much as I am cos he remit is far more extensive.

Cesc Appeal

How is Lichtsteiner a mistake?

A free signing, bags of experience, he came on against City and kept Walker and Mahrez reasonably quiet where Maitland Niles had been torn to shreds by them and contributing in attack all while playing at LB as a 34 year old RB.

Leno could be a £22 Million mistake, sure. But very early in day to say that, Emery’s caches improved Areola last year and made him first choice.

Joffey

is Ozil a useless player? – NO, but with Ozil you get what you get just don’t expect anything else more than that. He got a bumper deal and hats of to him… when all of this is over and he retires he will be the one sitting back and saying “F*** it I tried my best” lean over and have a sip of his Macallan 1926 fine and rare laughing at all ot the criticism thrown his way whilst making love to his 2014 WC winners medal and all the other German player of the year awards he was… Read more »

Michael24

BobN16

The irony is that you actually believe what I’m saying.

My god, no wonder Wenger was able to stay for so long.

“We believe you Arsene”.

You and Pierre are made for one another.i

Receding Hairline

Not sure Cech has been very good. Have any of the goals we have conceded been unsaveable?

Just tell us the ones you believed he should have saved , why are you asking question you seem to have answer to??

China

One of the biggest problems that we’ve faced in the last 10 years is an inability for our most experienced players to support the less capable ones. We all know wenger never did coaching or proper management in his time but he built gloriously successful teams in his early days by ramming the squad full of players who organized themselves. When you have sol Campbell and keown next to you, it’s no wonder kolo developed extremely well as a CB despite him starting out as a MF But where are these guys now dragging up those around them? Have you… Read more »

Michael24

Bob and Pierre

The new double-act on le-grove.

Paul

To perhaps help on the Xakha debate can I make a suggestion.

If anyone is in any doubt about him then please watch his performances for his country at the recent World Cup….they were diabolical!

Yes… he scored a screamer but his general play, passing etc were awful.

Carts

If we want our pound of flesh from Ozil, he’ll need to be played as a #10.

If we’re accepting that he’s now a bum, would be to cut our losses and either selling for a small fee, or loan him out with an option for said team to buy (which will be a massive challenge).

Mkhitaryan has to be played as a #0. Again, if not then he has to go the same way as Ozil

Cesc Appeal

Carts

Why honestly bother?

It is a very simple question, when people refuse to answer a simple question it is because they know the answer and don’t want to say it.

Now the Ozil lot are trying to slyly say he is hated out of jealousy because of his wages basically which is a pretty ludicrous thing to say in the world of ridiculous football wages.

Receding Hairline

LOL what the nonsense!As a project manager, my leg work isn’t even comparable to the Programme manager. Let’s not lie, now!

You have just described your own personal experience , i can give you a hundred backing up my point. But don’t let that stop you

Cesc Appeal

‘if we want Ozil to do his best we must allow him to do his best and forget about any extra responsibilities of defending and or tracking back from him and also leadership… yeah let’s forget about that one… you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’ This is just sad. So basically because we cannot expect him to defend, track back, press, shoulder any responsibility etc we cannot play in tough games which basically means we have the second highest paid player in the EPL to beat the shit out of the crap teams… Read more »

Receding Hairline

Now the Ozil lot are trying to slyly say he is hated out of jealousy because of his wages basically which is a pretty ludicrous thing to say in the world of ridiculous football wages.

here we go again , the Ozil lot

Cesc appeal you have never mentioned Ozil without making reference to his wages so let me ask if he kept giving the same performance on his previous wage will you be more forgiving?? Will it be okay he goes missing in games as long as in earned his previous 175k a month??

Michael24

Cesc

Sure was.

Joffey

@Cesc Appeal – that is the kind of player Ozil is if you want more…sell him, that how I see him, don’t expect him to do the tracking back and defending job because he has never done it.

Bob N16

Michael 24 ….irony is lost on you. You attempt to be amusing and you’re not.

You bizarrely suggest that it’s my fault that Wenger stayed on for too long. Not sure my name is Kroenke, I’ll have to check.

Are you trying to come across as dim or are you just a natural?

Receding Hairline

@Cesc Appeal – that is the kind of player Ozil is if you want more…sell him, that how I see him, don’t expect him to do the tracking back and defending job because he has never done it

Period

Michael24

BobN16

I suppose it was inevitable that you’d bring Kroenke into it.

Now that’s funny.

Receding Hairline

If we beat comprehensively 10 shit teams at the Emirates this season with a healthy goal difference ..that is 30 points added to the log. We beat Chelsea yesterday it’s three points. Yes we get the bragging rights and the feel good factor of beating them but it’s still three points If the powers that be knew that Wenger’s time was up they should have let Ozil leave with him, they extended the contract, he never promised to track back or get in the opponents faces in tough away matches, they extended his contact with a pay rise. Ozil will… Read more »

Cesc Appeal

RH It would certainly be easier to stomach, you know paying someone their worth, and has the added bonus of likelihood of sale. That is the kicker we’re stuck with this pussy. My opinion is exactly what I said last year, I wouldn’t pay Ozil £50 a week, I would have sold him to whoever for the first half decent fee that came up. Seriously though, keep going with the wages are irrelevant and shouldn’t be a yardstick, hilarious that you are basically single-handedly reworking the entire employment/salary structure on a football blog. Joffey That is exactly why many of… Read more »

Cesc Appeal

Pedro

I expect a lot of defence this year for Bellerin, Xhaka and Ozil for obvious reasons.

There is no future for Arsenal at the top level with Ozil, how can there be when even his ‘supporters’ admit he cannot be played in big games and is severely limited as a player?

Carts

“You have just described your own personal experience , i can give you a hundred backing up my point. But don’t let that stop you”

LOL Okayyy, bud.

China

In fairness it’s a sad state of affairs when a professional footballer of close to two decades (cech) gets lauded for the great effort he has to make to learn how to do anything other than hoof

I know traditionally keepers did that but is it really that impressive? It’s more concerning that in all those years most keepers haven’t ever bothered to practice having a more rounded ground game, especially considering it has situations when it’s obviously useful

Joffey

@ Cesc i totally agree with you unless other teams have the luxury to include him to their squad… we should try and sell him to Manchester United they would be desperate enough.

Receding Hairline

@ Cesc appeal You are actually working yourself up over something you cannot change which is a bit funny. So it makes it easier to stomach because he is on 175k, ok then. I would have loved to see him walk on a free, it would not have affected us because we have Mkhi, who hides just as much as Ozil by the way but he does not earn 300k so that us alright. Big fan of Mkhi by the way. Ozil is our problem and as Kanu said last week it’s time we quit concentrating on all he does… Read more »

Cesc Appeal

Joffey

I don’t know that even United would take him, particularly as right now their big concern is lack of solidity and defensive worries.

Our only way out is if he decides the MLS actually looks quite nice or China. Having said that Ibrahimovich apparently only earns £30 000 a week in the MLS so maybe not.

I don’t know what you do with him in all honesty. You can play him against the shit but not at CAM because we need to actually get a CDM, CM, CAM relationship going.

Carts

Joffey “CartsI agree with you with Ozil at 10, just don’t expect him to do more than that his game is limited to what those behind offer him, I am not mentioning any of those in front of him because on their day they can be deadly if he has a great day.” I think it’s gotten to this point due to Wenger not being tough with Ozil. it’s that simple. Ozil was mollycoddled and offered far too much freedom. There was a moment where Pep was rumoured to be ready to bomb off Aguero, as mad as that sounds.… Read more »

Receding Hairline

Joffey problem is every good game he has for United would have been used here as a whip on the club’s back.

Pay attention next weekend , every good pass Wilshere makes will be used on here as proof he should not have been sold.

We have seen it with Giroud, Walcott, Chamberlain

Cesc Appeal

‘I am done with Ozil for today’

You had started a defence?

Bob N16

Like your thinking creative thinking Joffrey….Ozil to join the Mourinho meltdown although after Sanchez’s contribution since he arrived there, may be a tough sell.

Nelson

“Not sure Cech has been very good. Have any of the goals we have conceded been unsaveable?”

The second goal is saveable. Most of the goalies only react after the shot. Cech dived to his right before the shot and the ball rolled pass his left leg. This reminded me how Cech reacts to a penalty kick.
The third goal is 50/50. It went through his leg. But it was a close shot though.

All in all, I think Cech performed better than last year.

Carts

“Pay attention next weekend , every good pass Wilshere makes will be used on here as proof he should not have been sold. ”

LOL fuck right off. We’ve got the famous YT highlight where Wilshere played off form and played out of skin against Barcelona, for that.

If you watched Wilshere against Liverpool last weekend, you’ll see that even then, it’s inconclusive as to whether West Ham is his level. Even against the very Bournemouth that benched him for Arter and Surman

WengerEagle

At some point you have to point the finger at Aubameyang. Look I was never his biggest fan, always felt that he was a tier below the very elite CF’s in Europe despite being a goal scoring machine but he pleasantly surprised me by how much of a positive impact he has had on the team in terms of our potency and morale, guy’s a character and a leader. Having said that, he was fucking awful last week against City and he was even worse at Stamford Bridge. I’m worried that this is beyond rustiness and might be a case… Read more »

Receding Hairline

@ Eagle

Even the one at 2-2 that he missed was not that difficult a chance. All he had to do was get his angles right, a striker on his level should not be missing those

China

Auba played under wenger for just 6 months now has a new setup and a new manager

He needs to play much better than this and sharpish but in light of the circumstances we should be more patient with him

WengerEagle

Sure China but he should be the subject of the same criticism that the likes of Bellerin, Ramsey, etc are on the reciving of even if that’s the case as it’s merited on the basis of his performances.

He cost us points on Saturday, a top level CF should be burying both of those chances and then we’re looking at a different result.

WengerEagle

RH

Both were sitters, absolute guilt-edge stick your mortgage on it no-brainers and he scuffed both.

Hard for me to believe that Lacazette would have missed both those chances.

WengerEagle

on the receiving end of

Champagne charlie

What’s with the “someone tell Ozil he’s on 300k”? He’s on that money because that’s what the club put in front of him to protect their investment and future returns commercially and on the pitch.

Because he earns more he should perform better? Doesn’t work like that, or you could slap Mustafi on 200k and solve another issue.

Pierre

Michael
“PierreYour not a stand-up comedian by any chance?”

No,I prefer sitting down!!

Paulinho

That left footed attempt from Aubameyang was very Gervinho-like.

What he’s shown so far it what I thought when we signed him. Just notches below the elite in very single aspect of the game. In touch, in awareness, in composure.

Also his whole chilled out character is something that I don’t think Emery will take to. He wants Monreal warrior types out there with a natural edge.

Receding Hairline

Because he earns more he should perform better? Doesn’t work like that, or you could slap Mustafi on 200k and solve another issue.

Classic …i knew i could always depend on Charlie to paint a beautiful picture with words.

While we are at it put Bellerin on 200k as well, that will teach him to track off the ball runners

Pierre

Granted that ozil was petty disappointing on Saturday but it wasn’t him who missed open goals and it wasn’t him let the Chelsea players waltz through our defence.

Maybe some need to give a balanced opinion instead of harping on about how much he earns …..

WengerEagle

I’d be surprised if Lacazette doesn’t start vs West Ham, whether that’s with or without Aubameyang beside him.

Look very bright coming on vs Citeh and barely gets a look in at SB, strange.

WengerEagle

Ozil was dreadful vs City and vs Chelsea.

1 Key pass per match, no dribbles, only 28 passes pm at less than 80% accuracy, a single tackle between both matches and a lot of flopping about and looking mopey for good measure.

Did absolutely sweet fuck all by any standards, never mind 350k a week ones.

Paulinho

WE – Problem is both of them are flawed. Lacazette will probably start next time and and have a poor game or struggle to run onto through balls,, and people will start saying “Aubameyang would’ve reached that” and the same cycle repeats itself except with roles reversed.

We need to get them playing together, and ditch Ozil, even though he probably has West Ham at home marked down on his calendar as the match to rediscover his love for the game.

Pierre

Emery has tried playing Ramsay up too and ozil up top and both failed miserably.

I have an idea,don’t laugh, how about playing our centre forward up top

Samesong

WE – Problem is both of them are flawed. Lacazette will probably start next time and and have a poor game or struggle to run onto through balls,, and people will start saying “Aubameyang would’ve reached that” and the same cycle repeats itself except with roles reversed.

This.

WengerEagle

Paulinho Haha yeah that sounds just about right for Ozil, like Wenger before him tends to be very good at covering his own arse and his survival instincts kick-in vs the runt of the litter types that we tend to paste at the Emirates and pads the old assist/key pass stats quite nicely. Watch him create 7 key passes vs West Ham and people chime out the old ‘averaging 3 key passes a match’ chestnut fast enough. Re the strikers, don’t disagree. I’ve been an advocate of us playing with both up top and dropping Ozil or Mkhitaryan, an easier… Read more »

Samesong

What about Felipe Anderson v Bellerin that will be interesting. I don’t see us having any easy games especially where other teams have decent wingers that can penetrate one of weak links.

Pierre

WE
“One key pass per match”

So what are we saying now….key passes are important because he is below his usual high standard but not important when he makes 7 or 8 key passes per match.

China

Weagle I don’t disagree at all that he’s cost us and deserves stick for that Just that it’s not yet fair to put him in the same bracket as the other names you’ve mentioned who’ve consistently disappointed for years and years Auba fucked up, sure. But I’m not sure how much we can read into this or that individual fuck up. I’ll hold off on him until it seems clear that this is his true level. If he’s still playing like this or missing lots of easy chances a couple of months from now he’ll have fully warranted his criticism… Read more »

WengerEagle

Pierre

No I deliberately used it as I know it’s the go-to for you to jump to Ozil’s defence.

He wasn’t creating anything vs City and Chelsea, complete liability.

Champagne charlie

Uh oh Weagle, Pierre has you there…

WengerEagle

Charlie

He hasn’t got me at all, Ozil played like shit both matches. Had no tangible effect on the matches whatsoever and was rightly hooked off vs Chelsea.

Ishola70

China

“I’ll hold off on him until it seems clear that this is his true level”

Those two misses shouldn’t be anyone’s level for a professional footballer.

That first miss in particular was absolutely criminal.

Paulinho

WE – Yeah, it’s kind of the same with Ozil and Mikhi to. Mikhi looks like he’s wearing flippers when he tries to control or run with the ball from deep but he is deadly efficient and comes alive once he gets into advanced positions, whereas Ozil is more graceful and generally more adept deeper. Having said that Mikhi can have the odd game where is decent and effective at running with the ball from deep (United away last season 1st half). Ozil is just consistently a waste of space in terms of looking to score away from home or… Read more »

Pierre

WE
Game set and match

Champagne charlie

WE

He was pointing out how Ozils stats are dismissed when he drops high numbers in some games, but they’re used when he registers little or no return.

How he played wasn’t even the subject, just the criteria for judgement. Can’t have it both ways essentially. Pierre takes this one my friend 😉

WengerEagle

Pierre

Go ahead and attempt to justify Ozil starting any of our big matches from here on out away from the Emirates.

Will make an amusing read.

Guns of Hackney

Give Lacatalent and PEA 45 mins against West Ham and see what happens. I don’t see why Emery doesn’t try a traditional 442. At 0-2 so far, Arsenal have nothing to lose and Emery might just stumble on a half decent formula.

WengerEagle

Charlie

Fair enough, should have just said that once again Ozil predictably puts in listless displays vs the big boys and stinks out the gaf.

Pierre

WE
Simple…Horses for courses mate ..I’ve never ever said anything different.

WengerEagle

Paulinho

We still have that half-player problem I remember you called it. And it’s true, Miki is dangerous on the ball but the guy is a complete non-entity from deep or wide areas which require running power and stamina.

Suppose you could offset our weaknesses by having PEA and Lacazette with Miki supporting in a free role and a midfield 3 of Guendouzi, Ramsey and Toreirra.

Nowhere near perfect but for me that’s just about as strong as we can line up right now.

KAY Boss

Bitches have stopped moaning and some here just can’t stop! Pathetic!
Reading the comment section if most of u were coaches, u will only have a first 11 with no bench players. We need to stet winning, agreed but some talk as if the season will be over next week.
Modric never performed in his first 2yrs in Madrid but when giving time he’s become a world beater.
Özil needs to up his game, well agreed, but the constant reference to his salary makes me feel some just hate or jealous.
It shall be well.

mysticleaves

“even though he probably has West Ham at home marked down on his calendar as the match to rediscover his love for the game.”

Ozil, Ramsey, Auba, Miki. Take your pick, they all fit in

Dissenter

Westham at home will be a very difficult game.
They have some good players and have invested in a major transition. I just hope they don’t start their season with us.

mysticleaves

I bet if Ozil scores 20 goals and gives 15 assists in the next 8 matches Cesc Appeal and his mob will remind us he’s paid 350k a week so he should do it away at Chelsea and against Man City.

Pray someone doesn’t
hang themselves because of how much Ozil is making

Dissenter

Aubameyang should be the one getting all the roasting.
Had he done his job, no one will be lashing at Ozil like he killed the pope.

Had Girous missed any of those two goal , the abuse would have been deafening.
If Auba can score tap-ins, what else can he do right.

Guns of Hackney

Kay boss

If Modric hadn’t performed in two years at Madrid, he would have been gone. Your statement is tripe.

Real DO NOT do what Arsenal do and give free rides to players. They are a winning machine.

Champagne charlie

Weagle

Ramsey centrally isn’t helping us with or without the ball imo.

Midfield 3 id like to see is Xhaka, Guendouzi, Torriera. Xhaka between CB and CM linking things, the other two doing everything. 4-1-3-2 would be my choice

—————Xhaka
—-Torreira——Guendouzi
——Mkhi/Ozil/Rambo
——-Laca———-Auba

It’s narrow, and ideally we’d have big powerful fullbacks like Sidibe and maybe Kolasinac could work the other side and get up and down. Maybe asking a lot for Monreal and the model to offer the constant width

Cesc Appeal

‘I bet if Ozil scores 20 goals and gives 15 assists in the next 8 matches Cesc Appeal and his mob will remind us he’s paid 350k a week so he should do it away at Chelsea and against Man City.’ Calm down. Lets just get him to a 5/10 performance this season first before we talk 20 goals and 15 assists. I really enjoy this fake narrative you create that Ozil is really hard done by, just fits the spoiled pussy brat image he has. I said that Ozil will yet again be a spineless pussy against the top… Read more »

Guns of Hackney

Diss

PEA is getting a pasting. A totally one dimensional player who should take off the No. 14 shirt Asap.

Arsenal should have retired the number. I’m not sure why they didn’t actually.

Dissenter

It’s perfectly understandable that people are upset the second highest paid player in the league doesn’t put in a good shift consistently.
There’s a certain amount of criticism that follows that type of pay check.

It’s the morons at the club who should be getting all the abuse. The thought they were keeping fan morale up by extending his deal.
They are set to repeat the same mistake with Ramsey. They will extend his deal to the detriment of the club and paint it as a coup. He’s a player that no other major club will break the bank for.

mysticleaves

Cesc you hardly see a player that performs against the top teams. Henry bar a couple of games here and there was always overrawed by the top teams. Everybidy has their better games vs the lesser teams.

“I really enjoy this fake narrative you create that Ozil is really hard done by, just fits the spoiled pussy brat image he has.”

I didn’t create anything bros, just said you will sooner make reference to his salary and poor performance against the top teams rather than praise his performance against the lesser teams

Cesc Appeal

Dissenter

Absolutely.

Really poor decision by the club that stemmed from the shambolic handling of the Sanchez and Ozil situation last summer.

No way should we lumber ourselves with Ramsey now on £225 000 a week. That is an insane amount of money a year we would be spending on just two players who are not taking us to the next level.

mysticleaves

I meant perform consistently, and maybe Henry isn’t the right person to use but you should understand what I mean.

Guns of Hackney

You only need to look at the Rooney deal at United.

Paying an obvious idiot superstar wages causes friction. Not just at supporter level but within the club.

You think people at arsenal look at Ozil earning 3/4 times what they are and don’t feel resentment? Of course they do.

You only pay that kind of wages to consistent game changers, superstars or players that take in millions on merchandise. And that boggle eyed weirdo ain’t selling shit…

Arsenal were taken in. Now they have a player that is basically taking 3 players wages.

Cesc Appeal

Yeah but hardly any top player has an Ozil game against the top teams, again, fake narrative.

Cesc Appeal

Guns

Exactly.

When you’re putting in effort away at a top team and you’re watching him sulk and drip around the field you will think if this c**t doesn’t have to do anything or try why should I?

Ozil is a bully basically, he picks his targets to show up against.

Ishola70

Dissenter
“Westham at home will be a very difficult game”

lol

That’s it build the opposition up.

Paulinho

WE – Yeah, that’s why I keep coming back to the Xmas tree formation.

It might be ridiculously narrow at times, but it’s the only system I can think of that utilises the strengths of our squad and somewhat offsets the flaws of certain players.

That midfield and Laca and Aubameyang primarily playing between the width of the goal posts, same way Yorke and Cole did, although they will obviously never reach their level of understanding.

champagne charlie

“Yeah but hardly any top player has an Ozil game against the top teams, again, fake narrative.”

and hardly any top player walks into his final 6 months and is kept on with super inflated wages. So uhh, fake argument.

He’s the face of Arsenal whether you like it or not. Comparing KDB in terms of wages or someone else and saying ‘they produce more’ etc is being disingenuous.

mysticleaves

“The thought they were keeping fan morale up by extending his deal.”

Weren’t they? Humans are insatiable. The Arsenal was lambasted when they sold both Nasri and Cesc the same season. I remember fans saying we always sold our Stars. They did the opposite because of previous outbursts and now fans have turned on them again.

If you follow the mouth of fans nothing will be right. So I believe the club is benefiting somehow from keeping Ozil and that’s why they made the decision they made.