The real season starts here people. We had a nightmare opener, the worst in 20 years, and don’t kid yourself, Wenger wouldn’t have come away with anything more impressive than Emery.
We now have 8 games to find our stride. Work out who can do what. Find the best 11. Search out missing form. Rack up 24 points. Go into the Liverpool game living our best damn lives.
Well, that’s the plan. If we can achieve 21-24 points, that’ll have us within spitting distance of the top 2 or 3 teams and it’ll give us a tremendous platform to push through into the dark months of November and December.
Emery has a few very important jobs to do in the next few months.
Firstly, he needs to establish who is first choice centre midfield. I appreciate he’s mixing up his formations, but I feel like we need to find a bit of consistency. If the problem you’re seeing is the problem that’s been at Arsenal for the last 3 years, just nix it. I think LT and MG are going to be a solid choice. I also think Emery has to give up the idea that Ozil is going to be able to do the defensive side of playing as a modern #10. He can’t do it for Germany, he won’t be able to do it for Arsenal. Put him out on the right.
Up front, it seems like he’s settled on Auba. Lacazette is a lethal finisher, but he doesn’t allow us to stretch teams because of his lack of pace.
I’d imagine he’ll continue to play Petr Cech who has done nothing to suggest he’d be dropped tomorrow. I also think the defence is settled until Koscielny comes back. Under any normal circumstances, Bellerin would be dropped, but I struggle to see how the manager can roll with a 34-year-old in the Premier League. We’ll see though.
It’s a big game tomorrow. West Ham have a very good manager, he’ll have made the right changes in the week and they’ll come all guns blazing tomorrow.
Hopefully we tear them a new one!
Right, last chance on the podcast. See you on the other side.
DM
Just gonna go for all 4, no tactics
Seeing as I don’t usually get to play Fridays
BANKZ
4th
Ah and Bankz takes it. This is why I usually use tactics! Nice one mate
I never miss the mark with capital letters…..lol
Nice one Bankz
What’s this nonsense about tactics, just go out on the pitch and run around a bit, express your freedom.
Yup, the season starts tomorrow…..with a 6pt handicap 🙁
Sancho Monzorla
Ur name is a mindf*ck lol
How many times, over these past 5 years, has Ozil been culpable for goals conceded because he either – 1. Didn’t track back or press. 2. Lost out on a tackle. 3. Failed to cover for a colleague. 4. Wasn’t aware that he was putting a teammate under pressure. 5. Promoted a negative body language. 6. Wasn’t prepared to fight for the team. Would actually like to see this and it would be a sum total of ZERO. People need to realise that behind Ozil there’s still two CMs and 4 defenders. Ozil not tracking back will not make us… Read more »
Arsenal 4 West ham 1
We going to destroy them and yet still miss many chances.
This team is full of goals could have scored 6 or 7 against Chelsea
Mikki and Ozil are flat track bullies so I reckon we’ll score a hatful tomorrow. PEA could get a hat trick. don’t think we will learn much from it but it should be a confidence booster and take the pressure off somewhat. WHU are woeful. Jack will do well to get through the match without a red card or banjaxing himself in a pointless 50-50.
Sancho Monzorla
Are you Wenger in disguise?
It might not be easy but we will beat westham tomorrow. The lads have to watch it about complacency. I just hope Emery isn’t towing the same line of “season starts tomorrow” in training. Would be disastrous. He should be on their ears letting them know they have already lost two out of two and cannot afford another slip toll December
“Season starts again”
I know this is tongue in cheek…but I know for a fact lots of you ACTUALLY believe this. Every game after a defeat will be met with this exact statement. And it’s wrong.
The season started against city. We lost. Second game against Chelsea. We lost that as well.
Jesus.
‘but I struggle to see how the manager can roll with a
34-year-old in the Premier League.’
I would love to see the 34 year old try his hand in that spot.
Ronaldo is 33, and I don’t think Juve put all that money on him just for decoration.
Yep, Ronaldo is special talent, but who knows…..our 34 year old might be special strength!
VicVic
Agree – Bellerin has been dreadful and needs a rocket up the arse
Lichtsteiner looked impressive v City and now would like to see how he copes with 90 minutes
Uwot
Yes probably was a bit harsh on Merse.
Nothing but respect for his legend status and character along with Parlour et al.
You’d think he’d have more respect for himself these days, though.
Emery will be holding a 35 year old player next year. Better play him now- get the best out of those legs.
Our £20m goalie plays tomorrow I suppose?
VV
Why? Is Cech injured?
Your Comment Here
Guns of sf
Agreed. Bellend needs benching. Maybe it’s his new fangled vegan diet but he has been shit
Use Lich before he’s hit with dementia
I wonder if Leno will get a game purely because Cech won’t see it as a knock because he played in the two tough games and was praised for his displays, he’s getting on a bit as well and it can be played off as rest. Emery might do it because he thinks Leno won’t be called into GK action as much as Cech was against City or Chelsea and he may get a chance to see whether our playing our from the back is improved in a less pressurised environment? I also agree that starting Lichtsteiner and bringing Bellerin… Read more »
A thorough pasting of the hammers should really liven up the mood and get everyone buzzing again with confidence,
hopefully Wilshere gets a warm welcome but then goes on to have a shocker,hopefully he also gets schooled by Goon-doo-ziiii
G.O.H
‘Why? Is Cech injured?’
Tongue in cheek I suppose……
Lets control the game like Emery wants
London
Yep could have scored 6 but the concern is Chelsea did score 3 and easily could have scored anothe 5 or 6
Joke Friday: So there was this man in Germany who drove trains for a living. He loved his job. Driving a train had been his dream ever since he was a child. He loved to make the train go as fast as possible. Unfortunately, one day he was a little too reckless and caused a crash. He made it out, but a single person died. Well, needless to say, he went to court over this incident. He was found guilty, and was sentenced to death by electrocution. When the day of the execution came, he requested a single banana as… Read more »
Worse can could even be a draw.
@GoH : any suicidal toughts ?? – yes, we care about you.
jwl
I hate you so much.
Hope we win with a clean sheet.
What time is our match in BST? Some one help me out
The archangel Owzyafather came to me in a dream and predicted a 4-2 win to The Arsenal. Well, that and the fact I got 36-1 on it at the NZ TAB.
Predictions for tomorrow comfortable win with Aubameyang scoring and Mhiki assisting. Iwobi could too. 3/4 goals for the good guys I’m going for
Imagine if it was this time last year and wenger had lost his first 2 games…all hell would be breaking loose…if anyone would dare to say anything positive they would be shot down in flames . And here we are now ,joint bottom of the league and we are all clinging on to the belief that Emery isnt clueless,that surely he does know what he’s doing and that it will all magically fall into place. The cock up with personnel,tactics and formation were just teething problems in the first 2 games wasn’t they……… How long will it be before we… Read more »
Pierre
Funny how you are so quick to turn on emery yet had a thousand excuses for wenger.
You soppy cunt
Pierre I am totally convinced that you’re just some cunt troll at this point. No arguments no nothing and then you pop in with your Wenger nonsense. Fucking idiot.
AW had 10 years plus
Emery had 2 games with all the shit AW left behind
No comparison really unless you r just trolling!
https://www.google.ie/amp/www.goal.com/en/amp/news/wengers-fortunes-at-arsenal-summed-up-by-opening-day-record/1jvbm4ww8sbd41ivssuzbq4p8t
Only once in the last seven Premier League campaigns have Arsenal opened with a win – a 2-1 victory over London rivals Crystal Palace in 2014-15.
From last year and we just about beat Leicester 4-3 so two in 8. Point is Arsene Wenger has had plenty of bad starts to the season Pierre
Marko not the least surprised the point Pierre was making flew past your grumpy head hence the reach for irrelevant stats, it’d more of a dig to the hypocritical and two faced weasel posters we have here of which you’re a prime example.
Pierre is clearly just looking for attention, just don’t give it to him, no one is that dense without it being deliberate.
Pierre
Trust me, Wenger would have lost the opening two games of this season.
it’d more of a dig to the hypocritical and two faced weasel posters we have here of which you’re a prime example
I’m sorry dumbfuck but wouldn’t two faced weasel be you and your ilk who prior to a ball being kicked were imploring others get behind the manager and first thing you do is criticize him after two games? I realize that you lot have to stick together but my god you’re stupid Vic
Victorious
Correct
I think the obsessives need to get a sense of humour
This made me gag on my lunch. I was reading this piece on the metro. Tony Adams offered his advice about how to make Ozil tough; “If you have solidity and strength in your team, then Ozil is a great asset. He’s a World Cup winner and a class act,’ said Adams. ‘He’s like Bergkamp, who cruised through his first couple of years at the Arsenal” ‘We had to get him a little bit toughened up but Ozil hasn’t got the people around him to push him and get him going. ‘There’s only so much a coach can do. It… Read more »
nice…
https://twitter.com/MrArsenicTM/status/1033023263809658880
So you were being tongue in cheek Pierre? Not trolling. You weren’t being critical of Emery after two games in a really obvious and obnoxious way it was an attempt at humor? Very good. Yeah good one
“We had a nightmare opener, the worst in 20 years … ”
Martin Samuel – Daily Mail:
At Arsenal, Unai Emery is inspiring historical comparisons of a different sort. He is the first Arsenal manager to lose his opening two games since Steve Burtenshaw in 1986. Burtenshaw was only a caretaker, mind you.
In terms of permanent appointments, this is the worst start an Arsenal manager has made since Thomas Mitchell followed a 2-0 home defeat by Manchester United with a 3-1 loss at Grimsby in April 1897.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6076415/Gulf-Arsenal-Chelsea-not-wide-think.html
Arsènic™
@MrArsenicTM
Replying to @MrArsenicTM
George Weah: “When racism was at its peak, Arsène Wenger took care of me like his son. He taught me that black & white guys can live together. He’s a father figure. Every time I was on the football pitch, I was ready to break my head, my face, my neck to win games for him.” pic.twitter.com/WdIcsTobbi
No mention of tactics….lol
I expect the team to go out there blazing tomorrow.
we must beat westham convincingly to restore our confidence.
football is all about building momentum and form and tomorrow could be the beginning of something great otherwise hell could be let loose.
redthruth, did you just thought that with your ospinered brain?
Your Comment Here
The thing is AW forgot he was managing a football club not a charity shop..
Good for him though, Wea should give him the job for the national team .
Ozil is our playmaker, a midfielder, ffs if he isn’t good enough for the midfield there’s no need burdening the attack with him.
I’ll go Auba, Laca and Welbeck.
Midfield of Guendozi, Torreira and Mkhi.
Thorough
You don’t think Iwobi should get a game? I thought he was decent against Chelsea.
A 1-0 scrappy win will be enough to start to build momentum
Pierre is what you call a Wenger-wagon fan.
Next thing is for Pierre to secure a ranting spot of Arsenal fan TV.
“George Weah: “When racism was at its peak, Arsène Wenger took care of me like his son. He taught me that black & white guys can live together. He’s a father figure. Every time I was on the football pitch, I was ready to break my head, my face, my neck to win games for him.”” How does this commendable action translate to giving Wenger the highest national honor or Liberia. George Weah had already become a tin-pot dictator. It didn’t even take him that much time. Wenger was kind to him…brilliant however George Weah ought to keep thanking Wenger… Read more »
Pierre
Are you for real or what?
Of course “all hell would be breaking loose”.
Wenger was a serial offender, Emery is not.
Wenger created a team/system/structure that made no sense whatsoever.
Emery is trying to unravel it all, as well as make sense of it.
You want Emery and Arsenal to run before they can even walk, or, should I say, crawl?
It’s as if you genuinely want Emery to fail, just to prove a point.
You’re desperate for revenge.
How ridiculous is that?
Michael
Don’t be daft. Why should all hell have broken loose if we had lost to the champions and the Fa cup holders if wenger was manager.
The criteria should always be the same for whoever is the manager…. Support the team and want them to win.
Only an idiot Would want their own team to lose.. Wouldn’t they Michael
Who gives a flying eff about Wenger…….that egomaniac should have been canned years ago. Even if Emery fails, I will never yearn for Wenger ever again.
Emery is showing us all in broad daylight how much we regressed under Wenger. I saw a significant difference in our game in the City match. We just couldn’t match them for talent and it was too soon for Emery’s system to be drilled into the guys.
I take heart in Ramsey and Xhaka getting yanked, hopefully they never get to start again, and Ozil joins them on the bench as well.
@ Moe? Errrr!? What game were you watching? Citeh out played us (as they have been doing for a while now even under Arsene) and there was no difference in that game, we only slightly improved in the 2nd half, but you felt if Citeh wanted to reach another gear at anytime they would/could. Now the game against Chelsea showed a difference (and clear evidence of what Emery wants and how his tactics if adopted right would go) and on another day we would have come away from SB with a deserved win. Lets see if we can get our… Read more »
I think people are getting way ahead of themselves thinking that we can get over 20 points in the next 8 games. For a settled manager with a settled system and squad etc, 20+ is doable but just because the opposition will be worse, doesn’t mean our opening match issues will have all become too insignificant to cost us points. This is the PL and teams will rarely roll over for us. Teams in the next couple of weeks will also smell blood because we’re not settled yet and low on confidence. I think it’s more likely we get 15… Read more »
Loyika You’re mounting another rather silly Wenger’s defense as usual. Why don’y you catch up with the facts. The Liberian opposition have decried is as an abuse of power. What Wenger did was just good business at the time, something that was commendable but is not worthy of a national award. You point about not being Liberian doesn’t make any sense. I didn’t know that people are excluded from making an opinion because of nationality. Wenger has a OBE in 2013 for contributions to British society…and who can argue that he doesn’t deserve it. What has he done to deserve… Read more »
For clarification sake
My criticism were more of George Weah rather than Wenger
He also gave the award to Claude Leroy who was the one who spotted him playing for Tonnerre Yaounde in the late 1980s. It was Leroy who gave Wenger the tip to sign Weah up.
I was really looking up to George Weah to do something meaningful in Liberia but I guess he’s being afflicted with the same bug.
Whatever the case may be Emery needs to take it one game after the other and not look at “The next 7, 8 or 9” games kind of thinking. First things first is to get a home win tomorrow to lift the mood (by hook or crook) 5 nil or 1 nil doesn’t really matter. The lads need to start winning because a loss and you start getting a bad vibe within the team which Emery might lose control off, and once the players start losing interest in what you are trying to do as a Coach then you’ve lost… Read more »
Like I said Dissenter
Stop taking pain relief for a headache that isn’t yours? If Weah honoured Jose or Pep or any other Manager would this be an issue for you?
The Liberian people will decide if they feel it was ok (as some have come out in opposition to it) Let it be!!
Agreed entirely loyika.
If we have our kinds on the next 8 games as much as the next one west ham will sucker punch us
And I too will take a win by any means today. A horribly boring game and a flukey penalty to steal is the game and I’ll be happy as you like
Right now we’re not in a position to be fussy. We need to build a positive foundation before we can be fussy and that can only happen with some results. Today is a huge game for emery.
Fingers crossed
If nothing else changes, let’s hope we see Guendouzi and Torreira start as this surely is going to be the future base of this midfield. Let’s get them bedded in now so they can get on with adapting to each other and the league sharpish
I’d play a midfield base of guen and tor, with Ramsey n10, ozil right wing. Frankly I’m not sure what the answer is on the left, but since we already have dead weight in ozil I’d counter balance that with a work horse on the left. Iwobi or welbeck for the sake of work rate and pace. Auba up front.
If any of the front 4 are playing poorly (probably lol) hook whoever is worst for laca early in the second half and shift players around accordingly.
as much as I don’t like our current defense and keeper id leave it broadly unchanged today for the sake of consistency.
Make today about establishing guen and tor rather than wholesale changes
China,
“I too will take a win by any means today. ”
Disagree, we need a performance.
I was happy to give Emery a free pass for first 2 games but the honeymoon period is over.
Need to start seeing the team taking shape now.
I bloody hope it’s a good performance but as long as it’s not some disgustingly poor performance then I’ll be ok with it. For me, there are so many things we are juggling as a club, that I’ll still give the manager a wide berth if the performance isn’t there. Getting a win is essential though. If we win without a good performance today I do expect it to pick up pretty soon though. By October we should be playing with a particular identity, in a reasonable well organized way and with a reasonably clear first 11. Before October o… Read more »
I guess my real point is that absolutely everyone of the playing staff plus emery are all on huge learning curves and just because the opposition is weaker, it doesn’t mean our team will have instantly jumped far up that learning curve. That’s going to take time
What matters is getting 3 points and taking a step in the right direction
I also disagree with the notion of the honeymoon period being over We can’t exactly call opening games against a rampant city and a decent Chelsea team as a honeymoon period. These are games which any team in the world could lose, even with an elite squad (which we don’t have) and a settled playing style and manager (which we don’t have). That’s a baptism of fire, not a honeymoon period. It’s more a hiking in the Alps than a sipping wine in the afrench riviera honey moon. Emery needs to learn from those and improve things, but we can’t… Read more »
Must be a bit weird for so many of you on Le Grove.. It’s match day and you are desperate for an Arsenal victory instead of the usual desperation for an Arsenal defeat.
Welcome to my world.. I have spent my whole life waking up on match day hoping for a victory, whoever was the manager of the club.
be interesting to see…
Torreira – Guendouzi
Ozil – Iwobi – Mkhi
Aubameyang
with some interchange between Iwobi & Mkhi, but expecting Ramsey to get a recall in the advanced central role. would also like to see Leno get a start, but can’t see that happening yet.
Pierre Your posts are confusing. Read your 21:48 post of last night. Now read your 00:17 post. In the first you highlight “all hell would have broken loose”. In the latter you state “why should all hell have broken loose”. How can the criteria for both managers be the same? Different managers, different set of circumstances, different ideals/methods/philosophies, different personnel (on and off the pitch), different time line; different in every conceivable way. One manager created a beast, the other is trying to eradicate it. Also one huge difference, I wanted rid of Wenger because of what he was doing,… Read more »
Cesc AppealAugust 24, 2018 22:52:22 ThoroughYou don’t think Iwobi should get a game? I thought he was decent against Chelsea. I think Iwobi’s finishing is pants just like Welbeck but that’s not why I even want him dropped. Welbeck’s all action game should be perfect for Emry’s pressing style, whereas Iwobi only come alive sparingly. Welbeck also acts as a perfect foil for Lacazette, their pairing last season had some Chemistry. Also, Iwobi is lightweight and Welbeck will offer the shite Bellerin better cover. Finally he’s English and down to his last year. If West Ham is as weak as… Read more »
Personally, I would like to see a 4-2-3-1 system as it is a home game v weaker opposition.
I would like to see Torreira and guendouzi as the the 2 sitting in midfield to allow the attacking talent of aubamayang, ozil, mhkitarayan and lacazette to flourish.
Not sure that will happen though.
Early goal will do wonders for the teams confidence.
Michael
It is sacrilege to wish a defeat on your own team.. No excuses for it.
Ha
Rumours Mesut Ozil is ‘sick’ again.
What the fuck is wrong with this bloke.
Pierre
And ironically you’re now desperate for a defeat to comfort you in your post-Arsene anger.
gambonAugust 25, 2018 08:01:42
HaRumours Mesut Ozil is ‘sick’ again.What the fuck is wrong with this bloke.
HALLELUJAH. Just remains Bellerin and Ramsey to have Bacillus cereus.
“ozil is sick, HALLELUJAH. Just remains Bellerin and Ramsey to have Bacillus cereus”
That’s what I like to see… Le Grove getting behind the team..
Wenger or no wenger, nothing changes.
only took 2 games of the new era for the lazy Turk to go missing.
Probably a new bout of depression.
Pierre.
“ozil is sick, HALLELUJAH. Just remains Bellerin and Ramsey to have Bacillus cereus”That’s what I like to see… Le Grove getting behind the team.. Wenger or no wenger, nothing changes.
I perceive them as the weaklings. And Bacillus cereus isn’t quite Cancer. You won’t have any milder food poisoning. You might wanna Google it.
See what I mean Michael… And you thought things would be different… A leopard (Le Grove) doesn’t change it’s spots.
Pierre
Have you been living in a cave all your life?
What is “sacrilege” my friend is folk like you showing your support for something that is not only fundamentally flawed but is also destroying the club.
For most of us, supporting your “team” is a life commitment, but when that commitment is being consumed and threatened by one man’s thirst for self gratification, you have to make sacrifices.
Just as in life.
Come on you Gunners!
3-1, at the least.
Re: Ozil.
Another notch on Emery’s bed post.
Gambon, the Ozil troll, at it again….
Pierre still suffering from post Wenger stress disorder.
Bob
you arent at all concered that after a season of repeated absences, its taken him just 2 days to phone in sick?
pierre
I like ozil but this continuous mystery illness gets on my nerves. It’s like at the workplace when you have an assignment and the person earning the most does the least work or doesn’t give any insight to any thing. How long before you want to grab the guy by the neck and tell him to fking contribute or fock off elsewhere cause we are under pressure to deliver…