It’s very interesting reading the different perspectives on what’s going on at the club at the minute. The general notion is Arsenal are winning ugly and we’re shithousing our way up the league.
I’m not quite sure I buy it.
This bit of analysis from Gracenote was very interesting.
#Arsenal are the only #PremierLeague team which is either over- or underperforming the chances created and conceded this season.
The other 19 clubs are all within 3 points of their expected points totals based on the quality/frequency of chances in their matches. pic.twitter.com/IjVT53nXLm
— Simon Gleave (@SimonGleave) September 30, 2018
Now, you can take a few things away from this.
We’ve been ruthlessly efficient in front of goal to start with, and we’ve had some luck. Yesterday we only managed two shots on target and we claimed an own goal.
Defensively, we’ve been shite, but thankfully, the teams we’ve played have been useless in front of goal (and our keepers have been good).
What this table tells you is we’ve been very fortuitous. The idea that we’re ‘shithousing’ teams doesn’t really sit right with me. This isn’t doing what you have to do to win, like Inter Milan in the semi-final of the CL against Barcelona. This isn’t United under Mourinho. This isn’t Ramos like evil genius. This is Arsenal playing really badly and falling up the stairs.
We’re not creating good chances moving forward, and we’re terrible at the back… but we’re 4 points off the top of the table, so it’s hard to be real about the situation without sounding like a brat. But, you know, I am a brat. I think a big reality slap is heading our way if we don’t quickly improve.
We’re 9 competitive games into the season and we’re still shite. That’s with the players training almost every single day (which comes with its own issues, usually in December). The ideas, whatever they are, aren’t settling with the players at the minute. We’ve seen Bielsa at Leeds turn them into a spectacle, they’re scoring freely, 2 a game, and they’re conceding less (a goal a game last season, 0.8 a game this season). I mention Bielsa because he’s bringing elite level ideas to very average players. Emery took over from an artist, not a butcher, it shouldn’t be taking this long to see an identity.
The play has to get better if we’re going to make it into the top 4 this season, because luck won’t carry us through December. Emery has either got to make changes to the way he’s setting up so he can get the team clicking from the off, or we’re going to have to do some reshaping in the January transfer window.
Starting Ramsey seems like a bad idea. The club withdrew the offer because they didn’t see value in Ramsey signing a £300k a week contract. So it’s not about the Welshman, it’s about Arsenal making an aggressive call on his ability. No wonder he looks pissed off, he’s just been told by the clubs hierarchy they don’t rate him. Here’s the thing, I absolutely agree with that decision. Trouble is, now he’s going to be uninterested for the rest of the season. He’d be a useful player if he was on top form.
Mesut Ozil needs to play as a #10, or it’s simply not worth it. Emery is going to have to work out a way to make him work harder for the team, or he’s going to have to build the system to be able to deal with his lack of defensive work. He’s the most creative player in the league, we’re not creating anything, let’s make it work.
We also need to work out why our defence is so poor. Is it a back to basics kind of issue? Who knows. But it shouldn’t take more than 3 months to see an improvement. I mean, it doesn’t help having someone like Xhaka protecting you, but honestly, I don’t understand how we’ve regressed so badly at the back.
Anyway, a little bit of a moan this morning.
What do you think about it all? Let me know in the comments! x
Ramsey will sign for either Liverpool or Man Utd because he us free. Man united might make their move in January to beat Liverpool to it..that’s the only hope we have of getting something from his move.
He has done well at Arsenal all things considered and should be remembered fondly but just like with Giroud we need to be moving on as a team.. He doesn’t fit the new Arsenal
Receding
If Ramsey has brains, he would move to Liverpool for the cash and a coach like Klopp.
Though Ramsey the footballer might fancy a big team overseas. I think he will do well for a coach like Ancelotti but Napoli can’t pay him the bucks.
China
October 2, 2018 04:07:56
Very well said as well my friend!!
Pedro give it a break with the negative posts. Just because your sore that your beloved Arteta didn’t get the job (which would have been a crazy appointment btw) you look for any opportunity to bash Emery and the team. It’s easy to find stats to fit an agenda. We are near top of the sprint stats, maybe that has something to do with our improvement no? We are going along nicely, beating the teams we should be beating and 4 points off the top. Yet you refuse to give any credit to Emery. I haven’t agreed with every decision… Read more »
Media in banter over drive this morningn Madrid, Chelsea & Loserpool all chasing Hollywood Rambo,dont these guys watch our games? Either way, I’m happy that there are clubs stupid enough to take him off our hands. If we could mamge to land someone in the mould of Niangolan then we cooking. Or give Iwobi a proper go
as good as we have been under emery. We will lose games. So it’s good to be picking up points atm. We aren’t a title winning team, we are however a team that can get into the top 4. Especially since utd are having a meltdown and all of spurs main players look like they have been over played. Chelsea, liverpool and city make the top 3. We should nick the last spot.
Goobergonner/gonsterous/China and even Joe Alot of what you say makes perfect sense. Problem is when you’re communicating with some of the folk on here, you have to expect responses based on a stubborn refusal to embrace change. They all say “Yeh, we also wanted Wenger out” but the bottom line is they weren’t prepared for it. Ignorance to change is a fact of life and generally occurs when people are hiding behind their own insecurities. Those on le-grove who see Emery and his methods in a negative light do so because they are ashamed and too embarrassed to admit their… Read more »
Hahahaha Michael. That did make me laugh!
As much as I may disagree with people on here, I still understand they support the same club, just differ in opinions to what should be done.
If only the le grove community could all get together for a pre game brewsky or 7, and come together over the match! I’m sure we could hahahaha
Michael You call it ignorance but when you look at it ,the people who question some of the decisions and tactics are being realistic to what we are seeing . If some people choose to ignore what they are seeing with their own eyes then that’s their choice but any idiot can see that the problems that we should be addressing (we all know what they are)are not being addressed, in fact we seem to have gone slightly the other way and are even more reckless going forward(if that’s possible) than under the previous manager. Do not confuse realism with… Read more »
It won’t be long now until Emery ditches the tactic of playing his no.10 ahead of the striker.
He has more or less ditched the playing out from the back at all costs.
It took him a few weeks to finally bring Torriera and Lacazette into the side .
Ozil/Mhkitaryan will be our playmaker
Mhkitaryan /Iwobi will play on the right
The full backs will gradually be asked to be a little bit more conservative in their forays forward .
Ramsey ditched……smith-rowe drafted in.
Bamford Your post at 00:23:24 above…………. So Joe is brainless because he has decided how he feels about something!? You’re telling other people how they are really feeling about something “in the deep recesses of their minds” and expect to be taken seriously. You are arrogant, condescending and quite frankly a jumped up little shit. Whenever someone has a differing viewpoint to you, you immediately attack their intelligence. Ask yourself this Bamford before you next do that. What kind of harvard graduate ends up teaching in a school??? NAIVETY NAIVETY NAIVETY NAIVETY NAIVETY NAIVETY NAIVETY NAIVETY NAIVETY NAIVETY NAIVETY NAIVETY… Read more »
China
How about you make an argument about points being made rather than embarrassingly making stuffs up to score cheap points really pathetic and childish of you
SO wengers arsenal in the last few years became stale to watch also equate to the loses against bayern being exciting ? How can you be so dense? Even after taking the time to break it down for you in simple terms! Christ.
Joey would you take 3 FA cups in the next 5years?
vic
I ‘d rather be in the CL final and be top of the table in the beginning of the new season in the next 5 years than win 3 FAC
not to mention, being the fav to lift the title.
“NAIVETY ” one more time please.
Gonsterous
Wouldn’t you rather be supporting the league champions who ARE favourites for the title this season.
For now we are favourites to be destroyed by Liverpool, if you can’t accept that then go support another club.
(lol)
Pedro still crying into his pillow every night that Arteta didn’t get the job. In what fantasy world did anyone ever think he would have us playing some sort of majestic free flowing football whilst being solid at the back with this squad of players…just because he seems like an intelligent bloke doesn’t mean he’ll ever be a good manager. In fact he strikes me as a very uninspiring individual certainly was as a captain. He’s proved absolutely nothing as a manager. I’d rather have an Eddie Howe than him. Because of this, this blog has turned into an Emery… Read more »
pierre
I would love to be supporting the league champions. But do you see us winning the league in the next 5 years ?
Under Wenger, no. Under a new manager, we can’t be sure any more (which seems hopeful)
You don’t make sense dude.
You find this new setup so boring. Boring compared to what? I didn’t see you lambasting how boring things were for the last 5 years. New guy comes in and it’s unbearable. You guys are absolutely ridiculous I swear
paddy
I agree. Loads of uninspiring players have gone on to have a decent career as a manager but none of them have taken over a top team as a first assignment. Arteta just seems to fit a narrative or a fairy tale that’s why everyone wanted him signed. It would be an underdog story, arteta comes in, gets the guys psyched, and we clinch the title on the last day.
“You find this new setup so boring.”
And we aren’t even to the half of Emery’s first season.
reality check
arteta comes in and we would be in 10th with players abandoning ship and asking ludicrous sums to sign New contracts.
Wenger 2.0
Arteta really was just the hipster choice. He has absolutely no credentials or credibility in the football world other than pep likes him. He was even a pretty shit captain in what was Arsenal’s most barren years. He was an average player who was doing well in a terrible team. He is nowhere near a legend in status and he was a wenger pet. It would have been an appalling hire for a club that needed an experienced steady manager. Maybe if he was coming into a Barcelona or Real Madrid type set up, he would have been a good… Read more »
“he was a wenger pet”
Wenger had many pets.
Joe ker
‘Fuck off from the Arsenal and let the real fans enjoy arsenal winning matches.’
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!
What a joke. Joe telling people to fuck and let real plastic arsenal fans enjoy winning matches. Is this a joke really?
Joe is behind the team stefano. Are you?
China
‘Joe is behind the team stefano. Are you?’
I’ve been behind the team for the last 38 years. I don’t just stop because I don’t like an element of the club unlike cunts like joe and other muppets on here.
Pessimistic pat
Harvard produces social workers, teachers (who teach elementary school) and lots of people who decide to have regular jobs.
I do agree with your naivety.
Joe
You’ve become the first ever Emery Knows Best [EKB], the first of the new breed.
You’re choking out healthy conversations with all this drummed up over-enthusiasm.
You’re like the 40 year virgin who can’t get off sex after being deprived for so long.
It’s not all black and white. Listen to what Pierre is trying very hard to say.
Black Hei No one is pretending we are awesome, but on the flip side you don’t flip 7 heads in a row. Only games we’ve lost are to the 2 teams who were champions for the last 4 years. That’s gotta be worth something! Maybe we are not flowing like water, but there a more sings of improvement every game. Some of the play has been sublime, all be it in small spurts, almost like an engine that’s been idle for some time getting close to sparking to life and purring. I don’t get why I have to defend the… Read more »
Also I didn’t see pessimistic pats comment similar to mine. My apologies for the seemingly copying haha.
Well said Pat!!
Joe, Wenger inherited a group of defenders that were under rated, under paid and eating cheeseburgers/drinking beer.
He reinvented the way we trained, setup, and played.
He won the league in his first full season.
Emery inherited the most creative player in the world, two of the most potent strikers in Europe, and a squad used to playing free flowing football.
He’s had 9 games.
The defence is worse. The attack is shite. The football is horrible.
He should be doing better.
Joe, it’s a bit weird that someone who obsessed over Wenger for 5 years now can’t tolerate anyone who wants a fair opinion on the blandness of Emery so far?
Redtruth, you criticized Wenger for winning FA Cup finals. Now all of a sudden, you’re in love with what you’re seeing?
LOL Pedro you are clearly trolling You’ve spent the last few years shitting on ozil and now because you don’t like emery for being ‘bland’ he’s the most creative player in the world. Apparently emery is also benefiting from our potent strike force since we’re averaging over 2 goals a game. We also havent conceded for about 560 odd minutes of football as well as picking up 8 wins on the bounce, but don’t let a good bit of truth get in the way of your laughable attempt to shit on emery just because he doesn’t have arteta’s hair or… Read more »