Arsenal sputtered their way to a win against Blackpool in the league cup. Goals from Steve Lichtsteiner and Smith Rowe gave us enough of a lead to counter a late resurgence in the second half from a pretty average Blackpool.
It’s tough to draw many conclusions from an uninspiring draw. Aaron Ramsey couldn’t control a game against a poor side, none of the young players really stood out, and outside that, there’s really not a lot to talk about.
Matteo Guendouzi caused supreme confusion amongst the fans after he was sent off. Does his red card mean he’s banned? Did the rules change? What happens to him versus Liverpool at the weekend? Seems like he’s good from what they said on the Arsenal TV channel.
There were no real injury scares. Auba looked hurt late on, that really would have been a killer to lose him under trivial circumstances. AMN made a solid return to action, Smith Rowe had his moments and certainly looks to have the frame and pace to deal at a higher level, and outside the red card, Guendouzi continued to show off his class and give us a look into his future potential.
The Liverpool match at the weekend really is bearing heavily on my mind. I think we’re likely going to get a smacked backside. We’ve shown signs of improvement of late, but mostly against pretty average teams. I think we’re on target to make an attempt at the top 4 this season, but it’s far from clear we’re going to slide into the Champions League. We know United and Spurs have another gear. What we don’t know is if the gear we’re in at the minute is based in reality, or are we simply playing above our level.
Liverpool will be a good barometer for that. If we lose to them, that’ll be the 3rd loss out of 3 attempts against a top 3 team. If that record persists, we might find ourselves in a hole at the end of the season. Mourinho is a master shit-houser and we know that Spurs have additional gears, and that’ll come through even more if they duck out of the Champions League bottom place in the group stadiums.
Plenty to consider… another win under the belt was crucial, but it was far from convincing. We need a response this weekend if we’re going to make a statement to the league. Still, it’s a big ask in year 1 of the Arsenal revival. It’s no failure of Emery, it’ll just be a clearer of sign of how much work is yet to be done.
SPURS IN THE NEXT ROUND YES YES YES!
Right, that’s me done, see you in the comments.
Pedro,
That’s what we want to hear, a bit of positivity after ten years of not competing.
Every arsenal fan I’m in contact with feels like a massive pressure valve has been released at the club and were finally moving in the right direction, we know we won’t win the league this year and probably next without mega investment, and because city are too good as well, but at least we might compete? And that for now is what we want, and short term can be happy with.
Pedro
Any truth to next year’s budget being limited?
Emirates and cesc good points.
And Pedro when you getting the site fixed??????
Dream10 He doesn’t need to come deep, he just needs to grow a pair of balls and show for Xhaka or Torreira. The way to beat their press is either with powerful running or quick, precise passing, combination of both usually taking their players out of the game. That is the whole strategy with Emery’s playing out from the back, Liverpool press and when we pass up the field we cut past half their team in a matter of seconds drawing out the press. Where it falls down is our CAM not showing, meaning we dawdle in possession or pass… Read more »
Cesc
“I feel great about Arsenal this season, regardless of whether Emery is the manager to lead us to success or not”
I feel exactly the same.
To be honest, you could have put anyone in charge and I would have felt the same.
This tends to happen when you become bored of the same old thing.
Onwards and upwards.
CA, I was asked why I didn’t rate him. Losing to Monaco was a shocking turn of events, they had Neymar and a collection of incredible players.
I don’t have to be a huge fan of the coach to enjoy the progress we’re seeing. I liked the idea of Arteta. I also like the idea of Nagelsmann, Allegri and Jardim.
We’ve taken a safe option. We know what we’re going to get. I’m enjoying it.
“To be honest, you could have put anyone in charge and I would have felt the same.”
Safe in the knowledge they will be put out of their misery if it isn’t working
“Losing to Monaco was a shocking turn of events, they had Neymar and a collection of incredible players.”
Pedro
Neymar wasn’t at PSG that year and Monaco had an incredible squad that beat Pep in the Champions League.
Neymar wasn’t at PSG that year and Monaco had an incredible squad that beat Pep in the Champions League.
So Pep lost to Monaco….the fraud. Arteta would never ……
‘We’ve taken a safe option’ You mean ‘grown up’ option. You can like the idea of Allegri, but without a £200 Million spend he doesn’t like the idea of us, Nagelsmann is interesting but hugely risky, Jardim sits in the same boat and has imploded this year and Arteta is just plain laughable. I would have been embarrassed with the club if they have done that as it would literally have been a carry on from the, what do you call it, ‘Wenger banter years’. Which is why I was so surprised you were on board with it. Rolling the… Read more »
Liverpool don’t scare me as much this season as they did last.
Seriously think we can cause some damage.
First 20 minutes will be critical. If Arsenal can keep it tight, I fancy we could spring a surprise.
Of course we all know there’s going to be goals, as there always is between these two teams.
As already highlighted, I fancy a draw and will stick to this prediction.
2-2.
Naglesmann is the coach who did not back himself enough to take the Real Madrid job when offered….make of that what you will. Allegri is pretty comfortable where he is, don’t see how we tempt him to be honest Jardim is the man who just lost his job despite having a say in the players Monaco brought in to replace the one they sold, unless you are saying he is totally blameless which will be hypocritical at best Emery backed himself to leave Valencia for Spartak..he failed He backed himself to try again at Sevilla and was a success no… Read more »
Cesc Appeal Azed Up4grabs Great posts Pierre Not so great, we’ll really disingenuousness agenda driven drivel. To be expected where Emery is concerned with you. Pedro Jardim was my pick but I was never subscribing to the Arteta love in. UCL qualification is a big ask with this squad unless we buy well in January. That said unbeaten in 13 games sure goes a long way to bringing the ‘feel good’ factor back, so we should view this season as a transitional one and expect much more from season 2. As for the Pool game it can easily be a… Read more »
Your Comment Here
My concern about the Liverpool game is that it would be over before we even get started.
They tend to have a flying start and we tend to be slow getting off the staring blocks. They could easily score 2-3 goals [on a good day] before we get out act together.
That’s what Klopp will do; go for the jugular very early in the game.
I just hate that this ‘pool game comes before a banter-full international break.
Guendouzi’s red card could be a blessing as he looked tired against Palace and played yesterday, so the rest will do him good.
Cheers TonyD. I do think emery will have been planning for the bindippers game for awhile now. He might not come out and say it, but he knew he had a good run of games where points could be won and to get as many as he has now takes a small amount of pressure off him. He will want to win it for sure but like most fans won’t be disappointed with a draw unless we really dominated them. At least we know it won’t be the same old same old. No game plan, no change in tactics, just… Read more »
Im really pleased we keep stealing points a great start.
BUT MC/LIVERPOOL /CHELSEA ARE A LEVEL ABOVE US.
It still galls me that some people here actually backed a 100% novice to take over a mammoth rebuilding job.
That’s like backing your plumber to take out your appendix when your life is on the line.
The resentment is still raw, I have to admit…and may never go away.
How come no one else is knocking on cit’s door to take Arteta away from them?
Le Grove….where if you don’t accept the flavor, some agena posters will castigate you.
Pedro stopped fancying Wenger and it was cool, he doesn’t fancy Emery…not cool
Pierre has legitimate concerns about how we’re set up, all of a sudden he’s a troll
I am all for disagreements, but name calling just because some people don’t agree with your line of thought is very childish.
Like giving someone an STD and fake numbering them. Your problem now.
Hilarious
It still galls me that some people here actually backed a 100% novice to take over a mammoth rebuilding job.
That’s like backing your plumber to take out your appendix when your life is on the line.
This analogy doesn’t fit.
Maybe the right analogy is “an apprentice plumber hired to redo your house plumbing top to bottom” If you’re talking about Arteta……or a 1st year med student removing your appendix
Now truth is, it’s a gamble on both accounts, but it’s not impossible. Asking your plumber to take out your appendix is damn right ridiculous analogy regarding Arteta.
Dissenter,
International break is in a few weeks.
Still got sporting and wolves next week.
Dale
Your post shows that you don’t understand what the disagreements are about to start with.
Up 4 grabs now
Thanks. I have my calendar all screwed up.
How cool is it that years before any amount thrown out in the media …fans would say, he had the money, he was offered high amounts but he never spent it, but we all believe Arsenal only gave Sven and co 70 m…and Poor Emery has to manage it.
Dale
I get your point but I intentionally used the analogy of plumber because there was a time when surgeries were done by barbers and plumbers.
An assistant manager is not a manager. There’s an ocean of difference between both titles.
Dissenter I don’t think anyone is looking forward to the interlull when it comes mate.
DissenterNovember 1, 2018 18:33:11
Dale
Your post shows that you don’t understand what the disagreements are about to start with.
Enlighten me….
CA, Ozil and Rambo kill the flow of the game. Both stop the ball, and take forever to make a move. Ozil usually gets dispossed and pushed aside and then sulks. Rambo, too many touches, spins, loses the ball or a bad pass. Both of those players are pace killers. Whatever happened to running with the ball? one touch passes? If we want to counter, those 2 are going to make it hard for us. Another scary option is when we lose the ball high up on the pitch… we cannot play a high line…. just cannot we will get… Read more »
Dale sticking up for Pierre.
Cute
And it’s different with Emery because he’s only been here for a cup of tea. Gone undefeated in 13. 1/4 finals in legaue cup and coasted through Europa.
Yeah lots to complain about
You and Pedro(for some
Weird reason) are the only ones who
Think Pierre isn’t a troll.
An assistant manager is not a manager. There’s an ocean of difference between both titles. I disagree, an assistant manager is a manager, he will take over when a manager is unable to, he will know the tactics, strategies and even be the one with the ideas. Fergie had assistants that pretty much were the brains about the tactics…i get that some assistants may not have the right guile to be the face of the team and better suited to be in the background, but Henry, Steve G and Franky boy are managers of pretty interesting clubs at the moment….Monaco,… Read more »
Dale
What about the 50m
Spent in Jan? Surely that goes in the 2018 budget?
Maybe Emery wanted to see how Ransey et al played for him before making rash decisions
Why are some on here still discussing Arteta?
I don’t get it.
Get the utd and spuds games out the way and we have a nice run of fixtures again.
Huddersfield
Southampton
Burnley
and Brighton.
If we could win those it puts us in a great position at xmas time.
I know it’s six weeks or so away but we’ve got Southampton Away Sunday afternoon,the spuds in the league cup Tuesday evening, then Burnley at the grove Saturday morning.
Does emery go all out for the spuds game with the first team?
It is spurs After all.
Dale, You’re right to assert that Pierre has a very legitimate right to question Emery’s tactics. The message is unquestionably simple. The messenger just happens to be flawed because Pierre was the defender of all the nonsense that happened under the previous regime. He was ready to be patient then but now he’s jumping all over the new manager who’s only been around for 4 months. Pierre is often the one throwing the abuse around if you haven’t noticed. Pedro’s tendency to dismiss Emery or offer perfunctory praise is just as puzzling to some since he championed the appointment of… Read more »
Guns of SF
I agree.
I wouldn’t be playing Ozil but unfortunately with Guendouzi now banned we are limited in terms of options.
The plus side is that Emery has taken on a Liverpool side managed by Klopp before and knows what he is about. The problem though is this Liverpool side is someway down the road from the one he beat in 2016.
Arteta Fartteta He is no Pep. Im glad we didn’t get him. We have Emery who is shaking things up. That in itself is remarkable. Clearly, there was a long period of him researching the problems with the team and then being strong enough to make the changes that the old manager would not and could not do. The blinders are off and that is a great thing. There is a positive air now Im smiling after every win… and that feels strange to go this long undefeated. With our old manager, most of us would still be in a… Read more »
Nice to be linked with somebody not in the 30plus bracket for defence.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11541695/who-is-reported-arsenal-transfer-target-nicolas-tagliafico
Dissenter, fair enough, i just think usng Arteta as Pedro’s agenda against Emery is inaccurate, he did throw names out like Nagelsmann and Jardim To be honest, to both sides, Wenger would have been kept on, his downfall was his pride not to accept a DoF who would take away his powers, It kicked off when he became disgruntled at the mention of DoF possibly coming in and he had to go, someone at the BoD level saw what we all saw, Wenger can no longer be trusted to be all…. Now in contrast, the others probably got ruled out… Read more »
I’ve always been slightly suspicious of Pierre.
In his sixties. Pro-Wenger. French name( maybe just to wind us up). Into statistics and data analysis. No sense of humour. Plays golf!
Add all these things up and doubts start a circling.
The last signing Mislintat found for £8 Million has been pretty good so far as well!
Pedro
I don’t agree with your reasoning, but I do think Emery is more likely the type to get us back into the top four but not a PL title. There is something a little prosaic about him / his approach, and we will need someone with a bit of magic or genius to him.
But I like much of what I’ve seen from Emery thus far, and I think he’ll move us in the right direction.
Dale We know what Wenger had to spend because we know what our cash balances were and what our debt requirements were. We also know what men close to Wenger said about his attitude to spending along with Wenger’s own words. As for your point about our allegedly now not having huge cash resources, do you know what happens when you spend a lot of money (Laca, Auba, massive wage bill) and miss out on CL money two years in a row? You have less money in the bank than you did before. And Pierre is not only the definition… Read more »
Your Comment Here
What is wrong with this website. acting weird….
Pedro are you messing with it
Your Comment Her
Graham –
Pierre is not in his 60s.
It’s joe’s constant drivel messing with the website, total cunt that one
I’m sorry.
You can’t be genuinely criticizing a manager where he has gone 13 matches unbeaten after playing city and Chelsea to start.
If those were matches 6-7, who knows, maybe we snatch a draw v city and beat Chelsea.
If we don’t see progression next season,
I’ll be the first to criticize. But to do so do 15 matches into his reign is trolling
We know what Wenger had to spend because we know what our cash balances were and what our debt requirements were. We also know what men close to Wenger said about his attitude to spending along with Wenger’s own words. My answer: Fair enough, i agree..i didn’t dispute this, i only question the current posture of accepting what is a no money to spend but 70m… As for your point about our allegedly now not having huge cash resources, do you know what happens when you spend a lot of money (Laca, Auba, massive wage bill) and miss out on… Read more »
Lol mosns about people being called names and calls Joe a cunt. Hypocrisy not much???
Happy with a draw Saturday
I don’t think anyone is criticizing Emery, I speak for myself anyway, I’m just not going to claim he’s god cause he hasn’t lost 13 in a row, remember Wenger went 49 and see what is being said about him these days, you’d think he never did that……I’m reserved about Emery, let’s start with Liverpool and we can anoint him. I’m an Arsenal fan so of course i want Emery to trash Pep and co at every chance, but i still reserve some doubt regarding winning a title or how it will be come December on…
Dale
I remember you emailing me years ago about protesting.
SamesongNovember 1, 2018 20:04:35
Lol mosns about people being called names and calls Joe a cunt. Hypocrisy not much???
You obviously aren’t following….let me walk you through, i am not on for days, joe has a pop at me even if i’m not engaging, i come on, leave my opion, joe is there again, calling names…
are you related to joe or something? Joe is a cunt cause he doesn’t behave himself…he’s a child.
Samesong, I stand on my word….glad how things turned out, but I’m still cautious, I won’t be fooled that all our issues are now magically gone.
Example of apportioning some blame…Wenger is gone now, look how the Ramsey saga is going….had he still been on, we know who gets the blame, but somehow, it’s ok now….very ok that Ramsey is walking away with us not receiving a fee……i know what would have happened if this was last season.
are you related to joe or something? Joe is a cunt cause he doesn’t behave himself…he’s a child.
Steady on mate
I can say are you related to Pierre? I’m not sticking up for joe that’s the difference just saying that your promoting double standards for all of us to see. And I’m not trying to mean!
Samesong, I was sticking up for Pedro in all actuality, he has a right to be very downtrodden about Emery, he just so happen to caution joe regarding Pierre’s opinion, which i agree with again, especially being joe, like i said, joe has a go at anyone, very irrational that one, I was rolling on the floor the day joe had several pops at Bamford….I don’t like irrational and immature posters like joe, and there seems to be a lot of irrational behaviour many times here.
Rasmey situation? If wenger was here he’d be signed for 300k a week Emery has done it right and sent him pakxing( at the end of the season). Hopefully in Jan. Ramsey isn’t good enough. Who let him get into his final Year? Wenger. That gave Ramsey all the leverage. Wenger leaves and we aren’t getting bullied around by Ransey. Well done new backroom staff. Well done Emery for realizing Ramsey isn’t good enough. It’s wenger fault Ransey is in his last year of a contract. Wenger’s fault he over paid him at 110k a week Wenger’s fault he thinks… Read more »
“Emery has done it right and sent him pakxing( at the end of the season). Hopefully in Jan. Ramsey isn’t good enough.”
Easy tiger….Emery is not doing fuck all about it, it’s out of his hands, it was Raul who pulled the contract not Emery, Emery wanted Ramsey after all.
Haha
Irrational ?
Coming from dale who was calling for ozils and bellerins head minutes before they had man of the match performances for us
That’s irrational and immature.
Where I called Ozil was going to have a great match well before the game started.
That’s a measured post
And you did stick up for Pierre. It’s there in your post. Then you denied it ha
Who’s irrational ? You’re so wound up you don’t even know what your writing
Dale
Joes posts are quite funny imo I personally find him harmless and yours tbh.
I’ll tell you something you would not see me calling Pierre akb but he has used my name a couple of times in things that I was never involved in, hence I called him a liar.
Hahah dale
You think they made that decision without Emery saying I don’t see Rasmey in my plans????
Haha right.
ha ha
Coming from dale who was calling for ozils and bellerins head minutes before they had man of the match performances for us
and they had it again at Crystal Palace right? One performance in many….at the time, a lot of people had enough of Ozil and Bellerin, it’s not irrational to demand players give it 100 every time!
Samesong, he is funny, I just don’t get why he has my pickle in his fingers everytime he feels like having a pop at Pierre, and all the other posters he likes to growl at.
He strikes me as a child, especially the day he was giving it about, telling us how he makes more money..lol, funny boy that one.
He strikes me as a child, especially the day he was giving it about, telling us how he makes more money..lol, funny boy that one.
That was done tounge in cheek as you muppets love to go on about me being a fire fighter and your fantasies about me sliding down a greasy pole
So why not give a little back??
That was done tounge in cheek as you muppets love to go on about me being a fire fighter and your fantasies about me sliding down a greasy pole
wo wo wo cowboy….i didn’t care if you licked poles or slid down one….i also recall the day you were bragging about making good pancakes at the firehouse, nothing i say is of my own imagination but what you present here.
Joe, let’s be friends? You stop calling me all sort of names here and we can be cool, deal?
What’s wrong with making pancakes at work? We are getting paid to make pancakes while at work. Sounds pretty good to
Me
Sure dale. Let’s call a truce
Merson seems to be seriously hurt by Arsenal ignoring him, he won’t stop taking digs
Wenger won nothing but Mickey Mouse Cups after going unbeaten for 49 games
Red..true
What’s your opinion regarding Pochettino?
“I’ve said plenty of times why I don’t rate Emery.He went a whole season without an away win for Sevilla in his last year. He finished 5th, 5th and 7th there.He lost a one-horse race in his first season for PSG with the most outrageous squad in the history of the game.He’s never beaten Pep He’s never beaten JoseNow we expect him to elevate us to where we need to be?Maybe something amazing will happen, but for me, the best we can expect is a return to the CL.” Emery has taken Arsenal to it’s first ever victory in Portugal………..blunder… Read more »
Dale
To be fair , doesn’t matter what we think of Poch. He manages the spuds who are a much smaller club than Arsenal. If their fans are happy with his progress so be it
Wenger was failing at arsenal. That’s all that matters. To compare him to Poch is not a fair assessment
Was wenger meeting fans expectations at arsenal? No. He got sacked
So gooners think klopp needs to win a title to be considered successful? Yes. Do scousers? Not the ones I asked. They want to see title challenges
To me, Poch has spurs punching above their weight.
Today, I saw Pedro really involved in the comments section, until he lost the battle…
Pedro… From all, I could make of your comments, I’d think you and Pierre have an agenda and not an opinion…
You lost it when you said Emery had ney and co. and still lost the tittle…
A point againt pool will be a massive improvement….
Not letting pool score 2 goals by HT, and run away with the match will be a massive improvement…
My only fear is for xhaka and ozil..
Ddkingz, I’m at work mate… and this is football debate, no one wins or loses. It’s just an exchange of opinion. Especially at the start of November.
“I don’t like irrational and immature posters like Joe.”
“ Joe lets be friends,you stop calling me names and we can be COOL.”
What the fuck are you on.?
… and fucking hell, lost a battle when I said PSG had Neymar, playing a team with a quarter of their wage bill?
Fucking hell. How anyone can tot Emery’s loss to Monaco as anything outside a gross failure is beyond me. Monaco were rolling with Bakayoko in their midfield.
Anyone know if Chambers is injured? He’s not in the line up for Fulham and not on the bench.
If he can’t cut it at Fulham, then I don’t think he has a future with us.
Pochettino had made a mug out of Wenger, dicking him left, right and centre on half the budget. Hate to say this, but they play pretty good football.
Forget Liverpool game, however important it is for the confidence and momentum. NLD will be the real test of what UE is made of.
Monaco won the French league with 95 points and scoring 107 goals, they also made the Semi-Finals of the Champions league…
What a shit side lol lol lol
Joe did you somehow manage to edit your comment @ 19:53 because I refreshed the page and a lot of words were missing. I swear your comment was initially longer.
Steve
It got deleted somehow. Gave the Coles notes version
Red Truth, City, the PSG of England, won 100 points last season in a far tougher league.
Not sure what your point is there.
City’s 2nd team is sick. I mean come on man….
Helps to have the oil money I guess!
Monaco was a
Ridiculous team that season. No
Team has won the French league with many more
Points that 95. It’s not like they won it with 80 points.
95 points the pretty much the normal point total to win the league in France.
Anyway, I don’t know why I’m getting pulled into this. I’m fine with Emery, I just don’t carry the same faith in him as you lot.
Time will tell.
Pedro
That’s bollocks. Man city were an anomaly last season. They were amazing. Unstoppable. Pep is different level
Not sure what happened on here today but things seem to take a nasty turn on here more often than not. Just my observation.
Come on, we are all Gunners. Why fight with each other???
Red Truth, City, the PSG of England, won 100 points last season in a far tougher league. Not sure what your point is there. I’ll hazard a guess and say his point is that same Monaco team knocked the PSG of England out of the Champions League and nobody calls Pep average for that. Pochettino was manager of Spurs when Leicester City won the league in a season when all the big boys tanked. If Emery gets a rap sheet for loosing the league to a very good Monaco team, why doesn’t Pochettino get the same treatment? Matinez won the… Read more »
Joe, it’s not bollocks. It happened. Pep crushed the Premier League. The toughest and richest in the world with 100 points.
Emery tanked Ligue One with the French equivalent against a team of rookies.
Those are the facts.
Pep would not have lost the league to Monaco.
Azed, Spurs tanked the league, they weren’t the richest club in the world. Everyone changed their manager out that season bar Spurs, who have a neutral net spend and Arsenal, who had a man crush on Wenger.
You can’t change the facts to shape how you want this Emery thing to pan out.
Guns, tell me about it. Militant behavior when it should just be a conversation.
Pep would not have lost the league to Monaco.
Pep lost to a bunch of rookies in the CL.
You can change the facts when they aren’t facts but opinion dressed as fact.
You can’t rate one manager for winning the French league with Monaco while belittling the other for losing it.
FYI Bakayoko moved to Chelsea for 40m pounds on the back of his exploits for Monaco so the bakayoko comment was another shot in the dark that didn’t hit its mark
I expect Ramsey to continue to be 100 per cent committed to the cause. He is a fantastic professional who will give everything to the football club. But I do find it staggering that the contract offer has been removed. When you think about how much it will cost to replace a player like Ramsey, it is astonishing that he will be allowed to leave Keown is a knob pundit. How much it will cost to replace a player like Ramsey. Ha I don’t know , how much do average players cost these days? Ask Everton or west ham how… Read more »
Receding, that’s how it works mate. Praise for winning, belittle for losing. Think you’ve got yourself confused there.
JoeNovember 1, 2018 19:53:53
I’m sorry. You can’t be genuinely criticizing a manager where he has gone 13 matches unbeaten after playing city and Chelsea to start.
Joe you bell end
You criticise a manger who went 49 games unbeaten. Do you actually think about this shit before you press send??
Nobody on this forum is touting Emery as the best thing since sliced bread. What everyone is pulling u up on Pedro is your contempt for a manager with so much success on his CV.. While bigging up others who he wipes the floor with in terms of sporting achievement