Make or break December

by .

So here we are, entering phase 4 of the season. The last international break of the year has passed, and we’re about to hit a traditionally muddy part of the season. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the next few weeks will go a long way to deciding our #Top4Fate.

We’re currently high off the fumes after an exhilarating hit of unbeaten. 16 is a big number, a crazy amount of games no one really thought possible this early in the project. However, the statistics point to us being in a bit of a bubble. You can cover your eyes, you can hide behind the couch, you can scream SHUT UP AND BACK THE MIRAGE, but ultimately, it’s clear we’re at a crossroads.

We’re 11th position in the xG league. That you dislike the metric of measuring luck matters not. Simple fact is, the methodology is sound enough to be used by elite management and it states we’re overperforming. Sky ran numbers yesterday showing our save percentage of 72% was the best in the league (about time) and our conversion rate is about 23%, which is again, the best in the league. That’s not sustainable, and we all know it. If our level drops on either one, as we’re currently playing, there will be an almighty correction.

This weekend, we play Bournemouth who sit 4 points behind us in the league and occupy 5th in the xG league. They’re where they are because they deserve it. This game is going to be very tough, especially after a fairly drab run of draws. Bournemouth are going to come at us. Teams don’t really fear Arsenal, we’re wide open at the back, we’re easy to get in behind and we’re susceptible to the basic counter. This is a massive banana skin.

We absolutely have to win, because we have Spurs and United coming up. The shape of the league this year looks very much like the top 4 are going to pull away from the chasing pack quite early on. If we have a disastrous few weeks and find ourselves 7 or 8 points back, that could be very hard to chase considering the lack of quality we have in the squad compared to the others.

This is the phase of the season where I think we’ll find out whether the ideas have settled. The ideal is that in the next month, we see that the defence has settled. Hopefully, the manager finds a way to bring composure to the back line, and works out a way of integrating Mesut into the side so we release his attacking prowess at the same time as finding a way for him to defend. Hopefully, we can find a way of being more creative as a team, because at the minute, we’re winning because we’re unbelievably clinical in front of goal.

There’s a lot we’re going to find out. Bournemouth is the perfect test. Let’s see what Emery has in store, and let’s pray he’s found a formula that brings us home a December to remember.

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Cesc Appeal

Should be 3-0.

Spurs looking really good in attack.

Bamford10

Marko I didn’t say that we probably have 30m. In fact I explicitly said that I think that’s a low-ball figure and that I think we have more than that. My point was that where we once had 150m+ in cash reserves, we have spent a great deal of money over the past two and a half years — and have suffered decline in revenue — and that no one should be surprised if we now have less money to spend. This isn’t some strange, mysterious thing. The club’s executives, e.g., Venkatesham, have stated and explained this. It is also… Read more »

Champagne charlie

Pedro

Dead easy to list who you want out, but you know fine well a number of those need replacing and they won’t come in pro bono

Ramsey, Welbz, Monreal will need genuine investment to replace. Same as Kos, Mkhi, Mustafi if you go that way. Arsenal ain’t losing 6 names like that in a window and bringing in the replacements.

We’ve enough to deal with having two players out of contract (Rambo, Welbz), and two good players losing their magic (Kos, Monreal).

Marko

Exactly right Jaime. Not only do we not pay transfer fees fully but transfer budgets and income go by a season by season basis so what we paid for players in previous seasons shouldn’t and wouldn’t make a difference. Wages do though in compliance with FFP and common sense of course says you can’t keep adding players and wages onto a squad without any thought into it. In saying that Ramsey and Welbeck not being offered new deals and the likely departure of Koscielny, Cech and Chambers in the summer gives you a lot of leeway in that department. Not… Read more »

Paulinho

Think we will have pretty big problems over the next couple of months. Don’t see a lot of upside in our squad – apart from Torreira starting to spread his wings more offensively and maybe scoring some goals – so Emery will have to be creative as possible. Would like to see a leap of faith on Smith-Rowe. Still raw but he has got the skillset and attributes to deliver in those advanced areas. Think we will need him step in from the shadows and bring something of substance to our underwhelming attacking areas. Monreal needs to return as well.… Read more »

Cesc Appeal

I wonder if Emery might start playing all of Guendouzi, Torreira and Xhaka at once?

I think that might be a way for us to see more control, more of a link to attack and more of a shield for the defence.

Marko

We don’t have this or that amount of money to spend simply because YOU think we should have this or that amount of money to spend. That’s not how an organization’s finances work — obviously.

And obviously 100 million spent on two strikers means 2 years down the line you’ve got 30 million to spend… obviously. Also you mentioned the cash reserves no way we touched them to suggest that is ridiculous.

Paulinho

“I wonder if Emery might start playing all of Guendouzi, Torreira and Xhaka at once?”

Think it’s pretty clear now that playing three is simply not in Emery’s system/philosophy.

He will be thinking, okay, we get more possession and control playing three but what do we lose by not having the advanced number ten, both on and off the ball in terms of pressing?

His way of dealing with central midfield issues is to replace like for like and freshen things up rather than change to a three.

Cesc Appeal

‘but what do we lose by not having the advanced number ten, both on and off the ball in terms of pressing?’

You’re aware Ozil is our CAM, right?

Who are you talking about here?

TR7

As per unaudited 6 month financial statement ending Nov 2017, we had a cash reserve of 160M out of which 23M is in what AFC calls debt service reserve account, basically amount earmarked for stadium debt servicing. That leaves us with 137 M. We spent around 70M in summer , so that’s 67M remaining. Now if we assume Arsenal’s net cash outflow from operating, investing and financing activities in FY 2018 and FY 2019 is similar to what it was in FY 2017, expect another 40M outflow from that kitty of 67M and we are left with cash balance in… Read more »

Bamford10

Marko “means two years down the line you’ve got 30 million to spend” This is one of the things that makes discussing things with you a bit impossible. I have twice now explicitly stated that I think we have more than 30m. That figure is Pedro’s figure, not mine. I have explicitly said that I think we have more than that. “you mentioned the cash reserves no way we touched them to suggest that is ridiculous” Are you suggesting that we paid for Mustafi, Xhaka, Lacazette and Aubameyang out of our operating revenues alone and that our cash reserves are… Read more »

Marko

Ramsey, Welbz, Monreal will need genuine investment to replace. Same as Kos, Mkhi, Mustafi if you go that way. Arsenal ain’t losing 6 names like that in a window and bringing in the replacements. I mean we could. We brought in 5 last summer and there’s nothing to stop us from bringing in another 5 next summer. And Ramsey, Welbeck, Koscielny, Cech and Chambers are gone in the summer that’s just a fact and also let’s be honest here some of the players we’ll be losing have been ineffectual this season and losing and replacing them is honestly not that… Read more »

David Smith

Any news on the job front for Arsene “I would leave Arsenal if I was hurting them” Wenger?

Champagne charlie

Pedro It’s less the wages and more the outright capital needed to replace the players. For those four name si mentioned how much are we getting in? Then how much do we need to spend to replace them? That’s my issue. I’m fine with binning Chambers, Jenks etc and throwing a youth lad in to trim wages. Just feel we have some players to address before we have any players to address if you catch my drift. If Arsenal can replace Kos, Welbz, Rambo, and Monreal this summer with no additions to wages, then that’s a fantastic summer. Or say… Read more »

Marko

Think we will have pretty big problems over the next couple of months

It’s really one month. We only need to get to January and bring in some bodies to get us over the line

Paulinho

Cesc – It is about positioning, he likes a player advanced to he can receive the ball high on counters and have numbers advancing on their goal, and it also gives the player a chance to press high and stop them playing out from the back and feeling comfortable. So overall four high pressers rather three. He has to work with what he has got, so talking about who we have playing there is a bit pointless. He obviously feels sticking to his system is important, even if it means playing someone has ill-suited as Ozil to it (in a… Read more »

Paulinho

Jesus typos galore.

*Even if it means playing someone as ill-suited to the role – in a pressing sense – as Ozil.

*Emery will most likely do

Cesc Appeal

I agree that is what he wants, a sort of CM/CAM/CF type player in there. Some work load. The closet we got to seeing his idea work was Fulham, I think. But when you have Ozil you have to put your preferences on the back burner. He is an undesirable player for most managers. Watching this game and I’m thinking can you imagine Ozil doing what Alli is doing as a CAM or Eriksen? Absolutely not. Or De Bruyne or one of the Silvas at City? Absolutely not. Emery is going to have to be pragmatic soon because Ozil is… Read more »

Pierre

Marko “And obviously 100 million spent on two strikers means 2 years down the line you’ve got 30 million to spend… obviously. Also you mentioned the cash reserves no way we touched them to suggest that is ridiculous.” Do you not realise that the last 2 seasons we have spent 45 mill net which equates to 22.5 mill a season …. Don’t know why people just don’t admit that in comparison to Chelsea ,man united and city we are in the 2nd division financially and we have been for the last 12 years . We were supposed to be able… Read more »

Marko

That leaves us with 137 M. We spent around 70M in summer , so that’s 67M remaining. Now if we assume Arsenal’s net cash outflow from operating, investing and financing activities in FY 2018 and FY 2019 is similar to what it was in FY 2017, expect another 40M outflow from that kitty of 67M and we are left with cash balance in the range of 25-30M come March 2019. So it just continues to wittle down no matter what? Man the life span of a football club is small. Bout two more seasons before we have to sell the… Read more »

Paulinho

Cesc – The good thing Emery is probably acutely aware of Ozil’s flaws. He has to play the long game though and give him the rope.

It wouldn’t be so bad if Ozil upheld his end of the attacking bargain but he doesn’t. He’a a complete wuss who vacates the area the moment he is confronted with any real adversity; whether it be an aggressive marker or a sound defensive structure.

Marko

Are you suggesting that we paid for Mustafi, Xhaka, Lacazette and Aubameyang out of our operating revenues alone and that our cash reserves are more or less identical today to what they were four or five years ago?

I would say that our cash reserves are more or less the same yes. Because realistically while we are spending more these last few years it hasn’t been beyond our means. We’re self sufficient. Us spending our cash reserves (cash saved) to the point where we’ve only got 25-30 million left as TR7 suggests isn’t very self sufficient to me.

Champagne charlie

Pedro Yea that’s what I’m concerned with. All for the savvy purchase life, but it has to be funded somehow and selling our current lot isn’t giving us much gold. I think we can get away with buying one player to replace Rambo AND Welbz tbh, Rambos position was never set in the side and we could promote Nelson or Smith-Rowe next summer to first team proper to fill it out. Chambers and a Elneny are money spinners for us, which says it all. Call it 85mil with sales, that’s a tight budget to get: – starting LB – starting… Read more »

Cesc Appeal

Paulinho

I agree.

I just worry given how much the club have given Ozil there might be pressure to play him and that there is no team anywhere of any note at all stupid enough to give him the deal we did.

TR7

Pedro

Yeah , the number should be in the range of 25-30M assuming there is no remarkable difference in our operating performance in last two financial years. The number can go up only if we have made some money from non operating activities such as sale of real estate etc.

Cesc Appeal

Son.

Wow.

Receding Hairline

Chelsea getting stuffed.

Eden Harzard FC

Paulinho

This is the Chelsea performance I’ve been waiting for all season.

Always been in them, just need a decent side to show them up.

One-paced and weak with Jorginho and Kovacic.

Marko

That said, miracles aren’t impossible. Nagelsmann is working them, Poch is, Liverpool to a certain degree (to get to UCL final).We just have to position ourselves in a way that extracts more from less… It’s worth pointing out that it’s all well and good saying that because we’re not strapped like a City or PSG that we’ll have to work miracles to be competitive like a Dortmund or an Atletico but what you’re saying with notions of 30 million pound transfer budgets is beyond a miracle it’s impossible. We’ve been out of the champions league two seasons and we’re expected… Read more »

Jamie

Son with a sublime goal.

Pierre

Bamford
“What do others think? Should we be a better attacking team given our personnel? If so, what’s holding us back?”

How about the offensive players spend too much time chasing all over the pitch in playing a very poorly executed pressing game ,so they waste energy because we rarely win the ball back as we don’t press well as a team so consequently our offensive players are probably only playing with 50% energy when we receive the ball and so become ineffective as a strike force …..

Cesc Appeal

Wathcing what Spurs are doing is what Emery seems to want, the attacking press pressing with intensity, dropping back to help out and also attacking with intensity.

You need the personnel though, we don’t have it currently.

TR7

Marko

We had an operating profit (net of taxes) of 15M in FY 2017 and we paid 14.5 million to service our stadium debt. So basically as long as we are in Europa, stadium debt alone will eat in to our earnings. On an average we spend 10-15 M on player registrations (extension of contract , signing bonu etc) , so our cash reserve will keep getting depleted unless we sign a mega sponsorship deal or sell a couple of players for big money.

Marko

Not to drag this out further but for me our budget next summer will be/should be the same as the previous summer as is right now (with notable wages gone from Ramsey and Welbeck leaving). Then obviously it’ll be more if we sell players like possibly Ozil and Xhaka and Cech and Elneny and Chambers. And then you have to take into account if we made it back to the champions league too coupled with the Adidas money that comes into effect next summer. None of which would explain 30 million. But anyway

Marko

What seems like fear mongering?

Your mate telling you about us having a 30 million pound budget in the summer and you writing a blog about it. Scares the bejaysus out of me

Champagne charlie

Pedro Your guess is as good as mine, I think the Bellerin one has been and gone personally – but I’d rip 40 mil out your hands for what he gives us and his position in the side. Should’ve turfed him when he was pining for Spain, and bought Aurier for 18 mil. More than adequate for a modern RB, and scope for us to improve the key roles. Maybe we can sell Mustafi, call Sokratis his replacement, and Mavrapanos up a gear until the next summer. We have to be cute in any case, whether that’s expecting a lot… Read more »

Champagne charlie

Worth remembering Morata cost 70 mil and was clamoured for by a few on here.

Better suited for one of them red bins with a black lid.

Cesc Appeal

Spurs are tearing Chelsea apart

London gunner

Lol people keep forecasting spurs doom and yet they keep on winning and mostly convincingly.

Let’s face it guys small squad or not they are a pretty good team and better than us. This is isn’t hyperbolic isn’t me saying they are all worldies but that there is a significant margin of quality between us and them this season.

I can’t see us getting top four.

TR7

Morata is pony and Lukaku a donkey. Some experts here wanted us to sign them ahead of Laca.

TR7

Spurs starting 11 when everyone is fit is second only to City. Kane, Son, Erikson and Alli all start together for the first time this season and they rip Chelsea apart. Could have been a cricket score if not for poor finishing.

Samesong

Kane been a beast in this game missed a couple chances too.

Champagne charlie

Pedro I’ll give that a look. It’s a smart approach to adopt, if you have the managerial nous then you can harness the ability and forget the “grief”. Aurier is an obvious example, that’s peanuts for a Rb with his attributes and potential. Sure, they don’t all work but the potential return is fantastic for the outlay. As you state, it’s the outlay Arsenal need to summon from somewhere. So what’s the alternative? It’s potential, misfits, contract loopholes, fit for purpose signings (like Mata for Ramsey perhaps?). We don’t have a budget to go pointing the finger at sexy names… Read more »

DaleDaGooner

That header just reminds me why we should have kept Giroud over say Welbeck

Marko

Accounts for the year to 31 May 2017 Turnover £427m (3rd highest in the league) Wages £199m (5th highest, 47% of turnover) Profit before tax £45m (up from £3m in 2016 https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-finances-kroenke-wenger-failure-12103949.amp For the Gunners, it’s a far more modest figure, albeit one defined as “a robust cash position”. The figure stashed? £160.7million. That’s up £37million from 12 months previously, but down £20million from May 31 2017. As such, expect that figure to rise in the next set of accounts. That article was from just February. Am I an idiot for being sceptical about 30 million pound budgets or the… Read more »

Champagne charlie

Dale

Selling Giroud and replacing him with Auba was moronic, it gave us more of a headache and less of a budget. Well done lads.

I think we missed a trick with Barkley too, 10 mil was it he moved for on the end? Ramsey out for 40 mil when that was a thing, replaced with Barkley. That’s how you make progress on all fronts.

TR7

Marko, wrote a post doing the math starting from that 160.7 m cash balance figure on the last page. Just that i conservatively presumed our next cash flow would be (20M) in both FY 2018 and FY 2019. If we are being more optimistic and assume only 10M cash outlay each year, we are in the 45-50 M range and that would be the best case scenario.

Marko

What’s the difference between last summer and next summer? Honestly. Level of European competition? To be determined. New commerical deals coming in next summer. I just don’t know overall but I’m willing to bow out because I want to have about 5 Guinnesses

Pierre

CA “Wathcing what Spurs are doing is what Emery seems to want, the attacking press pressing with intensity, dropping back to help out and also attacking with intensity.You need the personnel though, we don’t have it currently.” You are correct Our system is exactly the same as Tottenham ,a system that I like and there is no reason why we can’t replicate what they are doing offensively even with the players we have now ….they play a high energy game as we do and our stst s this season show we work harder than them so we do have the… Read more »

Redtruth

Spurs have won fuck all with their system, yet some dicks want us to replicate them lol

Marko

there is no reason why we can’t replicate what they are doing offensively even with the players we have now I mean they have some proper wide players and it’s been discussed to death about the defensive input/effort of Eriksson compared to someone like Özil. Basically we do not have the players to play the way they do. we work harder than them so we do have the energy in the team but it has to be more of a team thing than individual Haven’t you made a case for turning the blind eye to Ozil for example not doing… Read more »

Redtruth

Let’s emulate sides who actually achieve success and not losers like Spurs..

Receding Hairline

Spurs have done well all things considered but haven’t achieved any success

Let’s not redefine the word success

Leedsgunner

Despite the Spurs admiration and love in that is surely likely to ensue — they are a small minded club with above average players as a whole. Please, please please, before anyone says it, there is no power shift in North London.

Arsenal will always be a bigger club in North London, in history, in class, in trophies and in identity.

Arsenal, we are by far the greatest club the world has ever seen. 😉

Cal down, one decent result against Chelsea doesn’t win you a trophy… although, I admit, it does heap the pressure on us to beat them

HillWood

The Yids are fucking Scum
Last won the league before colour tv was invented

Leedsgunner

*Calm

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Reason spurs being acclaimed is they have turned a few players who coat fuck all an turned them in to potential massive money signings..
Mind you still ain’t won fuck all
An had to be petty an have a bigger ground capacity than us just to be churlish …

It will all come tumbling down … An that ain’t just the team…

Leedsgunner

Remember Spurs beat Juventus and Real Madrid last year and where did that get them?

Here’s a clue, after the double colon:

Let them savour in their three points, that’s all it is. It won’t get them anywhere at the end of the season.

We need to do our bit and defeat Bournemouth and then Spurs in due course. If we do, we make their win versus Chelsea virtually pointless.

Marko

Think I’ll watch that Boca River Plate game in a minute. Looks absolute dirt

Emiratesstroller

Pedro I read your post earlier today suggesting that we have a net budget of £30 million. It was unclear whether you are referring to January or next summer. If you are referring to January I would be inclined to agree with you. I cannot see us spending on more than one player in that transfer window. The only sales that I could visualise then could be Ospina [if Napoli exercise option] and Elneny. Collectively I doubt that they will generate more than £12 million. However, I think that Arsenal’s net spend next summer will be at least £100 million… Read more »

Pedro

Match suspended?

Bamford10

TR7

“Spurs starting 11 when everyone is fit is second only to City.”

Nah, Liverpool have a better XI than Spurs do.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Chelsea keeper looked suspect press will turn on him soon
70m ….ffs

Marko

Yep seems so. Can’t believe they were thinking about playing it. Players got hurt by tear gas

Emiratesstroller

Here are current expiry dates of contracts

JUNE 2019
Cech/Monreal/Lichsteiner/Ramsey/Welbeck
JUNE 2020
Koscielny/Jenkinson/Ospina
JUNE 2021
Mustafi/Sokratis/Ozil/Mkhitaryan/Lacazette/Aubameyang
JUNE 2022
Martinez/Kolasinac/Elneny/Chambers/Guendouzi/Iwobi
JUNE 2023
Leno/Bellerin/Mavropanos/Bellerin/Torreira/Xhaka/Maitland-Niles/Holding

Bamford10

TR7 “Morata is pony and Lukaku a donkey. Some experts here wanted us to sign them ahead of Lacazette.” I agree that Morata has been a bit of a headcase and a disappointment at Chelsea so far, but he has 5 goals in 750 minutes in the PL this season; Lacazette, on the other hand, has 5 goals in 900 PL minutes. So I don’t see how Lacazette has been all that much better. As for last season, Lacazette had 14 goals in 2,200 PL minutes, whereas Morata had 11 goals in 2,000 PL minutes. So even with respect to… Read more »

Champagne charlie

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6425267/amp/Fourth-Arsenals-limit-unless-Silent-Stan-Kroenke-starts-spending.html

Oh no Oliver don’t say that….

Banford

Include all the stats, goals and assists are the standard. What’s Morata done for his teammates? And hasn’t Lacazette played for a shit Arsenal to date I thought…

Emiratesstroller

Bamford 10 Aubameyang and Lacazette should be treated as a striker combination. Chelsea are heavily dependent on Morata as their main striker and the same is the case with Lukaku at Man Utd. Morata and Lukaku cost significantly higher transfer fees than our strikers so one would expect from both these players a better outcome. On an entirely different tack much has been discussed about our current wage bill. I am not so sure that it is significantly higher than last season. We have offloaded in last financial year Gibbs, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Giroud, Sanchez, Mertesacker, Campbell and Peres. That took… Read more »

Bamford10

Emirates

I’m not sure what you mean when you say that Lacazette and Aubameyang “should be treated as a striker combination”. Do you mean that neither was signed as a #1 or a #2 but that they were regarded somehow as equals and alternates? That they were signed in order to be played together and alongside one another and that one should therefore not evaluate them in isolation?

Please explain.

Goobergooner

I’m not sure who said it within the coaching staff a few weeks back that they felt Laca could play as the Cam, but I feel that that could work with auba up top and iwobi wide. A 4 4 1 1 wouldn’t go astray In my opinion either. Though I still don’t know why mhki hasn’t been played central with auba either left or up top. We really do need to shape up properly and start playing some good football. If we could sure up the midfield more, and really start controlling the centre of the pitch, our lack… Read more »

Bamford10

Champagne “Include all the stats, goals and assists are the standard.” It’s funny, but I thought strikers were assessed primarily on goals scored. You’re welcome to highlight other statistics if you like, but none of them are going to show or prove that Lacazette has been leagues better than Morata or Lukaku, even if these two have been somewhat disappointing. “And hasn’t Lacazette played for a shit Arsenal to date I thought?” Well, no one here has said we are “shit,” so I’m not sure why you are saying that. But if your point is that Morata gets more chances… Read more »

Cesc Appeal

Goober I wouldn’t mind seeing that either. Lacazette is quite good at pressuring the midfield players as well. That sort of 4-2-2-2 or 4-2-2-1-1 was the type of thing we were playing against Fulham and it worked really well. Guendouzi/Xhaka and Torreira in central midfield, currently you would probably have Iwobi at LM and Mkhitaryan at RM and then Lacazette at CAM/CF/ST and Aubameyang at ST. I would give it a go, I think given Emery’s style it might work better for us. Against Fulham what happened was that Welbeck sort of filled that role and would rotate out with… Read more »

Paulinho

That’s why I wanted the XMAS tree formation. Have Auba at the tip of it, and Lacazette just behind with either Ozil/Mikhi also just in behind.

If we continue to play Auba left wing he will become dispirited and just nose dive because he’s such a limited footballer.

Goobergooner

Also I still believe unless we sell one of the strikers, xhaka is our most valuable asset at the moment. His contract was renewed not because he is seen as great, but because he has value and of course the club don’t want more of the shitty contract situations we have had the last few seasons happening again. If we get another cm, I don’t see xhaka being here very long. He is easily replaceable, and I feel that if guen keeps making strides he will take xhakas place sooner rather than later, getting rid of elneny will call for… Read more »

Goobergooner

Cesc, paulinho,

That Fulham game was great to watch, I wonder what Emery’s thoughts have been on that formation as he hasn’t really gone back to it since.
I think it would be perfect for the Bournemouth game.

I just think that having auba up top will see him take his goal scoring to another level above his wing play, and that putting Laca behind him gives that bit of hard work and determination to the Cam/CF spot, as well as an actual goal scoring threat.

Goobergooner

It’s weird to say that Welbeck is actually going to be missed hahaha.

He really is quite versatile.

Paulinho

AC Milan played it with great effect:

———–Shevchenko——

———Rui Costa—kaka——-

——Seedorf—Pirlo—-Gattuso

Cesc Appeal

Paulinho

It could work, Emery likes his full backs high and providing the width anyway.

Paulinho

Cesc – Also means Bellerin could concentrate on just providing width. Hasn’t got the ability to come in-field like Lauren or even Eboue so just needs to run in a straight line in this formation.

If only Monreal was a few years younger……..

Champagne charlie

Banford Only when it suits does a striker get reduced to a simple goal tally. I’m not going to bother to make a case for Lacazette as better than Morata or Lukaku, the overwhelming evidence comes in watching them play. United fans hate Lukaku, Chelsea fans hate Morata, Banford hates Lacazette. Not the same. As I’ve suggested prior, you’re always on edge to produce a comment denigrating Lacazette because it’s the position you took early doors and you don’t get things wrong in your mind. You’d rather change the entire landscape of a convo and attempt to prove countless others… Read more »

Marko

Supporters will not hold up placards in the stand telling Emery it is time to go. They will not hurl invective at him as he stands on the touchline. They will not turn their stadium into a swamp of toxicity, fetid with discontent and seething resentment. Why would they, anyway? Well, how about the fact that, with a third of the campaign gone, Arsenal have made a near-identical start this season to the one they made last season under that clapped-out, washed-up, super-annuated, time-serving former manager, Arsene Wenger. Obviously there’s a difference between someone 6 months into a job with… Read more »

Leedsgunner

Whenever formation Emery chooses we should be able to defend better. The team does this first and foremost by not switching off and gifting silly penalties, free kicks and goals to the opposition. I might be harsh here but we defeated ourselves versus Crystal Palace and Wolves with our own stupidity.

We have to attack and defend as a team like we did against Liverpool.

Dream10

Good to see some separation occurring at the top of the table. City and the Spuds will be the top two for me. Liverpool alone in third. I feel Chelsea are the side that us, Utd and possibly Everton can catch. There will be a number of weeks where their profligacy will cost them. Great news is we have a flawed team we are chasing for 4th place. Bad news is Utd have a chance of shithousing their way to 4th because Arsenal and Chelsea are up and down. Four points in the next two matches would be decent. Six… Read more »

raptora

If someone can explain to me why did Sarri stop using Barkley?! The guy was clearly a standout performer and possibly the only one being able to share big responsibility with Hazard in the whole Chelsea squad. Chelsea had started to hit a bit of a brick wall when in round 6 and 7 they drew vs WH and Pool with 5 wins before that. In next 3 rounds Barkley started 2 games and appeared 1 as a sub vs Manure. He landed 3 goals and 3 assists in that period and Chelsea looked like the thing. What did Sarri… Read more »

Dream10

raptora Agree with you on the Chelsea CM situation. People are enamored with Kovacic because of his touch and his ability to carry the ball. He’s effective in deep positions or as a box to box, a #6 or an #8. But Jorginho and Kanté are ahead of him for those roles. Barkley is better than Kovacic as the third CM in a #8/#10 role. He can do something in the final third. Chelsea are too flat in the middle. They need a Barkley/Ramsey/Coutinho/Dele/Lampard to get at least two shots per game to balance the team out. We had that… Read more »

Receding Hairline

Bamford

Chelsea fans will swap Morrata for Lacazette

Man united fans will swap Lukaku for Lacazzette

That doesn’t make him world class but that’s just facts right there.

Graham62

Son Heung-min. What a great player.

How come our Korean finds were not that good?

Oh yeh, now I remember.

useroz

While the xG v points argument may go on for AFC we’d have been seen as ‘luckier’ if Auba, Iwoni, Bellerin did better with their shots say in the Chelsea game as well as two absolutely silly backpasses by Laxazette that costed us points, I suppose we’d all judge in May as usual…

Manure played awful and CP should have go the 3 pts if, again, someone can shoot. If we’d not deal with this version of Manure God helps Emery.