I am not going to lie, I think Sky do a great job with stats. Super simple, exploratory and usually insightful.
Their latest piece shows the stark difference between our first and second halves this season. We’re ranked 19th for 1st half performance and 1st for second.
The conclusion points to improved fitness and the tactical fluidity of Emery. He’s made 14 half-time changes so far this season, Wenger made 9 in the whole of last season. That’s some aggressive change management.
Now, you can look at this positively, and say we’ve been crying out for a manager who can change things during the game. Or you could say, how the fuck does he get it so badly wrong in the opening 45minutes?
I can’t give you an answer as to why our opening 45s are so poor, but I think the key point is we’re dealing with it at the moment. I actually think there’s something really interesting from a strategic perspective in the early changes. You simply don’t know what you’re getting with Arsenal. We’re finally unpredictable. We’re playing a slower version of NFL playbooks this season. We’re rocking two sides essentially, and the second side you play is countering your stratagems in real-time.
This approach means that unless you’re playing a very sharp manager, other coaches are going to struggle to adapt. I think that’s a smart move. The longer-term vision for Emery is that he can train his sides to adapt during the game. Pep Guardiola is the best in the business at this, he can roll with 4 systems in a half, prodding and poking until he’s found the weakness his incredible players can exploit.
Arsenal fans have been so starved of innovation, just having a halftime video analyst feels modern (not Boro sitting in the stands). Sven M was rocking that role 7 years ago. Arsenal needs to move the players’ education and execution approach to levels where the coach can move things around after 10minutes and make a quicker impact on the game when things are going poorly
Either way, our players are fitter (8th to 1st in the league for distance covered) and we’re a smarter overall outfit. That’s great news for the season ahead.
There are strong rumours Ozil is now ready to return to the side, Qarabag is apparently being earmarked for a return.
I couldn’t be less interested in this game. I don’t mean to be a party pooper, but the Europa League group games are almost as shite as international breaks. I cannot imagine there’s going to be a major turnout.
Dembele’s great goal pic.twitter.com/G2LxsgreBw
— Ali 🇲🇦✌🏽 (@maghrebinn) December 11, 2018
So that’s why we won’t be landing Dembele on loan this January. What a goal. A shame that Spurs progressed against a pretty poor Barca team, but that could benefit us freshness wise in the second half of the season. The longer they’re in the CL, the better the chance of them tiring and breaking down.
Right, that’s me done today, see you in hell.
Also, look at this funny meme you could use to show off your shit judgment.
Dembele’s great goal pic.twitter.com/G2LxsgreBw
— Ali 🇲🇦✌🏽 (@maghrebinn) December 11, 2018
Merry Christmas folks!
Koscielny probably playing 45 tomorrow Let’s hope he doesn’t come off worse for wear.
Wow. Top 4
4
And the tr4phy is mine!
Glad to see that pool and spuds have qualified to the last 16. Not that I really give a fuck about these 2 club’s. It just means that they are not in the EL vs them which should help us with reaching the final (crossing my fingers!).
Db teaching the final won’t have meant anything if we don’t win it!
Yeh I watched the Barca spurs game and concluded that we ain’t got s snowball’s chance of getting Dembelle now, what a player. Also Spurs getting through and Liverpool too is better for our Europa league chances and our top 4 chances too, a good night all round apart from Dembelle.
Really hope the mancs can do something at Anfield as they’re already going on like they’re the second coming of Christ.
The first half stats are perplexing. I think most if it is down to our shaky D, and figuring out how to crack the opposition. So Halftime, is almost a necessity for our changes. Aside Vorskla, we have not really blown anyone away in the first half. I think our Defense needs working…. that is critical no matter what half. I watched Houssem Aouar youtube with my son last night… great control- technique and vision. Only 20. We need players like this. Our attack has stalled on occasion this season, and unless we get other scoring threats we are going… Read more »
Anyone know if Dembele is right or left footed?
As for the difference between the first and second half, I would say its down to our players. We have no wingers or top class attacking midfielders so Emery is probably trying to make the best of a bad bunch.
China1
I know, I know but I am trying not to get ahead of myself, if I haven’t already. One step at a time. All I am saying thst it will make tjebtoad to it that “much” easier…. I hope.
Christmas present
AM
D
Winger
2/3 will be ok…. but D is a must!
*the road…. pfft phones and writing fast.
I think Gary Neville summed it up well, Emery is having to manage almost every single minute of our games, he is actually getting the utmost from the bunch we have who most of us have realized aren’t really as good as we thought, and that is not sustainable. We need to back this man in the transfer market
Knowing the Lyon chairman, I am tempted to say we have no chance with Houssem Aouar.
Even Liverpool that has been splashing money around couldn’t get Fekir.
Our only hope is if he has an explicit release clause or he’s out of a contract soon.
The charm offensive is back on. On Arsenal.com under team news for tomorrow night’s game, the website duly reports that Ramsey and Özil are fit and ready for tomorrow night’s game. Fair enough, you say. However underneath all this news, they have included a clip of Mesut Özil talking about how the club means so much to him… really Mesut? Do you think we are that easily placated? I might be being harsh and unfair but if he plays more than a cameo tomorrow, I’ll be well annoyed. He is the highest earner at the club. He should be turning… Read more »
Why aren’t we in for dembele?….its a good fit….wideman in a progressing club with a very good manager well respected in Europe.
“I think Gary Neville summed it up well, Emery is having to manage almost every single minute of our games, he is actually getting the utmost from the bunch we have who most of us have realized aren’t really as good as we thought, and that is not sustainable. We need to back this man in the transfer market” Too true. We have no natural wingers (bar Nelson who is on loan) . Emery is a tactical genius and I’d love to see him getting proper backing in the summer transfer window. There is still much dross to get rid… Read more »
“We shouldn’t be paying him £350 000 a week for him to beast the Azerbaijani champions… after not turning up for the game against Man Utd and the NLD. Very disappointing to say the least.”
Team Ozil played a blinder here. Thankfully Emery sees form over name or paycheck. If you aren’t gonna graft, then out you go. Ozil will probably sod off to China once his contract rns out at Arsenal. Can’t see any club willing to part even half his current wages for a player who turns up in 2 out of every 8 games.
@shad..I agree, he is s a genius… The phrase I use is “punching above his weight”…Emery is getting more than expected from our squad. Wenger punched below his weight. Defeats to Birmingham in the league cup final was one such example.
“Why aren’t we in for dembele?….its a good fit….wideman in a progressing club with a very good manager well respected in Europe.”
Our transfer history with Barca isn’t the best (always get the short end of the stick) and given his recent performances, we’d be looking atupwards of £70m for him. – esp with no Champions League to entice him. Plus didn’t he recently say he wants to stay at Barca?
“Our transfer history with Barca isn’t the best (always get the short end of the stick) …” We did sell Fabregas to them for a very undervalued price and Henry… but they did take Tommy V, Alex Song and Hleb from us… and they didn’t light any fires did they? Plus we did snatch Bellerin from underneath their noses… Therefore, given the recent transactions, Barça are probably as wary of our players as we are of them. At the moment, I say we are about evens. Although I have to say the Fabregas deal leaves a bad taste in the… Read more »
Georgio
“Mane 40 goals vs Iwobi 8 goals in the last 2.5yrs…. please can we also know how many minutes they’ve both had on the pitch over this time to put it in perspective??”
Lets make this clear.
Iwobi could have double of Mane’s game time but he still wouldn’t get you half of Mane’s output.
@Leedsgunner, Probably about even stevens. Though comparing our success in Europe versus theirs, we probably came off worse. I agree on the Fabregas deal..nicked at his prime. The jury is still out on Bellerin. Lots of potentialand we are only starting to see what he can really do under Emery.. so maybe we got away with that one. But as I was chatting with Wenker, hard to see them doing a trade for a player of Dembele’s calibre without us giving off something major in return, u nless Raul puls major strings. I trust Sven M to get an alternative… Read more »
“Defeats to Birmingham in the league cup final was one such example”
Just took me back to seeing Gallas sitting in a moan, centre of the pitch, desolute.
Barca took Alex Song and Thomas Vermaelen from us for actual, real money. Not sure how Arsenal have always gotten the short end on our transactions.
“Iwobi could have double of Mane’s game time but he still wouldn’t get you half of Mane’s output.” Have to agree. Think at too many times he tries too hard. Needs to simplify his game more, focus more on precision, less on flukey dribbling and keep his chin up to spot the runners beyond him. Not to mention his goal contribution is dire. Maybe he needs to sit down with Uncle Okocha to give him more pointers (seems to be trying to mould his game after him – which he seems to have only got part of the physicality right)… Read more »
At this stage, Dembele is a pipe dream. Sven and Raul have already laid out their templates:
Find players like Torriera and Guendozi and pick them up under $30M.
With that said, of all the links I have seen of recent, the only one that seems reasonable to me is the Belgian winger Leandro Troussard.
I also have a feeling Sven would be raiding Dortmund one last time for Julian Weigl.
“Barca took Alex Song and Thomas Vermaelen from us for actual, real money. Not sure how Arsenal have always gotten the short end on our transactions”
True. They did recoup through Champions league wins. They did however get our best CM at his prime and gave us toffees and a signed Iniesta shirt. Will never forgive that.
“Maybe he needs to sit down with Uncle Okocha ”
Agreed.
“With that said, of all the links I have seen of recent, the only one that seems reasonable to me is the Belgian winger Leandro Troussard.”
We have also been strongly linked to Cengiz Under of Roma and Pavon, and now Cahill and Bailly. I can’t even keep up anymore.
Pedro
“I couldn’t be less interested in this game”
Really Pedro? Shame on you.
After years of no hope, every game should be of interest.
Seeing the youngsters perform, as well as Ozil’s reaction (should he play) will, imo, make very interesting viewing.
Cesc Fabregas, at the age we sold him to Barcelona, in the present market, would easily fetch £150m I reckon… probably £170m at a stretch.
What a player he was for us.
Shame we couldn’t hold on to him because I tell you what, I would’ve rather given him £350k a week had he stayed with us…
Looks like the worst and probably most notorious set of hypocrites the world has ever seen have set up camp on this blog space and made it home I mean majority of this folks were practically cheering for every opposition we played against in the last few years to win us soundly and if possible embarrassingly, desperately wanted us to lose games for no other reason other than their myopic hatred for a fading manager who was probably on his way out already , how this same people can be the judge and jury over a comment that hardly meant… Read more »
It seems le-grove has found another whipping boy- Iwobi.
The usual suspects have moved on from Xhaka and shifted all their angst to Iwobi.
Victorious
That’s a long rebuttal. Them thief you dog?
Dissenter
That’s a long rebuttal. Them thief you dog”
Lol, e pain me.
It’s never an easy thing though to see full grown adult using the internet as disguise to behave like toddlers.
Hope to see more youngsters in action tmao
Particularly the likes of AMN, Nketiah, ESR
No better to time to give the manager something to ponder about
Back in the day, we were also 2nd half specialists with the likes of Henry and Pires still around. Remember watching games at pubs and giving a little ‘give it a while’ smile when trailing at half time.
Very long post filled with the usual nothings and references to a manager everyone has moved on from then rounded off by insults
Victorious
Never take anything personal here. There’s no honor to defend. It’s all banter.
Ogbeni Receding
You really are a weird character,always talking and bitching about someone when you should directly address the person like all adults should be doing
it’s, childish, cowardly and left for the weaker genders(unless maybe you’re one)
Now I fully get why CC refered to you as ‘petulant’
SMH …like I said earlier not worth the time taken to type. Quit embarrassing yourself on here oga..you are making a complete mockery of yourself and name calling won’t mask that
Dissenter
Never take anything personal here. There’s no honor to defend. It’s all banter.”
I get you bro, lessons learnt
Integrity is a prized asset and you shouldn’t expect it from people who don’t care for it.
Victorious No disrespect but……………LOL!!!!!!!!!?? How can you write a comment and then say you didn’t write a comment? Comparing Wenger’s daily destruction of AFC, during his last few seasons in office, to Emery’s proactive methods in tryng to move the club forward, is utterly ludicrous. Many supporters, towards the end of his tenureship, put the club ahead of Wenger’s team. If losing games put pressure on the club to act, which ultimately it did, then I was prepared to accept and support that. This was my choice. Wishing for Arsenal to lose to Huddersfield just to highlight that our unbeaten… Read more »
Only an idiot would want the team they support to lose .
Only an idiot wouldn’t celebrate the team they support winning trophies.
and only an idiot who wanted their own team to lose would then accuse someone and ridicule and chastise him for (supposedly) wanting his own team to lose..
Comedians of the highest order….
Only an idiot would support wenger.
Pierre you were that idiot my friend.
Graham You come across very knowledgeable and matured so I won’t see as a complete waste of time to try reason with you With respect it’s utterly hypocritical for anyone who has previously intended for the team you claim to support to lose matches to now start taking up moral highground and castigating anybody who might have insinuated as much but in a different context. Even though it doesn’t quite trump the moment you vowed to ditch the club for Fulham were things to remain unchanged I mean, I would probably be more humbled if the shut down was coming… Read more »
Leedsgunner “Tomorrow’s game should be for the fringe players and our best youth players… not for established first teamers.” I normally regard you as one of the more intelligent and insightful posters on here but I’m afraid you are letting the whole ozil episode warp your brain . We have 3 players ( at least) coming back from injury and need game time to get them match fit for a very busy fixture schedule. The game tomorrow night is a godsend for Emery as it allows kosielny,ozil and Ramsey the chance to get some minutes under their belt in a… Read more »
Madrid making two disastrous managerial decisions in a roll, even a fan wouldn’t have hired Solari as manager seeing he did sweet FA with the youth team
Vic
..” Graham …knowledgeable and mature ” that’s pushing it a bit.
Well a lot of sense goes out the window here once the name Ozil is mentioned. I have decided to steer clear of that conversation
Receding
Zidane too didn’t have a good record with the Real Madrid Castilla. He couldn’t get them promoted from division 3 to division 2 in his first year. Yet he went on to become a great manager for them.
Madrid’s problem is more that a manager. There are too many old players and young pretenders on the team. They also need a proper director of football, not a meddling president calling all the shots.
The should have hired Conte but the dithered because that would have meant giving away their chance of signing Hazard next season.
Vic
Agree…Nketiah, AMN,Willock and Smith-rowe should start tomorrow along with ozil, Ramsey and Elneny..would also like to see medley get a run out at the back .
Pierre
Lol,maybe,I mean he’s had some low moments but overall I rate him a bit higher in the maturity scale.
So many bitches on le-fucking-grove….
Always nagging, instead of discussing better issues to make AFC great again…
Good that Moscow is out. The possibility of playing in Moscow in winter is a life killer.
Vic
Yeah ..I like Graham despite his wenger obsession….
“The game tomorrow night is a godsend for Emery as it allows kosielny,ozil and Ramsey the chance to get some minutes under their belt in a semi competitive game .”
Ramsey just missed one game with a knock and doesn’t really need the minutes same as Ozil whose “injury” is back related and missed like 4 games only. You can’t compare them with Koscienly as per needing game time.
DDkings
“So many bitches on le-fucking-grove….Always nagging, instead of discussing better issues to make AFC great again…”
have you ever thought of joining up with the new Le Grove support group
HYPOCRITES R US
Pierre
It’s exciting isn’t it, that feeling we’ve got some genuinely good prospects who might be ready to explode if managed well
Medley is another taking people by surprise of how good he might be
TBH I could really see AMN, ESR making it with us,not so sure about the rest.
Dissenter
They still have enough quality in the team to prevent embarrassment. I mean who makes a bad hire, fires him then proceeds to make another bad hire. Its ridiculous
Tomorrow’s game is all about the unbeaten run and our injured players getting game time ahead of the weekend game…..
Our best chance against the saints is to control the midfield very well, and never allow the Saints any good goalscoring oppurtinity…..
We just need to be clinical in front of goal….
I predict we win the 2nd half again…. But hope I’m wrong, and we maybe win both half, and send a strong warning to incoming spurds shit
Vic
Difficult to say …Nketiah did really well 2nd half v vorska and Willock is improving every game but it is always difficult for a manager to give kids enough game time, especially in the league…..maybe FA cup and Europa cup We will see them more.
Pierre on his period lighten up lads.
Victorious
Why are you not paying up on your bet with Joe?
Tony Adams named president of the Rugby Football League??? What the…
Slightly sexist remark there Samesong…
Sancho
I wrote a detailed explanation about the whole thing in the previous post(directed to you)
Did you miss it?
But its baffling though the way you’ve taken up the matter like a contract, one will be mistaken to think I had the bet with you, why is that?
I guarantee you though, if you put half of the effort you’ve invested into this issue in your future endeavors, you’d be a hero.
Pierre and Vicky trying to compare the feelings of fans with a failing loser Wenger who was ruining the club to a “fan” like Vicky who wants arsenal to lose and lose our unbeaten streak for absolute no reason at all
Makes sense
Really hope Wenger gets a team soon so fans like Vicky who didn’t even know why Arsenal was before Wenger, will go support them rather than arsenal.
He also bet me that arsenal would lose v Liverpool.
Some fan.
Attaboy Joe
Top of the evening to you, tough man
I wrote a detailed explanation about the whole thing in the previous post(directed to you
Vicky
As I explained to you. You lost the bet
I bet we wouldn’t lose. Which implies a draw or win by arsenal.
You welched on the bet. Says all we need to know about the type of man you are
Sancho is right
Joe
‘He also bet me that arsenal would lose v Liverpool’
Except you also did the exact same under the previous manager, numerous times with some other posters
I mean I thought it was fun trying to gauge expectation level in other fans, didn’t know the likes of Sancho will take it so serious
I mean You’re many things joey, but didn’t mark you down a hypocrite, my bad
‘sexist remark’
Thought it was football blog, not snowflake central
There’s always been rumours that Mislintat was interested in Sarr, I think that is more likely. He will look for the next great player as opposed to a current great player.
That at the end of the day is what we brought Mislintat in to do. I think we will see the Sarr, Havertz, Trossard, Kokcu, Wolf, Maier, Mancini etc type players bought.
Vicky
Didn’t have to bet v Wenger to make it happen
Wenger did it all by himself
You were willing arsenal to lose v Huddersfield
Wenger was ruining arsenal and we wanted to get rid of him for the better or arsenal
You wanted arsenal to lose v Huddersfield why exactly?
Jog on you wanna be arsenal fan
I just knew arsenal would lose because of Wenger.
Wasn’t much of a bet
You wanted arsenal to lose
Wanna be arsenal fan
You lost the bet Vicky.
Now fuck off for 6 months
Lol Joe with the superfan cape
Put it away man, it doesn’t fit
Your actions under the previous manager and so many other times you wish us to lose embarrassingly doesn’t even point to that of a ‘wannabe’..not sure what I can make of you
Nelson is playing now. Hope his scores vs MC
Yes I missed it.
I know the bet is not with me. But it is unfathomable to me as a man, as a human to make a bet and not honor it. So ultimately whatever reason you gave was just an excuse, and probably wouldn’t satisfy me anyway. I will simply state facts – that you that you welched on a bet – whenever I see your name here. Consider it my crusade to remind you what type of person you are, because you seem to be forgetting on the daily.
Vicky
Stop deflecting you pathetic wannabe.
You said last week you hope Huddersfield beat us so we lose our undefeated streak
What kind of fan are you? Oh right. Youre not.
Be a man Vicky and honour the bet
Remember when Sticky Vicky said AMN was just as good as Ndombele.
Rumours of City and UTD fighting over the latter, while AMN can’t get a game.
Can you believe Vicky had the gall to use the term “modern fan”
Haha
Coming from someone who’s been an arsenal fan for a cup of tea. The irony
Hahaha.
Gambon
Vicky yesterday “ Foden just signed his career away”
Foden today. “ starts for man city”
Clued in as always
Nelson one on one but saved by the goalie…
So much hypocrisy on here…….
Vicky, nothing serious mate, you can lie 364 days of the year, Just make an exception for today and speak the truth…. No one is going to flog your pink ass..
I could remember vividly about the wager you made, that arsenal would lose against the dippers and Joe opposed the notion by saying the minimum AFC would get in that game was a draw…..
Why act like a pussy, by not acknowledging you lost, and meet your end of the bargain….
Y’all should stop picking on Victorious. He wouldn’t be the first to say he’s leaving the groove but not leave.
Victorious and Pierre 1. I admit I am loving the new and refreshed Arsenal under Emery. 2. I admit I wanted Arsenal to lose if it meant getting rid of the Wenger virus. 3. I admit that I went to see(not support)Brighton twice between 2016-2018. 4. I admit that if Wenger had remained, I would probably have thrown in a couple more games at the Amex as well as pop along to Craven Cottage for a game or two. 5. I admit that I put the love of my club above the love of my team over the past few… Read more »
Joe Vicky yesterday “ Foden just signed his career away” Really Joe? I said this yesterday?shock horror, I mean how come I didn’t realize, Since it hasn’t be that long, I literally give you tonight to paste the quoted comment right on here, I mean you couldn’t be more dishonest to make me look the bad guy no matter how hard you tried Look I was thinking of taking the moral highground here and give myself a well deserved break but if this is what you’re all about Lying and being dishonest about someone reinventing all sort of BS just… Read more »
Even as I supper fan….. I couldn’t stand the thought of wenger been the manager of AFC ….
The moment he won the fa cup and signed a 2yrs contract extension, all I could think about was AFC getting relegated, just so we could get rid of wenger and probably Stan at the same time even if it meant playing 2 seasons in the championship…..
Oops. Sorry that was mystic
My bad. Apologies
Vicky
You lost the bet. Man up and honour it
6 months.
At least I can admit I made a mistake. Thought it was you who said it. It’s was mystic. Again. Sorry for the error
But doesn’t take away you lost the bet.
You wanted Huddersfield to beat us last week.
You wanted Liverpool to beat us.
Vicky
Take the higher moral ground? Hahaha
You lost the bet and welched on it.
How are you taking the higher moral ground ha hahahah
Comical
This place is pure comedy sometimes
Vicky, last question before you disappear for 6 months.
How old are you?
Lol… @ Brit with gay Tits.
Never realized, we had gay members in the house.. .
You are welcome
Joe
Victorious said yesterday that a draw meant the wager was a “push,” i.e., that for him to lose the wager, Arsenal needed to win the match. Is that not true?
The best was, dippers win Vic wins. Arsenal win or draw, Joe wins.
bet*