Arsenal crashed at Southampton in what felt like a fairly predictable game and sadly, historically familiar.
The odds felt slightly stacked against us even before the game started. Two centre-backs suspended, Holding out longterm, our two returning defenders 32 and 33, and Lichtsteiner who is 34. Things were so rough, Emery once again elected to drop Xhaka into the back three.
We didn’t make it easy for ourselves, as has been the script all season. For the 17th time this season, we couldn’t manage to head into halftime with a lead. Our defending was awful, we conceded 7 shots on target, despite dominating 66% of the possession. The most damning stat? Southampton scored 20% of their goals against us yesterday. What a joke.
We went a goal down on 20minutes. Bellerin marshalled Targett out wide, the English left back whipped in a beautiful cross that evaded Koscielny at the front post, finding Ings who breezed past a dozing Xhaka. It really was an exceptional ball, but it was being defended by a player who hasn’t dropped a full 90 for 250 days, and a deep-lying midfielder who obviously isn’t going to be comfortable in a back 3.
We clawed our way back into the game, Iwobi used a burst of pace really well to release Monreal, the Spaniard found Mikhi in the box and his bullet header from 10 yards was enough to pull us level. We still managed to fuck things up, Redmond, who’d caused problems with his pace all game, evaded MG and Iwobi, floating a perfect cross between Lichtsteiner and Koscielny, finding Ings who lofted a perfect header under the bar.
The second half saw Lacazette emerge. We had a really good opening 15 minutes and drew level on 52 minutes. Lacazette rustled the ball as Southampton looked to break, he fed Mikhi who bundled home a dirty deflected shot.
I don’t want to scapegoat here, but I felt the air leaked out of our performance when Iwobi blazed over a backheel pass from Auba. It really was atrocious technique and the difference between Arsenal and the elite teams in the league. I really can’t fathom how anyone can defend that chance. When you’re an international footballer, you should at the very least be hitting the target.
Our final goal was also a calamity. Mesut Ozil lost the ball on the halfway line with a stupid stepover, the ball made it down our end, Austin is picked out at the back post, Leno came flapping and missed, the rest is history. Not good enough, and another silly error from our German import.
Thoughts:
This is what the first season under a new manager will look like, if we’re honest, we’ve had it very nice up until today and we should be grateful. It took Klopp 3 seasons to make things work for him. We cannot expect Emery, with limited summer investment and a dirty Arsene Wenger hangover, to perform miracles. Our squad is very slim and we were exposed today.
The club needs to continue to upgrade. We need better wide players, we need to move on names that either don’t want to be here or aren’t suited to the system, and we need to focus on bringing through quality.
Emery needs to take stock of a few things that he’s been getting away with… namely, our shocking first-half performances. It’s true that our resilience to bounce back has been a joy to watch, but 17 games without leading in the first half is a semi-crisis. It means the manager is making poor decisions. We need to be seeing better selections and we need to see players more focused from the off.
I joked yesterday that an Arsenal player could play keepy-uppy in his own box and roof it into the net on purpose and you’d still have a group of fans screaming ‘FOOTBALL IS A TEAM GAME THAT’S NOT HIS FAULT’… well, in most jobs, there’s an element of individual responsibility. Mesut Ozil needs to take some stick for giving the ball away then not going hard to retrieve it. The great thing is that sort of subpar attitude might rub with some of our fans, but it won’t with Emery. The club needs to move him on. It’s clear that he’s not right for how the team needs to play, and he’s also not right for the sort of structure we need to build wage wise. He needs to move on.
We also have to do something about Aaron Ramsey in January. We have a very good player who would have been more useful than Mesut, sitting on the bench today. If he’s going to be a nothing player, let’s sell him and bring in a talent that can give our midfield the extra ingredient it needs to create and press.
That said, it is worth remembering that we don’t have a coach that’s denying we’ve been less than optimal. He said in the pre-match prezzer that there is a lot that needs to be improved upon. That’s good news. We’re dealing with a coach that understands reality and pragmatism. Let’s hope Sven and Raul have something smart lined up in January… Pepe and Cahill both available as potential stop-gaps at the back.
Finally, big thumbs up to Hassenhutl. He’s a manager we scouted when names were rumbling for Arsenal. He’s brought a lot of energy to their squad, and he bought all theb fans a beer. Can’t know that sort of carry-on.
Right, see you in the comments!
Arteta could’ve been interesting but not while there are players at the club who played with him, they wouldn’t have had the time of day for him.
Maybe after Emery moves on.
Leno isn’t going to win a team the big games.
I was hoping he was an answer to the GK question.
He’s a good shot stopper but so was Fabianski.
Ignoring the fact as well that Emery had more points after his first 15 games than any of the other top managers aside from Sarri.
The only manager taking over a side comparable was Pochettino, other than that he bested Guardiola, Mourinho and Klopp.
Consider Sarri took over a team with Hazard, Kante etc that were EPL champions in the 2016/17 season.
Some people need to calm their tits for a while.
‘Arteta could’ve been interesting but not while there are players at the club who played with him, they wouldn’t have had the time of day for him.’
I don’t know.
Maybe Arteta should manage a football team first?
Let’s let the baggage handler fly the plane, he’s been on the tarmac for years and drinks coffee in the pilot’s break room.
Not if the baggage handler has friends who have written glowing articles based on nothing on how he is the best pilot to be in waiting
I’m with Jim on this one.ffs get a grip people.It was a 2nd string defence we had out yesterday.the saints with a new manager treated it like a f*** ng cup final.it was a crash waiting to happen.on top of that Emery with the limited tools he had available didn’t get the selection right.imo.not too often that’s happened on a 22 unbeaten game run in his FIRST season inheriting a shambles wenger left him.i thought we’d struggle in the air withoubt the likes of holding,Mustafi,Sokratis & Mavropanos & so it turned out Southampton must have been lickin their lips.Bad luck… Read more »
CA, firstly, I didn’t say that… but, while we’re on this:
The idea that what we have now is the best possible outcome is also ridiculous.
We haven’t led at halftime in 17 games. Why do you think it’s beyond the pale another manager could have bettered that?
Are you pleased with our style of play? Seems this is what it’s going to be. Are you happy?
@Receding Hairline –
“I campaigned for Arteta, and I’d do it again.”
Can I ask with all sincerity, why?
Entrusting the future of our club on a man who has never managed a day in his life, I’d like to know why you felt he would have been the best fit?
Cesc
He didn’t beat anyone you mentioned.
Bloody hell.
At least Le Grove is back where it was about 12 months ago. Two violently opposed factions. Emery ins. Emery mehs.
Jim
It is absolutely ridiculous.
We’ve gone from basking in the cries of United fans about how jealous they are of Emery to saying he’s not the right man for the job because of yesterday.
In an ideal world we get Guardiola and he can spend £600 Million like he has at City.
But then you hope fans grow up, realise the mess we’re in and the resources we have available and think, the club is actually doing pretty freaking well.
GOH
What are you talking about?
You’ve totally missed the point.
Top marks to Hassenhutl, he saw that we had a makeshift defence. He knew Koscielny wouldn’t be comfortable in the air after an achilles injury, he knew Xhaka rarely contests anything in the air and is positionally awful, he instructed his team to target these weaknesses again and again and that was our undoing.
Again guys, this argument has been taken here by you lot.
I haven’t campaigned for Arteta today.
I’m just asking you to be honest about Emery, and your default is to fall onto Arteta because you know this manager isn’t the promised land we’d hoped for.
He’ll do ok this season, we’ll fight for 4th. But even with better players, I don’t see us finding another level.
Top marks to Hassenhutl, he saw that we had a makeshift defence. He knew Koscielny wouldn’t be comfortable in the air after an achilles injury, he knew Xhaka rarely contests anything in the air and is positionally awful, he instructed his team to target these weaknesses again and again and that was our undoing.
I doubt he knew any of this before hand, they tried three crosses in 90 minutes and scored from all three, hardly a game plan
” I’m not seeing anything ground breaking from emery”
Apart the fact that he has bring back joy and passion for most of the fans ??
Not good enough, for a start ?? You guys wanted to win the PL this season ??
Arteta, Allegri or Carlo would have won it this season, with our current squad. lol
Jim, I’m talking about how I campaigned in the summer. Not how I’d campaign if we lost Emery next summer.
@Pedro –
“The idea that what we have now is the best possible outcome is also ridiculous.”
Who is saying we have the best possible outcome? Can’t you see the change throughout the team already?
Its undeniable that aren’t playing the most expansive attractive football, it will get better as Emery fills the team with his players! But we are no longer the joke team we were.
Well said cesc sir!
If Arteta is so goo, why he is still an assistant manager.
Why didn’t Southampton seek him out?
Why didn’t Fulham try to get him?
We all know why. The owners aren’t going to entrust a managerial novice with their investment when £100-150 million is in the line.
The Arsenal project was colossal in the summer. We had been run to the ground by a certain manager who overstayed his welcome. We didn’t even sign expensive players, just Torriera, an unknown French player that PSG rejected and an old Greek defender.
Why are we still talking about Arteta?
Pedro Am I happy? I’m a grown up I would say. As someone who was Wenger Out before you and as someone who watched the slow decline of the club to the state it was in last April I know the mountain we’ve got to climb. A £26 Million 5ft 5 Uruguayan with 5 months of EPL experience is out best player, a 30 year old £10 Million CB from Bundesliga with 5 months EPL experience is our best defender. The scenes of the squad Wenger left is unbelievable. We have no good CAMs, we have no wingers at all,… Read more »
One thing that drives me nuts is watching Liverpool spending millions while our yank owner, who is worth 3 times what theirs is, spends a fraction, if at all.
“I doubt he knew any of this before hand, they tried three crosses in 90 minutes and scored from all three, hardly a game plan”
If you watched the game you would’ve seen that they attempted many crosses and dinked balls, they clearly instructed Redmond to run at Xhaka as well.
“Maybe Arteta should manage a football team first?”
He did. Once. Lost at home to Lyon with one of the best squads in world football. 100% loss record as the gaffer, and incapable of parroting Pep’s instructions for 90 mins unsupervised.
Not rating Emery is fine. There are undoubtedly higher caliber managers in Europe (although few would want the Arsenal gig when Bayern, Madrid, PSG, Utd all look for replacements every few years). Rating Arteta though is negligent in the absurd.
He’ll do ok this season, we’ll fight for 4th. But even with better players, I don’t see us finding another level.
I beg to differ, we will be a better team with better players, i don’t know what you mean by another level, but i fully expect Emery to sustain a league challenge in two years if we bring in the right players
One advantage Arteta over Emery is that we’ll have close tie with MC. We can get some of their second tiers on load to replace all our dead woods.
Pedro
“AHHH, Jardim. Another great choice of manager”
Jardkm left a bad situation at Monaco, partly due to his mistakes. He wouldn’t be doing better at Arsenal with the options we have.
Can’t beat Legrove when we lose, lol it’s like Arsenal Fan TV in written format.
Pedro you are probably right, but we needed someone to steady the ship that was potentially in danger of sinking. I think whoever takes over from Emery will have a better base to work from than Emery inherited.
I am happy with Emery for now as I don’t think an inexperienced manager would have been the right appointment to take over an unbalanced squad with such a poor attitude to working hard when we don’t have the ball and lack of positional discipline. However I would have expected him to have had more of an effect on our fragile defence.
Our defence has been gifting goals all season… why is it a surprise?
The last thing is for all the fans to panic. The defence last night were all Wenger’s men and it showed.
Xhaka in CB? With his lapses in concentration? We were asking for trouble.
I would seriously consider playing Zach Medley at some point versus Spurs, if not against Burnley. Is Julio Plezeueglo fit?
One advantage Arteta over Emery is that we’ll have close tie with MC. We can get some of their second tiers on load to replace all our dead woods.
Wow..is that really the way forward?? City’s second string players??
Why did we then bother to hire one of the best scouts in the world and a football man like Raul if we can just hire Arteta and get City’s reserve players on loan
Lofty ambitions
CA, this is the second time you’ve put arguments in my mouth. I’m not talking about Arteta today, Marko brought it up I’m not calling for the sacking of Emery or suggesting I don’t back him. I’m not saying I won’t be patient. I don’t rate Emery and I don’t think given money he’d take us to the next level. That is my view and that is what I think. My job is to be honest about the coach we have in charge, I’ve done that for 11 years. Will Emery improve us? Undoubtedly. I just don’t believe he’s going… Read more »
I can understand Pedro’s point of view… there is no doubt that Ancelotti or Allegri would have done a better job with our current squad.
(lol)
The ones who’re are laying into Emery as of yesterday have to be on a wind up.seriously.ffs no wonder AFC le grove fans come in for a slagging .are they the new aftv?some people will never,ever be satisfied. Instant success.no journey reqd….
Here we go. Arteta hasn’t managed a game.
Flipping heck. There were people saying they would rather have Henry because HE HAS managed games.
Well…
Arteta has managed a game, and City lost that game.
Good posts, Skinnywill.
So much negative people here I might mistake this place for a hospital of depressed and angry people 😀
I thought that kozielny looked sharp and much better than before his injury.
I also think that when he plays in a back 4 with big papa we are going to have a lot of clean sheets in the upcoming games.
Leeds, I have no idea why Emery goes for Xhaka at the back, I don’t understand it tactically at all.
He’s ponderous, he’s not aggressive enough and he’s painfully slow.
Don’t know much about Medley, but he has to have more about him defensively than a regista.
Pedro No I’m not. You’re trying to avoid an argument that makes you look silly because you do look silly. You’re saying this isn’t the best we could do. I listed the managers you’ve thrown out, baggage handler, Jardim, Nagelsmann, Tuchel and Allegri. Who is coming in and guaranteed to do better than Emery has given our situation and a £64 Million spend? Who is coming and getting more points after their first 15 games than Pochettino, Klopp, Guardiola and Mourinho like Emery did? First of all you can strike Tuchel and Allegri off your list. One went to a… Read more »
“My job is to be honest about the coach we have in charge”
Just like you did after some games…
Liverpool ?? Tottenham ?? If you can look in the miror without being ashamed, well good for you.
A true weathercock you are.
SW, totally fair point.
Leftsidesanch, hardly… this is pretty civil and the conversation is interesting.
Cesc.spot on my son.spot on.
My job is to be honest about the coach we have in charge, I’ve done that for 11 years. You are giving your opinions ..nothing more nothing less. Doesn’t mean it’s the truth. Miguel Delaney and his snobbish cronies in the media don’t rate Emery so you think the cool thing to do is not rate him. Miguel was beside himself with excitement when he though Arteta was coming in, he wrote articles after articles like a besotted school girl, when Emery was hired he started a campaign of not rating him and has continued with that to date. I… Read more »
@Pedro –
“I don’t rate Emery and I don’t think given money he’d take us to the next level.”
Once again, what is the next level? Arsenal’s next level? If so then I would argue he has already done that. On level with City and Liverpool? Maybe if he was given endless money to spend.
Emery is not one of the worlds best but he is exactly what the club needed after the last 10+ years of rot under Wenger.
This transition could have gone wrong, just look at United since Fergie left, count our blessing thats not our fate.
RH
The problem is that our club doesn’t have money to compete. It is not easy to find good and cheap players. There are hundreds of lesser teams scouting for those players. We are one of them. Getting players on-loan is much cheaper.
Anyway, UEFA cup draw is on now. Hope we get an interesting draw.
“Once again, what is the next level?”
Come on, man. The next level is the next level is the next level. Everyone knows that.
Spurs v BvB will be a really good game
CA,
Carlo would have been a better choice than Emery.
Jardim would have been a better choice. The guy who beat Emery in a one-horse race, but fell to pieces when his team was obliterated by oil money the season after.
Again, you can bleat on all you like about Arteta, but you have absolutely no idea. If we were going curveball, that would have been an excellent choice at the time.
Pedro
“Defence [Emery] has no excuse for”
This is only half true. Yes, he is responsible for our team defending, our defensive shape and organization, but all of this has improved under Emery.
Our defensive weakness is largely down to the weaknesses of our personnel, our players, our squad. Some of this is sort of on Emery — he probably overestimated the quality of certain players — and some of this is just where we are player-wise.
What the fuck is a weathercock and where does it live?
The next level is the next level is the next level
Funniest thing I’ve ever heard Lord Weng say
The problem is that our club doesn’t have money to compete. It is not easy to find good and cheap players. There are hundreds of lesser teams scouting for those players. We are one of them. Getting players on-loan is much cheaper. How many teams in the premier league base their recruitment strategy around loan deals?? Are we a championship team or league one and two?? What are you even saying?? How many good players do City have in their reserves and what benefit would it be to Arsenal to have them on loan with Arteta as manager? Are we… Read more »
@Pedro –
“Again, you can bleat on all you like about Arteta, but you have absolutely no idea”
I mean…. you can see that you also have no idea right? You’ve suggested that a number of managers would have been better than Emery, but just as you told Cesc, you actually don’t really know how they would have performed if they got the job.. its just your opinion, conjecture.
In fairness, the conversation has veered away from the post. Pedro’s criticisms were tepid at best. Emery made some errors yesterday, just as he’s made errors in his starting selections over the season. Emery still has to prove that there’s another gear left in him. It’s one thing to handle rotation with the Europa league and it’s another level rotating the squad through a busy Christmas period. He doesn’t fancy Elneny but why leave him out when there’s a defensive crises. He’s played him in that CB position before. We have to be careful not to set Emery up as… Read more »
@Jim Lahey
Well said about manure. We should be thankfull that things are as good as they are now and going in a better direction
Pedro
I really don’t see the point of a there-were-better-managers-out-there discussion. Emery has an excellent CV. He is doing good work. Are things exactly as we would want them? No. We are a work in progress. If Emery doesn’t have us where we want to be in a year or two, we can discuss other options. At the moment, such a discussion is pointless and frankly bizarre. How does it make sense to be talking about what might have been under, say, Ancelotti? Pointless. Totally and completely pointless.
RH, I don’t need journalists to form an opinion. Jim, the next level is what Klopp has done at Liverpool. Klopp has a distinct style, he knows what players he needs to deliver that and he’s doing it. We’ll find out if Emery can do that. A lot of people here think he can do that, and that’s their right. As it is mine to think the opposite. Doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy the wins and the progress. Remember, Emery’s success is important to the narrative this blog set for years… I don’t want him to fail. Last thing I… Read more »
Bamford, not sure if you missed it… but it’s not me driving that conversation.
We are a work in progress. If Emery doesn’t have us where we want to be in a year or two, we can discuss other options. At the moment, such a discussion is pointless and frankly bizarre. How does it make sense to be talking about what might have been under, say, Ancelotti? Pointless. Totally and completely pointless.
Amen
Yawn. Money.
Other clubs across the world can rebuild and find gems everywhere. All of them have tiny budgets compared to us.
Southamptons total wage bill isn’t as much as Ozils annual salary. If money was the deciding factor, how did Southampton beat us?
@Pedro –
“Jim, the next level is what Klopp has done at Liverpool. Klopp has a distinct style, he knows what players he needs to deliver that and he’s doing it.”
Thats fine, lets give Emery the money and the time Klopp has been given before we decide its not possible.
Anyway, what about a more fun topic of conversation?
Matt Spiro reckons we’re after Pepe for £50m. Exactly what we need? Or Gervinho mkII
T
“I thought that kozielny looked sharp and much better than before his injury.”
Are you for real?
Emery has a two year contract to begin with so he has not been handed the keys to the castle..two years we evaluate our progress then he as an option of another year
A very sensible approach
@GoH –
“If money was the deciding factor, how did Southampton beat us?”
They are in the relegation places right? Thats the difference between having money and not having money.
Pedro I think you’re full of it to be honest and are still sulking as you have done all season. You’re passing off opinion as fact, Ancelotti would have done better, would he? With a £64 Million spend? You sure? For a fact? With this team? In this league? This isn’t a team that finished 4 points behind the winners last year in a weak league like Napoli did. Jardim was blasted by oil money? I didn’t know over half the teams in Ligue 1 were funded by oil money. Monaco were fundamentally broken as a team, he couldn’t get… Read more »
“I thought that kozielny looked sharp and much better than before his injury.”Are you for real?
If that was him looking sharp i hate to see him having an off day
Pedro “Jardim would have been a better choice. The guy who beat Emery in a one-horse race, but fell to pieces when his team was obliterated by oil money the season after.” You’re now recycling all your favorite lines from the Arteta argument. What did Jardim beat Emery with? One of the best collections of players that any manager could ever dream of. The Monaco team had personnel that was just as good as the PSG team. Monaco ought to have won the CL with that team. It also took three seasons to acquire that squad. The same squad that… Read more »
We lost and got out- muscled for a number of reasons..and none of those down to Emery. Sure you could argue that koscienly wasn’t ready…and maybe the rookie tall defender that came on v. Quareg could’ve played….but perhaps that was a massive risk as well. We lost because Southampton were really up for impressing their manager… The work they put in hassling in midfield was like relentless dogs of war. They had one tactic upfront and that was to fire in crosses at Ings and austin. We are vulnerable there and particularly without holding and sokratis. We are short of… Read more »
@Pedro –
“Matt Spiro reckons we’re after Pepe for £50m. Exactly what we need? Or Gervinho mkII”
Would much prefer to take that money and have a go at Isco!!
It’s clear that by choosing Xhaka as a makeshift CB, Emery is choosing players he trusts… fair enough. However this left us incredibly vulnerable to headers. Bearing in mind, Kos was never good in the air anyway, we were leaving a gaping hole for Southampton to exploit… and lo, they did. Sure Zach Medley would have been a huge risk with his inexperience, but the boy is 6’5 with a good leap — he would have given us some protection. Some protection in the air is better than none. Our defence yesterday was like a bucket with holes in… we… Read more »
I’d rather have the Peter Reid and King Kong looking lovechild Pepe than anyone who is compared to the most inappropriately named footballer of all time, Gervinho.
If you have a Brazilian name…you damn well play like a Brazilian.
It’s a no from me. £50m for another drench ligue bully boy? No dice.
Would much prefer to take that money and have a go at Isco!!
We question Ozil and Mkhi’s attitude but you want Isco booed by his own fans for a lack of application??
We need hungry players looking to make a name for themselves, not multiple champions league winners looking to coast
Hypothetical..
You put a van dijk instead of koscielny and put in a sane or bernardo in place of iwobi… We could ve won the game.
Does it mean that Emery cant take us to the next level even with the players i listed above?
French ligue bully boy.
@GoH –
I think its Nicolas Pepe Pedro is talking about ha!!
‘We need hungry players looking to make a name for themselves, not multiple champions league winners looking to coast’
Agreed.
We need players Emery approves us with good work rates and tenacity.
We need a Torreira style player in CAM in terms of his application and aggression. Or near to that anyway. Or at least a player who has the personality you can coach that into.
Opinions as facts? Didn’t you just write off Arteta? Jardim had his team dismantled after he took down PSG with kids. Not much can weaken the argument that his side had outrageous style and captivated Europe. That was an exciting brand of football. I’m also not sure how you’re reading my work as sulking. I think I’ve been pretty positive about everything this season. But this is all about opinions, so however you see it I guess. Right, great chatting to everyone, I’m heading into work… very excited to go to the Burnley game at the weekend and unfurl my… Read more »
Jim
I know mate! I’d rather the monkey one! He’s a dirty son of a bitch.
£50m on another french league guy is silly cash. We were burned on Lacazette.
@RH –
“We question Ozil and Mkhi’s attitude but you want Isco booed by his own fans for a lack of application??”
Isco is a quality footballer though, puts those two to shame! If his commitment is questionable than that is a problem!
Jim Lahey, I think Isco is a pipe dream! Would be amazing, but that’d take some doing with our messed up wage bill
We’re going to end up with a Turkish team aren’t we? I can just feel it.
Bring back Wenger!!! Haha….. We all know some fans would opt for that…I guess there are some peculiarly senseless people out there….
£50m on a winger isn’t where we need to spend.
We need to scour the world for some defenders. Russia, Eastern Europe, South America. There simply has to be tough SOBs out there who would add some muscle to our back line.
Pedro
You don’t really have much in your locker on this, and it’s understandable.
I think most people on here have sort of seen through you on this.
The very fact you’ve sided with a total troll like Pierre on numerous occasions this year speaks volumes about where you are.
Isco isn’t leaving the wonderful Madrid for Arsenal.
Move on.
If we wanted Isco, we should have picked him up cheap along with Cazorla when they were both at Malaga.
BATE Borisov
I hate the Europa league
We have more chance of signing San Francisco.
BATE it is.
Calm your excitement.
Cesc
“To be honest, ‘is Emery the right man or isn’t he talk’ is shockingly premature. Let’s give the guy another couple of transfer windows at least. Look at the impact Leno, Sokratis and Torreira have had already.”
Agreed.
Receding
“No one is saying Emery is a messiah or the best manager around, but to jump on him after his first loss in months considering the circumstances surrounding is pretty low sorry to say.”
Agreed.
We are the second last ball drawn. We play vs Bate
Koscielny is done at this level
He was done before his injury so things are only going to get worse for him (and Arsenal) if we still persist with him.
It’s similar to Vidic at United and Skertel at Liverpool, at some point the manager has to put his hand around his shoulders and whisper into his ears.
I would give Koschellny an opportunity to I’ve back to France this winter break.
He’s done. Thanks for the service he’s given the club but everything comes to an end.
We’ve got BATE Borisov.
Didn’t we play them in the Champion’s League group stages a couple of years ago?
Afternoon, Wouldn’t rush to Chuck the baby out with the bath water. It was our first loss in 22 games. Yes it was against a piss poor side, it happens to the top sides from time to time, and we’re not even a top side. We played with a makeshift back three. Which had koscielny who had 70 minutes under his belt the last seven months Xhaka whose an average midfielder and a piss poor centreback. And a 35 year old litchsteiner. We lost our only decent defender in bellerin at half time, if our big Greek tank hadn’t been… Read more »
BATE Borisov.
I mean…the names of these teams are just pony.
Arsenal are the dude who went out with a real lovely looking lady but got dumped…heartbroken, they hooked up with a girl called Fud who is pudgy and a bit rough.
@ Leeds gunner..yeah medley is the name I forgot. I think, like you he may have been a better choice…certainly in the air…on the ground against Redmond may have been a problem though.
But 3 headed goals really tells the story.
It looks like the conversation has moved on — thankfully — but I’d just like to add that to the extent that we are going to spend time criticizing what we saw yesterday, the conversation ought to be about: – what decisions Emery got wrong – why he got these wrong / why they were wrong – which players were not good enough yesterday – which players are not good enough in general – how we can improve It should not, IMO, be about whether Emery was the right choice or about what might have been under Nagelsmann, Jardim or… Read more »
man some people…ofcourse we missed Mustaffi and yes he is a shite and Soc is not much better and I don’t rate holding either or Bellend we need a whole knew back line but the man has to work with what he has, come on Kos is about to come out with PER syndrome as he just wants to play fluffy football that he can enjoy at his own pace and was not given any instruction as he is the captain .no manager in the world will excel with the defensive options at arsenal as it is ten years of… Read more »
Its BATE Borisov in the EL. Should be a straight forward tie but a difficult trip away to Belarus.
Also home leg to be played at 5 pm UK time. So, it won’t be a full stadium I guess.