So here we are again, Mesut Ozil drops out of the Arsenal trip to Liverpool complaining of a pain in his knee.
Is it real? Could be. Is it made up? History would suggest that when Mesut thinks bad news is coming there’s often a reaction. Whatever it is, I’m not really surprised that we’re here talking about the mercurial German again.
It’s quite interesting watching a certain group of fans use this issue as something to pin on Emery as bad management.
I think fans need a reminder of what Mesut Ozil has been for Arsenal.
This is the most expensive player on our books by about £150k a week. I know people don’t like the fact I mention the figure, but that’s because it’s a baffling number when you consider his drawbacks. It doesn’t matter how you package money, in football, it should be related to what you consistently deliver to the team. ‘It’s not his fault he’s paid that much’ isn’t an argument I’m afraid.
Mesut needs perfect conditions to perform these days. Nice weather, preferably a little break before he plays, he’s no good away from home, doesn’t like to play bruisers or teams that drop a heavy press, and he also doesn’t like to have to muck in for the team, nor will he play out on the right.
We thought his issue before was having to play with Giroud, so Lacazette was going to unleash his creativity. Didn’t happen. Then we thought signing a striker with pace would help him. Didn’t happen. Then we thought it was Wenger, so we waited for the World Cup, where he tanked. Then we waited for Emery, and he once again tanked.
Not to get into the weirdness of him being given tough away days off by TWO Arsenal managers. Imagine that, being 30 years old, the highest paid player at the club, and you’re given tough games off because the manager thinks you’re lightweight? Embarrassing…
Anyone who thinks the Ozil situation under Emery is weird hasn’t been paying attention to what’s going on in football or on a personal level with the player. The game does not allow for passengers, especially when you’re a Europa League side trying to climb into the Champions League. Mesut is a passenger these days, he’s a quarterback who only wants to do what he wants to do. How does Emery have any other choice outside moving him on?
Can we beat Liverpool away in the Premier League? Likely not. Is taking Mesut there going to change things? Unlikely, he couldn’t make it past 45minutes against Brighton.
Be on the lookout for Arsenal fans using this to go at Unai Emery. The careful-what-you-wish-for contingent are stinging after their summer humiliation. They are softening fans up for questions over the manager because he’s taken all the bold decisions most people who have really been paying attention tend to agree with. Mesut Ozil has been a disaster signing for Arsenal and Emery is addressing that problem as we speak. That’s decisive, it’s bold and it’s the right decision.
If we’re going to beat Liverpool this afternoon, it’s going to be with a team of professionals dedicated to the cause. It’ll have to be a full-throttle performance from every single player. We are capable of such a game as you saw in our destruction of Spurs a few weeks ago, but even if we fail, we’re playing the Premier League leaders with two of our most talented player unavailable because of form or contract troubles.
Our defence looks ripe for destruction. I have no idea how Lichtsteiner and Koscielny are expected to survive an onslaught from the outrageous pace of the Liverpool side, outside a very deep block. In midfield, we don’t have much choice outside a bland offering of three defensive midfielders and up front, our hopes and prayers rest on Auba and Lacazette having an outrageously potent day at the office.
Liverpool’s unbeaten run can’t last forever, but I do think they’re too much for us to handle as a team today.
But, it is what it is, and I don’t think there’s any brand of Mesut Ozil that would help us through today.
3 players Emery bought contributed to Liverpool’s four goals today……the other goal was a needless push by that twat kolasinac. I’m sick of guys blaming Wenger. Emery gave Xhaka a new contract and binned Wilshere…..the only player that cared much. He insists with Lichtsteiner yet Jenkinson can play better. Are we gonna blame Wenger for these? It’s no wonder Gazidis left. He had foreseen these shit.
Chambers doing well for Fulham
In midfield
Kay
Yer entitled to yer vilew
Wenger had gone in mind the
Whoopppppsy… That was a painful watch.. How stupid the Emery asslickers must feel tonight, claiming we will never be witnessing drubbings like 5-1, and the like, except their hero other plans installed for them, picking today to make them look total wankers. Got to feel for them Arguably up there as one of most embarrassing days for the club Can’t help but admire Klopp though, absolutely top class manager and has dippers playing unreal footy and on course to bag the title. Wish we had him and not the fraud Emery Guy is really is a poor manager, looked a… Read more »
Shalom
So Wenger buys and keeps all the garbage players but because Emery doesn’t make all the right choices the minute he’s in the door the blame is on him? Bullshit. I wanted much more business done in the summer gone by, there was a lot of players that we should have moved on in my opinion, but then you have yourself and the usual crowd talking about playstation or Fifa or whatever when the reality is we are not a top 4 team as it is. Barely top 6 in quality. The only way to change that is to buy… Read more »
V, please, that hardly breaks the top 10 in the past 5 years.
I don’t give a shit. Losing like that to an apparent rival is not on. It was a sackable offense for Wenger so therefore it’s a sackable offense for Emery regardless. I’m disgusted by today’s result and performance. Absolutely disgusted.
Victorious
At least you’ve taken the gloves off and come out in the open
You’re an unabashed Emery-outer. I must say that you’re not alone because you have a heterogenous bed fellows that now includes the likes of gambon.
You don’t want the manager to be backed so that he can fail. That’s interesting.
Sven and Raul is in charge of transfers you dimwit.
The reason we are still shit is because he got minimal backing in the summer with a shit squad and you want us to spend less? Fucking idiot.
Klopp has had the full backing of his club and 3,5 years to get where he is now, he also had sellable assets to fund his vision which we don’t have because of the previous manager.
All the Wenger fanboys out in force spouting absolute bullshit today, sickening.
One reason why we have less money to spend is that we are still paying Wenger and his assistants [Bould is still on the staff] the last year of their contracts. That’s about 15-20 million, can’t put a number on the actual number.
*That’s about 15-20 million, can’t put a finger on the actual number.
“Can’t help but admire Klopp though, absolutely top class manager and has dippers playing unreal footy and on course to bag the title.”
Emery is a fraud after 6 months Klopp is going for the title after 3 years with a defender and keeper that cost 140M?
This is not remotely close to the embarrassment we suffered under Wenger.
“So Wenger buys and keeps all the garbage players but because Emery doesn’t make all the right choices the minute he’s in the door the blame is on him? Bullshit.“ Nope, absolutely not the POV I’m defending or claiming. I’m saying at the halfway mark of the season we should see signs of what’s to come from an ‘Emery Arsenal’. If Klopp was here we’d be playing that up tempo counter attack and hard press. Plenty of the squad would be exposed by that and the results would reflect it, but it’d be there to see in fits and starts… Read more »
Well
Yes, we have a added an ok goalkeeper, an ok CB and a really good DM that is overplayed because we have no other options, they’re still surrounded with garbage though and that’s going to take a lot more than 1 window and 70m to fix. I think he’s just muddling though at the moment trying to find a way to play with the mess he has, I’m pretty sure we would see a marked improvement if we had a proper CAM and wingers in the team. As it is there is no system in the world that would make… Read more »
Freddie
23.21
Poetic an very true
Our biggest issue last season was our defence. I said to myself Emery will find a better balance and bring some tactic nous to the side finally after Wenger neglected it. We’ve improved in some aspects here (shape particularly), but defensively we aren’t at it, and that’s with a good GK, good CB, and good defensive midfielder added. CC At least you agree our shape has improved. It doesn’t help that we have had to chop and patch you our defense for a while. Half of our goals have been due to individual mistakes and there’s little Emery can do… Read more »
Shalom all
Interesting. The manager-bashers of today were the manager-marvellers of yesterday. I guess in their book proving they were right comes first. For them, an Emery failure is orgasmic.
“I think he’s just muddling though at the moment trying to find a way to play with the mess he has, I’m pretty sure we would see a marked improvement if we had a proper CAM and wingers in the team.“ Then that’s an ownership issue because what the fuck are we doing letting a guy spend a season kicking a can down the street? We had players we could’ve moved on and we didn’t. Dog shit ambition Azed Mate our defence has been rotten since Chelsea don’t you remember? We were attacking well but defending like Plymouth. I don’t… Read more »
Azed,
I would still blame Emery for this loss. There is a pattern with our dsfense since this season. We have been very easy to cut open and to score against.
Emery needs to hire a defense coach, if we had one, he is not competent. This same probkem Wenger had. The way Pool defends is different from us.
We will also need serious acyivity in the window. CB, RB, CM, Winger all with pace and height. We will need a Giroud replacement. EPL needs to have a suite of striker options.
I agree with gambon because he knows where a real english pub is in las vegas…
…and agree with guns of wherever, pedro and victorius:
Need to fire emery tomorrow and bring in a caretaker manager for the rest of the season.
…someone exciting and amazing…and wengeresque….
The way we defend is atrocious to zay the least. We need to be marking players around the box like orher teans do against us. Sadly, we tgink we are too good to do the needed donkey work. Our midfield needs to recover fast and our positioning to receive the ball at ghe business end is often poor.
We need massive improvement.
Emery will be judged by season end if we buy this window.
Sure it’s an ownership issue, he let Wenger stay on way past his expiration date and it’s going to take a long time to fix the mess he created. Anyone that thought that a new manager whoever it may be would just turn these turds into gold is a fucking idiot.
Stan is not a good owner by any means, but the funds have been there in Wengers last years, he just spent them piss poor and that is affecting our ability to move forwards now, that’s just facts.
Freddie,
Some hate facts!
But you got to admit that Emery has also failed to mould the team defensively. That is a fact!
That was fucking embarrassing. We haven’t had a solid defender since Sol.
Who does he have to make this moulding with? Kos is broken, Monreal is broken, Kola not good enough defensively to be a starter, Bellerin improving slightly but still not good enough defensively, Mustafi as error prone as they come likewise Xhaka. Sokratis and Holding has been our 2 best defenders and now Holding is out for the year, none of them would make it into any of the top 4 teams. All of our defenders are either weak, short or slow, some of them has more than q of these “qualities” . On top of that some of them… Read more »
Hope kroenke doesn’t release a dime, muddle the water to the end of season and send him packing Wouldn’t trust the guy with a single penny Sure why not come in out of the woodwork there Vic. Gotta point out though it was Wenger who pissed away 90 million on arguably our biggest liabilities in Mustafi and Xhaka (and Lucas Perez that summer). I mean it’s mostly his squad 20 of the 25 man squad are the piss poor players he assembled. Arguably up there as one of most embarrassing days for the club Pretty bad all right but not… Read more »
Emery can not escape all blame just because he is new and the squad is pants. The manager never walks away with zero responsibility in a match 6 months into his tenure The squad is pants and that’s not his fault – but it’s still not a good reason to lose worse than many lower table teams. The reason this defeat is hard to swallow is because 1) we sounded away points for free against Brighton, putting pressure on ourselves without good reason and 2) there’s never a good reason to concede this many in one game But those who… Read more »
oh boy, I knew we would lose but to concede 5. yikes.
The only reason I’m not calling for emerys head is because it’s his first season in charge. Though if we are conceding 5 next season, then we really need to look at the manager and not the defence.
Our squad sucks but it’s still probably the 6th best in the country. The 6th best squad in the country shouldn’t be losing games by this margin except in one off circumstances.
I hope this is the only time t happens this year
Nobody expected us to win, but a 2-1 or 3-2 defeat would’ve been much easier to accept
Charlie re emery knowing the squad in detail before he was hired, I’d be shocked if that was *really* true In an interview the impression you give and the reality are often not entirely the same You don’t have to know everything about something to give people the impression you do in a restricted time frame. Choosing what to say and what not to say and guiding the conversation to reflect favorably is a key skill that many people possess (politicians can go far with this) so I wouldn’t read too much into the club being blown away by his… Read more »
I think Emery’s mark was obvious with the unbeaten streak when we had a full strength side. It feels at the moment he’s managing game to game to try and work around our obvious flaws and lack of personnel.
Arsenal retained the services of Steve Bould despite the departure of Wenger.
The question which needs to be asked is what exactly is his role under Emery?
One assumes that his so-called specialisation is to work at the club as a defence coaching specialist.
Under both managers Arsenal’s defence has been fairly poor. Sofar as I am concerned there has been no material uplift in performance.
You have to question Bould’s value at the club.
For the Wenger and Ozil obsessives/trolls and people who have only ever known Wengerball, such as Upstate – a so called learned supporter who’s knowledge comes from the Internet pre Wenger. What happened against Liverpool was expected by most of us and this article below sums our current situation up perfectly. Without club backing in the TWs it will continue and there is nothing Emery or we can do about it or Arteta/Alegri (who’s condition to take over was a total rebuild) or any other manager for that matter. So you can troll away or get behind Emery understanding ther… Read more »
It took 10+ years for Wenger, Gazidis and the greedy BoD to systematically destroy an ‘Invincible’ level of football and some mindless futile idiots want that reversed in one season and in some cases half a season.
You couldn’t make it up if you tried.
Un/Don Get on a plane and go to this hospital: https://ww2.bangkokhospital.com/en Choose your Dr from their website lists by their experience and expertise. Probably wouldn’t cost you more than £1500 including flight and cheap hotel and a consultation and extensive tests. You can then either have whatever treatment is necessary here or take home their findings for a UK hospital to deal with. Hotel next to the hospital from about £50 a night: https://www.amari.com/residences-bangkok/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gmb&utm_campaign=arb Taxi from airport to above hotel about £10 Depends how much you value your life and you always say you are doing well with your business.… Read more »
Tony and Co. You and the rest can say whatever about Emery inheriting a mess of a club but in reality it wasn’t all that bad. Klopp got Benteke. Emery got Auba and Lacazette. Hardly a disadvantage. Mignolet – Cech. Whothefuckknowsrb – Bellerin. The list goes on and on. We needed to stabilize defense and Emery didn’t do it. Plain and simple. I’m actually not a Klopp fan. People have a very short memory. This is the same guy who blamed a bad result on a unwatered pitch. Same guy who was saying that he needed points more than already… Read more »
Tony
US doctors are the same. My wife’s grandfather probably could have lived for another 10 years if it wasn’t for lack of desire and competence of the so called doctors over here. We’re both of Russian decent and I know for a fact that if we went back to Russia and paid a fraction of what was paid here, he might have just still be with us.
Upstate lmao at your post. Stick to NFL & Baseball as you clearly have limited knowledge about football and Arsenal. As I said by your own account (20 years supporting Arsenal) you have only known Wenger’s days. Your level is MLS knowledge/experience and below if you ever played the game over the pond. Try learning from Guns of SF, Disenter etc who really understand the game in its entirity. Perhaps your in game comment of wanting to piss off Joe and others is your real mantra. Have at it, you are not even good at trolling. Just a Victorius wannabe.… Read more »
I find it no coincidence that Victorious is back with drool all over his face as soon as Un said his asshole was bleeding.
Sancho MonzorlaDecember 30, 2018 05:03:59
I find it no coincidence that Victorious is back with drool all over his face as soon as Un said his asshole was bleeding.
Haahhahahahahahahahahhahahahaha
Tony
Just because Guns of SF and Dissenter agree with your opinions doesn’t mean that you or they are right. I’m not saying I’m a football expert but I see what I see and interpret it as such. Football in Russia was a pretty popular sport, and even though I have followed Arsenal (only) since the late 90’s, I have played and watched footy since the early 80’s. Didn’t know you had to watch Arsenal before Wenger to “truly” understand the beautiful game.
Oh… and I hate MLS.
I think anyone who expects a philosophy from Emery is going the wrong route. Emeryball is simply being better tactically, stronger and more athletic across the game, with technique providing the gloss. Even if he was sent to Barcelona, the team would change to adapt to that. In my opinion, he doesn’t focus on technique, just tactics. He is anti Wenger in that way. He is like an Ancelloti. Give him the strongest, most switched on players and you will get results. That’s why Guendouzi is a favourite. Never hides, rarely flags… Few lapses(that can be eradicated). As well as… Read more »
Unai looks like someone holding on till the winter TW to make a move. I just hope money will be released. He’s gotten all he can from this team and he has actually been found out. Earlier on he relied on the unknown factor to beat teams. Now the other teams know his style and pattern and we don’t have that individual stardust quality that can win us games on their own. I also expected him to have started working on adapting to what he has by now and not be so insistence on playing his style as he has… Read more »
Was I l expecting it? Yea sure Did i think it will be that bad? Absolutely not Spent the day pissed in the bar celebrating a Milan win(Higuain finally)( yea priorities i know)and my wife called me to say we were losing just i expected but the scoreline was embarrassing if we’re being honest, the plan was to if at all lose, do so with a bit of dignity. As I’ve been saying, you don’t give a new manager coming into a club that had stagnated less money than a championship team and expect miracles, i suspect if Emery isnt… Read more »
I know Arsenal fans like to pride themselves on this whole self sustainable no sugar daddies bullshit but the sooner some Arab or Chinese Billionaire takes over our club the better. At some point rather than the manager, we have to start looking at the owner to figure out what his plan is with the club even if the protests have to resume in full, our Transfer Budget last summer was an embarrassment, our squad is poor, very very poor and it showed yesterday. Is the manager blameless? No he has some blame to share but he did still go… Read more »
As much as we all have our ideal manager and system the glaringly obvious issue here is squad size and quality. We have no assets of any real value and even our squad players are unattractive options to the lower half of the table. The squad value is clearly dropping. Without serious investment were going nowhere, the idea of selling to buy only works if you have something to sell. We have 2 options, Stan puts some cash up or the club takes on some calculated debt but I fear we won’t do either. I’m sure, if we carry on… Read more »
Oh and good luck finding any decent manager worth his salt willing to work with such an embarrassing budget , im afraid it probably only goes downhill from here without significant spending.
3 CBs
1LB
1Rb
1DM
2Wingers
2CM
And all of that of premium quality, none of that unearthing the next gem bullshit, we’re in the top10 richest clubs in the world charging top rate dollar
I maintain though and its a gut feeling that Emery will fuck off if he’s not properly backed in the transfer window. Some of you all might leave to witness a Steve Bruce don’t get us relegated type of gaffer in the no too distant future if we go on spending less than newly promoted teams
Mystic Good point… has Emery gotten the best out of this team? I think I would agree that he has about 85% or so. Sure, the defense and certain players can improve a little but for the most part, I think we are seeing what we will be seeing the rest of the season, bar any changes. We need some dire personnel changes and to let go the deadwood. Jenks and ElNeny have hardly played this season. Why keep them? I would rather switch some first teamers to the bench and add some new first class blood to enter the… Read more »
Tony
Thanks for the props bud. I enjoy your posts too… usually late night West coast time here in Cali, Im guessing early morning for you?
Upstate You Russian or American? Not that it matters really just curious. Why not follow Arsenal in the 80s then? Who did you support in the 80s? Sounds like you joined the Wenger revolution, but there have been great if not better managers and teams before Him and poor ones also. It’s not really about how long you have followed Arsenal, it’s about the game, its roots and nuances and eveolution. It’s not whether Dissenter or others support my views; often they differ, but even when promoting their differing views, their information is realistic and generally factually correct – never… Read more »
TonyD
Thanks a lot
Joe Marko. What pair of rotten little bitches. I’d kick you both right in the minge if I’d ever meet you. Marko- I’m only depressed because I’m a miserable thick scum bag sham dub living in the thickest part of a country known for its thickos Joe- cloeseted completely whilst in total denial, probably due to his heritage, pretends to have a $2m home as a fireman who only bakes muffins 3-4 days a week. Both permanent fixtures over Xmas. Both clearly with very little else going on in their empty little lives except arguing on Le grove. Marko. The… Read more »
I thought these embarrassing displays would be gone with Wenger
How wrong was i
I shake my head for guys backing emery blindly. Ain’t we seeing that he has something against laca? Where was he expecting the goals to come from with that front 3 against Liverpool? Auba did nothing throughout the first half yet laca wasn’t brought in at halftime. Lichsteiner a dead dog has been doing promo against us costing us points yet emery sees no other player better than him. Would jenknson have been worst? He’s shoving lich down out throat. Even a Liverpool side with pacy and all round good defenders didn’t play a high line against us but stupid… Read more »
Pedro:
“However, he’s in a great place because we have to let him have 2 seasons until he inevitably flunks”
Nice to know you think emery will already fuck up and has no hope for the future. I wonder why you even bother watching Arsenal games then?
Maybe just wait till your boy arteta is hired in two years then get back to us?lol
As you all know, I was desperate to get Wenger out of the club, as most other supporters were. As long as a manager came in who was capable of organising and motivating the team, I was confident things would gradually evolve. Up until about a month ago I was happy with how things were moving and irrespective of injuries, was prepared to accept that certain aspects of the teams structure and play would improve once Emery brought in his own players. However, I do find myself now scratching my head at what Emery is trying to get across, in… Read more »
Had Emery ever heard of the festive period? Did he not plan for the intensity of the league? Why won’t he initiate the removal of Bould? These are questions I am now asking myself.
Hate to say it but, as it stands, Nuno Espirito Santo makes Emery look second rate.
Keep it simple Unai and stop all this mumbo jumbo.
Honestly, I am only having a cup of tea and toast.
Those who expect Emery to buy the players needed will be mighty disappointed. Not just this Jan, but summer, too, and on and on. This is the Kroenke era.
Englandisbest
Agree whole heartedly
The man needs financial support
We’ve lived under these fianancial constraints for far too long
The whole point of the stadium move was to keep up with United and now fucking Liverpool and spurs are blowing us out of the water
Englandsbest
If this is the case, then Emery will not last long. He has to ship out and invest.
It is blatantly obvious.
I don’t blame Emery for anything. He inherited a deficient, disjointed, demoralised squad – the worst since before GG – and has done better than the vast majority of us expected. For the most part, the summer comings and goings had already been set up before he arrived. With the exception of Torreira the signings were unimpressive to say the least. To my mind, he’s probably brought the best out of all of them. The grim truth is that very few are top PL standard. Our best hope is that Emery & Co can unearth some gems, because for sure… Read more »
Graham credit to you in that you are not making excuses for Emery despite being such a strong supporter of his philosophy and tactics earlier in the season . though I do think that Emery’s treatment of Lacazette is the main reason for you doubting him . Personally, I feel he is making a complete cock up of things at the moment and will need to make a complete rethink on why we had such an exceptional unbeaten run and to look at why things have changed for the worse. Lacazette is a mystery, he came into the side after… Read more »
Englandsbest “I don’t blame Emery for anything. He inherited a deficient, disjointed, demoralised squad ” I’m not saying it was a great squad as of course there were areas that needed improvement but a 22 game unbeaten run shows that the squad were not as deficient, disjointed and demoralised as some people think . Aubamayang,Lacazette,ozil and Mhkitaryan , despite what many.think on le grove , can be moulded into an exceptional front 4 …..they have only started one game this season ( Liverpool home) and the question needs to be asked as to why that is as they played exceptionally… Read more »
Auba has 13 touches yesterday before being subbed. 6 of them came at kickoffs
7 touches in a football match after almost 80 minutes. There’s why he’s a one trick pony
All this talk about transfers in and significant funds being made available I can’t help feel is nothing more than wishful thinking. Emery was bought in to improve the squad that already had been assembled that squad would have the odd addition or so but I genuinely don’t think there are any plans to push the boat out. I can’t but help feel that what you see now is what you are going to see at seasons end that said I do wonder if there is a recall clause in the Chambers loan deal with Fulham. If there is and… Read more »
Beginning to feel Emery gives more weightage to pace, athleticism and energy of a player than raw skills. Any sane observe could foresee PEA struggling against Liverpool as a lone striker yet Emery chose him over Lacazzete. That Iwobi gets game time in all our matches can be explained or perhaps to some extent justified simply because he can press and run. Perhaps we will see Ozil and Mikhi shifted out from our sqaud sooner than later.
Tr7
Is that what we really want though? All pace and energy but no nous or guile? Liverpool and city have both. Surely we should too
Let me say it here and now as I have always said before, Emery is a small club manager. He will never come good for Arsenal. He is a Europa teams manager like Seville, Benfica, Basel et al. He spends so much of his time reviewing videos than actually improving players. We defended like a pub team yesterday. When it was easier and safer to just tap the ball out for a corner, Lichtsteiner…one of his signing who was suppose to be the experienced guy guiding our defence so it best to do otherwise gifting Firmino the easiest of goals.… Read more »
This lack of investment and money not being available malarkey, gets on my wick. Money has always been, and will always be, available. Its how you use it where Arsenal have cocked things up over the years. The Sanchez/Ozil saga was a financial disaster of the highest magnitude. Throwing away 60m on Sanchez and giving 350k a week to Ozil proves that money is not the issue. I cannot believe that the financial gurus at AFC allowed such stupidity to act out. It’s all down to mismanagement and bad leadership. The main culprits in this, Wenger and Gazidis, have now… Read more »
Un na nai
Definitely not.,that’s my concern though. We had Arsene who was hung up on technical ability and guile and had little.regard for athleticism/physical prowess and now we have Emery who is probably at the other end of the spectrum. Not a good sign.
Pierre We can argue ad infinitum who is to blame for poor recent performances. The reality is that since Wenger’s departure there has been no material improvement in the defence. Quite the contrary we have conceded more goals in the first 20 games this season than the last despite recruiting a new goalkeeper and two experienced defenders in Sokratis and Lichsteiner. The fault lines are exactly the same as before with just 3 clean sheets in 20 EPL games. Defensive recruitment has been poor for ages. This is compounded by lack of proper investment in this department of our game.… Read more »
Pierre
It doesn’t take a qualified coach/manager to see that Lacazette is what we need out there. Aubameyang is too lightweight and lacks the mental strength to do things on his own.
Yes, I am annoyed, livid would be a better word, with how Emery has handled Lacazette but what worries me most is that we have a new manager who seems blind to this. Hence, the bigger picture then comes into the equation. What else does he not see?
Fulham, as you rightly highlight, is a massive game.
Too bad we lost so badly against liverpool. For now I think we should be playing deep against very good opposition (Liverpool). This is opposed to playing an highline as we saw yesterday. It is evident that the most experienced players in the team (Sokratis, Koscielny, lictchsteiner,) could not avoid school boy errors/ inexperienced errors. Also they couldn’t cover for the already burnt out torreira. As Graham62 rightly suggested promoting young defensive options from the academy will help. I will add that the xhaka and torreira partnership is tired and this is because we haven’t used rotation properly. Elneny should… Read more »
New post
Auba on his own 2/10(if that).
Lacazette on his own 6/10.
Auba and Lacazette together 8/10.
It’s a no brainer.