YES via @EditsByRonan
Well, might as well get the depressing news out the way first… The Rams are going to the Super Bowl.
It’s like 95% of Arsenal fans must have been real shitty things to puppies in another life, because this is just utterly depressing.
Still, on the flipside, maybe Stan will be so enthralled by actual sporting success he’s rarely tasted, he’ll chuck a couple hundred mill our way.
Hopeful and naive. I get it.
Or is it? At some point, he has to wonder whether it’d make good business sense to have two world class teams on his books? Maybe Josh will want to show he’s dad he’s well clever? Who knows… I’d just reccomend your read my blog post on how they made the magic happen (HERE).
In more positive news, Emery went and done a good this weekend.
I think a lot of Arsenal fans are prematurely blowing their ‘SEE HE’S AMAZING’ load on the curtains, but I can’t take away from the absolute destruction he dropped on Sarri’s Chelsea.
Alex went over the game in great detail, so I won’t rehash it. What I will say is that Emery pivoted this weekend and it paid off handsomely.
He put his best players on the pitch, he played them in a system that worked to their advantage, and he absolutely sussed out Sarri.
Many were saying that he axed Mesut Ozil, I’m not quite sure about that. He had a player on the bench who is supposedly coming back from injury, and whether you like it or not, that’ll have an impact on the squad psychologically. Interestingly, Jose Mourinho echoed some of the points I’ve been raising about Mesut.
Mourinho says the best way to get the best out of Özil is to how him ‘care and love’ pic.twitter.com/rEnfrki0N7
— Osman (@OsmanZtheGooner) January 19, 2019
Emery has yet to find the balance between tough love and empathy, something Jose said Ozil needs both sides of. If you can’t be bothered to watch the video, he says if you’re too soft, he goes limp, but if you’re too hard, he retracts into himself because he needs to feel the love. I heard a similar thing on The Totally Football show about De Gea, apparently, he’s always looking for reassurance from his keeping coach on the sideline at games. Weird as he’s so good, but just doubles down on the fact that players are people and all have different motivations. Anyway, good to see the coach move to repair bridges there.
Additionally, it was great to see the manager start with Aaron Ramsey. No one in the league is going to harass Jorginho like he did. He sat at the top of that diamond and shut down the Brazilian, whilst also doing a good job of putting their centre-backs under pressure. We’re just better with Aaron in the side.
Having two strikers in a 4-4-2 worked wonders, especially as both did such an incredible job of defending. Lacazette in particular impressed. He does so much dirty work for the team. Not just that, look at the flair for that goal, unreal control, spatial awareness and outright audacity to strike the ball at one of the few places he had access to that Kepa didn’t.
The front three allowed Emery to live out his dream of 3 defensive midfielders who all did a very good job. I have to hand it to Xhaka, when he’s not making stupid mistakes, he’s been good this season. He had a very good game, racking up ball recoveries like a hero (11). I have a lot of love for LT and MG. The Uruguayan pitbull made 9 tackles, with MG making 5 but having a go at 10. Both have real tenacity and it was a pleasure to watch. Honestly, fuck people who thin MG is anything outside a top tier youth talent who could take the world… NO… universe by storm if he continues his upward trajectory.
Then there’s the defence. Chelsea had nothing. Sokratis did a sterling job, but no one stood out more than Laurent K. When he’s playing in a defence that playing behind a system that is not trying to play a highline, he’s in his element. His experience, positioning and outright hunger to win was a joy to watch. He was our most potent attacker with 2 shots on target and a goal. He had a very important game.
I also liked that Arsenal let Chelsea have the ball in wide positions knowing they had no one to attack the ball in the box. We clogged up the middle of the pitch with a sea of red shirts. We also allowed them to have the ball, giving them 300 more passes than us over the 90. It was almost a reversal of the roles of the past 10 years. Chelsea were… a bit… you know… Arsenal like.
You do have to be honest about Chelsea. They were a fucking car crash. Sarri is a fanatic. He has his way of playing and he doesn’t give a fuck who his players are. Willian on the left, Hazard through the middle with no runners, Kante in a more advanced position, with Jorginho sideways passing like peak Denilson… it was really difficult viewing.
Chelsea had some bad luck, no doubt, but you felt the explosion Sarri had after the game, when he questioned his players’ mentality, is going to bite him. The manager doesn’t have the bodies to do what he wants.
If you’re honest, nor does Emery, but the whole point of us hiring in the Spaniard is we had a manager who’d dropped a powerpoint presentation for the ages on how he’d use the players we had.
For me, Emery has shown the way forward.
All the fans saying 4th place isn’t possible without a billion in January expenditure are out of excuses. We’ve already outperformed Wenger-2018 with points against the top 6 this season. We smashed Chelsea, beat Spurs, held our own in all the big games bar maybe City and Liverpool away. I don’t think it’ll happen, but that’s not because I think the players aren’t good enough. Points dropped at West Ham, Brighton and Southampton in such a short space of time shouldn’t have been part of the equation.
Emery has to shake of his PSG delusions of grandeur and get back to extracting more out of his squad. He needs to be better tactically, he needs to utilize his star names even if that hurts him personally, and he needs to make sure no one heard him say Arsenal was a distinct club because winning wasn’t that important.
Just a word to the injuries. I was devastated to see that Hector dropped an injury that has been a career ender in the past. Hopefully, it’s not as bad as it looks. It’s very difficult to apportion blame in these incidences, but it’s hard not to have noticed that our players have looked leggy this past month, and the big injuries are coming in at a rate of knots. We’ve lost 3 players sub 30 to nasty 3 letter acronyms and had a lot of problems this season.
Emery brought in his own strength and conditioning coach, despite us having hired in Darren Burgess to huge fanfare and already having a World Cup winning S&C man in Shad Forsythe. I said at the time that was unbelievably weak from Ivan, as it essentially handed veto power to someone who had unlikely been vetted. Factor in that we know Emery was more than happy to let the press know that he was hitting his players with double sessions early in the season (and was horrified at the fitness of the squad), and the leaked story Mokbel had in the DM that said the club reduced the intensity of training to help the players. Whatever is going on, if we’re to have a good backend of the season, we need to have fresh players and we need to stop losing them to injury.
Right, seeing as you’re here, jump into a meaty podcast where we talk about additional details on Sven, Chelsea and how the season is going to pan out.
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Always said donkey Lukaku needed to be pushed out of United starting 11. Ole recognized this very early.
I would say Martial, Pogba and De Gea get into our 11, Rashford, Lingaard and Mata would get on our bench.
He has adopted a single formation since arriving, a single starting XI for the most part — an XI that has excluded Lukaku, btw — and they have been playing well-engineered, fluent football ever since. Who knew playing inform players in their best position would yield positive results. I mean letting Martial express himself and playing Pogba as a floating CAM instead of a holding CM who knew am I right. Sorry but Ole has had a good start but you’d swear he tore up the rule book since taking over United. It also helps that Lukaku, Sanchez and Fred… Read more »
De gea
Baily
Lindelof
Pogba
Martial
Rashford
Would say they have a much better squad than we have
Torreira
Lacazzete
Aubamayeng
That’s all we’ve got I’m afraid
United don’t have a defender that makes our XI
My ass they don’t. Bailly when fit is better than anything we have. Even Smalling and Lindelof would play for us. It’s almost like people forget about how bad Mustafi and Koscielny have been the past couple seasons. Full backs are a problem for them too though. But ours ain’t much better
Marko ‘Who knew playing inform players in their best position would yield positive results. I mean letting Martial express himself and playing Pogba as a floating CAM instead of a holding CM who knew am I right. Sorry but Ole has had a good start but you’d swear he tore up the rule book since taking over United. It also helps that Lukaku, Sanchez and Fred have been so poor this season. The 11 basically picks itself mate’ Agreed, all he needed to do was to let United players play their natural game in their best suited positions. I still… Read more »
Koscielny
Bellerin
Monreal
Torreira
Ramsey
Lacazette
Aubameyang
All better than United’s equivalents.
I’d say
Holding too as their cb pairings are atrocious.
“Aubameyang would never score this goal”
Lacazette will never compete for PL top scorer. Auba will.
Gambon.
So did Micheal ricketts, Tony yeboha, Marcus Stewart, Andy Johnson and Michael bridges.
Lacazette, like Drogba scores important goals against the big teams when the pressure is on. Not just that but goals out of nothing.
He scored the equaliser against Liverpool. Changed the game when he came on vs spurs and won us the game agaisnt Chelsea.
Apart from 1 second tap ins from aubameyang, what else has he done of note??
Miss sitters and miscontrolling.
You give Giroud his pace and Giroud is 3 times the player he is
Auba is the better goal poacher ‘
Laca is the better overall footballer.
Auba is the better goal poacher ‘
Laca is the better overall footballer.
Persist and play them in tandem- they could be DYNAMITE!
If we drop either of the two vs anyone it’s aubameyang for me.
WHY would anyone want to Drop either?
Are people really that daft!!!
Aubameyang has scored some absolute belters for us
Charlie George
Because I’ll guarantee that emery reverts back to one up front soon enough.
I’d be happy to play them both as it’s the best of both worlds if we can keep aubameyang working hard off the ball.
I would play either of Laca or Auba,in front of a proper attacking midfield and winger to stretch the play..
Neither of them is big enough to barge through defenses and need movement to succeed. A winger creates those movements. .
He doesn’t core that goal on Saturday
He doesn’t have the touch or wit to create a goal like that for himself. Lacazette is a clever little player.
Yeah sure Lacazette can win you games but Auba’s prolific goalscoring can win you titles.
You give Giroud his pace and Giroud is 3 times the player he is
Another brilliant opinion from the resident idiot. My god
Marko
Yep. Er, that’s why he’s literally never won a title in his career. Top drawer.
Marko
Yes.
Let’s break this down for you otherwise you just won’t get your basic little dub head round it sham
Ariel- Giroud
Link up- Giroud
Work rate- Giroud
Skill- Giroud
Passing- Giroud
Finishing- tie
Pace- aubameyang
Technique- Giroud.
Hold up/ back to goal- Giroud
Mike Phelan is the real manure manager, not baby face solskjaer..
He knows fuck all about tactics.
He is just there for the media and PR shit
As much as Lacazette really
Don please stop you’re so dumb mate. If it was up to you we’d have a midfield of Santi and Jack with Cech in goal and Giroud up top and you’d be arguing with people that our team was the best in England. You’re unbelievable.
Un na naai showing off his football knowledge lol.
Talking of titles
Giroud is a World Cup winner and won ligue un
Also
Lacazette has played 600 mins less than aubameyang this season.
Un
Ariel- Giroud
Link up- Giroud
Work rate- Giroud
Skill- Giroud
Passing- Giroud
Finishing- tie
Pace- aubameyang
Technique- Giroud.
Hold up/ back to goal- Giroud
Is this the same Giroud who hasn’t scored 5 goals all season for Chelsea, so much that Hazard plays CF?
Aubamayang and Lacazette are both strikers and that’s where the similarity ends between them.
Aubamayang’s strong points are lacazette’s weak points and vice versa.
It’s very rare to see Lacazette get a tap in as he doesn’t have the same strikers instinct as Aubamayang and it would be very rare to see Aubamayang score a goal similar to lacazette’s against Chelsea as he wouldn’t be looking to receive the ball to feet in the box , he is a striker who plays on the shoulder or the blind side of defenders.
Ariel- Giroud 5/10
Link up- Giroud 3/10
Work rate- Giroud 5/10
Skill- Giroud 4/10
Passing- Giroud 3/10
Finishing- tie 4/10
Pace- aubameyang
Technique- Giroud.4/10
Hold up/ back to goal- Giroud 5/10
Marko
Calling me thick won’t change the fact that you’re a scummy dub and the butt of all our jokes.
Watching on while the rest of Ireland travel the world
Only the super value shelf stackers and doleys got left behind.
How many big games has aubameyang won since his arrival?
Zero. Not one. He misses sitter after sitter in the big games. Could have had two hat tricks agaisnt chelsea by now in two first halves.
He’s the new ozil. Won’t take too long before you’re all on his back.
Global
Yes that’s right. Dropped by the same guy who’s moved the best defensive midfielder in the world and OTHER key player in frances World Cup won, kante, to right midfield for…….Jorginho……looooolz
What a genius.
Same Giroud who was a pivotal figure in the France World Cup win
Movement- Giroud 1/10
Agility- Giroud 2/10
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/talksport.com/football/249924/25-strikers-best-minutes-goal-ratio-premier-league-history-170627244479/amp/
Until Giroud went to chelsea he was in the top 25 for mins/goal ratio
Chelsea is the strikers graveyard after all though.
Talking of titles Giroud is a World Cup winner and won ligue un
Not one single shot on target the whole tournament and all that’s missing is pace says you.
Also
Lacazette has played 600 mins less than aubameyang this season
Lacazette has 27 goals in 67 games for Arsenal compared to 26 in 42 for Aubameyang.
Same Giroud who was a pivotal figure in the France World Cup win
Sure was genius
Fighting over two shit players.
Lacazette is Wiltord in disguise and Aubameyang is Walcott in disguise.
Red
You missed
Looks 10/10
Adverting sponsorship 10/10
How many of those 67 were starts though and how long was he on the field for marko??
Either way tap ins against Burnley are great and all but without lacazette we don’t win any titles. Aubameyang has contributed next to nothing to our performances against the top 6
The only game we’ve lost that lacazette has started was the West game game.
Aubameyang has started every single loss for us. Like I said. We have our new ozil. You just don’t know it yet marko
will come back to haunt is letting diamond eye go…
The fat controller wins the first fight …
How many of those 67 were starts though and how long was he on the field for marko??
He’d start more if he scored more.
Aubameyang has contributed next to nothing to our performances against the top 6
Sure we’ll forget the two against Spurs. Anyway I’m going to stop now because you’re stupid and I feel bad for talking to you like you know what you’re talking about
Marko
Did you watch them in the World Cup?
He was the focal point of their attack? Who opened all the doors for AG and KM’B??
Did the same job benzema has been doing for years but this time they won with Giroud as the focal point.. If he wasn’t worth the spot then why did Deschnaps start him in all 7 games??
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.rte.ie/amp/978631/
Un na
“So did Micheal ricketts, Tony yeboha, Marcus Stewart, Andy Johnson and Michael bridges.”
Lol let’s compare their PL goal records:
Aubameyang 1 in 1.5 games
Marcus Stewart 1 in 3
Andy Johnson 1 in 4
Michel Bridges 1 in 5
Michel Ricketts 1 in 6
Fantastic comparison.
Maybe we should compare Patrick Vieira and Wilfried Ndidi
Marko
We were losing until we brought on lacazette ya gee bag. 🤪🤪🤪
Save your pitty for someone who needs it marko. Like your mrs.
Gambon
That’s not what you said though is it? You’ve moved the goal posts.
You said lacazette will never compete for the golden boot. Well these lot have. Some actually have won it.
Meaning any cunt can tap it in. Look at franny Jeffers.
But if you want to play like that then Giroud’s goal to min ratio was 1 every 157 mins for arsenal and only 0.4 second less than Ian Wright. Second top scorer and club legend.
Silly tap in stats can be so misleading can’t they?
Movement- Giroud 1/10
Agility- Giroud 2/10
World Cup Winners Medal 1/1
Un na naaiJanuary 21, 2019 20:04:18 Until Giroud went to chelsea he was in the top 25 for mins/goal ratio. Well Giroud scored a goal every 157 minutes during that period. PEA sits at 131 minutes per goal this season and an even better 102 minutes per goal in 17/18. So by your own yardstick PEA is head and shoulders above Giroud And you want to overlook the primary attribute to Auba to make a point in favour of Giroud? If Giroud had the pace of Auba….? That’s like saying Santi could have been a great GK if he was… Read more »
Sid
No it isn’t
Giroud is a better player in nearly every other department
I’m not saying aubameyang is shit and maybe I’ve gone overboard on him because of his price tag but I think he’s been a let down and his goal stats aren’t a true reflection of his value to the collective
Aubameyang scores and yes it’s valuable of course but for me lacazette improves the team. Not just the team but he improves aubameyang himself
He’s our only match winner in big games
He should be first on the team sheet
Since coming to the PL
Lacazette – 1 assist every 408 mins
Aubameyang – 1 assist every 412 mins
So it’s a myth that Lacazette is the new Bergkamp.
You get a tiny bit more creativity and a far worse goalscorer.
If aubameyang had the footballing brain and technique of Giroud he’d be Henry
how good would they be if we had all 3 and played them in a 4 3 3?
Giroud out of contract at Chelsea , this season.
There will not be a better free transfer ( except Ramseys) for next season.
We should attempt to bring him back in the fold.
Gambon he’s not far worse
14 goals 3 assists in 1827 aubameyang
8 goals 5 assists in 1448 lacazette
So 4 and a half extra games aubameyang has had in minutes to produce 4 extra goals/assists.
You play lacazette and drop aubameyang for 4 and a half games he will equal that output
@Globalgunner “Also i don’t know what the preoccupation of many with a winger is. Does a winger look any different to any other player?. Laca makes wonderful cross balls for Auba who misses every time. Would a winger lay them any more on a plate for him?” Almost all the top teams in Europe play a formation 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. The weaker teams play 4-5-1. The reason why our team is stronger with 4-4-2 is because our two best players are our two strikers. 4-4-2 was popular in England many years ago because the style of English football was mainly… Read more »
Nelson
United and arsenal played 442 and a possession based game that dominated Europe
Nothing wrong with 442
France won the World Cup with a 442 as did Italy
If aubameyang had the footballing brain and technique of Giroud he’d be Henry
Christ it’s like you’re getting dumber by the second
Marko
Said the dregs of Dublin……bit like Hitler calling someone else anti Semitic
Kevin Prince Boateng signs for Barca on loan with an option to buy in the summer. Raul wasn’t the sole madman in charge of transfers there after all
Said months ago we should go 442
@Un na
You don’t mean the current United. They have Marcus and Martial as Winger and Lukaku as striker. Of course the attackers may exchange position to confuse the defenders.
“Kevin Prince Boateng signs for Barca on loan with an option to buy in the summer”
Is that the trigger for Dennis Suarez to Arsenal?
France didn’t play 4-4-2. They have Giroud as the focal point to link up play. Maybe your view of 4-4-2 is not the same as mine.
@azed
Dunno..some opportunistic journalists on Twitter certainly think so.
When I saw Boateng I thought oh it’s that young highly rated lad from Levante Emmanuel Boateng but no it’s Kevin Prince… ridiculous
Not in the final nelson
They played 442 vs Croatia
OG and Griezman
KEVIN -PRINCE BOATENG to Barca…..looks like money laundering to me, the way Barca signs up some players….like Paulinho, Alex Song etc
Marko, say where’s you BFF, joe?
Of course ,we all know why giroud has such an excellent goals per game ratio at Arsenal
GIroud(and Sanchez) are obviously missing the input of such an exceptional creative talent .
He lives in Canada. I live in Ireland. He could be anywhere Dale.
Ah…..he’s probably saving buns or pancakes from catching fire
Dale you’re making jokes about someone who’s not been on all day very impressive
You’ve got to say Pierre’s actually been right all along, after all Ozil’s mere presence on the bench was all it took for us to beat Chelsea. Apparently several leper’s who happened to be in the vicinity of the stadium were miraculously cured as well.
If only Emery had played him in all of our matches we would have won the PL, League Cup plus the FA Cup already and been promoted to the CL in recognition of the living God wearing the number 10 shirt for us.
Why didn’t we listen to Pierre?
Bamford, that’s really not what Un is saying. He’s saying if Arsenal, who are 5th in the league, 3 points off 4th… can compete with the top 6 teams in 5 out of 7 games, then we are good enough to be in the top 4 this season if the manager uses his players properly.
He’s absolutely correct.
Same ol same ol at Arsenal, Bellerin is out for the season, and we’re not going to bring in a proper RB…
That’s exactly what I’m saying Pedro
I’m also saying that these guys are deliberately down playing the quality of our squad to buffer emery if he fails to reach top 4
Well the interesting questions going to be the response to Sarri’s outburst on Thursday. With several players missing the Spud’s should be there for the taking – will the Chelsea players be up for it?
MarkoJanuary 21, 2019 22:04:33
Dale you’re making jokes about someone who’s not been on all day very impressive
Yeah, I know…why I am asking you…you can tell him when he gets back.
Dale
How much of our summer transfer budget would you use on a RB?
Marc
I was talking about Ramsey.
Surely that was obvious as Ramsey had such a superb on field relationship with sanchez and giroud , how they must miss Ramsey’s creative influence.
Marc,
I don’t know but Liverpool have managed to build their team, without spending huge amounts on the fullbacks….surely there’s a very good kid in our stable of youths or some lower league RB that’s very serviceable…i don’t know, but AMN, Jenkinson and Lichtsteiner are car crash in waiting as our options for the rest of the season, with AMN due another injury at this rate.
Robertson cost Pool 8million quid from Hull ffs.
Pierre
I was talking about your incessant ranting’s about Ozil for the last several weeks. I haven’t been on here today or looked back through the comments.
I do understand that it’s natural to go on the defensive when you’re so wrong so often though.
We never addressed the RB position since we installed Bellerin after Sagna left. We got 3 LB at one point or at every season, but we manage to either convert someone into a RB when Bell is not available. Lichsteiner is a stop gap, we should have planned for longer termed option.
“Bamford, that’s really not what Un is saying. He’s saying if Arsenal, who are 5th in the league, 3 points off 4th… can compete with the top 6 teams in 5 out of 7 games, then we are good enough to be in the top 4 this season if the manager uses his players properly.
He’s absolutely correct.”
Pedro
This is not true because that statement doesn’t take into account injuries and suspension unless of course you and Un expect Lich/AMN to give the same output as Bellerin.
Dale
They did spend best part of £18 million on Clyne. The problem is how much to you spend now on a player who will end up being back up?
Marc….let me direct you to Spuds, getting Aurier while having Trippier
Azed Injuries and suspensions aren’t special to Arsenal, the rest of the top 6 have and get them too. We’ve competed in all but 2 games against the top sides this season, so it stands to reason we have the tools available to compete for a spot among the top 4. Certainly isn’t cut and dried like this dismissive nonsense we see from some people desperate to give Emery all the slack in the world. The principle reason for our “failures” this season so far are at the feet of Emery in the form of his tactical approach, selection of… Read more »
Dale
Er Aurier cost over £20 million
Marc
He was available for 7m a season or two before he went to spurs
Un na
Piss poor by the Spud’s then – especially with a billion quids worth of debt on the horizon.
But Pedro I seem to remember you saying top four will be difficult this season and should be seen as a great achievement
Why is it all of sudden a given and not getting it an outright failure? What changed?
Marc
We could have had yaya, Ronaldinho and ibrahimovic for peanuts. That’s how it goes sometimes.
My point exactly…when Sagna left, I was so sure would add Aurier, we never addressed it during Wenger’s time and we still aren’t addressing it post Wenger….How is Liverpool correcting it’s squad with good money, also owned by an American group, yet we are just ran poorly by KSE and his hired help?
Rh
Of course it’s not a given. What we are saying that the tools are there to succeed in achieving that goal this season.
I’m sure there’s a very good right back on the cheap, oh wait….Sven has checked out….Raul will pull out the Rolodex, we might just find one at Barca for 20 million…
“Injuries and suspensions aren’t special to Arsenal, the rest of the top 6 have and get them too.”
CC
There’s a big difference bewteen going from Kylie Walker to Danilo and going from Bellerin to Lich/AMN.
Against Southampton, we had only Monreal and Koscienly as our fit centre backs and they had just come back from injury. Can you suggest what Emery could have done then?
We’ve had to play Xhaka at LB and LCB this season because they were no other options.
Un nai naai
Yes the tools are there but it would be one hell of an achievement cos no one gave us a chance before a ball was kicked. I actually fancy us sneaking in through Europa than top four, we have blown a lot of chances to get ahead and yes the manager has to take some of the blame, some not all the blame you are desperate to hang on him
“Why is it all of sudden a given and not getting it an outright failure? What changed?”
Arteta wasn’t hired.
Un na
You’re being daft mate, can’t expect anything of Emery until everyone in the 23-man squad was bought by him obviously.
azed…so we have no Trent Alexander Arnold in our world class academy?? Shame that we can’t even pull out options in our reserves.
“We’ve had to play Xhaka at LB and LCB this season because they were no other options.“
Maybe make better decisions pre-season then instead of loaning a fit Chambers out. Or turnover the squad better in the summer?
How many points did we drop in the period we were forced to play Xhaka in defence out of curiosity?