Lack of belief cited as Emery’s Arsenal tanks again

by .

courtesy @allthatchas

Arsenal under new leadership looks exactly the same as the old Arsenal we thought we’d left behind. The sum total of what we delivered in a 3-1 loss was 15 minutes of football that looked interesting. The main celebration of Arsenal fans post-game centred around not losing by 8 goals, as many feared we’d be revisiting that fateful Manchester disasterclass of 2011.

That’s a depressing new low 9 months into a new regime.

I don’t think anyone was really expecting Emery to deliver a blistering win, but I also don’t think anyone expected Arsenal to go down so meekly. Emery was pitched as a master tactician, a man who had a plan for every player, an energetic motivator who was furious at the fitness levels of the players, and on a mission to hold players accountable for their pitiful attitude towards winning. What he delivered yesterday was another shambles shielded by the fact that he has a free season pass with a huge group of the fans who seem to believe that patience and money will iron out the kinks in a body of issues that looks more like coaching issues.

The starting 11 was odd. Emery opted for 4-4-2. He chose to play Iwobi, he once again picked Lichtsteiner, and he left Suarez, Ramsey and Ozil on the bench.

We paid the price within 50 seconds. Guendouzi had tried to move the ball out of our box, he played into Iwobi who dithered and lost the ball, Lichtsteiner was too slow to realize what was going on, Mustafi played everyone onside, and Aguero was found with a diving header he easily put past Leno who jumped the wrong way. We were so stretched early on it was hard to work out what the formation was at times, but what was clear is the defence was shell shocked and hadn’t a clue how to settle.

Arsenal did come back into the game with a great set piece goal from Laurent Koscielny. Torriera found Monreal at the front post, the ball was knocked on for a simple headed goal. We had City rattled for a good 15 minutes, Guendouzi and Torriera were doing as solid a job in midfield as they could considering how outnumbered they were and we nearly took advantage of a few pieces of shoddy defending. But ultimately, we weren’t set up to take advantage of the weaknesses in City’s armour. Our strikers were playing too deep, Auba is ineffective against great sides that control the midfield, we had no width, and our creativity was limited to Iwobi.

To make matters worse, as always with this Emery side, we didn’t have the maturity to see out an advantage into half time, a now chronic issue almost as debilitating to our progress as not winning away from home last season.

Fernandinho had time to pick out Sterling on the right, Lichtsteiner pottered over, the ball was cut back to Gundogan who clipped a ball back over the defence first time, our right back had lost Sterling trying to clear his lines, the ball was volleyed across goal where Aguero was on hand to finish unmarked for the second time.

Emery didn’t do anything to change things at halftime, I thought he might switch to three at the back and introduce some creative talent. We’d not given Lacazette or Auba a single chance the whole half, you felt if we addressed that, we might have made things more interesting.

As it happened, City came gunning for us in the second 45, and we were finished by 60 minutes. Aguerro found Sterling out on the right, Iwobi wasn’t covering, Lichtsteiner couldn’t deal with the pace, a simple cross found Aguero for his third tap-in of the night.

The manager tried to chase the game after that by introducing Denis Suarez for his debut and giving Rambo a run-out, but the players had essentially given up. They knew it was over and they didn’t want to go down fighting. Emery himself seemed to follow their lead offering up Mavrapanos as a 79th-minute sub.

Worth noting that Suarez dropped a debut so bad, there’s a compilation of it. It’s only one game, but I’ve seen him plenty of times before, I’m really struggling to see what he’s brought to the table that we don’t already have at the club. He doesn’t give us width, he’s not physical and he’s slow.

Arsenal were chasing a game in the second half and we managed to register ZERO attempts at the City goal. We couldn’t even provide a wild shot at goal from 40 yards (miss u, Xhaka).

The two bright spots for me were Matty G and Lucas T. Those two worked tirelessly and deserved more out of the game. Matty G is such a great player, I love his ferocity and work ethic, his lanes of passing and his growing confidence. What a star we have there. It’s telling that he’s our most important player at the minute, this reminds me of Jack in his breakthrough year. Let’s hope we take care of MGs body a little better.

So in conclusion, it was 3 points we were all expecting to drop, but a match that once again exposed the manager as lukewarm at the highest level. He made a lot of mistakes yesterday and I think that’s 13 games he’s failed to best Pep. I think this comment after the game was very telling.

“Our players have the mentality that when we are worse than the opposition we feel that.’’

Apparently, that line isn’t a translation issue, he said it over and over again. Though it might be true, you do wonder if Emery was wise to say it? The team are clearly struggling with inconsistent ideas, indecision with team selection and interchanging tactics. I’m not sure throwing stones is smart when you opt to play two strikers and leave all your creativity on the bench. Is Emery really surprised the players didn’t believe when he started Lichtsteiner despite knowing he’s finished at the highest level?

Inferiority issues usually stem from the leader. You’ll always come up against bigger and better-equipped opponents, the key is to find stratagems that convince your soldiers the fight is winnable.

Whatever the reason, Emery’s observation was correct, you absolutely knew that when Arsenal walked out on that pitch they had no hope of winning that game. The players didn’t look like they knew what they were doing and there was the same lack of belief we’d have under Wenger. The interesting thing about the comment is earlier in the season, we were celebrating the shift in mentality under Emery, a manager who said he refused to let his players play like cowards, a manager who had reinvigorated the dressing room with a winning mentality. The proof points were a succession of late winners, games turned around at half time, and 22 games unbeaten (I was saying it too!).

What are we saying now? Was that a mirage? Is it now back to Wenger’s team after 9 months? Do we have to go on a Stalinist purge to rid every single player that had a word whispered to him by our ex-manager before we can be fully satisfied that the new coach has been given the best possible chance?

We are 9 months into this project and we’re on course to concede 57 goals this season. We’ve shipped 13 goals in our 4 big away games so far this season. We look an absolute mess. There was no organisation yesterday, senior players were making basic mistakes (players that have been making mistakes all season), and the tactical hypothesis we went for in leaving our creative players on the bench ended up punishing us because the pragmatism didn’t equate to better defending.

Arsenal didn’t have to travel this week, so they’ve had time to prepare for this game. We conceded 12 shots on target from 19 attempts. That is miserable, but we did the same away at Chelsea (13) and Liverpool (10). Just to put it in perspective because I know we had injuries, Newcastle limited City to 4 shots on target the week before. Even Huddersfield, a team in a terrible state, managed to reduce City to 4 shots on target. Defending is a team game, and we’re not doing it well. Even worse, both the aforementioned sides registered the same number of shots on target as us (2), both had more attempts.

If there is such thing as winning ugly, then yesterday was an example of Arsenal losing ugly. City were average, but as always, we are exactly the team you want to play when you’ve hit a bumpy patch. We’ll always roll over and take it. I knew we’d have problems this season, but I thought we’d see a sharper vision of a new Arsenal sooner. I thought at the very least, if we went down, we’d go down fighting. I didn’t expect the coach to be slaying his player’s mentality in February, especially when 6 of the starting 11 were players bought in during the Sven era (the remaining 5 all capped at international level).

You can attribute yesterday to Wenger all you like, you can plead for more money and patience, but you cannot escape the reality that Emery was hired in as a prestigious head coach of Arsenal and he’s failing across the board. The video analysis hype doesn’t seem to be translating onto the pitch. Maybe players can’t concentrate for the hour or so he spends talking to them, maybe the ideas aren’t good? Whatever Emery and his team are doing defensively, we’re getting worse.

‘I like the possession with the ball, I like good pressing against the other team. I prefer to win 5-4 than win 1-0.’

Today we registered 2 shots on target both shots coming from defenders. The pressing game isn’t really there. The players are not getting better individually. Stylistically, we’re still awful to watch.

That’s on the coach.

Today’s result was expected, the question you have to ask yourself is whether that was the sort of loss that’s driving towards a better Arsenal. For me, all I could take out of that was the dread that we have a manager out of his comfort zone and as a result is shifting his own narrative from a power point mastermind who had a plan to coach us into the next level, to just another drab chequebook manager who needs two seasons to make improvements (remember the press defending Moyes in the same way?).

That’s not what we were sold people because if it were, you’d not have bought it.

Remember, there is nothing rational in calling for patience and investment in a person who isn’t delivering improvement. There is nothing sensible in taking a drab path if you don’t need to. Bruce Rioch hit his objectives in his first season at Arsenal and David Dein took the rational decision to dispense of his services for Arsene Wenger. That’s great leadership. Let’s hope Raul has that in him should the season continue to head south.

Would love to hear your thought in the comments.

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Un na naai

Bale’s actually been deceptively shit for a while. And he’s a perma crocked. Guy has muscles like an old woman

Marko

Sure they do, in dublin. They’re always running from some sham trying to mug them

qna

PHD. Ive lived in a few capital cities and some towns. But I’ve been an expat for a long time. Not going to give away where because I like to talk shit with the comfort of anonymity. Hahaha, I’m your textbook troll 🙂

Convict history is not a cause of celebration from my experience. People just literally could care less. Nobody asks if another person is descended from convicts or settlers because nobody cares.

PhD2020

Un na naaiFebruary 6, 2019 20:21:07 My gosh,you are so basic it’s unbelievable..Beyond help. So much so,that your parents tried to do the decent thing by you and enrol you into remedial classes.That backfired spectacularly,when the school in question declined you,on the grounds of you not meeting the basic entry requirements. They said you were a lost cause,beyond help or intervention,that it was an impossibility to cater to your basic needs. What a truly sad and tragic day in the Una Naa Nii household!! Everyone was speechless,like all are on here with your inane utterances. On that note,have a good… Read more »

qna

I hate seeing Laporte at City. I can’t believe we couldn’t have come up with an offer to sign him instead of Chambers. We cough up 16m for Chambers when this guy was proven quality, same age, and what 10m max more expensive. Probably get him on a lower wage than we gave Chambers too. Really dirty on that one.

Un na naai

07My gosh,you are so basic it’s unbelievable..Beyond help. So much so,that your parents tried to do the decent thing by you and enrol you into remedial classes.That backfired spectacularly,when the school in question declined you,on the grounds of you not meeting the basic entry requirements. They said you were a lost cause,beyond help or intervention,that it was an impossibility to cater to your basic needs.What a truly sad and tragic day in the Una Naa Nii household!!Everyone was speechless,like all are on here with your inane utterances. Erm??? Do you just make things up or what?? You got owned Own… Read more »

WengerEagle

Rakitic looks finished at the highest level, been a passenger.

Marko

Good point as always Don

Nelson

Malcom is a good player. I still want to see his final ball.

Dissenter

Wenger Eagle
“Rakitic looks finished at the highest level, been a passenger.”

Sven Mislintat will scout him pretty soon and present him to Arsenal.

Marc

Dissenter

Well he’d better hurry up he finishes on Friday!

Un na naai

Good point as always Don

Marko
Fantastic evasion of whatever point it was you didn’t have the balls to actually confront
Pusssaaaaaay

Un na naai

PhD

I take it the rain man comment struck home?? Definitely defiently 184% drumstruck

Champagne charlie

Freddie

If you paid closer attention you’d see I don’t seek the arguments, I just don’t shy away from them. Big difference.

Nelson

Malcom scores

Nelson

I don’t know what Ramo was thinking. He let the ball passed instead of trying to head it away.

Nelson

Here comes Messi

Bob N16

‘Top poster’ Unaii, wow you take your presence here embarrassingly seriously!

Nelson

and Bale too.

PhD2020

Un na naaiFebruary 6, 2019 21:03:24
PhDI take it the rain man comment struck home?? Definitely defiently 184% drumstruck
—–
Unai you really are a nincompoop…

Even your family dog and cat were speechless at you being rejected by the school that offers up remedial classes.They ignored you.
Even the local pigeons that perch and defecate daily on your balcony,were so disappointed in you that they never ever come back.

The pigeons felt you weren’t worth their pigeon shit,that’s how much they thought of you…

Right,I’m really off now.I do have to sleep.

Marko

Fantastic evasion of whatever point it was you didn’t have the balls to actually confront
Pusssaaaaaay

Do you have conversations with yourself

Un na naai

Unai you really are a nincompoop…Even your family dog and cat were speechless at you being rejected by the school that offers up remedial classes.They ignored you.
Even the local pigeons that perch and defecate daily on your balcony,were so disappointed in you that they never ever come back.The pigeons felt you weren’t worth their pigeon shit,that’s how much they thought of you…Right,I’m really off now.I do have to sleep.

PhD?? Really? After that you are even I consideration for a PhD

Hahahah
God help our education system. PhD in lady gaga is it??

Un na naai

Yes PhD
The pigeons. It’s all about the pigeons….

Un na naai

Marko

And you evade yet again
What was that show about themtwo dub junkies?
Adam and bob or some such. I picture you as the tall one

PhD2020

MarkoFebruary 6, 2019 21:32:18
Fantastic evasion of whatever point it was you didn’t have the balls to actually confront
PusssaaaaaayDo you have conversations with yourself
——-
His brain is impaired.From all that glue sniffing!!

Un na naai

PhD

Down sword
You’re done
Definitely definitely 100% done rain man

HillWood

Surprisingly Everton looked half decent v City tonight

Marko

Don I don’t know if you have an actual mental handicap or what but we weren’t discussing anything so I don’t know what I’m evading

HillWood

U naana
Annoyingly you have become very difficult to scroll past

Graham62

CC

Don’t give yourself too much credit.

You may “not seek the arguments” but you certainly love to pounce if one turns up.

Some would say you actually thrive on them.

Just my POV.

Graham62

Brighton 3-1.

So many empty seats.

The FA Cup has, unfortunately, lost it’s appeal for so many fans.

Shame.

Graham62

The domestic cup competitions need to be revamped.

Half empty stadiums are not a selling factor for the sponsors.

Shite, even the TV presentation is drab.

Any ideas?

Leftsidesanch

I think he is a far superior, certainly more credible and street wise coach than Emery
.. big Sam would not have chucked a 4 goal lead at the Nou Camp last year Fred .

Im surprised this comment has been left unchallenged, I think the regulars here are becoming immune to your posts.

Marko

Absolutely looks for an argument. How is that up for discussion. Just ask Bam Bam

Batistuta

Left

It’s much easier really to ignore such dumb statements as you know the poster is on a now boring attempt at trolling

Champagne charlie

Graham

Irony not for you then? I’m not interested in arguments, but I find myself snapping back to quips like this time and again.

So I’ve no apologies for doing just that. Marko another that likes to weigh in with shit commentary, bedtime soon Pat. Jog on

Marko

I’m just saying I’ve seen you interact with Bam enough to know that the idea that you don’t look for arguments is nonsense

Champagne charlie

Marko

Right, and it would be just like you to extrapolate when someone dislikes another and apply that as their apparent standard discourse. I reply in kind.

Marko

I don’t seek the arguments,

That’s what you said. And all I said was that you have. I said nothing about it being standard with you. Even though if I had a penny for every argument you’ve had around here

Leftsidesanch

Agreed Batistuta. Just funny how some good posters get targeted but drivel like that is left untouched.

Marko

You’re not important enough to tangle with top level posters like me CC, Pierre and George.

Thing is people know to ignore them as they’re not to be taken seriously. Interesting that Don sees them as a kind of group comrades almost

Sid

Un
PhD
We you mean you’re another educated fool who had nothing to come back
With other than the fact you’re another uppity upper class rain man equivalent who’s managed to Dustin Hoffman his way into applied mathematics??

Applied mathematics is the reason you are on a smartphone today, you fucking idiot!

If he did Dustin Hoffman his way into applied mathematics, good for him because 90% of the world doesnt have the apptitude for it.

Figures though since you seem to have shit for brains.

Ishola70

Graham62
“The FA Cup has, unfortunately, lost it’s appeal for so many fans.”

You’ve only just noticed. This has been going on for years now.

West Brom average just under 25,000 for league matches in the Championship.

Tonight in the FA Cup under 9,000 bothered to turn up.

Champagne charlie

“And all I said was that you have. I said nothing about it being standard with you“

You said I have based on my interactions with Banford. I countered and said that’s very much you, taking something in isolation and making it a norm.

Also, let’s not pretend for a second that you’re not prone to bare face lying on here, so all in all I think we can skip your piss soaked seal of disapproval against someone you dislike.

Marko

Also, let’s not pretend for a second that you’re not prone to bare face lying on here,

Bareface lying. You said you don’t look for arguments and I stand corrected. I was probably being kind to you just referencing Bamford in all honesty . You’re such an honest to goodness twat you argue with most. A worthy friend of Don and CG

Sid

Allardyce s Bolton side with the likes of campo/anelka / Okacha was an excellent blended team.

Yet he won less than 50% of the matches with that team

I thinks a far superior, certainly more credible and street wise coach than Emery
.. big Sam would not have chucked a 4 goal lead at the Nou Camp last year Fred .

And yet has been hounded out by fans at West ham and Everton for piss poor performance

Champagne charlie

Marko

You come out the blue to call me argumentative and then think you can seek validation for that POV when I turn it on it’s head and call you a liar? Lol enough internet for you today, you’re lost.

Sid

I thinks a far superior, certainly more credible and street wise coach than Emery
.. big Sam would not have chucked a 4 goal lead at the Nou Camp last year Fred .

…and let’s not forget he is so street wise (smart) that he got caught on tape asking for a bribe …. That must have a done a world of good to his street cred, propa gangsta that one!

Marko

How am I liar when you admit that the idea that you don’t seek out arguments is false. You do it with Bamford. Anyway you’re boring as hell too add that to the list.

Champagne charlie

Marko

There is no list with you, you’re an empty vessel. Away and get some rest before you’re out with the black and white cat early doors.

bennydevito

CC, It’s mainly aimed at Charlie George who has displayed countless instances of anti Spanish derogatory snipes at Emery, but when you were off on a rant the other night you referred to one poster as up to his elbow in Emery’s colon next to yesterday’s paella, a completely unnecessary remark steeped in derogatory national stereotyping. I’ve been staying away from the comments section of late as I’m finding the anti Spanish derogatory stereotyping incredibly boring and offensive quite frankly. Emery’s nationality is irrelevant to his competence and this incessant sniping referencing his nationality is out of order and ruining… Read more »

Champagne charlie

Benny

There’s absolutely nothing derogatory about referencing Emery eating Paella. That’s the most ridiculous take anyone could fathom from such a remark.

It’s a play on stereotypes, Irish and Guinness, Americans and hot dogs, Russians and Vodka, English and spaghetti bolognaise. Nothing fucking bigoted about it.

bennydevito

So anyway, I want to olive branch anyone I’ve offended be it intentionally or unintentionally, like Pedro says, blog of love people.

bennydevito

CC,

It depends how you use it and you used it aggressively in anger, so yes – very much bigoted.

Spin it whichever way you like, we all saw it.

Champagne charlie

Benny You don’t govern any sort of authority in how someone else uses language purely on your say so, let’s get this 100% clear. How I say I used something is exactly how it was used and your view of MY intention is utterly irrelevant. Meaning too that because you say something was said in anger, or with aggression, doesn’t make it so. I was taking the piss out of Receding for having his head up Emery’s arse, saying he was “elbow deep in yesterday’s paella” was nothing more than a comedic illustration of him up a Spanish guys colon..… Read more »

Freddie Ljungberg

I’m sorry CC, how could I ever have thought you like to argue. You sure showed me the errors of my way, lol.

Graham62

Freddie

The thing is with people like CC, they are so used to getting their own way in life, that they doesn’t realize how they come across.

It’s simple really.

Un na naai

MarkoFebruary 6, 2019 20:47:53
Good point as always Don

Marko
Am I mentally handicapped or can you not remember writing this post addressed to don/me??? You fool.
Whatever point i had made you clearly couldn’t attempt to argue it so you made this sorry evasive comment.
Do I really have to go back, post by post and lay your full stupidity bare?

I mean, I was drunk last night and still lead you lot a merry dance.

gonsterous

un nai

I think cazorla would have struggled this season. La liga isn’t a league where you face physical trials every weekend. They don’t have players that hack your feet if you are technically better than them and almost everyone plays possession based footie.
If santi was here this season, he would be on the treatment table right now, or even out for the season. Letting him leave was the wise decision by the club

MidwestGun

Wow Peds.… what happened to the once entertaining .. comment section of Le Grove? Its absolute garbage , now. Being trolled to death by this Un na naai character. You need to pay Cesc Appeal more. Only commenter that makes any sense anymore, when I bother to wade through the mess. Normally I wouldn’t bother to say anything.. but some of us have limited time these days.. and I know you appreciate the feedback.. Blog of love and all that.. Still enjoy reading the posts though Pedro.. even though I think you have lost the plot at times. Take care… Read more »

Receding Hairline

Arguing to prove you do not like to argue

Classic

Morning folks..even you Charlie, both of you,.

Un na naai

Gonsterous

Not sure I agree. If you keep him fit and use him sparingly then he’s a major asset to any side. Even coming off the bench to open up tight games when we’ve been looking poor and unimaginative, which we have frequently this season.

kristoman

anybody who disagree with another’s poster opinion here are either met with insult or racial remarks. what surprises me is that Pedro sees this on warning or temp. bound this people just because the’ ve been on this blog long. its alarming. the other I called on to Pedro to police a comment made here that someone is teaching poison to children so that commit murder, this was way out of line and it is even worse than a racial abuse. yet Pedro did nothing. I tell truth, I love this blog very much, in fact I visit it everyday.… Read more »

kristoman

anybody who disagree with another’s poster opinion here are either met with insult or racial remarks. what surprises me is that Pedro sees this, no warning or temp. bound to this people just because the’ ve been on this blog long. its alarming. the other day i called on to Pedro to police a comment made here that someone is teaching poison to children commit murder, this was way out of line and it is even worse than a racial abuse. yet Pedro did nothing. I tell you truth, I love this blog very much, in fact I visit it… Read more »

Samesong

Wow Midwest just turned up.. where have you been dawg?

OleGunner

“Pedro :

BLOG OF LOVE PEOPLE.Damn, I leave here for 2 mins to write an Emery hit piece and everyone is fighting.”

Tbf Pedro, imo you’ve contributed to this place being a shit hole lately letting clowns like Don and this Charlie fellow running rampant with horse shit.

It’s a pain in the ass to scroll passed such posters just attacking others and looking for a fight or goading others into one.

Bamford10

New post.

kristoman

what new post, eh so that you and your lot can start abuses all over again? forget it pedro.

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