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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WengerEagle

‘Thus, it is perfectly reasonable to say that Emery is a good manager but that he may not be quite up to this particular task. There is no contradiction there.’

This pretty much where I’m at. Not saying that he’s not a good manager, he is but is the man to return Arsenal to their former glory and have us back in the mix at the top?

Not for me.

englandsbest

Graham62 I am going to find every excuse I can for Emery because, heaven knows, he came into a dreadful situation. There is no quick or easy solution, whoever the manager might be. And furthermore he has done better than most sensible fans expected. To answer your comment directly: yes, hoofing the ball upfield can be the safest way of dealing with a dangerous situation. But that runs contrary to what Emery is trying to teach. So his emphasis is to discourage such behaviour, to inculcate his more sophisticated methodology, and that takes time. Iwobi is learning. When he becomes… Read more »

Pierre

Has anyone else lost interest in these games that we are trailing(and inevitably lost) as we look completely devoid of ideas .

It is getting to the point where I start flicking over to the golf as I’m getting bored with the match as it looks a foregone conclusion .

Southampton, Totenham, Liverpool,West ham, United ,City and the Brighton draw have all fizzled out.
Arsenal used to be a big draw for sky and BT , if we carry on this way they will not want to put us on tv which will be another lose of revenue.

peanuts&monkeys

“And yet now he expects a new manager to come in and IMMEDIATELY rectify matters.”

what do you think about Lucien Favre?

peanuts&monkeys

also, what do you think of the wage bill of BVB vs Arsenal wage bill?

Pierre

My Mrs is getting worried about me , I chose to have a round of golf instead of watching the Arsenal ..

Charlie George

“Emery is clearly a good manager.”

Bamford – I dispute that

I would put him in the average category- one notch below good.

“”And if I’m not mistaken, didn’t Sevilla’s 2015/16 under Emery read 19 La Liga matches away from home, 0 wins/9 draws/10 defeats?””

That startling stat from Wenger Eagle in conjunction – with emery never beating Pep in his 12 attempts- illustrate you are far too generous with you appraisal!

WengerEagle

‘And furthermore he has done better than most sensible fans expected.’

Interesting take this, how so?

peanuts&monkeys

pl accept it: there is something NOT RIGHT about Unai Emery. He IS mediocre.

Receding Hairline

“Over the last five years, Arsenal haven’t managed to win even a single away game against their five closest rivals – Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool. During the same course, they have played these teams a combined total of twenty-three times, drawing seven, and losing sixteen!”

Nice of Pierre to pretend what happened yesterday is something he isn’t used to. You can switch over to wrestling if it so pleases you during the game

peanuts&monkeys

I have never seen Arsenal lose possession so frequently as they are losing this season.

pl accept it: there is something NOT RIGHT about Unai Emery. He IS mediocre.

Receding Hairline

Emery should have made better use of the squad available to him yesterday.

He said yesterday’s game was a chance for us to show how far we have come as a team before the match. We ended up delivering a disaster class. So whoever wants to insult and abuse him today can feel free to do so. He did himself zero favors yesterday, he looked lost and devoid of ideas. And i think its about time he stops saying we need to improve until we actually improve.

Receding Hairline

I have never seen Arsenal lose possession so frequently as they are losing this season.

Did you just regain your eyesight??

WengerEagle

‘Iwobi is learning. When he becomes comfortable with the system, he will have the confidence to adapt to circumstances, and when needed hoof the ball upfield.’

Wheeling out the same old tired excuses and hiding behind youth.

Jadon Sancho is 4 years younger, Dembele is 1 year younger, M’Bappe is 2.5 years younger, Kingsley Coman is the same age.

Iwobi has basically been a 1st teamer for 3-4 years now and he looks no better a player than he did in 2016.

peanuts&monkeys

lack of self belief. yesss! almost all in this arsenal team is unsure, insecure, meek, timid, self-doubting except LENO. undoubtedly, LENO was Arsenal’s best player.
every other player is playing 3 times worse than their actual capabilities.

wrote this few days back as well – Enery has to find a way to raise the confidence level of the players. something is very very wrong.

Pierre

RH
“. And i think its about time he stops saying we need to improve until we actually improve”

If we actually improve then he won’t have to say we need to improve will he

peanuts&monkeys

“Did you just regain your eyesight??”

you are partly right. i hardly watched Arsenal games under Wenger of 17 and 18.

peanuts&monkeys

XHAKA, IWOBI and Lichtsteiner won’t find a place in any PL team of 18/19. I wonder if any of them would find a place in the Qatar team which won the Asian Cup last week

gunnershabz

to be honest, I do like emery is a good gentleman and I think he does his tactics session but the players he has just lose focus

but again with our foundation where is it gone?

man u with OGS have an identity of speedy counter attacks and strong defence and keeper

arsenal, we are all over the shop

Leftsidesanch

“Has anyone else lost interest in these games that we are trailing(and inevitably lost) as we look completely devoid of ideas ” We’ve looked this way for a very long time in these kind of games, but I don’t recall you dissenting has as much before. I think that’s where you’ll find its hard to take you serious. Lots of others have reservations and have made good measured points. The difference is, when it was poor under Wenger they wanted change, and they’re not confident we’re headed in the right direction under Emery which is fair enough. When it was… Read more »

Receding Hairline

While we are it i think the club needs to reduce the training pics coming out of the club weekly. I mean no other club have pictures of their players laughing and hugging on the training pitch weekly.

Things have not gone on as we all hoped and i get the despair. But what i will not go along with is the pretense we have good players and a bad manager, that is a naked lie.

peanuts&monkeys

Ppl, just imagine how hard we all would have come down on the manager if it was still Wenger’s Arsenal that was dishing out these performances. once you reckon that, you will realize how poor Unai Emery’s Arsenal is really being.

China1

‘Iwobi is learning’

Is he?

China1

What has iwobi learned in the last 3 years?

His end product is the same. His decision making is the same. His goals and assist numbers are hardly stellar.

What is he learning? This is a genuine question. He’s no longer a kid. If he’s going to be a real player he needs to be 20% better than he is but where is that progress coming from aside a handful of games in September?

peanuts&monkeys

Iwobi is all gas. he is a complete ass. Xhaka and Iwobi are as worse as they come.

peanuts&monkeys

are those junior players on the Arsenal bench even worse than Iwobi and Xhaka? if so, why do we have them at all?

and, that talented prick AMN? when will he ever deliver? what the f&*^ motivates him if not playing alongside Kos, Cech and Auba?

Leftsidesanch

Makes you wonder what Iwobi can do that Saka can’t

Redtruth

I’d say lack of quality rather than lack of belief…
Do you think Emery’s PSG would suffer from lack of belief facing Man City….

Batistuta

Jim lahey

There’s been an influx of very weird posters here since Wenger left, almost like bots with the way they comment

Leftsidesanch

We are subpar in attack, we’re taking the least amount of shots in games this season that in the past 15 years, we can’t move the ball in the final third effectively and we aren’t taking players on. I’m not sure what style of play we’re supposed to be playing. It’s telling that Ozil who has been in and out of the side all season has created more chances for his team mates than every other player bar Xhaka this season. People have pointed out his defensive weaknesses but I’d rather have him in the side at this point because… Read more »

China1

Iwobi is an athlete the same way welbeck was an athlete

Both of these two would have likely had far higher ceilings using their heights and athleticism at track and field type sports rather than football where they lack the intelligence needed to succeed at this level

Batistuta

Would rather chunk 40 quid at Romagnoli and add in Ozil as a sweetener before touching Lascelles. I mean we have enough average as it is already, what’s wrong with this club.

Unless we’re giving Newcastle Mustafi in exchange, can’t believe someone authorized we spend 35 million of him

Paulinho

Emery has three less points than Guardiola in his first 25 premier league games. Not bad, and a reminder to stop fixating on definitive style or philosophy. Our team, with two limited sharp shooters up front and number sixes in midfield, is never going to flow or be smooth in the same way as a Guardiola team. It’s a mish-mash of a squad, so no surprise we are seeing mish-mash performances. Also, expecting linear improvement during a season with our injuries, shit players continuing to be shit, and new players settling in, is a bit daft. It will be the… Read more »

Champagne charlie

I’m all for Lascelles as long as he’s bringing Rafa

WengerEagle

Online PC brigade have their pitchforks out for Souness now do they?

Of course he would have said the same thing to a male pundit, he’s a grumpy prick and it’s a weird term that I’ve never personally heard of in all of my years watching football.

Batistuta

Again and I’m not asking because I’m taking any sides as I’m just about fed up with Emery’s stupid line-ups lately but seriously though, What manager worth his salt would want to come here with all the financial issues and the poor and unbalanced state of our squad? Or is the new guy going to be thrown 70 million at and told to turn Mustafi and Xhaka into Maldini and Gattuso

Receding Hairline

“Emery has three less points than Guardiola in his first 25 premier league games.”

Interesting to see what the comeback to this would be.

Ok i forgot..no one cares about where we finish apparently, they just want to see the foundation completed or something like that

Bamford10

China

Welbwck is no great shakes but he’s a better footballer — and a better athlete — than Iwobi.

Batistuta

Charlie

Surely surely a club the size of Arsenal can do better than Lascelles….surely

Receding Hairline

Surely surely a club the size of Arsenal can do better than Lascelles….surely

Apparently if he brings Rafa we are all good

Chris

Up until now I have been happy to back Emery given all circumstances he walked into but I was really disappointed with how we played yesterday, especially in the 2nd half. You do have to consider we were up against one of the best teams in the world missing a lot of our first choice back line, but then the set up of the team didn’t seem right and the general performance was flat. As far as being a bad manager, that’s harsh. I think we are beginning to see ourselves why he isn’t absolutely top notch so the truth… Read more »

Redtruth

Ozil can only play in a team ogf galacticos.
The team is stuttering because of years of being pampered by Wenger…

Batistuta

Receeding

If we’re going British, I’d chuck the money at Maguire instead and give them El-Neny as good measure since they seem to have a hard on for him, there’s just so many other better defenders out there than Jamal freaking Lascelles, i mean if we’re trying not to look too far, we could do Ake at Bournemouth or Christensen who can’t buy a game at Chelsea due to the cluelessnesss of their coach

WengerEagle

Maguire would cost 3/4 of our supposed 100m budget.

Champagne charlie

“Emery has three less points than Guardiola in his first 25 premier league games.“ And didn’t 74 points make top 4 for a decade until it didn’t one season? Points is a rubbish metric of comparison, there’s far too many contributing factors. What was clear under Guardiola in those 25 matches (more like 5 matches) was the direction and style HIS team played with. Then you could see who was fit for purpose and what he was missing in terms of players to fulfill his philosophy. Something that shouldn’t be overlooked for points as you’re suggesting. Same when Klopp took… Read more »

Receding Hairline

Batistuta but will all these players you just mentioned come with Rafa??

He is the gold standard for defensive play right now….he is fashionable now. Performing miracles at Newcastle i am told.

Paulinho

“Online PC brigade have their pitchforks out for Souness now do they?”

Yep, they’ve had them out for a while. He was a bit silly to pick Scott up on her terminology when it was the argument that was silly. Teams sit deep against City, do they really? Colour me shocked.

Pierre

Leftsidesanch “Makes you wonder what Iwobi can do that Saka can’t” Run and look busy “It’s telling that Ozil who has been in and out of the side all season has created more chances for his team mates than every other player bar Xhaka this season” Well pointed out , until I see proof in our results and performances that we are better without Ozil then I will continue to fight his corner on Le Grove. Plus Saka has something special about him which I hope Emery is seeing , I’m talking about skill ,the ability to beat a man,… Read more »

Redtruth

Swap our midfield with Man City’s and yesterday’s outcome would have been different…

Champagne charlie

Batistuta

I was joking, Lascelles is a good athlete and is a bit Winston Reid-like of West Ham in years gone by. We should certainly be striving for better.

Champagne charlie

Receding

More ankle biting indirect commentary. Found your level at long last

Redtruth

Guardiola’s impact came in the form of a fairy godmother waving riches beyond ones wildest imagination…

Paulinho

They all had better players to work with. Guardiola had what he had, Klopp had Coutinho and a fully fit Lallana, who unlike Iwobi, could run with it and shoot cleanly with both feet.

Would love to see Guardiola with this squad, would probably look as pretty as City did when they were getting humped 4-0 at Goodison mid-way through his first season. We would be seeing a lot of that after the initial shot of possession drills wore off.

Nelson

I am really worried that other managers will study our team and find out that our right side defense is nonexistence. I wouldn’t be surprised that Bate Borisov, Southampton and Bournemouth will target our weakness. By the time we face the Spuds, we may not have much to fight for. Oh! Dear!!!

Versus

Another perspective. Lets agree for arguments sake that there should be small signs of progress at least. What if no matter what kind of progress emery achieves, the mountain sized problems we have would eventually negate that progress anyway. I’m saying that some of us have underestimated just how bad things are at arsenal, on and off the pitch. You’re looking for a sign. Any sign that he’s improved something in the club, not realizing that before that ‘sign’ can manifest, the problems left by the previous regime completely wipe those positive signs out. In all fairness. The only thing… Read more »

Pierre

I have a feeling we will be looking over our shoulder at wolves if we are not careful .

6th spot is not a certainty .

englandsbest

WengerEagle: How so? Sensible fans knew the Arsenal squad was not fit for purpose, nowhere near the calibre of City or Liverpool or Chelsea, and adrift of Man U and Spurs. They also knew that Emery wouldn’t get the players he needed – not then, not now, and not in the future. Peanuts: The way to raise the confidence of a team is to make the players familiar and comfortable with the system, and with each other. On Iwobi, I believe he has improved immensely under Emery. It’s a shame he lost the ball in trying to play out rather… Read more »

Receding Hairline

Yes because all of us looked at Pochettino after his first eight months and concluded Spurs will regularly finish top four under him. While we are at it how many new players has he added to the squad he inherited??

Or i forgot, the foundation has not been finished yet.

Yes Charlie i am finally at your level….we can both be petty now only i have my way of being petty. When is Rafa showing up to save us and win us the premier league title?

Receding Hairline

6th spot is not a certainty .

No one cares about sixth spot ..would rather not be in Europe at all than play in the Europa league next season

WengerEagle

‘On Iwobi, I believe he has improved immensely under Emery. It’s a shame he lost the ball in trying to play out rather than hoof out. ‘

I’ll have whatever you’re having lad.

re Emery, let’s not pretend that he didn’t sign 3 first team players and an additional 2 squaddies.

Champagne charlie

“They all had better players to work with. Guardiola had what he had, Klopp had Coutinho and a fully fit Lallana, who unlike Iwobi, could run with it and shoot cleanly with both feet.“ This is a cop out. Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil, Ramsey is better than Klopp had as a front lot. Still keenly remember Klopp changing the attitude and efficacy of Liverpool’s games against the top 6. It doesn’t matter if Emery inherited Jermaine Defoe and Jimmy Bullard, his management ability is measured by how he uses the players at his disposal. He’s still not figured out who or… Read more »

Pierre

Nelson
*I am really worried that other managers will study our team and find out that our right side defense is nonexistence. ”

Our left was also poor yesterday ,we didn’t concede from that area but there were countless times city got behind us and fizzed balls across the box.

City are masters of that tactic , they have embarrassed many defences previously and teams find it difficult to stop them as there always seems to be an overload of attackers.

WengerEagle

Paulinho

Sure he had Coutinho and Lallana, he also had a one-legged Sturridge and that fraud Benteke as strikers while we have the PL’s top scorer in Aubameyang and Lacazette who have scored 24 PL goals combined after just 25 matches.

Sturridge, Benteke, Firmino put up a combined 27 PL goals for the full 15/16 season.

Champagne charlie

Receding

You’re alone in being petty, it’s you that’s wedded to a manager and pov to the point you dismiss and mock others at every juncture.

I’ve held a belief since the summer that is being vindicated month after month. It’s you that’s continuing the pathetic assault on the mere notion Rafa would’ve been a better bet this past summer. Even managed a trademark remark in your last post, that’s your level as I stated. Clear to anyone at this point and precisely why Pedro chirped at you for bitching at folk. All is different inside your head of course.

Arse&Nose©

Serious question, if Denis Suarez was not Spanish would we have gone after him?

Receding Hairline

I’ve held a belief since the summer that is being vindicated month after month.

Yep Nailed it Carpenter Charlie….you have to be the wisest man in Britain nay the world

Even managed a trademark remark in your last post, that’s your level as I stated. Clear to anyone at this point and precisely why Pedro chirped at you for bitching at folk.

Ah the customary SOS to Pedro..good on you.

China1

I haven’t seen much of saka but more important than his ability to find space and beat a man will be the ability to hit his target with his subsequent pass/cross/shot

We’ve had loads of players over the years who look good in build up play but don’t have serious end product. If saka has that he should be playing. If not he’s another iwobi

bennydevito

When people are asking for Rafa you know they’ve lost their minds.

I’d sooner have Rafa Nadal running Arsenal than Rafa Benitez.

Where are Newcastle in the league again?

What was the score when we played them at St James’s Park?

I’ll leave all you LeGrove expert Benitez over Emery fans to answer that question………

Pierre style dots for emphasis……..

Receding Hairline

while we have the PL’s top scorer in Aubameyang and Lacazette who have scored 24 PL goals combined after just 25 matches.

I am assuming the manager does not take any credit for this statistic ,,he only gets credited with the bad stuff

Paulinho

“I’m saying the blueprint for taking a team and making it bend to your will as a manager is the test of elite management” Yeah, and his first season Guardiola managed to make his players bend to his will for about two or three months, and then they became ‘unbendable’ because they simply couldn’t sustain what he wanted due to lack of quality. Is Guardiola better than Emery at making more out of less? I have my doubts. I also don’t think Emery would be able to get City playing as well as Guardiola is at the moment, but would… Read more »

Champagne charlie

Receding Add insecurity to your bag, wisest man in Britain? If you say so, is this how you deal with folk who have a different belief to yours? Odd. How was illustrating a basic cause and effect any type of SOS to Pedro? You like to undermine what I say so I’m pointing to a very obvious interaction between you and the sites landlord who isn’t as active as most others. Even he spots your tendency to bitch, get it? It validates the argument that you…..bitch. Can’t have had your chicken and rice today because you’re fucking slow as it… Read more »

Redtruth

I said yesterday i hope the team don’t bring Wenger’s inferiority complex to the game and lo and behold they did.

Champagne charlie

Paulinho
I’m not stating the progress under Pep and Klopp was linear. I’m saying there was visible progress that obviously was disrupted along the way with unsuitable personnel (later rectified).

But Emery hasn’t offered up the initial progress for all to go “ahhh this is the future….when we sign X and Y we’ll be able to nail this”.

@Benny
Odd remark, Benitez has Rondon as his premier attacker and you want him above us in the table? Emery doesn’t have players good enough to compete with the top 4 I’m told, hows your logic holding up?

WengerEagle

Pep also finished that season with 78 points, a +41 GD with 39 goals conceded [we’ve already conceded 36] and the 4th CL spot. The way our last 6 weeks has panned out [12 matches, 5 wins, 1 draw, 7 defeats] with 4 of those 5 wins coming against Fulham, Burnley, Cardiff [teams fighting relegation] and Blackpool [mid-table League 1], you would have to be a brave man to bet on us picking up 30 plus points from the last 39 available in the PL. Even putting the comparisons with Citeh aside as they had better players that season than… Read more »

WengerEagle

RH

They were scoring at the same/an even better rate under AW though.

And in the Bundesliga/Ligue 1.

Receding Hairline

Can’t have had your chicken and rice today because you’re fucking slow as it comes. It’s actually rice and stew, i never specified what was in the stew. If you are gonna take a leaf out of Un Na Nai’s book at least do it properly. “You like to undermine what I say so I’m pointing to a very obvious interaction between you and the sites landlord who isn’t as active as most others. Even he spots your tendency to bitch, get it? It validates the argument that you…..bitch.” Rubbish..Pedro only picks on posters who are not militant in their… Read more »

Redtruth

“Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil, Ramsey is better than Klopp had as a front lot. Still keenly remember Klopp changing the attitude and efficacy of Liverpool’s games against the top 6.”

Says the man whose favourite player is Xhaka…plonker

Receding Hairline

They were scoring at the same/an even better rate under AW though. And in the Bundesliga/Ligue 1.

And the Bundesliga scorer also goes into hiding anytime the opposition has a pulse i suppose

Receding Hairline

Let me get something straight Eagle

Your argument is that Emery has not improved a single aspect of our play, has not made a single player better rather they have all regressed and that given this exact same squad a different manager will have us higher up the table and conceding less goals??

WengerEagle

‘And the Bundesliga scorer also goes into hiding anytime the opposition has a pulse i suppose’

?

Redtruth

Guardiola’s playing style is to hoover up all the best possible players..

China1

It’s chinese spring festival (lunar New Year’s Eve) tonight so happy new year to all you guys

Champagne charlie

Receding I don’t give a shit about getting your comments deleted, do you seriously think you’re worthy of that much interest? Kid yourself more. I don’t recall being “picked on” by Pedro when I was routinely commenting against the vitriolic inputs against Wenger when he was still manager – wasn’t in the same camp as Pedro then myself. If you feel “picked on” it’s nothing to do with what camp you find yourself in and everything to do with the type of commentary you bring to the fore. You’re ankle biting and bitching at every opportunity about Rafa (or Arteta… Read more »

Champagne charlie

“Says the man whose favourite player is Xhaka…plonker“

My fave Arsenal player is Lacazette, favourite footballer we have is Ozil. But as you were..

Charlie George

Arse and nose. (Pertinent question too ) !!Serious question, if Denis Suarez was not Spanish would we have gone after him?!! No – is the truthful answer. He wants only to have players that he is comfortable with. He does not want players with opinions or character. Hence, he adores the xhaka/iwobi/suarez/lich types. The only positive from the whole raul/emery regime has been the signing of Genduzi, Ask yourself this -how long do you think Genduzi will stay around if emery is his coach? The young Frenchman has far too much flair, color ,character and independence about his play for… Read more »

Redtruth

It’s fine scoring tap ins against Cardiff but where is Aubameyang against the big teams.

Champagne charlie

“That given this exact same squad a different manager will have us higher up the table and conceding less goals??” How anyone could suggest otherwise is beyond me. Unless every manager in world football is the same in terms of ability then quite obviously different managers would get different results from the same players. Quite something that it took Torreira, Guendouzi, Leno, and Sokratis to be added (with no outgoings) before this squad was deeemed not good enough to finish top 4. Guess we can all agree to forgive Arsene on the coaching front last season, it was the poor… Read more »

Redtruth

Champagne charlie
“My fave Arsenal player is Lacazette, favourite footballer we have is Ozil. But as you were..”

Ozil…….lol … and you have the temerity to criticise Emery…….lol

Receding Hairline

That’s the stuff you get “picked on” for, so save the pity party. You are the fellow who brought Pedro up in our discussion as a way of validating yourself not me. I couldn’t care less what you or he thought of my style of commentary, Nor do i even care if you feel your ankle is getting bitten, ankle biting seems to be the only comeback you have when your ridiculous commentary is brought up. You are still very much a Wenger apologist, no one is fooled on that score. You even asked just yesterday why he was sacked,… Read more »

gonsterous

pedro

Everyone can see right through your comments. let’s not turn this blog into untold 2.0. Where you stick with your belief through thick and thin. Even if you are wrong.

WengerEagle

RH Not to any noticeable level no. Our away form has improved but we are conceding more goals than ever, have been convincingly beaten and dumped out of the Cups on our own turf and are creating less chances than ever and taking less shots than ever. You’re framing that to be very black and white btw. Of course he’s improved a player or two, Xhaka the Le-Grove favourite has looked better this season as has Holding before the injury. You could also argue that Ozil has regressed even more, Leicester aside he’s been shocking all season. None of the… Read more »

Receding Hairline

It’s fine scoring tap ins against Cardiff but where is Aubameyang against the big teams.

that was actually the question i was asking Eagle and he responded with a question mark

bennydevito

I happen to think Lascelles would be a great signing. I’ve been watching a lot of football this season after my missus took virgin up on their offer to have all the sports channels thrown in on a deal and have been doing a bit of research on great British talent after the WC showed us we have some great talent coming through. Lascelles is fast, reads the game well, his positioning is good, he’s good in the air and is an absolute brute physically and beasted Lukaku and Aguero recently – exactly what we need. At 26 and English… Read more »

S Asoa

Emery is out of of his depth. It could be seen he could not handle PSG and in cannot fathom how he could turn around a bigger Club in a mess and with limited funding. Emery was a disaster in the making. But Emery seems to be a good con artist if he could sway every one. Being limited Emery has a complex and will do the damnedest to cover up. In spite a shit defense this Idiota will not let Bould set it right so his power is not undermined. Time the mental is shipped off in May. Continuing… Read more »

Receding Hairline

it was the poor recruiting and that was it.

the poor recruiting by who you hypocrite…was it Kroenke now buying the players or Gazidis?? Which part of our downfall as a club over the past decade does wenger take responsibility for in your book??

It’s either Kroenke this, gazidis this or Emery that..what is Wenegr culpable for Champagne Charlie ,,,do tell

WengerEagle

RH

Does that not vindicate what I was saying if anything?

You were asking where the credit for Auba and Laca’s goals was for Emery, I replied that they were scoring at a better rate under AW and in their previous leagues.

bennydevito

Champagne Charlie,

What the hell are you chatting about?? You advocate us having Benitez over Emery whereas I point out we are higher than Newcastle and have beaten them at St James’s Park.

My logic is sound and obviously sounder than yours.

Paulinho

“I’m not stating the progress under Pep and Klopp was linear. I’m saying there was visible progress that obviously was disrupted along the way with unsuitable personnel ” And how further south would Guardiola have dropped if he didn’t get those players he wanted? Having a distinct philosophy might well be a disadvantage if you can’t bring in players to fully implement it, in which case Emery’s innate pragmatism of terms not demanding a possession game is a better bet. His teams don’t reach the aesthetic highs but they can ‘rough it’ to a better extent than Guardiola’s choir boys.… Read more »

Champagne charlie

“You are still very much a Wenger apologist, no one is fooled on that score. You even asked just yesterday why he was sacked, why wasn’t he just asked to coach while others made the transfers.“ You were present when the original remark was made a month or so ago, so I know the context isn’t lost on you. With that said it’s precisly this sort of nonsense that has you marked as petty. If you keep insisting it’s simply a players thing then go ahead and tell me why we bothered changing manager when we could’ve just handed the… Read more »

Receding Hairline

You were asking where the credit for Auba and Laca’s goals was for Emery, I replied that they were scoring at a better rate under AW and in their previous leagues.

If that’s what you want to tell yourself